5 comments about Robbin' the Hood.

1. I went on a little Sublime buying spree for the Mr. Everything arrived quickly, and was in great shape! I would definitely buy from them again!



2. I was told the cd was in factory package but was weiry. When I received the cd it was infact factory wrapped and in perfect condition I was very happy.



3. This hodge has all samples of Sublimes essence. Cut up like they Cut it.
   
   The warm-up waiting for bud.
   The comedy of Raeligh.
   Steppin Razor is dangerous.
   Bradley teaches us of Mic Control, the work we do, and lets us into his life.
   Free loop has dancehall/reggaeton fluxes.
   
   
   
   It's a podge for sure.



4. This is original Sublime. Really for the true fans. EVERY TRACK IS GREAT!



5. I bought this cd for my boyfriend. He loves Sublime and this cd is great.

5 comments about A Poet's Life.

1. this so called music is worse then the life won't wait matterial and disturbingly distant to rancids style of music.I think the boys on serious drug this is so horrible!
   try lars freidrickson's solo cds their better than any cd rancids done in 10 plus years real punk real music to rock out on !



2. Wow... This would be good if it weren't for one thing. Tim. Really, just buy an Aggrolites Cd, good music with out the bad singing and lyrics.



3. If you dig the ska side of Rancid, fully fabu. "Into Action" will get you there.



4. This CD should have been called "Tim Armstrong and The Aggrolites" since they provided most of the music. Nonetheless this is a pretty good CD, a good summer album with a smell of reggae ska to it. The DVD has some good music videos on it, most of them you have probably seen if you follow Rancid, but they are still cool.



5. if bob marley were still alive today he would really love this album. it reminds me of marley's "legend" disc. a poets life is total reggae from start to finish. the pace is the same throughout the disc. the songs are slow and the beats are simple. the songs arent bad, but they are not punk songs, nor do they sound anything like rancid songs. i guess i shouldnt have expencted them to sound like rancid songs, but i did, and i think alot of other people do too. if you like bob marley reggae style then you will love this, otherwise you should think twice about purchasing this album.

5 comments about One Step Beyond....

1. This CD is awesome. It sounds wonderful, and the music still stands up 20+ years later. I love it as much today as I did when I bought it on vinyl.



2. One of the most fun records to come out of the two-tone scene. A lot of the recordings from second-wave bands lack the energy that was present in their live shows, but that's not true here. Check out some of these classics. My favorite is "Night Boat to Cairo."



3. I am 53 years old and just the past few months started listening to SKA. Maybe out of my love for Sublime and because my 19 year old son loved SKA so much before he was taken from me. Anyway, this CD is great. I plan to purchase another one or two. The beat is always uplifting, but not annoying like some. You can turn it up or down, it is just good.



4. What a record this is. What fun it generates. To be a young kid when this came out was to know pure, unadulterated, danceable bliss...
   
   I danced to it in '80 when my little brother first brought it home.
   
   I danced to it non-stop with Lynne in the summer of '87.
   
   My four-year old daughter and I danced our hearts out to it last night.
   
   This record is joyous. It's nutty. It's Madness.



5. This is the cream of the 70's Brittish ska bands.
   
   This finds the perfect balance between the bouncy fun of this style of music with quality songwriting and musicianship. This has got to be almost 30 years old yet it still holds up. You cannot really say that about Madness's cohorts, The Specials and The Selector.
   
   The songs are terrific. "One Step Beyond" is the perfect introduction. It totally establishes the mood. Love that squonkin sax! "My Girl" has such a catchy hook and what a gorgeous chorus. The piano really gives that song it's color. "Bed & Breakfast" is a terrific dance tune with a killer sax solo. "Night Boat to Cairo" is an instrumental for a couple of minutes and then the strum on the upstroke kicks in and the song's tempo speeds up. "The Prince" slows it down where the stye is more reggae than ska.
   
   A greatest hits compilation is good but this album is when the band hit their peak, when they really hit their stride. "My house" is more famous but these songs have a common thread for the era.
   
   I always loved the album cover of this. It depicts these guys having fun and I always imagined that Madness was having fun and strutting like on the cover when playing these songs.
   
