5 comments about The Robbie Williams Show.

1. You will be mesmerized. The best show I've seen in DVD and RW is the best and a great performer.



2. I've been a RW fan since he split from Take That. It wasn't clear back then whether his solo career would take off; ex-boy band members tend to falter when faced with having to carry off an album, or a concert, all by themselves. But Robbie flew out of the starting gate and never looked back - it seemed as though Take That was a training ground for his real career.
   
   Since then, he has become a huge star all over the world (except, inexplicably, here in the US, where he is all but unknown, although most people are probably familiar with 'Let Me Entertain You'), and has branched out into swing with a legendary concert at the Albert Hall and a fabulous album to go with it. Only Robbie has the cheek and the charisma to pull off something like this. He happens to be a fantastic singer and a gifted performer, and his sheer chutzpah does the rest.
   
   'The Robbie Williams Show' was made to promote his 'Escapology' album. Ostensibly a TV show, it uses a gigantic set built at Pinewood Studios to give it a large feel. There is some spectacular scenery, particularly a huge scaffold on which about 100 dancers gyrate in silhouette while Robbie belts it out in front of them. The colours, lighting, and camerawork are clever.
   
   What shines are Robbie's natural demeanour and strong connection with the audience. This would not have been visible (or even possible) in a traditional concert format; the small stage-in-the-round just for Robbie with the musicians off to one side allows him to make close eye contact and (in both senses) touch people. This lets his humour and charm come to the fore. He's cheeky and a bit lewd, but you just can't help loving him.
   
   On top of all that, of course, the music is terrific. The song list is an ideal mix of his older hits, the swing stuff, and the then-new Escapology tracks. Robbie throws everything he has behind each song. His vocal range and power are top notch, and he doesn't have any of those irritating phony-soulful vocal mannerisms so popular among other solo singers these days. From swing ballads to grunge rock anthems, he can do it all.
   
   Highly recommended.



3. I really dont understand it. I havent even seen it yet and i know it will be wonderful. I do have the CD and have listened to it many times, shoot, i have everything else he has done. Knebworth, and Albert Hall, and Berlin this spring. Plus his CD's are just outstanding. I listen to him or watch his stuff constantly, and I'm here in Tennessee. No one knows him and I just dont get it. I just can hope one day that MTV will grow up and show his much more mature entertainment, even when he was younger. You can tell he really enjoys himself, and really love what he does. He is cocky but humble. Gorgeous yet appreciative of what hes been given. You can see that that is the real him on stage.



4. Robbie Williams is F A N T A S T I C... this DVD will show you why... great music, great sense of humor from this great entertainer... the opening musical/dance number will hook you for life... way to go Robbie...



5. Hi, I'm from Lima PERU and i'm Robbie Williams number one fan!!! well i become a fan since i saw this DVD i got to say that it make me realized how a good singer and how a good entertainer he is!! i love the way he interacts with the audience ....and of course i loved the songs that he sing they're all goods, also i got to say thta i enjoyed very much the swing ones!! and also my dad that has become a big fan too!! in other words Robbie Rocks!!

5 comments about Giant Steps.

1. 
   GIANT STEPS ('93)... definitely one of my favorite albums of all time - TOP 3 (if I sat down & made a list in order) for a while now. It didn't take me long to figure out this. Believe me, this is Bliss all the way through - laughter, wind chimes ringing, just warm summer sun tunes!
   This was my very first Boo Radleys album and the one that inspired me to buy them all. Just like the title says this was a "giant step" for the band. Their album before "Everything's Alright Forever" (1992),although good- isn't nearly as memorable. Most of the bands most wonderful pure songs make it onto this release, "Thinking of Ways" which Sice kind of sounds like Brian Wilson, originally from the Beach Boys.
   "Butterfly McQueen" - Acoustic strum into the words- "I finally broke your Cool in a delicate 'not a care in the world' type manner. A guitar solo blast soon follows - kicks the melody up a couple notches in Sonic-flare- Singing : "I feel you Rising - Butterfly McQueen!" feels like 'Jets flying' vertical off into space. At the end of this song - "Rodney King": Begins w/ a sweet new wave Female vocalist, takes the lead for this one track, singing: "Do you know know my name."(Do you know me! by, Sice), please tear me apart - Do you Care?" - another shorter song about 2 and a half minutes. Main Lead Sice takes background vocals.
   Next up is the gorgeous Brian Wilson nod- Opening w/ just a sweet voice & no added sound you know accapella style! "Step on the gas, Go Miles" & "...with a head full of beer- I will try and tell someone tonight"
   "If You Want It, Take It" - probably my second fave, on this- Guitars glisten on throughout in a Revved up, but structured stream all while Sice's sweet voice shines in a Clear soothing way- all in under 3 minutes including a mini-guitar solo EPIC towards the end.
   Lead-single "Lazarus" which has a reggae good vibe feel to it.
   All 17 tracks are wonderful-ranging from a vast array of musical genres such as pop grunge tunes like "Take the Time Around"- EXPLODES in a Grunge metal sound! w/ Beatle-esque swoons. An absolute triptastic, kaleidoscopic, orchestrated but melodic at times journey from "I Hang Suspended" (track 1) on through the last track "The White Noise Revisited". Some may say it's noisy, but I think that adds to the beauty of it all(noise in a good way). It's got so many top-notch choruses and I feel this album goes above and beyond the shoe-gazer scene. One track melts or bleeds into another w/o missing a step. It goes on through w/ a more structured sound then later releases. Very Pleasing sounds Shine through while C'mon Kids & others seem to go to a higher level of scope & sound. Not that this is a bad thing. Sice's vocals sound a bit friendly and inviting on GIANT STEPS. Maybe quite a bit of fuzz to a 'newbies' ear, but it just sounds normal since I play it quite a bit. Seems like 100s of times could be more.
   My favorite song is "Best Lose the Fear" -
   "You would like to disappear
   You would like to Lose the fear
   You Dream the Love
   You have is Near"
   Just flows - you know? Showcases the Fun chorus theme throughout. Pure songwriting. Very mature at age 23 (he lets u know) - lead singer.
   Not many people at least that I know here in the U.S.A. have heard of this band and I have made a few burns for Cd. Truly a timeless masterpiece on the British indie label Creation. What a record, even the colorful cover sleeve-design is inviting!
   "C'mon Kids" (1996) a couple albums later after "Wake Up" (see my later reviews) is to me anyways, the Boos second(close) Best, but Giant Steps is their FINEST Achievement!
   
