Reviews (6)

The amount of research and work...........!
To get the music on the"Underground Oldies, Vol. 1-10" series onto cd, legally, was a job in itself!!!Long term soul/sweet soul record collectors surely understand!Some of the rarest, hardest to locate (especially in pristine condition), and most expensive music to obtain are long, out of print 45s.A "demarcation line" is crossed when entering the venue of 45 record collecting.True heavies of record collecting are members of that elite club!For the most part, doors to accumulate a large collection of rare 45s, closed so long ago collectors went from being "Dad" to "Grandpappa" status!I.T.P Records is the only company that has legally reissued this amount in volume of rare and ultra-rare soul/sweet soul music compilation cds.The 10 cds in this series contain many very rare and very expensive records on them.Heck, the writer has only seen the ultra rare Four Mints album for sale perhaps twice in the past 5 years, and each time it sold for over $1,000.00!In this series are some of the best ballads off that lp, WOW!Unlike some of the other non-authorized sweet soul compilations "floating" around, Alan Beck and crew went through all the pain-staking work of obtaining legal rights to put the songs from numerous, numerous small, long gone, obscure, "what label?", where, when, how..... onto cd to present availibility worldwide, what a task and what a success!.Failure to obtain legal rights is the reason the other non-authorized series are not obtainable through normal retail channels.Very, very few long term, hard core, soul/sweet soul record collectors can lay claim to possessing in their record collections all the songs on the 10 cds!Even for them, far from being that easy!These cds are LOADED, with rare soul/sweet recordings, and thanks to the efforts of the folks at I.T.P. they are obtainable to enjoy at what amounts to a fraction of the total value of the original records themselves!If one is an old-school soul/swet soul collector, and does not currently possess this great series, get the credit card out now.As a legitimate release, for the type of music it contains, this series is #1!!!

A very interesting rare oldies CD.
This CD features 18 soul ballads recorded during the late 1960s and early-'70s by artists who did not amount to much but whose work merits a closer look and reappraisal by "sweet soul" afficionados. It's worth noting that most of these songs were released on small, short-lived labels and are making their CD debut here. The songs by The Pretenders, The Magic Touch, The Entertainers IV, The Four Mints and The Superbs are my favorites but the others are also quite enjoyable. Many thanks to Alan Beck at ITP Records for compiling and issuing this CD.

What A Surprise!
I purchased this CD for Billy Stewart's "I'm No Romeo" which I heard him sing at a concert in the early '70's.I have been searching for this song for years.It was the only song I knew on this CD and what a surpirse - I liked every other song.I have sinced played it several times.The ballads flow beautifully.I can certainly say I got my money's worth on this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 70's    2. 80's    3. New Wave    4. Oldies Collections    5. Pop    6. R&B    7. Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues    8. V/a Compilations   

Features

• Import
• Box set

Reviews (4)

Avoid! Don't be fooled by the cheap price
I unfortunately own this one (not much longer) and have analyzed it carefully. There are several reasons for why you shouldn't buy this, even though the price is very low. Plan and Simple - Great 60s Ska at an incredible price.
Fan of third wave ska? Looking to explore ska's original roots? This is the perfect set to buy. Extensive, plentiful, Skatalite heavy and dirt cheap. This will open the doors to the wonderful world of 60s ska. You might even be surprised at how many songs you recognize considering how often third wave ska bands covered the originals. One thing, don't expect super high quality. Not that this set is 'poor.' It's that these songs were all originally produced on subpar recording equipment. Enjoy!

An absolute steal
If you want to hear an incredible amount of first-rate Jamaican ska at an incredibly reasonable price, this is the set for you. Read more

