I am a huge Bryan Adams fan...have been for quite some time. There's just something about that husky, smoky voice of his that melts my heart when he sings, especially his ballads. Anyway, this, by far, is my favorite album of all his others. I honestly can say there isn't one song on this CD that I DON'T like, which is rare for me...I can always pick out at least three or four that I'm not real fond of. His "18 Til I Die" CD is also great, but there are a couple of tunes on it I could do without. This CD, however, is one I can crank up, put on continuous play, and listen to over and over again. I love it. One of my favorite tunes on here is "I'm A Liar." It's just such a fun, upbeat song. Also, "C'mon, C'mon, C'mon" is a smooth sounding song with a great melody. If faced with a choice between this and ANY other CD of Bryan Adams, go with this one...trust me on this. You'll come to adore it, just as I do. One day, I'll have to buy another one because I'll wear out the one I have from being played too much. But, for a second choice, definitely go with "18 Til I Die" or "So Far So Good;" either albums are great choices, too.

Bryan Adams' "On A Day Like Today" again marked a new chapter in a legendary career. In the 80s, Bryan did some great work on albums such as "Cuts Like a Knife", his signature album "Reckless", his deep album "Into the Fire", and his commerically successful "Waking Up The Neighbours". Following that string of 4 albums, Bryan released "18 Til I Die" which really didn't achieve the glory of those past 4 albums. His next Studio album was this one and unfortunately, this album keeps Bryan Adams stagnent and makes me wonder if he will ever achieve the heights he had in the 80s.

Like "18 Til I Die" this is not a terrible album, but it just doesn't reach the high standards set by Bryan Adams in the past. Unlike "18 Til I Die" which was an album in which Bryan Adams had a "Mid Life Crisis and Youthful resurgance", this album goes back toward a more mature Bryan Adams. I can best describe this as his "Adult Contemporary Album". Most of the songs could easily be played on an "Adult Contemporary" or "Mix" station. A big change on this album is the absence of Robert "Mutt" Lange (Mr Shania Twain). Lange was a major contributer from a musicianship, songwriting, and production standpoint on the last 2 albums. Lange was never able to achieve the great songwriting that Bryan had with Jim Vallance in the 80s, but didn't do a bad job. The replacement for Lange was producer Phil Thornalley. Thornalley also co-writes some songs with Bryan. The other main co-writer with Bryan is Gretchen Peters whom Bryan worked with on the "Unplugged" live album. As for the Adams Band - Mickey Curry, Dave Taylor, and Keith Scott are all back. Gone is keyboardist Tommy Mandel.

So what doesn't help this album reach the bar that Adams has set. My big feel is that many of the songs lack the personal passion that Bryan brought on all of his albums up until this one. There are 4 songs ("Before the Night Is Over", "I Don't Wanna Live Forever", "When You're Gone", and "Cmon Cmon Cmon") on this album that do show the old passion, but for the most part it does lack the personal passion. Especially the title track "On a Day Like Today" - I thought one of the weakest tracks on the album was picked as the title song. The song does nothing to stick in my mind. It is really the four songs I list above which really carry the album as a whole.

"Before the Night Is Over" has almost a feel from "Reckless" to it. It is the strongest song on the album. Just from the opening chords and lines "Hey Baby". If I were the record company and Adams, this would have been the single I released. "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" quick tempo to it and has some great raspy vocals and harmonies, although it doesn't quite have a feel from "Reckless" (this song really stands more on its own as opposed to comparing to past works. "Cmon Cmon Cmon" has a very 90s feel to it and it almost reminds me of "Rock On" and kind of reminds me of a much softer and more mature version of Michael Damian's "Rock On".

