5 comments about Great Divide.

1. Why, if it's so great, am I holding back the remaining star? A valid question: this album, in effect one of the most assured debut efforts ever (not counting the band's Pleasure EP) is deserving of another half-star, it's true, but while Great Divide is frequently irresistible, it doesn't quite reach legendary status. That said, I've heard very few albums that are so consistently listenable on a repeated basis. I first saw Semisonic, so surprisingly without their registering a memorable impact upon me, when they led off for Aimee Mann on the I'm With Stupid tour in 1996, a few months before this record's release. So I didn't even realize at first who was making the sweet but chunky music issuing from my friend Dave's car speakers. After hearing "If I Run", I was useless, and as with Mann's "I Should've Known" from Whatever, went on to play it over and over and OVER again on the 100 - mile ride back home; in fact, in excess of 1,000 total airings to date - no exaggeration. As he was a drummer that occasionally gigged, it and the movie "Phenomenon" became forever associated with my late brother's tumor-related travails. For that reason alone, Great Divide will always hold a very special place in my heart. But there are a host of other pleasures to be had with this record, just a little better than Feeling Strangely Fine, its far more successful follow-up (indeed, combine the stellar moments of both - specifically, "Closing Time", "Built To Last", "Singing In My Sleep", "DND", "Never You Mind" and "This Will Be My Year" with "FNT", "If I Run", "Great Divide", "Down In Flames", Falling", "In Another Life" and "I Feel For You" - you'll have one of THE all-time best albums in any genre, guaranteed). Classic Seventies AM radio touches abound, especially on the sardonic reincarnation parable "In Another Life", which closely references the Beach Boys' haunting harmonies by way of "Wishing You Were Here" (Chicago) and "Shannon" (Henry Gross) while still remaining original. Nor is it the only evocation; the title track is a gently surging, most happy marriage of Hawthorne's favorite sons and the Moody Blues. Semisonic stumbled badly with 2001's All About Chemistry and never regained its footing; listening (after much assumed resistance) to the samples for .....Chemistry provided by this site, I realize that it deserved a kinder fate - in some ways the material isn't at all far-removed from Songs About Jane, the final Kara's Flowers sessions that ultimately carried Maroon 5 to superstardom. It's not that the songs are terribly inferior; there just seems to be an element missing from the mix, and for me, it's unquestionably the 'crunch factor' that vitalizes both Great Divide and Feeling Strangely Fine. And had the music charmed in equal measure to those very cool suggestive but classy cover graphics, Semisonic's future might not now be in doubt (although the trio reunited in July 2006 for an impressive 7th Avenue Minneapolis gig, giving their fans hope for another record). Lead singer and composer Dan Wilson subsequently pursued a modest solo career, collaborating with Bleu for the absolutely stunning "Something's Gotta Give" but was elemental in the Dixie Chicks' quantum leap of kindred faith with Take The Long Way, while drummer Jacob Slichter wrote 'So You Wanna Be A Rock n' Roll Star', referred to by some book reviewers as one of the most witheringly funny and accurate accounts of popular music's business end. It would be interesting to see if I made it on to any of its pages but that, as they say, is another story.....(post-script: I didn't, and it is - really couldn't put it down!) Anyhow, one or two listens and it's abundantly clear that Great Divide demands a spot on any discerning music lover's 'go-to, no-brainer' list of favorite records.



2. As a devout Semisonic fan, saying that 'Great Divide' is better than 'Feeling Strangely Fine' (one of the great rock albums of the 90's) is almost sacreligious, in a way. But I'm saying it. From the moment you first hear the opening lick to 'F.N.T.', you're sucked in for life. The whole album does that to you. I still don't know what my favorite song is, because they're all so good, but it's between 'F.N.T.', 'If I Run', 'Across the Great Divide', 'Falling', and 'In Another Life.' If you like your music with a beat that brings out the inner optimist in you, then buy this album!



3. Great Divide has lived in my CD player for 8 years now, and I think it's safe to say that I'll never get sick of it at this point. The funny thing is that, the first few times I listened to it, only a couple of songs struck me. Of course, the scrumptious "oo-ooh!" chorus of Delicious grabbed me right away, and FNT sizzles with electricity from the first listen, but most of the songs seemed less stellar. That didn't last long though. These songs are my adopted babies now.
   
   I hesitate to label an album that didn't crest 100,000 copies sold as the greatest album of all time, but I will at least say that Great Divide is by far the best car soundtrack I've ever heard. Roll down those windows and crank it up!! I'm getting an adrenaline rush just thinking about it.



4. As the first major record debut, Semisonic's Great Divide is an album not to be shunned. This is one of the albums probably bought only after the success of "Closing Time" for most fans, but that's ok. It's probably best to start off w/ FSF anyway. Here, the Great Divide is more springy in it's music and less dramatic as w/ FSF.

