Editorial Review

With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa Read more

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Reviews (1098)

A decade later
This CD has been in my 1000-disk collection for a decade.
Two Words......Ear Candy
Okay, to start off this review, I am NOT a kid. In the middle of August I was at the music store browsing for something new. Then I remembered my friend telling me about Tool and saying how great they were. So I decided to give them a listen and picked up AEnima. When I got home, I put the album into my cd player and pressed the play button. At first I felt many mixed emotions, like I thought the album was way too weird but being the person I am, gave the cd a second chance and boy was I glad I did! after about a third listen I started to realise how amazing AEnima really was. A materpiece that is perfect in everyway.
Two Words......Ear Candy
Okay, to start off this review, I am NOT a kid. In the middle of August I was at the music store browsing for something new. Then I remembered my friend telling me about Tool and saying how great they were. So I decided to give them a listen and picked up AEnima. When I got home, I put the album into my cd player and pressed the play button. At first I felt many mixed emotions, like I thought the album was way too weird but being the person I am, gave the cd a second chance and boy was I glad I did! after about a third listen I started to realise how amazing AEnima really was. A materpiece that is perfect in everyway.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Heavy Metal    3. Pop    4. Progressive Metal    5. Rock   

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Reviews (10)

lemonadeby: G. Love
this is a great cd. yes, a couple of the songs are mediocre at best, but the rest make up for it.Missing my baby is a true groovy ballad. Holla, a bit queer sounding at first, is a really fun and tight song.beautiful is an awsome song as well. Get the cd!

fresh, new,a little funk and soul
this is my first cd by G-Love, I like it and I think it has some
Smooth like GLASS
Solid offering from G. Love.Start to finish, nice record for anyone who like G. Love or Jack Johnson. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Rap    3. Blues-Rock    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. United States of America   

Reviews (24)

Best Of
Like his hero, Roy Orbison, Chris Isaak maintains a devoted following in Australia. Songs such as Somebody's Crying, Only The Lonely, Blue Hotel and Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing charted down here. His Best Of album topped the Australian album charts. Isaak is shameless in his devotion to the retro sound of Orbison and Presley and rightly so. He does what he does very well as evidenced in this collection of his best tracks and biggest hits. All of his albums (except the Christmas CD) are represented. This wonderful music sounds like nothing else around today and with the constant monotony of new music in 2006, that is a breath of fresh air. A must have collection.

Good, but TV show "soundtrack" would do it
Chris Isaak surely has plenty for a "Best of" collection, but why didn't he release a set of the songs performed on his Showtime series? That hit almost everything here plus all the covers, giving the Silvertones a good showcase as well.

Best of Chris Isaak CD
Was well worth the wait. I enjoyed hearing him again. I had lost his cassett that I used to listen to often. Saw him on TV and had to go online to get the CD. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Roots Rock    8. United States of America   

Editorial Review

On his first eponymous effort, Ben Kweller sounds wise beyond his years--and younger than ever. Some songs come on mature and understated, like "Nothing Happening," others surge with youthful enthusiasm, like "I Gotta Move." Then again, Kweller is at that midway point between 20 and 30. His lyrics trod the same fine line between young and not-so-young. Rhyming "losing control" with "rock and roll" ("I Don't Know Why") seems pretty facile, but then he busts out with the infinitely more original, "I'm-a just a penny on the train track / Waitin' for my judgment day / Come on baby girl let me see those legs / 'For I get flattened away" ("Penny on the Train Tracks"). It takes dexterity to combine humor and longing without letting both sides down. Repetitive, if heartfelt ballad "Thirteen" messes with the momentum, but Read more

Reviews (11)

not a kid
I think ben kweller is a great artist, He is very consistent with his work. very lively and uplifting. This album has many great songs on it. Like penny on a train track and sundress. Most of these songs are very realistic and you can tell they straight fomr ben kwellers heart. i think that this would be great album to listen to if your feeling down. It's such a happy sound.

