5 comments about Blue Views.

1. I've been looking for this album for a long time... Believe it or not, I found it brand new on a "Clearance" basket in a small CD shop. The salesman almost told me with his eyes, "I wouldn't bother if you ask me to pay anything you carry in your pockets for that CD"... I didn't hesitate and asked for a discount, the salesman took out the Sale Price sticker and told me, "give me any money you have and take it, but right now!"
   
   Wow, what an album! WHAT A VOICE! Man, this Paul Carrack knows how to perform good music, and even better, how TO SING IT!!!! If you like Mike and The Mechanics, Squeeze, Ace and those rare 70s British musical 'artifacts', get this album! It's a must-have!!!!



2. Paul Carrack is best known as a lead singer of Mike and the Mechanics, the group by Mike Rutherford of Genesis and his biggest hit so far is mid 80s hit DON'T SHED A TEAR. His 95 solo effort is mostly soft ballads and lacks rock but it is refreshing and healing when you are tired.
   
   US version starts with uptempo catchy song, NO EASY WAY OUT which should be the single from this album sounding similar to his signature hit DON'T SHED A TEAR. FOR ONCE IN OUR LIVES is really 70s feel good pop and the title track BLUE VIEWS could have been in Michael Bolton's TIME LOVE AND TENDERNESS album. He is also good at songwriting and Ace's 1975 hit HOW LONG is written when he was in ACE. His newer version of HOW LONG is also here fitting well with the album style. Other excellent songs include ALWAYS HAVE ALWAYS WILL, groovy ONLY A BREATH AWAY.
   
   Verdict: Mostly soft 70s feel good music.
   Rating: 76 out of 100, a bit more of crunching rockers might have boosted my rating...
   Recommended for: 70s easy pop fans, such as Eagles, early Jackson Browne, Ace, and so on.



3. I mostly listen to music in my car and there's always a Paul Carrack CD (and Michael McDonald CD) tucked away in there even as other artists rotate in and out. I've loved his voice since first hearing him back in his days with Squeeze. If you're just discovering Paul Carrack (where have you been???), this CD would be a fine first choice. One Good Reason is still probably my favorite Paul Carrack collection, but you can't go wrong with this CD either. If you like great blue-eyed soul vocalists, Michael McDonald is also pretty darned fine, although his voice is quite different from Paul Carrack's and you'll likely appreciate each of them for different reasons. Enjoy!



4. Eyes of Blue-Outstanding and meaningful. A talent many wish they had! An album of special meaning, thought and deep feeling!! Highly recommended!



5. good honest album just leave it on your cd player and watch
   peoples moods change

   in a word a very soothing album!!

5 comments about Very Best of Sounds of Blackness.

1. I love the beat and sounds of the 80s and they deliver with gospel inspired lyrics! Just what you need while driving to work or sitting in the cube. Fabulous.



2. I don't know much about the Sounds of Blackness. I only knew one of their songs before buying this album i.e. 'I'm going all the way'. I bought the album based on the positive reviews they got from others. This is an upbeat, up tempo album from start to finish. I especially love 'Hold On'. 'I Believe'-makes me want to dance and 'Spirit' is slammin'-the Craig Mack element gives it a real hiphop feel and 'Black butterfly' is nice too. I'll definitely be listening to this album alot.



3. I am very familiar with the "Sounds of Blackness". The "Sounds" are unique in that they cannot be pigeonholed into a particular musical genre (gospel vs. secular). I was a member of this group a number of years ago and still feel a kinship. Gary Hines, the director has been associated with the "Sounds" since its inception at Macalester College. The focus of the "Sounds" was and has always been uplifting music from the Black experience, be it "Steal Away" to "Satin Doll" to "Optimistic". In a nutshell, the "Sounds" are about the best music from the Black experience. For want of a better word, it is a history lesson portrayed musically! If you're in love with the "Sounds", this is a must have for your collection. This music is certainly anointed by God. In times like these, we can all use a message of hope!



