3 comments about What Goes Around.

1. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers-What Goes Around...***1/2
   
   
   We all know that songs here are classics, and by all I mean those reading this because no one would look at Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers unless they were some form of a fan. But the songs being classic is not the issue to this album, this is a live album so the rating can only be determined by the quality of the performances. That being said this is the original line up of The Heartbreakers, not the line up that would record the classic album L.A.M.F. This is way before that, when the great Richard Hell was in the band. He is the one in the center of the cover.
   
   With the exception of 'So Alone' 'Pirate Love' and the Hell classic 'Love Comes In Spurts' all of which were recorded November 16, 1975, the rest of the tracks were recorded live at CBGB July 7, 1975. This was one of Hell's last shows with the band and not one of his best.
   
   Many of the lyrics are no audible, and the same can be said for the bass and guitar, now Jerry Nolan's drums come in loud and clear. The over all performances on the album are not that great with the exception of 'Blank Generation' 'I Wanna Be Loved' which is a bonus on the original recording. Those two are great but the rest of the album could have been much better.
   
   So why is this worth money if even at all? Well because this for collectors is essential. It shows the band at a very early stage, showing the development of all the songs as they would appear on The Heartbreakers L.A.M.F. and Hell's Blank Generation. This is essential for a curious fan even though it isn't the strongest performance.



2. The fact that Richard Hell and Johnny Thunders shared a stage in 1975 makes this album indispensable for any fan of New York rock. The sound isn't that great, but these thirteen performances are the "big bang" of the whole scene that followed the demise of the New York Dolls (Johnny's "Pirate Love") and Hell's departure from Television (a major part of his first album "Blank Generation" gets worked out here). Lucky someone had a tape-recorder for these two dates -- this lineup was bound to self-destruct for all kinds of reasons. An historic document.



3. A nice artifact: the early Heartbreakers with Richard Hell. For LAMFers, this is a must to fill the collection. For neophytes, well, come back to this when you've had some experience. The sound quality isn't so good, and the band was still teething, yet there is always Jerry Nolan to push things along, as well as Hell's weird charisma and Johnny's two-string sorcery--all in all a splendid find. Hearing Richard Hell sing "Can't Keep My Eyes On You" and Johnny harmonizing on Hell's stuff are an experience. Also, a freshly-broken-hearted-from-Sable-Starr version of "Stepping Stone" make this well worth the price.

5 comments about World Warped, Vol. 3: Live.

1. OK, I went to Warped Tour 2000 in Tennessee and I thought most of the bands there performed very well, particularly Green Day. Shindig is a great band with excellent songwriting skills which should have been on this CD, however their set was adversely affected by lousy sound techs. This CD is high quality, it is live (even if not recorded at the actual tour as it should have been), and only lacks in that more local bands are not represented on it.



2. This CD is great, and is a must have for any punker. Although it's called World Warped III and contains bands that were on the warped tour in recent years, none of the shows on this disc are recorded from warped tour, most are from clubs and various other shows. Most of the recordings are terrific quality, while others like NOFX appears to be recorded from a bootleg.

   If you like Dropkick Murphy's, the first track contains "Barroom Hero" live, with Al Barr singing, it's the best version of this song I've ever heard because the crowd sings along and it's cool to hear Al Barr singing the song, he does a great job.




3. What happens you put Dropkick Murphys, Less Than Jake, NOFX, Blink 182, and a heap of great bands all in the same CD... Well... You get something like World Warped III... If you have the money, get it. Along with the bands I mentioned you also get songs from bands you may not have heard... And that's always good.



4. This CD ROCKS! Blink is the best band today!



5. I never listen to a cd as this one . There is no one song that I alway's skip because I don't like it, I listen to it every days . I own this CD since the second days that he was in store . If you like punk music, this cd is a must-have and I tell you that every song are great.

5 comments about Anniversary.

1. This CD, is good, infact it is very good. Recorded in 1992, the band are in fine form, both Tim and Neil Finn give very strong performances and the band are tight and the banter in between the songs is strong.

   However the audience loop is highly distracting, it is extremely loud and in more than one place runs over the top of vocals and/or banter making it inaudible.

   The audience loop is the difference between what could have been a five star album and the three stars I've given it.




