Rock This!

rock this!

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Long Time - Boston
2. Feels Like The First Time - Foreigner
3. I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick
4. Burnin' For You - Blue Oyster Cult
5. Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh
6. Come Sail Away - Styx
7. Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Yes
8. Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent
9. Twilight Zone - Golden Earring
10. Smokin' In The Boys Room - Brownsville Station
See all 16 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Rock & Roll Fantasy - Bad Company
2. Crazy On You - Heart
3. Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton
4. China Grove - Doobie Bros.
5. Heat Of The Moment - Asia
6. Riding Out The Storm - REO Speedwagon
7. Caught Up In You - 38 Special
8. Just What I Needed - The Cars
9. You Make Loving Fun - Fleetwood Mac
10. Find You Way Back - Starship
See all 16 tracks on this disc

Rock This!,Various Artists

Rock This!
This Is Ryan Shaw
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Retro debut from really talented singer
  • Whatever 'school' you put him in, Ryan Shaw's definitely head of the class
  • True Soul - Not New Soul
  • deja vu
  • You'll Be Rocked With This One
 This Is Ryan Shaw
Ryan Shaw
Manufacturer: One Haven / RED / Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Back to Black
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ASIN: B000NJXBYA
Release Date: 2007-04-17

Tracks:

  1. Do the 45
  2. We Got Love
  3. Nobody
  4. I Am Your Man
  5. Working on a Building of Love
  6. I Found a Love
  7. I Do the Jerk
  8. Lookin' for a Love
  9. I'll Always Love You
  10. I'll Be Satisfied
  11. Mish Mash Soul
  12. Over & Done

Amazon.com

Just when you thought the 21st century retro-R&B revolution was grinding to a sunken-hearted halt, Ryan Shaw comes along and revives the revivalist moment: This Is Ryan Shaw, the 26-year-old's phenomenal debut, dazzles not just because he can sing a song like Bobby Womack's "Lookin' for a Love" without letting the rear-view mirror leach him of his own soul, but because his originals--first single "Nobody," "We Got Love," and set closer "Over and Done"--convincingly replicate the classic sound of such forebears as Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Wilson Pickett. Here's a man who can plead, please, and play out love-struck dramas with his voice as though the '60s never ended; if his sound borrows heavily, it pays back what it owes with genuine contributions to the genre. Shaw's is real R&B without the raunch--a return to uplift too self-respecting and sincere to land on the retread pile. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Great Retro debut from really talented singer.......2007-07-12

Ryan Shaw has a great voice, a really great voice, similar to Terence Trent D'Arby without all his dramatic attitude and he sounds like he's actually having fun. He clearly loves the genre of old school R&B, Motown, and Soul and could hold his own among all but Otis, Stevie, Marvin, and James Brown. The majority of the songs however are too retro for my taste. They have that late fifties, early sixties simplicity that's full of energy but offer nothing you haven't heard before on a Time Life commercial for oldies compilations and the arrangements offer nothing new like Joss Stone's latest does.

That said, the songs "Nobody" and "We Got Love" are unbelievably good and worth the price of the disc alone. I've been playing them constantly. In another era they'd garner him instant stardom. They may even do that now.

5 out of 5 stars Whatever 'school' you put him in, Ryan Shaw's definitely head of the class.......2007-07-10

What a voice. The first time I heard "Nobody" I thought I was on an oldies station. Ryan Shaw can belt the lyrics out with more soul than I've heard in a long time. He does make me think of Sam Cooke or Otis Redding, but honestly--he's himself and that's way beyond fine with me.

Shaw clearly demonstrates the old adage of RESPECT as well. There's no explicit language or situations that would prevent an Old School grandparent from introducing the kids to this music.

4 out of 5 stars True Soul - Not New Soul.......2007-07-06

From the blog [...]:
Want some new music that's not filled with "B*&%$ and H@$"? You've got to check this young man out! Ryan Shaw is a 26 year old from Decatur, GA that will take you back to the days of sweet soul music with Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Sam Cooke. Great voice and slammin' retro tunes. I'm hoping he gets the air play he deserves on the so-called 'urban' stations.

The cd is a stable, midranger - a few new tunes by the artist, familiar standby's from Bobby Womack and Otis Redding. Right now I'm listening to Nobody, It's Over, and We Got Love. Sweet. Check him out, he's touring this summer with Joss Stone.
Now when you've finished checking this out, go tell yo' momma AND your daughter!

5 out of 5 stars deja vu.......2007-06-28

You will think you've traveled back to 60's Motown with this disc, but it's well worth it! Don't play it while driving, as all you will want to do is DANCE!!!

5 out of 5 stars You'll Be Rocked With This One.......2007-06-27

This young man is awesome! I first heard him sing live on Whoopi's radio program. I couldn't get online fast enough to order this CD. And I have been playing it everyday since then! Ryan Shaw reminds me of legends like Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding and Muddy Waters. Just imagine a mixture of the three sprinkled with some Anthony Hamilton!!! This 26 old can sing anything!! Thank you Whoopi! Ryan Shaw has this person as a fan for life. Keep up the excellent work, your heart in gift, and feet on the ground.
This Left Feels Right: Greatest Hits With a Twist
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • The point?
  • Disapointed
  • Love it.
  • What a let down!!!!
  • Jon Bon Jovi & Sons songs from the "Funeral Parlor"
 This Left Feels Right: Greatest Hits With a Twist
Bon Jovi
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Have a Nice Day
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ASIN: B0000DZ3DG
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

  1. Wanted Dead Or Alive
  2. Livin' On A Prayer
  3. Bad Medicine
  4. It's My Life
  5. Lay Your Hands On Me
  6. You Give Love A Bad Name
  7. Bed Of Roses
  8. Everyday
  9. Born To Be My Baby
  10. Keep The Faith
  11. I'll Be There For You
  12. Always

From Amazon.co.uk

First of all, hats off to Bon Jovi for trying something different with This Left Feels Right--a selective collection of their most popular songs with a twist. That twist isn't a purely acoustic reworking, MTV unplugged style--anybody looking for that experience will be sorely disappointed by what's on offer. What Bon Jovi have done is re-record these songs in a completely different way while maintaining the original lyrics, melody and song structure. What's different then? Well, quite a bit actually. Check out the almost trip-hop beat and distorted vocal of "Wanted Dead or Alive", or the lazy soul of "Livin' on a Prayer". "It's My Life" is a beautiful piano-only standout, almost worth having the whole album for.

The tracklisting isn't perfect, concentrating largely on their 1980s period (there's nothing from These Days, for instance). As such, the venture works as an effective cheese-extraction exercise, keeping the elements that made the originals so great, but removing shouty, hairspray-fuelled "whoa-yeahs". What we get is something that is closer to Jon Bon Jovi's last solo offering--the criminally underrated Destination Anyway. It doesn't always work ("Bed of Roses" just sounds like a warbling cover of the powerful original and by the time they reach "Always" it's obvious they've run out of new twists), and no doubt there will be legions of bemulleted faithfuls who will denounce this as blasphemy of the highest order. Sure, it's probably just record-company filler, but it's a worthwhile investment and you won't be embarrassed to have it on when your mates come round. --Cortman Virtue

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars The point?.......2007-06-28

So let me get this straight...all of Bon Jovi's hits were gathered together, chopped up, and destroyed to produce this piece of trash? How about an ACTUAL greatest hits album?

