5 comments about The Boxmasters.

1. i ADORE this album and i'm not even a country music fan. i saw these guys in Sellersville, PA (philly 'burb) on 8-19-08 and they were wonderful. can't wait to see them again. i'm listening to it right now :)



2. Often times I approach albums from actors with tremendous trepidation and skepticism. A good actor does not a good musician make. I have a stack of albums at home to prove it (Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Keenau Reeves, echhh!). But what happens when the music is so good, the songwriting is so tight and the talent is so spot on that you forget that an actor is doing it? What happens is pure genius! The new album by the Boxmasters is steeped in tradition and yet sounds cool and contemporary. In the great tradition of American roots and rockabilly, Billy Bob Thornton and his henchmen have put out a record that is almost too good to be true. You not only get killer originals but a disc of covers that are interpreted so well, you almost think they were written by the band themselves.
   
   It started with "Private Radio" and I must say I have enjoyed Billy's musical journey immensely. Like characters in his films, he changes personas with such grace and agility that you can't help but be breathtaken. The band is hot, tight and if you see them live, you couldn't find a more talented bunch if you tried. See them and buy a bunch of copies and give them to the people you love! Music really is food for the soul, and this album is the best southern meal you can have!



3. Damn, Billy Bob Thornton has a new fan. Its me! Damn since I saw him 2 weeks ago, I bought his CD that night and I have been hooked ever since. Ya know its kinda nice to discover something new from someone that your really didnt expect it from. Ya know I like almost ever song on the double CD box. Por House, the 2 Nesmith songs, which by the way always has something differnt to offer, Shes Getting Better By The Minute and the remake of a song by The Beatles I Want To Hold your Hand which I feel was long overdue for a makeover. Ya know, I shook his hand and he looked at me and said, "I want to thank you for coming to the show", How really nice of him to be so in touch with his fans! Im a big fan of all of his movies and now, his music!



4. This is good, solid entertainment. The songs are gritty, unique, and just downright entertaining. It's about hard life and hard living, weird stuff, but fun. I love a blend of contradictions. I could see this album being used as the background music for The Greatest White Trash Love Story Ever Toldwhen it is made into a movie.



5. I never would have guessed that the marvelous actor I admired was also such an accomplished musician and singer! The songs in Boxmaster are amazing, funny, melancholy, even gruesome. The weird cacophonous noises between tracts that make the listener think the CD is damaged is a clever poke in the eye.

5 comments about American Beauty.

1. What makes this masterpiece speak for itself is the main ingredient none other than the tight harmonies flowing throughout this entire recording,infested with strong lyrics,a prime example,Attics Of My Life,flowing like a fine wine remenisant of the classic Beatles,Sun King,and classic is Jerry Garcia's signature tune,Ripple,and movin' on down the road with,Truckin',the instrumentation is subdued on this album leaving the vocals standing out painting a visual in the listeners mind,which is basically the idea anyway. This Grateful Dead remastered classic contains sixteen tracks,ten of the original 1970 album,the last six are live versions of,Truckin,Friend Of The Devil,Til The Morning Comes,including a single version of Truckin',this is an American Beauty.



2. The Grateful Dead were a band in transition at the beginning of the 1970's. The San Francisco dream was pretty much dead and over with. The Summer of Love had spun into Altamont. The bikers the Dead had fashioned themselves after had turned a Stones concert into the close of an era. When the Dead released Workingman's Dead, it was a tighter album compositional than the earlier albums, and showed the band's (particularly Jerry Garcia) love for roots and bluegress. Gone were the psychedelic jams, in were discipline and a subdued recognitiion of how much was different. "Workingman's Dead" was a great album by a band that struggled to translate their ideas to tape.
   
   But the follow-up, released the same year, was a masterstroke. Opening with Phil Lesh (and longtime Dead-writer Robert Hunter's) composition "Box of Rain" and closing with a statement of purpose "Truckin'," this was the Grateful Dead saying goodbye to California and hello to American Roots music. Augmenting the band with members of The New Riders of the Purple Sage, "American Beauty" features nary a Garcia guitar lead, but plenty of his Pedal Steel. It also contains two more Dead classics, Gracia's philosophical "Ripple" and Bob Weir's "Sugar Magnolia."
   
