5 comments about Tinderbox.

1. I was a fool to buy this album, to think I could get into a few singles without getting infatuated.
   
   I tried to sell it.
   
   Too late.
   
   It's just too good.
   
   It's taking all my willpower not to buy up the whole catalog right now.



2. Most music I listen to nowadays is from the last five years, seven or eight at the most. One of the few select artists I still listen to after fifteen years is Siouxsie & the Banshees. I discovered them in my freshman year in college. TINDERBOX is my personal favorite Siouxsie album. The fact that it has my personal favorite Siouxsie song "Cities in Dust" nakes it all the more sweeter. There are two versions of "Cities in Dust", one of them is an extended version. "The Sweetest Chill" is another favorite song of mine simply for Siouxsie's distinct vocals. The swirling guitar riffs and haunting melodies also makes the song stand out with me. Another great song is "This Unrest". The disjointed melodies are a bit unsettling but in a good way. The song would be perfect in a chase scene in a horror movie. It has the scare elements in the melodies. Every song on the album is great. I can listen to TINDERBOX without hitting the forward button. TINDERBOX is a modern classic that has remained a permanent place in my stereo.



3. I remember loving this album way back when, and yeh, you read right: "album." I bought this originally in vinyl; I was a youth with angst and all that stuff; and the soundtrack to the early to mid 80's was colored with various textures including this package.
   Sadly, I don't think it stands the test of time, and a lot of the sounds are quite dated. Don't get me wrong. I love Siouxie's voice, and "Cities in Dust" IS a true timeless classic, but I don't think the same can be said about most of the rest of the tracks.
   But hey, if you want to discover or re-discover some of the more unique, underplayed-unerhyped sounds of that era, this is a good one to tour.



4. I love Christine OrsZula.I'm (Acoustic and electric guitars complement each other..In a stunning array of original landmark recordings..Pop and r&B rockabilly..whatever..)happy thAt SIouxsie and the Banshees have this masterpiece.Dudette..THe Siouxsie and the Banshees have it..



5. and, numbers, being qualitative in essence, not quantitative, i give the even more astounding JUJU 666 stars....
   
   highly recommended.
   
   92 degrees is almost a Cocteau Twins with testosterone....

5 comments about Living In Oblivion : The 80's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3.

1. The Living In Oblivion series of CD compilations does something that many similar compilations do NOT do: they give us some great variety of "hits".
   
   There is no doubt that "Mickey" by Toni Basil was a huge hit. There's also no doubt that "Our Lips are Sealed" was a break out hit for the Go Go's, but the Funboy Three version wasn't. But what about "Living in a Box"? It only hit the Billboard top 100 at #89 in 1987. So why is it here? Why are a large number of these songs? They're not top 10 hits, right?
   
   Wrong!
   
   I'm sick to death of so many compilations relying on top 40 hits from the 80's. The U.S. music tastes are typically very different from those of Europe. Just because a song doesn't make the U.S. Billboard top 40 doesn't mean that it isn't a hit in other countries. And although I'm an American, my music tastes have always run more in line with those of Europe.
   
   I'm delighted that the Living in Oblivion series (and the Pop and Wave series) have incorporated a variety of hits from the U.S. and Europe.
   
   I also like that some of the more obscure groups and their songs are available on these compilations. There are several songs on these albums that never were released on CD (as they hadn't come into being at the time of the groups' albums initial releases), so albums such as these are the only place where you can find these hits. The Boys Don't Cry song "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" hit the Billboard charts at #12 in 1986, but the group disappeared soon thereafter. Then all of a sudden a dance version of that same song came out in the early 2000's and rocketed up the dance charts.
   
   Don't be misled, the Living in Oblivion series is one of the absolutely best series for a variety of music from the 80's. If you want to hear run of the mill, top 40 only hits from the 80's, well, then you'll just have to look elsewhere.
   
   Also, the liner notes and pictures of the groups included in the jewel box are really clever. You get to find out what the chart position was for the songs in the compilation and see what the groups looked like at the time of the song's release. My only issue with these liner notes is that the author of them seems to be disparaging the very music which these albums are espousing. Apparently many believe that the music from the 80's was vacuous and devoid of emotion. One need only listen to the song "The Promise" by the group "When in Rome" (Living in Oblivion Volume 5) to know that such a statement is false. While that group only had this one hit and then faded into obscurity, "The Promise" made the Billboard Top 100 at #11 and the Billboard Dance Chart at #1.
   
   Anyway... I can't recommend this album and its entire series any more! It's simply awesome! Before believing those who would disparage this series of albums, please check the Billboard charts and you'll see that these songs were in fact hits.
   
   GET IT!



2. I own all five Living In Oblivion discs and this one is the one I listen to the most. Just like all compilations, there are some songs that you can find on just about any '80s retrospective CD, but there are many good songs that are not on those other discs. These songs include the fantastic "It's My Life" by Talk Talk, "Hanging on a Heart Attack" by Device, "Are You Sure" by So, "What Do All the People Know" by The Monroes, and my personal favorite, "Life in a Northern Town" by The Dream Academy.
   Every fan of the 1980s will find one disc more to their liking, but chances are that most of you who love 80s music will find several songs on this disc that you will like.



3. Ok, just to make it clear, some people (ahem, some reviewers) clearly don't understand the point of the Living In Oblivion series. So far, in my listening experience, this CD has been the best one yet. With tracks of Single Hit bands and those rare songs that are just downright 80's, L.I.O. delivers a dose of the unique sounds of the eighties, and gives a splash of some of the era's greatest hits. This is what its all about.
   Awesome Tracks:
   Device - Hanging On a Heart Attack
   Talk Talk - It's My Life
   EBN-OZN - AEIOU Sometimes Y
   So- Are You Sure
   ABC- Poison Arrow
   
   Rock On 80's Woo Hoo!



4. Despite the complaints below, there are great songs here that, in fact, are hard to find elsewhere: AEIOU Sometimes Y, Hanging On a Heart Attack, Sidewalk Talk, Make a Circuit with Me, and Shattered Dreams. And that reviewer assumes that you already have the same discs as he does. Um, OK.



5. You'd think that an 80's anthology of music would understand that it caters to an audience which is nostalgic toward that decade.

   I give this two stars only because you can't take away from the 80's music, but I figure that the inane commentary on the CD booklet should be calculated in this rating too. It was highly unnecessary and insulting to 80's fans to include disparaging remarks about the decade and banal political commentary by obvious leftist sympathizers.

5 comments about Pop Goes the World.

1. one good thing of growing up is probably the ability of give things seconds thoughts and reconsiderations. Over the years I was able to (re)discover some records that at their time I put very little attention or kept some distance. Pop Goes the World by MWH is one of them. This is one the cases where one song that happens to hit the charts gives no good credit to the rest of the album. And that's sometimes not fair. Give this record a chance, it has great songs that go beyond catchy pop tunes and lyrics. "On Tuesday" my favourite, with an excellent flute solo by Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull.



