Recuerda
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (09 July, 1996)
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Reviews (2)

Superb
i first heard the killmen on the radio when i was in high school. eventually, i tracked down "face of collapse" and bought it. it was one of those cds that radically affected my view of punk rock and hardcore music and what is was and what it could be. if you have never heard the killmen you should definitely buy "face of collapse", but, if you can't find that album, but this one and get a taste. the band is incredible and i only wish they had released more.

Dazzling Killmen- Recuerda
The Dazzling Killmen are a force that was unstoppable until there breakup in 1994. They were the quintessential hard/jazz/core band that ever was. Many bands have tried to emulate them and very unsuccessfully. The Killmenreleased two full length records "Dig out the Switch" (which is ahard to find record) which was before Guitarist Tim Garrigan joined theband. The other was the Skin graft records classic "Face ofCollapse". The album "Recuerda" is a fine piece of ctalogingthe Killmen's short but brilliant career. It has everthing from their earlysingles (which includes a great version of PIL's Poptones) to the SkinGraft cassette only release "Live At Lounge Ax". It also includesnever before released song at the end (a hidden track none the less). itincludes different versions of Bottom Fedder that is brilliant. It also hasa personal grade A rating from John Peel. One of the funnier moments inwhen they get a class of boys to introduces the Killmen at WNUR studios.Another interesting note is that Jeff Tweedy (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco) producedand played onambient guitar on "Killing Fever". If you havenever expierenced the Killmen before that is alright because no one hascaught up to them yet. (Bands Killmen memebers has been in since: NickSakes; Colosomite, Sickbay/Darrin Gray:You Fantastic, Yona Kit, BriseGlase, Loren Massacane Conners, and recorded with Palace/ BlakeFleming:Ladio Balocko and played drums in Zeni Geva/Tim Garrigan:YouFantastic, Phutt, and released a solo album.) ... Read more

Asin: B0000019FP
Sales Rank: 204794
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Experimental Rock    3. Indie Rock    4. Math Rock    5. Noise-Rock    6. Pop    7. Rock   

No Depression [Bonus Tracks]
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (15 April, 2003)
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Editorial Review

The album that named a movement (and a magazine), No Depression rocks and twangs in just about equal measure, though the rock side wins out most of the time. Even when a song downshifts from full-on punk to banjo- and mandolin-graced interludes, it usually shifts back again, seemingly louder and angrier than before. Beyond the influential sound, though, are some great songs, whether they're raging originals like "Graveyard Shift," an earnest, acoustic cover of the Carter Family's title track, or a decidedly desperate portrait of Leadbelly's "John Hardy." Six bonus cuts flesh out the 2003 expanded and remastered edition, including a cover of Gram Parsons's "Sin City." --David Cantwell ... Read more

Features

• Extra tracks
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (11)

Social Who?
Was Uncle Tupelo the first band to mix punk and country music?If you ignore the fact that Social Distortion and the Meat Puppets both mixed country and punk in the eighties, then the answer might be yes.Otherwise, the answer is definitely no.
When the Meat Puppets originally mixed punk and country on their second album in 1983, it was so odd that it seemed like a joke and probably was meant to be taken that way.However, when Social Distortion mixed country and punk on their excellent 1988 album "Prison Bound," they seemed dead serious about what they were doing.
So why doesn't Social Distortion get any credit for their innovation and get credit for founding a new musical genre?One of the reasons could be that they didn't stay on an indie label."Prison Bound" was released on an independent label, but soon after they jumped to Epic."You can't have a punk sound if you're on a major label," as the indie scenster logic goes.The fact is, Social Distortion's sound was too raw, honest, and working class to gather praise from the rock critics.
Uncle Tupelo's "No Depression" isn't a bad album, but it's extremely over-hyped and it sounds like it had the edges sanded off it.Then again, both Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar are much cuter then than that Mike Ness fellow.

Alternative country comes alive...
A friend of mine actually gave me a copy of No Depression on tape shortly after this release came out and told me I had to check this new band out. For some reason it sat at the bottom of my tape collection for well over a year. I finally rediscovered the tape one day and realized it was time to check out the band with the unique name. Man, had I missed out on some seriously good music! There is a nice mix of punk and country on many of the songs on this cd. Songs such as "Graveyard Shift" and "Factory Belt" are quick paced, high-flying country/punk tunes but the song that blew me away (and still does to this day) is the old school country drinking song "Whiskey Bottle". Everytime I hear this song it just sends shivers up my spine as you can feel the pain and heartache in Jay Farrar's voice. Some great bonus tracks on the remastered version including a great version of Gram Parson's "Sin City" and an informative booklet just add to the original beauty of this release. Tupelo move forward into a more traditional country sound after this cd but "No Depression" is a groundbreaking effort.

Oh My, yes indeed!
Now this, THIS is my kind of music. Punk meets Country, with Rock sprinkled all over for good measure! From the opening note of "Graveyard Shift" to the close of "Blues Die Hard, there's 19 tracks of pure great music to be had here.

This stuff is potent - what creativity, what diversity, what a great sound these guys put out. Makes me mad I didn't discover them sooner, because Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt are two of the best groups I've been lucky enough to come across in the past year or two. Really and truly well worth buying this one is, you will be very glad you did! ... Read more

Asin: B00008J2RA
Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Roots Rock   

Blind Idiot God
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (14 May, 1991)
list price: $14.98
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Reviews (3)

an exploding cauldron
O THIS IS CERTAINLY.kind-of: a very tiny veneered slice of SMOOTH JAZZ kiwi or papaya mixed in a 44 gallon cauldron of hot lead speed metal then shot into space! o i remember being drenched in various alchemical catalysts while paradigms were being sweated right out the ontological system all the whilst listening to this in 1988...on vinyl of course...i wore it OUT...nonetheless, i sort of downloaded it manually back then...but i need i think i believe a CD version of it now. plus the other two. GET ANYTHING BY THIS BAND!

