5 comments about Very Best of Herman's Hermits.

1. Listening to this 2 CD set I was surprised not only at how many songs I remembered but how great many of them were.
   If you're a British Invasion enthusiast you will enjoy this set.



2. The Very Best of Herman's Hermits is a strong two CD set that gives us so many of the best from Herman's Hermits! They had a style all their own and their music is truly memorable. Yes, one could argue that there's a song or two missing; but this is still a rather comprehensive two CD set. The quality of the sound is great and the artwork is very nicely done.
   
   "I'm Into Something Good" starts the first CD with one of their biggest hits--ever. Herman's Hermits really sings this well and the beat is catchy--the percussion also helps to mark the best. Herman's Hermits could really do a rock song great--and this proves it right from the start! "Show Me Girl" has a rock flavor that is so typical of the style of this group--catchy, well written and easily memorable. No wonder Herman's Hermits were so successful! In addition, there's also "Silhouettes;" Herman's Hermits do a wonderful cover of this `50s torch song and the guitar work is nothing short of excellent--I love it! "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" was another huge hit for this group; and they sing this to perfection--and beyond! Herman's Hermits really delve into "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" to make this another one of their best hits ever.
   
   "Just A Little Bit Better" features the band front and center--great! They sing this so well; and they really outdo themselves on "A Must To Avoid." "A Must To Avoid" just plain sounds great and their sound is unforgettable. "No Milk Today" has great percussion and guitar work while Herman's Hermits sing this flawlessly. I love it! The modulations between major and minor keys really make "No Milk Today" a very good number. "There's A Kind Of Hush" is another excellent, timeless hit from Herman's Hermits; and it's definitely one of my very favorite tunes by this group. There's also "Just One Girl;" and this great tune ends the first CD really well.
   
   The second CD continues the hits. "Something's Happening" is a very sweet song about falling in love with your one true love; and "Here Comes The Star" has fantastic key modulations to make this number shine brightly! I really like "Here Comes The Star." "Years May Come Years May Go" has a well written arrangement and Herman's Hermits sing and play this with panache--great! Herman's Hermits are squarely in the spotlight--right where they belong! "Searching For The Southern Sun" has a folk rock flavor mixed into the rock arrangement to make this number stand out as a major highlight of the second CD; and wow, how they sing this one out proud! "Leaning On A Lamp Post" is another very good number with lots of positive energy to it.
   
   "I'm Henery The Eighth I Am" is another one of the greatest hits from Herman's Hermits--what a great rock tune! It still sounds so good even today all these years later. "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" is another unforgettable number; Herman's Hermits sing and play this with lots of feelings and I really like this tune. "Heartbeat" rocks really well; and Herman's Hermits do great on "Bus Stop." "Bus Stop" was another one of their very greatest hits; and there's no doubt as to why when you hear this famous ballad! The second CD also ends well with Herman's Hermits performing "London Look."
   
   Overall, you get 56 wonderful tracks on this two CD set; and Herman's Hermits was one awesome group. Thank you, Herman's Hermits!



3. I find it hard to believe that a collection of 56 songs on a total of 2 cd's doesn't include the song "East-West". I am dumb-founded. I know it's petty but I won't order this "collection" because of the lack of this song. What a shame.



4. I bought this 2 CD set to get all of Herman's Hermits many, many hits, and also all the B-sides. Plus, it has all the post-1967 latter day singles that were not hits in the USA. Even though I already had 2 other US greatest hits CD's, I still wanted this for all the additional songs. Too bad that it is missing EAST WEST. Even Morrissey covered it.



5. I'm so impressed with this CD.
   It's got all their greatest songs.

5 comments about The Best of the Walker Brothers.

1. I am very pleased with this purchase, it's wonderful to hear songs from my Junior High years.



2. The Walker Brothers: After the Lights Go Out is a collection of "the best of 1965 - 1967." Since I am primarily a devotee of Scott Walker/Engel's music this CD perfectly satisfies my need. It contains Scott's earlier pieces, such as Archangel and Orpheus, as well as The Walker Brothers' hit pieces, such as The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore and Make It Easy on Yourself. This CD is highly recommended for those who love both Scott Walker's and The Walker Brothers' music. Although most Americans seem unfamiliar with Scott Walker or The Walker Brothers, I can say here unequivocally that Scott Walker/Engel is one of the greatest musicians of the last half of the 20th Century, and that this CD functions as an introduction to his earlier work. As some people said, to listen to his voice is to be enchanted by it.



3. I've been a Walker Brother fan since the fall of '65 when I first heard "Make It Easy On Yourself" on the radio. These guys did their best work from '65 til '67 -then self destruction. They were always more popular in England than the U.S. but I don't know why. There are lots of Walker cds available on the inet now with most of them being imported from England. I say from experience if you're going to buy just one Walker Bros. cd this is the one. It's contains all their hits and some really good less familiar work as well. If some jerk wants to sell you his copy for forty something dollars turn and walk. If you do your research you can get one new for under $20. Highly recommended for Walker fans!



