Listening Party! - Keith Urban - (Defying Gravity)

[kevin59]

MAR 31

Keith Urban
"Defying Gravity"
(Capitol)

[LISTEN] Keith Urban - "Defying Gravity" (Thats Country)

Track List:

1. Kiss A Girl
2. If Ever I Could Love
3. Sweet Thing
4. 'Til Summer Comes Around
5. My Heart Is Open
6. Hit The Ground Runnin
7. Only You Can Love Me This Way
8. Standing Right In Front Of You
9. Why's It Feel So Long
10. I'm In
11. Thank You

[austin]

This is going to take a few listens for me. Early impressions are 'Hit The Ground Running" and "I'm In" are the standouts and I hope they are both singles at some point.

My first impression is the album is OK, not as exciting as his previous disc. I do think it will grow on me with future listens.

[kim8]

I've heard all the songs on Ilike. I am loving Hit the Ground Runnin. I think it's full of fun and energy and will be great to hear live in concert. I like the cover of I'm In, more because it's a good song to begin with than because Keith's version is good. Thank You made me cry on first listen, although I find the song too repetitive. The slower songs didn't stick in my head as much on first listen. Those will have to grow on me more. Finally, I adore the song If Ever I Could Love. I would love for that to become a single. It's a great song right to the very end with some cool stuff at the end.

[ham4art]

meh

[rsmatto]

Mar 30, 2009 14:53:05 GMT -5 kim8 said:

I've heard all the songs on Ilike. I am loving Hit the Ground Runnin'. I think it's full of fun and energy and will be great to hear live in concert.

That song is also a likely single that races up the charts.

[wilddustin]

I have never been a big fan of Keith simply because many of his songs sound the same. However, this CD is probably the best I've heard yet. I LOVE the song I'm In. I think it's the best song on this CD and has 'single' written all over it (I do like The Kinley's version a little better just because I'm so used to it).

Can someone tell me what track 12 is supposed to be on the listening party at AOL??? It's marked as untitled and has some creepy guy singing. Anyone else notice this?

[Dustin J.]

Mar 30, 2009 16:35:31 GMT -5 wilddustin said:

I have never been a big fan of Keith simply because many of his songs sound the same. However, this CD is probably the best I've heard yet.

You pretty much summed up my thoughts. Upon first listen, my initial reaction is that this is his best album since his self-titled solo debut which was released almost 10 years ago.

[joey2002]

Mar 30, 2009 16:35:31 GMT -5 wilddustin said:

Can someone tell me what track 12 is supposed to be on the listening party at AOL??? It's marked as untitled and has some creepy guy singing. Anyone else notice this?

I have no clue, unless it is a hidden track featuring some other artist.

"Thank You" is a decent song...i'm not really impressed by the album so far, but maybe it'll grow on me.

[kim8]

I just got an email this CD will be available on amazon.com tomorrow for download for just $3.99. Awesome deal!

Oh and after listening to all the songs again, I'm adding "Standing Right in Front of You" to my list of favorites on this CD :)

[zaclord]

"I'm In" is my favorite!

[bigbluenote]

I can't wait to get this tomorrow! I haven't been this excited for a new release in a while....probably since Toby's last year.

I'm glad people are liking this one after not liking his previous music. I was the same way until I heard "I Told You So". Makes me even more optimistic about this being an enjoyable album.

[43dudleyvillas]

I'm not sure what it's going to take for me to really get into an album released this year, but I'm not feeling Defying Gravity too much. My basic issue with it is that the lyrics are mostly so bland and character-free that not even Keith's interpretation can rescue them from feeling generic. I feel like I'm hearing a lot of Rick Springfield and a lot of New Radicals but not so much something that is distinctively Keith. On the first few listens, "'Til the Summer Comes Around" and "Thank You" are the only tracks really standing out in a good way.

The sound of this album isn't as interesting to me as the sound of Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing is, but the latter took me some time to appreciate, so maybe the sound of this album will grow on me, too. In the meantime, Thom Jurek of All Music Guide builds the case that Defying Gravity builds on LP&tWCT's sound...here's an excerpt from his four out of five star review (hope I'm not stepping on your toes, leilamaurizia):

Certainly, there are similarities in sound and approach: Urban once again worked with Dan Huff to co-produce the set, and his now signature manner of layering everything from strings and drum machines to taut, sheeny electric guitars playing power chords, banjos, pedal steel, and crunchy, crisp drums is a sound that belongs to him alone.
...
That said, this time out Capitol throws everything into the ring by issuing a pair of leadoff singles in the tight little rocker "Kiss a Girl" and the shimmering, reverb-laden guitar workout "Sweet Thing," which is disguised as a midtempo power ballad. Both are 21st century equivalents of rock & roll love songs that echo everyone from Tom Petty to Greg Kihn and even Dwight Twilley -- though this is clearly not conscious. As radio tracks, they are smart picks, especially with the clever guitar and banjo interplay -- Urban has transformed the role of the backwoods and in-the-hills instrument into a respectable part of the rock & roll toolbox.