   It's not just for those classic songs that "American Beauty: became a classic, but for the fact that The Dead were folding all sorts of styles into the mix. There's gospel, harmonies they'd picked up from their friends Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Grisman's mandolins, and the immortal line "What a long strange trip it's been." It helped to make the album a mixed metaphor: the trip was far from over, yet the path from 1967's Grateful Dead to now was indeed wide ranging. If one looks closely at the etched glass of the cover art, you can read it both as "American Beauty" or "American Reality." The Dead had arrived at a crossroads, and as Garcia sang on "Ripple":
   
   "If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
   And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung,
   Would you hear my voice come through the music,
   Would you hold it near as it were your own?"
   
   The band made it plain on "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty." They'd left the 60's behind, even if the spirit would stay with them in a beautiful reality. The music would never be as spaced as side long blues-workouts of Chuck Berry, but from this moment on, they were masters of their own reality.



3. One of the most aptly titled recordings in the rock canon, this is the Dead's studio masterpiece. Inspired by American folk and country music and by the sophisticated vocal harmonies that Crosby, Stills and Nash were producing at the time, Garcia and company crafted 10 tracks that are polished, warmly engaging, and uniquely American. This isn't their most progressive work, or their most explosive, but it's probably their most accessible. From the exquisite melancholy of Phil Lesh's "Box of Rain", the bluegrassy "Friend of the Devil", and the exuberant "Sugar Magnolia", to the beautifully harmonized "Attics of My Life" and the traveling beat of Bob Weir's "Truckin'" the Dead staked claim to a sound that remained uniquely theirs for the rest of their career. A genuine American classic.



4. "American Beauty" is one of the definitive Grateful Dead albums, of that there can be no question. Following "Workingman's Dead", this album continues the direction the band took with blues, country, and folk-styled original songs. To say the album is good is to say that air is essential for life. It's a fantastic milestone in American music. Most of the album will grab you, with tracks like "Operator" and arguably "Candy Man" being the weakest. The strongest track on this album in my opinion is "Ripple", as I understand it, a song that more or less became Jerry Garcia's theme song. It's a deeply spiritual track, and one that I love dearly. You'll almost certainly have heard "Friend of the Devil", "Sugar Magnolia", and "Truckin'" on any good rock radio station, so there should be some familiar territory to cover on this album. Consider this album essential Grateful Dead.



5. Named after a French perpetual rose (depicted on the album's classic cover), the Grateful Dead's fifth album American Beauty (1970) is Definitive Dead, and essential to any serious rock collection. (If you could only own one Dead album, this is The One to own.) It is a landmark fusion of rock, folk, blues, bluegrass, country, and improvisational jam. If this Rose had a scent, it would smell more like patchouli. The album includes the impossible-to-escape-in-the-70's radio single, "Truckin'" (the song that first introduced me to the Dead). The album features Garcia on vocals, guitar and pedal steel guitar, Weir on vocals and guitar, Lesh on bass and vocals, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan on harmonica and vocals, and Kreutzmann and Hart on percussion. I first experienced this album on vinyl. The remastered CD is worth the upgrade from vinyl, featuring the following setlist:
   
   1. Box Of Rain
   2. Friend Of the Devil
   3. Sugar Magnolia
   4. Operator
   5. Candyman
   6. Ripple
   7. Brokedown Palace
   8. Till the Morning Comes
   9. Attics Of My Life
   10. Truckin'
   
   11. Truckin' (single edit)
   12. Friend Of the Devil (recorded live at the Filmore East on 5/15/1970)
   13. Candyman (recorded live at Winterland on 4/15/1970)
   14. Till the Morning Comes (recorded live at Winterland on 10/4/1970)
   15. Attics Of My Life (recorded live at the Filmore West on 6/6/1970)
   16. Truckin' (recorded live at Legion Stadium on 12/26/1970)
   17. Ripple (Single Version) (Unlisted Bonus Track)
   18. American Beauty Promo (Unlisted Bonus Track)
   
   G. Merritt

5 comments about Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.

1. I stumbled across this album late (1975) and recall being fairly floored at the time that I was not familiar with it (albeit that I had had John Barleycorn for years prior).
   
   Simply put, Steve Winwood was a genius on the emotive and exploratory edge of electric guitar, something that seems entirely lost to multiple generations of guitarists and listeners. Listen, if you will, to the trailing guitar licks on Light Up or Leave Me Alone and tell me if you don't feel the presence of something 'bigger' than the rest of all the BS garbage guitar work out there these days. And yet listeners who don't, in fact, listen will have no idea what I'm talking about...
   
   Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (the song) sits at a level above Stairway, Gimme Shelter, and even Layla as without question one of best rock n' roll songs every written and executed.
   
   Get educated, buy this CD....But if you're lazy or oversaturated with todays overproduced crap you'll never 'get it'. Good luck.



2. Traffic-The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys ****
   
   
   Traffics The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys is a jazz/rock classic. It is both progressive and yet very basic simultaneously. Combining elements of prog with jazz and basic rock n' roll elements. Featuring such Traffic classics as the twelve minute title track `The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys' the blunt (not pun intended) `Light Up Or Leave Me Alone' which features a killer wah-wah guitar solo, something that Traffic became known for, and perhaps the greatest song Traffic ever recorded with the exception of `Mr. Fantasy' is the brilliant `Rock & Roll Stew.' All three went on to become rock classics and seem to still get regular air play despite their time length.
   
   The musicianship on the album is amazing as well. The guitar playing and percussion especially. Steve Winwood of course being the master mind behind the whole thing. The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys is Traffics strongest album and one that at the very least deserves at least one spin in everyone's stereo.



3. This album's supposed to be Traffic at its most commercial, but it may also be Traffic at its most boring. It's a lot of what Winwood was already trying to do in his singles on the earlier albums: British versions of soul, proto-jam band jamming, but there are no extraordinary moments. It is consistent, and it is easy to listen to, but not for an indication of the most progressive things happening in early 70's rock and pop.



4. Almost 40 years after it was recorded, this album still has what it takes. Listen to it a few times and you will hear yourself humming it on the way to work or play.



5. WOW, unbelievable clarity of Stevie's vocals if you have only heard this on vinyl or the radio. If you think you know any of your favorite tunes from the late sixties and you have not heard them on cd,I had to pull the car over it was so over whelming.

5 comments about Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd.

1. this is a good CD if you're a casual listener looking for Pink Floyd's best songs. less expensive and less cumbersome than buying their complete set and not bogged down by lesser songs. if you're a hard core fan you will probably find this CD lacking in continuity. Pink Floyd albums were not simply a collection of singles they were a coherent continuous package. that continuity is lost when compiling a greatest hits album.



2. I've heard all of the songs on this compilation, and I own most of the albums that they are from. To me, it seems that these songs lose a lot of their appeal and meaning when they are separated from the albums in which they were originally released. In particular, The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon are best listened to from start to finish. Part of the reason I love Pink Floyd so much is that they could create an entire album that was in itself a work of art.
   
   Pink Floyd worked on a scale that is beyond most artists, especially today's sound bite radio-friendly pop and rap artists.
   (Some rappers have shown some serious talent and artistry, but almost none of the marketable, wealthy ones do.) Pardon the digression...
   
   Anyway, this is a compilation of some excellent songs, and for the person interested in the individual songs it's a good buy. However, I think that what made Pink Floyd music truly great was the way it was composed as an album.



3. This product has not been used yet. It is a present for Father's Day. Sorry I couldn't have been more helpful.



4. Let's face it, I don't want to follow the plot of "the Wall" when drifting off. Do you? This disc does the job of sending me off to sleep when I need to be counting sheep (pun almost intended). Few albums do that job well and that in itself makes this a classic compilation.
   
   This is the perfect mix tape of Pink Floyd done in digital perfection. The way the song run together, almost makes it a new Floyd Album. It's nice to see Syd represented very well and maybe some of the new Floyd fans will Discover Piper at the Gates of Dawn because of this. Additionally, if I were to introduce someone to Pink Floyd, I would buy them this and Dark Side of the Moon. Who would have ever thought that a 16 minute track would have sounded short, but the Echoes edit is done masterfully. I call this set, the "Portable Pink Floyd." You will love it. Now how about some classic live material?



5. An essential collection for Pink Floyd lovers-though Pink Floyd lovers probably already have all of these songs in other places!

5 comments about Blues.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed the CD. However, someone got hold of my credit card info & charged over $600.00 on Amazon.com. Fortunately, my credit card company noticed the charges, informed me & put a block on any subsequent charges. Needless to say, I'm a little "gun-shy" after the experience. I was able to recoup the bogus charges but I had to create a new account, obtain a new credit card, etc. Any suggestions?