4. I can't say I know terribly much about the Walker Brothers, but a quick scan of their discography suggests there may not be all that much to know. An American vocal trio who enjoyed a string of British hits from 1965-67 and a brief comeback a decade later, they would seem the sort of act amply served by compilations. AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT must surely rank as a good one, at least as far as the Walkers' early work is concerned.
   Merging - at times even overlapping - Motown and Phil Spector sensibilities with grand theatrical frills and heartrending delivery, the Walker Brothers crafted some of the sixties' most dramatic ballads, the best of which have lost nothing after forty years. Scott Engels/Walker's full, clear low tenor, a compellingly effective instrument even when interpreting outright schmaltz, generally takes the lead (with good reason), though the other "Walkers," John and Gary, provide more than worthy support and (in John's case) occasional solos. To be sure, not everything works: there's some truly over-the-top stuff here, with soap opera lyrics, swirling horror-movie organs, hair-curling violins and an ambience worthy of Broadway at its brightest. But when these guys are good, they're unbeatable. The Drifters-influenced title track, "Love Her," "Make It Easy on Yourself," "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" and "Don't Say Goodbye" are all masterpieces, big and brash with just enough weeping melodrama to stick them permanently into the listener's memory after one or two plays. A number of other winners are in here too, as well as a few fairly laughable tracks; all fit, nevertheless. This is superlative mid-sixties pop, and I doubt that anyone, of whatever age, couldn't find something to love on this disc.



5. While certainly a decent Walker Brother's collection, I'd have to say you'd be better off buying their "Images" and "Portrait" cds which contain generous bonus tracks and numerous excellent songs not found here (such as Scott's "Geneieve"). The Walker Brothers (incidently they aren't brothers nor are any of them named Walker) recorded legacy is not that large so I'm not so sure that a greatest hits package is really the right way to go. If you just want "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" you could probably find that on any one of numerous sixties compilations, if you want to dig deeper you should go to their albums.

   I always like to think of the Walker Brothers as the Righteous Brothers meet Edgar A. Poe. They share that orchestrated white soulish type sound of the Righteous Brothers but with a darker more adventurish edge.

   The best known Walker Brother songs are all here, along with some lesser known gems like "After the Lights Go Out" or "Mrs Murphy". There are also a few amazing Scott Walker compositions, most notably "Archangel" that equal the standard of his solo work.

   Since the Walker Brothers are still pretty hazy to most people a more enlightening set of liner notes would probably have been helpful as well.

5 comments about Greatest Hits - The Hollies.

1. I still like the warmer sound of records, but this is a very nice collection.



2. I am a casual fan of Hollies and this double-CD have all the greatest musics from their career. Great!



3. This 2-disc set is definitely worth having. It has all of the Hollies hits, plus many tracks you'd only know if you were a Hollies fanatic. These guys could sing! Some of the 3 & 4 part harmonies remind me of the Beach Boys work, and it is also clear that Graham Nash brought that influence to bear when he joined Crosby, Stills and Nash (& sometimes Neil Young). I am thoroughly enjoying this 2-disc set!



4. Here is a band that produced alot of good songs.There is alot of songs on this disk that are well known,and still get alot of radio play today.The name was influenced from Buddy Holly.They certainly did have one hell of alot of hits this band.Bus Stop ,Carrie-Anne ,Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress ,Sorry Suzanne ,I'm Alive ,Dear Eloise ,and a personal favorite He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother ,Just One Look ,On A Carousel ,and in my opinion the best song of all The Air That I Breathe,i just love that tune.



5. Worth owning this compilation for the breathtaking "Pay You Back With Interest" and "Look Through Any Window." But how can you not love the jangly pop tunes & lush harmonies? They're all here "Carrie Ann," "On A Carousel," "Stop Stop Stop." A beautiful rendition of the Beatles' "If I Needed Someone." Didn't know a lot of the other "hits," but consistently tuneful. A great way to laze through a Sunday afternoon's drive.

5 comments about Hot Rocks, 1964-1971.

1. This is some of the best rock and roll music ever made and it is all you need if you want to hear The Rolling Stones' greatest music.
   
   This is music made when they were a great band --and not filthy rich corporate shills that rock out for aging, middle class and yuppie baby boomer corporate drones; while sticking it to the people with absurdly high ticket prices, all for the glory of their lost youth and Budweiser or whoever the corporate god is to whom they pay tribute on that particular tour.



2. The Rolling Stones fall into a category similar to the Beatles and Beach Boys in that they have had so many hits and songs that they will never have a good greatest hits album because of the large number of songs they recorded. This includes most of the hits for the 1964-1971 hits of the Stones. If you are a huge Stones fan, you'll need another album in addition to this one to have complete "SATISFACTION" to have a more complete collection of the Stones hits. Every song on this album is a "Hot Rock" and the album is worth every penny especially for those who like only the Stones' songs from the 1960s and very early 70s.



3. When you talk about greatest hits albums by rock and roll stars, this is on the short list of the all-time best of such compilations. The Stones' "Hot Rocks" records some of their hottest rock hits. One could argue that other songs deserved to be on this album (e.g., "I'm Free" or "Not Fade Away" or one of the better tunes from "Their Satanic Majesties Request"). Nonetheless, this stands up extremely well.
   
