Doob Doob O' Rama: Filmsongs of Bollywood
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (14 November, 2000)
list price: $18.98
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Reviews (4)

Brush up on your classics...
Here's a great collection of classic Bollywood songs. Most have 1960s or 1970s production values, but they sound like nothing in the western hemisphere ("Bollywood strings" appear in abundance). With a mixture of traditional Indian rhythms, instrumentation, vocal styles, languages, and classic western rock (with some english phrases thrown in here and there) the songs take on a style all their own. Most of the melodies will stick fast and forever to even the most musically insensitve brains. Likewise, the infectious rhythms will inspire the indolent to flail spastically. This is nothing short of adventurous party music.

These songs come directly from Indian movies. So, in a way, they lack their original context. This explains some of the speaking and the - what may seem like - bizarre interludes. Some of the sense is lost without the context, but the music suffers not one iota. Plus, without knowledge of the languages sung, many won't miss a thing around the context. Nonetheless, hopefully the music will inspire the desire to see the original Indian movies.

This disc also contains "Jan Pahechan Ho" featured at the beginning of the movie "Ghost World" (that also included clips from the original Bollywood movie). Many have been introduced to Bollywood through this song and this movie. But this one song represents only a small peek into the immense and fascinating world of Indian popular music. Keep exploring.

Sampler's paradise
Musician? D.J.? Acid, Mixman, Reason user? This album is gold. Lots of sounds to chop up and use to further your creativity. Sound quality is pretty rough; something tells me the recording sesion featured a vcr, tv and a microphone. Will take some tweeking to kill the ear piercing highs. Other than that, buy today and sample away...

the funniest cd ever
I admitt the sound quality is horrible, but I have honestly never laughed so hard in my life.I heard this at a friend's house, so I don't remember exactly which tracks were funny. All I can say is that if you find humor in the utterly bizarre and incomprehensible world of Indian pop culture, you must buy this CD.
Don't buy this if you are looking for serious stuff like Ravi Shankar or Trilok Gurtu.This is first and foremost a comedy album (at least from an American point of view). There are also, however, some amazing and beatiful songs on here hidden among the wierdness. I have heard many comedy cd's from Adam Sandler to Tenacious D. I guess that stuff is pretty funny, but, believe me, it is not even close to Doob doob o' rama .I don't think this is necessarily supposed to be funny, but all I can say is that I literally almost laughed myself into the emergency room. Trust me: if you pride yourself on having a good sense of humor, get this immediately ... Read more

Asin: B0000259DI
Sales Rank: 149031
Subjects:  1. Film Music    2. India    3. Indian Art Film Music    4. Indian Pop    5. Int'l & World Music    6. Pop   

Best of Asha Bosle: The Golden Voice of Bollywood
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (03 April, 2001)
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• Soundtrack

Reviews (8)

A timeless classic (is that a paradox?)
My first foray into Bollywood also proved to be my most enduring favorite. What a beautiful voice! Its uplifting and dramatic and rhythmic and brilliant. I don't speak a word of hindi, but that's okay. I recommend this without reservations to anyone interested in this type of music...even those that aren't.

Standout songs: o mera sona, dum maro dum, chura liya hai tum ne, lekar ham diwana di...really I like all of them

The One and Only Asha Bhosle
Finding mere words to describe the talent of Asha Bhosle is an amazingly difficult task. The collection of songs in this album represents only the tip of the iceberg for a singer whose incredible range and outstanding versatility have been widely acknowledged throughout the globe. This legendary singer,the one and only Asha Bhosle, is simply the best! Go ahead, hear her for yourself!

Simboonath Singh
Michigan, USA

sustaining voice
the collection is average for an indian like me, who has been hearing countless beautiful songs by her, now vampy, now wispy, now delicate, now demanding, now the empress, now the soul, now the sorrow.....what not from her.it could have helped for non-indians to appreciate her magic including songs like Mera kuch saman- fm ijazat, phir se aaiyo, kaali haath sham aaye, gaa mere man gaa, etc.

if anyone wants to savour her songs...listen to her with your eyes closed..or not...she will enchant you with her magic...yes for me...magic of the voice is asha bhosle. ... Read more

Asin: B000050XHR
Sales Rank: 42375
Subjects:  1. Film Music    2. India    3. Indian Art Film Music    4. Indian Folk    5. Indian Pop    6. Int'l & World Music    7. Pop    8. World Music   

Seasons in Hell: A Life of Rimbaud
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (14 October, 1997)
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Reviews (1)

Outstanding Contemporary Opera
Blumenfeld's "Seasons in Hell" is a very sophisticated, intense opera, but nevertheless manages to appeal on a visceral, sensual level through its obvious lyricism and carefully wrought dramatic construction. Kondek's libretto consists mostly of paraphrases and quotations from thepoetry, prose, diaries and letters of Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine. Consequently, the language is on a literary level hardly ever encounteredin opera.Blumenfeld does a brilliant job of bringing the language throughto the listener by means of a flexible melodic line that is always focusedon clarity of diction and the dramatic impact of what is being said.I amreminded of the remarkable attention to clarity of language in the operasof Monteverdi and Britten.Still, the work is obviously a singer'sopera--difficult to sing, but immensely rewarding for the voice andimmediately comprehensible and lyrical for the audience.

