title: Great classic rock, on a punk rock budget

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First off, since the information for this release provided by Amazon is pretty bare-bones, here is this compilation's complete track listing, along with a breakdown of its contents:

1. Take Me, Make Me 2:53
2. Through the Night 4:11
3. Don't Let it Fade Away 5:45
4. Hot in My Chevy 3:46
5. Havin' a Good Time 3:17
6. Hot under the Collar 2:48
7. Gimme All Your Love 4:48
8. Always Be There 5:07
9. Girl without Love 4:33
10. Satin and Spandex 3:31
11. Take Ya Home 4:05
12. A** Kicker 2:37
13. Headin' for the USA 3:31
14. Comin' Up Fightin' (for Rock 'n' Roll) 4:10
15. Who You're After 3:46
16. All Shapes and Sizes 2:58

*Tracks 1-11:  "Attack!" demo cassette (44:44), recorded September-December 1981 at Astounding Sound Studio, Kendal, Cumbria, U.K.
*Tracks 12-16:  "Egos in the Studio" unreleased EP (17:02), recorded in-studio "live" onto tape, 30th December 1981.

Now, onto the review:

Many fans of the seminal New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement, will already be familiar with the name SILVERWING.  After releasing one successful self-financed single in 1980, the group would then be given the enviable opportunity the following year, of supporting none other than the mighty DIAMOND HEAD, on the latter's extensive U.K. tour, that kept them busy throughout the summer of 1981.

The immediate aftermath of this exhaustive period of gigging non-stop, however, left SILVERWING as a whole fragmenting and splintering into two distinctly separate directions.  On the one hand, certain founding members of the outfit apparently now wanted to jump on the all-too-common bandwagon of that era, that proved to bring down many a great NWOBHM act of the day, that being the temptation to purposely steer their sound into noticeably more "commercial" and "chart-friendly" waters, in a sort of last-ditch effort, to try and attract the attention of any of the various "major" record labels of the time.

Well, the group's longtime guitarist, one Stuart MacFarlane, would have nothing of this, culminating in his wholesale and complete departure from the act, in September of 1981.

Not missing a single step, MacFarlane immediately formed his own MACAXE project, as a means to showcase his considerable talents as an axeman, and more importantly, to stay on the path that he always wanted to continue to trod musically.  Employing none other than his own brother, Alistair "Terry" MacFarlane (also of SILVERWING), to handle both bass AND drum duties, the parts were all now in place for Stuart's personal quest for heavy metal world domination.

Throughout the fall of 1981, MACAXE demoed what would eventually amount to a full album's worth of material.  "DEMOED" is the operative word here, though, because the "studio" that they recorded it in, was little more than a basement of a certain colleague's house, in which the lads knocked out the songs as they came about, tracking them in a maximum of one or two takes tops, and mixing the cuts in said home's upstairs living room, which also boasted a makeshift soundboard of sorts.  So, production values here are naturally minimal at best, and yet it was all carried out, with the type of wide-eyed, wild-eyed enthusiasm and passion for the music, befitting of two guys who were probably barely yet out of their teens at the time!

Interestingly, the liner notes allude that, the results of the sessions, were never actually intended for any other purpose, than that of the entertainment of the musicians involved, and merely having a good laugh, just doing what they loved best, for the sheer excitement and enjoyment of it, and were certainly not created with the express-written intent, of in any way marketing the demos to the general public.

Well, all that changed, when, as luck would have it, famed guru, and overall champion of the NWOBHM scene, Geoff Barton, of the legendary U.K. music weekly "Sounds," happened to receive an early home-dubbed copy of this tape.  After listening to it in its entirety, Barton felt that it was just WAY too good to let it just disappear into oblivion, without anyone else having the chance to hear it.  Listening to this demo (eventually stamped with the title of "Attack!") some 38 years later, it isn't hard to see why!

While I admittedly didn't feel as strongly about every single cut on this compilation, a good half-dozen or so, I would rate as absolute CLASSICS of the genre.  There is a decidedly wide-ranging set of styles on offer here:  "Gimme All Your Love," for example, seems to bring to mind shades of RAVEN's "Rock Until You Drop" LP (just slightly more "glam"-ish).  "Havin' a Good Time" and "Hot under the Collar," on the other hand, sound not too far removed, from the already-high-energy "boogie-rock" material of earlier NWOBHM acts, such as SPIDER or 100% PROOF, only much louder, more amped-up and bombastic, as if on an extra dose of amphetamines!  The common thread running throughout the album, though, other than the obvious "rock 'n' roll/partying all night long/girls" themes addressed in the lyrics, are those mega-colossal, and just plain brilliant, RIFFS of Stuart MacFarlane -- this guy was a GENIUS, folks.  And my absolute favorite songs here, all bear that heavy, decidedly DEEP PURPLE/RAINBOW, etc.-leaning influence (ala, like having a "junior"-level Ritchie Blackmore at the guitar helm).  MACAXE's take on the style is considerably less-polished, though, and more spontaneous, than said bands from the previous decade, along with being just INSANELY catchy and fun to listen to.  My three favorite examples of these more "classic rock"-type numbers here, are "Hot in My Chevy," "Girl without Love," and "Satin and Spandex" (the latter being an apparent take or parody on SAXON's "Denim and Leather," which comes from the exact same time period, incidentally).  I mean it -- despite the ultra-raw (i.e., virtually nonexistent) sound quality of "Attack!," in all honesty, these three particular ditties, all transcend their limitations, into becoming something of nice little mini-metal/hard rock masterpieces.  (I challenge you, to just TRY getting the riff and chorus/refrain of track number four, "Hot in My Chevy," out of your head -- it's still in mine, days after listening!)

Finally, as for this here 2017 CD reissue of "Attack!," it comes to you courtesy of Poland's always-reliable Skol Records, and is choice indeed, as the audio has been meticulously restored and remastered, from the original reel-to-reel tape sources, and the booklet contains extensive liner notes (with contributions from Stuart MacFarlane himself!) and vintage archive photos.  In addition, there are five bonus tracks, which constitute an entire additional session the group recorded, that had remained unreleased up until now.  Overall, a rather fascinating body of work, that comes direct from the very tail end of the NWOBHM's golden years.  (But, as this CD is strictly limited to a mere 500 (!!) copies, be sure to act QUICK, before it goes out-of-print!)


title: Majestic NWOBHM/'70s rock with otherworldly melodies

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First off, since Amazon did not provide it, here is this compilation's complete track listing:

1. Coming for You 4:14
2. Cold as Steel 4:50
3. Fool's Gold 5:57
4. Make the Grade 5:10
5. Reach to Eternity 3:23
6. Cold as Steel 4:34
The Keeper of the Keys Trilogy
7. I - the Keeper 6:29
8. II - the Revenge 5:06
9. Fighting for the Cause 4:45
10. Coming for You 3:24
11. Fool's Gold 4:16
12. Make the Grade 5:05
13. Rock Fever 4:07
14. Save the Night 3:49
15. The Other Side of Hell 5:34
16. Hangman's Noose 2:50
17. Trilogy III - the King 5:07

*Tracks 1-4:  "First Demo," recorded at Fairview Studios, Hull, 4th January 1981
*Tracks 5-6:  "Double A-side single," recorded at Fairview, Hull, 4th April 1982
*Tracks 7-12:  "Second Demo," recorded September 1982
*Tracks 13-17:  "Third Demo," recorded 23rd March 1983

Now, onto the review:

Yorkshire's Salem have been historically remembered as a band that once featured in its ranks a couple Ethel the Frog (of "Metal for Muthas" fame) members, and yet, in this review, you will see that they were that and yet, so much more.

Nevertheless, this early incarnation of the group entered Fairview Studios in Hull, where many a New Wave of British Heavy Metal act chose to record (including, but not limited to, Def Leppard, Gaskin, and Geddes Axe), in January 1981, and committed their debut demo to tape.  Listening to this recording, as soon as you hear the speed, the accent of reverb, you know you are hearing some true and honest, bonafide NWOBHM.  And yet, on excellent tracks like "Fool's Gold" and "Make the Grade," it is apparent that there is an equally strong '70s rock influence present as well.  These two cuts best represent the early Salem formula, of taking a very powerful heavy rock riff, building a song around it, and stretching it out to five or six minutes.  And yet, where with lesser acts, that could turn into overkill, this is never the case with Salem, who keep the energy and momentum going right on through till the end.

During the year or so that would follow, the band saw a couple member changes, and this revised line-up re-commenced at Fairview on 4th April 1982 to record what would become (sadly) the group's sole vinyl output.  This came in the form of a double A-side single "Cold as Steel" c/w "Reach to Eternity."  Wow!  Two classic NWOBHM songs repeated on each side of the record, with absolutely no filler present.  "Cold as Steel" was a rerecording from the first demo, and is an exuberant, energetic rocker with a razor-sharp riff, but the real treat here is in "Reach to Eternity."  This track is somewhat reminiscent of the faster early Diamond Head or Jaguar material, and believe me, that's saying a lot!  The twin-guitar harmonies on this cut are just GORGEOUS, and with lyrics like, "We can live forever" and "Eternal love," this is the kind of song that is so good as to be life-affirming, making you feel glad to be alive, as only the most brilliant music can, like you really already are in heaven.  It's none too surprising, then, that copies of this record (which had a very limited pressing, with most examples coming in just a plain white sleeve) made it to metal fans around the world at the time.  Today, it is considered a collectible rarity, and represented Salem at its absolute apex.

Riding high on the success of the single, Salem recorded a second demo at a different studio, in September 1982.  The pick of the bunch from this recording is no doubt "the Keeper of the Keys Trilogy Part I - the Keeper," a six minute+ MASTERPIECE and probably the top track on the whole CD, if not one of the best songs of all time!  Here is especially where the influence from vintage '70s rock a la Rainbow comes in.  I mean it, the melodies on this cut are so strong that you will be propelled to do as I did when airing it just now before this review, and just CRANKING it up to maximum volume and basking in the euphoria of some glorious but very raw rock 'n' roll.

Salem recorded one final demo in March of 1983, but acquiring that long-hoped-for record contract was just not to be for the band.  Listening to the quality of the material on this CD, that seems just shocking, and makes me believe that Salem's music, and all truly great NWOBHM music in general, may just be too GOOD for mainstream consumption.

As for this 2015 CD reissue itself, it comes to you courtesy of the good folks at Germany's High Roller label, and features the usual abundance of extensive liner notes, full lyrics, vintage archive photos from back in the day, and brilliant remastered sound.  Act quick though, because like many of High Roller's reissues, it is strictly limited edition (at the time of this writing, remaining copies seem to be more readily available on the Amazon U.K. site than the U.S. one), but essential to all NWOBHM and heavy rock fans.


title: One of the best punk rock bands of all time!

