3 comments about Lexicon Of Love (Deluxe Edition +20 Bonus Tracks).

1. What else can i say about this album that hasn't already been said brilliant piece of music, this remaster has improved sound over the last remaster.



2. Before I even knew what a "trevor horn" was, i was in awe of this album and Frankie's "Pleasuredome" within the same year. "Lexicon" set the standard for my pop/rock ears. It was truly the very first album i would obsessively listen to over and over without skipping a single track and all the while wondering "Why aren't all albums made this way??". Later, I would discover "Avalon" by Roxy Music (which actually came first, but not to my ears). ABC's original killer lineup (Fry, White, Singleton, Lickley, and, most of all, Palmer) had hammered out (with Horn) the ulitmate distillation of what HAD been great 70*s music to form the pinnacle of New Romanticism for the 80*s.
   
   The songs are an endless stream of witty couplets, like Satan himself had possesed your average dictionary of qoutations and was using it to sing the evils of love! The lowbrow take on highbrow lyricism all the while laughs at it's own haughty pretension, and Fry's ever-straining (though succeeding!) vocal delivery is emotive and leavening all at once! Tessa Niles (then Webb) made her mark as the angel of the New Romantic bands with her cameo parts here. Duran Duran would allude to her spots on Lexicon with their "Come Undone" single (that record seeming to mourn a bygone era).
   
   Trevor Horn (I know what one is now!) assembled the core army that would march forth as ZTT (and the before-mentioned Frankie) around this effort, and the collective genius of all concerned, coupled with an exacting attention to recorded sonics (predicting the digital era to come...) would rise to heights unimagined. This record is every bit as engaging and lofty as any classical symphony or suite. Horn even managed to "tart up' and incorporate a track produced by someone else (Steve Brown on "Tears Are Not Enough") seemlessly. Fortunately for listeners, the original 7 inch single version is here for comparison. Also of note is the FABULOUS jazz mix of "Poison Arrow" (which i long treasured on vinyl) that proves Trevor's chops as an ombudsman arranger and mixer! Some of you may like to know that a "scratch" mix of 'Look of Love" is out there (part 5), it has it's moments, really, but I can see why it missed the cut here...
   
   ABC's graphic sensibility PRE dated Pet Shop Boys and was in no small measure responsible for their success first time out. The Deluxe version exquistitely re-tailors the original graphics (Universal/Polygram in-house art has long been a leader in tasteful treatments, even when assigning such work to outside firms). Lots of Goodies for the eyeballs here, as well. The Live and Demo cuts are great, academically speaking. I only wish disc one had incorporated "overture" and "look parts 2 and 3" and left all else to disc two, it would have been less jarring. The sound has a certain "punched and compressed" quality in the percussion parts that was (like vintage Motown singles) a big part of it's vinyl success. It has obviously been decided to not mess with perfection in the audio approach, and the oddness of this approach is preserved (wise choice in my book!).
   
   I sincerely hope this album is one day given the 5.1 surround mix it so desperately deserves. It would definitely pose a challenge to Mr. Horn, and he may well feel it is too risky to mess with perfection. This album deserves that extra detail every bit as much as Roxy's "Avalon" did, and "Avalon" succeeded as such, so please Trevor, give a try for the old guard! THANK GOD THIS ALBUM HAS GOTTEN IT'S DUE HONOR AT LAST! You will proudly own the very best if you buy it, even the original vanity "Neutron" label is used! Purveyors of Supa-Fine Product, indeed!



3. When I found out the Deluxe Edition series was adding The Lexicon Of Love to their catalog, I was very excited. Since there was already a remaster, I was more interested in the bonus tracks. Well, both discs are brilliant. This time, The Lexicon Of Love was truly remastered - it sounds better than the first round - you can tell immediately on Show Me. It was a much better job from the master.
   
   The bonus stuff is worth it's weight in gold. The demos are my favorite as the songs are stripped down an a little undeveloped. It's cool to hear the genesis of song without the added production
   
   I have a live show from Germany (same tour) which is excellent. This one is from the Hammersmith 1982. If you have not heard the full live set from this tour - you are in for complete treat. Very classy.
   
   OH - pretty important if you want to save some cash. I bought mine from Amazon UK. For everything, the price was under $30.00. For some reason, our Amazon could not get the price lower. So, go there and save $10.00

5 comments about Singles 1963-1965.

1. The purpose of this review is to completely compare the contents of "Singles Collection: The London Years" to the 3 "Singles" box sets which as a group contain the same songs plus more. There are some good comparisons in the other reviews, but also several omissions and inaccuracies, so hopefully this 1-to-1 comparison will clear things up a bit as to what songs are included on each, and which "missing" songs can also be found on the other ABKCO CD's, particularly "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies". Each of these collections is rather expensive, so hopefully this may help you decide which sets you really need or want.
   
   To settle one thing first though, the songs on the "Got Live If You Want It" EP contained in the "Singles 1963-1965" box set are NOT included on the full length CD "Got Live If You Want It". They share the same title but that's all, and were actually two different releases. Buying the full length CD will NOT get you all the same songs on the EP as indicated in another review. With that out of the way.....
   
   "Singles 1963-1965": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this box set, with the exception of 3 original British EP's exclusive to the box set. The first EP contains You Better Move On (also available on "December's Children") and Poison Ivy, Bye Bye Johnny & Money (all 3 also available on "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies"). The second EP (originally titled "5 X 5") contains If You Need Me, Empty Heart, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Confessin' The Blues and Around & Around, all of which are also available on the "12 X 5" CD. The third EP (the afore mentioned "Got Live If You Want It") contains early live versions of We Want The Stones, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Pain In My Heart, Route 66, I'm Movin On & I'm Alright, none of which are available on any other CD (with the possible exception of I'm Alright which may or may not be the same version included on the full-length "Got Live..." CD).
   
