5 comments about Tommy (1969 Original Concept Album).

1. A clinical and seminal meditation on alienation, popularity-seeking, and the decline of Western man encased in a rock opera about a handicapped boy. Albert Einstein spoke of his own "retarded" youth, being withdrawn from the world, and how that aided him in opening new vistas in science. "Tommy" isn't so fortunate.
   "Amazing Journey" shows the advantage of Tommy's "retardation" yet shadows of "normalcy" lurk. Pete Townshend's medicinal lyrics bring to mind the Christian sentiment that only one with a child's disposition can enter the Kingdom of G-d.
   "Ten years old
   With thoughts as bold as thought can be
   Loving life and becoming wise
   In simplicity
   
   Sickness will surely take the mind
   Where minds can't usually go
   Come on the amazing journey
   And learn all you should know..."
   
   Tommy's infirmities are an opportunity for his family and others to practice compassion. The boy is a living embodiment of "The Other" as found in the ethical philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. Tommy's line of "See me, feel me, touch me, heal me" (and, Levinas might have added, "...in order for both to be healed.") is the invitation to caring. The invitation is ignored.
   The boy's path to "normalcy" opens when he becomes a "Pinball Wizard." Pinball reflects Tommy's upbringing, being bounced from one relative to another, one bad experience to the next. Townshend is also opening a window into the culture of games and entertainment and how that is held out by the mass media as the most desirable escape from poverty and isolation for Britain's lower classes. Soccer mania would be the real-life equivalent in today's Europe.
   Modern medicine intervenes and, in short order, Tommy is wallowing in celebrity, laziness, and profligacy. Worse, he uses his new circumstances to entice others into the nihilism that Anglo-American capitalism and social democracy abet.
   From "Welcome": "Come to my house, be one of the comfortable people..."
   "I'm Free" gives us a stark picture of how the worst get on top (to borrow a phrase from F.A. Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom") -
   "If I told you what it takes to reach the highest high,
   You'd laugh and say `Nothing's that simple...' `'
   
   Ten years later "Dallas" soap opera villain J.R. Ewing would state it more plainly - "Once you give up integrity the rest is a piece of cake."
   
   "Tommy" was released in 1969, a time of great confusion about man's individual and social responsibilities (things haven't gotten much clearer since). The Who's music penetrates to the reality of an anarchy of ever-increasing individual rights (read: demands) and unchecked government leading to loss of social cohesion amid waning family, school, and neighborhood affections. This, in turn, breeds popularity seeking as the most attractive island in the rising tide of despair. Fellow Brits Pink Floyd would touch on this in "The Wall" a decade after Townshend.
   Is there a better way out? The Who echoes Oswald Spengler in showing that there is. Spengler's "The Decline of the West" (first published in the 1920s; interestingly, the time line of "Tommy" begins around 1921) likened cultures and civilizations to life patterns, calling them "organic." While holding civilization will move in the direction of its destiny, Spengler advised people to discern the direction of movement and contribute positively to it. Townshend and his bandmates did that in "Tommy."
   In reckoning outcomes, the workings of the human body, with its voluntary and involuntary organs, are an apt metaphor. How we consciously react and govern ourselves are the voluntary muscles (thus the importance of individual character). Yet some choices and our surroundings impact us in ways of which we are not aware.
   The final words of "Tommy" remind us of the importance our individual actions have on others and the social fabric. The mountain imagery remind us of the biblical Moses, the servant of G-d; the early Israelites, and the Ten Commandments, holding out hope that the door swings both ways between the great society (not to be confused with LBJ's version) and the sick society.
   "Listening to you I get the music
   Gazing at you I get the heat
   Following you I climb the mountain
   I get excitement at your feet
   Right behind you I see the millions
   On you I see the glory
   From you I get opinions
   From you I get the story."



2. I"ve always been a big Tommy fan. My car now has a 5.1 surround sound system, so I HAD to get this DVD. It is awesome.



3. That was the question that the Who asked as they hit a dry spell going into 1969. It was answered by Pete Townshend in the form of "Tommy", the embodiment of Gospel and Rock Opera. Tommy the main character and central theme throughout the album has a breakthrough as only a deaf, dumb and blind boy can, through pinball. It's his eyes, ears and voice through which he makes contact with the rest of the world. Truly inspiring, it's the platform on which he attains stardom. The rest is history.



4. In their late '60's - early '70's heyday, the Who were an incredible, transcendent band. However, I can't help but feel that studio recordings failed to do justice to their intense, dynamic, and energetic sound (until "Who's Next," that is). In an old edition of the Rolling Stone Record Guide, John Swenson hit the nail on the head: "The early Who albums present one of the most interesting problems posed in rock & roll history. The band was considered at the time to be much better in live performance than on record..." After listening to live renditions of "Tommy" (especially the great "Live at Leeds" deluxe edition), I can't agree more.
   
