5 comments about Safe as Milk.

1. Okay, my first introduction to Captain Beefheart was Frownland off of Trout Mask Replica. I hated it the first time I heard it. It made my wife angry. Now, I have since grown to appreciate it, but I probably would have done so faster if I'd heard Safe as Milk first. This album is far more accessible and gives you a real appreciation for the musicianship. It's actually a fantastic album from start to finish. I'm now a Beefheart fan. You will be too if you give this a listen.



2. Beefheart once described himself as the most exciting singer alive. He was right. He sounds like a werewolf being prodded with a stick. This is one of the essential Beefheart CDs. Actually, they're all essential. It might be a prototype, but it rocks. Along with Lick My Decals, The Spotlight Kid/Clear Spot and Doc At The Radar Station, this one hits the spot. And Strictly Personal, too, psychodelia and all. Along with the Allman Brothers Live At Fillmore (and Mountain Jam) these are my desert island discs. If you only hear these, you will know what true passion and creativity are. These people are ARTISTS! Nobody else gets close.



3. Really revolutionary considering it was released in 1967, not as experimental and chaotic as later work but might be a good intro for Beefheart novices.



4. This CD is worth the price - for the photos alone - of a time long gone. As everyone says, this is a must -have CB album.



5. These guys really hit the right notes with me. This album is so folk oriented, yet so blues-rockful at the same time, it's perfect. I'm a huge fan of the unconventional blues (i.e. Black Sabbath and The Stooges). It was actually their song, 'Yellow Brick Road,' which I heard on a 60's net radio station that attracted me to them in the first place. Captian Beefheart speaks about the nitty-gritty* of love with compassion, in his *gritty-throat voice. The musicians in this band are so under-rated, and yet so talented... why hasn't anyone ever told us about these guys before? Overall, yes, I agree with the reviews, this should be one of the best rock albums ever, especially for being a blues/folk album coming out of the psychedelic ear. Admist many of the bands of the late 60s and early 70s experimenting with similar sounds, Captian Beefheart and his Magical Band craftily make 'Blues' and 'Rock' completely an American thing.

4 comments about Stand!.

1. I WANNA TAKE YOU HIGHER! man, back in the day Sly was the bomb! If I remember correctly Sly was the first concert I ever saw, back in 197x at Madison Square Garden. I used to wear this album out. You can't go wrong with this CD in your collection. Great songs with catchy arrangements, especially the horns. And oh so funky! C'mon now, you gotta have some Sly in your collection.
   BOOM LAKA LAKA LAKA
   BOOM LAKA LAKA LAKA
   www.electriceyes.us



2. Content: 4 stars; Sound Quality: 2 stars = Overall: 3 stars.
   
   This album represents the best work that Sly has done from his "happy", optimistic period before he had a severe attack of pessimism (realism?) shortly after so evident on "There's a Riot Goin' On". Lots of good singles here that would make it on any best of compilation of the band like "Stand!", "I Want To Take You Higher", "Sing A Simple Song", "Everyday People" and "You Can Make it if You Try". That's 5 out of the total of 8 tracks from the album! Other than "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey", the other tracks resemble little more than filler and that's especially the case for all 14 minutes of "Sex Machine". Still, this album is a classic for the impact that it has had for the future of funk music and its influence on music since then cannot be underestimated. This mini-lp replica sleeve version very faithfully recreates the original lp design down to the inner sleeve and includes a 12-page colour booklet which has an essay by Barney Hoskyns and all the lyrics. There are 5 bonus tracks as well which are single versions of "Stand!", "I Want To Take You Higher" and "You Can Make it if You Try" and two previously unreleased tracks: "Soul Clappin' II" and "My Brain". The only disappointment for me of this version of the album is the poor sound quality. For an album that's supposed to be remastered, you can only presume that the quality of the master tapes have deteriorated so badly that this is the best that they could do which doesn't amount to much sadly. A shame really; Sly's classic really does deserve better.



3. In 1969, Sly & the Family Stone finally found their voice with "Stand!". Continuing his fusion of nearly all sounds he could find while redefining what funk was, leader Sly Stone crafted an album with no less than 4 charting singles, topped off by #1 hit "Everyday People".
   
   The album is dominated by something entirely new-- Stone has taken the band's funk sounds and injected some space, some openness into the music. Take the aformentioned "Everyday People"-- it's a funk song, there's no doubt, but it's got a breeziness to it that's somewhat indefinable (that and an irrestible chorus shouted passionately by the band with Sly on top). Likewise title track "Stand!" has this same openness, almost a California pop song to its verses, again with Stone's soulful vocal leading the way.
   
   But there's something else on here as well, an almost claustrophobically dense sound that's beginning to emerge (and that would define the album's followup "There's a Riot Goin' On"). I think in some capacity it's evident everywhere, but it can most be heard in "Don't Call Me N*gger, Whitey" and the 12 minute jam "Sex Machine"-- a dark, bleak sound that doesn't lend itself to open structure but somehow maintains the same irresistability that the rest of the material has. On the former, Sly Stone sings the chorus with a venom over the dense funk dirge, the latter is wholly instrumental, but in roughly the same vein. Both also feature Sly Stone singing through a vocodor run through a wah-wah pedal to extraordinary effect. One thing about them that's definitely, even at their extended lengths (nearly 6 minutes and over 13 minutes respectively), both of them are incredibly intense and intriguing. Both also highly informed the future of music, be it Miles Davis' superb '70s records or pretty m uch the entire genres of soul, funk, r&b and hip hop.
   
   Perhaps when the album does best is when it sits somewhere in between these-- "Somebody's Watching You" wiht its laid back groove and great dirty guitars ends up being one of the creepiest recordings on record and "I Want to Take You Higher" (a remake of "Higher" from a couple years ago) takes the claustrophobia and uses it to push ecstacy to new heights, proving to be downright overwhelming.
   
   This reissue remasters the record and appends a handful of bonus tracks-- mostly single mixes and a couple unreleased recordings and includes detailed liner notes. Sonically, this improvement is fantastic-- the record is crisp and clear and presented as you'd like it to be. The only complaint I have is the choice to leave off singles "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and double A-side "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"/"Everybody is a Star". The three pieces were slated for a followup to "Stand!" that never materialized and ended up being stuck on a "Greatest Hits" record. While strictly speaking they don't belong either here or with this record's followup, it'd've been nice if they were included somewhere with this batch of remasters (for anyone looking, they can be found on "The Essential Sly & the Family Stone").
   