   This is a masterpiece! I am not a huge fan of all their works but it all came together/never got any better then "One step beyond"

5 comments about Very Best of Toots & the Maytals.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R229ALBVJLPV03 I've been collecting what I consider to be good reggae since the movie:The Harder They Come (includes Soundtrack CD). My favorites off this album are 'Pressure Drop' and 'Sweet and Dandy', but everything is listenable. I don't like most reggae so nineteen songs from one artist with no losers says a lot about the artist.
   
   Some may say that means it's commercial - first of all I don't think it is other than in the sense you don't have to be an enthusiastic reggae fan to enjoy it. In the second place, 'commercial', except in the really crass cases is usually a musical term for 'sour grapes', in my old but otherwise uninformed opiion.



2. I had never listened much to reggae in the past but this cd has made me a true believer. Toots and his group have made music that is wonderful and timeless. This is easily the best cd that I have purchased in a long time and will highly recommend it to anyone.



3. While this is a very good collection, the double CD Time Tough: The Anthology includes all the tracks here, but does a better job of covering the whole Toots spectrum, and the sound quality is quite a bit better. So while I agree with the positive reviews here, you get a lot more bang for the buck with "Time Tough". And TT gives you a lot more of his latter work, when love and spirituality infused his work and raised reggae to a higher plane. Go on and spend the extra $10, you won't be sorry (like I was when I bought this then still had to go out and buy "Time Tough" to get a sampling of ALL the Toots and the Maytals I came to love through buying most of his LPs in the 70's and 80's.



4. I was lucky enough to see both Bob Marley & the Wailers and Toots & the Maytals on the same double bill at the Beacon Theater in NYC back in the '70's. Until then I had heard neither. While Bob Marley was phenomenal. He did more with simply folding his arms than most rockers do flailing all around the stage & smashing guitars. But the true revelation was Toots & the Maytals. They didn't stop until they rocked the house. Listening to this "Best of" collection brings that night home to me. If you've never experienced Toots & the Maytals, buy this collection, and give it a listen. You won't stop dancing and swaying. I promise.



5. This is an exceptional summary of one of the great pioneers of Reggae music, Toot and the Maytals. The song included here, DO THE REGGAY, has even been credited with giving the music it's name. Toots Hibbert and his compatriots created some of eary Reggae's great highlights including 54-46 WAS MY NUMBER, PRESSURE DROP, MONKEY MAN and SWEET AND DANDY. This collection shows the versitily of the Maytals to include raw Ska (BROAWDAY JUNGLE, BAM BAM), funk(FUNKY KINGSTON) and Memphis soul(REGGAE GOT SOUL and the great cover of Otis Redding's I'VE GOT DREAMS TO REMEMBER). THE VERY BEST OF TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS is a great introduction to one the the giants of Reggae music.

5 comments about The Best of Sugar Ray.

1. There was a lot of good rock music in the '90s. Unfortunately, Sugar Ray does not qualify as such, despite the fact that they were blown to massive proportions and had loads of really big, really annoying hits. You remember them - "Fly," "When It's Over," "Someday," "Answer the Phone," "Every Morning," "Falls Apart," "Under the Sun" - lighthearted, bouncy pop songs with no real substance behind them (or, in the case of "Someday," a downbeat, contemplative ballad with no substance behind it). Now, everyone likes a good pop song, me included. But the genre they fall into is already overcrowded by bands that aren't really any good, and Sugar Ray falls somewhere in between Smash Mouth (excessively annoying, almost to the point where it seems intentional) and Third Eye Blind (decent, but incapable of making a song interesting for more than two minutes or so). And even the bouncy, empty power-pop looks good in comparison to their attempts to rock out ("Mean Machine"). Their stuff is really listenable and all, but what's the point? The Posies and Weezer are far better examples of a power-pop band, and you know how they name-drop Run-D.M.C. on "Under the Sun"? I'd advise you go listen to them instead.
   Whatever. This stuff just bores me. It's gratingly unoriginal, poorly written, poorly executed pop with some poorly incorporated hip-hop elements. Again, it's better than Smash Mouth, but what isn't better than Smash Mouth? Blerf.



