5 comments about INXS - Greatest Hits.

1. When you're a teenager you tend to want to classify or stereotype everything in a black & white sort of way. INXS was (for me at least) one of those bands that didn't always fit neatly into a particular style or stereotype. Yeah, they were pop, but they had such a hard-driving beat that the label didn't seem to fit very well when compared to other pop acts at the time. Yet it wasn't like it was rock either, at least not like the hair bands of the mid 80s. They sometimes had a synth-pop sound, but didn't fit in with new wave. Dance, maybe? Not always. Maybe it was the saxophone that confused me...?
   
   But whatever it was or wherever you want to stereotype it, it was great music. I especially loved Kick and X, and saw them in concert on their X tour in 1994. It was a simple show - no pyrotechnics or overblown visuals - just the band and the music. It was great! The lights didn't even dim between the opening act and them. Everyone thought it was just the grunts tuning up the guitars when all of the sudden... that bunch of guys in t-shirts playing the songs were them! Way cool.
   
   But I'm a little disappointed by The Greatest Hits. It probably meets my needs and expectations better than any of the other collections or compilations, but what were they thinking not including "Don't Change"? Also, "Mediate" MUST follow "Need You Tonight" just like it does on Kick - it's not even on here. And I wish they had included "Kiss The Dirt (Falling Down The Mountain)" from Listen Like Thieves. They could have eliminated 3 songs at the end - "Heaven Sent," "The Strangest Party (These Are The Times)" and "Deliver Me" - and I wouldn't have even missed them. But I was glad to see "The Stairs" which was one of my favorites, even though I don't recall it being much of a hit for them.
   
   So, while it's a great collection from a great band (although that whole reality show thing was pretty sad) it just doesn't quite satisfy. But it probably comes closer (for me) than the others. And it may be a petty complaint, but I just don't care for the cover art.



2. INXS is a respectable band. Well, the WERE a respectable band...right up until the point they went on a reality show to replace their lead singer--the late, great Michael Hutchence.
   
   But up until that point they were as respectable as a pop group could be. They weren't groundbreaking and probably weren't influential, but they made a lot of good songs that were enjoyed by a lot of people and they weren't forgotten three years later so many of their contemporaries.
   
   As far as their songs go, you can probably get everything you need on a compilation--there's no need to go out and find the albums. And this compilation is pretty solid. The majority of their hits and well-known songs are here.
   
   If you're a casual fan of INXS or this style of music, then you should probably own this album. I knocked it down to three stars (from four) for three reasons, and if none of these things concern you, then you can go ahead and consider this a great compilation album.
   
   The three things:
   
   a) There's are a lot of extra tracks here. Either they are songs off of later albums or they were new material--I've never bothered to figure it out. In any case, they make the last half of the album a complete dud.
   
   b) The didn't include "Mediate." It seems like they could have dumped one of the new tracks and inserted this right behind "Need You Tonight," just like it's done in the video.
   
   c) This is the big one--they left off "Don't Change." That makes absolutely no sense to me--it was one of their first hits and one of their greatest songs. I can't fathom how they would decide to leave it off in favor of new stuff and lesser songs.
   
   That said, everything else of note seems to be here: Need You Tonight, Suicide Blonde, Original Sin, Disappear, Devil Inside...etc...you can read the track list for yourself--you don't need my help with that.



3. There are foten times where a group isn't now what they were ack then. Nevertheless, there have been some noticible acceptions. INXS recentsly has been one of them. Nearly a decade after the tragic death of Michael Hutchence, they struck back into the industry with J.D. Fortune on their comeback record Switch. While some are welcoming his arrival, others just sometimes look at the past and what INXS had back in the 80's and 90's, and what they had was a great mix of pop & rock that was just absolutely driven into the best in music, and that stays true on this greatest hits record.
   
   INXS 1994 Greatest Hits record is a well-recognized reflection of the group during its heyday as one of the biggest rock backs of the world. The 16 track compilation delivers quite nnicely into what is really over the top. The songs here could've been remastered a little better, but deliver a lot of great tracks like their #1 smashes Need You Tonight, the haunting and soulful Never Tear Us Apart, Suicide Blonde, Dissapear and the upbeat and delightful New Sensation which was used recently for commercials for Bally Total Fitness health club, and What You Need to name a few. The songs still are great to listen to, but there just could've been a little more that should've been added.
   
   So many INXS fans now might be torn between this collection and the 2001 Best OF INXS record which has more songs to match, but this collection of their music uis still alright. INXS Greatest Hits is a very nice reflection from a group of Australian Suicide Blondes.
   
   Album Cover: B
   
   Songs: B 1/2+
   
   Price: B+
   
   Remastering: B-
   
   Overall: B



4. All my favorite songs



5. I own the CD with the photo showed on this Amazon page. The list of songs is wrong, and disordered.
   
   Whatever, the real CD is this:
   
   1- Mystify
   2- Suicide blonde
   3- Taste it
   4- The strangest party (these are the times)
   5- Need you tonight
   6- Original sin
   7- Haven sent
   8- Disappear
   9- Never tear us apart
   10- The gift
   11- Devil inside
   12- Beautiful girl
   13- Deliver me
   14- New sensation
   15- What you need
   16- Listen like thieves
   17- Bitter tears
   18- Baby don't cry (with orchestral)

5 comments about The Best of Naked Eyes.

