2 comments about The Battle Rages On....

1. A great 25th anniversary album, which has only gotten better with age. What surprised me was that the UK version has different mixes than the US version. Some of them are pretty similar, but if you know the album well (like I do), you'll hear the differences.
   
   Either version has so many great tracks: The Battle Rages On, Anya, Time To Kill, Ramshackle Man, Twist In The Tail, Nasty Piece Of Work and Solitaire. Pick it up while the price is still pretty cheap.



2. This is my favorite of the post-reunion Deep Purple - and it's hard to compare to the 70's days, as it definitely has a more updated, 80's metal sound (although this came out in the 90's - but "90s" metal implies to me power, death/black, grunge, nu-metal, etc. - this is still rock-based, guitar-riffing, metal like Judas Priest, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, etc.) The songs are great, the musicianship is great - you've still got (for the last time) the classic "Machine Head" lineup of Gillan, Glover, Blackmore, Lord, & Paice. If you like classic metal, get it!

5 comments about The Rubble Collection, Vol. 1-10.

1. Rubble Vol 1-10 has some tracks well worth the money (ex. Lovley People, Bluebird Wood, Place In The Sun and Upside Down)but in all the cd's only have maybe 3-4 worth wild tracks on each CD. But I guess it depends on what you like. It is a good stepping stone to see what kinda psych. sound you would enjoy, because it has about everything on it.



2. To compare this set with "THE NUGGETS". Would be somehow missing the point.
   I feel that the NUGGETS sets are somewhat for the extrovert. Or someone who has a casual interest in the music that didn't quite make it. And wants to impress friends.
   This rubble set along with 11-20. Can do no wrong in my eyes. For someone who is more into music in all its experimental states from a past but most productive era. We are talking psycadelia at its finest (Not just by the bands that just missed out because of under promotion).But by bands that had Zilch promotion. But were experimenting as they wished(IE Noone told them what the formula was!)
   Check out the Dutch bands on Volume 9. It's all there in a box. And this Box set is a Must buy! Along with 11-20.
   BTW> Elitists may say DON'T BUY! (They want to keep this music to themselves) No way! I say. Everyone should hear these sounds.



3. Some silly person wrote that the Nuggets II album had all you needed and wanted, so that there would be no reason to buy this. Wrong: the utterly obscure and wonderful freak beat stormer Grey by The Hush is not there, the over the top tounge in check psychedelic gem Nightmares in Red by the Brain is not there or the not so obscure psychedelic groove classic 10000 Words In A Cardboard Box by Aquarian Age is not there. I could go on and on. Not all here is fantastic, but hey you get 10 Cds with some really hard to get stuff, so what the @#$# do you expect. To compare this compilation to the Sundazed Psychedelic Microdot Volume 1 collection or the "Teenage Shutdown" series tells us more about the mind-altering substances that person have been using the last decades, than anything about this classic series of albums from the early 80s. Though I like both series mentioned, the Rubble stuff is in a league of itself. Now if you don't have much freak-beat/psychedelic stuff you might do well to dig into the two Nuggetsboxes, which truely are for the novice (make sure you get Floyd's Pipers while you're at it), the Rubble albums were never intended for beginners, but for people who have a habit to support and find it harder and harder to get one's kicks. Well this then is the real thing and if you really want to impress your friends with cool stuff they have never ever heard of then this box is for you. Run and buy.. AND SO SAY ALL OF US.............................



4. No...the previous reviewer is not correct in asserting that the songs on here are on Nuggets. Some important ones are, but not all of them. Actually some very very essential songs are in this box which do not appear on the Nuggets series.

   That is not to take away anything from the brilliant Nuggets box sets. They are great. But not the end all.

   I must admit, there is quite a bit of British psych which I will take a pass on...especially the horrendous endulgence on the harder edged soul/r&b/pysch fusions from 68-72. Some of this stuff appears on Nuggets as well.
   Some great stand outs here though by Cymbaline/Spencer Davis Group/The Attack/Wild Silk and others which you wont find on Nuggets.

   I do agree with other poster though...get your hands on some Sundazed Records issued stuff...coming in October...THE GURUS!!!




5. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this collection when I first found out about it- How could I go wrong? Well, sadly I did and it was quite an expensive lesson... I'm constantly on the look-out for obscure 60's gems and I've found quite a few that totally blew me away but... sadly "Rubbles" isn't one of them. I don't want to say that the collection is a total waste as there are quite a few very strong tracks that'll certainly hold your attention, the problem is that these tracks are all included on the far superior Nuggets II collection surrounded by much stronger and more consistant material. Pick up the Nuggetts II collection, S.F Sorrow by The Pretty Things and the reissue of the Tomorrow cd (with the extra tracks)and you'll have hours and hours of great listening ahead---for anyone looking for great Psychedelic compilations that feature some pretty obscure stuff, check out the Arf Arf label (some really great stuff here) as well as the Sundazed Psychedelic Microdot Volume 1 collection---for some REALLY obscure stuff, check out the "Teenage Shutdown" label...

3 comments about Gimme Some Lovin'.

1. The Spencer Davis Group may be the most underrated group in the British Invasion. The band had a tight, swinging sound, a nice balance between guitars and keyboards, and a tasty selection of musical influences - not to mention rock's greatest white-soul singer (Stevie Winwood). Their albums featured some of the best British blues and R&B, along with pop-rock to rival what the Beatles were doing at the same time (this was pre-"Sgt. Pepper," after all). Perhaps one day the SDG will finally get their due.



2. British Blues and rock and R&B all remastered. Cd opens with their big hit "Gimme some Lovin". Winwood is superb all the way through. People don't know what they are missing and should pick up these back issues 'cause man they rock.



3. I had this album in J.H./H.S. and now have it again, and it's still a great album - but can ANYONE tell me what that girl's SAYING on Track 15 "I'm Blue" (Gong Gong Song)?

5 comments about Live on the BBC.

1. Some of the previous reviewers say this is disc 2 of an old vinyl live album with a couple of extra singles thrown in. Maybe so - I didn't own the record, but this is a hybrid SACD, and the DSD mastered CD layer sounds great. This is to be expected since it is from Audio Fidelity; Everything they do is as good as todays technology allows. If you'd like a primo sounding '72 Deep Purple concert CD, this is the ticket.



2. I'm a big fan of Deep Purple, since the end of the 70's! I collected all of their albums! so do not get me wrong that I give this SACD only 3 stars! because the cd is a new reissue of LIVE In CONCERT 1970 - 1972 which had been released on vinyl for 18 years ago. And there is one thing you have to pay your attention is, that all Deep Purple reissue CD's are the marketing money maker strategy that the fans should really hate!
   The songs are digital remastered, but not different than the old Vinyl release in 1981.



3. I tried to get a track listing for this disc from various internet merchants, but to no avail. So I ordered the disc and was disappointed to find that the material is not new. It is currently available in another, preferable context: "Deep Purple In Concert" ("two complete 1970 - 1972 recordings"), a 2 CD set released on Spitfire in 2001. "Live on the BBC" is a single CD "produced under license from Spitfire Records" in 2004.

   Audio Fidelity seems to have licensed the music on the second disc of "Deep Purple In Concert," had it remastered by Steve Hoffman and Lon Neumann, and added two also-previously-released tracks, 'Hush' and 'River Deep Mountain High' (also remastered from the already remastered--and readily available--early Deep Purple albums on Spitfire).

   As "Deep Purple In Concert" was digitally remastered (by Joe Lambert) in 2001, the need for an SACD remaster is less than compelling to me (unlike the Dylan remasters). The additional tracks seem remarkably inappropriate to me because the main material is a live Paris Theatre (London) performance on March 9, 1972, of "Machine Head" material, the "new" album at the time, whereas the additional tracks were performed in the studio by a different, earlier lineup (Deep Purple MK I). Deep Purple released four albums in between, and the additional tracks don't seem to have any particular relevance to the later songs and performances.

   The purpose of the original and still available "Deep Purple In Concert" was to present two complete Deep Purple concerts by the same lineup featuring significantly different material. It succeeded, in my opinion. I'm not sure what the purpose of "Live on the BBC" was, but I am sure it doesn't succeed for my purposes. To make matters even more awkward, "Deep Purple In Concert" costs about the same.

   Oh yeah, the track listing on "Live on the BBC" is wrong: every track is off by one due to a live-concert-type introduction that is given a track listing (1) of its own. So, 'Highway Star' is actually track 2, not 1, and so on.

