Editorial Review

Cyndi Lauper may have been mocked as a ditz when she emerged in 1983, but her songs have proven to be a lot more enduring than those by more critically respected artists of the 1980s. "Time After Time," for instance, has been covered by everybody from Miles Davis to Faith Hill to Uncle Kracker. That stylistic range can also be found on Read more

Features

• DualDisc

Reviews (42)

Better than I expected
After attending Cyndi's Concert last weekend in Tahoe, I was convinced to buy this album as my first Cyndi Lauper album. I was never really a fan of hers because pop music like hers was never really my thing. But my fiancee is a fan, and I always did like songs like Time after Time and All Through the Night.
Lauper's Duets
Many artists from Willie Nelson to Frank Sinatra have a done a duet collection of their songs. This is Cyndi Lauper's. It is not as good as Sinatra's but better than KISS's
Good music, nice performances
But, like many other artists her age, she seems to be stuck in retro mode, which is too bad.Because what this mildly interesting set reveals is how well she can sing, even in her middle ages.Good grief, she walks all over Sarah McLachlan here, and I would guess most people wouldn't put Lauper anywhere near her as a vocalist.If I was McLachlan I would have backed out after the first rehearsal, just to avoid being marginalized.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Adult Contemporary    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter    8. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Big and moody, Read more

Reviews (70)

A great collection, but only of real value to collectors.
For quite a while, "Staring at the Sea: The Singles" was an essential package of music by the Cure and a fine introduction to their catalog-- in recent years its value has been minimized by the appearance of the "Greatest Hits" compilation, a retrospective spanning the band's career on Fiction Records.For collectors though, the opening track, "Killing an Arab" is worth the price of admission.
An Excellent Compilation of Early Cure
This was the 1st Cure album I had bought, and I really wasn't sure what to expect. The only songs I was familiar with were "Boys Don't Cry", "In Between Days", & "Close To Me". Wow! Everysong is great, and very diverse styles & moods as the album goes on. After that I had gone out & purchased just about all of their albums. My only gripe is that it needs to be remastered! How about a 20th Anniversery re-release???

I Give You Exhibit A
Although their legions of fans would beg to differ and albums like "Disintegration" and "The Head on the Door" make a compelling argument to the contrary, The Cure have always been, first and foremost, a singles band.Need proof?Exhibit item A: "Staring at the Sea -- The Singles."
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative/Indie-Rock    3. College Rock    4. England    5. Goth Rock    6. New Wave    7. Pop    8. Post-Punk    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

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Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (122)

That's my soul up there...
The Police was my favorite group back in 1983. I was 8 years old and singing "Every Breath You Take" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger." My interest in them drooped off after they mysteriously broke up.
Warning: SACD
This product is in Super Audio CD format!MOST CD PLAYERS WILL NOT PLAY SACD!My Bose Wave CD will not play this disk!My 2004 car stereo will not play this disk!My 2005 CD Walkman WILL NOT PLAY THIS DISK!
2 channel SACD?why even bother????
If I had known that this SACD was only a 2 channel SACD, I would not have even bothered.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Post-Punk    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (117)

The Biggest Reason Alan Wilder Is Missed
This is my favorite DM record as well.I really started liking them when I heard Photographic and Everything Counts.I loved the fact that electrons could produce such lush sounds and I was so very impressed by the great leaps the band made in its sound when Alan joined.
ALL IN ALL NOT BAD-NOT THEIR BEST NOT THEIR WORST
A REALLY GOOD ALBUM, MOVES IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN THEIR PREVIOUS MATERIAL, BEARING IN MIND THAT THAT WAS IN THE 80S, DEFINATELY LOOKING FOR A 90S SOUND, AND IT WORKS QUITE WELL. THE TOUR WAS ONE OF THE BEST THEY HAVE EVER DONE.

Only
This is the only Depeche Mode CD I own.I do like other songs of theirs, especially the new one Precious, but this is the only album that I like every single song. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Club/Dance    3. College Rock    4. Pop    5. Popular Music    6. Post-Punk    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Synth Pop   

Editorial Review

Is it too early for a Britpop revival? Not on the watch of Leeds quintet Kaiser Chiefs, who just a decade after the release of Blur's scene-making 1994 album, Read more

Reviews (124)

A down and dirty treat.
This really is down and dirty, grab em by the balls and don't let go, rock and roll. This is a fantastic album and the boys are getting their rightful rewards for producing it. If you haven't heard it yet, you're wrong, well partly - you must certainly have heard clips as so many are used on TV for trailers or articles within programmes. (Not to mention the various karaoke versions Phil Jupitus delivered on 'Never mind the buzzcocks'.) These Leeds boys really know how to rock and that songs have to start with terrific music, not scrag end stuff that can be fixed in the mix! Kaiser Chief will be massive. Get in now, so in years to come you can say you were there from the beginning.

