Wish You Were Here
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Audio CD (25 April, 2000)
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Editorial Review

Wish You Were Here is a song cycle dedicated to Pink Floyd's original frontman, Syd Barrett, who'd flamed out years before: two grimly funny songs about the evils of the music business ("By the way, which one's Pink?"), and two long, touching ones about the band's vanished friend. The real star of the show, though, is the production: sparkling, convoluted, designed to sound deeply oh-wow under the influence--and pretty great sober too--with David Gilmour getting lots of space for his most lyrical guitar playing ever. And, though the album is big and ambitious, even bombastic, it somehow dodges being pretentious--the Barrett tributes are honest and heartfelt, beneath all the grand gestures and stereophonic trickery. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (521)

Amazon needs better rating scale!!!
Why can you only rate an album 5/5? This deserves 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, etc., etc./5

Okay, so this album may not be the perfect match for all... but for me, it is WICKEDLY AWESOME!!!!!

First off, in response to those who have dissed this album and called it "uncool" and "bad". They have bad taste. And that's right, if you have bad taste don't buy the album, because those with bad taste won't like it. Why should they like it? It's only one of the GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME!!!!

But if you have good taste, keep reading...

In response to thos who have whined about "oh... only 5 tracks?!" Again, bad taste!!! If you are going to judge an album by how many tracks it has regardless of how good they are, you, my friend, have BAD TASTE!

But, if you still are in the good taste category keep reading...

For those who have complained about the cover being innappropriate, you should be the man who is on fire because you honestly don't deserve to live a live not appreciating good music.

Wish you were here is AWESOME, and if you say otherwise, you might as well go and listen to Britney Spears while getting ready to jump off a bridge.

Okay, now for those who actually like good music...

Wish you were here starts off dedicating itself to Syd Barrett, former guitarist and founder of Pink Floyd. It tells a sad story about how he once was a genius writer and guitarist but went mad once involved with drugs. Now, tell me this isn't a sad story... Syd was kicked out of the band to seek mental health after showing signs of insanity. He was replaced, with screaming guitarist, David Guilmore, who played guitar, while Roger Waters, bassist, took Barrett's place as the main "creative drive" of the band...

Pink Floyd as you see in Wish You Were Here was born...

So, in conclusion, folks... If you like good music, buy wish you were here, remembering that if you do not like it, there is always room for one more in the Britney Spears fanclub. But, if you immediately appreciate what Pink Floyd has done, listen to the lyrics in "Shine on you crazy Diamond" and find out how Syd Barrett "Shone like the sun."

Goodnight, Ladies and Gents, and remember, If you don't like this album... you don't have good taste...

Clearly Capitalzing on Syd
In this album Roger Waters is just taking advantage of the fact that Syd was a really eccentric guy and making a bunch of god awful retarded music and adding some electric special effects. The group would probably call it "abstract" but it's just a bunch of crap. Buy Piper at the Gates of Dawn or the Dark Side of the Moon, thier alot better.

a superb floydian classic
wish you were here was amongst the best and most succesful pink floyd albums along with the wall,the dark side of the moon and meddle.this brilliant album contains classics like shine on you crazy diamond and wish you were here.hugely recommended.get all these floyd albums. ... Read more

Asin: B000024D4S
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

The Wall (Deluxe Packaging Digitally Remastered)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 April, 2000)
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Editorial Review

The Wall is less a collection of songs than a single work, which is sometimes frustrating; the plot lacks enough coherence to hold the snippets of music together. However, there are occasional flashes of brilliance on what ranks as Pink Floyd's most ambitious project. Most of these come from the fully developed songs, which have become classics in their own right. "Hey You," "Mother," and especially "Comfortably Numb" are subtle, incredible pieces of music. Though complex, they move at a relaxed pace, allowing the listener to absorb them slowly; this kind of pacing was something Pink Floyd excelled at. Also worth noting is the "Another Brick in the Wall/The Happiest Days of Our Lives" medley, which has become a staple of rock radio. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (790)

Genius that is weighed down by pretentiousness
"The Wall" should have been a better album.

Before you click angrily on the "Disagree" button, let me explain my logic.Despite "The Wall"'s depth, unity of vision and interesting plot and Freudian subtext, there is something missing in the majority of the songs.That something is musicality.

Much of Disc 1 (Side 1 and 2 for the original record) is tough to listen to.The melodies are sparse, the atmosphere thick, and much of it frequently grating.Try listening to "Don't Leave Me Now" more than once in a row without going ballistic.It's as if, when the teacher in "Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2" is shouting "How can you have your pudding if you don't eat your meat?!" Roger Waters is yelling at us to choke down the meat of these tough songs to get to the pudding later to be had.Waters even had something of a captive audience when the album was originally released, as there was no 'Skip' button on record players.Listeners were forced to wade through the discordance to find the melodies.

Those melodies have a tendency to show up much more frequently in the second disc, when we get songs like "Comfortably Numb", with its soaring guitar solos and vibrant chorus.The album becomes much more interesting in general after Pink's Wall has been built, if not because of the greater musicality shown in the song I just mentioned, as well as "Hey You", "Nobody Home", and "Run Like Hell", then in terms of story.

It is worthwhile to note here that "The Wall" is an extraordinarily depressing and pessimistic work.Even on songs that sound somewhat upbeat ("Comfortably Numb", "Mother"), the schizophrenia of the lyrics ensures that this is not the case.The "Pink Floyd" that is the main character of this rock opera suffers long and hard at the hands of - well, everyone in his life, especially himself.The paranoia, anger and insanity that makes up this album's core is strong and pronounced in every piece of the album, which accounts for another reason it is so difficult to listen to.

