5 comments about Singles Box, Vol. 4.

1. I must say, this is one of the best collections I've ever heard. There's enough here that you're not going to tire of it, and it contains songs from what many believe may be DM's best era.
   
   A few highlights...tough to pick just a few since there are so many goodies...I'll limit myself to 3:
   
   "Strangelove" mixed by Tim Simenon/Mark Saunders. Anyone else catch the riff from "People are People" in here? This is just one of the amazing mixes of the song.
   
   "A Question of Lust" live. It's not every day you hear Martin sing live, and this song is done perfectly here. I also like the way it ends, savvy DM fans will recall that the original on "Black Celebration" fades out.
   
   "Enjoy the Silence" Quad mix. This song compares with the "1812 Overture" in terms of being epic. Not only is it almost the same length, weighing in at over 15 minutes, it encompasses so many moods. I feel the best part is the orchestral--yes, orchestral--rendition of "ETS" in the middle of the song.
   
   You can't go wrong with this collection. Even if you aren't into DM, you're bound to find a few tracks you will fall in love with.



2. I couldn't be happier with this box set. It covers what I think is the begining of Depeche Mode's best period. There are a few remixes included here that I don't have on the original CD maxi-singles that I bought at the time of original release so I am thinking they might be from vinyl 12" releases or promo releases. The best thing about these mixes is that they don't stray too far from the original. Some may have slightly altered arrangements or tempos, but they aren't remixed beyond recognition, as so many modern mixes are. The vocals remain mostly intact, and the songs' original feeling and mood remains pretty much the same. Some would question the reason for purchasing such an expansive boxed set of singles when not that much variety is present in the mixes of the songs. For me, the biggest reward is often in the b-sides of the singles, and the live tracks. DM's b-sides are often as good as ( if not better than )their a-side counterpart, and this box set is a true treasure chest of undiscovered gems. One highlight is the Quad Mix of Enjoy the Silence, here presented in an almost suite-like manner, with seperate, completely different moods. It was previously only available in the US on 12" vinyl. Another is Dangerous, which is so good it should have at least been an album track. The vast quantity of great songs is a real testament to the abilities of Martin Gore, probably one of the most overlooked pop songwriters around . Overall not a bad price for half a dozen singles with well over 50 songs. An absolute must-have for a serious DM fan or collector.



3. Wonderdful continuation on the box sets of Depeche. the Only thing missing is the US 12" release of Behind the Wheel/Route 66 megamix!! Why is this track alwayd overlooked. it's far superior to the Shep Pettibone mix or the destroyed singlemix! This mix keeps the darkness of the original Lp version and combines it with the sinister cover of Route 66. other than this travesty, the box is complete from Depeche's shining years.



4. Una muy buena colección. el box set 4 trae muy buenos temas, además de traer unas remezclas espectaculares.
   No duden en comprarlo.



5. "Singles Box 4" is a box set that covers Depeche Mode's material from 1987 to early 1990. During this time, the Mode released six singles ("Strangelove," "Never Let Me Down Again," "Behind the Wheel," "Everything Counts," "Personal Jesus," and "Enjoy the Silence"), all of which are packaged here in their original artwork with all the b-sides and remixes as they were originally released. That means there are no unreleased cuts, no bootlegged remixes, or the like. Everything in this box set has been previously released. From 1987-90, Depeche Mode were establishing themselves as platinum superstars in America, where they released three albums: "Music for the Masses," the live disc "101," and the breakthrough smash "Violator." Highlights include the Phil Harding remix of "Strangelove," Shep Pettibone's slick remix of "Behind the Wheel," the house update of "Everything Counts," an excellent acoustic re-recording of "Personal Jesus," the should-have-been-a-single b-side "Dangerous," and a deep house re-working of the group's first American Top Ten hit "Enjoy the Silence" (the Bass Line). In terms of liner notes, there isn't much to report, though the CDs do come with a booklet that gives the complete tracklisting. No lyrics, no photos. On the plus side, it looks like these singles have been remastered, as I noticed some improvement in the sound quality. If you're a DM obsessive, then these singles are a must-own. Not only are they well-packaged, but they cover one of Depeche Mode's most exciting periods of their career.

