5 comments about Back to the Story.

1. Jeff Lynne in his pre ELO and Pre Move band gives us a lot of great samples here of what would later become one of the best and most under rated rock bands ever. Although the production isn't quite up to the ELO standards, but considering the technology is 10 years earlier then ELO's 4th or 5th album when they started getting pretty well known, It is still amazing what he and his band were able to do back then.



2. I have to start by saying that I am already a HUGE Move, and E.L.O. fan as well as a fan of Roy Wood's solo work. The Idle Race was the band that Jeff Lynne came from before going over to The Move with Roy Wood and Bev Bevan and subsequently forming E.L.O. I bought this out of pure curiosity not hearing of the Idle Race before and it is definately worth it for fans of The Move and ELO. Many of the songs have whimsical and almost circus like tunes, but many have some quite unusual lyrics. It's very unique music for that time period or now. There are also some real gems with very soothing melodies and warm lyrics. My favorites are "come with me" and "follow me, follow". It's also interesting to hear (if you are used to listening to ELO), some subtle "ELO - like" sounding notes. Definately a strong Jeff Lynne prescense. Quite a few songs also have strong classical overtones such as strings, etc. You can almost tell where he was going in retrospect. Also, the Idle Race was quite heavy into the use of sound effects and dub-overs, some comical, some almost eery. All in all, a very interesting album that is well worth it and a must for the collection of any Move or ELO fan.



3. Odd how this band missed the charts while The Move sailed UP the charts.
   
   A few 1st album tracks here are a bit twe. Some later Lynne penned tunes sound just like latter Move or ELO tracks.
   
   I wanted this entire set. I'd heard much of it before thanks to a friend who once had a severe ELO/Jeff Lynne fetish. He was kind of enough to tape that set for me. [You know--cars now come with CD Players]
   
   I cherish it for one superb song: Hurry Up, John. I don't know why but the guitar makes me think of early Queen/Brian May. I really like the l
   ayered voices on the song. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A HIT.
   
   It's one of those tracks I hit the "repeat" button for on the car's CD player. That's track 23 on disc 1.
   
   This set is a great bargain. It's nearly [see liner notes] everything these guys recorded together. 3 albums and 10 non-LP tracks and 3 alternate versions. What a bargain.
   
   After this I recommend ALL of The Move's works. Pre-Lynne Move is as good as or better than The Move with Jeff Lynne. Well, there is the Move's amazing original version of "Do Ya".
   
   Alright this is about The Idle Race; if you like 60s melodic pop then get this. Good Grief.



4. Until the planned remastered five-cd set being shephered by Rob Caiger is finally released, this re-issue of original EMI-Premier two-CD set (less two tracks, unable to re-license from Polydor) featuring all three albums and original singles, this collection will serve as a fine stop-gap and serve as a financial balm to those unwilling to afford exhorbitant ebay auction prices for original. At these prices, you'd be silly not to purchase this, tis a great introduction to the nascent songwriting stylings of future ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne as well as his fine compatriots in the Idle Race.



5. This set has been re-released by EMI (deleting two songs from the previous issue, neither of which Jeff Lynne wrote or sang). These CDs feature the same mastering as before so if you were lucky enough to to have bought it there's no need to get it again. The mastering isn't great but it's not as bad as we've come to expect from Abbey Road. The digital tape hiss removal (NR) isn't as artifact laden as I anticipated. This CD is quite listenable though the mastering would've been better without the NR and heavy handed EQ.

No comments about Cryland.

5 comments about Oar.

1. Considering the circumstances in which Skip made this album,the music is pretty inspirational to me.And I am far past the "Phase" in my life where I judged how good the music was based on how psychedelic it was.This music somehow manages to be as "out there" as possible while at the same time containing an emotional sincerity in it that is almost unheard of in music.I mean even on songs like "Weighted Down" where it is just him and an acoustic guitar for six minutes it doesn't seem to drag at all for me and I always end up listening to the whole thing.Other songs such as "War in Peace" and "Grey/Afro" are as psychedelic as "The Doors" at their craziest."Grey/Afro" sounds like music made by a man who knew he was headed for an inevitable collapse,but still thought it was a good idea to record some jams.It sounds like a dance with death.Yet as dark as this album sometimes is other songs like "Diana" and "Broken Heart" are comforting even though you can hear the pain in his voice.Though I doubt Skip ever thought this album would be a hit,I think he knew that people would find their way to it over time and when they did he wanted their to be as much of his love in it as he could have possibly given.He gave all he had.This is a great album that definitley will not appeal to everyone,but that is their loss.Not everyone can hear the magic.



