5 comments about The Long Run.

1. This is one of my favorite Eagles albums. I appreciate what they achieved here: a hard rock, R&B, soul, blues fusion. I'm glad they took chances. It's an excellent outcome.



2. This album was great in the 80's....... and still retains its appeal. If you love listening to the Eagles... you'll love this one also.



3. The Eagles' sixth studio album (and last album until 2007's Long road Out of Eden) entitled The Long Run was released in September of 1979.
   Many fans of the band had, or still have for that matter, mixed feelings about this album.
   The year 1979 was a strange year for them when they released this album mainly there was lots of pressure to at least duplicate the major success of Hotel California. The Long Run was placed in the same vein of In Through the Out Door by Led Zeppelin, Tusk by Fleetwood Mac, The Wall by Pink Floyd and Cornerstone by Styx. All of those aforementioned bands were all having similar problems with either topping the previous hit or inner band turmoil or both.
   The Eagles went into Bayshore Studios outside of Miami, Fla with producer Bill Szymczyk and new bass player Timothy B. Schmit and recorded The Long Run which took over a year and a half to record (the album was originally going to be a double album but was denoted to a single album).
   The album begins with the Top 10 charting title cut, which was a great rocking way to begin the album with dual slide playing from Joe Walsh and Don Felder, rhythm guitar from Glenn Frey and vocal from drummer Don Henley. Next was Timothy's vocal debut, the soulful ballad "I Can't Tell You Why" which went Top 10 and is a great song. The rocking "In the City" follows and is a remake of a solo Joe Walsh song from the movie The Warriors, released earlier in 1979 with a stellar Walsh vocal and slide work. Another rocker comes in "The Disco Strangler" with a superb Felder riff. "King of Hollywood" ends the first half with Frey, Felder and Walsh trading leads at the beginning, middle and end of the song and Henley and frey sharing vocals with Frey singing falsetto whilst henley sang in his deepest range yet.
   The chart-topping rocker "Heartache Tonight" (co-written by Bob Seger) kicked off the second half and featured a great Frey vocal and stellar guitar work from Walsh. Another rocker called "Those Shows" follows and had dual talk-box guitars from Joe Walsh and Don Felder and a great Henley vocal. Yet another rocker "Teenage Jail" follows and has Henley and Frey on vocals and superb guitar work from Felder. "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" follows and is a great rock song. The album closes with the ballad "The Sad Cafe" featuring a great acoustic guitar solo from Felder and superb alto sax work from David Sanborn and a superb Henley vocal.
   When The Long Run was released, the album quickly shot to #1 where it stayed for the rest of the year and although it sold well (7 million in the US to date), fans complained it was a disappointment compared to its predecessor.
   I still love the album to this day, especially with its remastered version.
   Highly recommended!



4. I can't come down too hard on the Eagles for not living up to Hotel California on their next album - that was probably impossible. And The Long Run is not bad by any stretch. But it does pale in comparison to their other albums, and you can see why it was the last before what Glen Frey called their "fourteen year vacation."
   
   It does start off well. The title track is yet another paean to '70s hedonism, but that's what they did best. This time around, at least it's about a guy who sounds like he wants to clean up his act - all too appropriate for 1979, I suppose. Elsewhere, "In the City" proves they weren't too starry eyed about the urban lifestyle after all. "Heartache Tonight," their fifth and last #1 single, is slight but catchy. "King of Hollywood" is a good preview of Don Henley's solo work, although he proved to be better at this sort of thing when he was on his own. "The Sad Cafe" was the perfect choice for the last song on the last album.
   
   But there's more filler here than on the first five albums combined. "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" is surely the dumbest song they ever recorded (admittedly, that was probably intentional, but still...) "I Can't Tell You Why" remains a radio staple to this day, but it's nothing they hadn't done more convincingly before. Most of the other songs are simply forgettable. That should not stop you from getting this album if you're already an Eagles fan, since there are strong points. But if you're debating between The Long Run and any of the other five, I'd say you can't go wrong with the other option.



5. Despite what some say, this album represents the pinnacle of songwriting for The Eagles. "I Can't Tell You Why" is easily in the running for the greatest slow rock recording of all time. I absolutely love the overall tone they came up with in the studio for this one. Get over yourself and your musical prejudices, listen to the music, and let yourself enjoy it.

5 comments about Tommy (1969 Original Concept Album).

1. A clinical and seminal meditation on alienation, popularity-seeking, and the decline of Western man encased in a rock opera about a handicapped boy. Albert Einstein spoke of his own "retarded" youth, being withdrawn from the world, and how that aided him in opening new vistas in science. "Tommy" isn't so fortunate.
   "Amazing Journey" shows the advantage of Tommy's "retardation" yet shadows of "normalcy" lurk. Pete Townshend's medicinal lyrics bring to mind the Christian sentiment that only one with a child's disposition can enter the Kingdom of G-d.
   "Ten years old
   With thoughts as bold as thought can be
   Loving life and becoming wise
   In simplicity
   
   Sickness will surely take the mind
   Where minds can't usually go
   Come on the amazing journey
   And learn all you should know..."
   
   Tommy's infirmities are an opportunity for his family and others to practice compassion. The boy is a living embodiment of "The Other" as found in the ethical philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. Tommy's line of "See me, feel me, touch me, heal me" (and, Levinas might have added, "...in order for both to be healed.") is the invitation to caring. The invitation is ignored.
   The boy's path to "normalcy" opens when he becomes a "Pinball Wizard." Pinball reflects Tommy's upbringing, being bounced from one relative to another, one bad experience to the next. Townshend is also opening a window into the culture of games and entertainment and how that is held out by the mass media as the most desirable escape from poverty and isolation for Britain's lower classes. Soccer mania would be the real-life equivalent in today's Europe.
   Modern medicine intervenes and, in short order, Tommy is wallowing in celebrity, laziness, and profligacy. Worse, he uses his new circumstances to entice others into the nihilism that Anglo-American capitalism and social democracy abet.
   From "Welcome": "Come to my house, be one of the comfortable people..."
   "I'm Free" gives us a stark picture of how the worst get on top (to borrow a phrase from F.A. Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom") -
   "If I told you what it takes to reach the highest high,
   You'd laugh and say `Nothing's that simple...' `'
   
   Ten years later "Dallas" soap opera villain J.R. Ewing would state it more plainly - "Once you give up integrity the rest is a piece of cake."
   
