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.

5 comments about Oh, By the Way.

1. Never to say about 16cd-records (digit-masterized), that's my choise
   I think it's the soundtrack of the world creation indeed ! it's good the box and digipacks ...but
   we could pay more (and it wasn't low price !!) to get a wonderful booklet that follow the product !! HOWEVER THANKS FLOYD'S ...it's a pearl of my own
   music collection (also if LEDZEP's box and DOOR's box are better !)
   ...greetings from ROME as MAURIZIO CERQUA bye



2. Oh, By the Way
   I bought this Pink Floyd Oh By The Way set for around $173 from Amazon, in July of 2008. I have no problems with the set, as was mentioned in other reviews. The labeling for Ummagumma and The Wall are OK. All inserts are included. I did not know about the Japanese mini-sleeves released in 2001 before I made this purchase. Who knows whether those will ever be released again or how much they might cost? I notice in some photos that the box is blue-colored. Mine is brown. Was there a North American set and a UK version? Is this an Import? Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase.



3. What is on this band's mind? I was looking forward this season to a 40th anniversary of Saucerful in both mono and stereo with some outtakes and the rest of the singles, Point Me, It Would Be Nice, etc, Careful and Julia in mono, how 'bout it? But Noooooooooooo...Hey a great seasonal buy: Jethro Tull Living in the Past original replica and re-mastered both for the first time ever and This Was w/BBC and mono mixes. See guys? (two months later): now that Rick Wright has died why don't you release the above suggestion. Wright penned many of the cuts on Saucerful (Remember a Day and See Saw are a couple of my all time favorites) and also a couple of the leftover early singles. It Would be so Nice, no?



4. Among the known mistakes listed, the label misprint of Ummagumma and the misprint of The Wall 2nd sleeve, my box also don't have the Wish you Were Here postcard. I have contacted EMI asking an solution.
   
   Too many mistakes in a EMI/PF product. The rest is in good state. Also missing an CD with extras and Relics replica. A book with career pictures should be nice too.
   
   Some remasters are not so good, like AMLOR.



5. before you buy this you should have a look at the store or somewhere.
   I expected it in higher quality. the quality is not as good and nice as the Shine on Box

5 comments about Let It Be... Naked.

1. I bought the original "Let It Be--Naked" as a teenager in 1969: a vinyl LP bootlegged from the "Let It Be" sessions, in a plain white sleeve with the words "Kum Back" stamped in smudgy blue ink aslant the cover. No masses of sobbing violins, no plaintive French horns.
   
   And what struck me with increasing happy force across the years and dozens of listens was what a wonderful, wondrous live band the Beatles were: by this time, they truly were the other side of each others' heartbeat. Each had certainly become virtuosic in his own right-- Ringo on drums, McCartney on bass (one can't praise enough), Lennon on rhythm and Harrison (usually) on lead guitar, but virtuosos together, grown of what it took to make Beatles music together through all those years and changes. They're recorded here as a live ensemble, just like up on on that fabled Savile Row rooftop, and God, they play with a brilliant loose-but-so-tight jostling grooviness that can just take the breath away. There never was before and never again will be a rock band quite this good.
   
   One has to tip the hat to Billy Preston, whose tasty chops on organ are just about a match for the Fab Four's.
   
   I know all about Lennon's sniping about the decay of the Beatles' group playing in the post-touring years, and of course they often quarreled during these sessions.
   
   Just listen.
   
   It helps that the band went into this project looking for a groove; everybody, especially Lennon and McCartney in their best numbers, seems to be after a sort of Zen-simple deep-groove soulfuness. 'Get Back,'
   'Dig a Pony,' 'I've Got a Feeling.' Yes, the "Let It Be" project was (as McCartney has said) a return to roots after all the high '60s psychedelic ambitiousness, but it's an old masters' return: deep, simple, moving (and funky!) in the best numbers. And as for the less than best ones ('Long and Winding Road', indeed)--well, Zen attainment is not about always hitting the target.
   
   There are many different great Beatles records, and "Let It Be--Naked" is one of them.



2. I throughly enjoy this music. It's much better without all the stuff Phil Specter added.



3. I like this cd, and I like the old one to, but if I have to choose I'll pick the old over the new. just because I like all the strings and things wish the new don't have. but naked has a raw fill to it and thats good to.



4. A must for Beatles fans. This was recommended by an audiophile during a discussion of high quality recordings. Cleanest Beatles CD I have ever heard. The more you turn it up the better it gets. Just no distortion at all. GREAT BUY!



