5 comments about Road to Rouen.

1. I really enjoyed the record. I didn't even know that it existed until a few months ago, but Im glad that I came across it.
   The title track "Road to Rouen" is full of life. It's got that funky riff that would make any quiet person feel like a pornstar. Fin is the perfect way to end the album. Quiet, somewhat hushed vocals. It leaves me in peace.
   I recommend this record to people who didn't like early Supergrass stuff. It will surprise you.



2. Supergrass have never made a bad album, that's clear enough. But to me personally 'Road To Rouen' is their least satisfying (for want of a better word) one. I can't really put my finger on why and/or I'm not sure if it just the Supergrass template influencing me too much here.
   
   This is definitely not a Bad album, i mean i listened to it again just a few days ago to reacquaint myself with it and I sadly got the same feelings from it as i always have. It seems to not really go anywhere for me, seems to slow burn and nothing close to full. It has nine songs and even one of them is a bit goofy and not really a song. It just kind of made me think that if they only had eight proper songs then it may have been better to leave. Maybe.
   
   Having said all that i do really like 'Low C', it has a lovely chorus. And even the goofy song i mentioned before is fun. But not a song.
   
   If you're new to Supergrass I'd strongly suggest 'I Should Coco' or even if you have the one album by them and wanting to check out another album i'd reccomend 'Supergrass' their 3rd album (they are my two favs :)
   
   All in all Road To Rouen is good but probably their least striking album.



3. This has become my favorite Supergrass CD. It certainly has the best production values and clearly shows how the band has grown as musicians. If you only know Supergrass from "I Should Coco" (great album), you wouldn't think it's the same band. This is definitely more mellow than their previous releases, particularly St. Petersburg and Tales of Endurance, but the title track shows off a harder edge. The collection has a certain mood to it - the kind of disc to listen to on a long drive at night or a lazy Sunday afternoon at home. If you have the chance, see them live - I saw them play these songs before I got the album and they're better than ever.



4. Another solid album from the most consistant band of the last ten years.
   Supergrass doesn't disappoint on this departure from earlier work. This is the darker Supergrass a more adult band. They're not the teenagers that got caught by the fuzz anymore but they can still rock as much as any other band still together. You know its them and you know they're evolving and moving in a new direction but hey aren't we all? I'm just glad to be along for the ride and listen to some awesome music.



5. The Best Supergrass cd out there. The sound of this cd is like no other. It has a "pop" ish feel that captures attention. Amazing

5 comments about Raven (+4 Bonus Tracks).

1. This album is the Stranglers finest hour. Following the fascinating 'Black & White' which highlighted two distinct and developing sides to the Stranglers music - the lighter, faster,melody flooded White side with the darker, slower, spikier more challenging Black, this LP kind of mixed the both into a wonderful collection of intelligent songs that still entrance, intrigue and envelop you 22 years later. Gone are the naive, 'notice me' brutal lyrics of the early songs, seceded by an international theme born of tours beyond bristol, bolton and birmingham. Here each of the four players dance with and around each other in musical games - each offering different parts that somehow complement to add to a gorgeous whole on tracks like Genetix, Baroque Bordello and Ice. Many of the songs feature very strong, very intelligent opening instrumental passages that never over stay their welcome but transform into a seemingly separate song in an instant - 'shah shah a go-go' is a perfect example. The drum patterns are very inventive too and add to the layered, textured feel of a lot of the tracks. And then there is " the Raven' - the title track and 5 minutes and 12 seconds of perfection. The sectional approach to the song, the bleak romanticism of the lyrics, the interplay of keyboard and guitar, the driving bass and the final ethereal, swirling last minute of synthesizer magic evoking the flight of 'the Raven' is just breathtaking at loud volume. This is The Stranglers' masterpiece.



2. If you like the Stranglers, then you probably already own it (if not, shame on you) and it is even probably your favourite Stranglers album. It has the heaviness and kick of previous albums (gotta love their basslines), but is much more polished as they have gotten a lot more synthesizer savy on this one. This is by far my favourite Stranglers album, although everything pre-Aural Sculpture is fantastic as well.



3. THE ULTIMATE punk CATHARSIS, OUT SMART THE AART PRETENTIOUS SNOTY BRATS, WASH OUT,SURD STYLED VENTURES SPIRALS of HEAVEN FORBIID POWER POP,BEFORE IT GOT SOFT, RADICAL EXAMINATIONS INTO exe Verificationn of LUNACY, SET OF, OFF THE SHORES OF VAGRANCY,blow your snoty noises out WITH the lame in with the brain thinkin mans RATTLLES, the foundation OF before with AFTER CLEAAR, new shores toooo EXPLORE sabbertoothed SNATCHES OF THE BEST EVER SYNTHESISERS,trumphet YES ELEPHANT WAIL ala eric BRANNS guitar EFFECTS DONE percoscious,punk smart ALEXS OUT SMARTS, ALL ELSE.



