5 comments about Under The Covers, Vol. 1.

1. Sweet & Hoffs of the Bangels doing some standards. Godd album especially at the discounted price. Seller ships fast. Product as advertised.



2. This is a note for note reproduction of some 60's classics. If you like the songs, listen to the originals! To Matthew Sweet: why? There is no reason for this CD. Here are to fine guitarists, Richard Lloyd (formerly of Television)and Sweet and they could not put their own spin on the songs? The Zombies' Care of Cell #44 is really in need of an updated arrangement. The only value is playing this CD along with Joan Jett's [ASIN] The Hit List at a party to make your guests think they fell into an alternate universe. That said, Susanna Hoffs is a fine singer and does justice to the Velvet's Sunday Morning. If one song is worth the price of the CD, it is that song. Then again, Sweet's background vocals on the Fairport Conventions' Who Knows Where The Time Goes? really ruins the song.



3. You don't have to be old enough to have heard these 40 year old songs in their original releases to enjoy their covers by Hoffs and Sweet.
   The harmonies are flawless, and the arrangements are impeccable.



4. This recording is by the exquisitely talented team of Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, who obviously love each of the songs and artists from the 1960's and '70's they've chosen to cover. The selection is wonderful if you like slightly obscure or forgotten pop gems (e.g., Alone Again Or by Love, I See The Rain by The Marmalade, and She May Call You Up Tonight by The Left Banke) as well as a few more frequently heard songs. The versions here are uniformly gorgeous, compelling, and heartwarming. Some of them are uncannily like the originals. I have never heard a better recording of cover tunes. Bravo, Ms. Hoffs and Mr. Sweet!



5. With so many others having already given detailed reviews of this CD, there is no need for me to elaborate here. Instead, I'll just briefly say what I think is most relevant about this disc. Other reviewers have said that this disc is well-recorded. It is not. It is hard and glassy-sounding and tiring, especially when listened to on better stereo equipment, though it is less problematic on portable CD players and headphones. The music itself includes some great songs, though I did not like some of them. For what it is, this music is well enough performed here, but the recording is not very good. I'd rather have my money back.

5 comments about Bellybutton.

1. This album is simple pop-rock bliss. Recommended if you like bands like Queen, the Zombies, Soul Asylum, Semisonic, and The 88.



2. ...Vaguely distantly remembered in the mists of the strange cluttured pop landscape of the early nineties. Gave a flashing glance to "The King is Half-Undressed" video and was mildly intrigued at the time. 19 FREAKIN YEARS later stumble upon Bellybutton in a Goodwill (Goodwill, AND HOW!!)bin for .99.
   
   I feel like I have been granted a miracle of no small order at precisely the time I needed it. To say this is perfectly crafted, honed-to-a-fiery-brilliance pop gem is accurate. To say these musicians are vastly talented, greatly inspired and clever songwriters/producers is ALSO accurate. But the level of pure transformational ART at work here is of an otherworldly order, my friends.
   
   It sort of rewrites the playbook. I kept trying to encapsulate in a short sentence what this band achieved and how they could be characterized so I could describe it to my brother (a musician, like myself)....nearly impossible. Best I could come up with is what if the Beatles were actually an American band, came along 30 years or so later, and were deeply influenced by Gentle Giant?
   
   But that is all artifice, not ART, which is so clearly and radiantly what this is. I've just ordered Spilt Milk and am waiting on huge delicate tenter-hooks until it gets here....
   
   HAPPY LISTENING!!!



