5 comments about Powerslave.

1. In perhaps the greatest achievement in the history of music, Iron Maiden has created a CD that is absolutely SCRUMPTRULESCENT. Bruce Dickinson, I am born anew in your genius! 2 Minutes to Midnight is undoubtedly the greatest song to grace mankind. It is a blinding briliant light from heaven. If you have not heard this song, go right now to a place where music is downloaded or sold...and download it . . .or buy it...and hear it. It is delightful. HAHAHAHAHA! I do believe that you will agree that this is the greatest creation ever created...by HUMANS! Un-believable!



2. This cd is their best in my opinion.
   Best tour. Best concept.
   Maiden is still one of the best.



3. I'm going to take a different approach to reviewing albums on Amazon. Instead of going in depth on each album and describe each album in detail, i'm going to simply rate each album with how many stars I feel each album is worth based on the below criteria. I hope this helps you make a better decision on purchasing this album with a simple individual rating. If it doesn't help read another review.
   5 stars- Classic, Album goes beyond description, Perfect in every way, Could remind you of a certain time or place, Lifetime replay value.
   4.5 stars- Near Classic, Incredible album, Maybe only one song that is skippable or just overall doesn't quite deserve classic status. High replay value.
   4.0 stars- Awesome album. Very solid album from start to finish. Met every expectation and more. Maybe only one song or two that is skippable or just doesnt' quite deserve a classic or near classic rating. High replay value.
   3.5 stars- Above average album. Solid from start to finish but there are a few songs worth skipping. Met expectations, minimal replay value.
   3.0 stars- Average album. Nothing bad but nothing great either. After the initial appeal will collect dust.
   2.5 stars- Major disappointment. You had high expectations that were ruined as this album is not good at all. There might be only one or two songs worth listening to. No replay value.
   2.0 stars- Below average album. This album doesnt bother you to hear as background music but you would rather not listen to it if you didnt have to. No songs really appeal. No replay value.
   1.5 stars- Terrible album. Makes one sick to hear it. Would rather throw in garbage than even waste space in your collection.
   1.0 stars- Makes one cringe and the ears bleed!
   *keep in mind, each album review might not be based on opinion of the band but the album itself in the bands discography.



4. peice of mind was great but this is a masterpiece one of the must have maiden cds.7th son, # of the beast,stranger in a strangeland& piece of mind.



5. One of Iron Maiden's best. If you've never heard "Flash of the Blade" or "Losfer Words" you need to buy this disc.

5 comments about The Wedding Singer Volume 2: More Music From The Motion Picture.

1. Great value, have waited years to buy this album and I am happy I finally own it. Loved the movie, the music is great. 80's flash back.



2. This soundtrack is a great compilation of '80s hits and captures that era and the film well.



3. Everything was great. The product is seriously like brand new. I recommend and would use this seller again.



4. Loved the movie love the tunes. "Grow Old With You," especially tugs at your heart strings.



5. This movie was a favorite in our household and my daughters always enjoyed the karaoke a the end of the DVD, so we searched for the soundtrack. I actually chose this volume over volume 1 for two reasons...it contains the favorite from the movie, "I want to grow old with you" actually sung by Adam Sandler and secondly, because Volume 1 contains the song that Adam Sandler sings about his ex-girlfriend, which contains quite a bit of profanity, so I didn't want to get it for my kids. I would have given it five stars, but we find the introduction by Billy Idol at the start of the last track, "I want to grow old with you," which is dialog from the movie, to be distracting and it gets tiring to have to listen to over and over when you just want to hear the song, which I mentioned was the absolute favorite.

5 comments about Cosmic Thing.

1. I was first exposed to The B-52's in college, and really liked their music. I bought the vinyl albums The B-52's and Wild Planet. I checked out this CD from the local library. At first I did not like it but the more I listened to the album, the more I liked it. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys The B-52's.



2. The exciting new wave sounds of the early 80's had given way to the utter dross of 1985 to 1989 (Yazz and the Plastic Population anyone?), but just on the cusp of Grunge and the Madchester Baggie scene was this bomb from the wonderfully eccentric B52s. Like a happy version of Wall of Voodoo but less Crazy than Devo, they came in from left field with a shimmering summer gem of an album. I always remember the English summers of the period as hot and dry, great cricket and BBQ weather. Never mind global warming, I think that this album alone lead to a succession of brilliant summers leading from 89 to about 95. I`m the sort of shy diffident person who would stay on board a sinking liner if I had to dance to get on a lifeboat, but even now, Loveshack would be one of the 3 songs that could make me do some sort of (ahem) "groove thang." Some might call this a desert island album, and why not? A desert island would be THE perfect place to listen to this, hammock, cool beer, some sort of shack (love optional). Alas in Ireland, the sun never shines anymore, perhaps I will dig Cosmic Thing out again and see if it can repeat the magic?



