One Nation Under a Groove Review

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(More customer reviews)Another solid cd from Funkadelic. Definitely for the Funkateer young or old!!! Of course the title cut "One Nation Under A Groove" is great, eventhough it is the 7:28 version, but there are other definitive jams on here. "Groovallegiance" is real low down and funky!! "Cholly" is a solid groove and gets you ready to roll. "Who Says A Funk Band Can't Play Rock" is a serious cut that demands immediate attention from the listener, because Funkadelic throws down on this one. "Lunchmeataphobia" is a real funk/rock groove that will tickle your senses. "Maggot Brain" is simply marvelous, like always, plus it is the live, "...ain't illegal yet" version. This entire CD represents the masterful composition and artistry of George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, and Gary Shider. The lyrics are pure, the melodies are solid, and the beats are simply funky. All Funkateers must have this CD, otherwise their collection is incomplete until they possess it.

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Great price for this 5 star album originally released in1978. Digitally remastered. Priority Records. 2002.

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Brave New World Review

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(More customer reviews)This was not my first album as a teenager, by far, but it was my first Steve Miller album. Steve Miller's third album, Brave New World, is among the best rock and roll ever. This album, which I first got when it was originally released, has fueled a 34 year love for his music. In all that time, it still remains my favorite rock and roll album ever.
Though the original vinyl has long since been lost, every time I have rebuilt my music collection as I raised a family, Brave New World was always the first album or CD I purchased.
There are only 9 songs on the album, but there are no fillers - this is all great stuff. I am not sure why it is, but the title track, Brave New World, has never made it into any of Steve's many, many "greatest hits" compilations even though it is one of his best works ever. Of course, 6 songs out of 9 on this album regularly show up in the compiliations: Celebration Song, Kow Kow Calculator, Seasons, Space Cowboy, LT`s Midnight Dream, and My Dark Hour. My Dark Hour, by the way, includes Paul McCartney on guitar as Paul Ramone.
So with 6 out of 9 songs considered to be among his greatest hits - and the other three songs are great music as well - this album belongs in every Steve Miller Band or other classic rock and roll collection, no matter how many versions of The Joker and Fly Like An Eagle you have in the compilations.
Updated: Just for the record, track 5 is not Kow Kow. It is Kow Kow Calculator. While the track was called Kow Kow on some of the compilations later on, the original name, as it was on the LP and still is shown on this CD, is Kow Kow Calculator.

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Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Mad Dogs & Englishmen (Dlx) Review

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(More customer reviews)With the release of the 35th anniversary edition of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen, the original version as great as it was, has now become obsolete. This delux edition, is packed with top notch bonus material that never made it to the original 2 album set in 1970. Cocker is phenominal on such bonus tunes like "The Weight", "Something, "Darling Be Home Soon", and of course his trademark "With A little Help From my Friends". All the above mentioned bonus tunes are further enhanced by the gospel drive of the space choir. The original version of "Delta Lady", is also extended with a third encore verse only seen in the movie. Add to that, a wonderful version of "Let It Be", by Claudia Lennear, taken from the actual movie, as well as 2 cuts by Leon Russell Hummingbird", and "Dixie Lullaby, and you can't help but feel the power of one of rocks greatest tours ever. The disc also has lots more verbal interaction with Joe and Leon, as well as an introduction by what sounds like promoter Bill Graham at the Fillmore East in New York. Also of note is the inclusion of studio versions of "The Letter" and "Space Captain", that were recorded just prior to the tour. Joe never sounded better on these rare takes, which are also presented for the first time in stereo. "Space Captain", is also an alternate version that has never been heard before. What makes this set so special, is the bonus material is all quality, with no filler that often plagues releases with bonus material. The cd ends fittingly with Leon Russell's "Ballad Of Mad Dogs and Englishmen", which also played during the end credits of the movie. The 24 page booklet is also a treat. Great new liner notes by J.P. Bean, Joe Cocker's biographer, along with photo's and information on each song only enhance this cd to elite status among reissue packages. Finally, I can't say enough about the remastering and sound quality of this recording, which far exceeds any prior edition, including those gold disc versions. If you are a Joe Cocker fan, you haven't heard Mad Dogs and Englishmen until this delux edition is part of your collection.

