5 comments about The Latest.

1. Cheap Trick returns with a great album
   after the good Rockford! I also loved
   Special One! another forgotten gem!
   I don't know why it took so long to
   get this. Sorry! I own everything else!
   This album sounds more like early songs
   with some great slower songs but no the
   stuff the record company made them put
   out in the 90's! I think it's the best
   since Woke up with a Monster which many
   don't mention! Sick man of Europe is
   awesome! When the Lights out! great
   Slade cover! Miss Tomorrow & Smile
   should be hits! California Girl &
   Alive! really make this a great album
   & should be album of the year! Not a
   bad song! This for all people who like
   good original songs by one of the best
   rock and roll bands of all time!



2. The boys from Rockford are back is full force! Or did they ever really go away? This album flat out rocks!



3. Trick is at its best here when it rocks - the tracks that rate for me (4 stars or better) are When the Lights are Out, Sick Man, California Girl and Alive. The rest of it? ehhh, a number of John Lennon-esque power ballads that really don't do it for me. Incidentally, 1994's Woke Up With a Monster had a classic song kind of in this vein called Tell Me Everything, but none of less rocking songs here match up to that.
   
   As far as best CT disc ever?? Not even close; if you like this, as good as this is in places, just give Cheap Trick (77) a spin and that will put things in perspective pretty quickly. As far as comparing TL to other later era discs, after a few listens I rate this about as good as Special One, but not as good as Woke Up With a Monster, CT 97, or Rockford. Nonetheless, I admire the guys for continuing to do what they and will always be a fan.



4. Most likely if you're reading this review, you are a fan of the band, or at least are somewhat familiar with what they do. I don't think there are a lot of kids being turned on to Cheap Trick's music, unless they are frequent watchers of "That 70s Show".
   
   So, if you're here, and have the majority of Cheap Trick's classic C.D.s and are just curious about what they're up to lately...Buy This C.D.! What they are up to is all good! This band has never been about reinventing the wheel, so you're not going to get something out of left field. I would put "The Latest" right up there with "Dream Police" and "In Color", as one of their best studio albums in 35 years. It's all here, Catchy, well written pop rock tunes, with Robin Zander's quirky, sometimes beautiful vocals, with a tight rhythm section and some cool guitar licks. I too was somewhat leary about picking this up, but the C.D. kept me interested throughout. There are some upbeat rockers, some slower ballads, and everything in between, with that classic Cheap Trick stamp. It hasn't left my C.D. player in a week!
   
   I never did pick up their previous album "Rockford", even though I've heard great things about that too. I'll now have to buy that one too, because it sounds like the band is in fine form!



5. I've been listening to CT's albums in chronological order in preparation for seeing them Jan 26, and The Latest really kicks the butt of the earliest. Not every song is great--I just don't like "California Girls"--but the rest have an amazing vibe that hits the full CT range: Beatles ("Closer") to heavy metal ("Sick Man"). "When the Lights Are Out," "Alive" and "Miracle" are best, but the rest are close seconds. My only quibble really doesn't matter much in the mp3 world: Why open the album with the very slow, elegaic "Sleep Forever," the type of song that ends an album? Maybe because "Smile" fills the same role, but I'd have shuffled "Smile" into the middle somewhere and put "Sleep" at the end. "Light" would have made for a great opener.

5 comments about Kihnsolidation: The Best of Greg Kihn.

1. Good CD at a great price. I've wanted these songs forever and you hardly ever here on the radio any more so i could not resist. Glad i have it now.



2. Nice CD with a lot of good tunes but no GREG KIHN "Best Of" CD is complete without the rousing, energetic tune "ROADRUNNER" a great tune that SHOULD be on this copulation.........but sadly it's not!



3. Unable to find the original versions of the two hits, 'Breakup Song' and 'Jeopardy', on an MP3 format, I purchased this CD, in order to download these two originals onto my iPod. The rest of the album is good to have, but I really wanted these specific songs, so it was worth it for them. Enjoy!



4. Greg Kihn is a lovable lightweight, a handsome guy who made endearing good pop songs on the eclectic Beserkely Label when they seemed destined to be an American Stiff. Along with labelmates EarthQuake, The Rubinoos and Johnathan Richman, Kihn was the most popstar friendly of the bunch. He also had a knack of terrible puns on his name substituting for album titles (a habit even he got annoyed with). He became a local legend in the San Francisco area for his great live shows and good-guy demeanor.
   
   By the time his "With The Naked Eye" started flirting with Top 40 material (great covers of Springsteen AND Richman - "Rendezvous" makes this CD, but unfortunately "Roadrunner" didn't), Kihn became Beserkely's biggest seller. It also led to the lable getting snapped up for distribution by Elektra, and Kihn was ready for his close up. "The Break Up Song" cracked the top 40 with an infectious "Na na na" hook and the band became stars. (Missing from this CD, "Valerie" and a great cover of Tommy Roe's "Sheila" - that's a CD deserving a re-issue!) A little more grooming lead to the funky number two "Jeopardy" off "Khinspiracy" and Kihn was big enough to rate a Weird Al Parody.
   