Should go down as a classic
Ben Kweller's latest effort is outstanding, and should perhaps be listened to multiple times before judged. On the first listen I liked it about as much as On My Way, which gets only a moderate amount of play time on my playlist. Now I like it as much as Sha Sha, if not more.
Kweller is Growing Up...
First off i liked "On My Way" alot. I thought there where alot of stand up tracks, but also some crap. Whereas this album doesnt have the songs that blow your hair back the first time you hear them (except maybe "Run") it has songs that reward you listen after listen. I find it to be alot better than "On My Way", because it cuts the fat and is filled with alot of gems, i dont know why Ben would release "Sundress" as his single there are alot of contenders. Some of my fave tracks are "run" "i gotta move" "thirteen" "penny on the train tracks" "i dont know why" "until i die" "magic" and "this is war".So basically this album is the sound of Ben Kweller growing up, i am excited to hear what comes from him in the future, this is a really great album!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Pop    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter    7. United States of America   

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Reviews (156)

Blinkprog starts out strong and shows promise
Tom Delonge shucks the stage jumping punk image for a leaner, more progressive sound with his new project "Angels and Airwaves"."We don't need to whisper" starts out strong with some incredible music that does not break barriers but is still a good mix.You have Tom's signature, no-nonsense vocal efforts mixed with some atmospheric and melodic sounds and structures that make this album something refreshing to listen to.The first track is strong as we have some great tones and serious melodies in "Valkyrie Missile".Tom doesn't beat us over the head with theme or lyrics, but instead seems to be more at ease in a less intense, more substantial setting as is the music found on this album.The second track is equally impressive in its buildup intro that is almost mesmerizing and "world" sounding.These first two songs remind me a lot of the style and structure that made bands like Emerson, Lake and Palmer as well as U2.
influenced by...Rush? Maybe just a little...
I heard "The Adventure" and really liked it. I can't really say the same for the rest of the CD. A lot of people seem to love it and that's great; I'm just not one of those people. In my opinion, the songs all sound the same, and with the exception of "The Adventure" just aren't very good. It sounds like some kind of futuristic, progressive sounding experiment in music and I think it would have been better if it was just more rock. However, I would have settled for it just being more...good.

Great But Derivitive
Next to Coldplay's X&Y this is probably the best U2 ripoff I've ever heard. It sounds great. They are maturing lyrically, which means they should reach adulthood soon. It's a great album, but sometimes I wonder if they should be paying royalties to The Edge. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop    5. United States of America   

Reviews (8)

A Cut Above Country Radio Regulars
Charlie's latest has no weak tracks whatsoever.The title song is full of tongue-in-cheek humor and rebellion, hearkening to some of John Prine's best songs.It has one of the catchiest lines ever in country music:"Buy me a whiskey, get yourself stoned, we gonna have a good time." As usual, Charlie tells a great many stories in his songs:a unrepentant pleasure seeker lets it all hang out south of the border in "New Year's Day;" a man hits the skids emotionally in "The Bottom;" the narrator remembers his own broken childhood and admires his infant son in "Photograph;" a dissipated adult recalls his first drink and charts his own disgrace in "Something in the Water;" a girl weds a bad man in the haunting "Magnolia," a story-telling style that is reminiscent of Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying." Charlie Robison has more talent as a writer and performer than 99% of anyone in Nashville.Please buy this album; do yourself a favor.If you like songs deeper than your average mud puddle but still universally-applicable, this CD is for you!

Different, But Good
I found this album to be quite different then what I've come to expect from Charlie, but it is still good and worthy of attention."El Cerrito Place" is the best song on the album and I find myself listening to it over and over.If you are a Texas Country Music Fan or a Charlie Robison fan then you will like this album.Also, if you like Charlie, check out his brother Bruce Robison as well.

