Search - M2m :: Day You Went Away: The Best of

We miss M2M - Must-have for any music lover!

A. Roy Chua | 06/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Marion Raven has HERE I AM, and Marit Larsen has UNDER THE SURFACE. But don't underestimate their works of art together as M2M. Before you buy UNDER THE SURFACE, stop and think. Shouldn't you buy their album as M2M? If you have SHADES OF PURPLE and THE BIG ROOM and you think you're complete, think again. They have a best-of album! That's right, M2M did not disband without leaving behind a wonderful gift for their devastated fans: THE DAY YOU WENT AWAY, their only compilation album.

We'll go through it by song:



1. The Day You Went Away - this is my favorite M2M song. I like the guitar at the start, and also the chorus. Now if only they had performed its Mandarin version that Cyndi Wang did instead... (10/10)



2. Mirror, Mirror - I call this the Snow White song. This song is so M2M-ish; it really pictures the teenage Marit and Marion. I'm not lying to you. (10/10)



3. Pretty Boy - An M2M love song? This is also another M2M signature song. I like the chorus and the instruments used in it. (10/10)



4. Don't Say You Love Me - This is the reason why M2M was known in the US; it's one of the theme songs to Pokemon: The First Movie. But because the movie was targeted to children, the line "you start kissing me" was changed to "you said you love me". Unfortunately, there was a mix-up - the Poke-version's lyrics were the one included in the booklet, but the original version was the one in the CD. This song is not to be confused with the Corrs song of the same name :p (10/10)



5. Everything - Once you hear music from THE BIG ROOM, you'll hear how Marion's vocals have strongly matured. They're also not as bubblegum-ish as in their debut. Personally, I like their SHADES OF PURPLE style better. This song starts with a ticking clock that reminds me of a bomb, but their singing's cute. It's just a bit too mature for M2M, and it sounds more Xtina-ish. (10/10)



6. Everything You Do [New Vocals Version] - Re-recorded vocals in the BIG ROOM era. I liked the SOP version better, though. It sounds like a cross of a Britney song, a B*Witched song, and M2M song (in my opinion). (10/10)



7. Girl In Your Dreams - Do you know what my favorite part of the song is? The beginning, where they sing "nananana, nananana". The song sounds like a cross of "The Day You Went Away" and "Mirror Mirror"; it's so nice! (10/10)



8. What You Do About Me - I think it's one of their most un-M2M sounding songs. It seems better for Britney. Nevertheless, the song's nice. (10/10)



9. Don't [Acoustic Version] - This is more like M2M in THE BIG ROOM. The only drawback is that their guitar and vocals are kind of soft in this song, but I don't dislike it. (9.5/10)



10. Wanna Be Where You Are - No guitars. Urgh. But the piano (I think by Marion?) is good, and her solo rocks. It kind of reflects her music four years later in HERE I AM. (10/10)



11. Not To Me - I like the combined guitar and piano at the beginning. It also sounds a bit like Marion Raven's solo work several years later. Her vocals are more prominent and nearly drown out Marit's, but Marit has her own part later. Think of it as a combined SHADES and THE BIG ROOM song. (9.5/10)



12. Is You - This song also sounds like a cross between M2M's two albums, but more on SHADES. It's comparable to "Everything" and "Don't Say You Love Me". Title's cute too ^__^ (10/10)



13. Wait For Me - The guitar at the intro doesn't sound like M2M; it sounds somewhat like bossa nova or country. Well, the song seems like a country song to me... (9.5/10)



14. Jennifer [Acoustic] - I like "Jennifer"; it's like M2M's telling a story about this girl who's really beautiful and nice. I like the acoustic version better than the original version, but it's short. I also like the way Marit's and Marion's voice blend together. (10/10)



15. Love Left For Me [Acoustic] - I like this song, but the acoustic guitar's very soft in some parts, which makes me think it's a capella. The original version was better. At first I thought "love left for them", but it turned out to be "is there any love left for me?" (10/10)



16. Pretty Boy [Mandarin Version] - Can you believe that M2M themselves re-sang the vocals of "Pretty Boy" in Chinese? I like the way they say the Chinese words; it's different and more relaxing than what I learn. It's like they can speak Chinese themselves. Ah... we are back to the bubblegum M2M I like so much after eight tracks. (10/10)



17. Everything [Acoustic Version] - I like this "Everything" too. There is a new guitar intro at the very start, and it's kinda loud, like an unplugged electric guitar. I would have liked it better if they combined the two "Everything"s on this album. (10/10)



18. Don't Say You Love Me [Tin Tin Out Remix] - This remix of "Don't Say You Love Me", which has a beat unlike the studio version, is better. It does sound more like Britney, and the guitar is rather changed. (10/10)



19. Todo Lo Que Haces (Everything You Do - Spanish Version) - I like the Spanish version, even though it was recorded with "new" vocals. Like "Pretty Boy", their Spanish is convincing. What's funny and ironic is that in where they normally sing "Everything you do", they don't say "Todo lo que haces". (10/10)



20. Mirror, Mirror [Power Dance Remix] - A club remix, I must think. It's not a very nice effect; "Mirror, Mirror" shouldn't be a dance song. They're better off with "Everything You Do" or "Everything" as a Power Dance song. The beat is nice, though. (9.5/10)



It's a must-buy album! I recommend it to EVERYBODY!"

The Greatest Album Ever

Jason Pitcher | Sunrise, FL USA | 05/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Get this before you get Marion Raven's solo album "Here I Am" to see what you missed. Every track on here is a gem and there are even songs in other languages. It's a shame Atlantic never advertised their albums "Shades Of Purple and "The Big Room" in the USA. If they were as big here as they were in Asia, everyone would forget about Britney Spears and Christina However-you- spell-it-I-really-don't-care. PLEASE GET THIS!!!!!!"

Brilliant M2M!

Jason Pitcher | 04/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an amazing CD! It features all the singles that M2M released, plus acoustic versions of songs and remixes. Every song is worth a listen! Plus, on the second disc there are special videos you can watch that feature song videos and behind-the-scenes footage of tours, etc. This really is one of the best CD's I've ever bought."