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(NOTE:  This is a review specifically of the 2014 reissue of "Ashes to Ashes" on the Tankcrimes label, as it is the only CD version thus far to also include the 1985 demo material in its entirety.  Furthermore, since the "Ashes to Ashes" LP has been written about at length in other reviews here on Amazon, in this review, I am going to focus on the demo cuts only.  Nevertheless, here is the complete tracklist to this 2-disc set:)

DISC ONE - "Ashes to Ashes" LP:

1. Apocalypse Now! 1:38
2. One Answer 1:30
3. Private War 2:08
4. Crucifixion 2:06
5. Abolish Police 2:39
6. Shattered Mirror 2:38
7.  Burial Service 2:10
8. What Kind of Future? 1:23
9. Constant Fear 2:59
10. Political Glory 1:50
11. Central America 1:35
12. Outcasts 1:28
13. Self-Righteous Pigs 2:44
14. Last Sunrise 2:16

Recorded February 1986, and released on vinyl in 1987 on the Pusmort label

DISC TWO - "Nineteen Eighty-Five Demo":

1. Apocalypse Now! 1:41
2. One Answer 1:15
3. Guns Forever 1:44
4. Self Pity 1:47
5. Death is Certain 3:43
6. What Kind of Future? 1:20
7. Outcasts 1:32
8. Private War 1:58
9. Political Glory 1:32
10. Crucifixion 2:10
11. More Beer 0:55
12. Self-Righteous Pigs 2:53
13. Resist 1:15
14. You Never Were 1:09
15. Central America 1:35

*Tracks 1-13 recorded "live" on 4-track cassette, June 1985
*Tracks 14 & 15 recorded "live" on 2-track cassette with a 'boom box' during rehearsal, May 1985

Now, onto the review:

Having seemingly reached its apex during the early part of the decade with such genre-defining acts as Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, and Minor Threat, by the mid '80s real punk rock was in pretty short supply, with some of the key bands now going for longer, more watered-down and rock-ish song structures that some called "post-hardcore," which, while being okay, in the end lacked that extra "something" that made the original era so exciting and sorely missed.

Well, along came Cypress, California's Final Conflict, at just the right time, to inject some much-needed life into the rotting corpse that was punk at this time, and in the process change the face of the sound forevermore.

Truth be told, Final Conflict were not the first group to meld punk with metal overtones -- San Francisco's Crucifix come to mind as an earlier example -- but they were in all likelihood the band to do it best, and in the process influenced untold numbers of further acts themselves.

Since punk had again gone way underground by this point, it makes sense that the only means many outfits had to spread the word was through pseudo-homemade and cheaply-recorded demo tapes.  Final Conflict were no exception, which brings us to their "Nineteen Eighty-Five Demo."  Apparently jettisoning the need for any and all after-the-fact studio trickery or even any discernible production values, here was a group that could record an entire EP-length demo on a TASCAM 4-track tape recorder, all live in one take, with zero overdubs present.  And what a sound they achieved!  From the light-speed, rapid-fire drumming of Dave Phillips, to each incendiary note of three-chord reverb from Jeff Harp's guitar, to the solid backbone of Warren Renfrow's bass, to each impassioned scream and wail of vocalist Ron Martinez -- here was a band that played like they MEANT it, with such heartfelt and undying sincerity and genuine indignation against how messed up both the political world and the microcosm of our own interpersonal society can be.  This is a demo that doesn't require multiple listens to grasp -- one airing and I guarantee you're hooked for life and will be singing the praises of Final Conflict in no time.

Standouts?  Really all of them, but if I had to name a few, they would be "Self Pity," a raging hardcore ditty which includes the lyrics, "Consumption - a bottle of grain/You need it - to ease the strain/Wake up, you're killing your brain."  The opposite end of the spectrum is tackled in the less-than-one-minute, feedback and blastbeat-ridden "More Beer," which features the lines, "Another place, we're running low/To the store we've gotta go/Get some money, our ride is here/I'm not drunk enough...  I need more beer!!!"  Strangely enough, the ultimate classic, though, is the song with the cheapest, most bargain-basement production values of them all:  "You Never Were," which is 1:09 minutes of pure exhilarating brilliance that reaches an emotional crescendo rarely heard in the confines of punk rock, and was captured on tape with only the aid of a 2-track 'boom box' during a rehearsal session.

Just goes to show you, great music consists not in a six-figure recording budget, but in a band's genuine talent, integrity, and the strength of their convictions, and Final Conflict delivers all these in spades on their "Nineteen Eighty-Five Demo."  Seek this masterpiece out on the 2-disc Tankcrimes version of "Ashes to Ashes" at all costs -- you will not regret it!  Act quick though, before it goes out of print.  Essential listening for punks and metalheads alike, as well as some of the best American punk rock ever made.


title: One of Finland's oldest death metal bands remains the best

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First off, since Amazon did not provide it, here is the complete tracklisting to this compilation:

1. Waiting for Arrival 5:00
2. Sinner's Eve 2:37
3. Blood on White 4:46
4. Shiver 4:29
5. Congenital Defeat 3:50
6. Walls that Held Screams 5:00
7. Spirits Bewail 1:06
8. Slumber End 4:39
9. Redeemed from Time 3:20
10. Grip of Insanity 3:44
11. Expunging Mortalities 3:28
12. Grip of Insanity 3:56
13. Imminent Salvage 3:11
14. Cranial Torment 5:35
15. Necropolis Discomposure 5:03
16. Brainspoon 6:11
17. Carbonized 5:41
18. Leprophiliac 4:04

*Tracks 1-10:  "Children of the Scorn" LP, recorded at TTT-Music Studio, Helsinki, June/July '91
*Tracks 11-13:  "Demo '90," recorded at Viiala, September 8th, 1990
*Tracks 14-18:  "Cranial Torment" demo, recorded at Horto's Studios, Salo, October 14th, 1989

Now, onto the review (I am reviewing the material chronologically rather than the order it appears on this CD):

Of all the worldwide hotspots for death metal that people are known to reference (Florida, Sweden, et al.), one scene in particular was home to some of the most truly groundbreaking and innovative bands back in the day, and yet their contributions are often underappreciated and relegated to secondary status by the world at large to this day.  I refer to the great nation of Finland, and in particular the city of Turku, which was inarguably the epicenter and mecca of the movement, having boasted such acts as XYSMA and DISGRACE.

One particular group, however, perhaps predated them all, and for my money remains the absolute best.  The band I refer to is Funebre, who initially formed all the way back in 1988, spending a year or so to first hone their craft for an official debut.

That break came in October 1989, when the group unleashed their "Cranial Torment" demo upon the world.  Let me begin by saying that to fully appreciate the significance of this recording, one must consider the context of the time it came out.  Death metal was still pretty much WAY underground at this point, and in order to obtain a copy of a demo, it was usually necessary to personally write to the band.  And musical context-wise, there were VERY few acts in existence in 1989 who sounded anything remotely like Funebre, making them true pioneers.  In the thank list to this demo, Funebre shout out hails to their pals Janitor, Teppo, and Vesa of XYSMA, who just six months prior had cut their classic "Swarming of the Maggots" tape.  Much has been said about that cassette elsewhere on the internet, and the only thing I want to add is that it was more of a hyper-speed gore-grind offering in the vein of CARCASS and SORE THROAT.  On "Cranial Torment," however, Funebre chose wisely to take the road less traveled for death metal and not copy XYSMA in the least; here, the velocity never really exceeds that of BOLT THROWER "Realm of Chaos" for example.  I detect a heavy AUTOPSY influence on this demo, but with even gruffer vocals and even dirtier production.  One more historical note about "Cranial Torment" is that it boasts the same cover art as GENERAL SURGERY's later "Necrology" EP, of an unfortunate victim strapped to an operating table, ready to be skewered by an unseen, sadistic surgeon.  Choice indeed.  While this was a classic and well-played demo in all respects, I feel the best was still yet to come from Funebre.

That would come in the form of the band's next recording, simply entitled "Demo '90," which appeared in September of 1990.  Here the group chose to utilize the same studio (Viiala) that XYSMA recorded the aforementioned "Swarming..." demo in.  And what a sound Funebre achieved there!  First off, while "Cranial Torment" spanned over 26 minutes, almost the length of your average EP, it is apparent that for the follow-up, Funebre was intent to trim the fat and present a more concise version of their fundamental strengths.  And they succeeded brilliantly.  On "Demo '90," which clocks in at a mere 10 minutes, EVERYTHING has gotten thicker, heavier, and GRIMIER since the last recording.  The RIFFS are simply pulverizing throughout; that BASS is so utterly crushing that it will serrate your speaker cones; and then there is the unprecedented and one-of-a-kind vocal performance of Jari Heinonen.  His ultra-guttural sewage growls simply have to be heard to be believed.  And let it be duly noted that he sang in this style well before other acts that would follow like CANNIBAL CORPSE, ROTTREVORE, and MORTICIAN did, and yet, as I said above, neither he nor Funebre as a whole ever seem to get the credit they deserve for their monumentally pioneering work here.  In short, this demo is a slice of history, a single moment in time, that will never be equaled again in the confines of death metal.

So grand was it, in fact, that it earned Funebre a recording contract with leading Finland extreme music label Spinefarm, and in the summer of 1991 the group laid down their one and only full-length LP and the next work to be tackled here, "Children of the Scorn."

Far be it for them to ever repeat themselves, Funebre bear a facet of all of the truly great musical artists of past years:  They wisely never made the same recording twice.  On "Children of the Scorn," there is a noticeably more refined and slightly more progressive direction to be heard.  With that said, what this album has going for it is genuine EMOTION.  This is music that I actually FEEL when I'm playing it.  And, much like its gorgeous cover painting by M. Sulin, with each mournful and somber guitar chord, taken as a whole it is a work of true beauty, that you will be compelled to revisit time and time again.  The production is unique and multi-layered, with the guitars especially having a very detailed and interesting tone to them.  Again, endless blast-beats is just not what Funebre were ever about, with the overall mid-paced material and song structures proving that sometimes, less is most definitely more.

As for this 2011 CD reissue itself, it comes to you courtesy of Spain's always-reliable Xtreem Music, and includes both the original and revamped cover art, sterling remastered sound, and a full interview with one of the band members.  It is unfortunately now out of print, however, and very hard to come by, so if you see it, BUY IT!  No price is too high.  I myself must listen to my copy several times a month at least; it is that good, and an essential link in the chain for anyone interested in classic Finland death metal.  In short, a MASTERPIECE.

