Tommy (1969 Original Concept Album)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 March, 1996)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $12.99
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Editorial Review

Tommy had the dubious distinction of being the first-ever rock opera; however, it's none the worse for that, Ken Russell's adaptation notwithstanding. Due largely to Pete Townshend's skill as a songwriter and composer, Tommy tells a coherent story and includes quality rock and roll at the same time, an impressive feat by itself. While surprisingly more linear than the later Quadrophenia, Tommy boasts several songs that stand up well on their own, including the classic "Pinball Wizard," "The Acid Queen," "I'm Free," and "Sally Simpson." Much of the rest doesn't make much sense lyrically unless you listen to the entire album, but you'll probably want to do that anyway, preferably with the lights low and the stereo cranked. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (174)

Many good songs...

...but only OK as an album.

This one is interesting in that it ranks high in all other categories except listenability.I like many of the songs, but listening to them all straight through is exhausting.Most are very catchy and singable, which is both a blessing and a curse.After I heard them a few times, I got tired of them, yet they stayed in my head for weeks.

If you're new to The Who, or to classic rock, it's required listening.It's a big part of history and the evolution of rock.It was ahead of its time, not just in terms of the music, but also the format and the subject matter.Townshend, at his peak, was one of the most creative songwriters and best rhythm guitarists.This album showcases his talents.

Many of the songs have been played to death on the radio.But imagine hearing this album when it first came out in '69.It's important to keep this in mind when listening.

Songwriting: 10/10
Musicianship: 10/10
Sound Quality: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Listenability: 7/10

an "amazing journey"
this album changed my life. it raised my standards for music. this was the first album that completely blew me away. everyone who is a fan of music needs to own this album. its absolutley perfect. pete townshend is genious. this ablum will change you forever.

if you don't give it five stars.. something is completely wrong with you.

a superb who masterpiece
Tommy was one of the best hard rock albums along with quadrophenia,who are you and live at leeds from the legendary who.no self respecting rock fans should be without them.hugely recommended ... Read more

Asin: B000002OZY
Subjects:  1. Opera    2. Pop    3. Rock   

Quadrophenia
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (02 July, 1996)
list price: $31.98 -- our price: $28.99
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Editorial Review

An excellent and frequently astonishing album, Quadrophenia is both more ambitious and less accessible than Tommy, the first and most well known rock opera. At its simplest level, Quadrophenia is a coming-of-age story with an awesome soundtrack. The album features some of the Who's finest material, in songs like the enraged "Real Me," the cynical "Punk Meets the Godfather," the wistful "5:15" and "Sea and Sand," and the powerful "Love, Reign O'er Me." The songwriting (courtesy of Pete Townshend) is top-notch, as is the production (the Who actually managed to use synthesizers in an original manner, something few rock bands can aspire to). The mix of powerful songwriting and skillful composition makes this one of the Who's finest moments. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (206)

Could have been a single album.

The Who's best album overall.There's a significant amount of filler, but because it was a rock opera, a certain amount is expected.

Most of the good songs on this album have been on FM playlists at one time or another, with the possible exception of "The Dirty Jobs".If you want to hear them all in one place, buy it.I did.And I listen to it often, but tend to skip a lot.

The lesser songs tend to ramble, and sound whiny and redundant at times, as if they have to expand on the themes of angst and disconnection already covered in the better songs.

With this album, The Who got more introspective, but without losing their rawness, edge, and rock sensibility.Doing another rock opera after the success of Tommy, there was a risk of having been there and done that.But they pulled it off nicely, and made it fresh and original.

As others have said, it's less accessible than Tommy, but more mature.I would also add that the songs don't stick in your head as much.

Songwriting: 9/10
Musicianship: 9/10
Sound Quality: 9/10
Originality: 10/10
Listenability: 9/10

6 stars! The Who's Best Rock Opera
Quadrophenia is easily one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time, and definitely The Who's best concept album. Each member's skills are showcased in an excellent way. Keith has some of his best drumming songs in this album. Also, John Entwistle's bass is going nuts while Moon does his thing. Easily, the greatest showcase of a rock rhythm section in this album. Roger Daltrey really wails and makes his vocal range seem as wide as the Milky Way. Pete delivers on also with some righteous guitar work. His song-writing skills are at their peak with some complex lyrics. Great use of keyboard/synthesizer also. Each member of the band had their own theme: Roger: Helpless Dancer. Pete: Love Reign O'er Me. Keith: Bell Boy. John: Is It Me (included in the tune Doctor Jimmy).
Short Summary: - This rock opera is about a teen named Jimmy living in the mod era. He is suffering a good deal of teen angst. His lover does not love him back, his parents have thrown him out of the house, and he chooses to sleep at the beach. On top of that, he has nobody to turn to.

This was the first real Who CD I got, which i scraped and saved for. I couldn't believe how I could have missed out on this great piece of work for 15 years of my life! Here's my view on the songs of this masterpiece:

1. I Am The Sea: N/A: Good into to set up rest of songs. There is a montage of the motifs (i.e. "Love reign o'er me, bell boy, is it me?, helpless dancer.") The sound of waves provides the ambience of a beach.

2. The Real Me: 10/10: Fast, upbeat tune with super fast bass work and drums to get this album started. One of my all-time favorite Who songs. "Can you see the real me:" apparently, Jimmy can't find himself.

3. Quadrophenia: 10/10 Excellent instrumental. Great musicianship is shown here. The main rhythms/motifs are put here. Good use of horns

4. Cut My Hair: 9/10 Good rock ballad telling how Jimmy "works himself to death just to fit in." Good lyrics and singing by Pete.

5. The Punk And The Godfather: 10/10 Awesome guitar riff and excellent bass line. A dialogue between a punk and a godfather. Good composition.

6. I'm One: 10/10 Yet another great song with an acoustic intro. The electric guitar is added as the two guitars go at it. Pretty catchy. Lyrics about Jimmy's imperfections, but he realizes he must accept who he is.

7. The Dirty Jobs: 8/10 This song tells about how Jimmy is being disrespected and being given crappy jobs (i.e. looking after the pigs). Good drumming by Moon with some crazy double-time fills. I dig the synthesizer work here.

8. Helpless Dancer: 7/10 Short tune with piano and guitar chords and hard vocals. Roger sings of the bad stuff of society which Jimmy is faced with. Outro of "The Kids Are Alright" playing in the background.

9. Is It In My Head: 8/10 Tempo-changing rocker with both acoustic and electric guitar parts. Good heavy drums give the powerful edge. Jimmy thinks all his problems are just "in his head."

