Track Listing

1. How Am I Different
2. Nothing Is Good Enough
3. Red Vines
4. The Fall of the World's Own Optimist
5. Satellite
6. Deathly
7. Ghost World
8. Calling It Quits
9. Susan
10. Backfire
11. It takes all Kinds
12. Love Me
13. Just Like Anyone
14. You Do
15. Save Me

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5494 in Music
• Released on: 2006-07-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Bachelor No. 2 is the product of a woman whose 40th birthday looms months ahead and it illustrates how a little seasoning has paid off creatively for Aimee Mann. Always an incisive lyricist, the eloquent singer-songwriter further hones her wordplay to a razor-sharp edge. Her subjects are so adroitly sliced and diced that little blood is shed, though they're permanently cut down to size. "Calling It Quits" targets some cad who is "numbering himself among the masterminds 'cause he's hit upon the leverage of Valentines". Not that Mann spares herself from a steely assessment: "I know I had it coming / From a Caesar who was only slumming" she admits in "The Fall of the World's Own Optimist". Though this 13-track collection borrows three songs from its immediate predecessor, Mann's soundtrack to Magnolia, its musical ingenuity and consistency (notable considering five different production teams are credited here) make the scattered redundancies irrelevant. Mann's artistic growth has been evident with each new release and Bachelor marks her biggest leap forward to date. --Steven Stolder

CD Description
Given her surprise success with the soundtrack to the 1999 film MAGNOLIA, Aimee Mann seems more assured than ever on BACHELOR NO. 2, OR THE LAST REMAINS OF THE DODO. The album builds on the steam of her first two solo releases, refining their intelligent melodic songcraft to greater complexity and grace. While the production on her previous records could seem a bit middle-of-the-road, BACHELOR NO. 2 boasts a sound that, while still clean and straightforward, is full of layered detail. But beyond the excellent arrangements and backingvocals are Mann's songs themselves. With her penchant for winding, Beatlesque melodies and her literate, captivating lyrics (she deftly combines narrative detail, metaphor, puns, and emotionally resonant images), Mann's songwriting impresses. Whether on desultory folk ("Deathly"), groove-driven pop("Red Vines"), or music-hall musings ("Nothing Is Good Enough"), Mann is at home here, and her lovely voice, which charms with its unaffected subtlety, is the icing on the cake. BACHELOR NO. 2 finds this fine singer/songwriter at the top of her powers, and is easily one of her strongest offerings.

Customer Reviews

Incredible
"Bachelor No. 2" is without doubt a brilliant collection of mesmerising tunes that stay with you through the day and make you want to return for more. In places the sound reminded me of the Beatles, and her voice does have that special quality that makes you hang on every note.

"Save Me" epitomises her blend of deceptively uncomplicated melodies, with lyrics that deal with ordinary situations in an extraordinary fashion. The "Save Me" video, specially filmed on the "Magnolia" set is also included on this album and is highly recommended.

Other highlights include the rock-influenced "Red Vines", surely the best sing-a-long track I've ever heard. "Calling It Quits" deserves a special mention for it's stunningly crafted lyrics on top of a very open sound that has a big-screen feel to it.

If you are buying your first Aimee Mann album my advice is to go straight for the best. Her previous albums, "Whatever", "I'm With Stupid" and the "Magnolia" soundtrack are all excellent, but this record is exceptional!

Best female artist out there
Looking through my CD collection i realised that less than 5% of them were by female artists, i didn't really know why but i never really seemed to be drawn to them, however, with this album aimee mann made me sit up and listen, it is a great collection of songs by a serial artist, the songs flow easily from one to the next, the song-writing is superb infusing a great deal of meaning into every song and the vocals are well performed creating a brilliant album. Bachelor No. 2 is an album that i keep coming back to and one in which i am always impressed, favourite tracks include Red Vines, Save Me and The fall Of The World's Own Optimist. For an artist that seems to be overlooked in the musical world this album is stunning and will no doubt be enjoyed by many for many years to come, a reminder of what music should be in an age dominated by karaoke shows like 'The X Factor' which are flooding the market with talentless wannabes.

Spectacular
Having heard Aimee Mann first on the soundtrack to Sliding Doors, I had to find more of her work. This is where it led me, and by this time I'd gone through every one of her first 4 albums. This is without doubt her finest and most accessible LP: it's a masterclass in songwriting and a feast of vocal talent.

There are some notable standouts here. Calling It Quits has a breathtakingly euphoric feel, while Save Me contents itself by sitting at the end of the record and quietly and understatedly stealing the show.

Her voice is mesmerising, her lyrics are sharp and insightful and each and every song is so well crafted, you can't fail to be amazed at the skill of this singer. Oh, and she did the artwork herself too. This is no ordinary singer/songwriter people: this is one extraordinary professional.