No comments about Schemers & Dreamers.

2 comments about SkAuthentic.

1. This takes me back to to good 'ol days of the Southern California ska scene when every weekend you could check out a show with good acts. Of particular interest is The Dynamics who were always great live during their early years. It's too bad they never released an album. They went downhill when they lost their GREAT BASSIST Bully and their keyboardist Matt who were two of the founding members and the heart and soul of the band. I heard Bully was in a "super cool" punk band named "Outcry".



2. a great comp of mostly southern california ska bands following in the traditional jamaican styles mixed with jazz and latin grooves. excellent tracks by favorites like hepcat and yeska. much recommended.

3 comments about Plea for Peace.

1. When I bought Plea for Peace ... it turned out to be one of the best albums i have. it is a great value, has a great message and has great songs on it.



2. i like the message a lot, cause Asian Man's one of my fav. labels. But from a music stand point, some songs aren't as good as others, which drags the cd down. The slow gherkin song,"tap dancing", which i havent seen or heard before, has some bad recording. non-ska or punk songs are present as well; Astropop3's "So happy" (whos song is almost too catchy), Polysics "Hot stuff"(sorta punk, but with electronics thrown in, the coolest song on the cd), Pushover "Tell me why"(not really ska or punk, but sorta). The best tracks are: Skankin pickle- "pabu boy", Link 80's "intolerance", and many many more. With the addition of Suburban Home Records atht the end, this is still well worth your [money].



3. Mike Park and the staff of Asian Man Records have another wonderful compilation of punk/ska bands to get you thinking. This album is a benifit for various ant-racist organizations. It has many great bands, and had a tour named after it. This is probably the best compilation to benifit and recognize all people against hate groups of all kinds.

1 comments about Skanktified.

1. A lot of good stuff is in here. Zion Mennonite Youth Group is an excellent discovery, making me hope they write more songs. Sideshow Cafe does an awesome version of Praise the Lord, incorporating other traditional songs into it. It puts new perspective on using ska to praise God. All in all there are so many good examples of what small bands can do in here. The world of Christian ska is so huge, and Skanktified finds examples of every aspect.

No comments about Go Cat Go! A Tribute to Stray Cats.

3 comments about Title Faster & Louder: Hardcore Punk, Vol. 2.

1. Wow great stuff...especially Boston's own "Mission Of Burma" anyone who hasn't heard this needs to check it out. "In A Free Land" Husker Du is perfect too. Great record



2. This CD is packed with punky goodness. The CD samples heavily from the LA + SoCal (USA) scenes of the 1980s--Agent Orange, Germs, etc. The song selections are wonderful across the board, featuring even good tracks from otherwise not-so-great bands. Only the song by Fear lapses into the violent misogyny which often marred the early punk scene. And--the ablum does overlook some great female talents during these times. Otherwise, the album is furious and fun; well-worth your money and ears.



3. This is an amazing compilation. This CD is what gets me up in the morning. Every song is pumped full of raw energy, and has the very best of hardcore/punk.

1 comments about Unstoppable 90's: Alternative.

1. Firstly, I was lucky to pick up this CD (a rare find) for a good price. I didn't have to hear to buy it, as I had heard 12 of the 18 numbers. It contains a good line-up of artists from the Brit-alt rock scene and American Alt as well. Most American Alternative CDs have few British bands listed, this is an exception. Starting off with the smash, Walkin on the Sun by Smashmouth, followed by Elastica's Connection and some cool trip-hop by England's Portishead on Sour Times, the CD is a must-buy. Liverpool's Space comes out with mod lyrics on Female of the Species, and the popular Lovefool by Cardigans to Common People by Pulp, the CD then does justice to popular American songs, some ska such as Here in your Bedroom by Goldfinger and Sell Out by Reel Big Fish. So there you have it! A great CD that samples all the Alternative styles for a nice price. Just Buy it!

5 comments about Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits.