4. Oh Boy....Sounds of Blackness had the grooves back in the day churning out gospel hit after gospel hit with the help of super producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Their biggest song, Optimistic, also one of the greatest songs ever recorded and one of my top five songs ever, is a masterpiece. With its positive vibe and sunny feeling you can enjoy this song anytime, anywhere, day or night, grumpy or happy. Optimistic is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. If it doesn't, you may need to check your pulse...seriously.
   
   Their songs are so great and timeless. It's gospel music but it doesn't sound like gospel. It's hard to explain. But when you hear what they have to offer it's magical and amazing. The singing is beyond heavenly. Their best songs are OPTIMISTIC, I BELIEVE, EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT, LOVE WILL NEVER CHANGE, CHANGE IS COMIN, SOUL HOLIDAYS.
   
   If you are a music fan than this should be in your collection because it brings all their greatest songs together on one cd without skipping over anything. 5 stars.



5. My husband and I played their entire "Time for Healing" CD at our wedding and I came down the aisle to "Love Will Never Change." Beautiful, awesome work! The best!

5 comments about Alligator Love Cry.

1. I have seen this band in concert and absolutly love their blend of the blues. Alligater Love cry is a disapointment. Never really goes anywhere. I will continue to catch them live whenever they come to town.



2. I absolutely love Alligator Love Cry! Every song on the CD is well written and the musicians are great. I particularly like the gritty, gutsy lead vocals. I have been telling all my friends to buy this one.



3. I saw Scrapomatic open for Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi and thought they were fantastic. I am thrilled with Alligator Love Cry. Every song on this album is great, whether it's the crunchy blues of Horsemeat or the beautiful duet with Kristina Beaty on The Other Side.



4. I love this album if you like dirty sounding blues this is the CD for you. Mike Mattison shows a side that you wouldn't hear in Derek Trucks Band, and Paul Olsen is a fantastic writer definetly pick this one up.



5. In my old age I find it difficult to get overenthousiastic about an album these days.
   'Alligator love cry' being the exception.
   The right mixture of jazz, blues, country and scat all done in a son-of-Waits voice.
   A well deserved five stars.

2 comments about Skunkmello.

1. An excellent CD and a great addition to your collection. Good listening experience and gets better the more it's heard! Each song is unique and does not grow old! Love the 12 string!
   
   Tucky



2. I first heard of Guy Davis while watching Noggin with my daughter. Then I caught the tail-end of an interview he did promoting Skunkmello on NPR. I love his raspy voice and clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics and of course the blues style is classic in its own right. If you like blues or something original and not produced at a huge music factory (a la most music released today), then this is a great buy. I actually downloaded it from iTunes (I prefer not to have to store more CD's) and have enjoyed it imensely!

No comments about Seth Walker.

5 comments about Addictions, Vol. 1.

1. Any Robert Palmer is good but this is not as good as Addictions 2. Addictions 2 is very hard to come by so I bought them together as a package deal. I miss him.



2. This Batley,England-born blue-eyed soul man gives his fans 13 memorable songs on this album. BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU(DOCTOR,DOCTOR) begins this album and it's a different version than the one heard on 1979's SECRETS. The calypso-flavored PRIDE from the 1983 album of the same title lacks a verse. Palmer mentions in that self-penned song,Jane Fonda and Olivia Newton-John,thanks to ONJ's 1981 hit PHYSICAL("Please tell Ms. Fonda to reduce her price.""Hey Olivia Newton-John,what you say?"). Another self-penned hit of Palmer's,ADDICTED TO LOVE rocks hard. One of the Top Hits of 1986 inspired "Weird Al" Yankovic to write lyrics for ADDICTED TO SPUDS. This is the edited single version,not the RIPTIDE album version. SWEET LIES is from the 1989 film of the same title. WOKE UP LAUGHING is an alternate version,not the one from 1980's CLUES. The same applies to LOOKING FOR CLUES,from that same album. SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK is a bit similar to Rod Stewart's 1984 hit song. SOME LIKE IT HOT is from 1985's THE POWER STATION,a veteran quartet consisting of Palmer,Duran Duran's John and Andy Taylor,and the late Chic drummer Tony Thompson. WHAT'S IT TAKE? is another SECRETS track. EVERY KINDA PEOPLE from 1978's DOUBLE FUN is another calypso-flavored favorite(Palmer must be a Harry Belafonte fan). JOHNNY & MARY is from CLUES. Another hard-rocker,SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE is from 1988's HEAVY NOVA. STYLE KILLS is pretty cool. SLIH was originally released on Capitol,the same label that Duran Duran recorded on. SI was originally on EMI-Manhattan(Palmer signed with that label in 1987 or '88). At least most of the others were released on Island,like this album. In the liner notes by Palmer,he planned to release the sequel in 1990,a year after this album was released. He postponed the sequel's release in favor of DON'T EXPLAIN. I dedicate this item to the memory of Palmer(January 19,1949-September 26,2003). Thompson passed away nearly two months later.