   But the wheels came loose for ""Kihntagoius," despite the exuberant "Reunited" here. He soon switched labels for EMI and snuck one more single into the top 40, "Lucky." After this, came "Love and Rock and Roll," but few were left to notice that Kihn wasn't making jokes for titles. The title track was pretty good workman pop (and this compilation would have benefited from Kihn's cover of The Only Ones' "Another Girl Another Planet"), but the shimmer had dulled.
   
   There are plenty of gems here, and Kihn is certainly pleasant listening. I'd bet he's a great guy to go paling around with, that's how much his aw-shucks charm comes through on his best work. He still makes the occasional album ("Horror Show" being the best of the latter day releases), and "Kihnsolidation" gives plenty of reasons to note that Greg Kihn is a better artist than a one-hit-wonder tag would indicate.



5. I grew up here in The Bay Area and saw Greg Kihn many times. He was always a first rate performer and wrote some great and catchy pop songs. He made you enjoy them with his passionate concert style. I actually never enjoy his hit singles (Jeopardy and others). The other songs on this disc, such as Madison Avenue Man, Love and Rock & Roll, Testify and a great cover of For You, are all very good examples of his talent and fun deliveries. He was great for his time (and still does a great morning show in The Bay Area to this day). A worthwhile and refreshing listen.

5 comments about Our Little Corner of the World: Music From Gilmore Girls.

1. I absolutely love this mix of songs. I think it captures the essence of the Gilmore Girls. I definately recommend this to any fan of the show!!



2. A comfortable but quirky combination of songs that represents the series well with key songs from key scenes in the early couple of series. Shame there is no follow up CD for later series



3. Loved it! If your into the show and the music on the show, its a good buy.



4. Although the main theme song was on the CD, and the main reason behind the purchase, I was somewhat disappointed by the music that was on the CD. None of these songs stuck out to me as being prominent on the series. Perhaps there could have been more familiar choices.



5. I don't remember any of these songs being played on the show and it's definitely NOT what I would picture the two main characters listening to. Unsatisfied!

No comments about In Color.

5 comments about Keep An Eye On The Sky.

1. There is a lot of material here that I won't listen to again. I wish I had just bought the first two albums. They have some great songs, but the good stuff is overwhelmed by the outtakes and demos. This is for Big Star fanatics or the band members' close relatives. There aren't a lot of undiscovered gems here in my opinion.



2. Finally, the long-awaited Big Star box, with four CDs containing 98 songs, 52 of them unreleased. The set is named after a lyric from "Stroke It Noel", a song from their their third studio release, and contains album tracks, demos, alternate mixes/lyrics/versions, as well as a full live concert from January 1973 (with the band performing as a three-piece soon after founding member Chris Bell had left the band out of frustration over their first album's poor distribution and lousy sales). The first three discs include the songs of and follow the three studio albums in sequence, including tracks from those albums, along with other material from the same timeframe; the fourth CD is the live concert in its entirety. In one form or another, the set includes all of the 43 songs from their three studio releases, so it's a good document to have just for that, not to mention the live set and the demos and alternate mixes of some of their most memorable songs ("Back Of A Car", "The Ballad Of El Goodo", "In The Street", "The India Song", "O My Soul", "She's A Mover" and "Try Again" each appear three times). The fourth disc includes a promotional video for the song "Thirteen", billed as the only existing video document of the band in action, which is a grainy home movie that looks like it was captured on a standard Super 8 home video recorder from the time. The video has a lot of cheezy establishing shots, like kids walking home from school, a jet taking off, and images of the guys in the studio. Of particular interest are the images of Chris Bell, who died in a car crash in 1978. The video, set to a different song ("Thank You Friends") can be seen here.
   
   Big Star is revered by dozens of bands, including The Replacements (who wrote a song called "Alex Chilton" for the band's main singer/songwriter/guitarist), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Petty's nasal vocal delivery clearly apes Chilton's), the Bangles, and many others. Alex Chilton came to the group with some experience, having been the singer for the Box Tops (check out a great video of the band irreverently playing for the cameras to a recording of their #1 hit "The Letter" - Chilton, in those days, had more of a bluesy, raspy John Fogerty/Rod Stewart/Eric Burden delivery). I have the first two Big Star albums already, so a lot of the material is familiar to me, but I had never heard the third album, which turns out to be very different from the jangly power pop of the first two records as it is a combination of acoustic guitars and strings(!), as well as other odd sounds. The set also includes several ex-Big Star contributions from the various members, including three solo songs by Chris Bell (one pre-band inclusion called "Psychedelic Stuff" from 1969) as well as his "I am the Cosmos" single from 1975 and its b-side; there is also one song from his Icewater project, and two from his Rock City project. The set also includes an Alex Chilton solo song from 1969. The collection has 17 demos of 16 songs ("Big Black Car" gets two demos), which are often just Alex Chilton solo on the guitar; these versions are almost always superior to the produced songs, as the voice is clearer in the mix - in fact, a CD release of just these songs would be a treasure on its own, as it is probably the best "solo" work that Alex Chilton has ever done. The live album is also interesting, perhaps more interesting than any other live material I've heard - partly because of its rarity, but also because of how tight the band were. The recording quality is great, and the murmur of voices in the bar as the audience waits for headlining act Archie Bell & the Drells (who?) to hit the stage; Chilton's dejected announcement that the Drells will be up next is in itself heartbreaking.
   
