5 comments about Working Man's Cafe.

1. This is a really great disc from Ray Davies. When it was first released I read a couple of local reviews which said it was just ok, so I was a bit apprenhensive before I put my money down. But I'm glad I did!
   There are some great songs here (some among the best Ray has ever written).Its hard to nominate the favourites; its easier to nominate the lesser tracks which in my opinion are "No One Listen" and "Hymn for a New Age". The rest are really great but I guess the stand outs are "One More Time", "In a Moment",Morphine Song", Working Men's Cafe" and Vietnam Cowboys".
   I saw Ray in concert recently and he did a couple of songs from this CD and the rest were his old Kinks material. One of the older songs he did was the great "20th Century Man" which induced me to go out and buy "Muswell Hillbillies" as I had never heard the complete album before.
   Now I'm going to upset a few Kinks fans here but I think "Working Men's Cafe" is better than "Muswell Hillbillies"!!
   So ignore the nay-sayers and buy this CD. It's now made we interested in picking up "Other Peoples Lives".



2. Getting shot by muggers in New Orleans unexpectedly drove Davies back to the studio.
   It seems incredible that a songwriter as respected and acclaimed as Davies should only be releasing his second solo record in 2007.
   That said, "Working Man's Café" is not likely to disappoint generations of Davies fans.
   Lyrically speaking, all his trademark wry and sardonic observations on life are present. As one of rock music's most lauded social commentators Ray peppers the majority of these new songs with nicely-honed and bang up-to-date assessments of the world as he sees it today: a conflicted, contradictory and globalized shopping centre mired in double standards and creeping 'Americanisation'.
   You only have to listen to "Waterloo Sunset" to realise that Ray Davies has always had a tendency to wrap his disillusionment in the flag of nostalgia. He hankers for the past on this new album too, but with a brusqueness which would have embarrassed his younger self - before finally dragging himself back towards something approaching contentment.
   The album captures Davies's revulsion with Tony Blair's Britain, his relocation to New Orleans, and the reflections on mortality which followed his shooting in the Crescent City (after chasing a mugger). Some of the material is mined directly from his experience.
   This could be judged as the grumpy old man of The Kinks indulging in some nostalgia-driven baby-boomer whingeing.
   Instead, Davies, who remains an engaging and energetic performer at 64, pinpoints the concerns of the moment from the perspective of a man who has seen England and the world beyond it change almost beyond recognition... and as far as Ray is concerned, not for the better.
   The sprawling "Morphine Song", with its boisterous horn section, describes the trauma of the emergency room. Other themes, such as the encroachment of corporate power, are more familiar. "Vietnam Cowboys" rails at globalisation, on "You're Asking Me" Ray sounds genuinely peeved and rocks out accordingly, but the signature whimsical and wistful touches in his voice and music means he never slips into the angry old rocker cliché.
   Probably the most radio-friendly offering is the sweetly catchy "In A Moment" which veers towards a southern soul feel with bluesy guitar, organ and electric piano chugging blissfully in the background as Ray gets things of his chest and shows he's still got plenty of great hooks up his sleeve.
   There are glimpses of personal demons on "Imaginary Man" as Ray searches for life's meaning.
   The beautifully sung closer, "The Real World", isn't strictly autobiographical, but it does explore the wanderlust which took Davies to Louisiana, before concluding that travel doesn't necessarily cure a lost soul.
   Best of all is the pensive title track, with an Estuary-accented Davies complaining about the creeping Americanisation of England, loans, equity relief, mortgages and internet cafes, before locating his identity in a working man's café. "In case you forgot who I am", he sings, "I'm a kid with a greasy spoon firmly held in my hand". The melancholy track will likely inspire nostalgia for old Kinks tunes.
   Full of brisk, occasionally noisy rock, it's a great gust of an album that affirms Davies's enduring talent.



