5 comments about Strange Days.

1. There are great Doors albums, but "Strange Days" is in a class by itself. Many second albums are problematic because there was a lifetime to make the first, and 2 months in the midst of a tour to write and record the second. "Strange Days" was helped by solid writing, musicianship and great production (including the graphics-the cover is beautiful). In retrospect, the songwriting combination was a one-two punch of Morrison and Kreiger. Guitarist Robbie Krieger, author of "Light My Fire" also wrote "Love Me Two Times" and other great gems. His symbiotic creative relationship with Morrison was bedrock for Doors material. All four of them made the tune into a track, hence the collective writing credit. I saw much of this album performed live in 1968. It was a great show. Great album. Incidentally, people ARE strange when you're a stranger, but you knew that.



2. This is The Doors darkest album. Thats saying alot. Some people also say this is there best album. It could be. This was when The Doors were at the height of there musical careers. The critics loved them, the market loved them, everybody loved them. This album has everything. Love(Love Me Two Times),lust(You Lost Little Girl),mystery(Strange Days,People Are Strange),chaos(Horse Latitudes),and poetry(When The Music's Over). Even some drug music(My Eyes Have Seen You,). There are some truly amazing moments in this album. From the genius journey of When The Music's Over to the quick mood change from Horse Latitudes to Moonlight Drive. It's not perfect, but it's damn close. It's haunting,magical,wonderful. The Doors first album was an introduction. This album shows the dark side of The Doors. There are many things to find beyond this door.



3. The Doors-Strange Days *****
   
   
   Darker then the bands purple hued debut album could not be more true. Strange Days is simply one of the darkest and greatest albums in all of rock n' roll history. The band came close with their debut but Strange Days is where The Doors sealed the deal as the greatest band in all of the psycadelic genre of rock n' roll. All bets were off when this was released no more then six months after their emphamous debut. Anything experimental was a must on this record. Paul Rothchilds amazing production is at its stunning best here. Strange Days sounds more like it was recorded in 1997 rather then in 1967. The sound is big and phenomonal musician ship sure helped out. Robby Krieger played some of the best guitar of his career, while John Densmore became more experimental on this album then the first, and Ray Manzerek laid down some outstanding keyboard playing here, proving he is in fact the king of the keyboards. Jim "The Lizard King" Morrison showcases some of his most powerful vocals here, and his lyrics are as we all know are amazing, a true poet in a rock gods body.
   
   The album opens with the errie title track 'Strange Days' which is not only the perfect way to start the album, but also one of the bands very best songs. The dark keyboards set the stage for the rest of the album. 'You're Lost Little Girl' is very out there and a hard track to describe much less define, one that honestly has to be heard to appreciate. 'Love Me Two Times' as we all know is one of the greatest songs of all time. The guitar is phenomenal, and Morrisons vocals are top notch here. 'Unhappy Girl' is an amazing song. It some how manages to mesh the bright happy go lucky Beachboys/early Beatles/Supremes sound of the 1960's with a darker twist to make one of the bands most creative creations. 'Horse Latitudes' is mearly just a Morrison poem set to music. Mainly just spoken word, but makes for a very interesting track none the less. 'Moonlight Drive,' the very song Jim Morrison sung for Manzerek in hopes if getting him to start a band with himself. Some impressive slide guitar work from Krieger makes for one classic song. 'People Are Strange' is yet another rock n' roll classic. The movie "The Lost Boys" used the song as their theme. One of the most errie songs in all of rock n' roll and also one of the best. 'My Eyes Have Seen You' may be a bit repetitive but it is one of the very best songs the band ever did. The guitar is out of this world and Morrisons vocals are the best here that they are on the entire album. Fantastic song. 'I Cant See Your Face In My Mind' is the weakest song on the album, and really the only weak song on the album. It is just missing something. But still really not a bad song, just not memorable. 'When The Musics Over' is quite simply one of the very best songs ever written and recorded in all of music...ever! 'When The Musics Over' is to Strange Days what 'The End' was to the bands selftitled debut The Doors. Robby Krieger plays the best guitar of his career on this song, and the solo alone is worth every penny of the album cost. The lyrics are maybe Morrisons best. The whole band plays together as if they are on one eleven minute acid trip, which makes for an amazingly interestingly never boring yet very long song. The Doors couldnt have recorded a better song to end the album with. The song may be teh very best song to ever end a rock n' roll album.
   
   The Doors was an amazing album, and L.A. Woman was better then that, but Strange Days is easily the singlegreatest thing The Doors ever recorded. Even if they had stayed together and Morrison had not went to the otherside, they might have come close but would have never topped this. Esentially one of the greatest albums in all of musical history, Stranges Days by The Doors is one of those albums that changed the world and is esential to every music collection along with Srg. Pepper, Kind Of Blue, Dark Side Of The Moon, Highway 61 Revisited, and Nevermind.



4. After their maiden album that was so great, The Doors' Strange Days is not as strong as their first. There's solid stuff on it but it runs out of steam in the last three songs. The album's magnum opus (When the music's over) is too long for its own good.
   
   Standout tracks:
   
   -Strange Days.
   -You're lost little girl.
   -Love me two times.
   -Unhappy girl.
   -Moonlight drive.
   -People are strange.
   
   I give it four stars.



5. I've always taken the Doors with a grain of salt--I love the cosmopolitan influences that contribute to their unique, dark fusion of hard rock and psychedelia, and I really love Jim Morrison's inimitable baritone voice. However, I've found Morrison to be a constantly overrated lyricist who had a few transcendental moments but produced equal amounts of uninspired, shallow, and atrociously-rhymed lyrics, often obviously choosing predictable rhymes or choosing a word that doesn't fit the idea just because it rhymes. However, I do enjoy their music very much, and I find that Strange Days (along with their debut) is the album I come back to most often.
   
   Any radio-listener will recognize several songs--the gnarly blues-guitar riff and hot harpsichord of "Love Me Two Times," the sing-song paranoia of "People are Strange," and the trippy hard rock of "Strange Days." Unlike a large number of Doors albums, though, the rest of Strange Days is pretty uniformly strong as well. From slower, jazzier numbers like "You're Lost Little Girl" to the driving rock of "My Eyes Have Seen You," to the downright spooky "I Can't See Your Face in My Mind," the album contains strong examples of the Doors' trademark musical mishmash of jazz, classical, blues and psychedelic influences. "Horse Latitudes" is also one of the most compelling and creepy piece of Jim Morrison's poetry ever recorded. Finally, the album's closer, "When the Music's Over" is an instant epic classic. Its deliciously funky organ riff intro gives away to a classic Morrison howl and some classical episodes of scary imagery and dark hippie ethos.
   
   As usual, the flamenco-inspired guitar is lively and varied, the jazz-inflected drumming is spot-on, and the keyboards are virtuosic and range across several instruments and styles. The Doors may have hit hardest on their debut, but with Strange Days they showed their staying power and even improved their formula. Highly recommended for radio fans of the Doors looking to dig a bit deeper.

5 comments about The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.

1. I was in college when this came out. I guess it was only released in the UK and probably on TV. Still it brought back memories of the time - 1968. Everyone looked so young in the video, still the music was great especially if you want to see the Who and the Stones and what they looked like 40 years ago. The production was perhaps a little amaeturish but still a fun watch.



2. This is a great CD, I really enjoy The Who's performace of 'A Quick one While He's Away' Taj Mahal's 'Aint That A Lot Of Love.' I play this CD over and over again.



3. The Stones, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, The Who: A snapshot in Rock and Roll History, (before everyone grew to hate Yoko). I think one of the last live Stones shows with Brian. The Who are at their carnival best. Clapton does Yer' Blues better on the Live Peace in Toronto album, (when everyone started to hate Yoko). The rest of the players are just OK.



4. this video is a classic. jethro tull starts the concert out with a very real performance. the who, Marianne faithful, and especially taj mahal give great performances. then mick sits down w/john lennon to introduce the band john plays w/quite a performance w/clapton on lead guitar , mitch mitchells from experience on drums and keith richards on guitar. then yoko joins them.
   the finale is by the stones who give incredible perfomances on every cut. they follow sympathy of the devil, which easily could have been the finale w/salt of the earth. its a very touching number. buy this dvd, you will be gald you did enjoy dharma



5. I was so looking forward to seeing the "young" English cats, but the product was just a CD of the Circus, not a DVD ! Don't even know if I got credit when I returned it !!

