5 comments about Waiting for the Sun.

1. The Doors Waiting for the Sun is a really magnificent album that, for some reason or another, faces constant criticism. There's really nothing bad or even average about it to warrant negative ratings all the time! I'm not a huge fan of the Doors, but I know quality songwriting when I hear it, and this album has LOADS of creativity.
   
   Many people hate "Hello, I Love You" for some reason. I think it's a great song that the 90's rock band Smash Mouth ripped off BIG time for their "Walkin' on the Sun" smash hit. Hmmm... that song title sounds awfully close to "Waiting for the Sun" doesn't it???
   
   "Love Street" is a perfect ballad with brilliant piano soloing that gives the song a jazzy edge. "Summer's Almost Gone" is a psychedelic blues song that leads perfectly into the greatest song on the album "Wintertime Love". The next track, "The Unknown Soldier" brings back the distinct spookiness that made the Doors debut album so unforgettable. You don't hear musicians today write songs like that. It's completely unlike anything else out there.
   
   "Spanish Caravan" is simply beautiful, "My Wild Love" is hauntingly creepy, "We Could Be So Good Together" is probably the Doors idea of a pop song, "Yes, the River Knows" again has some spooky piano bits that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and "Five to One" is a great jam with fantastic electric guitar playing. Oh yeah, forgot to mention "Not to Touch the Earth". Let's just say, that song is absolutely fantastic and probably the second best song on the album.
   
   Every song I mentioned is really good, and guess what? I mentioned every song on the album!. I love the entire thing. You really need to pick up this wonderful piece of distinct rock music. The Doors sounded like absolutely no one else back in the day, and this is another highlight of their career.



2. I remember purchasing this album back in 1968 during the summer it came out..
   I got the album home and noticed on the inner liner the lyrics to a song called. "The Celebration of the Lizard. On the liner the lyrics were written. On the album all they had was a small incert of it. Not to Touch the Earth at the time seemed very unique. It was Morrison on his new album doing a song similar to "The End" or "When the Nusics Over"
   A few years later the Doors released a new Live album with the Entire version of The Celebration of the Lizard" and I finally got to hear the entire song for the first time.
   This album will always been in my mind one of the two or three best albums the Doors have ever done. Jim Morrison was a master poet and in my opinion this album includes some of his finest poetic love songs.
   Hello I Love You is a partial rip off of the song by the Kinks, "All of the Day and All of the Night.
   Love Street is good but the real meat and potatos is Wintertime Love, The Unknown Soldier and another of my favorites Five to One. Spanish Caravan and Yes, The River Knows are also outstanding............File this under "C" for classic, If you are not familliar with the Doors and are discovering them for the first time, I suggest you get their first album with Light my Fire and this one. Strange Days would be another one to check out These first three albums are the most raw and least commercial. But you can buy anything by the Doors and not go wrong.



3. WAITING FOR THE SUN might be evidence that Jim Morrison was either a tapped-out lyric writer ("Not To Touch The Earth" and "Summer's Almost Gone") or just totally stoned out of his mind ("The Celebration Of The Lizard" poetry). But then, we see flashes of the sort of brilliance that permeated the DOORS' first two albums-- tracks like "The Unknown Soldier" and "Five To One" stand up against any that this band ever recorded.
   
   Musically, WAITING FOR THE SUN often sounds tremendously dated-- perhaps it was outmoded even in 1968. Fuzz guitar and calliope-like organ are everywhere-- there's waltzes ("Wintertime Love") and schmaltzes ("Love Street") and all sorts of filler. A pattern of inconsistency established here followed the group right through to L.A. WOMAN. The DOORS were a band that the "Best Of" compilation was ideal for. Like THE SOFT PARADE and MORRISON HOTEL, WAITING FOR THE SUN is only for their most devoted fans and perhaps '60s rock completists.
   
   TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 33:08



4. I don't believe that there is a bad Doors album, it's just some albums are better then others. I don't think even that "The Soft Parade" is bad, it's just different.
   
   But now onto this album. "Waiting For The Sun" is a classic Doors album. While it's not the best (that honor would go to either the first album or "LA Woman", maybe even "Morrison Hotel"), it's still very good. It is a little "lighter" then preceding albums or following albums, but there are some hard-rocking numbers here as well.
   