5. I really can't help but wonder why this album was made. They say it is "as the Beatles intended," but did the Beatles really even know what they intended? The whole concept of this album was muddy and never fully realized (recording a live album of entirely new songs). And while it's interesting to hear a few of these remixes, this album is so similar to the original (while stripping away the impromptu songs like "Dig It" and the speaking in between, which gave the album its live and loose feel) that there really is no point in buying it if you own the original.
   
   Nobody wanted to touch these recordings in 1969 once the Beatles washed their hands of it. The only man who did was Phil Spector, who - while fudging the original live "concept" of the album - really took a lot of sketchy performances and turned Let It Be into something worth listening to. It's worth pointing out that this "de-Spectorized" Let It Be...Naked has almost all of the same takes and edits that Spector used. A few alternate takes are found on ...Naked, and the strings and horns are all gone, but so what? I heard this already on Anthology 3. A majority of the songs on here sound untouched. And personally, I think the album version of "Let It Be" with its bombastic horns and ascerbic guitar solo is vastly superior to both the single version and the ...Naked version. "The Long and Winding Road" (which is really the biggest reason this album was re-done - thanks, Paul) is stripped down too, but again, I heard this on Anthology 3.
   
   And I really do miss the talking in between songs. It made the album feel more fun, more impromptu, more like the listener is in the room with the Beatles. By eschewing these short interludes, ...Naked just sounds like another studio album, which actually takes us further away from what the Beatles supposedly "intended."
   
   I think the original is superior. ...Naked really doesn't offer anything new. If you don't own Let It Be, you will probably like this album because, hey, the music is great no matter how you slice it. But if you've already got Let It Be, this album won't be much of a revelation for you.

5 comments about Best of the Animals.

1. The Animals: Eric Burdon on vocals, Chas Chandler on bass, John Steel on drums, Hilton Valentine on guitar, Alan Price and Dave Rowberry on organ and piano. And this group made some of the best blues rock music of the 1960s. This CD includes works recorded in 1964 and 1965.
   
   It starts out with the classic "House of the Rising Sun." This is rawly sung and sung in a compelling manner by Eric Burdon. He had one of the truest blues voices of the 1960s among younger singers. The organ of Alan Price adds a really neat element to this song, with foreboding lines such as "[this house] has been the ruin of many a poor boy, and Lord I'm one."
   
   I also enjoy their effort at singing Chuck Berry. His "Around and Around" is a wonderful little rock and roll piece, and the Animals cover it nicely. Burdon does a credible job singing this familiar Berry work, with classic lines such as "never stop rockin' until the moon went down." And Hilton Valentine plays nice Chuck Berry guitar work.
   
   John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" is a classic blues song. How well to the Animals cover this? Good blues guitar work by Valentine and a nice organ element by Price add to the song greatly. Burdon isn't John Lee Hooker "listen to the latter's vocal styling!), but he does a nice job in his own terms. In short, a satisfying cover of a fine blues song.
   
   I could not resist commenting on their version of a Goffin-King composition, "I'm in Love Again." The Animals imbue this with a nice blues-rock sensibility.
   
   And then one of their classic anthems, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." Key line up front: "You'll be dead before your due." This is about living in a working/lower class situation; Burdon sings of his father's desperate life. He sings of how he and his girl have to escape, with the lines (poignantly and rawly sung): "We gotta get out of this place, if it's the last thing we ever do," in order to achieve a "better life." A pretty somber picture of life at the bottom. This contains an awful lot of social commentary, scaffolded by some fine rock and roll instrumental work.
   
   My last illustration of the work from this CD--"Story of Bo Diddley." They begin with that distinct Bo Diddley sound, played quite nicely. This is the story of Bo Diddley, with mention of the Rolling Stones, Beatles, and references to Bob Dylan and so on. Enchanting!
   
   So, the bottom line? This is a wonderful collection of the Animals' best works. Obviously, one can argue that 15 cuts cannot do justice to the work of the Animals. But this is one unbelievable set of songs, so I have no beef on that point. A must buy if you want the best of the Animals.



2. Whereas THE BEST OF ERIC BURDON AND THE ANIMALS covers the Animals' Decca years 1966-69, THE BEST OF THE ANIMALS covers their 1964-65 period on EMI under producer/manager Mickie Most. Although it's obvious that the band matured considerably on a musical level after leaving Most for R&B stalwart Tom Wilson, their early years with Most producing were almost as good, if a little on the poppy side. Many of their songs from this period were written by Brill Building songwriters or were vintage R&B covers, but the band still managed to make them their own, which is quite commendable considering that at EMI they were on a fairly short leash. If you buy the two CDs together, you'll have a fairly complete picture of what the Animals did during the 1960s.



