TRAIN Announces Greatest Hits Set For November 9th Release

You know, it’s about time these guys put out a greatest hits disc. They have enough great music to do just that. And on November 9^th, we get to hear their picks for the first ever Train Greatest Hits Album. Here’s the full press release for this highly anticipated album:

Following their co-headlining summer tour with Daryl Hall & John Oates, Columbia Records multi-platinum selling band Train has announced a Greatest Hits album set for release on November 9, 2018 via Columbia Records, pre-order the album here.

Train’s Greatest Hits album celebrates 20 years of their music, pulling together 16 fan-favorites like “Drops of Jupiter,” “Calling All Angels,” and “Hey Soul Sister” plus a special cover of one of front man Pat Monahan’s favorite songs, George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” - Train’s version features world renowned saxophonist Kenny G. Fans can also be on the lookout for Train hitting the road again in 2019 with some familiar faces - more information to come in the next month.

Train front man Pat Monahan reflects on making the Greatest Hits album, “I have avoided a ‘greatest hits’ record for a long time. I’ve always thought of those records as a way of saying, ‘Welp, it was fun while it lasted’ and that stressed me out. We live in a new music world now and having people be able to find songs they love faster and easier seems like a great idea. We’re proud and excited that this is the list of songs that built the band for 25 years. Hope they take you to as many great memories as they take us.”

Train’s self-titled debut album, released by Columbia in 1998 was the start of their now accomplished career - the tumbling wordplay of "Meet Virginia" gave them their first unlikely radio hit and 2001’s Drops Of Jupiter broke them to multi-platinum status thanks to the double GRAMMY award-winning title song that spent 10 months in the Top 40, and earned the Best Rock Song GRAMMY Award. The group won another GRAMMY award in 2011 for their global hit “Hey Soul Sister,” the #1 best-selling smash and most downloaded single of 2010, from their multi-platinum album Save Me, San Francisco. Next was 2012's California 37, which launched the double-platinum hit "Drive By" reaching the Top 10 in over a dozen countries. They've sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, more than 30 million tracks, with multiple platinum/gold citations, including 3 GRAMMY awards, 2 Billboard Music Awards and dozens of other honors.  Train has gone on to receive eight Grammy nominations and has had 12 albums on the Billboard 200 albums chart with their 2014 Bulletproof Picasso reaching No. 4 in 2012 and 2017’s a girl a bottle a boat debuting at No. 8.
 

Tracklisting

1. Meet Virginia
2. Drops of Jupiter
3. Calling All Angels
4. Get to Me
5. Look to the Sky
6. Cab
7. Hey Soul Sister
8. If It's Love
9. Marry Me
10. Save Me San Francisco
11. Drive By
12. 50 Ways
13. Bruises
14. Angel in Blue Jeans
15. Play That Song
16. Call Me Sir
17. Careless Whisper Feat. Kenny G

Summer Concert Season Is Heating Up This Winter

It may be winter according to the calendar and the weather, but judging by all the ticket sales announcements, it is definitely time for summer! The major festivals have announced their lineups, the major acts have announced their tours, and the tickets have gone on sale. So what tours are the best ones to check out this summer? Let’s take a walk through some of the upcoming summer tours and find out.  

Billy Joel

Technically it’s not a tour. Billy Joel will continue his residency at Madison Square Garden giving his monthly performance that constantly sells out. When he started this residency, Joel stated that he would perform a monthly show as long as the tickets sell. Well, sell they have. All of his performances at the Garden have sold out, although there are a smattering of seats left for the May and June shows as of this writing. He is bound to add July and August dates, so if you plan to visit NYC this summer, this is a show worth checking out.

Ticket Prices: $66 - $129

Tour Dates: June, July, August (1 show per month, July and August have yet to be confirmed)

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds

While The Dave Matthews Band announced a hiatus for this year, that apparently doesn’t apply to Dave Matthews himself. He and Tim Reynolds are heading out for a full blown Dave and Tim tour. The Dave and Tim tour is just that---Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds on stage each with an acoustic guitar playing a multitude of songs. A lot of songs from Dave’s solo album are played during these shows. Tim Reynolds also gets to perform a couple of instrumentals. And while I’ve seen the Dave Matthews Band live 20 times, I’ve never seen Dave and Tim. That’s going to change this summer.

Ticket Prices: $50 - $100

Tour Dates: May 3^rd – June 17^th

Def Leppard, Poison, Tesla

Most fans thought they would never see Poison live again after their last tour. There was a lot of band fighting, Bret Michaels went solo for a couple of years, and the band members didn’t speak to each other. It was pretty evident that the band was done and their performances would only live on in our memories and on the internet. Then Def Leppard announced they were touring again and bringing Poison out on the road with them. Since they are the middle act (Tesla opens the night) I imagine they will have a limited set, but they should perform for almost an hour. And then Def Leppard comes out to close out the night. Tesla, Poison, and Def Leppard. It’s an 80s metal head dream line up!

