Amazon.com

"Unplugged" takes on new meaning for this Greenpeace fundraiser.The hook is that the 16 name-acts here--Midnight Oil, Sonic Youth, UB40 and P.M. Dawn included--were recorded live with a solar-powered mobile facility. Standout cuts from R.E.M. (a rock-steady, "Drive"), U2 ("Until the End of the World," live in San Diego), Annie Lennox (a lovely acoustic version of "Cold"), and Soundgarden with Brian May ("New Damage") make this a clear-cut winner. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Some mind-blowingly beautiful songs and some forgetable ones
James' "Ring the Bells" really is breathtaking. I'm a big fan of James, and "Ring the Bell" is my favourite song of thiers, and I cried the first time I heard this version. R.E.M.'s "Drive" is really great, too. U2 "Untill the end of the World", and Sonic Youth's "JC" are both okay, and the rest of the songs didn't really hit with me, but the CD is well worth $15 of whatever just for "Ring the Bells"

Some great songs and some ok ones.
The version of Ring the Bells by James is the most ass kicking song I have ever heard. The other songs are ok. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Some hard to find post-punk singles on a CD!
This is a great compilation of post-punk bands of the late 70s and early 80s. Some of the songs, originally released on 7 inch singles, are hard to find on a CD. These include "You" by Delta-5, The Mo-Dettes track "White mouse disco," and The Bush Tetras great "Too many creeps" single.
The full track list is:

1: To Hell With Poverty - Gang Of Four 2: Feast On My Heart - Pylon 3: You - Delta 5 4: White Mouse Disco - Mo-Dettes 5: Die Matrosen - LiliPUT 6: Come Again - Au Pairs 7: Never Say Never - Romeo Void 8: Light Pours Out Of Me, The - Magazine 9: Acceleration - Urban Verbs 10: Kick In The Eye - Bauhaus 11: Dance With Me - Lords Of The New Church (extended... 12: Lined Up - Shriekback 13: Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division 14: Hungry So Angry - Medium Medium 15: Too Many Creeps - Bush Tetras 16: Instant Hit - Slits 17: Off Duty Trip - The Raincoats 18: Totally Wired - The Fall

PRETTY GOOD COMPLIATION ALBUM
THIS IS A GOOD COMP ALBUM, LOTS OF GOOD SONGS AND GROUPS. OF COURSE THERE'S SOME FILLER, BUT NOT TOO MUCH. A LOT OF GOOD TRACKS FOR THE $$. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best Alternative Compilation
I first owned this album years ago and have looked for it used for a long time (since it was stolen in college). This CD introduced me to thr Ramones, Husker Du, and the Sugar Cubes. It also reinforced the fact that liking Ministry and Morrissey can coexist. The only song on here I skipped over on repeated listenings was the Faith No More Song, but that is just personal preferrence. Great CD!

A great CD
We have had volume 1 and volume 2 for a long times, and if you're into alternative 80's music and see these, I highly recommend picking them up. It's worth the money!

For true conoisseurs of 80's alternative
This album is a good follow-up to the first volume. The variety is excellent,although some individual selections lack imagination. For example, the PIL song isn't their best. And I could have chosen a better Ramones tune, like "Rock and Roll High School" (there are others). The Ministry song "Stigmata" is a classic dance club beat, and the inclusion of Joy Division is inspired. This CD is uneven, compared to the first volume, but for 80's music lovers, it's not a bad addition to your collection.

