5 comments about Greatest Hits.

1. Journey has a special place in the heart of anyone who fell in love in the 1980s. Having seen them with Glass Tiger on their Raised on Radio Tour, I can say Steve Perry was Journey. Anything else was Bad English (not a bad group either).
   
   This CD has what you are looking for. It is something to put in the car on a 1 hour drive and loose yourself. Be careful not to play air drums on Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).
   
   If you like a couple of Journey songs, but don't have all of these in your MP3 collection, download them now. But listen to them in order.
   
   I bought my original CD in 1988, the day after Thanksgiving at the Strawberries at Downtown Crossing in Boston. When I got married in 1997, this was one of only two duplicate CDs, me and my wife had (out of 400 CDs).
   
   A must. Listen to tracks 10 and 11 and tell me I am wrong.
   
   If you feel that loves unfair, you just ask the lonely.
   
   This is a CD that needs to be converted to Guitar Hero IV or Rock Band.



2. I love this CD..I have it in my car and listen to it over and over again. It's great!



3. Simply the best, most popular songs you'd want to hear over and over again. I can't even believe I spent less than $10 on something so great!
   
   Sit back, relax, and enjoy....or take a drive; either way, you just can't be disappointed with Journey!



4. Purchased this with pepsi points and am very satisfied and it was mailed very quickly.



5. if you don't want to buy several of their CD's, this is a great choice. I would have perferred some more of the older stuff.

5 comments about Live from Texas.

1. This could have been a great show if the sound wasn't so bad. Sounds like it was recorded on someones dictaphone. After selling my soul to the devil and investing in state of the art AV gear, I was looking forward to this, only to be sadly disappointed. Compare this to the audio on the last two Eagles DVD's, or Eric Clapton's One more car, One more rider, and you will see what I mean.



2. For the ZZ Top fan, another " Must Have " live concert. This is a concert filmed by pros and not someone in the crowd with a cheesy camcorder. As for the boys themself, their still do what they do so well which is good old fashion blues based groove rock and roll. They look good and sound great as they are all aproaching 60 years old. Like the Rolling Stone, and Aerosmith.... they " Still got it "
   Alot of bonus features come with this dvd as well including a poker game/rap session with just the three of them. Well worth the low price.



3. This new dvd from ZZTOP is a slam dunk for all ZZTOP fans. It is what a lot of fans have been waiting for. All rock, blues and country rock fans will love it.



4. This is a great dvd. We have been waiting for a live dvd from ZZ TOP for a long time. This will do... Great sound and song selection. Although each will probably have few that they miss. Me, I wish they could have added Beer Drinkers, Tbird, and I Thank You on there. But to have Blue Jean Blues and Heard in on the X included in this makes it a must have! Plus, you get an amazing version of Foxey Lady! I have been a fan since the mid seventies, and always go see the boys when they come thru AZ. I saw this tour at the Dodge Theatre and was blown away by the performance. So to see this dvd that serves as a tour reminder is fantastic. The poker game is fun and gives some insight into the somewhat elusive ZZ Top. Hopefully this will open up the flood gates for ZZ Top and we will see more live stuff. Have Mercy!!!



5. Great DVD and long overdue, and well priced to boot! Agree with other reviews sound and video quality are top notch, but staging is a bit low key relative to the 3 ZZ shows I have been at live. The beginning pace appears a bit slow but when you watch the DVD a couple times you realize the brilliance in those first few songs. Lip synching on Legs is pretty obvious, and possibly (parts of) Sharp Dressed Man, but overall Billy's vocals are amazing and textured almost as much as his guitar work. Speaking of guitar work, it is simply awesome. Only disappointments are lip synch bits, missing favorite Sleeping Bag (what happened to that one??) and the video editing borders on attention-deficit-disorder (every camera edit could be 2 times longer and nobody will be getting bored). Overall a fabulous DVD and a must buy for ZZ crowd.

5 comments about Back in Black.

1. What can be said about the greatest rock album ever?AC/DC were at their best on this album.



2. My kids heard the song "back in black" when they watched the movie "Iron Man" and they asked me whose song it was. This was my chance to introduce them to classic rock so I bought them this CD. They love it. Now they want to borrow the rest of my CD's.