Loud, vibrant soundscapes, sans vocals
Three cheers for the SST records folks for discovering these St. Louis natives way back in the late 80's (got the date wrong again, Amazon).The cover is highly appropriate for the paranoid intensity of this band when in full gear.The disc was split, on vinyl, into orchestral speed-metal lanscapes on side 1 and acid-tinged dub drippings on side 2.The faster titles manage to paint sonic structures that mimic their highly appropriate titles ("Shifting Sand") and the dizzying sojurn through twisting sewerpipes on "Subterranean Flight" is an unforgettable highlight. The dub tunes show a charming approach by these midwestern white geeks who definitely know their chops.Drummer Ted Epstein has brought an almost lyrical approach to the instrument, and holds the 'lead' duties more than guitarist Andy Hawkins, who is too busy painting white-hot screaming dreamscapes to bother with single-string noodling.Very sophisticated and not for the shallow-minded.

A seminal influence on today's best progressive punk/metal
Famed for complaining of Slayer, "great intensity, boring chords!", Andy Hawkins is a predecessor to Helmet's Page Hamilton, Mike and Ian of Don Caballero, and many of the other fine guitarists whohave since tried to give advanced musical ideas a bracing rock expression.This debut features a Blue Cheer-strength tribute to Stravinsky, a Meterscover, and three excellent dub instrumentals. The meat of the album howeveris in the original compositions of this power trio, which are rich inshifting, aggressive rhythms and savage but brilliantly-coloured guitarharmonics. An influence on everyone from the Dazzling Killmen to Ui, BIGreally should be a better-known entity. Why is the LP "Cyclotron"not also available? ... Read more

Asin: B000000M1H
Sales Rank: 189340
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock   

Kind of Blue
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 March, 1997)
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Editorial Review

This is the one jazz record owned by people who don't listen to jazz, and with good reason. The band itself is extraordinary (proof of Miles Davis's masterful casting skills, if not of God's existence), listing John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on saxophones, Bill Evans (or, on "Freddie Freeloader," Wynton Kelly) on piano, and the crack rhythm unit of Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Coltrane's astringency on tenor is counterpoised to Adderley's funky self on alto, with Davis moderating between them as Bill Evans conjures up a still lake of sound on which they walk. Meanwhile, the rhythm partnership of Cobb and Chambers is prepared to click off time until eternity. It was the key recording of what became modal jazz, a music free of the fixed harmonies and forms of pop songs. In Davis's men's hands it was a weightless music, but one that refused to fade into the background. In retrospect every note seems perfect, and each piece moves inexorably towards its destiny. --John Szwed ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (536)

The Rembrandt of Music
This isn't just the greatest jazz music of all time, it just may be the best music ever recorded of any genre.Period.

Absolute Perfection!
This is quite simply one of the best jazz albums ever created. Over the years I have collected several hundred albums by all different artists. I have a particular affection for trumpet, and especially for Miles.

This album was the first ever given to me, and is the gold standard by which all other music I have ever heard or owned is judged. My collection started with this and since has turned into a runaway train.

If I had to give up the rest of my music, I could survive for eternity with this album. There is nothing more to say, just listen.

If you could only own one album for the rest of your life
If I was limited to five albums on a desert island, I would also take along "Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd, "Siamese Dream," by the Smashing Pumpkins, "Revolver," by the Beatles, "A Love Supreme," by John Coltrane, and "Strangeways, Here We Come," by The Smiths, but if I could only take one, it would be "Kind of Blue."

Simply put, "Kind of Blue" is the best record ever made, by any artist, in any genre of music, ever.It will survive any amount of playing; it is impossible to tire of this wonderful album.It is unlikely it will ever be surpassed. ... Read more

Asin: B000002ADT
Subjects:  1. Hard Bop    2. Jazz    3. Modal Music    4. Pop    5. Trumpet    6. United States of America   

The Great Twenty-Eight
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $15.98
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Reviews (24)

Chuck Berry's Best album
For my money, this is easily the difinitve Chuck Berry album. It contains all of his Greatest songs. If you dont know what Chuck Berry did to rock & roll then you shouldnt be listning to music at all. The songs on this album quite simply, defined the sound and spirit of rock & roll. This Collection contains all the magical music from 1955 to 1965.

A quick lesson about how rock got rolling
It's hard to tell this from listening to your average "oldies" station but rock and roll did NOT begin with the Beatles..they merely ushered it into a new phase. (For further proof of how much they revered Berry, you can find 2 of his songs on their early albums and they often did others like "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Memphis" on radio and TV appearances. Compare their song "I Wanna Be Your Man" with Berry's "I Want to Be Your Driver" and it's even more obvious how much they listened to him.) While it's hard to say who had the first rock SONG, it's pretty much undeniable that Chuck Berry was the first rock and roll superstar. Artists from heavy metal, punk, country and pop have covered his songs [http://www.chuckberry.com/music/covers.html]. He's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

PROS:
There are many different "hits" collections out there for Berry, but if you don't much of his music and want a single disc, this is the best way to go. For your about $8.50 used, you get 10 all-time rock and roll classics that EVERYONE should know, and beyond that another 9 lesser known tunes that are absolutely great like "I'm Talking About You","Nadine","30 Days" and "You Can't Catch Me". Even the lesser tunes here are at least listenable (any song is gonna sound a little 'weak' when it's placed alongside tunes like "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Johnny B. Goode"). 69 minutes of music..way more than any other single disc Berry collection and without any live cuts to weaken it.