2 out of 5 stars Disapointed.......2007-06-25

I did not like any of the songs on this album. It really only ranks 1 star, but I'll give a point for trying something new.

"This left feels right" sounds like it was done by a high school cover band trying to be artistic. Ranks WAY below Tesla (see "Five man acoustical jam" for those of you younger then 30).

I am a Bon Jovi fan and bought this without reservation. I suggest you sample the songs before you buy.

5 out of 5 stars Love it........2007-05-09

I love this album. I also love the original songs. Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't. For those who are gasping at the supposed blasphemy of messing with classics, well, if this is all they have to worry about, their lives must be pretty good and I'm happy for them. As for me, I'm impressed that Bon Jovi took a bit of a risk. I think it worked out nicely. I'd happily buy more of this style from them.

1 out of 5 stars What a let down!!!!.......2007-03-22

I was SO disappointed when I listened to this CD! It's a remix of the songs. They are done acousticly and it is not worth buying. I love Bon Jovi, but this was a HUGE disappointment! I am not happy with this CD at all.

2 out of 5 stars Jon Bon Jovi & Sons songs from the "Funeral Parlor".......2007-02-25

Wow, it does pain me to knock on Bon Jovi, I love New Jersey, Slippery, Keep The Faith, Cross Road, Crash and Have a Nice Day. All albums are uplifting and cheerful and all contain a handful of raise-your-fist-in-the-air anthems. I loved all these songs the first time around. Now all the songs, and the album as a whole, has this morbid, undertaking tone to it, as if Johnny Cash was their inspiration behind re-recording their greatest hits stripped down. The low point is It's My Life, the original is such an upbeat and uplifting anthem, that listening to this version makes me want to drive my car off a cliff, it's that big of a downer! This album is reminiscent of John Mellencamp's Rough Harvest cd, where Mellencamp re-records some hits and album tracks with a more raw, earthy feel to them, but to both artists why? My mother has always stated that she wants Bon Jovi's music to be played at her wake as she loves the band and is in my eyes Bon Jovi's biggest fan. Bon Jovi put out an appropriately themed album to all those fans hoping to have Bon Jovi played at their wake/funeral.
House Party
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Dan's first album...Wiggle the Wiggles out of your CD Player
  • Thank goodness for Dan Zanes!!!!!!
  • My daughters favorite!
  • Dan is her new best friend
  • Kids love it
 House Party
Dan Zanes
Manufacturer: Festival Five Rec.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000CC85J
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

  1. House Party Time
  2. Wabash Cannonball - with Bob Weir
  3. Queremos Bailar
  4. Hop Up Ladies
  5. Washington At Valley Forge
  6. Jamaica Farewell - with Angelique Kidjo
  7. Tankoh-Bushi
  8. Down In The Valley
  9. Waltzing Matilda - with Deborah Harry
  10. West Indian Counting Song
  11. Sunny Old Sun
  12. Tennessee Wig Walk
  13. Shining Star
  14. How Do You Do? - with David Jones
  15. Daniel In The Den
  16. Surrounded By Friendship
  17. Old Joe Clark
  18. Hey Little Red Bird
  19. We Shall Not Be Moved
  20. A Place For Us - with Phillip Glass

Amazon.com

For parents, listening to Dan Zanes provides not only instant Raffi relief, but also the warm sense of belonging to the right crowd. On each disc he trots out a posse of cool friends like Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and Lou Reed and he delivers his openhearted lyrics with the rare roots-rocker's gift for stirring grace into grit. It would seem that the release of his fourth record, House Party would be ripe for a backlash--how long can the hokey conceit of a bunch of aging groovsters banging out kids' tunes in a Brooklyn basement hang onto its charm? Looks like we'll have to wait and see, because House Party rages on with the same winning, welcome-to-our-homespun-revolution vibe as its predecessors. Deborah Harry takes a twirl on "Waltzing Matilda," Bob Weir fires up the "Wabash Cannonball," and Angelique Kidjo bids "Jamaica Farewell," but the Zanes originals are this record's proving grounds, and they pin the tail on the donkey with bulls-eye precision. Contributions from returning regulars Barbara Brousal and Rankin' Don--the best couple of favors a party could hope for--send Zanes' campaign to become the guy who turned lampshade-wearing into a kindergarten fashion craze soaring. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Dan's first album...Wiggle the Wiggles out of your CD Player.......2007-06-12

You may have seen Dan on various spots on Sesame Street, I first saw him in his yellow suit, singing Jump Up. This album continues the wonderful music that my daughter has turned my wife and my self on to. The beats are there, and the lyrics are very catchy.

So do yourself a favor, swap out Wiggles or Barney for Dan and his Friends, and enjoy kids music once again.

5 out of 5 stars Thank goodness for Dan Zanes!!!!!!.......2007-05-21

Mr. Zanes, you could not have come along at a better time! In a market where Teletubbies, Barney and the Wiggles seem to have the corner, this parent-friendly album is a welcome relief from all the fruit salad/I love you, you love me/lemondrops and gumdrops drivel that permeate my mushy stay-at-home mom brain!

When I was a single college gal, I remember listening to very hip, fun music. Then came pregnancy and babies. Then Baby Einstein music (which is good, but sounds like someone's ballerina jewelry box after awhile), Barney, Sesame Street and nursery rhyme CDs that took over my music collection. Ack!!! What happened to me? I decided it was time to search for something new for me and the kids to listen to.

After finding this CD and loving it, I just assumed that my one-year-old and four-year-old would not like DZ because it sounded too different from what they were used to. Boy, was I wrong! My older one thinks she is listening to "cool music" -- which she is! We especially like the "Wabash Cannonball" but every song on here is a hit with my kids. The guy is truly talented, and it's just great stuff. And it's fun to hear the celeb singers on a kid's album. Finally, we all have "cool music" to listen to!

5 out of 5 stars My daughters favorite!.......2007-05-14

I bought this CD since Dan Zane is on the Disney Channel. My daughter absolutely loves it! She asks to hear "House Party" all day every day. We dance and sing and it has brought a lot of fun into our house.

5 out of 5 stars Dan is her new best friend.......2007-05-13

We always look for music that is entertaining and enriching for both the toddler and the parent. We had heard Dan sing before on "For the Kids" CD and thought we'd give it a try. We all get down to Dan Zanes House Party! This CD never leaves the car player. The cover is a delightfully drawn board book of Dan & his entorage Whoopin' it up all over town. My 2 year old will "read" the book to me, explaining the pictures and making connections to the music. It's great.