Subjects:  1. Rocksteady    2. Roots Reggae    3. Ska   

Editorial Review

If the notion of indie intelligentsia expounding Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Selection of Indie-Pop Band Covering French Classics
Like Pop American Style, this compilation is a theme comp drawing from a broad roster of indie-pop bands, plus it includes the vocals of ye-ye pop legend Fran�oise Hardy on one of the tracks. What is great is the same hand (Skippy McFadden) that picked the songs for the Pop American Style comp also picked the songs for this CD. QUELLE SURPRISE!
When you can have John Wesley Harding sing Serge Gainsbourg's "Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'En Vais" why do you need anything else? Okay, JW Harding's version is still not Gainsbourg's (which cannot be imitated or surpassed). But this clever arrangement of songs by contemporary artists performing French pop standards is a classic in itself. Air (French band) team with classic French pop star Francoise Hardy to provide a lovely version of "Jeanne". Probably my favourite track here, apart from John Wesley Harding, is Ivy's rendition of "L'anamour". One of my favourite songs anyhow, and Ivy has a very pleasant sound. There were other surprises... like Luna, Magnetic Fields, and other things. I think, if you enjoy, French pop-or any of the bands on the album-this is a must have. An updated, modern version (tribute, even) to the standards of French romantic pop. It was a great treat for me, at least.

promising but uneven collection of a neglected genre
Good idea, especially with Air-Francoise Hardy, Luna, Ivy, the Hang-ups and Godzuki. But I would have liked to have seen April March or Stereolab in here in place of Kevin Ayers, though his track grows on you. FYI: To allthe critics of Lloyd Cole who call him gauche for translating Dylan's"If You Got To Go" into French, it's not his fault! BlameFairport Convention, who did "Si Tu Dois Partir" on their 1968album "Unhalfbricking." So Cole's actually covering FairportConvention covering Bob Dylan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Easy Listening    3. French    4. French Pop    5. Indie Pop    6. Indie Rock    7. Pop    8. Pop/Rock    9. Popular Music   

Reviews (22)

Enjoyable
It's actually pretty simple. The songs speak for themselves. Anyone who won't admit Duran Duran being one of the greatest pop bands ever and recognizing Simon's talent for melody writing has to reconsider the overall parameters with which one judges. Even the bands that conceptualised this tribute album, which they did for an exact reason, didn't come close to style and beauty with their own songs compared to DD.
Didn't No One Tell You?
I'm a real die hard fan of Duran Duran and I welcome any good tribute albums that may come along (after all, DD had their own tribute album with "Thank You"!) but if you have any taste in music whatsoever, you will leave this plastic waste alone. I was on the edge of buying the C.D, but after a quick taster of the tracks, I was disgusted. None of the songs had the same spirit as the originals and most of the songs are sung by punk bands that sing the track out of synch and at double speed! I agree remakes should be crafted into the style of the band remaking the tracks, but they should be done with passion, experience and commitment at least (Take "White Lines" by DD!) I was really let down by the great songs on offer, ruined without consideration for real DD fans like myself. They don't even sound like the originals!
Amusing
This is one of my favorite tribute cd's because the bands (in most cases) truly make the songs their own rather than covering the same old version. 'Rio'and 'Hungry Like the Wolf' stand out and are campy and fun. Not sure if hardened Duran fans would agree but I think this is proof the songs hold up on their own. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Popular Music    4. Post-Grunge    5. Punk Revival    6. Punk-Pop    7. Rock    8. Ska-Punk    9. Third Wave Ska Revival   

Reviews (10)

One of the best
I have to give this one a four because I feel that the songs in the middle of the disc kind of drag, and are not the best choices, but the first 10 and the last 6 or so are some of the best punk/ska songs I've heard.They have assembled recordings from some of the best small name bands, and gotten a few real small bandsbest recordings.This is a disc I think all ska fans will enjoy, since there is a wide variety of styles represented, some more than others.I recommend this cd to all fans of ska music.

an all around great cd
this cd is awesome.everysong on it gets you in the mood to skank the night away.the ltj remix of we go together sounds totally cool.props to them for taking a generic 50's song and making it into their own thing.everything else sounds good too.im just getting into third wave ska and this cd rox my world.a must buy for skankers and rudies.

