5 comments about The Complete Adventures of the Style Council.

1. An excellent 5 CD set of Style Council music, with a few notable flaws:
   * While I was pleased to get the 12" version of "The Cost of Loving" in place of the album version, it means that that version is missing. A similar replacement occurs with "Life on a top People's Health Farm."
   * The packaging is rather annoying. A very long box with five CDs in tight cardboard sleeves. (I took mine out and put them in normal CD cases to enable ease of playing). You also get a paperback book full of photos, and the story of TSC, and a list of discography and videos.
   
   You won't get every song they ever made, but "Introducing the Style Council" (Mini LP), "Cafe Bleu" "Our Favourite Shop" are there in full, as well as the songs from the album Polydor rejected "Modernism a new Decade."
   You'll find most of the tracks from "Cost of Loving" (LP) and "Confessions of a Pop Group" too.
   Several singles are included too (no doubt all your favourites).
   
   Regardless of my 2 gripes, I was very pleased to have this. It was well worth the money. As there are around 20 tracks on each disk, the breakup of songs is different, with material from Cafe Bleu split over 2 disks, and the same for "Our favourite shop".



2. For some very strange reason the years have not been kind to The Style Council. Music critics, fans and even Weller himself seem to have forgotten just how good they where. The Style Council were very simply pop music at it's very best. Intelligent, moving, witty, thought-provoking and melodic. Paul Weller created TSC almost as a reaction to The Jam which he felt had pigeon-holed him in terms of musical growth. By teaming up with Mick Talbot (Piano) he could explore his interest in soul, R&B and jazz. Something The Jam would never have been allowed to do. I was at the perfect age when they first appeared on the scene in the mid-eighties, to be swept away with their mix of clever, catchy pop songs. Before long they were joined by Steve White (Drums) and D.C. Lee (Vocals) and the rest, as they say, is history. This box set is fully comprehensive. I should know. I bought all of their records on vinyl. TSC were always one of those bands that never got the credit they so deserved. This box set puts the record straight once and for all. From start to finish this music collection is perfect. From its contents to it's packaging it's everything a real "Council" fan could want. All the hits are here plus some of Weller's less known musical experiments. If I sound like a sales man for the record company then so be it. Whoever was responsible for putting this box set together really did their homework. I can not rate it highly enough. Whether you remember TSC in their hay-day or whether you only know one or two hit songs, this box set is worth the money. Great pop tunes, written and crafted by really talented musicans. Like I said, perfect.



3. If you are a die hard TSC fan, this package takes most of those LP's, plus the 45's and 12" discs you purchased between albums in the 80's and packages them together for you to play on CD. You can leave the old wax in their sleeves now.
   
   C. Jannuzi posted a very informative and accurate review of the discs themselves. I will not attempt to add to that portion of his review. I am adding that this is the best packaged box set I have ever seen. The booklet alone is close to being worth the price of the set. (I bought mine from one of Amazon's retail partners - much cheaper and still in shrinkwrap.) It contains a complete history of the band, a diary of the band's recordings, releases and appearances, a thorough discography, band promo and live photos, a Paul Weller interview, and images of scores of promotional posters, advertisments, and obscure disc sleeves. Each of the 5 discs is packaged in it's own glossy cardboard sleeve with track listings and information plus another photo. Each disc is also in a paper sleeve inside the cardboard to further protect the disc. I have not seen this degree of disc protection before. In addition to the booklet and discs, there is complete lyric sheet which includes a listing of the musicians on each track, its recording date and lyrics.
   
   Although the booklet is printed on high quality paper and has excellant sharp images, it is not bound well. Mine has not fallen apart but you must be gentle and not crease the spine of the book.
   
   Overall, a fantastic package of wonderful tunes.



4. I haven't yet even received my copy of this anthology, and I'm already beside myself! As someone who lived through their musical journey, and first began hearing this group while the world was still fresh and new to me, I already know that this collection will be nothing less than stellar! Paul Weller was truly at his peak when he wove the artistic tapestry that was The Style Council. It's funny how some artists alone are pretty good, but when you mix just the right combination of talent... BOOM!!!! You make history, and inspire the world.



5. How many artists' would trash a hard fought following like the Jam eventually achieved...and as a white english guy seek to sound as soulful as The O'Jays and Ramsey Lewis Trio?

   IMHO, that's a pretty 'darn' TALL order. Pulling it off...even 50% of the time is a massive artistic achievement in my book. Had Mr Weller ever known I'm sure he would count among TSC's biggest successes as having the Black (nearly all) "Dusties" (oldies) format radio station (in Los Angeles) add "Long Hot Summer" to their rotation back when it was released...which it was! I heard it.

5 comments about Tibetan Freedom Concert; New York City, June 1997.

1. The Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1996 when shown on MTV changed my life forever when I discovered what was going on in Tibet. And when I got my first glimpse into Buddhist culture. This CD goes over 2 years of the Tibetan Freedom Concert. It is the first 2 that were held in 1996 and then in 1997.

   The CD is not just a youth approach to doing something for the Buddhist nation of Tibet, it's a celebration of Tibetan Culture. Many artists from Tibet appear along with bands like Rancid and The Beastie Boys on this CD. There are also chants from Buddhist monks. Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam play an acoustic version of "Yellow Ledbetter" that makes this CD well worth the money you paid for it. There is also a track that appears only on this CD from Rancid titled "The Harder They Come"

   Beck appears on the 3rd CD with "..." and De La Soul plays a very energetic version of "Me, Myself & I" The 3rd CD is also an enhanced CD for your PC that you will be very inspired by. It comes with a collection of information on what it is that you can do for Tibet and a Quicktime library of video files showing The Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Ben Harper, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and some very special messages from His Holiness The Dalai Lama. As well as a short video of Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys explaining how he got involved. This CD is truly a great way to remember these concerts. If you buy this CD, you not only get music, but a celebration of Tibet's spirit and culture celebrated through 2 years of concerts.




2. This triple album, unless you want to support the freedom of the Tibet, is not really worth buying. For a three disc set, it only has as much as one disc's worth of acceptable good music, which you probably can get on iTunes individually.



3. Rancid's version of "The Harder They Come" rocks. The rest is just as good.



4. This three cd collection exhibits the talent of many big-time established artists, such as U2, A Tribe Called Quest, Noel Gallagher, Foo Fighters, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Beastie Boys, Alanis Morisette, Beck, the Fugees and Rage Against the Machine. It also shows off some up and coming artists, like the John Spencer Blue Explosion, Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band, and Pavement. There're hits, like RATM's Bulls on Parade and Beasties' Root Down, but it's dominated by lesser known, non-single, songs. Beck's folky Asshole and Blur's answer to Oasis, Beetlebum. The cd is spiced with a share of traditional Tibetan chants and music, so you won't forget why this album was made. As MCA Adam Yauch says at the end of Root Down, "Let's not forget why we're all here. To help the people of Tibet get their freedom."



5. Tibetan issue is of big importance and _that_ makes this album worth attention - not the performers' escapades. A few Tibetan tracks are very nice and (supposedly, will be) interesting for western folks. The CD-ROM part of this project merits a separate edition - especially the collection of thangkas!

