5 comments about Deliverance.

1. Scored this Lp a good decade back, but had to throw a review up, as the least i could do was type a quick review on it, to praise the dudes who slapped it together. Spewin' Reed M. aint behind the kit no more for these dudes, but none the less Pepper Keenan & Woodrow W. pull out all the stops on guitar, with great support from Mike D. on bass. Songs like Albatross, & Shake Like You are instant winners with catch hooks that tune you in to the end of each track. To my surprise were the quiet little interlude tracks, (this trait does appear in the sonic works of the supergroup Down also), so i would have to tip my hat to Pepper for these efforts. A must listen before your time comes to an end on this planet.



2. "Deliverance" sees COC leaving their old thrash crossover style completely behind. Pepper Keenan ( of Down) entered the band and really took control of this album, laying down his superb vocals and song writing ability. The sound changed to more southern styled metal, akin to a lighter Pantera with more melodic vocals and the odd thundering Sabbath inspired riff. While this didn't go down with the hardcore fans of the band's old thrash style, it drew in a wider metal and grunge fan base.
   
   There is a host of great rocking tracks, all enveloping that southern swagger and a great bent for melody. My favourites include the grooving opener "Heaven Is Not Overflowing", the slow-burner "Albatross", "Clean My Wounds" which is one of the band's most catchy and well known songs. There's the brooding doom of "Broken Man", the fun groove of the title track and my personal favourite "Seven Days" which showcases the most powerful and booming chorus the band has ever put out. I'm also a big fan of the slower songs, especially the closer "Pearls Before Swine" which is really quite menacing and ends the album on a poignant and intense note.
   
   "Deliverance" is a consistently great southern rock/metal album with a host of melody and some great heavy riffs. Probably my favourite release from COC, and a great place to start for newcomers.



3. 'Deliverance' by Corrosion of Conformity is, without question, an album that anyone who is even remotely interested in heavy music should own. I have had this album for over a decade, and I am still not tired of it.
   
   It amazes me how unknown and unappreciated this album is. This album is in the same boat as Temple of the Dog, an amazing album that most people will never hear. It really is that good, so go buy it.



4. this is without a doubt , one of my favorite cds. coc packs a hard punch . and its got so much soul . definatly worth your money , no matter what t he cost



5. wow
   years ago,c.o.c where "my" band back in their hardcore punk days.when they "sold-out" & went metal,i totally tuned out without even hearing where their sound was going.
   boy,did i ever make a mistake....
   this is fantastic stuff!as many other reviewers have pointed out,this is along the southern fried black sabbath riff-a-thon.
   songs are well written,musicianship solid.
   wish i had given this a chance 11 years ago!

5 comments about Recovering the Satellites.

1. Not the masterpiece that the Crows presented with AUGUST, but SATELLITES is a quality album from a band that is still going strong. Moodier and darker than AUGUST without the endearing lyrics and "story" feel. Still a high recommendation for this effort.



2. 
   Counting Crows second effort is just as brilliant as their debut, "August and Eveyrthing After." Here, the band shows a totally different sound than their previous effort and what turns out is nothing short of brilliant.



3. In hindsight, the title track of this album might be my favorite Crows song altogether. There's something about the lines, "You're everybody's satellite/I wish that you were mine" and the brief pause between them that you can actually FEEL the resigned shrug of longing and hopelessness.
   And, yeah, so, there's a (gasp) 4-letter word in the song...it makes the song hit home that much harder and I've never felt has had anything to do with trying to 'harden' the group's image.
   This album has a few dry spots. "Monkey" and "Another Horsedreamer's Blues" stand as really the lone losers to me on here. Other than that it's one great song after another. The reason this one wasn't as heralded as "August and Everything After" is because it didn't fit the mold that the record-review and media industry had shoved the Crows into immediately after the debut gained some success.
   Remember, they were critcal darlings until about 10 seconds after Mr. Jones became a hit, then everyone thought it was cool to hack on them and they have ever since.
   "Goodnight Elisabeth", "Have You Seen Me Lately?", "Mercury", "Catapult", "Miller's Angels" ... they're all masterpiece songs.
   Let alone that I didn't mention any of the album's three hits, "A Long December", "Angels of the Silences" (better in its acoustic form on the live double album Across A Wire) and "Daylight Fading".
   This album doesn't have the romantic aura about it that "August" still carries, but it surely isn't less of a record because of that fact.



