2 comments about Under Your Own Sun.

1. Unfortunately, the change in vocals has completely changed the band. Without McClure it sounds like top 40 country - not something you'd be rockin' to at a bar in Stillwater, Oklahoma. They're probably bankin' now, but I wouldn't buy it if you liked the older Divide stuff.



2. Just got the new album and it is AWESOME! I have been a long time fan and this new album is better thatn all the others combined. The band sounds great and the new songs pull you in. GREAT BUY!

5 comments about Plague Mass (1984 End of the Epidemic).

1. Diamanda Galas makes some of the most uncompromising music in the world. Just look at the reactions in the reviews. It's nearly impossible to just "sorta" like Galas - she's either terrifying and wonderful, or a source of unlistenable garbage. Obviously, I fit in the former category. It goes beyond her incredible vocal range or her bizarre extended techniques - it's her artistic vision, as if her entire oeuvre combines to create this massive wave of anger, bitterness, and defiance. It's definitely not for those with delicate sensibilities.
   
   Having said that, lets talk about "Plague Mass." I consider this one of her most well-conceived and perfectly realized works to date. It's one of the more powerful musical experiences I've yet had, even if the text doesn't necessarily speak to me as directly as it might to some. I've not known anyone with AIDS, but the raw anger of the work transcends the message.
   
   There are instrumental parts, but they're really just there to support her voice and add some dramatic tension until midway through when percussionists enters. Galas employs equal parts music performance and theater. Over the course of the work, she channels a range of personalities, many times over the course of a single section. You can't always understand the words, but the tone, texture, and delivery gives the listener a pretty good idea what's going on.
   
   I could describe the libretto, but that's probably the easiest aspect of the work to understand. Actually *listening* to the music in the correct frame of mind is much more difficult. Again, many will not enjoy the suffocating darkness or the aural assault of Galas's voice and that's fine - it's not easily accessible in any way. That said, I think we're best off listening without expectations. We normally listen to music with a more-or-less similar frame of mind. Most music follows a set of rules and conventions, which allow it to communicate easily with a wide audience. Experimental music such as this ignores those conventions, and therefore, we must set aside our preconceived notions about music when approaching something as radical as the "Plague Mass." To be fair, even after listening with an open mind, some listeners may still find it unsettling to the point of unlistenability. That's a perfectly reasonable reaction, but I would hope that before coming to that conclusion, everyone who decides to check this album out gives it a serious chance judging it on its own terms.
   
   I recommend this to adventurous listeners and fans of the avant garde. If you're undecided, I'd highly recommend listening to the online samples before purchasing. It should give a fairly accurate idea of what to expect.
   
   "Plague Mass" is definitely one of Galas's most personal works and it really comes through in a powerful way. If you can get past the oppressive darkness, you'll find a very moving experience.



2. This is a requiem mass,for all people throughout the world who have died of aids.A disease possibly created by fascists to kill off the gays,blacks,and all the undesirables.This cd is a beautiful and sometimes frightening performance by Galas for all who have suffered needlessly.Gala's brother had died of aids,and she knows many other who have died,from the horrific disease.In this performance she also takes a stab at all those right wing politicans and fundamentalists who misinterpret the bible,and use religion as a political weapon,and a means of control and repression,which inevitably causes many millions of people to suffer,and greatly reduces their quality of life.Galas is very outspoken advocate and provocator.This is one unnerving,passionate,and powerful album.This album is recorded live and she performs meaningful poetic texts,from different sources,including the bible,and from her own pen,among others.Some of it spoken,but most of it sung with her incredible otherwordly operatic voice.The plague mass actually sounds similiar to an opera or classical requiem,with a heavy avantguard influnece.The acoustics are amazing,and her operatic voice is massive and cuts like steel through a cathedral!



3. I have tried to keep an open mind towards Diamanda Galas. I have an appreciation of all things "musical" ranging from Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" to Throbbing Gristle's "Heathen Earth" to the works of Laurie Anderson, early Swans, Lydia Lunch, even Neil Young's "Arc". But this and most of her other works are crapola posing (not too well I might add) as "music" or "art" and they are neither. Even dear, sweet Yoko(an obvious influence), sounds like Beverly Sills compared to this caterwauling, shrieking spawn of Satan. I guess I just don't get it. Give me "Cambridge 1969" any old time :)
   
   How could anyone sit through an entire disc of this? I think Diamanda needs an exorcism or something.
   
   Good God, man.



4. 
   Two words describe this cd- DISTURBING and CREEPY. I can only listen to certain sections of this cd because there are times when Diamanda's voice gets to that chilling, blood curdling point that I'm about to experience an anxiety attack. But the irony of it all is that there is something about her performance that wants you to remain and continue to listen to her. There's just that fascination factor that keeps me enthralled. I just skip to the parts I can't handle. Also I can only listen to this cd in the daytime-too frightening to listen to at night! This was a live recorded concert at Saint John of the Divine Cross(I've forgotten-maybe in error?)in NYC. Her message of how the Regan administration ignored the relevance of AIDS in it's early days(lack of funding for research)and it being considered a gay disease and the igorance it accompanied; to how it is akin to the black plague to contemporary times. She takes you through sections set up as a mass; with each section having a purpose and meaning. Diamanda shreiks at the ignorance of the plague and how it eats away at it's host.