I CAN'T STAND REM AND THIS CD WASN'T ALL THAT
REM IS NOT THE BAND THAT I LISTEN TO. I CAN'T STAND REM AND NEVER HAVE LISTNE TO ANY OR THERE MUSIC. THEY ARE TERRIBLE AND I WILL NEVER CHANGE MY MIND AND LISTEN TO A CD OF THERE'S. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One doesn't necessarily associate punk firebrands the Clash with the radio-ready likes of Third Eye Blind and No Doubt. But in the years since the demise of the Clash, their impact, once localized to the punk underground, has seeped up from the gutter they once championed. ("The truth," rasped Joe Strummer in one of his more memorable couplets, "is known only by guttersnipes.") Burning London affords a dozen-plus popular late-'90s performers the opportunity to tip their hats to the erstwhile scourges of the mainstream. The results, as is common with such tributes, are wildly mixed. The highlights here exhibit a less-than-reverent perspective on this timeworn material. Moby and Heather Nova turn "Straight to Hell" into a haunting echo of the Combat Rock prototype, while Cracker's cowpunk trashing of "White Riot" would've sounded at home on an album by frontman David Lowery's great old band, Camper Van Beethoven. On the downside, Indigo Girls' "Clampdown" is an artless revision of one of the Clash's least artful songs, and the likes of Third Eye Blind and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones bring nothing new to "Train in Vain" and "Rudie Can't Fail," respectively. If the featured bands are the draw here, help yourself. But if you're curious about the Clash, the group's bursting-at-the-seams debut and watershed London Calling will serve as superior introductions to a mighty band. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Disapointing, with a few bright spots.
I expected more from this tribute CD, especially considering The Clash's huge influence on much of the Bay Area Punk and new Reggae/Ska rockers of the late 80's/early 90's to today. Unfortunately, this complilation lacks the energy and passion that The Clash were so famous for. Many songs seem sugar-coated and too professional to be Clash tributes (see "Hateful" by No Doubt, "Train in Vain" by Third Eye Blind, and "Lost in the Supermarket" by Afghan Whigs), trading raw emotion for slick production and radio-friendly vocals. Others try too hard to mess with the Clash sound, coming up with songs that just miss the target (such as Silverchair's take on "London's Burning" and the Ice Cube "Should I Stay.." which is by no means a cover, just gangsta rap over a Clash sample). The few bright spots come from bands simply covering the songs they love, and letting their own sound naturally come into play. Highlights are The Urge on "This is Radio Clash," Cracker with an inspired version of "White Riot" complete with fiddle, and a surprisingly good version of "Clampdown" by the Indigo Girls. Of course, the best track of them all is the Rancid version of "Cheat", where Tim Armstrong comes as close as possible to recreating the snarling cockney punk of early 80's Britain. Unless you need this to complete your Clash record collection, I'd suggest staying away and grabbing the best tracks as MP3s. Overall, it's a weak album, and not representative of the power of The Clash and their music.

highs and lows
when ur dealing with tribute albums its not likely that ur ever gonna like every song, because if ur a fan of the original band then some other bands just wont do justice to the material. in the clash's case, there are pretty big shoes to fill. high points are the urge - radio clash, 311 - white man in hammersmaith palace. both songs cover well while contributing a little something new. some other songs are either lesser versions of the original or too inovative for its own good. decent buy for clash fans, pick it up.

Go Straight to Hell Boys...
Sorry, it's not something personal against the band whose appear on this tribute but...I can't believe they had the courage to do this!, the styles are too much differents, the only reason that this cd has 1 star is because Rancid plays one, they play the only one good song...all other bands should play something into their styles, I'm sure they could make a real good job with other kind of music, but....let the punk rock to the punk rockers.
or do you imagine to Sex Pistols on a Back Streets Boys tribute?

Get a Grip
Although I am also fan of Clash, I got so used to all of their songs that sadly enough, I don't listen to Clash anymore. By pure accident I found that CD on a shelf at my local HMV store and bought it. And I have to admit that it's not that bad. Actually I like it quite a lot and " Should I Stay or Should I Go" is probably my favourite track after "Straight to Hell". It is different than Clash, but it gives the old songs new dimention. Definitely recommended.

Covers in Vain.
The problem with tribute albums, is even though they have good intentions, they end up being slammed because they never sound as good as the originals, or the tribute bands make you sick. This is a good example of that. While "Rancid", "Indigo Girls", and "311" all do a fine job, it still just makes you want to listen to "The Clash". Then others like "Third Eye Blind" are just [bad]. I can't see myself listening to this more than twice a year. I would suggest getting "The Essential Clash", the "Singles" collection, or any of their albums before this. "Burning London" is mostly for fanatics. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Decent but not essential
This CD features a few decent songs, but they are not something you can't live without. Radiohead's "Lucky" is the only true standout (I bought this CD just for that track), but now that it's also available on "Ok Computer", there is no real reason to buy this CD. In hindsight, I probably should have bought the single version of this CD since it also has a really cool instrumental track by Portishead not featured here.

