New Perspectives [Import]

New Perspectives [Import]

Track Listings

1. Ghost [Non Album Track]

2. Freefall [#]

3. What Do You Do [#]

4. Metropolis [Unknown Quantity Mix]

5. Medusa [Dynamic Syncopation Remix]

6. Fractures [U-Neek Dub]

7. When It Came [Nwachukwu Remix]

8. Lady Sings [D'nell Remix]

9. Perfect Season [Break Reform Remix]

10. Metropolis [Saudade London Bossa Mix] - Break Reform,

11. Mercy [Ol' English Remix]

12. What Do You Do [Kamara Remix]

13. Freefall [Version 2][Mix]

14. Medusa [Unknown Quantity Mix]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Abstract Blue Recordings Presents Break Reform's "New Perspectives", a Collection of Remixes and Unreleased Tracks from this Up-and-coming Outfit. Following the Success of Break Reform's Debut Album, "Fractures", Abstract Blue Presents an Incredibly Varied and Unique Collection of Remixes and Exclusive Tracks from a Group Who's Reputation Continues to Grow, Gaining Recognition from Some of the Most Respected DJ'S and Magazines Promoting New Independent Music. On "New Perspectives" You Will Find Several Recordings Including the Beautiful Single "Ghosts" and the Never Before Heard "Freefall" plus a Few More Surprises. The Remixes Are Provided Courtesy of the Incredible Tony Nwachukwu of Attica Blues, the Sublime D'nell from Abstract Blue/ Furious Styles, the Cosmic Bossa Crew Solar Apple Quarktette and the Beat Scientist Ol' English from Low Budget Soul. Also Included Are the Classic Mixes by Dynamic Syncopation and Unknown Quantity Alongside More Interpretations by Kamara.

Tracks:

High Maintenance Woman
Love Me If You Can
White Rose
Get My Drink On
Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya
Big Dog Daddy
Burnin' Moonlight
Walk it Off
I Know She Hung the Moon
Pump Jack
Hit It

Amazon.com

On his first totally controlled album for his own label, Toby Keith adds another title to his résumé: producer. Throughout, the former Oklahoma wildcatter, who's taken heat for his blustery patriotism and outspoken remarks, seems to be seeking new respect, shifting the focus off of politics and grandstanding and back to his talents as a musician. While his last album, White Trash with Money, found him flirting with R&B and adding horns for a bit more bump, his latest effort finds him nearly in a singer-songwriter mood, taking more time to craft the sound of the tracks and laying down his own harmonies. He's still relying on gimmicky wordplay and cartoon puffery for his full-tilt radio numbers ("High Maintenance Woman," "Big Dog Daddy"), but he also showcases the sensitive, ballad-heavy side of his personality that hasn't been as apparent since the '90s ("Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine on You," "We Were in Love"). He achieves this with some fine cowriting--the winsome "I Know She Hung the Moon" and "Walk It Off," and the lusty "Burnin' Moonlight." He also finds two excellent covers, Fred Eaglesmith's "White Rose" (which combines nostalgia for full-service gas stations with that of a teen's coming of age) and the thoughtful Craig Wiseman/Chris Wallin ballad "Love Me If You Can." The latter, a quiet social commentary, revisits Keith's familiar theme of holding one's ground, but with a far more compassionate approach than he's tried before. Consider it a meditation from a brash king of the hill who hasn't forgotten how to be humble. --Alanna Nash

Customer Reviews:

Big Dog Daddy.......2007-07-13

As a longtime fan of Toby Keith I found this to be a great cd to listen too. Toby has a rich, deep voice that makes any song beautiful. I couldn't pick a favorite because I loved all of them!!

Big Dog Daddy.......2007-07-06

I was skeptical about purchasing yet another Toby Keith CD but am glad I made the purchase. Once again, Toby comes through with his distinct voice and ear catching tunes. Toby is by far one of the best song writers yet in country music. I went to see a concert at the Tweeter Center in NJ and let me tell you, I am still impressed with the show he performed. The song "High Maintenance Woman" is cute and funny. The cd was a very good buy.

quality maintained.......2007-07-05

I like toby because he has a fine distinctive voice and uses it well on differing song moods and his backing is well thought out. Especially liked the Jack Daniels track as we visited the distillery in april and our guide called Dusty was memorable ..............keep going toby and always try new things.

This Album will Cure Your Insomnia.......2007-07-03

This is the worst kind of trash I have ever heard. The chord progressions are not unique, and it is not even true to the spirit of punk rock. The guy can't even sing. In fact, I heard he lip syncs at his concerts. After I heard this album, I stomped on it and threw it in my garbage. Maybe you should buy it to do that yourself.

Another album with a dumb title.......2007-06-28

Another album with a dumb title after 'White Trash With Money': 'Big Dog Daddy'. Sounds 'very Country', doesn't it? It sounds more like a book for toddlers than a Country album. How can this guy be taken seriously?

I don't think he knows exactly what his fans want. His songs about bars, drinking, booze and women may appeal to people like him but they are not to the taste of everybody. If he thinks it is what all his fans want he is wrong. He doesn't know his audience. Some of his fans are not really interested in songs about Jack Daniels whiskey, a couple having sex in a pickup truck, a woman in a mini skirt ( what's next? A song about a woman in a bikini?) or his pro-war politics ( I don't get how this warmonger claims he 'prays for peace on earth every night' ). Same garbage. No originality. It seems that it is all he has to offer. Very disappointing. It is not hard to figure out why he has lost a lot of fans.

Hairspray (Soundtrack to the Motion Picture)

Average customer rating:

DISAPPOINTED
WEAK!
Feel Good Soundtrack to Feel Good Film
My FAVORITE cd!
Great Soundtrack, and it doesn't have to be the Broadway Cast

Hairspray (Soundtrack to the Motion Picture)

Manufacturer: New Line Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000PUAID4
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

"GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE" - Nikki Blonsky
"THE NICEST KIDS IN TOWN" - James Marsden
"IT TAKES TWO" - Zac Efron
"(THE LEGEND OF) MISS BALTIMORE CRABS" - Michelle Pfeiffer
"I CAN HEAR THE BELLS" - Nikki Blonsky
"LADIES' CHOICE" - Zac Efron
"THE NEW GIRL IN TOWN" - Brittany Snow
"WELCOME TO THE 60's" - Nikki Blonsky & John Travolta
"RUN AND TELL THAT" - Elijah Kelley
"BIG, BLONDE & BEAUTIFUL" - Queen Latifah
"BIG, BLONDE & BEAUTIFUL reprise" - John Travolta & Michelle Pfeiffer
"(YOU'RE) TIMELESS TO ME" - John Travolta & Christopher Walken
"I KNOW WHERE I'VE BEEN" - Queen Latifah
"WITHOUT LOVE" - Zac Efron, Nikki Blonsky, Elijah Kelley & Amanda Bynes
"(IT'S) HAIRSPRAY" - James Marsden
"YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT" - Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes,
"COME SO FAR (GOT SO FAR TO GO)" - Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac
"COOTIES" - Aimee Allen
"MAMA, I'M A BIG GIRL NOW" - Nikki Blonsky, Marissa Jaret Winokur & Rikki Lake

Amazon.com

What fun! This soundtrack of the film adaptation of the Broadway musical overflows with glossy, ol' fashioned '60s-style pep. It won't win any awards for innovation, but it may well be one of the most feel-good releases of the year. While not quite as super-energetic as the original Broadway cast, the new crew ain't too shabby: Nikki Blonsky delivers as Tracy Turnblad and Zac Efron (High School Musical) makes for a devoted boyfriend, and the supporting cast gleefully embraces the show's silly-but-generous spirit. John Travolta (who gets to utter the particularly ironic line "it's been years since someone asked me to dance") goes drag as Tracy's mom, Edna, while Michelle Pfeiffer's slight stiffness is appropriate for her uptight character, especially on the cha-cha "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs." After Mama Morton in Chicago, Queen Latifah puts in another brassy turn as Motormouth Maybelle ("Big, Blonde and Beautiful," which is then reprised by Travolta and Pfeiffer). The show's authors, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, have written three new numbers for the movie: the rollicking (and first single) "Ladies' Choice," "New Girl in Town" and "Come So Far." In addition, the CD also includes two tracks that aren't in the film but were in the show: "Cooties," sung by Aimee Allen, and "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now," sung by all three Tracy Turnblads: Blonsky, Ricki Lake (from the source movie) and Marissa Jaret Winokur (from the original Broadway cast). --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

The Hairspray soundtrack will feature 17 songs from the film, including three original numbers that were created specifically for the film version of the hit Broadway musical - "Ladies' Choice," "New Girl In Town," and "Come So Far." Also featured on the soundtrack are the songs "Good Morning Baltimore," "Welcome to the `60s," "Nicest Kids In Town," and "You Can't Stop The Beat." The songs are performed by cast members John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Brittany Snow and Elijah Kelley among others.

