5 comments about Now That's What I Call Quite Good.

1. I recently have been expanding my music collection. I liked the Housemartins, but never got around to buying any of their CDs in the 1980s. Boy, did i miss out by not purchasing this cd. It is absolutely wonderful. I have been playing it constantly. It is hard to get sick of these songs.



2. a lot of folks tend to draw immediate comparisons to mid-80s brit bands like the smiths, aztec camera, and billy bragg. the comparisons are fair (to a point), but what a lot of people seem to miss is that the housemartins are just as much a decendent of motown soul and gospel than any prevailing trend of the era (see: 'caravan of love,' 'he ain't heavy,' 'i'll be your shelter,' 'bow down,' 'lean on me') and used a lot more piano, harmonica, and brass than any of their contemporaries. maybe this is what the housemartins stand out so much in an otherwise relatively drab british music during the mid-80s. they perfectly married classic pop sensibilities, soul/gospel, northern soul, paul heaton's perfect lyrics and virtually reinvented the perfect three-minute single (in fact a lot of housemartins' songs come in well under three minutes).
   
   much like the beautiful south after the housemartins, paul heaton shows why he's one of the best (if not the best) lyricist of his generation. and the great thing about the housemartins is that heaton's bandmates provided impeccable pop masterpieces for paul to sing over. and what a voice he has. the highlights include 'happy hour,' 'sheep,' 'me and the farmer,'think for a minute,' 'build' (a personal fave of mine), 'we're not deep,' and an absolutely rousing version of 'i'll be your shelter' (again, hard to imagine a blue-eyed brit with pipes like paul's).
   
   if you've not heard the housemartins before, this is just as good a place as any to start, though i do recommend 'london 0 hull 4,' and 'the people who grinning themselves to death,' both excellent albums in their own right. but 'now that's what i call quite good' captures the highlights from both albums, adds some b-sides, rare stuff, and covers (their cover of 'caravan of love' was their only #1 single--remarkable considering the band's comprised entirely of anglo/caucasian kids).
   
   bassist norman cook would go on to become fatboy slim, and vocalist paul heaton and drummer dave hemingway would go on to form the beautiful south. the housemartins shone brilliantly for a few short years, but their legacy should, and hopefully, outlive them all.



3. If you are into real music made with pasion and conviction about what real music is, then this is the cd to listen to. Do not hasitate, just buy it and even learn to like it if you didn't yet. It is really really good music



4. Introduced to the band in college back in early 1987, I instantly connected with what I viewed as a "happy version of the Smiths". Looking back, I'm not sure why I made that connection, but a lot of people seemed to have done the same thing. Always upbeat and fun, the Housemartins squeezed 2 albums and more of a compilation+extras (this album) out of their three years together. If you're looking for one album to buy and you don't own their first two, get this one. It has the hits, plus some great acapella and slow numbers that are simple and beautiful.



5. Except for the pitiful commercial sell-out "Caravan of Love", and the strange attempt at garage gospel a la "He Ain't Heavy", this is one fantastic CD.
   These guys were the Smiths that never were. Same genre, but peppier. And they were just as good as the Smiths. This is a great collection of their stuff. The only two great songs missing I am aware of is "Over There" from "London 0, Hull 4", and "I can't put my finger on it" from "The People Who Grinned Themselves..."; otherwise, everything is on here. All their best, which is really, really, really good. These guys should've been huge!!!

5 comments about On the Outside.

1. Starsailor is first and foremost a band best experienced live. Audiences are drawn to the raw energy of the band, especially lead vocalist James Walsh. With their first two albums, it seemed difficult for the band to replicate the potency of their live performances. "Good Souls" from Starsailor's debut album Love is Here is a good example. This song, which ends each live performance is well-written and well-rendered on the album, but lacks the energy cum edginess immediately apparent when heard live.
   
   On the Outside on the other hand, comes much closer to proffering the listener a sense of the live Starsailor. It has a raw, immediate feel to it, yet it does not forgo a tightness and flow that also marks their live appearances. Until Starsailor releases a live concert album, On the Outside is an excellent effort. Starsailor fans will see it as yet another step in their maturation as artists, and newcomers will receive a great introduction to the band.
   
   Note: If you are unfamiliar with Starsailor, you might recognize the first track of On the Outside, "In the Crossfire." It has been getting airplay on alternative stations in the States, they performed it for their Tonight Show appearance last summer, and it was featured on the CBS television network promoting its Sunday night fall lineup. After their own tour in the States and Canada, Starsailor also supported James Blunt during a portion of his U.S. concert tour late in 2006. Just recently they opened for the Stones in Europe.