1. Tom Waits is one of those song writers that is just amazing and the variety of tribute albums proves this. It seems that almost anyone can perform one of his songs and, even changing it completely, the song still seems to resonate with the original mantra that is clearly Tom Waits.
   
   If you are a true Tom fan, then you will probably pick up any and all of his tribute albums no matter what I say here, so try it out!



2. Depending on what kind of tribute person you are... my assessment of this one is some re-working of the material. Personally, I think that's cool. After all, if you wanted the artist to do it the way the original song was... what's the point of buying a tribute album. I got this specifically for the Violent Femmes cover, but had fun with it in general. As a tribute album, I think it's average (or maybe a bit more) fun.



3. For those that have not liked this CD, that's just fine, in the Tom Waits tradition, you don't need to. Every Tom Waits offering, whether by himeself, or by others that love his diversity of work, never, yes, never, has indifferent devotees, or even middle of the road critics. One usually either loves his work or they do not. Yet, and this is unique with criticisms of artists, one may love and hate pieces on the same CD of Tom Waits. This, I believe, is why he is an Artist, one of his own making, and not either by you and me, the buying public, or the music industry. This, I believe, takes courage, and is one of the reasons that his work endures when most others only enjoy the popularity that the industry, the owners of most musicians and artists, will give them. I applaud Tom Waits for being who and what he chooses, not what I, you, or the business world might want him to be. This is why these artists offering of Tom's art is worthwhile. They offer his work in their interpretation. If you don't like all of it, big deal. You belong to a big club, those that love Tom Waits' art, but sometimes do not.
   
   I don't know if you have had the opportunity to listen to the compilation CD of Tom Waits' music performed by others, called, 'STEP RIGHT UP'; however, if you have not as of yet, please, in my never humble opinion, it's more than worth it, and I'm sure that Tom, a tad familar here, loves their interpretations. His music and lyrics, and lyricism spans the expanse of about every genre, and always theatrical, in my perspective. One of the greatest Tom Waits stories, as related to me by a person that was at this Artist's event, is, after he had performed to an intimate gathering of two-hundred or so at a New York City bar, the audience lit their 'bic's' for an encore, to which Tom came out, book in hand, sat in an overstuffed reading chair, lit his cigar, sat in the chair, only light on, the reading lamp hanging over his one shoulder, opened the book, and proceded to read, not aloud, but to himself. He had already finished his performance. I love his quirkly, performance art, light and dark artistry. Consider the list of Artists: Tindersticks, Drugstore, Pete Shelley, The Wedding Present, Violent Femmes, Alex Chilton, Johnathan Richman, a favorite of mine, slowly sneaking up behind Tom, for me. The other Artists are: These Immortal Souls, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Giant Sand, Dave Alvin, Magnapop, MC 900 Ft. Jesus, more than a cool name, Frente! and, certainly not the least, Tim Buckley.
   
   This might well be a listen to many times, over and over again, CD, for obviously different reasons than Tom's nearly incomparable, uncomparable 'Mule Variations', which I know that you, at one time, if not still, had, have, should - in my, well you know -, held this CD with the greatest affection. 'Chocolate Jesus', from the 'Mule Variations', sadly is not included in this compilation CD by other Artists. 'Chocolate Jesus' is my favorite of Tom's songs, that, and 'Georgia Lee', a heart wrenching, beautifully honest psalmist sort of tune. This, too, is not included on the compilation CD. I recall the first time that I actually listened to this one, 'Georgia Lee', truly heard the lyrics: I was in the process of closing my beloved, now in repose, Bookshoppe, and the line about sweet Georgia Lee under the leaves under the tree, with the refrain, 'Why wasn't God listening', hit me. I had to sit, for a moment, and to take in the honesty that I had not yet come. This man is an Artist, I believe, and I give thanks.
   
