Features

• CD-single
• Import

Subjects:  1. 5-Inch CD Singles    2. Pop   

Editorial Review

When Shawn Colvin's last album of original material, 1996's Read more

Reviews (71)

Pales In Comparison To A Few Small Repairs...
A Few Small Repairs had some great songs on there, and a catchy sound to it altogether that made the album very addictive and I loved many of the lyrics. On this album Whole New You it is different, unfortunately. This album is not as powerful as A Few Small Repairs and the songs are not the kind that I push repeat on. They are pleasant, likeable songs but not any that I can honestly praise on or anything. I really do not like these kind of albums because I can't hate them or love them- they're just all right and so is this album. It's just okay and there's not much else to say. The songs are just not that good in sound, like another said they're likeable but with no punch, nothing that makes you remember them- and many are boring.
One of a kind...
Admitted, I am a long-time Colvin fan and was rather shocked at her Grammy wins a few years back.
Not up to the standard of REPAIRS or STEADY ON
The warm smooth voice is back..the producer (John Leventhal) is back...the sound (acoustic based pop) is back...the intelligence is back. Why then is WHOLE NEW YOU not the great listen that A FEW SMALL REPAIRS is?
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Contemporary Folk    3. Contemporary Singer/Songwriter    4. Folk-Pop    5. Pop    6. Popular Music    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Singer/Songwriter   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (2)

Brave, but not for everyone.
I give this a forth star because I still pull it out for the occasional listen. But it remains one of the most difficult CD's in Elvis' careening musical experimentation. What usually happens is I find myself wondering where these songs would have fit had they been recorded for other Costello albums. "Jacksons Monk and Rowe" obviously would have made it as a "Get Happy" song. "For Other Eyes;" "Imperial Bedroom." A folksy arrangement might have sent "Damnation's Cellar" to "King Of America." And so on and so forth....
Unusual collaboration demonstrates that EC knows no boundaries
I was surprised to see that no one had written a review of one of Elvis Costello's finest albums in the 90's. "The Juliet Letters" certainly is an acquired taste; if you like contemporary classical music you'll enjoy this. The songs still have hooks even if they are played by violin vs. guitar or keyboard. The story behind this release is that there was an academic that answered letters written to Juliet (of the play Romeo and Juliet"). Never mind (as EC points out in his deluxe notes)that it was kind of creepy that someone would be writing letters to imaginery character much less one that had been "dead" for over 200 years.
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Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard    2. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Baroque Pop    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music    6. Chamber Pop    7. Classical    8. Classical Artists    9. Classical Pop    10. College Rock    11. England    12. Folk Song    13. Miscellaneous    14. Miscellaneous Music    15. Pop    16. Renaissance Polyphonic Song    17. Rock    18. Singer/Songwriter    19. Solo Voice(s) and Small Ensemble    20. Vocal   

Editorial Review

Neil Finn's solo debut carries much the same style and tone of his work with Crowded House--the intimate vocal delivery, the undeniably intelligent pop approach. What Read more

Reviews (105)

One of my favorite albums of all time
I became a Neil Finn fan late in the game, long after Crowded House had disbanded.
Neil's least interesting project for decades
I've been a Neil Finn fan practically my whole adult life.First I become exposed to his brilliance via I Got You, the break through song of Split Enz a quarter of a century ago.That album, True Colours, is jam packed with great melodies and fun arrangements.Although their later albums did not match that peak, they were still enjoyable.When Crowded House became huge, I liked their albums ever more.Their first one, despite including the classic Don't Dream It's Over, is their least interesting one but during the final album, Together Alone, Neil Finn and Crowded House were making among the best music of that era.
Essential
Try Whistling This is a great album. Neil Finn is at his songcrafting peak with this, his first solo album, and Crowded House's last album, Together Alone. Every song is a good one on this album.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. New Zealand    3. Pop    4. Popular Music    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Features

• Enhanced

Reviews (60)

What a voice!
I bought this album back in '98 or '99 based on the strength of the song "Sway" alone, which I had heard on the radio and instantly fell in love with (I loved it so much that I called up the radio station to ask the name of the artist immediately after the song ended and I NEVER call radio stations!). The album overall does not disappoint either. While I think the melodies and lyrics are very good on the album, it is Bic Runga's voice that is amazing to me and leaves the lasting impression; her voice is beautiful, crystal clear, feminine,powerful and haunting. Her singing voice is truly memorable and one of my favorite female voices.I am surprised this album was not a bigger hit as it is worthy of more praise and popularity.