2. This album is from the last show of Split Enz' 20th anniversary reunion tour of New Zealand in 1993. The band was fronted by brothers Tim and Neil Finn (who at the time was leading Crowded House) and led musically by the amazing keyboard playing of Eddie Rayner. Playing their last show before a crowd that knew every song, the band shows more energy than I could have imagined. Songs that I never thought that much of, like "Hermit McDermitt" and "Strait Old Line", are very strong. There are three songs from the great "True Colours" album, which was neglected on 1985's "The Living Enz." In fact, the band even throws in a snippet of the never-recorded song "True Colours". The band is having great fun, with an abortive attempt at "Wail" thrown in and a spoons solo by Noel Crombie on "Strait Old Line". The songs cover the band's entire career, from the first single, "Split Ends", to the late-model "Years Go By". The pacing sags a bit at the end with early songs "Time for a Change" and "Charley"--I've never shared the band's fondness for these two.

   The performance and production are better than on "The Living Enz". And you can see that for yourself--for no obvious reason, three tracks from that album are stuck into this one ("Six Months in a Leaky Boat", "Dirty Creature", and hidden track "Hard Act to Follow"). No one even bothered to match the volume levels or equalize the tracks with the new material, so the old cuts are VERY QUIET and treble-deficient. When one of these songs comes on, it sounds like someone turned down your stereo.




3. The 1993 Anniversary tour of New Zealand was recorded and this live album is the result. It is quite satisfying to hear that Split Enz still "had it" almost 10 years after the split-up. Some of these live versions show new aspects of some of the earlier stuff like "Charlie" and "Time for a Change". And, by the way, hasn't Tim's voice become raunchier since the 80s? The only bad thing about this release is the very evident later added applause. It must have been possible to do this better in the mix...



4. I saw Split Enz live twice, once in London in 1977 and once in New york in 1982 and I wish I had been at this concert too. What energy, and what a great sound! I do not care much for the couple of bonus tracks from the previous live album as they seem to break the continuity... Nonetheless, this album is fantastic and the Enz couldn't be in a better form!



5. Split Enz Anniversary is a recording of their 20th anniversary reunion tour in 1993 and listening to this album makes me wish that I had been there! This album is bursting with energy, fun, vibrancy, good humour and comradeship and of course excellent songs. Inbetween the songs you can hear the crowd go wild and the Enz onstage antics. This is a great album to put on if you are getting ready to go out as it puts you in a really good mood. Put it on loud and sing along with Tim Finn to Shark Attack, Poor Boy and Hermit McDermitt. Then calm down a bit and indulge in a beautiful version of Years Go By sung by Neil Finn. Hear their bouncy eponymous first single, the haunting Message to my Girl and the exuberant Best Friend followed by Whats the Matter with You and a joyous version of I See Red complete with ingenious glockenspeil riffs. Hear Tim turn deep and meaningful as he sings Time for a Change. Next we have Strait Old Line complete with virtuoso spoon playing and an excellently orchestrated Charley. Then the Enz throw everything they have into a frenetic version of History Never Repeats which provides the album's crescendo. This album is a perfect blend of Tim Finn's showmanship and exuberance and Neil Finn's subtle artistry. It has an amazing vibe running all the way through it. It is absolutely wonderful and I just love playing it.

5 comments about MTV Unplugged.

1. the shipping was on time and the product was purfecr and the music
   was better than expected



2. i remember seeing this when it first came out .the MTV unplugged series was definitely an armature show till natalie and the maniacs appeared and i never even heard of them the track- because the night became an instant hit you can still hear it on radios stations almost daily (my other favorite was -like the weather )all the tracks were great and the band and natalie were on point this show put the unplugged series on the map and set the standards high it was also visually pleasing to watch but they didnt put it on DVD my other favorite was the nirvana episode no DVD either



3. Music recently discovered from younger years is better than finding a $20 in your pocket. You listened to any alternative rock in the 90's? Then you will remember the haunting vocals of Natalie Merchant with 10KM. I had previously bought the album to fulfill my Columbia house free CD roster. Given the chance to do it again, my other orders would have completed the 10KM collection. Even with MTV Unplugged defunct, the concept remains fantastic. Romantic. Idyllic. Stormy. Songs like "Jezebel" and "Stockton Gala Days" did not receive enough air time. There are a few songs that could do well with some electric affects. I will save that judgement for far more critical ears. Love. Loss. Where else can frontier women inspire such courage in music?
   
   All in all, the songs will resonate with some part of your alternative experience. The movement has been stretched to include many forms. Could we bring it back from the mainstream? Here lies the answer. Indeed, take it to the violins. Now bring back the mandolin. Guitars fill the air. Frampton, your machine can come too. Roll it all up into the next music movement. Old musicians building houses? Make your way back with your dusty cases. There is a place in the scene for all. Heave aside American Idol. Eschew the labels. Ring in the old. Amputate the repetitive chorus. Mediate through to new ground. Perhaps 10KM can reunite for the new festival which is not really new. Albeit a bit long in word, one more rant for the road.
   