A good starting point for the beginning ska-holic
It takes a little while to get into, but it pays off. The first song is very nice and catchy, and it just gets better from there. Some of the best songs are by Mu330, The Usuals, Millencolin, The Chinkees, Mustard Plug and Unsteady. The trumpet solo in The Homeless Wonders' song is one of my favorite, and the trombone solo in JFC's Dream Girl just blew me away. The Hippos' song is great too (I have both of their cds, though, so I occasionaly skip it.) Also, the Johnny Socko song (though short and odd,) is very funny, as is Mephishapheles' tune. The Hepcat song, tough, is definitely a notch below their other work, and the rx bandits song is pretty lame. Ocean 11's song (if you want to call it that) really, really sucks. The Impossibles song is pretty lame too, but Liberator's catchy tune covers for that. Congrats to LTJ for taking a crappy Grease song, and making it sound really awesome. Definitely something worth checking out, especially if you're just getting into 3rd wave. If you're already a big ska fan, I'd suggest not picking it up unless you like a lot of the bands on here. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 90's    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Popular Music    6. Punk Revival    7. Rock    8. Ska    9. Ska Collections    10. Ska-Punk    11. Third Wave Ska Revival   

Reviews (6)

Roky tribute
I hate to admit this but this was my first exposure the width of Roky Erickson's talent.To hear these songs done by bands/musicians that I liked, was to open a whole new door of music to me.Roky deserves better than he has gotten. Hopefully people will keep finding this and going on the discover Roky and other unsung heroes of music.

Lightning never stikes anymore, but I can't make it rain.
This is a tribute album to Roky Erickson.Erickson was the lead singer of the 13th Floor Elevator and later performed solo.Roky was (and is) a mentally disturbed individual, who wrote very strange songs.Here, 19 artists perform 18 of his songs ("Reverberation" is covered twice).Most of the performances are good and this album will hopefully bring attention to this cult hero.

One of the better "tribute" CDs out there
Probably because of the GREAT material.Yes, Roky was the mad (? -- he was put in a mental institution for a while) genius behind the Thirteenth Floor Elevators.Most of the covers here are exceptional and come from a variety of folks (ZZ Top, Jesus & Mary Chain, REM, Lou Ann Barton, etc.).I was lucky enough to see Roky soon after he was released from the hospital in the mid-70s (completely weird, he and Willie Nelson showed up unannounced and jammed at a free gig outside of Austin).I'm just pleased that so many artists did such a great job for a somewhat troubled soul. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 90's    2. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Alternative Folk    4. Alternative Pop/Rock    5. American Underground    6. Blues-Rock    7. College Rock    8. Contemporary Folk    9. Country-Rock    10. Hard Rock    11. Heartland Rock    12. Indie Rock    13. Pop    14. Pop/Rock    15. Popular Music    16. Post-Punk    17. Psychedelic    18. Rock    19. Rock/Pop Collections    20. Roots Rock   

Reviews (2)

Timeless...
Though the selections date from the early 80s through the late 90s, the disc as a whole has a current freshness about it!I was surprised to see how many albums these bands cut over the years and to this day they have cult followings. Some of them have gone on to do other things.Danny Elfman of Boingo fame is a well regarded TV and film composer with such credits as "Batman" and "Tales from the Crypt".We all know the B52's
Good, strong recording
Excellent cuts.Whether its New Wave, industrial, or pop punk, this CD delivers.It's noticeable that whoever put this album together really gave consideration and thought.Was not dissapointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Rock   

Reviews (6)

Don't forget the Vol. 2!
Although completely different, Vol. 2 has some fantastic long-lost L.A. tex-punk bands ( I don't know how else to describe them). Both Vol.1 and 2 are awesome, especially on vinyl!

Kultur Comes To Your House, like it or not...
Mommy Dearest put the tether on those kids! Ughh we just can't have this! awwwwwwwww. The songs of ghastly pre-marital sex and
Absolutely Fantastic!
I first bought this on an LP in about 1982, when I was 12 years old, at 'Zeds Records' in the middle of long beach, along with a 45 featuring 'Modern Warfare'. I have no idea what happened to my album, but still have the 'Modern Warfare' single. While playing this CD I realised the original album contained songs by 'Bad Religion', or am I mistaken? The music on this CD is absolutely great, and I was completely stoked to stumble upon this great, unique relic, as I had forgotten this album existed. I have many memories that come up listening to it, like getting arrested at an old 'Alpha Beta' grocery store off Redondo street in Long Beach, shoplifting liquor, to drink while watching 'Secret Hate' play a backyard party. Anyways, my opinion boils down to this:The bands on this cd are fantastic, unique, buy it, you will not be dissapointed! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 80's    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. American Punk    4. Goth Rock    5. Grunge    6. Hard Rock    7. Hardcore Punk    8. Heavy Metal    9. L.A. Punk    10. Pop    11. Popular Music    12. Post-Punk    13. Punk    14. Punk Revival    15. Punk-Pop    16. Rock    17. Rock/Pop Collections   

