5 comments about Flowers.

1. Totally blown opportunity, but thankfully it's a blown opportunity filled with good music. The intention of this album was to round up some stray tracks that didn't make the US versions of Aftermath and Between the Buttons, along with a few other songs that happened to be lying around. But for some weird reason, they also decided to include "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday," which were both on the US version of Between the Buttons, and "Lady Jane," which was on everyone's version of Aftermath. Meanwhile, the classic a-side "19th Nervous Breakdown" somehow missed this album, even though it didn't come out on an LP in either the U.S. or the U.K.! That is both impractical and stupid.
   
   However, there is still many a fine song here. The best of them is probably "Mother's Little Helper," which I already talked up in my Aftermath review. But do you know how cool I think that song is? They got the twelve-string guitar to sound like a sitar! That, I think, is pretty sweet. The song's lyrics must also be mentioned. Like "19th Nervous Breakdown," it's got a lot of drug references in them (here it's about a housewife who pops pills to get through the day), but they're cleverly hidden - the cool people would get them, but they would go over the censors' heads. "Out of Time" is a gem of a pop song as well, boasting a fantastic arrangement. Love the marimbas! And the harmonies! "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadows?" is a great stab at psychedelia. That song is, like, ADD or something. Horns, guitars, vocals, pianos, and all that stuff fly in and out of the mix. Me likey! You probably already know "Ruby Tuesday" and "Let's Spend the Night Together," and if you've got Aftermath you've heard "Lady Jane." They're still classic songs, of course... but come on, enough is enough.
   
   A lot of the other, less famous songs win, too! "Backstreet Girl" is easily the best song of what's left, an acoustic waltz with subtle shades of accordion and innuendo alike. Those who like that softer side of the Stones will also be quite pleased with "Ride On, Baby" and "Sittin' on a Fence," which are both lilting acoustic tunes. Meanwhile, fans of "Have You Seen Your Mother..." will probably also get a kick out of the acid Bo Diddley "Please Go Home," which works despite itself.
   
   Not every song is great or even good, though. I've never been a "Take it or Leave It" aficionado (if such a thing even exists (which I doubt, because no one ever talks about it)), and their version of "My Girl" is an insult to the classic original. Everything that could go wrong with that song does. The strings sound terrible! It's oversung! Whee! Just kidding. Oh, and I guess it's annoying how "What to Do" missed this album even though it's on the UK version of Aftermath but not the U.S. one.
   
   Still, some good songs here, and only one bad one. '66-'67 was an interesting era for the Stones, and this is a good representation of it.



2. I am the Stones Authority. This is a good collection of songs. The Stones were and always will be this band - a product of the Sixties. And this is the age before albums were albums, but merely a bunch songs stuck on vinyl as they fit. But come one - you've got "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lady Jane", haunting and wonderful songs. There is "Out Of Time" and "Let's Spend The Night Together". Even "Sitting On A Fence" and "Mother's Little Helper". They are fresh and alive, immature and sometimes awkward. But great and fun songs. This is the Rolling Stones. How can you not love this period in their career? Some of the serious fans don't want to listen to anything before Beggars Banquet, and others won't listen to anything after Between The Buttons, but I say you got to love and appreciate the entire arc of the flight - for there is not one without the other. Do we not look at the man and wonder what sort of child he was? Do we look at a favorite son and not wonder of tomorrow's promise for him? This was a great band right from the start. And you should really know about these songs and this time in the band's life.



3. I never was a big Stones fan. I never was a big fan of "Ruby Tuesday", "Mother's Little Helper", and "Have You Seen Your Mother". But I must honestly say this album blows me away. I always thought I really liked "Let's Spend The Night Together", but after hearing everything that this album has to offer I barely listen to that song at all.
   
   I bought this album, because I wanted "Out Of Time". I got so much more than that. "Ride On Baby", "Take It Or Leave It", "Back Street Girl", and "Lady Jane" along with "Out Of Time" are some of the best songs I've ever heard by any artist anywhere anytime.
   
   The fact that these songs were written and performed by the same group that brought us "Satisfaction" and "Time Is On My Side" amazes me. Die-hard Stones fans will dislike me for dissing certain favorites, but to me these five songs that I mentioned are so much better than most of the most-beloved Stones songs. I always thought the Rolling Stones had a few really good songs in a huge catalog of decent songs, but these songs are incredible.



4. I finally got around to replacing my old casette version of "Flowers" with the CD. Although I prefer the earlier Rolling Stones' rough-around-the-edges sound to slick studio records like this one with the mandolins and harpsichords on some of the tracks, "Flowers" is still a great album. "Ruby Tuesday" is one of the Rolling Stones very best songs. Several of the other tracks carry interesting and sarcastic overtones of British class and social consciousness: "Lady Jane", "Back Street Girl", "Have you seen your Mother, Baby...", "Mother's Little Helper". The song "Let's Spend the Night Together" was so racy in it's day that the rolling Stones had to agree to change the Lyrics to "Let's Spend Some Time Together" to appear live on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. Taken as a whole, "Flowers" shows an introspective side of the Rolling Stones and has a lot of good tunes as well. This CD is well worth having in one's Rolling Stones collection.



5. If you don't know this "album," I have no idea where you've been for the past 40 years, but in any case, I finally caved and replaced all my old albums and of course had to include the Flowers album. It is peerless early Stones and will remind me always of go-go dancing in my undergraduate dorm room with my friend Martha. Keep the happy memories alive, and replace all your old records with these high-quality CDs.

5 comments about Sheer Heart Attack.

1. Looking back at the 1970s, sometimes many forget how big the band Queen was. Even as Queen moved into the 1980s, while their popularity did slightly decline in the United States, it continued to be very high in Europe. Their performance at Live Aid is widely considered one of the greatest of all-time and their subsequent "Magic" tour is considered one of the all-time greatest concert tours. If it weren't for Freddie Mercury's death in 1992, we might still be talking about Queen being as big a band as the Beatles. When Queen released their 1973 self-titled debut album, it showed all of the signs of greatness to come. This album would show how the band embraced a "theatrical" feel to their music (which was something seen by other bands such as the Kinks) as well as embrace a sound that would evolve into what would become Heavy Metal. I expected the follow-up album, "Queen II" to continue much of what "Queen" had started. While "Queen II" continues down the road of theatrical music, overall this album just didn't capture my interest as much as the first album. However with Queen's third album, "Sheer Heart Attack", Queen would successfully build on the fundamentals of the first two albums and expand their sound. They would still revolve around the theatrical sound, but move away from the medieval themes of the first two albums. It would also prove to be their first breakthrough album in terms of commercial success.
   
   Queen is an example of the sum of the parts actually being greater than the whole. However, if you take each of the four members of Queen, they easily stand on their own as a top musician in their profession. Freddie Mercury is easily known to be the emotional and flamboyant lead vocalist of Queen who indeed has a legendary voice. Brian May is the legendary lead guitarist and probably the second most popular member of the band. Roger Taylor and John Deacon go extremely underrated. Listen to Taylor's thundering drumming in the studio or live and one can easily understand why he was asked to participate in an All Star Drum Jam (The S.O.S. All-Stars) at the Live Earth concert. As for John Deacon, he might be one of music's all-time underrated bass players. Many of his bass lines have proven to be the foundation for Queen's musical sound. In addition to being top musicians, all four members play integral roles in the songwriting. As with the first two albums, the band's instrumentation continues to operate a high level. However on this album, I think its Mercury that takes it up a notch and establishes a foundation as a hall of fame vocalist.
   
