5 comments about Kinks (The Ultimate Collection).

1. i was in junior high school when the british invaded, listening to
   this album brought back a lot of memories, i give this 5 stars
   if you like the kinks, you will love this cd



2. This is a must have for any serious Kink collector. There is no need to repeat the other reviews which list in detail all of the great tracks. For those negative reviews, face facts. No greatest hits or compilation has it all, or even covers all time periods. Probably a record company conspiracy to make you buy more music. Any band with a lot of decent output is going to have songs over decades. If your into a band, you simple have two choices. Buy all the albums, or start with an excellent compilation like this, and then start filling in the gaps with either individual albums or songs. If you don't want to shell out, that's why the invented iTunes and now Amazon mp3 downloads.



3. This is a great! CD collection for Kink fans! mastered very well!
   I have no problem at all except how could they have left "Sleepwalker"
   off this CD... beyond me. You won't go wrong with this CD otherwise.



4. Why does this set not include Village Green Preservation Society?.......I think some other songs are missing too.......?



5. I had no idea of how good they were before Ray and boys took themselves real serious. There's a lot of great 60's britpop songs as well as their later hits that most are already familiar with.

5 comments about Quadrophenia.

1. 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.



2. 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



3. 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.



4. 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. Nobody writes stuff this good anymore, except maybe Nick Worrall. Simply stunning in every way possible.

5 comments about The Essential Bruce Springsteen.

1. Is this complilation Bruce's fault, or the record label's? I mean, I've seen many other collections that are missing songs and figured that the label must be screwing people. Has Bruce pulled a Metallica?
   
   There are a lot of good songs on here, but no My City of Ruin (which was a 9/11 anthem, and which Kevin Smith liked enough to include in the movie Jersey Girl)? No The Rising? In fact, I find it funny that the guys screaming "sell out" aren't even asking about these songs. Those are some of my favorites.



2. I have read most of the reviews on this. The fact that a live "Trapped" was included made this entire collection worth the $30.
   
   Isn't the point of being a music artist and selling music to keep putting out material that you... the fan... will WANT to buy? What would happen if Bruce included ALL of your favorite songs in one box set? What if "Tracks" included everything you all think it should have included? The answer is... There would be no reason for Bruce to put out anything else eccept new albums of new material that you would probaby bash anyway... saying things like "Bruce has lost it.""His music sucks now""Hasn't put out a great album since 'The River'."
   
   All of Bruce's releases are great. I didn't become a HUGE fan of All Things Bruce until I saw him live this year in Dallas. One of the most incredible concerts I have ever seen. And although he doesn't have the voice of an angel... he's no Pavoratti... he does have a distict voice and I could listen to him all day. So bring on more Greatest Hits Collections and box sets... include more rarities... and did someone say the is a 17 minute version of Born In The USA?? Holy crap! Put that on a CD by itself and charge $50 a pop! I'll but it!!



3. this is a great album for what it is and it is a career spanning compilation and as such is meant to include the finest tracks and is meant to give a sampler of an artist work which it does exceptionally well. no it doesn't have all his best tracks and yes everybody has their little probelems,but for those uniniated or just starting out with a minimal springsteen collection its a great starter i guarantee you'll come back too time and again. its just plain great music



4. I bought 'Greatest Hits' when it came out. And I was REALLY disappointed. Why did it start with 'Born To Run'? Where were his early classic albums like 'Greetings From Asbury Park'? Those questions I never could answer. But this set makes up for the below average single disc.
   
   And, unlike the mediocre single disc, THIS IS A CAREER SPANNING RETROSPECTIVE!!! It's about time Bruce release a collection like this! It's simply amazing. It spans 1970-2002, his best period, and other than the omission of the huge radio hit 'Pink Cadillac' and the great album cut 'Ain't Got You,' this set is flawless.
   
   'Blinded By The Light,' 'Born In The USA,' 'Rosalita,' 'Born To Run,' 'Jungleland,' 'Thunder Road,' 'The Rising,' and 'Atlantic City' all appear on this great 2 (limited editions 3) CD set.
   