3. When Robert Palmer sang, "Doctor, Doctor, give me the news/ I got a bad case of lovin' you," did that mean that he was in love with the DOCTOR? Well, nothing wrong with that regardless of the gender of the physician in question, but I suspect that it was more likely your traditional "second person switcheroo in mid-lyric" (to use the technical rhetorical term for it). And, yes, even if Palmer didn't pen it himself, it's still a darn good song.
   
   Robert Palmer, he of the suave and sophisticated image, consistently wrote sophisticated lyrics as well. Those who have only heard the singles, in fact, with their, for the most part, straight ahead rock'n'roll sound may be quite surprised at not only the worldly wise lyrics of his oeuvre overall, but also of the stylistic variety. He had long had the reputation of being a World Music disciple, but you wouldn't necessarily guess that from the singles.
   
   Palmer was a very versatile artist. While I might tend to lump all the various "World Music" sounds on this collection as being Caribbean, Palmer's own liner notes (which are very interesting indeed) suggest that the former Bahamas resident was actually tracing that music's origin to its African roots.
   
   Lyrically, however, Palmer seems possessed very much of a European sensibility, and that only adds to the richness of the mix. The lyrics to "Pride" and "Woke Up Laughing," for instance, are witty and ironic, which while not solely Anglo-American traits, seem to be reflective of his Western European roots. Like Paul Simon, he does not attempt to craft "Native" sounding lyrics, for the most part, but grafts his own sensibility onto the ethnic music he's embracing. Which is a smart--and much more authentic--move.
   
   The rockier numbers are the ones that people are more likely to know. Even there, though, there are surprises. The album's closer is the somewhat heavier than usual (and certainly more sinister sounding) "Style Kills." It's a doubly ironic statement coming from a man who seemed the very embodiment of style.
   
   Not all the Caribbean sounding stuff is instantly accessible and much could only be "radio friendly" with a little editing ("Pride" would probably need to lose its loosey-goosey intro to get a little airplay, for instance). But I wouldn't be suprised if many listeners who come to this album for the hits wind up sticking around for the World beats.
   
   ADDICTIONS VOL. 1 would seem to be as good an intro to works of Robert Palmer as one could hope for at what is still something of a bargain price. There is the second volume and a compilation of volumens 1 & 2 available as imports. Completists may want to check out those as well, either as supplements or alternatives to this one. The fact that many of these tracks have been re-mixed may also make it attractive to fans who may already have the original albums, but might be interested in what Palmer later considered to be the authorative takes.
   
   There are stars and there are stars. Palmer had any number of hit records, but it's apparent from this collection that he never got the full recognition he deserved. Certainly not a "one hit wonder," he nonetheless suffered from a lack of public recognition that he had more than one dimension.



4. Doctor Doctor has got to be one of the major, well-known, radio-played rock songs that has the most lasting appeal of any that I've listened to. If heard as background music coming out of a jute box from a distance, it could easily sound like something good but nothing special while, in actuality, when it's cranked up and close by it thunderously and emotionally rocks its heart out. And that progressive tribal-sounding drum beat is on the verge of taking over a mind of its own and drumming itself right off of the track and into your permanent memory. It also doesn't hurt that what he's singing about is also contagious. It's a powerful song.
   