   First of all, the studio "Tommy" feels padded, perhaps to extend it to double-record length. There are a few forgettable songs (the sequence from "Sensation" to "Tommy's Holiday Camp" comes to mind), a couple of head-scratchers (how does Sonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind" fit in?), and some songs (particularly "Underture") seem over-extended. Second, the production, on the whole, is too tidy and rather flat: we get little of Townshend's roaring electric guitar, and the band, in general, sounds too careful - like they're trying not to color outside the lines. However, all of these flaws go out the window in the live performances from 1969/70. The band trimmed some of the fat (cutting several numbers and shortening others), and, more important, they summoned up a monumental energy and collective spirit that made "Tommy" an overwhelming - and yes, cohesive - listening experience (something that, ironically, the studio record does not accomplish with total success). After hearing and seeing scalding live versions of "Amazing Journey/Sparks" (the Woodstock video footage is incredible), I actually have a hard time listening to the studio version. The same applies to "Pinball Wizard" and "We're Not Gonna Take It." Live, as in so many of the band's peak performances, they throw caution to the wind and play on the brink of total implosion, led by Keith Moon's frantic drumming.
   
   Okay, after all this complaining, why four stars? To be honest, I considered "Tommy" an unquestioned five-star album until I heard these live renditions. Over time, the studio album's flaws became more apparent to me. However, there are some incredible songs here, and it really is the record that took The Who to the proverbial "next level." I actually prefer the studio version of "Christmas" to the live ones (which lack the excited, "chirping" background vocals). "Cousin Kevin" is a great - though disturbing - John Entwistle song that was almost never performed live. "Go to the Mirror!" and "Smash the Mirror" form a powerful central climax, with Daltrey's vocals working superbly. In addition, I do enjoy many of the production touches only possible in the studio, such as Entwistle's horn overdubs and some of the background vocal "choir" effects.
   
   In conclusion, I can't bring myself to give this record fewer than four stars, but if you haven't heard the "Leeds" version yet, please check it out. I must warn you, though: you'll never hear the studio version with the same ears again.



5. Before "Tommy" The Who was just another band like The Beatles who were your typical 60's pop group, once this album hit they evolved from those 3 minute song rockers to the complex, progressive artists driven by Townshend's power lyrics and Daultry's amazing vocals (backed by argubly the greatest drummer and bassist of all-tme). If your trying to get into this band, I would start with "Who's Next" as it showchases their biggest songs but from there you NEED "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia".
   
   This is the album that made The Who memorable and legendary. Buy, listen, and appreciate.

5 comments about Fleetwood Mac: Greatest Hits.

1. Fleetwood Mac was one of the most popular bands of all times and this Greatest Hits shows why. Putting it on bought back all of the memories on first hearing the songs. "You Can Go Your Own Way", "Rhiannon" and others you will start humming or singing with right away. Though I was not a big fan when I first heard "Tusk" it is better than I remember and an interesting song. Very good album.



2. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2B563HA2B0OJ6 My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician (check me out on Amazon!) and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!!



3. Glancing through the 100 reviews (so far) on this item, it's obvious that those who are devoted fans of Fleetwood Mac are ready to accept anything sent their way without questioning the title of the album, and hence assign 5 stars, while some others tend to be a little too critical. The only 1-star review was given that assessment because the customer got the wrong CD in the mail! Sort of defeats the purpose of the system wouldn't you say?
   
   Another assigns 2, lamenting the lack of their "hits and great songs from 1967-1974" while another claims that "the only good song is Tusk ... the rest of it is fluff." I tend to agree with most that give it 3 stars and for much the same reasons. First of all, the two pages of liner notes, written in 1988 by Stephen Davis, are rather "lame" - as one reviewer accurately puts it - focusing not on the "greatest hits" aspect of their career but rather on the goings-on at a 1988 concert a Wembley Stadium in London!
   
   As for the contents, to be fair they did do a somewhat decent job of covering their "greatest hits" if you keep in mind that, to most out there, a "hit" denotes the Billboard Pop Hot 100 singles that got them heard on radio/TV, in juke boxes, and sold as 45 rpm singles at record shops (or perhaps those that made the Adult Contemporary (AC), R&B, and Country charts, depending upon the genre and artist). And since their first big such hit didn't come until late 1975's Over My Head (# 20 Hot 100/# 32 AC), I'd say this 1988 release does a fair job of presenting their other 21 hits that followed to that point.
   
   One track - No Questions Asked - is misplaced in a volume so titled since it never was either a "hit" or the B-side to one. They also omit a minor hit (# 55 Hot 100) that came out on Reprise 0883 in early 1970, which is too bad really because that WAS their first charted single, with Part 1 of Oh Well becoming the hit side. It was primarily an instrumental culled from their album Then Play On, containing about 20 seconds of vocal over close to 9 minutes, counting both sides. Their first four hits, in fact, were on Frank Sinatra's Reprise label, the others being Over My Head (mentioned above) - which emerged over five years after Oh Well - along with Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win) and Say You Love Me (respectively, # 11 Hot 100/# 33 AC in Spring 1976 and # 11 Hot 100/# 12 AC in late summer 1976).
   
