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allmusic.com reviews Sam's Town

Posted over 5 years ago
In my pre-MOG days, if I wanted to find new music, I'd check out allmusic.com. I still refer to it often, as most of its reviews are spot-on. This review, for the Killers' new album (maybe you've heard of it), just slays me, though. "Read for yourself.":http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hb6ftr2ukl6x~T1Now, you'd think, after that kind of slagging, they'd rate it poorly, but no, as you can clearly see, they give it *four* stars. Huh?I'm still trying to decide if I like it or not, but Melissa has taken to "When We Were Young", which is starting to make inroads on radio,even in the black hole of Wichita.What do you guys think?
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Comments (14)

  1. QueenofHell
    QueenofHell says I haven't heard the whole album so I can't comment. I've heard Sam's Town and I think it odd. I kinda liked their first album though.
    Permalink posted 10/07/2006
  2. Robbie Howell
    Robbie Howell says with regard to the reviews, i'm sick of all the springsteen references. seems band-wagon-esque. with regard to the album, i totally don't get it. not digging it so much. i like them BECAUSE they're so digestible. maybe it'll grow on me.
    Permalink posted 10/07/2006
  3. Dale
    Dale says The more I listen to Sam's Town, the more I agree with the review. The song "Sam's Town" is just way too weird for words. Somewhere along the line Brandon Flowers lost the memo saying that synth-pop should be fun, not overblown and "important".
    Permalink posted 10/07/2006
  4. SamTheButcher
    SamTheButcher says Flowers is sick of the Springsteen references, too. I just bought it, I'm in the process of listening, but what I've heard, I like. I didn't like "Mr. Brightside" because it was your basic indie 4-piece. I didn't like "All These Things That I've Done" because it aims low. I loved the album because it was grand and seedy and voyeuristic and massiv. And I suspect that everyone slagging Sam's Town felt the same. But hey, set 'em up, knock 'em down, right? I have a feeling I'll like Sam's Town to spite the people slagging it. I do need to listen more, but I rolled the windows down, opened the sunroof and belted out "When You Were Young" on the way home from the store because you *have* to. It's that type of song.
    Permalink posted 10/07/2006
  5. wgraham76
    wgraham76 says I know it's easy (and old) to reference Bruce when talking about the album, but, first of all, Flowers pretty much told anyone who would listen how Sam's Town would be Born to Run for the new millenium. Secondly, it's impossible to think of anything else when you hear it. You can even pick out which era of Springsteen they're copying in a given passage. I mean, the phrasings, the extensive use of glockenspiel, personal stories against an epic sonic backdrop. Which would be fine if it worked. The problem is Flowers. He does NOT have the voice for this kind of thing. It's such a thin, wimpy instrument, and the type of music the band is trying to pull off requires a big, manly, earthy voice to give it authority, and it just comes off as karaoke instead. Then again, if listening to this album inspires a 16 year old to download Darkness on the Edge of Town, what's the harm in it?
    Permalink posted 10/07/2006
  6. Anna
    Anna says I haven't heard it yet :( But I never give a rat about reviews :)
    Permalink posted 10/07/2006
  7. chucky
    chucky says I haven't heard it, but I am curious because of all the Springsteen references. I don't like Springsteen, but I also can't imagine the Killers sounding Springsteen-ish. I am going to go listen to it now, as a matter of fact.
    Permalink posted 10/07/2006
  8. ivylander
    ivylander says Odd, but the huge split in opinion is almost making me interested in this record in a way that I never was about the first. It's very rare that you see this much violent disagreement about anybody's music. It's almost enough to make you think there's some substance to the work....
    Permalink posted 10/07/2006
  9. lemontwist
    lemontwist says Interesting. I haven't listened to the Killers yet so I can't really comment either. I've never been able to use reviews to decide what music to buy or listen to. I've always depended on either my friends (who know my taste and can make judgements based on that) or the radio. And now MOG. Maybe it's just that I don't really read music magazines, so I don't have any sort of level of trust in their collective tastes, whereas I know my friends and fellow MOGgers... and the radio lets me sample in real time. :)
    Permalink posted 10/08/2006
  10. ROCKNROLLPIMP1
    ROCKNROLLPIMP1 says I THINK ROLLING STONE GAVE IT A ONE STAR? MAYBE BLENDER ALLMUSIC.COM IS MY MUSIC BIBLE
    Permalink posted 10/08/2006
  11. annnna
    annnna says I haven't heard the new album but the feeling I get from the Killers is that they were a phase I went through in music and now I've outgrown them. I bought their cd in 2004 and really liked it but now I think that it helped me find my favorite music rather than become my favorite music. I don't really have any interest in this new one, but I might check it out just to see if it really is as different as people say it is.
    Permalink posted 10/08/2006
  12. condescendingfool69
    condescendingfool69 says I don't know. I just woke up in a foul mood. It might have been a dream, or something.
    Permalink posted 10/10/2006
  13. condescendingfool69
    condescendingfool69 says Precisely :-)
    Permalink posted 10/10/2006
  14. k8girl
    k8girl says Wow.. what a review on the allmusic.com site. I especially liked this comment:

    "...plus they were fronted by a guy called Brandon Flowers, a name so ridiculous he had to be born with it (which he was)."

    Now that just made me laugh because it's true.

    As for the album, I have given it two half-hearted listens. But, will give it a few more GOOD listens before I decide if I like it or not. I really loved their first album from the moment I played it, unlike this one. But sometimes music grows on you. Especially when a band/artist changes it up a bit. We'll see for this one...
    Permalink posted 10/16/2006

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