   The album opens up with the driving, poppy "Hello, I Love You", which became a number 1 hit single, and it's not hard to understand why. Then comes "Love Street", which is a light song, but it's very underrated. It is a nice light song. Then we have "Not To Touch The Earth", an excerpt from the epic "Celebration of the Lizard". It's a creepy, rollicking song and one of the best songs on the album. The next song is "Summer's Almost Gone", which is somewhat like "Love Street", but not as good. Then comes "Wintertime Love", which is more upbeat then it's predecessor but is still very poppy. It's also the shortest song on the album. "The Unknown Soldier" comes next, the Doors famous anti-war song, and it's a great song that has appeared on many Greatest Hits compilations. "Spanish Caravan" follows, and, much like the title implies, it has a spanish feel to it. It's a pretty good song, especially towards the end when Robby Kreiger switches from accoustic to electric guitar. Then comes "My Wild Love", which is mostly just vocals, not a bad song, not great. Then comes "We Could Be So Good Together". Much like "Wintertime Love", it is an upbeat, poppy song, but not bad in any way. Then comes "Yes, The River Knows", which is probably the worst song on the album as it is slow and not Doors-like at all. But however much that song takes it away, the next song, "Five To One", repents for it and adds a lot to the album. Probably the best song on the album, "Five to One" is the most Doors-like on the album and is one of my personal favorites.
   
   Overall, this is a really good album that deserves a chance even if it is not THE best Doors albums, it's still really good.
   
   Hello, I Love You - 5/5
   Love Street - 5/5
   Not To Touch The Earth - 5/5
   Summer's Almost Gone - 4/5
   Wintertime Love - 3.5/5
   The Unknown Soldier - 5/5
   Spanish Caravan - 4.5/5
   My Wild Love - 3/5
   We Could Be So Good Together - 4/5
   Yes, The River Knows - 2/5
   Five To One 6/5



5. This is a fascinating album in that it contains some of the Doors' most bizarre tracks on the same album as a few of their most banal pop ones. The weird, whacky experimental songs all rule but one, and with a single exception, the banal songs are boring.
   First, the single exception to the "banal pop song" rule. Hello, I Love You is sheer, moronic bubblegum, but I don't care - I love every minute of it, even if the riff was stolen from the Kinks. It's a lot like Love Her Madly: Pure, unadultered, unpretentious rock. And if you can't appreciate it for what it is, I'd recommend clinical help. But the question stands: how many times outside of one are you gonna listen to Love Street, Summer's Almost Gone, Wintertime Love, We Could Be So Good Together or Yes, The River Knows?
   Then we get to the weird stuff - which, with one odious, glaring exception, is amazing. Not To Touch The Earth is simply demented - and the Celebration of the Lizard (which it's a small part of) is even more so, but I love it. Manzarek's organ sounds like it walked out of a funeral parlour from Hell, and I've got no clue what Jim's talking about but it sure is disturbing. Slightly more accessible is the politicized rant Five to One (or at least it looks political - I've heard that it means nothing because Jim was drunk off his keister when he wrote it), which is pure metal - and probably my favorite song off the album. And speaking of political protests, they pull a hell of an antiwar classic with The Unknown Soldier, which actually works in a real firing squad that, according to legend, shot at Jim in the studio. Cool! The last of my favorites is Spanish Caravan, which I think is one of the Doors' more unjustly unknown efforts. It certainly sounds like nothing else - contrast the two parts (yes, two parts in a three minute song!) and you'll see what I mean. The lone experiment I can't really get into is My Wild Love. What's the chant doing there? I don't know, but it's gotta go. Because that's one awful song.
   This is a painfully obvious transition album (with Jim loaded during half the recording sessions - figures), but I think that this could've been something had they managed to get the full Celebration of the Lizard on tape and expanded on the experimental material - while keeping Hello, I Love You, just for contrast's sake. Now it's just an average album.

5 comments about Nobody's Perfect.

1. regardless of what other fans think , I think this is one of the best DP live albums ever.
   
   The 88 version of Hush is great.You cant find the live version of Perfect strangers and Knocking at your back door with this line up in any other CD.
   
   All classic songs are very well played and it seems like the audience responded well too.
   
   I know the "real" DP fans are rolling over their eyes but I think this CD is up there with Made in Japan......



2. This album, somewhat of a sequel to "Made In Japan", features a 'matured' Deep Purple. The vocals do not quite match the raw power of early Deep Purple, but the guitar work is excellent as usual. The rest of the band does as well a job as they did in the 70s. This is recommended for serious Deep Purple fans, but not for casual listeners.