(FINAL SIDENOTE:  In the band photo for the "Children of the Scorn" LP, lead guitarist Sami Uusitalo can be seen wearing a cross.  As a born-again Christian who also just happens to be a fan of extreme music, I wish to thank him for witnessing to the world in this way.  Truly rare for this type of music!)


title: Ultra-sick late '90s gem from Germany's grind gods

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First off, since Amazon did not provide it, here is this CD's complete tracklist:

1. Intro 1:51
2. Screaming with No Face 1:19
3. Flames and Gas 1:35
4. Auto Cannibalism 1:55
5. Ebola 1:23
6. Perishment in Utter Ecstasy 1:48
7. Defaced Total Mutation 1:02
8. 2011 0:06
9. Der Henker 2:48
10. Fleshconsumer 1:01
11. Multiglobalised Fallacy 1:20
12. Derangement 2:34
13. Woundead 0:41
14. FH-70mm 1:20
15. Holy Rot 1:48
16. Mankind 1:16
17. Serial Infanticide 2:16
18. Amputation 1:23
19. Hecatomb 1:41
20. Positional Warfare 2:13

Recorded + mixed at Soundbunker Studio, Ludwigshafen, February/March/April 1999

"Holy Rot" recorded 5/97

Now, onto the review:

What we have here is one of the best death/grind albums of the late '90s, if not all time.  And who could bring it to you better than Speyer, Germany's longest-running grindcore ensemble, the one and only BLOOD.  Formed all the way back in 1986, this is a band that has in reality been grinding our heads to a bloody pulp every bit as long as NAPALM DEATH or CARCASS, and yet somehow never managed to get the credit they deserved.  And yet in the deep, deep underground scene, Blood have always been a highly-respected institution, and for good reason.  Like their countrymen and pals in FLESHCRAWL (another one of my all-time favorites), this is a band that NEVER gave up their initial objective of making anything but the most face-melting and nightmarish grindcore imaginable.  At this  point in 1999, the majority of the guys that make up Blood had to be well into their 30s; and yet on "Gas - Flames - Bones," they managed to put to shame 95% of the much-younger competition also making the rounds at the time.  This is an example of the most experienced and seasoned veterans of the scene also being the best.

As for the music itself, "Gas - Flames - Bones" can best be described as a non-stop sonic battery and assault on the listener's senses that doesn't let up for a nanosecond of its 31-minute duration.  Despite the fact that this was recorded in the otherwise-generally-stagnant and tepid late '90s (long past grindcore's peak years, it could be argued), the guys in Blood didn't seem to care one bit, and just went for the jugular on this one.  I am reminded most of the classic early grind sounds of the late '80s, such as the Finnish gore-grind pioneers XYSMA and their April 1989 demo masterpiece, "Swarming of the Maggots."  I honestly thought this type of sound was a thing of the past and could never be reproduced, and yet Blood recapture its essence on "Gas - Flames - Bones."  It's hard to name stand-outs because every single song is just the type of vomit-inducing splatter-core that these German sickos own.  This CD is meant to be listened to as a whole rather than any one track being taken as a stand-alone.  Guitarist Eisen continues with his unique and trademark ear-piercing guitar tone that has appeared on all of Blood's many releases.  He again conjures up riff after deadly riff with no mercy shown; Taki's bass has the usual putrid drone that serrates your speaker-cones to the core; the vocals of (semi-) newcomer Clausi are better than ever and feature some of the most guttural, pathological growls and hateful screams imaginable; and, once again, drummer Ventilator proves to be one of THE undisputed masters behind the kit -- here he achieves a drum sound so utterly sick it will rip your skull in half.  In a brilliant stroke of simplification, and much like outfits like SORE THROAT before them, Blood dispenses with any of the boring filler that has managed to bring down many a death metal album, and fills it instead with nothing but "good stuff" -- sick growls, buzzsaw bass, inhuman blastbeats -- from beginning to end.  They don't pretend to be the absolute fastest or even the most extreme grind act out there -- just, perhaps, the best.

All in all, I can't say enough good things about these maniacs from Deutschland and their 1999 release "Gas - Flames - Bones."  They prove that, despite the legions of half-hearted and talentless false-metallers that made up the majority of the gore-grind/porno-grind or whatever scene was the flavor of the moment in 1999; through perseverance, undying dedication to their craft, loyalty to the underground, and refusal to change with the times, the "old guys" of the scene manage to earn the highest marks.  Classic, timeless grindcore here!


title: Best CD ever made!

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First off, since Amazon did not provide it, here is this compilation's complete tracklist:

1. Ride into the Sun 2:54
2. Getcha Rocks Off 3:40
3. The Overture 7:46
4. Heat Street 2:53
5. Answer to the Master 3:25
6. See the Lights 3:39
7. When the Walls Came Tumbling Down 3:49
8. Wasted 3:30
9. Sorrow is a Woman 3:51
10. Glad I'm Alive 4:10
11. Glad I'm Alive (Live) 4:54
12. Hello America (Live) 3:17
13. When the Walls is Tumbling Down (Live) 4:34
14. The Overture (Live) 7:45
15. Getcha Rocks Off (Live) 3:55
16. Wasted (Live) 3:47
17. Wasted (single version) 3:05
18. Hello America (single version) 3:08
19. Good Morning Freedom (single B-side)

*Tracks 1-3: Recorded at Fairview Studios, Hull, November 1978
*Tracks 4-10: Recorded at Fairview Studios, Hull, late summer 1979
*Tracks 11-16: Recorded live at Paris Theatre, London, August 1979
*Tracks 17-18: Recorded in October 1979
*Track 19: Recorded in December 1979

Now, onto the review:

Long before England's Def Leppard had evolved into the arena rock band known for such mainstream pop hits as "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and the MTV/VH1 darlings they have now become, they were frontrunners of the seminal late '70s New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) scene, and in fact often believed to be the band that served to ignite the entire movement.

Their very first release, "the Def Leppard E.P." (tracks 1-3 of this compilation), was recorded at Fairview Studios in Hull, England in November 1978.  True to NWOBHM form, it was a completely self-financed release and indeed, to paraphrase Malc Macmillan in "the NWOBHM Encyclopedia" (2001), it seemed to take most later NWOBHM acts a good couple years to catch up with Def Leppard's pioneering D.I.Y. ethics.  For one thing, it was produced for an estimated 148.50 Great British Pounds, mere pocket change for a project of this caliber, and even that was only made available from a generous lend from one of the band member's fathers.  This meager cost included an initial print run of 1,000 copies, of which the band and various family members actually manually glued the sleeves together to on every copy!  Furthermore, when the single was released on the band's own Bludgeon Riffola label the following January, it retailed for a mere 1 GBP (the equivalent of a single dollar to American readers) or was given away at shows to give the band exposure.  Indeed, all 1,000 copies had sold out by the summer, which resulted in a further two more repressings (both without a picture sleeve) before the close of 1979 to keep up with the insatiable demand.

And now, let's look at the record's contents to see just why it was such a wildly popular item from day one.

Opener "Ride into the Sun," the only song on the EP to not be rerecorded on the band's (inferior) 1980 debut full-length "On Through the Night," features a simple, reverby riff, and the lyrical subject matter of cruising along in a motorcycle or car in the blazing sun, that would become commonplace in NWOBHM (see BLACK AXE's "Highway Rider," TYGERS OF PAN TANG's "Wild Catz").  While this track is not the EP's best, it is a genuinely rare hard rock/heavy metal artifact, and sets the stage for what follows.  That comes in the form of the next song "Getcha Rocks Off," which features a blissful, addictively catchy riff that is as confident as it is life-affirming.  This version just completely disposes of the one found on "On Through the Night."  The band just seem to be so much more inspired and in top form on the EP version, as unpolished and unrehearsed as it is.  The single's centerpiece, though, is the 7 minute+ "the Overture," which constitutes the record's entire B-side.  It has all the pomp and grandeur of the best '70s rock of the day, but combined with a youthful, almost punk rock-like vigor that was all Def Leppard's own.  The song unfolds intricately to reveal Rick Savage's timeless bass lines, Steve Clark and Pete Willis's complex and monstrous riffing structures, and the icing on the cake, frontman Joe Elliott's unforgettable vocal refrains.  Both "Rocks Off" and "Overture" are in fact so grand as to make this unassuming 7" from a previously unknown young act the very first masterpiece to be released in the NWOBHM.  Indeed, the raw energy of this single is what inspired an entire underground movement to grab a guitar and Do It Themselves, and at least part of the sounds of further young groups that would follow like DIAMOND HEAD, DRAGSTER and JAGUAR can all be clearly traced back to this classic EP.

Eight or nine months later, at the tail end of the summer of '79, Def Leppard re-entered Fairview and laid down a full 25-minute demo of all original material (tracks 4-10 of this compilation).  Wow!  Another phenomenal session from this supremely talented band.  There are two highlights from it that I want to mention:  Opener "Heat Street" is a molten piece of '70s heavy rock featuring a truly pouncing riff that just displays these boys' unmatched prowess at the time.  Savage's bass just has SO MUCH speaker-blowing, 50-megaton bottom end, it's unbelievable.  Why the band let this particular cut fade into obscurity and never touched it again after this is beyond me, because it's one of the very best songs in their entire catalog.  Next, "Wasted" is the closest the 'Lep' ever got to aggressively-played early speed metal, and comes complete with ambiguously-suggestive lyrics about alcohol and drug use that belies the more family-oriented entertainment of their later, much more accessible work.  Again, the performances on this one are just so much more raw, alive, and real as compared to the version found on "On Through the Night."  Someone took notice, too, because all seven of these demo songs were later re-pressed (without the group's consent, it should be noted) on vinyl and cassette by a tiny Belgian label called Flash Records, and retitled "First Strike."  So, despite what Def Leppard themselves seemed to think, I believe that it was this demo, and not "On Through the Night," that actually should have been released as the band's debut LP.

Next, onto this 2013 CD reissue itself, it comes courtesy of France's On the Air, and is very choice indeed.  Not only was the audio remastered (directly from the original vinyl sources, it appears) on a high quality soundboard for speaker-splitting sound, but the booklet features priceless photos of the group from around the time of these recordings, when their average age was still about 18 or 19.  Finally, all artwork from both the single and the "First Strike" bootleg are faithfully reproduced.

All in all, to finally own a legitimate reissue of this rare and long-sought-after material, most of which has existed only in the form of low grade, fifth-generation cassette copies or bootlegs for much of the past 35 years, is nothing short of a dream come true.  The more I listen to this CD, the more I think that Def Leppard were THE absolute BEST band in the world in 1979, and I will be worshipping these tracks until the day that I die.  In short, this is everything that rock and roll and heavy metal should be.  Seek this CD out at all costs!!


title: Ultra-sick cult Austrian death/grind

text:
First off, since Amazon did not provide it, here is this album's complete tracklist:

1. Baphomet 6:32
2. Ancient Rhymes 4:32
3. Melting of Imagining Existence 5:06
4. Schizophrenia? 9:15
5. Drowning in Blood 4:46
6. The Prayer 4:37
7. Morbid Knocking 7:46
8. Stillbirth 2:45

[45:19 total]

Recorded and mixed at U.L.L.I. Studios, Vienna, October '91

Now, onto the review:

Miasma are a little-known cult early '90s death metal outfit hailing from Austria.  With a name like Miasma, you might expect that the usual gore and maggots would be the order of the day in the lyrics, as was the case with their fellow countrymen and pals in Pungent Stench and Disastrous Murmur (both of whom did that kind of thing well, I might add), but here on Miasma's debut LP "Changes," the subject matter actually ranges from mental insanity and suicide ("Schizophrenia?") to the occult (most of the rest of the songs).  The band were all much younger than their aforementioned compatriots, all presumably in their late teens at the time, and here they capture a genuinely dark and anti-social atmosphere in their music, with absolutely no commercial accessibility whatsoever.  Would true death metal fans have it any other way?

