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

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

Reviews (790)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Asin: B000006TRV
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

The Game (+ Bonus Track)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (17 June, 1991)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $14.99
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Reviews (59)

a brilliant game
the game is one of best albums from queen after live at the bowl and i highly recommend this brilliant album.five stars.

a great game,
the game is one of the best albums from the legendary queen after news of the world.hugely recommended.five stars.

average
When I heard this album I enjoyed it, but i have to say that I don't understand why almost everybody gives this album 5 stars. It isn't that good. Three stars! Not lower, not higher! But ofcours, everybody has a different taste. Well, the album starts with 'Play the game', and it's a very good song. 'Dragon Attack' is also very good, I like Dragon attack even better then 'Play the game'. Next one is Ánother one Bites the dust' and that is a great song!! After those three great songs you get to here 6 average songs. These 6 songs are a real let down, you think this cd is great if you have heard the first three, but after that? Average songs, some of them are even boring or bad. But after those 6 tracks, you get to here my favorite song on the album: 'Save Me'. The bonus track is okay, but I never listen to it, cause the real 'Dragon Attack' is way better!

So, I recommend this album, cause I think you will like it(almost everybody around here loves it, so why won't you?). It's definetely not my favorite album by Queen, but it's not to bad. ... Read more

Asin: B000000OAJ
Sales Rank: 8716
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Back in Black (Deluxe Digipak)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (18 February, 2003)
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Editorial Review

Most critics complain Back in Black, the album AC/DC recorded after the death of their original lead screamer Bon Scott, is ridiculously juvenile, obvious, snickering, bludgeoning, derivative, single-minded about sex and booze, a big cartoon. All true, of course, and--on rock 'n' ragers like "What Do You Do For Money Honey," "You Shook Me All Night Long," and the title track--all great. As Scott's replacement Brian Johnson reminds us, loud and crunchy, no-holds-barred "rock and roll ain't noise pollution...it makes good, good sense." Never trust anyone who refuses to drink domestic beer, laugh at the Three Stooges, or crank Back in Black. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (114)

Song writing in Back in Black has never been topped
The band has never been able to re-create the songwriting quality that they achieved in this album. The songs have quality chorus guitar riffs with a completely separate verse guitar riff. Most other AC/DC songs, while excellent, do not have 2 or 3 quality riff patterns per song. They came close to this song writing pattern with "We Salute You". The guitar rythyms in Back in Black are unmatched by any band in the world to date. Super high quality riffs and rythyms characterize the songs on this album. So far Malcolm and Angus have not put together such a classic collection of riffs on any one album. I say they should go back to the Bahamas where it was recorded and re-hire Mutt Lange to produce another album for them- maybe that environment is what made the difference.

ACDC's comeback classic
Back In Black (1980.) ACDC's first album with Brian Johnson.

In the mid-late seventies, ACDC rose to fame as one of the superpowers of hard rock. The Australian rock group had released several albums, each of which being an improvement over the previous one. The band seemed to have no limit to their rock and roll potential. Then after releasing their career masterpiece, Highway To Hell, disaster struck. On February 19, 1980, Bon Scott was found dead after a night of heavy drinking. It seemed that this would be the fatal blow that would bring their hard rock careers to an end - but they weren't about to give up. Recruiting new singer Brian Johnson, the band went into the studio and recorded a comeback album - Back In Black. Not only did it save their careers, it became their most popular album! Does the classic album, produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, live up to the hype? Read on for my review of Back In Black.

This is a tough album for me to review, because there is really nothing that hasn't already been said. The album is a five-star masterpiece - certainly worthy of all the hype fans give it. I wouldn't say that the album tops Highway To Hell (forgive me, but I'm a Bon Scott loyalist), but I must admit that Brian Johnson's first shake at doing lead vocals is also his best effort with the band. Johnson would release a plethora more excellent hard rock albums with ACDC over the years, but none of them would ever top this. This is a rare example of a one of a band's best overall albums getting the praise it deserves. Of the ten tracks this album serves up, SEVEN of them became huge hits for the band. The huge hits include Hell's Bells, Shoot To Thrill, What Do You Do For Money Honey, Back In Black, You Shook Me All Night Long, Have A Drink On Me, and Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution. EVERY ONE OF THESE SONGS gets played on classic rock/hard rock radio on a regular basis, and it's not hard to see why. And then we've got the three non-hits - Given The Dog A Bone, Shake A Leg, and Let Me Put My Love Into You. These three non-hits are every bit as good as their popular counterparts from the album. Many people claim that this is the best ACDC album, and it is easily understandable why people make that claim. Do you like classic hard rock? Then you must own this album. There's just no reason not to.

ACDC's albums got remastered and rereleased in 2003, but sadly, these reissues DO NOT differ from the older CD issues. In fact, they have received a major DOWNGRADE - horrible cardboard packaging. There are no bonus tracks or expanded liner notes either. And they don't restore the original Australian tracklists/cover art, either! In other words, if you can find them, get the OLDER releases. You get the same quality package, but you get a much more durable jewel case with it.

Back In Black is ACDC's most popular album by far, and is definitely the group's crowning achievement with Brian Johnson at the helm - and it's very rare that a band's new vocalist gets everything right the first time! If you're a fan of classic rock/hard rock/heavy metal, this is one of those must-own albums. If you're new to ACDC, this and Highway To Hell should be the first albums you buy (surprisingly, ACDC never released a hits compilation (unless you count the subpar Maximum Overdrive soundtrack Who Made Who), so there goes that option.) Get this and Highway, and you'll have the ultimate into to one of the finest hard rock bands in the land.

A bit OVERPLAYED!
Everyone knows the story behind this album, it's been reviewed about a million or so times: how Bon's passing away almost put an end to the band and how Brian Johnson came in and they recorded this masterpiece. And everyone knows all of the songs here as well, BACK IN BLACK, YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG, HELLS BELLS, SHOOT TO THRILL, ROCK N ROLL AIN'T NOISE POLLUTION, ect. Just turn on your radio and tune into any rock station in the afternoon on any given day and you will hear one of these songs playing. This is one of the greatest albums ever committed to wax, that is a given, it is also one of the most overplayed as well. I am a big fan of AC/DC, but they have 16 other albums besides BACK IN BLACK, WTF? why can't we hear lost classics like "Guns for Hire", "Down Payment Blues" or even the ocasional "High Voltage" instead of playing YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG for the 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000th time? You can
hear these songs being played anywhere: weddings,sporting events,TV commercials, hell, even 6th grade graduations for christ sake. It is funny how BACK IN BLACK is the least played CD in my AC/DC collection, it's becuase its just so effing overplayed that it ruins it.

Yeah, it's great, but they really need to calm down with it. ... Read more

Asin: B000089RV6
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Arena Rock    3. Aussie Rock    4. Australia    5. Hard Rock    6. Heavy Metal    7. Pop    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop   

Crimes of Passion
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98
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Reviews (22)

Where is Painted Desert?
In the last 20 years, I've worn out three copies of this recording -once on vinyl and twice on tape.Time to replace it with a CD, but I have one questions:WHERE IS PAINTED DESERT?That was one of the best cuts on the record!

