Search - Matthew Sweet :: Time Capsule: The Best of Matthew Sweet

Sweet Songs

Thomas Magnum | NJ, USA | 10/04/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Matthew Sweet is unfortunately an overlooked artist who has recorded some the best power pop music in the last twenty years. After he released two albums in the late 80's, that were quite frankly not that good, he hit his stride with his third release, the brilliant Girlfriend, which is one the best albums of the 90's. That album mixed various styles from the Beatlesque "Divine Intervention" to the driving rock of "Girlfriend" to the Neil Youngish "Winona" (which is not included here, but should be) and it appeared that he was poised for a major commercial breakthrough, but that never happened. He continued to release fine albums that contained some of the excellent songs on this disc including "Ugly Truth", "We're The Same", "Someone To Pull The Trigger" & "Sick Of Myself". If you are not familiar with Mr. Sweet, this collection is a great introduction. As with any hits collection, there are some omissions, so I would suggest you also pick up Girlfriend & Altered Beast which are his strongest albums and two of the best released in the 90's."

You mean, it's been TEN years???

Shu-Shu Perugino | Arcadia, CA USA | 01/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"10 years ago, Matthew Sweet came rocking into recognition with his song, "Girlfriend." Alternative radio stations couldn't place his music, his fame sort of faded away, but his sound hasn't. For those of you who haven't kept up with all the rest of the albums he has released (myself included), this "Best of" is a definitive.This album is a MUST who find Matthew Sweet's albums to be inconsistent but to have great songs here and there. Here it is, all in one album.I haven't been able to stop playing this CD since I'ved bought it. The songs just ring and buzz and rock in your ears. When was the last time you heard something this melodic, this loud, this cool, this rockin', this Sweet? When was the time you've been able to sing to every song on a CD? Worth every penny. Have fun!"

One of the best compilations around

cdswatch | Folsom, CA | 08/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alas, Matthew Sweet will always be remembered for his happy-go-lucky tune, "Girlfriend". For those who have followed his career will know that "Girlfriend" is merely the tip of the iceberg. His talents have been showcased in many fantastic albums such as "Altered Beast" (in my opinion his best), "100% Fun", and most recently "In Reverse".His genre of music, aptly dubbed power pop, is a distortion guitar drenched sound that mixes in one part southern rock, two parts ballads, one part noise, and the rest plain rocking music. His lyrics are simple and discernible, and his penchant for writing about dysfunctional relationships could be irritating at times, however, he was no doubt one of the best singer-songwriters around in the 90's. While his peers like Aimee Mann have been lauded everywhere and enjoying the limelight, it is sad to see Matthew Sweet goes largely unappreciated outside of "Girlfriend".As far as the compilation goes, the song selection is right on. All his (arguably) best songs are in here. Not to say that the rest of his work are half bad, these are, in my opinion, the songs that are most accessible. If you detect the changes of moods in different parts of this compilation, don't be surprised. They songs are ordered by the time of release, and every one of his album has an overall tone. "Girlfried", "Blues Sky in Mars", "100% Fun" are his "happy" albums (simply put), while "Altered Beast" and "In Reverse" are the moody ones.If you consider yourself a great music fan, do me a favor. Get this album, and see how fast you will get hooked to Matthew Sweet."