   "Tommy" was released in 1969, a time of great confusion about man's individual and social responsibilities (things haven't gotten much clearer since). The Who's music penetrates to the reality of an anarchy of ever-increasing individual rights (read: demands) and unchecked government leading to loss of social cohesion amid waning family, school, and neighborhood affections. This, in turn, breeds popularity seeking as the most attractive island in the rising tide of despair. Fellow Brits Pink Floyd would touch on this in "The Wall" a decade after Townshend.
   Is there a better way out? The Who echoes Oswald Spengler in showing that there is. Spengler's "The Decline of the West" (first published in the 1920s; interestingly, the time line of "Tommy" begins around 1921) likened cultures and civilizations to life patterns, calling them "organic." While holding civilization will move in the direction of its destiny, Spengler advised people to discern the direction of movement and contribute positively to it. Townshend and his bandmates did that in "Tommy."
   In reckoning outcomes, the workings of the human body, with its voluntary and involuntary organs, are an apt metaphor. How we consciously react and govern ourselves are the voluntary muscles (thus the importance of individual character). Yet some choices and our surroundings impact us in ways of which we are not aware.
   The final words of "Tommy" remind us of the importance our individual actions have on others and the social fabric. The mountain imagery remind us of the biblical Moses, the servant of G-d; the early Israelites, and the Ten Commandments, holding out hope that the door swings both ways between the great society (not to be confused with LBJ's version) and the sick society.
   "Listening to you I get the music
   Gazing at you I get the heat
   Following you I climb the mountain
   I get excitement at your feet
   Right behind you I see the millions
   On you I see the glory
   From you I get opinions
   From you I get the story."



2. I"ve always been a big Tommy fan. My car now has a 5.1 surround sound system, so I HAD to get this DVD. It is awesome.



3. That was the question that the Who asked as they hit a dry spell going into 1969. It was answered by Pete Townshend in the form of "Tommy", the embodiment of Gospel and Rock Opera. Tommy the main character and central theme throughout the album has a breakthrough as only a deaf, dumb and blind boy can, through pinball. It's his eyes, ears and voice through which he makes contact with the rest of the world. Truly inspiring, it's the platform on which he attains stardom. The rest is history.



4. In their late '60's - early '70's heyday, the Who were an incredible, transcendent band. However, I can't help but feel that studio recordings failed to do justice to their intense, dynamic, and energetic sound (until "Who's Next," that is). In an old edition of the Rolling Stone Record Guide, John Swenson hit the nail on the head: "The early Who albums present one of the most interesting problems posed in rock & roll history. The band was considered at the time to be much better in live performance than on record..." After listening to live renditions of "Tommy" (especially the great "Live at Leeds" deluxe edition), I can't agree more.
   
   First of all, the studio "Tommy" feels padded, perhaps to extend it to double-record length. There are a few forgettable songs (the sequence from "Sensation" to "Tommy's Holiday Camp" comes to mind), a couple of head-scratchers (how does Sonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind" fit in?), and some songs (particularly "Underture") seem over-extended. Second, the production, on the whole, is too tidy and rather flat: we get little of Townshend's roaring electric guitar, and the band, in general, sounds too careful - like they're trying not to color outside the lines. However, all of these flaws go out the window in the live performances from 1969/70. The band trimmed some of the fat (cutting several numbers and shortening others), and, more important, they summoned up a monumental energy and collective spirit that made "Tommy" an overwhelming - and yes, cohesive - listening experience (something that, ironically, the studio record does not accomplish with total success). After hearing and seeing scalding live versions of "Amazing Journey/Sparks" (the Woodstock video footage is incredible), I actually have a hard time listening to the studio version. The same applies to "Pinball Wizard" and "We're Not Gonna Take It." Live, as in so many of the band's peak performances, they throw caution to the wind and play on the brink of total implosion, led by Keith Moon's frantic drumming.
   
   Okay, after all this complaining, why four stars? To be honest, I considered "Tommy" an unquestioned five-star album until I heard these live renditions. Over time, the studio album's flaws became more apparent to me. However, there are some incredible songs here, and it really is the record that took The Who to the proverbial "next level." I actually prefer the studio version of "Christmas" to the live ones (which lack the excited, "chirping" background vocals). "Cousin Kevin" is a great - though disturbing - John Entwistle song that was almost never performed live. "Go to the Mirror!" and "Smash the Mirror" form a powerful central climax, with Daltrey's vocals working superbly. In addition, I do enjoy many of the production touches only possible in the studio, such as Entwistle's horn overdubs and some of the background vocal "choir" effects.
   
   In conclusion, I can't bring myself to give this record fewer than four stars, but if you haven't heard the "Leeds" version yet, please check it out. I must warn you, though: you'll never hear the studio version with the same ears again.



5. Before "Tommy" The Who was just another band like The Beatles who were your typical 60's pop group, once this album hit they evolved from those 3 minute song rockers to the complex, progressive artists driven by Townshend's power lyrics and Daultry's amazing vocals (backed by argubly the greatest drummer and bassist of all-tme). If your trying to get into this band, I would start with "Who's Next" as it showchases their biggest songs but from there you NEED "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia".
   
   This is the album that made The Who memorable and legendary. Buy, listen, and appreciate.

5 comments about Fireball.

1. Deep Purple's classic album Fireball has been reissued, it has been remastered & has bonus tracks. Fireball was a groundbreaking album originally released in 1971 that peaked at #32 on the charts. At this point it was the second highest chart position for a Deep Purple album; their debut, Shades of Deep Purple, had peaked at #24 but that was a very different group. That was the group that had a hit with "Hush" which had hit #4 on the singles chart. There had been several member changes by this time.
   
   The remastering on this album is excellent & this particular version is an import on the EMI International label. The original album had seven cuts: "Fireball", "No No No", "Demon's Eye", "Anyone's Daughter", "The Mule", "Fools" & No One Came". "Fireball" & "Demon's Eye" are the two outstanding tracks here. All of the remaining tracks are very good with the exception of "Anyone's Daughter". It's definitely filler & weak. It was Deep Purple's tongue-in-cheek effort at country music.
   
