title: Devotion and Purity

text:
This is the second CD of four that Harry Christophers and his team put together for the Chandos Chaconne label containing all eleven of Handel’s “Chandos Anthems”. This particular volume, recorded at St. Jude’s Church in London from the eleventh to the thirteenth of October 1988, contains Anthems 4 through 6: “O Sing Unto the Lord a New Song”, based on Psalms 93 and 96; “I Will Magnify Thee”, based on Psalms 144 and 145; and “As Pants the Hart for Cooling Streams” with a text taken from Psalm 42. The last of these was probably the first of the Chandos Anthems to be composed, having originally been conceived as an anthem for choir and organ for the Chapel Royal in 1712, not long after Handel arrived in England. It seems quite amazing that a composer from Lutheran North Germany who had recently been writing extravagant cantatas and operas in Catholic Italy should now come to England and write Anglican church music with such incredible facility! “As Pants the Hart for Cooling Streams” is one of my favorite pieces of Handel and is here warmly performed by Lynne Dawson, soprano, Ian Partridge, tenor, and the Sixteen Choir (5 sopranos, 4 tenors, 4 basses – James Brydges, the future Duke of Chandos, had at that time no altos in his chapel choir) together with the Sixteen Orchestra (eight violins in unison, two cellos and one each of double bass, oboe, bassoon and organ). My only criticism is levelled at the solo violin, here played by “Konzertmeisterin” Julie Miller – it seems to me that the solo passages could have been used to much greater effect.

The other two anthems are equally brilliant. Each opens with a “sonata” that Handel later used again when composing instrumental music. The anthems themselves consist of choral numbers interspersed with relatively short solo arias and the occasional duet, some of these numbers being absolute classics of their kind. In “O Sing Unto the Lord” there is the tenor aria, “The Waves of the Sea Rage Horribly” with its stormy realisation of the text, followed by the absolutely ravishing duet “O Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness”, where Lynne Dawson’s voice achieves a devotion and purity that can scarcely be equalled. In “I Will Magnify Thee” it is tenor Ian Partridge who gets most of the well-deserved glory with three solo arias: Listen to “The Lord Preserveth All Them that Love Him” to see what he can do with Handel’s admittedly inspired music!

The quality of the engineering is excellent, slightly better than on Volume 1, with the soloists in particular very clearly captured.

If, like me, you are slowly collecting Handel’s vocal music, do not miss this CD. I should perhaps point out, however, that Chandos have re-issued the whole Chandos Anthems set in a 4-CD box with generous pricing, so if you don’t own any of the set, you would do better to buy all four CDs at once.


title: Good Choices

text: This is an excellent overview of traditional jazz music. I would highly recommend this CD to everyone interested in early jazz music.  The choices made by the MOMA are all well and good. It covers quite a large sample of jazz and will not therefore fulfill everyone's desires. But there is certainly some great music available to the jazz enthusiast.  The only drawback I would note is that the quality of some of the pieces are low fi (Edith Piaf's recording).  This may or may not be to the listeners liking. Of course, the later works are of very good quality (Take Five). All in all this is a great find.


title: on you listeners

text: It's a real blast from the past, where kids sat or laid down on the floor listening with all their might, painting vivid images in their heads. Try any of Sargeant Preston's radio collected stories, and put your imagination to work!


Love this cd... absolutely beautiful music.


title: A great CD by a Wonderful Songbird.

text: I have owned this CD in cassette form for over 12 years and the songs still are special to me.  Having attended 2 concerts by Elkie back in 1988 and 89, I have seen first hand the energy she puts into her singing.  The songs are hard hitting and her voice really drives home the words.  From the title song, "No More the Fool", to "Hold the dream", the songs are so well done.  Elkie's rendition of Bob Seger's song "We've Got Tonight",  is unbelievable good.  I recommend this CD to any one who enjoys singers like Elkie Brooks,  Bonnie Tyler, Meatloaf, and others with a hard edge to their ballads.


title: Five Stars

text: excellent


title: Another great release

text:
A much more breath of fresh air than what 243 was. Hi-NRG Attack's tracks are a majorly different hue than their 220-230 era tracks. Delta's submissions are under a different production team this time around, and that greatly adds to the more unique sound of this album. SCP tries to vary outside the box with the return of the Bliss alias. SinclaireStyle features two great duets. No BoomBoomBeat this time around. Domino makes an appearance with son Kaioh, and Manuel has a quirky video game reminiscent riff. We also get two tracks that push the 160 bpm tempo. Great album all around.

1.Louise - Gimme Some Lovin
2.Deemo - The Spirit Of The Night
3.Ace - Turn Me On
4.Ana & Lol - Jump Into The Yellow
5.Pimky - Give A Stop To Mind Burnouts
6.Nick Festari - Tiger Mask
7.Stephy Martin - Time Goes By
8.Black Eva - Put An Arrow
9.Dream Fighters - Don't Wanna Love You Tonight
10.Bliss - Unforgettable Unbelievable
11.Manuel - A Bit Of Eurobeat
12.Lilly - You Send My Money Round
13.Chai & Roberta - Gallop
14.Lou Master - Rockin On The Highway
15.Kaioh & Domino - King Of The Road

No official parapara routines yet from Tokyo, but State-side promotion Higher Illusion have given routines to Spirit of The Night & Gallop.


title: Great end to the 230s era

text:
Great end to the 230s era.

1.Dave Rodgers - Restarted Tonight ***
2.Lolita - Made For Love ***
3.Dejo & Chai - We Rock'Em All
4.Seastar - Made Out Of Fire
5.Cherry - Never Again
6.Franz Tornado - Sexy Gaucho
7.Norma Sheffield - Love Love Love ***
8.Dream Fighters - Firebird
9.Cindy - Bed Girl
10.Luke - Touchdown ***
11.J.3 Benz - Let Me Fly On Tokyo Night ***
12.Manuel - Temple Of Desire
13.F.C.F. - Babe I Know ***
14.Bon - Power Fighter ***
15.Bamboo Bimbo - Go Kooky Go ***

*** Official Parapara routine from SEF/StarFire in Tokyo


title: SEB 240's!

text:
Great start to the 240's era of SEB. New vocalists from Delta, and returning vocalists from Hi-NRG Attack & GoGo's Music.

Parapara routines from SEF/Starfire in Tokyo include:

Mari - I Love You From My Soul
Mega NRG Man - I'm Back
Cindy - Fallen Angel
Ace & Seastar - Come Alive
Cherry - I'm Dynamite
Megan - Bang My Heart
Hotblade - Face Down


title: SEB Love!

text:
100 Anniversary tracks! DJ Boss really put some love into this volume. Nice transitions, nice track selection, and nice effects over the tracks!

Gold Side: A nice selection of tracks from the mid 90s to 2001. Boss actually picked tracks that haven't been on an Anniversary disc, at least not in a while, and tracks like Try Me, Seventies, and King & Queen were knocked off this release. Gold Side includes the EDM remix of Yesterday.

Silver Side: Most tracks are from 2008-2015. Mixing is excellent (for an Anniversary mix). Silver Side includes the EDM remix of Night of Fire.

Disc 1: Gold Side
1.Domino - Mickey Mouse March
2.Dave McLoud - Mikado
3.Fastway - Number One
4.Dave Rodgers - Kingdom Of Rock
5.Domino - I Wanna Dance
6.Lolita - Romeo & Juliet
7.Dave, Domino & Virginelle - Anniversary
8.Mega NRG Man - Burning Desire
9.Oda - Shy Gun
10.Domino - Popteen
11.Virginelle - Jealousy
12.Niko - Speedway
13.Mako - Dancer
14.Dr. Love - Eurobeat
15.Nando - Music Go Wild
16.Madison - You Can Light My Fire
17.Edo Boys - No One Sleep In Tokyo
18.Macho Gang - Lady Marmalade
19.Ika - Go Godzilla Go
20.Dave Rodgers - Deja Vu
21.Key-A-Kiss - Deluxe (Eurobeat Mix)
22.Claire Deny - Stop 'N Go
23.Niki Niki Feat. Karen - Boom Boom Baby
24.D.Essex - Boom Boom Fire
25.Nathalie - Heartbeat
26.Go Go Girls - One Night In Arabia
27.Dolly - Secret Passion
28.Dr. Money - Power Gun
29.DJ Luke Penn Feat. Mr. M - Music Fever
30.Les Blue Belles - Telephone
31.Edo - Too Young To Fall In Love
32.Dave Rodgers - Made In Japan
33.Cherry - When I Close My Eyes
34.Marko Polo - Money Go!
35.Luke Penn Feat. Time Force - Halleluya Tokyo
36.Tommy K. - Take Me Now
37.Mako - Excitable
38.Suzy Lazy - Love Generation
39.Domino - Play With The Numbers
40.Go Go Girls - Do You Wanna Dance
41.Niko - Made Of Fire
42.Dave Simon - I Need Your Love
43.Fastway - Spacelove
44.Dave Rodgers - The Final Countdown
45.Lolita - Everybody Dance
46.Move - Gamble Rumble
47.Go Go Girls - Cyber Dance
48.Ace - Play The Music
49.Dusty - Crazy For Love
50.Fastway - 777
51.Cherry - Yesterday (EDM Remix)

Disc 2: Silver Side
1.SEB All Stars Feat. DJ Boss - SEB 4 U
2.Ken Martin - Fire In The Night
3.Go 2 - Gotta Go
4.Dejo & Bon - Loving Eurobeat
5.Speedmaster Feat. Angelica - Heartbeat Song
6.Lolita - It's Raining Love
7.An-G - Different Girl
8.Wildside - Get Somebody To Love Him
9.Karen - Maybe One Day
10.Virginelle - Baby Come Back
11.Jager - I Won't Fall Apart
12.Niko & Domino - Super Mega Stars
13.Hotblade - Power Two
14.Chris Stanton - Ready Forever
15.Mark Farina - Rock N Roll
16.Fastway - Rock Beatin' Wild
17.Paul Dickenson - Time For A Miracle
18.Makkeroni - Can Can World
19.Chris Stanton - A Perfect Hero
20.Ken Blast - The Top
21.Manuel - Limousine
22.Go 2 - Samurai Blue
23.Krystal Feat. David Dima - 1 Week
24.Phil & Linda - ONly For Love Only For You
25.Nuage - Sunday
26.O-Zone - Dragostea Din Tei (Eurobeat Mix)
27.Y. & Co. Feat. Domino - Monkey Dance '09
28.Dave Rodgers - Eldorado
29.Mark Astley - Super Rider
30.Neo - Takumi
31.Fastway - Shock Out
32.Bombers - Hi Hi Mazinga
33.Go 2 - Looka Bomba
34.Mark Foster - Like A Fire
35.Kevin & Cherry - Chemical Love
36.Irene - Love Is The Name Of Love
37.Go Go Girls - Sex Skiller
38.Nuage - Crazy Little Love
39.Mela - Hurry Hurry Hurry
40.Boris - Shalaka Boom
41.Scream Team - Wacky-Wacky-O!
42.Dejo - 1.2.3.4. Fire!
43.Belight - Tonight In Paradise
44.Ace & Pamsy - Inside My Soul
45.Tora & Dejo - For The Fans
46.Bamboo Bimbo - Higher My Passion
47.Bamboo Bimbo - Kiss
48.J. Storm - Dance Into The Fire
49.Go 2 & DJ Boss - Superstar
50.Mark Farina - Last Of Eurobeat
51.Niko - Night Of Fire (EDM Remix)


title: Great collection of new tracks!