   "f.n.t." or fascinating new thing is a nice opener. They used it for that bacardi silver commercial, only thing was, that drink wasn't fascinating at all. The best song, and maybe the only single, "If I Run" is a classic. One listen will get you hooked, and will be begging for more. Songs such as "The Prize", "Down in Flames", and "In Another Life" each have an important role for making this album great. There are some that perhaps could be better such as the title track, "Across the Great Divide", "Delicious", and "No One Else" which aren't bad, but aren't exactly something that will knock your socks off.

   A great debut for 2 later better albums.




5. One of my favorite CDs. And a very rare one of those CDs, which you can't listen, unless you're in a certain mood and the world around you is in the same mood.

   All of the songs, even the sad ones, have such a certain upbeat, new, comforting, confidently fresh tone to them that I personally can not listen Great Divide unless it's spring (or autumn) and I feel great.

   I had the privilige to listen the Band live in Chicago back in 1998 and would recommend everybody to see them in concert. Not only for the lively performance you'd expect from them but to just see three guys doing what they love to do, enjoying themselves, really caring for the fans and absorbing and reflecting back all the positive feedback in their music. I'm all keeps!

5 comments about Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren.

1. Todd Rundgren releases an album with a bunch of ballads. However, with a twist- these aren't necessarily the incredibly soft, piano-dominated ballads you're probably assuming (thanks to the album cover, and thanks to classic rock radio giving us the false impression Todd Rundgren is nothing more than a severely dated ballad-pumping machine).
   
   Many of these songs feature electric guitar. His songwriting feels a tad stronger than usual as well. This is a bit surprising to me, because even though these songs are definitely stuck in the 70's and resemble artists such as Lobo and Bread, the quality of the songwriting is still a bit higher than I went in expecting. The instrumental variety is another highlight to me as well because they spice up the songs. I'm surprised.
   
   "The Ballad (Denny & Jean)" has great lyrics, and actually reminds me of a certain Loggins and Messina song (you can guess which one I'm referring to). "Bleeding" has a great verse melody with an upbeat rhythm, and "Chain Letter" while definitely reminiscent of the early 70's commercial period of pop music, is good enough to satisfy me.
   
   Overall, an album you shouldn't outright dismiss even if you might be under the impression you won't like it. You just might.



2. People. As you know, your beloved Metamorpho spends a lot of time in his wine cellar looking for wine (of course) but also looking through my vast musical archive to give you the very best selections for spiritual growth. Yes. I realize that I am doing all this for free. Be glad. Because, if you were in Japan (where they know me as Meta-San ItchyKu) I command as much as $1,000 plus for a lecture or musical referral. I do admit for having a yen for money. Too bad I can't get back there often because I spend it all on wide-screen HD t.v.s,digital surround systems, and blu-ray players. I tell ya, the money flys out of my hands faster than a Toyota recall. Yes. I really should learn to put the brakes on.
   
   I am sure all my fans remember my famous quote from long ago when I went to Mt. Fuji, with a bottle of Sake to write a review. "Why do you do that Meta-San ItchyKu"?, they asked. "Kore wa soko ni aru", I responded. And the rest, as samurai say, is history. ;)
   
   So, here I am reviewing this excellent album/c.d. Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. My fans ask me why it took almost 40 years to get to it? Well, first off, Seers don't adhere to human timelines. And, the other thing is, that it takes awhile for Mt. Fuji frostbite to wear off. So sad. How rude.
   
   But onwards to discuss Todd and this masterful proffering. This selection absolutely defies age. Plus, it's just a straight on lovely collection of tunes whose dynamics reveal a comfortable warmth of ballads and pop. It was made at a time whereby engineers weren't obsessed with digital, sterile, clinical producing. All the instruments sound real and not contrived in the least. Everything fits together like Seer's head in wizard cap (fooled you! You thought I was going to say hand in glove. How banal! Give me more credit than that!).
   
   If you look at the cover, Todd is at the piano with a noose around his neck. Such a strange picture. What does it mean? To me, it's vulnerability. And the songs inside reflect that theme in so many ways. Not that it's morose. He's genius enough to balance this throughout. Some tunes are confessional, some are heartfelt, and the more pop influenced tunes convey sly humour. Listening to this in it's totality is one of the most satisying journeys you could make. Yes. It's that good.
   
   I will hit on a few songs here to illustrate but they ALL are good. Todd conveys shades of emotions here, and none greater than on the balld "Wailing Wall". It is so beautiful, so lovely, that hearing it stirs deep emotion within the soul. The sadness of The Ballad (Denny and Jean) convey that extenuating circumstances sometimes ruin our inner feelings of love. Sad that other things take precedence in our lives and not the things that really matter. "Boat On the Charles" examines doing away with oneself because of a lost love. But, interesting here, because Todd offers a sprightly, loose melody, perfectly juxtaposed against the message. Brilliant!
   
