5 comments about Flash Gordon (Soundtrack).

1. With two numbers geared to FM radio play - Flash's Theme and its reprise, The Hero - the remaining 16 numbers on this February 1981 release were synthesizer-laden instrumentals with snippets of movie dialogue in the mix.
   
   The single - Flash, which is titled Flash's Theme on the album - stalled at #42 on the Billboard single's chart, with the soundtrack achieving a tepid gold sales status while peaking at #23 on the album chart.
   
   A platform for a superstar band that could afford to step outside the realm of heavy rotation on the radio and the familiar terrain of its classic sound, the soundtrack is interesting, but hardly an essential piece of Queen's amazing discography.



2. This is probably a mistake reviewing this record, but I am something of a completist so here it goes. `Flash Gordon' is a movie soundtrack, nothing more and nothing less and not particularly memorable. "Flash's Theme" is great for this record and "The Hero" is the best song and surprisingly heavy as compared with the rest of the album which is heavily syth laden. The movie can be enjoyable is watched in the right frame of mind, which is to enjoy it as a live action comic book with all the cheesiness that this implies. Only for fans of the film or for Queen fans who have to have it all (like me) but others stay away.



3. Flash Gordon was a great album. It was a great instrumental that just screamed Queen and where they were singing, it was Queen all the way. I would reccomend this album to any Queen fan looking for instrumental pieces and genuine Queen eccentricity.



4. This is a masterpiece. Flash Gordon is one of my favorite movies. I bought the LP record, the CD, the VHS movie, the LD movie, the DVD. I watched it one hundred times and listened to Queen's soudtrack as well. This is just unforgettable.



5. Queen's tenth album was the soundtrack to Flash Gordon released in December of 1980 in the UK and January of 1981 in the US.
   The band were approached by producer Dino De Laurentis before going off to tour the US to provide the score to his film Flash Gordon based on the comic book hero. Also, the band decided to try what was called "a heavy metal film score" which then would be copied by AC/DC years later in Maximum Overdrive from 1986 and a few other lesser known bands.
   The album was produced by guitarist Brian May and Mack and recorded in England in early 1980. Was this album good or bad, read ahead!
   We kick things off with the #41 hit "Flash's Theme" (or Flash as listed on single released) and is only one of two songs that have vocals on it and composed by Brian. The only other track with vocals is the closing rocker "The Hero" which rocks and was too composed by Brian.
   Brian also composed the instrumentals "Flash to the Rescue", the killer "Battle Theme", "The Wedding March" (all done on guitar), "Crash Dive on Mingo City" and "Flash's Theme Reprise".
   Brian also wrote "Marriage of Dale and Ming" with drummer Roger Taylor.
   Speaking of Roger, he contributed the instrumentals "In the Space Capsule", "In the Death Cell" and "Escape from the Swamp".
   Lead singer Freddie Mercury contributed the instrumentals "Ming's Theme" (which is superb, all done on synthesizer), "The Ring", the rocking "Football Fight", the haunting wordless vocal on "The Kiss" and "Vultan's Theme".
   Bass player John Deacon contributed the instrumentals "Execution of Flash" (with Deaky on guitar) and "Arboria".
   Flash Gordon stalled at #24 but went Gold in the US. Notwithstanding sales, this soundtrack is a great film score for Queen and their best soundtrack ever!
   Recommended!

5 comments about Stripped.

1. This is the best "UNPLUGGED", album of the 90's.......Period !!! It is also the best stones cd, since the 80's.....Period !!! I wish it was longer ( ADD BROWN SUGER, HIDE YOUR LOVE -which would be great, because it's a missing gem and a blues song ). Maybe on a remaster ???? Man this album is to good not to add a few more songs ( length is a little short ), and re-sell it again................" I know I would buy 4 of them ". Thanks STONES for the best album of the 90's....." at least with ROCK-in-ROLL ".



2. The only thing wrong with this great listening cd, is it's length. I wish the STONES would have added another old hit ( like "brown sugar" ), and a old blues, hard to find song ( like "hide your love" )........TO THIS VERY WONDERFUL CD. !!! To be truthfull, it's the best of all the unplugged cd's on the market....and frankly the best stones cd of the 90's. THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER ONE.....just like this- old songs, hit songs, rare songs, blues songs-------------SO LISTEN-UP MICK. "This is some good stuff ". HECK !!! Go to the same places over again and record a SECOUND STRIPPED album.It's worth every dime, I paid for it. Thanks for makeing one of my favorite CD's of my LIFE.



3. The Stones are doing small theaters on the CD, as well as recording rehearsals and just messing around a bit. Since they usually are finely produced, this cd is a little peek behind the curtain. It is great fun.



4. There are interesting facts about the released of stripped:
   - Basically it is an "unpugged album" from the Stones.
   - It was the very first interactive cd.
   
   When I first bought this cd, it was the very first interactive multimedia record ever done (booklet came with instructions, intercative material, etc...also appears the very first Rolling stones site, by 1994 whe the internet was so new, the site shows only merchandise in just a few pages, all those years ago), it is very interesting looking and hearing "hidden tracks".
   Also, during the Voodoo Lounge tour, the Stones perform some "surprise gigs" in some cities.
   In the time of the Unplugged records, this is a testimony of great tracks recorded in a different way we used to hear the Stones.
   
   It is a great album, quite diferent, and of course "Like a Rolling Stones", a classic made a classic.



