In the Dark with You
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 March, 1992)
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Reviews (12)

Brilliant Music!!!
This is absolutely one of my all time favorite albums - has been for nearly 20 years!It's as close to perfect as can be!My musical taste ranges from Deep Purple to Simon and Garfunkel, from Bach to Dylan, Charlie Parker to Andre 3000.Greg Brown is right up there with the best!His songs are fun, meaningful, playful, serious, unique, and original.I laugh and cry at the same time while listening to this album!

Thanks Greg!

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Greg Brown Hits the Spot Again.
This piece of music is filled with wonderful melodies and words that reach right down into our souls. He seems to know what really is going on and how to put it to music. I hope you will enjoy this CD as much as I have. Who Would Have Thunk It, that he would have affected so many lifes in such a positive way.

A dark cd
This is quiet and dark cd, remindfull of Tom Waits in the 70's. Although not in par with "Dream Cafe" and "Poet Game" and his output in the 90's, Brown was already a great singer-songwriter in the 80's, as a matter of fact, he was already a master in his genre.

If you already have Poet Game and DreamCafe, then you'll want this one too. If not start by them and then decide if you want more Greg Brown cd, I think you will. ... Read more

Asin: B000001B7Z
Sales Rank: 63988
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Contemporary Folk    3. Contemporary Singer/Songwriter    4. Folk & Traditional    5. Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Like I Said: Songs 1990-91
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Audio CD (26 July, 1994)
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Reviews (18)

A Must-Have CD For Any Feminist
One thing about Ani's albums is they're always different.Really, other than the truth, you never know what you're going to get."Like I Said" brings us back to when Ani was just starting out in her amazing music career, back in the days where it was just her, her guitar and her head full of thoughts and emotions.Personally, I feel that of the six Ani DiFranco cds I have so far acquired, this is one of her best works.It's my second favorite right after "Not A Pretty Girl" and a must for any feminist.On this album, she tackles everything from freedom of choice to why having sex with someone isn't her obligation, no matter how thankfull she is to them, among many other personal ballads and lyrics that will really move you and maybe even influince your own politics.I'd suggest this cd to anyone.

"Talk To Me Now"

he said ani, you've gotten tough
'cause my tone was curt
yeah, and when I'm approached in a dark alley
I don't lift my skirt
in this city
self-preservation
is a full time occupation
I'm determined
to survive on this shore
you know I don't
avert my eyes anymore
in a man's world
I am a woman by birth
and after nineteen times around I have found
they will stop at nothing once they know what you are worth
talk to me now
I played the powerless
in too many dark scenes
and I was blessed with a birth and a death
and I guess I just want some say in between
don't you understand
in the day to day
and the face to face
I have to act
just as strong as I can
just to preserve a place
where I can be who I am
so if you still know how
talk to me now

Beauty in its Purest Form!
Ani is unique in many ways from her music to her poetry. She defentally has opened my eyes to the world that we live in. I have listened and chereshed Ani sence the begining, all 14 years and all 25 albums or so,(I even met her) and I have seen her music evolve, but when i look back I always go to this album. "Like I Said" is a album of poetry and simplistic music of Ani and her guitar. The three most chereshable Ani songs are featured on this CD: Fire Door, Out of Habit, and mostimportantaly Both Hands. Ani's music has defined a generation. Buy it and you WILL love it.

If she ever comes to your town see her live and you will understand why music is here!

Classics by an esteemed artist.
Ani Difranco is now the patron saint of artist who make it on their own. Through her copious energy and sheer strength of will, she has become a popular icon, a heroine and an inspiration to many.

But her success was not always assured. Back before the magazine covers, the duets with Prince, the sold-out shows and screaming fans, she was a struggling young artist with little chance of making it in the music industry. These songs are from that time period. And although not as polished or experimentally mixed as her later material, these songs show a raw passion in a young musician who wants, not to be liked, but to be respected. And over a decade later, the album still feels fresh and powerful.

Songs like "Anticipate", "Rush Hour", and "The Slant" show how she is able to experiment musically, using her voice and guitar in new ways to express strong emotions. Her abilites as a singer/songwriter/poet were firmly established by such lyrical works of art as "Not So Soft" and "Out of Habit". And lest anyone confuse her for a fluffy bit of entertainment, her bold political stances are made clear in "Gratitude", "Work Your Way Out", and nearly every other song to one degree or another.

Ani Difranco's later albums range from polished masterpieces to tired and mellow collections. She is now all grown up, married, having bucked the system and created her own. It's inspiring to see an artist change and grow and mellow, and yet never give up her principles. But sometimes it's exciting to peek back to the days when she had to work for every fan, when each tiny college concert meant one more day of having enough money to eat. These songs are from that time, and they're a joy to hear. ... Read more

Asin: B0000058MM
Sales Rank: 76941
Subjects:  1. Alternative Folk    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Anti-Folk    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Singer/Songwriter    8. Urban Folk   

Small Town Romance
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (04 November, 1997)
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Editorial Review

Spanning the artist's career from 1967 to 1982, Small Town Romance is a delightful introduction for the neophyte and a necessity for even the most casual Richard Thompson fan. This warm, clear-sounding live disc, recorded at the Bottom Line and Folk City in New York in '82, shows the singer-songwriter's singer-songwriter in top solo form following the dissolution of his partnership with wife Linda. One caveat: Thompson's vocal delivery--especially on songs that Linda used to sing, such as "A Heart Needs a Home" and "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight"--is a tad rough. One assumes this is the reason Thompson (according to label head Joe Boyd) asked for the record to stay out of print for a number of years. But such minor quirks invariably happen in live performances, and the missed note here and the cough there add to the record's charm. Thompson has rarely sounded as nimble-fingered (on the terrifically show-offy "Roll Over Vaughn Williams") as he does here, nor as emotionally in touch with his songs. Highlights include a heart-tugging rendition of "Down Where the Drunkards Roll," the jokey jig "Woman or a Man," and forceful takes on two Fairport classics, the anthemic "Meet on the Ledge" and the lovely "Genesis Hall."--Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Contractual obligation?
What's going on here? Thompson himself asked for this record to be taken off the market - and he has a point.

The songs are great. In fact some of them reveal more of themselves in this stripped down (one man and a guitar) format. It goes without saying that the guitar playing is top notch - what else would you expect from Richard Thompson?

But the recording is less than top quality, Thompson sounds withdrawn and the vocals are rough. Thompson has become a convincing and authoritive singer, but his vocal skills were not as polished in the early 80s. He gets away with it on some numbers but a lot of the songs on this CD were originally sung by Linda Thompson and suffer here from the inevitable comparison.

It's said, and with some justification, that Thompson should be heard live with an acoustic guitar. Do some surfing and you'll read reports of his huge live sound, the way he can use his amazing facility on the acoustic guitar to create impressively full arrangements. Believe me: everything you've heard is true. You DO want to hear this guy live with an acoustic guitar.

This CD, whilst not a total bust, is hardly the best live showcase of Thompson's talents. You'd do better to surf over to Thompson's offical site (www.richardthompson-music.com) and buy a copy of Celtschmerz - one of the "official bootlegs" that he markets directly.

acoustic masterpiece
This is Richard Thompson as he was meant to be heard-- live, acoustic, and solo, without the other instruments that often distract one's attention from the man's incredible playing.

This record was recorded in NYC in 1982, shortly after Thompson divorced, giving some of the songs (e.g the haunting "Beat the Retreat") a wistful edge.It is a retrospective, mixing Fairport songs, Richard and Linda songs, and even a Hank Williams cover.

Thompson is not only anintriguing lyricist (e.g. "The Great Valerio"), he is a master acoustic guitarist, not only technically proficient but extraordinarily sensitive and nuanced.On many of these tracks, he is powerful; on a few, he is simply stunning-- "Roll Over, Vaughan Williams" and "Down Where the Drunkards Roll".Thompson's music recalls English folk, Renaissance troubadors, and American blues, often seamlessly.

The occasional dud tracks on this recently re-released record are minor, skippable inconvencinces on CD.This is esential Thompson.