   Here is a track by track synopsis of this collection:
   
   "Brighton Rock": This is a great track. Queen improvises by using carnival sounds (indicative of the seaside resort of Brighton). While May's guitars shine, this song is a real breakthrough for Mercury who performs both parts of a duet - simply outstanding.
   
   "Killer Queen": Legendary track as Mercury once again takes it up a notch again with his vocals. The song has a theatrical feel to it. Terrific piano work is also done by Mercury. However the real underrated hero of this track is Deacon - his bass completely sets the tone for this track.
   
   "Tenement Fuster": This song features Taylor on vocals who once again proves he can also be a lead vocalist. Taylor's high octaves give this song a prototype for some early Heavy Metal.
   
   "Flick of the Wrist": This song has a great segue from "Tenement Fuster". Mercury takes over lead vocals for this track. Once again, Mercury demonstrates great harmonies. This song takes on more of a progressive rock feel.
   
   "Lily of the Valley": This song has a segue from "Flick of the Wrist". This song takes a softer tone, yet still with a theatrical feel.
   
   "Now I'm Here": Mercury shines again and shows he too can hit the high vocals. May's guitars are right on form. Terrific harmonies are prevalent throughout this track.
   
   "In the Lap of the Gods": This track again showcases a theatrical feel to it - and Queen is awesome in doing so. This features some great piano work.
   
   "Stone Cold Crazy": "In the Lap of the Gods" has a segue to this track. This song almost sounds like a cross between classic Rock of the fifties and early Heavy Metal.
   
   "Dear Friends": Soft piano ballad. Not a bad song, but didn't have me doing handstands.
   
   "Misfire": Much of this song was composed by Deacon and the fruits of his efforts shine. This song almost gives me a feel for what sound that the band Boston would feature in the late 70s.
   
   "Bring Back that Leroy Brown": Queen has always they could pull off a Rockabilly sound - and this song proves it. Nice work of banjo and jangle piano are featured in this song. Great bass work by Deacon.
   
   "She Makes Me": This song has more of a classic rock feel. Underrated track. May has some great acoustic guitar work. I like the way the use of sirens are used in this song.
   
   "In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited": Queen wraps this one up with a theatrical finale feel to it. The perfect way to end the album.
   
   I think Queen moving away from the Medieval themes of the first two albums has a lot to do with why they grew as a band on this album. While Mercury has his breakthrough on this album, the whole band shines. Overall, this is a terrific effort that will keep core Queen fans and casual fans happy. Highly recommended.



2. I know I may be going out on a limb here, but for my money this is the single best studio album this band ever did. And yes, that includes "A Night at the Opera." The production, the overall sound and cohesion, and of course the songs, all come together on this one. There are so many styles here it's truly mind-boggling, but somehow it works. The glam-rock opener "Brighton Rock" leads into the campy majesty of "Killer Queen." "Now I'm Here" is another rocker and a concert favorite. "Stone Cold Crazy" is fast and furious, so much so that it was a natural for Metallica to cover years later. "Flick of the Wrist" is an absolutely acidic kiss-off to a crooked former manager. "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" may make you feel you're sitting in a speakeasy on a Saturday night, while "Dear Friends" is a short and sweet tearjerker. Even Roger Taylor -- notorious for penning the weakest songs on Queen albums -- hits the mark with "Tenement Funster." If you're looking for everything this band was capable of on a single disc, look no further. Highly recommended.



3. There's no denying that Queen were one of a kind, and this album demonstrates that again and again. From straight up hard rockers, to their more operatic tendencies, to acoustic and atmospheric pieces, this album has it all.



4. English rockers Queen released their third album Sheer Heart Attack in October of 1974.
   The album was a huge improvement over the somewhat bland Queen II (my least favorite Queen album and many Queen fans will probably disagree with me on that) and set the pace for their experimentation that they would take to the enth degree on the next two albums A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races.
   SHA kicks off with guitarist Brian May's "Brighton Rock", which had the innovative use of a delay meachine during the guitar solo to make it sound like there were two guitarists playing the middle solo and would be his solo showcase for the next three years and then again on the 1978/79 tour (on the '78-'79 tour it was more of an improv with John Deacon's bass and Roger Taylor's drums although Roger had a tympani solo spot and Brian with a guitar solo on his own). Brian also contributed the rocking "Now I'm Here" and the ballads "Dear Friends" and "She Makes Me" (in which he also does lead vocal).
   Lead singer Freddie Mercury contributed "Killer Queen" (which was the band's first US Top 20 hit rightfully peaking at #12 and pushed the album to #12 in the US and Gold status in sales as a result), the rocking "Flick of the Wrist", the ballad "Lily of the Valley", the weird "In the Lap of the Gods", the ragtime sounding "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" and the closing masterpiece "In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited".
   Drummer Roger Taylor wrote the rocking "Tenement Funster".
   Finally, bass player John Deacon wrote his first track for the band "Misfire" and is the first of many great tracks he would write for Queen in later years.
   Also, all four members of the group co-wrote "Stone Cold Crazy", which was the first song they wrote together as a band. That track would be in the setlist for the next few tours and was also covered by Metallica in 1991. James Hetfield of Metallica also did that track with the surviving members of Queen at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April of 1992.
   Sheer Heart Attack was Queen's first hit album here in the US as it peaked at #11 and attained Gold status (the first Queen album to do so) and was the first taste of things to come for the band.
   This album has aged gracefully in the 33 years since release and is highly recommended!



5. ..Bueno que puedo decir..! realmente no se si han escuchado algo asi, pero la verdad de todo es que es una obra magistral, no cabe la menor duda que en ese momento queen estaba llegando a su cuspide, realmente que no podemos negar de ninguna manera que la influencia glam era notable en QUEEN pero con mucha fuerza y distinción, las palabras sobran para detallar todo lo que se puede decir de SHA ... MI EDAD CUANDO LO ESCUCHE ERA DE 13 AÑOS Y CREO QUE ME ABRIO LA CABEZA DE UNA MANERA IMPRESIONANTE, LAMENTABLEMENTE PARA MUCHOS DE LOS JOVENES DE AHORA ESTO NO SUENE TAN GENIAL PORQUE ESTAN ACOSTUMBRADOS A LA GENIALIDAD CON EL SONIDO DIGITAL PERO SI NOS REMONTAMOS A LA EPOCA..ESTO ES UNA PIEZA QUE NO PUEDE FALTAR EN LA COLLECCION DE UN ROQUERO DE VERDAD, SIN LUGAR A DUDAS ESTO ES UNO DE LOS MEJORES LOGROS DEL GRUPO, PARA MI, CON "QUEEN A NIGHT AT THE OPERA" ¡POR FAVOR NO SE PIERDAN ...APRESURENSE Y APRECIEN ESTO, PUEDA QUE SE LAMENTEN DE NO HABER VIVIDO ESA EPOCA PERO DE TENER...EN LA COLECCION; JAMAS! NUNCA!!! POR FAVOR DEJEN DE TRATAR DE BUSCAR LO QUE YA SE INVENTO HACE 4,3 O 2 DECADAS NO PIERAN EL TIEMPO

5 comments about Coda.