3. The title track and "You Shook Me All Night Long" alone justify the price. Even non-fans gotta play air guitar to the first 30 seconds of Back in Black, and the lyrics on "You Shook Me All Night Long" are classic... "Workin' double time on the seduction line, she was one of a kind, she's just mine all mine.... had to cool me down to take another round, now I'm back in the ring to take another swing..." For what many consider to be "hard core" they actually make good, good music that's easy to listen to.



4. I ordered as a replacement for a lost copy. I hope the quality is as good as the original.



5. OMG! I listen to this every day at work! It arrived earlier than scheduled and is in excellent condition.

5 comments about ZZ Top: Live from Texas [Blu-ray].

1. This could have been a great show if the sound wasn't so bad. Sounds like it was recorded on someones dictaphone. After selling my soul to the devil and investing in state of the art AV gear, I was looking forward to this, only to be sadly disappointed. Compare this to the audio on the last two Eagles DVD's, or Eric Clapton's One more car, One more rider, and you will see what I mean.



2. For the ZZ Top fan, another " Must Have " live concert. This is a concert filmed by pros and not someone in the crowd with a cheesy camcorder. As for the boys themself, their still do what they do so well which is good old fashion blues based groove rock and roll. They look good and sound great as they are all aproaching 60 years old. Like the Rolling Stone, and Aerosmith.... they " Still got it "
   Alot of bonus features come with this dvd as well including a poker game/rap session with just the three of them. Well worth the low price.



3. This new dvd from ZZTOP is a slam dunk for all ZZTOP fans. It is what a lot of fans have been waiting for. All rock, blues and country rock fans will love it.



4. This is a great dvd. We have been waiting for a live dvd from ZZ TOP for a long time. This will do... Great sound and song selection. Although each will probably have few that they miss. Me, I wish they could have added Beer Drinkers, Tbird, and I Thank You on there. But to have Blue Jean Blues and Heard in on the X included in this makes it a must have! Plus, you get an amazing version of Foxey Lady! I have been a fan since the mid seventies, and always go see the boys when they come thru AZ. I saw this tour at the Dodge Theatre and was blown away by the performance. So to see this dvd that serves as a tour reminder is fantastic. The poker game is fun and gives some insight into the somewhat elusive ZZ Top. Hopefully this will open up the flood gates for ZZ Top and we will see more live stuff. Have Mercy!!!



5. Great DVD and long overdue, and well priced to boot! Agree with other reviews sound and video quality are top notch, but staging is a bit low key relative to the 3 ZZ shows I have been at live. The beginning pace appears a bit slow but when you watch the DVD a couple times you realize the brilliance in those first few songs. Lip synching on Legs is pretty obvious, and possibly (parts of) Sharp Dressed Man, but overall Billy's vocals are amazing and textured almost as much as his guitar work. Speaking of guitar work, it is simply awesome. Only disappointments are lip synch bits, missing favorite Sleeping Bag (what happened to that one??) and the video editing borders on attention-deficit-disorder (every camera edit could be 2 times longer and nobody will be getting bored). Overall a fabulous DVD and a must buy for ZZ crowd.

5 comments about Mothership.

1. I know the songs, i have listened to them back to back in a good audio rig, the new against the nineties remasters, and really i do not hear THAT great difference spelled in other articles.
   Indeed certain frecuences were leveled in this 2007 job, but the old remasters sound very very well. My recommendation - buy the complete studio works box, the old live The song remains the same -read my review about the brutal trimming Jimmy did on majestic songs. -, and How the west was won.
   Also, Page declared remixing the instrument and voice tracks would take ages in the studio. There was no remixing as mentioned somewhere else.



2. I bought this for my 12 year old son as a sampler album. It is a great starter for someone just getting hooked on Led Zeppelin. It is missing a few of my favorites but my son loves it. Plus, I don't mind if he turns this one up.



3. It is your moral obligation to buy everything they recorded (Especially Zep II, IV, I and III in that order, but this is an extraordinary recording with amazing production values. So if you really (honestly) can only afford one...



4. Hard to believe that as a 45 year old I am only just discovering how great Led Zeppelin was! The funny thing is that way back when; when the music was being played for the first time and garage cover-bands were doing their best to capture LZ's essence at pool clubs, I thought Plant's voice was as annoying as a cat being strangled!
   And now! Wow, I am so enjoying "getting my Led out". For their time they really were pretty revolutionary. Spiritual, psychedelic, demonic, and violins too!!
   If you don't already have all their music on CD or if you're only just now becomng a fan then this collection is for you.



