3 comments about Strictly Personal/In Heat.

1. The fourth and third albums from the great Detroit powerpop punks The Romantics were made by a band in transition. For "Strictly Personal," it shows. Changing producers from Pete Solley to Mike Stone (of Queen fame), SP sounds rushed and noisy, songs looking for refinement and not getting any. Mike Skill was out over the usual artistic difs, and his songwriting is missed. That is not to say the songs aren't any good, both "In The Nighttime" and "She's Hot" display The Romantics' custom flair for Merseybeat meets Detroit rock, and follow in the footsteps of What I Like About You. Stone's production is still a mismatch, though. Making "No One Like You" sound like the band was copping from The Scorpions was just wrong.
   
   Everyone kissed and made up for the follow-up. Mike Skill rejoined the band for "In Heat," and Solley was called back to man the boards. The final result was the best album the band made since The Romantics and their greatest commercial success. Most of the credit there comes from "Talking In Your Sleep," one of the most perfect singles of the 80's. Combining a killer pop guitar riff with a Motown melody, "Talking In Your Sleep" hit number three on Billboard and ingrained itself visually as a video.
   
   Solley reined back SP's excesses to make the sound more punky than metal. "Rock You Up" is a piece of party nonsense that sounds a little too much like "What I Like About You 2" for its own good, but it's better than anything on its predecessor. The Anglo-Influence echoes on the Dave Clark 5 sound-alike "Do Me Anyway You Wanna." "One In a Million" is prime skinny-tie new wave, and the cover closer "Shake a Tail Feather" is brilliant.
   
   "In Heat" was the sound of a band that had hit its stride, even poking a little fun at it ("I'm Hip"). The Romantics pretty much derailed commercially after this (Rhythm Romance shed founding member Jimmy Marinos and much of the band's energy, then legal issues blocked The Romantics from doing anything for almost a decade). What holds my rating of this double set down is the sound quality, there's nothing to suggest that any kind of sonic upgrade has been made. Given that The Romantics are really due for a comprehensive Best Of, maybe someone will go in and give these tracks the respect they deserve.



2. "In Heat" is one of my favorite rock albums from my college days, when I was a college radio DJ at Kansas State, where I played it on the radio when first released. Even saw them live in the center of the 1st row of a show on the In Heat tour at The Uptown in Kansas City. Great ROCKING show with the band at the TOP of their game. Saw them October 2006 at the Double Door in Chicago, and they were pretty good and rocking then, too. Still a great band! Check them out if they play near you.
   
   Anyway, I waited until a modern remaster of this album to come out to buy it. I have never owned nor heard the album Strictly Personal, so I can't judge it as well for sound. I am familiar with a few cuts of it just from the compilation CD's that are out. Those compilations pretty much suck for sound quality in today's terms; at least they are lacking in dynamics and are compressed. Great tunes, but I feel none of the currently available compilations tell the whole story in the best way. yadayada
   
   I compared this version of this CD to my old well-played original vinyl LP of In Heat, and this CD is a disappointment. The vinyl actually sounds better. This CD is lacking in dynamics and sounds compressed. It seems this version has NOT been remastered, or at least with any surprises with sound. I used a good turntable and equipment to compare.
   
   That is not to say this is not great music; In Heat was one of the great pop-rock albums of the mid-1980's. Played on the radio and elsewhere in its day.
   
   If you want a BETTER representation of The Romantics, check out the live one from King Biscuit Flower Hour. NOW THAT ROCKS! Recorded just 2 weeks in San Antonio in 1983 before I saw them in KC, it presents the band at its peak and rocking hard!



3. The Romantics still to this day deliver the goods! Their third album kinda got lost! Strictly Personal is truly a Gem! Great songs,Loud drums and Nasty guitars fill up this first half of this disc.Almost their entry into heavy metal! Really!In Heat finishes off the second half with some of the best Pop Rock dance music song after song! This was (Drummer) Jimmy Marinos at his best,vocals and drumming! (He IS the voice behind their mega-hit "What I Like About You") Too bad that song isn't included here because that would have summed up all their hits! Trust me,this collection is AWESOME! Put on your dancin' shoes!

5 comments about Nearly Human.

1. any todd rundgren fan will love this album ! there are at least 2 of his all time greatest songs from this true musician who has been on the radio for about 40 years ! any musician will appreciate the complexity of his music and the talent he chose for this album which is so absent from much of todays music. nearly human covers a broad range of styles that would be hard to categorize into one particular thing. great voice, great music. if you have the chance to see him live, you should do it !



