5 comments about Quadrophenia.

1. My favorite rock album of all time. The Who's masterpiece, and a work of art in so many respects. At times powerful, angry, somber, bitter, passionate....what else can you ask for from great rock music?



2. Off of the success of 1971's Who's Next, The Who were able to pursue what might be their most ambitious project. Similar in scope to Tommy, Quadrophenia is yet another concept album/rock opera but, in my opinion, it's a much more successful effort, despite lesser fame. Whereas Tommy included a great number of very short tracks, Quadrophenia consists of only full length songs. Some are short, clocking in at under three minutes in length, but they are still more clearly songs, rather than simply plot continuations. To this end, the album is more consistently musical, moving from one track to the next in a well thought out series of musical expressions, and one of The Who's best efforts.



3. After more than thirty years, I'm still angry about what punks like Lester Bangs wrote about this album. "Pretentious", "ponderous", "overproduced", "not in the spirit of their 60's singles" - the kind of snottily contrary bull---- that gave rock music writing a bad name and made needless enemies of what turned out to be some of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century.
   
   Every song here has something to offer, but there are four that include every last quality that made The Who such an object of admiration and devotion, meaning that these rank among the greatest performances in the history of rock and roll:
   
   1. "The Real Me"
   2. "The Punk Meets the Godfather"
   3. "Bell Boy"
   4. "Love Reign O'er Me"
   
   In all of these you hear Townshend's guitar fusing the power of Page with the emotion of Clapton, the unmatched passion and drama of Daltrey's vocals making the term 'opera' completely apropos in describing The Who's most famous works, the singular imagination and talent of Entwistle which enables his bass to come to the very front of a song ("The Real Me" breathtaking in that regard). And then, my God, Keith Moon - what he did here can not only not be recreated by the greatest drummers, but can't even be recreated by the greatest programmers of computerized drums.
   
   Yeah, this guy doesn't like the way the LP sounds, and that guy doesn't like the way the CD sounds, and this other guy doesn't like the way the MP3 files sound - WHO CARES?! If you don't have this you have to get it - even the least sonically "pure" version blows away anything done in rock for the last fifteen years.



4. Pete Townshend's other opera rock, Quadrophenia is, with Who's Next, one of Who's best record in the 70's and one of the best records of that decade. Great songs as Love Reign O'er Me and Cut My Hair.



5. I remember buying this in 1973, and being slightly disappointed, that Daltry's vocals at times, seemed buried in the mix. However, this was Pete Townshend's writing, at it's best. I saw them perform this in Los Angeles,as those that were around for the strange 1973 North American Tour, knows. We didn't know at the time, that this would be the last time that Keith Moon would perform with fearless abandon. The Who died, when Keith Moon did, in 1978. Everything else since, pales in comparison.

5 comments about Stop Making Sense.

1. A classic. This man is talented, strange, and ahead of his time. Truly amazing musicians. Great concert and fun for all- even if you didn't grow up with the music. Also a great gift for the music lover



2. Talking Heads is a Great Band and this Video is probably one of the best things they did. Its a concert that is so energetic that you can't sit down to watch this.



3. For the music alone this is worth the price. Lively and fun mix of many of the best Talking Heads songs. The video adds extra interest and fun. There are three formats (stereo, and two 5.1 mixes).



4. I wish someone could have filmed a performance from the Remain in Light tour, which was much stronger than the Stop Making Sense tour. The latter does lend itself well to filmed performance, and this is a great film nonetheless. I saw both tours, and the energy and songs on the Remain in Light tour were far better.



5. I bought this for a friend who is a serious Talking Heads fan. I wasn't. They watched this video so many times and raved about it so much, that I decided to watch it with them one night. I was amazed. It is the best Music video I've ever seen. You won't be able to stay in your seat with this one.
   
   Talking Heads Fan now too!

5 comments about Josh Groban.

1. Excellent CD of a superb young singer who will likely go far in the next few years. His voice has strength, depth and range, and the entire CD is a credit to the music world. Can't wait to obtain more CDs by this great artist.



2. Fantastic. I can't get the songs out of my head. How I missed Josh when the CD came out is unbelievable. He is an artist.



3. The more I listen to this CD, the more I like it! Even my 10-year-old daughter loves to listen to Josh Groban. Well worth the money.



4. I was about ready to give up on anything new in the music industy and I was told about Josh. All I can say is oh my God. He not only has renewed my faith in singers, his voice with Foster and Marx songs move me like I havent been moved in a such a long time.



5. There is nothing you can say about Josh Groban except that his voice is like a piece of heaven...

5 comments about Plans.

1. My kids bought this for me as a Christmas present. Not exactly my kind of music, I thought at the time, but I have really come to love this album. It is a real masterpiece. The music and lyrics are smart, sarcastic and expertly crafted. In the end, you are a little better off for undergoing this thought experiment. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. And I have been listening to it for two years, so far.