   The 2 CD set begins with some of the oldest hits--"Time Is on My Side," "Heart of Stone," and "Play with Fire." Then, one of their greatest songs of all, "Satisfaction" (with the great guitar work of Keith Richards on this one). There follow several songs that have very different atmospherics--from the softer sounding "As Tears Go By," "Ruby Tuesday," "Let's Spend the Night Together," and "Wild Horses." There are also the more raucous rockers like "Get off of My Cloud," the marvelous "Jumping Jack Flash" (with one of the classic guitar riffs of all time), and "Street Fighting Man," the raunchy "Honky Tonk Women," and "Brown Sugar." Among the most exciting of such songs is "Midnight Rambler," a live version of their "tribute" to the "Boston Strangler," with lines that are quite evocative. Another of those strange raucous rockers: "Sympathy for the Devil." Here, they tell the story of misery over time, with the Devil at the heart of Jesus' death, the Czar's Death with the Bolshevik Revolution, World War II ("I rode a tank while the bodies stank") and the American political murders of the 1960s ("Well who killed the Kennedys?"). There are also those songs that tell stories that make one reflect a bit, such as "19th Nervous Breakdown," "Mother's Little Helper," "Paint It Black" (one of the bigger downers among hit songs in the 1960s), "You Can't always Get What You Want."
   
   All in all, a wonderful compilation of their greatest hits from 1964 through 1971. So much quality material was produced that there was enough left over for the follow up "More Hot Rocks." While there is much good and even great Stones' material since 1971, there is nothing like the density of quality work from those few years. But, one wonders, how could there be?
   
   If anyone is interested in understanding the roots of the Rolling Stones body of work, this is a must buy.



4. The Rolling Stones were the original Bad Boys of rock. The Beatles and other groups of the early and mid-60s had a clean-cut image that the Rolling Stones deliberately flaunted with their facial expressions, appearance, and blues-influenced music that lyrically was more challenging than most other popular contemporary groups. The closest contemporary group to the Rolling Stones was Aerosmith, before they too became more commercial. Now so many groups attempt to affect a bad boy image that the image has been watered down and no longer has much meaning. But in the 60s, the Rolling Stones were the definition of rebellion and thinly veiled sexuality.
   
   This collection of hits recalls the Rolling Stones at their most rebellious and cutting edge. In the still relatively proper (read Victorian-like) year of 1965 the song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" bordered on being scandalous. When the boys sang with their shirts open with movements that pushed beyond Elvis Presley's hips, you knew that these lads were something different. Later songs such as "Let's Spend the Night Together" pretty removed the pretense of veiled sexuality.
   
   As the Rolling Stones moved into the late 60s their music changed steadily, frequently anticipating the direction of popular music. The ubiquitous sitar of psychedelic 60s music makes an incredible appearance in "Paint It, Black." Their music became heavily blues influenced in songs like "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Wild Horse." The vocals on the last song particularly were heavy, plaintive and emotional, very different from the Stones' early music.
   
   There is an on-going debate over the value of this CD versus "40 Licks." I do not have "40 Licks," which is also a fine CD. Many of the songs on this CD are represented on "40 Licks." However, "40 Licks" seems to me to belie the original Stones bad boy image because of the inclusion of so many commercial songs from the later decades of their career. "Hot Rocks" still provides the illusion of the original Bad Boy Stones at their 60s anti-establishment, rebellious best. Understanding the flavor you get from each CD, pick the one that fits what you want to hear, or buy both.
   
   The Rolling Stones were heavily influential in the 60s. The music on this CD represents that influence, and shows The Rolling Stones during their most consistently creative and stylistically unique best. This CD is a valuable recording for any collector of Rolling Stones music or cutting edge music of the 60s.
   
   Note that there is also an SACD version of this CD available, though at a price that is usually different from the price of this CD. Choose the version that best fits your needs!
   
   Enjoy!



5. This greatest hits package got me very interested in the Stones in the mid 70s and marked a major transition in my musical tastes from pop to rock, back when I was about 13 and just starting high school. While I was long tacitly aware of them, when I was younger, I simply didn't get them. Once I became a teen, I did.
   
   Covering on the first disk the Stones major hits, we see their transition from an r&b influenced band to a pop hit maker in the midst of swinging London, to a kind of dark, rebellious force in music (or so the press would have the world believe), exploring some rather dark, adult oriented, and/or political themes which had not apparently been explored in combination to quite that extent. Let's Spend the Night Together is the perfect track to end disk one, as it nicely segues into the classic Stones sound of disk two. It is here in which their sound becomes much looser and much more sensuous and primal. Rarely has a band written as many classic rock and roll songs as Street Fighting Man, Jumpin Jack Flash, Sympathy For The Devil, Honky Tonk Women, Brown Sugar, and Midnight Rambler. There would be more to come, but these songs, along with all the rest of disk two, are where the Rolling Stones secured their legend and their reputation as "the world's greatest rock and roll band." Who am I to argue with that assessment?

5 comments about Deep Purple Live in Concert 72/73.