   Within the tracks, you get a sense of longing, of wanting life to be what it could be. The sense that it's not that way most of the time, reveals a humanity that we all feel. Todd affirms, on one of my favorite tracks "Chain Letter", that we take so much in life on a personal level. "Don't take yourself so seriously, there are precious things worth hating nowadays, and none of them are me". How true. But, what I'm really enamoured with is that the lyrics are written like he's talking to you. And, this selection, as many others, are in multiple ways, just like that. Personal, beautiful and encompassing the wide range of human emotion. The struggle that each of us must go through in life, and in love, is so fully realized with this album/c.d. So many gems make up this total gem. To go without it is a sin. Do so at your peril or risk your name being written into Metamorpho's heretic book. And, you all know who I give that to - don't you?
   
   Now I must go and get back to Japan (money is tight now). Unfortunately, I had to change my plane in West Africa and all my belongings were stolen. I did wire a friend for money, but they have problems of their own. Stuck on an iceberg in the Pacific Northwest. Who ever said life was easy? I suppose we all have our own trials. But, Todd makes it a little easier.........
   
   Another thoughtful and extremely generous review by - Meta-San ItchyKu
   



3. It's been years since I listened to this work, and it has retained all of its creativity and youthfulness. More polished than RUNT, more edgy than SOMETHING/ANYTHING, with melodies that are shades of the Beatles. BOAT ON THE CHARLES is a classic. Amazing that these songs have never been covered. Todd's best work.



4. This one isn't as good as some of Todd's other albums but certainly has some good songs on it. Much of the feel is a laid back early 70's feel to it. For me, the highlights are: The Ballad, The Range War, Be Nice To Me and Hope I'm Around(first heard on first pressings of Runt but not listed on the cover). The rest of this album is okay nothing bad but nothing that really sticks in your head either. I guess that the Rhino version has gone out of print sometime in the last couple of years. It's unfortunate that since Warner Bros. bought out Rhino at the end of the 90's, Warner has basically turned it into their oldies label and dropped alot of the cool Rhino stuff. This is currently available as a JVC Japan import and the sound, as usual, is great



5. First you absolutely MUST acquire these tracks at any cost. Then build a playlist in the original 8-Track order: Long Flowing Robe; The Range War; Parole; Bleeding; A Long Time And A Long Way To Go; Boat On The Charles; The Ballad (Denny And Jean); Wailing Wall; Nice To Me; Remember Me; Chain Letter; Hope I'm Around. Set to repeat and let 'er rip. I tend to appreciate the unified vision of singer-writers that record most of their own parts, as Nigel Godrich talked Sir Paul into revisiting in 2005 with fine results. Along with Rundgren and McCartney I've enjoyed "solos" by Stevie Wonder, Emmit Rhodes and OF COURSE Jason Falkner. However I believe that this Todd cycle will NEVER be eclipsed. This one is special.

5 comments about Enuff Z'Nuff.

1. This Album is a Pop Metal Masterpiece! From start to finish it just rocks like an old school Metal Album should."New Thing" is so damn catchy it should have been a bigger hit than it was and "Fly High Michelle" has such a great vocal and tune to it it just blows my mind these guys didnt blow up in the 80's and 90's.Their songwriting skills and playing ablilties are way above average.One to check out if you like 80's metal.



2. As difficult as this may be to imagine, Enuff Z'nuff's crackling debut is essentially bubblegum disguised as lite metal disguised as power pop by four hair farmers masquerading as Poison operating under cover in the federal witness protection program as Hanoi Rocks. And they're from Chicago, which probably explains the Illinois juju here, singer Donnie Vie a dead ringer for Cheap Trick's Robin Zander, from neighboring Rockford.
   
   Although he tends to over rely on some sort of string-bending hocus pocus which sonically approximates Barbaro getting his first whiff of the glue factory, hooks burst forth in a technicolor splash from Derek Frigo's guitar on perfect-world hit singles like "New Thing," "Fly High Michelle," and "Little Indian Angel," the latter a 100-watt bust-up between Jeff Lynn-era Move and the 1910 Fruitgum Company.
   
   And lest there's any doubt left what motivates these guys by the time track eight rolls around, there's the snappy, Crue-on-pop-rocks prance of the not-so-double-entendre "Kiss the Clown," and its not-so-subliminal suggestion: "bend over baby, this ain't love."
   
   I still can't decide if it's a complete piss-take, mind-numbingly rote and overdone, or bloody genius. Let's split the difference.



3. THE BAND: Donnie Vie (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), Derek Frigo (lead guitars, R.I.P.), Chip Z'nuff (bass, guitars, vocals), Vikki Foxx (drums & percussion).
   
   THE DISC: (1989) 10 songs clocking in at approximately 43 minutes. Included with the disc is a 10-page booklet containing song titles/credits/times, song lyrics, black & white individual band member photos, and thank you's. All songs written by Vie and/or Z'Nuff, except "Finger On The Trigger by Vie and Frigo. This is the band's 1st studio album. Recorded at Royal Recorders, Lake Geneva, WI. Label - ATCO / Atlantic Records.
   
