title: A DISRESPECTFUL DISRUPTION TO SWEET SISTER SLEDGE'S INDIVIDUAL ALBUMS

text:
'CIRCLE OF LOVE' 1975 album not on it's own individual merit as an album. Disc one ends with 2 songs from Sister Sledge's 2nd album, 'Together' 1977.
Disc 2 continues with the last 12 songs from the 1977  'Together'  album. It's great that 2 more additional songs were added to the album: 'I've Seen Better Days' and 'Do It To The Max' which is where this disc should've ended, but unfortunately the disc ends with 5 songs from their 3rd album, 1979's 'WE ARE FAMILY'
Disc 3 continues with the final 3 songs from the 'WE ARE FAMILY' album then includes the whole entire 4th album from 1980, 'LOVE SOMEBODY TODAY' and ends with the first 5 songs from their 5th album, 1981's 'All American Girls'
Disc 4 begins with the last 5 songs from their 1981 album 'All American Girls' then includes their 6th album from 1982 'The Sisters' in it's whole entirety. The disc ends with 3 songs from their 7th album, 1983's 'BETCHA SAY THAT TO ALL THE GIRLS'
Disc 5 begins with the last 7 songs from their 1983 album, 'BETCHA SAY THAT TO ALL THE GIRLS' and concludes with the whole entire album from 1985 'WHEN THE BOYS MEET THE GIRLS' their 8th album which should've included the 1986 bonus track 'Here To Stay' from the soundtrack album, 'Playing For Keeps'

SoulMusicRecords thoroughly butchered this box set by not having all of these albums on their own individual merit. The Legendary Sweet Sister Sledge Girl Group deserved much better treatment than this. Even though this box set rummages through their time period from 1975-1985, there is much more to be desired. By reading my earlier gripes as stated above are my JUSTIFICATION IN TRUTH. The 1986 track 'Here To Stay' should've been included as the bonus track to conclude their 1985 album 'WHEN THE BOYS MEET THE GIRLS' Also missing is their modern day classic album from 1998 'AFRICAN EYES'

I also didn't realize by learning from the liner notes that Sister Sledge released an album in 2003 entitled 'Style' which I need to purchase if I can find it somewhere online if not Amazon. 'Style' is another missing album from this box set. I do however own 2 live in concert Sister Sledge recordings and baby sister Kathy Sledge's 1992 solo album 'HEART'. I do give credit to SoulMusicRecords for the attractive box packaging and the incredible liner notes and the 6th bonus disc of remixes. As for the rest of this box set, it just falls off a cliff. This reissue produced by David Nathan was not what I expected. I expected each disc to be a single individual CD album, not the individual albums to run into the next one which starts with 3,4 or 5 songs to start the next album to end the CD, which interrupts the flow of the next album. I don't need to continue to talk about this confusing mess, but you get the picture in what I'm saying. The albums have no individual solo peace. He crammed all of them with bizarre beginnings and endings, disruptions parlayed into interruptions. Why couldn't David Nathan do Sister Sledge's albums some justice by releasing them as individual albums? This is what I call disrespect to the original albums as they were originally recorded.

SoulMusicRecords should've taken the cue from the Atlantic/Rhino Original Album Series. When they released CD box album sets of Chic and Sister Sledge, they beautifully crafted Chic's and Sister Sledge's albums in all their original solo individuality in their mini CD album sleeves. Both groups box sets contains the original albums separately as individual albums, not having songs from one album blending into the next one with a few songs ending the same CD. Another gripe I have with this Sister Sledge box set is that SoulMusicRecords didn't have the full mini album cover replicas of the original album covers. Instead, they chose to have reduced mini front and back covers of each album as the mini sleeve cover. Another thing that annoyed me was the titles on the back of the box of each disc which were all improperly named. Each of these discs should've been given their correct album titles.

The front of the box cover art and the beautiful 'THINKING OF YOU' photo of Sister Sledge with the covers of the original 8 albums is pretty attractive, but it deceives the music listener into thinking that all of the albums are individually packaged in their mini album covers, but instead we get a crammed mess of discs with a whole album ending with a few songs from the next album or a disc that starts with a few songs from a previous album then finishes up the next album with all of the songs on the same disc. This is a hyperbole hodgepodge compilation of a mess that a legendary group like Sister Sledge does not deserve. I say again this legendary sweet girl group deserve much better treatment than this. Sorry David Nathan, but you and SoulMusicRecords ruined this Sister Sledge individual album box set. My divisive anger along with the rest of some of the reviewers here on Amazon is truth to power regarding this box set that should've given solo justice to these individual albums to breathe own their own merits...CASE CLOSED.


text:
Reader's Digest Music
Timeless Favorites
We could have danced all night...With
Lerner & Loewe

"Reader's Digest Music
Timeless Favorites
We could have danced all night...With
Lerner & Loewe"

Audio cd/compact disc
1997 Reader's Digest release
Soundtrack/theater
No upc/barcode

Tracks/songs

1. If Ever I Would Leave You (Camelot)
2. I Could Have Danced All Night (My Fair Lady)
3. On the Street Where You Live (My Fair Lady)
4. Almost Like Being In Love (Brigadoon)
5. Camelot (Camelot)
6. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face (My Fair Lady)
7. Wouldn't It Be Lovely (My Fair Lady)
8. How To Handle A Woman (My Fair Lady)
9. The Night They Invented Champagne (Gigi)
10. Come To Me, Bend To Me (Brigadoon)
11. Thank Heaven For Little Girls (Gigi)
12. The Rain In Spain (My Fair Lady)
13. I Talk to the Trees (Paint Your Wagon)
14. With a Little Bit of Luck (My Fair Lady)
15. I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight (Camelot)
16. I Loved You Once In Silence (Camelot)
17. Get Me to the Church On Time (My Fair Lady)
18. They Call the Wind Maria (Paint Your Wagon)
19. Wand'rin Star (Paint Your Wagon)
20. Gigi (Gigi)

attachment_type: IMAGE


title: Tracks/songs

text:
The Best Tracks From The Best Albums of 1999

Tracks/songs
 1. Texas  - In Our Lifetime
 2. Blur - Tender (Radio Edit)
 3. Supergrass - Moving
 4. Scritti Politti - Tinseltown To The Boogiedown
 5. Basement Jaxx - Rendez-vu (Radio Edit)
 6. James - I Know What I'm Here For
 7. Sude - She's In Fashion
 8. Travis - Driftwood
 9. Wilco - Can't Stand It
10. Macy Gray - A Moment To Myself
11. Air - Le Soleit Est Pres De Moi
12. Gomez - Bring It On
13. Shack - Natalie's Party
14. Stereophonics - Pick A Part That's New
15. The Chemical Brothers - The Sunshine Underground
16. Groove Armada - At The River (Q Edit)
17. Dean Martin - That's Amore


title: Tracks/songs

text:
Buzz Cutz Volume One Presented by Right Guard
1996 The Gillette Co. (USA, Inc.)
Sony Music Special Products
1994, 1995, 1996 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. New York, N.Y.

Tracks/songs

1. 8:02 pm - For Squirrels  - For Squirrels - 3:28
2. Expect Me - emmet swimming - T. Eid R. Shaw E. Wenberg T. Watts - 2:43
3. Jesus Loves You (Not As Much As I Do) - Eve's Plum - Eve's Plum  2:27
4. Post Modern - Schtum - Music By: C. McNeill I. Birthistle J. Cunningham R McCarron
  Lyrics by C. McNeill - 4:51
5. Born Again - 3lb. Thrill - Matt Brown 4:14
6. Deep As You Go - October Project - J. Flanders E. Adler - 4:46
7. Young Man's Stride - Mercury Rev - J. Donahue Mackowiak - 2:43
8. You - Ben Arnold - B. Arnold - 3:55
9. Lovely Jane - Dag - J. Custer 4:46


title: Tracks/songs

text:
Folk Favorites of the '60s and '70s
Collector's Edition of Original Recordings

Tracks/songs

Disc 1
THE '70s Superstars' Super Hits
1. TAXI Harry Chapin
2. I GOT A NAME  Jim Croce
3. THAT'S THE WAY I'VE ALWAYS HEARD IT SHOULD BE Carly Simon
4. BRAND NEW KEY Melanie
5. BLUE BAYOU Linda Ronstadt
6. SAY YOU LOVE ME Fleetwood Mac
7. YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND James Taylor
8. I'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING (IN PERFECT HARMONY) The New Seekers
THE '60s Superstars' Super Hits
9. REUBEN JAMES Kenny Rogers and The First Edition
10. CATCH THE WIND  Donovan
11. REVEREND MR. BLACK The Kingston Trio
12. WICHITA LINEMAN Glen Campbell
13. IF I HAD A HAMMER Trini Lopez
14. RAIN ON THE ROOF The Lovin' Spoonful
15. I GOT YOU BABE Sonny and Cher
16. EBONY EYES The Everly Brothers
17. WINDY The Association
18. TURN AROUND Jimmie Rodgers
19. I SAW HER AGAIN LAST NIGHT The Mamas and the Papas

Disc 2:
'60s SOUVENIRS
1. BOTH SIDES NOW Judy Collins
2. EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHES YOU The Association
3. THE 59TH STREET BRIDGE SONG (FEELIN' GROOVY) Harpers Bizarre
4. TIME The Pozo-Seco Singers
5. LEMON TREE Trini Lopez
6. CLASSICAL GAS Mason Williams
7. LAZY DAY Spanky and Our Gang
8. A LITTLE BITTY TEAR Burl Ives
9. WALK RIGHT BACK The Everly Brothers
10. SWEET MEMORIES Mickey Newbury
11. NEVER MY LOVE The Association
12. CREEQUE ALLEY The Mamas and the Papas
13. DID YOU EVER HAVE TO MAKE UP YOUR MIND? The Lovin' Spoonful
14. GALVESTON Glen Campbell
15. LEAVING ON A JET PLANE The Mitchell Trio featuring John Denver
16. GREENBACK DOLLAR The Kingston Trio
17. ALL I REALLY WANT TO DO The Byrds
18. ALICE'S ROCK & ROLL RESTAURANT Arlo Guthrie
19. LONG TIME GONE Crosby, Stills & Nash
20. THE BEAT GOES ON Sonny and Cher
21. CHILD OF CLAY Jimmie Rodgers

Disc 3:
FOLK FAVORITES OF THE EARLY '70S
1. ME AND YOU AND A DOG NAME BOO Lobo
2. AMAZING GRACE Judy Collins
3. SUNSHINE Jonathan Edwards
4. LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG MA The New Seekers
5. VENTURA HIGHWAY America
6. MOTORCYCLE MAMA Sailcat
7. SOME OF SHELLEY'S BLUES The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
8. SOMETHING'S BURNING Kenny Rogers and The First Edition
9. MAKE IT WITH YOU Bread
10. THE NICKEL SONG Melanie
11. LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH Stephen Stills
12. FANCY Bobbie Gentry
13. I NEED YOU America
14. NEVER ENDING SONG OF LOVE Delaney & Bonnie & Friends
15. GOOD TIME CHARLIE'S GOT THE BLUES Danny O'Keefe
16. YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM Jim Croce
17. IF Bread
18. FIRE AND RAIN James Taylor
19. CITY OF NEW ORLEANS Steve Goodman
20. YOUNGER GIRL John Sebastian