   The stated track listing to "Live on the BBC" is as follows:

   1. Highway Star
   2. Strange Kind of Woman
   3. Maybe I'm a Leo
   4. Never Before
   5. Lazy
   6. Space Truckin'
   7. Smoke on the Water
   8. Lucille (Special track for SACD only)
   9. Hush
   10. River Deep Mountain High




4. I have the DCC version of Made in Japan and this dosent come close for qaulity of sound.Both remastered by Steve Hoffman so what went wrong. I think it has to be the master tapes.Live at the BBC is only for die hard fans like myself who just want to hear the different interpretations of songs done live. Being an SACD I was hopeing for a lot more even from Made in Japan. Unfortunately SACD dosent help. Lets now hope they bring Made in Japan out on SACD. Now thats a master tape well worth the SACD improvement. I give it 65% for sound and 90% for music.



5. Been waiting for this one to come out since the 70s, when I recorded the broadcast off the radio. The performance was made about 2 months prior to Machinehead's release. Easily the best live Deep Purple performance I've heard. The sound is CRISP and the whole band is on fire, tight as heck and groovin throughout. Blackmore in particular is brutal...especially on Highway Star and Space Truckin (both better versions than on Made in Japan). IMHO, this is the definitive Deep Purple recording. A special bonus is the treatment of some songs from Machinehead I'd not heard live before. If you like Deep Purple, buy this one...I can guarentee you that you will not be disapointed...it will be more like OMG!!!! OMG!!! OMG!!! This recording sums up the essence of the band as I will always know them and love them..

2 comments about Sf Sorrow: Resurrection.

1. Released at a time when all the art-rock outfits were producing 'concept albums', with connected themes, instead of just collections of songs, this is one of the top 5. The writing is at times quite brilliant.
   There's a new 2 CD version out, with the original disc and also a live recording from the late 80s (?) featuring Arthur Brown as the narrator, and David Gilmore on guitar and voice. Get it, you'll love it!



2. When I first listened to the first CD of the original album, my first impression was that the stereo mix was horribly annoying. The same method that was used on Sgt. Pepper, which also bugs me, was used on this classic album. How can anyone enjoy all the music coming out of one side and all the singing coming out of another? It is not at all musical. Wouldn't one rather enjoy eating a finished, baked cake instead of choking down the flour, eggs, sugar, and cocoa separately? People have been saying the single CD (without the excellent Resurrection CD) had a good stereo mix, hopefully different from this one. The actual songs are great, no other concept album could capture such a whimsical (yet dark) mood. The psychedelic effects (while some think are dated) I think are neat to hear, and give the album it's special flow.

   As I mentioned before, even though the band members are getting rather old by now, they can still work their psychedelic magic 30 years later with the help of David Gilmour, the second guitarist for Pink Floyd. The narrations by Arthur Brown give an alluring mood, and help the story move along. All in all, the set is worth it for the live performance, and try and track down a mono (or better stereo) version of this underrated and classic album.

5 comments about Live at Leeds.

1. First time I heard this was over FM radio wearing headphones lying in bed, listening. They played the whole thing and they had short interval of somthing weird and then played the next cut, did this for the whole album, it was 1970 somthing.
   IF you havent listened to this whole thing with real headphones without distraction, do it, trust me, do it, I would not lie.
   Good lesson for guitar players also.



2. It's The Who. Live. At Leeds University. Duh. How come you haven't bought it already? Powerful live set from seminal rock four-piece, blah, blah, sizzling energy, innovative songwriting, blah blah....Keith Moon....buy it. Listen to it. Have mind blown.



3. Amazing live album is all that i have too say for this. The drums are absoutley amazing Keith Moon is probaly one of the greatest rock drummers of all time his peformance is great here. Pete Townshends guitar is great and everybody in this is really doing great on there instruments.
   
   This may just be one of there greatest peformances of all time it has the energy and they sound just really great here i think all the live versions sound great on here
   
   If your a big Who fan like me buy this album today you wont be dissapointed...



4. Really horrible sound quality, and the band must have been totally wasted...Apparently with so many for sale , others thought the same.



5. I'm not a huge fan of The Who but this record is undeniable. The band is on fire and at a creative peak. I actually like the single disc version more than the double (I'm not a fan of the Tommy material, sorry). Everyone needs a copy of this.
   
   If you like high energy R&R like this and MC5, Stooges, Ramones, etc check out Mighty High...In Drug City.

3 comments about I'm a Man.

1. The previous two reviews really do capture some very strong reasons to purchase this CD, but the version of "Georgia on my Mind" on this CD is the reason you will play it over & over again. It's a shame Amazon doesn't have a clip of that song for you to preview because it is truly one of the strongest versions of that song and one of Steve Winwood's great pieces of work ever.

   If for no other reason, and there are so many, buy this album for this incredible version of a wonderful R&B song.




