5 comments about Call of the West.

1. I bought this album for Mexican Radio, an amusingingly catchy song with a mean harmonica riff. Upon recieving the album I listened to it all the way through, and will definitely never do so again. Still, Mexican Radio was enough of an incentive for me to buy the album, so if you've got the Mexican Radio bug, go ahead and get a copy.



2. If you're a fan of early 80's synthesizer based music, you'll probably enjoy this album. 'Mexican Radio', 'Spyworld', and 'On Interstate 15' are good. The lyrics are quirky and interesting. Unfortunately, for me, there's too much drum machine and not enough guitar.



3. ''Mexican Radio'' sucked back in l983 and a quarter of a century later, it still sucks. And what sucks even more, is l can't stop singing it. ''l hear the heartbeat of the DJ, l can't understand just what does he say.''



4. Good CD and of course Mexican Radio and Call of the West are 5 Star rated songs.



5. I had been looking for this title on iTunes, but I guess they did not see a profit in making this music available. I do not know why, but the songs on this CD have been popping into my head every so often since the album was releases many years ago. Anyway, the music is still fun and slightly off center making it excellent for listening to while driving.
   
   Did I mention that it only costs about $8?

No comments about Movement (2 CD Collector's Edition).

5 comments about Heart and Soul.

1. If you want to get some Joy Division on CD, you need to get this box set. It's just about their complete discography of official releases and contains everything you need - both studio albums, all the singles, and a nice bunch of live recordings. The music is outstanding - kind of a blend of the Doors, The Cure, mixed with a Sex Pistols edge... you can tell JD were a huge influence on U2 and many other bands that followed. Really they have a unique sound all their own that stands out from everything else before or since. The packaging on this box set though flat out stinks. The 2nd time I opened mine it fell apart, seriously. And while the book is thick, the information isn't that good - the writer tried to be artsy and it doesn't come off well; I would prefer a detailed band bio and stuff about the songs. But if you want Joy Division, Heart and Soul is THE item to get. Highly recommended.



2. all i can say is i love this box set, it is perfect and i love joy division.....buy this set now!!!!11



3. I'm in another phase of (re)exploring Joy Division, on the heels of finally watching the excellent Ian Curtis bio-pic "Control", which never made it in the theaters here in Cincinnati but I saw recently on DVD. It happens to me every couple of years that I feel the need the re-listen to this set from start to finish. I bought the original UK-issue of this, back in 1997.
   
   "Heart and Soul" (4CDs, 81 tracks, 309 min.) brings just about everything that Joy Division ever recorded. CD1 (21 tracks; 78 min.) centers around the 1979 debut album "Unknown Pleasures", augmented by assorted singles and outtakes. Listening to tracks like "She's Lost Control", "Shadowplay" and "I Remember Nothing" reminds me why this band is still relevant, almost 30 years later. CD2 (17 tracks; 76 min.) centers around the 1980 album "Closer", again with lots of additional tracks from that era. CD3 (24 tracks; 78 min.) capatures everything else, including the early "Warsaw" music, 3 tracks from the "John Peele Sessions" and a bunch of unreleased stuff, such as the fantastic "Ceremony" and "In A Lonely Place". CD4 (19 tracks; 77 min.) is a collection of live tracks. The sound quality for many of them is not great, but they are still essential. The best of the bunch are the last 5, recorded in December 1979, when the band previewed a number of tracks that would eventually make it on the "Closer" album (released in July, 1980). Check out the live version of "Heart and Soul" and then listen to what it would eventually become in its final studio version, simply fascinating!
   
   This box comes with a wealth of information, including studio session dates, release dates of singles and album, various articles and great liner notes. The article "Good Everning, We're Joy Division" (which was originally published in MoJo in 1994, according to the liner notes) is an eye-opener. This box is essential for any serious Joy Division fan (is there such a thing as the 'casual' fan? maybe, I don't know). And frankly, this is essential for any music lover, as the influence of Joy Division over the years has only grown (check Interpol, She Wants Revenge, and many other bands of this era). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!



4. I travelled far and wide through many different times,
   What did you see there?
   I saw the saints with their toys,
   What did you see there?
   I saw all knowledge destroyed.
   I travelled far and wide through many different times.