1. I love Purple, this is the only DVD collection to show the true Mark II version of the band in their full 70's glory. While it's great to see, it's really not essential. The b/w Denmark show is good, and the camera work is alright, and the 73 color portion is a treat, the band in color, and how cool looking is Gillan in this. But man the camera work sucks and the audience is totally lame! If you are a diehard then pick it up, but if you can rent it first go ahead and do that before dropping an extra 10 bucks on this.



2. I was hoping for a more up to date version of Deep Purple when I bought this. The picture quality is lacking, the sound is good. But I wasnt overly impressed with this DVD



3. If you are a true Deep Purple fan from the late `60s and early `70s, from the era of "In Rock", "Fireball" and "Machine Head", and if are looking for a live concert performance from that era, then you have found it. This is it, and unbelievable and unlikely as it may seem that no other live performances of Deep Purple from that era were recorded and kept, this is apparently the case.
   
   The DVD consists of one complete MK2 concert performed in Copenhagen in '72, plus a portion of a concert performed in New York early the following year, and a small amount of "bonus footage" of the MK3 lineup recorded at California Jam in '94. The Copenhagen recording is the only known complete video recording of a MK2 live performance. That alone is saying a lot. It includes a performance of "Child in Time", although that is certainly not the best performance on the DVD. The New York concert is the only known video recording of the MK2 lineup performing "Smoke on the Water". Unfortunately, it is edited for length, but it is still excellent, and certainly better than nothing at all. The video of the Copenhagen concert is in B&W, and it isn't great technical video by any stretch, but it nevertheless captures the MK2 lineup at their peak, putting on an excellent performance. The New York concert is in color and the technical quality is much better.
   
   Being a true Deep Purple fan from those days, this DVD literally brought tears to my eyes, and a lump to my throat. When I do the math, the number I come up with is thirty-five. Can it really have been that long since the days when I put on the headphones and listened to three of my favorite albums of all time? How could so much time have passed?
   
   One final thought to share ... one of the reviewers here, a fellow named Francois Grenier, slammed this DVD, calling it "one for the garbage can", and used vulgarities within his review. He evidently bought it because he is a fan of Blackmore's later stuff and was interested in seeing some of his earlier stuff. Francois Grenier is no Deep Purple fan, and in all likelihood, has never owned a Deep Purple album, notwithstanding what he claims in his review. There is simply no way that a true Deep Purple fan from those days could not appreciate this DVD ... no way ... no how. It is unfortunate that he saw fit to display his ignorance in such a public manner.



4. ...I know that true Deep Purple fans won't like to hear, but...this DVD proves what many reviews over the years did have to say.
   The concert footage on this DVD shows one thing very clearly: that the classic MK II line up was not one band, but a band plus a guitarist. You can say about Ritchie Blackmore what you like, but he was NEVER a team player. And this shows very clearly in all performances contained here. We see Paice, Gillan, Lord and Glover playing aside a guitarist named Blackmore. There is no such thing as one band. The live album "Made in Japan" already suggested this, but here we get the final proof. Actually, as a later born and raised with classic albums such as In Rock, Fireball and Machine Head, I was rather disappointed. Not only did Blackmore's performance not match with the rest of the band's playing over large parts of the show, but also Gillan's screaming (could not rate this as singing even under hard and heavy standards) gave me one or the other shudder. So, if you want to hear my (juvenile) advice, stay to the original albums and not waste your time with this one. It may destroy whatever image you have of this classic rock band. Everything else seems more nostalgy than real criticism.



5. The set list is tremendous and seeing the boys from their heyday in 1972 - 1974 is just awesome. The major complaint concerning this DVD concerns the camera work. For the first four or five songs of the Denmark show, the director must have been tripping. When Blackmore launches into a solo, the camera lingers on Gillan, then catches a bit of Glover, then back to Gillan, etc. Later on there is great footage of Blackmore and Lord soloing, and the camera work during Ian Paice's drum solo is superb - as is the solo itself. My God! How does anyone move sticks that fast?
   
   Well worth buying, but be prepared to curse a few times during the opening half-hour as you HEAR Blackmore but don't see him.

3 comments about Something Else by the Kinks.

1. "something else' by THE KINKS is a phenomenal cd! the songs tell tales of many different class-people places and the suttle enjoyments of every day life.."afternoon tea"..The wit and humour of Ray Davies is so true to form with the jaunty song"Harry Rag"-"tom's old ma is a dying lass soon theyll reckon she'll be pushin up the grass and her bones mite shake and her skin mite sag as though shes got the strength to have a Harry rag"..need I write more. This is true Genius at best! Waterloo sunset ai another great track on this cd..and boy that is a lovely song.."everyday i look out the world from my window..but chilly chilly is the evening time..waterloo sunsets fine.." MARVELOUS!!! this is a great cd for any one intrested in classic english writing!!



2. The previous reviewer's remark about Sanctuary "blowing it" is worth noting. But I think it is important, for anyone approaching the Kinks' catalog, to realize that this is probably the band's single best album---and that is saying something. And whatever its inferiorities to the Japanese import referred to in the previous review, I will attest that this CD sounds fine to my ears, contains all sorts of delightful bonus material, and is, unlike many Japanese imports, readily affordable.
   
