Editorial Review

Bursting at the seams with creative energy, the Clash's stunning 1979 double album more than made up for the artistic and commercial disappointment of its predecessor, 1978's tried-too-hard Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (416)

One of the greatest albums of all time
This is one of the best ever, of any genre.If you like punk rock, you have to have this.I'm really at a loss when trying to explain the album - there simply are no words.Even the picture on the cover is perfect.Even the colors are perfect.There may be other albums that I like as much, but none that I like better.
.....I Don't Get It
Actually 3 1/2 stars .The Clash' third album London Calling is possibly the most overated album of all time . I understand if you're into punk you want a claim in rock and roll history , but most of the songs on this album are hardly punk . The bulk of the album is reggae or reggae influenced . The title song is great , Brand New Cadillac ( a cover of a Vince Taylor song ) is great too . Ditto for Lost In A Supermarket , a song that sounds like something from Genesis' Duke period . Spanish Bombs , Hateful and Clampdown are good too . There are 18 tracks on this album .What are the other standout songs ? I don't hear 'em . I would think that " one of the great albums of all time "would be solid from top to bottom . The bulk of this album is mediocre pop/ reggae songs . Where's the edge ? I don't hear it . This is one of those albums like Exile On Main Street that's cool too like ... possibly because the criticssay so ?

Completely Deserves To Be As Popular As It Is
What a revolutionary album this was, released in 1979. I just love listening to the Clash's "London Calling" Album. It is a fun and entertaining, yet thoughtful masterpiece of 20th-century rock music. The lyrics are often very political. It gets a lot of hype, and I think it deserves all that attention. It truly is a great album! "London Calling" (album) contains a diverse range of musical influences, so it will fit in in almost any music collection. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Britain    2. British Punk    3. England    4. Hard Rock    5. New Wave    6. Pop    7. Punk    8. Punk/New Wave    9. Rock    10. Rock & Roll    11. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The debate over whether he is punk or new wave is long over; today Elvis Costello is less likely to be found on a list with Strummer and Scabies than he is with Bacharach and David and Jimmy Webb. Lauded initially for his energetic and literate attacks on the social ills of Thatcher's England, he has become a peerless master of the popular song. The evolution of Costello's craft as a songwriter and performer, from the early high-octane polemics, through his stylistic experiments with country and soul, and on to standards written for others, is splendidly documented on this elegant two-disc set. Chronology is ignored in favor of a thoughtful program that catalogs the jewels from his prolific output and a sprinkling of covers that demonstrate the maturing of his singing voice. The 42 tracks here lean generously to the first 10 years with the Attractions, but also collects the best of his subsequent collaborations with the cream of America's session musicians and on through to "She," his contribution to the soundtrack of 1999's Read more

Reviews (37)

Excellent, even for the passing Costello fan
I was never a big Costello fan but I enjoyed a few songs of his. This compilation has enough "hits" to have kept me listening while I learned to appreciate his the lesser known songs. Now some of those are my favorite.
The stand outs
This CD is an great compilation of EC's best work. I have to say my favorite song on the whole thing is unfortunately the shortest. His version of My Funny Valentine has to be his vocal masterpiece. His voice was meant for that song. The other bluesy cuts are excellent (Riot Act and Almost Blue). Yes, the upbeat stuff is great too but I do hope someday he rediscovers that early edgy attitude and does a whole set of blues songs. At any rate, this CD set is a must-have!

It's incredible, but I can't recommend it.
Costello is one of the absolute all time greats in 20th century music. (thus the 5 stars) I cannot say you should buy this album when their is a much better substitute. It will cost a bit more but it is very much worth it: Buy The Best of Elvis costello and the attractions (a different one, not this one). And buy The best of Elvis Costello (Extreme Honey). They both contain many must-have gems that are sadly overlooked on this newer addition to the Macmanus Canon. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. British Punk    3. College Rock    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Pub Rock    8. Punk    9. Rock    10. Rock & Roll    11. Rock/Pop    12. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Recognizing that there's no such thing as bad publicity, manager-Svengali Malcolm McLaren molded the Pistols into the most confrontational, nihilistic band rock & roll had ever seen. Propelled by Johnny Rotten's maniacal vocals, Steve Jones's buzz-saw guitar, and (most importantly) bass player Glen Matlock's hook-filled compositional skills, the Pistols' early singles "Anarchy in the U.K." and "God Save the Queen" defined the raging style of British punk. By the time they recorded their lone 1977 album, Matlock had been bounced, replaced by the image-correct but utterly untalented (and ultimately group-dooming) Sid Vicious. Not a 10th as good as the singles, the album nontheless remains a bile-filled emblem of the times. Read more

