Editorial Review

Since severing his epochal partnership with Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon's solo career been characterized by restless reinvention. But while it's easy to see such disparate, cross-cultural collaborations as Read more

Reviews (166)

Not doing what he does best
"Suprise" is a good album, and while several people seemed to be disappointed with "You're the One" and our "suprisingly" happy with this one, I just the opposite.I have loved every one of Simon's albums until this one.I appreciate the fact that he has stepped out of his comfort zone, but the zone he moved into doesn't seem to fit his style.
the holy man only breaks bread
Which of these was more befuddling:the fact that Paul Simon and Brian Eno -- two musicians as legendary and as monstrously talented as you'll ever run across -- conjoined to rail against metrosexuality, or the fact that said union yielded summer's most surprisingly poignant (and to boot, most boldly mature) four minutes of music?"Outrageous" is quintessential late-career Simon (other words, the lyrics are almost too cutesy to tolerate, something that began twenty years ago with "You Can Call Me Al" (his last major radio hit, incidentally) and has only gotten more severe with each successive release), but Eno quite obviously kept the reins pulled very tight.The result was blissfully unnerving, the kind of song you need to listen to four or five times to fully grasp (and with headphones each time, lest a thousand or more of Eno's inlaid electronic blips and textural rudiments go hurtling straight past you), the kind of song that sets up its protagonist by mocking him for doing nine hundred situps a day and painting his hair "the color of mud" but then flips it around, allowing sarcasm to melt into empathy by asking, "Who's gonna love you when your looks are gone?"And for a writer who almost had us convinced that his best material was over three decades behind him ("ain't no fool / for love songs / that whisper / in my ears / still crazy / after all these years," anyone?), this was about as stupendous as comebacks get.

the lyrics are amazing
The music is chill as normal, and the lyrics are inspiring and poetic.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

The style known as "anti-folk," as realized by practitioners like Ani DiFranco and Billy Bragg, is derived from a punk aesthetic, and thus tends to be spare and confrontational. But while Regina Spektor's music is anti-folk in the way it subverts the traditional coffeehouse vibe, it's less interested in rebellion and more concerned with the joy of eccentricity, melody and surprise. Read more

Reviews (30)

Clever, quirky, touching--- amazing
I think she is just brillant. I've seen her live once now-- and she just sets the room on fire with talents. I have loved her since the moment I fell upon Soviet Kitsch and I am addicted to "Begin To Hope". I simply can't listen to it enough. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. I think I may have "Samson" on repeat for the next century or so.

good second
I saw Regina Spektor play recently in Los Angeles. It was at the El Rey Theater. It was sold out. There was an excitement in the air, which you imagine there was for the Beatles. Regina Spektor has a lot of young female fans. Maybe it was some girls who saw her play a few years ago opening for the Strokes or Kings of Leon? Anyway I have seen her play a few times now, and the audiences are getting bigger and more enthusiastic. This is the sort of audience that you get for Bjork or Joanna Newsom. Everyone is quiet and on the edge of their seats. They hang on to every word. The first album was quirky and sort of fit in with the anti-folk thing. This record is a more planned out thing. It's a better-produced record. There are some really poppy songs like "Better." This sounds like a hit for anyone else. This record has more experience behind it, and Regina has grown up a little bit. She sounds really good. Not a weak moment on here. Even Nick Valensi of the Strokes appears on a song.

I like it but i don't love it
Regina Spector is getting a lot of publicity these days. She is all the rage. She also is definitely not in the mainstream and this is an acquired taste.
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Subjects:  1. Anti-Folk    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop    5. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

It's taken a mere 28 years, but Kiss frontman Paul Stanley has finally followed up the, er, promise of his part of the band's 1978 quartet of post-Read more

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

Editorial Review

Paul McCartney's new "classical" oratorio is called Read more

Reviews (9)

Classical Music From a Class Act
After years traveling down his Long & Winding Road that led to this collection, it was well worth the wait.Paul McCartney has turned his travails into triumph; his challenges into championships.
Just Beautiful
I've never been a fan of classical music, but I've really enjoyed this cd. You can feel the spirituality in the music. Paul McCartney is a rare talent! I love this CD!