3. Nobody's Perfect resides in the lower echelon of live DP albums; it's coffin-mates include Last Concert In Japan and California Jamming (relegated there, to be sure, due to poor sound quality). But Nobodys' Perfect comes from an uninspired period in Purple history, when Blackmore and Gillan were not getting on, and the '80s albums they were supporting were not exactly setting the world on fire. On this release, the song selection is not bad, it's just that the invisible x-factor that makes my favorite band so magical is hibernating. Blackmore plays with a "who cares?" attitude, hit-or-miss is being generous, and he sounds like he's playing through a 10-watt Crate amp. Lord and Paice retain some dignity, of course (the beginning of "Knocking at Your Back Door" is good fun), but Glover is absent from the mix, and Gillan's voice sounds shot. He also mumbles very incoherently between songs (I'm an American, so maybe there's some British-isms going on I just can't fathom, BUT, I understand him very well on all the other albums and love his racy banter on the Paris '85 video). This is the type of album bands usually release to fulfill contractual obligations. If there are any redeeming points, it's the packaging (beautiful Pink Floyd-like cover, plus a rare photo of Ritchie sitting with his parents!), and also the "Hush '88" remake (ironic, huh? I used to hate this rendition and now I kind of like it).



4. As the title says "Nobody's Perfect". It's just the record company trying to squeeze a few more dollars out of us die hard DP fans. Ian's voice is shot. I've seen the band since this release (without Ritchie) and Ian's voice is better then this album and Steve fills Ritchie's shoes nicely. The rest of the band has still got it. It just goes to prove that grey don't mean dead.



5. Any time a group attempts a live album there is the risk that the music, rather than become more powerful, will lose vitality in the live translation. Such is the case here. Deep Purple has a number of live collections that work well - Made in Japan for example. This is not one of them. These live versions come across as uninspired and, in some cases, downright lazy. Unless you are one who desires "everything" put on CD by Deep Purple, spend your money more selectively among their other offerings.

No comments about It's Only Rock 'n Roll - 2nd Issue.

5 comments about Tattoo You.

1. Apparently this album was made out of outtakes from previous albums but it's very good indeed. In fact it's one of their best albums from the 80's. It was released in 1981 and features both lead guitarists Ron Wood and Mick Taylor plus Wayne Perkins who played during the "Black And Blue" sessions. For the rhythm section there's rhythm guitarist Keith Richards, bass player Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts as always.
   
   The first track "Star Me Up" is one of their most popular songs by far! It's still played on radio frequently. "Hang Fire" and "Neighbours" are memorable up tempo rockers.
   There's also a jam called "Slave" that includes a catchy riff plus keyboard and saxophone solos.
   "Little T&A" is sung by rhythm guitarist Keith Richards and it's pure hard rock at it's finest. One of the best songs on the album!
   Another highlight is the R&B number "Black Limousine" which wouldn't sound out of place in one of their early albums while "Tops" features great vocals by Mick Jagger, catchy verses and chorus, and at the end there's a great outro solo by Mick Taylor.
   The last number "Waiting On A Frined" is the other popular song that's still played on radio and again features saxophone playing. Also note the ballad "Worried About You" where Mick Jagger sings in his falsetto voice and about half way into the song, a guitar solo by Wayne Perkins shows up.
   But the most unusal song here got be "Heaven". One of the most experimental songs the Stones ever did! It sounds like psychedelic rock.
   
   This is a an excellent choice if you want to get into 80's Rolling Stones as this is one of their best!
   Thanks for taking the time to read!
   Later...



2. Hello, Happy 3itch. We have recommendations for you. (Not Happy?)
   
   Back in '81, I was so appallingly hip. Nothing but Gang of 4, PiL and Devo for me. "Hang Fire" on the dashboard, though; what a crunch - probably the last unconditionally great rocking pop Stones tune. Timeless adolescence, a perfect mate for "Get Off Of My Cloud." The silly vocal hook, Chuck Berry solo, trailer trash narrator, bar 'n grill drum rolls, brittle slapback - the genius is in the brevity. Gang of 4, PiL and Devo probably thought they were revolutionaries back then, the rubes. Who NEEDS, like, progress? "Black Limousine," throwaway changes but, DUDE, the FEEL of that solo. "Neighbors," both obnoxious and charming; so unabashedly the Stones. And "Start Me Up," reactionary as hell, the Stones doing the Stones. Live long enough and you can get away with ANYTHING.
   
   [Insert belch here.]



