5 comments about Bad Brains.

1. Exellent hard punk rock, by far alot better than todays punk,
   very original, very good hard sound and good songwriting.



2. Bad Brains *****
   
   
   For fans of hardcore punk it doesn't get much better then Bad Brains self-titled debut album. It's loud, fast, in your face, unapologetic, angry and yet positive all at the same time. Bad Brains was really THE hardcore band, they were the ones that all other punk bands were looking up to at the time, the ones that classic bands like Minor Threat, Black Flag, TSOL, and Agnostic Front admired and aimed to achieve. The band was so revolutionary that the Beastie Boys even got their name from Bad Brains (BB), and started out as a hardcore band before they began to rap.
   
   Featuring such hardcore classics as furious opener `Sailin' On' `Attitude' the phenomenal `Banned In D.C.' Leaving Babylon' my personal favorite `Big Take Over' and `Pay To Cum.' Those songs really set the standard for all hardcore to come. But Bad Brains also had their roots, and their roots were firmly planted in Ska and Reggae. `Jah Calling' `I' and `I Luv I Jah' are all praise to Jah because front man H.R. is a Rastafarian and was in the process of trying to convert the rest of the band to his beliefs, which with in a few short years they would. This is also the path the band would take in the 1990's leaving their hardcore past behind them for a while and only playing reggae.
   
   I also feel it is important to mention the musicianship. Bad Brains is a punk band unlike any other punk band. They can play their instruments better then any other punk band in history or after for that matter. H.R. is not only an amazing lyricist but also a great front man. Dr. Know is the greatest guitarist in the history of punk, and really one of the greatest in all of rock n' roll for that matter.
   
   For those who are interested in hardcore this is the way to be introduced. It is a fantastic album, one of the greatest punk albums of all time, and in my opinion one of the 150 greatest albums of all time.



3. They say punk has no memory. That styles and influences are forgotten only to be brought back by the next generation as something brand new. The Bad Brains break that trend with the immortal "Bad Brains" album. Every track is a blueprint for the hardcore sound. Sure there will always be arguments about other bands that came before or since but the Bad Brains not only laid it down in the studio but continue to tour today. Definitely a must buy for both musicians interested in the sound and fans interested in the music.



4. I'm gonna keep this short because there really is no need to get in depth. If you like hardcore(and I'm not talking about all that crap most of todays youth is calling "hardcore"), you need this album. No one else sounds like the Bad Brains and they were pioneers in the hardcore movement.



5. Angry, fast, aggressive, slow, mellow, hardcore punk, reggae, political. All these adjectives can be used to describe this album. This is one of the most varied and best albums I've ever heard. From "Sailin' On" to the hidden track at the end, there is never a dull moment. I love reggae and punk and this album has the perfect doses of both.

5 comments about Snuff Said.

1. Your usual trademark Snuff with a little more staying power. This was originally released 18 years ago, and still remains ahead of the melodic punk rock pack. It was ahead of it's time then, and is ahead of it's time now.



2. It's not that i dont like this record it's just since i got it it's just never really grown on me that much at times im listning to it and am actually enjoying it and other times it just bores me but having said that snuff have that effect on me around about half of there albums such as demma and disposable income etc... i really like and the other half such as numb nuts and flibby etc just fail to intrest me. It probably will appeal to you if you are into the punk genre but the 2 stars that i gave snuff said are valid from my perspective.



3. Snuff Said is seriously addictive and a refreshing change from the overworked usual punk format with killer melodies and hooks that grab you and continuosly provide endless joy!
   This album is a classic and a must for any dedicated punker.
   Lamewad blink 182/sum 41 tools need not apply as this record has PUNK ESSENCE...........BUY IT NOW.



4. Snuff Said is seriously addictave and a refreshing change from the overworked usual punk format with killer melodies and hooks that grab you and continuosly provide endless joy!
   This album is a classic and a must for any dedicated punker.
   Lamewad blink 182/sum 41 tools need not apply as this record has PUNK ESSENCE.



