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Vuelve Average Customer Review:  Audio CD (12 February, 1998) list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review The most successful of ex-Menudo members, Ricky Martin delivered a worldwide hit with the club favorite "Maria" (you know, the "un, dos, tres, Maria!" song), and here he follows up with more urgent, catchy pop tunes with emphasis again on danceable rhythms. Solid-impact tunes include the terrific and upbeat "Marcia Baila" and the percussion- and horn-driven opener "Por Arriba, por Abajo," complete with African chants. Occasional soft tunes like the samba-flavored "La Bomba" and the melancholy "Casi un Bolero" only serve as time-outs from the dance fever evoked on tunes like the finger-snapping "Lola, Lola" and the rhythmic title track. Weak is "No Importa la Distancia," a bland cover of Michael Bolton's "Hercules." --Ramiro Burr ... Read more Reviews (157)
Asin: B0000062LG |
$10.99 |
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Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway Average Customer Review:  Audio CD (10 October, 2000) list price: $24.98 -- our price: $22.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Cabaret singer turned crooner Michael Feinstein continues to pay tribute to the American popular standard in his two-disc set Romance on Film, Romance on Broadway. The first disc features Feinstein in front of a live audience singing mostly well-worn ballads from classic films (exception: you may not immediately associate Michel LeGrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman's "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" with the 1982 Burt Reynolds-Goldie Hawn vehicle Best Friends). The second disc is a studio recording filled with ballads and the occasional swinger ("Taking a Chance on Love") from Broadway shows. Accompanied by different combinations of horns and rhythm, Feinstein often stretches a song out to six or seven minutes, thus allowing for relaxed tempos, granting solo opportunities to his first-rate instrumentalists (including pianists Alan Broadbent and Marian McPartland), and indulging his fondness for what he calls the "sighing moment"--when he puzzles the audience with an unknown verse to a song, and then gives them the familiar, satisfying, well-loved chorus. Feinstein might rely a bit too much on his falsetto and there isn't the same sense of wit and adventure of his cabaret years, but this is a classy, enjoyable album for late-night listening. --David Horiuchi ... Read more Reviews (35)
This 2-CD-set delivers double the romance as only Feinstein can...Disc one of new recordings features Michael's heartfelt interpretation of a handpicked collection of romantic tunes from never to be forgotten films - "AS TIME GOES BY" (Herman Hupfeld), "THE MORE I SEE YOU" (Harry Warren/Mack Gordon), "ISN'T IT ROMANTIC" (Rodgers & Hart), "LONG AGO & FAR AWAY" (Jerome Kern/Ira Gershwin)...and two of my all-time favorites "WHEN I FALL IN LOVE" (Victor Young/Edward Heyman) and "MY FOOLISH HEART" (Victor Young/Ned Washington) don't write them like this anymore. Let's take a look a Disc two with the best on Broadway "ALWAYS" (Irving Berlin), "THEY SAY IT'S WONDERFUL" (Irving Berlin), "I'VE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE" (Frank Loesser), "THE SONG IS YOU" (Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II), "TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE" (Vernon Duke/Ted Fetter/John LaTouche), "EV'RY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE" (Cole Porter) there are others, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Twenty-two songs in all from the charismatic exraordinarily talented and unabashedly romantic style - Michael Feinstein. So if you're in a romantic mood, and have the right partner, give this special package of romance a try...what have you got to lose, you may have everything to gain! Total Time: Disc One: 58:26 on 10 & Disc Two: 55:09 on 12...Concord Jazz CCD2-4901...(2000)
Asin: B00004Z42R |
$22.99 |
Save Your Money
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Always Got Tonight Average Customer Review:  Audio CD (12 February, 2002) list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review As the star of his own Showtime TV show, Chris Isaak plays a sly raconteur with perfect comic timing, but on his eighth album, he shows that he is still intent on continuing in the role of melancholy balladeer. With his movie-star good looks, affable personality, and string of celebrity girlfriends, it's increasingly hard to see him in as the perpetual loser in love, despite the convincing likes of "Cool Love" (Love is a flame / I just got burned again") or the mournful "Nothing to Say" ("Nothing to say now / Nothing to do / I feel my heart breaking and it's all because of you"). The real mystery is why his doctor hasn't given him a prescription for Paxil. Isaak momentarily breaks out of his funk with the adventurous and witty "Notice the Ring," which pays cheeky homage to the Contours' "First I Look at the Purse," and the beat-heavy, Beck-like "Always Got Tonight." But Isaak largely seems content to live in the past, strumming the same vintage guitar licks and singing the same sad, sad songs. --Jaan Uhelszki ... Read more Reviews (68)
While this CD isn't great if you're familiar with the entire Chris Isaak collection, you may really like this CD if you've only listened to his more recent CDs. There are a couple of very good songs, notably Always Got Tonight and Notice the Ring.