1. Led Zeppelin's odds and ends album Coda was released in November of 1982.
   How this album came to be, let's set the stage shall we.
   In 1980, Led Zeppelin were riding high on the success of In Through the Out Door which was on its way to selling 7 million copies in the US alone (not bad for Zep standards and outsold Led Zeppelin 3 and Presence). The band toured Europe and were selling out venues nightly but then tragedy struck, drummer John Bonham passed away on September 25, 1980 as the band was rehearsing for a US tour. Over two months later, the band broke up after the death of Bonham whose style was hard to replicate and deemed him irreplaceable.
   Throughout 1981 and 1982, guitarist Jimmy Page worked on the soundtrack to Death Wish II and Robert Plant released his solo debut Pictures at Eleven (which hit #3 in the US) whilst bass player John Paul Jones went into soundtrack work. Also, Page went through the Zep vaults to cobble together a final Led Zeppelin album which would be called Coda.
   The recordings were from between 1970 and 1978 with some fresh overdubs by Plant and Page where required as followed.
   We open with the rocker "We're Gonna Groove" which is the same version as it would appear on the 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD and recorded at The Royal Albert Hall in January, 1970 (not Morgan Studios like the notes stated). It's the same version as on the DVD but Page overdubbed guitar solos in 1982 to fill out the song (the overdubs were removed on the DVD version) and Plant's voice went through a phaser (unlike the version on the Led Zeppelin DVD). Next is "Poor Tom" which is a great countryish outtake from Led Zeppelin III. The song has Page playing acoustic guitar over a classic Bonzo drum pattern with Jonesy filling out the bass and Plant singing and playing harmonica. Next is "I Can't Quit You Baby" which is the same song as on Led Zeppelin I, but on steroids. Harder drumming and more furious guitar and singing than on the original. It has a very raw feel to it. This track is also on the Zep DVD from Royal Albert Hall but shortened for vinyl constraints (and not a rehearsal like the liner notes state). The first half ends with the Houses of the Holy outtake "Walter's Walk". This rocker just rocks and would have appeared on Houses save time constraints and there were no lyrics so Plant recorded the vocals in 1981/82 with fresh lyrics.
   The album's second half consists of the outtakes from In Through the Out Door except as noted. The rocker "Ozone Baby" is from the ITtOD sessions and was one of the rock radio hits from the album. "Darlene" is next and is one of the album's best tracks and the biggest rock radio hit from the album. Another ITtOD outtake which just rocks. Next is "Bonzo's Montreux" which is a John Bonham drum workout that was recorded in Montreux in 1976. It just features Bonham and Page messing around in the studio one day and Page later added some electronic stuff to it. The closing "Wearing and Tearing" is Zeppelin's answer to the punk music movement that was popular in Europe at the time (it didn't get big in the US until years later) and is from the ITtOD sessions. It has a very fast-paced beat and is a killer rocker.
   Coda, when released, quickly stormed to #4 on the Billboard album chart and went Platinum quick but by then Men at Work, Michael Jackson, A Flock of Seagulls and later Duran Duran were all dominating the US music scene.
   In 1993, this album was re-issued on The Complete Studio Recordings box set (see review) with the four bonus tracks that appeared on Led Zeppelin's 1990 and 1993 box sets.
   If you are an unbiased Zep fan (like myself), pick this up, if not your loss.
   Recommended!



2. Honostly, the tracks here are somewhat forgetable and this album is probably marketed towrds completists. Bonzo's Montreux for me is the stand out track. It has an unusual, added futuristic, Japanese drums, kettle drum sound. Showcases Bonham but the additional electronic effects make this track very memorable and original.



3. The music gets 5 stars. Let's face it-(ALL ZEPPELIN MUSIC GETS 5 STARS)! This particular packaging(mini lp)gets 5 stars. There is no new remastering here, so I take away 2 stars. There are no "extra tracks", like on the "CODA" disc in the "Complete Studio Recordings" box set. So, minus 2 more stars. Then, I just HAVE to give back 1 star, again, for the packaging! Sorry, but in mho, mini lp packaging should have been the industry standard, from the beggining!



4. (The following review is written by Karyn's husband, Ted)
   
   Zeppelin's CODA marked a milestone in the phenonmenal career of the world's biggest band at that time. Widely regarded as their weakest
   album, it has grown a bad reputation over the years since its release:
   (1982)-Two years after the untimely death of John Bonham, probably the world's greatest rock 'n roll drummer, it marks the end of an era of excess which has never been seen since. Zeppelin is still legendary in the power of what they did onstage as well as off-stage. Private jets, destroyed hotel rooms,underage girls, and baked-bean orgies are only some of the indulgences that can be mentioned here. Most infamous is probably the 'Shark Incident' which involved a real shark and a real girl! Anyway, that was the 70's and back then Zep set the standard in debauchery. Their music never suffered, and I think CODA isn't as bad as people have been led to believe.'Wearing and Tearing' is the finest track on the CD and yes, overall, CODA is a mashed up helping of leftovers. However, these leftovers still taste great. 'Ozone Baby' is my favorite track and 'Darlene', even though it sounds like they never finished the lyrics, is a great song.In 1980, Bonham was furious that Zep was expected to go back on the road to the USA and tour. They had finished a European Tour at that time ( Bonham collapsed during a show in Germany and the concert was cut short) and he clearly needed some time off. Bonham unfortunately drowned his anger in booze and it's been said he slammed 40 shots of Vodka the night he died. The surviving members of Zeppelin agreed to call it quits, choosing not to replace the legendary drummer. CODA literally means 'The End' and it's a fitting title to the end of an amazing roller-coaster ride of popularity that the band enjoyed all over the world. Let's hope for a Live CD/DVD of their 'Reunion' show in London coming up soon with Jason Bonhamm on drums.



5. I am saddened in writing this even though years have passed since John death brought the band to end their reign of the Master of Rock. Kings? Perhaps. John is missed to this day. CODA was a last treasure released by Led Zeppelin, a compilation of previously unreleased material. Like a "lets give them the rest" type deal. many of the songs aren't great but we true Zeo fans never were ones for lacking the desire for wanting anything and everything they did. Not disappointing by no means but it is just a collection of songs over the years that were not put on any other album. I never did understand why the crunge was put out when there were clearly better songs to take its place.

5 comments about Between the Buttons.

1. I am the Stones Authority. Great album. I review these albums the way they were released on vinyl in the US. I'll let others fill you in on the various permutations and offerings as these crazy things are remastered and reissued. I am not getting bogged down in those discussions and debates. "Connection" - very cool song. "All Sold Out" - damn good. "Complicated" and "Miss Amanda Jones". A good straight ahead rock and roll album that Some Girls would often be compared to. Whatever. But those four songs make me wish that I could have seen and heard them performed live or that there was at least a good live recording of them somewhere. And I don't mean Keith's recent version for Scorsese. Oh well.



