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 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 Millennium Collection - 20th Century Masters, The Best Of Berlin.

1. The CD arrived at the expected time and was packaged very well with no damage noted in the CD on arrival. The CD is very enjoyable to listen to the music.



2. Good collection of tracks made popular by the HOT Terry Nunn and company... Berlin songs bring back some bittersweet memories of my childhood.... Good Songs...



3. I agree w/ the previous commentator that this CD does not exactly sound like a "re-mastered version" of Berlin's GREATEST HITS. To me, this Cd sounds like an LP version from the 1980s. The sound is NOT BAD, but it definetely has a 1980's "sound-mix sound" to it.
   
   Still,... the songs themselves are great,--- and are all true BERLIN hits. Berlin is still Berlin!
   
   So, if you love Berlin, and don't mind listening to a Cd that sounds more or less like an LP from the 1980s', then you'll like this CD. Truly.



4. This CD was originally released in 1988, and was recently re-released as part of the Millennium Collection series. According to the heading here on Amazon, and the sticker on the front of the CD wrapper, this recording has been remastered. You could have fooled me.
   
   The sound quality is mediocre at best. I hate it when I have to turn my stereo up to 12 before any punch is evident. I own a budget compilation CD from 1992 with The Metro on it, and it sounds much better there than on this new collection. Also, the liner notes do not say anything about remastering, which is unusual for these collections. I do not own a copy of the 1988 CD, but I can't imagine it sounded much worse than this.
   
   Bottom line -- if you're just looking for a low-cost selection of Berlin songs, then this will do fine. All the hits are here. But if you were hoping for a sonic upgrade, then you will likely be disappointed.



5. I remember when I first heard of Berlin. It was in the Orange County Register when I lived in the City of Orange, California. It mentioned how Berlin was an exception to the rule that Orange County bands seemed to fail to be successful. Since then, I only heard one Berlin song before listening to this collection. Yes, I'm referring to the Oscar winning song "Take My Breath Away" from "Top Gun."
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed this project. I love their sound. I'm a fan of bands with female vocalists, and this one ranks towards the top (not far from the Bangles, just a step below Missing Persons and the Go Gos, and well ahead of Blondie).
   
   The one song I absolutely didn't like was "Sex (I'm a . . .)". This song is basically pornography. Some people would not like Berlin at all because of that song, and I don't blame those. I'm one that is able to enjoy the other songs.
   
   My favorite tracks are "Blowin' Sky High", "No More Words", "Like Flames", "Take My Breath Away", and "You Don't Know."

5 comments about Add It Up (1981-1993).

1. Violent Femmes-Add It Up (1981-1993)*****
   
   As far as greatest hits packages go this is something special. While most are aimed at new fans to a group or artist or just the casual fan who really only wants the radio singles, this is aimed at the bands true fans. Something they can have in the car while they keep the rest of the albums at home for serious enjoyment. For that I applaud the Femmes for truly being amazing.
   
   Covering the most popular songs from the band like the whinny 'Blister In The Sun' and the rolicky 'Gone Daddy Gone' '36-24-36' and a live version of 'Kiss Off.' But also included is 'Add It Up' 'Country Death Song' and the slapstick 'Dance M.F. Dance.'
   
   Add It Up basically has the bands entire career covered and does a fantastic job of even adding numerous new tracks to the fold. Add It Up is essential even if you own all their albums, that's how good it is.



2. Strange music I found years ago in Eastern Germany. Among Yiddish and acoustic German music, I only have on cassette, I heard in one of the many arty bars this band's music. Somehow it suited very well with the setting. My favorite track might be Gimme the car, because I accidentally played the track at a formal meeting, which was only funny afterwards. But the femmes are a good combination of music and humor, so do try this at home!



3. Great CD from My Childhood, brings back so many good memories. Love it.



4. This was a vinyl that I wanted to upgrade for all the energetic, hectic, and powerful memories it brings. Simply a great album.



