5 comments about Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon.

1. I love the originals, and some of the groups doing the covers, but this has to be one of the worst messes I've ever heard.
   
   The covers are lifeless and dull, and even The Flaming Lips, who I thought could do no wrong, do a horrible cover.
   
   Get the originals, forget these covers.



2. I ordered this from Amazon.com since I'm in the UK and this title wasn't available from Amazon UK. It took about 2 weeks to arrive and was worth the wait. As other customers have said, as a rule Lennon/Beatles cover songs aren't much good at all but this CD is a notable exception.
   
   I admit that my reason for buying this CD was initially due to the fact that I'm an Alice In Chains fan and their late lead singer Layne Staley appears with MadSeason, his side project alongside Alice In Chains. They perform 'I don't wanna be a soldier', a song which I never thought was one of Lennon's best.
   This version though(I think) is better than the original, yet at the same time sounding quite authentic, as well as being unavailable on any other album.
   
   There are other notable tracks apart from this one, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers' version of 'I found out'.
   This sounds a lot 'grungier'(for want of a better word lol) than most of their stuff, and works well, as do tracks like 'steel and glass' by Candlebox. 'Cold Turkey'Lennon's description of the nightmare of heroin addiction, is another good track. This track starts off deceptively quietly before getting heavier, even if it isn't as harrowing as the original.
   
   So a good covers album then, one which I feel would be particularly interesting to fans of the individual artists here, since these tracks are as far as I know unavailable elsewhere.



3. I got this disc at a used CD shop in town for six dollars, I wasn't expecting much, as most of the Lennon cover/tributes i've heard were pretty lacking. I was dead wrong. There is only one bad cover on this dics, every other is great!

   Red Hot Chili Peppers/I Found Out - Slow, Angry, and funky. Something the peppers haven't ever done before and its cool to hear them do a song that doens't stick to their style. 3/5

   Mad Season/I don't Wanna Be a Soldier - I never liked this song, but I think this cover is more enjoyable than to original (to me) Driving guitars and bass, and some really good vocals. 3/5

   Candlebox/Steel and Glass - Awesome cover off the Walls and Bridges album. It's especially good because the guitar were buried by the string in the original, but Candlebox's cover features loud guitars and stand out bass. Cool guitar solo too 5/5

   Blues Traveler/Imagine - Pretty standard in the beginning, with some cool bass fills, but after the first verse things get really blusey and some harmonica come in. Good rendition! 4/5

   Screaming Trees/Working Class Hero - I always thought this was one of Lennons best, but the only cover i've heard was by Cyndi Lauper and it was awful (love cyndi though) The song starts out with just two guitars chiming with vocals, but it builds up and adds a cello and evtually drums and bass come in and give the song a lot of power, great cover. 5/5

   The Minus 5/Power To The People - I head this song tacked on as a bonus track on "Plastic Ono Band" and this cover is millions of times better than the original, believe me. It is amazing Minus 5 were able to see the potential of this otherwise lackluster song, fuul of energy absolutely great. 4/5

   The Magnificent Bastards/How Do you Sleep - Rockin cover. Performed with all the spite and malice of the original, featuring a cool guitar interlude. 4/5

   Flaming Lips/Nobody Told Me - Amazing! recorded with cheap, super distorted guitars, it sounds perfect. Great drumming and basswork from the lips as usual. 5/5

   Super 8/Well Well Well - Sounds just like the original, except for the extra loud guitars on the chorus and the awesome vocals (not to mention the solo!) 5/5

   Cheap Trick/Cold Turkey - I don't like Cheap Trick, I don't like Cold Turkey, I don't like this version. Weakest cover on the disc 2/5

   Collective Sound/Jealous Guy - Acoustic guitar instead of piano doing th cords on this one, no stirngs either, really cool! The only reason I don't give this one a 5 is because Elliott Smith's cover of this song is ten times better. 4/5

   Sponge/Isolation - The biggst suprise on this disc. Opens with a strat playing arpeggios with the vocals, sounding very sad and eerie, but then the chorus comes in with an explosion of power chords and drums. Best cover on the disc. 5/5