2. I'm a big Rundgren fan but do not believe that all of his work is great; it's definitely up and down sometimes. Nearly Human has some of his greatest songs in the pop mould -- of that there is no doubt. Want Of A Nail and Parallel Lines are two of my favorite Todd songs ever, and his Philly soul-style voice is in top form here. Top it off with fantastic playing by everyone, and this is in the top 5 of his albums without a doubt. You will not be disappointed in that department.
   
   However, the reason why I give this album three stars is twofold.
   
   Firstly, not every song is amazing. There are some duds as far as I'm concerned -- the biggest one being the decision to include the Elvis Costello song (I'm just not a Costello fan, what can I say), and some of the tracks after the mid point of the album fall flat compared to the others.
   
   Secondly -- and even more importantly to me -- is that this album simply sounds awful. Todd's production is hit and miss, and Nearly Human is a definite miss. I write, mix, and produce for a living, and this album is just painful to listen to, both eq-wise and due to the fact that it's over-compressed (like some other of his other work is, too). When I looked at the individual tracks on an analyzer that shows you the average for entire song, I could see that it's all jacked up. When I fixed the eq in my workstation the improvement was quite dramatic. I encourage anyone who has this disc on iTunes or something to treat it individually and cut the mids and high-mids (from about 1k to about 6k or so) by around 3dB, as well as boost the low end (around 140 and below) by about the same amount; you will be amazed at the difference it makes and how much more enjoyable the album is to listen to.
   
   Still, even if you don't have these tools or just don't care about sound as much, this album is worth getting simply for many of the fantastic songs and performances. If you do care about sound then I would recommend trying to fix it if you can; it's absolutely worth the effort.



3. Everything you want to know about this CD is already reviewed in the listings here... These are classical rock melodies enhanced by harpsichord and harp, embellished by Todd's awesome octaves and thoughtful, soulful singing and lyrics... (Which will pierce your heart and quicken your soul into rethinking all the travesties you may have caused another person in the name of "love".)
   
   When I purchased this album at it's first release years ago, I was in the midst of a major break-up and plummeted into a severe depression with it. Rundgren has a way of delving into the human conscience as if he's got Jimminy Cricket hanging out on his keyboard. I came into these songs again watching the video performances in "The Desktop Collection", in retrospect, finding them to be gorgeous every time.
   
   Again, I think this is classic music which never gets old. Twenty years later I can listen to it, love it, and appreciate the effort that went into creating it. In fact, this album is inspiring, insightful - and yes, a lot of fun to sing to. I would simply recommend that you get it! Just be sure it is long AFTER the break-up, when the healing has happened and you can appreciate what being "nearly human" really means.



4. Of all the work TR put out in the 80s and 90s, this is easily his most accessible, and certainly my favorite from that time period. In comes the oft-hidden pop sensibilities that Todd possesses as a songwriter, while still always maintaining thought-provoking and intelligent lyrics. This one is getting harder and harder to find, so if you see it available from one of the Amazon Marketplace sellers, and you are a fan of Todd's earlier work, I can recommend this one completely.



5. Short and sweet review. Except for "Two little Hitler's" which sucks, this is a great album. Great backing vocals, which lets Todd do what he is best at, shape a concept and make fine music.

5 comments about Spilt Milk.

1. I am convinced that it is absolutely impossible to oversell this album. It is a work of enduring genius.
   
   Like many fantastic albums (late Beatles stuff, Fleetwood Mac's Rumors, Pink Floyd's The Wall and No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom, etc.), the project was forged in the crucible of band conflict and warfare. This would be Jellyfish's swan song, as they broke up after its release.
   
   I have had this album for several years. A cursory look at my iTunes stats reveals that I have listened to tracks from this album more than any other in my collection. It never fails to delight.
   
   The production is vintage, fat analog richness. The minimalist drum kit sounds absolutely massive and the entire mix is peppered with brilliant little twittles from nearly every orchestral instrument you can think of. Your ear is always picking up some new element with every listen.
   
   The lyrics are comical, clever, and yet utterly profound. To illustrate reproduction as "dialog swam from his pen like pollywogs" is audacious genius. While there is some debate on the subject, the album to me appears to be a unified concept piece narrating the life of a fallen rock star, with the songs hopping all over the place chronologically, ending with "Brighter Day", a final existential gasp by a washed-up has-been trying to put his life into a greater, yet still relatively meaningless context. And that is one of the many interesting legacies of this band--the ability to plumb darker concepts with saccharine-sweet power pop treatments.
   
