The Hot Fives & Sevens [JSP] [Box]
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (26 October, 1999)
list price: $28.98 -- our price: $25.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Between 1925 and 1929, Louis Armstrong created one of the first great bodies of work in jazz. While he worked regularly as a soloist with big bands, he began his career as a leader with the first all-star studio group in jazz, the Hot Five. The other four musicians were Armstrong's wife, Lil Hardin Armstrong, on piano; Johnny Dodds on clarinet; Kid Ory on trombone; and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. The music's first great soloist, Armstrong was reshaping jazz by sheer improvisational magic, gradually diminishing the role of the traditional New Orleans ensemble with the clarion brilliance of his trumpet. Possessing an uncanny blend of exuberance and creativity, he combined virtuosic declarations with a talent for the subtlest shifts in phrasing and melodic variation, creating rich emotional statements that could hint at loss in the midst of joy or the promise of better things in the most sorrowful blues. The band expands here, to the Hot Seven and larger ensembles, and it gains soloists who applied Armstrong's lessons to their own instruments--musicians such as pianist Earl Hines and trombonist Jack Teagarden--but all come under the imprint of Armstrong's flowering genius, as both trumpeter and singer.

It's almost impossible to overrate this material. It may be the most influential music in jazz history, establishing standards for originality and sustained invention that have rarely been matched. The JSP set is a superb reissue of Armstrong's essential work. The remastering is by John R.T. Davies, widely acknowledged as the dean of engineers in the field of early jazz, and the resultant sound is simply the best this work has ever enjoyed. There are alternate takes of the later material on Columbia Legacy (including Louis in New York and St. Louis Blues), so collectors will want both. But this recording is superior listening, at a price that also makes it an ideal introduction to one of the few titans of jazz. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (30)

Essential Jazz
This four disc set is indispensable to any serious jazz collection. It includes all Armstrong's classic Hot Five performances with Kid Ory, Johnny Dodds, Johnny St. Cyr and Lil Armstrong, his Hot Seven recordings, and his magnificent partnership with Earl Hines. This is some of the most important and influential jazz every recorded, marking the way ahead away from New Orleans style polyphony to the future dominance of the soloist. The last of these discs is the least essential, as Armstrong returned to commercial big band recordings, where he is often head and shoulders above both his colleagues and his material.

There is so much to savour on these discs: Louis is superlative throughout this set - hear "Cornet Chop Suey" "Potato Head Blues" and "West End Blues", in particular. Johnny Dodds is superb, incredibly impassioned on "Got No Blues" and elsewhere. The Hot Five swings like crazy on tunes like "Once in a While", and listen to "Skip the Gutter", "Muggles" and "Weatherbird" to hear one of the finest partnerships in jazz history, Armstrong and Hines. Hear also Lonnie Johnson's marvellous guitar playing at the end of the second disc. Louis' singing is heard regularly (and his slide - whistle playing once).

These CDs are also highly recommendable because of the quality of the remastering. The sound quality on the first disc in particular is better than in any other issue of these works, putting larger companies to shame.

These are recordings to hear for a lifetime. No-one buying these will ever regret it.

When Jazz became art in the horn of the first Jazz Giant
This JSP selection of 89 tracks comprehensively captures Louis Armstrong's Hot 5 and 7s groups period in the 1920s. During this period, Louis Armstrong's virtuoso trumpet playing led the way for the transformation of the emerging music called Jazz from a primitive entertainment into a transcendent art. Apart from possessing great technical skill and a rhythmic sense ahead of his time, Armstrong exuded an infectious joy in his playing that somehow transported the listener into a sense of beauty and wonder. It is happy, uplifting music.

The sound of the set is clear for material recorded in the 1920s. Certain elements such as the simple piano rhythms and Kid Ory's non-stop trombone comping in Discs 1 and 2 may seen anachronistic to the modern post-bebop taste, but the datedness is dispelled the moment Mr Armstong blows his horn. I found Disc 3 to contain the best tracks of the lot, where Louis found in pianist Earl Hines a musical partner with a more modern rhythmic sensibility. The standout of the set is the classic, lyrical "West End Blues", with Armstrong's showstopping trumpet intro. All in all, The Hot Fives & Sevens JSP Box set is a good buy if you're a jazz fan or someone able to appreciate good music wherever it may be found.

Columbia or JSP?
The sound quality of these disks is amazing when you consider how long ago the music was recorded (1920's). Sure, it's a little noisy, but to eliminate it would require suppressing the high end. I think what it boils down to is this: If you object to some hiss and popping, and you value a nice booklet full of information and pictures, get the Columbia set. If you can tolerate some noise in exchange for the best possible sound, and you're willing to forfeit the booklet, this is what you want. ... Read more

Asin: B00001ZWLP

The Blanton-Webster Band
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $35.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

These 66 songs not only represent Ellington's artistic apex, but perhaps reflect the greatest creative period by any single artist in jazz history. Ellington had already made a lasting impression on jazz by 1940, but adding writer/arranger Billy Strayhorn, young bassist Jimmy Blanton, and tenor great Ben Webster brought the band to extraordinary new heights. The new blood boosted a roster already touting Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams (replaced by Ray Nance), Rex Stewart, Juan Tizol, and Barney Bigard. The set list reveals masterpiece after masterpiece: Ellington's "Cotton Tail," "Never No Lament," "All Too Soon," "In a Mellotone," "Warm Valley," "I Got It Bad," and "Sentimental Lady" plus Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" and "Take the 'A' Train" offer a mere taste of the treasures within. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Monumental work from America's greatest composer
Impossible to overpraise. True, BMG screwed up the first time around, flattening out the sound during the digital transfer and snipping off the first seconds of "Take the A Train" (for shame!). In the current edition, however, these little faux pas have been ironed out--which means that there's no longer any excuse not to buy this killer collection.By the mid-1930s, Ellington's orchestra was already a world-class ensemble--indeed, how could it be otherwise, with such musical personalities as Johnny Hodges, Bubber Miley, Harry Carney, and Sonny Greer in its ranks? Still, the addition of Ben Webster in 1940 gave the orchestra its first great tenor stylist. And Jimmy Blanton's singing, horn-like lines erased the last hint of stuffed-shirt, two-beat archaism from the band's sound. Ellington himself responded with a clutch of masterpieces: "Harlem Air Shaft" and "Warm Valley," "What Am I Here For?" and "Jack the Bear" and "Concerto for Cootie" and dozens more. So did Billy Strayhorn ("Take the A Train" and "Chelsea Bridge") and even Ellington's son Mercer, who stepped out of the Oedipal shadow long enough to produce gems like "Blue Serge." The Blanton-Webster Band really is a reason for living.

Perhaps the Most Essential Ellington
As you have probably gathered from the other reviews, this collection is perhaps the most essential Ellington of all.
The 1939 - 1941 Ellington ensemble was, arguably, the greatest
of all Ellington bands, with Rex Stewart and Cootie Williams,
followed by Ray Nance, on trumpets, THE trombone section of
Juan Tizol, "Tricky Sam" Nanton & Lawrence Brown. Most important
to the band, however, were the additions of the estimable Ben
Webster on tenor sax, Jimmy Blanton on bass and Billy Strayhorn
as Duke's composing and arranging partner. Blanton, in particular, lends a propulsiveness to the band's swing it never
had before.

A piece-by-piece analysis would be tedious and take too long for
this space. Suffice it to say that not only do these recordings
catch the Ellington band at its absolute zenith, but bear witness
to a period in Duke's composing that one critic aptly called
"an explosion of genius." There are about six tunes out of this
entire collection that one would consider "filler." Everything
else is a masterpiece! Just listen and enjoy!

Brilliant and essential!
There's no point in going into great detail: Duke's compositional and bandleading skills were polished to a fine sheen, and the orchestra contained some of its greatest members of all time, when these recordings were made. It's mostly one masterpiece after another, with even the "off" numbers being darn close to perfection.