3. The Rolling Stones had a string of stunning albums, up to "Exile on Main Street." Then, after a number of albums that had some strengths and some weaknesses, "Some Girls," one of their best came out. Then a disappointing "Emotional Rescue." But the Stones bounced back with a pretty good work, "Tattoo You." Many of the albums after "Exile" would have a few great songs--but also a number that did not measure up (and some were little more than filler). There is very little filler on "Tattoo You."
   
   The CD starts out, fittingly enough, with "Start Me Up," an absolutely classic Stones' rocker. The guitar riff is top notch, reminiscent of the best of the group's songs.
   
   "You start me up
   . . .
   You make a grown man cry."
   
   A real rocker. The band is in fine form here; this song has even been used (ugh) to signal the start of sporting events over the past decade or so.
   
   "Hang Fire." Just 2 minutes and 20 seconds, but what is packed into that brief time frame! The guitars growl nicely and the steady drumming of Charlie Watts provides a firm foundation for this song.
   
   "Black Limousine": Starts with some nice harmonica. This is one of the Stones'' home grown blues songs, a genre at which they have done well (recall the wonderful little classic, "Down in the Hole").
   
   "We used to ride baby,
   Ride around in a limousine.
   You looked so fine, baby,
   You in white and me in red."
   
   Sinuous guitar work is displayed and the Stones' rhythm section lives up to its reputation.
   
   "Waiting on a Friend": A softer sound, and effectively done! This is more intimate and contemplative than other pieces on this album. Nice piano work at the outset.
   
   "I'm just standing in a doorway,
   I'm just trying to make some sense.
   . . .
   I'm not waiting on a lady,
   I'm waiting on a friend."
   
   This represents an interesting change of pace.
   
   And these aren't the only songs of interest. As earlier noted, there is not much filler here. Other strong works: "Slave," "Neighbours," "No Use in Cryin'," and so on. Keith's obligatory song on this album is one of his better efforts.
   
   Rolling Stones' fans will appreciate this CD greatly. One of their best between "Exile on Main Street" and the present, along with "Some Girls" and "Bigger Bang."



4. Although never less than the most visible of rock bands, the Stones were in the midst of a commercial resurgence that began with Some Girls in 1978. Tattoo You (1981) remains the last album of the Stones' classic period and for good reason. Not only does it contain their last true classic song in "Start Me Up" but it also has the tender "Waiting on a Friend", the melodic pop rock of "Hang Fire" and Keith's ode to his newfound love in the catchy "Little T&A". "Start Me Up" was unavoidable on the radio but it's highest charting position was number 2 for several weeks never quite hitting number 1. There was only one song during this time that received more airplay than "Start Me Up" and this song prevented it from topping the charts. Anyone know what it is? I'll tell you at the end.
   
   Upon release the album was divided into a rock side and a ballad side and the first half contains some of the punchiest rockers the Stones have done but the ballad side contains a lot of material that we wouldn't normally get all in one place on a Stones record...and the ballads are gorgeous ("Worried About You", "Tops" and the ghostly "Heaven"). I remember not liking "Heaven" very much and one day in the summer, after a long day at the beach with my then girlfriend, we began our ride home. The sun was going down and we were driving in my convertible over the bridge that takes you over the water and back to 'civilization'. "Heaven" began to play and the whole atmosphere of the song just reflected the whole moment. The evening sun beating down upon the ocean as we crossed over it with the top down on a warm summer evening. That image is forever tattooed in my brain when I hear that song. It captured the moment as perfectly as any song could.
   
   Critics of this release often cite that the material was a patchwork of leftovers and new songs that they put together for an album. This may be true but the Stones are not the first band to do this. Elo's "Do Ya" was written before ELO was even formed, Van Halen did "House of Pain" on 1984 when that song predated their first album in 1978. The list goes on...Hey, if you wrote the song, you deserve to use it. Sometimes the timing just isn't right.
   
   That being said, if you're new to the Stones this is a good place to start. It's got more of an MOR feel to it than any of their other records and the main reason why casual fans seem to prefer it to their other recordings, even the classics. The Stones always had hits, but they were never as commercial on one recording as they were here. Commercial doesn't always mean 'better' but in this instance, it's timeless rock that they haven't been able to top since.
   
   ANSWER: "Private Eyes" by Hall and Oates
   
   Yeah, I know..but nobody ever said life was fair...



5. In the run-up to Scorsese's concert film Shine A Light I dusted off Exile on Main Street, the only Stones album that I owned until recently, and which I'd tried in vain to appreciate for probably 10 years. The timing must have been right because I found myself mentally comparing it to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or the Great Pyramid of Cheops instead of to other rock albums.
   