WHILE WE'RE LIVING, THE DREAMS WE HAD AS CHILDREN FADE AWAY
An excellent and underrated compilation of songs (some previously released, some not) released to benefit Bosnian children in post-war Bosnia. Believe it or not, in my opinion, there is not a bad song on this album. High points include the Stone Roses' somewhat overlooked "Love Spreads" from their second album, the sultry "Mourning Air" from Portishead, the dramatic "Shipbuilding" from Suede, and the never disappointing Charlatans deliver "Time for Livin'." Okay, this reflects my musical taste. Maybe you, as a subjective listener, will find a lot of things wrong with this collection, but I found myself able to listen to everything on the CD and love it. The BEST song on the collection, without a doubt, is the remake of "Dream a Little Dream" by Terry Hall with Salad. If you are unfamiliar with Salad, and chances are good that you are because their albums have never been released in the U.S. (I had to jump through fiery hoops to get my Salad albums), you should really give them a listen. Salad's vocalist, Marijne, has a fantastic voice... not to be missed, but sadly, most Americans are unaware! Another highlight is Sinéad O'Connor's rendition of "Ode to Billy Joe." It is nothing fantastic (and not really one of my favourite songs nor is it Sinéad's best work), but Sinéad does deliver in a distinctively haunting voice that lends the song a bit more drama and depth. Manic Street Preachers also contribute a version of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" which helped pave the way to my reluctantly becoming a Manics fan.

Cool! FANTASTIC! rafaelcova@hotmail.com
El criterio de selección de los tracks y los artistas es genial... "Fade Away" de Oasis es una canción muy fresca y melancolica, "Oh brother" de The BooRadleys es perfecta, una canción totalmente armonica con hermosas tonadas de guitarra que de cierta manera me hace recordar esa nostalgia de John Lennon... bueno esta versión de "Love Spreads" (Stone Roses) suena como si fuera un "DEMO" el sonido es crudo, con una bateria de sonido seco que impacta, luego esta "lucky" de Radiohead (esta no necesita comentarios) es demasiada buena esta canción salio primero en este disco y luego en Ok computer, el cover de Suede "Shipbuilding" es desgarradora, dramatica y hermosa a la vez... la pieza electronica de "Orbital" (ADNAN) es muy buena es la que le da un mejor balance de sonido al disco, "fake aroma" de Massive Attack es una versión muy buena de "Karmacoma"...no tengo palabras para describir lo buena que es esta recopilación....deben comprar este CD... PORTISHEAD (demasiado buena) y la mejor canción del disco es la versión que hace Maniac Street Preachers de "Raindrops keep falling on my head" ... buy it! comprenlo es cd es demasiado bueno

Sinead O'connor stands out
Sinead O'Connor's haunting, powerful version of "Ode to Billy Joe" is the standout track on this excellent compilation. "Dream a Little Dream" is also quite good, as are tracks from Blue and Manic Street Preachers. An excellent compilation.

wonderful cd...Watch out for Levellers and Manics!
Serach lights is my favorite Levellers song. The raindrops version of the Manics is the first recording they did after Richey disappeared. The whole album is great. Trust me you will listen to it for years! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A great tribute to a great band
I love this tribute to The Cure. The bands paying tribute are all really good industrial/gothic bands. Leaether Strip's version of Lullaby is incredible. There are actually a number of songs from this CD I really enjoyed. 100 Years by Nosferatu, Jumping Someone Else's Train by Kill Switch ... Klick, Sinking by The Shroud (Really good), Let's Go to Bed by Crocodile Shop, Shake Dog Shake by Ex-Voto (exceptional), Pornography by Wreckage, A Night Like This by Test Infection (great), A Forest by Death Lies Bleeding, and Primary by Bell, Book and Candle. That is ten songs on a 13 song CD that I really liked. I can't say much more about how good this disc is than that. This is an industrial classic, and a wonderful and complex tribute to The Cure.

Some great covers...
But also a few pointless ones. I hate the song 'Killing an Arab' in the first place but the other covers make it well worth the price. I personally think 'Disintegration' by Razed In Black is the best cover on here, 'Lullaby' by Leather Strip is also good and so is Nosferatu's cover. I think the song selection on here isn't the best, either, but considering that these covers are done mainly by Goth/ Darkwave bands...this album is really cool, and The Cure is a very influential band so they completely deserve this. I recommend this album to fans of The Cure who like other Goth bands...if you are a fan of The Cure (ungothy) pop songs you will Not like this, but any good Goth would like this =]

An interesting mix...
The " Lullabye " cover by Leatherstrip is the best { not better than the original has another reviewer suggested }; perfection would have been achieved by inserting Robert Smith's voive instead of the Leatherstip vocalist, who doesn't have much range.