1. Naked Eyes (Pete Byrne on vocals and Rob Fisher on keyboards), were one of the many synth-pop bands to burst on the 80's scene after record companies went New Wave crazy. With the success of Soft Cell, Thompson Twins and The Human League, if you looked good on camera, could carry a tune and had a fairlight, you had a gig. The photogenic Byrne was one of those, and when they secured an American deal with EMI, their clever cover of Bacharach/David's "Always Something There to Remind Me" made them stars.
   
   However, for reasons Byrne explains in his review of Promises, Promises: The Very Best of Naked Eyes, this older, sonically inferior and fewer (15 over 20) songed collection remains in print when the newer one was deleted in a beauraucratic snafu. So instead of 4 hits, you miss out on "When The Lights Go Out." The advantage to this set is the song "Could Be," left of the "Promises Promises" collection.
   
   Naked Eyes managed a string of 4 top 40 singles and two albums to hit the top 100, but their run was short lived. Given that the two albums contained the whole of 21 songs and this CD has 15, you can pretty much sum the group up on one disc. Byrne and Fischer were adequate enough tunesmiths, but they lacked any sort of real identifying qualities (like Soft Cell's over-the-top sleaziness or Tom Bailey's instinctive pop-sense with Thompson Twins). Much of this CD is affable, lightweight fare: synth-pop as Adult Contemporary background music.
   
   However, the three main singles here do strike sparks. "Promises Promises" contains a killer hook, and despite its low chart peak (39 in the US), "What in The Name Of Love" should have been dance floor dynamite. The US single was produced by Arthur Baker (who was a dominant hitmaker at the time) and cribs from both the Thompson Twins and The Supremes. Of the remaining tracks, "Flag of Convenience" and "Burning Bridges" were the best of the lot; most of the others are indistinguishable from a million other 80's pop bands.
   
   Fisher became a hit songwriter in his own right and struck the charts again ("Love Changes Everything") as half of Climie Fisher before his death in 1999, while Byrne carries on with the Naked Eyes name (Fumbling with the Covers).



2. The title states all that you need to know. There are a few really good 80's hits that we remember, but the rest sound pretty much the same.



3. First of all, the intro to David Bowie's "Lets Dance" doesn't sound very similar to the intro in "Promises, Promises." Second, both songs were released in 1983, so the chance of "Promises, Promises" copying "Let's Dance" is small. Naked Eyes is the most unique and underrated musical group of the 1980's. This cd starts out with their most popular hit "Always Something There To Remind Me," with it's stong synth. Other notable hits on the album are "Promises, Promises," and "No Flowers Please." This CD keeps it coming all the way through from the beginning to the end. All in all a great cd to add to your collection.



4. First, thanks to Pete Byrne (the surviving half of Naked Eyes, along with the late Rob Fisher) for clarifying what happened with the two greatest hits collections of Naked Eyes in his Amazon review of Promises Promises (December 14, 2005) - EMI put this earlier compilation together, leaving off When the Lights Go Out, one of only four Top 40 hits by Naked Eyes (What WERE they thinking?). Pete subsequently put together a different, and somewhat superior, compilation (the aforementioned Promises Promises collection), but when EMI decided to delete one of them, they chose the wrong one and kept this one - Promises Promises is now long out of print, and used copies are usually VERY expensive. (Byrne, of course, makes nothing on the sale of used CD's, so don't blame him for profiteering.) This "Best Of" collection only contains 15 songs (all from their two U.S., studio albums), while "Promises Promises - The Very Best Of" contains 20 (including some bonus material).
   
   That being said, even without When the Lights Go Out, this is a fantastic collection of songs by Naked Eyes, covering 9 of the 10 songs from their first album, the self-titled Naked Eyes, never yet released on CD. The Promises Promises collection leaves off only Could Be from their first album. By the way, looking at a Naked Eyes discography, I just found that the debut album was titled Burning Bridges in other countries, including two additional songs A Very Hard Act to Follow and The Time is Now, both included on Promises Promises, but not on this compilation.
   
   Four of the ten songs from their other studio album, Fuel for the Fire (also never yet released on CD), are left off this compilation - Once is Enough and Answering Service do not appear on either compilation, while New Hearts and Me I See in You appear on Promises Promises. Of these four, all but New Hearts appear on Everything and More, a later compilation of rarities, b-sides, and remixes.
   
   For the completist, almost everything from the two studio albums appears on either this Best Of package or the Everything and More rarities CD (and you can pick up When the Lights Go Out on the Back-to-Back Naked Eyes / Spandau Ballet CD quite cheaply - it has all 4 of their Top 40 hits). But hopefully Pete Byrne will be successful in the negotiations he mentioned in his review, to eventually bring out ALL of the Naked Eyes recorded output on CD. And hopefully this will include the song from the Dr. Pepper commercial done by Naked Eyes that someone in another review referred to - how cool.
   
   Though they released only two studio albums, Naked Eyes had some of the catchiest pop songs of the 80's, and this CD is an excellent collection of all (except one) of their best!



5. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SONG" ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME " WHICH IS EVEN A REMAKE, MOST PEOPLE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THIS DUO YET IF YOU LISTEN TO SOME OF THERE SONGS ITS REALLY YOUR MONEY'S WORHT TO BUY THERE ALBUM. MOST OF THERE SONGS FIND THERE WAY THRU MOBILE MIXERS BUT TRY TO LISTEN TO THE SONG " WHEN THE LIGHTS GO ON" WHICH IS NOT EVEN INCLUDED HERE THEN YOU COULD SAY THAT THIS DUO COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SUCCESFUL. TOO BAD FISHER IS NOW GONE AND THERE WON'T BE ANY MORE NAKED EYES ALBUM. I RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE OUT THERE CHECK OUT THEIR FIRST ALBUM ENTITLED NAKED EYES AND YOU HEAR WHAT I MEAN

5 comments about Layer Cake.

1. The item arrived in a timley manner - THAT is very important to me. Best condition.



2. I ordered this CD for the Lisa Gerrard song but was blown away by the rest of the songs, especially Hayling. I can't help replaying it over and again. I was very, very pleased with the CD. I do wish there was a version of Lisa Gerrard's song without the speaking part at the beginning but it is short and the song is worth it.



3. nothing wrong with the CD, the music is just better suited to the movie than listening on a stero



4. There were only three songs that were notable. Very disappointing. Did not need to buy an entire CD for three songs.



5. If you've seen the show Inside the Actor's Studio, you will know the question at the end that asks "What profession would you not want to do?" I always thought I would answer that question with, "A Music Critic." To me, music has groove or it doesn't. That's it. Whether Rock, Hip Hop, Funk, Blues, Reggae, Latin, Jazz, or Pop, if it's got groove, it's good. I don't know how critics can write a thousand words about a new C.D. With that said, this Soundtrack is loaded with groove. Point being, it's Good! From The Source, to The Cult, to a remix of Kylie Minogue's super tune with New Order mixed in, this C.D. will "keep ya head ringin'."

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 Sin After Sin.

1. Sin After Sin is eternal. One of my favorite albums ever.
   Contemporary and far beyond its time. Maybe because they had just left Gull Records and may have acknowledged the fact that they were starting to write history as they were engulfed by history itself, helping invent this thing that gave shape to our world as we know it, this thing called Heavy Metal.
   Am I exaggerating? Nope.
   Roger Glover of Deep Purple fame produces this artwork, but the Universe conspired with the making of this album in many ways.
   A young 19 year-old guy is responsible for the drums and percussion of Sin After Sin. You know his name? Yep, I'm talking about Simon Phillips, my friends. He was freaking 19. I, myself a brazilian percussionist and drummer, can't say how awesome the drumming in this album is. Call For The Priest/Raw Deal simply gives you such an impressive beat: hammering but classy, heavy but stylish, constrained and yet explosive. Pure genius, along with virtuose.
   70's virtuose. And the energy of a 19 year-old.
   Enough said?
   I don't think so. But I don't want to leave a song by song description of this album. This IS a MASTERPIECE that has to be on your shelf, period! From the cover, designed by Bob Carlos-Clark, nowadays one of the world's best known photographers of women (look for Shooting Sex, his book on the subject) to the last song, it's all pure classic.
   One of my favorites album ever.
   The band actually started to make some money after this one, so this is the point where you can call them pros. This is the band that helped these Birmingham guys to become one of the greatest Heavy Metal bands ever.
   Oh yes, legend has it that Sin After Sin was recorded in a week...
   Pure Classic!
   Enough?



2. Sin After Sin is perenially one of the least heralded Judas Priest albums, seeming to have gotten lost in the shuffle between acknowledged masterpieces Sad Wings of Destiny and Stained Class, which is unfortunate because this is a start-to-finish great, with excellent, vintage metal style tracks like 'Sinner' and 'Starbreaker' and great, highly unusual songs like 'Last Rose Of Summer' and 'Dissident Aggressor', which are totally different from anything presented on any other Priest album. With the exception of its winning ballad 'Last Rose Of Summer' (which is the softest thing the band has ever done and probably won't be as appealing to some fans, although I love it) Sin After Sin is heavier than Sad Wings Of Destiny but retains that good otherworldly feel throughout; those albums along with Stained Class form a distinctive period in the band's output. Many would say Rocka Rolla started that period but I think of Rocka as having been a one-album phase of its own. The music in Sin After Sin goes all over the speed scale, from fast and very fluid on something like 'Let Us Prey' to an unprecedentedly relaxed flow on 'Last Rose'. There are lots of very eclectic, quirky sounds popping up briefly, as in the opening notes of 'Diamonds And Rust'. The vocals are impeccable, with some of the weirdest (and in metal, that's a good thing) deliveries Rob Halford has ever made, as in the end of 'Raw Deal'. The lyrics cover a lot of good ground, from science fiction-y 'Starbreaker' to dark emotional 'Here Come The Tears' to ant-bigotry 'Let Us Prey' (whose title seems to have nothing to do with its content).
   
