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They earned wide acclaim with the double-disc Southern Rock Opera, a sprawling concept album about Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their three-guitar lineup and greasy look signify big, dumb rock in the minds of many, but their songwriting is relentlessly whip-smart. And what may be their greatest song, "The Living Bubba," is an ode to a righteous, hard-rocking redneck felled by AIDS. No, the Drive-By Truckers never do anything by the book, so it's no surprise that with Decoration Day, the band's first release for indie New West Records, Patterson Hood and his mates take another rewarding left turn. The album boasts a handful of crowd-pleasing, party-starting cuts, like the brash, cranky rocker "Hell No, I Ain't Happy" and the Stones ringer "Marry Me." Yet more common are moments of startling beauty (the steel solos on "The Deeper In" and "Loaded Gun in the Closet" and the jangling guitars, rolling melodies, and soulful fiddle breaks of "Heathens" and "My Sweet Annette") and heavy doses of recrimination and regret, as in the back-to-back suicide tunes "When the Pin Hits the Shell" and "Do It Yourself." --Anders Smith Lindall ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A Great Follow-Up to an All-Time Classic
You can call Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley a lot of things, but insecure isn't one of them. Not since Lynyrd Skynyrd brought in a young Okie by the name of Stevie Gaines has a great rock band suppressed their egos and added a talented guitarist and songwriter of the caliber of Jason Isbell. Isbell, the new addition to the Drive-By Truckers' three-guitar attack, is absolutely spectacular, a fact to which anyone who has seen him shine on lead guitar duties during their current tour can attest. Based on the evidence from Decoration Day, the kid can write songs and sing 'em too.

Coming on the heels of the all-time classic, Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day had a lot to live up to. The DBT did the smart thing and seemingly wrote Decoration Day to please only themselves. It initially comes across as less accessible than its predecessor, but repeated listens reveal it to be a richly rewarding album. More than any DBT record before it, Decoration Day feels utterly anachronistic, like it was recorded before the CD era and should ideally be listened to on LP with all the attendant hisses and pops.

The stark opening cut, "The Deeper In" recalls Springsteen's Nebraska album both in mood and lyrical content. "Sink Hole" is a rave-up focusing on an issue near and dear to the heart of Patterson Hood, the collapse of family farms. "Hell No, I Ain't Happy" is typical ornery DBT. Patterson finally relinquishes vocal duties to the Stroker Ace, Mike Cooley, for a classic Skynryd- and Stones-inflected romp on "Marry Me". Songs like "Marry Me" just leave you shaking your head as to how the DBT fail to get airplay on your local rock radio station. "My Sweet Annette" is a pretty little song, even with Patterson and his delightful gravel-throated vocals up front. Isbell makes his first appearance on vocals on the arresting "Outfit" - a few listens to that song and you'll realize that this kid is amazing.

"Sounds Better in the Song" is another of the many highlights on Decoration Day. Cooley referred to it as a "love song" at a recent concert in Pittsburgh, even though it is about a woman who once shared his goals in life but eventually outgrew him and moved on. It's a wonderfully depressing song and hope for Cooley's sake that it is not based on something that happened to him. "Your Daddy Hates Me" recalls those classic Skynyrd blues ballads like "Cheatin Woman" and "I Need You". "When the Pin Hits the Shell" is where Decoration Day peaks. Cooley's on vocals again and, surprise, he's singing about something depressing - this time it's suicide. There's an extraordinary earnestness to his voice and the simple guitar solo after the first verse is one of the most beautiful musical passages I've heard in a long time. "Do It Yourself" is another suicide-themed song, though more upbeat with Patterson on vocals. "Decoration Day" features Isbell's second turn on vocals and again hints at the staggering potential this guy has as a singer and songwriter. To close the album, Cooley obliterates any chance that you aren't depressed yet by turning in yet another suicide-related song, "Loaded Gun in the Closet". It is a very fine closing track and even leaves some hope that the suicide won't occur, which you'll definitely appreciate by this point.

Whereas Southern Rock Opera is the sort of album you can blast at parties, Decoration Day is far more introspective. The best I've ever heard Decoration Day sound was on a recent sweltering Sunday evening while I was relaxing on the couch with the ceiling fan circling overhead. I worry a bit that with the addition of Jason Isbell, there is now too much songwriting talent in the band for everyone to get their chance in the spotlight. Hopefully, the DBT are good enough friends to overcome any inherent tensions related to the number of songs each guitarist gets to write for future albums. I'm sure every DBT fan has his or her own opinion on the topic, but I think that Cooley is the premier songwriter in the band (by just a shade). However, if you sit down and listen to Patterson's "The Deeper In", Isbell's "Outfit", and Cooley's "When the Pit Hits the Shell", you'll immediately grasp why there are three reasonable opinions on this matter. I'm just thankful that there is a band out there as great as the DBT and urge you to support them and their uncompromising brand of rock music.

another gem
this band had me from the first note i ever heard them play. they're all about the rock show. decoration day creates a unique atmosphere alot like they're southern rock opera album did. the album is solid throughout, no real weak points, it just sounds damn good. if you know this band, you're gonna love this album. if you're not familiar with they're sound yet here's what i can say about it; if all of your stones, skynyrd, allman bros, aerosmith, alice cooper and ac/dc albums are more of a religion to you than just music then these guys are for you. i'm not saying they necessarily emulate any of these bands, it's more like the apple not falling too far from the tree. let it rock everyone. let it rock.

The Best ROCK Record in Ages
There have not been many great records of late that one could say are "roll down the windows and sing along at the top of your lungs". This one cetainly qualifies.

Many people cite Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allman Bros., but what I hear is Steve Earle joining up with the Replacements. These guys don't shoot for the majesty of FREE BIRD, instead they create a grungy Southern-Fried Riff rock that draws as much from punk as classic rock. Great songs, supurb lyrics and a blue collar spirit that does not dumb itself down to the lowest common denominator. HELL NO I AIN'T HAPPY could be an anthem of epic proportions if ever anyone heard it on the radio. All in all, a modern (Southern) classic.

A Great Album From Start To Finish
This album was my first experience with the DBT and floored me from the start. Yes, this is definetly southern rock no less. Songs about incest, cheating, death, defeat, etc. There is variety yet a cohesiveness with three band members taking there turns with the songwriting and leads in songs. Overall, a great set of songs played with passion by a well seasoned band. And screw the moron who dissed this album, it rocks.

Patterson Hood in DENTON TEXAS 6-12-04
What can be said.. Patterson makes the world a better place, with the help of Brad Morgan, aka Easy B, he rocked north Dallas from 11pm until 1:30am at Dan's silver leaf. From the start he dropped songs on us like Heathens,Uncle Disney,Sink Hole,etc.. you go to a show wanting at least 1-2 of the songs you love. I got around 15 of my favorites. I hope anyone who can will go and see him or DBT. Buy there stuff. I can't figure out why they haven't blown up BIGTIME. They will hit it big or there is no justice on this planet.Congrats on your recent marriage. ... Read more

Reviews (55)

An Excellent Addition to the Seattle Scene
This is an excellent debut album by yet another Seattle band,and holds out to be better than anything the band releasesafterward. It does not break any new ground overall, but it definitely makes for a great rock album. The anti-drug rocker "You" caught a lot of attention on national radio wavs, and it set up nicely the smash success of the power ballad-like "Far Behind." The album is filled with catchy tunes, and the standouts include the two afforementioned, "Change," "Arrow," the soothing ballad "Cover Me," and the album's best surprise "He Calls Home." This closing track harmonizes an excellent acoustic guitar riff with a chorus that you will be humming in your head all day. Candlebox doesn't offer a style of music that hasn't been heard before, but they certainly know how to play some excellent Seattle-brand rock n' roll- and this is the best they have to offer. If you like good '90's rock, then this album is for you.

