Join With Us (Special Edition)

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Having achieved the improbable by redeeming traditional soft rock as a chart-friendly genre, are the London quintet challenging their audience a touch too much by titling their second album Join with Us? After all, wasn't recasting the terminally unfashionable likes of Supertramp and other so-called 'guilty pleasures' already a rather big ask? But it transpires that Dan Gillespie Sells and band, probably the first and only successful band to have perfected their chops as après-ski Alpine entertainers, have eschewed the vulnerability of 2006's hugely successful Twelve Stops and Home. Instead Join with Us is an unashamedly loud record, confidently full of stadium fillers in the best British tradition of Queen and Electric Light Orchestra. The thumping disco-rock of opener "I Thought It Was Over" leads the way, but "Without You", wetter than a waterfall, and the hysterical title track with its long build to a fearsomely slick chorus are similarly singleworthy. Less predictable are the downright odd "Don't Make Me Sad"--imagine a dream team of Chas'n'Dave'n'Brian May--and the lush, rueful ballad "Conor" where a string section and ethereal Beatles-esque harmonies add depth. "The Greatest Show on Earth", rather reminiscent of Kate Bush's bleaker moments, fails to live up to its title, pretty much the lyrical intention. But it's only the jaunty hidden track "We Can Dance", presumably aspiring to McCartney at his most jovial but in fact nearer to Chris De Burgh, that misses completely. The Feeling's brash new style may lack some of their previous charm, but Join With Us is undeniably effective. --Steve Jelbert

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-05-21 rating:
Join with us and buy this album
On first listen similar to 12 stops but as you listen to it more and more it just grows on you. I haven't tired of it yet and even my wife is converted. Fabulous album!!!

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review by: date: 2008-04-02 rating:
Join with us - the feeling
This CD is a grower and pretty good, however i feel the first album was better in melodic terms.

The 2nd cd is definitely for fans as it has reworkings from the first album and 2 covers

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review by: date: 2008-03-20 rating:
More original plagiarism from The Feeling
There is an expression, When you copy one persons work, it is called "plagiarism", but when you reference several sources it is called "research"

Well welcome to The Feeling's latest offering of 70's soft Rock "research" ;-) If you enjoyed 12 Stops From Home, I fail to see how you couldn't enjoy the follow up offering from one of the finest bands around.

As a 40 year old, I am hearing so many influences from the 70's here, the title track "Join With Us" stands shoulder to shoulder with Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel's "Mr. Soft" While "Don't Make Me Sad" is straight from Martin and Coulter's Bay City Roller's songbook.

So why is this a very worthy modern album, rather than just a 70's pastiche? Well the band's Ivan Novello Award is richly deserved, and their bar has not lowered with this body of work. Each tune is a melodic marvel while their lyric work is relevant and evocative, none more so than the second single to be taken from the album "Without You" which is polar opposite to the first single "I thought It Was Over", no overblown musicality here, just a lovely melody and poignant lyrics.

Each track is markedly different from the last, but it is a fantastical journey to undertake, and I can see why some people may be disappointed that the album is not 13 different versions of "I thought It Was Over", but this is a more mature work from The Feeling and if you accept that growth, you are to be rewarded with a remarkable experience.

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review by: Rox your sox! date: 2008-03-18 rating:
Great, but not Amazing.
Having fallen in love with Twelve Stops and Home, I had incredibly high expectations of Join With Us, and I'm glad to say I wasn't dissapointed, on the whole the tracks are excellent with the hit single I thought it was over, their next (hit?) single Without You, Join with Us and Won't Go Away all being sublime. Most of the rest of the album is of a high standard too though there is the odd dud.

If they set out to beat Twelve Stops and Home then I believe they failed, if they just set out to release another fantastic album you can listen to over and over again however, they couldn't have succeeded any better. It's also a plus that they can actually sing all the songs live. Just make sure you get the special 2 disc edition if only to get Video Killed the Radio Star.


review by: date: 2008-03-16 rating:
Literally the only album i've physically binned.
Yep, it actually went in the bin - I couldn't conscience inflicting this on anyone who might be browsing at the local charity shop.

It's basically not a patch on the first album, and is a sickly-sweet sort of eurovision nonsence. Ever seen those horrible sub-teen bands on Saturday morning telly? This is what would happen if someone gave them access to a studio. The worst album i've ever bought - bar none (yes, i'm even including that Candy Dulfer one everyone bought for the sax solo back in the late 80s early 90s and then found all the rest was elevator music).

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