   COMMENTS: A great start to an amazing and unique band from the Chicago suburbs (Blue Island, IL). Caught somewhere between Cheap Trick and The Beatles - the songs are groovy and instantly catchy (the band has sighted The Beatles as one of their major influences). Thinking back, 1989 was an incredible year in the world of long haired rock music - outside of the established big names of the time like Aerosmith, Van Halen, Scorpions and Motley Crue - there were many bands just getting their feet wet. 1989 gave us some amazing albums from Blue Murder (self titled debut), Mr. Big (debut), Skid Row (debut), "Shark Island (debut "Law Of The Order"), Giant (debut "Last Of The Runaways"), L.A. Guns ("Cocked & Loaded"), King's X ("Gretchen Goes To Nebraska"), White Lion ("Big Game"), Junkyard (debut)... and this 1st release from Enuff Z'nuff. Donny Vie's slightly scratchy vocals are full of attitude and Frigo's guitars full of swagger. Frigo's guitar solos are amazing... he was truly one of the greats flying under the radar. Foxx's drumming and flashy high-hat work reminds me of a young Steve Smith (Journey). Two hits came from this debut - the infectious opener "New Thing" (singing about the infatuation and the beginnings of a new relationship), and its polar opposite "Fly High Michelle" (substance abuse and love lost). Other highlights include the power ballad "I Could Never Be Without You" and the bluesy tracks "She Wants More" and "In The Groove". The last track, "Finger On The Trigger", is an all out guitar assault by Frigo... an upbeat and exciting way to end the album. In my opinion, Enuff Z'nuff never got the critical acclaim they deserved. They came onto the music scene when hair/glam bands were a dime a dozen (though the band was never really a hair/glam band per say), and grunge was right around the corner. If you purchase only one or two of their albums - this debut, or their 2nd release "Strength" (1991) is the place to start (4.5 stars).



4. I have been listening to this CD on a regular basis since 1989! Do the math, that's 17 years! I still believe this is one of the best CD's of all time. They didn't quite fit in the 80's glam genre, sure they looked glam but they have kind of Beatle's melody thing going. Hard to describe... so, I recommend you buy it!



5. Good first album. Bought this back when it was released off the strength of Fly High Michelle, which still sounds awesome. New Thing is okay, as is Hot Little Summer Girl. Little Indian Angel is a good track as well. They were just warming up with this debut, and their efforts that followed just got better and more personal.

5 comments about No Alternative.

1. I purchased this back in 1993-94 honestly only for the Pavement song?
   Unseen Power of the Picket Fence.
   The Smashing Pumpkins song was good to, and these songs seem to be available only on this CD.
   
   Any record with Soul Asylum killing a Marvin Gaye song must be seen as a bad bad idea. I always hoped that guy would die of a massive drug overdose..
   Bob Mold, (Husker DU, and Sugar)... terrible
   Matthew Sweet, yeah he was so good, I remember seeing him on MTV and thinking WHY? How many people remember him now and give a damn?
   
   "No Alternative incorporates the works of nineteen independent artists"
   Really? How do you consider a Major Label artist as Independent?
   
   "an attempt to catch a glimpse at the "true" alternative, occurring right outside the music mainstream"
   Maybe you can't remember the time but I do and most of these bands were in heavy rotation in the Main Stream, I guess it was "an attempt"
   
   The rest of I didn't care about it, Urge Overkill were ok, Soundgarden maybe?
   
   There really is not much tripping down Gen X lane unless you were one of the Lame people, who would also give reality bites and singles a good review... Although that Singles sound track had the Smashing Pumpkins.
   
   For the bitter old people: whom claim this time period was such a great time on the radio, in comparison to today's radio.
   It was far easier to hear Nirvana on the radio then Bon Jovi.
   Yes it was, but it was radio, the radio, mtv always plays crap. It is a rule they have.
   There is good music made today, just like 1986, or 1993 it won't be found on your commercial mass media clear channel station.
   If you feel you were a special member of this Fictional Gen X generation and were proud of it, You were the lame one whom ran to the mall the day after Nirvana happened and bought a new identity. Just as lame as any Hot Topic, Linkin Park loving kid today, who will someday grow old and bitter just like you.
   For the future generations, I should hope this compilation is not held in high regard, or considered a prized piece. Honestly only wroth 3 or 4 songs....



2. This is simply a compilation. I bought it when it first came out and then just recently bought my replacement. I am so content. Nothing like a great variety of musical artists.



3. When this first appeared, No Alternative was an excellent crash course in the budding genre, from popular acts to lesser known artists and many stuck in between. While new songs from Nirvana and the Pumpkins assured wide distribution, and quite a few notable entries including Breeders and Uncle Tupelo live up to those high compilation standards, a good half of the disc has been relegated to the apathetic-audio category.



