5 comments about Meddle.

1. CHRIST!!! COME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD OH MY looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord they are doing it again OH CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST SAVE me from the STENCH and the mere DIRECTIONLESS BULGE this CD is made of.CHRIST!!! COME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD OH MY looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord they are doing it again OH CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST SAVE me from the STENCH and the mere DIRECTIONLESS BULGE this CD is made of.CHRIST!!! COME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD OH MY looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord they are doing it again OH CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST
   
   please save me,
   this product is exceptionally BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH.
   
   SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST SAVE me from the STENCH and the mere DIRECTIONLESS BULGE this CD is made of.CHRIST!!! COME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD OH MY looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord they are doing it again OH CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST ME CHRIST SAVE me from the STENCH SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST SAVE me from the STENCH and the mere DIRECTIONLESS BULGE this CD is made of.CHRIST!!! COME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD OH MY looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord they are doing it again OH CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST and the mere DIRECTIONLESS BULGE this CD is made of.CHRIST!!! COME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD OH MY looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord they are doing it again OH CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST SAVE me from the STENCH and the mere DIRECTIONLESS BULGE this CD is made of.CHRIST!!! COME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD OH MY looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord they are doing it again OH CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST SAVE me from the STENCH and the mere DIRECTIONLESS BULGE this CD is made of.CHRIST!!! COME CHRIST COME SAVE ME CHRIST COME SAVE ME OH MY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD OH MY looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord they are doing it again OH CHRIST SAVE ME FROM THE WRENCH COME SAVE ME CHRIST



2. I'm going to cut you to little pieces!." What, did you think I was going to say "Alice"? Haha. Well, unlike most of the reviewers, I just got this 2 weeks ago, and I haven't stopped listening to it. Matter of fact, I just started a minute ago. People in general should have this, Piper, Saucerful, AHM, Dark Side, WYWH, Animals and the Wall in their collection. You don't come across albums this good anymore, I mean anything post 1999 needs a couple of listens, except Maiden and Priest that is. I love the spaced out feeling of Pillow in the Wind and Fearless. Great writing musically and lyrically. Not one bad tune, even Seamus is good. Yes, I like Seamus and I don't care what everyone else says, it's still a good listen.
   Then we get to the song that defines this album, and eventually Pink Floyd's future. "Echoes" the 23 and a half minute masterpiece that wore out the other side of the Vinyl LP. Honestly, how many people have bought this physically or electronically(iTunes) just for Echoes. It's a shame the greatest hits is missing 7 minutes. I think you need the entire song to truly appreciate it. Well, check it out here, or on iTunes, but buy it physically, because you'll like it so much, that you can't live without it. That and what happens if you forget to back everything up, and the computer crashes, now you're screwed. So do yourself a favor, and get it today. Without Meddle, we don't have Dark Side of the Moon. Hell, get both of them at once.



3. If it wasn't for "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and "More", "Meddle" would be the greatest Pink Floyd album ever. 'Seamus', the one throwaway song on the album, still beats 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast' from "Atom Heart Mother" as a filler track by being merely inconsequential rather than annoying....
   
   I was a Floyd fan quite a while before "Dark Side of the Moon" and still see that album as a commercial sell-out rather than the masterpiece so many people hold it to be. Of the post-"Dark Side" albums, only "Wish You Were Here" has any spark of the old Floyd (subject matter perhaps?)
   
   Nothing in the Floyd catalog comes close to "Piper At the Gates of Dawn" for sheer invention and originality. Nothing. All else is a result of trickle down effect from exposure to Syd's pure genius. The quality of music declines (more or less) with the passage of time....
   
   I rank Pink Floyd's albums as follows: 1) "Piper At the Gates of Dawn" 10) "More" 11) "Meddle" 12) "Atom Heart Mother" 13) "Ummagumma" 14) "A Saucerful of Secrets" 15) "Wish You Were Here" 16) "Obscured By Clouds"... 23) "Animals" [On the strength of 'Dogs'] 24) "The Dark Side of the Moon" 25) "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" 26) "The Wall" 27) "The Division Bell"... 159) "The Final Cut".
   
   When one disregards the aforementioned 'Seamus' the music on "Meddle" is pretty darned good, with 'Echoes' being, IMO, a masterpiece. Highly recommended (But get "Piper" and "More" first)!