5. In 1991, on the month of October, Diamanda Galas ascended the stage of New York City's Cathedral of St. John the Divine. There, she performed and recorded what may be the most memorable sound ritual ever to be heard by audiences. Both harrowing and angelic, "The Plague Mass" is a vocal exorcism birthed by a modern banshee. In most of the tracks, her operatic screams echo off the walls of the church, piercing the brain like flying shards of stained glass. Other moments allow her to disturb listeners with her hoarse, beastly hisses. However, Galas's intention was not merely to shock the religious. Instead, she turned the Holy Bible inside out in order to address the rampant suffering caused by AIDS. At a time when this disease was ruled as a divine punishment for gays and lesbians, Galas chose to spit gospel curses to every Christian responsible for persecuting and ostracizing HIV-infected patients. With candles flickering in the darkness, she speaks in manic tongues, vomiting forth a gospel hurricane that showed compassion to AIDS victims and unforgiveness to the viciously pious.
   In "Were you a Witness?," Galas first expresses her anger towards America's mass media. It's apparent that the many deaths caused by the disease (including those of famous musicians like Freddy Mercury and Liberace) were treated like exhibits in a sensationalistic tabloid circus. She faces the money-hungry reporters and warns, "To all cowards and voyeurs, there are no more tickets to the funeral." "This is the Law of the Plague" incorporates several Psalms and Chapter 15 of the Old Testament. Here, in front of the rolling roar of dragon drums, Galas cackles in the role of a corrupt judge; a sanctimonious fascist who vehemently labels AIDS patients as "unclean." With a blood red light looming over her, Galas takes an appalling look at society itself. It's one where doctors, priests, and politicians deliberately leave HIV patients for dead just to avoid scandal and hatred. In addition, the singer labels the Devil as an impotent homophobe who can only be aroused by human suffering. "I Wake Up and See the Face of the Devil" allows Galas to portray the average victim. With a mind ravaged by dementia, she lies helplessly in a sterilized hospital room as a stern cleric forces her to confess her sins. The members of the clergy are warped into dirty angels that hover over the morgue like buzzards. Later, as the heartbeat percussion rises in its volume, Galas rips out some Revelations text. Predicting the arrival of the Antichrist, she leads 3,000 of his armies to massacre all devoted Christians who slaughtered and oppressed people with HIV. In an alarming fury, Galas spews a bitter poem concerning how anyone carrying the virus is shamelessly denied access to medical care, insurance, and surgery. She validly declared Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome as a form of homicide, making her audience aware of how infected men and women are robbed of their dignity. From there, in the track "Sono L'Anticristo," she proudly labels herself the son of Satan, since the Antichrist was as much of an outcast on Earth as Jesus. Then, "Cris D'Aveugle: Blind Man's Cry," a text originally written in 1873 by Tristan Corbiere, becomes a sad and spiritual communion played by a demonic symphony. In the Frency language, Galas leads her choir into a pit of despair, an afterlife that gives no love or comfort after HIV. As the bell tolls, Galas decrys the scourge of injustice. It's one in which family members killed by AIDS aren't properly buried because even the morticians are too afraid to embalm the corpses. During this song (as well as others on this album), her whispers get increasingly suffocated through a pair of hemorrhaged lungs, fading into a grim silence. Finally, the raw emotion of the blues tune, "Let My People Go" spills over the grim notes of a grand piano. Nothing is more terrifying than a virus that destroys the body's ability to defend itself. Galas believed that once AIDS strikes another host, that individual is doomed to suffer a lifetime of sorrow and cruelty. While comparing the illness to a sentence of life in prison, she expresses that person's depression in one sentence: "The Devil has designed my death, and he's waiting to be sure that plenty of his black sheep die before he finds a cure."
   I recommend this album to anyone craving the works of a powerful, controversial artist. Diamanda Galas is a sonic martyr that liberates the soul from mainstream bondage.

3 comments about Texas Troubadour.

1. Townes Van Zandt has a lot of CDs available and not all of them are good. Be careful what you buy. Check out the reviews and track listings on Amazon first. In my opinion there are too many later CDs which are just repacked old songs with little or no new material. I love his music but I am not prepared to pay full album price for one or two songs. Therefore I was unsure where to start with his back catalogue then I found this boxset.
   
   The box set is amazing value. You get Townes first 7 albums (and arguabley his best) plus a live CD for $20 or so. All of these CDs contain Townes songwriting at its most prolific and his best. The first CD contains his first two albums and is possibly the weakest (but by no means weak) of the set. This is because of his first album which was overproduced and they added in some questionable (on some tracks) backing arrangements to Townes' songs. This is particularly noticable on the classics like Waitin Round to Die. This does not ruin the songs but it is not the way the songs were meant to sound (compare the 1st version of Tecumseh Valley from his first album on CD1 to the second version also on CD1 but from his second album) and by all accounts Townes himself was not overly impressed with the sound of his first album.
   
   For those unaware of Townes, his songs vary between country, folk and blues. My personal favorites are when Townes' songs are at their most dark, vulnerable, fragile and beautiful. However, he also does some good upbeat numbers, talking blues and humourous songs. Townes was a poet and as such expect to find most songs filled with beautiful and intelligent lyrics. He was not the greatest singer in the world but his voice fits perfectly to his own songs and I have not heard any better versions of his songs than his own.
   
   Townes did re-record many of his best known songs on several of the albums here so there is some repitition but the songs are so strong that you cannot get fed up hearing them and there are also many hidden gems that I fail to understand how they are not better known (such as "Like a Summer Thursday" and "Snow Don't Fall").
   
   I am reviewing this box set and not Mr Van Zandt as a whole but in my opinion the albums in this boxset are his best and are pure classics that you will come back to time and again and never tire of listening to. Townes was a very flawed character and as such his talent suffered. He was never as prolific again in his career but there are some decent later albums that contain mostly new material and I am now seeking them out.
   
   Townes Van Zandt seems to instill a strong sense of loyalty and awe amongst those who appreciate his music. Will everyone like this? No of course not but his talent cannot be denied (I don't doubt Madonna's talent but her music just isn't my thing) and if you like (mostly acoustic) folk, country and blues then you should love Townes. Once you have discovered him you will want everyone else to hear and like his music as much as you do. I haven't and probably can't (in words) say just how much I love these songs. This is by far the best CD (for value and content) that I have ever bought.



