5 comments about Mer de Noms.

1. Ok this is the beggining of my favorit band a perfect circle and thair debut album mer de noms this album was supposed to be a side project of tool but after a few years it became more then just a side project it now has a side project of its own a band called puscifer
   
   A perfect circle,s sound is smooth and slow the words are easy to hear and perfect
   
   I reccomend this to any one a must buy for any modern rock fan



2. As a TOOL fan, I'm happy to say that this cd & all APC cd's (except Emotive) are better than TOOL. I have litterally worn out 3 of these cd's because it just doesn't get any better than this. I go 2-3 weeks without listening to anything else.
   Hard, but softer than TOOL. Beautiful sounds. Brillant writing, vocals, guitar & drums.
   If you like alternative music, this is a must have. 13 steps is a strong rival to this one too!



3. I've been listening to an undisclosed FM station on the east coast over the Internet and they give airplay to many bands that aren't played here in CowTown (because every danged radio station here in CowTown in owned by Clear Channel Communications ---- CCCP1, CCCP2 and CCCP3 are our radio stations, a joke for those of you from Cold War Soviet Union). Quite often I hear music that peaks the interest and "A Perfect Circle" is one such group. The sound is similar to "TooL", but with much better guitar licks, IMO. The song I heard on the Internet broadcast was...well I forgot what it was but it was on this alblum. After listening to the 30 second snips of each song hear, I downloaded all the MP3s of "Mer de Noms". I don't think you'll be disappointed.



4. "The Hollow" gave me hope. This album saved me in a of ways. Very powerful music. Music with an agenda that is left for the listener to determine. Awesome. 5 BIG STARS



5. I can listen to this entire album every day... at least ...and never get sick of it.

5 comments about Brushfire Fairytales.

1. The Jack's smooth voice and his music, simple and pleasant, can be addictive. In fact, I bought all the other Jack's albums after hear this vinyl. It's a very good album, it isn't pretentious and that is indeed what attracts. Everyone needs Jack after a hard work day.



2. I have every other Jack Johnson cd and needed this one. I just totally love his mellow voice and the songs are very meaningful to me. I totally recommend it to everyone.



3. Wonderful music! My daughter found this artist on Pandora Radio we will probably buy many more of his CD's



4. makes you want to close your eyes and smile, not to mention marvel at how simple can be so beautiful



5. This CD is true to the talents of Jack Johnson. I was not disappointed with the music/songs on this disc. If you like previous CDs that Jack Johnson has done, you'll love this one too.

1 comments about CHUTES TOO NARROW.

1. The album begins with a simple progression of two chords played on an acoustic guitar. Soft, calm, and deceptive. The song soon transforms into one of The Shins' heaviest songs. Kissing the Lipless was a killer way to start a great cd. Chutes Too Narrow is filled with raw emotion and limitless songwriting prowess, no different from The Shins' earlier work. It continues to show off the capacious vocal range of singer James Mercer, and the overall range of the entire band. This cd is amazing and an instant classic.

5 comments about The Joshua Tree.

1. I'd like to add my thoughts to those that think this product is poorly remastered. I disagree that the original CD sounds better. To me, the original CD sounds 'like blankets over the speakers' to quote another reviewer. And the new one still does. The only difference in the new version (to my ears) is an increase in the low end. Unfortunately, I don't think this was necessary.
   
   My preference would have been to pursure a more aggressive remaster like sound of the Joshua Tree tracks on the 18 Singles cd. These same songs sound much better because the masterer had to make them even with later songs such as Vertigo and Beautiful Day. These versions offer much more clarity in the high end and overall eq balance. This is what I was hoping for from this remaster version.
   
   The album itself is 5 stars. Updating the horrendous CD cover to be more like the vinyl is 5 stars. The bonus tracks are 5 stars (as far as B-sides go). But this remaster is not what I expected and hoped for. I hope I don't have to wait another 20 years for this to be corrected. And I hope the Boy/October/War reissues coming soon will follow the sound on U218.



