This is a great CD! This is the real Bo Bice - not the pop-schlock that Clive Davis tried to push off on "The Real Thing". I hope that Bo's health is 100% and can go on tour soon. I love this CD and can't wait to see Bo in concert!

IMO it sounds like another bar band tune, the kind of music you can get cheap beer, peanuts,and a headache the next day.

I skipped the fried chicken and had 3 shots of Jack Daniels just to get through the cd.

Oh..zing! OK, those comments made me laugh hysterically. Awesome comebacks!;-)
Nat

True confessions: I watched Idol the year Bo was on and thought he was great. I bought his last CD, which was pretty disappointed and I pretty much lost interest in him. Then I came across his video online for the song Witness, liked the song (if not the hippie shirt he's wearing in it) and then downloaded the album from iTunes. It's great! I agree that a lot of the songs are heavily "influenced" by other artists, but they work, and his voice is fantastic. Thanks for the review!

Good solid commentary,although I disagree on the enjoyment level. To me this music is a steaming hot something, but frankly I'd take my shovel to it.

Great review. Southern Rock is not for everyone, but those of us that love it know this album ROCKS!

There is not a bad song on this album. I love See the Light and This Train the best. Witness rocks.

I purchased the cd over the weekend. My doggie howls at Can't Take the Country Out of Me. Is that a good sign or a bad one?

I am not a fan of country or southern rock. But, this CD is really catchy and has some really good songs. I especially liked "This Train" "Ain't Gonna Die" and well, probably around four or five others quite a bit. I agree with you on the "Only Words." It was misplaced on this CD. But, that's a whole lot better than other CD's I've bought where I've had to skip through about four or five songs just to get one that I like and had a "hook." All of the songs on this CD have fantastic "hooks" which are needed for you to want to sing along.

But, Bo does have a unique voice that I find different from the Lenny Kravitz or Bruce sound. He stands out with his tunes, and his growly voice that makes him distinctly Bo Bice. I could hear his voice on the radio and realize, "That is definitely Bo Bice's voice."

This isn't the greatest CD ever made, but it is a really, REALLY, good CD that can contend with anything the country stations are churning out today. And Bo Bice deserves a chance. I'm glad you didn't read the bio beforehand, because the biggest mountains Bo Bice has had to climb was first appearing on AI, and then secondly having to contend with the first CD that he was forced into recording the pop/rock mill of trying to make a big hit today with no consideration of the artist recording it. And finally, he was really sick for a good while.

He's overcome it all and this is a really good southern rock CD - which you simply don't find all that much any more.

Thanks for giving him a chance and listening to his CD. Great review!

After listening to See the Light several times, I feel that Bo Rice has been dumped by a string of females in his youth. Makes me cry to think that someone would want to hurt him so bad.

I picked up the CD over the week-end. It's not bad, but nothing to rave about either.

This is the CD that Clive Davis should have let him release right after being on AI. I think this is what people expected, it would have done very well. I love it!!!!.

How about them Red Sox? opps got the wrong website, who the h*** is Bo Rice?

I am most definitely NOT a fan of American Idol. I watched during and only during Season 4. Bo Bice caught my attention and I followed his ride to the end. I think a win would have been disastrous to his career. He would have never fit into a pop music mold although I will always wonder if he didn't get the popular vote. It's a shame we will never know what could have been had this CD been released first. It captures the essence of Mr. Bice's Southern Rock sound. Maybe he hasn't found a unique sound that would be his and his alone. I hope that's on the horizon. The only salvation for American Idol is we would never have heard of Bo Bice. Let that freebird keep on soarin'! ...and Bo, keep on writing!! I am so glad you didn't know about AI before listening to the CD. Great review!!!

I bought it. Save your money.

I think some people that do not like this CD just don't get it.
I love it. I do think this is the CD Bo should have released after AI. These songs come from his soul and if you do not "get it" you many not enjoy them as much.

Folks who just get on here and say something nasty just lead me to believe they have not listened. If they have then why not specify what they don't like instead of just throwing some inane comment out there.