   Johnny and Mary and Some Guys Have All the Luck contain such great rhythms that it's hard not to play them repeatedly. It's clear that Robert Palmer knew what his musical objectives were on these songs and that he focused in on executing what he wanted to do.
   
   And he was diverse as all get out, not always to my preference, but always well worth my appreciation.



5. The thing I liked most about Robert Palmer was his ability to be original and diverse. "Addictions, Vol. 1" encapsulates his unique talent, a talent that was underrated and will be missed by all his fans. One listen to this cd and you can easily tell that you are listening to a one of a kind musical stylist. You have all of his big hits with the exclusion of "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and "Get It On (Bang A Gong)" (which appeared on "Addictions, Vol. 2" in 1992). Although this cd only has 13 tracks on it, which, in my book would normally be a ripoff by today's standards of overstuffed cds, "Addiction's Vol. 1" is the perfect brief collection. You have Robert Palmer the rock and roller on "Bad Case Of Loving You", "Addicted To Love", "Simply Irresistable" and "Some Like It Hot". You have Robert Palmer the World Music maestro on "Pride", "Woke Up Laughing" and "What's It Take?" You have Robert Palmer the new wave specialist on tracks "Looking For Clues", "Johnny & Mary" and "Style Kills". You have Robert Palmer the crooner on "Sweet Lies", "Some Guys Have All The Luck" and one of his most timeless pieces of work "Every Kinda People". I've had this cd since it was released in 1989 and it, along with its companion piece, "Addictions, Vol. 2" make a complete compilation of Robert Palmer's best work if you do not want to buy his entire catalog (most of which is out of print right now anyway which is criminal!) I'd say both "Addictions" volumes make a better best of than his most recent 2 disc compilation "Best Of Both Worlds: Anthology 1974-2001" with the one exception being that both "Addictions" volumes are not digitally remastered. I suspect with his recent death, the record company will cash in by either possibly digitally remastering his entire catalog of work and/or creating a box set or new comprehensive best of package. For now, both "Addictions" cds are the best way to remember a sophisticated and admirable talent such as Robert Palmer. R.I.P. 1949-2003.

5 comments about Burnin' Up.

1. It is plenty of young and very talented blues guitarists out there: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, Sean Costello, Sean Chambers, Wes Jeans just to name a few. I believe that Shawn Pittman, along with Sean Costello, is the most talented of all. This CD, that is his first release, is a fine collection of great "12 bars" blues tunes. There is nothing new or unheard here, however all the songs are extremely well played with the right feeling and the right intensity. Shawn proves beyond any doubts his ability as guitar player delivering a constant high standard performance throughout the album. His techniques and tune control are top of the range and if you add the fact that he plays with great feeling you may figure out the final result. His guitar work is excellent in each song setting a new level of benchmarking for all the others, just check out the cover of Albert King's "You sure drive a hard bargain" and I believe you will agree with me. A plus (and not a minor one!) is that he is also a very good singer! Considering that he is still very young I think that much more has to come (by the way check also his second album "something's gotta give" that is just a bit more rock-blues oriented) and I am looking forward to hear from him in the near future. In the mean time I will enjoy this one that is constantly present in my CD rotation!



2. It is plenty of young and very talented blues guitarists out there: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, Sean Costello, Sean Chambers, Wes Jeans just to name a few. I believe that Shawn Pittman, along with Sean Costello, is the most talented of all. This CD, that is his first release, is a fine collection of great "12 bars" blues tunes. There is nothing new or unheard here, however all the songs are extremely well played with the right feeling and the right intensity. Shawn proves beyond any doubts his ability as guitar player delivering a constant high standard performance throughout the album. His techniques and tune control are top of the range and if you add the fact that he plays with great feeling you may figure out the final result. His guitar work is excellent in each song setting a new level of benchmarking for all the others, just check out the cover of Albert King's "You sure drive a hard bargain" and I believe you will agree with me. A plus (and not a minor one!) is that he is also a very good singer! Considering that he is still very young I think that much more has to come (by the way check also his second album "something's gotta give" that is just a bit more rock-blues oriented) and I am looking forward to hear from him in the near future. In the mean time I will enjoy this one that is constantly present in my CD rotation!