Editorial Review

Every city should have a radio show as fresh and intelligent as Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (4)

Lyle Lovett's "Bears"
The simple performance of Lyle Lovett and his guitar doing Hypnotic (perhaps to a fault)
Of the 5 CDs released by KCRW, this is my favorite.They are all very good, but "Morning Becomes Eclectic" has more of my favorite music. The covers by Mehldau and Martyn are amazing, as is PJ Harvey'sperformance. I was also pleasantly surprised by "All I Need." And for those of you who prefer something a little more firmiliar,Semisonic and Sixpence None The Richer add their two cents.All togetherthis is a great record.If there is one flaw, it is that the songs are allon the soft side, which means there is always the risk of being lulled tosleep or into some kind of trance.Not that that's a bad thing -- andconsidering all of this music was recorded on a morning show, it'sunderstandable.I highly reccomend the whole series.

A good group of songs.
I purchased the disc mainly for the Air song (which is great) - standout tracks are by Beth Orton, Cake, PJ Harvey (real good version of Is This Desire?), Brad Mehldau and Morcheeba.A nice treat is the song 'Glory Box'sung by John Martyn - the song is a cover of the Portishead tune by thesame name.Get it when you are craving a new disc - it will suffice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Country    3. Alternative Country-Rock    4. Alternative Folk    5. Alternative Pop/Rock    6. Americana    7. British Folk    8. British Folk-Rock    9. Electronica    10. Folk-Rock    11. Indie Rock    12. Pop    13. Popular Music    14. Rock    15. Rock/Pop Collections    16. Singer/Songwriter    17. Trip-Hop   

Editorial Review

This is not your father's Christmas music. Or even your little sister's Backstreet Boys sugarplum-fairy dream dancing in her head. But it is a galvanizing collection of 18 cuts deep in the heart of the season, by some of the finest punk bands from rock's '70s and '80s days of rage. As much a profile of the legendary bands that made the music world safe for alternative rock a decade later, Read more

Reviews (3)

Dee Dee drank our Xmas money
This is a pretty good collection of punk Christmas songs.It opens with a fun novelty song that is not by a real punk band.Then we move on to the real punks.The quality of the material varies, but some of the best cuts are contributed by the Dickies, Sloppy Seconds, the Greedies and (naturally) the Ramones.But my personal favorite here is "Homo Christmas" by Pansy Division, which is hilarious.I have to mention the contributions by a couple of guys who are not usually associated with the punk genre.El Vez, the "Mexican Elvis", performs a surprisingly credible thrash punk version of "Feliz Navidad".And Mojo Nixon performs an unsurprisingly sloppy rewrite of "Louie Louie" called "Christmas Christmas".It's not really punk, and it's not really good.It sounds like an outtake from Mojo's lousy Christmas album, although it's not.If you are a fan of punk, especially "old school" punk, you should enjoy this.

Complete Track Listing
1.The Ravers - "(It's Gonna be a) Punk Rock Christmas" What can I say? It's Christmas!
OK. Pretend you're over twenty, you live alone, nobody invited you to their christmas party, and no girl will get in ten feet of your apartment. And the last thing you want to hear are jingly carols shrieked out by happylittle orphans. What you need is to hear jingly carols shrieked out by yourfavorite punk bands! Yesindeedee (Ramone, that is). So decorate the treewith empty beer cans, write your name in the snow, hang up that mistletoand soon you'll hear ho-ho-ho! Read more

Subjects:  1. 70's    2. 80's    3. 90's    4. Alternative Pop/Rock    5. American Punk    6. Christmas    7. Christmas / Chanukkah    8. Christmas Music    9. Comedy Rock    10. L.A. Punk    11. Pop    12. Punk    13. Punk Revival    14. Xmas Vocal Collections   