   The box is about the size of a 45-inch single slip cover, and comes with a folding box to hold the four CDs, as well as a superb booklet that is full of pictures of the band and comes with a warm foreword from John Fry, who owns Ardent Records where the band recorded and was one of their biggest supporters - the fifth Big Star, if you will. At 100 pages, this is probably one of the more generous box set booklets around, and it contains three well-written essays by rock critics Robert Gordon, Bob Mehr and Alex Palao. Interesting to see these handsome young men, somewhat dandified and tidily-dressed with their jackets and shirts buttoned at the cuffs and leather shoes, and big mops of shoulder-length hair. Not very rock `n' roll, not very hippy, but very Big Star. One minor complaint - there are no lyric sheets, making it harder to make sense of what changes there are "The Ballad of El Goodo", which comes in the original version and one with alternate lyrics, but considering that there are over 80 songs on this set it would have made the package much thicker and expensive (and I'm not really one to pore over lyric sheets anyway; actually, if you really need them they are readily available online).
   
   The opening song of the set is "Psychedelic Stuff", a mish-mash of Beatles-esque motifs (including back-tracked stuff) with some vocals, showing off Chris Bell's studio craftsmanship, as well as the superb capabilities of Ardent Records. "All I See Is You" by Bell's IceWater, could be a Beatles song, especially "Dig A Pony" with its "All I want is you" lyric (he repeats this theme endlessly, by the way). Chilton's "Every Day As We Grow Closer" sounds more like a Big Star song, with the addition of some cheezy keyboards. Ditto for "Try Again" by Bell's Rock City, with its country guitar sounds; Big Star did the song on their first album and in their live set, making this is the only proto-Big Star song to appear on a Big Star album. The early Chris Bell version is a bit different, but not overly so.
   
   In addition to the proto-Big Star songs, disc one has all of the original songs of the first release, the optimistically-titled "#1 Record" (although in some cases the original song is left off in deference to the "alternate mix"). The album is one of the best debuts ever, full of fantastic songwriting, great guitar work and wonderful vocal harmonies - some critics call it "power pop" - with frantic rockers like "Feel", wailing, Petty-esque thumpers like "In The Street", trippy, experimental songs like the wonderful "The India Song" (one of only two that bassist Andy Hummel composed; the other is the similarly-themed, but inferior, "Way Out West"), as well as gorgeous, aching songs like "Thirteen" (which has been covered by artists such as Elliott Smith, Evan Dando, Garbage, Mary Lou Lord, Wilco and others) or "Watch The Sunrise." It also has several demos for songs that would appear on the second album, "Radio City." But there are also several other previously-unissued nuggets. Chris Bell's Beatles-esque "The Preacher" is briefly excerpted here, as are two other songs that were intended for the first album, namely "Gone With The Light" and "Motel Blues", a Loudon Wainright III cover (there is also a demo for this song). The former, played solo by Alex Chilton, is an acoustic ballad, sad, folksy somewhat Celtic-sounding acoustic ballad with a multi-tracked harmony voices that very much sounds like an extension of "Try Again", while the latter starts off with some engineer PA voice and gets into a sad story about being a rock `n' roll star on the road. The disc also has "I Got Kinda Lost," a Chris Bell demo that didn't appear on any Big Star studio album, but makes a re-appearance here when it is performed live on disc four. It's a punchy, simple spooky song with very repetitive verses. Disc one has the most varied songwriting credits (as with the live tracks of disc four, of course, which on its 20 tracks sources 10 from the first album, which only had 12 songs to begin with), while two and three are largely represented by Alex Chilton; it has only one cover tune. Four of the album's songs are drumless, as is the unused song "Gone With The Light." With the alternate versions, it's hard to tell the difference, but "In The Street" definitely has a different pre-intro, and "The India Song" is a bit faster (it is therefore also 14 seconds shorter). One of the oddities of disc one is "Country Morn", which is an alternate version of "Watch The Sunrise", with Chris Bell's lyrics and vocals. The first disc also has a demo for "Back Of A Car", which was a track on "Radio City," the second release which is the focus of the second CD.
   
   Disc two starts off with three demos, the 12 songs of the band's second studio album, "Radio City", as well as alternative mixes, alternate versions, a rehearsal version, Chris Bell's "I Am The Cosmos" single with its b-side "You And Your Sister", and is rounded out by six more demos for one song that appears on "Radio City" as well as five songs that appear on "3rd", including one for The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale." "There Is A Life" is the only previously-unheard song on this disc, it is by Chris Bell but sung by Alex Chilton in this demo form and it sounds very much like a Gram Parsons song. Since Bell left the band after the first release (where he had made songwriting contributions to every song except "The India Song"), this is only one of three ex-"#1 Record" Bell contributions to the box (if you include "Country Morn", which is a bizarre alternate version of "Watch The Sunrise"). But despite Chris Bell's absence, "Radio City" is a fantastic follow-up, with great rockers like "O My Soul" and "Mod Lang," mid-level moody pieces like "Back Of A Car" and "Daisy Glaze", as well as the band's most famous song "September Gurls." It also has my favourite Big Star song, the achingly beautiful "What's Going Ahn." Sure, there are a few shambling, experimental clunkers like "You Get What You Deserve", "She's A Mover" and "Life Is White"; The alternate version of "Mod Lang" has a pretty funky intro with studio chat, it's a nutty rocker already and this makes it even nuttier. The alternate version for "O My Soul", however, is a much longer number, and has a very different - longer and less sophisticated - intro (1:29, compared with 0:47 for the album version). Chris Bell's "I Am The Cosmos" is a short song, starting out with the broad chords you'd expect from a Big Star song, but the whiny vocals are extra-squeezed and multi-tracked, the "yeah, yeah, yeah"s extra-languid. Great George Harrison solo right in the middle of it. Despite the whininess - not to mention the grandiose title - it is still some how tight and appealing. The b-side "You And Your Sister" is a simple, plaintive ditty with guitar, voice and bass, that appeals to the listener "All I want to do is to spend some time with you/So I can hold you, hold you" (to match the a-side's pleading "I'd really like to see you again"), that later also develops its touches of orchestration and studio freakout. And that, besides a handful of Big Star songs, was Chris Bell.
   