   Toad The Wet Sprocket/Instant Karma - a very happy, clean sounding cover. Not much else to say, very enjoyable! 4/5

   Mary Chapin Carpenter/Grow Old With Me - Very sparse mostly her and a piano. The sound is so lush and beautiful, and her vocals are outstanding. 5/5

   George Clinton/Mind Games - here's something unexpected, George Clinton from the funk grou Parliment giving this song some soul. Clinton does a superb jop, lots of strings and guitars, and delight and a great way to end the album! 5/5




4. I must admit that the reason I bought this CD is because I'm a fan of John Lennon and of the grunge scene of the early 1990's. So needless to say, I enjoyed the cover of "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier" by Mad Season (LAYNE STALEY'S VOCALS ARE ALWAYS AMAZING) and "Steel and Glass" by Candlebox, but for me the best track was "Working Class Hero" by The Screaming Trees. Mark Lanegan's voice is unbelievable and this cover is closest in my opinion to the original in quality. A pleasant surprise were Mary Chapin Carpenter's surprisingly good cover of "Grow Old With Me" and the cover of "How Do You Sleep" by The Magnificent Bastards. Collective Soul does a very good cover of Jealous Guy. Now, on to the bad. No surprise The Red Hot Chili Peppers would be found here with their cover of "I Found Out", I never liked "Power To The People", so I was going to skip it anyway, but The Minus Five didn't do all that bad with it. It actually shocked me that an established band like Cheap Trick couldn't pull off "Cold Turkey".

   All in all, this disc is really worth picking up used, I'm glad I didn't pay full price, but it is a keeper since about half the tracks are at least decent.





5. 
   Outstanding tribute album that collects Lennon's best and starts off with an incredible kicker "I found out," performed by the Chili Peppers.
   

   
   "Working Class Hero" and "Imagine" are a little overdone, though, and I tend to skip through them. "Imagine" is especially drippy with emotion.
   

   
   Kinda grungy guitar sounds in this with some great vocals. Definitely recommend to anyone who wants Lennon filtered through 90s rock.
   

   
   -- JJ Timmins

5 comments about Everything Is Nice Matador Records.

1. anyone reading this should try to get their hands on a 10 year anniversary copy of the real "everything is nice", released in march 97.you know they bit that title!



2. The second of Matador's compilations features 2 CDs of old material and 1 CD of previously unreleased songs from great artists like Pavement, Cat Power, Chavez, Modest Mouse, Mogwai, Yo La Tengo, Sleater Kinney, Guided by Voices and Boards of Canada. The best two new songs from Disc 3 made it onto subsequent Pavement and Cat Power releases, respectively. All three of the Matador comps are packed with dozens of good songs at a single CD price and strongly recommended for new fans.



3. The tracks on this look like a collage radio play list!!!!! You got THE best in underground rock/Folk/Pop all in One cd. If YOU like good underground (Not that stuff that passes for rock these days) Then buy this.



4. I owe a debt to Matador Records' "Everything Is Nice" compilation,. It was through these three discs that I was originally introduced to many of my now-favorite bands, including Solex, Nightmares on Wax, Pizzicato Five, Pavement, Yo La Tengo, and many others.
   
   But enough of reminiscing. "Everything Is Nice" was a tenth anniversary collection of many of their best bands, originally released in 1999. (They've since released a fifteenth anniversary collection. Only four more years til we get a twentieth). It's not only a good cross-section of the best and most timeless work here, but also a fun listen, and a good introduction to some good music.
   
   Several indie-rock staples were signed onto Matador over the years, and they are given places of honor: the gone-but-never-forgotten Pavement, excellent Guided by Voices and Modest Mouse, as well as other outstanding bands like Mogwai, Cat Power, Sleator-Kinney and Yo La Tengo. Often these bands get more than one song.
   
   But Matador also gives the spotlight to lesser known bands and artists. For example, the ultra-creative Cornelius and Japanese pop band Pizzicato Five, the swipping beats of Jega, fuzzed-out chords of Bardo Pond, and chilled-out grooves of Nightmares on Wax. There's also the quirkiness of Solex, electronic tsunami of VOID, sped-up hip-hop of the Arsonists and Non Phixion, the mellow keyboard of Mary Timony, and the danceable beats of Khan.
   