Nosferatu's cover of " 100 years " is also exceptional,the second best cover here, but with the best vocals going to Nosferatu frontman Dominic LeVay! Personally, I too think people expected a bit too much mch from a Cleopatra tribute album!

Elecrtic Hellfire make their obvius contractual obligation to appear on EVRY SINGLE tribute/complilation album Cleopatra has EVER made with " Killing an Arab " which is well done musically, but the vocals are just too cartoonish and " I wanna be evil "; lacking the elegance to cover a Cure song. I at first despised Razed in Black's cover of Disintergration { and I'm an electronic muscian! } but it's grown on me a little { still not big on the vocals }; it IS an original approcah to the song. { doesn't make me forget the original }. I also like Death Lies Bleeding's industrial/metal approcah to " A Forest " with the creey whispering vocals; it's a uniuqe appoarch to a song too often covered in the goth/industrial underground.

Not bad, but doesn't make me want to reach for it
Personally, I'm not much of a fan of a lot of more recent "industrial/goth" music, but a lot of the covers on this album really aren't bad given the style -- I think a couple will even shine through for even a die-hard Cure fan. But there are a few tracks that REALLY grating and ruin listening to the album straight through (the Disintegraton cover -- wow -- no thanks). On the other hand I think it has 4-5 tracks that would interest anyone who would seek out this album on Amazon, so I'd think of this album as an EP and get it if it's cheap. I doubt that there is anyone out there that consisently likes all of the styles on this album, unless making such statements is tied up with their personal image. The album is eclectic, but not outstanding.

Leather Strip stands out...
Most of the tracks on this CD lack any innovation or heart. The Cure has such an impressive list of songs to pick from as well, but the songs chosen for this album don't make a dedicated Cure fan stand up and take notice(no one covered "To The Sky" - quite possibly the most beautiful Cure song ever recorded). However, Leather Strip's version of "Lullaby" is a sweet reminder of what 80's industrial was all about. If you like The Cure, and you loved Poesie Noire, go out and get this song somehow. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Absolutely Amazing
A fabulous collection of live, unplugged, unique versions of solid alternative rock hits from the mid nineties, recorded right here in West Michigan.

I wish more music was like this. Having grown up during this period, recently listening to it brought back a load of fresh memories and nostalgia from a long-gong era of intense musical development in rock. Many tunes I haven't heard in years, and most notably never in such a form as this.

Bootleg '98 is musically creative and not "overproduced"; something hard to come by these days. If you like "real" music, check it out and I promise you won't be disappointed.

WGRD's bootleg is the best unplugged cd ever
I'll start out by saying that I'm from Grand Rapids, Mich., where the WGRD studio is located. This cd has sold many, many copies, and for those of you who don't know, Grand Rapids is a hotbed for alternative rock music. Bootleg '98 features unplugged versions of many rock hits. You'll probably recognize the bulk of them. They are all unplugged and most of them creative. I fully believe that every fan of unplugged music must own a copy of this cd. You have my guarantee that if you purcahse it, you'll give it 5 stars, too. My personal favorites off the album are "Raining on the Sky" by Naked and a very creative version of "If I Run" performed by Semisonic.

GREAT ALBUM FOR A GOOD CAUSE
HEY, I bought this album because of SEMISONIC, it's a great album.. It's so unique from all the other albums because it's LIVE, Really shows the artists talents!

A sweet CD.
I bought this album for the two live Better Than Ezra songs, but this CD is so much more than just those BTE tunes ... Marcy Playground and Jewel are dominant with their live recordings as well. Even the songs that I hadn't heard of before ["Wait" & "Raining On The Sky"] were surprisingly solid. If you love live music with great quality, then by all means buy this CD ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Too good to carry the unfortunate brand of a "sampler"
As many out there would undoubtedly agree, most samplers record companies put out are disposable (and quickly become outdated). Their low introductory tag is not even worth the price of admission at times. This particular sampler that Sire records put out in 1987, however, is the exception to the rule. The reason for this might be that Sire records in the late 80's signed some of the finest talent around in 'modern' rock (the Smiths, Depeche Mode, Replacements, Erasure... you get the picture). However, I think the main reason why these samplers work so well is the quality of songs that were included. Instead of including a handful of minor singles and album cuts, plenty of rare cuts, live numbers, and extended mixes are included. Over time, these samplers have evolved from marketing ploys to nice documents of an important era in 'alternative' rock. That can be said of many simplers, which, as I previously mentioned, usually do not age well. I would recommend all the samplers in this series... except for the last one (Volume VII... Just Say Roe). Sire sacrificed the quality of the musical selections in order to push their political agenda. Shame really, especially coming after the release of possibly the finest in the series, Volume VI (Just Say Yesterday). The forgotten gems on that one make it a must. And hey, at this price...what are you waiting for!