text:
***1.Kaioh - Nitrofire (GoGo's Music)
***2.Tipsy & Tipsy - Living On The Edge (BoomBoomBeat)
3.Grace 2U - Wake Up Everybody With Cupid (SCP)
4.Dream Fighters - Dance For Love (Dima)
5.Elly - Strawberry Heart (SCP)
6.LOL - Hot Bikini Girl (SinclaireStyle)
7.J-Stark - Lady Taxi Driver (Delta)
8.Stephy Martin - 79 (Dima)
9.Paul Harris - You're Not Alone (Delta)
10.Dee Dee Wonder - Fortune Teller (Hi-NRG Attack)
11.Baby Gold - Kiss Me All The Night (Hi-NRG Attack)
***12.Leo River - Prince Of The Night (GoGo's Music)
13.Chai - The Men Burning Wild (SinclaireStyle)
***14.Milk & Coffea - Wicked Game (BoomBoomBeat)
***15.Fastway - Got The Power (SCP)

***Official parapara routine

Great addition. SCP tried some new techniques with Strawberry Heart and Wake Up...Cupid. Love Stephy Martin's "79". Chai is turning out to be a great vocalist for SinclaireStyle. Pick it up for your collection!


title: Crazy All Night!

text:
1.Hotblade - Games We Play***
2.Speedmaster Feat. Angelica - Heartbeat Song***
3.Franz Tornado And The Cow Girls - Dr. Wesson And Mr. Smith
4.Cherry - My Last Breath Of Love
5.Kaory - Fly With Me Tonight
6.David Dima - Bring Me Into Your Life
7.Latina - 1 Piece Of The Action
8.Patty K. - Here Comes The Sun
9.Futura - Dancing Lover
10.Dave Rodgers - Tell Me***
11.Lady Energy - Hot Bikini
12.Vicky Vale - Bang Bang Love***
13.Manuel - My Lollipop Girl***
14.Irene - Crazy All Night
15.Bon - Feel The Power Of Rock
*** Tracks with a Parapara routine from SEF / Starfire

To me, this is probably the best SEB to come out for 2015. The opening track has a nice trancey/smooth synth line. The melody probably stands out to me the most. Heartbeat Song is a cover of the Kelly Clarkson track. It doesn't follow the usual eurobeat format, but the track is growing on me. Dr. Wessen and Mr. Smith is probably one of the most unique tracks on the album since it has the banjo synth. My Last Breath of Love is a powerful track with it's stand-out euphoric melody and vocal performance from Clara Maroni. Fly With Me Tonight is a great example of what eurobeat is: Speedy, loud, and hyper. 1 Piece of The Action is another great image of eurobeat: clanky, cheesy, and hyper!

Other stand out tracks are Dancing Lover, Crazy All Night, and Power of Rock. Overall, this is a powerful release and a stand-out release for the series!


title: New era Eurobeat!

text:
1.Fastway - Been A Bang***
2.Bamboo Bimbo - Kiss***
3.Tora - Bad Joy***
4.Manuel - Never Say Never***
5.David Dima - Dancing On The Street***
6.Belight - Tonight In Paradise***
7.Mela - Just A Love Story***
8.Annalise - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Tonight***
9.Dave Rodgers Feat. Futura - Magic Sunday
10.Rich Hard - Fight
11.Martina Dry - Only One
12.Dave Rodgers - 1 Fire
13.Bliss - Higher Higher More And More
14.Cherry - Unforgettable***
15.Mickey B. - Miss You***
16.Tipsy & Tipsy - Baby Tonight***
17.Remy Panther - Hot Like A Fire
18.Leslie Parrish - King Of The Century***
19.Eliza - One Shiny Day
20.Luke & Cherry - Something Beautiful
21.Ultraviolet - Moonlight Hero
22.Ciao Ciao - Wherever I Go
23.Manuel - Tiger
24.Nathalie & Roberta - Angel***
25.Tora & Dejo - For The Fans***
26.Manuel - Wanna Be My Geisha?***
27.Les & Megan - Beat Around
28.Fastway - Hyper Super Powers***
29.Hotblade - I'm Your Sexy Machine***
30.Ace - Adrenaline

Tracks with a *** have a parapara  routine.

A non-stop mix consisting of tracks from Super Eurobeat Vol. 221-231. Fans of the series should be use to the cut & paste style mixing, but it seems DJ Boss has been trying some new techniques that are heard in other genres of EDM, and he pulled it off strong with this mix! If you own any of the Euromach albums, this mix reminded me a lot of those. Most of the tracks have a parapara routine, so this makes for a fun parapara night. Overall great, powerful mix, and is a great representation of the current era of Eurobeat


title: Hai! Hai!

text:
1.Domino - Hai Hai***
2.Hotblade - Manifold Love***
3.Stephy Martin - Beautiful Night***
4.Mela - Change Your Time***
5.David Dima - Spirit Of The Night
6.Lol - Looking For A Sexy Boy
7.Leslie Parrish - Oh Mamma Mia
8.Boris - Go Go Go Big Bang Blow
9.Jee Bee - Gimme All Your Love
10.Futura - Seven Night
11.Michelle Rose - Little Girls Cannot Be Wrong
12.Rich Hard - Go Go Player Games
13.Tora - Running On Love
14.Kaory - Run To Me
15.Kiki & Fancy - Dance All Night***

A cheesier release than Vol. 232. Domino returns for the first time since her track from 226. Long time fans of the genre know what to expect from her. Beautiful Night reminds us of the old Time Records sound, and has a great Para routine. Futura's "Seven Night" has a unique, bubbly sound to it, along with Go Go Player Games. Running on Love is powerful vocal tune from SinclaireStyle. Boris returns with another Russian-sounding tune with a great vocal performance and strong riff. Hi-NRG Attack's female entries have a pure Euro feel to them. Solid release! Tracks with *** have a ParaPara routine by SEF & StarFire.


title: Eurobeat Blue!

text:
1.Kaioh - Just Say Yeah
2.Stephy Martin - Stay With You
3.Jager - Fly Magic
4.Cindy - In The Rhythm Of The Night
5.David Dima - Dancing On The Street
6.Daniel - Poison
7.Ducky Chix - Prayer
8.Annalise - Say Say Say
9.Paul Harris - Dreamers
10.Norma Sheffield - Do You Belive In Love
11.Isabelle - Radio Love
12.Nick Turbo - Goldginger
13.Bon - Pull The Trigger
14.Bliss - Higher Higher More And More
15.Fastway - The Element Of Fire

Duds: Dancing On The Street / Goldginger / Fly Magic
Sparklers: In The Rhythm of The Night
Fireworks: All others!

A different vibe than 223. Interesting synth lines (Radio Love). Glad to see Norma Sheffield back. My top track is probably Pull The Trigger (too bad it didn't get a routine). Tracks have para para routines by Star Fire & SEF.


title: Supa Supa!

text:
1.Dave Rodgers - Into The Sunrise
2.Belight - Tonight In Paradise
3.David Dima - Heart's On Fire
4.Megan - Walking Alone In London
5.Nuage - Crazy Little Love
6.Powerful T. - Magic Car
7.Mickey B. - Miss you
8.Lily - Make Me Wonder
9.Rich Hard - Blue
10.Stephy Martin - Flying Free
11.Baby Gold - Amazing Love
12.Boris - Ringtone
13.Leslie Parrish - Overjoy
14.Les - Tearful Eyes
15.Tanith & Dark Evil - Welcome To The Show

Duds: Magic Car
Sparklers: Hearts on Fire / Flying Free
Fireworks: All others!

Solid volume! Great tracks from all labels included. Energy is high, tracks are fast, and many fun para para routines choreographed by SEF & Star Fire.


title: New Era Eurobeat!

text:
1.Ace - Dance In The Starlight
2.Irene - Lovely
3.Kaioh - Sunlight
4.David Dima - Strangers In The Night
5.Norma Sheffield - Gimme Love
6.Cy-Ro - Dance On The Top Of The Fire
7.Annalise - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Tonight
8.Mark Farina - Last Of Eurobeat
9.Cherry - Reborn My Fire
10.Dave & Futura - Into The Moon
11.Dream Fighters - You Could Be Mine
12.Garcon - Lucky Lucky
13.Lou Master - Boys (Do Fall In Love)
14.Tora - Bad Joy
15.SEB All Stars Feat. Andrea Martongelli - SEB 4 U (Wild Mix)
16.Rich Hard - Wild Boys (Original Version)

Duds: Stranger in The Night / You Could Be Mine / Reborn My Fire
Sparklers: Gimmie Love / Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Tonight / Boys (Do Fall In Love)  / Dance on Top of The Fire / Last of Eurobeat
Fireworks: Dance in The Starlight / Lovely / Sunlight / Into The Moon / Bad Joy / SEB 4 U / Wild Boys

Great follow up to Vol. 221, but just couldn't compete with the energy of 221. Both Star Fire and SEF has choreographed Para Para routines for tracks from the album.


title: Love is The Name of Love

text:
100 Tracks spanning from 1991-2013. Most tracks included have been used countless times on other anniversary albums (Night of Fire, Try Me, King & Queen, Love is The Name of Love, ), but CD 2 offers some tracks not as commonly used. Most tracks have a para para routine, so if you have lots of para pals, this makes for a fun night!

Disc 1: Teppan-Kyoku Side

1.King & Queen - King And Queen
2.Virginelle - Fantasy
3.Virginelle - Hot Love & Emotion
4.Karen - Hurricane
5.DJ NRG - Kamikaze
6.Maio & Co. - Dark In The Night
7.Lolita - Try Me
8.Domino - Tora Tora Tora
9.Alexis - Sugar Baby
10.King & Queen - He-Hey Dancin'
11.A-Beat Power - Jungle Night
12.Mega NRG Man - Seventies
13.Valentina - Harmony
14.Marko Polo - Money Go!
15.Cherry - Yesterday
16.Go Go Girls - One Night In Arabia
17.Virginelle - Jealousy
18.Mako - Dancer
19.Mega NRG Man - Burning Desire
20.Dave, Domino & Virginelle - Anniversary
21.Domino - I Wanna Dance
22.Lolita - Romeo & Juliet
23.Domino - Popteen
24.Domino - Mickey Mouse March
25.D.Essex - Boom Boom Fire
26.Dr. Love - Eurobeat
27.Dave Simon - I Need Your Love
28.Niko - Night Of Fire
29.Niko - Speedway
30.Go Go Girls - Hot Vampire
31.Lolita - Wanna Be Your Emotion
32.Nuage - Sunday
33.Go 2 - Samurai Blue
34.Go 2 - Not For Sale
35.Dave Rodgers - Eldorado
36.Y. & Co. Feat. Domino - Monkey Dance
37.Makkeroni - Can Can World
38.Irene - Love Is The Name Of Love
39.David Dima - Tsundere Night
40.Lupin - Black U.F.O.
41.Mark Foster - Like A Fire
42.Paul Dickenson - Time For A Miracle
43.Mark Astley - Super Rider
44.Scream Team - Kooky Spooky
45.Kaioh - Sunlight
46.Cy-Ro - Born To Be Wild In My Car
47.Mark Farina - Last Of Eurobeat
48.Dejo - 1.2.3.4. Fire!
49.Go 2 & DJ Boss - Superstar
50.SEB All Stars Feat. DJ Boss - SEB 4 U