4 out of 5 stars Kids love it.......2007-03-09

My son, aged 6 and my daughter, almost 2 - love to dance to "House Party Time" in the morning. It really gets them going. They are big Dan Zanes fans.
Is This It
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • The most overrated album of the 21st century so far
  • fun
  • You need to hear this. The songs make it a true classic.
  • A Classic Album
  • Fun, fast and punchy - 4.5 stars
 Is This It
The Strokes
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Room on Fire
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ASIN: B00005QIPH
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

  1. Is This It
  2. The Modern Age
  3. Soma
  4. Barely Legal
  5. Someday
  6. Alone, Together
  7. Last Nite
  8. Hard To Explain
  9. When It Started
  10. Trying Your Luck
  11. Take It Or Leave It

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

With all the media hype that dogged the Strokes before the release of their debut album, it's rather apt that they chose the title Is This It. On the strength of just five songs released on two singles, the Strokes were being hailed as everything from the saviors of rock & roll to the Savior himself. Surely, few bands could live up to the impossibly high standards set for this young five-piece, but the band needn't have worried: Is This It is one of the most exciting and energetic debut albums to spring from New York's long-dormant club scene. In fact, the Strokes are a New York City band through and through; like the Velvet Underground, these are a bunch of uptown artsy types elegantly slumming downtown to the tried and tested themes of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Their singer-songwriter, the fantastically named Julian Casablancas, delivers his lyrics with a weary nonchalance that belies his age on songs like the title track, "Soma," "Hard to Explain," and the altogether wonderful "Barely Legal." And the band recalls the likes of Television and the Stooges on "Last Nite" and "The Modern Age." Let's hope this sexy, stylish, and undeniably cool band is the future of rock & roll. --Robert Burrow

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars The most overrated album of the 21st century so far.......2007-06-24

This is mediocre rock'n'roll. Nothing particularly great about it in any way. It will remain one of the mysteries of live how this group and this album got so hyped up. (I've never seen them live, maybe their live shows have got something that NYC critics picked up on. But on the basis of this recording?? Feh!)

5 out of 5 stars fun.......2007-06-11

intitially i wasn't quite sure about these guys but as as an old rocker and surf bum, i really lke they're music. yup, these guys probably ripped off someone, somewhere but you know what? who doesn't to some degree and for what it's worth they are totally fun and their tunes just click. i read one reviewer who said they ripped off high strung and i even went so far to get the high strung cd and yes it is very similar but nowhere near as good.

5 out of 5 stars You need to hear this. The songs make it a true classic. .......2007-06-07

When this album came out in the Fall of 2001, it hit my friends and I like a sledgehammer. We found ourselves endlessly trying to come up with analogies to describe the sound, and we could never quite do it. All of my friends, who had tastes ranging from punk to indie rock to radio pop, loved this record. The songs were simply that memorable and that good. Unfortunately, the Strokes were largely dismissed as an image band or a hipster band. Even worse, their follow-up albums honestly weren't as good. Still, this thing still puts a smile on my face every time. I rank it as high as any classic album ever made.

5 out of 5 stars A Classic Album.......2007-05-30

I bought this album a little over a year ago, and I've probably listened to it over 200 times since then -- seriously. I realize that I'm way late to the party, but I wasn't paying much attention to the music scene back in 2001 and I lived in California.

I certainly wasn't aware of all the hype surrounding the Strokes -- their look, alleged influences, "importance to rock music," etc. All I knew was their hit, "Last Night," and remember thinking: "that's a catchy tune, but it seems to me that the singer is trying to sing like Lou Reed on "Rock 'n Roll" and the guitarist stole the riff from Tom Petty's "American Girl." The video from the same song reminded me of the High School bands that I remember seeing back in the early-to-mid '80s.

I kind of liked it, but just sort of forgot about the Strokes. It seems that along the way a lot of others have forgotten about the Strokes, too, which I mostly blame on the Strokes, themselves. But I'll get to that later.

But first, since becoming an "Is this It" devotee and diving back into the music scene, I've concluded that the Strokes were terribly misunderstood back in 2001. I think part of it has to do with how important a "rock scene" is to critics -- how is shapes their views of The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Television, etc. I think critics back in 2001 wanted very badly for the Strokes to be a second coming of SOME NY band that came out any of the oft-noted NY rock scenes of the past. Some just fabricated the connections and praised them for it; others realized this wasn't the case and slagged them as poseurs.

To name some examples: I think that the comparisons to Television and The Stooges border on ludicrous. Comparisons to The Velvet Underground are valid, but mostly insofar as they relate to the similarity between Julian Casablancas' vocals and Lou Reed's on "Rock 'n Roll" and "Head Held High" (off the Loaded album). Frankly, in addition to the above-mentioned Tom Petty riff, some of the stuff from Joy Division and the Cure sound closer to the Strokes' sound than these other bands. Heck, I think I heard the Repitilia opening riff on Belle & Sebastian's "Judy Dick Slap."

But that's neither here nor there, because what I've learned from listening to a bunch of current bands that I like -- The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Shins, Spoon, Of Montreal, etc. -- is that that they ALL lift riffs, melodies, etc. from others. Heck, even Radiohead, on their epic OK, Computer, sounds an awful like Pink Floyd, the Smiths, and even Rush, in parts. So, yes, the Strokes might have clipped together sound fragments they liked, but they did it artfully (unlike, say, Oasis, who I like, but don't love partly for this reason), in my opinion, like many other excellent bands do.

The important thing here is the songs -- and the songs on this album are all great -- not "epic", but extremely catchy and unique. Unless I'm completely out of touch -- and that's a distinct possibility -- if I were in college today, "Is this It" would be one of the first and last records I would go to if I had a little party going on in my dorm room.

If someone wants to argue that the songs are "slight," OK, I'll buy it. If someone wants to say that there are roughly two songs here -- one more "Rock 'n Roll" and the other more "New Wavey" -- played five different ways each, I'll buy that, too. Finally, if someone wants to say that the band, itself, doesn't show true "virtuosity" as musicians or that the record, itself, didn't push new musical boundaries, like, say, "Sgt. Pepper," "Dark Side of the Moon," "OK Computer," etc., fair enough.

Except in the case of Julian Casablancas, who delivers the finest vocals on this record as almost any you'll ever hear since Kurt Cobain on Nevermind or Tom Yorke on OK, Computer. Some describe Casablancas' vocals as "listless" or "bored," but this only tells a small part of the story. Yes, at times he does sound bored, but then oftentimes, he'll go from bored, to growling, to outright shouting. Just check out "The Modern Age," "Last Night," "Take it or Leave it," well almost every song. One could argue that Casablancas' vocals are aided by a megaphone-like distortion; I don't disagree, but that doesn't change how effective they are for me. IIf all you did was focus carefully on Casablancas' vocals, I think there's a chance you'd become as hooked on this record as I have.

In fact, I urge you to do just that.

And on the note of production, I think the band and Gordon Raphael made a brilliant decision to make the album "sound" as retro as it does. The Strokes asked Raphael to produce a record which sounded like it was a band from the future returning to the past -- and he did. This album sounds, in style and substance, like it could have served as the soundtrack to "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Unfortunately, the Strokes haven't been productive, recording-wise, since "Is this It," coming out with only two records -- the good-but-not-great "Room on Fire" and "First Impressions of Earth" -- in the nearly-six years since then, and unlikely to produce another until at least 2008. And that's a shame.

