The Remote Part
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Audio CD (10 December, 2002)
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Reviews (18)

Still the best band you've never heard of in the States...
How this band has managed to remain virtually unknown on this side of the pond continues to baffle me. Three absolutely brilliant albums put out by this groundbreaking band and Americans still continue to waste their music listening time with forgettable drivel like Avril Levine, Creed and Matchbox Twenty. Even when a Brit band does manage some success on these shores, it turns out to be some shallow pseudo pop like Coldplay or Travis.

Idlewild followed their punk-laden debut "Hope is Everywhere" with the noticeably more polished "100 Broken Windows", arguably one of the best albums from start to finish in decades. Now, the band continues to evolve with a touch more personal sounding album. Their sound is still difficult to describe, and the common R.E.M. comparisons just don't do them justice. They have a touch of nostalgic late 80's/early 90's 4AD or Creation Records kind of feel, but without sounding the least bit dated. Roddy Woomble's voice has an adaptability that sounds equally great on more accessible indiepop sounds (opening track "You Held the World in Your Arms", ), droning moodsetting clips ("Century After Century"), mellow, introspective pieces ("Live in a Hiding Place", "American English"), or the slightly more punk tracks ("Stay the Same", "(I Am) What I Am Not"). This CD runs a compilation of sounds with Idlewild sounding equally adept at each.And, unlike other bands looking to breakout, they actually retain their accent while singing!Good choice...

Although I'd place this album just a half step behind the previous album, "100 Broken Windows", that still places it fifty long paces ahead of the vast majority of bands today. If you have any doubts that excellent music is still being produced today, get a hold of this masterpiece and quell those fears.

contracting american dreams
Idlewild's website encourages you to "support your local poet." No wonder their records contain nods to Gertude Stein and Walt Whitman, as well as samples from famed Scottish writer Edwin Morgan. But, "it's no novel, these are songs," insists singer Roddy Woomble. Although lyrics like, "I didn't hear cheerleading for creative writers," seem to negate most of that statement.

After the band's last record "100 Broken Windows" received rave reviews (including Spin Magazine's Best Band You've Never Heard award, a nod that led partly to their release stateside on Capital) the band's third full-length release "The Remote Part" is once again an import-only gem (at least until 2003) to be found only on major web sites like Amazon, and local record stores that still have the wherewithal to dig for great overseas acts.

But that hasn't stalled much of Idlewild's greatness. Still intact is the Murmur-meets-Nevermind sound that made the band so exciting in the first place.

The album begins with the bombastic crush of distorted guitars complete with string arrangement and full on stereo-phonic glee that is "You Held the World in Your Arms Tonight," followed closely by the equally energetic "A Modern Way of Letting Go."

But what succeeds mostly on this record are the more offbeat and balladesque numbers (American English, All I Never Wanted, Live in a Hiding Place, Tell Me Ten Words, In Remote Part / Scottish Fiction). "Love songs never being on the agenda. People songs most definitely are," says singer Roddy, whose voice comes off all too often as a young Michael Stipe. His lyrics seems constantly bothered by self doubt, social confusion, romantic mirage, and false intellectualism. But what doesn't shine in life certainly does on the stereo. Lines like, "losing isn't learning to be lost / it's learning to know when you're lost," "I think you're young without youth," "what I want is on it's way out," are years apart from journal-entry approach that covers most of their post-Nirvana peers.

Rod Jone's guitar work ranges from the searing and searching hiss of the opening two tracks, to the more delicate and drone threads apparent on songs like "American English" and "Live in a Hiding Place." while drummer Colin Newton and departed bassist Bob Fairfoull keep a tight pocket throughout.

The band occasionally meanders into the tired foray of modern pop-punk (the ironically titled, "Out of Routine" and "Stay the Same") but still manages to release another overall triumph, even if it will go mostly unheard this side of the English Channel. But with diverse influences ranging from Beck and Bob Dylan to Kiss and Meatloaf, it certainly isn't much of a surprise that the band aren't regulars on TRL. But then again, when's the last time quality had all that much to do with popularity.

Good
This album is really good. Though it's not quite as good as '100 Broken Windows'. Still, everyone who I know who has both albums say this is better, you'll have to make your own mind up. ... Read more

Asin: B000068PU9
Sales Rank: 163613
Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Pop    3. Post-Grunge    4. Rock   

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
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Audio CD (16 July, 2002)
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Editorial Review

As these dimpled moptops from Oklahoma grow pepper-bearded and transform into wizened elder statesmen of sonic adventuring, the heartfelt candy of their loving bubblegum stretches ever longer into echoing soundscapes. If Radiohead are halfway to becoming U2, the Flaming Lips are nine-tenths of the way to pop nirvana. Hardly a song on Yoshimi isn't resonated, echoed, and reverberated--floating the listener higher until they have the ultimate bird's-eye view of what makes a great band tick. As with any album by the band, it's hard not to imagine parades and a sky filled with helium balloons while you listen to any of it--in this case, the party is enhanced brilliantly by digital filters and silver shimmering asides. The most immediate songs, like "One More Robot (3000-21)," are digital (almost trip-hop) dance numbers that lift the band out of the cornfields and into the loopy land of Björk. Little surprise, then, that the band are already following up this majestic splash of gummy bear brilliance by recording a CD with kids' TV show host Steve from Blue's Clues. It's like Woodstock meets Snoopy! --Ian Christe ... Read more

Reviews (304)

sweet, sweet lips
Since their birth in 1985, The Flaming Lips have produced albums that totally rocked things off, including those highly valued socks that you are wearing at this very moment.Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots is a highly valued piece of artwork in my collection of way cool albums.I will have to admit that I did not enjoy my first listening experience, but we all know that the songs you grow to like never seem to stick at first.

Overall upbeat, this psychedelic mixing of melodies is delightfully pleasing to the ear.Yoshimi is a journey, going from an epic battle of gargantuan proportions (as in "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots"), to an epic battle of self exploration (as in "In The Morning Of Magicians").

This album is one of few that I can listen to all the way through.There are not really any moments that I find myself skipping, although, sometimes you have to wonder what in the world head Flaming Lip Wayne Coyne was thinking when this album was put together.

"Do You Realize" is perhaps the most entertaining track on this 2002 album.In the back of my mind, I somehow envision the Muppets donating their vocal abilities to the cause.This track is all about not letting your life slip away, and being honest with everyone in your life.Essentially, this song makes you realize that the end could come at any time, only not in a so depressing way:"Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?And instead of saying all of your goodbyes, let them know you realize that life goes fast."Those are huge ideas, and cause life wondering questions to occur inside that bundle of neurons of yours.

"Fight Test" is another one of those life reflecting tracks that forces you to think about the social stipulations placed on the male gender.Is it right to let something slip away, or should you fight for it?If you don't fight, is that wrong?Coyne is left with no answer for this one, as "it's all a mystery".

Even though this album deals with subjects that cause you to think about your life, it is accomplished in a way that you don't really notice.This album is just nicely put together, and things seem to fit to a sequence.This album is so good, although I just didn't realize it at first.The words come effortlessly, and fit with the music so well.In fact, I rate this album 4 spatulas.

Standout Tracks:"Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell", "Do You Realize??", and "Its Summertime".

If you like The Flaming Lips, be sure to try other artists like Wilco, The Postal Service, and Neutral Milk Hotel.Although I highly value the Lips, these groups are just as sweet and awesome.

OUTER SPACE AMATEUR HOUR
Something like a Battle of The Bands in another galaxy with the imprisoned singing prince from "Monty Python and The Holy Grail" dreamily singing into a reflective portal like a rock star canary in a cage. The bizarre idea and sci-fi atmospherics finally give way to heartfelt emotional depth, like Pinocchio come to life, as our guy in space, once pathetic, now just real sad, plucks some real human heartstrings craving for love and worship in songs like "In The Morning Of The Magicians", with it's sweet sad refrain; 'I was waiting for a moment, but the moment never came', and "Do You Realize?". Certainly "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" is a nifty melodic spacescape with craft to spare, but there's surprisingly little identification and empathy for this wimpy Buck Rogers with a fantasy black belt karate girlfriend crooning to a house of space cadets in some galaxy far, far away. It's as if The Flaming Lips really met this guy and his story is only slightly worth documenting.