   Conclusion: Both "The London Years" and "Singles 63-65" contain the early single/B-sides Come On (also available on "More Hot Rocks") as well as I Want To Be Loved, I Wanna Be Your Man & Stoned which aren't available on any other ABKCO CD. So both sets contain 3 songs not included elsewhere, plus the box set includes the live EP. So the deciding factor between "The London Years" and "Singles 63-65" would appear to be the live EP.
   
   "Singles 1965-1967": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this 2nd box set, with no exceptions. Both contain the single/B-sides Long Long While & We Love You (also available on "More Hot Rocks") and Sad Day & Who's Driving Your Plane? which aren't available on any other ABKCO CD. So both sets contain 2 songs not included elsewhere. No further conclusions.
   
   "Singles 1968-1971": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this 3rd box set, with a few unique exceptions. The third box set additionally contains Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (also available on "The Rolling Stones Now!") and three non-ABKCO B-sides + 3 remixes exclusive to the box set. The B-sides are the Ry Cooder instrumental Natural Magic (from the film "Performance" soundtrack...Memo From Turner was the A-side) and Bitch & Sway which were the B-sides to Brown Sugar & Wild Horses. My guess is the licensing rights to these B-sides belong to Virgin Records, etc. and hadn't yet been negotiated when "The London Years" was originally released back in 1989. The remixes appear to be 3 different "rap" style remixes of Sympathy For The Devil. The box set also contains a bonus DVD (see the item description for more on that).
   
   Conclusion: Both "The London Years" and "Singles 68-71" contain the B-side Child Of The Moon (also available on "More Hot Rocks") and Brown Sugar & Wild Horses (also available on "Hot Rocks 1"). So the deciding factor between "The London Years" and "Singles 68-71" would appear to be the three non-ABKCO B-sides, the three remixes and the DVD contained in the box set.
   
   Final Conclusion: For the completest collector who has to have absolutely everything on CD, you basically have 2 choices. Buy all 3 box sets, or buy "Singles Collection: The London Years" and the two box sets "Singles 63-65" & "Singles 68-71" (a lot of duplication, though "The London Years" runs a little cheaper than the box sets + you don't have to change CD's as often).
   
   A slightly cheaper option if you're mainly interested in completing the ABKCO Rolling Stones "canon" not released on the regular studio full-length CD's is to buy "Singles Collection: The London Years" and "Singles 1963-1965". You'd only be missing the three non-ABKCO B-sides and the 3 Sympathy For The Devil remixes.
   
   A cheaper option still, if you're only interested in the very early singles & live EP and can live without a few later ABKCO B-Sides, is to buy "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies" and "Singles 1963-1965". With those 2 you'd only be missing Sad Day, Who's Driving Your Plane? and the three non-ABKCO B-sides and the 3 remixes.
   
   In truth, the 2nd & 3rd discs of "Singles Collection: The London Years" make an interesting listen because each is primarily made up of A & B sides not included on the regular studio CD's. So they're almost like listening to independent CD's without repeating too many songs you'll hear when listening to the other albums. The 2nd disc from "More Hot Rocks" and also "Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)" do the same, only with different selections of songs, so comparing these two further is highly recommended as well.
   
   Decisions, decisions. Hope this helps.



2. You've heard it before, but I might as well say it: this is the worst gimmick ever concieved. If you remember the Stones from back in "the day" (I wasn't even alive in "the day", mind you), and miss the covers to your old Stones' 45's, I guess this is for you. The rest of us will be better suited with the what I call the main singles collection (that is, the 3-disc version spanning all of their singles from 1963-1971).
   The quality of the music itself is middling at best. Back then (in 1963-1964, anyway), the boys hadn't quite found their voice, instead covering lots of older songs or else writing extremely derivative, forgettable originals. That being said, there are a few very good covers, like I Just Want to Make Love to You, Time Is On My Side and I Wanna Be Your Man, plus the unjustly forgotten instrumental Stoned.
   The Stones didn't really take off, be it artistically or commercially, until 1965. Little Red Rooster topped the UK charts in that year, though it was all but forgotten in the US. And that's just too bad, because it's them at their bluesiest and best. Then, Keith Richards wrote the unforgettable Satisfaction riff in, as we all know, his sleep (now a part of Stones mythology) and the Stones became the Stones we know and love. After Satisfaction, they gave us Heart of Stone, Play With Fire, The Last Time and several others. The best songs by far come later, so I'd reccomend the 1963-1971 box over this, and the other two.



3. If you were living in London when "Come On" was released, if you went to your local record store and played it and its marvellous "B" side - "I Want To Be Loved" - on your mono, low-fi record player over and over again, if you went back to the store and bought each single and EP as they arrived and put every track through the same repeat play process, if you still have them in your attic in a lovingly scratched, wholly unplayable state or if you've lost them over the years then this is all you could ask for. Or is it?
   
   Well, the good news is that they're all here... every "A" side, "B" side and EP track from the period when the Stones really were the most exciting thing around. And, unlike many groups of the time, their "B" sides and EP tracks were good - not just fillers but, as "I Want To Be Loved", "Stoned", "Little By Little", "Good Times, Bad Times", "Off The Hook", "Play With Fire", "Bye Bye Johnnie", "Money", "Empty Heart", "Around & Around" & "2120 South Michigan Avenue" amply evidence, essential parts of what all the fuss was about. Thirty three memories in one boxed set.
   
