NOW OR NEVER (2006) “MY REVIEW”

Now or Never (2006)

Written By Josh Groban and Imogene Heap

Performed By Josh Groban

Album: Awake

In the song “Now or Never”, both lovers in the relationship are pulling away, seeing a separation in their future. Even after all their fights and issues. They both still have the feeling that they have a chance, but it is a slim one, it’s “now or never”. The question the song is asking the listener seems to be “is there second chances when it comes to love” even if a relationship seems to be going nowhere or distancing its self from what it had been. Can people find common ground, when that ground is shaking?

                                                                                     

“Now or Never” is a song of separation but also of unbearable hope and need. Its lyrics have a unique way of describing the last night for these two lovers who anxiously await the future and the final chance to find common ground. A reason to stay together and a reason to have their relationship go on. These lovers know that neither carries the burden of this tattered relationship, “And it’s no one’s fault, There’s no black or white” (Now or Never 2006). Both lovers know something has changed in both of them, something that just went cold over time. But they both seem to be having doubts about leaving each other, knowing that there could be so much more, and a future. So what will they do? “Now or Never” lets the listener come up with this answer. The pessimist will view it as the end of their love; the optimist will view it as a new beginning for them.

The music mix of “Now or Never” has a synthesized sound, much like the disco era of the seventies, but with a more soft-rock tone and beat. They use Josh Groban’s own voice to cause an echo effect that is unique, which causes an awesome almost surround sound for the listener. This song’s sound is just cool, and slightly experimental.

MACHINE (AWAKE CD 2006) “MY REVIEW”

Machine (2006)

Written By Eric Mouquet, Josh Groban

Performed By Josh Groban Featuring: Herbie Hancock

Album: Awake

“Machine” is a song that just grabs you with its uniqueness, in musical style and lyrical creativity. Its sound is fresh and modern, but still sophisticated enough not to alienate traditionalists of both jazz and pop music. “Machine” steps outside the musical box’s boundaries, with class and direction. Josh Groban who normally sings in the pop, pop/classical and adult contemporary styles, with hits like “To Where You Are” and “You Raise Me Up”, works beautifully, both vocally and musically, with the award winning jazz and classically trained pianist Herbie Hancock. Whose many styles include hard bop, fusion jazz rock, electronic jazz and jazz funk, and whose mentor and former band mate was cool jazz musician Miles Davis. This unlikely match of performers with diverse backgrounds makes for a cool and awesome sound, which is totally cohesive to the listeners’ ears, mixing beautifully in its musical flow of notes. It is like these two musicians have worked together many times before, though they have not, and I personally hope they will work together again in the future.

                                                                                                                                                    

“Machine”, with its synthesized sound and funky keyboard and piano play, is categorized as electro-funk with jazz and pop overtones; I personally would call it jazz rock/pop fusion and funkfied techno/electro, it could also be called wild new age jazz fusion. Its sound puts you back into the period where the seventy’s music was mixing with early eighty’s music, a disco sound without being real disco, but with a lot of techno synthesizing. Where pop, rock, jazz, funk, and disco were all meeting together in a musical recipe book, which created many unique and strange sounds of experimental music; taking the listener away to another musical world without rules. “Machine” has a smooth sound that makes the listener want to be in the music studio watching it all being put together. Even the name “Machine” for a song is also a pretty cool title; it pulls you in wanting to know what it is all about.

Lyrically, “Machine” is poetic and unique; fitting perfectly to Josh Groban’s beautiful baritone voice and past work and Herbie Hancock’s diverse musical styles. It is both spiritually and intellectually beautiful. The listener can listen to this song and find many different meanings to it each time it is heard. “Machine” can be an anti-love song to a cold and distant lover, who does not know how to return another person’s affection or kindness; and really does not want to change or acknowledge their sociopathic ways. But “Machine” can also be a spiritual song speaking about how the world has become so materialistic (I want everything no matter the cost), technological (computers are replacing flesh and bone beings) and religiously fundamentalistic (every one is a sinner but me) that we have forgotten and lost are humanity and spirituality, Losing our connection to each other and the universal Soul, becoming just machines (robots) walking in the world, zombie like, slowly losing all feelings for humanity. This would be my old age/new age spiritual interpretation of the song. But however the individual listener interprets “Machine”, it is a song that will pull you in with its mixture of sound and lyrical tapestry. If it was a painting it would be a fine art piece.