2. I got to say, with their 2 previous albums, Starsailor became one of the best British pop/rock bands around. This excellent album continues to catapult them onward to potential greatness. Though, its a long way off from being completely different from the previous 2 albums, Starsailor have "bulked up" a bit on this release with a more rocking sound. Electric guitars and faster tempos are more present here, examples as "In the crossfire", "Keep Us Together", and "Faith, Hope, and Love". The album is probably the most up-beat album yet. However, one of the best tracks on here may be the slowest and calmest of them all. The excellent acoustic "Jeremiah" is amazingly beautiful as well and haunting. There is nothing dramatically different from their previous albums. You're getting just want you've come to expect from this band: Well-written, catchy, melodic, under 5 minute pop/rock songs. Its hard to say if this album is their best so far, I don't think it beats out Love is Here, but its still VERY good. Basically, if you like Starsailor's previous stuff, there's absolutely no reason not to like this. Definitely recommended for fans of Travis, Coldplay, Keane, Richard Ashcroft, etc.



3. Starsailor broke out in England and had massive success earlier this decade right around the same time as another melodic band from that country, Coldplay. But unlike Chris Martin and the boys, Starsailor's debut single stateside, Good Souls, failed to get as much play as Yellow and their follow up Silence Is Easy wise widely ignored here two years ago as another similar band Keane gain notoriety with Somewhere Only We Know. Now Starsailor is back to see if the third time is truly the charm with the release of On the Outside.
   
   On the new album the band takes a decided harder sound, but instead of the crunching guitars or piano that Coldplay in known for, Starsailor instead assaults you with a wall of noise. Not coincidentally the inventor of the Wall of Sound, Phil Spector helmed their previous two albums, but wasn't around for this one. Instead the disk was produced by Rob Schnaph who has worked with the like of Beck and Elliot Smith. The one-two punch of In the Crossfire and Counterfeit Life come out you full force while lead singer James Welsh is found screaming at times which only builds the effect even more and isn't afraid to reach for notes throughout the album. The emotion in the music and the singing never lets down on the whole album which could be attributed to the record being record live in the studio.
   
   But it's not all a melodic wall of noise, I Don't Know is a straight ahead rocker filtered through American blues that is reminiscent to mid-eighties U2. Get out While You Can goes from a haunting acoustic guitar and piano verse to a more melodic chorus and back again. Jeremiah is a slow moving acoustic song with a lyric, "And every time I see the sun go down I think of you," that can easily get stick in your head and is a great way to cap off the album (bonus track excluded). Speaking of the bonus track, Empty Streets, it is the closest song on the album that has the same melodic feel as previous works such as Good Souls.
   
   There is anger in the lyrics that coincide with the harder sound whether it's love, "See that poor girl with the glint in her eye, she could turn you that way" (I Don't Know), political, "I don't see myself when I look at the flag. Thank God for that" (In the Crossfire), globalization, "A war for corporate glory re-told as a fairy story" (Counterfeit Life), and life itself, "Tired of living in this modern land, too many ideals to meet with its demands" (Faith Love Hope). On the Outside may be a step backwards in trying to get commercial success stateside, but it is a step in making better music.



4. "On the Outside" again demonstrates classic Britpop from James Walsh and company. Interesting is a greater sense of the Charlatans UK.



5. "On the Outside" is a new follow-up to 2004's "Silence is Easy". The band is really coming into their own; however, there are very few tracks which are "radio ready".
   
   Be that as it may, Counterfeit Life, This Time, Keep Us Together and White Light are the stand-out tracks.
   
   Finally, as an import: the cd is "protected".
   
   If you're on Windows, insure that you either hold the "Shift" key when you insert the CD OR (better) turn-off "Auto Play" of Audio-CDs.
   
   If you're on a Mac, track one will be a bit jittery, but, otherwise things should be OK.

5 comments about The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra).

1. I thought that no Live Prog Rock album could ever equal Genesis' "Seconds Out" until Marillion produced this amazing piece of work. The first CD draws from various "Clutching at Straws" tracks and some older songs (for example "Freaks", "Punch and Judy" and "Fugazi"). The second CD is, oh my God thank you!, the ENTIRE "Misplaced Childhood" album Live from start to finish. 40 minutes of uninterrupted breath-taking playing. Countless Live albums have been produced over the years but this one is special. It is there to remind us of everything that was good about Progressive Rock. This album is truly a masterpiece for all times!