5. You know what's interesting about this compilation is that while usually this sort of thing is used for people to "sell" new fans to the band, this "best of" seems more geared towards people who are already fans of the Violent Femmes. For one thing, the main versions are not always used in favor on here. For instance, "I Held Her in My Arms" and "Lies" appear in different versions than what are on "Blind" and "3." Also, the debut classics "Add It Up" (an old B-side on an import single) and "Kiss Off" are in live versions, in favor of the original. These are both good in their own right, but it seems somewhat enigmatic to introduce casual fans that way. Also, the fact that three of these "tracks" are more or less more spoken messages than actual songs. Not only that, but "Nightmares" was a genuine college radio hit and was omitted, although so was "Children of the Revolution," although maybe I'd understand excluding a T. Rex cover. Not because it's not the greatest, but to include more original VF material.
   
   Some of that is great. There's the early demo recording of "Waiting on the Bus" as well as later fare like "I Hate the TV", "36-24-36" and "Dance, M.F., Dance," a cover from an obscure Milwakee band.
   
   That being said, some of this is for unexperienced Femmes fans. "American Music" is possibly their most famous non-debut song and arguably the one that was most successful in its time. "Blister in the Sun" and "Gone Daddy Gone" are classics and are good introductions to the band as well. Then there's the more surprising stuff like the free jazz of "Black Girls" and others. It is mostly pretty good, even if some selections are lighweight curiosities. With this in mind, I suggest you try the band's debut and, if you like this variety, its follow-up, "Hallowed Ground" (which has "Black Girls", "Jesus...", and "CDS.")
   
   But if you're a casual fan and want a more conventional approach you may want to check out "Debacle" or its sequel, "Permanent Record", which represents three albums and a soundtrack song that came out after this release.

5 comments about The Sun And The Moon.

1. I love The Bravery! They have a The Killers and Franz Ferdinand feel to them. Great lasting appeal, it's been months and I still love them. Every song is catchy and unique. But written reviews on music are virtually meaningless. You shouldn't take our word for it, everybody's taste in music is different. So scroll back up there and start sampling!



2. The second album by The Bravery is a radical departure from The Bravery, in a major improvement. Gone are the Duran Duran/Killers imitative songs and pseudo-new wave posturing, in are melodic songs with acoustic underpinnings. While a comparison to the radical shift The Killers made with Sam's Town is more than a little apt, The Bravery sound more like they boned up on Coldplay, The Rembrandts, The Cure or even a little Pink Floyd when they started laying the groundwork for "The Sun and The Moon."
   
   The album is a low key affair, without the obvious single that marked "An Honest Mistake." But given time, "Time Won't Let Me Go" and "Believe" stay in your memory. There are a couple of darker moments, like "Tragedy Bound," about a woman so hard luck that "She's cutting herself just to see if it works." If you miss the breezy, easy pop of the debut, there's "Bad Sun," with an inescapable whistling hook.
   
   They have not completely escaped their past, however. "Every Word is a Knife In My Ear" is on a par with "Stop Drop and Roll" from the debut as filler and "Split Me Wide Open" is way too heavy handed lyrically for its own good. Main Braveheart Sam Endicott can be proud of this effort, though. With "The Sun and The Moon," he and his fellow Bravery mates have transcended their roots and made an album that shows a band with more promise than their debut would have led you to contemplate.



3. This album is a solid addition to any fan of the genre (I abstain from giving the genre a more defined title because music genres are near-impossible to define). Great tracks in a great overall sound.



4. I liked the Bravery but when I saw them in concert I started to love them. This album of theirs to me has the same tune in every song but it's a great tune and in turn a great album.



5. The Bravery came out a few years ago in the midst of the new wave re-emergence that the Killers apparently ushered in. Sorry to bring up that band, but it seems that there was a little competition between them and the Bravery, even to the point that frontman Sam Endicott and Killers frontman Brandon Flowers were involved in some kind of feud. Maybe that's why The Sun and the Moon doesn't sound so new wave-ish.
   