   Okay, sprinkled here and there are a few duds. I have to admit that Chavez is not my favorite -- I can only take a few explosive chords at a time, unless Billy Corgan is playing them. However, those few songs are overshadowed by the excellent -- sometimes ingenious -- music that surrounds them on all sides. Pop, electronica, rock, hard-rock, experimental -- it's all here.
   
   While Matador plays it safe to some degree, with a little of everything (as well as their best bands) that has been most popular for them, they also include some less conventional songs, such as Cornelius's dizzying "Count Five or Six," or the grimy, bare rock of Unwound's "NO TECH!" Neither is really pretty or catchy, but they are definitely compelling.
   
   I'll admit it -- I have a soft spot for this tenth-anniversary collection, since it kicked me into my present love of music. And for those investigating the best bands never (or at least rarely) seen on MTV, this is an ideal springboard.



5. As a follow up to the first Everything is Nice - this newest of Matador compilations features some pleasant new music to enjoy. Running the spectrum from Pavement with two quite nice songs (including an alternate version of Grounded which is, in many ways, better than the original) to the always pleasing Boards of Canada hit Roygbiv and the flash in the pan Burger/Ink - there is almost certainly something for everyone here. And with three discs for under twenty dollars, it's hard to go wrong with this purchase. I could have done without some of the Arab Strap and Bardo Pond songs - but once again, something for everyone.

5 comments about Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits Of The '80s, Vol. 1.

1. Cruel to be Kind - Nick Lowe - that was my song at the time. New Wave was alive and well in 1981. Four stars overall!



2. It could be argued that much of what's included in this set actually belonged on a 70's collection, but that's beside the point. You get pretty good bang for the buck with this disc unless you have already invested in another collection that includes some of the more common songs on here. (By common I mean songs like The Knack's "My Sharona". Good, but is it new wave?) By contrast, songs like Blondie's "One Way Or Another", Nick Lowe's excellent "Cruel To Be Kind", Graham Parker's likewise brilliant "Local Girls", Dave Edmunds' "Girls Talk" or The Flying Lizards' version of "Money", are nothing short of brilliant inclusions. Plastic Bertrand's "Ca Plane Pour Moi" never struck me as great, but when I played this disc in the car with my daughter and her friends one day, they shocked me by singing along with the song word for word. Turns out it made a Mary Kate & Ashley movie soundtrack. (And I haven't seen Vol. 1 since.) Great stuff, but "Video Killed The Radio Star"? Was that necessary?



3. A few of these songs on this disc are pretty common amongst 80's fans (Blondie's One Way or Another, Nick Lowe's Cruel to Be Kind, The Knack's My Sharona and The Buggles VKtRS) but there are a few seriously excellent unknown gems on this disc that a majority of the people will enjoy I think. Starting with Ca Plane Pour Moi from Plastic Bertrand, then skipping to Graham Parker's Local Girls. The highlight of the disc is Tim Curry's (Rocky Horror Picture Show) insane song, I Do the Rock which seems to get better with every listen. Out of the entire collection, I give this one a rating of 7.5 out of 10



4. New Wave was the term used to describe the music that came after punk rock in the late 1970s and early 1980s, although certainly it included post-punk music as well. However, I never really thought of it sas "dance" music, which means nothing because I never went dancing to disco, techno, or anything in between. So this might be Volume 1 of "New Wave Dance Hits" but I just think of it as a solid New Wave collection. New Wave might have been the pop music of its time, but it retained the vigor and irreverence of punk music as well as being musically more sophisticated with its interest in electronics and such. This collection has the virtue of including the songs that defined the change in music, namely the Knack's "My Sharona," the Ramones "Rock & Roll High School," and the song that heralded the creation of MTV, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. These sixteen tracks are devoted more to the one-hit wonders like Tim Curry's "I Do the Rock" and "Gidget Goes to Hell" by Suburban Lawns rather than the big name groups like Blondie (Nick Lowe and Graham Parker are not quite in Deborah Harry's league). But once you get beyond "One Way or Another" you are dealing with Plastic Bertrand and the Flying Lizards rather than Duran Duran, Culture Club, and the Pretends, which is fine, because the point of a hit collection like this one is to add songs you do not have to your music library. In that regard, Volume 1 of "New Wave Dance Hits" should easily provide you with a half-dozen songs worth having.