Great classical McCartney effort.
I am a Mccartney fan. I liked his other classical work. But this is something different. It's much better. More flowing sounds. Coherent. It was 9 years in the making.
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Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Choral    3. Choral Music    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers   

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Editorial Review

Tim McGraw's second greatest-hits collection in six years is also his ninth consecutive debut at #1 on the Billboard country charts. That means he must be doing something right. But what, precisely, aside from keeping up his hunk factor, and maturing his voice? Well--choosing dynamic songs that resonate at the very core of most folks' emotional center, for starters. So it's no surprise that this 16-song package kicks off with "Live Like You Were Dying," his ten-week #1 crossover hit. In addition to chart-toppers dating from 1995 ("Not a Moment Too Soon"), McGraw fills the track list with two smashes that never appeared on his own albums: his Grammy-winning duet with wife Faith Hill, "Like We Never Loved At All," and "Over and Over," the soulful Nelly confession in which McGraw, his voice technically altered, essentially serves as the rapper's tortured psyche. Of the four new songs, a cover of Ryan Adams's "When the Stars Go Blue" emerges as a stellar example of the pained loner ballads McGraw does so well, and brings to mind the faint desperation inherent in his interpretation of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." And "My Little Girl," one of two rare McGraw co-writes here (joining "I've Got Friends Who Do"), draws on his experience as a parent and promises to flatten any father who's ever tucked in his daughter. Through the years, McGraw's on-record persona has evolved from the wimpish underdog ("Don't Take the Girl") to the strong, sensitive alpha male, both in his take-charge delivery and his sometimes edgy repertoire ("Red Ragtop"). All in all, this lengthy, hooky offering isn't just a "value pack" for McGraw fans--it's reason to hire a skywriter. Read more

Reviews (39)

It's Tim - What's not to love???
This album is as good or better than Tim McGraw and The Dancehall Doctors!Awesome!If you are a McGraw fan, this is a must have to your collection!

Could be better, but it's another solid "hits" record from Tim
Tim McGraw's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 is the second collection of hits from Tim.For the most part, it's a solid collection.Most of this record's material consists of songs Tim recorded with his own backup band, The Dancehall Doctors.Tim's signature song "Live Like You Were Dying" is on here, along with "Red Ragtop", "My Old Friend", "She's My Kind Of Rain", "Real Good Man", and "Watch The Wind Blow By".Tim also included some of his hits from the late '90s and the early part of this decade.Tim's 2001 hits "Grown Men Don't Cry" and "The Cowboy In Me" are on this record, along with "Everywhere" and "Not A Moment Too Soon", songs that I think were mistakenly left off his first Greatest Hits album.To go on, there's yet another husband-and-wife duet featuring Tim and Faith Hill, "Like We Never Loved At All", from Faith's recent Fireflies album.Tim's duet with rap superstar Nelly, "Over And Over", is a change-of-pace song that lightens things up.Tim's completely new songs include "My Little Girl", "I've Got Friends That Do", "Beautiful People", and his current hit "When The Stars Go Blue", all well-done numbers.
Gotta Love It
Guys, if you've got feelings for Tim, you're gonna love this one. If you know anything about honest to God country music, this is what you look for. This guy is extremely good and his music fits. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Contemporary Country    3. Country    4. Country-Pop    5. Neo-Traditionalist Country    6. Pop    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

One of country's fastest-rising acts, Sugarland arrive at their follow-up to 2004's triple-platinum Read more