4. This atrocious cd is most certainly one of the barfing stock - what a despicable joke. No metal can ruin this more than (s)CRAP metal, hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   
   Piere Winnataq



5. This Gordawfull dics gets NO medal from me, it's just plane ludicroux!!don't you think so?
   
   
   
   Stewart Hottenscheier III

5 comments about Quadrophenia.

1. Quadrophenia is the perfect musical context for the great questions of life. It is less than satisfactory to pass this off as a Rock Opera dealing with the "petty" issues of teenage angst. The questions posed during those years of transition between the summers of childhood and the winters of adult responsibility are indeed the ones we revisit as we approach the grave........Is this life of mine....the real me? Who am I....what do I see as the meaning of life.....and when will Love reign o'er us?.....
   
   The music is up to the task of providing the passion/reflection that is present during those "Dark nights of the soul".
   
   Brilliant.



2. This is and carries a different and more intense understanding of a young life seen through his eyes suffering from schizophrennia. Maybe its my age and life experience but sounds great with a life lesson.



3. The Who's Quadrophenia (1973) is a double album rock opera that covers a Monday through Friday week in the life of Jimmy, a young man afflicted with a multi-personality disorder that includes four personalities.
   
   A tough guy, a helpless dancer.
   A romantic, is it me for a moment?
   A bloody lunatic, I'll even carry your bags.
   A beggar, a hypocrite, love reign over me.
   
   Schizophrenic? I'm bleeding Quadrophrenic.
   
   Each of the four personalities supposedly reflects the personality of a member of The Who. As with all concept albums, the story is somewhat open to interpretation, and in this case that's a good thing. A lot of these songs are so personally affecting that applying the lyrics strictly to the concept might be distracting, and mitigate any personal identification with the songs. The best of this music can be very meaningful even without applying it to the Quadrophenia story.
   
   The production of Quadrophenia is powerful and extraordinarily well developed. Orchestrated and vocal sequences of the main songs play throughout and connect the songs with the story, and several sound effects, including those of the sea and the rain, add an imaginitive visual. The booklet included with the 2-disc set features an essay by Pete Townsend that helps to explain the Quadrophenia story, some relevant black and white photographs, and the lyrics to the songs.
   
   The songs on the album include some of the best The Who have ever done. It just doesn't get any better than The Real Me, 5:15, Doctor Jimmy, and Love Reign O'er Me. These songs rock like nothing the band had ever done, or would ever do again. The Who at the very peak of their powers. Nearly everything else on the album is satisfying, too, although not nearly as epic as the songs mentioned. Quadrophenia is one of The Who's best albums, and an essential and powerful piece of rock n' roll history. The album is an emotional experience, and quite a revelation when listened to in it's entirety. It can be very moving, and even sacred, if you let it take you into it's world. It ends with the spiritual healing of Jimmy while he stands screaming on The Rock in a raging rainstorm.
   
   Only love can bring the rain
   That makes you yearn to the sky
   Only love can bring the rain
   That falls like tears from on high
   
   Love, reign o'er me
   Love, reign o'er me, reign o'er me



4. This would have to be The Who's best album. John Entwistle brings some of his best bass playing on The Real Me. Keith Moon's drumming is awesome. Love Reign O'er Me is a truely awesome song.



5. The music on Quadrophenia (1973) is sophisticated and represents the second large scale concept album by the group (the other being Tommy). The concept on Quadrophenia, which revolves around English youth, is handled carefully and with great intelligence, resulting in a concept work that is deep, multidimensional, and ever engrossing.
   
   On Quadrophenia, Townshend once again amply demonstrates his ability to embellish just a few central musical themes with instrumental preludes, interludes and postludes, all of which create the impression of something much larger and complex. In addition, highly melodic vocal, guitar and synthesizer parts weave and soar above a positively thunderous rhythm section to create some very interesting music. Speaking of which, John Entwistle is a ripping bass player and drummer Keith Moon is simply phenomenal.
   
   This remastered package is pretty nice and features a nicely detailed booklet and good sound quality.
   
   Quadrophenia is an excellent album and is highly recommended along with Tommy and Who's Next.

5 comments about Bob Seger. Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.

1. Some great songs (Her Strut/Rock & Roll Never Forgets) some lame fillers. Seger's stuff is not on iTunes, so not being able to buy individual songs forces you to buy whole CD's-a strategy that maximizes Bob's net worth-not yours.



2. Audio quality wasn't up to par with modern CDs. I bought this for a couple of songs but I'm not a big Seger fan overall. I think these songs are best remembered and not purchased. If you must, buy a single from iTunes or something similar and save $10.



