5 comments about She's Having A Baby (1988 Film).

1. Wow, and I thought I was the only one who loved the sountrack to this movie???? Fortunately for me, I was able to unearth an original LP of this soundtrack in a bin at a thrift store some years ago during my lunch break at college in center city Philly. The jacket was really worn and had once been taped in areas and marked on by a radio station, probably a university station, (even asteriks where certain songs skip). I don't remember how much I paid for it but I knew very well right at the moment I first spotted it in there, it was a keeper.
   My sister later found a cassette version, also at a thrift store, but I still have mine. The music from this movie was incredible! As a five year-old seeing it for the first time and every time after until adulthood, I think the music for me was really interesting and maybe a bit weird, but that was only because I wasn't old enough to really appreciate it. Now, it's one of my fav sountracks of all time!
   The only gripe I had about this soundtrack, was that the original or rock version of "Desire" was put on here rather than the dance version that was played in the mmusic. For me, that's the song that is the real selling point so I was angry at the time when i first realized it was not the right thing, the thing I really wanted. After learning who wrote the song it was easier to create more choices for myself. Good luck trying to find the dance version as easily as this version as well.



2. Very happy with this purchase and the price. Good soundtrack if you enjoyed the movie.



3. Loved the movie. Love this soundtrack. However... one of the best moments in the movie is the big lawnmowing scene with the terrific Gene Krupa song "Drummer Man". What a travesty that the song is not on this album. I was hoping the reissue would have it but sadly, just like my original vinyl copy, the song is absent.
   
   Still a wonderful collection of music from an excellent movie.



4. The film that this soundtrack represents (when it's actually in print) was a funny little gem, and from the Breakfast Club on, John Hughes always made sure that his soundtracks were very carefully assembled.

   In this case, some great alt-rock from Gene Loves Jezebel ("Desire"), a classic crooner by Bryan Ferry ("Crazy Love"), a Smiths cover by Kirsty MacColl ("You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby"), and one of Kate Bush's best tracks ("This Woman's Work") round out a phenomenal collection of essential 80s tracks.




5. "IT'S GOT A PLASTIC FLYWHEEL!" Very good soundtrack to a very funny movie. A couple of the songs are real gems and the rest will take you back to the sound of the mid-80s. This CD used to sell for a pretty penny on ebay which no doubt helped prompt its re-release. Buy a copy or two before it goes out of print again.

2 comments about Silver.

1. Every track on here is LIVE. There is not one studio recording on the whole set. I don't see anything on the cover saying so. I almost NEVER buy live recordings so I'm just a bit ticked right now. If it had been all album versions this would have been an awsome collection of thier best work IMHO. If you want a huge comprehensive collection of thier songs live, here it is. I now realize the one I was looking for was "Cheap Trick, The Hits" released in 2002.



2. I've seen Cheap Trick three times, once in 1979, again in 1986, and a couple of years ago. Each time I was treated to a great show, with awesome performances. Fans of the band will enjoy this double CD alot. It features A song from each of their albums to date. Highlights include great versions of old nuggets like OH,CANDY, STOP THIS GAME, SURRENDER and DREAM POLICE. Acoustic treatments of I Cant Take It & Tonight's It's You work well too. Buy this and realize this band is taken for granted, but they still rock out with a bevy of good songs in their collection.

5 comments about Liars.

1. I can't see how a few people could rate this as a 1 star. I guess to each his own. If I didn't like this type of music I'd still not rate it a 1 star, if I thought it was OK for the type of music.
   
   I bought 3 albums by TR, all MP3 downloads from here {this, A Wizard, and Arena) and I think they are all great but I tend to like this one best. I LOVE "Living", Afterlife, Flaw, Soul Brother, Future, and many more. Great stuff. Maybe it's because Todd is about the same age as me, I don't know, but IMHO he's an enormously talented man. This deserves many stars, 5 at least.



2. This is a great comeback from Todd. I can hear that distinctive sound that I have always loved. One of my favourites on this album would have to be "Sweet". Overall, an excellent cd.
   
   Todd fan from way back!!