Hidden Gems!
Here is a little CD that has some fantastic songs on it. Take for example the extended mix of Depeche Mode's "Never Let Me Down Again"...9+ minutes of sheer pleasure. "Out of My Hands" (Lemonheads)and "Lips Like Sugar" (Echo and the Bunnymen)are both extended remixes as well. There is a Smiths song that (I believe) is not available anywhere else. Toss in Aztec Camera, James and the Throwing Muses and you've got an unbelievable compilation. Get it before it goes out of print!!

Great 80's "Modern Rock" Collection
"Just Say Yes," Sire Records' first sampler in the "Just Say..." series, is not the best IN the series. However, it does have some fantastic bands (D-Mode, The Ramones, Echo & the Bunnymen, Aztec Camera), a healthy dose of modern rock nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the Reagan years, and it also spawned a terrific series of discs. And hey, for seven bucks (as of 15 March 99), how can you go wrong? ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fantastic Album for the Clued in
This cd reads like a who's who of Alt rock before the major labels crushed the life of it. I mean it came out in 1989 and features the Pixies and The Flaming Lips among a wide aray of other great bands, it is almost a prediction of the future.
And btw, Neal Young was the bridge between old rock and new rock. Hence the title.

Sonic Youth's Computer Age rules
This is a fairly uneven collection of Neil Young covers. While some are good (like "Barstool Blues"), others are (weak). The only one that makes the album is Sonic Youth's cover of "Computer Age," originally on Neil's Trans album.

This may be the only cover of a Neil Young song that I like better than the original. It's loud and obnoxious and experimental, but it rules!

Hit and Miss
There are some good covers of Neil's songs on this CD, but some aren't so good. The Soul Asylum version of Barstool Blues is awesome and so is the cover by Victoria Williams. Wasn't that the song they used in American Beauty? Also, Nick Drake does a good cover of Helpless. The rest are experimental at best.

An Expensive Coaster
Outside of a few decent contributions from Soul Asylum, Henry Kaiser and Victoria Williams, this recording is virtually worthless. Quite possibly the worst "tribute" CD ever to make it to mainstream distribution.

IT'S A GOOD CD
IT'S GOOD BUT THE ONLY THING THAT SAVES IT OF BEING GOOD IS SOUL ASYLUM AND VICTORIA WILLIAMS THE OTHER GROUPS ARE JUST CRUB. ... Read more

Album Description

This tribute released in 1995 was named Tribute Album ofthe Year by Tower's Pulse Magazine. It contains recordingsby platinum-sellers Violent Femmes and 10,000 Maniacs, andindie-rock favorites The Wedding Present and Tindersticks.Includes the last recording by the late Jeffrey Lee Pierceof The Gun Club. 14 tracks. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

a very terrible disc
If you think Mr. Rod Stewart messed up "Downtown Train" and "Hang On, St. Christopher", the terrible covers in this collection should make Old Rod look like a talented prince. In this terrible anti-tribute, classic songs from Waits' early career are mocked and destroyed. The songs are covered without sincerity and in many cases, without any talents. If you're looking for covers of Tom Waits songs, may I suggest Temptations by Holly Cole or the 2000 tribute called New Coat of Paint. In these tributes, musicians such as Neko Case(an exceptionally good cover of "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"), Carla Bozulich, Floyd Dixon, Eleni Mandell and Holly Cole not only gave a new spin to Waits' songs, in many cases, they gave a whole new dimension to the familiar tunes. As for "Step Right Up", plainly put, it sucks.