2. If you grew up in 80s listening Pimk Floyd , Genesis, Dire Straights, and many others this is cd for you Fish and Marrillion is simply marvelous, here I just want to say that Marrillion without Fish simply does not exists, songs like Kally, Fugazi, White Russians and many others simply blow you away you must simply love this album besides it is live version,which is even better, this music is simply hard to come these days, I own a version that is import because it was made in Holland , and I am glad that you can still actually buy these stuff, I am kind of disapointed that Marrillion still exists and Fish is not there, so to summarize I just want to say that this a must own for any fan of Marrillion and Marrillion like.



3. I remember those days very well, no one could hypnotised an audience as Fish. Amazing energy was cleary felt at a Marillion concert. Everybody knew the lyrics even if the latest album was out since a few weeks only.
   This double cd is a pure joy to listen to, some songs are missing, but if you own "Real to reel" and "Brief encounter", I think we can say that you have all you need from the Fish era and Marillion. It is a great idea to included "Misplaced Childhood", this is one of the best album of all time for its intensity. This double cd is a must have for any Marillion fan.



4. Ok, the cover art is silly, but the live double album is a must have. The lilting introduction of La Gaza Ladra transports you into the concert hall and takes you on a journey trhought the highlights of Marillions' Fish years. A truly great retrospective of their years together as one of the all-time great prog-rock bands.



5. I been mulling over buying this live double cd for a long time. It is a little on the expensive side and even though I love Misplaced Childhood and the Fish Era of Marillion, I wasn't sure. If you are reading this review and have similar thoughts running through your head BUY THIS CD. It is amazing!!! Misplaced Childhood live by itself pays for the cost of the cd, but that is not all. CD 1 has some amazing live songs like Slainte Mhath, Jigsaw, and my favorite live song from both cds Incommunicado!

5 comments about Drawn to the Deep End.

1. ...was Gene's "Where Are They Now?"
   
   Of course, Morrisey and Co. started it all. I also generally prefer Marr's jangly 60's guitar over the more bluesy, so-called "pub" sound of Gene. But while the Smith's up-tempo, early numbers were unmatched, Morriseys penchant for draggy, pointless, dirge-like numbers always brought their albums down a few notches.
   
   Not so with Gene. Gene's moodier pieces typically had better direction and melody. Rossiter's writing and delivery managed to be more poetic and heart-felt than Morriseys.
   
   "Where Are They Now" is the whole reason I looked into this band. It is almost a Britpop answer to "Stairway to Heaven." Lovely and tender at first, changing gears midway to a stirring and gripping mid-tempo climax (without the shrillness Morrisey would resort to).
   
   Perfection is a series of refinements, and sometimes the followers are part of part of the process.



2. in classic britpop mode, gene released a pretty decent debut album in 'olympian' then absolutely smashed it with their second release, 'drawn to the deep end.' martin morrissey, er, rossiter finally stopped invoking the mozzer mystique in favor of his own vocal styling. the results are more than satisfying. rozzer has a very nice voice. steve mason, for his part, was always an underrated guitarist. it's too bad because he lays down some serious riffage on 'drawn to the deep end.'
   
   the first half of the album is hit after hit after hit. 'drawn...' is a much more complex album than it's predecessor, relying more on tempo shifts, trickier arrangements, and a bit more rawkish sound. the albums to stand out tracks, 'where are they now?' and the outstanding 'we could be kings' show just how much the lads had learned and grown while writing and recording their second album. the second half of the album isn't nearly as interesting as the first (except for 'the accidental'), but the first half of the album provides the listener with more than enough sophisticated ear candy to warrant the purchase.
   
   sadly gene never reached the fame reached by oasis, blur, the verve and others. and sadly they disappeared without so much as a blip on the radar. for those of you who missed gene the first time around, their first two albums are worthy additions to the britpop canon.



3. this record is dense with melody, full of twists and turns, and full of some really rocking songs! a very very solid follow up to the wonderful Olympian debut! kind of like Morrissey with bigger balls.



4. If you liked 'Olympian', you'll love this! A lot more strings, production, etc. Still, their more 'layered' sound works great here, and the impassioned vocals and deft instrumental work proves 'Gene' is an original band to be taken seriously. Sonically, this is a winner as well... great recording, great mastering! Play this through high-end speakers like Magneplanars or Electrostatics for a spine-tingling sensation!