2. I didn't discover U2 until "The Joshua Tree" came out (I must have been living under a new-wave rock or something). But this is still my favorite U2 album - I can even enjoy all the songs on the B side. And since my cassette from way back then was finally starting to sound a little stretched out I figured the 20th anniversary re-mastered reissue would be an excellent choice to replace it. And the songs sound just as good as they did 20 years ago.
   
   The "bonus" CD however is an example of why some songs don't make it on the finished album - they just aren't that good (and believe me, I feel bad saying that about one of my favorite bands). At best some of the songs are listenable, but it really wasn't worth the extra money. The version of "Sweetest Thing" included on it isn't as good as the "Single Mix" on the greatest hits CD, and neither version of "Silver and Gold" is as good as the live version from Rattle & Hum. I wish I'd bought the single disk CD and spent the extra cash on replacing my "Under a Blood Red Sky" cassette tape or something else. I'm sure some of the songs will eventually grow on me and it comes in a cool case, but I could have been more satisfied with something else.



3. On "The Joshua Tree," their fifth album, U2 climbed the Everest of rock. Every rock band since has been attempting to do the same, but none have come close. Never in history has rock music sounded so free and so beautifully harmonious as it did on "The Joshua Tree."
   
   "The Joshua Tree" came after 1984's "The Unforgettable Fire," an ethereal dream of an album that was a far cry from the anthemic rock found on the group's first three records, 1980's "Boy," 1981's "October," and 1983's "War," arguably their first masterwork. The Police were considered the world's biggest band after the release of their massively successful fifth album, 1983's "Synchronicity." When Sting declared that the group was finished at the peak of their popularity in 1984, the world was more than prepared to accept U2 as their new saviour. But the surprise ambience of "The Unforgettable Fire" left even the band's most dedicated supporters unsure what to do (though, in support of that album, Miles Davis reportedly asked that it be played on his deathbed). Additionally, the band realized, according to vocalist Bono, "U2 had no tradition. We were from outer space." They had toured the United States extensively, and were profoundly affected by the country, its open spaces, and what it stood for.
   
   America. The band had found their tradition.
   
   Producer extraodinaire Brian Eno, who also produced the Talking Heads' and David Bowie's finest albums and released some darn fine records himself, capitalized on the group's desire for music with a sense of location, a cinematic quality, urging the band to build its songs from the imagery found in the American writings they had been reading. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who had narrowly escaped blending into the background on "The Unforgettable Fire," built a strong foundation for the album's soundscape, just as Franklin, Jefferson, and the gang fashioned a sturdy base for America. The Edge's guitar had echoed to infinity on "The Unforgettable Fire," but now he was surrounded by mountains and plains. The Edge used his surroundings to create a sense of direction that he didn't quite have on the previous album, and in doing so, he escapes his boundaries. To fill U2's America, Adam Clayton's bass became its people, and Bono - who might as well be applying for the job when he sings, "I have spoke with the tongue of angels" on the album's second song - Bono became their voice.
   
   One doesn't have to venture far into the record to hear how far U2 had progressed since their debut began with that iconic, buzzing guitar part seven years before. Whereas that album's opener, "I Will Follow," was a pounding love song, "The Joshua Tree" begins with "Where the Streets Have No Name." The group realized that they didn't need to fashion the loudest opening they could. Instead, the song begins with a dreamy synthesizer part that sounds like it has more history than any person ever could. Then the Edge's guitar starts ringing, softly, dreamlike ... Larry Mullen's drums burst in, and at that point, U2 broke down the walls of popular music in the 1980s. "I want to run / I want to hide," Bono sings. "I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside / I want to reach out and touch the flame / Where the streets have no name." One believes him, too, which is no small accomplishment considering the grand nature of Bono's lyrics. More importantly, though, the music makes one feel what Bono's singing. By the time Bono has entered the song, we too want to run and tear down the walls.
   
   The group took their gospel influences and turned them into the album's second track, one of U2's finest and most recognizable songs, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." On "The Joshua Tree," the music conveys each song's message as well as Bono's lyrics ever could; "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is a prime example of this. Once again, the world's most famous Irishman sings of loneliness and a spiritual search for fulfillment, utilizing the image of barren American countryside for dramatic emphasis:
   
   "I have climbed the highest mountains
   I have run through the fields
   Only to be with you
   Only to be with you."
   
