Editorial Review

Having spent the early '80s in a giddy expansion of the sound and scale of their studio recordings and concerts, Talking Heads come full circle with this 1985 album, retracting to the core quartet and restoring a focus on David Byrne's knotty songs. Arriving in the wake of the fevered rhythms of Read more

Reviews (30)

Take you there Take you there
I am instantly transported back to 1985.Snappy intelligent pop from a great band.

A kinder, gentler Talking Heads
By the time Little Creatures was released, Talking Heads were pretty much a household name.With the success of songs like Burning Down The House and the Stop Making Sense movie, the Heads had been propelled into the spotlight.
MORE POPPY RETURN
They returned in 1985 with this really catchy album.Probably their most accessible in terms of songs..half of the songs definitely sound like singles.... ... Read more

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

Features

• Original recording remastered
• Import

Reviews (4)

shaking my head in disappointment
WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY (Six Times) did they fade out the end of the Fascination remix!!!!!???? This was one of the primary reasons I wanted this CD!The genius of that remix was WAY ahead of its time, and they RUINED IT!
Human League...
Personally, I've always wanted an extended version of Human, as the regular single is under 4 minutes.The version of the song on this collection is 5:05.I do like it.I just wish it was 10 minutes longer.Guess I'll have to get software and figure how to extend it (or just loop it with RealPlayer V.10!).The rest of the mixes on this CD are also good.
Virgin Dropped The ball...
This CD release was nothing short of a miracle for Human League fans who wanted the catalogue to finally be completed on a CD issue. The idea was to give fans the remixes and b-sides that were only available on deleted vinyl. The original announced CD had a very different track listing. All of these songs, except for You Remind Me of Gold were already available on CD. For anyone who will ask, The 12" version of The Sound of the Crowd was released on two CD compilations previously. Classic Alternatives Vol 1 and the other I can't rememeber. Anyway, the "remastered" sound leaves a lot to be desired here. There are pops and clicks that can be heard on both the extended version of Life on Your Own and on Non-stop. It sounded as if the source recording was vinyl. It's a shame because Caroline Records treats their Human League re-issues as a labor of love. Both of these songs appear on their re-issues of Dare and Hysteria, and the songs sound much better than on this CD. Also the beginning of the Don't You Want Me remix has very noticable analog hiss, though they did manage to keep the tempo correct (it was sped up on the Love & Dancing CD in order to mix it in with the previous song). The remix of Fascination has also been edited. Why this was done I don't know. It now fades out at the end...Also, the alternate version of Marianne, only available on the Australian vinyl version of Travelogue is nowhere to be seen on this compilation. The same can be said about the original (better) all synth version of I Love You Too Much, which can only be found on the Fascination EP on vinyl and cassette.
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Subjects:  1. Dance-Pop    2. New Romantic    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Post-Punk    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Synth Pop   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (14)

Lords of the New Wave
The 80's gave birth to the most unique genre of music in history. The enigma that was New Wave was appreciated but all music fans. From the pop charts, to the underground it was music with depth, fun and a very catchy sound you could dance to or blast in your car. Yet, one band stands out on top and that is the band New Order.
The Perfect Set for Your Driving Pleasure!!
Though the classic two CD set "Substance" had some amazing mixes, it is a real treat to get the single versions of their many hits over the past quarter century in one place.Some of the mixes on "Substance" went on just a little too long, but here, it's all killer, no filler.Plus, we get their many excellent singles released after 1987, including "Regret" which gets my vote for best New Order song EVER!!
supersedes substance and best of...
compilations are rarely as gratifying as this first-rate collection from one of the most enduring groups of the past couple decades.long-time fans shouldnt feel cheated making this purchase as it contains different and in many cases vastly superior mixes to previous cd releases, and older tracks are given new life with a brilliant remastering.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Club/Dance    4. College Rock    5. England    6. Pop    7. Post-Punk    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

A live album and a greatest-hits album all in one, Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (56)

In the classroom with Depeche Mode
I can still remember when I first heard this album. I had it on cassette tape. I had an immediate positive reaction to the music. I was very glad when the cd version was released. this is a wonderfully documented account of a truly original band.As I listen to it, this many years later, the magic still remains. Some live albums fail in the attempt to keep the music fresh. This album succeeds in not only keeping the material fresh it also keeps it exciting!