   Disc three, which contains the band's third release, entitled "3rd", has the 19 songs that were on "3rd" (15 originals and four covers - The Velvet Underground, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Kinks, and eden ahmez), three unused songs, as well as five demos. Again, the beautiful and tenderly voiced Alex Chilton demos are usually more interesting than the songs, in particular "Thank You Friends", which includes jazzy background singers on the studio version that clutter up the production. "Take Care", which is practically a lullaby, opens with violins that smother Alex Chilton and his beautiful melodies. "Nighttime", the studio track, starts off very much like the acoustic demo, but adds in tambourine, slide guitar, and eventually those inescapable strings. The better album cuts are the ones that have the least orchestration; these include the rockin' "Kizza Me", the sorrowful "Big Black Car", and the four covers. Disc three has the most cover versions of any of the studio discs: Big Star's take on "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (rockin!), The Kinks' "`Till The End Of The Day" (also rockin!!), The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale" (Alex Chilton does a good job stepping into the Nico role here, its a lovely version), and a very nice "Nature Boy". Among the unused songs, "Manana" is a mere snippet that sounds like it was meant to be played at a turn-of-the-20th-century puppet show (I can understand why it was unused - it doesn't sound one bit like Big Star, and is quite annoying to boot), while "Lovely Day" is just that - lovely. "Woke up in the middle of the day/Sun streaming in/No one there to take my time away." The demo is great, the "finished" version is still okay although the guitar and the voice are further back in the mix, and there is harmonizing and drums - and then the string section comes in, sawing away. Yuck. Many of the other songs on "3rd" tend to be shamboling, experimental, and acoustic ballads that are textured with strings. But it also has some of the best tracks, in particular demos for "Blue Moon" and "What's Going Ahn."
   
   The final disc contains the 20 tracks of Big Star's January 1973 Lafayette's Music Room live concert opening up for Archie Dell and the Drells in the band's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. On the set list are 10 of the songs from "#1 Record", which had just been released (left off are the rockin' opening number "Feel" and the ballad "Give Me Another Chance"), four from the not-yet-released "Radio City", four covers (Gram Parsons' "Hot Burrito #2, T. Rex's "Baby Strange", Todd Rundgren's "Slut" and the Kinks' "Come On Now"), as well as two songs that have never appeared on a studo album, "I Got Kinda Lost" and "There Was A Light." The songs are tight and rockin', if a bit shamboling, especially the Gram Parson's track. Near the end of the set, the band plays a version of "ST 100/6 that is nearly four minutes long - the album and alternate mix are about one minute long - playing stripped-down guitar parts marching languidly through the four lines of the song's only verse and adding a vocal bridge (or a second verse, depending how you look at it), before starting an impromptu guitar jam, and another two verses of four lines (in true pop song tradition, the fourth is, of course, a repeat of the first), and some sort of a crazy Motown drum shakeout and then another solo. So this is what the whole song was supposed to sound like! "Thank you, Archie Dell and the Drells are next. Good night" are the last sounds you hear on the project. Finis.



3. Really like this boxed set. Good value. Many songs are out of sequence, which they would've just put the studio albums on a couple of discs and a disc of out-takes, rarities, but it is GREAT music which overrides all. Love the live stuff. Good seller.



4. This box has what most Big Star fans have dreamed about for many years. It contains virtually everything you could want. The three original albums are here in remastered form, and the music sounds nothing less than fantastic - incredibly nice and clear sounding acoustic guitars for instance.
   
   The songs from the three original albums are in some cases in alternative mixes. In most cases this is very apparent and most listeners probably won't notice. The original track listings has not been kept strictly ( is there one for "Sister Lovers"?) - which is actually very refreshing.
   
   Connoisseurs of Big fans will, of course, be well acquainted with the three original albums, and will therefore be particularly interested in what has been included of outtakes, demos, etc. - and there really is a lot to get here.
   
   From the time before Big Star there is a nice number with Chris Bell's group Icewater, "All I See Is You" - sounds like Big Star and very Beatles-inspired. Another early project was called Bell Rock City, judged from the short excerpt which has been included here, which sounds very exciting. The whole album was released in 2003, but is hard to find today.
   