2. I have my memories of the 80s. The club scene in New Orleans, the people, the music... And there was this album. "Pop Goes The World" by Men Without Hats was one of those that you might have dismissed if you only knew them from that "Safety Dance" video (sort of like how people missed some great music from DEVO by only following "Whip It.")
   
   Pop Goes The World is a concept album, and the music flows beautifully throughout it. The sounds, the creativity, and just the whole package are wonderfully presented. Synth pop? Sure! But the best of its genre without doubt. And call me a sissy, but there are points where I get teary-eyed because the music hits me in strange places.
   
   Oh, and if you call me a sissy, I'll beat the crap outta you.
   
   Overall, this is one of those albums that you can buy for yourself, or buy for your kids. It has an honesty and conviction that is lacking from lots of music today. Listen to it with your kids - or be a kid and listen to it.
   
   You want this album. Trust me. You will be better for having listened to it. Kudos to Men Without Hats: aural ambassadors of our Neighbors to the North!



3. Great songs, I absolutely love this CD and recently purchased it. I first heard this on tape way back when I was growing up from a friend who passed away way before her time. Rest in piece Gamberelle Brown, you will never be forgotten only missed.



4. Great album. Catchy tunes. "Pop Goes the World" and "Moonbeam" are my favorite, but I never skip any song because it plays solidly right through. Rarely does an album feel like a complete package like this one does. Every song compliments the other. Highly recommend.



5. Men Without Hats have been known as a synth-pop group with a touch of liberal social commentary blended in the music. They were doing quite well as this kind of group with songs like Safety Dance and Messiahs Die Young, however this time around things changed. Ivan and friends decided to do a concept album and the result is Pop Goes the World. The concept was some story about a boy and a girl, but that's not what's important. While it's a very different animal than the synth-pop trio's other albums it is a very worthwhile diversion from their norm.
   
   MWOH signed up producer Zeus B. Held (no, I'm serious... he actually went by that name) to help put this album together. Zeus did a fair amount of producing with remix albums for Gary Numan, Alphaville, Dead or Alive, Erasure, Simple Minds and a slew of other 80's electronic and experimental groups. Add some studio musicians and you get a more acoustic album than the previous MWOH records.
   
   Does that mean no more synth-pop? No way. You get two really catchy dance tracks on this album. The most famous one, Pop Goes the World, is a really great song and has a real catchy melody to it. The other track, Moonbeam, hit the clubs back in the 80's pretty strong and was the purist of the two in regards to that genre. They still sound very different than Safety Dance, but at the same time they sound a lot more polished musically and better produced.
   
   Just about every song on this album is worth noting. On Tuesday has Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull peforming on flute and is as much a song of ambience as it is rhythm and melody. A great song to relax to. There are some really good piano ballads on this album with the reflective Bright Side of the Sun and the lightly angst-ridden Lose My Way. This album essentially has a good balance of high energy music, mellow tracks, peppy music, punchy music, and more in between. You will notice the underlying theme of "Johnny and Jenny" throughout most of the album, too.
   
   While Pop Goes the World is very different from anything Men Without Hats did previously this album is definitely one of their better achievements. It shows that Ivan and the gang can expand their musical horizons successfully without losing what made them great in the first place. If you like 80's dance music, or if you just like good music, this album will be a nice addition to your collection.

5 comments about Billy Idol.

1. Possibly the very Billy Idol album that summarises Billy's contribution to rock'nd roll music. Get this one, and you won't need to buy any other Idol's album.



2. Simple and to the point. This is classic 80's glam punk and no one nailed it like Idol and Steve Stevens. Great full debut and followed this up with an all time great of Rebel Yell....



3. The original album's cover has Billy in an '80s Oriental shirt, and the last song was "Congo Man". Bring those elements back, and I shall grant this album 5 stars. Until then, I don't care how many times you remaster it, it's still being used as a tool to sell "Dancing with Myself", which stains the beautiful vibe of this album. Is there any guitar work on this planet that can match "Shooting Stars"? Billy, there ARE actually fans of "Congo Man" out here, and I'll even go so far to say it's "part 1" of "The Dead Next Door". I'm WAY beyond fed-up with the "attention shoppers" attitude of Billy's marketing dept., mostly because it puts us true fans in the back seat.



4. In 1981, after making a name for himself fronting the British punk band Generation X, Billy Idol relocated to New York City to make it on his own. While Generation X never broke though the mainstream to achieve massive success, and while the band was generally snubbed by many punk purists as being overtly commercial, Billy Idol was born to be a star. His charisma, photogenic good looks, and ultra-cocky persona were destined to make him an icon in the flashy, glitzy 80s. After three albums with Generation X, "Generation X," (1978) "Valley of the Dolls," (1979) and "Kiss Me Deadly" (1981) Idol unleashed his solo debut, the self-titled "Billy Idol" (1982).
   
   For his new band, Idol hooked up with guitar virtuoso Steve Stevens, bassist Phil Feit, and drummer Steve Missal. While the album title says "Billy Idol," it should be emphasized that the greatness of Idol's early solo works rests on the fact that Idol had a killer, killer guitar player with Stevens and an excellent producer and collaborator with Keith Forsey.
   
   There are a lot of Shredders and guitar virtuosos out there, but Stevens is one of the best and certainly most underrated. His playing is flashy, but also has soul, and is always fully captivating. The Idol/Stevens/Forsey combo produced some of the best, most memorable singles of the decade.
   
   While Idol's sophomore classic "Rebel Yell" (1983) is his best album, the self-titled debut is almost as good. "Billy Idol" possesses the same radio-friendly pop-punk elements as Generation X, but Idol's solo debut is a far superior offering. For one thing, the songs are better written, with tighter, catchier hooks and unbelievable guitar work. "Billy Idol," with its ferocious riffs, strong melodies, cool synths, and stellar guitar work is equal parts punk, pop, and hard-rock. "Billy Idol" is probably Idol's most organic album, as the synths aren't a focal point and the album is generally more of a meat-and-potatoes affair compared to the more ambitious follow-ups.
   
   While "Billy Idol" is generally given good reviews, it's still an underrated album. A common claim by both fans and critics is that the album has a few strong singles and a lot of filler. I would strongly refute this claim. While some songs are better than others, the entire album is quite strong. A lot of Idol's most memorable work can be found on this release.
   