One Of Pat Benatar's Best
Along with IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT and BEST SHOTS, CRIMES OF PASSION is one of Pat Benatar's best albums. There are a lot of great rockers here, including "Hell Is For Children", which holds a special place for me because, when I was in school, I knew a lot of kids from not-so-good homes. On the other hand, several other songs, including "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", would be the perfect soundtrack for the next time your group or school has a field day. Get this and the other aforementioned albums to start your Pat Benatar collection- preferably all at once.

Still Have The Height Of Her Danskins Plus Too
I just reconnected with this beauty after a long period of separation (we get led away from our truths seriously in tone with the promise of more or better - then back to this). The riff of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and the dim locale of "Hell Is For Children" do not daunt this process of collecting again for glory once had. This album is truly great and was not topped by them either or ever. A solid gold here. Seminal. You need this album - not just a greatest hits revieu. Do it. ... Read more

Asin: B000003JAJ
Sales Rank: 26773
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Arena Rock    3. Hard Rock    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Rock   

Women and Children First
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 September, 2000)
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Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (64)

Roth's coming out party...EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!!
VH's third album is one of those that did not have a ton of commercial success, but Van Halen was by no means really, a "commercial" band.I mean if you want something poppy that everyone and their dog buys, you buy Hootie and the.....or Matchbox twe...see I already forgot who those were!!!

What I'm saying is, this music was written as streamlined garage rock and roll that featured brooding themes, slow catchy tunes and hard, fast rockers.It sold what it did because people loved the music, not because MTV and radio crammed it down our throat for 9 straight months!!

ON WACF, We have a catchy Album title that sounds somewhat dooming like a ship is going down...well this ship is not going down, not with songs that open up like "..and the cradle, will rock!" and the stomping rocker with the congo-drum intro "EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!"What is great about this album as well as the last THREE, especially VHII and Fair Warning, is that with every 3 rockers we get a bass-laden or guitar virtuoso solo thrown in, or a sad sounding slow song that is not a ballad but a crooning, edgy rocker like "In a simple rhyme"...below are some lyrics from my favorite songs..I hope you out there who have not experienced Van Halen's old music go and check some of this out, this and Fair Warning are both great to start with, not to mention the debut album (entitled: Van Halen) and VH II.


"..have you seen juniors grades??!!"--and the cradle will rock

"I seen a lotta people lookin' for a moonbeam
Yeah, ya spent a lot/ Ya got lost in the jet-streammm" --Everybody Wants Some!

"She made her mountains sing
Birds against an icy sky
And I heard bells ringin'
I think I heard an angel sigh" --In a simple Rhyme

1. And the Cradle Will Rock...
2. Everybody Wants Some!!
3. Fools
4. Romeo Delight
5. Tora! Tora!
6. Loss of Control
7. Take Your Whiskey Home
8. Could This Be Magic?
9. In a Simple Rhyme

An underrated masterpiece
1980 saw the release of Van Halen's "Women and Children First," their third album in a chain of classic releases spanning the late 70s into the early 80s. "Women and Children First" is probably the bands' most under-appreciated album. This is due to the fact that it's in the middle of a chain of classic releases like "Van Halen," "Van Halen II" and "1984." Yet it hasn't quite received the cult status of "Fair Warning" or the sales of "Diver Down."

Although "Van Halen II" (1979) is a classic album, it's slightly underwhelming when compared to the magnificent self-titled debut (1978). It's the classic case of the "sophomore slump," when a band that has been playing clubs for years uses up all its best material on the debut, and then has to use what's left over for the follow-up (although what was "left over" was still pretty good!). For "Woman and Children First," the band recorded a whole new batch of songs that sounded fresh, and less like leftovers.

It goes without saying that Van Halen was at their prime during the Roth years (1978-1985). The debut album and the follow-up see Van Halen young, fast and furious. This was also the case by the time Van Halen released "Women and Children First," but the band also sounds a little more loose, more relaxed, but without losing any of the fire or passion that made them so great. Eddie's playing, which goes without saying, sounds terrific. Every song on "Women and Children First" has one, or two killer, killer solos. Bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van Halen provide a stellar rhythm section and David Lee Roth shines as only he can. There has never been, nor will there ever be, in the history of rock n' roll, a singer that has the charisma, charm, showmanship and ironic wit of David Lee Roth.

"Women and Children First," starts out surprisingly mid-paced (although never tepid) with its first couple of songs. The classic rock staples "And the Cradle Will Rock..." and "Everybody Want's Some!" get the album off to a great start. The former a dedication to the endurance of the rock n' roll sprit and the latter a tribute to, well, what everybody wants. Both songs feature Eddie Van Halen at his best. His solos never sounded more soulful or melodic. And Dave just shines. "Everybody Wants Some" really shows classic David Lee Roth at his best, especially with his "I like way the line runs up the back of the stocking," and "no no no no no, don't take `em off", and "yeah, that's it, a little more to the right" lines. These two tracks really show classic Van Halen at there finest. The pace slows down even more for the bluesy "Fools" an ode to the powers that be that would obstruct the prowling of the Diamond one.

The pace goes into hyperdrive with the classic "Romeo Delight" which is probably one of Van Halen's most underrated songs. The main riff is absolutely killer and Eddie's playing is fast and furious. One of the best moments of this song comes towards the end, when the rush of the song comes to a sudden halt, and then you hear the sound of a tapping, softly at first, and then getting louder and louder. Dave's quite melodic "oh baby, feel my heartbeat, feel my heartbeat, feel my heartbeat" over the tapping which gets increasingly louder adds the perfect effect as only Diamond Dave could. The Sabbath-like "Tora! Tora!" which leads into the anarchic "Loss of Control" are two non-song tracks that add a bit of spice to the album and are essential to its overall flow.

The band goes semi-acoustic towards the end of "Women and Children First." "Take Your Whisky Home" sounds like an old blues song from the South. The lines "Well my baby, she don't want me around, she says she's tired of watching me fall down, she wants the good life, whhah, and all the rest, but I like that bottle better than the rest" show the true spirit of classic Van Halen. The acoustic "Could this be Magic" is pure magic. In it, Dave sings of the inevitable doom of what will become in his current romance, but in pure Dave kitsch. The background vocals and harmonies from Eddie, Michael and Nicolette Larson add the perfect touch. The album closes with the beautifully written ballad "In a Simple Rhyme." This is simply one of rock's greatest, most highly underrated love songs. It actually rocks pretty hard, but is elegant and soulful. I would go as far as to say that it's like a "Sweet Child `O Mine" of the early 80s. Eddie and Michael's background vocals over Dave's soulful blues delivery is pure magic. Eddie's thunderous solo over Michael Anthony's melodic bass line sounds terrific. And Diamond Dave never shined so bright. Some of his best lyrics are right here:

Then she made the mountains sing
Birds against an icy sky
And I heard bells ringin'
I think I heard an angel sigh

"Woman and Children First" closes with an untitled 15 second Sabbath-like instrumental titled "Growth." Supposedly, the follow-up album, (which turned out to be "Fair Warning" 1981) would begin with the same riff, although this turned out not to be the case. "Growth" sort of comes out of left field, but is none-the-less an interesting piece of music and a cool way to end the album.