   But he still hasn't found what he's looking for.
   
   By the time we reach track three, however, he may have found what he was looking for - but if so, it wasn't what he needed. So goes one of the most misunderstood love songs of all time, and the second-best thing the group ever recorded: "With or Without You." Nowhere is that cinematic quality the band was shooting for more richly realized than on this song. When the song begins, all soft, steady drums, thumping bass, and uncertain guitar, one feels the sense of loneliness and romanticism oft associated with the landscapes of midwestern America. Bono backs it up with some of his greatest lyrics:
   
   "See the stone set in your eyes
   See the thorn twist in your side
   I wait for you.
   Sleight of hand and twist of fate
   On a bed of nails she makes me wait
   And I wait without you
   With or without you
   With or without you."
   
   Everything comes together on this one, but by all the heavens and the earth, the highlight is the Edge's guitarwork. The climax of the song features one of the greatest and most powerful guitar parts in history, created using "Infinite Guitar," a device which allows each note played by the electric guitar to echo infinitely. And echo it does: it echoes to the sky, it echoes through the hills, it echoes across the plains, and it hits hard in the hearts of any listener who has any life left within him or her. Particularly during the climax, images abound. Bono standing atop a high mountain, whailing in heartbroken agony, the Edge's searing guitar his words rolling down into town.
   
   Things take a different turn on "Bullet the Blue Sky." First it's just us and Larry Mullen pounding the heck out of his drums. Then Adam Clayton and the Edge come in, and it's like someone dropped an atomic bomb. One of the darker songs the band has recorded, "Bullet" deals with Bono's frustrations with the Reagan-led United States during the 1980s. When Bono growls, "This guy comes up to me / His face red like a rose on a thorn bush / Like all the colors of a royal flush / And he's peeling off those dollar bills / Slapping them down," he's singing about Ronald Reagan. Bono was not a fan.
   
   It spoke volumes about the band that they could seamlessy transition from the pounding, portentous rock of "Bullet the Blue Sky" to "Running to Stand Still," one of the group's most powerful compositions, a song that is sad, regretful, and as beautiful as anything U2 ever composed.
   
   "Step on a fast train
   Step out of the driving rain, maybe
   Run from the darkness in the night.
   
   She is ragin'
   She is ragin'
   And the storm blows up in her eyes
   She will suffer the needle chill
   She's running to stand still."
   
   The song deals with drug addiction, inspired by a girl Bono knew from his hometown in Ireland.
   
   "Running to Stand Still" closes side one of the album. Where side one is all grand anthems, side two is more simple anthems. "Red Hill Mining Town" and "In God's Country" are two loving odes to old-fashioned America. "One Tree Hill," which, yes, the popular television series was named after, was written in memory of Bono's friend Greg Carroll, who died delivering Bono's motorcycle during a rainstorm in 1986. "Trip Through Your Wires" was written as a companion piece to the ruthlessly bittersweet love song "Sweetest Thing," which the band released a single before the release of "The Joshua Tree." It seems bizarre for Irish rock star Bono to open a song playing a rusty harmonica like a good ol' American boy, but he pulls it off. It's the final two songs of this side that are the most interesting.
   
   The first of these is "Exit," which is unquestionably the most sinister song U2 has ever recorded. The song revolves around a once-religious man who becomes fueled by dark impulses when he can't work out life's mystery with the "hands of love." Unfortunately, the song motivated Robert John Bardo to murder actor Rebecca Shaeffer in 1989.
   
   The closing song, on the other hand, titled "Mothers of the Disappeared," sounds light, bright, and dreamlike, inspired by the tale of the "Disappeared," thousands of people who resisted the Argentine military regime that took power in 1976. Bono learned about the Disappeared during the 1986 Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope tour, where U2 appeared alongside Lou Reed, Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, and Sting.
   
   Now here we are, just past twenty years after the release of the album. The Joshua tree on the album cover - which, by the way, is the most appropriate and one of the best covers of all time - has been dead for eight years. U2's "Joshua Tree," however, is as strong as it ever was. When "Rolling Stone" compiled its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, "The Joshua Tree" was ranked 26th. On VH1's 100 Greatest Albums list, it was ranked 15th. And on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's list of the Definitive 200 albums, "The Joshua Tree" was ranked the 5th greatest album of all time.
   