Subjects:  1. Country    2. Pop   

Editorial Review

One of the few contemporary bands to land a decidedly roots-rock song on the charts with 2004's Grammy-winning "Heaven," Los Lonely Boys solidified their status as youngsters with an established sound on their first disc. On this highly anticipated studio followup, all talk of the sophomore jinx dissipates with the opening soul-drenched riff rocker "My Way." Although horns are added for extra drama, the three Garza brothers nail this groove as Henry's Stevie Ray Vaughan-fortified guitar powers one of the boys' most fiery performances. Supporter and mentor Willie Nelson joins on the wah-wah driven, Waylon Jennings-styled "Outlaws," as does the brothers' musician father Enrique Sr. Tough midtempo ballads such as "Home" and the very Santana-ish "I Never Met a Woman" follow in the footsteps of "Heaven" as candidates for slow dance song of the year.Read more

Reviews (37)

One of the Best Records Since Texas Flood
I just recently purchased this reocrd and it blew me away.Then as a bonus I got to see then perform live, also spectacular.The Boys are amazing musicians and singers. If you close your eyes and listen Henri at times he sounds just like Stevie Ray.
A Gem
This album is a pearl, a gem, a diamond. It has one great track after another. There are 13 in all, and you can flip a coin to determine the best cut. LLB's harmonies are sensational, guitar-playing just right. There's a perfect blend of horns, B-3 Hammond, harmonica, sensual tones done in English and Spanish. Sometimes I close my eyes, listen to this disc, over and over again, and think, "how could music sound any better." It can't. I've always felt that reviews are a road map, that buyers should listen to the cuts and determine for themselves. Anyone who doesn't give this 5 stars is deaf to tone and lacks a total understanding of the broad spectrum of music, composition, style and substance. I also caution reviewers to compare artists to one another. I often see other musicians appear in reviews as comparisons. To me, this is nothing more than looking for a needle in a haystack. This cd is a big time winner, just check out the Billboard Charts, not how much you could buy a used copy for. If that was the case, Springsteen's Born to Run (and many, many, many others) are pieces of [...], given they on the net for pennies. My gosh. LLB are mega-talented and Sacred showcases that they will be a major player in the biz for years to come.

Los Lonely Boys SACRED
They don't let the music get in the way of the music.
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Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock & Roll    4. Rock/Pop    5. Roots Rock    6. Tex-Mex    7. United States of America   

Reviews (17)

ONLY 1 CD
This is only 1 CD.If you want both CD's don't buy this.I thought I was getting 2 CD's.I feel ripped off.

Not the 2 CD collection
This is the best of the 2 CD collection. One of the better compliations out there.

not too satisfied
I misunderstood when I bought this album I thought I was getting both discs. What a bummer! Anyway, the disc I got wasn't too bad. It is fun to go back a few years and remember special moments from high school. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Post-Grunge    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop Collections    7. V/a Compilations   

Features

• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (8)

"DEEP BLUE" FINALLY AVAILABLE!
MY REVIEW WOULD'NT BE ANYTHING OTHER REVIEWS HAVE'NT SAID (THE EXTRA DVD WAS EXPENSIVE, HAVE NEW TRACKS ON BOOTLEGS.........)BUT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A DECENT VERSION OF "DEEP BLUE" FOR YEARS. BACK ABOUT 1971 LOCAL SAN ANTONI0 RADIO PLAYED IT LIKED CRAZY. FOR YEARS ALL I'VE HAD IS A WORN 45 WHICH I'VE TRIED TO DIGITALLY RESTORE FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. BUT NOW IT'S FINALLY ON CD! (TO HIS SURPRISE GEORGE WAS TOLD BY AN INTERVIEWER IT WAS A BIG JUKEBOX HIT IN THE STATES).JUST WANTED ADD MY 2 CENTS.