The group's sound also in no way echoes that of their Austrian forbearers.  In the mix here I seem to detect influences from perhaps a little early Grave, Funebre, and Unleashed.  "Drowning in Blood," the best track here, has an acoustic intro somewhat reminiscent of the latter's "Where No Life Dwells" album.  This song absolutely crushes.  It contains the most concrete example of just how thick and bottom-heavy the production is, whereas a lot of early '90s CDs suffer from retrospectively weak sound quality, in comparison to today's recording and remastering technology.  This is most certainly not the case here.  The LP was actually mixed by none other than Martin Schirenc from Pungent Stench, and the resulting sound is monumental.  Even when, every now and then during the disc's runtime, the band occasionally loses its footing and there is an awkward section that slows down the pace, they soon throw in some interesting and catchy death metal riff, such as those found in "Ancient Rhymes," "Melting of Imagining Existence," and "Morbid Knocking," that save the day and the song.  The blasting drums are not the single best drum performance I've ever heard in a death metal CD, but they get their point across more than adequately in the end.  The vocals are ultra-low, guttural, and ominous throughout.

Be it in CD or LP, "Changes" to this day remains an extremely rare find in any format, usually commanding in the triple figures on the internet today, having been released on the tiny Austrian Lethal label in 1992, but is thankfully available for download on Amazon U.K.  An overall quality work from a talented young band that deserves to be heard by a wider audience of death metal fans.


title: An older, wiser Quartz

text:
First off, since Amazon did not provide it, here is this album's complete track listing:

1. Just Another Man 4:25
2. Madman 3:59
3. Too Hot to Handle 3:52
4. Hard Road 3:03
5. Tell Me Why 4:32
6. The Wake 0:30
7. Buried Alive 4:14
8. Silver Wheels 3:43
9. Love 'Em & Run 5:11
10. Avalon 3:40
11. (It's) Hell Livin' Without You 2:48

Now, onto the review:

The career of Birmingham residents and Tony Iommi protégés Quartz preceded the New Wave of British Heavy Metal by a good few years, and they would go on to release their superb swansong LP "Against All Odds" just as the movement was drawing to a close.  Having once been signed to both United Artists and MCA, it was key NWOBHM label Heavy Metal Records that would release their magnum final vinyl opus, for which tracks were recorded at Coventry's Metrosound and Horizon Studios (where labelmates Witchfinder General had earlier worked) in February and March of 1983.

It's apparent from opener "Just Another Man" that this is a more experienced and somewhat more accessible Quartz, with the striking and distinctive vocal harmonies of new frontman Geoff Bate, along with the well-placed keyboards of Geoff Nicholls, the kind that other NWOBHM bands of the day like Emerson and Saracen were also experimenting with.  This track has a real '80s feel to it, very catchy and emotionally rich, as most of the rest of the LP is.  There are a wide range of styles to be found here though, as the album also includes a couple faster, more aggressive Saxon/Crucifixion-esque numbers with brilliant riffs galore from longtime guitarist Mick Hopkins, those being "Madman" and "(It's) Hell Livin' Without You."  I'd say the main current running through the record though is one of more straightforward hook-oriented hard rock, including songs with lyrics about gorgeous, seductive females like "Too Hot to Handle" and "Love 'Em & Run."  The latter's subject matter deals not with promiscuous sex as suggested in the title, but instead endorses a man retaining his freedom and independence by not becoming tied down in the vows of marriage.  As a lifelong single guy myself now pushing 40, I found these lyrics rather inspirational.  I just previewed the entire LP though to prepare for this review, and I didn't count one bad song, and taken as a whole this is very powerful and vibrant music, that is strangely soothing and healing to the soul, as all great music is, and shows just what a class act Quartz always were throughout their career.

To summarize, this is a classic and criminally unknown British hard rock/NWOBHM album deserving of a much wider audience and is an essential link in the chain if you like Quartz.  It's an absolute travesty that to date there has never been an official CD release, though I was able to secure a very good quality Russian pseudo-bootleg copy elsewhere on the internet.  But, in any format you can find it in, I can't recommend "Against All Odds" enough to fans of quality British hard rock and heavy metal.


title: Proof that hardcore punk was still alive in the mid '80s

text:
First off, since Amazon did not provide it, here is this compilation's complete track listing:

SIDE A:

1. 7 SECONDS - Regress No Way
2. 7 SECONDS - We're Gonna Fight
3. CIVIL DISSIDENT - 20th Century Holocaust Pt. II
4. CIVIL DISSIDENT - Death for a Buzz
5. THE INSTIGATORS - 53rd State
6. THE INSTIGATORS - The Blood is On Your Hands
7. THE INSTIGATORS - Free (You're Not)
8. SIEGE - Sad But True
9. SIEGE - Cold War
10. SIEGE - Walls
11. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - Kiss of Death
12. CRUDE SS - Nazi Go Home
13. CRUDE SS - Sprang alla komunhus
14. AKUTT INNLEGGELSE - Tenk na!
15. THE EXECUTE - Slash (live)

SIDE B:

16. PART 1 - Black Mass
17. POISON IDEA - Typical
18. POISON IDEA - Die on Your Knees
19. GENOCIDE EXPRESS - Genocide Express
20. GENOCIDE EXPRESS -  Factory
21. INFERNO - Wir sind schon tot II
22. INFERNO - Freited
23. MOB 47 - Fred & rattvisa
24. MOB 47 - Sjuk varld
25. MOB 47 - Nedrusta nu
26. MOB 47 - Snuten styr
27. SEPTIC DEATH - Terrorain
28. SEPTIC DEATH - Change
29. ENOLA GAY - Grav et hul
30. ENOLA GAY - Enola Gay
31. HOLY DOLLS - Beast of the Apocalypse
32. ZYKLOME A - People Die
33. ZYKLOME A - Angry Face
34. EXTREM - Nazi Raus

Now, onto the review:

Although the glory years of hardcore punk could be said to have been between 1980 and '83, there were still a number of bands from around the globe keeping the sound alive a couple years on in the mid '80s, and getting progressively more and more extreme I might add.

This is where "Cleanse the Bacteria" comes in.  Released in early 1985, this international hardcore compilation LP was the brainchild of "MAXIMUMROCKNROLL" and "Thrasher" scribe Brian "Pushead" Schroeder, who also just happened to be frontman for one of the bands included on the compilation, SEPTIC DEATH.

Let it be said that all compilations are a mixed bag and this one is no exception.  That is to say, I didn't like every single song or band on here, so in this review I will focus on what were for me the highlights.

Kicking off the record in a big way is a band who needs no introduction for seasoned hardcore fans, Reno, Nevada's 7 SECONDS, who turn in two high energy tracks, the latter, "We're Gonna Fight," being a rerecording from the band's 1982 "Skins, Brains & Guts" 7".  These songs predate the considerably softer direction the band would later take, when they became far removed from the gritty hardcore sound you will find here.  England's INSTIGATORS also caught my attention, as they featured in their ranks one Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw, who was the founder and mainman at the Peaceville Records label in the '80s and later, drummer for SORE THROAT.  The three INSTIGATORS tracks, being in the early peace punk vein of other U.K. acts of the era like CONFLICT, and complete with an appropriately snotty vocalist and an anthemic sound, are very well done and were a definite highlight for me.  Of the more obscure European bands featured here, I really favor Holland's GENOCIDE EXPRESS and Sweden's MOB 47, the latter of whom have built up a sizable cult following in the underground through the years with their high speed hardcore attack, which I found to be not unlike the early work of Holland's B.G.K.

But maybe the main claim to fame of this LP, and one of the reasons it is so rare and sought after by collectors today, is that it happens to be the sole vinyl appearance ever for the band that I found to be the comp's crown jewel, Boston's SIEGE.  Their three tracks here, which amount to just over four minutes of music, were recorded in October 1984 and are thought by many to be the exact point at which hardcore evolved into something far more extreme, grindcore, and hence influenced countless bands since, such as REPULSION, NAPALM DEATH, and HERESY.  While I'm sure even that is open to debate, one thing is for certain, the light speed and dissonant wall of sound the band create here is brilliant, and sounds better in analag format on the original vinyl than it did on Relapse's CD reissue from the '90s of the "Drop Dead" demo.  Totally vintage and mindblowing and far better than most of the bands that they later influenced.

For all the reasons given here, it's a true shame that no one has ever reissued "Cleanse the Bacteria" in its entirety on CD, barring a few of the tracks appearing on various compilations, such as the already mentioned Siege.  I had my crackly old vinyl copy transferred onto CD, skips and pops and all, but I'm glad I did.  To summarize, if you have the extra cash to spare and are at all into any of the bands mentioned, I see no reason not to track down a copy of this vinyl-only rarity known as "Cleanse the Bacteria."


title: Sore Throat return to their punk roots at the end of the grindcore era -- 3 1/2 stars

text:
Yorkshire's Sore Throat were one of the key contenders in the U.K. grindcore scene that went strong from 1986 until about 1988.  During the latter year, they would release two seminal noisecore LPs, "Unhindered by Talent" and "Disgrace to the Corpse of Sid," the latter which I still rate as perhaps the fastest and most extreme recording of all time.  (Note that Earache finally reissued these rare LPs in 2010 as a 2-in-one CD that is also available here on Amazon.)

Since Sore Throat and other bands like Napalm Death and Carcass had presumably already taken that scene and sound to its outermost extremes on said records, on their next album they decided to change direction back to their roots in the political punk/crust scene.  Thus in two recording sessions (and again at Lion Studios in Leeds) in February and May of 1989 the band laid down tracks for their next LP "Never Mind the Napalm Here's Sore Throat."

The cover artwork is an almost exact copy of the famous, one and only Sex Pistols record and the title is another obvious jab at their more well-known scene contemporaries Napalm Death.  You have to take Sore Throat's in-joke humor with a grain of salt though, because each of said bands' members were known to turn up on one another's early LP thank lists.  Sore Throat continue their streak of memorable song titles too including "We'll March Against the Nazis" and "Can You Dig It?".

The whole album is only 16 minutes long and as said consists of serviceable crust punk in the vein of Discharge and Amebix.  That said, some of the tracks tend to sound kind of samey and run together a bit.  Gone is the nightmarish, almost death metal feel of the previous record; but as said, the band probably felt they took that sound about as far as it could go and had nowhere else to go but to return to the punk basics.  So, whereas I would readily recommend the "Disgrace to the Corpse of Sid" LP to any extreme metal fan, "Never Mind the Napalm" is really one for the most ardent peace punk fans only.