I've been listening to and collecting Ellington material for 30 years, but I'm hard pressed to come up with a recommendation that I'd suggest *before* you get this one! Outstanding! ... Read more

Asin: B000003EO4

Blonde On Blonde
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 November, 1999)
list price: $18.97
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• SACD

Reviews (9)

Potential collectable?
This is the only Dylan disc Columbia released as a single-layer SACD. It's since been reissued in a hybrid CD/SACD with a 5.1 mix (which for some reason is twice the price - must be a double disc set). It'll probably be withdrawn soon and will probably be a collectable, so grab it while you can.

A classic but not a great recording
No question it's a classic but Dylan was never terribly fussy about the quality of his recordings, particularly during this period - he simply let it fly, preferring the excitement of a fresh performance to an overly polished studio performance. You can hear the evolution of audio from the first vinyl edition of this LP through the first (tinny and tragic) CD version through the various updates to the present. This is the best I have heard on digital format - in a A/B test with a copy of the first edition of the stereo vinyl version it's even a hair better. Now that SACD can match vinyl, I guess it's officially a success!

Wonderful Mix of Blonde on Blonde
"Blonde on Blonde originally came out in 1966 as a double album with the long "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" taking up one whole side. My dad says this was one of the records that hippies and antiwar protesters used to listen to while they smoked the peace pipe. I've got this good friend, Jack Priest, who writes horror stories and he tells me that they still do that, but you don't need whatever it is they're smoking to know that this is a wonderful work, a wonderful collection of music. I can only imagine what it must have been like back then, listening to stuff like this, and the Beatle's "Sgt. Pepper" when they were new, when they were fresh.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane ... Read more

Asin: B00004SGNK
Sales Rank: 79779

Band
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 August, 2000)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $13.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Popularly known as the "Brown Album," this is the collection people first think of when this august outfit's name is mentioned. The four-parts Canadian, one-part Arkansan quintet's sophomore effort boasts more soon-to-be-staples than any other Band studio recording, what with the likes of the Joan Baez hit "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "Across the Great Divide," and "Up on Cripple Creek" standing out among the dozen uniformly memorable tracks. Lesser-known group originals such as the achingly lovely "Whispering Pines" and the cryptic "Unfaithful Servant," however, play crucial roles in giving this 1969 classic its unique flavor. Given the high standard established by The Band and its better-still 1968 predecessor, Music from Big Pink, it's not surprising the Band peaked early as a recording group. As with all the 2000 Band reissues, this remastered reissue boasts a number of bonus tracks, though all but "Get Up Jake" are alternate takes of album selections. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered
• Extra tracks

Reviews (57)

An American Tale
I hadn't thought about the Band in years. My main music passion is, if you can believe it, late 70's and early 80's British Punk. But the Band, what about the Band? I grew up listening to them. My Dad was a huge fan. I then read "Mystery Train" by Greil Marcus and his essay on the Band intriuged me. Then, I heard about the re-releases. I picked up this album, mainly because it's the one I had heard the most in my youth. I can say it truly is the masterpiece everyone says it is. It is amazing...a piece of pure Americana. It encompasses so many styles, discussed in reviews throughout this page.

I feel it's centerpiece is the haunting "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". And for me to say that, it really means something. See, I'm an Irish Catholic kid from Illinois. I have quite a few Southern friends of whom I make fun of, good-naturedly, quite a bit. I poke at their southern pride and the "South Will Rise Again" attitudes. I saw the South as villans during the Civil War and would argue until the end that Southerners were backwards and misguided. Greil Marcus wrote something to the effect that he couldn't fathom a Northerner listening to "Dixie" without being changed in some way. He was right. Virgil Kane's sad tale, sung beautifully by Helm, made me realize what my freiends had spoke about. These were proud people, and their story isn't so much different from ours. They fought for what they believed in, too. It's a sad song, but Virgil Kane simply presents it as it is...this is what happened, this is my story. He attempts to judge no one, but the war has changed everyone. I still don't subscribe to the politics of the Old South, but I understand them better, all because of this song.

For any rock-n-roll fan, this album is truly worth owning.

Still unsurpassed after all these years
I doubt that any single album has so many great songs played so well. I've come back to this album time and again over the last XX years and it's never disappointed me.

At a time when most popular music was permutating the basic guitar-bass-drums line-up, The Band were blending those instruments with reeds, horns and keyboards. Using a tuba as the bass on Rag Mama Rag, no less The sound is simultaneously rough yet sophisticated. The singing blends sweetness and hard edge. Rural but definitely not country.

For music lovers born in the 50s and 60s (and maybe earlier) this album is an absolute sure-fire must-have. For those born later, I wonder whether it sounds as compelling - years of multi-track recording and studio wizardry have raised the taste for smoothness so this one might be a tad too grainy for them.

The version I have is the unremastered CD. I wonder about the additional tracks on this one - more can sometimes diminish the perfect integrity of a great album. If record companies want to give the fans a little extra, bless them, then I personally would prefer them on a 2nd CD.

Did The Band write better songs than Dylan and the Beatles?
I think so. They absorbed Dylan's lyrical approach completely, threw away the bad parts, and made it better by adding musicianship...unlike the Beatles, they didn't [dig] around with psychedelic delusions, but made ordinary life wonderful instead.
This album is so good I almost can't stand it. It is literally overflowing with integrity, strength, and hope. It simply doesn't get any better than this. How dare they write songs this good. ... Read more

Asin: B00004W510

Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (06 April, 1992)
list price: $15.98 -- our price: $13.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

While Sam Cooke certainly made beautiful music in the pop realm, his greatest sides were those made with the Soul Stirrers. When Cooke joined the group in 1950 at the age of 19, he'd already spent 4 years singing with the Highway Q.C.'s. The Soul Stirrers lead singer, R.H. Harris, who quit just before Cooke's arrival, had spent almost 25 years molding the group into gospel stardom through an innovative use of two lead singers matched with utmost energy and sophistication. Cooke initially sang in a style similar to Harris's, but soon took off into his own unearthly realm, writing spine-tingling songs like "Nearer to Thee," "Mean Old World," and the brilliant "Touch the Hem of His Garment," then singing them in his soaring, inimitable style with perfect control of phrasing and enunciation. This is an awesome collection, a record to listen to many, many times--to grow old with. Save it for those days when you need absolute proof that true grace does exist. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Sweet and powerful
When R. H. Harris left the Soul Stirrers, many people expressed surprise that someone as young as Sam Cooke was asked to take his place. They changed their minds quickly, Sam had the voice, the charisma and the determination to make him a star. Gospel lost a great star when he turned to popular music, but he has left a wonderful legacy for all music lovers. His Gospel roots show his very best work, a voice both sweet and powerful. His call-and-response with Paul Foster brings two masters together in perfect complement of each other.

Music Lover In Seattle
I think this CD is excellent. It has that old time gospel feel to it. Being brought up with gospel music, it takes me back to my childhood days listening to my folks singing the gospel every time we had a family gathering; they would also sing a capella. Although I like every song, I think they could have done without the guitar player fumbling around on "Come And Go To That Land" and "I'm So Happy In The Service Of The Lord". It had a country twang to it which did not go with the song or singers.

If you love Sam Cooke and the old time gospel, buy this CD, you will not be disappointed. Sam Cooke's voice is truly one of a kind and the other singers are superb as well.