5. This was the first "melodic" punk record I ever heard and I was totally blown away by it! The speed, the energy and above all the tunes all combine to create something that is greater than the sum of it's parts. Their cover of "I Think We're Alone Now" is the obvious song people relate to Snuff (in fact my band still play this the same way to this day), but the originals is where they really shine. Fast, furious, glorious noisy POP! "What Kind of Love" is one of my all time favorite songs, despite stealing the tune from BBC's "A Question of Sport" and the fact that you can't hear most of the lyrics. Duncan (the singer-drummer), being the punk he is would probably cringe at this canonization, but screw him, this rocks!

No comments about Middle of the Night.

5 comments about Liveage!.

1. If there is one album you need from the Descendents, it's Livage. I wore out this cassette back in highschool ('88-'92), repurchased the cassette in college and have since then picked it up on CD.
   
   This album has such a great vibe. It's fast, upbeat, funny and has tons of great tracks. A much better album than Hallraker.
   
   Do yourself a favor...grab a tall cup of coffee and pop in this disc. You won't be disappointed!



2. This is the record that inspired me to listen to real punk rock. This was the record that in the age of Grunge turned my young, impressionable mind to real rock and roll. No one knows me or cares about my opinion, but I would be remiss if I did not post my feelings about the most important record I ever listened to. Thanks Milo, now go cure cancer.



3. Let me start this review by saying that almost without exception,I hate live albums.For me,live albums are little more than a band's excuse to milk the public for money,not to mention the arrogance of the group in question's assumption that every schmuck with ten extra dollars would go right out and plop it down for their slab o'plastic.Then'there's the feedback,onstage mistakes,and usual stupidity of people in a group.That didn't happen with the Descendents Liveage album.This is as close as one could possibly get to perfection without actually having been there yourself.In fact,in a rare occurrence,the Descendents play almost all of the songs I would have asked them to play had I selected the songs.Yes,a few songs aren't on the album,but MAN,what a setlist."Silly Girl,"perfectly played by Egerton,to me sounds even better live than it did on the original album,and my personal favorites "Clean Sheets"and Pervert"are absolutely excellent.And in this case,the audience participation actually added to the performance,not detracted from it,especially the guy that shouted "I have"during "All-O-Gistics."Well done gents,well done indeed.Folks,buy this album..You will NOT be disappointed.



4. No records had resume enough good the energy of a band live on stage! The Descendents were probably the best punk-rock band to see live! This live CD contain all of their hits with all their live energy, well, that's awesome!



5. Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to see their favorite band(s) perform at the historic First Ave. in Minneapolis, Minnesota probably has a good story to tell about the experience. The Descendants performance could easily be included.
   Bashing out tunes like 'Silly Girl' and 'I'm Not A Loser' stand as a form of template for up-and-coming aggressive punk go-getters with pubic hair counts in the single digits.
   BOTTOM LINE: GREAT PUNK SHOW. A MUST HAVE.

5 comments about Underwater Moonlight...And How It Got There.

1. Underwater Moonlight, (The second studio album from the soft boys) is in my opinion one of the best albums ever. The soft boys first album, A can of bee's is more of a harder album than Underwater Moonlight, that doesn't live up to the consistancy on underwater moonlight. Every song on here, weather you've got the original album with the original ten songs, or you've got the newer release, (...and how it got there) along with the original ten songs, it's all great. The music and the lyrics are both at five star material. This music speaks to you weather your young or old. The sound is remarkable and has extrordinary vocals that harmonize perfectly to give the band it's signature sound ex., I wanna destoy you, Underwater Moonlight (the song) and reminds me of The Kinks, REM, and The Replacements. You can definetly see how this band influenced all the great 80's underground power pop bands to come. Pick this one up and you will not want to put it down.



2. Like The Smiths' "The Queen Is Dead" and The Replacements' "Let It Be", The Soft Boys' "Underwater Moonlight . . . And How It Got There" is another great college rock album from the 80's (1980) that I'm confident most people will love! Every song here is great and absolutely fun to listen to. Singer Robyn Hitchcock does an excellent job with the vocals, and I'm pretty sure that most people will love him - he definitely fits the music. The lyrics are easy to make out here and are always fun, catchy and interesting to listen to. The musicianship is dated sounding, but in a good way - you can tell this was made in 1980. As for it's style, it's essentially 80's college rock. Regardless of this it sounds fantastic anyway, and I'm sure it's style will be appealing to most people. The production here is pretty good, but I think it may be ready for an ice remastering. Overall, if you like rock music at all, there's no way you won't love The Soft Boys' "Underwater Moonlight . . . And How It Got There". Absolutely recommended!
   
