Alternative Nation

alternative nation

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Introduction
2. Courtney Love Reads Suicide Letter, Pt. 1
3. Life Was Never Fun
4. Author Dave Thompson
5. Growing up/The Road to Nirvana
6. Early Nirvava
7. Editor Charles Cross
8. Jurt Speaks About Early Nirvana and Revolving Drummers
9. Never Mind
10. Bob Guccione Jr.
See all 30 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Introduction
2. David Lowery [Cracker]
3. Joan Osborne
4. Chris Barron [Spin Doctors]
5. Robin Wilson
6. Chris Barron
7. Feargal Lawler
8. Mark White
9. Bobby Sheehan
10. Goo Goo Dolls
See all 59 tracks on this disc

Alternative Nation,Various Artists,Delta,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Alternative Pop/Rock,American Trad Rock,Hard Rock,Poetry,Pop,Pop/Rock,Post-Grunge,Rock,Spoken Word


Alternative Nation
Build a Nation
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Give Thanks and Praises
  • I and I Praise the Brains
  • I never thought I would say this, but H.R.'s vocals are not up to par.
  • Destroy Babylon
  • Jah likes it and so do I
Build a Nation
Bad Brains
Manufacturer: Megaforce
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
HardcoreHardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
PunkPunk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
American PunkAmerican Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Reggae | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000PTYNJ0
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

  1. Give Thanks and Praises
  2. Jah People
  3. Pure Love
  4. Natty Dreadlocks 'Pon the Mountain Top
  5. Build a Nation
  6. Expand Your Soul
  7. Jah Love
  8. Universal Peace
  9. Roll On
  10. Until Kingdom Comes
  11. In The Beginning
  12. Send You No More Flowers
  13. Peace Be Unto Thee

Amazon.com

These African-American Rastafarians didn't just originate DC hardcore in the late 1970s with their incredibly fast and brilliant "Pay to Cum" single; they set the bar impossibly high. That the group is not hugely millionaires-with-jets popular is one of the music industry's travesties. But they've always had as much a penchant for pissing off the shaven headed moshers at their shows (playing lengthy dub songs) as for giving them what they want (supersonic riffage). Much of the album employs the metal-tinged sound the group's been flirting with since they were on SST in the late '80s. A third of the tracks are reggae numbers, and while you're not going to sell off all your Culture LPs after hearing those, they are definitely serviceable. Build a Nation is not as great as the ROIR cassette, but it's the best album they've made in years, and shows the band in awesome form. This is thanks in no small part to the production efforts of the Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch. As this is their second best-sounding proper album--the first being 1983's Ric Ocasek-produced Rock for Light--it's clear that the band should work only with their celebrity musician-fans at the helm from now on. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Give Thanks and Praises.......2007-07-12

I can't believe this album. Bad Brains haven't missed a beat, they are the best band ever and this album proves it. Buy this album and listen to it religiously, you will thank me later.

5 out of 5 stars I and I Praise the Brains.......2007-07-06

Bad Brains have always been rather tough to figure out, even as their influence extends across several realms of rock. Their interests in hardcore, reggae, and metal don't always gel into a cohesive overall sound, but on this long-awaited new album they are relentlessly pursuing all of their interests with a nearly flawless new focus. Somehow, Bad Brains make songs of different and seemingly incompatible styles work on the same album. Nobody else could sound even remotely believable jumping from hardcore punk to dub reggae to anthemic metal in successive songs. The band's always complicated lynchpin H.R. sounds rejuvenated and his lyrics and vocals have found a strong (but still as nearly-unhinged as ever) focus around Rastafari. Earl and Darryl jump from style to style flawlessly, and Dr. Know continues his savage mutations of every guitar style known to man. The band's diverse interests are probably combined most evenly in the opener "Give Thanks and Praise." "Jah People Make the World Go Round" is a high-flying slab of metal, and especially punishing hardcore workouts are found in "Expand Your Soul" and "Let There be Angels (Just Like You)." Meanwhile, Bad Brains lay down dub-inflected reggae like the best of the Jamaican masters in "Natty Dreadlocks 'pon the Mountain Top," "Jah Love," and the surprisingly sinuous "Until Kingdom Comes." And finally, the Bad Brains attack climaxes in the sinister and insistent "Universal Peace," the apocalyptic music of which belies the title perfectly. [~doomsdayer520~]

3 out of 5 stars I never thought I would say this, but H.R.'s vocals are not up to par. .......2007-07-04

I am as big of fan of the Bad Brains as you're going to find, going back to the early 80's. In fact, to this day, the best show I have ever seen was the Bad Brains in 1984 in San Francisco. So, when this release came out, I was totally pumped and picked it up the on the release day. Unfortunately, this CD just hasn't clicked for me. As others have said, it's almost as if the band is trying to make one record and HR is trying to do something else. Lyrically, it's what we would expect: Religious undertones and positive messages. On the punk songs, the music is fast, although somewhat sloppy. The production by Adam Yauch is decent, although fairly straightforward and simple. The vocals, however, are 2 or 3 tempos below the music and there are heavy effects on the vocals, including delays up the wazoo, which just get silly. In one way I respect what the band is trying to do, but they just don't seem to mesh with one another.

4 out of 5 stars Destroy Babylon.......2007-07-03

The band is on fire for the hardcore tracks, which definitely recall the ROIR sessions. HR, however, opts out of the rapid-fire delivery of yore and is content to repeat mantras or hang back and let the delay do its thing. It's evident that he's more into the reggae, which to my ears is the best the band has ever issued. Adam Yauch's production lends itself well to the reggae tracks-- filling them out with clavinet, brass, B-3, and other choice funky reggae and dubby spice. The reggae tracks sound so good that I'd almost rather hear the band do a whole album of them next time out (if there is a next time out). While HR sounds good on the smokin' rock tracks, it's obvious that he'd rather slowly and soulfully praise Jah than sing "Pay to Cum."

5 out of 5 stars Jah likes it and so do I.......2007-06-29

This is a fanatastic album from a band who never truly got thier due. They have influenced countless musicians(See 90% of Punk bands) and they have undeniable chemistry. Like Jenifer said "When Earl clicks those sticks, the synergy comes alive!!! So many bands search for a sound that is thiers alone and only a few achieve that goal. Bad Brains should be at the top of the list of those that succeeded. Thier music is thier recipe not trace paper (See 91% of bands out now). When I was listening to "Build a nation" I was amazed. If you play thier debut and than play this record, its like no space of time has passed. It feels vibrant, alive, energetic, and the grooves ebb and flow and throb. Sometimes the music kicks in high gear other times it just chills in waves, crashing and rolling against your lucky ears.

