Good Songs, Great Production
920299
In all I give the album about a 4 stars (out of 5). Not perfect, but decent songs. Great production. I would have taken out Story of U and I and replaced it with her cover of Oui Can Luv, then it would have been an even better. People Pleaser, Yellow Gold, When Stars Collide and the title track really stick with you, the rest is decent. A nice balance between her previous style and the world of Prince.
1963178
24 Hours in and having listened 5 times through, I can honestly give this a five star rating. Not a bad song in the bunch and as good as the songs are individually, they are even better as a whole. If you are a fan of the previous studio albums, or the live disc, make the purchase. It's well worth it.
4238477
I'll admit, this album is no Blackstar or Black on Both Sides, but it is a good production nonetheless.  More of the upbeat, intelligent Mos Def we have grown to love.
3563975
I have to say that this album is one of the best I've heard in a long time.  The lyrics are on point, and this is some of the best production from Bad Boy that I have ever heard.  One of the best things about this  album is the shear length of the songs, most over four minutes.  Too many  albums these days have very short songs with only a couple of short verses,  but Black Rob gives those hardcore lyrics out like crazy.  He's a great mc,  and his voice on these rich tracks are incredible.  Very high-quality album  that is worth owning and has much playback value.
3300259
I was very happy with this CD; and if you like the single 'Southern Son', then you will like the entire CD. There is a good mix of songs, providing a lot of diversity; and the only reason they may seem similar is because of the distinctiveness of the lead singer's voice. The CD also is well produced, sounds very good on a good stereo; and allows you to appreciate their musicianship. I like all of the songs, and there are many that I love!
3323213
Very good production. You have not only the best songs but also one of the most beautiful shows to watch, with good dancers, performers and a nice stage.
1989704
I like this quite a lot. "Take me Home" is the standout track, but there are several that I like a lot, and none that I hate. Nice production, and really good vocals.
3535020
The production values are a bit dated, but the songs hold up so well. CD quality is good--you may wish it was brighter and bigger, but really this is faithful to the vinyl.
1531053
The music score on these tracks are very very good.  I use software to take advantage of the music.  The lyrical choices are not appealing to me but his versatility and delivery are good nonetheless.  In fact, his comfort in his delivery allows for comedic or near satirical overtures and innuendo throughout.  I enjoy this album, but for my taste, instrumental versions of the tracks would be awesome!
3181457
This is a really good album.  The studio work is well done, and it's well produced.  There is a good mix of fun music and serious subject matter.  Buy this.
1330552
The Good

The production on "The Courage to Love Somebody" is just phenomenal. Granted it could be mistaken for a long-lost Survivor track, but they just something about the guitar tone and the synthesizers that make it work. The vocals send a strong message of love with their powerful delivery. "Parallel Lines" to easily pass as the soundtrack to an emotionally charged movie climax with its driving rhythms and over-the-top chorus. Peterik's flair for the keyboard takes center stage on "Born to Believe in You". Toby and Jim pull off a great duel vocal melody on the chorus. What kind of fool relies a lot on the keyboard as well, but this time around it's for power ballad. There's a very 1980s-esque solo that goes along with it.

Pride of Lions seem to excel in the ballad department, which is evident on "Light from a Distant Shore". Little guitar licks here and there add depth to the song. "Letter to the Future" walks a fine line between melodic rock and an Andrew Lloyd Webber production. The song begins slow and understated, but finishes with all pistons firing. A catchy muted riff dominates "Falling Back to Then". On the verses the vocals seem a little darker and deeper, but that makes way for a high-registered melodic assault. I wanted to note that Pride of Lions don't skimp on material. There's no song shorter than four minutes, with most tracks clocking in between five and six minutes.

The Bad

It's not quite clear who's singing what.

The Verdict

The `eye of the tiger' is alive and well, now traveling with a Pride of Lions. The Destiny Stone truly is the best of 80s-era melodic rock with a modern twist. Each song is powerful and sure to bring out every emotion possible. The guitar tone and heavy use of keyboards is what will reel you in. A nice slice of what's missing in American rock today.
3845131
You cannot go wrong with this series so go ahead, buy it! Excellent songs,good production.
3557200
Great songs, voice, music and production. Really very good. The word of mouth on this one is on the money.
3491336
After listening to this album a few times, I have come to the conclusion that it is very good. I have come to this conclusion even though I don't care for most of it. To me, there are three spectacular standout tracks - #1. Wide Eyes, #2 Airplanes and #4. World News.

As for the rest of the album, I guess you can say that I just don't get it. Most of these songs are OK to listen to (to me), but I don't see why so many other reviews are raving about some of them. But, these are very well thought out songs full of great instrumentation. I guess I just feel that they are lacking a feeling that seems so prevalent in the aforementioned tracks.

I think that this is a great album for someone who wants to take a shot in the dark purchase on a relatively unknown band.  I can almost guarantee that there will be something in this album that you will love. I really look forward to a second one.
124419
These are astoundingly brilliant arrangements and the group sounds amazing here. For me, however, a little acapella goes a long way. Most of these tracks here are doubled, some even tripled, and the effect is that of a large group of people singing, which sounds beautiful, but I'd rather hear just the four voices backed up by a trio when it comes to these tunes. And sometimes it's better to execute a tune by just singing it straight ahead with no funky surprise key changes, but that's me being picky. On the other hand, the production is warm, personal and joyous. It's a great companion to their previous Christmas album.
4299307
First of all, I am reviewing the CD with only the first ten songs--the original album, in other words. I don't know if the production of the longer CD is quite the same.

Here are the good points: First, the engineers really pushed Elaine's drums way out front, which is a good thing. It makes the Trip Shakespeare "sound" come across with more power and punch, more like a rock band should sound. She was so good, and the songs really drive forward. Matt's vocals are good, and (surprisingly) the guitar solos, IMHO, are actually better than many solos of the later songs on later releases. However, you don't get the guitar interplay that you would hear later on songs like "Patricia," for example, or on the live CD "Epic Renditions." The bass playing comes out on several songs as a rhythmic match to the drums, loud and yet tasteful at the same time.

Some minor bad points: John's harmonies are pretty far back in the mix; he almost sounds a bit tentative at times, not much like the third volcano he becomes when Dan joins the group later. A more important criticism relates to the songs themselves: These are for the most part okay, and some of them are really good. "Applehead Man" and "Pearle" are the standouts by far; in fact, I kind of like this version of "Pearle" better than the later remix. However, the songs on the later CDs, notably "Across the Universe" and "Are You Shakespeareanced?", are the "classic" Trip Shakespeare. Some of the songs on this CD are approaching that level, but not quite hitting it.

So overall, the good points outweigh the criticisms, and five stars for the CD. They should have hit it big. Sometimes life isn't fair, but how cool, after all these years, to have a Trip Shakespeare CD that I had never heard before. Thanks for bringing it out.
278429
Great production values. Strong, diverse group of vocalists.  Ubiquity, the record company that released this album, has a policy of offering you a equal product of your choice if you don't like the music.  First time I had ever seen that on a CD.  Impressed with the music and the offer.