5 comments about The Song Remains The Same: Soundtrack From The Led Zeppelin Film.

1. Led Zeppelin's first live album which was the soundtrack to their movie The Song Remains the Same was released in October of 1976.
   Many people complained about this album but the reasons for this and its off-shoot film was because of lead singer Robert Plant still being out of commission from injuries in a car crash in 1975 and a lack of a tour to support the band's 1976 Presence album (one of their best IMHO).
   Guitarist Jimmy Page then flew to New York to mix the live shows, that the band performed in July of 1973 on its Houses Of The Holy Tour at Madison Square Garden, at Electric Lady Studios with engineer Eddie Kramer.
   What came out was a killer live album, as I found out when I first got the album on cassette tape on January 25, 1986 (one day after turning 10) and having seen the movie.
   We begin side one with a spirited "Rock and Roll" which buries the studio version. Next we segue into "Celebration Day", which was not in the movie but is, a great rocker and even better live. Then we go into a spirited version of "The Song Remains the Same" which buries the studio version by a longshot. Next is "The Rain Song" which is actually longer on the album than in the movie but a powerful version.
   Side two (or end of CD one) is a 27 minute version of "Dazed and Confused" which is somewhat different than the film version but just as good. The violin bow section was the best I ever heard. Also, the jam that goes on is amazing and it ends with a killer Page solo and a killer John Bonham drum solo at the end.
   Side three (or first two tracks of CD two) begins with a 12 minute plus "No Quarter" which is slightly different than the film version and a bit longer as well but still a killer rendition. We follow with arguably the best version of "Stairway to Heaven" which is 11 minutes of majestic bliss and I can play this repeatingly.
   Side four (or last two tracks of CD two) starts off with a killer version of "Moby Dick" which shows the late Bonzo behind his drum kit playing his heart out at the drum kit and tympani be it with drumsticks or barehanded! We end with a powerful "Whole Lotta Love" which is longer than the film edit as the film was missing the jam which had some references to the Houses Of The Holy track The Crunge. The theramin and Plant screaming section was superb with bass player John Paul Jones and Bonzo adding a great riff to it. Then the medley of Boogie Mama was excellent before going back to Whole Lotta Love and ending with Bonzo's literally "flaming gong" bashes.
   When released, TSRTS soundtrack went to #2 on The Billboard album charts and went Multi-Platinum off the bat proving Led Zeppelin sold records on MUSIC and not image.
   Recommended!



2. I'm not one for live albums, but in this case, I'll make an exception. But then, this is Led Zeppelin, one of the new bands that is better live than in the studio. Even if you're not collecting everything they have to offer, the stuff here can't be found anywhere else, so you have to get it.



3. I am very surprised to see so many people rate this 4 and less... After having heard this album for the first time in 20 years, I am absolutely amazed at the quality of these performances, from a musical point of view, forgetting for the moment the entertainment value of these concerts (who can deny that seeing Led Zep live in their prime was as close to seeing the face of God as a 15-year old can get to?). These recordings feature some of the finest improvizations, vocal and instrumental, that are available by this great band, and showcase their mastery. While faithful to the studio versions, the live songs bring out a different kind of glow and energy. To top it off, the sound quality is excellent for that period, they must have spent a fortune on recording equipment, and it shows.



4. Actually 4- 1/2 stars. The first disc is 5 stars, hands down. From the opener "Rock-N Roll," followed by a supercharged version of "Celebration Day," The ultimate "one/ two" punch of "The Song Remains The Same/ The Rain Song," and the sinister, occult feel of "Dazed and Confused," this is simply stellar musicianship and raw, agressive power. The instumental middle section of "The Rain Song," with Page's arpeggiated diminished chords over John Paul Jones' astounding mellotron work is, without a doubt, one of the most stunningly beautiful musical moments I have ever encountered. These guys could rock but also were very gifted musicians, capable of creating dense, complex themes. A very unique outfit, perfectly blending the thunderous with the sublime. And this recording captures this in a very wonderful way. As far as the second disc, every song is played superbly, but the reason for my subtracting 1/2 star is the improvisational sections which are quite long. Combined with the stunning visual aspect of the film of the same name, or even better, being in attendance at the concert, these extended sections can be very exhillarating. But simply listening to them somewhat detracts from the experience (know what I mean?) I would never bash Zeppelin's abilities (I copped several riffs from Page during the 70's.) They are all expert musicians with a very exciting presentation. Unfortunately, I was never able to attend one of their shows, but I am grateful for this powerful collection of some favorite songs.