3. I decided to give this CD over 50 listens before writing my review. The good news is it never got boring over the course of 50 plus listens. The not so good news is I'm convinced (unlike many of the reviewers on this site) this is not quite as good as the previous Other People's Lives. That in itself is not a bad thing, but I do think there has been a tendancy to overrate this effort in comparision.
   
   I miss the diversity of OPL. The songs on Working Man's Cafe at times seem underdeveloped and lyrically weak. This diminishes an otherwise beautiful song like One More Time. The lyrical subtlety of Davies seems to have been replaced by heavy handedness. On songs like Vietnam Cowboys it works brilliantly. This song demonstrates all the Davies strengths of memorable melody combined with social commentary that is both serious and humerous.
   
   Some of the ballads are really strong on this CD highlighted by the closer, The Real World. Other songs such as In A Moment, Imaginary Man, Your Asking Me and Hymm For A New Age provide repeated listening pleasure. The "deluxe" version offers 2 worthwhile bonus tracks, Wrong Side of the Law and I, The Victim.
   
   I would definitely recommend this CD, but still would choose Other People's Lives first if you had to make a choice. Its hard not to give the nod to a CD that contains one of Davies best songs ever, Over My Head. Overall production and musicianship is outstanding throughout Working Man's Cafe. Nonetheless, it would still be interesting to hear some of Davies' new songs in more of a Kinks context.



4. Ray, just in case you check these reviews out like most good writers, I want to thank you very for a very, very fine record. Like you I wish more people would hear it.



5. For me, the best CD of the decade. After 6 months (I got the import of it last fall), I am still listening, discovering and loving Working Man's Cafe.
   Thanks Again Ray. (BTW - catch him in concert if you can, a great show)

5 comments about Between the Buttons.

1. fine the us versionis different from the uk version. let's spend the night together and ruby tuesday shouldn't be in this record. fine. but these are isignificant details: the bottom line is that this is a hell of a record. each is song is a little masterpiece, 'cool calm collected' shows that the stones (keef??mick??brian??) were actually much more sophisticated songwriter than they have generally been credited for. and then there is 'connections'--which is the first rolling stones song which is not sang by jagger. in fact, three years before keith was the lead vocalist on 'you got the silver' (let it bleed, 1969), he is the lead singer on connections as much as jagger is. connections is intriguing and all its various parts exactly the way they should be: the lyrics are a testament to what the stones (and keef) were and were about to become evn more during the sessions for exile on main street; the piano is hammering chords implcably, jagger's voice is more acerbic than ever, and (i belive) brian is smoking a nasty riff at the end of each refrain.
   this is a great stones album and shows all the potential of band that was about to crank out beggars banquet in 1968, let it bleed in 1969, sticky fingers in 1971 and exile on main street in 1972--records that represent the alpha and the omega of the rock age.



2. The Rolling Stones-Between The Buttons ****
   
   
   Between The Buttons is far from the classic Rolling Stones album it is hyped up to be. If Mick Jagger's voice wasnt so recognizable in the rock n' roll world then you would never know that this was in fact the same Rolling Stones who brought the world such classics as 'Street Fghting Man' and 'Love Is Strong.' The sound is nothing like any other Stones album. The production is not bad by any means but stands out once again because it is nothing like the bands other albums.
   
   The only noticable thing about this album to give a clue as to the Rolling Stones being the culprets is Charlie Watts' drumming, and thats just because that is his signature the way he plays. The guitar here is minimal compared to other Stones albums and when it is audible it hardly sounds like Keith Richards and Brian Jones is hardly audible through out the entire album. That not to say that when you hear them it isnt good because it is fantastic, after all it is Brian Jones and Keith Richards. Bill Wymans bass is very prominant and he plays some of his best lines ever on Between The Buttons.
   