Brilliant in Leeds!
I like these guys, they have a good lite punk sound with slight underpinnings of the Clash and influences from other bands like Oasis and those following them. Which is very evident in the way they sing parts of "Saturday night" as well as parts in "Caroline, yes".
Unbelievable
this is my opinion on the album and i think it is absolutely awesome and i can't see how some people think it was rubbish, they were OVERhyped not as good as the a. monkeys and bla.
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Subjects:  1. England    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Post-Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

This nearly perfect debut album showcases both the extraordinary songs of Ohio-born singer Chrissie Hynde and the rhythmically complex performances of her U.K.-bred band, Pretenders. The band tramples through the sexual aggression of "Precious," "Up the Neck" and "Tattooed Love Boys"; the classic pop of "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket"; and a brilliant cover of the Kinks's "Stop Your Sobbing." Hynde's sneering vocals add resonance to these tales of sexual revenge, abuse, and longing appropriately fleshed out with blood, guts, and guitar. Read more

Reviews (59)

Rage Against The (Music) Machine
This album really did change everything. Even if you were not a fan, and not alive in the dawn of what we called "New Wave," you won't be disappointed by this first growling achievement to come from a band that delivers everything rock ever convinced us it could do. It has guts, and I doubt I was the only girl who heard the voice of C. Hynde, watched the 'Brass in Pocket' video,and soon decided toditch those scary shoulder pads and pick up a guitar or a microphone.
The First and The Best
This is without a doubt the best Pretenders album ever.There is not a single song on this album that is not worth listening to.This was one of the first records I ever purchased and the songs are still as good as the day I first bought it.

Stunning
I remember hearing Precious on the old M105 outside of Cleveland back when it was first released. Christ, what a song! I was sold at that moment and the album didn't disappoint. It is an unbelievable debut, especially considering that it came out during the pre-MTV days when labels still took a chance on groups instead of the "safety first" attitude that now prevents so many groups from record deals and sends them to the internet to market their wares. This band couldn't have been a safe bet by any means! This is a frantic, punky, sexy, sonic dose of autobiographical material from the jaded mind of Chrissie Hynde. Better yet, the material does not sound dated like so much from the late 70s/early 80s (except for the hip-at-the-time Space Invaders sample!), thanks to the lack of synth and the timeless incindiery guitar work of the late great Jimmy Honeyman-Scott. I feel fortunate to have seen this band in Pittsburgh just after they released the fantastic follow-up to this album, and they were just as intense and powerful live as on those two fantastic albums. An essential rock and roll record. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Hard Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Popular Music    7. Rock    8. Rock & Roll    9. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (17)

Australia's greatest new wave export and that is no joke!
Blue Racer: Bug, Men at Work were a great band who were one of the few great New Wave bands. Japanese Beetle: You are right Serpent Son, if it were not for Men at Work, bands like those losers Duran Duran would not ever have had US success. Blue Racer: This album has loads of classics like Who Can It Be Now, Down Under, Down By the Sea, Be Good Johnny and many others. Japanese Beetle: You are right Serpent Son, these guys were gifted but the original band imploded after a few years. If you trash this then it's HAASAH(karate chop) SAYONARA!

Great eighties rock music
Business as usual isa great album from MEN AT WORK a talented new wave rock band from Australia and features some excellent songs.Buy this with Cargo their excellent sophomore effort.

80's cheese
The title for Men at Work's debut album says it all: business as usual. More of the same vapid, silly 80s cheese that nobody listens anymore unless you're at some karaoke bar. "Who Can it Be Now" and "Down Under" were somewhat okay when they first came out but they aged very badly. Does anybody wonder why these guys called it quits so early? That's because they explosively stink! Demand for these losers got so low that they had NO CHOICE but to call it quits. Unlike Duran Duran, who stuck it out and continued to perform for over two decades and are NOT a nostaliga band NOR are they "in it for the money." If you like music from Australia, then you have only ONE option: Kylie Minogue. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

What stands out more when listening to this revival of the Cars and their cherished, iconic repertoire? The absence of the band's founding mastermind, chief vocalist/songwriter Ric Ocasek? Or the presence of Todd Rundgren, a semi-deified pop legend, as his replacement? It's Todd, by a landslide. Staunch Ocasek loyalists may argue that Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (52)

Sorry I'm a purist
I am a huge fan of the CARS from day one. I tried to like this but can't I was ready to hit the concert too. I just can't. (Easton busted his collar bone so tour cancelled)Yeah Easton is an excellent guitar player. Hawkes too great keyboards. But missing the other 3 guys it just isn't the CARS. The vocals no less. They can be a cover band but no more. Ben Orr had a voice that can not be copied. God rest his soul. Ric is an excellent songwriter. The band was formed by Ocasek and ORR. When Ben died it really was the end. The thought that these guys would even try is very sad. It is like seeing the Beach Boys today. They are not what they once were.