2. One of the oddest and most affecting personal documents ever put to music. Ex-Jefferson Airplane/Moby Grape member Skip Spence made this totally DIY album in 1968; it was to be his last one before schizophrenia permanently sidelined him. Personally and musically sharing some of the same sad/brilliant territory as Syd Barrett, "Oar" has perhaps a more singular, intentional artistic direction than Barrett's work did. Spence's condition seemed to give birth to an entire style of Blues - beautifully honest and confessional viewpoints that we're richer for hearing. There are moments of lightness and subtle humour here too, and a fascination with the way Spence's ghostly, minimalist guitar and percussion so effectively embellish his unsettling interior sketches. This CD edition has an extra 10 tracks (nearly doubling the length of the original release), and a 14-page booklet with essays and photos.



3. The late Skip Spence {R.I.P. 1946-1999} has been credited for being an early member of Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape. Unfortunately, 'Oar' is Spence's only solo recording. Some have said he is like the U.S. reply to Syd Barrett, which I thought is sort of apparent on certain tunes here, like "War In Peace", the psych gem "Broken Heart", "It's The Best Thing For You" and maybe "Furry Heroine". Check it out for yourself and see how you like this twenty-two track compilation that Sundazed put out awhile back. Sure took me long enough to get around to hearing. Once again, a pure case of just too many 'new' good releases coming out every month.



4. This album does not get five stars for musical talent, or great riffs, or catchy tunes. Skip Spence on the brink of his own mind rights and records this song. This song is a man whose own genius, drug use and "mental illness" had dragged him down, recorded haunting melodies along the crying out of a fractured mind who was living through a psychedelic burnout. This is speaking to the counter culture generation who was at times naive and let drugs get in the way of the message but at the same time allowed them to see their message more "clearly". This album cries out to people seeking more meaningful music and a mental trip. While thinking and listening to this, try to find a musician today, exempt are the ones from this generation, who have any talent or passion or insightfulness or meaning in their music, and you will see what a treasure this album can be. Expand your mind and get ready for a trip, listen to War in Peace, and let your mind expand to places it has never been before.



5. Alexander "Skip" Spence was one of the great unheralded architcts of the 60s music scene. He was an exceptionally talented drummer, guitarist, and songwriter, whose compositions and performances combined the hippest modern sounds of the day with authentic elements of American roots music to create an earthy, original, and incredibly influential sound. As a founding member of three of the West Coast's most important groups (The Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane, and Moby Grape, in that order), Spence was one of the key players in the San Fransisco-based psychedelic scene.
   
   Spence also had his share of personal prolems- perhaps the most serious of these was his schizophrenia. In 1968 (after reportedly attempting to break into one of his fellow Grape members' hotel room with an axe), he was sent to the criminal ward at Bellvue Hospital in New York. When he got out six months later, he had little more than hospital-issue pyjamas and a notebook full of songs. Wanting to be alone with his music, Spence decided not to return to California, and instead rode down to Nashville, where he recorded what he'd written in Bellvue. The recording process was an incredibly solitary affair- Spence sang, played all of the instruments, and produced. The resultng album was Oar. After its release in 1969, Spence rode off on a motorcycle (don't ask me where he got it) and never recorded again.
   
   With that in mind, it really is hard to see Oar as anything other than a glimpse into the mind of a doomed visionary. And really, that's what it is. The songs are stark and uncompromising, written and performed without the slightest concession to commerciality or accessibility. Listening to them, one gets the feeling that Spence was trying to create the most emotionally honest music he possibly could, to create a body of work that captured exactly who he was and how he felt at a given point in time. This doesn't make for an instantly accessable experience- that probably explains why the album sold so badly on initial release- but repeated listenings reveal a set of tense, poetic, and often beautiful songs, the work of a brilliant but deeply disturbed young man who was hanging somewhere on the edge of sanity.
   
   The first thing you should know about the sound of Oar is that it's not really a psychedelic album- the songs are certainly unusual, full of strange rhythms, odd melodies, obscure lyrics, and other experimental flourashes, but these touches aren't the heart of Oar's concept. Instead, Spence takes most of his cues from folk, blues, country, gospel, and occasionally jazz, folding these various influences into a unique sound under the auspicies of his off-kilter approach to songwriting. The songs are quiet, performed mostly with accoustic guiars, gentle drums, and softly intoned vocals. They're also incredibly dense, with melodies hiding in the heavy production, with Spence's lyrical insights drifting among disjointed guitar chords and softly beating drums. "Margaret-Tiger Rug" is based on an inside-out vaudville melody and a bit of whispering, ponderous percussion which combines with Spence's eerily dark lyrics to form a genuinly unsettling song. The incredible "Books of Moses" is an apocalyptic accoustic blues, which matches a creeping, gospel-tinged guitar riff with Spence's hoarse, menacing vocal performance. "Broken Heart," "Dixie Peach Promenade," and "Weighted Down (The Prison Song)" are dark, atmospheric country numbers that seem to channel the dark ghost of Hank Williams. "Cripple Creek" is a heavy, halucinatory folk song with surreal, evocative lyrics, and "Little Hands" is a genuinly catchy almost-anthem for outcasts and wayward dreamers. "Diana" is an oddly gorgeous ballad that sees Spence painting pictures with the sheer sound of his voice while a guitar mumbles beneath. "War in Peace" is about as close as this album gets to psychedelia, with its siren song vocals and atmospheric electric guitar. "All Come to Meet Her" is a dreamy song that features some gently rolling rhythms and lilting guitars. "Lawrence From Euphoria" is a mean, oddly funny number that cleans the pallate and sets the stage for the album's incredible closer, the epic "Grey/Afro." Building itself up from a tense, omnious vocal melody to a full-n instrumental showcase, "Grey/Afro" is a stormy, atmospheric classic that shows off Spence's unique powers as a drummer.
   