The Hairspray soundtrack is produced by Marc Shaiman and features music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. It features tracks mixed by Ed Cherney (Rolling Stones, Bette Midler) and Peter Mokran (Pussycat Dolls, Christina Aguilera).

Sixteen years after the release of the original film, New Line Cinema is bringing a feature film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of Hairspray to life. Featuring new and original material based on John Waters' 1988 cult classic about star-struck teenagers on a local Baltimore dance show, the comedy features a remarkable collection of talent including John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, Allison Janney, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Chicago), and director Adam Shankman (Bringing Down The House). The new screenplay for Hairspray was written by Leslie Dixon (Freaky Friday, Outrageous Fortune).

Customer Reviews:

DISAPPOINTED.......2007-07-13

Having just purchasesd and listened to the Hairspray soundtrack, I was very disappointed about how flat it all sounds? While the broadway show and the movie should be judged as two separate entities (due to casting), I enjoyed the broadway soundtrack because there was a sense of joy, enthusiasm and fun in the voices of the cast. This cast, however, only seems to be "singing" the songs, but the feeling just isnt there. While everyone is praising Queen Latifah, I found her renditions just lacking any emotion. Dont get me started on John Travolta...and Amanda Bynes? Michelle Pfeifers version is just too droll....but Zac Efron does a very good job of bringing his songs to life. If this is any indication of the movie, I might be avoiding it.

WEAK!.......2007-07-13

This is weak compared to the original broadway sdtk! I'm a huge Hairspray fan...There is a definate lack of energy on the movie sdtk...I hope the movie doesn't turn the same fate.

Feel Good Soundtrack to Feel Good Film.......2007-07-13

Saw a sneak preview last night of the film and it was fun! Did not have high expectations after seeing Hairspray on Broadway and again on a touring show but it was great. I like Nikki Blonsky's Tracy over Marissa Winokur's Tracy. This soundtrack as additional songs and sounds better than the orginal Broadway cast. Only wish Cooties was in the movie, hopefully it will be on the DVD version whenever. Glad it made it on the CD. See the movie, buy the soundtrack. John Travolta was OK as Edna, better than I expected but sometimes his voice reminded me of Mike Myers's Dr. Evil somehow. His dancing in "fat" costume was funny.

My FAVORITE cd!.......2007-07-13

I got this cd the day it came out! I got the last one! I put it in as soon as i got home, and now take it everywere in my cd player! If you like show, or dance music, by this! There are also VERY good dance songs on this!

The key songs to this cd are.......

1. You cant stop the beet.....A awsome dance song, my favorite!
2. Ladies choice.......I like to sing this one, it's very catchy!
3. Good morning boltamore......Just a fun song, nice beet!
4. Moma i'm a big girl now.....The chorus is very fun!
5. With out love......Clever writing, and a nice tune, i like it a lot!

Great Soundtrack, and it doesn't have to be the Broadway Cast.......2007-07-12

Most of these reviews go on about either this recording or the original Broadway Cast are better. Well I think they are missing the point. The Broadway Cast with Marissa Jaret Winokur and Harvey Fierstein was fantastic and special because it was the first time many of us heard most of these songs. It did a great job of transferring the vitality of the live production to the recording and is one of my favorites for that very reason, but the Motion Picture recording takes those same songs and tweaks them so that they work on the screen and give us something changed and just as wonderous. They are just different and I love them both. And isn't that the point of "Hairspray"? That we should allow people (and performers and possible soundtrack albums) to be different and still appreciate their special qualities and individuality?

Nikki Blonsky, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, James Marsden and the rest of the cast do a spectacular job making a Motion Picture Soundtrack of the Musical "Hairspray" (I just wish John Travolta had more to sing and "yes" it would have been a blast to have heard this cast do "The Big Doll House", but I'm not sure I would have been willing to exchange it for "Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)"). The new songs and arrangements of the retained songs hit the same high quality as the Broadway recording achieved.

While I would have loved to have seen a video recording with the original cast, it just didn't happen (unless you YouTube it), but you cannot really complain about this cast and production team, because they really are all on the top of their games.

So quit your bitchin' and "Viva la difference!"

Average customer rating:

Literate, poetic...great pop/rock 4.5 out of 5
Best rhythm section in rock.
Excellent compilation that could have been perfect with some additional songs...4 1/2 stars
Another Greatest Greatest Hits....
Must have Police Set

The Police (2CD Anthology)
The Police
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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The Warmth of the Sun

ASIN: B000PHX4VA
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

Fallout
Can't Stand Losing You
Next To You
Roxanne
Truth Hits Everybody
Hole In My Life
So Lonely
Message In a Bottle
Reggatta De Blanc
Bring On the Night
Walking On the Moon
Don't Stand So Close To Me
Driven To Tears
Canary In a Coalmine

Tracks:

De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Voices Inside My Head
Invisible Sun
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Spirits In the Material World
Demolition Man
Every Breath You Take
Synchronicity I
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Walking In Your Footsteps
Synchronicity II
King Of Pain
Murder By Numbers
Tea In the Sahara

Album Description

The Police celebrate the 30th anniversary of their recording debut with their first double-disc CD "best of" collection entitled, The Police. The 28 songs bring together the biggest hits from the band's five original studio albums and includes their very first single, 1977's "Fall Out."

From that rarity to one of the most-remembered and most performed rock ballads of the `80s, 1983's "Every Breath You Take," The Police spans the group's six-year journey from sweaty clubs to sold-out stadiums - establishing them as one of the definitive and most popular rock groups in the world.

Customer Reviews:

Literate, poetic...great pop/rock 4.5 out of 5.......2007-07-13

I'm not giving this cd 5 out of 5 because of some issues about the sound...the first cd seems to lack presence in the sound and there is some distortion in the first track of disc 2 [I listen to cds on good quality headphones and I feel that these sound issues could be eliminated if people did the same prior to releasing cds].

Anyway, The Police are perhaps THE major British band of the 1980s. Looking at the credits in the double cd, it seems that lead singer "Sting" pretty much did everything himself...from writing the songs to arranging the music.

Many of the songs on this compilation show Sting to be the former English teacher that he was...from his superior way with words, to his literary allusions.

The highlights of the first cd for me are:

Can't stand losing you-a song about breaking up. The 'voice' of the song sounds like a pouty teenager and is amusing for its melodrama. Suicide is mentioned in this song. This topic seems fertile for rock. E.g. Metallica have the beautiful and absolute classic song "Fade to black", with its adult sensibility; and Megadeth have "A tout le monde", which, like this Police song, seems to have a teenage 'voice' singing. Both latter songs have melodrama, but The Police give their song a nice dose of humour.

Roxanne-perhaps the song which broke the band, especially in the UK. It's about the boyfriend of a prostitute, I think. Along with the song above, it is one of the strongest songs on the first cd. It has a nice mixture of a vulnerable 'voice' doing the singing, and the pounding, repetitive lyrics of the chorus.

