5 comments about Hunting High and Low.

1. THE FIRST TIME I HEARD [TAKE ON ME] #1 , I KNEW I HAD TO BUT IT.ONE OF THE BIGGEST SONGS OF THE DECADE AND THE TRUE DEFINITION OF A POP SONG.THEN CAME [THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON TV]#20 WHICH WAS ANOTHER GREAT SONG OF THAT ERA. THESE TWO SONGS ALONE ARE WORTH HAVING THIS ALBUM FOR. IT'S TOO BAD THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT FOR THIS GROUP IN THE U.S.A. BUT THEY ARE HUGE OVER SEAS AND HAVE SOME OTHER PRETTY GOOD ALBUMS.



2. Luis Mejia (son) - A-ha made a consistent but little impact in the 80s' music, and their debut itself is very representative; the music is an epilogue of synthpop, that mix of electronic music with pop stands. As of the bests, there is the massive hit "Take On Me", a soaring pop jewel, but the popular impact were Harket vocal pitch, and "The Sun Always Shine On TV", which got to be a minor hit, being consistent toward the fake media attitude, which with the song, it got interpretated pretty well. The self titled is the most serious piece of music in the album, "Living A Boy's Adventure Tale" is refreshing and perfectly flowing, while "Love Is Reason" is another top quality. "Here I Stand And Face The Rain" is obviously the most elaborate piece of the album, the songcraft is prooven marvelous. A-ha's music is really underground, that's why they were a commercial bomb in Europe and South America, and though they were first packaged as a plastified, boy-charm sluggish band, this is their most famous and maybe the most accessible.



3. Hunting High And Low is a clever blast from the past that (for the most part) has while the feature song "Take On Me" has stood the test of time the rest of the album languishes in forgetable rifts.
   
   Coming out during the infantile stages of MTV and music videos, "Take On Me" became as much of a signature for the era as "Come On Eileen" (Dexy's Midnight Runners) or The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star". While A-ha were promoted (in America) as the best new thing to come out of Europe they had a pretty well established following that lent to a comfortable songwriting prowess and catchy musical hooks.
   
   Obviously, "Take On Me" was the premiere cut but the rest of the album had comprable good songs that did not match the unique greatness of "Take". Yes, "The Sun Always Shines On T.V. was a follow-up video but the black and white imagery was oftentimes tedious and did not enhance ones desire to run out and procure a copy of the LP. Other cuts such as "And You Tell Me" and "Love Is The Reason" were okay and a nice complement to the overall compostie of songs but by starting the album with their premiere song that was akin to eating desert and working your way back to the salad. Tasty but backward.
   
   Although A-ha went on to make numerous other albums, their fate was similar to Big Country ("In A Big Country") and the aformentioned Dexy's Midnight Runners wher a one-hit wonder does not pay the bills. For people who just want to embrace the hit, refrain from buying Hunting High And Low and instead look for a greatest hits compilation of the Eighties.



4. If you call yourself a music fan, whether of general music, or specifically 80s music, this is a must own. Although 2 songs on here were big on USA radio for a while, the rest of the songs are excellent. Nice mix of pop rock, and more soft pop songs. Very addicting songs, excellent melodies and just a great album in general, you will not be disappointed.



5. You know how the story goes. Obscure European band labors in obscurity for years. Somehow, through sheer chance, has one track (which may or may not be typical of their work) hit it stateside and rocket up the charts. Make them megastars, a household name...until their one hit dies out and they never come close to striking gold again.
   
   Yes, before Aqua, there was the strangely similar-sounding A-ha, and this was an otherwise perfectly ordinary album where their one shining star (which I always suspected became popular mainly due to the unbelievable range on the chorus part) came from.
   
   Not much else to say. Typical, ordinary synthpop, what I'd call "waiting room music". The singer, despite his best efforts, has some trouble with the English language. I've heard a lot worse, but it's no surprise why A-ha never could find its niche here.

5 comments about True Stories.

