Buckcherry Album: “All Night Long”

Hey people, according to Amazon the limited edition version of this album goes out on Aug. 10th. However it is for sale & available now at Best Buy but with 1 big difference in Amazon's favor. The Best Buy cd that I purchased yesterday does NOT have the acoustic version of "Sorry" on it. The CD ends 1 song earlier and the acoustic "Sorry" is left off for whatever reason. So anyone debating might as well hold out a few more days and get it thru Amazon. Both stores have it for the same price of $9.99 for the CD with the extra acoustic songs on it. Haven't listened to the actual album yet so no review as of now but I figured I'd share that little tidbit for those people out there, who like me, care about such things...Take care...

I enjoyed this album. It's consistent with "Black Butterfly," but it never comes close to the sheer ferocity of their first two albums (of which, "Time Bomb" is my favorite). Most of the reviewers so far have correctly identified the best tracks: "Oh My Lord," "Recovery," "Never Say Never" and "Dead."

That said, Keith Nelson needs to stop producing his band's albums, and get someone who will push the band (especially Josh) to realize their true potential as songwriters and performers.

For instance: "Our World" is a good song, but it's also a prime example of a song that doesn't transition well between its various parts. Sadly, there are several songs like this on "All Night Long." A good producer would have pushed the band until they smoothed out these bumps.

Another thing the band needs is a return to the raunch. As a writer, Josh Todd shows a Rolling Stones-like ability to make raunchy lyrics palatable. Not since "15," however, has he pushed his range or melodies. A good producer would push him to sing balls out from start to finish like he did on "Time Bomb," an album which he claimed at the time represented how he always wanted Buckcherry to sound.

On this album, there's nothing special or new about the rhythyms - just standard rock, blues and shuffles. Some of these songs will make you move your feet, yet the moments where Josh hits upon a good groove are always short-lived. The title track and "Never Say Never" are good examples of where the verse locks in a great (albeit short) groove with lyrics that roll off the tip of the tongue and turn a gait into a swagger. An outside producer would work with the band until they could sustain those moments a little longer.

Lastly, Buckcherry has once again included some good bonus tracks, some of which threaten to steal the show. To get these tracks, you may need to purchase the Best Buy version of "All Night Long." Had some of these songs made it onto "All Night Long" proper, the album would be on par with "Black Butterfly" and maybe even "15."

All Night Long is Buckcherry's fifth full-length album in 11 years. Buckcherry is without a doubt my favorite band over that period in time, these guys have always put out quality records, and they always inject serious rock 'n' roll attitiude into each offering.

Whenever I hear Buckcherry is releasing a new record, i'm always afraid that this will be the one where they fall to earth, and we really discover they're just another run-of-the-mill modern rock band. However, All Night Long, is just not that record. This album is chalked full of party-rock anthems, and serious every bad boy has his soft side ballads. I have listened to this album about 10 times through now, and have to admit, it grows on me more and more with each listen. My favorite tracks from All Night Long are; Never Say Never, Recovery, All Night Long, It's A Party, Oh My Lord, I Want You and Liberty. I guess you can see that almost every song is awesome, the other four are decent as well, these just tickled my fancy just a wee bit more.

On the level, All Night Long is probably my 3rd favorite Buckcherry album. It rates somewhere behind 15 and Time Bomb, but just a little higher than Black Butterfly and their S/T album. If there is one thing you can always count on, it's that Buckcherry will release a solid record. I mean, these guys have released 5 records now, and not one of them is anywhere near a piss-poor excuse for an album. I highly suggest you go buy this album and support these guys, they are truly the real deal for a rock 'n' roll revival.

As a long time fan of Buckcherry, this album is quickly becoming one of my favorites. From the second you play song 1, you are instantly in a great mood. It's a delicious escape and the perfect example of pure unadulterated rock, which is hard to find in current artists these days. Their Time Bomb cd is at the top of my list of favorites, and All Night Long carries on that tradition of raucous rock and roll. The sound is more polished on this one in the sense that these guys know what they are doing and do it well. This is one of those rare gems where you aren't itching to skip over a song. The acoustic songs are a nice little extra and good complement to the high energy on the first disc. Seeing Buckchery live was a great experience and for me, this cd captures the essence of that magic!

I own every Buckcherry CD and with out question this one is at the bottom of my play list. I realize that teen age girls drive what is in the top 40 and this album makes me wonder if Josh is pandering to them; yes I do consider this blasphemy since I consider Buckcherry one of my favorite bands - I put them in my top 10 (maybe even 5) bands. The lyrics on this CD are repetitive and unimaginative, I tired of this CD very quickly. I truly hope that this is not the type of music Buckcherry is moving too since previous albums showed so much more thought and talent.