5 comments about Healing.

1. Todd Rundgren has, as a rock genius, been known as an egotist. But on this album and on "Almost Human," he embraces the grace of humility and gratitude for the experience of a "higher power" that is in all of us. The chord progressions, lyrics, and the brilliant singing and lyrics, should not be missed. Buy this album!



2. I ordered "Healing" by Todd Rundgren. Instead, I received a CD from a 1950s blues artist whose name I do not recall. I sent the CD back and have not received the item I purchased, NOR have I received so much as an acknowledgement that an error occurred. I reported this online via customer service. The response: Nothing.
   
   To add insult to injury, the "postage paid" return envelope was invalid and I had to pay postage to return the item. To repeat: I HAD TO PAY POSTAGE TO RETURN THE ITEM I DID NOT ORDER -- AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE ITEM I ORDERED -- NOR HAVE I RECEIVED ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT AN ERROR OCCURRED.
   
   Please help.
   
   Thank you.
   
   Harry Baldauf



3. Healing is the most subtle and sensitive side of Todd.
   
   There are catchy melodies and creative arrangements. But there is a subtle presence of Todd's highest self throughout.
   
   From the opening confession, "I had a vision in my sleep last night; something was calling to me from a blinding light; saying not to fear it; hear it" to the hypnotic, trance, new age, healing melodies of side two, this is perhaps Todd's most sincere and highest expression of who he is.
   
   There's a little humor sprinkled throughout ("Tiny Demons" and "Golden Goose"), and even with Todd's seemingly infinite overdubs, there is a lot of silence on this album. A lot of healing.



4. Artist Dimthingshineon recently did a cover of Todd Rundgren song: "Flesh" on his latest 4 CD project called "Nostalgia" released in 2009. Check out http://www.myspace.com/dimthingshineon
   or http://www.geocities.com/dimthingshineon



5. I was a college drop out when this album first came out and had taken a nowhere job working overnight as a maintanance man for McDonalds. Part of the "charm" at that time was that I was able to bring a boom box to work with me and listen to what ever I wanted while I scrubbed the floors, rest rooms, etc.
   
   I was very down and wondering what life had ahead of me. During one day off, I purchased this album and created an additional copy on cassette to play at work. The atmospheric music was mesmerizing at 3 or 4 in the morning and almost made me dizzy with the instrumentation. As the album came to a close, with its third part of the title track, the sun started coming up and had sprayed a ray of light just in front of me. I found that with the solitude of a lonely night's work, the power of Todd's music and lyrics, I was moved to get the heck out of that job, earn enough money to finish school and get out of this dead end job.
   
   I am now a college professor with a family of my own and still play this on the CD version. I once met Todd's manager, a very nice woman in Woodstock NY, and told her the story above. I wonder if she ever passed that message on.....
   
   Very uplifting album.

No comments about The Very Best of the Searchers.

5 comments about Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe.

1. Nick Lowe has had a fabulous career (35+ years and running), both as a singer-song-writer and as a hugey influential producer. He has released 'best of' compilations before (such as the excellent 1984 "16 All Time Lowes"), but now comes this 'new best' compilation.
   
   "Quite Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe" (2 CDs; 49 songs; 156 min.) brings what arguably could be called the ultimate 'best of' compilation of Nick Lowe. CD1 (25 tracks; 79 min.) brings us Nick Lowe rougly up to 1988, with so many classics brought by or written by Nick Lowe. It starts with a 1974 "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" first made famous by Elvis Costello but brought here by Brinsley Schwarz. The 1978 "Jesus of Cool" and 1979 "Labour of Lust" albums get plenty of tracks, and rightfully so, as they feature Lowe at the pack of his commercial success ("Cruel To Be Kind", "I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass", "Cracking Up', etc.). Check out also the excellent "Heart of the City", a b-side featured on a Stiff Records compilation. Lowe wrote/produced a couple of great tracks for Rockpile ("When I Write the Book" and "Play The Fast Thing (One More Time") that are also included here.
   