   Today, U2 is frequently ranked just behind the Beatles on lists of the greatest rock bands of all time. Both spread messages of love, love, love, and both evolved in unpredictable ways with each new album. Since the release of "The Joshua Tree," U2 has continued to evolve, chiefly in the '90s. The first record they released that decade, 1991's "Achtung Baby," was fittingly described by Bono as "the sound of four men chopping down 'The Joshua Tree.'" That album, which I would also very strongly recommend, is U2's second masterpiece, just one of many beautiful albums that they have released throughout their career. But never has the band recorded so natural and smooth a work as "The Joshua Tree."



4. First off, I should say that I consider "The Joshua Tree" a 4 1/2-5 star album, but this remaster is very poor. Like many modern recordings, everything sounds compressed as hell. In short, far too often, it sounds like I am listening with blankets thrown over my speakers; too many little nuances are either muffled or lost in the compressed mix. The original sounded fabulous, but I guess the idea of a big money grab by remastering a classic was way too much to resist, and I guessed it work with me since I bought it, but to others who have not bought it yet and are thinking about it:
   
   DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! Stick with your copy of the original. Since I still own my original copy, I know I will.



5. If you a any kind of U2 fan then buy This box set! 'nuff said!

5 comments about Forth.

1. Though ecstatic upon the reformation of The Verve, I must say I am slightly disappointed at the permeation of the commercial sound Richard Ashcroft adopted while he was on his own.
   
   All in all the album is a pleasant and slightly melancholic escape.



2. I love the first three Verve albums and EP. I'm really glad they're back and hope they go on tour in the U.S. So I hope this album is a hit. As a "reunion album", Forth isn't so bad, but as a classic Verve album it is their weakest album by far. There are some beautiful musical moments on this album, but I am having a hard time getting into any of the songs. There's a certain vagueness in their structure and lyrics. None of them seem to build up much tension or energy. A lot of the songs are just ok - Sit and Wonder, I See Houses and Columbo for instance. But they need more in terms of dynamics. I cannot stand that "Love is Noise" song. Is it a lost reject from Zooropa or Pop? I love the guitarist in this band, turn him up in the mix. But what's wrong with the singer? Why's he so down? Maybe he needs another latte. Actually what saves "Noise Epic" is the fact that the singer is way down in the mix. An instrumental version of this album might be great (like they did with Dre's 2001). Despite all this, as reunion albums go, its not so bad. An interesting list idea - what bands have made a good or great album after a 10+ years absence? Besides Mission of Burma....



3. After such a long hiatus, "Forth" was definitely worth buying but seems far more indicative of Richard Ashcroft's solo works than anything by the collective efforts of the band.
   
   Still some good stuff on here anyway with some outstandingly stark lyrics from the pen of Ashcroft. Best? "I See Houses" is an outstanding anthem.
   
   Overall, not a patch on "Urban Hymns" but a worthy addition to the Verve oeuvre.



4. Has it really been 11 years since The Verve's masterpiece "Urban Hymns"? Wow... how time flies. Lead singer Richard Ashcroft's solo career since 1997 has been less than remarkable, and he must have finally realized that, and so finally the Verve come back with this, their 4th studio album.
   
   "Forth" (10 tracks; 64 min.) starts off tremendously with "Sit and Wonder", with energy blazing all over. It is followed by "Love Is Noise" (1st UK single), which struck me as sounding eerily similar to the Simple Minds' sound of the mid -80s "Once Upon a Time" album sound, but that is not a slight. "Rather Me" sounds like the ballad that "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was, albeit not as good. After that excellent first third, the album starts to falter, with songs like "Judas" and "Numbness" that simply doesn't leave a lasting impression. The album is not well served by its 64+ min. length. It's simply too long, and nothing would've been lost by simply chopping off the last 2 songs, trimming it to a more manageable 50+ min. length.
   