5. This is as close as you can get to the definitive Joy Division collection. The live material is just as good, with all of the concert recordings coming from the soundboard. This is a welcome change from years of scratchy vinyl audience-recorded bootlegs. The best part of this box set has to be the studio demos of two songs never properly released by Joy Division due to Ian's untimely death - 'Ceremony' and 'In A Lonely Place.'
   
   Although 'Ceremony' was performed at the last live JD venue in Birmingham and found on the Still double LP release, this studio version includes audible lyrics for the first verse. We can't hear Ian in the Still version until the second verse due to soundboard problems. I was disappointed that Peter Hook cuts off 'In A Lonely Place' just as Ian started singing the version that contains, "Hangman looks 'round while he waits; cord stretches tight then in breaks." The official word on this is that during the original demo, the quality of the recording deteriorated after that verse. If that was the case, I'm sure the band would have recorded a second demo after they heard the playback.
   
   After witnessing this release, I was expecting a similar release for New Order, but unfortunately, the New Order box set excludes many early rarities, like Homage, Haystack, and original 1980 recordings sans Gillian Gilbert.
   
   Overall, Heart and Soul is a must have for the avid Joy Division aficionado.

4 comments about Brain Thrust Mastery.

1. Their first album will always be dear to me, and I don't think their is a single misstep on it. I would almost say that about this one, except I could do without the slow song and a few chord combinations fall a little flat. That having been said, this one clearly does not rock out with the hooks quite as hard as the previous album. I like this album and can enjoy it just fine, with a few songs that do really rock hard, but overall it is simply not as dynamic. I do not however think their new style is all that different; maybe they added a few embellishments of keyboard or other new instruments, but overal this is the same ole band, just having a classic sophomore slump before they come back strong again.



2. This new record isn't the We Are Scientists we were used to. The band has really grown and developed their sound. There are not many bratty pop songs compared to past releases, but rather many brooding, moody tracks... Much more complex as well.
   
   At first the new sound was jarring, but over time it's really grown on me, and that's usually a sure sign that an album has legs. The melodic hooks are still there, the punchy drums remain, they're just steeped in a lot of additional sounds and riffs. Some tracks like 'Let's See It' still start with a strong catchy guitar run, but the vocals are more sing-songy.
   
   There is more of a synthpop influence in the music as well. Something along the lines of a happier New Order with a bit of The Smiths in the melody. Tracks like 'Lethal Enforcer' are straight up new wave.
   
   'Brain Thrust Mastery' is an excellent deviation from the mainstream, and a sign of even greater things to come.



3. We Are Scientists has done it again, with their sophomore album, 'Brain Thrust Mastery'. Those hoping for 'With Love and Squalor 2' will be let down, because is a very different sound. Which is a good thing. Although the drummer did leave, this is still a great rock album.
   
   HIGHLIGHTS
   Let's See It
   Leather Enforcer (My Personal Favorite)
   Impatience
   Altered Beast



4. Brooklyn based band We Are Scientists (Keith Murray and Chris Cain) follow up their winning debut with this second album of 80's New Wave inspired music. Guitar rock and synthpop are pretty evenly distributed throughout the 11 tracks included here, with Sparks being the band that mostly comes to mind as being a possible major influence, as they share that band's penchant for the satirical and the goofy, as well as their love of a good hook. Not all the material hits the mark, but in general Brain Thrust Mastery is a witty good time from a band that thankfully doesn't take much seriously, except maybe showing their listeners a bit of fun. Standout cuts: "After Hours," "Lethal Enforcer," "Impatience" and "Chick Lit."

5 comments about Living in America.

1. I would say this album was fantastic if they hadn't blown it away with their second album. The Sounds are going nowhere but up!



2. You'll be tapping toes or fingers to this. I bought "Dying to Say This To You" and couldn't stop playing it, so decided I wanted more of the Sounds and I picked up "Living in America" a week after. It's got a lighter pop sound and catchier, faster beats to it as opposed to "Dying to Say This To You", hence I absolutely love it.
   