5 comments about Antbox.

1. My dad is a HUGE antfan. I was nervous about getting this for him, since he has so many Adam Ant CDs. It wasn't a problem since there were many previously unreleased songs, songs he had only on vinyl, and cool demo versions of just about everything else. The demo version of Friend Or Foe was especially appreciated, since it didn't suffer from the cheesy trumpets in the background.



2. ANTBOX is a great collection of early Ant demos and unreleased stuff (mixed with the obligatory hit singles).
   
   The first disk is a revalation for most Ant fans as most of the material has never been isssued before. Disk two is a great mix of rarities (A.N.T.S. anyone?) and has a bunch of great Friend Or Foe era outtakes. As for as Disk three is goes there's only a handful of rare items and as far as the Manners/Wonderful period goes we're deined anything besides the album tracks that were issued as singles. Which, if you're a fan, you already have and don't need again.There are no demos, live tracks or outtakes from these periods on ANTBOX which is odd because they're all over the internet. So it's not like they don't exist.
   
   This all makes for a frustrating box set and hopefully rarites from this period will surface on another collection sometime in the future. A good box set for folks who don't mind their collections to overlap yet again with previously released material.



3. It's not often you find a band that so thoroughly revisits it's history and with such humor. The only thing that could have made this compilation better would have been the inclusion of music videos. There are not a lot of sources out there for information about the history of the band, so the booklet that comes with these albums is worth it's weight in proverbial gold. And if word of the band was rare, pictures are rarer still, so the candid shots included are great fun.
   
   All in all this collection allows you to hear Antmusic in the proper context and with the permission of it's actual creators, so you know it's good.



4. Back in high school, I fell in love with Antmusic. It was like rebellion from normalcy and I grabbed on for the ride. 20 plus years later, I still want to grab on for the ride. This box rocks. The best part about the collection is the different versions of the original songs. There are two versions of a couple of songs such as "Stand and Deliver". In a couple of cases, I actually liked the demo better than the recorded song. "Friend or foe", for example, the demo is better to me. If you are an ant fan, this is a must have. My 3 kids, 8 and under, love the songs, too. My 3 year old can sing "Stand and Deliver" - it is adorable. Let's face it, there is no one that compares to the original sound of Antmusic. {If Adam Ant reads this stuff, record another album!! - the music industry now is so boring. . .}



5. Well it took about 14 days to get to me, and with much anticipation, I put it in my BOSE car audio system, and BOOM there I was back in the early 80's with ADAM and MARCO!!! I absolutely love this collection, even the quirky A.N.T.S. makes me smile! If you are a FAN, this is a MUST. If you would like to know what the new romantic music movement was all about, pick this up! The DEMO versions on here are worth the cost of this collection and then some! Thank you SONY, now How about the DVD release of ANTVIDEO in AMERICA????

1 comments about Jar of Flies/Facelift/Dirt.

1. I ordered the CDs for my fiance and he loved them. The only thing wrong with the order was that all the CD cases were broken inside - the part that holds the CDs in the case, so I had to replace all three of them. Other than that, the CDs were brand new.

5 comments about B-Sides & Rarities.

1. I don't really consider myself a diehard fan of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds but I do like a good deal of his work. I recently picked up a copy of B-SIDES & RARITIES from my library because I wanted to re-acquaint myself with his music (it has been a few years since I have listened to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds). It did not take me very long to remember why I like Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. I just love Nick Cave's deep baritone voice. I am often reminded of one of my favorite singers Voltaire. I enjoyed most of the songs on the album, like the beautiful cover of "What a Wonderful World" and a different version of "Where the Wild Roses Grow" (minus Kylie Minogue). There were a small handful of songs I wasn't too keen on but otherwise this anthology of rare and unheard tracks by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a nice reminder to Nick Cave's talents as a singer/songwriter.



2. This is Nick Cave's very own favourite album by the Bad Seeds, and this also happens to be my favourite album of all time. I purchased these three discs for about 16 dollars, making it my first Nick Cave CD of purchase. I listened to it all, and it was just perfect.
   