Enjoy this 1982 live/solo performance
Though a Richard and Linda Thompson's fan, I had never tried to find this one. RT himself said he didn't want it to be released, and I thought "Well, he's the artist after all, he should know ."
What's more, the Bright Lights songs were kind of sacred to me, and I was very sceptical about his singing Linda's tracks. The idea bothered me, in fact.
But then I got a chance to listen to the record .. and I really liked it.
What this guy does with only a guitar and a voice is truly amazing. You really feel as if he's playing in your living room, and that's great. My favorite track is Time to bring some changes. It's all the more emotional as (I think) he'd just separated from his wife.
A heart needs a home & The great Valerio are both interesting alternate versions. I found his rendering rather good.
Down where.. and Never again obviously do not attain the power of the old (Never again is one of my favourite Linda's vocals). I think they are the two missed ones on the record - but then, these two are best suited to a high pitched voice. Don't even try them if you're a man with a low voice (whether he really chose them, or just did them because he was asked to and she wasn't here anymore .. is another story).
I am not very much into Fairport, but the Fairport stuff he sings here sounds rather good, actually.
My only quibble is that the sequencing makes it a bit tiring to listen to all the tracks one after another - it's much better if you do your own selection with the skip forward button.
On the whole, Small town romance is a very enjoyable experience .. especially if, like me, you live in a place where you'd never see such good acoustic performances ... Read more

Asin: B00000063L
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan/The Times They Are A-Changin/Another Side Of Bob Dylan
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Audio CD (24 October, 1995)
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Features

• Box set

Reviews (11)

Three Extraordinary Discs, Just Extraordinary
This set if made up of three of Bob Dylan's acoustic records and it would be decades after these three that he'd come out with another all acoustic disc. These are three outstanding pieces of work and after listening to them it's easy to see why some of his fans were so upset when he went electric. Little did they know how he was going to revolutionize rock. Anyway, this is a doggone good way to get all three records if you don't have them. Check out my short comments, then check out the records, you won't be disappointed.

Freewheelin'

Released in March of 1963 this album, unlike his first, consists mostly of songs by Mr. Dylan himself. The songs, everyone a gem, seem to be a running commentary on what it must have been like to be in young in the early Sixties and getting mixed messages from those in power. JFK was alive with the promise of hope and a New Frontier, yet the war in Vietnam was hotting up.

Songs like the lead off "Blowin' in the Wind," "Talking World War III Blues," "A Hard Rain," and "Masters of War," which appears to be just as relevant now as it was forty years ago, seem to be a somber message of the turbulent times to come.

With "Don't Think Twice," "Girl From the North Country," and "Corrina, Corrina," Mr. Dylan shows us that he's not just about protesting and complaining, that he can sing the tender ballads as well, and why not, this was a time of hope, there was tenderness in 1963, however there were storm clouds on the horizon, Dallas and a full blown war were coming and this record seems to be a warning.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

The third Bob Dylan LP, better than the first two and a portent of things to come. Hard to top "Freewheelin'", but in my opinion Dylan did it here. This album opens with "The Times They Are A-Changin'", which is a ringing call to arms for America's youth. As valid today as it was in the 60s. If ever America needed a young troubadour to point out the error of her was, that time is now. "With God on Our Side" is a song I've heard down with different lyrics over the years. Dylan just subs in the lastest war or two and makes us see they are as senseless as all the rest. Then there is that Dylan song that John Lennon liked so much, "When the Ship Comes In," a mind numbing song in which Dylan paints countless pictures with his unique ability to use words. Nobody uses words the way Dylan does and nobody does it better. This LP stands as well today as it did back then. It is haunting.

Another Side of Bob Dylan

There are probably boat loads of people out there who will disagree with me, but I think the best song on this album is "To Ramona". It's stood the test of time, this I know, because I've got in on my favorite Dylan playlist in iTunes. It ain't just no silly lovesong, it's a portrait painted in words. Words that will take you in, move you and leave you wanting more. "I Don't Believe You" is another song like that and it's also one of the songs he chose to electrify during his 66 tour. A powerful song with our without the band. Of course, everybody is familiar with "It Ain't me Babe," a song done by a lot of people, but in the end Dylan's version is the best. And if you don't believe, like I do, that America is losing her way, give a listen to "Chime of Freedom", and just maybe you'll change your mind.

All three of these superb discs get a big thumbs up from me.

Jack Priest, Writer from the Darkside

Mr. D. When he was Young and at his Best
"Freewheeling'" is Bob Dylan's second album, a folk record of some of the best songs he's ever done, and he was so young. On this CD you'll find "Masters of War," a song as timely now as it was way back in 1963 and a song Dylan has revisited time and again throughout his career. "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is on this album as well. It's my personal favorite, especially the way he performed it during the Concert for Bangla Desh with George Harrison at Madison Square Garden in 1971. If that isn't enough, Dylan performs the sweetest version of "Corina, Corina" you'll ever hear. And, of course, I have to mention, "Blowing in the Wind," perhaps the greatest protest song ever written.

My father told me he was disappointed in "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and when I asked why, he said that it wasn't nearly as good as "Freewheelin.'" And there you have the problem with a lot of Dylan fans, Bob is always changing, moving on and it's hard for his fans to keep up. The title song of this album is a raging protest against the establishment, one young people could still be singing today. "Girl from the North Country" is a tender love song that zings straight to your heart. "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll," a ballad that just makes you want to scream, "Why!" My dad was wrong about this record back then, thankfully he knows it now.

My dad liked "Another Side" better than "Freewheelin'" but I did not. Sure it's a great record that includes "It Ain't Me Babe," A different kind of love song, way different, and "Chimes of Freedom" made popular back then by the Byrds, and "My Back Pages," the ultimate song about growing up, "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now." How can anybody put it better than that?

This set is an excellent way to get started on a Bob Dylan collection if you don't already own these records. It's also some of Mr. D's best work.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind...
Make this known; if you enjoy the best of Bob Dylan then you already own these three CDs. However if you enjoy great music but don't own these three classic Dylan sets (shame on you) then this is the way to get them. They're essential '60s folk from the greatest poet of the past 50 years with great sound, coming at an exceedingly low price. (Less than 8$ per CD, in fact) If you insist on knowing more let me review each one for you.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan- 4 Stars The weakest of three. While much of it is average and it contains its share of filler (Honey Just Allow Me One More Chance is one of Dylan's worst) it also contains some of the greatest material of Dylan's career and in all of music (A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Blowin' in the Wind, Girl from the North Country, Don't Think Twice Its All Right, Masters of War). Essential folk and protest music.

The Times They Are a Changin- 5 stars The most consistent and most satisfying of the three albums. Its still folk, but not quite as traditional. Captures Dylan at his most whimsical as a poet, giving us vivid images and fascinating lyrics through his music. Not a bad song in the set. Up there with Dylan's best poetry (Behind Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61, Blonde on Blond, and Time out of Mind.)

Another Side of Bob Dylan- 5 stars Another step in Bob Dylan's evolution. He may still be using accoustic guitar, but Dylan now has some rock 'n' roll attitude to back up his folk style. Here he moves beyond protest music, becoming far more witty and loose. While it is inconsistent (but with less filler than Freewheelin') classics such as My Back Pages, Chimes of Freedom, All I Really Want to Do, and It Ain't Me Babe this is a 5 star classic.

So if you are a long time Dylan collector, then you already have these albums in some form or another, so this is obsolete to you. But if you need to get some high quality Dylan at a nice price this box set is something you should get today. And if you don't have them (and I'd hate to be you if you don't) get Blonde on Blonde/Blood on the Tracks/Time Out of Mind (Another Bob Dylan box set) and Highway 61 Revisited while you're at it. YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT!

P.S. Why are you still reading this. Get them NOW! ... Read more

Asin: B000002ABZ
Sales Rank: 71259
Subjects:  1. Contemporary Folk    2. Folk-Rock    3. Political Folk    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Titanic
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (17 September, 1996)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $16.98
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Features

• Live

Reviews (3)

Intelligent, witty, energetic...
I caught Jim Infantino, by accident, years ago at SolarFest in New Hampshire (or Vermont), I can't remember. I went to catch the "main act," a jazz bassist.