The last reason is the sheer cheesiness of some of the songs.There's pretentiousness bleeding out of the album's climax, "The Trial", which isn't helped by the fact that it has the pomposity of real (not rock) opera.Some of this music is some of the most pretentious this side of heavy metal, and you can practically hear "Spinal Tap" knocking.

What saves this is the story, the same story that I previously mentioned as being depressing and pessimistic.It is, but it's also well-thought out and very interesting, albeit unclear without additional information (such as liner notes, or the movie adaptation).

Overall, the "Wall" is a stunning work, but not quite the magnum opus "Dark Side of the Moon" was.It's still worth listening to for those with patience and an ability to see past musical shortcomings to the lyrics and meaning underneath.

Overrated
Seriously overrated. Nowhere near as good as other Floyd albums. The tracks mentioned most often include the played-to-death "Another Brick in the Wall 2" and the classic "Comfortably Numb".

"Another Brick..." isn't that great. I hate to break it to you...but it's a ridiculously overplayed tune that hurts this conceptual album when played alone.

"Comfortably Numb" is, however, one of Pink Floyd's greatest achievements. The guitar solo alone is absolutely amazing.

"The Wall" is not a bad album. However, like many Pink Floyd albums, it should be viewed as a single conceptual piece. When this is taken into consideration, the lackluster tracks (basically all of them besides "Comfortably Numb") make this album sketchy at best.

Check out "Wish You Were Here," "Animals," and "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" for some classic Floyd.

For all of Pink Floyds great works...
I feel that this is the most overrated. The Wall certainly has a lot of fans; many who like to think of the album as a work of art. It certainly wasn't helped by the animated movie "the Wall" which has had drug crazed teenagers obsessed spannning over the generations since the time of its release. I'll say this much first; to me, the Wall does not sound like Pink Floyd. Floyd reached their pinnacle with Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, and Wish you were Here. Animals was a great release, but it showed a slight deviation from the typical Floyd sound in favor of a heavier rock oriented album. Still, it was very solid, the Wall however, reminds me more of a Roger Waters' solo album. The band as a whole lacks the cohesiveness that was present during such masterpieces as Dark side of the Moon, and Waters is pushed to the forefront, limiting the talents of Gilmour, Mason and Wright to being little more than simply a backing band. Yes, I know that Gilmour contributes vocals and some song writing, but the bands overall chemistry is lacking.

As far as the songs go, there is far too much filler on this album. The Wall is a perfect example of Roger Waters' ego expanding and culminating in an overproduced, self indulgent "magnum opus". Outside of a few gems, the Wall is very ordinary, and the songs are bland. Comfortably Numb is a great song, and Run like Hell, Young Lust are definately standouts. But a couple of songs do not make an album, much less when its a double album, there is just too much fluff that is not only unnecesary but completely absurd. I'd prefer not to spend 30 bucks listening to Roger Waters rant and complain about the isolation faced being an nihilist rock star. Maybe I am not smart enough to comprehend the "art" behind this album. It certainly lacks the subtlety of DSOTM or WYWH, I'd give it 3.5 stars at best. ... Read more

Asin: B000006TRV
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Pinkerton
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 September, 1996)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $12.99
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Editorial Review

A hit single can be a bit of a mixed blessing for new bands, especially if said song gets you firmly lumped into the "novelty band" category. Such was the case with Weezer, whose runaway hit "Buddy Holly" touched a global nerve upon its release, then got on everyone's nerves after months of radio saturation. However, it did ensure that they sold millions of copies of their self-titled debut. Which is why it's so strange that their second album, Pinkerton, was ignored. Perhaps the cold shoulder was due to the willfully noncommercial first single, "El Scorcho," which crashed and burned. Whatever the reason, Pinkerton soon disappeared, which is a shame because it's a great album. Whereas Weezer reveled in the band's geek-rock image, Pinkerton saw Rivers Cuomo maturing as a lyricist. From the opening, "Tired of Sex," which rants about the frustrating easiness of groupies, to the new wave pop of "Getchoo" to the epic genius of "The Good Life," there's much more diversity here than the Pixies-influenced bouncy grunge of their debut. With the closing solo, the acoustic lament "Butterfly," Cuomo demonstrates a pop mastery that promises great things from this reformed geek. --Robert Burrow ... Read more

Reviews (462)

Pinkerton
This album is kind of a stretch from their masterpiece, the Blue Album, but that isn't to say this is not a great album.It's more of an emotional CD, unlike the Blue Album, which had an overall cheery type of feel to it.Pinkerton is, I must say, in the top of all time albums in my mind.It has raging guitar solos combined with the unique style of Rivers Cuomo's songwriting that together make an amazing album.I'd say the strongest tracks are The Good Life, Butterfly, Tired Of Sex, and Across the Sea.


When I first heard this album, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.It was a while before I got around to really listening to the lyrics, to really absorbing the emotional melodies that make Weezer such a one-of-a-kind band.

If you like mainstream rock, this is not for you.It's that weird, regular-person attitude that made Weezer great, not fitting in.

Overall: GREAT CD. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.

Amazed.
Weezer's best album? Maybe. This is a very very good album. If you are getting any album, GET THIS! 5 stars and it deserves every one.