2. The Spencer Davis Group may be the most underrated group in the British Invasion. The band had a tight, swinging sound, a nice balance between guitars and keyboards, and a tasty selection of musical influences - not to mention rock's greatest white-soul singer (Stevie Winwood). Their albums featured some of the best British blues and R&B, along with pop-rock to rival what the Beatles were doing at the same time (this was pre-"Sgt. Pepper," after all). Perhaps one day the SDG will finally get their due.



3. Lovingly remastered by Sundazed records. Of course the cd starts with their monster hit " I'm a man". Absolutely amazing to think that Steve Winwood was only 15 - 17 yrs of age with this group, excellent guitar , keyboard and vocal. This cd has British blues, rock and boogie and is just what the soul needs if you are into 60's British Invasion era music.

3 comments about The Hollies/Would You Believe?.

1. Many of the beat groups from the original British Invasion have drifted off into obscurity. Some justly so, while some unjustly. One band that doesn't deserve the fate of being a member of one of the forgotten beat bands is surely The Hollies. They were there from nearly the beginning, and are a shining example of the finest of the British Beat Groups, with their upbeat tempos, ringing guitars and soaring harmonies. They were fine pop craftsmen who were able to cover many other artists' songs, often surpassing the original versions. Take for instance the all-time classic I Can't Let Go, contained on the album Would You Believe?. A truly great song that deserved to be a major hit in the US but failed to achieve any airplay, this song is so superior to the original that it renders the original obsolete. The Hollies were also able to cover songs from groups as diverse as Peter, Paul and Mary to Buddy Holly to The Impressions, and make them their own.
   
   The Hollies were no slouches in the songwriting department, either. Both discs shine with Hollies originals such as: When I Come Home To You, Too Many People, and I've Got A Way Of My Own. These two albums seem to lean more towards cover versions, although The Hollies themselves preferred to record more of their own material. That, I believe, is the general weakness of The Hollies, and one on which helps perpetuate their rather unknown status as a great rock and roll band. Because they truly were, as a cursory listen to these two albums shows.
   
   The Hollies, which was released in 1965, contains mostly cover versions, including some great ones: The Very Last Day; You Must Believe Me; and Lawdy Miss Clawdy. Their own material is sparse, but generally good. Most songs on the disc are keepers, none are throwaways, and the overall album is very good.
   
   Would You Believe? is The Hollies true last beat record. Released in 1966, it is the last one before the band bowed to Graham Nash's desire to basically forsake their beat roots and go psychedelic. The record has the greatest ( IMO ) Hollies song of all: I Can't Let Go. It also has other great covers, including Take Your Time - as good as the Buddy Holly original, but in a different way; Don't You Even Care (What's Gonna Happen To Me?); I Take What I Want; and That's How Strong My Love Is. Would You Believe? is another classic Hollies record. Together, both albums on one cd is a must have for any fan of British Beat music. Or any fan of strong beat, soaring harmonies, ringing, jangly guitars and tightly crafted rock and roll songs.
   
   The Hollies could seemingly do it all. They were huge in England, but didn't manage to get a hit in the states until Bus Stop, a sad departure from their true beat roots ( although not too bad a pop song ). Do yourself a big favor, and buy this disc. Then do yourself a bigger favor, and buy all the music they made up to these albums. Take it from someone who has most of their stuff ( well, 1966 and back anyway - you know, the good stuff ) on both cd and vinyl. While The Hollies may not be quite forgotten, they are certainly more deserving than history has remembered them.



2. 2 Albums for the price of one, you can find 10 songs on here you like. The sound of The Hollies is amazing, I fell in love with them all over again, even on the dingiest of tracks their vocals soar. Play with the balance control is you don't believe me, isolate the vocals on I Can't Let Go and you'll see what I mean. They are the Everly Bros. with 3-part harmony on speed. I try not to let my taste get in the way of my reviews, because otherwise this would have got 4 stars. Great if you're tired of the hits and want to hear some earlier stuff from them.



3. These two original albums were first released in 1965 and 1966. Compared to their two previous albums, the first thing that strikes you is how the songwriting partnership Clarke/Hicks/Nash had grown. On the first albums most their songs were more or less filler. Strangely enough they still used the psudonym "Ransford" for their song-writing credit.
   
   Here most of their songs are highlights on the albums. On "The Hollies" "Very Last Day", "Too Many People" and "So Lonely" stand out. Their version of "That's My Desire" is great too!
   