   "Billy Idol" opens up strong with the hard-rocking "Come On, Come On." Idol's sneering; cocky delivery over the brutal assault of Steve Stevens makes this one of the album's strongest tracks. The MTV staple and 80s classic "White Wedding" follows next. Its eerie background sighs, tension filled verse, and contrasting dark imagery and pop-sensibility make "White Wedding" a triumph. The album takes a left turn with the popish, stylish, seductive ode to New York City with "Hot in the City." "Dead on Arrival" is a good-but-not-great middle of the road rocker. "Nobodies Business" is perhaps Idol's most underrated song. Its infectious sing-along harmonies, light-as-a-feather but strong melodies and crunching solos make it pure ear-candy. The off-beat "Love Calling" is another strong, underrated song. With its jungle beats, what sounds like Asian back-up singers, and horns, "Love Calling" comes out of left field, but it works. While its lyrics are completely nonsensical ("if you wanna rub-a-dub-dub-dub') and Idol's overtly sexual overtones are beyond dated and cheesy, it only adds to its charm. "Hole in the Wall" is a solid, memorable, somewhat dark atmospheric rocker. "Shooting Stars," a tale of innocence lost to drugs and indulgence, is both sympathetic and cautionary. The album's most relaxed, calmest moment comes with "It's so Cruel," a song of longing that also manages to be cocky (leave it to Idol). "Billy Idol" closes with the Generation X staple, the up-beat, catchy ode to masturbation "Dancing with myself."
   
   If cool is defined as timeless, and hip as trendy, "Billy Idol," much like Miami Vice, is equal parts cool and hip. This album is dated, very dated, and while Idol's persona is cheesy and Idol is a relic of a bygone era, he's still cool as sh.t. Dated as it may be "Billy Idol" is very well-written, with killer hooks and grooves, and outstanding guitar work. If you are a fan of punk, new-wave, hard-rock, pop, or anything 80s, this album is sure to please.



5. This album was idols first and probably hardest sounding album besides his new one. I put this as my second favorite Idol cd.

5 comments about Classic Albums - Iron Maiden: The Number of the Beast.

1. I recently purchased this DVD thinking that I probably owned half the footage on it already, but the price was right, and I figured it might have a clip or two I hadn't seen before. But actually I was very surprised. This DVD is made up of interviews with the band members, plus producer Martin Birch, and manager Rod Smallwood, and they take you back in time to 1982, and how The Number of the Beast album came to be. It's filled with cut up clips of the Beast concert, (available in it's entirety on Iron Maiden: The Early Years Part 1)and it shows Adrian Smith twanging away at the signature licks from various tracks off the album-- it's really cool to hear those rhythms coming out of a little studio amp without the production and mixing, etc. This DVD is a great time capsule, and it reminds you of just how perfect this album is. And how 26 years ago, four British upstarts rode that New Wave of British Heavy Metal into a World-Wide Conquest that still stands the test of time even today. So if you've already got everything Maiden, and you want to relax and have a pint with the boys, and go back to when one of the Greatest Heavy albums of all time was created, this is the DVD for you.



2. Pretty much all the Classic Albums series that I've had the opportunity to get my greasy mitts on have scored four starts. The simple reason for this is the fact that they comprise a main body in the form of a logical, digestable length rocumentary or around an hour or so incorporating illuminating interview footage with the band who created the album being discussed as well as seeking out interviews with related individuals such as producers and managers etc. They have understated though appropriate production values and they at no point engage in any sort of amusement at the expense of the genre at hand but instead take the viewpoint that many different genres have produced classics with themselves.
   
   And certainly within the miliue of hard rock and heavy metal Iron Maiden hold a definite place for their creation not only of some very fine metal but also for their creation of an artistic juggernaut that actually crosses over into the visually artistic style that of their album covers and their stage shows.
   
   The main rocumentary and the bonus material which supplements it nicely total approximately 80 minutes and cover the usual gamut of issues from the albums conception through to it's unleashing onto the world, with particular reference of course being made to the somewhat amusing reactions to it from some of the more hysterical puritanical types in the US. The release has a judicious blend of serious discussion of the topics at hand interspersed with amusing anecdotes of the trials and tribulations of life in the studio, on the road and various points in between.
   
   A fine release that really would look good on the bookshelf of every Iron Maiden fan young and old and a fitting tribute to an album that, while IMHO isn't the best album they ever offered up for their listening public is rightly considered a classic of the genre in most quarters.



3. Good DVD, but mostly for die hard Maiden fans. Could be a VH1 Behind the Music type (without the drama) doc you see on cable, but since it isn't if you want to see it, buy this vid. I've watched it once and feel smarter for it...but haven't watched it over and over. TNOTB is one of my favs so I had to get it.



4. About 90% of these reviews are misleading! I was looking for an insight to a classic album especially when I saw Martin Birch (a God!) was involved. But Birch only soloed a couple of tracks in one or two songs and did nothing else! It started off cool with Martin and Bruce talking about how Bruce had to do take after take of the opening to number of the beast but the insight stops there. The interviews are nice(thank-you for the subtitles!-friggin brits!) but it's really a video on Iron Maiden and how this album achieved such great success for the band. If you wanna see a producer AND the band explain an album, buy Judas Priest's classic dvd on British Steel-thanks to Tom Allom. Get the "History of Iron Maiden-Part 1" instead of this dvd!!



5. This DVD is a documentary on the making of the album. It was highly disappointing to be teased with a few seconds of the music videos followed by endless boring commentary. There is very little concert footage from the 82 show, nearly all is from the most recent concert. If you are a die hard fan from the early 80's and are wanting to watch awesome concert footage, this is not the DVD for you!!!!!!! If you want to see the videos from this album, this is not the DVD you want!!!!!! If you enjoy endless commentary, I guess you'll love this DVD!!!!!! We are very, very disappointed with the sneaky way the description reads, it implies what we hoped to get but uses language that they can claim is accurate in a subtle way. What scumbags!!!!

5 comments about Oranges & Lemons.

1. There's something about Oranges and Lemons that really grabs you. Maybe it's the occasional socially and politically conscious songs imbedded in the verdant matrix of lush chamber pop or the sheer literacy of that chamber pop itself that makes this record stand out among the rampant hubris and pretension of the late 1980's. There's as much going on musically here as you'd find on any other record of that, or any other decade. And while that approach gets tiresome fast in less capable hands, XTC manages to keep the steady current of jazz and pop at a bracing constant as it rolls and boils over fifteen tracks.
   
   Other reviewers have complained that the record suffers from poor quality production. To me, Oranges and Lemons sounds like a record made in 1989. It's true some of the production sounds dated. But as long as you're comfortable with the way Elvis Costello's Spike sounds, you shouldn't be too inconvenienced by Oranges and Lemons.
   
   Frankly it's the year 1989, and all that portends, that creates the compelling basis for Oranges and Lemons. In a year when Milli Vanilli and Paula Abdul dominated the pop charts, a record like Oranges and Lemons fell like manna on a starving American population and a single like "The Mayor of Simpleton" provided the perfect succor in an adult contemporary desert of "Another Day in Paradise" and "Wind Beneath My Wings." (Of course the UK top pop scene was actually doing comparatively well, with Elvis Costello, The Stone Roses, and Morrissey composing the upper echelon, but I'm writing as an American who vividly remembers 1989.)