2. For those who like Postal Service, you will like this CD. Probably becuase it is the same singer. Still, you will like either way. The jewel for me on this CD is "Into The Dark". The opening lyric is "Love of my/Someday you will die..." Sounds kind of dark and sad but it is truly a beautiful song. Makes me cry just listening to it. My husband sung this to me on our wedding day. It was perfect!



3. This is an excellent album by some very talented musicians. I remember hearing the "Body Meets Soul" on Austin radio in late summer '05. They performed at Austin City Limits Festival that year. I had no idea they have been around since 1998. DCFC write great lyrics. Their music is etheral. "Soul Meets Body" and "Brothers on a Hotel Bed" take me on a journey. Few bands can compare to them. They have a long career ahead of them. If you like Coldplay, Travis or Keane, then this band is for you. I look forward to their new album, Narrow Stairs, in May '08. Buy this album! You will not regret it.



4. This album has made me an enthusiastic new fan of Death Cab for Cutie. I like the mix of ballads and higher-speed tunes (even though I do wish the radio DJs would please stop playing "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" ad nauseum... clearly they failed to learn from "Under the Bridge" in the 90s how overplaying can turn a perfectly good tune into a worn-out, trite cliche that makes you switch the station). The lyrics are excellent and the melodies mesmerizing. Also, I love how there isn't one bad track on the album. This is on CD I continually play through rom start to finish, then start over and play it again.



5. This album is the best indie album i have every heard , the entire thing is captivating and very moving , at first i hated soul meets body but i bought this album on a whim and i love it , its one of my favorites. give this a try , take a few listens and then judge.

5 comments about Black Holes and Revelations.

1. Better than me, better than you. They are just an Uber-talented band with savvy to boot.
   
   I was fortunate enough to see Muse perform on Friday evening (21 March) and was completely blown away! In fact the very next day I went off to the nearest CD store and purchased this and Absolution as a result. To say the performance was mind-blowing is an understatement. But let me not digress too far.
   
   The songs on the album are completely eclectic, from synth-pop to surf-like guitar tones (the first part of Knights of Cydonia reminds of a futuristic version of the Shadows) but at the same time the album never becomes too daunting to listen to. Every second of listening to the album I just keep thinking "What are they going to do next?"
   
   As for fave tracks Knights of Cydonia is my favourite currently (this may of course change as I listen more and more to the album) but I also totally love Supermassive Black Hole and Starlight. (I am going to assume that these songs will likely be most peoples' favourites because they really stand out from the first time you listen to them!) I also think that Take a Bow is very cool, and is the most fitting album opener.
   
   In short it seems as though Muse have managed to progress from where Radiohead started in alternative music and have come up with an incredibly intelligent, musical, quirky [insert as many adjectives as you like] offering that is destined to be a classic. All this and they have managed to avoid the categorisation as a "prog" band!
   
   Go and buy this CD now, and fill the Supermassive Black Hole in your CD collection!



2. This album shows a very unique and new side of the always brillant MUSE. Supermassive has an overwhelming vibe along with Knights. One of the best cd's and worth the money!! Each song is different and the album never gets old. Highly reccomended!



3. To say that this album is diverse would be a bit of an understatement. From the opening track "Take a Bow" to "Knights of Cydonia" at its end (incidentally, this was the song that prompted me to buy the album), Black Holes and Revelations takes you on a nearly-fifty-minute musical roller coaster ride, with each track bringing a different, new sound, and yet being done in such a way that it all fits nicely together. All in all I felt that it was extremely well done, and a very pleasant album to listen to. Not having heard much of their previous work, this album has triggered my interest and I'm now intending on exploring what their past albums have to offer.



4. In "Butterflies and Hurricanes," on the Absolution album, Matt Bellamy sings, "Best... you've got to be the best... you've got to change the world and you use this chance to be heard." He certainly heeds his own advice, as is evidenced in the politically charged lyrics of "Take a Bow," opening song on the new Black Holes and Revelations album. He tells our current leaders that they will "burn in hell for their sins." The question is whether he is speaking to Bush or Blair. Probably both. As harsh as this message might sound, it pales in comparison to the call to arms in "Assassin," where "the time has come for you to shoot your leaders down." Ouch. At any rate, Muse has become a worldwide phenomenon, selling out three consecutive nights of shows at Wembley Stadium, and they are utilizing their popularity to inspire their fans to do something.
   