CONS:
If there's any low spot to this collection, it's that it's missing "You Never Can Tell" and Christmas favourite "Run Run Rudolph" but that's mere quibbling.

Some have mentioned that the sound from this disc is upgraded on the re-mastered Anthology (ASIN B00004U01E), so if you have more money to spend get that 2CD set since it includes everything here plus extra enticements like "House of Blue Lights","Too Pooped to Pop","Don't you Lie to me","You Never Can Tell" and goofy but great singalong "My Ding-a-Ling".

BOTTOM LINE:
Rock and roll starts here. If you don't own any Chuck Berry, you don't understand rock history. Essential.

ADDENDUM

Johnnie Johnson, Berry's pianist and collaborator, has apparently died at the age of 80. I just found out. R.I.P. "Johnny B. Goode"

Let me hear some of that rock and roll music
This is the definitive single disc Chuck Berry compilation.The title says it all.It contains 28 great songs.Not necessarily Chuck's "greatest" songs, but great nonetheless."You Never Can Tell" is unquestionably one of Chuck's greatest songs, and it's not here.But, c'est la vie.The songs that they do include are great, so I won't complain.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Asin: B000002Q61
Sales Rank: 17190
Subjects:  1. R&B    2. Rock    3. Rock & Roll    4. V/a Compilations   

Penetration
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD
list price: $21.49
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Reviews (1)

drunks with guns
Dysfunctional Missouri noisemakers, Drunks with Guns merged Flipper-dirge with the adolescent charm of punk rawk, all while having a sneering good time. The mix is wonderfully four track with no overdubs, sounding much like it was recorded in a basement full of tin cans. Considering this thing was put together in the mid-80s, it was well ahead of the soon-to-come lo fi movement. Ah, yea, Drunks were always ahead of their time. The songs are underground classics. "Wonderful Subdivision," with its John Bonham drum chops and roiling bass line, streamrolls over the listener. "Hell House" is a classic, to be ranked along side any of the great bash and crash midtempo tunes of the era, full of a brash vocal and dirty, mushy guitar. Plagued by infighting and inertia, Drunks With Guns never made it much past the St. Louis city limits. They were destined for greatness and preceded the real aural onslaught on the late 80s, which was administered primarily by the Amphetamine Reptile label. Drunks would have been well at home there, had the band survived. ... Read more

Asin: B0000563C6
Sales Rank: 597954

Country Grammar
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 June, 2000)
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Editorial Review

With the No Limit and Cash Money crews having permanently seared the once-ignored Deep South into the hip-hop map, Nelly arrives to make a mark for the heretofore uncelebrated St. Louis scene. After outlining the rules of the game from lifestyle (gats, grass, and sex) to wardrobe (he cuffs his jeans like Beaver Cleaver), the rapper offers scenario after scenario depicting the gangsta world as one big party; he and his crew seem much more interested in fellatio than shootouts. The title single, which preceded this CD's release by months, is the clear standout with its low-rider groove, but the midtempo R&B-flavored flows of "Utha Side," "Greed, Hate & Envy," and "Steal Da Show" are also seductive.--Rickey Wright ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (284)

Country Grammar
I remember this album when I was 13. I love this album,and it put St. Louis on the map. This album is tight. Nelly is rappin'the blues,and his music is a jazz form of hip-hop.Country Grammar is the country part in St. Louis of USA and the way they talk,dress,and their actions are all country. So join the people who appreciate this album-the new talk of the town. This album has been certified 9x Platinum. Remember,this was 2000-2001.

Fools only

nelly is only liked by people who are mentally challanged
why dont people try to enlighten themselves
buy a Tupac cd

I hate naming my reviews""""""
As a rapper, Nelly is average, but this was an amazing reveiw. Even though he sung some of his rhymes, they still sounded good. Every song is good on this cd, mainly because most of the songs were single material, and there's nothing wrong with that. The production was very good on this cd and his delivery over the beats was almost perfect. As for the rest of the St. Lunatics, there not that great.They can't rap for s**t, just like most members of a rap group that has one standout( Eminem in D12, Nas in Bravehearts). I don't really think Nelly is a pop rapper on this cd because he does rap about the Lou, guns, and drugs, its just that the beats are very commercial oreinted, like as i said before isnt bad at all. THe only reason I gave this cd 4 stars is because of teh st lunatics and that nelly really has no rhymes that get stuck in your head like most others do. By the way, Nellyville was half as good as this and Sweat and Suit are pieces of sh**t in nicely decorated cases. ... Read more

Asin: B00004TH6I
Subjects:  1. Gangsta Rap    2. Hip-Hop    3. Pop    4. Pop-Rap    5. Rap & Hip-Hop    6. Southern Rap   

24 Hours a Day
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 August, 1997)
list price: $15.98 -- our price: $15.98
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Editorial Review

If you don't believe the Bottle Rockets are contenders for the title of world's greatest rock & roll band, you should check out their 1994 release, The Brooklyn Side, the decade's best rock & roll record: an out-of-fashion, unhoped-for blend of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Clash, funny and scary and catchy all at once. It was so good it was released twice--first on the late, lamented indie label ESD and then again on Atlantic. That's why it took three years for the follow-up, which was actually recorded in July 1996, to emerge. Because less is at stake in the songs, 24 Hours a Day isn't quite as good as The Brooklyn Side, but it's a remarkable piece of work just the same.