   And the bad news? Cleverly but annoyingly the whole lot is spread over 12 beautifully packaged individual CD's with each one containing the A & B side of a single or the contents of an EP. Great to look at and, for those around at the time, a real walk down memory lane, but an expensive production and one that's difficult to play without hopping out of your chair every five minutes or so to load yet another disc. At this price it would have been much more sensible and user-friendly to have included a couple of full length 16 track CD's in addition to the individual releases but, as it stands, you'll need to burn them down to your own CDs or playlist them through your iPod for the whole process to become manageable.
   
   The alternative? Well, that depends on what you want and how much you're prepared to pay... all the "A" & "B" sides from this period are included on the first disc in the "The Singles Collection - The London Years" boxed set which also includes both sides of their single releases through to 1970. All the tracks from their first EP are included on the "More Hot Rocks" compilation, all the tracks from the second EP are on their "12x5" album and all the tracks from the third EP are on their "Got Live If You Want It" album. An even more expensive option, with a lot of duplication, but then you do get a great deal more for your money.
   
   So... an indispensable but oddly delivered memory bank for those of us who were there and want to be there again, and an intriguingly expensive "coffee table" purchase for those who weren't.



4. This box set is amazing. It just rocks and the packaging is cool as hell. the tracks sound great. good re-mastering job. I have a CD changer and just load them all in, and open up a beer. good times.



5. I've got to listen to 12 cds to get through thirty-three stones songs? Most of them clock in under three minutes! Yeah, great jacket covers and all, but I'm really concerned with the music. I'm surprised they don't include latex gloves so I'll never have to soil the cd jackets with the oils from my fingers! Careful! Okay, I've had my fun, but really, this one is truly for collectors only. I'm a huge fan, not a collector. If you want all the early singles the Stones ever released in one set, get the SINGLES COLLECTION: THE LONDON YEARS instead. It contains all the singles from 1963-1971, plus a few rare gems. The one interesting thing about SINGLES '63-'65 is the inclusion of the three brit EPs. While the actual EPs were never released here, all the songs from the two studio EPs, THE ROLLING STONES and FIVE BY FIVE are available on various U.S. releases (12x5, MORE HOT ROCKS and DECEMBER'S CHILDREN). The third EP, GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT (a shameful effort to "catch the boys live"), is no better than the full-length american counterpart. Both are painful to listen to. If you have the early Stones U.S. releases, you'll already have these songs in studio format.
   SINGLES 1963-1965 is a neat gimmick with all the original covers, but I'm gonna pass on it.

2 comments about The Big Horn: The History of the Honkin' & Screamin' Saxophone.

1. "Big Horn: The History of the Honkin' & Screamin' Saxophone" is one swinging CD set!
   Many musical styles are covered here: swing, big band, boogie, bebop, R&B and more.
   There's a huge selection of songs and artists and every track is great!
   The accompanying booklet is loaded with facts about the music and the musicians.
   The sound quality of this set is excellent.
   Proper has come up with yet another value-packed box set!



2. WOW....where to begin!!!!! This four CD collection is a must have for anyone who likes their music loud and pounding fast. You cannot get a better deal on both the quality and quantity that this set provides.
   
   I won't review all of the song selections, because there are a ton, but I will say that every song in this set is worth every penny.
   
   At the time of these recordings (1942-1952) this music was commonly called "Jump Blues". It was the forerunner to Rock and Roll. Unlike early R & R music that highlighted white musicians and the guitar, Jump Blues highlighted black musicians and the saxophone (mostly tenor). This was not commonly played in mainstream America, although many of the musicians such as, Illinois Jacquet, were getting some notoriety on the jazz scene.
   
   This was perceived as "devil's" music and white radio, for the most part, wouldn't touch it. Remember, this is almost 15 years before Bill Haley, Alan Freed or Elvis Presley. However, many white musicians would later record these songs and make a commercial success out of them.
   
   I would recommend this box set to young and old alike. Along with the fantastic selection of songs, it comes with an outstanding booklet talking about the music and the artists. This music stills packs the same punch it did over 50 years ago. Take a listen!!!!!

5 comments about Steve Miller Band.

1. An excellent 3 CD set tracing the entire spectrum of Miller's career highlighting his varied musical styles. Most of his finest works appear here. Childs Medley and Les Paul & Steve add little and could have been omitted. What detracts from this set however, is that there are only small excerpts from Jackson-Kent Blues, Sacrifice, Baby's House, and Song for Our Ancestors. A 4 CD set would have been a more polished effort to include full-length versions of the aforementioned titles and other Miller standout tunes such as Sugar Babe, Brave New World, Window, and Heart Like a Wheel. Overall a fine effort worth the price and probably the best compilation of Miller tunes around.



2. ... he's pretty darn great isn't he! I like this set, but for me, who only knows to hits that play on classic radio, found it to be about one disc too long. About every song I hadn't heard on disc one was... not very good, to put it nicely. But disc 2 and 3 are great, and there definatly a lot more to these guys than just "The Joker." Overall, since there is no perfect set for the casual fans, I'd still give a thunbs up to this... but as most casual fans will find it too expensive, and go with a one disc greatest hits. If your willing to pay though, by all means go ahead and enjoy not only "Jet Airliner," but gems like "Winter Time."



3. I agree with all the reviews raving about this box set. The child recordings on Disc 1 offer a glimpse into his early talents. And the set covers pretty thoroughly Steve's career, especially his glory days in the late 60's and 70's. However, for some inexplicable reason, they chose to cut the length of "Song For Our Ancestors" from over five minutes down to 2:13, simply by fading it out. This is one of the most unique psychedelic era songs you will ever hear from any artist, and the record company chops it in half. To hear the full version, get a copy of Miller's 1968 album, "Sailor."