3. I was fortunate enough to be in London back in the early 90's when "Bellybutton" was first released, & got to see the original line-up at Wembley Stadium as the opening act for 5 other bands, the headliner being INXS. I had never heard of Jellyfish, but was immediately taken by their "psychedelisized, power-pop, Beatle-esque" approach to their music, & stage show. So the first thing I did the next day was search out their album at the local HMV store, & of course, fell in love with it. I remember that they put on quite an impressive advertising campaign to try to get as many as possible into their music before their upcoming Wembley show, the most outrageous being a helicopter flying over the stadium the day of the show, dropping countless postcards "introducing" the band to the people as thousands were filing in for the all-day affair. My only regret is that they disbanded much too soon, as they most assuredly would have put out several more excellent albums. My personal opinion is that they emerged at an inconvenient period, just as the grunge scene was beginning, & were just too musical for the times-10 years earlier & who knows, they may have become the supergroup they so richly deserved to be.



4. Alas only I and a few others acknowledge that. If you band members read this, know that your symphonic orchestrational genius is recognized.
   
   This band belongs in the inner circle of The Beatles, Bad Finger, Squeeze, etc.
   
   - [...]



5. Simply put. It's one of the greatest recordings ever, that sadly few in the world will ever hear, but the few who have know it's captivating hold and unforgettable songs. Often I've heard critics remark that it's a tribute to the Beatles and while their are traces of Beatlesk sounds found on this record. The music is more a tribute to the early sounds of the 70's and Brien Wilson. One direct link could be the theme song to the TV show. The Courtship of Eddie's Father. "Best Friend" sung by Harry Nilsson. This song could pass for Jellyfish song. Check out their follow-up as well, Split Milk. It's just as good, but alas, like all good things. It couldn't last forever. But what we do have will influence generations to come. In our minds and hearts. Jellyfish's beautiful and endearing music will live on forever.

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 My Winter Storm (U.S Version).

1. Personal Review: I will say I am no music critic, or professional. I am however a writer and artist, one who has used the power of Nightwish's music for some time for emotional and spiritual inspiration. I first discovered the band due to the recommendation of a friend and from the first time I heard Nemo, to the Walt Disney tribute Fantasmic, every word and sound had me hooked like a drug. But naturally, it did not last and Tarja was fired from the band. Now comes the debate.
   
   Critics and 'loyalists' to Nightwish say that the true fans stay with the band even with their new lead singer. And I am sorry but Annette is not Tarja. Her high pitched squeaky voice does nothing to capture the power and emotion previously given to us and if anything is out of place in that style of music. Something akin to Brittney Spears singing with Korn. Not pretty. In fact it is at the point where I cannot listen to their new cd due to Annette butchering the sound, despite my hope they MIGHT save the album. In my personal opinion, they will not last.
   
   Tarja's new cd came as a saving grace to me and I was more then eager to get it. I will say I believe any actual Nightwish fan will be more compelled to check out this album then Dark Passion Play and the like.
   
   Technical Review: Bottom line, Tarja's voice is just as powerful and emotional as always, and upon hearing even just the first few songs I was taken back. Musically some of the songs lack the power of previous Nightwish albums like Once, but then again that is hard to top. Many of the songs from My Winter Storm carry a more sorrowful tone, which does not lack. So my final review is just this, while it is not as powerful as Tarja's former works with Nightwish, it certainly is a remarkable improvement from Dark Passion Play. And I hope this review encourages Nightwish fans to at least give this album a chance, regardless of what Nightwish's 'true fans' say.



2. I don't write many reviews, but wanted to add one here because this album deserves the support. I love this album! I was pleasantly surprised by how well-produced this CD is, the excellent musicians and how many great songs there are. I was a big Nightwish fan up until the new vocalist and album which lost me. But unlike some reviewers I do not miss the faster, heavy songs that this album only has a couple of. The symphonic passages, chorus backgrounds and beautiful melodies are all here. The album has a really nice flow to it, and almost every song is really good... and there are alot of songs! I also have to say that Tarja's voice is better than ever, and sings with such feeling.
   
   I will continue to buy Tarja's music based on this album. Great work!



3. Gave this as a Christmas gift. Recipient wanted this specifically, said it is a great CD. Former lead singer from Nightwish.