Charlie Robison's Best Yet
This is Charlie's best release yet.It features a wide range of songs that will keep everoyone happy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Country    2. Contemporary Country    3. Country    4. Pop    5. Progressive Country   

Editorial Review

While Radiohead saw its stock rising in 1994, it wasn't until 1995's Read more

Reviews (560)

Left High & Dry years ago
I remember going to a R.E.M. concert in Phoenix AZ circa 1994, waiting for ticket prices to go down just before the show while the warm up group played.That group had had one hit, Creep, but despite glowing reviews of their new album, I couldn't be bothered.A few weeks later Fake Plastic Trees arrived to me via a promo CD.I thought it was fantastic and decided to buy The Bends and check out the hype.
Classic Radiohead
This was the first album of Radioheads I brought and after listening to all their other records I still believe it to be their best. The Bends was a major progression from debut Pablo Honey, it was still Radiohead but more organic.
The Bends ~ A Perfect Radiohead Album
It's extremely difficult to pinpoint exactly where/how Radiohead were able to transform themselves into one of the most influential alternative rock bands of the 90's with songs that `hook' one in after a few careful and detailed listens. Their stuff is certainly powerful, sheerly brilliant and beyond beautiful, though occasionally a little odd (as in different) but very arty - which is a good thing in my book. The transformation probably began somewhere between ` My Iron Lung EP' and `The Bends', to safely say the least. They're not an easy band to `get into' but once you do get into them you will be captivated by their utter uniqueness and confidence in the music they make. And they're the kind of band that are willing to take risks. My introduction to the band came when I picked up `OK Computer' (the best music purchase of my life) in my local music store. It is indeed my favorite Radiohead album but believe me `The Bends' always comes a close second - sometimes I even prefer it to `OK Computer.' SOMETIMES. I can never really make up my mind now. Not taking the punk rock/grunge approach, as they did with their debut album, `Pablo Honey' (which was of mediocre quality, but the song `Creep' was a standout as a proclaimed self-loathing anthem), the songs in this album [The Bends] seem much more personal and therefore much more touching (`Fake Plastic Trees' is a simple yet beautiful song - one of the best). Frankly, I love pre-Kid A Radiohead so much better than post-Kid A because they weren't in their experimental stages but still gave it all their best and managed to release their follow-up masterpiece, `OK Computer' and finally they were hailed as the best new thing in rock. Something well deserved. `Just (Do It To Yourself)' is a strong, spunky and guitar driven song and the video (in horrific fashion) is just as good. `High & Dry' is a haunting ballad and my second favorite song in the album as Street Spirit (Fade Out) is my first. Though it usually varies. `OK Computer' is to a greater extent - a very complex, complicated, and obscure album, but if you are a first timer to Radiohead's music `The Bends' is the best album to start off with as it's their essential basis. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Britpop    3. England    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

One need hear only the first notes of this collection--the Edge's ringing guitar notes ushering in "Pride (In the Name of Love)"-to be taken back to 1984: Ronald Reagan and Maggie Thatcher rule the Western world, the L.A. Olympics is the top sports story, and Ms. Pac-Man reigns at arcades. In rock & roll, there's U2 growing in stature with each new title. Even doubters of the Irish lads have to concede that together they formed the one '80s band with the skill and sense of scale to take over the airwaves and concert stages in a decade of diminished expectations. This 15-song '80s best-of assortment (stick around for the hidden track) spans the decade, reaching back to 1980's "I Will Follow," when Bono and company were peach-fuzzy and earnest as choirboys, and tracking their path through their most glaring misstep, 1988's overblown Read more

Reviews (226)

Toast with Guinness (Paul or Extra Dark)
U2's 'The Best of 1980-1990' may be straightforward, but that simply shows how important and successful they have been for harnessing passion. This compilation works because their singles are often their best material. The '[Limited Edition]' is worth the extra purchase because it has some essential material. (There are some weaker songs as well, but the B-sides will prevent the collection from becoming repetitious.) "Pride (In the Name of Love)," "New Year's Day," "I Will Follow," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and "Desire" have all rewritten the history of pop/rock music. They resonate well even today. The other allegedly lesser songs are merely great. Singles were their strongest suit, but their albums are solid and consistent as well. (Although the nineties found some uneven albums, but that should be saved for another day.) Passion is rock's hallmark, and Bono's primal singing, The Edge's inventive guitar, Adam Clayton's throbbing baselines, and Larry Mullen's athletic and idiosyncratic drumming all have come together for some of the best big rock band songs since The Beatles.
This is good but the '1980-1990, special edition' is better!!
Hey, did you know that the 'Best Of 1980-1990' exists in a double CD. The second CD is less famous but it is worth the money! There is a version of 'Everlasting love' and a nice version of 'Unchained Melody', plus,songs like 'Dancing Barefoot', 'Walk to the water', 'Bass Trap', 'The Three Sunrises' and 'Love comes tumbling' among other things. This second CD is actually very good.
ho-hum
Not bad, but not their best. compilations can be pretty bad and this one ?????????? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Album Rock    3. Alternative Pop/Rock    4. College Rock    5. Ireland    6. Pop    7. Pop/Rock    8. Post-Punk    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