4. Check out Disc number two in this boxed set and head directly for the song "ONE IN A MILLION". This is it. It is essential Miller and the song itself describes my love for someone so far away. Check it out!



5. There's some interesting stuff in here, and if you're new into Steve Miller, I recommend getting this and leaving the others alone. But I do have a question and hopefully someone can answer me back on it. Where is the Steve Miller Rock Love album with "Love Shock" and "Delieverance" on it? That's a great album and all I have is my dad's scratchy copy.

5 comments about Woodstock 94.

1. In my opinion this is one of the best "90's" albums in my collection.(by the way this isn't a box set... lol) all it is is a 2 cd set. Anyways, as you read in the title, i think that soup by blind melon and dreams by the cranberries are the two best songs on this album. Most of the songs like the ones by the violent femmes, the rollins band, and of course who could forget...nine inch nails.
   Those are all the music of the 90s. If you don't like any of the bands., then don't buy it. But if you grew up in the 90s like me, and you like these artists, than i suggest you buy this album. (By the way... don't buy woodstock 99, its a s*** fest! if you buy any woodstock stuff make it either woodstock 1969 or woodstock 1994) :D



2. 5 stars for Blind Melons Performance of 'Soup'... Worth the price and more. That and Nine Inch Nails 'Happiness in Slavery'. I've had this since it came out, haven't really listened to it since, cept' the pre mentioned songs. But it's worth all of it just for those 2 songs.



3. i thought EVERYBODY had this...at least everybody that grew up in the 90s.
   
   i admit it, i got this because it was 75 cents at half.com and because i had it back in the day and listened to it way too much. so this was a nostalgia purchase, and a good one, it turns out. despite the cheese factor of this whole shindig, and the datedness of the bands included, this compilation is actually really well put together. transitions are smooth, the stage announcements really make you feel like you're there, and some of the performances (though not all), like blind melon playing "soup," red hot chili peppers with "blood sugar sex magic," metallica with "for whom the bell tolls," peter gabriel with "biko," and especially, the best of all, primus with "those damn blue collar tweekers" (including a beautifully done, seamlessly inserted rendition of jimi hendrix's legendary "star spangled banner"), are jaw-droppingly good. not bad for under a buck.



4. The CD set here is not meant to represent the concerts themselves but the event as a whole. the songs (and announcements) reflect the moods, styles, genres, humor and talents of the artists as a snapshot. This means that some bands may not have their best or most popular songs on these CD's. Both Cd's have a mix of:

   Popular bands playing hits ( Melissa Ethridge, Cranberries, Collective Soul),

   Popular bands playing lesser known songs ( Blues Traveler, Live, Candlebox, Cypress Hill),

   And classic bands playing from their catalog ( CSN, Peter Gabriel, Joe Cocker).

   Leading the second disc, Metallica dominated the set with an energy no one else seems to bring. (As I said some of these songs dont represent the bands' overall performance very well)Another review stated that this song, "For whom the Bell Tolls" was the definitive live recording of the band and I totally agree. The recording of this song is required for any metallica fan. The clarity beats any bootleg and the intensity beats the few live recordings the band is willing to sell.

   Other standouts include: Cypress Hill, NIN, Blues Traveler, Aerosmith, Dylan, Chili Peppers, Primus and the Neville Bros.

   Some may be dissapointed by Jackyl, Green Day, Blind Mellon, Salt N Pepa's song Shoop has dated very poorly, and the stage announcements can get repetitive. I personally found "Come Together" to be a little gratuitous as a reference to the original music of Woodstock. As a side note, I believe that Slash from GNR plays on "The Hunter" with Paul Rodgers though i could be mistaken.

   It is possible to refute one complaint I have seen about the set (and the event). The sampling of the discs makes it clear that the bands selected are for the most part not platinum sellers, and those few that were, normally didn't have the "hit" song selected for the cd. The commercialism of the event itself may be an entirely other matter. Still I believe that at least 17 of the 27 bands have never seen platinum or achieved mainstream success. Bands like "Rollins Band" are talented but are so niche they are never likely to do so.

   All in all I love the set. I believe it is worth the purchase if only for the Metallica song. However, this does not represent even a fraction of the music at the event and a true box set should be made available.




5. The event that was Woodstock 94 was enough of a greedy corporate scheme--now there's a CD set of the music? The idea of a 25th anniversary celebration of the Woodstock event was a great one, and inviting Bob Dylan and CSN was a great idea on someone's part. But the event went on to insult those musicians by placing them alongside such groups as Candlebox and Collective Soul. Is someone really implying that those bands make music that is as socially relevant as that of the first Woodstock? Now, almost 10 years later, those bands have completely dropped off the radar, while Dylan is still going strong. There is great potential in an event like this, and that is what angers me about the final result. It took into consideration only the marketability of its artists, not their message, while the message was the whole point of the first Woodstock event. Bands like Green Day have gone on from this event to do...well, nothing, really. Meanwhile, Joan Baez, an original Woodstock performer, sang at a peace rally in my city just last week. Please don't give more encouragement to corporate shenangigans like this by purchasing this CD. Save your money for artists with conviction and staying power. Sure, rock festivals based on marketability have their time and place (I don't object at all to Ozzfest or Lollapalooza), but their place is not cashing in on a genuine, heartfelt gathering of performers with something real to say.

5 comments about Sex, America, Cheap Trick.