5. Review no. 42. What true Zep fan could even resist the price of this title, anyway? Some of these Zeppelin gems one can never grow tired of are "Communication Breakdown", the sappy "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", one of my personal Zeppelin favorites of all time "Ramble On", "When The Levee Breaks" (I have personal memories of this track - some years ago in my home town, we were having some major flooding - entire trailer parks were being evacuated, etc. - some wide-mouth afternoon DJ played this song several time, obviously outraged several listeners - believe he only received a slap on the wrist for his prank) and the beautifully played "Over The Hills And Far Away". The DVD simply has too many out-standing tunes to list here. Some I know I've seen on other Zep compilations. Recommended.

5 comments about The Complete Hit Singles.

1. You get it all on one CD with this one. I can't stop playing these tracks. All night and all day I have Three Dog Night blasting from my speakers until I hear "Aren't you ever going to turn that off?" This is one GREAT CD and the guys don't leave anyathing out. The vocals are together (as with all TDN songs) and you can just sit back and enjoy!



2. On a very cold evening in the Australian outback, an Aborigine hunter would dig a furrow in the ground and bring his dog into the hole with him for bodily warmth. Two dogs were needed for a really bitter night, but the worst night of all was called a THREE DOG NIGHT. Not sure anyone needed to know that, but anyway that's how they got their name!
   
   The band were:
   DANNY HUTTON, CHUCK NEGRON and CORY WELLS - Lead Vocals
   MICHAEL ALLSUP - Guitars
   SKIP KONTE (1974-1976) and JIMMY GREENSPOON - Keyboards
   JOE SCHERMIE (1969-1971) and JACK RYLAND (1971-1975) - Bass
   FLOYD SNEED - Drums and Percussion
   
   As a rock group with worldwide record sales of over 50 million, THREE DOG NIGHT were a genuine chart phenomenon - especially in the States where they released 23 singles on the Dunhill/ABC label between 1968 and 1976. No less than 21 of them charted in the Top 200 (they were handled by Stateside and Probe in the UK and Europe) and it's they that are represented here - in truly fantastic sound quality - on this superb 2004 CD. Most tracks are specific 7" single mixes recorded precisely for that purpose, many are cover versions and then you had the alternate lead vocalists or combinations of all three. Here's a detailed breakdown of what's what:
   
   (74:32 minutes)
   1. "One", 1969 on Dunhill/ABC 4191, a HARRY NILSSON cover [Chuck Negron Lead Vocal]
   2. "Try A Little Tenderness", 1969 on Dunhill/ABC 4177, made famous by OTIS REDDING [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   3. "Easy To Be Hard", 1969 on Dunhill/ABC 4203 [Chuck Negron Lead Vocal]
   4. "Eli's Coming", 1969 on Dunhill/ABC 4215, a LAURA NYRO cover [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   5. "Celebrate", 1969 on Dunhill/ABC 4227 [Hutton, Negron & Wells Shared Lead Vocals]
   6. "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)", 1970 on Dunhill/ABC 4239, a RANDY NEWMAN cover [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   7. "Out In The Country", 1970 on Dunhill/ABC 4250, a PAUL WILLIAMS/ROGER NICHOLLS cover [Hutton, Negron & Wells Shared Vocals]
   8. "One Man Band", 1970 on Dunhill/ABC 4262 [Negron & Hutton Shared Vocals]
   9. "Joy To the World", 1971 on Dunhill/ABC 4272, a HOYT AXTON cover [Chuck Negron Lead Vocal]
   10. "Liar", 1971 on Dunhill/ABC 4282, a RUSS BALLARD cover [Danny Hutton Lead Vocal]
   11. "An Old fashioned Love Song", 1971 on Dunhill/ABC 4294, a PAUL WILLIAMS cover [Chuck Negron Lead Vocal]
   12. "Never Been To Spain", 1972 on Dunhill/ABC 4299, a HOYT AXTON cover [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   13. "The Family Of Man", 1972 on Dunhill/ABC 4306, a PAUL WILLIAMS/JACK CONRAD cover [Hutton, Negron & Wells Shared Vocals]
   14. "Black & White", 1972 on Dunhill/ABC 4317 [Danny Hutton Lead Vocal]
   15. "Pieces Of April", 1972 on Dunhill/ABC 4331 [Chuck Negron Lead Vocal]
   16. "Shambala", 1973 on Dunhill/ABC 4352, a DANIEL MOORE cover [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   17. "Let Me Serenade You", 1973 on Dunhill/ABC 4370, a JOHN FINLEY of RHINOCERUS cover [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   18. "The Show Must Go On", 1974 on Dunhill/ABC 4382, a LEO SAYER/DAVID COURTNEY cover [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   19. "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here", 1974 on Dunhill/ABC 15001, a JOHN HIATT cover [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   20. "Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)", 1974 on Dunhill/ABC 15013, an ALLEN TOUSSAINT cover [Cory Wells Lead Vocal]
   21. "Til The World Ends", 1975 on ABC 12114, a DAVID LOGGINS cover [Chuck Negron Lead Vocal]
   