3. Most greatest hits CD's are terrible. This one is outstanding and shows Seeger at his best.



4. Ah, Bob, Bob, Bob, you do it so well.
   
   Rock-and-roll troubadour of the male soul, there is nobody quite like Bob Seger for a night at home after some manly task has been accomplished.
   
   How, then, to sum up the man's gift? Bob Seger's reportoire is one of the purest exemplars of basic, raw rock-and-roll that one can hope to hear. There's nothing fancy. Basic bass patterns, predicatable but competent drumming, the characteristic Seger-esque female background vocals, and Seger himself practically swallowing the microphone. It's classic, and oh how it works!
   
   The two poles of Seger's work are exemplified by the hilariously raucous 'Katmandu', followed immediately by the sensitive and balladic 'Shame on the Moon'. The latter is worth quoting:
   
   Until you've been beside a man
   You don't know what he wants
   You don't know if he cries at night
   You don't know if he dont
   When nothin' comes easy
   Old nightmares are real
   Until you've been beside a man
   You don't know how he feels
   
   Once inside a woman's heart
   A man must keep his head
   Heaven opens up the door
   Where angels fear to tread
   Some men go crazy
   Some men go slow
   Some men go just where they want
   Some men never go
   
   Oh blame it on midnight
   Ooh shame on the moon
   
   Everywhere its all around
   Comfort in a crowd
   Strangers faces all around
   Laughin right out loud
   Hey watch where your goin
   Step light on old toes
   Cause until youve been beside a man
   You don't know who he knows
   
   Oh blame it on midnight
   Ooh shame on the moon
   Oh blame it on midnight
   Ooh shame on the moon
   
   
   In the hands of a lesser rock-and-roll artist, this tune would sound maudlin, even grotesque. Seger tunes it just right, so much so that even a listener damagingly intoxicated by the crude reductions of men that are too common must surely sense the genuine portrait of the masculine soul that Seger's brush gives us here.
   
   Other high points on this compilation include the bluesy 'Hardest Thing I'll Ever Do' followed by the driving, up-tempo comin'-to-get-you 'Shakedown'. Seger was made for this tune, which served as the theme song for the motion picture Beverly Hills Cop. Yet, for this reviewer, it is Seger's balladesque moments that stand out. Like Eros Ramazotti and other scratchy-voiced male soloists, Seger goes down exceptionally well in duet with an expressive female voice. This anthology's luscious paring of our man with Martin McBride on 'Chances Are' is a parade example.
   
   There are sixteen tracks on this rather thick 'best of' album. It's rich fare. Don't miss Seger's first and principle "Greatest Hits' album, but when you've finished with that one, Greatest Hits 2 will keep the this thing he's got goin', well, goin'.



5. Saw Bob Seger in Feb 07 and he did a few songs from this album, so I bought it the next day. Not quite as great as the first Best Hits album but it is needed for a more complete collection. I like the song 'Understanding' and never heard it before.

5 comments about Physical Graffiti.

1. I like this record in the sense of it's length and classical leanings (namely Baroque), but it's production value is something to be desired. On the majority of the tracks Bonham's drums lack the strong "thump" that I've grown so accustomed to. They are on the edge of being demos. One positive note: "In the Light" is probably the most underrated Zep songs, so that alone is grounds for a purchase.



2. I think every one of the original Zeppelin albums (and the live ones as well) has reviewers calling it "the best Led Zeppelin" album. I'm gonna go with the nameless one any day, followed closely by "Live at the BBC" and "How the West was Won".
   But this big, sprawling double album is really a must-have as well, as are the vast majority of Zeppelin's 70s albums. It's the "usual" blend, I suppose, of blues, folk, rock n' roll and a little bit of funk and soul, generally heavy on the electric blues, but with a couple of utterly charming acoustic numbers as well.
   
   There is perhaps nothing here as monumental as "Stairway" or as long-lasting as "Black Dog" or "Whole Lotta Love", even though the majestic 8½-minute "Kashmir" features a riff that will allow you get to rid of any other song that has gotten stuck in your head. But the overall quality of the material is very, very high.
   It's hard, in fact, to think of another rock or blues record with this many distinctive guitar riffs; the entire first disc is dripping with heavy blues and rock n' roll riffs and thumping drums. And while the second disc may be a little less consistent, opening with two minutes of hideous synth, it nevertheless features plenty of terrific blues-rock and some lovely acoustic forays. Titles like "Night Flight", "Boogie with Stu" and "Black Country Woman" may not be the most immediately recognizable, but they're among Zep's most infectious blooze-n-boogie-grinds.
   "Physical Graffiti" is a monument, one of the most epic double studio albums of the 70s, right up there with "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs", and bested only, perhaps, by the Stones' unrivalled "Exile on Main Street".