2. It is truly the best of Sugar Ray. If you like Sugar Ray, this CD won't disappoint.



3. this collection contains all the Sugar Ray songs worth listening to, and some that are not. after all, this is a cutesy, catchy band with a couple of cutesy, catchy songs and some cutesy, catchy harmonies. in sum, fun fluff (which is what i was after). i only gave it a 4 because it really didn't need to include the "pseudo-hits" that nobody listens to.



4. listeninjg to sugar ray is one of the best things that ever happened to mankind i like to think of them as the ace of base of the late 90's no one has a greed with me so far but who cares??!! that is just what i think!!!! anyways this collection of songs will save you the trouble of buying all of their albums unless you need to have the cover art and pictures of the band becauise they are all nice looking guys who could teech you alot about what to wear and hoiw to style your hair and make girls really like to be around you and remember your name. my favorite song is the fly song because it always gets the ladies dancing because its a good dancing song especially for ladies who like to dance. if you like sugar ray as more than a friend like my brother who has lots of posters of mark mcgrath in his closet you will porbably like this cd alot and keep it in your cd player for a long timwe until your ready to listen to something else.



5. these guys having a greatest hits album is almost as hysterical as milli vanilli having one. (...) talk about a short shelf life (...) these fadfreaks,the wallflowers,matchbox 20,hootie and the theyblow fish,groups no one will miss.good riddence (...)

5 comments about SUBLIME/Gold.

1. Well it's a great mix of Sublime songs but, they have "remastered" a lot of great variance in the sound of the originals out of it. For instance, listen to "Don't Push" off 40oz vs this version and you can hear a great reduction in the "Sublime" sound. Bottom line, if your really into Sublime you will prob be disappointed in this but if you are not familiar with them this is a great "Best of" CD.



2. This is a two-disc set and it has their best known songs and others.
   I love it! I never get tired of it, and the jacket has a quick biography of the band members, so you learn while you listen.



3. Everything Sublime in one place. I like the fact that I can listen to all the Sublime I want while driving without changing cd's.
   The reasons I love Sublime music are much more complex than that. I'm not even a stoner anymore! I just love the rhythms and the wide mix of styles. I was introduced to Sublime by my then teen son, who may or may not have been smoking two joints in the morning, night and afternoon, it has not been positively proven.
   My favorite song is hard to tell, because there are so many different styles of music here. For pure listening pleasure I like 'Pawn shop'. Bass riffs and a rhythm and blues beat. I love 'Jailhouse' too. At the time I first heard this music, it was "date rape" that my son played for me. I had to admit that this was a positive message song, as well as being terribly funny. I really do love all of the songs on this cd set. There aren't any that I skip over to get to the next song. I admit you can finally have your fill after a few days of exclusive Sublime listening, but hey, nobody else but the Beatles can last for that long in the player before a change.
   A great beat and fun to dance to, I give it a 98.
   Peace and love to Sublime fans everywhere and most especially to the Bradley Nowell family.



4. I was listening to CD-1 in my room tonight, dancing around inspired and free, and was compelled to write a review. I bought this album about 6 weeks ago (my housemate had been playing Slightly Stoopid, who are reminiscent of Sublime but not nearly of the same caliber) and all of a sudden I rediscovered Sublime and realized just how awesome they were. I had bought the self-titled and Second Hand Smoke CDs back in 1997 and liked some tracks (the popular Badfish, Wrong Way, and What I Got) but rarely played the albums...now I am utterly hooked on Sublime and I wonder why it took me so long, but I'm so glad it finally happened. Brad Nowell was a genius and I'm terribly saddened that he is gone...sometimes I find it hard to listen to Sublime songs because I think of how he is no longer here, and reflect on how the tragedy of his untimely passing cheated the world of further brilliant compositions from him. But then I consider that he would not want listeners to mourn and be sad; he would want his music to be listened to and enjoyed, so he could be remembered for what he created during his time on earth...because that's what he was here to do. He was a Pisces like me - creative, troubled, prone to addiction/negative influences, free-spirited, idealistic, searching for meaning, passionate, not living up to our potential, open and giving. I found the touching tribute his father wrote two days after his death...he said that Brad accomplished more in his short life than many do in a long life - which is very true, but his passing still leaves an immeasurable void in the music world. Brad was one of a kind, innately and fluently talented. What stands out is the improvisational, personal nature of his songs. I prefer CD-1 of Sublime Gold because the songs are more upbeat and danceably fun...CD-2 brings to mind the downward slide of the band, but it's all vital listening.



