Editorial Review

Freighted with themes of death and redemption, this is a deliriously challenging, deeply rewarding return by one of the immortals. The title track and the single "Summer Cannibals" are the lone upbeat rockers amid an artfully low-key, frequently folk-based collection of campfire poetics ("Ravens," "Dead to the World"), Old Testament testifying (the Dylan-esque "Wicked Messenger"), and bittersweet laments ("Farewell Real," "Beneath the Southern Cross"). The album's two epics ("About a Boy," "Fireflies") are fascinating, but it's the achingly gorgeous "My Madrigal" that speaks best of Smith's maturity and questing spirit. Read more

Reviews (13)

Back Again
"Gone Again" represents one of the strongest Patti Smith Albums in years, easily joining the ranks of "Horses", "Radio Ethiopia", and "Easter."People curious about Patti Smith must come at her work with an understanding that she is not a pop-star tossing out throw away music or following quickly fading trends. Her work stands alone, often as a lone voice amidst the CD stacks in your local store, offering a wholly unique view and artistry. Introspective, exploratory, challenging and literate. She is truly an American treasure.
Don't tell me this is out of print...
It appears, based on Amazon's listing for it, that this album is out of print.Say it ain't so!Arista, this is one of the best rock & roll albums ever made!
breath-taking acoustic songs.
those acoustic songs are so beautiful, it's just amazing. even though i definatly love 70's mother of punk rock patti smith, i just can't get over how gorgeous these acoustic driven songs are. anyone who loves real heartfelt music will love this. patti never fails to amaze me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Heartland Rock    3. Pop    4. Popular Music    5. Proto-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (34)

intense
Nico is one of the very few people whose music stays with me. The Marble Index provides a very nice mix of emotionally powerful songs.
So horrible
Too bad I couldn't give this 0 stars....
A true story wants to be mine
Probably the most cohesive and solid offer of Nico's solo carrer, ''The Marble Index'', despite of its inexpressive sales, has had a very considerable influence in the establishment of movements like goth-rock and remains as a very essencial, yet forgiven, piece of pop-art and recorded music in general.
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Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Popular Music    3. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    4. Proto-Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

When the Velvets recorded this debut, they were best known as the protégés of Andy Warhol (who designed the sleeve), and as a grating, combustive live band. Fueled by drummer Moe Tucker's no-nonsense wham and John Cale's howling viola, some of the straight-up rock & roll and arty noise extravaganzas here bear that out. But before Lou Reed was singing about sadomasochism and drug deals and writing lyrics inspired by his favorite poets, he was a pop songwriter, and this album has some of his prettiest tunes, mostly sung by Nico, the German dark angel who left the band after this disc. Even the sordid rockers are underscored by graceful pop tricks, like the two-chord flutter at the center of the classic "Heroin."Read more

Features

• Box set
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (7)

You'll Want To Hear It Two Times In A Row Anyway...
All agree that listening to the mono and stereo sides are a completely different experience..also, the Nico tracks are fine,as is her entire Chelsea Girl album...the 45's are a great bonus and the booklet with lyrics and overall packaging (slick lamination harking back to those European import albums of long ago) peel-able banana is good and a total anachronistic trip faithful to the original.
Mono is better
After buying the lp, the first cd and the box set, I've been hard pressed at justifying this purchase.I spotted a used copy at the local swap shop; the guy at the counter asked (in so many words) "Is this really going to improve your love life?"No, and it won't get me into a band with Brian Eno either.
The ESSENTIAL starting point
This 2CD reissue contains all of the original lineup's commercially released recordings.Period.That includes Stereo and Mono mixes in addition to all of the 45rpm singles & B-sides.The singles & B-sides ARE different than the "LP" mono versions, both in length and the mix.Your VU collection should, without question, begin with this 2CD set.
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Subjects:  1. Experimental Rock    2. Folk-Rock    3. Pop    4. Proto-Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rock/Pop    8. United States of America   

Reviews (2)

AND NOW, ON TO ENGLAND
"Woofer" is a perfect example of just how interesting and innovative rock can be, and how utterly uninterested and unresponsive the U.S. listening public is.
Weird and Wonderful
'A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing'is the albumthat introduced me to Sparks way way back in the early 70's.
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Subjects:  1. Glam Rock    2. New Wave    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Proto-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Synth Pop   

Features

• Live
• Import

Reviews (8)

I Was There
I was lucky enough to be at this, the greatest progressive super "group" concert of all time.(I even saw the cover being photographed looking through the glass doors.)
That guitarist was--
--Mike Oldfield, not "Brian," and yes he was and still is a master. Check out his own albums for better compositions. I just can't quite get into Nico's "The End" but am gonna hang with her a bit more on her other stuff. Cale's earlier solo stuff works better than here (try PARIS 1919 for artsy). Eno & Cale teamed on WRONG WAY UP, one of the most irresistible art-pop albums of all. Ayers: You're better off getting THE BEST OF-- .