   ..."Hey What's that noise, Do you Remember?" - closer,(The White Noise Revisited)
   -5 stars!



2. "Giant Steps" by The Boo Radleys is the "Pet Sounds" of the Britpop genre. It's simply brilliant!



3. You have got to be kidding me! I NEVER write reviews on AMAZON, but seeing this album with only one supporter, well, I just had to get my 2-cents in.
   For you aging sixties hipsters, remember the first time you heard Pet Sounds? Or perhaps LOVE's Forever Changes? How 'bout Tommy?
   For you seventies burn-outs, remember Led Zep IV? Wish You Were Here? Bowie's LOW?
   How about all you eighties 'wavers' (including myself!), do YOU remember the first time you heard Joy Division's Closer, Pornography by the CURE, or Laibach's Opus Dei?
   In the early nineties, you had Screamadelica by Primal Scream, which drastically changed the sonic landscape by melding stonsey-type rockers with house and ambient music.
   And you had the Boo Radleys GIANT STEPS, which combined the shoegazing sonics of My Bloody Valentine with Brian Wilson style harmonies. But that was not all. One listen to Lazarus (in an abbreviated version here, unfortunately) and you will become a fan. As my brother would say, "it's a dubtastic psychedelic trip, maaaaaan!"
   Every track is a psychedelic standout, the best of the best being the afore mentioned Lazarus, Rodney King, Butterfly McQueen and Best Lose the Fear.
   If you buy this album and have never heard it before, your first listen should be on high quality headphones, lest you miss the little gems of musical wonder hidden in each track.
   Bottom line: everyone with even a passing interest in quality music should own this. Yes, it really is that good, it stands the test of time by sounding both nostalgic and twenty years ahead of it's time.



4. GIANT STEPS ('93)... definitely one of my favorite albums of all time - TOP 3 (if I sat down & made a list in order) for a while now. It didn't take me long to figure out this. Believe me, this is Bliss all the way through - laughter, wind chimes ringing, just warm summer sun tunes!
   This was my very first Boo Radleys album and the one that inspired me to buy them all. Just like the title says this was a "giant step" for the band. Their album before "Everything's Alright Forever" (1992),although good- isn't nearly as memorable. Most of the bands most wonderful pure songs make it onto this release, "Thinking of Ways" which Sice kind of sounds like Brian Wilson, originally from the Beach Boys.
   "Butterfly McQueen" - Acoustic strum into the words- "I finally broke your Cool in a delicate 'not a care in the world' type manner. A guitar solo blast soon follows - kicks the melody up a couple notches in Sonic-flare- Singing : "I feel you Rising - Butterfly McQueen!" feels like 'Jets flying' vertical off into space. At the end of this song - "Rodney King": Begins w/ a sweet new wave Female vocalist, takes the lead for this one track, singing: "Do you know know my name."(Do you know me! by, Sice), please tear me apart - Do you Care?" - another shorter song about 2 and a half minutes. Main Lead Sice takes background vocals.
   Next up is the gorgeous Brian Wilson nod- Opening w/ just a sweet voice & no added sound you know accapella style! "Step on the gas, Go Miles" & "...with a head full of beer- I will try and tell someone tonight"
   "If You Want It, Take It" - probably my second fave, on this- Guitars glisten on throughout in a Revved up, but structured stream all while Sice's sweet voice shines in a Clear soothing way- all in under 3 minutes including a mini-guitar solo EPIC towards the end.
   Lead-single "Lazarus" which has a reggae good vibe feel to it.
   All 17 tracks are wonderful-ranging from a vast array of musical genres such as pop grunge tunes like "Take the Time Around"- EXPLODES in a Grunge metal sound! w/ Beatle-esque swoons. An absolute triptastic, kaleidoscopic, orchestrated but melodic at times journey from "I Hang Suspended" (track 1) on through the last track "The White Noise Revisited". Some may say it's noisy, but I think that adds to the beauty of it all(noise in a good way). It's got so many top-notch choruses and I feel this album goes above and beyond the shoe-gazer scene. One track melts or bleeds into another w/o missing a step. It goes on through w/ a more structured sound then later releases. Very Pleasing sounds Shine through while C'mon Kids & others seem to go to a higher level of scope & sound. Not that this is a bad thing. Sice's vocals sound a bit friendly and inviting on GIANT STEPS. Maybe quite a bit of fuzz to a 'newbies' ear, but it just sounds normal since I play it quite a bit. Seems like 100s of times could be more.
   My favorite song is "Best Lose the Fear" -
   "You would like to disappear
   You would like to Lose the fear
   You Dream the Love
   You have is Near"
   Just flows - you know? Showcases the Fun chorus theme throughout. Pure songwriting. Very mature at age 23 (he lets u know) - lead singer.
   Not many people at least that I know here in the U.S.A. have heard of this band and I have made a few burns for Cd. Truly a timeless masterpiece on the British indie label Creation. What a record, even the colorful cover sleeve-design is inviting!
   "C'mon Kids" (1996) a couple albums later after "Wake Up" (see my later reviews) is to me anyways, the Boos second(close) Best, but Giant Steps is their FINEST Achievement!
   
