5 comments about Singles.

1. All great singles but the perfect box set would be including a copy of all of Nirvanas's singles as follows:
   1.Love Buzz (Bleach)
   2.Blew (Bleach)
   3.Molly's Lips
   4.Sliver
   5.Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nevermind)
   6.Come As You Are( Nevermind)
   7.Lithium (Nevermind)
   8.In Bloom (Nevermind)
   9.Oh, the Guilt
   10.Heart-Shaped Box (In Utero)
   11.All Apologies (In Utero)
   12.Pennyroyal Tea (In Utero)
   13.About A Girl (Unplugged In New York)
   
   All of the above were singles once comercially available to buy in the shops. I know it only supposed to be singles from 'Nevermind' and 'In Utero' albums but the third single from 'In Utero', 'Pennyroyal Tea' was not even included. Those which havn't been included are the ones most people want as a result you have to pay rediculous prices for them because they are no longer made and have become very rare. For example you can now expect to pay no less than £500.00 for a copy of the Pennyroyal Tea or Love Buzz singles, high demand, no supply. This could have been avoided if included on the Box.



2. First off for that money you can buy all of the major releases and pick up most of the rest of the material on a well-crafted bootleg. The only song that has been difficult to track down is the awesome demo version of "Aneurysm" on the Teen Spirit single, which they are now releasing on the new box set. The single set is almost as bad an example of branding and repackaging as Nirvana's 2002 album aptly titled...Nirvana; Kurt is spinning in his grave. Maybe if they included ALL of the singles it would be a better gem, but save your money for the new box set, kids. I've seen the track list and it shot up to number one on my Christmas list. By the way Kurt didn't kill himself, so bugger off with all the selfish talk. 'Who did?' you may ask...I don't know, but I think Courtney does. Peace.



3. Well, I know a few people do, because there were a few reviews here, but it has a mere 45,000-something sales rank. In comparison to Neverminds 500-something after 13 years then thats pretty bad. Even Incesticide and Bleach have better sales-ranks...and those didn't even go platinum, well actually Incesticide eventually did.
   Okay, more people should know about this besides Nirvana die-hards, its a very good compilation...but it ISNT great. The reason why this isn't great is, alongside the very high price of $60+ this also has only six singles. I know all the singles are awesome but in total Nirvana made approximately nine singles from Bleach, Nevermind, Incesticide, In Utero and Unplugged. Only the singles off of Nevermind and In Utero appear here. The singles that are missing are 'Love Buzz' (off Bleach, buy it at most Nirvana fansites), 'Sliver' (off Incesticide', buy it at almost all Nirvana fansites) and 'About a Girl' (off Unplugged, buy it at a store near you). These are not the most important singles but they still belong in the box set.
   Right, now with that out of the way I can focus on the qualities of the box set. Well for one all of the popular singles are here, they are 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Come as You Are', 'Lithium', 'In Bloom', 'Heart-Shaped Box' and 'Rape Me/All Apologies'. Another thing is that almost every song here is good. That includes even the b-sides, especially on the In Utero singles. If you dont have $60 you can always buy this for about $30 or even less on ebay. And another thing, you have to respect Nirvana for single-handedly destroying horrendous pop bands like Bon Jovi and Poison and bringing other great bands to the mainstream like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam (Alice in Chains too).
   Even if you hate the crap-punk and the nu-hell metal (much like I do) thats out today then remember: IT WASNT NIRVANAS FAULT! IT WAS KORN AND BLINK 182, WHO SUCK! Just keep in mind that this is for die-hards ONLY, unless you love Nirvana then you will just say to yourself "this wasn't worth $60+". But I still love this as I am a die-hard.



