2 comments about Queen Rock Montreal.

1. I've listened to the Rock Montreal concert quite a few times now. I've noticed that they've cleaned up a few mistakes from the WWRY DTS version. Like the sour guitar note in Somebody to love during the "work till' I ache my bones" part, along with a couple of other odd sounds. Also, the video seems to match the sound this time around(two nights were shot for this recording and often one video was substituted for the others sound and vice versa creating sync issues). I also noticed the overall mix on Rock Montreal has less midrange than the prior WWRY and sounds slightly more clean and less angry/raw which is a good and bad thing. It definitely sounds cleaned up though.
   
   However certain things didn't sound as good, like the "thunderstorm intro". I always used to stick the prior WWRY disc in to show off my sound system to friends, and the new version lacks the intensity of the sound of the prior release. It sounds so much more intense on the WWRY DTS version because that mix cleverly makes much more use of the rear surrounds which create this *big* atmosphere/ambiance for the bands grand entrance. Instead, they chose to mix the crowd noise in the rear surrounds. Try to A/B both disc if you have them and you will see what I mean. I guess this was done to be more realistic from a concert seat standpoint(band- front speakers, crowd- rear speakers). I should mention that the sequences done with delay(or echo) do make use of the surrounds.
   
   I believe the drums are mixed a little bit louder on the newer release and they sound very good. The guitar is low at points like on the lead on the fast version of WWRY, but the fading of the guitar volume up and down found on the prior release seems more cleaned up on Rock Montreal. Less of a swishing sound.
   
   I liked the commentary by Roger and Brian as well. It's not overly entertaining, but it's quite informative at times. Queen fans will enjoy it, but the average person would probably find it boring due to a few gaps in commentary.
   
   This probably is my favorite live Queen dvd release though, especially since it lack the snyths found on the later releases, and doesn't have any additional players. I think more could have been done with the surround mix, but this is probably the best one out right now. If your looking to buy your first live Queen dvd, this one is probably the best. If you have the WWRY DTS, this isn't all that different and might want to rent it first. If you have the original VHS or DVD(not DTS), you will enjoy this one much more. Plus this one has the bonuses of Brian/Roger commentary which is not found on DTS. The DTS version has commentary by Saul Swimmer who directed the original film.
   
   I rented this first since I already own the WWRY DTS, but the bonus Brian/Roger commentary along with the cleaned up audio make this one worth buying.
   
   Keep in mind, there is also a Queen Rock Montreal DVD which also contains the bonus of the band's '85 Live Aid performance for about $4 more. Worth it considering for the show they put on.



2. Queen is easily one of the most well known groups in the history of rock & roll. Their songs "Another One Bites The Dust," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are Champions" are stadium classics. Eagle Vision has released a 95 minute Queen DVD titled "Queen Rock Montreal."
   
   Fans of Queen may know that the group now tours with Paul Rodgers. This DVD features Queen with their original lead singer the late Freddie Mercury. The concert was filmed over two nights back in 1981. Queen was at the height of their early 80's success when they packed the house with over 18,000 fans.
   
   The concert film was originally titled "We Will Rock You," when it was released in the United States back in 1984. Now titled, "Queen Rock Montreal," this concert film will make a great addition to one's Queen collection.
   
   Songs performed include "We Will Rock You," "Under Pressure," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "Another One Bites The Dust," and "We Are Champions" among other classic Queen songs. Bonus features include a brand new audio commentary with Brian May and Roger Taylor.
   
   This release does not include Queen's Live Aid performance. The Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid is a separate release.

5 comments about VH1 Classic Metal Mania: Stripped.

1. ....I really liked a lot of the songs on here in their acoustic form. This album definitely brought back memories of my childhood. I would never listen to the original version of these songs now as they are probably too loud for an old guy like me. I will say, however, that in their acoustic form, I liked a lot of these songs and, as I said they brough back a lot of memories. It was also fun to share some of these old songs with friends I grew up with.
   
   Matt Zarnstorff



2. First, the positive review of what I have heard from my new CD. They picked a great list of songs. "Silent Lucidity" is my favorite because Geoff Tate can sing absolutely ANYTHING, no matter what! And it's about time that "Ballad of Jayne" by L.A. Guns was properly put where it belongs, and not ignored. From the many awesome Great White ballads, they picked the best.
   
   Ok, now for the criticism. Night Ranger and Alias should not have even been selected for this CD. And "The Way It Is" by Tesla was the absolute wrong song to add. "Love Song" was the most popular ballad by them, and it should have been on this CD. I was highly disappointed with that choice. "When the Children Cry" was not even sung in tune with the original at all. I didnt even know what song it was until the chorus.
   
   But overall, I was happy with this CD and would suggest it to all the power ballad lovers out there.



3. This is not metal, it's old school rock and roll. Yes, it's all good music by very talented artists, but it is NOT Metal. It's not even heavy ROCK for pity's sake, yes, it's sappy ballads...



4. I really like this album...but another reviewer has it right, it's simply another metal ballads compiliation...albeit a VERY good one. Each song is a really inspired take on the original, some in intimate performance settings, others apparently in studio. The only song that didn't impress me much was Extreme's "More Than Words", but being an accoustic song to begin with, all they could really do is an a cappella version...which didn't impress me much.
   If you are a child of the 80's hair-band, metal, and stoner music era, this is an album you will likely enjoy. It's ill-thought out sequel is *NOT* on my suggested disc list, so be thorough in your pre-purchase consideration.
   As a hobbyist guitar player, I really enjoy hearing the different takes on these songs. Definitely on my favorites list!



