1 comments about Trilogy: Hunting High and Low/Scoundrel Days/Stay on These Roads.

1. This box set contains a-ha's first three albums, which are all five-star quality. They're all great, all in one awesome little cardboard-paper box. Hunting High and Low from 1985, Scoundrel Days from 1986, and Stay on These Roads from 1988. I believe these are out of print in the U.S. but they are the REAL CDs with their lyric books, pictures, everything! So it's a great imported investment for fans. :D Started my obsession! This is the SAME EXACT ONE being advertised for about $30 and it comes brand new. It's perfect. Buy it for yourself, buy it for someone you love who loves good music, etc.
   
   Highly reccomended boxset!

5 comments about Shangri-La West.

1. Especially All In The Name and Shangri-La West. Does sound a bit like Dylan.



2. My wife and I saw Jesse open up for Jonathan Richman in Des Moines a couple years back. Quickly bought the album and immediately fell in love with it. Have stayed in love with it for hundreds of listens and thousands of hours. One of the best albums I've ever heard. Just bought "Soul Parade", and am counting the hours until it arrives...



3. This is a great CD. This guy has talent. Love all songs especially Shangri-La West. Reminds me a little of Dylan, Springsteen, and a few other artists but he is unique. You won't regret this CD, buy it if your looking for something new.



4. I saw Jesse DeNatale at the recently renovated Cafe du Nord in San Francisco a few weeks ago. It was spine tingling. I couldn't get a few of the songs out of my head. I bought this CD and am listening to it right now. It's just one of those CDs you'll like hearing from the first time you play it.



5. Musicians still write great songs, but few still make great albums. Jesse does both and Shangri-La West is one of those rare gems I've heard over the last ten years that never left my CD player once I hit play. I own hundreds of other CDs where I have no idea what exists beyond track five, but this one was memorized start to finish within a week. Previous comparisons to Dylan, early Springsteen, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, and other icons are no mistake, but also no substitute for Jesse's raw originality. The company of those iconic likenesses only help those who have already heard Jesse express with words the deep levels these songs reach musically. You just have to hear it. Somehow, he's already earned veteran status with just one album.

5 comments about Jettison.

1. I can still remember the first time hearing Soldier's requiem. The melody, the drive, and enough whoa's kept me wanting more. I had to go and have everything that Naked Raygun has ever done. We hear alot about the scenes of New York, DC, Boston, and the entire West Coast back in the 1980's. But rarely do we hear about a scene in Chicago, which in my mind, was one of the best going on during the mid eighties. So many great bands like Out of Order, Big Black, The Effigies, Naked Raygun made quite a impression and put the town of Chicago on the map. If you love infectious melodies and music with a message, I suggest you pick up the most underrated hardcore punk acts to come out of the eighties, Naked Raygun.



2. Naked Raygun is like my dirty little secret... Since I first stumbled on to them in 1986 (Throb Throb) on cassette I was hooked. Listening to Jettison though is like a highlight reel of the worlds greatest band. Jeff's vocals are simply undeniably catchy and I dare you to find another "punk" band who was both this talented and musically accessable. Ever Naked Raygun album remains as awesome today as the day they were released but I am one of the lucky ones who saw this band play in their prime and nothing beats them live if only a DVD was available!!! Anyway for those of us wishing for a new Naked Raygun album check out "The Bomb" (Jeff Pezzati's new project)(www.bomb1.com) it's different than the gun but great and you can hear alittle raygun sneak out here and there...for me Naked Raygun was the secret I never wanted to share but felt I couldn't keep to myself...I also highly recommend "Treason" which is home to the greatest Raygun song of all "Hips swingin'" -...what else can I say don't be cheap buy it I swear you'll be missing out on the greatest album ever recorded if you don't...
   if only amazon had a 6th star...



3. Just look at the cover art.
   
   I can't think of another album in the world that has cover art that tells you precisely what the music on the album is going to sound like. This record blew me away in 88 and I still get pumped when I hear that first chord in "Soldier's Requiem."
   
   Kids-- tell your parents you need this immediately. Don't argue with me, just do it. Music like this is no longer made.