Thank you for the fair review.

Wow. Look at all these comments. And to think I didn't even know who this cat was when I reviewed him. Probably for the best though. I just wrote what I thought of the music.

I really left myself open with that first paragraph didn't I? Serves me right for trying to be clever I guess:-) Thanks for all the great feedback guys and gals, and for all the zingers too, gave me some great laughs.

My review of this cd is somewhat Rock and a lot of Twang. This is the runner up on American Idol? Go back to your day job bro.

Nathalie, You said that you didn't see Bo on AI? He was one of the hottest contestants ever that walked across the stage. Who knows of what could have been. Over the last couple of years he has went down hill and looks like some back woods mountain man who hasn't shaved or had a decent hair cut in awhile. The real winner actually was crowned that year with a very sucfessful career.

Stormy observes, "I think some people that do not like this CD just don't get it."

Hmmm. Is that because Bo's music is so subtle and complex, with interwoven harmonic themes, and daring asymmetric rhythmic meters, and mathematically intricate counterpoint, and because it captures several aspects of the human condition simultaneously, from brooding introspection to soaring ecstasy, and lyrically taps into the very deepest levels of our emotions?

Or ...

maybe it's not so good.

I like my rock music straight up, hold the twang. What do people do when they listen to this music throw the rock horns with one hand and hold up a turnip in the other hand.

Roger: Thanks for the buy. Give it to someone who will appreciate it.
JC: This is Southern Rock. Perhaps that is why you are perlexed with the "twang".
Duane: If we all liked the same music, there would only be one style. If this isn't yours, that's okay. It's possible I wouldn't think your preferences were very good.
Jake: That is downright rude. What do you hold while listening to your music?

The sound may be derivitive but his voice is diatictively his and he gives each song a passionate sincerity which I enjoy after so many technically perfect but souless presentations. Also enjoy hearing so much joy of performing coming through. Maybe women get this cd more than men because we are more emotional.

Did you notice that only women like this guy? (not all women, see #6)

Now what could possibly be the explanation for that? Hmmm?

This is a very thoughtful review. Thank you. You cannot put Bice's music in a certain box. Close-minded people will certainly try to do it, but it will be their loss. I think that this is ridiculous to say that if music does not belong to a predetermined radio-format like pop, mainstream rock, or country, then it is not good.

Bice's music is very complex. Every piece of his music can be seen as a whole (you might call it genre), a part of a whole (genre if you insist) or as a complex compilation of smaller wholes. It is a reflection of the world we are living.

My favorite Bice's lyrics are "It's the chaos I understand and it's the calmness in my rants of anger" from Sinner In A Sin. I wonder if Bice knew anything about the mathematical model of chaos theory when he wrote these words. However, it sure is a very poetic and beautiful description of a phenomenon known as fractal, when randomness, is interleaved with order; and number of discrete destabilizing events while non-destructive to the status quo when taken singly, may mount until they cause shift in the nature of things.

I enjoy this album tremendously.

Rumor has it that if you are an outstanding member of AARP, Walmart gives deep discounts to purchase STL and Ken doll clothes.

Should I be upset that retirement is not in my near future? Oh well, I do not need discounts.

I bought the CD and there is not one bad song on it. I am a fan of Southern Rock and that is exactly what this CD is! I love every note of it from beginning to end. It's a little rock and a little country (again Southern Rock). The musical arrangements are an interesting mix and Bo's voice comes through beautifully. I like Bo's soft ballad voice so I appreciated the slow songs thrown in with the high vibe rock. The review was on the mark.

I had no idea that Bice put the Bo in Fibonacci. Now it all makes sense.

I love SEE THE LIGHT and I'm so happy that Bo Bice finally got to make the album he was destined to make. It's not some old record executive's idea of what he should sing, or who he should be.
Not everyone loves or understands Southern Rock, and some of the comments here make that pretty apparent.

