Rascal Flatts Album - Still Feels Good

It all begins when the lights go down. For Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus, it has been that way since they were playing for a handful of people in a club in Nashville's Printers Alley. These days, of course, they play for thousands of screaming fans a night, drawn by state-of-the-art production and sound, and by spectacular vocal harmonies in service to an ever-expanding catalogue of hits. In between, it was the magic of those performances that catapulted Rascal Flatts into the front ranks of entertainers in all genres.

By any measure, Rascal Flatts is in elite territory. They are the reigning 2006 CMA, ACM and CMT Vocal Group of the Year. In 2005 they added Billboard and R&R Artist of the Year trophies as well. The trio also picked up its first three Grammy nominations in 2005, and their "Bless The Broken Road" received the Grammy for Country Song of the Year. Coming off the biggest selling artist album of 2006, Rascal Flatts is geared up for their brand new album coming on September 25.

Review - Amazon.com :

Rascal Flatts has always been an anomaly in country music. Signed to the Disney label Lyric Street, they arrived in 2000 as essentially a trio (winning lead vocalist Gary LeVox fronted pin-up boy Joe Don Rooney on electric guitar and Jay DeMarcus on bass) that traveled and recorded with additional musicians to make up a full band. Despite their workingman backgrounds, their repertoire was so pop-oriented that hardly anyone could really call them country, and the group bristled at being dubbed Nashville's Boy Band. Yet while they were primarily marketed to teens (the young set screams their lungs out in concert), a lot of adults found their bouncy, bubbly radio tunes irresistible. And in 2006, when they released their fourth album, the quadruple-platinum Me and My Gang, they sold more than 700,000 records the first week, ending up as the best-selling artists of the year across all genres. Now comes the follow-up, and with the group sharing production credit with hit-meister Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Faith Hill), they turned out an extremely well-built album of heavily layered, grown-up pop. (The one country-ish song, "Bob that Head," about the joys of Friday night cruising in a tricked-out truck, almost amounts to a rap.) DeMarcus has said that the band took its time making the record, and it shows--everything about it telegraphs a growing maturity. Not only do Rooney and DeMarcus play on every cut (which they didn't do until Me and My Gang), but the trio has a hand in writing much of the material that doesn't come from the pens of Nashville's most reliable songsmiths (Jeffrey Steele, Neil Thrasher, Steve Robson, Hillary Lindsey, and headliner Kenny Chesney on "Take Me There"). It all goes down quite smoothly, from the sexy title track to the pain ballad "Better Now," to the (too-obvious) social commentary of "It's Not Supposed to Go Like That." As a measure of that, even actor/singer Jamie Foxx's guest appearance on the silky "She Goes All the Way" blends seamlessly with the rest of the material, much of it crafted to manipulate the emotions with power choruses, stinging electric guitar solos, and throbbing drums. But unlike the Rascals' other albums, there aren't many story songs here. And though LeVox's hangdog tenor hammers home the devastating ache of failed relationships ("Help Me Remember"), there's no standout tune like "What Hurts the Most," and not a lot of this sticks in your head after it's gone. Yes, as the title promises, it "Still Feels Good," but only for a little while. -–Alanna Nash