Disc 4:
FOLK FAVORITES OF THE LATER '70S
1. HOW SWEET IT IS (TO BE LOVED BY YOU)  James Taylor
2. WE'LL NEVER HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE AGAIN England Dan & John Ford Coley
3. YOU MAKE LOVING FUN Fleetwood Mac
4. GET CLOSER Seals & Crofts
5. I'M A WOMAN Maria Muldaur
6. LOVE HURTS Gram Parsons
7. THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND Andrew Gold
8. HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE Emmylou Harris
9. YOU ARE THE WOMAN Firefall
10. DUELING BANJOS Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
11. LOTTA LOVE Nicolette Larson
12. GOODBYE GIRL David Gates
13. MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS Maria Muldaur
14. JUST REMEMBER I LOVE YOU Firefall
15. WELCOME BACK John Sebastian
16. LOST WITHOUT YOUR LOVE Bread
17. I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT England Dan & John Ford Coley
18. SHOWER THE PEOPLE James Taylor
19. SILVER THREADS AND GOLDEN NEEDLES Linda Ronstadt
20. JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO Crosby, Stills & Nash

Digitally Remastered
1996 Warner Special Products
1996 The Reader's Digest Association OPCD-8504 216B
Printed in U.S.A.


title: Tracks/songs

text:
Claude Debussy Classic Gold cd
Classic Gold Excelsior
UPC 056775423520

Tracks/songs

1. Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, 10:11
Symphonic Festival Orchestra,
Conductor Afred Scholz
Suite Bergamasque,
Peter Schmalfuss,Piano (Steinway)
 2. Prelude  4:04
 3. Menuett  4:11
 4. Clair de lune 5:08
 5. Passepied  3:36
 Peter Schmalfuss - Piano

La Mer, Trois esquisses symphoniques (ADD),
ORF-Symphonic Orchestra, Conductor Milan Horvat 23:39
6. D l'aube jusqu'a midi sur la mer 8:59
7. Jeu de vagues 6:27
8. Le vent et la mer  8:05
ORF Symphonic Orchestra
Conductor: Milan Horvat

Syrinx, Jadwga Kotnoswka - Flute
9. for solo flute  2;22

 Arabesques, Nos. 1 & 2, Peter Schmalfuss - Piano
10. No. 1 in E major  3:31
11. No. 2 in G major  3:36

Total Running Time  61:14

Label: Excelsior
Made in Canada
EXL-2-4235
DDD DIGITAL AUDIO DISC
License from Mediaphon
Mediaphon, Stuttgart Germany
Madacy Music Group, Inc


text:
The Absolute Best of Classic Jazz

Tracks/songs

1. Unforgettablle  ~ Nat King Cole  3:11
2. My Baby Just Comes For Me ~ Nina Simons  3:00
3. Too Darn Hot  ~  Ella Fitzgerald  3:46
4. Hello Dolly ~ Louis Armstrong  2:25
5. A Fine Romance  ~ Billie Holiday  3:32
6. Misty ~ Sarah Vaughn  3:01
7.  'Round Midnight ~ Mel Torme  3:12
8. What A Difference A Day Made  ~ Dinah Washington  2:28
9. Stormy Weather ~ Lena Horne  3:46
10. Come Rain Or Come Shine ~ Joe Williams & Count Basie 3:58
11. When I Fall In Love ~ Carmen McRae 3:46
12. At Last ~ Etta James  2:57

UPC 797307062922


title: Tracks/song list

text:
1. Justified
2. Do You Know Now
3. The Hunted
4. Mr. Flutter
5. Make a Monkey
6. Sister Mariana Trench
7. mothership
8. Mission Trip To Mexico
9. Never Shake His Hand
10. Paradise
11. Nothing Back
12. California Blue
13. You Lay Down
14. Eyes
15. rejoice
16. Doctor in the House


title: Tracks/songs

text:
Rock & Roll
The Legendary Years 1957-59

Tracks/songs

Disc One
1. Bye Bye Love ... The Everly Brothers
2. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On ... Jerry Lee Lewis
3. Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu ... Huey "Piano" Smith
4. Bony Maronie ... Larry Williams
5. I'm Walkin'... Fats Domino
6. You Send Me ... Sam Cooke
7. A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation) ... Marty Robbins
8. Wake Up Little Susie ... The Everly Brothers
9. Great Balls of Fire ... Jerry Lee Lewis
10. Tequila ... The Champs
11. Get a Job ... The Silhouettes
12. Good Golly Miss Molly ... Little Richard
13. Sweet Little Sixteen ... Chuck Berry
14. Short Shorts ... The Royal Teens
15. Don't You Just Know It ... Huey "Piano" Smith
16. Rebel Rouser ... Duane Eddy
17. Summertime Blues ... Eddie Cochran
18. Poor Little Fool ... Ricky Nelson

Disc Two
1. Rock and Roll Music ... Chuck Berry
2. Party Doll ... Buddy Knox
3. Searchin' The Coasters
4. Book of Love ... The Monotones
5. Little Star ... The Elegants
6. Yakety YaK ... The Coasters
7. Splish Splash ... Bobby Darin
8. Chantilly Lace ... Big Bopper
9. Johnny B. Goode ... Chuck Berry
10. La Bamba ... Ritchie Valens
11. Stagger Lee ... Lloyd Price
12. Charlie Brown ... The Coasters
13. Donna ... Ritchie Valens
14. Dream Lover ... Bobby Darin
15. It's Only Make Believe ... Conway Twitty
16. I Only Have Eyes For You ... The Flamingos
17. There Goes My Baby ... The Drifters
18. What'd I Say (Part 1) ... Ray Charles

Time Life
UPC 610583105926


title: Tracks/song list

text:
Night Soil Man

"Chief Left His Settlement in the Garden of Delights"
cd/compact disc

Tracks/song list

 1. We Cannot Be Controlled
 2. Sweet Misery
 3. When I Taste My Blood
 4. Machete Melon Meat
 5. Paint Me Red
 6. Frolic
 7. An Ode To Dr. Reek and Sister Lust
 8. Not Another Trick?
 9. What For
10. Sick Animal
11. In the House of Vivian Section
12. Hyeena
13. Time to Die
14. Ant Farm
15. Good Day For a Roadkill
16. Rape the Mother

No UPC on cover. Booklet shows songs were
recorded in 1989 and 1990.
Mark Anthony Trombino,Greg Leeper,rosebud.
Engineered by Paul Ray with Paul Waroff
Distributed by Mordam Records
Vinyl Communcations Chula Vista, CA

Rock music


title: Tracks/song list

text:
Tracks/song list

1. Red
2. Lesion
3. The Secret
4. Hang Up
5. Boil
6. Nada

1997 die.right.mind  (die right mind)
Spectrum Management


title: Nova Another Song of Life tracks/song list and information

text:
Nova - Another Song of Life
1988 Indigo Records, Inc

Tracks/ song list

 1  Another Song of Life  4:33
 2  Delilah  4:14
 3  Give Me a Moment  4:40
 4  Shoes  3:16
 5  In an Instant  4:39
 6  When Midnight Comes  4:52
 7  Stop  3:31
 8  Sapphire Lady  4:38

Crawford, Cruz, Curran, Savino

UPC 040844600325


title: Tracks/song list

text:
Billy Graham
A Grateful Heart, Favorite Hymns of Praise

Tracks/song list
 1. My Jesus, I Love Thee  4:43
 2. Classic Composers Medley 6:35
  O Sacred Head Now Wounded/I Know
  My Redeemer Liveth/Be Still My Soul/
  Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee
 3.Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring 2:58
 4. Give Thanks  4:50
 5. And Can It Be 2:00
 6. The Old Rugged Cross  2:49
 7. It Is Well With My Soul  3:29
 8. Blessed Assurance  3:08
 9. God Will Make A Way 3:54
10. Holy, Holy, Holy  3:03
11. What A Friend We Have In Jesus 2:57

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
integritymusic.com  billygraham.org
Copyright 2001 Integrity Incorporated
UPC 000768204023


title: Original Turtle Shell Band Serewe [IMPORT] CD Tracks/Song List

text:
Original Turtle Shell Band Serewe [IMPORT] CD
©1996

Tracks/Song List:

1.Wabouga
2.Obou (The world)
3.Serewe
4.Turtle Shell Band
5.Cow Band
6.Punta Huyama
7.Sacred Chant
8.Jah Jah Flow
9.Africa
10.Don't You Look Pa Me
11.Niyawit

World music latin

Original Release Date: 1996
Label: Stonetree Records
Run Time: 45 minutes

UPC on sticker 630793202321


title: Cool relaxing industrial music

text: This is an instrumental album that you can relax by reading something....I dont recommend meditate because is  alittle strange music. It reminds me good soundtracks of video games. Sure this album is very strange and total different than their other albums. But i guess that if you like NIN then you would like this album too


title: Nice

text: Excellent


title: Enjoyed

text: I loved it


title: Five Stars

text: I am very pleased


title: ... swang song from THE KEEF HARTLEY BAND with their best line-up. A return to Halfbreed sources

text: A swang song from THE KEEF HARTLEY BAND with their best line-up. A return to Halfbreed sources! A must!


title: Review of 5 Directions.

text: This is a great CD. The only thing about it is that it may have a little too much drum music on the maximum energy Cd, But it's really good, especially on  the relaxation Cd.


title: Never heard of this signer before until her death

text: Wonderful singer


title: Why is it 100 Classics there only 23

text:
I was a little disappointed that of the supposedly 100 classics there was only 23 pieces of music on this disc.

Skylar


title: Near perfect

text:
The selections are wonderful and work well for a folk trio.  My favorites on this are "Star of the County Down" and "South Australia."  "I'll Tell Me Ma" was the only dud.  Maybe I'm spoiled by the Rankin Family rendition of it, which was just superb.

My only complaint against the trio is the scarcity of two-part harmony.  You catch moments that are just gorgeous, but there's never enough.  It's mostly male lead.


title: Celine still has it!

text:
This is Celine's 2nd single from her French best of album "On Ne Change Pas."  This single includes the title track "Tous les Secrets" as well as a new English version of the song titled "Let You Heart Decide."  The French lyrics and the English lyrics differ very much but they both make wonderful songs.

Unfortunately this France import is in a cardsleeve like most French CD singles.