4. ...is completely flawless. One of the best things ever recorded, and a huge inspiration. Side B I don't really listen to so much (except for the stellar cover of Suspect Device) but that doesn't matter because side A is one of the best recordings of all time. And the lyrics...Oh, man...
   --Johnny No Moniker, Fleshies



5. This release is stunning rock and roll, from start to finish. Naked Raygun is slotted in the record stores with the hardcore punk/noise bands like Big Black, Fugazi, Einsteurzende Neubaten (the old stuff), Revco, Scratch Acid, Butthole Surfers and a ton of other bands that, frankly, do nothing for me. There are two artists in that section, though, that stand out from all the noise. The first is Husker Du, and the second is this band, Naked Raygun, which writes and plays rock and roll anthems like they were meant to be played. Go ahead, click on the free sample of Walk in Cold, track 3 and play it loud. Stunning.

   Since you've read this far I'll also make a brief pitch for one of the above reviewers, jvish. He has a four part "best of the 80s" list on Amazon which is higly recommended, and in fact I'm wondering if he is my lost twin brother since he has identified most of what I consider to be the best of the less well known music. There is a ton of great stuff in his lists, from New Model Army, to Screaming Blue Messiahs, to early Soul Asylum. Check it out people.

5 comments about John Wayne's Dream.

1. An outstanding final statement by Big Country. Solid songwriting and playing from start to finish, including the additional songs not originally appearing on Driving to Damascus. Two songs co-written with Ray Davies add extra appeal. Tony Butler did a wonderful job re-mastering the project and Track Records should be proud of such a great project.



2. This is the DEFINITIVE version of their last studio album. It contains more tracks and has a slightly different mix. None of the extra tracks are throwaway and some are arguably better than the songs on the original 'Driving to Damascus'. Is it their best album? I think it has more depth with the lyrics than anything Stuart Adamson has done, and he was always a great lyricist (these things being relative). If you don't yet have 'Driving to Damascus', buy this version instead. If you already have DTD, consider getting this one for the extra songs and the slightly different mix courtesy of Tony Butler, the band's bassist. It all works for me. Great melodic guitar rock, some of it very hard-driving while some of it very soft. Great, great lyrics. These are truly Stuart's last artistic statement.



3. This is a great album, but I wanted to point out that it is just a re-release of "Driving to Damascus" (which is still available) under a new title.



4. It's too bad that another great band failed to make a lasting dent with American audiences. Big Country delivered solid music for 16 years, with only one of those years capturing American radio. "John Wayne's Dream" (aka Driving To Damascus) is the final epitaph of a great band. Stuart Adamson's suicide in December 2001 put an end to a long career of fruitful recordings. Like Inxs' final offering "Elegantly Wasted", Big Country also ended on a high note. Songs like "Driving To Damascus", "Dive Into Me", "See You", "Perfect World", "Somebody Else", and "Fragile Thing" are some of the best songs this band has done in years. If you haven't heard Big Country in a while you should check this out. It's better than their last three offerings 1995's "Why The Long Face", 1993's "Buffalo Skinners" and 1990's "No Place Like Home".



5. The original release of this album was only released overseas and was titled' Driving to Damascus'.
   This is a remixed version of that album with 4 extra b-sides released only in the US.
   This unfortunately was to be Big Country's last studio album before lead singer/songwriter Stuart Adamson's death.
   It's my favorite and possibly most well-rounded album they ever made. It's got the standard, driving Big Country anthems in 'Driving to Damascus', accessible catchy pop songs in 'Somebody Else' and 'See You', and deep
   new-age mysticism in 'Your Spirit to me'.
   Not only are all the other tracks memorable, they also contain one of BC's enduring songs, 'Fragile Thing',
   a very well written bittersweet classic.

   But that's not it! You will also get four reallllly good b-side tracks that deserved to be on the album. ' This Blood's for you' and 'John Wayne's Dream' could have been singles.

   This is a great album.

5 comments about Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent!.

1. Seriously. It seems to be a blend of something that Madness had and the Specials...



2. This is really a great album. Yeah, it's different than the old stuff, but it's still solid.



3. This album blows away their first attempt of a comeback. Guilty is a worthy predesessor to your vintage Specials albums. If the second comeback is that much better than the first, I'm afraid the third could by right on track.