   The two singles missing from the set that didn't chart are their 1st, "Nobody", 1968 on Dunhill/ABC 4168 and their last, "Everybody Is A Masterpiece", 1976 on ABC 12192.
   
   Album versions of most of the songs are to be found on the following US LPs:
   "Three Dog Night", 1969 (1 and 2)
   "Suitable For Framing", 1969 (3, 4 and 5)
   "It Ain't Easy", 1970 (6 and 7)
   "Naturally", 1970 (8, 9 and 10)
   "Harmony", 1971 (11, 12 and 13)
   "Seven Separate Fools", 1972 (14 and 15)
   "Cyan", 1973 (16 and 17)
   "Hard Labor", 1974 (18, 19 and 20)
   "Coming Down Your Way", 1975 (21)
   
   96K/24-Bit Remastered by ERICK LABSON of Universal from the original tapes, the sound quality is BEAUTIFUL if such a word can be applied. I've waited years to hear non-hissy clean CD versions of "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)", "Out In The Country" and "Joy To The World" - and this set delivers them in spades. The CLEAR SOUND is startling and makes you reassess each song.
   
   It's not all peaches and cream of course - some of the songs like "Black & White" and "Til The World Ends" have dated badly, while the truly cringing Leo Sayer song "The Show Must Go On" is beyond liking and the screeching vocal butchery of Laura Nyro's "Eli's Coming" is hard to bear. But then there's the slightly psych feel to "One Man Band" and the lovely David Cassidy-sounding "Pieces Of April" - both forgotten oldies worth rediscovering. "Shambala" and "Let Me Serenade You" are not that commonly known on this side of the pond either - and again - deserve rehearing. And then there's that SOUND on all the tracks - JUST GORGEOUS!
   
   A must have for fans then - and a great sounding CD addition for lovers of the 60's/70's sound.



3. It's true that they don't make music like this anymore, and probably won't again. But that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy great music, such as presented in this CD. These talented singers were truly blessed with wonderful voices to harmonize as one.
   
   One should listen especially to "Till The World Ends" to realize the beautiful background chords that accompany the entrancing vocalization of Chuck Negron on this marvelous tune. One of TDN's most beautiful and more deserving of wider recognition.
   
   From the shouting, hard-driving choruses of "Eli's Coming," "Celebrate" and "One," to the soothing melodies of "Out In The Country" and "Easy To Be Hard", this compilation showcases the writing and singing talents of this great 60'sand 70's super group. All unforgettable songs from the past, to be enjoyed in the present.



4. The Complete Hit Singles gives us so much of the best of Three Dog Night! I love most all of their songs; they rock well and they never disappoint me! The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is well done, too. Sure, a few may argue that a song or two more could have been here--or maybe they could have replaced a song with another one--but overall this is a rather strong single CD compilation from this great band.
   
   "One" starts the CD with a tune you're bound to recognize if you've listened to the radio or been a fan of this group for a while. "One" shines bright as these guys rock and the electric guitars work so well! Three Dog Night sing and play this song about the loneliness that we all can feel about being single and they do it up right! "Try A Little Tenderness" has some great organ playing; and listen for "Easy To Be Hard" from Hair. "Easy To Be Hard' gets a wonderful interpretation from Three Dog Night and I'm sure you'll enjoy this melancholy song as much as I do if you haven't heard it before. "Eli's Coming" features great harmonizing and more great electric guitar for this rockin' tune; and there's also "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" with its funky `70s beat and the music is excellent to go along with their vocals. "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" is easily a major highlight of this album.
   