3. Another mix of fun and greatness from the Athenian Clan! Thank you for this LP!!!!!!!!!



4. I have to tell you, I found the experience of watching the music video to "Love Shack" a little distressing. It's clear our beloved B52s are not in their 20s any more. That aside, this was SUCH a good album for them! It finally bridged their gap between the old "alternative music" fans and the weaker minds that can only deal with today's "pop music." Love Shack did it brilliantly. It was hip, catchy and it wasn't too too hard to see them still trying to shake their 40-something booties. Frankly, that was my least favorite tune on the album though. Channel Z and Topaz were WAY better! A perfect carry-over of their 80s stuff into a new generation. Edgy, moody and perhaps somewhat of a compliment to the grunge scene which, unfortunately, did crush them for the duration of the 90s. A previous reviewer got that perfectly. The question now is...what are they doing TODAY!??? Just checked the web site and a new album is due out this year...HOORAY!
   
   If you don't have this one though...get it...it's a mandatory part of any serious fan's collection.



5. The B-52s just don't get enough recognition for the excellent music they put out there. This album entitled Cosmic Thing still sells well today despite the passage of time and the lack of enough press for the band. Just one listen to this album proves that The B-52s remain an artistic force for aspiring artists to study today.
   
   The CD track set begins with "Cosmic Thing." This pop rock number has an awesome beat to it and the group works hard to make this number really rock! The B-52s never miss a beat and you will enjoy "Cosmic Thing" very, very much! "Dry County" sports a great beat with some minor chords to spice up the melody; they rock hard without blowing your ears out--a major feat! Moreover, "Deadbeat Club" has a great spoken intro and the melody gives you a rock and roll flavor mixed with something akin to a mellow country twist. "Deadbeat Club" showcases the high quality control of The B-52s--really impressive!
   
   Perhaps the highpoint of the entire album would be a major hit for The B-52s entitled "Love Shack." "Love Shack" sports a major rock beat with plenty of hot lyrics that don't leave much to the imagination! "Love Shack," a relentlessly upbeat tune that celebrates hot romantic encounters for young people, has great vocal backups by the ladies who also sing some of the verses of this song. I can just envision a bunch of college kids cramming into an old 1970s Chrysler as they head for the shore to have themselves some fun. Awesome!
   
   "Junebug," the following tune, reverts back to a somewhat mellow feel that distinctly sounds like classic 1980s rock. Great beat, too! "Roam" continues in the same vein as "Love Shack:" This song, however, takes a look at a special one true love as they roam the world together. You're gonna love "Roam!" It's as fresh today as they day they recorded it.
   
   "Topaz" gives us a beautiful beat with another romantic rock ballad; and the final track "Follow Your Blues," an instrumental track, has a mellow quality to it that strikes me as very beautiful. Terrific guitar, too!
   
   The liner notes include the lyrics to each song--great! The artwork shines, too.
   
   All in all, this album by the B-52s proves their vast talent beyond doubt. I highly recommend this album for fans of The B-52s (as if they didn't know that already); and fans of rock, pop and new wave.

5 comments about Substance.

1. If there's a New Order album deserving to be part of any essential albums ranking ever, it would have to be this one. A bit underproduced, perhaps too much austere for such a great release, the music still deserves the full 5 stars with no doubt.
   
   Greatest Hits and Singles compilers from today should learn from the past by checking how this became probably the best ever out from New Order's discography, without having to spice it up with "new" releases that do not bring up anything new at all.
   
   The perfect introduction to New Order for any newcomer, and always a pleasure for a commited fan.
   
   A hit singles album like no one do anymore nowadays.



2. The only Complaint is their best track/song ever
   "dreams never end" was not included.
   
   My brother introduce me to this band via the song subculture
   and I have never heard real "good music" again.
   
   Interpol the killers the bravery-huh what? they are ok but........
   the orginal is always better.
   
   CY



3. This album I first heard in the late 1990s at one of my neighbor's house. The songs I love are "True Faith," which I remembered the words for the longest time, and "Ceremony" and "Bizarre Love Triangle" are great as well. The songs are longer, but if you like dance music/techno this is an album for you. There are some vocals and some parts of the songs are instrumental.