4. I was so impressed by Counting Crows' original and captivating initial effort, August & Everything After, that as soon as the follow-up (Recovering the Satellites--deserving of no more than parenthetical mention)was released, I bought it without previewing it.
   
   Well, that's another life lesson learned.
   
   Perhaps there was extreme pressure to release a second CD while the time was ripe. The time might have been ripe, but the music and the creativity were all too green. The lyrics were trite. The stale musical fills not only lacked horribly in creativity, they were repeated and repeated to an agonizing degree--a case of substituting quantity for quality.
   
   "August" remains a musical gem in my collection. Had I not known the quality of which Adam Duritz is capable, I might have given this second effort a marginal second star. It just isn't within me to reward complacency, however.



5. Counting Crows... an amazing alternative rock band. After four great studio albums (soon to be a 5th), I remain convinced that this is their most emotional and convincing album. The poetic folk-rock of August & Everything After still remains unparalleled, as does the bright, lush pop-rock of This Desert Life and Hard Candy. But Recovering the Satellites is so emotional, hard, dark, and filled with brilliant songs that span the 14-track disc.
   
   From the distorted intro of "Catapult" to the acoustic closer "Walkaways," the Crows have crafted their finest album to date. Listen and you'll understand... the desperation in Duritz's voice, and the hard guitars that come together brilliantly on "Angels of the Silences." "Goodnight Elisabeth" is simply one of the best ballads I've ever heard, and the catchy lyrics of "Have You Seen Me Lately" and "Monkey" will have you singing along in no time. "Daylight Fading" and "I'm not Sleeping" really take you somewhere, something no album has done for me since I first heard Exile on Main St.
   
   The album suffers only slightly from weaker tunes in the middle such as "Miller's Angels" and "Another Horsedreamer's Blues."
   
   And the Crows save the best for the end of the album. "A Long December" is understated, brilliant (both lyrically and musically) and damned catchy. A fantastic album that everyone should hear.

5 comments about Liquid Mind VI: Spirit.

1. Being a mystical student, I found Liquid Mind to be one of the best musical pieces I have ever experienced for use in meditation sessions or for putting one to sleep without having to resort to medication of some sort. It has a very engaging, soaring and spiritual quality about it. Good as background music while reading or writing too. Have not ever heard such exquisite blending of sounds before.



2. If you're looking for music with melody, drumbeats and singing this is not the record for you. If you're looking for a healing, relaxing and spiritual sound with the same vibe as your own body and heart buy Liquid Mind's Spirit. This is a record that fills your entire body with relaxation and harmony. Turned up on a high or sometimes low volume it works as a stress healer and turns your body into a peaceful and harmonic state that makes it easier to meet your everyday life with a new and refreshing energy.



3. I think a lot of people over exaggerated when they said how absolutely wonderful this CD--mind you, it's NOT BAD, in fact it's pretty good, but I heard some very rare CDs much better than this. I would say it's good massage music, but it doesn't put me in a trance state. The BEST one that has done that to me is MAYA by Paul Avgerinos. And another music album which is out of print "New Beginnings". In fact I only seen that one on tape. It's so old I was afraid of losing it so I digitalized it so I it will be preserved and it's on CD. I still have THAT tape, but I'm afraid to play it for fear of ruining it. So I ONLY play my CD backup--now THAT music has put me in some very very deep trances. TOO BAD THAT ONE IS OUT OF PRINT-you have no idea what you are missing.
   
   Sorry Liquid Mind VI is not very good trance music. It's good massage music-but not that deep trance stuff. If you want to go deep, get MAYA. I've had even astral projections from that. Most profound ones. NEVER with this Liquid Mind CD though.



4. I have a hard time getting to sleep. This is so good that I am a sleep before hearing the end of the album. I had to put it on shuffle just to hear all the songs. I have had it on my ipod now for a few months. LOVE IT. I would get another download in a heartbeat, as soon as I can listen to the all the songs I have now.
   You won't be sorry. Get it!



5. This could be my favorite meditation CD of all time. It has a flow that even my other favorites cannot match. There is no sound that interferes with a timeless state of mind but encourages that state with sounds are uplifting without intruding. Hard to explain, and well worth the purchase.

3 comments about Songbones.

