5 comments about Show Your Bones.

1. This is my first YYY album and I love it!!!! Kinda indie rock meets old garage punk and even some 70's glam. The girl who sings sounds so cool that she could ice the sidewalk with her breath. Great rock n' roll!!!



2. I own all of the Yeah Yeah Yeah albums and this one is by far the best! Each song has it's own feel and melody. They are original, rockin', fun to listen to, and I would suggest this album to anyone.



3. This is an awesome cd, and I'm not going to bore you with a long review of how the first sound of the chord of the beat shifts and roars throughout the damn cd, just pick it up and listen to it. It's packed. I like it more than "Fever To Tell" But, you be the judge!



4. I've heard a couple of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' songs on the radio (Sirius) and decided to try an entire album. It was a great decision.
   
   Lots of bands have trouble putting together 10 or 15 good songs and paying $20 for an album with one or two hits makes me cringe so I was very glad when I found myself replaying this one a few times. I found some great new songs that I hadn't heard before like Way Out and Turn Into, and I loved hearing my initial favorites, Phenomena, Gold Lion, and Cheated Hearts. The bonus track on this import version, Deja Vu, is decent but probably not worth the extra $10 for most people.
   
   For those new to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs you can expect a fairly eclectic mix of vocal and guitar rock with a decent amount of production/electronic sound. Karen O's unusual voice hits some terrific notes and tones that really call out the emotion in the lyrics. Almost every song has a few good rythms and tonal changes that work well to focus your attention. The melody of Cheated Hearts is one of my favorites and really sounds great to me no matter how many times I hear it.
   
   Definitely expect that raw, garage rock feeling with Karen's voice occasionally hitting a raw note. This is not Norah Jones' style :-).
   
   Overall, great album and a must buy for any fan of modern indie rock.



5. It's hard to create a new sound in rock these days, but the Yeah Yeah Yeahs manage to do it on this albumn. The rough overdriven guitar, straightforeward drumming, and raspy vocals all combine beautifully to create this unique sound. In exploring new indie rock, this one is a real find.

5 comments about Daydream Nation.

1. A beautiful breed of melody and dissonance. Give it a few listens before casting judgment: their note patterns are anything but traditional, and one must forget the usual Western constructs of music theory before appreciating the brilliance of this album. My favorite tracks are Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Cross the Breeze, Candle, and Kissability. I am a huge Sonic Youth fan, and this is my favorite. If you're new to SY, a good album to try afterward is Sonic Nurse or Goo. Once you appreciate their sound-- the discordance as well as the beauty-- you can get into their earlier gems such as EVOL or Sister.



2. This is it, as far as I'm concerned; the ultimate justification for the existence of Sonic Youth as a band.
   
   I was mildly precocious as an Irish teenager because I was buying import copies of 'Sister' and 'Confusion Is Sex' when my peers were digging the rad new sounds of U2's 'The Joshua Tree'. I remember going to see REM in Dublin in 1989, when they were just about to become absolutely huge, and the pre-show music was this album, which I already owned. I wore a Sonic Youth t-shirt to that gig. It didn't survive the amount of sweat I generated that night.
   
   Yes, part of me was being a pretentious git. Truth be told, I was at least as baffled by Sonic Youth as I was entranced. I honestly loved songs like 'Making the Nature Scene' and 'Schizophrenia' and 'Pipeline/Kill Time', but then there would be half an album's worth of stuff that I couldn't figure out at all. Then, bless them, they made 'Daydream Nation'.
   
   A few years after this album came out, I would go to parties as an unenthusiastic cub journalist and overhear conversations in which older journalists would have perfectly serious discussions (really!) about how Nirvana's 'Nevermind' was 'the defining album of our generation'. The hell with all that, I thought; I knew that there were two recordings that spoke to and for me as somebody who came of age around the time the Berlin wall came down. One of them was Dinosaur Jr's 'Freak Scene'. The other one was 'Daydream Nation'.
   