5. The sound is not the best I have heard, but great live rock concert from Led Zeppelin, incredible version of "Rock'n'Roll", "The Rain Song", "No Quarter" and of course "Stairway to heaven". This is a classic live album in the Rock'n'Roll history.

5 comments about The Doors Original Soundtrack Recording.

1. I love The Doors and this is the best soundtrack I have ever heard ! I listen to this cd still to this day once a week !



2. Don't be fooled - basically if you pay the extra fee for this imported CD you're not getting exclusive film content. It's not Val Kilmer singing the songs or anything. It's just music from The Doors' CDs - and for around the same price, you can get the best Doors compilation out there - "The Best of the Doors."
   
   However, this still serves as a nice little collection of Doors tracks, and also includes three "songs" from Morrison's American Prayer (which is basically poetry that was recorded prior to his death, that the remaining bandmembers put music to and sold as a Doors album).
   
   All in all, don't go out of your way to get this unless you're a completist, because all the stuff is available on other albums. But it's still very good just in terms of being a compilation.



3. Great soundtrack to a good movie. This really serves as a basic "best of" with a few extra's. Half of this is the big songs you would expect, but what I like is the inclusion of "love street", and 3 tracks from the "American Prayer" album: "ghost song", "stoned immaculate", and "the severed garden". Plus you have the Velvet Underground track "heroin", and Carmina Burana. Also a cool little clip from the movie starts it all off. Why this is an import now I don't know. I guess all the Doors hype of the early 90's is long past. It was fun while it lasted. At least we'll always have the music.



4. This soundtrack has a great selection of the Doors best hits. It also features a song by The Velvet Underground which is a wonderful band much like the stylings of the Doors.



5. This is the original soundtrack out of the doors movie. It features many of their classic songs, nothing you haven't already heard. Also, includes a song from the Velvet Underground "Heroin", and "Carmina Burana" performed by the Atlanta Symphony. As well with a few of Jim Morrison's spoken poems.

   I think this album will be a good addition to any rock n' roll collection and a pretty good introduction of the doors, for those out there who aren't too familiar with their work.

5 comments about Live Licks (topless cover).

1. The 2002/2003 Live Licks World Tour was vast in scope and set a new standard in staging concerts. Spanning 23 countries, The Rolling Stones had gigs in clubs, arenas and stadiums, with ever-changing playlists which made each date truly special.
   
   And this 2-CD set does a good job in showcasing the power and energy witnessed by nearly 3.5 million fans. The diamonds are on the second disc, which features a variety of rarities, including Neighbors, Monkey Man and Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (with Solomon Burke).
   
   But cutting through the clean mix is drummer Charlie Watts. His jazz-inspired patterns has defined the band's legendary sound, while being a great influence on rock-n-roll drummers for five decades. Each number is a textbook in propelling the rhythm, with the highlights being Street Fighting Man, Paint It, Black, Gimme Shelter and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.
   
   Leave it to the band to encapsulate cyberspace through the CD cover. Far away eyes, indeed. This is as solid of an authorized live release in the band's discography, which dates back to 1964.



2. This is one of my favorite Stones' live albums. I play it a lot. It's not as good as "Get Your Ya'Ya's Out", but better than all the other live albums, and it's two CD's, so it's the longest. The weaving guitars of Richards and Wood, Charlie's stomping beat, Jagger's frantic vocals, and Bobby Key's saxophone offer a sonorous sprint into outer space on "Neighbors". Jagger's lyrics on "Monkey Man", back when Dylan's influence made everybody try to write poetric lyrics, back in the "Let it Bleed" days, sound better live than in the studio. The tinkling piano offers a different shade to the song than the original Hopkin's recording. Keith recreates "Exile on Main Street" on "Rock's Off", as the backup singers help build the creshendo. One of the best songs on "Sticky Fingers", "Can't you hear me Knocking?", suffers live in comparison to the studio version. "That's How Strong my Love Is", a cover, sounds very early sixties R&B. The Stones' roots are showing. It's Jagger at his best, as he croons for all he's worth. Most of the standards are here as well.



