5 comments about Ultimate Survivor.

1. I think there is a little something here for all musical tastes. Fast up tempo rock,smooth electric pop and slow ballads. If you are a Survivor fan or like me think the best music was born in the 80's, then this is a cd worth checking out



2. The cd has a lot of the songs I wanted to be in the same compilation.This is a must have for the survivor fans.



3. Fast shipper. Great Products. Very pleased with all my purchases from Amazon. Some items take a little longer to come but have always gotten my items and in excellent condition. Thank You.



4. Ok I had seen this song on hear and figured it was a lame remake made as an attempt to reclaim rock roots. Little did I know that this was originally a Survivor song. The CD as a whole is great. I grew up with more of the "pop" survivor with Jimi Jamison on vocals. The earlier stuff with Dave Bickler on vocals beyond this greatest hits album was really rockin'. Hence the album offers a nice blend of the pop songs that revitalized their career in the mid-eighties and the harder edged songs that started them out. It is a must have for even the casualest of Survivor fans and for those who don't know they did have more songs than "Eye of the Tiger." Add this one to the collection.



5. its amazing how much of a great and wonderful band these guys are , dow i have all their albums except the first and last {yeah coicidentally}every song they put out is perfect rock and roll and this one is a perfect hit album and much more.Even dow
   I think their best song is between "Ever Since The World...." and "Santa Ana Winds" this is still a great compilation of one of the best rock and roll bands of all time well they're definitley in my top 10. And going back actually im most certain that "Santa Ana Winds" was without a doubt their best song.With such an incredible piano masterpiece at the beginning its just a beautiful song overall, i really cant get enough of it. But yeahh this Definite Album is a must for any music fan.I would also advice you to get all their albums which i think r all classiks, That signature sound they have is ahhh..... so mindblowing!!!!!!

5 comments about Heart - Greatest Hits.

1. Heart was one of my favorite groups from the past. The sisters always amazed me with their vocal and guitar solos.



2. Here is a great buy that can be found for usually less than $10.00. If you, like myself just wanted a short summary of the early years (before MTV) this is it. All of the Heart classics on one CD without the 80's radio friendly ballads.
   Magic Man, Crazy on You, Barracuda, Kick it Out, Love Alive, Dog and Butterfly, Even it Up, Straight On, mostly the guitar oriented stuff and including Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll. The song list reads like a tribute band's song list. If you like me, don't want to shell out over $20.00 for a compilation this is it.
   It doesn't contain everything they ever did but only the highlights, the guitar oriented songs. I don't need a compilation that takes over 2 hours to get through. I just want to hear "Barracuda" once in a while without the filler from those days.



3. I love Heart, and nearly all of the songs on the CD are the original favorites. But Dreamboat Annie has always been my favorite Heart song and the version on this CD is a slower version than the familiar one I grew up listening to on the radio. I wish I had read Amazon's reviews before purchasing this CD because others have expressed disappointment about Dreamboat Annie as well.



4. I have always enjoyed the dynamic voicings of the Wilson sisters and am trying to build a collection of my favorite Rock and Roll CDs before CDs become extinct. This album is in my TOP 15 of all time greatest.



5. This compilation is about what is expected. Heart had some big hits and good music, but they also had some lesser-known works and mediocre music. This compilation contains both. Heart's basic song construction and strong vocals make for good "work-out" music.

5 comments about AC/DC: Plug Me In (3 disc Limited Edition).

1. Although I don't consider my self a `hardcore" fan of AC/DC, I do enjoy most of what they have produced. That being said, I was a little let down by this DVD set. It's not bad. On the contrary it is quite well done. Some very interesting live segments. The problem I had with them is that they are not usually good or great live performances. Some of them are not much better than a bootleg. Most of the segments are of the obscure type. I wouldn't recommend this to casual fan; it's more designed for the hardcore fan.



2. I shouldn't have a moral right to complain about the music I suppose. I'm a huge Motorhead fan after all. I know they're not playing nice melodies for middle aged women to swoon too. But Watching Angus Young on stage is probably the most annoying thing I've ever had to watch. I know, I know, they're a rock and roll band; how can they stand still when they're raaaawkin'? But how much can you take of watching a scrawny little midget with fly away long hair, often in school shorts strutting about stage, knees jabbing everwhere, shaking his head up and down almost non stop? Play the guiatar Angus! Hair goes up. Hair goes down. Hair goes up. Hair goes down. Hair goes up. Hair goes down. Hair goes up. Hair goes down. Up. Down. Up. Down.Up. Down. Up. Down.Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. It's like effin' Chinese water torture after 5 minutes. Try turning off the sound and jsut *look* at them if you don't believe me.
   
