I must admit i wasn't so interested in the latest effort by these guys, specially after listening to the first single Tough Love (nice track but weak chorus), but somehow i decided to give a chance to Rockville and... WOOOOWW!! this is a kick ass album.
Though this work has some modern influences we could describe it as a raw Rock album, strong guitars, some Hammond and what should be a wind section all that mixed with some backing vocals ala-Def Leppard, smooth keys and vocals by Steve Overland in impressive good shape.
Almost everything works in this album, from the first listening it will catch you and you won't be able to stop moving your feet. There are no ballads but some mid-tempos Story Of My Life, Goodbye Yesterday and the beautiful Show Me The Way.
It's sad that an album like this has to be sold by the band through their website (Rockville II will be released through Riff City Records March 22)... no big label to release it? Well, maybe the answer in something that not so long i knew, Antonio L.A. Reid is currently the CEO of Epic Records and that means he is also one of the heads of Sony Music Entertainment... could that be the reason why those big labels only sign R&B, Hip-Hop, Latin acts and they refuse to promote Rock bands?... I think so.
In summary, an excellent album full of Rock & Roll, maybe one of the best in the discography of FM... congrats guys!!
Best songs (in order of preference)
Show Me The Way
Better Late Than Never... (Chorus is killer)
Only Foolin'
Story Of My Life
Crave
Sound Bites
Tough Love (official video)
Links:
http://www.fmofficial.com/fmofficial/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/FMofficial
It's good that you gave the album a chance and listened to it. I think it's a great album but I haven't decided if I like it better than their last album Metropolis. I don't agree with your statement that there are no ballads. FM are the kings of writing ballads!!!!!!!!!!! But why is it sad the album is on sale on the band's website? Why shouldn't a band sell their cds direct to their fans? According to my cd cover the album is released on the Membran record label and I saw the album on sale at amazon, itunes, all the usual places. I just had a look at the membran website and they have artists like Joss Stone on the label. That seems like quite a big record company then, maybe not emi or warner bros but big enough don't you think?
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DeleteThank you for your comment. The main market by Membran is the UK because they haven't got capability to expand their product worldwide. In fact, they have to distribute in the US and Canada via a subsidiary by Sony called Red. Sony/Red is not the maker it's only a distributor for Membran, that means that Sony's cash goes only to their artists. Membran pays to Sony to distribute because the haven't got the ways to do that in the US neither the rest of the world. But it's not only about distribution, it's about budget to record. You would laugh if you knew the budget Rock bands have to record a cd, it's ridiculous and that low budget it's because record labels are small... Sony, UMG, WMG, have all the money in the world for their main artists and that means cash for recording and cash to promote. Another example, take a look in youtube at the latest video by FM (Tough Love)8500 visits... no cash, no promotion, no visits.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned Joss Stone, maybe i'm wrong but she is with S-Curve, anyway, sales for her latest album were really bad so maybe she's out.
Amazon, iTunes... right, usual places, but if you record something and you own the copyright for that recording you could sell it through iTunes or Amazon so that it's about management not strictly about the record label.
My sentence is "It's sad that an album like this has to be sold by the band through their website... no big label to release it?"... all bands sell their music through their websites but not only throught their website, if you go to Spain, Italy, Russia, Japan it will be difficult to you to find Rockville, what i mean is that such a good album should be released by a big label so it would be easy to find it at any store around the world.
You are right, the guys are good writing ballads but in this album there are no ballads, maybe a power-ballad (Story Of My Life) but i keep thinking Show Me The Way and Goodbye Yesterday are mid-tempos... but it's ok, i'm not criticizing that.
Once again, thank you for you comment and i hope you enjoy the blog.
I don't understand any of your comments. All record labels have their product distributed by a distribution company so saying membran are distributed through someone else in the US is a useless point to make. Have you considered that the reason Rockville is not in stores in the countries you mentioned might be because release dates outside the UK are later? That happens a lot with releases. The band said on their facebook that the album will be available in the US and other countries soon. Why are you saying again they are only selling it through their website? Lack of research is the enemy of good journalism and you don't do anybody any favours by giving out information which at best is guesswork and at worst is just plainly untrue. People like me who read reviews to form an opinion on whether to get an album would get a wrong idea of what FM are about reading your 'review'. Luckily I am a fan of FM since their Metropolis album was released, I don't have to rely on your 'review' to know that Rockville is a good album. Maybe you should stick to only reviewing albums by your 'big' labels.