I also have to link to Whitney Pastorek's EW review of Keith's album (she grades the album a "B"), because it set me off into a fit of helpless giggles:

Right between marrying Nicole Kidman and going to rehab, Keith Urban altered his sunny pop-country formula with 2006's overcast, eclectic Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing — his first-ever American album to yield exactly zero No. 1 hits. So feel free to celebrate the music industry’s fondness for overcorrection (what up, Kelly Clarkson) when considering this follow-up, Defying Gravity, because Urban is way back on message. He's taken such an aggressive header into the fluffy clouds of romantic optimism, in fact, that he should have just mailed Van Morrison a couple bucks and called this thing Love, Love & Crazy Love. Get thee behind him, cynicism!

Good thing Urban has a gift for making radio-baiting hooks and production feel enthusiastically fresh, whether he's cribbing an intro from the New Radicals' ''You Get What You Give'' on ''Standing Right in Front of You,'' borrowing Kenny Chesney's beachcomber vibe for ''Why's It Feel So Long,'' or ripping himself off left and right with just about everything else. The gem tones of his stellar guitar work deserve a lot of credit for grounding these proceedings: When the nervous, first-date riff of ''Sweet Thing'' gets reprised underneath album closer ''Thank You,'' for example, it manages to ward off both a drum machine and gushy Kidman-centric lyrics, and weirdly, you don't begrudge the guy his euphoria. You may need to go strangle a bunny to get your edge back, but you don't begrudge him.

Also, here is an interesting NY Times profile on Keith by Alan Light. There are some illuminating quotes from Keith about why Defying Gravity has the tone it does (as opposed to a more confessional tone), and also a couple of quotes from Taylor Swift on Keith. Taylor meant well, but it's a bit unfortunate that the song she picks to gush about Keith's songwriting abilities, "You'll Think of Me," is a song that he had no hand in writing.

Last but not least, Brian Mansfield of USA Today also wrote up a nice interview/profile of Keith to mark the release of the new album.

[drock89]

I agree with Pastorek in that this album is an obvious formula move back to getting hits on radio. I know Keith got close to getting to #1 several times with Love, pain.., but I think he made that album for him and not for the industry. I'm not ready to yell "sell-out," but it's a shame that this is the route that Keith has taken.

[joey2002]

I thought "Stupid Boy" was a great song, worthy of a #1 spot. I forget which songs were in the way when that was near the top, but I think spending time in rehab and canceling a bunch of concerts on his tour was a good part of what hurt the chart runs on the last album.

[leilamaurizia]

No problem, dudley! ;)

More reviews...

Billboard:

Defying Gravity

Early in his fifth solo album, Keith Urban sings that "I've got nothing left to prove," and he may be right. His blend of undeniable hooks, tasteful songcraft and hot guitar licks has justifiably made him the kind of country superstar who can get the pop side of the crowd rocking, too. But Urban hardly rests on his laurels on "Defying Gravity," trying some interesting new directions: The martial rhythm that closes "If Ever I Could Love," the Jimmy Buffett-style Caribbean groove of "Why's It Feel So Long," the atmospherics of the sentimental " 'Til Summer Comes Around." Beyond the rehab and relationship issues that fueled 2006's "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing," Urban channels contentment and happiness, mashing up guitars and banjo on "Kiss a Girl," tearing through bassist Jerry Flowers' "Hit the Ground Runnin'," delivering an ace cover of Radney Foster's "I'm In" and finding a kissin' cousin to the Eagles' "Take It Easy" on "Sweet Thing." —Gary Graff

The 9513

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Album Review: Keith Urban - Defying Gravity
Jim Malec

Keith Urban is a freak of nature. A phenomenal writer, master guitar player and engaging vocalist, he may in fact be the perfect recording artist. And he is unquestionably one of the premier talents in music today. His latest album, Defying Gravity, puts all of these various attributes in full display on what amounts to a technically flawless collection. Urban’s hooks are tight, his melodies memorable, and his vocals exemplary.

But despite Urban’s immense gifts–and the album’s name–Defying Gravity never fully takes flight. The 11 tracks contained here share tight, focused production that binds them together in a immeasurably cohesive collection that achieves high marks in essentially every quantifiable area but which strives for–and achieves–very little creatively.