Two other songs from the first cd which take my fancy are "Message in a bottle" and "Walking on the moon". Both songs are more towards the "ballad" end of the pop/rock spectrum. The latter song, particulary, illustrates Sting's great lyrical imagery...i.e. he likens walking, when one is in love, to walking on the moon...brilliant use of lyrics and imagery.

The second cd contains most of the songs that I particularly like from this band. "De do do do, de da da da" is a terrific song about how the powerful use language for their own benefit. Many years ago I wasn't very keen on this song, as it SOUNDED like non-sense [and going on the title too]. Listening to this song years later, you appreciate the depth of meaning it has behind it. Nice turn of phrase "Poets, priests and politicians, have words to thank for their positions". Sting doesn't seem to include pop/rock stars!

"Invisible sun" has a terrificly eerie opening [not unlike Synchronicity II...in fact, the intros could just as easily be used to introduce darker themes and music, but settles for terrific pop/rock]. I'm not so keen on the chorus of Invisible Sun, but I really like the verses and the ambiance of the introduction.

"Spirits in the material world" is another highlight from the second disc.
It exemplifies an attractive trait of this band...mixing up the hooks in one song. The song is catchy from the start, with nice melodies [vocal], but it really picks up when a NEW melody [keyboard] is introduced in the latter part of the song. This song may be the one where Sting's glib political views are at the fore ["Our so called leaders speak. With words they try to gaol you. They subjugate the meek, but it's the rhetoric of failure"]. That's a VERY nice turn of phrase, but, like I say, rather glib and lacking in hope for the political process.

Perhaps the band's biggest hit is "Every breath you take". This song isn't one that has ever really grabbed me. To me it's like the curate's egg...good in parts. An Australian equivalent would be Mondo Rock's "Come said the boy"-both bands had monumentally great pop/rock songs, but their most successful songs were not the ones I rated as great. Anyway, The Police's ballad is perhaps growing more on me now...it's 'good' bits are making the song gel better now, for me, perhaps.

"Wrapped around your finger" is another very good Police song, and which has those literary allusions I spoke of earlier "Caught between the Scylla and Charibdes". Perhaps my favourite Police song of all is "King of pain", which also has some literary allusions that I know of "There's a king with his eyes torn out" and some that elude me "There's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread". Both these songs illustrate the great thing about Police songs...how they change gears, so to speak, by changing tempo or pitch or melody. The bit in King Of Pain where this happens is where Sting raises his voice higher and starts the line about the King. Reading the lyrics, I saw that it was more gruesome than I remember, but nonetheless beautiful to listen to.

"Synchronicity" is one of the band's more adventurous sounding rock songs but they carry it off with aplomb.

I do remember hearing somewhere about the song "Murder by numbers" causing controversy in the US and the band's response to this. Having read the lyrics that come with this cd, I see that the band is right to defend the song, but perhaps they only have themselves to blame by making the point of their song towards the end, making it difficult to come by, perhaps. It is also another politically glib song by Sting, though perhaps containing a germ of truth.

Lastly, I did find "Walking in your footsteps" to be a lyrically interesting song. Perhaps it is Sting likening humans to dinosaurs...with us heading for extinction too, like the dinosaurs, if we keep toying with nuclear power.

In conclusion, this is a terrific buy for people into lyrically sophisticated music with catchy pop/rock that is also sophisticated. I do find the drumming sound by this band to be satisfying and their melodies gorgeous when they're at their best. It's just a pity though that on occasion it sounds like the master tapes are in fact LP records...with dust or scratches on them.

P.S. if you like poetic music, I recommend and have reviewed:

Patti Smith's album Horses.

If you like political music, I recommend and have reviewed numerous albums by Midnight Oil here [highly recommended are their albums "10-1" and "Diesel and dust".

I've reviewed Metallica and Megadeth albums here too.

Best rhythm section in rock........2007-07-08

I wouldn't give you more than 50 cents for Sting, but listening to Copeland and Summers on this compilation confirms that they are/were the best rhythm section in rock - or, at the very least, one of the best. Focusing on their playing throughout these 28 tracks is a real delight. I don't know of many other bass/drum duos who can make so much happen so economically.

Buy and get a master class in how to make a rock rhythm section work to perfection.

Excellent compilation that could have been perfect with some additional songs...4 1/2 stars.......2007-07-06

A perfect excuse to exploit their catalog again, A&M/Universal (or whatever the congolmerate is called now)has put together a terrific compilation of the band's album tracks and hits. It appears that the masters used for the album reissues from a couple of years ago are the source here as they sound excellent and exactly the same as the previous set. This is a huge improvement over the various single disc sets released since 1986.

With 14 songs on each disc there was some room for additional tracks some of which might not have been big hits but deserved a larger audience. "I Burn For You","Bombs Away", "Darkness", "Nothing Achieving" and "Visions of the Night", "Low Life", "Once Upon a Daydream". Either way this is a very good set for fans looking for the bulk of the best album tracks and hits. The packaging includes a one sheet with some credits on it that folds out into a replica of an early concert poster for the band. The slip case is kind of cool as well. When you slide the holder out of the slipcase the band's songs are listed on the yellow cover (and you can see them when you hold it up to the light).

Overall, this ia terrific package for fans that captures the best tracks from each of their albums (with a few curious omissions). The audio sounds extremely good I just wish that there had been a larger selection from the band's singles/live tracks released during their brief tenure together.

By the way having seen the concert the band sticks pretty close to the songs released on this set with a few exceptions(for some reason they dropped "Murder by Numbers" at their Oakland, CA show not sure why).

Another Greatest Greatest Hits...........2007-07-03

The Police were and still are my all-time favorite band. But the last thing I need is another hits collection. I think we're up to four greatest hits packages with this band. C'mon guys! Break out the rarities and unreleased stuff. I know there's a ton. Perhaps this collection was put together to help booster this summer's reunion tour - like they needed any help with that. I still give it 5 stars - these songs are some of the best ever recorded in my opinion. Andy, Stewart and Sting will always rock!

Must have Police Set.......2007-07-01

back in the day I was a Big time Fan of the Police. I always dug there Jams and Grooves. "Every little thing she does is magic", Canary in a Coalmine" was my jam back in the day. Spirits in the Material world, Every Breath you take,Roxanne,etc.... are all here. the Grooves and Versatility Highlighted by the songwriting of Sting and the chemistry of the Musicianship truly made for some tight Jams. the Police in some ways were the link between the Clash,U2 ,Red Hot chilli Pepers and No Doubt on some levels. they Bridged quite a few themes and styles that worked. this is the best overall set that best Highlights there Greatest Hits.

Average customer rating:

Gone Too Soon
An artist who will be forever missed
Essential for Elliott fans!!!
Unbelievable !
Stellar!

New Moon
Elliott Smith
Manufacturer: Kill Rock Stars
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Sky Blue Sky
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Release the Stars

ASIN: B000OMD4BG
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

Angel In The Snow
Talking To Mary
High Times
New Monkey
Looking Over My Shoulder
Going Nowhere
Riot Coming
All Cleaned Out
First Timer
Go By
Miss Misery
Thirteen

Tracks:

Georgia, Georgia
Whatever
Big Decision
Placeholder
New Disaster
Seen How Things Are Hard
Fear City
Either/Or
Pretty Mary K
Almost Over
See You Later
Half Right

Amazon.com

When Elliott Smith died late in 2003, he took with him one of the unique songwriting gifts of his generation: part folk grandeur, part punk fury, and virtually bottomless in eight short years of solo recordings. Thankfully for that generation, and many to come, he left behind two dozen songs that his Portland, Oregon, producer and pal Larry Crane has crafted into a retrospective celebration of Smith's contribution to music. Mostly house-recorded demos plucked from the fertile three years that followed his 1994 debut Roman Candle (including an early take of "Miss Misery"), there's an eminent clarity to these songs that makes them sound like they were recorded yesterday. A lone acoustic guitar is the general accompaniment to Smith's lamenting wail, his self-deprecating lyrics forever a contrast to the sheer beauty of the melodies. "What are you doing hanging out with me?" he asks in "Whatever (Folk Song in C)," his double-tracked harmonies mocking both Simon and Garfunkel. Along with fragile versions of "Angel in the Snow," "Looking over My Shoulder," and a cover of Big Star's "Thirteen," it's as eternal as anything Smith offered when he was with us, and, as one of several shining moments, makes you forget he ever left. --Scott Holter

More from Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith

Roman Candle

Either/Or

Figure 8

XO

From a Basement on a Hill

Album Description

Disc One: 01. Angel In The Snow From the Jan/Feb 1995 sessions at Leslie Uppinghouse's home studio that yielded much of the S/T record. Elliott's mix appeared on a CD that came with Mike McGonigal's magazine, Yeti: Volume I.