   "Joy To The World" is an excellent adaptation of a rather old set of words and music; this rock and roll version of "Joy To The World" ahs always stunned me with its beauty; and Three Dog Night does this with loads of positive energy that infuses this tune with a celebratory feeling about the joys of life and peace. In addition, Three Dog Night does a great job on "An Old Fashioned Love Song." The keyboard work includes an organ and they harmonize to perfection--and beyond! The music that goes with their singing fits in perfectly without ever drowning out the band's singing; "An Old Fashioned Love Song" is arguably one of their greatest hits ever. "Never Been To Spain" glows just as bright as Three Dog Night deliver this tune with a rock flavor mixed in with a twist of country--and man, how this does work well! Great!
   
   "Black And White" encourages peace between white people and black people--and everyone else of other races and origins, too. "Black And White" is a strong number with the percussion marking the beat; and the melody is both catchy and quite memorable. "Shambala" explores a place on this planet where everyone treats everyone else with kindness and respect--inner peace and peace amongst men are once again the theme of this tune by Three Dog Night. "The Show Must Go On" is another stunning ballad that I could never forget--and the sadness belies the somewhat upbeat rock music that goes with the lyrics.
   
   "Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)" has a fine arrangement that Three Dog Night perform with much energy; and the album ends so well with Three Dog Night performing "'Til The World Ends." "'Til The World Ends" is a very sensitive ballad and it makes a fine ending for this CD.
   
   Three Dog Night may not have stayed together forever; but while they worked together they turned out some of the greatest rock songs ever! This is a must-have for their fans and it's a stunning starter CD for people just discovering the greatest of Three Dog Night.



5. Love all these songs, but this specific CD has significant poor sound quality (distortion). Whoever did the transfer to digital for this specific CD should pay back my purchase money. Very dissapointing listening experience with this CD. Sad!

5 comments about Snakes & Arrows Live 2 CD Set.

1. Rush opened the second leg of the Snakes and Arrows World Tour, here in Puerto Rico, April, 11, 2008. This concert was by far better than the concert at the Ahoy, where the album was recorded. The songs were in a slow tempo, YYZ was not the best version, but the album and the sound quality were outstanding. Anyway, not the best production of 'my favorite trio'. By the way Snakes and Arrows studio album is their best effort to date since Power Windows. Sorry, but the concert at the Puerto Rico Arena was a lot better than the Ahoy. But, you know as a great fan, looking forward to see them again in this tour.



2. I wish I could give this a higher rating, but the recording quality is poor (whereas the MVI version of Snakes and Arrows is a masterpiece). I would have really liked to see the concert on Blu Ray with uncompressed audio. The drum solo was fantastic though.



3. After seeing Rush on the Snakes & Arrows tour three times in 2007, I didn't think they could get any better. With a set list that included much of the new album and a host of favorites from the last 30 years, this live 2 CD set relives the magic of the 2007 tour.



4. This is a great document of the Snakes and Arrows tour experience. Geddy's voice is captured accurately and shows that's he is changing in his sound and his way of dealing with that change. The band is playing quite a bit of the Snakes and Arrows album, more than many people expect and more than hardcores on the Rush Forum want them to play. But the rules of the industry have changed and this live set reflects the present.
   
   In spite of all that, the boys have a youthful attitude towards each other and their audience and their love of the music is easy to see and hear. I'm glad to be heading back to Red Rocks to see them again in a couple of days. Long Live Rush!!!



5. Austin, Texas. They were fantastic and put on the best concert that I have most likely ever seen. I have been to 50-60 concerts, from Maiden, Motley, Ratt, LA Guns, Steely Dan, Dio, Van Halen, Poison, Deep Purple, Great White, Metallica, White Snake, Megadeth (you get the picture) etc. RUSH was the best. So I picked up this live cd thinking that I was getting Exit Stage Left or RIO and its not. This had to have been recorded inside theatre / or a venue with excellent accoustics. The sound is great and the track list is fine.

5 comments about Highway to Hell.