   They also leave out three straight charters from 1980/81, the first being Think About Me (# 20 Hot 100/# 39 AC in spring 1980), Sisters Of The Moon (# 86 Hot 100 in June 1980), and Fireflies (a live recording that hit # 60 Hot 100 in March 1981). As with Sara (# 7 Hot 100/# 13 AC in late 1979/early 1980) and Tusk (# 8 Hot 100 in late 1979, recorded at Dodger Stadium with The USC Trojans Marching Band), both Think About Me and Sisters Of The Moon were culled from the album also titled Tusk.
   
   Other omissions are: Love In Store (# 11 AC/# 22 Hot 100 in late 1982), Oh Diane (# 35 AC in May 1983), Seven Wonders (# 13 AC/# 19 Hot 100 in summer 1987), and Family Man (# 23 AC/# 90 Hot 100 in April 1988). These, along with Big Love (# 5 Hot 100/# 23 AC in spring 1987), Little Lies (# 1 AC for 4 weeks/# 4 Hot 100 in late summer 1987), and Everywhere (# 1 AC for 3 weeks/# 14 Hot 100 in late 1987) were all taken from their album Tango In The Night.
   
   All their hits after Say You Love Me came out on the Warner label and, as the years wore on, and the personnel changed, they became much more popular on the Adult Contemporary, or Easy Listening, charts than on the mainstream Hot 100. In fact, they would have three AC # 1's (the two mentioned above plus As Long As You Follow, which registered late in 1988), but it could only manage a # 43 Hot 100. Their one Hot 100 # 1 was Dreams in May/June 1977, and it also made it to # 11 AC.
   
   The so-called "classic lineup" of Fleetwood Mac consisted of drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, vocalist/keyboardist Christine McVie, guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, and vocalist Stevie Nicks, and this is the gathering that was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1988. You don't get in there by doing "fluff."



4. If I had to take 1 album with me onto a deserted island, it would be this. It is a great compilation of Fleetwood's best.



5. Greatest in the case of "Fleetwood Mac: Greatest Hits" actually epitomizes what a greatest hits album should be all about: ALL hits, no add-ons. This particular CD is thoroughly enjoyable and definitely a must for enthusiasts of true music who, like me, did not purchase their albums when the group was in its prime many years ago. For me, I became a Fleetwood Mac fan after hearing Nikki McKibbin attempt to sing a Stevie Nicks song, Edge of Seventeen, on American Idol a couple of years ago. Nicks was an essential member of Fleetwood Mac and has produced some memorable songs as a solo artist. However, it is Fleetwood Mac - collectively - that has recorded some of the best sounding music ever!!

5 comments about Youth & Young Manhood.

1. SO glad I bought this. AC/DC meets the Avett Brothers. The universe's answer to Bon Scott's death by misadventure.



2. Sort of like binge-drinking with friends and staying up all night to see the sunrise, these songs evoke rare moments when the visceral absurdity of the world is illuminated with elegant, manic clarity.
   
   Like Kurt Cobain, there are several moments where the singer is more interested in the sound of his throat cracking or shredding to pieces than forming neat and pretty words. Either you can surrender your ears to this sort of thing, or you like your songs a little more predictable and digestible.
   
   KOL are all about FREEDOM, freedom from coherent speech, freedom from technical proficiency, freedom from standard song structure. Their songs are the musical equivalent of clips from David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino movies. And maybe a couple of Japanese Ninja movies.
   
   But unlike any other garage/punk act out there today, their music has the pervasive underlying machismo and confidence of a legendary classic rock act. I guess it's a Southern thing that people from New York drown in neurosis to emulate.
   
   To the untrained ear, these guys seem unschooled and musically naive and the songs seem basic, but these guys are geniuses when it comes to subtle tweaking of standard pop/rock arrangements. If you're a musician, you'll find several moments of saying "Oh, that's clever..."
   
   Long story short; this isn't an AC/DC album, it's not a Modest Mouse album. It's definitely NOT a Strokes album.
   If you're thinking about buying this cd, I promise Kings of Leon will change your life. They're HUGE in Europe, and they changed my perspective on this art form. They're one of THOSE bands.



3. do i really need to say anything more? One of my fav disks by one of my fav bands.



4. New different sound that picks up some great influences - Strokes meet the Velvet Underground meets the "I don't give a @#$% what you think of my music" creativity of Jeff Buckley.
   
   These guys are an open channel and both albums are must haves. Listen over and over - you'll get it.
   
   If you don't understand this band or Caleb's phrasing - you were probably one of the people who thought Jeff Buckley's Grace album was crap.
   
   This is the band to watch for the next decade. Enjoy.



5. Very basic rock and roll. I get the impression that these guys barely know how to play their instruments, and their singing is not particularly "schooled" either.
   
   If you're looking for some simple rock, with a touch of folk here and there, this might be for you. Sort of Bob Dylan meets The Strokes.
   
   Some of the tunes are quite engaging. But on the whole, it all seems sort of trite.