Just imagine if we were sitting here, say, in 1989, and R.E.M. had only "Murmur," "Fables of the Reconstruction" and "Green" to show for themselves; or in 1970 and the Beatles had only made a "Please Please Me/With the Beatles" combo, "Beatles for Sale" and "Let It Be." [No, I am not saying that the Strokes are in the same class as either band, especially the Beatles]. They'd each have done some great stuff and some good stuff, but would have also missed out on producing almost two-handfuls of classic albums between them.

The Strokes SHOULD have come out with an album between "Is This It" and "Room on Fire;" they SHOULD have come out with TWO albums between "Room on Fire" and "First Impressions of Earth." Heck, I'd argue that they maybe they SHOULD have come out with an album since "First Impressions of Earth." Then, maybe, we'd have another classic Strokes' album or two to enjoy, in addition to the one we have with "Is this It."

4 out of 5 stars Fun, fast and punchy - 4.5 stars.......2007-05-13

I remember getting this back in 2001 when everyone and their dog were stumbling all over themselves proclaiming The Strokes saviors and future of rock and the best thing since sliced bread. Unfair as it may be, all that hideous overexposure and ubiquity only served to set me against The Strokes because personally I just couldn't see what the fuss was about. Now that the hype around the band has dimmed and the music press are busy pushing other fresh new things into the spotlight, I could finally enjoy "Is This It" for what it is, a highly enjoyable collection of energetic, catchy guitar songs that borrow heavily from the rock'n'roll past - Television, Stooges - but still manage to sound modern and fresh. The album does start to suffer from sameness by the end especially when it comes to Julian Casablancas' monotone slacker delivery, but it's not much of a problem since "Is This It" wraps itself neatly in just over 35 minutes. Original? No, just like 99.9999% bands (some of them great) out there. Fun to tap your foot to? Heck yeah.
Beat This: The Best of the English Beat
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Commit to the Genre, Dude!!!
  • A fine introduction to an underrated band
  • Beat This: The Best of the English Beat
  • Its a Great Beat
  • This is the beat you're looking for..
 Beat This: The Best of the English Beat
The English Beat
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005NOZD
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

  1. Mirror In The Bathroom
  2. Best Friend
  3. Hands Off She's Mine
  4. Too Nice To Talk To
  5. Doors Of Your Heart
  6. I Confess
  7. Twist And Crawl
  8. Rankin Full Stop
  9. Drowning
  10. Save It For Later
  11. Sole Salvation
  12. Click Click
  13. Tears Of A Clown
  14. Can't Get Used To Losing You
  15. Stand Down Margaret

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Commit to the Genre, Dude!!!.......2007-03-14

In the 80's, "Save it for Later" was Pete Townshend's favorite song and The Beat were Sting's favorite band -- but the The Beat weren't bombastic or pretentious!

The best praise really came from the Japanese-American ballet dancer I took to see The Beat at Berkeley's Greek Theatre. She said they were "excellent" and later that night realigned my ska-dance weary spine with her massive calves!! (Another attendee was not so lucky: As Bow Wow Wow opened for The Beat, a crazed fan jumped on stage and was tackled by security guards at Annabella's feet! OwwwwOOOHHHHH!!! That deserved another bota bag squirt!!!)

Only 4 stars for two reasons 1) The Beat only had three original albums (and ALL the songs are "best of"). You can get all three for as low as $20. 2) The Beat's two leads - Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger - left the band so they could split new money between the two of them instead of with all six players. The Beat's anti-greed and socialist unity lyrics are forever tainted.

Wakeling and Roger left and formed General Public, whose "All the Rage" was not a massive seller, but was THE party album of 1984-5. (It's been said that only a few people bought Velvet Underground's first album, but everyone who did started a band. Everyone who bought "All the Rage" got freakin' loaded, man!!! OwwwwwOOOOGGGAAACHAKA!!!) The single "Tenderness" has been used in the Weird Science and Clueless films, and in countless drunken "courtship" attempts. General Public's follow up LP "Hand to Mouth" sold weakly, but was great as well.

Two Beat players that were left behind (termed "redundant" in Brit-speak) by Wakeling and Roger's quest for lucre were David Steele and Andy Cox, who drafted singer Roland Gift and formed Fine Young Cannibals. FYC went multi-platinum with "The Raw and the Cooked" (far exceeding General Public's sales) and saturated American airwaves with "She Drives Me Crazy" (make it stop!) and other hits. IMHO, FYC was calculated/perfected chart pop (ALL cooked) that gave the nation a quick sugar rush. Their next album was remixes of the SAME SONGS from "The Raw and the Cooked." At the time, Madonna or Paula Abdul could get away with that -- FYC just overexposed and let us know they were played out.

In short: Party girls and smart chicks dig a lot more songs than are offered on "Beat This." Save your money up and get all three real Beat albums, and then General Public's first, and then get a keg of Guinness and unroll the Twister mat. (And move the precarious vase that's on the mantle).

5 out of 5 stars A fine introduction to an underrated band.......2007-01-26

Kinda funny what happened to the Beat (known as the "English Beat" here in America, though I find that name clunky): their debut, I Just Can't Stop It, was an excellent album with their biggest hit (Mirror in the Bathroom), and assorted other goodies, most of them found here (Best Friend; Hands Off She's Mine; Twist and Crawl; Click Click; Whine and Grind/Stand Down Margaret; Can't Get Used to Losing You; Tears of a Clown, though Two Swords is missed). Then they crashed: Record #2, Wha'ppen? had a few gems (Too Nice to Talk to; Doors of Your Heart; Drowning, featured here: Get a Job and Dreamhouse in NZ are both sadly MIA), but it was uneven and felt like a holding pattern. By album #3 (Special Beat Service), they had all but lost it, going from a premeire punk-ska act to an Adult Contemporary act with a slight Jamaican feel. They managed to wring three good songs out of that mess: I Confess; Sole Salvation and Save it for Later. Wisely, they put those songs here.
Find yourself a copy of this album. It's a great party CD, and I used to listen to it near-religiously. Great music. The Beat were a more authentic Police when it came to mixing reggae and punk, thanks to their brilliant saxman Saxa: that's saying something, since the Police were also an authentic reggae band. Every song on this one's a gem, unlike on some of their studio albums: if you're a casual fan, this is all the Beat you need.

5 out of 5 stars Beat This: The Best of the English Beat.......2007-01-10

If there were one UK band that was a true icon of the 80's, it would definitely be the English Beat. With the upbeat ska sounds that were heavily influenced by the Specials, this album is a must have. The album starts out with "Best Friend" which has a real catchy beat and funky horn section. "Save it for later" is another favorite which appears in the Woody Harrelson movie KingPin. "Mirror in the Bathroom" is on everybodys favorite 80's hits. The cover of "Tears of a Clown" is a masterful ska interpretation of The Smokie Robinson hit. My only gripe is that "Rotating Head" (heard in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when he is running through back yards towards the end) was not included. If you like The Specials, General Public and Fine Young Cannibals, you will love this album.

5 out of 5 stars Its a Great Beat.......2006-10-19

I grew up on the English Beat and they are still one of my favorite bands today. There is something about the ska from that era that really appeals to me. My first exposure to them was in the early '80s when my brother was in college and the Beat were a college radio staple.