4. Most compilations are dodgy affairs, and benefit/charity releases are especially guilty, but this sneak hit in the "Red Hot + ___" series of AIDS-benefit/awareness releases was easily the best of the bunch, and presents a surprisingly freethinking travelogue of the rock underground, circa '94, just as that underground was cruising into mainstream consciousness.
   
   The high points here are many - American Music Club and Pavement contribute songs that rank among their best, and several artists present were right on the brink of major breakthroughs: Sarah MacLachlan (who had been kicking around Halifax since the late 80s, briefly in the industrial group Manufacture), and Soundgarden (who first surfaced on the SST label in the mid-80s). Elsewhere, two of the finest groups to emerge from New Zealand's insanely creative (and prolific) Flying Nun Records: The Straitjacket Fits and The Verlaines - also put in fine appearances. Nirvana, The Beasties, Patti Smith, and (to a lesser extent) Matthew Sweet represent the folks who'd already achieved some major recognition, and their contributions are top-notch as well.
   
   Musically the range is all over the place - not quite as wide open as the local college radio station, but about as close as we'd get from a major label - this is perhaps a little more geared towards that same college radio/zine crowd than any sort of alt-rock mainstream. But that's as it should be, and the fact that Arista/BMG got this to be some kind of a hit at the time was a breakthrough for a multitude of reasons - this is a great collection, and it's good to see it still around.
   
   -David Alston



5. Sorry, this CD just isn't the exact genre that I was thinking. Buying the wrong kind of compilation was my mistake, but with the Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, i thought maybe it was going to be a little heavier than what it was. Turned out to be the light alt-pop bands from the 90's.
   
   This would have gotten three stars, but the song by Pavement that was dissing R.E.M. just threw me over the edge.
   I would recommend Sub Pop 200, or maybe DGC Rarities instead of this, but if you like 90's alt-pop, this is for you. If you want heavier, more like Nirvana, get Sub Pop 200.

5 comments about Runt.

1. "Runt" provided a good start to Todd's stellar solo career, featuring the hit "We Gotta Get You a Woman". I wish this CD issue had included the rare tracks that originally appeared only on a few thousand mispressed copies of the 1970 "Runt" LP ("Say No More", an early version of "Hope I'm Around", and the full version of "Baby Let's Swing").



2. Todd Rundgren's first solo album shows signs of a great songwriter with the ability to experiment. The songs for the most part are memorable, with Todd already showing signs of a musician going in a direction that would put him on the map forever. His dated-sounding ballads are included (sorry, but they DO sound stuck in the 70's) and his weirder moments (in other words, his BEST stuff) has been included as well. Good start.



3. Perfect blue-eyed Philadelphia soul, Runt has earned a place in pop history alongside Laura Nyro's incredible Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. Every song is superb. Todd lost the plot after becoming mesmerized by the glitter of his own gadgetry.



4. One of the best Paul McCartney albums that McCartney never made, RUNT by Todd Rundgren is an album he never could have made during his time with the Nazz. Although there are hard-rock songs and beautiful ballads, the album is at its best when Rundgren gets between the two extremes and lets his wicked sense of humor enjoy free reign. In fact, if people in the group I'm in now suggest that I try to take teasing like the humor in such songs as "We Gotta Get You A Woman" and a few others, I'd have no trouble accepting the advice. If you get this CD in addition to SOMETHING/ANYTHING?, THE DEFINITIVE ROCK COLLECTION, ANTHOLOGY 1968-1985, and Utopia's ANTHOLOGY 1974-1985, you'll have an excellent picture of where Todd Rundgren's career has gone since 1970.



5. TODD has been panned by reviewers for many years since this album came out in the earlier days. however this cd is really a gem dated yes but what a fun little album BROKEN DOWN AND BUSTED a great rocker BELIEVE IN ME a cute little simple love song WE GOTTA GET YOU A WOMAN great teenage
   pop tune.WHOS THAT MAN some neat crafty guitar work.ONCE BURNED sounds like a woodstock era song but really cool.Side 2 was eoually as fun IM IN THE CLIQUE a fun little jam.THERE ARE NO WORDS really is not much more than a chant but the little medley afterwards makes the whoile second side.This cd import K2HD recording is the way to go the recording sound so unbelievably clear its scary.TODD was always a briliant wizard in the studio and you can hear why.Some 2007 Recordings should sound as good.

5 comments about Sex America Cheap Trick.

1. Back in those ancient, pre-MP3 days, I was looking for an anthology that had my a couple of my favorite Cheap Trick songs, "If You Want My Love" and "World's Greatest Lover". At that time, this was the only one that included both of these, so I went for it. It was a bit pricey.
   
   I enjoy the band's music, but, personally, in the end, I feel that the band didn't have quite enough diversity in its sound over the years. So, it feels like overkill for someone who might like the music, but isn't a hardcore fan. There are lots of outtakes, B-sides, obscure soundtrack numbers, and demos. However, almost of the band's most popular singles and best album tracks are here, too. Just some random thoughts on a few:
   
   An interesting find is the very earliest version of "I Want You to Want Me", an outtake from the first album. Since the live "Budokan" version is here, too, I suppose it would have been overdoing it to include the "Heaven Tonight" version, too, but I wouldn't have minded.
   
