Although Train's singles got heavy rotation on "alternative" radio stations, there's nothing cutting-edge about the band's sophomore effort, Drops of Jupiter.
Train is a classic rock wannabe band in the mold of Counting Crows, although that's not always a bad thing.
In fact, the best moments on Drops of Jupiter are the most blatant rip-offs, which means the band can sound endearing even when they don't sound unique.
Does the hit title track remind you of Madman Across the Water-era Elton John? Well, it's no coincidence.
Paul Buckmaster, who arranged the soaring strings on much of John's best work, reprises that role here, and session keyboardist extraordinaire Chuck Leavell channels John on the piano.
And when lead singer Pat Monahan sings "When I get this feeling" in "It's About You," just try not to sing "I want sexual healing" over the actual lyrics that follow.
Overall, this is a safe, solid second effort from a band that knows how to write hit singles.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | She's on FireTrain | Train | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| 2 | I Wish You WouldTrain | Train | Play | 04:25 | 10 MB | 32 MB |
| 3 | Drops of JupiterTrain | Train | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 4 | It's About YouTrain | Train | Play | 04:27 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 5 | HopelessTrain | Train | Play | 04:31 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 6 | RespectTrain | Train | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 7 | Let It RollTrain | Train | Play | 05:00 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 8 | Something MoreTrain | Train | Play | 04:33 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 9 | Whipping BoyTrain | Train | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 10 | GetawayTrain | Train | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 11 | MississippiTrain | Train | Play | 05:05 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 48 mins | 111 MB | |||||
| 48 mins | 332 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Bryant | Second Engineer |
| 2 | Paul Buckmaster | Conductor, Orchestration |
| 3 | David Campbell | String Arrangements |
| 4 | Charlie Colin | Bass, Group Member, Guitar, Vocals (Background) |
| 5 | Tim Devine | A&R |
| 6 | Nick DiDia | Engineer |
| 7 | Karl Egsieker | Assistant |
| 8 | Steve Genewick | Assistant |
| 9 | Carl Gorodetzky | Concert Master, Contractor, Violin |
| 10 | Erin Haley | Production Manager |
| 11 | Tony Hernandez | Illustrations |
| 12 | Rob Hotchkiss | Bass, Group Member, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals (Background) |
| 13 | Suzie Katayama | Cello, Contractor |
| 14 | Chuck Leavell | Piano |
| 15 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 16 | Michael Markman | Violin |
| 17 | Bob Mason | Cello |
| 18 | Fleming McWilliams | Vocals (Background) |
| 19 | Pat Monahan | Group Member, Percussion, Saxophone, Trumpet, Vibraphone, Vocals |
| 20 | Cheryl Mondello | Production Manager |
| 21 | Brendan O'Brien | Keyboards, Mixing, Producer |
| 22 | Arnie Pustilnik | Direction |
| 23 | Dan Smith | Cello |
| 24 | Jimmy Stafford | Group Member, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals (Background) |
| 25 | Ralf Strathmann | Photography |
| 26 | Train | Composer, Primary Artist |
| 27 | Scott Underwood | Drums, Group Member, Keyboards, Percussion, Programming |
| 28 | Kristin Wilkinson | Viola |
| 29 | Ryan Williams | Second Engineer |
| 30 | Evan Wilson | Viola |
| 31 | Joel Zimmerman | Art Direction |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |