No comments about Greatest Hits of the 70's.

No comments about Neat Neat Neat.

No comments about Punk, Proud & Nasty.

5 comments about Oi! This Is England.

1. if you dig oi music, this set is worth it. you probly won't like all the tracks, (i didn't either) but there's 3 cd's so there's something you're bound to enjoy. lots of the songs are live and make you wish you were there. i highly recommend this for any skins or punks who want some good, cheap music.



2. Some good track selections and undeniably cheap price which is why it gets the second star. However, the recordings are poorly done and sound like they've been lifted from someone's old collection on vinyl.



3. For less than twenty dollars the box set is well worth you hard earned cash. Plenty of bands, lots of variety, classic Oi at its best. Others have said differently but if you have loyalty to Oi! music like I do you will be glad you purchased this CD. Oi! Forever.



4. Note that the song "Stark Raving Normal" by The Blood appears on both the first and the third of the CDs in this collection. They're not two different versions or anything like that. I point out this detail as a general indicator of the generally amateurish production values of this shoddily assembled collection.



5. This is a disappointing collection. It includes lots of stuff, and the price is right, but most of the stuff is unlistenably bad. Nearly all the songs by the better known bands, such as Sham 69, Blitz, The Business, etc. are crudely recorded live versions. Even some of the studio recordings seem to be demo versions, or in any case different versions than I remember from the original albums, and generally sound muddy and bad. Also, there seems to have been no effort made to digitally remaster the original sources, so the whole CD sounds muffled.

4 comments about All the Young Dudes.

1. This box will only get rarer and rarer. The mystique of Mott's magical music is presented in all it's glory here. The rarities are amazing , worth the price of the set alone ! Go ahead , take the plunge ! You will love every second of this amazing compilation from one of the most underrated , under-appreciated bands in history.



2. Mott The Hopple was slapped together from the clay of The Silence, Ian Hunter and manager Guy Stevens' imagination (and love of Willard McManus). They created a handful of classic albums during their brief tenure in the 1970's. This terrific box set captures the band's key album and single tracks along with rarities and unreleased demos to present a fairly comprehesive picture for first time buyers and fans alike.

   The first disc is devoted to their years on Island Records with key singles and demos. Producers Dale Griffin (the drummer from the band) and Ray Staff have lovingly remastered the sound. Additionally, they didn't always go for the obivious choices in track selection. For example, Griffin uses the previously unreleased self produced tracks for Mott's version of what would become Brain Capers. He and Staff also went back and remixed some of their best tracks. This actually improves the overall sound and brings a new dimension to the songs.

   The second disc focuses on the Columbia years. Here Griffin and Staff again remix key tracks and present some of the band's key single and b side tracks. Since this is the band's most well known phase, Griffin and Staff go for the hard to find single releases of album tracks. In some cases this is the fist time these tracks are available on CD. This is the band in their prime.

   The third disc is a collection of rarities, demos and unreleased live tracks recorded with the band's original line up. Additionally, the third disc also features tracks from The Doc Thomas Group (where Mick Ralphs got his start), The Silence(Mott without Ian Hunter) and singles from the post-Hunter line up. The only improvement here would have been the addition of tracks from Hunter's pre-Mott The Hopple band, as well as, some of the sessions he played on as a musician for hire. Reportedly, Ian Hunter is working on his own box set for his solo career and will include some of this material on it.

   The enclosed booklet provides a great overview of the band's career by biographer Campbell Devine. Additionally, there is a comphrensive (and accurate) discography of everything Mott The Hopple, Mott and British Lions ever released on vinyl albums, singles and CD. Everyone involved with Mott (with the exception of the late Guy Stevens) provides comments throughout the booklet.

   Altogether, this is a fine compilation and supercedes the Columbia box set Ballad Of Mott The Hopple (1993). Fans may want to still purchase Ballad (or hold on to it) as this compilation is missing Henry and the H Bomb. While the Anthology is missing some key album tracks from the band's Island and Columbia years this is because it was designed to supplement the previously released albums and CD's. This collection easily surpasses the more conservative Balld Of Mott The Hopple issued by Columbia in 1993.