5 comments about Epitaph, Vols. 1-2.

1. "Welcome to the mausoleum of your dreams", the postmodernist cover art of King Crimson's "Epitaph" silently proclaims.
   
   Inside are the relics of a live band not enough people got to hear during its brief, flaring existence in 1969.
   
   King Crimson in its first incarnation was a band of mythic proportions, conceived out of several directions: rock and roll, classicism, avant garde jazz, and the circus of lyricist Peter Sinfield's imagination, aswim with Greek gods, devilish ceremonies and pure whimsy.
   
   But, what kind of a band were they when they performed live? This two-disc package provides a partial answer. Here are my conclusions:
   
   1. King Crimson in 1969 could faithfully deliver powerful versions of well-rehearsed material from its only recorded album, "In the Court of the Crimson King". Audiences certainly would not have been disappointed on that account. However, when the band attempted to perform material in progress, or resorted to other obscurities to fill out a live show, the results could be erratic. The band hadn't developed much of a repertoire, and some of the arrangements were clunky, as with the nascent "A Man, A City" (which later emerged whole as "Pictures of a City" as part of Fripp's reconstituted Crimson in 1970). The first version lurches around like Frankenstein prowling in a spookhouse. It sounds cartoonish compared with the finished version. Then there's "Get Your Bearings" ( a Donovan song) and "Drop In". On these, Crimson sounds like a group of British kids trying to play beatnik.
   
   2. Still, the band definitely was trying very hard to break into new territory. In the spirit of the times, they were young musicians who simply didn't know what they couldn't do, or weren't allowed to do. They pushed hard, especially in the furious instrumental breaks of songs like "21st Century Schizoid Man", and even in these less than ideal recordings, the realization comes through that this was a band working without a net. Their determination to experiment and to push themselves to the limit remains refreshingly bracing even when one listens today, nearly four decades later.
   
   3. Individually, Michael Giles (drummer) was the best musician in the group. On the evidence of these tapes, he could have played with anybody.
   Ian McDonald was an exceptional flautist, a powerful keyboardist on the mellotron, but not that great of a sax player. He was game, but he wasn't in the league of most jazz saxophonists. Greg Lake could sing regally, and he was strong on the bass guitar... but when he tried to be a showman, and injected soulful yelps to his singing, he just sounded silly. Robert Fripp, as a guitarist, was a work in progress. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes lackadaisical, he could comp along with anything, but at times didn't seem to know where he was going with his solos.
   
   4. This was part of the charm of the group...all of the musicians were trying to play beyond their capabilities. (After all, its the only way an artist grows.) Fripp would probably be the first to say that he wasn't in the same league with John McLaughlin, or Larry Coryell, or other pioneering guitarists of the time. In his defense, he really wasn't trying to be a guitar hero, or rock god, like Hendrix, Page, Clapton, Beck et al. Fripp likes to say that "musicians grow up in public", and this was the case with him. He didn't spring from the head of Zeus fully formed, and had to work really hard to become a virtuoso. He always seemed to be a guitarist working in a laboratory--and one always had to wonder how he might have grown if the laboratory had been Miles Davis'--as it was briefly for McLaughlin.
   
   It was really a tribute to Fripp that he could pick himself up after this band fractured, and continue to "expand on the myth", continuing to make beautifully crafted studio albums that at least bore the name "King Crimson", and continued the pioneering vision. Forever after, though, it was Fripp's band, with Fripp dominating in his peculiar passive-aggressive way, no matter how much he might try to deny it.



2. It was 1969 and Crimson was touring the USA for the first (and last) time with this lineup. A great historical document of one of rocks most exploratory bands. The discs start off with some BBC live recordings but most of the 2 disc set is in the USA. A must have for Crimson fans, the only complaint is the mediocre sound quality. It's funny, because if you go to the "wolfgangs vaults" website, you can hear some of this material in almost crystal clear sound! Too bad, but it's still exciting to see more and more early Crimson live recordings making their way to the light of day.



3. Words fail me, but I will try, and please forgive me if this goes on longer than may seem necessary.
   
   One can read about what it was like to be there when history is being made, but it's never quite the same as actually having witnessed it for yourself. Anyone who is even remotely interested in King Crimson, Robert Fripp, 1970's Art Rock (now called Prog Rock in an attempt to deflate it's meaningfulness by people who don't like it), the end of the Flower Power era and the onset of the Age of Aquarius simply *MUST* pick up this box set to compensate yourself for having missed out on being there, or as an at-times tearful walk down memory lane for those who were. As Mr. Fripp himself points out in his (as usual) highly detailed, insightful and endearingly stuffy liner notes, the recordings contained on this box set or the first King Crimson album "In The Court of the Crimson King" (or "ITCOTCK" for short), cannot come close to encapsulating the sheer power, majesty, and awe-inspiring terror that was King Crimson circa 1969. They were the perfect band for the end of that decade and it is a shame they did not continue as a unit beyond that legendary final show at the Filmore West -- recreated on this box set in it's completion for the first time ever -- but fate is often beyond the control of those who are destined to live it.
   
   To sum up, those Crimson fans who may even be familiar with this band's work from "ITCOTKC" (and the followup "In the Wake of Poseidon") may very well not be prepared for what they will hear on the 2 CDs of music contained in the box set for the first time. There are reasons:
   
   First, the recordings themselves were very primatively made at a time when the technology to record live music was not up to speed with the complexity of what was being played. The live impact of the sound is for the most part lost to time, and what was captured on tape & resurrected for this release is but a pale shadow of what it probably sounded like in person. One needs to listen to this actively with their imagination switched on to compensate for the technology's inability to represent what was going on when the band was playing -- and that doesn't even touch on the visual aspects of the performances. Don't bother with anything less than headphones either until the majesty of the live recordings becomes apparent. On anything less than a high-end speaker system it will sound tinny and harsh, but in the middle of your skull it will sound like the doors of Hell have opened up and guess who's playing the main stage?
   
   With that apology or admission made, the second aspect of it that more casual Crimson fans may not be prepared for is how utterly overwhelming the performances are, especially the versions "Epitaph" which the set was so correctly named after. On the studio album it is a sweeping, post-Beatles pean to the disillusionment and confusion sweeping the world at the end of the 1960's when nothing of value seemed to have any worth; An idealistic conclusion that only a 23 year old bohemian could arrive at, and succinctly summed up in the song's inarguably timeless lyrics. Then you stop and realize: These were 20 year old lads playing this stuff. Live. With no overdubs, no correction passes to cover over bummer notes, and in front of live paying audiences. It was unprecedented stuff, and after hearing the three versions of the song (one a BBC demo with some double tracking but still very live) you will wonder not only how the heck they came up with it, but why they even bothered with the LP version at all. They are also Greg Lake's finest collective performance as a vocalist: I cannot imagine anyone else singing the song while keeping a straight face.
   