3. In a crowded field of young blues/rock players, a couple of obvious names rise to the top including Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang. But one guy that should not be overlooked in this group of budding stars is Shawn Pittman. With his debut, "Burnin' Up" Pittman releases a tasteful number complete with sizzling guitar solos, baritone and tenor sax and Pittman's able vocals. Pittman is not just another SRV wannabe armed with a Strat and a fender amp. But, rather, Pittman has a tone and old school style which is truly all his own. There is some good stuff on this CD and, hopefully, much more to come.



4. I saw Shawn backing Hash Brown at the Keys Lounge in Panther City. He was great. I also saw Wes "Cryptic Daddy" Race on the dance floor, AND Homer "one man blues band" Henderson in the parking lot!



5. This CD is must for any blues collection. This Cd has some of the best guitar work out there. When it comes down to the best Texas Guitar palyer, Shawn Pittman is the the man.

5 comments about Simply Red - Greatest Video Hits.

1. Here is without a doubt a great dvd by simply red.I mean it has all of their video hits. Rondall Banks



2. I bought this DVD from Amazon. I would say, this DVD is a excelent video collection. All the music lovers should have this DVD. Do not miss this DVD.I'm very happy to purchased it.I gurenteed about the satisfaction as a music lover.



3. I really enjoyed this DVD. It's some of the groups best music over the years.
   
   Renee



4. This is an icredible album and also I have great customer service on the purchase and delivery!



5. I received this in my order a few days ago, and I have watched it over and over! This is the best group of videos for any artist or group that I have ever owned! Every video is so great! And Mick Hucknall starts out in the first video as a kid and as you watch the videos he grows up before your very eyes! It is fun to watch how he has maintained his voice and his appearance for all of these years. If you are a "Simply Red" fan, you must own this! Buy It!

5 comments about Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Tribute.

1. It's only fitting that, in choosing to honour this legend with a CD of some of his greatest compositions, Bob Dylan would call upon artists from right across the spectrum.
   
   After all, Jimmie Rodgers, in out-pacing all contemporary artists 7 to 1 in record sales in the late 1920's, influenced Ernest Tubb [who began his career using Jimmie's guitar], Hank Williams, Hank Snow [who named his son Jimmie Rodgers Snow], and Lefty Frizzell [who allegedly learned the Rodgers style by literally xticking his head inside a Victrola speaker when one of his records was playing]. And it was primarily their music, evolved from his, which gradually melded with R&B to become R&R.
   
   Inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 as a charter member, he was also brought into the R&R Hall of Fame in its initial year in 1986 in the Early Influence category, the year after Blue Yodel (T For Texas) was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
   
   Some of the other 5-star reviews sum up the contents of this CD nicely, especially that by Pris-Rob, so I will only add that I liked all performances, including Bono's on Dreaming With Tears In My Eyes. But I especially enjoy Any Old Time by Allison Krauss and Union Station, Mary Chapin Carpenter's Somewhere Down Below The Mason-Dixon Line, Dwight Yoakam on Blue Yodel (T For Texas), and the Jerry Garcia, David Grisman & John Kahn interpretation of Blue Yodel No. 9.
   
   The liner notes, in addition to one page written by Bod Dylan in 1996, consist of track-by-track listings showing all the musicians involved on each, and these include such luminaries as Pig Robbins on piano, Jerry Douglas and Sally Vanmeter on dobro, Biff Adams on drums, etc. etc. All interspersed with a number of great photos of Jimmie.
   
   I don't know if this Columbia/Egyptian Records release won any awards - but if not it should have. Just a great great album.