Reviews (5)

Khmers Saw America in a Broken Fun-House Mirror
This CD is gr-reat! And it IS the original one. Many will complain of the lack of information- no names of artists or song-titles. For Khmers this may be important (if they don't already know them) or unimportant (if they do). For the average listener, the identity-mystery becomes part of what's cool about this record. There's no history lesson on this disk; it isn't a documentary production. Cambodia was at peace until its lives were upturned by American bombing. What this CD does for us is to show us that the American war next door was already making its presence felt in the lives, radios, ears, and minds of Cambodian youth. And not knowing a war yet, the kids loved American rock and roll. This record could not show the U.S. and its music in a more loving gaze. And vain American that I am, I'm fascinated by that love. The irony won't be lost in listening that the country was about to be destroyed, first by American soldiers under Washington's orders, then by the scared, maddened people of the country itself.
here's something that no one has noticed about this album
On this music, the producers/compilers have committed what I consider to be an abominable crime. Throughout the CD-- on every song, in fact-- there are obvious overdubs of electronic drums and synthesizers. When I first heard the CD, I thought I was being put on; there was no way that all the sounds I was hearing were from the late 60's, and even early 70's. The more closely I listened, the more I realized that the people who put together the compilation had decided to beef up the tracks, apparently unhappy with their previous, original lack of poorly played, poorly mixed (and incredibly loud) tinny drum samples, or cheesy organ synthesizer. Every so often, there is an obvious original organ part, or original drum/percussion part, that comes through the mix, but generally what you're hearing on top is someone banging away at some electronic pads in the early-to-mid 90's.
Fun hybrid cultural mutation
22 uncredited but mostly classic fusions of cultures. Cambodian bar bands mirroring and reinventing western pop and rock forms of the (60s/70s) day. More fun than any recordings should have a right to be and absolutely essential to all lovers of music from this time period, or rock & roll in general. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cambodia    2. Garage Rock    3. Pop    4. Psychedelic    5. Punk Collections    6. Rock   

Reviews (4)

X-cellent
I don't really think of this as an X-games sampler, as much as I do just a great early 90's alt/metal collection. It's pretty lengthy at 17 tracks, and includes alt/metal classics from Primus, Ministry, Pepper's, Beastie's, Korn, Kravitz, Faith no More, and a great House of Pain remix. The remaining stuff is allmostly good too. Volume 3 isn't bad either with Pantera, 311, and Crystal Method, but it's not as sweet as this is. So if your throwing a party with all your little X buddies, and they're at least over 19, this should be the only cd you need.

Cool editing.
That's a weird title, you might think. But just listen to the end of "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz. The original version ends with a drum and guitar hit. On this album, the hit is provided bySepultura with their jungle-drumming and it sounds so cool! The album isfull of fun little things like this that fans of the original -structuresongs will appreciate (or despise, I guess). But hey, if you want thestudio-recorded endings to the songs, you might want to buy the individualalbums, because there are a lot of great bands on this album. For youpeople that like 80's pop, there is a VERY different version of Soft Cell's"Tainted Love." It doesn't have that electronic beeping in itthough. Overall, this is a pretty heavy album and isn't for everyone. Butfor those who appreciate creative noise-making, you'd be hard-pressed tofind a better compilation.

One of the most quality compliations I have ever heard
This CD combines a great mixture of Hard Rock from older, established bands like Megadeth, and newer bands like KORN. A definite 5 Star. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Funk Metal    4. Heavy Metal    5. Hip-Hop    6. Pop    7. Pop/Rock    8. Post-Grunge    9. Rock    10. Rock & Roll    11. Rock/Pop Collections   

Reviews (5)

So sad swing is dead.....again
I just bought this cd, several years after release, lots of these bands I have seen live and danced to.....my faves are The Red Hot Skillet lickers & The Fyling Nuetrinos. The most authentic thing on here Is Set'Em Up Joe's "She Can't Dance," straight L.Jordan..........and I think they wrote the Nuetrino's "Mr. Zoot Suit." It is sad the SNs drove this into the ground because it really was nice to dress up and go out dancing, real dancing............buy this cd if you want to know what the short lived craze was all about. Do not pass this CD up!
Cool-daddy swing.Mmm-mm-mm!