5. Don't get me wrong, I think Sublime is a great band and every song on this CD is awesome. But considering that the band only put out 3 albums (not counting the live, acoustic, or rarities albums) wouldn't it make more sense to purchase those 3 albums (40oz, Robbin, self titled) instead of buying this double disc set??

5 comments about Somewhere in the Between.

1. I was really, really looking forward to this album and while it is still good quality, it is just not on the same level as "Everything Goes Numb." I have to admit that I'm disappointed in this album, but I am still a true Streetlight fan and look forward to future works.



2. This is a great album. A true return to the heart of what made Catch 22 great, with a number of awesome new tricks up their sleeve. One of my favorite albums ever.



3. "Somewhere in the Between", one of the most anticipated ska albums and it sure doesn't disappoint. From the blaring horns in the beginning of the first track, to the single string pluck at the end of the last track, this album is addicting. In typical Streetlight style, every track is fast and melodic, every track has an extremely catchy chorus that you can't help but sing along too, and every track has some of the best, most meaningful lyrics you'll ever hear. In my opinion, this album is completely solid. Though, Everything Goes Numb is phenomenal and easily one of the best ska albums of all time, there are several tracks on it that are very easy to skip. With Somewhere in the Between, it's hard to skip tracks, each track is almost habituating in its own way. Even though Tomas Kalnoky writes some of the most pessimistic lyrics, this album is nothing short of uplifting. So if you're just a casual listener of ska, interested in checking out this fantastic band, or ready to move up to whole new level of music, this is, by far, the album to get.



4. Until just recently, i had never even heard of ska. then my friend (drummer for a ska band) asked me to play trumpet with their band. He then recommended Keasbey Nights and Somewhere in the Between. I haven't been able to stop listening to Streetlight Manifesto since then! All the tracks on this album have caught my attention completely, but being a trumpet player myself i payed especially close attention to the trumpet feature in The Blonde Lead The Blind and the wicked trombone in What A Wicked Gang Are We. This album is a MUST BUY for any of you out there who enjoy a good horn feature or two in your music.



5. Streetlight Manifesto is the greatest band ever. This CD is awesome and a must have for any fan of 3rd wave ska.

5 comments about Two Shoes.