   Also a nice song from Alex Chilton's original unreleased first album. "Every Day As We Grow Closer" - great track.
   
   Particularly interesting on the first CD is the outtake from # 1 Record "Gone With the Light" written and sung by Chris Bell. This number could and should have been included on the original album. "Country Morning" is another very fine recording - more or less "Watch the Sunrise" with other lyrics. Interesting to hear a different lyrics for the "Ballad of El Goodo" - fortunately, Rhino to also include the original version too. Both versions sound incredibly impressive.
   
   Bell left the group as we know soon after the release of the first album, but he was stiil with the band in the beginning of the creation of the first songs intended for the second album. Two tracks that never made it to "Radio City" were Chris Bell's "Got Kinda Lost" and "There Was a Light" - these two are ;especially the latter, a revelation. This song could well have deserved a place on the album - great that it now finally has been released. The song is here sung by Chilton, unlike the version that was on Chris Bell solo release "I Am the Cosmos" - the sound of this "new" version is, by the way, much better.
   
   Bell's only solo release in his own lifetime was the single "I Am the Cosmos" / "You and Your Sister" - both tracks are here - also in remastered form - both numbers can almost be regarded as Big Star tracks - "Cosmos" has been on the live repertoire several times, and Chilton's delicate harmony voice on "You and Your Sister" makes song sound like a # 1 Record tune.
   
   There are probably not true outtakes for the third album "Sister Lovers", which as mentioned, can be found in several versions with different numbers and varying tracklistings. The fine "Lovely Day" is the closest you get an outtake. The song is the same melody as "Stroke it Noel", but a completely different recording - and a great one, too.
   
   Most of the third albums' songs are found here in Alex Chilton's acoustic demo versions. These very fine recordings are really among the highlights of this boxset. The slightly loose approach to the music you sense on some of the numbers on the "3rd" you won't feel not here - on the contrary, Chilton appears a serious and purposeful singer and songwriter.
   
   CD 4 contains a very exciting live recording from 1973 - a shame that Bell had left the group at this time. Exciting to hear the repertoire, which consists of most of # 1 Record, but also has tracks from the not yet recorded "Radio City". Also interesting "There Was a Light" and "Got Kinda Lost" from the time between the two albums are there. Flying Burrito Brothers' "Hot Burrito # 2" is almost impossible to recognize and the song sounds like a Big Star track. Cover versions of T. Rex 's "Baby Strange", Todd Rundgren's "Connect" and the Kinks' "Come On Now" are interesting without being especially noteworthy.
   
   With the set follows the fine book with many interesting details of the group's history and their recordings; many fine photos and not least a nice video for "Thirteen" with live footage of the 4 original members.
   
   A truly essential release.



5. I've loved Big Star since I first started listening to them back in high school in the early 1990's. "Keep An Eye On The Sky" is a great collection of demos, alternative song versions, and a live show. It is packaged nicely and includes a book as well as a video for "Thirteen" with actual footage in it of all four original band members. I was a little disappointed that there were so many 'alternative mixes' and previously heard song versions scattered throughout the CD's. I'd hoped for more rare takes, demos and unheard songs. But what is here sounds great. It's a must have if you are a fan.

5 comments about Cheap Trick At Budokan.

1. Showed up fast and in good condition. Very happy and will order from them again! Thank you!:)



2. cheap trick,s at bodokan is definately one of the all time classic hard rock live albums!!does any serious rock fan not have this album??!!cheap trick was touring for the heaven tonight album when they recorded this.so in my opinion the best of it is;clock strikes ten,need yor love,i want you to want me,surrender and ain,t that a shame!this album is a must for any cheap trick fan!!



3. "I Want You to Want Me" and "Surrender" are, of course, the pinnacle of western civilization, but it is incomprehensible how Epic could have chosen to include the inferior "Ain't That a Shame" instead of the sublime "Southern Girls" (which can be heard on the two-disk /Complete Budokan/). Likewise, "High Roller" (also on /Complete Budokan/) is superior to "Clock Strikes Ten".



4. Best ever live album, great lyrics, guitar, drums, cool-cool version of ain't that a shame.
   
   Classic probably edges out Frampton Comes Alive or at least ties it.
   
   I bought several and gave them as gifts. http://twitter.com/gooddebt



5. I remember being a kid in the early eighties and I remember I used to wake up each sunday morning very early to take place in the most comfortable armchair in my parents living room where the stereo system was, putting on the headphones and play (Loud!) the records that made me crazy in those days. The hours that I spent there, were pure magic and I still remember them very clearly and with love. One of those records was just "At Budokan!" by Cheap Trick. So I am very fond to this album. It's fantastic music, a sort of friendly american rock stravaganza, very melodic, songs that stuck on your head and remain there forever. The perfect blend of easy melodic hooks and simple but catchy arrangements made this album rightly legendary. Today I still listen to this album very much believe me. I prefer this version opposed to the Complete concert. I think it's more powerful, briefer, but better. Less is more in this case. I think that the longer concert make this music to lose impact and add nothing major. It's like Coppola's Apocalypse Now and the new Redux edition. I prefer the original version. The redux edition is simply weaker even if half an hour longer. Go for the original release (maybe just in the better remastered edition), I'm talking about this version with ten songs. I really love this album, it is a special one. One of the easiest to love rock live album ever.