Breathtaking!!!
I first heard Bic Runga in the first American Pie, believe it or not.(How I'd missed her before then, I'll never know.)After the movie, I had to find out who she was and how I could get more of her.Her voice is incredible.Her clarity is like nothing I've ever heard before, and to top that off, she is a talented writer as well.Her melodies are unique, I can't every get them out of my head.Her lyrics are honest and clever.I'd recommend this album to anyone.

Concrete Coloured Skies
I didn't appreciate this album to the extent that I should've when it first came out.The one track that stood out most for me was "Sway".To this day, that is one song that still occasionally plays in my head.Melancholy, heartfelt and shameless to the caliber you'd expect from iconic acoustic predecessors like Tori Amos, or neighbouring Australian band George.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Popular Music    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

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Features

• Live

Reviews (67)

Mystery White Boy
I was really excited when i bought this as I have both grace and live at sin-é but this was very dissapointing. 'Dream Brother' and 'Mojo Pin' are good but i found 'Hallelujah' pretty poor. He sings in this wierd tone like he's had anaesthetic injected into his mouth. Don't get me wrong, I'm as big a Buckley fan as anyone but steer clear of this, by far not his best live performances.

Another tantalizing glimpse of a true artist in his prime.
I can't believe how many bad reviews there are up here for this album! Absolutely mortifying!The opening track weaves a spell over me ever time I listen to it, the chorus, and especially the last part are so much better than on Grace, it's asounding.I enjoy this entire album, every track, and if you're a jeff buckley fan, and even if you're not, this a beautiful album you should not miss."Moodswing Whiskey" is an intoxicating song that builds into something greater than you wouuld have thought, the version of Halleleuja on here is simply fantastic, any, anyway, this is the first amazon review I've written, but after seeing all the bad reviews for this album, I just had to say something!

Compressed dynamics, dubious instrumental placement, ...
... but, if nothing else, the version of "Eternal Life" here is to these ears even better than on Grace. Simply put, here it's the best piece of speed funk Jane's Addiction never recorded! That alone should justify the purchase price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Folk-Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Whereas on Read more

Reviews (119)

Not at Her Absolute Best
Though I am an avid Ani fan, this album is probably my least favorite, mostly for it's lack of flow and inconsistancy. Most of these songs are excellent on thier own, but the record as a whole feels more like a collection of B-sides than a coherant album. Many of the tracks that tie together in similarity and style, often drag and feel dull when heard in one sitting. A hand full of tracks are more experimental and engaging (Angel Food, Hat Shaped Hat) but seem odd and out-of-place.
S'Ok
I am a beginning Ani DiFranco fan. I bought this CD second, and as a beginning fan I was not impressed at all. Some of the songs are good. 'Hat Shaped Hat' is very fun, 'Jukebox' has a good feel to it. ''Tis of thee' has a powerful message behind it. The other songs have their moments. But overall, I don't think this is a good album if you're buying it to see what you're in for.

i love this.
don't listen to all these bummer reviews by pissy elitist ani fans. this album is abstract & beautiful. from the humbling "tis of thee" to the devastating "trickle down" followed by the fun jam session of "hat shaped hat" which is a great closing track for an amazing album. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Folk    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Anti-Folk    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter    9. Urban Folk   

Editorial Review

Old 97's frontmanRhett Miller has always stuck to songs of heartbreak, I-done-bad confessionals,and the occasional exercise in rave-up solipsism. Regardless of which of thoseareas he's explored, he's set his lyrics in flawless melodies and delivered themwith infectious energy. With Read more

Reviews (66)

AWESOME!!!!
From beginning to end this album is a winner... soulful, thought-provoking, intellectual and romantic lyrics.

Rhett delivers solid stuff
Rhett is still delivering inspired lyrics with great melodies."Our Love" is a cool opener with great lyrics and "Come Around" is a great pop song and "Nervous Heart" has a great sentiment."World Inside a World" is a little repetitive with the lyrics and doesn't really match up to the similar "Question" on the Old 97's Satellite Rides release, yet it is still instantly hummable.That said all the songs are catchy with just enough jangly guitar to keep it respectable.This doesn't really have the jagged edge that the Old 97's manage to nurture through even their poppiest moments, but that doesnt mean its bad.