   It strikes me how this album sounds very similar to "Urban Myths" in its overall musical tone. This could have (and probably should have) been recorded in 1998 or 1999. That said, I have come to like the album quite a bit, and have been playing it a lot. I was supposed to see the Verve at Coachella earlier this year, but ended up not making that first day of the festival (when they played). I'm looking forward to an opportunity to see how the songs of "Forth" translate in a live setting at some point, assuming the band keeps playing together, a guess in anyone's book.



5. They certainly haven't lost their edge despite the long gap and continued breaking up and rejoining. I can't say there are so many stand out, wow, songs as say Bittersweet Symphony, but altogether another great album and a great joy that they are still at it!!
   
   A credit to the North West of England (must be all that coherence down the road in Skelmersdale???)!!

No comments about PLANS.

5 comments about Undertow.

1. I absolutely love Tool but I somewhat regret buying this LP. The light weight of the vinyl leaves me unsatisfied. Also, the labels look like they were applied by a three year old. The labels were sloppily pressed into the record, cut/torn and don't even feature any artwork (a little boring to look at).



2. Undertow begs for the listener to see, hear and especially FEEL what it is all about. From the lyrics, art and the music itself you receive an explaination on what Tool thinks about life, isolation, love disguised as sex, sex disguised as an oulet to understanding oneself, politics and disorder.
   In the begining of the album you hear what sounds like someone hitting a bong (hookah for our eastern friends) ironic huh, the first track is intolerance and you hear that sound when in actuality it is a scuba divers lungs filling up with water and suffocating. But I digress eveyone has an opinion on Tools music and regardless if I agree with what people think or not opinions are useful. I happen to have a tatoo of the minds eylet from aenema on my forarm... and I could go on and on about how it represents a minds eye and not a "regular" eye.
   That's the thing about Tool you think you know what your getting from them and they surpass expectations in a vast majority.



3. It took me a while to warm up to Tool. Being a long time fan of progressive rock tool seemed to fit that mold so I picked up "Aenmia" but it did not do that much for me. Then when "Lateralus" came out I kept seeing glowing reviews for it on progressive rock web sites to I decided to give Tool another shot. This time it clicked and I "got it". Since that time I have become a big fan and went back and picked up "Undertow" from their back catalogue. I don't think this one is quite as strong as some of the albums that came later, and the production is a bit on the muddy side compared to the later discs, but this is still a great album that introduced the band to the masses with the song "Sober" which is still a fan favorite. "Prison Sex", "Bottom", "Swamp Song", "Undertow" and "Flood" are all great grinding metal / prog that still sound unique. Maynard Keenan's vocals soar over it all like a roaring engine. I have grown to really appreciate this band and finally got the chance to see them live last year. "Undertow" is not their best, but it is certainly worth checking out.



4. My soul must be iron... This record was so refreshing in 93. A band of true artists. The music is everything. This record rocks. Weird, arty videos that don't show the band at all. A frontman who is not a typical frontman. Performing Live, he is a shadow. Again, because it is the music, not the personalities or looks. I love that about this band. Buy it.



5. Tool formed in Los Angeles in the early '90's and in a very short amount of time got a record deal with Zoo Entertainment. They released an EP then this full-length "Undertow". They achieved great success as soon as their single "Sober" hit the air waves and nu-metal/progressive rock fans ate Tool up QUICKLY.
   
   Singer Maynard James Keenan writes serious, powerful, intense, insightful lyrics and that, put with Danny Carey's bruising drumming riffs and Adam Jones's grinding ultra-loud bass riffs, sets "Undertow" as one of the best albums of the decade. The songs are long at times and in a way go off into their own world, but that's one side people love about Tool. They set the standard high and are known for doing things their own way and in their own time. They have much voice in the production, so it's done on Tool's time and sense.

5 comments about Opiate Ep.