   "Supermassive Black Hole," has been both praised and criticized. Its inspiring of opposite reactions is likely due to the atypical sound. Synthesizers boom in a low register while Bellamy's voice floats above in falsetto. The cliché is tongue in cheek, "I thought I was a fool for noone, but ooh baby, I'm a fool for you." I dare you not to groove along with this song. Opposites are a strong theme in "Starlight" as well. Wolstenholme `s base line is just delicious, and as in "Supermassive," its depth is set off by the higher keys of Matt's voice and piano. "I just wanted to hold you in my arms" shows a yearning for closeness, but there is a great sense of desolation: "this ship is taking me far away, far away from the memories of the people who care if I live or die." The music and the lyrics are so bittersweet, as in "Map of the Problematique," which opens with "fear and panic in the air." While the apocalypse is present throughout the album, it is most pronounced here. These lyrics echo those in great apocalyptic literature, where the final survivors struggle with their finality in isolation.
   
   The voice of the hero is never so pure as in "Soldier's Poem." It sounds like an Elvis Presley ballad, but beneath the sweet harmonies lies an acerbic depiction of someone serving their country yet challenging those defended to question the rationality of war and the actuality that there is no justice. It is so angry, yet wrapped in pretty paper, that it makes you giggle at the absurdity of it all. Don't doubt that this is the intent.
   
   "Knights of Cydonia" runs on the pace of a horse's gallop, calling attention to the four horsemen in the cover art. It is such a phenomenal way to end the album (as well as live concerts), with octave-spanning accapellas and heavily rocking guitar riffs. It also ends the apocalyptic theme with a statement of fortitude, not at all going quietly into the great night.
   
   The genius of Muse is head spinning, especially for a three piece band. If Matt Bellamy were only the lyricist he is, the vocalist, guitarist, or keyboardist, he would be a major talent, but the quadruple threat amplifies his genius to an unheard of level. Was this boy genetically engineered (as the puppies in "Plug in Baby" on Origin of Symmetry), bred and raised by a Mensa society, or spat here by God himself as a gift to music lovers? He is his own four horsemen, isn't he? If he is heralding the end of the world, then, yeah, that sucks, but at least now I have that one album I'd like to take with me.



5. I like this CD. It has a lot of Queen influence in the vocal and music department. It also has a very Art Rock approach in the music. The musicianship is amazing and always interesting. This Cd was recommended in a Prog Magazine as an album of rock with prog embellishments. I would have to agree. I'm not sure I hear the Rush influence as others have mentioned. I hear more Queen and U2. I think they should move away from the U2 and stick with the Queen influence. Whatever the case is, the CD is very enjoyable like a real good Adrian Belew CD.

5 comments about See the Morning.

1. In a word: FANTASTIC!
   
   This wasn't a CD that had to "grow on me"... I loved it immediately. This CD has comforted and uplifted my soul on so many occasions....



2. Very encouraging and easy to sing along with - I very much enjoy most of the songs!



3. I really like this CD, and I am more of a "black gospel" listener. None of the songs are too long or repetitive. It's a great CD.



4. When a singer/songwriter has the ability to reach the listener's heart/soul song after song with the truth of God's Word, God is honored. All the songs in this set bring the listener to a place of greater focus upon the Sovereign Majesty of the Holy One, Almighty God.



5. I turned on a Christian radio station in the car on my way to work this past Tuesday morning. I heard a song that I thought was so beautiful and uplifting. I wrote down a couple of words, and after work went to a Christian music store to see if I could possibly find the artist of the song. After some searching by the very kind owner, he found the CD and I purchased it. As soon as I got to my car, I took the wrap off and popped in the CD. I was blown away, I love every track!!! What a beautiful voice this man has. I have since ordered his other CDs through Amazon. It's all I have to listen to since purchasing it. This is the time in my life when I am looking for peace and praying to God. I thank God for the gifts he has given this man, and that I was led to buy this most awesome and amazing CD. The Amazing Grace rendition brought a calmness to my soul and tears to my eyes. This is really a must have. If this brings others half as much joy as this has brought me, you will be most content.

5 comments about X&Y.

1. This was the first Coldplay album that I got into and dissected. A lot of people have claimed this to be overrated. But what I don't think some people get is they kept their same drifting, spacey aura. Every song on this album, IMO, has a different, but warming personality. I didn't get that on every song of Parachutes and Rush of Blood.
   
   "Square One" is an excellent opener with a catchy beat, the spacey vibe, and Chris Martin's smooth voice. "What If" is one of my favorite tracks and kicks off with some very melodic and soothing piano. My favorite track on this album is "The Hardest Part". This track, to me, represented a mini-culmination and collaboration with the piano that was dominant in "What If" with an uptempo beat like "White Shadows" and Martins' soon-to-be iconic voice.
   
   Bottom Line: These guys will be considered one of the all-time great bands if they keep up this pace.