5 comments about The Best of Rick Springfield.

1. If you are looking for his hits... you would be better off getting his first two albums... this "best of" is about 1/2 "best of" and 1/2 filler



2. If you are a Rick Springfield fan, or a least a casual fan of his biggest hits, this is the best compilation I have found. It has all the best hits on it, and the versions you want. The reproduction quality is very good. Highly recommended if you want one album with Springfield's best work.



3. Rick Springfield's early 80's work was very catchy and enjoyable, especially the material from his classic "Working Class Dog" album. As such, this collection of Springfield's hits has some excellent straight-ahead pop-rock like "Jesse's Girl", which is probably the song that he is most remembered for. After his initial success however, he focused more on creating "hits" rather than the same soulful, exciting songs of before. Therefore, his product became more focused on 80's style pop like "Don't Talk to Strangers". The latter material isn't bad, it's just not quite as good as the early stuff. All in all, this collection is the best you will find if you are a casual fan looking for the most complete collection of singles that he realeased. There are, of course, some songs that were released as singles that are missing, but unless you are a hardcore fan, you will be hard-pressed to notice. The remastering quality is excellent, and it is what prompted me to buy this collection instead of the others available. Top-notch collection for casual fans, although you will find that his later style of music to be very different than that which you remember him for. Very enjoyable.



4. Great compilation to have if you are a fan. Rick is an artist who really hasn't been recognized for his complete talent- not just as a dynamic performer and pop culture idol, but as a composer and musician. I've seen him in concert both in the mid-80s and again-twice- when he made the rounds in the last 10 years. He brings the house down, performs like a true rocker, and engages with the fans on a personal level leaving us all wanting more. He should not be seen as merely an 80's icon. His music is still fresh and enjoyable today. This DVD will not disappoint.



5. I am thirteen and my mom and dad listen to rick springfield. Me, being an offspring of 2 of the biggest rick fans, love this CD by far. This is an amazing CD, and you can always get the other ones cheap. If you are a fan of ricks this CD is totally for you ;)

5 comments about Straight Up.

1. I'm a long-time Beatles and Badfinger fan, and I've heard all their albums many many dozens of times, so it's pretty hard at this late date to be surprised by relistening to any one of their records.
   
   That changed the other day when I put the remastered Straight Up in my car cd player.
   
   From start to finish, this record is pure pop perfection, as good an album as any latter-day Beatles or Macca record, and perhaps better in some instances.
   
   Among the many highlights -- the opening track, "Take It All," is timeless, with brilliant three-part harmonies and shined to a production tee by the great Todd Rundgren.
   
   In fact, you can appreciate Todd's craft simply by listening to the original production tracks that are added on to the re-release. Although the first versions of "Flying" or "Money" still sound great, they are a different animal under Todd's crisp, deep, resonant production.
   
   Putting aside the massive pop construction of songs like "Baby Blue" or "Day After Day" this record flies like Lady Madonna, Let It Be, or Macca' Ram with gems like "Perfection" and the tremendous closer "It's Over."
   
   This is a remarkable achievement and easily one of the most underrated records from what I consider to be the finest period in rock music.



2. When I think of Badfinger I think of passion. For all it's perfect production qualities, Todd Rundgren and George Harrison could not drown out the passion of Straight Up. From beginning to end, the heart, soul & passion of this masterpiece comes through. Yes the sound is hauntingly Beatlesque. But there is so much more depth here that it would be a shame to place Straight Up in that Beatles box.
   
   Badfinger was behind the eight ball from it's inception. Being compared to the greatest rock band of all time can only finish in tradgedy. If you sound too much like them, you loose. If you sound similar to them you can never come out from under their immense shadow and thus are never given any credit for originality.
   
   Straight up is a great record. Badfinger could have been a great band, had they been given half the chance to let it be.



3. Awesome CD!!! Rave reviews; I recommend this for anyone who truly has a soul!



4. Sadly, Badfinger was a band that never got much respect from the critics. It was generally criticized for being, at best, a Beatles "sound alike" and, at worst, a Beatles imitator. "Badfinger recycles familiar riffs and harmonies in far less striking configurations" says The Rolling Stone Album Guide. There was plenty of other circumstantial evidence. Paul McCartney wrote their first hit, George Harrison produced some of the tracks for STRAIGHT UP, and they were on the Beatles' Apple label. Frankly, I don't know enough about music to judge the accuracy or fairness of all this. I only know what I like when I hear it, and I like both STRAIGHT UP and its predecessor, NO DICE, a lot.
   
   STRAIGHT UP was originally recorded not too long after the release of NO DICE, the intent being to capitalize on the moderate success of that set. George Harrison produced much of it. The album's release was delayed, however, and eventually Todd Rundgren was brought in as producer and many of the tracks were re-recorded. The current CD contains the album that was ultimately released with Rundgren as producer, as well as some of the original tracks produced by Harrison. Personally, I'm glad Rundgren was brought in. I like the tracks done with him producing much better than the older ones.
   