Like the Blasters, the Bottle Rockets realize that roots are not an empty suit to hide in but a pair of shoulders to stand on so one can reach even higher. The four scruffy musicians from Festus, Missouri, can sound like fading Grand Ole Opry stars on an understated country song like "Dohack Joe," and they can sound like a Southern-rock bar band on an overstated rocker like "Slo Toms." These familiar formulas give the Bottle Rockets an entrée into the Middle America they spring from and speak to, but the band strips the forms of their predictability and sentimentality. The quartet plays with a sort of controlled anarchy, as if at any moment they might leap into epiphany or fall apart altogether--and that creates a suspense that makes you want to listen to each new measure. And lead singer/chief songwriter Brian Henneman is so quick to laugh at his own protagonists that the blue-collar romanticism of Mellencamp and Petty is boiled away to reveal lives as they're actually lived. --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great album from an "unknown" band.
I love the Bottle Rockets. They're a breath of fresh air and deserve to be heard by the masses. The first half of this record is tremendous, even if they put down Indianapolis. Like most Bottle Rockets records, it slips a bit on the second half but all in all is definitely worth a purchase!

I'm Gonna Settle This Argument Right Here
Have you ever heard two people arguing over the relative merits of The Bottle Rockets classics, The Brooklyn Side and 24 Hours a Day?Me neither, but I suspect it has happened at some point.Maybe the best way to resolve this argument is to compare track versus track.Here goes:

Welfare Music vs. Kit Kat Clock:Are you kidding me?Welfare Music is brilliant both musically and lyrically, while Kit Kat Clock is merely a very good song with silly lyrics.Advantage - The Brooklyn Side.

Gravity Fails vs. When I Was Dumb:Both great songs, but Gravity Fails has a little more kick, and again, When I Was Dumb has sillier lyrics.Advantage - The Brooklyn Side

I'll Be Comin' Around vs. 24 Hours A Day:Talk about a tough one.Both excellent songs, with I'll Be Comin' Around rocking and sweet and 24 Hours A Day rocking and funny.I'll go with rocking and sweet.Advantage - The Brooklyn Side

Radar Gun vs. Smokin' 100s Alone: Another challenge.These songs are both great, yet totally different.Radar Gun rides a filthy ZZ Top-ish riff and amusing lyrics to glory.Smokin' 100s Alone is a tuneful depressing tearjerker.Like Mariah Carey, I don't wanna cry.Advantage - The Brooklyn Side

Sunday Sports vs. Slo Toms: 24 Hours a Day finally gets on the board with Slo Toms and its crunchy riffs.It doesn't get much cooler than when Brian Henneman suggests they head on over to Slo Toms to check out `Gary play Sweet Home Alabama on his Peavey guitar.'Advantage - 24 Hours a Day

Pot of Gold vs. Indianapolis: Pot of Gold is charming and simple, but Indianapolis is one of the best songs The Bottle Rockets have ever written.It'll make you think twice about making a road trip through Indiana, that's for sure.One thing I can't figure out: Is Brian being sincere or facetious when he says he `hopes they play that John Cougar one more time'?Advantage - 24 Hours a Day

1000 Dollar Car vs. Things You Didn't Know: 1000 Dollar Car is clever and catchy.Wish I could say the same for Things You Didn't Know.Advantage - The Brooklyn Side

Idiot's Revenge vs. One of You: This one's also not even close.Idiot's Revenge is a rocking account of some pretentious chick who thinks if "you like country music, then you deserve to die."By contrast, One of You is slow and a bit dull - you keep waiting for it to build up to something, then nothing happens.Advantage - The Brooklyn Side

Young Lovers in Town vs. Perfect Far Away: I could go either way on this one, though give the nod to Perfect Far Away since it does such a nice job of ripping off the riff from Michael Jackson's Beat It and manages to incorporate the lyric `she ripped through this heart of mine like a weed-eater with brand new line'.Advantage - 24 Hours a Day

Take Me to the Bank vs. Waitin' on a Train: Take Me to the Bank recalls Bocephus in a relatively good though derivative way.Waitin' on a Train is catchier and more original with a nice guitar solo in the middle.Advantage - 24 Hours a Day

What More Can I Do vs. Dohack Joe: What Can I Do is the only weak song on The Brooklyn Side, sounding like a bad alternate version of the Rolling Stones' "Far Away Eyes"."Dohack Joe" is pleasant if mildly ineffectual.Tell me, what exactly is `that java face' anyway?Advantage - 24 Hours a Day

Stuck in a Rut vs. Rich Man: This where things start to become a blowout.Stuck in a Rut is a cool grinder that sounds like it wouldn't be out of place on Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gimme Back My Bullets album.Rich Man starts out with some nice picking but ends up sounding uninspired, telling the tired tale of a rich man who works so hard he forgets to enjoy life.Advantage - The Brooklyn Side

I Wanna Come Home vs. Turn For the Worse: I Wanna Come Home features some sweet, though sad, lyrics and even sweeter guitar.Turn For the Worse is a good song, but listen to what it is competing with.Just listen to it.Advantage - The Brooklyn Side

Queen of the World vs. Nothing: The Bottle Rockets didn't even bother to record a 14th song for 24 Hours A Day.Wise choice.It's unlikely they could have come up with anything to rival Queen of the World anyway, a classic tear in your IBC song if I've ever heard one.When Brian describes that girl "singin' Hank Williams when (he) walked through the door", you can picture the scene.For me it conjures up images of a twenty-something Connie Criswell crooning Your Cheatin' Heart at the bar in the late, lamented Olde Towne Pizza.Queen of the World probably sounds a lot like something Hank would have recorded if he'd been alive in the 1990s instead of the 1940s.Darn near perfection.