This record saw a couple pressings on vinyl, one official pressing on CD on the "And We Don't Care" discography compilation and a later Peru bootleg CD pressing by itself that included the album's lyrics, which to the best of my knowledge were otherwise only included on the U.S. vinyl pressing on Weasel Records.

Sore Throat completists will want to track down this album one way or another but I'd recommend that those only into the light speed grindcore sound stick to the band's earlier recordings.


title: Extremity that has yet to be topped over 20 years on

text:
The fastest and most extreme music in the early-'80s underground scene arguably fell within the realm of U.S. hardcore punk, and in particular bands such as Boston's Deep Wound and Siege.  As the mid-'80s approached though and that scene slowly died out, it was the British and in particular bands such as Napalm Death and Unseen Terror who would prove to carry the torch on into a new era in the late-'80s.

Yorkshire's Sore Throat formed during the peak of this movement in 1987, with a line-up consisting of Rich Militia-vocals, Nick Royles-drums, and two members splitting their time in U.K. anarcho peace/crust band Doom, Brian Talbot and John Doom on guitar and bass, respectively.  The band unleashed their debut recording "Aural Butchery" during that year, a sloppy homemade demo of alcoholic-influenced noise that seemed to be modeled mainly on side one of Napalm Death's "Scum," which was at the time still brand new.  The band recorded another couple demos over the next year, which along with "Aural Butchery" are all available on a CD (unavailable on Amazon) put out by Area Death Productions in 2006 called "Death to Capitalist Halmshaw."

By September of 1988, when the band entered Lion Studio in Leeds to record their debut LP, Royles was out and Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw, who was the founder and driving force behind independent label Peaceville Records, took over on drums.  I feel the band only really came into their own here with the addition of Hammy and the resultant LP "Unhindered by Talent" was then released on England's Meantime Records.

It was clear that the band was now a tight, well-oiled machine as compared to the distorted mess that was their first demo.  "Unhindered by Talent" ran the full gamut of the extreme music that was coming out of England at the time.  Tracks like "Horrendous Cut-Throat System" and "War is Horrendous" mostly recall Extreme Noise Terror (who were themselves descended from the earlier Discharge) at their finest.  Here the naysayers who dismissed the band as just pure noise for noise's sake were silenced when it was made clear that the band really could carry a tune and then some.  The reverb used on these tracks is particularly effective.

The other element found here was the introduction of pulverizing, less than one minute detonations of grindcore insanity on tracks like "Straight Head (Narrow Mind)" and the comic "Billy Milano's Head."  Although there have been bands to play faster since, the tuning of the blasting drums makes them most devastating and reminds me of the brutality found on Bathory's "the Return" of all recordings.

Though the band was definitely known for their tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, many of the songs here show a more serious and introspective side.  "A Bow to Capital," an ode to the politically oppressed, is a brilliant acoustic number with an absolutely beautiful guitar harmony and "Remembrance" is a tribute to the fallen victims of war.  Finally, "Eat Organic" advocates a pro-vegetarian lifestyle, recalling the essential platform of earlier U.K. anarcho/peace punk groups such as Crass and Conflict.

The fall of that year proved to be Sore Throat's peak time of creativity, as only one month later, in October of '88, the band re-entered Lion to cut their second LP "Disgrace to the Corpse of Sid," this time released on then vinyl-only label Earache Records.  This is where the band took the sound to its outermost extremes, while at the same time parodying the entire movement in a somewhat mocking tone.  I have never seen it acknowledged anywhere that the band's sole intent on the 90 (!!) tracks found on the record's A-side seemed to be to top what was at the time the absolute fastest and most extreme recording of its day, Carcass's debut "Reek of Putrefaction," which had been issued by Earache only a few months prior.  Even the totally D.I.Y. cover art of "Disgrace to the Corpse of Sid" is clearly modeled on that of the former, only instead of mutilated body parts you get various caricatures of the scene of the day, such as Nazis and purveyors of what was at the time known as "cock rock," exploding forth from the body of the infamous Sid Vicious (the notorious and dearly departed bassist for the Sex Pistols).  Such classic song titles as "Failure of Liver" and "Anal Intelligence Apartheid" further the jokey tone some more.

When you get down to it though, the laughter ends when your jaw drops at the absolutely unparalleled speed and extremity achieved here.  The record opens with an eerie horror movie sample and that's when the chaos begins.  I don't think that ANY drummers before or since have reached the truly inhuman speeds that Hammy rises to on this recording.  The distortion used on the opening track is equally brilliant, most recalling Flint, Michigan's Repulsion, another obvious influence.

Just as on the debut though, the band proves they have a serious side as well and you flip over the record and get a solid 20 minutes of slower, sludgy peace crust in the vein of Amebix.  Tracks like "Truth" are absolutely brilliant doses of traditional melodic punk.

For almost 20 years, both of the albums featured here remained out of print and therefore very rare and sought after.  A CD of "Disgrace to the Corpse of Sid" was issued by Japan's Toys Factory in 1989 (and in the years prior to the current reissue I've seen it easily go for $100 on eBay) and in 2006, the debut was tacked on along with it, but still pressed in ridiculously small quantities and still only in Japan.

That's why I rejoice now in 2010, when Earache reissues these long out of print releases for the first time at a reasonable price.  Your average kid today into grind has probably never even heard of Sore Throat and with this review and this CD now being available to more than just a small handful of collectors, my sincere hope is that the word will be spread about this truly classic band.  In short, both of these records are masterpieces of extremity as well as all-time personal favorites.

(One final sidenote:  If you are like me and a born-again Christian who just happens to also be a fan of extreme music, you must purchase the original import LP version of "Unhindered by Talent."  In the liner notes, after thanking a number of underground bands and persons, drummer Hammy closes by thanking "the Lord Jesus our Saviour."  I wish to thank him for witnessing to the world in this way.  Truly rare for this type of music!)


title: Excellent Music

text: Rob Attaway and band is quite possibly the best music writer since Hillsong United. All the songs on this CD are excellent, nicely recorded and enjoyable to listen to. He also puts on an excellent show!


title: A REAL Musician

text:
This is one of the best productions you will have the pleasure of listening to. Jaigh is an accomplished guitar player, songwriter, engineer and producer. He will make you think with his words, make you dance with his music.

Buy this CD. It will be more than worth it....


title: Worth the Double-Dip

text:
I already owned the previous deluxe edition with the "Live from Paris" EP, but the more I thought about it and the farther in love I fell with Melody Gardot and this album in particular, the more reasonable it became to double-dip for this second deluxe edition for the three remixes and the "Bye Bye Blackbird" EP. I'm glad I splurged, because the four new tracks are terrific (admittedly, I'm less enthralled with the three remixes). Plus, my original purchase of the album was digital and now I have a gorgeous CD box set on my shelf, allowing me to stare endlessly at the young chanteuse who has so roundly captured my attention.

As for the album proper, it's already a Top 10 for me after just four years (is it really that old already?). I couldn't even guess how many times I've played it. "Baby, I'm a Fool" gets me every time. "Your Heart Is as Black as Ice"? Gardot vamps it up and it's amazing. The simple sweetness of "If the Stars Were Mine" is the joy of falling in love set to music. The title track could be dull and overlong in someone else's hands, but Gardot's aching vocals make it one of the most intimate songs she's yet recorded.

I've thought it over, and the truth is that I don't think I could recommend just one edition of the "My One and Only Thrill" album. I really do think you need both "Live in Paris" and "Bye Bye Blackbird" to go with it.


title: Thank you, Legacy!

text:
First off, the technical side of things.  I have a widescreen 30" Philips HDTV with a Trutech surround sound DVD player and was very impressed with the audio and visual qualities of the DVD.  I started listening to the first CD in the car as soon as I bought this release today and it sounded great, too.

As for the content, it is truly amazing how a nearly two hour concert video can be so thoroughly engaging when the main artist never even so much as stands up on stage.  For those not in the know, by the time of this concert, Waylon's health confined him to a specially designed chair on-stage.  Unlike Johnny Cash, though, Waylon's vocals never diminished and so he still sounds as vibrant as he does in the "Waylon Live" recordings from a quarter century earlier.  Sure, there are nitpicks with the set list; being the final concert recording from a music icon, everyone has at least one song they wish he'd included.  But then, the funny thing is, the "Waylon Live" recordings occurred before he'd even had most of the hits that came to define him for most listeners.

Finally, for those who bought the original 14-track singular CD release and are wondering if this is worth the upgrade...hell, yes, it is!  First off, the packaging is far superior, full of clear photos, unlike the original release's few blurry ones.  Secondly, the original release sequencing is far off from the full concert and the previously unreleased material is not fluff; it's great stuff that should have been included earlier.  The only gripe I have is that on the original release, Waylon has a conversation with Travis Tritt about making movies with Willie that was pretty entertaining, and that's not included on this release.  Still, it's a trade-off I think any fan would make.  Unless, like me, you plan on keeping your earlier release, too. ;)


title: Smooth Jazz from the 80s

text:
Let's see here, this is an lp featuring the likes of Dave Grusin, Patrice Rushen, Abe Laboriel, and Larry Willams. All of them at their prime, and loving it.  The tracks are smooth yet classic in their essence. How you folks missed it, I dunno.

Oh and I want a cut for saying here and now. The public wants this in the Cd format as well.


title: 2nd lp man is it good

text: Why more wasn't  said about this when it came I dunno. You want it funky here you go. You want a ballad or two mixed in here you go. The rest is history, Ritchie first vocals are and bang, you knew things were gonna explode. The Machine Gun lp is good, but here is the foundation.


title: One Nation Under a Groove is not the only hit.

text: What's not to like, here the band is all over the map. I love it for that.  I love Bernie Worrell's keyboard work is fantastic. I promise it will be good to your ear hole.


title: It's great but not that great price wise.

text: I dislike the fact that they are charging such a high price for the box set. I am sure he would pissed. He made music for everyone. Everyone can't afford music at this price even for the purple one.


title: Five Stars

text: I want this released from the Fantasy Studios. Highly underrated.


title: Five Stars

text: Thank you i love it.


title: Five Stars.

text: Quisiera tener see album solo que se me hace muy caro. Si lo volvieran a remasterizar  me gustaria comprarlo.


title: One of Helloween's best albums yet!!!

text:
I've been a Helloween fan since the early 1980's.  I buy all of their albums.  Some are good, some are not so good.  Some a fricking amazing and I think this album is up there in the amazing category!  I find I am binging my head with every track.  For me, this is saying something because I am almost 55 years old!  Yes, I said 55!

I grew up on great music.  My sister introduced me to the Beatles, Bloodrock, Clapton, and the others in the 1960's, and I've been listening ever since!  I love Pink Floyd, Sabbath, Purple, Hendrix, Supertramp, and all the greats.  To me, Helloween is in the mix of great bands.  Why?  Because they have amazing melodies, fantastic guitar interplay, and high speed drums with thundering bass.  I love it!