The dramaticplot is itself unique and unfolds in a complex, yet dramatically effectivemanner.Rimbaud's life is divided into two quite distinct phases by apivotal point when the prodigy renounces the hothouse of literaturealtogether and goes to Africa as a worldly adventurer.The plot tracesRimbaud's life alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) in two reversedirections: from his early death in Abyssinia backward, and from his Frenchchildhood forward, with the two chronologies meeting at the end of theopera at the pivotal point in Rimbaud's career.Thus the two Rimbaud'srepresent two somewhat different musical styles, and the roles of the twoRimbaud's are sung by two different baritones, overlaid by a sopranoelectronically enhanced and modified representing Rimbaud's poetic muse. The opera closes with a duet between the two Rimbaud's, each standingimmediately before or after the decisive moment.This forms a veryeffective denouement, giving a convincing sense of closure and balancingthe large ensemble finale featuring the homosexual relationship betweenRimbaud and Verlaine that brings the first act to a rousing and explosiveconclusion.

The homosexual extravagances of the young Rimbaud are alsocounterbalanced in the opera by the touching love between the older Rimbaudand an Abyssinian woman--Rimbaud's renunciation of literature had also ledto the renunciation of his "artist's" life of debauchery andhomosexuality.This is one of the most sophisticated operas I have everheard, on a par in complexity and subtlety with some of the best works fromthe entire history of opera.Blumenfeld has created a masterful piece notonly through the lyricism mentioned above, but also by a varied and cleverorchestral accompaniment that manages both subtly and overtly to supportthe dramatic progress of the work without ever interfering with the voices.Blumenfeld's compositional technique in balancing orchestra and voices isuncanny, and the dialogue and narrative are scarcely ever lost during theentire performance.Despite the obvious complexity and performancedifficulty of the work, there are also moments of transparent simplicity,both vocally and instrumentally.

Describing a piece of music,especially one as refined as this, is well-nigh impossible.It is mucheasier to compare it with other new American works, and in this regard,Blumenfeld's "Seasons in Hell" stands far above anything else Ihave seen, and in my view even surpasses John Corigliano's "Ghosts ofVersailles," which I have heard on audio tape (with score in hand) andseen on television.Blumenfeld's opera, for all its sophistication andsubtlety, is more emotionally direct and coherent than Corigliano's, andBlumenfeld's musical conception is more dramatically successful. ... Read more

Asin: B0000049RG
Sales Rank: 217723
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Opera    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio   

The Blackout
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 July, 2002)
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Reviews (2)

An unexpected pleasure!
Speedball Baby have been around about eight years now and have been responsible for some of the best NY style decontructed roots rock come no wave these ears have ever heard. Their last album, Uptight!, was a masterpiece, but since it's release in 2000 I hadn't heard much from them. So imagine my surprise when I saw this new album in [the record store]. What really blows me away is the fact that this is their finest work to date. Ramshacle rock n' roll with an artistic bent. Features cameos by Mick Collins, James Chance and Jon Spencer. If you dig Suicide, Tom Waits and the Blues Explosion this is an absolute must!

Their best one yet
This is a must have.Just buy it.'The Blackout' is the perfect record to get if you've never heard them before or even if you have all the others -- it just blows away anything else out there.The title track and another one called 'Hanky Joe Digger' rock so hard that my neighbors came upstairs to see if we were ok.It sounds like the recording studio is falling apart around them.On 'Bee in Flight', Ron Ward sounds like Alan Vega in all his demented glory.'Cash Cow' shows that genius producer/guitarist Matt Verta-Ray and guest vocalist Mick Collins have the kind of musical chops you just don't expect to find in rock & roll. And '9.11' just about sums up how me and all our friends felt when we stood there and watched those two planes crash into the twin towers last year.Speedball Baby holds fast as one of the best and most consistently unique New York bands of the past decade. ... Read more

Asin: B000068FWV
Sales Rank: 131126
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Rockabilly Revival   

The Definitive Charley Patton
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Audio CD (13 March, 2001)
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Features

• Box set

Reviews (14)

King of the Delta Blues
There are no legends......no person that qualifies as the best bluesman of all time.Everybody brought something to the table and everybody used someone elses material in some way.The way pre-war blues went there was only two ways to seperate everybody - singers and players...simple as that.
Charley Patton was indeed a force of nature,maybe not the best guitarist in the delta but for sure one of the best blues shouters around.What he did in his personal life doesn`t concern me but these titles are as important to me as anything I`ve ever heard.You will not understand everything he says but thats alright.....after awhile it will be easier and you will indeed be transported back in time.
He didn`t make it out of the 30`s and his reporting of what happened during those times is priceless.Robert Johnson was a student of the man and Son House was his peer but Charley Patton was and remains the King of the Delta Blues and this box set proves it.

Charlie On The Cheap
Revenant's $150 box set has ten times the value of this $30 offering, but if you can find this trio of CDs well under list price, just ignore the "Definitive" marketing hyperbole and acquire the bulk of Charlie's magnificent career. Patton, of course, comes closer than anyone we know to having "invented" the blues. (W.C. Handy heard someone much like Patton in 1903 and immediately franchised the term for a fast-food version.)