Best CD ever
Weezer's "Pinkerton" album is probably one of their best. It's different from the first album because it is more realistic. You can tell Rivers(lead singer) really wrote his feelings into it. My personal favorite track is "El Scorcho." "Pink Triangle", "Why Bother?", "Falling for you", and "Butterfly" are also fantastic. The whole CD is good though. I totally and completely recommend that you go and buy it right now. Some people don't like it when they first listen to it, but give it time and it will soon become your favorite CD ever. ... Read more

Asin: B000000OVP
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Ok Computer
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 July, 1997)
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Editorial Review

Radiohead's third album got compared to Pink Floyd a lot when it came out, and its slow drama and conceptual sweep certainly put it in that category. OK Computer, though, is a complicated and difficult record: an album about the way machines dehumanize people that's almost entirely un-electronic; an album by a British "new wave of new wave" band that rejects speed and hooks in favor of languorous texture and morose details; a sad and humanist record whose central moment is Thom Yorke crooning "We hope that you choke." Sluggish, understated, and hard to get a grip on, OK Computer takes a few listens to appreciate, but its entirety means more than any one song. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (1661)

Life-changing
This album is sadly underrated by several reviewers.Some call it sluggish and some call it phony.The first complaint has an element of truth to it, the second has none at all.Radiohead are nothing if not absolutely sincere, and what's more they actually have meaning to spare behind their songs, as well as some welcome irony.

How else can you take a song called "The Tourist", written about the way people speed through life without ever stopping to take in the world around them, when it's played at nearly the slowest tempo possible?And how can you respond when that song rings true not only for the way we as a race behave today, but also for your own life?

The way I respond is by giving the album five stars.This is without a doubt one of my favorite albums.Every song is special in its own way, from the first brooding, then uncontrollable menace, anger and insanity of "Paranoid Android" to the breathtakingly creepy yet strangely beautiful "Climbing Up The Walls", on into a emotional climax that is slow and quiet but definitely earned in the final three songs.OK Computer simply feels complete, both musically and conceptually, and if you take the time to truly listen to it, it will become a major part of your life, just as it did for mine.

In Next World War.......
Theres 1659 reviews on this album,and Thom, I want u to know that I'm above the rest of them to be your no. 1 fan (even to the guy who claim that Radiohead is his religion ha..ha...nice try,bro)Yes, Yes Mozart is great, Beethoven is genius, Pink Floyd is bla-bla, Beatles is yada-yada, but every generations have their own hero. This is mine. Who wants to be the best on earth if u can aim to the whole universe.

Magic does not just happen in Hogwarth,mind you. it could come from Oxford too. Yes, this is magic.... cause I doubt that Radiohead can make something as beautiful as this anymore. But who cares. Who needs another Ok Computer? One is enough and stick to this album for the rest of your life.

I love every second of this album and yes, even Fitter Happier and yes The Tourist is the best song here and not just Paranoid Android!

If Neil Amstrong made an album right after his trip to the moon, it should sound like this.Glimmering!

And please dont compare Radiohead with Pink Floyd. I dont know why, just dont.....ok :-)

And if u dont like this, I respect that. We're all different people.

I'm an avid fan, yes, and I've done my duty to give it 5 stars tho i know it needs no support anymore. If u dont like this album, call me, I'll give you your money back. Seriously!

Flawless
This album is one of the best, if not the best album have ever bought. Packed full of emotion and originality it is definately an essential album of the 90's, and an essential album to brit pop. Highlights include: Paranoid Android, Exit Music, Let Down, Karma Police, Climbing up the walls and No Surprises. In my opinion it is the best Radiohead album in existence, and probably nothing they release in the future will live up to it. ... Read more

Asin: B000002UJQ
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Weezer
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (10 May, 1994)
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Editorial Review

There's a classic episode of The Little Rascals where one of the gang can't join everybody else on the ballfield because he has to stay home with his younger brother, who has the croup. "I can't come out and play," he whines. "I've got to stay home and grease Wheezer!" Nobody at Geffen Records knows whether this was the inspiration in naming Weezer, but it makes sense. Like many of their peers, the members of the Los Angeles quartet seem to have spent their formative years in front of the TV; when they were a little older, they were just as entranced by college rock. Finally, ala the Rascals, one of the gang said, "Hey, kids, let's put on a show!," and the result is Weezer's uplifting, unpretentious, and extremely endearing debut.

The self-titled Weezer is lean and mean at 10 short, punchy tunes, but nearly every one is powered by a larger-than-life chorus or a simple but effective lyric. "Undone-The Sweater Song" uses an unraveling sweater as a metaphor for a relationship on the rocks; "Buddy Holly" pays heartfelt tribute to the '50s rocker, and "In the Garage" paints a scene of suburban teens jamming while surrounded by posters of Kiss. Producer Ric Ocasek of Cars fame pushes the vocals and rhythm guitars, and this bare-bones approach may earn comparisons to fellow garage-pop band Green Day. But Weezer has more in common with the late, lamented Big Dipper, another group of slacker wiseguys that you just had to love. --Jim DeRogatis ... Read more

Reviews (444)

Great Album
People think Weezer's a bunch of emo kids trying to be rock, but thats not true. Just because the lead singer has glasses doesnt make him emo. I remember when I 1st heard this album from my friend Ashley. She was obessed with Weezer, I only liked a few songs but then again I really wasnt paying very much attetion to it. Then later on as I got older(now 15), I was making a radio station on yahoo, and when I played it Weezer was on. I listened to and loved it right away, then I went out and brought the CD when I was at the races. I loved every song on this album. This would have to be one of the best Weezer albums ever. "Buddy Holly", "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here", "Sweater Song", "Surf Wax City" are there best songs ever. You should check them out if you havent heard much of this band.

not a kid
I had a gift certificate to a record store, and with Beverly Hills on the radio now, i decided to score myself some weezer cds.