The first six Van Halen albums are absolutely essential cornerstones to any great rock collection. Although "Women and Children First" is not the band's most well known album, it is still a classic and a must have for any Van Halen fan, or fan of hard rock or classic rock in general.

4.5 STARS,A straight up Hard Rock Album
The Riffing in this album is more bleak than there previous album's but it makes up for it in heavyness. Heres what I think of the songs.

1.And The Cradle Will Rock (9.5/10)- The main riff in this song is actually done on keyboards.
2.Everybody Wants Some- (9.5/10)- Hard as hell, the whammy bar effects are awesome
3.Fools (9/10)- Awesome intro, starts of bluesy and then bursts in too a sweet tapping solo
4.Romeo Delight (9/10)- sweet lyrics, "Wanna see my I.D.? Try to clip my wings!Don't have to show you proof of anything.
I know the law friend."
5.Tora! Tora! (9/10)- sweet intro track to loss of control
6.Loss Of Control (9/10)- A total Thrash Metal Song
7.Take your whiskey home (8/10)- Its alright
8.Could This Be Magic (6/10)- Experimental acoustic pop song, not very good but hey at least they tried
9.In A Simple Rhyme (8.5/10)- I didnt like it at first but it grew on me

If you liked this album you might also like:
The Scorpions-Animal Magnetism

... Read more

Asin: B00004Y6OA
Sales Rank: 3894
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Arena Rock    3. Hard Rock    4. Heavy Metal    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Rock   

Departure
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (15 October, 1996)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (14)

Journey's Best Album
If you want a great journey album, this is it. Every song is great, and the best thing is, most of them did not make it onto their greatest hits cd. This may sound like a bad thing, but we all know how greatest hits work; they take a few hits from each album so as to promote all of their albums. But this album is all hits. So if you want a great journey album that aren't the same old songs you are used to (though those never get old), this is the one to buy!

Great Journey Album
DEPARTURE is a great Journey album. The big hit here was "Any Way You Want It", but the best song on this album is "Where Were You." Get DEPARTURE at the same time as INFINITY, EVOLUTION, CAPTURED, ESCAPE, and FRONTIERS.

More rocking Journey...another fantastic album
This third album of Journey's with Steve Perry at the helm continues the mastery of classic melodic rock that the band is famed for.This would be the last album before Greg Rolie is replaced by Jonathan Cain on keyboards, so it is the last we get to hear of certain classic rock influences.For sure, this is a rocking album but with a definite moodiness to it in spots.

"Any Way You Want It" kicks off the album with a bang.With no instrumental intro, Steve Perry starts belting out one of Journey's most famous rockers.Then comes the light, catchy "Walk Like a Lady", a bluesy number that nicely offsets the opening rocker."Someday Soon" is melodic rock bliss, and it includes some of the last of the great vocals we get to hear from Greg Rolie.Following is a very uniquely moody tune in "People and Places".I don't know what it is about that song, but with the way the different members each sing a word one after the other combined with the haunting (in spots) sound of the keyboard, this one still can send shivers up my spine.Very unique track.

Then after more fine melodies on "Precious Time", a few definite rockers kick in."Where Were You" has an amazingly melodic chorus, "I'm Cryin'" contains some of the most amazingly emotive Perry vocals ever, and "Line Of Fire" absolutely smokes.From there the tempo and mood slows up with the short but very nice title track instrumental, which leads into the very pretty, pleasant "Good Morning Girl"."Stay Awhile" further continues the pretty slowdown in tempo, before "Homemade Love" ends the album by again rocking the house.

I could rave at length about every one of these tracks and how listening to them makes me feel.As much as I love the more popular Journey albums that are to follow this one, there is something about that classic sound that is special.This effort was the third straight winning effort with Steve Perry at the vocal helm in three years for the band at the time.Once again, the band struck gold in the classic and melodic rock arena. ... Read more

Asin: B000002BN5
Sales Rank: 10456
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Bebe Le Strange
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $9.98
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Reviews (10)

4.5 stars - Heart begins their forgotten transitional era
Bebe Le Strange (1980.) Heart's fifth album.

By 1979, Heart had released four albums. On every album, they demonstrated excellent musical ability and diversity. They were one of the few bands of the day that could do both hard rockers and folksy tunes, and practically everything in between. But with the transition from the seventies to the eighties, the music industry was fast changing. Many of the classic seventies rock bands attempted to change with the times - and very few succeded. Following the transition between the times, Heart basically disappeared from the charts (although they'd resurface in a big way about half way through the decade.) Read on for my review of Bebe Le Strange, Heart's first album of the eighties.

As my review title states, this is first Heart's transitional album between two periods. And accordingly, you get plenty of diversity here. There is plenty of classic seventies-style rock that you had come to expect from the band in that decade, along with some of the folksy tunes. But what really makes this album stand out is the new elements that the band incorporated into their sound starting on this album. Nancy Wilson's guitar playing here is faster and more aggressive than what you had heard on earlier albums - the guitar work here is comparable to that of many of the early punk rock bands that were popular in the day and age. This, in many ways, serves as a premonition of the band's popular mid-late eighties material. This album's diversity is arguably its greatest strength. Unfortunately, though, the album was not one of the band's more popular releases, and the album never achieved the same kind of popularity as, say, Dreamboat Annie or the band's 1985 self-titled smash. The two albums that followed this one up gained even less popularity and are relatively unknown. This album marks Heart's entry into a new decade - and it didn't get half the audience it deserved.

Three of Heart's classic albums - Little Queen, Dog And Butterfly, and Bebe Le Strange all got remastered and rereleased. And the new versions of the albums feature expanded liner notes, track-by-track commentary, and even some rare bonus tracks! Do yourself a favor - if you don't have the albums yet, get the remasters.

Bebe Le Strange was the beginning of a new age for Heart, and despite it not being one of the band's larger commercial successes, it was still a very strong release. Although I wouldn't recommend this album for a fan who was just getting into the band, I would certainly recommend it to any tried and true Heart fan.

Heart: Bebe Le Strange (1980)
In February of 1980, Heart delivered their fifth album entitled, BEBE LE STRANGE, their first album with Epic Records. Some long-time fans will reveal that they consider this to be Heart's last greatest album. But they are wrong. Heart was still pretty much well on their way. But this album is definitely one hell of an album. Fortunately, Heart modified their look just a bit, where the Ann & Nancy Wilson appeared with their hair permed in that rock perm look.

BEBE LE STRANGE
The first single from the album, and the album's title track. Another one HEART's greatest classic tunes.

DOWN ON ME
I was really impressed with this song. I can't help, but play this one over and over.

SILVER WHEELS
Instrumental song. The second single from the album. Not bad.

BREAK
The third single from the album. I remember the first I heard this song. I heard it when I saw the video on VH1 Classics. I knew that this song was from this album, because of the way Ann and Nancy wore their hair. But I had to wait until the end of the video to find out what the name of the song was. Once I knew the name of the song, I immediately said that this song was a kick a** song.

ROCKIN' HEAVEN DOWN
Not bad.

EVEN IT UP
The third single from the album. The music and arrangements are incredible, but the harmonies could have been better.

STRANGE NIGHT
Not bad.

RAISED ON YOU
Unbelievably incredible.