Not Just For Believers
To me, this is the most beautiful singing in American music, right up there with Sarah Vaughan. Unlike many R&B artists today, Sam Cooke didn't use vocal embellishments just to show off--he really knew how to intensify the feeling of a song. What he does with each "Oh Lord" in "Touch the Hem of His Garment" sends chills down your spine. ... Read more

Asin: B000000QME

The Voice: Duke Recordings 1959-69
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 December, 1993)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $19.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Import

Reviews (2)

Unique, Powerful, Evocative
Now that's not to say that this is a plug and play disc. It isn't. There's a few cuts (say 6 out of 26 total cuts) that could have been left off (in my opinion). But the majority of the disc is beyond exceptional.

I like to pride myself on listening to artists who don't really sound like anybody else. Bobby 'Blu' definitely falls into that category. His voice is at times smoothe as velvet and at others displays a coarseness that lends itself to the pain that the blues is meant to evoke. Together they make a perfect combo.

Chains of Love, Who will the next fool be, Downhearted Blues, I'll take care of you, Yield not to temptation... and the list goes on and on. Just some great material. It's a can't miss disc. BUY IT!

Unbelievable
Yet again I find a classic Bobby Bland recording that has not been reveiwed by anyone. Listen to I Pity the Fool and then buy the album because you like it. ... Read more

Asin: B0000009GE
Sales Rank: 78964

Bring the Family
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Even John Hiatt's most ardent fans weren't ready for this masterpiece to be dropped in their laps in 1987. Hiatt had spent most of the 70's and 80's playing pick-a-style, bouncing from southern country rock to Elvis Costello redux and back again. With Family, though, he pared away every bit of excess and delivered his best set of songs with the understated, impossibly tasteful backing of Nick Lowe on bass, Ry Cooder on guitar and Jim Keltner on drums. Hiatt's sober, uncompromising examination of his previously drunken life was breathtaking; producing instant classics in "Have a Little Faith in Me" and "Thing Called Love." Family remains a landmark of adult album rock. --Michael Ruby ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Hiatt's fashionably late...
Hiatt produced his best album under less than ideal circumstances. I saw him perform much of this at McCabe's solo acoustic and was blown out by the songs and performances. While it took him awhile to discover his true voice and sound as a performer, it was better late in this case. Thing Called Love became the big hit for Bonnie Raitt but it's just the tip of the iceberg on this great album.

I recently heard a fairly mundane remake of Have A Little Faith In Me (it recalled Hiatt's remake for Glenn Ballard in terms of the arrangement)by a teen singer. Nothing can touch the power and emotional honesty of the original. This is a song that needs to be performed simply.

The band and production are top notch as well. Working with the amazing Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe on bass and legendary Jim Keltner on drums, Bring the Family had a bluesy, roots rock sound missing from much of Hiatt's overproduced material during the 70's and early 80's. The style here recalls his first album more than any other but it's, well, about as naked as can be.

Now if we could only get John to add a bit more cajun flavor to his sound....

A True Masterpiece
One thing that can be said about John Hiatt's "Bring the Family" album is that words really cannot do it justice. Lyrically and musically it is just stunning. This terrific album was recorded in only four days with a dream of a band backing him up (Ry Cooder on guitar, Nick Lowe on bass, and Jim Keltner on drums). A great album is at hand when there are no tracks that are skipped and when the album ends you feel a sense of urgency to listen to it again. This album is that good. There aren't any songs that are better than the other. Each track is solid perfection. From the soulful groove that kicks off "Memphis in the Meantime" to the last notes of "Learning How to Love You" there is not one bad second. No serious music afficianado should leave this album out of their collection. This is a masterpiece.

John Hiatt Sings For Adults
I have listened to this album at least 500 times since it was released, and I have never tired of it. John Hiatt's warmth, humanity and sense of humor shine in every track on this album. A John Hiatt record captivates on many levels. You can appreciate his lyrics, delivered with warmth and wit. You can appreciate the music, not a misplaced note,everything fits perfectly and works! You can appreciate the production and the sound. Of all his albums,and I have and listen to all of them, Bring the Family is my favorite. If you still spin vinyl,and your stereo is good enough,find the Mobile Fidelity version on LP. It sounds WAY better than the CD. ... Read more

Asin: B000002GHH

The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.4: 1937
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (4)

A Swinging Holiday Classic
This set contains perhaps Billie's best performance in the entire Quintessential series. The songs are by now all classics in the American jazz and pop catalog. How could you go wrong with Gershwin titles such as "They Can't Take That Away From Me" or "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"? Billie puts her own individual stamp on these songs by the way she swings to the beat, a rare quality not seen in jazz circles when she recorded these sides. While Billie may go on to have bigger hits in the future, her performance here can rarely be topped. Her timing, sense of swing and delivery are simply remarkable, always in proportion with and against the beat of the band, and yet sounding like one of the band at the same time. And what a band it was with the likes of Lester Young, Teddy Wilson, Buck Clayton and Ben Webster, all icons in jazz history. Listening to this CD and you may be shocked by its spontaneous and jam-session feel. Billie and the band simply fit like a hand in glove. You'll be amazed by the incredible artistry Billie shows at this young stage of her career (only 22), what instinct and feel she had for the words and melody. You will be washed over with pure joy listening to this CD because this is just inspired music making. My only wish to Sony (Columbia) is to start remastering these Quintessential CD's because the time has come for a new generation of jazz lovers to enjoy these performances with better sound quality, which is the only distraction left in the way of these classic tracks. Belissima!!

Harlem Heyday 1937
To say Billie was in her prime in 1937 is putting it mildly. (If you fail to believe listen to Billies "Sugar" and then listen to Ethel Water's protege Lee Wiley. Billie's "Sugar" is ever so sweeter!Even though she had just returned from a diastrous road tour. Billie was happy to be in the only city that counted, New York and it shows in these tracks. Her voice is fresh and has that imitable style that has garnered countless imitators. The road obviosly hadn't hurt holiday either because she is singing some great tunes on this album that would be obscure today had it not been for these cheap "E" juke box ARC dates.( "Underneath a blue jungle moon?" A standard gin mill song of the period you can almost see Billie going from table to table singing.) This is an album for those who have come to know Billie as only "Lady In Satin" put down your vodka buy this album and pitch a ball! This is the music that made west 133rd Street The real Swing Street!

That lazy growl...
I am hooked on this "Columbia" collections of complete works of young Billie Holiday.It seems I am listening this CD's every other day and always find new favourites - as years progressed her voice was better and better,always that same lazy growl that matched perfectly her brilliant musicians (Teddy Wilson,Johny Hodges,Lester young and Buck Clayton to name just a few).On this CD are some beautiful examples of immortal Billie Holiday in her prime,when she was a young woman who enjoyed life:"They Cant Take That Away From Me" is simply one of the best versions ever.The only thing I dont understand is why Michael Brooks in his liner notes writtes that 1937.was her best and happiest year,when she just returned from disastrous tour in the South with Count Basie Band,promising to herself never to sing with big band again and not having enough money for a subway.In my opinion that doesnt sound like the happiest moment of one's life. ... Read more

Asin: B0000026JX
Sales Rank: 134501

Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $17.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Introduced at the beginning of their second live album as "the greatest rock & roll band in the world," the Stones come off instead as perhaps the world's sloppiest. Recorded at Madison Square Garden on the first dates of the 1969 tour that would end at Altamont, Ya-Ya's shows our heroes struggling manfully to get comfortable with a stadium-size PA system. Of the nine songs included here, only "Love in Vain," "Stray Cat Blues," and "Live with Me" come close to matching the fire of their studio versions; much of the time the band just sounds ragged and distracted. Still, given that it's the only official live document from the period in which Mick Taylor was the Stones' lead guitarist, Ya-Ya's is a must-own for any die-hard Stones fan. --Dan Epstein ... Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (76)

Stones Rock The Garden Circa 1969
"Does everything seem to be ready is everybody ready, ladies and gentlemen the greatest rock and roll band in the world, the Rolling Stones". And with that introduction, the Stones were about to unleash a live performance that could be hailed as one of the best live recordings ever made. This album was made when the Stones were arguably the greatest rock and roll band in the world and this album proves it. After the introduction, the Stones break into a scorching version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash", pay tribute to Chuck Berry with 2 fine versions of "Carol" and "Little Queenie", giving a nod to their past while strutting their new material with a vengeance. The guitar solo in "Sympathy For The Devil" is simply flawless and as Mick tells the crowd prior to "Honky Tonk Women", "Charlie's good tonight isn't he." Well they were all good that night as this record shows. The Stones were in the midst of a phenomenal creative period in their careers, just prior to the release of this record the Stones had released two albums that were to become classic performances (Beggar's Banquet and Let It Bleed). This album shows the Stones in the midst of that creative juggernaut and in fine form. (Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street were the next albums to be released). This album deserves five stars because it shows the Stones at the height of their performing power as well as just about reaching their creative peak. If this one is not in your collection, then get yer wallets out. This is not only the best Stones live album by far, but one of the best live recordings ever made by a rock and roll band.