1. My girlfriend introduced me to the Talking Heads this year and I've not been able to get their songs out of my head since... "People Like Us," "Radio Head," and "Wild, Wild Life," are all standards from twenty years ago and they still have a clue... these songs speak to something in us that no other band has yet done. "Talking Heads," is subversive music of the best sort. AAAAA+++++



2. Buyer beware. I love the original album and give it a solid 5 Stars, but this recording is NOT it. Amazon should let potential buyers know these things. I have been very happy with my purchases in the past, but I am not happy about this one. If I could get a refund, which seems unlikely, I would delete this from my music library. Or I might just delete it anyway.



3. Nothing against those who love this album - you have your own reasons to enjoy it, and I think that's great. This is more for those newly exploring the Talking Heads oeuvre who would like to know where to start, or go next. In my opinion, not here.
   
   I don't worship Talking heads, but I do love Remain in Light, find great joys in Fear of Music, More Songs..., '77, Speaking in Tongues, and grooved nearly every weekend for months to the midnight showing of Stop Making Sense back in the late 80's. This Talking Heads album, however, delivers one disappointment after another.
   
   Personally, I find that pretty much each song falls flat (such as the irritating "hit" Wild Wild Life). Papa Legba does have a nice lilt to it, though. It's the one song on this record that I return to, albeit rarely.
   
   Even the swan song Naked is better than this one (the Heads album doesn't count). If you like early/mid era Talking Heads, skip this one, or get it cheap if you must. I have nothing against Americana, or even attempts at arch commentary on the ersatz quality of much that comprises Americana; but dull is dull.



4. This is not the Soundtrack. This is Talking Heads performing songs that were in the movie. I want Papa Legba by Pops Staples.



5. The Talking Heads, after producing a handful of essential albums, seemed to spend the tail end of their career fumbling a bit for direction, after the stripped back and ultimately unsatisfying "Little Creatures", they recorded a series of pieces David Byrne wrote for a movie called "True Stories" (that had already been recorded by different artists). The net result is an album that quite frankly sounds and feels nothing like a Talking Heads album and falls far short of delivering the goods.
   
   
   Essentially, the album bounces between one style and another, from fierce blues-based rock ("Love For Sale") to '50s pop ("People Like Us") to a sort of, for lack of better term, "world music" vibe ("Papa Legba"). The pieces themselves aren't bad, but it feels like this is the wrong band to be executing them and the performances pretty much limp along. A couple of the pieces are worth a listen (hit single "Wild Wild Life" is catchy and exciting, "Dream Operator" works out to be an intriguing pop piece), but by and large, the album muddles along and doesn't really go anywhere. To make matters worse, this incredibly irritating remix of "Wild Wild Life" is tagged on the end.
   
   While this isn't one of their better pieces, the album has just been reissued in a remastered form on dual disc. The sonic upgrade is definitely worth the extra cost.
   
   The Talking Heads were a band that accomplished a lot in a short amount of time and never seemed to recover after reaching critical mass. "True Stories" is probably as good an example of this as anything else. Newcomers should stick with their earlier albums ("Remain in Light" is probably as good a place as any) before pursuing something like "True Stories".

5 comments about Hell Bent for Leather.

1. I picked this remastered version up last week, after not having heard the album itself in almost twenty-five years. To put it simply, I was completely ROCKED by it. I had let Hell Bent For Leather get neglected in my beloved Judas Priest collection, mostly because I felt the recording had way too thin a sound and a weak production quality overall. The songs mostly sounded WAY better live.
   
   My listening to the remaster completely changed my mind. From the quintessential Judas Priest ruckus of "Deliverin' The Goods", to the what-if-Led-Zeppelin-had-any-real-balls pound of "Evil Fantasies", this album wipes out most everything that existed for Rock and Metal at that time. Sure, "Highway To Hell" overall rocked harder, and Scorpions' "Lovedrive" had more than a couple of equally great songs; and it could be argued that Rainbow's Down To Earth perhaps better musicianship.
   