4. "The Perfect Kiss", the only kiss that keeps on giving. This song appears on several CD's in several versions, I prefer Low-Life. Unfortunately, this song is not about a kiss; I would like to think it is. A perfect kiss, like one of those zingers that electrifies you all the way down to your toes and back; we've all had them. That is what New Order does with this song.By the way, what's up with the frogs? Check it out.



5. Anyone who says this is not one of the best CD's ever is an idiot. The music, although (I can't believe it) is 20 yrs old now, is still fresh and so ultimately energetic and dance inspiring ! It's the only CD I've bought at least 3 times and it keeps 'disappearing'.. I'll forgive my friends and others who must borrow and keep it forever... I'll keep buying it because it's that good I must keep it in my collection.. I'm finally going to wise-up and burn it to my Ipod.. Hopefully I can keep that :)

5 comments about Sandinista!.

1. I bought the original 3 LP version of Sandinista in late 1980 / early 1981, not long after it came out. I'd never heard anything by the Clash and had only the vaguest idea of what punk was all about, but I'd been reading about how great this group was supposed to be, so I thought I'd check this album out. After all, it barely cost more than a single LP, so I figured that, if nothing else, their hearts must be in the right place.
   
   To be perfectly honest, I didn't know what to make of this when I first listened to it. As I recall, my first reaction was, "This is punk???" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My expectations were turned upside down and inside out. I didn't know what to make of it, but I kept going back to it over and over and over. I can't say that I even liked it at first. It was more that I was fascinated by it, that I felt compelled to understand it. It was a mystery , a puzzle that I grew to love and appreciate over time as I unraveled it ... or was it unraveling me?
   
   Looking back, more than 25 years later, I can see just how critical this album was in breaking down so much of my prior conditioning as a listener and preparing me for the great variety of new sounds I'd soon encounter and enjoy. And I still pull this out every so often (I have the 2 CD version now, vinyl is long gone, buh bye) and I become immersed in it all over again. I know it's long and it rambles and goes astray here and there, but I love it just as it is.
   
   Having said that, I've had the feeling for a while now that, with some judicious edits, there was a killer double LP in here somewhere, at least as good and maybe even better than London Calling (which I also love, but it really begins to lose steam somewhere in that 3rd side of the original 2 LP set). So I sat down and hammered out what the 2 LP version of Sandinista would have looked like if I'd been in the producer's chair. I kept most of the original sequencing intact, with just four exceptions (Somebody Got Murdered, The Call Up, Washington Bullets, and Version City were all moved into earlier positions in the track sequence). Here's what I came up with:
   
   Side 1
   01 The Magnificent Seven
   02 Junco Partner
   03 The Leader
   04 Something About England
   05 Rebel Waltz
   06 Somebody Got Murdered
   
   Side 2
   07 Look Here
   08 The Crooked Beat
   09 The Call Up
   10 Washington Bullets
   11 One More Time
   12 One More Dub
   
   Side 3
   13 Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)
   14 Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)
   15 Corner Soul
   16 Let's Go Crazy
   17 If Music Could Talk
   18 Version City
   
   Side 4
   19 Police on My Back
   20 Midnight Log
   21 The Equaliser
   22 Charlie Don't Surf
   23 Junkie Slip
   24 Kingston Advice
   25 The Street Parade
   
   Deleted Tracks:
   Hitsville U.K. - never cared for it; the only track I can absolutely do without ever hearing again
   Ivan Meets G.I. Joe - amusing but sounds horribly dated now
   The Sound of Sinners - not bad as gospel goes, but I'm really not into that genre
   Broadway - I'm okay with this one but for me it's not essential
   Lose This Skin - I actually like this one a lot but again it felt optional to me
   Mensforth Hill - crazy backward track that I usually skip
   Living in Fame - dub, I like it, but also not essential
   Silicone on Sapphire - ditto
   Version Pardner - ditto
   Career Opportunities - kiddie rendition, somewhat amusing but hardly essential
   Shepherds Delight - not awful but it's never really made much of an impression on me either
   
   One of the things I like the best about the track list I put together is that it all ends with Street Parade, which has always sounded like the natural end of the album to me anyway.
   
   Somewhere along the way, I lost the kiddie version of "Guns of Brixton" which I actually like because it's short. I suppose I might throw that into my 2 LP sequence if I could figure out a good place for it.
   
   One of these days, maybe I'll burn my own custom killer edited version of Sandinista. Or maybe I won't. It's a great piece of work, even with its flaws and lapses, and it still continues to blow my mind, just as it always has.
   
