...)
I had never heard of Jack Johnson prior to In Between Dreams. A few months ago, my aunt purchased this CD that she was incredibly excited about. So she popped it in his CD player while we were driving and I was treated to my first meeting with Jack. Cool, mellow, simple Jack.
Since ... Read review
For a man who gets his biggest kicks surfing the waves and strumming his guitar on a ... more
lonely beach in native Hawaii, singer-songwriter Jack Johnson has carved out quite a remarkable career on the mainland. His 2003 album, On and On, went platinum on the...
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Better Together (Jack Johnson) Never Know (Jack Johnson) Banana Pancakes (Jack Johnson) ... more
Good People (Jack Johnson) No Other Way (Jack Johnson) Sitting Waiting Wishing (Jack Johnson) Staple It Together (Jack Johnson) Situations (Jack Johnson) Crying S...
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Advantages: A great chill out album, perfect for summer evenings Disadvantages: Very similar songs, not much variation
Everybody has those days in their life when they don't want to do much of anything. Maybe you've had a bad week, or things just haven't gone the way that you'd like them to. Whatever the case may be, it just seems like a good day to do nothing. And relish in it. Until recently, I called these days Mondays. But now I have a different name for them: "Johnson Days." (Now let's not take this to a weird place, it's far too early in the review ... ...Jack Johnson prior to In Between Dreams. A few months ago, my aunt purchased this CD that she was incredibly excited about. So she popped it in his CD player while we were driving and I was treated to my first meeting with Jack. Cool, mellow, simple Jack.
Since that first listen, I guess you could say that I've been somewhat immersed in a world of soothing melodies, swooning lyrics, and simple rhythms. This was a sound that I wasn't ... more
Everybody has those days in their life when they don't want to do much of anything. Maybe you've had a bad week, or things just haven't gone the way that you'd like them to. Whatever the case may be, it just seems like a good day to do nothing. And relish in it. Until recently, I called these days Mondays. But now I have a different name for them: "Johnson Days." (Now let's not take this to a weird place, it's far too early in the review for that.)
I had never heard of Jack Johnson prior to In Between Dreams. A few months ago, my aunt purchased this CD that she was incredibly excited about. So she popped it in his CD player while we were driving and I was treated to my first meeting with Jack. Cool, mellow, simple Jack.
Since that first listen, I guess you could say that I've been somewhat immersed in a world of soothing melodies, swooning lyrics, and simple rhythms. This was a sound that I wasn't used to. My album collection is full of the likes of Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and Metallica. Don't get me wrong, I still like rocking out to those bands. But lately, I've been wanting to sway my head more than bang it.
I have Mr. Johnson and his guitar to thank for that.
1) Better Together "Love is the answer At least for most of the questions in my heart Like why are we here? and where do we go? And how come it's so hard?"
The opening slide notes from Jack's guitar is a great way to start out this album. It sets the tone perfectly. As with most of the songs on this record, you'll want to sing along with Jack on the first listen, even though you don't know the words. The song is about how being together with the one you love makes you better than either of you could be separately. And to the males reading this review, I suggest that if you want to make a girl's heart melt, pick up a guitar and learn to play and sing this song. Trust me on this one.
2) Never Know "Wanna take a time lapse and look at it backwards From the last one And maybe thats just the answer that we're after"
With a lyrical delivery that's much quicker than the previous song, you might be caught just a bit off guard. The chorus has him stretching out each syllable as if he were giving himself more time to think of the next word he wants to say. But I like it. (I especially like the way he says "cluuuuuueeee-less".) As the title would elude to, this song is about not knowing what is going to happen in life. We think that we have everything laid out for ourselves, but the fact is, we can't plan for everything. And so we can't know everything either.
3) Banana Pancakes "We could close the curtains Pretend like there's no world outside And we could pretend it all the time"
Another oozingly sweet song. This one is about wanting to do nothing but stay in bed with your loved one. I really like the stop-start chords in the intro. I'm still amazed at how well he can create a completely serene mood by a few strums on his guitar strings. There's a little breakdown part where he has a very sing-songy rhythm in his voice that practically begs you to bob your head.
4) Good People "Where'd all the good people go? I've been changing channels I dont see them on the TV shows"
A bluesy little riff starts out one of the most socially conscious songs on the album. One thing that I've noticed on this CD, and it's probably my only qualm with it, is that even when Jack starts singing about heavier topics, the tone doesn't shift. He sings every song as if it were about mango trees and cool breezes, which works terrific for the songs that are actually about those things. But for the weightier ones, such as Good People, I think he should have changed the tone to show a little bit more emotion. Still, an excellent song with some thoughtful commentary on the state of society.
5) No Other Way “When your mind is a mess so is mine I can’t sleep ‘cause it hurts when I think”
This song is about being so close to somebody that you feel what they feel. In this case, Jack sings about not being able to sleep because there are problems in his relationship. He goes on to say that he would tell her everything, and would never withhold anything from her. Or, at least, that’s what I got from it. You can practically hear the sweetness drip from your ears after listening to this. A soft guitar line plays throughout, adding a nice backdrop to the sweet lyrics.
