Save Me, San Francisco

Too Much Pop, Not Enough Rock
Train began their careers as roots rockers with pop sensibilities. They operated with a folk-like moxy that flirted with pop hooks and catchy guitar riffs. Although their debut self-titled eponymous was mediocre at best, it carried some great tunes such as "Meet Virginia," the band's first hit single. The band enlisted the help of super-producer Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Stone Temple Pilots, Incubus) for their 2001 album Drops of Jupiter, an album which personifies the band's style and sound perfectly. The album featured top-of-the-line songs with even the lesser songs shaping up as decent efforts. The band collectively won a Grammy Award for the album's title-track single for which band is best known. In 2003, the band released My Private Nation, an album that boasted a more mainstream sound but still contained some of the band's strongest material including "Calling All Angels" and "Get to Me." However, the band suffered from the departures of bassist/guitarist Charlie Colin and guitarist/bassist Rob Hotchkiss. My Private Nation was also promoted poorly with the clearly made-for-radio single "Get to Me" receiving a single release long after the album's release in 2003 and the song failing to receive a music video. As a result, the album floundered while Train's popularity seriously waned by the time their 2006 album For Me, It's You come around. For Me, It's You featured the greatest stagnation from the band since their debut album. The tunes were too polished and generic. Lacking a defining or enduring personality, For Me, It's You failed on the charts while its two singles "Cab" and "Give Myself to You" only resonated on the adult contemporary charts. Subsequently, lead singer Pat Monahan recorded a solo album that allowed his worst tendencies to roam free. Last of Seven, released in 2007 boasted Monahan's continuous pop culture references and pop hooks. Much of the album was written by professional pop songwriters and session musicians resulting in an overtly pop album. Monahan also co-wrote two songs with pop songwriter Guy Chamber for Tina Turner's one hundred and tenth greatest hits album. In 2008, it became clear that Monahan had become a full-fledged pop musician throwing rock music to wayside. Monahan brought his new musical persona back to the long-awaited Train album Save Me, San Francisco. Plagued with a long period of inactivity, fledging popularity, the departure of two replacement musicians and a horrible album title, Save Me, San Francisco is not the album Train fans have been waiting for. It sounds far more like another Monahan solo album. The majority of the album was written by Monahan with professional songwriters while lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford and drummer Scott Underwood making two or less contributions to the songwriting, something that betrays their style of having the band members contribute to the songwriting. Save Me, San Francisco is purely a pop album in which Train seems to be sporting to regain the popularity they lost after 2003's My Private Nation. It is overtly mainstream sound and any of the folk rock styles they previously sported seeming like an afterthought. It doesn't seem like a band album with much of its instrumentation seeming too orchestrated and over-produced. The songs are less memorable because they sound alike and Monahan's pop references becoming tiring and clichéd. The album doesn't move along, it plods up and down with forced tunes laced with professional intent for success. It seems that Train lost a big part of themselves after the loss of Colin and Hotchkiss. The addition of professional musician Brandon Bush and session/touring musician Johnny Colt helped very little with their live shows lacking the same fire (watch Midnight Moon and listen to Alive at Last, you hear the difference) and their songs lacking emotion or passion during the For Me, It's You phase. Save Me, San Francisco is another plunge into the ordinary and Monahan's pop vision. Listen to Train's "Hey Soul Sister" and Monahan's "Her Eyes" or "Two Ways to Say Goodbye" and you'll realize what you're listening to. You're not listening to Train, you're listening to Pat Monahan with pop songwriters and two band members who now act as hired hands.

honestly
I really like this cd. I think it is definately one of trains best cds. For me, I dont really think there are any duds on this cd. I love the title track. hey Soul sister, has a neat feel to it. Words is a great song to live by, and I just think the old train that everyone loved has shone through with this cd. Pat is a phenominal vocalist, and Jimmy on that guitar great. I once again havea lot of faith in this band, after almost four years, this cd prooves to me why I hung in there with them for this long!!!!

Straining vocal cords doesn't make up for half-hearted songwriting
The problem, as I see it, is Pat Monahan needs to stop singing as high as he possibly can. You can hear it on songs like "This Ain't Goodbye". There was a time when he had range and used it... Anyway, to be honest it's a good album, but in my heart it's tied with 'My Private Nation' for their worst. So what if 'For Me, It's You' was too slick and extremely poppy? The songs were really memorable, and just felt nice going down. This (and 'Nation') are filled with forgettable little tunes that don't necessarily sound bad, but by and large there's no true staying power. A few songs, like "Marry Me" and "Breakfast In Bed" stand out and are truly unique pieces - and "Parachute", while it adheres closely to a general "ballad" stereotype, holds its own and comes off really well. It's not a terrible disc, by any stretch of the imagination. But come on - "Hey, Soul Sister" is a sped-up carbon copy of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" with different vocals. No, listen: I'm Yours. Feels like the Ghostbusters theme song all over again. Either way, it's still Train, and they'll always be worth my money. But man, if only they'd still churn out pure gold like "Let It Roll"...

waiting for the new release
Have enjoyed this band for 10 years now. Like the new release very much. Brick by Brick is a favorite. Very nice vibe and energy on this disc. Pat's voice gives away so much of what is important in his life. The band is tight as always. I would recommend this disc!

Love their sound
Train has such a unique sound and I found that I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It was one of those I listen the entire way through without skipping any of the tracks. Great Work.