   CD2 (24 tracks; 77 min.) brings the post-1988 output, and the music is remarkably good, if not quite as outstanding as the early output. 1998's release "Dig My Mood", 2001's The Convincer" and the 2007 'come-back' album "At My Age" all get 4 or 5 tracks. I was really pleasantly surprised in particular by the "At My Age" album a few yers ago, which tells me that Nick Lowe has more good stuff up his sleeve. There are no new tracks on this generous and fantastic compilation, but I will keep my eye on Nick Lowe. Meanwhile, "Quite Please" is a fabulous overview of Nick Lowe's long and illustrious career.



2. Apart from "Cruel..." I rea;;y didn't know I lot about Nick Lowe before buying this cd. Mostly catchy little tunes that tend to grow on you. Some of the most "quirky" and imaginative lyrics I have heard. Excellent value, thoroughly recommend.



3. A couple of weeks ago I happened to see a man on Austin City Limits, while channel surfing. I was mesmerized by his charisma. I had never heard of him before. He had the audience, including myself, eating right out of his hand. After his perfomance, I ran to my computer and read everything I could about him. I ordered this album and have not listened to anything else for over a week. I am still trying to decide which song I like the best. So far it has been I Trained Her To Love Me, but my choice seems to change daily. I will have to include Nick Lowe along with Jimmy Buffett and Gordon Lightfoot as my favorite artists.



4. This is a very listenable CD that includes both old favorites and newer stuff. It's so wonderful that so many great artists from back in the day are still creating, and apparently living healthy.



5. BASHER was a terrific best-of disc. But QUIET PLEASE is a true collection, a retrospective that reveals the songwriting and performing genius of Nick Lowe.
   
   Disc One collects his earlier, more rock-oriented material; about 60% of it mirrors what's on BASHER. Highlights: "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," a track omitted from BASHER; the vicious and funny, "American Squirm"; and the incredibly catchy "I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock and Roll)". Quibble #1: Lowe has chosen to omit his cover of John Hiatt's "She Don't Love Nobody."
   
   Disc Two is mellower, more acoustic and more personal. As much as I like the earlier stuff, this is the disc I find myself listening to more often (like right now, as I write this). Highlights: "All Men Are Liars," which as funny as it is, cuts a little too close to the bone; "People Change," a sweet, wise and sad rumination on one of life's core truths; and "Don't Think About Her When You're Trying To Drive," the demo version of the Little Village song, which differs significantly from the previously released version.
   
   There are 49 tracks here, so of course there are one or two clunkers. And (quibble #2) there are no printed lyrics included. But if you want to follow a major musical artist from the beginning of his career to current day, and get a look into his heart, soul and funny bone, you really won't go wrong with this utterly addictive collection.

5 comments about Emergency 3rd Rail Power Trip/ Explosions In The Glass Palace.

1. I only recently heard of Rain Parade after buying the "Children of Nuggets" box set and was impressed by their mellow vocals and guitar work that I found reminiscent of "Revolver" era Beatles and early Floyd. This album had that and more. When it's over I just want to hit play again. Melodic, hypnotic and timeless.



2. The Birth of Indie music! Grab this disc while u can, totally worth the money.



3. Oh, how pleased I am to have come across this band and album about a year ago. I was a fan of Mazzy Star at that time, and with the knowledge that David Roback was also related with Rain Parade, I thought this album would be worth a shot. This isn't really the trippy psychedelic rock but rather a band focused more on subtle jangle melodies. My favorites are "Carolyn's Song", "Look at Merri", "Saturday's Asylum", "Kaleidoscope", and "Broken Horse". Give it a try if you want something reminiscent of '60s psychedelic rock a little on the downtrodden side.



4. I remember listening to Explosions in 1984 after I'd just left school, it's summer I'm high Blue is playing, I'm happy. Great to see it rereleased with 3rd Rail. Been trying to find it in the UK for the past year or so.



5. I'm old enough to have remembered this hometown band and I had bought the LP and EP when they came out--so, how have two decades and more effected my reception now to Rain Parade's sounds? A caution for anyone expecting from the CD title(s) some acid-drenched freakout. This is decidedly a bit narcoleptic--it lacks the full-blown (or bloated) effects that so many original (circa 1966/7) inspirations and neo-psych contemporaries piled on top of their winsome tunes. RP's more austere. Sort of like The Three O'Clock if they were less exuberant or chipper--or twee? Not as raucous as Salvation Army, but you can hear in RP hints of the earlier punk-pop scene in the three vocalists' untutored but determined delivery of downbeat lyrics.
   