2. As a teenager in the 1960s I became absorbed with the many great groups from England and beyond. I had to have records by every artist, and I had albums by most from that period. The Rolling Stones were in my opinion never better than what they were when Bryan Jones was with them. I'm not sure that he was a major influence in their sound because Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were their song writers, but whether it was "Between The Buttons" or "Out of Our Heads", "12 by 5", "December's Children" or the great "Live If You Want It" they were on top of their game. And back during that era any group had to produce a new album about every four months, unlike today where artists come out with a new album (sometimes) every four years. I liked (still do) all those Rolling Stones albums, including "England's Newest Hitmakers", "The Rolling Stones Now", "Their Satanic Majesties Request" and "Flowers". However, I believe that "Between The Buttons" from beginning to end was The Rolling Stones masterpiece amongst masterpieces! I did not care much for "Beggar's Banquet" and some of the latter efforts.



3. I was her lover between 1990-93. She showed me the simple rebellious pleasure of swimming nude in Paradise Pond, which we did hundreds of times. Of course, she was breath-takingly cute, and she gave more than she ever took. Too bad chronic schizophrenia claimed her, so irrevocably. A class act, she simply told me it was time for her to move on. I got her best years. Probably mine, too. Years passed, the last time I ever saw her was panhandling on Main Street. I took her out to dinner and we realized some intangible closure. "Let's Spend The Night Together," I remember all that. Sugar woman, I adored every minute.



4. fine the us versionis different from the uk version. let's spend the night together and ruby tuesday shouldn't be in this record. fine. but these are isignificant details: the bottom line is that this is a hell of a record. each is song is a little masterpiece, 'cool calm collected' shows that the stones (keef??mick??brian??) were actually much more sophisticated songwriter than they have generally been credited for. and then there is 'connections'--which is the first rolling stones song which is not sang by jagger. in fact, three years before keith was the lead vocalist on 'you got the silver' (let it bleed, 1969), he is the lead singer on connections as much as jagger is. connections is intriguing and all its various parts exactly the way they should be: the lyrics are a testament to what the stones (and keef) were and were about to become evn more during the sessions for exile on main street; the piano is hammering chords implcably, jagger's voice is more acerbic than ever, and (i belive) brian is smoking a nasty riff at the end of each refrain.
   this is a great stones album and shows all the potential of band that was about to crank out beggars banquet in 1968, let it bleed in 1969, sticky fingers in 1971 and exile on main street in 1972--records that represent the alpha and the omega of the rock age.



5. The Rolling Stones-Between The Buttons ****
   
   
   Between The Buttons is far from the classic Rolling Stones album it is hyped up to be. If Mick Jagger's voice wasnt so recognizable in the rock n' roll world then you would never know that this was in fact the same Rolling Stones who brought the world such classics as 'Street Fghting Man' and 'Love Is Strong.' The sound is nothing like any other Stones album. The production is not bad by any means but stands out once again because it is nothing like the bands other albums.
   
   The only noticable thing about this album to give a clue as to the Rolling Stones being the culprets is Charlie Watts' drumming, and thats just because that is his signature the way he plays. The guitar here is minimal compared to other Stones albums and when it is audible it hardly sounds like Keith Richards and Brian Jones is hardly audible through out the entire album. That not to say that when you hear them it isnt good because it is fantastic, after all it is Brian Jones and Keith Richards. Bill Wymans bass is very prominant and he plays some of his best lines ever on Between The Buttons.
   
   Songs like the killer opener and forever classic 'Lets Spend The Night Together' so hints of a band the world knows. The undeniable ballad 'Ruby Tuesday' is melt in your mouth good. 'My Obbsession' is maybe the best song on the album. The musicianship is phenonmonal by the entire band, the lyrics are shines of brilliance and Micks vocal delivery is classic. 'All Sold Out' is a great hard rocker with nice 'doo-doo-doos' in the back ground and some impressive slide guitar work from Jones. 'Connection' is reminicent to 'Satisfaction' while 'Yesterdays Papers' is touching as anything the band ever wrote. The only throw away track on the album is the closer. 'Something Happand To Me Yesterday' is fun but most of the time annoying. It has tuba as a main instrument which brings to mind memories of the Lou Reed album Transformer, or maybe more so Berlin... The point is this song is not worthy of The Rolling Stones.
   
   So when it comes down to it, Between The Buttons is a four star album. Not because it is perticularly ground breaking or amazing or anything like that because it is nither, but because Keith, Mick, Bill, Charlie, and Brian all mangaged to make an album sounding nothing like themselves and totally reinvent their sound for this one album and pull it off perfectly. This is something they tried again on Emotional Rescue, Black And Blue, and most horrendously on Their Satanic Majistys Request and each other time failed in compassion to Between The Buttons.

5 comments about Burn.

1. I know a lot of folks never thought Deep Purple was the same after the departure of Ian Gillan. I am one of few that actually believe they were better and that "Burn" was the bands actual peak period, before sliding into trash with "Stormbringer" and then recouping with the new life Tommy Bolin brought to the band for their finale "Come Taste the Band".
   
   Where does "Burn" fit in? The album was a new direction for the band, Blackmore had wanted to work with Paul Rodgers (Free/Bad Company) and it's easy to hear the similar vocal stylings of Rogers and new singer David Coverdale. Add some good bass playing and a man who can hit the high notes, Glenn Hughes and you've got a whole new sound, something very different from the classic based, post psychedelic, pre-metal sounds of "Machine Head" or "In Rock".
   
   
   Saying this, the opening title track does have a classical influence in the guitar and keyboard solos, but the rest of the song is a rolling thunder blitz of hammer off guitar riffs, pounding Ian Paice drumming and great shared vocals from Hughes and Coverdale. Other standouts are "Sail Away", a cool mutated blues riff over a lazy heavy rhythym and crying guitar from Blackmore;"You Fool No One" a riff cool enough for Blackmore to recycle on the first Rainbow album with more excellent dual vocal harmonizing and a percussive keyboard and cowbell(!) sound that rings distant echoes of Yes or Santana; and "Mistreated" a guitar showcase for Blackmore and a vocal proving ground for Coverdale. Most excellent!!
   
   The rest of the album is bluesy rock thumpers, the lone dud on the disc is "A2000" a weird synth closer that may have been forgiven if it was placed AHEAD of the first number, as Purple was famous for opening salvos like that on "Speed King" and while playing live. It's a great album and a shame this version of the band hasn't played together since 1975...



2. In mid 1973 both singer Ian Gillan and bass player Roger Glover left the group. The future of Deep Purple seemed uncertain but singer David Coverdale and bass player Glenn Hughes came to save the day!
   
   The line-up change brougth a new direction to this album. There is a certain funk/blues vibe throughout the recording which I enjoyed as much as their previous more straighforward hard rock laden lps. Still there is plenty of hard rock to be found here!
   