2. Each and every time I play this box set, I am blown away by the stark poetic brilliance of Townes Van Zandt's writing and the simple, pure and unique sound of his voice. Although best known for his iconic compositions, If I Needed You and Pancho & Lefty, there are few, if any, of his songs which do not startle with their vivid, deft portraits of life, love and heartache. Unfortunately, he has been all but forgotten by even many folk and country enthusiasts, but his reputation lives on among the countless singers and songwriters he befriended and influenced, including such diverse talents as Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett and even Rodney Crowell. Steve Earle once called him, "the greatest songwriter who ever lived". A number of highly praised folk and country singer / songwriters of the last 30 years have concurred without reservation, adding his songs to their own repertoires while professing fanatical devotion to his words and music. Artists like Van Zandt simply don't come along every day.
   
   Van Zandt was more of a rebel than almost any other singer / poet that springs to mind, yet his tunes and especially his lyrics are more accessible than one would expect, given his reputation as a wordsmith of uncommon depth and perception. Above all, his songs express a clarity of thought that is almost unequalled among songwriters of the last 50 years, especially for someone who was once confined to a mental institution and labeled a manic-depressive and a schizophrenic. Van Zandt often said that he drew a great deal of inspiration from the guitar playing of Blues legend Lightin' Hopkins and the songwriting style of Bob Dylan, and he covered Hopkins' material frequently in his live shows. Many critics and fellow musicians agree that Van Zandt and Guy Clark mutually influenced each other, each inspiring the other to heights that neither of them might have achieved had their close friendship not existed.
   
   Townes Van Zandt was a prolific writer who recorded about thirty albums in a career that lasted not quite as many years. From his first album, For the Sake of the Song, included here, until his untimely death on New Years day 1997, he produced a body of work that dwarfed the output of many other singer / songwriters who lived through and beyond the same period. This set contains his first seven studio albums plus live material, all on four CD's.
   
   Along with Steve Earle, Guy Clark and David Allen Coe, Townes Van Zandt shared the focus of the acclaimed 1975 documentary, Heartworn Highways. He has also been the focus of many tribute albums and dedications, and enjoys a reputation among his fellow performers that is as solid as it is deserved.
   
   While any of Van Zandt's work is suggested for music lovers of discerning taste, this boxed set is a particularly wonderful collection of his earliest and most essential work. The price seems to vary wildly from dealer to dealer depending on its availability, but at almost any price, this one is a definite keeper. Highly recommended.



3. It's too bad this compilation of Townes Van Zandt's music is getting harder to find--it's got his first 7 complete studio albums, which includes all of the music he made in the 60's and 70's, plus most of the live album he put out in the 70's as well. Why is this box essential? First of all, because of the quality of Van Zandt's music, and second because of the value--just check around. Some of these individual albums go for $60 or more, and here they can all be purchased together for much cheaper (I got my copy from caiman_com through Amazon's alternate sellers for $22). If you're looking to start getting into his music, it's a no-brainer that this CD has the most complete introduction at the best price.
   
   If you haven't heard Van Zandt's music yet, you've probably at least heard ABOUT it. It's country-flavored, but definitely not straight up country, nor is it the slick "country-rock" put out by bands like the Byrds. No, it's not easy to stick TVZ into one genre, but he does touch on country, folk, rock, and pop. His earlier work sounds lyrically much like Bob Dylan, though he eventually develops more of a unique written voice for himself. Van Zandt's singing voice is definitely unique--southern, understated, yet capable of powerful, wavering emotion and subtle texture.
   
   I'm not sure if this is the best place to delve into the merits of each album, since that would take way too long, but I can say that each of these albums has great highlights, and each album is worth listening all the way through. Van Zandt does get the best around The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, which includes his best-known song "Pancho and Lefty," but he's also a great interpreter of gospel tunes and classic Hank Williams. If you're interested in Townes Van Zandt, I urge you to start with this collection--even if you pay $40, you'll still come out saving a lot of money at $5 per album. Hope you enjoy checking out one of folk music's best kept secrets!

5 comments about Made to Be Broken.

1. It's a treat when you discover a band has more albums before their major label record deals. After constant rotations to my cd player w/ all 3 of their Columbia albums, I searched amazon.com to see if there would maybe be a new album coming out. At the time, I came across a plethora of albums from their twin tone and a&m days. My first noncolumbia album was Made to Be Broken which I found used at a record store. I now own every album and will soon get Silver Lining this year!
   
   MTBB starts w/ the only track on their greatest hits album "Tied to the Tracks." In my opinion it isn't the best on this album, but still has a great uptempo beat to it w/ that classic Dave scream.
   
   "Ship of Fools" could be a ballad if slowed down, but I don't think the boys were quite ready for that, so instead they create an equally great tune w/ the message of the album I think "brokeness." I think the meaning is that the ship of fools is all the girls guys try to pursue that turn out to be just another mistake.
   
   While "Can't Go Back," is a song about not going back through time, so you eventually will just waste time. It's just a great lesson about how time effects ones life w/ past experiences played by a great tune.
   
   I think "Another World, Another Day" is basically the introduction to the rest of the album as it leads in hypnotic 2 minute festival of rock.
   
   The title track has a quarky country upbeat aura to it which displays an almost rebellious side to Dave w/ the lyrics. "The rules were made to broken" chorus might attribute to that theory.
   
   A good storytelling song that Dave perfects is in "Never Really Been." More or less telling us that what the future might be, if there was ambition.
   
   "Whoa" is really just a nice scream fest saying well...um whoaaa
   
   I'd say the closest song to the new sound later to follow soul asylum is "New Feelings" it sort of leaves that punk/raw feel, and just is a plain out rock song. Kinda short though.
   
   I'm not sure what "Growing Pain" is really saying. Perhaps Dave is angry about something and needs to let out his frustration.
   