   This is an awesome Bruce set and it remains the best on the market. A must have for a new or casual Bruce fan. And, Columbia remastered the songs, so the sound quality is awesome!
   
   Highly recommended. ENJOY!!!



5. This is the ultimate collection of songs from Springsteen. Takes you from his early roots to his newer material. 3rd disk is some obscure songs from his duet and blues ventures, very good. Couple this with his new release 'Magic', and you are set. Just saw Bruce in concert in Indy, and playing this collection now revisits that night, which was special seeing Danny with a surprise 3 song performance that turned out to be his last. Highly recommend!

5 comments about Blind Faith.

1. Kinda hard to beat this album.Blind Faith released in 69 was the only album they ever released and thats allright because if Clapton and Winwood attempted to follow this up with a better album chances are they would have killed themselves in doing so.This doesn't sound like music by men living on the edge.It sounds like music made by men who actually jumped off over the edge and somehow made it back alive.CLASSIC stuff here.No surprise this was the first music project Clapton did after hearing Music from Big PInk by "The Band".He was inspired by them to make an album that meant more than being a guitar king.You can here the soul in the music.Although Clapton had not yet found confidence in his voice yet,I probably would trust Steve Winwood to get the job done too,ha ha.And he sure did.His vocal on "Had to Cry Today" nearly outshines the brilliant guitar interplay by himself and Clapton."Prescence of the Lord" may be the best song Eric ever wrote besides maybe"Layla" the next year.The guitar solo on it is insane.All and all a great album with even Ginger Bakers drum solo and Rick Gretch's violin solo contributing greatly to Eric and Stevies vision.Better than Cream,better than Beatles,better than a lot of stuff.But than again thats just my opinion.Watch Clapton's 2007 guitar festival if you want to see him and Stevie take another trip to the edge of existence by performing these timeless songs nearly 40 years later.Could not have been done better.I truly hope Clapton and Winwood will continue to play together and maybe record some more,they are an unbeatable duo.



2. Blind Faith's first and last album, more than 30 years old and counting, remains one of the jewels of the Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Ginger Baker catalogs, despite the crash-and-burn history of the band itself, which scarcely lasted six months. As much a follow-up to Traffic's self-titled second album as it is to Cream's final output, it merges the soulful blues of the former with the heavy riffing and outsized song lengths of the latter for a very compelling sound unique to this band. Not all of it works -- between the virtuoso electric blues of "Had to Cry Today," the acoustic-textured "Can't Find My Way Home," the soaring "Presence of the Lord" (Eric Clapton's one contribution here as a songwriter, and the first great song he ever authored) and "Sea of Joy," the band doesn't do much with the Buddy Holly song "Well All Right"; and Ginger Baker's "Do What You Like" was a little weak to take up 15 minutes of space on an LP that might have been better used for a shorter drum solo and more songs. Unfortunately, the group was never that together as a band and evidently had just the 42 minutes of new music here ready to tour behind.



3. This is one of the greatest rock recordings of all time. I know it, critics know it, history has proven it. Listen to it and you will know it, too. As for the person who agrees with Clapton that Ginger Baker is the best drummer of all time, sorry. Baker is good, not great. Clapton said that in agreement with Baker (who does have the greatest ego of all time), because he was working with him at the time. Anyone who seriously thinks Baker is the best has apparently never heard Buddy Rich, Keith Moon, Ray Fean, or at least a hundred others.



4. We have the original album, but it nice to have it on CD to preserve the old album. Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton! It just doesn't get much better than that! A timeless classic for any rockers collection.



5. Blind Faith is hailed as THE "supergroup" of the era. The performances on this record are excellent and the tunes are certainly above average, especially "Can't Find My Way Home" and "The Presence of The Lord". Naturally, one is want to compare this record to anything released by Cream, Traffic or Family. Unfortunately, this record is not greater than the combined value of the aforementioned, but rather an adequate compromise. The players are first-rate, but the LP simply doesn't live-up to the hype that has surrounded it since its release. The band itself fell apart under that weight. Still, this record has more to offer on the basis of the participants than many records by obscure artists. I guess it's all relative to notoriety.