PILOT
Not bad.

SWEET DARLIN'
The fourth & final single from the album. Beautifully performed.

This is definitely an incredible album and all of you Heart fans out there should own a copy. I don't care what format the album is in: CD, CASSETTE, VINYL,... whatever. You all should own a copy of this album.

not bad
This is a nice album.Unlike what others said, it is not the best album ever made and it isn't even the best Heart album.This is Heart's fifth album and is probably their fifth best.I don't see how anyone could compare this to the monster Dreamboat Annie, or even Dog and Butterfly.

This album has three very good songs.Sweet Darlin' is a cross between rock and folk, which Heart does just about as good as anyone.Straight Night is a good straight ahead rocker-something that Heart does well sometimes, and sometimes not so well.Down On Me is a blues number, which is really a new area for Heart.It is always good to see a group explore and experiment and be successful at it.They should have continued doing more of this.

Raised On You is one of the few songs from the first five albums with Nancy on lead vocals.It sounds as if the band is trying to copy Fleetwood Mac (Christine McVie), with a little Grateful Dead (Donna Godcheaux thrown in).Nancy would eventually become the center piece of the band as Ann would gain wait and Heart went after the MTV crowd.

The rest of the songs are mediocre to bad.Bebe le Strange and Even It Up sound just like any other rocker Heart did on the first 4 albums.

Note that Roger Fischer left the group just before this album.His departure does seem to have a little impact on this album.His absence will really be felt in later albums.I always hated him.What was he doing with Nancy, when I wanted the Wilson sisters all to myself. ... Read more

Asin: B0000025I2
Sales Rank: 124586
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Permanent Waves
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (06 May, 1997)
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Editorial Review

One of Rush's finest moments, second only to Moving Pictures. This album includes two classic songs, "The Spirit of Radio" (which has one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in all of rock) and "Freewill." There's also the epic-feeling "Jacob's Ladder," as well as "Entre Nous," a sort of intellectual love song (if such a thing can be said to exist). The introspective "Different Strings" and the anthemic "Natural Science" (which clocks in at over nine minutes) close the album. Though there are only six songs on Permanent Waves, it's enough; the material is rich enough that more of it would be like overdosing on chocolate. -- Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (125)

Top of Their Game
What a fantastic CD! The picture alone sold me. This is, by far, RUSH's masterpiece of the 80's. I personally prefer this CD to MOVING PICTURES.
Why, you ask? Because of it's musical, and lyrical content. Brilliant in every fashion. I find myself listening to this CD when I am relaxing after work, or when I just need a good RUSH.
I highly recommend it to anyone just discovering RUSH, and those of us who have been fans forever.

MY FAV RUSH? POSSIBLY!
The blazing, famous guitar riff that begins "The Spirit of Radio" lets you know you're in for something entirely different with this record, and indeed on this album, Rush shakes off the last vestiges of their metal youth and fully flowers into maturity.

Maturity in rock tends to mean going the way of "adult contemporary", but its the wrong way to think of this album-- its only with a calm assuredness that comes with experience in any field could such a bold statement be made, while it is the next step in the evolution of the band, they've pretty much abandoned their old song-- gone are the screamed vocals, the thunderous distorted guitar, instead a fully integrated synthesizer sound and expressive vocal takes hold. Not to say mind you that there isn't some incredible power trio work on here-- these guys have not forgotten how to play!

The opening two tracks were the singles from the album, "The Spirit of Radio", with its great intro, killer verses, totally self-assured vocal from Geddy Lee, reggae bridge, and monster guitar solo from Alex Lifeson was and should have been a hit. "Freewill" is a bit different, more riff-based, structure based, also a good song, but not quite reaching the heights of the opener. What follows, however, may have been quite unexpected, "Jacob's Ladder"-- calm, patient, building tension. Synth washed, with some great subtle drums, and really made possible in this more subtle manner because of Lee's confident vocal delivery. Its really amazing listening to this album against the older ones to see just how much he's matured over the first several years of Rush's career. "Jacob's Ladder" is also the first signpost in the next direction the band would take, where synthesizers and keyboards become as important as guitars to the band's music.

The album does kind of drift a bit after "Jacob's Ladder", neither "Entre Nous" or "Different Strings" are terribly memorable (the former does have a really heartfelt vocal delivery of sweet lyrics by drummer Neil Peart, but really isn't much to note). In many ways, these, like the three that proceed them, are Rush feeling out the future.

"Natural Science" is a bit different, and over the previous couple tracks, a bit better-- as close to a return to the older sound as this album gets, it churns and boils and overflows, and like the epics one earlier albums, does have sections, but like the rest of this album, it has that confidence of delivery that prevents them from getting too self-indulgent.

"Permanant Waves" is by a band that's been there, done that, and kept moving, only without a doubt they've hit their stride now, there's precious little thats not superb here.

permanent waves
I love this albem I even love the singer rush.My favorie song on this albem is jacob's ladder so here are thelyrics for the song.the clouds prepare for battle in the dark and brooding silence bruised and sullen stormclouds hae the light of day obscured loominglow and ominousin twilight premature thunderheads are rumbling in a distant overture.All at once,the clouds are parted light stream down in bright unbrocken beams.Follow men's eye's as they look to the skies the shafts of shining weave the fabric of their dream's.well thats all. ... Read more

Asin: B000001ESN
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Arena Rock    3. Canada    4. Hard Rock    5. Pop    6. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    7. Rock   

Against the Wind
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Audio CD (24 June, 2003)
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Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (10)

Some Great Tunes!
There are many must have's on this CD.It came out before my time, but I discovered Seger as a teen and I'm so glad that I did."Against The Wind" is a very welcome addition to any music collection.

***1/2 - typical Bob Seger
Typical in the sense that Bob Seger's albums almost always include a number of excellent songs and a handful of forgettable ones as well.

"Against The Wind" is the last of Seger's "classic" albums. Originally issued in 1980, it features one of Seger's very best ballads, the simple but superbly melodic "You'll Accomp'ny Me", as well as the slow rock of "Fire Lake", the title track (another ballad), and a couple of grinding rockers, most notably "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" and "Her Strut". And then there's all the filler...bland, formulaic numbers like "Long Twin Silver Line" and "The Horizontal Bop" (honestly!).

So, as is the case with most Bob Seger albums, this one is mostly for hardcore fans. There's a lot of good music here, but all of it is available on Seger's two "Greatest Hits" albums, and the best of the best is on the superb 1981 live album "Nine Tonight" as well.