Urban seldom ventures from the pop groove that has defined his recent work, and the songs on Defying Gravity are interchangeable with hits like 2007’s Richard Marx co-penned “Everybody.” Defying Gravity is a safe record that has no defining moments, a compilation of 11 very good songs that sound too similar to stand out.

Urban has long been prone to the embrace of lighthearted confection like the album’s lead single “Sweet Thing,” and the result has been generally positive, as few artists can so smoothly deliver a bubbly hook with an appropriately effervescent touch.

But Urban’s upbeatness has typically been tempered by much more artistically engaging fare like “Stupid Boy,” which came on the heels of “Once in a Lifetime Love,” and “You’ll Think of Me” which immediately followed the breezy “Who Wouldn’t Want To Be Me.”

On Defying Gravity, Urban sounds unusually content, the result being a record that lacks the balance of previous efforts. And it also lacks the punch. There is not an ounce of rawness here, not even a glimpse of the Aussie roots that sometimes slips into Urban’s music. Co-producer Dann Huff’s slick hand has crafted a disc so dominated by looping percussion and typical guitar riffs that, even though it sounds beautiful (and it does) it doesn’t sound very interesting.

And then there’s the unfortunate fact that Urban’s narrative voice here sounds tired and uninspired. He writes the hell out of songs like “If Ever I Could Love,” but the concepts are so usual that even when sculpted by a master’s hand they maintain an essence of prefabrication.

Cap it all off with an unfortunate cover of the Radney Foster/Georgia Middleman song “I’m In” that lacks the urgency and energy of the original version by The Kinleys, and Defying Gravity adds up to a disappointing album that will offend no one and engage some, but which is ultimately far less than what Urban is capable of.

Recommended Tracks: “Thank You“, “If Ever I Could Love.”

[annamaria82]

i already listen the album...i think is very good...my favourite song is Only You Can Love Me This Way:)

[Zazie]

I enjoyed the NY Times article -- I was a little surprised to see KU pictured on the Arts front page; nice accompaniment to Sunday breakfast. And they got all the chart info right, which they don't usually manage. But the article's a little too gushy (in addition to the mistake Dudley pointed out) and I was worried that the album would fall short.

And it does. 2 or 3 very good songs, and I am not finding fault with this version of I'm In, but a whole lot of songs that are just a mite sugary and weak. Sound too similar. Lyrics lacking bite.

I remember when Clint Black became happy -- and his songwriting went straight downhill and I don't think he even noticed. I don't think he's noticed it yet. I would never wish anybody unhappiness, but I do hope KU has enough self-reflectiveness to see that he's rolling downhill and needs to apply the brakes. Hard.

Somehow in that Times article there's a tone of apology for the Love, Pain album. Of all the things he could apologize for, KU could find something more deserving. That album is ten times as good as this one.

[kim8]

Any guesses what first week sales will be? The last CD opened with 270 K. I'd like to hope for 150 K or maybe 125 K but that might be too optimistic in these low sales times.

[EPG]

Just downloaded and am loving it!

[kw9461]

I've only heard it through once, so I'll post my thoughts on the whole album once I've had a few more listens to digest it, but I'm In is fantastic. By far the best song on the album, and one of the best of Keith's career, IMO.

[leilamaurizia]

Mar 31, 2009 15:11:54 GMT -5 kim8 said:

Any guesses what first week sales will be? The last CD opened with 270 K. I'd like to hope for 150 K or maybe 125 K but that might be too optimistic in these low sales times.

This will definitely pass 100K first week and 125/150K is very possible. There are several factors that bode well for first-week album sales:

- It's already #1 over-all on iTunes. (also predicted to be #1 over-all on the BB200)
- The digital album is being sold for $3.99 on Amazon.
- The single downloads have been doing very well indicating the amount of interest and anticipation people have for the album. I also expect a lot of people to use the "Complete My Album" option.
- The callout numbers are remarkable-- "Sweet Thing" peaked at #1 and "Kiss a Girl" debuts this week at #3.

[kim8]

Apr 1, 2009 6:39:21 GMT -5 leilamaurizia said:

Mar 31, 2009 15:11:54 GMT -5 kim8 said:

Any guesses what first week sales will be? The last CD opened with 270 K. I'd like to hope for 150 K or maybe 125 K but that might be too optimistic in these low sales times.

This will definitely pass 100K first week and 125/150K is very possible. There are several factors that bode well for first-week album sales:

- It's already #1 over-all on iTunes.
- The digital album is being sold for $3.99 on Amazon.
- The single downloads have been doing very well indicating the amount of interest and anticipation people have for the album. I also expect a lot of people to use the "Complete My Album" option.
- The callout numbers are remarkable-- "Sweet Thing" peaked at #1 and "Kiss a Girl" debuts this week at #3.