5. I just love this band, I got into them right at the beginning and have snapped up everything they have done since. I really think they have something for everyone from rocky smash-the-room-up numbers to beautiful haunting ballads and this album is no exception. Why aren't they more popular? Search me?! Everyone I know who has listen to them has become an addict. BUY THIS NOW!!!!!

5 comments about Levitate.

1. I absolutely hated this cd when I first bought it. I even gave about ten listens before shilving it for a year just to make sure that I hated it as much as I thought. And then about a year later I threw it in just for the hell of it and heard it in an entirely different light. For some reason the overuse of pop synth no longer turned me off but seemed quite interesting. Ten Houses of Eve and Masquarade are outstanding and 4 1/2 Inch is a superb hard edged Fall tune. Levitate is a unique Fall record in that it sounds like no other largely due to the heavy synth sound but in a way that's what actually makes a pretty cool piece of music. Fortunately this wasn't my introduction to The Fall but it's definitely a great supplement to the collection if you're willing to give it some time to sink in. On top of that it's almost always available for the cheap if you buy used.



2. Read the reviews of 'Levitate', and an unsubtle pattern begins to emerge. Fall fans dig the new breed, yeah! Truly new sounds from a group I thought had done it all. Guitars are all but done away with on this record, which really brings out the gifted playing of Bassist Steve Hanley and Drummer Simon Wollstonecroft. Groovy Bass lines abound from 'Spencer Must Die' to 'The Quartet of Doc Shanley'. I also love the extreme panic-inducing cutting of cuts like '4 1/2 Inch' and '10 Houses of Eve'. There is also the mysterious track 'Tragic Days', which sounds like a very vintage home recording of the first-ever Fall guitarist, Martin Bramah!?!
   Not to mention my all-out favorite, the definitely NON-throwaway track 'I'm A Mummy'. This rocks like nobody's business, but in a really tipped way. It's a cover of an old Beatnik-Era tune, but it is a vast improvement over that simple novelty song. Tap Foot Or Check Pulse!



3. This record came after the remarkable "Light User Syndrome", which has to qualify as a career highlight. The band moves further into processed sound here; their playing is chopped and pressed into unique form by a production team of young, ambitious engineers under the direction of Mark E. Smith.

   The music varies and in fact the sound levels jump from track to track. The highlights are inimitable - the highly rhythmic processed drone-noise of "Hurricane Edward"; the prototypically Fall-like funk of "Masquerade"; the scarifying (is that a mellotron in there?) "Old Gang"; the horrifyingly brutal "4 1/2 Inch"; the minimalist jangle-pop of "Levitate"; the house music-meets fall-abstraction experiment of "10 Houses of Eve".

   It doesn't all work, but the majority of it does and it sounds like nothing else contemporary. Three cheers for The Fall.




4. This album is a wonderful melange of rock and various electronica - jungle, dub, ambient mixed in such a way that I can't say there's much comparable to it stylistically. True, a bit of it is simply because of MES's vocal style but they also match guitar or bass lines in parts of songs other rock-gone-electronic (or vice-versa) bands wouldn't dare. On the other hand the straight-up "I'm a Mummy" is nowhere near a throwaway... much more of a bizarre surf-music sci-fi parable that Frankie and Annette would get down to. It rocks. If you can find it, buy the double disc set which also includes a christmas-ish song with a line from "Deck The Halls" played through a megaphone. Wacky stuff.



5. After 20 years of complaining, frontman Mark E. Smith still finds the enregy for a truly inspired performance. Unlike their previous effort The Light User Syndrome, a throwback to The Fall's straighforward rock style of the '80s, this one finds them tearing up new sonic terrain. Levitate combines rhythm section driven rock and off-kilter low-fi electronica. Smith, with renewed vigor, spews forth his always bitter and usually humorous mix of vocals and poetry. Tracks such as "4 1/2 inch" are so wonderfully paranoid and claustrophobic that you wonder if even the band knows where the song is going (This is a high compliment). The cover songs "I'm a Mummy" and Jungle Rock" are throwaways, but the rest of the album is a fine continuation of The Fall's destruction of old rock forms and exploration of the new.

4 comments about The Best Of: A Time for Heroes.

1. This is a good album, the Libertines are a good Euro-Indie band which gave way to the Babyshambles. But since this is merely a compilation of their 2 albums, just buy the albums.