10. I've Had Enough: 10/10 Excellent closer to the first part of the album. Awesome driving force at the beginning, slowing down with synthesizers to a good groove. Pete pulls out his banjo power with a catchy riff, while Roger sings of everything Jimmy is fed up with, and trails off wailing, "Loooove!"

Disc 2
1. 5:15: 10/10 One of the Who's best songs. One of Pete's best lyrical jobs, as well as an awesome bassline by The Ox. Good incorporation of horns & guitar collaboration.

2. Sea And Sand: 9/10. Overall a good song. Jimmy sleeps on the beach as his parents exile him from home. He sees his girl, but still can't get her to love. Great guitar work and singing.

3. Drowned: 10/10 Superb riff on this tune. I dig the jam they do in the middle of this one where they incorporate the rhythm from "5:15." Lyrics about Jimmy's life at the beach.

4. Bell Boy: 9/10 Keith is featured singing on this song. Judging by the lyrics, this piece is about someone Jimmy used to know meeting up with him. Keith does some sweet drum fills in addition to his awesome vocal skills.;)

5. Doctor Jimmy: 10/10 Jimmy lets all the anger out, condemning all his troubles. Daltrey lets his voice wail to the heavens in doing so. I love how this song is composed, with the synthesizers, speedy drum fills, and contrasting vocals.

6. The Rock: 10/10 Perfect instrumental. All the instumentalists do their part in making this piece very dramatic. Pete puts out one of his best guitar performances here, melting your face with his awesome features.

7. Love Reign O'er Me: 11/10 This is it: The greatest closer to an album of all time. Roger's vocals just about make you want to melt; this has "righteous" written all over it. It starts off with the sound of rain and keyboard. Vocals and acoustic guitar come in. It gradually builds, adding more of everything, until your life begins flashing before your eyes. It ends loudly on a mind-blowing chord that shakes your brain as Keith goes nuts on the drums, and finally, the last note is delivered, and you come back to your senses.

I hope you found this review helpful. I've been waiting for a very long time to write it. There's no question about it: GET THIS ALBUM!

one of the greatest hard rock albums
this is my favourite who album along with live at leeds each and every track on this double live album is a masterpiece especially 5.15,the real me,the punk and the godfather and love reign over me.pete townshend's guitar blazes on every track and roger daltrey's is top notch.very highly recommended.get both who classics. ... Read more

Asin: B000002P1P
Subjects:  1. Opera    2. Pop    3. Rock   

The Wall (Deluxe Packaging Digitally Remastered)
by Capitol
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 April, 2000)
list price: $34.98 -- our price: $27.99
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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 (788)

Awesome album!
Love this album! Not my favourite Pink Floyd...but still incredible.
PS. Probably just too intelligent for certain other kids that can't spell.

One Star reviewer is Cranky in wolf's clothing!
Pink Floyd's The Wall is a classic of BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS. Songs like Another Brick in the Wall, Mother, Young Lust, Hey You, Comfortably Numb and Run Like Hell still get massive airplay on any rock station. David Gilmour is a rock guitar legend and Roger Waters is a great lyric writer. If you have noticed, the dude who calls Pink Floyd Stink Floyd is in cohotts with Cranky! If you praise Britney over Pink Floyd, prepare to be bludgeoned!

the greatest rock music album ever
the wall was in my opinion the greatest rock music album ever recorded.it contained terrific songs like another brick in the wall and comfortably numb.a masterpiece.very highly recommended. ... Read more

Asin: B000006TRV
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
by Atlantic
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 September, 1994)
list price: $24.98 -- our price: $22.99
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Editorial Review

When it comes to making albums of epic proportions, few rival this magnificent production that a trip the band took to New York City inspired in 1973. The underlying story is of a street kid named Rael who, thanks in part to the realities of big city life, undergoes a weird and mystical transformation. Containing extended instrumental sections showcasing the extraordinary talents of Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, and Phil Collins, as well as the expressive vocals and often disturbing lyrics of Peter Gabriel, this is the album that located Genesis truly on the map. --Paul Clark ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (188)

Peter Gabriel Time Was So Much Better!
I haven't liked Genesis until I heard Peter Gabriel's Genesis. "The Lamb Lies Down..." is much more complicated than the Phil Collins gabriel times...that's why like it so much more and also Gabriel's voice is much much better than Collins'. This album includes not only short songs but also very long songs. It is obvious that this is one of the best ones that rock has to offer. I like this album very much...Especially the title song, the funny song "Cuckoo Cocoon", "In the Cage", "Carpet Crawlers", "Lilywhite Lilith", "Anyway" and "The Lamia" are the ones I like to listen many many times. Also the instrumental song "The Waiting Room" is a great song. The lyrics are great because they are funny...and some of them may sound sad. "It." is a wonderful song because it is so fast...it actually brings me energy. This is another piece of art just like Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and Led Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti"...they are also double albums. If you like more complicated stuff...try for example "Foxtrot" or "Nursery Crime".
Stars: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Lilywhite Lilith, Carpet Crawlers, The Lamia

Aaaaaaaaagh!
Thank God for the Sex Pistols. After them all this bilge was a chicken decapitated, still running around for a while. But headless. ( see also Yes, Free, Doors, Supertramp, Phil Collins, Led Zep, etc ruddy ect.)

Wow
I own this album on vinyl and have it on tape as well. I just heard a cover of Back in NYC by Jeff Buckley from Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk. It reminded me of how great this album really is. I must own it on CD and so must you. No time for romantic escape...buy it now... ... Read more

Asin: B000002J1S
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Myths & Legends Of King Arthur & The Knights Of The Round Table
by A&M Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Reviews (22)

Not Good
As a long time Rick Wakeman fan it always puzzled me why King Arthur was missing from my collection, now I know why. Compared to the 'Journey' album this is a disappointment, the vocals are muddy and there is no story being told, just a collection of Wakeman tracks with an orchestral backing. I will probably hold on to the CD for a while just in case it grows on me but don't be surprised if this album ends up in a second hand store.

Makes Hello Dolly Sound Like Shakespeare!
Some things unfortunately just do NOT age well, and Rick Wakeman's overblown take on King Arthur and The Knights Of The Round Table does so very painfully.

Flush from his success with the "Journey To The Center of The Earth" tour, Wakey decided to approach an equally grandiose subject. However, in his quest to do so, he got a little too full of himself, a few pints and no small amount of Broadway-style cheese-wiz that would probably embarass Andrew Lloyd-Webber (as if THAT were actually possible). And as if that weren't excreable enough, he wanted to tour with an Ice-Capades production in addition to the orchestra and chorus (this however was short circuited, thankfully).