4. THE ULTIMATE punk CATHARSIS, OUT SMART THE AART PRETENTIOUS SNOTY BRATS, WASH OUT,SURD STYLED VENTURES SPIRALS of HEAVEN FORBIID POWER POP,BEFORE IT GOT SOFT, RADICAL EXAMINATIONS INTO exe Verificationn of LUNACY, SET OF, OFF THE SHORES OF VAGRANCY,blow your snoty noises out WITH the lame in with the brain thinkin mans RATTLLES, the foundation OF before with AFTER CLEAAR, new shores toooo EXPLORE sabbertoothed SNATCHES OF THE BEST EVER SYNTHESISERS,trumphet YES ELEPHANT WAIL ala eric BRANNS guitar EFFECTS DONE percoscious,



5. The Stranglers always had something of a mixed reputation, both intellectual and menacing, with the latter perhaps being more appealing to their fan base, this album was the first to showcase their intellectual side. Of course in popular music intellectual refers to occasionally reading a newspaper, but in 1979 there were lots of interesting things in the papers and few other punk bands had an ex-scientist as lead singer. Musically they lowered the bass in the mix to less than speaker destroying volume and Hugh lets loose his guilty secret, he may be able to really sing. At the very least evocative of an era, there were more important things happening in 1979 than your (my) tawdry memories of teenage trysts, the album holds up well. Buy it for your children.

No comments about Smash It Up: The Anthology 1976-1987.

5 comments about Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground.

1. I'm happy to see that they included the Replacements in what appears to be a very good selection of songs. One question, however: why not include their song "Left of the Dial" (from Tim) if you're going to use their phrase anyhow?



2. The more I listen to the songs on these Cds, the more I remember and feel nostalgic about the past. I love many of these songs.I listened to KROQ, when they used to play this more less then safe music. It was an important time and many of the artists on these disks were starting up new and inovative sounds. With many of the new artist using samples of some great past music, these artists were creating something fresh. these songs have aged quite well.
   Billy



3. I'll keep this short since much of what I was going to say has already been said in other reviews. In brief, this is a nice sampler of, for lack of a better term, post-punk music heard on many college radio stations in the 1980s. This was a decade that, for whatever reasons, tends to get downplayed in regard to the quality of the music heard on the airwaves--this compilation should help dispel that notion. Like many such collections, Left of the Dial has inspired me to seek out the albums/cds that some of these songs were originally recorded on. If I have a complaint, it's that a number of these songs appear on other compilations by Rhino; my pet peeve: can't they find another song by the Hoodoo Gurus besides I Want You Back? Stoneage Romeos has any number of good tunes--c'mon guys, mix it up a little. Anyway, that aside, this is a worthwhile collection of music.



4. Having been born in mid-1984 and being only five years old when even the most recent of these tracks were released, I never knew most of this music existed. Of course, youth is no excuse for ignorance, and I've always made it a personal priority to seek out great music from before my time, from kitschy lounge sounds and dusty 78rpm relics to the Russian Romantics and honky-tonk troubadours (just so you don't go getting the idea that I'm a music snob, I've sung along to my share of cheesy disco records.)
   
   Older music, especially the rare "underground" stuff, isn't just shoved in front of you, a facet of every popular entertainment medium, bound to get stuck in your head whether you want it there or not. You've got to go LOOKING for it, as if on a hunt for an abandoned relic nobody else can guide you to. In the case of the 1980's, the problem wasn't that I didn't think to seek it out, but that I was under the false delusion that there was really nothing worth seeking. MTV and my local radio stations all lied to me, and many others of my generation. Not a big lie, but enough to shut us off from experiencing some pretty powerful music. We were led to believe the '80s were all about hair metal, pastel-clad yuppies in skinny neckties, and the "Me Generation." Well, the contents of this eye-catching pink box tells an entirely different story, one of boundless creativity, musical innovation, disgust with authority and convention, and unexplored horizons which still haven't been charted by commercial radio or experienced by mainstream audiences. This is the quirky, iconoclastic, progressive, and politically conscious music of the decade that somehow managed to evade notoriety in all but the most "clued in" of music-lovers.
   