   A newcomer to this band looking up the Kinks on Amazon.com would, up until now, see this particular record---a record that begins with "David Watts," ends with "Waterloo Sunset" (before the bonus material starts), and doesn't flag between those two rather dizzy peaks---slapped with a two-star review. This could lead to unthinkable consequences. Someone might buy *Come Dancing* instead, base his or her opinion of the Kinks on THAT, and never experience the pleasure of hearing one of the best albums of 1967---a year that witnessed as many, or more, great albums than any other in rock history. Consumer warnings of the audiophile variety have their place, but it's important that buyers know where to start. Start HERE, with *Something Else*, whether this version, the Japanese version, or an 8-track. It is an album no serious collection should lack.



3. I purchased this CD thinking it would be the latest and greatest as far as "Something Else..." was concerned. Unfortunately, not only was I disappointed with the mix, (compare "Situation Vacant" to the Japanese Stereo version released several years earlier), but I was also shocked to hear several tracks ending abruptly with crude fade-outs. "Autumn Almanac" sounded far better on the "Kinks Kronikles" set from 1990 - not to mention I got to hear Ray's final "yes" lyrics and Dave's backward guitar lines. Sanctuary blew it!

5 comments about More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies.

1. If you trust everyone to do good, bless your bleeding heart. If you've been burned, well well well.
   
   The Beatles always traded in the utopian moment, no surprise they always got the X-mas release. Say the word and you'll be free. The Stones described the waiting, the frustration, the lost moment. I can't get no satisfaction, you can't always get what you want ~ the key sentiment: can't. Even later, stoned and rich, Jagger convinced with I'm fumbling and I know my car don't start. Can't. Don't. Won't. And, later still, making love and breaking hearts it is a game for youth. You have to get older to sing a blues like that. McCartney you would think could achieve that but, no, hi hi hi instead. Now then. Big party tonight, booze and lose your clothes. Losers. I'll be working instead. Working alone. I got my pink transistor radio and it will be blasting elemental oldies. Can't get no. Can't always no, no and nope. Keyed up. I live in an apartment on the ninety-ninth floor of my block. Sexy and aggravated. Aggravated IS sexy. Wanna know the secret to life, love and happiness? It's SUPPOSED to piss ya off. I'd deny you nothing.
   
   If cleaning up after lazy slobs gets you off, then socialism is a dream come true.



2. When I bought this collection I was interested in one song that was not on any other Stones album at that time: "We Love You". From the closing of the jail doors (Mick and Keith had been arrested prior to recording this.)
   and the dragging of chains to the horns in the background this is just a goofy song. And if it sounds like there are too many voices for the Stones alone - John Lennon and Paul McCartney also sang on this recording. Because the single did not do well in the US (#50 on the Billboard Charts) It was not included on the US release of "Through the Past Darkly (Big Hits, Volume 2)" although the flip side, "Dandelion", was. Since then it has also been included on both "The Singles Collection: The London Years" and "Rolled Gold+: The Very Best of the Rolling Stones". Now....if someone can put out the Beach Boys / Jan & Dean / everyone sounds drunk version of "Barbara Ann"..



3. Hot Rocks - Big Hits & Fazed Cookies, is an amazing early collection by the Stones. I had the album back in 1981 but lost it. Amazon gave me a great deal on the CD, and with new digitized sound, the Stones are better than ever! I highly recomend it.
   Gary Kent
   Satisfied Amazon Customer



4. I just love this record - it has the lesser known Stones gems, especially from their psychedelic era, together with then-unreleased early songs. This shows a more mellow side of the Sontes... TLA cinema in the early '70s used to play the second LP between movies, and listening now brings it all back...
   
   The sound on this reissue is excellent and natural, I hear details not evident in the LPs I bought when they first came out.



5. Don't get me wrong I love the Stones, but "More Hot Rocks, Big Hits & Fazed Cookies" shouldn't have been released in 2002. Why? Most of this material could have been bonus material on the appropriate albums, but I understand show biz greed. Also, fans may have fond memories of this album, such as my brother, who I bought this for. One big problem he had was the opening track, "Tell Me," which was longer than the LP version back in the 70's. I can't believe no reviewers have noticed this, and that was one of the key reasons he wanted this collection; and it's not there! I call that tampering with history wouldn't you? Another problem he had, was the bonus material [disc 2] screws up the running order he so fondly remembered.
   
   If you're buying this for nostalgic reasons you may be disappointed. If you are new to this collection it might be just fine.

5 comments about Sunshine Superman.

1. Donovan was there, he hung out with Dylan, Joan Baez and listened to the Jefferson Airplane before anyone else had. He was at the apartment with Dylan and the Beatles, at THE party that changed music forever. (See Scorcese's "No Direction Home"). Herein are psychedelic fairy tales designed to calm down bad head states. Music exploded with the Summer of Love, this classic was first, more than a year before that, recorded '65 and '66, before the whole thing started. Much of it deals with troubador Donovan's troubled love affair with model Linda Lawrence, sometimes girlfriend of Brian Jones, the golden Rolling Stone. This album is a first in many ways, folk, folk rock, jazz, blues. First to use sitar, table, tambura. It is full of King Arthur, Narnia, knight errant, and Alice in Wonderland themes. Arrangements by Mickie Most and John Cameron are miraculously creative.
   