Jim stole the show for me. With a sardonic-type enthusiasm, a tongue-in-cheek approach toward his own music, he introduced "She's Dead," as a folk love song, burst into an infectious rap at one point, and seemed to just have a lot of fun on stage. Titanic captures some of that, although until you've caught the act live, I imagine it would be impossible to truly appreciate him. A group of friends of mine recently went to see Big Ego in NYC- all of them came home with CD's. It really is that much fun. Buy it. Sing along.

You made it this far, Just go ahead and buy it
I bought this CD on a hunch and because Jim was mentioned on the moxyfruvous page. It hasn't left my CD changer since and that was sixmonths ago Great lyrics, great music, great players, a few tears and plenty of laughs. This all live collection ranges from folk ballads and sing alongs done with Jims wonderful voice and guitar, to full band tunes with samples, raps and solid drums and Chapman stick (a 10 string two handed bass type instrument). Jims Big ego are helping bring folk music into the 21st century.END

ingenious, eclectic and hilarious
I have been a fan of Jim Infantino's since I first heard him in a cafe inCambridge, MA about ten years ago.Although I have heard him most oftensolo, this CD combines his ingenious songwriting and verbal wit with akiller collection of musicians who truly complement the songs.This iseasily one of my favorite CDs - quirky, sweet at times, rocking, and funnyas hell. ... Read more

Asin: B000002010
Sales Rank: 123871
Subjects:  1. Folk & Traditional    2. Pop   

No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (14 July, 1998)
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Editorial Review

Longtime Van Morrison fans may prefer the Belfast bard's tougher, emphatically R&B-driven work, yet it's his lusher, mid-'80s output that helped him consolidate the scrappy gains made in the prior decades. The once-heightened polarity between the earthy and the ethereal seemed muted on albums that traded in a softer-focus, romantic mysticism mirrored by the expanded scale of Morrison's band and arrangements, and left room for him to dabble in instrumental compositions or his renewed love of sax and piano. No Method, No Guru, No Teacher proves among the more durable, convincing chapters in this era, carrying a now-familiar array of symbolic touchstones (the Celtic legacy of "Tir Na Nog" or an extended instrumental allusion to a hymn set to William Blake's musings on England) and offering two of Morrison's better meditations on redemption, "In the Garden" and "A Town Called Paradise," which echoes the fevered waltz-time trance of "Astral Weeks" itself. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (28)

Grace, Majesty, Healing and Consolation
I dearly love Van Morrison's music, including all the obvious choices, such as "Moondance" and more recent titles such as "Down The Road." If pressed to select one album as a favorite, however, it would be 1986's "No Guru No Method No Teacher." Between 1979 and 1991 Morrison's lyrics explored more explicitly the spirituality hinted at in earlier works. On this album he takes the listener more deeply and effectively "into the mystic" than on any previous release. Allusions to mystical and Romantic poets, Theosophy, Celtic mysticism and Esoteric Christianity abound. I wonder if any other rock musician has name-checked Ray Charles, Lord Byron and the "Masters" of theosophical lore on the same album? An additional recurring theme is the paradox of innocence regained: in "breaking through to a new level of consciousness" (a line from "Thanks for the Information") one has also "got to go back" (the album's first track) to a more childlike sense of innocence, integration, wholeness and wonder. Regarding the music itself, his trademark "Caledonia Soul," reflecting, as always his converging influences of African-American soul, blues and jazz as well as Celtic folk music, remains readily evident, but with a more dreamy, meditative feel. More lush, less punchy than more familiar hits, ithearkens back to "Astral Weeks" and "Veedon Fleece" while also evincing his then-prominent concern with music as an agent of healing. I would agree with rock writer Brian Hinton who summed up the instrumental introduction to the track "Foreign Windows" by saying "there is a grace and majesty here which I have experienced from little else in rock music," and who called the album's overall effect "deeply consoling, healing even."

One of Morrison's best!
This 1986 release is an absolute gem of a recording. Mr. Morrison's lyrics are deep and spiritual. The musicianship is (as usual), nothing short of stellar!

Whether he is leading the listener ..."all the way to Tir Na Nog", showing us a glimspe through a Foreign Window, or blasting off at the "copycats" that "ripped off my words"; Van Morrison sets himself apart as one of the finest lyricists in the business!

A wonderful cd for a quiet night and a glass of your favorite wine!

No masterpiece: no direction, no excitement, no dice
No Guru No Method No Teacher arrived in 1986, eight years after Van Morrison's last significant chart showing with Wavelength. Tellingly, it arrived after Van's slick, commercial A Sense of Wonder failed to renew mainstream interest in the aging Belfast Cowboy. Who knew a song called "Tore Down a la Rimbaud" wouldn't be a huge chart hit? It became steadily clear that, after a string of intermittently brilliant (Common One, Beautiful Vision) records in the early eighties, Van could only resume paying the bills by appealing to his early-70s cult.

He did so by revisiting the sound and mood (and sidemen) of two of his most acclaimed records, so often cited in reviews of this album that I won't mention them. Suffice it to say that those two records everybody mentions are masterpieces the likes of which have rarely been seen (or heard) in popular music. And No Guru...well, it's not.

In fact, it's a pallid imitation. The similarities are all completely superficial. The familiar features are inviting, in a manner of speaking, at first: there's the haunted, echo-laden pastoral mood, the distant cascades of ethereal soprano sax, a steadily growing sense of mourning and absence. But I suspect that the absence that's being mourned is of melody.

The usually sycophantic David Fricke opened his review of this record in Rolling Stone with "No tunes," and the blessed Byrds scribe got it right: there are a handful of engaging songs here, but not many, and none of those are great or nearly up to the standard Van himself set for his later period just a few years earlier. The opener, a mostly two-chord waltz called "Got to Go Back", will either strike the listener as drearily nostalgic and repetitive or genuinely moving, and I tend to vacillate depending on my own mood. It's still probably the best single song on here, with classic-period pianist Jeff Labes's quietly insinuating counter-melodies and a memorable soprano line. (Another early-seventies sideman, eclectic guitarist John Plantania, plays two or three notes elsewhere on the album, with most of the guitar handled by Chris Michie of Beautiful Vision fame.)

But the cracks in the record show on that song. It may engage the emotions, but it's not particularly interesting, for one; and furthermore, Van's voice is in very bad shape here, and drenched in echo to compensate, and a lot of this record drags simply because he has trouble staying in key. He seems aware of these limitations, manifesting themselves for the first time in the career of one of pop's greatest singers: so at times he just yells (e.g., "In the Garden") or mumbles (e.g. "Oh the Warm Feeling").

Van being in weak voice is the biggest disappointment here, but the rest of the songs are pretty weak too. "Thanks For the Information" attempts at early-Van poetic cleverness but is really just uninspired, and though it has a memorable chorus it's also a familiar chorus and the song completely overstays its welcome at nearly eight minutes. With Michie's guitar work very prominent it's the only contemporary-sounding song on the album, and therefore has dated the worst. Some of the other songs are so nondescript that they almost disappear: "Here Comes the Knight" is a clever title but also the umpteenth reuse of the "She Gives Me Religion" verse melody, and the bridge is alarmingly tuneless; and does anybody remember what "Foreign Window" is about? Van could be a great poet, and he's inarguably a brilliant songwriter, but this is not one of his finest hours.

Some of the less-ambitious numbers come off nicely: the strangely-harmonized folk number "One Irish Rover" is almost mesmerizing, and boasts a devastatingly innocent electric-piano melody for an intro. (Yes, that means a glorified toss-off has four different engaging melodies, including the bridge, whereas several songs here don't even have one!). And the semi-rousing R&B number "Ivory Tower" ends the album on an unanticipated, unrelated high assuming the listener can hear past Van's unspeakably self-righteous lyrics.