2. This is a truly "GREAT" album. No qualifications or descriptions can do it justice. The songs are all top-notch, but it is the arrangements and production that nudge this one up to another plane. The band's previous LP "Skylarking" was a remarkable display of what Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding could do as songwriters. They let their Beatle-freak flag fly high and proud, and unleashed an album with depth, maturity and, most importantly, Style. Their next one is definitely the "White Album" to "Skylarking's" "Sgt Pepper." The song structures are more complex, the harmonic language is far more challenging, the playing (especially Moulding's cerebrally meandering bass) is far more involved. All of these traits are good things. When combined with Paul Fox's sparkly, imaginative production, XTC ends up with an album that aims as high as any more well known modern pop masterpieces, and which comes so damn close to sheer perfection, that its' minor flaws (one or two weaker songs) only render "Oranges and Lemons" more endearing. This is a contemporary classic if ever there was one.



3. Yes. Yes. What can I say about "Oranges and Lemons" that you haven't already heard from the reviews on this page? ALOT! Seers are not known to shirk their appointed duties from the Eternal Force of the Universe you know. Not that their take is any more or less valid than my own. I never profess to be omnipotent --- but I am getting closer! And that, after all, is important!
   
   This selection presented itself at a time in my life when all the doors (previously known that were locked) were suddenly flung open. Yes. Your beloved Metamorpho was fresh from the battle with evil and, unfortunately, it had depleted my mind, heart and soul. No folks. I was nothing like the carefree spirit that all my fans know and love today. Very depressing. But, even though evil won (in some sense), I also won for I morphed into Metamopho, who helps humanity (in some way) move towards a spiritual better tomorrow. And, in even that, evil, ironically, helped something good move through the universe. Do you know what I'm talking about? Probably not. Does it even matter? Probably not!
   
   I have hard work ahead of me. I have to try to explain "Oranges and Lemons" and that daunting task is going to be incredibly hard. Why you ask? How bold. That is because the main impetus behind all this is Andy Partridge - and his musical excursions are equal that of your Metamorpho on his more manic days of writing. No. Scratch that. Metamorpho must use his energy left over supply just to keep up. But, you see me complaining?
   
   XTC's vast song paintings move you over plains. Delightful at times, psychedelic at times, but with a mind mania strictly their own. In this, you could move to a song like "Garden of Earthly Delights", with it's off kilter-rubber band Hieronymous Bosch time drift message of "you'll be alright" to a shifted melodic melody like "Scarecrow People", that warns you all to forget your prejudices lest you wind up like scarecrow people too. Ingenius and..... perhaps genius. A band like XTC never lets you rest on your laurels.
   
   I can not negate the talent here. However, that said, some of these tunes hit, and some do not. Possibly because that all are experimental in their own right. I do not mean to suggest that there isn't some coherence to the compositions here. There definitely is. But,your mind has to be opened to the shifts and changes that present themselves. Some are easy. Some take work. Thus, the listening experience impels you to take a detour of what your mind has, thus far, taken of what musical sense, or evolution, should take. In essence, their are sometimes pleasant turns in the road, and some not so pleasant. So, be forewarned.
   
   For the most part though - we have the pleasant pop tune of "Mayor of Simpleton", the regal military march of "Here Comes President Kill Again" (a politcal observation?), "The Loving", a universal observation and the horn filled lament of "Cynical Days". The naughty, spritely ode to "Pink Thing" is an extra added laugh. Just one of the things that make this such an interesting overall selection.
   
   In closing - XTC, I feel, is an entity all of it's own. They will not appeal to certain segments of listeners such as Sinatra would not. I am in that rare class that can listen to both. Well, I'm a Seer- what do you want? XTC went through a phase whereby they could out psychedelicize the psychedelics of the past. And, that meant really doing it! In some ways - yes. In others - overkill. So this has some things that are great- and others that miss as well. But, in the final analysis, this was an album that made me forget about the evil I dealt with and gave me some hope for the future. I cannot argue with that. And the creativity here is formidable. Very formidable! If your mind can shift like continental shifts - give it a listen. There are things here worth hearing.
   
   Chalkhills and Metamorphos........ ;)



4. Riding on the momentum of their surprise hit "Dear God" and its frighteningly excellent album "Skylarking," XTC seemed poised to take on the world by the late 80s. Armed with a crazy budget, a hip/successful young LA producer, and uber-posh LA recording studio, XTC set out to make the ambitious, double-length catastrophe "Oranges and Lemons."
   
   As a fanatical XTC-obsessive, I've returned to "Oranges and Lemons" many times, but it consistently proves to be an awkward, unfocused, self-indulgent mess. Many of the songs sound half-baked and forced, like underdeveloped ideas that shouldn't have seen the light of day. Others sound awkwardly grandiose and hollow. The main problem is that the songs just aren't there. Whereas "Skylarking" and prior albums overflowed with inventively catchy, engagingly melodic, stylistically varied pop songs, the well seemed to have run dry for "Oranges and Lemons," on which the trademark sharp pop is largely replaced by uninspired fumbling. The problem stems partly from producer Paul Fox, who made the fatal error of indulging Andy Partridge's myriad excesses, rather than keep him focused as Todd Rundgren did with "Skylarking."
   
   Adding insult to injury, this album was created in a glossy, big-budget studio with a hip, mullet-sporting LA studio-hack producer/engineer, complete with drums played by the guy from Mr. Mister, and it SOUNDS like it. The gloss effectively covers up XTC's usually abundant soulfulness, giving us a soulless, aggressively slick, MOR sound. Puzzlingly, guitarist Dave Gregory's typically moving and intricate guitar solos tend to come off like slick, hollow, arena-rock, session-guy posturing here.
   
   Naturally, since this *is* XTC we're discussing, there are a few good songs, notably the commercially successful single "Mayor of Simpleton," with its swirling electric 12-string and dizzying bass line. Moulding's creative "Cynical Days," is a lush standout. "Miniature Sun" is noteworthy as a surging, fiery yet interestingly complex ball of energy, but hindsight reveals the demo version (found on the "Fuzzy Warbles" series) is way more direct and emotionally driving. "The Loving" is pleasant but trite, as is Moulding's "King for a Day," (and the latter's musical and lyrical similarities to Tears for Fears' "Everybody Want to Rule the World" didn't go unnoticed). And these are just the decent tunes, only a few of which truly fire on all cylinders. Much of the rest of "Oranges and Lemons" ultimately buries itself under its own awkward, over-frosted weight.
   