   Sheer curiosity grabbed hold of me and forced me to buy this set as a birthday present for my younger sister. As it turned out, I ended up listening to the set far more than she did! Something about the mix of all of these seemingly unrelated styles, artists, and musical approaches struck me like a comet, and I realized just how versatile, inventive, and exciting the music of the 1980's really was, underneath all of the MTV trivialization and spin. From these four discs, I uncovered gems from artists who would soon become my idols, namely The Replacements, The Cure, The Smiths, and the incomparably brilliant Pixies. They changed my life for the very first time on this set, and I shudder to think of who or where I would be without their influence. I know the seasoned experts here decry the set's "obvious" song choices, but I would implore them to reconsider whether or not this is a bad thing. For someone like me who never heard any of these songs before "Left of the Dial," these "obvious" songs have been an absolute revelation.
   
   In closing, if you enjoy this music, have never heard it but want to, or even possess the slightest curiosity about what the "good stuff" must sound like, you owe it to yourself to hear this earth-shattering compilation. Also recommended: Nuggets, Children of Nuggets, and No Thanks! The '70s Punk Rock Rebellion.



5. This box is fantastic, amazing 80's songs!!! An interesting compilation of a lot of groups from the manignif era!!! Enjoy, probable you never will see these bands together in a box again!!! amazing!!!

5 comments about The Red Shoes.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R391LPHS6IS1E8 My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician (check me out on Amazon!) and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!!



2. Kate Bush's mature little girl's voice hasn't resonated as much in the United States as in Europe or Britain. Nonetheless, word of mouth does wonders and her music has attained an American following despite mainstream neglect and less than stellar chart positions. The general mainstream dismissal of female intellectualism in the States probably hasn't helped. Sadly, a solid combination of brains and beauty, both of which Bush possesses in droves, can be a disadvantage across the pond. She also has a propensity towards the artistic, which erupts most in her modern dance music videos. Their acute angularity prompted American producers to shoot "American friendly" versions. Some things just don't import as well as the Fab Four.
   
   By the release of "The Red Shoes" in 1993 Bush had scored a stateside hit with the tempestuous "Love and Anger." Though the new album chart-topped "The Sensual World" it nonetheless didn't make her a household name in America. Many fans, regardless of locale, consider the album one of her weaker efforts. Some critics attribute this to its trimmed down "live in the studio" feel. Supposedly Bush planned to take these songs on the road, which would have broken her "no tour since 1979" streak. She thus toned down the rocket science productions of her previous albums to facilitate live performances. Fans of her studio pyrotechnics grimaced. In the end, the tour didn't happen and "The Red Shoes" joined the ranks of Bush's impressive oeuvre with more of a thud than a splash. Over ten years would pass before her next incredible album, "Aerial."
   
   "The Red Shoes" does pale somewhat in comparison to "The Sensual World," but not much. A few of the songs sound like carry-overs from that 1989 album. Carry-overs, not outtakes; that's a big difference. "The Song of Solomon" and "You're the One" hearken the return of the amazing Trio Bulgarka. The former song's bridge provides one of the album's most moving passages. Other huge standouts include the go-with-the-flow "Rubberband Girl" (complete with 'alternate' European and American videos), the heartbreaking "Moments of Pleasure," and the obsessively danceable title track. These easily stand amongst Bush's best songs. The rest of the album ranges from great to passable, with far more emphasis on the great side of the continuum. "Constellation of the Heart" remains somewhat of a head-scratcher and "Why Should I Love You?" would sound more appropriate on a Prince album (the real Prince Rogers Nelson sat in on this one, which explains the anomaly). But, apart from a few less than extraordinary moments, "The Red Shoes" contains enough great work to satisfy any Kate Bush fan.



3. this is my favorte album of all time. maybe her other work is more musicly complex. well I'v lisened to "hounds of love" and I only liked one song "runing up that hill" I'm a incredbly verbal person and if I can not understand the lyricks I get very fustrated. I think the lyrics on "the red shoes" are magical in fact some of them are inspired by ceramoneal magic traditions and palmistry. I am wiccan and I find those images inspiering. if lyrics are irelivant to you you might want to skip this album and get another by her. of the albums I'v heard "hounds of love" and "arial" this is the most "pop" or "rock" like. alot of the songs make me want to dance.



4. I don't give it five stars only because Constellation Of The Heart, Why Should I Love You and You're The One are inexcusable pieces of garbage that i don't know why she allowed them to be in the final cut of the album! The rest of the songs are good, others are brilliant, but she had a wonderful conceptual idea explained in the title song The Red Shoes and didn't do much to make it interesting. We all know she was going through hell at the time, but it usually helps to make great, stirring, mindblowing records! Still, it becomes better with each listening (except the ones i mentioned).