The greatest FROM the greatest!
The Rolling Stones' 1969 tour will go down as one of the most infamous events history, thanks to its tragic finale. However it also featured the Stones at their most exciting and most vibrant, displaying some of their greatest songs with all the energy and sleaze (much emphasis on the latter) that a great Stones show should offer. Mick Jagger proves his ability as the all time greatest frontman, with a stage presence that is just down and dirty (and this was before Ozzy Osbourne and David Lee Roth). Mick Taylor proves his worth as the Stone's greatest guitarist, and it is amazing to hear Taylor and Keef play off each other so well. Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts continue to be the greatest rhythm section in rock and roll, and did i mention that magnificent stage renditions of classics such as Jumping Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Woman, Midnight Rambler (the live version on this disc made this a classic), and Sympathy for the Devil ought to make you drooool with satisfaction.

Make no mistake about it. This is THE greatest non compilation Stones album, and without a doubt one of the greatest live albums EVER!! This was the Stones at the peak of their powers (they had just come off Beggar's Banquet and Let it Bleed, and were just about to release Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street) on a live stage in Madison Square Garden. While their albums could become tired and just plain bad, they continue to be the greatest live band in the world, playing hit after hit with a glorious vigor even as they push 60! However back in '69 they had a youthful lust and sleaze that made their show all that more effective. This is a perfect representation what made them great, and is essential listening for anyone who loves true rawk 'n' roll. If you haven't heard it yet shame on you. If you don't like it ... may you spend an eternity listening to Britney Spears, Limp Bizkit, and Marylin Manson.

Great Live Album!
Though far better than their previous live music offerings, this album was not free of studio tampering. Initially intended to be a double-album with an entire side allotted to Ike & Tina Turner. The Stones wanted to feature their opening act citing the importance to the success of the tour, yet London heads thought otherwise and did not allow it. This eventual single-disc title was their second live set named after a Slim Harpo song. A token of the 1969 Madison Square Garden gigs (with a gift from Baltimore), this was the Stones only chart-topping live album, and for good reason. The impressive stage presence of Midnight Rambler was successfully transferred to wax for private enjoyment. The song lineup as a whole was reflective of most gigs from the 1969 US tour. The versions chosen for release however seemed more uniform and less experimental, as if to sound more like their studio incarnation. Jagger's entertaining between-song comments were severely edited and shuffled in the studio, giving little similarity to their initial form as seen in the brilliant documentary Gimme Shelter. In the UK, though fans were saved the embarrassment of the US LP got LIVE..., they had their own reasons to be offended as in 1971, the live album Gimme Shelter (featured below) was released. Despite it's obvious reference to the film of the same name, it had nothing to do with the event at the Altamont Raceway, or the other performances featured in the film. Not attempting this same deception, Ya-Ya's simply provided the Stones live in concert when it seemed people wanted it the most. ... Read more

Asin: B000003BF4

Watching The Dark: The History of Richard Thompson
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (04 May, 1993)
list price: $39.98 -- our price: $39.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Richard Thompson did not achieve overnight his now-acknowledged status as a pillar of British folk-rock, as a towering guitarist, and as a songwriter as distinctive and thematically provocative as any of his contemporaries. As late as 1980 when Thompson already had a formidable dossier of wonderful recordings with Fairport Convention as well as with his then-wife Linda, the would-be folk god was more cult artist than recognizable entity. This superb three-disc retrospective provides an intelligent overview of his evolution, avoiding the conventions of a "hits first" approach (silly in this case) or a completist's preoccupation with chronology and minutiae (dreary move, that). Instead, the discs shuttle back and forth across different period's in Thompson's career, swap excellent live performances and alternate takes for certain tracks, and let the music dictate the flow.That makes Watching the Dark as engaging for life-long Thompson fans as it will surely be for new recruits. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (17)

A Limey's Laments
Richard Thompson is without a doubt THE most underrated guitarist/songwriter on either side of the Atlantic. He's been called the "thinking man's guitar hero," and I wouldn't dare gainsay that. From his seminal work with Fairport Convention (listen to his shimmering guitar work on "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?"), to his excellent albums with former wife Linda (Shoot Out the Lights is a "breakup" album on a par with Dylan's Blood On the Tracks), to his magnificent solo work of the last twenty years (Rumor & Sigh, You? Me? Us?, Mock Tudor), Thompson has rarely, if ever, failed to deliver, or to meet his own high standards of excellence. As evidence I direct you to Watching the Dark, the best, most satisfying box set I've ever bought, better even than Dylan's Biograph. Here are just a few of the great songs on this intelligent compilation:

* "Can't Win" -- a grim classic which predates the alt-rock whining of the last decade, and surpasses it in every way; the live version here contains the greatest guitar solo I've ever heard.

* "Tear-Stained Letter" -- Thompson's hysterical take on his own divorce, with another great solo and memorable lines like "She danced on my heart like Arthur Murray,/The skies ain't ever gonna mend in a hurry."

* "Al Boully's In Heaven" -- a slinky, jazzy tune that is one of Thompson's most underrated.

* "From Galway To Graceland" -- a touching yet unnerving song, based on real-life events, that addresses celebrity obsession in a way unlike any you'll ever see.

* "Waltzing's For Dreamer's" -- Thompson is a wizard with 3/4 time, as both "Galway To Graceland" and this exquisite heartbreaker prove.

* "The Dimming Of the Day" -- one of Linda Thompson's most heartfelt vocals, and one of her former husband's best songs.

* "Two Left Feet" -- Thompson's impish humor is again on display here, which proves that, Al Yankovic notwithstanding, rock music and polka beats DO mix!

* "Borrowed Time" -- How this song missed getting on the radio is a mystery to me.

* "A Sailor's Life" -- An amazing song from the Fairport Convention era, featuring the lovely vocals of the late, sorely lamented Sandy Dennis (best known to rock fans for her guest-vocal stint on Led Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore").

* And last but definitely not least, "Bird In God's Garden/Lost and Found" -- a song translated from an ancient Sanskrit poem, turned by Thompson into something enigmatic, heartfelt, chilling, and altogether astonishing. This song alone makes Watching the Dark worth its purchase price. It is one of the most perfect pieces of music I've ever heard in my life, and one of the few songs from the rock era that has any kind of real emotional context behind it.

I could mention other songs -- "Cavalry Cross," "Beat the Retreat," the scarifying "Shoot Out the Lights," the double-entendre-rich "Hokey Pokey," "Now Be Thankful," and about a dozen others, that make this compilation worth owning. I could also mention those mysteriously left out -- like "1952 Vincent Black Lightning," to this day Thompson's most touching folk ballad; "Psycho Street," one of the most unusual things he's ever done (to say the least!); and "Limey's Lament," an obscure song I first encountered on the Fairport Chronicles album. It's the best book-of-lists song I've heard since Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and REM's "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," -- "Lament" is a hilarious song that has Thompson's lyrical fngerprints all over it. How it missed getting onto Watching the Dark I'll never know.