   Probably the single best track on the album is 'Starbreaker', which should be hailed as an alltime classic. As for the bonus tracks, 'Race With The Devil' is an excellent addition to the Priest pantheon, a perfect fit for the album and a track that it's hard to see why it didn't get released for fifteen years. The other bonus, a live version of 'Jawbreaker' is a bit more controversial. Sin After Sin is one of a couple of albums from the remastered series where the live track didn't hail from the album's original selection; 'Jawbreaker' is originally from Defenders of the Faith. It's actually a great version of a great song that I'm glad was released, but like most people I would have loved to have seen something from this album represented live on the bonus, but perhaps there just wasn't anything usable in the vaults that wasn't already out there (for those interested, there's a phenomenal live take on Starbreaker, different from the Unleashed in the East version, on Priest Live & Rare (Japan)). The bottom line though is that the live Jawbreaker is still a fine track, and even though it doesn't fit in with the rest of the disc you can just look at it as adding a very different dimension.
   
   Overall a great and distinctive album, one of the very best releases of the 1970s and essential for fans of metal and hard rock.



3. this is priest before they became the metal gods,mid-late 70`s,sin after sin is another of priests solid releases that would lead them to the top.if your new to this epic band here`s my advice,start with 1984`s defender`s of the faith and work your way back.



4. A solid example of a major label debut, 1977's Sin After Sin, while unnoticed at the time, stands as a foundation to the mighty heights that Judas Priest would soon exceed. Not as dark and morbid as what Sad Wings Of Destiny was or what Stained Class would become, this release occupies a still-powerful middle ground between those two landmarks. Highlights include "Sinner" (easily one of the best driving songs ever), "Let Us Prey/ Call For The Priest", "Starbreaker", "Raw Deal" & (on the 2001 remaster only) "Race With The Devil".



5. The first album I bought from Judas Priest was BRITISH STEEL (1980), which was a fun, likable album, but it struck me as kindergarten pop metal, if you know what I mean. Not long after that I picked up HELL BENT FOR LEATHER (1979), which was similar to BRITISH STEEL but quite a bit more mature. I then ventured to explore their three mighty late 70's releases: SAD WINGS OF DESTINY (1976), SIN AFTER SIN (1977) and STAINED CLASS (1978). These three albums tower in the Priest catalog. All three are very different-sounding; the Priest boys didn't regurgitate ideas, material or sound, that's for sure.
   
   I recently picked up the remastered version of SIN AFTER SIN and, let me tell you, the sound is noticeably better; it's much more crisp and in-your-face than the non-remastered CD (which I used to own).
   
   I always had a problem with the production of this recording. The guitars are clear and crisp, but they're not heavy, which is sacriledge in metal circles (of course, metal was still being invented at the time). The drum performance by guest-musician Simon Phillips is superb, but the drums themselves sound almost muddled. Still, I'm not one to nitpick; I accept and embrace the album 100% as is.
   
   Allow me the privilege of evaluating the 8 songs and 2 bonus tracks:
   
   (1.) "Sinner" (6:41): This is a smokin' and intense upper-mid-paced lead track featuring simple riffs and a slight gothic air. The lyrics are sci-fi/fantasy oriented dealing with the titular "Sinner," his 'god' the devil and "War" apparently searching for carcasses of war or some sh*t. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.
   
   (2.) "Diamonds and Rust" (3:23): This is a rock remake of Joan Baez' folk song and was a minor hit for the band. It sounds completely different than the superior Baez version. It was never my cup of tea and it doesn't jell with the feel of the rest of the album (with the exception of "Last Rose of Summer"). Personal Rating: 2.5/5 Stars.
   
   (3.) "Starbreaker" (4:47): A catchy mid-paced number, not to mention underrated in the Priest catalog. The titular "Starbreaker" is a character reminiscent of Marvel Comics' Silver Surfur. Personal Rating: 4/5 Stars.
   
   (4.) "Last Rose of Summer" (5:36): A sickly sentimental ballad. The vibe is the antithesis of everything Judas Priest is. God, I hate this song! I always skip it. Personal Rating: 1/5 Stars.
   
   (5.) "Let Us Prey/Call For the Priest" (6:12): This song starts out with a 1.5 minute intro wherein Rob Halford sings "Call for the priest, I'm DYYYYIIIIINNNNGGG." The following "Let Us Prey" is the prototype for progressive, near-speed metal. An incredible piece from 1977, to say the least. The lyrics are equal parts creative, ambiguous and intriguing; they partially criticize the cynical slander of journalists. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.
   
   (6.) "Raw Deal" (5:58): A slower mid-paced number with psychedelic elements. Interesting and atypical. The lyrics address Halford's surreal experience in a pub and the resulting trouble. The song powerfully ends with Rob screaming out "I give my life; I am immortal!" followed by a musical piece that deviates from the rest of the song. Personal Rating: 4.5/5 Stars.
   
   (7.) "Here Come the Tears" (4:36): Now this is how Priest REALLY does a ballad. According to the lyrics, Halford evidently feels alone and unloved. He sings: "All alone, no one cares. So much to give to you all out there. Take me now in your arms. Let me rest safe from harm." The heavy guitars then suddenly kick-in as Rob SCREAMS out for love. Trust me, it's one of the most emotionally potent pieces in the entire history of song. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.
   
   (8.) "Dissident Aggressor" (3:06): The is the final original track and it kicks a$$. It starts out eerily with various gothic-tinged sound effects and builds up to Halford's blood-curdling falsetto accompanied by incredibly aggressive and intense riffs. The lyrics address a dissident from (the former) East Germany who seeks to by-pass "the impregnable wall." It's only a 3 minute song but it's powerful, innovative and remarkable. Personal Rating: 5/5 Stars.
   
