Dear Readers,

Unfortunately, we have encountered a few minor bugs with the "new" Taking Notes website.  This has caused us to turn today into an unplanned maintenance day.  We are planning on having the site looking a bit more polished by the end of the day.  However, we have been forced to delay today's Throwback Thursday article until tomorrow.  Tomorrow, we will publish our article that was supposed to be released today.  We will be reviewing Billy Joel's The Stranger, released in 1977.  We apologize for the inconvenience but it was a necessary step to take.  But, don't forget to check back tomorrow for a fantastic new review for Throwback Thursday.  Tomorrow, we will also release some new information on our "Predictions" page that is currently listed as "Coming Soon".  It will be an exciting day, so don't forget to check it out!  As always, we ask that you check out our Facebook page by either clicking HERE, or by clicking on the Facebook logo on the top right of your screen.

Thanks!
DWilliams

Bruno Mars - "Unorthodox Jukebox"

Unorthodox Jukebox is the second studio album released by Bruno Mars.  The sophomore album is a highly anticipated follow up to the highly successful Doo-Wops & Hooligans.  This album covers a wide range of musical styles with obvious 80s influences.  The lead single, "Locked Out of Heaven", was released back in early October.  It is currently doing very well and charting pretty high on both the iTunes and Billboard Music charts.  So far, this record as received generally positive reviews.  This album represents Mars' freedom as an artist to produce great songs in a wide variety of genres.  Unorthodox Jukebox is a great follow up album that leaves Hooligans in the dust.

1) Young Girls (7/10)

Bruno Mars starts off his latest record with a hit.  This first song has a stimulating soft rock style that is a great way to begin the album.  It is redolent of his previous hit "It Will Rain".  This is a track I can definitely see getting a significant amount of radio time in the near future.  It's not the happiest song on the album by any means; and Bruno Mars thrives when he is singing happy pop songs.  However, this song is a rarity that is bound to be a successful single.

2) Locked Out of Heaven (8/10)

The second track is the lead single off of Unorthodox Jukebox.  I think that it is his best single to date.    The main reason I like it so much is because of its incredibly obvious resemblance to The Police.  His voice even sounds like Sting in this song.  Now, let's not let that take away from what Mars has done with it.  Even with the similarities in sound, it is still a Bruno Mars song that rocks.  I wouldn't be surprised if it continues to top the charts for another month or so.

3) Gorilla (6.5/10)

This song tells the story of a night with Bruno Mars.  The song progresses as the night does.  It starts off with "a body full of liquor and a cocaine kicker" and later in the song, ends with "you and me making love like gorillas".  As the song moves from one stage to another, the song changes from sounding pretty depressing to a song of relief and happiness.  They aren't the most intelligent lyrics ever, and that calls for an average track.

4) Treasure (8/10)

Treasure is a song that makes you want to get up and get your groove on.  In this track, he takes on an 80s disco style that fits him perfectly.  It reminds me of an old pop song that I just can't remember the name of.  This song gives me the feeling that disco-pop is the genre of music that Bruno Mars enjoys playing the most.  Here is another song that I can definitely see becoming a single, that may be successful on the charts.

5) Moonshine (6/10)

It might just be me, but this song reminds me of something Michael Jackson might produce.  This homage isn't as blatant as the resemblance to The Police on "Locked  Out of Heaven", but it just shows off Mars' wide range of talent.  Anyway, this song is pretty one dimensional and by the end, you're just waiting to move on to the next track.  This won't be the song that you'll have stuck in your head all day.

6) When I Was Your Man (8/10)

I am starting to really understand how talented Bruno Mars actually is.  He can take any style of music, and make it extraordinary.  This song is a piano driven ballad.  He sings about a period of heartbreak in his life.  You don't usually hear ballads like this from Mars, but he pours his heart out on this one.  He literally lists all of the things he did wrong that made him a terrible boyfriend.  You can feel the regret in his voice.  While he is singing, you will start to feel the same emotions that he is expressing.  I would be very happy if a song like this was released as a single for the radio!

7) Natalie (7/10)

"Natalie" is a rant against Mars' ex-girlfriend.  "Natalie" was a woman who ran away from him while taking everything he had.  It is definitely one of the more polite rants like this, while he does not get too impudent. But, he still expresses his anger and regret perfectly.  The song itself is backed by handclaps and a strong bass drum.  It is a song to get all of your emotions out when you are unhappy.

8) Show Me (5/10)

Ah-Ha! Back to Mars' Hawaiian roots.  This song is filled with steel drums and meaningless lyrics.  This mellow track is meant to be heard on a vacation to a tropical island.  Personally, I did not like this song.  It wasn't a good use of Mars' talents.  His vocals in this song sounded a bit off, reminding me of Mike Posner's voice.  The care-fee nature of this song was a nice vacation from the deep emotions found throughout the majority of this album, but is my least favorite song.

9) Money Make Her Smile (7/10)

This is the song where Bruno Mars completely understood his abilities as a true pop artist.  This track is filled with electronic noise and computerized drumbeats.  Not surprisingly, Mars found a way to make this style work for him.  This track is based on the artificial sounds created by a machine, that are comparative to The Black Eyed Peas.  It is uncharted territory for Bruno, and he does surprisingly well in his first sincere pop song.

10) If I Knew (8/10)

"If I Knew" is like a modernized 60s soul song, brought out mostly due to the passionate group of singers backing him up.  This final track is the shortest on the album, coming in at just 2 minutes and 13 seconds.  Yet he packs tons of emotion into this short amount of time.  It is the complete opposite of the previous song, which made me question the order he decided to put the songs in.  It is one of the better songs on the album, and makes for a great finishing piece to a great sophomore album.

Unorthodox Jukebox is a fantastic follow up album for Bruno Mars.  It shows off his true ability as a recording artist.  He is able to express himself through all kinds of musical styles.  I have underestimated Bruno Mars up until this point.  The more serious tone of this album, compared to Doo-Wops & Hooligans, is a great improvement.  There is a deluxe version available exclusively through Target.  This album was a short ten tracks, so I may have to consider picking up the extended version to hear one unreleased song and a few alternate versions of songs on this album.  By saying that, I am trying to make it clear that this is a great album that will keep me waiting for his third studio release.

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