gets better with a little time
Tom himself is weird, so it's actually appropriate that some of these covers sound a little strange at first. After listening to this album a few times, though, it starts to make sense. In fact, if you keep listening, it begins to make a lot of sense. I actually listened to it so much that my roommate banned it when he was in the room, which illustrates both aspects of this album: it is a little weird, but quite addictive if you take the time to listen carefully.
Tom is always playing around with new or different versions of his own music, so it seems appropriate for other musicians and bands to play around with his music, too. This album covers the whole range of Tom's styles: some of the songs are simply and sentimentally beautiful, i.e., Dave Alvin's rendition of old 55 or Tim Buckley singing Martha (this song alone is worth the price of the entire album), while others are just plain creepy, like the Archers of Loaf's Big Joe and Phantom 309; and the best are somewhere in between: I'm thinking most specifically of Jersey Girl as played by Pale Saints, one of my all-time favorites, cover or otherwise.
A few songs don't quite measure up, such as Downtown by Alex Chilton, but as a whole, the range of artists and approaches illuminates Tom's strengths as a songwriter: even if not every song is a gem, the songcraft of his music still shows through. And when someone gets it right, it's an almost transcendent experience, as in the case of Tim Buckley's Martha, or Frente!'s cover of Ruby's Arms, or Pale Saints' Jersey Girl.
In short, it is a slightly uneven album, but the best is so good it just doesn't matter. If you buy this album, let it air out, so to speak, before you make any hasty judgments. It's well worth the wait.

Unusual, but great
Ever since '96 this has been one of my favourite CDs. Yes, I am a devout Tom Waits fan and I understand it may hurt to hear his songs that distorted. But I have never heard a sadder "Ruby's Arms" (Frente!), a more chilling "Jersey Girl" (Pale Saints) or a faster "Old Shoes" (Drugstore).

A disservice to one of America's greatest songwriters.
I'm kind in giving this disc three full stars. I don't expect exact renditions of an original song when it's being covered. I do expect a little life in the arrangements and a little heart in the playing. The Violent Femmes version of "Step Right Up" is pretty bad, but worsened by the liner notes they dared include. Tindersticks reworking of "Mockingbird" is an admirable attempt, but the song falls flat.

On the other hand, I don't know who Frente! is, but these folks really do justice to "Ruby's Arms". Pete Shelley's remake of "Better off Without a Wife" is a radical departure from the original Waits, but it hits the spot! There's a couple other cuts on the disc that are good, but sadly most of the bands are as flat as their efforts on this dics.

Best Waits tribute (so far)
Anybody wanting other artists to play Waits' songs and sound exactly like Waits will not like this CD, but anybody looking for other artists INTERPRETING Waits' work will enjoy this CD. At the time of its release, this CD was instrumental for fans of "alternative" music who had come across Tom Waits work to discover other good bands who cover him on this compelation (Archers of Loaf and Tindersticks are perfect examples) who might otherwise go unfound and unappreciated. You can take the advice of the purely mainstream reviews and ignore this disc, or you can pick up Holly Cole's cover CD if you want to be put to sleep by the droning non-tempo of every song she covers, or you can take a chance on this one and maybe discover the beauty of Waits' work as well as the work of the cover artists. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

worth it for one cd worht of material....
Lots of filler on this one. Alot of the bands here are just victims of being too sloppy or not being able to afford decent recording-or maybe both. There are some standout tracks though. Royal Court Of China do a great job (great rock n roll band btw) as well as the Flaming Lips and Dramarama (leave it up to them to cover such an obscure track). My favorite by far is The Rubber City Rebels version of Caught In A Dream. Not only is this a very underated A.C. track (written by Michael Bruce)but the rebels happen to be a great band too (They released one major label album back in 1980-which was so good it was ridiculous). If it wasnt for this tribute album I would have figured the Rebels had long ago broken up. Anyone know what these guys are doing now?

half & half
First of all, diehard alice cooper fanatics will have some problems digesting this album. Fans of alterna-punk-noise pop will think the sun shines out of this album. The performances range from humorous to downright horrible. Flaming lips easily steal the show with a drugged out version of sun arise but as far as i'm concerned, that's really the only cool thing on the disc! to be perfectly frank, this disc was a unnecessary attempt at making money! So please don't waste your money!