   BONUS TRACKS: "Race with the Devil" (3:06) is an obscure early-Priest rocker. It's worth it just for the intro, which is reminiscent of Mercyful Fate's early work. "Jawbreaker" (4:00) is an enjoyable live version of the song that was originally released on Priest's 1984 DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH album.
   
   FINAL ANALYSIS: SIN AFTER SIN stands with the best albums in the Priest catalog. It's unique, innovative, gothic-tinged and very different-sounding than their 80's output, not to mention more mature and intricate.
   
   Halford sings "No one cares" in "Here Come the Tears." He's wrong.
   
   In any event, I refuse to even take calls from people that don't have SIN AFTER SIN in their listening arsenal.
   
   Listen and learn, my son.

5 comments about Hardcastle 4.

1. My husband tells me what he wants for presents and I get it. I ordered this with Hardcastle 5, as requested, but I didn't know he already had Hardcastle 4. He now has 4 in 2 places that has not been a problem. You will enjoy any of Hardcastles' music.



2. Hardcastle's music is beyond Heaven. He can't get any better. Always have been a fan. His music just lulls me. robbicee luvs jazz



3. The one good sounding song on this cd is eastern winds which is why I bought it in the first place. Seems like who ever mastered it tried to make it sound like a Hip hop album on the low end. Takes all the beauty away from it.



4. As typical, Paul comes through. This time he even through in a couple of pretty killer tracks with his daughter Maxine breaking out and singing for us. I give this CD two thumbs up, and a toe nail.



5. I have all the Paul Hardcastle / Jazzmaster cds except 2 and I was very pleased with this latest work from Paul. There are detractors who say this cd is typically Hardcastle and sounds like all the rest. Well this is fine with me...why would I buy a Hardcastle cd that sounds like Miles Davis? There are those that say Paul's daughter is a distraction on this cd. Albeit Maxine is no Helen Rodgers but come on, she's only 19 and the fact that she had input on the lyrics of her songs and that they will appeal to a younger generation of listeners goes a long way in showing that she has a future in music.
   Listeners will notice the absence of Helen Rodgers on this cd which should be no surprise as Helen features mainly on the Jazzmasters series. But don't get me wrong , I love Helen's voice and was slightly surprised at the scarcity of her voice on the Jazzmasters 4 cd. But for those that love the Hardcastle sound they will not be disappointed with Hardcastle 4....keep up the good work Paul and I look forward to the developing career of Maxine.

5 comments about War.

1. This release was my first introduction to U2. Sunday Bloody Sunday was phenomenal, and it still is. The highest praise I can give is thanks.



2. Forgot what you know about Modern Day U2. Since they are still on top of the pop charts, I am sure that there is a younger fan base that might like some of their newer material. If you do, then there is no way that you shouldn't purchase "War" "War" is easily U2's best album. Even though "The Unforgetable Fire" and "The Joshua Tree" produced hit after hit, "War" is a different U2 then some are used to. This album is dark, and the Edge does some great guitar work (in which he seems absent for the more modern albums) If you aren't even into the band (which I am not, I just love this album) then I highly reccomend it. If you are a huge fan, and dont have this in your collection, you are missing their best material. ENJOY



3. I find it hard to believe that I have never written a review for this album.
   First of all I believe U2 had never been as rocking and driven as they were with WAR, they have not been since it either.
   Song by song the album might not seem as good, but this is one of those strange situations where the whole is much more than the sum of it's parts.
   This album features their first two real master pieces New year's day and drowning man.
   The latter not as known to newer fans, it is a haunting song that provides us with a different U2.
   The anger and determination, their youthful energy, talent and focus, just blended perfectly in this album, creating the epic closer for their early album trilogy.
   If this album misses the label 'masterpiece' is by frustrating inches, probably because of "The refugee" it would have been a much stronger record without it, as it stops the flow of the record and sounds totally out of place.
   This is all of course my opinion... but I feel WAR is light years ahead in terms of musical and lyrical contents than pretty much most of their albums, specially their two newer ones (yes that ones that sound like a rehash of their "old" sound cough *sellouts* cough) All that you can't leave behind and How to dismantle an atomic bomb.
   
   WAR
   Master pieces: New year's day, Drowning man
   Oustanding songs: Sunday bloody sunday, Seconds, Like a song...,
   Good songs: Two hearts beat as one, surrender, red light
   Regular songs: 40 (Great lyrics and all but as a song itself it feels weird)
   Bad songs: The refugee
   
   If you have heard U2 and recall their "old" albums (Joshua tree, Unforgettable fire)
   Do yourself a favour and listen to their true old sound and roots... I guarantee this four young lads will impress you way beyond the Joshua tree and you will, now, truly know what you REALLY can't leave behind.



4. With this album, U2 reach the international market with hits like "Sunday bloody Sunday", and "New year's day". Other tracks are really good like "Surrender" and "40", the rest is good but not great.
   The best was just coming soon...