02. Talking to Mary From the 1995 sessions at Leslie's. This is Elliott's rough mix as the master tape is sadly missing.

03. High Times From the 1995 sessions at Leslie's. An early working title was "Coma Kid". The "drums" are really just doubled snare (with the throw off loose) and ride cymbal.

04. New Monkey From sessions for Either/Or. The "bar" was certainly La Luna in Portland, with "the millions of fans ignoring the bands."

05. Looking Over My Shoulder From sessions for Either/Or. The title of this song is not certain.

06. Going Nowhere From sessions for Either/Or. Due to the limits of eight tracks you rarely get bass guitar on these sessions unless it is integral to the arrangement. One of the most haunting songs in this collection.

07. Riot Coming From the 1995 sessions at Leslie's. Notice the excellent melodic electric guitar part.

08. "All Cleaned Out" This song was tracked at Jackpot! Recording Studio in early 1997. The title is an assumption as there were no notes on or in the tape box.

09. First Timer Tracked at Jackpot! in early 1997. With different lyrics this song has seen life as "Ghost Writer" or "From a Poisoned Well". Elliott recorded the guitars too loud to tape in this collection, hence the occasional "chunk" noise.

10. Go By From sessions for Either/Or. Recorded to 8-track by Elliott in 1996, but then bounced to 2" tape by Rob and Tom where they added overdubs. It was obviously a contender for Either/Or at some point. Early versions of the song were known as "Bye Bye" and "Two Timed".

11. Miss Misery (early version) This song was tracked at Jackpot! in early 1997. It was later recut with lyric changes at Jackpot! and used in the film, Good Will Hunting.

12. Thirteen This Big Star/Alex Chilton song featured often in Elliott's live sets and in the Lucky Three short film by Jem Cohen. This version was recorded by Rob Jones and Elliott Smith in Elliott's Basement in April 1996 and was broadcast June 1, 1996, on Rob's Locals Show on KWVA 88.1 Eugene, OR. This was a simple live take with acoustic guitar and vocals.

Disc Two: 01. Georgia, Georgia From the 1995 sessions at Leslie's. Even though it was older, it was an early contender for the Either/Or running order.

02. Whatever (Folk Song in C) Apparently from the September 1994 sessions at Tony's. Features JJ Gonson's vintage Domino guitar that Elliott favored. Also known under the working title "Hanging Out With Me".

03. Big Decision From the 1995 sessions at Leslie's. Elliott's mix appeared on the CD compilation, A Slice of Lemon.

04. Placeholder From sessions for Either/Or. Sung so softly, but really beautiful.

05. New Disaster From sessions for Either/Or. Vocals and music are from different takes. Vocals are from the reel that provided From a Basement on the Hill with "Last Hour", but the tape reel flange scraping sound (which you can hear on "Last Hour") was even more distracting on this song. Music was from a later instrumental take, with organ and drums but no vocals. This is the only instance on this record where we combined takes in this manner.

06. Seen How Things Are Hard This song was actually recorded on a 4-track cassette. Mixed by Tom and Rob for possible inclusion of Either/Or. Also known under the working title, "Sleigh Bells".

07. Fear City From sessions for Either/Or. Also known as "See My City Dead". Check out the cool melodic organ part and Elliott's grooving drum style.

08. Either/Or From sessions for the album Either/Or. Apparently the song title was appropriated for the album title but not the song. There's also a version of this song with alternate lyrics called "No More".

09. Pretty Mary K (other version) From sessions for Either/Or. This is a completely different song than the Figure 8 track, but seems to feature different words with a parallel theme. An early version was worked up as "Everything's Okay" - note the similar phonetics.

10. Almost Over From sessions for Either/Or. Some of his fastest guitar picking in this collection.

11. See You Later

12. Half Right These are two Heatmiser songs from their third album, Mic City Sons, performed solo in this collection. From the Rob Jones' Locals Show sessions, "See You Later" was released on the Air Check cassette on Rob's label, Jealous Butcher.

Technical Note: Except for the special case of "New Disaster", where independent instrumental and vocal takes were combined, all songs are presented as tracked by Elliott, and every effort was made to check stereo placement, track levels, editing ideas, arrangement ideas and the overall feel that were present in his rough (or released) mixes. In many cases remixing was simply an attempt to make the elements of the song slightly more legible, and in other cases to reduce the background tape hiss. In no way is this album simply a product of the studio in 2006 - it is a collection of songs, any of which could have easily been included on his albums of 1995 or 1997.

Songs previously unreleased except for: "See You Later", Air Check cassette (1999,JB020/Jealous Butcher/limited to 300 copies) "Angel in the Snow" Yeti: Volume I (2000, 2500 issues printed/pressed) "Big Decision" - A Slice of Lemon (1995,KRS100/Kill Rock Stars, still in print)

Customer Reviews:

Gone Too Soon.......2007-06-28

I love this collection. It's like two lost albums were found. Some of his most beautiful and haunting material. The world lost a brilliant songwriter when Elliott passed away. His death is as important to me as John Lennon's (if you knew me, you'd know that that means alot in my world); they both could have gone on to contribute so much more to the world. Maybe they're somewhere playing together right now. That would be cool.

An artist who will be forever missed.......2007-06-27

I lived in Portland Oregon in the mid 1990's and some of my best memories are the Elliot Smith shows i saw in quaint local bars and clubs, up close and personal, just Elliot and his guitar. I always loved him with his band as well, but to me, the true artist in Elliot Smith always came shining through in his solo shows, when his fantastic songwriting was front and center.

If you are the kind of person who owns every Elliot Smith CD, and considers the Kill Rock Stars records to be his best, then New Moon is a must have. There is no need for me to go through track by track to describe the beauty of this album. The care that went into this release by the people who put it together deserves five stars in itself.

Listening to New Moon made me realize how great Elliot Smith was and how much i miss hearing him and seeing him create new music.

Essential for Elliott fans!!!.......2007-06-27

It totally astounded me. I had no expectations, but would not have been surprised if these tracks were left off Elliott's records because they were somehow sub-standard. They are not. Either/Or could have been a perfect double CD with the inclusion of these tracks. If you are an Elliott fan, you will be exstatic about these archival gems.

Unbelievable !.......2007-06-24

Musically, I don't think anyone has surpassed Elliott Smith in the past 20 years or more. Here is more proof of his genius. If the measure of a CD's greatness lies in how many times you can listen to it before you get tired of it, then this one will stand the test of time.

Stellar!.......2007-06-19

Honestly, I prefer Elliott's "Good Will Hunting"-era work, but this album is still worth the buy. As always it's haunting, atmospheric, and this one hits some raw, punk notes. Some songs are reminiscent of his earlier musical themes, but reworked. A needed addition to any Smith fan's collection.