   For me, this is like the White Album and Sgt Pepper combined - not so much a rock album as a huge, sprawling environment, a city unto itself, which I can only take in a bit at a time. There's the gorgeous, high-energy nostalgia of 'Teenage Riot'; the mysterious 'Providence'; the scary 'Hey Joni'; the fabulous trash of 'Silver Rocket' and 'Eliminator Jr'; the enigmatic call to arms of 'Cross The Breeze'...I could go on. And on. And on. Most importantly to me, there's Lee Ranaldo's stunning finest four minutes ever, 'Eric's Trip', one of the most dizzying marriages of songwriting craftsmanship, toneless half-singing and guitar mayhem ever recorded.
   
   'Daydream Nation' was so good that it actually killed Sonic Youth for me. I never bought another album by them again until years later, when I got 'Experimental Jet Set' on the strength of its dreamy and menacing non-hit, 'Bull in the Heather'. Hardly the behaviour of a true fan, I admit it.
   
   They finally played Dublin, at midnight in the scuzzy Olympia Theatre, some years ago. I was there. They rocked, but I was in my late twenties by then and I was just boggling at all the teenagers for whom this was clearly one of their bands. I stood there drinking beer out of a plastic cup and marvelling that Ireland had become a place where Sonic Youth might actually play a gig. Too late for me, though.
   
   This is still one of the great American rock albums. It's certainly in my top ten.



3. Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation ****1/2
   
   
   Before my first listen to Daydream Nation was over I was wondering what they hell is going on here? This was somewhere around the song 'Candle' that I began to ask myself that. I was thinking this is one of the most intellegent and revolutionary albums I have ever heard, but I was also thinking this is one of the strangest albums of all time, which I guess is why they call a band like Sonic Youth alternative. You see I always liked Sonic Youth, well most of their songs anyway, but I couldn't totally appreciate them at first, which to some may seem frustraiting knowing a band is great and not being able to understand why, while for me I loved that and found it highly rewarding when I finally did get it.
   
   Songs like that almost hit single, and album opener 'Teen Age Riot' leave no wonder as to what it is that is so amazing about Sonic Youth. This is perhaps the most commercially exceptable song that I have ever heard Sonic Youth record and yet there is still nothing commercially exceptable about it. 'The Sprawl' and 'Kissability' pure Kim Gorden songs done in that almost spoken word form that she would later become known for. 'Erics Trip' might be the best song on the album as it offers everything presented in all the other songs on the album just wrapped into one. 'Total Crash' follows 'Erics Trip' as that hardest rocker on the album full of great sound collages and guitar work from Thursten as well as some of his most impressive lyrics. 'Candle' still to this day blows me away at how amazing it is. A song that must be heard to appreciate. While it is not the best song on the album it may be the most inspired. Closing the album is 'Trilogy' a three part song starting with 'a) The Wonder' is a rocking soud collage of feeling while 'b)Hyperstation' is a socially commited-melow-dramatic cinama of a song with 'c)Eliminator Jr.' as conclusion to an essay recycling everything in the album already into one final closing statement by Kim Gorden.
   
   Every noise, every word, basically everything heard on Daydream Nation is ment to symbolize something in America during the time of this albums release in 1988 when the country was still Reagan Nation. This genius piece of music deserves only the highest of praise. Daydream Nation was the first album to really put Sonic Youth on the map and earn them the massive cult following that they now have. Worth every bit of hype it ever was given.