   I still remember sitting in my room as a likewise idealistic 20 year old, head wedged between the speakers and mouth agog with awe at how forcefully put their communal disillusionment was. But hearing "Epitaph" performed live on this box set is like looking straight into the Abyss by comparison. Here is the soundtrack for the Apocalypse, circa 1969. The modern day equivalent does not exist (or at least I have never heard the likes) and it is only by placing one's mind in the context of the live recordings with other humans present that the sheer brilliance of the composition finally becomes clear. This was a band fighting against entropy, determined to succeed or take the whole ship of humanity down with them. The LP version of the song always had the power to move me to tears at times, but the 3 live cuts on this box set are utterly gut wrenching. Nearly forty years later we are still doomed as a species, and only King Crimson from 1969 was able to put their fingers on the reason why with this composition. It will demand to be heard again and again. Then again for good measure.
   
   The third "hurdle" that modern day consumers familiar with the Crimson legacy will have to clear is the instrumentation itself. Robert Fripp plays some bummer notes, Ian MacDonald's flute solos sometimes crack & his mellotron developes a nasty case of hiccouphs, Greg Lake forgets his lyrics & makes up new ones or loses his breath, and there are contributions by the audience members in the form of conversations at a couple of breaks. In other words, these are human beings, not "gods" or saints or saviors. Fallible 20 - 27 year old blokes who had been trying to break into the pop music scene for a collective decade plus of frustration, commercial defeats and triumphant failures of the likes that have never been seen, especially when considering where they all ended up in good time. Modern day listeners who perhaps are displeased by the nature of the recordings need to remind themselves that what is being performed had never existed before even as a genre: This is beyond the scale of anything that The Beatles, Hendrix, Miles Davis or any of the great innovators of the age had ever attempted.
   
   And again, it is all being done live, by just four musicians and one off-stage roadie/light show/sound board operator. The collective group's liner note contributions provide exhaustively fascinating detail of how the complete (or not) performances are often composites made from more than one source recordings digitally edited together to create a closer approximation to what was going on at the shows, and for that matter the CDs are a marvel of modern day sound engineering that was not possible until 1997, which is already almost a decade ago. That the music is still relevant now seems prophetic, leading me to the conclusion that this release was an act of destiny. In spite of all the carelessness, indifference and logistical obstacles, these performances were meant to be heard again thirty-seven years later, contemplated over, debated and argued about, then listened to again for good measure. It is not happy music or party music, but to paraphrase a published review of Crimson from 1970 or so, you get the impression from listening to the band that if Wagner or Beethoven had been alive at the time they would have been in King Crimson.
   
   Which leads me to my favorite aspect of the collection, which is hearing the great Bob Fripp play as an equal amongst peers who at times shame his musicianship. Especially drummer Michael Giles -- his influence on Art Rock or Prog Rock cannot be overlooked, and these live recordings speak more as to why than the LP tracks he contributed while a member of the group. When people discuss the great percussion of the Art Rock years you usually hear names like Neal Pert or Bill Bruford, both of whom owe a great debt to Giles for making the role so much more than a mere "drummer" who keeps time. Ian MacDonald also comes off far more impressively than one might expect for the keyboardist from Foreigner, and only after hearing these live recordings does one realize what a soul wrenching body blow his decision to leave the band must have been to Fripp, Greg Lake, and Peter Sinfield. The band was as much his as it was Fripp's, maybe even more, but MacDonald was brilliant enough to know that his work in the band would eventually have led to a musical confrontation between the two. You can sort of hear it during the live performances of Holst's "Mars: God of War" with Fripp bending his power chord strings to wail like a crazed soprano over MacDonald's abyss-spanning mellotron waftings. They were not merely competing with each other but the whole of the Cosmos, and the only consolation that might be found in MacDonald's departure from the band is the commercial success he found with Foreigner, a band that I will always be repulsed by & which could not be more different in philosophy that Fripp's vision of King Crimson. Fripp may have won that battle but MacDonald torched the ship before bailing overboard, and as history has written the resulting wreckage was not pretty, but is powerfully summed up by these live recordings.
   
   As for the tracks themselves, the BBC demos are probably the most traditionally appealing -- the BBC version of "In The Court of the Crimson King" is especially evocative of what the band probably would have been like in person. It is not the disjointed, freaky trip anthem as heard on the LP of the same name, but a powerful statement about the era that was so ahead of it's time that I have had people ask me if I was playing something by Oasis. The concert renditioning of the song is somewhat less satisfactory but like hearing Queen play a tape of "Bohemian Rhapsody" at a concert & bookend it with live portions it sort of re-inforces how that song was really a studio or rehearsal room creation. Fortunately the audience was forgiving enough to refrain from making too many comments so the humanizing aspect of the performance -- that means the near awfulness of it -- cannot be overlooked. But the live shows more than compensate for any discomfort caused by the band's collective humanity with the jaw-dropping "Travel Weary Capricorn" and "Mars: God of War" cover which absolutely no other band could have pulled off without looking completely ridiculous. Who in their right mind would cover Holst in the era of Jimmy Hendrix?? and yet it was the perfect choice. The two versions of "Mars" featured on the CDs are also remarkably different, once you get to know them well enough, and one of my favorite moments from the collection is the admonition for the audience to stick around for gospel/soul band The Chambers Brothers, whom Crimson was serving as an opening act for. The absurdity of the juxtaposition is priceless.
   
   And to a degree that is why this collection is so important: It helps to demonstrate how absurdly appropriate King Crimson was in 1969, especially when compared to contemporary pop acts who were basically just putting audiences through the paces with tried & true formulas. Happy soul bands or trippy flower power pop with four chord chart topper hits that maybe lasted four minutes, if even. Popular music in 1969 was still oriented around the 45rpm single and just as mass marketed, packaged, artlessly produced and disposably mundane for the most part as it is today. So into all of that bubblegum and hooka smoke, here comes King Crimson with 12 minute versions of a classical music piece that culminate with an aural approximation of the universe imploding unto itself and obliterating all life, hope, peace and sanity. No wonder they were so huge: They were exactly what this stupid, nasty, God-forsaken world deserved in 1969 -- a feat that Fripp managed to pull off again in 1981 with "Discipline" and, to a lesser degree, in 1973 with "Larks Tongues In Aspic", both of which also do not come any closer to accurately representing the bands who released those records than "ITCOTKC" represented The 1969 Band, which is how I refer to it today after falling in love with this box set. It was a very special, horrible and magical moment in our collective cultural history which will never be repeated, for better or worse, and the only way to really get a fleeting glimpse of what that band was truly capable of is from these recordings.
   
   And remember: HEADPHONES. This material is perfect for the iPod generation to close themselves off with and has dominated my players for years. Imagine, forgive, and enjoy, even though it may burn into your very soul.



4. First, truly powerful performances from three different venues (bbc, fillmores east and west) on these two discs.
   If you're considering purchasing this or 3&4, choose this first (completists will want all four, but the sound quality of three and four is pretty weak in comparison to 1&2... great performances, though).
   Highly recommened.