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In the pantheon of classic live albums as well as concert films, Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen is near the top, alongside Woodstock and The Last Waltz in defining the spirit of a generation. The tour, album and film catapulted Cocker, Leon Russell, and Rita Coolidge to stardom. Now, for the first time, the album, originally issued in 1970, is heard with previously unreleased tracks and studio cuts. The two-CD Mad Dogs & Englishmen: 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition reveals in full for the first time the repertoire of the craziest, loudest, longest rock 'n' roll circus to have ever hit America. Along with already-legendary performances of "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," "The Letter," "Delta Lady," "Bird on a Wire," "Cry Me a River," "Feelin' Alright," "Let's Go Get Stoned," and "Space Captain" are seven previously unreleased live performances (whose inclusion now reflects the actual sequence of the show's set list) and four rare studio recordings.

The debuting live performances are of Cocker's "The Weight," "Something," "Darling Be Home Soon," and "With a Little Help from My Friends"; Leon Russell's "Hummingbird" and "Dixie Lullaby"; and Don Preston's "Further On up the Road." In addition, Claudia Lennear's performance of "Let It Be," a single B-side, makes its album premiere. That recording, as well as Rita Coolidge's "Superstar," were taped at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium; the other performances took place earlier at the Fillmore East. Added too are the studio singles sessions of Russell's "The Ballad of Mad Dogs & Englishmen," the previously unreleased "Warm-Up Jam" (including "Under My Thumb"); the album debut and stereo debut of the single B-side "Space Captain" as well as "The Letter."

The tour rolled across America, from Detroit to New York to California, from March to May 1970. With Cocker in his prime, driven by a phenomenal band; ringmaster Russell; three drummers; horn section; 10-strong choir; wives, lovers and children; film crew; roadies; and a black-and-white-spotted dog, the tour was one of the greatest and most colorful in history. Thirty-five years later, the excitement of Mad Dogs & Englishmen remains.

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Hello I Must Be Going Review

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(More customer reviews)In my review for ...But Seriously, I implied that his 1989 chart-topper was the only essential Collins album. I was wrong. "Hello, I must be going!" is a great collection of songs, and one in the eye for anyone who thinks all PC songs sound alike. The variety here of moods, tempos and ideas is striking. I've never done this before on an amazon review, but here is a track by track analysis:
"I Don't Care Anymore": Listen to this one in the car on the way home from work--it will make you feel much better. Make sure to scream along with Phil. A hard rocker, rather In the Air Tonight-ish with its drums...still heard occasionally on classic rock stations.
"I Cannot Believe it's True": As a whole, HIMBG is less funky than Face Value, but PC brings the funk on this song. Great performance by the Phenix Horns. Good song, but my least favorite on the album (that should tell you something about the album!)
"Like China": Can Phil rock? This is one of PC's only songs with a straightforward guitar riff rock beat...and also, a good hook and great lyrics from Phil--tells a story of a young cockney lad (Phil) who promises to hold his young inexperienced girlfriend "like china."
"Do You Know Do You Care": Phil is phenomenal when he's pissed off (see In the Air Tonight, Domino, and track one of this same album!)...this is a slow and powerful song filled with rage at Phil's ex-wife (let us all prey to have better luck with marriage than Phil). Great when you're in the mood to let off some steam.
"You Can't Hurry Love": Okay, I don't have to fill you in on this one cos you all know it. A great pop song and ode to Motown.
"It Doesn't Matter to Me": Another good pop song from Phil with a nice hook and appealing horns, but all together one of the less special songs on the album. A very happy song, considering the title and the subject matter.
"Thru These Walls": PC used to introduce this song with, "This is for all you perverts out there," or something to that effect. A slow drum machine rhythm sets the tone for this one, which has Phil enjoying listening to a couple make love through the walls (presumably his ex-wife and her lover). An interesting song.
"Don't let him steal your heart away": When Phil brings the funk, he's good. When he's pissed off, he's even better...but he's at his best with plaintive, deeply personal compositions where we all feel the same emotions he's feeling. This song is a perfect example of the latter.
"The West Side": The funk is back! A driving and powerful musical piece, much better than its Face Value companion piece, "Hand in Hand."
"Why Can't it Wait Till Morning": Another one of those plaintive, deeply personal compositions...a great one to just close your eyes and listen to, it ends the album on a positive yet solemn note.
HIMBG is an absolutely essential album for anyone who likes Phil Collins' music, and is a Godsend for those of us who have come to appreciate the magic of his voice and his works.

