5 comments about Pretties for You.

1. On the first listen this record spoke to me. It was also a life saver thru high school. Like my short attention span it was all over the place. I loved/confused words with their sound and meanings. It fit with my ambiguity about everything. A listen again takes me right back. .



2. If I had found this album years ago, I probably would have dismissied it pretty quickly. One usually expects a certain sound from The Alice Cooper band; and that type of sound isn't found on Pretties For You. Pretties is the Alice Cooper Band rolling through their psychedelic sixties, punk-faced, Beatle induced numbers, with just a little hint at their attention to macarbe details, and more focus instead on their attention to ironic word play, and just messin you up. It seems that the band hadn't gotten into hard edged guitar riffs yet, and these songs become a collection of demented sixties pop- that I'm sure would have been beyond me years ago, when I started getting into Alice Cooper. I'm glad that I waited a few years before picking up the original Alice Cooper release(s). Because I instantly found myself digging this. Alice Cooper is more in the camp of tripped out metal pioneers, like Arthur Brown or Spooky Tooth, only he was also under the thumb of Frank Zappa, and most of the songs add up to nothing more than a practical joke, from the artist to the record buyer... however, despite what others say about certain songs falling apart and not making sense, I don't really hear it that way. A lot of times the original Alice Cooper band had a knack for falling in and out of form from time to time. Even on the later Warner releases. What might not make sense to many is the total absense of hard rock, and the completely Beatles-On-Way-Too-Much-Acid feel of this album. However, I think a good many of you may just find they like when this thing happens, just as much..if not more, than the AC bands more popular future releases... The bands next album; Easy Action is an extension of this, and works some of the same magic, but kicks the amps up a few notches too. I recommend getting into both. Pop music for a backwards existence. Arrrrrr. Something like that! If you are new to the Coop though, you may wanna check out something from the Warner Bros. years... but this one, I like to think of as a pleasant suprise either way.



3. No need to get long-winded and describe this album-it is one of the Greatest albums of all-time. This album helped me get through High School.



4. If you like funny album covers and bizarre song titles, you will love this album! Who, but the most humorless of peoples, could not love such song titles as Earwigs To Eternity, Sing Low Sweet Cheerio, 10 Minutes Before The Worm and No Longer Umpire? And I adore the cover, which has a grumpy looking business man sneering at a young lady who is showing him her panties.
   
   It's the songs and the production that I have a problem with and make it so I can't honestly or dishonestly recommend the album to anybody but die-hard Alice Cooper fans, even though I don't hate the album. The song structures are beyond bizarre, the guitar playing and occasionally the drumming is (are) sloppy, the production is a mess. Occasionally a vocal line or a guitar riff worth humming or singing along with shows up, and at times there are glimpses of the greatness that was to come in a few albums. Alice hadn't developed his trademark sneer and/or snarl or growl and also hadn't adopted his evil Alice persona yet. If ones comes into the album expecting 'I'm Eighteen' or 'School's Out' or 'Halo Of Flies', for that matter, they will be disappointed, though if they are expecting 'Elected', they will find an earlier version of it called 'Reflected'...the only thing they have in common, however, are the melody to the verses and the rhyming song titles.
   
   If I were to pick a few favorite songs, I would go with '10 Minutes Before The Worm', for the singing on it, 'Living', for it's catchy refrain, and ''Levity Ball', which is the closest, I think, that the band comes to a normal song. The rest of it, while not completely horrible, is not very listenable to me. This is an album I rarely put on for pleasure, but more for reference. I know there are many A.C. fans who love this album for it's originality and just plain weirdness, but I can't count myself among them. Fortunately, the band would improve greatly on their next few albums.



5. This record shows how extraordinarily creative the original band was when left on their own to create a body of work (ie no producer to help them craft their songs). You can hear that these pieces were composed from many hours of jamming together, working out ideas together... creating a musical style that was extremely strong, unique, and uncompromising. I wish they'd have recorded another record during this period of Pretties & Easy Action. "Fields of Regret" is one of the heaviest songs you'll ever hear from Alice Cooper, regardless of what era you're into.

5 comments about Trout Mask Replica.

1. Push the envelope and learn why the obscure Captain Beefheart is a major influence on so many later music. He and Zappa are two peas in a pod but they are probably the only two. Trout Mask Replica is an exploration of musical daring, worthwhile for any music lover but don't expect to be soothed to sleep, this demands your attention!
   A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous, got me?



2. Thought I would make a few comments about this album just for a laugh. It is a long album - nearly 80 minutes. It is all gripping. Lyrics excellent. music excellent. vocals excellent. There are a lot of references to animals. beefheart used to sculpt animals lol. There is amazing balance in the rhythms and is all very natural. People go on about the weirdness of the music but it is actually mainly the words and vocals that give this album the edge. Beefheart is an unusual guy and his words reflect his unusual mind. But the quality of lyrics is often ignored or under-appreciated. He is right up there with anyone in rock in that department. Take neon meat dream of an octafish. It is about sex. really hard to imagine anyone else writing in such a manner. outstanding. im uncomfortable about my human gets me blues and one or two irreverant moments due to my christian faith but that song apart this is one of my fave albums lyrics wise. veterans day poppy has genuine poignancy. etc. , etc. Of course, it is not exactly middle of the road musically but as many here point out it is not that far from the centre really and it is based on the blues - a sort of extension of that form. beefheart had mastered the blues already by the time of his debut album :) One more thing, this record has a singular impact in the way it all ties together as an interconnected whole. if i simply hear the phrase 'fast n bulbous' or 'ella guru' or whatever i get a certain feeling that only comes from this record. Almost like hearing the whole thing without actually hearing it :) A true classic and well worth all the fuss it gets.



