1 comments about Mercury Blues 'n' Rhythm Story 1945-1955.

1. This INCREDIBLE 8-CD set covers all of the Mercury blues, R&B and jump music from post-WWII -- the music that laid the foundation for the rock 'n roll revolution of the late '50's. The set is divided by geographic styles; West Coast, Southwest, East Coast and Midwest. There are many artists featured who are all but unknown today, but were popular in the club sub-culture and with returning GI's. I love the small orchestral arrangements of fast, jumpin' blues, boogie, and R&B tunes. The lyrics in many songs are hilarious, and demonstrate the subconscious relief of ending the world wars. Anyone who is remotely interested in R&B and the foundations of rock HAS to get this set. It's expensive, but worth every single penny. I've been listening non-stop since the set arrived, and I walk around all day with the jumpin' and jivin' tunes in my head!

1 comments about Absolutely the Best Gospel Album.

1. I heard the Brooklyn All Stars performing "...On The Banks of Jordan..", one Sunday morning on the radio, and I was instantly hooked. I made this purchase just for them and I am very happy to have the lovely 2-disc set w/ all the gospel greats. The other artists are just the "cherry on top".

3 comments about The Scepter Records Story.

1. I don't write many reviews, but the one below which labelled BJ Thomas as "Cheeze" is absurdly uninformed and lazy. Scepter, of course, was Florence Greenberg's label and one of the most interesting and successful imprints of the late '50s and all through the '60s into the '70s. Greenberg was a housewife whose daughter discovered a group at school which turned out to be the Shirelles. Turned out that Florence, with no experience in the record biz, had a gift for recognizing hits and for promotion.
   
   The "cheeze," Texan BJ Thomas, was another Florence discovery. Not only did he sell millions of records, he won both a Grammy and an Oscar for "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," his biggest seller. Recordings like "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry," "The Eyes of a New York Woman," "Hooked on a Feeling," "I Just Can't Help Believing" and "Rock and Roll Lullaby" are something special -- great songwriting that holds up over several decades just fine with the Shirelles, Isley Brothers, Chuck Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Ronnie Milsap and the others on tthis disc. This is a really fun recording, from beginning to end.



2. I give it between a 4 and 5. BJ Thomas is a great singer not a Cheeze, whatever that means. Some of his songs may be a put off for soul types and "Everybody's out of town" is a loser but the rest are great. He forever stamped Hank Williams "I'm So lonesome I could cry" with his definitive version that is a classic keeper. BJ does have most of Disc 3 but I like all styles and he has a killer voice. Just a little bit by Roy Head is a welcome addition and "My Pledge of Love"-Joe Jeffrey Group and "Oh no not my baby"-the awesome Maxine Brown are 10's on a scale of 1-10 not to mention Anyday Now, Walk on by etc etc. The Shirelles never made a bad record. Dionne Warwick is a superstar with a superstar songwriting team. Its not a soul or pop or whatever compilation, its just good music that sold many records and a worthwhile purchase and at 65 songs its worth $25 easy to me.



3. This is a bit of an oddity, in that Scepter wasn't a "Soul" label or a "Rock" label, but a "Pop" label, which encompasses quite a few different genres. There's the smooth (The Dionne Warwick/Bacharach/David Canon is superbly represented here), the girl group sound (Shirelles), the rough (gospelled-up soul of Maxine Brown and Chuck Jackson), the garage (The Kingsmen) and the cheeze (BJ Thomas). Discs one and two are both stellar, but the chronologically-ordered set gradually goes to pot towards the end, with BJ (possibly the least coolest singer ever) blathering and crooning his way through some of the '70s worst pop sludge. Still, this set is worth it simply because the first two discs are quite good, and Maxine Brown's previously unreleased take on "Baby Cakes" on the third disc will simply blow you away. Get it cheap, or don't get it at all.

5 comments about Respect: A Century of Women in Music.

1. I love this boxed set, but my main mission here is to fill some of you in. Yes, the collection would be better with Joni Mitchell, but if you bothered to read the liner notes, you'd know that SHE is the one who said she would never allow any of her work to be on any collection of strictly women musicians.



2. I bought this and I think I will get it for all my girlfriends this year. The first three CD's are alone worth the price and the box and book inside are also lovely.

   The only thing that bothered me about this collection was the lack of Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox and the Indigo Girls. I like everything else about it. But these three artist deserve a place amoung these other great women (as much as Paula Cole I don't know why she's on here.)

   The early jazz and blues stuff is great!! CD 4 is good and thank god for Joan Baez!