Rock & Roll Through and Through
This is the album that started it all for Candlebox. One listen to Candlebox's debut tells you that this album was crafted from a place of passion, heart and talent. Definitely not grunge as billed but believe it or not, just to clear things up, the band is indeed from Seattle. Kevin, the singer, is the only transplant and he moved to Seattle from San Antonio when he was 14 yrs old...I think that counts. The media just wanted to label them as some sort of bandwagon jumpers. Anyway, back to the music at hand, this album is definitely an amalgamation of hard rock and blues rock. If you delve a bit deeper you will hear latin rhythms and come across some acoustic numbers. The diversity of this album lends to influences such as the Doors, Aerosmith, Santana, and Led Zeppelin. Not that the members of Candlebox didn't appreciate Pearl Jam, Soundgarden or other Seattle acts, but it is clear to me after listening to this album numerous times that these bands were not Candlebox's mentors as otherwise stated.

This album while great, does not have quite the level of maturity of later releases such as Lucy or Happy Pills but if you're in the mood for a great, energetic rock & roll album, You can't go wrong here!

When music was good!
Candlebox was one of the many great bands that made the 90's the greatest decade EVER! This album has to be the greatest by Candlebox, the best hit off this album is easily "Far Behind". Treat yourself to the 90's and buy this album.

Among the worst of the 90's
A bunch of hair metal rejects who decided to try their luck at "alternative". Horrible, monotone singing with that cheesy fake 90's twang (that is somehow still selling records for Creed and Matchbox 20, who stink also). Weak, weak guitar solos. TERRIBLE lyrics. "Now may-ya-ya-ya-baya, i did-own me-yown to treat you ow so bayad, but I did anyway!" Are you kidding me? People bought this? People give this 5 STARS!?

Anyone who gives this group a positive review is certifiably clueless.

Best Album Ever.
Well it's been more than 10 years since this CD was made. I bought it a couple months after that. And since then, I've listened to this CD at least once a week for those 10 years. In my opinion, this is the best album ever, and Far Behind is the best song ever written. The reason why I rate this album so highly is because it's full of emotion. Kevin Martin sings his heart out here, and you can really feel what he's saying in "You" and "Far Behind". The lyrics are great all around on this one. Some of the best guitar solos of the 90's are on this album, on the tracks "No Sense" and "Rain", and the musicianship on this album as a whole is very good. Candlebox is definitely the forgotten band of the whole "grunge" movement, and the most underrated which is a shame. It's a shame because Candlebox didn't quite sound like any other early 90's grunge bands, they were fairly unique. Still, their debut album rocks from the fast paced opener "Don't You" all the way through to the somber acoustic ballad "He Calls Home"; which is a perfect ending to this one, in my opinion. So, in conclusion, if you're looking for a hard rock album with some amazing songs and a pretty unique sound, check this one out. ... Read more

Album Description

Debut from The Used who have performed on the Warped andOzzfest Tours. Special Enhanced CD featuring a video of'A Box Full Of Sharp Objects' plus 12 tracks. Features thesingle 'The Taste Of Ink'. 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (289)

I dont believe what I'm hearing.....
Is this heaven? This is quite possibly the best cd I've ever heard. I guess I should tell you now, if you dont like screaming, dont get this cd but if you do, feast your ears on this masterpiece. I cant get enough of this album. I've owned this cd for about a year now and the used has slowly but surely become my favorite band. So much emotion and intellect was put into this album and the result is a perfect hardcore screamo emo punk cd. My favs are Say Days Ago, Buried Myself Alive, Box Full of..., and Noise and Kisses. All the others are just as good but I gotta have favs so there. Please get this cd, put it in, and experience the sweetness. Only then may we be friends. Also check out Maybe Memories, their cd/dvd w/ unreleased stuff and live performances. If the s/t cd doesnt get you, Maybe Memories will. I promise. If you still dont like you may not talk to me ever again. PEACE!

Awesome
This Cd and Band are just simply awesome. The first time I heard The Used was when I listened to their pop-punk song "Taste of Ink," I liked it even though it poppy so I bought the CD. I expected the rest of the CD to be the catchy pop punk kind of tune that their single was. I was wrong. The rest of the CD doesnt even compare with "the taste of Ink." I goes deeper. The blend of screaming vocals, and beautiful guitar and symphany is what got me with this CD. The way Bert McCraken blends screams with background vocals in "Poetic Tragedy" really shows how talented these guys are. Not only is the music and tone in this CD great but the lyrics were incredible. This band isnt just another group of angry teenagers who hate their parents for no particular reason. They show a maturity comparalbe to bands that have been playing twice as long as them. I reccomend this CD to anyone who truly wants to be moved by great music, while rocking out at the same time.

they suck, BUTT AT LEEST THEY'RE HOTTT!!!!11OMG
so yeah, a band of mormons trying to play "hardcore"(since when did black flag and the cro-mags sound like this?) dude, you're a freakin mormon, the only thing you have to complain about is the fact that the stores all close at 8. oh oh oh and, Bert(oh, how cute is that name?!) is a supposed ex drug addict who "lived on the streets." please, everyone knows a mormon has no clue what a drug is and even if he did live on the streets(in Utah) he'd be living in the same enviroment as someone who lives in a middle-class family's house. another worthless generic band who wont matter in 3 years. glassjaw, i love you, but why did you have to help spawn this trash?

haha, mormons.

Unexpectedly awesome
I wasn't overly excited to listen to this CD, but my friend told me about them and borrowed me the CD. I think this is how The Used survives, they aren't a big band yet they sell out concerts because of word of mouth. When a band is this good, they don't even need to promote like other bands...the fans tell 10 people, who tell 10 people, who tell 10 people.

It's an awesome CD, worth a listen definately.

People are stupid
I think this is a great cd. I don't understand why the people that give it a bad rating think there is someomthing wrong with anyone who doesn't share their musical tastes. I wouldn't have even looked at this CD if it wasn't for the fact that the majority of hard rock music out right now is terrible and therefore has kept me searching. I don't get why someone else is a "retard" for liking any type of music. Is someone who likes hamburgers a "retard" to someone who doesn't? no. its all about personal preference. its what the people who are complaining about fabricated bands are complaining about - they want people to be "different" even though different means having the same opinion as them. anyways, great cd. box full of sharp objects is one of my favorites. I dont give it 5 because no album is absolutely perfect on every song. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Patti's new turf
I've already bought this cd twice, once for me and once to give to a friend. I love it. Everybody I know who's heard it loves it. And we agree that her husband Bruce may be the boss of Jungleland, but Patti Scialfa owns 23rd Street. I've been listening to this cd for a week now and I like it more every time I hear it. First of all, it's great summer music -- dreamy, fizzy-pop, bluesy, fun. I like it, too, for the way the thoughtful lyrics tell stories in a way that nobody else (it seems) does these days. These are songs written by a smart, grown up woman who has a wry and affectionate way of looking back at her past. The result is a really appealing cd. Finally, I like the musicianship on this cd a lot. Everybody's just playing so well on it that it's a joy to listen to. Then there's Patti's girl-band voice, which is so unique and warm and adds dimension to these songs. A friend said Patti reminded him of Sheryl Crow, but with a better voice and singing better songs. I agree.

Wonderful... If Lou Reed had married Ronnie Spector...
... maybe with a little Roseanne Cash on the side.