3. I've read reviews of this -- long, wordy -- people trying to EXPLAIN this work of art. Well I'm sorry but that's just stupid. Just listen.



4. In 1968 or thereabouts, as an impressionable and marginally-adjusted adolescent, I was handed a psychoactive substance of unknown origin (kids, don't try this at home)--and an hour later the hander of said substance was playing "Trout Mask Replica" on his dad's stereo. I'm amused when I hear the so-called psychedelic music of the time--this bent my mind permanently and more truly fit the bill of "psychedelic" music, even though it was natural insanity without artificial enhancement, what he was doing. Jefferson Airplane and suchlike were fine and entertaining, but Don Van Vliet was something else entirely. I love Frank Zappa's control-booth glee re "The Blimp"--"it was perfect." It was.
   
   If you've come this far, buy it. It won't be something that you put on for background music several times a month, it will be kneeling at the altar of difficult music that accomplishes something that mere mortal music cannot.



5. Oh my...what can one say about this one...nothing like had been done before and nothing really since. Brilliant and not for the faint at heart. Like a soundtrack to a surrealistic movie..just pure genius.

5 comments about Royal Albert Hall: London May 2-3-5-6 2005.

1. The HD DVD arrived within several days in perfect condition. The quality of video and sound are superb! You can choose between Dolby 5.1 or Stereo for playback. I chose Dolby and felt like I was at the live concert. The attention to detail with the multiple camera angles is also amazing. This concert really brought me back. I have played it several times with friends (including musicians) and they're impressed with its live feel.



2. Anyone who appreciates classic iconic rock should NOT let this one pass them by. Defintitely the BEST purchase I have made on HD DVD to date. Clapton, Bruce, and Baker are still superb and are yet as good or better than 95% of the bands playing today. These 3 play so tight together you'd think they'd never broke up almost 40 years ago.
   
   The audio (dts 5.1) is icing on the cake along with the extremely sharp video. I was glad to see the video showcases each musician's talent instead of the odd psychedelic crap from the vintage tapes. The interview also provides an interesting inside look at how this reunion came together.
   
   I don't know if Rhino will ever release this on Blu-Ray, but if they don't, that will be their loss.
   
   Pick this one up and if you even slightly like Cream, you won't be disappointed.



3. I love this recording. I like the song selection and the photography is great. This comes out clear and crisp in HD. If you like Cream, you need to get this DVD!



4. Second attempt at ordering, also received a blank disk. Problem exists with the DVD production.



5. very nice case all sealed up but there is nothing on the dsc.. will not play in any of my dvd players.. very upset about this purchase so i probably will never shop amazon again.. also took about 9 days to receive product

5 comments about Heaven Is in Your Mind.

1. This CD was a great purchase for me since it brings together all the songs on the two vinyl versions I own, plus offers rarities like "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush." Some may be put off by Dave Mason's attempt at psych, but these are more than outweighed by all the great songs this album has to offer. And it just doesn't get much better than Steve Winwood's vocals on "Heaven is in Your Mind", "Smiling Phases", and of course "Dear Mr. Fantasy."
   
   If I were to pick one Traffic album for the fable Desert Island it would have to be Low Spark, but this one isn't far behind.



2. After being the teenaged frontman for the R&B-based Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood launced his eclectic follow-up, Traffic, with this auspicious debut -- originally titled Dear Mr. Fantasy in UK. To hear the opening, sitar-laden "Paper Sun" when your ears were expecting "Gimme Some Lovin', Phase 2" was a jarring revelation at the time -- and still is.
   
   With a couple of so-so exceptions, Traffic's catalog is consistently high-quality and underrated, even with all the accolades and popularity the group enjoyed. But Heaven Is In Your Mind is still the best -- even better than their self-titled second album, John Barleycorn Must Die, or Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys.
   
   Dave Mason came and left before the release of the album (then rejoined for the second LP and left again), but the trio of Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood were the true nucleus. Contrary to some revisionists' perspective, they were not the fathers of progressive rock or anything other subgenre; this is way too wide-ranging and far-reaching to pigeonhole. There's psychedelica, folk, R&B, jazz, and what would later be dubbed "world music," way ahead of its time.
   
   Although he's invariably thought of as a singer and keyboard player, Winwood is also a killer guitarist and handles most the lead work here. There are several classics, but the obvious highpoint is "Dear Mr. Fantasy" -- the song that stole the show when Winwood played Clapton's Crossroads Festival in Chicago in '07.
   
   I can't recommend this enough.



3. This remastered issue of Traffic's first American lp with the necessary material from other issues of the period is the one to have: great sound, great sequencing, and material that still sounds fresh after a long, long time. I wish that Traffic had been able to surpass their first two lp's. They didn't, but at least we have this wonderful record.



4. When it comes to pure excellent songwriting and top notch musicianship, "Heaven Is In Your Mind" is Traffic's finest hour. The brilliant songwriting skills were firmly swinging smoothly on this album. It's just a wonderful pop album that sadly will probably be forgotten as the years pass and people choose to remember the Beatles, Stones and Who instead. Traffic didn't release a lot of music, but what they have is sure worth the time and money. An album you must own for your pop record collection.



5. Although there is no doubt that you're hearing the typical Traffic sound, the music on this CD is anything but. This is Traffic in their best form and is a great addition to any collection for serious Traffic-lovers.