Rundgren and Cars really works!
I can't tell you how many times I heard the groan "Ohhhh...that sounds awful" when co-workers found out that Todd Rundgren and some members of the Cars formed the group "The New Cars". What usually comes to mind is some sub-par group just going out to cash in as much as they can and the quality suffers. Not so with this project I have to say. When I directed my co-workers and friends to this website where they sampled the tune "Not Tonight" and watched the video on YouTube all agreed that it works! All were impressed by how good the band sounds together. Anyway Its a good CD.

Wow!
Wow!...If you're a Cars fan, you have to get this.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Arena Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Largely the conceit of co-writer/star John Cusack, "Grosse Point Blank" is oft compared to Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," which brings to mind that old adage about apples and oranges. Cusack's film is, in its own right, the morally bleaker (and funnier) of the two--a shaggy dog tale about a neurotic young hitman returning home for his tenth high school reunion. The first in what appears to be a slew of films ready to cash in on '80s nostalgia (gen-Xers apparently having learned little from the Baby Boomers they sneer at), "Grosse Point"'s song score covers the decade like a shotgun blast, from the Violent Femmes bouncy "Blister" to Guns 'n' Roses overwrought "Live and Let Die". Minus points: the Clash is represented, but not Joe Strummer's incidental score.Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (44)

just off target
My main grievance is that they didn't package the two volumes together. but if you want i think you can get the high fidelity with this at an amazon discount which is pretty cool.i bought this cd for two songs.blister in the sun and the rare pressure drop by the specials.i debated whether or not i should get it for just those two, i already have rudie can't fail and the english beat song mirrors in the bathroom. anyway they are still good songs and i like this soundtrack a lot.but like someone else mentioned there isn't any of strummer's music on here which is a let down because i've been slowly collecting his work since he passed away. but it's a solid soundtrack and it's a great movie. i reccomend both.

A walk down memory lane
If you loved the movie or loved 80's music, this is a must!

Great Soundtrack, Great CD
Someone did their homework!This disc (volume one of two) assembles a mix of music to rival the ever elusive Ferris Bueller soundtrack.Buy this CD, then explore the other work of the bands involved.Unfortunately some weak moments with Femmes versions, but strong enough elsewhere to pick up the slack and then some.A soundtrack really worth its salt.You won't go wrong with this one or with volume two. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. New Wave    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Punk    6. Soundtrack    7. Soundtracks    8. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Reviews (99)

correct track listing
Amazon tsk tsk tsk... you got the product description and track listing wrong! Get with it guys!
innovative pioneers
highly influental and can never be compared to.so many artists try to cover their songs and all seem to fail miserably to grasp the sound, especially all the electronic artists.give it up!!get off your computer and play some instruments if you want to cover a band like joy division!
Depressive Pleasures
"Joy Division's " first album-- Unknown Pleasures (1979))--launches a scathing sucker punch to humanity that will turn your Peter Pan "happy thoughts" aflame.Through daunting singer/songwriter Ian Curtis--an artiste that uses his pessimistic lyrics as a comment on societal mores to promote subversion in the listener and make them question the bleaker aspects of everyday existence-- this unit achieves pathos in a number of ways; including Curtis' suicide shortly after recording the single, Love will Tear us Apart, shortly before the release of their second album, "Closer."This second-dimension to the refrain make this group from Manchester, England much more than the typical mainstream, jivey, and greedy bands that seem like they are only trying to become the next poster boys.Instead, it is an intriguing, as well as a heartbreaking listen to a man's final testament to the world and god that he feels betrayed by.
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Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Post-Punk    3. Punk/New Wave    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Following the band's Zoo TV tour, which took aim at consumerism and media overload, U2 brought those themes and the complex, futuristic sound of its preceding album, Read more

Reviews (211)

The hidden jewel in U2's repotoire
To the best of my knowledge, Zooropa was never intended to be a full album, but rather an EP that turned into a full album.Listening to U2's albums before and after, it's a pretty good guess as to why.This was U2 being U2, showing they can do whatever they want and doing so by creating an eclectic, infectious blend of electronics and a faint sound of rock n' roll.To futher confuse audiences, besides the lead track's ode/warning of commericial culture and a couple of love songs, the songs on this album are just plain weird - and that's what's so wondeful about it.
'Lost in Space':"Midnight Is Where the Day Begins"
U2's 'Zooropa' is a bit of a let-down after their magnificent 'Achtung Baby'.It is a brave, new effort that goes into more of a "space age" feel, adding to the technology of its predecessor.The subject matter is more bleak, not unlike a series of depressed creations by "Major Tom".It seems to look at the state of affairs, like usual; only this time Bosnia and technology seem to have staved off the party atmosphere of 'Achtung...'.Significantly, that one was done after the fall of the Berlin Wall.'Zooropa' soberly assesses the world after communism's collapse.
Zooropa
Zooropa is a very underrated album. U2 felt like doing something fresh and different. They did just that and they did it well. Read more

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

Reviews (16)

i loved it
this CD has all of the old favorites on it a great collection.