5 comments about Sticky Fingers.

1. A must for anyone with an interest in The Rolling Stones. This is a great album



2. Sticky Fingers is a landmark Stones recording, rivaled and perhaps surpassed, only by Let It Bleed. Mick Jagger's performance on Sticky Fingers was a perfect rock'n'roll 10. Great album.



3. For my money, the Stones never put out a better album than 1971's "Sticky Fingers". I know, I know, 1968's "Beggar's Banquet" and 1972's "Exile On Main Street" have their devotees, but "Sticky Fingers" is the World's Greatest Rock And Roll Band at its absolute zenith in the studio. Though he never really fit into the group's aesthetic, the young Mick Taylor was, technically, the best guitarist the band ever had, and helped return them to their blues base after Brian Jones died. And, in my opinion, Jimmy Miller was the best producer to ever work with them. The record kicks off with the filthy "Brown Sugar," the group's best Seventies single, and continues from strength to strength. "Moonlight Mile" is ravaged and lovely, as is "Wild Horses," the best ballad Jagger and Richards ever wrote. The Stones were at their nastiest on "Bitch" and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." Everything released from 1968 to 1972 is essential, but "Fingers" is, quite simply, the best rock band on earth at its height.



4. Misanthropic, gothic, indestructable. Purists will inevitably favor Exile over Sticky, and it's true we've heard "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses" 'til we're dizzy with indifference, BUT, there's something to be said about that 3:52 residing between. And I'll say it: "Sway" is the quintessential Stones session and, most likely, the perfectest damaged purebloodedest rock song ever recorded. It's got that underhanded epic quality, coming way down , which nobody else (like, GnR) could ever effect. Sounds basement, haphazard, intoxicated until the coda, just a sliver of cleverness, suggests the majesty of pure poetic dissolution. Key ingredient, Mick Taylor, no stompboxes, all feel ~ plus Nicky Hopkins and Jimmy Miller strings, plus the boys, just invented the power ballad for the 1st time. As a fadeout, an afterthought! Slippery guitars, barroom piano and careening drums, it's church of roadhouse. I bet Chuck Berry threw a tantrum. Not only THAT, but "You Gotta Move" which shames Led Zeppelin III and "I Got The Blues," Mick's supersingularest rave soul vocal. NO band ever got so much with so little exertion. Bad badder baddest.



5. To extract the essence of the golden age of music (60s to early 80s), you need only spend time on about 10 groups/artists, the top 5 of which must include Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and, of course, The Rolling Stones.
   
   Marrow lies in the center, right inside the bones, and for the Stones that marrow is fittingly to be found in that middle period which includes 'Exile on Main Street', 'Get Yer Ya Yas Out', 'Let it Bleed' and 'Sticky Fingers'.
   
   And of that marrow, the marrow is Sticky Fingers - without a doubt. While the other albums are all masterpieces, Sticky Fingers is so great that it is worth sending out into space to show alien life what the highest of Homo sapiens can create.
   
   And it gets better - the marrow of this album is none other than 'Can't you hear me knocking', a masterful mini-rock-symphony that showcases brilliant composition, a solid, ever advancing and overwhelming avalanche of virtuosity that incorporates pulsating latin-jazz sounds that make even Santana's masterpiece 'Abraxas' seem temporarily lame.
   
   This album is The One. Get it now, or you'll regret it forever.

5 comments about Blood on the Tracks.

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. 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. I still rate this as one of Bob Dylans best albums.
   There isn't a dud song on the disc and these songs are very deep and emotional, they take us on a journey into love, betrayal and elsewhere.

5 comments about Highway 61 Revisited.

1. Well here we are. One of the most renowned and praised pieces of popular music in history. Last time we saw Bob Dylan he was proving that he was more than a simple folk singer. This time around, he's proving that he should be held in the same regard as Michaelangelo and Socrates.
   