4. A little different that NightWish, but if you are a NightWish fan, you will like this.



5. At least for those of us who don't appreciate those thin little twelve-year old girl squeaks Sarah ejects into the air, and prefer a womanly voice. Way more pleasing to the ear.
   
   This album blends a mild metallica sound with an epic, creepy, opera sound. Nice and moody. I love it! I also love those sharp industrial roars, clacks, creaks, and booms used in the background of several tracks here. The track Ciaren's Well goes a little too into the metallica side for my taste, while You Would Have Loved This and Calling Grace were too slow. But I would not take a star off for them. The only track that I really don't like is My Little Pheonix--it emulates Sarah's childish style too much. I Walk Alone and Poison have a fun, yet haunting, whimsical pop to them. Damned and Divine (Live - Bouns Track) is dark and groovy. Oasis is downright breathtaking.
   
   I'm glad this artist split from that other group. I listened to them to see what the fuss is about, and found them abrasive and boring. Her talent was wasted with them. This though, this is amazing. I hope her future holds more of this kind of music.

5 comments about Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead.

1. The Grateful Dead carry so much cultural baggage that their music tends to get lost in the haze. This CD is fun for Deadheads who get to hear different takes of songs they've heard over and over. It's also a wonderful way to introduce the uninitiated to the band's highly underrated songwriting skills. Dead songs are typically intelligent (no "love to love you baby" stuff from this band), melodic and arranged in a very interesting way. Many people will never have heard any of them because the very words "Grateful Dead" cause them to recoil in horror at the thought of unwashed dreadlocks, patchouli oil, veggie burritos prepared under questionable sanitary conditions, and India cotton clothes with little bells on them--so let them hear the songs done by people like Elvis Costello and Jane's Addiction. Some of these covers are real gems, some are strong but not quite magical, I have mixed feelings about some, and some are weak. Your take will no doubt depend on how you feel about the artists and the songs. There are clearly some big differences of opinion. Here's how I feel.
   
   Gems:
   Elvis Costello's heartfelt, exquisite "Ship of Fools" (my favorite track; his voice and persona are just right for this cranky but deceptively pretty ballad)
   Lyle Lovett's gorgeous "Friend of the Devil" (an absolutely top drawer musician whose style is perfectly matched to this well-loved bluegrass-style song)
   Suzanne Vega's lively, melodic "Cassidy"
   Indigo Girls "Uncle John's Band"
   
   Quite Strong:
   Bruce Hornsby's "Jack Straw" (some might find it a bit too slick but I love Hornsby's singing and playing)
   Burning Spear's "Estimated Prophet"
   Dr. John's "Deal"
   
   Depends on my Mood:
   The Cowboy Junkies "To Lay Me Down" (an elegant but very slowwww version of a song that was never a rocker to begin with)
   Dwight Yoakam's "Truckin" (energetic and light-hearted but a little too country for my taste)
   
   Unorthodox But Interesting:
   Jane's Addiction's "Ripple"
   Midnight Oil's "Wharf Rat"
   
   Weak:
   Warren Zevon and David Lindley's "Casey Jones"
   Los Lobos's "Bertha" (This is not one of my favorite songs and I don't care for Los Lobos)
   The Harshed Mellows' "US Blues" (I'd never heard of this band before or since, and I don't think they did much with a sub-par song that was played to death as a Dead show encore)
   Suzanne Vega's "China Doll"



2. I think this is a great album that captures the spirit of The Dead, yet each artist puts their own spin on the songs. It's a shame it's hard to find, but worth looking for.



3. This is a truly mighty compilation- a unique tool for the seasoned Deadhead to use for sharing great Dead songs with the uninitiated.
   
   As a life long lover of the Grateful Dead, I would be the first to admit that, although the Dead wrote some of the finest rock ballads and party anthems ever penned, they rarely recorded very well in the studio.
   
   This album is a chance to hear what some of their finest works could have sounded like if the Dead had been really good in the studio.