Brillante continuacion despues de "All things must pass" con una gran remasterizacion
Despues de lanzar el sobresaliente "All things must pass" y el exito rotundo de "Concert for Bangladesh" en el Madison Square Garden, George Harrison lanza este disco que en mi opinión personal, es una excepcional saga despues de esos discos.
Spriritual George
Living In The Material World is a solid follow up to George Harrison's All Things Must Pass. Mr. Harrison was easily the most spiritual Beatle and he's never been afraid of preaching his beliefs. Songs like "The Light That Has Lighted The World", "The Lord Loves The One (Who Loves The Lord)", "Who Can See It" and the number one hit "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" all expound on Mr. Harrison's spiritual beliefs. Despite all the love, Mr. Harrison can wield a sharp pen and that always when he's been most interesting. On songs like "Sue Me, Sue You Blues", the title track and "Try Some, Buy Some" he looks at the Beatles' on going lawsuits, the commercialism of the day and other things with a harder edge that he peace and love songs. The album was a big hit, going all the way to number one, the last time he would reach the summit on the album charts.The remastered version adds a great depth of sound to the original cd edition.
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Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (776)

Landmark
If all documentation of music was destroyed (99% of today's music should be anyways)this album would be the only blueprint needed for an ALBUM.

Definitely the best
Even more than Pepper, I think this was the album that changed pop music forever. I was in the UK and a teen at the time, and I have to admit it took several listenings and a healthy dose of illegal srimulants to figure it out. Today the music is still revolutionary and I no longer need the stimulants (sniff) but it ranks as one of the best 5 albums of all time

Whose Top 10?
I've no designs on being iconoclastic or a hater or anything like that, so before you read on, please understand that. I fully understand that Beatles fans can be a fanatically loyal bunch who back up their beliefs with scores of critical support from the "experts" who have annointed the Beatles as kings of rock and roll music and innovators of all sorts of styles, production values, and other musical milestones. One reviewer even had the audacity to say that this album was "unquestionably" one of the greatest works of art of the 20th century. Well, I certainly question it. Am I able to say that "Road to Ruin" by The Ramones is unquestionably one of the greatest works of art of the 20th century as well? Why not? It's all subjective no matter how much one wants to convey their expertise. This album is good but there are dozens I'd rather hear instead and that criterion alone is the sole one I use to rate albums. As with so much of the Beatles, a bit less of the excessive banner waving and veneration would be a nice change.
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Subjects:  1. British Invasion    2. British Psychedelia    3. Drums    4. England    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Popular Music    8. Psychedelic    9. Rock    10. Rock & Roll    11. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (58)

But.....I Like It
In 25 words or less...interesting music by great musicians..they continue to break the mold....and challenge our ears...bravo MV...

Amputate some songs...
If someone were to ask me the answer to today's Pink Floyd, my response might be The Mars Volta. With 2003's Deloused in the Comatorium, the galactic battlefield that is Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez's guitar work ripped apart the common man while the saucy vocals of one Cedric Bixler Zavala put it all back together again. Their music was weird, trippy and, for the most part, frighteningly original.
Humans as ornaments
This is the first disc I've heard by The Mars Volta (TMV) and I can understand why this could be a negative experience for some. Piercing dissonant guitar tones that could shatter glass, odd time signatures and weird changes during a song usually turn most people off. Adding creepy shrieking sax playing and falsetto vocals that can warp your eardrums and sound Chipmunkish at times, and you have a difficult listen indeed. For me, TMV sound like a combination of Faith No More, King Crimson, and Santana. All songs on this disc, less the beginning and final track, are intriguing and the simple groove of "Meccamputechture" is infectious. The production suffers at times from audible distortion and the drums are buried in the mix, but these are only minor issues to an otherwise solid release. Definitely makes me want to check out more of their discs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Post-Hardcore    3. Post-Rock/Experimental    4. Progressive Metal    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Enhanced
• Content/Copy-Protected CD