5. Some don't like metal associated with 80's hair rock power ballads, hey whatever. Very good acoustic performances give a new life to classics from the past. VH1 might have considered a more definitive title for this collection though.

5 comments about John Kay & Steppenwolf - Live in Louisville.

1. Just received this DVD and overall, I'm real impressed with the concert. I'm a 'Wolf fan from the 60s, and while this incarnation isn't the original lineup, the band is very tight and they stay true to the original arrangements. The only puzzling thing is that the bass player isn't on-stage anywhere, and I hope that they didn't use pre-recorded tape for the bass parts.
   
   Snowblind Friend, Monster, and The Pusher are still my favorite 'Wolf tunes and they do them justice in a big way in this concert.



2. LOVE LOVE LOVE Steppenwolf and the DVD, but then I'm in it so of course I'd love it...no seriously I am in it, but it is an awesome DVD without me in it....



3. It brought back alot of good memories. Real good times. They even sound better. I would recommend this to other fans. I watch it over and over.
   Even my kids thought they were great, and that is speaking of a different erra.
   Thanks Jerry Znamirowski



4. A real goodie for those who crave some Howling! John Kay is the leader of this pack, and in my opinion a powerful performer. Naturally Monster,
   Magic Carpet Ride and Born to be Wild are expected to be rockin and they are, but the added perk is that the other selections are equally delicious. I may be charmed by this Wolf in hunks clothing, but it makes for a nice visual along with sounds that take you back to the days when carpet rides were truly carefree.
   
   Sad that this year is the bands farewell tour.



5. I just don't see how John Kay does it. He has as much enthusiasm today as a 60 plus year old man as any 20 year old artist I have ever seen out on the concert circuit, with the possible exception of Dave Mason. Steppenwolf is not just out there resting on past glory either, they play their collective butts off. So if you get a chance to go and see them Live, do yourself a huge favor and go watch them.
   
   I am very impressed with the sound quality of this DVD and I watch this concert at least once a week. So, buy it, watch it, enjoy it.
   
   Long Live Rock and Roll!!!
   
   And as Dave Mason so perfectly stated, Rock and Roll is an Attitude not an Age!

5 comments about Unbreakable.

1. This CD is another SCORPIONS release that I long awaited to hear and was uplifted and proud of the band for writing and recording more songs that hit home (and Billboard Charts). Suffice to say, I love the CD and it's inspiring title. They keep their signature sound and style in tact, notwithstanding new band members.



2. For the Scorpions, this release was a back to what got us where we are now release. Their was no more screwing around with their sound here.
   This my friends was the band returning to what they do best.
   
   What we have here is a good, solid, hard rock release. The trade mark Scorpions sound is back in all it's glory here. Every song is well structured and the result is a welcome return to past glory.
   
   They may never be as big as they were in their heyday in the 80's, but they have managed to progress nicely without losing what they are about. Eye to Eye was a bit off the beaten track, but they realised that and fixed it with this release.
   
   Check it out!



3. I have been a Scorpions fan for a long time, I loved their 70's and 80's stuff, as well as 90-93 era. I was not much into the last two albums, "Pure Instinct" and "Eye II Eye", however.
   This record is so much stronger than the last two, way better written, harder tracks, better drumming, much better guitar work, and overall actually delivers what was promised by the band - awesome Hard Rock. "Deep and Dark" is an amazing, stand out track that sounds so much like the classic Scorpions. The opening track, "New Generation", is great as well. Songs like "My City My Town" and "Remember The Good Times" are amazingly well written in the lyrical sense and will almost make you cry. "Through My Eyes" is another classic that sounds like it was supposed to be on "Crazy World".
   It is truly sad that these guys worked their hearts out on this record (and you can really hear it) but still won't get any radio play because of today's pathetic music scene. I recommend this record to all true Scorpions fans.



4. THE BAND: Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (guitars), Matthias Jabs (guitars, voicebox), Pawel Maciwoda (bass), James Kottak (drums & percussion).
   
   THE DISC: (2004) 13 tracks clocking in at approximately 56 minutes. Included with the disc is a 14-page heavy duty paper booklet containing song titles/credits/times, song lyrics, several black & white band photos, and thank you's. The disc is enhanced for your PC - featuring 3 short snippets you can click on for a photo gallery, video message from band members, and Scorpions biography. Recorded at Peppermint Park Studios, Hannover, Germany. Label - Sanctuary Records.
   