   Highlights include the opening track "Burn" that starts with a killer guitar riff from Ritchie Blackmore, shattering vocals by Coverdale and in the chorus Hughes joins for back up vocals too, but what makes this song stand out are the two solos. The first is on the guitar and is one of the best solos on the album. In the second solo, keyboard player Jon Lord steals the show with an awesome minor key theme played on a moog synth!
   After that comes "Might Just Take Your Life" showcasing their new blusier style. Another highlight is "You Fool No One" that goes in the new funk direction and includes a memorable vocal melody sung by Coverdale and Hughes at the same time, a cool drum beat by Ian Paice, plus another awesome solo by Blackmore. When played on stage, the band would stretch this song out to about 20 minutes to include extended guitar and drum improvisations. Here it only lasts about four minutes and a half.
   "Mistreated" is another highlight, in fact, this is easily one of the best songs on the album! Yet another killer guitar riff opens this seven-minute long blues epic and this is Coverdale's best vocal performance on the album! In the middle a haunting minor key harmonized melody played on guitar comes in and Blackmore really tears it up towards the end!
   The album ends with the strange instrumental "A 200" which is excellent indeed. Drummer Ian Paice plays a bolero rhythm and this is basically a showcase for Lord's moog synth but there's still room for Blackmore to play an awesome aggressive solo!
   
   A great album from start to finish this is! Not a weak moment to be found so this is a fine addition to a hard rock collection. Make sure you get this remastered version that came out in 2005. Not only it sounds better than the old one but it also includes the hard to find b-side "Coronarias Redig". A very interesting song indeed. Blackmore plays like a demon throughout this funky number but you will notice a melody that Blackmore later recycled for the song "Catch The Rainbow" from Rainbow's debut album!
   Let's not forget about the additional four remixes included. While they are not something revelatory, it's always nice to have extra material.
   Thanks for taking the time to read!
   Later...



3. I absolutely love to be "mistreated" by then unknown blues-rock frontman Coverdale and funky base Hughes. Both bringing a new dimension and viceral energy into Purple. Burn is so dynamic, homogeneous and well balanced that becomes extremely addictive.



4. Was I listening to too much Led Zeppelin when this came out? And why did I have to discover this now? This album is a MUST OWN! I did'nt know David Coverdale (Yep, THAT one, from Whitesnake) fronted Deep Purple, and not only that, but another equally great singer, Glenn Hughes, SHARING vocals.Where was I? How come stuff like this is not done today? Are the good days truly behind us? Stand out tracks which make this a MUST BUY alone are 'Burn, Lay down stay down, What's going on here, and 'Sail Away'. Sail Away is unlike anything I've ever heard. A truly great song, and a beat so........wicked and menacing in your face.I am already looking at buying Stormbringer, DP's follow up to this album.'Stormbringer', 'Soldier Of Fortune'(Which is I think IS a better song than Stairway to heaven) and 'Holy Man'.........Need I say more?



5. I have hundreds of CD's, tapes, records and downloads.
   
   Burn is?
   
   BEST.ALBUM.EVER.
   
   The remaster really brings out the music of the bass and clarifies all the instruments perfectly. Vocals (David & Glenn) are amazing, Blackmore was at his peak on guitar, Lord was loving the organ and synths, Paicey's work on the title track and You Fool No One is as good as anything you're likely to hear and above all the songs, music and melodies sing to me more than any other offering in HISTORY.
   
   I can't say anything more than just BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

1. The Capitol Albums Vol. 2 (Brick) This product seemed to have a flaw. A 4 CD set was OK except for the last 3 tracks on CD # 4 which were non-playable due to a defect. The product was returned to Amazon for a full refund.



2. I was so glad to get a composit of these albums. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the quality in some respects. They are making a bundle off of this package, I'm sure. It wouldn't have cost them that much to be a little more careful in the remastering.
   
   "I'm Looking Through You" (Rubber Soul) has a double false start. I also noticed background hiss on one of the numbers in the Help! album. I could have corrected these flaws with my home editor. I expect to find more flaws as I listen to all the tunes.
   
   I wasn't put off by the packaging (long box) or the little sleeves for the individual CDs, but I generally prefer a standard CD case that physically fits with my CD collection.
   
   FYI: I've been a record collector and sometime deejay since the 50s.



3. The second installment of Capitol's long-awaited, ongoing series of reissues of the Beatles' American albums covers the four Fab Four albums Capitol released in 1965: The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help!, and Rubber Soul. The first of these, The Early Beatles, was a quick roundup of all the material from Please Please Me that hadn't been put on an American LP and it appropriately plays like a truncated and jumbled version of their debut; it's fun, but lacks the momentum and punch of their British debut. Beatles VI, whose very title suggests the ferocity of Beatlemania, since it's their sixth LP in just over a year, relies heavily on their fourth British LP, Beatles for Sale, pulling six songs from that album ("Kansas City," "Eight Days a Week," "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," "Words of Love," "What You're Doing," "Every Little Thing"), adding to the mix a couple of new songs that would later show up on Help! ("You Like Me Too Much," "Tell Me What You See"), a pair of Larry Williams covers ("Bad Boy," "Dizzy Miss Lizzie"), and "Yes It Is," originally released as the B-side to "Ticket to Ride." Since it's culled exclusively from late 1964 and early 1965 material, the album winds up holding together better than some of the grab bags from 1964, and since the newer material is lighter than the excised material from Beatles for Sale -- "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" may be weary, but without the gloomy opening triptych of "No Reply," "I'm a Loser," and "Baby's in Black," the remaining songs from this album don't quite feel as dark -- Beatles VI winds up as a pretty fun snapshot of the waning days of the peak of Beatlesmania.
   Help! and Rubber Soul were the first U.S. LPs to bear the same titles (along with roughly the same artwork) of their U.K. counterparts, but they still had distinctly different running orders than the albums released in Britain. The American version of Help! is designed as a soundtrack to the film of the same name, containing selections from the movie's Ken Thorne-written score interspersed between the Beatles songs. Where the U.K. Help! had 14 tracks, including music not heard in the film, the U.S. Help! is 12 tracks, with only seven songs from the group -- just the songs actually heard in the film. The result is a distinctly different listening experience, one that's certainly not as satisfying as the U.K. LP, yet there is a certain charm to Thorne's exotica-tinged, swinging-'60s score, particularly to the James Bondian fanfare that opens the album, that helps make the U.S. version of Help! a fun nostalgia trip. The American Rubber Soul is also different than its British cousin, removing four songs from the U.K. version ("Drive My Car," "Nowhere Man," "What Goes On," "If I Needed Someone") and replacing them with two tunes from the U.K. Help! ("I've Just Seen a Face" and "It's Only Love"). The new tunes open up each side of the record, but the sequencing remains roughly the same as it is on the U.K. version, yet the U.S. LP does wind up with a subtly different feel than its British counterpart; by opening with the folky "I've Just Seen a Face" and omitting rockers and trebly pop songs, Rubber Soul winds up feeling like the Beatles' reaction to America's folk-rock movement of 1965, which is a feel that some listeners prefer.
   
