Comments for Mann, Aimee, Whatever

A great pop album, catchy tunes and lyrics well above the average. Best songs are the singles: "Stupid thing" and "Could have been anyone. Overall very good.

excellent album. perfect pop. pretty lyrics. new album was supposed to be out earlier this year but something happened with her company imago and it has yet to be released. pick up whatever now. its great, i swear.

Excellent album. Great pop songs in a time when what is popular is usually a fad. I highly recommend this album and anything else Aimme Mann has been involved with

One of my all-time favorite albums. Every song is memorable. There's a wonderfully biting, witty sadness to her writing. The album's two main themes seem to be longing for success she knows she deserves; and a spiteful, angry knock at a former boyfriend who--she has realized after the relationship ended--has lied to her. Her last 'til Tuesday album, "Everything's Different Now," is equally recommended.

This is truly one of the greatest, most overlooked albums that I am aware of. Everyone should go out and buy it!!

An astonishing, honest, diverse piece of work. I never had much interest in 'Til Tuesday until I heard "Whatever," but now they're one of my favorite bands of the '80s. Aimee's music is clearly not for everyone. She won't play the "rock 'n' roll babe" just to sell records, and her directness is offputting to those accustomed to convenient soundbites. There's a dark tone beneath the surface that many might find alienating, but I find refreshingly honest. Unfortunately, I fear that someone as talented as Aimee will be swept under in favor of hot "alternative" clones. The delay in releasing her second solo album is very ominous, and we are all the poorer because of it.

I had never really listened to Mann or til tuesday untle I heard "That's Just What.." on the radio last Jan., but within a few months, I had picked up the 3 tt albums as well as WHATEVER. WELCOME HOME is now one of my favorite albums ever: every song (except for #9) is totally excellent! WHATEVER, though not quite up to that standard, is still very good. I especially like "I Should've Known" and "I've Had It." The latter is helped immensly by its instumentation, with its gradually sneaking in keyboards and the rain shower just before the 3rd verse. Cool stuff!

This album is great but not as good as Everything´s different now,which was one of the greatest albums of the 80`s.There`s too much filler material.

This recording is hurt by the CD's ability to hold more music. This would have been a perfect 40 minute album.

I think "whatever" was easily my favorite album that year. I have probably listened to that album 400-500 times. It will never become stalr to me. I do not particularly like the Til Tuesday albums I have heard. Not so much the songs, what I dislike is the lush production work. Too much delay and reverb. Maybe that was partly to do with the 80's production styles and big budgets. Aimee seems to have grown as a writer and vocally sounds incredible.

This album was very memorable. One of my favorites. I really like the twelve-string on "Could've Been Anyone" and the 'old sound' fade in. Overall a very good album.

After reading an article on Mann in CD Review, I decided to listen to Whatever. I had no idea it would be such a good album! I was especially struck by the exotic instrumentation and the solid structure of her songwriting. Very few people I talk to are aware of this album. It's too bad that main- stream radio and MTV can't recognize such talent.

I saw Aimee Mann during her tour of England in the summer of 1994 and was blown away by the quality of the songs, as well as by the excellent guitar work of Jon Brien. I then went out and bought the album; I was equally impressed by the quality of the arrangements and production. The songs are complex and memorable, and they display an outstanding and unusual sense of melody and structure. The slower songs at the end of the album struck me as out of place at first, but they grew on me. The intro to "Fifty Years After the Fair" is a blast of fresh musical air. Way to go Aimee! Keep it up.

I have been a fan of Aimee§s since I first heard Voices Carry. Every subsequent album has diversified and shown off her additional talent. I wish some of the most recent songs had more of a harder rock flavor to them, which would probably get more airplay and open up this talented artist to a much wider audience. Although maybe some secrets are better left us devote fans1

I am listening to Whatever right now. I think that this album once and all show that Aimee is nearly incapable of writing a bad song. There is not a single song on this album that is not 100% I never thought that the quality of Everything's Different Now would be surpassed, but she rocked past it with Whatever, and with I'm with Stupid! John Brion is so awesome on all instruments. Unfortunately the record buying public has not yet discovered one of the best song writers around today. I like to say that she is cursed with the Joni Mitchell and Todd Rundgren syndrome…………IT'S THE MUSIC STUPID! Rating 10!

This album is as solid for pop music (especially female solo) as has EVER been done. It's lack of sales and recognition are startling. It's as good as any Beatles album ever made. I'll bet Paul McCartney loves her.

I know Aimee's Whatever came out five years ago but I'll say the same thing that most everyone else has, it's definitely a classic album and I still listen to it alot. Although it's impossible to pick one favorite song I would have to say Fourth of July, I've had it, I could hurt you now, I know there's a word, Fifty years after the fair, see it's impossible! I'm with Stupid is a great album too, I can't wait to hear the next one.

On the strength of "Whatever", I looked forward very much to seeing Aimee in Bristol, UK (April '96). In fact, she came over as shy, self-effacing - and brilliant! A great evening was had by all. At a later date, I became totally hooked on "I'm with Stupid". It's a crime that Aimee seems generally so under-rated in Britain. Please come back! Ratings : "W" (signed)= priceless!; "IwS" = 10.

AIMEE MANN/CONCERT/PARK WEST 322 W ARMITAGE/JULY 28/7:30/TICKETS @ TICKET MASTER IN DOMINICKS/$15 GEN ADD

4th of July is, hands-down, one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

Her third album will be available soon (Today:8/5/99) through her website: www.aimeemann.com.