2. The Libertines-Time For Heroes; The Best Of ***½
   
   
   I have to write this review from the perspective of someone who used this collection as an introduction to the band, because that is exactly what I did when I bought it. I knew who Pete Doherty was and I heard that the current drummer for the recent carnation of the New York Dolls had played with The Libertines so I thought it might be worth my while to give the band a try.
   
   Now I usually do not buy greatest hits, or best of collections unless I own everything else by the band and wish to own everything that they release, but this was the only thing I could find from the band so I bought it. Before buying it I noticed that on the album cover was a sticker that was comparing the band to The Clash, which with them being one of my all time favorite bands that this was going to be a good purchess. After listening I feel I must warn that the only compareson between the two bands is that they are both from around London, were both young bands (with the exception of Joe Strummer) and the attitude. If I was going to compare the band to any early punk band from England it would be with out a doubt, The Jam. They whole sound, the vocals, the lyrics, and the guitar all scream the Jam, which is not a bad thing as The Jam were a phenomenal band.
   
   So after listening to the band I came to the conclusion that from this collection I liked it. The song writing was great from Doherty, and the musicianship is pretty good from the `punk' band, though I would hardly call The Libertines a punk band from this collection, ,only `Mayday' even remotely reminded me of punk. For the most part they sound like a decent rock/mod band. But over all this is a great collection of songs, but not good enough to make me go out and but any of the bands actual albums.



3. I purchased this album recently in order to get The Libertines' singles. I owned the original albums when they first came out, and while there was certainly a collection of songs that I truly enjoyed on those records, I've never found The Libertines to be that spectacular of a band. I always felt that their albums featured a few songs that were great, while a majority of the songs were mediocre at best. As such, I traded away the CDs, and then spent a few successive years missing the critical songs. As such, when this "best of" compilation came out, I took the opportunity to pick it up, as it contains a good collection of songs for a casual listener of The Libertines (and it can be had for a low cost).
   
   It's true, that since The Libertines only put out two proper albums, it isn't that significant of an investment to purchase both of those; however, if you're like me, and you want the singles on one disc, and don't want to sift through the material that isn't as good, then this is a good compilation for you.



4. If Rough Trade would've repackaged their two studio albums, and perhaps even added a bonus disc with a fair amount of B-sides and rarities for good measure, there would be nothing wrong with this compilation. But, they didn't! This is pretty much a waste to buy, unless you're missing the few bonus tracks and the couple of EP songs they have on here.
   
   This includes their six single songs from the two albums they released, two songs from the I Get Along EP ("The Delaney" and the song which is also a single, "Don't Look Back into the Sun"), the bonus tracks from the US and Japanese releases of Up the Bracket ("Mayday" and the single "What a Waster"), four other tracks from Up the Bracket, and only ONE other track from their self-titled second album The Libertines. If one is going to be technical about it, Up the Bracket is the "better" release (and not nearly as melancholy as their second), but their second, self-titled album is a perfect mirror of the turmoil that was going on within the band at the time. By only listening to this compilation, you are almost completely missing out on that side of The Libertines; "Music When the Lights Go Out", "Narcissist" (with a nod to Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray), "Tomblands", "The Man Who Would Be King" (the first Libs song I heard), are all great songs that appear on the second album, but not on this so-called best-of compilation! Other tracks I love from Up the Bracket are missing; "Vertigo", "Radio America", "The Boy Looked at Johnny", "The Good Old Days"...
   
   This is a fantastic band, one of my top favorites. "What a Waster" is one of the greatest singles released by any band, in my opinion. I'm not knocking this CD down because there is anything wrong with the songs, individually. I just feel that 'The Best of: A Time For Heroes' gives one a very muted feel for The Libertines. If you're looking for an "introduction" of The Libertines...well, they released only two studio albums, so listening to those ought to do the trick!

5 comments about Life Thru a Lens.

1. Robbie Williams has a fabulous voice. Truly. But this album doesn't do the best job showcasing it. The songs are short and empty and the lyrics are very trite. It's entirely possible that I'm expecting more than a pop star can offer... but I have faith. I'm currently looking into Robbie's other albums. If this guy can pair up with a great songwriter, he'll be set for life.