   ..."Hey What's that noise, Do you Remember?" - closer,(The White Noise Revisited)
   -5 stars!



5. Giant Steps is one of those extraordinary albums that tugs at your unconscious and whirls you through some airy region that is part molten dreams and part hair-thin half remembered visions that only flicker into life when this album shakes your biological fat encrusted brain from its habitual somnanbulance. The tunes are as striking as anything penned by Brian Wilson; however, they also contain some strange psychic liquid distilled through the emotional falls and glides of the albatros, Martin Carr. On this album he and the band risk their lives to extract these tunes from the undiscovered country where dwell spectres indifferent to the fears and hopes of schmuks like me. Just when your life seems dominated by your stupidity an album like Giant Steps reminds you that there are characters like Martin Carr that have courageously travelled to the edge of our banality and found mystery drifting in rivers just beyond our ken. Everytime I hear this album it peals with an intensity of joy mixed with craving for that something that both saves and destroys us. But best of all this album reminds me that these glorious songs switch an extra chamber in my mind that enlarges my megre existence. Thank you Boo Radleys for this gift.

5 comments about Whiplash.

1. How anyone who claims to appreciate music can dismiss this album is beyond me. Whiplash is one of those classic albums that one listens to from beginning to end (on repeat). I bought this when it first was released more than a decade ago and it's still in my regular rotation of music, both at home and in the car. As another reviewer points out, it's amazing for driving (also for working out), with a steady churning percussion that balances the whole thing, and then colored with driving guitars and some of the band's most hopeful lyrics. "Gotta keep faith that your path will change/Gotta keep faith that your love will change, tomorrow" and "You hold the chalice/You hold the plate/Bring them together and see what you've made." Every song is filled with yearning, rage, reclaiming power and setting wrongs right. I love this album.



2. james were never a revolutionary band .ok brian eno produced this album.so what? he produced laid too which is a 5 star album...
   
   they followed this with the equally dull Millionaires
   
   avoid both,especially this
   
   buy Laid and Seven instead



3. I saw James in a small club during the Wah-Wah experimentation stage which was recorded at the same time as Whiplash, not more than a year after they opened for Neil Young's accoustical tour. Both shows were excellent (despite one of Neil's "fan's" complaints about Tim Booth's lack of vocal quality; LOL!), while at the same time completely different.
   
   Whiplash does a wonderful job in melding these two experiences. The relatively 'tame' Laid music shows up (Tomorrow, Homeboy, Avalanche) with some of the electronic Wah Wah explosion I heard in the small club (GreenPeace, Go to the Bank, parts of Play Dead) and we get some additional Eno looping trance stylistics (Watering Hole, Blue Pastures). The end result is a whiplash of musical styles and vocal offerings that are alternatively heavy and light, hopeful and resigned, passive and angry.... quite an emotional rollercoaster.
   
   Add to these the exceptional lyrics throughout --highlighted by the aching social commentary of "Lost a Friend" -- and you get a rare complete listening experience.



4. Unlike some other listeners I did not accidently purchase this album, nor was I disappointed. Creative bands continually explore their sound, unlike some bands (ie. Bush). "Whiplash" is different than their CD's "Laid" (which was mellow) or "Millionares" (which is heavy on the synth side), this release boasts powerful guitars, classic James lyrics and a different direction. Overall this reminds me of their Gold Mother disc, which was fun and unpredictable. Their sound is unique to other releases and more resembles the extra songs from their "Best of" CD like Runaground & Destiny Calling. There is more James than Brian Eno on this disc unlike "Laid" or "Pleased to meet you" which were heavily influenced by Eno. If you like the more upbeat James you've heard check this release out. A great selection for the car by the way, especially when driving at high speeds...



5. Everyone has his own taste in music, and for that reason it's a very sebjective matter. First of all, I love James. That said, I consider this their best album because it moves me the most.

   Of course, if you aren't familiar with James, I recommend The Best Of, which includes three tracks from this disc: Tomorrow, Waltzing Along, and She's a Star. One thing I've noticed about James, though, is that the songs on their albums that appear on The Best Of have a very distinct quality. And in some ways they give only a slight indication of what each album is like. On Whiplash, the other songs are wonderful and wonderfully different from those three.

   Lost a Friend is by far my favorite track with it's harpsichord sounds in some parts and great guitar rifts in the others. And moving lyrics that take notice of our absorption in our televisions and the violence we see there from other parts of the world and our own militaries.

   This album also seems experimental in booming bass rhythms and a dance-like quality (dance club). But that description is poor and don't let it suggest that the lyrics have suffered because of it. The new sound adds just another facet to James (one that you hear more of on Millionaires) that you don't hear on The Best Of, and perhaps wouldn't dream of hearing if you've only heard, say, Laid.