David Gray's glorious fourth record explodes in a wellspring of spacious, electronica-tinged folk-pop. He uses his bright growl of a voice to memorable effect, chewing on vowel sounds while spinning odes to lost love, the resiliency of young hearts, and the pain of experience. Gray's work finds the universality at the heart of folk music and tweaks it just enough to make it relevant for alternative audiences. Read more

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Reviews (384)

A nearly perfect alt-pop album
If you can get only one David Gray album, this is undoubtedly the one to get.Although he has been around a long time and recorded a lot of good music, he has unfortunately not been as good at putting together albums filled only with his best work.FLESH, still his second best album, indicated great promise, but subsequent albums had superb material placed along some quite weak songs.They all show that he had talent; you just had to wonder why he either didn't substitute better songs for the weaker material or wait longer to write a stronger group of songs.WHITE LADDER is the glorious exception.There isn't a weak cut on the disc and there are several that are as good as anything he has ever written.I believe that at some point it will be one of the two must-own David Gray albums.The second will be some future anthology of all his best work.Though of course we all hope that he also records more albums as strong as this one.
Hooked
..and captivated. Not only to the music itself but by the lyrics this artists has delivered. I'd heard the song 'This Year's Love' from the movie Crazy/Beautiful and thought of it fittingly cool to listen to. Outstanding and superb is all i can say with this great recording by David Gray.

What a great CD
As a musicman supreme, it's hard for me to accept I'd never even heard of David Gray until the immortal "Babylon", which I played for about an hour straight after I purchased this Cd. It's years later, it's still a tuff groove, and I'm listening to it right now as a matter of fact. However, once you slip past that track, more gems await. This is a great piece of work that will stand the test of time without a doubt. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter    7. Wales   

Editorial Review

Australian-born Keith Urban, hot off the double-platinum success of his 2002 sophomore album, Read more

Reviews (129)

Be Here is Be-au-tiful!
I love this CD.I put off buying it for awhile but am so glad I finally got it!I love every song.It's very relaxing on the slow songs, and upbeat & fun on the faster songs.He's so talented, and everything he touches turns to gold.Get this CD - it's GREAT!

buy it NOW
Every song on this CD is writen masterfuly and with emotion. if you want a tear-jerker, it's on this CD. If you want power-country, or what ever, it's here. It's all in this nice little CD.

Be Here
Not a bad CD.It is a little tough for me to rate this cd properly due to the fact that I'm not a fan of country music.However, I enjoyed Making Memories Of Us, The Hard Way, and Tonight I Wanna Cry a lot. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Contemporary Country    3. Contemporary Singer/Songwriter    4. Country    5. Country-Pop    6. Pop   

Editorial Review

After two expansive yet winsome epic albums like Read more

Reviews (103)

Listen Again...
I think the Lips suffer a similar fate as all the great acts that constantly reinvent themselves (Dylan, U2, Beatles...).That is that some folk love a certain album so much they want it again and if they don't get it then the band has failed.I have so much love for Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi.No two albums from the last 20 years are so close to me and my own dilemnas.Certainly the song "Race for the Prize"is enough to endear them to any scientist.Which brings us to At War.When I first listened I had certain expectations, immediately met by The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song.Then the rest was so different from my expectations I set it aside.Then in making a mix tape for the Lab recently, I listened again and found myself adding so many of these songs to it!"Yeah,Yeah,Yeah" of course, but also "Mr. Ambulance Driver", "Vein of Stars", and "The W.A.N.D."This album stands proudly for me with each of classics they made since Clouds...But just remember, it wasn't always so.Suddenly Everything Has Changed...