4. The varied artists do a great job of representing some most excellent dead songs. Susan Vega is melodic on her version of Cassidy. The Jane's Addiction take of Ripple is nice too. I personally like "pickin on the dead" tribute album just a touch better, but that is me



5. Picked this CD out of the rack after not listening to it for years.
   
   Los Lobos' Bertha interpretation is close to the original, but with a nice hint of accordion. Bruce Hornsby's Jack Straw is great, one can tell he played with the Dead many a time and I (for one ;-) think that he performed wonderfully with them over the years. Whatever you think of him, he can play piano.
   
   Forget The Hashed Mellows' US Blues, what a disappointing straightforward rock-ish version that is. Elvis Costello's Ship of Fools is sort of interesting in the sense that he has some of Jerry's raspiness and I like the instrumentation.
   
   Suzanne Vega's China Doll sounds like, well, a Vega tune, which isn't bad, but perhaps a bit dull. Happily her Cassidy is much livelier, certainly besting her 1988 appearance with GD in New York. Her delivery makes me appreciate the lyrics more than I did though.
   
   Dwight Yoakim's Truckin' is kind of fun, which kind of scares me because I'm no country fan, and catches the spirit of the song. Warren Zevon/David Lindley's Casey Jones is utterly forgettable.
   
   Indigo Girls' Uncle John's Band provides a harmonic touch, but they seem bored with the tune. Bit I sure liked Lyle Lovett's Friend of the Devil, a nice acoustic version of the classic.
   
   Cowboy Junkies' To Lay Me Down makes you believe this was a Junkies' song all along, with the typical Timmins guitar sound and ability to make any song a sad one. Midnight Oil's Wharf Rat may bear the least resemblence to the original, but provides some much needed interest to the CD.
   
   Burning Spear's Estimated Prophet is the reason to buy this CD. Hard to believe Rodney hadn't listened to the Dead before, because it's so right. Actually, I like this version better than the original.
   
   Dr. John's Deal is somewhat overdone. Finally, I know folks here like Jane's Addiction's Ripple, but I think it strips the song of its beauty, like sung by a bunch of drunks at a karaoke bar, oh wait...

5 comments about Mass Romantic.

1. I've always lumped this band into those indie bands (the ones you never hear on the radio,but always "the next best thing" in rolling stone). I decided to give this album a listen over break when i was bored. Wow!It was alot better then i thought. I thought the cd was going to sound like the duke spirit, but this band def. held their own. This cd actually turned out to be pretty good. Most of this cd is catchy, and alittle ahead of its time if it was made 10 years ago. Most of the tracks are pretty fun to listen to, and they give off a beach boys/ mamas and papas kind of vibe. Overall, if you want to listen to something interesting,fun, and enjoyable you should def. buy this album, its well worth it!



2. I had heard some of the songs before but the ones that I hadn't heard were just as good. Overall excellent.



3. this is a very catchie album... anyone who thinks indie music isn't fun they are dumb.... this whole album is a pleasure to listen to. it puts a smile on my face every time!



4. For the past five years, all I listened to was classic rock, and then for a moment, classical. So, as you can imagine, all that came from The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who, etc., bombarded me, and I still went further into the depths of classic rock. In particular, I found that I loved the best of Progressive Rock and Power Pop, but when I thought about making the music industry my career, I realized that I would need to listen to some new music. For me, the easy transition that I was looking for would be with a band that seemed to be both popular in the modern day, as well as power pop. That's where The New Pornographers came in. It's not fair to simply call them power pop, but it seemed to me that it fit the genre close enough. In any case, I downloaded this first album of theirs, and I instantly loved it, or at least parts of it. After listening to it six times since a little more than two months ago, along with all of their other albums, I truly believe that this is their best album by a mile. Everything about this album was new, yet familiar, and I especially loved all of the vocal harmonies that run through the entire album. I can confidently say that this even rivals many of the classic rock albums that I own, and I am glad to have made the step into this era of music.