   My favorite tune is "Long Way Home." Although rather a short list of lyrics, they are very meaningful. You get so far with something and realize it wasn't worth the time in the first place to do it, so then you have to go back home and start somewhere new.
   
   Another 2 minute punk fest lies in "Lone Rider." More lyrics than "Whoa," and not as extreme, but rocks out.
   
   The longest song, yes folks at 3min and 34 seconds is "Ain't That Tough" which has a great guitar beat, and good lyrics as well. Not as edgy or rough.
   
   I'd put "Don't It (MYTSS)" before "Aint' That Tough" for the last song, but honestly this might seem out of place for this album, but nonetheless it still isn't bad.
   
   Most devout fans should pick up this album, and most fans of the Columbia days should not, unless you do want to explore their roots such as I. What makes MTBB so great is that there is isn't just punk or just rock or just ballads. In fact there is a little bit of everything. There isn't exactly a "Runaway Train" type song on here seeing how most are under 3minutes and the album just being over 30 minutes or so. What's good is that you can put it on repeat and never get too extremely bored b/c each song is uniquely different. If you can get by some of Dave's screaming and catch all the lyrics some are simply mindblowing yet simple. A great album for 1986.



2. By all definitions, Made to Be Broken is an indie album. It's short, it's loud, and sounds like it was recorded in a basement or garage.

   But according to the band, Bob Mould was a valuable mentor to Soul Asylum while recording their first two albums, even if they did end up sounding like Husker Du. Soul Asylum was essentially a live act that tried to put their sound down onto tape. And even with Bob's studio experience, you just can't put a round peg in a square hole.

   A majority of the songs are good, including Can't Go Back, Tied to the Tracks, and Whoah! But New Feelings and Lone Rider have only their attitude to stand on, and they almost don't hold up. Most of the guitar riffs border on overachievement and David Pirner is singing as if the world is coming to an end tomorrow and he won't have to worry about his vocal chords then.

   So all things considered, Made to Be Broken's swaggering big sheet of noise is just one tiny step above Say What You Will, but a few notches short of While You Were Out and Hang Time. Only then would Soul Asylum learn how to work in a studio.




3. I just remember an article in Spin where they talked about a show during the Grave Dancers union tour when a fan made a screaming request for "tied to the tracks." All Dan said (as they instead began another of the weak poppy songs of their later period) was "that stuff is hard."

   I was in a band in the mid to late 80's and I could barely focus on playing anything other than songs from MTBB and Hang time. These were unique albums in a way that the derivative post grave dancers' stuff cold never be.

   And live they were even better!

   R Williams from SF, CA has got it perfect...the decline of SA wasn't overnight and there were moments in each of the later albums (I tried for a long time to let them grow on me but couldn't get past the sugary sweet bit).

   This one is from a time when they mattered!




4. I see no negative reviews left here (they must have been removed), and that is exactly as it should be. If you weren't lucky enough to see Soul Asylum before the post-Hang Time descent, you can still get a flavor for the fun, clever, energetic and thoughtful composition packed into every song if you listen to this album.
   Later fans may have trouble with older SA albums such as this, but this and While You Were Out capture a special time in Minneapolis and indie music that "college music"-oriented fans would no doubt appreciate. These are must-haves for any broad-range music collection.
   Also, as a very enthusiastic fan of older SA, I find some redeeming aspects to ...And the Horse they Rode in On (some songs vaguely reminiscent of the 2 albums mentioned here) and even a few songs on Grave Dancer's Union, but after that, forget it. It was a slow, but steady descent, but MTBB is raw, fun, young, and inspiring.



5. This whole album captures the blazing spirit of youthful energy Soul Asylum radiated like crazy during the mid-80's. Husker Du was the spearhead of a movement to inject overwhelming, unpretentious soul and emotion into melodic pop. It's bands like Husker Du and early Soul Asylum that made bands like Nirvana possible, both musically in terms of outright influence and economically in terms of creating a fan base for the marketing people to capitalize on.

   Mould and Pirner may have been the original screaming but melodic pop punk frontmen, precursors to Cobaine. This album captures that totally, with sometimes mindblowing songwriting such as in "Tied to the Tracks" and "You Can't Go Back".

5 comments about The Punch Line.

1. The Minutemen at their best were pure poetry, propelled by raw power and a funky punk sensibility. Their 1981 release "The Punch Line" is their finest effort.
   
   The band came out of the L.A. punk scene, working class kids chumming around with bands known for blasting noise - crude, loud, and blunt - bands like Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and Lawndale. But with their ears opened by listening to records by Wire and others, they realized that they needn't fit their music into any genre. And they didn't. The music was loud, and fast, and driving, but often too intricate and much too tight to qualify as hardcore punk.
   
   The lyrics, always spare at first, explored history, politics, and philosophy with remarkable sophistication, and in a way that no other punk band quite matched. Punk music often conveys a political - or anti-political - message, but often in a rather juvenile fashion. Not so the Minutemen - they were existentialist philosopher poets. And they managed to pull it off without even a hint of pretense. The Minutemen were real. They were genuine.
   
   The band's early music wasted no time with the plodding repetition that characterizes most rock music. Each song made its point, both musically and poetically, and the band moved on to the next. It was said that they took the name "Minutemen" because they confined every song to a minute. And on "The Punchline" we find that every one of the 18 songs, on what was originally issued as a 12-inch 45 rpm EP, is indeed under a minute in length.
   
   But oh, what they packed into each song.
   
   In "Disguises," for example, it takes guitarist D. Boon 45 seconds to drive home the point that racism is not merely an external social problem - but something that requires every one of us to look into our own souls. The song is not preachy. It's not annoyingly didactic, as most moralizing songs are. D. Boon simply looks within his own soul, shares what he sees - and the band moves on.
   