Disc 2: Kami-Kyoku Side

1.Norma Sheffield - Your Body Lies
2.Mike Freeman - What Is Real
3.Vanessa - Why Did You Say I'm Sorry
4.Victoria - For You
5.DJ NRG - I'm A Dee Jay
6.Helena - Burning Up
7.Frank Torpedo - Everybody's Dancing
8.K.L. Jones - Ciao Ciao Babe
9.Salt & Pepper - Radio
10.Mike Skanner - Babe C'Mon
11.De Niro - Start
12.Euroteam Feat. Annerley Gordon - Can't Stop The Music
13.Morena - My Heart And My Soul
14.Wain L - Feel Me
15.Mike Skanner - What Is Love
16.Virginelle - Like A Virgin
17.Tension - Tell Me Why
18.Dr. Money - Roppongi Nights
19.Groove Twins - Girls On Film
20.Jilly - In The Heat Of The Night
21.Vanessa - You Don't Give Me Love
22.Samantha Gilles - A Look In My Heart
23.Vito - Livin' In America
24.DJ NRG - Burning Out
25.Dave Rodgers - Music For The People
26.Vicky vale - Let Me Be Your Baby
27.Cherry - Round N' Round
28.Casanova - Help Me To Say Goodbye
29.Victoria - Born To Be Your Angel
30.Denise - Burning Like A Flame
31.K.L. Jones - Love & Dancing
32.Lolita - Higher & Higher
33.Susan Bell - My Only Star
34.King & Queen - Night Flight To Venus
35.Lolita - Everybody Dance
36.Nuage - Baby Get My Fire Tonite
37.Donna - On My Own
38.Melissa White & Ace - Rainin' In My Heart
39.Stephy Martini - Emotions
40.Dave & Nuage - Don't Make Me Cry
41.Valery Scott - Now And Forever
42.Fastway - Love Countdown
43.Jager - I Won't Fall Apart
44.Mickey B. - A Neverending Night
45.Dave Rodgers Feat. Futura - Super Eurobeat
46.Virginelle - Baby Come Back
47.Lilly - Make Me Wonder
48.Ciao Ciao - Give Me Your Heaven
49.Megan - Walking Alone In London
50.Domino - Bad Girl


title: Eurobeat now.

text:
This album is a non-stop mix "mixed" by DJ Boss. If you've bought SEB non-stops in the past, you know what to expect: grinding noises, shutter effects, etc. Overall, it's a nice collection of Eurobeat tracks from volumes 217 & 218. The only track I could have done without is "Hello Kitty". Also, the HI-NRG Attack label seems to have incorporated the early sounds of Eurobeat in some of their latest tracks.

1.Lou Master - Up & Dance, Up & Go
2.Hotblade - Disconnected
3.Jungle Bill - Flying Over The Sky
4.Irene - Every Heart Wanna Fly
5.Roberta - Rock My Heart
6.Virginelle - Bye Bye Girl
7.Sally - Feel The Magic
8.Oceania - Dance Dance Let You Go
9.Emmanuelle - Don't Forget To Love Me
10.Tipsy & Tipsy - Dance Boom Boom
11.Alix - Hello Kitty
12.Annie Love - My Melody
13.Aleky - Little Twin Stars
14.Ciao Ciao - Don't Cry Tonight
15.Nikita Jr. - Touch Me
16.Norma Sheffield - You're Amazing
17.Dave & Futura - Sun Fire
18.Mega NRG Man - Rocketman
19.Rich Hard - On Your Wings
20.Dream Fighters - The End Of The World
21.Dee Dee - The Dark Side Of Your Moon
22.Marica - Forget My Heart
23.Mistika - Rain
24.Ace - Crazy On Emotion
25.Nando - In My Supercar
26.Cy-Ro - No Money No Honey
27.Ken Blast - The Top
28.Fastway - Ministry Of Power


title: Happy Hardcore early 2002

text:
So, after a 3 year haitus, Bonkers is back with a whole new sound. Sharkey has also returned to the line up, so now we're back to the original creators of the Bonkers series (with Sy tagging along). This is also the turning point in the musical terms for the music from Happy Hardcore to "UK Hardcore", and Trancecore to "Freeform".

DJ Hixxy's mix: Hixxy returns with a pretty thumpin' mix this time around. This mix also showcases the launch of one of the biggest Happy Hardcore labels: Raver Baby. The tempo is kicked back up (~175) as compared to his Bonkers 7 mx, and the vocals return this time around as well. I love the mixing in this mix, and the way the mix is indexed. You get nearly the full-lengh run time of each track. One of the biggest Happy Hardcore anthems, "You're Shining" debuted on this album. Some other good stompers include "Nothing"(which is not the same version as the vinyl release), "Elysium Plus", "Feel It In The Air", "My Way(Hixxy Remix)" and "Deep Inside(Hixxy Remix)".

DJ Sharkey's mix: Sharkey returns with a bangin' mix of freeform tracks. Quality track selection and mixing as usual.

DJ Sy's mix: DJ Sy gives us a "best of" mix of tracks from Bonkers 1 & 2. Please note that the mix of "Toytown" on this mix is the original version, not the vocal mix off Bonkers 1. This is Sy's last mix on the Bonkers series, and will be replaced with Scott Brown for Bonkers 9.


title: A fun mix of Eurobeat

text:
This is a mix included of tracks from the Super Eurobeat albums leading up to this one from the last non-stop mix. The tempo is pitched up a bit to give it that energized feel, and many of the tracks include the hyper synthesizers, especially the "Jungle Night" and "Love Bang Bang". I didn't care for many of the male vocal tunes on here, such as "Take A Hammer" and "Hi Hi Frankenstein", but this album contains the anthem "Go Go" by DJ NRG. Not much else to say about this album than to get it to add to your collection!

 1 Domino & Aki -  Hot & Soul
Written-By - F.Guio*, G.Pasquini*, L.Raimondi*, S.Sanada*  4:22
2 A Beat Power* -  Jungle Night
Written-By - A.Contini*, G.Pasquini*, L.Pernici*  3:42
3 Sally Rendell -  Bim Bum Bam
Written-By - Moroni*, Caria*, Dall'Ora*  3:27
4 Atrium Featuring Angie Davies -  Supermaio
Featuring - Angie Davies
Written-By - Moroni*, Caria*, Dall'Ora*  2:49
5 Silver (3) -  Your Easy Love
Written-By - Moroni*, Dall'Ora*  2:13
6 Charly (2) -  Hey Hey Baby
Written-By - Magnani*, Dall'Ora*  2:49
7 Love & Pride -  Hellraiser
Written-By - Moroni*, Dall'Ora*  2:21
8 K.L. Jones -  I Was Made For You
Written-By - G.Pasquini*, L.Raimondi*  2:24
9 Dave Rodgers S.G. J. Batten* -  Fly
Featuring - Jennifer Batten*
Written-By - A.Contini*, G.Pasquini*, J.Batton*  3:33
10 DJ NRG -  Go Go
Written-By - G.Pasquini*, L.Pernici*  3:27
11 Mega NRG Man -  Lover Man
Written-By - F.Guio*, G.Pasquini*, S.Oliva*  2:49
12 Lolita (2) -  Come On Baby
Written-By - G.Pasquini*, L.Raimondi*  3:30
13 Milena Farrow -  Lady Love
Written By - M.Ghisioli*
Written-By - F.Guio*, G.Pasquini*, M.Montanari*  2:41
14 Sophie -  It's A Rainy Day
Written-By - Moroni*, Caria*, Dall'Ora*  3:19
15 Vanessa -  You Don't Give Me Love
Written-By - Moroni*, M.Vanni*, Dall'Ora*  3:14
16 Tension (3) -  Lost In Tokio
Written-By - Moroni*, Caria*, Dall'Ora*  3:11
17 Dave Hammond -  Take A Hammer
Written-By - Moroni*, Caria*, Dall'Ora*  2:50
18 Robert Patton -  All Right - Hey Hey
Written-By - C.Moroni*, G.Caria*, S.Dall'Ora*  3:13
19 Frank Torpedo -  Hi-Hi Frankenstein
Written-By - Moroni*, Caria*, Dall'Ora*  3:25
20 Mirka -  Boom Boom DJ
Written-By - A.Leonardi*  2:51
21 Groove Twins -  Love Bang Bang
Written-By - A.Leonardi*  2:31
22 Edo (2) -  Too Young To Fall In Love
Written-By - A.Leonardi*  2:58
23 D-Essex* -  Tokyo Tokyo
Written-By - A.Leonardi*  4:03


title: Lots of fun music on this one

text: Lots of fun music on this one.  An eclectic mix from a label that was daring and took chances with acts that helped define the 80s music scene.


title: Great bass, my second favorite recording of this masterpiece

text:
Without overstating at all, the All-Night Vigil (the actual name of Rachmaninoff's Vespers) is my favorite piece of music, bar none. I am not a Christian but I use this piece for prayer, for deep introspection, for all life. This is the only piece I can play constantly without wearing it out. I listen to the "Vespers", on average, once or twice a day, usually in its entirety.

I enjoy Rachmaninoff's piano work, but this is simply a step above in terms of life significance. These are the recordings I have:

Robert Shaw Festival Singers

National Academic Choir of Ukraine "Dumka"

St. Petersburg Cappella, Chernushenko

St. Petersburg Chamber Choir

and this recording.

My favorite recording is by the National Academic Choir of Ukraine, "Dumka". The recoding I am reviewing has impressive bass. "Now let thy servant depart" is sublime. Still, my second favorite recording.

Although for a long time unavailable, it is available on ITunes now, re-released 2006 on Pipeline Music.

user_id: AHSNSMASCYAGIEGMTHLNSPUQPMVQ


title: Bad Gurl!

text: Willa iz da bomb!She shows u wut she'z got!Willa likes sex and she wants u to knoe that!She wants everybody to knoe who she iz.She's not a sweet loving cutie pop princess like Britney Spears!(Even Christina doesn't act so fake and innocent like Britney)Willa wants men and she wants u to knoe!The first single 'I Wanna Be Bad' already tells u wut she wants!She wants to be a bad chick!She has a good voice!But on the ballads her voice iz just too weak!But she'll grow into new forms and she'll be zoomin through music.Willa iz a bad gurl!


title: Fun, Creative Golf Music - Excellent CD!

text: I purchased "Tee it Up" for my husband last Christmas.  What a wonderful surprise it was to  listen to it and hear each of the wonderful songs.  There is not a bad song on the entire CD.  it is absolutely the  greatest.  The songs are so original, creative and full of imagination .  It is especially good for those who love and appreciate golf.  I  especially love the fun filled song "Pinocchio's Putt".


title: Great History

text:
This CD is a wonderful way to learn about our Northern California bay area
history. Not only Betty's history but the history of what African Americans went
through just to survive. Not just being of dark skinned color, but being fair skinned
was a challenge in those days as well.  Betty is a strong, intelligent, witty beautiful
woman who has endured so much in her lifetime. I hope to meet her in person one
day. Our family purchased many records at Reid's record shop back in the day.
Thank you Betty for your history. I will share it with my family and friends.


title: The Same Machine, Now With 60% Less Rage!

text:
This is a very funny CD if you know the original songs, or even if you just know a few of them. The best part about it is that RC makes the songs amusing without changing a single word. In a time when most of the top-selling music is all about rage and angst, Richard Cheese takes the lyrics of some favorites and rearranges them in the context of snappy, jazzy lounge music such as you might hear Wayne Newton singing in Vegas. You almost expect him to end each song with "Thank you, I love you all, enjoy the buffet!"