   One last comment: the drumming on this thing! Good gawd! After all my years of listening, I've only recently begun to hear, really hear, Topper Headon's rhythm work. That guy could play ANYTHING and play it well. I think Topper has been sadly overlooked, not just as an essential contributor to the Clash, but as one of the finest rock/whatever drummers of his time.



2. The Clash's fourth album, Sandinista!, may be the most eclectic rock album ever recorded. While their previous release, London Calling, was a diverse collection, Sandinista! found the band pulling out all the stops musically. Also worth noting is that while there was a joyous atmosphere around many of the songs on London Calling, the mood is very somber for most of Sandinista! And while not every track works (a nearly impossible feat in a 36 song collection), most of the tunes are very good with a few being among their best.
   
   Disc 1 shows the band trying a little of everything whether it's rap ("The Magnificent Seven"), rockabilly ("The Leader"), disco ("Ivan Meets G.I. Joe"), funk ("Lightning Strikes"), Motown soul ("Hitsville U.K."), jazz (their cover of "Look Here"), ska ("If Music Could Talk") or gospel ("The Sound of Sinners"). However, the genres that emerge the most are new wave with "Somebody Got Murdered" and "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)" and reggae with "The Crooked Beat", "Junco Partner", and "One More Time", which is also joined by a dub version appropriately titled "One More Dub." Of the two discs, Disc 1 is the stronger of the two with "The Magnificent Seven", "The Crooked Beat", "Somebody Got Murdered", and "Up in Heaven" being the best songs and "Let's Go Crazy" being the only subpar tune.
   
   Disc 2 continues the eclecticism with a heavier emphasis on reggae and dub. This time, the band cover hard rock on the opening "Police on My Back" and attempt psychedelia on "Mensforth Hill", which is "Something About England" played backwards. The latter may have worked for the Beatles on The White Album but here it's one of a few failed experiments on the disc. We get more rockabilly on "Midnight Log" and more new wave on "Charlie Don't Surf", and three gems in the anti-war track "The Call Up", the dance tune "Version City", and the ballad "Broadway." The reggae tunes are very good with "The Equaliser" and "Washington Bullets" being the best on the album. There are a few clunkers here like "Silicone on Sapphire", "Shepherd's Delight", and an ill advised cover of their own "Career Opportunities" but fortunately they're near the end of the disc. In closing, Sandinista! is by far the most challenging release of the Clash's catalog. However, several listens and a bit of patience reveal this to be a compelling album.



3. TURN THIS UP REAL LOUD, GET HIGH, LISTEN, TUNE IN...
   
   To those who say this is not a great album, and that you need to create your own cd from the 36 tracks: Go listen to the radio, this is not for you, this is for people who actually like the adventure and excitement of albums.
   
   I have never been a huge fan of the clash, more of a very casual part-time listener, never really hearing more than London Calling and bits and pieces of other albums. My girlfriend has been a fan of them for many years so she played me a few other albums, and while I enjoyed their music and thought of them as much more than just a punk band, I never really knew how great they were until I finally listened to this work of mastery. I can't believe how good this is.
   
   I think you really have to pay attention to this album to get it. You can't just put this on in the background and look for good singles or hardcore punk/rock blasts, this is a full album that needs to really be absorbed in full.
   
   This was not a f_ck you to the record label.
   This was not a treat for hardcore fans.
   This was not them scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to make this so long.
   
   This is one of the best albums ever made in the history of music, spanning almost every genre of music, bridging the past with what was going to come in the future, very big sound, amazing instrumental moments with great surprises and subtle changes that are mind-blowing. The thickness of this album will totally shock anybody who hasn't listened to it and likes bands like My Morning jacket, Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Olivia Tremor control or any other psychedelicesque music that has many, many layers of sound. The thing that really struck me the most was the layering of sound on Sandinista! I totally have to rethink of my perception of the Clash after this experience.
   
   I just hope more people listen to this properly.
   If you have ever listened to this and wished you liked it more, or if you have never even liked the Clash at all, get really stoned and put this in your stereo...enjoy.



4. This is the album that turned me onto music when I was a kid. Before that music was "nice" but not necessary. That aside, this is still my favourite album of all time and I can't believe I lived without it for almost a decade. Since being reunited with "Sandinista!" I have listened to it almost every single day. The best album by the best band ever.



5. I originally bought !Sandinista! as a 3 lp set when it was released. I was 15 at the time and being a huge Clash fan more than a little confused and disappointed. Like many people I believed that there was a great single album in the midst of all of the experimentation with different genres that the Clash were trying. Boy was I wrong.
   