5. I love power pop and great song writing with something unique in its overall sound quality. That is a lot to ask of pop music these days. This band of talent delivers something relevant, unique, and powerful on a continuum. If you find yourself liking the New Porns, this album is required. Don't get me started on 'Letters to an Occupant', as I see it as one of the greatest pop songs of all time. Lots of related artist material to be had here, but this one is cohesive and outstanding for all situations.

5 comments about Keep An Eye On The Sky.

1. I delayed buying this collection. March 17th is my birthday. It is also the day that Alex Chilton died. Normally all I have to contend with is the St. Patrick's Day Parade in NYC. #2 drinking-by-amateurs-day after New Year's Eve. A good day to stay in. I was truly saddened by Alex Chilton's passing. This boxed set is my birthday gift to myself, and my toast to Alex Chilton.
   
   I bought the vinyl #1/Radio City reissue sometime in the '70's. I knew who Big Star were but when I finally scraped up enough cash the albums were gone from the record stores. Nor were they ever handed in at Free Being, my favorite re-cycled record store. Nobody, if anybody, who bought them ever traded them in. By the early '70's I was living in Manhattan, frequenting the downtown rock scene, I even upgraded my first apartment from one which had a bathtub in the kitchen to one with a proper bathroom. It was on Lexington Avenue, between 34 & 33rd.
   
   One night, coming home from the clubs, I piled into the 1905 built elevator, with the steel door and grid you pulled shut. Alex Chilton & Jon Tiven (famous seminal rock critic & now blues songwriter) shoved into the tiny elevator. I recognized Alex but was too shy to speak. Said hello to Jon. Went up to my apartment. It wasn't until I bought Alex's early 45 rpm single "Shaking the World from 33rd and Lex" that I realized he was not some famous rock star guy, but my neighbor. Message to self, and anyone else: next time you are next to someone who's music, or art, or work, you admire, tell them so. Alex never heard it enough in his lifetime methinks.
   
   If you already own the three Big Star records (which I do, in vinyl, on cassette, on CD) then this box is a treasure trove. Like other reviewers, I suggest you start with what has gone before. This collection of alternate versions, remastered originals, and a classic live 1973 gig (which I own on cassette, along with other Big Star live sets like "Nobody Can Dance" or the one from the college where I forget.) Big Star is the link from mid-sixties greatness - Byrds, Beatles, British Invasion, blue-eyed soul - with '70's glam, singer songerwriter nuances, and the soon-to-be Indie/Alternative bent. Like any art form that is transitional from one era to another there are bound to be originators who fall through the cracks. Think Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, Dictators, Modern Lovers, Television... the list goes on.
   
   I only saw Big Star live once. At Little Steven's Underground Garage Festival in 2004. It was a gluttinous affair - crammed with garage bands from all over the world, as well as originators - Electric Prunes, Nancy Sinatra, Richard and the Young Lions, the Creation, Pretty Things, capped off with the re-invented NY Dolls and Iggy & the Stooges (I'd mention the Strokes - they were there too - but coming in-between David Johansen and Iggy Pop, those two pros virtually pantsed Julian Casablancas and spanked him in front of 15k people.) It was easy to overlook Big Star. Too much sensory overload. They played a great set, filled with classic songs, to an appreciative multi-generational audience who relished the infrequent opportunity to see them perform. (C'mon, parents with kids wearing Dead Boys tee shirts were there. It was a pig-fest of great music. Maybe Lil Steve will get around to that promised DVD someday...)
   
   Anyway. I always thought I'd get the chance again to see Big Star live. They periodically surfaced. They were due to play SxSW this weekend. But not to be. Goodbye, Alex. This is the saddest rock & roll passing since December 8, 1980. It's a day or two since my birthday, St. Patrick's Day, but I'm toasting it to you and the great music you made throughout my lifetime. I still have the Box Tops first album in my record closet. "Cry Like A Baby" and "The Letter" were two of my favorites in High School. RIP. I'm blasting your tunes til the neighbors bang on my walls.