1. I stumbled on to this artist and bought the cd having never heard him.Great decision.The songwriting and craftsmanship is superb...I will be checking out more Capps.A great and rare find.



2. This CD Songbones was pitched at me with another cd and I deceided to try it, I liked the sound. This is now one of my favorite cds and I will definatly own more of his music soon. I highly reccomend this artist and his work, a unique voice and tempo. He has stories to tell, and a haunting voice to tell them with, Songbones is a very apt title.



3. Well, that's it then. 3 microphones, two chairs, a guitar and a violin.
   Recorded in 2002 before Stavin' Chain was a fact.
   Some of these songs later found their way on Capps' albums, some are heard here for the first time on CD.
   All of them however are worthy of release.
   If you're a fan at all of Grayson Capps then get this acoustic document on the double.
   It's great!

5 comments about Now That's What I Call Music! 15.

1. Another day, another 'Now!'...and 'Now! 15' sports some decent tracks here, starting with No Doubt's 'It's My Life' which isn't my favorite No Doubt song, not by a long shot, but it's No Doubt and they rarly put out anything you need to avoid. Next up on the plate is 'Toxic' by Britney and I don't really need to say anything more than, whether you love or hate her, 'Toxic' is one of the most infectious songs I've ever heard. I haven't met one person who doesn't like this song. Sarah Connor gives us 'Bounce' which was kind of a sleeper. I mean, I had heard the song a bunch of times but never knew who sang it, and sadly I didn't care to find out. Not that it's a bad song, just not that memerable. Jessica Simpson also shows her face here with one of the most annoying songs ever...'With You'...I don't know I just hate her.
   
   Beyonce also fails to deliver, for 'Me, Myself & I' was one of the only songs off 'Dangerously In Love' that I hated. It kind of floors me that they included Eamon's track, even though it was such a huge hit. It's just one of those songs I think totally loses everything with half the words taken out.
   
   For the most part the rap here is strong...Luda delivering on 'Stand Up' and he also lends his talents to Chingy's 'Holidae In' but it's Westside Connections 'Gangsta Nation' featuring Nate Dogg that takes the crown as best track on the album. It's smooth vocals and tight beats make it a gem amoungst the rest. Nick Cannon and Baby Bash serve up mediocre tracks here, Nick Cannon still outshining Baby Bash (I can't stand this guy), and Black Eyed Peas pull off one of their best tracks ever. 'Shut Up' is perfect.
   
   Sheryl Crow is good if not overplayed BIG time, but it's still a good song. Norah Jones failed to impress me with 'Sunrise' but that's just my opinion....I never really cared to listen to it. Fe Fe Dobson also loses my interest.
   
   The rock set is good, Three Days Grace delivering the best rock song here...LOVE THAT SONG!!! Never really cared for Blink's 'Feelin' This' but Good Charlotte and Fuel deliver good ballad type rock sets, and Five for Fighting give us '100 Years' which is still one of my favorite songs. All in all this is a nice addition to the 'Now!' family and is sure to entertain most people.



2. Not the best Now album but not the worst either. It has 4 awesome songs that make the whole album worthwhile: "It's My Life", "Toxic", "With You", and "Sunrise." I would buy it just for those 4 songs.



3. GOOD SONGS
   ___________
   
   It's My Life
   First Cut Is The Deepest
   I Hate Everything About You
   Falls On Me
   100 Years
   
   ...and that's about it...I guess Beyonce is okay, but I like her better in DC.
   
   UPDATE - 8/3/05: I should also comment that Jhonny Mendez's prediction list for Now 20 is flawless.
   
   1)Beyonce`s Child-Nothin` no more
   2)Britney Spears-My LAST song
   3)N` Sync-Retarted as ever
   4)Natalie Albino-Yes, I splited from nina sky,for the 76th time.
   5)Madonna-American Life pt 2
   6)Snoop Dogg-Strip Down
   7)Hilary Duff-I followed the same steps as Britney Spears and now im a hoe.
   8)Jojo-Im not famous anynore
   9)Bjork-Thonin ahi yah tahdo sas
   10)Ashanti-Oops!I did it over again.