2. "Jimmie Rodgers cast a huge shadow. Taking what was then called "hillbilly music" and making it accessible to the general public, Rodgers created an influential new style that merged folk and blues in a precursor to today's popular country music. Troubled times. Rodgers championed the common man against a backdrop of rapid economic and technological change: he focused with humanity on colorful characters who lived with bravado and self-reliance."
   Robert Christgau
   
   Jimmie Rodgers was born in Mississippi and grew up loving the railroad, his father's profession. He became a brakeman, one of the more dangerous jobs that required great skill. His job required that he run on the top of each car setting the brakes by hand. At a young age he had to leave the railroad because he acquired tuberculosis. He had several jobs and finally landed a job recording for Victrola records. His short career of six years writing and singing songs, made more of a dent in the soul of American music than any other musician of the time. He died at the age of 36 after singing and writing 113 songs. He forever influenced country music. He was one of four to be inducted into the first Country Music Hall of Fame.
   
   Bob Dylan garnered his influence and brought together 13 other musicians to pay homage to Jimmie Rodgers. Dylan said, "Jimmie Rodgers, of course, is one of the guiding lights of the Twentieth Century, whose way with song has always been an inspiration to those of us who have followed the path....He was a performer of force without precedent with a sound as lonesome and mystical as it was dynamic. He gives hope to the vanquished and humility to the mighty."
   
   "Dreaming With Tears In My Eyes"- Bono, guileless and without his usual backdrop sings a simply lovely tune.
   
   "Waiting For A Train" Dickey Betts has an earthy swing to a Rodgers favorite song; The Allman Bandsman comes with the yodels intact.
   
   "Somewhere Down Below The Mason Dixon Line" Mary Chapin Carpenter floats and echoes the rural 20th century times
   
   "Miss The Mississippi And You" David Ball does credence to this sad song- bringing the old tempo to life. Wonderful yodeling.
   
   "My Blue Eyed Jane" Bob Dylan's effortless rawness is a labor of love to a man who he reveres.
   
   "Peach Pickin' Time Down In Georgia" Willie Nelson gives us the loose rambling song with simplicity and love.
   
   "In The Jailhouse Now" Steve Earle has a raw and lively sense of timing. He is always the true picker and singer.
   
   "Hobo Bill's Last Ride" Iris Dement's vocie is true country, and she sings a riveting old fashioned account of the hoboes' life.
   
   "Gambling Bar Room Blues" John Mellencamp brings to life his rough and tumble persona in a guitar and drumbeat tempo. "Hey, Hey, hey, hey"
   
   "Why Should I Be Lonely" Aaron Neville brings his high-pitched, dramatic sweetness with his rendition. "Best Pal I've Ever Had".
   
   This CD was released in 1997 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of Jimmie Rodgers birth. "Songs of Jimmie Rodgers" is an understated collection that moves from Dixieland to country and lets the songs take center stage.
   
   Highly Recommended. The Birth of Country Remembered. prisrob 10-28-06



3. What a great learning experience to those who are just discovering Jimmie Rodgers. This is a good way to bring the blues-country knowledge to younger listeners who are just learning to enjoy this genre of music. With the latest artists givnig their spin on the traditional music, this is a "don't miss" collection.



4. Like the Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly Tribute this album has well selected artists who do an excellent job of performing Jimmie Rodgers' tunes.
   
   I grew up listening to Jimmie Rodgers and these all are great intrepretations of his music. Not a bad cut among the CD, I listen beginning to end often and never tire of the tunes.



5. i was working at tower records when this came out, and it was in the rotation in the store for a while...and songs started to grab me. mostly bono...but john mellencamp as well. bono's version of "dreaming with tears in my eyes" is one of the saddest, most beautiful songs i've ever heard; i looked on amazon for it because my old copy is long lost and my heart has been broken again, and when i'm sad i think of this song, because it is as sad as a broken heart but as beautiful as true love. i don't know who wouldn't love this song and this album.
   ps-i'm available

5 comments about Another Ticket.