   This isn't a brilliant album despite its sprawling, undisciplined ambition. It's a brilliant album because of its sprawling, undisciplined ambition. Trying to boil it down to one album would turn it into Combat Rock without the hits. Take it for what it is, and thank the god of your choice that the Clash didn't try to do it any other way.
   
   Rest in peace Joe. We miss you.

5 comments about War.

1. This is one of U2's best albums. Almost every song is great and 3 were hit singles, including Sunday, Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day and Two Hearts. New Year's Day has become a radio staple classic and is still fresh 20-something years later. I bought this cd for the remastering and I wasn't disappointed, the remastering is excellent. This is my 5th favorite U2 cd in the following order.
   
   1 Achtung Baby
   2 All That You Can't Leave Behind
   3 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
   4 Pop
   5 War
   
   Sorry folks but I'm not a huge fan of the Joshua Tree although that would come in 6th. For those of you that have never listened to War, you are in for a pleasant surprise. It was one of their most MOR(Middle of the Road) albums and it features their trademark anti-war protest lyrics. Very accessible, original music. One of the classic cd's of the 80's New Wave movement and a huge influence on other bands at the time.



2. When it comes to a band like U2, it's always hard to say which period is "classic U2". Well I feel the War album was the last of the raw, new wave, earthy, rock sound that is very melodic and completed with the Edge's unique guitar style. You can really hear Adam and Larry contributing for sure. It has a much different sound than Boy and October, but it also stands in it's own catagory. New Years Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Surrender are my favorites but then again I love the whole album....This is a cd to complete your U2 collection for sure!



3. Without a doubt this is one of the best albums of the Irish band U2.
   The sound is greater than ever.
   
   It's like getting back to basics of rock and roll and still sounds new.
   
   The artwork it's fantastic.
   
   Seat on your favorite place, grab a good drink, enjoy the artwork and listen to one of the best albums of all time.
   
   Cheers from Mexico City.



4. WAR was a breakthrough for U2, after the slight stumble of OCTOBER, and the remastering treatment that Universal has given it is warm and crisp, not harsh and shrill, so that you feel like you're in the room with the band. On this album, the band's sound and style, which combines new wave with 70s hard rock, starts to peak, with political, spiritual, and romantic concerns being given equal weight lyrically. Now that this album, THE JOSHUA TREE, and the first two albums have been remastered, now we can all hope for THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE to receive the same treatment.



5. At this point in time, there are already enough reviews on the album itself... many much more well-written and informed than I could ever hope to write. And also at this point in time, you have probably already heard or purchased this album in one of its various forms if you are looking at possibly buying the new remastered version.
   
   So the question is not "Is this an album worth buying?" because we already know it is. The question is "Is this album worth re-buying?"
   
   The answer: yes, it is. The remastering of War makes it go from sounding like a record to sounding like you are in the studio hearing it live for the first time. And it's breath-taking... it really is.

5 comments about Iron Maiden.

1. I was standing in the parking lot of my favorite night club in New Jersey circa 1980 when I heard this awesome music coming from "some dude's" car stereo. The speakers were blaring, "Walking through the city; lookin' oh so pretty; I've just got to find my way!"...and I said to the guy, "who the heck is that?" Of course the guy replied, "Iron Maiden." I offered to smoke "a cigarette" with the guy if he'd play the whole cassette for me and my friends before going into the bar. The guy obliged and the rest is History.
   
   Almost 30 years later, I'm finally downloading Iron Maiden's first album. Sure, I've got the vinyl in storage; and, yup, I've got the CD somewhere, but darned if I can find it. So my recent cravings for Remember Tomorrow and Prowler are now satisfied, and the rest of this recording's stand-out tracks are now also on my Zune.
   
   I don't know if I was just looking in the wrong place(s), or if this CD is only recently released for download, but regardless of that, I'm glad I've finally got Di'Anno singing these songs on my regular playlists the way they were originally recorded.
   
   Maiden fans, if you haven't already ripped this CD to your media player...this download is your opportunity to reminisce in the beginning of something very special and important to the Metal genre.



2. Any self respecting Maiden fan must own this cd, even though Bruce Dickenson is not on board yet, this cd gives great glimpses of what is to come. There is a definite punk influence on some of these tracks and the production isn't at the highest level, but it is still Maiden. Complete your collection today and buy this.



3. Great intro album from the best new wave metal to come out of England in the early '80s. Some find the band to be truly great with Bruce Dickinson but Paul Dianno has his own vocal range as well which works well with songs such as 'Remember Tomorrow' and 'Strange World.' There's a reason why Dickinson never sang these songs in concert, not because they're bad, he simply doesn't have the voice for them. And, of course, this is the album with which the saga of Charlotte the Harlot begins and is to be followed up in Number of the Beast.