4. I really like Now 15, especially since Eamon is on it.
   
   1. It's My Life - No Doubt: C. It gets too old.
   2. Toxic - Britney Spears: B. I like the groove in it. It could be better.
   3. Stand Up - Ludacris: B+. I like this song.
   4. Holidae Inn - Chingy: C. Right Thurr is a lot better.
   5. Gangsta Nation - Westside Connection: A+ I love this jam. I like it when they say "party like Beyonce, face like Andre.".
   6. Bounce - Sarah Connor: D+. I don't like it. She's trying too hard.
   7. Shut Up - Black Eyed Peas: C. It's ok, I guess.
   8. Gigolo - Nick Cannon: F. No comment.
   9. Me, Myself, and I - Beyonce: A+. I love this song! At first I thought it was okay, now I love it.
   10. Shorty Doowop - Baby Bash: B+. Good, but his voice isn't full.
   11. I Don't Want You Back - Eamon: A+. I LOVE THIS SONG! I LOVE EAMON! HE IS SO GOOD!
   12. With You - Jessica Simpson: B+. Good, but it gets boring sometimes.
   13. Sunrise - Norah Jones: F. Way too slow.
   14. First cut is the deepest-Sheryl Crow: A-. I like this song, and it never gets old for some reason.
   15. Everything - Fefe Dobson: B. Great song, but too generic.
   16. I Hate Everything About You - Three Days Grace: D+. Bland.
   17. Feeling This - Blink-182: D. One of their bad songs.
   18. Hold On - Good Charlotte: B-. It's good, but his voice sounds g@y.
   19. Falls On Me - Fuel: B. It's pretty good, but needs better lyrics. Definitely.
   20. 100 Years - 5 For Fighting: B+. I don't like it that much, but it's good at an end of a CD.
   
   Overall, I gave it 4 stars. I upped the rating because it has Eamon, otherwise I'd probably rate it 3 stars.
   
   LAST WORD: Buy it if you liked pop music from late 2003 and early 2004.



5. This CD is good. This is what I think about each song:
   
   1. It's my life-No doubt: B+. Like the song, and my parents also, since there is an original version that is at least 20 years old. Gwen Stefani had a nice-sounding, less screechy voice, but she sounds kind of like she is crying.
   2. Toxic-Britney Spears: C+. I like it a little bit. I used to hate it when it came out, but after hearing it for the 50th time this summer, I decided "It's okay, but if I have to hear it a thousand times, I go crazy." It is one of my 9-year-old sister's top favorite songs. Britney does not show very much talent when singing this song, but when you hear it in the morning and don't play any other songs, you have it stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
   3. Stand up-Ludacris: D+. I like rap sometimes, but not like that.
   4. Holiday in-Chingy: I hate it. Weird-sounding.
   5. Gangsta nation-Westside connection: Weird-sounding, don't really know it.
   6. Bounce-Sarah Connor: B-. Good song, but again, weird-sounding.
   7. Shut up-Black-eyed peas: C. It's okay, but don't make me listen to it a thousand times.
   8. Gigolo-Nick Cannon: I hate it. I can already tell that it's too rappy for me.
   9. Me, myself, and I-Beyonce: C+. It's okay.
   10. Shortly doowop-Baby bash: Don't really know it.
   11. I don't want you back-Eamon: B-. I like it, but his voice is really high.
   12. With you-Jessica Simpson: A. Very romantic sounding. It sounds like she's singing about paradise.
   13. Sunrise-Norah Jones:C-
   14. First cut is the deepest-Sheryl Crow: C+. Too hokey for me.
   15. Everything-Fefe Dobson: A-. Like the song. She sings nicely.
   16. Everything about you-3 days grace: C. It's okay.
   17. Feeling this-Blink 182: Don't know enough of Blink 182's music.
   18. Hold on-Good Charlotte: Don't really like them. Skip it.
   19. Falls on me-Fuel: Don't really know it.
   20. 100 years-5 for fighting: C-. Don't like it. You can't get away from it. It's in every store you walk into. You can play it once, but not a lot.

5 comments about Ben Folds Live.

1. Thanks for the prompt service!Received it on Christmas Eve. The packaging was great also. Thanks again..



2. This might be my favorite Ben Folds CD of them all!!! I love the extra talking he does between songs. He is one of my favorites in concert because he really interacts with you, and isn't afraid to be silly!