3. Since I was introduced to Todd Rundgren's work nearly 30 years ago I have closely followed his career through all of its twists and turns, and have purchased most of his material. That makes me favor him a bit, so I won't claim this to be a non-biased review. With that said, I found "Liars" to be yet another solid accomplishment in keeping with "Todd" tradition. The vocals are excellent, the variety of the tunes is interesting, and the social commentary is very powerful indeed. If you have liked Todd's music in the past then you'll most likely enjoy this CD as well. Listening to the sample clips will help you to know for sure of course.



4. Todd Rundgren should be in the RnR Hall of Fame. His body of work is incredible. Not because the award itself is so important, but because Todd's music is so vital/important, that it needs to be exposed and re-exposed to the masses.
   
   He has been largely ignored for far, FAR too long. He has continued to put out great music, and only TRULY die hard fans are aware of it. IT IS CRIMINAL!



5. First of all let me say that I believe Todd is a fantasticly talanted artest. But...
   
   ...don't get suckered into the 5 star hype... I think the 2 I gave a bit generous.
   
   Other unimpressed reviewers have expressed concerns about "F bombs" and social political messages. Not me, thats not the problem... The problem is... THE MUSIC IS NOT VERY GOOD.

5 comments about The Beat of the Live Drum.

1. I got this and put it in the DVD player....all I got was music....WTF????? Where's the video?



2. As a young, impressionable girl I found the excitement of Rick Springfield and his music almost like a hug from an old friend. I became aware of him on General Hospital and fell in love with him, just like everyone else. The thing I appreciate most about Rick is how his music transported me to another place when my life was at it's worst. I could listen to him sing about losing his dad, losing his girl, how love could solve all the problems in the world...and I would be taken away from all the crappy things going on in my life.
   
   I first saw him in concert in 1986. OMG, I'll never forget his piano solo as he performed "My Father's Chair" for all his screaming fans. The concert hall became completely silent as he sang "...now it's 3 years on and I still feel he'll come home, we'll be alright...".
   
   Having lost my daddy in 1981 (he was 36, I was 13), that song just grabbed me. I could relate. Rick was my friend.
   
   When this particular video came out, I rented the VHS over and over. I begged the video store owner to let me buy it, but it was his only copy. This was back in the day when movies were $80 or more and only available on VHS...DVD was unheard of in my house!
   
   Just a few years ago, when this DVD was first released, my beloved hubby purchased it for me. It was the sweetest, most thoughtful present anyone ever gave me!
   
   The concert has some really great moments! One of my faves is when Rick almost falls off the fog machine while performing "Bop 'Til Ya Drop". LOL!
   
   If you're a Rick Springfield fan, you must add this to your collection. You'll love it!



3. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER PEOPLE.THIS CONCERT IS FROM 1985 NOT 2005!
   THIS CONCERT IS WHEN PEOPLE USED TO KNOW HOW TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
   AND THAT'S WHAT RICK SPRINGFIELD WAS ALL ABOUT;REMEMBER THE WORD "ENTERTAINMENT".
   LIVED AS AN ACTOR;AND GOT THE LADIES!
   LIVED AS A ROCK STAR;AND GOT THE LADIES!
   [THE AMERICAN DREAM]
   AND DID IT IN THE BEST DECADE OF ALL THE 80'S!
   WATCH THE CONCERT AND REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE A FAN OF HIS AT ONE TIME AND WANTED TO GO TO HIS CONCERT{ADMIT IT}
   YOU OWNED THE ALBUM "WORKING CLASS DOG" {ADMIT IT}
   AND DROVE AROUND IN YOUR 1985 CAMERO OR TRANS AM SINGING JESSIE'S GIRL {ADMIT IT}
   TO PUT IT IN A NUTSHELL:EVEN THOUGH IT IS 2005.ANY TIME YOU PUT IN THIS DVD.AND TURN UP THE VOLUME IT IS 1985 AGAIN IF ONLY FOR AN HOUR.
   YOU CAN STILL SEE HIM IN CONCERT.JUST LIKE YOU CAN STILL SEE
   BON JOVI.BUT THE 1985 SHOW WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN THE 2005 SHOW.THEY TRIED ALOT MORE BACK THEN.TO GIVE YOU YOUR MONEY'S WORTH FOR YOUR TICKET PRICE.
   SO BUY THIS DVD AND OWN A CONCERT OF A PERSON WHO WAS THE IDOL OF MILLION'S BECAUSE OF T.V. AND RECORD'S IN THE 80'S.
   {RICK SPRINGFIELD}.
   [ROME,NEW YORK-HOME OF WOODSTOCK 1999]



4. Vonda Mills wrote a review not even worth reading.She evidently doesnt have a clue.This performance is Spectacular and there is nothing pathetic about the 80's.The music scene was so inventive and diverse,a time period which will be truly missed.Rick rips through all his greatest hits with bursting energy and his backing band is top notch.The video effects are cutting edge for the time.Rick was and always will be a pop rock icon.



