4 comments about Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 13.

1. Worth twice the asking price just for Nik Kershaw's Wouldn't It Be Good!! Rest of the tracks are "vintage" 80s' also. The whole Just Can't Get Enough series is a must for 80s' music fans. Absolutely no clunkers!!!



2. Got a good mix of old favorites (Relax, Cruel Summer) and some not-so-easy-to-find gems like Whisper To A Scream. I love this cd!



3. While this compilation manages to have unappealing tracks ("Girls", "Free Nelson Mandela"), there are some really nice songs on here. "Hold Me Now" and "Cruel Summer" are really great songs to commute to, and "The Stand" is a powerful and anthemic delight. "Wouldn't It Be Good" is delectable and "Whisper to a Scream" is a rare gem. This is a must buy for anyone wanting an '80s compilation that doesn't contain the usual hackneyed "hitsapalooza". I even liked "Hero Takes a Fall" and I never knew I could like a Bangles song!



4. Songs like Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't it Be Good" and The Special AKA's "Nelson Mandela" make this easily the best volume in this 15 volume series. Nik Kershaw fans beware: An edited version of "Wouldn't it Be Good" appears here.

5 comments about Punk-O-Rama, Vol. 2.

1. This is a really decent punk rock compilation. Pretty much every song is good, top to bottom. It is cool to see some Northwest bands and some hard-to-find old school outfits from 80s such as DFL (my favorite band) and Poison Idea. This is a good mixture of music and a must buy for punk rock aficionados. Not many better compilations out there!



2. I bought this one about 10 min after i had bought Vol. 6 sence i was driving from one record store to another. This one is pretty good, but saddly its kind of a tease today, seeing as many of the tracks are from albums that went out of print years ago. This one is probably one of the best out of the 10 Punk-O-Rama compilations so far. The only two that i would rate better would be vol. 1, and the somewhat rare and un heard of Vol. 2.1, which was a special deal at the 97 warped tour(looks the same only the moster on the cover is skateboarding, not urinating on a wall, and it has the Wapred Tour logos) 2.1 featured a slightly modified track list with stronger tracks from SNFU, Down By Law and Pennywise. Its worth the money youll spend if you ever see a copy in the used cd bin. Anyway, Punk-O-Rama 2 is a pretty good collection of punk from the 90s as well as the two 80s hardcore bands Poison Idea and DFL. If you want to sample a pretty broad spectum that is punk music, this is a good place to start, as it gives you not only some of today's vetran bands' older material, but some seriously old scool stuff too. also some of these tracks arent for those turned off by questionable subject matter...Namely the one TSOL track



3. It was 1996, I was young and pissed off, had problems with school, parents and girlfriends. This CD came right on time. The Offspring's Smash brought the Epitaph name to my attention, so I saw this for 10 Guilders (Yes, guilders...damn the euro)and picked it up. I was not dissapointed. It was angry, loud and fast. Descendents, NOFX, Pennywise, Bad Religion.. Loved it.
   
   This cd just belongs in 1996. It couldnt be released again today. It was in the height of the second punk explosion. Punk is dead now again. I don't listen to any more new Epitaph releases, they just all plain suck. Even NOFX doesn't put out decent records anymore. So that's why I started to look elsewhere and found it in garage bands like Kings of Leon.
   But sometimes I get nostalgic and give Punk O rama a spin once more, and remember times past.... ahhhh.



4. The Punk o Rama series isn't ever one to disappoint, and this proves it. The second disc in the series, it's definatly the best. most well planned mixes out there.

   Why do I love this mix so much. I like it because it features two of my favorite songs "Perfect People" by Pennywise and "Code Blue" by TSOL. The album begins with the 34-second speed demon "Coffee Mug" by the legendary band The Descendents. Then it goes into an amazing group of songs from well knowns like NOFX, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Pennywise, TSOL, Rancid, and Bad Religion, but also features such unknowns as Poison Idea, Dead F**king Last (DFL), and SNFU.

   So pick up this album now. It's a classic.




5. this is a great cd unlike volume 8 this one is more aggresive, fast, rock your jocks and drink beer punk rock not trendy sounding punk rock. TSOL, Poison idea, the Joykiller these bands should be on all punk o ramas. vol 6,7 and 8 are a waist of money.

5 comments about Physical Fatness - Fat Music Vol. III.