5 comments about From the Mars Hotel.

1. The Grateful Dead's seventh album From the Mars Hotel (1974) is Definitive Dead, and essential to any serious rock collection. It is a fusion of rock, blues, reggae, jazz, psychedelia, country, and improvisational jam. From the Mars Hotel marked bassist Phil Lesh's final lead vocal work for the Dead for over ten years, and with Pride of Cucamonga and Unbroken Chain (two really great songs) his last studio contributions ever. The album features Garcia and Weir on guitars and vocals, Lesh on bass and vocals, Keith Godchaux on keyboards and vocals, Donna Jean Godchaux on vocals, and Kreutzmann on percussion. I first experienced this album on vinyl. The remastered CD is worth the upgrade from vinyl, featuring the following setlist:
   
   1. U.S. Blues
   2. China Doll
   3. Unbroken Chain
   4. Loose Lucy
   5. Scarlet Begonias
   6. Pride Of Cucamonga
   7. Money Money
   8. Ship Of Fools
   
   9. Loose Lucy (studio outtake, recorded August 7, 1973)
   10. Scarlet Begonias (recorded live at the Winterland, October 16, 1974)
   11. Money Money (recorded live in Vancouver, May 17, 1973)
   12. Wave That Flag (recorded live in Springfield on March 28, 1973)
   13. Let It Rock (recorded live in Miami on June 23, 1974)
   14. Pride Of Cucamonga (studio acoustic demo, recorded August 4, 1973)
   15. Unbroken Chain (studio acoustic demo, recorded August 11, 1973)
   
   G. Merritt



2. If your reading this, you probably don't need much more from me. Buy the album. It's even got some extra goodies in the form of live tracks of several of the songs. Heaps o' music. The Grateful Dead. Just do it, you won't be sorry.



3. The Evolution was already in progress and the Music of The Grateful Dead had come a Long, Long way from from 1967 when the Band released their first Record: "Grateful Dead" to this Highwater Mark of San Francisco Rock Exploration called: "From The Mars Hotel". First released way back in 1974, this little Gem was as close as this Fantastic Band would come to Mainstream Sucess until the Big-Bust-Through of: "In The Dark".
   
   With only Eight Songs on the Original Release, this Re-Issue has an additional Seven Numbers added on to really increase it's Value. For the Original Eight, Six of that Number are considered 'Classic' Dead Songs. For most of us the Two Diamonds from the Pen of Phil Lesh are the Stars of this Show: "Unbroken Chain" & "Pride Of Cucamonga". But Jerry weighs-in heavy as well on "Mars Hotel" with Three Stunners of his own: "U.S. Blues", Ship Of Fools" & "Scarlet Begonias" which would be Staples of the Live Shows...{Well, they STILL are included in the Live Shows}. And then there is: "China Doll", that is about the most Beatiful Ballad this band ever Performed in the 30 Years they existed.
   
   Some of the Grateful Dead's most Majestic Playing can be found on this Record, the Arrangements are Well-Thought out, and every Note played here is On The Mark. The Piano Playing of Keith Godchaux makes every Tune better because of it. Bill Kreutmann, the Drummer often sounds like Three Guys, he really gets to leave his Stamp on these Great Recordings. And Jerry? Some of his Greatest Solos found on an Studio Dead Record are here on this One! He Snakes around the Melodies and always Explores the Outter-Reaches with his Playing, but never Loses his Focus, He is Sharp and Bright in Tone & Color and just Down Right Awesome throughout.
   
   I thought the Dead would have a Hit Single or Two from this Record and Blunder some Booty on The AM Radio...But, Alas that was not to be. Still it was still a Winner on all Counts, for me it's the Best Grateful Dead Record of the 1970's, a Grand Space Exploration not to be Missed!
   
   The Bonus Material does not detract from the Glory of The Original Record. And I'm pleased to see a Version of: "Wave That Flag", The 'Early' rendition of: "U.S. Blues", included here. Also of Note is a Dead Version of: "Let It Rock", normally this Chuck Berry Gem is featured in Jerry's Band, But here is, a Stompin' Live Dead Version. The real Treat is saved until the End of this CD, with the inclusion of Phil's, Acoustic Demos of: "Unbroken Chain" & "Pride Of Cucamonga" that show the Bassman at the Peak of his Powers, This is Classic.
   
   A Five Star CD!!! It would be Equaled over and over again BUT never Bested. The Goods are right here on this Fantastic CD.



4. My personal favorite of the Dead's studio work, the bonus tracks added an interesting plus to this classic album.



5. I've always found this album to be a little weak. China Doll, Unbroken Chain, Ship Of Fools and Pride Of Cucamonga are a nice listen. Scarlet Begnias and US Blues are much better in their live performances. Loose Lucy and Money, Money are ok. However, the bonus tunes are great and there's more than enough good stuff to keep you hooked over the long haul.

5 comments about Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship - Hits.

1. Although no greatest hits compilation will have EVERY song you might want on it, this one comes close, including several I didn't even realize WERE by this amazing group of artists. Even though it does have a song I must regretfully admit to loathing ("We Built This City"), I give this item the HIGHEST marks!



2. It's a little hard to believe that the trippy Jefferson Airplane became the rocking Jefferson Starship only to disintegrate into the sappy Starship, but the transformation is right here on these two CDs. The songs you'd expect to find on a hits collection of these three bands are here -- Somebody to Love, White Rabbit, Miracles, Caroline, Jane and We Built This City, to name a few. For me, this compilation is worth having for the full version of Miracles, which was edited for radio play back in the 70s but is more passionate and amazing at its full length! While this set is satisfying, I'd like to see a boxed set someday...