   But Rock and roll is supposed to be annoying you might say! Well here it's not so much rock and roll as something not dissimilar to Jar Jar Binks. Audio wise it may have it's merit. I'm not much of a fan, but I can see why people might like this. But watching AC/ DC, particularly Angus Young, on stage was incredibly grating. Maybe somebody should make a live AC/ DC DVD called "The Angus edit" removing all the Angus Young camera moments.



3. This is a great collection to add to your AC/DC stash! So much great footage, good quality and totally worth it if you're a big fan!



4. Play this loud. Lots of vintage clips, and stuff from the vault. The boys rock with endless energy.
   
   Enjoy



5. if you are a fan of old and new acdc this is a must for any collection

4 comments about Greatest Hits Live.

1. Three Dog Night was one of those Groups that had serious Crossover appeal.
   They performed great pop songs by top writers, arranged everything to a Rock beat, had three fantasic singers, a crack foursome of instrumentalists to back them, mixed their Rock music with Pop and Soul stylings, had a Live Act that nobody came close to besting. All of this made Three Dog Night a huge success between 1968-1974.
   
   This new release of Live Dog from the World Tours of 1972 & 1973 find our Heroes in Germany and England performing their Hits to sold-out venues packed with thousands of Fans. All the right stuff is indeed here; "One", "Easy To Be Hard", Mama Told Me {Not To Come}, "Eli's Coming", "Liar", "Celebrate", "Never Been To Spain", "Old Fashioned Love Song", "One Man Band" and the Encore/Singalong of: "Joy To The World".
   
   Singers: Cory Wells, Danny Hutton and Chuck Negron are in top-form and doing what they do best, Singin' up a storm, Joking and Vamping for the girls and entertaining like the Seasoned Veterans they are. Behind the Three "Singing" Dogs, was one of the best Bands of players in the Business. Floyd Sneed: on Drums, Joe Schermie: playing Bass, Mike Allsup: Guitars and Jimmy Greenspoon: on all manner of Keyboards. These Four instrumental players are the secret Weapon of Three Dog Night, they deliver Hard Rock when needed and can lay back and play softly during the Ballads, adding just the right touches of Tone and Color that brings The Show up by more than just a few notches. This is about the most under-rated Group of it's day, a First Rate Rock Band that played Second-Fiddle to nobody else during their Heyday.
   
   There are 2 other live CD's available by Three Dog Night: "Captured Live At The Forum" {1969} & "Around The World" {1973}, both of those Albums are very good and well worth owning. This one called: "Greatest Hits Live", is the Best of the Bunch. The Sound Quality is far better than the 1969 Set, and contains all the Tunes you want to hear from this Group {The 73 Lp's contained more Album Selections, this one is ALL Hit Songs, one after the next.}
   
   Three Dog Night was known for their Top-40 sucess of Classic Songs. This CD shows just how good they were as a Performing Band that pleased the Fans from Tulsa to Tokyo. It's hard to listen to this and not smile all the way through. Three Dog Night, playing their Greatest Hits Live.
   Four Stars !!!



2. Well, it took over 20 yrs. for "Around the World with Three Dog Night" to make it's CD debut (thanks to the UK's Edsel label), and now just 2 years later we get a more concise live collection from the same tour. The reason I don't give this a 5 Star rating is that two of the tracks (Family of Man, Liar) are the same performances as on "Around..." (although remixed to change the dynamic between vocals and band). They also missed the chance to rectify the fact that two other songs on the original release (Black & White, Out in the Country) were actually the original studio recordings edited in reasonably well (at least by 1973 standards). It would have been nice to hear how those sounded live back then. I guess they only recorded a small number of shows, and they weren't happy with the results. The only other negative with this release is that the crowd noise is somewhat muddy and "added on" in spots.
   
   As far as the good news.... while the first reviewer here stated there was "no filler", I actually love the fact that there are three separate intros/interludes spread across the disc, from a 25 sec. drum lead-in to "Family of Man" to a 2 min. "mini-jam" just before "Liar". I just think these give a much better feel for what it was like to be at one of these shows, as far as focusing on the musicians as much as the vocalists. Then of course there are the four tunes that weren't included on the original double-LP.... "Easy to Be Hard", "Celebrate", "Try a Little Tenderness", and "One"... all excellent versions. The sound quality in general is very good, and there are no complaints here regarding the editing from track to track.
   
   Some Comparisons to ATW Versions: I'm not sure what Randy Newman's original lyrics were, but this is the first time I've heard Cory sing "she's OD'd on the floor", as opposed to "passed out", in "Mama Told Me".... "Eli's Coming" is a more straightforward version here, without the extended "comic" intro.... Chuck gets a little screechy at the end of "Never Been to Spain".... there's some good audience sing-along stuff in "Joy to the World" that wasn't in the earlier version.
   
