11 (2008) Review by Karl Watson

After the lacklustre, mediocre, disappointment that was Room Service, most fans were praying for a return to form with a monster rock album – so does 11 deliver this? Well in a word, no, but we’ll get to that.

What 11 does succeed in, is a return to form production and song writing wise. Gone are the ‘plug it in and that’ll do’ guitar sounds or the Westlife style accompaniment à la “Flying”; this album has the most clear and natural sound BA has produced since Into The Fire. There are nods to the 80s, with the keyboards tinkling in the background of the “Tonight We Have The Stars” chorus; plus there are experiments with new sounds such as the highly effective country style strings in “Walk On By” and the jazz style organ in “Mysterious Ways”.

My only criticism is that Colin Cripps’ slide guitar is over used, and there are a few solos where it would have been better for Keith to just let it rip.

For the song writing, “Oxygen” has split the fan base down the middle with a love/hate reaction (or should I say ‘like/slightly displeased with’). Personally I like it, sure the lyrics aren’t that great in the chorus, but I’ve heard a lot worse from BA (“even food don’t taste that good” anyone?). It’s a song packed full of energy and BA keeps it rockin’ with the jam at the end – something he would never have done on Room Service.

The only real let downs for me are “Broken Wings” and “Something To Believe In”. The backing vocals in “Broken Wings” save it from being a completely bland, heard-it-all-before, non-event of a song. I love the verses of “Something To Believe In”, with BA going against his usual formula by trying to cram as many words in as possible. The call and response between the vocals and the strings in the second verse is particularly effective, however the song just dies after this. It doesn’t go anywhere, and by the time the final chorus kicks in with the swelling of the strings, it sounds like something your grandmother would listen to.

Others may criticise “We Found What We’re Looking For” for some of its clichéd lyrics, but I actually quite like the song. Mainly for the epic production, no doubt influenced by co-writer Trevor Rabin, the film score composer who co-wrote “Never Let Go”.

So if I like most of the songs individually then why do I only give the album 3 stars? Well unlike On A Day Like Today, which for me was greater than the sum of its parts, 11 is much less. It doesn’t work as a collection of songs.

It starts off well, there’s been much said about “I Thought I’d Seen Everything” and how it doesn’t really get going like it should, but overall the first 4 songs are a good, solid, energetic opening to the album. Then things slow down for “We Found What We’re Looking For”, which is fine, but the moment you hear the riff of “Broken Wings”, the album dies. We have not one, not two, but four slow, acoustic pop ballads in a row. It’s left for “She’s Got A Way” to pick up the pace, which by 11’s standards is a rocker, but in reality is still a mid-tempo song.

It’s such a shame because this song, along with “Flower Grown Wild” and “Walk On By” are great songs, but by the time you reach them you’re just too bored to care.

The fact that “The Way Of The World” is only a bonus track, is not only a crime against humanity, it also illustrates that BA doesn’t know his own strengths. If you’ve read the interviews you’ll know that 30 songs were written for this album, and he chose “the best” 11. However, when songs such as “Broken Wings” are chosen over the most rocking track BA’s done in years and the surprisingly irresistible “Miss America” - it makes you wonder what kind of album 11 could have been. Because the 11 we have, falls flat.

There’s been a lot of talk about “you can’t expect him to write Reckless 2 or Waking Up The Neighbours 2”, well of course not, that would be silly. I also hear “you can’t expect his music not to change and develop over the years”, again, I’d be silly to expect otherwise. However, what I do want from him is a rock album that’s right for the time – which is what Reckless and Waking Up The Neighbours were. His live shows still rock so why can’t his albums?

Ironically enough, one of the, if not the most effective track on 11, is the acoustic “Walk On By”. I almost think BA should do a full acoustic album, just to get it out of his system. Then he can go back to creating a full rock album, instead of lingering in between with these endless acoustic pop ballads, that are about as exciting as a pair of Marks and Spencer’s underwear.

Key Tracks:
Way Of The World
Walk On By

© 2008 18 Til I Die.co.uk. All rights reserved.
Web site comments to admin@18tilidie.co.uk
The images and photographs of Bryan Adams are reproduced with the kind permission of Adams Communications. These images and photographs are not to be reproduced without the specific permission of Adams Comminications (and, where applicable, any separate copyright owner).