   There are nine bonus tracks included in the 25th Anniversary Edition of Fireball. They include "Strange Kind of Woman", an A-side single that didn't chart, it has been remixed. "I'm Alone" is a B-side from a single. Two album out-takes have been included: "Freedom" & "Slow Train". All of these are average tracks with "Slow Train" being somewhat weak. Two remixes of the original songs are included: "Demon's Eye" & No One Came". An instrumental version of "Fireball" has been included that's interesting to hear. Two unreleased tracks are included that's basically Deep Purple fooling around in the studio that was captured on tape. They are "The Noise Abatement Society Tapes" & "Backwards Piano". The first of these is the group fooling around with some classics (such as "The William Tell Overture") & not always playing in tune or on time. It's a hoot the first few time you hear it then it gets old. The second one is exactly what the title says, it's not really necessary either.
   
   The cd comes with a comprehensive booklet that has a lot of information from the period covering when this album was recorded. Photographs from the period are also included. The reissue of Fireball with remastering & bonus tracks is a good edition to one's musical library. Though not all the bonus material is necessary, it does allow us to get an insight into some of the other things that go on in the studio. It's not all business. Being a musician myself that has spent time in a recording studio I can tell you this, more goes on than what you think.
   
   I would just like to add this: Deep Purple in this version (Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Roger Glover & Ian Paice) was an extremely talented group. Ian Gillan has to be one of the 5 greatest vocalists of rock. Blackmore the same for guitarists. The other three musicians would probably fit in somewhere among the 10 or 12 best at their respective instruments. A VERY talented group!



2. I've said it before, and I probably will say it again: Deep Purple is a massive joke, and I have no grasp of their appeal. So many other '70s musicians (not to mention numberous acts of the '50s - mostly either jazz or Chuck Berry, '60s, '90s, and even the decrepit '80s) blew them away. I won't make a list, though, because I don't want to turn out like a certain pair of amazon reviewers, but a lot of awesome hard rock, new wave, progressive rock, funk, and jazz came out during the decade (best artists were the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder).
   So what's so bad about Deep Purple? I mean, besides everything? No brains. AC/DC wasn't the smartest band either, but dammit, they were fun! And unlike the Purps, they had an idea of their capabilities: no way would they spin off into something as hilariously inadequate as the "epics" No, No, No, Fools and No One Came. I suppose I should feel glad that there's nothing as repulsive as Child in Time on this record, but there's also blundering incompetence such as the Dylanesque Anyone's Daughter and the drum solo on The Mule.
   The good news is that there are a couple genuine butt-kickers on this album. Even I'll admit that Demon's Eye rocks: my favorite DP song, easily. So does Strange Kind of Woman, a single released from the era that was left off the UK version of the album; Demon's Eye, meanwhile, was cut from the US one. Why couldn't they have blasted No, No, No into oblivion and put Strange Kind of Woman AND Demon's Eye on the damn thing? The title track's kind of good too.
   For their next trick, this group of legendary dunderheads would pump out an almost-good album (Machine Head) that featured a couple pretty good hits, especially Smoke on the Water, that nonetheless was riddled with all kinds of fillers. Then they'd put out a bunch of albums with David Coverdale and a ton of other people that I don't have and probably never will. Amazingly, they're still going strong today, though thankfully minus partners in grime Ritchie Blackmore (guitar) and Jon Lord (organ) - unfortunately, nauseating frontman Ian Gillain is back in action, screeching away. And THIS is a legendary rock band? Ha! It is to laugh...



3. 1. Fireball - Killer Organ/Guitar duel in the middle
   2. No No No- Yes Yes Yes
   3. Demon's Eye- The non-original album track that sounds good here
   4. Anyone's Daughter- Country Western tale
   5. The Mule- Paicey
   6. Fools- too long
   7. No One Came- The best song here, where's my Robin Hood Outfit?
   8. Strange Kind Of Woman- Love song about a prostitute



4. This album was one of my favorites when it first came out especially the intro of fireball and the song Fools this is when Deep Purple in my opinion were at their best before Blackmore quit the band, I allways admired their tight sound one of the best bands that ever existed and the extras songs Man! what a treat!



5. If you like Deep Purple but don't own Fireball, you are in for a real treat. This album is a hard rock masterpiece and Ian Gillan would totally agree with me. It's a shame that Fireball has been kind of forgotten about, it clearly holds up against In Rock. If you're just starting to collect their albums, maybe you already have Machine Head, this one won't disappoint you. It is one of the great rock albums of the seventies.
   
   The highlights: Fireball, Strange Kind of Woman, Anyone's Daughter, Fools, No One Came, Demon's Eye, I'm Alone and Freedom.
   
   PS: Check out their 2005 album, Rapture of the Deep. It holds up well. I would say it is right up there with their classic material.

5 comments about Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The Second Performance.

1. In spite of the "roughness," you really hear The Doors. "Must have" for the dedicated fan. Great that these are being made available. Looking for more. A little pricey, but worth it for the dedicated fan. Shipping and handling very fair. A+



2. Another Bright Midnight Records release, the label responsible for (finally) putting out some of the Doors shows recorded for the Absolutely Live tour, and then some. This is the second Aquarius '69 show.
   
   The sound quality is just as good as the other Bright Midnight releases, recorded with the same set-up, and then remastered years later by Doors engineer Bruce Botnick. So if you only get one Aquarius show, check out the setlist and order and see what you prefer--both nights are similar. Both shows feature a complete Celebration of the Lizard, as well as the excellent Mystery Train/Crossroads jam. This show has Touch Me and Gloria, while the first show has Who Do You Love. The completist will just buy both sets, others may want to ponder. Most importantly, aside from the excellent sound, is thast the shows are uncut and complete. They even separate the in-between chatter and crowd noise into separate tracks like 'The Crowd Humbly Requests'. I'm not aware of any overdubs on this album, either.
   
   Recorded as part of the material that would be sewed into the Absolutely Live album, this is a complete source where as AB was a collection from many shows. Many tracks were, in fact, cut-ups of various takes of the same song from different shows. Guess the band is finally content to let people see them warts and all. AB and In Concert are excellent live albums, but purists wished for complete and uncut concerts tapes, and Bright Midnight is delivering all of the stops, starts, miscues, mistakes, drunken Jim, and chatter in between some amazing versions.
   
   Highly recommended to Doors fans, and if you're really obsessed you'll want to pick up all of the Bright Midnight releases. They seem to be trickling them out, unlike The Grateful Dead or Pearl Jam who bombarded fans with 'official bootlegs' over the years. Thankfully, in addition to the band, Botnick is involved with all releases for continuity and completeness over the decades.



3. Contrary to many reports already Documented this Was not the First Concert Performed since Miami {Chicago, June 14th & Minneapolis, June 15th} Had come and gone without incident.
   