5. Of all the Kate Bush albums I currently own, this is my favorite. Rubberband Girl is a fantastic tribute to trying to be adaptable to life and changes which most of us don't do well and Kate apparently would like to do a better job of as well. My next favourite on this album is Eat the Music, with it's fantastic back up and endearing lyrics that encourage you to swallow your music just like the fruit of life it truly is. My biggest disappointment on this album is Big Stripey Lie, but is truly a Kate song as it discusses the way a lie weaves in and out of reality. Personally, I am not fond of the music with Big Stripey Lie, but others may love it.
   Currently I am waking up in the morning to this album playing as my alarm clock and it encourages me on days that are grey.
   If you don't have it, or haven't been exposed to Kate, this is my number one suggestion for you to purchase.

5 comments about Phantasmagoria.

1. All I can say is that back in the day my Hard-core Punk-rocker friends tried several times to turn me on to The Damned. I resisted, as I was a Bauhaus / Joy Division style Goth Rocker and "had no need for their pound-it-out punk rock." One day about 5 of them jumped me, held me down, and put Phantasmagoria on the stereo. I was immediately impressed, and this album remains my favorite work of this '80s phenomenon known as The Damned. They are a band I always recommend, and this album in particular. Lastly, the woman on the cover, in her garb, and in that setting makes her one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.



2. The Damned did not "abandon" punk for "goth" in 1985. They had already gone beyond traditional punk rock as early as 1979 when they released Machine Gun Etiquette. The Damned were the first on many levels: The first English punk band to release a single, the first to release an album, the first to tour America, the first to break up, the first to re-form, and ONE of the first to take punk beyond it's artistic limitations, and then to brand new uncharted territories.
   
   The Damned had talent in spades. Had they been so inclined, they could have been a self-indulgent prog-rock band. However, they chose to channel their talents into having fun and reinventing themselves on each successive album release. Had the term "gothic" been used in the music industry in 1980, then I'm sure it would have been applied to that year's Black Album... even though that would have been unfair, as it was more influenced by psychedelia. I think it is also unfair to apply that term to Phantasmagoria. The fact that "gothic" music was the newest thing in 1985 has more to do with this categorization if you ask me. Most people were so quick to literally judge the album by it's cover rather than it's true nature, which to me was simply trademark Damned-pop (in other-words, uncategorizable).
   
   Phantasmagoria signaled a new era for the Damned. It was the first proper album to be released without Captain Sensible's input, for one... and it was also the first Damned album to be released on a major mainstream record label. These 2 factors have more to do with the more slick, tame sound. There are other more punked-up recordings of some of these tunes on live albums and BBC showcases (see "The Radio One Sessions"). MCA wanted something a little more "radio-friendly" here. Phantasmagoria did attract a new audience to the band though. I remember the crowd on this tour sporting a lot more black eyeliner and black lace than previous tours. Times change.
   
   Overall, this isn't a bad album... and it's just another chapter in the ever-evolving story of the Damned. The reason this band has remained my favorite band for almost a quarter of a century now is because they never let themselves get stale by making the same old albums over and over. Some albums may be better than others, but no 2 sound the same. I would say Phantasmagoria rates about a 5 on a scale of 1-10 where the Damned's catalog is concerned.
   
   If you're a hardcore Damned fan like I am, then you already know this. If you are a fan of "goth", then you may like this. If you think that the only good album the Damned ever did was "Damned Damned Damned", then you should avoid this one at all costs.



3. All right, I admit that I was behind the caboose a bit on this one--I didn't get into The Damned at all until I saw them on Young Ones, performing "Nasty" on an appropriately Halloween-esque episode where Alexei Sayle is a vampire loose around the house. Then I went nuts for the soundtrack to one of the best zombie movies of all time--The Return of the Living Dead. Aside from The Cramps and The Flesheaters, there was a great track by The Damned on there--"Dead Beat Dance."
   
   So I started looking for stuff by The Damned, but in my repressed area of existence, the only thing I was able to find was this album on cassette (makes sense now, considering that this was one of their best-selling albums of all time, and record stores in my area had little of what you might call imagination). I don't remember much in the way of details, but I knew in my fog of reminiscence that I liked the album and brought the tape along with my tapes of New York Thrash and Desperate Teenage Lovedolls: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to vomit parties. Maybe The Damned didn't get the kind of reaction I was hoping for, but hey, whatever. I do remember liking the first track a lot.
   