No Guru, No Method, No Teacher...no narrative cohesion, no genuinely great tunes, no particularly incisive lyrics, no vigorous libidinous performances, no earth-shaking vocal performances, no sex, no drugs, no rock and roll, no trace of what makes Van Morrison an important talent. Van still had entertaining albums left in him (the lovely Avalon Sunset, Enlightenment, and the new What's Wrong With This Picture) but this isn't the right place to look for one. ... Read more

Asin: B000009DDM
Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Album Rock    3. Blue-Eyed Soul    4. Celtic Rock    5. Folk-Rock    6. Jazz-Rock    7. Pop    8. Pop/Rock    9. R&B    10. Rock    11. Singer/Songwriter   

Back to Basics
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

This collection of feisty early recordings (the Between the Wars EP and the Brewing Up LP) features England's loudest socialist folkie, usually armed only with an electric guitar and a millennium's worth of outrage, attacking those in power (lazy journalists in "It Says Here," the eternal mining aristocracy in "The World Turned Upside Down") with precision and enough energy to make even the most dogmatic lyrics sound colloquial and persuasive. Bragg is a one-man Clash here, seeking to demolish all he can and then build a better world with his electric guitar and his righteousness as the only tools he'll need. --Jimmy Guterman ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Understated Musical Genius...
This album is possibly one of my favourite albums ever. Most of the plus points about this album have already been covered, in the previous reviews; so read through them (the positive ones) and take their points onboard.

I think, if you like folky guitar music and are prepared to put a bit of effort into this album (i.e. Give it a few careful listens) then I am sure you will benefit greatly from it.

If you want a couple of standout tracks to listen to before you make the purchase, try 'St. Swithin's Day' - a song of greaty beauty and poetic ideals; and 'Between The Wars' - a song of pure emotion and a fantastic guitar arrangement.

This album is a definite grower, and I'm sure after a few listens you will think the same thing.

great cd
this is a really good cd i like the fact there is only a guitar yet the whole album is never boring. the standouts are new england, to have to have not and others but the whole cd is great this is a must buy for a fan of music

The Milkman of Human Kindness
A lot of music is fairly culture- and even period- specific. Billy Bragg’s debut release is a prime example. For those sitting in damp, chilly bedsits in England in 1983, Spy vs. Spy will always have a special significance. Workers’ rights were being systematically dismantled by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government and soaring unemployment meant little or non-existent job prospects even for college graduates. A powerful new political voice was emerging. With the immediacy of Springsteen, the passion of the Jam, and a knack for heartwrenching melodies. Billy Bragg’s charm, of course, lay in his unpolished, cockney delivery and low-budget production values â€" just him and his cheap-sounding electric guitar. But what he played was gold. And we all shut up and listened.A New England is perhaps his most famous tune; the flagship, if you will, of a set of songs that depicted love lost or disillusionment against a backdrop of real-life, unromanticised situations ("I loved you then and I love you still/Though I put you on a pedestal I put you on the pill"). Springsteen is the only other artist who has managed this. To Have And To Have Not is a belting indictment of social inequality and the celebration of personal integrity underpinned by a beautiful melody. "Just because you’re better then me/Doesn’t mean I’m lazy...". Busy Girl Buys Beauty tackles the dreams and needs created by the consumer industry, "A busy girl buys beauty/ A pretty girl buys style/ A simple girl buys what she’s told to buy...". A great song but punctuated with UK-specific cultural references. Man in the Iron Mask is a delicate ballad about unrequited love ("For you I will be/ the man in the iron mask...") while Milkman of Human Kindness is Billy Bragg’s Bridge Over Troubled Water but with more down-to-earth imagery. Also check out Between the Wars and Richard. A word of warning: this is very rough and ready â€" guitar virtuosity and a mannered vocal delivery are not part of this man’s agenda. But good tunes, great lyrics and a big heart are.ˇ ... Read more

Asin: B000002H4H
Subjects:  1. Alternative Folk    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Anti-Folk    4. British Folk    5. College Rock    6. England    7. Folk & Traditional    8. Folk-Rock    9. Pop    10. Rock    11. Singer/Songwriter    12. Urban Folk   

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (30 June, 1998)
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Editorial Review

Six years in the making, Car Wheels somehow lives up to its lofty expectations because of Williams's direct songwriting and her wonderfully unaffected vocals. With assistance from cohorts such as Steve Earle, Williams uses the acoustic accents of Dobros, mandolins, slide guitars, and accordions to add color to her grooves, whispers, and rumbles. Her lyrics are undisguised as she presents to us the travelogue of her memory. We can't wait for 2004! --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (259)

Contemporary folk-country at its finest
Lucinda first began to make a name for herself in the late eighties, initially as a songwriter. Patty Loveless and Mary Chapin Carpenter were among the singers to record covers of her songs, but her own albums made only a limited impact until the release of this classic album in 1998. Lucinda's world-weary voice is ideally suited to the songs, which are mainly her own.

In her songs, Lucinda paints pictures of life in rural America - the everyday experiences of everyday people that most people can relate to, even if they don't live in the kind of place that Lucinda sings about. The title track is typical, being about a family setting off to visit people in the nearby town, but hinting how this is not simple when you've got children. She manages to slip in plugs for two of her heroes - Loretta and Hank - who, at different stages of the song, are singing on the radio. Another song here (Metal firecracker) plugs ZZ top - not really what I expected from Lucinda, but I'm pleased she has broad musical tastes.

Another great song is Concrete and barbed wire, about artificial divisions. The most famous such division (in Berlin) had already disappeared some years before this album was recorded, so doesn't get mentioned. Instead, the song begins with Algiers. After that, it becomes more localized, ending with a prison wall.

Quite apart from the songs, the music is also brilliant. Lucinda secured the services of some top-notch musicians for this project including Steve Earle and Buddy Miller.

There are so many great songs on this album, which must give hope to struggling singer-songwriters everywhere. Lucinda had been performing for two decades before this album made her a star. If you enjoy contemporary folk-country music, you will surely enjoy this masterpiece.

brilliant.... again
i am at a loss to descibe the brilliance of this album... lucinda never fails to amaze me and get inside my head. if this woman wrote her shopping list to music... i would buy the cd. she is THAT good!

I like it more with each listen
If you expect really good singing, don't look for it here.These songs would have really been more improved if Lucinda had a better voice, which is occasionally quite annoying.However, all of the songs are very well played and arranged almost perfectly, which gives the cd the good name it deserves.I am not a fan of run-of-the-mill country music because the way those hicks sing is REALLY annoying, but this cd is pretty special.It's not just southern rock repackaged, just listen to the powerful opener that shows how similar she is to normal rock musicians.If I could really describe this cd, I would describe it as NOT lightweight in any way.Eventually you will get used to Lucinda's voice, after initial dissappointment.But you will never be dissappointed by the music and arrangements! ... Read more

Asin: B000007Q8J
Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Americana    3. Contemporary Folk    4. Folk-Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Anodyne
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 October, 1993)
list price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

Before Anodyne, Uncle Tupelo already had one masterpiece in 1991's noisy and tense Still Feel Gone, but this album, the band's major-label debut, had even grander ambitions. Replacing the group's grungy guitar with soaring lap and pedal-steel fills, plus fiddle and mandolin breaks both sweet and raucous, Anodyne is overflowing with a spacious grandeur that alludes to, and then makes it own, everything from the Band and the Stones and Neil Young (both as a solo artist and with Crazy Horse) to old Acuff-Rose songs--all of which is just to say that it's among the best roots-rock records ever made. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (53)

got to be kidding
I read one user review of this that said " Give me back the keys to my heart" was a good song with good lyrics. HAH! I could throw scrabble tiles on the floor and come up with something better. If you really love Wilco (like I do) there are a few good Tweedy gems buried in this garbage but I would recommend buying downloads of Acuff-Rose etc. Dont waste your money on this cd!