3. The Stones get three points for filling this double CD with favorites such as "Monkey Man" that haven't appeared on previous live albums. The problem is that Mick can't hit the same notes that he could hit when he was 27. "Rocks Off" is downright painful as he ratchets his vocals down. I'd rather hear "no" Rocks Off than a painfully labored version. What MADE the original a classic was its "shot out of a cannon" arrogance. It's like Mick thought about the best part of the song and concluded "Well, we can do without THAT..." No we CAN'T, Mick! The wonderful and amazing Lisa Fischer once again accents "Gimme Shelter," but her ultimate performance of this track can be found on the Japanese import CD single of the "Stripped" version of "Wild Horses" (director Martin Scorsese lifted her bone-chilling vocal solo from that version for a climactic moment in his film "Casino"). There are NO jaw-dropping performances in this set, and with all due respect to the band's fans (I'm one of them), there SHOULD be. Mick's coasting his way through, and to a lesser degree, so are Woody & Keith (although "Happy" is better than the majority of what Mick phones in here). To paraphrase KISS via Homer Simpson, "the Stones used to rock and roll all night and party ev-er-y day. Then it was every other day." Maybe "Live Licks" should have stayed in the vaults. Former strutting rooster Jagger sounds like the heavily bruised veteran of one too many cockfights, and that's sad.



4. I may be one of the few Stones fans left who still enjoys the live albums that follow every tour. Stripped and No security were both great from start to finish. Live Licks continues that tradition. I don't need to hear the live versions of Satifaction or Brown Sugar for the 10,000th time, but when they're placed along side Gimme Shelter, Rocks Off, Monkey Man and Can't You Hear Me Knocking, it all sounds just right. Now Keith, get the Winos together for one more album/tour!!!!



5. i luv this album. its a little unnecessary for its time. although its great to here some new songs from their tour. oh yeah and i choke the chicken whenever i see the album cover. very hot! imagine a girl or a guy licking you.

5 comments about On the Border.

1. Fantastic Album, I would recommend everyone who enjoys the Eagles to add this one to their collection



2. The Eagles are to country rock what The Kingston Trio are to folk, which isn't bad necessarily-- it just gives you an idea of where you are. There are better practitioners of both genres. So "String Along" by The Kingston Trio is a very good record, very hummable and entertaining, but no one would call it as good as Woody Guthrie. "On the Border" is good too-- fast songs, slow songs, melodic, digestable-- but there are half a dozen bands that have done better albums. What's that? Name them? Ok, The Buffalo Springfield's first two albums, The Band's first three albums, The Byrds' classic "Sweethearts of the Radio," "Burrito Deluxe," by the Flying Burrito Brothers, both Manassas albums,early LIttle Feat, and Plainsong. Having said that, "Already Gone," is one of my favorite songs of all time. "On the Border" is, in my opinion, a good place to start if you want to check out the Eagles, but you should check out the other bands mentioned here as well.



3. What can be said about "Already Gone" and "Midnight Flyer", two of the best songs ever recorded! And more of the magical Eagles lyrics: "...I went lickety-splitly..."; "...we who must remain go on laughing just the same..."; "...along came a Spyder, picked up a rider, and took him down the road to Eternity... you were too fast to live, too young to die, bye bye..."
   
   If you've never listened to this album, you're in for a stunning experience.