   'Ruby's Arms', performed by Frente! has the force of 'Georgia Lee' when sung by Tom himself. 'Martha', performed by Tim Buckley, has that charm of story telling that Tom is loved for, almost, if not as much, yet for the same reasons, because Tim Buckley, as with the other Artists on this CD love to give credit to where credit is due, giving their full interpretative aritistry and skill to the moment, and allowing the listener to say, 'Wow, Tom Waits, is more than cool.' The Violent Femmes kick it too, though I am not a great fan, nor have I been, of them. Magnapop scratches the chalk board with the offering of a Tom Waits disonance tune, 'Christmas Card from a hooker in Mineapolis', the title alone would keep most music industry from producing it with a new artist.
   
   Tom Waits music, lyrics, performance art, lyricism both endears him to many, but it is also what insults and or offends others. What I like about him as an Artist, is that he doesn't ask that you approve or even like his Art. He offers it. If we like it, good. If not, sobeit. This is not an easy, especially economically speaking, commitment to make to one's Art. This I respect. I love this sort of an Artist.
   
   I love Tom Waits musicianship, and positively his lyricism, and his poetic lyrics themselves. It is this sort of artistry that causes me to sit in my overstuffed chair, open a book, and know God. As sentimental as this might sound, my fifth and sixth grader Church School class gives me this same sense of knowing, that this one, me, that says - I say - that I do not know if I even believe in God, knows. Somehow I smile and smirk at the same time thanks to these brilliant artists, yes, both Tom as well as my class. One thing that places him over against many of his peers, though, is his willingness to laugh at himself, even poking fun through his own lyrics. I also like that he's not afraid to admit his, what I consider in the vein of The Psalmists's phrasing and willingness to be brilliantly, as well as painfully - this might only be my interpretation - honest with the antimonies of life. I smile and smirk.
   
   Timothy
   
   
   'If there is to be any peace it will come through being not having.' + Henry Miller 'Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.' + Martin Luther King Jr. 'The search for Truth is the search for God.' + Gandhi



4. Tom himself is weird, so it's actually appropriate that some of these covers sound a little strange at first. After listening to this album a few times, though, it starts to make sense. In fact, if you keep listening, it begins to make a lot of sense. I actually listened to it so much that my roommate banned it when he was in the room, which illustrates both aspects of this album: it is a little weird, but quite addictive if you take the time to listen carefully.
   Tom is always playing around with new or different versions of his own music, so it seems appropriate for other musicians and bands to play around with his music, too. This album covers the whole range of Tom's styles: some of the songs are simply and sentimentally beautiful, i.e., Dave Alvin's rendition of old 55 or Tim Buckley singing Martha (this song alone is worth the price of the entire album), while others are just plain creepy, like the Archers of Loaf's Big Joe and Phantom 309; and the best are somewhere in between: I'm thinking most specifically of Jersey Girl as played by Pale Saints, one of my all-time favorites, cover or otherwise.
   A few songs don't quite measure up, such as Downtown by Alex Chilton, but as a whole, the range of artists and approaches illuminates Tom's strengths as a songwriter: even if not every song is a gem, the songcraft of his music still shows through. And when someone gets it right, it's an almost transcendent experience, as in the case of Tim Buckley's Martha, or Frente!'s cover of Ruby's Arms, or Pale Saints' Jersey Girl.
   In short, it is a slightly uneven album, but the best is so good it just doesn't matter. If you buy this album, let it air out, so to speak, before you make any hasty judgments. It's well worth the wait.



5. Ever since '96 this has been one of my favourite CDs. Yes, I am a devout Tom Waits fan and I understand it may hurt to hear his songs that distorted. But I have never heard a sadder "Ruby's Arms" (Frente!), a more chilling "Jersey Girl" (Pale Saints) or a faster "Old Shoes" (Drugstore).

1 comments about Treasure Isle Ska: Ska After Ska After Ska.