   I don't know what it would take to get Chuck and Floyd back with the other four surviving original members at this point (will the Hall of Fame ever get it? Should anybody care anymore?).... but in the event that that never happens (and it probably doesn't help that Chuck refers to himself in the liner notes this way - "the fans called him their star"), hopefully it won't be long until some company steps in and gives us a quality box-set to dig into. None of us are getting any younger.... though collections like this can let us forget that once in a while.



3. I got this CD in the mail today, thanks to Amazon.com. The sound quality of this live recording circa 1972-73 is simply outstanding. Kudos to Gustavo Borner (mixing) and producers Chuck Negron and Carlos Murguia for their role in conjuring up this gem--Three Dog Night's best live recording by far.
   
   One of the highlights of this CD is the powerful presence of the backup musicians. This CD proves how Floyd Sneed's drumming pyrotechnics, Michael Allsup's "razor-sharp," playful guitar licks, Joe Schermie's busy, energetic bass playing, and Jimmy Greenspoon's keyboard wizardry were an indispensable musical complement to the unique vocal harmonies Danny Hutton Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron conceived under the Three Dog Night moniker.
   
   And what an astonishing vocal performance! The trio's live vocals on songs such as "Try a Little Tenderness" (Cory), "Liar" (Danny), "Joy to World" (Chuck) and "One Man Band" (together) surpass their respective studio versions in sheer all-out energy and daring. In short, if you love Three Dog Night, Greatest Hits Live is an essential addition to their catalog--and a must-have for fans.



4. Regarding whether this will be a positive or negative review, let me start by saying I bought this Tuesday 8/26/08 (the day it was released), and I've thus far given it about a dozen listens. Yes I'm a fan.
   And yes, I love this CD. "Greatest Hits Live" is culled from the same three European concerts of 3DN's '72-'73 world tour that provided the tracks for their amazing 1973 live double album "Around The World With Three Dog Night". I've never forgiven MCA for dropping the ball with their CD releases of the 3DN catalog. Not only have they never been given the box set they so richly deserve, but three of their original albums (four, if You count the non-MCA 80's ep "It's A Jungle") have never seen a CD release. "Around The World" was the most puzzling omission of all. It was a gold-selling massive hit, and one of the best live double albums of the 70's. As a side note, Edsel Records (UK) has released "Around The World" as a twofer 2-CD set (coupled with "Seven Separate Fools" as the other disc), which I highly recommend.
   "GHL" obviously attempts to both rectify that missing CD release, as well as serve as an "alternate" hits collection. It certainly lives up to it's name. It truly is their greatest hits: no filler - no instrumental solos - and all performed live. It also attempts to fill the gaps of hit songs missing from "Around The World" by restoring "Easy To Be Hard", "Celebrate", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "One" (none of which appeared on "Around The World"). But it goes further than just restoring missing hits. For those who are wondering, even the "Around The World" tracks that do appear here are mostly all different performances from one of the alternate concerts. So this is truly "new" vault material from one of the biggest acts of the early 70's.
   The awesome digital mastering really showcases the live power of 3DN: the soaring guitar of Mike Allsup, the fluid bass of Joe Schermie, and (particularly) the power punch drums of Floyd Sneed and the grinding Hammond organ of Jimmy Greenspoon. But it is (and always was) the amazing vocals of Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells that separated these Dogs from the rest of the pack.
   Not that "GHL" is without flaw. At under 50 minutes, there could have been a lot more included. At the very least, their 1972 Billboard #1 hit "Black & White" should have been included (it does appear on "Around The World"). In a perfect world, MCA would have released "Around The World" as a 2-CD set, with the original double album on one disc, and these alternate performances on the second. These alternates were probably not originally chosen for "Around The World" for a reason. Presumably they chose the best available version of each song from the 3 concerts recorded back in the 70's for the original LP. It's particularly evident with "One Man Band", which is far superior on "Around The World". The editing here is tight overall. There are no fade in's or out's - it all flows seamlessly, but there's the sometimes obvious "flying in" of applause to mask the seams. Also the track running order on "GHL" is also quite different from "Around The World" (which was the true setlist order?).
   Seminal 3DN, featuring the original seven members is a rare treat, and this CD delivers the goods. Until we get that box set with vault rarities we fans covet, this CD is a gem to be treasured. Diehard fan who own "Around The World" will want these alternate live performances. For the casual listener who perhaps only own a 3DN hits disc, this is a reasonably priced collection of those hits performed live back when they were new and fresh, and the group was at the top of it's game and the height of it's popularity.

5 comments about Fandango!.