End result, some of the CORNIEST, STOOOOPIDEST lyrics you ever heard in your life (they make "Hello Dolly" sound like Shakespeare by comparison) that permeate nearly ALL the tracks, save for the largely instrumental "Merlin The Magician" though this has cheese- whiz issues of its own, trying to jump to every musical style it can in the space of 6 or 7 minutes). The proceedings are NOT helped in any fashion by Ashley Holt's abysmal vocalizing (heck, William Shatner could outsing him and at least be somewhat entertaining) and the rather pedestrian band (although the orchetra and choir do get to flex their muscles periodically) as Wakey lets forth Mini-Moog and piano assaults aplenty. There are odd musical moments though that actually threaten to get good and interesting but that is QUICKLY dealt a death blow when the Broadway/Stage impulses take over.

With the lone exception of "Six Wives of Henry The VIII", Wakey has NEVER been able to compose anything meaningfully deep or substantial, sounding more like Romantic/Post- Romantic period cliches strung together with other odd bits. He can play his keys like a fiend and contribute colorful passages in the confines of Yes, he can wear the coolest capes on the planet, but the boy CANNOT WRITE!

You want high-concept hijinks that are actually FUN? May I suggest William Shatner's "The Transformed Man" (at least it was FUNNY!). This thing however just takes itself WAAAAAAAAAAAYYY too seriously and tries to overcompensate with bombastic cheese whiz (I'm just glad he didn't attempt a collaboration with Elvis on a redux of "Hamlet").

Best used for extracting confessions from criminals or getting rid of unwanted party guests. Otherwise, steer clear.

Master of the Keyboard/Synthesizer
It was 1977 when I was first introduced to Rick Wakeman by a fellow roomate, himself a musician, and was able to appreciate the keyboard work that only Wakeman was demonstrating at that time.Even today I can appreciate the innovative style that has become Rick Wakeman's signature.Wakeman has that unique ability to tell a story using music, with the focus on keyboard and synthesizer and orchestral backgrounds, to project colourful visuals into the listener's mind.This album stands as his best work, even above "Journey to the Center of the Earth", which is still hugely entertaining.The album is not perfect, as I am still a bit taken aback by Wakeman's vocals and thus the 4 star rating. That said, it is a classic that has stood the test of time.It was a DVD that I had to have. ... Read more

Asin: B000002GBK
Sales Rank: 20110
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    3. Rock   

Operation: Mindcrime
by Capitol
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

Long dubbed "the thinking man's metal band," Queensryche have always been difficult to classify; somewhere between Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd. Mindcrime was their breakthrough album, garnering the band commercial and critical success. Arguably their best release, this is a complex, ambitious effort, with top-notch music and a complicated storyline (a disillusioned fortune hunter of the Reagan era joins an underground movement to assassinate political scumbags) that flows smoothly from start to finish. The combination of experimental, progressive music with shorter, more radio-friendly songs works well, and enabled the band to release singles from the album while keeping the story intact. These shorter songs provide the album's most exciting moments; "Revolution Calling," "Eyes of a Stranger," and "I Don't Believe in Love" are some of the best metal songs out there. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (166)

A Fantastic Masterpiece. Excellence in Music Creativity!
A long time ago...I was shopping for new music. I am an aggressive CD collector always looking for a CD that will do it for me. I saw this on a new release shelf one day, and it was all new to me. Obviously, not an "original" fan since they were a local band here in Seattle and I was unaware. But in the 80's, I was looking for something that would just remain in my CD player for a while.
But all things given, this CD is simply a masterpiece. A great story line and superb lyric value and musicianship.
Buy It! It is not known well, with the exception of the "butt Rockers", but this is truly a timeless creative work of art. The most aggressive piece of work at that time and it stays the course. This is really a timeless piece of art that will entertain those that listen to the heavier side of music. However, Lyrically, this is simply amazing in story line and overall quality of range in Geoff Tate.
I look forward to "Operation Mindcrime II" sometime soon. I just wish it would all come together the same way with Geoff and Chris. I just do not see it being both lyrically and musically amazing without the brilliance of the duo.

selling sex selling god
the operation mindcrime album is amazing. it tells the story of a man who gets caught up in a sect where he gets orders to assassinate certain high ranking government members from the mysterious leader. he falls in love with a nun who helps him out who used to be a hooker. the songs are classic "spreading the disease "probablly being the best one. geoff tate is a real character and theres a rumor of part two coming out. this album rules and is eerie in its story telling.

Unequivocally, O:M is the apex of progressive metal...
The only thing I can say about this release is that it is nothing short of perfection -- it is utterly flawless.I bought this CD over a decade ago, and I can't go for long without listening to at least one track.Its resonance is just as potent as it was then.The political, religious, psychological and sexual undercurrents are supplemented by some of the most powerful and complex music I have ever heard.The motifs presented in O:M have managed to withstand the test of time; if anything, they seem to be even more relevant today than ever before.The album is incredibly dramatic, and Geoff Tate has the unique ability to transition the listener through a wide range of emotions through his voice alone.Not to say that the rest of the band was busy twiddling their thumbs - quite the contrary.Exceptional vocals & intelligent lyrics are simply not enough to create a timeless piece. The superlative musicianship on O:M speaks for itself. If you are reading this review in an effort to decide whether or not you should buy O:M, stop whatever it is you are doing and BUY IT NOW!Soon, you'll be among those of us who are fortunate enough to say that we have witnessed absolute greatness!