   What this album has is the most vividly erotic music I've ever heard on a rock record. And you can include whomever you wish in opposition. It's interesting: a song like Burnin' Up was most probably written as a grinding, homoerotic mating track (given Rob Halford's orientation) , but (speaking as a male heterosexual), it ends up crossing any sexual orientation boundary by dint of its hugely rocking sound as well as Halford's outstanding vocal (one of his most personable ever).
   
   Even the ballads are good here ("Before the Dawn" is notable mostly for its great guitar solo , I grant that).
   
   Bottom line, this is the best thing Judas Priest would release until "Screaming For Vengeance" (and oh YES I'm including "British Steel" here). So don't hesitate in considering this purchase, EXCELLENT MUSIC!



2. An absolute metal/hard rock classic. This was way hard in 78.
   Another from the 70's. This record, British Steel and Unleashed In The East are absolute must owns.



3. This is my favorite 70s Priest album, and for good reason. Hell Bent For Leather takes the heavyness of earlier albums and speeds it up. Cross "Sinner" with "Exciter," and that's kind of what you've got. "Delivering The Goods" is a kick-@ss opener and one of my five favorite Priest songs. It's an overlooked classic. The variety between the tracks while still maintaining a constant aggressive attitude is amazing. "Evening Star" is a bit more commercial, but still kicks along. Then, of course, there's the title track and "The Green Manalishi," both of which are very good as well. "Before The Dawn" is a beautiful ballad sort of thing that feels just a bit out of place, but the musicianship and emotion more than makes up for that. Essential Priest.



4. A great album of course. Just received my cd version and it rocks!!!! Knew many of the tunes already."Delivering The Goods","Hell Bent For Leather","Take On The World","The Green Manalishi"(cover of The Mac),"Killing Machine" and "Before The Dawn" are the standouts.get it if you love Priest and re-visit the oldies. They are well worth it.
   Look out for "Nostradamus" in the middle of the year or so.
   Long live Priest and HALFORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



5. Hell Bent was my first Judas Preist album and it was quite good, to me it seems like Judas were one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, they basicly reinvented speed metal and thrash. Every one from Iron Maiden to Metallica have been influenced by this group anyway Hellbent for leather was released in 1979 right after Stained Class it was a strong album but not as good as the previous one an album that sounded a bit darker and heavier. Hell Bent was aiming for a heavy metal and rock'n'roll type of sound and was more about staying up all night and partying which is great cause I like those things I mean who doesn't, there are alot of great tracks in this that make you want to headbang like Delivering the goods, Burning up, Green manalishi and Hellbent for leather and if you want the more slower but still excellent songs like the ballad Before the dawn and Evening star which has more of a commercial sound to it but its still very catchy, the song Take on the world is the only song I didn't like cause of its sing-a-long chorus line that sounds like a rip of from Queen's We will rock you. As time progressed throughout the 80's Judas Priest were one of the biggest heavy metal bands of all time, if you're looking for a fast, aggresive and brutally intense album then check this out the two guitar attack of Glen Tipton and K.K. Downing is characteristically blistering and they often come up with the most amazing solos and not to mention Rob Halford with his great high pitched voice and signature scream makes for a great combination, make sure that you get this album if your interested in Judas Priest becaues its very essential and make sure that you also get these other great releases from JP like Stained Class, British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance and Angel Of Retribution alot of people didn't like Turbo but I thought it was pretty good even though during that time they did sound like a cheesy 80's hair metal group it was still a fun album to listen to.

5 comments about The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads.

1. So here we go, the legendary Talking Heads live double album from 1982, combining live material from two distinct periods in their careers: The 1977 - 1979 CBGB influenced art/punk years, and then the still rightfully spoken of in awe 1980/1981 tour to promote "Remain In Light" that essentially invented a whole new sound for new wave/post punk that literally too a village onstage to reproduce the thick, groove driven studio jams that made that album so remarkably ahead of it's time.
   