I have the utmost respect for the Bad Brains and I am truly grateful for this latest offering from a group of guys who are without equals. Jah loves them indeed!!!
Daydream Nation (Deluxe Edition)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The best album of 1988...and 2007!
  • HOLD UP. Daydream Nation Got Better?
  • Deluxe Treatment of Sonic Youth's Breakthrough Album
Daydream Nation (Deluxe Edition)
Sonic Youth
Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000Q3648S
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

  1. Teen Age Riot
  2. Silver Rocket
  3. The Sprawl
  4. 'Cross the Breeze
  5. Eric's Trip
  6. Total Trash
  7. Hey Joni
  8. Providence
  9. Candle
  10. Rain King
  11. KissabilityTrilogy:
  12. a) The Wonder
  13. b) Hyperstation
  14. z) Eliminator Jr.
  15. Eric's Trip (home demo- bonus demo track)

Tracks:

  1. The Sprawl
  2. 'Cross the Breeze
  3. Hey Joni
  4. Silver Rocket
  5. Kissability
  6. Eric's Trip
  7. Candle
  8. The Wonder
  9. Hyperstation
  10. Eliminator Jr.
  11. Providence
  12. Teen Age Riot
  13. Rain King
  14. Totally Trashed
  15. Total Trash
  16. Within You, Without You (Cover Song)
  17. Touch Me, I'm Sick (Cover Song)
  18. Computer Age (Cover Song)
  19. Electricity (Cover Song)

Album Description

"100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s" (Rolling Stone, 1989)
"100 Alternative Albums" (Spin, 1995)
"Top 99 Albums of `85 to `95" (Alternative Press, 1995)
"The Essential 200 Rock Records" (Rolling Stone, 1997)
"Top 100 Albums of All Time" (New Musical Express, 2003)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The best album of 1988...and 2007!.......2007-06-22

The fifth album (more or less) by The Best Rock Band of the Last 25 Years should need no introduction, and indeed if you're interested in buying the deluxe edition of Sonic Youth's "Daydream Nation," I can presume you're probably already a fan. You already know how the album summed up and then changed the course of the underground rock movement of the 80s, how the ample attention of critics, then music fans, then record labels set the stage for the alternative rock revolution of the 90s--oh well whatever Nevermind and yada yada yada. If, however, you haven't already drank the Kool-Aid (and you should!), some brief notes about the "basic" edition...

"Daydream Nation" is still hailed as Sonic Youth's grand masterpiece, and yeah, it still holds up as such (confession: it's my second favorite SY album after Sister), even if it doesn't seem as radical today as it did when it came out. Sure, there are swirling whirlwinds of oddly-(de)tuned guitars and feedback fading in, out and sometimes interrupting the songs, but make no mistake, there are definitely songs to be found here. The openening "Teenage Riot" is, for its galloping drums and lyrical cheekiness (imagining Dinosaur Jr's J. Mascis as president, or so Thurston Moore has said) basically a melodic and even hummable pop song. Even a more "experimental" song like "The Sprawl" has a certain immediacy, with bassist/vocalist Kim Gordon saying straigt out "does f**k you sound simple enough?" Heck, the closing "trilogy" of the album has all the power and intensity familiar to any classic rock fans, only with a live-wire buzzing and skree that comes from playing in one of Glenn Branca's guitar-army ensembles. Really, it's not so radical after all (for a taste of something far weirder, check out Twin Infinitives, which was released around the same time as DN by Royal Trux, a New York band friendly with Sonic Youth).

For us fan(atic)s, the real treat here is the second disc of this set, which features live versions of all the album's tracks, culled from the band's original tour supporting the album, albeit in a different order (SY has recently announced it will play "Daydream Nation" as part of a special show, presumably in the album's running order). These tracks, mostly of excellent sound quality, are shorter but sharper than the album versions. "Total Trash" is done as an instrumental (I could be wrong, but they seem to be quoting the early Pink Floyd's instrumental "Interstellar Overdrive" in one spot), preceded by another instrumental, "Totally Trashed," which toys around with electronics a bit. Mostly these are no-holds-barred performances that clearly draw on the band's love of hardcore punk and NYC No Wave (DNA, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks). I don't know how a non-fan would react, but for yours truly it's pure Sonic bliss.

Another great bonus on disc two is the inclusion of four cover songs, three of which were taken from now hard-to-find tribute albums (this was before that concept got beaten to death): "Within You Without You" (The Beatles), "Computer Age" (Neil Young) and "Electricity" (Captain Beefheart). There's also a version of Mudhoney's "Touch Me I'm Sick," with demented vocals from Kim, taken from a split 7" (as in vinyl, kids) that had the other band doing SY's "Halloween" on the reverse (alas, that version isn't included here). The Beatles cover in particular shows how the band could translate their sound into completely different realms--the original, of course, was played mostly with sitars.

Add all that to a package that includes ultra-Kool, and rare, pictures and an extensive essay by longtime SY friend Byron Coley, and you have a true Sonic feast. Like they did with the Goo Deluxe Edition and the Dirty (Deluxe Edition), Sonic Youth rewards fans and newcomers alike almost to the bursting point. Now let's hope they burn down the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame before too long...

5 out of 5 stars HOLD UP. Daydream Nation Got Better?.......2007-06-13

Q: Sonic Youth is amazingness wrapped in pita bread?
A: Yes.

Q: Daydream Nation defined an entire generation of amazingness?
A: Yes.

Q: The new re-issue of Daydream Nation preserves the original amazingness while adding just enough ancillary material to make it that much more perfect?
A: Yes.

Q; Everyone should buy this new disc, regardless of whether they like Sonic Youth or not?
A: Yes.

Sweet.

