(April 23, 2002)
Click on the album cover to purchase the album
Tracklist:
1. Shine (ft. Ilse deLange)
2. So Long
3. All In Hand
4. The Real Thing
5. Cheyenne
6. Fall Back (& Sunflower)
7. Jealousy
8. Dream Of You
9. Fall From Grace
10. Stand Still
11. Head Over Heels
12. Up All Night
Rosemary’s Sons‘ label debut, “All In Hand” has everything a solid mainstream pop/rock album needs. All In Hand, the major label debut album by Rosemary’s Sons has everything that a mainstream alternative rock album needs. And not unimportantly, a great production too. It starts out with the rocker Shine on which they collaborate with pop-singer Ilse deLange. Then there’s a mainstream pop/rock song called So Long and the ballad All In Hand. Then the more up-tempo The Real Thing and the polished gem Cheyenne. Followed by the addictive Fall Back which holds a surprise with the hidden track Sunflower. Then the rocker Jealousy and the dreamy balled Dream Of You. That is followed by super single Fall From Grace and irresistible Stand Still. Then the beautifully composed Head Over Heels and the piano ballad Up All Night. All the songs are very well-written, have astonishing lyrics and have a complete package of tight instrumentals, with amazing rhythm section with bassist Ad van Halteren & drummer Bart Herber, good guitar work by Martijn Hagens and Maarten van Damme, who joined the band during the recording of this cd, smart keys work by Thomas Lina and haunting vocals by Martijn Hagens. Well-produced by Oscar Holleman, this cd is waiting to be picked up. Most of the songs are fit for radio and will stand tall during live shows. This cd hints to Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, Beatles & Buffalo Springfield. But don’t get me wrong, it’s not the same, it’s just a comparison, cause Rosemary’s Sons found a way to make the songs sound like Rosemary’s Sons, and not a copy of someone else. The distinct voice of Martijn Hagens helps in that department but also the great teamwork this band displays. This cd gets a 9 out of 10 points. And I don’t give a 9 very often.
Song by song review
Shine
Shine is a straight-forward rock song, in which Rosemary’s Sons gets help from an unexpected side. Dutch pop/country singer Ilse deLange teams up with them to sing vocals on this track. She forms a strong team with Martijn Hagens and they lift this well-polished song to a higher level. It turns out to be Rosemary’s Sons best selling single and not without a reason. It’s catchy, it rocks and it’s fit for radio. With lyrics that are appealing to a lot of people and a nice tune, this song deserved to get big.
So Long
This song starts of a little monotonous but then it gets going and it keeps going. I had to give this song a few listens to find out the greatness that lies in it. The only thing I can say is that when you listen to So Long you’re gonna expect it to build up to a climax, which it doesn’t. It just keeps going. It’s not a bad thing but you need a few listens to get into it. It’s a good song, but a typical album track. It would be fit for radio format, but probably wouldn’t pick up as a single.
All In Hand
This easy-going ballad will be one of the crowd’s favourites. It’s slower than most of the songs but the lyrics are amazing, and Martijn knows how to make the song come alive with his excellent vocals. Also sticking out here are the drums by Bart Herber. It’s probably too slow to be a single, but it would be an excellent b-side.
The Real Thing
The Real thing is a mainstream pop/rock song in the likes of Gin Blossoms & Goo Goo Dolls. It’s nothing new, nothing original, but it’s well-performed and well-written. Exceptional vocals and great work on the bass by Ad van Halteren do justice to this song. But out of all the songs on the cd, it’s probably one of the songs that won’t stick as long as most of the others will.
Cheyenne
Cheyenne is one of the gems on this record. It wasn’t released as a single, which is definitely a miss. A favourite of the fans. Always sung along to with enthusiasm during live shows and a display song in their internet promotion, Cheyenne is a song that was already on their demo cd. The song was a little unpolished then, but with a few intelligent adaptations and a good production this song worked out to be amazing. The lyrics are still amazing and Martijn’s vocals bring these alive to the bone. Emotional and painfully honest. He also shows to be a talented guitarist on this song. Thomas Lina, who plays the keys/synths does a good job on this song too and fills it up nicely. Good rhythm section to top it off and we have a brilliant song.
Fall Back (with hidden track Sunflower)
Fall Back is something you need to hear live. It’s a little bit anonymous on the album but it comes to life during live shows. It’s a song that holds a lot of energy, even though you can’t always tell on the album track. The only thing is, that it is a little repetitive. The lyrics are probably not the best on the record but still above average. Thomas Lina shows his skills on the keys here, especially in a way of rhythm. He keeps it tight and precise.
Sunflower is a bonus track that we already saw on Rosemary’s Sons’ demo cd. The song is slightly altered but still has the same vibe. Basically it’s an acoustic song by Martijn Hagens, and built up around his vocals. Just beautiful.
Jealousy
Another straight-forward rocker. The lyrics are appealing to a lot of people and it reminds us a lot of Gin Blossoms’ Hey Jealousy and it hints to Goo Goo Dolls (Gutterflower era) also. This song might not be the most original one, but it’s tight, and well-performed. It completely fits in this album.
Dream Of You
The queen of the rock ballads. Lyrics that are so beautiful, everyone will like them. Very well performed. There’s a nice balance between vocals and instrumentals. Martijn Hagens performs this song with crystal-clear vocals and Thomas Lina (keys), Ad van Halteren (bass) & Bart Herber (drums) know exactly how far to go with their sound, while Martijn plays the guitar himself. This is one of the other gems on the album. This song would be perfect for use in mainstream TV series and could well serve as a single.
Fall From Grace
Definitely single material. And the band & management recognized it and released it as a single. Catchy melody and amazing lyrics, tied together by an amazing rhythm section with in the lead, bassist Ad van Halteren. He steps up to the plate and shows he can lift the band to a higher level. Topped off with Thomas Lina’s nicely performed keys and Martijn’s excellent vocals, this song is something. A great single, a superb live song and a gem on the album.
Stand Still
Stand Still, the song title is deceiving, cause standing still is what you cannot do during this song. To summarize it in one word: catchy. It hasn’t changed too much from the version on the demo cd, so basically I’d still say that it is an amazing live song and that it would do justice to make a single out of it. It’s a good song to rock out and dance to, even though it’s fairly up-tempo. The strength of this song is the collective of the band. Of course the vocals and drums jump out here, but the whole thing together makes it so special. This is one of the songs where the band proves they are rising stars on the mainstream pop/rock front.
Head Over Heels
This song is in the race for best song on the record. This song does build up to a climax. It starts of a little easy and then it takes off. It’s catchy enough to be a single, though it probably wouldn’t be picked up. The song would be a great set-opener for live shows though and shows this band is absolutely complete. Strong guitar work, with intelligent riffs. Keys are infiltrated in the song brilliantly and the bass & drums work together solidly, while Martijn Hagens performs his absolutely breath-taking vocals. This song will be an all-time classic, but only if it gets recognized by people. So hopefully it’ll get enough attention.
Up All Night
Basically, Up All Night is a piano ballad. Thomas Lina steps up to the plate and shows his skills and makes this emotional song come to life. He teams up with Martijn’s vocals to make this song a serious single candidate, and that’s what happens, it’s released as a single. Probably too slow to be really successful but nonetheless a brilliant song.
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