   Whiplash, except perhaps for the most recent Pleased to Meet You, is James' strongest social critique. While the subject matter can be sad (or saddening)-- like a pleading mother earth (Greenpeace) or a harsh attack on what seems like a materialistic American culture that loses itself in the TV and the mall (Go to the Bank)-- this disc has elements of hope, unfortunately mixed with despair. It opens with a song urging its listeners, no matter how awful things may be, to keep holding on 'til tomorrow, but the album ends with the line "Blue Pastures fade away."

   This is a good album. Some apparently disagree with me, but I consider this essential James. It's proved, to me, even more essential than The Best Of, but, of course, I'd still recommend that as the place to start for those who haven't heard of James.

5 comments about There There.

1. There There, sadly, does not follow the usual Radiohead tradition where the b-sides rivaled the a-sides in quality. This time around, the a-side is clearly the superior track on the disc, representing Radiohead's pressured retreat to guitar-oriented space rock a la The Bends. Not the song with the most impact from Hail To The Thief, but very good nontheless.
   
   Paperbag Writer sounds like it was written in one afternoon. It's a combination of Yorke's muddled vocals and disjointed keyboard sounds hovering behind him. The only thing going for it is Colin Greenwood's bassline. Where Bluebirds Fly is just 2-plus minutes of keyboard noodling, accomplishing nothing.
   
   This is disturbing, considering that Radiohead's past singles have been regarded as something of a work of art in their own right, from the Pablo Honey singles up through Amnesiac. The Hail To Thief singles yield nothing of the sort, with the possible exception of Go To Sleep #2. This time around, all of the goods went to the album.



2. Being a devout Radiohead follower, I had to plunk down my coins for this single. I was already impressed with the Go To Sleep b-sides, and was thrilled when I heard these 2 new tracks. Track 1 is just the album version of There There. Track 2 Which is called Paperbag Writer, is a great Radiohead song, but is easily identifiable as a b-side. Thom and the boys tend to put these melancholy songs aside and then they pop up when they need to fill a single with extras. Track 3, However, was worth the price of this cd on it's own!!! Where Bluebirds Fly. This track got me up on my feet and moving like no other Radiohead song has before. The melody is haunting, the bass is pure trance and the hushed vocal chanting seams it all together. Be warned: This is only for the die-hard Radiohead fan, casual listeners should just buy Hail To The Thief and take it from there(there).



3. Track #2 is simply the best Radiohead b-side since "talk show host"...pulsating bass, amazing lyrics, haunting sound. Don't listen to the morons that say it isn't up to par....Track #3 is good, but very similar to the Amnesiac sound....



4. We all know There There is a good song, and a great first single for the HTTT album, and I was anticipating these songs greatly. Well, they don't dissapoint here, with 2 songs DEFINATELY not meant for the HTTT album, but are great nonetheless on their own. Paperbag Writer is nice, funky, and shows colin's bass expanding in its part of the band's sound, like on Punchup or I might be Wrong. Next is Where Bluebirds Fly, a totally experimental-sounding track which will, I'm sure, annoy the hell out of anyone not as open-minded as myself at first, but give it a couple listens, and the deep groove and airy keyboards will hook and hypnotize you. My only reason for not giving this single 5 stars? because there are 3 songs!! Jeez, I just paid the same price for the Flaming Lips - Fight Test single, and that has 7 songs totalling about 30 minutes (well, one is almost 9 mins long, but hey).



5. "There there" the first single off of "hail to the thief" is an amazing song, guitar driven and laid-back at first, and then it gets even better. One of the best tracks on the album. Especially because of the wonderful lyrics and beatuiful vocal arrangements that start to fill up the track.

   The b-sides contained on this single are not nearly as amazing as the b-sides for "amnesiac," they resemble the kind of production featured on "fast track" and "fog." From the first beat driven, gloomy "paperbag writer" youll notice the lack of production and the fact that this tracks seem unfinished. Most notably youll see that there are no guitars on this tracks, probably because only lead singer Thom Yorke and producer Nigel Goodrich partially worked on them.
   The third track is "zhere bluebirds fly" a more experimental track, also beat driven, filled with very light orchestra arrangements and quiet synths as well. The only instrument not used here that was used on track two is the bass, which is probably why this track feels so loose.

   This cd is definetibely only for collectors, if youre a radiohead fan, and just want to listen to the tracks, im sure you can find other means to do so than buying this album for full retail price. Like buying it used here on amazon.

5 comments about Travel Edition 1990-2005.

1. This is my first and only cd by this group, but I think it is great! Good variety, fun party/background music. I love it!



2. OK, so if you're feely like a little silly dancepop, get this CD. You won't be disappointed.
   
   My fav tunes:
   1)Avenue(Edit)
   2)Sylvie
   3)He's On the Phone
   4)Mario's Cafe



3. I never thought I'd say this, but this it the worst that Saint Etienne has put out. I've always been excited to see new Saint Etienne discs, but this was bad... I felt I had been taken.
   
   Before I'm bashed, let me explain...this CD is a repeat of a lot that has been produced already. The only new stuff was the instrumentals and they sounded a lot like existing stuff too.
   
   For any new Saint Etienne fans, I think your money would be better spent on "Tiger Bay", "Good Humor" or a compilation disc. Even Sarah Cracknell by herself is good stuff.
   
   Try to steer clear of this CD.