3. I've been reading the reviews on this collection, and quite frankly, the name of this package is HITS...not what some people regard as their favorites maybe, but all the hits are there from all three incarnations of this band between 1967 and 1990. I've always been of the train of thought that band members come and go for reasons, and they chose the ones they thought would serve them the best. I don't see any of the changes this band made as any kind of sellout at all...hey, no one held a gun to their heads and said "You will make THIS type of music..." they wrote and performed the songs that were on these albums, and the ones they didn't write were ones they liked enough to record. Grace Slick and Marty Balin sounded great together...and when I had the chance to see the band in 1985, she sounded great together with Mickey Thomas...and in 2002 when I caught Mickey Thomas's Starship on tour with Eddie Money, he still sounded great doing all the Starship tunes associated with him. Every song is someone's favorite, and a lot of mine are on this collection. If you don't want to spend tons of money to get all their hits in one place, buy this collection. If, on the other hand, you prefer one period of this band's varied history over another...then go buy the best of collection from that period, or collect the albums they put out during that period. Hits collections seem to take it on the chin for not including one person's favorites or inevitably another person has to ask "how could they NOT include...?" (like the track "Winds of Change", but I already have that on another CD, it's not like I can't listen to it). All in all, great collection, comprehensive...
   and affordable.



4. Jefferson Airplane - "Hits" (Rock & Roll, Hard Rock, Psychedelic, Folk-Rock, Arena Rock) : Firstly it should be mentioned that this extensive compilation compiles the vast majority of the best / Most popular tracks from the 3 incarnations of Jefferson Airplane.....so that includes the bands transitions from "Jefferson Airplane" to "Jefferson Starship" through to just "Starship" (Which contained none of the founder members, and thus explains the radically different sound in the bands transitions).

   Seeing as this is a "Hits" album, the vast majority of their most popular & critically applauded songs throughout the various transitions of the band are complied here. From the Jefferson Airplane side, the 60's rock and psychedelic rock & Folk-rock that they made their name on, is faithfully represented here, with the excellent inclusions of "Somebody to Love / White Rabbit / Plastic Fantastic Lover".....which (for me) are amongst some of the strongest tracks featured here on this 35 track double album. Jefferson Starship gradual shift away from 60's/Psychedelic rock, to a more Area based rock, and Album oriented rock, lists their best achievements in "Caroline / Miracles / Count on me / With your love", and yet again prove themselves to be fantastic songs in their own right. The transition of their sound was complete with the move to "Starship", which had a completely different line-up of musicians and saw them embrace 80's rock/ Soft rock (not to dissimilar to 'Fleetwood Mac'), and Pop/Rock crossover....with "Sara / Nothings gonna stop us now / It not over (Til it's over)", and the anthemic "We Built this City".

   Seeing as the band went through three personality changes since it's inception, its not hard to audibly hear the transition of sound, where the band change direction musically. And herein lies the problem.....if you only like one or indeed two, of the bands incarnations, then you're going to have difficulty sitting through the tracks of the period of the band that you don't like.......and because it's one of the only albums to give a complete overview of the band, this is really only aimed at people that liked all three incarnations (irrespective of the wildly different sound), so if you are one of those people, than you'd be far better served, picking up a individual collection album of the period of the band that you like.

   For those of us, that do appreciate Jefferson's multiple musical & line-up changes, this is as exhaustive & thorough a compilation as you could possibly hope for, and serves to be an illuminating overview of the band, and a balanced portrayal of their wildly varying music. And if you can handle listening to '60's Folk-rock', through to 'Arena / Album oriented rock'....culminating in 80's soft rock (although undeniably catchy), this is the finest catalogue of a band with over 20 years of hits......and highly recommended.




5. I was somewhat amused by another reviewers description of this collection as being "bizarre". I would concur that this is an apt description as this is one group that changed personnel and musical directions so frequently that it would make your head spin. But in the final analysis, this outfit left us with a pretty impressive body of work. This two CD set released in 1998 is no doubt the best collection that has ever been offered. RCA/BMG has included a generous 35 tracks beginning with the best work of Jefferson Airplane from the late 60's. Aside from the obligatory "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit", selections include "Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil" as well as the title cuts from two of their popular albums of the day "Crown of Creation" and "Volunteers".
   For me, the group did it finest work in the mid to late 70's when they were known as Jefferson Starship. All of the hit singles are here including "Miracles", "With Your Love", Count On Me" and one of my personal favorites "Runaway" from 1978. Another terrific tune, 1984's "No Way Out" is also included.
   The group had another metamorphisis in 1985 when they emerged as simply Starship. And much to my amazement, the group scored with several of its biggest hits ever including "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", "Sara" and of course "We Built This City". All three of those tunes reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
   While I enjoyed the music, Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship was never among my very favorite bands. There are really more tracks here that I required. But as a practical matter this package remains the best collection available. The remastering job is excellent and the 12 page booklet that is included is OK. All in all, a pretty good deal.

5 comments about Space Ritual.

1. This Hawkwind album does something I never even knew the band attempted- jamming out, in a jazzy style, while some punk-ish guitars are playing in the background. What a great idea, not to mention an innovative one if we keep in mind the time this album was created.
   
   Now, here's another interesting thing- the band not only blended these jazzy ideas with punk and hard rock elements, but they somehow came up with this genius idea to give the entire thing a space rock edge, which just blows my mind that a band who already shocked the heck out of me with their amount of creativity managed to pull something MORE out of their magical hat.
   