   The most famous drum crash and organ blast ever. "Like A Rolling Stone" is the song that needs no introduction. It's the song that is continually voted as the greatest and most important song of all time, even almost 45 years later. It changed what pop music could be, it changed what could be considered a "hit" song, and as everyone from the Beatles to Springsteen to Wilco will attest to- it proved that shooting for the moon could pay off. It's the song that starts this album here and sets the table for what will follow. "Tombstone Blues" is next- it's Bob's scathing oppinion on various topics of the time- war, crime, hypocricy, religion, etc- in a vain similar to "Maggie's Farm" from his "Bringing It All Back Home" album. "It Takes A Lot To Laugh..." and "From a Buick 6" are the next two tracks, and both seemingly deal with a woman in Dylan's life. While "Buick" seems to hold in high regards the woman who takes care of Dylan and keeps him grounded and in check, "It Takes..." appears to serve almost as a warning to her- Dylan wants to be a certain way, and much else should not be expected of him. "Ballad of A Thin Man", an attack on a magazine columnist whom Dylan felt had him misunderstood comes next, and is then followed by "Queen Jane Approximately", a song that appears to be laiden with disdain for a woman Dylan once knew and loved, who is now living a glamorized, fake existence. Lyrically, a great song in which Dylan asks her to come see him again once she's gotten her head out of the clouds and her feet back on the ground. The title track (as per Dylan, inspired by blues legend Robert Johnson) and the fantastic piano driven "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"- (featuring great lyrics about temptation and things not being as they appear) are the final 2 songs before the epic Dylan masterpiece "Desolation Row". Widely considered one of the most complex and difficult Dylan songs ever written, "Row" is a nightmarish narrative that essentially is Dylan's response to a letter he receives from someone. Full of metaphors and symbolism involving many of literature's most famous characters- the song goes to show once and for all, how talented a writer Dylan really is.
   
   Angry and mean, yet passionate and emotional. Dark, complex, disturbing and brilliant. "Highway 61 Revisited" is one of the best examples of why Dylan is held in such high regard. The only thing perhaps more amazing than the quality of these compositions, is the fact that the writer was only 25 when they were created.



2. This CD is a real classic. I would have given it 4 1/2 stars but the computer didn't seem to be able to give it that rating. Anyway, I love the CD and I can't believe it took me so many years to finally buy it. But it is a great CD and one everyone should have in their collection.



3. He's made too many great albums to count, but rarely has Bob Dylan ever managed to top the psychotic hillbilly proto-psychedelic rock `n' roll dreamscape masterpiece that is Highway 61 Revisited. There are plenty of reasons for that: For one thing, the record is soaked in raw energy and electrified excitement. As the first complete rock `n' roll album of Dylan's career, Highway 61 Revisited bristles with palpable enthusiasm, the sense of gleefully leaping into the void, of playing around with new sounds and textures, without any particular regard for the feelings or traditions or opinions of others.
   
   It's also a display of Dylan's genius at its absolute zenith. His songwriting is phenomenal, full of backwoods surrealism and backalley melodies. As a performer, he's rarely been as inspired as he is here: He's hilarious and angry and poetic and visceral. His vocals are full of emotion and detachment. He's cynical and big-hearted all at once. He's insane and cool and intellectual. He's giddy and lethargic and everything in between. The music's great, too. Lots of bluesy guitars and throbbing organs and undulating rhythms. It's garage rock, but with a higher purpose. It's sheer genius.



4. 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.
   
   Others have, endlessly, gone on about Bob Dylan's role as the voice of his generation (and mine), his lyrics and what they do or do not mean and his place in the rock or folk pantheons, or both. I just want to mention a couple of points here. Any song that starts out like Desolation Row with the line- " They are selling post cards of the hanging, they're painting the passports brown" will automatically get my attention every time- and keep it through over 11 minute of stream of consciousness, word play and harmonica energy. If I had to pick my number one favorite Dylan song (and the one that I have listened to the most) this is the one. Start me off with the "When you are lost in the rain in Juarez " of Tom Thumbs Blues as an appetizer and I am all set for a while. How is that for back-to-back treats- harmonica thrown in gratis?
   