Incredible
I love this cd. Shortly after listening to this album countless times i went on a flaming lips rampage and started buying album after album after album. They are all amazingly good. I think this album portrays the lips very well, along with Soft Bulletin. If you are a flaming lips fan, and you do not have this album yet, you have to get it. ... Read more

Asin: B000068PQ0
Subjects:  1. Dream Pop    2. Neo-Psychedelia    3. Noise Pop    4. Pop    5. Rock   

Stereo (w/ Grandpaboy Bonus Disc)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 April, 2002)
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Editorial Review

As frontman/songwriter for the late, great indie rockers the Replacements, Paul Westerberg was anointed the voice of a generation. And while that might look nice on the résumé, it can have its drawbacks; over the course of three solo CDs, Westerberg has struggled to regain the acclaim he once enjoyed. But the fortysomething rocker comes awfully close on his first CD in almost four years. Actually make that two CDs--Stereo consists of two separate projects and as a result showcases distinct aspects of Westerberg's songwriting skills. The raucous Mono is all spit and fire, and featuring a haphazard sound, finds Westerberg, a.k.a. Grandpaboy, and band tearing through an efficient and often exhilarating set of postpunk rave-ups. The best of the lot is the endearing "Let's Not Belong," which, with its tale of mismatched--and hence perfect--love, is laced with Westerberg's trademark tongue-in-cheek, heart-on-sleeve appeal. Stereo, his "solo" CD, is somewhat less rowdy but no less emotionally emphatic. His voice is often raw and sometimes backed only by a plugged-in guitar, but Stereo features insistent love songs (the aching "Don't Want Never") that sneak up on you and, like the best of Westerberg's work, linger. --Amy Linden ... Read more

Reviews (82)

I'm Gonna Let The 'No' Votes Roll...
Forgive me, I can't help comparing this epic double CD by that Minneapolis Saint, Paul Westerberg to that other epic double album...'Blonde On Blonde' by Bob Dylan. From the incredible scope of the music, the range of feeling, the minimalism in the arrangements, and the world-weary tone, to the blurry album photo, one can see the similarities (or maybe influence?).

After the Cohen-esque gloom of his previous outing 'Suicaine Gratifaction', this set seems almost upbeat. Particularly on the 'Grandpaboy' disc (MONO), Paul rollicks as rambunctiously as ever he did in his 'Mats days. My faves on this disc would be: 'Eyes Like Sparks' with just one groove and one line of lyrics, Westie has created a true classic here--and 'Footsteps'. Check out the strange guitar solo in that latter one!

Then there's that 'STEREO' disc...the one with his own name on it! 'Grandpaboy' was just an alias he created when he couldn't use his own name for contractual reasons...so I wonder why he's still using it!?! On the 'mellow' disc, if you'd like, there's a more 'unplugged' flavor. Almost no drums and geberally slower tempos prevail here. So of course, I love the (few) rockers (the ones WITH DRUMS): 'Mr. Rabbit' an insanely cool update of the old folk song (I first heard this done by Burl Ives when I was 3!), 'Let The Bad Times Roll', which to me is the centerpiece of the album--it's the sort of thing only Westerberg could write. And it rocks. Plus a hidden track, (like the CD wasn't long enough) 'Postcards From Paradise'. It appears to be some obscure cover, and it's a fun romping, garagy slob-fest! Wouldn't have been out of place on 'Hootenanny'....

There are also the beautiful laments. I favor the majestic 'Don't Want Never', the plaintive 'Got You Down', and the chugging 'Call That Gone'. Don't forget to skip the only annoying song (to me), 'No Place For You'. This is just Paul telling all the girls that he feels their pain...if it works for you, bud!

Well, what more can I say? If you like anything he's ever done, you MUST BUY IT! I'll spare no hyperbole here; it's one of the greatest albums ever made! Now that I've dug a ditch deep enough to hang posters...I'm off to listen to it all again. ;oD.

The Westerberg classic for the ages...
I am going to anger a lot of people, or maybe not a lot of people anymore but a particular group of people, when I say that I like this album better than any of Westerberg's work with the Replacements.Note that, by using the phrase "I like," I am simply stating a preference rather than a fact so nobody is allowed to disagree with me.Anyways, sure some of the Replacements songs are easily as good as if not perhaps better than anything on here, for example "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Torture" to name a couple of my faves, but as an album, Stereo just hits me in a way thatWesterberg's earlier stuff didn't.

It just seems a whole lot more personal, or more mature, and the stripped-down setting works wonders for putting the right aspects of the music up close in front of the audience. The words are front and center, the amazing songwriting, Westerberg's rough nasal howl.I get chills when I hear "The Only Lie Worth Telling" because I have been there.Westerberg sounds like a wise middle-aged man, or a redeemed alcoholic who put in his time at AA and now wants to share something with us, something which goes a long way towards telling us why he became an alcoholic to begin with.

I will end with a bit of insight I picked up at a presentation I once attended on substance abuse (don't ask).The speaker stated that he found alcoholics to be great listeners, as they were some of the most sensitive people he knew.This sensitivity was the reason they turned to alcohol in the first place.Well, this disc captures the sensitivity that was always latent in the music of Westerberg, and helps me to understand his own story.I couldn't hope for more from a disc.

By the way I haven't heard "Mono" as the used copy I found only had "Stereo."I guess somebody was trying to pull a fast one.I am sure "Mono" is great, and I think I have seen it for sale on its own so I will have to pick it up at some point.

Awesome!
Wonderful writing. Who else could write a song like 'Got You Down' from the point of view of the husband of a woman who is playing around on him, the husband sharing his insights into the man she's playing around with, speaking almost out of pity for the wife and knowing how he is untrustworthy. Amazing song. Then there's 'Boring enormous' another song that I can't think of anyone else who could write it, an understanding of how we can become boring, said in the medium of rock no roll! And what about Baby Learns To Crawl. Incredible songwriting. I challenge anyone to point out anything substantially greater than this by The Replacements. I've never heard another song about a child growing up writen so intelligently and provocatively. Every track on Stereo is an excellent song!
Then there's 'Mono'. Again, who else writes like this, such dirty rock n roll?! > I'll Do Anything, Knock It Right Out, Eyes Like Sparks, AAA, etc etc, wild rock no roll. A brilliant double set, album of the year! ... Read more

Asin: B000063UL8
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock   

Wood/Water
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 April, 2002)
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Editorial Review

After spending six years playing to a small but loyal fringe following of emo kids, the Promise Ring break hearts and stereotypes on their fourth studio album. With the help of producer Stephen Street (Smiths, Blur, Pretenders) and new label Anti- Records (Tom Waits, Merle Haggard), the Milwaukee band sets aside its furrow-browed bedroom angst and embraces whopping Technicolor melodies, elegant guitar rock passages, and an air of confidence that suggests they mean it this time. Wood/Water presents the Promise Ring at their most approachable; it's a gorgeous pastiche of hallowed left-field acts like the Flaming Lips ("Suffer Never"), Weezer ("Get on the Floor"), and a folky Beck ("Letters to the Far Reaches"). The most remarkable track is "Become One Anything One Time," which casts them as the American answer to Travis and delivers the heartbreaking affirmation: "I'm just happy you stuck around." The Promise Ring: clearly worth the wait. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Highly Evolved
The Promise Ring's Davey von Bohlen (vocals/guitar/songwriter) brought the band to an entirely new level with Wood/Water.Building upon an indie-rock atmosphere on previous albums, von Bohlen finally found his muse and inserted refined melodies where they were hitherto not present. The raw sound still exists, but is now bolstered by a batch of exceptional songs.The songs on Wood/Water are such an improvement over anything the band had done in the past that, at first listen, you might think it's a different band.