   Sadly after listening to this more or less nonstop now for about two weeks -- and comparing the 1980/81 material against an easy to find YouTube video concert of the band live in Italy from 1980 -- all I can say is that this turns out to be a missed opportunity of sorts to set the record straight on the band from the period just before they had their big commercial breakout with "Speaking In Tongues" and "Stop Making Sense". There's a good side and a bad side to it: The bad side is that nutcase devotees of the group like myself will be disappointed by the second disc material highlighting the 1980/81 band. The good side is that the final word on this period of time for the group has yet to be written, and in all likelihood probably WILL be written at some point in the near future. Plus, your double LP/cassette originals of the 1982 release are still worth keeping. Maybe it's time for a nice USB turntable?
   
   First, the pros: The first disc is amazing, period. I was always more drawn to the 1978/1978 shows from the double LP and even the 1977 material is sounding fresher and more alive than it ever did before. This release gets one thing absolutely right which is demonstrating how important of a band Talking Heads were to the "post punk" art/rock period of say 1978 to 1980. If it wasn't for Talking Heads, bands like The Cure, Violent Femmes, Happy Mondays, Blur and Oasis might not have ever existed, period. Listen to the six minute live version of "Found A Job" on this set and you'll know why. The cut had previously been released on the megarare "Warner Brothers Radio Show" promo EP from 1979 but it's been gloriously remastered and every last note is precious. Tina's bass part on the outrageous live version of "Mind" will keep you wondering what the hell is going on, the remastering of "Air" from the original LP rundown is downright physical, and Jerry & David's "Memories Can't Wait" will bring a tear to the eye of any veteran Heads fan. Even the addition of "Heaven" is dead perfect, a song that I had grown tired of but will have to think about all over again. The bottom line is that Disc 1 is winners, and worth the cost of the whole set. Get a used copy for ten bucks, you'll be stoked.
   
   The problem -- sigh -- is with Disc 2 with the 1980/81, and I smell a couple three culprits at work. Firstly, since the most music you can put on a CD using current techniques is 80 minutes, there is a problem: The live set for the 1980/81 band usually ran just under 90 minutes. So in order to "reproduce the entire set list" including a hilarious version of "Animals" which had never been released before, some editing had to be done to shave off just enough time to make one live take of each composition from the setlist fit onto a single sided CD, which frankly was a stubborn and somewhat unfortunate choice that was probably made by Rhino's otherwise stellar CD team. The biggest loser is "Crosseyed And Painless", which loses it's intro laid back funk groove section heard on the original LP and cassette, and is a remarkably weaker version of the song for the omission.
   
   Granted the new edit gets right to the meat & potatoes of the song's strengths, but lost is the subtlety of having the core band of four musicians augmented by the virtuoso players they had join them on the tour. The first time I heard the CD cut it stopped the party cold for me, and I immediately dug out my double LP from it's hallowed storage spot and confirmed that yes, 1 minute and 10 seconds of lift-off groove is just plain unaccounted for. Gone. What a bummer. Sure, new fans of the group who had never heard the original LP won't miss it and for those who love action it does cut right to the chase. But that intro was an important part of the song, as witnessed by it's retention in the "Stop Making Sense" concert when it served as the closing encore number, with the groove intro intact.
   
   Also, if you get nit-picky enough and compare the song runtimes as listed on the original LP to the actual runtimes on Disc 2 every one of the songs appears to be missing 10 seconds or so, which might not sound like much (and can probably be accounted for by the omission of audience & stage noise between cuts) and may have helped to make the inclusion of "Animals", "Stay Hungry", "Warning Sign" and "Once In A Lifetime" possible, but some of the cuts just feel more abrupt, as if the band was in a hurry to get the songs over with so they could fit on a CD. Which wasn't the spirit of the times and why I object to it, even though the result is probably a more well-rounded listening experience. You shouldn't mess with greatness, but do something radical like use a two sided CD with extra time for subtleties or even longer versions of the songs, which definitely exist as proven by the YouTube concert from Italy (Search YouTube for "Talking Heads Live Italy" and you'll see what I mean).
   