This is the album Bo should have been allowed to put out from the first.....Southern Fried Rock! If you are too young for Lynyrd Skynard, The Allman Brothers, The Black Crows, etc., then you probably won't "understand". Rock with a little bit of country equals SOUTHERN ROCK! This is a great album! Thanks for the review!

Ahhh, the long awaited cd with the true Bo. I must admit that I am glad that he is able to go back to his roots and enjoy the type of music he can perform. However, the cd doesn't live up to my expectations. With the exception of WW&T, Sinner is a Sin and Witness, the cd crashed. Those three songs we've all heard before, so it was such a disappointment to not like any of the unheard tracks on the cd. Maybe the third cd will finally hit the mark. IF there is a third cd.

Being British, I feel that this cd has not properly met my expectations. I would like to see Bice bring back his growly, sexy side, the side I saw on the Idol show. This new CD is just too common for my tastes but then again, being British and not having grown up here, it just might not appeal to me because I'm not American. I wonder what other Brits think about it? It's not my cup of tea though. Sorry.

This album is great! I'm raving. It's what I was hoping for when his 1st album came out. At last!

Thanks for the review. I never watch idol but am so glad I did on season 4 or I would have missed the phenomenon known as Bo. Stunning vocals, brilliant performer, talented writer. I don't love EVERY song on this album but 8 out of 10 is pretty damn good. Most albums I'm lucky to like half the songs.
Geez, this guy sure brings out strong emotions in people!

I was suprised, when you compared the album to so many other people, not to hear the Black Crowes. That's what I hear most of all in See the Light.

I love this CD and have been listening to it now for 1 week and enjoy it more and more every time I hear it... Bo Bice has a unique voice and energy that comes through when he does Southern Rock! I have been to see him live and he puts on an incredible show...and I can't wait to see him perform these songs from See The Light!

Good review and fair. After reading some of the negative comments, I was shocked. I have followed Bo's career since AI (boo) and watched while Clive Davis forced Bo into singing pop music. Some of the songs on the The Real Thing were great but only the ones that Bo wrote or cowrote, like Valley of Angels. Now that he has been able to produce his own style music there are some people who just have to say something negative, rude and down right untrue. Bo doesn't sound like any other performer that ever existed. He is soooooo talented and a true musician that can play five different instruments. Every song on STL is excellent but my favorite is This Train and Witness. Once I listen to the cd about 50 times I'll probably like the other songs as much. God love our Bo.

Thanks for the well-written review!

The music world bored me for quite a few years until I heard Bo Bice on American Idol one fateful night when I accidentally came across that channel while he was performing "Whipping Post." Holy Cow!

I eventually saw him live (electrifying!) and met him several times (a humble, sweet, funny guy). He is a complex and fascinating man... a hard worker. Even through tremendous obstacles (and near deaths) in the past couple of years, he retained his optimism, gratitude, and sense of humor.

As much as I admired him, and thought he did a fantastic job on his RCA pop album, "The Real Thing," I was disappointed that it was not him at all. With the exception of "Remember Me," the only songs I really liked on it were the songs that Bo wrote. They rang true and were more interesting than the others. RCA tried to disguise Bo's magnificent voice with all that over processing in an attempt to homogenize it to sound like everything else you hear on the radio. But that wasn't the Bo the world had fallen in love with.

That's why I'm so thrilled with "See the Light." It DOES reflect Bo's genuine southern rock roots and the recording process lets his amazing voice shine through. The songs are a good mix--to make it interesting, entertaining, and downright fun! By the way, I've noticed this album getting a lot of male approval!

JMN - You're absolutely right. Black Crowes influence is evident on the whole CD. Very foolish of me not to mention it. I should probably stop writing reviews at 3 am.

Thanks to everyone for all the great comments

Please don't cast an opinion until you actually LISTEN to See The Light. I never much cared for country or southern rock style music, but I do now! I think of Lenny Kravitz when I hear WITNESS, and I think of "Feel Like Makin' Love" when I hear "I'm Gone".