Wood/Water opens with a Flaming Lips-esque "Size Of Your Life". It's a slightly less quirky, but equally melodic effort when compared to even the best Lips tunes. Tracks such as "Say Goodbye Good" and "Stop Playing Guitar" will keep you humming all day.
This album doesn't really drag anywhere; just when you think the next track will be filler, von Bohlen throws in "Wake Up April" and "Bread and Coffee", which really highlight his newfound melodic sense.

All in all, this is one of the most accessible indie rock albums. Most of the criticism is from die-hard indie rock fans who consider catchy songs and improved songwriting as a betrayal of the genre. Try not to pay attention to these objections; Wood/Water is a fantastic effort, without a doubt the creative apex of the band and the type of album you won't want to take out of your rotation.

Promise Ring breaking new ground
Wood / Water breakouts with a new maturity on this departure from the usual emo - core sound the band has cultivated over the years. A band that has been a cult favorite presents an unyielding indie - pop classic that begs to be listened to over and over. The old fan may be thrown for a loop at first listen but after several listens, the depth of the writing and complex arrangements become a staple of your CD player. Buy this CD!

Songs to cure the deaf, and dead of hearing.
Yeah, yeah... so-what if you had beens were TPR fans when they were "good"?Admit it: only You care... as if you matter.(No problem.It happens.I'd been guilty of it in the past myself.)But, the least who cared?... TPR.For all of you who still love the last note of "Feed the Night" as this album ends - very admirable of you.Confirming that 'Wood/Water' IS (not was) one of the best albums to be released in the past five years, regardless of it becoming known as the "swan song", regardless of "genre", and everything that has and is being put out to this day.TPR dropped off their "image" right around the "Boys & Girls" ep release; you could hear it... even if you were deaf.For some reason they decided to write songs that had a little extra life.Songs that would outlast the indie-ass-kiss fashion of an "emo" kid who would finally let themself grow into his/her own skin around 2011.Songs that ex-kid could still listen to and say, "Here, son: 'Wood/Water'.For when you're through with being cool." ... Read more

Asin: B000063NCE
Subjects:  1. Emo    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

A Rush of Blood to the Head
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Audio CD (27 August, 2002)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.49
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Editorial Review

Coldplay required a lifetime to make their wonderfully assured debut,Parachutes. But it tookless than two years for the moody British quartet to deliver a masterful follow-up. As a band, Coldplay have advanced to a stage where they outshine nearly every oneof their rivals in terms of imagination and emotional pull. A Rush of Bloodto the Head is a soulful, exhilarating journey, moving from the catharticrock of "Politik" to the hushed tones of "Green Eyes" without once breaking itsmesmerizing spell. Singer Chris Martin takes his voice on soaring flights,reaching places only JeffBuckley previously dared to go. And the music is nearly flawless, apersuasive cross between PinkFloyd and the Verve.Even if they haven't come up with another "Yellow," you would be hard-pressed tocare. This is exquisite stuff. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (941)

Almost perfect
This CD is one of my all time favorite's! I wouldn't say it breaks new ground, but it certainly digs a little deeper into its genre. Chris Martin is an fantastic frontman for Coldplay and his vocals are amazing! The entire CD is filled with excellent songs, but here are a few highlights:

"Polotik". Mysecond favorite song on the CD.
It starts out loud with banging drums, but halfway through, it switches to a soft, two minute instumental with heartmoving piano playing by Martin.


"The Scientist". My favorite of the CD.
A haunting ballad of love, loss and forgiveness.
The piano is extraordinary!

Overall, the CD is never boring and I can listen to it all the way through without skipping any tracks.

At times its quiet and refelctive, or loud and incredible.

Chris Martin, Will Champion, John Buckland and Guy Berryman are truely geniuses of our time.

I cannot wait to get their new CD and I am definetly going to atten their concert in September.

Forget the Hype: They're Greater Than That
Hype makes it almost impossible to judge bands because the publicity seeps into one's judgment and becomes the story rather than the actual music. So I took a break from Coldplay for a year and went back to them and I must say their music transcends all the hype. Amsterdam, God Put a Smile on My Face, and my favorite, The Scientist, head the album's charge though you won't find one bad track. Why is Coldplay so successful? Of course, the voice. Of course, the universal themes. Of course, the melodies. But I can't explain why people of all ages love them. It's rare that such a cool band has such mainstream appeal. Many already know that the wonderful band Keane is being, rightly, compared to Coldplay. But for two lesser known bands that have similar melodic"emotional rock" qualities, check out the Swedish bands Ronderlin and Radio Dept.

Phenomenal... I look forward to X & Y
I'll make this short and sweet.This is what not only what rock and roll is about, but also music.In a recent interview I read about Coldplay in Blender Magazine, they acknowledged the fact that they weren't "flashy" in a sense where playing their instruments was concerned because "they couldn't" be.While they may have limitations (very few people don't), they used their attributes as musicians to the very best of their abilities, hence making better albums than some bands with more experienced musicians.I have no doubt that A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD will forever be a part of Rock and Roll History as one of its best albums.After more than 2 years, it is still a much hailed/ talked about album.No offense to Simple Plan (who'm I'm a fan of), but are we going to be talking about it 2 years after its initial release (...Still Not Getting Any).No, simply on the basis that Coldplay's material is more focused and filled with more depth compared to say a punk band like Simple Plan.

With that said, everyone will most likely say that "Clocks" is their very favorite track. My favorite happens to be the haunting opening track "Politik".It is just so well written with an opening crescendo of hard rocking guitars that then grow in dimunition to Chris Martin's solo piano line while he sings in his somber voice.It will give you chills, especially when Martin ascends into his falsetto.

I won't give an individual critique of the rest of the tracks.But I will summarize with this that this is an enjoyable listening and a stellar album.I am a person who listens to more urban stuff probably than say rock and roll, but as an open-eared listener, who could deny the incredible musicianship and sound that Coldplay posess on this rock masterpiece? Well so much for short and sweet!


Track Picks:"Politik", "In My Place", "God Put A Smile On Your Face", "The Scientist", "Clocks" ... Read more

Asin: B000069AUI
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Britpop    3. Dream Pop    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Post-Grunge    7. Rock   

Free All Angels
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 June, 2002)
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Editorial Review

Tim Wheeler is a young songwriter who loves the themes of summer and girls almost as much as the young Brian Wilson did. The difference is Wheeler grew up in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, instead of Southern California. Nevertheless, Free All Angels kicks off with the refrain "We've been walking barefoot all summer," continuing Ash's tradition of what Wheeler has termed "North Irish surf punk." The band have matured since the release of their last couple studio albums, 1977 (named for the year several band members were born, as well as the musical era the album emulated) and the more rock-heavy Nu-Clear Sounds (which often out-Stroked the Strokes), but they still deliver a sonic summer pop-rock delight here. "Candy" unashamedly samples Scott Walker's version of Burt Bacharach's "Make It Easy on Yourself," and Ash's pop culture references also include the Buzzcocks, John Barry, Phil Spector, Nirvana, T. Rex, Dr. Dre, and the Jesus and Mary Chain, to name only a few. "Pacific Palisades" (which name-checks Brian Wilson and all things Beach Boys) is almost self-explanatory, title alone, while the delicious "Shining Light"--a huge hit in the U.K.--should warm its way into the hearts of all guitar-based power-punk-pop aficionados after only several listens. --Bill Holdship ... Read more

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Reviews (60)

Burn Baby
I have liked Ash for many years now. I even saw them play in late 1998 during CMJ. This was during the time of Nu-Clear Sounds which many people now think is they worst album. Ash was formed in Belfast around 1993 when the three fellows were still in school: Tim Wheeler, Mark Hamilton, and Rick McMurray. Their first mini-album Trailer was released in 1994. The band released their best album two years later called 1977 when they were all still teenagers. They were called Bratpop. Songs like "Kung Fu" and "Girls from Mars" made them famous. They got much more attention in 1998 when they added guitarist Charlotte Hatherley. Their record Nu-Clear Sounds tanked and their fans moved on to JJ72. Their experiment with being into New York City and heavy rock and being like an Irish Jonathan Fire Eater failed. They were quiet for three years. The drug addiction then started and Ash was getting calls from Behind The Music. They have come back with one of the biggest albums of the past year with Free All Angels. It beat out the new one by Janet Jackson in the UK charts.