   Bottom line on "Stand!" is that it's one of the great albums of it's era, and together with "There's a Riot Goin' On" forms the peak of Sly & the Family Stone. This is essential listening. Highly recommended.



4. 'Stand'is where Sly & The Family Stone's musical experiences onA Whole New Thing,Dance to the Music and Life gestated into something totally unique.Those albums found Sly waltzing over,under and around the funk;on 'Stand' he dives right into it.Of course most of us know the hits by heart-the title track,the punchy rock of "I Wanna Take Your Higher" and of course the immortal "Everyday People".In fact what is so important here is that this marks the moment Sly became a full flegded album artist because the peppy "Somebody's Watching You" is one of those classics-that-never-was-a-hit.As far as the funk goes there's huge handfuls of that in "Sing A Simple Song" and "You Can Make It If You Try" alone.Still neither of those are enough to keep the totally dangerous "Don't Call Me Nigger,Whitey" in check;it's message is right on time with it's us vs. them humor and NASTY fuzz bass.And as far as fuzz bass goes Larry Graham packs almost more into the instrumental "Sex Machine" then the song can handle,but of course it does in a FUNK OVERLOADED kind of way.If 'Stand' itself spoke to and about the cultural,racial and political issues in the world and in music in the late 60's then the MEAN instrumental bonus "My Brain (Zig Zag)",just showing the complete musical inspiration Sly and his band were during 1969-70.If truth be known that inspiration may have been his musical downfull soon to come.But while it lasted,it was amazing.'Stand' is not only a classic funk album and a classic Sly release but a milestone in all of music of the 20'th century.

5 comments about The Worst of Jefferson Airplane.

1. Evidently, the term "The worst of Jefferson airplane", was by itself, an additional signal of overt irreverence, expressed as a twist inside n expected order.
   
   If we had to remark the two basic elements that featured, launched and even kept the whole attention over them, these would be on one hand, to make us realize the arrival of a new life through their messages and second, the creative mature easily carved in relief in their lyrics that, somehow, foresaw the next years to come as we may feel in "Volunteers", one of the most reminded emblematic songs in Woodstock Festival.
   
   Despite all these factors, Jefferson wrought - with golden letters - a very distinguished place into a vertiginuous and surrealistic decade as the sixties was.
   
   A remarkable detail: Chushingura is an instrumental piece dedicated to Akira Kurosawa.



2. This to me is a good first time Cd for someone whos just starting out on jefferson airplane. It includes all the bands biggest hits, somebody to love, white rabbit, and volunteers etc. Anyways its a good album buy this with Surealistic Pillow, one of the greatest psychedellic albums of all time.



3. This is a "keeper"!! Especially if your interested in one of the most popular groups of the 60's!! ( And it's a "hard to find" CD, too ) Actually - it the BEST OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE!! Remastered & with 2 Bonus Tracks!! Some of Grace Slick's best work!! & Paul Kantner, Marty Balin on lead vocals.... & 17 memoriable HITS!! GREAT CD!! Another KEEPER to add to your 60's collection!! Includes: White Rabbit, Somebody to Love, and Volunteers. Along with: Embryonic Journey & (of course) Plastic Fantastic Lover!!



4. Easily one of the best greatest hits recordings ever compiled. If you are a fan of the "Airplane", you can't go wrong with this one.



5. I remember seeing this album in 1970. I was puzzled as to what was meant by a collection of "worst of," not understanding the intentional and unintentional irony of the title. Overcoming the title, this collection was nominally the best of the first six Jefferson Airplane albums. I say nominally because there are many who feel that this album short-changes the group's scope.
   
   Jefferson Airplane's first album was released September, 1966. Grace Slick had yet to add her considerable vocal talents. The group had yet to achieve the cutting-edge heights they would soon reach. Fortunately, Jefferson Airplane was in the right place at the right time. Music and society were undergoing a revolution and the artists, musical and otherwise, located in Haight-Ashbury were at the forefront of that revolution. Consistent with artists that have great talent but maintain perspective, some members of the group have always taken their fame and the adulation conferred upon them with a good deal of tongue-in-cheek humor. Jefferson Airplane has all the hallmarks of a great group, and this collection is a perfect introduction to the group.
   
   The album kicks off with the peppy and, at that time, hard rock song "It's no Secret." You can hear folk elements in this short song, which is understandable given that folk music was still quite popular when these songs were recorded in 1966. The second song, "Blues from an Airplane," is also folk influenced rock. Both songs have a different style from the subsequent songs, excluding "Martha," which retains a folk influence.
   
   The third song is one of the iconic songs from the 60s. "Somebody to Love" has been used numerous times, along with "White Rabbit," to indicate the psychedelic 60s. The song sandwiched between these two songs is "Today," a gorgeous love song using all the technical tricks known in the mid-60s. The song is highly contrasted by the much faster songs on either side of it. "White Rabbit" is probably the most famous song relating to the psychedelic era. The highly evocative lyrics, the music and powerful vocal style of Grace Slick combined to make this song an instant classic.
   
   Proving that Jefferson Airplane had breadth is "Embryonic Journey." Purposefully or otherwise this solo guitar instrumental fits into the other songs related to psychedelia. This guitar solo presages the later efforts of Yes, who would create similar works.
   
   "The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil" is fully psychedelic. The lingering folk influences are gone and the music contains more free-form elements. Even with my eclectic musical tastes I find this song difficult to like. However, the construction of this song pushed the limits of what rock music could be and may have been a formative part of progressive rock. Another bizarre track is "Cushingura." This relatively short, experimental track makes me think of some of the early works of King Crimson, especially "Moonchild" from the 1969 release "In the Court of the Crimson King."
   
   This remastered CD includes two songs not in the previous versions: "Watch Her Ride" and "Greasy Heart." Both songs are nice additions, but there are a couple of minor complaints I have. The first complaint is why did they monkey with the order of the songs? If they were going to change the order, then (second complaint) why not add even more songs to fully use the 80 minutes available on a CD? Then they could have re-titled the CD indicate the expanded nature of the CD.
   