   On "Would You Believe Me" their material is even stronger. "Hard Hard Year", "Fifi the Flea" and "I've Got a Way of My Own" are simply great. On this album the material is generally much stronger, making it one of the essential albums of 1966. They bring new life into Buddy Holly's "Take Your Time". The single "I Can't Let Go" is incredible catchy and irressistable. And finally my favorite on the CD the old country classic "Stewball" - magnificent vocal harmonies!!
   
   Especially "Would You Believe" is a clear indication that even greater songs and albums were too come. After this album the band began to write many of their hit-singles themselves, and the vast majority of the songs on their following albums were Clarke/Hicks/Nash material.

2 comments about Five Live Yardbirds.

1. It was fun to compare the progression and developement of the live guitar work of Eric Clapton when with the Yardbirds and troughout the years. It has pretty decent sound for a live recording from that time period!



2. Ignore commentary that this was "the poorest" version of the Yardbirds; it is only "poor" if you prefer artistic nuances like raga stylings and instruments to great raw live shows. Portions of this material were originally available in the US as just one side of the LP "Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds," our first taste of how hot the band was in concert. Our first real exposure to Eric Clapton's power, so how can you lose? Ultimately "Five Live" arrived at our shores and now we have several versions available to choose from, so be careful which one you buy so you don't feel left short.

5 comments about Hits, The Singles A's & B's & Rarities.

1. As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" I am often asked to write or discuss recordings from the 60's and 70's.
   
   The Move to those that know their music was one of the most underrated bands to come out of the 60's rock scene. Their genius worked against them as far as the masses were concerned. They were too esoteric for many. This should been another reason to appreciate their ability and not attempt to sweep them under the shag carpet.
   
   Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, and Roy Wood would go on to great success with the Electric Light Orchestra but back in another galaxy there were great songs of psychedelia, pop, and a bit of rock that rolls titled "Blackberry Way", "Flowers In The Rain", and "Fire Brigade."
   
   If you haven't checked out The Move in years or are finally taking the plunge (Good move) you must let the creative nature of the group grow on you. Listen to the complete recordings straight through without any superfluous background distractions. If the first listening did not make you a believer that is okay, this is common to many. Don't file the music away. Keep it playing and you will notice each time you hear one of their tunes they seem to get better and better. The brilliance was there all along but it takes us humans awhile to adapt to the better things.
   
   The sound quality is fine. Part of the charm of the 60's music and early 70's is the recordings have a sense of warmth and honesty and not a computer deciding how a mix should be presented. Your ears will enjoy this release!
   
   Be well always,
   Craig Fenton
   Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"



2. Don't listen to the guy who said the sound quality of this is aweful. The sound quality is actually a little better than the Omnibus collection, but that's beside the point.
   
   This is a great collection. So is the Movements box set...



3. Terrible sound quality! I have most of these songs in other CDs and there is a discernable negative difference in the quality of this CD. If you want to buy a good Move Album buy "Shazam" other wise buyer beware!



4. Not to be confused with the British OMNIBUS: SINGLES As & Bs which only contains material up to '69 (when The Move changed labels), this is a career spanning best of which will delight and surprise many 60s pop/rock fans. Surprise? Yes - it's taken me till 2000 to check out The Move's records and I've been buying 60s music since 1972. They should be up there with The Kinks, The Small Faces, The Hollies and even, possibly, The Who (with whom they have many stylistic similarities) as the greatest of The Beatles' rivals.

   In fact, don't buy this at all. One listen to the likes of "Fire Brigade", "Lemon Tree", "Curly", "Hello Susie", "Tonight" or "Do Ya?" and you'll want the entire catalogue:

   1) THE MOVE - German import with bonus tracks

   2) SHAZAM! - as above

   3) LOOKING ON - as above

   4) GREAT MOVE! - re-issue of MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY with bonus tracks

   Or substitute the MOVEMENTS box set for 1, 2 & 3.

   This band, and especially chief songwriter Roy Wood, should be world famous. Attention all Beatles/Who/Small Faces/Kinks/Byrds/Love fans! BUY CDs BY THE MOVE NOW!




5. This CD is the best set available if you want to get the best of this great and sadly neglected band(in the U.S.anyway).it contains all the single A and B sides to all their classic singles .Much appreciated is the fact the record company licenced the band's EMI output so you get classic Move tracks like "California Man","Chinatown and "Do Ya" and they've included the long lost"Vote For Me" as well and the full"Somethin Else from The Move" live EP as the last six tracks on disc 2.There is no more perfect Move compilation in existence .BUY THIS!BUY THIS!BUY THIS!