5. I own three live releases by the Rolling Stones. "Got Live (if you want it)", "Get Your Ya Ya's Out!" and "Stripped". As a musician who has been playing for over 40 years in various bands from reggae to rock to jazz I can tell you that Stripped is a far better set of performances than those on Get Your Ya Ya's Out and, to state the obvious, "Got Live...". For some reason, many people think Ya Ya's is the greatest live record of all time. That's highly debatable - see my "Get Your Ya Ya's Out" review that gives the reader an objective dose of reality (and people, I AM right about Get Your Ya Ya's Out). I'm pleased to tell you that Stripped has far better musicianship and the sound, while preserving that "loose" Stones feel, is much tighter that the performances on Get Your Ya Ya's Out. These guys used THIS release to strut their musicianship and it is excellent. Better than I'd thought, that's for sure.
   
   Most of the tracks on Stripped were recorded in front of a live audience but some are taken from rehearsals. This is basically an "unplugged" release (though there is plenty of electricity). In general, this release has an acoustic flavor to it though it's by no means a couple of guys strummin' guitars with Jagger singing.
   
   Some of the tracks on Stripped are actually better performances than the originals, Shine a Light for example. The version of Street Fighting Man is by far the best live rendition I've heard though no live version will ever remotely even approximate the original from Beggar's Banquet.
   
   In summary, there are no "stinker" tracks on Stripped, they are all very good and some I dare say are truly great (and I don't tend to like the Rolling Stones' live releases)! There's even some friendly word play among the performers between tunes and a humorous false start of "Love in Vain". Stripped is far more entertaining and enjoyable than Ya Ya's in my opinion - regardless of what all those Ya Ya's die hard fans might tell you. Ya Ya's is good but this is much better.

5 comments about A Bigger Bang.

1. Ah yes, the Stones 2005 release. Loved them at the Xcel in St. Paul.
   
   First: I am a huge Stones fan. I awaited this release with baited breath.
   
   Next: three years on, there is no need to fool around with giving this record more then two (three at the absolute outside, considering carefully the portfolio against which it is to be measured) stars.
   
   Let's face it. There are some pretty embarassing moments on this record that no Rolling Stones fan should have to endure. Rough Justice is a pretty fun, Ronny influenced song, but what's with the stupid chicken and cocks lyrics kicking it off--it calls into question the (ahem) songwriters' judgement, and puts a big damper on what otherwise is a pretty good song. And "Streets of Love" is simply stupid and unlistenable, suitable only for a soap opera, one of very few Rolling Stones songs to merit such a label. I used to think "Blinded by Love" was bad....
   
   And what about jello and tits in "Oh no"? Another perfectly good song ruined by a few poorly chosen lyrics.
   
   Three years is about the historical max for a gap between good Stones records. 1997's "Bridges to Babylon"--despite several weak tracks--the last record to have been released within the three year timeframe--has stood the test of time as a solid Stones record. "Saint of Me", "Thief in the Night", and "Juiced" join a venerable rock 'n' roll pantheon.
   
   Eight years is simply too long. If this is all the boys can muster up, then the simple truth is they should just quit pretending to create new music and rely on the timeless standards. (Incidentally, why wasn't a song like Bablylon's "Thief" or "Saint" included on the mostly excellent "Shine A Light" film? I mean, has there been nothing since 1983's "She Was Hot" worth recording? (And "She Was Hot" is one of the hottest tracks on a pretty good live record/film).
   
   I will say that there are some good songs on "Bigger Bang". "Let Me Down Slow" is a fine paeaen to the life of earlier days, and "Dangerous Beauty" is an effective send up of the Abu Ghraib crowd. But, if that's all you've got, release an EP already.



2. TO THE STONES , ----Don't let us (FANS) wait years and years for another album. This music is simply fun and exciting (GOOD), so keep going "ROLLING STONES". DON'T STOP..........DON'T WASTE YOUR TALENT.......MAKE ANOTHER ALBUM , " FAST" . You guy's are to good not to make more albums. (p.s.) MICK, your voice sounds great on this album......keep it going.



3. I know, this album has been out awhile and it doesn't need a review really, and this isn't a review. I just wanted to say this is STILL the greatest album in years by ANYONE. All these guys out there stating 'Oh, the Brian Jones era is the best', or 'Mick Taylor era is the best'-I agree-THEY ARE GREAT, but my answer to that is THE KEITH RICHARDS ERA IS THE BEST-which means EVERYTHING. And BIGGER BANG is just ULTRAKOOL.



4. Definitely not up to par with other albums -- very average IMHO. Loved "Bridge to Babylon" -- don't love this one.



5. I was curious to see what this bunch of 60+ guys are still capable of, and I knew it was generally considered a good effort, so I bought this the other day.
   
   Simple, kick-arse R'n'R is what I love; I also enjoy anyone sticking it to the Idiot in Chief - which is why I like Rough Justice and Sweet Neocon the most.
   
   Rough Justice is just great R'n'R.
   
   Many seem to have critiqued Sweet Neocon on two levels: as just a political message, and as a song.
   
   For me, I don't think you can separate the two. I see part of R'n'R as always being about rebellion, so the fact that the sound is rebellious just adds bite to the sarcasm of the lyrics
   
   as for the rest, none of it really grabs me that much, personally. Particularly the bluesy numbers, as my taste is R'n'R.
   
   I rate it 4 stars, because I think it's a good effort, just most of it doesn't appeal hugely to my taste.

5 comments about A Kind of Magic.

1. This is an odd album in the Queen catalog, essentially half a soundtrack with some other stuff thrown in. And it feels about halfway successful to me. "One Vision" is a great rocker and album opener. The title track is rather charming, and "Who Wants To Live Forever" is a goosebump-inspiring ballad. Unfortunately there is also some obvious filler here. Roger Taylor's "Don't Lose Your Head" is utterly pointless. I feel sorry that Freddie had to lend his voice to such rubbish. "Princes of the Universe" is an okay rocker, but with incredibly inane lyrics. Recommended for Queen fanatics and completists.