   The rock album "Crown of Creation" released in September 1968 was supposed to be counter-culture. However, the song "Crown of Creation" is more accessible than Jefferson Airplane's psychedelic music. The structure of the music is somewhat dated, and yet the songs complexity is mirrored in some music created today.
   
   "Lather" is a beautiful song that is too short. The song asks the question "when someone is too old?" The magical age in the 60s seemed to be 30. After that age it was generally considered that you could no longer be free spirited; you were caught up in the system, never to be released. This song is quiet and mellow, with Grace Slick's vocals well highlighted as the music remains largely acoustic and in the background, along with abundant sound effects.
   
   "Plastic Fantastic Lover" is a live version of a heavier rock track from the ground-breaking album "Surrealistic Pillow." The music is heavy and sounds similar to some of Jimi Hendrix's music from the same era. This track is early acid rock exploiting the fun of electric guitars. Jefferson Airplane was no slave to style. "Good Shepherd" contains folk, blues and gospel elements, but the rock guitar is an element used also in "Plastic Fantastic Lover." This song is wonderful to reminisce about the flower children era.
   
   "We Can Be Together" is the longest song on the CD at nearly six minutes. As the 60s moved on there was a movement toward understanding and love, and this song targets those philosophies directly. Music like this was a result of a combination of events, including the Viet Nam War and the continued social upheaval in the United States. This song could have been the coda for the 60s.
   
   The last song in this collection is "Volunteers." This song was the grass roots appeal to everyone to be a force for change. Power to the people was the word of the day and the words to this song exemplify that desire. Yet another of the songs from Jefferson Airplane, along with "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" that are used to indicate the 60s.
   
   The 60s yielded a variety of unusual musical combinations. Jefferson Airplane was one of the most influential groups of its era, experimenting with styles that would help steer the course of music even until today, while singing music that was then a social indicator and now a historical artifact.
   
   Enjoy!

5 comments about Flowers.

1. Totally blown opportunity, but thankfully it's a blown opportunity filled with good music. The intention of this album was to round up some stray tracks that didn't make the US versions of Aftermath and Between the Buttons, along with a few other songs that happened to be lying around. But for some weird reason, they also decided to include "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday," which were both on the US version of Between the Buttons, and "Lady Jane," which was on everyone's version of Aftermath. Meanwhile, the classic a-side "19th Nervous Breakdown" somehow missed this album, even though it didn't come out on an LP in either the U.S. or the U.K.! That is both impractical and stupid.
   
   However, there is still many a fine song here. The best of them is probably "Mother's Little Helper," which I already talked up in my Aftermath review. But do you know how cool I think that song is? They got the twelve-string guitar to sound like a sitar! That, I think, is pretty sweet. The song's lyrics must also be mentioned. Like "19th Nervous Breakdown," it's got a lot of drug references in them (here it's about a housewife who pops pills to get through the day), but they're cleverly hidden - the cool people would get them, but they would go over the censors' heads. "Out of Time" is a gem of a pop song as well, boasting a fantastic arrangement. Love the marimbas! And the harmonies! "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadows?" is a great stab at psychedelia. That song is, like, ADD or something. Horns, guitars, vocals, pianos, and all that stuff fly in and out of the mix. Me likey! You probably already know "Ruby Tuesday" and "Let's Spend the Night Together," and if you've got Aftermath you've heard "Lady Jane." They're still classic songs, of course... but come on, enough is enough.
   
   A lot of the other, less famous songs win, too! "Backstreet Girl" is easily the best song of what's left, an acoustic waltz with subtle shades of accordion and innuendo alike. Those who like that softer side of the Stones will also be quite pleased with "Ride On, Baby" and "Sittin' on a Fence," which are both lilting acoustic tunes. Meanwhile, fans of "Have You Seen Your Mother..." will probably also get a kick out of the acid Bo Diddley "Please Go Home," which works despite itself.
   
   Not every song is great or even good, though. I've never been a "Take it or Leave It" aficionado (if such a thing even exists (which I doubt, because no one ever talks about it)), and their version of "My Girl" is an insult to the classic original. Everything that could go wrong with that song does. The strings sound terrible! It's oversung! Whee! Just kidding. Oh, and I guess it's annoying how "What to Do" missed this album even though it's on the UK version of Aftermath but not the U.S. one.
   
   Still, some good songs here, and only one bad one. '66-'67 was an interesting era for the Stones, and this is a good representation of it.



2. I am the Stones Authority. This is a good collection of songs. The Stones were and always will be this band - a product of the Sixties. And this is the age before albums were albums, but merely a bunch songs stuck on vinyl as they fit. But come one - you've got "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lady Jane", haunting and wonderful songs. There is "Out Of Time" and "Let's Spend The Night Together". Even "Sitting On A Fence" and "Mother's Little Helper". They are fresh and alive, immature and sometimes awkward. But great and fun songs. This is the Rolling Stones. How can you not love this period in their career? Some of the serious fans don't want to listen to anything before Beggars Banquet, and others won't listen to anything after Between The Buttons, but I say you got to love and appreciate the entire arc of the flight - for there is not one without the other. Do we not look at the man and wonder what sort of child he was? Do we look at a favorite son and not wonder of tomorrow's promise for him? This was a great band right from the start. And you should really know about these songs and this time in the band's life.



3. I never was a big Stones fan. I never was a big fan of "Ruby Tuesday", "Mother's Little Helper", and "Have You Seen Your Mother". But I must honestly say this album blows me away. I always thought I really liked "Let's Spend The Night Together", but after hearing everything that this album has to offer I barely listen to that song at all.
   
   I bought this album, because I wanted "Out Of Time". I got so much more than that. "Ride On Baby", "Take It Or Leave It", "Back Street Girl", and "Lady Jane" along with "Out Of Time" are some of the best songs I've ever heard by any artist anywhere anytime.
   
   The fact that these songs were written and performed by the same group that brought us "Satisfaction" and "Time Is On My Side" amazes me. Die-hard Stones fans will dislike me for dissing certain favorites, but to me these five songs that I mentioned are so much better than most of the most-beloved Stones songs. I always thought the Rolling Stones had a few really good songs in a huge catalog of decent songs, but these songs are incredible.