   "His crystal images they will tell you 'bout a brighter day" as Peter, Paul & Mary once said. And this album is chock full of those crystal images, images that make you weep at their beauty.
   
   Starts off with the psychedelic superhero "Sunshine Superman" who is dealing with Linda, and "could have tripped out easier but I've changed my ways"....
   
   "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" where her Narnian "knight goes to battle with his confused mind".
   
   "Twelve Kingfishers", not Three, the misprint remains, you can see them dive in your minds eye.
   
   The girl who get her hair caught in the "Ferris Wheel" is like the pre_Raphaelite painting of the girl who traps the silver clad knight in her long blonde hair.
   
   "Season of the Witch" full of striking dark Novemberal images that made Steven Stills, Bloomfield and the Jefferson Airplane cover the song years later.
   
   "The Trip", an early acid commercial with Alice in Wonderland imagery, banned on nearly all radio stations, except underground ones, in the sixties.
   "...a seagull said, as I looked to way out then/
   The whole wide human race is taking far too much methadrine" (it was true in '66, it's even truer now.)
   ...Girl, you drank a lot of 'drink me', but you ain't in Wonderland"
   ... Bobby Dylan he sat, the Mad Hatter, broken hourglass in his hand/ and Joanie sat in white lace, looking cool with her black lace fan".
   
   "Fat Angel", talks of the Jefferson Airplane, a then unknown San Francisco group who would "take off" a year later, Fat Angel Mama Cass Elliot, of the Mamas and Papas and Captain High - Jerry Garcia of the then unknown Greatful Dead. "He will bring you happiness in a pipe/ he will ride away on his silver bike...Fly Trans-Love Airlines get you there on time/ Fly Jefferson Airplane, get you there on Time...".
   
   This was the ultimate insiders, hip album in 1966, before the word "hippie" was coined. Original album had not one bad cut. In this version, good until you get to some of the lesser inclusions like the underage "Superlungs, my Supergirl".
   
   This IMPORT, though not perfect, captures the sound of the original LP, much better remix that previous versions. A good trip from beginning to end. Captures the authentic Spirit of the Sixties. Recorded after "Bringing it all Back Home" and BEFORE "Revolver"! Harpsichord, sitar, tabla, and eastern instruments would be used on many other people's future albums, but this one was first.
   
   This is one of the greatest albums of all time, finally presented in a way that does justice to the original LP. One of those albums that never gets stale, fresh as it was in mid 1966.
   
   BTW, in the mid 60's Donovan was considered Dylan's equivalent and then later people put Donovan down because he was more poetic (and fantastic) and didn't involve himself in social commentary. Dylan and Donovan are quite different, there is no earthly reason to like just one!



2. Well, here's a blast from the past... I've owned the original album for many years (since it came out in 1966, in fact), so was intrigued with the opportunity to pick up a sonically cleaned-up version with no fewer than seven bonus tracks. I still think it's a great work. 'Season of the Witch' is one of the 60s' defining tracks, 'Sunshine Superman' still holds its own as a pop track, and all the rest continue to shine as an ensemble showing the way toward myth-, lore-, and jazz-influenced pop. This was actually quite a creative album, mostly recorded in late 1965 and early 1966 just before similar explorations by the Beatles and others. I've always been a Donovan fan, and this is arguably his best album (and also his most commercially successful, I think). One of the least noticed things about Donovan's music from this period is how he integrated a blues and jazz sound into many of his compositions--this is more evident on "Mellow Yellow", the next issue, but even here one can strongly feel those influences having been absorbed on 'The Trip,' 'Bert's Blues' and 'Three Kingfishers.'



3. I've been listening to this record for 40 years now. It is an amazing, piece of music. I'm glad to see that others have enjoyed it as much as I.