2. I don't understand how some people hate this album!!?
   C'mon! Princes Of The Universe, Gimme The Prize (seriously rocks!)
   One Vision, Who Wants To Live Forever, my god they're all Queen classics!
   I don't care, I love this record to death!



3. This is by far the worst album Queen has ever produced. Everything on this tired, flat & uninspired offering sounds like they were simply going through the motions. Drentched in cold sounding synths with no heart or soul. They couldn't even make up their minds whether to make this a soundtrack or not. It contains two of their worst songs ever (Pain is so close to pleasure & One year of love)
   It is small wonder why their popularity waned in the USA



4. I find the 5-star reviews here absolutely hilarious. This album is an embarrassment, and proof positive that Queen had exhausted all originality and creativity by the time this travesty was released in 1986.
   
   Compare the bland, slick, by-the-numbers, synth-laden junk on this album to albums like "A Night at the Opera" or "The Game." Where is there any of that distinctive Queen essence on this album? "One Vision" is an OK rocker, but "Gimme the Prize" is simply annoying. Freddie's new penchant for extreme oversinging (perhaps due to his lack of interest in the material) is on display in both songs, as well as in John Deacon's pleasant but utterly pedestrian "One Year of Love." How lazy do you have to be to write lyrics such as "a shooting star right through my heart"?
   
   "Don't Lose Your Head" is a complete waste of time courtesy of the band's worst songwriter (but fantastic drummer), Roger Taylor. "Pain is So Close to Pleasure" and "Friends Will Be Friends" are rare collaborative efforts from Deacon and Mercury, but both are lifeless and forgettable. But they are nothing compared to "Princes of the Universe," which is without doubt the most embarrassing song Queen every committed to disc. Freddie Mercury had used his last worthwhile ideas on his 1985 solo album, "Mr. Bad Guy," and this song, which substitutes noise for melody and features incredibly stupid lyrics, shows that he had nothing more to offer as a songwriter. It's hard to believe that the man who wrote "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "It's a Hard Life" could write something this godawful.
   
   Brian May's "Who Wants to Live Forever" is by far the best thing here--haunting, beautiful, and majestic. Roger Taylor's title song has a nice bassline and great guitar playing, but if this is a highlight of a Queen album, how far have they slipped?
   
   Only someone with no real appreciation for what Queen produced in their creative prime could give this album a rave review. Unfortunately, the follow-up disc ("The Miracle") was just as bad.



5. Queen's thirteenth album A Kind of Magic was released in June of 1986.
   The album was the band's first since their triumphant appearance at Live Aid. Before Live Aid, the band were about to split up but the band stole the show at the Wembley Stadium Live Aid show and were arguably the day's best act although Led Zeppelin's reunion performance at the Philadelphia show rivaled it.
   After the band won the crowd and gained more fans (yet still didn't convince the US that Queen were still superb), they went back in the studio to record A Kind of Magic where most of its tracks would appear in two films, Iron Eagle and Highlander. Is the re-juvanation good or bad for Queen, read on!
   We begin with the group composed "One Vision" which was written and recorded after their triumph at Live Aid. This great rocker just rocks and is one of the band's best 80s rockers and appeared in the movie Iron Eagle. Next is drummer Roger Taylor's composed title cut to A Kind of Magic and was written for the film Highlander. This pop number is a great song and was a classic 80s Queen track which not surprisingly did well outside America(Top 10 in most countries outside America). Next is bass player John Deacon's beautiful ballad "One Year of Love" which featured lead singer Freddie Mercury giving one of his best vocal performances. The saxophone solo from Steve Gregory complements nicely. Next is the Mercury/Deacon collaboration "Pain is So Close to Pleasure" is an up song with a soul influence, a great falsetto vocal from Freddie, solos from guitarist Brian May and is just a great number. Next is another Deacon/Mercury composition called "Friends Will Be Friends" which is a great triumphant song akin to We Will Rock You with some great vocals from Freddie and guitar solos from Brian.
   Brian outdoes himself on the album's second half opener "Who Wants to Live Forever" which is one of the saddest and most beautiful songs ever written. The orchestrations by the late Michael Kamen ties it in with the film's score seamlessly, and the vocal interplay between Brian and Freddie will bring tears to the eyes. Brian also composes the next track which is the rocker "Gimme the Prize" also known as Kurgan's Theme. Loud, bombastic, thundering, majestic and just plain evil sounding, this song captures the character of Kurgan. One can sense from the sound of this song the man's evil and his thirst for death. The samples from the movie showcasing some of the character's best lines certainly add to the overall atmosphere, and the guitar solo sounds oddly Scottish with an almost electric bagpipe sound. The drum and guitar riffs also tie in nicely with Princes of the Universe. Great song. Next is Roger's God-awful "Don't Lose Your Head" which is an annoyingly bad song. Its music and synth bassline was only used briefly in the film, but it worked. Here, it just sounds BORING and the lyrics were repetitive. Joan Armatrading's backup vocal was useless. The original vinyl albums ends with Freddie's short but epic Highlander unofficial theme "Princes of the Universe". The song is chock full of Queen's trademark vocal melodies and choruses, layers upon layers upon layers of guitars and vocals. Roger's drumming is top-notch on this song, just powerful and loud. Deacon's bass keeps the sound grounded, while May's guitar licks just soar to unbelievable heights.
   A Kind of Magic initially did well in the UK hitting #1 whilst in the US (trapped in hair metal and new wave city) stalled at #46. However, it would attain Gold status in later years.
   In 1991, A Kind of Magic was re-relased with two bonus tracks. The instrumental version of Who Wants to Live Forever called "Forever" and an extended version of One Vision.
   Great album although Don't Lose Your Head is an awful track.
   Recommended!