   COMMENTS: If you've been following the Scorpions since the late 70's as I have, you probably passed at first on "Unbreakable" thinking it was another average (or worse) release. You'd be correct in your thinking that the Scorpions of old were long gone - with good reason... the 1990's were not kind to the band - going from bad to worse with "Face The Heat" (1993), "Pure Instinct" (1996), and the danceable "Eye II Eye" (1999). However, "Unbreakable", with its shiny metallic cover, was a pleasant surprise. A solid return to form for the Scorpions of old. I liken this Scorpions revival to that of Kiss' comeback after the dismal "Unmasked" and "Music From The Elder" and then unleashing the very heavy "Creatures Of The Night" (1982). "Unbreakable" features an ageless Klause Meine on vocals. He still sounds fresh after 30+ years (there's no hint of vocal chord damage/surgery from the early 80's). Schenker and Jabs can still rip it up on guitar. Per the the video message from the enhanced portion of the disc, this was recorded 'live' in the studio with everyone playing together. Some heavy songs here... with a fantastic opening 1-2 punch ("New Generation" and "Love 'Em Or Leave 'Em") that I haven't heard since "Blackout" (the songs "Blackout" and "Can't Live Without You"). Heavy - with melody. "New Genreration" is my absolute favorite song of theirs over the past decade. It tells an uplifting yet dark story of wartime with the leaders looking to the youth for answers... all in George Orwell-esque fashion (it really sets the tone for the entire album). Other rocking highlights include "Blood Too Hot", "Someday Is Now", "Borderline" and "Can You Feel It". The Scorpions tone it down on 3 softer songs with "Through My Eyes", "She Said", and a piano ballad "Maybe I Maybe You" (with the band joining in for a great ending)... all being well-crafted light FM songs destined for heavy use in elevators and dentist's offices. Easily, this is the Scorpions best studio album since "Savage Amusement" (1988) and "Crazy World" (1990). Many of the songs here would fit in nicely with their 80's material. This album blew me away because I was totally NOT expecting it to rock my socks off. A modern classic by some old-school rockers (4.5 stars).



5. Wow! I didn't think the scorpions had an album like this in them, anymore. Best way I can describe the music is a cross between Savage Amusement and Blackout. One or two songs are ho-hum boring, but the rest are really quite good. A bit more of a modern sound, but the songwriting is reminiscent of the middle of their career. (post uli roth, pre-Crazy World.) Definitely recommend checking it out.

5 comments about Winds of Change.

1. The most important fact about this 1983 release is that Grace Slick is back with JS and not taking a subordinate position within the band as she did with 1981's Modern Times. She is front and center here whether singing by herself or singing with Mickey Thomas.
   
   This came out in late 1982 (last year of high school for me) I thought this was an exceptionally good recording for the time. Truthfully this recording had me pretty riled up. We weren't hearing energized English new wave or punk back then and I always hated the raunchy male-led hardcore bands like AC/DC and there weren't any hard rock female bands who had the powerful quality sound and signature voice of Grace Slick in my opinion. Too many of them were popular for their looks and not for their singing at the time and I didn't respect them or think they were genuine rockers like I knew Grace Slick was.
   
   "Black Window" was my favorite because of the hard guitar and Grace Slick's powerful singing.
   
   This came out when disco (or dance music) was long dead and the New Wave invasion was still at least 6 months away from taking over and there wasn't much good rock music being played on radio at the time, even though now I'd gladly take what was being played on the radio back in 1982 in exchange for the juvenile, no-musical-ability idiocy being marketed now as being made by "serious artists." If they weren't so gross they'd be funny. I now know there was some great underground dance music and new wave music made at the time but radio refused to play it.
   
   Anyway, some of the local radio stations did advertise that they had an hour- long Jefferson Starship special to air on the radio back in late 1982 and I heard this Jefferson Starship radio special one night on the car radio, and after hearing this radio special I couldn't get to the record store soon enough to buy Winds Of Change. I was knocked out by lots of these songs at the time. My favorites were "Black Widow" and "Can't Find Love" which were played on the official radio specials but never simply as a staple on a radio station's playlist.
   
   I did hear Winds Of Change & "Be My Lady" played on the radio a little bit and also on half hour TV shows which were showing music videos which weren't too well made yet the "Winds Of Change" video was a good one. MTV was not prevalent yet. For some reason radio wouldn't play the rock of Jefferson Starship during the late 1970s or early 1980s and that wasn't right because they made some great music and too many new breeds at the time (like me at the time) didn't get exposed to their music. Rock stations had a serious bias against these rockers and also against Grace Slick because her 1981 solo release Welcome to the Wrecking Ball had some awesome hard rock songs on it.
   
   More than 25 years later I still like this cd but for some reason I don't think all of the band members were taking themselves seriously when marketing this music just before MTV became a huge force to promote music. Instead of producing serious videos for hardcore songs like "Black Widow" they seem to just be joking around during the video concert made for this recording as if the concert footage was something to be aired between Saturday afternoon wresting shows or something. This was a bad mistake and they should have made glam videos instead. They were regrettably not taking themselves serious enough with the video marketing of this music. I love the dreamy, spaced-out sounds contained within these songs but I think Jefferson Starship would have been better off with an image that resembled medieval glam like lots of the later hair bands sported while still keeping their signature spaced-out, dream-like, arena rock sound many of their songs have. I also now think 8 songs was too few and there should have been 9 or 10 songs on this cd.
   
   These songs bring back the some good memories of the shiftless times after high school and before becoming tied to adult commitments. I always thought Grace Slick was a powerhouse rocker not properly acknowledged during the early 1980s simply because she was not a young vixon .
   
   I have to admit the New Wave invasion which was everywhere by the spring of 1983 brought new life to the sorry state music was in during the early 1980s and I think the new wave invasion (thankfully in most cases) knocked a lot of older bands down. My personal observation was that this great JS music had completely disappeared a mere 8 months after its Oct. 1982 release date except for on a few jukeboxes. Nonetheless, this release didn't get enough airplay because of rock and pop radio's bias against Jefferson Starship and not the new wave invasion. Radio played the well-connected billy joel's "Uptown Girl" a billion times back then but too few got to hear this quality music.
   