   Songs like the killer opener and forever classic 'Lets Spend The Night Together' so hints of a band the world knows. The undeniable ballad 'Ruby Tuesday' is melt in your mouth good. 'My Obbsession' is maybe the best song on the album. The musicianship is phenonmonal by the entire band, the lyrics are shines of brilliance and Micks vocal delivery is classic. 'All Sold Out' is a great hard rocker with nice 'doo-doo-doos' in the back ground and some impressive slide guitar work from Jones. 'Connection' is reminicent to 'Satisfaction' while 'Yesterdays Papers' is touching as anything the band ever wrote. The only throw away track on the album is the closer. 'Something Happand To Me Yesterday' is fun but most of the time annoying. It has tuba as a main instrument which brings to mind memories of the Lou Reed album Transformer, or maybe more so Berlin... The point is this song is not worthy of The Rolling Stones.
   
   So when it comes down to it, Between The Buttons is a four star album. Not because it is perticularly ground breaking or amazing or anything like that because it is nither, but because Keith, Mick, Bill, Charlie, and Brian all mangaged to make an album sounding nothing like themselves and totally reinvent their sound for this one album and pull it off perfectly. This is something they tried again on Emotional Rescue, Black And Blue, and most horrendously on Their Satanic Majistys Request and each other time failed in compassion to Between The Buttons.



3. Hardly a masterpiece, but a lotta fun nonetheless -- "Let's Spend the Night Together", "Ruby Tuesday", "Connection", and my favorite misogynist guilty pleasure "Yesterday's Papers". The remastering also hardly replicates the warm sound of the original London/Decca LP, but I suppose one can't have everything.



4. This is an all-around good album with a lot of variety - the only thing it's missing is a good blues number. Still has one of my favorite Stones ballads in "Ruby Tuesday", a wonderful song thanks to Brian Jones' recorder; and the energetic, piano-driven (not to mention controversial, thanks to the Ed Sullivan incident - of course, by today's standards, the song is tame) "Let's Spend the Night Together", which is even better. Mostly this is on the mellow side of things, as songs like "She Smiled Sweetly" and "Miss Amanda Jones" show, and show nicely, but the more energetic songs ("Connection", "Cool, Calm and Collected", "All Sold Out") also stand out. There are a few missteps, though. In the Stones' effort to cover as much new ground as possible, they went took some weird roads all right - some that would've best been left unexplored. Like the goofy vaudeville music hall send-up "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" and "Who's Been Sleeping Here?", which tries (and fails) for Dylanesque humor. Those aside, this is fun, varied, loopy and distinct, this stands out as one of their better early albums. If you (like me) buy into the romanticized image of the Brits as charming, eccentric, polite, intelligent, wealthy tea-drinking chaps (rather than the Anglophobic image, which portrays them as loud, crude, profane, stupid, dirt-poor beer-drinking gits who call that wussy sport "soccer" - and hey, soccer is a wussy sport- "football"), you may enjoy this album, because it's the most British they ever got. Between the Buttons ties with Aftermath as the furthest the Stones ever got away from their roots (blues-rock with tinges of soul and country) and still managed to make very entertaining music. Highly recommended!



5. This CD captures a very early sound.
   
   Cool, Calm and Collected has a rich sweet but powerful melody to it
   
   Something Happened to Me Yesterday is a unique piece too.
   
   On the whole it's a unique sounding CD of The Rolling Stones that I recommend.

5 comments about The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

1. Syd Barrett is either declared a genius or an utter moron. He's, to me, neither, merely a drug taking songwriter, and that's it. This is, indeed, very different from later Pink Floyd works. The only document of Syd in Pink Floyd is this one. Play this for all those people who only know the band for Dark Side of The Moon.
   
   This album has many problems. What takes away 30 points are the boring keyboard textures, lack of atmosphere at times, and monotonous, just BLEH vocals, that plague some of the albums. It just lacks mostly thanks to that, and it kind of drives me nuts sometimes and makes me bored out of my mind. Some of the songs are destroyed by the things above, such Chapter 24. It's kind of dated too, and Syd, to me, isn't a genius, maybe I just don't get him. I tried, and some people just don't get other artists, so deal with it.
   