   The Aquarius Theater Shows (2 Performed on July 21st & 1 Show from the 22nd of July) are regarded as The Door's definate "Comeback" performances. 1969 was a Year of Revolution in the US Culture, and to some on the Right, The Doors (Like John Lennon) were considered "Public Enemy Number One". It was Us against Them, in all the Best & Worst Ways that can be imagined.
   
   These Shows were recorded on Multi-Track Tapes for a Live Album. There were no riots or arrests over the course of these Shows. Just very Good Playing by The Band and Some of Jim's Finest recorded Vocals. And because of that many have said that Jim was on a "Tight-Leash" here and played a Good Boy for these Shows. Well, according to Ray Manzarek, that did NOT happen, and Ray went on to say that if Someone had told Jim to watch what he said and did on the Aquarius Stage, it would have triggered him behave badly. We will never know Jim's take on this Story, BUT, he DID sing a bunch during these Shows and now we have 4 CD's as proof.
   
   These two CD's are The Doors performining as a Band, with the Music coming first, and that for the listener is a very Good Thing. "Universal Mind" features Jim really singing well. A great "Gloria" is over 10 Minutes in length, and it's almost like 1966 all over again, this is a Band of Four Men and this is well give you a glimse into what the fuss was all about. When Jim takes a Left turn into Improv, Robby, John and Ray are right there with him {The Music plays The Band}.
   
   There are a few Blues Numbers in the Set: "Little Red Rooster","Close To You" and "You Make Me Real" that on some Nights the Band just Cranks out without much life, but on these CD's they really shine. "Peace Frog" is a real treat, and not easy to find as a live version. "The Lizard" was not a big Favorite of mine when I first heard it on the Double Live LP, back in 1970, but it has grown on me as now I really think it's Cool.
   
   Because, it's 2007 and we now are lucky enough to have Many Doors Concerts released on CD there is a lot to chose from. This Show will not be the Favorite for many, because it wasn't Front-Page news in all the Newspapers the next morning. Nobody died, nobody rioted, nobody got arrested. But at The Aquarius Theater, The Doors, PLAYED! There is 138 Minutes of their best Music on these Two CD's, it's not sedate or boring, but it sure is GREAT!
   FOUR STARS !!!



4. OK, I'm starting out this review because I can't stand to read all of the Doors apologists out there who can't admit when a Doors show was substandard. Now you might have a legitimate gripe with the recent release of the doors live at Boston (where Jim is drunk as a skunk and sings atrociously) but here at Aquarius, while he doesn't sing badly, he's not terribly inspired nor is the band. They make some noticeable mistakes which is a reason why only a couple of tracks were used to be included on the Absolutely Live album. Jim is NOT at the top of his game. The only exception is the band's rendition of Celebration of the Lizard from the first show which is excellent. But the late show just isn't that interesting. Yeah, an embryonic version of Peace Frog sounds entertaining at first but the finished version is much better and this instrumental is lame. With the exception of COTL there is no improvisational poetry from Jim and the band doesn't jam on any of the tunes. They play very carefully (almost too carefully) and they are a bit nervous because they are being professionally recorded. What makes this a good release is the excellent sound coming from the soundboard. But it's not the Doors at their best. By '69 we have a bearded Jim who's already become disenchanted with the rock music scene and frankly has begun is downward spiral into the abyss. The Doors peaked with their January '69 performance at Madison Square Garden in New York. Then Miami in March 1 hit and the band did a slow downward trend from which it never really recovered, although Roadhouse Blues and LA Woman has some great Doors songs on them. But Aquarius is not what it should have been. Really, if you want great Doors music you have to go to 1967 and 1968 when the Doors were at their peak of greatness. Jim was at the top of his game before his downfall. The Aquarius gigs are OK but that's it. Anyone who tells you differently is only wishing the gigs could have been more. When Paul Rothchild and the band heard their Aquarius performance on tape they realized it wasn't a great performance which is why the band recorded more shows to eventually get a better performance down on tape. Absolutely Live was the end result which is made up of a number of different cuts from different concerts. Aquarius is the show that "shoulda,woulda, coulda"



5. As usual with Doors' records, the performance is superb, the music excellent, the emotion is high. BUT there is something wrong with the caption on the cover, which can be seen when you enlarge the 2nd picture in the images, which says that this is the 'FIRST" performance, when all the other titles label this as the "SECOND".

5 comments about Revolver.

1. Released in August, 1966, at roughly the same time the Beatles stopped touring for good, "Revolver" remains amazing in its sheer variety. The songs are all over the map: Paul McCartney pays tribute to Motown with the horn-driven "Got To Get You Into My Life"; Ringo sings about the joys of living in a "Yellow Submarine" (later the basis for their delightful third motion picture); George Harrison expresses his Indian interests in "Love You To" (and delivers a jab to the Inland Revenue with "Taxman"); and John Lennon explores his own head with "She Said She Said" and the astonishing "Tomorrow Never Knows", in which his voice, filtered through a revolving Leslie speaker, is combined with backward-masking to create an eerie masterpiece, unlike anything heard from a pop group before, even the Fab Four themselves. This new, far more complex music could not have been successfully duplicated onstage, and the group thereafter left live performing behind. Now, the recording studio was their painter's canvas, and would remain so for the remainder of the group's existence.



2. With haunting melodies like "I'm Only Sleeping", "Eleanor Rigby", "Good Day Sunshine" and "She Said She Said" to name just a few, this is a very pleasing Beatles effort to listen to. If anyone needed proof that there's more to the Beatles than their hits, look no further. This album fluctuates effortlessly between vocal-centered pieces and George Harrison's much-loved sitar-driven melodies, and here I've only scraped the surface of the creativity that goes into the instrumentation.
   
   For Revolver is a creative album, a joy to listen to and to take in. The melodies are a true musical mind-scape, ranging from easy-going melodies to the mysterious sound effects of "Tomorrow Never Knows". It is, finely put, a mystery of an album in itself. A truly solid piece of music-making, a year before Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which is generally considered a cornerstone in that area. Revolver is a very special album to me, and as I hear "I'm Only Sleeping" drifting through my mind yet again, I can see why.



3. Easily one of the Beatles best albums! Diverse songwriting styles are showcased with each song seemingly having a different style yet they blend perfectly with each other. Of course in charge of the production was George Martin as always. It's amazing how much ground this album covers given the fact that none of the fourteen songs featured actually lasts more than three minutes and a half!!
   By the time this album was released in 1966 the band's sound had evolved a lot indeed. Especially when you think that their debut collection was released just three years earlier!
   