3. It's about time these guys got some respect. This compelling collection of album, live, remixed, demo and b side tracks tracks the rise and fall of Mott the Hopple. The first two discs are terrific with sound that actually sounds superior to the 1988 collection The Ballad of Mott. From the very begining Ian Hunter became the focal point of the band and his inspired Dylanesque singing and songwriting helped hone the band's sound and develop its identity. The best material is located on both the first and first half of the second disc. When Mick Ralphs left Mott the Hopple, the band stumbled badly. While Hunter clearly was the creative core of the band, Ralphs was its heart. He acted as a perfect foil for Hunter(much as Mick Ronson did later during Hunter's solo career) both bringing out the best in Ian and preventing Ian from making creative mistakes. Ralphs role as songwriter, while overshadowed by Hunter later in the band's career, was essential in developing the Mott the Hopple style. His songs provided a needed counterpart to Ian's tunes. Ariel Bender(aka Luther Grovsner) was a capable guitarist, but not quite as inspired as Ralphs. Ralphs playing was an important component of the band and, unlike the departure of Verden Allen, it was clear the band wouldn't survive long with out Mick. By the third disc, the quality becomes a little spotty. The demos and unreleased tracks recorded by the Doc Thomas group, the Buddies and, yes, even Silence aren't up to the rest of the material. The Silence tracks, however, allow for a strong arguement as to Stan Tippins essential role in helping Silence morph into Mott. Tippins was an underrated and underappreciated vocalist. It's a pity that he couldn't share lead vocals with Ian Hunter. The remastering by long time drummer and BBC producer Dale Griffin is terrific. Co-Producer Colley also deserves praise for cleaning up the sound and improving the quality of these classic songs by the band. This album actually deserves 4 1/2 stars based on the strength of both rarities, outtakes and album tracks. Although the early pre-Mott tracks are important in understanding the band's development(like the early tracks for the Beatles' Anthology Volume 1), they are less essential musically. Now, when are they going to get their deserved place in the rock'n'roll hall of fame?



4. "All The Young Dudes" does a wonderful job of anthologizing the recording career of Mott The Hoople at both Island and CBS Records. Among the 62 tracks, 37 are previously released. While it includes all the hits and better known album tracks, this collection's value is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of numersous demo and live tracks. Among the highlights is a live version of C,S,N&Y's "Ohio." The version of "All The Young Dudes" with David Bowie vocal is a delight, too. Furthermore, the song quality, thanks to Super Bit Mastering, is immaculate. The 56-page booklet includes track by track analysis, full band chronology and discography, as well as commentary by Campbell Devine, author of "Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter." Tons of color photos accompany the informative text, making this a delightful package. A treasure trove for all Mott The Hoople fans, easily outdistancing the 2-CD domestic collection. This set is not for the casual fan, however, because of the price tag. For those willing and able to pay the cost, however, many delights await them.

2 comments about Singles, Vol. 2.

1. Elvis Costello had begun the transformational phase of his career. After three perfect albums in a row ("My Aim Is True," "This Year's Model" and "Armed Forces"), he was tiring of what he perceived as a rut. When he convened The Attractions to begin work on "Get Happy," he'd made the decision to make a break from the "punk rock" tag. And so, a whole new era began.
   
   "Singles Volume 2" covers the ground from "Get Happy" to just before "Punch The Clock." Elvis was on a creative tear that saw him dabbling in everything from soul ("High Fidelity") to Nashville Country ("A Good Year For The Roses") to the studio experimentation of "Imperial Bedroom." He was also adjusting his skills as a vocalist. He was toning down his attack to the point where the crooning of the country singles and the nuance of "Man Out Of Time" didn't exceed his delivery.
   
   For the collector, there are a couple of goodies here. "Party Party" makes its first appearance on an Elvis CD, as do some of the DJ edits and extended versions. The collection closes with "Pills And Soap," a blistering diatribe against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher released under the penname The Imposter. It ceded Costello's love of the single medium as a way to issue statements, and ends this box-set with one of his most brilliant singles. Collectors may not get much from this set, but it still found a place in my library.



2. Made in EU in 2003, Serial# ELVISBOX-102, Playing Time 103:33

   Are you a Costello completist? If you are, there's no doubt you'll buy this 12-disc box set!

   However, this set is not quite as "interesting" as the first of the series: though this is my favorite EC era, there's nothing here that even the casual fan won't already have, especially if (s)he owns the remastered version of "Get Happy!" and/or the expanded versions of the albums.

   This box covers the 12 UK singles released between April 1980 and May 1983, and includes tracks from the 7-inch and 12-inch versions (which sometimes had different b-sides); for example, disc 7 (I'm Your Toy) has 6 tracks on it!

   Just like the 1st box set did, this little "chest" includes a 12-page booklet that gives a track-by-track history of each of the singles.

   While the first box set would have fitted on a single disc, this one wouldn't (even by removing the duplicate appearance of the "Imperial Bedroom" song.)

   Furthermore, the first box had a few tracks making it onto CD format for the first time; there are even fewer this time, so this one is more for the EC collector.

   If you are considering getting only 1 of the 3 boxes, I would suggest you start with volume 1; you'd at least get a few tracks otherwise unavailable on CD, and get your own opinion as to the merit of purchasing these boxes... quite frankly, even though it IS good music, this one is mostly if you like the packaging idea, and deem it worthy of the price tag!

No comments about Society's Victims.

No comments about Chronicles.

1 comments about Complete Punk Collection: Cash from Chaos.

1. I must say i genuinley enjoyed this collection of classic nuggets of forgotten musical history. However I also must state for the record I think that coining this set as "punk" was a bit off. Some of this music just didnt fit under the title of punk. I mean this does have its moments, but at times it doesnt flow too well. The track listing seems sporadic and not thought out. They chose some weak material to represent some bands. For example i do not think "pet Sematary" was a good representation of most of the ramones work. To me this collection often falls more under new wave then under punk. I suggest passing on this collection unless you can get it for under 30 bucks.

No comments about Ultimate Punk Box Set.