Infectious and Fun
My first introduction to Rhett/Old 97's was through this CD. I read a review of "The Instigator" in a local independent newspaper and it sounded promising so I decided to check it out. From the first few seconds of "Our Love, " I was hooked and "The Instigator" stayed in constant rotation in my car CD player for months, at the least. Rhett's music is poppy and infectious, with great lyrics to boot. Rhett is able to sing about his favorite subject, love, without sounding cliched and cheesy. My favorite tracks on the CD are "Our Love," "World Inside the World," and the wonderfully twangy "The El." Living in Philadelphia, I like to pretend the song is about our very own El. I read that "The Instigator" was written as a response to Rhett's having to leave NYC after 9/11, and references to this tragic event can be found in the songs. Another reason I love the CD (as an English major) is that he name drops author Don Delillo and "Point Shirley" is based on the Sylvia Plath poem by the same name. Smart, talented and cute - Rhett rocks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Few vocalists equal the expressive subtlety of Beth Orton, whose fourth album is both her most musically spare and artistically complex to date. Not only does the production and backing by Jim O'Rourke (known for his work with Sonic Youth and Wilco) capture Orton's vocal style at its most unstudied and unvarnished, the lack of embellishment focuses all the more attention on her songwriting. From the jazzy phrasing on the deceptively jaunty "Worms" through the haunting "Feral" and the amazing grace of the closing, hymnlike "Pieces of Sky," Orton's songs give voice to the sort of knotty, prickly emotions that are as hard to define as they are deeply felt. Most of the musical dynamic features piano or guitar over an elemental, insistent rhythm section, making the coloring of an occasional string section ("Conceived"), harmonica ("Absinthe"), or accordion ("Safe in Your Arms") all the more striking. As an indication of the emotional range of this musical minimalism, the title cut is soothing enough to please fans of Norah Jones, while "Heartlandstruckstop" is as edgy as Patti Smith. Read more

Features

• Limited Edition

Reviews (5)

bonus disc = worth the extra dollars
if you're trying to decide whether to shell out the extra five dollars for the bonus cd, i'd like to convince you that it is worth it.
the best unknown artist you will find
Beth Orton has a quality to her music that is not always immediately apparent upon first listening.Her songs, if given the chance, get inside of you and almost always find a permenant place there.Her voice, both in her vocal delivery and in her lyrics, have a beautiful, incomparable quality, wonderfully musical and poetic, if often difficult to understand -- obviously, deeply personal, yet ambiguous enough that the listener (as with any great art) can find their own personal meaning therewithin.
Beth Goes Retro
Having loved the bassy beat-driven Daybreaker, Beth goes back to her Central Reservation roots with a more acoustic and "earthy" sounding album. Her voice still plays wonderfully amidst the poppy, Carole King-esque, guitar tunes. I have yet to find a heartstring tugger on this album, but I am sure in time one will emerge. Check out the music video for the first single as well. It is a good summarization of what you can expect on the album. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Given that Brit guitarist-songwriter Neil Halstead's work with both Slowdive and Mojave 3 is as sleepy as it is pretty, you'd think his first solo record would provide him the chance to stretch and maybe even break a string in pursuit of a bona fide rock moment. Instead, Halstead's Read more

Reviews (24)

Great, as expected.
I love Neil's compositions. I find him incredibly talented. A fan of slowdive and, especially mojave 3, I knew I was in for a treat!... And was not disappointed. It's different than his other songs with mojave ( and of course than the wall of sounds of slowdive), more intimate, simpler, but exceptional. It is nice to hear yet another side of Neil Halstead. I always love his voice also. The lyrics are intimate and deep. For me all the songs are withstanding many listenings.
Belle trouvaille
Un superbe album. Je le recommande fortement. Tr�s belles m�lodies, un album pour ''road trip''. Tr�s paisible, cet album vous fera certainement passer un tr�s bon moment.