"Definitive" indeed
Mr Patton was one of the first black musicians to achieve real star status. He was probably born in Edwards, Mississippi in 1887, and could neither read nor write, yet he spelled his own name out loud : Not "Charley" but "C-H-A-R-L-I-E".

He was a source of inspiration to many blues singers and guitar players, Howlin' Wolf, Son House, Bukka White, John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson among them, and they in turn inspired countless others.

Patton's voice was deep and hoarse, yet immensely powerful - it was said that when he performed outside, his voice would carry for hundreds of yards without any kind of amplification.
He played a mean slide guitar, and is generally regarded as one of the first blues players to use the now-classic rhythmic twelve-bar pattern.
Patton's music was strongly rhythmic; he slapped his guitar to accentuate the rhythm, he stomped his feet, and snapped his E string (the deepest bass note) like a 70s funk bassist, and when you hear Charlie Patton, you can imagine what Howlin' Wolf must have sounded like when he started rocking up the juke joints in the late thirties.

This triple CD from Catfish records compiles nearly everything Patton ever recorded, and the remastering has worked wonders on the 70-year old 78s (none of Patton's original Paramount masters exist). Charlie Patton has finally escaped the hailstorm of surface noice which for decades greeted anyone who tried to listen to his songs, and the power and authority of his voice and guitar playing is amazing, at times even matching that of his contemporary, the great Son House. And that is saying something!

This is an essential document in the canon of the blues; indeed in that of modern popular music in general. One of the most important blues releases since the complete recordings of Robert Johnson twelve years ago. ... Read more

Asin: B0000594VE
Sales Rank: 67940
Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Country Blues    4. Delta Blues    5. Leader    6. Pop    7. Prewar Blues    8. Prewar Country Blues    9. Prewar Gospel Blues    10. Slide Guitar Blues   

The Complete Blind Willie Johnson
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 April, 1993)
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Editorial Review

In the history of recorded blues and spirituals, there is no greater singer and songwriter than Blind Willie Johnson. With a vocal delivery ranging from raw rage to tenderness wedded to his talking guitar, Blind Willie's recordings are as powerful today as when he made them, from 1927 to 1930. Listen to monuments "Motherless Children Have a Hard Time," "I Just Can't Keep from Crying," "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine," and the otherworldly "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground," and try to find equally visceral conviction any other place or time. His "If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down" which got him arrested when Blind Willie unknowingly sang it in front of a U.S. government building in Dallas, became a '60s icon. Years later, he caught pneumonia, but when treatment was sought, he was told the hospital did not treat blind people, so he returned home and died. --Alan Greenberg ... Read more

Reviews (22)

God moves on the water
The astonishing double negative of "God Don't Never Change," with its existential contradiction, sums up why this collection should be in the home of every gospel music lover in the world. Johnson's songs encompass the entire spectrum of spiritual experience from despair to hope to acceptance to mystical transcendence. & he leaves no doubt that he's been through all of it. Inspired by God's love, these songs, the singing, the guitar playing, are absolutely revelatory. Of course, Blind Willie Johnson is listened to mostly in the spirit of dispassionate appreciation by blues afficionados. Believers will have that plus the added pleasure of knowing what's really going on here. "Everybody Ought To Treat a Stranger Right" takes sound Gospel advice & makes it a request for spare change. "John the Revelator" kicks like rock & roll. "God moves on the water," indeed!

An effecting, amazing body of work
The gospel music of Blind Willie Johnson is heartfelt, intense, at times deeply sad, moving and joyful.Some of the songs are almost impossible not to sing along with - but you don't want to because his amazing voice and slidework demand your attention.

You'll find Mr. Johnson's work in the music of other artists - Ry Cooder uses a similar lick in the Paris, Texas soundtrack as you hear on Dark Was the Night - Cold Was the Ground.The Blasters did a version of If I Had My Way I'd Tear the Building Down but I prefer Mr. Johnson's version.I'm sure there are other examples but I can't think of them at the moment.An amazing tribute to a man who recorded only 30 songs and died in obscurity.The music is particularly poignant in light of the few details we have of Mr. Johnson's life.

For any collector of gospel and blues music this is a must-have album and the $14.99 for a two CD set is a steal, literally.

Wow!
I just recently got this, and I am very sorry that I didn't sooner. If you're debating whether or not to get this CD, you probably already know a good deal about the blues. So...Blind Willie Johnson sings like Charlie Patton sometimes, and other times really softly, as in his unique "Dark was the Night..." His slide playing is great, and the female vocalist sounds great and adds intensity to his growling. He is completly different stylistically from Skip James, but you will probably like him if you like (early) James because I'd say that he is equally intense. ... Read more

Asin: B0000028QB
Subjects:  1. Acoustic Texas Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Gospel    4. Pop    5. Prewar Gospel Blues    6. Slide Guitar Blues    7. Texas Blues   

Complete Early Recordings
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (15 September, 1994)
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Editorial Review

With an unmistakable falsetto delivery, Skip James created some ofhistory's eeriest blues records. His blues sounds dark and mysterious, using odd tunings, structures, and rhythms, and exploring gloomy lyrical themes. Unlike other bluesmen of the day, James's music was personal and bleak, played for his own emotional release and not for purposes of entertainment."Devil Got My Woman," "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues," "Hard Luck Child," and "Special Rider Blues" convey sorrow and misery like few others can. Uptempo numbers such as the classic "I'm So Glad" and "Drunken Spree," which resembles the hillbilly traditional "Late Last Night," showcase his forceful guitar picking while rags "Little Cow and Calf" and the jumpy "How Long 'Buck'" feature his unique piano work.--Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (23)

amazing sound quality
seriously these recordings sound better than the best dolby 5.1 dvd audio mix you ever heard.

