The Artists
The Jonas Brothers, Joe, Nick, and Kevin, have released three CDs so far, 2006's It's About Time, their self-titled 2007 CD, and last year's A Little Bit Longer. On the 3D Concert Soundtrack, they perform with their backing band John Taylor (guitar and musical director), Greg Garbowsky (bass), Jack Lawless (drums), and Ryan Liestman (keyboards).The Music
With all the bombast of a Celine Dion concert, The Jonas Brothers plow through five songs from A Little Bit Longer, four from their self-titled CD, two duets, a cover song and a new studio tune. To be honest, though, the first four songs from the 3D Concert Soundtrack are studies in classic powerpop, circa late '70s-early '80s (think Bryan Adams or Rick Springfield), but with a 21st Century glossy sheen.
After that high-energy start, the middle of the soundtrack lags, and it's not particularly The Jonas Brothers' fault. As is Disney's wont, they take advantage of a marketing opportunity by having other Disney-owned performers show up on the bill: Demi Lovato sings with the Brothers on "This is Me" from Disney's Camp Rock Soundtrack, and Taylor Swift performs the faux-country "Should've Said No" from her self-titled debut album.
The mid-show blahs continue with a ballad from The Jonas Brothers, "Hello Beautiful," and a so-so song from A Little Bit Longer, "Pushin' Me Away." And I don't know if the musical director/producer lost a bet or if Disney now owns the Shania Twain catalog, but I can't think of any other reason for having The Jonas Brothers cover Twain's song "I'm Gonna Getcha Good."
The album powers back up with one tune from The Jonas Brothers and three from A Little Bit Longer, including "Live to Party," a bonus track from Longer. The final song on the soundtrack, the Beatles-y studio cut "Love is On Its Way," shows The Jonas Brothers trying to take a more mature outlook on life, urging world leaders to "show us how to love each other, it could help us to recover."
The Verdict
So The Jonas Brothers sweeten their "live" album with overdubs, everybody from Paul McCartney to KISS to Neil Young has done it...so the string section is a little over the top...for what it is - pop music entertainment for tweens - Music from the 3D Concert Experience is a pretty good album that could've been better. A more stripped-down performance and a better song selection would have earned the CD another half a star.
Released February 24, 2009; Hollywood Records
Track Listing
- "That's Just the Way We Roll"
- "Hold On"
- "BB Good"
- "Video Girl"
- "This is Me" (Demi Lovato)
- "Hello Beautiful"
- "Pushin' Me Away"
- "Should've Said No" (Taylor Swift)
- "I'm Gonna Getcha Good" (Shania Twain cover)
- "S.O.S."
- "Burnin' Up"
- "Tonight"
- "Live to Party"
- "Love is On Its Way" (studio song)