4. Just because Iron Maiden were mostly succesfull with Bruce Dickinson as their signer and that the albums were huge hits and all,it doesn't neccesarily mean that the previous signer Paul Di'Anno didn't do great albums with Maiden.In 1979-1980 the New Wave Of Brittish Heavy Metal exploded and Maiden were amongst the best of them and one of the surviving ones.Actually the two albums he did with the band "Iron Maiden" and "Killers" in 1980 and 1981 respectively can be considered as very good albums and influential ones as well,this first album especially.This album is actually a "chef d'oeuvre"(yeah a big word or two never hurts anybody)of the heavy metal genre.Well actually this album is showing their Punk-Rock roots and Di'Anno did have a pretty good voice for the genre of music they played at the time and has a special voice that I have grown to appreciate and its too bad that the band didn't make any other albums with him,even if i consider the Bruce era to be my favourite and the best.The songs on this one are classics of metal and are still great today,like the praised "Phantom Of The Opera" and the excellent "Prowler" that have a very classic sound and a good appeal with most Maiden fans.
   
   Iron Maiden have been around since 1975(Christmas day,heheh)and all I have to say is why?Why didn't they release an album sooner but anyway the songs on here are some of the ones they had been playing since the debut of their careers and became some of their early hits."Prowler" was in fact on the band's 3 demo songs on their first LP,"Soundhouse Tapes" issued in 1978,and Iron Maiden caught attention from their beggenings as they sold five thousand copies in weeks.The lineup on this first album is the lineup of Steve Harris on bass,Paul Di'Anno as vocalist,Dennis Stratton as guitarist,Dave Murray on guitar and drummer Clive Burr.What's impressive is that the album reached # 4 in the UK charts in its first week of release!This album may not be considered as their best but this was a very influential album back then and it was the seed that would help generate many bands and most notably the "Trash-Metal" genre.
   
   The songs on this one are very Punk-Rock inspired as I said but with an element of metal in it that makes it a true Iron Maiden album.The songs are very good and my personnal favourite and it shouldn't be a surprise is the much praised "Phantom Of The Opera",its an amazing piece of metal with terrific guitar playing and great vocals by Di'Anno,this is the masterpiece od the Di'Anno era and its worth hearing as this is one of Maiden's best songs ever."Prowler" is a song from earlier days and has a nice wah-wah guitar intro and a catchy chorus that will get stuck in your head."Transylvania" is a solid instrumental song but not much more,its good tought."Running Free" is one of the famous songs of the album and with good reasons,as this is a great song with solid lyrics and a great guitar riff and a solid song overral,one of the best on the album."Remember tommorrow" is nearly an instrummental with less singing but it shows each musician's capacities and the guitar solos and the riffs are amazing!It has great harmonies going from a slow part to fast one and from fast to slow.Strange World is a ballad,yes a heavy band doing a ballad and there is nothing wrong with it if its as good as this,very good track.Charlotte The Harlotte And Iron Maiden are both very good songs and finish the album pretty well to say the least.And last,the unreleased song "Sanctuary"(I don't know if it really is an unreleased song)is excellent with a great rebelion feeling that can be felt while listening to it and its one of the best tracks on the album!
   
   This album is very good and is actually a solid album but its also must I say,the most underrated.Its full of classics and any fans should get this as every fans from every band in the world should get the opportunity to hear the debut and the basic idea of the band,if not just to compare how good they've comed.If you don't like Maiden with Bruce you might like this more as it sounds like classic Punk Rock but a metal and more harmonic touch in it and with with very solid lyrics."Iron Maiden" is a great album well deserving of a place in any metal fans's musical library.Its a great album but not a great one to start with,at least in my opinion if you are starting then as your first move get an album from the Bruce era as with those you are sure of liking them.If you are an older fan and have listened to most of the Bruce stuff then this is recommended(you'll know what Maiden sounded then).



5. The debut album of Iron Maiden came out in 1980, right in the midst of a crest where heavy metal was transitioning from a form that had thrived on maybe a dozen (at most) really good bands, into a vastly expanded field of music. Around 1979 and the early 80s an army of new bands and albums poured forth, first almost entirely from the UK and by the mid-80s coming in force from America, Germany, Scandinavia, Canada, really all over the place. One of the reasons I mention all this is that the opening track on Iron Maiden, 'Prowler', and the opening track off Judas Priest's 1980 British Steel ('Breaking The Law') have often occurred to me as the best possible harbingers of the entire future of metal, from the opening notes forth.
   