   The first six songs on this CD reissue, that is, the first half of the E3rdRail LP, sound in retrospect much like Opal, except with male vocals rather than Kendra Smith's dreamier, sleepy style. These songs tend to move contemplatively, with nearly no obvious pandering to a more pop sensibility or a poser's easy donning of the outward style without the secret attitude that marks true psych. Rather than provide glaring flourishes, they retreat. They hold back rather than release tension.
   
   While other listeners have heard more baroque influences in these grooves, I do not: as I found way back in its vinyl versions, RP creates more ambience by suggestion rather than action. The music's quiet, and made for introspection, as the band's name portends.
   
   The liveliest cuts come on side 2, the next five songs, that is, side 2 of the LP. These sound much more like a band playing Sunset Strip such as Buffalo Springfield, or the politer side of the emerging psychedelic LA pioneers. Janglier, more effusive, with vocals mixed more to the front, and plaintive if convincingly earnest musical and singing projection that appeals more to the pop side of this style. These are more accessible cuts than side one--a surprise that flips the usual sequencing of albums.
   
   The final songs come from their later EP. This isn't the noisefest that the title seems to promise. The songs are more fleshed out with noticeably but still subtly more emphatic (although still restrained by comparison with many neo-psych bands) production and arranging. These last songs occupy a middle ground between the two styles on the LP, with a sound that settles down and blends the gloomier dirges with the peppier-poppish song-styles.
   
   Fans of Opal and perhaps the later Mazzy Star might like this album, as it shows David Roback and company--many of whom backed the later bands (see also the Rainy Day side project, the RP's odds-and-ends Demolition LP, and the non-D. Roback remnants of the band shifting into Viva Saturn) preparing for their later reliance on narcoleptic female faux-folkish singers, Kendra Smith, in fact, is credited on one song here. This is the sound that sparked a decade or so of activity along the same doleful paths into the center of the haunted mind.
   
   What RP has in common with later 80s/early 90s LA neo-psych is their concentration, and rather somber, self-important stance (which comes with any D. Roback-helmed record it seems). The band favors an often langorous, more swirling sound that deepens these musicians' trek into the mind more than the body, to mirror the interior, less obvious, effect of the SoCal pop-turns-psych 1966-7 sounds that, somehow, endured to re-surface with this band, beginning in the aftermath of punk and the accompanying stirrings of renewed countryish-indie-rock among those too young for hippies but old enough for early punk...and then branching out into the past 60s sounds to make them fresh again, around 15-20 years later after the groovy Sunset Strip era in LA.

5 comments about Feeling Strangely Fine.

1. ...that is the memory I associate with "Feeling Strangely Fine". Everyone has an album or two to plug into this particular teenage rite, and seeing as I was about four years too late for grunge, Semisonic and their contemporaries, for better or worse, became "my music".
   
   I was a freshman in high school in 1998, awkward and geeky, with emotions crackling inside of me like Pop Rocks dumped into a can of Diet Coke. Hackneyed similes aside, this record became a part of my life and was the soundtrack for all of those nights spent staring up at the ceiling of my room thinking "deep thoughts" or driving around aimlessly in my crappy car with friends. In some respects I may have moved on from the likes of "Closing Time" or "Made To Last", but I'll always drag them around in my head and on my cd shelf.
   
   These songs are not the edgiest, but rarely are they too saccharine or fluffy. Some might call Semisonic's music bland, but Feeling Strangely Fine's tracks are too multi-layered and thoughtful to deserve that harsh adjective. I would argue it's quite the opposite.
   
   I choose to offer this album up as the epitome of 90s pop rock. It is the mid-est of mid-tempo and damned proud of it! Perhaps "Feeling Strangely Fine" never quite took hold of the music-buying public because it walked the line a bit too well: a song like "Singing In My Sleep", for example, is too rockin' to be adult contemporary and not quite heavy enough to be considered alt. rock. Semisonic never quite found a home, I guess you could say.
   