   I agree the Sounds will one way or another (no pun intended) remind you of Blondie. I also agree with most of the other reviewers that Maja's voice is something of an aquired taste. She reminds me of Debbie Harry, but she reminds me of a less melodious Harry-- such as the rougher parts of "One Way or Another" or the rapping part of "Rapture". I can see how not everyone is apt to warm up to her enough to want a whole CD of her singing, but she has a unique sound and I enjoy it. Perhaps it would be best to listen to the samples on the Amazon page or on the Sounds' MySpace page before making any purchasing decisions. Here's a quick breakdown of the songs:
   
   Tracks 1-3, "Seven Days A Week", "Dance With Me", and "Living in America" start the album off just right. "Dance With Me" may make you to actually dance to it.
   
   Track 4, "Hit Me!", is my least favorite track and probably showcases the negatives of Maja's voice more than any other track. I think it could've done with some better lyrics. You'd think a song with an exclaimation point in the title would be a little more powerful, but this is not the case. It builds up nicely though and, like every song on the disc, has a great beat.
   
   Everything from track 5 to 8 ("Mine For Life", "Rock 'N Roll", "Like A Lady", "Reggie") is gold to me.
   
   With track 9, "Fire", I like it a little less than the preceding tracks but it's still a good song. This one and track 10, "Hope You're Happy Now", sort of lose me at the refrains. I think like "Hit Me!" they could have benefited with some lyrical adjustments but they are solid enough that I can't bring myself knock an entire star off of this CD just because these two and "Hit Me!" don't quite make my Favorites list.
   
   Track 11, "Riot" is awesome and the untitled final track, "S.O.U.N.D.S", is a neat way to end the disc off.



3. Simply splendid new-wave influenced pop-rock. Very very derivative of course but really good nonetheless.



4. I love this band and I'm just now getting into their older album. It's great! See this band live - will not dissapoint!



5. I just found out about The Sounds a little over a month ago. Ended up buying Dying To Say This To You purely on a hunch, hoping it be worth a quarter of what I paid (a mere 10 dollars I might add). To say I was in dire need of some good music was an understatement. I enjoyed Dying... endlessly and figured "why not get Living In America, it's only 8 bucks". Turns out that, too, was a great choice because I enjoy this CD just as much as I do Dying...
   
   About this whole debate as to whether Maja is a competent vocalist or not. My opinion is that yes, she's got a good voice with some interesting lyrics. Sure there are much more talented singers out there but I couldn't imagine this band being fronted by a more charismatic person. Maja really does beg your attention, good or bad.
   
   So the CD starts off on the highest of notes with Seven Days A Week which really feels like a rock song from years past. This song is where you'll decide very quickly if you like Maja or not. The title track, Living In America, is quite possibly the best song featured. With driving guitars (well, driving in The Sounds' case), a memorable chorus, and some nice electronic sounds, if you're looking to get into The Sounds, just listen to this track. Rock'n Roll is a nice slower track where Maja kind of puts her voice on display, a good song to listen to if you're looking to mellow out. Reggie has that 'familiar' feel to it thanks to the chorus, a great track nonetheless. Riot is another terrific song. It's an in-your-face type track with some pretty good lyrics and a great beat.
   
   All in all The Sounds have become one of my favorite bands thanks to they're different-ness. Listen to the radio for a day. I am willing to bet that you won't hear anything like them, but of course I haven't listened to the radio in close to a year, so then again, maybe there is. But nevertheless, The Sounds are nothing short of a great band and I hope they'll be around for a long time to come.
   
   My favorite songs are Seven Days A Week, Living In America, Hit Me!, Rock'n Roll, and Riot. If you're skeptical about this CD, or the band, after reading all the reviews, just listen for yourself. I love The Sounds, but that's not to say that you will. Preferences my friend, preferences.

5 comments about Yours Truly, Angry Mob.

1. The Kaiser Chiefs' debug Employment was one of the brighter spots in the recent wave of British indie bands. Acclaimed for their comments on British lower-middle-class life and their tongue-in-cheek love songs, the Kaiser Chiefs spent most of the time in between Employment headlining festivals, touring, and battling comparisons to `90s Brit-Poppers Blur. It didn't help that singer Ricky Wilson was the victim of a hit-and-run and spent much of 2005 in a plaster cast.
   