Seger, an artist apart from the rest
Bob Seger is really only listened to by middle-aged parents of the "Dazed and Confused" generation, but there's one song I do love. "Her Strut" is perhaps the coolest song of his and if you want to pay money for this then you won't be dissapointed. It's a great stripper song, and very valuable for those hot, summer nights with your old lady. I'm 18 and I grew up with this kind of music from hearing on my dad's classic rock radio stations, and if you did too give it a shot. Another good Seger song is "Night Moves". ... Read more

Asin: B00009QGDD
Sales Rank: 2988
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Detroit Rock    3. Hard Rock    4. Heartland Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Panorama
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Reviews (34)

"PANORAMA" CHANGED MY LIFE
I wanted "Panorama" to be just like "The Cars" or "Candy-O" when I bought it back in 1980.At first listen, I was in shock.I kept listening to it in the hopes that it would somehow sound more and more like their first two albums.After about 100 spins, I realized that it was (and still is) one of the most original rock albums of all time.It is so weird, so unlike anything I've ever heard.I don't think critics knew what to make of it when it was released.I still don't really know what to think when I listen to "Panorama."Maybe that's why I've been obsessively ingrigued by it for 25 years.I think "The Cars" is their best rock album, "Candy-O" is their coolest album, and "Panorama" is their most unique."Panorama" turned my world upside down and I am eternally grateful.

perfect panorama for the 80's
the cars' third album "panorama" should have gotten more applause. this album is a classic cars album that has a more rock sound like their first two work as opposed to "heartbeat city" and "shake it up" which carry a pop sound. well let's start off by saying that the first song, "panorama" is very catchy. it has a classic elliot easton guitar riff within the chorus and features futuristic sounds (kinda like laser guns or somethng to that effect). the only stipulation is that i think the song is a little too long; if they cut off a minute of it it would sound perfect. next, the single "touch and go" is a very good song; contender for best on the album. i used to skip over it because i thought the violins in the beginning were lame. what was i thinking! very nice solo, elliot! "getting through to you" has a nice banjo sounding piece within the second and third verses. this is heavily synthesized and very cool. makes u wanna roll down the windows and cruise the highways. "don't tell me no" is probably my favorite. it's very simplistic but oh so catchy! a lot of people called this filler, but give it a try. "down boys" is a pretty good rocker a little too long though. "misfit kid" is kind of a downside to the album, pretty boring. "through your eyes" i think it's called, song 8, is pretty boring itself so i always skip it. "running to you" has some nice synths and futuristic sounds. i lke this one. and finally the album closes out with "up and down" another one of my favorites. it sounds like the perfect football anthem with the drums. nice brief guitar licks in here and ric rules on this one as with much of the other songs. anyway, definately get this album from the cars. i love the fact that there was only one single from this album (touch and go) which means 9 brand new songs of classic rock. get the album and support one of the greatest groups - the cars. rip ben orr

This is like an Ocasek solo album - except it's GREAT!
Ric Ocasek's lyrics can sometimes be very, very creative - perhaps the most creative of any writer post-Lennon/McCartney.

While his solo albums are ok (the first 2 are above-average), this sounds a lot like his solo work, except it's about twice as good.

Panorama IS Ric Ocasek's bitterness with glint, glare and tensil.And when you mix this bitterness and coldness with the pop of the rest of the extremely-creative members, you get Panorama.

The Cars are a MUCH different band when you look at their discography without Panorama in it.Panorama is an odd side never again shown (except briefly perhaps in the 'Door to Door' album).This album, the least-popular one, makes The Cars a truly-complete '80's band. ... Read more

Asin: B000002GX3
Sales Rank: 13884
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. New Wave    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock   

Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak]
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Audio CD (04 March, 2003)
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• Original recording remastered

Reviews (49)

Another Terrific Police Album
They were really on a gold streak back then, weren't they? This album isn't as good as their first two, but it's close. The Police, at least, knew how to begin an album. "Don't Stand So Close To Me," which everyone and their dog has heard, is a great way to start an album, and things stay great. But they never reach the greatness of the earlier two albums.

The one song that really stands out for me is "Behind My Camel." It's a fantastically ominous little instrumental by Andy Summers. I really enjoyed it. To think, when I first read the title, I dreaded listening to it.

Every song on this album's a keeper. Get it.

The Police move into their next phase of their career
"Zenyatta Mondatta" would mark the third studio album to be released by the trio, The Police. In several respects, "Zenyatta Mondatta" would mark a crossroads for the band. Although The Police were well established in the UK, on the U.S. side this album elevated the trio from a cult status to full-fledged commercial rock stars in the United States. On the musical side, The Police would begin to undergo some changes as well. The first two albums of The Police had a lot of similar styles.The Police were sort of an off-shoot of the Punk Rock movement of the late 1970s.I think its unfair to say The Police were a Punk Rock band because much of their music consisted of a fusion of other genres (reggae, classic rock, and even some jazz). But for the most part, it is fair to say there was a Punk Rock influence on the band for their first two albums" - "Outlandos D'Amour" and "Regatta de Blanc". Both of these albums were terrific efforts - mostly because The Police used applied their unique style to a formula that worked. On "Zenyatta Mondatta", things would begin to shift. This is the album where the Police would build on the foundation of the first two albums, but now begin to make a shift to becoming a more classic Rock band.In addition, the band would continue to explore some other genres (folk, dance).From a lyrical standpoint, "Zenyatta Mondatta" saw the band go much deeper than they had done on their first efforts.

A lot of what helped the band move toward more toward a Classic Rock direction is the use of the Bass. While Sting's distinctive voice has always been a terrific attribute of the band, his Bass playing sometimes goes unnoticed.On this album, you will hear a clear presence of Bass Guitar being played on many of the tracks. This Bass is blended terrific with Stewart Copeland's drumming. Andy Summers also provides the right chords from an Electric Guitar standpoint when needed, but for the most part I really think the Bass sound is going to drive this sound. Just about every track on this collection is going to have this Bass dominance.

Here is a brief synopsis of the 11 tracks:

"Don't Stand So Close to Me" is the popular track on this album.A very popular track, but listen to how the Bass drives the music of this song.

"Driven to Tears" is another song driven by the Bass.This is a song where you will see some of the more "mature" lyrics of the band as they describe the state of events in the world.This song is a great example of the move toward a "Classic Rock" sound.

"When the World is Running Down...": Yes there is a Bass influence, but as I listen to the intro of this song, I really hear how Andy's guitar and Stewart's drumming blend in beautifully.Lyrically, this song is underrated - its got some good ones.

"Canary in a Coalmine" is a very underrated song.Here The Police show that they have branched into some new areas and integrate a very folksy sound with their unique style.

"Voices Inside My Head": This song has almost a dance-club like groove.It's led by Sting's Bass - but Andy's guitar and Stewart's drumming provide for a great intro as well. Like "Canary in a Coalmine" - this is a very underrated song.

"Bombs Away": Another terrific lyrical song. There is a terrific political message that deals with Foreign Policy.From a musical standpoint, this shows how the Police have brought Punk and Classic Rock elements closer together.This is demonstrated with a Punk like groove with Andy providing some great classic guitar rifts midway through the song.

"De Do Do Do De Da Da Da":I think this is one of the weaker tracks.Despite the chorus, the other lyrics are stronger than you might think.Andy provides some great guitar work that makes it an attractive song for not only Classic Rock, but for the Pop Music scene as well.

"Behind the Camel" is a song that is better than most people think. A definite Classic Rock feel drives the opener with Andy and Stewart taking more center stage with this song.There is something almost Hendrix-like and Zeppelin-like about this song. It's an all instrumental song - and it's very good.

"Man in a Suitcase" is more of a throwback to the "Outlandos D'Amour" and "Reggatta de Blanc" album days.It shows the Police haven't abandoned their roots yet.Nice Bass work in this song as well.