... Read more

Asin: B000002UEB
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Hard Rock    3. Heavy Metal    4. Pop    5. Progressive Metal    6. Rock   

Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory
by Elektra
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (26 October, 1999)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $14.99
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Editorial Review

Progressive rock has long been the most devalued currency in popular music, perhaps due to the culture's dumbing down, too many conceptually knotted triple-albums, or merely a Greek chorus of critics parroting the emperor from Amadeus: "Too many notes!" Maybe that's what makes Dream Theater's Scenes such an audacious rush (no pun intended). Here we have a two-act murder mystery examined from a hypnotic dream state and parlayed by "The Orchestra," as the band refers to itself here. Andrew Lloyd Webber hasn't written anything as focused--or musically audacious--in decades. And if the band attacks feverish shift meters and plows through enough structural modes and, yes, notes, to make the aforementioned emperor's head spin, they manage to keep things concise, focused, and largely effective. The addition of keyboardist Jordan Rudess has freshened the band's tack, infused now with the odd, playful ragtime piano quote and sitar sample. Vocalist James Labrie, meanwhile, amply proves that Queensryche's Geoff Tate isn't the only drama queen in prog metal. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (589)

Gotta Love This
This album is well... a musical experience. The instrumental proficiency displayed here is quite simply astounding. The album flows very well from one song to the next, as a concept album should. One thing I always like about Dream Theater is the variety of slower songs and harder songs on their albums, and this CD shows that with songs like Overture, Through Her Eyes, and Home.
It's hard to pick any highlights since it really is meant to listen to all the way through, though Overture, Fatal Tragedy, and The Dance Of Eternity are particularly good.
Definitely a album that will grow on you, and one of Dream Theater's best

MTV rocks is a selfish pig
Seriously, do you have a life? All you do is bash great, talented bands and praise MTV-friendly, generic BS. JORDAN Rudess (the keyboard/piano player) is extremely talented. And yes, just for the record, he is shown playing his KEYBOARD in their videos. There are times when he makes a keyboard solo that sounds like a messed up guitar solo. Not to mention, Avril Loservigne just plain flat-out sucks. If she "writes songs" abut being not being a psoer, why is she one? MTV rocks can go screw a cow.

As for the album, I don't own it yet. I have heard samples of it and I like what I've heard. I'll give you the full review when I get this.

Some of the best musicianship I have heard in a long time...
A friend of mine gave me this recording. I was immediately blown away at the brilliance and genius of what went into making this disc! There were many influences evident when I heard the album. I heard parts that had tinges of Pink Floyd, Rush, Metallica, Jethro Tull, Frank Zappa, Jan Hammer from a Mahavishnu stand point and even a part with an Indian (east Indies)flavor. Admittingly, I am not too familiar with Dream Theater's music. Being a musician myself, these musicians are virtuosos! Mike Portnoy's drumming is sheer genius. Mike's chops are monsterous. His dynamic range extends from subtle to explosive thrash. He reminds me of Terry Bozzio. I am not into heavy metal, but this is certainly and exception. An interesting mix of metal and progressive. John Petrucci's guitar work is of Steve Vai calliber! Amazingly fast and tight. Equally, Jordan Rudess' keyboard work was fantastic! It appears that some D.T. fans do not appreciate Jordan's contribution to this recording. I feel the color Jordan Rudess brought was brilliant! Listening to this felt like I was listening to an extreme version of Jethro Tull's "A passion Play" or "Thick as A Brick". If you like progressive, don't pass this one up! Well done D.T.!
... Read more

Asin: B000021XS0
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Abigail
by Roadrunner Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (11 November, 1997)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $17.98
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Features

• Original recording remastered
• Extra tracks

Reviews (50)

Boring!
I mean...King Diamond's voice is funny! And He has always been a big joke in music industry...Some songs are great...like Arrival and Abigail.

GREAT MUSICeven after almost 2 decades
King Diamond is the King....His newer stuff are not at the same level as Abigail, Them or Conspiracy but Abigail especially for me is my top 10 best albums of the last 2 decades. Not crazy about KDs makeup but overall very talented .Great songwriting and the guitar player is amazing on this album.Andy deserves alot more recognition than what he already has received.I think that even after 2 decades KD music is still refreshing and worthy.Strongly recommended.

Haunting! Oooooooo OhOooooooo OhOoooooooo!
Whoa! this is a scary musical experience!

I started listening to King Diamonds music over a year ago starting with his two Mercyful Fate works "Mellisa" and "Don't Break The Oath", and needless to say those albums left me breathless. For awhile i thought nothing could top "Oath", but i soon discovered that solo KD is even HEAVIER then Fate. Fatal Portrait was the first solo KD work i listened too and i thought it really still did sound alot like the previous album he did with MF (Don't Break The Oath) and i loved it. Let me say something, Abigail completely obliterates everything Diamond did before it(and that is not easy for me to say either) and stands up to anything the King has put out since. I don't know why there were people saying (on this page) that this was King Diamonds worst, what the hell were they smoking? This is the first album where King Diamond dropped the satanic/hell lyrics and started doing the whole operatic-horror-rock-concept album thing (and doing it since then).Imagine something to the effect of a Stephen King novel meets Yanni meets over the top theatrical preformance and you will have a pretty basic idea of what kind of music is on here as well as almost every KD aalbum after it. The music hear will scare the living S H I T out of you, this simpley goes beyond being metal because of its complexity, both sonically and lyrically. The whole album follows a story and each song is like a chapter in that story, to make it short, it's basically about a cursed family and their legacy. My favorites here were FUNERAL, ARRIVAL, THE FAMILY GHOST, 7/7/1777, ABIGAIL, OMEN and BLACKHORSEMAN. King Diamond is the greatest metal singer ever, that is just fact, i'm sorry. Halford,Dickenson,Dio,Eric Adams could all take lessons from King, pretty much any vocalist in metal can't even macth 1/20th of what King Diamond could do with that amazing voice of his.Another thing that this album has over others is Andy Laroqe. Andy has some of the most brutal yet creative guitar playing, his wizardry is unmatched as far as i'm concerned, you couldn't ask for a better guitarist that macthed up with KDs music.

This is definatly as classic.Released in 1987, Abigail was KD's second solo release.The thing is that KD is an underground artist,you will not hear him on commercial radio,not see him on MTV or any non senselike that.In 1987, when the world was ruled by all of the Ratts,Poisons,crues,sisters and snakes (of the white kind) and polluted the world with their rancid filth, it would be easy to lable 80's metal as insipid and cheesie. This does not fall into that catogory if that is what you are thinking, no this isn't Judas Preist or Iron Maiden or Helloween or Manowar or any other cartoon metal group, this is the real deal, this is unlike anything ever made and it can't be catogorized. ... Read more

Asin: B000000H49
Sales Rank: 47767
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Streets: A Rock Opera
by Atlantic
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (15 October, 1991)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Reviews (38)

The Best
TO the point... This hands down, song for song, is the best album I've ever herd.Will always be #1 to me. You have to have this cd.