3. On Fold's first live album he takes a stripped down approach with no backing band. It is just Ben and his piano for a solid hour of music from both his Ben Folds Five and solo years. Folds is an outstanding live performer and it is obvious from this recording that he is able to carry an entire audience on his shoulders for a whole concert without the help of anyone else. In fact the audience serves as his backing vocalist, string and horn section on several of the tunes (You would have to hear it to understand). The album also features a DVD of some of the performances on the album which further enhances the Folds live experience. The majority of the songs featured here are from the Ben Folds Five era, with only 4 tracks from the excellent first solo album "Rockin' The Suburbs". Since I do not have all of Ben Folds Five early albums I found the tracks that he picked from them to all are excellent. Fold's piano playing is terrific throughout and it sounds like he was having loads of fun with the material. Fold's has often been compared to early Elton John. On "Live" Ben throws in a cover of John's "Tiny Dancer" which comes across as good, if not better than the original. The only other previously unreleased number is a short but good one called "Rock This Bitch". It is pretty hilarious and shows of Fold's always wry sense of humor. This album kind of reminds me of Warren Zevon's solo live disc "Learning To Flinch" in it's style and performance. Really everything about this disc is impressive, and it would serve as a very good introduction to Fold's body of work for anyone looking to explore what he does.



4. Ben gives a very energetic performance, and really seems to connect with the crowd.



5. If you like Ben Folds, you will love this masterpiece. He is an amazing musician. Kind of Billy Joel with more of an attitude.

5 comments about Dirty.

1. Never heard of Sonic Youth? Feel free to start here... Love SY? Feel free to start here... Open with a tune-up of an old blues standard, Thurston style, melting into your anti-corporate riot-grrrit of Kim Gordon's career as a super-model. Thrash me, bash me, and soak me in sound. By the time I get to Track 4, I feel like a Drunken Butterfly swimming around in Kim's stomach as she chants "I love you, I love you, I love you... What's your name?" *vomit spews* - - - This is what happens when you give a constantly shifting force of music (Sonic Youth) a corporate record producer and tell them to please their growing fan base. They please us... but we're the last one's to hear about it. If you've listened to some other SY albums, don't expect to find a familiar friend in "Dirty", it truly stands apart. The melodic insanity is there, the 5-string noodlings and erotic crooning are both there, but the package is somehow... SHARPER than the others. Sharp to cut, not sharp to impress. As you either know or will soon find out Sonic Youth is... well, Sonic Youth. You either HAVE to get it for your collection or you HAVE to distance yourself from the friend that recommended it. But if ONE SY album could fit in with someone's top 40 tapes AND someone's Sonicshrine... it would be this one. (Or Daydream Nation) - DV



2. DIRTY was released by Sonic Youth in 1992 during the grunge years. This album, their 8th release was produced and directed by Butch Vig the same producer for Nirvana's Nevermind and the Smashing Pumpkins debut: Gish.
   Always changing their sound, this is their grunge effort. Very upbeat with a natural rock coolness that includes propulsive layers of sound and fury. DIRTY is the second shot of shorter pop songs in the same way "Goo" was produced. Both Goo and DIRTY sound more accessible w/o the long instrumental guitar noise passages that graced earlier albumsMy favorite songs on DIRTY are: "100%" - "Swimsuit Issue" - "Drunken Butterfly" - "Shoot" - "Sugar Cane" - "Orange Rolls,Angel's Spit" - "Chapel Hill" - "JC" - & "Purr"
   ESSENTIAL SONIC YOUTH along with Daydream Nation(which sounds completely different) and EVOL- I also LOVE Murray Street, Sister, Thousand Leaves + 2006s Rather Ripped. I am also a REALLY BIG fan, I had to buy all of their albums.
   DIRTY shows a wonderful transition for Sonic Youth still sounds fresh and clean - 15 years after it's release.



3. Each Sonic Youth album has a very unique flavor, and each Sonic Youth album stands out in their extremely lengthy catalouge... yet it is hard to find a Sonic Youth album that is virtually flawless. Obviously, Sonic Youth are not at all interested with perfection, rather atmosphere... but isn't that what makes this band so great?
   
   There seems to be two basic problems with Sonic Youth releases. On some, the production is way too obscure and lacking to let the beauty of the album be heard, and on others, the soaring sections of feedback and reverb can sometimes wander off into obscure directions with seemingly no purpose. Both are aspects that I do not criticize too harshly, because I think of Sonic Youth as artists rather than musicians, throwing the ugly in with the beautiful to create a very realistic picture. Reguardless, these flaws do bring down the overall release somewhat.
   