3. Another great CD that brings back the best music ever made. These songs stand the test of tome. All the songs were reproduced to bring you superior listening pleasure. Don't hesitate to buy this one.



4. Yes Yes... I am here safe in my castle sipping brandy and quite warm by the fireplace. I tell you people it is cold out there. Sub-zero temperatures, my laundry freezing on the line, and the moat is totally frozen. Even the sea serpent begged me for refuge. I did have a pantry that is only 30 degrees, so I let him stay there. He is so grateful that he wants to give testimony of my generosity to the world. I told him not to bother, they already know that. You DO know that people, don't YOU?
   
   Anyway, aside from various creatures in and around my castle home, I decided it was time to review the Animals. How bold to name a whole group after a species - but there you go. The Animals came with the 60's British Invasion and they were very different in their musical approach. I tend to think it's a matter of influences. What drove the Animals were a mix of John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley and Same Cooke - just to name a few. Coupled with the fact that these English guys put their own spin on this music made them very unique indeed.
   
   You know, I can imagine club hopping in London back then and hearing this band give it everything. Alot of these songs have a club feeling to it. Just imagine yourself in that setting while you listen to this - you will see what I mean. This music is a blend of rock-blues-soul that, if not masterful, is rewarding on so many levels.
   
   You have the harsh, whiskey imbued vocals of Eric Burdon. I can think of no other singer that came out of that era with his ability. So, when he sings of pain, or loss, or love - the grittiness of his voice and experience gives it the stamp of reality. He comes across as the bad boy - much more prominently than Mick Jagger ever did. And, I think this adds a little more mystery in his efforts.
   
   There are pure pop gems included here that no one should be without. Shall I name them? O.K.- stop twisting my arm! They are "House of the Rising Sun" (which I believe was a folk tune they transposed), "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (Eric's plea that he really does try to be good and well-intentioned), "We Gotta Get Out of this Place" (an urgency to leave a soiled environment behind), and "It's My Life" (which is a strong warning against outside control). These songs are essential to any respectable collection of 60's tunes. To be without them is to be like having no heat in the castle on a day like today. Be an icicle at your own peril!
   
   The other songs on this album all contribute to the vibe. "I'm Crying" with that organ groove, "Baby Let Me Take You Home"- a stomping romp the leads to a rave-up, and "I'm In Love Again" which follows a classic rock-rythmn and blues progression. Some mid-60's groups tried to copy the feel of the Animals music with mixed success. They shouldn't have bothered. Eric and company do a far better job.
   
   In closing, I should say that these musicians, although very competent, are not vituosos by any means. They are streetwise English boys who worked hard and made it on grit, stance, and a whole lotta heart and soul.
   This is a fine memory of how the simple things were, in many ways, superior to the over technical music we have today.
   Gotta go now. Jack Frost is outside threatening to huff and puff and blow my castle down. Hah! Let him try. It's amazing what a Seer on brandy can do!
   
   I'm just a Seer whose intentions are good ---Metamorpho



5. I was expecting a re-master collection of songs. The recording of this CD sounds like how I first listened to this music, thru a 2 inch speaker on a portable transistor AM radio. There is some attempt to create stereo sound on a few of the songs. Too bad, the music is great! Eric Burdon was great with the Animals. Almost makes me miss the sixties and all that went with it!

5 comments about The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society.

1. Mercy " What a recording, It's my personal favorite Of my Kinks collection none are bad . But I love this one best. Sorry beatles



2. I have long called the three LPs starting with 'Face to Face' as the Kinks' 'Trinity'. This release was most clearly the best 'concept' album released by any band at the time of its' 1968 release. Ray Davies had already blossomed into a masterful songwriter on the two previous discs (and on singles during the period) and Dave had placed three tunes on 'Something Else' without reducing its' impact. This time, the songs again eschewed rock for a music-hall approach and similar themes recur. The "Village Green Preservation Society" is presented as a sing-along title tune, and reprised in "Village Green"; the memorable "Picture Book" is answered with the final cut, "People Taking Pictures of Each Other". "Do You Remember Walter?" "Animal Farm" and the bossa-nova-inflected "Monica" join "Picture Book" as among the most catchy all-time Kinks songs. "Starstruck", "Johnny Thunder" and several other cuts are not far off. The song that doesn't seem to fit well, a minor quibble, is "Big Sky", which uses spoken verses to convey an unconcerned deity/overseer. The lack of bonus cuts on the generous 15-cut disc is unfortunate, the inclusion of the 1968 single "Days" would have been a plus, but this album is a classic, a must for any serious fan of '60s music and the Kinks in particular.



3. absoulutely beautiful! i love every song, worth every penny! my first kinks cd i bought was ultimate kinks (best of cd) and then i got this. i reccommend both. ray davies is a gobsmacking genius!