2. Yesterday we lost one of our most cherished "cult heroes" - Alex Chilton died here in New Orleans.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. 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.

5 comments about BUDOKAN!(30th Anniversary DVD+3CDs).

1. I was really sorry to hear all the problems others were having with this box set and was hesitant to buy it. So instead of getting it from Amazon I went to a local bookstore and got it there. I figured it was much easier to drive 10 mins. to return it instead of boxing it up and waiting for a refund. I must be one of the lucky ones as the disks are all perfect with no scratches. However I can see how they could be easily damaged and agree the packaging could have been done much better. Now, having said that, I think it's one of the best box sets I have bought in a long time. This is truly a classic and belongs in every music lovers collection. With the exception of Queen's Live at Wembley, I have never seen a band so tight in a live performance. The boys were right on that night and feeding off the energy from the crowd. It's a real treat to be able to see the show and the CD's are equally enjoyable. I also liked the book that came along with it. It was fun to read how the guys reacted to their sudden rise to rock god status and some of the close calls they had with the adoring fans who literally want a piece of them. The poster is nice too, but I think I'll just keep that in the box. All in all I think this is worth the price and it's a very nice bit of music history. If you are worried about getting a damanged copy, then I would buy it locally as it's easier to return that way, but really worth getting it!



2. i waited about a year to buy this at a more reasonable price. i paid $20.
   
   this would be a 5 star set, but i knocked off one star because of the faulty packaging where the cardboard slots for the 4 discs did leave a friction line on the discs, but luckily my discs played thru. i've put my discs in cd sleeves with cut corners & loosely stuck them back in the slots to prevent further wear. however, the box & booklet are really nice looking.
   
   the dvd itself is spectacular. the video & sound is excellent given the age of the source material. it's great to have a video image now to go with these familiar tracks.
   
   the bonus disc 2 cd of the alternate Friday show is an added plus. it's great to have an alternate version of the beloved original concert. makes it fresh again & it's fun to hear the differences.
   
   the 2 discs of the Complete Concert is the same remaster as the 1998 remaster. it's the same date listed in the booklet & by my ear too, it sounds the same.
   
   all in all, a most enjoyable set. would have been 5 stars if it held the discs better & a lower list price given the redundancy of 2 of the discs.



3. I read the reviews and decided to take a chance anyway...but the discs are scratched.



4. This DVD/CD set is over priced, first of all, considering that the original record came out in 1978, even though it didn't contain the complete concert. Also, the film footage, is not filmed all that well. The CD's are the best part, because they sound better, and contain the complete concert. Also, the packaging is bad, it damaged my discs as well.



5. I was confused by the necessity of the 3CDs, along with the DVD. When I read the booklet included, it all made sense. Let me explain...
   
   First off, there were 3 concerts in Japan in 1978...the first one was in Osaka on April 27th, 1978, then TWO at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, the first on April 28th then the second on April 30th...only the first show was filmed for Japanese TV, with 3 songs left out for time constraints or changing reels, I don't know, but I doubt they were filmed at all. The SECOND, though, was the show that was recorded and released as "Live At Budokan"...condensed for the original 10-track CD, 9 leftovers released as "Budokan II" in 1993 (along with tracks from shows a year later, expanding it to a complete album), and expanded for the 1998 2CD set "The Complete Concert"...one track from the Osaka concert, "Lookout", made it onto a 6-track "Budokan" promo sampler, issued to promote the 2CD set.
   