5. This is probably one of U2's most focused and hard rocking album's to date, while their later albums tend to focus too much on pop music War has a more edgier sound to it and there is obviously a little bit of pop. I consider this to be one of my favorites from U2 of course not alot of people are going to like this cause U2 are a band that you either love or hate, my friend hates these guys and thinks that their music is pointless and very dull, oh well thats just his opinion. The album starts of with Sunday bloody sunday which is one of thier biggest hits, its an anti-war and protest song and is very effective cause of the way Bono sings he sounds very emotional and the song has a very nice drum beat done by Larry Mullen then theres the song Seconds which also sounds like a protest song. The other hit single from this album and one of my favorites New years day is one of the best songs that U2 has ever made, if you haven't heard anything from U2 yet I suggest you hear this song first so you might get this album as well. Bono of course being a great song writer and lyricist attempts to write a great love ballad with Two hearts beat as one and his vision carries through the rest of the album which has a strong political and religious theme to it. I have to admit that Refugee is not a fovrite cause it sound a bit outdated and bad like a synthpop new wave song but still doesn't matter since the rest of the album was absolutely amazing and The edge has some great guitar riffs especially in the song New years day where he makes a slightly echo like sounding riff that complements the nice basslines and piano, this song is absolutely phenomenal. I highly recomend this to U2 fans or those who are looking for a great 80's rock album.

5 comments about Songs of Faith and Devotion.

1. this album was released in 1993, the height of grunge, where the styles of the 80's and all the wonders of synth pop were finally drowned out. Depeche Mode release "Songs of Faith and Devotion", a highly anticipated follow-up to their most commercially successful album "Violator".
   
   as a commercial success it did not do as well as the previous album. the contents of the album are a different story. Here is where the band has finally incorporated a more organic sound to their music and guess what, IT WORKS!. the first release "I Feel You" was a change of pace as a loud distorted guitaer kicks things off and many were surprised.
   
   in my own humble opinion Martin Gore probably has written some his strongest material.
   
   Many were expecting "Violator pt. 2" or something like that. had depeche mode done that, it would have been a let down and a major disrespect to their fans, as depeche mode have always progressed their sound on each album.
   
   stand out tracks are "I Feel you", "In Your Room" "Condemnation" "Get Right With Me", "Rush" and "One Caress"
   
   sadly the devotional tour would test the limits of the band as alan wilder left after the tour and dave gahan's struggles with heroin were in full swing.
   
   all in all this is a strong album and a must own for depeche mode fans.



2. It is amazing to listen to this album from 1993 and see how truly current it still is....this album features every dimension of the Depeche Mode sound, from haunting orchestrations to soul-searching lyrics and vocals to straight forward modern music with catchy beats & melodies....
   
   In a time where every so-called artist sounds the same and is manufactured for quick release at your local Wal-Mart or other big box, bands like Depeche Mode stand as a lone voice in the wilderness of so much crap. People think they know "modern/alternative music"? HA! Depeche Mode invented it and they continue to re-invent....Songs of Faith and Devotion is a classic....best tracks include "Walking in My Shoes", "In Your Room", "Get Right With Me", "One Caress", etc....



3. A bold - and to many listeners, shocking - venture into the transition of musical frontiers, from a band already renowned for a seemingly very different genre, Depeche Mode's Songs of Faith and Devotion hit the music world like a proverbial earthquake upon its initial release in 1993.
   
   Some fans rejoiced, others fulminated, and many more were for the most part just plain confused, as the line between the band's former (and considered to be, signature) style of music and that of more traditional rock seemed to blur for a moment.
   
   To say, however, that Songs of Faith and Devotion is simply Depeche Mode's experimental crossover into a more rock-oriented genre would be both an injustice and an understatement. At closer listening, one begins to realize that this album is not about Depeche Mode becoming a rock group; rather, it is about the band's artistic journey into new lands of spirituality and darkness, touching upon subjects of a more noetic nature than those in previous albums, and with a greater depth and emotion than is found on the songs of most other albums.
   
   Amongst the very best of SOFAD:
   
   In Your Room (one of the greatest songs ever recorded)
   Walking in My Shoes
   Higher Love
   Mercy in You
   One Caress
   Judas
   
   This album is, in my opinion, one of the 3 greatest ever done by Depeche Mode - along with Violator and Black Celebration.
   
   SOFAD is an audio journey most definitely worth taking - and returning to time and again, no doubt.



4. I tend to find that the people who don't like "Songs of Faith and Devotion" are in two categories: Electronic purists who are so set in their ways that DM doing a guitar based album is a travesty (although hints started with "Black Celebration"), people wrongfully accusing it as an attempt to stay relevant (followed "Violator" and most of these are songs that Pearl Jam and the likes never have & never will make). But beyond that, there isn't one single bad song on "SoFaD." It may take awhile to digest it though, I'll admit. It took awhile for me to get used to the "noir-gospel" of "Condemnation," but I now really love that song. The lyrics are not really embarassing, and "I Feel You" is one of Depeche Mode's greatest songs ever (that says a lot!). Another classic is the six-and-a-half minute "In Your Room." Martin Gore sings on a couple of slower-toned, orchestral tracks like the dark yet beautiful "Judas" and string-heavy "One Caress." Sure, the single version of "Walking in My Shoes" is better than the one on here, but that doesn't make this "not worth owning." Not only this, every song still sounds like Depeche Mode. The songs I didn't mention are still wonderful too, and I particularly like the punch of "Get Right with Me" and the pseudo-industrial "Rush." Gore is usually great when he writes the type of dark lyrics on this album, part of its greatness.
   