   This album is a perfect achievement.



2. I just have to add my blessing to this CD. I must be from a different planet than those that did not think is was the best listen. When I hear music this fun, fresh and fantastic, I wonder why everyone doesn't. Members of Jellyfish would have had to have listened to a few Queen albums in their day. The lead vocals and harmony (without the guitar edge)would have made Freddie Mercury happier than a sissy with a new boa. "Joining a fan Club" is a classic. Everybody's talkin' about the song "Best Friend" (not to be confused with Queen's song) sounds to me like "The Courtship of Eddie's Father"(written by Harry Nilsson). Not a duff track on this set. They have borrowed from evey one from the Beatles & Beach Boys and XTC and it all works for me. I wish I had a thousand CDs this good in my collection. I have 10s of thousands of recorded songs. I'd take this to an island with me if I could only take 100 items. It's that good. Thankfully, this review finds me in the majority. It looks like most people simply adore this, but it made me feel good to add my name to the "Milk" carton anyway. Naturally it sold very poorly and the band discolved.



3. Spilt Milk is one of those albums that is so rich and so dense, that you will be able to pick out something new on every listen. It is true that the listener can hear influences from Queen, the Beatles (Paul especially), and many others (stylistically) in Jellyfish's songs - which I LOVE. This has encouraged me to share this album with friends had never heard of them, but loved their influences. It's that good (and as a side note, anyone who I've turned onto this album has always been super-thankful).
   
   The lyrics on Spilt Milk are as thoughtful and dense as the music. Very often complex and full of pun, Sturmer and Manning's words gracefully weave in and out of each other, leaving the listener with concrete images and interesting thematic juxtapositions to ponder.
   
   The bottom line is, this is truly a majestic rock and roll album. The power of the ideas, the production, the tightness, the varied arrangements, the instrumentation and the delivery never disappoints. This album is a classic.



4. How can a great band like Jellyfish not make it? The songwriting, musicianship, production is superb on this CD. I listen today to it, and it's still as fresh as 10 years ago!
   I would love to see this band re-unite.



5. Just as great as the best of The Beach Boys, Queen, The Beatles, XTC, Joe Jackson (and Michael for that matter), Prince, or Robyn Hitchcock. All of the praise that these boys have received is well deserved. By far without any hesitation this is the best of the best pop ever written. Buy now!

5 comments about Rockford.

1. Cheap Trick has been an interesting band. Mid to late 70's heroes of music that fused rock and roll, pop, and punk. Mid to late 80s MTV stars that went more commercial with hits like "The Flame". Ever since then, they have been releasing albums that range from more MTV-type commercial stuff to trying to regain the roots sound of their early work. In the last few years, Cheap Trick have come back better than ever, releasing two albums, starting with this one, that have been among some of their best recorded work, and their best since their 70s heyday. Their newest CD, "The Latest", I got first, as this one was nowhere to be found. I had to order it. Released in 2006, "Rockford", named after their Illinois home town, was hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the top 10 best rock albums of the year. It was great seeing the band get the attention they deserve critically. And what a fine piece of work it is!.
   
   The album starts off with "Welcome To The World". This is a short and rousing 2 minute opener that starts things off on the right note. It's a simple, straight forward song, one that wouldn't be out of place opening one of their shows, if they feel like retiring "Hello There" for some concerts. It's a classic sounding song that, when I first heard a snippet, I thought it wasn't new. It must of been an older song re-recorded because I could of sworn I had heard it before. I love it. We then immediatley rock into "Perfect Stranger", a song Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander co-wrote with Linda Perry, rock singer and songwriter, who also penned Pink's "Get This Party Started". It's a catchy pop/rock ditty that shows the band in fine form. "If It Takes A Lifetime" is a power pop/rock type of love song that sounds like it belongs on the radio. This immediatley flows into "Come On Come On Come On", not to be confused with their late 70s song "Come On Come On". This one is a raging guitar burner with Zander singing 'Come on, come on, little baby!!". It's a great rock song. Things slow down a bit for "O Claire", not to be confused by another CT song, "Oh Claire", which was featured at the end of the "Heaven Tonight" CD. It's a gorgrous Beatles-esque/Lennon-ish song with classic sounding choruses that would of done Lennon proud. A gorgeous song. "This Time You Got It", while not as classic as the opening five songs, is a fun song nonetheless. It has a catchy guitar driven beat to it. "Give It Away" is a straight forward rock song that Nielsen could do in his sleep. This sounds like a classic song that could of come out of the 70s. One of my favorite songs on the disc is "One More". Not quite sure how to describe it. A funky, poppy, rock/disco hybrid that is as catchy as heck. Another nod to Roy Wood, perhaps?. Track 9 is "Every Day And Every Night", a pleasant enough pop ditty, but mostly filler to me. Then comes "Dream The Night Away", a 70s/80s pop/rock song with a nice, sing along chorus. "All Those Years" is a nicely crafted piece of pop with a wonderful Zander vocal. The CD ends with "Decaf", a rousing, but less than memorable closer.
   