1. theres 8 reviews for this 30+ yr old ec cd ...but 500 for EC embarrassing 1990 + works and did I say 1990 I could of said 1980
   EC was God but only from 63 to 73



2. Another Ticket is Claptons last recording with Robert Stigwood before he signs with Reprise Records.
   There are some good blues efforts on here including, Black Rose, Blow Wind Blow,, And Hold Me Lord.
   Another Ticket the title cut is the best song on the album.
   I relate to the lyrics from time to time.
   "Everytime you think you've paid the price, you turn around and find another ticket" I Cant Stand it spent some time on the charts.
   This CD is for Hard Core collectors like myself



3. This album would be Eric Clapton's last on the RSO(Robert Stigwood Organization) label,at least in the non-compilation category. This album only spawned one hit,I CAN'T STAND IT. It also appeared on the compilation THE CREAM OF CLAPTON. The other songs are good. In 1983,two years after the release of this album,Clapton signed with Warner Bros. and put out his WB debut,MONEY AND CIGARETTES. As for RSO,it wouldn't last much longer,and would be sold to its sister label,Polydor. Both labels are a division of PolyGram.



4. Well, most of the people knows about 461 ocean boulevard or slowhand, but somehow misses this brilliant album. There are no monster hits on it (I shot the sheriff, Cocaine, Wonderful tonight,...) but all the songs are good, and what's more, they blend together nicely.
   
   It opens with Something Special, Clapton's original, cheerful country. Somewhat ironic lyrics - "she ain't too pretty, she ain't too tall, in fact she ain't too much of anything at all", plus hooky melody, easy, relaxed playing, and you're in laid - back mood... It continues with another country, Black Rose, with refrain so catchy, that you'll sing along with Clapton and Brooker. Just not to sail all the way to Tulsa, there is juicy Muddy Water's blues, Blow Wind Blow. What you hear first is Clapton's voice - next time he'll sing like this on From the Cradle. Second thing you'll notice is that guitar isn't as distinctive as you'll expect on EC's album. Than you'll realize that you didn't even hear the guitar on first two songs! But this is classic blues song, guitar solo is mandatory, but guitar is "burried", you can hear ALL the instruments - you're listening to the BAND. And I like that. I dare to say that this is the sound Clapton was looking for very long time. Or, let's not say the sound, call it the blend. Title song that follows this blues is luckily beautiful, and sang with heart - otherwise it would make you sick - synthesizers are the main instrument (for the first time on EC's album, I think). Side A is completed with I Can't Stand It, song that miraculosly was top ten hit, and later was on every compilation from that period.
   B side opens with Hold Me Lord, gospel song played in J.J. Cale style, with slide guitars, and cheerful rhythm,... And than, the best song on the album - Elmor James' Floating Bridge! Played solwly, slowly, and quietly, for your ears only...
   Catch Me If You Can is twin brother (or sister) to I Can't Stand It. Call it Blues-pop or blues-rock, this is very close to another hit song.
   And than - grand finale! Rita Mae! Crazy jam, the only complain is - it's too short, mere 5 mins. One good thing about cd is you don't have to get up and aim the needle. You simply press no. 9, repeat, and it goes on forever... Bend sounds so inspired, almost like the best moments from Layla album.
   
   As I said in the title, Another Ticket is most underated Clapton's album.



5. This recording shows the influence of Clapton bandmate, the brilliant British guitarist Albert Lee, who generally played a ountry guitar style with a jazz edge, but could easily play rock and blues with the same brilliant technical quality
   
   The songs are varied ranging from country, swing Jazz, rock and blues influences.
   
   For the most part, good qualilty non commercial material in a mellow tone.
   
   An album to relax to without becoming bored if played to often.
   
   Very underated.
   
   For songwriting, performance and production it gets an 8/10
   
   By the way, why does Amazon include a 'NO' in 'was this review helpful to you?'. People are only human and don't like opinions that differ from themselves, thus the 'NO' makes it too easy express such displeasure.
   
   Are they trying to discourage negative reviews, hence not purchase the CD. Such reviews only help a person in not being dissatisfied a product that received positive reviews