Cliche? The Lips?
I'll give this 4 stars for a Lips album, as some of the songs sound like they were tossed off rather than crafted (Free Radicals, for instance). Compared with anything else currently being made, it'd have to be a 5. But what I really want to say is that anyone who dismisses anything the Lips have done as cliche doesn't understand the band. Go back through their entire oeuvre for long, repeated listenings, and you should discover that the Lips have never done anything based on industry or fan expectations, or genre pigeonholes. They do what they want, and it's almost always a combination of undeniable tunefulness, outright goofiness, and masterful musicianship (well, at least in the last decade), with some element of okie (guitar) noodling usually lurking underneath. They can sound like a drugged-out heavy-metal band, Prince, or Floyd, but they're always just themselves.
Such a Let Down
I write from the perspective of a life-long fan. This was one of the first modern bands that I loved and I followed their every release from my preteen years onward. They seemed to never miss the mark creatively or sonically, and the increasingly strong imagination and coherence behind each record was only matched by the increasingly complex production. But on this release, they seem to have run out of ideas and melodies and passion. That hurts to say, but it is painfully true. I'll accept this as their auto-pilot record. The reason I give it two stars is because it makes me appreciate Yoshimi, an album I initially viewed as a disappointment in the shadow of the Soft Bulletin, as a proper album (albiet a lateral move). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Dream Pop    3. Experimental Rock    4. Neo-Psychedelia    5. Noise Pop    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Sometimes having good, original ideas is the worst thing you can do in rock music. To paraphrase Jim Dickinson on the Beastie Boys, rock and roll Read more

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Reviews (469)

A Bunch Of Great Bands Mashed Together
If took all the great bands in the classic rock world and mashed them up this is what you get. You name the band they sound like it. Now this may just be me but "Look What You've Done" sounds a lot like The Beatles "Hey Jude" if you ask me. They are a great band. My Favorite Song on this CD has to be "Get What You Need" I really like the guitar solo. Even though lyrically this band isn't very strong. They still feature instruments and thats a plus in my book. Most of everything in modern music is uninspired. Which is why I have such a hard time listening to today's music. But these guys do have my vote. I suggest this album to anyone who is thinking about buying it.

Awsome!!!
When I first heard Jet I thought WOW!!!, That is awsome. They have a very unique sound like early 70's. Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Cold Hard Bitch and Rollover DJ are my favorite tracks on this CD. I can't wait for their other CD to come out. Good Job Jet!!!

Derivative and needless waste of plastic
Jet is competent, but they are simply reprising the work of so many others before them.They would be a very good group to encounter at some remote roadside biker bar -- the unexpected quality in dire surroundings would be a welcome surprise and compensate for the inevitable brawls and tawdriness.But a disc on a major label?
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Subjects:  1. American Trad Rock    2. Australia    3. Garage Punk    4. Hard Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (32)

A Good Listen - but stop this Punk foolishness
A good buy - fast, catchy, easy, and very polished. But Punk? No. Closer to US Corporate Rock than anything else, but don't hold that against them.

Growing Pains?
What people seem to dislike about this album is that it does not sound like the New Found Glory we all know and love, despite the band's repeatedly stating that it would be completely different. Whle they did that with Catalyst as well, it still retained the lightning-quick, high-pitched NFG sound yet showed signs of things to come.
NFG- New Sound
I have been a New Found Glory fan forever.I absolutely love their music.After listening to the new CD I had mixed feelings about it. Overall, it is a great CD.They are one of the only bands that I feel hasn't really ever "sold out."They changed their sound a bit but just because it is different does not make it a bad CD.I really like most of the songs on the CD and I think that their music matured a little.I would definitely recommend this CD to anyone who listend to the pop-punk genre and New Found Glory fans.Just listen to it with an open mind before you judge it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Emo    2. Pop    3. Punk-Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The Rapture wasn't the first band to revisit the clanky dance-punk sounds of bands like P.I.L. and Gang of Four. But with its DFA-produced debut, 2003's Read more

Reviews (6)