1. This is really for hardcore Cheap Trick fans. Lot's of alternate takes and demos.
   The first two discs are best. The song quality really digresses on disc three and four.
   It really didn't need to be four discs. Three discs would have covered everything nicely. I was miffed that they left off "Can't hold on " "Such a good girl & "Take me I'm yours" from "found all the parts" as these songs have yet to appear on CD officially. My money says that they will either re-release this box set later on with the fore mentioned songs or come up with another box set all together.



2. Sony records does something smart, putting together a four-disc box set commemorating the Wisconsin band's 20th anniversary but letting the group actually compile the songs. After one listen I knew that this was a compilation done for the sake of fans of the group, rather than the ubiquitous "greatest hits" package. And that's a good thing, seeing as how fully half of the music here is unreleased material, including some covers, demos, and even some live sessions featuring bassist Tom Petersson on lead vocals. The liner notes are fabulous, reading like a Cheap Trick history lesson through their first twenty years. I had the good fortune to have a brief conversation with Robin Zander last summer, and it was evident that the band still tours and records because they love to perform for their fans. This "box set" definitely shows that as well.



3. A (not so) funny thing happened long, long ago, that would haunt
   the Tricksters for eons to come; On the way to Rock World domination, and the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -
   Rick Nielsen met TP. Like that brand new shopping cart that
   has the shaky wheel, the Tricksters have had to drag "the
   fourth band member" static with them for several decades now...
   Just enough to cause them to get attacked by the musical establishment. That plus 'political stupidity' have been about the worst things that have happened to 'Anglophile' Rock in
   the last few decades. Let's recap once more; Petersson to
   Comita to Peterson again for a couple weeks to Brant back to Petersssssssssson again. I-Yi-Yi-Yi-yi...This set of four discs
   is enough to make you wonder "what if", since it's apparent to anyone with at least one good ear, that they would have been better off keeping Jonny B Good, or even bring back Pete.
   "Lap of Luxury", indeed...
   
   How many more people out there are gonna misspell poor Jonny B
   Good's name? And these are Cheap Trick fans?! Oh well - just another typo - from the Standing on the Edge album,
   unfortunately...
   
   Since My 'Rating Scale' only goes to four stars (****), this should only be ***.5 out of ****. There are rarities a-plenty
   on this four disc set, but come on guys - why Peterson's face
   over disc three - where all the Brant(no 'd') & Comita stuff
   is? The '80's WERE THE REAL period that Cheap Trick dominated -
   they were on MTV - when it was good - more than any other band.
   
   As well they should have been. Rock and Rule, Up the Creek, You
   send the Rain Away (whoops! sorry about that one, Robin!)The
   Soundtrack for the Stallone movie in '87 that Robin did a solo
   song for, Mighty Wings. No, Jon and Pete did more varied stuff
   than old what's his name ever will. And besides, how many albums
   have the 'Tricksters put out since Mr. Dagmar came back, what is
   it, like four or five(in 19 yrs?)? And only two are any good! I'll take Sex,America, Cheap Trick, One on One, Standing on the Edge, The Doctor and Next Postion Please anyday of the year. The Budokan discs are good to - they came before Dagmar, the swedish-born, german-bred, one-name babe that deepsixed the current (once-again) Bassist. No, I'm not the guy that held up that "Bring Back Brant" sign in Milwuakee in '92 - I only wished I was. Sigh...



4. Cheap Trick was in their heyday in the 70's any album they made during that time is an essential purchase. The 80's songs we're mostly hit or miss(unfortunately they missed more than they hit). The 90's saw them return to the charts, but as a pop-rock act. That basically describes the box set. The first two CD's are very good, taking mostly from their 70's albums and unreleased tracks(some now available on the CD reissues). The third CD taking mostly from their 80's material is hit or miss but does have a few suprises in the unreleased material. The fouth CD is probably the most passible of the four but does have a few good songs on it. My only big complaint is that their cover from the John Lennon tribute album "Cold Turkey"(the best song on that album) is not on it. Like I stated it is only for fans of Cheap Trick, the curious should check out either the 70's albums, preferably the first three, or even the Authorized Greatest Hits album.



5. I was not at all that familiar with Cheap trick before I aquired this box set. Of course I had heard a couple of songs on the radio, but that was about all my knowledge of them. And so, listening to this set of 4 discs and reading the very informative 40 page booklet, I now consider myself a fan, and plan on purchasing other albums of theirs in the future. This is what a box set should be like. It is packed with not just their hits and album tracks, but also B-Sides, Outtakes, and alternate versions that cannot be found anywhere else but on this set. So that alone makes this a must for any fan. Spanning the years 1976 to 1995, this a terrific overview of a terrific band. Too bad they're no longer together.

5 comments about The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack.

1. In October 1974, the Grateful Dead played for five nights at the Winterland in San Francisco by way of a temporary farewell, filming the shows for a film that they hoped would serve as a substitute until they resumed touring, but which didn't appear until 1977, by which time they were back on the road.
   
   Meanwhile, selections from the concerts had appeared on the double-album set Steal Your Face. Generally regarded as the Dead's poorest live album, both in the song selection and the sound mix by Bear and Phil Lesh, it came to be known as Steal Your Money. It's not an album I have heard, but I do know that none of its detractors level the same criticisms at this magnificent 5CD set, culled from the same shows. It is the CD equivalent of the film but with much added, even more than the extended 300-minute DVD set that came out in 2004. There is little overlap with Steal Your Face: four songs appear on both (Ship Of Fools, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, US Blues, Stella Blues) but only Ship Of Fools comes from the same night. As the sound has been radically upgraded by Jeffrey Norman for this set, it would be interesting to compare with the earlier master.
   