When I finally purchased "What Is Beat?" on tape, their first compilation album, I was in heaven. When my music collection converted to CD, "What Is Beat?" was one of the first CDs I purchased. It was a slight disappointment, though, because the CD could not hold as much music as the tape did and a few songs had to be cut. Bummer.

When I found "Beat This!" a few years ago, I was thrilled. Even though there were many repeat songs, it also included some that were cut from the "What Is Beat?" CD and a few that were never included such as "Click Click" and "Drowning." I still have both CDs and each fulfills a different purpose.

Ultimately, though, these Best Of albums will never tell the whole story but they are a great start to this ska band. If you like "Beat This!," be sure to check out their original albums as well for other gems that just didn't fit with the time limitations.

5 out of 5 stars This is the beat you're looking for.........2006-07-11

Definitely could've been another song or two added to this best of, but what a brilliant collection. I can't keep it out of my cd player.

I think everyone will find what they're looking for in a collections album when they purchase this, and it's a great cd to start off with if you don't have anything else by The Beat.

The cd ranges over the many genres and influences that are jam-packed into this bands talent to a perfect blend, but this one will always stick alongside my ska and reggae collection.

So put it on direct play, or shuffle - you'll thoroughly enjoy it either way.
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • sound quality not good
  • a suggestion
  • A Classic----Everybody Knows
  • an absolute rock and roll classic.
  • excellent early record
 Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. After The Gold Rush
  2. Harvest
  3. Neil Young
  4. Zuma
  5. Tonight's the Night

ASIN: B000002KD7
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Cinnamon Girl
  2. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
  3. Round And Round (It Won't Be Long)
  4. Down By The River
  5. The Losing (When You're On)
  6. Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets)
  7. Cowgirl In The Sand

Amazon.com

Opening with the methodical, hard-rocking "Cinnamon Girl"--still one of the singer-songwriter's most-hollered requests in concert--Young's second solo album introduces the cockeyed harmonies and sloppy, chiming guitars of Crazy Horse. His wide swings from soft-spoken country-folk ("Round & Round [It Won't Be Long]") to menacing metal (the punch line to "Down by the River" is "I shot my baby") indicate the multiple personalities in Young's future. His second album of 1969 broadcasts a sincere passion for the peace-and-love '60s (dig the long guitar solos) but also predicts the dark introspection of "Tonight's the Night." --Steve Knopper

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars sound quality not good.......2007-06-12

The sound quality did not sound as good as my old album.

5 out of 5 stars a suggestion.......2007-05-30

You know what i think would be great?
If they gave this album one of those "Deluxe Edition" jobs like they've
done with so many others such as the first Weezer album and Blind Faith and on and on. Out-takes,demo's,alternate takes/mix's....it would all be catnip to the millions who love this album.
Actually, now that i think of it....if a "Deluxe Edition" job isn't possible, they could make a nice pairing of this along with the Neil and Crazy Horse at The Fillmore 1970 CD. That would be pretty deluxe!

5 out of 5 stars A Classic----Everybody Knows.......2007-05-14

While sniffing around in the wine cellar, I looked into my considerable archive of music and this one, inexplicably, shuffled it's way off the shelf into my bony hands. Some people say that it's Universal Force and Enlightenment that did it. I suspect Guido from the empty bottles. In any event- it is an excellent choice.
What can one say about this album? Neil Young expanded beyond Buffalo Springfield with this one and, I think, came into his own as a considerable artist in his own right. With Crazy Horse, he examined and extended his creativity with pastoral landscapes, jagged-edged cliffs, outerworldly musings, and just plain country meets city sensibility. Not that it always makes sense, but that people is the magic of music. Interpretation is up to you, not the artist.
Even now, I am awed by the consistency Neil displays so early in his solo career. We are never relaxed, for one moment, that the sequence of songs will resemble sameness in any shape or form. It begins with "Cinnamon Girl" which, in some way, reveals the dilemma that many young people have a problem with. That is the in-between phase of being a child and adult. He wants to spend his life with her, but then again, "Ma, send me money". The need to be free but not quite there yet. This theme reveals itself in many of his tunes. It is a slow rocker but with such a memorable riff. Next up "Everybody Knows", a jumpy, sprightly groove that, again, reveals where he's at - between a dream and reality- essentially nowhere.
"Round and Round" is a slow acoustic sadness that, I feel at least, is about loss. A loss of yourself? Or perhaps someone close. "Down By the River", aside from allowing Neil to stretch his jagged lead guitar, proposes another dilemma for the astute listener. The protagonist is lead to possibilities with this woman - but is her non-compliance a reason to shoot her? Down by the River? An enigmatic song at best and I dare not ask Neil the meaning.
We then get to "The Losing End" which reveals an easy-going country groove with some electric guitars helping it along. The theme? Good ol' country heartache. A mainstay in that genre - now and always. The mood then changes, into some outerworldly, ethereal regret and deception. This song reveals a darkness of the mind, and this is brought forth so effectively with the inclusion of violins. An eerie offering, but so very different.
"Cowgirl in the Sand", I think, is one of Neil's most potent songs. It can be taken on many levels. It is hard drivin' (but, it takes on a whole new perspective if you heard him do the acoustic version). Neil pleads with her to stay in her company. But, her place of command is the desert. Desolation. And, this song tries, desperately, to make her see her worth. Neil knows she is a beauty. She feels she is "purple words on a gray background". I feel that this song is an aching plea. It also allows Neil to experiment with lead guitar breaks, gritty and rough and insistent on it's purpose. In all, a brilliant conclusion to a brilliant album.
This album (plus the next two- After the Gold Rush and Harvest) complete the superb triumvirate of Neil's early career. As we know now, he was to go on to more creative terrain. Some of it successful, some of it not so. In any event, plain and simple, he is an amazing artist and, I think, one of the greats in popular music.
This one is definitely a classic and well worth the investment.
Now - if only Guido would replenish my bottles!

Your personal roadmap to reflection and music of worth--Metamorpho

5 out of 5 stars an absolute rock and roll classic........2007-03-30

"tonight's the night" is my favorite neil young album. what's number two, though? "on the beach," "after the gold rush," or "everybody knows this is nowhere." hard to choose from those three great albums. might be "everybody knows..." though. such great songs. such stunning performances. "down by the river" and "cowgirl in the sand" have some of the most originally stunning guitar jams in the history of rock and roll. and the first of those two songs is simply about as haunting a piece of work as you will find in all of the rock and roll canon. "cinnamon girl," with its power chords and great melody is another classic. the whole album is just outrageously fantastic. don't miss it.