Final Score: The Brooklyn Side 9, Twenty-Four Hours a Day 5

Ratings: The Brooklyn Side 5 stars, Twenty-Four Hours a Day 4 stars

Advice: Buy them both, fool!

Things you didn't know
The Bottle Rockets are not the second coming of the Beatles.There is nothing on this album that's originality will lay your mind to waste.What you will find is solidly written songs, excellent musicianship and a pervasive sense of humor.

Brian Henneman got his start with Uncle Tupelo, cutting his teeth with the best this then emerging genre had to offer.While this album has not received the aclaim that "The Brooklyn Side" has, it stands on it's own merit.

A friend of mine told me once that "Smokin' 100's Alone" was perhaps the stupidest song he had ever heard.I will admit that this portrait of trailer-park isolation may not be everyone's idea of stimulating lyrical content, but it does paint a picture in vivid detail.

Henneman's gift is telling the stories of a regular life, asking the questions we have all wanted to ask "Who knows where time goes?I waste mine thinking 'bout it, I suppose" and places it within rock and roll's most current and exciting format.

The Bottle Rockets are one of the few bands today who are putting down in the studio exactly what you will get in the bar or concert hall; loud, raunchy rock with a heavy back end, gravel-edged vocals and real life reflections on everyday situations.

If you're looking for alt.country hooks and humor with a grinding metal backbone, look no further than 24 hours a day. ... Read more

Asin: B000005J6F
Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Roots Rock   

Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (26 March, 1991)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Reviews (8)

IKE TURNER IS A GENIUS. THIS IS HOLY GHOST POWER SINGING!
I think even some preachers in the church would be turned on by the power and fire of Ike and Tina Turner. I would bet you most church going folks who hear this record would want to shout. I am not kidding. This IS one of black music's best groups and because of THIS CD I will purchase more Ike and Tina Turner records in the future. "Funkier" is one compelling song and I make sure I play it all the time.I would love to hear the Ikettes version of this song. "Up in Heap" is truly remarkable song right along with"I'm Yours".This record is incredible and Ike and Tina are truly incredible artists.

The Original 'Bold Soul Sister'
For those wishing to become acquainted with material by Ike and Tina Turner (though they may be few and far between) this is in fact the best compilation of their work. It grabs material from the Turners' early days on the Sue record label; which produced some of the most galvanizing r&b records of the period, to their stint with the Liberty/ United Artists label on which they had much of their success.

The disc opens with Tina's marvelous and bombastic "Fool in Love" on which Tina's strangled singing and shouting heralds the advent of a rising r&b singer. It also started a string of 5 Top 10 r&b releases for the Turners making them soul superstars. The best of the Sue Recordings are in fact "Fool" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" which was the Turner's biggest hit of the 60's reaching #2 and #14 on the r&b and Pop charts respectively. Unfortunately for us, the producers of this compilation weren't able to secure the proper rights to include the original Phil Spector version of "River Deep, Mountain High". Truly one of the most remarkable singles ever produced, "RDMH" was virtually ignored by radio in America as it was considered "too black for the white stations and too white for the black stations." However, in spite of this, Tina truly is in rare form on this record.

The disc presses on skipping from 1962-1968, in the process ignoring some very important Ike and Tina Turner material. Songs from ATCO were excluded as well as from the Turner's stint with Blue Thumb records. Ike and Tina recorded two fine albums on Blue Thumb, "Outta Season" and "The Hunter" which included the hits "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and the stunner "Bold Soul Sister". The album joins Ike and Tina on the Liberty label where they scored hit singles with covers of the Beatles "Come Together" and Sly Stone's "I Want To Take You Higher". The albums liner notes also include commentary on how the Turners actualyl charted 'higher' with their version of "Higher" as they made the song their own. Yet the cover song to end all covers was their cover of the CCR classic 'Proud Mary'. Tina's spoken intro is now one of rock and souls most famous locutions. Then they launch into the bombastic finish which helped them secure a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The disc also includes the ever funky "Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter" penned by Tina's sister Alline, Tina's first attempt at writing "Up In Heah" which is indeed a fine record though it went ignored. Then it comes to Tina's classic "Nutbush City Limits" and "Sexy Ida Pt.1" Songs that should have been included from the Turners days on Liberty /UA are : "The Chopper", "Up On the Roof" "Help Him" and a few others. You can find these on the recently released "Funkier Than a Mosquitas Tweeter." Finally we come to Tina's "Acid Queen". This is not the one from the movie which is one of the few disappointments on this disc. The cd ends with funny vintage radio skits by soul station DJs promoting the Turners' 1969/70 album "Come Together".

In all, this is the best place to start for the Ike and Tina novice. A great primer, this album and the 1997 release of "Bold Soul Sister" are a great place to learn about the beginning of two of Rock 'N' Soul's most uplifting entertainers...more specifically Tina. Remember, before there was Aretha or Gladys...there was Tina.