   This reissue of the album tacks on ten bonus tracks from the Oar sessions and includes some excellent exapanded liner notes (including two essays, Greil Marcus' review, and the record's original sleeve notes) makeing it the definitive edition of this lost classic. If you want to hear some truly original, unusual (or just plain good) music, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of Oar. If its songs repel you at first, give it time; it really is a great album.

5 comments about Easy Action.

1. Alice Cooper-Easy Action ***
   
   Easy Action is a far cry from anything the original Alice Cooper band would ever record while not on Frank Zappa's independent record label but on Warner Bros. It still has that same attitude and vision, but nothing had clicked yet. Easy Action is classic garage rock in the vain of my other hometown heroes the MC5, the Stooges, and the Bob Seger System.
   
   Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce had yet to perfect their chops as the fantastic guitar players they would become, though they did have some bright moments here like on 'Return Of The Spiders' (which is classic Alice) and on the freak out that is 'Still No Air.'
   
   Alice, or Vincent as he was then had yet to perfect his vocals and his lyrics were mostly unlike anything he would ever write after this. Though 'Mr. And Misdemeanor' is cabaret and classic Alice Cooper, and a real sign of things to come from this soon to be legendary group.
   
   The production is weak and almost horrible which gives it more of a earthy feel and charm. Easy Action was more of a sign of things to come rather than the psychedelic debut but it still has a sound all it's own in the Alice Cooper canon.
   
   It is worth hearing but not really worth owning unless you are a collector than your best bet is to hit up youtube or rhapsody.



2. Alice Cooper's 2nd offering is a vast improvement over the first which was just sloppy and short. Easy Action is without question one of the strangest sounding albums of all time. There are some great guitar riffs scattered throughout and the lyrics are somewhat colorful and fun. The use of pianos and some of the guitar solos help to make this album sound like no other that I can think of, which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing. This album is just plain weird. I enjoy some of the tracks like Mr. And Misdemeanor and Shoe Salesman, but it's hard to call this album "good". But I certainly enjoy it more than a lot of the later Alice Cooper stuff done after the original band broke up, and if I was rating on originality I'd probably have to give it 4 stars instead of 3, it's so strange you almost have to hear it for yourself...definitely an acquired taste.



3. I just had to chime in on this. The original Alice Cooper group had some wonderful moments. But to include this album as one of them is a huge mistake. It is simply awful with no decent musical flair. Don't even think of buying it just to have in your collection-you'll be sorely disappointed. I wish the original members had stuck together...I still don't know what happened?



4. I bought this album on the strength of the only track I had heard, catchy piano driven opener "Mr. and Misdemeanor," as well as the strength of this albums follow up, Alice Cooper's 1971 masterpiece Love It to Death . Because Love it to Death is so strong, this is a bit of a disappointment in comparison. But it is, nevertheless, a strong album, and an interesting listen from a band that was converging on its early sound but which hadn't quite found it just yet.
   
   The name of the album comes from lyrics found in the track "Still No Air," which is a mix of the gritty sound that Alice would use on Love it to Death, Killer, and Billion Dollar Babies. In fact, the entire album has a strange sound to it, as the band experiments with elements of its future sound while occasionally sounding more like early Pink Floyd or The Who. It makes for a somewhat confused effort, but one that certainly doesn't lack for variety or even spontaneity.



5. Well Better than there first. Mr. And Misdemeanor is probobbly the only really good song on the album but there really are no bad songs eather.It's just not the Alice Cooper we see emerge with there next album "love it to Death"But if your a true collector such as I you will apprecate it.

5 comments about Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors.

1. I bought it when it was released for my husband and he loved it!!! Then, he lost it so I just purchased this from Amazon to replace the lost cd.



2. Being only 20, I missed the grandeur of The Doors heyday. However, I have been a huge fan. I am also a huge fan of the not-so-known band Days of the New. And I am proud to say that the two best tracks on this album are "LA Woman" and "The End," both performed by Travis Meeks.
   