5. The first volume of Rhino's New Wave Dance Hits collection is a superb collection of songs that range from big hits to obscure gems. "My Sharona" by The Knack was the number one single of the year from 1979 and despite the fact that never became the new Beatles, the song is a classic with it's hypnotic, thumping bass line and adolescent lyrics. Blondie's obsessive "One Way Or Another" has a punk sneer with a pop gloss. The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star" is best known as the first video ever played on MTV, but it is a fun song that has held up well over the years. Veteran rocker Dave Edmunds does a roaring version of Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk" while Graham Parker has fun on the sprightly "Local Girls". Rock Horror star Tim Curry does a credible job on "I Do The Rock" and The Flying Lizards put a new spin on the old chestnut "Money (That's What I Want)". The set would be worth buying alone for Nick Lowe's power pop masterpiece "Cruel To Be Kind". The song was Mr. Lowe's lone hit in the US and is a perfectly crafted piece of music that stands up against anything to come out this era.

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 Warped Tour: 2001 Compilation.

1. This is probably the best warped comp. out there to date. I got this cd about a year ago and i still listen to it all the time.
   Anti-Flag
   Deviates
   Bouncing Souls
   Vandals
   Agent 51
   H2O
   Swingin' Utters
   It doesnt get better than that people



2. I love this Cd. It's one of my top 10 favorite CDs in my collection of over 600. Every song is great, and i think i'll always own this CD. The reason i entitled this review "A Perfect Finish" is because this is the last decent Warped Tour comp that has been released to date, and none will ever top it.



3. I don't know why everyone doesn't like this CD. The songs are all unreleased and awsome. Greatest punk bands. Best songs: Rancid-Sick Sick World
   Anti Flag-Don't give up
   AFI- A Winter's Tale
   Vandals-SWM
   Mighty Mighty Bosstones-Providence is... (this should go on their next cd!)
   Casualties-Fight For Your Life! (Saw them at the warped tour, fans went crazy over this one!)

   Also check out the new 2002 one




4. Well I have to say that AFI made this comp worth buying. A Winters Tale incorporates everything about AFI that is great. Tsunami Bomb also has a strong showing and Bigwig had an awesome song. Rancids effort was sub par but they make up for it in their real albums



5. I went to warped tour last summer, and saw most of these bands, and loved them, and loved the cd almost as much, but in the last few weeks I have totally fallen in love with the ataris song on this album...the recording quality sucks, but it is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard in my life...it is worth buying just for this and the new found glory song, but all of them are great!

5 comments about Punk-O-Rama, Vol. 3.