   Let's start with guitarist John Lennon who sings five songs here. The first is "I'm Only Sleeping" with a simple band sound of drums, bass, and a lone dominating acoustic guitar is one of the album's best cuts. But, for me, the highlight comes in the middle when Harrison steps in to play an awesome backward guitar solo overdub! Next comes "She Said She Said" with it's lyrics based on an LSD trip is pure power pop with it's loud, bright sounding rhythm guitar and cool lead guitar work thoughtout too! You could say this is early hard rock at it's finest! After that we go into "And Your Bird Can Sing" with a stunning melodic lead guitar intro by Harrison, great vocals and rhythm guitar from Lennon, and memorable bass from McCartney combine to create another power pop classic!
   In "Doctor Robert" a straightforword rock style is showcased with distorted guitars that is nothing short of excellent. In the middle an organ comes in for a nice change. Listen carefully at the end for that awesome arpeggiated, bright-sounding, distorted guitar!! Too bad it fades so quickly!! Now it's on to, by far, the most avant-garde inspired song on the album "Tomorrow Never Knows" that utilizes strange sound effects, a backward guitar solo and a tape loop producing what sounds like a seagull while Ringo keeps it all together with his steady drumming. On top of that Lennon sings some apparently drug inspired lyrics. Very innovative experiment to say the least!
   
   Let's move on to bass player Paul McCartney who also gets to sing in five songs. "Eleanor Rigby" is a stunning two minute neo-classical piece with psychedelic lyrics but it's the great string arrangement by George Martin that really steals the show here! Now it's on to "Here, There, And Everywhere". This got to be one of the band's best love ballads ever! Paul lead vocals harmonize perfectly with the background vocals throughout the song's haunting melodies.
   A nice change of style comes up in "Good Day Sunshine" with it's prominent grand piano but it's already time for another sharp turn and we find "For No One". Nice chord progression played on harpsichord, and after a haunting chorus a really cool trumpet solo comes in. The last one is the seemingly Motown inspired "Got To Get You Into My Life" with a memorable vocal by Paul but the most important thing here got to be it's unforgettable brass arrangement!! Without this the song's impact would have been greatly diminshed!
   
   George Harrison contribued three drastically different songs. "Taxman", the album's opener, is an awesome rocker that's made even better by it's aggressive guitar solo in mixolydian! "Love You To" is by far the most ambitious in which he trades the guitar in favor of the sitar. The result is mesmerizing fusion of Indian and rock music. Note the distorted guitar that comes in for the chorus. Finally "I Want To Tell You" is surpirsingly pop sounding after the more ambitious previous song. It starts with a cool riff. No matter how poppy it may sound there's still room to experiment. This time it comes in that slightly dissonant chord used throughtout.
   
   Drummer Ringo Starr got only got one song to sing: "Yellow Submarine". Probably one of the most popular of this album that later was included in the movie of the same name.
   
   So there you have it! An essential album for the rock fan to say the least!!
   Thanks for taking the time to read!
   Later...



4. What happens when you get four guys from Liverpool, songs like "Taxman", "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" and throw in some LSD here and there? You get a rock & roll classic my friend. Revolver was released when rock music was wedged between Folk and Psychedelia, so it should sound way ahead of its time. Does the album stand for the test of time? Read on for my review!
   
   From the opening proto-punk riff of Taxman to the childish nature of Yellow Submarine to the Syd Barret era-Pink Floyd of Tomorrow Never Knows, this album, like I said before, was ahead of its time. Not one song of this album is filler, even Yellow Submarine doesn't get old! George Harrison shines on this album from the bitterness of Taxman to the spiritual Love You To to the difficulty of expressing himself on I Want To Tell You. Paul McCartney also does a superb job with songs like Here There and Everywhere (inspired by "God Only Knows"), the devil may care attitude of Good Day Sunshine to the bitter For Know One and praising pot, that's right POT on Got To Get You Into My Life. Ringo's voice fits Yellow Submarine perfectly and his drumming is fantastic! He keeps it simple yet does a drum fill nice suitable to the songs he's playing. A very UNDERRATED drummer in rock. And who could forget the man himself... John Lennon. His song writing is without a doubt spectacular! Every song that he wrote here is amazing! Seriously, I'm Only Sleeping, She Said She Said, And Your Bird Can Sing, Doctor Robert, and of course, Tomorrow Never Knows. So what are you waiting for? Got out and buy this rock centerpiece. No classic rock fan should be without this album!
   
   Recomended Tracks: Taxman, I'm Only Sleeping, Love You To, She Said She Said, Tomorrow Never Knows



5. What do I love about this album? The opening coughs and the countout "one, two, three, four, one, two" - a dirty way to start a Beatles album - aren't they supposed to be those clean-cut lads from Liverpool? It's the first clue that this is going to be a different journey than we expected. The witty George Harrison, tongue-in-cheek, with a song that vocalizes a universal suspicion that our money is being unfairly commandeered by the government, a sentiment that resonates more strongly as I've gotten older.
   What else do I love? the lovely vocal harmony and the strings on Eleanor Rigby. The striking images painted by Paul. So original - name any song that even comes close to sounding like it. Love the way it ends - like in "Amadeus" the song ends when it's supposed to, no big bang necessary for the ending.
   What else? John's nasal tenor, sweet and dreamy, coming through on "I'm only sleeping", the perfectly match for a lazy afternoon, or a lazy day.
   What else? "Here, There, and Everywhere" - their best love song ever IMHO, even better than George's "Something". Again, my humble opinion. It's sweeter and not so overproduced.
   Even Ringo makes a classic appearance here - a children's song that, as poorly sung as it is (admit it, Ringo aint a singer), still holds a charm that will keep it beloved forever. (my favorite Ringo is "I wanna be your man")
   What's just okay? She Said She said, Doctor Robert, and And your Bird can sing(just never caught on with me), Good Day Sunshine - (reverting back a little to their old bubble gum ways, still a lovely song).
   Intriguing songs - Tomorrow never knows - very intellectually stimulating music. For no one - seems a bit incomplete at the end.
   Got to get you into my life - Actually, Earth Wind & Fire did a cover on that terrible movie, "Sgt pepper's lonely hearts club band". EWF was one of the best parts of the movie, and I think I like the cover a little better than the original.
   All in all (no pun intended, for those who get that-kudos), this album is fantastic. Even the just okay stuff is great if you're in the right mood for it. Every time I hear it (and I do tend to listen to it in its entirety), I smile.