   In spite of my crackpot pop music theories and naked sentimentality, though, you should give this album another listen. These guys are talented musicians who know how write and perform some great songs. Maybe I'm a bit too close to this album to ever speak ill of it, but I dare you to completely trash any album that your 16-year old self listened to late at night, wondering if that girl sitting in front of you in biology would go out with you.



2. Recently bought this album second hand and was so impressed I will look out for more. This is joyful well played music with Dan Music's tuneful voice and lyrics and John Munson supporting him on guitar and vocals. "Secret smile" is the stand-out but there is not a weak song on the set.



3. This CD pretty much contains every memory of the year it came out that I have. It's wonderful to just listen to on repeat while crashed out on the floor of your best friends' room while discussing everything and nothing at all. I love the ambience of the disk, and would recommend it to anyone at all.



4. Something you have to understand about this reviewer is I like to dabble a lot in weird types of music; psychedelic, prog rock, indie rock, jam bands, Southern Rock. I consider bands like Radiohead, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie, Porcupine Tree, and The Shins to be some of the best bands of the 2000's. It's also interesting to note that above everything else, I'm a pop-rock fan. I grew up with 90's music. If it's not catchy, I'm not interested. For my money, the 90's was the best decade for music; Toad the Wet Sprocket, REM, Live, etc.
   
   I'm not a huge Semisonic fan, and I don't need to be. I don't really have any interest to be, since the amount of money I spend on music is limited. However, the band's "Feeling Strangely Fine" reminds me of how simple life was in high school. People bought Tonic's "Lemon Parade." No one cared about their politics, about whether or not Rolling Stone considered them cool. People liked them because *gasp* they actually liked their music, because it was good. Nowadays, no band's played on the radio that doesn't consider middle American states bigots and inbred. "Music fans" have to ensure that a band disapproves of the War in Iraq, and gets an "okay" from Pitchfork and other pretentious internet music critics before buying a CD. It's ruined our media, morals, and music.
   
   I love this CD. Because they don't layer the songs with pretention. They just wrote good pop songs and people got that. The songs were for entertainment, to enrich the listener's life, not to completely define it. "Closing Time," of course, got the airplay, but "Singing in my Sleep" was twice the single. "Never You Mind" and "DND" had great melodies. And "Gone to the Movies" sold me on the CD. It defined EXACTLY how I felt during break-ups in high school. It remains one of the most meloncholie (spelling?) songs of the 90's. The CD is also on the of the decade's best; because of its simplicity and remeniscent qualities. How ironic that I listen to it all the time on my iPod.
   
   Overall: 8 out of 10.



5. I first heard Semisonic through a mix tape given to me 4 years ago, and the one song that always stood out to me was 'Singing In My Sleep.' It took me a while to find this album, and when I did, it did not leave my CD player for a very long time. It is an amazing piece of rock genius by the rock genius himself, Dan Wilson. Every song on this album is a standout, especially 'Singing in My Sleep,' 'Never You Mind,' 'Secret Smile,' and 'California'(my favorite song right now off this album.) I love this album so much. It has gotten me through many tough times and has helped me realize the promise of a better day. I have even convinced my friends to love this album. I am always going to love it and listen to it, and it really is shrineworthy, in a sense. Semisonic is a shrineworthy band. Pay homage.

5 comments about Scarred.

1. I loved her work in Concrete Blonde and with the Heads, so being disappointed by this album is even more disappointing. Her voice sounds seriously distressed here, which makes the songs about being old, rundown, and an alcoholic/junkie sound a little too embarrassingly close to the bone. Some of this stuff is sung like she's a done-in alcoholic. Or she half-speaks things, which generally sounds more pretentious. In "My Diane," her sung lyrics in the chorus keep running over the music in ways that sound highly unprofessional instead of poignant.
   
   The catchiest song here is "Amazing," which unfortunately has.. uncomfortable lyrics in the stanzas. If you want an idea, think of someone with absolutely no self-esteem and a crush on someone so intense you feel pity for her/him. The sung chorus to the otherwise spoken word "Poem of the Native" is also catchy.
   
   There are lots of great moments musically, but the lyrics and--I hate to have to say this for things Johnette sings--voice are often such a problem.
   