1. It has its high points, but some real stinkers contaminate it.
   
   1. We Threw Gasoline... (A-) Not too appealing at first, but the chorus is incredible and irresistable
   
   2. Everybodies Girl (A++) Pure bliss from start to finish! Unbelievable.
   
   3. Worlds On Heroin (A-) A lazy opening riff? Nah, it picks itself up quickly, impressivley.
   
   4. Say Anything (A+) It only gets one plus because it's too short!
   
   5. Delinquent Song (A-) Some ska is here. Slower than its predecessors, but it's excellent with the right mindset.
   
   6. Everready (A-) Good.
   
   7. Greed Motivates (A) Grabs you and goes really fast!
   
   8. Telepath Boy (A-) Fun for all 50 seconds it lasts.
   
   9. Never Connected (A-) Nice.
   
   10. Gotta Go (Grade not available) I always skip this, so I wouldn't know.
   
   11. Defiled (A-) Rockin'!
   
   12. Haula$$ Hyena (B+) Kinda annoying and familiar.
   
   13. Rats In The Hallway (A-) There were better songs on Rancid's debut (Hyena, Detroit, Rejected.)
   
   14. Steel-Toed Sneakers (A) Great!
   
   15. Bad Seed (D+) They sure got the "bad" part right.
   
   16. Rotten Egg (A) Annoying to some, but I love it.
   
   17. Poison Steak (A) Annoying to some, but I love it.
   
   18. No Equalizer (Grade not available) Once again, I always skip it.
   
   19. Alright (A-) Since this is a demo song, it's kinda trite and sterile, but OK.
   
   20. A.D.D. (B-) Why do I have to force myself to listen to it if I'm not too crazy about it?
   
   21. Lozin' Must (F) Millencolin, Millencolin, Millencolin, you're capable of much more than this puke.
   
   22. You (A++) Quite a contrast from Lozin' Must, indeed.
   
   23. Ordinary Fight (A+) Would've been an excellent ending song, but no...
   
   24. If (C) ...this mediocrity had to be dropped.
   
   25. Wake Up (C-) An unreleased Pennywise song. Unfortunately, listening to it makes it clear why it was left off the superior Full Circle.
   
   I personally think Punk-O-Rama 5 is the CD to get first. On Punk-O-Rama 3, few of the tracks hit that "Aw yeah, this is amazing" vibe or are very memorable. On Punk-O-Rama 5, the tracks by Zeke, Millencolin, All, Bouncing Souls, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Union 13, Osker and Pennywise all surpass those on Punk-O-Rama 3.



2. This introduced me to the world of Epitaph punk. Good thing it was like 8 years ago instead of now because Epitaph sucks now.
   If you're looking for some good (relatively old, god now with crap like My Chemical Romance, this punk seems like millenia ago...) punk, you better pick this up. All the songs are catchy and they'll make you want to go pick up old Bouncing Souls, old Bad Religion and old Millencolin. Good things in life.



3. voodoo glowskulls are great here, and the best song is definatly rats in the hallway by rancid. other stuff is good too.



4. Punk-o-Rama 3 is a brilliant album. It's a single cd compilation. It has some of the best names in punk on this album, like Pennywise and Rancid. It has 27 songs on it, so you are bound to like a few songs on it, but this isnýt a problem actually as 99% of the songs are good, but it does have some really bad ones too. The album is like a taster for all the bands contained on the cd as it is only $4 .99, which I donýt think, is bad at all. This album is a good way to see which bands you will like.
   This also contains one song that you can't buy anywhere else, for example NOFX's "We threw Gasoline on the fire and now we have stumps for arms and no eyebrows" which is a really good song .



5. One of the best cd's ever!!! this is one of my favorite cd's it has songs by all my favorite bands: Pennywise, Bad Religion, and of course, NOFX! If you like punk and want some right now, go out and buy this cd.

4 comments about Alright, This Time Just the Girls.

1. This is a great compilation that introduced me to alot of "new" bands.I bought this being a fan of bands like Hole,the Lunachicks, the Muffs, Buck, etc...BTW, the song "Retard Girl" by Hole...Courtney Love wrote it about herself, she's the retard girl! Yes, she grew up poor white trash..and was taunted and made fun of.Go figure.Any fan of indie rock of the female persuasion should love this! Great stuff by April March, Third Grade Teacher,etc and "Dishy" is a great song.*rock on with yr frock on*



2. I listen to these CDs when I do housework. hahaha Nothing better than a bunch of chicks with an attitude. Love it, Love it! Buy this double CD....enjoy! My husband bought it for me. Many thanks, darling!



3. 50% of this CD is pure bliss. The remaining 50% is merely excellent marred by a few spots that are great or just very good.

   In a lot of ways, the various SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY label's collections are the contemporary equivillents of RHINO'S STIFF RECORDS BOX SET. Buying them is like panning for gold and coming up rich. These are the gems you aren't hearing on the radio, but once you find them wonder how you ever lived without them.

   The big revelation here is perhaps HOLE'S "RETARD GIRL" which proves a song that is not only politically incorrect but nearly despicable can also be insanely entertaining and addictive so, after showering upon your first listen, you want to dive right back into the mud wallow. (it also dispells all the hooey about Courtney Love's coat-tail ride to fame.) It's still a mystery to me whether the song is an endorsement of a point of view, an indictment of a point of view, merely a vignette of a bile soaked situation, purposely left to interpretation, or none of the above. Whatever the case, ultimately, it simply is a grinding erruption of Rock spit and fire. SO THERE!