5 comments about Steel Wheels.

1. one great track in continental drift and a couple other worthy ones in driftin away and blinded by love but the rest are just product. the one stones album that i can do without



2. This is one of my favorite Stones albums. Fans give it mixed reviews, but I thought that they really put some creativity into this one. Yea, the album does have a rather polished late 80's slick sound to it, that seems to put off fans of the band's older grungier output, but there really are not any songs here that I don't like at least a little bit. Two hits came from the album "Mixed Emotions" and "Rock In A Hard Place" both of them good tunes. The album rocks in places with songs like "Sad Sad Sad" and "Hold On To Your Hat". Keith Richard's sings lead on two songs including the very nice "Slipping Away" and overall his and Ron Wood's guitar work shine throughout the album. The band experiment with a middle eastern motif on "Continental Drift" which could have fit right in on an album like "Satanic Majesties Request" back in the 60's. When this album was recorded the band had been on hiatus for a while. Jagger had done his first solo album and the band had not toured in several years. This album and tour was a comeback of sorts and a good one to my ears.



3. I like this album, it really energized the Rolling Stones in 1989, when they returned to performing. I saw them in Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in '89 , and it was the best Stones concert I ever saw, because they did so many of their anthems that they hadn't done in a while, plus new songs from this album. A welcome return to good songs, singing & playing here.
   
   I like the R&B influences, and background vocal assistment from long-time Stones stalwarts like Sarah Dash, Lisa Fischer & Bernard Fowler really add a nice touch to MIXED EMOTIONS, ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, and the awesome ALMOST HEAR YOU SIGH. This song is amazing - one of the best ballads that Mick ever sang, astounding lyrics, emotive vocal, and the R&B background vocals that make this a stellar Stones song. It should have been a bigger hit. A lot of people don't know it, but it is a real deep cut - a Stones hidden gem.
   
   Also love TERRIFYING and CONTINENTAL DRIFT with it's Mid-Eastern influences [ and used as the opener of the Steel Wheels tour ]. A very memorable Stones album here , one of their better latter peroid albums.



4. They are big only because they were one of the first Rock'n'Roll band.
   Their music is poor and so is the vocals. Poor band making poor music !



5. I love much of what the Rolling Stones have done during their long career. Unfortunatley, they keep churning out these crummy albums. It is hard for me to believe that the same people who recorded "Get Off Of My Cloud" put out this drivel. Only buy if you have to buy a gift for someone you don't like.

5 comments about Hot Rocks, 1964-1971.

1. This is some of the best rock and roll music ever made and it is all you need if you want to hear The Rolling Stones' greatest music.
   
   This is music made when they were a great band --and not filthy rich corporate shills that rock out for aging, middle class and yuppie baby boomer corporate drones; while sticking it to the people with absurdly high ticket prices, all for the glory of their lost youth and Budweiser or whoever the corporate god is to whom they pay tribute on that particular tour.



2. The Rolling Stones fall into a category similar to the Beatles and Beach Boys in that they have had so many hits and songs that they will never have a good greatest hits album because of the large number of songs they recorded. This includes most of the hits for the 1964-1971 hits of the Stones. If you are a huge Stones fan, you'll need another album in addition to this one to have complete "SATISFACTION" to have a more complete collection of the Stones hits. Every song on this album is a "Hot Rock" and the album is worth every penny especially for those who like only the Stones' songs from the 1960s and very early 70s.



3. When you talk about greatest hits albums by rock and roll stars, this is on the short list of the all-time best of such compilations. The Stones' "Hot Rocks" records some of their hottest rock hits. One could argue that other songs deserved to be on this album (e.g., "I'm Free" or "Not Fade Away" or one of the better tunes from "Their Satanic Majesties Request"). Nonetheless, this stands up extremely well.
   
   The 2 CD set begins with some of the oldest hits--"Time Is on My Side," "Heart of Stone," and "Play with Fire." Then, one of their greatest songs of all, "Satisfaction" (with the great guitar work of Keith Richards on this one). There follow several songs that have very different atmospherics--from the softer sounding "As Tears Go By," "Ruby Tuesday," "Let's Spend the Night Together," and "Wild Horses." There are also the more raucous rockers like "Get off of My Cloud," the marvelous "Jumping Jack Flash" (with one of the classic guitar riffs of all time), and "Street Fighting Man," the raunchy "Honky Tonk Women," and "Brown Sugar." Among the most exciting of such songs is "Midnight Rambler," a live version of their "tribute" to the "Boston Strangler," with lines that are quite evocative. Another of those strange raucous rockers: "Sympathy for the Devil." Here, they tell the story of misery over time, with the Devil at the heart of Jesus' death, the Czar's Death with the Bolshevik Revolution, World War II ("I rode a tank while the bodies stank") and the American political murders of the 1960s ("Well who killed the Kennedys?"). There are also those songs that tell stories that make one reflect a bit, such as "19th Nervous Breakdown," "Mother's Little Helper," "Paint It Black" (one of the bigger downers among hit songs in the 1960s), "You Can't always Get What You Want."
   
   All in all, a wonderful compilation of their greatest hits from 1964 through 1971. So much quality material was produced that there was enough left over for the follow up "More Hot Rocks." While there is much good and even great Stones' material since 1971, there is nothing like the density of quality work from those few years. But, one wonders, how could there be?
   
   If anyone is interested in understanding the roots of the Rolling Stones body of work, this is a must buy.