Reviews (158)

its ok, but its not the best
its not bad but its not the best.i used to love 30 seconds to mars when their second cd came out, but by the time i had listened to it a couple of times i was awfully tired of jared leto being so loud on the songs' choruses.he just gets so monotonous.
Absent the space odessy this album still rocks.
When 30stm released their debut album I immediately fell in love with it. Call me a dork but I loved all the crazy lyrics about the life on Mars and being on Jupiter.
best band out there today!
i listened to the first album n thought that it was a good sound coming from a band who has a movie star for a lead singer.... but this album changed my entire perspective on 30 seconds to mars..... THEY R F'N SICK ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Neo-Prog    2. Pop    3. Post-Grunge    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Live

Reviews (6)

Not their best, but not horrible
I have every album these guys have put out, and I must admit I was a but dissapointed when I listened to this concert. The thing about DMB is that they are always changing and trying new things. The addition of Rashawn Ross is great for the new songs, but hearing him play on the old songs takes some getting used to. Out of all the songs my favorite would have to be "Break Free." It is by far their best new song in a long time. Another problem with this show is that they made separate tracks for some of the songs that lead into other songs. I like to hear "Pantala Naga Pampa" go right into "Rapunzel" and "So Much to Say" go into "Anyone seen the Bridge." If you have it on an MP3 player it doesn't flow all that well. If you want a really good concert pick up "Live at Central Park," it's their best live album outside of the Live Trax Series.

nice collection of songs, but...
it just doesn't sound quite right.I am a big fan of being able to hear the crowd reaction on live albums and for the most part you would never know anyone was there.Of the live DMB performances I have, this has to be my least favorite.

Disappointing
This is a pretty poor set from DMB.While the rest of the band is, for the most part, in fine form, Dave's voice has never sounded more brittle.He is painfully off-key at times, in almost every song.Sad to say but I would recommend every other live album the band has released (and there's a lot) before recommending this one.A set for completists only.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Trad Rock    3. Jam Bands    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

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Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Boogie Rock    3. Jam Bands    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The Who's mighty catalog of beautiful, poignant, and often silly pop songs bashed out with Cassius Clay finesse has suffered in the past at the hands of multiple, butcher-shop best-ofs and horrible packaging. But this thrilling band--undeniably one of ye classicke rocke's greatest--gets the career-spanning entry-point compilation it deserves with the double-disc Read more

Features

• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (166)

WOOWHO!
A great collection of music. 35 of The Who's best songs it's got em' all from "Won't Get Fooled Again" to my personal favorite "My Generation". This is a great greatest hits album. By one of the most talented bands ro ever come out of the UK. These guys are great. Buy this album NOW!

overrated
don't get me wrong, there's some great stuff here: Behind Blue Eyes, Substitute, Bargain, Won't gGet Fooled Again, Baba O'Reilly, a few others.But if the Who are going to be in the co. of the all time greats, there shouldn't be any filler on a 2 disk set anthology.They're the most overrated band in rock history. tried to be rockin' and rollin' rock and roll while at the same time putting a lot of effort into concept albums, didn't get the mix right.Pink Floyd mastered the concept album 'per se', David Bowie gave us the concept album that really wasn't (rise & fall of zig strdst & spdrs frm mrs), while tommy, 4ophenia, and the one that was aborted (I forget the working title)fall short, somewhere in between. Just as the Who fall short, somewhere in between the Beatles, Stones and Led Zep. Daltrey as a great frontman? gimme a break; not worthy of shining the shoes of Jagger or Plant, not even Ozzy (in his prime with Sabbath) or Ian Gillan (Deep Purple). He doesn't even sing on some of their most famous songs, and he didn't write any of them (to go by the liner notes that came with this disc, anyway).Many of their songs are described as quirky. 'silly' is closer to the mark. How 'bout just 'dumb'?The Stones declared that 'time was on their side' and marched defiantly in the face of all obstacles, including time itself . The Who promised that they would die before they got old, on the other hand, and failed to deliver. This was my last attempt to 'get into' a band that I USED TO feel guilty for never having 'gotten into'