1. THE CAT EMPIRE from Melbourne began making music as a trio in late 1999 playing enthusiastically to crowds in the jazz clubs, festivals and bars in their local area. The band was the dream-child of front man Felix Riebl & included Ollie McGill on piano & Ryan Monro on double bass. From the very beginning they had a very unique & distinctive sound.... that, 'Cat Empire' sound!!
   Back then the music was all instrumental and only a few extremely rare CD's of their sessions in Melbourne's 'Sound Lounge' (& later in Ollie's sisters bedroom) exist but are hard to acquire... (thankfully, I have them though) but by the following year they were joined by a young Harry J Angus on trumpet/vocals, a SUPERB drummer, Will Hull-Brown & on decks & percussion Jamshid Khadiwala. At last the sound that bandleader Felix had envisaged was complete. With his immensely talented songmanship, Felix now also took up vocals. Harry too writes some very accomplished and distinguished songs & shares lead vocal duties & has himself proven to be a very charismatic front man. It is fair to say that neither Felix or Harry had at the time of recording these sides, an experienced vocal talent although both voices have very distinct characteristics.. especially Harry's. However, later recordings show that practice and 6 years non stop gigs around the world has done a lot for their vocal skills. Ollie's AMAZING keyboard talents are the product of a) a LOVE for the music and instrument and b) a keen and educated ear on the many styles of some of the masters that preceded him like Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample and others. In fact ALL these musicians have shown their worth. They have all obviously actively hunted down a variety of good music from across the world and know what music should be. Harry's trumpet playing is so well accomplished, Felix's percussion is outstanding, Jamshid's [DJ Jumps] skills are awesome and Ryan's bass is more than passable and as I mentioned, Will's drumming is as good as it gets. It is collectively however that these guys work best.
   THE MUSIC of The Cat Empire has very mixed influences ranging from Reggae, Ska, Cuban, Gypsy, Jazz, Hip-hop, Latin, Funk, Swing & Dub, often blended into one track. Their real strength though is in their live shows (I have seen them 6 times so far) highly recommended and extremely invigorating and uplifting.
   Onto the album, TWO SHOES. It was something of a dream for the band to have an album recorded in Havana's famous Egrem Studio & to be produced by he great Jerry Boys (think Buena Vista Social Club) & this experience shines through these tracks like the Cuban sunlight through a sweet señorita's dress in high summer. The album starts with the soulful song SLY pretty much guaranteed to get you moving & feeling The Empire vibe from the start with Ollie's almost trademark slightly distorted analogue Rhodes sound and Felix's knowing lyrics and cheeky singing style. It's a party song & featured on their (US) TV debut live on Letterman & then various other TV shows around the world. Next up is Harry's IN MY POCKET - Just amazing! The track is so well executed, the rhythm is infectious & the lyrics take you everywhere you've ever wanted to be. Then LULLABY, another knowing 'love song' from Felix that puts a smile on your face & an insatiable urge to sing along. Track 4 is THE CAR SONG, great fun & track five is the song TWO SHOES which first appeared on the collectable CD from the band,'THE SUN' of which only a limited number exist. The concept of the song is simple & genius & an unforgettable Cat Empire experience. Track 5 is the beautiful song MISERERE played to the rhythm of a beating heart at rest & is a sombre reflection that not everything in life is upbeat & carefree. (The US version of this album has the signature tune THE CHARIOT as track 5). Next comes SOY Y SOMBRA, pretty much a homage to Latin music & could have been just as at home on a Fania All Stars album. Now it's PARTY STARTED for track 8. Gather round the beach, or barbi open a beer or a bottle of rum, give the band some room to play & presto.. How hard was that? Actually, pretty easy if you're these guys. OK, now PROTONS, NEUTRONS, ELECTRONS is one of Harry's fun & deeply philosophical (not to mention utterly genius) reflections on life. CARPE DIEM is the message here as throughout the Empire ethos. SALTWATER is a nostalgic look at days gone by from Harry & how they never actually leave. The finale is the magnificent THE NIGHT THAT NEVER END with it's fantastically atmospheric crescendo. May these great songs from these six uniquely talented young guys never end either. The Empire be rising. Long live the Emperors and "long live living, if living can be this".



2. then this is the band for you. What an incredible body of work these guys have put together. I just recently discovered them, so I had the treat of essentially getting two discs by them in one week. I think I would have to call them my favorite band now, and this is probably the best disc of 2007. That is saying a lot, because I feel that 2007 was a great year music with a lot of excellent releases, made even more apparent by a truly dismal 2006 group of discs (except for their debut disc and a handful of others.). I have never heard a band blend so many different styles in such a creative fashion. You want your next party to be a hit? Throw on "The Cat Empire" CDs and throw "The Teddybears" CD in the mix as well.



3. Awesome CD. I cant stop listening to it. Its great party music and the next album sounds even better.



4. I LOVE THIS BAND! Like nearly all the other reviewers, I first heard TCE when "Sly" hit the US rotation (2 years after actually being released! Can you believe it took that long?) The tune absolutely floored me. Talk about making the dead dance! What a blast of refreshment in the somewhat stagnant world of US commercial radio! Even the 19 year old aggro-rock-loving kid who works for me couldn't resist it. I bought the album and was thrilled to discover the depth and diversity of this band. So rarely do you hear a great single, get the album and find that the gem you first heard was only tip of the pile. There are so many terrific songs and moments here. One of the bands (many) strengths is having two principal songwriters and vocalists, like Lennon and McCartney were for the Beatles. They alternate between tracks and even within tracks to keep things lively. This band cut its teeth as a live act and didn't even begin to record until they'd been out there quite a while. It shows. Their joy for the live jam permeates the recording.
   