   Having mentioned my two favorites on this album I have hardly completed comment. I am not sure whether Bob Dylan was the voice of the generation of '68, or whether he wanted to be. However, few can deny that Like A Rolling Stone was one of the anthems of our generation- with or without direction home. Highway 61 Revisited, the title track, has over the years gone up in my estimation as a song with an interesting story line (yes, who was doing what down on Highway 61) and a very rock beat. Of course, with Dylan one needs some thoughts of lost love, longing and perfidy so Queen Jane Approximately fits the bill. Well, I could go on and on but you get the point this is a Dylan album you must own. More than that though if you want to get a feel for the trials and tribulations of the 1960's by one of its best troubadours you NEED this album.



5. "Once upon a time you dressed so fine
   Threw the bums a dime in your prime
   DIDN'T YOU?"
   
   And so begins one of the greatest songs (albums) in rock music history. As Bob Dylan chronicles the downward spiral of an unidentified smug soul's fall from grace, he wisely places himself in the background as an innocent observer with lower status. While he obviously takes satisfaction in rubbing salt in the wounds of this person, it was arrogant recklessness and blind self righteousness that brought this one down, not Dylan's treachery.
   
   ...Aah, the beauty of poetic justice.
   
   Highway 61 Revisited (1965) was Bob Dylan's first legitimate rock music album, and with Mike Bloomfield playing the guitar and Al Kooper on the keyboards, it's both a satisfying and competent blues/folk-rock venture all the way through. There is really some consistent musicianship here. Highway 61 Revisited is also where Bob Dylan's name became a household word, and everybody in the music world and beyond started to watch his every move.
   
   The songs are angry and imaginitive with a host of surreal characters and interesting places. Dylan uses these characters to enigmatically expose corruption, apathy, and haughtiness. In Tombstone Blues, Dylan rails against, among other things, the emotional clutter of superfluous and misguided distractions.
   
   Now I wish I could write you a melody so plain
   That could hold you dear lady from going insane
   That could ease you and cool you and cease the pain
   Of your useless and pointless knowledge
   
   The macabre piano blues, The Ballad Of A Thin Man, is a carnival like, demented, and very effective depiction of counter-culture shock paranoia.
   
   And you say, "Oh my God
   Am I here all alone?"
   
   Because something is happening here
   But you don't know what it is
   ...Do you, Mister Jones?
   
   Queen Jane Approximately revisits the fall from grace scenario, but with a different, just barely more compassionate, twist. The title song is a surreal blues-rock Biblical story/folk ballad/madcap fairy tale, complete with slide guitar and a toy siren. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues is a humorous, yet cynical, ballad of several different circumstances encountered in Juarez at Eastertime.
   
   The eleven minute-plus Spanish folk ballad epic, Desolation Row, closes the album and features a cast of characters that includes Cindarella, Romeo, Cain and Abel, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Good Samaritan, Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and a place called Desolation Row (which is most likely near The Gates Of Eden).
   
   Highway 61 Revisited is the album that made Bob Dylan a rock star/saviour, and although he may have lost some folk purists as fans, the album brought him many more new fans. Dylan had worked with a rock band before, but not to this extent, or with this kind of success. Like A Rolling Stone is a monument in rock music, and it's Bob Dylan's best known song. Highway 61 Revisited is also a monument, and it's Bob Dylan's greatest album, even though legitimate arguments can be made that it's not actually his best. Either way, if you like Bob Dylan, you don't want to miss it!

5 comments about Aja.

1. this is one of the greatest pop rock albums ever produced,and if you only had to buy one steely dan cd,this would be the one to grab.this has several of the steely dan classics on here,such as josie,decon blues,and peg.this is a true masterpiece,from one of the most talented bands to ever come down the pike.great cd.



2. From the arrangements and lyrics, to the musicians and production, this September 1977 release is simply a stunning technical masterpiece.
   