I may be one of the few reviewers that remembers Aimee's band the Young Snakes who used to play the rough and tumble music cellar, the Rat in Kenmore Sqaure in Boston. That was the early eighties and I always knew that Aimee would follow her own path in music. I never realized it would be so difficult for her. The latest fiasco with her Geffen contract which leaves her without a contract and mustering her resources to put out her 3rd album on her own is a mixed blessing. If she succeeds she will follow other young musicians like Ani DiFrancio and Ana Egge who are able to bypass coporate rock to follow their muse. I've always rooted for Aimee because she is the finest singer/songwritters of my generation. This CD and her second one, "I'm With Stupid" are amoung the finest musical acheivements of the 1990s

I AM OVERCOME WITH TEARS SEEING THAT PEOPLE ARE FINALLY GIVING HER THE RECOGNION SHE DESERVES, AIMEE YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO SOMETHING THAT WAS DUE TO YOU MANY YEARS AGO. THERE ARE NO WORDS FOR THE QUALITY AND SOUND. SHE AND MR.RUNDGREN ARE DEFINALY IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. I NEVER GET TIRED OF THE STYLE OR VOICES OR THE ARRANGEMENTS. WHEN A NEW ONE COMES ALONG I AM BANG'N ON THE DOOR OF THE RECORD STORE AND I KNOW WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. COMMENTS- SAW YOU IN 89' AT THE PHANTASY IN CLEVELAND, OHIO AND WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE ARRANGEMENT OF"KNOCKEN ON HEAVENS DOOR" THERE WAS NOT A SOUND. YOU COULD HERE A PIN DROP AS SHE STARTED. WHEN SHE WAS DONE, THERE WAS NOT A DRY EYE IN THE WHOLE PLACE. PEOPLE SCREAMED FOR MORE AS SHE GENTLY PULLED THE CURTAIN ASIDE AND WAVED GOODBYE WITH A BLUSH AND A TWINKLE IN HER EYE! NOTHING FANCY JUST HER TALENT AND SOUND CLEVELAND LOVES YOU AND MOST OF US ARE TO POOR TO FLY TO PHILLY! GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND MICHAEL AND AS YOU TOUR!

Aimee's gift for writing terrific melodies and lovely lyrics are very well shown in this awesome collection of songs. The best songs here are "I should've Known" and "Fifty years after the fair"

Aimee is one of the cruelly ignored singer songwriters of the last decade. Have recently purchased Whatever for the second time and am still amazed at its brilliance. Why oh why did it flop? Every song on it a seminal classic but particular highlights have to be I've had it with its simple lyrics and beautiful melody and as an absolute contrast the sure MTV friendly I should've known which kicks all other supposed singer songwriters (Alanis you know who you are) where it hurts!!!

OK so I'm now listening to the CD looking for any weak spots....I Should've Known - great hook, instrumentation is amazing and I think we've all been there. Fifty Years After the Fair totally run by Aimee Mann's voice - full of cliches, but so pretty. 4th Of July - so melodic and affecting "what a waste of gun powder and steel" capturing the reflection of a relationship gone bad. Could've Been Anyone - also a viable single featuring some Jules Shear and as much of the album the mellotron and pump organ add warmth to the song. Put Me On Top - what I consider to be the best pure pop rock song on the album, should've been released, agressive lyrics summarizing the plight of much of Aimee Mann's career and fights with the record companies for not properly promoting her albums and delaying releases etc. If this album had a proper push from marketing it had the potential to be as big Jewel first album. I don't think it would have hurt if Aimee could've involved herself in Lilith either. Stupid Thing - simply makes me think how stupid I would feel if I had let Aimee Mann slip out of my life. Say Anything - was released to Alternative radio as the follow up to I Should've Known, it's a great song, but I feel it was a mistake to release and Alternative wasn't interested, I would've gone with Put Me On Top. Say Anything is melodic and builds to an explosive crescendo courtesy of Jon Brion I suspect. Jacob Marley's Chain - starts as a quiet acoustic number that builds into a sort of orchestral march that attempts to say something introspective about the human race, but realizes in the midst of the song how futile it is to try to sum up the plight of others. Mr. Harris was a favorite of a friend of mine. She said it was a great song about the feelings of love that cannot be expressed by anyone other than the person who is in love. It doesn't matter what other people think and when you find it you should cherish it for as long as possible. I Could Hurt You Know - a little bit of resentment and vindictiveness, but Aimee makes it sound so pretty and who hasn't at least thought of getting back at someone who hurt them. I know There's A Word - I think there might be a bunch of words like beautiful, sweet pop/rock that doesn't seem to fit many of the radio formats out there. I mean would you really say this album fits Alternative Radio, Top 40 or Album Rock, I mean sometimes has an almost country appeal. I've Had It - not to pick on Buddy Judge, but I think a male vocal like Bruce Hornsby could've helped this song more, only because I think he could've strengthened the song like he has done with Stevie Nicks. Still a woderful song. Way Back When - was a perfect way to end the album. A little more upbeat to bring you out of the sort of mellow funk that the previous few songs might have put you in. It gives the album an optimistic ending. Well it doesn't seem that I found many weak spots in the album and the only thing that might have improved it would have been to add Aimee's cover of Badfinger's Baby Blue in right before Way Back When.

I am surprised fans don''t rate "Say Anything" higher - it''s so wonderfully Elvis Costello-like, lyrically, and it ROCKS. Yes, the music recalls the Perry Mason theme - brilliantly. There is humor galore here. As for the "cliches" in "50 Years After" - lyrically, it''s more Country style in its contrast of opposites , as Roger Miller does so well, not cliche-ridden in any negative sense. And how many songs do you EVER hear with a sense of history, much less perspective, which can be interpreted for a world, a nation, or a personal relationship? Yes, Todd Rudgren and Mann have a lot in common - but good work is its own reward, for her and for us, her fans.

First solo album for the former lead singer of the band`til Tuesday.