   But on the CD as a whole:
   
   We start with a near perfect rendition of Break on Through that completely does this track justice. The vocals are perfect, the arrangement is amazing, and the track itself just moves right along. Incredibly well done. The only thing I wonder... is that opening part Jim or Scott?
   
   The second track is Creed's "Riders on the Storm." When I first heard this, I was unimpressed. But I never skipped it when I listened to the CD, and this one grew on me until it became one of my favorite tracks on the album. I love the way it starts low, build to a serious climax, then just drops right back down. Awesome.
   
   And now we have Train's cover of Light My Fire. To be honest, I actually like this cover (hides in anticipation of being hunted down... :D). Granted, it's probably the worst in context of the whole album, but for what it is, it's not all that bad.
   
   It has been quite a long time since I listened to Smash Mouth. And I have to ask. Who is the guitarist playing with them? I didn't think their guitarist could play like that. But this cover of Peace Frog was really good.
   
   And LA Woman. Like I said above, this track is freakin' brilliant! Best track on the album with The End. Travis Meeks does an amazing job.
   
   Aerosmith does an amazing Love Me Two Times. Different from what I thought a tribute to this song would sound like, but better than what I thought, too. Plus, I love Aerosmith.
   
   Under Waterfall and Cosmic Movie were actually very, very good, in my opinion. I loved how they were mixed and mastered. Now I need to get American Prayer on CD, I think.
   
   Wild Child was also incredible. The Cult did an amazing job here.
   
   I thought Roadhouse Rap was cool, and John Lee Hooker did a fine job with his part on Roadhouse Blues. Very, very cool.
   
   "Well... I wanna tell you 'bout somethin' I know. Money beats soul, every time. Come on."
   
   I love it!
   
   Is Everybody In and Children of Night I though were also incredibly well-done. Very good tracks and great mixes. And it was cool hearing Morrison repeat "children of night" after Ian. Almost creepy, to be honest.
   
   Touch Me was awesome. I was not impressed with Love Her Madly, though. It was kind of... a mess. I'm also mot that impressed with Hello, I Love You. Kind of strange, to be honest.
   
   "The End," the other best track on this album, simply proves one thing... Travis Meeks is the best recreation of The Lizard King in existance,.. No body can sing The Doors better than Meeks.



3. So many artists, so many Doors songs. I love the compilation of this disc. The artists range from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith to Days of the New, with some original songs thrown in for good measure. A phenomenal disc.



4. I enjoy this more than any other artist tribute album I've ever heard, at least in the rock genre. Superb performances by all artists concerned, couple with excellent production values. Love the way clips of Morrison's poetry or between-song patter are mixed in here and there.



5. STONED IMMACULATE brings the DOORS nicely into the 21st Century with creative covers performed by obvious DOORS fans of considerable talent. Highlights include Smash Mouth's searing "Peace Frog," Morrison/Hooker's "Rock House Blues" duet, the "Cosmic Movie" DOORS collage, Oleander's juiced-up "Hello I Love You," and Ian Astbury's desyrupized "Touch Me."
   
   This collection is certain to please lovers of late 60's rock as well as all DOORS fans.
   
   TOTAL PLAYING TIME -- 71:38

5 comments about Shine on Brightly.

1. Those who call Shine on Brightly pretentious are tasteless and stupid. This is one of the great unsung albums of the sixties. Unfortunately the Japanese engineers used phase alignment and excessive compression to create a sense of largeness. The balances of the original mix are completely lost. Sure they get a beefy sound but it is not the right sound.



2. Absolutely essential.This album belongs in the pantheon with it's more widely known peers, such as MUSIC FROM BIG PINK, and RUBBER SOUL, STRANGE DAYS, and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND.
   Don't let this rare experiance elude you.
   This kind of music will never happen again.



3. This album was my favourite in 1968. Trower's guitar playing is so original. Gary Brooker's voice so laid back and Fisher's B-3 weave as many pictures today as they did listening to this LP 40 years ago. That's right, 40 years!
   
   In Held 'Twas in I still reigns as the top piece on this supremely re-mastered recording. It's interesting to read the album notes written in 1997 for the re-release of this CD. How it was put together, and how it was the USA that put it on the map.
   
   For all Procol Harum freaks from 1968, This one you gotta have.
   
   A very well put together package.
   
   Cheers
   Brian Greenway



4. 
   there was Procol Harum, the "inventors" of Crock Rock -- pretentiousness for the "classical" music aspirant without the necessary effort.
   
   From this point, those who couldn't compete with such as The Beatles in the field of creativity opted instead for being consciously "different," thereby trumping the merely excessively self-indulgent rockers.
   