4. I think this album is closer to the old Specials. SOme of these tracks are worth constant spinning. especially "No Big Deal", "Tears In My Beer", "Fearful" and many others on this album. Also, the CD and our music addiction enabler, Amazon here, dont list the 3 bonus tracks on this CD. BONUS FACT! In the Smashmouth video for "Allstars", during the scene where they play in the garage, there is a *SPECIALS* poster on the wall, which has "THE SPECIALS" removed, presummably due to copywright/royalty conflicts. check that video out, buy this cd, and stay Rude



5. The fans of the old specials need to stop crying about whats the same and not the same. This band has changed, it was inevidable, but coming off there very good release of Todays Specials, this album is my FAVORITE ALBUM OF ALL TIME. Roddy Byers, Neville and the boys, accomplish musical feats that Terry Hall could never understand.... he wasn't even a good singer !! I love the specials old and new, but this album is a masterpiece. Listen to all Roddy Byers tracks especially, that british-scumbag singing style is golden !!! Long live the specials, thanks to this album !

3 comments about Notes from the Underground.

1. As with most avant-garde jazz, "Notes from the Underground" is a challenging listen, but high in integrity. Most listeners who fell in love with the rock infused albums like "End of the World Party," "Uninvisible" and "Friday Afternoon in the Universe" will probably not enjoy Medeski Martin and Wood's (MMW) debut. To appreciate "Notes from the Underground," the listener should either be a MMW die-hard or an avid fan of avant-garde musicians like Don Pullen, Eric Dolphy and John Zorn. In addition to the acoustic trio, the group is accompanied by musicians who play the trumpet, tuba, trombone, saxophones and bass clarinet. This will give the potential listener a good idea of the sonic landscape on this 1992 release. Now there's avant-garde and then there's avant-garde. While far out, it is very listenable compared to "Farmer's Reserve." These songs aren't painful to listen to, they're just not very memorable. The compositions have little staying power. Even Duke Ellington's 'Caravan' is barely recognizable. Indeed, with the exception of 'Hermeto's Daydream,' none of these pieces have earned a place on the compilations and this material has mostly been ignored during the band's regular live sets. All of that written, this will be a good listen for those who have found a place in their hearts for MMW's acoustic material. Indeed, the obscurity of "Notes from the Underground" has always been a mystery when compared to the success of "Tonic." While an interesting debut, it would not be until the following year's release of "It's a Jungle in Here" that the band would achieve a dramatic entrance.



2. notes from the underground is very satisfying if you love versatality in jazz these guys are unbelievable and ive heard stories about them and how they felt it just came together when they met this is no wonder when you hear this album-cd, then what makes them equally as sick is they turn out stuff like snake anthony on the invisible cd snake anthony would have been proud of this one from hermetos daydream, the saint , la garonne,orbits,uncle chubb,all the way through to cant get what you want on the 11th track on the remastered 2nd edition which is worth the extra money that track alone is like the icing on the cake,friday afternoon in the universe,its a jungle in here,out louder with john scofield released late last year tonic was another one just bought it based on the samples im gonna love it these guys are the s--t. i listened and still do to weather report and jaco pastorius thinking that was probably gonna be the extent of my jazz collection boy was i wrong i stumbled upon these guys glad i did oh yeah the dropper ,the song felic starts out with some cool bass guitar riff gonna buy that one too, but i gotta have the time and the space....oh yeah thats when we knew we were the best when snake anthony come on the road with us long live jazz thanks medeski martin wood you are truly off the table!!!



3. I consider MMW to be one of the most innovative bands of their time. They push the limits of what is considered to be jazz with each studio effort. Although I own all of their albums I feel that "Notes From the Underground" is my favorite. It has a sort of loose, free-form feel while maintaining the funky core that they have become known for. Although this album takes a couple listens it leaves you feeling that you've experienced a unique journey.

5 comments about Pigpile.

1. I need to get my facts straight on this, but I think this was the final release from Albini's wonderful experiment in sonic violence called Big Black. It was also the first record by them that I discovered in the used bin at my favorite local record store, Trader Vic's in Dayton. Later in Chicago I got hold of the VHS recording of this live concert and it is still holding up as one of my better live show recordings. Either you love this kind of stuff or you hate it, but if you are looking for unique hard rocking greatness, you need to catch up with these guys. My favorite was Roland and however programmed those beats!!



2. BIG BLACK WERE TOO GOOD TO LAST. STEVE ALBINI & SANTIEGO DURANGO GIVE GUITARS A POWER TOOL TREATMENT WHILE TRADING INSULTS WITH THE CROWD. FEATURES SOME OF THEIR BETTER SONGS. SOME OF THE BEST NOISE YOU WILL EVER HEAR.