Great Twins!!!!!
I have heard the thompson Twins since I was in Highschool, and even since I have never been a big fans of "Dance" music The Twins alwaysg ot me. Their music was some of the best examples of 80's Pop. They were in Sync with the times and their audience. Their songs were clear, catchy and the sound amazing. In this album, although not considering their latest works, are really the best examples of their golden time, the most known songs, the ones We remember. There is one Mixed- Extended versions compilation too but for a complete thing, this is the best You can buy. They are still getting me!!

All their good stuff
I am really pleased with this cd. I loved the music of this group when I was in highschool. All thier best hits are in this one cd. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Club/Dance    3. Dance-Pop    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Synth Pop   

Editorial Review

Aside from the Milwaukee trio's 1981 debut, the Violent Femmes have made a career of tacking one or two great songs onto otherwise mediocre albums--so this 1993 best-of is perfect for consumers. It has all the good stuff, from the retro radio hour staples "Blister in the Sun" and "Gone Daddy Gone," plus the creepy murder-suicide story "Country Death Song," the should've-been-a-hit "American Music" and ephemera like live versions of "Add It Up" and "Kiss Off." With Gordon Gano's never-aging teen whine and a crack rhythm section, the Femmes have had brief moments as America's best rock & roll band. This collection captures some of them. Read more

Reviews (41)

Oh what an album.
I heard "blister in the sun" from a mixed CD my friend gave me and I decided to check out the femmes. This is the first CD I bought of theres, and I absolutely loved it. After i bought this CD I pursued my interst in the femmes, I now own every single one of their CDs as well as merchandise. The femmes aren't for everyone, they have a very unique sound and painfully honest lyrics--but those who will like them will love this album. It is a compilation of the best of all their music.

so good and way ahead of their time
HEY...If you're not already, start listening to the Violent Femmes!This collection, along with the reissue of their first album (at least), is a must-have for any fan.And, to all you "Emo" people, pick this CD up first.Teen angst and policital activism all wrapped up in on CD.

Why bother with this review?
It's the Femmes.What else needs to be said? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Popular Music    6. Post-Punk    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (64)

Leaves me speechless
This is it. You've found it. Look no further. Because, my friends, music does not get any better than this. Every song, every lyric reaches down and soothes my darkest depths. I find myself at a loss of words because nothing can describe something so beautiful but the music itself. Give this cd patience. It's challenging but it grows, and it grows, and it grows. New Order does not even compare to the genious of Ian Curtis. Whatever possessed him to trancend all that seems humanly possible?

(three and a half stars) influential
My general method for reviewing music on this web site has been to review all of the studio releases, chronologically, of my favorite artists.The band I'm now focusing on is New Order, but I have uncharacteristically reviewed their albums out of order (so to speak) because I didn't have their earlier cds.But I realized how much I liked New Order, so I recently purchased on-line, the early N.O. albums I was missing.I have owned "Substance" by Joy Division (as well as the album of the same name by N.O.) for some time, and I figured, what the heck, even though its not my cup of tea, I'll review it anyway, because, as every fan should be aware, Joy Division turned into New Order after the former's lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide in 1980.
A useful, deliberately assembled disc, but maybe not the place to begin.
I won't say a single word about the emotional weight of Joy Division's music or the impossible burden of Ian Curtis' words; other reviewers do that sort of thing far more justice than I could ever hope.Instead, I want to make some important points for those considering the purchase of Substance:
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Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Post-Punk    3. Punk/New Wave    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (37)

One reason it's not 5 stars
The majority of items on this disc are the exact same as the
Excellent pop group
Eurythmics are an excellent pop group and dominated the mid 80's. They had three main strengths - Annie Lennox's terrific voice and unique, soulful personality , an advanced sense of melody , and their ability to develop as musicians and become more sophisticated as their career progressed. I always really liked them back in the 80's, and had the good fortune to see them in concert on 01/12/1989 here in Hobart on their We Too Are One tour. Here they are again with a second, updated hits package, and not surprisingly it's very a good CD.
What a collection SHOULD be - excellent overview & sound.
As other reviewers have stated, this collection probably won't have much appeal for hard-core Eurythmics fans, who probably have all these songs and more, already, in newly remastered form.
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Subjects:  1. England    2. New Wave    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Synth Pop   

Editorial Review

Squeeze wanted to be the next Beatles, and you can't fault them for trying. Their distinctive Brit-pop stylings often came close; with songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook marrying supremely catchy melodies to equally adept wordplay just like, well, The Beatles.