Rocks Maliciously
Rhino's re-release of this classic set is an excellent repackaging of this classic CD.Uncle Tupelo's sound of alternative country sounds amazingly fresh with Rhino's remastering magic.The bonus tracks on the new issue are of interest to long-time band fans."Stay True" is a blast of Jay Farrar's guitar & vocals.Jeff Tweedy takes lead vocals on "Wherever" with a minimalist melody, "Hey what's that mean?Don't make it sound so simple.""Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" is a strong Waylon Jennings-penned country rocker.The live hoedown version of "Truck Drivin' Man" has great tasty fiddle.My favorite ear candy is UT's blow-out version of the classic rocker "Suzy Q" recorded live at the Vic Theatre in Chicago.The guys rock maliciously on this 7-minute track.Of the original tracks, "The Long Cut" is a delightful rocker with Jeff's ragged vocals fitting the material like a glove."Steal the Crumbs" has a good build and one of those Neil Young-inspired vocals."Anodyne" has long been recognized for its creative brilliance and originality.Rhino's re-issue offers a great booklet with lyrics and commentary on the band and this set.Enjoy!

JDT
Uncle Tupelo is without doubt one of the most under appreciated groups of the 90's.Anodyne, like each of the three albums that came before it, has everything that a remarkable recording requires: great songs, honest lyrics, and artists who really care about the music they are making.Like the best of Dylan and Springsteen, the songs are about real people with real troubles and joys.When you hear them you know they are coming from the heart.The songs contributed by Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy are easily differentiated by the voacls, music, and lyrics.What makes this record interesting is how well these unique sounds compliment each other. The union is seamless. ... Read more

Asin: B000002MMY
Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock   

Is This Desire
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 September, 1998)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
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Editorial Review

Each of Harvey's previous albums has been a distinct affair as she took steps forward in not only forging her sound but also exploring the wealthy veins of rock & roll. So on first listen, Is This Desire? almost disappoints; it's very close to the same dark, woozy, and bluesy musical territory she staked out on To Bring You My Love. But it's been said that though good stories can be read once, great stories must be read twice, and, like great literature, this album deserves repeated listenings to appreciate its beautiful complexities and subtle shadings. A recommendation: Spend a few nonstop hours with Is This Desire? It will change you. --Tod Nelson ... Read more

Reviews (100)

You Won't Want Her Out Of Your Head...
After delivering what many would consider to be the most prominent album of her career, PJ Harvey fled from the spotlight and lived for three and a half years in virtual isolation on her parents' farm in Yeovil. The album she produced when she resurfaced lacked the bluesy punk-riffs and tongue-in-cheek lyrics of her earlier albums, utilizing instead experimental fuzzy guitars and synthesizers. It was brief, complex, evasive, and rife with subtly rendered emotional distress. It was also, in my opinion as well as (I have read) Ms. Polly Jean's, her most finely-crafted album ever.

1. Angelene-A slow, folksy ballad that seems to be about a wayward woman who gives herself over to many men while secretly pining for an overseas lover. It features Harvey singing plainly and simply in a husky voice. Some of the lyrics are thought to pay tribute to a J.D. Salinger short story entitled "Pretty mouth and green my eyes", which is directly quoted at one point in the song.

2. The Sky Lit Up-This song is very short. It seems to be about someone enjoying a happy night on the town and yet at the same time, there seems to be something awry about it. It ends with PJ Harvey wailing, "the sky lit up" in a high-pitched tone.

3. The Wind-A very quiet song with verses told in hushed whispers and a chorus that is delivered in a haunting tone; very ominous.

4. My Beautiful Leah-Another short one. This song has these weird fuzzy guitars playing in the background which, in conjunction with Harvey's drone, give it a numbing atmosphere so that one can almost envision her stumbling around on a dark night trying to find the girl she is looking for.

5. A Perfect Day, Elise-An incredible song. There is something about the explosion of trippy chords at the beginning of this song which always makes me want to get up and dance (and no, I'm not trained in that discipline so I resist the urge). This is one of those songs that I can listen to over and over again. The most intriguing thing about it is that it seems to be such a happy song but if you listen closely to the lyrics, the main character actually commits suicide in the end, rendering the whole song almost sarcastic. Allegedly, this song is based on another J.D. Salinger story entitled "A Perfect Day for Bananafish".

6. Catherine-Another incredible song, only this one is dark and full of yearning, probably the broodiest song on an already broody album. One cannot help but love how the tension builds as Harvey moans, "I envy the road, the ground you tread under..." in what I am told is classic Billie Holiday style, only to culminate in the curse, "Til the light shines on me, I damn to hell every second you breathe..." This song contains some lyrics that resemble quotes from Emily Bronte's WUTHERING HEIGHTS.

7. Electric Light-This song was harder for me to get into. It is very quiet and the lyrics are delivered in a sort of murmur with those fuzzy guitars humming in the background. The lyrics are somewhat powerful yet delivered unassumingly. I like this song just not as much as a lot of the others.

8. The Garden-PJ Harvey returns to her biblical roots with this song about a liaison in a garden of good and evil. To be honest, this is another one that I didn't get into as much, but it's still decent.

9. Joy-A very difficult song, delivered in a screechy wail that is almost impossible to listen to yet demands to be hard all-the-more. The instruments in this song include more off-beat guitars as well as rattling drums that sound almost like broken pipes or other industrial equipment. This is certainly a disturbing song, allegedly, it pays homage to a Flannery O'Connor short story. Not one of my favorites, but still desperate to be heard.

10. The River-One of the most powerful tracks on the album and the longest as well. One cannot help but feel psychological cleansed as PJ Harvey repeats again and again, "Throw your pain in the river". It ends with a haunting brass instrumental part. This song also is supposed to be based on a Flannery O'Connor story of the same title. It was this song which inspired me to buy this album. One of my favorites.

11. No Girl So Sweet-For me, this is the most harrowing song on the album. It starts off with weird squeaky beats and then has PJ Harvey singing in a fuzzed-over, anguished roar/wail. I think everyone can identify with lines such as: "How much more can you take from me? I'd like to take you inside my head. I'd like to take you inside of me." This song is yet again thought to be inspired by a Flannery O'Connor story. Another one of my favorites on the album; quite disturbing, but great.

12. Is This Desire?-The final, titular track on the album. For the first twenty seconds all you can hear is a very soft humming noise, then gradually Polly starts singing and the song slides into gear in a manner that is both elusive and seductive. I cannot tell if this song, with its references to Joseph out in nature has any Biblical allusions, but it is certainly menacing and questioning at the same time. An apt conclusion.

When I first bought this album, I was somewhat disappointed. Now, I think it is my second favorite album of all-time. My advice would be not to give up on it easily. No, it is not initially as striking as some of Harvey's other works, but instead it will subtly slip under your skin until you find yourself embedded in the madness of the world Harvey is creating. This album is supposed to be Harvey's tribute to literature and judging from the number of derivations from classical works, not to mention the incredibly broody, morose nature of this album, that would certainly make sense. This is PJ Harvey in third-person, no longer revealing personality traits but whole people. One of my favorite things about this album is how so many of the songs seem so ordinary and serene yet if you listen closely, you realize there is something not quite right about them. In fact, there is something horribly disturbing and depressing about all of them.

The Water Soaked Her Blonde Hair Black
PJ Harvey is the kind of artist that likes to reinvent(and I don't mean`Madonna changes her eye liner' I mean REALLY reinvent herself) herself from album to album, `Dry' wasexistential , `Rid Of Me' was an indebt look into the Male-Female roles and post feminism, `To Bring You My Love' almost obsessively deals with desire and sensuality and the later released `Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea' we see Harvey's more grounded side, but although all of those has their own uniqueness `Is This Desire?' is different, the sound is almost indefinable ,the songwriting raises to another level and in general it seeks match (but match)deeper...

`Is This Desire?' is a collective of short stories that deals with the agony of bizarre tragic figures, that as both the out front and the allegoric sense are almost haunting by their images, Harvey's songwriting lays deep within you as she explores her characters and in a lot of way our own state in this world, while her message lays deep between her words. The album's sound explores new territories, and can be define as truly alternative (a term the most of as are use for Industrial and Indie Rock rather then truly original sound which the term was meant to define) it's match quieter (I heard the word `Mellow' being used at times to the album sound and I think it's far from being the case) but yet match more disturbing.
I personally always Considered it as Harvey's strongest, wisest and deepest work.