1. Killer Album, lets me go back to when music was music. Got it in less then a week. Good works Amazon and Pepsi. You Cats Rock! Yeah!



2. Not sure if you've looked on Napster or iTunes, but there is precious little original AC/DC to be had. I wanted to download H2H (legally, even) but I couldn't find it. Anyway, I'm not the world's #1 fan but there are a few AC/DC songs that are in my all time classics -- the title, the title track for Back in Black, and You Shook Me All Night Long (Back in Black also). The rest of the songs are good but I'm not familiar with them. One thing that I love about the whole thing is the vocals and instruments all work together versus against one another and the sound works... crazy, but it sounds "natural."



3. While Back in Black probably is top to bottom a great album. This has to be the best AC/DC album of all time. There are at least 2 if not 3 songs on this album better than any on Back in Black. This is one of my favorite albums ever and I would recommend it to anybody.
   
   If you like this album, The Razor's Edge, High Voltage, and Back in Black are AC/DC's other great albums and you will enjoy them too. I'd also recommend '74 Jailbreak because Jailbreak is a great song.



4. I'm not going to waste my time describing this album because I'm pretty sure all AC/DC fans are familiar with it. The thing is that I really don't understand how a reviewer said that this remastered cd sounded bad. The sound is clean and clear. The guitars are more "alive" than the original cd version. If you don't own a copy, by all means go buy one. Walmart sells all of the Epic remasters for $9.72. I even saw some of them for $8.64.



5. the last good AC/DC album. last one with Bon Scott, who drank too much and ended up drowning in his own sick in 1980

5 comments about Steve Miller Band - Greatest Hits 1974-1978.

1. All of the songs on here are great. Just put the cd in and hit play.



2. Just because Steve Miller's greatest hits album captures the bands most popular/commercial moments, DOES NOT mean it's the only Steve Miller Band album you should own. In fact, this is one band where the hits aren't nearly as good as the lesser known songs, or especially the live tracks (try to track down an early live Steve Miller recording, and you'll never come back to this album again).



3. I think the Steve Miller Band had some awesome songs on this CD and I am so glad Amazon.com had it available for such a great price. Thanks for the great oldie music availability.



4. This is another Greatest Hits release from the Steve Miller Band, (after Greatest Hits 1968-73), offering a collection of his greatest hits from the highest point of his career, in the mid 1970s. In this 14-song package, 13 of the hits come from two of his albums, released in adjacent years 1976 (Fly Like An Eagle,(FLAE)), and 1977 (Book Of Dreams, (BOD)). The songs for these two albums were recorded at the same time, but split among two albums rather than being released on an extra long album with more than 20 songs on it. The 14th hit stands alone as being derived from an older album, The Joker, (1973). Although this last song is unusual in that it was extracted from an older album, it is perhaps a harbinger of what was to arrive in the near future. This bluesy, humorous song is about a funny character who is described in many terms: "picker, grinner, lover, sinner"; "joker, smoker, midnight toker"; "Space Cowboy, Gangster of Love, Maurice". Each of these last three names is followed by a wacky guitar symbol.
   
   Six of these 14 songs come from the immensely popular FLAE album, released in 1976. At least half of the songs in that album can be considered hits. That album represents many different styles of music: rock 'n' roll, folk, country, and the blues, as well as SM's unique spacey style. The songs from that album included in this GH collection are: "Fly Like An Eagle" (FLAE song), perhaps the best-known song of his career and most heavily played on AOR and oldies radio stations. This album-oriented song is marked by organ accompaniment to his mellow plea for food, clothing, and shelter for the people who lack them. "Wild Mountain Honey" (WMH) is a sequal to the "FLAE" song on the original album, with fancy organ accompaniment and light drum tapping that serve as a backdrop to Steve's vocals. Both of these songs are marked by a unique Steve Miler sound of spacey, novel organ frills on the original FLAE album. Folk guitar can be heard in the rapid strumming of "Serenade" and in "Take The Money And Run", a story of a man and woman trying to rob some cash. A rock 'n' roll number is "Rock N Me", a memorable piece with a hint of southern blues similar to Roy Orbison or Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR). Finally, there is the country-sounding "Dance Dance Dance", a good choice for down-to-earth, backyard parties.
   