   In "Monuments" drummer George Hurley and bassist Mike Watt examine social conditioning and cultural knowledge in a 48-second statement of existentialist epistemology.
   
   With the album's title track, "The Punch Line," bassist Mike Watt recalls General George A. Custer's last stand at the Battle Little Bighorn in a song of just 40 seconds - a song that is both charming and shocking in its austere realism.
   
   "History Lesson" is astounding. Guitarist D. Boon manages to summarize 100,000 years (or more) of human history - spiritual, intellectual, and political - from Stone Age to nation states with nuclear weapons, in a 37-second song of fewer than fifty words. I count 47 words in the lyrics, as they were sung.
   
   No one else - and I mean no one - compacts so much into one song.
   
   Maybe I'm biased. I confess, I loved going to Minutemen shows in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, at the Cathay de Grande, the Stardust Ballroom, the Club Lingerie, the Lhasa, and even on a boat cruising San Pedro harbor with the Minutemen, the Meat Puppets, and Lawndale. Their music's cathartic effect and lasting spiritual content helped me to deal with the stresses of three years of law school, and after. I mourned D. Boone's untimely accidental death in December 1985.
   
   But I do believe, most sincerely, that the Minutemen were one of the most remarkable rock bands that ever played. I believe "The Punch Line" is their finest record. And "History Lesson," well, the song still leaves me trembling in awe.
   
   Eric Alan Isaacson



2. The Minutemen were hardcore punk, but they were so much more...the shared the anger and power of other bands but could slow it down and add a lot more musicianship to the fold.
   i think the kids call this musical chops.
   simply put this is amazing, good stuff for the intellectual and stoner punks to agree on



3. In 15 minutes you realize this band could be your life. Opens up your brain and carves a trail forever. How can so much transpire in such a short time? Is it possibly to fit a lifetime into a such a short span? Best punk album ever, hands down.



4. It's a bit of a stretch to call this an album since they usually do very short songs, like 30 seconds to 1 or 2 minutes long though they often got 20 to 30 songs in each of these albums. Whatever it is, the MINUTEMEN were on a musical journey that no one ever did before or since. GANG OF FOUR and the BIG BOYS did what we could call punk funk if you like, particularly the BIG BOYS. The MINUTEMEN just made music the way they wanted and lots of it. One of the most prolific bands ever, at least one album each year of their existance and extensive touring, constant touring or recording actually, is what it appears to have been. Of course, the tragedy of this band is that d boon died in a car crash in late 1985 and that was the end of the band which started about 1980.
   
   The other classic albums they did, to these ears, are My First Bells a comp of various compilation trax and 7"s, Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat, What Makes a Man Start Fires? and maybe their opus, the 2xLP Double Nickels on the Dime. I don't include the Politics of Time or Ballot Result because they both have many trax that are weakly recorded live songs. Musically, they rule, but recording quality wise it's a little disappointing. Course, Ballot Result was supposed to be redux versions but they just pillaged the archives instead due to the terrible lose. To me Jimi Hendrix, John Belushi and d boon were the three biggest losses to the culture with their premature passing. God bless them each and, in the meantime, in our short time on this earth, I encourage you to sample these tunes and if you dig 'em and if you don't I just don't get it, dive into this record and the other 4. All 5 should be a staple in any record collection, particularly that of a punk. There's some Post-Mersh releases SST did. Feel free to buy them, it's the same music. Coolness. chrisbct@hotmail.com



5. As with all MinuteMen records, this one simply rules. Fresher now than it was fifteen years ago. A wonderful introduction to their lighthearted militarism. Jangly guitars, poems disguised as songs, and a warm genuiness not exuded by anyband before or since. Check it out, dude.

5 comments about Spurts: The Richard Hell Story.

1. Man, this is good stuff, back in the day I didn't think it was all that. I thought it was too dirty NYC sounding. I loved Dim Stars and Television but didn't really get the Voidoids. Now, in retrospect this is awesome and really fresh sounding. Sure, it is snotty, sneering and the guitars are corse, but beneath all that is a ton of character. R's voice has grown on me and actually the guitars sound warm and real, compared to the way guitars sound here in 2008- Especially if you turn your stereo loud.



2. Maybe the Velvets and the Stooges and the Dolls and the Modern Lovers sewed the first seeds, but if you check punk's birth certificate, you'll see that Richard Hell was its father. This is a great career spanning compilation that his fans will love and that you young'uns out there should listen to so you can learn where punk came from.
   
   Hell is one of punk's most literate innovators; like Patti Smith (the mother on the aforementioned birth certificate), his work is as influenced by Rimbaud or Ginsberg as it is by the Dolls. He was one of the originators of the whole look, as Malcolm McLaren came back to London in the mid 70's with all kinds of ideas for clothes to sell at Sex and ways to dress up his young hangers-on after going downtown and seeing Hell and Smith. And Hell is also a classicist who understands the importance of having a brilliant guitarist at his side...this collection includes Johnny Thunders, Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, Thurston Moore and the incredible, underrated, lamented Robert Quine.
   
   The collection is very representative of his work. I kind of wish his cover of "I Can Only Give You Everything" was included, and perhaps we could do without his caterwauling take on "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain," but the real highlights are the history lessons; the original Television lineup doing "Blank Generation," the Neon Boys doing a very different version of "Love Comes in Spurts" and the Heartbreakers' "Chinese Rocks."
   
   Makes me miss CBGB's.



3. This CD surprised me a bit with the amount of genuinely inspired playing. Hell may not have been the best singer in the world, but his bands had a wild energy and his lyrics are consistently good. Robert Quine's guitar playing is over the top yet fits within the 3-4 minute song. Incredible.