   As on the first Capitol Albums box, each of the four albums contains the original stereo and mono mixes for each LP (initial pressings contained incorrect mono mixes for Beatles VI and Rubber Soul, which were folded down for the stereo mixes instead of the original mono mixes, but this error was quickly corrected). Where several of the 1964 LPs on the first set were bathed in echo and were in fake stereo, the four 1965 records -- with the exception of The Early Beatles, which has such an extreme hard pan on its fake stereo that it is a bit difficult to listen to on headphones -- were not dressed up in as much post-production studio trickery and the stereo sounds natural, so the mixes aren't as disorienting as they were on, say, Second Album. There are some subtle differences between mixes -- and one not-so-subtle difference: the stereo version of "I'm Looking Through You" begins with a false start -- but most of these will only be noticeable only to the hardcore fans, who are indeed the target for this set. And like last time out, they should be pleased with this set, despite its flaws, chief among them the packaging. Like Capitol Albums, Vol. 1, this set has an ugly front cover that makes it seem like a Reader's Digest exclusive, the cardboard on the slipcase as well as the individual mini-LP reproductions feels flimsy (and Help!, which was originally a gatefold, is not a gatefold here), and the set feels like it could have been put together with more care. That said, there are some improvements this time around. The set has been issued as a (roughly) CD-sized box, which is preferable to the longbox of the first set, and Bruce Spizer's notes do an excellent job detailing the histories of these American LPs. And, of course, the sound is much, much better than the sound on the CDs for the regular albums, which are now nearly 20 years out of date. That sound, along with the nostalgic joy of getting these American incarnations on CD, is the main reason the hardcore fans will be more than happy to forgive this set its few flaws and simply enjoy the many pleasures of this collectors-oriented set.



4. As an ageing fan who fondly remembers Beatlemania and occasionally feels a certain nostalgia for it all, I myself am not particularly interested in resurrecting all the hatchet-job releases we got on this side of the pond, although I completely understand long-time fans' desire to re-obtain the mixes they prefer. Too many of these albums make little stylistic sense and are, strictly speaking, jumbled and misleading versions of the real thing, although being The Fab Four, they're still good listening.
   
   Please, Capitol/EMI, this is what I'd like instead:
   
   1. A complete overhaul of the entire catalogue - all of the Parlophone LPs. Please supplement each album with contemporaneously recorded (or most appropriately so) 45 RPM releases and EPs and dump those hideous PAST MASTERS discs. So, for instance, RUBBER SOUL gets "Day Tripper"/"We Can Work It Out", REVOLVER gets "Paperback Writer"/"Rain", PEPPER gets "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields" and MMT still gets "All You Need Is Love" and "Hello Goodbye". Just tack them onto the beginning or end of the disc. So simple. The early LPs would benefit greatly from this approach, too.
   
   2. A proper remastering. Bring the volume of the guys' instruments back up where it's supposed to be. Correct the anachronistic imbalance in the voices which, in the present British discs, uncomfortably emphasizes the "lead" vocalist. (Their chorus was never intended to sound like that; it was the 1960s - not the 1980s.) Lose the bizarre fetish for "previously unheard details" like giggles and snapping fingers. (Who cares about that?) Please get rid of the fake stereo; mono is plenty exciting when it's properly mixed. George Martin knew that. The Beatles knew that. And the fans who purchased millions of 45s knew it, too.
   
   3. And finally, please issue, as an adjunct to the complete British set, the American A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (Go get George Martin's instrumentals from UA) and thanks for having done HELP! and RUBBER SOUL.
   
   This is what we need.
   
   PS. Oh yeah, remember the reverb on "I Feel Fine" and "She's a Woman", too!



5. This is a great box set. It brings me back to when I first heard my sister's version of Beatles IV. I've heard some complaints about the sound quality. Don't forget that when Capitol records got the masters from E.M.I., they changed the mix, by adding a little echo to the record. This was a common practice for records released at that time. Listen to any E.M.I. British Beatles release and you will notice the difference.
   For any Beatles fan growing up in the states, it is a must have. Along with volumeI ,it is something that will be enjoyed all the time. whole

5 comments about Is There Anybody Out There? / The Wall Live Pink Floyd 1980-81 (Deluxe Limited Edition).

1. While this might be a great collection of live songs comprising "The Wall" from Earl's Court, there is an unofficial video of one of the Earl's Court shows that is, IMHO, much more pleasing. Though imperfect, I have to believe that this show could be restored and officially released. It's clear that it was professionally filmed for some reason. Incidentally, though i don't know if they're credited on this CD, the Floyd had a complete backing band on this tour- a second guitar, bass player, drummer, and keyboard player. The power of some of the live songs is a result, in part, of the fact that there are, essentially, two bands playing the same song at the same time. Obviously, they've got the audio cleaned up well, if they would just clean up the video, we'd have a fantastic DVD release.



2. I you are a fan of Pink Floyd and/or "The Wall", then you will love this CD! It is really interesting to hear The Wall played live in its entirety. It's an incredible record to begin with, but the live version adds another element to it. I wish I had been there to see it! Get the deluxe version for the book that comes with it. The book tells the story of "The Wall" from each band member's perspective. Great buy!



3. Drop dead gorgeously clear live Pink Floyd doing "The Wall Live" and "Is There Anybody Out There". Definitely one of the top live albums of all time.



4. this is the best limited edition album i ever bought. great sound and well made cover.



5. Pink Floyd's Is There Anybody Out There?: The Wall Live was released in April of 2000 in a standard version and this the deluxe packaging/slipcase hard covered book.
   The album was released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of The Wall. The album was originally slated for release in late 1999 but producer James Guthrie(who co-produced the original album) had to bake the master tapes to get the sticky glue off after sitting in storage for years. Also, the band had problems with their US record companies. The band had just inked a new distribution deal with Capitol/EMI worldwide and were set to release but Columbia/Sony in the US and Canada were initially against the album but reluctantly agreed to release the album as the band's final album with Sony in the US and Canada after the band switched labels which were licensed the music(the band have the final say on what gets released and not released).
   Is There Anybody Out There? was recorded at London's Earls Court Arena during the band's performances of The Wall in August of 1980 and June of 1981, the shows were a bona fide spectacle. More than anything, Is There Anybody Out There? captures the volume, the bombast and the grandeur of these famed performances with remarkable accuracy.
   These performances are astonishingly faithful to the band's studio versions although the band does get to stretch out on In the Flesh(pt. 1), The Thin Ice, Another Brick in the Wall(pt.1), Another Brick in the Wall(pt. 2), Mother, Goodbye Blue Sky, Young Lust, Hey You, Comfortably Numb, The Show Must Go On, In the Flesh(pt.2), Run Like Hell and Outside the Wall with either extra guitar solos from David Gilmour showing why he is one of rock's greatest guitarists or extra keyboard solos from Rick Wright or extra verses or extended musical pieces.
   The other tracks Empty Spaces, One of My Turns, Don't Leave Me Now, Another Brick in the Wall(pt. 3), Is There Anybody Out There?, Nobody Home, Vera, Bring the Boys Back Home, Waiting For the Worms, Stop! and The Trial were arguably better than its studio counterparts although remained faithful to them.
   Although they were kicked out in 1979 and 1982 respectively by Roger Waters due to his uncontrollable ego, co-founders keyboardist Rick Wright and drummer Nick Mason played better than on the studio version of The Wall, especially Rick whose Hammond Organ work buries that of its studio counterpart. Roger Waters didn't play much bass on this live album as he perfectly recreated the role of Pink and left Andy Bown to play bass in his place. David Gilmour's musical arrangements and guitar and vocals were superb as well.
   Run Like Hell is classic with Roger Waters' classic intro.
   This live Wall album also includes two unreleased tracks. What Shall We Do Now was left off the original release due to space constraints and The Last Few Bricks was a reprise of Happiest Days, Young Lust and Empty Spaces as an instrumental for wall builders to catch up to the band.
   Also, Storm Thorgerson's artwork of the four Floyd member face masks is striking and the book has recollections from the four Floyd members plus road crew and stage designers with some cool pictures.
   This live album did well for a from the vault release hitting #19 on the album charts and #1 on the Internet Album Sales chart and went Platinum in a month of its release. This live album has zero overdubs and is one of the best live albums I ever heard next to Pink Floyd's Pulse, Led Zeppelin's How the West Was Won and The Song Remains the Same 2-CD reissue, Rush's Different Stages, Queen's Queen Rock Montreal, Genesis' Seconds Out, The Who's Live at Leeds and Supertramp's Paris among many others.
   Highly recommended!