5 out of 5 stars Deluxe Treatment of Sonic Youth's Breakthrough Album.......2007-06-12

Daydream Nation is clearly Sonic Youth's breakthrough album. A two lp set that focused all their previous ideas into one cohesive and brilliant album. The songs are stretched out more (though still song length)giving more of an idea of what they sounded like live. Music at this time was stuck in pop doldrums. Sonic Youth, which had built up a cult following, after the release of this album were then signed by a major label and brought all the indie rock bands into the light eventually including one that was just getting a start in Seattle that would soon eclipse all of them in popularity. However, back to Daydream Nation. The sprawling, though in no way self indulgent quality of the album took Sonic Youth into a new direction. Now, in getting the deluxe reissue treatment,it sheds new light on the album. On the 2nd disc you not only get live versions of all of the songs on the album (and Sonic Youth live takes what they do in the studio to a new level) but rarities as their version of "Within You, Without You" which was previously only available on a rare tribute album. If Daydream Nation were released for the first time this year, it would be one of the best albums of the year and with this deluxe reissue, in many ways it is.
Daydream Nation
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Takes time but worth the wait
  • very good for the avant garde accepting folks
  • Excellent mais moins que les précédents
  • Loved It
  • Sonic Youth's Masterpiece: Daydream Nation
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003TAL
Release Date: 1993-11-23

Tracks:

  1. Teen Age Riot
  2. Silver Rocket
  3. The Sprawl
  4. 'Cross The Breeze
  5. Eric's Trip
  6. Total Trash
  7. Hey Joni
  8. Providence
  9. Candle
  10. Rain King
  11. Kissability
  12. Trilogy: A) The Wonder/B) Hyperstation/Z) Eliminator Jr.
  13. Trilogy: b) Hyperstation
  14. Trilogy: z) Eliminator Jr.

Amazon.com essential recording

The essential New York rock band of the post-punk era, Sonic Youth care as much about the quasi-symphonic, microtonal art-guitar music of composers like Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca as they do about the rock-song form, and with Daydream Nation, they struck their greatest balance between the two. The songs hover gorgeously for extended lengths, letting guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo intertwine fragile tonalities as carefully as it's possible to do at wall-shaking volume, while Moore and bassist Kim Gordon's untutored voices disaffectedly intone words that flirt with pop stupidity, high-art eloquence, and urban cool. When they bear down and rock, they do it with a blurry intensity that finds gorgeousness at the heart of discord. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Takes time but worth the wait.......2007-07-05

Yeh this album may take a while to get into for some but stick with it, it is well worth the wait. For me though I have to say teenage riot just hooked me from the off great track with a beautiful slow build up. This album doesnt realy hit you straight off but rather gets you by supprise. Realy dont know how I can describe this album as you can hear so many influences coming through from Black Flag to the Velvet Underground.

Buy this and give it a listen, then listen again. It will grow on you.

5 out of 5 stars very good for the avant garde accepting folks.......2007-06-14

sonic youth is not for everyone.they have a raw style which is anything but pretty and radio-freindly.with that said they're also one of the most inventive bands to come along in quite some time because of the risks they've taken and how they approach song composition.if you can stand a little noise from a band who are trying to sound beautiful in a much different way than most,give em a try and you shouldn't be dissapointed!

4 out of 5 stars Excellent mais moins que les précédents.......2007-05-30

Avec Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth se réinventent, ils adoptent un nouveau son... plus commercial. Bien sûr l'album est truffé de passage rappelant la sonorité organique et grafignée du trop bon vieux matériel (Confusion is Sex / Kill yr. idol, Evol, Bad moon Rising, Sister...) mélange d'humus automnal d'une forêt mixte et d'effluves pubères de crasse de plancher d'un squat frisquet où l'on se réchauffe en se blotissant entre amis sincères. Mais pour le reste, Sonic Youth nous amène dans des territoires beaucoup moins riches (c'est ce que mes trippes me disent...)Dans le matériel subséquent, j'aime bien Dirty, A Thousand Leaves et NYC Ghost & Flowers, si ça peut vous aider à savoir si vous devez considérer mon opinion ou pas. Je donne quand même 4 étoiles parce que c'est un album très excellent, seulement, c'est la fin du meilleur et le début du plus ordinaire. En ce sens, on peut le considérer comme un condensé de l'oeuvre de Sonic Youth.

5 out of 5 stars Loved It.......2007-04-17

I bought Daydream Nation after hearing the opening track (Teenage Riot) on the radio, I oynly really bought the album for that song, but as I soon found out the album is packed to the rim with songs that are just as good if not better then Teenage Riot. As many grunge albums are this is a grower, and I can see how many people would not like this album, but for me I loved this. It easily enters my Top 10 albums.

I believe that Sonic Youth are one of the most underated bands in the history of music and had they continued with this form (ie actually having a song structure) they could have been credited with starting Grunge instead of Nirvana who are incorrectly described as inventing grunge.

However f you enjoy Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Replacements or anything grunge I advise you give this album a go.

5 out of 5 stars Sonic Youth's Masterpiece: Daydream Nation.......2007-04-02

This is INCREDIBLE work to say the least. An '80s Alterna-"indie"-Rock staple. Sonic Youth is MUCH MORE than your average experimental noise underground (at the time) Rock 'n' Roll band. Daydream Nation VAULTED Sonic Youth: Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, & Steve Shelley to a NEW level of recognition as pioneers of Rock n Roll past and original trailblazers in a dawn of a new beginning. Basically the album that made Sonic Youth famous, while still being in N.Y.s indie music scene.
Originally released in 1988, Daydream Nation is Sonic Youth's sixth studio release, containing an album's worth of their coolest breezy, energetic songs and stretching Rock to far unreachable heights.
S.Y. brought their sound into the mainstream, influencing hundreds of bands including Nirvana. My Favorite songs on Daydream Nation: Opener "Teen Age Riot" - "Silver Rocket" - "The Sprawl" - 'Cross the Breeze" - "Hey Joni" - "Candle" -contains a reference to "Tonight's The Night"(1975) by Neil Young w/ line: "It's safe to say, Candle, TONIGHT'S the DAY -Candle, It's alright now candle, the wind's away-Candle. Never thought I'd see a dark sky falling....."
I sometimes wonder in what state "Alternative" music would be in without Sonic Youth. They changed and shifted the landscape's sound into a more radical, apocalyptic state. And who would of thought they would go on so many years, as of now 25+ & 18(+)-(there are a lot of side projects); albums or so, some are better than others and I own all studio albums.
In 1990 Sonic Youth released Goo (their 7th) their first for major-label DGC, to reach a wider more appreciative audience. And in 1991 Nirvana followed going to major label DGC and igniting the "grunge" movement in the mainstream. But, believe me Daydream Nation (NOT Goo) has GAINED my attention as well as thousands(+) more! One SERIOUS Record.
Another one of my ALL TIME favorites. It is also cited as making a vast array of "greatest albums of all time" lists(quoted from double album re-issue including live 2nd disc).
To me, this is the best 80s album I have ever heard and Sonic Youth's absolute Best.
Wild Mountain Nation
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Pavement + Sergio Leone + early Beck = Blitzen
Wild Mountain Nation
Blitzen Trapper
Manufacturer: Lidkercow Ltd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000QUCPL6
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