4. Kurt Cobain rocks he is the best rock musician in history.



5. Trust me i know what i'm talking about.
   Reasons NOT to buy this box:
   You can buy most of the singles in this box off amazon for about 7$
   This box is missing 3 singles that come to mind. Sliver, With a dive (live) b-side, (it's annoying to go get this) Pennyroyal Tea (because this is not in this box it has gone out of production so the price for this has risen dramatically, on ebay you may find it for 20 US dollars if you're lucky. This includes the I hat myself and i want to die demo)
   And the Jesus Lizard split single Oh the guilt (nirvana) and Puss (Jesus Lizard). Oh the guilt reached #9 on the UK charts, and now. you have to buy it seperatly from all the other hits.
   And that the new box With the lights out is coming out, and will have the b-sides (probably) and more stuff.
   Reasons TO buy this box:
   None come to mind besides the fact that according to me every song on here is great. The b-sides include some masterpieces of Nirvana's work. If you're not after the b-sides, go buy the greatest hits, and get the singles on one album and more.

No comments about Collectables Classics (4-CD Box Set).

5 comments about The Clash/London Calling/Combat Rock.

1. Okay, that last review was so misleading I must respond. The first two albums in this collection are generally thought of as two of the greatest albums of all time. (The review I just read suggested they were second-tier clash.)
   "Combat Rock" is the late clash that divides fans. The only reason to hold off buying this great set is if you'd rather own the U.K version of the first album, which is also now for sale in the states. Otherwise, this wonderfully priced set is the equivalent of finding "Sgt. Pepper," the White Album, and--oh, I don't know-- Revolverl for $25 total.



2. The three albulms in this set may not be fan favourites (while they do contain the "hit" tracks that still see radio play), but they remain three Clash albulms, which is about a third of the influential band's total output.

   The self-titled debut albulm still sounds like furious punk after twenty-five years. It's so underproduced it is possible to believe that you're listening to the demo tape of a garage band. This set includes the U.S. version of the albulm, which is missing "Deny", "Cheat", "Protex Blue" and "48 Hours", but has five other tracks, including "Clash City Rockers" and a cover of "I Fought The Law", to make up for it. So much has already been written about "London Calling" it seems unnecessary to add to it; it is the albulm of a decade. "Combat Rock" serves as the other bookend in the set, showing The Clash at their most stylized; the down-tempo experiment of "Police and Thieves" from "The Clash" has gone "Straight To Hell", and their genre experimentation goes even farther to include pop hard rock. One can hope that someday Mick Jones' mix of the albulm will see a CD press.

   While we wait for a comprehensive Clash box set this package allows us to pick up part of The Clash's catalogue at a cut-rate price. But caveat emptor: these are the original Epic CD releases, NOT the remastered ones now available. I have a suspicion that the set represents a way for Sony to have cleared out stock of the older versions before re-releasing the entire catalogue. Buying the set here on Amazon means that you'll be paying roughly nine bucks per albulm, instead of twelve each. It's a good deal if you're not wild about the remastering, allowing the completist to save for "The Clash (UK)", "Give 'em Enough Rope", "Super Black Market Clash", "Sandanista" and "Cut the Crap", while the casual fan gets to add some early punk credibility to the CD collection rather than buying "The Singles".




3. I bought this last summer to get into the Clash, and had I known about the music, I would've paid the full price just for London Calling. This is for anyone who wants to listen to the Clash's first two albums in their entirety but still wants the popular tracks off of Combat Rock.



4. I've owned, on vinyl, these three albums. I would agree that Sandinista is probably their best work, but also their most inscrutable (one track is recorded backwards, for example) and hardest to absorb. Buy this box set, get into the band, then splurge on Sandinista if you want more. Here, you get the arc of their best three periods--early hard punk, the reggae-influenced middle, and the post-apocalyptic, politically-charged farewell. If you want just one disc, then London Calling is your best choice, but for the price this a great deal.



5. this is the perfect set for anyone who has not heard a lot of the clash. it has in my opinion their two best albums (the clash and london calling) and one album that is their most popular and would be better for someone whose taste is more mainstream and more acustumed to todays pop music. the clash have catchy songs that use a number of different styles and influences. the lyrics make you think and almost always have an important social or political message. Strummer is one of the best song writers of the punk era

5 comments about The Stiff Records Box Set.