   Highlights include:
   the entire album



3. Why didn't these guys have commercial success?!? These songs are fantastically humorous and witty, not to mention well sung/written/played. There is not one bad song on this entire album; they're all wonderfully odd and eccentric. It's outstanding. I’m just in such awe at the fact that this album isn’t even in any of my local CD stores; in fact there are no Soft Boys’ CDs in my local stores. The only place you can find these guys is on record, so thank god for Ebay! This band is so unique it’s very hard to categorize them or even compare them to anybody. Robyn Hitchcock has a Lou Reedish quality about him, however he can sing much better, the harmonies on this album are just plain awesome. The guitar playing is also quite outlandish, the songs float all over the place, but that’s what makes it all so great. PURCHASE THIS!



4. I have to admit to having slightly mixed feelings about the practice of issuing classics with all kinds of extra cuts. I am enormously grateful to possess the extras, but except in the case of SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO by the Byrds (where they add on all the original recordings with Gram Parsons that were rerecorded when his former manager embroiled him in a lawsuit), the extras are almost never even remotely as good as the original. Invariably, you discover that the real gold was there from the beginning. And this exhaustive version of UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT is no exception. The extras are nice, but the original album is still what makes buying it worthwhile. But as extras go, I do have to say that I was quite surprised at just how very good the extras on this album were. The songs are consistently interesting, some are quite excellent, and the playing is always superb. For instance, "There's Nobody Like You" features some absolutely stellar guitar work.

   The original UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT was simply one of the truly great albums of the 1980s, and is still perhaps Robyn Hitchcock's finest achievement. Every song on the original album was brilliant, and the playing was sharper than Hitchcock was to receive later with The Egyptians. The worst song was at least very good, while several were nothing short of masterpieces. The album stars brilliantly with the stunning "I Wanna Destroy You," and continues on through one great song after another, from "Kingdom of Love and "Positive Vibrations" to "I Got the Hots" and "Insanely Jealous," before ending with "Queen of Eyes" and the epic title track.

   It is hard now to remember who shockingly original the Soft Boys were when they first hit the scene. Taking their name from William S. Burroughs, they managed to be musically original, punkishly aggressive, artistically edgy, and amazingly quirky all at the same time. I have remained a Robyn Hitchcock fan ever since this album, but I'm not sure he has ever been this on the edge since. Kimberley Rew gave the band a spectacular harshness that Hitchcock has not always possessed. The quirkiness has come to play more and more a role in Hitchcock's music since. Anyone who has seen him live knows that in between songs he can engage in some verbal digressions that are simultaneously hysterically funny and clinically odd at the same time (I don't think there is any question that he could be either a stand up comedian or a comic performance artist if he so chose). I think the other members of the Soft Boys helped give his music a richness he did not always find later, even though one could argue that his songwriting would continue to improve.

   I notice that Amazon has labeled this one of the Essentials, and so it is. Whenever I peruse someone's record or CD collection and see that they have this album, I always know that they know their music. Anyone who loves music and doesn't already own this, needs to.




5. The Soft Boys were one of the best live post-punk acts I ever saw - heavy, eclectic, playful, with a singer like Rasputin the mad monk who ranted some awesomely perverse and intricate lyrics. However, they never escaped the underground. They had two problems: first, they never translated onto record. This, their best, is a great document, but generally sounds too polite, and has a way too clean, over-trebly production. An all-time Top 100 record in my book, this is the one most needing a decent remaster. Second, their material was quite difficult to get a handle on. Unlike other bands of the time, who attempted complete rejection of existing musical forms, Soft Boys foreshadowed the modern rock-history-as-resource attitude, borrowing harmony vocals, garage-psychedelic stylings and Beefheart skronk to form a kind of complex, psychologically disturbed post-rock which was nothing like the de rigeur dubby, chickenscratch minimalism of a Banshees or PiL. Also, they were much less obviously finger-givers than people like the Gang of Four or The Pop Group, and the anti- attitude tended to be where it was at. All this made it difficult for angry young men of the time to get a handle on the group.