Remember the cover?  It was also used on her 2003 single HAVE YOU EVE BEEN IN LOVE!


title: original

text: This is the whole band.  Some songs resemble their new stuff, but other songs are available that were preformed by lost members that have a very good and distinctive sound.  It is all accoustic, yet is, to me, one of their only complete albums.  The new albums, although great, seem like only half done.  This is truely a great album, and remains one of my favorate out of all the cd's I have.


title: A pleasure, and a possible game show source?

text: While I was familiar with a couple of the Ink Spots hits before I picked this up, I had never appreciated that the intros to so many (all of the ones on this record, at least) of their songs were essentially the same (varying, similarly to the efforts of some of the great Baroque masters, in tempo, key, instrument or etc.).  It makes a delightful party game to play the first few bars of a track and then play "Name that Ink Spot song!"  It's unfortunate that I'm so fond of Peter Schickele's PDQ Bach recordings from the studios at USNDaH, as my first impression when I discovered this was that it was grounds for a modernized version of "What's my Melodic Line!"  Not to knock the Ink Spots - they're top notch, and a pleasure to listen to.  Don't just get this because of Fallout3; get it because the songs are great.


title: Some of the songs are good...

text: I like the idea behind the CD, but the songs are not all good. My particular taste found about four or five worth owning.


title: Jasmine Thompson is great!

text: Jasmine Thompson does a great job of covering others work. It is like getting all your favorite songs in one  (two) CDS


Taken back to the early days of my childhood.  Staying down in baja California for the summer with my grandparents.  We would stay down there from June to August. Jimmy buffet was always playing. Marley joined that party as well. This was from 1979 to 1986. Found memories.  The cds are in good shape and so are the margaritas.


title: Good but not Sacred Arias

text: This was the second Andrea Bocelli CD released in America, and the third one I bought. The selection of material here is true to the album's title, exactly the kind of material Andrea's been singing on his most recent American tour, the music of his heart. I only gave it three stars because Bocelli's magnificent as a singer and he's my hero, but some of the songs just don't cut the mustard as do the more famous ones like "Nessun Dorma," "La Donna è Mobile" and "O Sole Mio." And the MRSO doesn't do as bad a job playing these pieces as the Editorial Review noted. Still, I'm not hefty enough to say that Andrea is THE BEST PERFORMER in opera, as he works himself out too hard in opera but not in pop. "Sacred Arias," a classical album at heart, does my Bocelli more justice than this one. Buy that one and his "Romanza" and maybe "Sogno" CDs as well (if you haven't already), save this one for the true Bocelli fans. There's plenty more out there than this.


title: Round two

text:
The music world, it seems, is dominated left and right by artists like Britney Spears and 'N Sync, artists who use looks rather than talent to sell out. Thankfully, we've got this man. I reviewed this not too long ago, but here I go again:
I am a serious Andrea Bocelli fan. I have this album as well as all his US releases, including five singles. Even though HMV UK rated this among their "best of 2000," I honestly don't agree all the way. I love the album only because of his interpretations of "Di Quella Pira," "La Donna è Mobile," and "Possente Amor" (I swear, that high D blew me away). Heck, even "La Donna" was performed better by him on Viaggio Italiano. Although Mehta and the IPO do what they can to help keep this thing from falling apart, it doesn't always work. Take "Mercé, Dileti Amici." That aria works Andrea WAY too hard. But "La Mia Letizia" works fine.
To be honest with you, I really, truly prefer Andrea's pop side over his opera side. Even his earlier effort Sacred Arias was gentler enough for me, as he sang it without all the rough attempts so supposedly made by him to bring life into classical music. On his pop albums, he does SO much better.
Speaking of that, I hear his next pop album won't be released until the spring of 2001. But WHEN WILL HE DO A REAL TOUR FOR ANY OF HIS POP ALBUMS? He's already doing another, brief US tour in the spring, with like eight dates compared to a whole bunch for Sarah Brightman (who's doing ANOTHER La Luna tour as big as the previous one and her two US One Night in Eden ones), but I think it's for opera. The man loves opera, so I can't say he has to let that go.
Oh, well. Let me go before I start any more trouble.


title: I don't even have this in my collection......

text: Andrea Bocelli's new opera recording of La Bohème is not in my collection, and I'm not too sure as to whether I DO want to add it to my collection, either. I've heard some song files from this opera recording, and they didn't surprise me much, unlike Sacred Arias as a whole. Personally, I'd go with Andrea's pop side over his opera side, even though he does well on both sides. It's just that his pop side is more attractive to me. Sorry, Andrea and Mehta.


title: Ethereal Sound Experience

text:
The sound and landscapes of this single are incredible.
Although the 3 different versions of La Notte Etterna are similar, they leave you wanting more.
Will make you feel transported to another world, with ocean and secret sounds yet to be discovered by the listener


title: Took weeks to leave my CD player!

text: Bought this as am Riverdance fanatic.  Wasn't even remotely disappointed.  Can't say enough good about this.  Enchanting, exciting, refreshing, still not tired of it.  Never will be. May be other CDs of the gendre as good;  absolutely none better.


title: Another splendid episode of Dark Adventure RADIO THEATER.

text: Another winner. My wife and I listened to this episode late one evening, and again while on a car journey a few days later. Nicely atmospheric, really capturing the spirit of the original.<br />And now, for some inexplicable reason, we have a craving for Bile Beans.


title: They thought it would be fun.

text:
Up to now, Dark Adventure Radio Theater productions have been direct radio adaptations of short stories by HP Lovecraft.
Dagon is different.
If you read the original - several pages of first-person narrative, heavily loaded with eldritch miasmas, redolent with the shuddering horror... and so on, it's hard to see how it could possibly be turned into a radio play.
HPLHS has done so, by using the original as only one ingredient of a glorious pastiche of War of the Worlds, with references to Innsmouth, Miskatonic, Arkham, the Deep Ones and even mythological figures like Orson Welles and Herbert Morrison.
Imagine a conventional Dark Adventure Radio Theater broadcast - a reading of Dagon, as it happens - suddenly interrupted by dire news from across the Globe. Earth shattering events take place, in the Pacific, San Francisco Bay, and a certain New England town, and once in a while, we return to the studio for dance music. No. No spoilers in this review.
As usual, the disk includes some appropriate swag, but most of it has been hidden inside the CD sleeve, with a warning notice that it contains spoilers. Nice touch.
If you have been following the DART series, prepare to be surprised. This one is different.
If you don't take to it first time around, remember that even Lovecraft took his time to adapt to novelty - try again. At night, with the lights out, is preferable.
They thought it would be fun. They were right.


title: Another chiller from D.A.R.T.

text:
Excellent, as usual.
The HP Lovecraft Historical Society have rediscovered the art of the Radio Play. They recapture those childhood evenings, listening to the radio, complete with 'a word from our sponsor'
Remember how good the Radio version of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was, compared to the movie, the TV series and even the book?
There's a reason for that - Radio plays evoke images in your own imagination, using sound and spoken word: TV and Movies supply someone else's images.
The Horror at Red Hook wasn't the greatest of Lovecraft's stories, but the radio version is splendid. It even includes some sly digs at Lovecraft's xenophobia, well to the fore in the original short story.
As always, strongly recommended.


title: Splendid, as always.

text:
'The Dreams in the Witch House' is one of H.P.Lovecraft's short stories (15,000 words, give or take an 'eldritch' or two). The HP Lovecraft Historical Society has skillfully adapted it into a very effective radio play.

Don't expect tentacles - this is a more cerebral account of the multi-dimensional nature of the Universe, and how Mathematics relates to Mythology and Witchcraft. (It was tough being a female theoretical physicist in Colonial New England.)

In adapting the story from the printed page to the medium of Radio, the production team has very skilfully added enhancements, without detracting from the spirit of the original. The imaginative use of sound has brought home the atmosphere of the boarding house and its occupants, both spiritual, secular and eldritch. The expansion of Gilman's outburst in the Mathematics lecture was brilliantly convincing.

Listen to it in your car, or in the office, when everyone thinks you're on the phone, but better still, listen to it at night, on a decent sound system, perhaps as you're drifting off to sleep...

Radio plays are cool.


title: Another gripping yarn from Dark Adventure Radio Theater

text:
If you're unfamiliar with the Dark Adventure radio plays, the basic concept is a dramatization of an HP Lovecraft story, in the style of a radio play. This is the latest in the series (seven, so far, I think), and I think it may be the best. The acting, special effects and overall production values are top-notch.
For you younger folks who have never listened to a radio play before, I strongly suggest listening to the disk in a darkened room, perhaps in front of a roaring fire. Don't be afraid to actually listen closely - radio wasn't always a background noise.
For those of us who remember such radio plays as the Hitchhiker series, Dick Barton - Special Agent, and of course Journey into Space, it's a very nice tribute to the genre.
If you buy the CD version, it comes with some rather nice 'swag' - fake newspaper cuttings, photographs, suitably eldritch excerpts from Forbidden Books, which somehow enhance the listening experience.
Strongly recommended. If you like it, there are plenty more where it came from.


title: Five Stars

text: Great album. All songs are hits.


title: It could have been better

text: Music selection is great.  However, Lifescapes ruined them by putting new age sounds of nature for the starts and endings and in the background of the songs.  I hardly listen to this album for this reason and will be looking for other albums that have these songs that don't have this new age feel to them.


title: Could be Better

text: Bought this because of the song "Raise An Army".  I had played it before, but this one did not have the full power as the one I used to play.  Over all the CD is okay.


title: Great Blues/Jazz CD

text: I love this collection.  It makes a great addition to my Blues/Jazz collection from the Lifescapes series.  Its smooth and full of vibrant sounds for relaxing after a hard day of work or simply relaxing with an evening full of friends.  I love how they alternate the lead instrument or solo with other instruments beyond the electric guitar.  Featured instruments in this collection:  Guitars, Dobro, Keyboards, Perscussion, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Harmonica, Sax, Hammond Organ, Bass, and Drums.


title: Great Collection of Soothing Jazz

text: Got this for my birthday.  This is a more modern set of music in comparison to "New York" by Lifescapes music.  The sounds are real soothing and set a real nice jazz backdrop ambiance unlike no other.


title: Great Collection

text: I sampled this through Lifescapes website.  I now own it and am pleased with it.  It holds all the rich sounds of the rhythms of the evening night life that a person may find in a nice jazz club.  Soothing sounds for a relaxing afternoon or evening; just what the doctor ordered.


title: and fun to relive childhood memories

text: One way to break in to listening to a foreign language. Not too shabby voices, and fun to relive childhood memories.