4. I finally got around to replacing my old casette version of "Flowers" with the CD. Although I prefer the earlier Rolling Stones' rough-around-the-edges sound to slick studio records like this one with the mandolins and harpsichords on some of the tracks, "Flowers" is still a great album. "Ruby Tuesday" is one of the Rolling Stones very best songs. Several of the other tracks carry interesting and sarcastic overtones of British class and social consciousness: "Lady Jane", "Back Street Girl", "Have you seen your Mother, Baby...", "Mother's Little Helper". The song "Let's Spend the Night Together" was so racy in it's day that the rolling Stones had to agree to change the Lyrics to "Let's Spend Some Time Together" to appear live on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. Taken as a whole, "Flowers" shows an introspective side of the Rolling Stones and has a lot of good tunes as well. This CD is well worth having in one's Rolling Stones collection.



5. If you don't know this "album," I have no idea where you've been for the past 40 years, but in any case, I finally caved and replaced all my old albums and of course had to include the Flowers album. It is peerless early Stones and will remind me always of go-go dancing in my undergraduate dorm room with my friend Martha. Keep the happy memories alive, and replace all your old records with these high-quality CDs.

5 comments about Classic Albums: The Doors.

1. I'm a big Doors fan. I'm also a fan of the "Classic Album" series.
   
   My problem with this particular installment is that it is focuses way to much on how great The Doors were in general and their place in rock history, and not enough on the making of the actual album.
   
   I expected in-depth insight on mixing, recording, equipment, performance, and instrumentation like the other installments I've seen (The Pink Floyd/DSotM and Hendrix/ELL DVDs are excellent examples of how these SHOULD be done). Instead, this one came off more like a VH1 Behind the Music puff-piece. Making-of aspects like the ones I mentioned above are present, but take a back seat to all the lauding.
   
   Listen, if someone buys one of these Classic Album DVDs, chances are they are already a big fan of the band. So pontificating throughout the DVD about how great the The Doors are is preaching to the choir.
   
   Bonus:
   Cool to see Robbie Krieger on flamenco guitar. Ray M demonstrates organ parts & tells stories but comes off a little lame with an authentic but weak organ tone (Some more amplification would have been effective).



2. Another great DVD from classic albums. The only downside in the series is that EVERY song from an album is NOT talked about, that's too bad but I guess I can't complain. The surviving members of The Doors are interviewed often throughout, especially keyboard/bass player Ray Manzarek who fondly looks back on the Doors glory days of the late 1960's, and at nearly 70 years old, is a little worn like old leather but still a pretty cool hippy from the 60's. Densmore shows some interesting aspects of his drumming in the 'special features' and how Jazz drummers influenced him and how to make his playing more confortable and with tones, etc. Not surprisingly, "Light My Fire" gets more of the attention as compared to the other songs on origins, arranging, etc and a brief clip from the Ed Sullivan show was fun to see. I never was too keen on the poetry aspect of Jim Morrison's lyrics -some of which I will never understand nor try to- and they do go into that on this DVD a little bit too much for me by showing a friend of the band recite 'Break on Through(to the other side)' as if it was the greatest thing ever written in the history of human civilization and then offer his comments about almost every line in the song(as he does in the 'special features' of the DVD). It was quite amusing to watch... once. It strays too much into beatnick territory for me. Luckily they talk about the music too - there is no denying that Ray Manzarek was a HUGE part of the Doors sound, not to discredit Krieger and Densmore. Manzarek does a lot of playing and demonstrations on this disc and his stories of Morrison on stage are entertaining to listen to, as well Krieger and Densmore. I am a casual fan of the band, who grew up in the 80s so it's nice to see how one of the best bands of the 60's got started and to hear stories of Jim Morrison and antedotes that maybe even diehard Doors fan never knew. Definitely worth owning and the price is very affordable if you look in a certain huge retail store throughout the USA. Half the price of what you will find on the internet.



3. Already have a lot of this, but it's a nicely arrranged collection. Just wish there were more of these. Fair price, as was shipping and handling. A+.



4. I have had a love affair with The Doors first album for years and what a treat it was to to see it as a Classic albums DVD. For the first time you get a inside look at the creation of in my mind, one of the best first albums ever. The viewer gets in inside look at this album thanks to the insights of Ray, Robby, and John along with Bruce Botnick. If you love the Doors first album or are even a new fan sit back and relax as your in for a real treat!
   
   Bruce was clearly having a blast discussing this album as you simply couldn't wipe that proud smile off his face. The Doors were blessed to have his talent. Associates of the band and fellow muscians also weigh in on what made this album so unique and provide the listener with what it was like to hear this album for the first time in 1967. I loved Robby's slide flamenco playing and John shows us just how valued and underated a drummer he was and lets not forget Ray. His insights into this album and stories were wonderful and put a big smile on the viewers face. He takes you back in time to a period where albums were every bit as much as a performance on record as they were on stage.
   
   Running time is 88 minutes and the bonus features go into more fuller details on what instruements were used and how they were played. When watching this I came away with a BIG amount of respect for the remaining Doors members. Jim will forever be the symbol of the Doors with his poetic words, timeless voice, and stage presence and rightfully so but like John said he never played a chord. Ray, John, and Robby made what Jim wrote WORK and without them Jim would have gotten nowhere and before I get flamed YES they needed Jim too! This album to me gives the surviving Doors their due and I was thrilled to see that respect paid in full.
   
   If you love The Doors like I do GET THIS DVD TODAY! If you are new to the band its relatively cheap and a good introduction to the band if you are deciding on whether or not to buy the album. The Doors really were the alternative to the hippie flower power of the time and this album cements their status as TRUE LEGENDS whose music will live forever long after I am gone.



5. Can't say enough positive things about this DVD. Doors' fans new and old will find content to appreciate. There's tons of subtle gems on here.
   
   Along with the anecdotes Ray Manzarek has recited many times, he offers new details throughout, with his dynamic keyboard demonstrations. He's more than happy to tell us who and what was an influence on certain parts of the songs, while being the "left hand" bass player of The Doors.
   
   Bruce Botnick, producer and engineer, provides a lot of insight throughout, isolating tracks, adding commentary which has not been seen before, there is one demo that I've never heard before, etc.
   
   Robby Krieger breaks a lot of his guitar parts down so you can see how he played them. He even shows how he plays that one fill on The End @ the beginning of the song; that crazy sounding run of notes.
   