"Shadows in the Rain" is a song that was redone by Sting in 1985 on his "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" album.Sting would do a more uptempo Jazz version of this song.I much prefer Sting's version of this song, but this song still is solid.In this version its a bit more subdued and has a solid Bass that is driving this song.

"The Other Way of Stopping" is another instrumental. Sting's Bass is once again in high gear. I can almost see Sting, Andy, and Stewart having a blast jamming to this song. This is another underrated song by the band.

Overall, the Police don't lose a step with this album. Top to bottom, this is a solid collection by the trio. It really would set the stage for the next phase of their career.It's also worth noting that all of the songs that are included on this album are included in the Boxed Set "Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings". This Boxed Set contains every song on every studio album by The Police.You can't go wrong by either getting this collection on a standalone CD or getting the boxed set.You will still get the same appreciation of the music.Either way, this music is highly recommended.

The Police's Best Album
ZENYATTA MONDATTA, despite Sting's criticisms that it was not as good as it could have been because of the rush to begin another tour, is, in my opinion, the Police's best album ever, as well as the best album Sting made in his entire career, group or solo. The song "Don't Stand So Close To Me" is about an illicit relationship between student and teacher, while the political lyrics of "Driven To Tears" are, unfortunately, even more relevant today. "When The World Is Running Down" is about making the best choices when none are particularly good; the song is technically about the world after a major war, but it could be about ordinary situations beyond our control. This should be the first Police album you buy. ... Read more

Asin: B00008BRDV
Sales Rank: 1587
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Drums    4. England    5. New Wave    6. Pop    7. Pop/Rock    8. Post-Punk    9. Rock   

Glass Houses
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 October, 1998)
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Editorial Review

Billy Joel has always wanted to be a rocker. That he made his name on piano ballads and was relegated to soft rock radio even disturbs him, if recent interviews are to be believed. For 1980's Glass Houses, Joel opted to take on the new wave with his usual arsenal of classic rock poses. With his knack for melody in place, he connected immediately with a string of hits he never surpassed. "You May Be Right," "Sometimes a Fantasy," "It's Still Rock n' Roll to Me" and "Sleeping with the Television On" are as powerful and succinct as Joel gets. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

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Reviews (46)

The Greatest of the Great
If anyone could create the greatest album of all time, it would be Billy Joel. His songs were showing that he has grown into a rock star. His song All For Leyna became my favorite of all time. Even beating out John Lennon's Imagine, which is also a great song for the ages. But Billy Joel added in his personality which showed everyone that he was still a kid waiting for a girl, and how he just wants to have fun. This CD should be played to every kid in America, because they're all interested in crap. No rap song could ever compete with the masterpieces on this CD.

The greatest of the great is the only phrase to describe this CD. Parents need to teach their kids about rock, this is an album with which you could do so with. If you've seen the movie The School of Rock then you know what Jack Black was going through, knowing that the kids today care about rap and R&B, I'm a fan of some R&B, they need to know about the music that changed the world.

FOODFOR THOUGHT
I LOVE THIS CD...REMINDS ME OF MY FAT DAYS...KICKIN' BACK WITH A TWINKEE AND JAMMIN OUT TO JOEL, WINGS, ELO, KISS AND KANSAS...OH THOSE WERE THE DAYS- HUNGER BUSTERS AT THE DQ AND LISTENING TO THE FLOYD ON FM RADIO. BILLY JOEL WAS A BIG PART OF THOSE DAYS- GREAT MUSIC, GREAT APPETITE! FREE LIVIN' AND EATIN'

Billy Joel's Best Album
This is one of my favorite CD's of all time and I wanted to let anyone who was considering buying it, to get it!It rocks and the songs are great.Trust me:) ... Read more

Asin: B00000DDMH
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Hard Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Singer/Songwriter    7. Soft Rock   

Boy
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (15 June, 1990)
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Editorial Review

There's little in U2's 1980 debut to suggest that this was a band bent on world domination. Indeed, there's a charming, if naive, coming-of-age urgency in songs such as "I Will Follow," "Stories for Boys" and "Out of Control" that may startle listeners more familiar with U2's latter-day bombast and stadium-scale theatrics. Bono's viewpoint, still tantalizingly vague and wide-eyed, showed that his penchant for strident polemics hadn't yet gotten the best of him; his anthems are those of a yearning Dubliner barely out of his teens rather than those of a world-weary multimillionaire. The band's sometimes-ragged musical chops work in its favor here, gently burnished to then-fresh new-wave sheen by producer Steve Lillywhite. If the Edge's dense, effects-laden guitar work seems overly familiar, it's only because this album was such a key influence on the whole "rock of the '80s" sound.Though not quite as moody or musically accomplished as October, arguably the band's first masterpiece, Boy still ranks as one of U2's best albums. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (70)

This is full of sh**!
"I Will Follow" is a terrible song! This isn't music! It is just noises! Led Zeppelin is the band! U2 is just sc***!

Oh "Boy"!
Some people may not feel the need to know U2 before the "War" album, or even "The Joshua Tree", but those folks are indeed missing out. This debut is a very strong album, from a band with many very strong albums. Obviously it has the most in common with "October" and "War", but this is the start right here. There's also as much emotion within these songs as there is in anything else they've done. In a way this is the band at their most simple, which really may be the best way to hear them. Much before the hype, much before the 90's make-over, this is U2 when they were....well, boys. A debut to rival "Murmur" and "Boys Don't Cry".

Fascinante debut

Boy es extraño, quizás por eso mismo es que es tan fascinante. Tiene un sonido único, que jamás U2 volvió a repetir. Se combinan guitarras inexplicablemente secas y agresivas - que me sorprenden -, una batería directa y sólida, una voz de Bono poderosa y genial, unas canciones cristalinas y sucias a la vez, etc.

Este disco es sin duda, el más "punk" de toda la historia de U2, irrepetible. Por ello no creas - y de verdad te lo advierto - que esta banda iPod que usan el nombre de U2 están de vuelta a aquella crudeza y desnudez musical de hace 25 años.

La Primera canción de Boy es I Will Follow, un tema que nos sorprende por la gran separación con la escena musical de aquellos años. Twilight es desgarradoramente hipnótica, en especial por aquellas guitarras de un jovensísimo The Edge - de apenas 19 años en 1980 -.

An Cat Dubh es uno de los temas mas misteriosos y cautivantes de U2, seguido por un intermedio musical muy efectivo llamado Into The Heart. Es la única vez en la historia de U2 en que encontramos canciones cantadas de menos de 2 minutos de duración, influídos quizás por The Wall de Pink Floyd.

Out Of Control - el primer single de la banda - resume toda aquella descollante energía juvenil puesta en este album. Stories Of Boys es igualmente sorprendente. The Ocean es otra canción corta ( como Into The Heart ), pero necesaria. A Day Without Me es una genialidad, amo esa canción. El punto más bajo es Another Time Another Place, sin dejar de ser buena, pero ello se compensa con el mejor tema del album, The Electric Co. El disco lo cierra un tema distinto al resto del album, con un sonido más experimental y que excursiona en otros terrenos. Shadows and Tall Trees.