   Despite these issues leading to the instant obscurity of the band, `Underwater Moonlight' is ageing very well and the content is so good it deserves top rating. Basically a pop record, it covers a lot of styles and much trad pop content (as well as some mad surrealist stuff never seen before), including the time-honoured boy-girl theme, which, it has to be said, gets a radical seeing-to: `Insanely Jealous' is by some distance the best-ever song about obsession after being dumped, with murderously manic lead which blows your head off despite the production. `I Wanna Destroy You' hates everyone, but is dressed in seductive harmonies. It's also very funny. `Kingdom of Love' is a standout, a song whose chosen metaphor for sexual obsession is chin-infesting lice with heads that look like that of the object of desire. Yes, that's right. `Old Pervert' is a great track about feeling unattractive, over-sexed, and past it, buying into the neuroses that afflicted intellectual long-maccers at the time (well, me anyway). My personal favourite, though, is `You'll Have To Go Sideways', an instrumental which gets the Soft Boys' intransigent onstage lock-down absolutely right, with the group climbing one of their signature interlocking staircase structures. Insane arpeggios are backed by psychedelic swathes of glare-delay; this is manic psychedelia for mathematicians. Everything else is good-to-great as well.

   All in all 'Underwater Moonlight' is a beautiful reminder of the creativity, intelligence and honesty which music briefly went through in the post-punk years, just before everyone went entryist and eighties synth-pop was inflicted upon us. It deserves to be much better known.

5 comments about Ballads from the Revolution.

1. This is Good Riddance's best disc ever. The songs are fast, the performace tight, and the lyrics are inspired. If you dig punk/hardcore, you will dig GR. Fans of AFI, Nerva Agents, Distillers, etc...



2. This is definitely their best. Operation Phoenix was too bland for me, and Comprehensive Guide while good is too long. This CD is the perfect length and has an amazing amount of energy too. From "Fertile Fields", the opening track, which is just amazing to the last song which is also great, this is a great CD which you should pick up first if you've never heard anything else by this band.



3. This is I think thier best album, Good Riddance is a well put together Hardcore Outfit from Cali.... And they really rock.... This band has it all, great melody, machine gun drums, screaming guitars, and thet are punk rock... IF you like punk rock even just a little it, buy this album.... Right Now!



4. This cd is awesome. one of good riddance's best. "jeannie" is the best song they've ever written. plus its got the cool meat song, and a bunch of other great songs. the only bad part is at the end with the last 3 songs. The rest of the cd is great though



5. Good Riddance, the quintessential hardcore punk band, produces a masterpiece in "Ballads" If you like "Operation Phoenix", this album may be not hardcore enough for you, but for all the punk purists, if they really exist, this album is it.

5 comments about Achtung Baby.

1. Out of my whole U2 collection, I'd have to say this is my favorite one. U2 is a band that comes out with albums that never sound the same, but you know it's them. I love this album because it was an area U2 never explored as far as modern rock. Just like Bono said on the "Achtung Baby" Video, it's the most serious album with the least sounding title.
   I love the whole allum, but "One", "The Fly", and "Ultra Violet" are my favorite tracks. Just like any other album they came out with, all 4 band members shine through with they're playing skills. I'm so glad the always do "One" when in concert. This is A MUST album to get for any U2 fan. I love this album so much, I can never get sick of it!



2. This is my favorite U2 album. I saw them on their legendary, amazing Zoo TV tour (at the World Music Theater in Tinley Park, Illinois, more on the show later). This is a wildly creative, ambitious album. It's not the work of idle artists, but vibrant ones. U2 has managed that rare feat in rock and roll to keep exploring and pushing themselves without sounding self indulgent (except for Zooropa).
   
   The opening track, Zoo Station, is a favorite, and the song they kicked the concert off with. One is one of their best ballads, and I absolutely love Until the End of the World. It was written for the Wim Wenders film, and it's one of the best things about Wenders's film (which, honestly, is a bit of a mess). The single Mysterious Ways (replete with a belly dancer during the show) is one of their best singles ever. I love the CD booklet as well, which has some amazing photographs and is one of the best examples of making a great CD jacket. It's like a great album cover, which is quickly becoming a lost art.
   