title: signature unaccompanied

text:
solo unaccompanied pieces is like a signature exposed,I recall the Bartok Violin Sonata, or Kodaly, Cello Solo, or Zimmermann's Solo Cello Sonata, as prime pieces; the inner subjectivity engaged is incredibly focused; of essence of what the musician and those who write for single instruments, we find incredible inner gestures multiplying across the expanse of time, weaved inter-referential deposits of pitch configures as Ferneyhough's pieces herein reveals;but post-modernity is exceessive at times, playful and non-hierarchical exposed here through David Young :Animali: from the Val Casmonica piece" (2002) has nice weighting, nice flighty textures of sparce events,memorable moments, shards fragments of sound, stopping to contemplate a few intervals to ascend in sharp fast clipped harmonic glissandi, or sul ponticello harmonic glissandi very rough,glassy and inwardly honed,he seems to relish very free spontaniety,and to recall oneself; to stop on a dime of a plucked tone allowed to ring past itself, then descending glissandi, or dry rosen chalk thin tones, no resonance at all, paled, made bloodless, the work comes from renderings, depictions from graphics assembled from cave walls, such primordial findings does work its way into the combustible and restrained energy of the work, like it is afraid of itself in proclaiming itself to arrongantly, but it does this nonetheless, then I luv the mutedly stopped tones with the hand, drawing the bow against a no resonant string; held pressed down like torture victim, restrained from its voice, and freedom,no audacity of having voice to snarl and bark, all one gets here is freedom, and harp-like pizzicati, again no resonance., likewise Harada's piece "Labyrinth X" (1997)takes its time with again this inner space internal, not allowing itself out, quite sparce, equally at home with extended timbres,and very gentle pure as spring water.
We get ancient gestures again then in "Ai Morti" (2001) by De Clerck where th violinist is required to intone/sing simultaneously while drawing the bow,all in a gentle unassuming way, again very suggestive of Celtic moorings,surface, things the mind already knows, as Jasper Johns has said; but the work does break out of its hidden conical shell, in extroverted gesturing enough to fill a concert hall or a cave, with full vibrato, don't know why this was done, sort of ruins the gentle child-like content of the opening prelude, but this returns, this dancing on the heath with friend, a love, wonderful writing for the violin, very full with content, you don't need more philosophy to dechipher what the piece imposes what it recants, a ritual of love, or something replace and gone now. We come to the industrial city then with Maierhof "Splitting 5",is the "street piece" here what is indeed "split" is the actual work itself accompanied with annoying interruptions,like someone switched on the radio as a prank on the hated Father figure. A CD and rock n'roll gesures, "Hey", "you wanna", interrupting the fascinating unfinished sounding callous violin playing, scordatura at times, the low G string tuned downward,making this string bellow in an ugly way,gutsy; it makes incredible raw, biker-like leathered timbres, dirty-ied up with out-of tune-ness, yet all this discourse is rather timidly contained, the structure of the work doesn't allow these interruption to work effectively,they seem arbitrary to me.
The two Ferneyhough pieces are real treats for the high modernity compendium and are incredibly elegant, all well-thought thru as he practices, working a full day on one page of manuscript, the string beauty is arresting,tailored shaped like a diamond cutter; the earlier "Intermedio all ciaconna"1986" from materials of the works from that period, fused with chamber settings "Carceri d'invensione" again the string timbral figures,textures the successions all have a high longevity factor, with playful moorings of double harmonics, wistful and light, it seems Ferneyhough carefully picked/placed the intervals, and then 10 years later, more mature "Invisible Colors",much longer and more obvious to all,a concept borrowed from Marcel Duchamp, things not seen but felt, here, there is a directedness proclaimed as a registral placement, the places right above middle C, in microintervals,slightly sharped or flatted tones,in fast qucik successon still renders an anxiety, an eternal tension; throwing the strings out, very expressive prior to flights then into all registers with ample variations at work of pizz, mixed extended technique.
In this context Berio's "Sequenza Eight" holds it own, a polyphony implied or stated the agenda for all these solo works of Berio,like a diary of his celebrated life; here the tones A-B are burdened, to exploit the open string and those surrounding it, its neighbors, can the A stand its neighbors,Zizek would ask, the "Other" away from it, the toccata like conclusions seems a bit arbitrary, a non-resolution, like Berio was afraid of himself so it had to take break-neck flight, but a display of callous virtuosity,(as in the Viola Sequenza) something that appeals to Berio very much,perhaps strings are a foreign language totally not at home as Stockhausen;still then the Berio takes a surface content, content with simply being on a window pane of cognition; simple timbres, gestures without meanings (althought there is meaning/content),someplace herein/within, Berio knows however how to write an effective flight to get away from the tyranny of the present, in a welter, a continuous ruch of notes, not allowing one to see/hear its intervals, what is Berio hiding from, himself?
Hemmi plays the hell out of all these work, he has a clean threadbare approach and a wonderful natural way of playing, always allowing clarity of tone to prevail,time is never over-encumbered; the content of the music, he has an agressive way as well, never allowing the work's imponderable to get away from him, something Irvine Arditti, (as in the Ferneyhough, its dedicatee, and other recordings) allows the work to speak of itself, the player merely third person vessel for its deploymenhts, like the soloist is not even there. Hemmi has this performative dimensions only within the margins of his playings.


title: silenzio, silenzio, e brutale violini

text:
Sciarrino has been physicali close to antiquity,his native Sicily, which harbored the hordes of the Mediterranean, the crossings of the East; and all its suppositions paradigms,ritual processes, mysteries, myths for some. Arpocrate is the solicitor of silence here, we need to create;He was part of the Greek divinity of Egyptian origin, the site where he once lived still has this unknown silence hovering within its slabs of marble, if you visit, the piece is not a 'piano concerto', although he  segregates its fine delicate moments for it and allows only complex richness to emanate from the solo piano here played admirably by Damerini, the piano sounds, tickles are like flotsam floating in the waters idly passing one's consciouness, the piece is timeless allowing the chorus to merely emanate sustained timbres endlessly,compacted altogether as earth; you are not suppose to feel however that any of this suggests ancient time, or moments of antiquity we can hardly come to comprehend, for Sciarrino it is simply conceptual animations, triggers, for his creativity, this is a seminal work from a very prolific period the Seventies, text utilization by Goethe and Ludwig Wittgenstein are more like materials to engage the music to think of silences, and representations of things, object, we cannot really come to understand, that is the first step if you read Hegel, prior toward any complex dimension of consciousness deposited. Sciarrino is however aside from all this a brilliant timbral 'diamond cutter', allowing one to be drawn to the particles of timbres he deploys and solicits from the ether;

the '6 Capicci' as well, are extraordinary unaccompanied violin solos,owing to their genre, yet redefining it; brutal,lumbered,perverse,inversed graphic,gratuitous and raw almost machine like, like that is what we are suppose to be as human creators, machines,repetitive clones of what we have already created, and will create, models of ourselves; although our animal proclivities are here as well,the violin has never been attacked as this; the tone-melos, pitch configurations are universalized herein, these pieces transcend cultures, yet the violence of the centuries seem to inform these works,I believe Sciarrino consults shapes in nature,shell conicals,fractal permutations through the eye to find a timbral parallel; even if their structural constitution(s) is the playful, leggero,scorrevole;continuous; the light fellatios of time, harmonics(natural and stopped) are utilized in great abundances like fields,mists of garlic patches,spatialized, airborne now or orchid scents spots,aromas of rhododendrions of timbres solited for pleasure and perversions of music,yet a hardness of wood, and metal is here most of the time, the violin is more brass-like, copper clangins-bangins, thuds, pouncing on doublestops then glissandi to the highest register known, entire swaths of timbral places on the fingerboard are always open to the music's discourse and ancient/modern narrative, like nature itself in all parts, all places simultaneously;


title: Unknown/Known Boulez

text:
A commonplace in today's new music scene/venues is pianists devoted to modernist repertoire must, in fact it is mandatory to play  "complete" oeuvre of the primary architects of modernity and post-modernity as Boulez, now the late Stockhausen, Berio, Brown, Cage, Finnissy,Flynn,Feldman,string quartets as well;but any pianist who plays anything short of "complete" is somehow thrown into a pit of mediocrity, these /are the market force fields at work, every generation or so ups-the-anti-to stay in the game.The brilliant pianist Ian Pace was one who began all this, putting his "scent" down on the repertoire, as Arditti, playing everything, (more dog scent placed on the concert venues. )

I greatly admire pianists as Massimiliano Damerini or Nic Hodges, Mario Ormenti who have no pretensions of playing the "complete" totality of the modernist canon, they play only one or two Stockhausen "klavierstuck", one Boulez "Sonata", one Sciarrino :Sonata:. So there is more creative focus I suspect in each, each work is honed down over the course of years to a positive interpretive vision, with Ian Pace it is all questionable how much he actually comprehends, and his playing is rather sterile and unengaging.The playing enters a kind of safe mediocrity, a safewway house of playing,a center of expression is aimed at, as the final agenda.Aimard as well I admire for he carefully chooses what he plays, most notably the high symbolic order, of Ligeti, Messiaen, Boulez, and Carter; no surprise.
Ms. Chen is a wonderful pianist and her Boulez is very well focused,well-timed at least where each "Sonata" has their own special paradigms of interpretive problems, one is tempi, usually everything is break-neck, fast furioso speed in everything, What? no reflections on the context of the the work, well, this "Virilio-ian  "Droma", ""speed"", effects, affects the modernist piano fragments here no matter when written as it does other particles of culture and communication.
Boulez's [Second Sonata] for example is usually played very fast,(everyone forgot Yvonne Loriod's recording) some play it as Jumppanen, in [31 minutes 12 seconds],the other end is Marc Ponthus who plays the same Sonata in [40 minutes]. Ponthus takes the slow "Lent" movement even slower to augment the "irrational" or surreal" dimensions of the movement.The late Claude Lefourt, and Idil Biret, Florent Bouffard and Pierre Aimard, are all fast people, [too much coffee].In the score Boulez indicates circa 32 minutes for a length.But that indication dates from the time it was written, Music is suppose to "live" with time, where we should not have a fixed interpretive center, a sign a signifier for a great work in the old pretensions of modernity.So it is fairly fascinating how 10 more minutes can be realized, "Read" into the work,the concpet of the piece certainly allows for it, written in the after-reality of WW2; But they prefer the violence of the work, and that fine and dandy,we still have much violence gratuitous brutaliies around us, like a permanent part of the neo-liberal order.
Chen joins them here, not going too far afield in her vision. The {Third Sonata} is very problematical not a piece that has entered the repertoire as readily as the previous; and she plays it very well.The indeterminate dimensions of structures, the "mobility" of the movements, and its unfinished element is fascinating to see how pianists/interpreters find a center for this.Although Boulez places so many directions in the work, that he should have written out the work;, the "alea" element, the "chance Mallarme-ian" dimension is really not exploited by Boulez, who was about 30 years old at the time of writing.