My God Given Right starts with the slamming Heroes and never lets up!  Reminds me a lot of the Keepers albums with the variety of music styles and subjects.

They've been around for quite a while now.  Some of the songs sound a bit like songs from the past, but, lets face it, given all the music forms today, all the songs written, a band is bound to "rehash" something.  This is always bad.  Look at the career of AC/DC!  Repetition kings!  So, why not kick back and enjoy something loud and heavy?  Given the state of our country, My God Given Right feels at home with my guns, knives, swords, and military history.

Great songs on this album?  All of them!!!  It isn't perfect but it is as close as can be found in today's music world.  The order of songs is perfect.  Any one of the tracks could have been first and caused no harm to my listening joy!

If you get anything from my thoughts, spend a little more money and buy the 2 CD set.  It's worth it!

I give the album 5 stars, 9.99 out of 10, 5 banging heads, the top of any system out there!

Great stuff by the kings of German Speed!!!!!


title: Best Frampton Concert EVER

text:
I was lucky enough to see this show twice... I'm going to try to do this without singling out any songs because everything was great!
His first set was the entire Frampton comes alive album including the 5 songs that they didn't put on Frampton comes alive. Also he performed them in the order that they originally performed them not in the order of the time Frampton comes alive. That was the first setting it was about 2 hours maybe 2 hours 15 minutes long.
After a brief break, he came back out and performed another 50 minutes set.... Some older, some new.... I have to say the standout of the 2nd set was his instrumental cover of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" (whoops! I named a song)  although some would probably argue that the evening's closer, "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" deserves that description. Since I mentioned a Beatles song, I should say that like the Beatles, Frampton has a way of taking a song and making it his own.... In the first set from Frampton comes alive that was more apparent in his version of Jumping Jack Flash.
It's too bad to include all that music had to cut out the dialogue cuz Peter Frampton is an extremely funny guy! And one show where I saw him in Lewiston New York, he also scolded a security guard for hassling a member of the audience who was videotaping one of his songs on her phone.
"Hey, Don't do that! Girl just trying to have fun" to that the audience erupted with applause... You finished by saying"You can take as many pictures as you like just do me a favor and don't put "Baby I Love Your Way" on YouTube because there's already a million different versions of that there".
Frampton shows why he is one of the greatest rock guitarists in the history of the genre!


title: Definitely his weakest album

text: I am a huge fan of Peter Frampton. That being said this is definitely his weakest album in his entire catalog. He really doesn't get to show off his guitar skills, there's way too much synthesized sounds, And there's no great riffs. The one song I liked, "I read the news" even has a weak bridge: no lyrics so no vocals, the guitar in the bridge is uninspired. The entire album seems like Frampton is just going through the motions. I saw him on this tour in a club and he did not look like he wanted to be there. He was officially in the skids: here's a guy who had the largest selling live album of all time, had been playing stadiums and headlining, and now he was reduced to playing in clubs. It left me very sad. Shortly after that I saw him in a concert where he was supporting I think it was Stevie nicks and it went very well and then I know he played with David Bowie as well on his glass spider tour. The next album's after that in the 1980s; premonition, and when all the pieces fit were fantastic. I was happy again! I still think Frampton is one of the greatest guitar players of all time: Hey everyone has a speed bump in their life. Unfortunately this album was a lot more than just a speed bump.


title: Excelente

text: Las canciones y su interpretaciones


title: Es un excelente trabajo de Emmanuel

text: Las canciones y sus interpretaciones


title: Second Time is a Charm

text: When I ordered this album, I was disappointed when I received it and it was used because the product description stated that it was new. After contacting the seller they sent me the new album and let me keep the used one as well. Love the album and this was the best customer service I have received in a long time.


title: Five Stars

text: well described, well packaged, would buy from this seller again. A++


title: Five Stars

text: Excellent


title: the THE GRID EVOLVER fantastic album. i am so happy with this CD

text: thank you amazon and Juness Japan Shop i got my package before time.the<br />THE GRID EVOLVER fantastic album.i am so happy with this CD.THANKS AGAIN.


title: Awesome

text: I love the songs and it was great to hear sweet voices. The cd was good to have. I love songs that bring joy in to my life and free me from all the bad energy.


title: New Generation Italo is incredible

text: New Generation Italo is deep, beautiful and full of great energy.


title: music is love

text: I simply love it.


title: A must have for a jazz guitar fan.

text: Cd was as advertised. Very happy with this purchase.


title: Another great Kazumi Watanabe release !!!

text: Excellent electric jazz set from Kazumi. I just love his playing on this disc. Excellent sevice from Tokyo Line.


title: Love Nu’est

text: Arrived super quick. I love the quality of this album and book! I was lucky enough to get my bias Aron’s photocard and poster. ;)


title: Simple, but fun, and gets the job done

text: We have the one with all different levels.  A fun way to practice basic facts the kids should have memorized.  Starts with simple number recognition and goes up to complex facts.  Simple game format, nothing fancy, but it's more fun than flashcards, and the kids get wrapped up in the competition/racing part of the game.  Great that they can race against themselves and it tracks their own best times.


title: Five Stars

text: Such a nice seller !! The vinyl arrived perfectly and just as described. Thank you so very much !!


title: Bello CD, wow, que recuerdos.

text: Me encanto ..


EXCELENT SELLER


title: EXCELLENT SELLER

text: GOOD


title: Beatles At Creative Flux in Anthology II

text: Few people can argue that the Beatles are the single most influential band from the latter half of the 20th Century. As such, they are probably the only ones who can release six CD's worth of demos, bootlegged material and  toss-offs without seeming pretentious or overblown. The anthology series in  itself is a fascinating look at three very specific periods in Beatles  music and of these, Anthology II is perhaps the most satisfying. The time  period involved here (1965-1967) shows the Beatles working at their  creative peak; gone is the youthful naivety found on Anthology I, and the  bitter infighting of Anthology III is yet to come. Unlike the first  Anthology, this set doesn't offer any distracting interview snippets with  the band members, but instead goes through great lengths to show the  creative building process in action. Whether purposely or not, the first of  the two discs seems slanted more toward McCartney tunes, with a stark  reading of "Yesterday" being the primary highlight. CD2 appears  favored toward John Lennon and as such, is a more exciting listen. Lennon  was a master wordsmith and to hear him reworking his lyrics, stripped of  most or all background instrumentation, is a fascinating thing. Of the  three sets in the series, Anthology II is the best-constructed, while the  song selection is as vibrant and alive as it was almost 40 years ago.  Personal Favorites: Disc One: Paul McCartney's lonesome rendering of his  most popular song, "Yesterday"; a live, rambunctious version of  Lennon's "Help". Disc Two: the startling sequence of takes  documenting Lennon's working of "Strawberry Fields Forever" from  bare-bones guitar to multilayered instrumentalism; Lennon's similar  attitude with his wonderful "A Day in the Life".


title: Anthology I Good Overview of Grubby Beatles

text: At the time this Anthology series first appeared, many critics claimed it was nothing more than a clever marketing ploy (tied in with TV specials, no less), cashing in on Lennon's premature death and the band's steady  popularity. In retrospect however, the Anthologys do serve as an  interesting anthropological study into the three specific layers of musical  strata that comprise Beatles rock. Anthology I is (obviously) the  foundation upon which everything else rests and is fairly detailed in  accounting the band's formative period before metamorphosing into their  studio polish. Of the two CDs included in this box, Disc One is the more  disappointing of the pair. It begins with "Free As A Bird", one  of John Lennon's weaker songs, remixed with new accompaniment by the three  surviving band members. Once through this drudgery, the remainder of the  disc captures the Beatles at their earliest inception, complete with poor  sound quality. The  sound on Disc Two is a bit better, and the band seems  to have jelled into a formidable unit. Anthology I is also unique in that  it includes several cover songs of American performers as diverse as Buddy  Holly, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. There are also numerous  spoken introductions by the band members, as well as demos and false starts  on "One After 909" and "Eight Days A Week". The energy  level remains high and the boys seem almost giddy with excitement and  creativity. Of the three Anthology releases, this one is probably the least  necessary; however, for completists and those who want an interesting look  into the Beatles at their earliest, Anthology I is a practical purchase.  Personal Favorites: Disc One: a mockingly British attempt at "Besame  Mucho", complete with "cha-cha-cha"'s; the driving  train-ride of "One After 909". Disc Two: takes two and three of  "I'll Be Back", wherein Lennon changes the rhythm of the song  from a waltz to a 4/4 tempo; the skulking alternate take to Lennon's  "No Reply".


title: 6: tack?

text: While this is overall a terrific compilation of Coldplay's greatest songs and biggest hits, it did drop the ball occasionally and therefore is not a perfect compilation. For example, "What If" was not included, "Low" was not included. These both were hits and both were greats songs. While this is a "Greatest Hits" compilation, as opposed to a "Best of" compilation, the song "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" had no place in this collection, since it was neither a hit nor a great song. "Low" and "What If" were better songs and bigger hits, but neither was included in this collection. In the future, if a "Best of" Comes out, I would suggest not leaving out "Daylight," " Warning Sign," and "A Whisper." And foremost, do not leave out "Low" and "What If." Again, someone dropped the ball when producing this record.


title: CD CASE WAS CRACKED. PROBABLY DURING SHIPPING.

text: Shipped fast. Nice CD. Case was cracked probably in shipping. Product could use more packing protection.


title: This is The Album I Love

text: Great album that every Harrison fan should own! I first heard some of these songs over stadium PA during George's Dark Horse tour in 1974. Kind of wish Splinter could have been on that tour! I love George's production with excellent guitar and backing vocals!


title: Music was great but CD packaging was cracked and looked used!

text: Love the music but CD did looked used and scratched. Was not worth $20


title: New Age Classical

text:
A nice relaxation CD released in 2003, although it is merely a re-release of the Athena Records' "Shorelines Romantic Seas" CD originally released in 2000 (also listed on Amazon.com).

What you get is pleasant New Age Classical music arrangements performed by unknown parties on what sounds like synthesizers attempting to recreate chamber orchestras, dry pianos, airy flutes, chorus "Aahs" and NewWavy synth sounds (although the guitar on track #3, "Faure in Nature" actually sounds like the real thing).  All of this is set against various surf sounds (waves, birds, wind, rain), mostly at the beginning and ends of the numbers.  The sound of gently lapping waves (in stereo, yet) actually works well, creating a relaxing backdrop for the music.  Most of the tracks here are Classical masterpieces, but a couple sound suspiciously original.

I think though, that you could probably find another CD with most of the same pieces, and probably with sounds of nature as well, with the music actually played by real chamber instruments.  I personally find the synth sounds, especially the piano, to be a bit distracting for active listening, BUT this MAY be just the ambient thing you or your baby are looking for . . . .