Thank you very much!
This is one of my favorite live recordings ever. John Cale sings a great version of Elvis Presley's Heart Break Hotel, Nico sings The End, Eno does a brief selection from Here Come the Warm Jets and it is all topped off by Kevin Ayers melancholy, unclassifiable pop tunes. Wonderful sound, stellar British progressive blues musicians and an eccentric lineup of cult stars at their artistic peaks. It's a one of a kind recording. I would suggest this CD to Nick Drake fans. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Canterbury Scene    2. Experimental    3. Pop    4. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    5. Proto-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (13)

It reminds me of a love for Germany
A convoluted mess of darkness and sequence, arbitrary singing of the Devil's upbringing, in-and-out frequence of vynil from the thirteenth-century. Nico is the real angel of death moaning out of some archaic beach and time.
A Life Changing Album
A local newspaper recently ran a poll (and published a follow-up article) on the albums that readers found had "changed their lives."It didn't even occur to me to submit an entry.I have many albums that changed my life in some sense, just as there have been a number of books and movies that I could also describe in such terms.But for the most part, I find that if they really didchange me, it probably has to do more with the cumulative effect of exposing myself to a variety of musical (or literary, or cinematic) works over the course of my life.
Everyone needs to hear this
Among the travesties of popular culture that sicken me most, is the effortless, almost immediate dismissal of Nico's musical brilliance. Her voice, her lyrics...anything to do with her so as to fail to admit to one's self, the true curiosity she evokes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Experimental Rock    2. Pop    3. Popular Music    4. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    5. Proto-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (12)

John Cale the Instrumentalist as a Songwriter!
John Cale first solo album, originally released in 1970, came as a pleasant surprise to many fans of Velvet Underground. After his departure from V.U. in 1968 Cale had among other things produced for Nico, and some may have expected a more radical album, but here Cale reveals himself as a brilliant songwriter capable of writing and producing in a very melodic way, and several of these songs may even have had hit-potentials. Especially the catchy "Gideon's Bible" with its Beach Boys harmonies could very well had hit the charts, given the right exposure.
a spectacular solo debut
Though I'm only really familiar with Cale's work with the velvets, and his work producing and playing with Patti Smith, the Stooges, Nick Drake, Nico, etc. this is the only solo album of his which I'm really familiar with.While I can't make comparisons with his later work, I can say that this album is just a really well written, well performed piece of work which surpassed my expectations.While there is quite a variety of material on the album, there is a certain sensibility and overt moodiness which pervades throughout.I find it is one of those rare albums that can really change your mood every time you hear it.This is a rich work which only sounds better each time I hear it.

John Cale's pop music
Vintage Violence is one of those albums where you just can't believe your ears the first time you hear it. Any expectations at all you bring into this will be blown away about four bars into "Hello There"; you'll realize there is so much more to this guy than the feedback/experimental genius you hear on the first two VU albums. Cale reveals himself here as a student of pop songwriting in the line of the early BeeGees and Paul McCartney. Actually, songs like "Adelaide" and "Cleo" sound like lost B-sides from the Merseybeat era. His adventurousness displays itself on the swirling climax to "Ghost Story" where he finds the perfect instrumental only to mercilessly cut the song short, leading into the closer "Fairweather Friend." The highlight here is "Amsterdam," a drop-dead beautiful song that Lou Reed could never have written. This isn't John Cale's best album (try the more cohesive "Fear"), but this is a gem that ought to be in every record store and in any pop fan's collection. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Experimental Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    6. Proto-Punk    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

In an album that dares live up to its self-referential title, Jonathan Richman plumbs the past in the off-kilter style his legions of admirers adore. For the uninitiated, it can be alarming to hear Richman's low-tech, vocals-way-out-in-front musical arrangements coupled with wistful remembrances of the simpler, cornier days of youth. But Read more