   It wouldn't be long before rock 'n roll, the democratic alternative to white-only MOR, and classist "classical" music, renamed "rock" by its second generation, would splinter and devolve into numerous "alternative to rock" "rock" musics, each ahistorically claiming to be the True One.
   
   There is nothing in the history of "rock" more retrogressive than crock rock mysteriously labelled instead "Progressive Rock" (or, if one is "hip," "Prog Rock"). Anyone for "Rage Rock"?
   
   Kill the phony beast before it pollutes the minds of future generations.



5. Procol Harum's second album found lyricist Keith Reid developing a song cycle around a specific theme, in this case insanity. Reid and Procol Harum would continue this pattern of themed albums through their next series of recorings.
   
   Shine on Brightly begins quite well with the classic title track and "Quite Rightly So" before stumbling just a bit on the rest of the old side one. "Wish Me Well" sounds like they were attampting to ape the American west-coast sound of the time, but Moby Grape or the Dead they were not meant to be. "Rambling On" (NOT the Led Zep song!) features some excellent distorted guitar lines from Robin Trower that sound kind of like something Phil Manzanera would do years later.
   
   Things pick up again on "Magdalene" before the band gets to the mammoth "In Held Twas In I" which is to my knowledge the first-ever sidelong symphonic prog epic. Things start out a bit rough with some sub-Moody Blues poetry but once it finally gets going during the "In The Autumn of My Madness" section, sung by Matthew Fisher, it turns into a real treat. Robin Trower's heavy guitar lines star on "Look to Your Soul" along with Gary Brookers soulful singing before the powerful "Grand Finale" wraps things up in style. It may take a while to get going, and little if any attempt was made to tie the segments together musically, but this piece provided the blueprint for every "Suppers Ready" and "Close to the Edge" that followed, while still being an entertaining piece of art in it's own right.
   
   The four stars is completely subjective to the high quality of this band's work. Shine On Brightly is excellent and entertaining, and a five star CD by anyone else, but I have to reserve five stars for the next two albums, "A Salty Dog" and "Home" which found the band matching the song cycle themes with more cohesive music and produced a couple of classic masterpieces.

5 comments about Tommy James & The Shondells - The Definitive Pop Collection.

1. Due to a combination of talent and timeliness, Tommy James was able to ride the pop wave for longer than many of his contemporaries. First hitting in 1966 (With "Hanky Panky" a song cut in '63) and running until '71, he was able to find a hit with a variety of sounds; from the teen pop of "I Think We're Alone Now" to the psychedelic "Crimson and Clover" James showed he understood the trends of the times. This is well-made music, with an emphasis on James' solid voice and a band that was not stunning in its musicality, but competently presented the sound to a non-demanding public. This is just fun pop that has held up pretty well. Nothing life changing here, but I was amazed at how many of these songs have the ability to cause the listener to just start singing along. There's a reason why this band has been covered so many times.



2. Has it all and more - in the same format that I heard on the radio back then..... the music of drive-in movies, YMCA and park dances, sitting in our cars and listening to the radio in drive-in restaurants... good songs that reflected how I was feeling.



3. As the previous reviewers have pointed out,this collection has essentially all of the Tommy J & The Shondells studio cuts that anyone could possibly want, including nearly all of their notable hits and a good number of quality misses. There is, however, a notable catch.
   
   This is a 2CD collection and is priced as such. Unfortunately the collection features under 85 minutes of total music on those 2CDs. Given that a single CD is capable of holding up to 80 minutes of music, paying $20+ for this collection seems not just unwarranted, but a deliberate attempt by the once-excellent Rhino Entertainment Group to gouge it's loyal customer base while providing minimal content.
   One might be tempted to judge this an aberration, but Rhino's recent "Definitive..." 2CD sets routinely suffer from this "problem". Sam & Dave's "Definitive Soul" is worth less than 82 minutes on 2 Discs, while Frank Valli & The 4 Seasons merit a slightly more generous 90minutes.
   
   A collection of 2hrs+ is certainly warranted for Tommy James, particularly if one were to include live material with a generous array of B-sides and alternate takes. Since Rhino is producing and selling a 2CD set, they certainly have enough capacity to give their customers 160 minutes of content. Instead they have chosen to flagrantly fleece their customers with roughly half that.
   
   There is no longer any compelling reason to purchase (newly produced) Rhino products - apparently all principles vanished with previous management.



4. This is actually all their greatest hits. The only one miss is Gone, Gone,Gone, which I believe was one of their earlier songs, and may not have been a top 40. But this is without a doubt all their greatest hits, on 1 cd instead of 2. I really love it,and I hope you will too.
   Most of the songs are really great and, and for me bring back great memories. Previously, I had to purchase 2 CD's to get the songs I wanted, which are now all on this CD. It's a keeper, for sure.