2. This yet another must have for all Coldplay fans. The songs range from slow to fast paced and are an excellent addition to the Coldplay repertoire. If you don't have this yet go out and buy it. A great addition and an album full of various hits.



3. I'm looking forward to their next one. Can't wait.
   
   Matt Zarnstorff



4. I was thoroughly impressed with X&Y by Coldplay, having spent my entire high school career writing off this band as too mellow for my taste. Wow, I cannot remember a CD that had me falling in love with every single track. The lyrics are beautiful, poetic, (and clean! surprise!), the music is incredible---it's good for yoga, by the way! For someone who used to bash Coldplay at any given moment, I now have "Swallowed in the Sea" as the top-played song in my iTunes library. Worth the money!



5. Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head are fantastic, but X&Y is sheer perfection.

5 comments about Closer.

1. Since I gave this item as a gift I can't give it a fair review, but I can say that my mother was very pleased to receive it and is enjoying it.



2. Although I only purchased this CD for the sake of ONE SONG.... 'YOU RAISE ME UP' I listened to the other songs on the CD in foriegn languages and even though I didn't understand a word...... I enjoyed the silky smooth and velvet voice!!



3. Josh Groban has a beautiful voice and this CD shows it. I listen to him on the way to work - makes my day start out great!



4. 
   Great songs and beautiful music....his voice is full of passion and magic...classic style...It would be even better if it had more selection of English songs in this CD...Can't understand the lyrics of many songs, but I do love his voice and the wonderful music.



5. Got this CD for my wife for Valentine's day and she absolutely loves it. If you are a Josh Groban fan, this one's for you.

5 comments about Vivere Live in Tuscany [DVD/CD].

1. I MUST SAY THAT I TRULY ENJOY THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE OF ANDREA BOCELLI;
   JUST WATCHING HIM ON THE DVD, LISTENING TO HIS GOD GIFTED VOICE - WHATS LEFT TO BE SAID. THE ONLY THING MISSING, BESIDES BEING AT A CONCERT IN
   PERSON, IS A GOOD GLASS OF RED WINE - LOTS OF PILLOWS ON MY BED, LET THE
   MUSIC DO THE REST.



2. Excellent DVD. Sound and picture quality are awesome. Could watch and listen to it all day, every day.



3. Soy un gran admirador de Andrea Bocelli y además de la música en general. Este concierto es, sin duda alguna, el mejor de Bocelli. La calidad del sonido es sobresaliente y el repertorio elegido para la ocasión también lo es. Bocelli hace algunas apariciones, sinceramente espectaculares, a dúo con artistas de la talla de Sarah Brightman, Heather Headley y Laura Pausini. Si a usted le gusta la buena música, este es un concierto que debe comprar.



4. I'm a great fan of Andrea. This CD & DVD are one of the best. Unusual to hear him sing popular selections, but great. The accompanying orchestra, singers, & artists were overwhelming & didn't cover up Andrea's voice. Thank you Andrea Bocelli.
   
   Al Webster
   Somerset, Wisconsin



5. Andrea Bocelli is a Great Singer, his voice is one that you do not get tired of hearing, His performance was Excellent! And also his guest.
   It is worth the purchase, Very gifted. My husband and I will continue
   enjoying all his wonderful DVD's and CD's.Thank You! Andrea Bocelli

5 comments about Daughtry.

1. I am a big fan of American Idol and I love Chris' voice. When I bought this CD and listened to it, I thought the musical aspect of it was great. I only wish Chris didn't quite sing so many broken hearted songs. I hope he includes some happy love songs on his next CD...after all, I do believe he is still happily married!



2. I have never been so inclined to write a review for a product before. This is my favorite CD, and it is quite frankly the best CD I own right now. That is saying a lot, as I am a huge music fan. There are no "filler" songs in my opinion, each song is better than the last. My favorite, though hard to choose, is Feels Like tonight. His voice is so commanding, yet subtle as well, he can rock it out, and just flat out sing like in All These Lives. I would recommend this CD, and is actually worth the $10, unlike many CDs put out these days.



3. If you have been mourning the lack of good rock music, it is back. Daughtry's voice is fantastic, his lyrics are soulful, and the music is great.



4. Just plain old rock mixed with newish buzz-rock and the result is something easy to listen to and not too embarassing to play loud on your car radio (considering the American Idol roots). I enjoy every song on it and well, let's face it, he's easy on the eyes too. "Feels Like Tonight" is currently one of my fave tunes.



5. I was shocked when Chris got eliminated on the fifth season of Idol. So when I found out he was releasing an album I was one of the first in line. It did not dissapoint. All of the tracks are hardcore rock without being screechy, and unlike Bo's debut the album actually showcased Chris's amazing vocals, especially the track entitled Home ( which is one of my favorites). This album is defenitley worth a buy and I can't wait until his next one comes out!!