   Apart from ushering in an even more vibrant era for metal than the 70s had been, 'Prowler' certainly does a tremendous job of announcing Iron Maiden to the world. Instantly recognizable, heavy, and with stunningly paced guitar wizardry, the song was an excellent omen of things to come. Although the music on this disc is somewhat different than the trademark Maiden sound (its immediate follow-up, Killers, was much more in sync with the bulk of Maiden's repertory) it immediately establishes one of Iron Maiden's most important aspects: the ability to fuse slow-, mid-, fas-, and ultrafast-tempo parts seamlessly into the same song, as witnessed repeatedly on here. Some songs take it more one way or the other - 'Strange World', a quintessential 'soft metal' track (and aguably the greatest vocal performance by Paul Di'Anno, who sang on this and Killers before leaving and being replaced by Bruce Dickinson) is quite slow paced all through, and hauntingly beautiful, with mystical lyrics.
   
   Title track 'Iron Maiden' finishes off the album, and this one probably needs no introduction to heavy metal fans: among the most classic of the band's material. The weakest track on the album is 'Charlotte The Harlot', which is kind of lacklustre but gave rise to an excellent track in '22 Acacia Avenue', its 'sequel' from The Number of the Beast. Another hitch is 'Running Free', which is great musically but hobbled by weak and ineffective lyrics. The song, although lyrically unchanged, did come off much better on Live After Death.
   
   Aside from those two relatively 'lesser' songs, the album is pretty much impeccable. And without question, among the most noteworthy debut albums ever.

5 comments about Popular Favorites 1976-1992/Sand In the Vaseline.

1. There's little that I can add to the reviews already here in regards to the music and selections. It's great stuff, and a pleasure to hear.
   
   I just wanted to caution buyers who might be getting this from an independent seller that this is a 2 CD set! Each CD has its own jewel case and then there's an over-case uniting the two. I twice ordered it from such sellers who had only the first CD and did not realize there was another one. They graciously refunded my money but save yourself the trouble I had and ask your seller to verify physically that they have both CD's before you order.



2. I appreciate the title of this 2-disc set 'Popular Favorites..." because there is NO such thing as "Best of" when it comes to this rock-fusion group (you are right - I did NOT say "new wave"). If you haven't collected every album they have or if you have just had the great good fortune to have discovered Talking Heads, then this is the CD set for you...unless you have quite a bit more moola and can afford their entire collected box-set then I say GO FOR IT. There are few groups that I would consider buying their life's work - but Talking Heads is definitely at the top, maybe, just maybe behind The Beatles...or maybe Traffic....hmmmmmmmmm - have to give that some thought. Anyway, BUY THIS IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD THEIR ENTIRE BOX-SET COLLECTION!! And that is close to being an order - if you love good music and are musically eclectically-minded. Enjoy!



3. Anyone who whould rate this less than four stars is ignorant. The first two words of the title say it all, "Popular Favorites." This is a great compilation. Can you please everyone all of the time? No, but this is as close as you can get. There's a lot more to the Talking Heads than is on this double cd release, but it is what it is, popular favorites. This band was ahead of its time with music that will endure several lifetimes, and these cd's have the songs to back that statement up.



4. With such an 'eclectic' band like Talking Heads, a search for individual albums (and/or Hits) should produce better results than creating this compilation that, certainly, is like having "sand in the Vaseline" (for any meaning you would like to give to this statement!).
   In my case, I would bet for having the full song list of "Little Creatures", "True Stories" and even "Speaking In Tongues" included in a compilation of T.H. Hits.
   Anyway, if you're exploring in music you heard before some time, but never knew who was(were) the performer(s), this "Sand in the Vaseline" will certainly work for you!



5. I discovered the talking heads as a teeneage and fell in love, this 2 disc set is incredible and I highly reccommend it to ANYONE who appreiates the type of music. It's really an incredible compilation.

5 comments about Brave New World.

1. Having allowed this to settle for several years, I can now look back and compare it fairly with their entire catalog and without a doubt, this is a record that keeps sounding fantastic even several years down the road. I rank it ahead of DOD and AMOLAD, and not only that, I rank it ahead of quite a lot of their earlier work too. Wicker Man is one of their best album openers of all; Ghost of the Navigator a brilliantly original, progressive tune; Brave New World a classic title track that's pure Maiden; Blood Brothers... a bit weak; Mercenary a good Maiden rocker; Dream of Mirrors another brilliant progressive tune; Fallen Angel a great tune that gets lost in the mix of other greats; Nomad another great eastern-sounding Maiden classic; and the final two tracks among the best Maiden has ever written. Excellent work!



