Let's play a game of word association. If I said Bryan Adams, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Epic Ballads. Yes! Sing-along chorus. Yes! Powerful sounding whispered vocals. Yes! The point of that exercise was to point out that when you buy a Bryan Adams album you kind of already know what you're getting. Yet, still I could not resist. I could not walk by the end cap at my local Best Buy without feeling the urge to buy it. The songs on 11 are all good songs, but just a little too familiar. It does go beyond just sounding like his other stuff; it leaves you wanting to rush home and dig through your pile of CDs to find his greatest hits album. But I’m being a little unfair. “I Ain’t Losin’ the Fight,” the second song on the release is cool and so is the next track, “Oxygen.” This song is extremely catchy, with lyrics like “Oxygen I couldn’t live without it.” How could you not agree with that? Who doesn’t need oxygen? I know I do. Of course it’s a metaphor, just kind of a cheesy one. There were one or two songs that could stand the test of time and make the next greatest hits. “Flower Grown Wild” is a song I could relate to and it contained just the right amount of awe-shucks. ”Walk on By” is the best song on the album. His voice is strained and the music is mournful. This exemplifies a great song. Overall, this is a good album. I’m not sure if anyone writes a better pop song. It's easy to listen to and you won’t skip a single song. It's not a masterpiece, but it definitely deserves to be heard. It’s not groundbreaking but it's also a hell of a lot better then most of what’s out there today. People tend to fall in love with the new thing and sometimes forget about the artist you used to love. It takes true talent to last as long as Bryan Adams. This album won’t disappoint his fans and won’t offend new listeners.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

For more info go to: www.bryanadams.com