4. The original grunge album, only even more abrasive and cathartic - "Silver Rocket", for instance, has an instrumental break entirely devoted to feedback, and I don't know what to call those noises on "Eric's Trip", but they sure sound cool. And, of course, it's at least as good as it's made out to be. See, the thing about Sonic Youth is that they're one of those bands you've definitely heard of, but might not know a thing about. Okay, there's a good chance you know "Teenage Riot", a big hit and justly so, making excellent use of a tension-building intro. After the intro it gets even better, launching into a slightly disorienting but very worthwhile rocker. It's as focused and taut as a seven-minute song can get, and that's to its credit, since a couple songs, such as "The Sprawl", which starts as a solid Kim Gordon rant, gallop off into the sunset of feedback and totally lose me. For me, the guitar jamming sounds a lot better on the punkish "'Cross the Breeze", which transitions from a beautiful, VU-influenced introduction into a suspenseful guitar jam into a pump-the-gas rocker, complete with fantastic angry vocals from Gordon. Or "Total Trash", which has one of the catchiest and most distorted riffs I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. Nice bassline, too, if you can pick it out. And guitar buildup. I like guitar buildups. There's also some nice, if slightly bruising, near-pop on "Hey Joni". After that ends, the record's lone low point begins: the sound collage "Providence", a piano part with a bunch of tape loops played over it. Not my idea of a good time. But that's okay, because right after it is another solid rocker with a beautiful introduction and great vocals from Thurston Moore, "Candle". Near the end comes the bizarre but enjoyable "Kissability". After that co9mes the "trilogy". I don't know what to make of "The Wonder", which is packed with grungy, raw distortion. It sure is unique, though. The second part of this little suite is "Hyperstation", which uses feedback in a very creative, ominous way and contains the title phrase, for whatever that's worth. Both suite and album close with a jokey ZZ Top sendup, "Eliminator Jr.", one of the many examples of quirky humor on this disc. This really stands out when compared to the hair-metal and synth-pop that was dominating the charts in the '80s, and it's really held up well. It's not all that listenable, but it's plenty rewarding.



5. I already knew the album, as I had listened it it in the past in MP3 format. This was the ideal moment to purchase a physical copy and as a consequence it was as expected. Great service, though.

5 comments about EITHER/ OR.

1. Emerging from the shadow of Kurt Cobain in the late 90's, Elliott Smith was perhaps the greatest singer songwriter of his generation. Smith's genius was his unabashedly honest, naked, poetic lyricism that was so beautifully complemented by his unpretentiousness acoustic guitar. Like none that came before him, Smith delivers note after note of haunted, sparkling melancholy. Far from gloomy, his songs radiate with incredible emotional intensity. Combining an unbridled punk rage within the guise of an acoustic folk song, his songs speak for themselves. Reflective and introspective, each song unfolds like a delicately wrapped package, revealing itself slowly. Smith's songs present themselves like late night thoughts that just won't go away. Concerning themselves with drug abuse, depression, and troubled relationships, Smith exorcises his inner demons and releases them in a beautiful, blinding, luminosity, albeit born from dark, painful emotional despair.
   
   With the release of two critically acclaimed Indie Rock albums in the late 1990's, Elliott Smith slowly rose to prominence in the Indie rock underground. Yet he was still relatively unknown. That would soon change. Director Gus Van Sant, a friend and fan of Smiths, and a native of Portland, approached Smith about using his music in his upcoming film. Smith agreed and several songs (Say Yes, Angeles, Between The Bars, No Name #3)on Either/Or would go on to be featured in The Miramax Motion Picture Good Will Hunting. Smith also composed a song for the film "Miss Misery," which would go on to be nominated by The Academy for Best Original Song. Smith symbolically revealed himself to the world within the spotlight of national television when he performed Miss Misery live at the Annual Academy Awards. Either/Or is the last lo-fi album that Smith released, before a bigger record contract with Dreamworks afforded him the opportunity to expand his sound with lush instrumentation and arrangements on his subsequent albums. Perhaps, his most accessible album, Either/Or expands upon the raw beauty of his previous two efforts into a refined, elegant work of art.
   