Reviews (17)

Best Of The Boston Scene
If you are a fan of the boston music scene then check out these amazing albums:
The manchild Jonathan Richman explores his deepest concerns
First, before reviewing this wonderful album, a few words for the un-initiated about Jonathan, who is way too childlike to address as Mr. Richman.Jonathan is a boyish, charming singer-guitarist who wears his heart on his sleeve.His voice is seemingly untrained, his guitar playing unsophisticated, but his songs are honest and emotional. What Jonathan lacks in musicality, he makes up for in passion and personality; more than any other performer I know, he lets us right into his heart.Depending on the listener's personality, this sloppy sentimentality is either a complete turn-off or a reason to keep showing up at his concerts.
An old friend
This is one of the warmest, friendliest, most enjoyable albums I have ever heard, and the album that really got me into JR. From the familiar bass line of the opening track to the captivating bedtime story of the final cut, with the standout "That Summer Feeling" in between, Jonathan immediately becomes an old friend. He really is a national treasure, as anyone who has seen him live will tell you. A QUESTION: Has anyone else had problems playing this CD? I have owned two copies (I bought the first one used, and thought that might be the problem, so I gave it to a friend and bought a brand new copy) of this disc, and both seem to stutter and skip at the same places. The problem is worse on some CD players than others but is always there.Anyone else had this experience? My car stereo has a similar problem with Yo La Tengo's "Upside Down" EP, and has had it from the beginning. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. Contemporary Singer/Songwriter    4. Guitar    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Popular Music    8. Proto-Punk    9. Rock    10. Rock & Roll    11. Rock/Pop    12. United States of America    13. Vocals   

Features

• Original recording remastered
• Import

Reviews (9)

the other great T rex album
Like many others have said, this is truly underrated. This shows the band in a somewhat transitional phase- embracing more and different sounds. There are some unique arangements some sounding, perhaps, a little bit dated - but Visconti's brush strokes for the most part are right on the money - an album way ahead of its time...

This is a very underrated album
Tanx is a great album.It's not as great as Electric Warrior, but it's up there with The Slider as Bolan's next best.This album sounds like a mix of The Stones' Exile on Main Street with Elton John albums from '71 to '74.It's amazing that Bolan created so much great music in so many different styles.Buy this one after EW and The Slider.It's not really represented on any of the Bolan compilations out there.It's mind boggling and sad that '73 was considered the beginning of a downturn in Bolan's career at the time when he created Tanx and "20th Century Boy"!

Bolan was a real rock star
First of all I want to say I love all you T.rex fans but I want to know why more people just don't seem to get it!!Oh well I'll never know but what a joy it is to have listened to T.rex going on about 30 years now.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Glam Rock    3. Hard Rock    4. Pop    5. Proto-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (29)

You must be serious about your music!
This is an introduction to one of the most important bands of all time. Do not knock its lack of songs b/c its just a sampling. You cannot have a "best of" for this band.
Excellent Primer
If you don't own the entire VU catalog, then this is essential listening for every fan of popular music of the last 50 years.
good, very good
let's face it, every one of the songs on here is f-ing brilliant... start here, and don't stop ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Experimental Rock    2. Pop    3. Proto-Punk    4. Rock    5. Rock & Roll   

Reviews (1)

Foppy Boot Stomp
Don't let the cheesy cover fool you - this is a wonderfully fun collection that uncovers some of the missing links between bubblegum glam and early punk between the years 1971 - 1976. This is a must-hear for anybody, but especially those who think punk rock crawled out of the gutter fully formed in 1977. It's like a history lesson you can stomp along to.
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Subjects:  1. Glam Rock    2. Glitter    3. Hard Rock    4. Pop    5. Proto-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop Collections    8. V/A Compilations   

Editorial Review

This collection, originally available only as a bonus disc in Read more

Features

• Enhanced

Reviews (28)

ghost of Jim
"Bring out your dead" cries Jim, a caller through the streets of Paris during the Black Plague. It is as if we are visited by the ghost of Jim in this collection. I can rarely listen to the studio albums, having listened to them for 40 years, and the live albums, though exciting, seem dated. This disk is as if it was found on Jim's grave in Pere LaChasse. These tracks, rejected during his life, are now his freshest expression.