One of its biggest appeals is that it's not highly commercial, and doesn't try to be. Chris is his music without pretense or sell-out. It isn't cool to like Chris Isaak (neither is it uncool), but Chris Isaak is cool nonetheless. I think I share similar opinions with other fans in that since he is not overly commercial, his music is even more appreciated because it is personal. He is a talent too good for what the public normally wants or expects. The fans know what he and his music are all about. He's a down-to-earth, back-to-basics musician, a great performer, with great songs, and feels like a friend. He easily ranks as one of my favorite artists who's music I never get tired of listening to. ... Read more Asin: B00005V8ST |
$13.98 |
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Josh Groban Average Customer Review: Audio CD (20 November, 2001) list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.49 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review There are worse things in life than making your acting debut on the much ballyhooed season finale of Ally McBeal, though teen operatic baritone Josh Groban doesn't seem destined to encounter them anytime soon. As the awkward high school student-client who asks the typically romance-jinxed Ally to his senior prom, Groban performed this debut album's "You're Still You" (adapted from film-composing legend Ennio Morricone's Academy Award-nominated score for Malèna, with lyrics by Linda Thompson) as a heart-tugging, literal showstopper. The young phenom was just 17 when veteran producer-writer David Foster tapped him to fill in for Andrea Bocelli at rehearsals for the 1999 Grammys, where Groban found himself suddenly dueting with Celine Dion. Indeed, such were his fortunes that the young Foster protégé was forced to drop out of Carnegie Mellon when professional commitments--including this record--interfered. And if this collection tends to hew sometimes uncomfortably close to Foster's own MOR sonic instincts, the material offers enough challenges to display Groban's talent and the potential of his warm, mature voice: a lyrical take on another Morricone classic, "Cinema Paradiso"; melancholy readings of Don McLean's "Starry, Starry Night" and Albert Hammond's "Alejate"; masterfully dramatic takes of the Neapolitan "Alla Luca Del Sole" and "Canto Alla Vita," the latter featuring the Corrs. Many of Groban's performances here, including a neo prog-rock-opera take on Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (with Lili Haydn), seem both bigger and bolder than their precious musical frameworks, a telling hint that Grand Opera can't be far from his grasp. As said earlier, there are worse things in life. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more Reviews (946)
The songs on "Josh Groban" include classical (Bach's "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring,") Italian ("Canto Alla Vita" with the Corrs, "Alla Luce Del Sole," "Un Amore Per Sempre,"), and pop ("Starry Starry Night," "Let Me Fall" from Cirque du Soleil's show "Quidam," "The Prayer" with Charlotte Church). The orchestrations and production by David Foster are equally amazing. There is a beautiful violin solo on "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," a bell-like effect underscoring the lyrics to "Alla luce del sole," edgy drumbeats on "Canto alla vita," where Italian lyrics meet tinwhistle and backing vocals by the Corrs, and a beautifully simplistic acoustic guitar on "Let Me Fall" that emphasises the wistfulness of the song. My favourite song has to be "Canto alla vita" with its tension and sweeping chorus. "Josh Groban" has something for everyone. Josh's talent is amazing at the tender age of 20; on "Josh Groban" we are introduced to a rising young star that will definitely be heard from (and seen) in both the classical and the pop world.