4. The Who's Pete Townsend once said that Ray Davies of the Kinks should be a poet laureate of England. Strong words of praise, but "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society" is strong enough on its own to make me agree.
   
   During their heyday, the Kinks compiled as substantial and consistent a body of work as anyone in classic rock. Still, while the other three horsemen of the 1960s British Invasion--the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who--rode on to conquer the world, the Kinks remained relegated to also-ran status. Win, place, show--and after that, the Kinks, sadly lumped in on Starbucks compilation CDs with the likes of Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Dave Clark Five.
   
   As to why this happened, theories abound. Some blame the fact that they couldn't tour the U.S. during their most productive years. Others say their music is more particularly British than, say, the Beatles. Rather than singing about universal and easily translated themes like love and loss, the Kinks sang about English country life, tiny towns with village greens and quaint squares and peaceful rivers. There, to paraphrase Thom Yorke, everything was in its right place; old people maintained an air of reserved politeness while drinking their afternoon tea on lace-covered tables, and youngsters thrilled with the pleasure of a simple first kiss. Such things don't sell well in America, or in the world at large, and they didn't necessarily fit in with the anything-goes forward-thinking groupthink of the late 1960s.
   
   But if time is the ultimate judge, this album will ensure the Kinks are judged second to none. Ray Davies reportedly wrote it as a response to the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", as a commemoration of culture rather than a herald of counter-culture, another masterwork--besides the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds"--against which the Beatles supposed high point must be compared. Because of that, this feels--at least to me--more timeless and valuable than Sgt. Pepper's. In the mind's eye, past and future alike can be made flawless, and endlessly compared with the imperfect present. But past images of the future--even the near future--always seem wrong-headed once the future gets here, whereas the past itself never returns to contradict our fuzzy memories of it. Simple pleasures often metamorphosize in memory to golden perfection.
   
   Of course, realities are never that simple. The future won't be perfect, and the past never was. Ray Davies doubtless understood that; this album has a decidedly tongue-in-cheek feel that shows he is in on the con. On the album's title track, he says he is "Saving the old ways from being abused/Protecting the new ways, for me and for you." But there is a passive-aggressiveness and a futility inherent in such vigorous efforts, as evidenced by the snide second track, "Do You Remember Walter?" a timeless meditation on how the fiery idealism of youth mellows and fades into flabby middle age, and how we nonetheless often refuse to accept it when people don't play the roles they used to play in our lives. "I bet you're fat and married now and always home in bed by half past eight/And if I talked about the old times you'd get bored and have nothing more to say," Davies' narrator sings to an old friend from youth, then caps it off with a dynamite line I always wish I'd written: "Yes, people often change/But memories of people can remain."
   
   There are far more pleasures on this album--a harpsichord on "The Village Green" that makes me deliriously happy every time I hear it, a hilariously cynical take on God in "Big Sky" that I never agree with but never fail to enjoy, a charging little song called "Johnny Thunder" that always hits the sweet spot between sweet and sour. And like all classics, it gives new gifts with every revisiting. But that simple line in "Walter" sums up why I love this album. Even though I'm a melancholy Irish-German and this is an all exuberant Englishness, I'd probably put it on my proverbial list of five desert-island CDs. Like all great works of art, it manages to be about far more than itself, for in singing about the aforementioned particulars of English life, the Kinks uncover many larger truths--about nostalgia and longing, and the ways in which we distort the past to save it from destruction.



5. A good collection of songs by The Kinks. There is a general theme but at times the music can be a little slow.

5 comments about Ultimate Petula Clark.

1. This CD is a must for any person genuinely interested in music from the 1960's. The songs have not aged at all, if anything they sound as great today as when they were they were first released. This is not surprising given that Petula never failed to deliver. Petula's songs have stood the test of time, and this often cannot be said for many singers. There is no doubt that the writing skills of Tony Hatch and his superb orchestra contributed greatly to the success of Petula, but at the end of the day they were a perfect match. Don't miss out on this collection.The Ultimate Petula Clark



2. I just love this CD - nearly every song is a winner. I first heard these songs as a kid and they sound just as good today. Pet Clark is a true '60s icon. Listening to this CD while driving home from work, I got to thinking that Ms. Clark's songs would make for a great Broadway musical - a Brit Invasion/swinging London theme.



3. I really enjoyed this C.D.!! The hits are amazing!! There are a few that I didn't know prior to reviewing this C.D., but the whole C.D. is wonderful!! What a voice!!!