4. saint etienne fans are apt to throw around superlatives like 'pop,' 'nostalgic,' 'glittery,' and my favorite: 'sophisticated.' and i admit i count myself as one of them. fortuntely, all those superlatives are true. saint etienne, quite simply, is the *best* pop band of the last twenty years.
   
   subpop's 'best of' release (which was hardly necessary given the number of saint etienne 'best of's' out there: 'too you to die, smash the system, etc) is a nice introduction to the band, despite some glaring omissions (how can any 'best of' not include 'you're in a bad way?' criminal!). however, given the breatdth of the saint etienne catalogue (upwards of 300 songs not including remixes -- that'd add another 150 or so), any 'best of' will fall miserably short of truly representing the band's stylistic wanderings and deviations. what's most striking about this collection is how dance-oriented it is. an overwhelming majority of the tracks selected are more suited for dance floor. 'he's on the phone,' 'like a motorway' and 'action,' for example, are prime examples of saint etienne hitting all the right groove-buttons; but saint etienne never rested on their laurels. it would have been easy for st etienne to stand back and keep churning out catchy pop songs (and really, who did it better?).
   
   sadly, some of the et's finest moments ('the process,' 'i buy american records,' 'clark county record fair,' 'california snow story,' 'spring,' 'leafhound,' 'marble lions,' 'former lover,' etc ad naseum) will never reach the casual fan's ears. it's a shame, but i can rest assured that any saint etienne is better than no saint etienne.
   
   in the end, this is a nice intro to those who've never had the experience of hearing the band before; but saint etienne fans, rabid and completist as we are, will most likely buy this for 'fascination' and 'primrose hill' (an acoustic intrumental version of 'soft like me) simply because we have to have it, and doesn't subpop know it. damn them. =)



5. ...it's what the pop music SHOULD sound like.
   I love Saint Etienne and have been in love with them for a very long time. I love their slow ballads (Carn't sleep), their dancy stuff (Hug My Soul), their instrumental songs (Dunnottar), the experimental (Interlude), and even the spoken samples between the tracks (St. Etienne fans know what I am talking about).
   They are pure geniuses and I hope they keep it coming. Just remember- they are a lot more complex than they seem at first. Give them a chance and you will be more than glad.

5 comments about Reaching to the Converted.

1. This is an album that's grown on me very much in the two years that I've owned it. The first Billy Bragg cd I owned and heard was "Back to Basics", and I loved it from the start. But as with "The Internationale", I wasn't too keen on this one at first. Unlike "The Internationale", which I still only like to listen to once in awhile, this cd's become a real favorite of mine. I loved songs like "Shirley", "Sulk", "Accident Waiting to Happen", "Bad Penny" and "Jeane" from early on, but as time has gone by, I've come to love just about every song on here--romantic or political, upbeat or slow tempo. Simply put, it's an amazing collection of songs, and surprisingly cohesive for a compilation album. The instrumentation is great, and when Bragg sings, it's done beautifully on this album. And of course, the lyrics are witty and clever as always, with plenty of catchy, and beautifully written and played songs. I'm torn between four and five stars; right now I'm going with four, but give it a month or two, and it'll probably have risen to five in my book.



2. Irreverent, creative, and exploding with energy, Reaching to the Converted is one of my favorite Billy Bragg CDs. I still listen to it quite often even though I bought it in 1999. It contains, "Walk Away Renee," which is among the finest songs of his oeuvre. I also like the Rickenbacker sound of this version of "Shirley" which is quite beautiful. "Bad Penny" and "The Boy Done Good" are outstanding tracks as well. The time Johnny Marr spent with Bragg is on display here, and practically anything that man ever touched turned to gold.



3. Billy Bragg's socialist politics, expressed both in his image and some of his more laborious music, have done a lot to obscure just how sublime a pop singer he can be. On this compilation of b-sides, Bragg fans find an engaging mix of covers, alternate takes, and invaluable originals. Bragg demonstrates not just his songwriting chops but also a real knack for interpreting - primarily evidenced by his gorgeous cover of the folkie chestnut Heart Like a Wheel. The Bragg original Ontario Quebec and Me may just be one of the most achingly beautiful love songs ever written (although for my money Mary Lou Lord's version - an obscure b-side itself - is the definitive reading, even if she can's seem to recall recording it in the first place).
   
   I'm not sure what this says about Bragg, but I really think this compilation of leftovers is his most consistent album. Perhaps despite the title, it's certainly one of the only cases I can think of where a rarities collection is an ideal starting place for the uninitiated.



4. ... as a fan of Billy's since the release of 'Talking with the Taxman...', I bought this thinking it was exactly as titled, something for us 'Billy' fans, and it did NOT dissapoint... those of us in the 'States' had missed out on alot of what was released in England... that being said... the original of 'Accident Waiting to Happen' has much more power as a song, and 'Greetings...', in it's original version is also much better... the rest of this LP is fantastic throughout (including those re-made songs)... I've put songs from this LP on mix-tapes for friends, and they're never disappointed... it's wonderful how you can tell in each stage of Billy's career that 'this song' was an outtake from this album, and 'that song', was an outtake from this... and then there are his hits from England that we never got to hear until now.... amazing that one of my favorite artists ever could come out with the most 'essential' B-Sides LP ever... why couldn't XTC have done this?



5. Billy Bragg is not only a political activist, but the guy can sing a good ballad too.
   There is a sampling of both here; from the beautiful heart-wrenching cover "A Heart is a Wheel" to the politically infused "Days Like These" to the purely pop hit "Shirley" this CD has it all.
   A fine introductory collection of Bragg's differing musical stylings.

5 comments about Setting Sons.