1. OK, maybe "Fandango" only had a profound influence on my taste in music. While I was stationed in Germany in the early 70s, a friend lent me "Fandango" and "Tres Hombres." (When we get together, he asks me when I plan to return them. I tell him there are two chances of that happening: Fat and none.) I've been a fan ever since. There are many purveyors of Texas-style rock, but none of the others make me just wanna to get up and boogie the way Billy Gibbons (& Pearly, mercy me!), Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard do. ZZ Top's pre-MTV stuff is raw, raunchy, straight to the gut, b**s-to-the-wall, kick-a** rock & roll. Unlike some fans, I think their MTV/RWG (Really Weird Guitars) output is great, too, but nothing matches the foundation they laid down on their early vinyl. So grab a Lone Star long-neck, crank it to 11, and boogie!



2. ZZ Top - Fandango, right till the end!!! Watch your speedometer when jammin' on this CD! I'm pleased!



3. The CD has excellent Sound qulaity. It has been remastered. Frankly I was l little concerned because I read other reviews that stated they went overboard with the effects. It just sounds clean and balanced to me. Plus you get previousley unreleased versions of Tush and Jailhouse rock.



4. This is classic Old School ZZ Top? How old school? They don't have the trademark beards on the album covers.
   
   This album is so deep it could count as a Greatest Hits for many other bands. Jailhouse Rock covers the Elvis classic. Backdoor Medley, a compilation of John Lee Hooker blues tunes, is my favorite of the batch. Mexican Blackbird is another great tune - is she a lady or a car? Tush, I heard it on the X and Blue Jeans Blues are all true classics - they've survived the test of time and are still staples of their concerts, and classic rock airwaves.
   
   The album's a must for any ZZ Top or Blues Rock afficianado!



5. ZZ Top's Fandango album is pretty bad and not worth owning at all, in my opinion. Read on to find out why:
   
   
   
   First of all, the first side is probably the most *boring* side to a hard rock record from the 70's I've ever heard. Normally a band comes out strong with worthwhile material to kick things off, but apparently ZZ Top wanted to be different. The "half live"/"half studio" idea didn't work.
   
   
   
   Their cover of "Jailhouse Rock" is not only inferior to the original, but inferior to every version of the song I know. It's WAY too short, and not interesting. From there, a 9-minute jam is up next. It starts off like it's going to be a pretty rockin' tune, but then it begins annoying me when it eventually turns into a giant rambling mess. It seriously sounds to me like the final 6 minutes of the jam consists of just one single drum beat pounding over and over, with the singer going back and forth between whispering and screaming. It's really boring. It's SUCH a carelessly created jam. Probably some of the worst live music I've ever had the displeasure of hearing.
   
   
   
   Things pick up a bit for the second side (the studio portion of the album). "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings" has a nice funky beat, which was ZZ Top's trademark back in the day. The guitar solo fails, and the vocals go by harmlessly, but with hardly *any* excitement whatsoever. Actually that's a huge problem I have with early ZZ Top- their music is loud, certainly rocks and all the members of the band are competent musicians, but many of their vocal melodies consist of singing along to an upbeat funky rocker, with really no creativity involved to make the vocals stand out. As a result, their vocals are usually weak and uninteresting.
   
   
   
   "Blue Jean Blues" is easily the best song on the entire album. It's a slow, bluesy number with pretty good guitar playing. Really the band is just copying what Led Zeppelin and countless other rock bands did better, but for what it is, it's acceptable. "Balinese" unfortunately is NOT acceptable. It sounds like a really bad attempt for a commercial hit. It's probably not, but nothing can save it from being horrible.
   
   
   
   "Mexican Blackbird" is only worthwhile for the neat southern accent from the lead singer. That alone makes the song stand out, but it can't escape the reality of being just an above-average rocker. "Heard It On the X" is perhaps the best song on Fandango. It rocks convincingly, not carelessly like the rest of the album. "Tush" finishes off the album. Everybody knows it. It's pretty good, but overplayed thanks to classic rock radio. That hurts it only slightly.
   
   
   
   Overall, ZZ Top had some good songs, but the majority of their career was spent on creating and releasing one spotty album after another. The thing that bothers me is how most of their songs have guitar solos, and not a single one of them is interesting almost 100% of the time.
   
   
   
   Luckily Fandango is barely 30 minutes long, but I should have watched Jeopardy instead.

5 comments about How the West Was Won.

1. Possibly better than The Song Ramains the Same. If you like Led Zeppelin (considered one of the best rock bands and revalued generation after generation) I think this triple is a good choice. The singer is O.K (now his "Raising Sand" is astonishing), the guitarist is wonderful, the bassist sounds fine and the drummer was one of the best in his genre.



2. These are a set of live recordings that were rediscovered in 2003 and re-mastered.
   They sound fantastic and are a must-have for any zeppelin fan. I've recently had
   to start driving to work one day a week and these cds have made me look forward
   to the ride (which is otherwise miserable).