3. BEST ZEPPELIN ALBUM! THIS IS A SAMPLER PLATE OF EVERYTHING LED ZEPPELIN DID WELL; HARD ROCK, BLUES, ACOUSTIC, BALLADS. IF I COULD ONLY HAVE ONE ZEPPELIN ALBUM, THIS WOULD BE THE ONE! ROCK ON!



4. The quality of the individual song may not be up to Led Zeppelin 1,2, or 4, but the diversity, indulgence, and inspiration make it just as interesting, good, and ultimatly the most entertaining. The essential Led Zeppelin album.
   
   Note. People one gave this or other Led Zeppelin/Jimi Hendrix/Pink Floyd/Beatles etc, albums one star often listen to foreigner and mention it in their comments. What does this tell you? Foreigner, Genesis, and Yes stink and people who listen to them have no taste. If you want a better progressive group, go to pretty much any other band.



5. This is essential Led Zeppelin. One of the most influential rock albums of all times, period. Long before Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel came onto world beat, Page and Plant were incorporating musical elements from north Africa and Asia -- which they experienced for the first time following Led Zeppelin's first tour of these locations.

5 comments about Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975.

1. The cd was here quickly and was in excellent condition. I was very happy with the product and would purchase again from this seller.



2. I loved this CD. Brought back some fantastic memories. The songs still sound great.



3. This is a compaltion of all there tunes you will hear eery hour on most classic hits station. The eagles were awesome and this captures their best stuff.



4. The Eagles are one of my favorite 70s bands. Their music is a combination of country and rock. This cd is a collection of their hits from the 70s.



5. The main reason I'm giving the Eagles Greatest Hits a perfect 5 star rating is because it does a PERFECT job collecting all the major hit songs from the Eagles. While I feel many of these songs have overstayed their welcome, and even though I've moved on to other classic rock artists, what matters is how solid a greatest hits collection is, and let me tell ya- they don't get any more solid than this!
   
   However, it's probably best to pick up some of the bands regular studio albums instead. Start with the very first one and go from there.

5 comments about Déjà Vu.

1. This is a great album, in my opinion, for 2 songs: Deja Vu and Ohio. I did grow up listening to this...my parents vinyl LP. I mean, the whole album is great, but those are my 2 favorites on the album. Neil Young just lays it on the table with Ohio and Deja Vu just shows how good the four sound in harmonies. This is an album for its time. Not to say it's dated per se, but you can tell that there was turbulence in society and these four talking heads were giving their spin on how they saw life.
   But you can listen to this and just enjoy this. It isn't noise, it isn't necessarily Top 40, it's just good folk/protest rock. It's good for nostalgia if you're old enough to have been there for this, and good if your youngish and want to listen to what I consider the best four part vocal band....EVER.



2. The title of this album is now ironic. When I listen to it I can remember the sweet smell of smoke as an 8 track cranked out music and pick-up trucks and cars formed a lazy half circle around a small fire. Leaves crunched and cracked under our feet and in the night air a few wore jeans jackets and some wore plaid wool shirts but all wore Levi's and sneakers. A silver keg had many many friends and clusters of laughter would roll from one group to the next. We shared the laughs and we shared the beer and the weed. Opinions were so clear. We shared everything but fear. There was so little fear in youth then though we all knew someone in the war far away. That bought it home. Through the night our party marched to it's own beat making progress standing still and that was getting high. So high. Youth goes on and on and in those nights no clock could say when or that's enough. Through the night cars left and came to the place in the woods down by the Res bringing more friends of my friends. Taunt and supple bodies danced above the shining smoke. Everyone was real and perfectly flawed. Ambition was set aside that night for desire. My eye had an apple spied. You were there too weren't you. We have all been here before. Do you know. Do you wonder. Feel like I've been here before. Four voices in harmony with guitars. I had a blanket in my pickup and I knew a place a short walk away. Over a hill and near the water. We'll bring some beers. Come sit with me down by the water and whisper with me away from the fire. I'll get you warm. Through the trees we can still hear the four voices in harmony with guitars and the see the sweet smoke that drifted over. What's going on down under you? We have all been her before. The night left back at the Res is locked on a compact disc. A fire with no smoke sings on.