I haven't heard Marilyn Nonken who also plays all the :Sonatas:, and Herbert Henck as well. The [Third Sonata] can be more rarefied, more abstract, more elitist,more layering of resonances and timbres; other-"Other" worldly as well,yet deeply brutal and penumbral. All the piano pedals resonance is utilized for example, there are simply more fragments of piano timbre to deal with; The \First Sonata\ has no great mysteries,two movement, 8 minutes in total length although the more you play it, you see the direct similarities of shape and gesturethe of melodic realms and linear arrays with the (Second Sonata). Boulez had used the piano for his work-abstractions, like an aesthetic "workshop for his "texts" analysis, as he has said, the challenge of organizing infinity, density, complexity was left to his chamber worksperhaps the Two Books of "structures" have a more theoretical premise than htese "Sonatas", This gave Boulez the "Freedom, the context to write the "endless" "Le Marteau sans Maitre". Yet the [Second Sonata] as Ponthus has said enters another  "Other" place,more of context than technical deployments, because of its gratuitous violence,brutal moments,structures, overwhelming for the senses, where as Dennett shows we can no longer take it all in; in one or even multiple experiences. Ponthus has good perspectives, shows he thinks about what he plays, not merely plays the works, readied for recording contract.

Chen is very close to Aimard, very mainstream here, and this is wonderful to experience. Barbara Dobretsberger has a wonderful analysis on the "First and Second Sonatas", if you happen to read German.

The "Notations" are here as well, the first pieces the young Boulez wrote within the gaze of Messiaen, and for their time they are exceedingly original, no Messiaen piano shapes here, very brutal, very raw power, and soon to be copied by the entire avant-garde for the next 20 years.


title: fantastic Hank Jones Trio

text: 4 cds of standards played by Hank Jones with Mads Vinding and Billy Hart. Beautifully played and recorded. Wonderful that these Japanese recordings have been re-released together at a bargain price. Hank was one of the all time greats.


title: A Musical Mastery Mystery Tour

text: In a "me, me, me" world where artists of any ilk or venue are clamoring to be seen, heard and have their every waking thought Facebooked or Twitterpated, the talented ensemble behind "Unspoken" embraces a mystical cloak of anonymity that truly - and refreshingly - does not feel as if it's part of the modern, noisy world. Whether their music is used as the backdrop of a candlelight dinner or a meditative journey by oneself, these are transcendent selections that not only soothe, enlighten and elevate the soul but also artfully blend the rhythms of multiple cultures that we associate with spiritual awareness and healing. The music, in fact, is matched only by the mesmerizing story of the group's origins as revealed on their website. Who are these guys? Only the universe knows for sure and we're happy to keep her secret. I am already looking forward to their next release, "Symmetry."


title: Way too much of the same

text:
"Little girl with a big voice" was powerful singer in Ruth Brown/LaVern Baker mould,similar booming voice and even her repertoire reminds listener on bluesy recordings by other two ladies. Adams could belt like the best of them and had some very good songs back in the 1950s,most notably the title track that unfortunately lead to very similar approach in futile search for another hit single.

And here lies the problem - with 30 generous tracks assembled here,listener is faced with frustratingly same kind of material,song after song tried to copy "Shake a hand" and no matter how good Adams in,it's still all the same. Perhaps shorter,cherry-picked compilation would have worked better but this abundance of same square doo wop sound works against itself.

Perhaps it's because I grew up with vinyl records where listener could focus between 10-12 songs maximum and take a break between changing sides,I always find Cd format way too demanding for listener. Honestly,I'm perfectly fine with 30 minutes of music,this is more or less my attention span for one artist and having 30 songs (specially if they are all alike,like in this case) does not make it any more attractive. Like too much food on a plate,I back away from a CD like this because quantity is not a quality and having more doesn't mean I would enjoy it.


title: Girls behind Ray Charles

text:
Just like Ike & Tina's "Ikettes" , The Raelettes were known around the world for their backing vocals work but themselves never had a solo hit.
And it's not for ladies lack of talent- just check this brilliant compilation of their late 1960s-early 1970s work (cover photo is deceiving) to hear for yourself how passionate,committed and underrated these girls were. My guess is that constant changes of line-up + background work somehow kept them away from the charts,although music presented here is of such high quality,it is really a crime it didn't have proper exposure.

It sounds very much like Ray Charles best work (Genius himself can be heard either in the background or singing with the girls) with his recognizable brassy,funky sound and occasional downright blues thrown it. If we have to search for comparison,think about a cross between "The Sweet Inspirations" and early Pointer sisters and you will get the idea. Impossible to say who is singing where because girls were constantly changing,the only person easy to identify is Ray Charles.

Standout: "Many rivers to cross", "Come and get it,I got it"


title: Delightful compilation of pre-WW2 world music

text:
Absolutely delightful,eccentric and definitely off-the-wall collection of pre-WW2 "world music" - on closer look this is actually not so crazy as it appears,because it's simply a happy compilation of music that used to be popular in different parts of the world. Where others had Noel Coward and Cole Porter,in Scotland they had "Cardiff Banjo, Mandolin & Guitar Band" that played deliriously happy "Scotch Broth" (where one can hear "Loch Lommond" between other things) or in Romania they had "Zigeuner Orchestra Tanasse Codolban" with their local gypsy sounds.

Of course,the fact that this happy music is recorded decades ago and it has "old sound" (surprisingly well cleaned) makes the whole thing even better as it gives the collection special magic - its almost as discovering somebody's treasure chest and it actually is since Robert Crumb (famous cartoon artist) is music collector and these are hand-picked jewels from his collection. I recently saw Crumb playing Scott Joplin music on piano (it's on youtube) with such feeling and finesse that I instantly liked the guy,after this he is definitely one of my heroes.

This makes clear case for ageless power of music - listener is transported to another worlds and dimensions - no matter how long ago these musicians worked (and many of them are completely forgotten now) music still sounds great,which is more than we can say about today's current hits. After all,who in the world would like to re-search Britney Spears recordings a hundred years from now and look at any of these artists,it's pure joy and pleasure (I was actually dancing around the room last night with this; well,hopping around would be better expression since I have no idea how is one supposed to dance to this).
There is something for everyone here: its a virtual journey through different types of music popular at the time - polka,gypsy,waltz,even some strange attempts at jazz,war songs and so on - its absolutely recommended alternative listening for everybody fed up top 40 and instant hits.
To me,this is like God has been cleaning his attic and discovered some forgotten goodies. "Hey" he chuckles at himself "I completely forgot about Kornienko's Ukrainska Orchestra,what a nice guys they were,my happy little sweethearts" and he decided to remind the world about them.
Long live Robert Crumb and his collections,I only wish this sells in millions and gets sequels.


title: Great fun

text:
Delightful (and generous!) CD compilation of dutch girl-groups and young ladies who tried their hand at pop music in the 1960s - the fact that 80% of them never achieved any success makes this even more pleasurable as I always loved digging through dusty archives and there are some jewels to be found in all this archeological work,after all.
Just as one would enjoyable to unearth Motown and Stax archives,lot of talents heard here simply never had promotion,managers or influential connections in the first place but it doesn't take away from the music which is sparkling and fun in that charming 1960s way.
Funniest of all,my dutch friends were all horrified with this and wouldn't come close to this CD - they just assumed I am eccentric foreigner who had penchant for oddities - for them this was just a lot of old music that was not successful in the first place and just like so many other european countries,The Netherlands always idolized everything else but not appreciated what was home-grown. (Interesting phenomenon that I had encountered in my own homeland,where foreign stars were always considered wonderful and brilliant,while local musicians were smirked upon as bad copy of the real thing)
Never mind the comments from my dutch friends,I absolutely loved this - so many of these girls were fun and music goes all over the place,covering everything that was hip in 1960s (girl groups,soul,beat,surf rock) and even bought several of copies for others as gift,which is telling how much I enjoyed this.


title: Aptly titled album

text:
I've been a fan of Hayley Westenra for a couple of years now, even sending away to New Zealand for her first two albums.  In listening to this album, I noticed that her voice has retained its pure, melodic quality, while also becoming more polished and controlled.
"Pure" is the perfect title for this album, as her voice is probably one of the purest and sweetest I've ever heard.  The selection of songs also reflects the title; this is a group of songs that includes classical-style pieces such as "In Trutina" and "Benedictus", as well as more pop-like songs such as "Who Painted the Moon Black?" and the strangely upbeat "Heaven", and even the folksy "Across the Universe of Time" and "Wuthering Heights".  All lyrics are quite innocent and age-appropriate for the teenage singer, which is refreshing in this day and age when so much of the music industry is all about selling sex.
Hayley was already famous for her rendition of "Pokarekare Ana" (a newly recorded version is included on the bonus disc), a beautiful Maori song, so it was a pleasure to see "Hine e Hine", a Maori lullaby, as the last track.
As a fan, I had to get the special edition, which includes the aforementioned "Pokarekare Ana", as well as a nice version of "Amazing Grace".  Also on the bonus disc are 3 Christmas songs, and Hayley's rendition of Loreena McKennitt's "The Mummers' Dance" (I think she does a fine job!).  Strangely, I found Hayley's voice on the Christmas songs and "The Mummers' Dance" to be clearer and easier to hear (on some other tracks, her delicate voice is almost swallowed by the music in places), as she is only accompanied by a few instruments rather than a full orchestra.
I don't know if Hayley will be as popular in North America as she is in New Zealand, Britain, and Asia, but fans of Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban, Russell Watson, and other classical-crossover artists will probably embrace her and her talent.  Her singing fills the void left by Charlotte Church and, while Hayley doesn't really sing opera, we at least have an alternative to all the repetetive pop music that seems to have flooded the market as of late.
Though "Pure" hasn't even been released here yet (as of this writing), I can't wait for her next CD.  If "Pure" is a sign of things to come, we have a lot to look forward to.


title: Going for full impact and seemed on the Experimental side like just A moment

text:
Another excellent music release. Shandy, a symmetry, eF, replica, I was music, and illusion is mine were the ones that stood out to me.

Yet absolute wonders: Shandy, eF, a symmetry, and replica.

Notable features of the music were these almost blasting drops at times that were jarring. But like all Ling To site Sigure music it retains a signature center core likely due to TK's composing skills.

Couldn't be more satisfied I like when I can detect those distinct traces.


text:
For quite a time I had wanted to try some of Pierre Nakano's solo activity album releases because I have noticed he is an exceptional drummer for the rock band Ling Tosite Sigure, ever since noticing his particular drumming style in Enigmatic Feeling (Ling tosite sigure single), Who What Who What (Ling tosite sigure single), and later a 7days wonder (Ling tosite sigure's just A moment album). With this solo album he has gathered a bunch of other drummers from Japan all together and he put together 5 songs encompassing a bunch of music genres. Some of which are just hilarious and fun. Like T.A.M.A. NETWORK and even SORA. SORA borders on J-Hip Hop Metal with some great drumming by the one and only Pierre Nakano. I like the guitar work on this one and Pierre Nakano's drumming, since out of all them this song featured his drumming more and it was nicely hyperactive. Meanwhile we have T.A.M.A. Network which oozed this nice jazziness and bouncy playfulness. Not to mention the lead rapper has an incredible voice that moves just right with the music.