Worth the work
You have to listen hard to get past the surface noise on these 1930 recordings. Many of the originals exist only in single copies and time was not any better to them than it was to James himself. But if you are only familiar with the later recordings he made after being "re-discovered", you have to hear these original sessions.
His voice, his guitar, his staccato piano work are amazing in these recordings. Thirty years later all had faded to one degree or another, but particularly the voice. Hear the original, do the work. You'll find the education worth the effort. If you are a blues person you NEED this CD.

one of the best
This has to be probably my favorite blues album I own.I really appreciate how the remastering tried to keep the integraty of the songs by not removing the surface noise for it would ruin the songs.Many people don't like his piano tracks but if you really give them a listen, there is some very sophistacated piano here.He can play the piano as well, if not better, than the guitar.Of course his guitar playing is amazing.If you like clean, crisp recordings, please avoid this.If you want a glimpse into the history of the blues by one of the greatest blues artists, pick this one up.You won't be dissappointed. ... Read more

Asin: B000000G8L
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Pop   

Definitive Blind Willie Mctell
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (10 May, 1994)
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Editorial Review

An extraordinary 12-string guitarist and robust singer, Willie McTell's career began in Statesboro, Georgia, where the blind-from-birth musician performed on corners for spare change. While he immortalized that town in the much-covered "Statesboro Blues," it was McTell's move to Atlanta in 1927 that led to his first studio dates--and a recording career that lasted, on and off, until his death in the late '50s. This two-CD collection features tracks from 1929 to 1933 when McTell, already under contract to Victor Records, began recording for Columbia and Vocalion under a variety of aliases such as Blind Sammie and Georgia Bill. McTell was equally adept at blues ("Talking to Myself," "Broke Down Engine Blues"), ballads ("Lord Send Me an Angel"), and rags ("Georgia Rag"), and his work is a delightful primer of 1920s Southeastern street music. --Billy Altman ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Look elsewhere for "definitive"
This is Columbia's McTell 2-CD boxed set. The text on the back of the box tells us that the collection is complete, but doesn't specify what they means by "complete".It lacks Statesboro Blues, which means the collection is neither complete nor definitive. Typical of Columbia remastering of old blues or jazz recordings, the surface noise is minimized at the expense of depth of the actual recording. McTell's booming 12-string sounds rather thin on these Colombia remasterings.

For better alternatives, there's a new Yazoo "best-of" collection which will probably be the CD of choice if you want a one-CD collection. These guys are reliably excellent with digital remastering of early blues recordings. Then there's JSP's boxed set (5-CDs) of complete early recordings up to 1940. The JSP includes Statesboro and all of his early classics, in excellent sound. And it can be had for $20 to $30, so it might steal 1st choice from Yazoo, unless you're short of storage space. Whichever you choose, McTell is one of the great singers of his age, plus he had a fair hand with the guitar. An essential acquisition if you're building an early blues collection.

Good, but not definitive
If you're only going to add one Willie McTell-album to your collection, pass this one by. It is a very good overview of William Samuel McTell's excellent Columbia and Okeh sides, but you won't find any of his classic Victor singles here, and that's a pity, because it was at Victor that McTell recorded "Statesboro Blues", "Dark Night Blues", "Writing Paper Blues", "Stole Rider Blues", and "Mama T'Ain't Long 'Fo Day".
But add this one and "The Early Years 1927-1933" to your shopping basket, and you'll have a very fine overview of Blind Willie McTell in his prime.
Or you could just get the handsomely packaged box set "The Definitive Blind Willie McTell", or the exhaustive (and very reasonably priced) "The Classic Years 1927-1940"....

Would be 5 stars if not for the sound
Before I got this CD, I had never listned to a recording of Blind Willie McTell. The reason I got this was that I knew that the White Stripes, my favorite band, were inspired by his music and I loved there cover of McTell's "Southern Can Is Mine". The music on this CD is great. McTell was very very good on the 12-string guitar and that is apparent on this album. The liner notes are also very good (especially if you're a new-comer to pre-war blues). The only thing discouraging about the CD is the quality of many of the songs-- not very good, but if you can get over that then I'd recommend this to anyone interested in Blind Willie McTell. ... Read more

Asin: B0000028WJ
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Pop   

Complete L.O.C. 1940
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (26 September, 1995)
list price: $18.98
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Reviews (6)

Very good, but somewhat obsolete
This CD compiles everything recorded by Blind Willie McTell for the Library of Congress, including a handful of often fascinating monologues (or, in some cases, dialogues with the ageing and obviously racist John A. Lomax).