Reviews (423)

the sex pistols is punk rock the way it was meant to be
I agree, if you want to listin to emo and pop go ahead (You cant help it if your not grown up yet). But dont come in here and trash the best punk rock group ever because of it.

the best album ever and you know it
i wish these kids that cant takereal punk rock would just admit it already emo is for kids!

the most overrated album I know of
I can't get over the shock that people would actually like this album. Punk rock didn't really get good until bands like Pennywise, Descendents, and Green Day (their early stuff) came around. The only real good punk rock album in the style of the Sex Pistols is Wire's Pink Flag, which I'm pretty sure came first even but don't take my word for it. Anyway, it's an understatement to say I hate this album. I loathe it! I can't believe it, I just can-t.. URGH! How can this band have fans? They're like the Hawthorne Heights of the late 70's! The singer has no talent, the melodies just have no good chord progressions to offer (Anarchy In The U.K> is sort of good I guess, but other than that every track is just lame-o), and the lyrics are blah! If the Sex Pistols were trying to get a record deal in this day and age, they'd get laughed at because THEY SUCK! I'm seriously thinkin' that the 2000s is the best age of music yet in history. Classic rock is too inconsistent, only Van Halen, Quiet Riot, and Guns'N'Roses have come through for me there. Synth-pop was the worst era of music easily, and only starting in '89 with Nine Inch Nails' "Pretty Hate Machine" did good music start up again. Sorry, got off track there. I HATE THE SEX PISTOLS! For goodness sake, their name even is stupid.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Britain    2. British Punk    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (46)

The only CD set you'll ever need
I didn't know I was a Clash fan until I bought this CD set. I went to the store and saw it on the rack. There were four songs that I already knew and figured there'd be at least a few more I would like so I bought it. Out of the 40 songs, I can listen to atleast 22 over and over and over again and never get sick of them! I copied the my favorite songs onto another disk and put it in my car's CD player... I haven't put another disk in in over six months. For the amount of great music you'll get, there isn't a better value out there.

The Beatles of Punk
Out of all the classic punk-rock groups, the Clash were the most skilled, most important, and best. From their days of loud, intense screaming which you can barely understand (White Riot, London's Burning, Complete Control) to the London Calling/Sandinista! (not sure if I spelt that right) era, when they were experimenting with everything, to their last days, the Essential Clash covers the Clash perfectly, with very few fillers.
This Is Real Punk!
Forget bands like Green Day and Good Charlotte. For real punk rock, I suggest going back to the core, to the originators, such as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and my personal favorite, The Clash. The Clash define punk rock for me.
Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. Hard Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

There are myriad details that illustrate why Wire's 1977 debut is bulletproof--or at least wildly compelling. There's the count of tracks--21 to be exact--the snare-cracked pulsing roll of "Reuters," which sports one of punk's greatest first lines: "Our own correspondent is sorry to tell of an uneasy time, that all is not well." There's the six songs that last under a minute (and at least that many more that last under a minute and a half), all of them urgently poised on Colin Newman's deadpan urgency--a laconic riposte to the shouting that in '77 was already central to punk. There's album closer "12XU," which Minor Threat would make anthemic in their short hardcore-forging career. Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (1)

a seminal band for a reason, and it all started with this album
Really, what more can I say about Wire's Pink Flag that hasn't already been said? The album is so good, so burned in the retina of my brain (even though I still cannot for the life of us unscramble Graham Lewis' lyrics), so nearly perfect that it's sort of hard to write about. In a perfect world, whatever nonsense I may have to say about the record would be moot, as you should already own this record (along with Chairs Missing and 154, Wire's second and third albums respectively). But for those of you who may be enraptured by the recent flurry of post-punk revivalists who continue to make quite a stir, let the reissue campaign of the first three records introduce you to the band that Interpol, Maximo Park, Franz Ferdinand, and Bloc Party only wish they could be.
Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. England    3. Experimental Rock    4. Pop    5. Post-Punk    6. Punk    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The final album by the Clash's original Strummer/Jones incarnation is also their most inconsistent. There were musical and ideological rifts developing within the band, and it shows: the experimentation is almost as wild as Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (102)

THE CLASH/ WHATS NOT TOO LIKE
I will admit I have mixed feelings for this album. I'm shure many other clash fans feel the same. while some claim this is the album that ruined their career, others will say that it is their finest work. I personally think this album is very good, but not the same or nearly as good as their two first albums. The clash after having exploded in the punk scene, they moved on to break music barriars. While I miss their original style, its hard not to appreciate theirtheir later work. No matter what which part of their career you look at, you are for shure absorbing some good music. Rest in peace Joe Strummer. We can't be certain about these kind of things but I really hope he made it.