So we have some jazz and some Hip-Hop Metal. What else is there to look forward to?
Animus with singer ORIGA. Who has sadly passed away and probably the only reason I know this is because I discovered her voice through an anime series called Ghost in the Shell, a science fiction anime, when I was very young. Listening to Animus just made me a bit sad but happy nonetheless that I can get to enjoy her singing and some nice instrumentation by Pierre Nakano and a bunch of other drummers including Takanori Ohkita who is the drummer of Nothing's Carved in Stone.

All in all, without going into more specifics this is a great, great album. But you know what? Secretly I wasn't surprised Pierre Nakano was capable of this.

*My purchase was made through Japan FAN Store.*


title: Best of Tornado Hyper Tornado Edition is a Perfect Best of Album release

text:
My favorite songs after listening to Best of Tornado (Disc 1, 15 songs): Imagine Security (2015 mix), DISCO FLIGHT, Missing ling, Telecaster (2015 mix), brilliant murder (2015 mix), abnormalize, JPOPXfile, Beautiful Circus, illusion is mine, moment A rhythm (short ver.), I was music, nakano kill you (mix by 2015), on the sidelines, and Telecastic fake show. All of which happened to have incredible, high quality sound! I am even in love with all the songs in Disc 3 that consists of music from Ling Tosite Sigure’s indie days. After all that, what I appreciate about the Best of Tornado Hyper Tornado Edition is the DVD (Disc 2) that holds the music videos since in the past kept wanting to have the full version of Beautiful Circus and JPOPXfile, but after seeing all the music videos fell in love with Metamorphose and DISCO FLIGHT.

All in all this music release is for the huge, huge admirers of Ling Tosite Sigure who understand that the band's music is breaking a whole new realm within Rock music itself. While TK's solo music project (TK from Ling Tosite Sigure) in general is breaking the mold in genres of music, Ling Tosite Sigure, is redefining Rock music in particular. Creating this unimaginably graceful Rock bursting with uninhibited passion.


title: My Personal Introduction to Ling Tosite Sigure

text:
Used in the Psycho-Pass anime series. Abnormalize is the opening theme song (OP). I liked the lead vocals a lot. I always seemed to recall the singing and even later would remember it. Thought for sure the music for the Psycho-Pass opening theme song would be a one time only original but, of course, not this is actually a rock band.

One that is pretty incredible. They are currently doing the OP for Psycho-Pass 2. I got this CD+DVD only now since in the past was not aware you could somehow purchase the songs from an anime series independently from an anime series. I seriously had no idea. It also was a joyous moment to know that on Youtube there was a short version music video of Abnormalize. Thought it was simply astounding, so in a way thought why not buy the CD+DVD. Turns out this release comes with a full version of the Abnormalize music video. I was happy to realize this since liked seeing more of the music video.

*Bought the CD+DVD in used condition only after seeing that there are no new CD options on Amazon.com (US). A trustworthy seller is Net New 5. I have been buying import CDs from them in used condition and they always come in flawless condition.*


title: Out of Control, Addicting Song

text:
I first heard the main song in the tracklist of the Out of Control for the anime series, Psycho-Pass. I actually liked the sound of it but was unsure of it at first. It was a change from Abnormalize by Ling Tosite Sigure. I wasn't too happy for the new opening theme song change especially since it was very abrupt. I did not like it at first but later after a while it was shown in the opening theme for the Psycho-Pass second half in less of a fragmented sample and more as the full version. That is when I started to like it a lot more.

I especially like when you can hear traces of what I believe are the guitar and bass together. Going all out and them being showcased in a solo. Taku Muramatsu's singing voice is also something! His English accent is impeccable. I could take him for a serious native English speaker. So as you can see have respect for his singing in the band of Nothing's Carve In Stone.

Out of Control is really good but surprisingly found Out of Control CD single had two extra songs. Crystal Beat and Raining Ash. They are a departure and set apart from Out of Control but songs fond of entirely. It was a good purchase for myself. While I like about all of Ling Tosite Sigure's music and TK from Ling Tosite Sigure I only seem to like Nothing's Carved In Stone's more refined discography. Out of Control find to be their more refined work as well as songs for their Strangers In Heaven album release which have heard some samples at Amazon.com Japan. A good fascinating rock band with a talented lead vocalist. From me there is only praise for Nothing's Carve In Stone.

Amazon Marketplace Seller Bought CD from?
JAPAN PLAZA
It arrived the Out of Control by Nothing's Carved In Stone CD. Thanks for shipping from Japan. The Delivery estimate was as follows: Friday, September 26, 2014 - Monday, October 20, 2014 by 8:00pm. It arrived way earlier. Thank you so much! I am already enjoying the band's music. JAPAN PLAZA is a great seller from my experience. Recommend-MY SHIPPING EXPERIENCE with JAPAN PLAZA


title: More powerful than Abnormalize?

text:
I have only ever been initiated into hearing Ling Tosite Sigure's music from their single for the anime series Psycho-Pass. I think part of my love for the anime series might be they had a hand in the opening theme song (OP), Abnormalize.

This Summer 2014 actually been following the anime series Tokyo Ghoul and heard something that resembled the music seen in Psycho-Pass's first OP, so I was interested to see how it would sound. Sounds deeply emotional and beautiful! TK otherwise known as Toru Kitajima's Unravel may actually sound better than Abnormalize or at the very least is much more powerful. I feel the need to compare them since it has tones reminiscent of Abnormalize but probably because TK was singing back then in the Abnormalize single too.

This is actually noted as Toru Kitajima's individual work on a single for an anime television series unlike when he is the vocalist in the band, Ling Tosite Sigure. If he can do more music like this by himself then I really hope he does more. Unravel is a song I really wanted to go out there and buy as fast as possible. Too good!

Unravel Limited Edition CD
-Has a dark black packaging with artwork that looks like something seen from the Tokyo Ghoul anime series
-The disc itself looks very sophisticated in red and black
Contains-Tracklist-
1 Unravel
2 Fu re te Fu re ru
3 Acoustic Installation
4 Unravel TV Edit

Amazon Marketplace Seller Bought CD from?
JAPANWORLD
Great seller. Reasonable pricing and shipping and handling. Delivery time was ahead of Amazon.com's early delivery estimate. Sent with a sturdy square box. The CD was in excellent condition on arrival. Great purchasing transaction.


title: Secretly I wasn't surprised Pierre Nakano was capable of this.


title: Excellent movie for middle-agers and old-timers alike

text:
A local radio station (WTOP, Wasington D.C.) said while the movie was good, David Strathairn didn't look like Edward R. Murrow but people who remember him wouldn't watch the film, and it didn't do enough to explain why communism was a big deal, so people that don't remember Murrow wouldn't appreciate the gravity of the conflict.  I would like to disagree with both points.

Although I can't speak to what Edward R. Murrow looked like, (I'm 37, so WTOP was right about that), half the theater was full of people that looked like they were plenty old enough to remember him.  Secondly, they were also right that I never fully understood why the fear of communism was such a big deal, I feel the movie was perfectly accessible to me.  The way I see it, this movie is exceptionally important to people my age, given politically events over the last few years.  It makes you wonder how life might be different if a highly repected Murrow of today took on the powers that be a few years ago, how things might been different.

This movie is a tribute to integrity and placing beliefs and values ahead of careers and the corporate bottom line while paradoxically maintaining the highest level of professionalism.

There was applause at the end of the movie, and a majority stayed put while the credits ran.  I recommend it highly.


title: Very soothing.

text: Soothing babytime music. Our son listens to it every night to go to sleep. It drowns out any stray noises from us adults being awake and keeps him lulled to sleep! :D


title: am a fan of g-idle, I like their talents.

text: liked very much, used this audio cd for ear pleasure


title: Raw JROCK

text: Any music from Reol satisfys my inner beast. I always want more


title: the same 2 songs are on a previous album

text: the cover picture was pleasant, no new songs. it uses space with my other cd s


title: Five Stars

text: always gives me pleasure and puts me in a good place. never have a least like for her


title: Five Stars

text: makes me want to return to tokyo and catch her performance


title: Five Stars

text: what can i say, they are red velvet and soooooooooo good


title: Another great record from BBNG

text: BADBADNOTGOOD's instrumentals never seem to let me down.


title: Five Stars

text: Excellent!


title: Good cd

text: Great Rap cd


title: Good band, good cd

text: Good cd by soad


title: Magic Web of Cords

text:
I've been an avid follower of Pinback for two years now. They are NOT the kind of band that you have to listen for awhile to get into the groove of them. Once you unwrap that CD case and pop it in, it goes straight to you body.  You realize that your bobbin' your head and walking around the house with the momentum of the songs.  Pinback is great chill, drive and relax music.  However, they are not to relaxed to where you get bored with it.  They throw a few songs in there to get your blood moving.  Tempo and rythm in their music is exceptional.  If you value gutair and bass going up and down differently but combining themselves perfectly, this is THE band for you.

Pinback uses deep cords and tunes with bass and gutair to hit alot of points.

One thing is that you will always know a pinback song.  They have a sound that is similar in all their songs but they change it just enough to allow a great album, and albums. Thanks!


title: Lingering Evanescence (cool title huh? ;))

text:
The best way to describe any of Kokia's works would be: mesmerizing.

Her songs may not be boastful, but they can either completely null you into a peaceful sleep or say, "Hey, I know that you're relaxed, but there's a sad story I wish to tell."