   So yeah, Hawkwind rules, and Space Ritual is exactly the right album by them you need to own. Some people may get sick of the sound and style the band had going after a while, but to me, it just gets better and better.



2. 3 1/2
   
   Expectedly satisfying in equal parts space and sludge, this live disc remains a sturdy time-capsuled recording but musically does not exceed expectations. It's all slightly amateurish and rather monotone in a garage-stoner sort of way, though arguably the best example of that, especially back then. It's great stuff to invest in when starting out in alternative classic heavy rock; people who argue Hawkwind's influence may as important as Sabbath's have every right to do so....many of the tunes just get a little old and repetitious over time.



3. This is the live album from the tour which Hawkwind funded from the profits of their top 3 hit 'Silver Machine' in 1972. There are god knows how many versions of this album, and IMHO they all sound pretty much the same, so go for the one with the most tracks.
   
   This is often called Hawkwind's best album. Is it?
   
   Well, it's hard to say. How can you compare this ballcrushing, chaotic, anarchic noise, poetry, sax squonks and synth wobblings with something like the hilarious, precise and shiny 'Quark Strangeness and Charm' (1977)? IMHO they are as good as each other. This is just the best of Hawkwind at a particular point in time.
   
   That point was shortly after they'd added the monster rythm section of Lemmy (later of Motorhead) and Simon King (one of the most underrated and instinctual rock drummers ever), cranked up the volume to horrific levels, and committed the brilliant Robert Calvert to vinyl for the first time (he would later become the driving force of the band).
   
   Basically, 'Space Ritual' is a unique, thunderous, ambient, totally mad document. Stoned poems alternate with blasting heavy metal space rock (and when we're talking 'Space Rock', Hawkwind are the true gods of the genre. How can you beat lines like 'Space is deep, it is so endless'?)
   
   It's a shame the CD doesn't include a live show, with the nude dancer Stacia, and the amazingly wasted Dik Mik and Lemmy, who admitted that during the the recording of 'Silver Machine' he had to be propped up by roadies and told which direction the audience was in.
   
   Above all, regardless of the style of the music, this is a document of a band who were utterly devoted to their music and audience, without a care for commercial success. The true 'people's band'. If the offer still exists of buying this along with 'Hall of the Mountain Grill' (their next LP), buy it. You'll also get HotMG, which for my money is the best of their early studio LP's.
   
   To sum up: blistering, unique, amazing, but if you are after perfect musicianship and tightness, forget it. A classic. It just may not be your sort of classic.



4. 
   Someone else used the term "protopunk" and I think that might be a good way to describe this outwardly trippy, sci-fi themed band of many legends (and parodies). WARNING LONG JAMS, which is why they are often lumped with other progessive rock bands of the period. Swoopy cool dated analog synth with lots of reverb, great driving beats and songs wringing lots of stuff out of a very few chords, some effects and a wahwah pedal. It really makes sense when Lemmy's next band defined Speed Metal. Great musicianship throughout. Sometimes a band's live album becomes their defining moment - Little Feat's Waiting for Columbus, Be Bop Deluxe's "Live in the Air Age", and for myself, that is the case here. It is dated to be sure, but this still a great artifact of a band, and as good as anything they have ever done.



5. ..the 50p ticket was a bargain and it this album really does the performance justice.
   
   Yes, I was a mere 14 years old when I saw them play at the Sunderland Locarno. This was strange, as I was living in Colchester at the time, but thats what family Xmas visiting is for.
   
   Yes, these guys invented acid punk rock. They played with a tempo and energy which the Clash would have been proud of and this...show was extraordinary in its uniqueness. It was the first live show I ever saw and I don't think they ever surpassed this.
   
   Lemmy's unique style of bass playing (which would later lay the foundations for Motorhead) glued this band together fundamentally. "Orgone Accumulator" is an example of how well Simon King and Lemmy understood each other.
   
   I have listened to scores of live albums over the last 4 decades (indeed I bought Made in Japan two days before I saw Hawkwind play) and this is one of my favorite 5 live albums.
   
   More than worth a listen - its a pity no-one recorded and video-tape of this tour...

5 comments about Unhalfbricking.

1. The problem with this album is that it always seemed to suffer, slightly, when compared to "What We Did on Our Holidays". Stylistically the albums form a natural pairing, but whereas its predecessor is a near perfect album, with every track complimenting each other perfectly, it always seemed to me that "Unhalfbricking" was by comparison a rather fractured affair with its various parts pulling the listener, a little too sharply, in different directions. In a peculiar way it always felt, as though it was only half a great record, but saying which bits are lacking is hard, as they all seem good or great when taken in isolation.
   
   On the other hand the quality of most of its parts (if not the sum) is at a level most artists can only dream of. I should also point out that none of the above prevented this from becoming, and remaining, one of my best loved albums.
   
   I believe that with the release of this version the album has finally attained the balance it always needed with the addition of the bonus tracks added for this release. They give the album that little more time required to absorb its disparate elements. With the addition of 'The Ballad of Easy Rider'(the best version of this song I have heard) the album finally has the majestic closing number it always needed and acts as a counterweight to the mighty 'A Sailor's Life' which seemed overly dominant at the center of the disc .
   
   I already owned the previous CD version so it was with some reservations that I bought this one (only, in the end, because I needed to hear Sandy Denny's take on 'The Ballad of Easy Rider'), but I am glad I took the gamble. I always loved this album but now it's better than ever.