The Clash - COMBAT ROCK (1982)
The final album to feature the full Clash group - Mick Jones was fired and replaced on 1985's CUT THE CRAP - COMBAT ROCK is also commonly referred to as the album on which The Clash "sold out". The group changed their sound from punk rock to new wave, losing much - but not all - of their fire in the process. Their strategy, if you want to call it that, worked; they scored their biggest hit ever with the dance/funk tune "Rock the Casbah" and COMBAT ROCK shot to the top of both the U.K. and U.S. charts. There's a number of other greats here, such as the similarly funked-out "Overpowed By Funk", the reggae-tinged "Straight to Hell" and "Car Jamming", the strong opening track "Know Your Rights", and the laid-back saxophone-filled "Sean Flynn". The rest of the songs are good, but lack the punch - the aforementioned "fire" - of previous Clash compositions. COMBAT ROCK continues to explore different musical styles, and though the result isn't as impressive as the earlier Clash releases, it's still a fun and well-made album.

The final album by the Strummer/Jones Clash.
I think it's a bit steep to call this the worst album by The Clash. The fact that they could achieve commercial success while still making very interesting and original music (unlike my least favourite album, "Give 'Em Enough Rope") makes this quite a valid album, especially with suchmusical escapades as "Sean Flynn" and immediately catchy material like the two songs - you know which, "Car Jamming", and "Straight to Hell".
Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. Hard Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Elvis Costello kicked off his debut album with a formal device that would also serve his next two long-players well: the first thing you hear is his voice. That opening phrase--"Now that your picture's in the paper..."--was more than sneakily, if not intentionally, appropriate, since Costello was quickly declared the second coming. It's become Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (42)

the first and greatest elvis.
at the time that this album came out i had just lost my little boy, my husband had left me for a woman 24 years my junior, & i had a serious rash all up & down my left side. i was DEPRESSED. then i heard this music & suddenly i wanted to wear lipstick again. i wanted to wear lipstick & i wanted to dance. what a great album. and to this day in 2006 it still is! the best elvis costello album known to man (and that's saying something).

Elvis is King!
The angry young man hit a grand slam with this debut album. EC ain't much of a guitarist, but hey when you can capture what an entire generation is thinking within your lyrics...well, they call that genius! Back to back, the tunes here are all winners. Alison is a particular favorite of mine. This album is the beginning of a remarkable body of work that is still evolving.
Nearly Unbeatable Debut
First, this review is only about disc one because I don't have disc two...
Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. College Rock    3. England    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Pub Rock    8. Punk    9. Rock    10. Rock & Roll    11. Rock/Pop    12. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Only months after his initial conquest with Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (39)

elvis's 2nd album, one of the best by about anyone
i had been in a deer hunting accident. i awoke in a hospital and down the hall a boombox was playing this album very loudly. i knew everything was going to be okay.

Well worth re-buying
I owned an older CD of this from the 80s, one of his rocking-est albums and my favorite, along with "Delivery Man". The definitely superior sonic remaster (not a lot of obvious re-mixing for a change!), the bonus disc and informative liner notes really made this worth buying. I subsequently bought the other remasters with bonus discs, and now have a huge library of THE Elvis (as I heard him claim on a radio interview in 1977), with loads of demos, alternative versions and tasty goodies.

His masterpiece enhanced by second disc

Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. England    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Pub Rock    7. Punk    8. Rock    9. Rock & Roll    10. Rock/Pop    11. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

In a few short years, the Clash transformed themselves from one of English punk's hardest-edged bands to an adventurous outfit with their hands in reggae, dub, dance, and funk. Nowhere is that range more evident than this collection of singles spanning their entire career, from the three-chord fury of "White Riot" through the swooning pop of "Train in Vain" to the dance groove of "Rock the Casbah." While no substitute for the likes of the self-titled debut, Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (31)

It's The Clash... Enough Said.
The Clash are my favorite band of all time, so of course I gave this cd 5 stars. If you haven't listened to The Clash's music before, you are really missing out! This is a good collection of their singles, and is a decent beginning to any punk collection. That being said, it's only a beginning. I agree with the reviewer below me who said that there are better cds compilations of The Clash's music. I'd reccomend "The Story of The Clash," which has 28 of their songs, including one of their best singles "Career Opportunites." But, any cd of The Clash is good.