   John Densmore gets one of the most memorable moments of the disc, saying at one point, "... it just seemed like magic and you don't control that, it just flows through you."
   
   There's lots of Hollywood Bowl concert film interspersed w/the commentary (a minor criticism as most Doors' fans have seen all that), but there really is a lot of stuff here that made me want to make note of the particulars that I enjoyed.
   
   It's a cool disc and inexpensive too. There's a ton of bonus features, that leave you wanting more. Classic Albums: LA Woman, Classic Albums: Waiting For The Sun - can we see them? Please?

5 comments about Volunteers.

1. Jefferson Airplane always had a little bite to their "We Can Be Together" politics. Living at the epicenter of hippie culture in San Francisco as they were, it's hard to duck the flowers and beads when talking about their musical aesthetic -- sort of Haight-Ashbury's answer to the guitar sounds the Velvet Underground was making, plus a heady dose of electric and country blues, plus 3 and sometimes 4 way vocals, plus incendiary musical change-ups that hinted at sprawling psychedelic vistas.
   
   A case in point is "Turn My Life Down," a concise track that starts with a fairly standard coffee-shoppish slide guitar before nimbly slipping into Laurel Canyon-style guitars and Hammonds. Then, suddenly at about 1-and-a-half minutes, the song tranforms into a romping pop melody and searing guitar counterpoint, nearly lifting the track right out of the stereo.
   
   The title track "Volunteers," "The Farm," and "Good Shepherd" all espouse a back-to-nature agenda while simultaneously pointing an accusatory finger at religious zealots and political opportunists. But rather than being soap-boxy, these come off as beautifully constructed songs, scintillating in a raggedy way that is most often attributed to early Neil Young.
   
   If you were concerned things were going to be a bit treacly and trapped in dated politics, Grace Slick delivers two songs that make it clear she was the Kim Gordon of her day. "Hey Fredrick" and "Eskimo Blue Day" are unflinching and raw -- "Either go away, or go all the way in" snarls Slick in the former tune. He voice soars over ambiguous lyrics that seem to search out some sort of meaning in religious and interpersonal dynamics. It could have been a boring graduate-level lecture... or it could be the dynamic and provocative polemic that she delivers here. You don't even notice nearly 9 minutes have passed. She is equally demanding in "Eskimo Blue Day," reminding us in no uncertain terms that "the human name doesn't mean @#$% to a tree."
   
   As if to rub salt into the wide eyes of stupefied right-wingers who may have heard the album in its day, one of the closing songs is a tremulous organ reading of "Meadowlands," a communist-affiliated anthem much-reviled by the "Red Scare" set.
   
   Another quote from the previously mentioned "We Can Be Together" is below. For as rewarding and generally uplifting as this album listens, the Airplane was out for blood -- striking a blow for the youth and pulling no punches in alienating apathists, poseurs, and opportunists. It's delivered with excellent musicianship and some thrilling left-turns too, making this album a real accomplishment from its era. One of my period favorites -- enjoy!
   
   "We are forces of chaos and anarchy, everything they say we are we are, and we are very proud of ourselves."



2. I guess it was 1970 or so, and I went to visit my brother at NYU, and I bought this and Led Zepplin 2. which were the first 2 albums I ever bought. I never would've thought that JA would have been a lost band, because they were huge back then, and for good reason! They were really good, and this was their best album, although the backgorund of the Vietnam War and Woman's lib is lost, they were really good, and this was perhaps their best. Like 70's music...try this one for size.



3. Not one of my favorites out of all the Jefferson Airplanes, However, one of their more unknowns I would recommend more, which is "Bless Its Pointed Little Head" after they became starship they lost there core hippie base if you ask me.



4. This is the gospel-rock album for The Revolution That Never Was. A must-have for every boomer's collection.



5. Ah the nostalgia for 1969--listening to Volunteers really takes me back (to when I was 3).
   
   Opening the liner notes for some oral history about the making of Volunteers, gossip about Grace and the band, etc., I found that the notes for Surrealistic Pillow had been stapled inside the cover for Volunteers.
   
   How on earth does that happen?
   
   Now, it will cost me postage and time to return the CD. So, 1 star for the item I received.
   
   Five stars for Volunteers with the *right* liner notes.

5 comments about Moonflower.

1. I'm so happy so many young folks have discovered Carlos. So much of today's pop music is simplistic with a particular void in great guitarists. Where is the next Clapton, Stevie Ray, Carlos,, Duane Allman? The answer is: there are none! If folks want to listen to a great guitarist they have to listen to artists who started in the 60s and 70s.
   
   The great song "She's Not There" is done in a couple of versions on this album. Carlos absolutely OWNS this song. There's lots of other great songs too.
   
   The dealer got this to me quickly and without issue.



2. Quick! Name me one difference between these allegedly live versions of "Carnival", "Let the Children Play", "Jugando" and their original versions! Now, they do rule, and they do represent some of Santana's best work in the pop, Latin, and jazz fields, so I won't complain. So now that your little pop quiz is out of the way, useful background info you probably already know. Half of this album was recorded in the studio, and includes songs such as a great hit cover of the Zombies' "She's Not There" (by the way, Santana doing the Zombies? How random is THAT?), mediocre late-'70s soul like "I'll Be Waiting" (AKA "I'll Be Around" with Latin guitar), and random instrumentals such as the smooooth "Dawn/Go Within" and the much funkier "Zulu", which is quite a cool lil' tune. But I assume the reason anyone REALLY bought this was because of the live segments (not LP, because the studio and live material are interspersed amongst each other weirdly and confusingly), seeing this was Santana's first live release in the States and all. The energetic version of "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" is ace, of course, because it's hard to screw up Santana's famous version of that song. "Dance Sister Dance", despite having utterly stupid lyrics even by Santana standards (they chant the song's title a billion thousand times or so), has Santana Guitar Mojoness all over it. And it's got multiple parts, which is cool. AND Santana shows us just how long he can sustain notes. Damn long time, it turns out. "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)" is still one of the most beautiful guitar solos in history, "Soul Sacrifice" is still the most intense and best instrumental in Santana's catalog, and "Touissant L'Overture" still simply rules in its melodramatic awesomeness. In fact, I am of the opinion that it is the best Santana song in history. Yes, even better than "Oye Como Va". Yes, even better than "Open Invitation", and who can resist that pop-metal nugget? Everyone, that's who. And did you know that Santana was a year away from that tripe when they released this? Greed does very bad things to people. So, the downside is that the studio work is really disappointing, other than "She's Not There" and "Zulu" - "Flor D'Luna" essentially is just "Black Magic Woman", "El Morocco" is supposed to be crushing, butt-kicking rock, and between you and me Santana sucks at crushing, butt-kicking rock (as the world would soon learn the hard way), and "Transcendance" (an unfunny pun, or a spelling error?) is just meandering fusion with an irritatingly smooth vocal. Still, when I listen to this and think of future albums, I have to wonder where it all went wrong. Whatever happened, this is probably where you should get off the boat with Santana, because things were about to get really bad, really fast.
   By the way, five stars for the live portions, and three for the studio. The live work, needless to say, takes up most the record.