 The liner notes explain just how Richard Cheese thought that these songs had great lyrics that would appeal to wider audiences if they were just played more clearly to show their social significance. The irony of this statement is played out in full at particular points on the album, such as when he croons "Rape me, my friend" in his swingingest, loungiest best. I recall that the satirical "Politically Correct Fairy Tale" books had a similar introduction about making the stories safe for children.

 It's a fun album to listen to. Some of the lounge versions of the songs are pretty cool in themselves. I like "Come Out And Play" and "Creep," as well as "Last Resort." It's a great send-up of what sells in today's music market. But somehow it fails to offend, even for those who like the originals. I give it four stars because a couple of the tracks aren't so much amusing as annoying. But it'll have you thinking about what other songs would make good swing versions.


title: Five Stars

text: Came over night!


title: Ugh!  Great for brainwashing kids

text:
Simplistic answers for simpletons.

Why the frack does amazon push this tripe?


title: Edited and Overdubbed, but still a great package

text:
The original LP was intended to capture some of the power and magic of the 1974 US Tour and for a single-album, it does a decent job, but also disappoints in two regards: Improvs were cut short (and they are very very good in full) and the original violin parts were overdubbed in the studio (not clear why, but see other reviews regarding their quality).

There's still a lot left to love, though there are perhaps other releases that now supersede this one (e.g. you can get the full Asbury Park show).  I highly recommend The Great Deceiver as it focuses heavily on the improv side of things, but The Night Watch is also great if you want a full show from this lineup

Here are the tracks (which amazon fails to list)

1 Walk on.. No Pussyfooting
2 Larks’ Tongues In Aspic: Part II
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Asbury Park *
6 Easy Money *
7 Fracture
8 Starless
9 21st Century Schizoid Man

As I understand it, both easy Money and Asbury Park have been severely truncated on this release

I believe that the DVD contains the full concert without overdubs, though.


Had this on LP from way back - excellent stuff!!

The tracks have been reissued on KAZ [[ASIN:B0000241I1 Tintinyana]] or [[ASIN:B000024ZKP Voice of Africa]] - all of the KAZ material is good


title: Bob Hits It Out of the Park

text:
I'm not entirely clear on the provenance of this disc - it was probably a promo of some sort - put out by Columbia Legacy, but it's the real deal - the actual show with Bob doing his masterful play-by-play commentary between the tracks.

As far as I can tell this is the only legitimately released version of the full show with Bob's announcing (though copious bootlegs exist if you know where to look) - i hope we see more


title: far from their best, BUT...

text: ...absolutely worth hearing for the Ben Bland segments and, in particular, "Confidence In The System" which is about 2 minutes of absolute perfection in paranoid satire.  Most of the rest of the album is pretty bad, but Ben Bland's commercials for Liberty Schools and Tudor Nightmare Village are also quite funny - Ossman does a hilarious meta-parody of the bored, spaced-out, yet extremely professional announcer on auto-pilot.


title: Four Stars

text: I enjoy the sounds of jazz


title: Les Miserables CD

text: I absolutely love this CD!  I have listened to it over a dozen times.  I don't think I will ever get bored with it.  I am a very satisfied customer.  Thank you!!!!!


title: ... was not as crisp as my husband would have liked. Not as good of quality sound as the ...

text: The sound was not as crisp as my husband would have liked. Not as good of quality sound as the Circus is Coming to Town.


title: This really is 'All Killer, No Filler'

text:
What a fabulous compilation, every record is particularly well-chosen and as someone originally from Merseyside this collection really resonates with me. When I first got into music these were exactly the songs that I was listening to - but as covered by British groups. This is a collection of the original American blues, R&B, rock and roll and pop that when mixed together equaled Merseybeat. I don't think that there was any 'overall design' in this, these were just the records that happened to be available in the UK, either as imports or as British releases. There was never a particularly big blues scene on Merseyside and this collection shows the bias towards more tuneful R&B, soul and R&R that fed into what the Beatles went on to write for themselves.

Unlike many collections which are bulked out with a few duds this really is "All Killer, No Filler". However, I will just highlight what I consider to be particularly key, heavily covered records - the Clovers' 'Love portion no. 9', 'Slow down' by Larry Williams, 'Fortune teller' by Benny Spellman, 'A shot of rhythm and blues' by Arthur Alexander and Bobby Parker's 'Watch your step', together with all the Chuck Berry, Little Richards and Elvis of course.


title: Buy This For The Solti, and get the Mozart for free

text:
I hope I don't get too personal for the Amazon moderator with this review, as this music is very meaningful to me.

Imagine a young Englishman aged 21 years old, brought up on rock n roll, and despising classical music because of ignorant and incompetent music teachers at school.  It is 1963, and he is working his way round Europe, eventually arriving at the house just North of Moscow where Tchaikovsky used to live.

It is Autumn, and the golden leaves are falling from the trees that are around the grounds.  He refuses to go into the house with his coach party, staying outside.  However, around the property are loudspeakers, and they are playing "Serenade for Stings".

So with the music  "Serenade for Strings", and the golden leaves falling from the trees, this moment in time becomes the doorway to a subsequent lifetime of exploring and enjoying classical music.

Some months later I am back in London, and I find at Smiths Newsagents in Earls Court a 10 inch LP of "Serenade for Strings" conducted by Solti and played by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.  I buy it, and the music is as perfect as ever.  I have since listened to many different renditions of "Serenade for Strings" but Solti will always have a special place in my heart.

Why should anyone else buy this on my recommendation - perhaps because it is "magic", as was that summer of 1963, when I was 21 years old.  And the magic is still there as I have now discovered "Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter".

The journey never ends.


title: Op Shop Here I Come

text:
I know the Russians are supposed to play Russian music better than anyone else, but this rendition of Tchaikovsky's wonderful 6th symphony does not do it for me.

Pathos is totally lacking, as  is the whole emotional spirit of the symphony.  This is one cd that will be ending up in the local opportunity shop, where I hope someone will find pleasure in it.  Listening the the 6th is always an occasion, and only the best will do.

But perhaps Tchaikovsky is too much of a cosmopolitan  to suit all Russians, one of my favourites is the performance by the Italian Guido Cantelli with the Philharmonia.  What a great combination.

Monteux and Krips are pretty good too :-)

There are so many good "Pathetiques" that I am still working my way through them.


title: Beautiful love songs for the Lord Jesus!

text: Produced by Maranatha! Singers. So beautiful. Every title is mellow and full of love and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.


title: The most beautiful music for Easter!

text: Produced by by Don Marsh, Gary Rhodes, and Claire Cloninger. This is one of the most beautiful music and drama for Easter! It makes the hearers truly worship the risen Lord. It includes very dramatic, evangelistic dialogue.


title: Beautiful devotinal songs for every Christian

text: This CD is not just for children but for everyone! Beautiful 12 songs will stay in your memory permanently once you hear them, drawing your heart to God.


title: Inspires family discussion via quality production

text:
My wife, 2 oldest children (10 & 8), and I really enjoyed this audio drama.  Our two youngest children (6 & 4) were too young to follow along.  We stopped at multiple points while listening to talk through things happening in the story.  Our 8 year old boy is sensitive and asked us at various points to stop it because he didn't like to hear the fighting, however we asked him to continue with us as we listened through it so that he could be part of the important topics and even better understand the pains and sacrifice of war.  By the end of the story our 8 year-old said he was glad to have listened to it with us.

I believe that 9/10 years old and older is probably the best ages for this story.

The story was occasionally hard to follow due to the poor quality of our vehicle's speakers.  However, we were able to track with the important parts of the story and re-listen to particular lines that we felt were too important to miss.  A thought provoking story that provoked much discussion.


title: It's okay.

text: The music selection is okay. The CD cover is sexist. Don't know why it has to be that image. Won't purchase again.


title: Five Stars

text: sublime!


Five Stars


title: Five Stars

text: classic performance (or is it classical?)


title: Great CD by one of my favorite artists!

text: Used CD was accurately described. Plays perfectly. Glad to add this to my collection.


title: Chris Smither, no comparison!

text: One of my favorite cd's, Chris Smither is an awesome performer. The quality of the recording is excellent.


title: Disappointing

text: Unexpectedly vulgar. Too bad, as we searched all over for this in stores to no avail. Went to Amazon, got it, and can't listen to this with kids around. I see the explicit lyrics advisory, but the filth is so pervasive, skipping to the next song only cues up more vulgarity. The man has talent, but for some reason feels he needs to work blue. Too bad.


title: Quality

text: Great product. Great customer service.


title: WORLD CLASS ORGAN TRIO!

text:
What a huge surprise! For those of you that thought organ trios went out with shag carpeting, allow me to introduce you to Jason Tiemann on the drums, Ed Cherry on guitar, and Kyle Koehler on the Hammond B-3. And let me tell you: these guys are good. Real good.

Tiemann, who ORGANized these sessions, contributes 5 original compositions and is a very musical, yet powerful drummer. He never dominates, yet he is always very busy adding to the proceedings and keeping the others on their toes. His solo on "Groove Merchant" over the organ bassline is unreal!  At times Cherry's playing may remind you of Wes Montgomery or Grant Green without being overly derivative. Still, he remains his own man, giving us fluid, airy solos on "The Elements" and "First Snow", and wonderful harmony playing on "Played in Three". It's Koehler's job to establish each song's melody, but it's his soloing throughout the album that almost steals the show. For proof, listen to his absolutely furious performance on the intense "Tizzle's Blues".

Organ trios are occasionally saddled with the "brooding" cliche, but you will find very little of that here. The tempi slow down for covers of JJ Johnson's "Lament" and Ahmad Jamal's "Night Mist Blues" but without descending into gloom and doom. The listener expecting a solemn, profound, gospel closer may be a little disappointed, as the final 2 tracks are the lightest in mood, fun without being flippant. Koehler even channels Steve Winwood on the powerfully carefree "It Used to Be".

At just under 65 minutes, T-Man the album flies by and leaves one wanting MUCH more. While I have certainly not heard everything released in the year 2020, this album must be kept in strong consideration for Jazz Album of the Year. And how can you not love the album cover's graphic design (contributed by Tiemann himself): it looks like something from 60 years ago (and that's NOT a complaint). I'll conclude by saying that their extended cover of Rodgers/Hart's "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is the best I've ever heard!


title: ONE OF HIS LAST (AND BEST)

text:
30 years after his untimely death, and we still hear the same old adages repeated about Hank Mobley: "Sonny Rollins meets Stan Getz", "the middleweight champ of the tenor sax", et al. Yes, some will always hold it against Hank that he walked the earth with some true giants and was never considered as ground-breaking or as influential as some of his peers. Even Blue Note withheld the release of many of his albums until long after they'd been recorded. This naturally led many to assume: if they're so great, why weren't they released right away? (Answer: record company politics). When Hank's work is acclaimed, it's almost always his early-to-mid 1960s albums that are mentioned, while the rest are politely dismissed or ignored.

Take a listen to Thinking of Home, recorded in 1970 and released in 1980 as one of Blue Note's highly-regarded "LT" series. This was one of Hank's last recordings before health issues forced him into early retirement. With a fabulous band (Woody Shaw: trumpet, Cedar Walton: piano, Eddie Diehl: guitar, Mickey Bass: bass, and Leroy Williams: drums), this album demands an honest re-appraisal by those who have otherwise written Hank off. A good case can even be made for Thinking of Home as a "career summation" album, as all of Mobley's influences are given a moment in the spotlight.