   When I saw this concert, one of the best things was when Bono called the local police (honestly). The sound system that U2 was using was for huge arenas, and the World Music Theater, while a large outdoor arena, wasn't a huge one, but the sound system didn't know that. The Tinley Park police department received many complaints about the noise, so Bono called them on the third show they did in that venue to complain about the noise. Us in the crowd cooperated with Bono to let the police know that there was too much noise, if you know what I mean. It was a sensory overload type concert, with many monitors, lights, and even a car hanging above the stage (or a fake car). It was a very memorable concert, one of the best I ever saw. And this is my favorite U2 album....



3. the time is the early 90's, gone are the excesses of the 80's, technology is trickling down to the hands of the masses. the world is in transition as the cold war has thawed. europe is changing, as mindsets, politics and geographic borders are different.
   
   music is changing as it is going away from slick production to a more grimier, less polished finish.
   
   U2 is aware of the world changing and are influenced by it.
   
   rumors circulate about how U2 are changing their sound. a sample of it is released on "red, hot and blue", the song, "night and day" and it just made my jaw hit the ground.
   
   then in the fall of 1991 "the fly". i heard it at 6AM, waking up to the dj talking about the new U2 song and how it was being played for the second time that day. when i heard that opening guitar lick, U2 had put rattle and hum and the joshua tree into a wood chipper (mind you there is nothing wrong with both albums).
   
   when i finally purchased the album, it was just incredible.
   
   from the opening "zoo station" all the way through "love is blindness", i was plugged in and could not put down my headphones.
   
   every song stands out for me, with no favorites as i love them all.
   
   this is U2's best album, hands down, no other album even comes close.
   
   the tour was way ahead of its time, a mobile television studio, a true multimedia experience before the phrase was ever used in popular vernacular.



4. U2's Achtung Baby (1991) is an album that I really like. Now, I like War and The Joshua Tree, too, and consider those two to be the band's finest work. I also consider Achtung Baby to be on the same level as both of those albums. The best songs on War and The Joshua Tree are political in nature, but there are no overt politics on Achtung Baby. If there is a theme here at all, it's the fascinating nature of women and a cynical view of relationships with them. I like the modern sound of Achtung Baby. It's full of sound effects, feedback, and recording studio pyrotechnics. There's still plenty of emotional substance and melodic structure, it's just that the sound is more daring and stylish.
   
   Zoo Station and Even Better Than The Real Thing both feature the new sound along with the classic U2 melodic rock formula. The Edge's guitar work here is some of his very best. It's bold and dramatic, and it's experimental sound gives the album it's character. One is a great song, one of the band's best. The purity of love gets lost in the haze sometimes.
   
   Have you come here for forgiveness?
   Have you come to raise the dead?
   Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head?
   
   Ultraviolet (Light My Way) and Mysterious Ways are highlights, too, and both are great songs. I also like The Fly, and Love is Blindness.
   
   Achtung Baby is rocking, interesting, and inventive, and it's one of U2's best albums. This is one that you don't want to miss.



5. On Achtung Baby U2 decided to completely change and renovate their sound and it has turned out to be quite effective, not only has this turned out to be one of their best albums ever but its also one of the best albums of the 90's this album has also managed to sustain their level of success.
   Just from the opening riffs and electronic sounds of Zoo station you could tell that they were experimenting with song structures and some dance beats this however really does work and doesn't sound cheesy.
   
   The album also has some swirling guitar riffs from The Edge as well as layers of effects and Bono seemed to have more personal lyrics this time instead of the usual political stuff, I always thought he was a brilliant lyricist and songwriter as proven in songs like One, Until the end of the world and Mysterious ways which has some brilliant drumming and a nice rhythm those songs were the highlight.
   The album also was a huge hit and from start to finish there is not a single bad song, U2 have definitely delivered on this album especially after the huge success that was The Joshua Tree and in my opinion Achtung Baby was a hell of alot better than that album not that theres anything wrong with Joshua its just that this album rocks alot harder and I tend to listen to this album more often.
   Achtung Baby is a great epic album which has some great acoustic numbers with some great rock songs like Even better than the real thing, The fly, Mysterious ways these songs are very energetic and almost have a tribal or world beat to them.
   