4. The Rolling Stones were the original Bad Boys of rock. The Beatles and other groups of the early and mid-60s had a clean-cut image that the Rolling Stones deliberately flaunted with their facial expressions, appearance, and blues-influenced music that lyrically was more challenging than most other popular contemporary groups. The closest contemporary group to the Rolling Stones was Aerosmith, before they too became more commercial. Now so many groups attempt to affect a bad boy image that the image has been watered down and no longer has much meaning. But in the 60s, the Rolling Stones were the definition of rebellion and thinly veiled sexuality.
   
   This collection of hits recalls the Rolling Stones at their most rebellious and cutting edge. In the still relatively proper (read Victorian-like) year of 1965 the song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" bordered on being scandalous. When the boys sang with their shirts open with movements that pushed beyond Elvis Presley's hips, you knew that these lads were something different. Later songs such as "Let's Spend the Night Together" pretty removed the pretense of veiled sexuality.
   
   As the Rolling Stones moved into the late 60s their music changed steadily, frequently anticipating the direction of popular music. The ubiquitous sitar of psychedelic 60s music makes an incredible appearance in "Paint It, Black." Their music became heavily blues influenced in songs like "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Wild Horse." The vocals on the last song particularly were heavy, plaintive and emotional, very different from the Stones' early music.
   
   There is an on-going debate over the value of this CD versus "40 Licks." I do not have "40 Licks," which is also a fine CD. Many of the songs on this CD are represented on "40 Licks." However, "40 Licks" seems to me to belie the original Stones bad boy image because of the inclusion of so many commercial songs from the later decades of their career. "Hot Rocks" still provides the illusion of the original Bad Boy Stones at their 60s anti-establishment, rebellious best. Understanding the flavor you get from each CD, pick the one that fits what you want to hear, or buy both.
   
   The Rolling Stones were heavily influential in the 60s. The music on this CD represents that influence, and shows The Rolling Stones during their most consistently creative and stylistically unique best. This CD is a valuable recording for any collector of Rolling Stones music or cutting edge music of the 60s.
   
   Note that there is also an SACD version of this CD available, though at a price that is usually different from the price of this CD. Choose the version that best fits your needs!
   
   Enjoy!



5. This greatest hits package got me very interested in the Stones in the mid 70s and marked a major transition in my musical tastes from pop to rock, back when I was about 13 and just starting high school. While I was long tacitly aware of them, when I was younger, I simply didn't get them. Once I became a teen, I did.
   
   Covering on the first disk the Stones major hits, we see their transition from an r&b influenced band to a pop hit maker in the midst of swinging London, to a kind of dark, rebellious force in music (or so the press would have the world believe), exploring some rather dark, adult oriented, and/or political themes which had not apparently been explored in combination to quite that extent. Let's Spend the Night Together is the perfect track to end disk one, as it nicely segues into the classic Stones sound of disk two. It is here in which their sound becomes much looser and much more sensuous and primal. Rarely has a band written as many classic rock and roll songs as Street Fighting Man, Jumpin Jack Flash, Sympathy For The Devil, Honky Tonk Women, Brown Sugar, and Midnight Rambler. There would be more to come, but these songs, along with all the rest of disk two, are where the Rolling Stones secured their legend and their reputation as "the world's greatest rock and roll band." Who am I to argue with that assessment?

5 comments about Aftermath (UK).

1. This is one of the best Rolling Stone records. It was also their frst masterpiece. If you already own the U.S. version of this album, buy it anyway. The extended version of "Out of time" and additional tracks "What to do" and "Take it or leave it" are worth the buy. This album demonstrates a transition of The Stones to a unique English style that infusses blues,folk,pop,progressive and dark themes, which paved the way for modern music.



2. The Stones, right before the change, of Between The Buttons and Their Satanic...where they struggled for their sound and identity, to regain it, with such future classics as Jumpin' Jack Flash, Street Fighting Man, Gimme Shelter etc, til the beginning of their downfall with Exile (3 great songs, and it makes all them stupid critic's lists).
   
   This was the first album where the Stones wrote all their material, and what gems are contained here! They were never snottier, or more sexist! (hooray!) Mother's Little Helper is of course a classic; how more obnoxious can you get than with an opening line like "what a drag it is getting old"? Good drug song.
   
   Stupid Girl! Ah, what a great song about a stuck-up, narcissistic woman.
   An underrated classic, just like this album. Nobody seems to know how great this LP is, it's like an appendage to a greatest hits collection, to make your classic Stones collection complete.
   Great lines here: "she purrs like a pussycat; then she turns around and hisses back" (must've been about a Scorpio chick!)
   The whole song has such wonderful venomous lyrics!
   
   Lady Jane -- a love song following that? nah, this is sarcasm at its best I feel. This is probably the most sonically stunning song on this superb remaster (sure sounds a lot better than my old German CD version). The interlude is positively beautiful.
   
   Other highlights are Doncha Bother Me, the horny Going Home (Mick's building up steam there, determined, he's gonna be back, oh YEAH. Great bluesy number); Out Of Time (another great sexist song; the message: you're too late, b---h! your loss, clearly ["my poor DISCARDED baby"]); I Am Waiting (the saddest song here -- "stand of coming years, escalation fears, you will find out" -- sadder than the truth behind Mother's Little Helper); What To Do (super-catchy number); and of course, the piece de resistance of sexism, Under My Thumb.
   