The album opens with a 10-minute suite, moving from an emotionally charged adagio to a straight-ahead center-section with solos, before closing with a leisurely "almost" bossa-nova. Very few could navigate so effectively through so many mood changes, but Hank pulls it off with aplomb. The late great Woody Shaw takes the first electrifying solo, and his devout following is immediately urged to buy this album to hear yet another phenomenal example of his blistering trumpet playing. "Justine", driven by Bass and Williams, is not only this album's masterpiece, but also one of Hank's greatest moments ever. This one will stay in your head long after it's over, and Mobley and Shaw's solos are simply miraculous. On "side-two", "You Gotta Hit It" provides vigorous hard bop after a relaxed opening, "Gayle's Groove" nods toward New Orleans, and "Talkin' About Gittin' It" acknowledges Hank's soul/r'n'b influences.

Don't let Thinking of Home's late release date fool you: this is more than just a "worthy addition" to the Mobley catalog or a record-company cash-in. Nor is it a last desperate gasp by someone on his way out the door, but in actuality is a forward-looking statement that gives a tantalizing taste of what could have been had Hank been allowed to continue into the 1970s. This album will repay many re-listens, and I highly recommend it to all Mobley and Shaw fans, as well as to those who enjoy the classic Blue Note sound.


title: I've seen the future sound of music...and I like it!

text: Like floating in the air, like the first breaht of the morning...dark, sensual, hard as a stone, sweet as a candy. Forget the top 40(In my contry is a bad jocke) and wellcome to the future...


title: Didn't Think It Cud Be This Good

text: Call me an obsessive fan lol, but I am in love with mailey Cyrus, and this LP was greater than hannah albums, and even Mileys own debut! The LP starts with ":Kicking & Screaming:" I have heard its a Ashlee Simpson cover, and I love her as well, but Miley rox it out with this one, ":Party in the USA:" was my personal summer anthem, it played every hour on the radio, and she looked hella hot in that video, loves it! ":When I look At You:" is the theme to her new gilm "The Last Song" and i loved the song from the first play, and I cannot wait for her to become the serious actress she is lol, ":The Time Of Our Lives:" is my fave on teh album, its funa dn soo Miley, it was a fitting name for the LP and for the time in HER life where she was breaking free of Hannah restraints and her parents lol The low point came with ":Talk Is Cheap:" i dont care that she swore, oh big effing deal shes a big girl believe it or not, and her fans are growing bigger and with her, but i dont know, it was just to loud and kinda uncoordinated, not my fave, ":Obsessed:" at first i thought "What A Mariah cover already?!" but it really is a very good song, i really loved it its a  more grown up love song, kinda reminded me of ":Goodbye:" from "Breakout" and lastly ":Before the Storm:" and i loved the song on the Jonas Brothers but on live it wasnt my favorite at one point she sounded almost like Noah Cyrus, lol, but the message behind the song, with her and Nick, was sweet. All in all it was a grade a flippin amazing CD and my #1 pick of 2009!!!!!


title: Five Stars

text: Product arrived in perfect condition. I'm very satisfied with this purchase.


title: Different tracks from several albums, a joy to listen to!

text: Absolutely love it! It has been great listening to their songs and hearing their sound change through the years. A really fun listen.


title: Bocelli not so luminous on this CD

text: Don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE Andrea Bocelli. However, this CD works him very hard at times and thus doesn't give me the opportunity to enjoy him singing these pieces like I did when he sang his "Sacred Arias." I found many surprises here simply because I loved Bocelli (taking a cue from the Editorial Review) and I appreciate those surprises (such as that kick-[butt] high D on "Possente Amore"), but really I'd rather much listen to "Romanza," "Sogno" or "Sacred Arias" than workout pieces like this. Sorry!


title: Bad purchase

text: Record was warped and scratched. I wouldn’t recommend buying from here.


title: Good product

text: My son been listening to and no complaints.


title: One Last Time

text: I've heard three of the tracks from this on YouTube and now I have to get it! This record is a blessing. It was recorded in the autumn of 1986 when Jaco was at the end of his career (he'd be dead in another year). It was recorded after he'd been released from Bellevue and before he returned to life on the streets. It is lovely, lovely music, a gift from the music gods. If Jaco knew this would be his coda, he dug into these old jazz tunes with energy and love, caressing the melodies and showing one final time his brilliant playing that could make an electric bass sound like an upright. So long, maestro, and thanks for this.


title: Not an Acoustic Album

text: We ordered it expecting an acoustic album, but it's all vocal tracks.


title: Instrumental music from cowboy paradise.

text: Music straight from Southwest Heaven. Instrumental. We play it constantly.


title: Better than the Rovers

text: I saw them perform live in D.C. and have this album. They are a great talented group of men. I wish there were more albums by them!


title: She gets credit for effort...

text: Ok I'll admit I used to like to listen to this cd, not all of it, just some of the songs. I mean some of the songs are actually good, but alot of the songs sound the same. Also the sound is just way overproduced. I also don't like Willa's image. I know that music is the important thing about the artist, but Willa just seems like she was manufactured/created. First she came straight out as anti-Britney. And that's okay. But in her album thank yous she says she hopes to continue to write real lyrics and not the cheesy stuff that's out today. When I read that I was like WHAT?! Britney's lyrics are more original & have some twists in them, even the ones Britney writes. Willa's are definetly more cheesy especially in "Prince Charming" & "Tender". Don't get me wrong I don't hate Willa, but the message she's sending out makes her sound like a hypocrit. Now if you LOVE pop music, then you will probably like this. It's just nothing special, and it's nothing new. Britney can dance, she writes more real lyrics than this & that's the simple facts. I mean if you are gonna come out as anti-Britney, at least be able to back up your reasons. Again I'm not hating, just stating. But I will give Willa 2 stars for effort. I just hope her next album takes a complete different path. Everyone says it ain't easy bein cheesy, but I say with this album it is.


title: Wow

text: Mandy's 1st single "In my pocket", the 1st single from her new album anyways, I didn't like too much. But then she released this: "Crush". So many songs intitled "Crush" have been released & this one measures up quite well. Mandy HAS grown up & her music HAS changed dramastically. This single is awesome and features some cool trax including remixes, ect. Expect so much more from Mandy like her new movie "A Walk To Remember" which is getting RAVE reviews. Her 3rd single from 'Mandy Moore' is "Cry" & that song is just soooo beautiful and powerful. Make sure you check out her latest album which is really mature and diverse. It's awesome! "Crush" is one of her best songs & it comes from the heart. Everybody, willingly addmitting or not, can relate to this. (By the way, I love "In My Pocket" now) Lol. Remember, this is not pop, this is the kind of pop that really measures up to be entitled pop.


title: Five Stars

text: Her best, yet most underrated album of all time.


title: Polka drinkin' rock and roll for yoopers, knucksticks and packers

text: Good fun and humour from one end til the other. Northern beer drinking polish scandinavian funb sense of humour. Religiouis need not apply.


title: Five Stars

text: Glenn Yarbrough passes all expectations.


title: Classic Sarah

text: I am just a big Sarah Chang fan,have been for a  long time and this is a great deal on her work,


title: This is a piece of history

text:
I owned the album years ago,and loved it. James Chance (also get James White and the Blacks...Off White)  Mars, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and DNA..( Arto Lindsay and Peter Scherer have a great disc out called Pretty Ugly  ..which is an aural sculpture)
This is from the days of the likes of Alan Suicide (Dream Baby Dream ..and Radiation)  And the Bush Tetras(Pat Place who used to be w James Chance)
This is a must have for anyone who loved and remembers these bands.
What ever happened to violinist Walter Steding.." I'd rather watch it on TV?"


title: M H is Naked with Friends

text: Fine old sexy movie. Lots of nudity with feeling.  Insight into world of Olympic athletes.


title: Firelight glows!

text: Ever since I first saw the movie, Firelight, I was not only enchanted by the story but by the musical score by Christopher Gunning and am thrilled to now own not only my own dvd of the film but also the soundtrack, which was pricey but worth it.


title: Sounds like they are playing on old instrument.

text: This group really sounds like they are playing on old brass instruments. They should really try to find some newer horns. I think it would sound much better!

attachment_type: IMAGE


title: Great item great service

text: Thank you. Great item great service.


title: Excellent recording by Robert White

text: Excellent recording of the Beethoven and Weber Scottish Folksong arrangements with Robert White in fine voice and the supporting musicians of a high calibre. Highly recommended for this very neglected programe which does not get performed often enough.<br />George Fazakas


title: Awesome. He has a wonderful voice

text: Awesome.  He has a wonderful voice.  So glad I found him.  Wish he would do another cd!


title: Ageless and Timeless

text: The inimitable best soundtrack for West Side Story--it's quality far outranks the lesser movie version.


title: Just really good music.

text: It's amazing how much great music has been completely overlooked by the corporate behomoth we call the Music Biz.  I remember listening to a sampler tape of Epic artists when I worked at a mall record store and one of the featured artists was this band.  I promptly purchased the CD when it was released and loved it.  I waited for years for a follow up when I realized there probably wasn't going to be one.  Sad.  My favorite track is "Little Bit of Time".  Positive, reflective, honest.  Pretty much describes every track on the album.


title: At last - a REAL review

text: ... Ive really seen it now though :) and its AVERAGE. Its a long film, and in order to fit into the future we already know about, it does have a lot of ground to cover. It does this very well indeed - the introduction of Boba Fett, an insight of the power of the Jedis and yoda in particular, the emotional turmoil and unstable mind of Anakin Skywalker. The plot to fit into the Star Wars timeline basically works well, but the film itself is a bit of a letdown. The dialogue is often stilted, the acting wooden and some scenes are very cheesey indeed. The acting though isnt THAT bad - i often felt that it was good actors struggling with bad lines rather than bad actors ruining what they had. Ewan McGregor does well, he seems to be turning into Alec Guiness and his manner is perfect for a jedi, with his often rude and arrogant apprentice providing a nice intro into tensions to come.<br />The action is certainly spectacular, but relationships between characters are fairly weak, unlike the original trilogy. No one is as annoying in this as Jar Jar and Anakin were in Episode I, but the film just seems to be trying too hard to get to a particular point in a pre arranged history and feels less than natural. Overall, a slight improvement over Episode One and a film I will certainly see again, but ultimately not as good as it could have been. My vote is for a different director for the next one - look at Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi - different directors meant Mark Hamil and a muppet had believable and genuinly moving scenes on a gloomy swamp set. Bring it back George, special effects are a compliment to the actors not a replacement.


title: Jedi Master Lucas

text:
OK, kids, first of all, forget all the junk you've ever heard from movie critics.  Clear your mind from those reviews written by the same people who vote on the Oscars and have never given Star Wars more than a special effects award.
Attack of the Clones seriously ROCKS!  The effects are wonderful.  Personally, I thought the script was great.  If you're a Star Wars fan, you'll get a lot of double-entendres that made the 12:01 AM crowd roll in the aisles.  The love story is beautifully tragic--John Williams' theme gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
This makes Phantom Menace a better movie and starts to tie the story together.  The plot moves along quickly.  No one should be bored at this movie unless they have no attention span whatsoever.
In my recent experience, the reviewers who pan the film as illogical or the love story as too regretful don't understand the Star Wars saga completely or haven't watched the movie carefully.  It sounds biased, but in a sense, you really do have to love and know about SW to appreciate what Master Lucas has done with this one.
Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor stood out for me as far as acting.  Anakin is just how he should be: dangerously violent, attractive and vulnerable.  Obi-Wan, as the too-trusting mentor who can't see tragedy approaching adds another element of pathos to the story.
It's almost too dark for its PG rating, however.  The MPAA is pushing the envelope here, especially since certain scenes eerily recall what happened on September 11, 2001.
Please don't listen to the sticks in the mud.  This isn't Moulin Rouge, for which I am profoundly grateful, and so of course it's going to get burned critically.  Be independent!  See it yourself!  'Cause I, personally, can hardly wait the three years for Epi III.