Hipsters, Zoots & Wingtips Vol.1: 90's Swingers
Outstanding - can't stop listening to it and can't wait to get Vol.3!So happy SWING/DANCE music is back in style! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Jump Blues    2. Pop    3. Popular Music    4. Retro Swing    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop Collections    7. Swing   

Editorial Review

Swing revivalists only occasionally play music that pays more than passing tribute to Ellington or Goodman. Instead their sounds range from big-band territory to jump blues and rockabilly. Read more

Reviews (20)

SMOKIN' RETRO SWING SAMPLER
Man, what's with all the 4 and 3 star reviews, cats? When you're looking for good RETRO SWING, you have to wade through a lot of mediocre albums. This is one of the best RETRO SWING samplers you can find. Perfect for a swing party because every cut just smokes. THIS IS FIVE STARS, TRUST ME.
Neo-Swing Classics.
The first Swing This Baby compilation of the best neo-swing bands. The best are Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue, Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra, Johnny Favourite Swing Orchestra, Steve Lucky And The Rhumba Bums and of course The Brian Setzer Orchestra. What is good on this compilation is that not only hits are featured here but selections are great. I can not decide which song is the best.
Great CD
A great CD that will make you wish for a momentary time-warp to go back to the days when "swing was king."Not every song is 5 star, which is why I rated it as an overall 4- but the majority of the songs are fantastic ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Popular Music    4. Retro Swing    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop Collections    7. Swing    8. V/a Compilations   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (23)

Wonderful
I purchased this album yesturday and simply can't get enough of it.
excellent
A nice mixture of different dark styles. From the usual suspects of Spahn Ranch, Ministry, Bauhaus and Switchblade Symphony to some of less well known stars of the dark side.
fine compilation of Goth and industrial music
I suppose it's difficult to please fans of Goth, who tend to look on the gloomy side of things by definition, but I think this collection is very good!There are four CDs in a nice case and the extensive liner notes are quite informative and entertaining.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Dark Ambient    3. Electro-Industrial    4. Experimental    5. Goth Rock    6. Industrial    7. Industrial Dance    8. Industrial Metal    9. Industrial/Gothic    10. New Wave    11. Pop    12. Post-Punk    13. Rock    14. V/a Compilations   

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Punk Collections    3. Rock   

Editorial Review

Thirteen artists pay homage to the legacy of modern ska-punk forefathers Operation Ivy, the Berkeley, California quartet (1987-1989) that launched an army of imitators in later years. (Op Ivy's Matt Freeman and Tim "Lint" Armstrong continued their Clash worship by founding Rancid in the early 1990s.) While most of Read more

Reviews (43)

Different
If you want to listen to Operation Ivy, throw in Energy or Seedy or whatever.This obviously isn't Operation Ivy, so if you like their songs but don't mind hearing them played differently, then give this one a chance.
a nice mix, yet DEFINITELY not op ivy styles....
not for die hard fans, but fans of other poppy, ska type stuff will love this...
Don't be Ridiculous...
OK, first of all I would just like to say that I am an insane Operation Ivy fan... So my opinion should be taken very seriously, much more than all of these 1 star reviews that are written by those who probably don't even own the album, and just want to insult the people who tried to make a tribute to the best band ever. Ok, first of all, I don;t like this album at all. But it's not as bad as everybody says. really, it blows but not righteously.They tried to make a tribute album and failed miserabley, but they tried, and it isn't all quite so terrible as I'd like to think. After all, it's not supposed to sound exactly like operation Ivy, but supposed to be like them in a different style.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Hardcore Punk    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Ska Collections    6. Ska-Punk    7. Third Wave Ska Revival   

Editorial Review

Christmas "originals" can cause just as many shudders as Christmas classics, no matter how sincere the sentiment. But Read more

Reviews (9)

An alternative to Johnny Mathis.
I really like the idea of this album, however it could have had a few bigger names and better songs. Overall though it's a good listen. After the Rudolph opener, Collective Soul does a nice job, the Tori Amos cover is wonderful as expected, and the Juliana Hatfield song is a big plus too. Also worth a mention are the tracks from Victoria Williams and Everything But The Girl, both quite pleasing. The rest is good at the least, and the Jill Sobule song is a great addition. A nice disc for those wanting a cooler Christmas. I also suggest "The Edge Of Christmas" and "A Very Special Christmas 3".