   As another reviewer suggested, this feels more like your basic alternative album than anything else -- not that it's bad or anything. While there isn't necessarily anything on here that'll make you stop what you're doing, there ARE some highlights, like "Time Won't Let Me Go", "Fistful of Sand" and especially "Angelina" (the song that inspired the album's title). And "The Ocean" brings the album to a close nicely.
   
   Some songs go a little overboard with the metaphors, however, like "Every Word is a Knife in My Ear" and especially "Split Me Wide Open". Everything else is okay, so if you have the Bravery's self-titled album and enjoy it, then you shouldn't have a problem with The Sun and the Moon either.
   
   Anthony Rupert

5 comments about Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

1. The Cure is one of the rare few bands that has been around for twenty some years and not look or sound like some outdated dinosaur like every hair metal band who are trying to resurrect their sagging careers in recent years. One of my all time favorite albums is by The Cure (i.e DISINTEGRATION). I am finally getting around to check out the band's other albums, prior and after DISINTEGRATION.
   
   KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME is my first foray into the band's past. Having loved PORNOGRAPHY, DISINTREGATION, and BLOODFLOWERS so much, it was a bit hard for me to letting go of the band's dark, atmospheric sounds on those albums but I eventually did. KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME is am unforgettable mix of post punk, pop, and hints of goth. The version I have is the original recording so the production value is awful. I like how diverse KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME is from the post-punk sounds of the opening track "The Kiss" to the Middle Eastern-tinged "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep". My only other quibble with the cd is that it is a little long for my tastes. Songs like "The Snakepit" (one of my least favorite tracks) could have been edited down to three and a half minutes as opposed to over six minutes of incessant droning. For all its minor flaws, KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME is still a great piece of work by one of the greatest bands ever to walk the face of the earth...The Cure. This album is definitely worth checking out for new fans of The Cure.



2. I followed the infectious scent of Just Like Heaven (the greatest pop song ever written) to this album, and found myself listening to one of the greatest records I've ever heard. A few of my favorite songs on this record are as follows:
   
   Torture
   If Only Tonight We Could Sleep
   Why Can't I Be You
   Just Like Heaven
   All I Want
   Shiver and Shake
   
   There's just so much mood and euphoria in these songs. The greatness of Just Like Heaven spills over into all the other compositions. Love it! Always will.



3. "Breathe" and "A Chain Of Flowers" are available on the Join The Dots boxset.
   
   "Hey You!!!" will be released with all its brothers and sisters in August 2006 as the next reissue campaign from Rhino (US) and Fiction/Uni (UK) takes place. They are releasing the deluxe editions of The Top, The Head On The Door, and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. They corrected the omission of "Hey You!!!" so we have the full album as it should be. Why it took them this long, I have no idea. Prince's 1999 cd suffered the same fate (Warners omitted "DMSR" to make the 74 min disc, but corrected it in 1991 when the capacity was increased).
   
   OK, I should write a review...
   
   KMKMKM came out the summer I moved from my childhood home. I remember the video of Robert Smith dressed like a bear or something in the video for "Why Can't I Be You?" and I recall falling in love with the song. I went out, bought the cassette, and the rest is history. This shows The Cure in all facets of their career...moody, gloomy, depressing, happy, poppy, dancey, quirky, rhythmic, tribal, etc. Take all of The Cure's works prior to 1987, mix it up onto a double album, and you have this one. Essential...even the filler is enjoyable if you are real Cure fan.



4. Firstly, the CD is still missing Hey You, even though modern CD players can play 80 minute discs. Further, it's missing the songs Breathe and A Chain of Flowers, which are B-sides that should have been included since they're better than songs that made the cut like Torture, Fight, and The Perfect Girl.
   
   This CD desperately needs to come out in remastered form (no clipping or compression in the remastering process, please) with Breathe, A Chain of Flowers, and Hey You.