   The remaining seven songs come from the Book of Dreams (BOD) album, released in 1977 (although it was recorded at the same time as the FLAE album.) These seven songs represent over half of the dozen tracks on the BOD album, or 7/12 songs of that album. The instrumental "Threshold" features an organ that rises and falls in pitch smoothly, sort of like the sound of an airplane taking off, landing, or flying overhead. This track leads directly into "Jet Airliner", one of the very popular hits with the folk and southern rock style reminiscent of CCR. Other southern rock-style hits include "True Fine Love" that also sound like CCR, and "The Stake", a love song with guitar work similar to The Eagles or Joe Walsh. "Winter Time" is a folk/soft rock hit that highlights a folk guitar and harmonica, in a poem about the characteristics of winter outdoors. Steve does a very creative production of the party song "Swingtown", in which he plays with a variety of instruments, as well as the organ. Another track with Steve's unique style of toying with musical instruments is "Jungle Love", a rock 'n' roll love song that begins and ends with whistles and squeaks that probably mimic birds and monkeys and other creatures found in the jungle. This was one of his most popular hits on the radio and also on his GH album.
   
   Overall, this album would earn 5 stars for the creativity and uniqueness of SM's songs, for nobody else seems to produce a sound quite like his. However, some of these tracks are abbreviated, a couple severely. The "FLAE" song has been severely edited at both the beginning and end parts, most notably eliminating the organ trills and scales found at the ending part. More than 1 and 1/2 minutes have been chopped off this song. "Jet Airliner" has also been butchered in places, reducing its impact that was suggested by the title. Almost one minute has been removed here. "Dance Dance Dance" is the third song that has been drastically shortened here, with nearly a minute removed. "Swingtown" has also been shortened by nearly half a minute.
   
   Also, the producers could have placed the FLAE song and WMH together as in the original FLAE album. Fortunately, they have placed "Threshold" and "Jet Airliner" together. Also notably absent are some songs like "Mercury Blues" from the FLAE album, which was a popular hit: a blues-type song about a special car that the singer dreams of having in his possession. This very popular and well-known hit was remade by another artist about 18 years later, using another style.
   
   With the 14 songs in the GH album, even if all of them were full-length, unedited forms, the CD with an 80-minute capacity would be able to accommodate them. The CD with this capacity would also be able to include additional songs such as "Mercury Blues" in its full length for a remastered 15-track album. The original GH album was released on vinyl LP with a 60-minute capacity; even this would be sufficient to accommodate the original 14 songs in full-length form: they still would have amounted to less than 50 minutes. A better remastered GH album would have at least 15 songs in its lineup (the original 14 songs plus "Mercury Blues.") Fortunately, other versions of SM's GH albums have since been produced and released.
   
   With its faults, this album deserves about 3+2/3 to 4 stars. If detailed ratings were possible, the creativity and novelty of songs earns 6 stars on a 5-point scale (really), inclusion and coverage of all available SM songs would bring 4 stars, but the edited versions of songs deserve only 1 or 2 stars. Due to the greatness of SM's creations, this album will receive the benefit of the doubt and get 4 stars here.



5. This Steve Miller album gets 5 stars largely on its strength as a compilation. All of the Steve Miller hits you know from the radio are on this disc. It's all you need for an overview of Steve Miller and for slapping in the CD player when you're at a party and want some 70s rock on. This stuff is good, simple, rock music. Steve's vocals are well-backed by the guitars. Very solid album.

5 comments about Led Zeppelin IV (aka ZOSO).

1. Way rockier than Triumph Unseen by Nick Worrall but no less brilliant. Hailed by most who hear it as a classic it very probably is. Buy it and find out.



2. By the far the best Led Zeppelin album you can buy and one of the greatest rock albums you can buy. This is Led Zeppelins best period of time and when they sounded the best and were the best. All eight songs on here are great and this album should be bought by any fan of rock music.
   