title: How could it be bad? It's Star friggin Wars!

text: I've seen the trailer for Episode II. Not much 'meat' to it, though; there were too many quick-cuts. I did see some pretty sweet lightsaber fights, a 'Blade Runner'-esque hover car scene, and, of course, the Battle of the Clones. Okay, I saw it on TV, and almost fell off the couch and drowned in my own saliva. This movie looks GREAT! ...


title: Star Wars E-2 attack of the clones

text: Some of you will greatly disagree with my rating this film as a 5. I gave it a 5 rating , because I have been from the begining and will to the end , be a Star Wars devoted fan . Anyone that loves these films as much as I do , will do the same . E-2 , did not live up to my expectations . That was not the film makers fault , it was mine . I expect ever Star Wars film to do to me what the first one did . That is asking a lot of Mr. Lucas . Remember your first kiss :) . You wanted all of them to be like that . Some were and some were not . Was it your fault or the other persoins fault . I am very pleased that Mr. Lucas has continued these films , and pray he never stops . May the force be with you . Larry Rawls , Smithfield , Va.


title: How the heck could I get bored at a Star Wars movie?!?!?!

text:
OK, I need to put things in perspective for you before I start this review.  I saw the original Star Wars in 1977 opening weekend and it changed my life.  I was a sci-fi geek from that day forward.  I have seen every Star Wars movie since then on the opening day.  I am a Star Wars geek who loves Star Wars.  Heck, I even liked Phantom Menace!
I waited hours for the 12:01 am showing of this movie and left the theater not sure what I felt.  I waited 25 years to see Jedi fight enmasse in the Clone Wars and I got to see it.  Lots of things like that were right there before my eyes and yet I left the theater disappointed.  Here's why...
First, there are 2 plot lines (a love story and a detective story) in this movie that merge into a final third plotline (a war story).  The detective story was good, but Lucas feel into the trap of including action at certain points for CGI sake.  In fact, there are many points in the movie where a scene would seem to have been put in there for no other reason than for the CGI folks to show off how great the CGI is.  But still, Obi-Wan as a detective hunting the Truth was a cool plot that I enjoyed overall.
The love story between Anakin and Padme, however, was nearly painful it was so bad.  Now please don't get me wrong ... the parts were very well acted ... put the lines they were given were horrible!  Also, it seems like some parts were missing in the story as if it had been over-edited.  You are watching this love story that will take 12 steps to unfold and someone skips steps 4-9 and jumps right into the "I will die for you" realm with no growth in the middle.  It just did not work.
Lastly, there was the opening battle of the Clone War.  Awesome.  Yes, most of the CGI was again for CGI sake, but for us hardcore geeks waiting decades to see it, it was worth the wait.  No action movie fan would be disappointed.
So, I really liked 2/3 of the movie and hated the other third.  Overall, I give the movie 3 out of 5 because the love story was so bad.  Quick frankly, I wonder if some of the long CGI scenes could have been cut down by 15 minutes or so and that screen time devoted back to the love story plot.
In summary, Attack of the Clones left me with the feeling that I had seen some awesome scenes and some horrible scenes combined within a mediocre movie.  I blame the writing, directing and editing for this failure and judge the acting to have been mostly good to awesome.
I hope that George Lucas will let Episode III be directed by someone else so that he can focus on the story and get a second opinion on the visual presentation of the story.  Steven Speilberg and Ridley Scott both come to mind as possible directors.  Unfortunately, I think that GL will direct it himself and that Ep.3 will only move further in this unfortunate direction.


title: Empire meets Jedi

text: Okay, I know that the hard-core Star Wars fans probably don't see the reason for this second trilogy's release, but hey, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.  This movie basically takes all the best aspects of Empire and Jedi, and crams it all in to one 2 and a half hr. segment.  From the lightsaber battle with the entire Jedi council versus the droid army to the arrival of the "clone troopers," who will one day be called "storm troopers," and the climax of the film, the duel between Dacula and Yoda, there has yet to be battle scenes of this magnitude and quality every.  The ending is a very wonderful way to end the movie, and will leave you wanting more, and not wanting to wait until May 2005 to see Episode III.  Anyway, i think that while Empire was the best Star Wars film to this point, Clones isn't that far behind.  Lucas has his work cutout for himself if he wants to outdo Episode II with Episode III.  I just can't wait for this movie to be released on DVD.<br />P.S. If you haven't seen this movie, you should hurry, cause it's almost outta theaters.  May the Force be with you.


title: Best Movie

text:
All right, I see that a lot of people are like trashing Star Wars and saying that Episode II was really bad but it really did live up to my expectations.
Not many girls like Star Wars and all the guys think that the romance was cheesey and too mushy but I actually really liked it.
The special effects were awesome. The costumes and designs were also really neat too. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. My favorite parts was the chase in the beginning with Anakin and Obi-Wan and the Geonosian arena. Also, the part with Yoda was funny and cool. You finally get to see him fight with a lightsaber.
I thought that Padme was really pretty and she's much better as a galactic Senator, you get to see her on a more personal level. And Anakin definitely was on the fine line between good and evil, you can see how he's grown from a child to a man, and then to Darth Vader. He's also extremely HOT.
The tiny problem might be that Anakin and Padme got married too fast. You see them just overnight they begin to fall in love and, then just a few days later they get married. The book was better and they should have at least slowed the love down a little.
In the last episode I was bored to tears in but episode II was so much better. I really recommend it if you like action and sci-fi stuff and not to mention a little romance.


title: Big Disappointment

text:
This was a big disappointment for both me and my husband. We have been Star Wars fans since the beginning and were very excited about this new release. My husband was fighting to stay awake during most of the movie, and I was wondering if Kevin Costner helped edit this film. The only saving grace was the special effects at the very end of the movie.
I wish we had saved our money and gone to see Lord of the Rings at the dollar movies instead of wasting money on what should have been a wait for video movie.
This one lacked any of the coolness and heart that Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi have. Interesting that those are the two most popular Star Wars movies and George Lucas had nothing to do with directing them.
We definately won't make the same mistake again; we won't see the final prequal in the theater. Definately a wait for video movie.


title: The Emperor has no clothes

text: A dismal failure on almost every level imaginable. Even the eye-popping special FX in this film aren't enough to overcome the threadbare plot, terrible acting, zero chemistry between the romantic leads, and a mind-bogglingly bad script (which may contain the worst dialogue in cinema history, including anything by Edward D. Wood Jr.). When I saw this in the theater, the audience was literally rolling on the floor laughing during the romantic scenes, and bored during much of the rest. The only way to view this movie is as an unintentional comedy suitable for MST3K treatment.


title: Enough is Enough!

text: Seriously, I'm only giving this movies 3 stars because I don't think it will be that great. Episode I was dissapointing enough because of it's lack of plot and originality. Sure, George Lucas is a top-notch director, but wasn't Episodes IV, V and VI enough. They were better than great, they were superbly excellent, but that's enough. Episode I has taken long enough to come out on DVD, so Episode II will probably come out on DVD when Episode III comes out. I will go see "Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones" because it is Star Wars and I love the whole Clone Wars plot which was already previously mentioned in other Star Wars films. I hope George Lucas will work very hard on this because I'm going to see it opening day on May 22nd, 2002. Hopefully, it won't be as dissapointing as the first was because it does feature Ewan MacGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi, "Eye Of The Beholder", "Moulin Rouge"), Natalie Portman (Queen Amidala, "Where The Heart Is", "Anywhere But Here"), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu, "Pulp Fiction, "Die Hard 3", "Unbreakable", "Eves' Bayou") and newcomer Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. I greatly anticpate seeing Samuel L. Jackson with a lightsaber so I'll have my cash for the release of this prequel!


title: Irony sweet irony

text: First of all if you like Star wars you will love this movie. The things happening behind the scene are pure genius. I love the way George uses irony in this one like in the romance scenes. I am amased why it gets so much negetive criticism. If you live yourself into the movie like a child you will like it. I think many watch it with a negetive mind and only see negetive things.


title: Yoda is great, but out of character at the end.

text:
This was a really good film but to me one scene should have been edited out and put on DVD for a great deleted scene.
  (spoiler) alert!
The scene with yoda using a lightsaber! No! No! it did not work for me. He is such a good mentor and intellectual character that he didn't really need to get into a lightsaber duel at all. The scene is great looking and exciting but far feched, If you ask me. I know most people liked it, but I felt that if George Lucas would have thought this out more he would have seen what I see.
  I think George is way better than anyone could be for these films and not downing him at all. If he would have stopped it with the force neutral scene between Dooku and Yoda it would have been enough. You don't need to see Yoda sport a saber even to prove his power!!!!
  I do think that it was way better than It could have been and it looked cool but was just too much.
  I also thought Hayden was very good as Anakin and my favorite seen was on Tatooine when he is telling Padme' why he did what he did with the SANDPEOPLE it was a VERY VERY GOOD scene and George should be PROUD! Obiwan was great and his battle with Jango was excellent! The arena scenes also excellent!
Droid factory scenes great and exciting. Air Taxi scene also good and the love story good. The C-3PO comic relief was very funny and made me laugh aloud!! The parts with his mother heart felt and well done.
  To wrap things up Samuel L Jackson was GREAT! as Mace and kicked tail.
  The lightsaber duel at the end was excellent and interesting
  and exciting, one of the best!

  I think the Yoda with a lightsaber thing will set in later and I will accept it, but for now GREAT MOVIE!
  With that single editing flaw!
  and maybe a little too slow for kids first half.
  Other than that Excellent Movie! Awesome action and effects!
  GOOD JOB LUCAS!

  I would also like to add I loved The Phantom Menace and liked Jar Jar Binks. I don't know what the big deal is with him.
  He worked better in TPM than AOTC though.


title: Best Episode Ever!

text: Attack of the Clones blows the other Episodes in the Star Wars series away.  It has tons of action, a good story, and  all the Yoda one could ask for.  This is a pivotal Episode setting up the fall of Anakin Skywalker to the Darkside.  With new characters such as Count Dooku and Jango Fett, the bad guys really are what one would expect from the Star Wars Anthology. The film culminates in one of the best battle sequences to ever grace the screen.  Lightsabers flying, Droids marching, and Clones destroying all equal superb action of the highest caliber.  With an ending you'll never forget, containing a great duel between Master Yoda and Count Dooku, makes this film an instant classic.  A must see for fans of the original or anyone who enjoys good storytelling.


title: Amazing prequel

text:
This movie was spectacular. The new worlds (Kamino and Geonosis) are visually great and the action scenes could not have been better.
The final 30 minutes of the movie is something more amazing than anything you have ever seen before. The Geonosis battle between the Jedis and thousands of super battle droids, followed by the arrival of the clone army and the duel between Dooku, Yoda, Anakin and Obi-Wan.
This is Star Wars at its best.


title: Based on the trailor and my anticipations.

text: I am excited about the new film, but no one has actually seen it.  What will happen in Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III was eluded to by Ben Kenobi to Luke Skywalker in the first movie (Episdoe IV) right before Luke receives his father's lightsabor.  The trailor (coming attractions) that I saw before Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter looked like a romantic love story or a date movie.  Kind of disappointing to a die hard fan like myself.  I realize that they have to attract the kind of crowd who may have no interest in sci-fi, fantasy, or the Star Wars saga so I guess I could forgive Lucasfilm.  But the few action they did show looks cool.  The story told to us by Obi Wan back in 1977 promises an exciting ride for this newest Star Wars movie.  I am sure there will be a lot of surprises not revealed to anyone yet.  May the Force be with you!