To be continued
Admittedly, this is not a proper review, but I just wanted to convey a quick "thank you" to the person who felt her voice was important enough to meddle with the one recorded version the world has of Tori's Little Drummer Boy.
Everybody say "cheese!"
This is a rather uneven Christmas album.The standout track is the great, funny "Merry Christmas From the Family" by Jill Sobule.There are some other good performances here, but nothing great.The lowlight is the seemingly endless 8 minute long jazz saxophone version of "White Christmas" by James Carter.This CD is almost worth getting just for the Jill Sobule song. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 90's    2. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Alternative Country-Rock    4. Alternative Pop/Rock    5. Americana    6. Christmas    7. Christmas / Chanukkah    8. Christmas Music    9. Indie Pop    10. Indie Rock    11. Pop    12. Power Pop    13. Singer/Songwriter    14. V/a Compilations    15. Xmas Vocal Collections   

Reviews (9)

Response to shadowvein
Referring to your comment on Switchblade Symphony, the song Mother is found on "The Black Bible", a 4-disc compilation of goth and industrial music. Most of the songs on there are unreleased, rare mixes, b-sides, or anything else that makes a track hard to find. I suggest anyone with an ear for Goth and related styles, check this set out!

Nice
This is a great start for the "Beginer Goth" and those looking for a few popular and hard to find songs on one cd by well known and lesser known artists. The song 'Drool(Mother)' by "Switchblade Sympany" is an example: hard to find song (at least by me) from a very popular artist. I've only found it on one other disk, and for the death of me, I cannot remember what it was! Grr >:( The 3-disk set "This is Goth" is similar in feel and content -a great companion to Goth:M.O.T.S vol.1 that isn't in the M.O.T.S. series.

Goth: Music of the Shadows
i bought this album a little while back and i have been listening to it non-stop... it is totally fantastic and a very good introduction for those interested in the darker side of the goth scene... it has a great selection of songs, including classic goth superstars Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, and All About Eve, along with a few i had never heard before, like Gitane Demone, Switchblade Symphony, and X-mal Deutschland... in fact, i wholeheartedly believe this is a great addition to a record collection of new and seasoned goths alike... as with all compilations, there were one or two tracks that didnt take my fancy, but that is subjective... if u can get it second hand on the cheap, grab it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Goth Rock    3. Industrial    4. Pop    5. Rock   

Reviews (4)

80's Goodies
Definetely one of the better compilations. Included are modern English's "I Melt With You" along with many other classic tunes of the time. Best suprises are the Belle Stars female Madness sounding "Sign of The Times" and Heaven 17's great "Let Me Go"

Classic New Wave
A strong entry in the "New Wave Hits" series, Volume 9 contains some of the best known songs of the era. "Melt with You", "Blister in the Sun" and "Save it for Later" are early 80's anthems. Duran Duran's "Rio" and ABC's "Poison Arrow" were huge MTV hits. Each of these tunes will be immediately familiar to anyone who grew up in the early 80's. Also worthy are Marshall Crenshaw's "Whenever You're on My Mind" and "Love My Way", a classic from the Psychedelic Furs. Once again, Rhino is to be commended for keeping alive the great music of a bygone era. Thirtysomethings who actually experienced this fun, upbeat music will no doubt love this collection. Sure beats the heck out of today's "music". Highly recommended.

Five stars for the selection of the music, 0 stars for Rhino
This is a great selection of music for this new wave compilation, and I consider it one of my favorites from this series.However, BUYERS BEWARE: Rhino has shortened the length of several of these songs.I am not sure why they do this, but it is really irritating.Most of the time it is annoyingly obvious how they "instantly" edit these songs (the ending of the song just fades in a matter of seconds). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 80's    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. College Rock    4. Dance-Pop    5. New Romantic    6. New Wave    7. Pop    8. Pop/Rock    9. Post-Punk    10. Rock    11. Rock/Pop Collections    12. Synth Pop