   Since then I've been frantically collecting the Stones' recorded legacy and so far have heard everything except Black and Blue, Bridges to Babylon, and Steel Wheels. Though Exile is still tops, what surprised me is how consistent the Stones have been, and how they retained their kingship right until the end. Since I wasn't overly anticipating each album the way fans who grew up with the Stones had to, and bought the albums haphazardly, going from Undercover back to Beggar's Banquet and onto Between the Buttons, there was no disappointment. Yeah, I can hear that Beggar's Banquet or Sticky Fingers have a more "classic" feel than Emotional Rescue, but this is mostly because the singles from those earlier albums have been driven into our heads. Otherwise these guys have never really fallen off track. There is no growth apparent in their albums, but there is a constant, almost heroic reinvigoration of formula. No two Stones albums sound quite alike, yet they all have that raw, chaotic, "Where'd that bongo come from, and where'd it disappear to so quickly?" sense of surprise.
   
   The Stones are not only underrated as players and orchestrators ( though that word brings to mind tubas and mellotrons and George Martin, while the Stones try to conceal their art behind an organized messiness ), but Jagger's lyrics deserve much more respect. Jagger seems to embody a reluctant fallen angel, and his perspective on life has a fascinating ambivalence -- it's almost like he went against his nature to live up to the image of a rock star. There's a sense he's too smart to go to hell, but he's chosen to anyway. Most debauchees don't have this kind of self-awareness, or the ability to stare so coldly at their own downfall. Compared to this spectacle of ugly, monkey-man burnout, stretched out slowly and painfully over 40 years, Dylan seems like a boring mystifier cobbling Old Testament phrases together with hippie sentiment, and Lennon like a self-loathing would-be guru. Jagger is not admirable, but he's also not a hypocrite. He IS rock music, and always will be. In fact, I think the entire concept of rock will die with him. The irony of Jagger, like the irony of Lucifer, is the insane hard work that went into his hedonism, and that all those lines on his face are a result of the effort it took to make others believe that he's having fun.
   
   All this is a bit heady for a review of Tattoo You, maybe the most M.O.R. of the Stones' albums. I'm not even sure why I'm reviewing this one. Maybe because glimmers of a once-heavenly nature are evident on "Heaven" or "Waiting on a Friend," giving this album a slightly tragic feel that left me unexpectedly shaken. I thought this album would be radio-ready pop, and it is, but some of the songs here are the closest Jagger came to abandoning his act, the edifice of the shtick that became his selfhood. On the ballad-heavy second half of the album, the "real" Mick Jagger seems tantalizingly close to showing his face. That's why the cover shows someone covered in tattoos, because Jagger was obviously nervous about what he reveals here and had to pretend the mask was still on.
   
   I don't say this because the songs are slow and therefore signifiers of emotion. I mean, this observation is coming from a guy who is immune to many classic Stones weepers like "Wild Horses" or "Moonlight Mile," that I consider hollow pastiche.
   But on the second half of Tattoo You it doesn't just sound like Jagger is tired of the Stones, like on Dirty Work, it sounds like he's tired of being Mick Jagger. "No Use in Crying," his six millionth kiss-off song to a former girlfriend ( roughly ) even seems deliberately attenuated, half-baked, Jagger barely able to muster up the enthusiasm for the usual ignorant, heartless bile aimed at some poor bimbo that he'd been delivering at least since "Stupid Girl" from Aftermath. The song comes off, because of this, as somewhat beautiful, sounding like Jagger is trying to sing himself through all the useless hatred and aggression.
   Between 1981-1983 there might even have been temporary hope of escape from the eternal burden placed on this beast -- but as soon as the sleazy ( and great ) Undercover hit the shelves, that "Waiting on a Friend" Jagger was dead forever. You don't even have to listen to the album. The peerlessly trashy cover, where the girl's eyes are cut off, making her all torso, all crotch, and nothing human, in itself seems like a riposte to Tattoo You, to the vulnerability shown here, as if to say, "Tricked you, didn't I?"
   
   I don't know if it's sad or encouraging that my final thought upon the Stones catalogue and Jagger himself is "Thanks for the great music -- now see ya, wouldn't want to be ya." I think I'll hang fire.

5 comments about Rocks, Vol. 1.

1. A look through the tracklisting will probably settle the debate for diehard fans as to whether they want this. And to Queen experts such as they I've probably got little to say to em' given they probably know more about the band than me. But newcomers, read on.
   