   Their second album, Yours Truly, Angry Mob, was released in the U.K. back in February and was their first #1 album. Although they don't have the kind of recognition here that they do back in the motherland, there is nothing in the album itself that should prevent it from selling thousands here. It's a finely crafted Brit-pop record that is at once familiar yet new and intriguing for American listeners.
   
   First single "Ruby" starts off the album in typical Kaiser Chiefs fashion, with a jaunty guitar propelling the song and a series of very British "ah-ah-aaahs" harmonizing. The song has a chorus that could easily move stadium crowds to sing-a-longs, although the lyrics are fairly simple. The next song, "The Angry Mob," is one of the best tunes on the album. The drums and ominous guitar provide an angular rhythm that complements the excellent crowd chanting near the rising climax.
   
   Yours Truly, Angry Mob's songs can be easily divided into two sections: songs of love lost and won, and commentaries or philosophizing on society. Of the former, the Chiefs have nearly perfected their craft. "Heat Dies Down" and "Love's Not a Competition, But I'm Winning" strike out at ex's and laments failed relationships.
   
   "Heat" sounds like a second single, all Britpop melodies and a hard-to-forget chorus, while "Competition" is one of a very few acoustic songs the Chiefs have attempted. They pull it off well, with piano, guitar, and an ending that slowly fades away with a kind of delicate beauty.
   
   The Chiefs reflections on society fare only a little worse, although they give it a solid shot. Although "The Angry Mob" and closer "Retirement," are excellent songs, a few fail to go anywhere.
   
   "Highroyds," while having some choice lyrics ("They let in all the girls from the year below / No need for ID's with those dresses") lacks a memorable musical structure and Wilson struggles to sound tough. "Try Your Best" is a slow song in the mold of "Competition," but relies too much on drums and a nearly ambient guitar line, as well as being bogged down by vague lyrics.
   
   Another sign of a future change in the Chiefs' musical sensibilities can be found on "Boxing Champ/Learnt My Lesson Well," which inexplicably was combined into one song on the American release. "Boxing Champ" features just an uplifting piano line and the vocal stylings of drummer Nick Hodgson, the band's principal songwriter. Hodgson's honest, earnest pipes nearly make this song the best on the record, but sadly it is little over a minute long.
   
   "Boxing Champ" immediately segues into "Learnt My Lesson Well," which is heralded by a pounding tom rhythm and a menacing guitar part. Although lyrically it is a bit trifling, the band's energetic gusto makes up for it.
   
   While lacking the fiery, urgent energy of a band attempting to distinguish themselves that Employment offered in spades, Kaiser Chiefs' latest still has enough hooks and melodies to power a summer of singalongs.



2. A read of the UK site suggests that the angry mob didn't like this second album as much as its predecesor. From my point of view, its hard to fault, except perhaps that the delivery is a little too tightly crafted--I'd have liked a little more instrumentation and a little less verse-chorus-verse. Their live shows they have the chops and its time they used them. Still, a very good album and one that hasn't been out of my car stereo for a week now.



3. This CD has some strong material. If you are looking for songs that glorify the German Empire, look elsewhere because the Kaiser Chiefs are a British band specializing in pop/rock and various medical procedures. Top songs include: Ruby, Highroyds, Retirement, My Kind of Guy. I have recommended this CD to my business associates.



4. This is one of the best albums that I bought last year. Its probably in my top ten of the decade. I was hooked the first time I heard Ruby on the radio. After I got the cd, I listened to it incessantly for weeks. This is a great album to rock out to while driving or whatever you do while listening to music. Lots of great guitar and bass work in the songs too, especially on Hyroids and I Can Do It Without You. Very solid cd, lots of fun songs and catchy melodies. I highly recommend picking this cd up.



5. Great Album, have a few pints this one is to rock out to. FAV. tracks. RUBY,The Angry Mob,Everything Is Average Nowadays ,Love's Not A Competition and the best track is a gem, Heat Dies Down. It just flows.
   By the real Donald Bjay Miller

5 comments about Greatest.