5. Very worth while 2-CD release that more or less allows the listener to check out live snippets from four(4)gigs that King Crimson had played while out on tour of the UK and the U.S. in the later half of 1969.Two solid hours of well played progressive art rock.The four track segment from the BBC Radio Sessions is nice,giving us a decent live version of "21st Century Schizoid Man" and a great alternatve version of "In The Court Of The Crimson King" plus a couple of tracks that didn't make it on the band's timeless debut lp,"Get Thy Bearings" and "Epitaph".Speaking of which,the rest of the disc has other tracks as such,"A Man,A City"(which is actually quite good) and "Travel Weary Capricorn".Happened to notice that Greg Lake's vocals are as incredable as ever and so is Ian McDonald's flute work.Sound quality through out 'Epitaph,Vol.1-2' is pretty decent.This 2-CD gem is recommended for King Crimson completists and archive music connoisseurs(like myself)ONLY.

5 comments about The Collection, Vol. 4: Nashville Skyline/New Morning/John Wesley Harding.

1. After his motorcycle accident and during his recovery, Bob Dylan, according to what I've read, spent hours and hours recording with the band in New York in that Big Pink house. Many years later, probably because of all of the bootlegs of these sessions, some of those recordings would be officially released as The Basement Tapes but for some reason, Dylan decided not to put that stuff out when it was fresh. Instead he went down to Nashville and in a few short days wrote all new material, hired three Nashville musicians and recorded John Wesley Harding and who could have believe that in such a short time, such a masterpiece could be created. This record is truly a testament to Dylan's genius.
   
   I've also read that Dylan has said on many occasions that his songs are what they are, that the words are out there for everybody to hear, that there are no hidden meanings, no secret messages, but I have to say on the second song on this record, "As I Went Out One Morning," that I can't help but picturing the "fairest damsel that ever did walk in chains," as America. It seems to me that Dylan is saying that Tom Paine would be so disappointed at what she has become. Also, this record is peppered with Biblical references, maybe this is a glimpse of Slow Train off in the future, maybe not, but were those references messages or was Dylan just into reading the Bible when he did this record. Actually it doesn't matter, because this is one of the best records to come out of the last century. "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" is just one heck of a story. "Down Along the Cove" is one heck of a love song. "John Wesley Harding" just one heck of a ballad. Every song on JWH is great. Can I say it just one more time? John Wesley Harding is just one heck of a record.
   
   I suppose after the success of JWH Bob Dylan thought going back to Nashville and recording another album was a good idea. I'm wondering if all these years later, if he still feels that way. I know Nashville Skyline was a commercial success, that "Lay Lady Lay" was a top ten hit as a forty-five, but, for me at least, there is something missing here. This is a happy record, recorded by a happy man. At least that's they way it seems to me and that's not the way I like to think of Dylan best. I see him as, if not a leader of his generation, a poet at least. I love the dark lyrics of his earlier work. Love the work that comes after Skyline, well not all of it, but most of it.
   
   The recording of "Girl from the North Country" with Johnny Cash is interesting, but out of place with the rest of the record. I have the Dylan Cash bootleg and have put that song with the rest of the record on my iPod and there it works well, but not here I don't think. I do love "Tell Me that it isn't True," where Dylan is questioning the fidelity of his woman (well the woman in the song anyway). I also particularly like "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" and "I Threw it All Away." "Lay Lady Lay," the big hit from the record has never been a favorite of mine, but many Dylan fans like it. Actually, "One More Night," is a great song too, so even though this is a short record, there are several good songs on it.
   
   Also, Dylan has a new country type crooning voice here, way more so than JWH. I've heard it said that Dylan claims this was because he'd been cutting back on cigarettes at the time. Still, this sounds like an awful lot like a plain old country and western record to me. That's not necessarily bad, but it's way different for Dylan. But then he is famous for not ever being the same. Record after record, he changes. That's part of what makes him the genius he is.
   
   New Morning came out only four months after what many considered to be the disaster that was "Self Portrait" and those fans who thought Dylan went south with that record were glad to have him back with this one. So much so, that they perhaps over praised the record. It is good, this record is, but it's no John Wesley Harding or Highway 61. Still it's a five star recording of all original material that chronicles where Bob Dylan was in 1970.
   
   "If Not For You", which was covered beautifully by George Harrison on All Things Must Pass and by Olivia Newton John, who had a huge hit with it, is a love song that I've played over and over again. It's just simply beautiful. "The Day of the Locusts" is a four minute dirge about when Dylan had to put on a cap and gown (he didn't want to) and go to Princeton to accept an honorary diploma. "Time Passes Slowly" is a song about time passing. Duh. "Time passes slowly when you're lost in a dream." "Time Passes slowly when you're searching for love." "Time passes slowly when you're lost in the daylight." "Time Passes slowly, then fades away." Only Dylan could string ideas like that together in a little over two minute song.
   
   "Went to See the Gypsy," is a nice song about Dylan's meeting with Elvis Presley and "The Man in Me," seems to be a song about how a man sees himself through his lover's eyes. But the real gem on this record is "Sign on the Window." "Sign on the porch says three's a crowd." Was Dylan talking about his fans and how they wouldn't leave him alone. Seems that way to me, but what do I know? Maybe it's about what my good friend Sophie says it is, a New Beginning for Bob Dylan. "That must be what it's all about." So says Dylan, So says Sophie. Either way, it's a great song. Actually the whole record is pretty good.



2. What an awesome selection of Dylan tunes. There are 3 CD's here; put them on "random" on your CD player and you won't regret your purchase. I bought this because my CD of Nashville Skyline went missing; saw this great collection and can't say enough about what a great trio of CD's this is.



3. My older brother thinks "John Wesley Harding" is the best Dylan album ever. Is it? I don't know. "Blood on the Track," "Desire", "Highway 61" and "Blonde on Blonde" are all records I like better, but right after them, I'd but "JWH" maybe tie it with "Oh Mercy." Don't get me wrong. JWH is a must own album. Not only because you can see here how he transitions into his country period with "Nashville Skyline" and "New Morning," but because it's a record that plays on in your head long after you've turned of the CD player. JWH was not only a change of direction in Dylan's music, but it was written while he was recovering from his motorcycle accident, so one could also assume his life was taking a new direction as well. I'm not sure about that, but I would think a long recovery would make you think about life and what it's all about, that's what this record seems to be about anyway. At least that's what I take away from it.
   
   Dylan goes country on "Nashville Skyline" and he does it well. This is a record far too short. Good songs here, but not enough of them. It seems like you've just put the CD in the player and it's over. But other than the fact that there isn't as much music here as on a normal Dylan CD, I have no complaints. Dylan is in fine voice here, sort of a country, high pitched twang that works very nicely. He tells these songs of love and loss with such sincerity, such honesty. But then he attacks everything he does that way, so it should be no surprise. This is just a wonderful, if a bit too short, record.
   
   Some of the best lyrics of Bob Dylan's career are tucked away on "New Morning, a record that sadly hasn't been as popular as some of the rest of his music. Maybe because it's a bit spiritual with the gospel singers who sing background on some of the songs. Maybe it's because some of the songs really are spiritual and Dylan makes no attempt to hide it, like he did so successfully on "John Wesley Harding." Maybe it's because he has a bit of that "Nashville Skyline" country voice some people (I'm not one of them) didn't like. But none of those are reasons to give this record a pass. If you are one of those who gave it a listen one time or two years ago, please take my advice and give it a listen now, because I think you'll find that you've misjudged this record. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It'll be like discovering a brand new Bob Dylan record.