5. This is the second of two concerts that Rick taped for cable in the eighties and,unfortunately it is not the better of the two.
   The earlier "live and kicking" showcased Rick at his best,
   whereas this performance is marred by a Director's "vision"
   Shot as a "piece" rather than a concert,it is filled with atmosphere and ambiance--both of which serve only to slow the performance and misrepresent his skills as a live performer!
   I'm sure that it all looked great on paper in 1985,but after "HARD TO HOLD" Rick needed to exercise a bit more caution in his project selection.
   Own it if you must,But for a much more accurate representation of Rick at his on stage best get the new "ALIVE" DVD and strap in!

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 Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon.

1. Good selection of songs from John Lennon's albums that reflect his personal and political journey. Most versions of his songs are very good. Not wild about the version of Cold Turkey -- way too laid back. Most love songs included are pretty good; a few are forgettable. All in all this is one of the best tribute albums I've ever purchased.



2. I love the originals, and some of the groups doing the covers, but this has to be one of the worst messes I've ever heard.
   
   The covers are lifeless and dull, and even The Flaming Lips, who I thought could do no wrong, do a horrible cover.
   
   Get the originals, forget these covers.



3. I ordered this from Amazon.com since I'm in the UK and this title wasn't available from Amazon UK. It took about 2 weeks to arrive and was worth the wait. As other customers have said, as a rule Lennon/Beatles cover songs aren't much good at all but this CD is a notable exception.
   
   I admit that my reason for buying this CD was initially due to the fact that I'm an Alice In Chains fan and their late lead singer Layne Staley appears with MadSeason, his side project alongside Alice In Chains. They perform 'I don't wanna be a soldier', a song which I never thought was one of Lennon's best.
   This version though(I think) is better than the original, yet at the same time sounding quite authentic, as well as being unavailable on any other album.
   
   There are other notable tracks apart from this one, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers' version of 'I found out'.
   This sounds a lot 'grungier'(for want of a better word lol) than most of their stuff, and works well, as do tracks like 'steel and glass' by Candlebox. 'Cold Turkey'Lennon's description of the nightmare of heroin addiction, is another good track. This track starts off deceptively quietly before getting heavier, even if it isn't as harrowing as the original.
   
   So a good covers album then, one which I feel would be particularly interesting to fans of the individual artists here, since these tracks are as far as I know unavailable elsewhere.



4. I got this disc at a used CD shop in town for six dollars, I wasn't expecting much, as most of the Lennon cover/tributes i've heard were pretty lacking. I was dead wrong. There is only one bad cover on this dics, every other is great!

   Red Hot Chili Peppers/I Found Out - Slow, Angry, and funky. Something the peppers haven't ever done before and its cool to hear them do a song that doens't stick to their style. 3/5

   Mad Season/I don't Wanna Be a Soldier - I never liked this song, but I think this cover is more enjoyable than to original (to me) Driving guitars and bass, and some really good vocals. 3/5

   Candlebox/Steel and Glass - Awesome cover off the Walls and Bridges album. It's especially good because the guitar were buried by the string in the original, but Candlebox's cover features loud guitars and stand out bass. Cool guitar solo too 5/5

   Blues Traveler/Imagine - Pretty standard in the beginning, with some cool bass fills, but after the first verse things get really blusey and some harmonica come in. Good rendition! 4/5

   Screaming Trees/Working Class Hero - I always thought this was one of Lennons best, but the only cover i've heard was by Cyndi Lauper and it was awful (love cyndi though) The song starts out with just two guitars chiming with vocals, but it builds up and adds a cello and evtually drums and bass come in and give the song a lot of power, great cover. 5/5