   In a recent interview, Rick Nielsen has said that every CD is a band effort nowadays, what with Nielsen being the primary songwriter back in the day, with the others chipping in here and there. It seems to work because these last two CDs have had a nice helping of different sounds and harmonies with everyone bringing something to the table. "Rockford" is a tightly produced package that lets the guys rip when need be, and lets them be slightly more mellow. It's a great mix that flows perfectly together and never seems to be out of focus with whatever else is going on on the CD. The band members are all playing and singing as brilliantly as ever, maybe even more so. There has been a feeling of rejuvenation on these last two CDs and it comes thru loud and clear on the songs. Rick Nielsen is a songwriting/guitar god to me and his playing is still top notch. Tom Petersson on bass is just sick. Bun E. Carlos still pounds those drums like a force to be reckoned with. And then there is Robin Zander. Often cited as one of rock's finest voices ever, and is still so criminally underrated, he has been doing some of his finest work ever here lately. To be able to go from hollering, sneering, touch rock star on some tracks, and do an immediate turn around on the next singing a lovely harmony, it's almost like two different people. It's amazing. Nielsen also stated that someone who can do what Zander does is rare. I would have to agree.
   
   "Rockford" is a wonderfully catchy, rocking, jaunty, and overall satisfying CD that should not only put a smile on the faces of Cheap Trick fans everywhere, but on the faces of any rock fan looking for good, quality stuff. I have only been really getting into and discovering Cheap Trick since October, so I am hardly a long time trickster, but they have become, in this short of time, one of my top 2 favorite bands of all time.



2. Pleasantly surprised by the cd. Don`t always know what to expect from Cheap Trick.I personally would not have led the cd off with "welcome to my world". Didn`t really care for that song. The song "One more" would have been a good start to kick off the cd. Overall the cd has some good up beat songs like "Give it away " - "If it takes a lifetime" - "Perfect stranger" - "Every night and every day" and the song " Come on come come" which I really liked. Overall - the cd was pretty good and worth a listen. Cheap Trick fans will like this cd and probably others who haven`t heard Cheap Trick.



3. The title of this album refers to the band's hometown of Rockford Illinois. After the rather bland "Special One" three years earlier "Rockford" was a nice return to form. This album garnered high praise from the music press and although I don't think it quite lives up to the hype it is a very nice album from the veteran band. "Welcome To The World", "If It Takes A Lifetime", "Come On Come On", "O Claire", and "All Those Years" are all great songs. The rest of the album is pretty solid as well, although for latter day Cheap Trick I don't think this one quite stacks up against the self titled "Cheap Trick" album from 1997. Overall though "Rockford" is a very good Cheap Trick album and a big improvement over the band's last outing "Special One". These old guys can still sound fresh and they can rock as hard as ever.



4. I bought Rockford on somewhat of a whim after seeing them perform "Perfect Stranger" on Conan O'Brien's show and then noticing that I could pick up this new album for a mere $9 at the local Wal-Mart.
   
   I really really liked it and soon bought their first four albums, a Greatest Hits and At Budokan.
   
   I don't know how their music fared in the 80's and 90's (though I'm told its not so hot), but this album sounds just as good to these ears as those great albums from the 70's. Plenty of loud guitars, good melodies, and a ton of energy (these guys sound way more vibrant than most bands 30 years into their career). Plus, unlike some of those overly-glossy 70's albums, Rockfords production really lets the band kick it loud and proud.
   
   Fans should be happy with these catchy loud rock songs, and folks new to Cheap Trick will probably find this album to be so good that they just might want more (I know I did!).