1. Look over the list of artists on the CD, the ones you recognize - go out and buy all their CD's. While STIFF was great in the late 1970's as the conveyor of UK/Euro indie music - most of the best artists moved on - what's left is an interesting time capsule of that the last 70's and very early 80's. There is reason Humphrey Ocean & the Hardy Annuals or Mick Farren are forgotten. At the time, they were loud and brash and a nice antidote to the soft rock era of the 1970's but from that emerged Costello, Nick Lowe, and hundreds of artists you can name & remember ... and of course, leaving most of these guys & women behind ... so if you're a completist collector, you'll want these tracks but for listening beyond the names you recognize? Not so much. They are pretty much out-dated minor league stuff and the sound quality is not that great here so for a lot of reasons, you're better buying artist specific CD's or a more accessible collection of pre-new wave tracks that contain the "one-hit" wonder tracks anyway.



2. Disc 1 & 2 are the whole reason to buy this, with a few cuts from disc 3 thrown in as a bonus. Probably more economical to have your old 45 RPM versions converted to CD (and keep those goofy quips engraved in each record's blank space next to the label).



3. Stiff is one of those wacky labels that always seemed to sneak by just under the pop radar.

   I received this set as a gift a few years ago, and couldn't be happier about it. This collection is so full of unknown bits of whimsy and little-known cuts by more popular artist that it starts to become more of a treasure chest than a "best of."

   Ian Drury of "Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll" fame appears as vocals on several other cuts including "Kitchen at Parties." This collection is full of simmilar fun little nuggets.

   So much of the "alternative" music scene that was largely contained by British borders seems to be archived here, and it's fun to tap into it. Americans (such as myself) who always thought that the band Madness was largely a one hit wonder will be surprised by the spastic "Baggy Trousers," a song I enjoyed so much I have purchased several Madness CDs since hearing it.

   While Elvis Costello originally got his start on Stiff, he has only one song here - probably a god thing, as we all have a good idea what he sounds like - leaving more room for the lesser known artists of Stiff.

   There is a charming wackiness to this collection and to the whole Stiff attitude. This is a great collection for exploring what the Brits were doing while we tollerated Dexy's Midnight Runners.

   Oh! Special bonus: There is a fabulous (FABULOUS) cut of Desmond Dekker's "Isrealites" on disc three. This along merits purchasing this set.




4. Strange...I remember trying to search for this boxed set earlier in the year and coming up with nil for my efforts. Then, after accidentally finding it in a New York record store and acquiring it right away, I find it on here. Must be my mind playing tricks on me.

   In any case, I'm not old enough to have lived through the era from which these songs sprung, but the appeal of the music easily traverses the generation gap. I haven't even yet explored all of this set and it's already been some of the most fun listening experiences I've had while listening to "older music": Elvis Costello, The Belle Stars, Nick Lowe, Kirsty MacColl...and personal favourite, spunky popster Rachel Sweet. Vivacious and highly entertaining. My only complaint is that the liner notes are somewhat flimsy. Though full of the kind of tongue-in-cheek humour that, apparently, Stiff Records was famous for, the result of the non-journalistic approach is that there's very little real information on the music, the history, the label, and the context, hidden by the cheeky writing and witticisms. I for one would've liked some more detached, professional journalism to inform me of the significance of this music such as in that Amplifier article I had read (which led me to look for this boxed set in the first place). So on the packaging front, much is left to be desired. But the music is uniquely appealing, a world of its own.




5. I was in my teens when this kind of music was played on the radio , I lived in ex Yugoslavia and I was reading a lot about the new wave and all those stuff i England. I loved those groups but I never actually had a chance to listen all those recors ( I Lived in ex Yugoslavia for Gud`s sake ) , now I lived in Sweden and have money to buy records but I am not 13 , 14 , 15 years old anymore and the music doesn`t mean EVERYTHING to me. This box remaind me what music can do with your life and how it is to be 17 again . By this one , no metter how old you are , this is history.

4 comments about What Goes On?.