  1. Devil's A-Go-Go
  2. Wild Mountain Nation
  3. Futures & Folly
  4. Miss Spiritual Tramp
  5. Woof & Warp Of the Quiet Giant's Hem
  6. Sci-Fi Kid
  7. Wild Mtn. Jam
  8. Hot Tip/Tough Cub
  9. The Green King Sings
  10. Summer Town
  11. Murder Babe
  12. Country Caravan
  13. Badger's Black Brigade

Album Description

"Remember Beck before his career devolved into magazine-pleasing genre exercises? These guys have the same bent, rustic perspective on popcraft, and a heap of ambition." -- Pitchfork "A chewy mash-up of groovy, Syd Barrett-y quirkiness and Elephant Six-style songsmithing ... strangely, lucidly polished." -- CMJ "A dense but playful collage of indie rock, folk, and junkyard aesthetic electronic music. It's messy and loose and joyful and full of shouts and lo-fi drums." -- Skyscraper

Teeming Portland-based musical clan Blitzen Trapper is pleased to announce the arrival of its third brood of offspring--songs, that is--in the shape of an album called Wild Mountain Nation. Brought forth in a spasm of creative mania, Nation is rough-hewn but lush, crackling (sometimes audibly) with a weird and lucid energy. From outer space to down on the farm, campfire sing-along to atonal dystopia, the new album is a raucous constellation of favorite souvenirs from the Trapper's gamut-running musical adventures. As usual, the group's trusty fourtrack was used to capture the "souls" of the songs, which were then buried in a rich soil of sweat and love so that in due time a delicious, varied harvest of fresh music was drooping from the vine. Taste it--it's good! A sextet of old friends whose youths were spent wandering the hoary forests and high desert plateau of the Pacific Northwest, Blitzen Trapper has long been a stalwart of the Portland music community, rocking audiences of all ages, socioeconomic groups, and species with its unique sonic blend of Zane Grey, Darjeeling tea, candy wrappers, and Choose Your Own Adventure. Though you may mistake the members for can collectors or immigrant day laborers, the group loves you very much and promises to slave away at the office to keep Wild Mountain Nation and the other kids well fed and tastefully attired.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Pavement + Sergio Leone + early Beck = Blitzen.......2007-07-01

This record is a fun mixing of styles. There is hard rock, dance, alt-country, dance, and more. This mixed bag works on almost every track, each being engaging and unpredictable. If you like unpredictable indie-rock then this record is for you. Kudos to the band.

A note on the mastering: Like virtually all new rock records, this one is mastered way too loud. It is still listenable however. The damage done by the audio engineer is not excessive, it's tolerable. I wish bands would insist on proper mastering. it would benefit them as a properly mastered record is more likely to produce an emotional reaction in the listener. And thats how you get loyal fans, by touching people on an emotional level.
My Private Nation
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Definitely a good listen.
  • 3 stars is actually VERY good...
  • The ride continues
  • Finally!
  • A Very Good CD
My Private Nation
Train
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Drops of Jupiter
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ASIN: B0000945JB
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Tracks:

  1. Calling All Angels
  2. All American Girl
  3. When I Look To The Sky
  4. Save The Day
  5. My Private Nation
  6. Get To Me
  7. Counting Airplanes
  8. Following Rita
  9. Your Every Color
  10. Lincoln Avenue
  11. I'm About To Come Alive

Amazon.com

Train is building a reputation as one of rock's tightest outfits one single at a time. The clever and sweet "Meet Virginia" was eclipsed by the gorgeous "Drops of Jupiter." My Private Nation may well prove these guys can squeeze more than one hit out of the album--although none are as enchanting as their breakthrough single. They continue to gravitate toward Elton John-inspired keys-and-guitar arrangements that are marked by studied rhythms and stellar production. While there's inventiveness to be found in these songs, there's a sameness to the tracks that makes the album as a whole fall a little flat. While attempting to recapture the grandeur of "Drops of Jupiter" on the opening song, "Calling All Angels," they overreach, and the pop-culture references scattered throughout date almost instantly. My Private Nation is a clean, intelligent disc, but it's also safe and middle of the road. Train's fans would be richly rewarded if the band took a few more risks. --Beth Massa

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Definitely a good listen........2007-02-26

Starting out with the one two punch of "Calling All Angels" and "All American Girl" was interesting. I was waiting to see if the band could match the energy and sheer tuneful nature of these two cuts. I found myself impressed because the band maintains the quality throughout. I think the band was finding their footing after the uneven nature of DROPS OF JUPITER. There are a number of good cuts here from the edgy title cut to the plaintive "Lincoln Avenue" there is a maturity here and it is appreciated. I still think the lyrics are still a bit simplistic, there is no mystery everything is spelled out a bit too clearly, but this is definitely a good listen.

3 out of 5 stars 3 stars is actually VERY good..........2006-10-19

Personally I like to compare music on a larger scale, from band to band and generation to generation...it makes no sense to me to rate a band against itself within it's own catalog. That being said, if an album like Led Zep's "Stairway to Heaven" gets 5 stars, you should be able to appreciate the 3 star rating here.

Train is a very unique band with a southern flair that sports respectable talent and enjoyable creative/energy. The commercial stuff on this album will appeal to most and (that alone) can justify purchasing this CD. For some of us, like myself, however, there's much more enjoyment to be had. For instance, my favorite song on this CD is "Save the Day" - it's fun/upbeat, it's very clever in using analogies (the lyrics are great if you "get it"), and it's a very different and unique sound that shows "personality". "Calling All Angels" on the other hand, in my ears, is a very boring song that I usually skip past. Go figure.

In short, if you like what you heard on the radio from Train, you will really enjoy this CD - one song or another.

4 out of 5 stars The ride continues.......2006-03-18

My Private Nation is without doubt the strongest of Trains albums to date. From the opening bars of Calling all Angels thru to the closing I'm about to come alive, the band alternatively rocks, croons, harmonises and generally pleases this punter. OK I know its a different genre, but I think Train is to the 2000's as the Eagles were to the 70's. Sorry Train! What I mean by that comment is Train's ability to bring together many influences and deliver great rock music. There melodies and harmonies are right up there and they above all are having fun. I digress, the point is Save the Day, Get to Me and the title track are classics. Am patiently waiting for the 4th album to be released in NZ, the single "Cab" is here and fantastic so I can continue my Train ride.

