Candy from a Stranger  (Audio Cassette) 
by Soul Asylum

I don't care about labels, and I expect a band to evolve. So anyone who screams about ANY band that they 'lost their roots,'or the greater favourite 'sold out,' I say the person yelling has too much money and too little talent of their own.

And it's not the subjective thing of a softer sound that demotes this album as too vile to use for a frisbee; it's that they went from absolutely BRILLIANT lyrics on Dim to - oh it hurts to say it- sop almost too cliched and meaningless for the likes of shallow drones, like, say, Britney Spears. There was clever wit in GDU, and phrasing all through Dim is strong enough to read like poetry in its own right and never gets old. 'String of Pearls' remains one of the best songs I know of: period.

And what do you get on Candy? ***. That's what. They're so ashamed of the lyrics they don't even print them in the CD liner! At least this is the best way I could explain it.

I knew I was in trouble right from the start, but by 'Close' I just couldn't stand it. I started skimming tracks, and they were all awful.

Sum up: I didn't even manage to survive one whole listen of the album. That was a first, and is going to be a last...

Forget the Milli Vanilli refund, THIS was the worst rip off ever, and I want my money back!

Horrible production of okay songs  Mar 11, 2001
I agree with people in here saying that the producer, Chris Kimsey, sucks and should have his eardrums popped with an ice pick or similar instrument to prevent him from wreaking more havoc. I heard these songs - pre-Kimsey - demos from Pachyderm Studio - that were much, much better. They sounded good live too - not as good as their early 90s late 80s stuff, but not as bad as this record turned out.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

The curse of Winona  Nov 14, 2000
The curse of Winona: a general law that states when your frontman takes up with a famous Hollywood actress, all that celebrity head turns their musical nous to margarine. It nearly happened to Dave Grohl, and just look what Barbara Bach did to Ringo, Courtney to Kurt, Faye Dunaway to Peter Wolf...the list goes on and on.

Granted, the process of blandification for this group of non-starters began long before their previous album, 1995's truly abysmal LET YOUR DIM LIGHT SHINE, a monument of major-label wet-rock angst. With a career that might be politely described as relentlessly B-grade, things haven't got any better. In fact, CANDY FROM A STRANGER is soooooo bad, it's even worse. How bad? How about Van Halen bad. If you believe such a level of decreptitude to be impossible, check the big-hair chorus and wank of a guitar line on "I Will Still Be Laughing." Not even Bad English or John Parr would sink so low.

A track like "Blood Into Wine" (if the title alone isn't sign enough) redefines the big, bad ballad and nothing is helped by Dave Pirner's nasal whine of a voice. On the stunning piece of acoustic junk "Shine", he actually sounds like Axl Rose.

Some bands want to be great. Others are happy just to get on a soundtrack once in awhile.

1 of 2 found the following review helpful:

Very good!  Nov 14, 1999
Despite the non-good reviews...this album has great music.There are happy songs, but the ballads really give the album a sense. The best tracks are Blood into wine,The Game, and See You later. I've enjoyed the music very much.