4. My favorite song on JWH is "Dear Landlord." It's a lament driven by a soulful piano that will reach right into your soul. You can just feel the desperation the singer is crying about. "Only a Hobo," is another song where Dylan sings from the view of someone less fortunate. "I've served time for everything except begging on the street." What a line. You can just see this hobo Dylan sings about, a shyster, con man, often down and out on his luck. A hobo without regret and some advice to give, "Stay free from petty jealousies, live by no man's code, and hold your judgment for yourself, lest you wind up on this road." Dylan's hobo, like Dylan himself, is a lot of things, but a beggar he is not. Then there is the excellent song about that western outlaw, turned somewhat of a saint in the title song of this record, "John Wesley Harding" is Dylan accurate in his portrayal of the outlaw, well he misspelled his name, maybe that's a clue. Dylan is always doing that, surprising us and fooling us. This is an excellent record, full of fine music, double entendres and maybe some simple advice on how to live your life, like these outstanding words, "Live by no man's code."
   
   NASHVILLE SKYLINE is a nice record, good to put on when you want to relax with a glass of wine and a good book. I know that's not the usual way one would listen to a Dylan record, but this is not a usual Dylan record. "Nashville Skyline" is full of uplifting, twangy songs, plus it has the Dylan mega hit on it, "Lay, Lady Lay which has always been a favorite of mine. I also like "Peggy Day" an awful lot as well as the duet Dylan sings with Johnny Cash, "Girl From the North Country." That song is just sublime. "Tonight I'll be Staying Here With You," is another sublime song about the narrator's lost love that will pull a tear from the driest eye, if you're a sentimental girl like me anyway. Then there is "Tell Me that it isn't True" another song about lost love, well a love about to be lost anyway, as the narrator is asking his girl about another man. Yes this is, at least up to now, a totally new direction for Bob Dylan, but it's a direction I kind of like.
   
   There are spiritual overtones on this NEW MORNING and that is fine with me. Bob Dylan has always worn his beliefs on his sleeve. He puts it all out there and if you don't like it, tough. Well, in this case I like this record just fine. Bluesy sometimes, jazzy sometimes and always with those Bob Dylan lyrics you can take at face value the way Dylan says you're supposed to, or you can read all kinds of things into his words. Did he mean this? Did he mean that? It seems Bob Dylan is like a chameleon, so many different things to so many different people, but that's also okay by me, because he has been making the best stuff to listen to on my record player and now my CD player for the last three decades.



5. John Wesley Harding -- A Record that is Always New
   
   I just love this record. A solid rocker with a country flavor. The music is tone down quite a bit from "Blonde on Blonde" but it's still got many songs with a driving beat. The most famous song on JWH has to be "All Along the Watchtower." Jimi Hendrix did such a great job with his cover of that song. Dylan himself, still plays it all the time, changing it as he's always changing himself. "As I Went Out One Morning", is my favorite. Dylan sings about what America as all about and how Tom Paine would be so disappointed if he were around today. That's my read on the song anyway, you may have yours. So many of Dylan's songs are open to different interpretations. My next favorite song is "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest." It seems that Dylan just loves to showcase his humor. There is just so much going on in this record, it's almost impossible to take in. I've been listening to JWH for years and years and it's always fresh and I always seem to be finding something new, a new way to look at one of these songs.
   
   Nashville Skyline -- A Pure Joy to Listen to
   
   I love the guitar work on this record, especially on "Nashville Skyline Rag" and "Country Pie." I love the country flavor, but then I've always been a fan of country music. I'm a huge Dolly Parton fan and I like George Jones too. So, liking Bob Dylan as much as I do and since my husband has him playing in our house an awful lot, this tends to be one of my favorites of his. True there are no protest songs here, not hard driving rock, no secret messages, no songs that you can interrupt in a number of ways. This is a very straightforward record with very straightforward music that is just a pure joy to listen to.
   
   New Morning -- A Truly Fabulous Record
   
   It's true he came from a small town in Minnesota, but Bob Dylan went on to conquer the world. He is the poet of more than one generation and some of his best stuff is on this records. "Went to See the Gypsy" and "Three Angels" are two of my favorites. The haunting "Ooo, Ooo, Ooo" (I don't know how else to describe them) vocals in the background of "If Dogs Run Free" are just chilling and they really set of the song which is my favorite song on the record. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention "If Not For You", which is done just wonderfully on this record. I like the way George Harrison does it as well. In fact I just got the Bangledesh Video for my birthday and Bob and George perform it on the extras part of the video. It's just a fabulous song, one of many on this fabulous record.

5 comments about Legendary John Denver (3CD).

1. This album has a lot of songs for the price, and some less often heard songs. I gave the album 4 stars, because even though it isn't the normal well-known performances on every song, it's John Denver and they still sound great. If anything, I look at this as a special set to add to my John Denver collection. Great for any die hard fan who needs every cd, or for someone who wants all the hits in one package, but if you are really familiar with his music, then you will know that you need the original albums to have his best recordings with their best quality and performances. If you don't know John Denver then you must be living under a rock. But don't worry, John Denver loved nature! His music ranges from soft romantic guitar love songs to upbeat folk and country songs that you can dance to. His desire was to write songs that people can relate to. He often sang about love and nature and life. Throughout his music, you'll hear his distinct voice, that may be the very staple of his identity, which so many people have come to love. And to top it off, he is also an exceptionally beautiful guitarist.



2. Previous reviews of this recording were accurate. This is a wonderful collection of Denver's recordings. Gives me a wonderful warm feeling listening to these masterpieces. I didn't have any of his recordings, so this was a great buy.



3. This set of CDs is packed with terrific songs. All the best of John Denver, including some songs that were new to me. It is great.



4. I've just about worn out my old John Denver tapes, and now I don't even have a car stereo that will play them. What a wonderful treat to immerse myself in John Denver favorites during a recent long drive. Talk about memory lane!



5. I'm old enough to remember John Denver when he was a new young singer, and I've always liked his music. In the last few years I've been replacing the albums I had originally on vinyl, plus adding some new ones, particularly collections. I love this album. I believe it demonstrates very well his versatility as a songwriter and musician. His music for me has always had a variety of sound and mood, and this collection illustrates that nicely, as well as including songs from many different points in his career.
   
   The sound quality of the tracks seems to be a bit uneven, but I'm not a musician and although I notice it, it doesn't bother me. Overall I think it's a great collection that really gives you a feel of what John Denver was about. Makes me miss him all the more.

5 comments about The Life & Crimes of Alice Cooper.