Still the best overview of their talent alongside River Deep
If you would like a career retrospective of Ike & Tina Turner on a single disc, this is the best overview. BTW, Acid Queen is not on River Deep-Mountain High while the title song of "River Deep" is the only re-recording on the album so if they were to include half stars, I'd say 4 1/2 rather than 5. Other than that, the liner notes are great and it does span her entire career with the only omission being the tracks from the River Deep-Mountain High album (you can get that separate here at Amazon.com as an import) featuring their hits on the Sue label such as the original recordings of A Fool In Love, I Idolize You and It's Gonna Work Out Fine (they have re-recorded these 3 songs on "River Deep-Mountain High" with Phil Spector being the producer) plus their biggest hits for Liberty/UA such as their soulful and funky version of the CCR classic "Proud Mary," and "Nutbush City Limits," and many lesser known gems such as "Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter," "Sweet Rhode Island Red," "Up In Heah," "Workin' Together," and many others plus 1 single (A Side and B Side) from their years on the Minit label, their covers of "Come Together" and "Honky Tonk Women" are included. While Ron Furmanek is renowned for his remixing on other volumes in the Legends of Rock & Roll Series and the Legendary Master Series, these are all the original mixes in wonderfully remastered sound. Unless you are a diehard fan, this compilation and the "River Deep-Mountain High" album are all you need from Ike & Tina. ... Read more

Asin: B00000DRC5
Sales Rank: 12553
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. V/a Compilations   

Screams & Whispers
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 November, 1999)
list price: $11.98
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Reviews (6)

prog rock at it's finest
hello fellow rockers and thrashers. this album by far is one in a million. a heavy metal masterpiece, anacrusis has been with me for years, and i really recommend all the albums. lest not forget manic impressions

Whoa.......
This band has never gotten the credit they deserve. This album is no different. One of the best technical-progressive-thrash outfits ever, Anacrusis certainly set standards with their music. Screams and Whispers ranks among the best metal albums of the nineties. This album had a fantastic blend of great musicianship,melody, and aggressive attitude. A very intelligent edge is present as well. Without a doubt worthy of your hard earned cash, if you're into metal of such high caliber. Enjoy!

amazing technical metal!
Anacrusis probably hasn't gotten the attention they deserve for theirprominent role in the turn-of-the-decade technical speed/thrash/deathmovement (along with other bands like Mekong Delta, Believer, Cynic,Tourniquet, Atheist, etc.)."Screams and Whispers" is one of thecatchiest of the technical metal albums out there; it lacks the greyuniformity of their prior works as well.Anacrusis' vocals are as alwaysinteresting, alternating between a cool mid-range vocal and a high-pitchedsqueal.All in all, a fine way for them to end their career.It's ashame, however, that they packed up shop: they might have done even betterthings had they continued.

High 4 rating. ... Read more

Asin: B00002MZ4B
Sales Rank: 52523
Subjects:  1. Heavy Metal    2. Pop    3. Progressive Metal    4. Rock    5. Speed Metal    6. Thrash   

Scott Joplin: The Entertainer
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 November, 1993)
list price: $13.98
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Reviews (1)

indispensable old time music - one of the roots of jazz
Like on the other Biograph CD of Joplin's work,"Elite syncopations",we are sure that Scott Joplin (1868-1917) plays on the first three rolls.The others were produced in the sixties by a collector,Mr Hal Boulware.Once again,Joplin's talent for writing explodes in each tune; of course, there are well known themes,"maple leaf rag" and "the entertainer";but to me, these tunes,although everyone knows them since "the sting" was filmed,are not Joplin's best efforts.Listen to the beautiful melodies of "weeping willow rag","the easy winners",or "Bethena".Part of "the ragtime dance" has been included in Scott Joplin's greatest and desperate effort,an opera called "Treemonisha",which doesn't seem to be reissued on CD.This is great old time music,with a particular flavor of melancholy and timeless feeling.And even if it seems far from jazz,it's one of jazz's roots,and before that, a great moment in the history of music. ... Read more

Asin: B000003HLB
Sales Rank: 171463
Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Jazz    3. Keyboard   

Look out for the Cheater
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 February, 1996)
list price: $14.97 -- our price: $14.97
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Reviews (3)

Bob Kuban and the In-Men
Bob Kuban has been a part of the St. Louis music scene for nearly 40 years and these two albums represent his full recorded output for Musicland USA."The Cheater" hit the charts in 1966 as contempory music in the USA was moving away from blue eyed soul and into experimentation which culminated a year later in the psychedelica emerging from the Summer of Love in San Francisco.Bob Kuban wanted no part of this trend. He always insisted that his musicans be consumate professionals.The In-Men always wore ties, matching suits and short hair.He attracted the best players in St. Louis to his bands.Little Walter Scott's polished intrepetations of some of the Stax and Atlantic classics were an interesting counterpoint to the grittier orginals. Long time guitarist Ray Schulte was a technically superb player but is restrained primarily to R&B rythym riffs here.The cuts on both albums are typical of a long set list that the In-Men would play at the numerous live gigs at teen dances and CYOs around St. Louis.It provides a snapshot of a band that was a one hit wonder and the pride of St. Louis in the Summer of '66.Bob Kuban recently resurfaced as the drummer in Chuck Berry's band at a gig at the Pagent club in April 2001. Kuban also maintains various ensembles from small combos to big bands which continue to gig in St. Louis.Ironically, Walter Scott became an object lesson of his own artistry.Walter was murdered by a jealous husband and which was a high profile case in St. Louis and the subject of a true crime book.