5. All of Tommy James & The Shondells top 40 hits are here--all fourteen of them, along with James' biggest solo hit, "Draggin' the Line." Beginning in 1966 with "Hanky Panky" through the end of the decade, The Shondells released a string of infectious hits. [Note: While "Hanky Panky didn't become a national hit until the summer of 1966, the original Shondells recorded the song on the Snap label in 1963 in Ohio where it became a regional hit when James was only 16!]
   
   Essentially, this latest collection from Rhino is a re-release of their 1990 single-disc ANTHOLOGY. What THE DEFINITIVE POP COLLECTION does is add three songs and spreads it out over two discs. Since it lists for about the same price as the earlier collection, it's hard to complain; but there was certainly room for a more thorough coverage of the both the band and James' solo work.
   
   For example, this new collection includes the band's final charting single, "Come to Me" from 1970; it reached only No. 47. In addition, James' solo "Nothin' to Hide" from MY HEAD, MY BED & MY RED GUITAR (which hit No. 41 in late 1971) is included. The only other track not found on ANTHOLOGY is James' own version of "Tighter and Tighter," which he had produced for Alive & Kicking. [Their version was the hit at No. 7 in 1970.] The only serious misstep is the omission of "I'm Comin' Home," James' follow-up single to "Draggin the Line", which reached No. 40. James had a string of solid solo albums which, given the space available on two CDs, should have been better represented. [Also missing is James' final chart entry, 1980's No. 19 hit "Three Times in Love," but that wasn't recorded for Roulette and obviously Rhino was unable to license the song.]
   
   All told, this is a very thorough history of one of the great party bands of the Sixties. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

5 comments about Goodbye and Hello.

1. This artist is the real thing. Poetic moving lyrics, interesting musical arrangements that are felt, created, not digitally synthesized. His voice is beautiful. If you want authentic, truth, beauty, welcome to Tim Buckley!!



2. A great disc from Buckley's folksie period. "Once I Was," one of Buckley's best songs, is worth the price of admission by itself. Pure angst. Musically, this is a five-star disc. Downrated to four stars because of sound quality. Although never the world's greatest sounding disc even on LP, this disc sounds like it may be a generation or two removed from the master tapes, and would DEFINITELY benefit from a remastering job by one of the boutique audiophile lables like Audio Fidelity or Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs. Don't let that deter you though; this is a great disc, and a great introduction to Buckley for anyone who isn't already a convert.



3. Tim Buckley recorded quite a few albums and even his live recordings can't capture what it was like to actually see him perform live. Goodbye and Hello is in my estimation his finest studio album because it highlights his extraordinary vocal talent. His voice was like no other artist, at times powerful, sexy and angelic it defied the usual labels and stood alone.
   This album would be worth owning just for the song Pleasant Street, but most of the songs are first rate and Once I Was is a heartbreaker.



4. Is it me? Critics and now you lot give this album praise it simply doesn`t deserve. I love Tim Buckley, but this - in spite of two of his loveliest songs, Once I Was and Morning Glory, which represent two stars of my three-star rating - is mostly pseudo-poetic, musically angular stuff.
   I`d suggest getting the mid-priced two-in-one of this and his wonderful debut album, and then look for Blue Afternoon, Happy Sad, Lorca - well, all the rest, really. Yes, even the much-maligned Sefronia and underrated Look at the Fool.



5. There's no denying that some of the lyrics on this album apply specifically to the incredible era that was the 1960s - but have the values and beliefs they espoused so vibrantly faded into nonexistence? I don't think so. Emphasis shifts, forms of expression change - but the things about which Tim Buckley sang so eloquently on this recording are eternal: war and peace (both internal and external); love and loneliness; the strife that is born between generations. The 60s era was full of bands and songwriters wrestling with these subjects, striving to help us all deal with them - and more than a few who tagged along for the ride with the hope of making a buck out of the movements that arose around them. Buckley - and his (then-) lyricist Larry Beckett were, as artists, reaching desperately and honestly for something higher, not for any accolades that might come their way as a result, but to latch onto something they could use to pull themselves (and the rest of us) up to a higher level. Tim Buckley succeeded in this more than most of his contemporaries.

   The musicianship on the album is superb. Buckley has moved to a 12-string acoustic guitar, the instrument which was soon to become his main choice. Lee Underwood is along on lead guitar - and I can't say too much about Lee's contributions to Tim's music (and his life - he was one of Buckley's closest friends). Carter C. C. Collins makes his first recorded appearance on congas - another musician who would become a close friend to Buckley, as well as a frequent, welcome accompanist. Jim Fielder is along on bass on some of the tracks. Most of the rest of the musicians, while talented, are studio players brought into the recording by producer Jerry Yester - Elektra recognized Tim's potential, and wanted a fairly slick, commercial recording. It turned out pretty good from all angles - but it would be the last bow to commerciality that Buckley would make.