The album starts with `Angelene' a tale of sinful soul of a prostitute seeking redemption, that could be her personal grief or the tell of a disturbed and sinful society(`Love For Money Is My Sin'). The second and most positive track in the album `The Sky Lit Up' is about finding inspiration. `The Wind' describes the story of Catherine, a woman that wished power and recognition (`Catherine Likes high places, high up on the hills, a place for making noises like the whales, here she built a chapel with her image on the wall...') and now haunted for her vanity and greed (`but now she sits and moans'). In the Trip-Hop influenced `My Beautiful Leah' a women(or a women within) self destructed herself (`She only had nightmares, and her sadness never lifted') for seeking the unseekable ("If I don't find it this time, then I better off dead"). `A Perfect Day' show us the story of Joe (Jesus?) where his emotional but empty(`His face so pale and his hands so worm') desire for Elise destroys them both. `Catherine' defines bitterness, we find a person so eaten by jealousy that loses him\herself in the processes(`'till the light shines on me, I damn to hell every second you breath'). `The Garden' tells an Eden like story, in which a man loses his angel wings. The story of `Joy' is about a girl who feared experience destructed in the awaking to the real world (`She looked away into a hollow sky ...She wanted to go blind, wanted hope to stay'). `The River' is a Nick Cave like piano ballad that tells a search for redemption. The final track of the album `Is This Desire' Joe (again Jesus?) fulfilled his wishes and the song ends in an existential question that in a lot of ways sums up the album- is fulfilling and chasing our desires really makes us happy? - Is This Desire?

my favorite from polly jean harvey
i didn't realize how important this album was to me until i lost it (this happened recently). because i'm poor, i decided to buy uh huh her first because it is new and exciting. bad move. is this desire is her most consistently good record. suprisingly, as it is pretty dark, it got me through the toughest summer of my life. usually it pisses me off that she can't write a song in a major key. this is especially distracting on uh huh her. it makes all the songs sound the same, drony, uninteresting while desparately trying to be interesting. the textures on is this desire? are incredible, yet it is still raw enough (as opposed to stories from the city...) to evoke intense emotion and imagery. i also think the excercise of moving outside herself made this album stand out from her body of work. she channels these characters so well that upon first listen you might not realize that this isn't about her. if there's one thing i hate about female artists, it's self absorption (i'm guilty of writing like i'm the center of the universe). self absorption only works when it strikes a balance between raw/angsty and a certain level of perspective. on this record, polly is making other characters self absorbed, and i like it. the title track is particularly moving and haunting. the sparseness of the arrangement lets her guitar work shine on the chorus while her voice is left vulnerable and lilting as she asks "Is this desire enough, enough, to lift us higher. Is this desire?" Now apply that to mary and joseph.

i'd highly recommend this record. or buy it for someone you love... ... Read more

Asin: B00000AFFI
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Love and Affection: Best of Joan Armatrading
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 January, 2000)
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Features

• Import
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (4)

wonderful mix of studio and live recordings
I've loved Joan Armatrading ever since I was a kid and my Dad used to play her 'best of' lp.But this collection took me way beyond the popular singles, well-known songs like Me, Myself, I and Willow, introducing me to a breadth of sounds and feeling in Joan Armatrading's work that I immediately embraced.She can shift from bluesy songs to funk or pop in the blink of an eye, and the eclecticism of her sound makes this double-album one that can be played over and over.It has wonderful gems on it like live recordings of Cool Blue Stole my Heart and Water with the Wine, rare from a singer that has always been shy about performing live.My only disappointment, now, having listened to more of her albums, is that this collection does not contain more songs from Joan's early song-writing partnership with Pam Nestor.It has My Family, City Girl and Alice, three of my favourites from that album, and I still feel that these are some of the best songs she's ever produced, young, fresh and less jaded than some of her later work... but some even better ones from that first album 'Whatever's for Us' are still missing, and I feel their absence.

Comprehensive collection, but deficiencies of presentation
This is a very thorough and comprehensive collection, covering Joan's whole recording career from the early 1970s to the mid 90s, and running to over 2.5 hours overall (the list of tracks given above omits some songs which are on the album). The style and production sound varies throughout, reflecting Joan's evolution as an artist and her changes of musical direction. However, in relation to this, the fact that the tracks are in no kind of chronological order makes listening to the album rather disconcerting, as the style and sound often changes quite noticeably from one track to another. This sense of disorientation is increased by the absence of musician credits on a track by track basis; producer credits are given in small print, but they are hard to follow and the recording dates include some minor errors. There is also no comment from Joan herself, or anyone else for that matter, explaining why the particular tracks were chosen; the only background information is a fairly superficial account of her career. All this perhaps suggests that Joan was not actively involved in putting this compilation together. So whilst the music is excellent, the information accompanying it is rather sparse. Despite the above criticisms, however, it's ultimately the music that counts, and I feel this deserves full marks as a comprehensive overview of Joan's work. But whilst her classic eponymous album from 1976 is well represented here, that record is so good that I consider it an essential accompaniment to this collection.

The best Joan Armatrading album yet...
This cd is the best and most comprehensive Joan Armatrading collection yet.If you only buy one of her cd's, let this be the one. ... Read more

Asin: B000005RXS
Sales Rank: 181813
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. England    3. Folk-Pop    4. Folk-Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Land of the Bottom Line
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (10 April, 1990)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $16.98
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Editorial Review

His rich baritone and literate songwriting are John Gorka's links to an urban folk tradition that belies his years, linking him more to early '60s troubadors than to the singer-songwriters of the '70s and '80s. Ranging from snapshots of modern life (as on the title song), to quietly devastating love songs ("Armed with a Broken Heart," "I Saw a Stranger with Your Hair") and funny, wistful meditations ("Italian Girls"), Gorka's songs are studded with dry wordplay, precise imagery, and sudden glimpses of deep feeling. Gorka and producer Bill Kollar resist more conventional commercial polish to keep the arrangements lean and largely acoustic, with Gorka's voice sparingly shadowed by occasional vocal harmonies from Shawn Colvin, among others. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Great!
Title track, "Raven in Storm" and "Full of Life" are the top tracks in my opinion.The whole thing is good! There is not one BAD John Gorka album!The only one I don't have in my collection is the first one, "I Know."I agree with Amazon's assessment, "Gorka's songs are studded with dry wordplay, precise imagery, and sudden glimpses of deep feeling."This hits it on the head. He is a witty musician who very creatively and artistically talks and sings about everyday life. Like a good writer like John Updike does, Gorka, through his song, makes everyday experience come to life.

The best of Gorka
This are songs of late adolescence, full of power and anger. Like an old Rimbaud, Gorka here delivers the main course. He never did it again in his later cd's. This is his best one. Better than anything he's done since, and probably better than anything he'll do.

One of the best folk cd's ever!

Great stuff-- real feelings!!!!!
If you are new to John Gorka's great music, buy this CD, you will not be disappointed.His music is about feelings (deeply felt) and he communicates them with a rich simplicity and honesty whichare compelling and addictive. His voice is beautiful, yet not showy and he offers the depth of his soul on this collection. Experience it and enjoy it.This is a rare treat to be cherished and savored!!!!! ... Read more

Asin: B000000NHP
Subjects:  1. Contemporary Folk    2. Contemporary Singer/Songwriter    3. Folk & Traditional    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Modern Cool
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Audio CD
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Editorial Review

Chicago pianist and vocalist Patricia Barber is making lots of ears burn. Her torch song touch speaks volumes to jazz vocal fanatics, but she has an adventuresome side that speaks likewise to fans of woollier jazz. Barber's vocal delivery is swaggering and burnished, always angling against oddball time signatures and often dropping weird lyrical science. From e.e. cummings poems, Barber moves into prescient observations on our society: "For company in the 21st century," she sings, "I go to the club, talk through the show / I'm so hip there's nothing about jazz / That I don't know." Trumpeter Dave Douglas and guitarist John McLean add a sharp edge, and the Choral Thunder Vocal Choir give Modern Cool soul-drenched dynamics that push the CD into the realm of instant classics. --Andrew Bartlett ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Love it in 2 bars; keep learning it for 2 decades!
This album is incredible!Give it a spin--just try the on-line samples here at Amazon.You'll be hooked in within two bars of "Touch of Trash."The poetry's inventive, the music sensuous, ambiguous, always dancing from admiration to competition.Then spin another track--it'll be totally different, equally compelling, addictive.