   But I really feel that this album was aimed at the generic music fan who wasn't familiar with the Queen catalogue in depth. Now to me Queen is a band you have to make up your own mind about. For example my brother is an addict, wheras I'm a casual user only. So rather than trying to encapsulate the recordings here or give a track by track synopsis I'll just give a few ideas that may be of help to the newcomer.
   
   This album has a fair whack of rockers, as the name suggests. Megahits like We Will Rock You and rollicking tunes such as Tie Your Mother Down and Sheer Heart Attack make this a great rock 'n' roll collection. While I'd question a couple of tracks and the exclusion of a few others this album succeeds in it's role of reeling in the newcomer, it's really hard to resist the energy of many of these songs. The reason why isn't just the tunes but what they represent. Rockers from the spectrum of Queen releases are here from the aforementioned Sheer Heart Attack to the latter day Headlong. Which means the casual music fan can hear tunes from most eras of Queen and that they retained some fire in the belly through most of their career. Not that this is heavy metal, but it is very livey rock music. At least this collection gives some credit to their rockin' moments - hey it wasn't all Radio Ga Ga and I Want to Break Free.
   
   Apart from the community service of underlying for a new generation how great Queen could be when they dusted off their rock 'n' roll boots it also hangs together well which is a testament to fine production techniques throughout their career and attention to the sequencing of the tracks. Lyrics to the whole shebang as well as notes on each track re: credits, producers and parent album is also to be commended and the inclusion of the final tune - No One But You - is a cool touch.
   
   A great guy (yeah yeah it ain't got Rhapsody - but don't you own that already on some rock compilation disc?) and one that should tell you if Queen are a band you want to explore further.



2. An absolutely superb compilation album combining some of Queen's best known hits like the anthemic We Will Rock You (1977), the rollicking Fat Bottomed Girls (1978) and Queen's first entry into the charts-Seven Seas Of Rhye (1974), with some of Queen's brillaint but underrated works, like hard-rocker Stone Cold Crazy (1974), Keep Yourself Alive (1973) and the high energy Sheer Heart Attack (1977), as well as latter day hits like the funky Put Out The Fire (1982), Tear It Up (1984) and One Vision (1986).
   A good introduction after the Greatest Hits albums.



3. este disco recopilatorio de Queen es bueno ya que recoge temas de rock al estilo de Queen interpretado por el gran Freddie Mercury que tal voz por Dios pareciera que estuviera vivo todavía
   no debe faltar este disco en tu colección de discos compralo now



4. As this compilation clearly proves, Queen's most well known songs may have been their pop singles but this band could really ROCK. Tracks like "We Will Rock You", "Tie Your Mother Down", "I Want It All", and "Hammer To Fall" are among my personal favorites and they are all here (and in full album versions or as hybrid single/album versions like with "I Want It All"). Some other lesser known gems on this compilation include "Stone Cold Crazy", "Sheer Heart Attack", "It's Late", and the "Rocks Retake" of "I Can't Live With You" (far superior to the version on the "Innuendo" album).
   
   I would have given this 5 stars if not for a few small nitpicks:
   
   1) Though a touching tribute to their departed lead singer Freddie Mercury, "No One But You (Only The Good Die Young)" does not belong on this collection because it is a pop ballad. They should have saved it exclusively for "Greatest Hits III" and used it as the single to promote that release. They could (and should) have used the aforementioned "I Can't Live With You" as the single to promote this release.
   
   2) "Seven Seas of Rhye" also does not belong here because it is more of a pop song. "Princes of The Universe" definitely should have been on this compilation instead.
   
   3) What's with the "click" at the start of "Fat Bottomed Girls"? It may be only for a brief second but it really annoys me whenever I listen to that song on this compliation.



5. This is very Definitely a great selection of QUEEN'S heavier side. However, it is not a "stripped down" version of Queen's audio work. We Will rock, Hammer to Fall, and etc., are all layered guitar works. The Brilliance of QUEEN lay in this over the top working of just about anything they did. In this respect they were worlds ahead of their time. The multiple guitars come into their own in the world of multi channel recordings. The real kicker about what Brian Did, is that he could achieve a semblance of the multi-layer sound in live concerts with an effect that allowed him to play over lines he did ( as in the solo in WE WILL ROCK YOU on dvd, WEMBLEY, and one other concert).
   There is never anything simple about what QUEEN did, except that they appealed to many on a raw level. Their work is deceptively simple in fact. Even the dropped tuning on the bass guitar for fat bottomed girls sounds superb.
   It's a compilation, but hell, is it brilliant. And ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG is so very true, and such a brilliant piece by the remnant of QUEEN.
   Freddy Lives on in his recordings. A Master Craftsman taken too early, and an interpreter of the collective consciousness of QUEEN that was intense,subtle, beautiful, and totally original.
   