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: COLLINS,PHILTitle: HELLO I MUST BE GOINGStreet Release Date: 07/07/1987

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The Weavers At Carnegie Hall Review

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(More customer reviews)I was given this album in the late 1950s when a young teenager. Since then I of course became a Bob Dylan disciple, then became heavily addicted to the best British rock and pop music, through The Who, The Beatles, Kinks, Animals and all the other members of that extraordinary 1960s caravanserai.
And amidst all that was the explosion into my consciousness of great classical music, experienced through the likes of Oistrakh and Richter, Giulini and Klemperer, Schwarzkopf and Popp.
I still love ALL types of great music. And I still regularly return to The Weavers and still marvel at their art and their commitment. And of all their recordings I have heard since they first impinged on my young consciousness, this 1955 concert at Carnegie Hall is still the freshest, thumpingest, foot-stomping best. Buy it now. No matter what your age, it will enrich your musical life forever.

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Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Review

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(More customer reviews)Control showed her to be a massive singles act, but Rhythm Nation: 1814 proved that Janet Jackson was not only capable of propelling a song, but fully conceiving a concept album as well. Rhythm Nation: 1814 was her most coherent artistic statement and, sadly, also her last truly great album: Edgy and diverse, dark but never completely forboding, Rhythm Nation combined tough beats, irresistible melodies and anthemic lyrics to build an R&B landmark.
The title track opens the album with a real kick, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis' mighty rhythm track, the massive backing vocals and the stunning chorus. "State of the World" was a deserved radio hit (which but for the lack of a commercial release would've been the album's *eighth* Top 10 single); "Miss You Much" added a maturity and a harder-edged sound to her Control dance formula and triumphed in spades; "Come Back to Me" and "Lonely"'s Spanish guitars and moody keyboards helped Janet achieve her first good ballad performances ("Let's Wait Awhile" from Control came tumbling down into the syrup jug); "Black Cat" was "Beat It" updated with snarling guitar riffs and a growling Janet Jackson lead vocal; and "Escapade" proved that Miss J. hadn't lost her sense of fun.
Sonically this is the only Janet Jackson album that doesn't sound dated at all -- even The Velvet Rope and janet. heralded to an '80s sound, looking back instead of forward. Rhythm Nation: 1814, on the other hand, was a prophetic and important work, and ten years after its release holds up to scrutiny on all fronts -- vocal performance, arrangement, recording, groove.

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No Description Available.Genre: Soul/R&BMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 18-SEP-1989

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Bad (Spec) Review

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(More customer reviews)I know some of you are going to say it's just plain sacrilegious but hey, just because everybody jumps into the lake.... "Thriller" is a great album with great tracks and because of a variety of fortunate reasons e.g. timeliness, MTV etc, has become the biggest selling album of all-time but that doesn't mean that everything else that MJ comes up with later that doesn't sell as much is crap.
In fact, this is the album when MJ's weirdness first became pretty obvious. "Hey! Is that really Michael on the cover?" was my reaction as well but I chose to look beyond the looks and not to judge the book by the cover and just listened to the tunes. Some of my favourite MJ songs ever are on this disc.
"The Way You Make Me Feel" is an MJ classic and clearly among his top 5 ever songs. "Smooth Criminal" was always a great track even before Alien Ant Farm showed us why, "Liberian Girl" and "Man in the Mirror" are also great tracks and the rest of the tracks cannot be called album filler by any stretch of the imagination.
The sound quality of this special edition has also been remastered to near perfection and the bonus interviews and tracks are a real bonus to fans. This album grows on you over time and for me has aged a lot better than "Thriller" has. Maybe I've heard "Thriller" too many times but give me a choice between the two if I had to put one of them on the cd player, I'd choose "Bad" any time and if not "Off the Wall" before I'd reach for "Thriller."
Get over the Wacko Jacko hangup and just judge the cd for the tracks if you can and then you'll see just how great this album really is. This very well remastered and special edition is very highly recommended.