"23rd Street Lullaby" shows that Patti Scialfa is a strong writer, an excellent singer, and an artist of the highest caliber.

Like Lou Reed, she writes striking stories of the city - stories that paint vivid pictures and put the listener right in the middle. Like Ronnie Spector, she has a fragile-but-strong girl-group voice that sounds as if its owner has lived every one of those stories.

Each of the songs on this disc not only painted a vivid picture, but also summoned ghosts from my own past... people, places and situations that engendered some of the same feelings Patti expresses. Nearly every song is absolutely capitivating, closer in feel to a Steinbeck short story than to a pop song.

Patti was a songwriter with a career in music long before Bruce came along, and her work should be judged independently of his. Perhaps anyone who has seen more than a half-dozen Bruce shows should disqualify themselves from reviewing Patti's work, or at least remove their BRUUUUUUUUCE! filter before doing so.

Really Good
I ordered this cd after seeing her DirectTV concert. I'm a HUGE Bruce fan, so I figured I would check it out. It is really good! Patti Scialfa can really tell a story through her music. I love to listen to it while I'm in the car and I love to put it on while entertaining. There really isn't a bad song on the disc.
Well done!

HAD to Get this NOW...
when was the last time you heard a song... and had to Run Out and Buy It NOW ---- so you could run back home and listen to it, Over and Over again?

For me, it was Aaliyah in July of 2001, just before she died - the song was More Than A Woman [performed Stunningly, Hauntingly on Live With Regis and Kelly]... which I played, on Repeat, in the car and at home, for a month, until I'd wrung every nuance of it out and absorbed it into my being...

The end of August, I was replaying another of the best songs on the CD..."I Refuse"... on repeat.. for 3-1/2 hours straight... while painting the study... during the very time (i found out on CNN about 7 hours later ) that she was killed in a terrible plane crash... because she didn't "refuse" to put up with the celebrity industrial complex and what it does to the souls of artists...

Music is, is supposed to be, a ministry, like going to church - and a healing, to restore us, to celebrate us, to make us whole,... something that, at its best, makes us feel fully ALIVE, and fully aware of This time, and All of our time, in This life in This world... to transport us, fully, In to being in This Body in This moment... now... where the past is a remembrance, and the future a dream...

When i first heard 23rd Street Lullaby on Letterman, I ididn't buy it Immediately because the budget is tight this month. Tonight, seeing and hearing several songs, I can hardly wait for the CD to arrive [free super sver shipping, that is]. I know what I'M listening to - on repeat - for the rest of this summer...

this is truly a New Sound, a GREAT sound, a Womanly sound... the right resonance and expression for what i'm feeling Now...

How often does That happen? For What It's Worth, Buffalo Springfield... The Doors and Light My Fire... The Airplane and Somebody To Love... Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun... David Bowie Wild Is The Wind...Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, Janis...

these songs "make me feel so young... like spring has sprung" while feeling just as glad to be fully 52.

I'd recommend everyone to at least try a free 30 second listening... it might Wow you...

sorry to go On and ON... but this is THAT Special... and if isn't often something comes along and surprises, delights me like that...

In books, the Synonym Finder by Rodale Press is THAT good; for kids, Fortunately! (Unfortunately!) by Remy Charlip is the most fun children's book; Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, will change you...

Great 2nd Album
This is a really great album. I bought both Rumble Doll and this one as I did'nt know she even had done any CDS.
The bonus cd is good too.. Hope she puts out more CDS. Keep up the great music Patti. She can do it on her own with out Bruce and I really like him as I have most of CDS. Try this one and Rumble Doll if you have'nt already. You will not be disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (86)

not for the squeamish
soundgarden are one of the pinnacle bands of the nineties and this album is one amazing trip. an album that is one of the heaviest, noisy gems to sludge its way out of seattle. part sabbath and part zepplin lead to amazing riffs from my least favorite soundgarden member in kim thayil. matt cameron, now in pearl jam, is always a monster drummer especially on songs like jesus christ pose. just listen to the drums. amazing. ben shepard is one amazing grooving bass player. songs like slaves and bulldozers and room 1,000 years wide are where he shines (and two of my favorite songs)
chris cornell's voice is an instrument and he pushes his voice to the limit, sometimes screaming and wailing while other times holding back to let the music do the talking. there are many influences here from metal (in songs like searching with my good eye closed) and punk (in songs like face pollution and drawing flies) the music is complex and can be epic or can be simple. we all know songs like outshined and rusty cage but there is so much more to this album. soundgarden were unique and this album is diverse and briliant. words never truly cpature the greatness. some albums must be felt in order to experience the greatness. this is such an album.

Not for the timid
This whole album is exceptional, but you have to really like heavy rock sounds of all types to hear it the whole way through. Soundgarden's breakthrough "Badmotorfinger" album is an hours' worth of some of the heaviest music to explode out of Seattle in the early 90's. The band was completely hungry, musically brash, and exceedingly fluent at either heavy grunge, speed metal, or fast punk. Like their contemporaries, Soundgarden had an integrity about them, a shield that kept the crassness of the music industry biz at bay. Soundgarden stood above hype and silly marketing. Songs like "Rusty Cage," "Outshined," and "Jesus Christ Pose" are well known and vintage early 90's Seattle, vintage rock and roll at that. "Outshined" is phenominal, a dark rock song that conveys singer Chris Cornell's bleak outlook of making it big. It's a big, loud, guitar-driven rock song with screaming vocals, but also soft pipes at certain interludes to give the song sheer melody at times.

The comparison of Led Zeppelin meets Black Sabbath = Soundgarden is pretty accurate. As hard as these guys were on their early albums, the riffs were complex enough to stand out from the headbanging crowd, while Cornell added his own melodic muse to the mix, making for a very interesting band. This album is filled with epic grunge/metal songs built to last. The dirge riffs of "Slaves and Bulldozers" go on for seven minutes, while Cornell sings like a man possessed - God only knows how he hits those high notes. Like Zeppelin, these guys weren't afraid to stretch out their songs. Later Soundgarden would incorporate lighter pop elements into the picture, but "Badmotorfinger" contains none of that. More typical here is repetative riffing, as heard on the awesome "Jesus Christ Pose," a railing tune against glittery, force-fed religion, similar in message to the much more tame "Wooden Jesus," another Cornell tune performed by Temple of the Dog. Another huge tune from this record, one sometimes heard on the radio if you're lucky, is "Searching with my Good Eye Closed," a mid-tempo rocker that blends heavy riffage and Cornell's smooth singing, in this case distorted with a layer of sheen for a cool effect. He also screams wildly in the song.

As good as they were at drawn out epics, Soundgarden were also superstar punk rockers at the drop of a dime; listen to the raging "Face Pollution" and Who-like riffs on "Drawing Flies." The versatility of this band was demonstrated even more keenly on future records, but they also do a good job of varying their sound on this one, though casual listeners might disagree. Because of their musical versatility and talent, Soundgarden were a hard band to categorize. Chris Cornell has a wide singing range, Ben Shepherd played a throbbing base, Kim Thayil is a very diverse guitar player, and Matt Cameron, now of Pearl Jam, is as good as rock drummers get. They played a bit of everything, and everyone in the band contributed to the writing.

Appropritately, "Badmotorfinger" ends with two long, grungy songs that Soundgarden so thrived on during this era. Overall, it's easy to see why so many people were captivated with Soundgarden's music in the early 90's - and why these sounds started a new trend in music. Hundreds of bands have tried to emulate certain elements of this band's sound in the studio, but it's hopeless because Soundgarden were a one in a million band. They were trendsetters who had ideas, a vision, and integrity. Plus, they knew when to quit when the time was right, unlike so many other bands who keep playing only for money and continued fame.