4. In March of 1974, The Eagles released their third album On the Border.
   From the opening rocker Already Gone, you could tell that the band had become a rock band. Not a country rock band but a plain good ol' rock and roll band.
   The addition of third guitarist Don Felder in late 1973 gave the band a bigger, more raw, more urgent sound, particularly on the hardest rock tracks, the opening "Already Gone" which had great Felder solos and was the world's real intro to Felder, the rocking "Good Day In Hell" which had killer slide work from Felder (in fact, this very track was the first song Felder recorded with The Eagles) and "James Dean".
   Like its predecessor Desperado, On The Border sounds like songs from different albums but the Eagles manages to pull it off.
   Unlike its predecessors, the album was mainly produced by Bill Szymczyk (whom worked with The James Gang and J. Geils Band among others) taking over for Glyn Johns whom the band canned after recording the ballads "You Never Cry Like a Lover" and the closing "Best of My Love".
   The album may have gone more rocking but there were a few more country numbers like the modern bluegrass sounds of 'Midnight Flyer" and the traditional country rock ballad "My Man" (Bernie's ode to Gram Parsons and his best song for the band) on the same album as the hard rock of the opening Already Gone, the funky title cut and the power chords of James Dean and Good Day in Hell.
   This album gave the Eagles their first Gold album the year of release and the band's first #1 single Best Of My Love, a country-tinged ballad. A little bit ironic considering how much Glenn Frey and Don Henley wanted the Eagles to be a rock band rather than a country band, but it is really a beautiful song with a great lead vocal by Henley and pedal steel work by Leadon.
   The two rock singles which are now staples of classic rock radio James Dean and Already Gone didn't fare nearly as well, the latter made it to #32, but the former stalled at #77. They're great songs, though, as is the Eagles' cover of then Asylum labelmate Tom Waits' "Ol' 55" which they made their own and because of this album's sales gave Tom Waits a little extra royalty money and the heavy Good Day In Hell. "Is It True" is a much more conventional, very pleasant mid-tempo love rocker with some fine slide guitar from guitarist/keyboard player Glenn Frey but the band wanted a good slide player for this album, and they found that in Don Felder who rocks on Good Day In Hell. Glenn and drummer Don Henley had taken firm control of the band on this album. Frey does two solo lead vocals, Henley three and shares center stage on Ol' 55 and Good Day In Hell. Faithful down-to-Earth bass player Randy Meisner sings on Midnight Flyer and on his own solo composition, the lovely Is It True and guitarist Bernie Leadon does a solid job on My Man, which is dedicated to the late Gram Parsons (Bernie's bandmate in The Flying Burrito Brothers).
   I first got this album on cassette two days after my ninth birthday and is still a classic today, especially with the remastering on this album.
   Highly recommended!



5. This record is a true country-rock masterpiece. How anybody could possibly rate it as 3 out of 5 is beyond me. Every single song is bursting at the seams with melody; the harmony vocals and arrangements are tremendous on every track.
   
   A record born in an era where great songwriting and musicianship ruled the roost and wonderful examples of both of these attributes are apparent in abundance here!

4 comments about Singles 1968-1971.

1. Yes, these sets are all expensive. True Rolling Stones fans who are die hard collectors will have these regardless as they get hours of happiness from listening to the best band on earth.
   
   It should be noted that these are also limited edition releases...and they will be kicking around Amazon for a bit...but the price only flies upward from there.
   
   I would urge any fan who wants to see some crazy packaging, great CD quality sound and simply another great add to their collections to consider all these sets, my guess is you can get the first part of the Stones history for about 100.00$ on Amazon...not bad.



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



3. More like 1968-76 with a touch of 2003, but let's not split hairs here.
   
   There is more to celebrate in this set as a bonus DVD with four chapters including the *Jumpin' Jack Flash* video (with alternate audio take), an *Ed Sullivan Show* appearance, and the *Have You Seen Your Mother...* video are featured.
   
   Accordingly, fans are once again overcharged for this extravagance, this time to a tune of $55-60. All of these images and songs could have been put together in a nice book & CD set for under $40 that could have avoided this cumbersome collection of pieces. The spectacular detail and craftsmanship however, make this -- as with the other sets -- a worthy collector's item; down to the 'grooves' on the the top-side of the CD singles. The only disc on which the grooves do not belong is the 2003 SFTD CD single. Without a doubt, the inclusion of the rare *Street Fighting Man* PS is a joy to own for most whom could not afford over $10,000 for the real thing.
   
   An even more exciting aspect of this edition's *Street Fighting Man* is that it is the original (and alternate) single version which is otherwise unavailable by any other legal means on CD.
   
   Despite the detail, there are glaring omissions. Abkco did not include the alternate 'single' version of *Sway*, and one track was missed entirely: *Let It Rock [live]* from the UK 3-track *Brown Sugar* single.
   
   A 5-star collectible that could have been improved upon. Stones fans will nevertheless rejoice.