4. This is a fascinating and exciting recording. A good case could be made that Richard Hell was the most interesting of all the punks, and this CD would be the chief evidence. It starts off tremendously powerfully and excitingly with the first songs Richard ever wrote and sang. These are the Neon Boys songs and Tom Verlaine wrote the music to them and plays the guitars on them. These songs are like a mixture of the Velvet Underground and the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan but with their own style. The Neon Boys could have been the greatest group of the seventies. But Richard and Tom couldn't get along. Then we have the brilliant peak of "Chinese Rocks," written by Dee Dee Ramone and Hell, and which got its first and best performance with Hell singing and bass playing and Johnny Thunders playing guitar, in the Heartbreakers in 1975. After that comes the Voidoids with four songs from the legendary ground breaking inimitable BLANK GENERATION album. Everybody knows how great that is. Robert Quine was the best guitarist ever to play rock and roll. And he's on most of the rest of this record too. Two of Hell's best songs and recordings with Quine came after BLANK, being "Time" and "Kid With the Replaceable Head." They're both unique classics. The songs from DESTINY STREET are a little grungy but they're strong too. The Dim Stars songs are the weakest, I agree with most reviewers. Their presence here plays up how Sonic Youth are more creators of audio designs, feels and moods than actual songs. They are still worthwhile though and interesting in the course of what Richard has done. The song "Oh," representing the original Richard Hell and the Voidoids in 2001 is heartbreaking, not only for how sweet it sounds, but because it's the last important thing Robert Quine did before his suicide three years afterwards. Someone called "She'll Be Coming" Iraqabilly. That's about right. How insane and creative an idea is that? Then the 21st century version of Marc Bolan's "Rip Off." Hell is a much better singer than any of the other musicians he played with, specifically Tom Verlaine and Johnny Thunders, and probably the best punk singer period, when you count everything. Which brings us back to his beginnings, a goodbye version of "Blank Generation" performed live by Hell in Television in 1974. Why aren't more people writing about SPURTS? The whole thing is real art and real rock and roll. The booklet is better than most CDs.



5. its a good cd- it is dated, it is nice to hear old songs from club gigs seen. don't exoect a masterpeice just take it for what it is, if you need comparison it is 100 times better them his time cd.

5 comments about The Sporting Life.

1. The riffs rock, the vocals are amazing, and it makes it clear not only that John Paul Jones was as talented as the other members of Led Zep, but that the album with Diamanda Galas has a ton to offer, the sound created by blending with her unique makes it strong enough to stand up on its own.



2. First, if you see John Paul Jones name listed on here and figure "oh yeah, the guy from Zep with some woman singing, I'll pick this up." stop what you are doing. Don't click the buy button. Move on. You are likely to be sorry. Look at that woman on the cover.
   
   I have had no experience with Ms. Galas' recordings and this is the first I'd bought. I'd read the reviews, even back when initially released, listened to the samples, and rolled my dice. Simply put, this is a work you can probably readily categorize by the look of the cover. She sings not terribly unlike how she looks. You've never heard such a succession of intentional howls, screeches, caterwauls and vocal flights of fancy and yes, somehow it seems to work. This is not easy listening, you're not going to hum along and you darn sure won't be singing along. I liken it to a musical roller-coaster ride.
   
   As others have also written, John Paul Jones is no musical slouch. The combination of him and... Pete Thomas?? Trust me, it doesn't seem so interesting on paper but it also works. Remember folks, Page and Plant spent a lot of time plowing the same fields over and over again, Jonesy was the one who went off working on the B'hole Surfers' Independent Worm Saloon, the Mission UK's Children, and other places far away from the narrow-mind of "Classic Rock Format Radio".
   
   A fine recording, but most definitely not for everyone at every time. Kinda like My Bloody Valentine's Loveless



3. I had to listen to the samples over to refresh my mind since I hadn't listen to this cd in about 3 yrs. I still like this cd- she whigs out. Diamanda does the middle-eastern vocalizing style very well. But not as good or pleasant sounding as the late OFRA HAZZA. You all know Diamanda has to give it her deconstructed trademark sound/style. "MY BABY'S INSANE" appears on the "LA SERPENTA CANTA" cd and "SOKOSETEME" appear on "DEFIXIONES, WILL and TESTAMENT." The tracks are fun and Diamanda proves to everyone that she can take on rock music and sound fabulous. Her voice is well suited for rock. I really can't over analyze the music- it's just plain fun to listen if this is the type of you music you like.



4. Many good reviews have been written about the qualities of this album! I guess that the reviewers with the lower ratings didn't really know what they were buying. I would say this is definitely the most accessible recording Diamanda Galás has made, and I have listened to most of her work.
   
   So what is so disturbing about this lady?
   She has a very extreme vocal starting point. She has worked out how to make the strangest sounds with her voice, and most of these sound are not 'nice' to most ears. Usually these sounds are used in heavy rock and metal, where they are blending into the loud sounds of the band. This is one of the reasons why this album sounds so accessible to my ears. This is the only album where she is backed by a rock band, as far as I know.
   
   Many of her other albums are described as 'scary' in the reviews here on Amazon, and they are! This is because her musical and dramatic starting point are very extreme as well. She choses to sing about death, blood, disease, pain and such. Often the setting seems satanistic, but I don't think it has anything to do with satanism. She just uses that 'language' to express something different. She did a cycle of long solo pieces about the (hypocrytical) attitude of society towards AIDS and it's victims, wich shows that she has a more positive message. (Masque of the Red Death Trilogy) Still, to me this is a disturbing contradiction in her music. It's hard to get a 'positive feeling' from it. They are often long accusations, litanies and lamentations. At the same time it's all very intriguing and intense, so I got hooked anyway!
   
   As another reviewer said, there is humor too, especially on this album. It' s a satirical kind of humor, and it may not be to your taste, but it's more than you will hear on some of her other albums. It makes it one of her 'lighter' albums, even if it is one of her loudest ones as well.
   So: 5 stars!!
   