5 comments about The Game (+ Bonus Track).

1. This album has to be Queen's most transitional album. There is less heavy metal style guitar (as featured on Queen, Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack) and even less campiness (which was featured on A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races and Jazz). On the liner notes, they admit that they used synthesizer "for the 1st time" (for the 1st 6 albums, they proudly boasted that synthesizers were not used at all). They even looked different with the shorter haircuts (sans Brian, whose long curly locks remained unshorned). But I digress. On with the review.
   
   4 of the songs were written and performed for a mini tour called the "Crazy Little Tour." One of them, an uncharacteristic rockabilly tune "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," which lead singer Freddie Mercury wrote. This gave them a big hit in the 1980's. 2 of the songs are sensitive ballads written by versatile guitarist Brian May, "Sail Away Sweet Sister" (Brian sings lead on this, with Freddie singing on the bridge) and the powerful "Save Me" (a minour hit in the UK). Drummer Roger Taylor penned "Coming Soon," which sounds a lot like the Cars (he was the band's true classic rock fan).
   
   The rest of the album was recorded in the 1980's. Around the same time, Queen was preparing the Flash Gordon soundtrack (that's another review). The Game opens with Freddie's "Play the Game," which captures Queen's "classic" sound and features an interesting synthesizer intro (a minour hit for them). Bass player John Deacon had his biggest hit with the funky "Another One Bites the Dust" (he admits it was originally going to be a cowboy song, but for some reason changed it). Other songs include the heavy "Dragon Attack" (written by Brian, "Slow down, don't take no prisoners!"), John's catchy poprock "I Need Your Lovin' Tonight" ("No, I'll never look back in anger...") Freddie's bluesy "Don't Try Suicide" (a tongue in cheek message song- "Don't try suicide, nobody's worth it... nobody cares... you're just gonna hate it!") and "Rock It (Prime Jive)" written and sung by Roger, with help from Freddie at the intro (it sounds a mix between Led Zeppelin and early Sammy Hagar).
   
   I'm giving this 5 stars for the album. I'm not counting the throwaway remix of "Dragon Attack" (instead, they should have included "A Human Body," which was one of their B-sides). Skip that, it'll only leave you wondering why Brian approved of it. Just enjoy the classic sounds of a crazy little band called Queen.



2. As most people know, this was the first Queen album to utilize synthesizers, though they did not go overboard with them, as they later did on 1982's "Hot Space." This album opens with the sublime Mercury-penned "Play the Game," then heads into more bass-laden funky tunes like "Dragon Attack" and "Another One Bites the Dust." There are some weaker songs on here as well, notably Roger Taylor's "Rock It (Prime Jive)" and "Coming Soon," which are both kind of...well, dumb. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a rockabilly goof/homage that actually works. "Need Your Loving Tonight" is a light bit of pop, but not bad. This is also shorter in length than their '70s albums, so that's a bit disappointing. A mixed bag of songs and definitely a new era as Queen headed into the '80s.



3. First of all this is not a bad record. Over all it is quite a good record. It contains several good songs. For Queen fans this marks the point were Queen began to transform it's self.
   Instead of forging new ground, they began to take in what was happening around them and sort of conforming their style. The sound is a bit toned down from its previous offerings and it also sounds compressed and tight. You never get the sense or feeling of grandeur or over the top production that they become famous for. Still a nice effort.
   Never really cared for "Another one bites the dust" I feel this song is way overrated and very silly.



4. Queen may have jumped the shark by the time the seventies drew to a close but they were still by anyone's definition a serious hard rock band. 'The Game' which was released in June 1980 was first and foremost a pop album. For many longtime fans, the record may have come as a disappointment. Queen had always been a pop band with a slew of hit singles but their albums contained hard rock bombast along with the pop ditties. 'The Game' was different, it seemed to go out of its way to be poppy and bright and very much for the 1980's. Evidence would show that American audiences made it (next to 'News') Queen's biggest selling LP, a true case of crossover appeal. Add this to the fact the album, Queen's eight studio record, contained TWO US number one hit singles and both songs were like nothing the band had ever done. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was the first, a rockabilly for Chrissakes!...but it works! Freddie's tribute to the stylings of the King, the song actually made its debut the previous year before the rest of the album was reoorded. John Deacon's "Another One Bites the Dust" was the other megahit...a funk song but it blew the band's previous attempt, Taylor's "Fun It", out of the water! Brian contributed another funk rocker in "Dragon Attack", a good but not great song and my personal fave "Save Me", a ballad, sung beautifuly by Freddie and like "Crazy" came out in '79. Overall though I'm not a huge fan of this record, mainly because it is TOO pop. "Rock It" is a perfect example of what I mean...great anthemic intro by Freddie and then Taylor starts singing and...awww man...its like new wave! Ruins it. "Need Your Loving Tonight" is decent but again too poppy...sort of the sister song to John's "If You Can't Beat Them" from 'Jazz'. Title track is good but...it's too sappy, only Brians's metal guitar makes the song for me, and the synths are cool too. Needless to say I don't play 'The Game' that often...to me it's the end of an era....and Freddie cuts his hair and grew a moustache...oh well.