Whoo! Alright - Yeah...Uh Huh
Not easy to compete with 'echoes',one of my favourite albums of the past 5 years but i think a good follow-up. less edgy, more rythm.
excellent record
i was driving home from work, listening to my local college radio station, and i heard "get myself into it" ... i was awkened from deep thought and was wondering what i was listening to... the "sound" reminded me of NYC 1981 ... but i wasn't sure ... i heard the dj announce the name of the band, i bought the cd the following day, and i can't wait to see this band perform live ... you might not like every track on this cd, but to this listener's ears, the majority of tracks are well worth the purchase price ... can't wait to get ahold of their first record...

synthy dance rock at its best
this is what future rock is supposed to be. i love the contrast and creativity between the tracks. each one has its own soul and feeling. this band doesn't try to be anything other than what it is, a party monster. this much energy can't be contained with just ten tracks. you scream for more after each song, and yell for defness as you analize each sonic creation. i listen to electronic dance music, and have a hard time following anything in the "rock" segment. this totally keeps my interest.... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Indie Electronic    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Todd Snider, the East Nashville antihero, can always be counted on to deliver a brilliant spitball of humor and satire, shot across a classroom devoted to John Prine, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, and the Rolling Stones. Here, on one of his most instantly accessible albums, he balances troubadourish recounts of personal experience and mythmaking (the getting-mugged-in-Memphis tale of "The Highland Street Incident"), the chronicling of not-so-famous-moments in history (Bob Dylan's ass-whipping of Phil Ochs in "Thin Wild Mercury"), and songs of romantic surrender. "All That Matters," a declaration of marital love with a nearly prayerful electric guitar solo from the great Will Kimbrough, shows how profound Snider can be in his simplicity. But his genius is best captured in the deceptively smart "Just Like Old Times," particularly in an exchange with a cop about a high school photo, carried in a wallet since 1982. Here, on his half-drunk vocals, Snider makes clear what he really is: A professional smart-ass whose bravado masks a wounded heart. Read more

Reviews (8)

Todd will not likely be invited to the White House . . .
I'd never even heard of this guy until I saw him on the Tonight Show a couple of weeks ago and then it was difficult to find the album locally.I'm glad I did.It's the best album I've bought this year.If you like folk/rock with a bite, then this is the album for you.The social commentary of "Looking for a Job" (performed on the Tonight Show) puts me in mind of Woody Guthrie and a lot the others remind me of a young Bruce Springsteen.
Country music for people who don't usually listen to country music
This album gets better and better with each listen.I know that's what everybody says, but it's true.While I haven't listened to any of Snider's other records, I can't really compare it to his general output. What I do know that I intend to listen to his other discs at some point, making this a great starting point for other new fans.
Add a half-a-star, please, but it isn't as strong...
as the three albums he released on the "Oh Boy" label this decade (four if you count "Near Truths and Hotel Rooms", his live CD.) Todd does some rockin' here with a band, a la his "Viva Satellite" disc for MCA in the late '90's, but I have never thought rock was his true genre, and I've been a fan from the beginning. "The Devil You Know" starts off with the two weakest songs of the project, in my opinion, and ends with the two best. Inbetween, the slower tunes, with lyrics clearly enunciated, seem superior to any of the up-tempo efforts. This is Todd's seventh disc of new work (there is also a compilation of his best from the MCA years available) and I would rate it fifth in overall appeal. However, I am nearly 62 years old, and my favorite kind of music is confessional singer-songwriter folk and country- style stuff. When a great lyricist like Todd rocks so loud you can't clearly understand his poetry, it seems a waste to me. So my advice, if you are a fan already, is to buy this to support him, but expect to put only half of it on repeat play. If you are new to Snider, then "East Nashville Skyline" or "New Connections" or "Happy to be Here" or "Songs For The Daily Planet" are more satisfying choices. His voice sometimes cracks, but his wit saves the performances. He has been troubled by substance abuse, low sales, and less attention than he deserves, but I hope he keeps on keepin' on, because he has a distinctive talent. For an idea of what his concerts are like, buy "Near Truths and Hotel Rooms"---the closest thing to seeing Todd live you can get. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Country    2. Americana    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Roots Rock    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Reviews (68)