1. Well I love this cd, but I can't see why amazon does not carry it.. Can you buy it in the stores?



2. The Go Gos would have to be one of my favourite bands of the 1980's. This CD contains the unforgettable track "Alex The Seal". The last I heard Alex was performing at Waterworld in Florida. Belinda and the Go Gos Rock!



3. I was a metalhead in the 80s. This condition was caused by being a boy growing up in south Louisiana. If I had dared to admit to listening to a "girl New Wave band" I would likely have been beaten up. Now that I'm older and bigger I can readily admit I like them very much. The band was very musically tight, and knew how to write a catchy song. I'll admit that I like the "hits" better tnan the other album cuts, but overall a very listenable CD.



4. The Go-Go's formed in 1978 and emerged from their ska punk roots to become goddesses of pop punk when "We Got the Beat" became an underground hit in 1980. The pop scene greeted The Go-Go's with a certain amount of surprise, it seemed, because the all-female band could play instruments and wrote most of their own songs. The contrast between their punk sensibility and their perky, poppy demeanor made for a curious, memorable image that suited the glossy cynicism of the 1980s. "Go-Go's: Greatest" is a best-of album covering the band's chart-topping hey day in the 1980s. The 14 tracks represent the 3 albums The Go-Go's recorded before their breakup in 1985. The ladies' line-up on "Greatest" is: Charlotte Caffey, lead guitar and keyboards; Belinda Carlisle, lead vocals; Gina Schock, drums and percussion; Kathy Valentine, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, and backup vocals; and Jane Wiedlin, rhythm guitar and backup vocals.
   
   From 1981's "Beauty and the Beat", we have the #2 hit "We Got the Beat", the #20 hit "Our Lips Are Sealed", and "How Much More", "Lust to Love", and "This Town". From 1982's "Vacation", there is the #8 hit title track "Vacation", along with "Get Up and Go", "Cool Jerk", and "Beatnik Beach". 1984's "Talk Show" is represented by the #11 hit "Head Over Heels", #32 hit "Turn to You", and "You Thought", "I'm the Only One", and "Mercenary". "Head Over Heels" is undeniably sophisticated pop punk, in defiance of those tempted to write off The Go-Go's as a bubblegum band. The "Talk Show" album generally has a lyrical and musical sophistication beyond The Go-Go's 2 previous albums. It's pretty darn good music. Among the non-hits in this collection: "Lust to Love" is a solid rockin' love song that manages to create a sense of anticipation. "How Much More" sounds like a tribute to 1950s sock hop pop and "Beatnik Beach" to 1960s surfing tunes. "You Thought" expresses a bitter end to a relationship and has a more techno sound than the other tracks.
   
   "Greatest" isn't The Go-Go's whole story, as the band reunited to record "Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's" in 1994 and "God Bless The Go-Go's" in 2001. But when it was released in 1990, "Greatest" was a pretty comprehensive hits package, and it's still a nice summary of the band's first wave, so to speak. The order of the songs on the CD flows all right, but it is not chronological. Unfortunately, no lyrics included.



5. Ever since the '80s, I have always adored the Go Go's music. I loved both them and The Bangles. Both bands were the best representative of the girl groups of the '80s. Their music was fun and catchy to listen to. Their music was a good mix of pop and punk music. Very infectious.I really don't remember how I got into the Go Go's except maybe that I always enjoyed listening to their songs on the radio and taping it off the radio (now their's an outdated activity...making mix tapes from the radio). For some odd reason, I have never really cared for "We Got the Beat", the band's biggest hit however I have always loved "Our Lips Are Sealed" and always will. I think what stuck out for me about that particular song was the visual of the girls dancing in the water fountain. I'm not really wild about "This Town" either. I've heard much worse songs than that and "We Got the Beat".Personally I prefer VH1's collection of the Go Go's music over this greatest hits compilation. The mixing on that cd is a lot better. The sound on this original compilation is a bit muddled. Nevertheless "Greatest" is a good Go Go's compilation. It is the perfect cd to throw into the cd player over the summer time. I wish music now was as fun as it was back in the '80s. There was an unspoken magic that I heard in the Go Go's music that I just don't hear in a lot of music today. Listening to "Greatest" is a nice trip down memory lane to a decade of cheesiness and excess (and I mean that in a good way :)).