Customer review - 2007-09-26

- Still Feels Good- Maybe for the Rascals, but not for the listener

Let me start off by saying I am a huge Rascal Flatts fan. I have all of their cd's, have seen them multiple times in concert, and have followed them since "Praying for Daylight." With that said, I must say how disapointed I am in their latest effort, Still Feels Good. To me, this album is nothing new. It's nothing fresh. It's the same old, but without the magic. I mean, if they had given us another, Melt, I'd be happy. More of what we love, right? But this album sounds too familiar. As I listend to the tracks I kept feeling like I have heard this album before. Their second song on the album "Here" talks of how grateful the speaker is that even though he had to go down some rough roads, he would do it all again if it led him to his current love. Oh, didn't they already release that and call it, "Bless the Broken Road?" Their song, "Bob that Head", has that exact sound as "Me and My Gang" and their title track "Still Feels Good" talks of how the two are still in love, still love his "ride" and basically how nothing has changed. Kind of like "Fast Cars and Freedom". Even one of the closing songs about angels crying about how it's not supposed to be this way sounded like the God song from their last album, "He's not the Leaving Kind." The songs are just forgetable. All in all, I just felt like I already owned this album before I ever bought it. I'd suggest sampling it online before buying. I know many will love it, but I guess it was "My Wish" that Rascal Flatts would give us something new while still using the fomula we love. "Still Feels Good", does feel good, but only for the Rascals. Why? Cause playing it safe always feels good.

Customer review - 2007-12-30

- Still Feels Good

I am a huge Rascal Flatts Fan so it is no surprise that I thourally enjoy every track on this CD. Upbeat, Country-Pop type melodies with words that you can understand... truly a miracle in today's musical world! Unique songs and CD comes complete with lyrics and access to enhanced web based CD program.

Customer review - 2007-09-29

- Feeling good

about this cd as i have with every other Rascal Flatts cd. But like someone else said, it would be cool to see them do a little something different on their next cd...not that i didnt like this. I enjoyed it a lot just saying how much more they could achieve by veering off a little more to the left or right. Well with that being said, this is another hit cd for the guys...like there was a doubt. With such tracks as "Take Me There" (leadoff single), "Winner At a Losing Game" (which was written by all the guys), "No Reins" (classic RF sound) and "She Goes All The Way" (with a surprise guest in Jamie Foxx, yeah that one)...its an awesome collabo between the guys and Jamie. I love that for real.

"Still Feels Good" rates right up there for with there other cds. I prefer "Melt" or "Feels Like Today". But you won't go wrong with this cd at all either as each track flows into the next (a good thing) it isnt always for other artists. But for Rascal Flatts it works out very well..especially enjoyed the last track "It's Not Supposed To Go Like That" a sad song but with some meaning behind it and should be listened to more than once.

"Still Feels Good"

Standout Tracks
1. She Goes All The Way
2. Here
3. No Reins
4. Every Day
5. How Strong Are You Now
6. Winner At a Losing Game

Honorables
1. Take Me There
2. Better Now
3. It's Not Supposed To Go Like That
4. Help Me Remember
5. Bob That Head

4.5 out of 5 stars (all gravy in my book)

Customer review - 2007-09-25

- Following in Keith Urban's footsteps with better vocals

Dann Huff and Rascal Flatts have done it again....marrying 70's West Coast Rock, 80's AOR and 90's CCR with new country, this stuff ROCKS! If you like Keith Urban's latest CD, you will love this album just as well. Very crossover Pop-Rock-Country with outstanding vocals. Heard this in a Borders today and HAD to buy it.

Customer review - 2007-11-14

- ABOUT AS COUNTRY AS A NEW YORK CITY POTHOLE!

Too many of the newest, so-called, Country artists out there have forgotten an important fact: you have to sing Country in order to be Country. That includes the type of instruments that you use and the vocal treatment employed in the process. It may be argued that Rascal Flatts is a dynamic musical sensation worthy of all of the praise and hype. But the question as to whether they deserve the praise of Country Music and its true fans is the one that needs answering.

With that in mind, STILL FEELS GOOD, an album that is about as country as a New York City pothole, is an all too appropriate title to Rascal's latest offering. It may feel good to them and to their fans, individuals who, in my thinking, don't know the difference between real Country or Rock or Bluegrass. But for those of us who were raised on real Country, it seems a good time for things to change. Rascal Flatts needs to, at last, own up to what they are. They need to quit the masquerade and accept their place in the sweaty, head-bangy, loud and obtrusive world of Rock. They will be a lot happier and so will we.

THE HORSEMAN

List of Rascal Flatts albums

Rascal Flatts Album - Still Feels Good