5 comments about Moondance.

1. This is a truly great cd. I had the album years ago and it is great to listen to it again. Every song is awesome, and the lyrics and instrumentals are great as are the vocals!



2. 
   and a collection of tunes to stand up to anything. If you have no Van in your collection-please start here!!



3. 
   The good news?
   
   20+ years after their debut on CD, FINALLY, there are full remasters of "Moondance", "Street Choir" and "Astral Weeks".
   
   The bad news?
   
   They're not available domestically from Warner Music Group USA: All three are Warner Japan only.
   
   And the really bad news?
   
   As of today, Amazon doesn't stock the remasters (there is a 1996 Japan-released Moondance listed, but it is NOT the remaster, so don't waste your money). Hopefully, Amazon will correct this oversight soon. The catalog numbers for the three Japan Warner remasters are WPCR-75419, -20 and -21, which streeted in Japan on 6/25/08.
   
   These classic albums, which we have all waited so long to be brought properly into the digital world, now, unfortunately, join fellow Warner artists such as Little Feat, The Doobie Brothers, Neil Young, Ry Cooder, Tower Of Power, Cold Blood and several others, whose remastered catalogs are only available off-shore.
   
   Pathetic.
   
   The responsibility for this is ultimately Edgar Bronfman, Jr., the CEO of WMG USA. Instead of focusing on WMG's core music catalog, he's busy extolling the virtues of consumer-oppressive DRM, over-paying P-Diddy tens of millions of dollars, and this week, revealed as losing another $30 million of WMG funds in promoter Joe Meli's mad scheme to charge $15,000 per person to attend a swank, exclusive, five-act concert series in the Hamptons. These are only a few of many excesses this guy has perpetrated at WMG, presiding over a spectacular loss of investor equity since the 2005 WMG IPO, while he and his investors have lined their own pockets.
   
   This year, Universal is staging a 28-title Van Morrison catalog re-release, all remastered with bonus tracks. You'd think SOMEBODY at WMG would be smart enough to pilot-fish that momentum with these three seminal titles. At the very least, how hard can it be to obtain the existing, completed remasters from a Japan subsidiary and make them available in the U.S.?
   
   All of this is no surprise to WMG, or ex-WEA, insiders. Internally, Warner policy was always that the majority of consumers were going purchase popular catalog titles anyway, so why waste profits to remaster them? WEA sales employees were told this directly by Warner management as far back as the early 90's, and Bronfman's regime simply status-quo'd that odious philosophy.
   
   This is what happens when bean-counters run record companies.
   
   But, I guess Edgar & Co, too preoccupied with moguling the mess they've made of a once-great record company, can't see the opportunity: As of this writing, no WMG act has any major position on the charts, and artists, alienated by WMG's all-finance-dominated mentality, are departing for pastures where music still has some modicum of corporate consideration.
   
   What a waste.
   
   WMG could borrow a page from Sony, who established a successful business model out of sonically-upgrading their catalog over a decade ago. The only major Columbia Records artist that comes to mind, whose catalog hasn't been remastered, is Springsteen... and you have to believe that's not by Sony's choice.
   
   Bottom line, Edgar? If you don't believe there's no positive revenue to be generated by offering a better product, then you've no business being in that business.



4. If you haven't heard this for a while, listen to it again. This is Van in his real magic time--a period of great songs, great arrangements, and fine voice.



5. I like Van, and this is a pretty good CD,I guess. I just find that I'm not that motivated to listen to it very often. Moondance has been played to death and the rest of the songs are just okay to me. Actually, most of Van's stuff is just okay. This CD's best songs are at the beginning, the songs diminish in quality as the CD progresses. As usual, the lyrics are never beyond servicable. Van has a tendency to write rhymes instead of interesting lyrics. "These dreams of you. So real and so true", "Everyone, everyone, everyone ,everyone", "And it stoned me to my soul, stoned me just like going home". Not very inspiring, or interesting. It's a nice Sunday morning CD, I suppose, but not as good as Astral Weeks--another CD with its share of bad lyrics. "As I venture in the slipstream between the viaducts of your dream." Pretentious and sometimes, unintentionally funny. You're better off downloading individual songs form Van's catalog. His CDs are just too spotty.

5 comments about The Best of Kansas.

1. The best songs Kansas did, plus a few extra cuts. What more could you ask?



2. KANSAS - The Best of Kansas (1999) (**** ) 12 tracks (65:31)
   
   This is the expanded version of The Best of Kansas that came out in 1984 on vinyl. The earlier version had only 9 songs on it. This 1999 update includes The Pinnacle, The Devil Game, and the "Live" version of Closet Chronicles, previously on the 2 record set, Two For The Show.
   
   For a single disc "Best of", it's not bad. KANSAS has so many great tracks from a dozen albums it's hard to decide exactly what to include. The easy ones are the definitive hits, such as Dust In the Wind, Carry On Wayward Son, Song for America, and Hold On.
   