WOW
What a GREAT CD for your collection.I own all of the Doors CD's and was looking for new material.This belongs in everyone's collection.

Nice gems
Listening to it now. So when that box set comes out, with a disc of rarities, here's one instance where waiting matters. Thank you for releasing this extra bit for fans who already have all the other albums. I wouldn't have bought the box set just for it,but sell it separately, and I'm more than game. It's all great... the closest thing I'll get to a "new" Doors album (unless the band gets some real "balls" and records new material with Ian, which would be a real kick!). These gems are well worth it... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Hard Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Proto-Punk    6. Psychedelic    7. Rock    8. Rock & Roll    9. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Explicit Lyrics
• Live

Reviews (3)

Be carefull, it's NOT REALLY an extended versions collection.
Hmmm... this one was, first of all, not nicely marketed. The real title of this album, as released in the 80's, is ''Lou Reed Live''. Its content is no more than rests from the ''Rock & Roll Animal'' sessions, which despite of being his best-selling album is not EVEN a register of one of his best live performances. The first time I saw this item announced here, with no cover picture and the 'live' thing excluded from the title, I instantly bought it hoping that it was a compilation of extended versions and that I would, for instance, get the complete sax session of ''Walk On The Wild Side'' and other nice stuff for freakie fans. But this has not been the case, and due to the misleading title I got a 3rd unnecessary copy of ''Lou Reed Live''. If you really know what you're getting here (so-so Reed live performances), then go ahead and complete your collection. Otherwise go check ''Take No Prisoners'' for the raw, real acid Lou or ''Perfect Night live in London'', ''Animal Serenade'' or ''Lou reed live Italy'' for more anthological live performances.

One of the best live albums ever.
The searing guitar work alone is worth the price.This CD is the necessary companion to Reed's "Rock 'n' Roll Animal."

after intermission
I was pleased to hear about this album because Rock & Roll Animal is one of my favorite "live" albums of all time. If not one of my favorite of all time period! The musicians on that album are great, especially the bass player. My only complaint was that it didn't seem long enough. Then a friend told me he thought there was another album that contained the rest of the show. This was before I had internet access, so it was hard to find what I was searching for, espesially without a name for the album. I finally found it and the name said it all "Lou Reed Live" If your a big of a fan as I am of Rock & Roll Animal then you'll love this. It has all the songs that you might have imagined or wished were on Rock & Roll Animal, it was like coming back to the concert after a beer & bathroom break. As I said it has the same great musicians on it & Lou's singing couldn't be more emotional. The sound quality isn't up to todays standards but that's what I think gives it that great 70's "live" sound. The only thing that would make this album better is if they would package it as a 2 disc set. That would be a great introduction for any listener to Lou's genius. If your not a fan of live albums I'd suggest "Transformer & Berlin" for a great start. Both of those albums have songs represented here, as well as some of his work with The Velvet Underground. If you've purchased this c.d. grab your beer, take a seat & enjoy the show! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Glam Rock    2. Proto-Punk    3. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Box set
• Original recording remastered
• Live

Reviews (39)

A Must for VU Fans
More raw and experimental than "69 Live." Better (and warmer) sound, to my ears, than Max's. Never mind the tape hiss and lo-fi--the music gets through. As others here have said, this is not the best place to begin listening to the Velvets, but if you already are a fan, you will love it. The sprawling stretches of "Sister Ray" and other extended versions of VU songs are a revelation. There is nothing like the shock of hearing a band you revere live for the first time. This set can bring you quite close to that experience.

AND THE ANSWER FOR ALLTIME
IS THE Velvets, who went Underground "a thousand Years ago",resurfaced and are proof positive that being underground and the "Consequence" for returning is as enigmatic,pure,solid, like Stonehenge.Do not worry if this is your first Velvet Cd.You are now solidified into the master's of the Dark.Now my people, go buy this CD and find out why such a progressive group in the mid 60's are just as exhilirating, provocative and even so they remain such.Buy this Cd, like 3 cd's for $30.00 andforget about seeking out "The Man".There's alwys "Tomorrrow's parties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cest Genial Oui oui je acheter une cd de lan velvet underground pour noel
these cds are good and all and people should get them or download them (pirated or whatnot) the velvets were a very underrated band, (jacob ingerson stfu, you dont know music) but i recommend this to people who have listened to them beefore ,and are used to them. This album is live and i think peopel should listen to them at hi-fi studio recorded sound first but, hey if you want to dive right in and hear what the music and what they were live at their best get this album. The thing that i like best about them is the simplistic package design and, that these tapes actually exist, its amazing, if your going to complain about the sound quality, you should try and record a live show and preserve the the tapes for a quater of a century. the magic and the moments that happen a great and you get thrre disks of it so i think its pretty good. Also there are extensive liner notes in a booklet that are entertaining ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Experimental Rock    3. Pop    4. Proto-Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Import