The sound is reasonably good, and there are plenty of excellent cuts here, some blues tunes, and numerous religious songs as well. McTell's playing is masterful as always...the only "problem" with this CD is that all of these tracks are available on JSP's phenomenal Willie McTell-box set "The Classic Years 1927-1940", so there's really not much point in going out and buying this disc unless you already have McTell's commercial sides and just want the LoC recordings to go with them.

Very essential stuff(for acoustic blues guitar players)
If you are a fan of oldschool acoustic blues get this C.D. for real this C.D. is awesome you get to hear Blind Wllie McTell like you have never heard him before it's very interesting to get to hear anyblues legend from Blind Willies era talk and especially to hear him get interveiwed from one of the Lomaxes.Here Blind Willie kicks back and plays some songs from his childhood, and his era (early 1900's) tells you the history of the blues this may also be the only C.D. where Blind Willie plays slide (on a 12 string!) after hearing this I'm almost convinced Mr. Lomax thought he had come across Blind Willie Johnson that may be the reason McTell plays slide and sings some spritual songs (Willie McTell is more known as a ragtime player) any ways get it I feel very privlaged to own this . Thank you amazom.com & Libray of congress 5stars all the way.Oh yeah there are some excellent songs on here : muder's home blues, dying crapshooters blues, bo weevil blues just to name a few

Very essential stuff(for acoustic blues guitar players)
If you are a fan of oldschool acoustic blues get this C.D. for real this C.D. is awesome you get to hear Blind Wllie McTell like you have never heard him before it's very interesting to get to hear anyblues legend from Blind Willies era talk and especially to hear him get interveiwed from one of the Lomaxes.Here Blind Willie kicks back and plays some songs from his childhood, and his era (early 1900's) tells you the history of the blues this may also be the only C.D. where Blind Willie plays slide (on a 12 string!) after hearing this I'm almost convinced Mr. Lomax thought he had come across Blind Willie Johnson that may be the reason McTell plays slide and sings some spritual songs (Willie McTell is more known as a ragtime player) any ways get it I feel very privlaged to own this . Thank you amazom.com & Libray of congress 5stars all the way.Oh yeah there are some excellent songs on here : muder's home blues, dying crapshooters blues, bo weevil blues just to name a few ... Read more

Asin: B000000JI1
Sales Rank: 221875
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Pop   

Avalon Blues : Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 October, 1996)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Editorial Review

Mississippi John Hurt recorded 13 country-blues songs for the Okeh Electric Records company in 1928. Then he vanished. Actually, he never went anywhere. Indeed, he never strayed from his hometown of Avalon, Mississippi. He simply put the guitar down. It was the Great Depression, times were tough, money was scarce, and he needed to work. Nearly 30 years later, a blues enthusiast tracked him down, took him back to Washington, D.C., and suddenly Mississippi John's musical career resumed as quickly as it had finished. He recorded again, but these first songs from the late 1920s--with John's melancholy voice and hypnotic guitar playing at its most inspired--are his greatest musical accomplishments. --Percy Keegan ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Delightful music, amazing sound
John Smith Hurt of Avalon, Mississippi wasn't really a bluesman. Sure, he had numerous blues tunes in his exceptionally broad repertoire, but he never regarded himself as a blues singer. His playing was just too refined and articulate, and his gentle voice too plain to work in a mass setting such as a dance; John Hurt's music was (and is) best heard in small, intimate gatherings.

Rediscovered in 1963 after 35 years of musical inactivity, John Hurt didn't even own a guitar when Tom Hoskins travelled to Mississippi to establish whether he was still among the living. He was, and he became the darling of the mid-60s folk crowd, but way back in 1928, when Hurt was in his mid-30s, he laid down these thirteen sides for OKeh, and they remain his ultimate musical statement.
These are the highly priced collector's items that initially made Hurt's rediscovery and idea worth pursuing...sheer musical perfection, with a keen sense of chord melody structure which makes John Hurt's bouncy, rhythmic playing sound both elegant and driving, topped as it is by his warm, pleasant voice.

He mixes spirituals, blues, and folk songs, coming off as a songster rather than a bluesman most of the time, and his versions of religious pieces like "Praying On The Old Camp Ground" and "Blessed Be The Name" are just beautiful.
These are the original incarnations of "Candy Man Blues", "Avalon Blues", "Nobody's Dirty Business", and Hurt's renditions of "Stack O'Lee", "Spike Driver Blues", and "Frankie". He went on to re-record almost all of these songs in the 60s, but these are the originals, and the ones on which his justifiable reputation rests. And the sound quality is truly amazing...would that we could one day hear Charlie Patton or Blind Lemon Jefferson or Son House's 1930 waxings this clearly.