   The release of 1997's Either/Or would see the continuation and finale of the same iconic sound that had become instantly recognizable. The angelic, whispery thin voice and fingerpicked acoustic. The last in the trilogy of three lo-fi albums characterized by their elegant rawness and delicacy, Either/Or is slightly more refined and upbeat than his previous self titled effort. It is perhaps his most accessible album. Lyrically, confronting love head on rather than cryptically(Between The Bars, Say Yes). Like his previous albums, Smith played all the instruments himself on the record, he has never sounded better than on Either/Or. Each song stands alone more successfully, and the album feels cohesive. His melodies are simple, but his lyrics are simply timeless. While his life slowly spiraled out of control with his worsening drug and alcohol addictions, his music was getting better and better. Or perhaps more and more honest. Songs like Between The Bars, Angeles and Say Yes expose a tender and sensitive side. Smith has always bared his soul, but with each album it becomes more and more poetic and graceful. Lyrically, Smith says what he needs to say, and he does it so tenderly, elegantly and quietly. He emphasizes all the right words, even if the word is f*ck. There is an undeniable honesty in his best work, that people can instantly relate to, which is perhaps what makes him so special among fans. No more so than on Either/Or. There is a poignancy, a tenderness, and a sadness all at once. Smith was someone special, he was struggling and he wanted to share that, and that is perhaps what truly made his music beautiful. Maybe he never knew where he would end up, or how long he would be playing music, but he wanted to share it while he had the chance and it is in that graciousness that every artist is celebrated. For their contribution.



2. Ballad of Big Nothing stands out as the best song on the album. Speed Trials, Cupid's Trick and Rose Parade are the others that gave the album some flavor. 2:45 AM musically is cool, but the lyrics didnt do anything for me. I felt the accoustic songs on XO were better.



3. While this album will definitely grow on you, fans new to Elliot Smith should consider the more fully produced Dreamworks "XO" or "Figure 8" as an introduction. If you're looking to dig a little deeper, this CD will not disappoint. Like a fine wine, it get's better with age. Angeles, Alameda, and Rose Parade are my favorites, but the whole album has Elliot's hauntingly familiar melancholy, balanced nicely with comfortingly sweet harmonies.



4. as everyone knows, elliott smith had a hell of a gift....



5. I purchased the cd because of the posted reviews. Those reviewers obviously liked the self centered, self indulgent, depressed, simplistic lyrics. It seemed to droan on and on for ever....It wasn't worth the time.
   Sorry---I'm over 30 and am not interested.

No comments about Songs for Silverman.

1 comments about ELECTRIC WARRIOR.

1. An excellent album from start to finish. Definitely Marc Bolan's masterpiece.
   Be aware that the album does not include bonus tracks as listed on Amazon. It's the album with the 11 songs we know and love. Rhino's remastered CD version does include extra tracks and an interview. The album is pressed on 180 gram vinyl.

No comments about Pornography.

5 comments about Figure 8.

1. There is no doubt in my mind that sits at the same height as The Beatles' greatest work and should be listened to by everyone who likes them. While it is admittedly much more down in the lyrical content, the melodies are sublime and joyous in a way. I started out with Either/Or but this is much, much better, and next I'll be getting his self titled.
   
   Regardless of whether you like his early albums, here Elliot Smith is at the peak of his compositional powers and you should definitely listen to this album.



2. What most people will find here, is a collection of marginally depression, hookless indy pop. After a time, the songs largely start to run together and sound the same. Not a bad album by any means, but certainly not worthy of the praise it receives in this listener's opinion.
   
   
   Trust me, you can skip this one.



3. When I was about 12 or 13 years old I heard a song called Happiness by Elliott Smith, I thought it was the most unique and haunting song I had ever heard, I became obsessed with it, this was when Napster was huge and I didn't have to buy whole album when I liked a song, I never looked into who Elliott Smith was and I assumed, because I had never heard of him, that he was a one hit wonder, a couple of years later I picked this album up on a whim, it shook me up, top to bottom this album was the best thing I had ever heard, his lyrics gave me goosebumps, his music stayed fresh no matter how many times I listened, after searching all my life I had found what I was looking for, and Hapiness wasn't even the best track
   
   Today I own all of Elliott's albums and continue to find genius no matter how deep I dig, even the songs that never made it on CD are great, here Elliott has artistic control over orchestras and every track is full of complex and beautiful music, these tracks are mixed very well and are very clean compared to his other CDs, it makes it his easiest album to get into, buy this one first.