   There still is good music on here, but that's about it. There's plenty of material worth giving a listen. The two big instrumentals are good, and the more jazz influenced Pow R. Toc H. is one of the best. Bike, hands down, is awesome. The ending is just too good. Matilda Mother and Flaming have atmosphere that would put you in the fairy tale, think the good book The Wind In The Willows. The Gnome and the Scarecrow are good stories, to say the least, more of that fairy tale feel. An early example of space rock, Astronomy Domine, is something that requires listen.
   
   Overrated. Yes. Syd Barrett, maybe I just don't get him, but I don't have to. For a Pink Floyd fan, it's a must hear.
   
   6/10



2. Why in the _ would there be a disk of mono and then another disk of the same selections but in stereo? I'm sure some nut will say it's to show the real Floyd, or some crap like that, when all it is, is a gimmick!



3. I can explain what this album is like by comparing the sound and style to three different Beatles songs-
   
   "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
   "Blue Jay Way"
   "Love You To"
   
   The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is mostly an extremely heavy pyschedelic album that focuses on vocal melody for 80% of it, and the majority of songs almost seem like they were aimed towards children because of the nursery rhyme style they're written in. Of course back in the day this was a revolutionary new style of rock music. As a result though, for me at least, I can only listen to this album every once in a while.
   
   "Astronomy Domine" is the highlight of the album, and really, most of the songs sound the same. Whether you like that style or not is up to the listener to decide. "Pow R. Toc H." stands out from the rest because of the piano jam, and "Interstellar Overdrive" is a VERY trippy and lengthy piece of psychedelic rock at its most hardcore. Is it a masterpiece though? No, not really. It gets too messy and noisy after the fourth minute or so. I like the chicken-sounding effects on the guitar though, and when around the third minute when the guitars sound like a bunch of hens in a hen house cackling at once.
   
   The song I don't care for is the closer "Bike". Just a very bad chorus to me. I like the rest of the songs, even more so when I'm totally in the mood for this style of rock.



4. Piper at the Gates of Dawn is Pink Floyd's first album and in combination with Relics is probably the best way for a listener to introduce him or herself to pre-Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd.
   
   If you are one of these people, it is important to note that Piper at the Gates of Dawn represents the pre-David Gilmour and Roger Waters led Pink Floyd. This is the Pink Floyd of Syd Barrett, and can seem quite a bit different from the later Pink Floyd releases that Roger Waters led.
   
   Piper at the Gates of Dawn is probably the definitive psychedelic rock album of the 1960's. The song writing is excellent and the musicianship is fantastic. The songs Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive are probably two of Pink Floyd's best ever. Astronomy Domine has even made appearances in some of the most recent Pink Floyd and David Gilmour concerts (and David Gilmour wasn't even in Pink Floyd when the album came out). On the whole, the album really holds up well and shows that with Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd would probably still have had a fantastic, albeit different career. Of course, with psychedelic music, one has to wonder about consistency, and this is probably the most consistent of the early Pink Floyd. That and perhaps Relics (which is a compilation package) really make these the logical entry point into the world of Pre-Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd.



5. Early Pink Floyd is psychadelic Floyd, and only rarely resembles the sounds associated with their more famous works of the 1970s. This is partially because of the presence of Syd Barrett, whose mark on the band is clear and deep, despite only having been with them for this first album (and some spot work on the second). That said, this is a good album, and many fans think of this early psychadelic era as their best period. The opening tandem of "Astronomy Domine" and "Lucifer Sam" is very strong.

5 comments about The Beatles - The First U.S. Visit.

1. This is a great DVD on The Beatles arrival in America !
   "Beatlemania" at its peak! ... However have they re-packaged this DVD my copy is a black and White cover, has there been any re-mastering? with this color cover?



2. Watching this DVD was like seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan for the first time (which I did) and reliving "Beatlemania". Just when you thought the girls couldn't scream anymore...they screamed LOUDER! A wonderful film that shows just how "normal" they were backstage away from the hysteria. And yes...you might like the music a bit too!