3. Many people prefer LOTUS (and it's very good), but MOONFLOWER is the ultimate live Santana CD, and his best since SANTANA 3. This album combines a great live set with a studio version of "She's Not There" that turns the Rod Argent pop song into a Latin-soul-blues explosion, with Carlos Santana's explosive lead guitar solos blowing the song out of its past wistfulness into the type of thing to sing when you're in a bad mood. Carlos Santana's opposition to Indonesia's trumped-up 2005 drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist makes MOONFLOWER an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.



4. ...some of the most accomplished, open, brilliant playing I have ever heard from Carlos! But what happened to the writing inspiration (help from fellow band members?)? The album is a hodge-podge, quite poorly produced as a whole and spotty (the several incomplete or awkwardly occurring fade-outs for instance), although the sound quality - I am referring to the original US LP set here - is generally very good. I do think the closing, live "Toussaint L'Overture" is outstanding, but like the other 3-star reviewer below, I don't like the sound of the rhythm section (to the exclusion of the hand percussionists). The drum kit sounds sluggish and "square" - listen to Michael Shrieve on "Lotus" and get a taste of what a drum solo piece can develop into when it manages to avoid, to quote Chad Wakerman, sounding like a circus act! Keyboardman Tom Coster, whom used to play with such genius feel with this band just a few years back, and his late-70s string box: THAT TONE can be so-o-o depressing... The live Black Magic Woman is also devoid of spirit and is peformed hastily.
   
   But as most of you know already, the "She's Not There" remake is top notch. Santana's interventions here are so "ferocious" and demanding on his axe - he really sounds like he's mad at somebody! - that when he returns to the break he's all out of tune! No one should ever blame him for this though!



5. This album comes from a period in Santana's career where declining sales led him and the band to take their music in a more commercial, accessible direction. That's not to say that the band "sold out"; there are still long instrumental sections and flashy solos by Carlos and keyboardist Tom Coster. But the rawness of the early albums and the adventurousness of the early 70s period are gone, replaced by a more "professional" (for better or worse) approach.
   
   About 40% of the album was actually recorded in the studio. In general this is above average for Santana of this period, and compares favorably to material on Amigos and Festival. "She's Not There", a cover of the classic Zombies tune, is nicely done. I also like the instrumentals, especially "Flor D'Luna".
   
   The other 60% is live. It's not bad but not great. I'm not a big fan of Graham Lear's drumming on "Black Magic Woman" -- way too rockish and "square", unlike Michael Shrieve's slinky Latin groove on earlier versions. And this version of "Soul Sacrifice" is a pale shadow of either the studio version or the legendary Woodstock performance. The percussion section is definitely nowhere near what it was in the band's early days.
   
   If you like Santana's mid-late 70s sound or live rock albums from that period, you will definitely want to pick Moonflower up (and will surely rate it higher than I did). If you prefer Santana's first three albums or the early 70s jazz-rock period, you may be disappointed. (Though I doubt you will feel you wasted your money.) If you're interested in picking up your first Santana live album, I would go for either the complete Woodstock performance (on the 2 cd reissue of the first Santana album), the 1971 Fillmore gig (on the 2 cd reissue of Santana III), or the 1973 live album Lotus. After you get those, check this one out.

5 comments about Legacy: The Absolute Best.

1. This new remastered Legacy cd is absolutely brilliant, for the
   production value and the perfect sound quality,especially when played on a high end stereo system.
   only problem as mentioned in another review here,
   there is no 17 minute, celebration of the lizard on side 2, as
   advertised????????????????
   how come?
   maybe there are two versions of this cd?
   if you want this song you should contact the seller and see if its on the cd.that you are buying.



2. I once had The Doors Gatefold double LP "Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine." This compilation is more or less (actually more tracks) the double CD equivalent. I bought this CD at Costco a couple of years ago. Except for the last two tracks on CD 2, this is a pretty good compilation.
   
   The Doors put out 6 studio LPs. These will all fit on 3 CD-Rs. This double CD would include 2/3 of these studio tracks except for including **!!?? Gloria & ???!!! and ***?? Celebration of the Lizard??!!**. The wing nuts who put this compilation out had their A game going until the double bogeys on the last two holes (the last two tracks).
   
   The last two tracks take up 6 minutes and then 17 minutes of the second disc. Maybe the live cover Gloria is OK, but Celebration of the Lizard??? I will grant that there is a place for obscure and off the wall recordings by our favorite bands. These should be on their own CD, not on a double CD titled "Legacy The Absolute Best." If these wing nuts had put out the Beatles "Absolute Best," they would have left off "Let It Be" and "Sergeant Pepper's" and included "Revolution # 9."
   
   The tracks on these two CDs (except the last 2 on CD 2 as noted above) are in chronological as issued album order:
   
   *8 of 11 from album #1; not included: I Looked At You, Take It As It Comes, & End Of The Night."
   
   *6 of 10 from album #2: not included: You're Lost Little Girl, Unhappy Girl, I Can't See Your Face In My Mind, & Horse Latitudes.
   
   *5 of 11 from album #3; not included: Love Street, Summer's Almost Gone, My Wild Love, We Could Be SO Good Together, Yes The River Knows, & Wintertimes.
   
   *4 of 9 from album #4; not included: The Soft Parade, Runnin Blue, Easy Ride, Do It, & Shanan's Blues.
   