   At the time of these gigs Mickey was on a gap year (but guests on the final night) and Keith and Donna were fully paid-up members alongside Jerry, Phil, Bob and Bill. The recording dates are given and show that each disc favours one night in date order, but can contain performances drawn from any night between 16th-20th. For example CD1 contains tracks from every night except 20th but features a full half-hour segment of Playing In The Band from the opening night, whereas CD5 is entirely drawn from the final night. All the performances are complete (unlike the film) and when the songs run into one another (as they do for all but two tracks on CD2) they always come from the same performance.
   
   Some songs are kept short, others are fully stretched, and each disc contains doses of spacey jams or drum extravaganzas. A few songs reappear on different nights (Playing In The Band, The Other One, Not Fade Away), always with good reason, and CD3 features the relatively new Weather Report Suite almost side by side with the ever evolving Dark Star (a blissful 24 minute version).
   
   The Grateful Dead are unique among the rock fraternity and this generously priced, lovingly assembled artefact helps explain why and is bound to win them many new fans drawn from different generations. The package is rounded off with a colour booklet of photos and artwork. There are no notes but full credits are listed at the back. A tour de force.



2. I was there at Winterland for 2 of the 5 nights. It was an awesome run, and the boys are at the top of their game. Highlights are Eyes Of The World, Playing In The Band, Dark Star into Morning Dew, and much more ! My face even made the gatefold on the "Steal Your Face" LP !



3. wow....ive ranted to my friends for years on this show and now is my chance to go worldwide!!! i have always been a early dead man 67-71,,,the years when everything was dripping with l.s.d.!!but these shows at winterland make me think that garcia was just on top of his god given game whith these tunes !!! his guitar tone at this point in his career is phenomenal!!the doug erwin wolf guitar barks!,,,im not going to get into these tunes other than my most sincere nod to jerrys second solo on eyes of the world,,,or his 1st if yer watching the movie,,,as a musician and a fan of rock guitar i like everything from dave murray of iron maiden to hendrix to van halen,,,,,,but that solo that jerry does is the most beutiful guitar solo i have ever heard!!hands down people ...i truly feel soory for anyone who will never hear this!!!.....my only gripe with this movie...woops i mean cd .is donna ,,soorry somebody was gonna say it ,,she ruins a fine playin in the band.....off key !i know ,i know ,damn dead head never happy!!...enjoy!



4. Everyone is saying how great this sounds...and it does, except for both Jerry and Bob's lead vocals. Has anyone else noticed when they sing a little loud that the "S" and "Th" sound's are noticably distorted. Too close to the mike or the tapes are deteriorating. I would have thought this would have been fixed in the remasters. I want to make sure it's not just my disks that have this problem. Other than that, the drums and bass just THUNDER! Can anyone else comment here?



5. When someone asks me where to start discovering Live Dead, this is the release I recommend. A true representation of all the best material they had recorded up to that point. And at basically $4 a disc----WHAT A VALUE!After listening, everyone has asked "where do I go next?". That question is a little more subjective.

5 comments about The Capitol Albums Vol. 2 (Brick).

1. Other reviews are ok to read. Some are BS though.
   What quality issues are brought up are from people who grew up in the age of the CD and should try listening to a 45 (single) or a 33 (album) sometime while eating your Big Mac, then type.
   And another thing - that complaint about the stereo version had a miscue and the mono didn't - was the way it was released in the US years ago. Get over it. Capitol execs know what's going on, the others at Capitol just stopped squeezing pimples a few years ago.
   NOW - it's Beatles 101 class for you youngin's - FYI - and so there's no misunderstanding, I'm 'Classic_Rocker' - the reviewer and editor from years past when online meant sitting at the teletype 100 miles away from 'the computer'.
   There isn't much more to release other than (some of) the US version instrumentals from A Hard Day's Night and Help! (and some of those can be found if you look hard enough at instrumental material available on CD) and a few strays.
   What's intersting is that few people actually understand that Capitol had The Beatles back in the studio to lay down new vocal tracks of many UK versions, but that didn't happen past 1965.
   AND even fewer people know that back when Tollie, Vee-Jay and Swan had the rights to release singles in the US (She Loves You, Love Me Do, etc), it was Capitol's rerecording of vocal tracks that created 4 versions of Love Me Do (and now we have those!) - the original (with sit-in drummer Andy White and Ringo playing with himself - off the UK album Past Masters), the secondary album version (with Ringo at the drums - off the UK album issue), then Capitol's two versions of mono and stereo with new vocals that we in the US are hearing for the first time on CD because they were US album only issued back then!
   Even Capitol screwed the US when the 'Red' album was issued on CD - the US Tollie version was reissued, not the Capitol version.
   What don't we have in stereo or reissued as a Capitol version to date (as a single or album only cut)?
   US Year 1963 - Misery.
   US Year 1964 - A Hard Day's Night, Can't Buy Me Love, I Should Have Known Better, There's A Place, Act Naturally, Day Tripper, Drive My Car, If I Needed Someone, I'm Down, Nowhere Man, We Can Work It Out, What Goes On.
   Yes, we have these songs but what I'm saying is - there are different versions originally issued in the US back then.
   So theres your missing album, not to mention the US issues of A Hard Day's Night and Help!
   And by the way, now we at least have the Help! version we grew up with (that begins with the chase music aka incidental music) that was also deleted from the 'Red" album reissue.
   And the next rocket scientist is about to say I'm missing something - what about the german versions of She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand.
   Yes, you're right, but who cares.
   And don't bring up the different versions of Across The Universe. Buy the Anthology CD sets and you're covered (Wildlife version, especially).



2. It's the Beatles....nuff said! it's the Beatles doing what they do best. Pop rock with every imaginable hook they could write. And nobody did it better. the original album cover sleeves make it even more fun and having each song available in stereo and mono versions is even cooler! Pick it up!