   The Minus 5/Power To The People - I head this song tacked on as a bonus track on "Plastic Ono Band" and this cover is millions of times better than the original, believe me. It is amazing Minus 5 were able to see the potential of this otherwise lackluster song, fuul of energy absolutely great. 4/5

   The Magnificent Bastards/How Do you Sleep - Rockin cover. Performed with all the spite and malice of the original, featuring a cool guitar interlude. 4/5

   Flaming Lips/Nobody Told Me - Amazing! recorded with cheap, super distorted guitars, it sounds perfect. Great drumming and basswork from the lips as usual. 5/5

   Super 8/Well Well Well - Sounds just like the original, except for the extra loud guitars on the chorus and the awesome vocals (not to mention the solo!) 5/5

   Cheap Trick/Cold Turkey - I don't like Cheap Trick, I don't like Cold Turkey, I don't like this version. Weakest cover on the disc 2/5

   Collective Sound/Jealous Guy - Acoustic guitar instead of piano doing th cords on this one, no stirngs either, really cool! The only reason I don't give this one a 5 is because Elliott Smith's cover of this song is ten times better. 4/5

   Sponge/Isolation - The biggst suprise on this disc. Opens with a strat playing arpeggios with the vocals, sounding very sad and eerie, but then the chorus comes in with an explosion of power chords and drums. Best cover on the disc. 5/5

   Toad The Wet Sprocket/Instant Karma - a very happy, clean sounding cover. Not much else to say, very enjoyable! 4/5

   Mary Chapin Carpenter/Grow Old With Me - Very sparse mostly her and a piano. The sound is so lush and beautiful, and her vocals are outstanding. 5/5

   George Clinton/Mind Games - here's something unexpected, George Clinton from the funk grou Parliment giving this song some soul. Clinton does a superb jop, lots of strings and guitars, and delight and a great way to end the album! 5/5




5. I must admit that the reason I bought this CD is because I'm a fan of John Lennon and of the grunge scene of the early 1990's. So needless to say, I enjoyed the cover of "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier" by Mad Season (LAYNE STALEY'S VOCALS ARE ALWAYS AMAZING) and "Steel and Glass" by Candlebox, but for me the best track was "Working Class Hero" by The Screaming Trees. Mark Lanegan's voice is unbelievable and this cover is closest in my opinion to the original in quality. A pleasant surprise were Mary Chapin Carpenter's surprisingly good cover of "Grow Old With Me" and the cover of "How Do You Sleep" by The Magnificent Bastards. Collective Soul does a very good cover of Jealous Guy. Now, on to the bad. No surprise The Red Hot Chili Peppers would be found here with their cover of "I Found Out", I never liked "Power To The People", so I was going to skip it anyway, but The Minus Five didn't do all that bad with it. It actually shocked me that an established band like Cheap Trick couldn't pull off "Cold Turkey".

   All in all, this disc is really worth picking up used, I'm glad I didn't pay full price, but it is a keeper since about half the tracks are at least decent.

3 comments about The Only Ones.

1. This album is fantastic, a forgotten gem if you ask me. The first time I listened to it I loved several of the songs and thought that the rest was really good, but after a few spins you learn to love 'em all.



2. Another one of the most amazing albums in the world, buried beneath all that radio-friendly garbage. Though they vanished in 1982 with No Wave and the rest of punk music, this could have been released yesterday. an amazing take on the sound of the Velvet Underground, it has their jagged edges, but they find their own voice. God, The Only Ones are the Only Ones for me!
   Here is what our local paper, "The Tulsa World", said in an excellent summation of this band and this album:
   "Before there were the Replacements, the Psychedelic Furs, there were the only ones-a group of romantic punks with a penchant for pop and a healthy dollop of heroin chic. "Another Girl, Another Planet" has been covered to its nub, and no wonder."



3. right from the first track this album is quality, with Peter Perrets nasal, but expresive voice, and meaningful lyrics, the only ones hardly put a foot wrong. I could listen to Another girl, Another planet every day for the rest of my life and never get bored, but the album is more than just this song. Slow tracks like, the whole of the law, and no peace for the wicked balance out the fast pace of city of fun and another girl another planet, making this album a trgically unoticed master piece. (peter perret in the one are good too)

5 comments about Busted.