1. it just doesnt get any better.... every single song is amazing especially olive me, ultimate devotion, cool kids, stand and the 2 snuff songs



2. Yup, just that. NOFX "Olive Me" - good. Read about it in the other reviews. Snuff's second song on the disc - well I'm sure it be great to hear them play it in a club, but it detracts from this disc. Lagwagon's "Raise a Family" - well worth the time to listen to over and over again.

   SDG




3. This is by far the best compilation I have ever heard. It beats the pants off the Warped Tour compilations which have like 5 good songs out of 50. There is so much great music on here I don't skip anything. The best song on here is Hi-Standards song. It's fast, fun, and completely hilarious. Olive Me from Nofx is a decent song, but not their best. Stand is my favorite Good Riddance song. Snuff's first song is pretty good, I like it alot. Strung Out could've done better and so could've Screw 32 and Propaghandi, but The Goober Patrol, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Screeching Weasel, Tilt, Bracket, and Lagwagon are on the top of their game. The Swingin Utters, the Dickies, and 88 Fingers Louie are definitely capable of better but they are still good songs. NUFAN's song is the worst song on the album. I just don't like it much. And I don't understand why the second Snuff song is on the album. This album should've ended with the Gimme Gimmes but for some reason they added another Snuff song which is pretty mediocre. Anyway just get this album. It is a good intro to alot of great bands. It also has some of the bands best songs. Its only four bucks, so what are you waiting for? The Hi-Standard song is alone worth the price. Buy it! Its fantastic.



4. I have every Fat Wreck Chords Album, and each one is great to listen to. I was impressed that Fat has so many quality bands on their label. Of all their comps, though, I believe this one is the best. Just about every song is catchy, particularly both Snuff songs and Screeching Weasel's "Cool Kids", and no song is so annoying that I skip it. Also, "Olive Me" by NOFX and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes cover of "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" really give this album clout. If you do not buy this CD at least get another fat album, because they are the best punk comps available.



5. Hey this is a great CD. I rarely come across a CD where I can say I liked every song, but this was it. If you like punk rock and ska this is defientley for you. I think "Next in Line" and "Cool Kids" are the best songs on it and so is "Olive me." Really this isn't a waste of money this is some good hardcore quality punk music.:)

5 comments about Give 'Em the Boot.

1. I can't speak with authority as to the styles of music on this compilation because I don't listen to a lot of it. The only band on this CD I'm familiar with is Dropkick Murphys, but I bought it to try something different and for the most part enjoyed it. Not every song is a keeper, but most are good to listen to. I liked the Murphys song as well as the ones by Hepcat, The Business, Voodoo Glow Skulls and Swingin' Utters. There is a nice mix of punk and ska and I'm sure other styles I don't know the terminology for. It's a strong compilation and a good way to try out new bands and new musical styles.



2. As we all know that Hellcat records is owned and runned by Lars from Rancid. Well being a punk, I know that right now, all that is considered 'punk' is either A)This main-stream crap which sucks badly or B)All these emo and hardcore/metal bands appearing in the underground right now. So being a dude waiting for some new punk band to change everything in the punk genre...they havent made it.
   So for these past few weeks I have been I've been looking over some ska-punk and punk-ska bands. So I thought, I'll look into real ska bands....let me tell there are literally thousands of them out there waiting for some dude/dudette to be favored by. I had no clue where to start on picking out albums to buy. So most people look into comps for samples. And then I came across this little prize of joy.
   Give 'Em The Boot Vol. 1 is probably the best ska comp that includes awesome punk bands too. Though the first track by Rancid wasn't their best. When the Slackers came on with 'Watch This' I felt so relaxed. When Hepcat's 'Dont Wait' came on I was already singing along. By the time The Pietasters 'New Breed' was playing I was up dancing. I won't list the other bands and songs, but most punks and people only hear about bands like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Operation Ivy, and The Suicide Machines. Though, those bands are considered to be the only good ones, screw you! There are tons better ones. Plus, all those bands have sold out or lost almost all the orginal members.
   But over-all kids, stop listeing to the things considered punk(as in sell-outs or emo/hardcore bands)get your soul out there and be a rude boy. So if wanna get to know good ska bands buy this CHEAP cd!



3. (For those of you unfamiliar with the Give 'em the boot series, it is a sampler series of bands on the Hellcat Records label. The label has an eclectic mix of punk/hardcore bands and ska/reggae/dub bands)

   Now that that's out of the way...