4. Other reviewers have delineated the technical brilliance of this album. I would not have much to add or subtract from their observations, except to affirm that the clarity of the mix enabled me to hear things I had never heard before, which injected new life into some well-worn tracks. The rest of my comments will be unapologetically subjective, possibly because Donovan has an odd way of reaching each individual at a personal level, though his stance is usually an acerbic but kindly, somewhat detached observer. In the musical firmament of the '60s, Donovan was the Pleiades, the mystic purple star system where faerie visions came and went, suggesting spiritual and sensual doings of an evanescent and yet intense character. No one else was even close. "Purple Haze" was the pile driver version of the grail at the end of that quest. "Sunshine Superman" was the lyrical version. Funny thing is, Donovan's songs still take you there, if you let them. I grew up in the SF Bay Area, and the Flower Power movement (if you could call it a "movement") emerged about the time I got my driver's license. I went in search of it, borrowing my parents' car. (Incidentally, the term "Flower Power" was coined by a reviewer of a Donovan concert who noted the flowers he tossed to the audience.) Maybe I found a little piece of the dream one fine day with a girl who seemed to know the power of silence, but for the most part it was illusion. I wanted to believe, but reality kept conflicting. Then I attended a Donovan concert at the Fillmore. For that two-hour moment, which was actually of infinite duration, it all came true. Like the gateway to the Pied Piper's Kingdom, the door is now nothing but a rock wall, but it is hard to forget having been among the elves for a moment, and the one who played the pipes that transported me there. Donovan's music suggested the beauty possible in a '60s mindset, and no album suggests it better than "Sunshine Superman." Think what a miracle it was to hear so much groundbreaking, diverse, and original music exploding all at once, and here was this guy singing songs that fitted it all perfectly, and yet didn't belong in any one stylistic camp or category at all. This quality of poetic vison and independence from convention still comes through today, surprisingly. Donovan's music brushes off the dust that tried to collect on its robes, and keeps on walkin', shimmering and catching the dreamlight. There is no absolute definitive interpretation of any of the songs. I think that's what you'll like about them. They're like kaleidoscope images that attract different parts of your soul on different days. Some of it is silly, and yet overall there's something profound about it. There are classics on this CD, such as "Sunshine Superman" and "Season of the Witch." But there are some underrated wonders here, too, such as "Bert's Blues," which is kind of a jazz/pop soliloquy on the "To Be or Not To Be" question. I will always be nostalgic for a belief in Peace and Love, even if the dream is deader than JFK, RFK, and MLK. But maybe another place and time? If you were there, you know what I mean. If you weren't, this might be your ticket. And if this isn't a five-star experience, then what is?



5. I note that this has been remastered and has additional songs, but the original vinyl of Donovan's 'Sunshine Superman' is one of the most enjoyable listening experiences in my collection. Donovan was an original, and yet you hear elements of the Beatles and Harry Nilsson in his music as well. It would be classified as psychedilic folk/rock. Yes, the songs play like one long drug trip, but the imagery is extraordinary and allows the listener to legally and vicariously see what some of these sixties musicians saw when they were stoned out of their minds. I really enjoy the Tolkein-esque imagery of the songs and the whimsical, child-like nature of the lyrics. The instrumentation includes all kinds of instruments one found in the late sixties on experimental rock albums, such as sitars and oboes and strings. The resulting sound is lush and accomplished. This is a great album, and though I don't know how the CD versions stack up, the vinyl is awesome and clear.

5 comments about The Who - The Kids Are Alright (Special Edition).

1. I ordered this DVD on January 16, 2007 -- I can't believe that I didn't write a review at the time -- and I've played it so many times that the grooves are getting worn out. No, seriously, I'm so worried that it will get scratched that I just ordered two more copies.
   
   I was a Who fan. This DVD turned me into a raving Who fan. It starts out with a bang (a real one, complete with drum shrapnel and burning hair) and ends with a blistering live performance of WGFA (Won't Get Fooled Again) from 1978 -- Keith Moon's last public performance with the band. There's also a live version of "Baba O'Riley" from the same session in 1978, and magical footage from Woodstock of Daltrey singing "See me, hear me, touch me, feel me" as the sun breaks over the horizon and floods the stage. Makes me want to have been there even more than Hendrix's performances do.
   
   I just watched "Live at Isle of Wight" (as well as the Woodstock footage), and the '78 live versions of Baba and WGFA are every bit as electric as the performances in '69 and '70.
   
   The bonus material is also fascinating: if you look at what they did during the restoration and audio cleanup of the original release, your jaw will be hanging on the floor (if you like such things).
   
   This deserves twice as many stars as I can give it. No offense to anyone who doesn't like it, but how that's possible is beyond my comprehension.
   
   Long live rock.
   
   P.S. You should also get your hands on the DVD about the making of Who's Next: amazing, truly amazing -- behind the scenes info from Townshend, Glyn Johns, and many other people involved with the production of the record. It answers a lot of questions, like "Is that a *violin* at the end of Baba O'Riley?" (Yes, played by Dave Arbus) and "Is that a synth loop?" (No, but you'll have to listen to Glyn Johns's explanation because I don't quite understand it)



2. This wonderful film has at last been restored to its original cinematic glory. I went to the Rialto in Leicester Square, London (where the film had been premiered) to see it in 1979, and this DVD brought the whole terrific experience back to me. TKAA was butchered for VHS release, with many little details thrown out: In many ways, the details are what makes the story of The Who fascinating. They highlight personality traits of all four members: Moon's reckless lunacy, Daltrey's pragmatic presence, Entwistle's wry stoicism and Townshend's restless energy. Of course the concert and TV footage is priceless. Any rock fan will be enthralled watching this. You don't have to be a Who fanatic. God bless the 'Orrible 'Ooo!



3. If you don't already own this restored version in HD,you'll think I'm exaggerating. If you do already own this,or have seen it...excuse me,EXPERIENCED it,you'll know I'm telling the truth. Also, you obviously have to be a WHO fan,but that should go without saying,right? If there's a fire,I'm grabbing THIS DVD on my way out the door!!! Scare the neighbors,blow up the speakers, just RAISE HELL with this MAMMOTH MOTHER.
   The fact that it opens with the FBI warning shaking as if a giant were about to smash through your screen is a pretty accurate opening. Somehow this movie had gotten past me for 29 years!?! Can't explain why,been a Who fan since 1969, sure I'd seen clips from it, but man, did Jeff Stein do a GREAT JOB !!! Anyway, don't hesitate if you're considering this...trust me, buy it,you WON'T be sorry, and...may you find a seller as CONSCIENTIOUS as I did ("shawnek")...they packed it so well, it might have withstood dynamite!!! Great seller,great DVD, LIFE CAN BE GOOD sometimes !!!!