In the time of Dookie, this sounds so much more professional and comunicatative(is that even a word?) then that time. But the fact remains, Weezer don't comunicate and don't even like each other, but it doesn't show here.

My name is Jonas starts the album so innocently and well done.
Buddy Holly is probably the next great track, Undone, Say it aint so, in th e garage, and holiday are probably the best. But where green day passed weezer was when green day made albums where every song is good. Weezer never does that. But what do I know?

WWW!
This is so terrible! These guys make poor music...I they are just ne*ds!!!! And try to make rock music! No,,,no!!!! It's just like long haired and black leathered guy tried to make pop music! ... Read more

Asin: B000003TAW
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (06 November, 2001)
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Editorial Review

Echoes is a double-CD collection of some of Pink Floyd's bestsongs. It's also a fascinating document of the band's history. They began lifeas Syd Barrett'sphantasmagoric plaything before clasping the wings of Icarus and ascendingtoward the sun on an epic space-rock odyssey, eventually turning left once theyreached the dark side of the moon and burning up on reentry, crash-landing onevery earthlings' home hi-fi. And it's all here--30 years of the Floyd's awesomeback catalog trimmed down to two handsome CDs. It's worth remembering that,despite a fondness for pyrotechnics, Pink Floyd were never a prog-rock band.Sure, some of their songs are a bit long, and they never released singles (atleast not for 11 years), but the same could be said for Led Zeppelin. Clinicallydevoid of the faux-classical overtures and vainglorious musicianship of thatera, Pink Floyd were a pole apart; Meddle's epic maritime tone poem"Echoes" remains the Floyd's apogee. But here, on this collection, "thealbatross" which "hangs motionless upon the air" has had its wings clipped--seven full minutes are missing, but you'd never be able to tell. The sonarbleeps, the screeching seagulls, the howling winds are all retained, and whoeverwielded the editorial axe, Eugene, did so carefully.

Interestingly, the album's nonchronological track listing works--thesummery, childhood enchantment of "See Emily Play" is right next to the schooldiscipline of "Happiest Days of Our Lives"--and at least this way no one willswitch off when material from A Momentary Lapse of Reason comes around.Despite the curious omission of "Atom Heart Mother," this really is the verybest of the Floyd--from the throbbing "One of These Days" to the pop operatic"Great Gig in the Sky" to the genius silvery fluidity of Dave Gilmour's guitarwork. This is timeless, as many members of Sigur Rós, Radiohead, and the Beta Band will attest. --Kevin Maidment ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (368)

pink floyd
This echoes, double cd is worth the money, but if you already own almost all pink floyd CD's then don't bother with this.


The only down fall with this is that there's 2 good songs they didn't put on either of those CD's which is DOGS OF WAR and ONE SLIP. But other than that I have nothing to complain bout it.

A Great Anthology for a Band That Can't Be Anthologized
"Echoes" is a 2-CD Pink Floyd set that leans heavily on their mid 1970s glory period. Most of the Pink Floyd songs still heard in classic rock rotation can be found here, and this set is a good choice for newer fans who want to learn a little more about the band. This is *not* the Compleat Pink Floyd, nor does it claim to be. It's simply a collection of some of their best known tracks, just as "Remasters" was a collection of some of Led Zeppelin's best material. Instead, we are treated to some of Floyd's moodiest pieces, along with some of Dave Gilmour's unforgetable solos. At their best, Pink Floyd excelled at melding British songwriting craft to both heavy psychedelic rock and mellower blues/jazz.

Some of the longer songs on "Echoes" are re-edited, which will annoy some purists and delight collectors who simply must have all the alternative mixes. Special care was taken in sequencing the songs on the CDs; songs from different albums appear right after one another, giving the songs a novelty and freshness they haven't had for a while. The sequencing also disguises the fact that early Floyd was recorded on primitive 4-track, late Floyd was recorded on multi-track, and mid-period Floyd was recorded by Alan Parsons on 16-track equipment.

You won't find obscure material from Floyd's late 1960s soundtracks, or several late 1960s songs such as "Saucerful of Secrets" or "Careful with that Axe Eugene". Also missing are some 1980s hits like "On the Turning Away" and "One Slip." Oddly enough, the very well-known "Breathe" and "Brain Damage/Eclipse" from the "Dark Side of the Moon" album are missing.