Incredible Album....Huge Inspiration
i bought this CD long before i even owned a CD player

When is it gonna arrive?
I ordered this a couple weeks ago and still havent recieved it.I think I did everything I was supposed to do in order to order it so why hasnt it arrived?

Classic
Man im only 19, so when this album came out i was like 7 or 8, this cd was played daily in my house, i remember playin air guitar and headbanging to this cd. I loved this cd when i was 8 and i love it now. Definately Soundgardens best cd and in my opinion one of the best albums of the 90s no matter what genre. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the almost two and a half years it took to make their third album, Canadian rage rockers Finger Eleven have undergone a radical transition. Gone are the overwrought guitars, gratuitous venting, and nu-metal posturing that marked there early work and in their place are some tightly constructed melodies and emotionally articulate lyrics weaved into a coherent song cycle that documents the disintegration of a relationship. This isn't to say that the one-time headbangers have gone soft because they're writing love songs and featuring gorgeous acoustic guitar work. There are some bonecrushers among the 11 songs here, but the sturdy rockers are less prosaic than the band's earlier efforts, and it's clear that they have paid more attention to song structure and dynamics, although Scott Anderson's staccato delivery can give you whiplash. --Jaan Uhelszki ... Read more

Reviews (116)

Finger Eleven's Self Titled: Best Rock Release of 2003.
Finger Eleven has opened new doors with this long awaited follow-up to their second album: The Greyest of Blue Skies. Though not as heavy as TGOBS, this self titled release has great energy. The opening track (Other Light) is a good hint to the overall mood of the album. Scott Anderson's powerful vocals and emotional lyrics add to the most upbeat material F11 has to date. Another great aspect of the album is the DVD which includes video of 8 songs proformed at a recent live show (which is great for people who live in Louisiana becuase Finger Eleven only tours here about once every 25 years). There are also two acoustic songs featured which I was originally skeptical about: Thousand Mile Wish and One Thing. But they are both epic songs which defintely don't fall into the gimmick rock acoustic songs featured by the bands Disturbed, Flaw, Cold and the most recent diassapotment in music- Staind. True F11 fans will also notice the difference between the sound engineering, mixing and recording for this album. Johnny K. (Disturbed producer) has done a sub-par job in comparison to Arnold David Lanni (TGOBS and Tip producer). The previous two albums had much better sounding drums, especially the bass drum. The guitars are also a little less loud in the mix which was excellently balanced in TGOBS. Johnny K. has also added a few pointless sound effect which takes away from F11's artisticness. Despite the lower level of production, this third album is still a great credit to F11. This by far blows away the rest of releaseed rock albums of 2003.

A complicated answer
I have mixed feelings about Finger Eleven's new self-titled effort. On one hand, I absolutely love F11. Tip and The Greyest of Blue Skies are both among my favorite CDs of all time. They have this unique talent for compositional genius, creating songs that strike the perfect balance between art and entertainment. On the other hand, this release is a step apart from TGOBS. Not necessarily a step forward or back, just.....to the side. F11's earlier stuff was very accessible, enjoyable, and very basic. The new CD is less accessible, stepping away from the four chord progressions and focusing more on rhythmic variations. Still, while it is more complex, there are less stand out songs. Good Times, the single from the album, is utterly disgusting. It's the sellout Finger Eleven, stepping away from what's good to cater to the MTV crowd. It melds their traditional no-nonsense rock with pop-punk, and the hybrid turns out like Frankenstein's monster: big, clumsy, and hideous. The rest of the album, however, turns out quite well. Therapy, Obvious Heart, Stay in Shadow, and Conversations are sensational. Thousand Mile Wish is unlike anything Finger Eleven has previously done, and it is marvelously beautiful.

Perhaps I came off a little hard. It is a good album, no doubt. It is simply different from TGOBS, and certianly not as good as Tip, F11's masterpiece. Four stars seems appropriate. This is a worthwhile purchase, especially with the bonus DVD.

Big Dissapointment!!
Are they the Finger Eleven who made the album "Greyest Of Blue Sky" ??? I think this album is a very big dissapointment. Greyest Of Blue Sky is one of my favorite album, their songs in that album blows!!.. How come this new album sounds terrible? the only strenght on this album is the song "One Thing, Sad Exchange and Stay In Shadow" and the others are crap. Well, if your a big fan of F11 then take this make it one of your collections :)

Wow
Wow! That's all I could after listening to this CD. It is truly one of the best if not the best CD I own. Finger Eleven brings everything to the table in their latest effort; great guitars, sweet bass lines, creative drums, deep lyrics and of course the amazing vocals of Scott Anderson.

The CD starts of with the great track 'Other Light'. I could listen to the intro a million times and never get old of it. 'Complicated Questions' follows 'Other Light'with great lyrics and amazing guitars. I really love how the song changes from verse into chorus. Later in the CD we find the two great tracks 'Panic Attack' and 'Therapy' which are found in the #9 and 10 slots respectively. Whenever I have a bad day and just feel like head banging and venting some energy I blast 'Panic Attack'. Following it is 'Therapy' which starts off a little slow but brings it to us leading into the chorus. This song is very catchy and easy to sing along to. But by far the best song on the CD is 'Thousand Mile Wish' which strays away from the past formula of Finger Eleven. Everything about this song is beautiful. I sit back, put this song on, and just relax. The whole mood of the song is very poetic and the lyrics can be put into the same category.

The CD never seems to lose itself from start to finish. I wouldn't label any of the songs as filler tracks because they could all easily be singles. With that said I give out my first 10/10 to the truly talented Finger Eleven.

Great Album - but subpar for F11
I've been a Finger Eleven fan since seeing them open up for Fuel back in 1999, so I am extra critical of their work since I expect so much.

With that said, this CD was a slight dissapointment for me. Not because they sold out, or because all the songs sound the same, or cuz they went soft. None of that. In my opinion, this is the first F11 CD that contains filler tracks...something I'm not used to from these guys. Songs 7 & 8 decent, but are just missing something that would make them great. Then songs 9 & 10 are just not good. I skip them every time. Even song 11 (their only radio hit to date - "One Thing") isn't that good in my opinion because it lacks the F11 originality. On all 4 of those songs, I feel like the guitars are too thin sounding. I can't really think of a better way to describe it...it just sounds like they need more power, or as if they leave the song feeling empty. Better songs than most other bands out there, but by the F11 standard, not very good.

With the negatives out of the way, let me present the positives:

- These songs don't sound like anything else on the radio. I'm not saying its a groundbreaking album, but the guitars and rhythms are very distinct..not like most alt bands now-a-days that you would swear all use the same distortion pedal.

- The "non-filler" songs are absolutely incredible. When I heard the first 6 songs on this disc I was ready to get on here and tell everyone how this is the best F11 CD to date. The CD also finished out on a great note with "Obvious Heart" - a solid closer makes this disc so much better.

- The lyrics as usual are amazing. Nothing has changed from their 1st two CD's here. Scott Anderson is just an amazing lyricist and vocalist.