2. Wow! and Wow Again. Because Jimi had his basics with some of the best unkonw blues masters this is one of the best blues recordings I have ever owned I am 84 and recognize some of the riffs from some of my oldies. Every one who loves the blues should own this one.. To bad he isn't alive today to share more of his talent.



3. This is by far the best Jimi Hendrix CD ever produced!!! His blues guitar playing is the at the top of the list with B.B. King and S.R.V.



4. I've been looking for a more intimate showing of Jimi Hendrix's talent. This is just what I was looking for. He was an excellent blues guitarist.
   The recording is just a bit echoing. But overall, I love it.



5. As you would guess by the title, this collection from Jimi Hendrix is a
   little more down-home than his others. Relax, and you will be pleased
   with these recordings which show Jimi's skills when playing the blues.
   There are also new renditions of a couple favorites with a more blue
   flavor, and an impressive jam session with complex ryhthms and smoking
   guitar licks that will have you saying thank-you Jimi. If you enjoy the
   blues played by other rock musicians, then you will like this one too.
   I am glad I have it to add to my Hendrix collection.

5 comments about Beach Boys - 20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits (Volume 1).

1. At least three essential, MUST have Beach Boy's songs: "The Warmth Of The Sun", "In My Room", and "Don't Worry Baby", are missing from Vol.1. They are found on Vol.2, as well as the great classic "Endless Summer" CD. "Vol. 1" is not even close to a complete Beach Boy's collection...get "Vol. 2" with it or "Endless Summer".



2. For a contemporary comparison try Nick Worrall's debut album, it has been compared to the classic 'Friends' album and is FREE to download.



3. Yes yes... I am back. There is no rest for weary Seers when it comes to public devotion (or self promotion). Anyway, summer is here once again, and the hovering egg yolk in the sky sends it's warm waves to everyone. Fortunately for me, my devoted fans sent me enough money to go to Malibu. So, a few days ago I caught a Seer jet (play on words there people - Lear Jet, get it?) from London. So, I arrived in California expecting the red carpet treatment. You know what I mean, a limo with a t.v. and wet bar, some beautiful woman to laugh at all my jokes, and a luxury suite at a 5 star hotel. You can imagine my surprise when they threw me into a taxi with a driver that looked like Columbo and had a woman that looked like Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies be my tour guide. We won't get into the accomodations. However, I must ask, how many of you have lived in a tent city with no running water? Please raise hands!
   
   Anyway, despite all that, my first day at the beach was most interesting. I went with a generous supply of zinc oxide on my nose to protect me from harmful rays, looked ever so sauve with classic sunglasses (you know the ones, from the 60's), and had the coolest swim trunks on that had prints of palm trees and barracudas on them. I was ready folks!
   
   So I sat out on my beach chair, and before you know it, the Norwegian Woman's Volleyball League set up shop right next door. Yes. I met them all and marvelled on how good they were when they started to play. Especially Ingrid and Helga. Their form, their defensive technique, their jumping up and landing! I didn't know volleyball could be so enjoyable. ;)
   
   But, let me get to this review before you all start throwing beach balls at me. As I'm there, I hear music coming out of my old transistor radio. On a day like today, what would be more appropriate than Beach Boys music?
   
   What we have here is part one of their greatest hits. And, if I must say so, it is quite the collection. Do remember, the Beach Boys virtually invented the surf craze in America. They were bearers of the American dream via the California dream. It was definitely youth oriented, and through the sixties they were the premiere American band.
   
   Why were they so successful you might ask? Well, they hit upon themes that were part of the youth experience for that time. The theme of sand and surf certainly with the offerings of "Surfin'Safai", "Surfin' U.S.A.", "Surfer Girl" and "Catch a Wave", just to name a few. Livin' life was an exhuberent joy to these guys. Within their songs you also get the main motifs of fast cars (i.e; Shut Down", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "I Get Around")young love heartache (i.e; "Help Me Rhonda") and girls, girls, girls (i.e, "Surfer Girl", "Barbara Ann", "California Girls" and the inimitable "Good Vibrations"). In fact, as we speak, Helga is giving me an eye flirt. Talk about good vibrations!
   