   I consider this to be my favorite album of all time and despite it being 17 years old it still sounds as cutting edge and fresh as the day it was released, the general concept or theme of the album is about love and betrayal with some more emotional and inspired lyrics and Bono does a great job with these songs just check out the excellent So cruel it has a simple piano sound and some great and honest lyrics "You say in love there are no rules/sweatheart your so cruel" and the song Tryin' to throw your arms around the world where Bono sings I'm gonna run to you.
   The rhythm and solid guitar work was great although the drumming at times could have been better like in the song Who's gonna drive your wild horse but thats just a minor complaint, this album is definitely a work of genius the type of album you would listen to over and over again, I cannot recommend this album highly enough.

5 comments about Superunknown.

1. This album has occasionally been referenced as "Led Zeppelin for the 1990's" and, truth be told, there is quite a Zep influence here (the middle-Eastern stylings, heavy guitar riffs, Cornell's extended Plant-esque wailing). But what sets this album apart from other Soundgarden offerings is the craftsmanship of the songs themselves. Thankfully, the usual "woe is me" lyrics are only present in one or two of the songs. Cornell keeps the lyrics lighter than usual and in perfect pitch during delivery. The result is a comparatively uplifting experience (one notably absent from any Pearl Jam album except "10"). Kim Thayall's diverse guitar playing finds a perfect outlet here - from the intense overdriven blues solos on the title track and Like Suicide to the alternative, lowered-pitch grind tunings of 4th of July. Nothing is out of place. This was not always the case for Soundgarden, whose albums tended to be somewhat uneven.



2. having to admit that I was introduced to soundgardern through Audioslave, because of Chris cornell, it is a great rock band from the 90s!! hit after good hit, that makes the listener beg for more!! one of the best albums I have ever heard!!



3. Amazon is so full of gushing fanboys bloating on about their favorite childhood music, movies, actors. This will not be one of those type of reviews.
   
   Superunknown stands the test of time from repeated listening and never shows its age. My kid (12 and 10) love the album and request it on road trips.....by singing the chorus...."ALIVE IN THE SUPERUNKNOWN"



4. On my list of greatest albums of all time. The experimental songs work well, the radio hits work well. The mix, the sound, the quality, the lyrics...all perfect. All of these new crappy bands should listen to this to find out what rock is all about.



5. Although they didn't achieve the success of their friends' Alice In Chains, Nirvana and Pearl Jam the music on this album is more impressive than ever. The songs display the explosive low-tuned guitar notes of Kim Thayil along with bassist Ben Shepard and Drummer Matt Cameron, proving to be one of rocks most potent rhythm sections. And of course you have the ultimate Soundgarden signature of singer Chris Cornell's wailing, powerful vocals.
   
   The album shows it's maturity with songs like "Kickstand", "Like Suicide" and "Mailman". The best part of album are the singles "Spoonman" (which features a slight cheesy but interesting megaphone spoken word type vocals) and "Black Hole Sun" a dark psychedelic moody power ballad that broke Soundgarden into the Top 40. This is a great rock album.

5 comments about Buddha.

1. this cd really makes me think that we are lucky that we have the instroments we have now.cuze on this cd you can tell the difference.i love blink-182 new and old!if you like blink-182 then i recomend angels & airwaves and plusfourtyfour.best of luck to them.blink-182...R.I.P. :(



2. The swear words aren't the bad part. Its the music and especially the vocals. Blink 182 was a new punk band though. They just had no experience. Well, look at 'em now! Awesome! Why did they have to break up? I reccommend any Green Day, Weezer, BoDeans, and any other blink except maybe ":cheshire cat" and "Flyswatter"



3. Blink 182 is by all means a great band, but their early work such as Buddha, isn't that great. It seems more like random themed songs without any passion than the hard rocking tunes they have made in albums like Enema of the State.



4. Before I get into the review, I've got something to say. To the second guy below me: This was made before cheshire cat and after flyswatter. Flyswatter and Buddha are two completely different things. Flyswatter had 8 songs, and was recorded on a tape deck. Then there were other demos and promos made between the two that not too many people can explain.
   