"Walking Barefoot" still reminds us of Ash's fascination with NYC punk. It's a return to their earlier sound and is a very good summer song. Once you get to "Shining Light" you know that the excitement is back and all is forgiven. A catchy tune that is certainly has thoughtful lyrics and very catchy guitar playing.The big chorus of "Burn Baby Burn" reminds us of all we loved about Ash in the first place. "Candy" is a slow song that samples Scott Walker. It is really a step forward from heavy rock. "Cherry Bomb" and "Submission" are other songs that name checks some past punk songs like Runaways and Sex Pistols. It is classic Ash. The latter is the closest thing to a Primal Scream track I have ever heard them do.

"Pacific Palisades" is like a punk Beach Boys. It is about their experiences in California and sort of an echo of the opening tack. "Shark" is like The Ramones or The Damned. Apparently as a live act they are much like those early punk bands. Bring out the leather jackets and Flying V's please. "There's A Star" is another great slow song. Tim Wheeler has taken the reigns of the band's songwriting and has made something beautiful and lovely. Some bands get to their fourth album and it's a public burning. Ash has evolved. The album ends with the all out rocker "World Domination" which sums up all their last album in one song. The American release also includes a DVD and three bonus tracks. The tracks add nothing and are probably B-sides. I haven't seen the DVD but that sounds like a treat. We can all look forward to seeing Ash on this year's Area 2 tour.

I strongly recommend it
This CD is something new and it is brilliant! i strongly recommend it, at least listen to the sample tracks on amazon and see what ash are like...

This is a great CD
Ash is a great band that hardly receives the recognition they deserve here in the U.S. They erupted right out of high school with their debut, "Trailer". Their follow-up, "1977" was semi-successful here in the U.S., possibly due to the supporting tour with Weezer. Their third release, "Nu-Clear Sounds" was almost completely ingored here in the States with the execption of the title track to the film "A Life Less Ordinary."
"Free All Angels" is the fourth major album from Ash. On this album they have really come into their own. Tim Wheeler wrote so many great songs for this CD, practically every one of them has also been released as a single. Charlotte, Mark, and Rick have also matured very well as musicians, and the band sounds as good as ever.
Nearly every song on this album is a masterpiece. If you love finding albums that may have been overlooked by mainstream America, this album is a good place to start. Actually, any album by Ash is a great place to start, but this album is probably their most accessable and listener-friendly album to date. Give it a spin and you will probably end up buying the rest of the Ash catalog. ... Read more

Asin: B000068QWS
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Britpop    3. Pop    4. Punk-Pop    5. Rock   

Turn On the Bright Lights
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 August, 2002)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

Interpol create literate, atmospheric, moody, trashy post-punk music that recalls '80s faves the Psychedelic Furs. And this is definitely a good thing. While most young bands are content to rhyme "make it" with "fake it," Interpol pens melodramatic tales of tortured and tortuous urban relationships that are truly refreshing. Like their peers the Strokes, they're bright, sophisticated, and meticulous enough to build stirring soundscapes. Turn On the Bright Lights is a must for anyone who missed Echo & the Bunnymen, the Furs, and Joy Division the first time around.--Dominic Wills ... Read more

Reviews (440)

This is an Awesome Debut Effort
I will not beat around the bush, I LOVE Interpol! Both albums are fantastic, but this one is the best. This album is just audio ectasy. This album jives together, listen to it as a whole because each song blends with the next one.

The guitar driven melodies propel this album into perfection. The songs are all excellent. This was one of the greatest bands to hit make a debut splash. I hope to see Interpol around for many, many more albums. Buy this album if you are into this genre of music, because, it will not disappoint. The whole album is just so delightful.

Masterpiece
Come'on people, this solid first album deserves more than a 4-star average.There is not one bad track on this masterwork.You bought this album because JD is dead and Interpol was the next best thing.Give them the credit they deserve.

Great album... seriously
this is a great uptempo album. By uptempo, I mean driving with a solid beat. It helps, perhaps, in order to appreciate this album, to have a bit of an eighties sensibility as it seems to reference this era's music to extent. I am not going to shout "Joy Division" like the rest though. I really find this music to be a classic example of absorbing and moving on when it comes to these 80's references. If you listen to this next to any of the bands to which the sound has been credited by others, you'll find that it is not really anywhere near the same. It much more of an evolutionary leap and it sounds great.

I keep listening to this album (I can't help it). Solid all the way through. Seriously. I am actually a Zappa fan, but have a lingering love for The Smiths, Stone Roses, and I gotta say this kind of music comes off to me as very well composed.

I likey. ... Read more

Asin: B00006BTCA
Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop   

Sha Sha
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 March, 2002)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
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Editorial Review

In 1997, with dreamy Ozzie kiddos Silverchair at their commercial zenith and record labels seeing dollar signs, an unassuming pop-rock trio from Texas led by teenage singer-songwriter Ben Kweller sparked a bidding war. As the dust settled, Kweller's band Radish signed with Mercury and released Restraining Bolt; the stately New Yorker magazine weighed in with a profile; and the world had promptly rolled over and fell back to sleep. Sha Sha, Kweller's 2002 solo debut on Dave Matthews's ATO imprint, captures an understandably cynical but not entirely sour 20-year-old. While Sha Sha can be broadly described as melodic, somewhat rickety, frequently acoustic, piano-laced pop--think Ben Folds with less irony--there are some twisted shadings. "Walk on Me," with its propulsive beats and cascading piano line, is a whiny and wide-eyed plea for mercy to a nasty lover; "Wasted & Ready" is built on a series of preposterous rhyming couplets ("Sex reminds her of eating spaghetti / I am wasted but I'm ready") while "Harriet's Got a Song" sticks to a hard-soft formula, alternating between white-hot guitar licks and little tinkling bits. None of the tracks on Sha Sha screams megahit, but Kweller acquits himself as a unique songwriter nonetheless. --Kim Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (111)

A CD that never gets old...
I absolutely loved the entire CD. Every song is different and has its own meaning.I bought the CD almost 2 years ago and have been hooked since. It can put you in a great mood even on the worst day. If you like a mellow CD that you can pull out every now and then this is your lucky day. You will not regret buying this CD, I promise!
*BK can put on a GREAT show live, so don't miss the opportunity if you have a chance!

A mediocore album, lots of potential
While many rave about Ben Kweller's Sha Sha, it really is not that solid of a cd. Most of the music seems derived from Weezer with even more of a pop element. The strongest song on the Album is undoubtably "In Other Words." "In Other Words" is an amazing song however the rest of the album is not written in the same style and honestly are not that pleasent to listen to. "Harriot's Got a Song" and "Falling" are also strong points on the album. While Ben Kweller has a lot of potential, this album just does not completely deliever. However Kweller is only 20, so he has alot of time to get into his musical element.

nice little surprise...
Wow - really not sure how I missed this gem of an album (and artist). Maybe I was having a jazz trip around this time...

All in all this is neat album and Kweller knows what he is doing, as shown by a consistently strong album. The first two songs are my own favorites, and the rest of the album is quite enjoyable. As I listen though... what is that influence that I hear? Two things - I shall call it one - Ben Foweezer Five. The Ben Folds influence is extremely present both in the style of many of the songs and in Kweller's voice. Don't deny it... The Weezer shows up in a couple songs, sort of Pinkerton style (Wasted and Ready - VERY much so). Anyhow... these are by no means criticism - everyone is influenced by everyone (as are - obviously - Weezer and Ben Folds). Kweller does this all pretty well and is original enough to pull it off. Ben Folds actually grates my nerves, so to hear Kweller do it better (in my opinion) is a nice alternative.