   This is a very listenable album. The twelve tracks originally released are a pleasure; there isn't a loser among them. My personal favorites include "Take It All", "Money", "Flying", "Suitcase", "Day After Day", "Sometimes" and "Perfection". "Baby Blue" and "Day After Day" were the Top 40 hits. Some are ballads and some are rockers, but nice vocal harmonies abound, there are lots of nice melodies and catchy riffs, and I particularly enjoy the jangly percussion and the guitar solo into the fade-out on "Perfection". Favorites and hits aside, though, I often just put the CD in and listen to the whole thing. There's not a bad cut in there anywhere.
   
   Whatever the validity of all the criticism, it all ended tragically for Badfinger and, especially, for some of the bandmembers. It's all water under the bridge, now. Whether or not these guys were mining Beatles material for their music, the result sounds pretty darn good. It seems to me that if a rock band is going to look somewhere for inspiration, Beatles music is a pretty good place to start. The results are pleasing to the ear, and that's what counts.
   
   I had a hard time coming up with a rating for STRAIGHT UP. I'll concede that Badfinger was never as original or unique as some of the other great bands of the period, particularly the Beatles. They never did anything to rival albums like "SGT. PEPPER...", WHO'S NEXT, EXILE ON MAIN STREET, LED ZEPPLIN IV, RUMOURS, or some others I could name. On the other hand, I like this album very much and still listen to it a lot. I decided to call it 4.5 stars and round up to five. Again, this isn't quite one of the real greats of classic rock, but it's an excellent piece of work and a pleasure to listen to. If you like classic pop/rock, you'll like STRAIGHT UP.



5. This album is a treasure -- and it has nothing to do with the band's relationship to the Beatles. It stands on its own. They sing with depth and a touch of melancholy the Beatles couldn't really do by the late '60's. When put into the context of the band's history, the songs are really touching and heard in a different light. Even in 2008, this album sounds fresh and new, partly because it was basically stripped down to its core -- piano, drums, vocals -- preventing it from becoming dated. Yes, if the Beatles had not broken up, they probably would have sounded like Badfinger; but Badfinger was talented in its on right and the music industry horror story that they lived -- serving as a warning and morality tale for future bands -- make this album one of the most poignantly beautiful in rock and roll.

5 comments about Heaven Tonight.

1. In 1977 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, my girlfriend and I went to see KISS and Cheap Trick. At this time they played a few songs from this album and when it was released the following year, it became an instant favorite. This by far is the best Cheap Trick, when they still sounded like themselves. Dream Police, released in 1979 is right up there with this one, then as the 80's hit I lost interest in Cheap Trick. Heaven Tonight still is one of my Top 10 favorite albums of all time.
   
   So, for those who feel that it's "dated", just close your eyes and take a trip back to 1978 and enjoy this classic piece of hard rockin' fun.



2. Even if its not the dream police album which i consider there best, its very very ,good.Lyrics well writen ,gutar ,and bass playing are great ,and off corse bun e carlos ,the beat of the band is fantasic.Surrender ,on the radio,should have been a hit,taking me back ,are the best songs on this album,but all the songs rock.This reminds me of many beatles albums,in the fact it could have many hits ,if they would have played them all on the radio.If you never seen them live do your self a favor and se them and if you never got cd do your self a favor ,buy it you cant go wrong.I hope review was helpfull to you.



3. What? Other listener's rate this album as 3-4 stars. Seriously, if you like Cheap Trick, check out this 3rd release Heaven Tonight. It's a killer follow-up to the sophmore-set In Color. Along with their 4th release Dream Police, Heaven Tonight represents Cheap Trick in their finest and most rocking hour. It was all down-hill after that. Trust me!



4. 20 years ago I would have rated this higher, and there is still a lot to like here. Cheap Trick (CT) were power pop masters, the price is good, and the 2 bonus tracks don't hurt. However lyrics and vocals were always their downfall. Too often they had their tongue in their check, or at least acted like they did. They just could not commit to giving their all to a performance. The vocals always sound like he is holding a little back for fear you won't like it.
   
   Surrender still rocks, but you can play it on your kid's guitar hero. The rest is good, sometimes very good, but overall it sounds like they don't care, and therefore, neither do you. The price is so good, you are not really getting ripped off if you buy it, but I don't think you will get a lot of repeated play from this.



5. 
   One of Cheap Trick's best albums. Contains many solid tunes.
   
   However, Amazon did not send me the advertised disc. I received the remastered version with two bonus tracks. Sad to say, but this disc is yet another victim of the loudness wars. Not only has the dynamic range been compressed, but there are peaks that have been clipped at 0dbFS. Inexcusable. I have seen worse though.
   
   I was hoping to get a decent copy as the disc shown does not say "remastered".

5 comments about Electric Version.

1. All my New Pornographers music is on the iPod, and since it's always on shuffle, I only get one of their songs once in a while. None of them, with a couple of exceptions like All For Swinging You Around and The Laws Have Changed, are familiar enough to be instantly recognizable. And so there's always this moment as the song starts when I think, "wow, this is great stuff. What is it?" And, of course, it's them, with polished, radio-friendly instrumentation, complex vocal interplay among some combination of the four singers, and witty, smart lyrics. They're fun to listen to, sound like they are having fun together, and make it seem easy. That they do it so well, of course, is proof enough that they bring a lot of hard work and professionalism to make that finished sound. As with me, New Pornographers may not be your new hot thing on first listen but Electric Version and all their other work impresses steadily more with every listen.