Overall...this is a really good CD. I only gave it 4 stars cuz its the first F11 disc where I can say there are 2 songs that I never listen to. Luckily, the rest of the songs more than make up for it. It's a year after I bought it, and I still enjoy listening to it on a regular basis. I think that speaks for itself. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

In 1994 Cash stunned the music world with this commanding collection of 13 solo acoustic performances that roll from gospel to cowboy to sarcastic folk. Minimalism had long been Cash's meal ticket, but this time around, producer Rick Rubin stripped it all away, recording the bulk of the record in Cash's cabin or his own living room (two cuts were captured live at the Viper Room in front of an emphatic audience). Cash offers five typically direct and vivid originals, but he also seizes control of songs by Kris Kristofferson, Nick Lowe, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Loudon Wainwright. Forty years after "Hey Porter," Cash delivers a pure, naked, and incredibly moving record that, dare we say, rivals the impact of his greatest achievements. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (61)

the best CD I own -- period.
I listen to every and all kinds of music. Until I went to college, that was true for all genres except country. I liked the western stuff my dad played, but I didn't think it was the same. But I had been playing guitar for several years and I was looking for folk music I could play. Then two things happened. 1) I saw the video for Delia's Gone while flipping through cable channels. I was drawn to it, and then 2) I saw the five star review it got in Rolling stone magazine, so I gambled my 14 bucks, or whatever. My life was changed. In the early 90's, while Kurt Cobain screamed about the world that didn't pick him for kickball in gym class, or Eddie Vedder sang about, well, whatever, Johnny Cash sang about real people who felt guilt and regret, not ironic resentment/jealousy. The voice was like listening to an old testament prophet. His words seem to be more than emotion, they seem to be truth. It's often said that God speaks to us like a still, quiet voice. This IS Johnny Cash' American Recordings. I have cried to this album many times, esp. to Like A Soldier, and The Beast In Me. Accepting one's own contradictions is the key to loving yourself. Johnny's album helped me to do this. It is the most important sound recording I own. Do yourself a favor and buy it.

Spellbinding
It's hard to believe that over half of the songs on this album are actually not written by Cash himself. He takes these songs and commands them; they're damn near definitive readings, if not fully definitive. When Cash does write, the results are amazing. Unsurprisingly, he sticks to Biblical themes ("Redemption") and the dark side of the psyche ("Delia's Gone"). He also tells a bracing Viet vet's story in "Drive On," and that song gives me chills something fierce, it's so honest. But that's just one of the many provocative classics here. Listening to beauties like "Oh Bury Me Not" or "Like A Soldier" makes you feel like this album is a solid, direct link back to the simpler folk/country of the '50s. While almost every band since has taken a concept and toyed with it, Cash stays true to his original plan -- his deep, tremulous voice and his acoustic guitar -- and proves just how moving it can be. I cannot recommend this album enough. (The CD I got also included a 6-page handwritten essay by Cash himself on his roots in music...way back to the time he was 3 years old!)

Simple and Beautiful
For those who think that you've got to be borned with a beautiful voice or play skillful guitar to make it, Cash proves that you don't. All you need is expression and honesty in your performance, and the result will be an album like this.

This disc is essential
The other reviewers on this site have done a good job of delineating the contents of this cd, so I will just add my comments. I will begin by saying that I am not particularly fond of country music, but I greatly admire this disc. It has a cross-genre appeal that is primal in power.Moreover, it is just plain cool. Buy it today.

It's Cash's Delia-not mine!
"Who has Desecrated "MY" Delia?", I thought the first time that I heard this recording.
Only recently did I order this and after listening to this both yesterday and today did I come to the realization that it was not "MY" Delia but Cash's. He was always ready to change with the times, (Remember when he had Dylan on his television program in the 1960's?) and in this recording he has proven that change is indeed good.
Tracks two (02) and three (03) are both, dare I say brilliant.

It is hard to believe that this was recorded in a living room with just Cash and his guitar.
The thirteenth (13) track, "The Man Who Wouldn't Cry", was recorded at a place called Vipers before a live audience and Comes highly reccomended. Reminisant of his earlier recordings
Like his "Everybody Loves a Nut" Album, you can tell that he had to have enjoyed not only performing this number but had to have had a hell of a fun time composing it as well.
Now quit reading everyone else's opinion about this. Buy the damn thing and listen to it yourself. I look forward to reading your comments concerning this masterpiece in the near future. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

After Chris Hillman dragged new friend Gram Parsons into the Byrds, they made an album as close to a country masterpiece as a rock act could ever make. In fact, the only tunes better than the definitive covers here of songs by Bob Dylan ("You Ain't Going Nowhere"), Guthrie ("Pretty Boy Floyd"), and the Louvin Brothers ("The Christian Life") are Parsons's originals, especially the incomparable "Hickory Wind." Sweetheart wasn't the first country-rock album, but with its gorgeous three-way harmonies and sweet pedal steel, it remains the best. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (58)

you will get hooked
i had heard about this cd and how good it was so i pick it up i was blowed away right off.it has changed the kind of music i listen to.it got me into the BYRDS and GRAM PARSONS.if i could only own one cd this would be it.all the songs are great.YOU AINT GOING NOWHERE and NOTING WAS DELIVERED are great covers of DYLAN songs the BYRDS make them sound like country standards.the vocals on I AM A PILGRIM are some of the best you will ever hear as well the other songs.you will find your self singing right along with the song THE CHRISTIAN LIFE no matter if you dont like the christian lifestile.MCGUINNS vocals on YOU DONT MISS YOUR WATER are some of his best.when you GRAM singing YOURE STILL ON MY MIND it makes you want to be in a honky tonk.PRETTY BOY FLOYD is the BYRDS doing some great folk, bluegrass stuff a great take on a WOODIE GUTHRIE SONG.from the start of the steel guitar on HICKORY WIND your hooked its one of the best GRAM PARSONS songs ever writen and i think its the best take of this song.ONE HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW is another great GP song.CHRIS HILLMAN does a great job on singing on THE BLUE CANADIAN ROCKIES its a great song and its overlooked alot.LIFE IN PRISON is great what could be better GP singing a HAGGARD song.the bonus tracks are what makes this cd you get to here how the record could have been if GP vocals where left on.ALL I HAVE LEFT IS MEMORIES is a great instrumental with some tasty picking from CLARENCE WHITE a geat glimce of things to come.this record and GP would change the sound of the BYRDS and a lot of other rock bands.buy it.it will change your life

The blueprint for all country-rock! A sleeping masterpiece!
When I first heard this album in 1968, I said "What is this, redneck music?" Sure, I've liked a little country, but the Byrds? Well, country folk didn't particularly like long-haired hippies making fun of them. What we failed to look at was the outstanding musicianship and American character of this new Byrds band featuring Gram Parsons. It swings and rocks gently, and it was a roadmap for the Eagles sound of the 70's and other country-rock bands. "You Ani't Goin' Nowhere" "The Christian Life" and "You're Still On My Mind" are my favorites. They treat country music with respect and still manage to create a new sound. I guess anytime something is revolutionary, it's bound to confuse a lot of people. Time has proven this to be a sleeping masterpiece. One of the landmark releases in rock history!

Groundbreaking, but not up to today's best
This album has a few good songs, nothing great certainly. A couple sound like Greatful Dead or Mamas and Papas knockoffs (but then again - who came first?). No doubt a groundbreaking album and it holds up well, but there are lots of better albums out there now in the same genre (get BR549's first or the Rockhouse Rambler's Torch this town or Domino King's Life and 20).