I first heard him during the closing of the 2002 Olympics but couldn't appreciate him until I purchased his CD. I heard he substituted for Andrea Bocelli, during a rehearsal with Celine Dion and she couldn't believe how incredible his voice is, too! Josh is fluent in Spanish and Italian. His voice range is wonderful, filled with emotion. The variety of songs are terrific. Makes being stuck in traffic almost enjoyable -listening to him. Hard to believe he's only 19 and can't wait to hear him as he further develops. What a breathe of fresh air! If you like him, try Lara Fabian's album. She has a crystal clear voice with amazing range. She's Canadian and an incredible blend of Celine Dion and Barbara Streisand. Happy Listening!
The problem is, the music is just plain cheesy pop. Like others have said, you'd have to be a soccor-mom soap-opera watcher to be able to swallow the tripe. Now, let's say this man were making music along a creative vein such as Radiohead, then it would be truly phenomenal. I'm still of the group that believe in reality in music. I don't want to hear some nobody's pop or lackluster classical over this man's voice. I want to hear this man's internal perspective. I want him to write the songs and I want to hear something different than the cheesyness. There's a reason bands like the Beatles stand out. Integrity. He has yet to prove it, it honestly appears as if he's just another marketing tool to be abused by a greedy music company. Man, if only this guy would get out and do his own stuff. Until then, I simply cannot respect him. ... Read more Asin: B00005RGNI |
$13.49 |
Good voice, terrible music.
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Michael Jackson - Vol. 1-Greatest Hits History Average Customer Review: Audio CD (13 November, 2001) list price: $18.98 -- our price: $14.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (60)
The only problem with this album is that it has been released before on HIStory the double album. Sure maybe it might be better suited to those not willing to fork out extra money for a double CD. It will not sell nearly as much as it deserves to. I think that he should have waited until after he has released all the singles he wants to release from Invuncible before making this and add songs from HIStory disc 2, Blood On The Dance Floor and Invincible. I have heard that at the end of this year he will release a proper album with his greatest hits and a few unreleased tracks. Although I gave this album 5 stars (It has brilliant tracks on it.) I think that you should rather wait until he releases his real Greatest Hits album. If you are an extreme MJ fan buy both.
Like I did when I was a kid, I still like listening to Michael Jackson's music. For many years, I waited for him to release an album full of his greatest hits. I've seen and looked over his History album several times, but I was never convinced enough to buy it since it was a double cd, and because I only wanted the songs that were on the first cd. Well, all I can say is it's about time. I'm super glad that MJ decided to release this album, which is the first cd (alone) from his Greatest Hits History album. It has almost all the MJ songs that I like the best, including "Thriller," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Billie Jean," and others. There are songs included from years that span the decades of the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Even though he's been involved in many controversies, and even though that's all that some people might think of when they hear the name Michael Jackson, there is no denying that he has made some GREAT, unforgettable music! If you want a compilation of Michael Jackson's best music, but you don't want to get the entire 2-cd collection, Vol. 1 - Greatest Hits History would be a spectacular buy. For true Michael Jackson fans, a 28-page color booklet is included with the cd. It has photos, credits, various people saying what they think about Michael Jackson, it mentions each of the hundreds of awards that MJ has won, and more.