   This was back in the area of 1985 or 1986. Flash forward to July, 2007, when I decide, for whatever reason, to pick up this album once again. Since then, I had educated myself a lot further on The Damned and gone back into their punk roots, picked up albums, played them loud in my car, etc. Getting this album just seemed to be a way to make my Damned experience come full-circle; come back to the place where I started so that I could fully appreciate this release, which really started my Damned career.
   
   But what a disappointment to listen to. "Street of Dreams" (the first track) is still a pretty good one to listen to, though it is pretty heavily 80s-scarred. But unfortunately, this album does not pick up again until "Grimly Fiendish." "Shadow of Love" suffers from the spaghetti Western infection of goth, which got used pretty well by Fields of the Nephilim, but sounds pretty trite here. "Is It a Dream?" sounds like an attempt to get on a John Hughes soundtrack, and "Sanctum Sanctorum," which I thought was a heart-felt track back in my high school days, is pretty droll and painful for David Vanian's voice. My purchase was somewhat saved by a pretty good remix of "Grimly Fiendish," but on the whole this album reminded me that sometimes albums you let get away from you disappear for a good reason, and it might not be a good idea to hunt them down again, because sometimes reminiscence is better when you do it from afar and don't really revisit old favs.



4. I am vey happy now that I have aquired this c.d.after a long time looking elswhere.



5. This is the damned go goth. It is not entirely successful. But, it is not entirely a waste. The damned had come full circle at this point. Captain sensible had his number 1 hit and the damned seemed to be less punk visionaries then fashion victims. Phantasmagoria is less a theme than an acurate description. Where do you go from punk? What do you rebel against when the world you protested against accepts you? You become what is feared at the moment. Goth was feared backin the 80's. By radio and MTV. It was a rejection of standards if you will. So the first punk band EVER rejected those standards. They quit one album after this (at least they did before the reunion tours and the sad reunion albums) This is the second to last REAL albums from punk gods trying to be realivant. Part of it is part of it isn't. We woulnd't have goth bands at all if they had remained silent. So piss off detractors.

5 comments about Paul Weller - Modern Classics: The Greatest Hits.

1. After a shamefully long hiatus I have rediscovered the splendour of this album which has been criminally neglected. In all of his guises with the Jam, Style Council and on his tod, Woking's finest Setting Son has cemented himself in the pantheon of great British singer/songsmiths of his or any other generation. If you haven't got this CD by now then you must have had taste-bypass surgery. If Wild Wood, You Do Something To Me and...well, every other track doesn't raise the hairs on the back of your neck and float your boat, I suggest checking for a pulse. Buy it. Yesterday.



2. After a shamefully long hiatus I have rediscovered the splendour of this album which has been criminally neglected. In all of his guises with the Jam, Style Council and on his tod, Woking's finest Setting Son has cemented himself in the pantheon of great British singer/songsmiths of his or any other generation. If you haven't got this CD by now then you must have had taste-bypass surgery. If Wild Wood, You Do Something To Me and...well, every other track doesn't raise the hairs on the back of your neck and float your boat, I suggest checking for a pulse. Buy it. Yesterday.



3. I got into Paul Weller by listening to Oasis. I noticed that he played lead guitar in 'Champagne Supernova' and I also heard Noel Gallagher talking about Paul Weller, so I decided to buy this cd and see how it was. The first time I listened to the cd I loved it. It doesn't sound like Oasis, but it is very good. Some of my favorites on the cd are: Out Of The Sinking, Sunflower, You Do Something To Me, Brand New Start, Broken Stones, and the mellow Wild Wood. Now I want to go out and buy the rest of his cds! It's a shame Paul Weller isn't big here in the States. Music like this deserves to be recognized all around the world! I definitely recommend this wonderful masterpiece!



4. The only reason Weller agreed to this album was as a final get out of his contract with GO! Discs. It's not the finest example of his work (see 'As you lean into the light' on 'Heavy Soul') but there are admittedly some classic tunes. Try not jumping around to 'Changingman' or crying into your beer with 'You do something to me'. There is, however, some fairly lightweight material on this album which are by no means his best and not a clear indication of his work. This should have been called 'The Singles Collection' cos that's what it is.



5. I only really got into Paul Weller again recently, and I would say this album sums up the best of his stuff. If you have heard one or two of his songs and liked them, but are not sure which album to buy - This is the one! Songs like 'Changing Man' and 'Brushed' really stand out as epics for me, but the whole album is packed with quality stuff, you really feel like you have got your moneys worth with this man.

5 comments about Riot City Blues.