5 comments about Shine On.

1. As I approached my completion of college there are two things that come to mind when I look back, finishing school and Pink Floyd. I have always liked Pink Floyd, but it wasn't until 2000 that I really got into them. A guy I knew who ran a record store called me and said, "Hey, I just got the Shine On box set, I will sell it to you cheap if you want it!" So I dragged myself down their and picked it up. I had most of the music on there, but it was the singles I was after at the time...This is a must for any serious Pink Floyd fan, if you are one and you don't have this...maybe you should, because some day soon these things are going to be rare.



2. Quienes busquen en Shine On, una recopilación completa, les advierto que mejor no lo compren, ya que este box set es una selección de ciertos discos de PF. La diferencia? Un buen libro de pasta dura y con la historia y lyrics del grupo, además de postales de colección, un cd con un par de canciones inéditas y una caja para los cd's los mismos que vienen en una caja negra especial.
   
   Este box set es sólo para fanáticos. Si eres un fanático indiscutible de PF y si ya lo has convertido en tu religión, entonces debes de tenerlo. Vale la pena.



3. Pink Floyd released their 9-CD box set Shine On in November of 1992.
   The box was released to commemorate the band's 25th anniversary as a recording act.
   Compiling a box was not an easy task. Instead of pulling songs from each album, the band (mainly guitarist/singer David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason and keyboard player Rick Wright) with some help from estranged bass player/singer/lyricist Roger Waters and the extra help from longtime friend James Guthrie and Doug Sax remastered seven chosen albums which represented the best of the band's history.
   Obviously, the classics were picked (Meddle, The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall) and one transition album (A Saucerful of Secrets) and the band's comeback (A Momentary Lapse of Reason) and all were digitally remastered from the original master tapes.
   Since there were no outtakes, the band released their first five singles on a bonus disc called The Early Singles which uses the mono mixes of the songs. Four of the songs had not ever been released on album in the US("Candy and a Currant Bun", "Apples and Oranges" (unreleased in the US), "It Would Be So Nice" and "Point Me at the Sky" (unreleased in the US)), three not ever on CD ("Paintbox", "Julia Dream" and "Careful With That Axe Eugene") and three had been on CD in the US ("Arnold Layne", "See Emily Play" and "The Scarecrow").
   I first got this box set for Christmas in 1992 and was a great box set and made the original late 80s CDs and the Mobile Fidelity discs sound pale in comparison. Also, the book was excellent as it had some rare photos and historical info about each album and the artwork was superb.
   This box set went Platinum immediately but is unfortunately out of print in the US as the band is no longer on Columbia (the band nullified its contract after Columbia complained about lack of new material as the band was about to release The Wall Live Is There Anybody Out There? in 1999 so Pink Floyd manager (the late) Steve O' Rourke switched licensing rights of the band's music back to Capitol/EMI worldwide since the band owns the master tapes to their music and not the label).
   Highly recommended if you are a newbie to Floyd but good luck finding it!



4. This is mainly to clarify what a previous poster wrote about re-releasing thid with the digital remastering. When I got this set way back in 1992, for Christmas, this set was the only place you could find these CDs with digital remastering. (That was the selling point) It was my understanding that the digital remasters of the same albums in their stand alone form were not released until 1994-1997, and that those remasters were simply the same as the shine on set, so in fact, there is no difference in sound quality between these CDs and the stand alone versions (with the exception of the XXth & XXXth Anniversary releases of DSOTM. This was verified when I bought new copies of all of the discs in this set, in order to obtain the artwork available in the stand alone versions.



5. This collection is not a compilation like Echoes. It is comprised of eight albums (A Saucerful of Secrets, Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, Two discs of The Wall, and 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Reason)chosen and then put into one box set. There is no Ummagumma or Live From Pompeii. Since this was released way back in 1992, it would be nice if they were to reissue Shine On with new digital mastering.

5 comments about The Beatles Multiselection Box Set.

1. This is a very nice set of Parlophone/Emi/Apple Edition Cd's. Roll Top Black Wooden Box w/ Booklet. A wonderful Beatles Collectors Item! If you can find one? I highly recommend it!



2. It's difficult to rate an item when it is sold to you in a substandard condition. Do not buy directly from amazon or their associate warehouse_deals as they sell boxed sets without boxes and then tell you that you are stuck with it since they cannot guarantee they will get more in. So be sure to shop elsewhere.



3. I'm going to be a little contrary to other reviewers worrying about weather its value for money or not.This is The Beatles and their music is the best.So for young people who may not know all their songs,and would be wondering what the albums are like,im going to name some of my favorites from each album.First album is real tough to name favorites without leaving any songs out - I Saw Her Standing There,Misery,Anna,Please Please Me,Love Me DO,P.S I Love You Baby Its You,Do You Want To Know A Secret,A Taste of Honey and There's A Place.With The Beatles - All Ive Got To Do,All My Loving,Don't Bother Me,Till there Was You,Roll Over Beethoven,Hold Me Tight,You've Realy Got A Hold On Me,I Wanna Be Your Man,Devil In Her Heart,Not A second Time.A Hard Days Night - A Hard Days Night,I Should Have Known better,And I Love Her,Cant Buy Me Love,I'll Be Back.Beatle For Sale - I'm A Loser,Baby's In Black,I'll Follow The Sun,Eight Days A Week,Words Of love,Every Little Thing,I DOnt Want To Spoil The Party,What Your Doing.Help - Help,You've Got To Hide Your Love Away,Your Gonna Lose That Girl,Ticket To Ride,Yesterday.Rubber SOul - Norwegian Wood,Nowhere Man,Michelle,Girl,In My Life,Wait,If I Needed Someone,Run For Your Life.Revolver - Taxman,Eleanor Rigby,I'm Only Sleeping,Good Day Sunshine,And Your Bird Can Sing,For No One,Got To Get You Into My Life,Tomorrow Never KnowsSgt Pepper - With A Little Help From My Friends,Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,Being For The Benifit Of Mr Kite,When I'm Sixty Four,A Day In The Life.Magical Mystery Tour - Magical Mystery Tour,The Fool On The Hill,Hello Goodbye,Strawberry Fields Forever,Penny Lane,All You Need Is Love.Yellow Submarine - Hey Bulldog.White Album - Obla Di Obla Da,Bungalow Bill,While My Guitar Gently Weeps,Rocky Raccoon,Dont Pass Me By,Birthday,Yer Blues,Sexy Sadie,Helter Skelter,Revolution 1,Cry Baby Cry.Abbey Road - Come Together,Something,Maxwells Silver Hammer,Oh Darling,Octopus's Garden,Here Comes The Sun.Let It Be - Let It Be,Long And Winding Road,Get Back.Past Masters - From Me To You,Thank You Girl,She Loves You, I'll Get You,I Want To Hold Your Hand,I Feel Fine,Day Tripper,We Can Work It Out,Paperback Writer,Lady Madonna,Hey Jude,Revolution,Dont Let Me Down,The Ballad Of John And Yoko,Across The Universe.Now how could i name a top 10 Beatles songs out of all that,that would be a challenge.