If you're interested in Thompson at all, you'll be led from this to his other excellent work, such as the Mirror Blue album, or I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight. You'll also understand what I said at the beginnging of this review -- that Thompson is THE most underrated guitarist/songwriter working today. Unjustly so, too, when compared with his contemporaries. Clapton, for all his not-inconsiderable talents, just can't measure up; Page and Beck are pretenders to the throne at best; even the great Pete Townshed can't hold a plectrum to RT's amazing talents. How do I know? I've played Watching the Dark for fans of these other guitar-hero types, and each and every person has been not just impressed, but astonished. "How come I've never heard of this guy?" more than one has asked of me. So, now you've heard of him. Give him a try, and I guarantee you'll be more than satisfied.

BUY IT NOW OR REPENT FOR ETERNITY!
Whether you're a Richard Thompson fan, or thinking about becoming one, or just enjoy GREAT music, this three-disk set is absolutely essential. It presents an exciting and engaging look at a consummate musician whose biting wit and odd perspective on life is legendary. Whether it's the quiet, reflective BEAT THE RETREAT, WALTZING'S FOR DREAMERS or WHEN THE SPELL IS BROKEN, or the apocalyptic, sturm und drang live versions of CALVARY CROSS and SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS, this set delivers bigtime. There are enough unreleased tracks and alternate versions to keep WATCHING THE DARK from becoming redundant, even after you have bought the rest of his discs. The hypnotic, jangly, hudy-gurdy-driven POOR WEE JOCKEY CLARKE is a particular treat. There has been some criticism that the non-chronological order of the three disks makes little sense. However, if you throw a handful of diamonds, rubies, silver and gold into a bag and shake them up, you still have a bag full of treasures. Thompson's songs have their own logic that transcends mere calendars. Buy WATCHING THE DARK; you'll own your own little collection of gems.

Music to Break Your Bitter Heart
Richard Thompson can write as sublimely as he plays. Though his themes are tragic, the intensity of his narratives, the sharpness of his wit, and the beauty of his solos are transcendent and uplifting. I have many of Richard's other CDs, and I've seen him play in Seattle several times, but only this set captures the breadth of his work in a variety of settings. It's full of delightful and moving surprises.

If this is your first RT purchase, you'll want to go on and pick up later CDs like "Old Kit Bag" and "Mock Tudor," classics like "Rumour and Sigh," his duets with Linda, "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" and "Shoot Out the Lights," and early work with Fairport Convention. But this is a fine place to start. ... Read more

Asin: B00000064O

Spanning the Years
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 June, 1995)
list price: $26.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (6)

Maddy Prior's folk-rock group
The British folk-rock scene of the sixties, though much smaller than its American counterpart, produced a few stars. The first real success came via Liege and Lief, an album by Fairport Convention, a group that launched the careers of several major figures on the British folk-rock scene. Sandy Denny was an excellent singer often acclaimed as the queen of British folk-rock, though Maddy Prior (who describes Sandy as both inspiring and infuriating) also has legitimate claims to that title. Richard Thompson continued to make excellent music after Fairport Convention disbanded. Ashley Hutchins quit Fairport Convention because he didn't like the direction the group was heading. He became one of the founding members of Steeleye Span, a group that has seen many line-up changes through the years but Maddy remained throughout. This helps to explain the diversity of music here, some very close to traditional English and Irish folk but some more like pop-rock music. Even so, Maddy's love of traditional folk ensures that all but the die-hard traditionalists should find plenty to enjoy here.

To the wider public, there are only a few familiar songs. All around my hat was a huge UK pop hit. Gaudete, a Christmas song, regularly turns up on Christmas compilations. There are also covers of Rag doll (Four seasons), Rave on (Buddy Holly) and To know him is to love him (Teddy bears, later a hit for Peter and Gordon, also covered by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou for their first Trio album). Of the other songs, some are traditional and some are original but none are well known outside folk circles.

This comprehensive collection covers Steeleye Span's music from 1970 to 1992. Original released as a full price compilation, it was later re-released at a much lower price and is now a real bargain, still available in the UK as I write. Traditionalists may prefer to buy the original albums from the early part of their career, but if (like me) you want a collection that captures the full range of their music, this is the one to go for.

Really Awesome!!!
I recently was turned on to Steeleye Span by my boyfriend, and I've been listening to the CD's non-stop! The beautiful vocals by Maddy Prior, combined with the gorgeous harmonies make these CD's extrodinary. Combining Celtic songs with modern rock is a brilliant idea, and Steeleye Span should be credited for that idea.

A fine collection of Steeleye Span
This CD is a fine collection Steeleye Span. The only fault I could find was the omission of "Two Magicians". Many of the songs are centuries old and still have the feel of ancient celtic music. The inclusion of modern songs was a mistake, but it is still a must for people who like to experience a variety of music. This is not for people who only like one type of music. ... Read more

Asin: B000003JCZ
Sales Rank: 59210

Bluebird
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (13)

The almost forgotten classic
Emmylou's classic period began with her major label debut album, Pieces of the sky, and ended with her 1980 bluegrass album, Roses in the snow. After that, her subsequent albums for Warner were of a high quality but not generally of the classic standard set by those early releases. However, this may be the best of Emmylou's later albums - it certainly deserves to be considered alongside the early albums.

This album relies heavily on covers - nothing new there - but there are some great originals too. Heaven only knows (written by Paul Kennerley), A river for him (written by Emmylou) and Heartbreak hill (written by Paul and Emmylou) are all excellent songs.

The covers include You've been on my mind (Rodney Crowell), Icy blue heart (John Hiatt), Love is (McGarrigle sisters), No regrets (written by Tom Rush, a cover by the Walker brothers made the UK top ten in 1976), Lonely street (originally a country hit for Kitty Wells and an American pop hit for Andy Williams), I still miss someone (Johnny Cash) and If you were a bluebird (Butch Hancock).

This album contains a great mix of up-tempo songs and ballads. Because it was released along after her classic early period but before her change of direction that began with Wrecking ball, this album often gets forgotten, but if you enjoy Emmylou's early albums, you should also enjoy this one.

Emmylou Harris gives us another classic.
BLUEBIRD is one of my favorite Emmylou Harris albums (along with LUXURY LINER, BLUE KENTUCKY GIRL, and THE BALLAD OF SALLY ROSE). It is a fantastic album, with terrific arrangements, and Emmylou Harris' gorgeous voice. It is a great album to listen to in the car, or sit down and relaz with. "Heaven Only Knows" is the best album opener she's had in a long time. "You've Been On My Mind" is a powerful ballad. "Icy Blue Heart" deserves a medal, a great duet with Bonnie Raitt. "Love Is" is a great uptempo number, with beautiful harmonies. "No Regrets" and "Lonely Street" are sad songs for the century, updates of classics, and brilliantly performed. "Heartbreak Hill" show Emmylou's great songwriting talents. She delivers a beautifully arranged version of the classic "I Still Miss Someone". "A River For Him" is a treasure. Emmylou's moving song, is the perfect jewel for this sensational album. "If You Were A Bluebird" is also amazing, again her brilliant arrangements, and fascinating voice shine. BLUEBIRD recreates the magic of the ballads of the unavailable THIRTEEN, and adds better polish and sound. Songs like "When I Was Yours", and "Just Someone I Used To Know" would fit perfectly on this album. BLUEBIRD is outstanding, with ten beautiful love songs on an amazing album, with the legendary voice of Emmylou Harris. It is a classic Emmylou Harris album, no arguements.