3. I endorse the comments of the previous reviewer and support his plea for a re-release of Big Black's Pig Pile. When Pig Pile (the CD) was released in Australia you could buy the video for an extra amount. Since my grandmother had died some years earlier, I had nothing to sell to raise the boodle, so I had to make do with just the CD. Since I've never been able to find the video again, I've regretted it ever since. If the company responsible won't re-release the Pig Pile video, is there anyone out there who can find me a copy? For the purposes of a review, the CD at least is frighteningly awesome. I have no doubt the video was anything less.



4. Okay, if you guys don't re-release this live masterpiece, I'm going to have to duplicate my copy a thousand times and rain it upon the nation as a public service! (No Collector Scum, I!) This is the ultimate live Big Black show, performed as a swan song in the UK in 1987 and full of the jarring, driving, hammering guitar torture modern bands try so hard to ape but can never come close to. But not only that: Albini's distinctly creepy stand-up comedy, an unbelievable gymnastic version of "Dead Billy," lots of audience violence (including a constant stream of fake blood aimed at little Stevie), and the finest performance ever of "Jordan, Minnesota."

   Over the ball-crushing vigor of the sound and the confrontational fury of the songs hangs an edgy haze of insecurity--the halo of an age when punk was made by real misfits, and outrage wasn't met with the smug audience comfort of the 90's and 00's. This is a slice of underground rage from the days when this rage was a real and dangerous force. And it still looks and sounds crystal clear.

   So please give this sleeping giant a reawakening, and maybe the puny bands of today will get some spirit scared into them. A pummeling, one-of-a-kind testament.




5. I have a copy of this on vinyl - the way it was truly meant to be heard. Unbelievably excellent stuff. Good for exorcising unwanted neighbours and family members. The songs were all recorded live at a show in London just before the band broke up - hence the title of this review. I was lucky and managed to get one of the few boxed sets which included this record, a t-shirt, poster, extra 5" record (clear vinyl), and a video of the concert. Track down the video if you can. The album is great, the video even better.

No comments about The Politics Of Dancing.

1 comments about Postpunk Chronicles: Going Underground.

1. This album reminded me of my teens in the 80's, when alternative really meant alternative, and the songs could vary from rauchy punk to bouncy synth-pop (all with great lyrics). One of the best series I've come across--I have the entire series. It's a great mix of great bands that you rarely get to hear anymore--everyone knows the bands and the songs, but they're never on the radio. (Which is kind of why they started glomming such diverse styles of music under the heading "alternative" in the first place.) Good listening.

5 comments about The Best.

1. Yes, this is a good collection by a band that has been, to the shock of many who remember them, virtually ignored. Collections are fine. BUT, if you want to go back and start with the originals, "Word Salad", the band's first LP, has been re-released in its entirety under the title "The Worker." Their second and third LP's, "Going Deaf for a Living" and "Red Skies Over Paradise" are available through Amazon. For those who enjoy this band, get them now before they disappear or sky-rocket in price.



2. Fischer Z are one of the great all-time forgotten bands and this compilation is an excellent introduction to their work. My first brush with them was many, many years ago when "The Worker" came out as a single. Funnily enough, although it made a great impact on me then, now it turns out to be one of the weaker tracks. John Watts clearly has a superb imagination and the variety of the songs on The Best pays full homage to his talent. What particularly impresses me is how he maintained the quality of Fishcer Z's music over several decades, from songs like Red Skies Over Paradise in the early days to Perfect Day much later on. Now if only they'd re-release Word Salad, the first album, everything would be perfect.



3. Ever since I directed a video for John Watts single release "Worker" way back when, I have admired his work. He is a brilliant musician and lyricist. Get this album!! Other smart Brit, Steve Harley ("The Cream Of")



4. Best album ever, gives me shivers down the spine, Fischer Z my life.



5. JOHN WATTS LEADER OF FISCHER-Z AN OUSTANDING VOCALIST AND MUSICIAN . THE MUSIC IS ACE THE LYRICS ARE SUPERB THE BEAT STILL GOES ON TO THE THIS DAY. FISHER-Z ARE LIKE A GOOD WINE IT GETS IT GETS BETTER WITH AGE