This album has been #1 on my "Desert Island List" since I bought it several years ago.Why?(1) Because it's so good, I can't get enough of it, and yet (2) because it's so intricate, I find new things every time I listen, and most of all (3) because even after practically wearing it out, there are new questions, things I'm not sure I fully understand and appreciate.

You'll love it in two bars.You'll still be learning it in two decades!

It is the Best of Times, It is the Worst of Times...
It is the best of times, it is the worst of times, when Patricia Barber invites us into her "Winter" of discontent.And discontent is the main currency of "Modern Cool": lovers hide from view ("Silent Partner"), razor-blade women mask, market and manipulate ("Touch of Trash"); meanwhile, the artistic world collapses like a house of postcards from the Museum of Contemporary Art ("Postmodern Blues").Aided by Michael Arnopol, who deftly changes the upright bass from a solid into a liquid before your very ears, and the broken glass guitar phrases of John McLean, it is a harsh world out there and perhaps an even harsher world in here.Modern cool, indeed.

One can almost see this disc as the story of a character who roams the shadows of Orwell's "1984", but has found the methodology not to meet the same fate as Winston.The Doors' raucous "Light My Fire" survives in this world, albeit as a plaintive whisper/prayer, a feeling echoed in "Silent Partner".Peace is found in far and few corners - "Let It Rain", with another grand chorus backing Patricia's dramatic vocals, "You & the Night & The Music", and the wordless yet free "Constantinople."Biting wit breaks up the gloom and doom: "Postmodern Blues" and "Company" are wry - though occasionally self-important - and complex in their modern cool pictures.

The allusions to Dickens and Orwell are not coincidental.Patricia Barber is an author in her own right - she simply uses a piano instead of a pen. In many cases, one does not even need the lyrics (sharp as they are) to have the picture painted.

One suspects "Modern Cool" drained Barber somewhat, as she would follow up this tremendous album with two 'easier' releases - a short-ish live CD and a cover version disc - neither of which (intentionally?) would approach the majesty of this album.But so what?The artist presently known as Patricia delivered one of the strongest and finest recordings of the 1990s, an achievement made all the more stunning by the fact that most of the recording was done in a three-day period in 1998.

Makes many other artists sound like little kids...
Listening to Patricia Barber is in many ways like reading a novel by a superb fiction writer. Once you're done with their book, you simply can't pick up any old thing to read next, because it won't hold up to the comparison.Similarly, if I listen to "Modern Cool" and then put on music by other modern female jazz artists that I do enjoy (I won't name names), theysound like little girls in comparison."Modern Cool" is stimulating and edgy without being overwhelming orinaccessible.This is music by a woman who is obviously whip-smart and a great observer of and participant in the human experience. ... Read more

Asin: B00000K3BE
Subjects:  1. Cabaret    2. Contemporary Jazz    3. Jazz    4. Pop    5. Post-Bop    6. Vocal Jazz   

Live at Luther College
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 January, 1999)
list price: $21.98 -- our price: $18.99
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Editorial Review

Unplugged and set apart from his bandmates, Dave Matthews is transformed from a fusion rocker to something of a fusion folkie. Indeed, this two-disc, two-man concert recording (cut in Iowa in the winter of 1996 and shelved for nearly three years) posits the South African-born bandleader less as a Blues Traveler fellow traveler than a dexterous, jazz-inflected minstrel in the tradition of Tim and Jeff Buckley, Terry Callier, and Ellen McIlwaine. As with those considerably less-successful performers, multiplatinum Matthews is enticed to soar ever higher by his considerable vocal prowess. Ultimately, Matthews takes his tunes in dizzying directions because he can! All those exhibitions of elasticity have earned Matthews disdain in less-is-more circles. Here, however, more than ably complemented by frequent DMB guest and fellow Charlottesville, Virginia, denizen Tim Reynolds, Matthews virtually bursts through 23 tunes that leave his audience wanting more. They needn't worry: even his worst critics wouldn't accuse Matthews of being stingy when it comes to music. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (490)

It doesn't get much better than this
As if this record actually needed any kind of review, I'm just saying that this record is absolutely marvelous. The only reason why this double album gets 4 stars instead of 5 stars is two songs that I do not enjoy as fully as the others. I would actually rate it as a 4.5 stars.

Tim Reynolds and Dave Matthews merge into one being on this album, communicating to such an extent that I would not be scared to compare it with such associations as Coltrane/Cannonball, Parker/Gillespie and more recently DiMeola/McLaughlin/DeLucia or Lagrene/Luc.

Great songs, very surprising sound for a live recording and everything just clicks.

Classic
A must have for any DMB fan.Songs are transformed into a new style that many casual fans are not accustomed to.Dave and Time bring out some "one time" material and improv.A must have for any fan or apperciator of great musicical talent.

Dave Matthews at his best
Without a doubt one of the BEST complete live Dave Matthews CD sets that you can buy. If you like Dave, or enjoy some of his other CD's and you haven't bought this one you a missing out. ... Read more

Asin: B00000DFUB
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Tea for Tillerman
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 May, 2000)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

Cat Stevens tends to be lumped in with the early-'70s singer-songwriter school led by James Taylor and Carole King, but he actually fits in rather neatly with such wistful English contemporaries as Nick Drake, Syd Barrett, and Donovan. Tea for the Tillerman's "Wild World," "Into White," and "Longer Boats" indicate that he may have been a more gifted tunesmith than the lot of them. As with the best of the Brit folk-rockers, Stevens mixed melancholy with whimsy. Yes, he was prone to airy platitudes, but when he harnessed his eccentricities, as he did throughout this 1970 masterwork, you had something truly distinctive. A natural cult artist, à la Tim Buckley and Leonard Cohen, Stevens connected with record-buyers to the tune of 25 million units sold before he changed his name to Yusuf Islam, established an Islamic school, and raised a ruckus by supporting Ayatollah Khomeini's death decree against author Salman Rushdie. This remastered 2000 version of the 1970 recording, which was overseen by the artist, is a vast improvement over the earlier CD reissue.--Steve Stolder ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (47)

The Colors of Cat
This album is steeped in nostalgia for me, but more important the songs on this particular album are so poinient and clear. I found the songs to be a combination of heart and strength, and possibly a catharsis for the inner turmoil he was experiencing at this juncture in his life, but then again, what authentic singer/songwriter doesn't use music to regain ground being surrounded by the constant internal and external pressures that come with being brilliant.

This album really shows Cat's colors and they are soft and warm and bold all at once. Obviously, one of my favorites

CLASSIC, CLASSIC, CLASSIC
Just purchased this cd today.Bought the original when it first came out.Hopefully all Cat fans will be repurchasing his albums after what our government has done to him.

gotta love it
Most people my age (15-20) dont even know who cat stevens is. I bought this CD after first hearing "Wild World". Over time i came to love the entire CD. The lyrics are awesome and can be used for any occasion. People any age can enjoy and appreciate this CD. ... Read more

Asin: B00004T9VY
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Inside Dave Van Ronk
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (17 October, 1991)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $18.98
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Reviews (2)

Fantastic acoustic folk/blues!
This is my favorite folk/blues album, especially the first 13 tracks, originally released as "Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger" in the mid 60's (that title was deceptive as the album is mainly ballsy blues!).VanRonk's raunchy vocals and incredible fingerpicking style guitar areunsurpassed.I wish he had made more bluesy albums like "Dave VanRonk,Folksinger"and I still hold out hope that he'll do just thatsomeday.

Folk music lovers should love this.
This album shows Dave Van Ronk at his best.His voice and his styling are perfect for performing these songs, ranging from light and playful to dark and brooding.I'm also a Jackson Browne fan, but I'd much rather hear Van Ronk perform "Cocaine" than Browne.

Especially in these days of overproduced music that still manages to sound redundant or derivative, Dave Van Ronk is "the real deal," to borrow Buddy Guy's signature phrase.