Silky smooth vocals, gorgeous guitar,psychotic lyrics.
This truly is a treasure of early 20th century music.And the story of Mississippi John Hurt's "discovery" and renewed career at the end of his life in the 1960's is just wonderful. For his guitar playing skills the man is probably a virtuoso or a genius - or both.The syncopated fingerpicking is as delicate and intricate as a finely sewn needlework.And his voice is gentle and sweet. Musically it is easy to listen to and riveting at the same time.But - there is a catch here . . . in some of these songs, juxtaposed against the gentleness of the playing and singing, are lyrics that will make your jaw drop in shock at their sheer brutality.Some seem like they were written by a psychopath.He singsto a jaunty ragtime accompaniment in his sweet gentle voice: "one of these days I'm gonna wake up boozy, grab a gun and kill my Suzie".Mixed in with this are spiritual songs.One minute the guy's gonna kill his baby (and thinks that no one else should be concerned about it) and the next - he's praisin' the lord.Lyrically, this is stuff Charles Manson would relate to.In any event, the music is superb and most of the songs have relatively "normal" lyrics.The fingerstyle guitar playing is amazing and it alone makes this an album worth getting.Just tune out the bizarre lyrics in some of the songs.

Gently rockin' blues...
This cd has a variety it is no doubt blues, however Hurt is more versitile then just a blues singer, he is a masterful guitar player, who picks ragtime melodies, and sings folksy style, while gently rocking both vocally and instrumentaly.

Hurt was ahead of his time by 30 years, before the folk music scene was huge in the 60's, also he was looking back 20 years to the 1910's and ragtime.An interesting mix 1n 1928 lookin to the past and the future ta make some great original and truly unique and from the heart warming blues.

An essential cd is the bottom line ... Read more

Asin: B000002AEN
Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Revival    4. Country Blues    5. Delta Blues    6. Pop    7. Prewar Country Blues    8. United States of America   

Banned : 20 Risque Songs From The 20s & 30s
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (30 September, 1992)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Reviews (1)

Hilarious
If you like comedy, sex and jazz (and who doesn't?) this is a must-have album.

Gertrude Lawrence's rendition of "The Physician" is worth the cost of the disc, but "Nellie tne Nudist Queen" is also brilliant. ... Read more

Asin: B000001HFL
Sales Rank: 19461
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. V/a Compilations   

Classic German Movie Songs: The UFA Years
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (11 July, 2000)
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Features

• Import
• Soundtrack

Reviews (2)

Most songs of the time before the Nazis came to power
I have to correct the former reviewer. Most of the songs here were made in the late 20s and early 30s before the terror regime of the Nazis came to power. And some were even made after the Nazi terror regime that ended in the mid-40s.

All the songs you wanted to capture on one album.
Classic German Movie Songs: The UFA years. Although UFA spans a great deal of years the songs are mostly 20's and 30's. You may want to pick up a complimentary book "The UFA Story".Many of the films are still available or just becoming available with the advent of DVD.By purchasing a striping program for your computer you may be able to even get DVD's that are only available in other regions and display formats.

From UFA come songs Preformed by Hans Albers, Jan Kiepura, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Keller, Marta Eggerth, Lilian Harvey, Pola Negri, Wilhelm Strienz, Heinz Ruhmann, Willy Fritsch, Zarah Leander, Marika Rokk, Hilde Hildebrand, Rosita Serrano, Alda Noni, and Johannes Heesters,

Includes music from: Der Kongress Tanzt, Der Blaue Engel, Ein Lied Fur Dich, Die Blonde Carmen, Heisses Blut, Gluckskinder, Der Mann Der Sherlock Holmes War, Tango Notturno, Zwei Frauen, Tanz Auf Dem Vulkan, Ehe In Dosen, Alarm Auf Station III, Grosse Freiheit No. 7, Wir Machen Musik, Kora Terry, Hab' Mich Lieb, Fahrt Ins Gluck, Das Herz Der Konigin, Der Weisse Traum, Die Frau Meiner Traume, Immer Nur Du.

... Read more

Asin: B00004VW7K
Sales Rank: 105641
Subjects:  1. Cabaret    2. Film Music    3. Germany    4. Original Score    5. Pop    6. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

As Good as It Gets: Rockabilly
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 September, 2000)
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Reviews (2)

Great Rockabilly Starter Kit
Any Rockabilly collection should start right here.This two disc set really covers a lot of ground.There are an unbelievable 63 tracks in this set.And we are not talking bottom of the barrel.This is top shelf material.Disc one eases you in with well know Rockabilly favorites from the likes of Gene Vincent, Elvis, Carl Perkins, Wanda Jackson and on and on.31 tracks of the best of the best.Disc two takes you into more obscure tracks that Rockabilly die hards will recogize.Joe "ducktail" Clay, Sonny Burgess, Charlie Feathers, Eddie Bond and 29 others have songs represented on disc 2.Now that's a bargain.