   *4 of 11 from album #5 (the first 4 tracks on this disc); not included: Blue Sunday, Ship Of Fools, Land Ho!, The Spy, Queen Of The Highway, Indian Summer, & Maggie McGill.
   
   *5 of 10 from album #6; not included: Been Down So Long, Cars Hiss By My Window, L'America, Hyacinth House, & Crawling King Snake.
   
   I certainly can find 23 minutes of music from the above not included tracks that I would much rather listen to than the last two turkeys included in this compilation.



3. I was pleasantly surprised at just how many Doors songs here I actually liked - they truly deserve two-disc coverage. Not familiar with the underlying original albums, this proved to be enough Doors for me. The only Doors I'll ever own, it's really a very, very good album.



4. As has been stated here most of the Doors' albums have a fair amount of filler between the great tracks, so a compilation like this can be a great way to beef up your library at limited expense.
   
   This compilation is far better than most, including nearly all the standout album tracks except for the aforementioned "Soft Parade", "End of the Night", and a pet favorite of mine, "I Can't See Your Face in My Mind" from Strange Days. Almost everything that IS included is terrific, although I could have done without the syrupy album tracks from The Soft Parade. The mastering is very well done, with a lot of presence so it sounds great on a car stereo and not too bass-heavy. Although the liner notes veer toward self-indulgent rants, the photos are great, and the track information is very complete. (Who knew that John Sebastian played blues harp on "Roadhouse Blues"?!)
   
   If what you want is practically every great track the Doors made in one small package, this is it.



5. This is an excellent "best of" collection. The only thing worth complaining about is the fact that the songs aren't remastered as well as on the new re-releases of the albums, hence the four star rating.
   
   I don't even know how to describe the effect that the music of The Doors has on me, other than to say that I don't go a day without it. When I got "Legacy" for my birthday, I don't believe I fully grasped the impact it would have on me. At first, I was puzzled by the music. I couldn't comprehend the abstract natures of "My Eyes Have Seen You" or "Spanish Caravan" upon first listen. Eventually, I understood where Jim, John, Ray, and Robbie came from, and the music became a full-fledged experience.
   
   It may sound pretentious, but I do believe that people who cannot appreciate at least one Doors song are somewhat dense.

5 comments about The Lost Tapes.

1. Any time new JJ tracks surface is cause for celebration. My guess is the time period is late '66 or early '67.
   Disc 1 has never been released in any form - not even a bootleg! It is a formative step in the development of seminal band. It is also interesting to hear a band at this stage, before fame, money and development of large egos. What you're getting is a band performance, not a singer and a back up band. This is a seamless unit, the pure enjoyment of making music without the destructive pressures. Get it now!



2. Never liked Janis' caterwauling. Big Brother was a much better band after she left. Peter Albin switched to 2nd guitar and James Gurley was "demoted" to bass. They went for a Dead/Quicksilver 2 guitar sound that really clicked, and with the addition of Nick Gravenites, produced two stellar albums and some fine live shows in 1970. Look for Be A Brother and How Hard It Is and avoid all this early experimentation that is too young to have a focus.



3. The second disc in this 2-CD set is not very "lost." It originally came out, minus the last track, on a vinyl Rhino LP called Cheaper Thrills. Then the British Edsel label put out a CD version called Live 1966, adding the last track (which is actually from 1967, recorded for the KQED radio station). Then the US Varese Sarabande label reissued it as Live In San Francisco 1966, plus there's some other CD reissue called, once again, Cheaper Thrills. The recording on the Varese Sarabande version (still available) is excellent, and both discs in this set are comparable.
   
   I imagine that there are plenty of reviews available for what appears here as Disc 2, so I'm going to confine myself to reviewing Disc 1. There's no recording date given but it sounds to me like it's from the same period, 1966. Almost all of the material that has studio versions is from the first album, and the band isn't as sharp as they got to be later on, with the great Cheap Thrills album and the Live At Winterland 1968 disc that came out a few years ago. Of the songs that overlap on the two discs there isn't a lot of qualitative difference that I can discern, so what's of primary interest on Disc 1 is the new material, some of it previously unheard in any performance.
   
   The Great White Guru is not so much a song as a repeated riff with Peter Albin telling a story over it, in the shouted southern preachin' style, about LSD. Amazing Grace this time comes in three parts. The first part is vocal harmony, in which Big Brother vies for the Grateful Dead's title for most wretched vocal harmonies ever (on the wonderful Live/Dead). It's not that, like the Dead, they can't hit the right notes (and what makes the Dead's efforts so spectacularly awful is that you usually can't even guess which notes they were trying to hit!)--what it sounds like to me is that Janis, Peter, and Sam Andrew are each singing in a different key! Following that there's a fast, punk-like run-through of the song with lots of choppy guitar chords; then that's followed by another Peter Albin sermon about LSD.
   It's a Deal is an okay but unexceptional blues-rocker. Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill actually is from the movie of the same name! The music for the film was written by Rick Jarrard, who produced Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow! The track doesn't sound like anything I remember from the movie, but the spoken introduction does refer to it as an unsuccessful art film for which the soundtrack album is more visible than the film itself. How times change! Today Russ Meyer's film is considered one of the independent exploitation classics.
   Turtle Blues is done here with full band backing. The piano version on Cheap Thrills is lots better, and there's no question that John Simon was wise to record it that way but it's an interesting curiosity to hear the song the way audiences were originally introduced to it.
   
   So, all in all, it's a fun but not great album which I enjoyed but won't listen to all that often. As I said, it's from a period before the band hit its peak- but it is a performance by a working band, not by Janis Joplin with a backing band. On the songs Peter sings, she mostly just adds a few cheerleader-like whoops that remind me a bit of what you hear on Bob Wills recordings. But when you listen to the songs on which she takes the lead, it's easy to tell that there's a superstar in the making. This recording an artifact from another time, and the large amount of spoken introductions between the songs give it a strong "you are there" feel-- but I suspect that the stage patter sounded a lot more witty then than it does now.



4. This is a Big Brother album not just Janis with backup. This is a band all working together which shows off Janis' , and everyone else's, power to its best I always felt. The guys sound great. Some of the early hippier songs like Amazing Grace are a real delight.