La producción fue sencillamente genial, de un hombre que gracias a este disco después trabajó con artistas como Peter Gabriel. Un acierto de debut, muy recomendable y sorprendente, sobre todo si piensas que U2 empezó con Pride ( in the name of love ) el año 1984. ... Read more

Asin: B000001FRY
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

On Through the Night
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
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Reviews (60)

Def Leppard's First Major Debut Release...
On Through The Night is a mixed bag, and opinions vary greatly on this album. It can either leave you breathless or it can leave you feeling empty and cheated of your fifteen dollars.

The supposed "loyal" fans will tell you that this is the best Def Leppard album of all time, and that without it, your ears will perish in no time, so for God sakes, do it for your ears, man!

The average fan, like me, will tell you that it was a good album to get the ball rolling, but it certainly does not hold a candle to their later releases. It lacks in many areas but still sounds good enough to lend an ear once in awhile.

The nu-Lep fan (yes, that's my term...like it?) on the other hand will tell you that this album is complete garbage, and that "Promises, Paper Sun, Slang, and anything from 'X' is so much better than this".

You've gotta decide where you fit in. I've basically listed every opinion that you'll hear on this review page just in one single review. Decide which genre of fan applies to you most, and make a decision.

I myself, being an average Lep fan will give this CD a spin on a hot summer day if I'm not doing much else. I would much rather listen to High N' Dry, Pyromania, or Hysteria, but sometimes a change is good. This album is what it's worth. Give it a try and find out for yourself!

The Same Band?
If you listen to this album today, and compare it to what the Leps are doing now you might not think it is the same band!This is a straight ahead non-stop rock album that does not let up.When I first heard the song "Rock Brigade" I thought it was one of the best hard rock songs I have ever heard, and I still feel that way in 2005.It is a shame the band did not include any of these songs on Vault because they rock.This is by no means as commercial as Hysteria or Adrenilize, but that doesn't mean it isn't good!If Pyromania was your introduction to Def Leppard then you need to check this out and High 'N Dry.You won't be disappointed!

A Good Start
This has never been one of my top favorites, but it was a good start for Def Leppard.A good album for 1980.It got them off the ground and quality songs like "Rock Brigade", "Hello America" and "Wasted" demonstrated the bands potential and hinted of great things to come in the future.Recommended for diehard fans. ... Read more

Asin: B000001F7R
Sales Rank: 9598
Subjects:  1. British Metal    2. Hard Rock    3. Heavy Metal    4. New Wave of British Heavy Metal    5. Pop    6. Pop-Metal    7. Pop/Rock    8. Rock   

Scary Monsters
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (28 September, 1999)
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Some would argue that this is the last great Bowie album, and certainly his only great album of the '80s. While it lacked the bite of its punk brethren at the time, it appealed to some fans of that genre and to middle-of-the-road rockers as well. Muscular playing met with no-frills production, and the product as a whole was infused with a gloriously arty style. "It's No Game (Part I)" opens the album, and is sung in Japanese, and "It's No Game (Part II)" closes, in English. New York punker Tom Verlaine even contributed a track ("Kingdom Come"), and "Scream Like a Baby" tells a dark and violent story with a howl. The drug-oriented "Ashes to Ashes" confesses that Major Tom was a junky while sounding all sleek and alluring, and the dance floor hit "Fashion" took aim at its very subject. The crowning jewel is the title track, with Robert Fripp's guitar ripping the place up at a relentless pace. It's been a long time since Bowie sounded this inspired.--Lorry Fleming ... Read more

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Reviews (61)

One of Bowie's best albums
A stunning album that serves to bring together the diverse musical styles that Bowie explored in the past while thoroughly (post) modernizing them.Scary Monsters is focused and played with the intensity of punk while retaining an intellectual and slyly witty art rock flavor.Bowie used a lot of collaborators on this album to great effect.Most notably Robert Fripp whose insane leads on the title track and Fashion are almost worth the cost of the album alone.But the true star of this album is Bowie himself.His singing is some of the most expressive of his carreer going from barely contained screams one moment to world weary crooning the next.He pulls out every trick in his bag to great effect.Bowie really created a monsterwork here from the beautiful and melodic sequel to Space Oddity, Ashes To Ashes to the cockney accented freakout of Scary Monsters (and supercreeps) to the Japanese language interludes of Its No Game Pt1. It's punk, it's science fiction, it's art rock and it's Bowies last truly great album.In fact Scary Monsters may be Bowie's best album, certainly within the top 3.

One of my favorite Bowie albums
Scary Monsters has a special place in my heart.

The (then) latest in recording technology really caught up to Bowie's bizarre visions.He presents us with some truly strange soundscapes that evoke, among other things, isolation (Ashes to Ashes), cheeky ire (Fashion), and paranoia (It's No Game Part 1).

An epic, multitextural album.

Definately Bowie's Modern Yardstick
If 'Ziggy Stardust' was Bowie's scale for measuring his 70's work then this album does the same for his work up to today.At it's most basic 'Scary Monsters' is David Bowie's hardest rocking album of the decade.Both parts of "It's No Game",the title cut and "Teenage Wildlife" all feature Robert Fripp's slashing guitar riffs strung into wild,disonant patterns.So if songs such as "Up The Hill Backwards","Kingdom Come" and "Because Your Young" all carry on the warped and disonant guitar rock sound,they also carry an equally mutated wall of sound-like production and (yes) very catchy writing.Of course this album will be remembered commercially for two reasons-the tongue in cheek dance-rock of "Fasion",with it's great rhythmic backup and the jerky "Ashes To Ashes",the twisted follow up to 'Space Oddity' where Bowie implies 'Major Tom was a junkie'.
So is there a good reason to say that any Bowie album today is and I quaote 'his best since 'Scary Monsters'?Well there is-this album ushered Bowie into the era of the music video (Fasion and Ashes To Ashes both have their own clips-worth searching for) and everything on this album has a particularly timeless quality.Because of his clout Bowie knew he'd succeed no matter what so he committed himself to his own artistic vision rather then to being ultra trendy.In fact as is the case here he went out of his way to mock those trends when he could.By far his most consistant album of this decade. ... Read more

Asin: B00001OH7Y
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Experimental Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Post-Punk    6. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    7. Proto-Punk    8. Rock   

Middle Man
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (13 October, 1998)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Reviews (5)

The last great Boz album...
David Foster really rescued this artist from oblivion when he produced MIDDLE MAN, a stylish, groovy and hook-laden rock n' roll-infused album that became the last great Boz Scaggs release. From the opening jazzy riff of "Jo-Jo" to the road-house blues of "Breakdown" to the inspirational balladry of "Isn't It Time", this album is ecclectic enough to appeal to many tastes while at the same time remaining true to well-crafted songwriting arrangements. It also features great solo guitar efforts courtesy of Steve Lukather. If you liked SILK DEGREES, this is your next best bet.

Boz at it again!
Way to Boz, you did it again. As you know "Simone" is one of my favorites to include w/ Jojo, You Can Have Me Anytime, Do Like You Do in New York, etc.

Boz, you're da man!!!!

It's got a blend of jazz, R&B, disco, rock, pop, big-band style w/ lot of flavor to the horns, strings, flutes and everything!