Easily one of the most talented groups to come out of UK
This album demonstrates the musical mastery of the legendary Who. It's also interesting how today's groups like Green Day and Limp Bizkit don't even close to the Who. And to Orion, a reviewer on this forum, you're a sad case, my friend. I sincerely hope that you successfully seek out the psychological help that you so desperately are in need of. ... Read more

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

Editorial Review

When an indie-rock band as intimately and fiercely loved as Death Cab for Cutie makes the inevitable major-label jump, it often telegraphs a painful death. Witness Husker Du, the Replacements, Nirvana--hell, even R.E.M. After a successful four-album run on tiny Seattle imprint Barsuk, however, Death Cab for Cutie just might buck the trend on its Atlantic premiere. Yes, you can grumble about the production (a little too slick), the proportion of ballads (a little too many) and the overall feeling of restraint (a little too much), but ultimately the album delivers everything the group does best in emotional, experimental songs such as "What Sarah Said" and "I Will Follow You into the Dark," which both blend stark lyrical details with acoustic guitars and soft-focus electronics. In "Soul Meets Body," meanwhile, songwriter Ben Gibbard has come up with the kind of blissful, beatific pop song that's capable of disarming even the harshest skeptic. "A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere," he sings. Read more

Reviews (250)

Remarkable
"Plans" is a subtle but crucial development for Death Cab For Cutie. While the songwriting approach is recognisable from their previous albums, their production has opened up - the music sounds wider, richer, and their palette of sound is far wider.
A heart-breaking disappointment...
I'm not going to say I'm a long-time Death Cab fan, but my fondness for the band has led me through their entire catalogue, from Transatlanticism all the way back to You Can Play These Songs With Chords, my personal favorite being We Have The Facts... I tend to prefer lo-fi indie rock, though the sheer strength of Death Cab's songwriting kept me a fan up through Trans.
Transatlanticism wasn't as good as this...
DCFC has really peaked with this one.A solid performance through and through, this one is more enjoyable from start to finish than their last album was.They received a lot of radio airplay for a couple of the songs off of this one and it was well-deserved as they finally received national attention. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Dream Pop    3. Indie Pop    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Twee Pop   

Reviews (2)

Great Guitar Duo
This is a fabulous, very high energy, instrumental album. Rodrigo and Gabriela combine their metal roots with latin melodies, and use the guitar as a percussion instrument in a way I've never seen before. See them live if you can. They grew up in Mexico city trying to make it playing in a metal band, and are now living in Ireland with this album that hit the top of the Irish music charts.

AMAZING.
This is an unbelievable album, and I definitely recommend it. Rodrigo y Gabriela are two amazingly talented musicians. The way they mix so many different genres is incredible and makes the music they create unique, fun, and exciting. A friend recommended them to me, and I was a bit skeptical at first as I've never even really thought about listening to a guitar album, but now I'm completely hooked. I've found it's great to have on in the background in my dorm, and everyone that's heard it in my room has loved it as well. To sum things up, BUY THIS ALBUM! It is well worth it! ... Read more

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

Reviews (5)

Solomon's Country Heart
As a previous reviewer already pointed out, at least in terms of artistic depth if not style, Nashville is a worthy successor to the wonderful "Don't Give Up On Me."
THIS WILL BE YOUR FAVORITE FOR 2006
Solomon Burke singing country is the best thing to happen to Nashville.Take an artist who is always exactly who he is, bring in the finest producer (Buddy Miller), the finest musicians and writers and the finest duet pairings (Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin and Patty Loveless) to surround him and 14 songs later, you have yourself your favorite cd - like an old friend.It isn't Solomon Burke "playing cowboy."It is Solomon Burke being Solomon Burke and offering a point of view that fervently honors country music.
A Master At Work
I am another long-time fan of Burke's, and am rapturous over his revitalized career. 'Nashville' picks up where the brilliant 'Don't Give Up On Me' left off, with Burke again wrapping his warm, rich pipes around songs worthy of them.