THE TITLE SAYS IT ALL
AN EXCELLENT COMPILATION OF SOME OF THE FINEST ROCKABILLY MUSIC EVER RECORDED. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS SET. YOU WON'T BE DISSAPOINTED. ... Read more

Asin: B0000508HV
Sales Rank: 208590
Subjects:  1. Country-Rock    2. Honky Tonk    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rockabilly    8. Traditional Country    9. V/a Compilations   

Rockabilly Boogie
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 April, 1994)
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Editorial Review

To Golden Age aficionados, this Memphis combo, comprised of brothers Johnny and Dorsey Burnette and visionary lead guitarist Paul Burlison, are the great lost rockabilly group of all time. Contemporaries of Elvis, the Burnettes scored a record contract after going to New York and winning top prize on the Ted Mack's Amateur Hour TV show (the Star Search of its day). This collection of their 1956 recordings contains the rawest, purest rockabilly ever made. In addition to such out-of-control classics as the title track and "Tear It Up," there are such influential recordings as "Train Kept A-Rollin'" (later covered by the Yardbirds and Areosmith), and "Lonesome Tears in My Eyes" (an early Beatles favorite). --Billy Altman ... Read more

Reviews (23)

If you do not own this you are not a rockabilly fan!
Pure and simple folks, the Johnny Burnette Trio is top shelf and in the running for greatest rockabillys ever.These guys were gods and were leaders on the cutting edge "back in the day."This should be standard issue to all music lovers no matter what style of music they like.These guys have a far reaching influence that goes beyond the rockabilly "scene" and even Aerosmith knows how important they were to rock and roll history.Buy this, and buy it now!

Warmed over..
This is a classic example of "a band that never made it big"'s second life. The songs are pretentious and second rate at best. I give it only two stars.

Such Blather I've Never Seen Before
Unless you play a rockabilly guitar and can do nothing else, I have to wonder where you are coming from. I remember well the unpolished sounds of the Johnny Burnette Trio emanating from my radio (WHBQ in Memphis where the Burnettes lived) as white man's rock and roll came into being.In no way did they come close to Elvis' early rockabilly or to that of Jackson, Tennessee's Carl Perkins.(And Elvis didn't dwell on it, least of all OBSESS on it as I see here). There was no national hit from this trio that even one of a thousand people can name.True recognition eluded Dorsey Burnette after he left this failed group (and the duo he had with his brother as well)."Hey, Little One" and "Tall Oak Tree" are his legacy.Johnny was more prolific having a lot of pop hits in the early 60s and earning fame and popularity.Even with that, one has to wonder could he have continued his roll with the advent of the British groups in the same year he died in a boating accident near Memphis.With such fervor from these reviewers who must find it fashionable to worship the arcane, I suggest you try the Bear Family's "Train Kept A-Rollin'-Memphis to Hollywood".You can afford it. ... Read more

Asin: B000001AW9
Subjects:  1. Guitar    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock & Roll    5. Rockabilly   

Boris Vian Chante Boris Vian
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (03 February, 1998)
list price: $25.49 -- our price: $25.49
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Features

• Import

Reviews (6)

The Best
The best singer, trumpetit, and the mayor writer in the last century. As a musisian, he is wontherfull best regards who want to share vain mp3, contact to me at pavlov@overnet.com.ar

A la hauteur de Boris Vian
Ce disque resume bien le caractere de Boris Vian.Tout comme ses romans et nouvelles, les textes de ces chansons sont un melange d'absurde, de realisme et d'humour.Les accompagnements musicaux sont quelquefoisordinaire, mais la seule qualite des paroles merite 5 etoile.

The brilliant music of Boris Vian
My older syster introduced me to the music of Boris Vian. And i must admit, it is probably one of the most interresting artist i have ever heard. Vian's lyrics are brilliant, amusing and reflects social issuesaccurately and the music follows the lyrics flow. He's a social poet thatwill make you travell though life with his storytelling songs without beinga heavy flight. Songs like "La java des bombes atomiques" willmake you laugh and songs like "Le deserteur" will move you. Hisbrilliant music will not leave you indifferent, that why i highly recommend"Boris Vian chante Boris Vian".PS: there was a horriblemistake regarding the rating of this album, i gve it 4 STARS and not 1.Thanks. PZ ... Read more

Asin: B0000084FK
Sales Rank: 107699
Subjects:  1. World Music   

Grieg: Cello Sonata, Op. 36; Piano Sonata, Op. 7; Intermezzo
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 May, 1995)
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Reviews (1)

Griegs Cello Sonata is good therapy for the blues...
The performances and recording work done on this record of Grieg's 'cello works will give you the same feeling as when you sucked your thumb as a baby. It satisfies an aural fixation during times of personal reflection.People who may not like "classical" music are not aware thatEdvard Grieg was a song writer (performed with his second cousin and wife(vocalist)) and a master of the humable tune. If you can not relate toBirkeland's 'cello and Gimse's piano on this one, then you REALLY don'tlike classical. By the way, this is my first duplicate purchase of a CD.The first one is all scratched up! ... Read more

Asin: B0000013ZV
Sales Rank: 86019
Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Keyboard   

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex/Symphony of Psalms
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 September, 1994)
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Reviews (1)

One of the greatest Stavinsky records ever
Well... one may not like Oedipus rex, all right ; but if one does, this is probably one of the best two recordings. But then there is the Symphony of Psalms : decidedly one of Stravinsky's masterpieces, and in the best interpretation I have ever heard. Just listen how time comes to a halt in the last five minutes of the third movement! Anyway Karel Ancerl is one of the greatest conductors of last century, although he seems to be sometimes forgotten. ... Read more

Asin: B00000JJ25
Sales Rank: 253571
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Orchestral & Symphonic   

Symphony 1 ' Gothic '
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (17 December, 1992)
list price: $31.98
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Editorial Review

In contrast to the compact, terse idiom characterizing Brian's late work, his earlier Gothic sprawls in a myriad of directions, with an overkill of striking ideas, toppling over each other at full orchestral and choral strength. Ondrej Lenárd admirably pulls his massive forces together as they brave the music's extraordinary technical demands with impressive aplomb. --Jed Distler ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Havergal's Brian early magnum opus...a masterpiece
Mahler's Third Symphony or Schoenberg's "Gurre-Lieder" are two works that come to mind when trying to present novices with repertory pieces with which to compare Havergal Brian's Gothic Symphony.

