5 comments about Trojan Box Set: Ska.

1. Shame on those listeners who have chosen to criticize Trojan for the release of these comprehensive, low-priced, collections of chestnuts.

   As another listener pointed out, the sound quality is about what is to be expected given the nature and level of the technology at the time these recordings were originally made. Yes, they're at times a bit primitive, but that's the nature of the beast.

   If you want Steely Dan, go find it elsewhere.

   Not strictly for purists, the entire series is a fantastic introduction for the neophyte, as well as a tremendous resource for the long-standing aficionados among us.

   A better bargain cannot be found. Kudos to Trojan.

   If you're getting only three of these to start, I'd recommend "Rocksteady" and "Instrumentals" as well. Hopefully Amazon.com will add the latter very soon.




2. The music is excellent but...
   the sound quality on these cheapo box sets IS a let-down. I have quite a few of them and in some instances i have the same songs on other non-trojan cd:s. Sometimes they definitely sound much worse (no high frequences) and sometimes they just sound different.

   A less important fault with this box set is that it includes some rock steady tracks as well. I love rock steady, but this says something about the lack of care that went into this product.

   I view these box sets as a road map and an alternative to hard-to-find mp3s. Once I have aquired the majority of tracks on other better compilations then i will sell them all.




3. Yeah. The sound quality isn't any good because no Jamaican recordings have ever been good. The quality of these recordings is suprisingly good considering. The bass comes through very well...check your headphones, the dub recordings are fantastic quality against any recording standards of the time...Allan, pal, if you're going to review something, maybe you should know about it first: these recordings were first laid on wax and recorded by singing into a tin can basically. Bottom line, these recordings are fantastic, Trojan did a great job assembling this and all of their compilations and the sound quality is the best that jamaican music recorded in the 1960's can be.



4. I don't want to say anything bad about this set; the songs are no doubt ska classics and they're delightful to listen to. The discs are varied enough to be coherent, if you can understand that, and I'm sure someone who knows their ska -- I don't -- would rave about the rightness of each selection. It was cool to hear the song that the Clash made into "Wrong 'Em Boyo" on the disc, too, and funny to see it apparently mistitled as "Wrong Embryo." Also, "The Tide is High" IS the song Blondie covered years later... However, I have to admit that the sound quality on these recordings disappointed me a little. Maybe I should have expected something archival and a little murky, but I didn't. There's something positively monaural about some of the cuts, big indivisible chunks of music that don't sound particularly good over headphones, a weakness I also found about the Trojan dub box. Maybe I'll adjust in time, learn to love the roughish feel of these songs... I still enjoy listening to the music, mind you, still am glad I bought this set (and at a very reasonable price, too). Just thought I'd let y'all be forwarned.



5. All the hits are here: "Im in the Mood For Ska", "Phoenix City","Carry go Bring Come" and so on......but also a few great unheard of tracks. Each Cd has its own identity and are all great listens. A great buy

No comments about Alright, This Time Just the Girls, Vol. 2.

5 comments about Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 (Bonus DVD).

1. I bought this because i love punk rock and would financially support anything that promised to make life harder for GWB. This isn't as good overall as the Vol. 1, but it's got some good tracks on it. Particularly good: "Favorite Son" (Green Day), "Let The Eat War" (Bad Religion), and "We Got The Power" (Dropkick Murphys). All in all, a solid album supporting a good cause.



2. What? Why is everyone so mad?
   
   The point of this disc is to put out a certain viewpoint. If you don't agree with that viewpoint, then what are you doing looking at this disc? Are you looking for trouble? Is your self-esteem so low that you have to stoop to the level of a middle schooler, and attack people online anonymously?
   
   As far as the CD itself goes... for a compiliation disc, it isn't that bad. Look at what you get: Green Day, Bad Religion, Foo Fighters, Jawbreaker, the Lawrence Arms, among so many others it's not even funny.
   
   Buy it for the music. Or Buy it for the message--take your pick. I've always believed that just because someone is in the entertainment industry, doesn't mean they can't have an opinion, or contribute to any political cause they consider worthy of supporting. But, above all, stop whining about it.



3. I laugh at those of you who don't like this cd because it has songs by liberal bands. Why did you even bother buying this if you are in support of Bush? The title should have given you a hint as to what kind of message it was sending out...