4. of course ... the beatles!! what can you expect??
   excellent collection that will last forever.
   the never-ending fever. you take a break once in a while, but then .....
   you travel again.
   I ordered it on feb 7, and it arrived on tuesday, feb. 12.
   right on time!!



5. Don't buy the 1987 stereo mixes of their albums because they suck. Hold on until EMI releases the remastered Mono versions of their first albums, up to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. They're on their way.

5 comments about Physical Graffiti.

1. I think every one of the original Zeppelin albums (and the live ones as well) has reviewers calling it "the best Led Zeppelin" album. I'm gonna go with the nameless one any day, followed closely by "Live at the BBC" and "How the West was Won".
   But this big, sprawling double album is really a must-have as well, as are the vast majority of Zeppelin's 70s albums. It's the "usual" blend, I suppose, of blues, folk, rock n' roll and a little bit of funk and soul, generally heavy on the electric blues, but with a couple of utterly charming acoustic numbers as well.
   
   There is perhaps nothing here as monumental as "Stairway" or as long-lasting as "Black Dog" or "Whole Lotta Love", even though the majestic 8½-minute "Kashmir" features a riff that will allow you get to rid of any other song that has gotten stuck in your head. But the overall quality of the material is very, very high.
   It's hard, in fact, to think of another rock or blues record with this many distinctive guitar riffs; the entire first disc is dripping with heavy blues and rock n' roll riffs and thumping drums. And while the second disc may be a little less consistent, opening with two minutes of hideous synth, it nevertheless features plenty of terrific blues-rock and some lovely acoustic forays. Titles like "Night Flight", "Boogie with Stu" and "Black Country Woman" may not be the most immediately recognizable, but they're among Zep's most infectious blooze-n-boogie-grinds.
   "Physical Graffiti" is a monument, one of the most epic double studio albums of the 70s, right up there with "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs", and bested only, perhaps, by the Stones' unrivalled "Exile on Main Street".



2. BEST ZEPPELIN ALBUM! THIS IS A SAMPLER PLATE OF EVERYTHING LED ZEPPELIN DID WELL; HARD ROCK, BLUES, ACOUSTIC, BALLADS. IF I COULD ONLY HAVE ONE ZEPPELIN ALBUM, THIS WOULD BE THE ONE! ROCK ON!



3. The quality of the individual song may not be up to Led Zeppelin 1,2, or 4, but the diversity, indulgence, and inspiration make it just as interesting, good, and ultimatly the most entertaining. The essential Led Zeppelin album.
   
   Note. People one gave this or other Led Zeppelin/Jimi Hendrix/Pink Floyd/Beatles etc, albums one star often listen to foreigner and mention it in their comments. What does this tell you? Foreigner, Genesis, and Yes stink and people who listen to them have no taste. If you want a better progressive group, go to pretty much any other band.



4. This is essential Led Zeppelin. One of the most influential rock albums of all times, period. Long before Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel came onto world beat, Page and Plant were incorporating musical elements from north Africa and Asia -- which they experienced for the first time following Led Zeppelin's first tour of these locations.



5. This album will indelibly be associated with one of my worst acid trips ever way back in the late 80s. There was this block party in college, and I ended up sitting in a room for four hours, listening to this repeatedly, along with Back In Black by AC/DC. Luckily, my friend had a great record collection.
   
   I remember Kashmir scared me, but, for some reason, In My Time of Dying, calmed me, and made me think that even if I met the Grim Reaper that day, it wouldn't be all that bad. Ten Years Gone is an epic among epics; of which this album basically consists.
   
   So I want to thank Zeppelin for helping through a terrifying 12 or so hours. Right now I'm on a kick where I'm listening to the aforementioned Ten Years, along with Carouselambra from their final, In Through The Out Door, a truly underrated work. It's hard to believe in an age where a band makes one good MP3, just how many truly amazing songs and albums these fellas put out. It staggers the mind.

5 comments about At the BBC.

1. Este es un disco recopilatorio realizado por la banda. Las canciones fueron grabadas en dos sesiones para la BBC las primeras 4 canciones fueron grabadas en febrero de 1973 y las otras 4 en diciembre del mismo año. 7 de las 8 canciones pertenecen al álbum Queen I, solo Ogre Battle es del disco Queen II.
   Es un articulo para coleccionistas y fanaticos. Para publico general recomiendo comprar los discos Queen y Queen II.



2. Item arrived earlier than expected. Perfect condition. However, bad packing. The box arrived almost opened. One could have easily taken the CD out of the box.



3. First of all, I have to say that I own all of Queen studio albums, and like most Queen rocker fans I love the earlier years. Now I wonder why in heaven I didn't buy this record before! It has a rough sound, much alike Led Zeppelin, but cleaner. Basically, this record contains versions of 8 songs from their debut album Queen, but they can rock the hell out of you! They're heavier, faster and a littlr bit different from the studio album, which make it a must, even if you have the studio album. I just love this CD!



4. This is quite an interesting release. Two sessions at the BBC, recorded in Feb 73 and Dec 73. With the exception of "Ogre Battle" all the songs are off the first album. The good news, is the Feb sessions (the first 4 tracks) sound much better than the originals. Thank God. I always thought that album sounded bad. The Dec sessions differ in that the sound is much more stripped down sound, almost live sounding, with few overdubs (for Queen anyway). At just over 7 minutes, "Son and Daughter" rocks like hell. This collection will impress the die hard fan because you get different and in most cases much better versions of classic Queen tunes.
   
   * No "HITS" so the casual fan may not be right for this one.