2. One of the great things about Amazon.com is this: if you buy alot of records from them, the "Recommended for You" page turns up some hidden gold from time to time. When I started exploring lesser-known bands of the psychedelic era and making alot of purchases, lo and behold, this album popped up on the list. Knowing nothing about the band other than my attraction to the album cover's resemblance to "American Gothic", I bought this record.
   
   Listening to the first 10 seconds of this record was an experience I have very rarely had in my life. Usually, I can tell right away how a record is likely to sound, even if I know nothing about the band. But listening to the first moments of this, I seriously had no idea what to expect from this record. Growing up listening to the "classic rock" radio stations in the early 90's, and spending a good half-dozen years as a Jethro Tull fanboy, I certainly was familiar with folk-rock even if I didn't know it. But this record was totally "off the reservation" for me from the get-go.
   
   From the opening guitar line of "Genesis Hall", it is clear that this is going to be a record unlike anything you've heard. The song blends elements of jazz, folk and rock into a disturbing lamentation about the inevitable passage of time. The third track, "Autopsy", has much of the same slightly-askew feel to it, and features vocalist Sandy Denny at her best.
   
   The remainder of the album features some Dylan outtakes, another Dylan song from the then-unreleased Basement Tapes, and another Sandy Denny feature "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" Jefferson Airplane also seems to be an influence on the vocals. Looking ahead, Fairport's arrangement of the traditional "A Sailor's Life" fortells the sound of their follow-up record "Liege and Lief" and the ultimate direction of the band as an essential part of the folk-rock scene.
   
   If not for "Genesis Hall" and "Autopsy", I'd rate this a 3-4 star album. But those two tracks easily bump this up to 5-stars. Production value on this CD is also a strength, the sound of the record sounds very modern in most respects.



3. This is terrific work with attributes that extend towards many tastes. Richarh Thomspon's scorching guitar, Sandy Denny's angelic voice, cool versions of Dylan songs, ensemble virtuosity, its all there baby!
   
   "A Sailors Life" is the highlight. It starts out as a very folky, lumbering, painfully Brittish jig and builds an dgrows into a crushing guitar workout. Enjoy every second of this lengthy songs
   
   "Million Dollar Bash" was an obscure Bob Dylan tune that is given a lot of life by the different members of the band singing about what else? Having a million dollar bash!
   
   This is a real big thumbs up!
   
   This badn had a revolving door with different members. This was their best work.



4. If you are looking for outstanding Fairport Convention, or Brit Folk, or if you just like music, this is an exemplary example. This album explains why those of us from the 60's continue to say that the music today (and the last 15 years) generally blows. You cannot name a single group that even approaches the beauty of this album. Five stars isn't enough. Trade in all your Britany Sneers and J Blows cd's; get this one and listen to a woman who can sing.



5. I received my CD very quickly & at a great price. I'd definitiely buy from you again . . . and look forward to doing so in the future.

5 comments about Bless Its Pointed Little Head.

1. We are transported back in time to the old Fillmore Auditorium. The big room is filled with the hipsters of the day and we're all looking up at the giant screen above the stage where the old black and white film classic KING KONG is being screened. The final moments of the movie come assuring us all that it was not the airplanes that killed the beast and thank goodness for that because another airplane is just about ready to take off.
   Spencer dips into '3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds' followed piece by piece by Paul's rhythm guitar, Jorma's lead and Jack's bass, layering one atop the other and then the 3-part vocals of Paul, Marty and Grace. Marty just ripping through his vocals. Grace complementing at every turn. Jack scorching his bass. Spencer...c o o k i n g on his kit. I have to really take a moment here to praise Spencer's drumming. From the very beginning of '3/5'ths with his alternate light-as-a-feather/sharp as a jack hammer combination I was truly impressed listening to him all through this album. But, it's all there, the whole band. The Jefferson Airplane sound, complete. This has to be the best song on this album, I'm thinking.
   "....some of them chords...." Grace concludes aloud at song's end.
   But just when you think it's the best track 'somebody to love' sets in next. And it's another intricate weaving together of each intrument piece by piece, building till everyone is finally up and running. At first, unrecognizable from the well-known single version. Grace's altered melody definately takes you by surprise. Marty's fast and hard tambourine spanking christens the song with the unmistakeable Airplane signature. "....garden flowers are dead....." . damn what a great version! wow. I've only heard the first two tracks and I'm ratin' this album VERY high!
   Fat Angel begins...again, the slow build-up with each intrument weaving in one by one but with a twist this time. Jack has switched to rhythm guitar chopping out a foundation under which Marty drops in a bass line. Drums building..Jorma's lead bending around. Paul's Donovan vocal-"Ffffly trans-love airways-gets you there on.............time". Excellent black light music. slow and hypnotic. Paul's guitar drone effects. Now I'm thinking this is the albums centerpiece.
   "Captain High at your service".
   Side one of the original Lp concludes with a bit of a change of pace. A slow blues showcase for Jorma. In case you didn't know, not only did Grace, Marty and Paul share lead vocals, Jorma makes his mark with a very versatile vocal performance on 'Rock me baby'. But this song is a two guitar/bass/drums grinder over the length of which.......bass-just....f l y i n g.
   Side two opens with 'other side/of this life'....again, building piece upon piece. Marty's tambourine and integral beat establishment. And here, the return of the 3 part Paul,Grace,Marty vocals. They really loved this Fred Neil song. "would you like to know a secret, just between you and me/i don't know where i'm goin next/i don't know who i'm gonna be. well my whole world is in an uproar/now my whole world's upside down. i don't know where i'm goin next and i'm always runnin around. i don't know what i'm doin half the time/i don't know where i'm goin. i think i'll get me a sail boat-sail the gulf of mexico"
   It's No Secret-only one that starts all together. Little song c o o k s.
   Plastic Fantastic Lover-damn that's some hot bass and guitar! Marty ripping through his vocals--yet again.
   After a brief 'turn out the lights' Paul introduces Bear Melt, the final song on the album-all eleven minutes of it, and, the albums 2nd and final centerpiece. "we'll leave you with this. feel free to sing along if you'd like". Grace quickly zings back a "thank you" for this song will be her showcase as well. this mini-epic is Bless's 'the end'.
   "why not keep the little animals alive". more....just more great 4 piece ensemble playing and when Grace comes back in at the very end....wow. beautiful.
   It took me a l o n g time to discover this album. I'm glad I finally did. great great great.