   In short: It's worth owning because it's a wonderful band at a creative peak, it's cheap, and even if the cover art is lackluster the music will help you overlook that (but I think that's why some people presumptively dismiss & mock the album). Hey, the first two albums have my favorite cover art and are my least favorites that the group did.



5. This album is excellent, lots of good reviews so mine will be about one song from the album, Mercy in You. This song for me, has been what DM has meant to me over the years.
   
   I would lose my way again
   Be led hopelessly astray again
   Just so I could pray again
   For the mercy in you
   
   These words are such a strong statement to do wrong, to do bad, if only for the forgiveness that is offered, to return again. This has been for me a taunting of religion, of sin and how foolish and at the same time rewarding the whole process is. Alot of events in the lives of DM happened after this album and Ultra was released with the abscense of Wilder.

5 comments about The Cars - Greatest Hits.

1. Classic Cars, pun intended. The only song I didn't care for was Heart Break City, all the other the songs are fantastic. You won't go wrong buying this one. Highly recomended.



2. If you like the Cars at all , Get this CD. It has all the hits. Does not miss any Cars songs you may know



3. if you're not a fan of singing with the classics something's wrong with you. buy this album, listen to it, become a better person.



4. The Cars: Greatest Hits
   
   INTRODUCTION:
   The Cars were one of the finest classic rock bands ever. With their mixture of rock and roll and new wave pop elements, they won over a number of fans during their decade or so together. There are countless compilations out there for the band. Let's take a look at Greatest Hits.
   
   OVERVIEW:
   Covers the Cars' career 1978-1985.
   
   REVIEW:
   I love the music of the Cars, they're one of my favorite bands of all time. But this compilation shows its age. Nearly every track on here (plus a whole lot more) is on the newer Complete Greatest Hits compilation. The omissions on here are far too great in number.
   
   THE CARS (1978): Just What I Needed, Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl.
   COMMENTS: You get THE SINGLES from the first album. Nothing more. That means this album is missing the non-single hits Bye Bye Love, You're All I've Got Tonight, and Moving In Stereo. That's just the beginning of the atrocities of this inferior compilation.
   
   CANDY-O (1979): Let's Go
   COMMENTS: ONE TRACK from this album!? ONE TRACK!? Blasphemy, I say! What compilation omits Dangerous Type and It's All I Can Do? Well, my friends, THIS ONE DOES.
   
   PANORAMA (1980): Touch and Go
   COMMENTS: Again, an album only gets ONE TRACK on here. That means no Don't Tell Me No or the title track.
   
   SHAKE IT UP (1981): Shake It Up, I'm Not The One, Since You're Gone
   COMMENTS: This is it. The ONLY album that gets perfect representation on this compilation. No complaints.
   
   HEARTBEAT CITY (1984.): You Might Think, Drive, Heartbeat City, Magic
   COMMENTS: Glad to see the underrated title track made the cut here, as well as most of the other big hits. But why were Hello Again and Stranger Eyes omitted!?
   
   NEW TRACK (1985): Tonight She Comes
   The band recorded this single new cut for the album. It's not one of the band's best ever, but still a solid tune.
   
   DOOR TO DOOR (1987): NO TRACKS
   COMMENTS: This compilation was released prior to this album.
   
   OVERALL:
   Get Complete Greatest Hits instead. Everything this compilation does, that one does several times better.
   
   Thumbs down.
   
   EDITION NOTES:
   This compilation has always been readily available so I doubt you'll have any trouble finding it or the superior Complete Greatest Hits.



5. The Cars: Greatest Hits
   
   INTRODUCTION:
   The Cars were one of the finest classic rock bands ever. With their mixture of rock and roll and new wave pop elements, they won over a number of fans during their decade or so together. There are countless compilations out there for the band. Let's take a look at Greatest Hits.
   
   OVERVIEW:
   Complete Greatest Hits spans the Cars career 1978-1987. It features 20 tracks.
   
   REVIEW:
   I love the music of the Cars, they're one of my favorite bands of all time. But this compilation shows its age. Nearly every track on here (plus a whole lot more) is on the newer Complete Greatest Hits compilation. The omissions on here are far too great in number.
   
   THE CARS (1978): Just What I Needed, Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl.
   COMMENTS: You get THE SINGLES from the first album. Nothing more. That means this album is missing the non-single hits Bye Bye Love, You're All I've Got Tonight, and Moving In Stereo. That's just the beginning of the atrocities of this inferior compilation.
   
   CANDY-O (1979): Let's Go
   COMMENTS: ONE TRACK from this album!? ONE TRACK!? Blasphemy, I say! What compilation omits Dangerous Type and It's All I Can Do? Well, my friends, THIS ONE DOES.
   
   PANORAMA (1980): Touch and Go
   COMMENTS: Again, an album only gets ONE TRACK on here. That means no Don't Tell Me No or the title track.
   
   SHAKE IT UP (1981): Shake It Up, I'm Not The One, Since You're Gone
   COMMENTS: This is it. The ONLY album that gets perfect representation on this compilation. No complaints.
   
   HEARTBEAT CITY (1984.): You Might Think, Drive, Heartbeat City, Magic
   COMMENTS: Glad to see the underrated title track made the cut here, as well as most of the other big hits. But why were Hello Again and Stranger Eyes omitted!?
   
   NEW TRACK (1985): Tonight She Comes
   The band recorded this single new cut for the album. It's not one of the band's best ever, but still a solid tune.
   