Quintessential country rock
Without a doubt THE most influential example of country rock
ever to be produced on this planet. This is the one that
started it all! The Burrito Brothers,Commander Cody, Poco,
The Eagles-they all would have sounded different if it were'nt
for this piece. If you are even remotely interested in the
country rock genre this album has got to be the cornerstone
of any collection.

good, but second best, actually...
yes, this is a sterling album, one that has held up over the years. great songs, great harmonies, a wonderfully positive concept (listen to "the christian life"). surely, it will never be "old" to my 56 year old ears, but...the byrds did a better album after parsons left the band, then the planet...it was titled..."untitled." i'd give "sweethearts" 4.4 stars and "untitled" 4.5. ... Read more

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Less successful when it's sentimental (Waylon Jennings' "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys") than when it's wry (Willie Nelson's myth-puncturing "Me and Paul"), this cash-in compilation of previously released cuts was just in time to grab the first platinum record ever awarded a country album. It's not bad, but both Jennings' contemporaneous Dreaming My Dreams and Nelson's Red Headed Stranger are more nuanced tastes of the good-bad-but-not-evil-ol'-boy lifestyle. (Not to mention much of Tompall Glaser's own Outlaw compilation.) This 1996 CD reissue adds nine more tracks from the era as well as a new Jennings-and-Nelson version of Steve Earle's "Nowhere Road." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Snapshot of a Transitional Time
This album is like a phantom that won't die, and in this case that's certainly a good thing. Forget that, when it was first released in 1976, it wasn't even "original." Indeed, RCA was out to capitalize on the fact that Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson were finally receiving widespread radio recognition as establishment rebels and that Jessi Colter was, for at least a couple of years, one of the biggest selling female artists in country music. All three of them had made a series of uneven recordings back in the early 70's under contract with RCA, several of which became the 'Outlaws" album in its smash-hit 1976 incarnation. Now, two decades later, more kindling has been added to the fire, but the effect is not entirely pleasing. Listening to several of the 'newer' songs by Waylon and Willie, one realizes why they never made it to any final studio album cuts in the first place. The album does remind us, however, that it's a bit of a shame that Jessi Colter faded into the woodwork after three massive-selling albums during the outlaw years--her songwriting hooks and stark vocals--especially on 'If She's Where You Like Livin'--are still oddly ahead of their time. This album is for die hard outlaw cultists only.

a childhood memory, an adult treasure
I remember back in the late 70's sitting in the back of my parents car on numerous roadtrips across Texas listening to this album. Now even though I was into rock and roll at the time, this album still held my attention on those long trips. I bought my own copy a few weeks ago when I heard that Waylon had passed to that great honky tonk in the sky. Man what a great album! My boyhood memories have been coming back to me with each listen. There is not a weak track on this record, with many of them finding their way to Willie and Waylons greatest hits albums. As mentioned by earlier reviewers, Jesse Colter is the hidden gem of this album. The album includes ten new tracks that did not make the original cut, but are all strong. "Why you been gone so long" by Jesse is really outstanding. Finally, the newest track "Nowhere Road" is a Steve Earle song recorded in 1996 by Willie and Waylon (Earle produced it). All I can say is this song should be playing on country radio right now, as its better that 99.9% of all the current country tunes. Do yourself a favor and add this album to your collection. Put it on, sit back and listen, you might be able to imagine what the Austin outlaw country scene was like in the late 70's!

ONE OF THE GREATEST COUNTRY ALBUMS EVER!
Lord this is a great album! My dad had this one when we were growing up and I remember listening to it in the evenings when the day's work was done. It includes hits from all the big fellas. Gosh you don't find music of that caliber nowadays. When I was 15 I borrowed this record from Dad's collection and broke it accidently. I felt bad for what I'd done and made it worse by lying to him when he asked me if I knew where it was. A few days later he found it and I had to fess up. Boy was I in trouble! It was a sore lesson, but I needed it. I understand why Dad was so upset. That Outlaw record was his favorite. If you grew up with this music or just like to reminisce about the good ol days, I honestly think you'll love this album.

Country and Western Got Cool Here
Outlaws are often the stuff of country and western songs.

In the annals of popular music, this CD is a bit of an outlaws tale. After this album came out in the mid 1970's, Nashville's total dominance of Country & Western was ended. Austin Texas, a sleepy small town in the middle of the Lone Star State, became a rival center for country, blues, rock, and other music genres.

Willie & Waylon contribute most of the sound, style, and songs here. Perhaps this is to be expected, since they were already "names" at the time this CD was originally released: Waylon as a performer, Willie as a songwriter. But Jessi Colter has a great voice, and Tompall Glaser provides great instumental accompaniment as the rhythm section.

Willie and Waylon were pure gold after this, and while Jessi Colter & Tompall Glaser were not heard from much afterward, they do live on here.

Waylon Jennings had several big singles and successful concert tours after he and Willie Nelson went their separate ways. But even so, his biggest applause came when he did the tunes from this CD. Sadly, Waylon Jennings declined and was in ill health during most of the 1990's. Willie Nelson has managed to sustain a career full of comebacks -- the IRS, marijuana arrests, and an occasional flop album have all failed to stop him from becoming an (admittedly unlikely) popular folk-hero.

Like "The Weavers at Carnegie hall", which is often credited with launching a folk music revival, and the early Beatles & Stones albums which generated interested in anything that came from England, this album is often credited with the birth of "alt Country".

Because of its maverick style and content (more radical at the time than today), it has retained or obtained a status that few country and western CD's ever do: IT'S COOL.

A wonderful collaboration!
Nashville's rebels and outlaws are back! Waylon and Willie's original "Outlaws" CD is titled, 20th Anniversary CD. It includes the originals, the lost songs, and the new, a total of 21. Included is Waylon's wife Jessie Colter, who I believe had a modest career of her own, her most popular, or as they say, signature song, a beautiful ballad "I'm Not Jessie"

The combined talent of Nashville rebels, Waylon and Willie was phenomenal! With different vocal styles, their teaming was a major success! Nelson's nasal sound worked well with deeper vocals of Waylon. Tompall Glaser, I can't say I had heard about him, but he does "Tea for Texas" and the catchy sexist tune by Shel Silverstein "Put Another Log on the Fire". ......fill my pipe and then go fetch my slippers and boil me up another pot of tea, then put another log on the fire and come and tell me why you're leaving me.

"Me and Paul" has always been a favorite by Willie, here his deeper voice projects. That and "Yesterday's Wine" are both written by Willie Nelson. Also included on the original LP are "Heroes have Always been Cowboys." Jessie and Waylon do their hit "Suspicious Minds." Twenty years later, a 1996 anniversary CD is a classic timepiece and includes the lost songs, these do include several more by Jessie Colter, who lends a very soothing beautiful voice to the male dominated CD. She and Waylon do "Under Your Spell."

The "new" portion stated on the CD includes rockabilly and folk singer Steve Earle's hit "Nowhere Road" done by Waylon and Willie. Steve Earle produced this anniversary CD. I love the two Willie Nelson ballads "Healing Hands" and "You Left a Long Time Ago", a very soft, mellow song about watching and losing a love. A first-rate collection, a real classic! ...MzRizz ... Read more

Reviews (11)

finally, dischord extends...
When they first started making music, Rites of Spring and Fugazi were innovative and unique. After 15(ish) years, however, the imitators have multiplied. Fugazi turned quieter on their last record, 2001's The Argument, continuing to tread new ground.

Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina's new project, The Evens, strip down the Dischord brand of punk to its barest elements, and extend beyond the sound to boot. MacKaye shows that he can sing tunefully and then some. Farina's drumming shows how important and interesting drums can be in a rock setting. The only downside of this record is the occasional quiet, introspective tune, that doesn't quite hit the mark (see Sara Lee...). But, overall, this is well worth the ten dollar investment. Check out Around the Corner for a standout track...

a new step for dischord
i've read a few bad reviews of this album, and i cannot understand why.everyone who heard about this automatically expected a fugazi/warmers soundalike.if they had done that, i actually would have been dissapointed in it.i enjoy that they simply made the record they wanted to make.
the minimalist approach in the music is unique for dischord and the lyrics on this album are unbelievable.i really hope i get a chance to see this band live.