   Clearly, XTC wasn't ready to make a new album, and they desperately needed a taskmaster like Rundgren to make them go back to the drawing board. "Oranges and Lemons" remains a dark stain in an otherwise spotless career and isn't a good place to start. I'd highly recommend starting with superior albums like "Skylarking," "English Settlement," and "Black Sea."



5. "Never been near a university,
   Never took a paper or a learned degree,
   And some of your friends think that's stupid of me,
   But it's nothing that I care about.
   Well I don't know how to tell the weight of the sun,
   And of mathematics well I want none,
   And I may be the mayor of simpleton,
   But I know one thing,
   And that's I love you.
   When their logic grows cold and all thinking gets done,
   You'll be warm in the arms of the mayor of simpleton."
   
   XTC's bittersweet psychedelic set, Oranges & Lemons (1988), is the band's most commercially successful album, resulting in two singles, "The Mayor of Simpleton" and "King for a Day." XTC includes Colin Moulding on vocals and bass, tortured artist, Andy Partridge on guitar and vocals, Dave Gregory on guitars, vocals, and keyboards, and Pat Mastelotto on drums. This album combines a Beatlesque pop sound with a thinking-man's lyrics (e.g., the classic double-entendre of "Pink Thing"). It was recorded during Partridge's failing marriage and relationship with a fan (Erica Wexler), and also confronts dark themes of existential angst played against sunny melodies that would make both the Beatles and the Beach Boys envious. This album/CD has never sounded better.
   
   The digitally remastered setlist includes:
   
   1. Garden Of Earthly Delights (2001 Digital Remaster)
   2. Mayor Of Simpleton (2001 Digital Remaster)
   3. King For A Day (2001 Digital Remaster)
   4. Here Comes President Kill Again (2001 Digital Remaster)
   5. The Loving (2001 Digital Remaster)
   6. Poor Skeleton Steps Out (2001 Digital Remaster)
   7. One Of The Millions (2001 Digital Remaster)
   8. Scarecrow People (2001 Digital Remaster)
   9. Merely A Man (2001 Digital Remaster)
   10. Cynical Days (2001 Digital Remaster)
   11. Across This Antheap (2001 Digital Remaster)
   12. Hold Me My Daddy (2001 Digital Remaster)
   13. Pink Thing (2001 Digital Remaster)
   14. Miniature Sun (2001 Digital Remaster)
   15. Chalkhills And Children (2001 Digital Remaster)
   
   G. Merritt

5 comments about The Best Of 1990-2000 & B-Sides.

1. In 1991, U2 returned to the music industry with the phenomenal album Achtung Baby. While this release brought them back to their original status as amazing musicians, U2 would soon enter its low point with the releases of their hugely disappointing albums Zooropa and Pop. Fortunately, after the failure of these two strange albums they came back to their senses and recorded the more "normal" album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. Before I criticize them, I would first like to say that I am very proud of U2 for still managing to create a memorable cd with only four albums, only half of which were successful.
   
   Now on to the criticism. First, the thing that angers me most about this cd is, like with The Best of 1980-1990's release of "The Sweetest Thing," they cheated with the songs. "Electrical Storm" and "The Hands That Built America" were both released in 2002, which means that they shouldn't be here. It's not that the songs are bad it's just that I wish they had saved them for a possible Best of 2000-2010. Next, while the song selection here is far superior to the Best of 1980-1990, there are still several flaws, which I will address later. Also, many of the remixed songs on the A-side should have appeared in their original versions. Last, to put it lightly, the B-sides SUCK!!!!!! Here's what they should have done to make this "deluxe edition" a little more desirable. For the singles, they should have made more room by transferring "Electrical Storm," "Miss Sarajevo," "The Hands That Built America," and "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" to the B-sides. Since all of these songs were released on either movie soundtracks or their own singles and not one of the four albums, I don't believe they should belong on the A-side. This not only would massively improve the B-sides, but also allow them to put in four missing songs. The songs I would insert would be "Walk On," "Please," "If God Will Send His Angels," and "Lemon," since many U2 fans unfortunately like this song. Also, the A-side lasts for about 72 minutes, so they could have added one more, which I would have choosen to be "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses." Next, "Gone," "Discotheque," and "Staring at the Sun" should have appeared in their original versions; however, the remix of "Numb" is more than welcomed here. That takes care of the A-side and now for the B-side. As I mentioned above, move the four "non-album" songs over here and add the songs "Always," "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," "Paint it Black," "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad," one of the remixes of "The Fly," and "Where Did it All Go Wrong" to the cd. Next, in order to fit all these on here some of the remixes need to go. I would suggest removing the remixes of "Dirty Day," "Numb," "If God Will Send His Angels," "Lemon," and "Discotheque." It also wouldn't kill them to remove the studio version of "Electrical Storm" since the William Orbit Mix is much better and still captures the essence of the song. The remixes of "Even Better Than the Real Thing" and "Mysterious Ways" are actually quite good and deserve to stay on here along with "Happiness is a Warm Gun," "Salome," and "Lady With the Spinning Head."
   
   Like with their previous Best of cd, U2 created an album for "unexperienced" fans only. The big differences between the two Best of cds are the first decade had much better music and the B-sides from the first decade are actually worth the extra mula. I would recommend this cd only to people who just want the basic essientials of U2's later years. However, if anyone wants to truly experience The Best of 1990-2000, I recommend just buying the four albums, or at least Achtung Baby.
   
   
   Here's how I'd list the tracks.
   
   The A-side
   
   1. Even Better Than The Real Thing
   2. Mysterious Ways
   3. Beautiful Day
   4. If God Will Send His Angels
   5. One
   6. Lemon
   7. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
   8. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
   9. Gone (Original Version)
   10. Until The End Of The World
   11. Please
   12. Discotheque (Original Version)
   13. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
   14. Staring At The Sun (Original Version)
   15. Numb (New Mix)
   16. The First Time
   17. Walk On
   
   The B-side
   
   1. Lady With The Spinning Head (Extended Dance Mix)
   2. Two Shots Of Happy, One Shot Of Sad
   3. Summer Rain
   4. Electrical Storm (William Orbit Mix)
   5. North and South Of The River
   6. Your Blue Room
   7. Miss Sarajevo
   8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun (The Gun Mix)
   9. Salome (Zooromancer Remix)
   10. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
   11. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Perfecto Mix)
   12. The Fly (Any Remix)
   13. Mysterious Ways (Solar Plexus Club Mix)
   14. Paint It Black
   15. Where Did It All Go Wrong
   16. The Hands That Built America
   17. The Ground Beneath Her Feet
   18. Always



2. What a mixed bag this is! U2's journey through the 90's was a twisting, turning ride that saw the band careening from one style to the next, trying to force themselves away from inertia and only being intermittently successful. While "Achtung Baby" is widely heralded as a masterpiece and "All That You Can't Leave Behind" was universally acclaimed for the band reclaiming their strongest attributes, I doubt many regard either "Zooropa" or "Pop" as monuments to the band's greatness.
   