The Sopranos has created newfound glory for this gem
The Sopranos Season 5 premier "Two Tony's" has created buzz for a song that was released in 1989. The song: Heaven Only Knows, and it is found on this album. Overall, I think the album is good, amd Emmylou is one of those artists that does not get the commercial success she deserves. I guess it took the monster poularity of the Sopranos to lend this album newfound glory in sales. As I type , this album is #27 on the Amazon bestseller list. What a feat for a 1989 release. Good stuff. Thanks to David Chase and the rest of the Sopranos crew for making this album a hit again. ... Read more

Asin: B000002LFA
Sales Rank: 6178

The Best of Doug Sahm & The Sir Douglas Quintet 1968-1975
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 July, 1990)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The British Invasion of the mid-1960s was so pervasive that it didn't take much more than a modified pudding-bowl haircut and appending "Sir" to your name to make a substantial portion of the record-buying public think you were one of those hip, loyal-to-the-crown blokes just then dominating the airwaves. But "Sir Douglas" was actually Texan Doug Sahm, and the Quintet owed less to the Beatles than to Tex-Mex border sounds--the hybrid of rock, country, and conjunto that Sahm seemingly absorbed like a sponge. This collection picks up after their early regional successes (and the shuffling gem "She's About a Mover"), spanning the period from their national breakthrough, "Mendocino" (with its sparkling Farfisa organ fills by Augie Meyers) through the mid-'70s. In between, Sahm and company mirrored the hippie-driven musical eclecticism of the era in his own idiosyncratic way. In fact, the music herein is the roots of Sahm and Meyers's beloved Texas Tornados, as attested by tracks like "Nuevo Laredo," "Let's Go to Mexico," and "Texas Tornado." If joyous musical border-hopping is your pleasure, look no further. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A real treasure
Everyone I play this for falls in love with it.

Is This The Sound of Texas?
There are varying opinions as to what exactly is "The Sound of Texas", musically speaking. Is it the prototypical rock & roll of Buddy Holly & the Crickets, the psychedelia of the 13th Floor Elevators, or is it the Texas Boogie of ZZ Top? Is it the rich Texas blues tradition of Robert Johnson (his recording sessions took place in San Antonio & Dallas), T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Lightnin' Hopkins, Johnny Winter, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, or is it the Western Swing of Bob Wills? Is it the classic country of Willie Nelson, or is it the classic country of Townes Van Zant? Is it the conjunto of Flaco Jimenez, or is it the conjunto of Steve Jordan? Is it the virtuosity of a Van Cliburn rendition of Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto, or is it Joe Ely's hard partyin' South Plains rockabilly? The truth is that all are concrete examples of the many "sounds" of Texas (notice the plural). However, if there is one specific artist who conveys the myriad Lone Star musical styles, mixes them and serves them up big with loads of Texas flavor like a pound of "carne asada con arroz y frijoles" and lots of salsa & tortillas not to mention an ice cold bottle of Pearl beer, then it's gotta be the late great Doug Sahm.

THE BEST OF DOUG SAHM & THE SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET is a remarkable compilation. If your a newbie to this San Antonio native's artistic genius, then this is the collection you'll want to start out with. It gathers the very best of Doug's golden era, 1968 - 1975. Although the Sir Douglas Quintet story actually begins in 1965 with the Tribe recording sessions produced by the Crazy Cajun Huey P. Meaux, which yielded the classics "She's About a Mover" and "The Rains Came", the SDQ songs captured on this compilation show a more musically mature and much more adventurous band at work, and they show why no label could be ever placed on Doug's music. There are also treasures from his early solo work. "Mendocino" is essential SDQ with Augie Meyers' priceless Vox organ leading the way back to South Texas from San Francisco. "Song of Everything" is reminiscent of what Ornette Coleman might have sounded like at the Fillmore West. "So Glad for Your Sake (But I'm Sorry for Mine)" and "Wasted Days & Wasted Nights", the latter penned by Freddy Fender, show the R&B style that was among Doug's earliest influences. "Be Real", which Doug released in 1970 as a country single in Nashville under the pseudonym Wayne Douglas, shows Doug to be among the finest vocalists that genre as ever seen or heard. Another country song, "Texas Me", drives home that point as Doug vents his pain from being homesick for the Lone Star State. "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?", featuring Bob Dylan, is from Doug's all-star album DOUG SAHM & BAND, yet another example of Doug's extraordinary skills as a writer & arranger. Of all the songs in this collection, perhaps this one says "Texas" the most. "The Gypsy" shows that Doug must have been a big fan of Louis Prima, and exhibits yet another element that influenced his style, what Doug called "that stridin' thing". What about the blues? T-Bone Walker's "Papa Ain't Salty" is given a seriously raw but textbook reading from the SDQ, and Doug shows off his scat-guitar skills on the equally raw "West Side Blues Again". He had serious skills at that! "In the Dark" shows off a fantastic and tight horn section, and as blues singer Doug is simply "da man". "Michoacan", from the 1972 motion picture CISCO PIKE, is an authentic South Texas polka and shows why the Chicanos changed Doug's last name to Saldana. A real treat is "I'm Not That Kat Anymore" from 1975 and Doug's brief tenure with Casablanca Records; it's kinda funny when you think about Doug Sahm being label mates with Parliament/Funkadelic and Kiss. It is quite possibly the most difficult song in the collection to even attempt to categorize.

Doug Sahm may have left this Earth, but he lives on forever thanks to compilations like this one, and also thanks to the re-release of his SDQ back catalog available on import as well as posthumous releases of his earliest work as a bandleader in San Antonio, his work with the Texas Tornados, and his last solo album THE RETURN OF WAYNE DOUGLAS. If one had to describe Doug in only a few words, take a line from his song "At The Crossroads", -"You just can't live in Texas if you don't gotta lotta soul..." Doug had more soul than the rest of us could ever imagine. Get this CD and listen for yourself.

Only one Doug....
Doug Sahm took his San Antonio country musical upbringing and headed to the Bay Area in '66. He proceeded to cover more musical ground than any other artist ever tried to do, and all without losing his Tex-Mex roots! An album I will never grow tired of listening to. Doug, you really knew how to blow our minds! ... Read more

Asin: B000001FYT

Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 March, 1997)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

After Chris Hillman dragged new friend Gram Parsons into the Byrds, they made an album as close to a country masterpiece as a rock act could ever make. In fact, the only tunes better than the definitive covers here of songs by Bob Dylan ("You Ain't Going Nowhere"), Guthrie ("Pretty Boy Floyd"), and the Louvin Brothers ("The Christian Life") are Parsons's originals, especially the incomparable "Hickory Wind." Sweetheart wasn't the first country-rock album, but with its gorgeous three-way harmonies and sweet pedal steel, it remains the best. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (58)

Beautiful
You don't have to be a fan of country & western to appreciate Sweetheart of the Rodeo. I am certainly no C&W fan, but I love this album. Of course, it doesn't hurt that The Byrds are one of my all time favorite groups. I love Roger McGuinn's voice and the harmonies of the band as well as Chris Hillman's super bass playing. This album misses David Crosby, but Gram Parsons fit in wonderfully with the band. Parsons fills in for Crosby nicely and his lead vocals on Hickory Wind and You're Still On My Mind are very nice. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere kicks off the album with a great start, and is yet another great entry in the Byrds' catalog of Dylan covers. Sweetheart is a very different sound than previous Byrds albums (much like The Notorious Byrd Brothers was). There's no 12-string Rickenbacker, only pedal steel this time. There's a lot of nice acoustic rhythm guitar on most of the songs though. This a great album, (not quite as good as Younger Than Yesterday or Notorious Byrd Brothers though) full of beautiful harmonies and peaceful, mellow soothing sounds. Essential for Byrds fans.

The Byrds' Country Pilgrimage!
My first introduction to The Byrds came back in 1990 with the release of the boxed set, but it wasn't intil 2001--when, on a whim, I picked up the CD re-issue of "Younger Than Yesterday"--that I REALLY got into the band.