   Remember when music used to bring light to dark places? The songs that especially bring this to mind with this album are the ones that you are most used to hearing. Something about the way that "What's the Matter Here?" sends chills down your spine. For there are those kids next door. Or the ones you went to school with. Resonating at the heart of every son on this album is that same message. Your ears may pick up on symbolism in "Noah's Dove" Or you can just sit back, relax and follow the piano. Understated, it completes the concert beautifully.



4. You know that question where you say what would be the 5 albums you would want with you on a desert Island? One of my answers is this album. It is exceptional. First, Merchant's voice is unworldly. Second, there are songs that are upbeat and some that are slow. Third the aucoustic nature of the album allows Merchant's vocals to really shine through. And lastly, this album has almost all of the best songs from the Natalie Merchant era of the 10,000 Maniacs.
   
   If you are looking for a great album that will give you hours of listening pleasure, this one should be high on your list.



5. The Maniacs sound excellent here. Natalie Merchant's voice is great and the band captures the greatness of their songwriting while performing live. I enjoyed all of their cds and this was no exception. If you're looking for live versions of their songs then this is the place to look. Truly a great song list was performed during this performance.

4 comments about Live Plus One.

1. this much punk pop on two discs you cant go wrong at ALL.this is the first live album but either the descendents or ALL in nearly a decade.two things at once ALL over again.so first on disc one you have a great live performance of ALL.i bet when they played this show they were the openeing act but a solid opening act they must of been .these guys are as tight as a rock blasting threw some 22 songs .with no energy lost threw the entire thing.ALL the classics are played(shes my ex, skin deep,educated idiot) and a couple or rare tracks(bubble gum,cant say,birtday iou)these guys must keep the coffee going to play this great.
   than up next is the descendents a band that already has two live albums.but they havent had one in some 13 years prior to this one.so this performace has some of the best songs ALso .with ALL the classics they have put one there other two live discs .but the only difference is that it up to the standards of todays modern sound production.which just blastes out of your speakers.lots of coffee lots of fun.
   so to put it this is the best deal of the century for the price getting some almost two hours of pop power punk from the 2 best bands aroound also to give you something to do when you are hanging around the house feeling o so bored with the cd collection in front of you.So get a big bag of coffee a lot of food and break up with your girl friend its party time..



2. Well, these are not Awesome cds, but they are good.
   The sound quality is not the best.
   Anyways, the songs selection is pretty good. If you want to hear good live stuff buy this.
   Also I recomend Liveage, which I think is better than this cd.



3. Another Live Album from the All / Descendents front. Contains some songs that apear on Trailblazer and no doubt the others too.
   Live albums are always a bit of a gamble, what this album does for me is capture a moment in the life of one/two of the best PROPER punk bands around....Dont buy this if you want a studio quality album, although saying that it's not as bad as some bootlegs which some people will willingly pay more for. this will live in my autochanger for some time....Nice touch that the encore isn't included in the album time on player...the timer just stops counting while people scream for more. They enjoyed it and so shall you. Readingpunk UK.



4. Being a faithful follower of the DescendentsALL saga I was excited for this live stuff. Not too mention the songs were picked by the fans. The song choices, for the ALL cd anway is so-so. The sound quality for both is worse. It doesn't mean I will stop loving both bands but I reccomend Liveage, Hallraker and Trailblazer for the true live experience.

5 comments about MTV Unplugged in New York.

1. The clarity of this "soundtrack" is simply amazing. MTV did a superb job with the setup of this event. I was blown away when I heard the cd version, but hearing it with my cheap Yamaha equipment in DTS took it to another level. It is a shame he is still not around; what an amazing talent this guy had. RIP KC.



2. It's amazing, but not unexpected, to see such a lack of pretense throughout these acoustic translations of much heavier material. The entire concert was bathed in Cobain's tragic warmth and frazzled soul, injecting a tremendous amount of integrity into nearly every strum and vocalization, while the band backs up at their restrained best, revealing a side seldom seen, and one fans were most fortunate to have seen before the end.



3. In my opinion, the greatest MTV Unplugged album ever. They proved that they were more than just a grunge band, and Cobain brought his pain briefly to the surface.