Enjoy. ... Read more

Asin: B000060P7P
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Cobblestone Runway
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 October, 2002)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $16.98
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Editorial Review

The title of Ron Sexsmith's 2001 album, Blue Boy, well described a singer who's made a modest career playing pretty, moony tunes about love found and lost. But from the first notes of the sweet-swinging opener, "Former Glory," it's clear that on this follow-up, Sexsmith's forlorn folk-pop is in for a reinvention. Cobblestone Runway adds synthesizers and danceable beats to his usual guitar and vocal melodies, and for the most part the new sounds enliven Sexsmith's songs without strangling them. The disc recalls Beth Orton and Jeb Loy Nichols, but not everything will sound alien to an established Sexsmith admirer: "The Less I Know" is a calm, Beatle-esque pop tune, and cuts like "Best Friends" and "God Loves Everyone" would fit on any of his previous discs. Inevitably there are a few missteps--among them the disco-fied "Dragonfly on Bay Street"--but overall Sexsmith's electro-folk experiment proves refreshingly successful. --Anders Smith Lindall ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A strong 3.5 stars
This album is my first introduction to Ron Sexsmith. I can see where people say this album grows on you. I have a feeling it's already under my skin & I'll listen to it many more times.

There's something mellow and approachable about his style, and a familiarity which cannot be denied. He seems to honor his predecessors, yet forge a unique sound for himself.

His voice is what really draws me in. I don't go so much for drippy, poppy stuff, and the instrumentation verges on being a little too Adult Contemporary Top 40, yet I'm willing to look past that because his style is so totally his own.

There's a sweet quality to his voice that is just uplifting and optimistic. I haven't heard his other stuff yet, so perhaps he does get a bit darker. But overall, I felt this album was solid, upbeat and very melodic.

Songwriting triumphs over production values
It pains me to give any Ron Sexsmith albumless than 5 stars because he's as fine a songwriter as there is.He has suffered the curse of being a "songwriter's songwriter"--Costello and McCartney among the longtime supporters--but he usually connects with listeners in such an intimate way that I found the intrusive production on many of this CD's tracks to interfere with my overall enjoyment of it.A few listens later I feltable to live with the sound effects and odd choices made by the producer, since some of the tracks were treated more mercifully."God Loves Everyone", "Gold In Them Hills", and "Heart's Desire" really stood out for me.This is not an album I would play to introduce someone to Sexsmith's music, but it is to be admired for its ambitious change of direction, however misguided it might have been.Great songwriting triumphs in the end.

wonderful
it's a true wonder that ron sexsmith isn't a household name."cobblestone runway" is a gem and i'm glad i found it in the most unconventional way."least that i can do," "the less i know," "these days," and "former glory" are ... well, glorious.very much his own unique self, but capable of evoking thoughts of mccartney, van morrison, and even boz scaggs at their best.a great listen on the very first spin, but actually keeps getting better with every play.simply wonderful. ... Read more

Asin: B00006JJ3Q
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Singer/Songwriter   

Love Is Here
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 January, 2002)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

Although Love Is Here, Starsailor's anxious, soulful, folk-and-urban-blues-nuanced debut won't be a culture shock to any British pop-scene follower who experienced, say, Tom McRae's 2000 debut, it certainly jolts the core beliefs and common cultural values of the U.K. indie scene. Nothing about Starsailor is remotely "alternative"; cool dads will appreciate them every bit as much as the hip kids. Not only is tender-aged singer James Walsh proud to admit to being influenced by Van Morrison and Tim Buckley (blimey, it's like punk never happened), he is also gifted with a larynx as gnarled, emotionally articulate, and demonstratively tremulous as the underrated Roger Chapman. Love Is Here is an assured classic, whose exposition of impending mid-life crises and buttoned-up desperation (typical lyric: "I need to be alone while I suffer") is conveyed through shuffling jazz percussion, metronomic acoustic guitars, and keyboards that veer between decorative cocktail piano and ice rink organ (courtesy of former crematorium organist Barry Westhead). Are Starsailor the future of British pop? Let's bloody hope so. --Kevin Maidment ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Wanted: Decent Producer
I am a definite Starsailor fan now that I have seen them live twice and own both of their albums. They are a bit of that excellent Britrock I crave with the insanely beautiful vocals that put James Walsh in his own league (I don't buy comparisons to Robert Plant; Jeff Buckley is a little closer; and though I like Richard Ashcroft a great deal more, they do not sound similar to me).

The problem here is not the songs - it's the album. I saw them open for the Charlatans UK and I was so affected by their performance, I immediately bought tickets to see them headline, which I did not think they could possibly do at the same venue in the same season! It was one of the best shows I've ever seen. They were blowing through a single album, and one that I did not even know at the time, and somehow it felt epic. The vocals soared into that falsetto realm and the music was so vibrant and powerful that I left quite stunned. What happened between their live act and their studio act or vice versa, I cannot say for the life of me.

It took me a few listens just to recognize which songs matched with the ones I was so taken by live. On Love Is Here, it's all so soft and slow and toned down. Live, songs rushed into your head with a hungry fervor that let me know Starsailor was one to keep in consciousness for the ages. Fever was an incredible thrashing rock ballad (I swear they even called it by a different name - "The Dukes Of Hazzard Got A Fever!"), whereas on the album it is just a rock ballad. This is exactly what seems to have happened to the majority of songs, with the exception of Goodsouls which still appears to be very radio-friendly, (perhaps they did not expect to release other singles? I don't get it...). I feel that Tie Up My Hands is the most interesting song on the album, as it is slowed down and sounds different enough from what I knew to be the song in concert, and manages to be the only one that works for me in this new, pure melancholy state. It still has the aching desperation and wondrous vocals, without the infectious rhythm that first pulled me in. But something about this works quite well for this isolated track.

I was left dumbfounded at first listen, and sadly am still, after these years since its come out, quite the same. All I can do is attribute it to shoddy production that makes their sound lost in a sort of low melancholy drone with the occasional appeal of Walsh's singing or a nice riff. They have the capacity to go way beyond this. It saddens me that there is no other version of these songs out to fulfill their extreme potential. As far as the new album goes, I feel it lacks the poorly produced feeling this one has. All of the songs are tight and the music stands out for each track, however, the songs are perhaps a bit less inspired or distinguished. I'll still be waiting for that perfect live release; their fantastic live performance is already starting to feel a bit mythical...

First Time for Everything
I think this band has real talent, I find them to be very emotional and they take that emotion to a very high limit, somehwhere between love and hate, lies and ignorant liars. Starsailor is a very unique band. The lyrics are great, and the melodies are very hypnotic, I really enjoy this band. The guitar solos are awesome, whoever plays the guitar in this group rules!!

whats wrong with you
you must have some brain damage to find this album anything more than mediocre. Tie up my hands" was the only track that is at all interesting. I start tuning out after that. dont bother with this album ... Read more

Asin: B00005UOFF
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

White Blood Cells
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 January, 2002)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

Rock & roll is constantly splintering into multiple personalities. Big radioplayers layer thick slabs of studio shine on their albums, while back-to-the-basicsrockers keep the sound so raw it rubs calluses on your ears. The White Stripes fallin the latter category. The duo strips down to the fundamentals of Meg White's simpledrumbeat and Jack White's garagy guitar and pleading vocals. While the elements aresparse, the Detroit act create a noisy, hip-grinding batch of punk R&B, displayed againon White Blood Cells, the Stripes' third full-length. While it's hard to pickfavorites from such talent, this band only gets better with time. White's vocals weresounding like a young Robert Plant on De Stijl--definitely not a bad thing--buton Cells, he's developed his own persona. He throws musical fits on "Fell in Lovewith a Girl," gets almost loungy on the piano number "This Protector," and keeps the bluesvibe running on "Now Mary." The album is so rich with basic variations on a simple themeit's hard to believe such soulful energy comes from just two people. White Blood Cellsis an amazing piece of work, a benchmark that ought to inspire new legions of garage rockersfor years to come. --Jennifer Maerz ... Read more