5 comments about Eliminator.

1. This is argueably ZZ Top's best effort, and one of the greatest rock albums ever released. Every song is solid right threw till the end!



2. "Dusty Hill's heart-stopping drumming and Frank Beard's sturdy bass."
   
   Hey, Jann, when did Dusty and Frank switch instruments?! Do I win a gift certificate for finding that glaring error?
   
   Anyway, this is a very good introduction to the band. Their gritty rock and blues got a bit of a studio polish but it worked as its their best-selling album.



3. First, folks at Amazon, I must point out a glaring mistake in your own review of "Eliminator" - Dusty Hill is the bassist and Frank Beard is the drummer in ZZTop. I find that boner most annoying when you consider how big this band is. It's like saying Keith Richards is the vocalist for the Stones. Do your homework - it makes me want to discredit every word you wrote.
   That aside, after much thought, I rounded up a list of bands that have crossed the line from highly successful outfits to icons and musical institutions, an honor very few musicians will ever see. We have to consider how the work by these artists become part of the lexicon of society, not just sell records. This is strictly my opinion, and others will agree and disagree, but hey, it's all in fun anyway. Those bands include the Beach Boys, especially Brian Wilson's production work, the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and ZZTop.
   Although some of their later albums didn't reach the status of "Eliminator", it wasn't because the material wasn't great, which is important when we consider the level of popularity ZZTop enjoys. Other big bands like Aerosmith and KISS, for example, have suffered severe low points along the way, and both bands have basically regurgitated old material for years now, content to cruise on their names alone.
   ZZTop have not made that mistake. "Eliminator" isn't the greatest of their career, but ranks very high, thanks to the fearless blend of the old Texas blues and synthesizers, which could have been a disaster in less capable hands. Instead, we have anthems that will be with us forever, especially "Sharp Dressed Man", the most popular cut off this album. "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Legs" follow closely behind.
   "Eliminator" makes a good start point for exploring the catalogue of ZZTop, both backward and forward. Earlier works show the drenched blues and sizzling guitar of Billy Gibbons, who is a genius on the fretboard. He comes full circle right up to "Mescalero", which is once again blues soaked but also heavily distorted, or "fuzzy", in his words.
   Only those lost in caves or confined to certain religious compounds are not familiar with the "little ol' band from Texas", and it's their loss.



4. Very good album. Glad to add it to my collection. CD and package in great shape. No delivery problems. I would order from here again.



5. Eliminator is one of my favourite albums. It works on several different levels, and it works well. On the surface it is a great collection of catchy pop songs. I can dance to them, hum them, play air guitar to them, shave to them, paint the ceiling to them etc. There isn't a boring song on the record, and the album isn't too long. It doesn't cost too much and the cover looks nice. I can hold it up in front of my face, and pretend that I am a car. Eliminator also works as a coherent whole. The music is uniform, but instead of being repetitive and dull, the album instead feels like an excellent half-hour composition divided into movements.
   
   On another level, Eliminator is a thinky album. It's a writey album. I like to ponder it, it sets my mind in motion. Eliminator is a clever scientific musical experiment. It was a conscious attempt to change ZZ Top's style, to make the band more contemporary, and it was an enormous success, on both an artistic and a commercial level. I'm sure that old-time fans of the group might have been upset at the disco rhythms, but only the most uptight square could fail to be moved by "Gimme All Your Lovin'" or "Sharp Dressed Man". I imagine that kids in 1983 might have thought that ZZ Top was a brand-new band, a modern boogie group with a clever retro style, and videos with hot women in them. You know, like Robert Palmer. He made records in the 1970s, but when he did that video for "Addicted to Love" in 1985, an entire new generation assumed that he had just come from nowhere, with a bevy of hot women. Did I mention hot women? Robert Palmer had hot women, and ZZ Top also had hot women. I know this because I have just checked on the Youtube. ZZ Top's women are not as hot as Robert Palmer's women, although it has to be said that any woman would look hot when stood next to ZZ Top. Perhaps that was ZZ Top's way of attracting women. Robert Palmer, on the other hand, did not have to do anything special to attract women, in fact he had to shoo them away, they pestered him so much that he moved to Switzerland, and died young. But I digress.
   