For the serious Alice Cooper fan only.
The really good thing about this disc is the selection of songs covered. It could have been limited to his "hits", but these bands pulled out a few of the more obscure titles. The performance of the songs are another matter. While some of the covers are actually pretty cool, others seemed like they were not taking them seriously. I did not know any of the bands doing this cd so I wasn't sure what to expect. Most of the music is kind of heavy in a post punk sense. An interesting addition for the serious Alice Cooper collector only. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

BEWARE!
this is THE WORST tribute cd i've ever heard. oh man! this is AWFUL! it's unbelievable that after these songs were turned in, some clueless fool ACTUALLY put this abomination out! it's all CRAP! even the television personalities and teenage fanclub turned in 3rd rate throw away muck! the other bands? - who cares! all SUPER LAME indie rock nobody morons. absolutely horrible. i wonder if ANY of these bands have actually listened to a LOVE album. this cd should not exist. do not buy this cd! stick with the first 6 LOVE albums: "love", "da capo", "forever changes", "four sail", "out here", and "false start".

Good companion piece.
I am a huge fan of Love originals, and I think you should buy _both_ this tribute album and the originals. They stand separately. Fans of the many popular artists on this tribute will enjoy the compilation, and Love fans can enjoy this as well. Remember that Love is also known for their cover of Burt Bacharach's "My Little Red Book" which caused quite a stir when it drastically changed the original.

In this compilation I love the Teenage Fanclub version of "Between Clark and Hilldale" (sp?), The Gamma Rays' "Softly to Me" is amazing, and I also enjoy Smack Dab's version of "Bummer in the Summer". Only missing is The Damned's version of "Alone Again Or".

It is not a replacement for the originals, but you can enjoy both separately or together. I do.

One of the first tribute albums...
This tribute translates psychedelia to grunge. I LOVE this tribute. First of all it was one of the first of the glut of tributes. It seems that the bands all really were influenced by the band LOVE. Arthur Lee himself is really into this tribute and it's obvious that it wasn't done to take advantage of Lee's popularity. There's a refreshing niavity to it, I'm not sure they knew what they were doing or how impactful the medium of 'tribute album' could be. I love Love and while the originals are great, there's something to a group of inexperienced but passionate musicians forging ahead by paying homage to their roots. Enjoy...

A good tribute but....
If you have not heard the originals, then buy them first. If you want to explore then try the album "Comes in Colors"ÿ

Buy the originals
I'm sure that the bands on this album all performed these songs out of respect for the great band Love. But as seems to happen often, this sort of "tribute" ends up being a slaughtering of the original music. These bands have not improved upon Love's originals by any stretch of the imagination. If you have not yet discovered Love, please go buy Forever Changes, or better yet, get Rhino's box set which includes Forever Changes plus all of the essential stuff from their other albums. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Independence Day composer has gathered a batch of marquee singers--Chrissie Hynde, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, and Iggy Pop included--to salute the Bond mystique. These songs are imbedded in the collective unconscious, and the over-the-top arrangements on the Aimee Mann-sung "Nobody Does It Better" and Martin Fry's "Thunderball" are a treat. Better yet are the electronic, club-ready tracks by Leftfield and Propellerheads (doing "On Her Majesty's Secret Service").--Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (11)

David Arnold does it again.
I'm a big James Bond fan, and i have a very big collection of James Bond music. This cd is definetly good for any James Bond collection, or just to listen to. David Arnold does a great job with the songs. OHMSS is definatley the best song on it. Nobody does it better is ok. I did excpect more from it. All time high was one of my favorites, and on this cd it is one of the best. Live and Let Die, Diamonds are forever, and We have all the time in the world are also very good. The James Bond Theme was ok. It really didn't have much of the theme as OHMSS did. I hope you enjoy this cd as much as i have!

Sometimes Shaken...Often Just Stirred
I think this is a great album, but have to admit that, for the most part, Arnold doesn't do anything too radical with these classic James Bond themes. Instead, most of the album (7 of the 11 songs) is pretty traditional, molding original compositions to contemporary electronic styles without any particularly ingenious interpretation in the vocals.

Songs like David McAlmont's "Diamonds Are Forever," Shara Nelson's "Moonraker," Martin Fry's "Thunderball," and Iggy Pop's "We Have All the Time in the World" seemed pretty much as they did back in the seventies and eighties with Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, and Louis Armstrong singing them. Others, like Aimee Mann's "Nobody Does It Better" (one of my favorite Bond themes), and Natacha Atlas' "From Russia With Love" actually seem a little weak and seem to *lose* something in their new skins.