Obsolete!
This used to be an OK disc...until they came out with The Essential Clash.This one has 18 tracks, that one has 40 tracks.This one costs 50 cents per song, that one costs 40 cents/song.This one is a cursory, szichophrenic-sounding overview, that one includes nearly all their greatest songs and gives the listener a full picture of their amazing evolution.
The Singles, The Best
If you haven't heard a Clash album yet and you want to hear what all the fuss is about then this album is the one for you. It gives you all the greatest hits that they had over their time together as a band. From their version of "I Fought the Law" to "London Calling" to "Mag. 7". If you are to get just one album of The Clash make it this one, you won't be disappointed by what you hear. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. Hard Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

What the hell

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (161)

Must be a clash, there's no alternative!
Why the heck this terrific album isn't mentioned as a Clash masterwork in the same breath as LONDON CALLING is a mystery to me. Coming out when it did at the tail-end of 1980, SANDINISTA! was so unlike anything else on the landscape of Punk and New Wave that I, for one, got drawn in right away. It's an album that dared to break the "Year Zero" mentality that ultimately made Punk and New Wave a cul-de-sac, and grab onto rockabilly, gospel, sound collages ala "Revolution #9," rap and lots and lots and lots of dub, all the while sounding like nobody else but The Clash. And you want classic toons? Try "The Magnificent Seven," "The Call Up," "Police On My Back" (which was penned by Eddy Grant), "Charlie Don't Surf" (probably the best track here) and a load of others.
maybe I missed something?
I must have missed something because this CD really wasn't the greatest the clash has to offer. Sandinista Disc 1 just wasn't doing it for me. maybe they were trying really hard to explore different styles but it was kind of out there. nothing was really a good song and i feel kind of bad that this is taking up a spot in my CD wallet. The second song Hitsville UK sounded like it should have been playing on "Peewee Herman's Playhouse" or "Barney". it was like a disney sing a long with some random woman in it. what the hell? However, Sandinista Disc 2 i was much more appreciative of. This disc showed they hadn't totally gone off the deep end. so this is what i think. i'm more into thier self-titled album and give 'em enough rope. even london calling was great. this just didn't settle well at all. don't start here if you are a new fan. go for give em' enough rope or self-titled.

the most important album since darkside of the moon
when i first listened to this album i have to admit that like most, i didn't completely get it. I had just recently heard the first three clash albums (my first real forray into classic punk) and immediately fell in love with them. this album however didn't grab me as quickly. well anyway after a few years of obsession with their early work i decided to give it one more try. this time i came prepared with 3-4 years of experience listening to the best in punk, blues, jazz, reggea, rockabilly and classic rock -- and more importantly a greater awareness of the socio-political world.sandinista is one of the deepest and most engrossing concept albums ive ever had the pleasure of encountering, it paints a painfully accurate portrait of the continuing struggle between the upper and lower classes and the blood and tears it creates -mainly for the latter, and of course throughout the album Mr. Strummer reminds us of the healing power that music and music alone has to bring us all together.
Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. Hard Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

It speaks volumes about the mid-'70s music scene that the Clash's explosive debut was viewed as too provincial and raw for U.S. consumption upon its original English release in 1977. No matter--between Joe Strummer's marble-mouthed howls of righteous rage on songs like "Career Opportunities" ("The ones that never knock"), "I'm So Bored with the USA" ("Yankee dollars talk to the dictators of the world"), and "White Riot" ("I wanna riot / A riot of my own"), and the furious instrumental assault led by guitarist Mick Jones, the Clash became a hot import strictly on word of mouth--and helped establish the band as one of leaders of rock's punk revolt. Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (66)

THE GREATEST "PUNK ROCK" ALBUM
Though I have a hard time saying for shure, this is probably my favorite Clash album. Its passion for the raw hardcore punk style has always been entertaining. Even though the Pistols style was slightly more hardcore it misses the intelegence and creativity of this album. This set the standard for many punk bands to follow, a true Punk Rock gem. Rest in peace Joe Strummer.Though its impossible to know for certain in this case, I really hope he made it.