2. Imagine a single songwriter was in possession of Paul McCartney's God-given instinct for melody as well as John Lennon's talent for astute surreal lyricism. As low-key as he likes to keep things, that about sums up the talents of A.C. Newman.
   
   It may sound like another collection of empty superlatives, but let me assure you, this record is the REAL DEAL.
   
   There are great moments on this album... no, wait... there are exultant moments, and I'm talking about those all too brief musical concoctions that take you to a higher place.
   
   'Electric Version' is unique in the New Pornographer's discography because it is constantly turned up to 11. I mean, it NEVER lets up. It's like a melodic and creative frenzy with enough ideas in each song for 5 of any other band's.
   
   And it is performed with unflinching conviction from the pounding opening pop/rock confection 'The Electric Version' to the lilting, faux 80's 'Miss Teen Wordpower'.
   
   Yes, retro-referencing is a big part of this album's fun. All the way through, if you're a pop connoisseur, you'll be thinking - "Hey, wasn't that the percussion intro to Ant Music?" or "That sounded like Blur mixed with Wings". It's all part of the fun of spending 40 minutes in A.C. Newman's wondrously creative mind. But it really doesn't matter whether you hear the connections or not, because the sum of the parts is so damn good.
   
   Unlike many other post-modern retro-rockers, everything Newman borrows and steals, he re-processes and makes his own. And Dan Bejar's contributions on this album are, as ever, wonderful and enigmatic, though his work reaches truly visionary status on the NP's next two albums 'Twin Cinema' and 'Passengers'.
   
   Here, it's really Newman's show, as he turns out onw mind blowing, cryptic anthem after another - 'The End of Medicine', 'The Law's have Changed', 'The New Face of Zero and One' and 'It's Only Divine Right' just for starters.
   
   This band has playing chops to burn; I'm sure they could jam on Rachmaninoff without raising a sweat. Neko Case sings gloriously (check out her cool execution on 'All For Swinging You Around' and the band have never been, and never will be again as joyously, rapturously in musical bliss as they are on this album. Buy it and play it... from Blown Speakers of course...!



3. I rarely buy CD's because Amazon says "you'll love it!", but I'd grown tired of my own musical discoveries when I purchased this CD, and reading a few independent reviews, decided it was worth a shot. The first good listen was (as usual) in my car, and it was love at first sound. If you are as big a fan of music as I've been you have a few moments that stand out in your memory where your brain does a reset. For me there were moments like seeing REM on the Life's Rich Pageant tour, catching Wilco at a shoebox sized theater in Savannah, seeing Radiohead at a small outdoor venue near Atlanta, Camper Van Beethoven on the Key Lime Pie tour, and, more recently, hearing the New Pornographers for the first time (this was a few years ago, since then of course I have all their discs and have seen them live every chance I get). If you like pop music, like music that you can't help but sing along to, and you don't own this disc, what is your excuse? Get with it.



4. Any accusation that "today's music ain't got the same soul, I like that ol' time rock n' roll" is quickly proven false with Electric Version. This eclectic collection of tunes is a breath of fresh air; a new musical direction which, somehow, still manages to sound vaguely familiar to classic r'n'r tunes. Complex harmonies add layers to a flawlessly produced array of tunes; a CD which was a #1 choice for best CD of 2003 in many polls. Any rock n roll critics can find solace (with this CD) that this genre is still alive and well and in very competent hands with musicians of this caliber in the new millennium. I look forward to more...



5. After not being able to remove it from my cd player, The first New Pornographer's album that I listened to, "Twin Cinema," soon became one of my favorite albums of the past ten years. Of course, once I realized how great it was, I ran out and got the band's three other albums, each of which I played a few times and realized that they weren't as good as "Twin Cinema." But precious few albums, in my opinion, reach that level, and, after listening to all of them some more, I realized that each was quite good.
   
   I like "Electric Version" slightly better that "Mass Romantic," -- it's more polished and contains, overall, stronger songs. In fact, other than the Dan Bejar contributions, which I have to admit I don't care for on either of the first two NP albums (note that the subsequent Bejar songs "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras," and "Myriad Harbor" are two of the band's best), the Carl Newman songs stay at an exceptionally high level. In "The Laws Haven't Changed," the band follows a typical pattern: Carl Newman starts, then sings with the band, then the extraordinary Neko Case finishes. (I can state almost categorically that any NP song on which Neko has a solo is a great one). "Laws" is an extraordinary song and one of my NP favorites. Just as good is the surprisingly rocking "It's Only Divine Right." While I usually can't figure out what the lyrics mean of either Newman or Bejar songs, I can still say that both are unique and quirky lyricists, which is a consistent strength of the band. Here's a bit of "It's Only Divine Right":
   
   Both eyes drinking cool water,
   not the first daughter
   so I can't see why you're wrestling with words at last,
   a tradition you've long outclassed
   Come true for the new martyrs,
   with your hair parted like the Red Sea
   You're addressing the world from your bed,
   all alone in the crowd like you said
   Come true, it's only divine right.
   
   I can't pretend I understand it, but it seems pretty cool! If you haven't already, please give this wonderful band a listen.