   For the Fans who want everything that KANSAS has to offer, it's an easy choice, since this CD is the only place to obtain the Live version of Closet Chronicles that was omitted from the Compact disc version of Two for the Show, so it could a single disc also. Otherwise, this is just a place for the casual fan to get some basic KANSAS music. A good place for someone to get acquainted with the bands most popular songs. Isn't that what "Best of's" are for?
   
   True fans will already have all the bands individual CD's.



3. 
   The Best of Kansas offers most of their best songs, but you know, there's NEVER been a case where I was completely satisfied with a compilation disc. It's because once you explore an artist more, you realize their Best of or Greatest Hit collection can't possibly capture their best moments. And since "the best songs" and "their biggest hits" are two separate things, this CAN'T be the Best of Kansas. It's missing a few highly memorable progressive rock tunes, especially some of their songs from the first two albums. As someone who's a fan, I don't like that very much. But then again, as a fan, I don't need this album. I recommend you pick up the first two albums to hear what Kansas was like in the early days and then pick up one of their later albums to see where they ended up.



4. I first bought this album back when It was first released. Excellent complilation. I loved every song on here and eventually since then I went out and bought every CD. I even liked " Perfect Lover" and was disappointed that it was not included in the remaster. They could have included it and still included the three extra tracks. "Closet Chronicles" was an excellent choice to include as an extra track.



5. I can't claim to be a long-time highly knowledgeable Kansas fan, but I found nary a weak track here.

5 comments about Harvest.

1. 
   A while back, Warner Brothers Japan re-released 12 Neil Young titles. The surprise was that remastered content appeared for the first time on most of them.
   
   The titles & WB-Japan catalog numbers are:
   
   Neil Young WPCR-75086
   Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere WPCR-75087
   After The Gold Rush WPCR-75088
   Harvest WPCR-75089
   On The Beach WPCR-75090
   Tonight's The Night WPCR-75091
   Zuma WPCR-75092
   Long May You Run WPCR-75093
   American Stars n' Bars WPCR-75094
   Comes A Time WPCR-75095
   Rust Never Sleeps WPCR-75096
   Live Rust WPCR-75097
   
   I picked up most of these, A/B'd them, and found them to be superior to the domestics. However, having purchased the domestic 2002 remasters of "Beach" and "Stars n Bars", I declined the Japan versions of those two titles.
   
   Unfortunately, while the Japan version is remastered, Live Rust is not restored to the original LP's running form, and remains still the bastardized version.
   
   If you own the U.S. versions, and you're a NY fan, I would seriously consider replacing them with these.



2. ...I'm a lot like you. I need someone to love me the whole day through."
   
   Folk/Rock at it's best. Simple acoustic chords, haunting lyrics, and poignant stories. Arguably, this is Neil's masterpiece album. The Needle and the Damage Done, is a wonderful lament for friends lost to drugs. Old Man is an ode to the caretaker on a ranch that Neil bought some time ago. Heart of Gold is just that...Solid! As a lad I spun this LP every night when I hit the sack. I had a Hohner harmonica and played along. This disc belongs in the time capsule of my life. Enjoy it for years to come.



3. "Dream up, dream up,
   let me fill your cup
   With the promise of a man."
   
   This was one on the first albums I ever bought, and it remains a favorite. Harvest is Neil Young's signature album with his distinctive folk-esque acoustic guitar and harmonica, and his deeply personal lyrics. Backed by "The Stray Gators," a group of country session musicians including Ben Keith on pedal steel guitar, Kenny Buttrey on drums, Tim Drummond on bass, and Jack Nitzsche on piano and slide guitar, along with backing vocals by James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Linda Ronstadt, and Stephen Stills, Neil made history with Harvest. The album resulted in three hit singles, "Heart of Gold," "Old Man," and "The Needle and the Damage Done." The complete album setlist includes:
   
   1. Out On The Weekend (Album Version) (4:35)
   2. Harvest (Album Version) (3:11)
   3. A Man Needs A Maid (Album Version) (4:05)
   4. Heart Of Gold (Album Version) (3:07)
   5. Are You Ready For The Country (Album Version) (3:23)
   6. Old Man (Album Version) (3:22)
   7. There's A World (Album Version) (2:59)
   8. Alabama (Album Version) (4:02)
   9. The Needle And The Damage Done (Album Version) (2:10)
   10. Words (Between The Lines Of Age) (Album Version) (6:40)
   
   G. Merritt



4. This is one of the best cd's I have ever bought. I was looking through some of my dads old vinyl and came across this masterpiece. I HAD to get the cd. It's timeless. Simply amazing. Every music lover should have this album. I could listen to it over and over again. BRILLIANT
   Thank you Neil Young