   With Eliminator, ZZ Top did something that Genesis and The Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane and The Who and Paul McCartney failed to do, they moved with the times without trashing their reputation. Of the band's contemporaries, I can only think of Yes having achieved the same feat, although that was done by essentially ditching all that was Yes about Yes except for the vocals.
   
   So, as a musical experiment, Eliminator works brilliantly. I cannot think of another album that combines disco and guitar rock and synth-pop so well without sounding awful. It's a deceptively simple record as well. The drums are basically straightforward four-to-the-floor pulse beat, all the way throughout every song, a mixture of drum machine and real live human drummer. Ordinarily this unvarying drum style would be monotonous, and in a way it *is* monotonous, but it's monotonous in a good way, hypnotic rather than boring. The twin guitar lines are often very complex, but they are mixed so that they become a backdrop. The synths are generally tasteful, restricted to pulse-bass and a few swooshy pads. The vocals have a distant, unemotional quality that sounds cool rather than affected. The songs are classically structured rock tunes, none of them have a rapping bit.
   
   On a further level, and perhaps this is unintentional, Eliminator has a timeless quality. It's a period piece, but it has dated well. There's nothing offensive about the overall sound. The music is classical. The dual-guitar playing is technically impressive and the guitar tone is still awesome, although subdued. The lyrics are generally dumb beyond parody, with sexual metaphors that would make Roy "Chubby" Brown feel uncomfortable, but that just adds to the charm. ZZ Top were real men, you see, from an era that did not value manly manliness. Nowadays they come across as endearingly retro and harmless. Eliminator has dated much, much better than "Afterburner", the band's next album, which came out in 1985. Afterburner really does sound like a mid-80s record, with fake drums and fake guitars that could have come out of an arcade machine. They're both cheesy records, in the sense that you couldn't take them to a posh dinner party without people laughing at you and mocking you and deriding your taste, but Eliminator is likeably cheesy whereas Afterburner is just an anonymous mid-80s synth rock record.
   
   In its day, Eliminator was a big popular success, although the critics thought it was just another modern pop-rock record. Today it is grudgingly respected as a classic of the period, but I believe it deserves more. There are few albums that entertain me all the way through, that I can listen to in one sitting without being bored. Kraftwerk's "Computer World" is one. This is another. It's the musical equivalent of one of those films that you can just sit and watch; Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Where Eagles Dare etc. It's easy to overlook that kind of entertainment, but it's precious and rare and should be cherished. I would love it if Eliminator goes into the time capsule.

No comments about Mange Tout.

5 comments about Brotherhood (2 CD Collector's Edition).

1. I was never a rabid New Order fan. I liked New Order a lot back in the late 80's early 90's, mostly through Substance, for the dance stuff -- Blue Monday, Confusion, Temptation, Subculture, the Bizarre Love Triangle remix -- which is great dance music, much richer than most. Nonetheless that's mostly how I knew New Order, and never explored much past Substance til recently.
   
   It was through hearing some material from Get Ready and Waiting for the Siren's Call recently that I realized there was more to this band, and got interested in hearing more of the older material as well. This album is the album that I've been happiest to discover.
   
   This album is surprisingly similar in sound to Waiting for the Siren's Call -- with a lot of guitar-based music as well as dance tracks. The version of Bizarre Love Triangle I grew up with, the dancier version on Substance, now sounds slightly dated to me, as does much of that 80's dance material, but the version here much less so, and I'd say the same about the album in general. Amazingly current! if this album came out now it would get a lot of attention, and wouldn't sound out of date.
   
   There's more emphasis on song and melody vs beat, though of course there's plenty of rhythm too. The guitar-bass-keyboard interplay works very well. And these guys are great with the melody. There's something indescribable to me that seems to run through all New Order's work, that is, something indescribably New Order-y, a particular sense of melody or beauty you can recognize as theirs, and it's very strong here.
   