   There are actually two versions of "World's Greatest Lover" here -- the final version from "All Shook Up" and the original demo, with Rick Nielsen on the lead vocal. I was surprised to hear that he can actually sing, with a voice that isn't too dissimliar from Robin Zander's.
   
   The version of "If You Want My Love" is not the final single, but a longer take with no synthesizers. I like both versions, so it's a mixed bag.
   
   Big minuses: "California Man" and "Magical Mystery Tour" are missing; and "The Flame" is here. It was a #1 single, so I guess it had to be here, but it's a terrible song that was forced upon the group. Speaking of which, the original boxed set has an extensive history of the band written by Ira Robbins. It does an excellent job of covering the ups and downs of the group, especially battles with Epic Records which resulted in crap like "The Flame". Fortunately, this is the only example of such tripe on this collection.
   
   However, since you don't get the essay with a download, this entire collection is only for die-hard Cheap Trick fans. For other people, I'd suggest cherry-picking your favorite Cheap Trick songs (many of them will probably be here, but not all of them) and creating your own personalized anthhology, instead.



2. Gotta love Cheap Trick. A band that is insultingly NOT included in the so called "Rock & Roll hall of fame". This collection is pretty good. I love the inclusion of the unreleased songs from "Rock & Rule". Some of my favorites weren't there but all in all this is a great Box set and is a must for any hard core Cheap Trick fan.



3. Sony records does something smart, putting together a four-disc box set commemorating the Wisconsin band's 20th anniversary but letting the group actually compile the songs. After one listen I knew that this was a compilation done for the sake of fans of the group, rather than the ubiquitous "greatest hits" package. And that's a good thing, seeing as how fully half of the music here is unreleased material, including some covers, demos, and even some live sessions featuring bassist Tom Petersson on lead vocals. The liner notes are fabulous, reading like a Cheap Trick history lesson through their first twenty years. I had the good fortune to have a brief conversation with Robin Zander last summer, and it was evident that the band still tours and records because they love to perform for their fans. This "box set" definitely shows that as well.



4. Cheap Trick was in their heyday in the 70's any album they made during that time is an essential purchase. The 80's songs we're mostly hit or miss(unfortunately they missed more than they hit). The 90's saw them return to the charts, but as a pop-rock act. That basically describes the box set. The first two CD's are very good, taking mostly from their 70's albums and unreleased tracks(some now available on the CD reissues). The third CD taking mostly from their 80's material is hit or miss but does have a few suprises in the unreleased material. The fouth CD is probably the most passible of the four but does have a few good songs on it. My only big complaint is that their cover from the John Lennon tribute album "Cold Turkey"(the best song on that album) is not on it. Like I stated it is only for fans of Cheap Trick, the curious should check out either the 70's albums, preferably the first three, or even the Authorized Greatest Hits album.



5. I was not at all that familiar with Cheap trick before I aquired this box set. Of course I had heard a couple of songs on the radio, but that was about all my knowledge of them. And so, listening to this set of 4 discs and reading the very informative 40 page booklet, I now consider myself a fan, and plan on purchasing other albums of theirs in the future. This is what a box set should be like. It is packed with not just their hits and album tracks, but also B-Sides, Outtakes, and alternate versions that cannot be found anywhere else but on this set. So that alone makes this a must for any fan. Spanning the years 1976 to 1995, this a terrific overview of a terrific band. Too bad they're no longer together.

5 comments about All Shook Up.

1. this remastered version of this cd with FOUND ALL THE PARTS ep and the EVERYTHING WORKS IF YOU LET IT single added, makes this probably the best cheap trick cd available
   
   1. Stop This Game 10/10
   2. Just Got Back 7/10
   3. Baby Loves To Rock 10/10
   4. Can't Stop It But I'm Gonna Try 7/10
   5. World's Greatest Lover 7/10
   6. High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise 7/10
   7. Love Comes A-Tumblin' Down 7/10
   8. I Love you Honey But I Hate Your Friends 10/10
   9. Go For The Throat (Use your Own Imagination) 7.7/10
   10. Who D'King 7/10
   11. Everything Works If You Let It 20/10
   12. Day Tripper (Live Version) 10/10
   13. Can't Hold On (Live Version) 9/10
   14. Such A Good Girl 8/10
   15. Take Me I'm Yours 8/10



2. I remember getting this on vinyl in 1980. I still have the original vinyl. One of the most experimental records Cheap Trick ever did. Vastly underrated and overlooked. As far as I'm concerned the last great record until Cheap Trick 1997. Produced by Beatles legend George Martin who says more with less on the production end. A lost classic lovingly remastered here. It's worth every penny.