Reviews (19)

Genius! (again)
I admit it: I am one of those people who think that Don Van Vliet is a genius and that Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off, Baby are his masterpieces (though Clear Spot, Doc, and others are way up there, too!).
I sometimes pity them what come before...
Because dear reader, many young folks don't get the experience or exposure some of us more veteran listeners have had (though it's not JUST young folks).
A Must-own Classic
This seminal work never goes out of print.Works such as SB and BCP have influenced such disparate groups and styles as The Clash, Talking Heads, Devo, and The Dumptrucks ( Fat Clone Family ). Along with his Magic Band, Beefheart produced some of the most original music of the Sixties and Seventies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Experimental    2. Experimental Rock    3. Pop    4. Prog-Rock/Art Rock    5. Proto-Punk    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Import

Reviews (4)

considering the circumstances....
Other reviewers have harped on the ins/outs of the LP so it's my turn to toss a couple of 'new' things into the mix. Being the old fart I am, I remember that technically this LP is version 2!
Overnight Mott's
After the critical success of Hunter's previous solo album, "All American Alien Boy", 1976, but commercial failure, Ian Hunter decided it was time to get a proper bandto record the follow up album. But before a band was put together and after a chance meeting in a late night New York bar, Ian Hunter hadmade a deal with famous American producer Roy Thomas Baker ("Rolling Stones"," The Cars", and most famously for giving "Queen" that smooth sound) to do his next album, which was a good start. Miller Anderson had recommended the services of bassist Rob Rawlinson, who, after the break-up of yet another line-up of "Chicken Shack", was looking for a worthwhile cause to ply his trade. Ian Hunter had long admired the skills of "The Glitter Band's talented but underused keyboard player Peter Oxendale, so he was coerced away by not only being given the keyboard role, but that of musical director. Dennis Elliot had been a long time friend of Ian Hunter, so in a schedule break with "Foreigner" he moonlighted on the drum stool for the sessions only to be replaced by the time the band went on the road by one of the true wild men of Rock 'n' Roll, Curly Smith. Finally a new guitarist had to be found, and while in America and looking for a Rock 'n' Roll guitarist... why not go for the best? Earl Slick, who had just finished sessions with David Bowie on his 'Station to Station' album, was brought in, if you like, as the icing on the cake. With the band ready and the songs written, the band went into Le Studio Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada, with the intention of laying down a classic Heavy Rock Ian Hunter album as a re-action to the light weight 'All American Alien Boy'. an ear bleeder with a few good songs
No, this album is not as bad as most critics (and Hunter himself) have claimed, but it's no lost masterpiece either.It's pretty easy to see why Columbia declined to release this in the U.S.Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Hard Rock    4. Proto-Punk    5. Rock & Roll    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Reviews (22)

An Excellent Late Career Album
It is unusual for any artist in any medium to still be producing relevent, exciting work 30 years into a career.That Sparks released one of their career best albums at this time in their career stands as a testement to the talent of the Mael brothers.
Funny, brilliant, remarkable
What makes this record such a wow-er is that it is, at bottom, a pop record. By that I mean it's mostly euphonic and euphoric--it sounds good and it's designed to make you feel good. And while making a solid pop album is no easy feat, doing it with the tropes of classical music should be impossible. Almost uniformly (the only exception being "My baby's taking me home", which would seem more at home on a Moby record), the songs, mostly built with synths, feel marvelously authentic. It's amazing technology has come this far!
What it isn't. What it isn't. What it isn't. What it isn't
Everybody talks about what an amazing record LIL' BEETHOVEN is, and tries to describe what makes it so impressive, and why it sounds like nothing else Sparks have ever done (or anybody, for that matter) while at the same time saying why it sounds like everything the band has ever done.But nobody clarifies exactly what this record isn't.