"Transparent" certainly fits the latter description, and "Chinmoku" the former.  I don't have anything more to say about "Chinmoku," but "Transparent" is also similar to "The Sound of Weeping" by Kokia, for both start out slow with a hint of sadness, and gradually build up to a climactic sound that just seems to wrench your heart.  Even if the lyrics don't really affect you, just Try to listen to the instrumental version without letting your imagination think of something tragic that then fades away into a painful memory!


title: Works Great

text: Arrived on time, works perfectly, and I got a nice little phone strap. :)


title: Disc 1 or Disc 2...?

text: From reading the reviews, it seems like the great divide is between disc 1  or disc 2. Well, the first time I heard this disc was at my friend's house  and I was in awe of the trancy opening song, "Raff & Freddy - Deep  Progress" it was awesome! Track 2 is cool, but track 3 didn't do much  for me, and then nice track 4 comes in... cd 1 is good. But I would have to  say cd 2 is the better of the two. EVERY song on cd2 is SICK with the  exception of #9. Skip that one and the rest is kickin' back magic. P.S.  This GU is a LOT better than GU 9 (San Fran).


title: I love it

text: I have loved Kim Hyun Joong even before I knew his name. I'm a Triple S and a Henecia and proud. This album has addictive songs and sound. I am not kidding as I type the songs will get stuck in your brain and you'll be thinking of them for days. "Save Today" "Kiss Kiss" "Your Story" "Lucky Guy" "Break Down" "Heat" "Marry You" these songs are brilliant and you'll end up loving them. Kim Hyun Joong has the voice of an angel.


title: A Malian voice

text: I first heard on the album that Taj Mahal made with the great kora master, Toumani Diabate on the track entitled *Queen Bee*


title: FAR EAST TOO

text: While looking for new music at Third Street Jazz, in 1979, my interest had expanded with such artist as John Klemmer (Touch) Andreas Vollenweider (White Winds) and Sergio Mendes (Crystal Illusions) so, the cover of the album, Hiroshima caught my eye, I read that Wayne Henderson (The Crusaders) had produce this album. I purchased it, and have never looked back since, this album catches your imagination with it jazz and eastern style of blended music.  When Odri was released, it was further proof with even more superior writing and arranging they would be around for some time. These two CD's are essential for any jazz enthuses.  Just listen to Shinto or Da-Da, and you'll see exactly what I mean.  This re-mastered version brings what I heard from the albums, the warmth, clarity and three dimensional sound stage to life. Enjoy.


title: Japan's Version Singled Out

text: I had the original CD releases of the Carpenters, then sold them when the remastered versions was released. Boy, to my surprise, the remastered versions were sonic-ally awful, no depth, three dimension sound stage, and Karen's voice was in echo, on every CD, seemingly the same as if they just used the same Technic, even if the original did not have echo (reverb) in it.  These SHM-CD, not only are true to the original LP releases, but the sound quality is analog warm, clean and no harshness of distortion.  Richard, who help master the A&M remasters, should seriously take lesson from the Japan technicians, who absolutely gets it right.


title: Well packaged

text: The record was well packaged and arrived safely.  I can’t tell you how excited I am that it was offered at such an affordable price since it’s the same recording I listened to 50+ years ago.  The memories it conjures makes me feel like a child again!!


title: ... there’s no scratch on the album so I’m really happy with this purchase

text: Fast delivery and there’s no scratch on the album so I’m really happy with this purchase


title: The digital version is better

text: Ten or eleven years after the CD came out, Jack Endino further remastered and changed Skin Yard's rare-tracks comp "Start At the Top." The version he released on iTunes has better sound than the first issue and includes "In the Morning" (from the "Hallowed Ground" cassette) and early versions of "Out of the Attic" and "Through Nothing," and trims the easily available Kiss cover and one cool track, "Make Room," which you can hear on YouTube anyway. The second, digital issue is probably what you want. All the same, both versions are great -- just listen to "Watch," "Twelve Points," "This Lonely Place" or the old version of "No Right." I'm a huge Skin Yard fan, and I recommend starting with "1000 Smiling Knuckles" and listening backwards from there to get a feel for the band. This is collector stuff.


title: Re-recordings, not the originals

text: These are not the original recordings of Viguen Derderian's great songs -- apparently he got an L.A. band together in the late Seventies and recorded them again, with then-modern production and more than a couple cheesy synths. No orchestra or jazz combo here. These versions are too slick for me, although I've only listened a couple of times. Maybe I'll enjoy them once I get used to them. But very little old music compares to Viguen's scratchy, rare original records and singles. That was how I found out about him (a worn-out 45 of "Khazann/Baaba Karam" that I found in an antiques store) and if you discover one in the United States, you are very lucky. In the meantime, maybe these re-recordings can ease you into his back catalogue.


title: Danse Kalinda Ba-Doom!

text: Big Black and His Congregation have produced a jungley, funky opus that echoes both Dr. John's beloved "Gris-Gris" and the best of Parliament-Funkadelic! If you EVER see a copy for sale, hesitate not - comprelo first, ask questions later. (Negotiate a price down with one of those Discogs sellers -- there's a copy or two for sale there.) The reverb is big-room spookitude, the rhythms shake ass, and the George Clinton-esque harmonies are as sweet as the lotus flower. Big Black, the mastermind, is occasionally -- if at all -- mentioned in the press as a "jazz" percussionist, but  old men with saxophones at an L.A. dinner club this surely ain't. This is liberation through celiberation, a party guaranteed to tickle both your subconscious and your social conscience. YEEE-OW! It make me wanna JSSt -- SCREAM!


title: Five Stars

text: good songs brings back memories of my mom playing his songs when i was younger.


title: A perfect audio book

text: I won't spend time praising this amazing novel as much has already been said. But British actor Jennings does a superb job reading (or should I say recreating) Dostoyevsky's classic. Now that I've heard this version I can't imagine anyone else narrating it. As audiobook enthusiasts know, the reader can make or break a good book. This is one not to miss.


title: great music

text: it is a great cd full of fun and thrilling music that really gets the blood pumping.fun to dance to or listen to


title: intense powerful

text: is the best way i can describe this album. Found Delores Lesion, a while back by chance?, been haunted by Lilitu ever since.<br />The opening track on here will just take your  breath away,makes the hairs on my neck stand up. Much of the vocals include shouting/screams  which give a very passionate personal performance.  So hard to find this album .. support this unique band ! er if you can find a copy lol


title: Five Stars

text: While not my favorite album from this group it is still a hauntingly strong album.


title: We Got Lucky

text:
One of the better bootleg recordings available for your listening pleasure is entitled "San Francisco Serenades."
Tom & The Heartbreakers, live at the Fillmore on 6 Feb 1997. This was a 20 date residency that began on 10 January, and this live FM broadcast is from the final night at the venue. Tom and his band were ready to party and there are a ton of cover songs featured and not many Tom Petty hit songs are a part of this show.

Over 3 hours of music is found on these 3 discs. Special guest John Lee Hooker is are part of this special night and he is on stage to perform three of his tunes at the end of disc one. The show gets heavier as it progresses and songs from The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Them, J.J. Cale, Chuck Berry, Brooker T & The MG's, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Ray Charles make a  real special night a lot better.

The  big Tom Petty live box set was a fine start but the estate of Tom might want to consider a Bootleg series of more live concerts. The fans would really go crazy over collections as good as this. Excellent set and we got lucky with Tom...An American Rocker!
Four & 1/2 Stars!


title: Bob's Big Boy Meets John Prine

text:
In the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains near the Tennessee border on a Interstate highway (that I must have forgotten) lies the small city of Asheville, North Carolina.  John Prine rolled into town in October 1986 and radio station WBCN-FM hooked up some wires and cables and a very  happy audience filled up an  old theater and here on two compact discs are the results of those events.

This is John Prine right where you want him, on stage singing and playing and telling a story or two. From the opener "Lulu Walls" all the way through to "Spanish Pipedream" it's a fine ol' time with John. This radio broadcast contains a statement that this was professionally remastered but it doesn't sound like that event really happened. Sometimes the lead guitar player drops off and sometimes John's vocals are pushed back so if there is any sound improvement to be found form the original master tapes it's a-ways away from a real professional mix on a big soundboard but it is what it is.

I recommend this set and it can be purchased for less money at the amazon.co.uk website.
Three Stars.


title: Short and Sweet

text:
This two disc set contains the complete show from Worcester, Ma that was broadcast by WCUW radio from the band's annual Spring tour of the east coast of America. The second set of this concert was the shortest one performed in  1988 and you will not find long jams happening on this night as the tunes are about as long as their studio editions and they bleed quickly right in to the next one. This type of activity is normal when a band member is ill and it means the show will suffer from poor playing. Well, that does not happen here as all six members of the Grateful Dead are carrying their weight but for reasons unknown to me these songs are indeed very short and such epics as: "Playing In The Band" do not reach the 20 minute mark in Worcester ("Playing" is just over 7 minutes in length)

If you have recorded the band off the radio with your home stereo back in the 1980's and 90's you will hear the same sound quality on these two discs that you would have from your master tapes or DAT's that you would have produced at home. This is of very good sound quality and it's better than 90% of the other boots out there today. This could be found only a few months ago for less than $10.00 and now it is much more expensive to purchase this set so I'm glad I got one early.

For heads that want another eighties show this is for you but the price found here today really stinks up the joint so most will want to avoid being ripped off by greedy vendors to own a rare document from a period in time that Dave's Picks continues to stay far clear of.
I like this one.
Four Stars!


title: Never Seen Dead

text:
This is something that I stumbled upon only recently. In 1996 the "Dick's Picks" series had been alive for only a few years and with Jerry Garcia gone there would be no new concerts to promote and sets like this became higher priorities to keep the brand name Grateful Dead alive and to feed (a still rising) popularity that the name was generating to new followers that were still coming onboard this speeding train.

This sampler is from the Best Buy stores and it says "NOT FOR SALE" at the bottom of the disc. I have seen other promo offers at these stores  and my best guess as to the birth of this CD  would be that if you bought two or three of the Dick's Picks sets you would be able to walk out of the store with this disc as a free bonus to your purchase.

The thing that makes "A Glimpse Of The Vault" really special is that (Dick?) selected the key tracks from each of the first five Dick's Picks sets to fill this healthy (73:27 minute) disc. The lineup includes: "Here Comes Sunshine" (Vol. 1)  "Dark Star/Jam" (Vol. 2)  "Sugaree" (Vol. 3) "Mason's Children' (Vol. 4) and "Shakedown Street/Uncle John's Band" (Vol. 5) and you will not find a Deadhead out there that will argue these excellent selections that really were highlights of these "Picks."

No, you do not need this CD as it contains nothing that isn't already included in this series but for true bragging-rights this collection is a cool discovery and as a  select  few even know that it exists anyway it's a rare find for collectors.  So when that certain guy is telling you that he spent all of his dough to own the suitcase collection of the complete Europe 72 concerts and nobody else has one on his block you can show him this and watch his reaction to something he has never ever seen before.

This is for collectors or for a newbie that wants to be introduced to deep-end live Grateful Dead.
Four Stars!


title: Fine Wine In Wichita

text:
The fall run of 1972 does not get noticed as much as it should. Living in the shadow of the Spring tour of Europe is like being located on the dark side of the moon.  We have arrived once again at this amazing year of Dead music and now we find  our heroes riding into Witchita like gunslingers ready for anything to happen.

People that take shots at this band have never been lucky to have attended a concert of glory such as the one Dave has selected for us right here. Jerry, is on from the opening notes and this is still a man living young and proud as our hero  is giving 150% all throughout this show. A little extra is a part of everything found here. Jerry is  singing great and his guitar is a mighty gift as he can soar ("Bird Song" "Jack Straw") and give his best Chuck Berry ("Promised Land" "Around And Around" "Johnny B. Goode") or make a journey outside the galaxy ("Bird Song") This is a Garcia show for the books and it proves what we have already told ya' that we like the Captain's trips and we are always ready to take a ride and enjoy another adventure with him.

Not all "Picks" are created equal and I sometimes don't get on the bus with some of them but we have gotten a winner here as the most unperfect band that ever was puts the right cards down on the table here with DP 11. This could be used as starter music for a newbie as most of the bands best loved tunes are a part of this set and get shined on by the whole universe. I don't know of a another bunch that play so layed-back and breathe this much fire all the same time but in normal Dead fashion it's just another night.