3. Okay, we're ready for Vol. 3 now, please! I eagerly await the next four albums, "Yesterday And Today", "Revolver", "Sgt. Pepper" and "Magical Mystery Tour". Is Capitol stalling because of EMI's imminent release of the remastered British albums? I hope not. I'd like to see Capitol finish the series all the way through "Abbey Road". And for good measure, throw in "The Beatles Story" and the UA version of "A Hard Day's Night" while you're at it. If anyone in the marketing department at Capitol is reading this, I implore you to release "Yesterday And Today" with the original butcher cover. It's been more than 40 years since that album's release and I don't think anyone today would find it in poor taste. So come on! Let's get the next four out!



4. I've read commentary on what might or should be included in the next release in the series, The Capitol Albums Vol 3. Since this series is meant to recreate on CD, the original tracks both in mono and stereo, that capitol released in the U.S. from 1964 through 1967, the only logical choices are Yesterday and Today, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour. All subsequent Beatle albums were released on their Apple label. They should not be included and I trust will not be included in this capitol series. Just a note: A Hard Days Night (the UA version) was released by Capitol in the late 70s' or very early 80s' as was their entire catalogue (including the Apple releases) until EMI decided to release only the European versions in the late 1980s' But only contained stereo mixes in those releases.



5. As you can see, Capitol released the second set of Beatles albums onto CD for the first time in the US configurations. This will represent the four LPs that were originally released during 1965: "The Early Beatles", "Help! Original Soundtrack", "Beatles VI" and "Rubber Soul".
   
   The highlight of this set is definitely the US "Rubber Soul", which actually has a more folksy feel than the UK counterpart. Incredibly, I find it more preferable to the UK one as I find songs like "Drive My Car" kind of out of place in comparison to other material on the US version.
   
   Don't get me wrong, I love "Drive My Car", but since I first heard it on the "Yesterday and Today" compilation in the 70s, I have always thought of it as a 1966 tune, more appropriate for "Revolver" than a 1965 tune on "Rubber Soul". Time has allowed me to get used to the UK version of "Rubber Soul" (We've only had 19 years to listen to this version in the US.), but the US version is one of the best "compilations" of mid-60s Beatles music ever to come out if you don't want to consider it The Beatles actual vision.
   
   As far as the other discs go, they are actually very weak in comparison to other earlier and later material, and with good reason. With constant touring, The Beatles well had basically dried up for a time. So all of the material from the UK "Beatles For Sale" and US "Beatles '65" and "Beatles VI" LPs are slightly more weak. That's just being nitpicky as they always seemed to put out great stuff.
   
   People quibble about the US version of "Help!". I may be in the minority, but I enjoy those Ken Thorne instrumentals. I hope that Capitol sees fit to release the United Artist "A Hard Day's Night" soundtrack with its instrumentals intact as well. It makes it seem like a movie soundtrack than just a collection of songs like the UK "Help!" is.
   
   I definitely prefer the UK "Please Please Me" to the US "The Early Beatles", but what can you do? Capitol got the rights back to the early songs and duly released a belated collection that everyone had purchased a zillion times over on Vee-Jay, so I am glad it is here for that reason alone.
   
   Another MUST BUY!

5 comments about Black Box: Wax Trax! Records, The First 13 Years 3 CD Set, Includes 76-Page Book.

1. This is a timeless compilation of bands. WAX TRAX records really were the God-fathers of realing industrail music.



2. ... after the first printing of this collection, let me say LOUD and CLEAR that WaxTrax! (now TVT) Records NEEDS TO RE-RELEASE THIS COLLECTION OF CLASSICS!!! As it stands, Black Box is a hard to find collector's item, as the prices for used copies can attest (nobody's gonna have a new one available, kids, at least not for a reasonable price). You're lucky if you can find someone who kept immaculate, anal-retentive care of the discs. I was lucky to find a copy of this set at my local record shop, but the condition of the CDs would rate as GOOD, VERY GOOD at best. I'm just glad that after 13 years, they will still play in my CD player.
   
   I'm not going to fire off a huge, elaborate critique of the set. If this kind of music from this time period pushes the dopamine receptors in your brain over the brink (and you know who you are), then this collection is for you. Yeah, it's primarily industrial in nature, but there are hints of techno, hard/goth rock, and dark experimental music. The 3-CD set clocking in at roughly 3 1/2 hours of music represents a nice, thick, bloody slice of a time and a place, and yes, it's just that damn good. Read the other reviews for point by point details. At worst, this one gets 4.5 stars. At best, it easily garners 5.



3. My interest in industrial music and its history lead me down the path to this little almost forgetten jem at this point.
   This is industrial music as its not made anymore, as industrial music since the death of this label has become even more of a minor niche market fading into the obscure. But this box set captures industrial's golden age. An interesting mix of styles and history, it actually prompted to go visit the orginal WaxTrax store in Denver while on vacation(ironicly seeing one of the artists on the boxset.KMFDM). With all the music revials going on, I wish someone would revive this kind of industrial music, before its completely forgotten. The track that is the most well known is probably the cover of "Supernaut" with the Trent Renzor vocals, but that is to over look alot of other amazing material. You can feel the energy, the thoughtfulness, and the pioneering spirit racing though every track. The only shortcoming i'd say would be that Front 242's material couldn't be included.
   Music history buffs will also get a kick out of this, there is a little booklet helping outline the history of the label, and quite a history it is. I find it quite sad that there is no real written books about WaxTrax and the chicago industrial scene of the 80s like there is for punk,hardcore,indie and their counterparts.
   I recommend this comp 100%, and hope that you can feel the same love for this music as I do.