A triumph of minimalism
A lot of bands coming out now are big and bloated and doing the same thing.That is why its refreshing to hear something new: a powerful sound from a duo.The vocals are riveting, the guitar intricate in some parts, cutting in others and I never knew you could get so many different sounds from a drum.A great effort!

post- post-punk
I read a review for this album where it was described as post- post-punk, a label which very accurately describes this album.Don't buy this album expecting the frenzied attack of MacKaye's earlier projects, listen instead for the quiet tension.Fugazi's amazing strength came not through its intensity, but rather through its subtle, compelling melodies.This album is a logical extension of this approach beyond the limits of post-hardcore.Just listen to what can be done with the three notes of "On the Face of It."There is still intensity here, but it is more along the lines of Fugazi's Instrument Soundtrack.Mackaye's baratone gutair and Farina's druming clash in a near-perfect interplay as they share the burden of the album's melody.The vocal duties are split up fairly evenly, making certain that this is definately not an Ian Makaye solo project.Ian's voice is suprisingly melodic and effective, and Farina's has a suprising edge that is regrettably absent in many female vocalists. This album might effectively signal a new stage in the continuous development of punk that MacKaye has been at the forefront of for his entire career.And it is definately time for some change.

Unforgetable
I've been into Fugazi for years because of there dedication to punks DIY ethic as well as there remarkably singular sound, but the Evens are something that I never unexpected.MacKaye takes a break from Fugazi and makes an album that is just as heavy as any Fugazi album but this time its heavy without the volume.The album sounds like elliott smith meets the white stripes, but without the country edge and somewhat like some of the spacier tunes on The Aurgument.The fact of the matter is is that this record is mind blowing and intense, VERY intense.My favorite song is Mt. Pleasant Isn't but all the songs are great.I hadnt heard of the Warmers, but I like the girls voice and she lays down some stead beats.I think the album is great and MacKayes voice very different from his days in Minor Threat.Almost, dare I say it, fragile?! ... Read more

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East Nashville lies just across the Cumberland River from the mansions and skyscrapers Music Row built, but for Todd Snider it may as well be in outer space. On his seventh album, he paints a word-drunk, smart-ass, but always affectionate portrait of this gritty neighborhood--the dead-end dives, low-rent bungalows, and musicians barely scraping by--with a freewheeling comedic spirit as true to country as it is to rock & roll. He gives Mike Tyson a chummy hug, flips off the moral majority, fails to decipher "Louie, Louie," and turns an attempted suicide into a bittersweet recognition of human folly. Producer Will Kimbrough keeps the sound loose and tipsy, sometimes whittling back to a single acoustic guitar, which is just right for Snider's funniest, sharpest, and most life-affirming album yet. --Roy Kasten ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

After the more experimental themes and misanthropic bit players populating his prior album, I Love Everybody, the songs on this superb 1996 set return to the more affable, earnest, but still knotty balance established by Lyle Lovett on his first four albums. He spins amiable yarns about his preferred headgear ("Don't Touch My Hat") and larger-than-life love objects (the one-eyed "Fiona"), sways hilariously through the backfired seductions of the samba-paced "Her First Mistake," and swings buoyantly through "That's Right (You're Not from Texas)," then ropes the equally droll Randy Newman into a tongue-in-cheek duet on "Long Tall Texan." In between, he sneaks a fresh string of dark love songs ("Private Conversation," "I Can't Love You Anymore") that sustain his formidable standards. Forget the forced issue of his putative ties to "new country": Lovett is simply one of the best American singer-songwriters extant, whether playing raconteur, philosopher king, or wounded romantic. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A Landmark Album!
Does Lyle Lovett ever put out a bad album? The answer, as he reaffirms us with The Road to Ensenada, is a no. This is definitely one of the finest country albums of the 90's. Lyle Lovett proves that he can cut through the trash that populates today's country market and still make an excellent album. This is one of the most personal and revealing albums I've ever listened to (by any artist). Although this album was put out after his split with Julia Roberts, Lyle doesn't wallow in misery or self-pity. He even manages to slip in some of his now-famous dry wit on several of the tracks. He's also one of the few singers who can look at relationships objectively, while still incorporating all of the feelings that go with them. This is simply a phenominal album. This is a very intelligent album, but it doesn't sacrifice good music in the process. This album is both thought-provoking and fun to listen to at the same time. No CD in my rather large collection has received as many spins as this one.

The best in a tight field
How do you pick the best Lyle Lovett album? Do you go for the melancholy and jazzy strains of Pontiac? The big band meets country of the Large Band album? Perhaps the sad and beautiful Joshua Judges Ruth? All would be albums most artists would kill to call a career best. But Lyle? He beats them all with The Road to Ensenada.

He has quirky, laid-back and humorous moments in songs like Don't Touch My Hat (a Texan answer to Elvis' Blue Suede Shoes) and Long Tall Texan, which pairs him again with Randy Newman in a gently humorous cowboy song (you'll of course remember You've Got a Friend in Me which the two sang together). The western swing of That's Right, You're Not From Texas is so infectious that you simply can't help singing along. The best of these is Her First Mistake, with it's marvelous wordplay and off-beat rythm. If you're not sure what people mean by country cool you'll have no question after hearing Lyle's delivery on that one.

But while his wry and humorous songs can always be counted on, it's with the songs that dig deeper into human emotion that Lovett excels. Listen to the loneliness of the narrator in Christmas Morning: :Lesser songwriters might have included some vitriol or nastiness to flesh out this song of a lonely man ignored by the world. Lovett manages it with quiet resignation, answering people's empty "have a nice days" with "Hey, what could they mean by that, perhaps I'm the fool they take me for, not anything more."

The title track reaches a similar level of sadness, and the hidden bonus track crosses between the humorous, the lonely and the hopeful for a beautiful finish to a perfect album. The Lyle-curious should start here. The Lyle-faithful surely already play this one on a regular basis.

A lot of fun with Lyle...
This is my 2nd favorite Lyle Lovett album, after Pontiac, because it shows his self-reflective humor in songs like, "Her First Mistake." It also has music that draws you in effortlessly, such as "Fiona" and "Private Conversation." This album made me truly happy he and Julia Roberts split up so he could get back to making good music. My only criticism is that "That's Right (you're not from Texas)" is over-produced and, when he performed it on "Austin City Limits" it was acoustic with crowd participation (and Willie Nelson participation) that made it sublime.

It is his best, bar none!
If you don't own a Lyle cd, this is the one to buy. Lyle's music has many influences. His earlier cd's have fused pop, jazz and country in a delightful blend of acoustic treats. His Large Band is tight, as tight as they come. The Road to Ensenda is toe tapping good from beginning to end. This particular recording is less jazz influenced than say, Pontiac but the jazz influences are not ignored. This is simply a great cd.