2. For collectors only, this is not a very good album. The mix is muddy & the material presented was hardly worth the effort. Save your cabbage & pick up one of JA's studio efforts.
   
   For a similar recording you could record some drunken garage band with a radio shack tape recorder & end up with something of the same quality.



3. The favourite album of each member of the Airplane, Bless Its Pointed Little Head captures the band at the height of their powers in their most natural setting, live in front of an audience at familiar halls. This album was recorded at Bill Graham's two venues; mostly at Fillmore West in their native San Francisco in October 1968, a month after their legendary performance at London's Roundhouse, which I was lucky enough to attend, but a couple of tracks from New York's Fillmore East the following month, though the recordings have been mixed together to represent an abbreviated concert, and presented as was, without any post-gig sweetening or overdubs, and including the daringly improvised combined pieces Turn Out The Lights/Bear Melt from New York.
   
   Although their album Crown Of Creation had just reached the shops, nothing from that album is included, perhaps because those new songs had yet to find their evolved forms in live performance. The live versions of former singles It's No Secret, Somebody To Love and Plastic Fantastic Lover (the B-side of White Rabbit) show that these had been utterly transformed on stage. They are therefore not merely live souvenirs of well-known material, but reinventions, valuable documentations of what the Airplane were all about as a live band. Apart from a startlingly fresh and extendedly transcendental performance of former album track 3/5's Of A Mile In 10 Seconds, the rest of the album features material not available in studio form.
   
   Fat Angel, written by Donovan, was an obvious choice for the band to cover as it includes the line, "Fly Jefferson Airplane, gets you there on time", interpreted at a metaphysical level and accompanied by some fittingly spacey musical exploration. Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were the Airplane's blues aficionados and led the band through an extended extemporization of Rock Me Blues, probably learned from BB King but a traditional blues developed through earlier recordings by Arthur Crudup, Lil' Son Jackson, Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy and others. The band's folksier origins are represented by Paul Kantner taking the lead on Fred Neil's Other Side Of This Life, an established stage favourite otherwise unrecorded by the band.
   
   Therefore, there was little to deter owners of the Airplane's four albums released to date from acquiring this, their first and best live album, and on release in January 1969 it reached number 17 in the US album charts in a 20-week chart run, remaining a consistent favourite with buyers ever since, having been re-issued on CD several times.
   
   This edition from 2004 has been remastered from the original tapes by Bob Irwin and also includes three previously unreleased live bonus tracks: Today (originally from Surrealistic Pillow), Watch Her Ride and Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon (all from After Bathing At Baxter's). The notes indicate that these were intended for the album but left off due to time constraints. It's noticeable, though, that all three come from a slightly later night at the Fillmore West, namely November 5th, and have a markedly different live sound balance to those on the album, though they are fine versions. This is presumably due to the band's live psychedelic sound man Owsley Stanley III, who also worked with the Grateful Dead, rather than the album's balance engineer Richie Schmitt.
   
   In the CD and DVD-Audio era it would be good to have some of these memorable concerts made available in full, as the Grateful Dead have done with their Dick's Picks and other series. In the meantime, this edition is clearly the one to choose in preference to earlier editions, to enjoy a prime West Coast band at their peak.



4. This album shows what was the real force behind the band. Can anyone think of a rock group before them to build its sound around the bass? Jack's playing on this record is extremely strong. Its no accident that this record was mixed with his instrument making up half the volume, the rest of the band the other half. His playing defined the group, and gave it a foundation which they could swirl around. When I first heard this record, Balin and Slick's voices seemed to me to be shaped to resemble dueling Yardbirds-like guitars, and they still do. The whole group is tight on this record, and very attentive to each other. You just don't hear this kind of work on other SF groups from the period-a mix of well-rehearsed instrumentation and improv. They rocked much harder than the Dead or other outfits.
   I just wish that Jorma's guitar work were more consistant here, my only real complaint.



5. GOT IT FOR THE SONG ROCK ME BABY. HOT AS HELL...GREAT MUSIC FOR A DATE NITE.

5 comments about Cloud Nine.

1. Cloud Nine is a likeable album that's also slightly melancholic. The music is professionally-constructed adult pop that would sound great on a long car journey, and I have no doubt that George Harrison was thrilled with it, and that the album was exactly what he wanted. It's much poppier and less pretentious than Harrison's earlier work, and slightly less interesting because of it. There's absolutely nothing about Krishna consciousness, and he doesn't try to sing about the human condition, or the problems that face the world; the album is a collection of vague love songs, with the exception of "When We Was Fab", which is a parody of The Rutles.
   
