Best Of Me, The - Bryan Adams > Reviews > A True Classic

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Great voice, best songs from his entire career
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

His unique voice combined with brilliant songs put you on cloud nine. This album contains some incredible ballads, classic rock tunes, up-beat up-to-date catchy pop songs, and even a (hidden) dance track. The album which spans his long career is unmissable and here is the low-down on the tracks catogarised by genre.

Ballads
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"(Everything I do) I do it for you" is his most famous ballad as is the theme tune to "Robin Hood; Prince of thieves" which spent a record amount of weeks at number one.

"Inside out" is a great slow ballad about wanting to know a girl "inside out". It combines a slow steady beat and great catchy simple tune, with the fantastic vocals and lyrics of Bryan Adams.

"I'm Ready" is superb track with incredible, relaxing backing music including excellent guitar melody and violin chorus with a fabulous solo woodwind instrument (not sure what it is!). This track was performed/recorded live at the hammerstein ballroom, nyc 25th September 1997, which is amazing as it is absolutely faultless.

"All for Love" is a great harmonised love ballad sung with Rod Stewart and Sting, and the lyrics are a clever mix of slushy love lyrics and strong sworn companionship and the main chorus: "let's make it all for one, and all for love" is a spin off of the famous musketeers moto "all for one and one for all" which is also echoed by these three singers. I think this song was used consequently for a Three (or even four) musketeers movie, but I'll have to check that! Still it is one of my favorites as the men's voices all compliment each other's beautifully.

"Let's make a night to remember" is an oldish song which is about, as the title suggests, proposing to make love. It is a very smooth song with a bit of soul blended in which Adams captures beautifully.

"Have you ever really loved a woman?" is a slightly more up-tempo track but still slips in under the ballad catagory. It has a latin american style to it which is a first for Adams and although his voice isn't perfect for this style it still works well. There is some stunning guitar playing in this number, with a little latino solo in the middle.

"Please forgive me" goes back to the old classic Adams Ballad style. It has the calm reflective emotional verse which is lyrically filled with happy memories, followed by a slightly more desperate, bursting with emotion of his love for the targetted woman. After this apolagetic chorus: "please forgive me I can't stop loving you..." He again nostalgically recalls the "first time" and other such fond past events with this woman.

Classic Rock Songs
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"Summer of '69" is probably the most obvious one on this album and it is one of his most famous tracks. Produced in 1984, this classic song still retains its catchy tune and funky beat. It will still be remembered by many for years to come and whenever anyone mentions anything to do with summer and 1969, people will immediately burst into song with this all-time classic.

"Run to you" starts with guitar notes which sound quite similar to the beginning to sting's message in a bottle, but not quite! Almost a law suit on your hands there Bryan! However, this rock style song is clearly another of Bryan's 80's classics, but don't be put off as it is not yet dated and can be listened to again and again.

"The only thing that looks good on me is you" is really the only other classic rock tune on this album. It is a more funky song than "summer of '69" and "Run to you" with its funky electrical guitar rifts dominating the song matched with Adams' similarly funky (screechy at times) voice. All of these songs under this catagory are great air guitar songs as well as superb karaoke classics!

Up-beat pop
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I wasn't sure how to describe this catagory but I did my best!

"The Best of me" is the album's opening track and is a great blend of accoustic guitar, excellent tune and of course those brilliant vocls which are the main feature of Adams' songs.

"Can't stop this thing we started" could probably actually slot into the previous catagory as it is more of a rock style, with electric rifts and more screechy vocals from our man Bryan.

"Cloud number nine" is Adams' most recent hit making it easily into the top ten (possibly top 5 - I can't quite remember). It has a good fast drum beat with guitar chords and piano notes aiding Bryan's great vocals.

"Back to you" is one of my personal favorites with the great accoustic guitar acompanying Bryan's vocals. The tune and lyrics are just incredible and the bright tune combined with harmonised vocals is uplifting and can just put you in a good mood listening to it.

"When you're gone" is the last track in this catagory on the album and it features Mel C (from the spice girls) who's rather raspy voice harmonises with Bryan's perfectly. It is another of his recent hits (1998) with good reason. The harmony of the two voices is the first thing which will strike you when listening to it with the slightly wild edge to both their voices. The lyrics which are an integral part of most of Adams' records are again prevelant here and it is an unforgetable hit.

Dance
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"Don't give up" is the hidden track on this album as it is not mentioned anywhere on the cover on in the booklet. It is performed by Shicane with Bryan's vocals accompanying. Bryan is not a renowned Dance artist and it is his first attempt at a completely different genre and I think he has succeeded well on his first try. It is a good track and was another hit for both Bryan and Shicane in 1999 and I think it show his versatility as an artist.

All the songs on the album spanning his huge career are written by the man himself with help from other writers which shows Bryan Adams is not only a great artist but a great writer as well. This is a truly fantastic album taking the best songs from all his albums and putting them on one and so if you only buy one album of his, make it this one.

Toby