5 out of 5 stars Finally!.......2006-02-19

Let me preface this review with some demographics. I'm a classic rocker that grew up in the late 70's and early 80's. Led Zeppelin, Styx, The Eagles and Journey, and the like, will always be what "real" rock is. Unfortunately I have spent the better part of two decades wondering what the hell happened to rock music. While following the careers and products of those from my past, I also listened to all the new stuff and just didn't get it I guess. But as I kept trying, the newbies all pretty much seemed like flash in the pan artists seeking their 15 minutes of fame.

Train has what I've been missing and this album (CD) brought it all together. They got it right, and are right on. This CD is easily one of the ten I have to take to my deserted island. Yes right up there with Led Zeppelin (4) and The White Album, Boston, And Etc. To be honest I've always struggled with who else would fill out that list. But this one will be there.

Many of the feelings and issues dealt with here just seem to speak to me personally and maybe that's my connection. But At my age I was losing my faith in rock and roll its future and wondering if I'd wasted my life as rooted to music as it has been. Train and this album have saved me.

Calling all Angels will be a classic in the annals of Rock and Roll, mark my words, and wait and see. But When I Look to the Sky, has touched my soul, and will be one of those songs I sing to myself when no one else is around and I need to reset my bearings.

The artistry in this CD seems to show the maturation of the band and its members. I'm sure some of these were very personal to these artists. My greatest fear is that they will decide or worse be persuaded by others or society to move away from what they have used to get where they are. But the integrity of there music so far seems to suggest they can be here for the long haul. Hopefully they will shut out the noise and just play, while we all reap the benefits. I was getting worried that I hadn't heard of anything new from Train, but as of the day I wrote this I saw they just released For Me It's You. Thus my hope is building.

While Keith Richards might live forever, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, and Steve Tyler won't. Finally I have some hope for the future.

4 out of 5 stars A Very Good CD.......2005-09-30

Very enjoyable to listen to. Get to Me is my favorite song.
Empires
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Best of VNV Nation
  • Classic VNV Nation
  • Musical Mass Culture Introspective
  • MUSICAL PHENOMONA
  • Awesome.
Empires
VNV Nation
Manufacturer: Metropolis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Industrial DanceIndustrial Dance | Industrial | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
ElectronicaElectronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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ElectronicaElectronica | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Praise the Fallen
  2. Dark Angel
  3. Honour 2003
  4. Gelb
  5. First and Last and Always

ASIN: B00004T0LI
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

  1. Firstlight
  2. Kingdom
  3. Rubicon
  4. Saviour
  5. Fragments
  6. Distant (Rubicon II)
  7. Standing
  8. Legion
  9. Darkangel
  10. Arclight

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Best of VNV Nation.......2007-05-07

I've bought several VNV Nation albums recently, and this is definitely my favorite. Ronan Harris's songs become technically more complex starting with this CD, and music is very smooth (as opposed to the harsher beats in "Praise the Fallen" and "Advance and Follow"). If you're looking for a great vocalist, this isn't the CD for you. Ronan lets the music do most of the work, but the lyrics are very evocative.

The first track is pretty dull, but right after the songs pick up. "Kingdom" starts off the CD with a decent trance-like sound. "Rubicon" is one of my favorite tracks, as it combines moving lyrics (taken in context with the song title) with great music that fits it surprisingly well. "Fragments" is a quick song, with a beat reminiscent of songs on "Praise the Fallen." The rest of the songs are excellent as well. The album has a lot of fast, upbeat sounding tracks; only three are dull, in my opinion (though "Distant" should sound that way, given its context).

Overall, it's a great CD with good lyrics and good music. If you like smooth sounding electronic music, this is for you.

5 out of 5 stars Classic VNV Nation.......2007-05-06

VNV Nation is easily one of my all time favorite bands. I discovered VNV Nation about four years ago and have been hooked since then. What has always appealed to me is the combination of heartfelt lyrics and epic dance beats. I consider the band's third album "Empires" to be classic VNV Nation. After seven years since its release, "Empires" still sounds remarkably fresh with its crisp, infectious synth melodies. My favorite song has to be the lush ballad "Standing" with its haunting melodies and emotionally moving lyrics. The combination of the melodies and lyrics always moves me to the very core of my soul every time I listen to the song. I think this song is one of the best songs Ronan Harris has ever written. The lyrics to "Kingdom" are also great in an epic and grandeur sense. My favorite instrumental track is "Saviour". I will say that I prefer the vox version of "Saviour" (found on the rare "Burning Empires" EP). The instrumental track has a good dance beat. I like the build up in the song but the song is a lot better with Ronan's vocals. I am not really too big on the other instrumental tracks on the album like "Firstlight". They didn't have the same catchy pop hooks that "Saviour" has. Another minor flaw is that Ronan's vocals tends to be monotonous. Most of the time I am not bother by his vocals but if I am not in a good mood, I will tend to find his vocals rather annoying but that is rare. Another great song on the album is "Fragments" which is a bit more harsh and abrasive than "Standing" and "Kingdom". The high level of energy in the song shines through and will make the listener want to jump and down. "Distant (Rubicon II)" turns down a few notches. It is another wonderful ballad. It is a nice segueway into "Standing". If there was one album by VNV Nation I would recommend to anyone curious about the band, I strongly recommend getting "Empires" first.

5 out of 5 stars Musical Mass Culture Introspective.......2007-02-21

There are very few people out there, let alone bands, who are willing to broach the concepts that VNV thrusts into its songs - nevermind the fact that the result sounds absolutely superb.

This album is a marker for the band, engaging EBM and Industrial sounds and rythms with unadulterated vocals rather uncommon to the scene: self-labeled "futurepop" that runs the emotional gamut from slow and subtle to the heart-pounding, foot-stomping adrenaline rush. The album is a favorite with diehard, longstanding VNV fans as well as those new to the sound altogether; the lyrics are painfully insistant, to the point of easily being interpreted a call to action. The vocals are also a crowning gem, and are organic - generally an unsynthesized breath of fresh air - and feel more like active poetry or the oral traditions of ages long gone. The sounds are better executed than armfulls of other bands, and the combination is unforgettable and irreplacable.

VMV deserves a place with the music greats, and thus far have never been matched in depth or skill in their field.

5 out of 5 stars MUSICAL PHENOMONA.......2006-07-25

This is probably among the most best band of today, or at LEAST lyrically, they are miles ahead of many musicians today, Standing is extremely emotive, beautiful, the lyrics are great throughout this whole CD, heck all the melody on this cd, along with his voice, is all outstanding, it's sad that this cd or Futureperfect isn't on the Rolling Stones 500 greatest cd's of all time, especailly considering some of the cd's they have on it that don't even compare with VNV

5 out of 5 stars Awesome........2006-05-31

At some point in 2005, someone recommended that I give VNV Nation a listen and suggested that I find "Matter + Form" first. I agreed and was satisfactorily impressed, but I had the nagging feeling that there was something more to this group than what that album had let onto. I dug a little deeper and discovered "Empires," and rather than being mildly content with my find, I was blown away. "Empires" was everything I had wanted from an electronic music album but had previously been unable to find.