   What a classic song! While Social Distortion did a brilliant couple (okay, FOUR) cover versions with incredible venom, there's no need here; she's clearly just a "squirmy dog" who "does just what she's told" and, best of all this so-called conquerer of men who once had our protagonist down -- "the way she talks when she's spoken to" --YEAH!!!! Also, "her eyes are just kept to herself". This may be the greatest song ever!
   For any guy who's been done wrong, this is YOUR song!
   In fact, it's the way to BE!
   It's like "Heart Of Stone", yknow?, except HERE the Stones MEAN it!
   
   A vicious album; yet not angry in delivery: The Stones know who's boss. (60's rock stars!)
   
   My fave Stones album easily, after this I'd say --well first you need at least "Hot Rocks" or something, a best-of, covering the 60's. Then this, and then, well, the merits of Got Live If You Want It is widely debated, but I think it's great, just give me the old stereo mix with just Mick's vocals and handclaps in the right channel, and the band in the left, and you've got the next best album.
   
   I don't care less what they're doing now, they've been miserable for the most part after the 60s, although especially after It's Only Rock n Roll (and the incredible live period with Mick Taylor, their best guitarist ever, forget Richards next to HIM!). Plus, after Tattoo You, nothing by them is any good.
   
   Their peak, really. From the best year in popular rock and roll music, 1966, coincidentally when the bands influenced by the Stones were legion.
   
   Your best choice after a greatest hits for one of their 60s albums, much better than those that preceded it, or came after.



3. This remastered album has lost much of the edge of the original. A classic that has been rendered ordinary



4. I really enjoy this collection of Rolling Stones songs. I have the belief the band was at their very best in the late 60's during the pop and psychedelic blues rock/country rock period of their career (and just before) and starting with Let It Bleed, they went downhill (a little).
   
   This album has nothing but one catchy pop hook after another, and I couldn't be happier. It also has pretty and delicate songs such as "Lady Jane" and "I Am Waiting", which are songs that are sure to please those who love "Ruby Tuesday" and "As Tears Go By". The long version of "Out of Time" is much appreciated as well. A classic.
   
   "Mother's Little Helper" is still one of the Stones very best pop songs. Love it. I really like the entire album. The only problem is that the disc doesn't work with every CD player. I have a Sony CD player that's about 15 years old, and the disc refuses to work. I don't know what to do about that. It appears to work with every other CD player I have though. Be careful about this.



5. This album is not the hybrid SACD version as listed on the website. Just the DSD remastered CD. Customer Service could not ensure the product was correct before it was shipped. The Customer Service centers are not in the same location as the fulfillment centers.
   For these reasons, they are unable to check the physical details of an
   item for you. They did however say they would accept a return no problem.

5 comments about Voodoo Lounge.

1. This album is stunningly good with the 50 something year old Stones shockingly soaring to creative heights not seen in more than 15 years, and most assumed would never been seen again. Indeed the fans agreed as the album reached #2 in the charts (#1 in England) and would be 6th highest selling original studio album of the 25 they made. The tour that followed the release of the album remains by far the highest grossing tour in musical history. Some critics said the album was great but broke no new ground. They could not be further from the truth as the album features scores of great songs totally unlike anything the Stones had ever done before including "The Worst", "Moon is Up", "Brand New Car" and "Suck on the Jugular".
   
   The album opens with "Love is Strong" an instant classic in the long line of legendary opening songs such as "Rocks Off", "If You Can't Rock Me", "Start Me Up" and "One Hit to the Body". One of the amazing things on this record is Mick's singing is as good as any point in his career showing off tremendous range and featuring the most interesting lyrics since Some Girls. A critic for Rolling Stone Magazine at the time accurately called Mick's singing on this record as "sheer pleasure". It is followed by "You Got Me Rocking" for the best 1-2 hard rock punch to kick off a Stones album since Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street from the early `70s.
   
   Voodoo, which was named after a stray cat that wandered into the recording studio that was adopted by Richards, has 15 tracks without an ounce of filler, amazing for an album that would have been a double album back in the vinyl days. There are so many great songs, I can't cover them all, but they include Keith's soulful country ballad "The Worst" with Wood on slide guitar, which has more heart than anything you would hear all day listening to a Country Music station. "New Faces" and "Out of Tears" are 2 of the best Stones ballads ever, in the same league as "Tell Me", "Wild Horses", "Angie" and "Waiting on a Friend".
   
   "I Go Wild" is a blistering rocker with a lyrical tale that will have you on the ground laughing at the list of women that "the doctor" recommends avoiding and may in fact be a generic list of Mick's voluminous encounters over the previous half century. "Brand New Car" is one of the most original and cleaver songs ever by the Stones. To this day, most people including veteran rock DJs think this song is about a car. Let me tell you a secret, it has nothing to do with a car and you will be embarrassed when you finally figure it out. Again, Jagger's singing is phenomenal. "Suck on the Jugular" features a beat from drummer Charlie Watts that is unlike any musical style you have ever heard and it works great. "Thru and Thru" is another Richards vocal that is also quite unlike anything you have ever heard, except it doesn't work quite as well as some of the other highly originally crafted songs on this album.
   
   This Album is definitely in the Stones top 10 and possibly in their top 5 which is an amazing feat for the band at this advanced stage in the band's career with so many legendary albums in their wake. It did not go unnoticed by their peers as indicated by their comments just after the release of the album. Angus Young of AC/DC: "Wow, when they want to, they can rock with anyone". Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull: "They are still easily the best band in the world". Roger Waters of Pink Floyd: "If there were one band I wished I was in, it would be the Rolling Stones, because they are so sexy". Gene Simmons of Kiss: "You are talking about a band that continues to be the consummate Rock `N Roll band in the world."
   