Another Savatage Must Have Album
I got this album when it came out in the fall of 1991. It took a few listens to get into because there is a lot to digest. The album tells about the rise and fall of a rock star named Jesus. This album showed the continuing shift away from Criss' guitar rockers to Jon's ballads (piano). But it has some of Jon's best songs like Tonight He Grins Again, St. Patricks, If I Go Away, and Somewhere In Time/Believe.Unfortunately this would be the last Savatage studio album where Jon would handle the vocals and Criss would play guitar. There are a couple songs I don't care for and the mixing could have been a little better as far as the guitar goes (i.e. louder) so I give it 4.5 stars.

An Amazing First Attempt At A Rock Opera.
This Amazing CD can be noted in as an oldie but goodie logged in under "Progressive Metal".

Recorded in 1991, this Album is industry legend. It was criticized by some as not delivering the goods "the correct way" using The Who's "Tommy" as the prescident. Criss and Jon Oliva weren't trying to copy "Tommy", but rather forge their own legacy in the Rock Opera genre.

Tracks of note are:

Streets - A Dark track in feel, but the picture it paints isn't supposed to be pretty. You're supposed to imagine a city much like the Bronx or South Central L.A. This song does so beautifully. It opens with a haunting Children's Choir and breaks into dark, bell driven notes to illustrate the hopeless nature of the city.

You're Alive / Sammy And Tex - Part one is full of the hope and energy felt by someone on the rebound. It does so masterfully. Part Two , "Sammy And Tex" is a fight scene... The song drives the raw emotion felt in the heat of fight between the central character, his nemesis (in this case a Drug Dealer) and the Central Character's best friend.

Heal My Soul - This song is very simple. Piano and the Children's choir with more haunting backing vocals. The song is a prayer and you feel it in your gut. Based on a Welsh traditional tune, "Suo Gan".

Believe - The perfect ending track. The close of the CD. Nothing extermely special here. Just a well written song with some incredible lyrics.

The CD is nothing like "Wake Of Megellan", "Dead Winter Dead", or "Poets And Madmen". It's the band's first attempt at Rock Opera with just the basics. A great buy and a great CD to add to your collection.

Interesting note: New versions of this have the same art inside and out, however, the inside cover with the legendary "Rose Guitar" (used on the Latest Trans-Siberian Orchestra CD) smells like Roses. ... Read more

Asin: B000002IS7
Sales Rank: 2954
Subjects:  1. Heavy Metal    2. Pop    3. Progressive Metal    4. Rock   

Beethoven's Last Night
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (11 April, 2000)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $14.99
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Editorial Review

Trans-Siberian Orchestra's first two recordings, a pair of late-'90s Christmas albums, hinted that some day TSO might evolve into a latter-day ELO or even an ELP. Instead, this overwrought concept album shares more common ground with ALW (Andrew Lloyd Webber) or Meat Loaf. TSO, in fact, aims to retrace a path once traveled by producer Jim Steinman, the mastermind behind the theatrical, over-the-top rock opuses that briefly transformed Mr. Loaf and Bonnie Tyler ("Total Eclipse of the Heart") into mass-audience favorites. TSO ringmaster Paul O'Neill (once a guitarist in Broadway productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair) here ditches the holiday themes and instead scores a simple-minded fairy tale (whose text spans a 32-page CD booklet) that involves Beethoven's soul, the devil, and an imaginary Symphony No. 10. Too often, the music is the servant of the project's thin plot, and the rock-classical instrumental bravura that initially attracted public attention to TSO (at times, the group sounds like a symphonic Boston) is obscured by overheated vocal rantings. Meanwhile, the guitar-driven rendering of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony ("Requiem") is mundane. Yet, one vocal track, "After the Fall" with singer Patti Russo, jumps off the record as a Tyler-esque knockout, raging with emotion and melodic luster. It doesn't save the album, but it helps. --Terry Wood ... Read more

Reviews (110)

Beethoven with attitude
My friend is Canadian. Not trying to make fun of that nation, but he has a very freakish taste in music. Thank God, though, because without him, I never would have heard of this band. They may not do perfect justice to Beethoven, but their music is catchy, almost Broadway-like, and I've listened to their CD about 10 times by now, almost unconsciously.

My only problem with this CD is that they didn't spend more time in their actual story, like Savatage in The Wake Of Magellan. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good either.

Overture: Nice instrumental. 9/10.

Midnight: I love the guy that plays Twist. 'Nuff said. 9/10.

Fate: Good song, I don't like the ghosts so much. 8/10.

What Good This Deafness: Opens up so-so, then goes to Twist. I like Twist's vocals, as I said before. 8/10.

Mepistopheles: Enter the Devil. Loved this singer. I really did. I also liked his other track, Misery. 10/10.

What is Eternal: I'm running out of adjectives for "stupendous." 10/10.

The Moment: Not bad, just a bit slow. 8/10.

Vienna: Wondrous piece. 9/10.

Mozart/Figaro: Very nice instrumental. 9/10.

The Dreams of Candlelight: I'm a bit prejudiced against romantic songs. That's why only 7/10.

Requiem: 8/10. Pretty okay.

I'll Keep Your Secrets: Theresa! Get away from my Beethoven CD! 7/10!

The Dark: I got kicked out of a history exam because I was humming this. 10/10.

Fur Elise: Nothing special. Just the Fur Elise. 8/10, since it's Beethoven.

After the Fall: Theresa is bugging me. 7/10 (again).

A Last Illusion: Flight of the Bumblebee mixed with Ode to Joy. And it's good, too. 10/10.

This Is Who You Are: Really cool song, very uplifting. 10/10.

Mephistopheles' Return: Satan isn't in this one, but I liked this song a lot anyway. 10/10.

Misery: The Devil is a singer. Boo-ya. 10/10.

Who Is This Child: Very awesome, so for the fifth time in a row 10/10.

A Final Dream. Only so-so. So-so, however, as in 9/10.

My recommendation: get it. And if you have a friend who has an odd obsession with all things Canadian, humor him sometimes. It just might pay off.

Last Night.... First Album....
The title to this review reflects the simple fact that "BEETHOVEN'S LAST NIGHT" was the first album I picked up from TSO. I stumbled upon this Paul O'Neill brainchild of brilliance whilst searching for songs from Savatage, a metal band that O'Neill had produced albums for since 1987. While O'Neill's expertise resulted in Savatage putting out some absolutely killer albums ever since, expect nothing less from Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

This album only serves to prove what I have said ever since hearing the Savatage/O'Neill rendition of Greig's "Hall Of the Mountain King" - that metal & classical musics blend beautifully and compliment each other superbly, despite being practically at opposite ends of the musical spectrum. But perhaps that's why they work so well together? The yin & yang creating a perfect balance resulting in something that anyone and everyone will find something appealing to their musical tastes. In other words, if you are having a spat with Grandpa cos he wants to hear some classical and you want your heavy metal, then the perfect compromise is TSO's "BEETHOVEN'S LAST NIGHT".