   There are two cover songs here. One is an unpretty and occasionally twee cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist" that'll make you wish you were listening to the original instead, and the other is of Lou Reed's "All Tomorrow's Parties," in which Johnette's voice is so ragged, frail, and misused that I can't even listen to it all the way through.



2. Napolitano has been one of my favorite singers and song writers for years. I loved Concrete Blond, bought all the cds and caught them live. When the band faded away, I thought it was over, but her new release, Scarred, takes me back to classic Concrete Blond days of the 80s and 90s. The songs are well crafted, and she still has that compelling voice.



3. Johnette Napolitano's (formerly lead-singer/ and guitarist of Concrete Blonde) solo-cd release, SCARRED (2007/May), surprised me because she bravely held up a mirror to her fans so they could identify, in themselves, her emotional progress during the last few years. These same raw and vulnerable personal stories/tunes and worldly struggles were imprinted into those CD grooves for all listeners to formulate their own opinion. If you love Johnette's off and on band, Concrete Blonde (as do I), do not be upset with her veering from her band formula.
   
   This CD is intensely good, and intensely captivating (as you realize when you play it for the 8th time in a row.) When she sings the song, Amazing, I feel as though I have been privy to some innermost confession, and I am trying to honour the song by listening carefully. Yet, I cannot leave' this song, as it is akin to speeding past a tragic car accident. One is compelled to slow down, turn around and find out how it all ends, no matter how squeamish we feel. (Fortunately the song, Amazing has a far better outcome - a more lifting outcome - than your average car upset.)
   
   This album affected me and I didn't know whether to roll my eyes, dismiss the occasional cliché, laugh or cry. So I decided to simply empty my mind, sit back and let the songs fill me. Meanwhile, all my emotions were taking turns vying for the forefront, determining which mood should slip out first.
   
   A lot of people appear to enjoy the song, The Scientist, (as do I). However, I really enjoyed Save Me, after briefly being confused about the song (I assumed Johnette was covering a version of Amy Mann's, Save Me. (Another great album.)
   
   During 2007, I did a quick interview with Johnette while she was touring Canada to promote the release of Scarred. (Found in swanktrendz.com (under the heading Interviews) and I found her to be akin to a giant onion; composed of many layers; too many to be revealed during one interview - yet she welcomes the writer to give it a go.
   
   This is definitely an album worth your pennies, and definitely a woman that demands you take the time to check out her voice and views. I enjoyed this cd and feel it is time for more, Johnette. Bravo! 4.5/5



4. The singer clearly misses her former bandmates here. Not surprisingly, the lyrics and vocals are quite good. But the CD hardly kept my attention, and the lyrics and emotions merely sounded INDULGENT without Concrete Blonde's overall sound. My money would have been better spent elsewhere.



5. She goes up and down with personal tragedys and then bursts forth with happy solutions to certain problems as only she can! The front and back of the album cover gives you a hint.

5 comments about Third/Sister Lovers.

1. On its own Sisterlovers, wouldn't make it. It has a few nice moments, and others where you wonder which is weaker, the song or Chiltons voice. I like Big Star and highly recommend #1 Record and Radio city to fans of really good pop/rock ( I hate the term power pop). With more weight than Rasberries by far , more of an American equivalent to Badfinger . This album is odds and ends with not very strong attempts to salvage the better material. by all means give it a listen and hear the brighter spots, but only after hearing the first two albums mentioned , can it then be approached with a bit more undeerstanding.



2. #1 Recordwas a masterpeice of what some call power pop, but Sister Lover's is even better.
   
   If on #1 Big Star pumps volume on 1960s British pop, here, they use the same source to create more unique tracks. The songs have a pop rock feel, but the chord changes and textures are not typical of the Kinks-Beatles-Hollies insperation the band fuels #1 with.
   
   The overall theme of Third is depression, and the short songs are linked by all kinds of dark sounds, and creepy interludes between tracks.
   
   Chilton describes the mood best on this perfect piece of album art. He does not feel he can solve anthing, but he "wants to white out."
   
   Who has not at one time or another.