   In 'Dirty', there are no throw out tracks, great (but not too great wich is a good thing) production, and the feedback sessions are shortened and too the point. This is a very straightforward release by Sonic Youth standards, but also a very dark and atmospheric work at the same time. Everything seems in place here, a classic SY release. The only complaint I have is that in some places, 'Dirty' may be a little too straightforward. Not quite a masterpiece such as 'Daydream Nation' or 'A Thousand Leaves', but a very solid, and entertaining album as a whole.



4. Clearly I'm far too closed minded for this album. If I wanted to listen to people screaming and crashing and banging completely out of sync I'd open my window at 5am while the neighbors are screaming at each other again and the early-bird construction crew is cutting concrete outside my apartment while the garbage truck is slamming the dumpster onto the pavement repeatedly. Absolutely no musicality, no message, NO TALENT.
   
   If I wanted to hear this I could go down to the local foundary yard and listen to them cutting steel.. FOR FREE.
   
   I could go into a blow-by-blow for each track on why it's musical murder but that would be a grand waste of my time. Horrible.
   
   This is one band that the indie snobs made it "uncool" to dislike, so everyone looks around like "wow this is flippin genious" while in their heads they can't believe that everyone else likes them and they don't. GET OVER IT. You want arty music, go listen to Sigur Ros or Godspeed you Black Emperor.



5. "Dirty" was Sonic Youth's most commercial album. I am not sure if this was done on purpose, but it makes 'Dirty' SY's most open album. Open for the lovers of alternative/progressive rock with an almost jazzlike way of listening to music.
   
   Musically it may not be as interesting as their 'Daydream Nation' or masterpiece 'Sister' but there are great songs on here. Without a doubt this is their best collection of songs.
   
   '100%' was an MTV hit and could rival with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', the track following that 'Swimsuit Issue' (Gordon) with strained and coarse vocals has a great break and suddenly slows down.
   
   A dreamer side of SY can mostly be found in the songs sung by Kim Gordon like 'PR' or the thumping, metallike 'Drunken Butterfly'. 'Shoot' is carried by Kim's voice and a rolling bassline.
   
   Best song on the album is the brilliant 'Sugar Kane' with some great moments of pure musical genious, clarity, chord changes. I could go and on. Similar songs like 'Chapel Hill' and 'Purr' come close too.
   
   Even know almost 15 years later there is so much you can still discover in the album, it surely shows that Sonic Youth are the godfathers of all the indie/underground bands that followed. Husker Du and Dinosaur came close, but in importance to alternative music only the Beatles, Neil Young and the Velvet Underground are above Sonic Youth.
   
   Their approach to music is almost jazzlike, and like many jazzartists, after a while they started making fully rounded songs but of a scary quality.
   
   If you are interested in buying a Sonic Youth album but never heard anything before get this one.

5 comments about Weasels Ripped My Flesh.

1. I had this album (LP) from when I was in college - drove my mother nuts. Now I have it on CD - driving my kids nuts. You just can't argue with timeless classics.



2. Weasels Ripped My Flesh (Rzzzzzzz) can be rightly credited as one of three records that shaped this 52 year-old reviewer's musical paradigm for life. I purchased this in a store down on South Nevada Ave in Colorado Springs, I forget the name of that place but today I'm sure there would be one of those action prayer groups you find in Colorado Springs out praying on the side-walk in front of the place. It was my very first Zappa album. I'd heard Freak Out! & Burnt Weenie Sandwich but this was the first album I spent my paltry 16 year-old's wad of cash (that week) on.
   
   What a great place to start as far as the original Mothers go. Actually, I take that back. Freak Out! is the place you want to start but Weasels certainly sums up what the later Mother MkI were all about. Quite a variety going on, but the most important track for me personally is The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue. Why? Because that tune got me curious about who the heck Eric Dolphy might be and that's how I discovered John Coltrane and Miles Davis and so on and so forth. Anyway...
   
   I'm not really writing about the music am I?
   
