Track Listing

1. You And I Both
2. I'll Do Anything
3. The Remedy (I Won't Worry)
4. Who Needs Shelter
5. Curbside Prophet
6. Sleep All Day
7. Too Much Food
8. Absolutely Zero
9. On Love, In Sadness
10. No Stopping Us
11. The Boy's Gone
12. Tonight, Not Again

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #913 in Music
• Released on: 2002-10-15
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
His debut album is packed with witty, wordy, smart, funky & astonishingly catchy pop songs that do right by the best singer-songwriter traditions of Elektra. 2002.

Amazon.com
Virginia exile Jason Mraz grew up listening to Dave Matthews and Agents of Good Roots, local heroes whose frat-friendly influences are much in evidence on his major-label debut. Producer John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer) augments Mraz's SoCal cohorts with Agents' rhythm section, dramatically expanding and polishing songs like "Curbside Prophet" and "You and I Both," which previously appeared in looser, less developed versions on Mraz's self-released live recordings. But fans from the singer-songwriter's coffeehouse years need not despair. Mraz's witty lyrics and easygoing folk-blues stylings (think Jack Johnson on Prozac) are still very much in evidence. He's also in fine voice and, on two standout tracks--"Who Needs Shelter" and "Absolutely Zero"--rivals Neil Finn in his ability to invoke the spirit of Paul McCartney. Waiting for My Rocket to Come showcases an artist who, while still finding his own direction, is clearly off to a great start. --Bill Forman

Customer Reviews

Wow.
I bought this CD on the strength of "The Remedy," which I'd heard numerous times on the radio and which eventually grew on me. I didn't expect to be completely blown away by the full album, but I am. This CD dabbles in a wide variety of styles--acoustic, 70s, hip-hop, a calypso sound--but it still feels cohesive to me, probably because the lyrics are uniformly terrific throughout. What might not be immediately apparent from "The Remedy" is how beautiful Mraz's voice can be--this is especially evident on the very first track, "You and I Both." A lot of people are comparing this CD to "Room for Squares," which surprises me a bit. Some of these songs are similar to John Mayer's, I guess ("Sleep All Day" comes to mind), but Jason Mraz plays around with different styles a lot more, and has a better voice. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of John Mayer, but this is the superior CD. Give it a few spins, and see how it works its way into your consciousness.

A phenomenal debut, but...
Taken on its own merits, this is a great album. It's energetic and exciting, it switches styles without seeming disjointed, and it exhibits the skills of a fantastic new vocalist and songwriter. "The Remedy", overplayed on every Boston station by now, really has a fantastic hook and a strong melodic line. "You and I Both" is a dizzying vocal effort, and other tracks standout as well -- "Sleep All Day", "No Stopping Us", have a great good-time feel and amazing vocals. The lyrics could be stronger, but they are still compelling.

However, there is a caveat - unbelieveable as it may seem, I know that Jason can do better. I've seen two live shows, and while I was happy with this album, i was BLOWN AWAY by his live shows. He has such command and presence, such a powerful and creative voice, and some fantastic musical and instrumental ideas. Unfortunately, the record label packaged all of his songs into the pop/rock mold and out came "Waiting For My Rocket To Come". If Jason gets enough respect and recognition to be able to produce professional recorded music on his own terms, then we will be in for a real treat.

Still Lovin' It After All This Time!
I bought Jason Mraz's album "Waiting For My Rocket to Come", back in March and as the summer came about with radio rotation and album sales increasing I was glad to see his deserved commercial breakthrough. "The Remedy" entered the charts suddenly and by summer's end reached the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot 100 and "Rocket" started selling well, eventually peaking at #55 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. However, the LP went down in sales so quickly I could practically hear it as it thudded down the chart. Despite the recent launch of a second single, "You and I Both", and an accompanying video, the album's sales have not increased substantially due to scant airplay, although the new single is just as radio-friendly as "The Remedy".

In fact, the album has quite a few potential hit singles to spare. "Sleep All Day", with its addictive hooks, is comprised of vivid, touching lyrics that reveal Mraz's sentiments towards his father. (No way he said take it/Take it and don't break it/With your own two hands/That was my old man and he said if all/All is grounded you should go make a mountain out of it.)

Also good listens are the reggae-infused "I'll Do Anything", the hilarious "Too Much Food", the autobiographical play-on-words "Curbside Prophet" and the impressive end-of-summer sentiment of "Who Needs Shelter?". The intonation of Mraz's vocals and the simple, laid-back arrangements of the track fuse, maximizing its impact on the listener with a wistful, bittersweet sensation, one-hundred percent in accord with the lyrics. (Who needs shelter from the sun?/Not me, no not anyone/I'd sleep it all away/But the sun won't let me/I'd miss those lovely days of summer/Good-day sunlight/I'd like to say how truly bright you are/You don't know me but I know you/You're my favorite.)

That said, there are some downsides to "Rocket". The album's ballad, "Absolutely Zero", while an excellent song demonstrating Mraz's vocal prowess, sounds overdone and drab after a few plays, quickly becoming the song to skip. Also, after witnessing Mraz and his free-spirited, uninhibited self in a live setting, it is easy to see how "Rocket", a studio album with top-notch production from John Alagia, actually blunts his impromptu talents. As it is, some of the songs towards the middle of the album sound too similarly produced which could put off the casual listener. In the meantime, there's an excellent live album available exclusively through his website that captures more of his spirit as a live performer, as well as the hope that his future studio albums will have more diverse production.

As he closes the album with "Tonight, Not Again" his voice begins low and ethereal, but as the song progresses he lets it soar so high, so full of rapture, that it is almost bone-chilling; you don't know what hit you. Perhaps therein lies Mraz's most remarkable talent: An uncanny ability to move the listener while perfectly expressing the meaning of his lyrics; there's no question about what he meant or how he felt when he composed this music. His lyrics, sometimes witty, sometimes deep, always intriguing, topped off with great vocal skill to boot, definitely make Jason Mraz an artist to watch.