   Now we have this release in a pretty cool boxset...I have no problem with the packaging at all...the discs are all secure...I hope we don't see any more versions in the future...unless the DVD is on Blu-Ray, haha...nah really, this should be it...both Budokan concerts in full and the 1st one from the Japanese TV show on DVD...too bad we can't see a video counterpart to the famous intros from the second show that were the hit versions of "I Want You To Want Me" and "Surrender", as that show was not filmed, just audio recorded...unless there are bootlegs from that second concert. I figured out that the reason the 1st show made it onto 1 disc (CD2) while the famous second one was still on 2, identical to the 1998 release...meticulously remastered by JD and BD and CT, I'm not sure...is because the 1st show was 79 minutes and change, while the 2nd was 82 minutes, so it still had to be split up...it's cool to have both...the DVD is very fun...the interview was cool but short, 15 minutes, and the bonus 2008 performances were nice but they pale next to the 1978 TV show in their prime...I didn't notice much screaming from fans though...still, I hope this is it for "Budokan"...leave it alone, it's just a concert, albeit a great one.
   
   Cheap Trick rules...now on to "The Latest".

5 comments about Welcome Interstate Managers.

1. Fountains of Wayne burst on the scene in the mid-1990s, and have been producing that great Power-Pop sound ever since. Featuring great guitar work, and nice excellent vocals, the band has a great sound that keeps you coming back for more.
   
   I must admit, though, that I don't entirely know what to make of this album. The songs are all great to listen to, but when you get familiar with the words, you start scratching your head. Halley's Waitress is a lovely song that turns out to be about a waitress who keeps disappearing. Fire Island sounds so good, until you realize it's about teenagers throwing a (literally) smashing party while their parents are out of town. Stacy's Mom is an upbeat toe-tapper that turns out to be about a young man's crush on his girlfriend's mother. And I could go on.
   
   Don't get me wrong, it doesn't ruin the songs, quite the opposite. This is a very silly album that has a surprise around every corner, and I love it! This really is a fun album, one that I enjoy listening to over and over again. Three cheers for Fountains of Wayne!



2. It seems that every holiday season, I hear one or two jingles on the TV
   commercials that are so beautiful that I pursue their source on the
   internet. Last year it was the Mattel commercial song "Have Fun", and
   this year it was the song accompanying a catalog for gifts, "Valley
   Winter Song, by Fountains of Wayne. They are a soft rock group with
   songs having harmony and pretty melodies. For those not full of teen
   or early 20's anger, this is very pleasant listening.



3. ...to a time when you didn't have to be "edgy" (which is to say "punk wannabes") to get signed. As I write this, "Valley Winter Song" is being used on L.L. Bean's Holiday TV ad. On strength of the 30 lousy seconds heard in that ad, I ran a Yahoo search for the title based on the lyrics of that clip, came over here and downloaded the track. It reminds me of a cross between Simon & Garfunkel's "Flowers Never Bend In the Rainfall" and the work of a group nobody talks about these days: The Cyrkle (remember "Red Rubber Ball" and "Turn Down Day?). I hadn't thought about that band for ages and I used to play those two songs in garage bands. I keep hearing the phrase "power pop" in other reviews and I've been more and more suspicious of labels every day. Particularly since I first heard that term applied to Foreigner and Journey. Plus suggestions that the entire content of this group's albums isn't necessarily consistent with the "Winter" song. So what have we got here--an S&G/ Cyrkle of the 21st Century? That will be a refreshing change, given how we're inundated by gangsta rap pounding from nearby cars in traffic.



4. When I heard these words, the first of the first song, I was completely hooked.
   
   It's a great album, full of 1960's-sounding music, but with themes from the 1990's and 2000's. Every song's a winner, with lyrics that stick in your mind.



5. i love this cd. fountains of wayne are more versatile than you'd imagine -- they span everything from country-like rock to punk rock to acoustic. and the lyrics are beautiful, as well. go fountains of wayne!

5 comments about Cheap Trick.