5. ...Big Brother and the Holding Company was a band which included a very talented, new female vocalist. This collection of recordings documents that wonderful year before they became Janis Joplin's backup band. Disc two's offerings have been given a sound-enhancing make-over that reveals subtle sonic details which previous releases of this material submerged in distortion. Disc two is, however, the star of the show, as most of this stuff has never before seen the light of day, unless on obscure bootlegs, and some of the songs can be heard nowhere else. The quality of the recording is better that that of disc two, and that matches the improved quality of the muscianship(James and Sam engage in some very interesting extended interplay). They're all a bit sloppy at times, but that was part of the San Francisco charm. Assuming this all came from the same show or series of shows, disc one's program was recorded in January 1967 at the Matrix in SF (8 months after disc two's show). Truncated teaser versions of "Amazing Grace" and "High-Heal Sneakers" appear on the album "Farewell Song"(with recording date noted). Here they are presented in full, complete with Peter Albin's acid-rant sermon, distorted guitar wailing from James and Sam, and melodic/rhythmic bits that would later evolve into their song "Catch Me Daddy". What comes out of both discs is just what BBHC was about as a real band. They were about taking musical chances, pushing their own and each other's envelopes, rocking out, and amusing their audience(at times, Peter Albin comes off as a cross between Dick Cavett and Tom Smothers -- witty, articulate, and strangely goofy). Too bad that so much had to change after Montery Pop..ped the magic bubble that encased this band in harmony. If your are a fan, you need this.

5 comments about The Fugs First Album.

1. I'll just get right to describing the disc. Shorter songs than normal, on average. Songwriting style (lyrically) that could be considered very artisitic or just guys screing around trying to be vulgar in a pop-music format, dependign on your perspective.
   
   Singing: Too many people singing at once, with no attempt at perfection, or slick-ness.
   
   instruments: Standard pop-rock instruments, but a little heavy on the odd percussion (but so was Bo Diddley). Some guys know how to play. Some do not. Bassist John Anderson is fascinating in his "I know a little" approach, and would have been a famous musician in backwoods string bands in the early 20th century. I love his stuff. His style tends to "country folk" here, just a wall of noise there.
   
   production: They must have done this all in one take. This is raw. Heavy, in a primituive "pre-metal" way. It was the 60's. Could not be done today.



2. The Fugs were fun. The Fugs were cool. So were the Kingsmen at one time. Sadly, I'm old enough to have listened to the Fugs in the '60s. Putting William Blake to lame music was not radical even then. The Fugs couldn't play, they couldn't sing, and -- I'm sorry -- they couldn't write. I loved "Saran Wrap" and "I Couldn't Get High," but I also loved Playboy's "Little Annie Fannie." All were equally subversive. Please don't compare the Fugs to the Ramones or the Mothers of Invention. Save your five stars for "London Calling."



3. I had this album and The Fugs Second Album in the LP collection I inherited from my older brother who bought them when they were first issued. Sadly, the disappeared years ago from the collection (I suspect a step-brother, tho he denies it). So for years I've been wanting to buy them again and finally did so recently on CD.

   Was not disappointed. What can you say about songs like "Ah, Sunflower Weary of Time," "Supergirl" (perhaps my favorite), "Swinburne Stomp," "I Couldnt' Get High," "Boobs A Lot" or "Nothing"? They're too hilarious for words. This album and The Fugs Second Album are really historical snapshots of the Beat Generation coming into the hippie age, brilliant, totally irreverant, intellectual (two poems of William Blake put to music) and juvinile (e.g., "Boobs A Lot") at the same time.

   Don't expect musical genius. The quality of musicianship is crude, and studio conditions are garage, but the energy, wit and spontineity of these tracks couldn't be improved upon.

   Listening to them again now, I totally hear the Fugs in the music of the Ramones, Ween, the Residents, the Jazz Butcher, Robyn Hitchcock and others. I'm surprised I haven't heard more (or for that matter any) contemporary covers of these songs. "Supergirl" or "Nothing," for example, would be very stylish for some neo-punk band to cover.

   Better than the original LPs I had, these two CDs have great liner notes and lots of extra tracks.

   This is definitely not to everyone's taste. My wife, for example, was appalled when I put this on. But if you appreciate humor in music and are interested in the sound of the irreverant '60s anti-establishment, by all means go for it.




4. I believe Lester Bangs once compared this album to a bunch of Neanderthals sitting around a fire beating on logs and baying at the moon. That's pretty accurate. Anyone looking for musical or production sophistication should look elsewhere. But if your looking for that primeval yalp that created music, and probably initiated procreation itself, you'll find it here.

   As a teenager I owned all the Fugs' LPs on ESP. "The Fugs Second Album" is more polished. It should be since actual musicians were playing on it. Ed, Tuli, and Ken are writers, not musicians (unless you want to call Tuli's erectorine a musical instrument). "Virgin Fugs" was my all-time favorite ESP album by the Fugs. It's musically as crude as the "First Album", but the lyrics were more blantantly obscene and simply hilarious! I hope some bold recording company will re-release it someday.

   I remember being amazed when Warner Brothers/Reprise signed the Fugs in the late sixties. I couldn't believe a major label had signed the band. Imagine something like this happening now- impossible! The Reprise Fugs albums were enjoyable, but they lacked the creative intensity and sheer chutzpah of the ESP albums. The Fugs tried like hell to sound as polished as your ordinary rock band back in those days. But it was like spraying gold paint on a pile of manure. The gold paint may look pretty, but it's what's underneath that's closer to the true essence. The Fugs were renegade satirists who did their best work on a small, independent label, ESP. They were never destined for "The Ed Sullivan Show".




5. Great to see this re-release. I still remember the first time I saw something by The Fugs. I was in the record shop and and I found myself with an album in my hand that somehow managed to get in there. Quite curious how it got there I looked at the title: "It Crawled Into My Hand, Honest" by The Fugs. So that explained why I was holding it and it turned out to be the best excuse when somebody asked you how the H... you could have bought that album. Since I love guys with a good sense of humor, I bought the album and I never ever regretted doing so. Anarchy and nihilism, laughter and anger, bombastic rockopera in a circus package, that's The Fugs. Listening to the cd's now you hear that they were a document of their time. One can hear they are 35 years old, but they still are great fun to the not too easily insulted or fainthearted. And now I want It Crawled.... on cd too!