Wow
This is, quite possibly, the most beautiful album I've ever heard. While there is nothing here that is past tense in any way, this album still takes me back to the early 70's and reminds me how I felt before I learned life can sometimes deal you something other than Aces & Queens.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Indie Pop    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Features

• Special Edition

Reviews (16)

What exactly does he want to do?
Ben Harper is a very prolific musician, and has worked with everyone from Jack Johnson to Toots and the Maytals. This also causes for a problem, however; if you completely change your style on every album you do, it may be hard for people to know what to expect from you. Ben's last album, There Will Be a Light, was a gospel-flavored album due to assistance from the Blind Boys of Alabama, and it proved very good. But I can't say the same about Both Sides of the Gun.
black record versus white record
Es bueno dividir un album en una cara de canciones lentas y otra de rapidas? Al menos permite segmentar a su publico y no hacerle perder el tiempo escuchando lo que no le interesa. Esto es lo que ha intentado Ben Harper en el doble "Both Sides Of The Gun".
6th & the Best!
Ben Harper is creative, period.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Jam Bands    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter    7. United States of America   

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (14)

Just awesome.
If you want a smooth sound that takes ya away. And I know people talk about this being a christian CD ( Im agnostic ), but it's not imposing. It is good. listen to it and you'll know. Go to allofmp3.com to HEAR LONGER CLIPS than amazon gives you.

Great
The first album by the only Christian band that I listen to. One thing that i love about this band that even though i usually dislike Christian music, i am not embarrassed to listen to. The way that David Bazan tells stories makes the listener feel like they are there with the character. But one must take into account that this music is very downbeat and slow at times, but is also surprisingly beautiful. This music is mostly simplistic with an emphasis on the acoustic guitar, but incredibly powerful. So buy this album, or really anything by this band, because you wont be dissapointed.

songs about finding one's personal path
"The Secret of the Easy Yoke," moved me to tears and I am not a Christian.The honesty, the questioning, the doubt and the belief make this song one of this important band's most powerful statements.Musically simple, but like a great Beethoven melody, has the power to move mountains. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Emo    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The follow-up to the ambitious Read more

Reviews (143)

Atmospheric, Dreamy, Fierce
"To The Teeth" is another brilliant Ani album. "I Know This Bar" has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever! The album has a pretty dark and dreary tone to it for the most part, which works really well with some of the subject matters. There are also some heavier jazz influences that were hinted on "Up Up Up Up Up Up". The lyrics are top quality as usual. Amazing back up band! Amazing Woman!

Eclectic mix of folk, funk and progressive...
A very eclectic mix of folk, funk and progressive. Much of it is very stripped down and most of the vocals are strangely mixed below both the acoustic or electric guitar. Maceo Parker is on half the album and Prince does vocals on one song. I found it a pretty mixed bag.

Great music
This is an awesome cd with some experimental tracks and some classic Ani.However, if you've never listened to Ani before and you aren't too into nontraditional music you should start with Not a Pretty Girl, Living in Clip, or Like I Said.Little Plastic Castles is fairly accessible too.If you already know you like Ani, you should definitely have this cd.It's one of her strongest studio albums and it's very well rounded.Buy it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Folk    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Anti-Folk    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter    9. Urban Folk   

Editorial Review

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Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (16)

One of Costello's best, save some misguided production
Brutal Youth was panned by many on it's initial release. For the longest time, if it wasn't another This Years Model or Armed Forces, critics weren't buying.To muddy the waters further, Brutal Youth followed the over-produced highly commercial Spike and the equally elaborate but not quite as spectacular Mighty Like A Rose.
A great album, underrated by many
Beyond the obligatory radio hearings of "Everyday I Write the Book" back in the day, this album and the unusual but wonderful Juliet Letters album were my first exposures to Elvis.I bought Brutal Youth (the original release) after being blown away by Elvis's performance of "13 Steps Lead Down" on Letterman back when the album had just been released.I continue to enjoy all the songs on this record many years later.The creativity and variety here are really remarkable; there are some burning rockers (e.g., "20% Amnesia," "13 Steps," "Just About Glad") as well as some incredibly clever and musical art songs (e.g., "Clown Strike," "This Is Hell," "Science Fiction Twin") and a few beautiful ballads (e.g., "Still Too Soon to Know," "Favourite Hour").Just buy it; you won't be sorry you did.(I haven't heard disc 2 of the 2-disc version, so I have no comment on it; it would be fun to hear new versions of these songs though.)