2. I find it not easy to judge this album fairly for I began listening to it after purchasing the four later CDs from him. Undeniably this one is less powerful than other Robbie's megahits, but it's brilliant enough as a debut album. There were still resentment and uneasiness in his voice then. Nevertheless, I think everyone should commend Rob on his creativity and courage to release the album as he mocked on media explicitly and jeered his former partner from Take That but biggest enemy at that time- Gary Barlow. After so many years, songs like "Angels," "Old Before I Die," "Lazy Days," and so on still sound great to the ear, and Rob performs them regularly to keep those works alive.

   Above all, if you're a loyal Rob fan, this one is a must-have to comprehend how his talent break out at the beginning. If not, I would recommend "I've Been Expecting You" or his latest "Escapology;" from them you can hear the genuine Rob style shine through.




3. I remember when I first heard of Take That. It was in a video for a song called "It Only Takes A Minute". They were still a brand new boy band in the footsteps of New Kids On The Block but they were british. Out of the five members, Robbie Williams stood out. He was the funniest, cheekiest member and he seemed to have more personality than the others. At the end of the video, there was Robbie pointing his finger up and crooning the line 'Just one minute...'. It was funny. 4 years later, Robbie left Take That and the future didn't seem too bright for the lad. He made several public appearances afterwards, one being as a host of the MTV Europe Awards in the fall of 1996. Prior to that Robbie had done a cover version of George Michael's Freedom. Not too impressing work there and more of a mockery of his boy band image. But Robbie struggled to change that. He hung out with Oasis, grew a goatie for a brief time, and began venturing into Rock music.
   Old Before I Die was the first non-pop song Robbie came out with that was an original song that he wrote along with an unknown, Guy Chambers. Highly influenced by Britain's biggest rock band, Oasis, Robbie wanted if not needed to get into the new mainstream since boy band music became a joke. After months of slacking, but not really slacking, Robbie returned with a full length album titled 'Life Thru A Lens' in September of 1997. I think i was the only guy who bought that CD at a Music store in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. And for some crazy reason, i felt like i really wanted to love this album since it felt weird just to hear Robbie on his own and see what he can prove. I was impressed, no...more, I was taken completely by every song on the CD!

   The opener struck a chord with me, 'Lazy Days' is a song about depression. A very Oasis-esque tune with the right lyrics. 'Life Thru A Lens' the title track is a fun tune about life in the public eye. 'Ego A Go-Go' is a personal attack from Robbie to his rival and former bandmate Gary Barlow, and manager. 'Angels' is the biggest ballad ever heard or written since Wonderwall. Not only did it spark the light of Robbie in the british conscience, but it had people take Robbie extremely seriously. This is a fine love song. The chorus, each verse, the music all speak for themselves. To this day, Robbie's best song. 'South Of The Border' is another rocker in the influencial direction of Oasis. 'Let Me Entertain You' can easily be viewed as Robbie's signature song. He is here to entertain us. He's good at it. He's been doing it since 1992, the difference is that he used to do it along with four other guys, now he's entertaining on his own but outweighing the entire Take That installment.
   'Killing Me' is the most open Robbie song. It's an essential song about Robbie most intimate feelings of insecurity and unhappiness. The depression he began having as a member of Take That and how he escaped it through pretending to be the joker of the group. Reminds you a lot of the way John Lennon was with the Beatles. In fact, Killing Me is in the same league as Isolation from Lennon's debut album 'Plastic Ono Band'. 'Clean' is another fun track where you hear Robbie rhyming 'I'm Clean' with 'Charlie Sheen' and talking about kicking his addictions to the evil substances. 'Baby Girl Window' is a touching song and a beautiful album closer.

   Robbie became much bigger, musically and artistically only a year later when he released I've Been Expecting You and finally getting praise in America.

   Highly Recommended.

   A




4. Robbie may have gone on to make better (or at least more consistently satisfying) albums, but 'Life thru a lens' will always retain pride of place in the hearts of us Robbiephiles, when, what could have been a self-pitying play for sympathy (especially after that misjudged first single, the cover of 'Freedom'), turned out not to need any excuses whatsoever.

   At the time, cred-building Robbie was finding succour in then-popular Oasis, and their baleful influence can be seen on songs like 'Lazy Days' and 'South of the Border', although he brings his own alchemical ingredients, like 'imagination' and 'wit', though, sadly, not 'melody'. There are a couple of lovely ballads here ('One of God's better people', 'Baby Girl Window'), and 'Clean' is an amusingly self-mocking take on the pop star misbehaving in public (Robbie's lyrics are so endearingly naive in their confessional literalism they frequently become clever and truthful).