   Fortunately in 1984 Jefferson Starship released another recording and I got to see them live for the first time back in 1984 in Hampton, Virgina. I think they did their best commercially one year later in 1985 with another album. Unfortunately, I never got to see them live again. Grace Slick is the true queen of rock even though Classic Vh1 would try to get you to think otherwise.



2. The answer to that question is Yes! This sound far superior the the original RCA release. If you are a fan of Jefferson Starship it is the definitive version of the CD. The packaging replicates the original album which is very cool. Great music plus great sound equals a buy!



3. I have long been a fan of Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship. This album definitely wasn't their most famous but the song Winds of Change gets to me everytime. Grace Slick sounded so fresh and alive on this track. I have found the title song on only one greatest hits compilation and it was a new recording done without Grace Slick. If you are looking for the Grace Slick version, be careful. This album has the "real" version.



4. Jefferson Starship had started out as Jefferson Airplane back in the 60's. The Starship had gone through numerous personnel changes by the time this album came out in 1982. Paul Kantner was still the mainstay of the band and Grace Slick had come back to the fold after leaving for one album. A lot of people wrote off the late 70's early 80's version of Jefferson Starship as AOR wimps, but I always enjoyed a lot of what they did. In fact, for me the album "Freedom At Point Zero" was one of my favorite discs of the late 70's. (I still need to get that on CD one of these days). "Winds Of Change" was the 3rd album to feature former Elvin Bishop vocalist Mickey Thomas and was the 2nd after the return of Grace Slick. The album featured the big AOR hit "Can't Find Love" along with two other songs that received some AOR airplay "Winds Of Change" and Slick's "Black Widow". I don't think it is the best Mickey Thomas era Jefferson Starship album, but I would probably put it at number 2. Guitarist Craig Chaquico really shines on this one. There is a lot of metal oriented material here and Chaquico gets the chance to show off probably more than on any other J.S. album. Thomas, Slick and Kantner all share lead vocal duties often singing as duets or all together. It is a sound that works for the most part. Kantner's "I Came Back From The Jaws Of The Dragon" sounds the most like the 70's version of the band and is the longest track on the disc. The lyrics are about Kantner's survival from a cerebral hemorrhage that had happened prior to this album's release. Overall I like this album a lot. It is not quite as good as "Freedom At Point Zero", but it is worth checking out if you liked the AOR / Metal version of Jefferson Starship.



5. This, the 7th Jefferson Starship album, was the third to feature Mickey Thomas as the band's male lead vocalist. On this one, Grace Slick returned full time as co-lead singer and occasional lyricist. However, this album sounds significantly different than its two predecessors, the excellent "Freedom at Point Zero" and the somewhat weaker "Modern Times".
   
   On "Freedom..", besides Thomas, the other key factor in the group's rejuvenation was the work of producer Ron Nevison. He provided a polished, forceful production sheen which complimented the group's sci-fi/fantasy lyrical visions and the powerhouse musicianship. "Modern Times" took a dip in the songwriting, but Nevison was able to compensate somewhat. On "Winds of Change", the band turned to Kevin Beamish, instead, who had produced REO Speedwagon's cheesey megasmash "Hi Infidelity."
   
   The result is what one might expect. Beamish gives the group a more compressed sound which takes the edge off of the guitars and totally eviscerates Aynsley Dunbar's drums. Add to that the fact that Thomas's ultra high voice sounds a lot like Keven Cronin's to the untrained ear, and you've got an album that is indistinguinshable from REO in many places. Lead guitarist Craig Chaquico's two rockers, "Can't Find Love" and "Keep on Dreaming" and bassist/keyboardist Pete Sears' wimpy waltz "Be My Lady" (single #1) sound like weak "Hi Infidelity" outtakes. Sears' rocker "Quit Wasting Time" has a little bit more character, but only because Slick sings it as a duet with Thomas.
   
   Still,all is not lost. The songwriting is more varied than on the previous two albums, which makes for more interesting moments elsewhere. Slick contributes some lyrics and the lead vocals to Chaquico's "Black Widow". It does sound like a reject from her heavy metal solo album "Welcome to the Wrecking Ball", but it did prove to be the best track in live performance. Sears' "I Will Stay" has a beautiful gospel melody and arrangement, perfect for Thomas's Southern rock background.
   The title track is remniscent of the Moody Blues, with a swirling keyboard intro and cosmic lyrics sung forcefully by Thomas and Slick.
   An odd choice for a second single, though. Finally, the decreasing profile of group founder/rhythm guitarist Paul Kantner is telling, but he contributes the two best songs on the album.His one lead vocal is on "I Came Back From the Jaws of the Dragon" (referring to surviving a cerebral hemorrhage), a passionate, anti-government folk rocker that recalls his Jefferson Airplane rabble rousing days. Finally, he co-writes with Slick "Out of Control", a catchy but crazy New Wave pounder in which Slick sings insanely about the madness of the world. Weird and wild, a welcome break from the generic sound of much of the album.
   
   I'd like to see a remix of the album, removing Beamish's murky production influence. As it is, the album is undermined by its sound to a certain extent and is the least essential of the four JS/Thomas albums. Try "Freedom at Point Zero" first, and move on from there if that one grabs you.

5 comments about Bananas.