4. I have a friend who watched this DVD recently one night . He suffers a bit from sleep-disorder. He says he had absolutely NO chance of sleeping after the undiluted deluge of adrenaline which is the Who on this album. It makes contemporary acts seem lifeless, over-rehearsed, calculated, calculating and inhibited.
   
   Not these guys. Man oh Man!



5. This DVD starts from the begining when Roger and Peter were in High School and takes you on their journey of building the band and their successes and failures. Their shakey ride to the top of the billboards. Keith Moon with his insane lifestyle and untimely death. John Entwistle's death in Vegas while "The Who" toured the U.S.. At last solidifying the friendship between Roger Daltry and Peter Townsend to a higher spiritual level of love for each other, from the memories of the past. Never before seen interviews and concert clips galore. A must have for all "Who" fans out there. ***** 5 stars

5 comments about The Book of Taliesyn.

1. WOW, I love this album!
   
   While many people may think Deep Purple wasn't *that* great just before they found their original hard rock/heavy metal sound only a couple years later, when it comes to pretty vocal melodies and above average songwriting skills, I have to give this album a perfect 5 star rating. It's just too wonderful NOT to give it a perfect rating!
   
   "Kentucky Woman" has PERFECT vocals. They're memorable, exciting, and you wanna sing along with them. That's how you know a song is good. I can't imagine anyone hating this song, in fact!
   
   "Shield" shows signs of the heavy metal version of the band that was about to be born. You can sense it here. "Anthem" is the GREATEST song on the album. I absolutely love the vocals in this song. "River Deep- Mountain High" contains more exciting vocals, and lots of interesting arrangements as far as guitar playing and keyboards go. It's mostly about solid songwriting that goes through a bunch of different vocal melodies and neat arrangements. What a great way to end the album.
   
   This is one mighty fine Deep Purple album, folks.



2. A killer album by any standard. You can look at it as a great psychedelic album, well-composed and amazingly well performed - this was a cut above the psychedelic music from other bands of the day who could barely play their instruments, let alone write sophisticated music. Or you can look at it as a proto-progressive album which nails down the early progressive style better and more consistently than the early Nice albums (The Nice are credited to be the first band to fuse classical music and rock, thus creating progressive rock, but that needs to be reconsidered, and Jon Lord's position as a keyboard master next to Keith Emerson should be acknowledged). The covers are weaker part of the album with the exception of Kentucky Woman, a killer Psycho-R&B hit single, although progressive instrumental interludes keep things interesting (Note the skill with which they work a Tchaikovsky theme into the intro to We Can Work It Out). The orinals are more exciting, ranging from art-rock balads that rise to great mellotron swells and fall into a baroque melancholy, to complex proto-prog anthems with extended virtuoso instrumental passages. The band interplay is very tight, the production very decent and the music a testimony to Deep Purple's role as prog-rock pioneers. Along with the following two albums, this is an early progressive rock classic and a must in any prog rock collection.



3. As a long time Deep Purple fan,I have waited for these albums to be put on CD.While some of the music may not be what we have come to expect from the band,they do show the early formative years of what has become the finest hard rock band in the world.A true collector's item.



4. Most Deep Purple fans came about with Mark 2 (Ian Gillian on lead Vocals) But Mark 1 was pretty darn good (with Rod Evans on lead Vocals). And the Book of Taliesyn is the best of the early Mark 1 stuff, But Shades of Deep Purple rocks as well, Oh Heck I love em all. It has a 60's sound, but it rocks. We start with Listen, Learn, Read on and it rocks. The on to Wring that neck is a jam and they use to stretch it out 15-20 minutes in concert. Then a good version (cover) of Kentucky women, never really like the song but there is a good musical section hear that is very nice. The on to a rocking cover of we can work it out with a cool intro called explosion. On to shield Anthem, and a great cover of River Deep Mountain High (which would be done in 20 minutes versions live as well), witch finishes the original album. This re mastered version sounds great, and has 5 bonus tracks. This is a must get for any DP fan.



5. Originally released in 1969, what was this-like their second album? Apparently, there has been some confusion over which remaster and which label this title has been reissued on. No matter, this Spitfire release I have sounds freaking G-R-E-A-T! Worthy of many, MANY spins in your home entertainment system. Killer cuts here include "Listen, Learn, Read On", "Wring That Neck" (Jon Lord's keyboard playing here is unbelievable), Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman", their Beatles cover "We Can Work It Out" and the stellar ten-minute epic "River Deep, Mountain High". Plus, there's five bonus tracks tagged on in which three are from a BBC Top Gear sessions show. Very nice. Top of the genre, must-have early British hard rock to thoroughly take in here. You won't regret it.