5. 
   "Harvest", Neil Young's fourth album (1972), and commercial success at that. Still, for a supposedly commercial album it has some of the most harrowing, personal, and emotional lyrics I have heard to date (this is something that comes with much of Neil Young's work, and it's that side of him that I like best).
   Perhaps the best example of this is "A Man Needs a Maid", a song of isolation and lonliness. In honesty, I didn't used to like this one- long, slow, and those long notes during the refrain really used to bug me for some reason. But now, the more I listen the more I dig; the orchestration is a masterpiece (and I don't care how many people say it's overproduced, saying that about ANY song is, in my opinion, idiotic, since it obvious pleased the artist enough for him to release it as it was), and the lyrics, if not his best, are so personal and touching that I hate to knock the song, even if it isn't one of his VERY best. It's just a wonderful piece of expressive work. Easily at 4/5 level on its own.
   Other highlights, are Harvest (another one it took a me a little while to appreciate, but it really does have a poignant message about loneliness and love), Out on the Weekend, which, again, has grown amazingly on me, the classic Heart of Gold, Old Man, the fun Are You Ready for the Country?, and even Words (Between the Lines of Age). The rest: I like the tune and the political points in Alabama but I wasn't aroudn then, and I don't know enough to appreciate it fully; Needle... is great, just not at the same level as others,and There's a World, is one that, personally, I'm still attempting to penetrate (and I feel close), but either way, the biblical-sounding orchestra (did actually quote parts of this, or all for that matter, from the bible, say, one of the Old Testaent profits, just curious?) is, for once, just a tad much.
   All in all, however, this is a great album, 4/5. Not necessarily his best, but great nonetheless. Enjoy; this sounds just as "Young" as it did years ago!

5 comments about Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.

1. I stumbled across this album late (1975) and recall being fairly floored at the time that I was not familiar with it (albeit that I had had John Barleycorn for years prior).
   
   Simply put, Steve Winwood was a genius on the emotive and exploratory edge of electric guitar, something that seems entirely lost to multiple generations of guitarists and listeners. Listen, if you will, to the trailing guitar licks on Light Up or Leave Me Alone and tell me if you don't feel the presence of something 'bigger' than the rest of all the BS garbage guitar work out there these days. And yet listeners who don't, in fact, listen will have no idea what I'm talking about...
   
   Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (the song) sits at a level above Stairway, Gimme Shelter, and even Layla as without question one of best rock n' roll songs every written and executed.
   
   Get educated, buy this CD....But if you're lazy or oversaturated with todays overproduced crap you'll never 'get it'. Good luck.



2. Traffic-The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys ****
   
   
   Traffics The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys is a jazz/rock classic. It is both progressive and yet very basic simultaneously. Combining elements of prog with jazz and basic rock n' roll elements. Featuring such Traffic classics as the twelve minute title track `The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys' the blunt (not pun intended) `Light Up Or Leave Me Alone' which features a killer wah-wah guitar solo, something that Traffic became known for, and perhaps the greatest song Traffic ever recorded with the exception of `Mr. Fantasy' is the brilliant `Rock & Roll Stew.' All three went on to become rock classics and seem to still get regular air play despite their time length.
   
   The musicianship on the album is amazing as well. The guitar playing and percussion especially. Steve Winwood of course being the master mind behind the whole thing. The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys is Traffics strongest album and one that at the very least deserves at least one spin in everyone's stereo.



3. This album's supposed to be Traffic at its most commercial, but it may also be Traffic at its most boring. It's a lot of what Winwood was already trying to do in his singles on the earlier albums: British versions of soul, proto-jam band jamming, but there are no extraordinary moments. It is consistent, and it is easy to listen to, but not for an indication of the most progressive things happening in early 70's rock and pop.



4. Almost 40 years after it was recorded, this album still has what it takes. Listen to it a few times and you will hear yourself humming it on the way to work or play.



5. WOW, unbelievable clarity of Stevie's vocals if you have only heard this on vinyl or the radio. If you think you know any of your favorite tunes from the late sixties and you have not heard them on cd,I had to pull the car over it was so over whelming.

5 comments about Astral Weeks.

1. I know that this is a classic, I know that it has sold a zillion copies and that it estblished Van as a "great and as an innovator." I know that everybody has covered "Moondance", probably even The New Christie Minstrels.
   
   In spite of all that, I cannot stand it. I am not concerned that it is very much of its time. I am not concerned that it was the start of endless records of two/three chord bashes. I am not concerned that it encouraged Van to play sax, which is not good. No, my dislike is very black and white - I can't BEAR his voice. It's a yes or no thing, I guess. I am sure that it is deliberate but he cannot seem to hold a note for more than half a beat, and his tone is so harsh. Listen to the middle section of Moondance - it would give an elephant migraine. From Veedon Fleece until the present day he seems to have a mouthful of marbles and a swollen tongue - and the end-notes are about one tenth of a crotchet.
   
   When a flatmate played in incessantly when it first came out, those not in favour braced themselves in aticipation of the hard-edged squawks and clipped endings. It was christened "Astral Squeaks" and I cannot think of it as anything else. Also, I know that he is a very private person for one who tours endlessly, but why does he have to cultivate the on-stage persona of bad temper and aggression? You won't see that from Gary Brooker or any of his near-contemporaries, even on the Oirish scene.
   