   It's still not enough to "ruin" the show, though there's another weird spot that I find potentially troubling, namely my favorite cut from the CD, an eight minute live take of "Born Under Punches" that is priceless. What an amazing band!! BUT, it sounds like someone either unplugged guest 2nd bass player Busta Jones' instrument or mixed him down during the remastering so we could hear Tina's bass playing more clearly without Busta funking it up all over the place. Indeed if you watch the live show on YouTube Busta had an extended bass funk-out solo towards the end of the song that on the CD has been reduced to an odd plunking sound in the background. You can still hear it, but what gives?
   
   Well, one of the urban legends surrounding this tour was the acrimony between various band members that developed as the ensemble spent roughly 13 months on the road together. People's patience levels began to wear a bit thin, and the two most persistent rumors heard relate that people started to get tired of Adrian Belew's infernal trademark freak-out guitar soloing (which when taken in small doses is mesmerizing but after about the fifth straight solo starts to wear a little thin), and that Tina Weymouth grew tired of being constantly upstaged & shoved off into the wings by Busta Jones.
   
   Indeed if you watch the YouTube show mentioned as well as footage of them live from German television from the same 1980 tour one can sense that Tina Weymouth's role within the group had become somewhat ambiguous. Once Busta Jones took the stage for "I Zimbra" Tina was from time to time relegated to playing guitar, keyboard and hand-held percussion parts while warbling backup vocals as well, where her place in the band previously had been not just as the bass player, but the GIRL bass player. Yes, it made Talking Heads distinctive & unique and probably influenced a 2nd wave of "girl band" players like Throwing Muses and Au Pairs. My guess is that Tina probably originally signed off on having Busta join them for the tour but quickly came to realize that there is really only room for one bass player in a band and that Busta, just by being Busta, was overpowering her.
   
   So one has to wonder if during the remastering there was perhaps a decision to "tone Busta down" a notch or two so that listeners could better decipher her particular contributions to the ensemble, and "Born Under Punches" might indeed be her revenge upon the band for having sidelined her, to a degree. Which would be too bad because Michael "Busta" Jones died in 1995 and one of his greatest claims to fame was his work on this tour. It would be petty for anyone to try and steal his thunder but that's exactly what sounds like is going on for that one song in particular (the opening of "Crosseyed And Painless too was all Busta) and one listens to the results with a certain amount of chagrin.
   
   But that brings me back to one of my opening points about this release, which is that it certainly is not the final word on this very special period of the band's history -- Perhaps a live DVD/CD package could be put together documenting one or two discreet, specific shows from beginning to end, and with the 20th anniversary of the tour coming up in less than 2 years well, who knows, maybe someone will get wise. There are tons of baby boomers and post baby boomer generation X-ers who would walk many a crooked mile to get the final word on this band at their disposal, and provide fans with some accurate information as to what exactly was going on with this group to dispel any unfounded urban legends about them. Let's hope somebody is already planning to, though for the time being this will probably have to do.



2. Retail Nightmare really is a nightmare. They never mailed my CD i ordered - and when I asked them - they said OH sorry we mailed 3 others that day and no problems with them. They said they would mail it out again which is wierd, it seems like they would be wondering where the copy they initially mailed was.
   
   I month later - credit card charged - no CD.



3. I can't really add much that hasn't already been written except to reinforce that this is one toe-tapping, kinetic album. I'm glad it finally appeared after all these years.



4. I ordered this CD as a gift. It came quickly and was everything I expectected.



5. Best album of the early days of talking heads. An absolut must for friends of live recordings.

5 comments about Last of the Independents.

1. This is one majestic piece of music, easily in the band's top two or three albums. I agree with the notion that through this album, Chrissie indeed shows she can lead the group to great heights in spite of its tumultuous past. Her lyrics and music are biting, passionate and quite honestly rise above most of her contemporaries. What a rocking and groundbreaking sound! It has the ring of true, heartfelt rock n' roll in the way it should be played and experienced by the listener. If this was the only album the band ever put out, it would seal their status as one of the enduring and great acts in modern rock. Long Live The Pretenders!!!