3. This is the sound of a band dissolving before your ears, a band that decided to go out with not with a bang but with a fizzle. Ah but what a fizzle it is. It's truly timeless as other reviewers have pointed out. Timeless in that if you heard this thing without any foreknowledge you'd be surprised to find out it was recorded in 1974. But it's oddly incomplete and offhand sounding. Auteur Alex Chilton has lost his band and he's none too happy about it to the point where he sounds like he's beyond caring. Sister Lovers is beautiful in its own sparse and shambolic way but if you want to hear something a bit more cheery I suggest putting on some Radiohead. Big Star chose to go gently into that good night on a raft of despair, without hope and with precious little rock.



4. "Third/Sister Lovers" by Big Star is, quite possibly, the worst cd I have ever heard. There is not one song worth listening to. I played the cd twice (figuring it couldn't be as bad as I suspected after the first listen) and it was worse the second time around. It sounds like something a bad high school band would have recorded in their basement. While I was a fan of Alex Chilton and the Box Tops, with the exception of the song September Gurls, Big Star seems to be a product of myth and the hype machine. Other than the aforementioned September Gurls, Big Star didn't have one song on their three albums that would have been an AM radio hit. It's no wonder that a major recording studio didn't pick them up. The band sounds as if they are stoned throughout the recording. It's disjointed, poorly mixed and the songs are horrible. George Martin himself couldn't have done anything with these tunes. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on this dreck. What more can I say.



5. 
   Another great album/CD by a great band . My husband had never heard of them though I talked about
   
   how much I always loved them. Sadly I never owned any Big Star music until my husband purchased these
   
   two CD's (Third/Sister Lovers & # 1 Record/Radio City ) . My husband is now enjoying Big Star ! ! !
   
   BIG STAR * * * * * No Gimmicks > > > Lots of talent and heart . . .

5 comments about The Alternative to Love.

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Serious Fun.

1. I stumbled across this album in a Dollar Tree which was an amazing find, and I must say the music on this album is a real jewel, from slower relaxing tracks like Won't Let Go to some of the more upbeat ones like Doin' The Dog. And you just gotta love the album artwork.



2. For me this is probably one of the best Knack albums released. Bone crunching guitar riffs, great solos, great vocals and great drumming. This is one album you can play from beginning to end and enjoy every track. BnB Beatles Depot



3. I ordered this CD three times, from three seperate dealers and always ended up getting the 1991 Charisma records release, without the extra tracks. Make sure the seller you're buying from has listed the correct CD! You may want to ASK the seller before ordering if it is indeed the 2002 re-release with four extra tracks (16 total).
   
   Great comeback album for the Knack! Not "classic" Knack, but certainly an interesting direction!
   
   JM



4. I am a die hard fan of The knacks self titled album and was pleasantly surprised to get my hands on this CD. These guys still have that same edge and sound to Serious Fun. Some bands change over the years but the knack still have what initially made them more than one hit wonders as far as I'm concerned.
   The production and songwriting material is ace with classic knack vocal style and lead breaks with a catchy choruses just be aware the album requires more than one listen to grow on you. .



5. The Knack's best, but largely unappreciated, album. I was shocked to see it go so quickly to "cut-out" in its first release on CD. Great to see its re-genesis with the Knack remasters. BY FAR, the best "road" disc you could ever take on a trip. The miles fly by as you bop maniacally in your seat. If you don't have this one--get it!!

5 comments about No Dice.

1. This album is right with STRAIGHT UP and WISH YOU WERE HERE. I love the opening I CAN'T TAKE IT. All of the songs just rock on this album. NO MATTER WHAT is like one of the greatest songs ever, and WITHOUT YOU is known to be covered by Nillson, Heart, and Mariah Carey; Badfinger's is the definitive version in my eyes, though. Joey Molland joins the band and his debut song is LOVE ME DO. I love that track! The bonus tracks are great too. I'LL BE THE ONE and MEAN MEAN JEMIMA rock out, and I love WE'RE FOR THE DARK, BLODWYN and WATFORD JOHN. BELIEVE ME rules too. Excellent stuff here.