So much more than a songwriter
It's one of those things that has become immutable over time. This album captures so many moods - while Lyle and the band certainly know how to have a good time, the pauses for reflection are what tips the scales for me. It is certainly among my Top 10 favorite albums of all time as it has a melancholy quality that transcends just about anything I've ever heard. The uptempo numbers sure do swing and I can't help but smile when I hear them, but everything leads up to the last two tracks - The Road to Ensenada and the gorgeous "Girl in the Corner". With the exception of Bruce Cockburn, no other songwriter captures the longing one can experience in the smallest encounters. This is soul music and music for the soul and I would be less for its absence. Thank you Lyle. ... Read more

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No Doubt's 1995 release, Tragic Kingdom, brought Southern California's ska scene to a national stage while elevating the band to star status. An irresistible mix of reggae, punk, and power pop, Tragic Kingdom scored several hits, among them "Spiderwebs," "Just a Girl," and "Don't Speak." Singer Gwen Stefani's looks made the group MTV shoo-ins, but her soaring voice is the real star, as evidenced by such songs as "Happy Now?"--a classic you'll-regret-you-dumped-me anthem that recalls Blondie--and the bouncy "Sunday Morning." Despite recurring themes of pain and regret, Tragic Kingdom manages to somehow feel sunny throughout. --Courtney Kemp ... Read more

Reviews (238)

At the top of the Kingdom!!!
This is a killer CD from No Doubt- topping Return of Saturn, in my opinion- and I've yet to listen to all of Rock Steady, so, currently, this is my favorite No Doubt CD.
The songs on here are pure ska, funk, reggae, pop, dance mixes that are outstandingly No Doubt. When speaking of No Doubt, I would give someone the CD and then say, "Here. Listen. Learn."
The guys are excellent musicians, and Gwen is a truly talented singer. The guys admire her looks, we girls admire her voice. It's a win-win situation with her.
Some of the best tracks on the album include "Just a Girl" which is oustandingly Female. It's quite the song- as is "Spiderwebs", a really good tune to listen to. However, the best song (in my opinion) has to be "Don't Speak", a tragic breakup story. You can see the lyricist agonizing over what to pen next...up late at night with their head in their hands, thinking over and over again: "Don't Speak/I know what you're thinking......don't tell me cuz it hurts....."
All in all, a truly great effort from No Doubt- really really good!

The album that put No Doubt on the map
Released all the way back in 1995, this album went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide (over 15 million in the US alone). This CD includes the hits Just a Girl, Spiderwebs, Don't Speak, Excuse Me Mr., and Sunday Morning.

The album opens with 1. Spiderwebs (5/5) This song is pretty much instantly catchy, and if your a person who likes to bang your head around, the chorus is perfect for that. 2. Excuse Me Mr. (4/5) This song is a pretty hardcore, in-your-face kinda song. It's probably the worst of their single releases from this album, but it's still really good. 3. Just a Girl (5/5) Now this is THE song that put No Doubt on the map. It's a girl anthem, but unlike alot of them, it isn't a man hating one! It opens with that famous, catchy guitar riff, and the song just goes from there. 4. Happy Now (4/5) I think it's pretty obvious that this song is about Gwen and Tony's break-up, but, it's not a bad song. It's pretty catchy to. 5. Different People (3/5). Another catchy song, about people being, well... different... It seems like a bit of a filler, but it's still an okay song. 6. Hey You (4/5) Lol, the chorus is kinda weird ("Your just like my Ken and Barbie doll"), but weird in a good way. The song is catchy, and I love the way they use the Sitar. 7. The Climb (4/5) Definitely the longest song on the album, topping the 6 minute mark. The only thing that keeps this song from reaching 5 stars, is the fact it seems to drag. Other than that, it's a great song.

8. Sixteen (5/5) One of my favorite songs not to be released from this album. It's really catchy, and has a great chorus. Great song. 9. Sunday Morning (5/5) I think this is one of No Doubt's most underrated songs. The big long drum roll at the beginning is great. Everything about this song is great. And, it's so damn catchy. 10. Don't Speak (5/5) My favorite song off of this album, and maybe my favorite No Doubt song ever. I mean, who hasn't heard this song. It's one of the most beautiful break-up ballads of all time. This song shot straight to #1, and became No Doubt's biggest single ever. Gwen sounds so heartbroken in this song, it gives me chills. Believe me, if you listen to this song when your sad, you might just cry. 11. You Can Do It (3/5) Another song that seems like a filler, and is probably the worst song off of the album. It's not a terrible song mind you, and is pretty catchy. 12. World Go 'Round (5/5) This is my other favorite song not to be released off of this album. Everything sounds great on this song, and it's so catchy. 14. End It on This (4/5) This is pretty good song. Another song that is most likely about Gwen and Tony's break-up. It seems to drag a bit at the end though. And finally, 15. Tragic Kingdom (4/5) I think this song is the perfect way to end the album. It's a good song, but it can be kind of confusing. It drags a bit at the end to.

All in all, this album is great. I recommend if you're looking to become a fan of No Doubt's music, you start with this album. But, if you only like a few of their songs, I'd recommend buying The Singles 1992-2003.

Not So Tragic
Before No Doubt released Tragic Kingdom they weren't well known. They actually just released this so they could get their songs out, then they would go on with their lives. Luckily their first single "Just A Girl" hit well and they didn't have to do that. Tragic Kingdom in my eyes is No Doubt's best work, filled with all good songs. I don't there are many cd's where I happen to enjoy all hits, but this is definitely one of them.

The cd starts of with "Spider Webs" which is an ingenious song. One of my favorite songs in No Doubt history is "Excuse Me Mr." which is just an awesome song. Next is "Just A Girl" which was their first single and possibly the "star" of the cd. Another one of my favorite songs from no doubt is "Different People" which is just so awesome. Then later comes their other hit from the cd, "Don't Speak" which is still getting radio play today. "You Can Do it" is also a fun song, though it kinda sounds like something the Spice Girls would sing. Then comes my favorite song on the whole cd..."Tragic Kingdom". It's so fun, heavy, deep, imaginative, and basically has a nice flow.

The whole cd is just loads of fun and I would suggest it to anyone who has only heard their new stuff.

I LOVE THEM! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE NO DOUBT AND THE CRANBERRIES!
GWEN RULES!
I NEVER REALLY LIKED THIS KIND OF MUSIC UNTIL THEM!
THEY ARE DOPE!!!!!!!
5 STAR STUFF~! *****

This Is Pretty Good, But Tracks At the End Drag It Down
I like this album, even thoguh it's really old (almost 10 years)

1. Spiderwebs- Really good way to start the album, really energetic. 9/10
2. Excuse Me Mr. Not as good as previous song, but still pretty good. 8/10
3. Just A Girl- First single, and I can understand why! It's so good! 10/10
4. Happy Now- Not too good, but stil ok! 7/10
5. Different People- Favorite song! It's not even as fast as the others, it's jsut really good. 10/10
6.Hey You- Um, this song is very interesting. 8/10
7. The Climb- I think this was too long but it's stilkl a decent song. 6/10
8.Sixteen-The guitar is so cool! 10/10
9.Sunday Morning- It starts out really weird but it's still a great song! 8/10
10.Don't Speak- The verses are good, the chorus is awful. 5/10
11.You Can Do It- This song is ridiculous, sorry No Doubt. 3/10
12.World Go Round-This album's second half is proving to be bad. 3/10
13.End It On This- Way better then the 3 songs before. 7/10
14. Tragic Kingdom- YAY! Perfect! 10/10 ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Wilco's follow-up to A.M. impresses first with its size: 19 tunes fill the double-CD package, and the packaging unfolds like a larger-than-life 1970s-era gatefold album cover. But the love affair with the artwork is short-lived, fading as the music takes center stage, making plain the band's overwhelming stretch into innumerable styles. Jeff Tweedy's love of pop and the mechanics of making pop albums is clear almost immediately, as he and his cohort utilize the studio to create and manipulate undertows and snaky recorded elements throughout many of their tunes (a keyboard touch, a guitar's flair, a cymbal's unexpected crash). There are the plainspoken acoustic numbers, recalling Tweedy's tenure in Uncle Tupelo, and there are also unwinding swoops of tinted, guitar-heavy rock--one of which collapses into chromatic jabs at a piano only to resolve in silence on "Sunken Treasure." Oodle