1. Setting Sons is a disappointment, but that in no way means it is a bad album. It is widely known that the album was originally conceived to tell the story of three friends in an English Civil War. The tracks that stick to this concept ("Thick As Thieves", "Little Boy Soldiers", "Wasteland", and "Burning Sky") are all five star efforts. One would imagine that if this concept was met to completion Setting Sons would have even been greater than All Mod Cons, The Jam's previous effort. The rest of the album is still good, although I personally prefer the original version of Smithers-Jones released as a b-side. Many have commented that Heat Wave seems unnecessarily tacked on, but it isn't an awful cover, so the more the better. The Eton Rifles, though not traditionally considered part of the original concept, could fit in with it quite easily. All in all, definitely worth the purchase if only for the initial concept tracks.



2. This is the album where they went from a startup, raw, garage band to now, a more fully accomplished muscial force.
   
   For their first 3 albums, there were plenty of chestnuts, a lot of angst and a lot of promise. It all came together in this more mature, polished effort.
   
   The musicianship was far better and expanded beyond three chords, the arrangements were more complicated, the songs were longer, and there were more instrumental solos.
   
   It is so ridiculous that they were called a punk band!
   
   Bruce Foxton's bass is real muscular and mixed right out front (It seems like U2 utilized this sound for their band 5 years later) His playing for many of the songs established the main melody while Paul Weller's guitar slashes in and out of the songs. Bass fans should enjoy the unqiue (for the time) production of a bass player in a band having his instrument so prominently featured.
   
   Standout songs are "girl on the phone" "thick as thieves" "little boy soldiers" "saturday's kids" "Smithers Jones" and "heatwave (an energetic yet unexplainable cover of the Motown song. all of these songs were so english, it's practically a concept album and then, out of nowhere, they do a r& b song. "Going underground" was not originally on the album, its an extra yet that is probably the best song on the cd.
   
   The only drawback to this is how really, really Brittish the subjects of the songs were. This probably prevented American acceptance.



3. This is in my opinion, the definitive work of The Jam.
   
   This album is smarter than All Mod Cons, but also exerts more independence than Sound Affects. It finds the happy medium between the two.
   
   This is 'The Jam' before they descended into a Paul Weller solo device, when Weller was restrained just enough to move past his tendency to just pay homage to his musical influences.



4. The Jam's November 1979 release Setting Sons is generally considered to be one of their 3 best albums. Inexplicably, however, it is also considered to be the weakest of those three. The only reason for this seems to be that it is neither All Mod Cons (its predecessor) nor Sound Affects (its successor), their other two great albums. Sadly, this underrating of Setting Sons obscures the fact that it contains some of the band's best material and one of their finest singles. (Why only one? Because the 3 other brilliant songs from this era were released as singles but not featured on albums.)
   
   Much of the underrating of Setting Sons can be attributed to the overrating - in hindsight - of their third album, All Mod Cons. The greatness of this album is probably confused to some extent with its significance. AMC was their great leap forward, and proof that their sophomore slump would not cause them to flunk out. So the importance of this album should not be underestimated, but neither should its greatness - bountiful though it is - be overrated.
   
   Setting Sons was a highly anticipated album. Not only was it the follow-up to The Jam's breakthrough, it was also preceded in the eight months prior to its release by two top 20 singles - "Strange Town" and "When You're Young". While these songs would not appear on the new album, they did confirm The Jam's status as one of the more important bands in the UK at the time. When the album was finally released in November 1979, it reached #4 in the UK (and #137 in the US) and was accompanied by the band's highest charting song to date, the explosive #3 single "The Eton Rifles". It had been reported prior to release that the album would deal with the concept of how 3 childhood friends had changed as they became adults after a modern-day English civil war (described in the song "Wasteland"). In essence, it was to be a Weller-generation version of The Kinks album Arthur,or: The Decline and Fall of the British Empire. (The two albums do make very good companion pieces.) About half of the 10 songs on the record addressed this theme directly. But when listened to as a whole, only the first and last tracks -the latter being a cover of "Heat Wave" - seem to have nothing to do with the intended concept.
   
   Setting Sons has been criticized for being too "mature", but since Paul Weller was only 21 when the album was released, perhaps "precocious" is a better word. The album kicks off with the gleefully playful - yet somewhat cynical - "Girl On the Phone". Then come the songs that form the core of the album's theme. The songs take on such issues as dissolving friendships, aging, war, and selling out. The anti-war track "Little Boy Soldiers" is particularly good, pre-dating the Falklands War by a few years and also containing the eerily prescient line "God's on our side and so is Washington". (I don't know if Margaret Thatcher ever said that, but Tony Blair probably has.) The remaining songs contribute to lesser degrees to the album's theme. Foxton's finest composition, "Smithers-Jones", is basically The Jam's version of The Kinks' song "Shangrai-La", with its tale of a middle-aged man who has worked his whole life only to see it amount to nothing. (It also has an instrumental nod to The Kinks' "Victoria" at the end.) "Saturday's Kids" vividly depicts the misadventures of contemporary British youth. Finally, "The Eton Rifles" is plucked straight from the papers, with Weller railing against snotty students' disrespect for workers.
   