   The album begins with a song dealing with the horrors of war - it was, after all, the era of Vietnam - but in the case of `No man can find the war', the lyrics suggest that the real war is not in the jungle, but in the minds of men and women: `Is the war across the sea? Is the war behind the sky? Have you each and all gone blind? Is the war inside your mind?' It is only when we fight - or at least make an attempt to do so - the battles that rage within us that real peace will come. `Carnival song', the next track (written by Buckley alone) speaks to hypocrisy and truth, and does so more directly than many of the more popular tunes of the day that addressed this subject. `Pleasant Street' (also written by Buckley alone) is one of his finest tunes - `Hallucinations' is just that - the melody, lyrics and arrangement combine to produce a gently swirling maelstrom that draws the listener into the images spun by the singer.

   The next track, `I never asked to be your mountain', is in my opinion one of the best things Buckley ever wrote. In it, he addresses his first wife, speaking openly and poetically of the forces that pull two people together and drive them apart. His 12-string guitar thunders out the rhythm on this track, drawing the other musicians along with him into one of the most powerful pieces he ever recorded. At the end of the song, the listener aches to hear Tim cry out `...please come home...' over and over - this is piercing music straight from the heart, which is where all of Tim's songs originated.

   `Once I was' follows, a song that speaks gently of love and change - a beautiful song. `Phantasmagoria in two' (which Tim and Lee called `The fiddler'), is a deceptively progressive step in Tim's songwriting - giving free rein to the meaning at the heart of the song, Tim abandons completely attempting to force the words into rhyme. The effect is perfect - Tim's lyrics are so moving, combined with his amazing voice and the melody, that it almost goes unnoticed, form being overshadowed (as it should be) by substance. `Knight-errant' is next - a nod to the romantic attitudes of the era that uses the images of a knight and his lady nicely, if a bit naïvely.

   `Goodbye and hello' is Larry Becket's magnum opus - at least among the songs he co-wrote with Tim. It's quite a piece of poetry, with two stanzas existing side-by-side in several places (and sung that way by Tim) - the fact that Tim was able to take this challenge up and write the melody for it says a lot about his skills as well as his determination. This is a tune that, due to its complexity, was only performed live on a couple of occasions. It borders on being overwrought - but it stands nevertheless as a valuable document.

   `Morning glory' ends the set - this was covered more popularly by Blood Sweat and Tears - a gentle song that is deceptive in its depth, dealing with the romantic notion (held by the `character' who sings it) that simply by asking a hobo about his life, that life can be experienced by the questioner. The hobo makes his point by his refusal to tell his stories to the singer - and Beckett's lyrics make the point as well, that experience is the greatest teacher.

   This is an amazingly good album - a wonderful example of Tim's most `accessible' work - and one which will shine for many years to come. Once you've dipped into the rich well that is Tim Buckley's voice, allow yourself to become adventurous and move on into his jazz explorations (on HAPPY SAD and BLUE AFTERNOON), then on to his more experimental works (LORCA and STARSAILOR, which he considered to be his greatest achievement). It's a journey you won't regret.

4 comments about The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band 40th Anniversary DVD.

1. Wonderful Live Concert of the Bonzo Reunion. Sadly, Vivian Stanshall isn't around to participate but his spirit pervades the procedings. It's a loose, ramshackle affair and the wheels threaten to fall of at any moment but that's part of it's unique charm. The Bonzos were/are Heroes of mine and it's wonderful to see them live and on stage. The Guest performers, though little known on this side of the Atlantic, really liven up the show and seem to really be enjoying themselves. It's anarchic Dada at it's best. Neil Innes manages to hold the entire thing together. I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Innes at Beatlefest in August and asked him about the possibility of a US tour with the Bonzos. He replied that there were some troubles with some of the work visas but as soon as though problems were cleared up they would be touring the States. I can't wait. I love these guys.



2. For those who are already fans of the zany but extremely musical Bonzo Dog Band from the '60s and '70s, this is a great video. For fans of the Rutles and Neil Innes (Nasty), here he is leading most of the great band that he and the late Vivian Stanshall headed. Of course, it takes several living comics and musicians to fill in for Viv, but most of the great songs previously performed by Stanshall are done well. If Viv was alive today, I'm sure he'd wonder why he wasn't on stage. Considering how often these sorts of nostalgic reunions (and blatant money-grabs) are staged and done horribly, it's good to see that this group is still great. An aside: the Beatles were fans of the Bonzos. Paul McCartney produced the group's only big seller (I'm the Urban Spaceman) and the Bonzos perform in the Beatles' uneven but entertaining Magical Mystery Tour. Take a chance and see one of the great acts of '60s Britain. Recommended.