Love It After All These Years
Originally I had 101 on tape, years ago.I had to get it on CD, and I still love it.Nothing has changed, I just remember being in high school and loving Depeche Mode, they helped me through my angst,and the music has really stood up to the test of time!!

Greatest hits collection plus a marvellous "live" performance
Depeche Mode are the masters of synthesizers and electric music, no doubt about that. But in fact, they are much more than that and this live album proves it to the world. Songs are skillfully played and the load of emotion is very high; Dave Gahan sings really well and keeps the party at the boiling point all the time. I have never seen DM live; a week ago I saw my favourites Bon Jovi on a concert in Germany, and they were great, but I can imagine DM is also one of the top-bands to perform live on stage. They were in Poland last year and the tickets were impossible to get; the next time I will definately try to get some. Though I'm definately not a die-hard fan, I have much regard for their music. Yes, some of the very early albums sound like a cheap OMD, and are rather hilarious without much merit but overall DM is really a great band. Especially their 1985-on records prove how good they can be.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Club/Dance    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Popular Music    8. Post-Punk    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop    11. Synth Pop   

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (58)

Their best next to Zenyatta Mondatta (4.5 stars)
Although The Police's second album, Reggatta De Blanc, doesn't receivethe recognition of their other albums, it is a very underrated release and their best album next to Zenyatta Mondatta. Sting's tenor and bass playing were in fine form, Stewart Copeland's drumming continued to be very creative, and Andy Summers' distinctive guitar work was more upfront than on their future releases. Even though none of the songs hit the U.S. Top 40, the melodic "Message in a Bottle" and the sparse "Walking on the Moon" have now become timeless classics and continue to receive steady rotation on classic rock radio. While these songs are top notch, several tracks like the power-pop of "It's Alright for You", the solemn piano-driven "Does Everyone Stare", and the driving instrumental title track are just as good. In fact, the best track on the album is the seldom played melancholy love song "The Bed's Too Big Without You." Other strong tracks include the reggae tracks "Deathwish" and "Bring on the Night", the frantic rocker "No Time This Time", and the humorous "On Any Other Day", which is the only Police track to feature a lead vocal from Copeland. All told, Reggatta De Blanc is a great album that would pave the way for the Police to become international superstars. Highly recommended.

Reggatta de Blanc (White Reggae)
After The Police released their debut album "Outlandos d'Amour" they released the single "Landlord".Quite possibly the hardest they ever rocked the single only appeared on the Police box set.It would had been nice if they had tacked it on to their second album "Reggatta de Blanc" but it would had seem completely out of place.Thats because the group had, in some ways, moved away from the high energy post-punk of their debut and instead concentrated on making atmospheric and more moody reggae pop/rock.
Their 2nd Best Album!One of My All-Time Favourites!
This digipak version of this great album is a real treat because they did a great job remastering this.The sound quality is very good and seems to have given the whole album a whole new lease of life; it's almost as if I'm listening to this for the first time.
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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   

Editorial Review

Sure, it screams mid-1980s as joyously as any John Hughes teen flick, but this debut--from perhaps the only German export to sound positively gleeful--deserves as long a nostalgic afterlife as Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," Yaz's "Only You" or mid-period Depeche Mode. Forget OMD's "If You Leave," "Forever Young" is the best should-be prom-theme the decade produced. While "Big in Japan" was the KROQ anthem, everything here is deliriously tuneful. Revel in the manic melodies of "The Jet-Set," delight in the guilty synth-pleasure of "Sounds Like a Melody," surrender to the international romantic intrigue of "To Germany with Love," and hope that VH-1 re-discovers them for a reunion tour. Read more

Reviews (43)

High-class Debut
There are very few classic New Wave/ Synth/ Pop/ Pop-Rock bands coming from 80s squeezed through the ever-shape-shifting landspace of 90s reaching to stomach-churningly despisable 2000s...IMHO Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode and New Order are the untouchables of those bands, in the very same order of talent and musical genius.
I just can't stop listening to this . . . .
What can I say?This is exactly the kind of music I know I've loved my whole life, and now that I've found it, I can't stop playing it.
Forever Young
That is just what this album is. The smash hit, 'Big In Japan', is a Bowiesque tale of alienation, strangeness & junkie glory, that rivals Velvet Underground's 'Heroin' in that category. 'A Victory Of Love' and 'Summer In Berlin' are classic, ethereal & twisted New Romantic tracks, built on gorgeous melodies & carried by all the principles of synth-pop and then some...
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Club/Dance    4. New Romantic    5. New Wave    6. Pop    7. Pop/Rock    8. Popular Music    9. Post-Punk    10. Rock    11. Rock/Pop    12. Synth Pop   