3. I had the original pressing of this CD and it was ok. The sound quality was low. I decided to upgrade to the digital remaster since many of my AC/DC, Kiss, and Van Halen CDs sound much better with the remasters. This one gets high marks too. Just listen to the drums on "Who'd King" and "Just Got Back" and you will understand. You can hear so much more percussion. The extra songs are a great blast from the past from CT from this era. The live "Day Tripper" is a must have for any CT fan. Plus the liner notes has comments about each song from Rick, Bun E, and George Martin. Enjoy!



4. It was a dream come true for uber-Beatles fans Cheap Trick to have George Martin produce an album with them. The results equal one of my favorite Cheap Trick albums, and I love Cheap Trick so when I say it's probably my favorite release from them that carries some weight. It might sound odd but I think Heaven Tonight is their "best" album but All Shook Up is probably my "favorite" album, and I can't leave In Color out of the running for either spot because that's outstading as well. Anyway, All Shook Up has some oddball stuff like a Darth Vader-synth voice on "High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise" and a tribal-esque drum chant party on "Who D King." Add to those a grandiose theme song like "Stop This Game," a couple of old-school rockers like "Just Got Back" and "Baby Loves to Rock," and one of the best power ballads EVER in "World's Greatest Lover" and you have one heck of a record. I have the original 10-song version (after my old LP literally wore out) so I can't comment on the remastering or bonus tracks. I have to mention that "Can't Stop It But I'm Gonna Try," "I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends," and "Go For The Throat (Use Your Own Imagination)" are also classic Cheap Trick tunes. There is literally not a bad song on this entire album. Favorite songs: all of the above.



5. This album means so much to me, actually reminds me of one of the most painful periods of my life. But since recently rediscovering my hometown heroes, the songs put a boying grin on my face.
   
   Being from Rockford, Cheap Trick and their growing fame were a good calling card for me for me in 1978-79 when my dad moved us out to California. I guess I was about 12 and one of my favorite hobbies was air-guitaring to "Gonna Raise Hell" in the living room.
   
   Anyway, we moved back to the Midwest at about the time the All Shook Up LP came out and I can remember how I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. We lived in a cheap apartment building on the outskirts of Chicago. Just walking around in the place would bump our Dual turntable, so my dad decided to suspend it from the ceiling. It stopped the arm from jumping.
   
   I played the hell out of this album and I can also remember picking up a copy of Judas Priest's British Steel.
   
   There's something beautiful and sad about Stop This Game, but perhaps it's just my associations.

5 comments about 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection.

1. Many complain that the budget-friendly 20th Century Masters CDs are too short and do not cover enough of the artists' career. In some instances, that's true. But I think Joan Armatrading's collection in the series is superb. It does a good cross-section of her work at A&M and includes her most popular songs including "Willow," "The Weakness in Me," "Drop the Pilot," "Love & Affection," and "Me, Myself & I." It also includes one of her best - and most unique - tracks: "(I Love It When You) Call Me Names," a disturbing yet catchy song about a sadomasochistic relationship.
   
   I also own Armatrading's "Gold" collection, but at two CDs, that collection is, in my opinion, too long. I prefer this compilation because it gives you the best of the best.



2. I was anxious to hear Joan Armatrading again after many long years not
   hearing her... I quickly learned that she is one of those artists who
   was better in her first release. It got overorchestrated and strange.
   I would recommend her first album. Ann



3. She is a favorite vocal artist of mine, and this is an excellent collection. Product arrived promptly and in excellent condition. Good value for money.



4. Joan Armatrading MBE is one of those singers and songwriters that you shouldn't forget. She is remarkably wide in her range of topics in her songs. I think every song that she sings is distinctively different from the others. I like Me, Myself I, All the Way from America, I Love It when You call me names, and Rosie. of course, the compact disc is quite a collection of her contributions. She performed everywhere whether on Saturday Night Live and all over the world. We don't hear much about her but her music is still powerful at times. It makes you think. It's not your typical Folk music like Norma Waterson MBE and Martin Carthy MBE who are traditionally the British godparents of British Folk Music. Armatrading takes her music to another level by trying to bring folk to conventional times. Don't think I don't listen to Waterson Carthy, I do and I'm a huge fan of them as well. Joan takes folk to today's world talking about relationships, identity, and other more conventional song topics.



5. Joan Armatrading is without a doubt one of the greatest singer/songwriters of the Twentieth Century. Her soulful lyrics combined with catchy tunes have been a mainstay on the edge of popular music since the early 1970s. THE BEST OF JOAN ARMATRADING: THE MILLENIUM COLLECTION is her third US greatest hits collection, following TRACK RECORD and GREATEST HITS. The CD contains her near-hits such as "Drop the Pilot" and songs featured on recent movie soundtracks, such as "Willow" from BOYS ON THE SIDE and "The Weakness in Me" from TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. It's hard to create a greatest hits collection from someone whose career has spanned nearly thirty years. There are a number of songs I wish had been included such as "Moves" from SECRET SECRETS and "Dark Truths" from THE SHOUTING STAGE (both of which are now out of print), but I am not complaining. I'm just anxiously waiting for a collection of new material. Joan is truly an amazing artist, and this collection contains some of her best. There is also an English import with more selections.

