Grand National

This is far and away his best album to date. It's the most accessible and pop-frendily of his work. This album boasts 2 great songs in Better Than and Used to Get High. Two truely awesome songs in which he sings very clearly. There's also a smattering of other good songs on here. The more summery songs are the most palatable of the bunch. As with every JBT album, there's great guitar and percussion on here. I love the tempo and most of the tunes are fairly sexy. On this album, he reminds me of an Aussie G. Love or even a bit like Mishka. After a while, though, John Butler gets to be a bit too much - even on his best album. Don't get me wrong, the songs aren't bad at all, but it just gets to be too much of the same sound. They all start to sound the same. Some of the songs are too slow. He's just not a slow song guy. And even though this album has some of his shortest songs ever, there's still just these super long instrumental sections that just get cacophonous after a while. Plus the longer songs tend to just feel like he's rambling and starts to get a little hard to understand - I just tune out. it's a shame because it ends up ruining otherwise good songs that just end up painful. Shorter songs with more clearly sung vocals are the key to taking this very talented artist from good to great.

You know that old record that doesn't play anymore because it just happened to have been played too many times for it to continue working? Or perhaps you remember that CD that you've put in your car cd player so many times that it's become too scratched to play any longer? With ease, John Butler Trio's Grand National can play that part in anyone's lives who gives it a try. In this album, John Butler notably reaches out to a pop-demanding market, while still maintaining a perfect balance between his traditional styles and a whole new sound entirely. The absolute worst thing about this album is that whoever wrote the iTunes album review was not as personally moved as any average person would be. I guess some album's can't impress everybody, but when you listen to Grand National and your intentions are not just to find its flaws, you'll have trouble hearing any. It's a beautiful thing.

it was lke walking through a day of where i want to end up in life

If you think Grand Nation is good.....mmmmm..... Check out the stuff he did before he tried to air time on the radio. His first full length cd, self tittled "John Butler" and the follow up "Three" and try his double live cd "Living 2001-2002". But if your attention span in limited and want to listen to 3 - 4 minute songs stick with "grand national". And while I've got your attention, do yourself a bloody big favour and check another Aussie star, Xavier Rudd...Hands down the best musician I've had the privlage to see live.

We've come to expect this from JBT, and this album is one of the greatest albums ever, second to maybe only Sunrise Over Sea. Just seeing Gonna Take It as the least popular song reaffirms this, because I love that song yet it's true that all the others are even better. This is an amazing album and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I really enjoy the earlier albums and the direction the band was headed. This album seems overproduced and sprawling, trying to dable in to many genres. Lyrically weaker than previous work, hope their next album finds them back on track. Kings of Leon, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses worth the money.

I stumbled upon this group while watching a YouTube video of Keith Urban playing with JBT on the ARIAS award show. WOW! I was instantly hooked. Love this album and LOVE "Funky Tonight". Now, I'm looking into their past work and plan to be a fan for a long time to come. Great songs and very talented guys. The only complaint I have is to iTunes and their not supplying the single JBT made with Keith Urban for charity. I'm in the USA and can't buy the single since it's on the Australian iTunes site. : (

So I bought JBT's entire catalog after being blown away by their live performance a few weeks ago. It's not every day that an amazing live band can present the same energy and excitement in a studio recording but, let me tell you, JBT breaks this mold through their studio catalog and, more specifically, through "Grand National." The album starts off with a decent funky feeling (Better Than, Daniella) similar to an upbeat Jack Johnson record with more substance and a better groove. Michael Barker and John Butler tear through Funky Tonight, which serves as a highlight song for John's virtuosic guitar talent. John shows that he's capable of writing a beautiful ballad on Caroline and then the band takes it up again for Good Excuse and Used to Get High (a favorite on Sirius). I'm not a huge fan of Gov Did Nothin', it seems as if they're reaching for an overtly political song without grounding it in the same songwriting and musicianship as some of the other tracks. As great as all of the other tracks are on this record, the last third of the album blows me away. The record takes a page out of some of the pioneers of early-nineties alternative rock with Devil Running, and they leave everyone wanting so much more with Fire in the Sky and Gonna Take It. Overall, this album is the best that I've heard in the last 2-3 years, this band is at the top of their game. It reminded me of when DMB released "Before These Crowded Streets," this album is certainly not "Sunrise Over Sea," just like "BTCS" was not "Crash," but it also certainly surpasses it, in songwriting, musicianship, and flow, buy this record!!

What can I say...From the first song to the last...EXCELLENT!!!!! Another great CD from one of the best bands around! I love these guys!!!!❤❤❤

wow...seriously you cant get much better than JOHN BUTLER TRIO...totally amazing...i love how they are so original and especially with this song!!