   Which makes this best of set a true case for song. Fortunately for us, U2's songwriting was very rarely anything less than great, even if the costuming was oddball. So while the band was off exploring their musical wild hairs, they were still writing incredible material like "If God Will Send His Angels" or one-off knock-out's like "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" from "Batman Returns." The wild hairs aren't completely gone, though. It means they had to tweak "Numb" and "Discotheque" unnecessarily.
   
   And it also means omissions abound. Conspicuous in their absence are "The Fly," "Elevation," "Walk On," and "Lemon." You do get a couple of bonuses, in particular the contribution to Martin Scorcese's "Gangs Of New York" Oscar nominated "The Hands That Built America." This collection is also worth having for what could possibly be one of the greatest songs of the 20'th Century, "One." That song alone makes this a four star rating and saves the set from dropping to a three via all the missing material.
   
   As for the bonus "B-Sides" disc: frankly, not much here is really "bonus." "Lemon" and "If God Will Send His Angels" make their appearance here, but remixed (ugh). "Electrical Storm," one of the new songs, shows up again in a different version. And the free DVD is a waste; essentially a commercial for an upcoming DVD release. You're likely just as well served by the single disc version.



3. the album is pretty good, even though the remixing of some well known songs in my opinion doesn't improve anything unless you ar a dj or want to play the music in a club. Also, the first cd is good though the second is more like remixes and soundtrack material and is weaker than the firs cd. Unless you are a deep U2 fan and are willing to get some ok(not the best) content, I would rather go for the 1CD version of the album, but don't get me wrong, there are good songs in the album. Good buys!



4. I love U2. It is on my top 5 list of the best bands EVER. But I only own one U2 album. This one. My brother Pablo gave me this one, as well as many others. I am very thankfull. This one is perfect, one of the best albums I have and it even includes some new songs and mixes which makes this album even more perfect. I love this one with all my heart. Buy this one immediatley. Why? If you've been lookin' for that answer then check this review:
   
   
   Disc One: The Best Of 1990-2000.- O.K. This whole album has 2 discs and 1 DVD. I mean, this is possibly the most complete and best U2 album with their greatest hits.
   
   1.- "Even Better Than The Real Thing".- O.K. Great start for such an album. One of my favorite U2 songs there is.- 5/5.
   
   2.- "Mysterious Ways".- I love this one too. Very...U2. For me..a classic.- 5/5.
   
   3.- "Beautiful Day".- One of the best songs EVER.- 5/5.
   
   4.- "Electrical Storm (William Orbit Mix)".- This is an example of a new song they out on this album and I think this one is better than the original version (which is in the other disc on this 2-disc set. Another one of my all-time favorite's.- 5/5.
   
   5.- "One".- Another classic song from this great, great band. Another one of my all time favorite's,- 5/5.
   
   6.- "Miss Saravejo".- Not too crazy about this one. Nothin' compared to "Beautiful Day" or "One".- 3/5.
   
   7.- "Stay (faraway, so close)".- Yet another classic for me.- 5/5.
   
   8.- "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of".- WOW. Another one of my all-time favorite's. This album is really something! .-5/5.
   
   9.- "Gone (New Mix)".- I like this version more than the original. I like this one as much as "Even Better Than The Real Thing".- 5/5.
   
   10- "Until The End Of The World".- Very grissly intro to this song. Then...it becomes one of my favorite's.
   
   11.- "The Hands That Built America (Theme From "Gangs Of New York")".- Another new song. Probably some of you watched the movie "Gangs Of New York" with Leo DiCaprio and Daniel Day Lewis, I did and if you didn't, then I recomend you don't, the truth is I didn't like it, I like the song much more. But a mind-blowing performance by Daniel Day Lewis. Anyway, this one is another one of my all-time favorite's.- 5/5.
   
   12.- "Discothèque (new mix)".- I like the original version, but I find almost no difference.- 5/5.
   
   13.- "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me".- The banda sonora from "Batman Returns", the best Batman there is, anyway, I think it is one of my favorite's.- 5/5.
   
   14.- "Staring At The Sun (new mix)".- I like the original version better. This version is too "whiny".- 4/5.
   
   15.- "Numb (new mix)".- I think this song is the strangest I've ever heard. This one is the new mix.- 3/5.
   
   16.- "The First Time".- Great. I like this one.- 4/5.
   
   
   
   Disc Two: The "B" sides.- O.K. The second disc of this album. Most of the songs on this disc are mixes and this part of the album goes down:
   
   
   1.- "Lady With The Spinning Head (Extended Dance Mix)".- I never heard the original version of this song, but I kinda like this version pretty much.- 4/5.
   
   2.- "Dirty Day (Junk Day Mix)".- I never heard the original version of this song either, but I didn't like it, sorry.- 1/5.
   
   3.- "Summer Day".- I love this song. Kinda reminded me of their other song "Desire", have you listened to it? If no, then listen to it now.- 5/5.
   
   4.- "Electrical Storm".- Another new song. To be honest, I don't like this version too much, as I stated that above on disc one.- 4/5.
   
   5.- "North And South Of The River".- Another strange song from U2.- 3/5.
   
   6.- "Your Blue Room".- O.K. I like this one. Very much.- 5/5.
   
   7.- "Happines Is A Warm Gun (The Gun Remix)".- O.K. I don't like this one that much either.- 3/5.
   
   8.- "Salomé (Zooromancer remix)".- This One is more of a disco song.- 4/5.
   
   9.- "Even Better Than The Real Thing (The Perfecto Mix)".- I like the original version better. "Perfecto" is spanish for "perfect", I should know that since I'm Bolivian. But you must have noticed that by taking out the remaining "o".- 4/5.
   
   10.- "Numb (Gimme More Dignity Mix)".- I think this version of "Numb" is way better than the original version.- 5/5.
   
   11.- "Mystrious Ways (Solar Plexus Club Mix)".- I like the original version better.- 4/5.
   
   12.- "If God Would Send His Angels (Big Yam Mix)".- I never heard the original verion of this song, but this one is just fatal!! .- 0/5.
   
   13.- "Lemon (Jeep Mix)".- O.K. This one is way way way better than the previous one.- 4/5.
   
   14.- "Discothèque (Hexidecimal Mix)".- I hate this version of the song.- 2/5.
   
   
   
   O.K. I think this is the best "greatest hits" U2 album. It starts off really smooth, but then, it goes dooowwwwwn big time. But either way I recomend this for you.
   
   
   
   U2 RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!



5. Hey everyone...bought this the day it came out, but after FINALLY being able to listen to 'Vertigo' I had to write something up! VERTIGO ROCKS!!! Anyone else agree? Is there ANY band out there even remotely close to these guys? KEEP IT UP!!
   