   The musicians appearing on the album - including Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Wayne Shorter, Tom Scott, Steve Gadd and Chuck Rainey - is a who's who in the jazz and rock fields, with producer Gary Katz perfectly putting together every element from the lengthy sessions, which spanned from January to July 1977.
   
   Peg, Deacon Blues and Josie are superb, with the title track and Black Cow perhaps slightly underrated due to the terrific trio.
   
   Aja is a timeless masterpiece, which any major dude will tell you.



3. Smooth, rich, almost silky, but never slick. This is the best of Steely Dan. A must for those brandy-in-the-snifter, feet up, after-dinner-with-friends nights. Wonderful!



4. An excellent remastered version of the original.I played this in my car as well as in my home theater setup and there aren,t any pops or scratchy noises as on an LP.The vocals are nice and clear.When I finally get an SACD player I have to buy the SACD version of this,an excellent value for the money.



5. This is rock-jazz, jazz-rock at its most sophisticated. AJA and Deacon Blues are reason enough to buy this CD. Listening to Wayne Shorter's tenor solo on AJA and Pete Christlieb's solo on Deacon Blues should be inspiration and schooling on improvisation to all tenor saxophonists. Great horn section playing and contributions from Tom Scott and Steve Gadd supplying some masterful drumming.

5 comments about Are You Experienced.

1. ."Jimmi Hendrix, baby believe me, set the world on fire!"
   
   In Eric Burdon's great song Monterey, about the Monterey Pop festival, is this prophetic line about the great one, and it turned out to be so true.
   
   In his brief solo career,(he was once guitar player for the Isley Brothers for a time) Hendrix went from the opening act for an infamous Monkees concert, to one of the most influential musicians of rock music. I can still remember the first time I heard this album as a kid, and still have the songs burnt into my brain after all these years.
   
   So here's the deal,
   
   This CD is a great commuting album, or a good introduction to youngsters about how there is much better music to be had than what is coming out these days!



2. You ask anyone knowledgeable of the history of rock, "What are the ten greatest rock albums of all time", and "Are You Experienced?" has to be one of them. It's almost silly to write a review of this album, as anyone looking at its contents can identify at least six or seven all-time hits - "Hey Joe", "Foxy Lady", "Purple Haze", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire", etc. You ask me, "What's the greatest rock debut album of all time?", and I'm having trouble thinking of one that tops this one.



3. excellent hendrix. just the right amount of soul-close your eyes you can see them in concert. All the best songs plus a couple off the beaten track. turn off the lights, light a bunch of candles-let the purple haze envelop you.



4. I don't care if you've never even heard of Jimi Hendrix...Jimi's first album is a must have,so jump on this CD,today,right now,this minute! This is the first of the triumvirate of Jimi's releases of 1967-68,the others being "Axis:Bold as Love" and "Electric Ladyland".These three albums basically tell the story of Jimi's albeit short,but brilliant studio work.On "Experienced" all the early hits are here: "Hey Joe,Fire,Manic Depression,Purple Haze,Foxey Lady" and many more.I personally think this is the best album out of the three."Axis" was rushed due to his non-stop gigging and jamming,"Ladyland" is not technically proficient,but "Are You Experienced" has that feeling of excitement of doing something new for the first time.Although this was not Jimi's first foray into a studio,it was the first time where he was the star and all production revolved around him and his music.I would venture to say this is one of the top five rock albums of all time,although list's are subjective.But do yourself a favor and jump on this CD immediately,as you're not just buying a great classic rock album/CD,you're buying a piece of history!



5. I love this CD its got an amazing track listing, and the quality of the songs is well done

5 comments about The Essential Bob Dylan (Rm) (2CD).

1. this is a great album for what it is and it is a career spanning compilation and as such is meant to include the finest tracks and is meant to give a sampler of an artist work which it does exceptionally well. no it doesn't have all his best tracks and yes everybody has their little probelems,but for those uniniated or just starting out with a minimal dylan collection its a great starter i guarantee you'll come back too time and again.