   I've bought a lot more Nick Cave albums since then, in which he has turned out to be my number one favourite artist, but i always look back on this one as my ultimate favourite.
   
   The 3-disc compliation of b-sides and rarities are all good enough to be sprawled across his other albums, but at the same time im happy that this compliation was made. There is too many songs to highlight, but stand-outs included the bluesy jam of God's Hotel with great lyrics, the acoustic versions of Deanna, City Of Refuge, The Mercy Seat and Jack The Ripper, a great upbeat tune called Come Into My Sleep, a magnificent cover of Rainy Night In Soho, Sail Away, and so so SO many more.
   
   This album showed me how good music can get. I highly recommend you should buy it, right now.
   
   p.s although this is under a kids review, i'm not a kid



3. They may be called B Sides and Rarities but there is nothing sub par about these songs. And even plucked out of different eras and line-ups, they actually form a sort of cohesive, deranged, drunken blues and poetry whole.
   There are album offshoots, some unashamedly beautiful like Train Song, acoustic versions and jazzed up remixes of classics, like Red Right Hand, Deanna and Scum, there are cover songs and crazy jam session on a theme, both of which apply to Leonard Cohen's Tower of Song, plus live gems like God's Hotel - just listen to what the band does in the background!
   For old faithful, this is a treasure box, even if you thought you had it all. I had almost all of these on CD singles and such, but one was rendered inaccessible by technological progress- the track from the X Files soundtrack; it was hidden before the first song and impossible to play on computer CD players. And it's nice to have the whole collection handy on three CDs.
   For new fans this could actually be a great, offbeat introduction to the wonderful world of the Bad Seeds: dark humor and great songwriting, with a touch of inspired insanity, in one cool package. Just sample "The Ballad Of Robert Moore And Betty Coltrane", a three minute Quentin Tarantino movie rolled into a song, and you will be exploring Cave in no time.



4. Meestal zijn B-sides en rarities een collectie bijeengeraapte rommel die niet verkocht raakt van een artiest die 'fin-de-carriere' is... maar dit is zeker een uitzondering. Alleen al voor de compleet geflipte versie van O' Malley's bar is het zijn geld meer dan waard. The ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane had eigenlijk ook op Murder Ballads moeten staan...
   The Tower of song is beter dan de originele versie. Gewoon supergeslaagd!!



5. What I love the most about this 3 disk set is volume III.
   That disc alone is what made buying this worth it. To start it
   off, you have "My little empty boat". I fell in love with this
   song the first time I heard it. I wonder why he never put that
   on of his regular albums. It may be one of his best. The rest of the disc reflects a part of his life that is more personal.
   It's calm. I haven't liked his last albums that much, but when
   I heard this, I was like what the f---. Why was he waiting so
   long to put this stuff out. Volume III is mature. And I don't
   mean there is sex and violence in it. It's sophisticated.

5 comments about Thrill of It All.

1. I have 200+ box sets in my collection, and this one has to rank at the very top. Every key album track and single are here, plus a 17 track 4th CD of rarities! And to top it all off, there is a glossy, full-color book with commentary on every song by Mr. Ferry himself, not to mention tons of cool B&W and color photos. I have been searching this one out for years, and finally found a used copy for $75.00, so yeah, it won't be cheap, but you won't regret owning this gem once you have your grubby little fingers on it. I know I didn't!! An absolute must!!



2. My husband is going to flip for this Chistmas present. It's all he wanted. Thanks for the fast shipping too.



3. Firstly - Roxy Music are/were fantastic
   
   Secondly - Key tracks are missing (well documented in earlier reviews). It should have included all released output instead of reinventing history to pretend that tracks like 'Midnight Hour' never happened.
   
   Thirdly - The fourth disc of non LP releases (b sides etc) should be available on it's own to enable all of the band's loyal followers (from 1972 onwards) to complement their already complete collections of the original albums... And while I'm at it - who made the pitiful decision to include the non album single 'VP' on the first eponymous release on CD?!! It was not even presented as a bonus track but clumsily shoehorned between songs that had coexisted without its obvious interferance. The sound quality mismatch makes my toes curl every time I forget it's there!!!
   