3. This is an amazing DVD. Not only is it a comprehensive documentary of the Beatles' first visit to the US in 1964 (the Maysles brothers, the videographers, were given access to almost every place the Beatles were at the time), but it also contains complete & crystal-clear footage of their 3 performances on the Ed Sullivan show as well as their concert at the Washington Coliseum. For true Beatles fans this DVD is a must-have and definitely a collectors item (it is unavailable in any of the big stores like HMV)!



4. I was suprised at how good The Beatles sounded live. Their harmonies were amazining. The way they looked and sounded, was pure fun. I do not see any bands or artists today that have the magic they had........



5. This could have been a wonderful DVD and it is still very interesting to watch.
   HOWEVER, The main thing I wanted was to see them play and the Ed Sullivan Shows were my main reason to buy this.
   
   How annoying it is to see the original Sullivan shows but have a narrator
   talking over the performance. I mean the DVD is 90 minutes long and full of useless stuff. Why talk over the Sullivan show.
   
   Now I will have to buy the Sullivan Shows DVD and HOPE it does not have similar talk over issues.
   This is the Beatles after all Couldn't you have shut up while they are playing? Make your comments in between songs.

5 comments about The Best of Gerry & the Pacemakers: The Definitive Collection.

1. Gerry and the Pacemakers were one of those English bands which cashed in on the English Invasion of the mid sixties pop music culture. They had a few very good songs, maybe one great song, and they fared well in the U.S. In England, however, they were nearly rivals to the Beatles in 1962-63, but in the U.S. they were really just an 'also ran.' This Definitive Collection is a testament to that. Most of these songs are extremely bland, lack creativity, and illustrative of how schmaltzy they truly were. "I Like It" was a very, very good song, and "Ferry Across the Mersy" is a nice ballad, but much of their later material lacks substance and spontaneity. It is easy to see why they faded quickly. Gerry and the Pacemakers simply did not have the creative writing talents of Lennon/McCartney, Ray Davies, Jagger/Richards, or Donovan; nor did they have the musical muscle of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, or particularly the Animals. Nonetheless, no British 60's music collection would be complete without something from Gerry and the Pacemakers. They were fun, but little else.



2. We heard at a concert in November that Gerry had some health problems. This group is so good, we hope they keep performing.



3. I really enjoyed this cd. I never knew that they had so many songs and many were hits. I highly recommend this cd and think before getting another check this out.



4. 25 songs and only familiar with 6. Would not recommend.



5. If you like old school 60's rock, you'll love this. It's simply the jam of the year.

5 comments about This Is the Moody Blues (2-cd Set).

1. If you weren't there and are a interested in what the "Blues" were about .... this is the set to get.... I'm an old fan from back in the day...... got all the orginal releases 33 1/3 Lps and every other medium since...... if you've never given them a listen...do so you'll be impressed ........



2. Once upon a time, back in the seventies, I had a boyfriend who went to Texas Tech and I went to UT, Austin. We both hailed from the Dallas/Ft Worth area, and we would meet there on weekends to see each other. I worked for a record store in Austin and I had the opportunity to hear and purchase some fantastic music. I had a Craig Powerplay 8-track player in my teeny tiny Honda hatchback with 2 6x9 speakers in the back arm wells. The sure-fire driving cure for me was This Is the Moody Blues. I played it coming, I played it going, and I sang and cried and all the things girls do to music.
   I transferred to LP sometime later, and I now upgraded to CD that I will put on my I-pod and I know I will sing and cry again. I read somewhere that the compilation was purposeful and well planned, and I absolutely agree. It is put together like a story, and the songs segue from one to another with all the spoken word stuff well spaced and placed. In the tradition of album rock, it is best heard in the order intended, not put on shuffle.
   I recommend this for traveling, for cleaning the house, for being alone on a rainy night with volume blaring, drink in hand and pictures of old boyfriends spread around. Don't forget the Kleenex.



3. It goes without saying that the instrumental ensembles and moving vocals made them one of the best bands of the era. Listening to them today doesn't date them at all, and is one of the few CDs I own that truly feel timeless.
   