Well, as the saying goes, "better late than never!" Talk about discovering burried treasure, not only have "Younger Than Yesterday" and "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" become some of my favorite albums of all time, but the landmark "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" is actually in my top 5. And I'm not even a country music fan!

"Sweetheart" really opened my ears to a completely different style, and the beautiful home-grown simplicity of songs like "You Ain't Going Nowhere," "The Christian Life," "One Hundred Years From Now, and "Blue Candian Rockies" make the album irresistible catchy.

Byrds mainstays Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman abandoned their folk-rock psychedelia in favor of full-throttle country music, thanks to the commanding presence of new band member Gram Parsons. The resulting harmonies, inspired lead vocals, soothing lyrics, and mean slide guitar ensure that "Sweetheart" will become a mainstay in your CD player.

Once again, even if you don't consider yourself a country music fan, do yourself a favor and pick up "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." It's an album that no true music fan should be without.

Groundbreaking, but not up to today's best
This album has a few good songs, nothing great certainly. A couple sound like Greatful Dead or Mamas and Papas knockoffs (but then again - who came first?). No doubt a groundbreaking album and it holds up well, but there are lots of better albums out there now in the same genre (get BR549's first or the Rockhouse Rambler's Torch this town or Domino King's Life and 20). ... Read more

Asin: B000002AHB

Down Every Road
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (02 April, 1996)
list price: $52.98 -- our price: $47.49
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

For a long time, Merle Haggard has been best known for his least-important music--"Okie from Muskogee" and its sequels, "The Fighting Side of Me" and "Are the Good Times Really Over." All three of these patriotic novelty songs are included on this four-CD box set, but they are dwarfed by the riches around them. Songs such as "Running Kind," "If We Make it Through December," and "I Started Loving You Again" eschew sloganeering to draw powerful portraits of working-class folks pulled in one direction by a longing for footloose freedom and in another by economic realities and emotional ties. The catchy directness, the poetic vernacular, and Haggard's baritone purr mark those numbers as examples of country music at its finest. Down Every Road is as crucial as Robert Johnson's Complete Recordings, Hank Williams' Original Singles Collection ... Plus, or Bob Dylan's Biograph. --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (35)

Maximum Hag!
Any fan of Merle Haggard, or just Country Music in general should give this compilation a listen. Merle is known as the Country Music story teller, and it shows through on this album. With hard hitting songs like "Swingin Doors" , "Workin Man Blues" and the ever popular "Okie From Muskogee" you hear Merle's wilder side. Songs like "Mama's Hungry Eyes" , "I Threw Away The Rose" and "Sing Me Back Home" are enough to make a grown man cry, with Merle's tender voice soaring right along with the steel guitar. With almost all of these songs written by Merle, he takes you back to the way things were, and tells you his side of the story. If you buy this set, you will see for yourself... Merle Haggard is a god.

Merle Is One Of The Greatest Influences In My Life
What Can I say about Merle that us believers haven't already said! I too have listened to Merle since the day I was born and before I was born and floating in the womb I swear I heard Merle:)! I think he is the greatest singer I have ever heard along with Elvis and a select few others including Bob Dylan(many would disagree with me on Bob but those same people are not musicians but that's a different story). My point is here that Merle has the finest voice in country...Willie Nelson is overrated compared to Merle...and Merle is an amazing guitar player! He's my hero now and always will be...I just wish I could meet him. The Box set IS ESSENTIAL to not just country fans but MUSIC fans in general. Do NOT MISS THIS SET!

Hank And Haggard, The Best singer songwriters ever
Buy this with the Original Singles Collection by Hank Williams, and then throw in the theme cds by Haggard called Hurtin, Cheatin, Drinkin and Prison. If you can afford it get the Complete Hank Williams. ... Read more

Asin: B000002U0R

Original Singles Collection...Plus
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 July, 1991)
list price: $49.98 -- our price: $49.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This three-CD, 84-song indoctrination to The Basic Hank may not actually offer all of Hank's singles (it's missing most of his Luke the Drifter tunes, and his duets with Audrey), but it goes a long way to explain why Williams was country's first big legend and a superstar by 25. Smitten with the blue yodel of Jimmie Rodgers and the mountain whine of Roy Acuff, Williams gradually added a racy edge to brew his own style of honky-tonk. And with the good-natured wink of "Hey, Good Lookin," the Cajun spice of "Jambalaya," and the donkey's bray of "Honky Tonkin'," Williams shows that he could balance his melancholia with upbeat songs of joy. Whatever his subject matter, however, Hank's aim was always for the heart. As these songs attest, he rarely missed. In beautifully restored audio. --Alanna Nash ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (10)

awesome box set with some pros and some cons
Alright. This a fine and dandy box set, let's check out the pros and cons.
Pros:
*84 tracks, hey - that's a lot of music. 64 singles that include pretty much everything Hank every released plus 20 demos and unreleased tracks.
*the liner notes are very good. they include a bio of Hank's life and information on the release of each single.

Cons:
*The quality on two songs is bad. They are "I'm not Coming Home Anymore" and "Something Got a Hold of Me." These two song really [are bad] quality-wise and are painful to listen to. I don't know why there is a seperate credit for the company that remastered "I'm not Coming Home Anymore" because the team that handled that should be [fired]. Some stuff was unreleased for a reason, guys.
*Packaging, it's in a double-cd case. I'd prefer a box.
*It doesn't include the Luke the Drifters (with the exceptions "Please Make Up Your Mind" and "Ramblin' Man") or Audrey duets (with the exception of "Something Got a Hold of Me") - this isn't really a problem for me since I don't like the luke the drifter monologues, only Ramblin' Man is good..and, as proven by the one duet here, Audrey sucked - so I don't miss those either.

All in all this is a great box set. Pick it up if you want a great overview better than "40 Greatest" and less than "Complete Hank"

Another dismal quick cash-in by Polygram
Just as you would expect "The Complete Hank Williams" to be EVERYTHING, you would expect this to be every session recording Hank ever made, but it isn't. For starters, it is missing "I'm Satisfied With You" which is a Hank cut, not a Luke the Drifter selection. Polygram completely ignores, with the exception of two songs, the sides Hank cut as Luke the Drifter as well as all studio recordings made with Audrey Williams. Instead, they give us selections like "Alone & Forsaken" and "The Angel of Death" which have been rehashed on practically every release they've done. Polygram & Colin Escott consistently harp upon the bad treatment that MGM heaped upon the Williams catalouge, but they are doing just as much of an injustice to it themselves. When will Polygram (and it's affiliates such Mercury Nashville) finally decide to do the right thing with this body of classic American music? Take a lesson from Bear Family in Germany as to what they have done for many American artists and hope Polygram will get it's act straight!

Picks Up Where 40 Greatest Hits Leaves Off
This 84-track 3-CD set from PolyDor/PolyGram picks up where the 2-CD set, Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits, leaves off, giving us the charted singles overlooked in that set and most of the B-sides. The large [vinyl LP-size] box contains a 20-page book which provides a complete discography of the contents and 16 pages of background information written by Colin Escott of Showtime Music in Toronto.

Sprinkled throughout are photographs of the legend and his entourage and family, taken at varying stages of his young life [he was just 29 when he died], including one taken in the 1930s as he sang on the streets of Montgomery, Alabama. Another vintage shot shows him with Little Jimmy Dickens, Roy Acuff, Red Foley, and Jimmy Riddle, and there are a couple of not very flattering pictures, one of which shows him "Blotto in Toronto in 1952.". There are also numerous poster reproductions.

But it's the music, of course, that is the star of this set, including four releases [A- and B-sides] for the Stirling label in 1947 [tracks 2 to 9 on disc 1] and one prevously unreleased Stirling cut [track 1]. None of those charted, but when he moved to MGM in 1947 things began to happen very quickly.

