The Gracious Few, For Those Who Have Listened. Options

[SinfulEyes]

Tell me.

[livefan1999]

Can't vote. In my opinion, I can't say "it's great". It definitely doesn't "suck". I'm somewhere in between in that I enjoy the cd along the lines of most that I will listen to more than once. Most cd's I purchase, not knowing the particular band, get handed off to someone else.

I alway manage to pick out three to five songs per cd that I like and the rest I can take or leave. I'd have to say that is true for me with this cd as well. Actually it rates with a high potential six that I'd put on my own personal cd/IPod.

Most on here know over the years I've been a big Ed/Live fan. I enjoy Alive, but am hoping for something stronger if Ed puts out a second cd. I honestly didn't think I would enjoy TGF's cd at all. I had listened to a lot of the snippets at Amazon and other places and wasn't impressed. After reading all of the enthusiastic posts the TGF diehards have been posting, I decided I had to get out and be fair and buy it.

I think it was Fish who convinced me the most. He pointed out that if I liked Live, I would want to at least give TGF a try since it has three of my favorites, CG, CT and P. He was trying to convince me that I should take in a show with TGF. Were they to come close enough, I would, without a doubt. However, it would have been more of a curiosity factor than anything. To see how they sounded live vs. the recent show I saw of Ed in Chicago. I want all of them to succeed, so it would be a supportive view at their show, too.

However, after listening to the cd and being able to pick out at least five/six songs I really enjoy, I'm going to have to give them a major thumbs up on their first effort. Chad G comes through, as he always does, with such strength and drive that it drew me right in. His time is always impeccable and he moves around his kit with such style..... Patrick comes through loud and clear and I can see why he won the honor he did years back. Both guitarists are strong and their performance on Silly Thing really won me over.

I think the songwriting is pretty decent for a first efort, but I'll bet it will be even better for their EP and second full cd. My real surprise with TGF is Kevin Martin. Hearing him on the short clips and having never heard him with Candlebox, I was not impressed. I felt sure that I would spin the cd once, quicly shuffling from song to song and then hand it on to a young man I know who likes rock of all styles. Well, I'll be keeping it instead.

Kevin's okay. Pretty darn good, actually. He has a bit of a different style on many of the different songs, but it gives one a taste of what he can and cannot do. Soaring voice like Ed's? No, not really. However, he has a good tone to his voice, a good ear, and I like the way he can switch up his singing style to go with the mood of the song.

Overall, a very good first effort by these guys. I am so pleased for my Live favorites and the band as a whole.

This post has been edited by livefan1999: Oct 11 2010, 1:52 pm