3. Legendary performances by legendary rock icons. Thought not known as one, LZ certainly qualifies as a "jam band" as evidenced here. A must have for any and every fan of classic rock. Masters at the top of their game.



4. Not that you needed another five-star review to think about getting this, but I have to chime in. This is one of the finest live albums I've ever heard. Zep were in their prime here (the material for this album was taken from two concerts in June of 1972, one in Los Angeles and one in Long Beach) and boy, does it show. My favorite song on the album is "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" which the fellas play with a great deal of energy and the appreciative crowd enthusiastically claps along. Their big hits from that era are here, like "Black Dog", "Rock And Roll", "Immigrant Song", and of course "Stairway To Heaven." If you're even kind of a Zep fan, this album is absolutely essential.



5. 1. the dvd-audio sounds a bit compressed and bright. needs to sound fatter.
   
   2. the subwoofer needs to be turned up a tad.
   
   3. where are robert plant talking through the whole concert?? thats a big part of zeppelin live.
   
   other than this its cool :)

5 comments about Night Ranger's Greatest Hits.

1. You know your getting old when Night Ranger is played on the olddies channel! Cool music though.



2. Night Ranger was a solid pop-rock band that charted hits from 1982-1988. This album compiles all of those songs, although some of them never saw the happier side of the Top 40 charts. The big tunes are here, such as "When You Close Your Eyes" (a personal favorite), "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Four In The Morning." Also included are "Eddie's Comin' Out Tonight," "The Secret of My Success," and "Rock In America." Needless to say, Night Ranger was billed as a rock act (and some of the tunes here attest to that), but they flourished with power ballads. The granddaddy of them all, "Sister Christian," is also on this album, but it wouldn't be a greatest hits package without it.
   
   If you like your rock a little bit heavier than REO Speedwagon but not quite as heavy as Def Leppard, Night Ranger will suit all of your needs. They are a product of the 80's and deserve any accolades that they've received for being as such. I highly recommend this album to fans of Night Ranger as well as anybody who enjoys tunes from bands like Survivor, Bad English, and any of the power ballads that ruled the 80's.



3. Night Ranger had some likable rock songs, but they especially had some great ballads. This CD has both. Some of their best-known (and highly recommended) rock songs are "You Can Still Rock In America" "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" & "Secret Of My Success." On the lighter side, one has to appreciate "Sing Me Away" "Goodbye" and their biggest hit "Sister Christian."
   
   Lead singer Jack Blades does especially well to not be too whiny or too screechy on the ballads, which can be a downfall to a number of other hard rock ballads from this this time period. This is the best of what the band has to offer and these are some good offerings.



4. This is a CD that should belong on any music lovers list. Night Ranger is one of he best bands of all-time. With songs like "Sister Christian", "Goodbye", and "When You Close Your Eyes" as well as many other classics. This is a great CD it has been remastered very well so the sound quality is great. I highly suggest that you buy this CD today.



5. Night Ranger is one of those good time bands that are best represented by a Greatest Hits collection. The songs here are all great with the exception (for me) the awful David Foster produced "The Secret Of My Success."
   
   Sing Along, Now!
   
   1. (You Can Still) Rock In America
   2. Sing Me Away
   3. Goodbye
   4. When You Close Your Eyes
   5. Sister Christian
   6. Don't Tell Me You Love Me
   7. Sentimental Street
   8. The Secret Of My Success (UGH!)
   9. Restless Kind
   10. Four In The Morning
   11. Eddie's Coming Out Tonight
   12. Rumours In The Air
   
   Good Stuff! It's not meant to be earth shattering or life altering. It's meant to be fun!
   
   As a end note....Both Night Ranger's 1997 "Neverland" and 1998 "Seven" are worth a listen.

5 comments about Loverboy Classics: Their Greatest Hits.

1. Canadian band Loverboy released their debut to little or no notice in 1980. After almost slipping into oblivion, the new-wavey keyboards and funky bassline of "Turn Me Loose" caught on with a few rock radio programmers, then rippled out to become a national smash. The follow-up, the propulsive "The Kid Is Hot Tonight," followed suit.
   
   These set the stage for Loverboy's career. Synthesizers that sounded very much of the 80's, Mike Reno's distinctive voice and guitarist Paul Dean's hot licks proved to be a potent combination, making Loverboy akin to many of the era's album rockers. (Think Foreigner, Journey, REO Speedwagon or Bon Jovi.) The second album, Get Lucky, contained one of the best known Friday Afternoon radio staples in "Working For The Weekend" (great three stroke cowbell there!). "Get Lucky" was so loaded with hits that it comprises the bulk of this CD.
   