4. What a joyous trip down memory lane! Before there was Carly, there was Pet, part of the "British Invasion" of the mid 1960's. Hers were the songs of our high school years [at least mine], and have never lost the power of happy transport. She was never a "sex symbol", just a pretty girl from "across the pond" who sang happy music, and sang it well. I understand that, at 75, she's still singing; no comment, as I haven't heard her current voice.
   
   Naturally, some of the 21 songs here will be better known than others..."Downtown" was her BIG HIT, and it leads off, as is quite proper. But, there were other hits, almost as big, and they're all here...."I Know A Place"...."Round Every Corner"..."Don't Sleep In The Subway"...and, using "I Don't Know How To Love Him", from "Jesus Christ Superstar", to close was a nice touch.
   
   This is a fabulous album, and a great voyage in a time machine. My two kids are in their late 20s, and find this impossibly boring, while I find what they listen to plain impossible. Maybe you have to be past a certain age, to have actual memories, not just have heard about it... Never mind...Pet was wonderful, and, thru this CD, she still is.....



5. You just can't listen to Petula Clark and not get a lift in your spirits. If you're a PC fan this CD is for your. If you're not a PC fan, then this CD will make you one.

5 comments about Face to Face.

1. Ah, "Face to Face." Ah, The Kinks. Where do you even begin to find the words that attempt to do justice to the music that The Kinks produced from 1966-1971? I'm more passionate about their music from this period than I am about any other, so I've just got to try.
   Anyone who's reading this probably has a love of their work, therefore a good knowledge of the music; where the great stuff began and where it ended, so we all know that this is where it truly began. Ray Davies was beginning to populate his song writing world with characters who would resurface on other albums and singles (No, not by name, but you knew who they were from the lyrical content), while others did not. He has a complex mind ("No one can penetrate me, they only see what's in their own fancy") which set about creating stories that, according to John Mendelsohn in his book "The Kink Kronikles" when commenting on "Two Sisters" from the "Something Else" album: "...a five-thousand-word short story might have been too short for." There were dandies, session men, an individual who has a most exlusive country residence, and loses it and is left to be content with a sunny afternoon. In between are songs about insomnia, holidays in Waikiki and memories of love lost.
   His vocals had grown to have the ability to express sympathy or disdain for his subject, and in the case of the mini song cycle if you will, he scorns the character who owns the "House in the Country," yet seems sympathetic to his plight when forced to sell out in "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale" and then fills his shoes to deliver a first-hand account in "Sunny Afternoon." (Has anyone else ever suspected that Ray Davies had this poor chap do himself in later on in "Did You See His Name?")
   His lyrics were intelligent and clever:
   "I'm on a party line
   Wondering all the time
   Who's on the other end.
   Is she big
   Is she small
   Is she a she at all."
   (Although both Davies brothers wrote the song, these are clearly Ray Davies lyrics.)
   "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home?" has the singer taking the side of the mother rather than the side of the young girl:
   "Rosie won't you please come home
   Mama don't know where you've been
   Rosie won't you please come home
   Your room's clean and no one's in it."
   Keep in mind that The Beatles wouldn't record "She's Leaving Home" for another year.
   "Rainy Day in June" may be, next to "Wicked Annabella" one of Ray Davies' darkest songs:
   "The demon stretched its wrinkled hand
   And snatched a butterfly.
   The elves and gnomes were hunched in fear
   Too terrified to cry."
   This is excellence at work! This was the beginning of an incredible 5 year stretch in which no wrong was done. If you choose to listen to all five years worth of their best work chronologically, starting here, you can do it in one afternoon, and it's soooo enjoyable!
   A production note must be made concerning this disc. It's in mono. Therefore, "Little Miss Queen of Darkness" is missing the electric guitar track until the last verse. My stereo vinyl copy has the track through the entire song.
   It's so difficult to adequately summarize the musical and lyrical impact of this material. If you're among the uninitiated, hopfully my feeble attempt at trying to do so will encourage you to sample The Kinks' best era for yourself. And if you do, I sincerely hope you'll enjoy it.



2. The first great record of the Kinks golden age. From '66 thru '71, the Kinks catalogue was as good as anybodys. This record, not unlike "Rubber Soul" by the Beatles, marked the begining of a more mature and artistically satisfying period for the band. The signs of something better begining were already there on singles like "A Well Respected Man","Dedicated Follower of Fashion" and "See My Friends". Though not a concept album, the quality and variety of material here makes it seem almost thematic as Davies observations and wit begin to take hold of his songwriting and steering the band away from the more tradition rocker mold of their earlier material. Never a band to do things the easy way, this new direction led to a string of albums that are as interesting (if not more so) now as they were 40 years ago.