1. Ok I love Deep Purple if you're talking about classic Purple 60s, 70s and 80s but this is just embarrasing. I went out and bought this hearing all the great reviews about it. People ranked it with classics such as Machine Head so I caved in and bought it. Once I opened the package I saw the band members names and the only original member left was Ian Paice. I didn't realize that John Lord had left. But I played the cd anyway. I have listened to it and the songs are just cheesy and bland and not very Purpleish. I mean if Blackmore was still in the band there is no way he would have let them call an album Bananas but this album sounds exactly like Bananas. The lyrics are bad and the music is terrible. I won't even bother to go by a track by track review because there is nothing on here worth mentioning. Deep Purple really need to hang it up. They get much worse on their next album Rapture Of The Deep. If you're a huge Purple fan and have not heard this then my advice to you is Don't. You will wish you never had. Stick with the great albums, In Rock, Machine Head, Fireball, Burn, Perfect Strangers and hell I eben liked House Of Blue Light. This cd is pure garbage.



2. Deep Purple has had some high moments in their career, followed by peaks and valleys in between. The classic Machine Head was their first truly great album followed by Made in Japan the following year which became one of the best live classic albums of all time. But fueding between band members constantly causing line up changes and members leaving and coming back into the band split them up at their commercial PEAK! But they came back with David Coverdale for the FABULOUS Burn album and Deep Purple's second high level was reached. Nobody would have ever expected Perfect Strangers to bring the band back fully commercially, but Purple hit their third peak in the 90's and unfortunatly, internal conflicts caused them to split yet again. By the 2000's, the commercial and hit making days of a hard Metal group like Deep Purple were OVER. But that didnt stop them from putting out Bananas, the FOURTH peak of their career and what an album this is! It should have been the followup to Perfect Strangers and had it been, it would have surely went Gold or Platinum and yielded hit singles on the charts! The songs are so catchy here and the musicianship is outstanding! There isnt hardly a bad songs on the entire album. It easily blows away anything Deep Purple did from House Of The Blue Light on! Part of the style reminds one of their earlier albums, with the vocals of Gillan a bit more refined and the guitar style different with Morse being on board. But the album is no less than suberb anyway. Great drum work, guitar solos, signature organ, and most of all to go with it EXCELLENT songs musically! Who knows if Purple will ever reach another peak like this, but for me I am still enjoying this one! Awesome!



3. Like most people, I was surprised Deep Purple were going to call their new album "Bananas". That has to be the funniest name of an album for a hard rock band of all time!
   
   Luckily, the quality of the music is up to par with what we've come to expect from the band, so it's quite okay to call the album whatever the heck ya want!
   
   Of course, I can't honestly say the songwriting and the raw energetic power that made Deep Purple so popular and influential in the 70's has returned to full force. No WAY mister! Many of the tunes fall victim of being generic mid tempo hard rock, and while that's not really a bad thing, it's certainly not why we remember the band all these years later.
   
   Every so often the album will throw in some neat guitar tricks and other unordinary musical ideas (slightly unordinary I mean). But it's really not anywhere near the level that classic Deep Purple can offer for enjoyment. Pick up a mid 70's live album to see what the band can really deliver to the world of heavy rock.



4. Very good album from Deep Purple. Amazing to see how good they still are.
   I won't comment every songs, simply said, they are all very good.
   A very good cd from the first to the last drops ! Recommanded.



5. This is relly a great cd. It is definatly the best of the post blackmore era purple,They really show there versatility and don't just rest on there name for this cd.I have almost all of there albums and this one stands right up there with some of the classic purple albums.I thought there better days were behind them but maybe not , You can tell Gillian is getting older but he can still outsing most of todays vocalists KEEP ON SPACE TRUCKIN

5 comments about Queen on Fire: Live at the Bowl.

1. For most die-hard Queen fans this CD & DVD is a must have. Unfortunately for the rest, it's a take it or leave it proposition. First the sound quality is excellent. Same for the DVD visual. The band sounds great and enthusiastic. The set list is less than to be desired though. They were promoting one of their weakest albums "Hot Space" I must give credit though. The songs from that album sound much better live than their studio counterparts.
   There are some great performances "Save me", Fat bottom girls", "Play the game" & "Under pressure"
   Don't know why they keep insisting on adding yet another extended Brian May guitar solo? That part really gets boring fast.
   Over all it's a good live CD & DVD, but for the causal Queen fan, I recommend either "Live killers" or "Rocks Montreal" Better song lists.