   Brian Wilson was genius in how he wrote these songs, how he arranged them, and peppered them with their trademark harmony. Crystal clear rock music, thoughtful ballads, done with the aura of the beautiful California coastline. Did I forget to mention the most perfect pop tune in rock history "God Only Knows?" That's included here as well.
   
   In conclusion, The Beach Boys are as essential as the sun in the summer when it comes to that season. These tunes are ingrained into our consciousness with an indelible stamp. Nowhere will you find better music to covey the joys and trials of youth and the search to find that perfect wave. Now, I must go. Seems a terrible fight has erupted between Helga and Ingrid and it's getting ugly. Seems they both want me. Of course, this is the effect I have on women. Let me go see if I can convince them to share me. ;)
   
   I get around. cheerio -- Metamorpho



4. If you love listening to the Beach Boys or know of someone that does and need to get them a present, than this is for you. I bought this for my mom for Christmas along with some Elvis and she listens to it every week. It is kept in her car so she can listen to it on the road. A very excellent purchase.



5. This album I bought in middle school at BJ's in exchange for a mistakenly received duplicate gift for my birthday. This CD is the first of a three volume set of Beach Boys songs. These are digitally remastered so they sound great. This has most of the popular songs by the Beach Boys, but there are others spread out on the other two CDs. If you are a die-hard Beach Boys fan you'd want all three, if not you could probably just get this one for the basics.

5 comments about Magical Mystery Tour.

1. My three-star rating is based on the actual movie. If you are only a casual fan of the Beatles you are probably not going to care much for MMT. For diehard fans, though, it's a must. Being one of those diehards, I enjoy MMT quite a bit. After all, it's got the only video in existence of the Beatles performing numerous hits, including "I am the Walrus." HOWEVER....you probably don't want to bother buying this pirated copy. I bought one a few years back after my original, official-issue MMT dvd went missing. I was extremely disappointed in the very poor quality of the transfer. I guess you get what you pay for. Hopefully Apple will get on the ball and remaster and re-release this one, but considering they've been hemming and hawing on a reissue of Let it Be for a couple decades now, I wouldn't hold my breath.



2. Beatles could have done such a better thing! It's surprising how boring it is! music is great as all Betles.



3. Magical Mystery Tour Great to see The Beatles, as always, slightly ahead of their time! Banned by the press at the time, it's cool to watch it now given what has transpired with MTV, etc. They were simply "paving the way" for such! Any way you "cut it," it's still THE BEATLES!!! They're "waiting to take you away!" :-)



4. This movie has been through the ringer by the critics but for Beatle fans like myself, its a must have. The highlight of the movie is the "I am the Walrus" and while there are other classic tunes within the movie, this purchase was more for my collection.



5. My seven year old daughter has become a Beatles fan and so daddy purchased the Beatle albums and available movies, as well as this BBC television production. (Daddy grew up during the era, in both the UK and the USA and is a Beatles fan himself.)
   An obvious fly by the seat of your pants production, with lines made up as the film was underway and some obvious tenstion between the band members, neither my daughter nor I understand most of what is happening except the Beatles seem to think that "Dewsberry road" is a comical line and my daughter likes the film.
   If you are a die hard Beatles fan, you might want to have it simply to have it. If you are not, stick with the album of the same name.
   The picture quality is poor, at best. The story line is as close to non-existent as it could be and still seemingly have a story line.

5 comments about The Byrds - Greatest Hits.

1. Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, David Crosby, Michael Clarke, and Gene Clarke. The Byrds. One of the top groups in their time. This represents some of their greatest hits (and there are some bonus cuts not on the original work).
   
   Some examples of their art:
   
   "Mr. Tambourine Man": Maybe their quintessential hit? There is the characteristic instrumental sound and the voices melding together in a typical fashion. The liner notes suggest that the Byrds were a kind of synthesis between Bob Dylan and the Beatles. I'm not so sure that I see that, but this cut might make the case for some listeners. This is a smooth melodic piece, so typical of the Byrds. A laid back sound. . . .
   
   "Turn, Turn, Turn": Pete Seeger's song is given a Byrds' treatment. This is very melodic with a nice sound. The vocals are quite pleasant to listen to.
   
   "All I Really want to Do": This is an interesting alternative take on Bob Dylan's song. The vocals are rich (much prettier than Dylan's voice), as the voices meld together so well. The song does not have the same edge as Dylan's version--which is what you get with the group.
   