   All in all a good collection and a nice gift for the woman in your life who has everything, chances are she doesn't have this much great music all in one place...




3. If Amazon had a half-star system, I would have given this (otherwise) fantastic collection a four and a half. Missing Joni is not enough to cost it a star, just half.

   But rather bewildering, considering Joni being one of the most influential women in rock, and considering Rhino's access to her Reprise and Asylum catalogs.

   But really, this is one hell of a box set. Just the first two discs alone are worth the trouble.




4. What a fabulous collection! Some others may feel that there were some glaring omissions from this collection, but I think it's perfect the way it is. I love that a lot of lesser-known artists were included. I'm tired of sets that are totally predictable and love having my musical horizons expanded. That's the best way to explore unfamiliar names without buying a whole disc you may not like. I also like that each disc has a theme so I can hear what I am in the mood for at the time. Best of all, it's not geared to only one genre. I try to be open-minded and give all music styles a chance and this allows me to do just that. Buy this for yourself, or another music-lover, you will not be disappointed!



5. When I received this for Christmas, I was overwhelmed to tears reading all the wonderful talent that I held in my hand. Rhino has once again outdone themselves, working extremely hard to represent a century of women who impacted and reflected the times in which they sang. The music is amazing, I continue to get goosebumps hearing many of the songs. Rhino execs admit that they weren't able to include everyone, and have graciously printed the names of hundreds of women who were musicians in the past century. The liner notes continue to match Rhino's top quality standards. What I appreciate most about this box set is that Rhino admits they chose not to include performers who buyers likely already have in their collection (Indigo Girls, the Mamas and the Papas, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, ABBA, Helen Reddy, Karen Carpenter, etc.), but worked to expose listeners to undiscovered nuggets, while still satisfying the craving for well known treasures. I defy any 60s fan (any race, any gender) to listen to Disc 3 and not be overwhelmed with joy at the outpouring of passion, fun and love. This just rocks, plain and simple.

1 comments about Billboard Christmas Greatest Hits.

1. How could Billboard reduce all the Christmas music made by popular artists down to ten songs on a single disc? Well, they couldn't and so they didn't. This is a four disc collection and if you look at the play list and see it begins with Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and ends with Cheech & Chong's "Santa Claus and His Old Lady," you can decide right then and there whether you holiday spirit is big enough to encompass those diverse ends of the musical spectrum. You do not have to remember that Gene Autry did the original "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" to enjoy it or any of the older tracks, especially Nat King Cole doing "The Christmas Song" (my personal favorite). Meanwhile, those who like to laugh like Santa during the Christmas season can enjoy "novelty" classics from Spike Jones' "All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)" to Weird Al Yankovic's "Christmas at Ground Zero." I have to think that if you start ticking off the songs from these albums that you would be adding to your music collection you are going to need to use your toes as well as your fingers. I mean, you get everyone from the Chipmunks to Elvis, all laid out pretty much chronologically, which will explain why a lot of people might give up on this set by the time they get to that fourth disc. Yes, there will probably be just as many songs that you can do without, but this is why CD players are programmable. But most of you are going to come out ahead on this one.

3 comments about Global Divas.

1. I bought this collection a few years ago, being interested in female vocalists of the world. I fell in love with this 3-CD set immediately, and I actually went out and bought several more copies to give as gifts because it is truly that amazing. The diverse voices and musical styles represented are revelations! And despite the differences between music styles, the music fits together on each disc with such harmony. I was familiar with (and a fan of) some of the contributing artists before purchasing the set, so those artists' inclusion in this collection made me "trust" that this would be a superior collection overall. I was not disappointed. On the strength of the inclusion of Múzsikás, Kirsten Bråten-Berg, Värttinä, and Édith Piaf, I decided this was a must-have, and in listening to it, I discovered the amazing voices of many other artists. For example, Tiddas from Australia, Nasida Ria from Indonesia, Rósa Eskenázi from Greece, Fairuz, who is revered in her native Lebanon, Amália Rodrigues, the pre-eminent singer of Portuguese fado songs (Rodrigues passed away last year), and probably the most beautiful, haunting song on the collection by Ulali, comprised of three Native American women. Quite stunning.

   This collection is so large and overwhelming that it is really hard to describe in words why you should invest your time and money. Simply put, if you have interest in women vocalists and world music, you would be wise to start here.




