Ralphy's C.D. Reviews

Review date 14-03-2000: Tonic - C.D. Sugar

For more info on Tonic I redirect you to the review of their debut CD "Lemon Parade", where I name the members of Tonic and how and when they started. The only difference between then and now is that drummer Kevin Shepard isn't part of the band anymore, the reason for that is unknown. Well in an interview on Dutch radio singer Emerson Hart stated that he kept having children and therefore they couldn't tour Europe, but that problem had been fixed now. I don't believe this to be the real reason, but rather think it's a joke although I'm not sure it was a friendly split-up since Shepard isn't mentioned in any of their press releases. During live performances Shepard is replaced by former roadie Jeremy Vogt, who is not mentioned as a regular band member on the new album.

The new album "Sugar" was released in the USA in November of last year, but European fans had to wait until the start of the new millenium to get it (unless you imported it). "Lemon Parade"-producer Jack Joseph Puig wasn't available this time, so Tonic decided to produce the album themselves. This way they could be absolutely sure that it was what they wanted, so they could live up to great expectations after their succesful debut. Andy Wallace mixed the album.

Any comments you might have on these reviews

Visit my message board: Ralphy's Music and Stuff Forum

Well they live up to the expectations. "Sugar" is a well-balanced album, which contains both tracks with flaming guitars as gripping rock ballads. As example for the latter you can take "Waiting for the light to change" (a song that you keep humming all day after listening to it) and "Waltz with me", both songs that remind me of the music of The Eagles. The title track "Sugar" was the first song that all 3 band members collaborated on and therefore was chosen as album title. In the USA they already had a major hit with "You wanted more". The song was used on the soundtrack of the movie "American Pie". I saw the movie last Sunday (very funny, thumbs up) and was waiting for the song, but I only heard it when I was already leaving the theatre, so it doesn't have a very prominent place in the movie. Yet it was deservedly a big hit in the US-rock charts as it really kicks as. It's the second song on the CD after "Future says run", which is a very fitting opener that really leads you into the album. Songs number 3 and 4 were also released as singles in the US, "Knock down walls" is just good and "Mean to me" is already a song I use very often when I joke around with my girlfriend.

What is your opinion about the CD's I reviewed? Vote for your favorite CD in this booth! You can only vote once a day.

Ralphy's CD Review Voting Booth

Lyrically this album is in my humble opinion not quite up to standard of "Lemon Parade" or maybe I just don't get the words of Hart, who himself proclaimed that the lyrics came even more out of his soul. The best lyrics to me are in the song "Queen", which, I believe, is about groupies who want to be the queen at the side of their idol, the king. "Jump Jimmy (Stronger than mine)" is a great song in the guitar tradition of Lynyrd Skynyrd. "Sunflower" and "Drag me down" are good rock songs as is "Top falls down" on which you hear great drums, maybe that's because it's the only song on the album that was co-written with former drummer Kevin Shepard. The CD ends with another ballad "Love a diamond", but this one is slightly different. In what way I don't exactly know, but it's the perfect finishing touch for "sugar". All in all the boy live up to the standard of their smashing debut album and show that they're not a one record wonder, but have more good music in them. I heard that they will be coming to tour in Europe in the upcoming spring and hope to have the opportunity to see them live. I rate the album with a 8.4 ("Lemon Parade" is just a tad better in my opinion).

Back to Ralphy's C.D. Reviews Page

Back to Ralphy's Cool Music Site