1. The negatives that dog this band always amaze me. (See the 'official' Amazon review on this page, for an example.) Anything but the most casual listen would confirm that Primal Scream are without doubt THE hottest, most butt-kicking rock band in the world today. And Riot City Blues is possibly their strongest effort to date.
   
   Perception is everything. Some people still think PS sold out when they stopped being punk. Or that they were too laid-back in their Screamadelica psychedelic period. Or that they cloned the Stones with Give Out But Don't Give Up. Cloned??? They made those aging gasbags look like the pathetic has-beens they really are. The Stones only WISH they could sound this fresh, hot and downright clever.
   
   When it comes to Riot City Blues, many listeners will be deceived by the extra-loud heavy-metal sound. But just stop and read through all the lyrics. These are amazingly intelligent songs. Some, like the deceptively bouncy Country Girl and the more overt 99th Floor tend towards the cynical. But this isn't just nihilism; it's intelligent comment. Poetry, even. And always redeemed by incredibly soulful singing from Gillespie and infectiously melodic composition. Not to mention a deep-down integrity; these guys are singing to please themselves, not to net a bigger paycheck, or to please some music-industry dweeb.
   
   If I had to list the most important albums of the 21st Century so far, Riot City Blues would be very high on the list. And if I were listing the most important bands (not to mention the most under-appreciated by snooty, pretentious critics, who can't really remember what rock 'n' roll was all about), Primal Scream would be a strong contender for top spot.



2. Have you ever had a friend, acquaintance or colleague confess to you that he used to play in a professional band and then hand you a copy of the album, so that when you play it you understand why a music career was not pursued? Well, this is one of those albums. I'm not sure what it is about Primal Scream that every other album strikes me as a stinker but they do have a propensity for erratic work product. While this effort is at least inoffensive, it is also uninspiring and ho hum. It's a great party tape so long as you are at the party with the artists, if you knows what I means. Listen to the sound samples thoughtfully provided by amazon, the whole album is no better or worse, just longer. I'd rate this one star but I like Primal Scream thus a pity star to go with their deserved ranking.



3. I've been waiting for Primal Scream to make an album like Riot City Blues and they finally did it. They tried couple of times before with their second self-titled cd and Give Out But Don't Give Up cd but couldn't pull it off with consistency. I wish Riot City Blues was a double album though because the songs are so good. I think every song on this cd is great. It's just a fun cd to listen to and these guys can really play their instruments. This album is a mixture of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Country music, Glam rock, pyschedelic, etc. Unfortunantely, Primal Scream is so good at making futuristic, electronic, intense garage-rock that most fans love(including me) that they might not like this style of music; but they just need to accept these songs for what they are because they are amazing. I hope the boys continue in making this style of music but knowing them, they're going to go back to making XTRMNTR and Evil Heat type of songs to please their fans. I urge Primal Scream to continue on making all kinds of music for music sake, not to sell cds but the music business is all about money so we will have to wait and see. No matter what though, Primal Scream will always be one of my favorite bands and it's too bad they are not popular in the U.S. because they are truly amazing and I just love their rebel image.



4. forget about any negative reviews on this album. this is a great guitar-based rawk'n'roll album. i too like the scream in their psychedelic versions but this is a pleasant twist in their catalogue. i wish the stones can put out albums like this nowadays.



5. Primal Scream came up with an interesting idea to mix a bit of their "Give Out But Don't Give Up" album with some of their newer material and then try to make it sound a little like "Exile On Main Street" by the Rolling Stones. Sounds like a great idea seeing that both the Stones and Primal are two of my favorite bands. And I like both Primal's older and newer stuff (Give Out But Don't Give Up probably being their best album to date). But what sounds like a good idea and looks great on paper somehow just didn't come out right with this album. Overall not a bad album (I give it 3.5 stars) but it just doesn't have that mystique, edge, catchiness, or whatever you want to call it to make it a great or classic album. Quite boring at times and even a little cheesy in some parts (look at the song titles). "Country Girl" is one of the highlights of the album.
   
   The below reviewer, "svgtom", is correct, the track listing is incorrect. The song "Stone Ya To The Bone" is not on the album.

5 comments about Medusa.

1. The old school wall of sound firmly drowns out most of the vocals leaving me having to read along, which greatly diminishes the quality of this album. It has a cold icy feeling combined with a dark moodiness, which I appreciate, but.. I need lyrics I can understand.