4. This cd rocks! I didn't like Bush since he became our leader and I still don't like him now! I love the way all the artists came together and made this cd. The song Favorite Son by Green Day is great. it's on of those songs that just gets stuck in your head because it's so catchy. Also Green Day is one of the best political bands that I've heard and met. So to wrap up what I'm trying to say is: this is a great cd, all the songs are catchy except for mabey one, the message that this cd is giving out is that Bush sucks. He might be the worst president ever!, This cd is great and it is one of the best cd's I've heard in a long time. So you should get it.



5. this is a very good compileation of classic alt/rock artists to relitivley new people, all with very good songs. many exclusive/new tracks, that if you are a fan of the band you definatly want to get. (i got it for 'favorite son' and ended up loving all of it). also sends out the message of punkvoter.com and against the criminal/ingornat bush administration. comes with a dvd that includes some great music vidoes, very hilarious comedy bits(by will fereal, greg proops, and patton oswalt), and informative political shorts. highly recomend it if you are pro-peace, anti-bush, a punk music lover, or all of the above.

5 comments about Woodstock 94.

1. In my opinion this is one of the best "90's" albums in my collection.(by the way this isn't a box set... lol) all it is is a 2 cd set. Anyways, as you read in the title, i think that soup by blind melon and dreams by the cranberries are the two best songs on this album. Most of the songs like the ones by the violent femmes, the rollins band, and of course who could forget...nine inch nails.
   Those are all the music of the 90s. If you don't like any of the bands., then don't buy it. But if you grew up in the 90s like me, and you like these artists, than i suggest you buy this album. (By the way... don't buy woodstock 99, its a s*** fest! if you buy any woodstock stuff make it either woodstock 1969 or woodstock 1994) :D



2. 5 stars for Blind Melons Performance of 'Soup'... Worth the price and more. That and Nine Inch Nails 'Happiness in Slavery'. I've had this since it came out, haven't really listened to it since, cept' the pre mentioned songs. But it's worth all of it just for those 2 songs.



3. i thought EVERYBODY had this...at least everybody that grew up in the 90s.
   
   i admit it, i got this because it was 75 cents at half.com and because i had it back in the day and listened to it way too much. so this was a nostalgia purchase, and a good one, it turns out. despite the cheese factor of this whole shindig, and the datedness of the bands included, this compilation is actually really well put together. transitions are smooth, the stage announcements really make you feel like you're there, and some of the performances (though not all), like blind melon playing "soup," red hot chili peppers with "blood sugar sex magic," metallica with "for whom the bell tolls," peter gabriel with "biko," and especially, the best of all, primus with "those damn blue collar tweekers" (including a beautifully done, seamlessly inserted rendition of jimi hendrix's legendary "star spangled banner"), are jaw-droppingly good. not bad for under a buck.



4. The CD set here is not meant to represent the concerts themselves but the event as a whole. the songs (and announcements) reflect the moods, styles, genres, humor and talents of the artists as a snapshot. This means that some bands may not have their best or most popular songs on these CD's. Both Cd's have a mix of:

   Popular bands playing hits ( Melissa Ethridge, Cranberries, Collective Soul),

   Popular bands playing lesser known songs ( Blues Traveler, Live, Candlebox, Cypress Hill),

   And classic bands playing from their catalog ( CSN, Peter Gabriel, Joe Cocker).

   Leading the second disc, Metallica dominated the set with an energy no one else seems to bring. (As I said some of these songs dont represent the bands' overall performance very well)Another review stated that this song, "For whom the Bell Tolls" was the definitive live recording of the band and I totally agree. The recording of this song is required for any metallica fan. The clarity beats any bootleg and the intensity beats the few live recordings the band is willing to sell.

   Other standouts include: Cypress Hill, NIN, Blues Traveler, Aerosmith, Dylan, Chili Peppers, Primus and the Neville Bros.

   Some may be dissapointed by Jackyl, Green Day, Blind Mellon, Salt N Pepa's song Shoop has dated very poorly, and the stage announcements can get repetitive. I personally found "Come Together" to be a little gratuitous as a reference to the original music of Woodstock. As a side note, I believe that Slash from GNR plays on "The Hunter" with Paul Rodgers though i could be mistaken.

   It is possible to refute one complaint I have seen about the set (and the event). The sampling of the discs makes it clear that the bands selected are for the most part not platinum sellers, and those few that were, normally didn't have the "hit" song selected for the cd. The commercialism of the event itself may be an entirely other matter. Still I believe that at least 17 of the 27 bands have never seen platinum or achieved mainstream success. Bands like "Rollins Band" are talented but are so niche they are never likely to do so.