Reviews (362)

THE BEST EVER
Being a completely insane white stripes fan, I love this CD ( i can't wait for get behind me satan btw)Well anyway, this is an amazing CD.everthing about it is.......good.. I LOVE THE WHITE STRIPES I LOVE THE WHITE STRIPES!!!!! THEY ARE MY RELIGION!!!!!!!!how much doi love them? sososososo much!!!
this CD is a perfect accumulation of tracks that are so contradicting.I mean i think i smell a rat? how great was that.and this protector is so good.his voice is so nice in that.and fell in love with a girl is just a classic i can't believe the ppl that don't know that song!!! i mean what!!!

well all in all i love the white stripes

the White Stripes can do no wrong
The White Stripes' third album, White Blood Cells (if you're a little slow), is probably the best punk/garage/underground (if those all aren't the same thing)/blues record ever made.It had me entranced from the blaring opening track "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," to the softer, piano-driven "This Protector."Blood Cells isn't one of those albums you put on for just 2 or 3 good songs, either; you can just put it in and let it play- every song is awesome.It also probably contains the widest range of music than any of their other CD's.It can go from kind-of-almost-country to pure punk rock in just 4 minutes.Wrapping up: buy this CD now...and the White Stripes can do no wrong.

WOW
I bought this CD the day after I saw the music video for "fell in love with a girl." I figured any band that makes a music video out of legos can't be all that bad. I was absolutely blown away after listening to the CD. I hadn't heard this kind of dark creativity from a band in years. I assumed that this band was gonna be a one hit wonder, I was shocked to discover fell in love with a girl wasn't the best song on the album, it was the worst and I love that song. The White Stripes are an amazing band, I can't believe that two people can create such an awesome sound. The new Led Zepplin. ... Read more

Asin: B00005YTFQ
Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Garage Rock Revival    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock   

The Last Broadcast
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (04 June, 2002)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

The Last Broadcast sees Doves frontman Jimi Goodwin and multi-instrumentalist brothers Andy and Jez Williams soaring to new if perhaps grandiose heights. The thundering opening beat and spiraling guitars of "Words" are reminiscent of Ride at their bombastic peak, and "There Goes the Fear" has relentlessly reverberating Latin rhythms, New Order-influenced guitars, and sweeping vocals that are nothing less than breathtaking. Quiet reprieve comes with "M62," a delicate haunting reworking of King Crimson's "Moonchild," bizarrely recorded under the M62 flyover in Manchester, and its desolate atmospherics are juxtaposed against the remainder of the album. With the thrusting onslaught of "Pounding," the obligatory earthy rock of "N.Y.," and the joyous pastoral acoustic-led splendor of "Caught by the River," the Doves have crafted a liberating sophomore album that happily combines the uplifting anthemic essence of dance with good old rock & roll.--Christopher Barret ... Read more

Reviews (112)

A pleasant suprise
I picked this up after hearing "Satellites" on an internet radio station a couple of years ago.
I was more than pleasantly suprised. This is a truly unique set of songs...and it turned out that "Satellites" was one of the weaker songs. (not an insult, a compliment to the rest of the material)
High Points are "There Goes The Fear", "M62 Song"(an endorsement from a HUGE King Crimson fan)and "Pounding".
It's all excellent, though - there really isn't a weak song on here.
Still waiting for the follow up. Keep yer fingers crossed.

In a league with best albums of last 40 years!
I first heard my first Doves song in the canned music at a hamburger restaurant. It was "Catch The Sun" and I was hooked.I hoped and assumed that was the song's title as I searched Amazon's website, and lo and behold, I discovered the Doves.I bought Lost Souls and Last Broadcast at the same time.I liked every song on Last Broadcast the first time around.There are only a few albums in the past 40 years that you can honestly say every track is a delight and worthy of airplay (if only these guys had been around back in the glory days of FM radio in the early seventies! Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin watch out!).Anyway, this CD is definitely on the same par as the Moody Blues disk "In Search of the Lost Chord", the Beatles "Sgt Pepper", Led Zeppelin I, II or IV, the first CRosby Stills and Nash, or Pink Floyd's "Meddle", "Dark Side", "Animals", "Wish" or "Wall", or Genesis' "Foxtrot", "Trick of the Tail" or "Wind and Wuthering".Real music on real instruments! Definitely a must have!PS: I'm 49 years old and generally have trouble warming up to new music and new artists, but these guys are OK!

brilliant, original, but...
Being a huge fan of doves, travis, coldplay, snow patrol, oasis, stone temple pilots, blur, radiohead, supergrass, the strokes, the hives, the vines,rage against the machine, and all kinds of rock (except death metal, or gothic or metal), I find this album extremely interesting.Now, that doesnt mean that it's not weird, because it is.For example, I found the song N.Y. extremely (maybe too much) experimental and weird.It was a huge deception to learn that the acoustic version of N.Y. was not included in this album or anywhere.I heard the acoustic version of N.Y. and i absolutely loved it because you can hear Jimi Goodwin's (the lead singer's name, i think) voice more clearly plus the three acoustic guitars playing plus the harmonica solo sound like music from heaven.The problem is that I heard that song from a 'launch' sample two-song c.d. (that's when I became a true fan of the doves) and now my friend tells me he lost that c.d. (bummer!)

Despite that, the songs "There Goes the Fear" and "Words" and "Pounding" and "Satellites" are all catchy and brilliant songs."The Last Broadcast" is an o.k. song, too. I bought this album more than a year ago, and I bought it with bonus tracks.These bonus tracks are extremely good."Hit the Ground Running" sounds like Fatboy Slim's "Praise You", only less danceable and more alternative, and less repetitive.Well, "Far from Grace" is the best bonus track of the four.Its very melodic, moody, experimental, and most importantly,"lost-soul"-like (their first album, which I think is better than this one).Northenden is very folk-music-like, and its good.
I guess that I liked "Lost Souls" better because the songs sound more relax-like, more experimental, but softer and less weirder than "Last Broadcast".Plus, I could not find any "Catch the Sun"-like song in this album (I still think this is their best song).Plus no song beats the brilliant anddreamy "Break Me Gently", although "Satellites" is the closest to it.
I really hope that the doves bring something better than "last broadcast", something perhaps more catchy, less weird, more 'catch the sun'-like, and I know that they will, because the bonus tracks on 'last broadcast' prove that they can do better.
Nevertheless this is one of the best (british) alt bands that I have ever heard. ... Read more

Asin: B000065SXM
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Open up and Say Awesome
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (16 April, 2002)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
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Reviews (9)

Opened up, Said Awesome
Ultimate Fakebook is best experienced in concert, but their raw energy comes through loud and clear on this album.While not as funky or exploratory as "this will be laughing week," this album does offer up catchy song after catchy song.The slow songs are inter-mingled well, and the closing song, "Popscotch Party Rock" is simply amazing.Definetly worth a look, not as crappy as everyone makes it out to be, honestly.

the definition of guilty pleasure
Some albums just get to you and this is one of them. No innovation here. The engergetic fun delivery short circuits any critical analysis that can be offered. File under pop/punk/emo tag and get over it. There is just a certain something to this album that transports me back to the early nineties when music was wide open. It is big dumb rock circa 1991. I don't know if I would buy another album by these guys since it seems like they found a sound and stick with it. There is only one song I don't like and that is the uber-cheesy "Forever". That said the songs are all about girls and being in band. Sloan does this thing better but, damn, it gets me rockin'. While I feel a little ashamed when I think about liking this album, there is no doubt when I have it pumping.