5. I admit to having a bias in favor of the boys from Rockford but this is really a tremendous effort. Better accolades were deserved.

2 comments about Revolution: A Rock Tribute to the Beatles.

1. An interesting idea of largely stadium style hard rock 1980s and 1990s covers of the Beatles songs. The problem is that many just destroy the lighter touch that made the originals such great pop songs in the process, either being live (Cheap Trick and Heart) or just lacking in the energy of the originals despite a heavier sound (Jeff Healey and Thompson Twins).
   
   The real gem is the 1967 recording by Harry Nilsson of a song cycle based around "You can't do that" - evidence of his great singing and why John Lennon rated him so highly as a vocalist - a performance that is at odds with the rest of the offerings on show here.



2. Yet another Beatles cover disc, but this one doesn't suck! I got this because I used to have a 10 inch EP by Cheap Trick, which had Day Tripper on it. I just didn't remember it being live and I can't find the record, so, hence, I bought this CD. Even live Cheap Trick drives this song home. It's from the era where Cheap Trick were Gods and could do no wrong; they prove it with this track! There is only one track on this release that I don't like and that is Eleanor Rigby by Kansas. A surprize tune that is exceptional is Harry Nilsson's You Can't Do That. He blends several Beatles songs together into this track and its mesmerizing. Golden earring, Heart, the Hooters, Thompson Twins, Mahoghany Rush, and Blood, Sweat & Tears all add their mark to the glorious machine that was the Beatles. At this price, you will enjoy the CD if you like the Beatles or any of the bands with tracks here. If you want something harder I would suggest "Butchering the Beatles", which features hard rock bands doing great renditions of the Fab Four.

5 comments about Producers/You Make the Heat.

1. O.K.,I bought The Producers (aka..Cartoon..a much better name than the Producers) debut album in 1981 only because I was a fan of Bassist Kyle Henderson's old band,Whiteface,who were also from Atlanta.
   Upon first listen of The Producers debut album,I thought it was interesting & original sounding,especially for a lil pop band from the south.
   Their debut album grew on you after repeated listens & The Producers debut album should've been promoted & supported by their major label, Epic / Portrait Records,but never was & sank without notice.
   The Producers 2nd album,You Make The Heat,lost all the POP PUNCH of their debut album,sounding more like an arena rock album & like their 1st album,You Make The Heat sank without notice & falling to the same fate as the 1st.
   The Producers & You Make The Heat,usually sold well whereever the band played,if the local record stores even had it in stock,but again,with no label support at all,they tanked.
   Actually,after The Producers got dropped from Epic / Portrait & MCA Records,they decided to put out the album...Run For Your Life on their own Marathon Records & in my opinion,is their strongest sounding album ever !!!!!!
   Now,jumping backwards in time to 1977 thru 1979. Producers bassist,Kyle Henderson's old band Whiteface,in my opinion was a far better band on every level than The Producers !!!!!
   Whiteface was a "White Funk" band & the hottest & most popular band in Georgia as well as the Southeast & was being hounded by almost every major record label in the country to sign with them.
   Whiteface decided to sign with Mercury Records in 1979 & was sent to Muscle Shoals Studios in Alabama & the debut self titled Whiteface album was produced by legendary Producer, Barry Beckett & was released in the Spring of 1979.
   Soon after the Whiteface release,Mercury Records decided that the "White Funk" thing was becoming less cool & decided to promote & market the new trend called,"New Wave" & so Mercury Records shifted all their focus etc..to their "New Wave" acts & so the Whitface album sank too.
   Kyle Henderson saw the band Cartoon live one night while he was still with Whiteface & right then & there decided to quit Whiteface & try his hand at this "New Wave" thing that Cartoon was playing.
   So,when Kyle left Whiteface,he also took Whitefaces management team with him & they started to manage The Producers...aka...Cartoon.
   Kyle Henderson left The Producers in 1984,became a "Born Again Christian" & released in my opinion,the best material he's ever done since Whiteface in a Christian album called...More Than The Look Of Love.
   More Than The Look Of Love has now become one of the most sought after Christian albums ever.
   During Kyle's Christian music period,Kyle & Christian singer, Benny Hester,re-wrote the lyrics & recorded The Producers song,Back To Basics,from the You Make The Heat album.
   Forget The Producers,seek out Whiteface & Kyle Henderson's Christian album instead..