4. Steven Paul Smith was born on August 6, 1969 in Omaha. He later changed the name Steven to Elliott. He felt it sounded less "jock-like."
   I do believe Elliott Smith had a really amazing if not sad and lonely kind of voice. I can feel a bit more uplifting type of mood coming from Elliott Smith's Figure 8, his best and last studio record before he died. Ever since the end of his band Heatmiser, his solo work became more personal and less abrasive. It's hard to imagine at one point he was part of just another small punk/grunge band, who not many have heard of.
   Many would prefer "Either/Or." Which seems optimistic at times, but kind of sad to me. At this time few singer/songwriters could match Elliott's level of intensity through lo-fi "folk-punk" intimacy. That release sparked interest in the director of Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant- who used some of Elliott's songs for his picture. They met while Elliott lived in Portland. Also this exposure proppelled Elliott Smith to major-label status from Kill Rock Stars to Dreamworks. And then came XO in 1998. And Figure 8 in 2000. In my opinion this is his best. It flourishes with rich, multi-layered and more lush tracks. Not as intimate as his earlier solo works w/ the exception of "Everything Means Nothing to Me." This does seem happier though, at least compared to his other works. Definately one of the best solo albums and one of my favorites of this millenium. A wonderful timeless album from one of the better singer/songwriters after those "grunge era" days. My favorites here include: "Son of Sam"- "Junkbond Trader" -"Stupidity Tries" - "Easy Way Out" - "In the Lost & Found" -(for this song Elliott uses the same Abbey Road piano Paul McCartney played on "Penny Lane")
   Elliott Smith has always been a long time Beatles fan. Even covered their song "Because"- which is on a import of Figure 8. I really do feel he approaches a kind of greatness w/ this almost perfect solo work. I just wish he was still alive creating more.
   It's just really sad the way Elliott Smith died. Two stab wounds in his chest from a kitchen knife. And I believe the coroner at the time never came to a conclusion whether it was a homicide or a suicide. His death was on October 21 2003.
   I give Figure 8- 5 stars. It is my favorite Elliott Smith album, if you haven't heard Elliott Smith before you really should give this a listen. Or pick up "Either/Or" if you like a softer sound, but both are essential from him.



5. I would agree with Patrick Burnett's comments from 5 years ago. I recently ended a relationship and Elliott has been on repeat since the summer. His music fits perfectly with those moments where you feel like there is nothing left. But in a way, the beauty behind his music lifts your spirit like nothing else. "Everything Means Nothing To Me" was the first song I ever heard from Elliott just last year and it is a small portion of the brilliance found throughout this whole album.
   
   The acoustically amazing "Somebody I Used to Know" and "I Better Be Quiet Now", the very Beatlesque "Pretty Mary K" and "Happiness" are just a few of the standouts in my mind. "Bye" is such a haunting album-ender that gives me chills everytime I hear the echo of the piano.
   
   "Figure 8" has such a wide variety of sound that only a musical genius like Elliott Smith could create. His soft angelic voice along with beautiful melodies make this an album that will forever be labeled "perfection" in my mind. Rest in peace Elliott, your spirit lives on.

5 comments about eMOTIVe.

1. No wonder this CD isn't more popular. It is nowhere as good as their other releases or anything from Tool. Except for two songs, it's a waste IMO.



2. Maynard Keenan has proven already that he can do intriguing things with other people's material. Witness Tool's stunning cover of "No Quarter." Or the Replicants doing a deft and tongue-in-cheek version of "Silly Love Songs." Even A Perfect Circle's somewhat bland restructuring of Failure's "A Nurse Who Loved Me" is at least a noteworthy failed experiment. But an album made up almost entirely of covers is dangerous, especially since most would turn a nose to versions so consistently different than the sources.
   