5. I love this album....!!! You must buy it. :)
   
   MGAC

5 comments about Shades 1968-1998.

1. Don't even bother with a single disc Deep Purple greatest hits if you really like this band; just as the Beatles or Led Zeppelin are worth more than a single disc collection. This box set has so many highlights, it just shows the magnitude and scope of this great band Deep Purple.
   
   The down side, the collection only goes as far as 1998, a bit outdated. But not a problem for those wanting only the Blackmore era. I'd also agree with other reviewers who thought there were too many photos of the Coverdale and Hughes (MKIII) era. That too struck me the first time I looked through the booklet. But, who really sits around just looking at the photos all the time.
   
   The up side, tons of great studio and live performances and the sound quality is really good and consistent, considering all the years and production values.
   
   
   Disc 1 highlights: Hush, Kentucky Woman, Anthem, Hallelujah, Speed King, Child In Time, Black Night, Into the Fire (Live '70), and No No No (Live '71).
   
   Disc 2 highlights: Strange Kind Of Woman, Fireball, Demon's Eye, No One Came, Highway Star, Smoke On The Water, Pictures Of Home, Space Truckin'.
   
   Disc 3 highlights: Smoke On The Water (Live '72), Lazy (Live '72), Woman From Tokyo, Mary Long, Smooth Dancer, Burn, Sail Away, Stormbringer, Lady Double Dealer (Live '75) and Comin' Home.
   
   Disc 4 highlights: Knocking At Your Back Door, Perfect Strangers, Call Of The Wild, Bad Attitude, Hard Lovin' Woman (Live '87), The Battle Rages On, Anya (Live '93), A Castle Full Of Rascals and Seventh Heaven.
   
   Recommended.



2. There are things that should have done a little differently, such as, less photos of MKIII (Coverdale/Hughes era) and more MKII (Gillan/Glover era), after all, MKII were together far longer, but, you'd never know that by Rhinos booklet. Probably the folks involved in making the booklet, knew very little about Deep Purple.
   
   The good news, the music is pretty spot on. Perhaps a few more from the Steve Morse era (1996-) would have given this collection a better balance. But, that's the way these box set running orders go. Besides, most people will probably want more of the "classic rock" era.
   
   Overall, a great introduction to one of the great rock bands.



3. Let's breakdown Darth Kommissar's review sentence by sentence
   
   Darth writes: For nearly four decades, Deep Purple has been one of the world's finest rock and roll bands - no questions asked. (Insert DT comment here). Yes, I guess the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's would be four decades, not nearly four but actually four decades. And if you are writing your review in 2004, I guess you could say it's five decades now!
   
   Darth writes: The band has released several albums, live albums, compilations, and box sets. This is one of the band's many box sets. (Insert DT comment here) I really cannot counter this because its fact. Usually a box set is released once a band has established itself once they've released "several albums, live albums, compilations".
   
   Let's breakdown the Pro's / Con's
   PROS:
   -This set spans Deep Purple's entire career, from their debut material in the late sixties right up to material from the Ian Gillan reunion. (Insert DT comment here...Yes it's true he hit the nail on the head with that comment, but actually the Gillan reunion happened in 84 and again in 93 and this goes past that to 98)
   
   -Most of the band's big hits are here for your listening pleasure. (Insert DT comment here...could you mention a few of the hits, I know them but do you?)
   
   -A number of underrated masterpieces are also contained in this set. (Insert DT comment here...could you please name a few of these so-called underrated masterpieces please?)
   
   -There are tons of rare tracks here, including single versions of songs which are otherwise, outside this set, unavailable on compact disc! (Insert DT comment here...I'm confused on this part...read the cons section below)
   
   -The set consists of many discs of Purple classics. (Insert DT comment here...Darth you've kinda pointed this out already, but please mention a few classics)
   
   CONS:
   -The band couldn't decide whether they wanted to do a career-spanning retrospective or a rarities set. They should have done both of these things separately, not in the same set. (Insert DT comment here...sounds like a good old Darth whine, can't ever satisfy this reviewer who more than likely didn't pick up this box set)
   
   -Honestly, how many people are going to want to pay this much money for the sake of a few rare tracks? Most big fans already own all of the band's albums. (Insert DT comment here...But wait Darth, just a moment ago you mentioned in your Pro's section the following -There are tons of rare tracks here, including single versions of songs which are otherwise, outside this set, unavailable on compact disc...now I'm confused are there or anren't there rarities...I want to buy this but I'm confused by you!)
   
   OVERALL:
   Overall this is a good set, but if you already own all of the band's albums, it's not really worth buying this for the sake of only a few rare tracks. Still, the material featured here is excellent, and stands as solid proof that Deep Purple is one hell of a rock band. (Insert DT comment here...there he goes again...I think he's positive about it only having a few rarities now).
   
   DT's Overall...first off this is an awesome set. Worth every penny...People of have made Darth Kommissar a top 50 reviewer should pull their heads out their butts, and listen to reviewers who actually listen to the music and not just wanting to review every single thing on Amazon like they own it. This guy reviews everything. He'd give a turd 5 stars if he could find something positive and negative to write about it. Reviewer beware!!!



4. If your looking for a collection that has a little of everything forget all the single disc collections and buy this. Four cd's containg album tracks rarities and 2 versions of Smoke On The Water (studio & Live). Features all 4 lead vocalists (Nick Simper, Ian Gillan, David Coverdale & Joe Lyn Turner). If you have the extra pocket change and want comprehensive Purple buy this set!!!



5. the one aspect that makes this boxset different from others is the rare outtakes, and the different uk versions that are included on this set. if anyone is an avid Deep Purple fan as myself, then one probably owns most of the already released many times over tracks. the one track that could have been left out and replaced with a track like soldier of fortune is hush '88. I still prefer Rod Evans and Nick Simpler's version of Hush than Ian Gillian's version. His waaaaa wailing doesn't quite fit the style of his rendition. I am no where saying that Ian Gillian isn't a great vocalist. his voice just does not fit the style of this song. it is kind of like david lee roth trashing a beach boys' classic california girls. i prefer to listen to DLR's and the cradle will rock, which really rocks. over all, this is a superb set, well put together. there could have been a couple of more tracks put together for a fifth disc, but i guess there being no fifth disc is better than having a flopped out concert added with less than suitable sound quality as they had done with Elvis' boxset from a flopped out venure in his early days out in Las Vegas. or Should I say Lost Vegas?