3. This was the first album of the Kinks' new era. Ironically, it was also this album that contained their last big international hit of the '60's --"Sunny Afternoon." Although it contained a couple of their simple love songs from their earlier era, likely put there to fill out the tracks, the strength of the album is in the social commentary and personal observations of the rest of the songs.
   
   When I bought the album in 1966, "Party Line" (a Ray & Dave composition) intrigued me. I remember party lines, but few people, at least in the US do. Dave's line "Is she big/ Is she small?/ Is she a she at all?" could just as well apply to e-mail or IM today, though. The voice asking who was there belonged to the late Frank SMyth, who wrote the liner notes. I was hooked after "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home," a song about the Davies' sister Rose who emigrated to Australia. Nicky Hopkins' harpsichord laid over the bands decending arpeggio just bounced along and Ray's slightly off-key singing captured my imagination, and I was a Kink Kultist from then on.
   
   "Session Man" is about session musicians, supposedly specifically Hopkins. "Rainy Day in June is a mood piece, the motfs of which popped up later in "Wicked Annabella." "Dandy" (covered by Herman's Hermits, of all people), "House in the Country," "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale," and "Sunny Afternoon" completed the story of the social climber started with "Well-Respected Man" and "Dedicated Follower of Fashion." "Holiday in Waikiki" is more than slightly snide and basically Ray venting about commercialism in paradise. Reminds me of the line "American tourists love to see the Village Green" from "Village Green." "Little Miss Queen of Darkness" was a forlorn figure Ray met in a discotheque, sort of Lola's ancestor. This album really established Ray as the voice of the Kinks, and they never looked back. Ray wrote "You're Looking Fine" for Dave to rave on, and Dave still does it in his live shows. That one really jumps in the "Live at the Kelvin Hall" show from 1967.
   
   The extras do round out the Kinks' saga in this era. These songs were relased on the compilations "Kinks Kronikles: and "The Great Lost Kinks Album," but it's nice to have them here. The magnificant "I"m Not Like Everybody Else," which was "Sunny Afternoon's" B-side, and two great singles from 1967: "Dead End Street"/ "Big Black Smoke" and "Mister Pleasant"/ "This is Where I Belong." (I have these singles in my collections.) "Mr. Reporter," written by Ray and sung by Dave for his projected solo album is listed as unreleased but it had appeared on Dave's "Unfinished Business" compilation. "Little Women" is a new find.
   
   Ray hit his stride with this one. From "Face to Face" (1966) through "Everybody's in Show Biz" (1972) they put out albums full of insightful, great bopping rock.



4. The Kinks were adequate with the hard rock n' roll, but they came into their own with Face to Face. Ray Davies combined a few Brit pop styles with his own eccentric commentary. The band is great, and they have fun developing their form until their next album, Something Else, which is, in my opinion, their absolute best.



5. 'Face to Face' is the reason I love the Kinks! This may not be their greatest album, but it is my favorite lp by the Brothers Davies and will always hold a special place in my heart. This is what England sounds like! English culture, the people, the pubs, the disenfrancised, the mods and the upper crust. I heard this record first in college and was immediately hooked though "Sunny Afternoon" was the only 'classic' that I knew of before hearing the album in total. How many songs am I in love with from this lp, one of a slew of incredible rock albums released in 1966? Well before 'Face to Face', the Kinks were a hard rocking British Invasion band that had single success but whose albums were not fully realized collections of songs. 'Kink Kontroversy' was a step in the right direction but even this very good album pales in comparison to 'Face to Face'. "Too Much on My Mind" and "Rosie" break my bleeding heart!.."Party Line" and "Dandy" pump me up on British pomposity and the lifestyles of Swinging London. "Fancy" and "Holiday in Wakiki" are awesome in their unconventionality. Ray Davies was in many ways comparable to Bob Dylan in his social observations, especially as he describes many of the characters in this pseudo concept album - which as some reviewers have commented could be the continuing saga of the "Well Respected Man" although on "Face to Face", he is fast losing his shirt ("Dandy", "House in the Country", "Most Exclusive" and of course "Sunny Afternoon"). Dave only belts out "Party Line" and "You're Looking Fine", the later could be seen as something from previous records. The remastered version includes the classic B side to "Sunny", the Dave droned "I'm Not Like Anybody Else" which is now featured in an American advertisement (IBM?), how's that for respect! "Dead End Street", "Big Black Smoke" and "Mr. Pleasant" (is he the "Dandy's" victim?) all feature on this amazing collection of Ray Davies gems. It is absolutely criminal that this record was barely released in the States and had paltry sales figures. Classic rock fans need the Kinks and "Face to Face" which began a run of music that celebrates the genius of the boys from Muswell Hill.

