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| Something to Be | 
 enlarge | Artist: Rob Thomas
Label: Atlantic / Wea
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy Used: $2.07
You Save: $16.91 (89%)
New (29) Used (100) from $2.07
Avg. Customer Rating:  239 reviews
Sales Rank: 2556
Format: Dualdisc
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.5
MPN: 83723
UPC: 075678372322
EAN: 0075678372322
ASIN: B0007TKHHK
Release Date: April 19, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 The Mediocrity is Compromising June 3, 2005
15 out of 22 found this review helpful
I was a hardcore matchbox twenty fan for five years running, and I respected and pretty much worshipped Rob Thomas as a songwriter. I thought he was amazingly talented, amazingly humble, and a pretty nice guy all around.
And then this album came out.
To say he lost a fan is an understatement.
I have not bought the album. Lonely No More was enough to convince me he was going in a direction I had never thought he'd go in and never thought someone of his talent would go. But I thought I'd actually give the entire album a listen and try to give my own objective opinion on every song, as someone who was (and still is) a long time devotee of matchbox twenty's quality of music, as well as someone who is a writer myself.
1. This is How a Heart Breaks - I admit this is catchy. But Hanson's "Mmmbop" was catchy. And unlike Rob, Hanson were in their early teens so their less than meaningful lyrics are almost excused. Rob is over thirty and has written far better lyrics than this. His vocals also sound overdone, something I've come to notice on this effort, almost as if he's trying to cover the fact that the music and lyrics are lacking with a voice that short of cutting out his larynx, could never suck. Sadly it doesn't all balance out the way that logic predicts it should.
2. Lonely No More - I hate this song. It's awful. There's simply nothing kind I can say about it. It makes me want to weep. The lyrics are laughable, the tune is absurd, and the "whoa, whoa"s are just embarrassing. I never thought I could see/hear Rob and think Justin Timberlake. This song is an utter disappointment. And, of course, a huge radio hit.
3. Ever the Same - Now, wait... hey! This isn't half bad! Rob, you're still in there somewhere!!!!!! Dear God, there may be hope. This song reminds me why I love matchbox twenty so much. Although it kind of calls to mind the mb20 song "Hand Me Down" as the message and tune are pretty much the same. Of course, if the intention of this album was to remove himself as far from matchbox twenty as possible, I don't know why he'd put this on here... of course maybe he knew the old tried and true formula would work and it was something easy to fall back on. All in all, this song is pretty good. Slightly predictable, but pretty good.
4. I Am An Illusion - This song is... interesting. There are points where I think I could like it and his vocals are very strong, but then I hit the refrain and find myself wanting to cringe. Of course, this entire song could be a hidden message to all his fans ("I'm not real anymore/I am an illusion") that his record company has taken him hostage and is forcing him into a pop icon persona lest they severely maim everyone he loves... but I'm not sure if he would be smart enough to think of that.
5. When the Heartache Ends - The vocals on this are pretty good. He's not totally overdoing them as he did on This is How a Heart Breaks and Lonely No more. But the tune is pretty lackluster and the lyrics are uninspired. He doesn't want to be lonely no more but he sure keeps singing about being brokenhearted. It's the same message again and again. His poor wife, this can't be very good for her self-esteem.
6. Something to Be - Did... he just say "hardcore"? Yes.... yes he did.
7. All That I Am - Lyrically this song calls to mind the message of "Bent." Again, repetition of messages and images. Vocally he's really on this one, though, and he sure brings some interesting instruments to the table. This one has potential. Give it a decent guitar riff to make it a tad more intricate and you could put it on a matchbox twenty album.
8. Problem Girl - Hmmm... "What's your problem, girl? You're no problem at all..." Heartwarming, in a rather shallow way. Musically this could be a mb20 song if you played around with it a little, but there's something about it that just doesn't pack a punch. It makes me think of lukewarm water. And the lyrics definitely leave something to be desired. Rob needs a new topic to write on.
9. Fallin' to Pieces - Although Rob has a great voice, he should remember he's not so strong on the upper registers. Sadly in this song, he... doesn't. This song isn't very easy to listen to. And without a good voice to smooth over the less than stellar lyrics, one wonders why she's even listening to it at all.
10. My, My, My - The tune of the verses reminds me of the Tabitha's Secret song, "Dear Joan" (easily the best song lyrically that Rob has ever written). Other than that, I wish he could be more eloquent than "my, my, my." The nod to Bright Lights is kind of cute, but it makes me think of a much better musical era. In fact after this review is over I might go listen to More Than You Think You Are.