Thanks, looking forward to seeing the HDD predictions later today.

[leilamaurizia]

LA Times

'Defying Gravity' by Keith Urban

The album shines when the country star lifts his mask and lets life's ups and downs peek through.

By Randy Lewis

Keith Urban's life has been tumultuous, to say the least, since the release of his last album, 2006's "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing." His stint at the Betty Ford Center to treat alcohol addiction, the strain that put on his brand-new marriage to Nicole Kidman, her decision to stand by him, the birth last year of their first child -- all cast a giant spotlight on the music in "Defying Gravity," his first album since all the drama went down.

The new collection, due out Tuesday, provides a fascinating look inside the male psyche, in particular that of someone who's trying to strike a balance between maintaining the public persona that made him one of country music's biggest stars and being an artist honestly expressing his too-human failings.

The opening salvo from the album, the single "Sweet Thing," is classic Urban. This is the guy who has sold millions of singles, albums and concert tickets over the last decade by fulfilling the role of the ideal -- or idealized -- boyfriend/husband: romantic, thoughtful, communicative, vulnerable but not excessively needy, a bit dangerous yet unrelentingly focused on his loved one.

Like so many of his hits, "Sweet Thing" is consistently catchy, stuffed with lyrical, melodic and instrumental hooks, twangy enough for country radio but accessible to mainstream pop fans with drum loops and smart 21st century production touches.

That Keith Urban is front and center in several tracks that are assembled masterfully, but ring slightly hollow in the context of his life. "Kiss a Girl" prizes commitment over indulgence in fleeting pleasures; "Hit the Ground Runnin'," one of three songs he didn't have a hand in writing, serves up a peppy vow: He'll not let the object of his affections go out of his life easily.

"If Ever I Could Love" and "My Heart Is Open" acknowledge past heartbreak but skirt the fallout with proclamations that a new love won't let him down. In these moments, there's a nagging feeling Urban's hiding behind a mask, one he's exceedingly comfortable wearing.

Things get more interesting when he lets down that mask, conceding that there might be times when he'll have to take more than he can give and when even the best relationships fall into crisis.

" 'Til Summer Comes Around" is a moody piece centering on a love interest who disappeared without explanation. "Why's It Feel So Long" explores a similar theme; despite the song's breezy, quasi-Caribbean lilt and plucky banjo, there's an air of desperation in Urban's lyrics when he explores the unease that sets in after a lover's departure.

He turns to Radney Foster and Georgia Middleman for "I'm In," which has Urban conceding that love is "scary business," but nonetheless "I'll show you how good it can be."

The album ends with "Thank You," perhaps the most directly revealing track Urban has written (this one in collaboration with Rick Nowels): "By the time I knew that I was in too deep, I'd gone too far / And the light that used to guide me had faded from my heart," he sings.

The song turns briefly, atypically, self-centered ("When the rain started falling / You know it only fell on me"), but the signature break in his voice is touchingly credible.

It's a welcome moment of honesty, a rare glimpse behind Urban's mask.

[leilamaurizia]

HDD first-week sales prediction:

All kidding aside, Capitol Nashville country star Keith “Don’t Call Me Mr. Kidman” Urban’s Defying Gravity does just that, with the New Zealand cowboy chalking up between 160-175k in first-week sales, good enough for #1 on next Tuesday’s HITS Album chart.

[lyrichord]

Listen to the iTunes bonus track here:
www.imeem.com/keithurban/music/UTxaeuxF/keith-urban-call-my-name/

[kim8]

Apr 2, 2009 14:11:09 GMT -5 lyrichord said:

Listen to the iTunes bonus track here:
www.imeem.com/keithurban/music/UTxaeuxF/keith-urban-call-my-name/

Nice, thanks for the link! I was told I would get a code by April 20th to get the song. Now I don't have to wait to hear it!

[bigbluenote]

I am REALLY enjoying this album. I've listened to it all the way through more than 3 times and I am having a hard time finding a bad song.

I'm also really glad that "Kiss A Girl" is doing well on radio. It's a great springtime/summer song.

[freeman]

My favorites are:
Sweet Thing
Kiss A Girl
My Heart is Open
Standing Right In Front of You
If Ever I could Love
Hit The Ground Runnin'
Only You Can Love Me this Way
I'm In
Why's It Feel So Long

The Only 2 I don't Care for are..."Thank you" and "Till Summer Comes around"

[zaclord]

^those are the only 2 i dislike as well. "Thank You" is alright, but TSCA is just awful.

I'm In, If Ever I Could Love, SRIFOY, WIFSL, and HTGR are my favorites in that order.

[cufan7]

It's growing on me with each listen!