5. Double albums are usually the bane of artistry. Sure, it gives bands the opportunity to vent everything in their collective spleens at the moment it was recorded but all too often they succumb to indulgence. In this, the Cure are not immune. There are simply too many songs here that are just "OK" or mediocre and they bring down the album as a whole. Had the album been cut in size by half, this would be a much stronger collection.
   
   HIGHLIGHTS:
   For the most part, it's the singles that fare best here. "Catch" is a delicate ballad carried along on a modest string (or at least synth string) arrangement. "Why Can't I Be You?" is 3 minutes of dizzy ecstasy helped along by a zippy horn arrangement. ("Everything you do is simply delicate/Everything you do is quite angelicate/Why can't I be you?") "Just Like Heaven" is the Cure at its most erotic ("'Show me how you do that trick/The one that makes me scream' she said") while "Hot! Hot! Hot!" is a bit more coy with its passion. ("Hey hey hey!!/But I like it when that lightning comes/Hey hey hey!!/Yes I like it alot") "How Beautiful You Are" is Smith venting his disgust at a former (girl?)friend when she encountered impoverished gypsies in the street. ("How Beautiful" was the thoughts of the gypsies reflected in their eyes while her reaction was 'I hate these people staring/Make them go away from me!'")"The Perfect Girl" is probably the best of the album tracks, a could've been single with a great keyboard riff.
   
   LOWS:
   Sure the riffing is loud on "The Kiss" but the song just never really goes anywhere. "Shiver and Shake" later in the album is a much better distillation of Smith's anger. ("You're just three sick holes that run like sores") "Fight" DOES sound like the Cure's attempt at writing a "pump your fist" arena rocker and as such it's a poor fit for the band.
   
   BOTTOM LINE:
   Not essential. Most of the best tracks here are on GALORE or GREATEST HITS. Bigger Cure fans can get it and burn the best stuff (2,5,6,8,10,11,14,and 16) onto their own CD-R anthology.

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 Rio.

1. Don't buy this remastered version because it will make you sick!
   I have the original USA 82 release on CD. Yes, it's a 16bit recording, but it sounds 400x better than this remastered version.
   The remastered offering is over filtered on the high band, so it sounds like AM radio "low to mid-range sound".
   The sound engineer really dropped the ball on this CD.
   
   I recommend buying the "unmastered" version.



2. I understand why people labeled Duran Duran pop, with all the screaming teenage girls and #1 hits.
   But if you delve deeper into the album you find something more like prog. rock. Or is it prog. pop?
   Either way, easily one of the best and most important albums of the 80's.
   Yes Rio is a pop classic, but then you have what is my favorite DD song ever, The Chauffeur.
   It showed DD in a more progressive, dark direction that I wish the group would go in nowadays.
   Rio as a whole is DD's best album bar none right up there with The Wedding Album.
   Every song is good and catchy. Simon is brilliant as always, John.....(and critics have slammed his bass work on this album) I don't understand why.
   Why????
   His bass lines are funky and add depth and maturity to the album. No wonder why pop critics didn't like it.
   The keys are haunting and beautiful.
   Too bad Andy is barely audiable.
   And Roger still sounds like a drum machine.
   Those minor gripes aside....
   Rio is simply, a must have for music fans.
   If you hated this disc back in the 80's you might want to check it out again.
   There's just so much to explore and enjoy on this masterpiece.
   Highly recommended!!!!!!!



3. There's no question about it, Rio is their finest work to date. For me, it's tied for first with Astronaut. This album has got all the right sounds and all the right moves. You can't mention Duran Duran without bringing up "Rio" or "Hungry like the Wolf" or those classic videos that we still can't seem to get over.
   
   Of course, this album isn't complete without the memorable "Rio" and "Hungry like the Wolf," true songs that define an era, all new wave, all 80s. There's also the deep and harmonious "Save a Prayer" which also is fun listen and another classic. Let's not forget upbeat rockers "Hold back the rain" and "New Religion," some of their best, the smooth and seductive, "Chauffer" the funky "My own way" melodic "Lonely in your Nightmare" and "Last chance on the stairway," one of my personal favorites. There's not one song you can dislike.
   