2. Supimos de este interesante trabajo de compilacion de voces femeninas de todo el mundo en noviembre de 1999, cuando hicimos una intersante gira de conciertos en Venezuela con la cantante bogotana Maria Olga Piñeros (Disco 3, track1, del album Global Divas) con motivo de la celebracion del V aniversario de la Fundacion ANDANDO AMERICA, organizacion sin fines de lucro que promueve la musica popular y folklorica de America Latina y del mundo entero. La seleccion del material es un verdadero acierto (no excento de omisiones) que sirve para realizar un verdadero y emocionante recorrido auditivo por musicas de diferentes paises y culturas. Celebramos que este tipo de material se encuentre entre las listas de productos ofrecidos por AMAZON.COM. Como vicepresidente de la FUNDACION ANDANDO AMERICA recomiendo altamente este excelente set de tres discos que se ofrecen con una delicada presentacion, un diseño cuidado y excelente gusto en la seleccion del material. Un colorido paseo por ritmos y sonoridades de diferentes puntos del planeta que sin duda va a satisfacer las espectativas de los màs exigentes.

   Elkin J. Calle Fundacion Andando America Venezuela Abril, 2000




3. Cuando escuche por primera vez este CD triple en casa de una amiga sencillamente me enamore de el y no descanse hasta conseguirlo. Aunque a mi parecer tiene algunas tragicas omisiones es una buena mezcla de ritmos y voces que cubren casi completamente el espectro de sueños y deseos. Que mejor instrumento para el corazon que la voz y que mejor voz que la de una mujer para hacerlo. Saludos Horacio.

5 comments about Superstars of Seventies Soul.

1. A must have compilation for all of us boomers and anyone who loves the 70's genre! FUN!!!!!!!!!



2. If you don't own any of this music, this set may not be a bad place to start. There is soul and disco with hints of funk. If you really love this sort of music and can afford a slight jump in price, Rhino's 4 CD "The Disco Box" covers that genre far better, while their 7 CD "Can You Dig It: The Seventies Soul Experience" is the superior anthology. Still, these three discs will probably be enough for fans who are not quite fanatic.



3. This is my music, I've long awaited a collection such as this one. And I truly recommended this for anyone who remembers what real music was like. 70's and the 80's its all hear.



4. If you love 70's Old School and Disco...then you've got to have this set! All your favorites here together in one compilation. If you saw the video version on PBS, then I'm sure you've already bought it. That's what I did.



5. Patti Labelle, the Stylistics, Maxine Nightingale, Heatwave, on and on and on. All the classics from the 70s. But redone today. Its nothing less than spectacular & incredible. A PBS fundraiser and something that will make your CD collection complete! REMARKABLE. Music that integrates ALL people regardless of race, gender, age. THIS IS A MUST HAVE CD!

No comments about Fire/Fury Records Story.

2 comments about Street Jams: Back 2 the Old Skool.

1. This collection is perhaps the funkiest set of songs outside of James Brown. This is the kind of music that your body just cannot help moving to. Mostly 70's style funk. Whether you just tap your feet, nod your head, or "get up, get on up" -- this is your collection. The happy party music here makes for a lively experience, and I recommend you turn up your bass knob just a little to hear those groovin' bass lines and funky percussion riffs. Simply put, and at this value, this CD collection ranks up there with any on the market today. But the best part of it all, is that these are the rare gems you never get to hear on the radio, and are all hits in their own right.



2. This CD set contain all the music we grew up with if you are between 30-45. Play this at a party and you will have everyone on the dance floor. It will bring back happy memories from the summers of days gone by. This set is a must for anyone who listened to Dazz, Slave, Bootsy, etc.

2 comments about The Collection: The Heat Is On/Go for Your Guns/Between the Sheets.

1. If you're a fan of classic soul music then you should not hesitate to purchase this. $24 is an excellent bargain for three quality albums. I purchased this box set about 6 months ago and I must say that all three discs get spins on my cd changer constantly. The Isley Brothers show versatility on these three LPs. It goes from upbeat cuts like "Fight the Power" to mellow tracks like "Footsteps in the Dark" then to soulful classics like "For the Love of You Pts. 1&2". Out of all three discs I have to say that Between the Sheets is my favorite. It's the perfect album for setting the mood on a special night. I recommend you buy this box set now.



2. If you like the Isley Brothers, then I feel you should spend the amount asked and buy the CD set. This is one of the best compilations I have heard in a long time. Also I recomend it if you are into hip-hop or rap music. Many of the Isley Brothers original music are used in some of todays hip-hop songs. Such songs have been "Today was a good day" Ice cube was originally "Footsteps in the Dark". Another example is "Between the sheets" was used in a Notorious BIG song. So if you are a fan of either hip hop or old school. Buy this CD!!!!!!!!