5 comments about Live Yardbirds! Featuring Jimmy Page.

1. This is a great CD, historically and musically. The sound improvement due to remastering must have been a labor of love from what I've heard about the quality of the original album. A keeper, for sure. That said, Russ Garrett of Mooreland Street Records says that only 1000 CDs were ever produced of this special reissue with the additional sound check tracks that didn't exist on the album's release in 1971. The quantity of used CDs for this particular album seems too good to be true. I'm not going to say "don't buy this because it might be a pirated copy", just use your own discretion and as they say, "buyer beware".



2. This CD is indeed a Master Piece, I own the Original Pressing of the Album. It had been killed for release several times by Jimmy Page. Sure there some funky over dubs and such. But the this is the Real Deal!!! A young and hungry Jimmy, his playing is second to none on this. Right from Train Kept a Rolling on till I'am a man. The Yardbirds never sounded more heavy and bluesy, I would like to have seen him during this period. This is a must for any Led Zeppelin Fan or Yardbirds. If I was Jimmy Page I would be proud of this, it shows his guitar with amazing tone and power and the licks are as good or BETTER than anything done with Beck or Clapton. If only it would be released so every fan could purchase it.
   "LONG LIVE JIMMY PAGE NUMBER ONE OF ALL TIME"



3. I had this on vinyl at one point. At the time I thought it was a promotional copy because of the white label, though later I learned this was a bootleg. I also in the early 1990's saw this concert on an import CD, with some bonus tracks from the Olympia Theatre in Paris. I should have snatched it up them because when I returned a few days later it was gone. The concert itself it noteworthy because of its rarity, not because it is a particularly great show. Anyone who likes the Yardbirds has heard and probably owns the 1963-64 era live recordings and will recall that their first proper release of a LP was a late 1964 concert recording from the Marquee Club in London. The fascination from this is that other than the 'Little Games' LP there is very little Yardbirds music available from 1967 or 1968. As others have noted, Page is in fine form here, he seems like he is enjoying himself as part of a band as opposed to being a sesion player which he did earlier in the 1960's. And of course, he was about to launch into something enormous in just a few short months. Relf is tentative here, although he does communicate a bit with the audience between songs. Perhaps he knew deep down that the end of the band was near. The most annoying thing is the dubbed in crowd noise which is totally unnecessary. I hope soon that Page will live and let live and authorize a proper reissue as it happened -- minus the added crowd noise.



4. Most unfortunate that Jimmy Page suppressed this amazing document; the band gives a great performance and the sound quality is quite good. If you want a small taste, go to YouTube and search "Yardbirds Dazed and Confused": you'll get a performance broadcast on French TV of the last-gasp Yardbirds doing their seminal version of this tune, and it's every bit as revelatory as this recording.



5. I have a copy of this entire show on a Yardbirds rare tracks disc. My brother bought this on LP back in the 70's and I am pretty sure this recording is a bootleg and a very famous one, but it's still a "boot". I remember Page not liking this release much, stating that some of the crowd noises were added. Page said "the crowd cheers could have been lifted from a bull fight for all I know" It's funny because before I read that, I would imagine the crowd going wild as it does sound that way! The album starts off with an excellent version of "A Train Kept A Rollin'" a jamming version of "Mister You're A Better Man Than I" that goes right into a pumped up version of "Heart Full Of Soul" There is a song called "I'm Confused" which would later be re-worked for Led Zeppelin's first album as "Dazed and Confused". The set is really interesting and I'm glad I have it. If you can find it, it buy it! It is one hell of a good performance and the recording is pretty damn good. Please remember it was a "boot", so the sound quality is very good, but not perfect(a little tinny). Well worth hearing and owning!

5 comments about Fireball.

1. I owned this album when it was first released- Anyone`s Dsughter is not the correct title- It was "Farmer`s Daughter", and I believed the name got changed because one lyric were considered very profane at that time. I quote, "Now they`re be no food and water- because I`ve laid the Farmer`s Daughter". End of subject



2. The recording equipment that was used to make this album was very poor, in my opinion. The music rocks hard, yes, but it doesn't sound as good as other hard rock albums from the same time period such as Sabbath's Paranoid and Zeppelin IV.
   
   The songwriting is a bit weak in places as well. Sometimes vocal melodies just pass by harmlessly, but without much in the way of excitement. There could be some more of Ritchie's great guitar playing since that is one of the best things about Deep Purple. It does feature two of their best songs- "Strange Kind of Woman" and "The Mule".
   
   It's still a really good classic rock album though, and maybe even better than In Rock. It doesn't rock as heavy and hard as In Rock, but it's still a great listen.