2. For readers who did not grow up in the 80's but like this genre of music, this is the prototype ... or at least should have been , for darkwave/goth of the 80's and beyond. No other band has been able to match the songcrafting of this cd and the prior release. This was their greatest period (from 1985-1987). I was lucky to see them live once and the music still held up live. "Back Door" and "Louise" are the standouts, with the former song being almost orchestral in its layers of sound and arrangement. Dont let the eyeliner and pancake makeup fool you, this is true art.



3. I bought this album on vinyl the day it came out in the fall of 1986 (along with PURITY by THE ESSENCE!) and from the moment I put it on, I was enchanted. I had their first album and NO HUMAN CAN DROWN was blasting through my cassette walkman every day but this album supassed everything else I had heard from any other band and still does! The 84-89 lineup of Xymox were very talented individuals. Ronny Moorings(the only origianl member left today and the singer/ guitarist), Pieter Nooten-keys, and Anke Wolbert-bass blended big strings, eerie choir, synths, guitar and drum machine in a way that cannot be matched. BTW, if you like the ambient side of Xymox, PLEASE check out the Pieter Nooten/Michael Brook album SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES. There are a few Xymox songs on it and it is very close in mood to Medusa, almost like an instrumental expansion and an excellent soundscape fore a rainy or dark and cold day. Back to Medusa.
   
   1. Theme I-Very good instrumental opening wchich sets the mood for the rest of the album
   
   2. Medusa-Oh man! Very cool dreamy bridge in the middle, very cool drum programming
   
   3. Michelle-A bit on the dancy side and maybe a little psychedelic influence. Nice acousitc rhythn.
   
   4. Theme II-Animal sounds, a woman yelling and orchestral strings?? Instrumental.
   
   5. Louise-Fans agree, one of the best Xymox songs ever. Beautiful string intro, use of choir and acoustic guitar. Also, a very cool line "My heart use to beat, now it only weeps." Ahh Ronny...
   
   6. Lorretine-The third and last instrumental. Very ambient. A little closer to some of Ronny's newer Xymox instrumentals.
   
   7. Agonised by Love-The title says it all. Very grey with another very cool bridge with the drum machine.
   
   8. Masquerade-Anke sings on this one. (My second fave! on Medusa) This song primarily consists of vocals, strings, drum machine and bass. The bridge and ending have some very beautiful synth worked into it.
   
   9. After the Call-A Piter Nooten tune all the way plus he sings on it. Almost kind of New Agey with big strings and choir and timpany and snare. The SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES version is almost as cool
   
   10. Back Door-A darwave classic. When I think of classic Xymox sound with all three members, this is one of the top ones. Cool guitar, excellent bass and amazing strings and choir again!! Very cool ending to an amazing timeless album
   
   There were no singles for Medusa and for a teenage darksider, I needed more. Well, finally in 87, Medusa re-recorded Muccoviet Musquito which appeared on the Lonely Is An Eyesore. very much in the same mood as Medusa. Then in 88, they released the Blind Hearts 12" which is included on the newer versions of Medusa.
   
   11. Blind Hearts [*]-I was very dissapointed with the female backup vocals on Blind Hearts but it's stilla cool tune.
   
   12. Million Things [*]- I love A Million things and this version has a long cool string intro that isn't on the TWIST OF SHADOWS release. This song is probably the bridge between the two albums soundwise..
   
   13. Scum [*]- Another reviewer said it was dancy. I guess it is. Not quite my sound of music.
   
   There really is not another album like this out there. Twist of Shadows is a great album but Medusa jsut has 'that' sound. It's not only the mood but the musicianship is far above average. I have not heard anyone play bass like Anke, something to listen for and areal treat. If you like Medusa, please check out what The Cocteau Twins, X-Mal Deutschland, Dead Can Dance, what other 4AD labelmates were doing around that time, Tess Records (my band AUTUMN was on Tess for a short period with Xymox!) and Project Records.



4. An excellent album, and a great novilty in 1986. its a great mix of very mellow, atmospheric tracks, and more upbeat electronica ones (what the sisters would like to have done but didn't). For me Michelle and Back Door are the best tracks. It is also just worth a listen for the slightly bizarre track Theme II with the woman screaming (or shrieking it's hard to describe), but completely in tune. Very strange.



5. I can honestly say that I have never heard more beautiful and sensual music. I feel like I am on another planet when I listen to Xymox, especially to their album 'Medusa'. You must at least take time to listen to any music samples! You'll be hooked fast!

5 comments about Stars of CCTV.