3. With the Beatles, the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. Here, I'm afraid, the opposite is true. On this pretentious catastrophe of an album, two "great" (??) bands collide, the drippy and mellifluous Crosby Stills & Nash and the astringent-voiced faux yokel Neil Young. Adding to the confusion, one of the best songs on the album, "4 + 20," is channeling pure Paul Simon and one of the worst, "Everybody I Love," is a watered down version of watered-down-white-boy-Three-Dog-Night-style soul. I love this album, despite its obvious defects, for the timeless "classic rock" hits (e.g., "Carry On" and "Woodstock") but perhaps most of all for its early 1970s hippie turned farmer nostalgia value ("Country Girl..."). A solid two stars. Or three. At *MOST* four. All these five star reviewers need to pass me the bong...



4. Definitely an album everyone wanted back in 1970, especially with the rich texture of the LP cover. Only weak spots are Teach Your Children and Our House, both by Graham Nash, by far the weakest member of the group.



5. If you're fan of the 60's music then you'll enjoy this CD. If you're a CSNY fan then it's a must. I found the quality very good.

5 comments about Styx - Greatest Hits.

1. Renegade probaly the only good song these guys have ever recorded and it should of stayed that way. These guys are pretty crappy compared too most 70s rock bands and sound the same as the sounds of kansas reo speedwagon stuff like that is OKAY but in small amounts. personally STYX just sound the same every song Come Sail Away is only the worse song i've ever heard in my life. A forgotten band that is only remembered by cheap complimations and people downloading Renegade off the internet or itunes. Ehhh go for some actullay good stuff like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, or Pink Floyd.



2. Styx released their first A&M years collection 'Greatest Hits' in 1995. This is their second overall collection, with their first being 1975's Wooden Nickel Records 'Best of Styx.'
   
   But this remains the most comprehensive collection of Styx on the market. All of the band's radio hits are here, and it also includes some popular album tracks and fan favorites as well. This collection spans Styx's A&M years, 1975-1995, a 20-year period.
   
   Here is the album by album review.
   
   Tracks from Equinox (1975):
   'Lorelei,' 'Suite Madame Blue'
   Review: I like what's represented. Obviously they would put 'Lorelei' here, because that was the radio hit here. But, I'm just a tad disappointed that we don't have 'Light Up' or 'Mother Dear' on here. But A&M got it right for the most part on this one.
   
   Tracks from Crystal Ball (1976):
   'Crystal Ball'
   Review: THAT'S IT!?! Just 'Crystal Ball'? This was Tommy Shaw's first record with Styx, and it remains one of their finest. No 'Mademoiselle' or 'Shooz'? Or maybe even an album track like 'Jennifer'? That's disappointing.
   
   Tracks from The Grand Illusion (1977):
   'Come Sail Away,' 'Miss America,' 'Fooling Yourself,' 'Grand Illusion'
   Review: They got all of the hits from the record. Just a tad disappointed to see 'Man In The Wilderness' absent, but that's a minor complaint, nothing to cry about. A&M definitely got this one right.
   
   Tracks from Pieces of Eight (1978):
   'Renegade,' 'Blue Collar Man'
   Review: Again, A&M took the hits from the record, but forgot all about the album tracks. I am very disappointed that 'Sing For The Day' and 'Great White Hope' aren't here. But A&M did alright on this one.
   
   Tracks from Cornerstone (1979):
   'Babe'
   Review: ONLY 'BABE'!?! Where is 'Boat On The River'? That was my favorite song from the album, and yet, nowhere to be found here. That's very disappointing. A&M got this one wrong. 'Babe' was great, but why stop there?
   
   Tracks from Paradise Theater (1981):
   'Too Much Time On My Hands,' 'The Best Of Times'
   Review: A great record, one of Styx's best. And A&M picked the two significant tunes from this record. But, I am a little mad to see 'Rockin' The Paradise' and 'Snowblind' omitted. But still, A&M picked out the two hits from the record, so I'm not complaining at all.
   
   Tracks from Kilroy Was Here (1983):
   'Mr. Roboto,' 'Don't Let It End'
   Review: The 1983 concept album is represented nicely here, but I'm just a tad bit disappointed to see 'Heavy Metal Poisoning' omitted. But A&M did a great job. Again, no complaints.
   