   "My Back Pages": Another Dylan piece. This is not as gritty as Dylan's version, but the group had a different vision.
   
   So, this well exemplifies the art of the Byrds. I think that they has a pleasing and musical sound. But not much grit and not much of a rock and roll sensibility. Their sound is pretty, but I never found it compelling (give me Eric Burdon's growl or Mick Jagger's blues-y sound any day). My view is that this is very pleasant music--but not great music. They did not have the bite of Dylan or Seeger when they covered those worthies. Still and all, a great sampling of the Byrds' best.



2. Just to have "Turn,Turn,Turn" in by collection again is wonderful. And I can understand all the words still.



3. this i think is a good cd great for beginners all the songs are good on it turn turn to everything there is a season is the best song on here but still all of them rock the byrds are another one of those essential 60s bands the only real acid rock song on here is eight miles high thats it so if your looking for that kinda of stuff i recomend jefferson airplane or pink floyd(piper at the gates of dawn) anyways good cd for someone who loves 60s music great stuff



4. The Byrds! A great folk rock group that epitomizes the 60's. Their music, most straight from the pen of Bob Dylan, defined an era. Protest music that is melodic and very poetic with great vocals by Roger McGuinn and David Crosby. My husband co-host a Saturday radio show and since he didn't have any Byrds music I purchased this for him. This is a definitive collection of the Byrds.



5. The thing about the Byrds is that after they lost David Crosby and Gene Clark, they totally disintergrated into insignificance. Don't try to tell me Notorious Byrds Brothers, Sweetheart of the Rodeo or Untitled are masterpieces, because I'll only laugh at you if you do. And Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde is one of the worst albums ever. But the David Crosby/Gene Clark/Jim McGuinn/Chris Hillman/Michael Clarke Byrds were great, and this contains most of their biggest songs - in fact, the only classic they missed is Crosby's masterpiece Everybody's Been Burned, but its parent album Younger Than Yesterday is a must-have in the first place. Still, I would've taken over their dirge-like cover of Dylan's Chimes of Freedom, one of the few missteps found on the great Mr. Tambourine Man.
   Every other song here is great, though: Quite a few solid Dylan covers (Mr. Tambourine Man; All I Really Wanna Do; My Back Pages, my personal favorite of the bunch), and the group's classic originals: the free jazz folk raga Eight Miles High (my favorite Byrds song); cynical, Dylanesque I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better; industry attack So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star; space-rocker 5D; folk-rocker Mr. Spaceman; and their classic Pete Seeger cover Turn! Turn! Turn!, today a radio staple.
   The reissue, with bonus tracks, only makes this album better. It adds two noteworthy songs from Turn! Turn! Turn! (It Won't Be Wrong; Set You Free This Time), and one of the best songs from Younger Than Yesterday (Have You Seen Her Face?) Make sure to have this album!

5 comments about All Things Must Pass [BOXED EDITION].

1. George really was way too underrated. This album will always be a classic.
   Delivered within a few days and in perfect condition. I've played it every day since I received it and love it.



2. Do yourself a favor: buy this album. When it arrives, put everything else aside, get your headphones on, lie on your bed, close your eyes, and listen to it beginning to end. This is an album that deserves to be listened to in one sequence before you start listening to each song individually.
   
   This album is a journey through George's soul, and if you're lucky, your own soul as well. Yes, it's long, but all meditations are long. Listen carefully to the lyrics as you lie there, try to get the imagery in your head.
   
   This is the best album by any solo Beatle. Yes, better than Lennon's "Imagine" and "Plastic Ono Band", better than McCartney's "Band on the Run". Those are phenomenal albums with some great individual songs, but this one stands alone as an experience to be treasured.
   
   The only flaw with this album is that some of the jams at the end are kind of filler. You'll probably only listen to them once. You'll probably be in a trance by then, so it'll be really cool, but once you snap out of it you'll realize that you're hungry and the album is running a bit long. But that's okay, because more is better when it comes to George Harrison. Bless you, George.



3. The 30th anniversary boxed-set edition was remastered by George Harrison and is much better than the original 1970 release. As a bonus you get a booklet written by George, explaining his views about the old and new versions. Plus, you get bonus tracks not included on the original release.
   
   This was and is George's best solo album and this version is as good as it gets. As you may know, the original recordings made shortly after the Beatles dissolved, featured Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman. Dave Mason, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Ginger Baker, Phil Collins, Bary Brooker and others.
   