Stop Denying This Album
I understand people have different tastes and their is no objectivity with record reviews.I also know many think Elvis will never recapture the vitality of his earlier work. I always find this a little pretentious and it happens with many groups including Elvis.It is too bad because they are missing out on a lot of great songs.When I listen to this album I find it tough to see how anyone that has enjoyed Elvis' work can not appreciate this album.Than again one person named "Sulky Girl" and "Science Fiction Twin" as weak points when to me they are classic songs.I absolutely love this album more with each listen.I play this as much or more than any Elvis Costello I own and would gladly put it up to This Years Model or any Elvis album.In my opinion this is a truly great album. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

At a time when popular music has been micro-marketed to the far side of ad nauseam, Declan MacManus, a.k.a. Elvis Costello, has traded on his reputation as the brightest songwriter to emerge from the new wave era to foster any number of delightful, cross-genre/generation musical surprises, including soundtracks and collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet, Paul McCartney, jazz artist Roy Nathanson, and songwriting legend Burt Bacharach. The latest fruit of that generous, insatiably curious artistic spirit is this elegant partnership with Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne-Sofie von Otter. Though an admitted pop novice, Otter couldn't have picked a better confederate than Costello, an artist whose taste in songs has seldom been tainted by trend.Read more

Reviews (58)

Loved this CD
Who would pair Costello and an opera singer??Elvis, and somehow it works.I really love the tone and moodiness of it and lyrics that talk about love and life, failure and success.It's soulful,in a contemplative way, music for those tucked away, rainy days .

I LOVE this CD!
Finally, an opera singer who knows how to channel her Classical training into a sound that is, as one critic aptly described it, "what pop singers would sound like if they could actually sing"!Although Elvis Costello does not join Ms. von Otter very often in the vocals, when he does they harmonize beautifully.With great melodies (some beautiful, some catchy) and sensitive (but not sappy) lyrics, this album makes a fine addition to any CD collection.

Costello Partners with Hubris and Yields Variable Results
Having just heard Elvis Costello's masterful collaboration with Burt Bacharach, "Painted from Memory", for the first time this past month, I had high hopes for this equally unusual partnership with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter released in 2001. This time, however, Costello acts as arranger and producer, and it is von Otter who is front and center on vocals. She is among the most revered of singers on the opera and recital stages, and she has impressed me in the past, in particular, with her Dejanira in the 2002 Marc Minkowski-led performance of Handel's "Hercules", among many other roles she has embodied. Here she is called upon to be a pop chanteuse, and while the beauty of her voice is inarguable in any setting, her ability to interpret the diverse lyrics in these songs is far more debatable. This is where a Marianne Faithfull, a Blossom Dearie or even a Joni Mitchell could capture more of the underlying feeling with a fraction of the vocal power von Otter can provide but with twice the nuance. There is a rather sterile sameness to the performances here, somewhat jazz-inflected in a cocktail lounge manner at times and at other times, rather morose and dirge-like.
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Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Classical Crossover    4. Classical Vocal Crossover    5. Miscellaneous Vocal Music    6. Pop    7. Pop Vocals    8. Popular Music    9. Traditional Pop    10. Vocal    11. Vocal Music    12. Vocal Pop   

Features

• CD-single
• Enhanced
• Import

Reviews (1)

In Between Dreams
Just buy In Between Dreams.These are repeats from tracks on that CD and the In Between Dreams disc is amazing!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 5"CD Singles    2. Pop   

Editorial Review

Take one part Read more

Reviews (64)

Best since King of America
Clean out your ears.Listen to this cd five times and try and tell me it's not better than Spike, Juliet Letters, Useless Beauty, and even Brutal Youth.I won't believe you.
As good as it gets
I've never found fault with much that Elvis has produced over the years.Sure the braying, vibrato-laden voice requires suspension of certain critical impulses; and his tendancy to melodrama sometimes makes even the true believer waver.But for me these are really small quibbles when faced with the astonishing level of quality this man has consistently achieved.His lyrics conjure a complex range of associations that turn the denser songs into multi-faceted riddles.And no other lyrics today have the same authority and authenticity.Even if you don't know what the hell he's talking about, there's lots of fun in trying to figure it out (and singing along though your wife might leave you).The combination of these lyrics sung with Elvis' supercharged intensity backed by the confident, relaxed band on this record have come together into something special.This one really takes some time to get your head around, but when it clicks you realize it's the product of a mature master.

Goodbye talent
Poor sound quality.Unmelodic songs. Screeching instead of singing.Nothing on this album will give you goosebumps or make your feet move like even the worst song on Armed Forces or This Years Model.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop    5. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Recorded in Nashville with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Robyn Hitchcock's 23rd solo album in as many years finds him continuing in the acoustic mold of Read more

Reviews (16)

Big Kid
Mature release from this longtime UK kook.Finally gets it right with one delicious hook after another.Perfect pop in the grown-up realm of Eno/Cale's Wrong Way Up and Leonard Cohen's Ten New Songs.A delight from start to finish. <