   Tracks from Edge of the Century (1990):
   'Show Me The Way'
   Review: Out of all of Styx's records from the A&M years, this was, without a doubt, their weakest. 'Show Me The Way' is a nice tune, and I'm glad it's here. I did enjoy 'Love Is The Ritual,' so I'm just a tad disappointed that it's not here, but A&M did a great job with selections from this record.
   
   New Tracks (1995):
   'Lady 95'
   Review: A great remake of their biggest Wooden Nickel hit. While I prefer the Wooden Nickel version over this one, this is still a great remake. Dennis' vocals are in top shape here. Cool remake.
   
   Overall, 'Greatest Hits' is the best single disc Styx collection on the market and it remains the ultimate starting point for Styx. Everything here is great, despite a couple of key omissions.
   
   Highly recommended for any Styx fan.
   
   ENJOY!!!



3. if you don't want to buy several of their CD's, this is a great choice. I would have perferred some more of the older stuff.



4. A good way to listen to the best of Styx without listening to secondary cuts on individual CD's.



5. This is a great selection for the casual fan or anyone looking for an introduction to Styx!
   
   Ignore the negative reviews from people who don't like the band to begin with.

5 comments about Blood on the Tracks.

1. I owned an LP copy of this album when it was first released. The music quickly grew on me, and I took the wonderful sound for granted. When I bought the first CD release of "Blood on the Tracks" the sound was so thin and tinny I couldn't listen to it. No longer owning a turntable by that time, I lived without this album for years, and missed it.
   Finally, after too long a wait, we have a decent-sounding CD version of this essential Dylan album--two versions, actually, as an SACD Hybrid disc was released first, then this one. I am guessing that this conventional CD issue followed because the record labels have come to believe there is too little interest in the SACD format.
   At any rate, both of the current "Blood on the Tracks" CDs sound good. If you do not own an SACD player, the two releases sound alike. Packaging is different for the two versions: the SACD is housed in a glossy paper "Digipak" made to resemble the original LP jacket design; the conventional CD is sold in a standard jewel case.
   A word about the sound: this CD release seems a bit light in the bass range compared to my memories of how the LP sounded. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Too many "newly remastered" CDs are bass-heavy to the point of damaging the overall sound. The remastered "Blood on the Tracks" sounds balanced and the bass is present, just slightly less so than I remember. Since everything else sounds right to me, I am not complaining. I should add that I was unable even ONCE to listen all the way through the earliest "Blood on the Tracks" CD. I have played this remastered disc over and over, and have never tired of hearing it.
   I have no idea whether or not the SACD Hybrid release of "Blood on the Tracks" will continue to be available, but both versions sound very alike on a standard CD player and this conventional disc is less expensive, so I would give it a high recommendation. If you were unfortunate enough to have owned the earliest CD release of this music, buy this one to cleanse your palate and rediscover one of Bob Dylan's truly fine albums.



2. Blood on the Tracks is Bob Dylan's artistic peak both lyrically and musically. Blood on the Tracks has aged gracefully. Dylan always gives us a sly wink, but particularly so on the autobiographical-sounding Tangled Up in Blue.



3. It seems hard to believe now both as to the performer as well as to what was being attempted that anyone would take umbrage at a performer using an electric guitar to tell a folk story (or any story for that matter). It is not necessary to go into all the details of what or what did not happen with Pete Seeger at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 to know that one should be glad, glad as hell, that Bob Dylan continued to listen to his own drummer and carry on a career based on electronic music.
   
   This is probably one of the strongest Dylan albums from first song to last that he ever recorded. Its virtue lies in the story-like quality of each song that, unlike some earlier unsuccessful attempts to tell a story in song, clicks here. Starting with the dream-like, forlorn tattered romance in Tangled Up In Blue that one knows can only lead to sorrow everything moves higher from there. Idiot Winds as close to knowing how Dylan will really feel in a relationship. The quietly beautiful, haunting message of If You See Her, Say Hello (`I had always respected here for getting free.'). And the finale Buckets of Rain is well done (if not as well done as Dave Van Ronk's mournful cover, well done nevertheless). If you like high symbolism, a la the French poets Rimbaud and Verlaine in your lyrics this one is for you.