"Uncle John's Band" with lush harmonies, "China Cat Sunflower" rolling square into a hot "I Know You Rider" and "He's Gone" smoldering into a wheat sky, "Casey Jones" and "Truckin" both sounding like trains at different speeds both on the same track. "Brokedown Palace" as sweet as the morning dew and Chuck Berry is the proper way to end it all with Johnny and that guitar.

The essay by the poster artist for the original show is great reading and I'm glad he was elected to put some of his words down about this show. The photos look lifted from the Spring tour that was somewhere else but as they are new to my eyes it's a pleasure to have them included herein. A shout-out to Dave who has listened  to all of our cries and included a hot segnent of bonus material tacked on to disc three from Oklahoma City performed only two nights prior to this show. "Playin" is quite a journey and now we have got it as an official release and not a poor quality audience cassette (as I know it.) Some of us have waited a few decades for magic such as  this to happen.

It's almost been 50 years of fun and I think we might be celebrating that big party a few months early with this new fantastic set from Kansas.
FIVE STARS !!!


title: Once Upon A Long Ago

text:
A good rule-of-thumb to finding a good/great Beatles bootleg is:
1. If the "Anthology" series used any or all of the material you are seeking you do know that the master tapes are still out there and that increases your chances of finding a high-quality copy.
2.  If You are lucky enough to find the bootleg (out of many) that is a first or second generation dub of those masters with good EQ.
3. And (this is most important!) you have a friend that tips you off to which bootleg is of the highest sound quality and which ones to avoid.

I am of good luck because a Beatles collector (thank you David!) did give me the tip of this edition of The Decca Audition Disc being of the highest quality he had ever come across and I was quick to grab this up. This one has been around in various forms for decades but this IS the version to purchase if you enjoy The Beatles and you collect Beatles music.

The complete audition of 15 songs recorded live on 1 Jan 1962 complete and live in studio with no overdubs is what you will find here and this is a diamond of early Beatles. During the wee hours of New Years morning the lads and Brian Epstein packed up the gear in the van and made their way south to London for an audition in the Decca Studios in North London. On the trip down to London Brian selected the 15 songs that he believed would prove the band's worth as Decca recording artists and he had a large pool of material to work with as The Beatles had been playing live shows as a popular Merseyside attraction for two years already and had hundreds of gigs under the belts at this point.

Decca was auditioning about 50 bands/artists in early 1962 and The Beatles (at this time) were another unknown northern band that was just another bunch of scruffy lads that wanted to make it to the big show. The Beatles were students of American rock 'n' roll and pop music and their live shows were heavy with cover songs they had learned from imported American records and they had a very large music collection to show off to the fans and they were confident live performers with the act in place.

The Beatles played 12 cover songs and three original Lennon/McCartney numbers in just 35 minutes and stage favorites like "Money" "Memphis Tennessee" "Searchin" "Besame Mucho" (Cha-Cha-Boom!) are heard here in wonderful polished performances with few mistakes. The ballad "September In The Rain" is featured here rocked-up into a beat-boom ditty and not a slow weepy as you may remember it. "Sure To Fall" is layed down like a country song and "To Know Her Is To Love Her" features a wonderful middle-eight of magic as The Beatles inserted their new style right into the middle of it. "Three Cool Cats" is very cool and it's out of the set list way before The Beatles had a chance to take it over to America two years later in 1964. "Shiek Of Araby" was one of The Beatles most requested songs in the clubs and the humor and fun is alive right here for all of us to enjoy. "Searchin" is a little peek-see at The Beatles as a cool fifties band that would have fit well into those times.

The three Lennon/McCartney tunes are weak spots on this platter but they are really interesting (two of em' "Like Dreamers Do and "Hello Little Girl" were featured on the "Anthology I" set with three covers: "Three Cool Cats" "The Shiek Of Araby" and "Searchin") There is one original  "Love Of The Loved" that you will not find on any of the other Beatles collections.

This is the Beatles late-1961 stage act as performed live in the studio and the chaps didn't pass the audition this time but they would have better luck after meeting George Martin and playing at EMI recording studios six months later in June. This very nice mono recording is a fun look into live early Beatles and I cannot tell you Pete Best is great or horrid as he is very low in the mix found here and it seems (when you can hear him) he can keep a beat but Ringo may have been a very smart replacement for Pete to fire the engine room. This is a wonderful discovery and is a great addition to any Beatles library.
Five Stars!!!


title: Beware The Exploding Drummer

text:
I cannot imagine just what the looks were on the faces of the record executives at the American offices of Decca Records as they first heard the noises on this record from The Who in early 1967. This second record from the band is a mighty leap forward from the earlier album "The Who Sing My Generation" that was a combination of R & B and train wrecks thrust onto a pop world that was more used to Herman's Hermits and The Dave Clark Five.

The album retitled "Happy Jack" in honor of the single that did lukewarm here in the USA was finally (six months after the UK release) brought forth in America in May 1967. The original LP contained ten tracks and this edition adds ten more from the same recording timeframe. All four members of The Who were to write two pop songs and Keith and John wrote their tunes up no problem, Pete (of course!) had a lot more than two so he picked the best of his batch and composed "A Quick One While He's Away" out of song snippets to pad-out the album that needed more running time to be complete. Roger spent all of his songwriting dough on a car and only brought in one song ("See My Way") so he no-doubt owed somebody some cash before this was all over.

The beginings of The Who's "Power Pop" era can be  found here on A Quick One and there are some great tunes right here on this record with "Boris The Spider"  "I Need You"  "Whiskey Man"  "So Sad About Us" "Run Run Run" and the mini-opera "A Quick One"  being classics of the band's catalog. The LP was quite unlike anything else of it's era and The Who were indeed on their way to stay in the USA!

This expanded edition adds the "Ready Steady Who" EP with four of that record's five cuts featured here ("Circles" is on the expanded My Generation" set) and now we have "Disguises" "Batman" "Bucket T" & "Barbara Ann" included herein. Other rare Who tunes are now a part of this collection "Doctor, Doctor" "I've Been Away" "In The City" "Man With Money" an acoustic version of "Happy Jack" and the pairing of "My Generation/Land Of Hope And Glory" that is really unusual as it's kinda like stone-age Queen music as it's both punky and bombastic.

This package gets better as it gets bigger and it was already a favorite of mine way back when but this edition is even more fun and packs a mighty punch of pop.
FIVE STARS!!!


title: This One Gives Bootlegs A Bad Name!

text:
This two disc set contains 50 tracks spread over two CD's and as I should've known better I am so tired of waiting for an official release of the Hollywood Bowl LP from 1978 to appear on compact disc I made the move and picked this up. The package looks good and also of note is  a professional recording produced for British TV that is found here from an:  04-11-65  show at the Empire Pool in Wembley that is a good sample of the Spring 65 show. The sound from Wembley isn't bad with the vocals mixed way above the instruments and there is no Ringo for the first few numbers but by the fourth song "Ticket To Ride" Ringo does appear in the mix and he rides the cymbals (to be heard?) on every beat. This snippet from Wembley is a good find.

Things take a bad turn at track eight where this collection becomes unlistenable with a very bad audience tape from Italy (June 1965) and as I hoped things would improve with other shows featured at the end of disc one it continues to become a mess of audience noise and talking with what sounds like a Beatles record being played at the wrong speed way down the road.

Disc two is a piece of sonic crap from start to finish with a Circus Krone show from Munich being the only thing you are going to be able to listen to and as this 06-24-66 show isn't The Beatles best performance the audio is way below the board tapes from Wembley found on the first disc so again you can play these first eight tracks from disc two but it isn't much fun to do so when there are excellent tapes of this era still sitting in the vaults for nobody to enjoy. After Munich there is nothing of the remaining seventeen tracks to waste your time upon as the sonics rate below zero quality as worthless and the radio voice-overs are about people in audience needing medical assistance and it's amazing that anyone would keep recordings such as this and believe they are of any value.

This is as bad as it gets and for everyone's enjoyment there is a five-star review of this collection found here and I do think we have found one of the bootleggers that manufactured this mess of a set. Go to your nearest donut shop and tell a cop about this guy before he re-releases this garbage yet again!

Nothing has yet been solved as there really is a market for live Beatles music and the Hollywood Bowl show (or Shea Stadium or Japan or anything decent!) needs to be released on compact disc but until it does indeed really happen the market will continue to be flooded with crap like this and that's a huge shame.
One Star (and it deserves ZERO stars!)


title: That Goat's Got Gas!

text:
After all the releases from 1977 that have come forth lately you may of thought that was the only year that The Grateful Dead played concerts but here we go into 1978 to a town called "Normal" and a nice Bettyboard of the band's show at the Horton Field House in April of 1978. This is known as the year that The Grateful Dead made it to Egypt and performed three shows at the foot of the Sphinx and those shows and the return to San Francisco and the shows there at Winterland ("From Egypt With Love") have already been let loose to the public. Another thing noteworthy of 1978 is that Drums>Space became a regular center  of the band's 2nd set in February of this year and remained in place until the end in 1995.

The "Dave's Picks" series has been really great as Dave and his pals have turned out some really great moments of live Dead and Vol. 1 - Vol. 6 have been really fantastic. When I received this latest 'Pick' I played disc two first as I had a feeling (rightfully so) that this was going to be the right place to dive into this one. There are three selections found on the middle disc and they are "Scarlet Begonias>Fire On The Mountain>Good Lovin" and this is the meat of the show as Jerry, Bobby and Phil blaze throw 31 minute sequence like a house on fire. The drums are all chunk and thump throughout this and both Bob and Jerry are pumping their wah-wah pedals making noises that sound just like MIDI effects (that hadn't been invented yet!) and Bobby throws in some slide guitar and more wah and it is like nothing anybody else was creating in the seventies on any stage. My wife heard me listening to this and about 7 minutes into "Fire" she exclaimed: "That Goat's Got Gas" and I cracked-up as all the honking outta those two guitars did sound like goats on a rampage.

Disc one is a standard 1st set with "Big River" and "Passenger" being the standouts with a bit of jamming in them to increase the X-Factor a bit higher. The tease before "Me & My Uncle" is only a few seconds long and I won't pop the balloon here and it shall remain a secret until you hear it.

Disc three has a long "Rhythm Devils" at almost 14 minutes in length and "Space" is weird (as it should be) and that morphs into a layed-back "Not Fade Away" that is just like the 77 editions and then a very soulful "Black Peter" features Jerry in peak form as a singer and this version of Peter has a huge build up at the end that drops right into "Around And Around" that bookends the show with Chuck Berry ("Promised Land" opens set one) and it's a high-energy finish all the way.

"Werewolves Of London" is the encore and it's a howl-fest and one of the band's best cover tunes ever performed.

I Like this show and I hope more from 1978 does see the light of day as future releases.
Three & 1/2 Stars.