Still a fan...
I first bought "the Cheater" 45 over 35 years ago.I also acquired "the Teaser" and "Drive My Car" on 45.In 1972, I found "the Cheater" LP in a recycled box of albums in a Pensacola, FL department store.Bought it for a quarter and still have it.I was delighted when the In Men made it to CD.Excellent band, terrific vocals and harmonies.If you like soul music with a blue-eyed interpretation, you will enjoy this CD.I still listen to this band regularly.Just good music.

St Louis One Hit Wonder Band Awesome Stereo Anthology!!!
'The Cheater' is a blue-eyed Northern Soul classic, courtesy of the superb lead vocal from one Walter Notheis. For publicity purposes, Notheis renamed himself Sir Walter Scott, and for a few months in 1966 drummer Kuban, Scottand the rest of the In-Men were a hot pop band beyond the city limits ofSt. Louis, Missouri. Sadly, they could never manage another nationwide USsmash, but their legacy--gathered on this fine CD--marks them out as one ofthe finest white soul bands of the era.

As early as January 1965,Kuban's crew were proving their credentials, with a debut single on NORMAN('I Don't Want to Know') that outstripped the limitations of the song, anda follow-up that featured a driving version of Bobby Bland's R&Bfavorite, 'Turn On Your Love Light.' The success of 'The Cheater' prompteda hasty Musicland USA album, which mixed R&B covers with originalmaterial like the fine torch ballad, 'Try Me Baby.'

This Collectables CDfeatures the whole of both Musicland USA albums, plus singles early andlate, and four solo tracks by Walter Scott. It also provides a tragicpostscript: Scott disappeared in December 1983, and was later found to havebeen murdered by his wife's lover. The killer is serving a life sentence;the wife got five years; and Scott lives on only via these classy blue-eyedsoul records from 30 years ago. ... Read more

Asin: B0000008ZW
Sales Rank: 52831
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Pop-Soul    3. Rock   

Trace
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 September, 1995)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

Trace is obsessed with time. "Can you deny there's nothing greater ... than the traveling hands of time?" asks frontman Jay Farrar early on, and song to song, he deliberates time's tyranny. Farrar's voice always sounds beaten but never quite broken here, and when on the impossibly catchy "Windfall" he wishes "may the wind take your troubles away," it feels like nothing short of a blessing. Trace is alternative country's most perfect moment: the Uncle Tupelo-ish electric crunch rocks for something better, even as its twangy steel and fiddle never forget the very country fact that time will beat us all. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (62)

Gets better with each listen...
I am a bit different than most of the other reviewers, in that i still like the other two Son Volt CDs a bit better than this one.

However, that's saying I like gold over diamonds, if you catch my drift. I'll take both if you please, and a whole pile's worth while you're at it...

This is good, good stuff, and I would like nothing better than to meet in person all the other people that wrote reviews and said that they "get it"... Y'all must be good people to feel this music the way I do. It sure does get you to thinking about life and where you've been and where you are going and...

"Ten Second News" is worth the price of the whole CD, it gets better and better with each listen...

And for what it's worth, how come no one else really commented on "Mystifies Me"? I think it's the perfect close to this CD - rolling, rambling, rythimic, and very haunting in a certain sense. I'm 6 listens in a row as I type this...

Good music is timeless - I still listen to my Poco and Little Feat and Jackson Browne and Steve Earle from when I was just a teenager, and I am willing to bet this one will be with me for the rest of my life too...

Transcendant.From the first listening , Even more now
Before being able to fully explain the beauty of a lyric your attention turns to the beauty of a harmony and melody remains like a familarscents that accompanies one of those memories you love. Or something
Great album. i was lucky to find it after hearing something in 'Drown' that has now become a after-thought on this beautiful completely transcendantalbum.
it's a good

Epic, magnificent
Jay Farrar is a unique talent, and all the Son Volt albums are great.Real music that smears the boundaries of country, folk, and alt-rock, and you won't even know it. ... Read more

Asin: B000002N1V
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Tales From the Bottle
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 March, 2005)
list price: $15.98 -- our price: $15.98
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Reviews (4)

stack the money till it gets sky high.
while most historians would waste their banal attempts on pinpointing when punk rock or hardcore broke on to the scene, most avid listeners would assert that Grand Ulena's GTD set the standard for modern post apocalyptic reservation only madness. i've got yr seatbelt ready if you're scared baby, baby. jump in, there's a madman at the wheel(1), he's got an 830 ressss at Dorsia and his business cards will make Louis Carruthers cringe with piss pant esque excitement. i recently caught the GU with the FU's and the screamers at the epicenter and i was amazed to see a hearty bloddbath of marquis type proportions insue on stage. a new number entitled.. "south side miller tallboy, i felt like Kanye please rob a rich man" shredded my cold soul. bliss. Federico Fellini named this rec of the year in his guide to mascochistic debauchory. "foot-licking, spanking, domination" cheers.

footnotes
1 [j. hetfield. dirtbag]

Unbelievable
I don't understand this album, but I love it.It scares my 1-year-old son, but he kind of likes it too.I saw GE live and stood in shock. My wife does not like it, but she likes Air Supply.This album is not music (i.e. radio...), as much as it is an experience.GE shows that discipline and design can make music just as lovely as harmony and symmetry.