   Voodoo Lounge and their other `1990s release Bridges to Babylon (1997) are both far superior to the bands 4 1980s releases and both were followed by massive awe inspiring tours. Voodoo is a must have album, especially for those of you who incorrectly assume Some Girls was their final legendary effort. Overall Grade: A
   
   Other Stones album ratings
   
   1) Some Girls (1978) A+
   2) Let It Bleed (1969) A+
   3) Sticky Fingers (1971) A+
   4) Exile on Main Street (1972) A+
   5) Voodoo Lounge (1994) A
   6) Beggar's Banquet (1968) A
   7) Black and Blue (1976) A
   8) It's Only Rock `N Roll (1974) A
   9) Bridges to Babylon (1997) A-
   10) Out of Their Heads (1965) A-
   11) Goat's Head Soup (1973) A-
   12) Aftermath (1966) A-
   13) A Bigger Bang B+ (2005)
   14) Between the Buttons (1967) B+
   15) Tattoo You (1981) B+
   16) Now! (1964) B+
   17) Emotional Rescue (1980) B
   18) Steel Wheels (1989) B
   19) Dirty Work (1986) B-
   20) Undercover (1983) B-
   21) England's Newest Hit Makers (1963)B-
   22) December's Children (1965) B-
   23) 12 X 5 (1964) B-
   24) Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967) C



2. Many critics and fans, even the so called diehards refuse to acknowledge any Stones album post 1981 or even post 1973 as great. Voodoo Lounge is truly a great album. The one thing all Stones albums have in common is there at least 1 classic on each. You Got Me Rocking, I Go Wild, The Worst, and above all, Love Is Strong, are, if not classic, very very good tracks. Love Is Strong is just a classic. It's everything the Stones are about, bluesy, raunchy, and powerful. The video alone makes it memorable. You Got Me Rocking has become a live showstopper. As with many of the recent Stones albums, Keith's songs stand out above the rest. The Worst is just a beautifully written song that has meaning and is delivered in a way that is genuine. Voodoo Lounge deserves credit as one of the classic Stones albums. It's no "Exile..." or "Sticky Fingers", but it's better than anything they've put out since Tattoo You.



3. I have tried to listen to the Rolling Stones many times but the result is always the same, I just don't like their music. I don't understand why they are so big with so limited talent. Mick Jagger is not a signer, this band should consider themself very lucky to have been in the fisrt band in the history of Rock'n'Roll because I am sure they would never have such success if their career started in the 70's when there were many more bands to choose from.



4. This is the best Stones album since TATTOO YOU. It is much, much better than STEEL WHEELS was, there is a wider range of material and it is better. It seems like on their latest couple of albums they were going through the motions. This one is not that way. Especially songs like "Sparks Will Fly" really kick [...], there is no filler involved. Mind you, the Stones are now past the age of "Brown Sugar" and "Rocks Off." They are no longer in their prime, but for a bunch of aging icons this really does the job. ENJOY!



5. The Rolling Stones need ears. The unissued outtakes and alternate takes of these cuts are all superior, every one (same is true for "Steel Wheels"). Mostly it's a matter of Richards' guitar work being mixed way down in favor of Jagger's vocals. Strange and even fascinating odd sonic experiments are mixed down into mush. Either they work on it so hard they don't hear it any more, or Jagger's ego is the trump card on the take choices. Maybe a few decades from now the best takes will be issued and this will be tossed. An OK album as issued; brilliant if the best takes had been chosen, if not on the level of "Exile". I hate George Martin's stereo mixes of the Beatles (as opposed to their own mono choices) but it's a crime the Stones didn't have a George Martin in the 70s and 80s. Don Was on "Stripped" (an excellent overlooked album) showed what could happen if they did.

5 comments about Love You Live.

1. Initially released as a double-album on September 23, 1977, Love You Live sizzled due to what then was side three (on disc two of the double-CD), the 1977 performances from the El Mocambo club in Toronto, Canada.
   
   The four songs - Mannish Boy, Crackin' Up, Little Red Rooster and Around And Around - performed before a raucous audience, sum up the roots of Rock-n-Roll and the power of the band in such an intimate setting.
   
   The arena performances are drawn from the Tour of the Americas (1975) and Tour of Europe (1976), with Billy Preston and Ian Stewart on piano. The consummate showmanship of Mick Jagger is especially heard in the tongue-in-cheek classic, Star Star.
   
   The Andy Warhol artwork was supplemented by Jagger's pencil smears. The band literally built arena extravaganzas, but it's back to the bars which makes this release a winner.



2. As a long time self-professed Stones fanatic, I have gone back and forth with this record for as long as I have owned it (about twenty years). Let's be honest here, after 'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!', there is no Rolling Stones live album really worth a damn. 'Love You Live' was issued in September 1977 during the era of the double live record and it has a 'going through the motions' feel through about 3/4's of the thing. Jagger doesn't even bother to sing....("You Can't Always Get What You Want" being a notable exception) it's almost if he is parodying the very notion of recording a live concert or he's parodying himself, the conceit just oozes from his voice. It really is no surprise that during an admittedly fallow period for the band, 'Live' would rear its head. The El Mocambo songs are indeed the highlights of the record and take on immediate urgency due to inner turmoil of the band due to Keith's drug bust. (Band intros are lame though.) It does seem like a miracle that Keith got out of this jam and the band made 'Some Girls' after this tedious outing. "Honky Tonk", "Sympathy", "Happy", "Dice", "Brown Sugar" and "Jack Flash" have all been performed better with much more memorable live versions (such as from 'Ya-Ya's' or the concert film 'Ladies and Gentlemen') and that is why they all have a hohum kind of feel to them, although the guitar interplay between Keef and Woody on "Sympathy" is exceptional (still not better than 'Ya-Ya's'). Much to the consternation of longtime fans, the Stones would churn out another five live records!!!!! Why???? Do we really need to hear another version of "Satisfaction" or "Brown Sugar"? I know I'm in the minority here but 'Love You Live' is nothing special and should be seen for what it really was, a stop gap cash grab and not great live rock n' roll.