   The follow up was Keep It Up, which seemed to indicate that the band was kind of in on the critics hate us/fans love us joke...after all, once you "get lucky," you're going to have to "keep it up." It managed again to lay down hits with "Hot Girls in Love." But when the band tried to toughen up the sound on Lovin' Every Minute of It, things didn't click quite as hard. The chain-gang call-and-response of the title track was interesting, but the temptation to take on power-ballads (the top-ten "This Could Be The Night") tilt the balance away from the band's solid party rock. Wildside tried hard to get the mojo back, with the Bon Jovi cowritten single "Notorious" the best thing there (and includes the immortal couplet "Little girl don't you hesitate/Cause you're using live bait").
   
   Dean and Reno got the solo artist bug and broke up the band afterwards, although a reunited Loverboy still records and tours. This is a solid document of a band that knew exactly what they were doing and were more than happy to deliver with a wink and a smile. The hilarious liner notes by bassist Scott Smith (who tragically drowned in a 2000 boating accident) note that the soundtrack ballads "Heaven in Your Eyes (from Top Gun)" and "Almost Paradise (from Footloose)" are included so they could "sell more of this collection." Slick, funny and multi-platinum...what more could you ask for from a hitmaking 80's hair band?



2. I am dissappointed that Bullet In The Chamber isn't on this but all in all it's classic Loverboy. If you like Loverboy you will love this cd.



3. Think about it. Loverboy is a band that doesn't exactly fit the stale arena rock mold because of their sheer propensity for fun. But then again, their quasi-proggy keyboards don't exactly translate into the hairspray crowd's standard repetoire. As such, I think purchasing this compilation can not only lead to the acquisition of one heck of a party album, but it can also serve as an anthropological study.
   
   Ugh, that sounds pretentious, but it's worth pondering.
   
   Anyhoo, the tracks here are all, for the most part, superb pieces of 80s pop rock. "Working for the Weekend" and "Turn Me Loose" are the obvious highlights, but the collection is laden with highlights. In fact, every song is a 4 to 5 star track in its own right. Well, except for the ponderous "Lovin' Every Minute of It." That one's just dull. Everything else is a blast, though. The best thing is that the songs are peppered with a most amusing kind of synth workouts that just accentuate the goodness of the material. Fantastic.
   
   Overall, fans of music from Kansas to Poison will enjoy this. This is upbeat music to celebrate the good times in a rockin' manner, but it's also got a pseudo-intelligent gloss over it. Great stuff, and a definite value. Buy it today!



4. Including Mike's weak duet with Ann Wilson of Heart ( by far a stronger vocilist then you Mike...so let her shine ...next time ) can't be right...
   
   Were the heck is Strike Zone....one of their best songs on their last origianal run albums..Still very good...but definitly misses in some key areas!



5. I've always liked Loverboy, they had some very great songs. This disc, though maybe not as extensive as it could be, is good enough, in my opinion. It contains the songs I like and it brings back a lot of great memories. If you're a Loverboy fan and you want more songs, you'll have to get at least one more CD, of theirs, to give you all you want. As for me, I'm content with this compilation. Recommended for the 80's rock fan.

5 comments about Presence.

1. In Through The Out Door and Coda were abberations. ITTOD was JPJ's album and I guess that under the circumstances he did the best he could. Coda was an outtakes album which is not bad but not a legacy type of album. Presence on the other hand is Zeppelin at their hardest and tightest, an awesome album bracketed by two of the greatest tracks they ever laid down - Achilles Last Stand and Tea For One. I first heard ALS when Presence was first released and thought it was the greatest thing Zeppelin had ever produced. I still think it's one of their top 5 tracks but on a par with it, for me, is Tea For One. I bracket it with In My Time Of Dying as two of the greatest blues tracks ever made. JP's playing on this track is blistering. God knows how many guitar tracks he laid down but it sounds like 3 or 4 separate guitar tracks and each compliments all the others wonderfully. Having listened to the remastered CD I can finally appreciate just what a phenomenal job Bonzo does on this album in fact, for me, Bonzo's drumming is what really makes this album special. Listening to it on a dodgy cassette player all those years ago I couldn't appreciate what a job he did but if ITTOD and Coda showed didn't really give Bonzo a chance to shine, Presence does in spades. Percy might have recorded all his vocals in a wheelchair but you could swear he was wearing and tearing his stuff when he recorded this, Plant had his voice back and this album is a testament to that. JPJ does a great job of supporting JP and Bonzo without ever dominating and James Patrick Page just peels the paint off the wall with a masterclass in rock and blues guitar. It's a shame that many can't hear beyond Achilles Last Stand on this album but I really think that years ahead, this album will be regarded as the classic it truly is. If JP, JPJ, J(Jason)B and Percy ever do create new music, I hope to hell it sounds like this - tight but loose.