   I truly do enjoy this album, it's fantastic from beginning to end. As you can see: Pretty looking guys+cool music+memorable singles=1 Phenomenal band. Rio got them noticed here in the states and launched them into history. And now, they're among icons. Every Duran Duran fan must have this album, newcomer and life-long alike!
   
   The "Mad Mind" has spoken.



4. back to early 1983, I notice a song pretty caught my ears, and I really like the melody, and the chorus
   Save it till the Morning After (2+4 times), and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
   and finally found it's "Save a Prayer", and started to hunt this album
   the first one was cassette (1984), it's broken because I played too much (esp. Save a Prayer)
   the second one was US version of LP, the Side A tracks are remixed, but I personally don't like these 5 tracks
   their CD (UK version) was released 1994, I bought it even don't need to think twice, but I found #5 "Hold Back the Rain" has "clicks" (I mentioned once on their previous album) removed, it started from Bass guitar, just feel something missing
   Rio deploys these "clicks", but I don't think it's sound of Rio in Brazil
   "Lonely in Your Nightmare", the haunting sound also catches my ears
   "New Religion" is like an allude of "certain" church (name kept)
   "Last Chance of the Stairway" recalls me of "Planet Earth" somehow
   "Save a Prayer" is still my very favorite, along with "To The Shore" and "Sound of Thunder" (both on previous album)
   these 2 albums are produced by Colin Thurston, and I can say "Duran Duran" is first half, "Rio" is second half, and they should be sold as 2CDs
   if you have previous one, buy this one
   or if you have this one, but previous one, that makes it complete



5. The first Duran Duran album was moody, danceable pop with some rock sensibility sprinkled around for good measure. It was a new sound. "New Romantic" was the coined phrase of the day. Then they followed up the first album with a smash hit called "Is There Something I Should Know?" which was a stand-alone single that had all the pieces in under four minutes. They were stars.
   
   Rio ups the ante. More guitars, more melodic pop, more suggestive phrasing and some more rock added to the mix. You get the moody experiemental pieces like "The Chauffer" and "Save A Prayer" along side some burners like "Hold Back The Rain" and "Rio." "Hungry Like The Wolf" is a killer single and "New Religion" really gives them some street credibility as songwriters. "New Religion" became a concert staple they still play today and for good reason. It's a great rock track. Something no one had heard so clearly in any previous Duran Duran tune.
   
   Even the "filler" here like "Last Chance on that Stairway" and "Lonely in your Nightmare" work very very well. This is Class A pop music for 1982 or any era. Great stuff!

5 comments about Def Leppard - Rock of Ages: Definitive Collection DVD.

1. MY FRIEND HUGGED ME MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR HER VIDEO AND COULDN'T HAVE FOUND A BETTER ONE.



2. This is what I was looking for. A good set of rock videos and the 5.1 sound is really good.



3. If you have the "Vault" cd then it's the exact same playlist. Overall a fantastic collection and should be one of the first video DVD's you pick up if your into 80's rock videos. Well worth the price, I'm very happy with it.



4. I Picked this up when it first came out, and was happy to have the heart of def leppard's videos on DVD. It contains their biggest hits and best videos. I know they couldn't fit every video on the disc, and I have their other two US DVDs of their older VHS tapes that cover some of the older material. This does contain "No Matter What" rehersal footage and video, which is cool and available only on this DVD. Saying this, I must say that I did buy the European Def Leppard Best Of DVD, which has 29 videos total on it, plus 3 hidden alternative videos. I paid more for that version, but I felt it was a better one stop shop for def leppard videos. But, I recommend this Rock Of Ages collection for most Leppard fans, it covers the biggest and best, and is more affordable/better value for a casual fan.



5. I like it. I like it! But, they spelled 'Deaf Leprechaun' rong!
   If you like to ROCK, You'll Love to Rock w/ Def Leppard. ROCK - ON!
   Hey, they've got something to say! But what's it got to do with hemoglobin?