   Here's the deal:

   1. With the possible exception of Rancid and Choking Victim, the punk bands on Hellcat Records suck. It's boring, unoriginal, and not even that aggressive.
   2. The ska/reggae/dub bands, however, are EXCELLENT and amazing. It's very mellow and relaxing, yet very exciting and catchy. It should have you dancing along in no time.
   3. Of the 3 titles in the give 'em the boot series, the 1st one (this one) has the least punk and the most ska.
   4. Therefore, this is the best Give 'em the boot by FAR and with its dirt cheap price, you have no excuse for not owning it if you consider yourself a fan of ska in any way, shape, or form.




4. This album and it's brethren are an excellent way to be introduced to a lot of cool bands. I've gone out and bought a number of albums based on what I heard here and on Vol. II + III. If you like punk and ska with a dash of psychobilly, then this is your teaser!



5. This comp set the ska/punk record straight in 97 and set the tone for the next several years... what a Loud Hard Fast tone it was. I ahve shared this common experience with many new friends from all parts of the country: getting this comp and having our minds blown back in the day.

3 comments about Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 12.

1. I only bought this CD for The Rave-Ups Positively Lost Me. Thank you for including this super rare, out of print song!



2. The heart felt songs of the 80's are well captured in the Just Can't Get Enough series, they did a very good job of finding some of the more obscure songs of the 80's but unfortunately they spread them out to force you to buy the set. Yet still as far as the collection is concerned this is one of the best because of Peter Godwin's Images of Heaven. Play the song for yourself and you'll see why.



3. If you grew up in the Eighties most of these songs will be familiar to you. Some of these are quite good ( Only You, Oblivious, Come Back and Stay ) and hold up nicely after repeated listening. Some do not, unfortunately. And for the record, the version of Our Lips Are Sealed here ( by the Fun Boy Three ) is NOT the original, as stated by the reviewer above. It was recorded after the Go-Gos did it ( although the lead singer of FBT - Terry Hall - co-wrote the song with Jane Weidlin of the Go-Go's). Overall, a fun nostalgia trip.

5 comments about Hopelessly Devoted to You 4.

1. I love Hopeless Records. Some of my favorite bands like Mustard Plug, Avenged Sevenfold, and The Weakerthans are featured on this label and appear multiple time on this album. The Hopelessly Devoted To You compilations are some of the best out there, especially since in my opinion the Punk-O-Rama series has gotten too dull.
   Volume Four has been my favorite of this set. This album introduced me to Avenged Sevenfold. Second Heartbeat got me hooked on the band. Common Rider's Small Pebble is a unique little ditty that made tap my toes. My favorite ska band of all time, Mustard Plug, has two great offerings on this record with Not Enough and Already Gone. the Weakerthans have Aside and an accoustic number called Pat Due, both cool tracks. Digger is represented with The Ninja, The Pinto, and The Dan Marino. the title's strange but who cares! The song is awesome. One small dark point: Atom and His Package. Be warned, the two songs they have on are pretty good, but their own release is not.
   Missing from this Hopeless outing are some notables. Hopeless veterans Funeral Oration, The Queers, The Nobodys, and 88 Fingers Louie are the most glarng examples. Unlike the other Hopeless compilations, this one has a more heavy feel to it. Thrice and Avenged Sevenfold give it this feeling.
   At least check this album out, despite what other reviewers say this is a great compilation. It offers something for everyone and the price is unbeatable.



2. this cd has an incredible mix of songs, and for 4 bucks i dont see any reason to complain even if you think it sucks. the stuff from avenged sevenfold (A7X) rocks, and its worth the money just in these two songs. against all authority has two good songs in there, along with scared of chaka and selby tigers. thrice surprisingly had some pretty hardcore songs on this. i admit the weakheartens suck, along with mustard plug and some other songs, but if you look past that this is a awesome cd, especially for 4 bucks. buy it if you want a great cd



3. This compilation contains a very strange mix of music. The only real reason I bought it was to get an unreleased Samiam song, and it was probably worth it for that. That track is very good. Also, I was happy to be introduced to Avenged Sevenfold, I may pick up some of their stuff... was very impressed with their songs. I also liked the Selby Tigers track, thought that was very good... not sure if I'd pick up their stuff but maybe. The track by Jeff Ott is OK and was cool to have in there, Scared of Chaka was OK as well.

   However, I can't give the CD a thumbs up overall... Atom and his Package has got to be a friggin joke, sounds like bad 80's pop music... like, really bad! Gag me with a spoon! I also hate Thrice, I think they are soulless businessmen who are just barely shrewd enough to fool a more-than-average number of people into believing they are doing something new and different. I think the Weakerthans are a pretty lame band. Also, Mustard Plug is just your average skacore band, light on the core... and all of those bands got two songs on the compilation, when I would have appreciated hearing more from other bands. The rest of the songs I probably tuned out because they were either boring or lame, or just nothing special.