If you're looking for a Floyd Anthology, this is really your only choice. Diehard Floydians will want to pass this one over in favor of buying the entire Floyd catalogue, but more casual fans might only want this and perhaps one or two of Floyd's 1970s albums. The choice is yours, as all of Floyd's key albums are still in print and readily available.

a great compilation from a superb band
echoes is a fantastic compilation from this legendary rock band.it contains all their big hits like another brick in the wall,comfortably numb,time,money and more.an absolute must in every rock fans collection.get this along with forty licks from the rolling stones .but please avoid the compilation from the awful teen pop boy band the backstreet boys ... Read more

Asin: B00005QDW5
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. British Psychedelia    3. Hard Rock    4. Pop    5. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    6. Psychedelic    7. Rock   

Animals
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 April, 2000)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

Although not in the same vein as the deliciously hallucinogenic earlier Floyd works such as Ummagumma and Dark Side of the Moon, Animals is innovative and musically diverse in its own right. Inspired in part by George Orwell's political fable Animal Farm, Roger Waters condemns the avarice and inequalities of capitalism, metaphorically and musically grouping humans as pigs, dogs, and sheep. The pigs are self-righteous hypocrites inflicting their beliefs on everyone else, the dogs greedy money-grabbers, and the sheep witless followers. Dark, cynical, and brilliantly composed, Animals is an ingenious and under-acknowledged album. --Naomi Gesinger ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (417)

Please don't make me slap you...
O.K., now some people may just skip over this review because they have seen my awesome review on Wish You Were Here, but just listen...

Thanks for listening... the reason that you should keep reading is that I liked bad music (refer to Wish You Were Here review for defenition) before. I, in fact was actually a major Backstreet Boys fan! Boy, how times have changed... anyways, what made me switch to good music was when I realized that NO ONE COOL LIKES THE BACKSTREET BOYS! So, I decided to experiment with what some people like to call "good music" and gradually, my interests increased and... leaving behind the Backstreet Boys I turned to R.E.M., Jethro Tull, The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Van Hale, The Rolling Stones, and of course... Pink Floyd (as well as many other awesome bands).

Since then, I have found a quite deeper interest ing Rock music and I now listen to several cds a day. I use it in the morning, day, afternoon, evening, while I'm working out, even to lull me to sleep, and others... Music has really been helpful to me...

So, when I first heard Pink Floyd's most famed album, Dark Side Of The Moon, my first reaction was "O.K., pretty good album", but then as I gradually picked up a few more Pink FLoyd albums such as Meddle and The Wall, and started listening to Dark Side some more, I really started to appreciate Roger Waters' awesome lyrics, and David Gilmour's screaming guitar and the melodic portion of the albums I really enjoyed Pink Floyd albums. A few weeks back, I had my birthday and got a Best Buy Gift certificate. After buying Robert Plant's (of Led Zeppelin) newest album, I used the remainder of the money to buy myself Animals, which was an album which I had absolutely no experience with any songs except for a brief listening of Sheep on Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd.

All I can say about the album is "WOW!" For an album totally frowning upon humanity, Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour really have compiled quite a jem. From short, thoughful lyrics in Pigs on the Wing to awesome guitar solos in Dogs, and yet more guitar in Pigs (three different ones), to some more awesome lyrics and guitar in sheep and back to pigs on the wing, this album does and should go down in history as a great rock album, and if you don't like it, you, my friend have something wrong going on in your head. Wheter it's that you are too busy with your Eminem and Dream Theater, or maybe you just love watching old reruns of The MEdicine Woman on TV, whatever the case may be you guys who have frowned upon this album really are missing something that could be a really large part of your life (as it is mine). Something that a great band worked so hard to accomplish and you are just shrugging it off.

So I encourage all of you, men, women, children, who love crappy music and good music alike, to buy this album, and give it a good listen, and if you don't like it, listen to it again, and again, try singing along. Take out the lyrics booklet, read up on Pink Floyd on line. And maybe when you finally learn to appreciate this album, you will go out and buy The Wall, and Wish You Were Here, as wel as some albums buy other bands like Led Zeppelin and get Led Zeppelin I, II, II, IV (Zoso), Houses of The Holy, etc.

And if... after all of this you still do not like any of these fantastic albums/groups, and still prefer your Beyoncé, then you honestly need to see a psychiatrist or get some mental help or maybe just live your life as one who does not appreciate the beauty in life and sit around and watch those medicine woman reruns... see if I care.. all I know is that I have made an effor to increase the joy in all of your lives, and that makes me feel like I deserve to listen to the awesome music written by one band, an awesome band... know only as Pink Floyd...

Great Album
Animals, along with Wish You Were Here, is my favorite Pink Floyd album, and one of my favorites of all time.The thought-provoking lyrics, blazing guitar solos, and emotion in this album make me play it over and over again.

The album begins with the love song Pigs on the Wing 1.It's short, but starts the album off well with a sense of hope. 3/5

The next song, Dogs, brings you right into the action, with a powerful crescendo of energy until it breaks out into guitar solo after amazing guitar solo.To me, it describes ruthless business CEOs and owners, and the consequences when they're "dragged down by the stone."5/5

Pigs (Three Different Ones) comes next.I love the funky feel of the piano in this song.It follows the 17 minute epic of dogs well, describing three different types of greedy people.5/5

Sheep begins with the soft sounds of a synthesizer.But it soon builds up to have as much energy as dogs, only in a shorter amount of time.It describes the people who follow the "dogs" and "pigs," without questioning authority or aware of what's going on: "Harmlessly passing your time in the grassland away,
only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air."Possibly my favorite on this album, but it's so hard to choose with the other equally great songs.5/5

The album closes with Pigs on the Wing 2, which has the exact same guitar part, but different lyrics.It ends the album nicely, and gives you a hope to avoid the dogs and pigs by loving others.3/5

Overall, the album reveives a 5/5.I couldn't really give Pigs on the Wing a 5/5 simply because of its length and lack of instruments, but that's not a bad thing.If it had any more instruments or was longer, the song(s) wouldn't work for the album.It's perfect.I HIGHLY advise this album to any Pink Floyd album with some patience.