   Now, to the review:
   
   Is it the sex pistols? no. ramones? no. dead kennedys? no. But is it punk: Yes. Ever heard of the descendents? They rocked, and were possibly one of the most influential punk bands ever. If I had to compare this album to someone, it would be the descendents. While this album may, at some points, seem to venture into pop-punk, it's some of the best pop-punk yet.
   
   Sure, the recording quality sucks, but that just adds to the awesome feel of this album. The band occassionaly messes up vocally and instrumentally, which makes the album feel very natural. Plus, blink had their own identity at this point, so they weren't exactly like every punk band out there. The songs move along at an awesome pace, with very little space between each track.
   
   However, the album could have been a bit more agressive. It seemed like their singing was kinda held back at some points. Some songs could've gone faster, too. But, all in all, it's a good punk album.



5. This is HORRIBLE!!!
   all their doing is talking and yelling to horrible music. I can't beleive my son likes this!Plus it curses!!!
   How did I know it cursed? They should tell us these things!!!
   Just like "Dookie" By Green Day!!!!!

5 comments about The Trumpet Child.

1. I first read about "Over The Rhine" in Paste Magazine. I heard the cut "Trouble" on one of their sample disks and I was hooked. Fun, jazzy arrangements with the sultry vocals of Karin Bergquist, who sounds like she enjoys vamping it up and wants to get into trouble! Not really a bad cut on this recording. Good arrangements and fine vocals. Everytime I play this recording for dinner guests they have run out and bought a copy.



2. I always enjoy listening to Over the Rhine, and so was intriqued by their new CD and the mixed reviews. Personally, I loved Trumpet Child, even though it is a definite departure from their usual musical style. The music ranges from haunting to playful, and is always beautiful. This is a definite addition to their collection and displays the wonderful versatility of this Ohio group!



3. Over the Rhine is a band I've been listening to since the early nineties. OTR has the imaginative ability to reach new heights using any style they choose. Trumpet Child is no exception. Pushing away from the gospelesque swoons of Ohio and Drunkard's Prayer, their latest release is a collection of jazzy/swing sounds with some big band licks thrown in for good measure. And for those who still long for the gospel sounds of their previous two releases, the album tracks are essentially bookended with two tunes that won't disappoint. Loved this album.



4. I love every single song on this album. I saw them on this tour before I knew any of these songs - amazing. Any and all of their albums are excellent, but this one creates a intimacy with the listener right away with "I Don't Wanna Waste Your Time." Karen and Linford's lyrical mastery continues to baffle me as I yearn to be able to write like that. If I had to buy this album again for any reason - I would!



5. It's hard to imagine anyone who likes more than two or three OTR albums not liking "Trumpet Child" - by definition you must have fairly eclectic tastes and a wide range of appreciation. This album has a few *classic* songs on it..and by that I mean that in 30 years, someone will hear them and it will grab the ear and still sound fresh.
   
   A quick point: this album is *NOT* "Lounge" by any reasonable meaning of that label and certainly not "Jazzy" - a meaningless term. It is a distinctly *NEW ORLEANS* influenced record in a dozen different ways. Vaudeville, 60's stoner, ballads, and "I'm On a Roll" is so straight-out-of-the-swamp that you can smell the alligator fritters frying. "Trumpet Child" is a gumbo.
   
   I will say that "Nothing is Innocent" is overstated. Even if you agree with the basic thrust of the political opinion here - and if you don't think it's political, note the Humpty Dumpty reference and white-washed walls - it's quite narrow-minded (in a historical sense) to think that, if innocence has been lost, it has much to do with what's happened politically over the past 8 years. I think that horse has long been out of the barn...
   
   "Entertaining Thoughts" is pure pop genius. ~3 minutes of perfection in writing, performance, and producing. It's on the level of what you find on "Rubber Soul" or "Revolver"...yeah, I said it.
   
   "Let's Spend the Day in Bed" is cool and clever and trippy...Matt Slocum had a lot to do with this one and I am reminded of the concert I saw in Chapel Hill, NC a few years back when he played with OTR. They did "Let It Be" as the final encore. Nuff said.
   
   "Trouble" is one of the quirkiest and most successful songs you will never hear played on the radio. The mix of sounds and transitions and rhythmic shifts (check out what's going on during the bridge!) is brilliant. And of course, Karin is Karin.