Basically, there are two types of songs on "Empires": one type is slow, soft, introspective, and comparatively rare; the other type is fast, hard, (still) introspective, and thankfully abundant. The interesting thing about "Empires" (and VNV Nation in general) is that while much of the music possesses obvious electronic pop sensibilities (familiar chord-progression patterns and common rhythms, for example) the music never becomes accessible enough to qualify as "pop." The song "Rubicon" is perhaps the perfect example of this; the song moves along at a galloping speed, has a catchy chorus, irresistable arpeggiated chords that bring to mind Tangerine Dream sped up to 180 BPM, and a set of lyrics that any songwriter should be jealous of. And despite all of these factors, the song, the album, the band are all too cerebral, too Apollonian, simply too above it all to appeal to most of the plebs who dance the night away to derivative electro in darkened rooms under chemical enhancement. The pulsating instrumental "Saviour" is the song that comes closest to being a rave hit, but still manages to impress upon the listener that there is more going on here than music designed to get one's body moving. Harsher tracks populate the second half of the album, reaching their climax with the angry, determined "Darkangel" and then falling into the abyss with the calm, contemplative "Arclight," which completes the circle of the album by lengthening and adding a vocal line to the instrumental "Firstlight" that began the album. This structuring is significant because the album is meant to portray the lifespan of a generic empire (although arguably one based almost entirely on Caesar's Rome). In this, the album suceeds admirably, as the excellent lyrics prove.

The only negative about "Empires" is the fifth track, "Fragments." It is atonal and dissonant, lacking any but the most superficial similarity to the far more sophisticated tracks on the album. It sounds not unlike several tracks on the band's follow-up "Futureperfect," but given the greatness of the other 9 tracks, a single misstep is easily forgivable. Being one of my top 5 favorite albums from any genre, "Empires" is highly recommended to anyone who appreciates electronic music that is more than a catchy beat.
This Nation's Saving Grace
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • I Am Mark E. Smith
  • Buy it anyway! (If you own it already you shouldn't really be here)
  • OY
  • No Hits.....but one helluva record!
  • Feel The Wrath Of My Bombast....
This Nation's Saving Grace
The Fall
Manufacturer: Beggars UK - Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Hardcore & PunkHardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Vinyl Records | American Punk | British Punk | Emo | Garage Punk | Hardcore | Post Hardcore | Proto Punk | Punk | Punk Revival | Punk-Pop | Riot Grrl | Ska Punk | Straight Edge
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  1. Hex Enduction Hour
  2. Suicide (First Album)
  3. Sister
  4. Tago Mago
  5. Grotesque (After the Gramme)

ASIN: B00000189I
Release Date: 1997-08-12

Tracks:

  1. Mansion
  2. Bombast
  3. Barmy
  4. What You Need
  5. Spoilt Victorian Child
  6. L.A.
  7. Vixen
  8. Couldn't Get Ahead
  9. Gut of the Quantifier
  10. My New House
  11. Paint Work
  12. I Am Damo Suzuki
  13. To NK Roachment: Yarbles
  14. Petty Thief Lout
  15. Rollin' Danny
  16. Cruisers Creek

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars I Am Mark E. Smith.......2006-03-13

Though to some extent the Fall are a "single's band" they still have put out a lot of solid albums. Owning all of them might bankrupt you so besides any of their greatest hits albums (as long as they focus on older material) this is the place to start. This Nation's Saving Grace sounds like a monologue on everything from Margaret Thatcher era England (Spoilt Victorian Child)to the leader of one of the group's greatest influences, Can (I am Damo Suzuki) over angular post punk/funk rhythms. I prefer it over Gang of Four as This Nation's Saving Grace is not guilty of being didactic but instead is a chunk of bile and vitriol that must have been on Steve Albini's turntable more than once. I don't know whether the current bunch of post punkers from Williamsburg that slavishly imitate this sound are a good or bad thing. However, the Fall, despite line up changes are still a solid band and This Nation's Saving Grace is their most focused musical statement.

4 out of 5 stars Buy it anyway! (If you own it already you shouldn't really be here).......2006-02-10

Good solid Fall. Fine stuff. But... well, you know. YOU know! Popular, commercial Fall. Some danceable numbers. But it doesn't live with you as long as many other Fall pieces. Maybe it's just a bit too.. clean. Good album for Fall newcomers perhaps. But it isn't as abrasive, unsettling or amusing as so much other material. John Peel was a bit put out that so many (students probably) had voted "LA" into the festive 50 that year. I wonder why.

4 out of 5 stars OY.......2005-08-23

Perfect pub music for bruisers with bad teeth and sharp minds. Edgy, jarring, melodic, a little bit of everything. Makes you want to pour your Guiness over Thatcher's head.

5 out of 5 stars No Hits.....but one helluva record!.......2005-01-31

I was into the Fall back in the day ever since my college radio station received the "Totally Wired" single. I picked up several of the 12"s & "Wonderful Word...." album. Somehow this one passed me by on its original release. So when I saw this cd in a bargain bin (new) for $4.99 I couldn't say no.....and it's turned out to be The Fall album I always pop in my CD player when I have a hankering to hear Mark E's voice. All the tracks on this one are very good & I can play it from beginning to end w/out having to skip tracks. Lots of bouncy danceable, toe-tapping, but raucous tunes whose melody clashes with Mark E.'s bizarre vocals. Now if Mark E was more forthright in writing lyrics & they made videos with big bosomed girls in cheerleading outfits & they stuck to a little more conventional rock sound, they may have received the reception of The Knack or Cheap Trick or Nirvanna or The Hives. But thank god Mark E is a nutter...