   Lastly - There's no denying that the music included is 5 star - BUT it would be far more satisfying and probably cheaper to buy each album individually instead of this expensive dog's dinner...
   
   Very lastly (Forth point reinforced again!!!) - I'm still furious that the real fans have to buy this cynical record company spin off to access non album tracks that have eagerly been awaited since the birth of CD media. Shame on the record execs AND Bryan Ferry for letting this happen...



4. ok, let's settle this argument once & for all. the best rock band that ever was or is...The Beatles or The Rolling Stones? nope...it's Roxy Music & this box set is proof of it. i would put up the first 3 discs in this set against any four & a half hours of any other bands material. disc 4 is b-sides & extended versions & has some must have tracks as well. the remastered sound is incredible too. i thought i would get by with my treasured lps but these cds are a revelation. on a side note...Bryan Ferry obviously sold his soul to the devil at some point. he gets better looking all the time...and of course, there's his voice.



5. While not complete it is certainly an excellent way to get an overlook of the career of Roxy Music. The only better way is still to own all the albums.

No comments about Live at the Knitting Factory, Vols. 1-5.

2 comments about Originals.

1. This seems like a terrible promotional attempt. I loved Crowded House and I loved these albums. But what's going on here? For instance:
   -other than being in LP-esque sleeves rather than jewel cases, what else is different about these albums?
   -are the 3 LP-sleeves housed inside a hard-shell box, or cool slipcase?
   -do the albums feature remastered sound?
   -are there any bonus tracks? it doesn't even look like the first album has "Can't Carry On" like my cd copy does!
   
   If you're a newcomer to crowded house, get their "Best of" album (I think it's called "Recurring Dream"). If you have that and are interested in further purchases, all of their individual albums are avialable at amazon for not much dough. Make sure "Can't Carry On" is on your copy of the first Crowded House album, it's an excellent song worthy of that excellent album. SKIP THIS BOXED SET.



2. A fantastic way to come to know Crowded House. Good for fans and newbies.

2 comments about Touch Sensitive: Bootleg.

1. Well, I went through all the incarnations of this very prolific band/singer songwriter (the imitible Mark E. Smith).
   For me, being a tad older, the original FALL (whatever that might mean!) in the mid to late seventies (had already gone through a few line-up changes) had a foundation of Scanlon , Burns, and Hanley which lasted through damned near two decades - in the late 90s Smith (a notorious drunkard, as well as a wild and outrageously bombastic rant/poet) fought with and fired the long time collaborators.
   Since then, i'm not sure his band has been altogether one thing.
   I caught them in London in 98 and it was more or less (as a friend quipped) looking like a band of his daughters.
   
   But the current incarnations of the Fall are tight and musically adept. And these live concerts all around the end of 2001 - attest to an ingenuity and enjoyable noisiness that can only be the fall. Smith is on, mostly, he doesn't do the stuff he did in the early days - chatting amicably with the audience, or teasing them - he's more the lost in the lyrics type now (looking a bit like a cross between a ravaged Lou Reed and a starving owl). The thing that has always made the Fall so a different experience is MES's lyrics, and delivery. He has almost always been a strange rapper he talk drones his poetry - timing it with the guitars and drums. He rarely sings, and even this has been the joke of some older songs.
   
   So, what is this Set of Cds? 5 shows of the fall, showcasing MOSTLY material honed from the period recent to 2001.
   Cropduster is a stand-out of this period - the impressive studio version of which is on the ARE YOU ARE MISSING WINNER album.
   Purposely misspelled and almost the most perfect fall thing to do -
   
   the other thing to know about this band is that they have always championed LOW production value. They are a garage band first and foremost and damned-near always have been. They have been pretty - especially in the era of the early to mid 80s with Brix Smith - (who was as cute as a monkey) but they aren't pretty anymore.
   They are gritty, original, and captivating.
   
   Someone once said that there's more on just the liner notes from a fall album than there is most other band's entire records!
   
   and that is probably still true.