Right from the first three interconnected tracks ("OVERTURE/MIDNIGHT/FATE"), the elements of both genres are immediately evident. But the thing that really intrigued me and prompted me to get this opus was when I heard Savatage's frontmen, Jon Oliva & Zak Stevens, on a couple of tracks ("MEPHISTOPHOLES" - Oliva, "THE DARK" - Stevens/Oliva, "MISERY" - Oliva). After discovering that the songs were not Savatage releases, but in fact from TSO, I grabbed up this album which was soon followed by the rest of the TSO catalog! Every album rocked, but the thing about "BEETHOVEN'S LAST STAND" that sets it apart from its two predecessors and the follow-up 4th release, is that it is the only album not Christmas-themed. In addition, I discovered that most of the Savatage guys lent their talents to this and the other albums also.

The other tracks on the album, have their varying degrees of mellow melodies and crunching pommelling riffs. A lot of classical excerpts and pieces from the orignal composers were implemented in the making of this album and it totally rules.
You have not heard Beethoven's Fifth Symphony til you've heard it metallized, in the form of "REQUIEM (THE FIFTH)". Andwhile I admit to not being too well-versed on all the original classical masterpieces, I would wager that it's a little bit of "Flight Of The Bumblebee" that makes up the first half of "A LAST ILLUSION".

I really don't know what more to say about this album without reepating myself or speaking in comparisons to TSO's other releases or even those of Savatage, but let me just say that this album is a great way to implement a little culture into the headbanger's music library.

If you like metal and/or classical music, you will like this album. If you like Savatage (as I do), then you will LOVE this album!

Too bad the mixmum rating here is only 5 stars, cos I'd surely give it 10.


- WTW

Even if not overly ambitious, it's nothing special
I can't believe some of the reviews below me actually praising this CD to the high heavens. I highly doubt that any of them actually like Beethoven outside of movie portraits of him, or the usual social ideas about the man.

And the 'moral' themes in it are disgusting, trite, shallow, and as profound as a 'Care Bears' episode.

I'd like to correct the Amazon editorial review, although it's half a decade old. For one, Beethoven DID have a tenth symphony, just not completed, but there are plenty of sketches of it. Another thing is the 'Requiem' track being of the fifth symphony, not the ninth. Anyway, moving on to my review!

I bought Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 'Beethoven's Last Night' on November of 2002. I don't know what possessed me to think then that such an ambitious theme could ever be fulfilled by the music. Oh yeah, Al Pitrelli was part of TSO, and was currently in Megadeth then, which made me want to give an album of theirs a try.

'Beethoven's Last Night' is obviously coming from a metalhead point of view, Broadway-ized. How this could do justice to Beethoven's music is beyond me, but that's what TSO went for.

The instrumentation is professional, despite the cheap-sounding production. The arrangements come across as trying-hard, and the selection of Beethoven's opuses found throughout the work is too 'greatest hits-y' to be taken seriously. 'Fur elise,' Symphony No. 5... they actually did one of my favorite movements, the Allegro con brio of the 'Pathetique' sonata, but it sounds so processed, that it becomes a mere curiosity. The most obscure work they took liberties of is the 'Confutatis' in Mozart's Requiem. The piece of Mozart that they played the entirety of, the overture of 'The Marriage of Figaro,' is one of the strongest parts of the album, where there is no sappy singing, and as only an adaptation, there is no mixing up of TSO's melodies and of the original composer.

The ballads throughout sound pathetic, I couldn't imagine even the songwriters, of whom Paul O'Neill is the primary one, giving two snits about them. Take 'The moment.' In the middle of the crap, comes a synth version of the start of the 'Pastorale' symphony, which sounds so out of place, and then the ballad continues as it did. Laughable!!!

It's sad how corny the whole thing is. I'd like to hear more TSO stuff, and maybe some Savatage stuff as well, just to see how 'BLN' compares to them.

I'm remembering now how amusing it was back then, hearing the wicked 'Pathetique' melody sung out in a forced manner, in 'Mephistopheles' return.' I mean, I was amazed to actually hear it even being done, that anyone would have the nerve to do such a thing, but that doesn't mean it was impressive at all.

The 'Beethoven' track does a cool adaptation of the second movement of Symphony No. 9. The canon done at the end of 'Mephistopheles' return' is fairly interesting. And Jon Oliva's voice as Mephistopheles is both funny and sort of cool. But these are fairly few good points in a lot of sap. If TSO weren't too ambitious, and didn't meddle too much in Beethoven's and Mozart's works, except as exclusive adaptations like 'Figaro,' 'BLN' would have been a lot better. And the ballads could have used a lot of work on. They sound worse than those songs sung by the 'Sometimes when we touch' guy. ... Read more

Asin: B00004S7LI
Subjects:  1. Christmas / Chanukkah    2. Classical Crossover    3. Pop    4. Prog-Rock/Art Rock   

The Perfect Element I
by Inside Out U.S.
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (14 November, 2000)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Reviews (34)

Not their best, but definitely good
Unlike so many supposed prog bands out their, Pain of Salvation actually write albums that are different from one another.They are *gasp* actually progressing.'The Perfect Element I' is a very substantial leap away from either the sound of their debut or 'One Hour...'.Before, though they were certainly more creative and musical than most their peers, Pain of Salvation still fit into the basic prog-metal mold fairly cleanly.With this album, they moved out a bit, into less metallic, less song-oriented and more textured arenas.Frankly, this is probably my least favorite PoS album, and this is probably partially because of the far less metallic sound, as I am primarily a metal fan, rather than a prog fan.Beyond this, I also think the songwriting has also slipped a bit at certain parts, but overall it's still very strong, and the album is very worthwhile, especially considering how different it is from most of their other work.

The production on this album isn't really bad, but it isn't exactly ideal either.Their previous album was a little to sterile and too sharply separated, and they seem to have overcompensated a bit here by making an album that's a bit too close and compacted sounding.Basically, during some of the louder, denser parts, clarity tends to be a bit lacking.It still sounds pretty much alright, but it could have been better, and would be on their next two albums.