Editorial Review

While it was never determined whether those plastic things on their heads were flowerpots or collapsible drinking cups, the high-concept-minded Akron, Ohio, crew known as Devo had attracted mostly just the artsy new-wave crowd until this 1980 album brought them mass appeal. Way ahead of the video curve (they'd been making promo films since 1975), this band led by singer Mark Mothersbaugh and bassist Jerry Casale scored a huge hit with the jagged-rhythmed "Whip It," thanks in large part to a typically tongue-in-cheek video that MTV and dance clubs jumped on. The album also featured such cracked winners as "Girl U Want," "That's Pep," and the ever-caustic title track. Read more

Reviews (29)

Just overrated
I own Devo's first four albums, and have heard some of 'Oh No it's Devo. Haven't really decided on that album, but of the first four, I believe 'freedom of choice' to be the worst. With poor sound quality on this CD aside, I find the production on the part of Robert Margoullef to be quite unpleasant, and at times annoying. The guitars are very quiet, while the synthesisers have an almost cyber-medieval sound. On the part of the vocals, Mark Mothersbaugh has a very limited range on this album, which is quite frustrating. I think that about half the album is enjoyable, such as 'Whip It', 'Planet Earth', 'Cold War', 'Don't you know' and 'Gates of steel'. On the other hand, the rest of the album ranges from mediocre to plain awful, the worst being 'Ton of luv', 'It's not right' and 'Girl u want'. This is a very popular album, and I just can't see why.

Bad Luck Or Bad Image Kept Them Underground,But They Are More Than A Footnote In Music History
My friends reaction to Devo the first time they saw them was that they were the wierdest band they ever saw.This was the Energy Dome stage."Whip It" was cutting edge.Now it is a song for kids.The album was titled Freedom Of Choice and they seemed to champion this idea, to conform to the corporate image, yet the verses describe a situation where the subject goes crazy trying to make a decision.Maybe they wrote the song as a subtle message of determinism, that hid below the surface to disguise their subversive philosophy.The previous album had a song called "Triumph Of Will" to further confuse their stance.If they were really intellectual nerds they would recognize freedom of choice is an illusion so I am hoping my latter take holds the truth.After all Freud invented the term will and he was a determinist.Plus anyone that studies the human body, mainly the brain, knows free will is an illusion.There is no self initiating force in the human body.Every organ depends on outside stimulation.Even though freedom of choice seems to be common sense, when we really examine our behavior all our decisions are based on our genetic endowment, past experiences, and the current situation.I wish their lyrics championed this non-conformist truth as much as de-evolution, but their iconoclasm may be limited.This album seemed to take a step backward both lyrically and musically. It had the most filler of the first three."Girl U Want", "Whip It", "It's Not Right", "That's Pep" and "Don't You Know" are all weak tracks in my opinion.It also contains many of their best tracks."Gates of Steel" and "Freedom Of Choice" are classics, but the lyrics seem to reinforce them fitting into conformist society by espousing the concepts of free will.The rest has the best of both worlds.Evocative music and brilliant lyrics."Ton U Love" and "Cold War" may be standard fare, but the music makes the lyrics stand out.I saved the best for last.Two of the finest songs ever written, "Mr. B's Ballroom" and "Planet Earth", make this a must own and help solidify Devo's catalog as one of the most exciting in recording history.