   One would have to be dead not to be moved by "Knights in White Satin", and "Tuesday Afternoon". Yes, they did get a little cheesy with "To Our Children's Children's Children and some others, but even when their attempts at depth sounded rather preachy, it is still wonderful music to listen to as the musicianship in all the songs are excellent, even when the lyrics aren't always. At least they tried at depth as opposed to the vapid bubble-gum lyrics that permeates most music.
   
   Get this set as opposed to some of the others. The Moody Blues is a classic example of a band that didn't know when to quit. Their music from the 80s and afterwards are, unfortunately, downright unlistenable.



4. What a compilation of the "Classic 7" Moody Blues tunes! I have the vinyl version of this album as well as the CD. There is a photo montage of early pictures of the band on the inside of the vinyl release, when you open up the gatefold sleeve ... One of the pictures of the band features Justin Hayward with a beard! While the CD version doesn't include the photo montage, the booklet includes a well-written, detailed commentary of the band, in the liner notes, by John Tracy. There is also a section featuring the UK and USA release data and chart positions of all The Moody Blues material up to this greatest hits compilation. In addition, the CD booklet also features a couple of photos not seen on any of their original LP's, including one photo that looks like it was taken during the "Octave" period.
   
   The CD release reveals that all of the songs were re-mastered by Anthony Hawkins, who also re-mastered the songs from the original CD version of Justin Hayward's "Night Flight" album, so we get outstanding sound quality, all the way through. Also, as with the earlier CD versions of the "Classic 7" albums, the tail ends of the final tunes that end out Side One are cross-faded with the intro of the songs on Side Two, creating one continuous flow of all of the tracks.
   
   The remix of "Question" on this LP is nice, with some of the instrumentation missing from the intro (as heard on the single version of the song), and some additional instrumentation and vocals near the end of the song ... I liked that arrangement.
   
   The sound of the bass guitar is boosted tremendously on the mixes of "The Actor," "Legend of a Mind," and "Watching and Waiting." For some strange reason, this mix of "The Actor" is edited down by one verse, near the end of the song, but you can hear Justin Hayward's lead vocal more audibly during the final chanting line in the song, compared to the mix on "In Search of the Lost Chord." "Legend of a Mind" is missing some of the mellotron pieces near the end of the song, but it adds backing vocals to one of the "Timothy Leary" lines near the beginning of the song ... Also, some of the instrumentation and the vocals are rearranged on the track, when listening to the stereo quality, so that was a cool effect.
   
   The addition of the instrumental track, "Beyond" from "To Our Children's Children's Children," playing in the background behind the poetry of "The Word," made for a great combination ... I like how that track ends out with the "OM" chant, and then it merges with the opening lyrics to "Eyes of a Child."
   
   For all of the material from "On The Threshold of a Dream," we get some nice mixes of all of the tracks, with better "stereo" separation of the vocals from "Never Comes The Day," "Have You Heard, Part 1," and "Have You Heard, Part 2" (compared to the stereo mixes on "O.T.T.O.A.D") . There is also a better stereo mix of "The Voyage," right where the pianos come in, near the end of that track. This mix of "In The Beginning" is unusual, because Justin Hayward and Mike Pinder's voices are more audible on this version and Graeme Edge's voice (The computer voice) is heard more in the background.
   
   The mix of "Tuesday Afternoon" fades out before the orchestra comes in at the end, so it sounds more like the version on "The Best of The Moody Blues" ... Also, the stereo quality is in reverse, compared to the other mixes of the song.
   
   "A Simple Game" made for a nice addition, too, but the song ends a little earlier on this mix than the mixes featured on the 2006 Deluxe CD edition of "In Search Of The Lost Chord" and the "Prelude" CD, so we don't hear some of Justin Hayward's singing at the end. Justin's vocals are brought to the fore on the mix of "The Story in Your Eyes," and the same goes for "Melancholy Man," with the backup vocals and the synthesizer piece halfway through the song.
   