   ENJOY

5 comments about In the Beginning: The Early Tapes.

1. At the time this was made, this was one of the few places to get these early recordings made by the Beatles in Hamburg, Germany. They acted as backing group to English rocker Tony Sheridan (who sounds much like a B-grade Elvis Presley). These early recordings are from the days when Pete Best was still behind the drumkit, instead of Ringo Starr.
   
   HIGHLIGHTS:
   The Beatles are only really here on 3 tracks, "Ain't She Sweet?" (where John actually sings lead), "Cry for a Shadow" (an instrumental written by the Beatles as a tribute to English star Cliff Richard's backing group The Shadows), and "My Bonnie", where the group really is only there as instrumental backing for Sheridan. This last single is a key piece to Beatles lore, as it was a fan seeking that song in Brian Epstein's NEMS record shop that led him to seek out the group. The rest, as they say, is history.
   
   LOWS:
   No real discernable lows so much as a general malaise. Outside of the 3 Beatles tracks, you get garage band versions of classic 50s numbers. You're better off with Little Richard, Dion, Chris Montez, etc etc etc.
   
   BOTTOM LINE:
   The 3 you really want this for are available on "Anthology 1" these days with other Fab Four rarities. The other performances aren't especially noteworthy, but if you're here because you're a big Sheridan fan, you may want to look at his Website. It looks like he still records. http://www.tony-sheridan.de/



2. Tony is a good rocker and this CD is the album he recorded with The Beatles (re-issued in 1964 as "The Beatles 1st"). The best track is, of course , "My Bonnie", which was a top 10 hit in 1962.



3. The value of "in the Beginning: The Early Tapes of the Beatles" is more in terms of music history than the actual music. Tony Sheridan earned his place in the story of rock 'n' roll when he recorded "My Bonnie" in 1961. The song was a decent little hit, but today it is remembered because it was the first studio session featuring the Beatles, albeit, as Sheridan's backing group. The Beatles recorded a few tracks with Sheridan in Hamburg in 1961. Those who pick this up think it has songs by the pre-Fab Four will, of course, be disappointed (it is still Pete Best and not Ringo Starr on drums). The playing and the songs are comparable to what eventually came out on the the first CD of the first volume of the Beatles' "Anthology" series. The songs are all pretty sedate covers of popular rock standards from the early years such as "Ain't She Sweet" and "Kansas City." Sheridan sings the lead on all of the songs but one, that being the first track, "Ain't She Shweet," where John Lennon does the singing. The second track, "Cry for a Shadow" is a driving instrumental piece written by Lennon and George Harrison. So the two songs that can legitmately be called Beatles songs are the first two tracks, although Paul McCarntey can be heard in the background on "My Bonnie," for what that is worth.

   As for the rest, the Beatles back up Sheridan on a half dozen songs: "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Why, "If You Love Me, Baby," "Sweet Georgia Brown," "My Bonnie," and "Nobody's Child." The remaining five tracks are Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers, the original line up for which would have been Sheridan on vocals and guitar backed by guitarists Ken Packwood and Rick Richards, bassist Colin Melander, keyboardist Ian Hines and drummer Jimmy Doyle. However, none of those songs are particularly interesting. The attraction of this album is that you get to hear what John, Paul and George were like as musicians just a couple of years before they spearheaded the British Invasion and basically changed forever a little thing we like to call music. But if you have "Anthology 1" you already have the big three from this one.




4. It is total trickery to put "The Beatles" on this CD cover. This is just Tony Sheridan and his other band. There are only two Beatles songs on the disc, and both are also on The Beatles' "Anthology 1". There are only two good things about this disc.
   One: The track "My Bonnie" is complete, without the Paul McCartney interview at the beginning, as on the Anthology. That ruined it.
   And two: It's in stereo.
   Other than that, it is really bad. The songs are really bad and slow. Really bad 1950s type songs. Don't be lured into buying this like I was!



5. These aren't the Beatles. This is Tony Sheridan. I'm only giving it one star cause it's stereo.

5 comments about Hotel California.