Average customer rating:

Sparkling melodies and lyrics on Martina's newest CD !
Martina!
Great songs
Brilliant CD !!
Solid McBride Release

Waking Up Laughing
Martina McBride
Manufacturer: RCA/Sony/BMG
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection
Let It Go
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5th Gear

ASIN: B000NOKAPI
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

If I Had Your Name
Cry Cry (Till The Sun Shines)
Tryin' To Find A Reason
For These Times
Anyway (Album & Digital Single Version)
How I Feel
I'll Still Be Me
Beautiful Again
Everybody Does
House Of A Thousand Dreams
Love Land

Amazon.com

Martina McBride has long been a champion of music as social consciousness, particularly for abused women ("Independence Day") and children. On Waking Up Laughing, her ninth album and the follow-up to Timeless, her platinum-selling album of country classics, she advances the theme while expanding it. While two songs explore the issue of unwed mothers (particularly the exquisite "Love Land," which closes the album), and another, "Beautiful Again," touches on child sexual abuse, her overall repertoire embraces the wholeness of family, and of standing strong together in the face of adversity and defeat. Musically, McBride has always proved to be an elegant thorn--her song selection is often inspired (and here, she co-wrote three tunes, including the skyscraping single "Anyway"), but she has tended to use her huge, ride-the-wave soprano full-tilt, without employing the subtle shadings that would make her even more emotionally resonant. On Waking Up Laughing she seems to have worked on the problem, yet in her second foray as solo producer, she still tends to gild the lily instrumentally--inflating string bridges between choruses, for example, or loading the opening country-pop track, "If I Had Your Name," with a Southern-rock guitar break, a listen-to-me fiddle showcase, a Celtic guitar intro, and a close that brings to mind George Harrison's sitar in play-it-backward mode. That said, she makes fine use of what sounds like a black female choir on the uplifting "For These Times," and wisely keeps the haunting break-up ballad "Tryin' to Find a Reason" (with Keith Urban's harmony vocals and guitar solo) lean and affecting. As McBride works to refine her pastiche of creativity, commerciality, and social awareness, she slyly takes more chances than one might think, all the while rallying old fans and making new ones. --Alanna Nash

Album Description

After 16 million in sales and 22 top 10 singles, some artists might be afraid to tinker with success and tempt fate. But not Martina McBride. Following up on her platinum-selling Timeless album, a poignant collection of country classics representing her first effort as solo producer, she's at the production helm again for her ninth studio release, Waking Up Laughing. Since her debut in 1992, McBride has maintained a consistent presence on the country charts, including six number one singles, and has also enjoyed crossover success in the pop and adult contemporary genres. Always striving for new artistic heights, McBride is breaking new ground by serving as producer, writer and artist for her latest album, which includes three songs she co-wrote with the Warren Brothers and other top songwriters.

Customer Reviews:

Sparkling melodies and lyrics on Martina's newest CD !.......2007-07-05

I first became acquainted with Martina McBride's beautifully expressive voice through listening to her sing "Valentine" on one of Jim Brickman's albums... Instantly smitten, I began buying her music and have been happily listening every since then... This newest CD has a wealth of good music... with the incredibly lyrical "Beautiful Again", "House Of A Thousand Dreams" and "Anyway"... as with any new CD, I kept waiting for the few songs that I didn't care for... but this never happens to me with Martina's insightful song selection and soaring vocals -- I find myself listening to this album for hours at a time... and know that it is indeed a golden nugget for Martina to cherish always...! Most impressive A++++++!

Martina!.......2007-06-27

I just love this CD! Martina McBride has appropriately named this CD "Waking Up Laughing". After listening to it I feel upbeat and happy. She's the best to come along in many years!

Great songs.......2007-06-27

I love Martina McBride. This cds have lots of good songs. It's a must buy for any fan of hers. She's awesome in her concert I just went to a few weeks ago...

Brilliant CD !!.......2007-06-23

There are some artists whose albums I buy without even hearing a note. Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw and especially TRACE ADKINS, TRAVIS TRITT and RANDY TRAVIS. There are very few female artists who I buy as I usually only end up liking 2-3 tracks. Martina McBride is changing that and becoming one of those artists who I automatically buy.

Here in NZ we don't have country radio stations so we don't get to hear new tracks and artists unless we do so online (which I do). In some ways this is great because we don't hear songs thrashed until all the meaning and life have been wrung out of them.

Having said all that, Waking up crying is a great CD. I played it through 4 times without skipping through any tracks. I loved every track. Although 1 or 2 were a bit "poppy" it just shows Martina's versatility. My all time favourites are I'll still be me, Love land, House of a thousand dreams and of course the track Anyway which gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

5++ for this album which will not disappoint new and old fans

Kia ora

Solid McBride Release.......2007-06-21

Martina McBride has become one of the most dependable artists in country music, and "Waking Up Laughing" continues her streak of releasing enjoyable, entertaining records.

She ranges from sentimental love songs to heartbreak songs to survivor songs, and maintains her soulful, powerful voice on everyone of them.

"Anyway," "Tryin'To Find A Reason," "Cry Cry," and "House of a Thousand Dreams" should not disappoint too many, if any, of her fans.

Average customer rating:

Loreena is back in Style
Sounds A Bit Like M E H D I
An Ancient Muse
Mystic Tapestry
Music can bridge east and west

An Ancient Muse
Loreena McKennitt
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wintersong
Songs from the Labyrinth (Music by John Dowland)
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A Posteriori
Not Too Late

ASIN: B000J3EEBY
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Tracks:

Incantation
The Gates Of Istanbul
Caravanserai
The English Ladye And The Knight
Kecharitomene
Penelope's Song
Sacred Shabbat
Beneath A Phrygian Sky
Never-Ending Road (Amhrán Duit)

Amazon.com

It's been nearly a decade since Loreena McKennitt's last studio album, The Book of Secrets, but An Ancient Muse picks up the caravan exactly where she left off on her mystical journey through the cultures of the Middle East and northern Sahara. The Canadian singer opens this album the same way as she did her last two recordings: with an incantation, calling out in a wordless voice across an echoing space, cleansing the air and the mind. What follows is a lot like those albums as well, a pan-global excursion centered on Middle Eastern themes and instruments cast into a dramatic exotica. Oud, dumbek, kanoun, hurdy-gurdy, duduk, nyckleharpe (a Swedish-keyed fiddle), and other ancient sounds from the region and beyond ornament her music, though "ornament" might no longer be accurate. With the exception of Hugh Marsh's gypsy violin solos and a handful of other players, it's the Western instruments that serve as ornaments on An Ancient Muse. McKennitt long ago evolved the Celtic sound that launched her career. She's virtually abandoned the harp, which hasn't appeared on her CDs since 1991's The Visit. The lone uillean pipe on "Beneath a Phrygian Sky" sounds like an echo calling from the McKennitt's past. Nevertheless, the Celtic ballad form remains central to her music, and she still draws inspiration from ye olde writers of the British Isles. Lyrics from Sir Walter Scott adorn "The English Ladye and the Knight," recalling "The Lady of Shalott." But despite McKennitt's soaring alto, the tale drags under the dirge-like meter and ponderous arrangement. The epic track of this album is the aforementioned "Beneath a Phrygian Sky," with distorted electric guitar accents and an acoustic guitar melody carrying McKennitt on another journey into her romanticized version of the ancient world. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Loreena is back in Style.......2007-07-13

Loreena McKennitt is one of my all time favorite recording artists...and she truly deserves the title of artist...she writes, arranges and performs her own music in her own studio, and her voice is gorgeous, her music lush, exotic, rich in complexity and arrangement, and just a delight for the soul. It is wonderful to have her in good tune, sharing her melodic and stirring "musings" not in an ancient way at all, but in a modern, satisfying and imaginitive manner that communicates the deepest aspects of her talents directly to our own hearts!

Sounds A Bit Like M E H D I.......2007-07-06

Oh, Wow! This is a cd that will be liked by all who enjoy M E H D I, E N Y A or even Loreena Mckinnetts Previous works. It is the very essence of good new age. So tranquil, yet so spirited, this cd is a refreshing break from my well-worn collection, I just keep wanting to listen to it over and over again. I am amazed! It reminds me somewhat of Celtic Women, but still very unique. This is music to the soul. Absolutely relaxing, as well.

ALSO RECOMMENDED: M E H D I ~ Instrumental Paradise Volume 8 ..A True Gem.

An Ancient Muse.......2007-07-04

A wonderful new album from Loreena. If you like her previous recordings, you will not be dissappointed.