That August Move It On Over rose to # 4 b/w Last Night I Heard You Crying In Your Sleep, and while the follow-up On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain b/w Fly Trouble failed to chart, few among his subsequent releases suffered the same fate. In July 1948 an MGM re-release of Honky Tonkin' made it to # 14 b/w I'll Be A Bachelor Til I Die, followed almost immediately by I'm A Long Gone Daddy which topped out at # 6 b/w The Blues Come Around.

1949 was, however, THE breakthrough year with no less than eight hit singles, starting off with the blockbuster Lovesick Blues. It not only made it to # 1, but stayed there for an incredible SIXTEEN weeks, spending 42 weeks on the charts in all, amd also crossed over to the pop charts, hitting # 24. Even the flipside did well, with Never Again (Will I Knock On Your Door) peaking at # 6 Country. A month or so later Wedding Bells reached # 2 [kept from the # 1 by Lovesick Blues] b/w I've Just Told Mama Goodbye, and in September Mind Your Own Business made it to # 5 b/w the now-classic There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight [later a pop hit for Tony Bennett].

In October he had another double-sided hit when You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave} reached # 4 and its B-side, the haunting Lost Highway, made it to # 12. He then closed out a very successful year with My Bucket's Got A Hole In It which climbed to # 2 [Ricky Nelson would later have a pop hit with a jumped-up version], b/w another now-classic, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.

From there to his untimely death, brought on by bouts with alcohol, Hank would chalk up another 21 hit singles, many of them double-sided and among them the monster hits Long Gone Lonesome Blues [8 weeks at # 1], Why Don't You Love Me? [10 weeks at # 1], Hey, Good Lookin' [8 weeks at # 1], and Jambalaya (On The Bayou) which spent 14 weeks at # 1 and also made it to # 20 pop in late 1952.

Ironically, just climbing the charts when he died on January 1, 1953, was the eerily prophetic I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive, which also became a # 1. Posthumous hits included Kaw-Liga [13 weeks at # 1] and its flipside, Your Cheatin' Heart [6 weeks at # 1], and Take These Chains From My Heart [4 weeks at # 1]. All this is documented in the accompanying book.

In 1989 Hank returned to the charts when an over-dubbed version with son Hank Jr. of There's a Tear In My Beer made it to # 7. The version in disc 3 is a previously-unreleased cut. Just a magnificent set all around for one of the 20th Century's greatest artists. Most highly recommended. ... Read more

Asin: B000001FZA

The King Of Rock 'N' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 June, 1992)
list price: $79.98 -- our price: $71.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This five-disc set was the first release in BMG's effort to present Elvis's recorded legacy in a manner befitting the most important musical artist of his time. The strategy was simple--showcase, in chronological order, remastered versions of the King's 1950s output, from his sessions with Sam Phillips at Sun Studios (where they arguably invented the very notion of rock & roll) through his 1958 Army induction. Not everything Elvis recorded in the '50s was great (just as not everything he recorded in Hollywood was rotten), but there are dozens of tracks here that, quite simply, can make a bad day seem all that much better. Which surely still makes him the king of something. Suffice it to say this is one box set that lives up to its title. --Bill Holdship ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (17)

To rip off Rolling Stone- Monumental
What's not to like about this collection? If Elvis sang it, it's here. Even the stuff recorded at county fairs is entertaining, though it shouldn't be consigned to the last disc.

This may not be the essential set to begin a collection (the 60's Masters I is), it's a definite must-have. Every time I listen to it I am reminded what an incredible voice he had. Long live the King!

TOPS IN BOX
Before Graceland, the cape and the circus, this Mississippi truck driver played the best music ever by an individual performer. The 1950's masters is Elvis at his raw peak. Like him or not, there would only be no Beatles, Stones,or Woodstock and only a small minority of you would be listening to rock as a form of music. "The King Of Rock And Roll" is the best of all box sets and has Elvis earliest recordings, including his first appearance in Las Vegas, where the older audience didn't "Get Him". This is a must for even the most fair weathered fan of rock music.

The King changed popular music forever
Elvis is the singer who made rock'n'roll popular, although even in his early years he did not limit his music to that genre. This compilation containing (supposedly) every song that Elvis recorded during the fifties, plus alternate versions of some of them, shows just how good Elvis was at several different styles.

Here you get all his famous rockers including Heartbreak hotel, Don't be cruel, Blue suede shoes, Hound dog, Mystery train, Paralyzed, Party, All shook up, Jailhouse rock, Teddy bear and One night, together with great covers of Tutti fruiti, Shake rattle and roll and other classics. Of course, you also get his recording of That's alright Mama, the song that secured his recording contract.

Elvis also recorded a number of country songs, though not as many as he did later in his career. Sometimes (as with Blue moon of Kentucky), he re-interpreted them very differently from the originals, but most of his covers were more faithful, albeit adapted to his own style. I forgot to remember to forget, Old Shep, Have I told you lately that I love you, Your cheating heart and Fool such as I are among the country songs to be found here.

Elvis also recorded some brilliant pop ballads in the fifties. Love me tender is the most famous but there are plenty of others. Among the lesser known ones, I particularly like As long as I have you. Gospel music was important to Elvis and here you can find Peace in the valley, Take my hand precious lord, It is no secret and I believe. You also get the eight Christmas songs that Elvis recorded in the fifties including Blue Christmas and Santa bring my baby back.

This is the first of three boxed sets covering the music of Elvis. While the boxes for the sixties and seventies (which I reviewed a long time ago) are by no means complete, the music he recorded in the fits easily fits on five CD's. Indeed, there is enough room left for a long interview at the end of CD 4 (which I could have done without) and an entire CD of rarities.

This box illustrates just why Elvis was such a powerful influence on popular music in the fifties. ... Read more

Asin: B000002WMH

The Georgia Peach
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 August, 1991)
list price: $15.98 -- our price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (11)

Good Golly! This is the REAL King of Rock & Roll!
One of the pioneers of Vintage Rock & Roll Music, Little Richard was immediately crowned the "King" of the new movement. Initially feared as the evil force bringing America's "respectable" middle class teenagers to ruin, the film "The Girl Can't Help It" (1956) eventually made Little Richard a household name, while his records flew off the store shelves.

This CD of greatest hits includes every well-know Little Richard title. My personal favorite is the title song from the film mentioned above. The orignal B-side "Send Me Some Lovin'" is another song I've enjoyed since early childhood. Of course "Tutti Frutti", "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Long Tall Sally" are included as well. A serious collection of Little Richard's hits (like this one) must feature "Keep On Knockin' - (But Ya Can't Come In!)".

The musical genius of Little Richard (Penniman), like that of so many other African American performers of his day, was shamefully exploited. For a mere $600.00 Little Richard's "contract" was bought out by an oportunist record label executive who not until decades later paid the star at least a small part of the millions he had rightfully earned. How many of the "Doo-Wop" Era harmonists were handed "allowances", while executives pocketed millions.

All of the "dark trivia" aside, this is a fantastic sampling of true vintage Rock & Roll music by one of it's foremost members, the Hall of Famer, Little Richard. A five star CD*****

THE KING OF ROCK&N-ROLL
this disc just blasts out like the Genius on it.the songs&the material go full steam ahead.the words&music of Little Richard are timeless.these songs are some of the greatest recordings ever to the HUMAN ear.FRom TUTTI FRUTTI,Long Tall Sally.his style is still very influential to this day.he is long overdue.

Wxwllwnt cd of all his essential r'n'b sides
This is teh r'n'b side of Little Richard. Great boogie woogie piano, walin' sax section, and soulfully swingin' vocals. ESSENTIAL. ... Read more

Asin: B000000QMK
Sales Rank: 12605