   I could go on endlessly trying to explain why this album is great and worth purchasing or repurchasing if you still have the original version. All I can say is, spend the twenty dollars. You will not regret it. This album will last a lifetime. Thank you George. We miss you.



4. From what I've been able to understand,Harrison released this immediately upon his departure from The Beatles. These are the songs he had been sitting on during the denouement of the band,and when the band finally split,out came these songs. This shows that George,in addition to being "the spiritual one" was also a very talented one. THere are a few "B Sides" ("From Behind that Locked Door", "It's Johnny's Birthday") but there are a lot of strong songs here too. Check out "Wah Wah" (my 4 year old son's favorite).
   
   All in all,The Dark Horse did good for his first time out!



5. I would have given this 2 1/2 stars if I could. I would like to see a "naked" version like they did with Let It Be. Make this a one CD release with all of Specter's horrible production removed. Harrison can write some great tunes, but he is hit and miss--mostly miss.

5 comments about Axis: Bold as Love.

1. The band had barely finished recording their debut when they started working on the second album Axis: Bold As Love. Released in 1967, this is a solid effort all the way through.
   Jimi Hendrix is featured on guitar and vocals, Noel Redding plays bass and sings on one song, and there's Mitch Mitchell on drums and some background vocals. Production duties, like the first album, were handled by Chas Chandler for the thirteen songs included.
   
   Throughout the recording there's an excellent mix of funk, soul, pop, jazz, psychedelic rock, early hard rock, and even some avant-garde.
   The album starts in a very unusual way indeed so let me give a detailed description of this song called "EXP" which is by far, one of Jimi's most avant-garde inspired songs he ever did!
   After a false start reminiscent of the first bars of "Stone Free", the music stops and what we hear is the voice of drummer Mitchell welcoming us to a radio station and announces that he's going to feature an interview with a person who is, in his own words, "a very peculiar looking gentleman that goes by the name of Mr. Paul Carusoe" played by Jimi. Mitch asks him about whether aliens and UFO's exist or not and Carusoe (Jimi) replies simply that you just can't believe everything you see, and hear, and then says "I must be going my way". Afterwards Mitch is unable to speak and what follows is total feedback mayhem from Jimi's guitar that appaers to simulate the sound of an alien spacecraft. Apparently Mr. Carusoe himself was an alien! What a cool way of starting an album!
   
   Then we go into the first proper song of the album called "Up From The Skies" displaying a jazzy direction. Good guitar sound drenched in wah wah here and interesting science fiction inspired lyrics to go along. Before it fades Jimi plays some cool bluesy licks.
   Next comes "Spanish Castle Magic" with it's psychedelic lyrics, it's one of Jimi's most popular songs and became an integral part of the live set. You could say this is awesome early hard rock!
   Now it's time to take a turn and we find "Wait Until Tomorrow" that could be described as a fine piece of funk-pop! Note the good backing vocals of Noel and Mitch in the chorus. At the end Mitch plays some nice drum fills in between the chorus until the fade out that leads to "Ain't No Telling". This is the shortest song on the album lasting only about one minute and forty seconds. There's a feeling of urgency here that I really like. In the middle some interesting chord progressions and riffs occur and before you know it it's all over. One of my favorites from the album!
   However ther's still plenty of highlights to come and the soulful ballad "Lttle Wing" is no exception. This got to be one of Jimi's best ballads he ever wrote! Starting with that Curtis Mayfield influenced chordal rhythm guitar so prominent in this album, it's a masterpiece to say the least. The glockenspiel adds a nice touch. The vocals are also memorable and to finish it off, Jimi plays a great melodic solo! Too bad it fades quickly!
   Now it's on to "If Six Was Nine" which combines jazz with avant-garde and the results are nothing short of excellent. Towards the end Jimi plays flute but not in a musical kind of way but rather he blows manicaly through the thing!
   "You Got Me Floatin'" goes in a funk-rock direction. Pay attention in the middle for great interplay between band members: cool bass lines, funky rhythm guitar playing, plus a backward guitar overdub.
   "Castles Made Of Sand" is another highlight that starts with a cool oriental sounding melody, inventive lyrics are showcased and again a backward guitar is included too. A fine piece of psychedelic rock indeed.
   Now it's time for bass player Noel to sing on the pop number "She's So Fine" that he also wrote. Killer rhythm guitar here and Mitch sings some background vocals. I really like this song! Often quite underrated for some reson!
   "One Rainy Wish" is the sceond of the album's excellent soul ballads while "Little Miss Lover" returns to the funk-rock style.
   Before the album finishes comes the final ballad "Bold As Love" and ends up being one of the best songs on the album. Great vocal performance by Jimi and then proceeds to play an amazing solo until it fades bringing this album to a close.
   