3. "Fireball" hasn't aged as well as a few of DP's other so-called classics, but then again, not a lot of their catalogue has. The music is mostly unimpeachable, but it's all so Tyrannosaurus-dumb, that even while one bangs their head, they can't help but grin at the utter "monstrosity" of the whole thing.
   
   It doesn't help matters that there aren't any truly great songs on here, though all of the radio hits are good enough. Actually, the best song is the goofy and innunendo-laced "Anyone's Daughter," succeeding thanks to a wonderfully un-bombastic, bluesy melody. But even then, it is very much out of place with the rest of the prog-ish heavy metal. Not an essential album by any stretch, but just good enough to make the grade. And, of course, fans must have it.
   
   Note: get the special edition; the US and UK originals alternately omit one of two key tracks ("Strange Kind of Woman" or "Demon's Eye").
   
   Best cuts: "Anyone's Daughter," "Demon's Eye," "The Mule," "Strange Kind of Woman," "No One Came," "Fireball"



4. Not as good as "Machine Head" but really great. Mine is a Holland import on which Strange kind of Woman is replaced with "Demon's eye".
   Don't worry, I have "Strange Kind of Woman" on another cd (The very best of DP) This song is one of my favorite from the band. The title track reminds me "Speed King" from "In Rock" and it is a real good rock song.
   Overall this cd from the 70's in a must have for any Deep Puprle fan's and rock music lover in general.



5. I've had this album since I was about 16 years old, and I finally bought this CD. This is a great CD! I especially like No No No!, Anyone's Daughter, and No One Came. If you're a Deep Purple fan and you're looking for some great classic hard rock, this is not to be missed. Deep Purple really mixes up there songs on this one, sort of an experiment, I guess. Great vocals by Gillan, great guitar riffs by Blackmore, and great organ and piano by Jon Lord. I think that's what really set Deep Purple apart back in the late 60's and 70's. If you're new to Deep Purple, and you already have Made in Japan and Machine Head, you should get this one next!
   Mike-"The Old Rocker"
   Eagan, MN

5 comments about Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964-1976.

1. Donovan has a bad rep. He was considered poor cow to Bob Dylan bull.
   
   Donovan was an English folk singer that had the same tenor and earnestness, but a sweeter lick on the ear. Donovan had a huge mid 60's hit capturing Dylan's sweeping lyrical with "Catch the Wind". Donovan recorded a couple of LPs, released on Hickory (a C/W label !) as the new Dylan. He signed with Mickey Most, the premier producer of English bands, Animals, Herman's Hermits, Lulu, etc...
   
   Things changed...Donovan went from folk angst to hippie prophet to gentle smile to selling lipstick wear your love like heaven!
   
   This 2CD set has the start of his folk promise and his excursion into the new wonder of the mid/late 60's. "Mellow Yellow", a 1966 song that still revererates, "Season of the Witch", and "Sunshine Superman" + more.
   
   Essential and goo goo barajagal



2. TROUBADOUR: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION 1964-1976 contains the absolute cream of Donovan's crop of folk-turned-psychedelic folk-rock style, quickly moving from his early days as the British Dylan to a more psychedelic sound that was perfect for the flower-power era. The folk years are only represented by four or five songs, as Donovan quickly moves into more hippie-oriented turf. Even though I've never even tried any drugs not ordered by a physician, I must say that these songs are great whether your stoned or clear-headed. The fact that Donovan, like so many other post-1964 rock artists, opposes Indonesia's trumped-up 2005 drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist makes TROUBADOUR: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION 1964-1976 an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.



3. There are a few songs I have on vinyl that are worth using to make this a three CD set, but this'll do.



4. No doubt about it, this is a good set.Fantastic for the price but for one downfall. The majority of the songs are reproduced in mono not stereo.
   I personally feel that this is a definite problem. Donavon's music is deserving of better treatment than this.
   The most off putting thing about it, is that this information is not made known, I was unable to find any mention of it in the product description.
   Needless to say I was very disappointed when I received my copy and played it.
   Perhaps for those of us that want a better version there will be one available in the future. In the meantime I will keep the CD (I did consider returning it)and make the best of it.



5. Donovan was and always will be among the top 5 favorites of mine. I am very selective with music and I agree with many reviews here that Donovan deserves the highest respect as a song writer, singer and artist. (True humans often get dismissed in the jungle of crazy ideologies).
   I was searching for his 'Happiness Runs' song and ended up downloading 2 CD's and some...Here I am, staying up all night listening and remembering our fragile humanity with this great Soul's sensitive, brilliant yet simple melodies. Blessings to you, Donovan!