Ticket Prices: $28 - $138

Tour Dates: April 8^th – June 25^th

Iron Maiden

Up the irons! Iron Maiden is returning to the United States this summer in continued support of their latest masterpiece, The Book Of Souls. If you have never seen the band in concert, I urge you to do so. Iron Maiden is one of the best live bands I’ve ever witnessed and their 2008 concert at the IZOD center (LINK) will most likely be in my top 10 concerts of all time (if I ever get around to writing that post). Their showmanship, dedication to their craft, and overall awesomeness of their music practically makes them a must see.

Ticket Prices: $40 - $125

Tour Dates: June 3^rd – July 21^st

Queen with Adam Lambert

Queen has toured with Adam Lambert before and from what I’ve heard the shows were spectacular. Not many performers can hit the range of Freddy Mercury, but Lambert can and does from what I’ve heard. This summer they will be back on tour again playing arenas all over the U.S. And while John Deacon will not be on tour with the band (due to his retirement), Brian May and Roger Taylor will be. This is the first time the three have toured together since 2014. On their last tour they played nothing but the mega-hits of Queen and there is no reason to expect anything different this time around.

Ticket Prices: $50 - $175

Tour Dates: June 23^rd – August 5^th

Train with O.A.R.

Train has a new album out and it’s pretty good. (LINK) This summer they will be on tour supporting their latest record and they are bringing two well-known acts with them to get the night started. Natasha Bedingfeld and O.A.R. will be the opening acts for Train. The tour consists of mostly amphitheaters and tickets are reasonably priced for an actual seat. Lawn seats are dirt cheap, but you know, you’d have to be on the lawn. I’ve never seen Train live, but I know how great O.A.R. is in concert. This could definitely be a show worth checking out this summer.

Ticket Prices: $33 - $80

Tour Dates: May 12^th – July 15^th

U2

U2 will be embarking on a stadium tour this summer, but they aren’t going out on just any old tour. This summer the band will be performing their signature album The Joshua Tree in its entirety. It will be their first tour in two years, and their first stadium tour in six years. And while I do enjoy seeing the band in an arena setting, they can also perform stadiums with the best of them. Tickets for most shows have already sold out, but depending on where you live, there are tickets available for the second night on the 2 night stands.

Ticket Prices: $35 - $280

Tour Dates: May 12^th – Aug 1^st

What concerts are you looking forward to this summer?

CD Review: Train - A Girl A Bottle A Boat

Train have just released their latest album a girl a bottle a boat. This summer will they will be on the road in support of that album. O.A.R. and Natasha Bedingfield will be the opening acts. So before you decide to take in a Train concert at a stage near you, is the album one that you can sing along with? Is a girl a bottle a boat worth the price of admission? Let’s spin the disc and find out.

A girl a bottle a boat is definitely a change in style from earlier Train albums, but more in line with the direction they have gone over the last few years. This record is certainly more “Sweet Soul Sister” and less “Drops Of Jupiter.” It is a pop heavy album with a lot of synth that keeps a solid beat, has toes tapping, and will find people singing along. Ultimately that is what a fun record should do, and Train has hit the mark. This is the first Train album without founding member and lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford, which puts more pressure on the rest of the band to fill in the blanks of his absence, but the band was clearly up for the challenge.

The record opens with a fun synth/pop song “Drink Up.” It’s a dance worthy track that would force people to jump around on the floor at the mere listen. It was certainly not what I was expecting when I first played the record, but it was a pleasant surprise. Electro, techno, funk with a sing along chorus molds “Drink Up” into a fun song that would create a sing along at the party. The lyrics are solid, the melody is enjoyable, and the tune is a potential hit. It’s a great opening track for the record.

Lead single “Play That Song” is an exceptional number and one that received multiple plays during the course of this review. I have been enjoying this song since it was first released as a single this past fall and it has just gotten better over time. It’s a catchy, sing-along song that gets deep in your head and doesn’t release. Quite possibly the best song on the album, “Play That Song” is an astounding, fun track of great music.

“Loverman” is one of the greatest tracks on a girl a bottle a boat. It is short and sweet but packs quite a punch. Priscilla Renea sings vocals along with Pat Monahan and she is what puts this song over the top. Her voice is the perfect companion to Monahan’s and together the two vocals make “Loverman” an amazing tune. Priscilla opens the song with the acapella chant of “All night long, I wait for my Loverman…” This is followed by Monahan starting his verse acapella and then an acoustic guitar slips into the background shortly before the whole band kicks in by the middle of the first verse. It is a well-structured, well-crafted song that is guaranteed to be a future hit for Train.

“You Better Believe” is a return to the classic Train sound that made me fall in love with the band when they first arrived on the scene. The song opens with a mellow piano riff and Pat Monahan singing a lovely ballad, showing off his voice which still sounds great after all of these years. “You Better Believe” is a song of hope and faith and optimism toward the future. It is a number that builds slowly as it progresses and ends with intensity. “You Better Believe” will sound amazing in concert and I hope that it is on the setlist this summer.

Overall a girl a bottle a boat is a grand record worthy of your time. You can get the album on ITunes, Amazon, or wherever albums are sold. Be sure to check it out and get yourself prepared to sing along with everyone else this summer.  

Ryo’s Rating: 7.5 (out of 10)

Track Listing

Drink Up

Play That Song

The News

Lottery

Working Girl

Silver Dollar

Valentine

What Good Is Saturday

Loverman

Lost And Found

You Better Believe