1. This was another blind purchase, a used disc at Soundgarden in Syracuse. I dug the cover art and the few seconds i had time to check out on the cd player were interesting enough. First listen through was in a car at low volume, and Hard-Fi sounded like another forgettable indie band. I gave it another shot at home though, remembering that it sounded decent at the record store, and found it to be a pretty enjoyable album. I don't know if i can vouch for their compositional abilities, but their attitude and the production are quite refreshing. This is exactly the kind of uber-new trend-pop that Urban Outfitters plays all day long, and at certain points during Stars of CCTV i couldnt help but squirm at the occasional new wave-hipster cliches. "Gotta Reason" struck me as way too derivative of the neo-disco flavor of the moment to be enjoyable on its own merits, with its "cool awkward" start-stop bassline and shouty lyrics.
   
   You can't really blame a band for fitting into their own time though, and the crunchy, unpredictable production of this record overshadows its weaker aspects. As has been re-iterated over and over, Hard-Fi has adopted the same dub-influenced aesthetic as guys like the Clash and perhaps the Mars Volta, fusing jangly guitars and reverbed vocals with a wide stereo mix of feedback and other noises. I'm all for the jagged disco-punk thing, and when the band hits their stride on "Cash Machine" and "Hard to Beat" you can see why they have been hyped so much. The messy garage sound, the occasional helter skelter drum machine, and dominant blasts of guitar give them an irreverent, unconcerned sound that is subtly more honest in its rebellious debauchery than many of their peers. They actually sound like the 80s bands that all the hipsters are imitating, rather than an imitation. Their blue-collar lyrics are similar to those of Mike Skinner, and make for way better listening than the standard emo or nu-metal radio fare. No vocal melodies really grabbed me, and the songs themselves don't seem to push any boundaries compositionally; it's really their sound and attitude that makes this worth a spin.
   
   About halfway through the record they seem to run out of ideas and move into an ill-advised piano ballad, that is totally unremarkable in every way, besides being the low point of the album. This is followed by another ill-advised pop tune that sounds a lot like Our Lady Peace. I have not listened to either of these songs all the way through, as either one has been basically recorded a thousand times by a hundred other bands. Things pick up a bit after this, but the first half of the album contains Hard-Fi at their best, with an eclectic mix of disco-rock stomp and even some filtered house music creeping in from leftfield.
   
   I'm hoping these guys come into their own a little more with a sophomore effort, although this is a great debut that I imagine I will be returning to for a while. An even rawer, ballsier sound seems to be just around the corner, as if they maybe softened some edges somewhere along the way. I picture them taking the route TV on the Radio did with their second LP, throwing caution to the wind and letting their sound develop into its own beast.



2. i love the band hard-fi!! they're from the UK, and most of the music i listen to is from the UK because they have such great music!! <3 i first heard their song on my friend's myspace. and i decided to check them out. i loveee the song "hard to beat"!! it's totally catchy and very original. the remix by axwell is also very great. i also love the song "gotta reason". if you like upbeat and happy yet great music to rock out to, this is for you!!



3. this is a very good cd, that lives up to the hype, unlike the over rated wankers called the arctic monkeys. Some very catchy rock tunes here, and an awesome ballad 'move on now'......highly recommend......one of my top3 cd's of the past 7 yrs.....along with interpol's 1st cd...and the strokes 1st cd.



4. Okay, this has come in for some slating in the reviews, but there's really some decent stuff here - Middle Eastern Holiday, Cash Machine, Living for the Weekend, Unnecessary Trouble - all rock. Problem is, not the entire album is to the same high standard - I'll only be keeping 6 out of the 11 tracks on my MP3 player! Okay, it's not grittily urban, but more commercial Indie rock, but if your bags thumping guitars and anthemic choruses, you won't go far wrong here.



5. I first heard the Hard-fi single "Hard to Beat" on the local alt rock station somewhere in the territory of 2-3 a.m. I fell in love immediately and called the radio station to ask what it was. Later I heard "Cash Machine," another catchy single, and made the executive decision that even if all the other tracks were awful bits of fluff and filler, it would be worth it for those two songs. I picked up the CD at the bookstore last night, listened to it on the way home, put it on repeat overnight, and it's currently on its third play on my office computer (it's only 10:45 am - I don't plan on listening to anything else today).
   
   I was pleased to find that all eleven tracks on "Stars of CCTV" are solid full-length songs - none of this filler spoken word sampled crap nonsense. Infectious grooves, hand claps and anthemic shouted choruses are found everywhere. Vaguely Any of the songs could be the next single - not the case with most albums. My personal favorites are "Hard to Beat," "Middle Eastern Holiday," "Tied Up Too Tight," and "Gotta Reason," but they're ALL good. Worth your while. I personally think they're better than the Arctic Monkeys.