   1. Black Dog, a nice start too this album and has good blues singing(Robert Plant), and plus the beat on here is very cool and that guitar sound is very nice. Great song 5/5 stars
   
   2. Rock N Roll, this song has one of the coolest drum intros of all time and its riff and beat cant be sold. A classic song that so many people today still download. Nothing else too say except its a great song and if you havent heard it than download it now. 5/5 stars
   
   3. The Battle Of Evermore, pretty good song but its too soft and gets a little boring 4/5 stars
   
   4. Stairway Too Heaven, great song and great guitar on this song. I love this song great zeppelin song 5/5 stars
   
   5. Misty Mountain Hop, now this is where things start getting heavier. This Led Zeppelin back too the beggining. A nice cool rock beat and a cool drum beat also great song, 5/5 stars
   
   6. Four Sticks, another good song and has a cool drum intro to this and has a nice riff. great all around song,
   5/5 stars
   
   7. Going Too California, a great song also not much more too say, 5/5 stars
   
   8. When The Levee Breaks, a nice way too end this album and has a cool heavy blues rock beat too it. Great song 5/5 stars
   
   buy this album now if you dont have it...



3. This Led Zeppelin album is one of those albums that's a little hard to classify since virtually every style they've been known for is represented. It's also the beginning of unconventional artsy album covers as there are no pictures of the band, nor does the name Led Zeppelin appear. In the days of LP records, only the lyrics of "Starway to Heaven" could be found in the inner sleeve and the 4 individal symbols for each band member. Technically, there's no official name for the album, though fans have called it "Led Zeppelin IV" or "Zoso" or "Runes" or even "Stairway to Heaven."
   
   The hard rockin' "Black Dog" starts out this album. Guitarist Jimmy Page hits the E chord several times and then Robert Plant sings "Hey, hey, mama, say the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove." Page, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham answer furiously. All of the members shine on here.
   
   "Rock and Roll" follows, a 1950's Chuck Berry style rocker. Bonham (aka Bonzo) hits the snare drum for the intro and Page lets loose with a killer riff. Jonesy adds some Jerry Lee Lewis style piano. I'll bet you won't be able to just stand still and listen to this song!
   
   The English folk piece "The Battle of Evermore" helps mellow the mood. Page plays an acoustic guitar here, Jonesy plays mandolin and Plant shares lead with Sandy Denny. The lyrics speak of Tolkien influence.
   
   "Stairway to Heaven" needs no introduction. What could I tell you that you haven't read on this page already? If you've ever had the dial on FM somewhere, you're quite familiar with this close-to-8 minute epic. In fact, I'll bet even some of your parents listened in bewilderment even in 1971. Folk and hard rock are combined in this song. The song's lyrics have been interpreted on many levels.
   
   "Misty Mountain Hop" sounds enigmatic in the verses, both melodically and lyrically. Jonesy starts it off with an electric piano riff (A, G, E) with Page answering the riff on guitar, with Bonzo adding in a fill on drums. Plant multitracks his voice.
   
   "Four Sticks" is an Eastern sounding rocker, heavier than "Friends" and perhaps a precursor to "Kashmir."
   
   The 1960's style folk ditty "Going to California" mellows the mood again, with an acoustic guitar from Page and Plant singing in an uncharacteristic baritone. The lyrics seem to speak of hoping to find happiness out in California.
   
   "When the Levee Breaks" is the only blues song on the album. It is also the only song where Plant plays harmonica. The song is based off an old Memphis Minnie blues standard and for 7 minutes Led Zeppelin plays raunchy blues, ending with an unusual coda, which sounds almost like an abrupt earthquake (I don't know for sure but it sounds like Page is playing a banjo through an amplifier).



4. Everyone I knew had this album when I was a teenage stoner and it's not only because it's what all the other stoners expected you to have - it's just a damn good album and thanks to all those Zep heads out there, it's now been remastered with a little help by some of the members. So I get "Rock & Roll", "Stairway To Heaven" and all the others in full glory. Makes me wanna smoke up, but maybe I'll just pour myself some wine and go back to the Carly Simon albums - age sucks.



5. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant new the band had something special when they completed the album. Each song holds incredibly well by itself with the exception of Four Sticks. The album contains many genres of music from rockabilly-inspired to folk-rock to music that technically did not have its own category. I think it is erroneous to Led Zeppelin as a Hard Rock or Metal band because their repertoire is rich with many varieties of music that they cannot simply be one type. It is comparable to calling the Clash solely a punk band or Neil Young solely as a folk artist. Led Zeppelin is just a rock band.
   
   I will not discuss the songs individually as previous reviews have already done that. Zoso is simply one of the best Rock and Roll albums to have appeared in the century.