4. I dj'd at college radio stations for 5 years in the late '80s, and was always pleasantly excited when I found a Wax Trax! label in the New bin. (Unfortunately, I usually did my shows in the dark and thought the name was "Wax Traxi" for the longest time!) The label was a mainstay of industrial music, and founders Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher consistently managed to sign and produce the most exciting musicians of the time -- the many incarnations of dear troubled genius Al Jourgensen, The Young Gods, FLA, Coil, Controlled Bleeding, Doubting Thomas, A Split Second, Lead Into Gold, Psychic TV, Foetus -- they are all here on three great discs packed with music that makes you want to move and feel. Disc One, Track One: Trent Reznor covers Black Sabbath's 'Supernaut' with 1000 Homo DJs -- a version previously unreleased, and then you are zipping through Sister Machine Gun and The Young Gods and oh so many more seminal industrial bands. Divine puts the "fun" in funky with "The Name Game", the label's second release. I was also happy to hear a few groups that had somehow slipped past me the first time around, like Wreck. I had a great time listening to this collection and am still listening to it. You can put in any of the three discs and be happy for a long time.

   The packaging is beautiful -- a heavyweight black box covered with hip lettering and disturbing images; three black CD cases containing labeled discs and a listing with artist, cut, time and version information; and a terrific booklet that relates the anecdotal history of Wax Trax! -- it's artistically interesting as well as substantive and entertaining.

   If you enjoy industrial music, you cannot go wrong with this incredible collection of the music and people that started it all. And why not put a few bucks into the pockets of the guys who loved the music more than the profits?




5. This Chicago-based record label compilation is an awesome chunk of the work done by most of the best industrial bands that came out of N. America and Europe in the 80s. Very interesting and innovative music- fans of industrial music or darker techno should like most of this stuff quite a bit.

5 comments about Buffalo Springfield Box Set.

1. Neil Young and his overblown ego compiled this, so there are more Neil Young tunes and more variations on those tunes than anyone else. He was my least favorite in the band..I much prefer Furay and Stills. Richie Furay seems to be the only one who is not totally full of himself and is appreciative of what the band had done to music and his friendship with the surviving members continue.
   His book on Buffalo Springfield seems like a fair representaion of what went on and he is not one to place blame. He always has a respectful view on what happened.
   He is a Pastor now and a devout Christian..and if for some reason that puts you off...you should still read his autobiography.
   He just seemed like the right guy to tell the honest story and he should have been the one to put this collection together.
   
   
   Pickin' Up the Pieces: The Heart and Soul of Country Rock Pioneer Richie Furay



2. I'm a rabid Buffalo Springfield fan and have covered their music in a number of bands. I remember listening to Stereo X FM Underground while growing up in SoCal in the 60's and from time to time they would play the 11-minute version of Bluebird. The 9-minute version exists on the 1971 compilation vinyl (I have it), but unfortunately the full 11-minute version wasn't included on this boxed set. I spoke with Stills a few years ago at Summer NAMM in Nashville and he told me the master tape containing the 11-minute version still exists but that he didn't want it on the boxed set because the final jam falls apart. Still for those of us who are major fans of the Buffalo Springfield, this would not have mattered. What we want is special historical music insights and golden moments, and the 11-minute version would have gone a long way to making a so-so boxed set into a far better collector's treasure.



3. A great issue this one, and anyway the only way to get some of the "Unrelease Stampede"'s track in an audible way different from the LP.
   "Stampede" was never meant to be a release of Buffalo Springfield, but only a collection of jams, demos and outtakes taken in the period beetween theire first and second official LPs. ATCO relesed it first on vynil, placing on front cover a photo that could be used later for "Again" album and giving it a catalog number (33-226).
   Anyway, Box Set re-issues some tracks appeared firt on "Stampede", but not all of them, 'cause "Stampede" was just an "arctifact" created by ATCO. Wath follows is a list os songs you can find in Box Set appeared in "Stampede"
   
   1)Neighbour don't worry #1 :Neighbour don't you worry (remix) DISC 1
   2)Down to the wire #1 :not on the box set - alternative vocal line up (single voice)
   3)Do I have to come... :not on the box set - alternative vocal line up (coral voice)
   4)Instrumental #1 :not on the box set
   5)Instrumental #2 :Buffalo Stomp (raga) DISC 2
   6)My kind of love :My kind of love DISC 2 (even if it here appears in slightly different up tempo)
   7)Baby don't scold me #1 :Baby don't scold me DISC 2 (even if it here appears with a slightly different arragment)
   8)Baby don't scold me #2 :not on the box set (different arrangment)
   9)Down to the wire #2 :Down to the wire DISC 2
   10)Well see :Well see DISC 2
   11)There goes my baby :There goes my babe (demo) DISC 1
   12)Neighbour don't worry #2 :Neighbour don't you worry (demo) DISC 1
   13)Ringing bells :not on the box set
   14)Give me one more sign :One More Sign (demo) DISC 3
   15)Come on :Come on (demo) DISC 1



4. I've seen this group perform in person. They brought the house down. I brought this box set hoping to get most of the music they did. I was kinda dissappointed in the box set. Why didn't they put in live tracks in the fourth CD. Instead putting the same songs they had in the other CD's? You are better off in buying the single CD's, then spending the sixty dollars or so on this box set. Even though they only had a two year stint they had big influence in the music of that era and even today.



5. Ok, i'll admit it, i have been a Buffalo Springfield fan since their 1st album came out. I have all their issues on vinal (eh?). What makes the box set cool is the demos and out takes. But if your not an almost rabid fan, buy the three albums.