title: YODA KICKS [REAR]!!!

text:
Great movie. The dialogue doesn't fit all of the time and is not up to par of the quips that make the trilogy so enjoyable. But the effects are incredible and Christopher Lee was a great Count Dooku (also Saruman in Fellowship of the Ring). Hayden Christensen wasa good choice as Anakin, you can see him going to the dark side. He was also very good at whining throughout the movie. Obi Wan has begun to morph into the wise man we see in Tatooine in Episode 4- very nice (so anytime now the Scottish actor Ewan McGregor will trasnform to British Alec Guinness!) Padme is very different in this film. She isn't the queen anymore, so she can be herself. Threepio and Artoo, always the dynamic dou were fabulous. Threepio especially, we see more of him in this film (but less of his "parts") and he was so hilarious.
But it was little, hobbling, green Jedi Master Yoda that stole the show. He was absolutely amazing. I've never seen such an incredible scene in my entire life. Go Pointy Ears!!!
George did a good job. The movie pulls you in from the beginning. Action throughout the entire thing. Very nice. Some funny moments, and lots of twists that will keep you guessing. And the very end will leave you shocked and unable to move from your seat! Okay, it was inevitable, but I didn't expect it to happen in this film! So, I guess what I'm trying to get across to you is: GO SEE ATTCK OF THE CLONES!!!


title: Highly Entertaining

text:
First off, this movie was beyond my expectations. Though the acting was not great, it didn't need to be. The whole movie is supossed to be like a 40s or 50s saturday matine. Many critics rushed to attack this movie with all of the negative force they had but never seemed to realize that the ships, the acting, the NAME were all things of those old serial styles. 'Attack of the Clones,' the name itself is outdated...ON PURPOSE. Many people tend to forget that.
Secondly, many fans also attack this movie because it contradicted the books. This  Star Wars story is George Lucas' and not Kevin J Anderson's (Though, some of his stuff WAS good) or Timothy Zahn's. It was almost as if George Lucas purposely defied the books, which was good. It showed the authors "This is my story and I will not change my story for your pleasure."
Overall, you can see this movie on many levels, 1. as an uptight movie critic, 2. a fan and dive into the deeper side of the story by reading between the lines, 3. as a Loyal Expanded universe fan and not enjoy it, 4. or as someone looking for some fun.
I happen to be a 2, and 4.


title: Excellent!

text: I just got done watching this movie, i was one of the first people to see it in Racine, anyway, this movie just frecking rocks!  If you hated Episode 1, go and see this movie, Jar-Jar is in it maybe for like 5 minutes out of the whole movie.  I'm not going to say any spoilers, but, watch Yoda in the later part of the movie(his part is just sweet!), watch the things that Count Dokku has, a structural plan for an ultimate weapon that can take planets out at a time, anyway, just, go and see this movie, you won't regret it, its most definatly worth the [money] that i paid for it. thanks for reading<br />Ryan


title: Fantastic

text: Anyone who knows Star Wars can appreciate that this piece is more of a narrative bridge into E3 and the Original Trilogy.  It is not some mindless "eye candy" for the attention depraved (although the action sequences were top notch) and for those who can not tolerate a plot that involves considering this film as a piece of an overall whole.<br />Lucas has redeemed himself in my eyes after that travesty in 1999.  Thanks for everything.


title: Force is Back

text:
Being a Star Wars fan nearly all my life, it was heaven on earth when it was annouced that George Lucas was making the prequel trilogy of Star Wars films based on the backstory he created for the original trilogy. Although some people disliked Episode I The Phantom Menace, I thought it was an entertaining film that reminded me of the first Star Wars film (Episode IV). I was just so psyched that there was a new Star Wars film after a 16 year wait. As with the release of any new Star Wars film,I had major expectations for Attack of the Clones because it was the middle film in the trilogy and that the best Star Wars film ever, in my opinion, The Empire Strikes Back was also the middle film in the original trilogy. Naturally there would be comparisions between the two films.
I would rank Attack of the Clones as the second best Star Wars film behind only Empire. The love story between Anakin and Padme seemed like a separate film whereas the relationship between Han and Leia played out better in terms of the overall plot of the film. However, I felt, the chemistry between Anakin and Padme was convincingly portrayed on film because of one thing: Natalie Portman. If you are not totally in love with Natalie, I really don't think the love story would work, but her delicate beauty and grace compels you to really care about these two characters, especially during the execution cart scene which is reminiscent of the scene in Empire when Leia confesses her love to Han Solo just before he is put in the carbon freeze. About the only thing I can complain about the love story aspect of the film is that the Japor snipet good luck charm that young Anakin gave to Padme in Episode I is nowhere to be seen or referred to. I thought it would have been a nice touch if George Lucas shot a scene (following the scene when Padme retires for the evening after meeting Obi-Wan and Anakin in her apartment)where it shows Padme taking off her senatorial robe to reveal the lucky charm necklace and show that even after 10 years she still cares about Anakin. That would have been a nice little touch.
I'm wasn't totally sold on Hayden Christensen's portrayal of Anakin, until the scene where he reveals his anger and rage toward the Tusken Raiders just after someone very close to him dies in his arms. Very dark. Very intense. Very Darth Vader-like. It was that scene which made me believe that this kid is going to be the Dark Lord of the Sith.
I think Ewan McGregor was the absolute perfect choice to play the young Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'm glad he has a much larger role in Clones. I don't know why George Lucas did not create more of a character for Obi-Wan in the Phantom Menace? He simply served a purpose in the storyline by being, for the most part, obedient to his master, Qui-Gon Jinn.
The action sequences in Clones are by far the best in the Star Wars series. I thought the Hoth ground battle and Asteroid field chase sequences were good in Empire. The Coruscant chase, Obi-Wan vs. Jango Fett battle in the rain, asteroid field mine sequence, and the climax were some of the best action scenes in film history that rival the action scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
And finally, the final third of the film has to be regarded as one of the most exhilarating 40 or so minutes in film history. It all begins with Padme and Anakin's adventure in the droid factory, the Gladiator-like arena beast battle, the masses of Jedi Knights in combat, the Clone Troopers ground and air assault, and last but not least the lightsaber duels between Anakin, Obi-Wan, Count Dooku and Yoda. I felt the lightsaber duel in Phantom Menace was actually better, more epic in scale. It was more reminiscent of the Vader/Luke duel in Empire where they were fighting in different locations in Cloud City. Whereas the lightsaber duel in Clones was confined to one location, Count Dooku's secret hangar. Nevertheless, now I know why Yoda was referred to as a "great warrior".
I really don't know why some people disliked this film. Everybody has their opinions but if you watch this film simply for entertainment value, you won't find a more satisfying or enjoyable experience.
One of the best Star Wars films.


title: Yoda kicks butt.

text: In all my years of being a Star Wars fan I've known alot of<br />characters from good to bad. We all know Yoda for being a 900yr old Jedi Master and can use the force with some degree. We'll I've never seen Master Yoda kick some butt. For those of you who hasn't seen it I'll tell you have to see it to believe it. For not only does Yoda use his force powers exceptionally well, he hold his own with a lightsaber, and he also saves the day with the Republic Clone Commandos at his disposal. This has been one of the best of all Star Wars movies I can't wait for Episode III and see what else happens.


title: See this movie if you loved Star Wars

text: For the record, this movie was a visual masterpiece. The acting was pretty good, although some of the dialogue was weak. The costumes were wonderful and the plot was very imaginative. This is a classic battle of good vs evil. The only major complaint I would have is that Anakin's dark transformation was mostly unseen, which I found dissapointing because this is a huge part of the whole plot of Star Wars. Also, I found the romance between Amidala and Anakin was short-lived; that there was not enough spark. The fact that their romance brings about the existence of Luke and Leah is hard to believe, since the most romantic moment they shared was when Anakin was talking about sand. Dispite this, I found this movie to be entertaining and much better than the dissapointing episode I.


title: Darth Vader a Whiner -- No Way!

text:
George Lucas is NOT automatically the world's greatest expert on Star Wars.  This 2xTrilogy has taken on a life of its own and millions of fans around the world have strong opinions as to who these characters are and how they would respond in a given situation.  What makes or breaks a movie for me is whether or not the way the character acts is consistent with who that character is, and Darth Vader's character is as well-known as any of the Star Wars characters.
That being said, DARTH VADER would never have been a whiner.  His anger at Obi Wan would have been worked out in much more subtle ways (maybe ways that were beyond the ability of Hayden Christensen).
In addition, nobody that weak in character would have been chosen to become a Jedi Knight, nor would have Obi Wan ever chosen Anakin to train as a Jedi.
And, finally, Senator Padmé Amidala, any woman of that quality, would never have fallen in love with an individual of such obviously weak character. The one scene where he blames Obi Wan and throws things is embarrassing ... how could Lucas have gotten this so wrong?


title: ...This Is A Kick[ing] ...Movie

text: Ok... lets get the facts. This was a excellent movie. ...... Anyway, Its action packed and has the best special effects ive seen in a while. The yoda fight was amazing!<br />Ok the acting was good, except for anakin who was a little unexperienced.... but everyone else was good. TPM was more for kids, with the jar jar binks and stuff but this is entertaining for everyone! ...


title: Horrible from beginning to end (Well, except for 5 minutes)

text:
This movie was flat, lifeless and pointless.  The romance was predictable, the characters were boring and the action was just a rehash of all the other action movies since CGI really came on line.
The movie has two redeeming qualities-a five minute action sequence with Yoda and the lovely, comely Natalie Portman.
Not exactly worth 9 bucks and 2 1/2 hours of my life.


title: Gonna have to be good to make up for the last one

text: The Phantom Menace seemed more to me like they were having too much fun with special effects and were lost in what to do with the story-line. I can only hope Geroge Lucas can bring back the life to this saga and not drop it down the [drain] like he almost did before. This one appears to be more like a love story, but it may get dark/grim enough for my liking. Of coarse the twist in the end is obvious, unlike Darth Vader being Luke's father in the 5th.


title: obi wan kenobi,you're our only hope!

text: i'm not going to edit this for those who haven't seen the movie,just fair warning!anyhoo...it was too damned loud! that may have been the fault of the theater and it may be because i'm middle aged (hard to believe,but since i'm almost 44 i am probably MORE than half through this particular lifetime in this particular carbon form)when the music came up and i saw the familiar star wars logo,i got a bit weepy.yes i did. i'm rather sentimental. i saw the first star wars many many years ago,but in this very same galaxy.first,the things i didn't like. hayden christiansen's acting was terrible. i haven't heard too many other people say that,and maybe they were kinder or less blunt than i am,but it's not a personal slander. it was painful to watch. natalie portman wasnt really all that good either,but at least her character was good. you can definitely see take-charge leia and whiney luke in their parents! the love story was also awful. geez,that whole thing could have been done in a wonderful way with good acting and good writing. well,george lucas's talents lie elsewhere...and he definitely has talent,just not in regards to finding either a good casting director or casting himself,and the same with the writing.having said all that,it was a blast!it was visually stunning and an adrenaline rush. i'd say it was too long,my butt got numb sitting there,but it didn't drag either. i dont' suppose much could have been left out.i'm biased,but ewan mcgregor was great as obi wan,and i could think ahead to him turning into 'old ben'.i loved the character,and all the jedi stuff. poor obi,having to put up with anakin. but he could do it,he had the sense of humor. i enjoyed the little snippets of humor in this...c3po was funny and hey,i didn't know r2d2 could fly!the yoda kick butt scene was not as astounding as i'd imagined it. in fact,i was more impressed with his flow with the force than i was with his light saber techniques. he's got the zen,and to me that's more powerful than anything else. i love pondering all the zen jedi stuff. i liked that anakin mentioned that the jedis were about love and compassion. in seeing yoda not be harmed by what was thrown at him (wonderful aikido,in my opinion) it struck me that love is more powerful than anything we think of as conventional power. in the end,power used to harm will destroy the wielder. pure love only blesses the giver and all around it.i loved the jedi battle in the coliseum and i loved the jedis lack of fear.at the very beginning,when a ship arrives carrying padme,and then a bomb explodes,it scared the crap out of me. it reminded me too much of recent horrible things happening in the world.well,that's what immediately comes to mind. i'm sure i'm forgetting lots of stuff to comment on,as there was sooo much packed into that movie!may the force be with you.