2. I will never tire of this CD. This is my favorite album of all time.



3. Bought this cd for "I'll Stand By You." All the other songs are terrible.



4. Many Pretenders fans prefer their first, self-titled, album. In my opinion, "Last of the Independents" is by far their best album. Chrissie Hynde still has the cocky attitude from the first album, but this one is more melodic. While many of the group's other albums contain a couple of weaker filler songs, all the songs on this album are great. The song sequence is just right, with a perfect balance between the faster, energetic songs and the slower ones. It never gets dull. Chrissie Hynde's voice is as good as ever, seeming both confident and fragile at the same time. After several years, this remains one of my all time favorite albums.



5. This is the best Pretenders album that didn't come out in the `80s. This doesn't compare with those great classics but it's still well worth owning. Favorite tracks are "Night in My Veins", "Money Talk" with some great guitar by Adam Seymour, "Forever Young" which is one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, and the hit "I'll Stand by You" which is simply a beautiful ballad that Chrissie's voice really shines on.
   
   I think the reason why The Pretenders albums of today don't compare with the early stuff is the songwriting. The best songs on this CD were mostly written by Tom Kelley & Billy Steinberg (the same guys that wrote "True Colours" for Cyndi Lauper and "Alone" for Heart). But I still have hope that Chrissie Hynde has one more great album in her. She still has the voice.

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.

5 comments about In Your Room.

1. This is such a good package-filled with anything a long time fan would need. With them touring last summer(which I hope they release on DVD)I am hoping that a new CD with all new material is released.
   
   Lets pray on it!!!!



2. Love the DVD that came with the set. You find out a lot of history tidbits. Also the single and b sides are cool. I was a fan before--more now!



3. You've probably already heard the music, but, here it is in remastered sound, 5.1 surround sound and includes remixes and b-sides. The packaging is great and the interviews are revealing. I was always under the impression that Yaz ended for other reasons. It is nice to hear how age and a different perspective can bring two very different people back together. Who knows what the future holds for Yaz? If anyone could record and write for two different bands it would be Vince Clarke. Many of the remixes on the discs I heard for the first time after this purchase and they are all great. The only song missing here is "Tuesday", which is on their greatest hits disc, but not on either of the studio albums.



4. I'm a big fan of Yaz but was this release really worth it? The two albums in remastered format have been out for a few years. The "remixes" CD wasn't anything to write home about, especially when compared to the remix EPs released in the UK which were significantly better. Then there is the DVD. That might be worth something but personally I watch those maybe once or twice. Overall I think this is a steep price to pay for what you actually get.



5. I am thrilled to have this set! I'm not too upset about some of the missing remixes as some. My only complaint is that State Farm and Situation were not remixed in 5.1. I love the 5.1 remixes they add a fun complexity to the songs with much better dynamic range and sound field image. If you're a completest don't bother buying the U.K. edition. For all the extra money all you get is a "oo" at the end of Yaz. They are otherwise identical.

3 comments about Big Hits of the 80's.

1. I bought this CD for some tunes to stick on my ipod. I got kind of sick of paying .99 per song. At this price I was able to get a lot of 80's music for way less than I would have paid at the itunes store. The music is nice and clear and brings back mems.



2. This cd has alot of hard to find tracks i.e...ABRACADABRA and PROMISES, PROMISES. I really enjoyed this album.



3. Having both graduated high school and college in the 1980s, my husband and I became fans of 80s music for life--in fact, our recent wedding was all 80s! We own at least 10 different 80s compilation CDs, and this is definitely one of the best. The album is very diverse: it includes the expected 80s pop hits such as "Mickey" by Toni Basil and "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves, but it also offers some great, lesser-know tunes, namely "Mary's Prayer" by Danny Wilson and "Don't Shed a Tear" by Paul Carrack. Similarly, not only does the CD feature big 80s rock bands such as J. Geils and Steve Miller, but also there are some one-hit wonder groups, including Johnny Hates Jazz and Cutting Crew. A wonderful blend of various styles from that great decade of music.