DeleteIf you've read or heard any of the interviews FM have done to promote the album you would know that they are saying they are very happy with their situation because they are in control of everything they do. That's what is important isn't? They are in control of how the album sounds, what tracks they release, wouldn't they lose that control if they were signed to a 'big' label? Out of interest, do you think that Rockville would be a better/different album if it was released by a different/bigger record company? Would you be happier if Rockville was released on Riff City Records the same as Metropolis was and Rockville 2 will be?
PS Membran is a German label (google is your friend), that fact on it's own would suggest the album will get at least a european release.
It's evident you don't know much about music industry so i won't waste much more time with you. You talk in anger because you are a fan of FM...different dates in Spain, Italy, etc... ok, tell me when you know all that dates, man don't make me laugh (US and European dates not a date for every single european country)... it seems that everybody but you understand what i wrote about selling the album through their website, but it's ok... if the album sell more than 10.000 copies worldwide (ridiculous quantity) you'll be right if not... you will be wrong.
DeleteYour anger make you think incorrectly, i know they are from Germany... and? you mean that all releases by Sony are distributed in Japan? as i said you don't know much about music industry... by the way, it's logical to think that Rockville II will be released before Rockville, don't you think so? anyway that's not the question i never said the album wouldn't have european release.
If you don't like what you are reading in this blog you don't need to return.
Have a nice day, you need it.
"it's logical to think that Rockville II will be released before Rockville" What are you talking about?
Delete"it seems that everybody but you understand what i wrote about selling the album through their website". I don't think so. You're the one refusing to acknowledge that the album is released on a record label.
You wrote "It's sad that an album like this has to be sold by the band through their website". Fail! Again, why shouldn't a band sell their CDs through their website if they want to?
You're the one who replied "all bands sell their music through their websites but not only throught their website". Fail again! How many more times? The album isn't being sold only through the band's website, it's released on a record label.
You are the one who titled your blog with the words "Released: Out Now, FM Website". How come your Lionville review isn't headed "Release: Nov, 30 - Lionville website" or Bon Jovi - why isn't that headed "What About Now - Bon Jovi website"??? Lionville and Bon Jovi both have their albums for sale on their websites but I don't see you making a big fuss about that and saying it's sad the only place their albums are available is on their website.
"if the album sell more than 10.000 copies worldwide you'll be right if not... you will be wrong." Right about what? What does the number 10,000 mean? No don't bother, I don't think I could bear to read another reply full of nonsense 'facts'.
Its interesting you didn't answer my question, do you think that Rockville would be a better/different album if it was released by a different/bigger record company? Would you be happier if Rockville was released on Riff City Records the same as Metropolis was and Rockville 2 will be? I'm guessing that membran must have upset you sometime and that is why you refuse to accept they are a label the same as any other label.
Looking at the positive side of all this, at least you liked the album once you bothered to listen to it and I'm sure the band will be very happy that you are sending all five of your followers direct to the band's website to buy the album.
I didin't answer to that question because it's stupid... sure the album would have been different. Ask yourself why Rockville with Membran and Rockville II with Cliff City Records?
DeleteBon Jovi-Lionville, you can find their albums at any shop worldwide, FM's Rockville NOT, it's easy to understand!!
I told you before, you don't need to return to this blog and i don't need fans full of anger without an objetive point of view.
Interesting, you think the album would have been different if the band released it on their own label like Metropolis was LOL
DeleteI'm not a fan full of anger, I'm a fan of music who corrected some bad information you posted, sorry you can't cope with being questioned about what you post.
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DeleteTake a listen to Rockville II and maybe you'll learn how labels can influence the SOUND of a band... bye.
DeleteAnd yet again you are so wrong............How do I know this? What I said before, the band say they are in complete control of what they release, their albums sound the way they do because that's how THE BAND want them to sound. Not a label. Maybe other bands let labels tell them what to do but this band don't. Can't do anything about it if you don't want to understand that, but your reviews would be more useful if you used the space to write more about the music on the album instead of talking rubbish about labels when you don't know what you're talking about. Have fun in your little bubble.............
DeleteBlah, blah, blah... Didn't know fanatic fans were so stubborn, instead of talking so much learn how music industry works, it's not only about what they want, it's about studios, equipment, recording methods, mixing, budget... Just take a listen to Rockville and Rockville II, same band different sound not different style, i will say it again, different sound... Dude, learn something
DeletePS That's my last response, you can keep writing whatever you want, i won't remove any of your post... But i have no more time to spend with fanatic fans like you
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