BTW - Track #1, titled "Pachebel in Nature, " is actually an arrangement of Pachebel's "Canon."  Track #3, titled "Faure in Nature, " is actually an arrangement of Faure's "Pavane."  Track #5, titled "Bach in Nature," is actually Bach's "Air on the G String."


title: Quality

text: New item with expected sound quality and quickly shipped.


title: love it

text: BIGBANG sounds just as good, if not better, live


title: love it

text: the aesthetic of the album is absolutely gorgeous, and this has got to be in my top three favorite albums by HyunA. that being said, I am disappointed in the packaging. the photoshoot photos are only held in a thin paper folder. it would have been better to have them in a book form or notebook form, as it is extremely fragile. the songs and photos are definitely amazing though!


title: Awesome

text: I love Red Velvet. Despite being repetitive, the title track is still nice to listen to. I even liked it on first listen. All songs on this album are worth listening to and replaying. I got Seulgi's photocard. The casing thing is actually pretty easy to get off and on despite what other people have said. Maybe it's because I'm used to opening and closing 2NE1's Crush so much.


title: Love Him

text: Daesung has always been one of my favorite vocalists. His albums are always flawless, and this one is no exception. Each track sounds like it should be featured in an anime.<br />I received it on time and it was not damaged. I received the CD only version.


title: Love It!

text: I recently discovered Dreamcatcher, and I really love them. "Chase Me" is my second favorite title track from them. It comes with a CD, photobook, and photocard (I got Jiu). On this album there's 3 other tracks: "Intro: Welcome to Dream", "Emotion", and "Chase Me (inst)". I would really recommend this album to people who are also anime fans, since "Chase Me" sounds a bit like an anime opening.


title: Awesome!!!

text: I really like Twice, they have a lot of potential to be very good musically, and this album didn't disappoint. "Like OOH-AHH" is probably their best title track they've released, and the album is probably my second favorite of theirs. I really liked "Like a Fool" and "Candy Boy" as well. It came with three official photocards, and I got two Tzuyus (normal and baby picture) as well as a selfie with three of the members. The seller also gave an extra set of double sided photocards of the members, as well as a couple small candies (which tasted awesome).


title: Awesome!!!

text: I really like Twice, and this album did not disappoint. Other than "Cheer Up", I really liked "My Headphones On", as well as "Touchdown" and "I'm Gonna Be a Star". The album came with the garland that spells Page Two with the lyrics on the back, three photocards (a selfie, a photo, and a three member one), and the special photocard that's kind of 3D-ish. There are some dents in the box, but not very noticeable so I'm still very happy with my album.


title: I Just Hit the Lotto

text: Unlike some other people, I really enjoyed "Lotto" and its other tracks despite the autotune. I bought this only having heard "Monster", "Lucky One", and "Lotto" but now I love the other tracks as well. The CD came with a large poster, a photocard, and a photobook. I am really glad I got this, and can't wait for more.


title: Love it

text: I really love EXO, they were the reason that I got super obsessed with kpop. I bought this album only knowing "Call Me Baby", but I love the other songs now too. I got the Sehun version, a Xiumin photocard, and various pictures of the members as well as a poster.


title: Beautiful, soul stirring

text: The voice of an angel.  Beautiful, soul stirring, just lovely. I have always been a fan of Sade from her "Smooth Operator" days but I forgot to up date my Sade music.  I will now buy more as it becomes available.


title: So happy to have this in my collection ❤

text: Huge, huge Swiftie and have been since early 2008. I have been trying to expand my Taylor music collection to her older releases while I can still find them from 3rd parties (since I refuse to contribute to Big Machine Records after what they did to Taylor). Item arrived in pristine, brand new condition. Happy to have this throwback in my collection now. 🥰


title: Three Stars

text: I bought this for my mom.  She loves it!


title: A classic "must-have"

text: Such a classic. Everyone should have it in their collection. Product was packed really well and the shipping was very fast. I love it.


title: Poor audio quality

text: Poor audio quality and pretty disappointed in this CD, nice recording of the show but it is like listening to a bootleg


title: YOONGI IS LIFE, BRO

text: Perfection!


title: Good good good

text: [[VIDEOID:be37a2daaec47c14f3fe8b877fee1b20]] It’s official, came earlier than it said it would so that was great. It was in perfect condition and I love the mini album a lot!!! Recommend and will buy more.


title: Amazing

text: I got the green version, came right on time actually a little early so that was amazing. In perfect condition and is legit. DEFINITELY worth it!!!!


title: Awesome easy listening music!

text: This CD is very relaxing and contains lots of beautiful original pieces.  I am especially fond of # 4 "Fields of Blue" and #1 "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".  If you are looking for some beautiful music to help you relax or even to help you get to sleep, this CD could be the answer...it is fabulous!


title: Amazing

text: What an amazing album. These songs just get stuck in your head. Especially 'Move'. The album came well packaged an without any damage.


title: CD not in good shape.

text: Great album. CD was scratched and the case arrived broken. Anyway it still seemed to play.


title: Five Stars

text: The wonderfully talented Rob Thomas,what more can be said


title: Five Stars

text: excelent


title: There are no extra tracks.

text: Same as US version


title: Five Stars

text: Excellent


title: Must Hear for Sales

text: Great product for the price and very inspirational for people interested in owning your own business or in sales and marketing


title: AMAZING!

text: Love this Album and Photo book. came with 3 photo cards!  Everything in it came in perfectly. nothing damaged.


title: A wonderful debut

text:
Tug of War is an album only a young person could have produced, and I mean that as a compliment.

Carly Rae Jepsen's debut, brings a mix of songs filled with the exuberance of youth. Of the time when we still knew how to have fun, and love was a new and overwhelming emotion.

Although the lyrics are not entirely there yet, Carly Rae Jepsen's voice really sells them. Whether she's taking you to a day at the beach with "Bucket", or conveying the feeling of being lost in someone else's world with "Heavy Lifting". She can easily lift you up, or whisper you to tears.

"Tug of war" the title track it's already getting a lot of airplay, as well as her take of John Denver's "Sunshine on my Shoulders". They, along with the rest of the tracks, are melodically crafted with such a great competence as to making them irresistible.

I simply loved this debut effort, and I'm looking forward to a lot of great things from CRJ in the future.


title: Able to download all songs easily. Great collection.

text: This 4 disc set is absolutely necessary for fans of Metallica. More than 5 hours of Metallica metal. Truly money well spent. A few reviewers have commented about how these Cds are ripped protected and cannot be ripped into the computer. Well,  I had absolutely no trouble downloading all the songs into my computer. No problem at all. Cds play great. Songs from the computer play great. And no, my computer isn't messed up. So I don't know why others were having issues. Perhaps a different seller. I purchased from Boctoc. Great seller. Exceptional.


title: Awesome collection!

text:
This is simply an awesome collection of Ozzy's greatest, from 1980's "Blizzard Of Ozz" to 2010's "Scream". The songs listed are not exactly the same, in the info provided by Amazon, as the songs actually on this collection. Here's the revised song list.

Disc 1 79:57
Let Me Hear You Scream
I Don't Wanna Stop
Perry Mason
I Can't Save You
Dreamer
Latimer's Mercy
Not Going Away
Mama, I'm Coming Home
I Just Want You
No Easy Way Out
No More Tears
Back On Earth
21st Century Schizoid Man
Walk On Water
In My Life
Ghost Behind My Eyes
I Don't Want To Change The World
Time After Time

Disc 2 79:58
Diggin' Me Down
Nightmare
Gets Me Through
See You On The Other Side
Life Won't Wait
Mr. Tinkertrain
Shot In The Dark
Breaking All The Rules
I Don't Know
Bark At The Moon
Crazy Train
Miracle Man
Flying High Again
Mr. Crowley
Crazy Babies
Diary Of A Madman

Sure there is a song or two that didn't get on this set, but this collection really rocks! If you are a fan, I strongly recommended this one.


title: Excellent

text: This is an outstanding greastest hits collection by the Scorpions, covering their entire career of more than 40 years. Disc 1 runs 78:38 containing the bands great ballads. Some really nice songs here. Disc 2 runs 79:47 showcasing the band heavier rock songs. I really like this disc 2. It's nice to have all the great Scorpions rockers on one disc. This is an excellent collection for both the hardcore fan and the novice.


title: Warped beyond belief

text: This isn’t a review of the music. It’s a review of the condition of the album. This album wasn’t cheap. It came intact. Upon playing I noticed my tone arm JUMPING. It is beyond warped. It was not stored properly. It’s insane. You could see in the pictures it is touching the slipmat completely; flat. And then in multiple spots it’s MORE THAN A QUARTER of an INCH off the mat. That’s nuts. It still plays, just unfortunate and it won’t sound good on a cheap record player. Take your chances but don’t say you weren’t warned ;)

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title: Great

text: Brings back old memories of a time gone by. Just as good as expected.<br />Total set of Cd's is a perfict gift for someone that is my age group.


title: Great Band, Illegitimate Release

text: This is not a legitimate release. It's a Bootleg from Russia.


title: Great music, great movie.  Gouged price.

text: Don't get me wrong, I love this cd, but these sellers are vultures.  You can buy this cd from iTunes for 10 bucks.


title: Three Stars

text: The performances are okay, but the recordings are not done especially well.


title: Further availability info

text: Just a heads up for anyone looking for this album. The MP3 version at CD Baby only has 9 of the 13 songs. You can get the entire album in MP3 format directly at Target's Lifescapes webpage. Search for Target Lifescapes.... could not find it by going to the Target website itself.


title: Timely Delivery

text: Did not know this album or cd existed.  Glad to have found it.


title: Wrong disks

text: Manufacturing error. The wrong disks were in the case. The double CD case and item description says it was meant to have the original remastered album plus B-sides, the CDs I received were the live album and B-Sides (which are normally disks 2 and 3 from the 3CD version).


title: Beautiful singing

text: This is a wonderful album.  Highly recommended.


title: Best Progressive Rock Album Ever

text: Mic drop


title: GET THIS!!!

text:
As a 1 star reviewer said, it's a bootleg. Obviously. It says so as soon as you click on it. So it won't have the sound quality of BBC Sessions or How The West Was Won. But if you're a Led Zep Fan-atic, and you must be or you wouldn't be reading these reviews, this album belongs in your collection. It's that simple, that cut and dried. Be forewarned, the first song is cut off in the beginning.Such is the characteristics of bootlegs.
  I believe star ratings should be based on the recording and not the shipper and/or condition of the packaging. Although to comment on such is within reason.
  That said, I would like to espouse Sleepy Hollow Sound. My first album had one song cut off and Kashmir was missing. I e-mailed them the problem and they e-mailed me back within two hrs. They said they would check their master and either send a new copy or a refund. The next a.m. I asked what the refund encompassed and within an hour they replied that a new copy was on the way. Then I got a personal phone call making sure the mailing address was correct, and had a very personable ten min. conversation. You can't find a better company to deal with. They make you know you're dealing with people, not a company.