   I tried again recently becuase my boy is playing a few numbers in a band. No, sorry, it's still unlistenable.



2. What is expressed in these songs, in the energy contained in them is something that I connected with very deeply. I think that is a lot of what art is: how well something is expressed, some feeling, emotion, struggle.... To me it soothed my soul, brought meaning to my pain - told me that through it - works such as these can be accomplished. This piece of music is a pinnacle example of the outpouring of a person's soul. When people talk of this album, I have heard of them speak of it in terms of soul. And I fully agree. I feel that the palpable rawness expressed is something rare, a peek into a souls struggle. And the fight is played out in these songs. What a battle, get a front row seat.



3. I like the instrumentation of this CD; it's got a lot going on in ways that you don't normally hear, but the actual melodies get kinda boggy about halfway through (or sooner), and if Van Morrison CAN sing (like a pro) he blatantly refuses to do so. Another perfect example of how this "they/we write their/our own songs, so they're/we're better" mentality is ruining music; not that it's a new thing, obviously; this album came out in 1968 after all, before The Beatles broke up, but I think music would be more enjoyable if people would quit trying to do everything themselves and work as a team; i.e.: someone writes the music, someone else arranges it, someone else sings it, someone else performs it...of course it's impressive when someone can do all of that and pull it off without a scratch, but most artists can't.



4. The good news?
   
   20+ years after their debut on CD, FINALLY, there are full remasters of Moondance, Street Choir and Astral Weeks.
   
   The bad news?
   
   They're not available domestically from Warner Music Group USA: All three were released in June 2008 by Warner in Japan only, and Amazon is only now getting around to making them available in the U.S.
   
   The catalog numbers for the three Japan Warner remasters are WPCR-75419, -20 and -21, which streeted in Japan on 6/25/08. Be sure that you use the links (Street Choir and Astral Weeks will function after 9/30 when Amazon adds them into stock) I have provided above, as Warner Japan has previously released non-remastered versions of all three titles (also listed here on Amazon), and you don't want to make an expensive mistake.
   
   These classic albums, which we have all waited so long to be brought properly into the digital world, now, unfortunately, join fellow Warner artists such as Tower Of Power, Ry Cooder, The Doobie Brothers, Neil Young, Van Dyke Parks, Little Feat, America, Annie Haslam, Everything But The Girl, Todd Rundgren, Cold Blood, Paul Butterfield and many others, whose either partially or wholly remastered catalogs are only available off-shore.
   
   Pathetic.
   
   The responsibility for this is ultimately Edgar Bronfman, Jr., the CEO of WMG USA. Instead of focusing on WMG's core music catalog, he's busy extolling the virtues of consumer-oppressive DRM, over-paying P-Diddy tens of millions of dollars, and in June of 2008, revealed as losing another $30 million of WMG funds in promoter Joe Meli's mad scheme to charge $15,000 per person to attend a swank, exclusive, five-act concert series in the Hamptons. These are only a few of many excesses this guy has perpetrated at WMG, presiding over a spectacular loss of investor equity since the 2005 WMG IPO, while he and his investors have lined their own pockets.
   
   This year, Universal is staging a 28-title Van Morrison catalog re-release, all remastered with bonus tracks. You'd think SOMEBODY at WMG would be smart enough to pilot-fish that momentum with these three seminal titles. At the very least, how hard can it be to obtain the existing, completed remasters from a Japan subsidiary and make them available in the U.S.?
   
   All of this is no surprise to WMG, or ex-WEA, insiders. Internally, Warner policy was always that the majority of consumers were going purchase popular catalog titles anyway, so why waste profits to remaster them? WEA sales employees were told this directly by Warner management as far back as the early 90's, and Bronfman's regime simply status-quo'd that odious philosophy.
   
   This is what happens when bean-counters run record companies.
   
   But, I guess Edgar & Co, too preoccupied with moguling the mess they've made of a once-great record company, can't see the opportunity: As of this writing, no WMG act has any major position on the charts, and artists, alienated by WMG's all-finance-dominated mentality, are departing for pastures where music still has some modicum of corporate consideration.
   
   What a waste.
   
   WMG could borrow a page from Sony, who established a successful business model out of sonically-upgrading their catalog over a decade ago. The only major Columbia Records artist that comes to mind, whose catalog hasn't been remastered, is Springsteen... and you have to believe that's not by Sony's choice.
   
   Bottom line, Edgar? If you don't believe there's no positive revenue to be generated by offering a better product, then you've no business being in that business.



5. It's hard to think of Van as an introverted mystic, but this is where it all started. Yea, he had a first life as a Belfast bluesman and some time on Bang records when he produced one of the great pop singles of all timee, but this documents Van's summer of guitar. If you don't study this album, you're not a Van fan. As a matter of fact, find it on vinyl and digest it in twenty minute doses of mysticism.
   
   Essential.

5 comments about The Best of the Moody Blues.