1. Cheap Trick had made a huge commercial comeback with their previous album "Lap Of Luxury". Two years later they would follow it up with this album that could very well have been titled "Lap Of Luxury II" as the two discs are very similar. The band did manage to wrestle away some of the outside songwriter influence from "Busted" as the majority of the tracks were penned by the band themselves with a few exceptions. The album had a big hit with "Can't Stop Fallin Into Love" which is a decent enough ballad. There are some good tunes here including "You Drive I'll Steer" and the album closer the rocking "Rock N Roll Tonight". Unfortunately there area also a plethora of rather annoying ballads, with cheesy production and lots of 80's style synthesizers. "Busted" is ok for the most part, but like the previous album it seems obvious that the record company exerted plenty of influence here and this still does not stack up against early (or later for that matter) material from the band.



2. Allow me to begin by stating that I AM a Cheap Trick fan. I buy every new release without hesitation, even though this CD was the last good CT release. Coming after the megahit "Lap Of Luxury", I was happy with this cd. The highlights in my opinion are Back N Blue, Can't Stop Falling Into Love, Busted and Walk Away. Other than that it's filler...I've been very disappointed with each subsequent studio release from the boys from Rockford since Busted. The more recent stuff lacks identity, and have very few songs that can get you singing along. The songs just sort of seem to drone along aimlessly. Actually the Rockford cd usually puts me to sleep-Literally. I'm afraid that CT has seen the last of the good times. Aside from the DVD release SILVER [which I HIGHLY recommend] Ceap Trick has done VERY little to keep my interest lately. The duet between Robin Zander and his daughter Holland on the Silver DVD will give you chills up your spine. Maybe Rick Nielsen should spend more time trying to recapture CHEAP TRICK'S magic, and less time ripping on Gene Simmons' Bass guitar playing skills in the Nikki Sixx autobiography



3. The incredibly watered down 'Busted' has only
   two real good songs on it - 'Back 'N Blue',
   which I heard the band play Live in South
   Carolina in July 1991, and a good single and
   video, "Whereever Would I Be", with Bun E.
   crying over cutting red onions (not Red Siren,
   who he no doubt would have rather been playing
   with when this turkey was released). Or was
   it because TP was back in the band at the expense
   of his 'Bun E. Carlos Experience' stick-buddy,
   Jon Brant [who would show back up years later
   on Silver, the video, the album and did 17 gigs
   with Cheap Trick in early 2004 - darn it, I missed
   'Em with my boy back on Bass)?! I guess we'll never
   know. Despite Sony/Epic's comic book, videos (the
   third never made the final cuts for 'Every Trick in
   the Book') and video compliation. No stone (except
   the rolling kinds) were "interned' to provide an-
   other 'hit'-writers weakened Cheap Trick effort.
   
   Check the song writing credits THAT THE 'Tricksters
   actually DID have something to do with. Too much TP
   all over this disk. The critics loved this as much
   as L.O.L. but snickered all the way to more loot at
   the expense of us Cheap Trick fans, who would have
   preferred The Doctor, Standing On The Edge, or at
   least a harder Rock effort (A La [not OO La La La]
   One On One. Oh well - 'Reputation IS a FRAGILE
   thing, I know we know it.'



4. After the success of 1988's Lap of Luxury, Busted may disappoint some fans, who are looking for a carbon copy of Lap of Luxury. While, Busted didn't spawn any big hits it is a very good album. While Busted may not be Cheap Trick's best album it is certainly a very good, later day album from Cheap Trick. The biggest stand out is Can't Stop Fallin into Love, but all of the songs sound good. Busted is just one of those albums, that may not leave a lasting effect on you, but it does sound good while it's playing.



5. All you dudes bashing Cheao Trick , stop it. This is ans was a very good attempt and a successful one at shaking off Lap of Luxury. Roots maybe not, but just good rock Yes. That's what these guys have always been about. There is a re-newed spirit and the songs are just pretty dam good. Some filler but very few. Trick rules !

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.

5 comments about Basher: The Best of Nick Lowe.