3. To anyone who needs to laugh often and hard, (and let's face it these days it is a must), BUY THIS! Having travelled from the U.S. to ol' Blighty for the reunion show at The Astoria,(as a 41st birthday gift to myself!), finding that they were taping for a DVD release was just the chocolate on the ice cream. So I sez to myself Lets see if I can ingraciate myself to a camera or two with a hastily scribbled sign announcing my birthday and where I came from!
   Not only was the live show brilliant and funny as hell but a camera did indeed focus on my little signage! Then a few months later having long finished the Sundae that was the show itself do I recieve this final bit of topping in the post and sure 'nuff I short hairy man with glasses gets the best birthday present EVER!
   Thank you Bonzos for not only cutting me into the DVD but for keeping me laughing all these years! Hopefully there will be some more DVD stuff with the tour that is happening in November in the UK. Long live Viv! Only wish it was the complete show as a handfull of tunes that they played live did not make the final cut. Or Well! Can't have it all I suppose!
   Joe Auger



4. This a damned fine performance all round, and with excellent camerawork to compliment the superb and dynamic audio (in Dolby stereo and true Dolby Digital & DTS 5.1 surround). Neil Innes clearly made every effort to be sure that this historic occasion would be recorded with all possible attention to detail.
   
   On a big screen you notice that the limit of digital zoom on the cameras is occasionally tested, but while not pin-point sharp, the image quality is always good - and the whole show sounds fantastic, especialy in DTS 5.1.
   
   Stephen Fry has a jolly time doing a few key numbers in his stylish lyrical spoken word - nailing the very complex rap of "Rhinocratic Oaths" with aplomb, and adding his trademark touch of class to "Sport (The Odd Boy)" and "The Sound of Music".
   
   Adrian Edmondson is spectacular in "The Strain" and does a great job with "My Pink Half Of The Drainpipe", "Tent" and "Mr Slater's Parrot".
   
   The dynamic nature of their late frontman Vivian Stanshall is proven in that four highly talented and very different artists have been enlisted to take his role in this gala.
   
   The original Bonzo band members all present with gusto and inventiveness. It's also a very gay-friendly show, with "Legs" Larry Smith and Dudley Vernon Bohey Nowell proudly showing their style.
   
   The late Vivian Stanshall and Denis Cowan were given a one minute's cacophony as a tribute at the start of the show.
   
   I was 13 when I first heard the Bonzo Dog Band - as "I'm The Urban Spaceman" lingered in the Top40. It's still my favourite 45rpm single. In my early 20's I was introduced to the rest of their work and was blown away.
   
   I am very grateful (privileged in fact) that the band made the big effort to do this DVD. Those of us living outside the UK can feel less envious of the lucky ones who'll enjoy their UK tour later this year (October/November 2006).

5 comments about Stars Die: The Delerium Years '91-97.

1. This is actually a really nice sampling of the PT line-up. If you have a friend that doesn't know bout em, give em this cd and they will be certainly more familiar. I'm glad they put stars die on here, also colourflow mind is cool and so is phantoms (i really like the guitar effect on that one, and the lyric 'i look at all the sad storied people'). So basically it has some old some new and some blue (no borrowed since SW is retardedly original) Well maybe 1 borrowed - TSMS is a track that is heavy on the PFloyd influence, even SW says its true. Check it out, cool artwork also.



2. Porcupine tree isn't what it used to be. A great band but it one time captured that unique nich of technical music with a classical flair. Not as complex as ELP or Yes but something more basic and real. You still hear hints of that it the current material Porcupine tree generates but don't expect this to be a rocker...it's simpler smoother and more classical sounding than the punched up Dark Planet stuff. Don't get me wrong, I think both sounds are great, I just think it's ashame there isn't more of this sound still being made out there...I guess it's the same old saying..."comerical potential"...FZ



3. This was my first PT disc. I bought it based on singles I heard on Pandora. I was very impressed and now own 5 additional PT discs. I feel this is the direction that Yes may have gone in had they not burnt out and sold out in the 80's. I continue to be a fan of classic Yes and am now a fan of this wonderful band. I hope they keep producing music that appeals to their artistic sensibilities and aviod the commercialization trap that so many bands seem to fall into once they become successful.



4. This group was recommended to me so I bought this album hoping for a god sampling of material...it is. This is "new" progressive rock. Is great to see that Prog rock is still there. This album has a great flow and some powerful songs. I wish that taped commentary between songs was not there, they should have just allowed the flow. This album is good quality work.



5. The best of the early years of Porcupine Tree. Most fans of this genre are familiar with "In Absentia" and "Deadwing". From the 1st track on CD#1 "Radioactive Toy" to the last track on CD#2 "Dark Matter" this CD offers a great sampling of the band from it's beginnings. Awesome!