5 out of 5 stars excellent early record.......2007-03-18

This is really one of Neil Young's most interesting albums. I love the two lengthy jams the most- lots of emotion in the guitar playing and the mood. "cinnamon girl" is probably overplayed, and the crunchy guitar riff never did a whole lot for me, but the title song and the rest of the album stand mighty proud as distinct tunes that will immediately take you back to the late 60's. Enjoy it. I wonder if Neil Young knew at the time that this album would still be remembered and praised nearly 40, yes that's right *40* years later.
Happy This Way
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • far too good to be a secret
  • Return to form
 Happy This Way
Judith Owen
Manufacturer: Courgette Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NVIGIY
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

  1. Conway Bay
  2. Painting By Numbers
  3. Nicholas Drake
  4. Sympathy
  5. Cool Life
  6. Carry
  7. Happy This way
  8. We're Only Human
  9. Love Has 2 Faces
  10. Dark Clouds
  11. My Father's Voice
  12. Bonus track: Enough (remix)

Amazon.com

On Happy This Way, Los Angeles- and New Orleans-dwelling Welsh singer-songwriter Judith Owen pays homage to her native Britain. The album is co-produced by Owen and John Fischbach, engineer of Stevie Wonder's classic 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life, and ranges in mood and style from the fun British Invasion pop-rock of "Painting by Numbers" to the wistful chamber-pop of the strings-laden "Conway Bay." The album features a number of Owen's compatriot friends, including her frequent collaborator Julia Fordham, jazz vocalist extraordinaire Ian Shaw, and others.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars far too good to be a secret.......2007-07-11

I'm weak on torch singers, saloon musicians, crooners of songs that require only a piano and bass for backup. But I knew that Judith Owen is the wife of Harry Shearer --- the brilliant commentator [...], legendary member (Derek Smalls) of "Spinal Tap" and multi-voice of "The Simpsons."

And so I wondered: What kind of singer would this sharp-eared, hyper-critical guy marry?

Well, a very talented singer. And a kindred spirit.

Harry Shearer was a child actor. Judith Owen's father was, for 35 years, an opera singer who performed with many of the greats while his young daughter watched from the wings. Handel Owen --- what a name! --- had eclectic taste for a classical musician; Judith grew up listening to jazz and gospel. (Though the Owens lived in London, the Beatles were completely off her radar for this self-described "opera brat".)

When she was 15, her mother died. For refuge, Judith took to songwriting. She had an eccentric genius as a pianist: "I have a perfect ear and I can hear everything; I can't read or write music as I am symbol dyslexic." All she needed was the urge to perform. And once that came....

Judith Owen has spent years and years on the verge. James Brooks, the noted writer-director, heard her sing at a party and had her record "Hand On My Heart" for "As Good As It Gets". Her versions of "Eye of the Tiger" and "Smoke on the Water" --- as a ballad --- are cult classics. But she's hard to pigeonhole; she refuses to record a CD in any single genre. And so industry mavens don't quite know what to do with her.

Great musicians do. Richard Thompson, k.d. lang, Cassandra Wilson --- they happily record with Judith Owen. To them, she's Joni Mitchell, incarnated as a torch singer. Rickie Lee Jones singing scat. And, like her husband, a sharp-tongued ironist with a big sentimental streak.

All the sides of Judith Owen are on display in "Happy This Way." She begins with a song that evokes her Welch heritage, and soon finds herself paying homage to doomed English singer Nick Drake. She sounds like an LA hipster when she gives advice to the Paris Hilton set: "Your face in magazines/don't make it look like work." And like an old soul soon after: "I need some sympathy for myself." And, in a lovely song to her father on his 80th birthday, she's all modesty as she describes her friends' reaction to his singing:

I'm proud and I'm pleased
That through him, they must see me
I'm the acorn, he's the tree

I'm aware enough to know that jazz now favors female singers, and that, each year, we get a new one to marvel at. We never seem to get Judith Owen. Our loss. I'm correcting it a tiny bit here: You don't have to sit in a club nursing Jack Daniels to appreciate the deep sensitivity, the good taste and the exceptional voice of Judith Owen

5 out of 5 stars Return to form.......2007-06-23

I've always thought that "12 Arrows" was the best Judith Owen album, but "Happy this Way" is a return to form. Her two previous CDs lacked variety, so it was good to hear a couple of up tempo numbers on this album "Painting by numbers", with some tasty guitar from Richard Thompson, and "Happy this way". The other standout tracks are "Nicholas Drake", also with Richard, and "My fathers voice" which prviously appeared on Judith's "Christmas in July" album. The only downside is a quantic remix (whetever that is) of "Enough" which was done a lot better on Judith's album "Lost and Found".
This Old Road
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Hits The Spot
  • Late In The Day, A Diamond
  • Kris Rocks
  • This Old Road
  • Kris is a major talent
 This Old Road
Kris Kristofferson
Manufacturer: New West Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Country | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000E6UKD2
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Tracks:

  1. This Old Road
  2. Pilgrim's Progress
  3. The Last Thing To Go
  4. Wild American
  5. In The News
  6. The Burden Of Freedom
  7. Chase The Feeling
  8. Holy Creation
  9. The Show Goes On
  10. Thank You For A Life
  11. Final Attraction

Amazon.com

Though Kris Kristofferson has long seemed ageless, the approach of his 70th birthday plainly has the songwriter looking back, taking stock and coming to terms with his legacy and his mortality. The result is his most consistently compelling release in decades, as well as his most stripped-to-the-bone intimate. The spare production by bassist Don Was captures Kristofferson in all his rough-edged, plain-spoken, and big-hearted glory, with occasional support from guitarist (and longtime Kristofferson compatriot) Stephen Bruton and drummer Jim Keltner putting the focus on songs that combine the poetic grace of Kristofferson's early classics with a conviction that has grown stronger with the passing years. "Wild Americans" offers a roll call of outspoken heroes--from American Indian activist John Trudell to country maverick Steve Earle--while "In the News" lambastes the very concept of a holy war. Yet it's the spiritual side of Kristofferson that really touches the soul, from a father's wonder at the "Holy Creation" of his children's birth to the bittersweet benediction of "Thank You for a Life." With the title cut, "The Last Thing to Go," "The Show Goes On," and "Final Attraction," he takes a look back at the life of a troubadour and decides that, for all the bumps, this road has been one of incomparable rewards. The listener shares the riches. --Don McLeese

Album Description

Kris Kristofferson has always identified himself first and foremost as a writer, and true writers know that what works best is giving a piece of themselves to the listener. With his latest album, This Old Road, Kristofferson lays a chunk of his own soul on every track. This beautifully sparse recording, puts an emphasis on his fine lyrics and distinctive voice by featuring Kristofferson, his guitar, and harmonica. The album is so intimate it makes the listener feel as if they are sitting in Kristofferson's living room while he picks and sings just for them.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Hits The Spot.......2007-06-27

Kris is a contemporary - his songs reflect the way we feel at this stage in our lives. The sadness and the joy .....

5 out of 5 stars Late In The Day, A Diamond.......2007-06-19

One can only hope that some of the multitude who purchase the latest flavor of the moment will have the good fortune and discernment to some day come to this magnificent testament and realize that only a relatively few albums are truly timeless and worthy of one's attention and time, again and again and again.

5 out of 5 stars Kris Rocks.......2007-06-08

I've been a fan since I was kid, my mom listening to Kristofferson while cleaning the house in the summer with the doors and windows wide open, a cool breeze blowing in, and us kids (there were six of us) laying on our bare bellies in front of the speakers.

Kristofferson is one of the best singers/songwriters in American history and this is one of his best albums.

5 out of 5 stars This Old Road.......2007-05-13

The product is what I expected. It arrived on time and in the condition advertised.