5 comments about The Back Room.

1. ...ever since bands like Interpol popped up there have been so many bands that wish to redo the post punk sound that Joy Division generated before passing on (R.I.P Ian Curtis) and of course Editor are not only not an exception to this rule...but they were actually later than the other bands which makes them seem like they're trying to resuscitate a corpse that has already been paraded around the land and then left in a pool of brine.
   
   ...I will describe the sound of Editors very simply this way:
   
   1. Blatant imitation of Ian Curtis' vocals.
   
   2. Guitars are always high up the fret board just alternate picking to four times the original pulse.
   
   3. Bass is surprisingly melodic...but very low in the mix.
   
   4. Drums...well...simple a word? You can judge the drums...
   
   ...if you've heard the songs "All Sparks", "Blood", and "Munich" you will notice all of these traits...and of course it's what you should expect from this album...
   
   ...my advice is that if you're a fan of the post-post-punk sound and you are a completist of all eras then you should get this...however; if you've listened to bands like Interpol and have had enough of this era already...then give it a miss and allow Joy Division to rest with the dignity that it deserves(?)...



2. 4 out of 11 songs are bonafied head bopping hits: "lights", "blood", all sparks" and, to a lesser degree, "munich" are so good, they'll be on my favorites list forever. The rest is garbage that I won't listen to twice. Furthermore, the sound quality is truly "indie" (as in less than perfect indie). Borrow both this CD and their get "an End has a Start" off their second and you'll have enough songs for a great E.P., but this one alone isn't worth my money.



3. A great album, better than their most recent. Great to listen to beginning to end, while rummaging through the house or on a long drive. The lead vocalist is an awesome tenor.



4. The Editors are a blend of The Psycadelic Furs, The Doors, Joy Division, U2, and Johnny Marr's early guitar work.
   
   Tracks like 'Lights', 'Fall', and 'Munich' are sheer class!
   
   'Blood' is my favorite track, and sounds like it could have been on some dark John Hughes flick.
   
   Definitely worth checking out!



5. I was introduced to "the editors" by a friend and once I got hold of this album couldn't stop listening.
   
   Was lucky enough to see them live, awesome.
   
   If you love interpol and, to a lesser extent, Joy Division, you'll love these guys.
   
   Great album, one of the best of the last 10 years for sure.

5 comments about The Very Best of the Human League.

1. Beautiful music from the 80's "Don't you want me" has a wonderful lyrics and a very melodic rithm. Beautiful song.



2. hmmmm, wow, it's definitely the Best of Human League! It captures the time very well. I never get sick of hearing this cd or the same songs over and over again. And how hot is Phil Oakey in make-up? No one can wear it like him! Ok and his voice is sexy too!



3. This is a great compilation of the Human League's tunes. A number of tunes on here I remember liking on the radio as a kid in the 80s, so it was cool to find them here in one package. The Human League are a little off-beat, but not crazy. Sort of like the B-52s in that respect, except HL is more sythesizer kind of music, not so much rock. Good stuff for your CD player. Here are some particularly fun ones:
   
   Don't You Want Me
   Love Action
   Fascination
   Lebanon - poignant song about that war-torn country
   Human
   Heart Like a Wheel
   Tell Me When - really energetic
   All I Ever Wanted - ditto
   Empire State Human
   
   As you can tell from the list, there's a bunch of goodies.



4. I used to listen to these songs on WLIR, a Long Island Station(that played music that wasn't played on regular radio stations way back in the early to mid-80s. This group has a soothing and memorable sound. My favorites "Mirror Man", "Human" and "Fascination"
   Brings back good memories.



5. Human Leagues "The Very Best of" is fantastic, however it is missing one very key song which is one of my favorites. The song is "Love is All the Matters" which was the third single from the "Crash" CD.
   
   Though it wasn't a big hit in the US it is up there with "Human" as the best in pop synthesized confection.
   
   "Love is All That Matters" is on other compilations, I am just so surprised they left it out.