The Floydian Manifesto
Animals still remains the bleakest, strangest, and most misunderstood entry in the discography of the one and only premier experimental space rock band Pink Floyd.This album is much different than its lush, sparkling, and ethereal predecessors, such as its popular masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon or its impressionistic song cycle concerning founder and frontman Syd Barrett and the music industry.It was also unlike the epic, theatrical, (and yet accessible) rock passion play The Wall.

Still, though, Animals is an unfairly overlooked and underrated masterpiece in the band's canon, and it ends up being the most revolutionary and cynical of their works, a dark, difficult concept album in the vein of George Orwell's Animal Farm in which bassist/lead vocalist Roger Waters (who had by this time begun to take increasing control of everything in the band) divides the human race into three classes of animals:dogs, who are taken to represent what Waters sees as the worst instinct in capitalism:a pursuance of self-interest at the exclusion and cost of everyone else, scrambling for their own piece of "meat" but that Waters also bitterly identifies himself with (the middle class, Bourgeois); pigs, who are the people whom Waters scorchingly criticizes the most, the ruling superiors of society (the rich, Aristocrats); and the sheep, who are the majority of the masses and often dumbly or meekly follow the orders of those above them (the working class, Proletariat).

Animals is the Floyd's most sparsely recorded work, rarely if ever focusing Richard Wright's trademark organ, and instead channeling the aggressive, dejected, and ultimately despairing tone of Waters' bitingly incisive lyrics and cutting observationsinto the equally ominous and poignant fabric of David Gilmour's guitar solos.Whether it's the haunting, ghostly chords that open "Dogs", the longest, most memorable and heavy song on the album, the soaring, complex rhythms that close the especially gloomy and brooding "Pigs", or the overpowering, rousing, and sinister spiraling that permeates the entire structure of the bizarre, eerie, and dramatic "Sheep", my personal favorite on the album, that culminates in an explosive and cathartic Gilmour guitar frenzy that is meant to embody a violent coup d'etat.

There is much much more going on in this oddball album of Pink Floyd, and it is encouraged that everyone should give it a spin if they have never heard it, and give it another spin if they have. ... Read more

Asin: B000024D4R
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Ben Folds Five
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 July, 1995)
list price: $15.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

Like the best guitar heroes, Ben Folds, pianist and leader of a guitarless trio called the Ben Folds Five, commands and fuels his small, tightly wound ensemble with an authoritative, nearly virtuosic style. Folds, based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, borrows from everywhere but lends new inspiration and insight to the instrument's possibilities--he's the Jimi Hendrix of the baby grand. His frenetic keypounding eclipses old-time styles from honky-tonk to Jerry Lee Lewis rag, and he outplinks megastars such as Elton John and Billy Joel while sifting them both through the mondo hammerings of classic pop-loving alternative keyboard bashers like Todd Rundgren and Squeeze's Jools Holland.To complement Folds-the-pianist's clean and bright ivory tinkerings, Folds-the-singer's clear and dynamic tenor swirls through Folds-the-songwriter's very capably crafted, sugary pop gems. "Philosophy" starts with a rolling Joel-like intro, slips into a Rundgrenish verse and chorus--complete with the perfect Beatlesque harmonies of bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee--and then breaks out in an overdriven piano quote from Gershwin in the climactic solo. "Underground" Sgt. Peppers us with faux theatrics and then plunges into a soul-gospel groove about the joys of the alternative rock scene. "Uncle Walter" is a character sketch Ray Davies wishes he wrote but couldn't; "Boxing" is an imagined confab between Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell that Tom Waits wishes he wrote but wouldn't. The rest of Ben Folds Five's debut achievement just does what any other timeless summer record should: it makes you feel sunny enough inside to last all through the year. --Roni Sarig ... Read more

Reviews (108)

The voice of a generation
I haven't really come across many artists or a paticular style that could define the current teens through early twenties generation, but Ben Folds can. He takes his listeners through the problems and challenges of growing up in a fun and creative way. Break up's, drunken mistakes, getting stuck with the uncle who tells BS stories, all can be found here. Lyrically there's always something for you. He keeps the album fun.

By the way, don't forget that this guy is absolutely ridiculous on the piano. I discovered Ben about 2 years ago, and he still never ceases to amaze me on how well he plays. He can play at insane speeds with catchy tunes. It's a completely different sound from the guitar dominated pop/rock scene. It's a cool sound.

This is the first album from Ben Folds Five, and while thier hit cd is "Whatever and Ever Amen" this cd i believe is equally as good. This is also the most raw album from BBF , and that's why it is my current favorite. I think now that Ben Folds is a solo artist he lost some of the lightheartedness that he has in this album. "Rocking the Suburbs" is also a great album that has a beautiful sound ,but it's a heavier sound.

Some highlights: Jackson Cannery (a great opener)
Philosophy
Julianne (funny and prolly the best song)
Best imitation of myself
Uncle Walter
Boxing ( a commentary between Mohammed Ali and Howard Cosell, which brings the cd to a proper ending)

Ben Folds is the perfect combination of lyrical, brillance and writing talent, combined with a great musical ability. He's one of the current best.

20-Somethinghood
Ben Folds Five's first self-titled album is a homage to what seems to be a new stage in life: 20-Somethinghood, the period between adolescence and "real life."Many albums have covered adolescence, dating, cliques, fashions, finding yourself amid changes.But Ben Folds attacks the period after when all these questions are supposed to be dealt with, but in today's world a lot still go unanswered.