   All in all I love the set. I believe it is worth the purchase if only for the Metallica song. However, this does not represent even a fraction of the music at the event and a true box set should be made available.




5. The event that was Woodstock 94 was enough of a greedy corporate scheme--now there's a CD set of the music? The idea of a 25th anniversary celebration of the Woodstock event was a great one, and inviting Bob Dylan and CSN was a great idea on someone's part. But the event went on to insult those musicians by placing them alongside such groups as Candlebox and Collective Soul. Is someone really implying that those bands make music that is as socially relevant as that of the first Woodstock? Now, almost 10 years later, those bands have completely dropped off the radar, while Dylan is still going strong. There is great potential in an event like this, and that is what angers me about the final result. It took into consideration only the marketability of its artists, not their message, while the message was the whole point of the first Woodstock event. Bands like Green Day have gone on from this event to do...well, nothing, really. Meanwhile, Joan Baez, an original Woodstock performer, sang at a peace rally in my city just last week. Please don't give more encouragement to corporate shenangigans like this by purchasing this CD. Save your money for artists with conviction and staying power. Sure, rock festivals based on marketability have their time and place (I don't object at all to Ozzfest or Lollapalooza), but their place is not cashing in on a genuine, heartfelt gathering of performers with something real to say.

3 comments about Radio Days: '80s New Wave.

1. Ten measly tracks is all you get on this halfhearted collection of 80's new wave hits. Only two of the songs, "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors and "Call Me" by Blondie are essential and one track, "Don't Cry" by Asia doesn't even belong here as it doesn't really qualify as New Wave but more as the type of arena rock that punk new wave was supposed to be rebelling against.



2. It's not the best quality. It sounds as if it's from the radio.



3. I ordered this CD without having a clue as to what was on it (with the exception of the track by Kajagoogoo). Luckily, it's pretty good! Here's the 10 tracks found on the CD: "It's My Life" by Talk Talk; "Words" by Missing Persons; "Kids in America" Kim Wilde; "She Blinded Me with Science" Thomas Dolby; "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors; "Don't Cry" by Asia (which I still don't recognize); "Call Me" by Blondie; "Sunglasses At Night" Corey Hart; "Lunatic Fringe" by Red Rider; and "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo. And, the sound quality is actually really good! Not a bad CD for 6 bucks. :)

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 Life in the Fat Lane: Fat Music, Vol. 4.

1. ....ok ok I love fat comps....but this one is not the greatest....yeah I know the NOFX song is so great and the closed track from wizo and even mfatgg but that's it..this album has some nice unreleased songs from no use for a name and good riddance but after that starts a boring environment....I think it needed some propagandhi stuff......or something.....but don't get mad....this album is quite greater than the first edition....ok ok that's not true.....the other fat comps .are great...go buy one fellas....thy re pretty cheap just like you....



2. Anyone who remotely likes punk rock should definately buy this extremely good cd right now. It opens with an awesome song by Lagwagon, then Mad Caddies and No Use For Name. The Ataris kick some a** in the middle, and NOFX, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and Wizo close it on a very positve note. I hope you enjoy, I mean i know you'll enjoy this spectacular punk rock compilation.



3. In my opinion, NOFX, Screeching Weasel, and Wizo are way too good for this compilation. Only like the last 5 songs are interesting on this cd. If you are fans of the bands I've listed, just buy their albums and skip the rest of this.



4. This compilation, along with all the other Fat Wreck compilations is really really good. If you are a new owner of this CD, i would recommend listening to Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, Good Riddance, and Frenzal Rhomb first. But its definitely a great CD as a whole. The only downside is the Swingin Utters song and the Wizo song, personally i can't stand either of them but you might like em...have fun with the cd.



5. Awesome Awesome Awesome! The newest addition to my collection and one of my new favs! ;0)

5 comments about Fat Music 6: Uncontrollable Fatulence.

1. I have never really liked comps as i always have to get up and skip tracks which i dont like and there is usually a few, much as i like some of the bands on this fat comp it still just does'nt work really i mean some tracks are great on it it's just a bit of a let down thats a waste of money considering i bought it for £15 when i should have been £5. Having said that the previous fat comp is alot better than this.