   Also, while I'm here...SORELY missing is: Elevation, Ground Beneath Her Feet, Walk On, plus a few others. But then, one would assume that the diehard U2 fan already has these from other sources. GREAT album, and thanks once again U2 (the band) for making so many great memories...can't wait for the 'Bomb' to drop in November!!

5 comments about Knuckle Down.

1. This is only my second Ani album, after 'Dilate'. I like 'Dilate', but not so much to motivate me to buy others of hers. I totally love 'Knuckle Down', however, and will be checking out more of her stuff ('Canon' is particularly appealing).
   
   'Knuckle Down' is less aggressive than 'Dilate', which is not necessarily a good thing, I suppose. But her voice sounds so much better than on 'Dilate', on which she seemed to be snarling the lyrics; and the guitar picking and melodies are clearer.
   
   I particularly like "Callous", "Paradigm" and "Recoil", but every song is great.



2. Ani is really overated. If she ever goes on American Idol, she won't even make the 1st round. Any Amercian Idol can outsing her anytime and I'm sure Simon can really say something bad about her vocals. Her voice is really sub-par. Her lyrics are so self-indulgent. Her guitar playing is OK but gets boring. I was so disappointed with her CD. I find it so boring after listening 2 minutes into the CD. Her music and lyrics are not memorable at all. What a waste of money. If you heard of Ani through the media and want to buy her CD - just don't. Save your money and listen to tons of singer/songwriters out there.



3. Ani DiFranco continues to release albums left and right, sometimes just as Ani solo, at other times as a full blown band, and at yet other times somewhere in between. Chalk up this album in the latter category.
   
   "Knuckle Down" (12 tracks; 57 min.) starts off very strongly with the title track and "Studying Stones", only to reach an ever higher plateau as her band joins in and rocks on "Manhole" and Modulation", the latter being the best track on the album. Sandwiched in between those songs is "Sunday Morning", a great melancholic view back on a relationship gone wrong. After the stellar first half of the album, things falter a bit. "Parameters" is the now seemingly obligatory spoken piece/poem that appears on most recent albums. "Paradigm" is one more standout, but towards the end the album starts to lag a bit and ultimately is a bit overlong.
   
   That said, "Knuckle Down" is overall a great listen, and in particular the first half recalls the best music that Ani has ever done. Even though this album is now just about 2 years old, it still sounds fresh to me and I play this more often than any other Ani album. Throughout "Knuckle Down", Ani sounds like she might even be enjoying (!) the very music that she is bringing. Highly recommended, and not just for Ani fans.



4. Thirty-three year-old Ani will never be the exact same Ani as the nineteen-year-old Ani that met the other half of the "Two Little Girls" on the train in NYC. At the point in time when she has released Knuckle Down, she is reminiscing about her divorce - life can indeed be hard throughout the years, never letting up. Although this album is nowhere near the more hard-rock-punk grit of albums like the Living in Clip live album or So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter, as raw as Dilate or Not a Pretty Girl, or as unfinished and folky as early Ani of Puddle Dive or Imperfectly, the Ani of Knuckle Down is more refined, finished, and reflective.
   
   The title song is probably the most reminiscent of earlier albums, with the faster tempo and almost rapped-out verses. It sums up the album in a sense - that life was going to be different for her despite her stardom - "I know that I was warned, still it was not what I hoped" - and the motif of "Knuckle Down" may seem similar to those who know and love Little Plastic Castle's "Pixie" - "I gotta knuckledown, be OK with this".
   
   "Studying Stones" and "Paradigm" are reflective of life among family, the first brush with the ups and downs of life. "Studying Stones" has a more melancholy melody to it with a bluesy twang, while "Paradigm" edges ever-so-slightly into the familiar politics Ani of which Ani has always sung.
   
   "Manhole" is a sarcastic look at lost love and getting over someone (trust me, it helped me get through my own breakup!) and has a good rock beat and excellent chorus. This is probably my favorite song on this album. The sad "Sunday Morning" follows the breakup theme, notably right after the sarcastic tone "Manhole", and seems a tribute to the domestic happiness of her marriage, culminating in the most poignant line, "still it's Sumday morning I miss you the most", purposefully standing out as the instruments wind down.
   As many others on this review noted, "Seeing Eye Dog", on its own, as an Ani song, is pretty godawful, which I guess is in keeping with the loser of a guy she compares to a dog in the song, with stories that "fall from you lips, with just enough slobber so it sparkles and drips". I don't think I ever want to hear Ani sing "slobber" in that way ever again either. The song definitely does not belong on this album!
   "Modulation" and "Lag Time" are pretty good and relatively upbeat, with the same poetic lyricism Ani is known for. "Parameters" is of course the requisite poetic interlude Ani includes on most of her albums, and is haunting and well-presented as a bit of a warning horror story. The "dark and stormy night" is represented in the tones behind Ani's voice as it winds up stairs and into her room right up to the intruder "sitting there, sitting in what must be the prized chair in your collection of uncomfortable chairs".
   In all, the album is more reflective than anything, if not a bit resigned to the difficult changes of life. Ani has definitely mellowed out as time has gone on, and even seeing her live now may be a very different experience than seeing her live ten years ago.
   Best wishes to her as an expecting mother, too!



5. this one is pretty different in my opinion, but defenteley not bad.
   
   there is more songs about her feelings, as far as relationships, i think than others in the past, but the songs are really quite beautiful. plus, there are still the exceptions that arent just about ani's love at the time. her voice sounds great on this one too, and overall, its just...grand.
   
   the only song i usually dont listen to is seeing eye dog. i dont know, the music and everything, i dont hate, but i defenteley dont like very much.
   
   so, all i have left to say is i love this cd just as much as some of her others.

5 comments about Overnight Sensation.

1. This Motorhead album made my dad a fan.
   
   Despite being a lover of a lot of metal and hard rock (AD/DC, Metallica, Judas Priest etc.), every time I played some Motorhead for him, he certainly didn't hate it, but nothing ever really struck him as anything special.
   
   That is, until he heard "Crazy Like A Fox."
   
   That song made him jump around the living room, dancing and playing the air guitar. Yes, a dignified, 51 year old man did this. Such is the power of a good Motorhead song.
   
   He has since taken the album from me and won't give it back. He loves it.
   
   And its quite a good album too. It has nice production and is very heavy, with about 4/5ths of it being great, just like all the albums Motorhead has released since "March Or Die."
   
   Highlights include the absolutely rocking "Crazy Like A Fox" which just happens to include some of the funnier lyrics Lemmys written ("Don't you turn your back on me/You just make it worse/You look just as beautiful/When you're movin' in reverse"), the title track, with its unsual-for-Motorhead but surprisingly appropriate use of accoustic guitars, and (my personal album fav) "Love Can't Buy You Money," boasting a riff that literally gave my dad goosebumps. That riff is a stomper. It kinda reminds me of a much much much heavier Guns 'n' Roses.
   