5 comments about The Alternative to Love.

1. Brendan Benson's "Alternative to Love" can simply be summed up as brilliant. I am, admittedly, fairly new to Benson's work, but had a surprisingly lovely introduction to it the first time that I listened to The Raconteur's "Consolers of the Lonely." As a recently converted member of the International Church for the Reverence of the White Stripes, but nevertheless, hopelessly devoted to the great Jack White, I had bought COL looking to satisfy my ever-growing thirst for more White material. However, I emerged from the experience more intrigued by the other leading man, Benson, than solidified in my love for Jack White. Benson's music has been called "power pop" and has most often been compared to that of the Beatles. The mood of Benson's music is most certainly Beatlesesque, however his melodies soar higher and what they lack in a certain tonal edge that the Beatles' music encompassed, they make up for in biting lyrical wit. That is not to say that Bensons' music is not catchy; it certainly is, but it also has a wistfulness to it. For it is not simply Benson's infectious melodies that make his music pleasing and lasting, but more so, it is his ability to deliver a stinging punch of a wide number of multifarious emotions while maintaining a fairly mellow musical facade that makes it so uniquely powerful, and even haunting. A brilliant bard whose voice seems to have been stifled by bigger names in the industry that have reached their ascension more quickly (and perhaps more cheaply) Benson truly is an unsung hero (no pun intended). The certain sense of longing that is intertwined in the threads of his melodies make the songs in which they are found bittersweet in nature, yet that much more heartbreakingly passionate, and (for that matter) that much more endearing. Bravo, Mr. Benson.



2. This disc came up in the best of 2006. Certainly it is in my top five. Always wanted to have a listen but had no access to the net. This album features a smooth, seamless and loveable singer songwriter in the peak of his talents. it really is a four and a half star CD and will be worn paper thin before too long!



3. This CD is one of the few that my husband and I both love. Highly recommended!



4. This stuff isn't that good. There are a couple Cars-eque rockers that are cool but other than that I don't see what the big fuss is about? At the end of the day Benson's work is all mediocre. This is another case of "famous friends" association and hype. Save your money and pick up some classic power pop.



5. The main reason i bought this cd was because i had read that it was co-produced by Jack White of the White Stripes, and that Benson would soon be starting a side-band with White. Also because Benson had fans of the likes of Beck and Jack White. I was shocked to find out that Jack had nothing to do with this cd, but pleases altogether with what i was listening to.
   'Spit It Out' is definately the catchiest song but seems unlike anything else on the album. Other excellent accoustic offerings include 'Feel Like Myself' and the title track 'The Alternative To Love'.
   This cd does move into territory of power-pop status and for this reason is much more listenable. The lyrics are good, and clever on certain songs, and the instrumentation compliments the overall effect of the cd.
   Give it a go, you'll enjoy it.

5 comments about Sweet Relief: A Benefit For Victoria Williams.

1. I first bought this album when it was originally released because it had Pearl Jam on it and I was in love with the whole album actually. At the time, all that I knew was that it was a benefit album. However I now know what the benefit was for.. Ms. Williams was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and the benefit was to help pay her medical bills. In 1999 I was diagnosed with MS myself and this album has come to mean more to me. Knowing that Eddie Vedder's father also has MS just adds a little more something special to this album for me.
   
   If you like good music, buy this album.



2. Pearl Jam song is one of my favorites "Crazy Mary". Ive sang that one before a few times ;) Lucinda Williams song is good on this album and a few of the others. This album is for Victoria Williams not a commercial production for profit and you get alot for the money.



3. I bought this CD shortly after it was released. My main reason was for Crazy Mary, but, I soon found out that I love every song on this CD and I still listen to it. I'm not going to sit here and pick apart every song, I'm just going to say that EVERY song is worthy of its place here. This CD is one of my top 10 favorites of all time, and I'm a big music fan. I would love to thank everyone responsible for this CD and say you've created a masterpiece!



4. OMG! Very nice combination of artists. Soul Asylum, Pearl Jam,...!!! When I was listening this album I could almost feel that mug and trees atmospheer from Louisiana!! I love that album.



5. This disc was released as a benefit for "Victoria Williams", but I feel like I've benefited from it myself as well. Her songs are all good, but the group of musicians covering them is even better. "Pearl Jam" probably got the most people to buy this, however I like the songs done by "Soul Asylum", "Evan Dando", "Waterboys", and "Lucinda Williams" just as much. "The Jayhawks" and "Matthew Sweet" do a good job too. Basically it's just a really good bunch of music. Also, there's currently 121 used copies on here for sale, so it shouldn't be too hard to come by.