Devo - 'Freedom Of Choice' (Warner Bros.)4 1/2 stars
Great 1980 'new wave' classic.About as good as their 'Are We Not Men...' effort(see my review).Noticed that 'Freedom...' seems to have a more polished sound to it.Sure miss Mark Mothersbaugh and crew,their live shows are certainly a fun event to attend.Most impressive cuts here are,without a doubt "Girl U Want",the video channel staple "Whip It",title track "Freedom Of Choice","Mr.B's Balloon" and "PLanet Earth".Everybody get out their power domes!Long live Devo!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Punk    2. New Wave    3. Pop    4. Popular Music    5. Post-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Synth Pop    9. Synthesizer   

Reviews (23)

Deeply dark Eighties
While not an official Bauhaus album, this collection, with Volume 2, is the very best way to appreciate the musicianship and influence of what was one of the greatest early 80s post-punk bands.Yes, I would recommend this over In a Flat Field, but only because of the inclusion of the single "Bela Lugosi's Dead," and the fact that this cd is comprised of the best songs from the afore mentioned album, plus a few from their second: Mask.Of course, for compelete-ists like me, the full albums are definitely worth buying, but for the more casual listener this (AND the second volume) will supply enough of an experience to enthrall and educate, therefore making itself an essential addition to any music library."Dark Entries,""Double Dare" and "Mask" are some very, very great highlights in a compliation full of highlights.If you love this stuff, then by all means get the full albums.If Love is too strong a word for you, this should still be a highly enjoyable cd.

Fine Cd
Bought this a few weeks back but I was slightly disapointed when I realized that most of the songs on this album were taken from Swing The Heartache, The BBC Sessions...but honestly, I didn't mind much because the additonal songs that were inculded with it were one's that I hadn't heard yet (My collection of Bauhaus is depressingly small) so I feel that it was still worth it.

Great Music, Redundant Release
The review has nothing to do with the actual music, which is great. Rather, it's the "best of" collection status. It's really a redundant waste. Just buy In the Flat Fields and The Mask, and you have all that's on this "Volume 1" and more. Maybe at the time, they weren't available on CD, but they are now. GET THE COOL ORIGINALS! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Goth Rock    3. Pop    4. Post-Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (35)

fan-friggin-tastic
Yeah, I don't know about the album yet, but it looks great and I can't wait to listen to it.I'm really here to comment on the previous review.Amen brotha man.Preach it.

Catchy, fun, sing-along lyrical beauty. This is a fine collection of one fine band.
I rarely review music because more than any other medium, it relies on the personal taste of the listener. I enjoy some Hendrix, Beatles, Mozart, Rammstein, Johnny Cash, and more. I'd be hard pressed to reccommend all of them to each of my friends though.
I heart the Johns.
I'm pretty sure that TMBG is what sucessful psychologists use to turn their patients' lives around. Maybe they pipe it into their offices at an unnoticable frequency. Anyway, this is the TMBG collection to end all TMBG collections. I've never grown tired of listening to it - - it has all the essential giants songs in just the right order. From Another First Kiss to Meet James Ensor . . . this might be the answer to that "If you could only take one CD to a deserted island . . . " question. ... Read more

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

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (16)

Nice remastering butomits a few essentials songs
For the individual who just "likes" Adam and is not an Antmaniac this maks for a nifty purchase (as do a great deal from the desperate "Essential" series). However there are a couple of head-scratchers in terms of song selection and omissions from the collection. The inclusion of "Physical (You're So)" is a bit questionable seeing as "Cartrouble" (a classic catchy single featuring the debut of Marco) should have been neatly placed after "Zerox" and "Vive Le Rock" (a record company error made this should-have-been-hit single exactly that) should have been sequenced after "Apollo 9". However neither of these singles are included here and are somewhat important in presenting a complete, accurate and essential Ant collection.
It's no "Antics in the Forbidden Zone"
I'm really not sure what the purpose of this Disc is, other than as an Adam Ant filler for those collectors who need to add more to their collection.This is a slightly scaled down version of the truly best of "Antics in the Forbidden Zone" which detailed Adam Ant's career up until the bombastic "Apollo 9" album."Essential" adds the 1990 single "Room at the Top" from "Manners & Physique" album and "Wonderful" from the 1995 "Wonderful" album.These two songs are not really worth the cost of admission and I think are probably the weakest songs on those two albums, anyway.And of course "Essential" ignores the unreleased 1993 album "Persuasion" which had some really good songs on it.If you want later period Adam Ant, "Manners" is really good and "Wonderful" is, well, less than wonderful, but still a worthwhile Adam Ant.If you want an introduction to Adam Ant, the chronologically catalogued "Antics" is great and a more complete collection!

