| Product Summary | | Label: Wea/atlantic | | UPC: 00075678340024 | | Release Date: 10/10/2000 | | Buy.com Sku: 60438634 | | Item#: M3QDKT | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 25050 | Format:  CD |
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(P) Atlantic Label
(c)1999 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
| With eight #1 rock hits to their credit this band stands as one of the powerhouse bands of the '90s. Now, with this stunning new album, the Atlanta-based quintet is poised to begin musisical domination of the new century. Blender is highlighted by “Perfect Day,” a strikingly soulful duet between bandleader Ed Roland and
the one-and-only Elton John.
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Collective Soul: Ed Roland (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Ross Childress, Dean Roland (guitar); Will Turpin (bass, percussion); Shane Evans (drums, percussion). | | Additional personnel: Elton John (vocals, piano); Shawn Mullins, Lindsay Kris Roland, Megumi Higashiguci, Chika Goto (vocals); Jake Shapiro (cello); Jerald Jackson (Clavinet); Mike Lawler (Hammond organ); AJR (keyboards, programming, turntables); Antonio L.A. Reid, Jeff Lanahan (handclaps); Butch Walker, Jayce Fincher (background vocals). | | Recorded at Crossover Studios, Atlanta, Georgia and Bopnique Music, Boston, Massachussetts. | | Personnel: Ed Roland (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Elton John (vocals, background vocals); Shawn Mullins (vocals); Dean Roland, Ross Childress (guitar); Jake Shapiro (cello); Mike Lawler (organ); AJR (keyboards, programming, turntables); Shane Evans (drums, percussion); L.A. Reid (hand claps); Will Turpin (percussion); Jayce Fincher, Butch Walker (background vocals). | | Audio Mixers: Chris Lord-Alge; Jack Joseph Puig; Bob St. John . | | Recording information: Bopnique Music, Boston, MA; Crossover Studios, Atlanta, GA. | | Photographers: David LaChapelle; Rick Diamond. | | Blender it is, though blander might fit just as well -- for all the protestations of good-time recording techniques and the fun of writing and recording this album, it comes across as a carefully constructed piece of pop, ready for radio, dancefloor, and movie soundtrack album (and maybe a shot on Dawson's Creek at the time of release). The music is all very pretty, the songs are professionally constructed, the performances are all tight and efficiently edited, and the entire construction lacks soul of any kind, never mind collective. Aside from the coldly pop nature of the album, there is the duet with Elton John -- for which the mix is inexplicably softened to something approaching the mushy end of AOR, which is very much the place that people saw John inhabiting through 1999-2000. The end result is hardly distinctive enough to be of interest. Another element of confusion comes with the image that Ed Roland and the band have chosen to pursue this time around -- namely, the presentation is straight out of the Y2K boy band image catalog. It becomes seriously mind warping when looking at the interior artwork, where it's obvious that this bunch hasn't been beardless boys for some time. One has to wonder where they thought their market was for this release. ~ Steven McDonald | | Collective Soul wasted little time following up 1999's DOSAGE, but BLENDER doesn't feel rushed in any way. The band has softened its touch, leaning more towards mid-tempo modern rock and keeping the harder-edged material in the background. | | Ed Roland and company immediately start you guessing with a kind of technical Jekyll and Hyde game--BLENDER leads off with the first two tracks, "Skin" and "Vent" featuring programmed drums; acoustic drums don't appear until the crunchy "Why Pt. 2." This is one of the album's most puzzling aspects, but after a few listens, it doesn't really undermine BLENDER's overall strength. From the funky syncopation of "Boast" to the borderline adult contemporary balladry of "10 Years Later," Collective Soul doesn't disappoint, especially with "Perfect Day," featuring a solid cameo from none other than Sir Elton John. |
Producer: Ed Roland; Anthony J. Resta |
Engineer: Mike Childers; Phil Tan |
Musical Guests | | Elton John | | Shawn Mullins |
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| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 10/10/2000 | | Original Release Date : 2000 | | Catalog ID : 83400 | | Label : Atlantic (USA) | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00075678340024 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Rolling Stone (10/26/00, p.116)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...BLENDER simply shreds with unapologetic classic-rock energy....making you pay homage to the Mount Rushmore-like solidity of rock stripped to hard-hitting essentials..."Q (5/01, p.104)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...Brims with the slick upbeat guitar pop that grown-up America loves....it's what American car stereos were made for." |
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