2. ..oh yeah, I'm just another sorry kid who bought this compilation just for the NOFX song,but who cares,the album is pretty awesome,I loved the wizo song and dillinger plan were pretty awesome too ,I feel a lil' dissapointed for the gimme gimmes but not that much really,but Mattersville took all the awards,just cuz it's funny and with a rare old school punk scent,but if ye like good fat comps,buy Live Fat Die Young,it's a way better,



3. This album is definelty a stellar compilation done by Fat Music, though I'm not familiar with Fat Music. With bands such as Less Than Jake, Nofx, Anti-Flag, and Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies, this album is priceless. My personal favorites are Generation Lost, Friends of the Enemy, Your Worst Mistake, and Faction.



4. 1) lawrence arms. its good.to short there other stuff is better but it is non the less a good solid song.
   2) Propagandhi. this song was disappointing to me bcz i happened to love there song on fatmusic 5 and i came expecting another amazing song and i got this instead
   3) Mad caddies. i love the caddies and in this one they decided to use the horns , i dont think it has a flogging molly feel to it at all and the song i can listen to for hours
   4) dillenger four. amazing song i love the four they r a great band wit great punk edge big fan of this song
   5) lagwagon. one of my favorite bands, they have better songs then this one but non the less another amzing song by them
   6)strung out. probably my favorite song on this cd..great great lyrics and an amazing band to begin wit i am gonna go check out and buy their new cd.
   7)rise against.. i love this bands hardcore punk style the song is very good i think it even might b as good as "join the ranks" which really kicked ...

   8)NUFAN i love them, but this song very poppy the entire "hard rock bottom" cd was disapointing except acouple songs (such as letmedown) where r the cds like More betterness??
   9)avail. a good song i dont know to much about the band other then wats on the fatmusics but from wat ive heard i like alot
   10)swingin utters. decent song not up to par wit some of their other stuff like "i follow"
   11)less than jake. amazing band one of my favorite..and amaizng song...not their best or even close to it but that doesnt really matter
   12)frenzal rhomb. i really like these guys the song is good i like prognosis f** u more tho
   13) anti-flag. this song doesnt soundlike their other songs if the other guy that did the review knows the other songs name Email it to me (...) and prove me wrong..i love the song i loves these guy's alwaysvery political style.
   14)nofx. very funny decent song not amazing like some of their others very mellow but still good song
   15)sick of it all. im not so into these guys..i did like "i believe" but i just dont feel this one as much
   16)wizo. ok wat r they doing speaking in english???...they r amazing but this song flatout [is bad]
   17)good riddance. great song i like it alot they r a good band i respect them greatly. i especially like the end of this song
   18) me first and the gimme gimmes. i love the band but this song [is bad] they choose a terrible song to cover i cant listen to it at all bcz my cd A.D.D.kicks in and i have to turn it bcz it doesnt catch my attention at all




5. Since this is a comp, each band and song warrants its own little snippet of a review....

   1) The Lawrence Arms - I really like this track. I can't get enough of it at only 1 minute and 20 seconds. It reminds me of their great material from the Chinkees and Shady View Terrace splits. Hope their next album has more like this one.

   2) Propagandhi - From their most recent album, more of a rock'n'roll track than a punk track. Not the greatest song they've ever made, but a good one to rock out to.

   3) Mad Caddies - Thankfully, they chose to include their talented horn section more on this song. Still, I can't really get into this song as much as I've liked their past material. It's got a Flogging Molly/Dropkick Murphys vibe going, which indicates to me more of a turn toward this style, which they executed well on "Duck and Cover."

   4) Dillinger Four - This ... is genius. Period. Not even one of the better songs from "Situationist Comedy." Still completely and utterly amazing.

   5) Lagwagon - A well-developed and thorough song. This is more skate-punk than their recent poppier offerings. I'm getting excited already for their new album.

   6) Strung Out - This song took a while to grow on me, but I really enjoy it. There's a guitar riff that I can't get enough of. Songs like this make me buy Strung Out albums even though they've dropped the punk edge of "Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues."

   7) Rise Against - The other track from a Chicago band delivers as much as the Lawrence Arms. The verses sound a lot like System of a Down, but the singer brings forth great passion. This song alone is worth the cost of the CD.

   8) No Use for a Name - Well, there's a great bass riff to start out. That's about all the positive things I can say. The song just falls into the same poppy ... NUFAN's been giving us. C'mon guys, break up if you can't offer us anything better than this, I mean it.

   9) Avail - The intro is a bit hard-edged, but the rest of the song is really good melodic hardcore. It's beginning to persuade me to check out their new album ("Black and Red" is a great song too).