3. Exhilarating and enticing is Mannish Boy and Around and Around. I can skip my morning expresso by waking up to this high voltage recording.
   
   My other favorite on this CD is Crackin' Up. Mick is his racy, hyperactive singer throughout the CD and I highly recommend it.



4. This live recording has some great music on it. Especially enjoyable is the small-house set of old blues numbers. However, all the songs are well-done, with great finesse and energy, and this is a very satisfying Rolling Stones live album. Four and a half stars.



5. This is the best live Stones album since Get Yer Ya-Yas Out. Really enjoy it. Had it on 8-track "back in the day" and finally got the CD version. Band sounds terrific throughout, especially in the club setting. Like the Stones? You'll like this one.

5 comments about Magic Bus.

1. Righfully regarded as the weakest Record that The Who released in The Swinging Sixties, it is a lot of Fun to listen to. Decca USA, wanted something by The Who in the Record Bins for Christmas Time 1968. It was thought that Pete's new project "Deaf,Dumb and Blind Boy", would be ready for the Holidays, but this Epic was still in the early stages of Production. So, they did what Record Companies do, they found Songs from Old records; A Quick One" & "Sell Out". Singles from Sweden, B-Sides and {Well, You get the Idea}. And: "Magic Bus, The Who On Tour", was born. The English Record, was called: "Direct Hits" and is very different from this, it's American 2nd Cousin.
   
   As the Music that The Who was making in the Sixties was so different from everybody else. From The Pop-Art-On-Acid Cover to the 11 tracks inside this is a Strange Little Curio of it's day.
   
   John Entwistle gets Major exposure on: "Magic Bus" with three selections included: "Doctor,Doctor", "Somebody's Coming" and "Dr, Jeckell & Mr. Hyde". Keith gets to live his Surf Fantasy with: "Bucket T" & "Call Me Lightning". Some of Pete's Best is right here as well: "I Can't Reach You","Our Love Was" & "Disguises".
   
   Was this an important Record for the Band? ....No
   Is it everybody's favorite Who Album? ....Nope
   Is it a lot of Fun? ....You Betcha !!!



2. I love The Who more than anyone. I am the biggest fan, but I have a bone to pick with the first reviewer on here who said this is a "classic live" album. It is NOT a live CD, even though many people continue to claim this. Every song on here is a studio version, just like the original 1968 LP and the first CD version released in the 1980s. I wonder if the first reviewer even listended to this CD, or the original LP for that matter.
   
   Peace, and long live the mighty WHO!



3. This Japanese mini-lp replica version of Who, Magic Bus, the most classic live album released by The Who, is simply a work of art! Very beautifully designed with all the lyrics included and with a sound quality remastered 24-BIT to perfection. Wonderful Japanese OBI strip, really a work of art!
   This is by far the best version of this album that is out there; great sound quality, great packaging! A must have in any CD collector's library.



4. Sure it's hard to think of this as being much of an album. But since it wasn't even conceived as one, you can't necessarily just write this off as "Magic Bus" and a bunch of filler, either. Granted,including the already available "Run Run Run" and "Pictures of Lily" isn't helping my argument, but I'd hate to see some of the others lost to the obscurity of some rarities collection -- if ever released at all.
   
   Chief amonst them, for me, has got to be Entwistle's "Doctor, Doctor." Does anyone else not see and hear the genius in this? Recorded in April '67 soon after "Pictures of Lilly" and appearing as its b-side, it's a lovably goofy and psychedelic testament to the way things were back in Mod London in the greatest year in rock history. Townshend's heavily distorted guitar crashes and burns, as it often did literally back then. Entwistle sings the words of this miserable mess of a patient (is it real, or is he just a hypochondriac?) in a wonderful falsetto and, if my ears do me right, I would swear that's Moonie joining in on the doubled parts -- it's the perfect song for him, too.



5. This cd was released after THE WHO SELL OUT did not do for the WHO what it should have. This cd contains some "A" and "B" sides and also songs included on THE WHO s' second and third albums (A QUICK ONE and SELLS OUT). At the moment of its release THE WHO had enough songs recorded for a follow up to SELLS OUT (Faith in Something Bigger, Jaguar, Glow Girl, Dogs, Magic Bus, Doctor Jeckyl and Mr. Hide, Girls Eyes and some others). The story says that Keith Lambert (the Who s' great manager and producer), wanted to release a record with a name like "Who s' for Tennis" (horrible name for an album). So someone at DECCA/MCA (their record company), decided to do "this" including their then new 45 "Magic Bus". This cd includes some songs recorded for WHO SELLS OUT in a different mix. Also 3 John Entwistle compositions: "Doctor Doctor", "Someone is Coming", "Doctor Jeckyl & Mr. Hide, this one has not yet appeared on any other cd, mix or version and is one of his best songs (sadly they never played in concert).
   
   It also includes the horrible "Buckett T" (a number one single in Sweden--they have bad taste there). The also not favorite of mine 45 Who single "Call me lightning" is here (a number 54 in the US charts) and of course "Pictures of Lily" (a number 4 in England), and "Magic Bus" (a number 25 in US charts). From the Who s' second album "Run, Run, Run" and a strage mix of "Disguises" (it sounds as a razor edge in Roger s' mic).
   
   If you are a real WHO fan, then you should have this because of "Jeckyl and Hide) and "Magic Bus", and also the other songs that have different mixes.