Asin: B000058T7B |
$14.99 |
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Barry White - All-Time Greatest Hits Average Customer Review: Audio CD (07 June, 1994) list price: $13.98 -- our price: $12.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review For those music buyers who have enjoyed Barry White's music since the early 1970s but may not be devoted enough for the three-CD box set Just for You, this 20-track compilation brings together all of White's major chart hits between 1973 and 1979, along with a couple of entries from his Love Unlimited Orchestra. White's distinctive vocal style--a deep, resonant baritone-bass that oozes sex appeal--was the icing on the cake for those hits; superlative string arrangements (courtesy of the late Gene Page) encased White in a lush setting, while White's hand-picked rhythm section (which included many of Los Angeles's top session players) created a groove that was hard to beat.The combination was lethal: hits like "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up," "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," and "You're My First, My Last, My Everything" made White a chart staple and an early king of disco; his skill as a vocal interpreter was fully evident on a 1979 reading of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are," another standout on this collection. On the evidence of that track alone, it's hard to believe that, according to legend, White never planned to be a recording artist in his own right and would have been happy to remain in the background as producer and songwriter! --David Nathan ... Read more Reviews (53)
For a solid collection of hits, this album holds up quite well. "Love's Theme", "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up", "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Babe", "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", "What Am I Gonna Do With You", and "It's Ectasy (When You Lay Down Next Me)" are all included on this cd. Also included on this cd are several songs that were not successful on the Hot 100 but were hits on the R & B charts, including "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness", "Oh What A Night For Dancing", and the excellent "You See The Trouble With Me". Another standout is his gorgeous cover of the Billy Joel standard, "Just The Way You Are". I actually prefer this version to Joel's original version. I highly recommend. It has possibly the most complete collection of Barry White's material. (My only gripe is that they did not include the longer version of "I'm Gonna Love You Just A little More Babe" that I heard on the radio the other day). It is also great party music. I played at my grandmother's house on New Year's Eve and everyone there started dancing. The bottom line is that this is a perfect collection of hit singles from a man who redefined soul and R & B music forever.
Covering the years 1973 to 1978, "All Time Greatest Hits" chronicles his career as a solo artist and with his famed Love Unlimited Orchestra. All the hits are here, from the luscious "Love's Theme" to the smooth grooves of "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby" and "Never, Never Gonna Give Up" to the naughty piano intro of "It's Ectasy When You Lay Down Next To Me". Of course, the late Mr. White's two biggest hits are here, the inescapable "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe" and the ethereal "You're The First, The Last, My Everything". Both sound as crip and original as they did in 1974. White also vocally examines the softer side of love with "Oh, What A Night For Dancing" and an excellent version of Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are". In fact, this one song alone is worth the price of the cd. Whether you're a fan of disco or you just love Barry White and you don't have this cd, take my advice and buy it as soon as possible.
Asin: B000001E58 |
$12.99 |
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Songs from the West Coast Average Customer Review: Audio CD (02 October, 2001) list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review The appearance of "Rocket Man"-era cohorts Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone as backing vocalists touches this CD with one of the trademark sounds of Elton John's 1969-75 LPs. John has acknowledged those records--his most typically singer-songwriterish--occasionally, if mostly to revisit audience favorites in concert (1987's Live in Australia, a late-'90s VH1 show). But on Songs from the West Coast, his admiration of Ryan Adams and Rufus Wainwright (a guest here) inspires him to recall the stripped-down, lyric-driven sensibility of his early days. The tone of the words Bernie Taupin feeds this notorious diva is elegiac, rooted in a wearier version of the romanticism that fueled oldies as diverse as "Your Song," "Love Lies Bleeding," and "Burn Down the Mission." West Coast sidesteps bombast with a couple of exceptions; only "The Wasteland," with its invocation of Robert Johnson, is enough to provoke a dismayed "oy." The standout track is "I Want Love," a Lennonesque rumination that's their most impressive writing, separately or together, in more than a decade. --Rickey Wright ... Read more Reviews (206)
This CD changes everything. Elton is back in top form and has gone "back to basics". Spared down production, and a much more up-close and personal approach to singing and phrasing make this CD a treat for those of us who remember the 70s Elton. There really isn't a bad track on this CD, but "I Want Love" with its stunning simplicity is definitely a stand-out. "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" is so heartfelt, you can feel Bernie Taupin's nostalgia trip through Elton's voice. This is when they do their best work, when Elton can convey Taupin's emotional needs through his song. This track (and CD) shows they are still very much on the same wavelength. Some other stand-outs are "Look Ma, No Hands","Original Sin" and "Dark Diamond"...all wonderful melodies that are catchy without being trite. Taupin's lyrics are still as hermetic as ever, but in true Elton John form, he manages to convey the emotion of the song, even if the lyrics are often uninteligible. Now that's pop singing! "Love Her Like Me" is a catchy uptempo that helps bring some variety of style to an otherwise ballad-heavy CD. "American Triangle" gets a bit overwrought at times, and "Mansfield" is a bit on the dull side..but they are still very well done tracks and stand miles above the work of other contemporary pop artists and even John's own work from the past years. Overall, Elton has produced one of his most satisfying unified albums in over 20 years. He could stop recording albums today and be proud if this were his final oeuvre.
