https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Next_Cover.jpg
Album title: neXt
Artist: ATB
Genre: Pop/Trance/Techno/Progressive Trance
Nationality: German
Release date: April 21
Position in Discography: Tenth
Estimated Rating:
http://www.trollheart.com/speed5.jpg
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 2.90
This guy may have ten albums out but this is my first listen to him, so from my point of view, having a female guest vocal on the very first track is not the greatest way to make the proper impression. That said, it's a hell of a good pop song, and she's a great singer. At least, unlike the other German pop album reviewed very recently, this is all in English, which will make it easier for me to get a handle on it. Or not. Okay, I see the guy who goes under the name of ATB – Andre Tanneberger – is a music producer, so I guess he doesn't sing on this at all, as there appear to be different vocalists on every, or almost every track (some of them reprise their performance later). So I guess we're looking at an Alan Parsons Project type thing here, where Alan Parsons produces and plays but never sings.

Just four tracks in, but I'd say it's a decent enough pop record with some techno features that doesn't really appeal to me, and as it's a double album I ask myself the question as to whether or not I have any hope of getting through it all? The trouble is that, not being an afioconado of this kind of music, I have no touchstone to use and it all seems disjointed to me, like I'm listening to a various artists album or some taster for pop/trance/techno/whatever. Meh. Yeah, basically this sounds like the sort of thing people would shake their booties to over in Ibiza or whatever; great fpr dancing but not so great for listening to and crap for reviewing. Really nice piano intro on “Connected” is quickly shoved aside for a heavy bassy trance rhythm and the song becomes another generic (for me, anyway) dance song. I think I've had enough now.
http://i.imgur.com/jC6K4gi.gif
Check out more from this artist? No
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? No

(Interestingly, look at this other ATB video I found! Didn't know Jansz was that famous!) :laughing:

That cover is ****ing with me.

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The world does not need another Barry Manilow album, especially one where he witters on about how much he loves New York.

All I have to say about this album can be expressed through this Family Guy video.

Hey, you have to listen to it, Trolls. You said you listen to every album on Wiki's list. :laughing:

So you pretend to hate him but are secretly a Fanilow?

Which cover?
No. No I don't.
I've listened to my share of Manilow in my time. Brought my ma to see him years ago, good concert. The point of the video is that most people will say they hate him but in reality they like at least one song, then there's that other one isn't too bad, and before you know it they're admitting they're a fan.

Basically, it was just a chance to trot out that video again and I couldn't pass it up.

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Album title: Love and War
Artist: Brad Paisley
Genre: Country
Nationality: American
Release date: April 21
Position in Discography: Eleventh
Estimated Rating:
http://www.trollheart.com/speed5.jpg
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: 2.70
More country, but proper country it would seem. “One Beer Can” is hilarious, “Go To Bed Early” is, well, sexy, (“Let's go to bed early and stay up all night” - oh, you cheeky devil!) but I'm not so sure I want to hear Jagger on a song that kind of reminds me of “Start Me Up”, and of course Jagger takes the song over as he does any collab he works on (I suppose that's the point; not much sense him being there if he's not going to make his presence felt, but still). “Contact High” makes up for it bigtime, while the legendary John Fogerty adds his talents to the storming title track which almost recalls his own band's anti-war anthem, “Fortunate Son”.

Paisley then has a go at internet culture in “Selfie#theinternetisforever” - clever song which really captures the zeitgeist of the twenty-first century with a great hook, and “Gold All Over the Ground” namechecks Johnny Cash as a co-writer, so I can't say, but I wonder if it's a version of one of his songs, perhaps rewritten by Paisley? Good song anyway with one of my favourites, mandolin, and I see at the end there's some recording of Cash talking, so maybe that's why. Great banjo in “Solar Powered Girl”, really bluegrass feel to it and another great track is the ballad “The Devil is Alive and Well”. Excellent album; another country star to add to my list. Again, eat it, Alee!

Check out more from this artist? Oh yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:
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You can always pass up the opportunity to invoke Family Guy. Always.

So in other words you might actually like that album but are choosing to be stubborn for no good reason.

Like I said before, whatever gets you through the night.