1. I was at my local used c.d. store ; ' Reckless Records ' in Chicago , Il......I saw this behind the counter....have always been a HUGE fan of V.U.....knew that this box set was considered the ' Holy Grail ' of V.U. compilations....was in mint condition so I gobbled it up......came home and played it...all I can say is that THIS box BLOWS AWAY ' Peel Slowly and See '...it's out of print? on an Aussie label 'Raven' so might be tough to find ...... I'll also say that the sound is SUPERLATIVE to P.S.A.S.....as are the track selections / little rare tid-bits , and a GREAT book.......and the little sound bites of Andy Warhol in the early days is VERY cool !.....You know the track listings and all that so I'll spare you.... P.S.A.S. really should have been this good , but they dropped the ball in a lot of respects...this set does NOT !!!....all I will say is that if you come across this box GRAB IT , you won't be dissapointed !



2. Although the track list replicates many of the titles from the Peel Slowly & See st, What Goes On includes the entire first LP in MONO, plus the OOP original Closet Mix of the third! Also includes live versions from the 1969 album, plus otherwise unavailable live tracks, acetates, radio spots and interviews from Warhol's Factory.



3. I havent actually got this particular set myself but looking at it it seems to be a more streamlined version of the excellent Peel Slowly and See Boxset. Any VU record is going to first class so we@ll take that for granted. The interesting stuff here seems to be the tracks which arent on the Peel Slowly set. There are a few, tho mainly they appear to be interview, advert soundclips etc from the time which would give this set a more historical charm than many VU compilations. It certainly has all the best songs on it. including the bizaare experimental freeform rock of Melody Laughter (also on Peel Slowly) which is great for being a rare glimpse into VU live from that era, as most of the live stuff knocking around id from 1969/70, with the less edgy sound developed after Cale's departure. All in all I'd recommend all VU fans to add this just for the context into which everything is set.



4. This is a sensational compliation of VU recordings from all Verve/MGM,Mercury, and Atlantic/Cotillion releases.Released on the Raven label, who would have to be one of the worlds' best reissue companies, this set contains 47 tracks,interviews, 42 page book, rare photos and more. Raven for those who don't know is headed by Aussie Glen A. Baker who has been voted Rock Brain of the Universe a number of times (even beating Dave Marsh!). This 3CD set has over 228 minutes of music with a wonderfull spoken intro by Andy Warhol. A must for fans and rock historians!

No comments about Damned Damned Damned 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition.

4 comments about Circus Live.

1. What a great live album. Not the usual run-through of your old favorites, which is mainly the case with these affairs, but rather, complete reinvention. At first I was a little disappointed reading the titles as there was little in the way of John Cale's recent (and in my opinion, best) works, but listening dispelled that. All of these mostly older tunes have been rewritten with, in some cases, radically different arrangements. Actually to the point where they are different... almost like an album of new material. Imagine a slow, almost gentle, albeit sinister Mercenaries!
   
   There are also extensive droning effects throughout (the beginning, between the "end" of the concert and the encore, and the actual coda), harkening back to John Cale's early experimental roots.
   
   All of this is supported by the technically perfect musicianship of players. Take away the applause between many of the tracks and it sounds like a studio album, only better because of the high-energy that comes with live music territory.
   
   The presentation is excellent as well. Nice "slippery" slip-case with excellent and clever art, graphics and documentation throughout.



2. I have never been fortunate enough to see Cale live, so I treasure this. Every song is completely different from the original, so it's like two discs of adventurous brand new music. One question though: I have heard at least two comments from people on the great sound quality. Mine, however, sounds like a medium-quality bootleg, hugely disappointing. Anyone know if there are multiple versions of this?



3. I've seen Cale a couple of times spread out over thirty years. This "album" is terrific. The band is fantastic, Cale gives them LOTS of freedom to jam, and he himself is in impeccable form. He is a great artist - there are just no more like him. Thank you (again), Mr. Cale.
   