Definitive British Punk Album
While American punk stayed pretty much underground during the 70s, British punk had a huge impact on its native country where it was seen as a threat to its government.During the latter part of the decade, kids were fed up with Britain's monarchy and ruling class so they fought them by forming bands and creating loud fast rock songs that spoke out for their anger.The Sex Pistols may have been the first to do this but the Clash did it by far the best.The Clash's first album was seen as to wild and abrasive for America so it didn't see that side of the Atlantic until long after its British release.When it was released, several songs had been replaced by others and the track sequencing was changed.
Vintage
I owned this one on vinyl, but I no longer have a record player. I've been very selective in what albums I'm willing to re-purchase. This one is a must have.
Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. Hard Rock    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

With a name designed to shock, and song titles like "Oh Shit?" and "Orgasm Addict" the Buzzcocks were proud proponents of British late-'70s punk rock. But in retrospect, it's easier to see what else they accomplished--some of the catchiest, most provocative pop singles ever. Pete Shelley expressed heartbreak and frustration ("Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with?" goes one catchy chorus) without falling victim to lovey-dovey cliches. This definitive 1979 collection nicely captures the Manchester quartet's tight melodies, economic writing and appropriately fast pace.Read more

Reviews (59)

Cuz You're an Orgasm Addict!!!
The first song "Orgasm Addict" is in my opinion the best. "Love you More" and "Running Free" are also faves of mine. I find the ones most other reviewers rave about arent nearly as good. As a whole, this album is essential to any rock/punk collection. It comes in at #358 on the RS500.. Enjoy

I just want a lover like any other.what do I get?
Amazing Buzzcocks collection.One guy posted that the sound quality was lacking but I think it sounds just fine.I play this album all the time.Everyone should have these classics in their collection.Definitely 5 stars, these are timeless late-70s pop/punk gems.

BUZZCOCKS Singles Going Steady
I loved it in the 80's and it's just as good now, if not better! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. England    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Rock   

Features

• Extra tracks
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (23)

gets better & better each year
This is a terrific cd for many reasons;
as good as it ever was
this album stands as stong as it ever did the original joe jackson band was far more tallented than they ever got credit for.but here it is One More Time,Is She Really Going Out With Him and the great Sunday Papers .yes they maybe a little dated but these were great times.you can hear it in the music.

A classic of the new wave era
Look Sharp! is the debut release of singer/songwriter Joe Jackson, who along with Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, is considered in the Big Three of the great songwriters of the new wave era. Like his counterparts, Joe Jackson combined the energy of punk rock with his witty and creative lyrics. And like Costello and Parker, Jackson had a killer band, whom despite their low profile, were very important to his sound. Although he seldom gets the credit that the popular Costello or the critically acclaimed Parker receives, Look Sharp! is an undeniable influence on what would become punk pop and emo in the 90's.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. British Punk    3. England    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Popular Music    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop    10. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

The Clash's label didn't believe this debut would sell in the United States. By the time CBS got around to releasing a stateside version of the U.K. album, the British original had become an import hit. While the U.S. release contains outstanding tracks such as "Complete Control" and "Clash City Rockers," it's still missing "Cheat," "Protex Blue," "48 Hours," and "Deny." No matter which version you prefer, Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (81)

call me a "punk traitor," and stone me but i think cut the crap is better than their debut
now i know i will probally get downvoted by everyone on here, but i really do not see what the big deal about this album is. i mean like the other reviewer who gave this 3 or so stars, it is a rather soft hitting album..and i dont mean in a Fugazi type of way either. this, i would compare more to The Smiths than anything. the ablum is admittedly good, but awful overrated. songs like the original white riot, police and thieves, among others are great examples of early punk though. the US version's songs would make great b-sides attached to the end as well!
Good debut, but it's a good thing they moved on.
I will probably get a good deal of heat from the punker-than-thou purists (and there's no shortage of them), but I prefer the Clash's later, more experimental work to their first two albums.I will say, however, that the UK version of their debut is preferable to the US version for the simple reason that of the 5 added songs on the US version ("Clash City Rockers", "Complete Control", "White Man in Hammersmith Palais", "I Fought the Law", and "Jail Guitar Doors"), 4 of them can be found on Essential Clash (all except "Jail Guitar Doors"), whereas of the 4 original songs that were taken off ("Deny", "Cheat", "Protex Blue", and "48 Hours"), only one of them ("Cheat") is featured on Essential Clash and the other three can't be found on other collections, at least not to my knowledge.
On par with give em' enough rope
I'm torn between "Give em' enough rope" and self titled album. I would say that self titled is a lot similar to Stiff Little Fingers. Lyrics are less clearly sung than lets say "london calling". It's a lot less calm and organized which isn't a bad thing. An awesome awesome first CD and a great start for the clash. more rock and old school punk than thier other albums. if you want more early punk rock this is your best bet. if you want more clear sounding music get "london calling". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. England    3. Hard Rock    4. Pop    5. Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The gentle hand of Emmylou Harris guides this tribute to ill-fated country-rock avatar Gram Parsons, which goes a long way toward explaining why this star-studded salute avoids the pitfalls that befall many such projects. Harris got her start harmonizing with the patron saint of alt country, contributing mightily to Parsons's two early 1970s solo albums and reviving selections from his small, but indispensable, oeuvre throughout her career. She has a vested interest in finding a true connection between her former benefactor and this cast of Parsons partisans. Here she bands together a flock of followers who range from obvious offspring (Wilco, Gillian Welch, Whiskeytown) to not-so-evident disciples (Beck, the Pretenders, Sheryl Crow). Parsons's partner in the Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman, teams with Steve Earle on "High Fashion Queen," and David Crosby (like Parsons and Hillman, an ex-Byrd) joins Lucinda Williams on "Return of the Grievous Angel." Harris harmonizes with Beck on "Sin City" and shares the mic with Crow on "Juanita," one of the collection's highlights. Ultimately, Harris has assembled a homage that would've pleased her old mentor. Read more