On 'The Perfect Element I', Pain of Salvation downplay some of the old funk elements and bring in some more electronic flavoring, as well as a general emphasis on melody which is even greater then in any of their other albums.The album is definitely pleasantly melodic throughout, and it's often very memorable, but it loses some crunch and intensity too, so it doesn't have the sorta impact that a lot of their other material had.Also, they tend towards epic song structures more here then on any of their other albums.Thus, this album was definitely the most difficult of theirs to digest, at least for me, anyway, andI certainly wouldn't recommend this as one's first PoS album.

As with all their material, PoS prove themselves to be technically adept, with odd-times, numerous time/tempo and complex arrangements, while not being overtly flashy or in your face.Gildenlow's vox are as dynamic as ever, though he can be a bit overwrought at times, but this has always been the case.

The tracks that interest me least on this album tend to be the shorter ballads.'Morning on Earth' and 'Dedication' don't really do much for me.'Morning on Earth' is the better of the two, with a nice main melody, but their both a bit wimpy for my tastes, and are just kinda blandly pleasant without being too exciting.Similarly, 'In the Flesh' is one of the less exciting tracks, as it is reasonably interesting through out, but it never really grabs me or involves all that much, no matter how many times I listen to it.The highlights, however, are excellent, and rate amongst Pain of Salvation's best material.'Used' is a fine opener, and definitely the most immediate thing here.The dual chorus with the choppy riffs and shouted vocals combined with the softer, more melodic following line works very well.And yes, Daniel does kinda-sorta rap during the verses of this song.What nerve!It's amazing that their actually are some serious reviews condemning a 72+ minute album for 1 minute of rapping.(And I'm not referring to the one written just before this.I *think* that reviews a joke. There are others, however)'Ashes' introduces some electronic elements, and it's a very memorable as a whole, with a thunderous, but catchy chorus.'Her Voices' starts out a fairly balladish track, but it kicks it up a bit towards the end, with some very strong choral vocals and an effective wall of sound approach.Another strong track.'King of Loss' is perhaps the best epic of the album.It's a bit less dense, slowly building and with strong guitarwork throughout it, leading into the crunching, jarring chorus.The gentler, melodic section after the second chorus is also very strong.'The Perfect Element I' is the closing track.It's the most melodic track on the album, with lots of nice multipart vocal lines.It kinda peters out at the end, not adding anything new to the track, but it's still an effective ending as a whole.

Yeah, I'm done.Perhaps their weakest, but that's still pretty damn good.

not troo prog
i can't believe people think this is prog this is as bad as tool and there's no shredding how can it be prog without shred also there's rapping what the hell rapping in prog what is this limp bixkit lol.if u liek this u r not prog go buy some dream theater shadow gallery and sypmhony x that is real prog.

Dark, Brooding Progressive Metal Brilliance
Progressive metal was blessed when Pain of Salvation entered the limelight.On their third studio album, Daniel Gildenlow and company have mastered the art of the morose-slash-hopeful song.Each piece is ripe with despair without departing from the melodies that keep the album alive. A concept album whose themes revolve around childhood and growing up, The Perfect Element I never reaches a significant level of intensity to be considered "metal" (in the broadest sense of the word).

The most intense song on the album, the harrowing and wonderful "Idioglossia" remains reasonably accessible throughout it's 8-minute run.As a concept album it is also very successful, aided by a cohesive conceptual theme, and recurring musical lines - "Reconciliation" is, in a nutshell, "Morning on Earth" on steroids.The guitars range from simple chord arrangements to stunning solos, always eerie and unsettling.The stand-out characteristic of this album, however, is Gildenlow's vocal range.It is difficult to believe that the intimate, almost womanly voice in "Song for the Innocent" can conjure the deep, angry grunts in "Idioglossia".

Musically, the album is neither too spontaneous nor easily predictable.Dark throughout (save certain idyllic songs) and often disturbing both lyrically and musically, the album is as beautiful as it is unnerving.The standout track, "Her Voices" has absolutely everything: memorable choruses, an amazing progressive middle-part, and a triumphant choir of voices (and a violin) bringing the song to its brilliant end.From the lyrics to "Used", reminiscent of a raving sex-offender; to those of "Ashes", whose visual portrayal of personified filth is unmatched; to the heavenly violins in "Morning on Earth", the album showcases the beauty in despair.With unexpected tempos, impressive guitar-work, a soaring voice and a dark, brooding theme, Gildenlow has crafted a seductively disturbing and disturbingly seductive album.

See also: Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane, Arena - Contagion
... Read more

Asin: B00005085N
Sales Rank: 30514
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Leonardo - The Absolute Man
by Magna Carta
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 July, 2001)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $16.98
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Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (21)

Superlative musical portrait
Along with J.S. Bach and Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci stands as one of my eternal heroes, with da Vinci perhaps the greatest of the three.Therefore, any musical endeavor that undertakes to capture his brilliance is one that I must find myself drawn to, with a critical but understanding eye, given the magnificence that the music would have to achieve in order to do the great Master justice.

From the first moments of Leonardo - The Absolute Man, I could tell that this was going to be an excellent attempt at accurately representing Il Divino in musical terms.Being one of those rare people who actually enjoyed both of Explorers Club's CDs, I could really get into the sound of this album.The instrumental writing and playing is exciting and brilliant.It does manage to reflect different facets of Leonardo himself, at times precise and complex, but deeply pensive and emotional at others.

As far as casting goes, I was fairly happy, I would say.The singing talent is, of course, virtually unmatched on any album; even Arjen Lucassen's projects don't manage to assemble a more talent-filled list.LaBrie especially shines for me, since I'm more familiar with him than any of the others, though I also like Mike Baker's singing on this album.At first, Lisa Bouchelle didn't seem quite right as Mona Lisa, but I grew accustomed to her, and having read an interview she gave on Highwire-Daze, I respect what she does for the character.And what can I say, if this were ever live, I wouldn't mind seeing her onstage ;-).I have no qualms with any of the other choices.

Ultimately, I would say that this is a very well-made album, and one that takes an interestingly personal, if slightly fanciful, look at da Vinci.Though there isn't enough time to paint him as the Homo universalis that he surely was, the 66 minutes we do get are as true to him in spirit as one could hope for.And while it would be presumptuous of me to say he'd have been proud, I think he would have appreciated it, and I can't imagine any other current band doing anything half as worthy to bear his name.

Beautiful
It's fantastic. Especially Dream Theater's James LaBrie's voice on "Shaping the Invisible". One of the best voices today! The duets "First Commission" and "This Time, This Way" are incredible. Gardner's songwriting talent is indubitable. Prog and Magna Carta at their best. Highly recommended.