4 out of 5 stars Kris is a major talent.......2007-04-06

Saw Kris a few times in concert last year and he sang a lot of the songs on this CD. I didn't give him 4 stars because Kris really is not the best singer, but, boy, these are the best songs!
This Is It
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Jack is a sexy guy with great talent.
  • This IS It!
  • Ingram
  • Jack Ingram makes a hit with "This Is It"
  • Ingram's in the Right Direction Towards "It"
 This Is It
Jack Ingram
Manufacturer: Big Machine Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music
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  1. Let It Go
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ASIN: B000NA26Q8
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Tracks:

  1. Measure Of A Man
  2. Hold On
  3. Lips Of An Angel
  4. Wherever You Are
  5. Love You
  6. Easy As 1, 2, 3 (Part II)
  7. Ava Adele
  8. Make A Wish (Coming Home Again)
  9. Great Divide
  10. Don't Want To Hurt
  11. Maybe She'll Get Lonely
  12. All I Can Do

Amazon.com

Like Keith Urban, Texan Jack Ingram flaunts a studied blond scruffiness that initially telegraphs he might rely more on sex appeal than music. But also like the Australian guitarzan, Ingram knows how to deliver the goods. His average-guy voice positions him more on the rocking side of country, and proves a perfect vehicle for the kickoff song, Radney Foster and Gordie Sampson's rootsy "Measure of a Man," which dovetails a rebel Steve Earle stance with a declaration of the changing power of love. The formulaic pop of "Wherever You Are," Ingram's #1 single--reprised like the bubblegummy "Love You" from an earlier album--is standard-issue Nashville, as is "featuring" Sheryl Crow on "Hold On," but then burying her vocals in the mix. But Ingram makes up for such transgressions with his deliciously lubricated cover of Hinder's "Lips of an Angel" and with his own finely-drawn songs of family (the folkish "Ava Adele") and the Lone Star landscape that produced him ("Great Divide"). The question is whether Ingram wants to be a star or an artist. His label, Big Machine, is trying to let him be both. But that can only last so long. --Alanna Nash

Album Description

The late Waylon Jennings once called Jack Ingram "an incredible talent." Now fans everywhere have learned what Jennings knew, as Ingram has transformed from a regional superstar around his native Texas into a full-fledged national phenomenon.

Nothing describes the incandescent moment when Jack Ingram's "incredible talent" becomes incredible success quite as well as the title of his new studio album, This Is It.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Jack is a sexy guy with great talent........2007-07-02

Jack Ingram's first studio album in a few years is excellent. "This is It" is a solid collection of Ingram's signature "red-dirt" country songs; herein Jack Ingram displays his virtuoso guitar skill and his never-failing vocal abilities.

1) Measure of a Man - This song is about Jack coming to terms with his father leaving the family. The music video features a Kristofferson look-a-like. My favorite moment is 2:25 minutes into the song: he sings the chorus over an acoustic guitar.

2) Hold On - This song is inspirational and features Sheryl Crowe's vocals. I'll let the song speak for itself: "Hold on to dancin' in the rain."

3) Lips of an Angel - When Jack Ingram covered the Hinder hit, he was much derided for doing so. However, I prefer his vocals over the gravelly Hinder singing. The added country instrumentation takes a hardcore rock song into better dimensions. When he was on CMT Top 20 he said his kids like Gwent Stefani, and they particularly like him to sing "Hollaback Girl" rather than his own songs - he can make any song great.

4) Wherever You Are - Jack Ingram's 2005 Country #1 is a road-song about a man on a quest to find his girl. The video (included on this disc) was on CMT's Sexiest Videos list for obvious reasons and the Top20 Countdown. Great vocals.

5) Love You - This is a fun, playful song that replaces f**k with love. Jack Ingram gives the listener a 2:45 minute great time. The video is also on the disc, and features a Paris Hilton look-a-like destroying what she thinks is Jack's truck while he and his band preform. This should have been a #1.

6) Easy as 1, 2, 3 (Part II) - This is my favorite song from the album because it's so upbeat and hopeful. It evokes a slight bluegrass feel. This will make you "feel better" as that's what the song is about.

7) Ava Adele - This ballad about Jack's daughter reflects the proud fatherhood he recently discussed on CMT Top 20 with Lance Smith (as a side-note he said Ava always covers his mouth when he tries singing it to her). The partial spoken/sung lyrics evoke Johnny Cash's style.

8) Make a Wish (Coming Home Again) - I enjoy Jack Ingram's guitar playing on this song, because as he sings about electric lights, his strumming evokes lightning imagery. Another good road song, with a catchy hook that will be in your head. The song's message is very positive.

9) Great Divide - Jack sings about West Texas and how he will always enjoy the unchanging ways of the people. Another great road song.

10) Don't Want To Hurt - I love the thumping bass-line in this song; it reminds me of Little Big Town. The message is very relatable.

11) Maybe She'll Get Lonely - Jack Ingram croons about the need for a woman and wants her to want him.

12) All I Can Do - This is a great way to end the CD. The use of trumpets evokes a post-Katrina "Big Easy" feel.

The CD booklet is actually a poster with Jack on it. He's currently on tour with Brad Paisely, Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler and I hear they like to play practical jokes.

4 out of 5 stars This IS It!.......2007-06-27

A great collection of songs. Easy to listen to and sing along with--great mix of melodies and lyrics.

5 out of 5 stars Ingram .......2007-05-15

I love this album and would buy it for my husbands truck as well for him to listen too.

5 out of 5 stars Jack Ingram makes a hit with "This Is It".......2007-05-07

Jack Ingram is an incredible artist. I first discovered Jack while watching CMT and have loved him since. He is the most fresh, distinct, and enjoyable artist in country music. His perfect blend of radio-hits and West Texas/honky-tonk sound is what makes this album, and Jack, great.

After many years struggling in the music scene he has finally got the commercial and critical acclaim he deserves. He recently had a No. 1 hit (on the Country Singles Chart) with "Wherever You Are," and "This Is It" debuted at No. 4 (on the Country Albums Chart). This CD is an excellent musical experience from start to finish. I believe it is the best in Country Music so far this year. Fans of Country and Rock will enjoy this CD for the well-crafted music, lyrics, vocals, and also the neat fold-out poster. Of interest is Jack's ability to transfer his incredible live sound onto CD format.

"Measure of a Man" which is his next single is a great road song. Great to listen to while driving. It is a song about the relationship between a father and a son. His lyrics are effective in crafting the story; he claims it is "Biloxi Part II," a continuation of an earlier song he wrote.

"Wherever You Are" is his No. 1 single. It is radio friendly and a good Country ballad. Definitely worth the price of the CD alone.

"Love You" is a great honky-tonk song that substitutes love, for a four letter word, in the phrase 'f--k you'. It is humorous and enjoyable. While not the best on the album it is top quality nonetheless.

"Easy as 1,2,3 (Part II)" is the best on the album. It is simply purely enjoyable to listen to. If it was a single I believe it would have charting ability.

"Make a Wish" is a great song and has a strong playback ability. It is the best example of Jack's vocal talent. I was mesmerized by the range, beauty, and power of his voice on this track.