1. It can be frustrating when you want to buy a 'best of' collection from one of your favorite recording artists and there are several to chose from. You want one that contains all of your favorite songs, but has the right blend of early, middle, and late material. "The Best Of The Moody Blues" is such a collection. It contains songs from nearly every point along their long and successful recording career. For those of us who are 'baby boomer' age, listening to this collection of songs is like taking a trip back in time. There are even some songs that are not exactly Moody Blues songs, like "Forever Autumn" (from the musical "War of the Worlds") sung by Justin Hayward, and "Blue Guitar" from a Justin Hayward / John Lodge collaboration during a period of time when The Moody Blues was inactive. My only complaint about this collection is the inclusion of their first UK hit "Go Now", which most Americans will not remember, and the exclusion of the song "You and Me". Aside from that, this is a great collection of their music and it deserves a space in your collection.



2. If you love The Moody Blues and you are a fan of great music, get this album.
   
   Enough said.



3. I got this CD by my own mistake. I meant to get another Moody Blues CD. So I gave this CD to a friend. When I called him up, he was listening to it. And He told me, "Thanks alot. I love this CD. I just love the Moody Blues!" It's a compilation of some of their earlier works. None of their newer stuff is on it.



4. As a die-hard Moody Blues fan, this is a good compilation that includes some of their earlier works as well as the more familiar and favourite hits for which they are associated. Well worth the purchase.



5. I am a great fan of the Moody Blues and have always enjoyed their concerts. When I saw this CD "The Best of Moody Blues", I ordered it. Although it contains their hits, the recording does not meet the quality or sound of other CDs by the Moody Blues. Their CD at Red Rock is still one of their best.

5 comments about Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits.

1. I'm going to take a different approach to reviewing albums on Amazon. Instead of going in depth on each album and describe each album in detail, i'm going to simply rate each album with how many stars I feel each album is worth based on the below criteria. I hope this helps you make a better decision on purchasing this album with a simple individual rating. If it doesn't help read another review.
   5 stars- Classic, Album goes beyond description, Perfect in every way, Could remind you of a certain time or place, Lifetime replay value.
   4.5 stars- Near Classic, Incredible album, Maybe only one song that is skippable or just overall doesn't quite deserve classic status. High replay value.
   4.0 stars- Awesome album. Very solid album from start to finish. Met every expectation and more. Maybe only one song or two that is skippable or just doesnt' quite deserve a classic or near classic rating. High replay value.
   3.5 stars- Above average album. Solid from start to finish but there are a few songs worth skipping. Met expectations, minimal replay value.
   3.0 stars- Average album. Nothing bad but nothing great either. After the initial appeal will collect dust.
   2.5 stars- Major disappointment. You had high expectations that were ruined as this album is not good at all. There might be only one or two songs worth listening to. No replay value.
   2.0 stars- Below average album. This album doesnt bother you to hear as background music but you would rather not listen to it if you didnt have to. No songs really appeal. No replay value.
   1.5 stars- Terrible album. Makes one sick to hear it. No songs really appeal but there might be one song that you could stand to hear. Would rather throw in garbage than even waste space in your collection.
   1.0 stars- Makes one cringe and the ears bleed!
   *keep in mind, each album review might not be based on opinion of the band but the album itself in the bands discography



2. Just wanted to hear and dub a few songs from disc. Brings me back to the younger day's. Great driving music.



3. It isn't definitive. Not by a long shot. I mean, it only covers the early phase of Dylan's career, starting with a cut from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963) and ending with a selection from Blonde On Blonde (1966). And even then, it hardly tells the full story: Bob Dylan's early days were as tumultuous and groundbreaking as anything else in the history of popular music, a heady period which saw him evolve from an idealistic young folk troubadour to rock `n' roll's cynical poet laureate. Dylan was discovering his voice and developing his genius all the while, in the process creating some of the greatest music ever. A measly ten-song tracklisting doesn't even scratch the surface. Twenty wouldn't come close. No collection of mid 60s Dylan is complete without "Tombstone Blues," "Masters Of War," "Visions Of Johanna," "Motorpsycho Nightmare," "Desolation Row," etc. The list goes on.
   
   So why the high rating? Simple. The ten songs on this disc are among the greatest ever written or recorded. Buy this, and you'll like what you hear. And then you'll want more. And you'll discover one of history's greatest musicians in the process. Enjoy.



4. I never defend greatest hits albums, because when it comes to "album bands" or legendary artists, the idea is to collect all their regular studio and live albums, and leave the hit packages in the back of the store shelves where they belong.
   
   However, this is a major exception. A shocking exception in fact, because while there's not a whole lot of music on this album, that doesn't even matter- this selection of classics from 60's Bob Dylan gathers all the main important hits, and puts them on one small, very affordable and EXTREMELY satisfying disc.
   
   I say, AWESOME! I love every single one of these songs. It's a perfect way to start experiencing Bob Dylan's music.



5. He's an American icon, phenomenal songwriter, and from Minnesota! Great combination! I'm a voice teacher, and he certainly is not a good singer, but his style and interpretation make up for what he lacks in bel canto style!