No Bro!
There's a fat bald guy playing air bass on the cover -- be ashamed of yourself for even looking at this cd. ... Read more

Asin: B0000658IM
Sales Rank: 135927
Subjects:  1. Emo    2. Pop    3. Punk-Pop    4. Rock   

Phrenology (Limited Edition w/ Bonus DVD)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (26 November, 2002)
list price: $19.98
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Editorial Review

If you were wondering what the heck phrenology means, the Roots wouldn't have it any other way. Hip-hop's hardest-working live band continues where they left off with Things Fall Apart, forcing listeners to think outside of the Hot 97 FM box--or just plain think. On "Thought at Work," lead emcee Black Thought--the most criminally underrated wordsmith of his time--weaves captivating flows over a neck-snapping break beat, while on "Water" he boldly addresses the controversy surrounding his partner-in-rhyme Malik B's alleged substance abuse. While collaborations with Nelly Furtado ("Sacrifice") and Talib Kweli ("Rhymes and Ammo") read much better on paper than they sound, the catchy, up-tempo call-and-response routine utilized by the crew on the latter song will amp up Roots nonbelievers. As a bonus, Jill Scott's dreamy falsetto refrain hammers home some finer points about love on "Complexity." --Dalton Higgins ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (111)

good stuff
This cd is basically good stuff. To be honest it took awhile to get used to it, but listening to it wit full stereo sound and on 2nd, 3rd, 4th listens etc, it has really grown on me. It's not as good as some fo their other stuff, esp Things fall Apart (which I cant believe some people have totally sh**ed on!?!?) but it's a good cd none the less. And the fact that there are only 11 or 12 songs still make it worth while, mayb even more so than some long weighty heavy hjanded production. I mean y be like every one else out there puttin out these long a$$ filler cds wit like 17-20 tracks?!?! Even those have a BUNCh of interludes n sh*t. Anyway...This was a solid effort over all. With each album The Roots bring somethin new and improved, but this time it may not neccesarily be improved but its definitely somethig wrth listening to.

philly
philly r and b is always good. This album is great. Full of potential for hit singles.I hope they get the praise they deserve.

People just don't know
Well, first of all, in regard to the review above...nelly isn't on this album, so stop hating. it's nelly furtado and that girl can sing no matter who thinks other wise.she's down for hip hop, and to all my ROOTS lovers, i sure did not mind her representing on this album.Most def, I loved the new styles that the Roots busted out with in this album, and for all true hip hop heads, realize that it's not dieing and that you just got to open your heart, your ears, and your third eye.here's something to vibe to, no doubt. ... Read more

Asin: B00007B9DO
Subjects:  1. Alternative Rap    2. East Coast Rap    3. Hardcore Rap    4. Hip-Hop    5. Jazz-Rap    6. Pop    7. Rap & Hip-Hop   

Power in Numbers (Limited Edition w/ Bonus DVD)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 October, 2002)
list price: $18.98
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Editorial Review

Two years after Jurassic 5's debut album, Quality Control, proved that B-boy-oriented retro-rap doesn't have to be corny, the six-member crew (four MCs and two DJs) seems to be gearing up for the revolution. While fans of Quality Control's bright sound will still find much to enjoy here, J5's sophomore offering does a good job at extending their sound. Opening with "Freedom," a quiet yet focused call to action, Power in Numbers presents a slightly darker vision of hip-hop nirvana than the group offered first time around. In keeping with the album's title, J5 has also expanded its crew--Percy P. (of the early-'90s underground group, Double XX Posse) and Big Daddy Kane help wreck the G Rap-esque "A Day at the Races," and the always game alterna-diva, Nelly Furtado, lends a surprisingly effective pop edge to the bouncy "Thin Line." On the production end of things, Juju of the Beatnuts adds his special blend of Colombian madness to the jazzy "If You Only Knew" and the considerably bleaker "One of Them." --Rebecca Levine ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (71)

Throw-back feel with a new-school approach
Jurassic 5 is one of a number of hip-hop groups out right now attempting to rekindle the vibe of the early 90's, and they are probally doing it best.If you are looking for "lyrically lyrical lyrics," this may not be for you; however, all 5 emcees come of with great flows that fit perfectly into what they are trying to do.And you know Cut Chemist and DJ Numark are providing the heat when it comes to beats.This ish is so good, you won't even mind the Nelly Furtado appearance.

Oh how I LOVE this album
I'll admit that, after an intense love affair with hip-hop during my teen years, we fell out over the soulless gangsta and pop rap that's permeated the charts for the last decade. Of late, however, three groups have helped me rediscover why I fell in love with this music: The Roots, Outkast and Jurassic 5. This is the first album I bought by J5, and I simply adore it. At times playful (If You Only Knew), at other times deadly serious (A Day at the Races, Remember His Name), and often outright catchy (What's Golden, Thin Line), this album appeals to hip-hop heads of all shapes, sizes and tastes. The overall feel is communal and energetic: the listener can sing along, dance, or contemplate via headphones. J5 want you engaged, and over these 17 tracks, the six-man crew make it happen with tight wordplay, quicksilver flow, judicious samples and heady production, giving lapsed listeners like me a reason to love hip-hop again.

Key Tracks: "Freedom", "A Day at the Races", "Remember His Name", "What's Golden", "Thin Line", "High Fidelity", "One of Them"

This version also contains a DVD featuring J5 behind the scenes.

HEY! This album's golden.
Yes you get a dvd and I say so frikkin what to that. Just make sure that the quality of the dvd is good and the fans won't complain one bit and also the fact that the album has to be a good one. Surprisingly the free DVD might throw you off to not buying it since your probably thinking it some gimmick but Jurassic 5 are a talented bunch of young lads. The beats Cut Chemist creates are beautiful and some are totally out of this world. The dvd is okay since it showcases some of the members going through daily life in the town where they live and recorded this album! Overall a very good buy for serious music collectors of the hip hop genre. This is a good one but I recommend Quality Control , which is the groups debut LP and is just as good, if not, even better than this one but this album is still good and worth the buy ... Read more

Asin: B00006L3JL
Subjects:  1. Alternative Rap    2. Hip-Hop    3. Pop    4. Rap & Hip-Hop    5. Underground Rap   

Original Pirate Material
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 October, 2002)
list price: $12.98 -- our price: $11.99
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Editorial Review

In a thrilling UK Garage scene, blighted only by a reliance on drippy soul cliché and tiresome braggadocio, The Streets' eminently quotable Mike Skinner may just be the voice to take it to the next level with Original Pirate Material. This debut is a staggeringly eloquent and fearlessly honest snapshot of gritty street-level existence, as experienced by an ordinary bloke. At first listen, the Birmingham-born Skinner's cheeky cockney affectations grate slightly. But for every line that makes you squirm, there are 20 that drop your jaw. "Has It Come to This?" is "A day in the life of a geezer," a seductive encapsulation of London lifestyle, presented raw as a bootleg, but bulging with sharp wit and feverish detail. "Stay Positive" weaves a fearful tale of heroin addiction, while "The Irony of It All" makes a beguiling case for legalization, presenting a fictional exchange between a beered-up, self-righteous lager lout and a fey student weed enthusiast. Original Pirate Material is a milestone, the real voice of British youth set down on record. Don't miss it.--Louis Pattison ... Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (188)

Bloody good album.
This album really is very very enjoyable. Like Dizzee, he offers provoking social commentery, but prooves he can be quite funny at times. The albums starts with the unstopable, "kashmiresque" "Turn the page". Things only get better from here. The Rule has always been, whites(like me) and Brits ( i went there on vacation... does that count?) can't rap. Well, here, The Streets (aka, mike skinner) prooves them all wrong. He is better hands down then any rapper in the US today, except maybe kanye west. Or Run DMC, back in the day. Other then that, US rap sucks. You wouldnt think that 'good rap' would be regional, but with Dizze and the Roll Deep Crew, and the Streets and the... uh... White Brit Crew, He is proving that Brits can't only rap, they rap well. Thats about all I have for you today. Listen to the shins, and have a nice day.

Stay Out Of The Daylight!

Isaac

A. Smith is a gH3yr0d.
get a clue about hip-hop.

the streets is decent and entertaining.

end.

Not Hip Hop, thank god!
Firstly I will say that this album is not attempting to be anything like Jammaster J, Nas, or any other crappy Rap "artists". This album is a dance album, the kind of album that you can chill out to as background music or something. The difference between this and rap music is that the album isnt trying to brag about bling, money and hoes. It's quite the opposite, it's about the life of the British working class of living at the weekends and being bored the rest of the time. You won't get that unless you've experienced it.