This may be a truism, but in growing to appreciate this masterful work, one must come to terms with its mammoth proportions.

The composer offers a three-movement symphonic suite and fuses to it a three-movement Te Deum that is rather syncretistic in nature. Secular moves freely into sacred, the high art of Church Music then proceeds to the "low" art of sea songs, shifting throughout a backdrop of quietude alternating with dense polyphony.

Some themes (such as the sea song in the last movement) recur.
Other themes, some of which can only be described as glorious, appear only once, fleeting and ephemeral.

The third movement offers a noteworthy passage in which a piccolo and bass oboe take up a theme "out of the blue" and then follow it with a xylophone cadenza (!!)(absolutely remarkable).

The sheer number of performers (see the liner notes for details)create overwhelming financial and logistical challenges that will forever disqualify this great work of art from becoming "standard repertoire." However, I could see that there is a place for it in, say, festival settings.

The symphony's length is not terribly daunting if one compares it to the Mahler symphonies or a night at the opera for a performance of Wagner's "Parsifal" or Messiaen's "St Francis of Assisi."

Purchasing this set and listening to all that this work has to offer is an excellent way not only to spend money, but also to learn about the cavernous musical territory that Havergal Brian charted.

I hope you will take a chance on it.

Brain is Unlike Anything Else
Havergal Brain, if he is remembered at all, is remembered as the composer of the longest symphony in the Guinness Book. The Gothic Symphony is gargantuan, and in many ways not at all typical of Brain's mature output. But it is remarkable nonetheless and completely without precedent.

Scored for extremely large orchestra and chorus, the Gothic suffers from two things, one is a comparison to Mahler, particularly the Mahler 8th. This comparison is unfair to both composers as the works are really apples and oranges. Those expecting another Symphony of a Thousand are always disappointed by Brain. The second drawback for Brian is the sheer size of the work, which has given rise to a myth that it is unplayable. Difficult it is, and I can imagine that it's choral tone clusters were a great challenge to it's opening night British choir, but with all of the modern advances in choral and orchestral technique, I'm not sure that Brian is such a task anymore. But somehow, these two myths help keep the work from commanding the concert hall stage. It's a real shame, because the work is unlike anything else.

The Gothic is set in two gigantic parts. The first part is for orchestra alone and could almost be a symphony in itself. It contains what sound like all four movements of the traditional symphony but tightly compacted. Brain was a fecund composer, sometimes to his detriment, and the ideas flow fast and furious, often without obvious relationship. But a close listening will reveal subtle thematic connections between much of the bewildering variety of themes in the work. For all the works oddity though, the musical language is never much more harsh than, say, Elgar. The challenge of listening to Brain here is not in the dissonance of the work, which is quite mild in the first part, but in the unusual approach to themeatic development and structure. Nothing is ever predictable in this work.

If Brian had stopped at the end of the first part of his symphony he would have created a respectible, if quirky symphony in the English progressivist tradition. But he pushed on. The second part of the symphony dwarfs the first completely. Brain sets the Latin text for the Te Deumj for a monstrous choral group with soloists and orchestra. All the stops are let out in this movement. Nearly medieval choral writing is contrasted with violent orchestral outbursts. There are even moments of dense tone clusters that predate Ligeti by 50 years. The experience is like that of a Gothic Cathedral, everything is included, the sublime, the terrifying and even the grotesque. After more than 20 listens I still can't tell whether I truly love the work, but it is definately unlike anything else ever written and should be better known.

The performance is probably the best that you can expect in the circumstances. Marco Polo is a division of Naxos, but one that has always disappointed me, even as they have cornered the market on obscure composers such as Brian. Marco Polo doesn't seem to attract the same quality of performers that Naxos proper does and it doesn't have the attractive price to compensate. The performance on this disc is respectable, but at times a little sloppy. Add to that the rather poor sound quality and it leaves alot to be desired. Brian's masterpiece deserves better. Hopefully someone else will try to tackle this work, but in the meantime, this disc is the only game in town, so you should get it and experience this early 20th century monument for yourself.

5 stars for the music, 4 for the recording
well, what can I say?this is the most amazing music, unlike any I have heard before.I have come to the conclusion that comparisons with Mahler are misleading, as there is so much more here.I have to agree with other reveiwers on this page that the recording does not always let the full colours of the orchestral writing come through, and there are moments where I wish the detail I know is there came through more clearly.This is music that everyone should hear, and I hope that, as with Mahler, Brian's day will one day come. ... Read more

Asin: B0000045VT
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Neo-Romantic    3. Orchestral & Symphonic