Falling into Place

Artist: Mike Viola & The Candy Butchers
Label: Sony
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 074646986127
EAN: 0074646986127
ASIN: B00000K2B0

Release Date: 1999-08-31

Falling into Place

Related Categories:

General

| Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

Power Pop

| Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Falling Into Place
Killing Floor
All I Have
Too Much Going On
Let It Ride
Give Me Some Time
Hills Of L.A.
I Don't Know Anything
Can't We Do Anything Right?
Stop When It Hurts
Doing It The Wrong Way
Break Your Heart
Fall Back Down
Once I Was

Similar Items:

Play With Your Head
Hang On Mike
Catchall
Moustache
The Live at La Bonbonniere

Customer Reviews:

Love Is Infectious.......2002-11-23

With a new CD this year called "Play With Your Head," it's time to dust off Mike's first full length outing. More than Elvis Costello or some of the power pop bands, I hear a strong similarity to Neil Finn & Crowded House. The title track is pop perfection, a joyful loud mix. "Killing Floor" has that abrupt staccato machine gun guitar riff on which Viola hangs the lyric, "My man I dig you Jonah, two-tailed spermatozoa, killed them with your bleeding lance, you just couldn't keep it in your pants." "You're in my bed tonight, I'm on my best behavior," he sings on "All I Have" to thundering guitar riffs. On of my favorites is the bouncy "Too Much Going On." "Let It Ride" has a pretty melody hung on locomotive guitar, sounding a bit like Split Enz. "Give Me Some Time" quiets down for acoustic guitar and a pretty McCartney-like melody with a splash of dissonant strings. My favorite track is the throbbing "Hills of L.A.," "I worry about what I've become, I'm looking for someone to blame it on." "I Don't Know Anything" is great rock while "Can't We Do Anything Right" boasts great harmonies. "Stop When It Hurts" shows Mike's better when he doesn't slow down. "Doing It the Wrong Way" & "Fall Back Down" are great power pop rockers sounding lots like the Brothers Finn. The CD concludes with the softer, somewhat plodding "Once I Was." This CD is great because it is amazingly consistent and strong. All the rockers pop with energetic guitar melody. Based on this strong outing, I'm looking forward to "Play with Your Head." Enjoy!

Pure Power Pop by a Natural.......2001-07-11

Creating a three-minute pop song is nothing less than an artform, but Mike Viola makes it seem like a breeze. His songwriting is sharp, his gravely tenor voice fits perfectly, the hooks abound, and producer Bob Clearmountain adds a bright, "up-front" 90's polish to it all.

This album differs substantially from the 60's moptop sound of "That Thing You Do," or even the folksy feel of the Candybutchers' debut EP, showcasing a more raw, edgy rock sound. I was searching for a suitable analogy, and one reviewer's reference to Graham Parker nailed it. The hooks and changes, as well as the faint sneer in Viola's singing style bears an almost eerie resemblance to Parker at times.

The album falls somewhat short of a pop classic. The ideas start to trail off and tend towards cliches towards the end, and Clearmountain's engineering, while fresh at first, starts making everything sound the same. Nevertheless, songs like the first track, with its chiming guitars and churning beat, and the uptempo "All I Have," among others, are real pop gems. Viola is a natural, and I can only hope he continues to refine his craft.

FANTASTIC!!!!.......2001-03-13

If you do one thing today, buy this CD!!!! They just don't play music like this anymore, it's a shame they don't give this band more airplay. I bought this beauty three months ago, and haven't stopped listening. The songs really grow on you - very catchy but not too "pop." I especially like some of the uptempo songs with horns ("I Don't Know Anything", "Fall Back Down") but this album has everything from well written ballads ("Give Me Some Time", Stop When It Hurts), to songs which could have EASILY gone top-40 (the cover song, and "Let It Ride"). This album has something for everyone...I can honestly say its one of the best I own. To describe Mike Viola's style is difficult, but think of it as Elvis Costello meets Paul McCartney meets Tom Waits meets Tom Petty with Sqeeze and a little Roy Orbison thrown in (okay, at least the sunglasses)...with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts! "Hills of LA" could have been a Springsteen song, but Viola has a better voice.

To put things into perspective, I haven't got this excited about a record since Nevermind, even though my musical tastes have changed considerably since then. Even my wife got into the act and works out to the CandyButchers. This stuff is GREAT!

What a suprise!.......2000-07-26

I have read all the reviews and must say I agree with most of them. I happened across this cd at a listening station and I was immediately taken with it. I put it in my car and I don't think I took it out for quite some time. Even my 16 year old son likes parts of it(he's into 311-POPA ROACH-etc.). There are some really good songs on this cd and they don"t all sound alike. I personally really like "Let It Ride". I believe if you buy this cd you will be glad you did.

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