UPDATE: After two moths of owning this album it still is appealing. I love this record. Undeniably Jakc Ingram is the best thing in country music to appear in nearly a decade. Other newcomers (Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, etc...) are great but Jack Ingram is exceptional. I highly recommend this CD!

*****/***** for superior vocals, lyrics, and music. Another great release from Toby Keith's imprint label: Big Machine Records (a division of the better known Show Dog Nashville). Recommended for Country and Rock fans. Simply, the best of 2007 (as of the middle of the year). Enjoy Jack and his much needed fresh talent.

Recommended:

Jack's other great CDs: Electric, Hey You, Livin' or Dyin', Lonesome Questions, and Jack Ingram.

Toby Keith's latest CD: Big Dog Daddy.




4 out of 5 stars Ingram's in the Right Direction Towards "It".......2007-04-03

Prime Cuts: Easy as One, Two, Three (Part II), Ava Adele, Whenever You Are

After years of loitering along the fringes of country music, Ingram has finally broke in with his number 1 smash "Whenever You Are." To up the ante on the barometer of hip, Ingram has ushered the advent of this CD with the unlikely cover of rock act Hinder's "Lips of an Angel." Thus far, success has been effulgent as "Lips" is lighting its way up the upper echelon of the Billboard country charts. Produced by Jeremy Stover, Doug Lancio and Ingram, this disc steers along the path paved by "Wherever You Are" which means that most of these 12 cuts have been recorded with an eye for becoming darlings of radio. However, before purists who have followed Ingram's career bark at Ingram's viable shrewdness, not everything have been sacrificed at the altar of commercialism. Truth be told, "This is It" does indeed have a more polished savvy sheen to it, but this is not to say there is a dearth of the raw emotional investiture Ingram always brings to his songs. Further, Ingram's commercial success has no way been caliginous towards his twinkle for Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle and Robert Earl Keen's type of Americana that rock with a venturesome abandon and drenched the soul like vintage liquor.

Destined to be a hit is the Radney Foster-Gorde Sampson opener, a stately rock number with a Bon Jovi-anthemic beat. "Measure of a Man" chronicles a coming of age story starting with a boy leaving home at 15. Without being told that "Lips of an Angel" was first recorded by rock act Hinder, it might easily sound like an Ingram original. A brooding bluesy ballad calling to mind Gary Allan's "Life Ain't Always Beautiful," "Lips of an Angel" describes with vivid details the feelings of a man on the verge of cheating on his girl. If such moral graft has left a bitter aftertaste, "Hold On" which features Sheryl Crowe on backing vocals has a more censurable disposition about the tenacity of love over circumstances. While the driving-guitars and barrier-smashing drums on Todd Snider's "Easy as One, Two, Three" is sonically infectious.

However, the album's highlights are in the contemplative moments. To prove that the triumph of a song resides not in its lyrical density but the sincerity of the words, "Ava Adele" is the bona fide example. With the simplest of words, this gentle guitar-driven lullaby is Ingram's love song to his daughter. Giving it depth and grit, Ingram's gravelly vocals brings out a magical quality to this heart-wrenching ballad. "Ava Adele" could easily be Ingram's magnum opus. While the mid-tempo "Maybe She'll Get Lonely" finds Ingram in Tim-McGraw territory as he holds to the sliver of hope that his departed paramour may return to him if she gets lonely. And as an added bonus, two of Ingram's previous hits the propulsive "Wherever You Are" and the more rockish "Love You" give this collection added heft.

Indeed Ingram has taken a step in the right direction by making his music appeal to a large spectrum of people vis-à-vis country radio without completely selling out. However, as a whole, Ingram has yet to reach the lofty heights he's capable of attaining. There are still pockets on this disc that still borders on the filler side (e.g., "All I Can Do" and "Make a Wish"). So, let us hope that Ingram is not serious about this album title: for this CD is definitely hopeful, but there is still some distance from reaching "it."
Take This to Your Grave
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ok its emo but its actually good.
  • Amazing!
  • Pure Love
  • awesome cd
  • Their best
 Take This to Your Grave
Fall Out Boy
Manufacturer: Fueled By Ramen
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
HardcoreHardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
PunkPunk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
EmoEmo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Punk-PopPunk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. From Under the Cork Tree
  2. Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girl
  3. From Under the Cork Tree [Limited "Black Clouds and Underdogs" Edition]
  4. Infinity on High
  5. Move Along

ASIN: B000092Q7L
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Tracks:

  1. Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to do Today
  2. Dead On Arrival
  3. Grand Theft Autumn/Where is Your Boy
  4. Saturday
  5. Homesick at Space Camp
  6. Sending Postcards from a Plane Crash (Wish You Were Here)
  7. Chicago is so Two Years Ago
  8. The Pros and Cons of Breathing
  9. Grenade Jumper
  10. Calm Before the Storm
  11. Reinventing the Wheel to Run Myself Over
  12. The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes

Album Description

Take This to Your Grave is Fall Out Boy's debut full-length CD. Featuring 12 tracks, it tells the tales of the obstacles that come with true friendships and the trials and tribulations of growing up. Drawing influences from a healthy wealth of rock, pop, and hardcore, Fall Out Boy has constructed a distinctive sound of unforgettable melodies, clever lyrics, and multifaceted guitar hooks. Fall Out Boy's diverse roots have helped them share the stage with such bands as Taking Back Sunday, OkGo and Less than Jake.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Ok its emo but its actually good........2007-07-01

So much for the 'emo' tag this is a damn good CD.

Powerful music well put together with lyrics that actually mean something. I wasnt too keen on getting this but after the first listen I realised that this was well worth the risk. You always know a good band when the lyrics stick in your mind and you find yourself singing along when you play it again.

If you have not heard Fall Out Boy before or you have but are not sure where to start, this is proably the best place to do so.

5 out of 5 stars Amazing!.......2007-06-28

I think this is definately their best album! I own all their albums and didn't really care for "From Under the Cork Tree", but this one is amazing! All the songs are upbeat and make you dance. I never have really liked this genre, but I have really enjoyed their music. I would recommend this album as well as their new one "Infinity on High". It's good stuff!

5 out of 5 stars Pure Love.......2007-05-08

I'm a huge fall out boy fan and when i say huge i mean HUGE
I've been to their concerts
I listen to them everyday
They are awesome
And so is this album.. its a great introduction to Fall Out Boy as it shows their "true" style (even though i still love their infinity on high stuff)
Favourite Tracks?
Reinventing the wheel to run myself over
dead on arrival
saturday
calm before the storm



love from a diehard

5 out of 5 stars awesome cd.......2007-05-03

it is an awesome cd a must have for any true FOB fan

5 out of 5 stars Their best.......2007-04-26

This is their best cd and will always be. The best song on it is calm before the storm. I dont like saturday that much but everything else is awesome. I cant wait till they make their new cd

-your hardest goodbye

Music:

  1. Rubberneck
  2. School Day Blues
  3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts... [Import]
  4. Since I Left You [Import]
  5. Sin City [Limited Edition] [Import]
  6. Space Wrangler
  7. Starfleeb Glixxen
  8. Strategem
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Music

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