   Way back in the 1970s Harrison was often criticised for sticking to a formula. His songs tended to have gloomy minor-key mid-tempo arrangements with slide guitar. The slide guitar is still present in Cloud Nine, but the songs are generally upbeat and often cheerful, which would have been unthinkable circa 1973. His voice has matured well and it is a shame he didn't record it more often. As any fule kno, this was George's first record for ages, and his last record until he died; he hid in a tree and sniped the 1980s. Headshot.
   
   None of the songs are bad. "That's What it Takes" sticks out, because it sounds like The Thompson Twins or Cutting Crew, but on that level it works well. Compared to something from All Things Must Past it is cheesy, but All Things Must Past was seventeen years old in 1987. Most of the people buying Cloud Nine would have no memory of it. "Got My Mind Set on You" is one of those guilty pleasures that works best in short bursts. I'll put it this way; if you were listening to the album in your car, you'd nod your head to "Got My Mind", and sing along, but you'd make sure that it was not playing when you pulled in to the driveway. You'd skip to "Fish on the Sand" or the title track, both of which are fab. In fact the title track is a grower, and has the best guitar playing of all.
   
   The production has dated, but well. It's definitely late-80s, but not cheesy late-80s, with the exception of some synth stabs on "This is Love". The drums reverberate in the Phil Collins style, and the arrangements are ultraprofessional and a bit fussy, but likeable. It's interesting to compare the album with Paul McCartney's Press to Play, which came out the year before. Conceptually, the two albums are similar; they are both big-budget late-80s pop records that were produced on huge automated digital mixing desks in top studios. Whereas Press to Play is offensively excessive, excessively offensive, tasteless, hollow, and smug, Cloud Nine is generally low-key, catchy, toe-tapping, tasteful, a bit shallow, but pleasant.
   
   It's also interesting to compare Cloud Nine with David Bowie's Never Let Me Down, which came out the same year, but I am too tired for that.
   
   In summary, Cloud Nine will never be on anybody's "ten best rock albums of all time" list, indeed it will probably never be on anybody's "ten best rock albums of 1987" list - it falls between too many stools - but I like it, and that's what counts.



2. From the first note to the last, this is an exceptional recording. The compositions, lyrics, rhythm section and soloists all shine throughout. George Harrison's voice has rarely sounded better. And he's as clean a bottleneck guitar player as anyone I've heard. The sound quality of the recording couldn't be improved upon.
   
   These performances come from the hearts of musicians famous for their ability to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Essential listening for all pop music fans.



3. When I was a baby , my mother brought home an album that would begin my love for music, the album was "All things must pass" , little did either one of us know was it would be mine at the young age of six , it was an album that never left me and I still listen to it now and even during my teen years in th eighties when it wasn't cool by my peers to listen to such a relic at that time. So lets go back to 1987 the year of the release of "Cloud Nine". I was 17 and it was to be my senior year of high school onward to 1988 , this was a Xmas present from a friend , and not only was this great , this album too stuck with me . these songs bring back so many memories this would be the soundtrack to my final year of high school , as well as a farewell to those things at that time that "MUST PASS AWAY". George truly shined on this album and it was a shame he was never again to repeat such an effort. Now I am preparing for my 20 year high school reunion, where I will truly be a "Fish out of sand", with memories of a girl I will have my mind set on, and if "just for one night" my old friends and I regroup like "We were Fab", then like the music of this album I will truly be on "CLOUD NINE".



4. After being a movie producer for a few years George finally got back to what he does best. Great Harrison release for fans or even a great 80s CD.



5. Cloud Nine is a great release from George Harrison, who, in 1987, was seeking to re-establish himself as an artist. With essentially a newfound focus to propel his solo career at the top as he did seventeen years prior with All Things Must Pass, Harrison enlisted the services of Jeff Lynne of ELO fame as the co-producer for this project. Alongside Harrison's guitar were to be the key instrumental contributions of Eric Clapton, Elton John, Ringo Starr, Gary Wright, and Jim Keltner, among others.
   
   The songs are timeless, and the instrumentations are very nicely arranged. In this collection, the tracks are representative of the various phases Harrison was artistically going through since his early Beatle days. Fish on the Sand, Cloud Nine, and the number one hit, Got My Mind Set on You, an obscure early 60s Rudy Clark song that Harrison actually wanted to record as a Beatle, comprise material reminiscent of those pre-Sergeant Pepper days. When We Was Fab and Breath Away from Heaven are interesting tracks, blending together the sitar sound that was often Harrison's trademark since late 1966 with traces of the ELO-type production that was of none other than Jeff Lynne.
   
   For those who were hoping for a bit of the All Things Must Pass sound from Cloud Nine, That's What It Takes, the second track, has a mid-tempo, bluesy sound with excellent Clapton guitar added and thus parallels the All Things Must Pass tunes I'd Have You Anytime and Beware of Darkness. Just for Today, lyrically and musically, is a poignant song that has a ring of both resolve and finality to it in the style of the All Things Must Pass title track.
   
   In retrospect, I say that, roughly twenty years after its chart success, Cloud Nine was a return to basics release with a contemporary sound that would provide a touch of retrospection, which I think brought to life the strengths of this masterpiece without having it stuck in any particular decade. In this twenty-first century, it sounds just as fresh and new as it ever did.
   
   A sad note: Cloud Nine would end up being the very last solo work that George Harrison would issue during his lifetime. But what a way to summarize the career of so talented a performer who, in 2003, would be ranked #21 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
   
   Looking at the catalogue of his works,one can definitely agree that George Harrison was a one-of-a-kind performer who was anything but a one-trick pony.
   
   Once again, thanks for the memories, George.