   It is, of course, the magnificent singles that sustain 'Lens', all using Robbie's 60s/70s/showbiz fascinations with intelligence: the speedpop ranting title track; the pubrock humility of 'Old Before I die'; the simultaneously arrogant and gracious 'Let me entertain you', a Kiss-tribute rock dazzler that easily out-pummells its source. Oh, and a trifle called 'Angels', a song of staggering (emotional) maturity, a ballad whose poignancy arises from the recognition that happiness, never mind perfection, is an ungraspable dream: it is, quite simply, one of the ten best songs ever written.




5. I Got this yesterday, and have listened to it, and it is a great album! The upbeat songs Lazy Days, Life Through A Lens, Ego A Go Go, and Let Me Entertain You(my favorite), are great, and very funny. The Ballads Baby Girl Window, Killing Me, and Angels(my other favorite) are nice. This is a great album and very well made, like Sing When Your Winning, and The Ego Has Landed.

5 comments about This Year's Model.

1. In my quest to redisover the bespectaled one, I found a used copy of reissue 1 of Elvis' second album - if you know anything about the latest record biz reissue craze, it's that they keep remastering and reissuing some classic albums over and over again in slightly different forms; for Elvis he is on his third round of reissues, but I'm just buying used for now. This Year's Model found our boy a tad more angry than on his debut and with the help of newly recruited the Attractions, he found some keyboards and jumpy punk rock. Arguably, the roughest and loudest of Elvis' albums, featuring the cynism and adorable aggravation of Elvis, the album contains some of my favorite Elvis songs ever like "Pump It Up", "Little Triggers", "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and with this re-release, the single "Radio Radio". If you haven't started investigating early Costello yet, I may have to stop talking to you... next on our Elvis list is what will probably be my favorite Elvis album Armed Forces if for nothing other than I think "Oliver's Army" is the ultimate Elvis song.



2. This, the first album Costello recorded with his long running backup band - the Attractions - is a strong contender for the best recording in a long and varied career. Not as tight or melodic as the classic follow-up Armed Forces, this 1978 album is certainly the dirtiest, punkiest album Costello had ever pulled, and the Attractions are given more space here to roam than in any of the latter, more tightly arranged albums; drummer Pete Thomas is especially wonderful here, adding a savage beat to wonderful, infectious songs like This Year's Girl and Pump It Up.
   
   Elvis's excellent debut, My Aim Is True, signaled the arrival of one of the freshest artists of his time; but This Year's Model makes My Aim Is True sound more like practice for the real thing. This Year's Model indeed shows him to be one of the freshest recording artists of the 70's, and though it's generally labeled as punk rock - and punk's influence is certainly there - it remains fresh today like few punk albums have. Like the Beatles in the psychedelic era, Costello was not an integral part of the punk movement but instead used it to create music that's new and fresh; and This Year's Model is true timeless music, more than a bit thanks to Costello's intelligent, sarcastic lyrics. Songs like This Year's Model and the single Radio, Radio are statements that are powerful today as they were back then.
   
   Each and every song on This Year's Model is a classic, successful singles and undiscovered gems alike; Costello drew immense amounts of depth from songs that are akin to punk in their compactness, tightness and simplicity. In less than three minutes of songs he says more than many other artists can in a forty minute album - and the songs on This Year's Model are as infectious and straightforward as they are deep, intricate and intelligent. From the incredibly short, fast and furious No Action, through dark non-conformist anthems like Lipstick Vogue, Night Rally and Lip Service, to the unbelievably catchy classic Pump It Up with its infectious groove and Dylan-ish lyrics, it's an album that flows by quickly and strongly, not leaving any listener indifferent and making them want a whole lot more.
   
   You get some more with the bonus tracks, which are good, though not entirely essential, and the album actually works better as a whole without them. Other than the essential classic Radio, Radio - which was not part of the original album but is there on all CD versions and makes a perfect ending for the album - there's also Big Tears (the Clash's Mick Jones playing guitar), Running Out of Angels and Crawling to the USA - all good songs, though not quite as good as the original album tracks; also included are acoustic demos of two excellent songs from the Armed Forces LP - Big Boys and Green Shirt. All of the bonus tracks are worth having, but on repeated listening I usually tune out after Radio, Radio.



3. Music critic Gene Santoro says that this is his favorite Costello album because Costello lets the Attractions improvise (whereas later masterpieces such as Imperial Bedroom are tightly arranged). For me, this album's finest songs are "The Beat" and "Lipstick Vogue," both lyrical masterpieces.
   