   The second release by The Jimi Hendrix Experience is often very underrated for some reaon but for me, it's a solid five-star album all the way! If you like psychedelic rock then you should add this masterpiece to your collection for sure!
   Thanks for taking the time to read!
   Later...



2. Alright, so I may be in the camp of not being a total Hendrix fanatic, but Hendrix deserves respect, praise, and must be listened to, and you must at least respect the man for being so inspirational to many guitarists (I don't think those guitarists would have picked up a guitar if it weren't for him). So maybe his music isn't as good as his accomplishments (if that makes a lick of sense). But Axis: Bold as Love is still a great album.
   
   Hendrix serves up a platter of tasteful, soulful guitar rock with the distinct of Hendrix, as there isn't a band that sounds like this one. The band plays insanely tight and responsive, and pratically gave birth to the power trio. Hendrix is known as one of the best guitar players ever, and while the album may not do enough for me so I don't feel like giving it a five star rating, Hendrix did things that no other people have done on the guitar before, and even though people have trailed in his footsteps, everything about this band goes together that makes the band sound like no other. And Hendrix's playing style will never sound old, as no other guitarists have made a sound like him (granted, I hope most guitarists don't try to copy him and make a style of their own).
   
   All the songs are worth listening to expect She's So Fine (I don't like the singing). There are plenty of favorites to choose from. Up From The Skies, inspired by science fiction, is a soulful, jazzy song with funky guitar playing and effects. Spanish Castle Magic is driven by the power of the drums, then the guitar roars. Wait Until Tommorow is a funny story, and I like the message of the song. Ain't No Telling is the most complete short song that's not done by the Minutemen. And being a fan of funky hard rock, Little Miss Lover rules. My other favorites would have to be Castles Made of Sand and the swirling You Got Me Floatin.
   
   Yeah, that's all I have to say. Give it a listen for sure. And sorry, but I can't think of a title that doesn't sound like hyperbole (like some of my other ones, that probably do).
   
   8.0/10



3. Jimi Hendrix's second album followed up his groundbreaking debut effort with a solid collection of great tunes and great interactive playing between himself, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, and the recording studio itself. Wisely choosing manager Chas Chandler to record the album, since he was in the midst of a creative hot streak, Hendrix stretched further musically than the first album, but even more so as a songwriter. He was still quite capable of coming up with spacy rockers like "You Got Me Floating," "Up from the Skies," and "Little Miss Lover," radio-ready to follow on the commercial heels of "Foxey Lady" and "Purple Haze." But the beautiful, wistful ballads "Little Wing," "Castles Made of Sand," "One Rainy Wish," and the title track set closer show remarkable growth and depth as a tunesmith, harnessing Curtis Mayfield soul guitar to Dylanesque lyrical imagery and Fuzz Face hyperactivity to produce yet another side to his grand psychedelic musical vision. These are tempered with Jimi's most avant-garde tracks yet, "EXP" and the proto-fusion jazz blowout of "If 6 Was 9."



4. It's Jimi Freakin Hendrix! What more do you need to know. In case you did not know....he recorded several other albums besides "Are You Experienced." Listen, buy this album and Electric Ladyland along with a big bag of jalapeno cheetos and take a couple of hours for yourself.
   
   You deserve it!



5. Every time I think that Electric Ladyland is the true masterpiece by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, I remember that "Little Wing," one of the most commonly covered songs in rock n' roll (my estimation...not a statistical fact), is here on Axis: Bold as Love. What can I say? They're all masterpieces by most bands' standards!
   
   But this one definitely has its own vibe, and is a different beat from Ladyland and Are You Experienced?. In some ways, it's his most experimental work and, though it doesn't top the more experimental numbers on Ladyland, it is, song to song, more varied and unique. The first half of this album is really just amazing, and as strong as anything this band ever did.