   As always, there are just a few songs that just don't do it for me like the others ("Broken" is, uh, broken, and "Shake The World" doesn't really grab me, though my dad really likes it), but like I said, 4/5ths of it is good stuff. Fans will dig it, and those looking for an introduction to the later era of Motorhead will find this album to be about as good as anything else they've done since "Orgasmatron."
   
   So buy and enjoy, its business as usual with "Overnight Sensation" and business continues to be darn good.



2. Good worthy follow-up to their 'Sacrifice' effort. Some fans say this CD is Motorhead's most diverse work in years.Still a great catalog title from Lemmy and crew,that's a true keeper.Well,to MOST Motorhead fans it is.Tracks that I thought made the grade were the metal gems,"Civil War","Eat The Gun",the humorous "Crazy Like A Fox" and the steady rocker "Shake The World". Also liked "Love Can't Buy You Money". It's just that I've got SO much Motorhead and I still don't have every one of their releases. Maybe half of their repertoire. Still churning out that must-have British heavy metal after all these years.



3. This album is a little more diverse in style than a typical Motorhead album but it doesn't veer far from the proven path. Its a very solid effort by Lemmy and the gang and probably one of their five best albums.
   
   Choice cuts: "I Don't Believe a Word", "Broken", and "Shake the World".



4. Im a huge fan of Motorhead, and I hope to see them before I die. I own all there cds, and this cd is like any other album Motorhead releases. Its hard rocking and in the early 90's, each cd has a ballad. This cd has one amazing ballad, Dont belive a word. The rest are hard rocking numbers, as only Motorhead can do. Im so sick of hearing Ace of Spades is there finest hour and they havent done anything after the cd. Motorhead albums all are worth listening too, and none of them lose an edge from 75 to 05. Lemmy is 60 plus now and he still rocks harder then anyone else. Where is everyone's hero Ozzy? Oh right, retired. Maybe Lemmy is a robot, thats why he is damn durable and amazing.



5. Being very much into early Motorhead and the Fast Eddie period, I had ignored most of Motorheads albums after 1916, the album not the year. But this cd is honestly one of the bands best ever. Its both more thrashy and melodic...definitely more crafted in songsmanship than later albums like Sacrifice, but not as slick (a good thing to me) as Bastards. Its also got a very unified feel to it.
   
   The best compliment I can make about Overnight Sensation is that I now have to add at least four or five songs from it to my running list/cd compiliation of Motorheads best songs. And its a testament to this bands greatness that their best stuff will not even fit on two 80 minute cds anymore. Not that I am complaining.

5 comments about Repeat When Necessary.

1. Always loved Dave and his blend of rock-a-billy. I'm probably prejudiced with this one but hell it's just good stuff and it has been repeated at home and on the road many times. I just wish he was still making music and getting it out to the public.



2. 1979 was a great time for music. If only because of the release of this album by Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe's Labor of Lust. As already mentioned, the two albums amounted to a double release by Rockpile. I wore this record out during college. The album jumps out at you from the beginning with Girls Talk. Even on the eve of its 30th anniversary, the songs sound fresh and energetic. Several of the best songs have been mentioned by other reviewers, but I have always found Dynamite to be one of the songs necessary to repeat again and again. Rockpile as a group or its solo parts was never appreciated for the great music they produced, but fortunately Dave and Nick kept making albums. It is still a thrill to hear from either artist today, but this album was certainly a high mark for Dave Edmunds. As a side note, it was released on Swan Song records. Not a bad endorsement!



3. DAVE EDMUNDS-REPEAT WHEN NECESSARY: Welsh revivalist rocker Dave Edmunds' finest hour rings in on this companion album to partner-in-rhyme Nick Lowe's equally vital LABOUR OF LUST (both were recorded simultaneously, utilizing their goodtime band Rockpile). The rockabilly rebel with the twangy geetar and a voice to match spews forth nothing but charisma, craftsmanship, and class, whether tackling (the definitive version of) Elvis Costello's ultra-clever GIRLS TALK, fellow angry young man Graham Parker's slam-banger CRAWLING FROM THE WRECKAGE, or country bootkicker QUEEN OF HEARTS (stolen, nearly note for note by Juice Newton). But that's only the "hits", folks and fans; monster mash CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, bluesy shuffle BAD IS BAD (Huey Lewis and the WHO?...), and the Wall of Sound melody TAKE ME FOR A LITTLE WHILE are considerably more of a good thing. Edmunds, as well known for his production values (he's twiddled the knobs for everyone from the Fabulous Thunderbirds to the Everly Brothers) as his "where have I heard this great stuff before" musical ability, is a rock 'n roll flame keeper of the highest order, as this slab o' sound makes perfectly obvious. Repeat when necessary: crank this sucker up!...crank this sucker up!...RATING: FIVE FRETS



4. This was the first Dave Edmunds album I ever bought (way back in the days of vinyl), and it's still arguably his very best. As other reviewers note, this record rocks from start to finish. Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk" (soon to be a big hit for Linda Ronstadt) kicks off the disc in style and helped give Edmunds a foot in the "New Wave" camp in the late '70s..."Crawling From The Wreckage" became one of his signature tunes--he often opened his legendary live shows with this song. "Queen Of Hearts" became a big hit for Juice Newton and was written by Hank DeVito, who was working with people like Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris back then..."Sweet Little Lisa" and "Dynamite" are straight-on rockers, and "Bad Is Bad" is kind of a rockin' blues tune. Simply a great album from start to finish.

   Edmunds and/or Rockpile appeared to be on the verge of hitting the big time at this point, but it just didn't happen. Ironically, Edmunds produced the first couple of albums by the Stray Cats shortly thereafter, and watched them achieve huge success instead. Dave also produced artists as varied as k.d. lang, Carlene Carter and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He is a non-American with a greater feel and taste for American roots music than most of us will ever have. Virtually all of his catalog is excellent, but this is the place to start. ESSENTIAL.




5. This album smokes. Edmunds was at the peak of his powers, and his back up band (see; Rockpile) was the best he's ever had. Dave comes out swingin with the excellent `Girls Talk' and doesn't slow down til it's all over. Raucous, lively and punchy, this is pub at it's best. Good rockin rockabilly in the fifties tradition. Fans of Cowboy Mouth, CCR and Men At Work should take note. Rockpile was the king of all bar bands, unstoppably great, and no matter what name they recorded under they were irresistible (see Lowe's LABOR OF LUST and their own SECONDS OF PLEASUSE). It's a pity they didn't stay together (Billy Bremner, where are you?). Pay special attention to "Crawling From The Wreckage', `Sweet Little Lisa' and `Creature From The Black Lagoon'

   PS And by the way, Huey Lewis plays harmonica on `Bad Is Bad', which he covered on SPORTS.