Music+
When I listen to this album I feel tense.No rhythmn or note is predictable.It is the opposite of pop music.Buy it and learn. ... Read more

Asin: B000084TST
Sales Rank: 259356
Subjects:  1. Jazz    2. Pop   

Rescued: Best of
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (10 March, 1992)
list price: $23.49 -- our price: $23.49
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Features

• Import

Reviews (3)

More than a one-hit wonder
Although Fontella Bass has a new lease of popularity thanks to the likes of the Cinematic Orchestra, she is best known for the 1965 hit, Rescue Me, her first solo single for Chess Records subsidiary label Checker. It takes pride of place in this 16 track compilation, which collects the best of her output for Chess, but there is far more to her than that.
Rescued includes one previously unreleased 1968 track (Joy Of Love), one released only in France (Free At Last) and several singles not previously included on album, and there are indications that Checker were slightly caught out by the runaway success of Rescue Me and weren't sure quite what to do with her, as some of the subsequent singles sound like blatant attempts to capitalize on her hit by sounding as much like it as possible. Some of her best material, conversely, was buried on B-sides, for example The Soul Of The Man (the B-side of Rescue Me) and Don't Jump, a duet with Bobby McClure which became a big favourite despite being consigned to the other side of flop single You're Gonna Miss Me.
Her only album for the label was The New Look, rushed together to cash in on Rescue Me and was largely made up contemporary covers, quickly learned from the records. However, Lester Bowie, best known for his work with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, who played trumpet on the album sessions, went on to marry Fontella, and they worked productively together when they quit the US for Paris around 1968-1969. Two selections from that LP are included here: Since I Fell For You and Oh No Not My Baby.
Fontella Bass grew up singing and playing piano, as her mother Martha was a major gospel star and all her family were deeply into gospel music. Fontella started out professionally as a piano player in Little Milton Campbell Junior's band in 1961 and became their female vocalist one night by chance when Milton failed to show up and their musical director Oliver Sain got her on stage in his place. She and Bobby McClure later sang in the Oliver Sain Revue, which brought them to the attention of Leonard Chess. Her first couple of singles for the label where duets with Bobby McClure, including the hit single Don't Mess Up A Good Thing.
Perhaps Chess/Checker didn't know quite what they had but is all here in these grooves to be enjoyed today

pretty god damm special
pretty god damm specia

Fontella is great!
This is the greatest CD. Fontella is a natural and has a beautiful voice. She did write the song Rescue Me. That other lady DID NOT!Fontella your the greatest!!! Good Luck! ... Read more

Asin: B000002OBO
Sales Rank: 13439
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. R&B    3. R&B/Soul    4. Soul/R & B   

Taken In
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 January, 1998)
list price: $15.98 -- our price: $15.98
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Reviews (3)

rockin!
drool and tyro alone make this cd worth getting. pave the rocket is awesome, and check out other bands on the deep elm label, they rock too.

This Band Is the coolest
Hey buy this Cd. this band takes MEDIOCRITY & Spits in its face. I give it a PERFECT score.

This band takes Mediocricty and spits in ts face
This is the coolest cd. i cant say any mor it is bad-ass ... Read more

Asin: B000000234
Sales Rank: 281584
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock   

Riddler [EP]
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (10 September, 1996)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Features

• CD-single

Reviews (1)

You (are) Fantastic!
"Riddler" is the first of two toe-tapping ep's by Chicago's YouFantastic.This is trio comprised of a drums (the drummer also doubles ontrumpet), guitar(s) and bass.The sounds that spill out of your speakerscontain the distinct Chicago NOW WAVE sound (if you will.....) alaBrise-Glace, while finding time to pay tribute to the past (This Heat,Faust.).This ep is one hellof a deconstructionist rock hoot-ride. Hopin your 98 with the honeys and take Riddler out on the town. ... Read more

Asin: B0000019FS
Sales Rank: 497717
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock   

Free City
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 June, 2001)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $14.99
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Editorial Review

Only in hip-hop could a heretofore unknown from St. Louis haveenough clout to get his boys put on. Of course, if the recentlyanonymous individual is six-times-platinum-and-counting rapper Nelly, it's easyto understand why his longtime crew the St. Lunatics warrants somebuzz. Like Country Grammar,Free City brims with bass-driven, relatively sample-free,syncopated shake and a set of songs that celebrate cars, girls,partying, and making (and spending) cash. And, like CountryGrammar, they make a point of celebrating their local lifestyle,with songs like "Midwest Swing," in which Nelly declares "What youthink we live on the farm? N**** be for real / We got Benz, Rovers andJags, Hummers and Devilles." Granted, the Lunatics aren't deep lyricalthinkers, but for the hazy hot days of summer, there is a real appealto their bounce-heavy beats and drawling down-home vibe. --AmyLinden ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (102)

st lunatics
This album is an example of poorly put together music.Nelly is good but the rest of them suck really bad.I could rap better than some of the St. Lunatics.Production sucks and the lyrics are wack.Don't buy this album.

0 stars
I would give this album 0 stars if i could b/c this album doesn't live up to anying.ali, murphy lee, nelly and all of the st. lunatics are weak.they are not at all original and they are really boring.their flow is off and just everything is off, sorry st lunatics but better luck next time.

Weak
This album is another example of a weak album.Nelly is good but the rest of the St. Lunatics are really really weak.The beats again are poorly produced and hooks are annoying and not creative.Out of all the songs on the album only about 3 or 4 are actually worth listening to.Don't waste your money on this album because it's just not worth it. ... Read more

Asin: B00005K9QW
Subjects:  1. Gangsta Rap    2. Hip-Hop    3. Pop    4. Rap & Hip-Hop