   Some work: the very odd, almost-lounge swing in "When the Levee Breaks," the rather disturbing a cappella "Fiddle and the Drum," the slow grind industrial dynamic on "What's Going On." But most aren't worth the trouble, and none can match the originals. For instance, their interesting if somewhat wrong-headed take on "Imagine" flips the mood of the song by switching to minor key, but why tinker with a classic that was already perfect? The two tracks authored by Keenan, Howerdel, and company are decent but unspectacular--why include them on an otherwise covers-only collection anyway? Unnecessary (even for fans), but its "curiosity" factor is strong.
   
   Best cuts: "When the Levee Breaks," "Fiddle and the Drum," "Passive," "What's Going On," "Freedom of Choice," "Peace Love and Understanding"



3. More than just a cover album. APC puts its soul into every cover and comes out with amazing results. Two of my favorite songs aren't even typical rock songs: Fiddle and the Drum and Annihilation.



4. This album is musically amazing. I've heard a few people trash this album as being "socialist" or political or whatever. I don't think those people know what socialism is. Anyway, listen to the album for its own sake. I always take a little time in warming up to a new CD and this was no exception. After a few months of reflection, my only criticism would be the inclusion of the tapeworm song Passive. Otherwise, the song selections are stellar. The vocals are especially stunning on Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie and Let's Have a War. I am also impressed with the musicianship of the band, although I don't know who's doing what, I know Billy Howerdel is a great guitarist. Whoever produced and mixed the album knew what they were doing.
   
   If you listen to this album and hear a message, don't trash it without thought. Why not do some reading and make an informed decision? Why is it that society has a habit of trashing people with messages of love? They killed Jesus, Kennedy, King, Lennon...if Maynard opens his mouth too much he'll be next.



5. Let me just say that this is a good record. I know a lot of people hate it because the only original song is Passive but they reworked the songs and they really made the songs their own the way Rage Against the Machine did with Renegades. What they did with some of the songs are truly amazing but the listener does need to be open minded. This record was also a way for the band, especially Manyard, to express political frustration. Sure there are songs that I don't like and I always skip but the ones I listen to are exceptional. My favorite is When the Levee Breaks and prefer it to the original.

No comments about Zenyatta Mondatta.

5 comments about Big Blue Ball.

1. Well, I haven't paid attention to Peter Gabriel, but I'm a huge Sinead O'Connor's fan. After I listened to her song on this album, I can say that it's NOT really a good song.



2. I've been a fan of Mr. Gabriel since he went solo a few decades ago. Without a doubt, he is a unique musical talent. This compilation CD is a nice addition to his repertoire. I'm particularly drawn to "Exit Through You", co-written with Joseph Arthur, and "Altus Silva", also written by Mr. Arthur and Iarla O' Lionaird. I just have one complaint with this CD-there aren't enough Peter Gabriel songs! Then again, one the many objectives of any artist is to"leave em wanting more."



3. Things sometimes get put off for a reason. Lack of interest, better things to do, or just plain not worth the time or effort. This seems to be the result here. I will always support anything Peter Gabriel touches and my wife is an even bigger fan (she didn't like it either), but this pushes the bounds even for me. It is such a hodgepodge of varying styles that no flow is given to the work as a whole. There are maybe 2 or 3 tracks even worth a listen, Peter's and the haunting track by Sinead. Spend your money elsewhere.



4. I was interested in trying out some new music and thought I'd give this a try. In a word...suck. I can't even tell you how sucky and boring this music is. It is a total joke that amazon tries to sell this together with Viva la Vida. It's not even similar, except for possibly the first track, which is bearable. It's sloppy, pieced together and pretentiously "international." If this is international music, spare me. Normally I'm a very subjective and unbiased person but this is too much. I can't believe I fell for this album...



5. I have always been a huge fan of Peter Gabrial and the projects he has taken on. This project is one of the most interesting he has done. I have been a fan of World music for many years and he has brought together some of the best. I will always be a fan. It would be nice to hear what else did not make it to the CD or to have a follow up of some of the other great artists that contributed to this project. Kudos!!