1. This is a nice introduction to Nick Lowe, one of the underrated singer songwriter/producers of the English Pub Rock circuit. Nick played with and/or produced Rockpile, Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, The Pretenders, and left a legacy of catchy pop tunes that survive the test of age. "So It Goes", "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass", "Heart of the City", "Cruel To Be Kind", "Maureen", "Raging Eyes", etc. are all included here. My only complaint is that the version of "I Knew the Bride" is the rather tepid re-release off the "Rose of England", where Nick is backed by Huey Lewis and the News. Although this was released as a single in the US, it lacks the fire of other versions. There are newer, more comprehensive Nick Lowe greatest hits in box sets, etc., but this is a nice introduction to one of the overlooked artists.



2. This was a CD purchased for my husband. As he already has it in a cassette and wanted to get a CD of it, I would assume that it is a favorite of his and that he would recommend it highly.



3. Anyone delving into the evolution of power pop in the 70s, should do themselves a favor and grab this album. I ran into Nick as I was checking out the early, arguably best, Costello albums. Yeah as a child of the 70s, I was familiar with the cryptic yet smart hit Cruel To Be Kind but never followed up. I think one of the reasons that Nick has fallen under the radar is that he has always been a musician/songwriter over being a star. Rather than get hung up on image, as it seems from this best of collection, he has consistently focused on craft. Consistently over this album, he is not looking to impress but on offering good compositions with enough lyrical turns and musicianship to keep you coming back. And that is impressive enough for me! The first fourteen tracks are the highlight of the record, focusing on his first two records with Rockpile (Gotta get Minutes of Pleasure). After that things get a bit spotty. Things rise and fall on the characteristics of his collaborators. The low point for me is his slower material and the stuff which sounds way too 80s. "I Knew The Bride" has way too much Huey Lewis feel for my liking. Then again "Half a Boy" runs "? and The Mysterians" through new wave production to produce a catchy little number. So when I look back at it, two-thirds is a damn good hits to miss ratio. Atop of the 14(!) song winning streak, you get little gems like "7 Nights to Rock" and "Raging Eyes". Pretty good deal. Since I've bought this disc, I have come back numerous times. It totally offsets the lesser lights. So if you want, pop craft with hooks and smarts, come and get this!



4. Really good compilation of his better songs. A few were omitted,but those are for others to find.Really good quality too,which is nice.worth owning.some awesome songs that i remember wondering who in heck sang that



5. One of music's little indignities is that your greatest achievements wind up disappearing if the curators don't give a damn. Such is the case with Nick Lowe, a criminally underrated artist who helped shape the sound of the 80's. His production work with the likes of Elvis Costello and Graham Parker all but defined New Wave, his work with Rockpile is perfect and his solo albums always had reasons to actively listen.
   
   Alas, from that classic period, this is all that remains domestically available. "Basher" (a nickname he earned for his production methods, famously described by Elvis Costello as "a fader in one hand and a vodka bottle in the other") is 25 songs from 8 albums, the first 14 from "Jesus of Cool/Pure Pop For Now People" and "Labour Of Lust." His best known song, "Cruel to be Kind" is here in all its pure pop glory, along with such proto-punk material like "I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass" from the Stiff record days. There's the perversely witty "Marie Provost" ("she was a winner that became the doggie's dinner") and "Cracking Up" as well.
   
   After that, each album gets a slim pick or two (The Rose of England manages four) and only one solitary track from Rockpile's "Seconds of Pleasure" (and not even "Teacher Teacher!"). There's some cool pubrock/rockabilly like "Half a Boy and Half a Man" (should have been a hit!) and "7 Nights to Rock" which belies the depth of later albums. This leaves off a great deal of interesting songs ("Stick it Where The Sun Don't Shine" and "The Beast in Me" would have made my list) and stops when Lowe left Columbia for "Party of One." Lowe is one of those heritage artists who deserves a double "Essentials" collection, and his golden albums should be available to all.
   
   Which leads to my final comments: Why is Lowe yet to be even nominated for The Rock and Roll Hall of fame? He is the architect of a lot of the sound we came to identify as a decade, even to where Huey Lewis is a producer on "I Knew The Bride" (and once covered it) and such luminaries as John Hiatt and Paul Carrack make appearances. The other is that this album is a 1989 master of songs that you can't get anywhere else. Lowe deserves better.