5 out of 5 stars Feel The Wrath Of My Bombast...........2004-11-29

With those words, Mark E. Smith more or less sums up The Fall's entire aesthetic. Even when the music moved in a poppy direction, Smith's rambling bursts of vitrol always remained front and center. After the pop-influenced, but no less brilliant Wonderful And Frightening World Of The Fall, This Nation's Saving Grace returns the band to a more atonal direction, one which blends the shiny textures of the "Brix-era" with the feedback-drenched cacophony of Hex Enduction Hour. "Bombast," "Barmy," and "My New House" are all The Fall doing The Fall and doing it without sounding the least bit redundant. There's even the synth-jittery "L.A.," a minimalistic piece of pop that only Smith and his crew could pull off. What perhaps makes The Fall so significant is that their layout was ripe for repeating itself, yet they always sounded vital. Maybe it's also for the sub-avant-garde experiments like "Paint Work" and "I Am Damo Suzuki." But The Fall still sound unquestionably original today, not just because music is in an awful state, but because nobody can touch what they did.
Old School Nation, Vol. 2
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Digitally Remastered From The Original Master Tapes!
  • this is the party mix
  • Great series of rare 12" versions on CD
Old School Nation, Vol. 2
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Hi-Bias Canada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Dance & DJDance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Old School Nation
  2. Grand 12 Inches, Vol. 1
  3. Grand 12 Inches, Vol. 2
  4. Grand 12 Inches, Vol. 3
  5. Old School Jams, Vol. 3

ASIN: B0007MAKL0
Release Date: 2005-02-21

Tracks:

  1. Tainted Love - Soft Cell
  2. Please Don't Go [Extended Mix] - K.W.S.
  3. Point of No Return [Vocal Long Version] - Nu Shooz
  4. Looking for a New Love [Club Edit] - Jody Watley
  5. Move Out [12" Mix] - Nancy Martinez
  6. Walking on Sunshine - Donnie Calvin, Rockers Revenge
  7. Love Child [Extended Version] - Sweet Sensation
  8. Dreamer [Original Club Mix] - Livin' Joy
  9. I Beg Your Pardon [Club Mix]
  10. Candy Girl [Long Version] - New Edition
  11. We Are Family [Long Version] - Sister Sledge
  12. I Wanna Be the One [Original Version] - Stevie B

Tracks:

  1. Let It Whip [12" Mix] - Dazz Band
  2. Ain't Nobody [Long Play Version] - Chaka Khan, Rufus & Chaka Khan
  3. Sending All My Love [Club Mix] - Linear
  4. Crush on You [Extended Version] - The Jets
  5. I'm Alive [12" Original] - Stretch & Vern
  6. Return of the Mack [C&J Street Mix] - Mark Morrison
  7. Oh Shelia [Extended Version] - Ready for the World
  8. I Thought It Was You [12" Mix] - Sex-O-Sonique
  9. Bass (How Low Can You Go) [Extended Version] - Simon Harris
  10. Fantasy Girl [Club Mix] - Johnny O.
  11. Venus [Extended Version] - Bananarama
  12. Smalltown Boy [12" Mix] - Bronski Beat

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Digitally Remastered From The Original Master Tapes!.......2007-01-09

Like all other Hi-Bias releases this one shines when it comes to the mastering! Just like the 'Retro:Active' releases from Hi-Bias the liner notes state that the music has been "mastered using the 'Aural Submission' process. Any audio imperfections are due to original source masters". The results? Stunning!!! I can't believe how incredible some of these recordings sound, namely the early 80's tracks: "Let It Whip" by The Dazz Band (1982) sounds incredible with it's heavy bass line and full dynamic range. Of course, this track is only one example.

Soft Cell's 12" of "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go" has never sounded better than on this release. This 12" is readily available on numerous compilations all over the world. I have never heard it sound better than on here! It's incredibly rich, crisp, and heavy sounding for a 1981 recording! It really puts the 2002 Mercury/Universal 'Non-Stop Erotic Caberet' so-called "remaster" to shame! Sorry, but that master sounded flat and thin! It's a real treat finally having an older recording like this in my collection with it's best sound ever.

As one reviewer pointed out the 2-CD set does have it's faults. While the majority of the tracks are the original 12" versions a few LP tracks have found their way here. For example, Bronski Beat's 1984 smash "Smalltown Boy" features in it's original LP version, not the official 12" mix that's listed. The original 12" clocks in over 9 minutes. It clocks in at it's standard 5:01 LP version here. It's really a shame that this was overlooked because I was looking forward to finally having the real 12" version in stunning audio. Nonetheless, this does not disappoint! This is easily the best-sounding version I've heard of the track.

Many of these tracks really don't show their age in terms of sound quality due to the brilliant mastering. I have never heard any of these tracks sound better on any previous releases I own. I highly recommend this release in addition to the other 'Old School Nation' volumes for fans looking for the best-sounding 12" versions out there!

5 out of 5 stars this is the party mix.......2006-07-12

What can i say this is the perfect old school dance cd with hard to find remix's this is a must have for anyone you enjoys a good dance songs from the past order it today and enjoy ooh and be sure to pick up vol 1 as well the 1st is just as good...dance dance dance

5 out of 5 stars Great series of rare 12" versions on CD.......2005-08-15

Mostly 80s focused, but with an occasional 90s track too, these are some classic tracks you've been wanting on CD. Get both volumes, and let's hope for a third!!! Track times:

CD1:

1. tainted love (8:56)
2. please don't go (6:08)
3. point of no return (5:51)
4. looking for a new love (5:05) (edited!!!)
5. move out (6:04)
6. walking on sunshine (4:43)
7. love child (5:25)
8. dreamer (5:38)
9. I beg your pardon (6:32)
10. candy girl (7:18)
11. we are family (8:20)
12. I wanna be the one (4:33)

CD2:

1. let it whip (6:07)
2. ain't nobody (4:40)
3. sending all my love (4:47) (this is not the 12" version)
4. crush on you (6:17)
5. I'm alive (7:13)
6. return of the mack (4:33)
7. oh Sheila (6:48)
8. I thought it was you (6:43)
9. bass (5:47)
10. fantasy girl (7:51)
11. venus (8:24) (not the original 12" mix, which is the best mix)
12. smalltown boy (5:01) (album version, not 12")
Big Damn Nation
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Original Slide Blues With Old Time Delta Feel.
  • Refreshing
  • RIYL :T-model Ford, RL Burnside, Charley Patton
  • Very Bad
Big Damn Nation
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Manufacturer: Family Owned Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
  2. Not Too Late

ASIN: B000GETWNG
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Tracks:

  1. My Old Man Boogie
  2. Long Gone
  3. Spreadin' Your Love Around
  4. Boom Chank
  5. Worryin' Kind
  6. Left Hand George
  7. Mud
  8. Another Bottle
  9. Aberdeen
  10. Plainfield Blues
  11. My Soul To Keep
  12. Sugar Man

Album Description

"Rousing, hyper, and authentic brand of blues that sounds like what might come out of that secret meth lab nestled deep in the backwaters of the Mississippi Delta." - Cincinnati City Beat

Recorded entirely live to tape with no overdubs, the Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band relentlessly beats their music onto analog tape under the supervision of producer and engineering genius Paul Mahern (Zero Boys, John Mellencamp). The album features bonus material recorded in Clarksdale, MS in the heart of the Mississippi Delta at the James "Jimbo" Mathus Delta Recording Studio (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Elvis Costello, Buddy Guy).

