Review of American Anthems 2 Album by Various Artists
Due for release on November 14 through Sony Music, 'American Anthems 2' is a 58 song, three cd set of what is described as a 'great rock repertoire that has stood the test of time'. A quick scan of the track listing reveals no obvious cohesion, but plenty of quality is evident.
Disc One mixes the likes of Tina Turner. Fleetwood Mac, Poison and Journey, which should give you an idea of the audience being targeted, but then younger listeners have the pull of The Killers' 'All These Things I've Done' and Kid Rock. It is debateable whether or not Sixpence None The Richer's 'Kiss Me' can be categorised as an anthem, but collections like this will always struggle to please all corners. The second disc features the classic Joan Osbourne number 'One Of Us', while also featuring some mellower moments from Extreme and Chicago, but the highlight is the reminder of what a great track Shawn Mullins' 'Lullaby' is. Ending this compilation is a disc featuring Cher, David Lee Roth, Kiss, Meat Loaf, Bob Dylan and concluded by the brilliant 'Purple Rain' from Prince.
Essentially this is the bringing together of FM Radio hits with nothing else in common, which makes for a decent enough stocking filler, but this is clearly a record company cash-in attempt which offers nothing new.
Alex Lai