2. Great music from a somewhat boring decade. This collection was hard to find but collector99 made it very simple and easy to order. It was shipped in a quick and timely manner.
   I would use this vendor again...



3. The answer would be: This CD in Print! The Producers were one of those terrific power-pop bands in the early 80's that seemed on the verge of stardom only to see label woes and a vindictive record exec bury their career mid-ascent. Nearly as criminal is that this laudable CD of their terrific first two albums for CBS/Portrait in languishing in out of print status, with not even a commercial download available.
   
   Why these songs have not enjoyed a renaissance of sorts is beyond me. Of the multitudes of skinny-tie power poppers to hit the MTV airwaves, The Producers, with their flawless harmonies, killer hooks, dynamic stage presence (I emceed a show of theirs in Sunbury PA around 1982, where "She Sheila" as a Top 5 requested song) and secret weapon in keyboardist Wayne Famous. They had energy to burn, and as "You Make the Heat" pointed out, were rapidly growing their musical palette beyond the skinny tie scene.
   
   The debut album was a hook laden exercise in perfect pop. Both "What's He Got" and "What She Does to Me (The Diana Song)" became regional hits, while the rest of the songs were inventive and catchy. "Who Do You Think You Are" and "I Love Lucy" are almost as good. (Although I always thought it was funny that the album cover had the band in Directors chairs.)
   
   It was the second album, "You Make The Heat," that should have put The Producers over the top. "She Sheila," with its sublime keyboard introduction and infectious hook, became an MTV staple, and The Producers were tapped to play MTV's New Year's Ball. In what should have been a crowning moment, "She Sheila" capped the year and the band then sang "Auld Ang Syne." Given the ferocity of the title song and the intricate sound of "Chinatown," along with easy to like power-pop like "Operation" and "Merry Go Round," this album should have massive. However, as previously noted, there were outside influences that road-blocked the band. Portrait Records folded and a certain Al Teller - angered for some reason - jammed up The Producers' contract and held Coelacanth hostage for almost 10 years.
   
   Even with this CD out of print, the odd over-priced used copy pops up now and then. If you loved bands like The Plimsouls, The Shoes, The Motels, etc, this CD will send you to heaven. There's also a TheProducers org site you can check out.



4. I applaude ONE WAY RECORDS on a fantastic job..This CD has all the impact of the original lp's and much more..Clean and powerful...The inner pics are an exact repro of both albums..
   
   How would I describe these guys ....for anybody not all that familiar with their sound? How about this??.... "The Beatles meet The Police" (matching suits and shoes...but in different colors...check out the hair) ..The powerful vocals and harmonies are reminiscent of the EARLY Beatles..and the music has the energy and drive of The Police....with that Reggae spice....Every song is a keeper!!!!
   
   I grabbed this 2fer when it first came out...for an amazing price of $12.99 new....
   
   I have always been impressed with ONE WAYS consistency and this is just one more example of another great effort.....if you find one at a good price...definitely grab it!!



5. During the time this band was popular, one could go to the Agora Ballroom in Atlanta and see a host of hot bands who were signed to major labels. Fortnox, Riggs, Swingin Richards, and so many more. The Producers were the best of the lot.Even today the question remains as to why these guys{ Producers} did not make it all the way. The vocals were unbelievable,and the musicianship was as good as it gets. I think this album is a little high, but quite frankly I don't care. I owe it to these guys for some of the best shows I have ever seen. Thanks for the memories, fellows. Buying this is the least I can do...

5 comments about Anthology (1974-1985).

1. This incarnation of Utopia is no where close to his original band. The keyboard players really added to Todd's ablities and seemed to enhance his creativity Moogy Klingman, check out Utopia Live or Utopia with Freak Parade, The Ikon etc.



2. ANTHOLOGY 1974-1985 is a great collection of the finest moments by Todd Rundgren's band Utopia, and really the only CD by the band that you really need. It features all of the essential cuts and then some, which is great, as Rundgren was fairly inconsistent both on his own and with Utopia. Here, his work as a bandleader is distilled into one great single-disc set.



3. I have seen Todd Rundren in concert. It's a good show and well worth the price to see.
   
   Todd scored his big commercial success with Something/Anything. Then he got started with Utopia.
   
   Utopia made an excellent progressive rock album, "RA". That was a minor hit record for the group and was just in time to take advantage of the mini-hobbit craze of the late 1970s. In the terms of the time it was called "head" music and lived 100% up to the title. I had a lot of good times jamming to RA.
   