   10) Swingin' Utters - I've never really been able to completely get into these guys. Their song on "Live Fat, Die Young" was really good, but this one's unimpressive.

   11) Less Than Jake - One of my favorite bands, this song from their worst album. Has a few high points, and the lyrics are nice and uplifting.

   12) Frenzal Rhomb - This band has always been one of my guilty pleasures. This song is a great bubblegum pop song with dirty lyrics. It has a great guitar riff. Man, I wish these guys could make an entire solid album.

   13) Anti-Flag - Another track from these guys that sounds the same as all the others. As much as I like and respect them as musicians, it seems like they've stopped caring. This sounds exactly like some other comp track that I don't remember the name of because it sounds exactly like some other comp track ... you get the picture. At least #2 Chris sings; he's got a great voice.

   14) NOFX - This isn't as rockin as we're used to, but the lyrics are really funny. "At the end of our cul-de-sac, Davey Havok's house is painted black." Lots of in-jokes, a la "San Francisco Fat," but this is just plain fun to listen to. A keeper for sure.

   15) Sick of it All - These guys aren't really my bag, but they have a great live sound, very powerful. This song isn't enough to convince me to like this band more, but a solid track nonetheless.

   16) Wizo - English? Why are they singing in English? Not a great song either, too quirky for its own good. I used to love these guys, but ... now I don't know.

   17) Good Riddance - One of the better tracks from their latest. A good song from a good band.

   18) Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - I can't really criticize them for a poorly written song, since it's a cover, but this is really, really boring. My attention span is too short to wait for this clunker to develop. The intro is just plain painful.

   So, the conclusion? An all-around solid comp, some high points (see Lawrence Arms, Rise Against) and some lows. I was rather disappointed that Dillinger Four, Propagandhi, and Good Riddance, three of my favorite bands, period (there, now you have some perspective for my perspectives) didn't have new songs here. Pick it up and judge for yourself, I just don't have a life so I write detailed reviews of comps.

2 comments about Alice @ 97.3: This Is Alice Music, Vol. 3.

1. I have bought all three volumes of This is Alice Music eversince they came out and I have always enjoyed the music. The selection of artists has always been great, I definetely recommend this CD to everyone.



2. Since this is a cd fro the hit radio station Alice then it is the best cd. It has all of their top hits including artists such as Natalie Merchant, GooGoo dolls, ect. I recommend it. All the proceeds also got to the Alice needs section. One which is the Columbine school.

3 comments about Kicked Outta Purgatory...Psychobilly.

1. If your definition of "psychobilly" is something along the lines of "loud & fast hardcore punk with a standup bass somewhere in the mix," you'll probably like this compilation just fine.
   
   If, like me, you appreciate traditional rockabilly music AND you also appreciate new takes on those classic themes, you may (like I was) be let down by this CD. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of bands like the Meteors, the Cramps, the Quakes, the Amazing Crowns, Rev. Horton Heat, Th' Legendary Shack Shakers, and others along those lines -- bands that start with the basic themes and motifs of rockabilly music and take them in new directions.
   
   The problem I have with a lot (though not all) of the songs on this collection is that they seem to be the type of "psychobilly" where you just yell really loud (always with a stereotypical gravelly voice) and play really fast, without much melody or muscianship to speak of, and give it the suffix "-billy" primarily because of the upright bass, despite the fact that the overall sound has almost NOTHING to do with rockabilly. (Not to mention, a lot of the songs -- though by different bands -- sound THE SAME on this album. The Meteors were cool because they were ORIGINAL -- in constrast, 3rd-generation Meteors wannabes just don't cut it for me.)
   
   Sorry -- but despite a few good songs, overall this album doesn't quite do it for me. I'll give it three stars because of the handful of good songs that are present.



2. I was introduced to psychobilly through this CD, and comtributes to some of my favorite bands. Koffin Kats, Encombre Zombie, Mad Sin, Hayride to Hell, Nekromantix, etc!!! Good comp with good attitude. I reccomend it to those who dig the music. Its not expensive, pick up a copy today!



3. Kicked Outta Purgatory is a wonderful introductory to Physcobilly and all of its wonders. The tracks are well spread out and new comers may stick to safer grounds and stay on the first ten tracks for a while but eventually will move on. With tracks from such artists as The HorrorPops, 12 step Rebels, Koffin Katz, and Mad sin it is definitly a must have for someone looking to expand their musical tastes.