2. The perfection, the brilliance of this band DOES come across to me on this 5-CD collection, moreso than on recent studio albums. Those albums had some great stuff on them. But they also had lesser material on them.

   It has to be said also that some of the group's material, especially songs from the quickly-recorded "Are You Our Missing Winner" sounds better on here from these gigs than it did on the album. Much of this material is meant to be played live, and sounds perfect live. "Crop Dust", "Beourgeousie Town", "Kick the Can", and "Way Round" to pick three sound here like they should. "Ketamine Sun" is another.

   The Fall continue to promulgate a garage-rock aesthetic unlike anyone else on the planet. Smith and his cohorts continue to mine a rich vein of minimalist noise crossed with rhythmic complexity. They continue to journey into the heart of rock and roll darkness, emerging time and time again with gems that connect 50's rock to 60's garage to 70's punk to 90's grunge to new millenium dance. This band will be understood by future generations as something that was really great, and really undervalued by undiscerning consumers.

   I don't like everything that Fall produces, but I like this a lot. I recommend this to anyone who thinks they might be interested in it.

No comments about Volume II.

2 comments about Not Alone - Medicins Sans Frontieres.

1. This set really is a bargain. Where else can you get such a high quanity of music for such a low price? But what's really amazing is the diversity of the songs included. There really is something for everyone, regardless whether your tastes lean towards pop, folk, ambient, rock or noise. Of course this means that most everyone will be dissatisfied with a number of the tracks as well. I myself find some of the neo-folk and Canadian pop/rock a bit tedious. However the tracks by Colin Potter, Black Noise, Thighpaulsandra, William Basinski, Mirror and many others are wonderful. I was rather disappointed with the tracks by Nurse With Wound and Coil, though. They are two of my favorite groups, but their contributions here are underwhelming. the NWW track is nothing more than the lyrics to "Black is the color of my Love so Fair" recited into a vocoder, and Coil's Broccoli is a live recording that consists mainly of John Balance talking about being abused by his stepfather.
   Overall, though, it is well worth the cost and you will likely discover some new favorite artists.



2. Handsomely packaged in a white slide-open box, the set comes with 5 discs and one rather thick liner book.
   
   Unfortunately, we don't get the lyrics in this book. However, there is a nice description of the charity and of the genesis of this compilation project. The important thing to remember is that the proceeds from this generous 5-disc box set go to the noble non-profit group, Doctors Without Borders (or Medecins Sans Frontieres, hence MSF), an independent humanitarian medical group which targets the African HIV/AIDS epidemic amongst dozens of other international emergency health crises.
   
   By my count, there are 86 songs total. How many of them do I like? About half, so far, which isn't bad. 43 excellent songs for $33 is a tremendous deal. You might dig all the tracks; who knows?
   
   "Not Alone" is a solid collection of artists who donated their songs for a good cause. Think of it as a benefit fundraising concert that you get to take home with you. The vocal tracks range from good to amazingly beautiful, and the genre spread is comfortably diverse. You'll find a swooning song from Antony of "Antony of the Johnsons," a tune from the prodigious Devendra Banhart, one from our old friend Marc Almond, the sublime psychedelic-folk group Pearls Before Swine and several others like Current 93, Vashti Bunyun, Angels of Light, Baby Dee, William Basinksi (who sounds a bit like Bowie) along with many more. Genres include rock, alternative, electronica, neo-folk, prog-rock, cabaret, and other categories.
   
   I was admittedly a bit dissatisfied that nearly half of the songs are instrumental; lyricless. I don't have an automatic aversion to instrumental songs, but a good chunk of the instrumental tracks are just synthesized computer noise. But don't let that discourage you, because you will certainly enjoy many of the instrumental songs as much as the gorgeous vocal tracks. I just wish Jnana Records had told me up front that not all of the songs had vocalists.
   
   All in all, it's worth the asking price, because many of the songs are excellent and the proceeds go to a magnificent charity.
   
   A hint: buy it from the Jnana Records website. Currently, it's $32.50 including shipping/handling.