4. This album represents the very best of Bob's mid-career output. Aaron, the eight-year-old rock critic, says that you can tell how Mr Dylan is feeling by listening to his songs. Bob was sad, he observes. He adds that Mr Dylan tells stories in his songs, and that his characters talk. I think this is very astute and an accurate description of this album. Bob sings gently and sadly on this musically beautiful record. Sweet tunes, beautiful guitar work and the incisive harmonica in the correct proportions. I must add, though, that from an adult perspective Mr Dylan in this album is feeling really sad and angry and conflicted about the death of love, and that he is characterizing his hurt and confusion in a way that makes me think of a long slow painful death of a piece of the soul, just like a stroke. And no matter how much rehabilitation occurs one is always left with some limited use that never fully recovers. I love this album but it is cold and painful to listen to the ache. Unfortunately, the tunes are positively catchy and you find yourself whistling along to a song describing wrenching loneliness. Oh Bob. I am so sorry.



5. Every time I hear Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts -- as I did just now on the bike on a perfect NYC Memorial Day along the Hudson River (as it happens in the version by Mary Lou's Cadillac, but that's another story) -- I think it obviates the need to ever read a history of the American West. OK, that's a little overstatement, but, hey, we live in the Age of Hyperbole.
   
   And that's just one of ten cuts on this album, each one of that caliber. I think an argument could be made that Blood marks Dylan moving from chronicler of his life and times to chronicler of American life and times, as he has become definitively with his last three albums.
   
   In any event, this is a must for every music collection.

5 comments about Queen - Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 &2.

1. Love Queen. When I was in high school, our them song was Another One Bites the Dust and it takes me back every time I listen to it. Great CD



2. If you are a Queen fan, you must have this greatest hits collection. Not only is the music fantastic, the price was great.



3. If you like Queen, you need to check out America's best kept secret for over 15 years, Poi Dog Pondering. The new '7' CD is incredible and is the only release to match the creative heights of the mighty Queen.....great, great work. A work of art, really.7



4. good selection of most of Queen's best songs. I wish Princes of the Universe was included, but one can't have everything.



5. At their best, Queen produced some of the finest rock songs ever recorded. I'm partial to the great work they did early in their career--tunes like "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Killer Queen," and "You're My Best Friend." "Under Pressure," their collaboration with David Bowie, is one of my favorite songs of all time. I accept the claim by several reviewers, who are no doubt more knowledgeable about the band than I, that this is probably the most complete collection of their hits you can find. I had never heard most of these songs before.
   
   The problem is that most of them are terrible, and not just in comparison to their greats. I found many of them to be unlistenable messes with operatic aspirations. It's hard to believe that the many 1-star tunes ( i.e., "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" and "I'm Going Slightly Mad") were composed by the same guys who wrote the comparatively few 5-star songs. Personally, I prefer the one-disc "Greatest Hits" compilation that many of the other reviewers deride.

5 comments about Led Zeppelin II.