Mystic Tapestry.......2007-07-03

One might call me a musicholic. Okay, I am a musicholic! I'm always searching for the ultimate unique musical experience and McKennitt's "Ancient Muse" delivers on the highest level. If you enjoy ballroom dancing try "Kecharitomene"; it is a beautiful Bolero. If you just enjoy listening then you will be swept away by this mystic tapestry. The musicianship on the album is incredible.

Music can bridge east and west.......2007-07-02

Ever since I got this CD as a gift from my father inlaw I got somehow addicted to it. It is a perfect east-west blend in during a time when all we see is political-cultural rift between the two.

Much of the melodies are inspired by the region. One is actually a fully adapted turkish theme that my grandmother used to play in her lute, very well known under different names in the middle east (Iraq and Syria it is Mughram wisalak), that is Sacred Shabbat. Other melodies blend in Celtic, and new age with Oriental Instruments in such a magnificient way.

Good for you Loreena and I cannot wait to hear your Night in Al Hambra album. Cannot wait to see you live in Concert here in Dubai.

Actually since I heared this CD I became an avid fan of Loreena that I got all her CDs, but the impression that "An Ancient Muse" is still unique among the others.

Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

I want to take my ears off now
Isn't she amazing!
Ebersole's Versatility Lends Landmark Status to a Quirky Character Study in Co-Dependency
Smash Hit!
Ebersole is EXCITING

Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

Manufacturer: P.S. Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast)
The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)
[title of show] (2006 Original Off-Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000G75A9I
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Tracks:

The Girl Who Has Everything
The Five-Fifteen
Mother Darling
Goin' Places
Marry Well
Hominy Grits
Peas in a Pod
Drift Away
The Five-Fifteen (reprise)
Daddy's Girl
The Telegram
Will You?
The Revolutionary Costume for Today
The Cake I Had
Entering Grey Gardens
The House We Live In
Jerry Likes My Corn
Around the World
Choose to Be Happy
Around the World (reprise)
Another Winter in a Summer Town
The Girl Who Has Everything (reprise)

Product Description

GREY GARDENS proclaimed the #1 Show of the Year by Time Magazine is preserved here in its Original Broadway Cast Recording. The show had been previously recorded following its off-Broadway premiere in the spring of 2006 (and its cast album released by PS Classics in August of 2006), but this new recording features the new songs and new cast members that were added for its Broadway transfer last fall. The new GREY GARDENS opened on Broadway on November 2, 2006, to rave reviews, led by Ben Brantley in The New York Times, who called it an experience no passionate theatergoer should miss! Starring Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole and Tony Award nominee Mary Louise Wilson, it subsequently appeared on over 25 Best of 2006 lists, including #1 Show of the Year (Time), Best Musical of the Year (USA Today, Entertainment Weekly) and Performance of the Year (The New York Times, New York) for Ms. Ebersole. In addition to the new songs and new performances, this Original Broadway Cast Recording also features an all-new 32-page full-color booklet complete with lyrics and Broadway production photos.

Amazon.com

Based on the Maysles brothers' cult 1975 documentary of the same name, this musical is an endearing—-and sometimes genuinely heartwrenching—-oddity propelled by Christine Ebersole's exceptional, for-the-history-books performance. The movie followed the kooky duo of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Little Edie Beale, as they lived with their 52 cats in a derelict East Hampton mansion. The show's first act, set in 1941, is a prologue of sorts, while the second act, set in 1973, follows the movie closely. Ebersole plays Edith in Act I (which she concludes in dazzling manner with "Will You?") and Little Edie in Act II (when Mary Louise Wilson comes in to play the mother). And while Wilson is superb, this is Ebersole's show. Technically, she is flawless—-just listen to the way she changes her voice between the acts—-but she also makes Little Edie a poignant eccentric, a lost soul stuck in a world of deluded, decaying grandeur. It all peaks in the poignant "Around the World," the show's best song and an Ebersole tour de force. Note that this recording documents the Off-Broadway production; the show transferred to Broadway in the fall of 2006 with a slightly altered first act. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

I want to take my ears off now.......2007-06-29

Grey Gardens got good reviews? I honestly don't know why everyone is raving. I have listened to it a few times now and I don't get it. Well I get it, what it's about and what is going on but I don't get why people like it. The music kind of reminds me of Annie, but worse. Don't get me wrong, I like Annie, but it's...Annie.

You might tell me its one of those shows you have to see on stage, but if I don't even like the music why would I even want to sit through it? Please. I can't stand this cast recording the only good thing about it is Christine Ebersole.

They could have done SO much better. I get what they tried to do and I see where they could have improved. I've turned off the music now and have left it for another day, maybe on a day when I can't hear properly.

Isn't she amazing!.......2007-06-28

I mean, can you believe her? I mean, Christine, not Edie. Well, Edie, too. And her mom. But then Christine is both of them, isn't she. I mean...

Ebersole's Versatility Lends Landmark Status to a Quirky Character Study in Co-Dependency.......2007-06-17

I was fortunate enough to catch Christine Ebersole's performance on Broadway last month, and it was indeed as transcendent as people have proclaimed. For those concerned about the future of the American musical theater, your fears can be allayed at least for another day. She gets the opportunity to play two vastly different roles and conquers both with élan and emotional power. Truth be told, the show itself is not as good as her, even though it deals with the fascinating, dysfunctional dynamics between the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the Beales. Luckily, Ebersole dominates both acts, first playing "Big Edie" in her social register glory in 1941 and then over three decades later, as her daughter, "Little Edie", now a haggard, turban-headed 56-year old recluse. This pristine recording reflects the schizophrenic nature of the score by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie.

Both acts are set in Grey Gardens, a palatial estate in East Hampton that has become a dilapidated, self-imposed prison over the years. Musically, the first act is the weaker of the two as it attempts to provide a fictionalized backstory to the Beales, including a likely exaggerated engagement between Little Edie and Joseph Kennedy, Jr., the eldest Kennedy son who was later killed in action during WWII. Even on record, the entire act feels strung together by a series of derivative faux-period songs like the time management swing number, "The Five-Fifteen", and the Berlinesque closer, "Will You?". However, the disc does allow more time to appreciate Korie's sophisticated lyrics on top of Frankel's WWII-era hodgepodge. The music is much better in the second act, which picks up where the famous 1975 documentary (Grey Gardens) begins with the mother and daughter having become co-dependent eccentrics tied inextricably to their health disaster of a home.

Ebersole finds a poignant, approval-seeking core to Little Edie with a couple of beautiful ballads - the haunting "Another Winter in a Summer Town" and the stunning dual-personality lullaby, "Around the World" - and delivers them with a bell-like clarity and palpable emotional depth. Her sharp comedy skills are also on full display with the obtuse fashion rundown on "The Revolutionary Costume for Today" and the Sousa-like march of "The House We Live In". Mary Louise Wilson provides a funny and affecting turn as the aged Big Edie and even sings the delusional praises of her lunk-headed handyman in "Jerry Likes My Corn". Broadway veteran John McMartin also performs a couple of numbers, but it is Ebersole's show all the way and her seemingly effortless versatility is what brings this quirky, sometimes enthralling score to life on disc.

Smash Hit!.......2007-06-12

With the least bit of imagination, one can visualize much of this musical; but, oh,heavens! this musical's addict would love to jump on a plane, fly to NYC and see this show. This very minute! Tony award winning performances are so evident on this CD. The "Around the World" song is an event to listen to.

Ebersole is EXCITING.......2007-06-11

Having seen the cult film many times, I thought the musical would just rehash old things. BOY was I wrong! Ms. Ebersole is Unbelievable as the mother and the daughter Little and Big Edie Beale. The writing is amazing incorporating direct lines from the film to the score. BRAVO!