   Musically, The Jam is a formidable trio of players, and the fact that they are not virtuosos is part of their strength. Paul Weller is an extraordinarily capable guitar player. I know that does not sound like particularly high praise, but it is. He knows exactly how to craft his guitar work so as to give each song the distinctive flavor that made The Jam so unique. Be it chords, riffs, or solos, the patented Jam sound springs effortlessly from Weller's fingers, and never for a moment does he sound like a show-off. Bruce Foxton's bass playing is good enough to qualify him as what Jake Burns - his current band's lead singer - calls him: "one of the all-time greats". His trademark ominously punky bass lines give the perfect touch to "Private Hell" and "The Eton Rifles", and his punchy, more straightforward playing fills the space beautifully on "Girl On the Phone" and "Saturday's Kids". And while rock critics will forever struggle to find a non-perfunctory way to compliment drummers, the fact is that a band as energetic yet focused as The Jam needs the perfect backbeat to speed them up and slow them down. Rick Buckler fits this role to a T.
   
   Paul Weller sings from several points of view on Setting Sons. At times, he is the 21-year old who he was in 1979 ("Girl", "Rifles", "Soldiers"). At others, he is an adult singing in the first person ("Thieves",
   "Burning Sky", "Wasteland"). Finally, he is sometimes someone slightly older than himself commenting on the grown-ups around him ("Private Hell", Foxton on "Smithers-Jones"). The loss of ideals as one grows older is of particular concern to Weller: "we watched our ideals hopelessly unwind", "ideals are fine when you are young", "the smouldering ambers of yesterday". It is the loss of such ideals that leads to unhappiness later in life: "we're no longer as thick as thieves", "We'll watch the rain fall/Tumble and fall/Just like our lives". This unhappiness takes the forms of broken friendships, unhappy marriages, alienation from family, and unsatisfying work. While ideals may seem helpless in the grip of hard reality, it is only by sticking to them and making them a reality that one can avoid being stuck in a "Private Hell".
   
   In the songs described above, Weller is singing from another's perspective. He does so beautifully, but hearing him sing from his own perspective is always a unique treat. He is at his cynical and punky best on "Girl On the Phone", "The Eton Rifles", and "Saturday's Kids". "Girl" has Weller commenting on how his fame has made him so recognizable that even a girl who he cannot identify knows his "leg measurements and the size of his c*ck". In "The Eton Rifles", Weller caustically spews his disdain for privileged students, ridiculing on their love of rugby, their ties and crests, their brand new shoes, and their "untamed wit". He knows damn well that the ivory towers will not protect them forever. "Saturday's Kids" finds Weller singing in a whimsical (and less cynical) tone about a group of youngsters he may be too old to be part of now, but to which he will always belong in his heart. He gets all the details right: the boys with their beer and football (soccer) games, the girls with their cheap perfume and discos, and their parents with their Capston non-filters. (And let's not forget the "v-neck shirts and baggy trousers", which come off in the backs of cars with predictable results.) The influence of Ray Davies clearly trumps that of Pete Townshend on this record.
   
   The 2001 CD re-issue of Setting Sons features 9 very valuable bonus tracks. Individual singles were released as many as 8 months prior to and 4 months after the release of the album. All three of them - "Strange Town", "When You're Young", and "Going Underground", their first #1 single - are all included among the bonus tracks. Also included are the wonderful "The Dreams of Children" - the double A-side of "Going Underground" - and two indispensable B-sides: a version of The Who's "So Sad About Us" and the brilliant "See Saw" (the B-side of "The Eton Rifles"). The latter is particularly valuable not only because it is probably The Jam's best non-political, Who-inspired pop song, but because the only other place it is available on CD is the 5-disc box set. The re-issue is topped off by "Start!", the #1 single from the forthcoming Sound Affects LP.
   
   All things considered, this version of Setting Sons is an ideal first purchase for a Jam newcomer. It captures one of the greatest post-Beatles bands ever at their youthfully energetic but tightly focused best. The newcomer could also opt for Snap! or Greatest Hits for a career overview, but for a snapshot of a terrific band at their peak, the 2001 re-issue of Setting Sons cannot be beat.



5. I still remember buying this album when it was first released...I was 12 at the time. All I can say is WOW....it knocked me over then and still does today. Living in the UK at the time with all the political turmoil etc. this album really hits home. Songs like Eton Rifles sum up the British class system perfectly......lyrics like "All that rugby puts hairs on your chest....what chance of you got against a tie and a crest" hit the nail on the head. Smithers Jones perfectly decsribes the pitfalls of the rat-race...."...Work 'till you die....'cos there's plenty more fish in the sea to fry". It's all great stuff. The whole album is a classic although "Thick as Thieves" is my favourite track. The production on the album is first rate and it's amazing that a power trio sounds like an orchestra.....the musicianship is out of this world. I would rate "All Mod Cons" and "Setting Sons" equal in terms of musical stature....IMHO "Setting Sons" marked a turning point in the band's direction. The song writing on this album is superb. If you haven't heard the album or just want to flash back to a more musically stimulating time go and find a copy. I still have my original LP (vinyl) with picture sleeve :-) Enjoy.

5 comments about Hopes and Fears.

1. Somepeople tend to compare KEANE with Coldplay. I could say KEANE is somehow inspired by Coldplay but in no way it is a B class Coldplay. This is a masterpiece debut wich contains some songs that qualifies as perfect 4 minute pop songs such as Somewhere Only We Know and Everybody's Changing. A interesting fact is that in this album there are NO GUITAR. With is great because I rather have an excellent piano playing all over than a mediocre guitar as a merely filler. The voice is so fine, so polished, so relaxing that this is a perfect album to listen to while driving, while spending time with your significant other, in the pre sleep hours or in the first hours of the morning. It will certainly lift up your mood. Oh, and by the way relaxed and polished in now way means cliche or cheesy.