The reason I've given it 4 stars is that becuase he produced it in his bedroom by himself, the production isnt as good as it could have been - hopefully "A Grand Don't Come For Free" will be better, and from what I've heard - "Blinded by the lights", "Fit but you know it", "Dry your eyes", it certainly is.

To finish off - I saw them at reading festival 2004 and they were superb, go the streets and mr. skinner!! ... Read more

Asin: B00006L88F
Subjects:  1. 2-Step/British Garage    2. Club/Dance    3. Dance Music    4. Garage/House    5. Pop   

Lost in Space
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 August, 2002)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

Dividing her time between waging war on the music industry and writing sublime pop songs, Aimee Mann shows on her fourth solo album that she is equally adept at both. "Let's hear it for guys like me," she sings over the lilting rhythms and stylish guitar work of "Guys Like Me." Her case for toppling the corporate structure is airtight; just check her Web site for the latest bulletin. Her music, meanwhile, keeps getting better. The success of the Magnolia soundtrack may have restored her confidence following the record company strife that followed her first two solo releases--Whatever and I'm With Stupid--but the wounds have not healed. "All the perfect drugs and superheroes wouldn't be enough to bring me up to zero," the former 'Til Tuesday singer imparts over the layered, lush tones of the opening "Humpty Dumpty." Meanwhile, on the emotionally distressed "It's Not," she muses over a forlorn 16-piece string section, "I keep waiting for a change but I don't know for what." It could be the prettiest, most polite battle cry ever. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (135)

dark, lonely, cold, creepy, sad & soothing...
"Lost In Space," like most of Aimee Mann's albums, perfectly captures a feeling.The mood of "Lost In Space" feels exactly the way the CD cover looks:dark, lonely, cold, creepy, sad & soothing- all at the same time.These songs seep into your soul and unnerve you.I think it's a perfect follow-up to "Bachelor No. 2" in that it is just as impressively penned and performed, yet paints it's tales with a deeper, blue-er palette.Both "Bachelor" and "Lost" envelope you in their unique aura and leave you deeply moved.That's what great art does.

Good, but has trouble living up to Stupid and Bachelor.
Aimee Mann's "Lost in Space" had the unfortunate problem of being released after the fantastic "Bachelor No. 2" and "I'm With Stupid", and suffers in comparison.Its not that its not a superb album, on the contrary, there's quite a bit of great material here, its just that it had a lot to live up to.

What's most immediately noticable is a feeling of relaxation and confidence in these pieces, be it the magnificent throbbing "Humpty Dumpty" (with completely magical vocal harmonies), the subtlety of the playing on "This is How It Goes", the incredible guitars, strings and vocals of "Pavlov's Bell" or the unnervingly brilliant countryish "The Moth", it sounds as though Mann has finally found the sound she wants.

There is some experimentation that goes awry on this one ("High on Sunday 51" is Aimee does blues and doesn't quite work, and "Real Bad News"'s pacing makes it lethargic), and there's enough unmemorable material to impact opinion of the album, but again, this may be a side effect of coming after two great albums, and there's certainly enough good material here to make it worth the investment, but I'd recommend the special edition with its bonus disc full of live tracks, b-sides, and unreleased tunes over this one.

hey... she sang on a Rush record....
The fact that she sang on a Rush record (Hold your Fire) on the song "Time Stands Still" and claims the Posies' "Frosting on the Beater" as one of her favorite records already gives her a perfect score in my book. however, this record stands on its own. i don't have her other stuff but LIS is totally immersed in good melodies lightly doused with meloncholy without becoming too pretentious. never sings out of her range or tries to be "diverse" by doing something out of character... and that actually works for her. she does what she does well. Great, in fact. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates a quirky chic with a nack for calm melody. ... Read more

Asin: B00006AAJF
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop Underground    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Singer/Songwriter   

The Rising
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (30 July, 2002)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

Although it seemed the Boss had put writing rock anthems behind him after Born in the U.S.A., his longtime fans knew if any artist could write anthems addressing September 11, 2001, and not make them sound jingoistic, it would be Bruce Springsteen. The numerous anthems on his much-anticipated first full-length album with the E Street Band in 18 years are subtler than those of the Born to Run era. But the elements are all there: the joyous rocking strains of "Countin' on a Miracle," "Mary's Place," and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day"; the dark overtones of "Further on Up the Road"; the stunning guitar solo that closes "Worlds Apart," a dramatic Arabic-tinged piece detailing star-crossed love between a Muslim and an "infidel." Although most of these songs deal with death and tragedy, they still inspire. But while the lyrics are intriguing, what's more remarkable is how well The Rising works as epic rock & roll as it draws from rockabilly, soul, doo-wop hard rock, country, and even industrial. To skewer a cliché, when The Rising is good, it's great. And even when it's not great, it's still awfully good. --Bill Holdship ... Read more

Reviews (550)

Revised Titles: Let's Be Friends, Osama; Countin' on a 911!!

Springsteen maneuvers that he planned to break his political "neutrality"--fabrication since he joined 1988's "Human Rights NOW!" Tour of socialist retards--because of Admin. decisions like the Iraq war. Ergo, Springsteen convicts himself of violating America's surefooted traditions and for being a thinly veiled socialist/communist abetter who succumbs to the "stability" a dictatorship brings. America has a consistent history of intervening and selflessly sacrificing its people to combat communism, tyrannies and recently terrorism. When Springsteen chicanes that the Iraq intervention outraged him, he's unmasking himself as the revengeful socialist/extreme left-winger who extorts his president's actions to subordinate to the UN or outlaw regimes like Iran, connives with the charade of dictators being trustworthy not to reconstitute WMD and supply terrorists harbored in their country, and has no sympathy for poor civilians who're being victimized by the UN's "food program" in conspiracy with said outlaw regime. Though Springsteen masquerades as a down-to-earth American with his jeans and worker shirts, he's virulently anti-American because of his derision of classic American values!!!!

Come On Up For Mediocrity!!!!
Bruce hasn't has a good album since Tunnel of Love.He has become nothing more than a puppet for all his Left-Wing friends in Hollywood... and why the critics keep inflating his ego is beyond me.If you want songs about real people and real America then listen to anything from any Country Music artist.If you want some abstract idea of an America gone wrong because it hasn't gone down the path of Socialism like Western Europe then Springsteen is your man.He once inspired me.He has now become a joke.He fired the E-Street Band, moved to California back in the early 90's... since then he has lost his talent.Do us a favor, Bruce... Please just go away now.1984-85 was a wonderful ride.Your moment in the sun has long passed. Listening to The Rising and Devils & Dust has confirmed this.No matter who you bring in for production it doesn't take away the mediocrity of your work.Let us remember when you related to us "blue collar" souls... Let us enjoy being that guy, driving in that car or motorcycle, wandering if we will get the girl... Listening to you self-elect yourself for Mexican Immigration issues, singing about being a Hero during 9/11 (can I point out in Dave Marsh's Bio, Born to Run, that you avoided the draft, going as far to say you were even gay... isn't that a no-no now in the Left circle you are a part of now???)Yes, let us sing about hypocrisy of self-deluded hacks who claim to know all what is wrong with America because it doesn't fall in place of their own whacked idealogy!Hey, great job with the falsetto voice on Devils & Dust... I'm glad to hear that you fired the E-Street band so you can try something new... hasn't worked yet... but you keep on going... Country Music is the real American voice.Go away, please.

who is Randy Newman anyway?
Open Water is a fine movie.
The Rising is a fine T.V. show in which Tom Wilkinson plays a seven year old boy with cancer.
................ nevermind then.
The Rising is a fine album!Jeez people, when are the parade of one-star reviews going to end!?
My initial reaction to this album was negative, but, like every Springsteen album, you have to give it some time to sink in.
And that does is for this crappy review. ... Read more

Asin: B000069HKH
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock