Having said all of that, I’m sure the pressure was on when it came time for him to work on a follow-up effort.  After hearing Cradlesong, I’m not sure it’s as good as the first album but it’s not bad.  I really like Rob’s voice but many of the songs are more upbeat than I was expecting although there are a couple tracks that sound almost folksy.  You have to give him credit for being versatile but I think that most people will either love or hate this album.

His first single “Her Diamonds” is just very strange to me.  I know that he was going for an unusual sound but sometimes the chords just end up sounding awkward or out of tune.  I am conflicted because I do like some parts of it but I also find it somewhat annoying.

Rob has also released “Give Me The Meltdown” on June 9, 2009 and “Someday” was put out on June 16, 2009.  The final release, “Fire on the Mountain” was released last week.

image: Amazon

Post from: EveryJoe

I am not sure what to make of the song.  First of all, I think the lyrics (and music) are a little different for the singer.  He apparently collaborated with some South American and African percussionists who inspired a “global rhythms” feel to the album.  So, if you’re looking for his old style, you might be disappointed.  However, Thomas has successfully reinvented himself in the past so who am I to say anything about this new music?

I wasn’t sure his first solo album, …Something to Be was a good idea and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 back in 2005 and has sold more than 1.5 million copies so far.  I remember him joking that it was probably the first time Mariah Carey had ever heard of him (he pushed her out of the top spot on the chart). 

Also, he broke away from his norm when he co-wrote the song “Smooth” on which he collaborated with Santana.  The hit was recently named the No. 2 Hot 100 song of all time.  He clearly knows what he’s doing.

image: Billboard.com

Post from: EveryJoe

NASCAR had its year end awards shindig in New York this past weekend, and it made folks wonder if perhaps New York could handle a race there every year. Personally I don’t see why not, although Jimmie Johnson did come up with a good point:

“If you had a race on Staten Island, you would be able to hear it in Central Park. I don’t think that would go over too well.” ~source

Very true. The event had all the NASCAR stars you’d expect, and a few you wouldn’t. There’s Jeff Gordon and his gal Ingrid Vandebosch pictured above. But here’s the one I couldn’t understand:

Kevin Costner posing with Richard Petty? What the heck is Kevin Costner doing there? Richard Petty looks exactly the same, though, doesn’t he? He could be a million years old behind those glasses, and we’d never know.

Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart said CHEESE for the camera:

So did Delana and Kevin Harvick:

and my favorite Rob Thomas (who was there to perform):

Images: Newscom.

Here’s some video from the event as well:

and some more:

Post from: EveryJoe