Yeah Boz can surely rock, sing and play at the same time on this album. He sure keepin' it real. I call him the Miles Davis of Blue-Eyed Soul of Jazz and R&B like Barry White use to do his.

simone
I really think that Simone is one of the more overlooked songs by
the critics. Every time I listen to it, I find something new about it. It is just an incredible song...Boz, you are the boss!!! ... Read more

Asin: B00000DCGY
Sales Rank: 58192
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Rock    5. Soft Rock   

Empty Glass
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (21 November, 1995)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

The Who's avatar was galvanized by the punk movement when he penned the 10 songs for this 1980 outing, his most commercially successful solo release. The album's opening track, "Rough Boys" (dedicated to the Sex Pistols), puts his viewpoint on the safety-pinned insurrectionists on the line: "I want to bite and kiss you," Townshend barks. In "Jools and Jim" he scolds bilious upstarts who "don't give a shit Keith Moon is dead," while the title track finds the "aging" punk godfather (he was 35 when the record came out) dismally admitting that "life is useless." Elsewhere, Townshend returns to the spiritual concerns that dominated his 1972 Who Came First solo debut, notably on "And I Moved" and "Let My Love Open the Door," Empty Glass's hit single. Musically, Townshend resurrects the rhythmic synthesizer patterns he concocted for Who's Next while also drawing on the drive of those punks whose devotion and contempt he so openly pines for. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

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Reviews (22)

anyone in rock more money-hungry than pete?
while it is often neccessary for artists to somewhat compromise their artistic integrity in order to survive, mr. townshend, through his success with the who, should not be one of those individuals. that being said, it can also be safely stated that it probably wasn't true need that drove mr. townshend to allow jc penney to use let my love open the door in its television ad campaigns, but pure & unadulterated greed. what about the music, poopy, you might ask? well, as is, empty glass presents its listener with a mixed bag. and i moved probably would have received a better treatment from bette midler, if she would have actually recorded it...

Excellent Album!
I bought this album, expecting it to be very much like the work of The Who. Boy, was I wrong. This is something totally different, something that wouldn't sound right if Roger sang it. This is a purely Townshend album.

It starts out with Rough Boys, a great song making fun of British punks. The beat catches your attention and gets you interested. Next is I Am An Animal. The song is spectacular! I love it! There's just somethign about it that is intriguing.

And I Moved has a bit of a creepy ring to it, and it always reminds me of people dancing in a club. Don't know why. Next is Let My Love Open The Door. I don't think anyone in the world hasn't heard this song. I enjoy it thoroughly every time I hear it.

The weakest song is probably Cat's In The Cupboard, but I still like it. Jools and Jim is great and fast, A Little Is Enough has tender lyrics which I love, and then there's Empty Glass. There's something about the first lines of it that draws me in, and reminds me of myself.

The album ends with Gonna Get Ya, a great song that has an awesome beat!

Most solo albums disappoint, leaving you wondering where the talent they had with their group went. That's most solo albums, but not this one. Empt Glass leaves doesn't leave you feeling cheated. You know that it's a great album, very different from The Who, but great nonetheless.

I suggest that everyone go out and buy this album now!!!

Pete's Best Solo Album
Brilliant!I bought the cassette of this record when I was 12 and I have to say that not many albums have moved me the way this album has.It is a masterpiece of songwriting..

It is a great rock album.My favourite track is "A Litte is Enough".Amazing.I can still smell/feel/see myself walking to school through the forest every morning as a little kid with my headphones on while listeing to it today.

Thanks for all the great music Pete! ... Read more

Asin: B000002J6J
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. England    3. Hard Rock    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Singer/Songwriter   

One Step Closer
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 June, 1991)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Reviews (12)

Good Smooth Lite Rock
This was another great smooth mellow cd from the Michael McDonald led era of the Doobie Brothers. This album was released in the fall of 1980. The hit single "Real Love" is one of there best songs ever in my opinion. The second hit single was "One Step Closer" with Cornelius Bumpus and McDonald sharing the lead vocals. The instrumental song "South Bay Strut" and McDonald's "Dedicate This Heart" and "Keep This Train Rollin" are also standout songs. The whole cd is pretty good lite rock. There is more saxophone on this cd with the addition of Cornelius Bumpus to the band. This was also the Doobies first album with John McFee on guitar replacing Jeff Skunk Baxter and Chet McCracken on drums,replacing John Hartman.

compulsively listenable, arresting groove music
How anyone could find The Doobie Brothers' 1980 album "One Step Closer" a disappointment is absolutely incredible to me.It's true that, to a large extent, they're treading familiar territory here, both stylistically & sonically, and basically the entire album has a 'jazzy' soft rock sound that screams out "late 70s"/"early '80s".The thing is though is that this is not a problem whatsoever.This album shows that you can make music that is very relaxed without being dull--the lush sound, the sophisticated creativity and catchiness of the compositions, & the spirited performances make for an album that is compulsively listenable & immensely satisfying.Certainly it's very professional, and there are a bunch of different people who contributed to the songwriting (each track features a different songwriting battery), but it's unfair and inaccurate to say that the album is uninspired or that it is merely workmanlike."Real Love" is a dramatic song about the toll empty relationships can take on people, & it features an incredible, soulful vocal from Michael McDonald who's in peak vocal form throughout the album.The late Cornelius Bumpus, who had joined the band by this point, sounds great as well--he shares the lead vocals with McDonald on the title track, & gets in a solo composition with the superb "Thank You Love" which mixes wondrous, contemplative music with feel-good lyrics (and is additionally punctuated by some great vibraphone).McDonald & Patrick Simmons both offer one solo composition apiece with "Keep This Train A-Rollin'" & "Just In Time" respectively (with Simmons doing a highly amusing Steven Tyler soundalike at 1:23 on the latter), & both are funky, hook-filled tunes that are impossible to resist, as is the ingeniously crafted, infectious "Dedicate This Heart", which is basically an upbeat, bouncier variation on "Real Love", & features another marvelous McDonald vocal performance.The feel good title track is admittedly a tad sugary, but it's so undeniably catchy it's impossible not to be forgiving.I'll admit that the last two tracks are a bit filler-ish--the instrumental "South Bay Strut" is somewhat aimless, & the upbeat "One By One" feels a tad underdeveloped, but they're still both quite good & enjoyable.Apart from the minor gripes, there's really nothing to complain about with this album whatsoever--with the intricate detail that's packed into track after track, the album is simply brimming with catchiness.Chalk up another great production job for Ted Templeman who produced many records by Warner Bros. artists during this time, including Nicolette Larson who appears on this album as a background vocalist.If you're into 'jazzy' soft rock of this era such as Steely Dan, George Benson, & Grover Washington Jr., you can't go wrong with this superb album by The Doobie Brothers.

A classic album!
I've loved this album for years. There's not a bad song on here. I've always thought the title track was fantastic and that it ranks among the greatest songs by The Doobie Brothers. It really jams!

Other favorites on here are Real Love, Dedicate This Heart, and One By One. As I indicated before, I don't think there's a bad song on here.

I can see how fans of the pre-Michael McDonald Doobie Brothers might not love this album, but I've always preferred the Michael McDonald era.

If you're a fan of that era, then you can't go wrong with getting this album. ... Read more

Asin: B000002LPR
Sales Rank: 30208
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Boogie Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Soft Rock