   To top it off, this is a great value. Over two hours of solid music for less than the price of the average major label release's ten minutes (or less) of singles and 30 minutes (or more) of filler (OK, even if the hypothetical release is good all the way through, you're still getting over twice the bang for your buck here.)

   This disc is essential to any Rock'N'Roll collection, be it a collection of modern rock only or Rock of and for the ages.

   My one gripe is with the on-line listing. No photo! This is a great looking CD package (extending to the disc faces themeselves) and deserves to be seen. Pastel candy colored heaven to go with the musical treats within, proclaiming "This is the world of girls, come on in and revel in its joys."

   Also included is a booklet more generous (and entertaining) than those found in many four-times the price box sets. This is total entertainment.

   Heck, the package art alone, the price, or just the song "DISHY" (everything else (AND I really mean EVERYTHING) is a bonus) make this a must buy. So buy it already.

   C'MON, TURN OFF THAT RADIO AND SPIN SOME GOLD!

   P.S. Anyone getting and loving this CD should then imediately get THEIR SYMPATHETIC MAJESTIES REQUEST which is more of the same... only different (not just the girls that is)




4. but if you like happy poppy girl-rock rather than growly girl-rock, you may be disappointed. if your taste in girl rock runs toward the rondelles, go sailor, and cub, don't but this cd. there are some terrific tracks and the rest are sort of so-so...good ones include "dishy" (my personal favorite), "eggnog," "happy right this second," and "sitting by a window." for a girl-rock enthusiast this cd is pretty decent. it introduced me to a lot of new bands.

5 comments about Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye - Tribute to Roky Erickson.

1. Roky Erickson was one of the 13th Floor Elevators, a legendary and very strange psychedelic garage band from Texas in the 1960s. He subsequently went solo and, rather famously, went a bit mad, resulting in his incarceration in a psychiatric hospital where he was given electroconvulsive treatment.
   
   He struggled through the 70s and 80s and it was, oddly enough, with the production and release of this album that his fortunes began to revive. He had had little idea of how many people admired his music, but this album is a treasure trove of great alternative 80s bands - people like Thin White Rope, Bongwater, Angry Samoans, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Sister Double Happiness rub shoulders with 70s heroes like Doug Sahm, T-Bone Burnett, Richard Lloyd and ZZ Top. There is not a duff track on this album; every song is given loving and imaginative treatment, and the result is one of the weirdest, most tuneful and most invigorating albums of that particularly uninspiring period in pop music history (1980-1992 or so).
   
   I am glad to see that this album is still available. So is Roky Erickson. In 2001, his younger brother Sumner was given legal custody of him, and he saw to it that Roky was (for perhaps the first time in his life) given appropriate medical and legal treatment, including medication to control his schizophrenia - which he has since succeeded in weaning himself off. As a result, Roky Erickson is now able to look after himself, drive his own car, play live, tour and even, it's said, record; he was last heard of as being in the studio with fan and fellow Texan Billy Gibbons. Cheers to him, and to his family. The Roky Erickson story is not yet over.



2. This has got to be one of the best tribute albums I have ever heard. Before it, I had never even heard of Roky Erickson (who is credited with coining the term "psychedelic" to describe the type of music his band was playing) or the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. But after listening to it, I was inspired to go out and find most of the original versions of these songs. The bands offering their interpretation of Erickson's songs include big name groups like REM and ZZ Top as well as many lesser new wave groups. (Incidentally, in addition to the tracks listed above from the CD, the cassette contains bonus tracks We Sell Souls by Lyres and White Faces by the Angry Samoans.)



3. I hate to admit this but this was my first exposure the width of Roky Erickson's talent. To hear these songs done by bands/musicians that I liked, was to open a whole new door of music to me. Roky deserves better than he has gotten. Hopefully people will keep finding this and going on the discover Roky and other unsung heroes of music.