2. Released in 1976, Led Zeppelin's 7th album has always been unfairly overlooked by fans and critics who'd expected another epic along the lines of their previous album "Physical Graffiti". And were seemingly disappointed by the even stranger than normal artwork (what was that black thing anyway?) and just seven songs. It was if the band had taken a "ho-hum" approach to their albums. They knew ANYTHING they released was guaranteed to sell a million copies in its first week. Seven songs? Who did they think they were, Steely Dan? Add to this the rise of punk rockers in England who regarded Zeppelin as boring old farts whose demise couldn't come fast enough. Relations within the band were tense as well. Robert Plant had been in a near fatal car wreck in Greece and practically recorded the entire album in a wheelchair. Jimmy Page and John Bonham's dalliances with heroin had turned into full-fledged addictions. And John Paul Jones felt his role in the band was merely taken for granted. So the band was in an unfamiliar position; backs to the wall and needing a strong album to prove they still had "it" in them. To do this, the band decamped to Munich's Musicland Studios and pushed themselves to deliver a new album in (for them) a record time of 2 weeks, as the Rolling Stones were due to arrive and start their next album. Legend has it that Page completed all the guitar overdubs in one night; then asked Mick Jagger for one extra day of studio time. Jagger agreed, and when he arrived Page proudly told him the album was finished;
   Jagger: "Oh, you got the basic tracks done?"
   Page: "No, the ENTIRE album is done."
   This was at a time when the Stones needed two weeks to record ONE song.
   "Presence" is a different album because of this. The proto-hippie acoustic tunes of the past are nowhere to be found here. This is a much tougher sounding and uncompromising album as a result starting with the opener. "Achilles Last Stand" is probably the longest song they've ever recorded at nearly 11 minutes of soaring vocals, galloping guitars, rock bottom bass and machine gun drums. "Nobody's Fault But Mine" is without a doubt one of the best songs they ever recorded with it's heavily phased guitar intro and Plant's wail of a deal he wants out of (Drugs or the Devil?) before it slams into a thunderous groove that only stops for a second as Plant quietly laments; "nobody's fault but mine". Though they were never a singles band, "Candy Store Rock" really could've been a hit single as the band do their best impression of a Sun Records rockabilly act. "Hots on for Nowhere" is Robert Plant strutting his stuff vocally while John Bonham lays down a shuffle straight out of the James Brown school of drumming. I have to say that the sound quality of "Tea for One" is remarkable and harkens back to the smooth drum sound the band had on its early albums before it drops into a slow melancholy blues that seems to say that the band was tired and that bad times were coming soon. Those bad times were the '77 tour that saw fan riots, hard drugs everywhere, and the death of Plant's son. Jimmy Page seems to have pulled out all the stops here and used every guitar trick he could think of. IMO, If Zeppelin had stopped here, their place in rock history would've been solid. If any album in the Zeppelin catalog could be called a letdown, it was "In Through the Out Door".



3. Presence
   
   This is a no brainer for Zeppelin fans, you must have this! This album was all page. With Robert Plant in a wheel chair from his crash, Jimmy Page put this album together in only 16 days. The riffs are unforgetable and with pure Led Zeppelin energy.



4. Led Zeppelin-Presence (***1/2)
   
   I usually go through phases with Zeppelin. Long periods of not wanting to hear them but still giving them credit for being one of the greatest bands of all time, and then short (make that extremely short) periods of time where I listen to Led Zeppelin so much I get really sick of them. This just might be the only album in the bands canon that doesn't follow into either of those categories. I think that is due to the fact that I truly believe both Jimmy Page and John Bonham are at their all time best here, this album contains two absolute Zeppelin classics, and what I consider to be their all time best, and the fact that is just an average album which I only pull out once in a blue moon.
   
   Firstly Robert Plant is great when he sticks to one note and doesn't' vary in range. It bothers me to no end when he tries to be a vocal acrobat. The songs that are good here are mainly when he stays to one thing, the ones that are not, are the ones that he makes his voice go through everything he did on Houses Of The Holy all over again. As I said before Page kills on this album. His slide playing is nothing to bark at, simply the best. His lead playing on songs like 'For Your Life' and 'Hots On For Nowhere' is some of his best. Bonham just plays solid fills throughout the album and great rhythm all over. John Paul Jones completely owns as always, especially on 'For Your Life.'
   
   'Achilles Last Stand' is to me without competition Led Zeppelins very best song. Better than 'Stairway..' 'Whole Lotta Love' 'Black Dog' or anything else you through out. The entire band is at their top and kill the track. With ten minutes length it manages to not get boring, which is unusual for Zepp. 'Nobody's Fault But Mine' is not the bands best, but it is my favorite Zepp song. Killer guitar from Page and his lyrics are perfect for Plants pipes to let rip over. It is a stellar tune! 'For Your Life' is a solid rock n' roller. 'Royal Orleans' was a nice idea, and has a good feel as well as some great guitar and bass, but doesn't fully deliver like it should. 'Candy Store Rock' feels nice but seems unfinished, as does 'Tea For One' which is strange because of it's nearly ten minute length. 'Hots On For Nowhere' is a odd one. It isn't likable by any standards, and yet it is not awful by any standards either.
   