A must for Adam Ant lovers
This is truly the essential collection.I just wish that they had added S.E.X. to the collection as that is one of his best song. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. England    3. Keyboards    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Post-Punk    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop    10. Vocals   

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.
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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   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (25)

100 stars If I could..The cures finest moment

Spiralling... Spiralling... Spiralling
This album is quite possibly the darkest album I've heard in a long time. Robert was spinning into drug-induced depression at the time, and the results were Pornography. Every song from 100 Years to the title track are pumped full of deep, black, depression. Even the first line of the cd, 'It doesn't matter if we all die', lets the listener know what he/she is in for. The guitar puts the icing on the cake. It laces all of the music with dysfunctional, screaching, spirals that one might hear on the path to insanity. The cold drum machine gives the darkness it's heartbeat, and Robert gives the music the 'losing hope' vocals. When Robert sings, you ALWAYS hear every bit of emotion that he intended to be put in the song. Buy this album along with Disintigration. You won't be disappointed. Also, check out Faith and Seventeen Seconds for more Cure darkness.

Sounds much better
"Pornography" may be the definitive Cure album. The group has had some serious missteps, several lineup changes, all the highs and lows that go with a thirty year history, but this one is on the mark from begining to end. Many fans cite the 1989 masterpiece "Disintergration" as the groups finest hour, and I'll stay out of the debate (personally, I am partial to "Faith", despite its obvious shortcomings)--but if there is such a thing as a Cure aesthetic, it finds some of its best exprression here. The sound is stipped down, ominous interlocking drums and bass. The lyrics are mostly superb. From the opening of the disc, "It doesn't matter if we all die" (can there be a better summation to the group's gestalt?), to the self-referential final lines of the work, there is real passion here. It flirts with solipsism--a characteristic that mars much of their other work--but never quite crosses over. Whether you're 14 and "screaming at the moon", or 40 and covering your face as the animals die, there is poetry enough here. ... Read more

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

Reviews (48)

The Only Rise Against You'll Need
Revolutions Per Minute is probably the only great Rise Against album. I don't have their new album or the one that came out before it, but the band seems to keep making music that sounds exactly the same on each album. The reason this album is their best is because their musical formula works very well on this album. The opening track, "Black Masks And Gasoline" is pretty good and gives the listener an idea of the kind of emotion and lyrics that will fill the rest of the album. Other stand out tracks are Broken English, Voices Off Camera, and To The Core. To The Core is a really short but very violent piece of music; Voices Off Camera is a catchy track, and Broken English is one of Rise Against's best songs. If you like this album, you'll like their other albums, but this one is all you need. Their other albums contain music that sounds just like this, just not as good in terms of lyrics and instrumentation. I think that after this album, Rise Against went down the path to mediocrity.

Like the Angel, that you are! MASTERPIECE- 9 Stars
This is my second favourite CD of all time behind FFAF and also my second favourite band. THis CD is so killer and every track on this thing is amazing and a masterpiece on it's own. Like the angel and black masks and gasoline are my two favourite songs of this but every song is good. If you are a fan of cool punk of the street, pick this up and put wind breaker on, prepare to be blown away.
Darn Good!
This CD may be the best one they ever sell. "The Unraveling" is good, but a little too hard rock for me (you should still get it), and "Siren Song of the Counter Culture" is too much of softer rock. Here is a list of the songs and their ratings: Read more

Subjects:  1. Hardcore Punk    2. Pop    3. Post-Punk    4. Punk    5. Punk Revival    6. Rock    7. United States of America   

Reviews (30)

Great
This cd is definetely a great introduction to the Cramps music, though my favorite Cramps is a Date With Elvis. Anyway, I highly reccommend this for anyone who likes rock and roll in general, though you might like them more if you're into punk. This really is a great cd from a great band, however before buying this, I'd definetely reccomend buying Fire Of Love or Miami, by the Gun Club, who hands down, were my favorite musicians of the Physcobilly/Cow-punk era. But the Cramps are close.

Classic Cramps
I bought this CD years ago and it's still good today.Physcobilly is a perfect term to describe these guys. Their music certainly grows on you the more you listen.