Reviews (73)

serviceable tribute album but ultimately superfluous
Tribute albums are always a tricky business.It is rather difficult to create a cohesive album of disparate artists trying to re-form familiar songs into their own unique style.This Emmylou Harris produced tribute album for Gram Parsons is certainly no exception.It's not really a bad idea in theory.Gram Parsons was many things, but "great singer" was not one of them, so to have some polished pipes singing his songs was an idea with potential.Unfortunately, hardly any of these artists can put in the emotion that Gram infused in his plaintive vocals. Why you guys don't provide 10 stars for this?
Every tracks of this album are so stunning, esp. Sleepless Nights and A Song for You. You will have to find Gram Parsons's work to guarantee his talent.

A tribute done with class!
It was midnight and I stumbled upon a show called West 57th Sessions, from New York and unbeknown to me, what I was watching was a live performance of this tribute CD, "Return of the Grievious Angel."I managed to record the remaining 5 or 6 songs and hope to see it on video one day.Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Country    3. Alternative Country-Rock    4. Alternative Folk    5. Alternative Pop/Rock    6. American Trad Rock    7. Americana    8. British Punk    9. College Rock    10. Contemporary Country    11. Contemporary Folk    12. Country-Folk    13. Country-Rock    14. Folk-Rock    15. Heartland Rock    16. Indie Rock    17. Neo-Traditional Folk    18. Neo-Traditionalist Country    19. New Wave    20. Pop   

Editorial Review

As a sequel to 2004's similarly packaged Rhino box Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (27)

Indulge in your 80s nostalgia
It's obvious from the long list of reviews that purists will quibble over which tracks from which artists represent their quintessential 80ness. But us ordinary folks, who just want a cross-section of the playlist from the alternate radio station we listened to in the 80s, won't care nearly as much. If you like a particular artist from this selection (and there are 82, so you probably do), you probably have several albums by that band or performer. I know I do.
Excellent listening for '80s music junkies
This is a very comprehensive collection of all the "unheard" classics of 80's alternative/underground music scene. I use "unheard" in quotes because many of the songs were heard on college radio, independent music stations, etc. I was surprised by the inclusion of a few songs ("Message of Love" by Pretenders and "Ways To Be Wicked" by Lone Justice) as I wasn't too sure how "underground" they really were. I'm sure some more mainstream stations played them. But anyway it was really good to hear the Lone Justice song again after so many years. And I was REALLY pleased with the inclusions of "Swamp Thing" by The Chameleons and "When Love Breaks Down" by Prefab Sprout.
The music that really matters.
I bought this box set when it first came out and it still holds a prominent place on my shelf and on my iPod.Broad blanket statements are often useless, but in this case, they apply: This box is the best collection of 80s college rock/alternative rock for your money.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. American Punk    4. American Underground    5. British Punk    6. College Rock    7. Dream Pop    8. Goth Rock    9. Hardcore Punk    10. Indie Pop    11. Indie Rock    12. Jangle Pop    13. L.A. Punk    14. Neo-Psychedelia    15. New Romantic    16. New Wave    17. Paisley Underground    18. Pop    19. Pop/Rock    20. Post-Punk   

Editorial Review

By the time of their sophomore effort, Wire ha