   A lovely listen. I'm happy to find it after thinking I'd run through my interest in the band -- they're much richer than I'd thought.



2. I agree with most reviewers that the track "All day long" is the Best on this album but I Also feel this album has the best version of Bizarre Love Triangle cuz you can Finally Really hear Peter hooks infectious bass line wich Always carried this tune in my opinion !!! The other tracks hold up a lot better than the tracks on Power, Corruption and Lies and this album seems more alternative than that album and Not so Stuck in the 80's as the latter !!! This is my 3rd favorite new order full length album. Peter Hook on bass Really shines and carries this album to its Zenith musically~ Thanks Hooky :)



3. The name of New Order's "Brotherhood" perfectly matches the optimistic nature of this album, probably the band's most buoyant release, and quite a departure from their previous album "Low-Life" (a good name for that album as well). "Brotherhood" weighs in as one of the band's most consistent albums -- really, if I were rating each song separately, I would give each either three or four stars. The classic song on "Brotherhood," is, of course, "Bizarre Love Triangle," but I actually prefer the slightly different version on "Substance," the band's next release, which was sort of a greatest hits album with additional previously unreleased material.
   
   Nothing on "Brotherhood" truly "wows" me, like, for instance, "Age of Consent," "True Faith," "Regret," or "Crystal;" but, then again, I'm not tempted to use my "skip" button on any song (perhaps Bernard Sumner didn't need to giggle quite so much on the closer "Every Little Counts"). The opener "Paradise," has a riff similar to The Cure's "Doing the Unstuck," which simply adds to the obvious connection between these two bands (e.g. "Just Like Heaven" and "All the Way;" "A Forest" and "Sunrise;" "In Between Days" and "Dreams Never End").
   
   I've now reviewed all of New Order's studio albums. Here's my list of most to least favorite:
   
   1. Get Ready
   2. Republic
   3. Waiting for the Sirens' Call
   4. Power, Corruption and Lies
   5. Movement
   6. Substance
   7. Brotherhood
   8. Low-Life
   9. Technique
   
   Obviously, I'm one of those fans who prefers the lusher more complex sounds of New Order's later albums, as opposed to their earlier Techno/Brit/80s pop. However, even "Technique," though on the bottom of my list, is, in my opinion, quite good. I'm definitely looking forward to Bernard and Co.'s next album, as well as to seeing them in concert.



4. Having loved the BLT on Substance I had no idea that it would be a different version on this album: Absolutely gorgeous song.
   
   Rest of the album isn't bad: My favourite other track is 'weirdo' the guitar trills and harmony are simple but sometimes humblingly beautiful.



5. New Order had already released three fantastic albums prior to this 1986 release: MOVEMENT (1981), POWER CORRUPTION, & LIES (1983), and LOW-LIFE (1985). All three were potent, revolutionary records. Brotherhood retains some of that experimental/indie alternative/synthrock pop (not one adjective accurately describes New Order's particular brand of music, so several must suffice); one may also consider it a return to roots, so to speak, for it has several entirely guitar, bass, & drums driven pieces. However, BROTHERHOOD has a curious dichotomy that splits the album roughly into two halves, one alt rock the other synth. Stand-out tracks include the well-known and magnificent "Bizarre Love Triangle" (which sounds much better in this simple, heavenly form rather than its hideous 12" mix), the angsty, unrequited "Paradise", the slightly Eastern "Angel Dust", and the synthesized & orchestral "All Day Long" (which would have been far better as an instrumental, in my opinion, for the lyrics are trite and cringe-inducing). The alt rock tracks (from "Weirdo" to "Way of Life") are actually rather energetic and upbeat with decent lyrics--I don't understand why everyone rags on these tracks for being "boring" or "unlistenable." I find them a fresh change of pace for the band. The final track, "Every Little Counts", serves as an example of the rampant drug use Bernard Sumner must have gone through when he penned this album--the lyrics are laughable (even Barney laughs at himself during it!), and the music is only so-so.
   In conclusion, I recommend this album to any fan of New Order. Be warned, though, that the majority of this album is not stylistically similar to "Bizarre Love Triangle." Perhaps that's not such a bad thing after all.