Asin: B00005NZDW |
$13.98 |
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30 Average Customer Review:  Audio CD (23 October, 2001) list price: $18.98 -- our price: $18.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review After 1988's 20 and 1992's 25, Harry Connick adds another chapter to his series of pared-down piano-and-voice albums. 30 is essentially a man and his keys--you have to wait until the fifth track, "If I Were a Bell," for a bass to finally sneak in. Connick starts things off with Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'" and continues with another low-down boogie, an instrumental version of the Mack Gordon/Harry Warren song "Chattanooga Choo Choo." The material's fairly conservative (Connick's a traditionalist through and through) and usually fulfills its relatively modest aims--which, after all, is more than can be said about many records. Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In," for instance, acquires a nice boogie shuffle. Wynton Marsalis adds understated trumpet to the last track, "I'll Only Miss Her (When I Think of Her)," but the Reverend James Moore's vocals on "There Is Always One More Time" are a little too overheated in this record's minimal context. --Elisabeth Vincentelli ... Read more Reviews (17)
Asin: B00005QERZ |
$18.98 |
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Wander This World Average Customer Review: Audio CD (20 October, 1998) list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review One would think that jumping into the pop-rock marketplace after being branded a blues player might confuse a 17-year-old guitar whiz. No way. Jonny Lang, with the lucid advice of ace producer David Z, understands the role of the blues as solid ground for someone who wants to take flight with intelligent, well-crafted music that has a wide audience. His second album's strengths lie with his gruffly appealing singing voice and his lean, razor-edged guitar phrases. The material is solid, with songs that range stylistically from the ingratiating funk number "I Am" (a hitherto unrecorded David Z and Prince composition), to the it-sure-sounds-like-a-rock-hit "Still Rainin'" (complete with thunderous chords and soulful female backup singers), to a griddle-hot take on the late Chicago blues guitarist Luther Allison's "Cherry Red Wine." All 12 songs are of a piece, tied together by Lang's unassailable musical integrity and his freshness of vision. And R&B master guitarist Steve Cropper is on hand in the Minneapolis recording studio to insure the soulful vibe. --Frank- John Hadley ... Read more Reviews (157)
Asin: B00000DBXX |
$13.98 |
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Born to Do It Average Customer Review: Audio CD (17 July, 2001) list price: $18.98 -- our price: $14.99 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review After laying down a memorable vocal on Artful Dodger's "Re-Wind," the biggest hit to date of the latest U.K.-spawned dance craze known as two-step, Craig David's debut record carries lofty expectations. Born out of the R&B/hip-hop and U.K. garage styles of artists like Romanthony, MJ Cole, and Timbaland, with dashes of spastic drum & bass-style rhythms and DJ scratches, two-step is waiting for its first major breakthrough. On his debut full-length, Born to Do It, it's immediately obvious that this breakthrough won't be supplied by David, only because his style isn't really proper two-step at all. His smooth tenor and hip-hop-oriented, verse-chorus-verse song structures are much more in line with the urban soul and new jack swing sound of artists like R. Kelly, Sisqo, and D'Angelo. Still, for an artist who just turned 20, this is an incredibly assured record with a sweet, romantic core that only a cold cynic could deride as youthful naiveté. In addition, while only occasionally hinting at the darker passions of true two-step, the record drips with an advanced rhythmic sense that manifests itself everywhere, from the clever wordplay in the lyrics of songs like "Fill Me In" and "7 Days" to the bells-and-whistles production on the giddy "Time to Party." For those after a true introduction to two-step, there are better choices (start with MJ Cole's Sincere, the Vital 2Step collection, or just jump a plane to London and go club-hopping), but still enjoy this record for its boyish pleasures, teasing sexuality, and irresistible grooves. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more Reviews (217)
Asin: B00005EAXZ |
$14.99 |
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