   This CD, Anthology, has music from all of Utopia's albums. Some of it is very good, such as the tune "Set me free" from Adventures in Utopia. The only great song is "Mountaintop and Sunrise/Communion with the Sun", off the album RA. Here is where your heart sort of breaks. When Utopia decided to be musical and great it was on the cutting edge of rock. Todd and his group was setting the standard. But on other parts of the album Utopia sounds like a garage band version of the Beetles. I never quite liked the band from Britian much in the first place and it's not fun to listen to Utopia simulate the sound of the fab four.
   
   Looking back on it I would have enjoyed just spending the money on RA and Adventures in Utopia, both are what I consider to be Utopia's best albums.
   
   So, is this CD worth it? Yes, if you get it on discount it's not bad. Is this CD worth it at full price? No. Sorry, it's not that good when you add in Utopia's simulations of the Beetles.
   
   If Utopia had been managed a little better they could have put out some really cutting edge progressive rock and fun pop. Yes, pop music isn't progressive, but it's fun. And when you're working it's nice just to have something fun to listen to.
   
   This is a three star CD, a grade C. Pay a discount price and you'll be happy. For the full price of the CD you can buy both "RA" and "Adventures in Utopia", the two best albums by Utopia.
   
   Want to know how good Utopia and Todd were? Hall & Oats would have been nothing with out Todd's producing of their albums. England Dan and John Ford Colley (sp?) owe their best hit "Love is the answer" to Utopia. Todd and Utopia were great.
   
   Utopia could have been a contender.
   
   And that is why I gave this album three stars, a C grade.



4. This is the second best place to start for Todd Rundgren/Utopia
   collectors, the first being Todd's own 2-CD Anthology.
   
   It has Utopia's essential hits and some of the better album
   tracks to satisfy most casual listeners.
   
   But for those who'd want to dig deeper(or already have,
   like me), it's still enough to whet your appetite.
   
   Even though Utopia ended up being more or less a part-
   time band compared to Todd's work, there's still a lot
   of good material here.
   
   The tracks I like best are 'Crybaby,' 'Love In Action,'
   'Set Me Free,' 'Love Is The Answer,' the 2-part 'Overture',
   and 'Freedom Fighters.'



5. This album features highlight from all ten of Utopia's album. It's pretty much a mixed bag. Utopia didn't really have a consistant sound from album to album. They went from prog rock to pop rock to Beatles parody to several points in between. Some of it I enjoyed, some of it I didn't. And that's about all I have to say about that.

2 comments about Sincerely/Twilley Don't Mind.

1. I've mentioned elsewhere that Tom Petty was heavily influenced by Dwight Twilley's band, and you can hear a bit of the Petty sound in Twilley's "I'm on Fire" and the influence it may have had on the Heartbreakers, whose first LP came out in 1976. The Dwight Twilley Band was Dwight Twilley, of course, and Phil Seymour, who had a substantial solo hit in 1981 with "Precious to Me."



2. Sincerely, the Dwight Twilley Band'd debut album from the late 70s, is simply a masterpiece, easily one of the best Power Pop records ever made. Twilley Don't Mind, the follow-up, maybe came up a little short when compared to Sincerely, but is still a great album. Both of these records stand up to anything made in that era or style, including Big Star, Badfinger, Cheap Trick, et al. Having those two albums on one CD is reason enough to get this release, but the real clincher is the bonus material: four extra tracks recorded in the same area. All four stand up to the best material on the two albums, and a couple of them, "You Never Listen to My Music," and "Didn't You Say" are actually better than many of the tracks on Twilley Don't Mind. Get this, then go and find that 2-CD collection of demos by the Shoes that came out this year, and you will have the best of this year's reissued Power Pop in your possession.

5 comments about Earth To the Dandy Warhols.

1. Wow, man. This record is incredible. The order of the songs threw me off for about a day. I would actually remix this one to start with "Wasp and the Lotus" (awesome grinding madness),cut "Welcome to the third World" out completely and tack tracks 2 and 1 on at the end. But after "Wasp" the crushing blows just keep on coming, Talk Radio, Love Song, Dreamt of Yes, Outlaw Truckers and Now You Love Me. Big,powerful songs all. But then they drop a gigantic space monster from the sky and obliterate everything...Valerie Yum. Good God what a song.