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great Original Slide Blues With Old Time Delta Feel. .......2007-07-05

Just heard this @ an outdoor bar @ Indiana Beach cranked up. Had to ask the bartender who these guys were? Noticed people around me were also digging it. This CD is a must for anyone who loves old time deep(Wash Board, Dobro Guitar & Singing) Delta Blues with great groove & feel. Just ordered this & looking forward to recieving my cd.

4 out of 5 stars Refreshing.......2006-09-13

I first learned of this band at a local show and found their style to be refreshing. They have great energy. Their songs do however seem to blend together but I think that the range of their sound will expand with time. Worth investing.

4 out of 5 stars RIYL :T-model Ford, RL Burnside, Charley Patton.......2006-08-28

Not your daddy's Blues. This is the stuff you only heard from the deep south in the twenties and thirties. Some call it country blues, some call it pre-war blues, some call it delta blues, but I call it a damn good time. Highly recommended!

1 out of 5 stars Very Bad.......2006-08-26

Although I can't speak of this particular recording, I experienced these guys in concert and every song sounded the same. The Reverend appears to be a very talented guitar player, but his singing sounds like a CB radio played to loud.
One Nation Under
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 4.5 Stars - Rather impressive, definately not dissapointed
  • Hidden gem of a disc
  • From 0 to 4
  • excellent
  • excellent
One Nation Under
From Zero
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Alternative MetalAlternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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  1. My So-Called Life
  2. Headspace
  3. Lifer
  4. Somewhere in Between
  5. Healing

ASIN: B00005CEOL
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Tracks:

  1. Smack
  2. Check Ya
  3. Erase
  4. The Other Side
  5. Circumstances
  6. Jeer
  7. Horrors
  8. Tomorrow's Light
  9. Suffering
  10. Undeniable
  11. Gone

Amazon.com

At times unsettling, always dramatic, unusual, and ultra-musical, From Zero's assured debut, One Nation Under, will appeal to those who enjoy their hard rock technical and full of progressive moments and fluid time changes à la King's X. Fortunately, overall, the quintet of well-schooled players that comprise From Zero don't let stellar chops interfere with songcraft. "Check Ya" is a gem, vocalist Jett's talk-singing is melodic, with the soaring, memorable choruses melding well with the left-of-center tempos that prevail here and in many of One Nation Under's 11 songs. Full of intra-song contrasts, From Zero is seamless in their stylistic shifts, from mellow and moving to fierce in "The Other Side," and moving from a heavy mosh vibe in "Jeer" to the edgy hardcore rap feel of "Horrors." The modern, heavy prog-rock genre once propelled by bands like King's X never found a huge following, though it boasts a rabid one. From Zero, straddling the line between modern metal and prog-rock, and rife with tattoos, spiky hair, and killer, often likeably oddball musicianship, could as easily tour with Ozzfest as they could with Dream Theatre or System of a Down. --Katherine Turman

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars - Rather impressive, definately not dissapointed.......2005-04-11

The highlight songs - Check Ya, Erase, Other Side, Suffering, and Smack - will instantly captivate. The others may take a while to impress or may never impress you. However, if purchased just for these five standouts alone, it is well worth it (buy used and save cash!)

I am particular in my tastes and its hard to find cds I can groove to without feeling preached a certain message or lifestyle. Korn is too crazy, even though their riffs can be cool; Rap in general is completely narrow-focused on the thug life while rap metal can be the best if done right; melodic songs and slower ones are often too pop and gay to enjoy. However, From Zero has somehow melted all these styles (Korn's nu-metal chugging sonic ways, quick rap beats and melodic choruses) into something worthwhile. Artistic, yes. One-dimensional, NO.

I recommend THIS album if you are interested. From what I hear, their second album blows. So buy One Nation Under first. I bet you'll agree - these guys should have a much bigger following than they do.

Peace out, curtousy of WHO.

5 out of 5 stars Hidden gem of a disc.......2003-09-26

It's astonishing this band hasn't taken off with a hulk of mainstream success. As far as nu-metal goes, From Zero has one of the better sounds in the genre's pantheon. Melodic singing, tight riffing, catchy song structures (check out the chorus on "Erase," or the infectious melody of "The Other Side")...this band has the necessary constituents for success. However, success has apparently eluded them while other inept bands garner all the attention. Then again, I'd rather pay less than ten bucks for this strong album than shell out almost eighteen for a Trapt CD. But don't take it from me; GET THIS DISC!!!

4 out of 5 stars From 0 to 4.......2003-06-06

Not bad. Especially if a softer side of nu-metal is for some reason closer to you.

A lot of melody shining through the usual heaviness, highly professionally played instruments, and impressing vocals are what offered to enjoy on the cd. Not that heavy, not too poppy, aimed to the masses that appreciate a mainstream melodic heavy rock.

The real stand-outs are Smack, Erase, Other Side, Jeer, Tomorrow's Light, Suffering, and Gone.

After this one you may easily switch to their recent album.

5 out of 5 stars excellent.......2003-06-02

I just recently discovered From Zero and i absolutly love them! 'SMACK' is THE best song in the world, i cant stop listening to it and i get chills up my spine when i do. It truly is a heart-captivating, stop-and-make-you-think-song. The sheer beauty of the lyrics and song all together are amazing. This is pure talent. The other songs are awesome as well, but smack, smacked me and is stuck with me now!

5 out of 5 stars excellent.......2003-06-02

I just recently discovered From Zero and i absolutly love them! 'SMACK' is THE best song in the world, i cant stop listening to it and i get chills up my spine when i do. It truly is a heart-captivating, stop-and-make-you-think-song. The sheer beauty of the lyrics and song all together are amazing. This is pure talent. The other songs are awesome as well, but smack, smacked me and is stuck with me now!

Music:

  1. Anthology of the Dylan's White Roots [Import]
  2. Argus (Remastered & Revisited) [Limited Edition] [Import]
  3. Australian Tour Box
  4. A Walk on the Wired Side
  5. Believe [CD-single]
  6. Best of Rod Stewart
  7. Bomb the Rocks//Teenage Mojo Workout [Limited Edition] [Import]
  8. By Your Side [CD-single] [Import]
  9. Classic Tracks & Rarities-An Anthology
  10. Damage

Music

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