   As a teacher in Complete Vocal Technique, I would like to add a word about the technical side of her singing. I can hear that Diamanda Galás knows what she is doing. The main proof of that is that she has been doing this for 20 years (or longer), and she is still going strong. Apart from her impressive range, her skill in making 'nasty' sounds is phenomenal. And so is her flexibility in switching from one kind of sound to another. I can hear that she has really worked out all the vocal 'effects' she does. They often seem to be on the limit of what is 'healthy' for the voice, but she doesn't cross the border. I guess that Diamanda will need a bit of vocal rest after a concert, but that's normal after such hard work as a singer. (Opera singers often get at least a days rest between perfomances.) I can technically more or less understand (and teach) all the sounds I hear her make, and I think she has a fantastic technique!
   
   If any reader is interested in learning some of these techniques and effects, they can find information on: completevocalinstitute.com There is a forum, information about courses and more interesting stuff. You can also find the CD 'Ancient Fire' (Metal Rock), wich you may enjoy if you like this one. Cathrine Sadolin is an exellent singer. Not quite as extreme as Diamanda, but she does some pretty good screaming and distortion on that album. The music is good too!



5. This would be a great album...if she wouldn't sing. Believe me, I tried listening to this with an open mind, but couldn't get past her howls and screeches. The only reason I purchased it was to hear J.P. Jones.

4 comments about The Bluegrass Diaries.

1. I wasn't quite sure if I was going to enjoy this CD because I had never heard of Jim Lauderdale. I saw him in Bluegrass Unlimited and purchased the CD and I have enjoyed listening to it many times over.



2. Twangy, with more than a nod to Buck Owens and the Bakersfield Sound this offering really tries to stretch beyond it's boxed-in label. The trouble is it's from an Americana troubador mascarading as a bluegrass traditionalist. And while the Grammy nod was somewhat deserving, there are better artists in the genre that were just plain overlooked... King Wilke and Randy Korhs come to mind. The CD is very well produced almost slick in it's delivery, and while most of the tunes work they definatley do not push the envelope or give us anything new. The truth is, there were better bluegrass efforts last year and unless you are a died in the wool Jim Lauderdale fan you can avoid this one and not feel like you have missed anything. The title of this effort hints that you are going to be let in on a secret, and that's plainly not so.



3. Playing Time - 35:51 -- Choosing bluegrass as his genre of choice to document his written record of experiences and thoughts, Grammy award-winner Jim Lauderdale continues to shake things up. It's not the first time Jim's made strong bluegrass statements. While the diverse Nashville-based musician is equally comfortable with country and other kinds of singer/songwriter material, he's a guy who clearly has bluegrass in his blood. Arriving in Nashville in the late-1970s, Jim had hoped to pursue a bluegrass career but he was just "Looking for a Good Place to Land." He moved into mainstream country and has appeared on the Grand Ol' Opry. The prolific songwriter has penned hits for artists like Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Mark Chesnutt, Kathy Mattea, and George Strait. Jim's major nod to bluegrass came in 1997 when he featured Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys on his album, "Whisper." Lauderdale then was a guest on Stanley's "Clinch Mountain Country" project, and he is now an honorary Clinch Mountain Boy. Building on the chemistry between Jim and Ralph, they collaborated on an album of their own, the Grammy-nominated and highly recommended "I Feel Like Singing Today." In 2002, his Grammy-winning "Lost in the Lonesome Pines" release featured both himself and Ralph Stanley singing his own self-penned songs. Those projects had the backing of the Rebel and Dualtone record labels. In 2006, his "Bluegrass" debut on YepRoc Records showed us that his fresh, new bluegrass reflected the power, sentiments and emotions of traditional music. Produced by resophonic guitarist Randy Kohrs, "The Bluegrass Diaries" sticks with the winning recipe for beefy original material, forceful vocals, and lively instrumental accompaniment.
   
   "The Bluegrass Diairies" features eleven originals, three of which were solely penned by Jim. His other eight songs include some heavy hitting songwriting collaborators (Melba Montgomery, Odie Blackmon, Shawn Camp, Paul Craft, J.D. Souther, Candace Randolph). Jim's songs have an affinity for love-related themes, but a driving song like "One Blue Mule" has the kind of humorous bluegrass hook that will give you a chuckle. Randy Kohrs' soaring harmony vocals are ever present. If you like recalling a time when the Louvin Brothers were in their prime, a new song like "Are You Having Second Thoughts" (sung with Ashley Brown) is a real treasure. Dave Evans, a rootsy lead vocalist in his own right, is an interesting, unique choice for harmony vocalist on two numbers "Can We Find Forgiveness" and "It's Such A Long Journey Home." Cia Cherryholmes makes a silky appearance in "I Wanted to Believe." The instrumental icing on the cake comes from Randy Kohrs (Dobro), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), Richard Bailey (banjo), Aaron Till (fiddle), Jay Weaver (bass), and Cody Kilby, Clay Hess or Shawn Camp (guitar).
   
   The North Carolina native and son of a minister/choir director is very proud of his bluegrass roots, and his diaries have plenty of deliberations that convey the bluegrass propulsion and drive. He tips his hat to his bluegrass buds when the disc ends with an instrumental reprise to the closing number after Jim asks, "Y'all wanna run some more? Alright ...." Thanks Jim for making public the great musical reflections of your bluegrass diaries. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)



4. Jim Lauderdale has two musical personalities; he writes hook laden country western hits that have been recorded heavily by popular artists, like George Strait and Patty Loveless. He performs these songs in a quirky, traditional style that shows his bluegrass roots. He also writes and performs bluegrass music with beautifully worded contemporary lyrics. From the title it is obvious that this album is in the latter genre. This album was produced by Dobro player Randy Kohrs, and the sound is outstanding. Every song on this album is a gem. I particularly like the opening "This is the Last Time I'm ever Gonna Hurt" and the gospel tinged "Can we Find Forgiveness."
   