4. This is a tribute album to Roky Erickson. Erickson was the lead singer of the 13th Floor Elevator and later performed solo. Roky was (and is) a mentally disturbed individual, who wrote very strange songs. Here, 19 artists perform 18 of his songs ("Reverberation" is covered twice). Most of the performances are good and this album will hopefully bring attention to this cult hero.



5. Probably because of the GREAT material. Yes, Roky was the mad (? -- he was put in a mental institution for a while) genius behind the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. Most of the covers here are exceptional and come from a variety of folks (ZZ Top, Jesus & Mary Chain, REM, Lou Ann Barton, etc.). I was lucky enough to see Roky soon after he was released from the hospital in the mid-70s (completely weird, he and Willie Nelson showed up unannounced and jammed at a free gig outside of Austin). I'm just pleased that so many artists did such a great job for a somewhat troubled soul.

5 comments about War of The Surf Guitars.

1. I collect instrumental surf CDs and have a very broad context within which to place the songs on this disk. The two songs by the Coffin Daggers are expressive, energetic, ironically humorous, beautifully played, and lovely sounding. They are thick with gorgeous guitar distortion. The rest of the songs are not in the same league, and sound like simplistic garage rock. It makes more sense to get a Coffin Daggers CD. Even the Volcanos (whose own two CDs are sparkling and exciting) sound boring here in a rip-off of the old standard "Church Key" they call "Bad News." I have listened to this CD several dozen times and the bad vibes have grown strong. Several collections that are much better and I still enjoy after many many hearings are "Bikini World," "Swivelin' Wahini" "Surfs Up" and "Beyond the Beach."



2. You take Bullseye, The Wayback Machine, and James Bond, and listen to those. They are good cuts. Then the rest, some of which I really don't like. But you take those three, maybe a couple more - it's worth the discount price. For those, I'd recommend it. I put two of those on one of my mix cds right along with my remixes of Metallica live (SnD), Sabbath live (Into Void), Nugent (Please Don't), etc. And I can get tired of those, and never much listen to the lyrics at all. But I like listening to Bullseye and Wayback, over and over again. I'm very partial to guitar intrumentals, with some 'groove' and energy.



3. THAT THIS SURF MUSIC CD GETS YOU GOING. I AGREE WITH ONE OF THE OTHER REVIEWERS THAT THE SONGS MAY AT TIMES SEEM A BIT FORMULAIC, NEVERTHELESS IT IS STILL PRETTY GOOD AND BETTER THAN MOST OF THE CRAP YOU WOULD HEAR ON THE RADIO NOWADAYS. SO IT GETS AND EXTRA STAR FOR THAT BY ITSELF. HOWEVER, THERE IS NOT ONE CUT ON THIS CD THAT IS TRULY ORIGINAL.......AND IT LOSES A STAR FOR THAT!



4. While this may sound negative for the sake of bashing, i grew up with surf music and really like it. Heck I play it (as i imagine some of the people interested in this genre might too). WHile ther are one or four somewhat intersting cuts- this is quantity not quality surf.
   
   Back in the day there werent as many super guitarists, but lots of pretty competant guys....well this cd shows that these cuts seem to be emulating that level of playing and creativity.
   
   The best of the genre is great-this cd is a sampler of Golly Gees and Crown records 'stable'-personally i think it is stale and uncreative-kind of a modern surf thrash-suitable for modern day movie sound tracks-ie -I-IV-V's with insipid repeating hooks and bashing drums, the ballad in minor, but nothing taking the genre someplace new and better, or taking the old and putting a great new twist on it. Just my opinion.
   
   I wouldnt buy this again, as I really found it formulaic and an imitation of the genre with little new or inspiring. and next time ill listen to more cuts more carefully before buying. The sound quality however is quite good, as are the catchy tune titles and group names.



5. The title of this alblum sounds a bit cheesy but the music in the CD is excellent. The songs sound much better on my stereo than the little speakers in my computer. This CD is a champ as far as giving you your moneys worth of songs. I could not find any songs I did not like to listen to and was very impressed with the Supertones songs on the alblum. While not quite as authentic as real 60's surf music I find the collection of songs here to be some of the very best of whats offered today in the modern day surf guitar sound.

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.