1. Bought DVD audio because of a new Acura. Excellent sound but the concept of DVD-Audio has never caught on.



2. not only is this album great musically but this dvd-a sounds amazing with terific surround. better sound than my LP.
   
   get ready to relax with this one.



3. I was 21 when this came out but was not a big Eagles fan since I was a musical snob and they were a comercial success. When the title track hit the airwaves, I heard a plagerized version of "We Used to Know" by Jethro Tull. It has an almost identical chord progression. But then again, I was a musical snob. Now, in my aged wisdom, I have dropped all the snobbery and have given this "album" a second listen. While it's not in my top 10, it's up there on my list of great albums. I actually always liked "The last resort" for it's message and sonic appeal. I was also a Joe Walsh fan from his James Gang and early solo work (FM radio only!) but never liked his squeaky voice. His brilliat guitar work made up for it. So Walsh on guitar with the other Eagles professionals made for flawless rockin riffs. I also have changed my opinion of "Victim of love". In my snobby days, I scoffed at it's simplicity, being more attracted to complex musical forms, but now.... it has become one of my favorite songs BECAUSE of it's simplicity! (The excellent guitar work helps, too!) Anyway, this old non-fan is now a new fan. I may even go out and get tickets to see the old geezers before they expire!



4. I bought the Hotel California album sometime back and I must say since then this album has been one of the most preferred albums I have.
   The channel separation on the compilation is simply awesome. It seems you are not only listening to music but sitting with the band and listening to the music.
   Technically, the frequency of the the instruments is too perfect. My player has never sounded so good as it sounds with this album..
   Cheers



5. Hotel California
   This is a great CD, and it arrived in great shape. I was happy with my results.

No comments about Concerto for Group and Orchestra.

1 comments about Some Girls.

1. 
   1. Miss You Listen Listen
   2. When The Whip Comes Down Listen Listen
   3. Imagination Listen Listen
   4. Some Girls Listen Listen
   5. Lies Listen Listen
   6. Far Away Eyes Listen Listen
   7. Respectable Listen Listen
   8. Before They Make Me Run Listen Listen
   9. Beast Of Burden Listen Listen
   10. Shattered

5 comments about A Night at the Opera (DTS DVD-Audio).

1. apart from the album being great the surround and sound are very sweet.
   
   May's guitar has such a beautiful tone.
   
   recommened
   
   i hear there is a 30th anniversary issue with the cd and a dvd with a new mix? is it MLP lossess? i dont know.



2. It's been well over thirty years since this album came out and I finally bought it for its surround mix. I've been missing out on a lot of fantastic music. This album is extraordinary in its own merit, but add the surround mix and you understand what "Queen" really was all about - the entire experience! Sure, "You're My Best Friend" was a really nice song and "Bohemian Rhapsody" defined an entire generation, but hearing it as it was pieced together in one collage of a musical experience and you'll understand what the big fuss is all about.
   
   Capitol Records remixed the 5.1 mix (kudos to Ric Wilson and Jeff Levison along with the entire team). Each and every instrument and vocal is separated and cleaned up to appear from various places around your room. Forget about headphones - get the `feel'. There simply is no `best' song on this album. Every song is its own masterpiece, but I am partial to the anthemic, "'39". God Save the Queen!
   
   Also, includes "Bohemian Rhapsody" video, lyrics and photo album.



3. The best DVD-A of my collection.Sounds like if Queen was in my room.Buy it. Now!!!



4. this really was an experience to hear. i've been listening to queen for many years, but when i first listened to this dvd audio, i was blown away. first because the details in all the songs it's more real, no comparison with th cd versions.and second, it seems that they have added some extra sound, you'll be turnig your head back every time to see that the sound you heard was real o came from the speakers. i have compared with the surround sound mix in Greatest hits vol 1 dvd video. although the dts 96/24 sound is quite good and the surround mixes are the same with the dvd audio. you really can tell the diference between the dvd audio and the dts 96/24 sound in the greatest hits vol 1 dvd video. the dvd audio is louder, the subwoofer works more, and the mids and highs are more real. maybe there's more diference i can't notice with my audigy 2 zs sound card and the three pair of speakers from Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0. but someone with a high end reciever and speakers, will be able to notice more diferences.
   the upcoming remastered cd's versions well, there's no need to compare with them.
   buy it and enjoy freddie's voice as never before.



5. In my humble opinion, this classic Queen album already was (one of) the best albums in the entire history of pop-music, but if you her this audio-DVD, there is definitely an ultimate dimension added, which is even far beyond the quality of the original. You just gotta hear this one!!!