2. would have thought that the Dandy's would have called it quits after Dig, and their last album "Odditorium or Warlords of Mars." Some bands can never exit gracefully enough, and continue to linger around for years. This album represents the Dandy's apparent comeback and is a mish-mash of all of their sounds. After the first listen, I didn't really know what to think about this album.
   
   It feels overproduced at times, and the ghosts of Duran Duran linger heavily possibly because Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran helped to produce this hodge-podge of an album. Depending on your point of view, that's either good or bad. The Dandies seem unfocused on this album and somehow manage to rip off Love and Status Quo in their new song " And Then I Dreamt of Yes." Not content with ripping off "Pictures of Matchstick Men" once, the Dandies do it again in the next track, "Talk Radio." I wonder if the Quo is receiving royalties from this album; if not, actions should be taken.
   
   The rest of the album follows the typical D. Warhol formula, which includes whispery vocals, sitars, backwards guitars and a little drone thrown in for good measure. This would be tremendous, had I not heard it done a billion times better on the Nuggets box sets.



3. I have heard of the Dandy Warhols but never heard their music. I picked this CD up at my local library on chance I might like it. Verdict is very likable. I am a fan now! Warhols remind me of a more funky Radiohead. Very good album when a lot of music that comes out now a days is junk! If you are looking for something new and fun to listen to, this is one you should get!



4. After Odditorium, I was worried that the Dandies were starting the slide into mediocrity. This CD completely erases that worry. It is nothing short of stupendous. The songs vary from sing-along poppy to moody soundscapes, much like 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia did. The Dandies appropriate samples from classic songs and make them their own. As a result, the songs sound simultaneously familiar and like nothing else.



5. Chants, repetitious choruses and over-produced tracks blur any sense of music on this new release. I'd rather use it as a coaster on my desk then damage my ears again playing this Dandy Warhols CD. When I sampled the 30-second bits of songs at an online store to see if I wanted to purchase this cd, it sounded promising. Now that I've listened to the whole disc three times, I've concluded that it'll make a 'dandy coaster'.

5 comments about Frosting on the Beater.

1. I began my career as an air-guitarist in 1965, jumping around to The Beatles' "Eight Days a Week" in the huge back seat of our Buick Electra 225, and I've been "playing" every since. It should mean something, then, when I tell you that this is the greatest rock and roll album I've ever heard.



2. pure power pop alchemy here...all the songs remind me of the early 90's...doesn't even sound like any other band coming out from Seattle ..all the songs are all made with perfect melodic rock guitar alchemy..for me at least...just brings back an avalanche of memories...never had stop listening to this album + TFC's "Bandwagonesque" and "Great White wonder" by the Poohsticks..pure bliss,a true Generation X soundtrack



3. Don't listen to all these rave reviews. This is not great pop music by any stretch of the imagination. Dream All Day is good, but then you probably knew that back in 1993. Nothing else on the album approaches the strength of that one song. The tracks on FOTB are okay as background music, but there is nothing that amazes you in terms of melody, lyrics, or creativity. If you want to listen to an under-appreciated 90s artist, pick up In Reverse by Matthew Sweet. Now that's some vastly underrated pop music right there. FOTB is average pop music for people without much of a sense of what great pop music is, but want to feel like they're cool because they like a band from Seattle that has been "criminally ignored" by people who actually like to listen to something worth their time. Don't buy the hype.



4. Oh man, where do you start when you try and put this into words? I got this album when it first came out in '93 and I loved it. I put it in my car today for the first time in years. My God! The hooks are non-stop. The music and the harmonies are so beautiful it almost brings you to tears, no joke. I agree with all the other reviewers and what they say about this album. It is ashame that they weren't a huge hit after this album, but at the same time it is like a little piece of perfection that not too many realize is out there; you feel like you are so priveleged to have insight into such a great album that somehow stayed off of the radar. I have a HUGE music collection and I rarely have trouble telling someone how good a CD is. I have trouble with this one. I feel so lame, but if you don't own this CD, you should. Just like another reviewer said, it is perfect from start to finish. There is no filler at all on here. It really stands the test of time. I just can't believe I hadn't listened to it in so long!



5. 
   I've been listening to The Posies non-stop lately. I love Frosting on the Beater! It's one of those rare albums that's perfect from beginning to end.
   
   I love Frosting on the Beater so much though that I'm going into drastic fits about the dining room as I'm listening to these dreamy guitar solos that last forever!
   
   It's one of the best albums I've ever heard.