4. This is the third and final installment of box sets covering the Stones singles released between 1963 - 1971. All three box sets are a treasure for stones collectors because we get the original artwork for all the singles (and early EP's) that the Stones released in the sixties. The cd's actually look like old 45's. This box set covering the years 1968 - 1971 has a cool bonus dvd with several live performances and the classic old Jumpin' Jack Flash video. However, this series of box sets is not for casual fans. The vast majority of songs can be found on the old London Years box set which Abkco remastered in their 2002 Rolling Stones remastered series. One omission on the singles 1968 - 1971 box set is the live version of Let It Rock recorded at Leeds University in 1971 and originally released in the UK as the B side to Brown Sugar is not included. Apparently this is because Virgin owns the rights to that song. Bottom line is that all three singles box sets are awesome if you want to have cd replicants of all the original 45's and the early EP's with their original artwork.

5 comments about Led Zeppelin Remasters.

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



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

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

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

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

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




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



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



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

5 comments about Made in the Shade.

1. One of the best Stones albums produced. If you like the Stones, this is a must.



2. "Made In The Shade" was the third volume of 'big hits' authorized and prepared by the Rolling Stones. ("Hot Rocks" and "More Hot Rocks" were issued by Allen Klein throough their old record label). The first two volumes sold, partly, on the strength of recent hit singles making their album debut - "High Tide & Green Grass" (1966) offered the psycho-rockabilly classic '19th Nervous Breakdown', and - sporting a terrific octangular cover - "Through The Past, Darkly" (1969), dedicated to the recently deceased Brian Jones, was the first album to include the classics 'Honky Tonk Women', 'Jumping Jack Flash', and 'Dandelion'.
   "Made In The Shade" (1975) offered no new songs, and was released to coincide with the Stones' 1975 'Tour Of The Americas'. (Klein, ever vigilant, released "Metamorphosis" simultaneously). Like its predecessor, "Through The Past, Darkly", "Shade" neatly marked the end of another era. Mick Taylor had left the group a few months earlier, in December 1974, and this set compiles most of the hit singles and a couple of album tracks issued during 1971 - 74 and included on the four studio albums Taylor made with the band, "Sticky Fingers" (1971), "Exile On Main Street" (1972), "Goats Head Soup" (1973), and "It's Only Rock 'n Roll" (1974). 'Brown Sugar', 'Tumbling Dice', 'Angie', 'Happy', 'Wild Horses', 'It's Only Rock 'n Roll', 'Bitch', and 'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)' were all hits, and remain classics of their era; skipping the underwhelming Temptations cover 'Ain't Too Proud Too Beg' (which reached # 16) we get its superior b-side, 'Dance Little Sister' and 'Rip This Joint' to complete the lineup. The Stones could have included the single only tracks 'Let It Rock' or 'Through The Lonely Nights', or the alternate single versions (never, to this day, reissued on LP or CD) of 'All Down The Line' and 'Sway', but alas, the tracks here are all familiar versions of classics. What is new is the remastering, as usual by Bob Ludvig, which happens to be spectacular and superior to the 1994 remasters of the Stones' Atlantic era albums. 'Dance Little Sister' and 'It's Only Rock 'n Roll' which sound lumpy and drab on both the original 1974 vinyl and previous CD editions of IORR, jump out of the speakers here. If you have a good system, this may make the purchase of familiar material worthwhile. And since most of those original studio albums are essential, it may be time for the 1971 - 84 era Stones albums to be remastered once again.
   And assuming there will be, as usual, no bonus cuts, I'm hoping, at the very least, for another two minutes added onto 'Slave', from "Tattoo You."



3. I remember seeing this album all over the place growing up. I know I was only 7 when this was released, but bought it when I was 13 almost 14. I looked at the album cover just recently, and saw the adroginous cover, and I gasped. I'm like this is promoting homosexuality. I choose to remember it for the songs though, and they were good picks here, but I felt they could've added a few others here.