Zzzzzz
I don't usually buy a CD by someone I never heard of w/o listening to the clips, but I'm from Mich. and I just wanted to hear what this one was like no matter what. Besides, it has those weird titles peppered with all those exclamation points!!I thought it was probably going to be a lively rockin' little tongue-in-cheek CD with some songs that were even borderline novelty tunes! Oops! No question these people are great musicians, and I like indie/folkie stuff, I really do. But (and you knew there was a but coming) these songs don't say Michigan to me. I think you could almost insert state/cities of your choice in each one and no one would notice. And maybe it's because I'm a first-wave boomer teetering on the brink of old foggie-dom, but I expected/wanted more from this CD. These songs are just a little to bloodless for me. But hey, I grew up on Seger and Smokey, so cut me some slack, 'kay?

Brilliant
Hey, "Music I Am," Sufjan Stevens and Cat Stevens are not the same person.Cat Stevens (who changed his name to Yusuf Islam) is nearly 60 years old, and Sufjan himself is in his 30s.
Thank heaven for CDs!
...else if Michigan was on vinyl I would have worn it out by now.
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Subjects:  1. Ambient Pop    2. Indie Pop    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Post-Rock/Experimental    6. Progressive Folk    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Everything about Tool's fourth album is an experience, starting with the packaging, which consists of liner credits printed on a translucent plastic sleeve over the CD and a booklet that layers anatomical representations atop one another--the first page pictures musculature and blood vessels; the next, bones; the third, internal organs; and so on. It's worth describing the packaging of Read more

Reviews (1637)

Some of the best music I've heard
Everything about TOOL is great.They are just geniuses.Everything from the guitar, the baseline, drums, vocals, is good, everything!definetively worth checking them out!
Powerful Genius
One of the best albums in my collection.A powerful album with great songs.The title track Lateralus is probably the best song on the album.It doesn't rock as much as Undertow or Opiate, but I think this album captures the true spirit of the band.Get punched in the face with the Grudge, then mellow out a bit, then get hit with Schism and Parabola, then go into 30 minutes of deep trance.Awesome!What a perfect album.I think some of the reviewers don't like this album because it isn't true "Progressive rock". You're right it isn't. But that doesn't mean that the album is a failure. They should try to feel this album instead of trying to desect it.

words cannot describe.
what can i say about this album. words cannot do it justice and it seems like everthing's already been said before. i guess i will just be one of the millions by saying that this album is a pure unadulterated masterpiece. it gets that claim for a reason. i think - no, i KNOW that in the future this album will be seen as one of the greatest albums of our time... and in my opinion it is the greatest album of my time. this album is a highly spiritual experience. when you're done listening to it you feel like you've just finished a long meditation... it is cleansing. listen to this album by yourself in dark room with a candle. close your eyes and don't think. just surrender yourself, because wants it starts it takes you over and that's all that you can do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Heavy Metal    3. Pop    4. Rock   

Editorial Review

U2's second decade often seemed as preoccupied with the band's burgeoning superstardom--and how to confront/confound it--as it did with creating music. The band managed only four albums during the era (only half of its '80s output), projects whose gestations seemed perennially plagued by turmoil as much as mercurial creative instincts. But as this anthology chronicles, U2 ultimately managed a considerable feat: producing a memorable, lasting body of work in a decade where one of pop music's chief attributes was its disposability. The disc mixes hits like "Mysterious Ways" and "One" with seductive soundtrack cuts (the title track to Wim Wenders's Read more

Reviews (97)

Great compilation of their best songs.
Not the hugest U2 fan but my love of them grew after listening to this album.A good mix of popular and those I've never heard.

Almost unnecessary
I'd rather give The Best of 1990-2000 three and a half stars, but as that option is unavailable, I'll round it down. There's no arguing that some of the songs here are absolute classics: "One," "Beautiful Day," and "Mysterious Ways" are just a few. But there are a number of reasons why this isn't the best way to get this material.
U2 Compilation
If you like U2 and you need to conserve space and/or the number of CDs you maintain, this CD and its companion greatest hits are great. They have the selections you want to hear repeatedly already compiled for you. You do not have to rip selections from five CDs to create the one you want to enjoy over and