On the other hand, Chrissie Hynde seems to breathe a little (but not too much) new energy into the now oft-played "Live and Let Die" and Pulp does a nice-sounding rendition of "All Time High" that's a lot less fluffy sounding than the original.

What I *can* credit Arnold with is collecting some great instrumental interpretations of traditional Bond themes. Leftfield does a great play on "Space March," LTJ Bukem does a smooth (if a little monotonous) version of "The James Bond Theme," and the Propellorheads spin an awesome take on "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (which includes a short bit of "Space March" in it). If you're a Bond music enthusiast at all, you'd buy it just for these three awesome tracks, which are a perfect blend of 60s pop bases with millenium-era electronic and hip hop sensibilities.

Regardless of the few somewhat lame songs, this is definitely worth your time for the three instrumentals, if nothing else. Arnold has done a great job composing for the last two Bond flicks and this shows his talent and enthusiasm for the project before it began.

is there a 0 - star for rating?
I bought this not having listened to any tracks at all, but had read that some of the tracks were great (especially the Propellorheads's one)

My goodness...this disk has, after a couple of listens, entered my never-to-be-played category!

Most of the covers are horrid. Nobody Does It Better was good, except for the LP-like scratching that is clear at the beginning (at least on my disk which is not actually scratched!)

The James Bond Theme is worse than execrable. Bears almost no resemblance to the fantastic original!

The only track that's okay is Iggy Pop's 'All the time in world' mainly coz it doesn't try to be too different to the original.

All in all, I can't believe anyone released this (let alone the composer of the recent Bond movies). What a disgrace to the original music of the great John Barry and Monty Norman.

I'm a huge fan of Bond movies, especially their music (apart from the last few films). I enjoy remixes and some techno style music as well, but this album is awful. The listenable tracks are the ones closest to the original (except for reversing the gender of the singer!).

Wait for the inevitable SACD and/or DVD-Audio version
If any CD cried out to be released in high-res audio, it's this one. You may have heard a couple of these songs on the Propellerhead's CD (History Repeating) or on the radio. But this is the type of complex electronic music just tailor-made for SACD or DVD-Audio, which despite the failure of the music industry to promote properly, sounds amazing. Wait and see. They'll put this one out again. It's guaranteed $$.

good to the end
the songs where done good and thunderball was cool and live and let die was more punk. russia with love was like you were in a russian night club very low key. iggy good job on we have all the time in the world on secret service was like going to a rocky nightclub the same for the bond theme. moonraker was a good slow start but good into the tune we love. nobody dose it better was diffrent. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A Cambridge, Massachusetts, studio that has hosted a parade of emerging alt rock stars from the eastern seaboard since 1986, Fort Apache has now spun off its own label. The first signing, a tunefully dissonant band called Cold Water Flat, measures up well on this handsomely packaged sampler of the name acts--Dinosaur Jr., The Lemonheads, Come, Juliana Hatfield, Belly and Buffalo Tom included--whorecorded chez Apache over the years. A better primer on contemporary American rock would be hard to find.--Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (2)

good stuff!
Love it, despite the pompous art-rock of Throwing Muses, the one blemish on this album. It's like a snapshot of the Boston rock scene in the early 90's, highlighting some of the better songs penned by Mark Sandman of Morphine, Lou Barlow of Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion, Tanya Donnelly, Radiohead, and Cold Water Flat. If you can find a copy, get it.

You must find a copy of this CD and BUY IT!!!
I have had this CD for 6 years now, and I never get tired of hearing it! This is one of the best compilations of true 'alternative' rock that I have heard in a long time. At least take a listen, I promise you won't be dissapointed! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

#1 Comp of All-Time
This compilation is by far the greatest compilation ever put together. Farside's Moral Straightjacket was just released on Monroe Doctrine but until MD, the only place to find this amazing song was on this comp. Sense Field's Shady Day is a great song from a great band, Quicksand is incredible, the Civ song is a classic, plus Chamberlin's best song as well as songs by Lifetime and Snapcase. If there is one comp that is a must have for any punk collection, this is it. Incredible. ... Read more

Album Description

lo-end dark hop. dark ambient. Dark ambient soundscapes. Instrumental

electronic music. Isolationism. ... Read more