6) Sitting, Waiting, Wishing “But Lord knows that I'm not you And If I was I wouldn't be so cruel ’Cause waiting on love ain't so easy to do”
If you’ve heard anything from Jack Johnson, particularly off of In Between Dreams, chances are that this is the song you’ve heard. It’s the first, and as far as I know, the only single released off the CD thus far. That’s how I first heard Jack Johnson, without knowing it was Jack Johnson. The song kicks off with and maintains a funky/folksy guitar rhythm throughout. The tempo never really changes much, but that’s okay. I like this song mainly because I can connect with it, as cheesy as that sounds. And that’s another thing that Jack does very well, without even trying, it seems. He can tap into the simplest of emotions. The song is basically, in its own words, about “waiting on love.”
7) Staple It Together “He shot the future in the foot with every step it took”
A bit of reggae feel is spliced in to mix it up a bit on this track. The steady bass riff keeps it grounded while still giving it a good beat to groove to. It’s not my favorite song on the disc, but it does help to stir the pot and keep things fresh. Along with some of the wittiest lyricism on the album, it also has one of the most repetitious choruses.
8) Situations The first of two short little interludes on the disc, Jack basically just tells you about four very vague “situations.” I personally like the muted guitar chords that he plays.
9) Crying Shame “We try to put it out But it’s a growing flame Using fear as fuel Burning down our name”
Jack takes another turn towards politics in Crying Shame, which is evidently a song against war. I know what you people are thinking, but this is not just another rant against the Bush Administration. As a matter of fact, it seems like it’s more about war/violence in general, and never does it specifically mention the president or the war in Iraq. He seems to show a little more emotion in this one than he did in Good People.
10) If I Could “Down the middle drops one more grain of sand They say that new life makes losing life easier to understand”
This is one of a select few songs that can actually make me tear up from hearing it. Jack’s smooth voice floats over the picked notes and soft taps on bongo drums as he sings about the correlation of life and death. This song portrays someone being brought to life while someone else’s is ended. Such a good song.
11) Breakdown “All the people in the street Walk as fast as their feet can take them I just roam through town”
To keep with the theme of the rest of the album, Breakdown is about slowing down. It’s about taking time out of your regular, hectic day to just meet people. To live life. To share moments. Great message and a great song. And on top of it, it has a mandolin in it.
12) Belle The second interlude-type song on the disc. This one is a little bit more clever, though. He sings the first few lines in French, and then says, in French, that he doesn’t know to speak French, so she’ll “have to speak to him some other way”.
13) Do You Remember? “Over ten years have gone by And your still mine”
One of my favorite songs by Johnson. He sings about his first meeting with his wife and how crazy he was, and still is, about her. He depicts some of the moments in their lives together that they shared; the good and the bad ones. One hell of a fun song to play along with as well.
14) Constellations “Listen close enough All else fades Fades away”
A very good, although somewhat melancholy, way to wrap up the album. Out of all of his songs, I think that this does the best job of using imagery. You can’t help but see the stars that he sings about in your head. Just a good, mellow, tune to end the CD.
Now, In Between Dreams may not be perfect, but it’s certainly one of the most relaxing albums you could ever want to chill out to. Beautiful melodies and simplistic, but effective, lyrics will have you singing along and bobbing your head within the first couple of listens. So do yourself a favor: go pick up In Between Dreams and mellow out.
The_Phenom 07.08.2007 (11.08.2007)
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Review of In Between Dreams (Special Edition) [Digipak] - Jack Johnson
Advantages: Some beautiful songs, makes you believe that you are sitting on a Californian beach Disadvantages: Some tracks have not got such a high melodic standard
...bridge chorus, which you find in many rock albums but in terms of a singer songwriter form this method can be found with more subtlety in Damian Rice's O. Don't get me wrong this does not ruin the album in anyway, and this work is certainly not like anything Mr. Rice has ever made, but it means that some tracks can be a little predictable. However it works very well in the tracks Banana Pancakes and Good People, which help to make up a fantastic ... ...downloaders out there. Please bear in mind this works really well a s a complete piece of work so do buy the album, and not resort to downloading to 2 year old demos. Anyway here goes
Better Together: A wonderful opener, from the lines "There's no combination of words I could back of a postcard", this track will whisk you away on what Jack Johnson does best, write relaxing music, perfect for driving in the summer. If you are going on a road trip ...
lmemumaslaw 27.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of In Between Dreams (Special Edition) [Digipak] - Jack Johnson
...of the twenty first century. In my opinion this is a complete untruth. Jack Johnson can sing!
This is bound to be a slightly controversial view but in my opinion Bob Dylan was rubbish! Ok he was a great lyricist, but his singing was dreadful. This is however just my opinion and not one to be judged in this review. I'm just trying to convey how much I like Jack Johnson and his music.
In Between Dreams is Jack Johnson's third album after 'On and ... ...to really get any attention in the UK. I'm sure that many of you are aware of the adverts on TV proclaiming that he is the best thing since sliced bread and about to explode onto the UK music scene. Well for once the TV is not lying to you!