title: What Episode I should have been

text:
I admit: I really wanted to like The Phantom Menace. Even after I had seen it a couple of times, and I had read all those bad reviews pointing out all the kiddie dialogue and humor in it (was there really any point of having that scene where the animal in front of Jar Jar on Tatooine farts?), I still couldn't come to terms with how disappointing the movie was. I walked into Episode II with the dreaded feeling that this was going to be Episode I all over again. However, as the end credits rolled, I felt satisfied.
In case you don't know, Episode II depicts the beginning of the Clone Wars, and young Anakin Skywalker's descent into evil/the Dark Side. Thankfully though, both the former and the latter are pulled off quite well. The love scenes between Anakin and Padme are not as terrible as everyone had made them out to be, and although when I saw Anakin's temper tantrum on Tatooine in the 'Clone War' trailer, I felt like laughing, when I saw it in the theater, the scene works much better when put into its context.
Hayden Christensen is great as Anakin; it's no wonder why the people over at Lucasfilm saw something special in him. I can't wait to see how he does in Episode III. Meanwhile, Natalie Portman looks absolutely exquisite in this movie. She is quite possibly the hottest girl in sci-fi. Oh yeah, her acting is good too. Seriously. As for other characters, Christopher Lee uses what little lines he has to the fullest extent. Ewan McGregor finally gets the attention he deserves after how little of a role he had in Episode I; and although I sort of missed the old puppet Yoda, the lightsaber battle between him and Count Dooku was the coolest thing I've seen in a long while.
Bottom line, if you haven't seen this yet, what are you waiting for? I can't wait until Episode III... the excitement is building up.


title: NOT the Best yet

text: Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) was unexciting, not really into the part.  He just didn't draw us into the movie.  Corny, silly romance scenes and acting with little emotion.  Some very nice special effects, not a good enough story line to make it all worthwhile.  Some decent acting by other characters, but my wife and I were both disappointed overall.


title: Infuriating because it could have been soo good.

text: Just saw Episode II.  Let your fears be dissuaded...it's a lot better than Episode I.  That said, there's a lot to hate about this movie.  While the story is great, perhaps one of the best to date, the screenplay is awful, with dialog that's painful to listen to, and scenes which are totally unnecessary to the plot and bog down the action.  The special effects, while extremely impressive, do nothing to hide the fact that they are special effects.  It feels like you are watching a cartoon with live actors thrown in.  Nothing looks real.  The acting is good in parts, but only parts.  Mostly it's the dialog's fault--the actors just can't do anything with these bad, bad lines.  Hadden is great as Anakin and should be interesting to watch in the third film.  Portman, however, is horrible and proves once and for all that Episode One was not a fluke.  Ewan is pretty good most of the time, which is nice, and he's given the more interesting story of the two.  Sam Jackson's got nothing.  Yoda...Yoda's fantastic.  Unfortunately the droids, however, have some of the most painful puns in the entire movie.  Script doctor, please!  Help!  The score is one of William's most redundant.  Other than the notable Love Theme and some other original music you probably won't be humming when you leave the theater, most of the film's music is just ripped off from other Star Wars movies, most notably Episode One, where it seems Williams is just recycling music in favor of actually doing something original.<br />Anyway, if you want to see this movie, I can't stop you.  Go see it.  I'm going to see it at least one more time.  But don't say I didn't warn you.  This is going to end up being one of the worst films of the year, just watch.  And what makes me so angry is that there is so much in the movie to love, and Lucas just ruins is through his own arrogance.  (I would tell you the good parts, but that would involve spoilers, which I'll spare you from).


title: Lucas is on his way to bring back Star Wars....

text:
Well, now we`re in the fifth (or should I say "second") chapter in the Star Wars saga. Yet again, we`re in the middle of a trilogy.
Ten years has passed since the events of "Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace". Anakin is now a 19 year old Jedi padawan, and Amidala has left her position as the queen of Naboo to serve the senate. We`re also facing a cooler, less annoying Jar-Jar Binks (but don`t worry. He`s just on screen for 5-10 minutes!). Obi-Wan Kenobi is the same person as always, a worried man with a tough sense of humour. The Republic is still in crisis. Many solar systems is trying to separate from the republic. Under the lead of the mysterious count Dooku (yeah, right , COUNT Dooku, played by legendary horror veteran Christopher Lee), the separatists plan to kill senator Amidala. Anakin and Obi Wan are now sent out by the Jedi council to protect her, and this leads into many fearsome events, especially as Anakin is more and more on his way to the Dark Side.
I think that "Attack of The Clones" is a lot better than "The Phantom Menace". After having seen the first film I was worried. I was thinking "Well, it`s Ok to have one bad Star Wars film. But if the second appears to be [bad], I don`t think the prequel trilogy will ever reach up to the standards of the old one"
Fortunatley, Lucas hasn`t written the script himself this time. He`s co-written it with Jonathan Hales (who also wrote the action flick "The Scorpion King"). This film is more in the spirit of the original trilogy than "The Phantom Menace", and it`s full of memorable action sequences and has lots of fun lines, which comes close to "The Empire Strikes Back" which is may be the best Star Wars film in my opinion.
This movie is much more matured and serious than "The Phantom Menace" - for example, there is much more love and serious drama this time.
This could very well be the darkest and most serious Star Wars movie so far.
Finally, we are also given the answers of questions that has previously been hidden. For example - why don`t the jedi discover the dark lord of the sith is controlling the republic, what did the Storm Troopers came from and how did Anakin`s enormous hate really began?
While the last movie felt more like an adventure film, this one feels more like a typical Star Wars movie.
I also think that the actors are well chosen - the newcomer Hayden Christensen is excellent as the grown-up Anakin Skywalker (while Jake Lloyd [was not]!)In fact, he`s one of the best actors since Harrison Ford to appear in a Star Wars film!
Ewan McGregor is great as the always skeptical and carefull Obi-Wan Kenobi and Christopher Lee is a fun surprise as the new villain ( I think this is funny : he`s playing a real bad guy in both Star Wars II and Lord of the Rings II this year!) and Samuel L. Jackson swings his lightsaber with the same coolness as when he played "Shaft".
Something which I have noticed recently is that the Star Wars characters never changes. They always have the same personality. This is making a typical film analysis  of Star Wars impossible!
Anyhow, this isn`t the best Star Wars movie out there. I think that there is simply TOO MUCH action to make it as memorable as the original trilogy.
The 30-minute final battle sequence sometimes seems more like  marketing for action figures than a real movie!
And the sequence where Yoda swings his lightsaber for the first time is fun, but it`s sometimes feels made just for the fans to have someone laughing at. To sum it up : the action sequences are too many and too long!
They should have taken even more feelsome and serious moments and cut away may be 15 minutes or so of the action sequences.
But except for that, I`m actually quite happy with this movie. This movie simply brings us a new hope for the Star Wars saga - Lucas is definitly on the right way, but he`s not really there yet. It feels like a pity you have to wait for another three years to see what the final chapter of the saga is like. I hope Lucas is taking all of his best ideas and use them to give us the greatest film ever made with Episode III!!


title: Star Wars - Best Films ever made...and getting better

text:
May 16th and the wait is over, the sequel to the 1st chapter in the Star Wars Anthology..is nearly here...Attack of the Clones,
The follow up, to the Classic Phantom Menace sees our familiar
heroes thrown together again,10 years after the climatic events
of Phantom,(22 years before Battle of Yavin).Padme Amidala,whos now a senator in the Republic, finds herself the victim of potential death threats from political factions anxious to kill her...enter Jedi Knights (bearded)Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, who are sent on an errand to protect her, but its not that simple for Anakin, as he starts to deal with his more instense emotions of (forbidden) love, fear and frustration
which will eventually lead to the downfall of Anakin Skywalker.
In the backdrop of this, we have a mego-lo-maniac Palpatine, whos
unethical methods have seen change since seizing power,after Valorums exit.The recruitment of a one Count Dooku or Sith Lord
Darth Tyranus as a likely replacement for Darth Maul looks exceedingly mouthwatering as we once again see Jedis fighting Sith Lords.
With new planets and new characters, and the subtle blend of Star
Wars magic..this promises to fill that dark void between chapters 1 to 4, bringing more clarity and understanding with, why things are the way we see them in A New Hope and concluding.
Watch-out for Anakins blue AND green lightsabers
Watch-out for Maces Purple lightsaber
Watch-out for The chancellors guards..familiar arnt they!!
Watch-out for The New Clone Troopers..very similar to the old stormtrooper, different headgear.
Watch-out for new planets like Geonosis,Green Plains of Alderaan, and the mystical rainy planet!!watch
Watch-out for Jango,Boba fett,Slave 1 and the Mandalorians, they
play a crucial role in the clone wars.
Watch-out for Zam Wessel, this bounty hunter looks good, for
a chic.
Watch-out for 3PO..abit more familiar ay
Watch-out for Anakins temper, taste of things to come..and the final duel that will ensue between him and Obi wan(100%guaranteed)in Episode 3..in which the molten pit plays a crucial
part to the formation of Darth Vader, but not before hes done away with Mace.
Watch in 2005 when (specualting)Rise of the Empire or Dark Tide Chapter 3 goes Bigscreen, now George lucas said himself Chapter 2 is a dark film, but 3 even darker, and quoted that 3 will only
do half as well at the box office..nonsense..us avid fans love
to see the Dark side of Starwars.


title: Very good special effects

text:
This was one of two movies I was eagerly waiting for several months now. The movie was very good but not perfect. The best part was the special effects (unreal vistas that you have to see in the big screen) and the final battle scenes (think Gladiator meet Jedi). I especially enjoyed all the light saber fighting that occured between Anakin, Obi-Wan, Count Dooku, and Yoda. To talk more about Yoda he can kick butt in hand to hand and even directing an army.
The love story was for me a little rushed and to be honest seemed forced. But it works for me since most of my relationships seem to mirror Anakin! :)
Anakin is definately heading for the dark side and that was to me pretty interesting and something I look forward to checking out in more details in the next film.
The acting was alright (Ewan McGregor is Obi-Wan) the plot a little convulted but a lot better than Phantom Menace. The film for me seem to cater for die-hard fans of the franchise. My sister is a casual fan and she had no problm following it but she was bored in the first part of the film. It switched a lot from locale to locale which she didn't like but I found to be no problem at all.
The film overall was pretty good but I definately would not recommend it to little kiddies, there is no blood shown but a lot of heads are seen flying around in quick flashes but once scene though last longer and is a little disturbing. Now I have to wait three years for the next film. :)