   ("I keep thinking about your mother/ No, I don't want to lick them/ Don't want to be your lover/ Just want to be your victim/ I don't go out much at night/ I don't go out much at all/ Did you think you were the only one/ Who was waiting for a call?")
   
   There's no one better than Elvis, ever.



4. I happened upon a leftover copy of the Rykodisc re-issue of This Year's Model after it had gone out-of-print one day at Borders. Happy I had found this hard-to-find gem (this was a while before the new 2-CD re-issues), I purchased the album and popped it in my car stereo.
   Costello opens the disc proclaiming "I don't wanna kiss you, I don't wanna touch" before the Attractions explode into a fit of pop-punk rage. I was blown away. The production was crisp, rich, and full of unbridled chaotic energy. Even when Costello slows it down on this album ("Little Triggers"), the result is no less energetic or passionate. Other such classics include "Pump It Up," "I Don't Wanna Go To Chelsea," and "This Year's Girl. The Attractions are a much stronger band than Clover, who accompained Costello on My Aim Is True, thus making This Year's Model the stronger album (although My Aim Is True is still classic). The bonus tracks are also nice including the indispensible "Radio, Radio," a biting, vicious attack on radio.
   This is essential listening. Please purchase.



5. Listening to This Years Model after 22 years (gasp!), one is struck by how current and urgent it all still sounds. The lyrics are so sharp and the songs are so well structured that I am reminded of Cole Porter. I don't think Elvis Costello ever topped this, even though he came close so many times. Insight, anger and humor are combined into his unique style that cuts through all the hypocrisy in the world like acid poured on metal.

5 comments about White on Blonde.

1. My favorite songs:
   
   Say What You Want
   Halo
   Put Your Arms Around Me
   Insane
   White on Blonde
   Ticket To Lie
   Breathless
   
   In particular I want to nominate "Put Your Arms Around Me" for one of the best pop songs ever, for the way it build up to the 3:00 minute mark and then just goes to another level. That's what differentiates the good from the great.



2. There's some really nice songs on this album, Black-Eyed Boy, Halo, Say What You Want. Those three were released as singles in the UK and got loads of airplay. The rest of the album is equaly well produced, there's no bad songs, but I just find I get bored of this album too easily, it seems to lack something, and I dont listen to it often. When I do, the feeling always surfaces that the music isnt pulling all the right strings.
   
   If you see it in the bargain bin it's worth a shot, but I wouldnt pay full price for it. There's usually loads of copies available second hand.



3. True beauty of Texas' music is its simplicity. They really can write amazingly simple, yet catchy songs which just grow on you with every time you listen. "White on Blonde" is the culmination of their work through the years which I believe paid off very well for them. Buy this album, enjoy good soft rock music, save live music, love Texas !



4. The very first time I ever listen to this band (Texas) was during the spring of 1997...I was in Amsterdam and I immediately fell in love with this group....Well its 7 years later and I still love them...it bring back good and wonderful memories...God bless them :)



5. texas is one of my favorite bands but this album had to grow on me as i prefer the earlier work-southside, ricks road and mothers heaven. if you dont own these albums and love texas as i do then BUY them! i saw them at the roxy in los angeles in the early 90s-incredible concert, sharleen has such a powerful presence and voice. a beautiful album and still one that i could listen to everyday and not tire of.

5 comments about Greatest Hits.

1. You can find 19 songs on this collection of greatest hits. Since he has been in the business for a while, it represents a good mix of previously published songs. Since this CD was published before the song "Advertising Space" came out (which I think is one of his best songs ever), it is not included here.
   I can recommend this CD for anyone, who is/was too lazy buying his hits on a single-CD before. It's got what you are looking for.



2. when i first bought this cd i didn't think i would like half the songs on there but i love all of the songs..... this is a great cd to purchase.....



3. Great CD and fast shipping! What more could a girl ask for!



4. This is a wonderful album and Robbie is super. To me, he sounds like the "new Peter Allen". Does anyone else agree he sounds like Peter?
   A definite to add to your collection.



5. i love this album. i really wonder why no one at my school knows who robbie williams is. all they listen to is ludacris and eminem. any way,my fav. is millenium. i didnt know of rob until a few weeks ago. i found out listening to riffs. on 8notes.com and ive been hooked ever since. if you want to hear a TRUE musical genius,buy this cd. you wont regret it.