   There is also a third stereo remix of the orchestral version of "Nights in White Satin" (In addition to the mixes from both the vinyl and CD versions of "Days of Future Passed"). I like the effect of the vocals from the end of "Melancholy Man" merging with the orchestral intro to "Nights in White Satin," and we can hear Mike Pinder shout, "Believe me! Believe me!" in the background.
   
   What a shame that this album went out of print! :( Currently, the only excerpts from "This Is The Moody Blues" that are available today include the mixes of "Eyes of a Child" and "Melancholy Man," which reappear on the 2 CD set "The Singles+" and the mix of "A Simple Game," which reappeared on the 3 disc compilation "Collected."
   
   I think that "This Is The Moody Blues" should be re-released in an updated format. It would be great if the CD's were packaged with the see-through jewel cases, featuring the "Classic 7" album covers underneath (As seen with the 1997 re-mastered CD releases of those albums). The CD booklet should remain the same, because it includes a lot of info on the band, plus a mini poster of the photo montage from the vinyl release could also be included, with lyrics to the songs on the back of it. For anyone who has seen the re-mastered CD version of Pink Floyd's "Ummagumma" album, "This Is The Moody Blues" could be packaged the same way!
   
   Should this collection be reissued someday, I'll look forward to re-reviewing it, right here on Amazon.com! Let's keep our fingers crossed that this album makes a return in the near future. :) Thanks for reading! God Bless... :)



5. I had the vinyl of this one when it came out (got the CD version later). Still the best compilation from the first seven albums & some mixes are are only found on this album (the one track that should have ended with the original ending, "Nights In White Satin" missed that final "Gong". So if you really want a absolutely great album with all the tracks sequed together like the original albums, this is the ticket! What are you waiting for, buy it, you won't be sorry ;-) Search Judemac Forever on msn

5 comments about Hard To Find 45s on CD, Volume 7: More 60's Classics.

1. I purchased this CD to get Midnight Mary - Joey Powers aftering hearing the song on XM radio. This CD is a great find for those wanting to get digital copies of these old songs.



2. Hard To Find 45s on CD, Volume 7: More 60's Classics has some pretty wonderful tunes from back in the day when `60s music filled the airwaves! These songs are sure to bring back good memories for you if you enjoyed this music then; and the quality of the sound couldn't be better. The artwork is nice, too.
   
   Johnny Burnette starts things off with "Dreamin';" this tune has a great beat and the strings are used to great advantage. Johnny sings this with all his heart and soul and I love this song! Gene McDaniels follows next with his huge hit, "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay." "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" is a relentlessly upbeat, joyous tune that is always great to hear; this music is timeless and the ballad sounds fresh and new even today! The Velvets also do a great job on "Tonight (Could Be The Night)." "Tonight (Could Be The Night)" is a song that you might recognize only when you hear it; the name I didn't recognize but when I hear this music I easily remembered this song. "Tonight (Could Be The Night)" is a mixture of early rock and roll with a doo wop twist that is absolutely awesome!
   
   The G-Clefs ace their tune entitled "I Understand (Just How You Feel);" this touching ballad gets a very sensitive interpretation from The G-Clefs and it all works very well. I really like "I Understand (Just How You Feel)." Danny Williams also scores big with his hit entitled "White On White;" "White On White" is a very pretty melody and I predict you'll like this very much. In addition, "Don't Just Stand There" by Patty Duke really shines brighter than silver and gold; patty's voice is as clear as a bell and she bats this straight out of the ballpark! The strings sound great and the percussion helps to mark the beat as well.
   
   Nancy Wilson weighs in with her awesome hit "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am;" Nancy delivers this with her usual panache and that's nothing short of terrific. Nancy handles complicated tempo and key changes to make this tune all her own! Cilla Black also does great with "You're My World;" and listen also for The Seekers to perform "I'll Never Find Another You" so sweetly; I could never tire of hearing The Seekers singing "I'll Never Find Another You." Bobby Darin's "You're The Reason I'm Living" is equally special.
   