1. I am in agreement with those who conclude that this is more for the fans of Alice solo than the fans of the original band. The track list reads more like a best of collection than a comprehensive set containing everything he ever did. The majority of AC fans at least as I know them are more concerned with the early AC years when ACG was a major concert draw. This is the period from Love it To Death, Killer, School's Out, Billion Dollar Babies and Muscle of Love. The first 2 albums produced for Frank Zappa's label are rarely mentioned amongst orignal ACG fans because there are no hits from either of those and also, truth be knownst, they are really bad albums that border on being unlistenable, sloppy, recordings of second rate Pink Floyd imitations that are just plain boring and directionless. Not until Love it To Death does ACG find a hit as well as their distinctive sound largely thanks to Bob Ezrin. The first 2 albums have their moments of what you might call curious interest, like playing your guitar out of tune might give you an interesting sound, but are largely unworthy of time, money or comment. Alice's solo career presents the idea that the Coop grew up and out of whatever possessed him in the first place, settled down, married and now views the onstage and offstage Alice as 2 entirely different people, and has a sense of humor about his image as it were, including his age. All very well and good but the most interesting part of ACG was the original band which is summarized here as well as the solo albums. For fans of the original band who don't want to spend money on the number of god awful solo albums he's produced, but rather prefer a comprehensive overview of the solo albums best moments and the best known cuts from the originals, this is for you. What would be nice would be 2 seperate box sets, one from each era.



2. this collection contains both old n modern releases. i've been a mild fan o alice cooper since the late 90's n have no regrets o ever purchasin his tracks. my personal fave is the 4th disc with rockin tracks like the man behind the mask, feed my frankenstein, teenage frankenstein n more hot picks. i would highly recommend this material for all the hair metal rockin fans out there.



3. Life And Crimes Of Alice Cooper is Awesome 4 discs of Legendary Tracks By A True Rock Legend Alice Cooper Buy It People from Bruce



4. This box set is so amazing! I own all of his albums on both vinyl and Cd and this box set still gets played more often!
   Great mix of songs on each CD.
   
   How is Alice not in the Rock'n'Roll hall of fame (or rather shame)?
   The man has put out so much great music!!!
   
   I am a Diehard fan, you can trust me ;)



5. there is a lot of not so good stuff on here; however, I'm not going to pan this thing because of that. This is supposed to be a career-spanning box set and I don't think some of you get that. A lot of you have been panning it because it doesn't have that much of the early stuff but to be honest, it has a sufficient amount of that stuff. I mean, look at it realistically, his glory years was from the mid-late 70's and if you think of how long he's been around, that's a small percentage. So I don't think they short changed you on the Alice Cooper band days.
   
   Now, with that said there is a lot of stuff on here I'm not big on. A lot of the covers that's on here are just either awful or don't make sense as far as Alice performing them. And then there's just the songs off some of his infamous cds that are terrible. I don't think I even need to go in depth here. You know what I'm talking about. Everyone knows there was a period of time where Alice had some major alcohol issues which resulted in less than inspired music from the king of shock. However, the final disc is a bit of a true return, not as much as his material after this box but it is good. It's after this disc with Brutal Planet, Dragonworld and the incredible Dirty Diamonds that Alice was able to make good albums again.
   
   This set outside of the music is just plain cool. Awesome design and a great booklet that has various quotes from other artists, some of whom are quite surprising as far as being fans of Alice like Elton John for instance. Bottom line, if you're an Alice Cooper fan, get this but I probably wouldn't recommend it to new comers. For new comers I would suggest the best of alice cooper: Mascara and Monsters because that cd really is the best of Alice Cooper if you really want to know what Alice is all about.

5 comments about First Time in a Long Time: The Reprise Recordings.

1. My interest in Fanny was sparked years ago, by the record review, saying that Nickey Barclay played keyboards like Jerry Lee Lewis. I found out how right that was when I laid hold of the `Charity Ball' LP and that sheer breadth of talent burst forth. To my eternal regret, I never saw them in concert nor bought the other albums. This collection makes good that omission and then some.
   
   The tag `the female Beatles' sounds just about right. It is important not to single out any front woman singer/ musician but to absorb the total blend of talent.
   
   First off, the flawless wall of harmonies echoes the Fab (Male) Four very neatly along with the individually distinct and varied lead singing, from Jean Millington's archetypal gritty rock singing, June Millington's clear melodic tones, Nickey Barclay's ballad or blues style and, surprise, Alice De Burgh's endearing screechy style on the wonderfully funny/serious `Rock bottom blues' with muttered cursing aside.
   
   Second, Jean Millington plays those classic propulsive curling basslines, no better showcased on `Soul Child' while Alice De Burgh's drumming nails those songs down with tight precision. Nikki Barclay shows mastery of her rocking piano and hard driving organ which doesn't miss out on the delicate nuances while June Millington has a wonderful mastery of every guitar style of one of the most creative eras in music, everything from Eric Clapton, Abbey Road era George Harrison, archetypal slide guitar right down to the acoustic strumming on `Long Road Home.'
   
   Third, Fanny follow Beatles tradition by their prolific and varied output of songs. In addition, their choice of covers give originals a good run for their money (Cream's `Badge', the Beatles `Hey Bulldog' and while I haven't heard Steven Stills own `Special Care' the guy would have to work hard to beat Jean's virtuouso singing and the ensemble hard driving piece, shifting tempo and wall of harmonies. The comparison only doesn't quite fit where combinations of three fine songwriters is augmented by a clutch of Alice De Burgh's contributions.
   
   Lastly, the lyricism never falls below the standard of good rock lyrics and inspired moments of verbal expressiveness abound in the `road weary' `Long Road Home' , the `mother to son' dedication of `You've Got a Home' and the introspection of `What's Wrong With Me' that equals Crosby Stills and Nash at their best.
   
   Artfully, disc 4 leads with `demo' songs i.e `self produced version of songs with verbal `count ins' kicking off alternate versions as right as the official (?) version on Mother's Ride. Disc 3 features Fanny in concert highlighted by `Charity Ball' gloriously expanded from the short sharp album opener.
   
   Most important of all, their music is totally confident and awash with self belief. They define what a band should aim to be, not just female band. Grab the record set and fast and, oh yes, I echo, the other fine dedications here.