1. Collecting early Ska (60's era)can be frustrating because of the varying quality of the source material. You never really know what you are getting sound quality wise on different labels unless you actually listen to the disc first. This particular release on the Heartbeat label, "Ska After Ska After Ska", is an outstanding Ska collection AND it has the absolute best sound quality I have ever heard for material of this vintage. A five star package if there ever was one! It sounds like it was recorded yesterday - it's that good - a rarity for early Ska CDs. The song selection is also not to be missed. Even if you already have some of this material you really owe it to youself to consider an upgrade purchase. Just buy it!

5 comments about Saucerful of Pink: A Tribute to Pink Floyd.

1. Tribute to who? If you really like Pink Floyd, don't spend your money on this awful album... O xente ta ruim demais !



2. This is the first collection of music I didn't know how to describe because I haven't heard music like this before. Is this music good? Well, some songs ("Set Controls For Heart of The Sun") are awesome and capture the trippy, surreal qualities of PINK FLOYD at their finest. Others, well, not so good...
   Unlike one reviewer, I am not dismissing this music just because it lacks familiar elements in rock music like the electric guitar, etc. Actually, I find the use of different instruments (or just strange use of keyboards) very refreshing. Songs like the strong opener are brilliantly executed and respectful of the original sound being mimicked. Where I had some trouble enjoying was when the song was completely unrecognizable from the original like "Another Brick in the Wall." Luckily, the rest are better.

   Like PINK FLOYD, the singing is not the main emphasis. I found the fact that most of the songs were rather lengthy a bold and intriguing concept. I have to "tip my hat" to the artists for picking lesser-known songs and playing to such magnitude. The songs that stand out (besides "Set Controls" that I already stated is wonderful) are "Interstellar Overdrive," "Hey You," (best vocals), "Careful With That Axe, Eugene," "Lucifer Sam," "Let There Be More Light," and "Saucerful of Secrets" because there is a nice mixture of the old song structure and the newer method of music style. Worth noting is the humorous and clever "tribute" to "Several Species of Small Furry Animals." I was disappointed in "On The Run" (somehow, just not quite right) and "Echoes" because of the unsettling vocals upsetting the balance of the beautiful music (unlike "Set the Controls" which keeps the spiritual-like qualities throughout). Others are worth a listen. Not since the album "Sgt Pepper Knew My Father" have I heard as interesting a tribute to well known rock musicans and their songs.




3. I'm rambling, but I think you guys are missing the point. This is one of my favourite Cleopatra ribute albums because you don't have to hear Pink Floyd. If you're a Pink Floyd fan and know that no one can do it better, then don't bother. These bands add new life to very tired songs (admit it man!). For the person who thought Floyd was a "rock band" go back and listen to the mid-period releases from Meddle, More, Obscured, Atom Heart etc. that is the period that is covered mostly by this disc anyway. There are loads of soundscapes and electronic elements represented in those original albums. In these (mostly) ambiant covers those aspects are really brought out. The melodies are generally carried, or maybe just a keyboard flourish from the original. All of the songs are certainly reconizable to any Floyd fan (well maybe except the Gessin track which isn't a Floyd song at all). Those that do try to come closer to the originals, or those that venture into the later period of radio staples, don't work as well and are sure to annoy Floyd fans as well as casual listeners. "Set the Controls" should floor everyone though. That's a nifty version that beats out the original.



4. Like any compilation album, you don't wind up liking every band/song. But the great thing about this tribute album is that there are enough artists with their own take on Floyd - some very original versions of Floyd songs that aren't on the radio. If you're a fan of the band's history (but not stuck in history), then you'll like this album.



5. Are you kidding me!! Pink Floyd are a rock band. Nowhere on this so called Tribute album (of bands and artists I have never even heard of) did I hear a guitar, or a drum only electronic noise. I don't know what kind of music you classify this as but it is [not good]....

   As I listened to this CD I grew angrier and angrier desperately waiting for a song that sounded vaguely simular to a Pink Floyd song but it never happened.

   There are much better tribute albums out there - try An Allstar lineup performing the songs of Pink Floyd it is miles better.