   This whole thing gets started with a happy little number called Did Ya Get Any Onya (onyaaaa!) and a Buzz Gardner frantic trumpet escapade. It's one of the only Mother's releases where you get to hear Buzz (RIP). This same pieces features an amusing little monologue by Lowell George about his years ago, when he was a small boy, standing around on the corner... in a German accent and Roy Estrada singing doo-wop falsettos behind him. The whole piece has a sort of menacing tone to it. It's silly and sinister at the same time! Totally fun weirdness.
   
   I remember my mother getting really upset when I played this at home on our Montgomery Ward walnut-cabinet hi-fi (complete with a tone arm that weighed about 50 lbs) because she thought Roy Estrada was mocking the operatic form with his hilarious falsetto vocal on Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask. Perhaps he was but I'm sure there were far more worrisome things than THAT on this release. Oh how little did she know.
   
   Most of the tunes here are instrumental and everything has been "collaged" with something else in one form or another. Zappa was the master of sound collage. All those records that Miles Davis did with Teo Macero that relied heavily on putting edits together (such as In A Silent Way) were directly influenced by the work Zappa was doing for his releases (whether they admitted it or not, just follow the release dates).
   
   There's some catchy tunes like My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama (should have been a Zappa single, it would have sold darn it!) and the fantastic Directly From My Heart to You with Don Sugarcane Harris on violin and some very bluesy and soulful vocals by Lowell George.
   
   If you are new to Zappa or know the later stuff but want to find out what all the fuss was about in the late 60's, I recommend picking up Freak Out!, Burnt Weenie Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh (in that order). In my opinion that is the best of the early Mk I group but seriously, it is all gloriously wonderful and bizarre!
   
   Oh yeah, the other two albums? In the Court of the Crimson King and Freak Out!
   
   How 'bout that cover? Rzzzzz! ha ha ha!
   
   Wanna see something cool? Use that ever so popular search engine using the "Images" setting and do a search on Weasels Ripped My Flesh. You'll find a picture of the magazine cover that Zappa pointed to when he commissioned the cover for this release. "Gimme something like this!" Actually, just go look at the image gallery at the top of the page, I added it just for your viewing pleasure :)
   
   "Goodnight Boys and Girls..."



3. This is probably my favorate MOI album, though Uncle Meat is more ambitious and objectively better.
   
   But it is hard to beleve Zappa edited this together after this band was kaput. The way Zappa jumps from avant-garde (Didja Get Any Onja) to blistering blues (Directly from my heart to you) to other styles on the album feels entirely natrual, as if no other peice could follow the one that proceeded it. Weasles has a white hot threat throughout, which never lets up.
   
   If you are intersted in Uncle Frank, I can't think of a better starting point. If the music doesn't get you, the cover art will---wouldn't it make a great tattoo?



4. "weasels ripped my flesh" is the follow-up album to "burnt weeny sandwich" and is also the last album performed by the original lineup of Zappa's mothers of invention before Zappa broke up the band and went solo to make one of his best albums (hot rats).
   
   "weasels" is known throughout the music world (even by non-FZ fans) for its bizarre and hilarious cover that shows a man shaving his face with an electric weasel who is tearing into the flesh on the guy's face as tracks of blood are made by the weasel's claws. okay, the cover is great..what about the music?
   
   thankfully, there are a great amount of musical genres that are performed on this album that should please almost any Zappa fan.
   
   There's a cool r&b cover tune (directly from my heart to you) that is sung by Don "Sugar Cane" Harris; the classic guitar-rock song (my guitar wants to kill your mama) sung by Zappa himself; and a very memorable instrumental (the orange county lumber truck - the best version of this song can be found on the album "ahead of their time").
   
   "oh no" was previously heard on "lumpy gravy" without lyrics but it is sung here for the first time with Ray Collins doing a fantastic job on vocals. the lyrics are catchy and very subtly funny.
   
   If you're a huge fan of Zappa's experimental music, then you'll definitely love this album. About half of this album is musique concrete and is therefore similar to the stuff heard on "lumpy gravy." Tracks 4,6, & 7 appear to be normal instrumentals "toads" and "Dolphy" first appear to be sea-shantys but then segue into musique concrete. Some experimental tracks have Roy Estrada's menacing laugh to make things even more frantic.
   
   The closing title track is without a doubt the greatest piece of white noise/feedback ever heard! After the smooth sounding "orange county lumber truck", the title track suddenly throws the listener into a frightful shock. Seriously, this track is very scary to listen to even on its own. I dare anyone to blast it on their iPod at 3 in the morning while walking down a deserted street. I dare ya!
   