1. This is the beginning of the rock legend. This is a very aggressive and direct album. They throw truth in your face.



2. Yeah its edgy, angry, violent.. its young Tool, before they refined themselves, before some of the spiritual growth and experience.. Its an awsome peek into the beginning of one of the best bands out there, MJK's voice has matured, he has learned with time how to be more poiniant with just a whisper, but Opiate packs all the angst and frustration that are stepping stones to openminded adulthood. Its like being able to go back and listen to the frustrated overworked underpayed version of yourself at 23 ranting about the sheep surrounding you. I loved this cd when it came out.. It was relatable.. I feel like I've grown with them.. 46+2



3. Tool's 1992 debut (an E.P.) is a vital disc to any fan of Tool and/or hard rock/metal music. "Opiate" is aggressive and rocks hard. It's too short though (my only complaint). The songs are not as progressive as in their later albums but they show where Tool started and how they've progressed. I would consider these songs to be some of Tool's heaviest material. Highly Recommended.



4. This is Tools first CD, and it isnt quite a "bad" CD, but if you are into tool this CD will seem to lack... If your diehard of getting all tool has to offer its a must have, if your funds are low and your looking for quality work... well this is not Tools best work.



5. A short 6-song set lasting less than 30 minutes, it's well worth having as part of a complete Tool diet.

5 comments about BECAUSE OF THE TIMES.

1. All I can say is, wow. This is a phenomenal record and you're really missing out if you skip it. The last 3 songs alone are worth it even if "knocked up" doesn't put you in a trance; it's dang near hypnotic for me. Great stuff!!



2. Kings of Leon is a great, young, energetic band. They caught my attention with the first single On Call, which I find quite irresistible. The music on Because Of The Times has traces of artists such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Doors, but most importantly, Kings Of Leon have created a rather unique sound of their own.



3. The album plays with the your ear drums from the start. There are too many good things to say, so I will keep this very very short. I have been passionate about music my entire life. I even worked in the business for 4 years. I have had very few occurences where I was so swept away by the originality of an album. The Kings of Leon are not using wild new instruments, like homemade 3-string basses, but they are breaking rules. They are quickly moving into a class all by themselves, and their popularity (or lack thereof) in the United States shows how original they are.



4. I have listened to this album more than any other in the last year, that speaks for itself.



5. I really enjoyed the music on this Lp..but, the whole reason for purchasing an Lp was for better sonics... which, on this "red" colored album, are horrible...the background noise drowns out any low level music...A "re-issue" should be done for customers who have recieved the bad vinyl...Rick

5 comments about It Still Moves.

1. Ya know this somehow reminds me of the Screaming Trees when they were coming up. A little Red House painters/Sun Kil-Moon as well. The album is low-fi, perhaps partially reminding me of early Screaming Trees studio efforts.



2. Indie-darlings My Morning Jacket get a call to the majors and...well, does anyone really love this record? I suspect that affection for earlier work influenced the mostly good regard and praise heaped upon It Still Moves. In fact, the problem is ironic considering the title: it hardly moves at all. Most songs stretch five minutes and more, but feel nearly twice as long as that. And at seventy minutes of music, that is one long slog.
   
   The reverberating echo effect is alternately mesmerizing and annoying; the tracklist full of decent but rarely exceptional songs. The highlights include the pretty "Golden," the strong opener, "Mahgeeta" (and one of the few songs that feels longer than it is, but in a good way), and the bluesy "Run Thru." Having not listened to the band's earlier music, I don't know if this is just another case of an indie losing authority on a major label, but they straightened out their problems with the flawed but often stellar follow-up effort, Z. I suppose the fan-base was strong enough to make this record seem better than it actually is.
   
   Best cuts: "Golden," "Mahgeeta," "Run Thru," "Easy Morning Rebel," "Masterplan," "Dancefloors," "One in the Same"



3. I really wanted this cd because I love the song "Golden," and I thought at the rest of the album must be at least passable. So it was surprising to hear how bad the rest of the songs are, mostly due to the gimmicky "echo chamber" sound to all of them. "Golden" is so different from the rest that it seems like it was done by another band altogether. A big disappointment! Sorry, but that's my opinion. . .



4. this is a rock and roll album that is a classic. i really can't say much more. the disc plays long, over 70 minutes. i love every song, and i play this cd very often, almost once a day...still.
   
   this is a must have, and a no-brainer!!



5. reverb drenched guitar, a big sound worthy of neil young's crazy horse band, i can't get enough of these guys. if you haven't heard them, you need to. as fast as you can. a rock band with melodies and riffs and a haunting sound, this is a great album.