2. I don't normally review greatest hits, live albums or collections. In fact, over the last eight years, I've only done four: Fleetwood Mac (my all-time favorite group), Carly Simon (my #1 female singer), Tom Petty (it's such a killer chronological retrospective!) and Matthew Sweet (just...because!). So do I ignore the first appearance on CD of four of Fanny's five albums? Nope, can't do it! I preached the merits of this band all through junior high, high school and college, and, almost 35 years after their last release, they're still my #2 all-time favorite group. Oh, sure, I could go on about how they're still the best all-female band to date, or how June Milllington and Alice de Buhr were just SO amazing, but that's all old hat. What I've really come to appreciate about Fanny over the last decade or so is that there were no gimmicks involved, at least not during their first four discs. They weren't punky princesses...they weren't indie darlings....they weren't jailbait teases...they were just four (very) young women who got up and ROCKED! The fact that they haven't gotten their just dues over the last forty years is criminal...with no one to show them how, they (along with Suzi Quatro) kicked in the doors, paving the way for pretty much every female rocker since. Since it would take forever to review this whole set, I'm just going to touch upon a few tracks from each album that have garnered new (or renewed) respect with this remastering. As stated elsewhere, it's the band's debut effort that has benefited the most from all of this....everything's crisper, cleaner, more punched up. It boggles my mind how solid FANNY is....it has the energy and professionalism of a seasoned band on their third or fourth release, instead of a group in their late teens and early twenties who are just starting out. I've long felt that "Come And Hold Me" was one of the best album openers ever, and the song's remastering only reinforces that. June Millington's shimmering guitars, sister Jean's forceful, yet tasteful, bass lines and Alice de Buhr's whip-smart drumming all coalesce into a sound that's smooth and vibrant, easy-going, yet urgent. Add a relaxed, assured lead vocal from June and you have a track that has easily stood the test of time. Ditto "I Just Realized", one of June's and Nickey Barclay's few collaborative efforts. From it's opening scream, pounding keyboards and searing guitar licks, this is one of Fanny's strongest rockers. Toss in brilliant rotating lead vocals and smart lyrics, and you have a real winner! And then there's "Badge." If I could play just one track for someone when introducing them to Fanny...well, it would be "Badge." Pure rock 'n' roll perfection! Other high-lights include "Changing Horses", "Bitter Wine" and the ultra-funky "It Takes A Lot Of Good Lovin'." And then there are the tracks from FANNY 0.50 (A phrase, I'm proud to say, I coined seven years ago!), the rare Canadian mis-release. As good as it is to finally have them in print, I think it was a wise move to drop most of them; only "One Step At A Time" hints at what was yet to come. One song that was VASTLY improved is the track that went on to be the title cut for the group's second album...CHARITY BALL. A beefier arrangement and gutsier vocals was just what this song needed, and that's exactly what we have here. Why anyone thought there was any need to remix this version for the single release is beyond me. Just cracking the Top 40, this song should have sailed into the Top 20...at least! To this day, I think someone...say, Wendy & Lisa or Pink....could have a great dance hit with this baby! I've also fallen in love all over agin with "Cat Fever" and "Special Care." The former features Barclay at her sexiest and sassiest, both vocally and musically. Add some smokin' riffs from June and the one/two punch of the de Buhr/Millington rhythm section and...WOW! The latter is Jean Millington's shining moment, both as a vocalist and (grossly underrated) bassist. Another track that I often use to introduce people to Fanny. Love it! Other CHARITY BALL beaut's include "You're The One", "Thinking Of You", "Soul Child" and "A Little While Late." What do I say about FANNY HILL (other than, to this day, it's still my #2 favorite album, behind only Fleetwood Mac's TUSK)? I SO want to comment on every single track, but I know I can't, so I'll just mention the pure brillince of the "Should've-been-a-huge-hit!" "Ain't That Peculiar" (arguably June Millington's finest moment!), the pounding fury of "Blind Alley", the muted beauty of "You've Got A Home", the sultriness of "Wonderful Feeling", "the sheer brillance of "Hey Bulldog" ~ how often do you better the Beatles?!? ~ and "Rock Bottom Blues"...Man, how many times did I play this song over and over and....as a 14 year old Fanny-atic?!? At the time of it's release, MOTHERS PRIDE was a bit of a letdown for me, what wih FANNY HILL being SO amazing, but now I've really come to appreciate it's many charms. With all of it's diversity and maturity, MOTHERS PRIDE is the release that hints the most at what "could have been." From the stunning growth exhibited by Barclay on such tracks as the atmospheric "Last Night I Had A Dream" and the sparkling "Regular Guy" to some of June Millington's strongest work to date (the lovely "Feelings" and the raucous "Polecat Blues"), this album has it all. Toss in the easy-going vibe of "Long Road Home", the glorious juxtaposition of Jean Millington's and Barclay's vocals on the wistfully forlorn "Is It Really You", the arena-rock glory of "I Need You Need Me" and "All Mine" (another MAJOR "Should've Been A Hit!") and you have a classic, albeit underappreciated, gem! Before I wrap things up, I have to acknowledge three unreleased tracks. First up is "Tomorrow", an acoustic stunner from June Millington that was probably dropped from FANNY HILL to make room for "You've Got A Home." Bad move. Millington's finger-picking is some of her best, while the lyrics ("Mountain peaks, circus freaks and dancers/To me it's all the same/I'll leave the way I came") are achingly beautiful. A lot of people like "Young And Dumb", but it's always left me cold. To me, it sounds like the band's trying too hard...I'd expect to find this song on a Birtha album! Far better is "Back In My Arms Again", the last new song this line-up recorded. de Buhr's drums and percussive tid-bits anchor the track, and there's an overall vibe that's loose, fun and together....it's here that we best see what future efforts could have sounded like, had the Female Fab Four stayed together. And what if that had happened? What would it have meant? Would Nickey Barclay have grown into a confident songwriter and musician? Would Jean Millington have continued to evolve into the strong, sexy frontwoman of "Butter Boy" fame (Different label or not, it should have been included, ladies!)? Would June Millington and Alice de Buhr have become major roll models, instead of just rock footnotes as the greatest female guitarist and drummer of all time? And what if Brie Berry/Brandt/Howard/Darling had been allowed to stay? Would the top-tier session and touring vocalist/percussionist (as well as frontwoman of the likes of American Girls and Boxing Ghandis) that she became have provided THE VOICE that a lot of critics (as well as the band themselves) felt was missing? We'll never know. But I do know this...almost forty years later, FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME proves Fanny was, is, and, just maybe, always will be the Queens of Rock & Roll! My apologizes to anyone who fell asleep reading this review....but we're talking four discs and forty years here! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star....not for including the lyrics, but for the extensive interview with the Millington's and de Buhr that's provided).



3. One of the most outstanding early 70's band aound. I first heard them at a friends house in Twin Falls Idaho. We quickly orderd all the records from our local music shop. We had friends in Spokan WA who also told us about them. We thought they didn't get the promotion they really deserved.



4. I loved this group when I was 18. They came to the University of Houston to play and , even though I was not a student, went to see them in person. The best live show I have ever seen. Music was clean and clear and my little brother , who was 15, danced to their music in the UC.
   I have had all their albums and played them till they were so worn, I had to throw them away.
   If you like Girl Bands and you like good music, Fanny is it! This release brings back the good ole days when life was good and simple. Rock on!



5. I just wish this set weren't so pricey-lol-because I'd snatch it up in a millisecond!!!! In the past year, I've purchased their LP's on E-bay "Charity Ball", "Fanny Hill", and "Mother's Pride"-MAN-they just don't make stuff like this anymore!!! What a band-such a shame they didn't get the recognition they most definitly deserved!!!!
   
   One of my all-time favorite bands!!!

5 comments about Johnny Cash - Love, God, Murder.

1. I don't understand why these three CDs didn't have the Life Cd included in the set. But I love all of Johnny's music. Haven't heard a bad one yet and I hav A LOT of Johnny, June, the Highwaymen and I'm currently building on my Rosanne collection. She's the one who inhereted "the gift".