title: Must have for George Strait fan!

text: Great video!  Thoroughly enjoyable.


title: Branson Male Vocalist of the Year

text: Kenny Parrott has been performing in Branson since 1986, and has 11 total CD's.  His CD's are fully orchestrated, and are guaranteed. Most of his CD's have 20 or more songs on them, and can be bought directly from him by calling 417 336-4098.  He gets $10.00 per CD plus shipping costs.  If you're ever in Branson, make plans to come see him, at Buckingham's Prime Rib and Steak House, where he sings for your dining enjoyment from 5-7 pm Monday through Saturday, and enjoys getting and playing your requests.


title: Five Stars

text: Fantastic album!


title: It's a great new Album !!!

text: There wasn't anything that I disliked about this album......great new songs & the bonus tracks were fun !! I've enjoyed playing and singing along with this CD. Sir Cliff is still at the top of his game. His voice is rich with experience, there will be no one who can take his place. I'm an American Fan....so thank God for You Tube & Amazon that allows me to enjoy this great singers career !! You won't regret buying this album !!!


title: Four Stars

text: Amazing...good fun.


title: Beautiful Music

text: I had the opportunity to see these guys live at the American Folk Festival in Bangor, ME. They were amazing. I was actually walking by and when I heard their music, I became entranced and had to stop. Vocally, they were perfectly in harmony and I was very impressed with the violin playing and tap dancing at the same time. If you are looking for somne very beautiful music to get you out of your music rut, this is it!


title: Excellent!

text: Wow! No reviews--no info here! Great CD. Songs are: I Get a Kick out of You; Back Water Blues; My Devotion; Christopher Columbus; What a Diff'rence a Day Makes; I've Got You Under My Skin; Baby, You've Got What it Takes; Goodbye; Lover, Come Back to Me; Fat Daddy; Blue Gardenia; Birth of the Blues/I Don't Hurt Any More; No More; Blues Down Home; This Bitter Earth; The Cheat.  Different orchestras include: Belford Hendricks', Eddie Chambliss', Hal Mooney's, Teddy Stewart's, Ernie Wilkins', and the Terry Gibbs Sextet. Aprx. 1 hour CD.


title: I highly recommend this for anyone with young kids that need to ...

text: I have used this cd for years with my preschool class and my original copy went missing! I highly recommend this for anyone with young kids that need to go up and moving! Their favorite song from this cd is animal action!


title: Four Stars

text: Very cool.


title: this is a great album

text: I ordered this for a specific song but ended up loving them all.


title: The Best

text: This is, by far, the best frequency music I've listened to.  Love listening to it.


title: Five Stars

text: I love it


title: Five Stars

text: I love it!!!


title: Enjoyable music

text: Enjoyable music.  Kind of different, but fun to listen too.  Has a unique sound.  Great shipping and service for this order.


cant go wrong with eyal. not his best, but enjoyable and does the trick


title: Not recommended

text: Not enjoying this album, regret buying it


title: Two Stars

text: I thought it was her CD not just one song. My bad


title: Close packages

text: Exactly  like the description


title: Five Stars

text: Just what I wanted


title: High quality

text: Loved it. Favorite songs at one touch


title: Early Recording

text: I was looking for Madonna's early recordings and this is one of them.  Her voice was beautiful back then.


title: Trippy

text: The vocals teminf me of Dylan and sa subdued captain beefheart. The music is sometimes reminiscent of Donovan. Good album. But not perfect.


title: Inept liner notes, and wrong gig

text: Ok. First of all this is not a recording of the avtual grackle debacle. This comes from an earlier gig. Second, spalax records neefs to hire either a copy reader or fact checker before they print liner notes. Bo Svenssons liner notes are so full of errors historically, let alone misspelling Rokys name, stating that easter everywhere was the elebators first album and stating that tommys wife murdered stacy sutherland, but its full of grammatical errors. My review is too, but im not getting paid. Do it right or dont do it at all. Plus one get the distinct impression that he simply passes tommy hall and roky off as two loonies and pretty much makes fun of them. Its insulting. I could have written better notes and come up with a more accurate title. Yeah, Roky drank cokes and smoked, but he already had a mother, Bo. Ranking on someone who was memtally ill is uncool, Bo.


title: The best

text: For me, among the nrw bands doing psychedelic music, these guys are the most enjoyable. I think they are the leaders of the pack, and this album shows the same high standards as tjeir previous releases. Grsb a copy.


title: Classic

text: I saw this back in the 70s at the record store. Never bought it because i thought it would be bloody boringke like Yes. Im a psych head..<br />Airplane, 13th floor elevators, pre dark side floyd etc. This album is anything but boring. Its a great psych masterpiece and im glad i finally became experirnced. If you like umma gumma era floyd or mighty baby you have to havie this.


title: Five Stars

text: Perfect packaging.  Speedy delivery.  The CD was great. 100% satisfied.


title: Four Stars

text: That's one of the best Bocelli's Album but is incomplete comparing with the cd.


title: Great music cd

text: Great new music great service highly recommended


title: Five Stars

text: amazing, like to play along


title: Great purchase!!!!

text: My husband really loves it! I am glad I bought it for him. Thanks so much. It came in excellent condition!


Wish I would have done a little more research on this before buying it.  This isn't the actual music score of the entire movie like one might expect.  Just the theme and a few other tracks.  Beware!


title: Excellent Banjo Picking

text: Butch Robbins has been a favorite of mine since the 1980's. I was very happy to be able to get this copy of his work. My wife was a huge fan of his. Listening to his music brings back many good memories. You will enjoy this recording.


title: a great story inspired by the style of the Ray Harryhausen ...

text: a great story inspired by the style of the Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movies. for me this stands up with all my favorite Old Time Radio shows. great stories and acting but also fired up by your own imagination. I love Mark Redfields voice acting and cant wait to hear more stories from him and his team!


title: Check your facts!

text:
This radio documentary keeps referring to 1974 as the year when Godspell happened when actually the play and original cast album were released in 1971 and the movie and it's soundtrack record were released in 1973. Both LPs were released on Bell records which ceased operations in 1974 and then the albums were distributed on Arista. Instead of doing actual research about the play and music, they based their whole timeline off the 1974 Arista copyright.

Can you expect accuracy from a company that can't spell the title correctly. They call the cd Godspell - Silver Anniversay Radio Celebration instead of Anniversary.


title: Imported rip-off

text: The cd is taken from an overseas lp master tape and is not mixed for cd. This cd was made without the consent of Crosby & Nash. If you want the best sound quality, purchase the American version "Wind on the Water" (MCA - 088 112 043-2) lovingly remastered by Stephen Barncard.


title: Nice album

text: Nice album with great songs like back to that great sound is a killer


title: Nice album of great classic Salsa

text: I thinks this album was underrated great music


title: nice classic album

text: Nice classic album by Santiago Ceron there are some great tracks from this one, great singing, coro, band, & songs thanks


title: there's some great tracks on this album

text: Some great tracks on this album its not the best compilation from Israel Kantor but its good enough to say good if you just want a album of Israel Kantor this one will do


title: Monguito el padrino del son montuno

text: What a smokin album this is, I'm glad to have found this cd, Monguito doesn't miss a beat,the tunes on this cd that makes this cd kick butt are -como parieta mi Chinita,que traigan el guaguanco,guaguanco a todos Los barrios,esa mulata,el son de Monguito,a mi Cuba la toco are what is the reason this why Monguito is el padrino del son montuno


title: Enamorado de ti pretty good album

text: Ismael Miranda a salsa legend known for salsa but he has done some bolero albums this one got for my friend,he liked one of his bolero albums exitos de Los 50s vol.1 this is like that cd I heard this album its prettygood I'm sure he'll dig this too


title: One of the best

text: This is great album of classic charanga from Pacheco all the tunes are good not one bad tune on this and the bonus tunes which came from Las Tres Flauta album that Jose Fajardo,Pupi Legarretta with Pacheco most of those tunes good too, this album recommend highly


title: Rey Roig music

text: This is two albums on one cd this is a smoking cd from the 70s.Rey Roig a underrated salsero from the 60s &70s had a fantastic & also another singer that didn't get the credit he deserved Julian Llano. My dad owned a few of his albums of Rey Roig and some of the material that he had are on this cd brilliant,can't say enough.


title: Rare find great music

text: Excellent product and great music.


title: Merrill is great!

text: Merrill still has it! I love the way his voice changes as he sings, and the way he puts his own special touches on every song. You must buy this if you are a Merrill Osmond fan.


title: The Presence of God

text: It is a very refreshing and edifying CD, which releases the Presence of God.


title: my favorite.. i listen to it always

text: my favorite..i listen to it always..i know most of the songs here..great copy for a second hand.


title: CD RELEASE NEEDED!

text: This is a WONDERFUL album which is long OVERDUE in digital format! Since the early 80's when 60's releases were primarily flooding the market, this album fell through the cracks and never found it's way to (what was then) the new CD format. This LP contains one of my favorite songs from the 60's "the thought of loving you". I have been searching for this LP in CD format since the early 80's, I'm tired of only being able to acquire this song on CD-R format....Hopefully, someone reading this review who has the means ans resources will release this LP in CD format where it rightfully belongs!


title: Found it

text: I was so glad that I found this album. I had originally bought this item as a child and had dmaged it so badly that it could not be played. This item was in excellant condition and was like new.


title: We have found it, Gen Z's abbey road

text: too bad this has no physical release that isn't monstrously expensive cuz this is hands down the greatest albumof the 2010s


title: Five Stars

text: Out standing sound track, I'm enjoying it as much as the movie.


title: Mr Children's Ashioto is Outstanding.

text:
This may only contain three tracks, But Mr Children have once more produced
pure magic. I'm never disappointed with the music. It's wonderfully upbeat and
is a joy to listen too. HEY MR CHILDREN KEEP MAKING THAT AWESOME MUSIC!


title: The Pleasure that is Mr Children

text:
Since I've become acquainted with Mr Children, They have not disappointe me.
I listen to them at work and my day is more pleasant. I have quite a few of their
albums and love each one.


title: Honey  L Days

text:
This a really beautiful album. I originally heard it on a trailer for L-DK, which is out as alive version of the manga.
Their voices are extremely pleasing, a wonderful blend that I can listen to all day. Hope to obtain more of Honey L Days music.
I highly recommend it to those who want a wonderful experience.


title: WE WANT THE JAPANESE VERSION

text:
I just purchased Bump of Chicken's lead song Ray. The song is as delightful as always.
But it doesn't feature Hatsune Miku, only the version sold in the Japanese Itune store
has this version, I couldn't buy it and was sent to the american store. COME ON GUYS,
YOUR STORE HAS GOT TO GET WITH THE TIMES AND MAKE THE PURCHASE
FROM OVERSEAS STORE AVAILABLE!