1. I recently purchased the first 5 re-mastered Cheap Trick cd's so nows a good time to review them all. My introdution to the band was Dream Police and that was my favorite for many years- but I never even listened to the first one for a long time after its release. Aint that a shame- 'cuz this one is probably my favorite album by them. It definitly has a different vibe than anything that came after- much more raw and edgier. In fact, it may take a CT fan of thier later stuff a few listens to get into, but once you do you're in for a treat!
   
   One thing that always annoys me is when people say CT do not write very deep lyrics. Well if you really pay attention, Rick Neilson's lyrics can be taken any number of ways- though most of the ones on this record are pretty well laid out. Songs about Suicide, pediophiles, drug addictions, serial killers and the like is not what i would consider lite pop rock that many people seem to view them as. Definitly a true classic album- even without a well known song!



2. In the mid 70's Cheap Trick emerged from Illinois, a band that were huge fans of 60's rock and pop, particulary the Beatles and British power house band The Move. Their debut album (the first in a triology of brilliantly crafted melodic heavy rocking pop classics) was easily one of the best albums of it's time. However as most of CT's legacy has declined in the mainstream conscious in recent years, its hard to understand that these guys were really ahead of their time, so much in fact that only Japan really 'got' these early albums. The band were superstars there and didn't even know it. However this first album album finds the band creating top notch hooky riffs courtesy of guitarist Rick Neilsen. The vicious opener Elo Kiddies is a breath of fresh air when comparing it to what was going on in '77. Robin Zander has that charismatic "pretty guy" frontman look, as does bass player Tom Peterson but guitarist Neilsen and (awesomely simplistic) drummer Bun E. Carlos were the "weird" looking guys that always gave CT a unique image, the album cover alone confused many spectators. 'Daddy Should've Stayed In High School' is about pedophilia, 'Oh Candy' is about suicide, and The Ballad Of TV Violence' speaks for itself. This is a dark album lyrically indeed, but of course delivered with a devilish sense of humor, a twisted one indeed, and that was the purpose here. Without magnifying the lyrics though, this is brilliantly executed, packed with hooks, lots of melodicism yet also heavy, and sludgy rock n roll. It's a campy yet poetic combination of metal, pop, and new wave mixed with edgy nostaligia. Neilsen is a great guitar player, the sound of the riffs themselves are delivered with such a threatning yet still somewhat friendly tone. Peterson's interesting bass style as well as Bun E's amazingly primitive yet somehow never ever boring drumming style rounds out everything. Every member makes a name of themselves here on the debut. There isnt much more than can be said about this that hasnt already been said, but if you're still not convinced to get this or any of CT's pre Dream Police era albums...it's an essential...key tracks include ELO Kiddes, Speak Now, Oh Candy, He's A Whore, Daddy Should've Stayed In High School, and Cry Cry.



3. When this first came out, it took a few listens, to really appreciate it. In any case, a unique band, with a unique sound had emerged, and the rest is history. Like the Ramones, or even Devo, for that matter, Cheap Trick's appearance, as well as some of the subject matter of the lyrics, it seemed like they were a joke at first. This was not the case, they were dead serious about the music.



4. Well..in my humble opinion..the Trick never really surpassed themselves after this. Probably because i'm all about the raw..aggressive..guitar driven style of rock the 70's were famous for..and this delivers in aces! They were never as balls-out as they were here...yet retaining the pop sensebilities they are famous for. Saw them shortly after this was released at a small club..they played 2 sets..and i came away a fan. 'Daddy".."Elo".."Whore"..and 'Speak Now" are all classics that hold up along side anything they've done since. And with Ricks perfect "trash guitar" salvos..and Robins amazing vocals..they were a formidable band in their time. Don't get me wrong..they still exhibit an occasional flash of brilliance..but these days..they concentrate too much on ballads and sappy love songs for my taste. This is the pure undiluted Trick!!!



5. This is cheap tricks first album. Its got some really good songs on it. there are a couple that are not quite as good, but they arent bad either.