2. I must disagree with the reviewer who asserts that the themed discs fail to cohere. I'm not sure if the reviewer is aware of this or not, but these discs weren't just slapped together by the record label - Cash hand-picked these himself. It's not a best-of collection in the strictest sense. It's Johnny Cash's personal favorites on three of the dominant themes of his oeuvre. In that sense, the song selection is extremely interesting. We may never know why every specific song was included here, but suffice it to say they each carry a special significance for Cash.
   
   As for the recording quality, I found this collection to be quite acceptable. One reviewer complains that the tracks are mono records with little remastering. Remastering is most helpful when cleaning up old and damaged recordings. To create a stereo mix out of monaural source material is, to me at least, akin to the hideous colorization of black and white films. The recording sounds of the day are part of the music's charm.
   
   My one criticism concerns the "essays" included. They consist of one liner note page each. They feel like an afterthought with nothing very substantial. I was hoping for some interesting commentary on Cash's work, but that was in short supply.
   
   I have personally enjoyed this collection very much. All the more so because it is a collection that Cash wanted to represent himself. It may not flow as nicely as some of the other collections and there may not be exceedingly obvious connections between songs, but it has Cash's personal touch and in that respect, it's amongst my favorite Cash collections.
   
   Highly recommended to those familiar and those new to the man in black.



3. Just like the title says. Themed discs , 1 for songs of love , 1 for songs of God , and 1 for songs of murder. Great to listen to individually , but for real fun I put the 3 discs on shuffle.....Makes for some interesting song to song sequences!



4. I am a long time fan of Mr. Cash and this covers a lot of ground. A great mix of songs from throughout his impressive history. He was a gifted, half crazy, great American artist and this shows it all. If you are new to Cash this is a great one to start with and it's also a great collection for long time fans like me.



5. Both of the spotlight reviews say that the music in this collection are not so hot. Who listens to country music from the '50s for Stereo? Yeah, so this may not be the best collection of Johnny Cash music, but it comes with fake tattoos. Who doesn't want fake Johnny Cash tattoos? Oh man, they're awesome. You gotta see them. I've got this cool one with a gun on my left bi-cept as I write this. I wish I could show you a picture cus I look really cool. To wrap up- if you are only interested in Johnny Cash's excellent music, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you are in it for the total Johnny Cash experience, you gotta get this set. Don't buy it used unless you can verify you will still get the tats. I wish the new Motley Crux collection came with tats.

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 Led Zeppelin Remasters.

1. LED ZEPPELIN-REMASTERS: If the Led Zep box set is too much of a good thing for you (or too tough on your purse strings), then this two CD abbreviated set (plus an interview disc) is the next best thing. Chronologically skimming the cream from all their classic albums, disc one is pretty much one of THE definitive histories of heavy metal, from the bombastic first track COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN to the last, that eight minute all-time FM radio juggernaut that need not be mentioned by name here. In between, you get the psychedelic blooze of DAZED AND CONFUSED, the stereo headphone demonstrater WHOLE LOTTA LOVE, the gargantuan crunch of IMMIGRANT SONG, and most of LED ZEPPELIN IV. The second, weaker disc represents the less interesting last half of their career, tho' the cuts from HOUSES OF THE HOLY and PHYSICAL GRAFFITTI are on a par with anything from Zep 1-4 (the reggae-accentuated D'YER MAK'ER, KASHMIR's hypnotic pulse). The wimpy ALL MY LOVE especially sounds like a final gasp, and it was, actually. There will never again be another partnership as musically volcanic as that of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and at long last, Led Zeppelin gets a greatest hits treatment worthy of its legacy. RATING: FOUR STICKS



2. I am not a die-hard Led Zeppelin fan. But I have come to have enormous respect for the quartet of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. I have come to realize that the efforts of a great work ethic have produced some of the stuff that legends are made of - and Led Zep takes the cake. As a 30 something music fan, I decided this would be one of my first entry points into the Led Zeppelin music library. 'Remasters' seemed like the perfect entry point - most of Zeppelin's great songs remastered on 2 CDs - plus a third 'Interviews' CD to get insight into the band. This box set is very good. It doesn't deliver that knockout punch or homerun, but it is very good.

   First the packaging - It seems that nowadays everything that is above 2 CDs that is considered a "Boxed Set". There really have become 2 categories of Boxed Sets. The first is a "Classic Boxed Set". This comes in a covered box about the size of an LP and contains CDs (sometimes in jewel cases, sometimes just on the bottom of the box) and a book about the same size. The second type is more like a 5.5" x 10" hardcover book which I term "Hardcover Box Set'. The CDs basically are stored in the hardcover binding and the book is in the middle. I much prefer what I call the Classic Boxed Set to the Hardcover format. The 'Led Zeppelin Remasters' set is a subset of Hardcover format. The disappointing thing - no book in the middle. Just two little booklets in the upper left corner. I know Led Zeppelin has more comprehensive boxed sets (The Complete Set and the 4 CD set), but I still would have liked to see a little more here.

   The music is on 2 CDs and basically is divided into Early Zeppelin and Late Zeppelin. The first CD encompasses songs through the 'Led Zeppelin IV' album while the 2nd CD takes us to the end with songs from 'In Through the Out Door'. I think the Zeppelin fan will be satisfied here. I am more of a fan of the later stuff. I was very disappointed to find that 'Fool in the Rain' was not included on this set. However if you want to hear remastered versions of 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Kashmir', and 'Trampled Underfoot' - you won't be disappointed. On a side note, I think those are the three best Zep songs.

   The third CD is divided into 3 sections over 43 tracks. The first section is a profile of the band which is 28 minutes long, but much of that is taken up by replaying songs such as Kashmir. I think it would have been nicer to go deeper with the band profile. The 2nd section is Station Liners and if you are a die-hard fan, this is perfect. I wish more boxed sets had preserved this type of stuff. The third section is individual Q&A with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. Much like the first section, it doesn't go as deep as I would have liked to hear. The potential is there, it just doesn't deliver the depth.

   All and all, I'm still happy I got this and it left me for wanting more.




3. Is this the album in which "Stairway to Heaven" is an instrumental? Played with an electric guitar for about 5 1/2 minutes.



4. I saw Zeppelin back in 1970. By the mid 70's "Stairway to Heaven" was a staple of midnight rock radio, and already acquiring the varnish of an FM "classic." But by then I had already lost touch with their album output. Now, thirty years later I've got my hands on this remastered set. Given that I used to listen to them on an 8 track player in my car, this is a revelation. I had to wait a long time to hear Zep on a decent stereo system, but better late than never.
   
   That Zeppelin was a blues based band was always overshadowed by their popular acclaim as a "heavy metal" band. This set sets the record straight. They kicked [...] as a rockin' blues band. Period.



5. I put 4 stars because I feel that they just shouldve put this out as a double disc set and ditch the "interviews" disc. And [get rid of] the "Early Days" and "Latter Days" and there you have it. the perfect "Greatest Hits" compilation of Zeppelin. Good selections too. My only complaint is they should've replaced "Dyer Maker" (which just sounds like pop to me) with "Over The Hills & Far Away".