   The Honey combs sing "Have I The Right?" with lots if positive energy; and the album ends strong with "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto--in stereo!
   
   Overall, Hard To Find 45s on CD, Volume 7: More 60's Classics has a lot for people to enjoy! I highly recommend this CD for fans of `60s music.



3. One of the biggest problems of oldies radio is the boredom factor. Most stations stick to a list of 300 "safe"songs that their consultants say won't repel listeners. Really?Well, there are songs here that won't be heard on the radio, and there lies the attraction of the entire "Hard to Find 45's" series from Eric. Bill Buster is to be commended for the care he took on this entire series, and I don't think he's done yet!One of the biggest attractions of this series is the appearance of first-time stereo tracks. Listen to Verdelle Smith sing "Tar and Cement" on this disc. A forgotten oldie that deserves the exposure this disc gives it, the stereo mix gives it a texture the mono version never could. and "Sukiyaki" in stereo... you won't find this anywhere else. Kyu Sakamoto shines, and the rich instrumental accompaniment comes through more clearly than ever. If it weren't for the fact that Sakamoto was killed in a plane crash, it could have been newly recorded.According to the liner notes, this stereo mix was created exclusively for this CD. The impeccable quality of this compilation is representative of the entire series. This disc happens to be my favorite, but you should listen to the entire series to the massive undertaking Bill Buster, the man behind Eric Records, took to bring this to us. It was truly a labor of love, and it shows. Don't just stop at Vol. 7; go for the gusto and get 'em all. You'll be glad you did!



4. You just have to listen to this CD...people complain about some of the songs being "obscure"...16 of the 21 tracks were Top 20 hits...maybe not the tired stuff you hear on the local "oldies" station, but this series bases a song's validity more on merit than anything else.



5. When I saw this CD Iremembered the songs from my teen years and had to have it. It was an awesome afternoon remembering those days of fun. Thank You for making them available. Carol

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.

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 Made In Japan: The Remastered Edition.

1. It was hard for me to rate this cd recording. I really don't like it. It is live performances I guess from Japan. I don't consider it the best of Deep Purple. That is my fault for not listening to the tracks before I bought it. So I am not sure how to rate it. Will be buying a different best of Deep Purple cd though.



2. Yes everyone this is the real Deep Purple! This is the true LIVE Purple Album. Once you hear this there is no turning back. Talent, quality, professionalism, power, etc...its all here. This is the album that shows the abilty of Ritchie Blackmore/Jon Lord/Ian Paice/Ian Gillian /Roger Glover. I first got his album when it originally came out, now I needed to get it again for my music library. It is a MUST!



3. Deep Purple is the best band of all times...Why Made in Japan is considered the best live album ever made? Because The Purples are the Best, the best Zep or Sabbath song's haven't the level of this tracks...
   Ritchie, John, Roger and Ians are the maximum....



4. With Deep Purple, the LOUDER the better. Had it in vynyl. Now in cd format. Great from start to finish.
   
   
   
   
   
   Just when You thought it was safe to go back in the water..........



5. This is the famous line-up of Mark 2; Ian Gillan on vocals, Ritchie Blackmore on guitars, Roger Glover on bass, Jon Lord on keyboards and Ian Paice on the drums.
   
   This is absolutely one of the best recorded live albums for me. Recorded live in Japan in 1972! Just buy the album and listen! If you own it in vinyl (LP) like me, it's better that you own it also in the form of a CD coz it's expanded with extra tracks like Black Night, Speed King and Lucille. These songs didn't appear in the first release of the album and even in the first release of the CD.
   
   This is my third copy of this album already. I've got my first copy in the mid 70s and again in the 80s. Actually in the Philippines it was released as Made in Japan Volume 1 and Volume 2 in separate album.
   
   All songs in the LP Volume 1 and 2 are in one CD only in this edition and the other CD contains the extra tracks from the same Japanese tour in 1972.