Average customer rating:

doesnt measure up to hot fuss
I love it!
So Why Are These Guys Critical Whipping Boys?
Still rocking, even after all the "Hot Fuss"
Iam a victim of The Killers

Sam's Town
The Killers
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hot Fuss
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ASIN: B000GY729M
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Tracks:

Sam's Town
Enterlude
When You Were Young
Bling (Confession of a King)
For Reasons Unknown
Read My Mind
Uncle Jonny
Bones
My List
This River Is Wild
Why Do I Keep Counting?
Exitlude

Amazon.com

The Killers five-million-selling debut, 2004's Hot Fuss, saw the stylish Las Vegas quartet mining inspiration from its favorite '80s British acts Duran Duran, the Cure, and the Smiths. On its follow-up, the group turns its focus homeward. First there's the album title, Sam's Town, which pays tribute to the old-school local casino where the band got its start. Then there's the music inside, a collection of windswept rockers in the vein of Bruce Springsteen that leave the indie-disco vibe of "Mr. Brightside" in the desert dust. Working with producers Alan Moulder and Flood (best known for their work with U2, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails), everything here sounds bigger and shinier, with full-blown strings and choirs coloring epics like "When You Were Young" and "The River Is Wild." Coming soon to a stadium near you. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

doesnt measure up to hot fuss.......2007-07-09

sorry to all of you who really like this album, but in my own opinion, it can't measure up to 'hot fuss'

I love it!.......2007-06-27

The only thing that upset me was that there is no Killers c.d that has all my favorite songs by them on it. I do like most of the tracks on this one and on each c.d. that I bought they have great opening songs to start you out.

So Why Are These Guys Critical Whipping Boys?.......2007-06-26

Sure some of Sam's Town is a lot closer to two stars than five stars (think the pointless brace of enterlude and exitlude, or Uncle Jonny, the inevitable nod to every rock band's friend or relative with a voracious appetite for drugs, or the painfully banal Why Do I Keep Counting), but like former Giants/Cubs/Mets slugger Dave Kingman, when The Killers aren't striking out, they are hitting some mammoth and memorable shots. I was driving as Read My Mind spun up when I first played the CD. I had to pull off the road to avoid being a danger to myself and others. Nothing has changed in the hundred or so listens since then -- it is as thrilling a four minute compendium of longing and bravado as anything I've heard in a long time. (And, for me, it doesn't hurt a bit that its two bridges -- "the good old days; the honest man..." etc. -- recall David Garza's wonderful Crown of Thorns on his Overdub CD.) Nothing on the rest of the CD quite reaches that same high point and even the best songs of the second half, e.g. Bones and This River is Wild, come off like reworkings of the strongest material on earlier cuts, e.g. Sam's Town and When You Were Young.

But here's the thing -- The Killers are not afraid to stretch themselves. No playing safe here. They do bombast fit for an arena, they do humor, they do tender, and, with this bittersweet Valentine to their home town, they tell a pretty good story. Some of it doesn't work so well; a lot of it does. My personal guess is that as they mature there will be more and more successful blendings of those disparate elements. As they say about NFL draft picks, there's a lot of up side in this band. They just have to keep producing more "It's funny how you just break down/Waitin' on some sign/I pull up to the front of your driveway/With magic soakin' my spine" and less "am I strong enough/to be the one/will I live to have some children."

Still rocking, even after all the "Hot Fuss".......2007-06-02

Look, this album is no Hot Fuss, so I wish that people would stop comparing it. I mean do you compare Led Zeppelin I to Physical Graffiti??? No. It's the same band folks, just on a different path ---- and that's certainly no reason to write the whole album off. Besides, it wouldn't be right if they went in and simply made "Hot Fuss 2". That's not what GREAT bands throughout rock history have done, unless were talking about Metallica or AC/DC, which have earned the respect to do so.

There are many good tunes on this record --- of course, "When You Were Young", "Bones", and the hauntingly beautiful "Read My Mind". The album was worth purchasing for the later of those songs alone. Even so, the remaining of the album is still enjoyable and of great quality. For all the haters (who are more than likely disgruntled 90's alt. fans)--SHUT UP!!! This is a good album and worthy of appreciation.

Iam a victim of The Killers.......2007-05-31

After listening to Hot Fuss and completey falling in love with it I thought that this band coulden't really get any better.Well guess what? They did.I recently went to there concert in Atlanta Ga and this band is even more amazing preforming these songs live.It is very very rare that i listen to an album where i do not have to skip songs.This album is one of those.Every song gives a whole differnt meaning and new sound.It definatly is added to my favorite all time album list.Buy this album and you will not be dissapointed at all!

Average customer rating:

"New Maps of Hell" - Bad Religion
New BR sounds almost like old BR
Another Solid Bad Religion Album...
Music good, lyrics ok
I love you guys but...

New Maps of Hell
Bad Religion
Manufacturer: Epitaph / Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Zeitgeist
Blackhawks Over Los Angeles
Build a Nation
Music from Regions Beyond
A Poet's Life

ASIN: B000RGSOBO
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

New Dark Ages
Grains Of Wrath
Fields Of Mars
Germs Of Perfection
Requiem For Dissent
Submission Complete
Grand Delusion, The
Honest Goodbye
Prodigal Son
Before You Die
Lost Pilgrim
Heroes And Martyrs

Album Description

In a world ruled increasingly by superstition and intolerance, Bad Religion's rousing wall-of-sound punk seems about as necessary now as ever before. It is the impassioned sound of reason, anthems of a bittersweet idealism and a guarded hope set to propulsive guitars and charging drumbeats. And while most groups with even half the artistic output have long ago morphed into stylistic self-parody, Bad Religion is currently surging forward with a renewed creative intensity. Their fourteenth album is both a nod to the band's defiant past and an undeniable step forward in the evolution of a genre they helped to define. Look for them on this summer's Warped Tour, inspiring a new generation of fans.

Customer Reviews:

"New Maps of Hell" - Bad Religion.......2007-07-13

"New Maps of Hell" proved to be a very unexpected turn for Bad Religion. If you listen to "Process of Belief" and then "The Empire Strikes First" you will notice that Bad Religion seemed to be going in the direction of straight melodic rock with only a seasoning of punk influence. This album, on the other hand, sounds like a straight punk album with only a few songs ("Honest Goodbye" and "Lost Pilgrim" to name two) falling into the category in which Bad Religion was starting to wedge itself.
That being said, this album is an astonishing achievement from an already well established and respected punk rock band. I haven't heard this type of energy from this band since the album "Generator" and I have to say that the mix of old and new is quite refreshing.

New BR sounds almost like old BR.......2007-07-13

WOW! I bought this album the day it came out, and I was so surprised by the content. Starting with 52 Seconds, the buzz saw/distortion sound is in full effect! This new record is a step forward, and also back to the more uptempo sound BR used to have on all of it's songs. From Suffer until Stranger Than Fiction, most of their records were all fast and loud and we loved it that way. Then came The Gray Race, which was good, but started a trend towards more melodic songwriting. The Empire Strikes First was a step back in time, and a step in the right direction for the fans. Now we have New Maps of Hell, and you can TOTALLY tell that there are 3 guitarists all trying to outdo each other on this record. The term "wall of sound" is used well here. This record will definately please the long time BR fan, as well as create new ones around the world.

Another Solid Bad Religion Album..........2007-07-12

While not quite as inspired or adventurous as their last two albums The Process of Belief and The Empire Strikes First, New Maps of Hell is yet another worthy addition to the Bad Religion catalog. The sound is classic Bad Religion and is even reminiscient of some of their earlier harder edged albums like Against The Grain. Bad Religion fans will not be disappointed with this album. Songs like New Dark Ages and Honest Goodbye fit right in with the best that Bad Religion has ever released. The only complaint that I have is with the mix. It must be on purpose, but it just seems like this album was mixed much more dirty than any of their other recent releases. The vocals tend to get lost a bit. It's mostly a minor complaint. The album is still very good by any standards. It is great to see that after 27 years and 14 full length albums that Bad Religion still has something to say.

Music good, lyrics ok.......2007-07-12

I'm a huge, huge BR fan. I've now heard this album at least 10 times with headphones.