   DOOR TO DOOR (1987): NO TRACKS
   COMMENTS: This compilation was released prior to this album.
   
   OVERALL:
   Get Complete Greatest Hits instead. Everything this compilation does, that one does several times better.
   
   Thumbs down.
   
   EDITION NOTES:
   This compilation has always been readily available so I doubt you'll have any trouble finding it or the superior Complete Greatest Hits.

5 comments about Bloodflowers.

1. This is a great CD. The melodies the Cure amasses here are amazing. The lyrics are profound, and unlike some of their earlier CD's--although good--they make sense! But 4 stars because they can get a little wallowing and blurry at times and stuck in the depression rut, but only a little. Definitely worth the purchase!



2. 
   I'll admit that when I first heard "Bloodflowers," I wasn't blown away. I suppose that at the time of its release, I was more into the pop side of The Cure, having been a fan since 1985's "Head on the Door." However, after witnessing the album performed live on the "Trilogy" DVD, I've had a "change of head." I now believe that "Bloodflowers" is an amazingly understated piece of work. It's a guitar-drenched and somewhat psychedelic affair, and, like "Pornography," a little impenetrable upon first listen. And, like "Pornography," it gradually grows on you, indeed nearly attaches itself to you, immersing the listener in a world of brooding introspection. However, unlike "Pornography," "Bloodflowers" is never scary, only darkly ethereal.
   
   "Bloodflowers" represents the classic and art rock facet of The Cure, and at times calls forth the influences of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. The title track, the album's most haunting song, and certainly the band's darkest since "The Hanging Garden," even boasts a delicious Hendrix-style guitar solo.
   
   Aside from the title track, highlights of this album include the lushly solemn "The Loudest Sound" (which provides an unsual flourish when Robert Smith croons the song's title and a chiming guitar riff competes with his lyric), the contemplative "The Last Day of Summer," the exquisitely existential "Where the Birds Always Sing," and "There is No If...," which showcases Smith's quirky romantic humor. For some, the album's weakest moment is the epic "Watching Me Fall," but for me, it's one of the best tracks, and it's enhanced by eerily erotic lyrics.
   
   "Bloodflowers" has been maligned for its lyrical flatness, but honestly, I think these are some of Smith's best lyrics yet. Yes, they are less typically ambiguous and surreal (save for the chilling dialogue that embellishes the title song, and the words adorning the aforementioned "Watching Me Fall"). Their peculiar power lies in their taut simplicity, explicit introspection, and restrained pathos.
   
   Some people have criticized "Bloodflowers" for not living up to the melancholic grandeur of "Disintegration," while others have lamented the lack of sinister edge so prevalent on "Pornography." But I think "Bloodflowers" was not intended to be a replication of either of those albums, but rather an amalgam of the best aspects of both, and I think it works masterfully well. The subtle potency of "Bloodflowers" will elude the masses, but patient listeners will reap many rewards from this CD.



3. Unfairly maligned by many who see this as the Cure playing to those stereotypes of anguish and morosity that were either earned or not ( that is another argument entirely ), "Bloodflowers" is in my estimation one of the highlights of this band's catalogue. It is certainly miles ahead of the two albums that bookend it. "Wild Mood Swings" is a tossed off, sloppy mess, an apparent stab at another "Kiss Me..."-styled eclectic pop celebration. And the self-titled disc that followed "Bloodflowers" is a disaster of monumental proportion, a misguided attempt by Smith and company to get "heavy, man" with the aid of a young, brash, producer who had his sights set on turning the Cure into something they're not. "Bloodflowers" is a good example of all the pieces of a puzzle falling neatly into place, creating a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts. The production is fantastic, subtle and nicely layered, and each member truly shines. There are several pretty ferocious electric guitar leads, and acoutic guitar features prominantly. Keyboards are not as obvious as on say "Disintegration" - that is to say they don't stand out as grand orchestrations. Again, very subtle, very considered. Jason Cooper's drumming is outstanding. Fans of Boris Wiliams will call me out but I think he's the best drummer the Cure have ever had, very dynamic, capable of both enormous power and quiet beauty. And Robert Smith here turns in some of his most compelling vocal performances ever. The only thing I really don't like about this album is the cover - the font type of the band logo and the album name don't work together , and the photo of Smith is one of the worst I have ever seen, truly a turn-off. But that alone doesn't diminish the power and urgency of this great work. "Bloodflowers" is essential Cure listening, and Very Highly Recommended.



4. This CD holds up very well over the last 7 years. I would say this is the best Cure CD since 1989's Disintegration. Maybe Someday is the best Cure single this decade. Called the 3rd part in the trilogy series that included Pornography and the aforementioned Disintegration this CD is what the Cure is to me. A slow grind mope rock band that writes deep iconoclastic lyrics, yet keeps it interesting with deep musical leanings.



5. I have enjoyed almost all of the Cure's work. Every album is rewarding and The Head On The Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and of course Disintegration are brilliant. This album is their best, well my favorite. Every song is a picture of a puzzle that fits perfectly together creating an awesomely powerful atmosphere. Listening to this album from beginning to end is an incredible experience that easily rivals listening to any classic album. Every listen makes me appreciate this album even more, if that is possible. This is a masterpiece and if this is the Cure's last album they are going out on top.