2. the 5.1 mix is fantastic! thanks for releasing this most excellent album with a 5.1 mix! highly recommended!



3. Keane has got to be the best band to come along in years, if you love brilliant pop music (esp. of the UK variety). Keane songs are indeed brilliant.
   
   Every track on this record is amazing. Most are upbeat, but even the slower ones stick in your head.
   
   I hope this band writes more stuff FAST. And how about a concert DVD or two? If you haven't heard them live yet...they're even better!
   
   BTW, I haven't had a single problem backing up a Dualdisc yet. I like to back up all my CD's so I don't have to worry about scratching them, etc, and store the originals in a safe place. I've backed up both the CD and DVD sides of my Dualdiscs on recordable CD/DVD's no problem. I'm a Mac/OSX user, though, so I'm able to back up even copy-protected CD's without issue too. Can't speak for windows OS.



4. I fell in love with this music in the first 5 seconds of the first song I heard. In one sense it is alot like Coldplay but it also has it's own unique sound and style. I have listened to each song hundreds of times and I will never get tired of it! Their music is wonderful and the lyrics are so amazing! If you like Coldplay you will love Keane.



5. I really love KEANE and Hopes and Fears, and the enhanced version is really cool. I love it because you actually get to see the music videos. There is MUCH to see on this Duel-disc! I highly recommend purchasing this, and the second album once it's released in 2006. Keane is the best thing that's ever happened to me, their music will change your life.

2 comments about Image Has Cracked-Punk Singles Collection.

1. I first got this album after hearing the song "How Much Longer", I loved it so I thought I would check the album out. When got it and started listening to it I was a bit suprised and skeptical at first (i mean the first track really isn't even a song). But as I listened to it more and more the more I began to like it. Not all the songs were what I would have expected them to be but some of their weirder stuff is really great! Highlights Include: How Much Longer, Life, Love Lies Limp, Another Coke, Good Times, You Bastard, Action Time Vision, Why Don't You Do Me Right, Life After Life, Spitting In Two, and Viva La Rock and Roll (as you can see I really like this album). This album might not be for every punk fan seeing as how it goes way out of the lines of classic style punk but if you like post-punk like experimentation and 77' style punk you might want to check out this album.



2. You are sitting in your small room but your mind is like a ballroom!

   Alternative Television are a hard band to categorise, born in the punk era, but influenced by a wide variety of styles. This is their ground breaking first LP. Although not that well known, it has definitely stood the test of time! It features a mixture of live and studio material, inter-spliced with samples and experimentation, eclectic rhythms, reggae, and even a great cover version of "Why don't you do me right?" (By Frank Zappa). The album not only captures the mood of the times but is a must for any alternative music fan.

   This is one of the reasons I don't understand why it doesn't get the respect and recognition that it thoroughly deserves. It's a classic slice of music history, punk history and the musical melting pot that was happening during the late seventies. Highlights include Good Times, Still Life and Viva La Rock `n' Roll (which features a youthful Jools Holland). The CD release also includes all the relevant 7" singles the band cut at around the same time, plus a couple of alternate takes. All in all this is a great re-issue! The album sounds just as fresh today as it did the first time I heard it.

   This has to be one of the most important records to come out of the punk era so if you are into the Pop Group, PIL, Can, The Fall, Zappa, Beefheart, Pere Ubu etc then you need to own a copy of this album. You will not regret buying this!

5 comments about Back to Basics.

1. A must-have for any Billy Bragg fan. Despite the fact that politically charged music these days tends to risk sounding a bit contrived (or at least dimly uninsightful), Bragg's lyrical brilliance and the crunch of his lone electric guitar create a powerful, almost minimalistic, atmosphere where raw emotion and politics are united into a single elegant modern narrative.



2. What I like best about Billy Bragg is his wonderful, quirky sense of irony. While he croons on about his working class `identity,' social justice, and the wonders of multiculturalism, he is careful to live in a posh mansion in 100% rural White Dorset - as far as one can get socially and geographically from the multicultural chaos, confusion, and high crime of his native Barking.
   
   Well done, Billy, keep selling 'Socialism' and 'Multiculturalism' to Guardian readers and keep living the good life in nice, White, safe, upper class Dorset. No doubt Tony Blair will make you a Lord soon. Meanwhile all your fellow working class Whites who couldn't escape from the socialist multicultural chaos of Barking seem to have started voting for the 'far right' British Nationalist Party.



3. While anyone who has only heard more recent Billy Bragg music may find this hard to believe, this album is a stunner. It has both politically charged gets-you-thinking music like "To have and to have not" and it offers some beautifully romantic, love songs, like "The Saturday Boy".
   This album should be regarded as a social document of what it was like to live in thatcherite britain. Superb.



4. This album is possibly one of my favourite albums ever. Most of the plus points about this album have already been covered, in the previous reviews; so read through them (the positive ones) and take their points onboard.
   
   I think, if you like folky guitar music and are prepared to put a bit of effort into this album (i.e. Give it a few careful listens) then I am sure you will benefit greatly from it.
   
   If you want a couple of standout tracks to listen to before you make the purchase, try 'St. Swithin's Day' - a song of greaty beauty and poetic ideals; and 'Between The Wars' - a song of pure emotion and a fantastic guitar arrangement.
   
   This album is a definite grower, and I'm sure after a few listens you will think the same thing.



5. this is a really good cd i like the fact there is only a guitar yet the whole album is never boring. the standouts are new england, to have to have not and others but the whole cd is great this is a must buy for a fan of music