4. I thought this was a good CD. The cuts by The Weakerthans were the best and most of the others were strong songs as well. Well worth the price.



5. So this is the 4th edition of Hopeless Records promo CD's. A cheap compilation of most of the bands under their label. To entice people who already own the albums to buy this, they throw in some previously "unreleased" tracks. This can be quite questionable since I know that 2 of the so called unreleased tracks can be found on the bands albums (Mustard Plugs - Not Enough and Common Riders - Stone Pebble). I happen to be a big fan of Thrice, Avenged Sevenfold, Atom and his Package, Against All Authority, Common Rider, and Digger. Some of the other bands on this album are good also but won't have me buying anything from them until maybe the next compilation. So it's mostly a matter of whether you like the bands on the label or not. If you haven't heard of some or none of these bands, then it might be worth to pay the [$$$] to get a taste before you buy one of these bands albums.

5 comments about Old School Punk.

1. this is a great comp.i barley got into the punk scene a good 5 years ago or so.this comp. makes for a great starter kit.



2. This compilation was made by Warren Fitzgerald (of the Vandals). He makes a great cd full of all the greatest punk rock songs from bands most might not know about, but should. Forget Blink 182, Green Day, or any other pop stuff. This is Punk Rock.



3. This is one of the better punk comps i've heard, and has a lot more varied stuff on it than an "oi" comp would. There are some classic songs on here from Wasted Youth, TSOL, Agent Orange, and Flipper. Pretty much all of it is good but those are the best. I'd recommend getting Agent Orange's "Living in Darkness" or TSOL's "Dance With Me" if the songs on here appeal to you.



4. This is one of the better compilations that I own. It is great, but it could have had a better germs cut. Darby Crash rules!



5. Sure, any compilation like this reeks of cash-in, and in the realm of "punk rock" that's a sin, but suspend your prejudices for a time and realize that the songs here are vital.

   Serving as an admirable time capsule for SoCal early eighties punk rock, this CD ties together a great lineup of important bands of that day and age. And not only are the bands first-rate, the songs chosen are actually the best those bands have to offer. Honestly, once you hear "I Don't Care About You" by Fear, that's about all the Fear you'll ever need to hear. Same goes for the Germs' "Richie Dagger" and Agent Orange's "Bloodstains." Sure, you could delve deeper into each artist, but if you didn't bother, you could still safely go to your grave not missing much.

   If you need a primer introduction to the roots of what they call American punk today (Offspring, Green Day, Blink182), this will serve that purpose admirably.

1 comments about Hopelessly Devoted to You.

1. This is a great CD. The Falling Sickness song Dwindle is quite excellant and the uncredited cover of the song from Grease("We go Together") is excellant. If you like punk in the vein of Punk-O-Rama vol. 1, you'll like this. Some bands on here with good songs include: Falling Sickness, Funeral Oration(Another great band) and The Nobodys. Be sure to get this CD. But what really matters is you shouldn't buy this from Amazon, buy it direct from Hopeless. I got it at my local mom and pop record store, not a chain. You should buy from a local store or buy all your punk direct from the label. I don't know how this scam works, but they've even got Propagandhi's Less Talk, More Rock, which has no barcode, precisely so it couldn't be sold by big business. DON'T BUY PUNK FROM AMAZON! Amazon is cool for mainstream music and great for books, but not Punk. Hope they print this...

5 comments about Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit.

1. Amazing songs from some of the best groups in recent history. This CD is an awesome mix of the blues-influenced alternative and punk music that Detroit is known to produce. I would highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys a little bit of blues a little bit of edginess, great lyrics and great songwriting.



2. if you are like me and are an avid fan of the White Stripes, you are probably waiting for their next album, with De Stijl and Elephant in the CD player to tide you over. The White Stripes weren't always Grammy Nominees, they were once a new band on the Detroit music scene. Fortunately, jack White really stayed true to his roots and was able to give us the awesome album. It will really give an inside look at new bands, that have that same raw, real, simple sound that the White Stripes are known for. For the White Stripes fan this is a must buy.



3. The album simply is a great buy for anyone even slightly into the detroit music scene. Just to clear up one issue though there is no problem with the product, anyone with the 'Candy Coloured Blues' unauthorised white stripes documentry will know that the cut short tracks are an interesting experiment in which Jack White asked band members to simply play something bluesey, in an effort to reveal somthing about the detroit bands he was showcasing.