5. Queen's first album of the 1980s entitled The Game was released in June of 1980.
   The Game album was a fresh album for the band as they had not recorded a studio album since 1978's uneven effort Jazz.
   First, they switched producers and engineers from Roy Thomas Baker and Geoff Workman to one-time ELO engineer Mack. The album was recorded in Munich, Germany between the summer of 1979 and the spring of 1980.
   Frontman Freddie Mercury has three great song on this album starting with the opener "Play the Game" (a minor hit here in the US), the rockabilly sounding US #1 "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (which came out months before the rest of the album) and the anti-suicide number "Don't Try Suicide" which is a great song with a powerful message.
   Drummer Roger Taylor had the hard rocking "Rock It (Prime Jive)" in which he did lead vocal and the new waveish "Coming Soon".
   Guitarist Brian May had the hard rocker "Dragon Attack", the ballad "Sail Away Sweet Sister" in which he sang lead vocal and the closing ballad "Save Me" which is a great song and a UK hit though the song was not released as a single here in the US.
   Bass player John Deacon contributed the mammoth #1 rock/disco hybrid hit "Another One Bites the Dust" (which was the reason for this album's huge success) and the US Top 50 rocker "Need Your Loving Tonight".
   The Game album was Queen's only US chart-topper as it hit #1 and stayed for 5 weeks and sold 4 million in the US alone (tying News of the World's US sales tally making it Queen's best selling non-compilation album in the US).
   This was also Queen's last flawless IMHO album until 1989's The Miracle.
   Highly recommended!

5 comments about Desperado.

1. Basicaly a concept album about bank robbers,desperados and the wildness of youth, this album still stands tall today. starting with the melodic Doolin Daltons, this song basically say's, your not going to live long breaking the law. i like every song on this album, especialy the one's you don't hear on the radio all the time. Like the hard rocker Out of Control. the beautiful Saturday night, and one of Bernie Leadon's best songs ever, Bitter Creek. each song on this album tells a story, and these are stories you can hear again and again. don't forget the songs you do hear on the radio, Desperado - Tequila sunrise, a great album for new fans and old fans alike! Highly recomended!



2. The Eagles, Desperado, 1973
   
   The definite standouts of this album are no doubt Tequila Sunrise and Desperado, which were actually written in the same week, but that is beyond the point. There is one other major standout though, and that is the opener, Doolin Dalton. It is a slower number that is amazing Country Rock in the league of Gram Parsons. There are also a couple fast and fun songs, like Twenty-One, but the ones that keep you listening are the deeper cuts, like Outlaw Man and the mandolin driven Saturday Night. So, if you like Gram Parsons or the Marshall Tucker Band, or just want to hear early Eagles, then this is definitely worth the purchase!



3. This is, I believe, the strongest Eagles album start to finish. It has a consistent Western theme though the styles of the particular songs vary from hard rock ("Out Of Control") to bluegrass ("Twenty-one").
   
   Potential buyers who are first exploring the Eagles past their greatest hits albums should note, however, that there is a large stylistic difference between their first two albums and their later works such as "Hotel California". This is not necessarily a bad thing, but something you should be aware of.
   
   This would certainly be on my "trapped on a desert island" list of CDs.



4. This is the sophmore effort to their debut album the eageals. Two of their singles is Outlaw Man and Tequila Sunrise, the title track Desarado is one of their signature songs but it was never released as a single. The song Certain Kind of Fool is sung by the bassist Randy Meisner. This album is a "concept album" it is based on "Dalton gang" ambiented in the old west. I would recomend this in your cd collection



5. This has been one of my favorite albums for 30 years. It's great to have it in CD format now. Still love it!

5 comments about It's Hard.

1. Unfairly slighted by many, the album is the best album from The Who since Who By Numbers or Quadrophenia. It is consistent and it does rock. While Daltrey may not be a fan, it is still a great effort and the closest that The Who would get at recapturing their old glory.



2. That about sums it up. Those 2 solo albums have 10-12 GREAT songs from over a 3 year period of Townshend inebriation. What were the odds that anything decent would end up on Face Dances and It's Hard? You have to love these 2 WHO albums for what they are. If you saw the tour as I did, these songs all have special meaning. Less than a few good songs here, but generally, I can listen to this album without barfing, mostly for the nostalgia element.
   
   The years have been kind to this record I suppose. 26 Years, wow thats a lifetime. Seems not that long ago.



3. This album is not wonderful. It does not rank with the great achievements of the world's greatest rock band. However, is it fair to measure anything against Live at Leeds, Who's Next, Quadrophenia, Tommy, etc.? The WHO proved their mettle a hundred times over. At this point, they were one man down, in their late thirties, struggling with a drugged songwriter/guitarist, and in need of a focus in a post-prog, post-punk rock world. They jump those hurdles with Eminence Front, Athena, and Cry if You Want. These are great songs. Sure, the rest of the album doesn't muster the same passion and urgency, but 3 out of 12 isn't too bad, considering their position in rock history.
   On the lesser tracks on this album I hear something familiar. Their is style similar to Springsteen's 80s stuff here. So, imagine Springsteen, in all his crapulence, filtered through the world's greatest rock band...you get the best Springsteen album, right? I think so. The WHO may have copped his style, but at least Daltrey sings it with some genuine attentiveness and interest, instead of a gutteral growl that simulates passion.
   For The WHO : a low-grade effort in the face of their prior (and future) achievements.
   For Rock : a solid example of a great group infusing power into a (mostly) throwaway set of songs.



4. It's hard to believe this album is STILL getting criticized. I thought by now people would begin to realize there's some great songwriting and exciting vocal melodies on this album, but I guess many fans wanna stick with Tommy and Quadrophenia.
   
   The title song is a pop rock classic with its powerful lyrics and catchy chorus. The sad feeling is strongly evident in the lyrics. "Eminence Front" is the biggest hit, and it's quite good. It sounds like it would have been a bigger hit during the disco era.
   
   "Athena" is my personal favorite song, with a verse melody that instantly catches my attention with its positive vibes and upbeat verse melody. Funny story- I actually though the chorus went like this "She's just a girl... she's a boy", haha. I had those lyrics WAY wrong!
   
   "One at a Time" is a faster track, and highly memorable. Again, the vocals are the main reason it's so great. "Cooks County" has some meaningful lyrics you should pay attention to, and the sadness creeps in near the end with the beautiful "A Man is a Man". Great vocals once AGAIN. "Cry If You Want" is another highlight because of... ahem, the drumming? Nope, because of the *vocals*!
   
   You won't find any flashy drumming, any wild swirling guitar playing, or bass work that will knock your socks off. Instead you'll find surprisingly underrated vocals and melodies.



5. The second album of the Kenny Jones era would prove to be the last album of new material that the band would release for almost 25 years. Like "Face Dances" before it, "It's Hard" is a mix of some really good stuff and some not so great material. On the positive side the album's two hits, the bouncy "Athena" and the synth dominated "Eminence Front" are both good with "Front" sticking around as a concert staple to this day. I also like "Cooks County", "I've Known No War" and Entiwstle's "Why Did I Fall For That". The best track on the album is the final one "Cry If You Want" which captures the same fire and fury that was found on earlier albums like "Who's Next". Townshend's stabbing guitar and Daltry's raw vocals are the perfect combination to my ears to make this one of the Who's great tracks. On the negative side, "Dangerous", "One At A Time", "A Man Is A Man", "It's Hard", and "One Life's Enough" are all just ok songs. Not bad, but nothing special either. A lot of people bash drummer Kenny Jones, but he has some really great moments on this disc especially during "Athena" and "Cry If You Want". His style is different from Keith Moon, but the guy plays his guts out on a couple of these tracks and has been sadly maligned by many a Who fan over the years. Overall I think this album is a bit better than "Face Dances" and there is enough good material to make it a worthwhile purchase.