2. Well. I guess you all heard the news by now. "The Daily Snitch", one of London's top newspapers printed a story with huge headlines, "TOP SEER TO RETIRE FROM REVIEWING", including a picture of me being rushed into a waiting taxi cab. I want to assure all my fans that this is not the case. While it is true that I have stated that I wanted to cut back because of all the work involved. I was thinking of just submitting two sentences as a review, like many others (you have seen them, haven't you?). Two blerbs that say nothing and aren't challenging in the least. Of course it would be safe and non-threatening. And everyone goes home happy. Who cares if Metamorpho's Universal sacrifice is shattered like fine Lennox crystal dropped on the floor? Well.....at least there's glue. :)
   But, let's move on to Badfinger, shall we? I knew they were excellent a long time ago, and while I listen to it now, it has lost none of the magic it had since the first time I heard it. Such a phenomenal pop outfit that reminds one of the Beatles. And why shouldn't it since two of them (Paul McCartney and George Harrison) guided Badfinger in so many ways? It was the wisdom and experience of how recording gets done that contributed to their superior sound. Also the smarts to recognize the talent that existed. It is the quintessential format of a pop quartet that is employed here. The harmony vocals, although rougher than the Beatles would use, are used here. We have the rythmn guitar keeping constant as tasty bits from the lead guitar color and shape the sound. The nice bass fill, jumpy and essential, and the sometimes active and sometimes understated drum breaks. Add to that, piano, some horns, and you have a very nicely put together album indeed.
   But let us not forget that the songwriting here is above parr in so many respects. They all could write tunes - and none of them were shabby in the least! When you listen to the album you will be astounded on the variation of construction. They include tough rockers like "I Can't Take It", "Love Me Do", "No Matter What", and "Watford John". Semi-sweet odes such as like "Midnight Caller", "Without You", "It Had to Be", and "We're for the Dark". Included with this is the country-flavored rock of "Blodwyn". In fact people, if you like the diversity of what pop/rock can be, then you should investigate this album. There is not one bad cut here.
   I suppose by now that everyone knows the story of Badfinger. Pete Ham's suicide, the non-support and atrocious activity of their record company. It is an amazement to me that a group this talented shouldn't have been mega. But, that only supports my wise Seer's outlook (after much reflection) that the best music out there is music you have never heard. Keep in mind, that, in some weird way, we are victims as much as Badfinger in the fact that the music industry has vast power of what you do or do not hear. We are the ones who have to do the work and seek out the gems. This one really was a no-brainer for your Metamorpho (stop that snickering--I hear you!).
   Anyway, enough braying on my part. If you like nice melodies, great songs, and beautiful construction, get this c.d. You won't be disappointed. It is a pure joy.
   Time to go and see if the newspaper will print a retraction. Hmmm...I think I'd have better luck purchasing another Lennox crystal. Oh well.
   
   Well beyond the looking glass - your "non-retired" Metamorpho



3. Badfinger's best, most cohesive album. This is on par with Lou Reed's Transformer, T. Rex's The Slider, Mott the Hoople's All The Young Dudes, and David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust. I have personally worn out three vinyl LPs, I like this album so much. Pete Ham's guitar work is the under-rated under-appreciated strength of this album. Soaring vintage Les Paul solos, both laidback and in-your-face, are the common thread connecting the feel and atmosphere of all twelve original songs. This is a great guitar album. The extra tracks are dismissable, with the exception of the superb "I'll Be The One". (Rumor has it that the cover model is Joey Molland's wife, Kathy.)



4. For a short time Badfinger filled the void left by the breakup of the Beatles. "No Dice" and the following album "Straight Up" are classic pop albums that had the harmony, melodic sense, energy and feeling that were the hallmark of the best of the Beatles music. While the Beatles had Lennon and McCartney Badfinger only had one "great" singer songwriter-Pete Ham, though Tom Evans was an excellent singer and wrote some memorable songs. The other members wrote and sang but it was Ham who provided the group with the best songs and the most inspired vocals.
   The heartbreak of his finest song "Without You" (co-written by Evans) is only heightened by the knowledge of his tragic suicide (years later Tom Evans ended his own life the same way), and with no disrespect to Harry Nilsson, this is the definitive version.
   Pete of course was surrounded by a group of solid singer, writer, players that made Badfinger one of the best groups in the early 1970's and "No Matter What" is one of the few songs that have stood the test of time and still seem fresh every time you hear it.



5. I dont need to repeat everyone here, but this is a must own cd. You can thank us (and Joey when you see him at the Chicago Beatlefest in August) later.