2. You can't go wrong with the classic line-up of Iron Maiden. Bruce, Steve, Dave, Adrian, Janick and Nicko will always impress.



3. This album really sucks. Those songs are horrible. Dickinson just repeats every chorus over and over. In Wicker man, the chorus is "your time will come"...repeated 4 times in a row, with horrible guitar in the background. Then you actually get a chorus where he says it EIGHT times in a row. "Brave new world"? Same thing..."in a brave new world" repeated 4 times is the chorus...and once again, for good measure you get a chorus where he repeats it EIGHT times. "We're blood brothers"...well take a guess what the chorus consists of. Yup, were blood brothers repeated 4 times. Beyond the painful choruses , the rest of the song is bad as well. Very weak guitars, and not at all catchy or headbanging music. I mean, this album just really sucks. LIsten to the track "The Magician" by Dickinson or "Wasted Years", to hear good Maiden.



4. I was in high school while this album had already been released. I had never heard Maiden before but always wanted to. I looked through some cds at a store and saw this cover. I that it look pretty wicked and picked it up. This album was a life changing album for me. My perspective on music totally changed. My focus as a muscisian and a songwriter changed. These guys are now my favorite band by far and its all because I decided to buy this album. If there is some other kid out there who is like I was then, I hope they pick this up because it may do the same for them.



5. Brave New World is better than most comeback albums that bands come back with. Metal bands always say "we're returning to our roots!" or "we're going to really push the envelope and go all out with this!" Brave New World actually does a little of both. Iron Maiden shoots for a very epic sound while using the classic Maiden techniques. Some of the songs are a little slow at some points, but none are bad. These points are what brings the album down to only four stars. Maiden picked up the pace a bit in the two albums that followed though, especially in A Matter of Life and Death.
   
   All in all, this is a great album that belongs in any Iron Maiden fan's collection.
   
   Personal song picks:
   
   The Wicker Man
   Ghost of the Navigator
   The Nomad
   Out of the Silent Planet

5 comments about Billy Idol - Greatest Hits.

1. I grew up in the 80's listening to Billy on my mom's record player and now am still listening to him on my MP3. I got this because it has most of his best songs- although I am not crazy about Shock to the System. I also don't understand why some of his other soulful works are not included on any "greatest hits" albums. I would have liked for "Prodigal Blues" and "The Loveless"(Charmed Life) and "Worlds Forgotten Boy" (Whiplash Smile) to have been included here. Even so, it remains a must have for any Idol fan. Other great Billy albums are Charmed Life and Whiplash Smile as well as his latest, Devils Playground. Idolize Yourself (another hits compilation) will be released later this month with 2 new songs. Billy Idol remains "the man" of punk and rock. He is still rocking in his 50's and gorgeous as ever. I would highly recommend this CD. One word of caution: the live version of Rebel Yell does contain some audible expletives, not to be played in front of children. I'm glad my 5 year old wasn't in the room when I first heard it.



2. Good songs like you remember them if you are an Idol fan. "Rebel Yell"
   always a favorite! The only down side I've never been a favorite of live
   recordings on CD's tapes etc. They always sound bad. I'm paying to hear
   good quality music. The live recording is what you expect. Can't carry a
   tune in a bucket haha other than that the rest of the songs are good. -1
   for the live recording.



3. I can honestly say I forgot how much I enjoyed Billy Idol's music. Maybe I'm just old but the originals on the CD make me get up and dance. Not too keen on the covers at the end of the CD but you gotta love his voice and the beat.



4. Despite posing like a bad boy (whether he is or was really one, we don't know for sure), Billy Idol is a good singer and always had good intentions. His collection of tunes is one of the landmarks of the 80s, when music used to be more interesting in general than it is nowadays (with some exceptions, of course).
   
   This 2001 compilation of "Greatest Hits" reunites not necessarily his best, but at least his best known songs. Classics such as "Mony Mony", "Rebel Yell" and "Cradle of Rock", as well as the ballads "Flash for Fantasy", "Eyes Without a Face" and "Sweet Sixteen" are here with 10 other tracks, including a nice Simple Minds cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)", another classic of that decade.
   
   All tracks are 24-bit digitally remastered for the very delight of every Pop Rock fan of the 80s.



5. Very dissapointed as I have not received my shipment. Nor am I able to track it on this website as it does not tell me with which company the CD was shipped.
   
   So the fact that I have not recieved this shipment means I can's comment on teh product