2. This was my first CD of Bob Dylan's good CD with songs that make you think. Good melodies, typical Dylan voice.



3. Bashing Dylan's vocal skills as a means of arguing that he's not a great artist is kind of like complaining that Woody Allen isn't a versatile actor. If you have to resort to that, his talent is completely over your head. Look at this track list - 30 of the greatest songs in American popular music & he wrote every single one & had huge radio hits with many of them. Granted, there are versions of these tunes out there that surpass the original recordings in terms of sing-along-ability & pleasing listening. But that's hardly the point. So his poetry is not your thing? Then why come here & review an album you obviously haven't even purchased or listened to?? If anyone wants a wonderful summary of Dylan's repertoire, this is a CD set that can't be beat. And just look at that price! A+



4. I don't listen to Bob Dylan a lot. I have 7 of his cd's.(I am 58 year old male) So far this is my favorite. I like most of the tracks on this one and there are 30. Some of the other cd's I have I like maybe half of the tracks. This one has a great "It's all over now, baby blue".
   "Rainy day woman", "Forever young", "jokerman", "Silvio", are my least fovorites. They're ok but just don't grab me.
   The rest of the cd is great. I could listen to it all day. Great for a long trip in the car.
   If you like Dylan then get this one. It's well worth it.
   Steve



5. I am a fan of Bob Dylan's talent. I admire him as a singer-songwriter, musician who plays several instruments, and especially as a poet. I understand very well that Dylan is not Luciano Pavarotti, Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury or Ian Gillan but his rough, nasal and far from perfect singing voice speaks to me clearly. For five decades that he's been a major figure in popular music, Bob Dylan has released over 50 albums including 32 Studio Albums, 13 Live, and 12 compilations. I own The Essential Bob Dylan (Rm) (2CD) which included 30 songs. Of course, 30 songs on 2 CD is just a fraction of Mr. Dylan's very impressive body of work but I am happy with the content of this compilation. It includes some of my favorite songs from 1962 to 1999 written in the different genres - folk, country/blues, rock and roll, and more. Among them:
   
   Mr. Tambourine Man - Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
   
   Just Like A Woman,
   "Ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
   You make love just like a woman, yes, you do
   Then you ache just like a woman
   But you break just like a little girl."
   
   Rainy Day Women:
   "They'll stone ya and then they'll say, "good luck."
   Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone,
   Everybody must get stoned"
   
   I'll Be Your Baby Tonight:
   "That big, fat moon is gonna shine like a spoon,
   But we're gonna let it,
   You won't regret it."
   
   If Not For You - I like a lot its cover version by George Harrison but it is always great to have the original performance,
   "If not for you
   My sky would fall,
   Rain would gather too.
   Without your love I'd be nowhere at all,
   I'd be lost if not for you,
   And you know it's true."
   
   Shelter From The Storm:
   "Suddenly I turned around and she was standin' there
   With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair.
   She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns.
   "Come in," she said,
   "I'll give you shelter from the storm."
   
   Hurricane - This is not just a great compelling song but the civil action that had helped to overturn Rubin "Hurricane" Carter life in prison sentence and to free the innocent man:
   
   "Rubin Carter was falsely tried.
   The crime was murder "one," guess who testified?
   Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
   And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride.
   How can the life of such a man
   Be in the palm of some fool's hand?
   To see him obviously framed
   Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
   Where justice is a game."
   
   Gotta Serve Somebody -
   "You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy,
   You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy,
   You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray,
   You may call me anything but no matter what you say
   You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
   You're gonna have to serve somebody.
   Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
   But you're gonna have to serve somebody. "
   
   Things Have Changed -
   If ever a song deserved the Oscar for the best song of the year in the movie, it was the one. I love Curtis Hanson's film "Wonder Boys" (2000) which I see as one of the best films about writers and writing, but after all these years, the firs thing that comes to my mind while thinking of "Wonder Boys", is the song:
   
   "Standin' on the gallows with my head in the noose
   Any minute now I'm expecting' all hell to break loose
   People are crazy and times are strange
   I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
   I used to care but - things have changed."
   
   People may get crazier, times - stranger, all things may change but my love for Bob Dylan's songs will always stay the same