   I will say this though. Presence has the best production out of the whole lot of their records, hands down!
   
   I always felt like Led Zeppelin was capable of so much more than what they did which always left me feeling cold and let down. Presence did just what I thought it would do. It is a solid rock n' roll album, nothing more, nothing less, and that is okay.



5. More obsessive Zeppelin fans than I have sort of claimed this album as their own. They can keep it, far as I'm concerned. It's not bad or anything, but there's not much to really recommend here, either.
   Still, the record does contain two great songs. Their names are... "Candy Store Rock" and "Tea for One!" Whoo! No, actually, those songs suck. "Candy Store Rock" is stiff, ham-fisted rockabilly, and "Tea for One" is one of the worst songs I've ever heard in my life. It's a nine-minute blues so similar to "Since I've Been Loving You" (only with guitars replacing the organ and without the big emotional release), that it might as well be a remix. Plant's lyrics are cliched as ever, and Page's lengthy solo is just him taking a bunch of trite blues licks and stringing them together. No good.
   No, the best songs on this album are "Achilles Last Stand" and "Nobody's Fault but Mine." On "Achilles," Page goes insane with the guitar overdubs, letting loose a career's worth of brilliant riffs in ten minutes. It's got time signature changes, guitar solos, galloping bass parts, and sections where the band morphs into a jackhammer. "Nobody's Fault But Mine," meanwhile, is a Blind Willie Johnson blues that lets Page and Plant show off their skills on guitar and harmonica, respectively. But the real appeal of the tune is in the pauses. which make the heavy parts of the song sound even heavier.
   The remaining three songs I could do without. There's some interesting guitar stuff on both "For Your Life" and "Royal Orleans" (both concerning the group's assorted misadventures with decadence), and I appreciate how they kinda change things up on "Orleans" with odd drumming, but neither of them are impressive. I would hesitate to even call them "good." Mediocre, maybe. I actually kind of like "Hots on for Nowhere." It's moderately funky, and has a catchy nonsense chorus. But it's by no means great.
   So there you have it. "Achilles" and "Nobody's Fault" rule, "Tea for One" and "Candy Store Rock" suck, and the rest is in the middle. I can't think of any reason to buy it, seeing that both the great songs always make it onto compilations. And did you know "Candy Store Rock" was released as a single? Yikes...

5 comments about Power Windows.

1. I used to own this CD but sold it. I really didn't listen to it any more. Then, recently, I got back into Rush after seeing the Snakes and Arrows tour, and it inspired me to fill out my Rush CD collection. Actually this CD is a lot better than I remember it to be. Of course, it is VERY synth heavy, a product of the time. If you can get past that, it's very enjoyable.



2. Rush was already perfect before they took on Signals and wenth synthesizer on us. I mean, you look at Xanadu or 2112 and you know you're dealing with something god-like here. Then 1982 comes around and we hear New World Man and Subdivisions. And I'm like ---whoah--- can they be stopped. Alex has unbelievable skill with his arsanal of stringed instruments. Geddy is one of the best bass players to grace our planet. Neil Peart is the DEFINITIVE drummer; the greatest person to bang on a drum EVER. Ok, so you have all that, then we get catchy synths along with it? It's PERFECT. Power Windows was the peak of this 'synth era' and every song's a winner. Rush is the 3rd greatest band on earth, (1st - Iron Maiden, 2nd - Judas Priest) and this just further proves it in a cooler way. YEA!



3. Absolutely one of my favorite Rush records and I have been a fan from the beginning. Great lyrics, songwriting and musicianship (as always). Judge this record on its own merit. Highly recommended.



4. It was on this tour that I saw the highly gifted trio. This album continues to deliver even so many years later. If you ever questioned if this was a good album, stop questioning and know that it is.



5. Yes, the synth-heavy era is Rush's most forgettable, but not merely for the synths themselves. They also seemed to substitute electronics for creative songwriting. Power Windows is rock bottom in Rush's lost creativity curve. "Big Money" is a good song, but the rest are forgettable.
   
   Maybe Rush even agrees themselves, as they rarely play anything off Power Windows on tour anymore. (Only "Big Money" & "Mystic" have been played since 1990, and then only one tour each -- and this in the days with 3-hour sets and lots of B-side songs being played from other 80's-era albums.) Geddy has said he likes it, but the other two may not. Maybe they do, I don't know; but they don't play it anymore.
   
   Either way, Power Windows is not particularly memorable.