11. Sreetcorner Symphony - Oh God. Rob Thomas, the Feel-Good Pop King. He should feel good, he's getting a hefty paycheck from this album whether it's good music or not. The musical arrangement in the middle isn't so bad, though. Just stop singing, Rob. Just stop trying to hit notes that are so clearly out of your vocal range.
12. Now Comest The Night - I'm hoping "comest" is a typo on the amazon.com page, because I don't think it's a real word. This song reminds me of a weaker version of "You Won't Be Mine," the amazing track that ends matchbox twenty's Mad Season album. It's kind of a sad parallel, trying to finish off the album with a formula he knows will work, but this can't just tie together what I've just heard as well as "You Won't Be Mine" did with Mad Season (which was just a much stronger album in every way, shape and form).
To conclude, I'm giving this album two stars. I would give it two and a half if I could, because that's what I believe it to be: completely middle of the road. It isn't as bad as I thought it would be, and Lonely No More is definitely the worst track on here. But it isn't nearly as good as it could be, or as good as I've come to expect from Rob Thomas. It's just a collection of songs ranging from okay to bad with nothing central or deep to connect them to each other. I feel apathetic about it, which as a writer I believe is the worst response you can possibly get for your work.
Congratulations, Rob. You're mediocre. Please view this as a failure and go back to the band.
And for God's sake, grow your hair back. You look hideous.
 Something Achieved April 20, 2005
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
Rob Thomas' Something To Be is one of the best releases so far this year. Depaturing from his formulatic adult rock sounds of group matchbox twenty, Thomas experiments with several types of music on Something To Be. We should have expected this coming off the Santana collaboration a few years back, "Smooth" and the lead off single of this album, the funky rocker "Lonely No More."
Let's just say you'll get a mix of it all on this disc: rock, latin arrangements, funk, soul, rhythym and blues...Thomas leaves no sound uncovered. While some tracks work better than others, no song on the record is a failure by any means.
Like the album or not, Something To Be offers commercial songs that will get in your head. First track "This Is How A Heart Breaks" and "Streetcorner Symphony" are both catchy mainstream appealing songs, but also offer a deep insight of the soulful nature of Rob Thomas' album.
Key tracks are definitely "Streetcorner Symphony" and "Lonely No More", but this album features several songs that could be radio hits. Thomas deserves commercial success after releasing a very well written and produced set of songs that deserve fans' attention. This dualdisc features a lot of interactive media features that should get fans happy. Buy it for "Lonely No More", but keep it for the rest of the great tunes. This is a good one.
 Save your money. June 2, 2005
12 out of 18 found this review helpful
Embarrassing. Embarrassing especially for his MB20 band members. Complete and worthless cookie cutter music. Let's assume his manager and record company were holding his family or pet hostage until he produced this mindless piece of crap to fill their wallets. Hey Justin, Enrique!!! Watch out, here comes Rob!!!!
 Waaay too "poppy" for my tastes June 23, 2005
12 out of 17 found this review helpful
When I bought this CD, I didn't think I had any expectations for it, despite rave reviews on here. After a listen, I realized I really did have expectations, and I expected more from "Something To Be" than I got. To be clear, this isn't a BAD album; there are some okay beats and decent drumming, but most of the CD is really lackluster and generic. It sounds like something a bubblegum chewing boy band would put out (especially "Lonely No More" and "Streetcorner Symphony" with its dreadful chorus of "come on over!"). "Something To Be" is infused with pop music, which would be okay if that's the kind of music Matchbox20 is known for--but it isn't. Fans of the band should be put on notice that they're not buying an M20 album. (This may seem obvious, but it wasn't to me.)
Some of the slow, melancholy songs are nice ("Now Comes the Night," "My, My, My"), but they sound remarkably similar to each other. I think the title track is the worst on the album, followed closely by "I Am An Illusion." "Problem Girl" is one of the only tracks where Thomas's distinctive voice shines through, though it's no piece of songwriting gold.
Fans of the pop and adult contemporary genres will eat this up, but for those of us who like our music with a bit more edge, this won't satisfy. (Now go ahead and hit "no, this review wasn't helpful.")
Don't know what it sounds like because... July 3, 2005
12 out of 22 found this review helpful
it won't play in anything. I'm taking it back to the store and never buying DualDisc CD again.
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