Jack Johnson comes from Hawaii and has devoted much of his life to surfing and surf culture. After a bad surfing accident several years ago he devoted himself to making and directing surf movies. He also composed ...
mr_christa 20.06.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of In Between Dreams (Special Edition) [Digipak] - Jack Johnson
Advantages: easy toe-tapping summer tunes Disadvantages: some saminess between the tracks
...for me of his favourites in an attempt to 'educate' my music tastes. I resented the implication but liked the music (don't tell him).
~ PRICE
Then I made a wee visit to the US and got the cd for 11 dollars (about £6.10) at Target which seemed fair, so I bought it.
~ COVER
Let me get the peripheral stuff out of the way - the cd cover is cardboard which I guess is environmentally friendly but I'm nervous about it getting rained on. I'm not personally ... ...some similarities with each other in terms of style but not so much that you'd confuse one song with another, because they have quite strong lyrics and melodies. Here's the track list and some lyric snippets:
1. Better Together - "like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving"
2. Never Know - "our hearts are strong, our heads are weak"
3. Banana Pancakes - "but just maybe, hala ka ukelele"
4. Good People - "we got heaps and heaps of what ...
dakota196 13.06.2005 (14.06.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of In Between Dreams (Special Edition) [Digipak] - Jack Johnson
Advantages: Carefree easy listening, some great tunes Disadvantages: Very similar to other albums, very samey throughout
...of his then new album, In Between Dreams. So I'm a bit behind a few of you and, to me at least, this is Jack Johnson's first album.
Johonson's sound is characterised by accoustic guitar with light drum beats in the background and soft vocals cast across the top. It makes for a very mellow, summery sound.
We played the snippets album all day one day, with no changes. That's no mean feat bearing in mind that I work an eight and a half hour day and ... ...my new CD, it continues in the same vein as the snippets album did. But that's actually the problem.
Rapidly the music becomes monotonous and annoying, and Johnson's voice appears to be able to generate one kind of sound and is unversatile in terms of creating variation through the songs.
Lyrically speaking, there is nothing wrong and occasionally there are lines that stand out as very apt. The rhyming sequences are strong - there are few places ...
crutchley_am 06.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of In Between Dreams (Special Edition) [Digipak] - Jack Johnson
Advantages: Beautiful Chill out music. Disadvantages: You may not listen to anything else- ever!
...one man with surf board in one hand, guitar in the other. blissfully he sings with delicate ease, his subjects love and life, surfing and relaxing by the beach. An eternally beautiful record, well crafted songs and a far stretch from the morose downbeat music which can be plied in modern day recording.
With friends such as Ben Harper and a blinding performance at the Brits where he single handedly managed to out shine the might Prince armed with ...
deanjwilliams 13.03.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of In Between Dreams (Special Edition) [Digipak] - Jack Johnson
Product Information for "In Between Dreams (Special Edition) [Digipak] - Jack Johnson" »
Product details
Title
In Between Dreams (Special Edition) [Digipak]
Performer
Jack Johnson
Genre
Rock & Pop
Sub Genre
Singer/Songwriter
Release Date
04/04/2005
Recomended Retail Price
12.99 GBP
Original Release Year
2005
Label / Distributor
Brushfire / Universal Music
Engineer
Mario Caldato Jr; Robert Carranza
Producer
Mario Caldato Jr
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Mixed
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
602498815656
Catalogue Number
9881565
Additional notes
Album Reviews
Mojo (p.109) - 3 stars out of 5 - "A rare feat: gentle and kind without becoming soppy or daft."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Better Together
2.
Never Know
3.
Banana Pancakes
4.
Good People
5.
No Other Way
6.
Sitting Waiting Wishing
7.
Staple It Together
8.
Situations
9.
Crying Shame
10.
If I Could
11.
Breakdown
12.
Belle
13.
Do You Remember
14.
Constellations
15.
Mudfootball (live) - Johnson, Jack & G. Love/Donavon Frankenreiter
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since
13/06/2005
Additional notes
Album Notes
A former professional surfer and self-proclaimed beach bum, Jack Johnson is an unlikely candidate for rock-star status. Somehow, however, this everyman's mellow pop songs seem to tap into a commonly held desire for the simple life. The formula on IN BETWEEN DREAMS doesn't vary much from Johnson's previous albums, but is no less engaging--delicately strummed acoustic guitar, round bass lines, and gently funky drum patterns form a comforting bed for the Hawaii native's effortlessly soulful R&B-meets-folk vocals. Sounding at times like a more laid-back G. Love (without the rap tendencies), Johnson celebrates the simple pleasures and asks the big questions with the childlike innocence that only someone living in a literal paradise could muster. "Banana Pancakes" is a Harry Nilsson-like groover that urges listeners to skip work and enjoy themselves every so often, while "Good People" decries the age of reality television with a poignancy reminiscent of Donovan at his free-spirited best. Perhaps the track that most accurately encapsulates Johnson's unique less-is-more approach, however, is "Belle," a jazzy ditty that clocks in at less than two minutes and lets a swooning accordion tell the bulk of the story.
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