I am relatively new to Collective Soul, but am already a new fan. My wife heard Heavy from the Dosage album on the radio and came home raving about the guitar riff. Since then I have been on a crash course to hear of all of the old Collective Soul songs. Did you know that they have already had seven songs that have hit #1 on the US Mainstream Rock charts? Very impressive! Hopefully there will be many more for them. Recently we purchased the new self titled CD, also known as Rabbit, and it is one of the best "new" CD's that I have purchased in the last decade or so.

The set opens with with the driving song Welcome All Again that is tailor made to open concerts with. Overall this CD seems to be far more rocking than their previous albums, which all contain several slow or acoustic songs. None are more rocking than My Days, which also features some excellent lyrical craftsmanship from singer/songwriter and fellow Phoenician Ed Roland. I love the creative lead guitar of Joel Kosche, former guitar tech, especially in My Days and also nice arpeggio run in Dig.

If there is one negative it would be the song Understanding, which seems like three different songs welded together. Apart they would make great songs, but joined together in one song is very disjointed. It almost sounds like someone dared Ed to come up with a song that sounds like the Beatles, Sex Pistols and Pink Floyd all in one.

Overall, this is a great CD! I recommend it to anyone who has liked Collective Soul over the last 16 years. Ed, if you ever read this... release You as a single. That song is ready made for Top 40 radio. Oh, and lets book a gig in Phoenix!

Collective Soul - Rabbit - 2009 on - FYE.com