Musically, I have nothing bad to say. It [expletive] ROCKS. Great, great, GREAT music. But lyrically? There's plenty of catchy and clever little phrases, but none of the song lyrics really hold together well. I struggle to see the meaning, the point to most of them.

Greg Graffin is a preeminent poet/lyricist. But he sure doesn't show it on this release. Like I said, there's plenty of lines or pairs of lines that sound great, but none of the songs really seem to clearly make a point like so many older Bad Religion songs do.

Musically, it's 5 stars. Lyrically it's only 3 (hence my 4-star rating), because it pales in comparison with the lyrics on albums like Generator, No Substance, and even later work like Process of Belief. Still, it's not nearly as bad as the New America! Greg, I *know* you can write better stuff than this. I was just listening (again) to No Substance the other day and continue to be seriously impressed with the lyrics and everything else about that album. I can only hope that someday they reach that height again with both the music AND the lyrics.

I love you guys but..........2007-07-12

Disappointed, but not enough to give up on them. This album is the worst (musically) compared to the previous ones. Of course it's a matter of taste but the songs are mediocre and the overall sound quality is BAD. The instruments are much louder than the voice track, specially in the first song (maybe it was on purpose).
One of the things I love from BR is the way they mix angry punk with melody, even in hardcore albums like TESF, but this one has none of that. If you only like fast noisy punk, 'New Maps Of Hell' is for you. I just don't think this album was worth 3 years waiting. If I have to choose one song, I'll go for 'Lost Pilgrim'.
Even though the bad review I still think Bad Religion is the best punk-rock band ever.

Average customer rating:

Ozzy rocks
If you're a true Ozzy fan you'll really like it.
uninspired effort
New style - the 80s are dead!
Write on Point!

Black Rain
Ozzy Osbourne
Manufacturer: Epic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000PAAIXY
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

Not Going Away
I Don't Wanna Stop
Black Rain
Lay Your World On Me
God Bless The Almighty Dollar
Silver
Civilize The Universe
Here For You
Countdown's Begun
Trap Door

Amazon.com

Ozzy returns with a startlingly heavy ninth studio album, a record filled with vows to continue his rock 'n' roll ways ("Not Going Away," "I Don't Wanna Stop"), meditations on the state of a world that has changed surprisingly little since Black Sabbath's early days ("Black Rain," "God Bless the Almighty Dollar") and the obligatory ballad ("Here for You," which can be read either as a letter to a lover or a love letter to his fans). With longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde providing plenty of brutal, soul-searing riffs and solos, there's no shortage of reasons to throw the horns, raise your fist, and yell. The rhythm section of Mike Bordin (drums) and Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (drums) is simply the best since Randy Castillo and Phil Soussan joined up for 1986's The Ultimate Sin and fires most accurately on the title cut, "Lay Your World On Me" and "Countdown's Begun." There's no "Crazy Train" or "Mama I'm Coming Home" here but Black Rain is a more convincing statement for it. The promises Ozzy makes here are sincere, he's not going away anytime soon--and he's still got plenty of game. --Jedd Beaudoin

Customer Reviews:

Ozzy rocks.......2007-07-13

Ozzy rocks with this one. I would highly recommend it. Many of the songs are on current topics, war, global warming, but with the Ozzy and Zakk Wylde sound we've loved throughout the years. His voice has never been better.

If you're a true Ozzy fan you'll really like it. .......2007-07-11

Ozzy's Black Rain

I've been listening to Ozzy since I was 12, and I'm now 37. So we're looking at my 25th anniversary as a fan. I can't give an unbiased review because Ozzy means the world to me. Just the sound of his voice makes me feel like someone else sees the world the way I do. So that said, you can take this review for what it's worth to you.

Black Rain is a very good album. Of course it's not Blizzard or Diary, but it is a solid set of songs. True Ozzy fans will appreciate it; others probably won't--at least not all of it.

Here's a brief track-by-track commentary.

"Not Going Away" is a good start for the CD. The sentiment of "I'll never stop" is a bit cliché, but it works.

"I Don't Wanna Stop" is the first single off the album and repeats the "I'll never stop" theme of "Not Going Away". It's a disappointing song given its placement in the second slot.

"Black Rain" is a timely song, speaking to the war fought over the "black rain" of oil. I hate whiney political stuff in rock songs. Think Bono. But Ozzy isn't whiney and this isn't some stupid U2 song. He's a prophet of doom and this is his latest anthem. And don't forget this is the man who gave us "War Pigs." "Black Rain" follows nicely in the tradition of "Children of the Grave."

"Lay Your World on Me" is the highlight of the CD as far as I'm concerned. This ballad may be written with Sharon or one of Ozzy's children in mind, but it works even better if you interpret it as written for the fans--and who knows, maybe that's even (partly) what Ozzy intended.

"The Almighty Dollar" laments crass commercialism and perhaps the war. It's a little tough to take, given Sharon's crass commercialism, but it has a good sound.

"11 Silver" is excellent, dealing with addiction among other things. It really rocks and features a shredding solo from Mr. Wylde.

"Civilize the Universe" is another anti-war song, a theme that gets tiresome at this point on the CD. Still it has some great hooks, especially the chorus.
"Here for You" is the second ballad on the CD and repeats the theme of "Lay Your World on Me." It's a very good song, but not nearly as effective as "Lay Your World on Me".

"Countdown's Begun" is perfectly listenable album filler.

"Trap Door" is also perfectly listenable album filler, but a disappointing note to end on.

uninspired effort.......2007-07-11

I don't blame ozzy as much as i do zakk wylde. the songs sound like leftover b-side BLS songs, throwaway tracks with patheticly boring guitar riffs and zakk's weakest solo efforts of his career. not only are the riffs as stock and generic as the lyrics / vocals, but the songwriting is so weak that even a diehard ozzy fan will skip each track in hope that the next is worth it. ozzy's voice sounds so computerized and proves that if your not going to write a decent cd, than why taint your legacy? they complain that down to earth (2001) was weak but at least it had some good songs and ozzy sounded like himself, it was original and zakk's drunk out of shape guitar playing ruined this album, as it plaguaed his leads on the last one. he's washed up and forgot what it means to be a guitar hero. they said this album would be the one to blow away no more tears (1991), yet is by leagues ozzy's weakest album of his career, solo or with sabbath.

New style - the 80s are dead!.......2007-07-10

"Black Rain" brings a new Ozzy: industrialized and updated. The new album sounds a lot like Zakk Wylde's solo project: Black Label Society. The guitar's distortion is heavier and dirtier, and Ozzy's voice remains just the same. Incredible how his voice doesn't bow over to the years!

Black Rain has nothing to do with Blizzard Of Ozz, Diary of a Madman, Bark at the Moon, Wicked, No More Tears, Ozzmosis or Earth. It's a new sound. The 80s are dead, my friend. If you long for the old Ozzy, forget about it. Zakk's guitar work sounds lazier (compared to the previous efforts), less melodic, less magical. Nothing to do with the great old Zakk Wylde. It's XXI century Ozzy Osbourne. What can I say? I miss the 80's and early 90's...

Write on Point!.......2007-07-08

Skymac2 must be a ventriliquist. No need writing a review. Maybe when Metallica's next 'Tin Can Bangin' comes out, we can form a symposium for those who only know Ozzy since Zakk Wild, Wylde, Wilde (Ohh, whatever) has been the guitarist. Now don't attack me folk, Zakk is the best thing since Dime (Someone PLEASE, dispute me). I hate to say this, but, I think SOME groups need to revisit their early beginnings when they were Inebriated and they made GREAT music. Like Ozzy and Metallica. Megadeth, Exodus, Overkill, Anthrax and a ton of other 80's thrash bands are doing it. Over the Mountain is the PERFECT title of reveiw for the majority of Ozzy music in between Randy Rhoads and Zakk. Those other cats were ok until Ozzy started wearing Sequence. Look like that IDIOT from W.A.S.P.
PS, I think (not sure), SERIOUSLY think Zakk is from my hometown nown in Fords, NJ. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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