You think you have a secure identity, but you find the people around you changing until you second guess yourself.It's a time when you have your closest friends, but they always seem to slip in and out of your life as everyone tries to make their path.Everyone keeps moving, including yourself.You chase "the" relationship.You pass from crappy job to crappy job.You try to finally conquer the demons of High School. You try to regain your lost childhood.

Many of Ben Folds's lyrics read like letters, especially the brilliant "Alice Childress" and "Where's Summer B?" songs so intimate you think you've opened someone's mail.Ben sprinkles his songs with delicious humor as on "Juliane," a celebration of a mistake of a one-night stand, and "Uncle Walter," a song about a tongue scolding Ben receives from an absent girlfriend's drunken uncle.Ben assaults the trends of the mid-90's, the Grunge Era in "Underground" and Yuppie Psuedo-sophisticates in "Sports and Wine." Ben has a wonderful flair for making the little things people take seriously seem absolutely ridiculous and the tiny minutiae seem incredibly profound and intimate.All this culminates in "Best Imitation of Myself," where he simultaneously proves and debunks his own genius.

All this set to vitruoso piano refreshingly devoid of pretension with Robert Sledge serving as both Bass and Guitar with the same instrument to amazing effect.Darren Jesse completes the groove (Whither the other two?) of a trio that, in the day, was one of the 90's most captivating, rocking live acts.Folds caresses, attacks, seduces and kerplunks his 88 mistresses into Sonata, Honky-Tonk, Pinball Wizard, Sunday School Sing-A-Long, Wrecking Ball, Lounge Lizard and Kiddy Toy Piano often all within the same song.

"Ben Folds Five" is nearly to post-Adolescence what "Quadrophenia" was to adolescence.It captures the Mid-90's 20-Something experience without getting mired in its clichés, like a bad episode of "Friends."Its sardonic time capsule should stand the test of time.Even when the particulars of Grunge and Sports Bars are as dead as Zoot Suits and Leapers, you can still feel the timeless emotions of the period through them.There will always be the stupid trends you follow for no reason.The Cool Guys you can't ever believe you thought were cool.The endless routines and rituals you go through waiting for that one minute of connectedness that will show you your real path.

Lovin It
If you haven't heard this album you don't know Ben Folds as a musician, simply because you can't start in the middle.I knew of this album when it was first released, can we say hooked.I am writing this because i just read some over-pretentious reveiw by some guy who thinks he knows this album.EVERY SINGLE SONG is excellent, one of the only albums i can put in my car and not take it out for a week.It covers the gambit of feeling, good times, somber times, bad times(though not a lot), and just plain fun. Whatever you do HEAR this album. Don't just listen, HEAR IT!!!! There is a difference and if you don't know the difference you don't deserve this album.Or maybe you should buy this album and learn what hearing music really is. To close, in my personal opinion Ben Folds is one of the best artists i have ever heard(not open for discussion).Buy as much of his music as you possibly can.Buy it all. ... Read more

Asin: B000000IDJ
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

40 Oz to Freedom
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 July, 1996)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $12.99
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Editorial Review

Ska music has been deeply ingrained in the punk rock culture since the Clash adopted their rude boy stance near the end of the British punk invasion and the 2-Tone label put ska on the map. Suddenly, punks stopped kicking the crap out of each other long enough to dance. The debut release by Orange County, California's Sublime is a positively infectious record that marries varied styles of dub, reggae, rap, sampling, scratching, and badass dancehall ska with old-school punk overtones. Musicianship on this record is exceptionally tight, featuring Brad Nowell's innovative guitar work and bright, soulful voice.Packed with 40 oz. of rock (21 tracks) including the ultimate pot-smoking anthem "Smoke Two Joints" and the novelty hit "Date Rape." --Gail Worley ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (263)

A Must Have
Sublime is one of the few bands that is (was) able to break down the barriers between genres and reach people that less diverse artists will never be able to. If this CD is not in your collection, you are missing out!

an original piece
sublime's debut. all good songs, the only problems isthat a lot of the drums and guitar sound the same. but it's still worth buying.

Appealing Album for most people
This is a good, upbeat album that defines a good genre. This in my opinion, is the band's best album, although the Self-Titled was also very good.

There are great melodies on this CD. Although these melodies are relatively simple and not complex, they are very enjoyable to the ear. Sublime has a really positive feel to it, and this album will leave you satisfied.

There are only a few songs on the album which resemble "Punk-Rock", as the majority are ska-like reggae music. It's easily recognizable that Brad Nowell was a good vocalist with talent. It's pretty easy to play these songs if you can play the guitar, but its not the complexity that makes the CD genius, it's the fact that the band was actually able to come up with the melodies that sound really good.

There's also humour in a lot of the lyrics which adds a good element to the music. It's always funny to hear Brad talking about stuff like encounters with the police, and getting high/drunk. The album flows really well, and you probably won't be dissapointed by any song. The album is appealing overall.
That's what made it a hit and in my opinion, a classic.
... Read more

Asin: B000002P22
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Burn to Shine
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (21 September, 1999)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

Harper's soulful musical mix continues to defy genre categorization and his growth as an artist continues to amaze. Burn to Shine is his most ambitious work to date, tapping a multitude of styles and moods and revolving as usual around his incredibly expressive vocals and searing guitar work. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (123)

Rockin
I had heard "Steal Your Kisses" on the radio and fiogured I'd see what the whole album sounded like.I am not disappointed.What a great artist.You can really feel the emotion in his music.