2. In November of 2004, Queen released its fourth live album Queen On Fire Live at the Bowl.
   This live recording and its off-shoot DVD was recorded and filmed at The Milton Keynes Bowl outside London, England on June 5, 1982.
   Not officially released on video or CD, Queen On Fire Live At The Bowl marked the first time a recording of this concert has been LEGITIMATELY available to own as a 70 or 80 minute edit had been available on the bootleg recording circuit.
   Audio producers Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson returned to the original 24 track analog tapes recorded by 80s Queen co-producer Mack and Mick McKenna with The Rolling Stones Mobile Truck and created brand new regular stereo (for this CD and one of the two DVD mixes)) and DTS 5.1 surround sound mixes (found on the DVD).
   We kick off as the band hits the stage with the entrance music of Flash before the band dives into a spirited version of The Hero. Next is a killer We Will Rock You (fast version) complete with Brian May popping a guitar string and the music was left alone. Next is Action This Daywith drummer Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury duetting on this rocker and John Deacon adding some bass which was muted on the studio recording and Brian playing his Red Special backup as his Red Special had to get a new string and Morgan Fisher did a great synthesizer solo substituting for the saxophone solo. Then Freddie does a nice piano intro which goes into an excellent Play the Game. Next is another Hot Space track Staying Power which is transformed into a rocker with Deaky and May playing guitars plus Roger bashing live drums and Freddie being on fire here. Next is arguably this live set's best track Somebody To Love which buries its studio counterpart by a longshot. Next is Now I'm Here which is excellent with a Freddie/audience vocal duel before segueing into Dragon Attack which rocks although Brian blew yet another string on his Red Special guitar and had to use his Red Special back up for the finale solo and the reprise to Now I'm Here. Next is a nice version of Love of My Life with Brian playing an impromptu teaser of Las Palabras De Amor before starting the track. Save Me is next and is done with more power than the studio counterpart. Deaky's Back Chat ends the first CD as the funk track is turned into a full-on rocker with Roger playing the drums like a man possessed, Brian's guitar dominating, John playing his Music Man Stingray bass and Freddie singing his heart out.
   The second CD begins with Get Down Make Love which is a great short version which then segues from its middle section into Brian's Guitar Solo which is amazing despite the fact his guitar cord came undone (you can see this on DVD unedited) and Brian finishes with some help from Roger's drumming. Roger does an uncredited 30 second Drum Solo at the end of the guitar solo track as a lead in to Under Pressure which is an excellent version of the track. Next is Fat Bottomed Girls which rocks and Freddie's voice was electronically fixed on the part where he says LOCALITY which his voice cracked on the original Milton Keynes BBC airing. We then have a rocking Crazy Little Thing Called Love which is great. Then we have Freddie play a nice piano solo leading into possibly the best live version of Bohemian Rhapsody ever. We then rock out with the set closing Tie Your Mother Down which rocks. The first encore of Another One Bites the Dust is a great spirited version. Sheer Heart Attack follows and is more aggresive than either the News of the World version or the Live Killers version. We then have the second encore of the traditional We Will Rock You with audience participating and a stellar We Are the Champions. We then have the band say farewell as God Save the Queen plays over the PA.
   Despite the fact this album didn't chart upon its late 2004 release here in the States, this live album is a FANTASTIC snapshot of Queen reigning their natural habitat, the concert stage and is one of my favorite live albums EVER!
   HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!



3. This is excellent. This is real offical Queen stuff by Roger and Brian. To me that says it all. It has the best version of Play the Game I have ever seen. Somebody to Love is great too. The quality here is unbelievable. It would be awfully hard to be disappointed with this one in my opinion. This just may be Freddie Mercury's finest hour, well one of many. Long live Queen!!!!



4. Compre este Cd y para que suena bien y la voz de mercury impecable yo recomiendo a los fanáticos de Queen que compren este disco doble es de coelcción



5. It's a great CD, but make sure to pick up the DVD. One of the best ever.

5 comments about Synchronistic Wanderings.

1. I own both "Synchronistic Wanderings" and "Pat Benatar Greatest Hits", and I must say "Synchronistic Wanderings" does a much better job of covering her career. If you're unsure of which to get, go with this more inclusive collection. For only a few more dollars you can get this collection (used), but you get two extra CD's worth of material, including rarities and tracks from her 90's albums "True Love" and "Gravity's Rainbow", not to mention a biographical booklet with commentary by Pat and Neil (her husband/guitarist).
   
   Also, some of the tracks from her "Greatest Hits" album have been shortened by a few seconds to fit as many songs as possible into one CD. It's only a minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless. On this collection all the songs are their original length.
   
   "Synchronistic Wanderings" is a great collection, by one of the greatest rock singers of our time.



2. Pat Benatar is, in my mind, the greatest female rock singer of all time. She had an amazing voice, was incredibly sexy, and made some great music. Up until now, my only introduction to her was the single disc "Greatest Hits" album released this past June. It had some amazing stuff on it. But I wanted more.
   
   So, I went searching through Amazon, and I found the three disc boxed set "Synchronistic Wanderings". I saw it and went, "I got to get this". And when I saw how cheap it was, I said, "I have to get this now.
   
   Well today, I finally found it. I popped it into my cd player. My thoughts? Read on for the practically inevitable positives and negatives.
   
   Positives:
   -Three discs filled with nothing but Pat! What more can you ask for? This cd has all the big hits, including "Heartbreak", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Hell Is For Children", "Shadows Of The Night", "Love Is A Battlefield", "We Belong" and "Invincible" are all included.
   -Many underrated album cuts and rarities are incuded as well, including b - sides, demos and live performances.
   -Fantastic liner notes.
   -Great remastering job.
   -No edits! All songs are in their original length.
   -This set is CHEAP! I thought I had to shell out a good sixty or seventy dollars for it, but I got it for less than forty bucks. That is one offer you should not pass up.
   
   Negatives:
   -While the remastering job is great overall, there are one or two songs that sound a little flat, namely "Ooh Ooh Song" and "Invincible. But other than that, everything sounds great.
   
   Overall, this is the best Pat Benatar compilation on the market. If you're a casual or beginning fan, than this is the collection to own.



3. Disk two and three are the best, after Pat and Neil had a chance to mature. (Steven Stolder, don't give up your day job.) Bolth ear candy and social commentary. can't get enough!! Best song is the Freeking Rocking All Fired Up.



4. For my money this box set lacks nothing. In terms of extras, the demo versions and b-sides are very cool. My personal favorite inclusion is the song "Shooting Star" from the Harry Chapin Tribute. If you saw the concert on PBS, it was a moving night to begin with- and when she first appeared she seemed almost out of place with the folksy stars like Judy Collins and CSN. Then she belted out this tune and turned the theater upside down. Probably my personal highlight of the show and I'm thrilled to have a copy on something other than an old VHS tape. Well worth the relatively inexpensive box-set-price.



5. This is a 3 CD anthology covering 1979-1999. Everything that I like and dislike about Benatar is here. The early rock stuff sometimes makes me cringe with Neil Giraldo's simplistic but bombastic '80s power chords. Benatar has a great voice but never reached her potential due to working within the constraints of AOR radio...which paid off handsomely considering she had 19 top 40 hits. There are a fair amount of unreleased tracks and alternative versions here for the die hard, but what I enjoyed most were the liner notes. Every single song has very enlightening insights from Pat and Neal, who shared their feelings separate from each other, making for some very interesting contrasts. It's great from a music standpoint as it explains why they left some things in (that's John Lee Hooker laughing at the beginning of Rise) and what they were trying to accomplish with other things, what songs they still love and others that they can't stand anymore. Reading along also allows you to really feel what they have gone through the last 20 years, from making artistic compromises with Chrysalis, to the birth of their kids and the highs and lows of their careers. Interesting reading and usually good listening.

5 comments about Get Nervous.

1. Pat Benatar continued her successful career into the 80's, but as a result, the decline was beginning to creep in.
   
   Side one of Get Nervous is pretty good, though. In fact, it gives me the same level of enjoyment that her previous albums did. You have the radio hit "Shadows of the Night", the exciting upbeat "Anxiety (Get Nervous") and the energetic and underrated classic "The Victim".
   
   Side two, however, is not as good. It's like the energy from Benatar's voice and the rest of the band members weren't giving it their all- some pretty weak moments can be found. "I'll Do It" doesn't belong on the album. It's a filler song for sure. "I Want Out" and "Silent Partner" are pretty good tunes, though. Mostly because of the vocal melodies which are above average, but not at the level of classic.
   
   I guess overall I get the feeling Pat Benatar was just going through the motions of being a successful pop star, and thought she could get away with releasing an album with weaker material. Either that, or the changing times of the music scene was starting to take its toll on her career. We also can't rule out the terrible production from the 80's decade overall. Something wasn't right.



2. Though this site declares this is a remastered version, the powers that be have yet to release such a thing and that's a crying shame as Get Nervous is Definitely my third favorite Benatar album of all her releases (right after the first two), for her fourth album Pat had a few new things up her leotard. Actually she dumped the leotard look all together by this time and opted for the new wave short skirts and mini dresses, she had also married her guitarist Neil Giraldo since her last album and one of her guitarists Scott Sheets left being replaced by Charlie Giardino, a keyboardist, and thus with a new found fervor, Pat released Get Nervous. From the minute you look at the awesome cover artwork you know you're in for a trip. Beginning with the lead off single "Shadows Of The Night" Pat was onto a new power pop kick, luckily while mixing up the song co-producer Neil felt the song needed something at the intro and accidentally had the vocal track playing by itself, and voila he had his beginning. Not until Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" cover did another song start acapella and actually still grab you so fiercely. From the rocking pop to a keyboard infused pseudo Motown revival in "Looking For A Stranger" Pat's voice sounds better and better with each track, the third track "Anxiety (Get Nervous)" is fuelled by a rounding guitar lick that was performed straight on for all 3 and a half minutes in the days before looping. The video is hilarious, the song is infectious and hilarious and actually quite rocking. Pat turns it down a notch (at least in the beginning) for the ballad "Fight It Out" before belting every single note she has in her little frame and then turning it up to Led Zeppelin-ish rock with one of my favs "The Victim" with Pat belting and belittling "your choice of love was never very bright/ you've got a burning desire to be the victim/ you're bleeding from the soul/ you're hurting from the heart" and then one of my all time Benatar singles "Little Too Late" with its drum rolls and keyboard infusions, it's classic 80's pop and full of that Benatar attitude I love. From here the songs go into even more of a new wavey vein with "I'll Do It" and "Tell It To Her" mixing the keyboard pop with Neil's rock guitar and Pat's anger at full throttle. Interesting to me is that her only co-write on this album is "Tell It To Her" and it's about the only time you'll find one of Pat's angst ridden songs actually talking about her lover having a girlfriend on the side. For the most part she's just usually pissed cause he doesn't treat her right or did her wrong but here she's dumping the bastage cuz he's got a chick on the side, then what was my fav Benatar song for years "I Want Out" with awesome guitar, awesome breaks and beats and Benatar full on voice. The whole thing ends with a strange little ditty "Silent Partner" that begins with a barrelling keyboard whirl before turning into a super fast paced rocker. An excellant way to end one of her most excellant albums. By the way, when i was but a wee boy, the Christmas of 1982 found under my tree was one of those black tape recorders and a brand new cassette to play in it - that's right Get Nervous. I wore that sucker out. Now I own the cassette, a few copies of the vinyl (looking for the mint edition) and on CD. Now if only Chrysalis/Capitol would remaster the sucker it'd be like Christmas 1982 all over again.