   Jim Lauderdale has mostly a cult following and is known as a writers writer. It's a shame he doesn't get wider recognition as a performer because he is a true American treasure.

5 comments about Cuts from the Crypt.

1. This album is great for "fiends" who don't want to shell out big $$$ for imports and special singles, it's got some great stuff.
   
   "Cuts From The Crypt" is definitely a must have for Misfits completists and although it's hit and miss on quality/necessity it's very enjoyable.
   
   The Good:
   
   -"Dead Kings Rise": My only complaint is that it's not the album version from the "American Psycho" LP, I was really hoping to get a polished version of the song on CD.
   -"Dr. Phibes Rises Again": Is a solid song, but again, the Michale Graves vocals version would have been preferred.
   -"I Wanna Be A New York Ranger"/"Monster Mash": Just fun stuff.
   -"1,000,000 Years B.C.": A super-fast and frantic song that like Jerry says in the liner notes, should have been on the album.
   -"Devil Doll": Great heavy rocker, that along with the previous song features a great vocal performance by Michale Graves.
   -"Fiend Without a Face"/"Bruiser": Although a little slower than their album tracks, these songs have a great haunting atmosphere to them.
   
   The Lame:
   
   -"The Mars Attacks Demos" aren't that different from the album versions and just kind of fill space.
   -"I Got A Right": An Iggy Pope cover song that's not their style.
   -"Scream Demo": Is really annoying, the timing is very off.
   -"Helena 2": Unecessary.
   -"No More Moments": very obvious that it was written in 15 minutes.
   -"Rise Above": An OK song, but not Misfits, so why is it here?
   
   The good tracks definitely outweigh the "Lame", so buy today!



2. THIS CD IS A COLLECTION OF DEMOS. THEY ARE A LITTLE DRY BECAUSE OF THE PRODUCTION. BUT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF SONGS OFF "AMERICAN PSYCHO"+OTHERS MAKE IT A WORTHWHILE COLLECTION ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A FAN OF MICHALE GRAVES ERA MISFITS. SORRY DANZIG FANS NOTHING FOR YOU. THERE ARE SOME THROW-AWAYS, BUT ON A WHOLE IT'S PRETTY GOOD. BUT I REALLY LIKE THE MICHALE GRAVES/Dr.CHUD-ERA MISFITS, AGAIN SORRY DANZIG FANS.



3. The Doors aren't the doors without Jim Morrison, Nirvana isn't Nirvana without Kurt Cobain and The Misfits aren't the Misfits without Glen Danzig. The original Misfits featured Glen Danzig on vocals and after he left the following incarnations were garbage. In my mind there is no Misfits without Glen. End of story. Don't listen to any of the others here, they dont know jack.



4. This was the finale to the Graves area and overall is a fitting goodbye.
   "Dead Kings Rise" is one of their best songs ever and why it wasn't issued on an album is a completely beyond me,it grabs you with it's skeletal hands around your neck and refuses to let go for the duration of the song.
   The "Mars Attacks" demo is a bit more punkier than the"American Psycho" version and you can easily imagine the Ramones in the studio background drinking a few beers whilst"I wanna be a NY Ranger" was being recorded,it has a stamp of New York punk rock authenticity all over it.
   "Monster Mash" was destined to be recorded by the Misfits and illustrates how the band had a great sense of humour about things as opposed to a lot of Black/Death metal types who take themselves very,very seriously indeed.
   "One Million Years B.C." baffles me because like "Dead Kings Rise" it's another awesomely powerful piece of music that really packed a punch and showed The Misfits were very much back from the dead.
   Why neither of these tracks went straight onto the "Famous Monsters" album will confuse me untill my dying day or at least untill I meet either Jerry or Doyle or Graves.
   When we come to "No More Moments" this is the reason why I gave it four stars and not five also intially I wasn't that bothered about "Devil Doll" ," Fiend without a Face" and "Bruiser" but I have to admit that over time(and with a significant lack of any new Misfits material emerging from Misfits records) these songs have grown on me.
   We read in the CD booklet how Graves had been listening to a lot of Jim Morrison at the time of recording"No More Moments" and it shows thankfully there were no more moments like that!!.
   Was that the direction Graves was going to take the Misfits in
   for a third studio album? we'll never know although in a final irony the last track is Black Flag's "Rise Above" an absouletly awesome punk anthem that any old punkers like myself will feel a rush of adrenaline when you hear the opening chords.
   Whilst "No More Moments" was the funeral march of the Graves era of the band with Dez and Robo in the band and rumours of a new studio album (unfortunatly Jerry is notorious for mentioning ideas that never seem to happen or take a considerable amount of time before they do) full time now "Rise Above" may very well be a glimpse of the future
   Let's keep our fingers crossed.



5. HALLOWEEN IS UPON US AND I WAS AT MY MOST GHOULISH AND NEEDED A MISFITS FIX AND CUTS FROM THE CRYPT DID THE TRICK! ANOTHER DEVILISH DELIGHT THAT ROCKS!

2 comments about West of Yesterday.

1. Don Edwards excellent.....as usual!! If you like Cowboy and Campfire songs you'll like this! Classic and well done.



2. If you like your cowboy songs straight up, with honest emotion but no hokum, Don Edwards is your man. His albums feature his gorgeous voice, beautiful acoustic playing, and a mix of originals and old favorites. On this album (produced by the wonderful Jim Rooney), there are a couple of real standouts: a very successfully westernized version of "Gypsy Davy" and the beautiful "Bad Half Hour/Annie Laurie," which my four-year-old daughter demands every night at bedtime. Thought she'd forgotten last night until I heard a small but firm voice say "Dad, I expect Annie Laurie!"