Magnificent Masterpiece For All
Working on a college radio broadcasting team - we continually obsessed with playing the song "Always Have To Steal My Kisses" on a regular basis - as it's upbeat gutair sequence and drum kicks mix perfectly for a sort of southern type sound, with pop written all over it, always put us in a good mood.
Thinking it not be the style of my more hard-rocking mates I was suprised to look into their CD case and see a giant collection of Harper CD's. This intreged me to buy "Burn To Shine"

As soon as I flipped it into the CD player I was already impressed with the army-like drumming to introduce the first song "Alone" a song that I immediately fell in love with. The song sounding a bit more sinister and darker than the rest of the album, a good kick start.
Following this album was the almost Hendrix-type-soul, "The Woman In You" this song is tremendously laced with Harpers voice and strong lyrics.
Just a few tracks away stands the best track of the album "Two Hands of A Prayer" 7 minutes and 50 seconds of pure brilliance of a song - this is what a song is all about.
Other strong points along the album are "Suzie Blue" which inspires from a jazz-blues type area, and the awesome track "Forgiven" which is probably the easiest song on the ears as far as the lyrics are decent - and the rock of the song will keep you listening.
Track 11 and 12 is a strong way to finish too - "Beloved One" is a piano, and violin backed song that I listened to probably eight times continually when I first really got into it - and continually do now - on a regular basis.
And "In The Lords Arms" is Harper all over, easy voice and decent lyrics.
Apart from some - B Grade songs such as "Less" and perhaps "Please Bleed" (although I wont skip the track) the album is top notch all the way, Ben Harper as a music writer - covering almost every style possible (and making each style seem like it's his front style) and The Innocent Criminals have put together another masterpiece - this probably being his best in my opinion.

Get A Hold of it. Don't miss out......

Burned and Shines!
It gets tiring hearing the same bands who play the same songs over and over again 12 times and call it an album. This Album is the exact oposite. It provides proof that you can always distill the essence of Rock and Roll down to a solitary man alone with his guitar and concience. It is inventive, yet firmly rooted in the blues-rock singer/songwriter/guitarist tradition.

Ben's music taps into the soudns and souls of musicians that have lived before him and explodes histories of oppression, love and courage. Harper's music enables me to listen to something ... Read more

Asin: B00001IVI6
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Jam Bands    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Singer/Songwriter   

The Last Of The Mohicans: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (13 November, 2001)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $14.99
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Editorial Review

This is a production rife with odd pairings: English actor Daniel Day-Lewis joining up with the Mohawks; James Fenimore Cooper adapted by Michael Mann; disparate composers Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman teaming up. This last pairing seems a suspicious attempt to endow the score of this modern film adaptation of a junior high school literary evergreen with both a golden age of Hollywood dramatic bent (Jones) and a '90s-slick guitar-muzak veneer (Edelman). A strange amalgam that doesn't quite work. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (131)

Jones scores a winner
I saw the movie as part of a date with a fellow musician.We were late to the cineplex and missed the original movie we'd wanted to see, so we saw the Last of the Mohicans instead.It was a great movie (and an okay date), but it was the score the moved me most of all.

I was entranced through the whole thing. Loved Jones' parts of the score with the theme that ran through all the movements.I bought this on cassette, and in that medium all his parts were conveniently on one side.

I have an extensive music collection with both cassettes and CDs with very few items doubling between the two.This is one of the few that I have in multiple formats because I enjoyed it that much.

One of my favorite movements of all orchestral music of all time is "Top of the World."The music advisor I had at the time, a very prolific composer, had a snobbish attitude toward film scoring.I brought "Top of the World" for him to hear, and he actually admitted liking that one when he generally doesn't like film music.

My only complaint if I have one at all is that the Clannad song "I Will Find You" is too short on the soundtrack.I distinctly remember it being much longer in the film itself.That is the version I would rather hear than something that is over much too soon.

Original, unique and evocative
I enjoyed the Last of the Mohicans when I first saw the movie in Theatre.It is a powerful production; full of love, tragedy, and suspense.

A couple of years later, a friend loaned me the tape soundtrack.It was then that I realized the power of the film is entirely carried by the music.Each selection will evoke the emotion of that scene.A good soundtrack always recalls the movie and inspires the emotion.It is an understatement that Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman created a 'good' arrangement of music.

The unique factor for this soundtrack is that it stands on its own as a great collection of art.The arrangement of the sound tells a powerful story that can remain seperate from the film and maintain its' appeal.Everybody knows the soundtrack or at least has some familiarity with at least one selection from the CD.

I recommend this CD as a great improvement from the old audio tape, as an outstanding soundtrack and as a timeless collection of relaxing and passionate music.

This music has a majesty all its own.
The soaring strains of this soundtrack have been lodged in my heart since I first listened to it when I viewed 'Last of the Mohicans' on its first run twenty-plus years ago.I think it's a work of great inspiration; heroic, majestic, lyrical and full of the pathos that is at the essence of the film. Whoever chose this composer knew what he was doing.The movie is lifted up, magnified and a perfect match for its subject: the great drama of savagery, honor and self-sacrificeon America's wild 18th century frontier. It is music that is full of beauty and bold purpose, as much great art as any symphony.I would (and have) watched the film simply to listen to the soundtrack.I cannot recommend it more highly. ... Read more

Asin: B0000042MY
Subjects:  1. Film Music    2. Original Score    3. Pop    4. Soundtracks & Film Scores