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No Description Available.Genre: Popular MusicMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 16-OCT-2001

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Wildest Dreams Review

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(More customer reviews)In the 1980's, the now legendary success story of Tina Turner made her one of the biggest female recording artists ever. Her days of loneliness with Ike were over, and she now back on track, with multi-million selling albums such as "Private Dancer," "Break Every Rule" and "Foreign Affair." A greatest hits collection, "Simply The Best" followed in 1991, with the soundtrack to the autobiographical movie on Tina's troubled life, "What's Love Got To Do With It?"
Fans were left eagerly awaiting Tina's latest release - her first album of brand new songs in seven years. It arrived in September 1996, and was called "Wildest Dreams." The album has experienced moderate success in America, but big sales have been achieved in Europe where Tina is by far at her most famous. The album produced many Top 10 hits and further proved that - now in her 60's - Tina Turner is still a rock legend and a true force to be reckoned with.
Wildest Dreams opens with the fantastic song "Missing You." This cover-version is absolutely fantastic, and Tina's vocals are very impressive. Heavy guitars and drums are added to awesome effect and violin strikes towards the end are particularly enjoyable. A fantastic Tina classic. "In My Wildest Dreams" is another highlight. There is only one word to describe this song - sexy! Tina's vocals are gravely and husky in such a mysterious tone, and the beat is deep and moody. The lyrics are equally intense, and a vocal guest appearance from Antonio Banderas spices things up even further. With "Whatever You Want," Tina goes back to her hardcore rock roots by pumping out this absolutely amazing power ballad and sings to her lover, telling him that whatever he wants, he can have. "Do What You Do" is a pure pop dance number. An infectious beat dominates the song, and Tina's incredible vocals twist around the arrangement perfectly.
"Thief Of Hearts" is a brilliant dance number in which Tina hits the disco floor and belts out a fantastic song about loving guys, giving them what they want, and running away while stealing their hearts. "On Silent Wings" is a wonderful mid-tempo ballad which will relax any listener. Tina's vocals are once more on top form, and the beat is very open and beautiful. You can imagine Tina stood on a mountain top singing this song, because it has such an excellent melody. "Something Beautiful Remains" is an average song on this album. It's not the best song, but it's good enough with some great lyrics and a mysterious beat. "Confidential" is another highlight. Penned by the Pet Shop Boys, the song is about Tina telling her lover that she can keep anything confidential if he indeed confides in her. The melody is relaxing and tranquil, and Tina's voice is smooth and silky.
"The Difference Between Us" is not featured on my version of this album, so I cannot comment on it. "All Kinds Of People" is a wonderful mid-tempo song about the various races in the world, and how everyone is equal. A real quality power anthem. Tina's cover-version of Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy" isn't as good as the original version, but it's a worthy effort. "Goldeneye," the theme from the James Bond film of the same name, is another album highlight. Tina's trademark husky vocals make this song sizzle, and the traditional strings of a Bond theme are also present. "Dancing In My Dreams" is an excellent ballad in which Tina sings about dancing in her dreams. There isn't much of a beat, but the drums make for a heavenly kind of image in the brain.
OVERALL GRADE: 9/10
Wildest Dreams is not Tina Turner's best album, but it does come very close to being so. It seems that at present, Tina Turner is taking a well-deserved break after a hectic 40 years in the music business. The woman deserves all her success and the fact that her record sales are fast approaching 100 million is something to be very proud of. Wildest Dreams is the kind of album that you can put on to chill out or relax to. It's definitely not a party album, but it's not meant to be. Buy it now and experience this legend.

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