   Finally, the listener is then comforted by FZ, who let's you know the terror is over when he says "goodnight." Such an eerie piece that only a master like FZ could organize.
   
   White noise could be very annoying like Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" album but leave it to Zappa to make even constant guitar feedback sound fabulous.
   
   It should have been a single for cryin' out loud..."the first guitar feedback single: "weasels ripped my flesh." Yeah, right. Only in a perfect world.
   
   Of you're new to Zappa, then this album is NOT for you. If you love crazy experimental & improvised pieces of music then "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is just for you. Enjoy!



5. If you're just beginning your Zappa journey, this is a must have. A classic example of FZ and the Mothers. See also, Bongo FuryBongo Fury

5 comments about Untouchables.

1. yet another awsome album from korn this album was great but the front cover creep's me out a little it's like the children of the korn my favorite songs was hollow life and hating and here to stay and blame and alone i break the best songs on this album it's funny how all their albums had platnium and some song from the other albums was'nt that great i just wonder why they have to put this font cover on iam not a little bitch but it creep's me out a little.



2. This cd is undoubtedly the best Korn album in existence. This was the last album the original Korn members made before Head left and they fell down to become one of the crappiest bands nowadays.
   
   All of the songs on here are amazing. If you want to get into Korn, buy this cd.



3. First, a confession: for the most part, this album was my first introduction to really listening to KoRn. I had heard a few of their songs in the past and had placed them in the dead nu-metal camp in my eyes. For some reason though, I thought I should give them a chance and since Untouchables is more recent than their earlier stuff, perhaps it would be different. I was very, very surprised.
   
   This album is so creative and so different from the nu-metal genre, shedding away the hard-to-digest rapping in lieu for more melodic vocal melodies (which is something this album is exceedingly good for). The occasional programmed drum beats over the rest of the band are done to great effect and the subtle synths used behind many of the tracks are fantastically layered.
   
   I was left with one clear impression after hearing this album; Untouchables is almost hauntingly vampy. Those in the vampire subculture would find much to be interested in with this album. I love it.



4. I was happy that Korn was taking a step back into heavier territory with this album, and it is a much stronger cd then "Issues" was. "Here to Stay", "Thoughtless", "Alone I Break" are the singles, but there are lots of other songs on here that are great. There are still a couple of weaker songs here and there, but for the most part, I was happy with this cd and still listen to it regularly. Their earlier cds are heavier and have stronger, harder hitting songs.



5. and I know a lot of you disagree with that statement but I stand by it. This album is the most diverse Korn has ever been and the most creative they have ever been. No two songs sound alike. To be honest with you, I found Follow the Leader and Issues to be decent but not great because a number of the songs ran into each other and sounded too much of the same. This is a dynamic work of art. Don't diss this just because it's a new sound, just go into it with an open mind and it will blow you away.

5 comments about Celtic Christmas, Vol. 2 [Windham Hill].

1. Volume 2 of the Celtic Christmas Series is awesome. If you have any or all of the other albums in this series, you have to get this one. Like all the others, the moods of the album range from mellow to exuberant, from wanting to sit & meditate to wanting to get up & dance. Yet this album in itself is as unique as the rest. It has familiar tunes like the 'Star of County Down' & new haunting melodies like 'The Dove's Return'. It completes the set of wonderous Celtic music found in the series. I highly recommend it.



2. This 56 minute CD contains beautiful Celtic music. It is not your typical hodge podge of "various artists". This CD flows nicely from song to song. One especially nice feature of this CD is the 8 page booklet with liner notes. This includes the lyrics (and English translations, if needed). The liner notes also list musicians and other credits. I especially enjoyed Muladach Mi Is Mi Air M'Aineol by Capercaillie. Recommended to anyone who enjoys Celtic music.



3. I love this music--it is so relaxing--I listen to it all year



4. Beautiful listening but badly named. The only seasonal piece on the album was James Galway's arrangement of the Wexford Carol. There are songs about fish, unrequited love, the Great Famine, defeat in battle... heaps of Celtic stuff well worth listening to, but not if you want holiday music. For midwinter celebration you'd do well to give this album a miss and try Celtic Christmas III instead.



5. This cd is very relaxing. The bagpipes are great I recomend this cd to everyone!