1. For those of you out there who think that John Paul Jones was the most talented member of the Zeppelin - and yes, I am one of those people - you need to listen to this album as fast as possible. The bass playing here is his best ever, I think. I'd hesitate to call the album brilliant, but it's pretty close. I want to say this is my second favorite Zeppelin album after Houses of the Holy, but as I've said in previous reviews, Zeppelin's first four albums are all more or less equally good.
   And hey, how about those bass lines? On the dirty blues jam "Lemon Song" and the half-ballad, half-rockers "What is and What Should Never Be" (which also is Plant at his best - his vocals are sensual, and his ad-libbing during the fadeout is incredibly charismatic) and "Ramble On" (which is my favorite song on the record - melodic bass part, cool restrained drumming, great use of dynamics) have him doing his best bass playing in Zeppelin history. "Ramble On" especially. And when he's just playing in unison with Page, that's okay too, because Page's riffs are great. I take it you've heard the three-chord crunch of "Whole Lotta Love?" Ooh, now there's a riff! Some people have said it's the first metal song ever. I don't know about that, but I will grant that it was one of the first songs ever to feature an explicit sex section. Generally, explicit sex sections annoy me, but this one is really, really inventive. I don't know how they made those noises, but they sound very cool and appropriately freaky. I especially love the dive-bomb sounds. Or "Heartbreaker!" You know "Heartbreaker," right? Again, the riff is stellar, head-banging goodness, and the guitar solo gives you some hammer-ons and pull-offs a good nine years before Eddie Van Halen made them popular! Cool points! Granted, I still don't think Page is as good of a guitarist as, say, Jimi Hendrix. But he could pull some sweet stuff out of his hat when he wanted to! I do find it annoying that he ripped off all the old blues musicians, though. Willie Dixon was a genius! Why he had to live out his life in relative obscurity compared to Zeppelin, who stole a lot of his material, is beyond me. Hell, they steal three Dixon tunes here: "Whole Lotta Love" is "You Need Love," "The Lemon Song" is "Killing Floor," and "Bring it on Home" is, well... "Bring it on Home."
   Still, good album here. The last of the good rockers is the concise, funny "Living Loving Maid" ("When your conscience hits, you knock it back with pills!" is a great lyric, and I generally think Zeppelin's lyrics are ridiculous and stupid or else overly obvious). The trippy guitar effects during the choruses are nice, too.
   So Jimmy Page can really play electric guitar. I think we all knew that. But I've always preferred him as an acoustic guitarist, since there are times when I think he uses his distortion, effects pedals, and guitar-army stuff as a crutch. That happens to a lot of guitarists, Hendrix remaining an exception. And Page is certainly guilty of it, especially on Physical Graffiti and Presence, though it doesn't really happen here. Anyway, he plays a quality acoustic guitar solo on "Thank You," and it really makes the song for me. Pretty decent mellow love song otherwise (although I think Robert "Squeeze my lemon" Plant's really struggling to keep a straight face as he sings), but the solo boosts the song up by itself. By the way, random fun fact about "Living Loving Maid." Both that and Hendrix's pothead anthem "If Six Was Nine" (MUCH better song, by the way) contain verses about suns refusing to shine and mountains falling (or crumbling) into the sea. I'm pretty sure this is a coincidence. But look at the contrast between the songs' lyrics otherwise. This amuses me. Getting back to acoustic guitars, though, they're really hard to play well, speaking as somebody who's played both acoustic and electric. So no matter what reservations I have about this group's mythical status, I have to give Page my props for being able to play a great acoustic.
   So anyway, it's too bad that the last two songs totally suck. "Moby Dick" is a world famous drum solo, but I find it really, really boring. I love hearing drum solos in jazz, especially when the band plays the melody line and the drummer responds to it with a little soloette. But there's something about classic rock bands not being called the Beatles or the Jimi Hendrix Experience (there's one on "If Six Was Nine," and it rules) and really bad drum solos. Now, the riff they use to introduce "Moby Dick" is awesome. But all I hear in the drum solo is Bonzo going "thud whack pow splat thud whack pow splat." There's also a part where he goes "whappity whappity whappity whappity whappity whappity whappity whappity," just for a bit of variety. I'm sure this was quite something to see live (did you know he used to play those drums with his hands until he bled?), but that doesn't make the solo any less "thud whack pow splat thud whack pow splat." And the first part of "Bring it on Home," where Plant sings in that slurred "bluesman" voice, is offensive and borderline racist. Given the group's passion for the blues, I'm pretty sure Plant wasn't trying to be offensive with his vocals, and that the whole thing was just an honest mistake. But it was still a very bad idea. When the song actually begins in earnest, it doesn't get much better. I don't know what Page used to get his guitar to sound as bad as it sounds there. I probably don't want to, either. So stop the album before "Moby Dick," and it's a masterpiece. Similarly, stop III before "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" (or burn yourself a copy with "Bron-Yr-Aur," the lovely instrumental from Physical Graffiti; "Poor Tom," and "Hey Hey What Can I Do" in the place of the last two songs), and it's a masterpiece. I hate it when that happens! Oh well. C'est la vie. Rock on!



2. How can anyone give this album less than 5 stars? This is Led Zeppelin at their best. Every song on the album is a hit.



3. Led Zeppelin's second record 'Led Zeppelin II' was released in 1969, just a few months after their debut 'Led Zeppelin I' came out. The record was apparently written and recorded in just three days. Most bands need up to six months to write a record full of decent material.
   
   But not Zeppelin. Three days was all it took. Songs like 'Whole Lotta Love,' 'Heartbreaker,' and even 'What Is And Should Never Be' are classic rock radio staples.
   
   And, in 1994, Atlantic digitally remastered this. The sound quality is superb!
   
   If you are a fan of the blues, listen in for songs like 'The Lemon Song' and 'Bring It On Home.' Those songs were heavily influenced by Delta Blues. Plant's vocals are mighty fine.
   
   Overall, this remains my all-time favorite Zeppelin record. They are all great, but this one really stands out, in my opinion.
   
   Highly recommended for any Zep fan. A classic masterpiece. ENJOY!!!



4. One of my fave's of Zepp.
   Best rock drummer of ALL time...
   More original beats than anyone I can think of, after playing drums for 30+ years IM not even close...
   Classic songs as well..



5. Led Zeppelin. One of the best rock groups. I now have I II and III. I will keeep on getting more.