"When You're Gone" is the most interesting and eye-catching song. The reason is that Melanie C from the Spice Girls (better known by her Spice Girl persona 'Sporty Spice'). This song starts with almost a retro Beach Boys start. Don't let the Spice Girls connection shy you away from this song. Melanie C holds her own in this song and blends her harmonies beautifully with Bryan on this song. Melanie C basically does background vocals for the entire song and my only complaint is I would have liked to hear her get a little more of a solo (she does get a couple of solo lines). I give Bryan credit for not being afraid to put a Spice Girl on one of his albums.

So Bryan Adams will go the Adult Contemporary Route marking another chapter in what is sure to be a Hall of Fame Career. This won't be one of his albums that gets him into the Hall of Fame, but it won't prevent him from getting in.

I miss Bryan's 80s works, where you could never see him with out his electric guitar in hand, pounding out simple but effective songs much to my delight..,well he still has his guitar, its here on the cover of the album, but unfortunately, that's where it stays.

There are some fantastic mood music songs on here. "C'mon C'mon C'mon" has a great relaxing vibe to it, that you may hear playing in the background of a cozy room on a bleak day or rain-soaked night. It's perfect. "Fearless" is a nice uptempo ballad about cheating, its a nice song though and it works well. "How Do you Feel Tonight" gets things going pretty good but is a little lacking compared to the aforementioned tracks, still a nice song.

A duet with a Spice Girl? Uhhh, I don't know how smart that was, its a good song ("When You're Gone") but I guess ol Bryan was just trying to capitalize on the mainstream power, the THEN power, of the Spice Girls..either way, it too, is a decent song.

But towards the end of the album, things just fall apart and I'm sorry to say that there is nothing special on the album after "Inside Out" which is the last decent track, mixing a nice and steady rhythm with a good beat for some good down-tuned enjoyment. I guess you may consider it a ballad, but to me it isn't quite because it has too much of an upbeat feel for it...might have even sounded better had it been done on a simple acoustic guitar.

For the most part this album has a very soft adult-comtemporary feel to it a la Sting or Rod Stewart, and he has worked with these individuals in the past. When I first heard this album I loved most of these songs but as the year's have gone by (Well, since 2001 when I first got it) I enjoy it a little less and less. The tracks above that I mentioned are always going to be classics to me, but I used to find much more to like about this album...

Stick To Your Guns Bryan. Pull out the guitar and let us hear you rock! 6/13

Bryan Adams popularity was already going down hill before this release, this cd just helped it along. Not that this is a bad cd, it's not, but it's not a good cd either. Everything about this cd is ok. Nothing stands out, makes you want to go back and listen to again and again. Nothing makes you want to turn it off either in middle of the cd or a song, like 18 TILL I DIE did with the song I WANT TO BE YOUR UNDERWEAR. But without a song to catch you, it justs slips right thru the cracks and gets put back on the shelf.

This 1998 Bryan Adams' work is really smooth and the most suitable for those who have loved Bryan since "Everything I Do For You", #1 hit from Robin Hood soundtrack. Although it does not rock hard as Reckless(1984) or Waking Up The Neighbors(1991), it is one of the finest examples of pure adult rock. And it is smooth as a river, naural as 38-year-old rocker can be like. While Reckless is the hard-edge Bryan to the limit, On A Day Like Today is the softer side to the edge. Both are appeals of Bryan for sure. "When You Are Gone" and "Cloud Number Nine" are acoustic pop rock songs George Harrison or Eric Clapton might have liked. "C'mon C'mon C'mon" is a slow ballad but with dynamic turn from frailty to firmness. Ballads such as "Inside Out" and "Where Angels Fear to Tread" are remnicent of "Everything I Do For You" and are really impressive. "Getaway" is an acoustic rocker yet with trademark hooks of Bryan. "Fearless" reminds me a bit of Foreigner's "Waiting For A Girl Like You" at the start, also with Bryan's typical hook. Well, don't worry. Two surprise uptempo rockers as if popped out from Reckless will please you.

A must-have for Bryan Adams' fans young or old. It should also appeal to wide range of rock fans who love George Harrison or Eric Clapton. @