   Oh - and the packaging is wonderful - great images, the booklet is substantial (30 pages?), and the workmanship is top-notch. A great bargain for what you get!



4. The first john cale album I bought in the early seventies, vintage violence was followed with those words at the check out counter by a smiling clerk. My expectations were high and I was not dissapointed. Circus Live is pure john cale as good as it ever was! rock and roll is dead but thanks to cale long live rock! For anyone who loves cale,lou reed, patti smith or punk music this album is a masterpiece.

1 comments about Play It at Your Sister.

1. First the good news. There is finally a release of the Damned's amazing BBC In Concert performance from May 1977, where the original quartet, at their musical peak, run through most of their debut album plus a few singles tracks. For those who've never heard the original Damned, they're generally described as a "punk" band, and they are. But this is primal, high-energy rock that belongs in the pantheon with the Stooges, MC5 and vintage Motorhead. And on this live set, they're faster and tighter than any of those bands. Simply incredible musicianship by what must have been, at the time, the fastest rock band ever. Kudos especially to drummer Rat Scabies--as wild as Keith Moon yet remarkably on the beat, always keeping the momentum up.
   
   This package is worth the money just for that 24-minute live set. Unfortunately, it's a mess in every other way. The live set would make a perfect release on its own. There's also the (almost) complete Stiff Records studio recordings from 1976-77--one song is missing, a b-side version of Stretcher Case (but we get that song in three other versions on this set). The Damned Stiff recordings are a classic ouevre and would also be a great release on their own (fitting on one CD). The debut album is just as exciting as the live set I described above, with an even more powerful, amazingly raw studio sound.
   
   Unfortunately this great music is watered down with already available BBC session recordings that repeat many titles in less exciting versions. And the BBC sessions are interspersed chronologically with the studio recordings, which means you get lots of repetition of songs, often very close to each other.
   
   Finally, the mastering on the Stiff recordings is terrible. The drums come across better than ever, but the sound in some places is excessively bright. Yet in other places, there's distortion that sounds like nobody even did a quality-control check. "See Her Tonite", a highlight of the debut album, is unlistenable here, with "in the red" noise throughout and a horrible blast of static near the end.
   
   There are also three unreleased demos from 1976. These sound terrible compared with the long available bootleg versions. The tape hiss is removed, but so is all the life in the guitar sound. And there's a live "bonus" disc from a 1976 concert that is probably the worst-sounding recording I've ever bought from a "legit" record company.
   
   The package includes a seven-inch-size book with lots of nice photos and a long essay. I haven't read the essay, but just in scanning the basic track info and credits, I found countless typos and errors, more signs of a rush job with poor quality control.

No comments about L.A. Woman/Morrison Hotel/The Doors.

4 comments about Eno Box II: Vocals.

1. Nearly perfect collection, of nearly perfect music.
   
   My only small complaint would be the few songs that were left out, off the early albums.



2. The real reason to get this set is for the excellent remastering job. Until his first four albums are individually remastered, this is your best option!



3. This box set is a deluxe masterpiece in its creation. It starts off as a box that has a box within it that slides out the open side and inside the middle box there are the 3 cds and a booklet.
   The discs are a complete overview of Brian Enos' vocal music. The first disc contains the first 2 solo albums he made. It is refreshing to have them both together vurtually untouched(i say vurtually because I dont even know what they omitted to fit them on together).
   The second disc contains the bulk of Another Green World and Before and After Science. Both Classics in my book. The last disc is the treasure for most people probably have the first 4 albums. The first discs only throw hints of having rare tracks with only a couple per cd. The 3rd disc which has not only Enos projects for outside artists represented but it also contains the unfinshed album of pop songs called My Squelchy Life. As far as i can tell he hasnt made anything like those early vocal albums since he worked on this album back in 91. Consequently the disc is very valuable and with the deluxe packaging of the box it makes a terrific box set.



4. "Eno Is God" was a common tag in New York for almost a decade. Well Eno's not God but he is the Lord sound. What he can hear and then record for us to enjoy is a uncommon gif