Absolute Train Wreck!
Okay, perhaps it's not as horrible as Trent Gardner's other recent project, Explorers Club "Raising the Mammoth."But I really should have learned my lesson with this guy after the halfway-decent "Age of Impact" (the first Explorers Club album).

Gardner has no ear for melody!ZERO!Here we get more of his awkward writing with good singers struggling mightily to salvage it.And as another reviewer pointed out - the sound is awful!

With all of the top-notch progressive rock being put out today, there is no excuse for something this inferior.I have to believe that all of the 5-star reviews here are written by Gardner's friends and family.Trent, please, go back to law school or whatever it was that you were doing before you decided to become a musician! ... Read more

Asin: B000050IVD
Sales Rank: 78903
Subjects:  1. Cast Recordings    2. Music Theater    3. Pop    4. Rock   

Jesus Christ Superstar (Original London Concept Recording)
by Decca U.S.
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 September, 1996)
list price: $32.98 -- our price: $29.49
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Editorial Review

It may not have been the first rock opera (the Who's Tommy was released in 1969), but Jesus Christ Superstar was a legendary album long before it hit the stage, thanks to Tim Rice's compelling book and lyrics combined with Andrew Lloyd Webber's irresistible music. Telling the story of the last days of Christ from the point of view of Judas (Murray Head), the still-unmatched original cast also stars Deep Purple's Ian Gillan as Jesus and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene, the role she made into a career (with a cameo on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack). Decades later, such songs as "Superstar," "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "Heaven on Their Minds," and "Everything's Alright" still retain their extraordinary power. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (90)

The First is the Best
This studio rendition of JCS was the first and is still the best of the many versions out there. Perhaps because, as with movie sequels, subsequent editions try to hard to capture what the original does naturally. Murray Head (of One Night in Bangkok fame from Chess) is an impassioned Judas, and the production is crisp and polished. The only "flaw" to speak of is the absence of material subsequently written for the movie, such as the full tracks "Can We Start Again Please" and "Then We are Decided", and extended lyrics on Hosanna. If you're a big enough fan, as I am, you'll just have to get the movie soundtrack to supplement--but not replace--the original.

Webber's good effort - what happened to this guy?
I had this on 8-track in 1972, 8-tracks would play repeatedly over and over all night until the cartridge was white hot.I could sing the thing from start to finish, even today.It is excedingly tuneful.I am befuddled by the crap Webber created afterwards, I guess that is the cost of success, it screws up creative energy.JCS has 'honest-to-God' rock basslines, it has full-throated melodies, it even has clever lyrics.

"Heaven on Their Minds" is a good rock song with thoughtful lyrics (for rock, anyway) and an excellent singing performance.

"What's the Buzz" and its sister "The Arrest" got hooks and counterpoint, what's not to like?This is true of much of this album.Songs start out doing one thing and then characters chime in with something else.That's a big plus I loved about this album.It is melodically complex.Different character sing in diff voices with diff melodic themes.

"This Jesus Must Die" is a great ensemble singing performance by the Sanhedrin choir or whatever you'd call it,leading into "Hosanna" with its catchy plays on the word 'hosanna', more good contributions from the Sanhedrin choir.

Yeah some tunes on this album are not really rock, I'm speaking of "Pilate's Dream" and "Pilate And Christ" (Pilate just doesn't rock; I would have thought Romans were rocking but Webber disagreed), but this was a stage play and actually the vocals save these less compelling songs, the singing crew apparently was pumped up for the orginal recording, in the context of the whole vision of JCS the non-rock tunes are not out of line, they make sense, but I suppose these non-rock tunes were unfortunate harbingers of the lame route Webber would follow in his pandering Broadway efforts in the years to come.

"The Temple" is a great tune, musically and lyrically, it gets its point acrossed effectively,

The songs Webber entrusted to Yvonne Elliman, "Everything's Alright" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him", are just great.They are just fabulous.And what I especially love is that they are not just star-turns, they are part of the dramatic developement of the story, (this is a well-known story...) and other singers answer Ms. Magdalene in ending verses and there is counterpoint.Jesus Christ, how come all songs don't have counterpoint?Bach did it 300+ years ago and he'll live forever.I suppose most musicians are simpletons, there are few geniuses.I thought Webber was a genius in 1972 but subsequent events cast doubt on this presumptuous adolescent worship."Peter's Denial" Yvonne shines too.

"The Last Supper" is a good tune.Even in 1972 I thought it was kind of dismissive towards the 12 disciples, like they were building their resumes like MBAs or software engineers with a personal agenda, but nevertheless it is a good tune.The ultimate test of a tune is if you sing it yourself and it is still compelling.

"Gethsemane(I Only Want To Say)" is also a good tune, with hooks, maybe the original recording with its passionate vocals bring out the good in all these non-singleworthy show tunes, Webber should thank his lucky stars for the original cast, the Deep Purple guy was stunning, as good or better than "Magic Carpet Ride".

Musically, "King Herod's Song" was always kind the odd-man-out, but I always liked the clever lyrics.In the movie they made later I did not approve of the campy production, the movie did not improve on anything in the musical, this show is due for a remake movie some day.I saw the show in a revival in London in
1978 and it shined then, but the movie was disappointing, except some of the Judas stuff was done well.

"Trial Before Pilate(Including 39 Lashes)" could have been boring or gruesome like "The Passion"but it plays out okay, it fits in.It's definitely a show tune of some sort, but 'Pilate' and 'Jesus' sing in a fast cadence and it all fits in.Counterpoint, the superior weapon of good tunemasters.

"Crucifixion" was actually a compelling piece of musical exploration, IMHO.

But I don't favor the outgoing music "John Nineteen Forty-One", it is kind of a so-what tune.

"Superstar" is a great song, the signature of this show, with yet more clever lyics (What is Tim Rice up to these days?), the verse and the chorus shine, in the stage production this one gets the heart pumping.

Obviously I love this show, and in general I don't love shows, but I know this one by heart.It will live forever for me, maybe it was the moment, the late 60's-early 70's, when I was young and impressionable, but I believe that period was a 'moment' when heartfelt music was written and I dare anyone to say that nowadays in 2005 heartfelt music is being written, because I don't hear it.

The key word is is HEARTFELT.Hello? Does anybody hear me?Does anybody understand that 'concept' anymore?What are you people doing?What is this culture doing?

JC Superstar...don't accept substitutes
THE recoding of this rock opera. The orginal cast in true form! This is the version to buy! ... Read more

Asin: B000002P4H
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Soundtracks & Film Scores