Maroon 5 - Hands All Over
Right off the bat I have to say that I love this album and I try and write as unbiased as I possibly can, but this is a really good album. Right from the get go with the first hit song “Misery”, this Mutt Lange produced album (Def Leppard, Shania Twain, AC/DC), to the last note this is a polished and diversely styled album that shows the bands considerable talents.
Having released two previous multi-platinum studio albums (2002’s Songs About Jane and 2007’s It Won’t Be Soon Before Long), with a stable of hit singles (“This Love,” “She Will Be Loved,” “Harder to Breathe,” “Sunday Morning,”), won three Grammy Awards, and sold 15 million albums they are back with their third album “Hands All Over”.
This album has everything from polished pop music to a duet with country superstars Lady Antebellum (Out of Goodbyes), to an amazing cover of Alesha Keys “If I Ain’t Got You” which is a live version on the Deluxe Edition and one of my favorite songs on the album. The aforementioned “Misery” is probably the most ‘pop’ song on the album, with a catchy rythm and very singable melody…and a relatable subject matter.
The new hit single that is rapidly rising charts is a great ‘relationship in trouble’ song, “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” that has a really neat video of lead singer Adam Levine in bed with a gorgeous modelly type lady, that just happens to be in a see-through glass box on the back of a truck riding down the highway. The funky guitar rythm reappears on “Give A Little More” which is just one of the many toe-tapping, head nodding songs on the album, that could just as easily been sung by Levine’s “The Voice” co-star/judge Cee-Lo Green. The funk is also present on the title track from the album, another personal favorite on the album, “Hands All Over” get’s you grooving along and with it’s raunchier guitar and silky lyrics its hard not to get pulled into it.
Speaking of “The Voice” I gained a lot of respect for Adam Levine while watching this series, his musicality surprised me, his passion for the music and the performance were quite refreshing, and he had some great performances on the show. One performance that stood out for me was when he sang with eventual winner Javier Colon and performed one of the best cover’s of Michael Jackson’s, Man In The Mirror that I’ve ever heard (Levine states Jackson is one of his influences).
Maroon 5
There are two ‘acoustic’ versions on this album’s Deluxe Version, both “Misery” and “Never Gonna Leave This Bed”, plus the previously mentioned Alesha Keys, ‘live’ version of ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ which are a nice touch on the album. Complete with a couple of ballads, some medium tempo songs and some slick rock-pop this albume is sure to pump out a few more hit singles for Maroon 5. I would be remiss to mention the album cover as well which is a fantastic mass of arms (see cover above) that has you taking a second look to see what’s going on.
I definitely recommend this album and also recommend the “Deluxe Edition”, pop-it in while driving on a sunny day and groove, bop, and rock along with Maroon 5 .
Track List:
1. Misery 3:36
2. Give a Little More 3:00
3. Stutter 3:16
4. Don’t Know Nothing 3:19
5. Never Gonna Leave This Bed 3:16
6. I Can’t Lie 3:31
7. Hands All Over 3:12
8. How 3:36
9. Get Back in My Life 3:37
10.Just a Feeling 3:46
11.Runaway 3:01
12.Out of Goodbyes (with Lady Antebellum) 3:16
13.Last Chance 3:09
14.No Curtain Call 3:44
15.Never Gonna Leave This Bed (Acoustic) 3:22
16.Misery (Acoustic) 3:46
17.If I Ain’t Got You (Live) 4:01
4/5