   While they profess full worship of Bob Marley, reggae is one of a number of different musical influences here. You'll find ska, rock, soul, jazz scat, blues, and those excellent "Buena Vista Social Club" Cuban rhythms on this disk. One of my favorite bits is where they shift from a kind of blended ska to a complete Blood, Sweat and Tears organ jam to close one of the songs. Perhaps the most striking thing about the album is that the electric guitar is relegated to a tiny supporting role. I swear it's absent from most of the songs entirely, yet they still rock.
   
   The stereotype of the fun-loving Aussie shines through here. Lots of humor in the lyrics. Almost all of the songs are danceable and even my 2 small kids beg to here the album over and over.
   
   IF YOU LIKE THIS, do yourself a favor and go to the band's website and order a copy of their "Cities" album. More of the same, but even better. They say it represents a further exploration of styles and sounds. I don't think they strayed too far from the path at all, frankly, but it expands on all that which makes "Two Shoes" so dang good.



5. Music should be fun and The Cat Empire must believe that wholeheartedly.
   They are wildly entertaining, enthusiastic and fabulous musicians. I especially love the horns.
   I can't remember the last time I bought a cd that was this much straight out fun - it should come with a warning "Don't play unless you are prepared to dance" !

5 comments about Everything You Need.

1. I really enjoyed this album. I was a huge Sublime fan, you know "back in the day" this was the closest thing I have found that is similar. This cd is all over the place, some rapish stuff, reggae stuff, and crazy rock stuff. It is a fun album



2. This Cd is amazing! So great for on the way to the beach just chilling! I bought this CD for my boyfriend and he loved it!



3. Great unique sound. Excellent laid back sound. I am so glad I found this band.



4. You will not find another band like Slightly Stoopid. You can put them in the same category as bands like 311 and Sublime, but they have a style all their own. And as any person with a good taste in music will tell you, their style is impossible to hate. I've played this CD for a person who ONLY listens to country and she loves it. It's a brilliant mix of ska, reggae, and punk. I also highly recommend their newer CD Closer To The Sun. Get this CD if you want your summer to have the perfect soundtrack.



5. its a really good ,band that remind me of sublime, BUT WHY THE SONG KILL ME DEEP INSIDE IS SO MUCH BETTER ALIVE ,THAN THE ONE OF THE ALBUM

5 comments about Energy.

1. Just simply a great compilation of all there best songs from hard to find Op Ivy releases. I guarantee this CD will not disappoint and now that it is available for much more reasonable price everyone should own it! PICK IT UP, PICK IT UP,,,HA ha ha hahaha!



2. This is a great record! Armstrong at his best before Rancid and The Transplants. This got him off to his start. If your interested in Punk Rock, Ska, or Rancid get a wiff of this! I think this is better that Rancid, in my own opinoin, and one of the best punk bands of the late 80's and early 90's. Great Album, must have... if you don't have it already!



3. ...along with Bad Brains' "I Against I." Like ska-punk? Get Op-Ivy. Forget Rancid. GET THIS.



4. If you are interested in punk rock music from any era, this album is a must-have. The sound quality it low, but it's incredibly punk rock, and these songs are really amazing (musically and lyrically) considering the fact that this was a young local band that only existed for 2 years. This is their one and only official release, so you get 27 songs, and every single one of them is incredible. Op Ivy has been profoundly influential (they were a major influence of Billie Joe of Green Day) and they were arguably the first band to combine punk rock with 2-Tone style second wave ska. Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman played guitar and bass for this band, and you may be aware that they went on to form another excellent (and slightly ska-influenced) punk band called RANCID, which is the main reason why this band suddenly got so popular years after their demise. Anyway, get this album any way you can, it is completely essentail punk rock listening.



5. Op Ivy is one of those watermarks that you should be required to own if you are gonna call yourself a punk. These guys are right up there with The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. Without Op Ivy Nofx,rancid,green day, insert any pop punk band here (ie fall out boy, etc) would never have existed. So pay homage to the forefathers of punk and crank up that "soundsystem"