Van Ronk was an important influence on subsequent folk singers, and he deserves more recognition than he has received.Buy this album.You'll wonder how you lived without it. ... Read more

Asin: B000000XF7
Sales Rank: 9748
Subjects:  1. Folk & Traditional    2. Pop    3. Singer/Songwriter   

Suzanne Vega
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 February, 1993)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

Though not the songs that would put her on the pop music map--that would come with 1987's Solitude Standing--Vega's first album shows her folky songwriting origins and, song for song, may still be her best. Produced by Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye, the sound is softly sculpted by Kaye's silvery guitar and an airy, occaisonal string section, matching the dream-like introspection of "Queen and the Soldier" and the surreal word play of "Small Blue Thing."Vega's philosophical, quiet, but confident approach would open the door for a second generation of female singer-songwriters like Dar Williams and Shawn Colvin.Her debut remains an unassuming sleeper for one of the '80s best folk or pop albums. --Roy Francis Kasten ... Read more

Reviews (23)

poetry in motion
I must admit that I'm not familiar with Vega's other works; however, I have always found this CD to be brilliant. Vega's words are more poetry than song lyrics. Her musical style is intriguing. Her timing and pacing on the guitar aptly complement the words sung.

There is a starkness and surrealism that I have not experienced on any other CD, by any other artist. This isn't background music; one must sit and listen to the songs, the words.

This is poetry in motion...

Beautiful
One word sums up this CD. "Beautiful".
It is very clear that the creator of this masterpiece is a beautiful person with a very beautiful soul.

acquerelli
Fin dal primo ascolto si comprende l'importanza di questo delicatissimo ed intrigante lavoro di debutto.
Una sorta di folk-rock per palati raffinati che ha una sua buona dignità sebbene sia pressochè impossibile non intravvedere in lontananza le basi che, probabilmente, hanno rappresentato l'incipit di questa grande artista: Joni Mitchel?...
Disco fortemente consigliato anche per la saggia decisione, peraltro del tutto inusuale soprattutto nei lavori degli anni 80, di far durare i brani semplicemente "il giusto".
Buon ascolto, se possibile, sempre e comunque, a luci spente. ... Read more

Asin: B000002GGY
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Folk    3. College Rock    4. Contemporary Folk    5. Folk & Traditional    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Singer/Songwriter   

After The Gold Rush
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $8.99
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Editorial Review

After laboring in Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Neil Young finally hit perfect pitch--if his endearing off-center whine can be called "perfect"--with his third album. He's equally passionate with trippy riddles (has anybody figured out what "We've got mother nature on the run" means in the title track?) and pointed protest (after 30 years of rock-radio overplay, "Southern Man" still rings with truth about redneck racism). His creaky ensemble, including pianist Jack Nitzsche and rotating members of Crazy Horse, transforms ramshackle country and folk songs into soulful hippie hymns. --Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (84)

Top Five
I had been trying desperately to get into Neil Young, but I never seemed to understand what he was going for, sampling material from every facet of his career...then I picked this up the other day and all I have been listening to is any Neil Young I can find in my sloppy record collection...This man is...well...he's Neil...The songs are so sparse, there's really so little to it, but so much to be gained from hearing this music...and his voice...I love bad singers...Dylan, John Mayall, Tom Verlaine (not the same caliber, but I couldn't think of anyone else right now)...His voice is so melancholy and almost innocent...It really seems like the songs are built around his voice, but that's not a real valid point...I don't know the man's process, I just know the results are breathtakingly beautiful, poignantly insightful (if you are, like I'm told I am, a gloomy person, just pick up almost anything from this period in his work and you'll find something there), and they give me a feeling of great appreciation that this man has lent us his art throughout the years...Keep searchin, Neil, keep searchin... psI hate writing reviews, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity here...don't mind me....

A must-have for Neil Young fans
A must-have, eh? So what's with the four stars?
Yes, well, I'm really only a "mid-level" fan. And Neil Young is something of an acquired taste...his voice, while much different from Bob Dylan's, is almost as difficult to get used to for casual listeners, and the extremely eclectic nature of his output means that his sales has never matched that of, say, the Beatles or the Stones, even though he is second to Dylan only in terms of influence and pure talent.

I like Neil Young a lot, but I'm not a huge fan. For me, five stars is "Muddy Waters at Newport" or "Exile On Main Street". Butthis timeless singer/songwriter-album is a classic, no doubt about it, and it includes some of Neil Young's best songs.
Opening with the briskly rolling "Tell Me Why", "After The Gold Rush" is almost solely acoustic, consolidating the image that Young had gained through his tenure with Crosby, Stills and Nash.But one of the best songs, the harsh "Southern Man", which evokes images of burning crosses and other atrocities, is a gritty rocker with some sizzling lead guitar by Young himself, and it inspired Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd to write "Sweet Home Alabama" which includes the lines "I hope Neil Young will remember, the Southern man don't need him around anymore". And "When You Dance I Can Really Love" packs quite as punch as well, in a low-key sort of way.

The rest of these 11 songs are gentle folkish love songs, lazy shuffles, and country-flavoured ballads, like the classic "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", the mournful "Oh Lonesome Me", and the title track. "Don't Let It Break You Down" is reminicent of Bernie Leadon, and the slow "I Believe In You" is pure CSN(&Y).

As I said, this is a must-have for serious Young fans. And I have it as well, as you can see, so less serious fans won't be disappointed either. If you're into Neil Young, this is for you. "After The Gold Rush" is one of his finest albums.

Destert Island Disk
This is in actuality a folk album.The quality, lyrical content and the timing of this album falls right into this genre.It must have been very draining, I would imagine, for Neil to produce this epic.I grew up listening and looking at the album cover when I was about 10 years old.Everyone probably has their favorite "soft spot" album and this is definitely mine.I played acoustic guitar to it so many times....it is like a part of my DNA. ... Read more

Asin: B000002KD9
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Canada    3. Country-Rock    4. Folk-Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Fragments of a Rainy Season
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 September, 1992)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Reviews (17)

"Rainy Seasons" Showcases Cale, the Minimalist
Fragments of A Rainy Season" has graced my CD player more than any other album in the twelve years since it's release. This is the after-hours incarnation of John Cale, not the menacing sabatouer personna that Cale created for himself in the Seventies.This live album focuses on all of Cale's strengths, his lyrical song craft, his tender and anguished voice, his instumental wizardry and his larger-than-life stage presence.

"Rainy Seasons" is ample evidence that Cale's post-Velvet career has outlasted those of his bandmates, even Lou Reed. Cale has always maintained his avant gardist sensibility while Lou Reed, for better or worse, has stuck with his original black leather, NYC street hustler image that marked his Velvet Underground years. Cale's back catalog is a wealth of undiscovered treasures. What is most striking about this live performance is the passion and immediacy Cale brings to all of his classics. It's a revelation that Cale's music is better suited to this accoustic format, because his strikingly original classically influenced piano is not drowned out in a wall of guitar noise. In performances with a band, Cale generally sticks with a guitar, which he doesn't play with nearly as much conviction as piano.Cale's expressive voice simply works better with a piano.

I own most of Cale's albums and the three career retrospectives of his work. I like "Rainy Seasons" better than all of them because this live recording proves that Cale's music stands on the strength of his songwritting and doesn't need a lot of orchestration or post-production "enchancement" to work. The additional tracks that have been piggy-backed onto the original 1992 release make this CD a real dollar value.

Simply the best ever
There really isnt alot one can say.You will listen.And listen.And listen.

Cale at his best and barest
This is John Cale pure and simple. Unpredictable, elegant, manic, literate, articulate, witty, bittersweet, psychotic, passionate, stately, dark and romantic. I could go on and on. It's very hard for me to review Cale's records because they're so wonderful and perfect; they warrant essays. This is indeed a classic album. It reveals John's creative intent in the simplest forms, from brooding quiet ballads to manic, ham-fisted keybashing exercises in noise and chaos. JC is an artist and this album is a testament to that -- GET THIS ALBUM NOW! ... Read more

Asin: B000000624
Sales Rank: 16458
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Experimental    3. Experimental Rock    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    7. Proto-Punk    8. Rock