3. I ordered what I "thought" was Get Nervous Remastered and received the original cd. I don't believe this cd has been issued yet in remastered format as with "In the Heat of the Night", "Crimes of Passion" and "Precious Time". The format needs to be changed to "Original Recording Mastered".



4. Why does this listing of Get Nervous say original recording remastered when the release date still says October 25, 1990 ? There must be a misprint here - either the title should not say remastered or the album specs should be updated for the correct release date, etc.. I just purchased In the Heat of the Night, Crimes of Passion and Precious Time (finally as individually remastered albums) and the release date was April of 2006 for each of them; therefore, I would believe that if Get Nervous is TRULY REMASTERED then the release date should say April of 2006. Does anyone know anything about this ?



5. I have always loved Pat Benatar and have been a fan for over twenty years. If anyone was to ask me what album they should get if they never heard her music, it would be this one.
   
   Shadows of the Night starts the album off and it was a runaway hit for her. I played this song on my way to my girlfriend's house to pick her up for the prom. I think every Pat fan thinks of a special someone when they hear this.
   
   The album is great in that you can listen to every song without hitting that pesky FF>> button. My favoite part of the album is the second side, but now being on CD, I'm talking about tracks 7,8, and 9. I always liked how these three songs fit together as a trilogy of sorts. My favorite of the three (and the album) is 'Tell it to her'. The other two are 'I want out' and 'I'll do it'. These three tunes are about breakup and heartache, but without any sappiness. Pat proved to us all you can have your heart broken and still stand on your own two feet with defiance. I'll always thank her for that.
   
   Like I said if you're new to Pat, this is the album to get. I'd also recommend 'Crimes of Passion' and 'Precious Time'.

2 comments about The Law (Original Recording Remastered) Deluxe Edition.

1. I've always had mixed feelings about this CD, (I used to own the original CD version, and this one is only somewhat better in sound quality than the first release, and liner notes are only somewhat better, but you do get one bonus track). But I had to give it 5 stars to encourage you to buy it.
   
   This is so strange of a CD, as I'll indicate below, but to see Paul Rodgers succeed in it, in spite of all that, due to his inherent greatness (after all, I agree with a great many people who think he is the finest male vocalist in rock history), is enough reason to buy it and hold onto it, I've decided.
   
   The music is really ultra-pop, ultra-somewhat-saccharine-and-lightweight, eighties/early 90s sounding music. It is so different from any other Rodgers CD I'm familiar with, because the classic rock sound is all gone, and the hard-rock aspects (inevitable with Rodgers) are tempered back so much by the 80s sounding, pop-sounding, non-classic rock-sounding music these songs are. And, also disturbingly different from almost any other CD Paul has been associated with in his 40-year recording history, just like the non-classic rock sound, and lighter 80s sound, is the fact that only a decided minority of the songs were actually written by Paul. So I wouldn't have chosen the general musical style or the songwriting allocations on this CD.
   
   But what's amazing, is the great Paul Rodgers succeeds despite all these failings or at least changes, versus his customary records! And the production quality and sound quality of either CD in my mind, to help him in his success here, have never been in question.
   
   This is how Paul succeeds, even if many of the songs rub me the wrong way or don't do anything for me (versus the undeniable gems): he feels the music. Paul's pure rock sensibilities are still coloring the songs. He is utterly believable in singing in two songs about absence of love making one as cold as a stone ("Stone Cold" and "Stone"). Even if that is a somewhat obvious analogy, as is the beast analogy in "Laying Down the Law" and "Nature of the Beast" Rodgers delivers a realistic "taming of the beast" or "nature of the beast" line in both songs and saves those two songs from some level of corniness.
   
   But what really drew me (I haven't listened to the highly-touted-in-the-liner notes bonus song on this re-release yet, one indeed written by Paul and called "That's When You Fall In Love") is "Best Of My Love" (maybe the most highly produced song) and "Anything for You" and "Come Save Me (Julianne)". These 3 songs are perhaps unequalled in Paul's overall output in terms of all of the following, conceptually: really realistically, believeably, it could actually be happening, how-do-I-approach-my woman, what is the effort that should be put into a relationship, and just an adult leveling sense, all these takes on love and relationships.
   
   And again, although I still sensed some corniness in the "Stone" analogy in the two "Stone" songs cited above, only Paul can really make you feel, yeah, life without your lover, or a good lover, can really sometimes start to verge on making you feel "cold as a stone."
   
   So, although this CD is really out there versus most of Paul's releases (I admit I'm not overly familiar yet with his entire solo output, but I believe it is different from all those) and I just get mixed feelings about it and like a smaller percentages of the songs, versus when I listen to any other Rodgers' recording I have ever heard, how he rides this uniqueness of 80s-reminiscent style, and still hits some of these songs (including many of those not even written by him) out of the park, make me in fact have to tip my hat to The Great Voice and give this CD 5 stars.



2. I've owned this disc since it came out and it's a very underrated album that I still listen to today. I have not heard the previously unreleased song, except for the 30 second sample here, but it sounds like a good one. My favorite track on this disc is "Laying Down the Law" which is one of Rodgers' best songs since the early Bad Company days. Other standout tracks are: "Stone Cold", "For a Little Ride", "Nature of the Beast" and "Stone". There really isn't a bad song on this disc. From Free to his recent work with Queen (I am looking forward to their new studio album) Paul Rodgers is still one of the best rock, blues and soul singers and my all-time favorite.