4. This is the first Rolling Stones purchase I ever made, and it's the one that I always want to play more than the few others that I have. I have the mid 80's version that's not remastered, but I just ordered one of these new Made in the Shade remasters, so I think I'll be quite happy with it. I've heard that maybe about half or a little bit more of this release is hits, but like one of the reviewers of this cd said, this has just the right combination of songs, and I have to heartily agree with that assessment. I'm not a huge fan of the group, so all I really need is the FORTY LICKS Set, plus, MADE IN THE SHADE, and I'm good to go. Enjoy!!!



5. I just bought this album today, not aware until now that it had only been released on the 5th of April ("remastered," or so they say); I guess it's the first time it's been released on CD.
   
   First of all, let's get something out of the way - it is not remastered. The Forty Licks album has much better remasters of Wild Horses, Brown Sugar, Happy, Angie, and It's Only Rock N' Roll (But I Like It). I wondered why they didn't just put the Forty Licks remasters on this album. In fact with Made in the Shade, you're paying $11.99 for five out of ten tracks that are included on the Forty Licks album, which you can buy for twice the price - which includes four times the amount of tracks as Made in the Shade. (Are you still with me, here?)
   
   The GOOD thing is that this includes five other solid tracks that AREN'T included on Forty Licks: Tumbling Dice, Dance Little Sister, Bitch, Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker), and Rip This Joint.
   
   Also, the Forty Licks album was not only remastered, but the original tracks were edited, something Rolling Stones purists might find appalling. The tracks here are left untouched - there is often static in the right speaker, I instantly noticed, preserving the original scratchy quality of the sound. (Before surround sound and stereo was perfected.) Good evidence that it was poorly remastered, and therefore not tampered with by over-zealous technicians. Whether you find this a good or a bad thing may depend entirely on how you favor the Rolling Stones.
   
   One thing I was rather disappointed with was the packaging. Not the artwork, but the actual interior packaging. There is no pamphlet, no additional photos. In fact, the album doesn't really offer anything exclusive (as some tend to do - e.g. The Beatles Anthology). But they did manage to sneak in a special warning on the inside cover that tells you not to share the CD with friends or post any tracks on the Internet. It kinda shows where the producers' hearts lie.
   
   In summary, Stones enthusiasts should definitely buy this, and it's worth the money, as it includes some of their best songs ever. It also preserves the tracks in their original nature, with only minor digital touchups ("remastering") that is so poor that, at first, I thought they had taken it straight from the vinyl without remastering it at all. But if you're just a casual listener, the Forty Licks album is more comprehensive - it features better audio quality and a much larger selection of Greatest Hits, whereas if you aren't a Stones freak you might be turned off by some of the tracks here.

5 comments about How the West Was Won (DVD-Audio Surround Sound).

1. These are a set of live recordings that were rediscovered in 2003 and re-mastered.
   They sound fantastic and are a must-have for any zeppelin fan. I've recently had
   to start driving to work one day a week and these cds have made me look forward
   to the ride (which is otherwise miserable).



2. Legendary performances by legendary rock icons. Thought not known as one, LZ certainly qualifies as a "jam band" as evidenced here. A must have for any and every fan of classic rock. Masters at the top of their game.



3. Not that you needed another five-star review to think about getting this, but I have to chime in. This is one of the finest live albums I've ever heard. Zep were in their prime here (the material for this album was taken from two concerts in June of 1972, one in Los Angeles and one in Long Beach) and boy, does it show. My favorite song on the album is "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" which the fellas play with a great deal of energy and the appreciative crowd enthusiastically claps along. Their big hits from that era are here, like "Black Dog", "Rock And Roll", "Immigrant Song", and of course "Stairway To Heaven." If you're even kind of a Zep fan, this album is absolutely essential.



4. 1. the dvd-audio sounds a bit compressed and bright. needs to sound fatter.
   
   2. the subwoofer needs to be turned up a tad.
   
   3. where are robert plant talking through the whole concert?? thats a big part of zeppelin live.
   
   other than this its cool :)



5. This is a very mixed up set in terms of quality of version. Some of these it's like, "Yeah, this is alright." Some are like, "Eh, whatever." And some are like, "No, that was bad." Like the acoustic songs, Robert Plant sounds kinda like he's bored! Now maybe its just me, but I don't like it when they drag out Whole Lotta Love. It's one of those songs where it's just fine at the length that it is. The only REALLY good song here is Immigrant Song. If you want to get it, go ahead, but don't really recomend it.