4. When I first got this album I simply could not stop listening to it not only one of the best live albums but one of the best albums ever and that says a lot since before i got this cd I wasnt into acoustic cds i liked my music load and heavy and now because of this cd I now love acoustic songs , which I think its a good change of pace.even thou I hate Mtv ,its nirvana so what the hell here are my favourite songs
   1 jesus dont want me for a sumbeam
   2 come as you are
   3 polly
   4 lake of fire
   5 were did you sleep last night
   be sure to pick up the dvd of this classic album



5. Nirvana was a rock band. Their style was loud, raw, aggressive. Kurt Cobain abused his guitars. Dave Grohl pounded the living daylights out of his drums. Krist Novoselic jumped around on stage like a madman.
   
   So what happens when you hand Cobain an acoustic guitar, tell Grohl to play his drums with brushes, and force Krist to sit still?
   
   Well, you get a very interesting album. I will agree with many of the glowing reviews on here, this performance has alot of emotional punch - in places. But I wonder if perhaps too much of this emotional stuff is read into these performances in light of Cobain's death. Yes, he screams and plunks his guitar with great vigor, but he was also high on herion.
   
   It's somewhat interesting to hear Nirvana play "Come As You Are" unplugged - but it's much better played full-force with electric guitars. And it's okay hearing Cobain play "Pennyroyal Tea" solo, messing up the lyrics and hitting the wrong chords - but it doesn't hold a candle to the full electric arrangement.
   
   The best parts of this album are the cover songs. "The Man Who Sold the World" is a fun song, as are the three Meat Puppet covers; and most folks are in agreement that "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" is spine tingling. If you get this album for no other reason, get it for the cover songs.
   
   So while this is an interesting foray into "what happens when you strip a rock band of what made them famous" - it's not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. It's the point of "Unplugged" to put a band in unfamiliar waters, but that doesn't mean it always turns out well.
   
   Nirvana made music that was intended to be plugged in. That's what Nirvana was - loud, kick-your-teeth-in rock. "Unplugged" does not do them justice.

1 comments about Living Enz.

1. The Music is excellent but sound is not than good. I adore Split Enz but this double CD need a urgent remasterization.

No comments about Early Recordings: Demos, Acoustic and Live 1965-1966.

5 comments about MXBX 1998: 13,000 Miles at Light Velocity.

1. WOW, this thing is amazing. Im not sure what to call it. Is it japanese-chick-grindcore? I dont know what the hell it is, nor will I try. I avoided giving it 5 stars, because even as a fan, I still can't get into the right mood to listen to it often.



2. This is Fast,fast,fast singin', Melt Banana give they best live and I should shoot myself for missing they concert when I had a chance!!
   It's really hard to keep up with Yasuko's fast screacking-singing, I hardly get the lyrics even with the words in front of my eyes, I can't even follow them but how the hell can she sing so many words by second?
   This is my favorite album of the MxBx and I love it.



3. my friend bought this album about 6 years ago. i listened to it, and cried. everything i thought about Crass and Dead Kennedys seemed to change and i had to face it. these guys were better.



4. Melt-Banana is definitely an acquired taste, and I'm glad I stuck with them past the first few releases. The music on this CD is much more accessible than the previous work and the production is a little better, too. This is just great stuff, quite different than most of the things in my collection and a real treat to listen to. Every time I listen to this one, I try to concentrate on a different member of the band to catch things I've missed. This is a real fun band, and someday I hope to see them live, having just missed them last month.



5. my first melt banana experience was them live when they were opening for mr. bungle on bungle's 'disco volante' tour. my first impression was that this must be improvisational noise music or something just because it was so chaotic and loud. upon repeated listenings i realzied that dispite the chaos and noise these folks were writing crafted and organized songs. unfortunately, melt banana doesn't get to tour the states very often. fortunately there is this live album to give us a taste of what we are missing until the next time they come around.

1 comments about 9:30 Live! A Time, A Place, A Scene [2-CD SET].

1. Unique live perfomances by some obscure but excellent 80's New Wave and 90's alternative bands. Sound quality is clean and the performances are tight!
   
   The Urban Verbs deliver their best-ever version of "Ring Ring"--far better than the strange, shrill album version. Vocals a little weak at the start, but rocks out with authority and a fine clear guitar solo that again, puts the original album version to shame. Deserves club play. Also club-worthy is the brooding groove of "In the Heat". For Urban Verbs fans, this disc will be worth the price just for their 4 tracks.
   
   The Insect Surfers play a series of bright, energetic surf-revival numbers, and the other bands provide interesting, atmospheric, engaging and well-executed alternative material.