Pscyhobilly..Punkabilly..Green Jacket Gold Jacket ??
Do you like The Misfits, The Gun Club, The Violent Femmes, The Dead Kennedys, Elvis?Give The Cramps a listen.This is an original band and concept and possibly style.Enter Psychobilly or Punkabilly. Although not my favorite album it is worth buying if you don't have it or any other Cramps albums, cds blah blah. There are other bands (psychobilly)Meteors, Nekromantix, Guanabatz,Demented are go, Tiger Army, but nohing compares to The Cramps...and it is a cool name for a band, sure to piss off or irritate someone.They just don't make em or name em that way anymore (FEAR, The Misfits, Angry Samoans, Catholic Discipline, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Kennedys) a barrage of imagery.Are you a Retro and I don't mean 80's only but the 50's with dark imagery of B horror movies, men in grey flannel and women who screamed and fainted.The Cramps will take you there and play "She" and "All Women Are Bad" for your mother she will appreciate it.Makes a great Mother's Day gift! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Underground    3. Garage Punk    4. Pop    5. Post-Punk    6. Psychobilly    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Rockabilly    10. Rockabilly Revival   

Editorial Review

By the time of their sophomore effort, Wire had notched plenty of live gigs off the incredible strength of their debut Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (2)

One of the Best Albums Ever
Please get this album. You will like it.
Chairs Missing is incredible; and if you don't have it, you really should
In 1978, being qualified as "the Pink Floyd of the New Wave" might have come across as something of an insult; and by today's artistic strategies of rampant revivalism such a pithy remark may ring true to many a listener. That statement was, in fact, the critique prescribed to Chairs Missing, Wire's second album, as the album decelerated the pogo punk minimalism found on their first album with an increasing use of experimental production. In hindsight, Chairs Missing is the perfect transition between the high-strung velocity of Pink Flag and the staggering gloominess of 154; yet most transition records have a clunkiness about them, like a lanky teenager not quite able to fit into his sunday best. But Chairs Missing is miles above the average transition album.
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Subjects:  1. British Punk    2. Experimental Rock    3. Pop    4. Post-Punk    5. Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

No one revels in the sumptuous pleasures of melancholy like Robert Smith, the Cure's leading mopemeister. In Smith's world, it is always raining, comfort and happiness are fleeting, love is epic and torturous. On Read more

Reviews (255)

sorting the canon
when the cure's oeuvre IS finally done and this disc is reassessed, "bloodflowers" will be up there with the cream of the cure's crop--full stop, jock.this rock and lilting lullaby collection will give the unfaithful and faithful alike an aural erection."maybe sunday" and "there is no if" and "the loudest sound" are among the most gorgeously melodic things this supermelodic combo has EVER done...this is one HELL of a SUBTLE record that only rewards after MANY listens--the best kinda LP, if you ask me!spend time with it; take it out to eat--then home to bed.sidenote:i really like that Beth Massa review--quite poetic!nice!

Bleak soundscapes.
The third in a trilogy of moody and atmospheric albums started with "Pornography" and "Disintegration", "Bloodflowers" is an album that many heralded as a return to form for the Cure-- a return to extended atmospheres and darker mood pieces, but this time, it's filtered through the experimentation of "Wild Mood Swings"."Bloodflowers" ends up being dominated by acoustic guitars doubled with dirty electrics along with the trademark ringing bass and tribal rhythms mixed with hints of electronica to go along with the usual synth swirls.
i did have high hopes for this.........
i really wanted to be blown away by this as the pre-release buzz was that this was a return to the disintegration-era sound of the cure.granted, there are some excellent songs here--'watching me fall,' where the birds always sing,' '39' and especially 'bloodflowers' are some of my favorite songs by the cure.i have to say though that the other five songs on the album are quite boring--too sparse of a sound, too slow, and no real fire.luckily RS DID come back strong with 'the cure' a few years later and hopefully that winning streak will continue! ... Read more

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

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (16)

critically dismissed, fan acclaimed
Music critics have not been kind to this album.I have read this album described as a failure of sorts. It seems the "experts" felt that the Twins were resting on their laurels, after cranking out some of the most introspective and melodic music of the early-to-mid eighties.With song titles like The Itchy Glowblo Blow, Spooning Good Singing Gum, and A Kissed-Out Red Floatboat, perhaps they were also taking themselves a little too seriously.Accusations abound about Blue Bell Knoll being the zenith of prettiness for prettiness' sake, forsaking in the process any depth or gravitas.Yet, many fans describe this as either their favorite CT album, or among their favorites.Who is to be believed?