4. Being a White Stripes fan I had to seek out this album to get their previously unreleased track "Red Death at 6:14". Along the way I was introduced to a number of bands from detroit I would have not heard of otherwise. Standout bands on this compilation include The Dirtbombs, Ko and the Knockouts, The Soledad Brothers, The Von Bondies, and Whirlwind Heat.

   And about the tracks that seem to "cut off" after 30 seconds, I have this album on vinyl (yes I have a record player) and the tracks are meant to be like that. I think of them as segues.




5. This CD has some excellent music -unfortunately the CD appears to have a production problem where track 2, 3 and 9 are cut short (after about 20 seconds). Amazon provided a replacment (really good service) but same problem. I also note that someone else mentioned this in another review. They thought it was by design - I don't think so but it might be.

   However this issue aside, there does seem to be something in the Detroit scene. An interesting mix of rock, punk and blues - with some surprising edginess, drive, inventiveness and a good indie sound. White stripes are great but here are some some others. Perhaps without the technical greats of Jack White but nevertheless some real commitment to an individual sound and style. Its a good buy - even with the defect - sample a few of these bands. highly recommended.

5 comments about Lonely Is an Eyesore.

1. There seem to be a few reviewers who think this compilation isn't representative of the 4AD label, and perhaps legitamitely so; but this was THE introduction to 4AD by many people who became immediate diehard fans. The most misrepresentative review I've seen here involved the Dead Can Dance song "The Protagonist." Admittedly, not their shining hour (or 10 minutes), but an interesting experiment nonetheless; especially for Modern Classical music fans. "The Protagonist "consists of nearly the same measure repeated over and over for the first 3:46; with the addition and subtraction of various horn phrases, voices, plucked strings, horn stabs, and harmonium with one momentary chord alteration. At the 3:46 point it shifts into a further development of the theme so far, using all these things as well as tympani and chimes, and taking on a striking resemblance to the soundtrack work Philip Glass did for the SQUATSI film trilogy. I find that worth listening to (even enjoyable) and hope that my review encourages someone to listen that might have been discouraged by others.



2. It's surprising how many reviews here are for the companion CD, and not the item described (the VHS tape). I don't know if this is Amazon's screw up or people just don't read. There's a separate listing for the album where most of these reviews should go.
   
   As far as the videos are concerned, file this more under historical document rather than essential viewing. Although I still love the ambiance many of them have (especially the This Mortal Coil and DCD entries) it's true much of it definitely shows it's age. Still, a good collection of material that (at that time) was not available on their albums, and these were very low budget videos that captured the 4AD mood.



3. This is simply one of the best 4AD releases of the 80's. The cocteau twins, Wolfgang Press and Clan of Xymox songs are worth the price alone. The mood is very typical of the label's reputation, and sets the pace for future labels like Projekt and Cleopatra.



4. This album changed my life. Best compilation album ever. Other reviewers have said it already, and I concur. "Fish" is my favorite Throwing Muses song. It has a brilliant guitar duo and Kristen Hersh does this sigh that turns into a scary growl that you have to turn up loud to appreciate. "Cut the Tree" is my favorite TWP song and will leave you disoriented. "Acid Bitter and Sad" is one of the most lovely yet scary pop songs ever. "No Motion" is Dif Juz's best song and you will float away if you don't strap yourself down. "Crushed" is from that era when Cocteau Twins were at their most, well, Cocteau Twinsy. DCD's "Frontier" and "The Protagonist" may have you covering yourself with mud and barking at the moon. Clan of Xymox's "Muscoviet Mosquito" is among the best of their "Medusa" period, as good as "Michelle" or "Agonized by Love". The only blemish on this collection is the ridiculous Colourbox song, which still kind of baffles me. If you'd like to know what all the 4AD hype was about, buy this album, for it is THE defining event in the label's illustrious history. Stare at the cover and listen with headphones.



5. if you are like me (that is, older than you'd like), you were a 16 year old goth, circa 1988, in a small town where nobody got you and where music was your only escape. we had no cable, ergo no 120 minutes, so my first dip into the existential was this video, borrowed from a friend (though now i own a copy and how dare they not have this on region 1 dvd). though maybe on the trite side by today's standards, it stands as a beautiful package of delightful tones and images from that long forgotten time before the grunge and the bastardization of the term "alternative". god bless ivo and 4ad and all the contributing artists.