Amazon.com

Delays singer-guitarist Greg Gilbert has such an incredible voice that he might be the only man in rock who has drawn comparisons to both Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and the Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser. That's just the first sign that this English band is not just another standard-issue moody Coldplay knockoff. Instead, the music on its debut album conjures the blissed-out guitar-and-grooves sound of classic English groups like the Stone Roses and the La's, with each of the three opening songs delivering devastating knockouts. The rest of the disc doesn't easily repeat the feat but the band's exuberant spirit easily carries through. -- Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fine debut album of melodic pop
Melody is such a lost art these days that a band like the Delays that remembers how to use it really stands out. This is their debut album, and it's a fine one that fans of melodic bands like Travis should check out. Singer/guitarist Greg Gilbert has a very feminine sounding voice--he sounds like Stevie Nicks with a sore throat. The band is a four piece that gives keyboards and guitar equal weight, with no soloing. The focus is placed on the songs rather than the playing.

"Nearer Than Heaven" is the clear standout track, the catchiest song I've heard all year. "Wanderlust" and "Long Time Coming" are the other best songs on the album. Since these are the first three songs, the album makes a fantastic first impression, one that the rest of the album can't fully live up to. "Wanderlust" and "Nearer Than Heaven" sound something like a more accessible Cocteau Twins, but the rest of the album shows classic rock influences. "Hey Girl" wouldn't have sounded out of place on the radio during the '60s.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

Erase Rewind
This record sounds a lot like some of the 4AD records of ten or fifteen years ago. Maybe something like Cocteau Twins or This Mortal Coil. But the lead singer turns out to be a guy named Greg Gilbert. So he has that JJ72 thing going on. It's very melodic indie pop that is very listener friendly. The Delays have a dandyism vibe going and they are easy on the eyes. Songs like "Nearer Than Heaven" and "Long Time Coming" bring you in. They are an English band from the south. The La's and The Manic Street Preachers initially influenced them. Their name sounds like a Britpop band but they felt that they were anti-Britpop. Some Americans are obsessed with bands with any traces of the throne of Britpop. For other, any sort of Beatles or Mod revivalism is an idea that went nowhere. So over the past five bands like The Delays and The Thrills have looked elsewhere for inspiration. Songs like "You Wear The Sun" and "Hey Girl" are like Britpop never happened. And bands like Stereophonics and Travis never existed. The Delays are a surprise.

Very much like the Feelies/Reivers c.
Very similar male/female(ish) vocal harmonies and song structures. It sounded great twenty years ago, and it still sounds good...

Gorgeous Melodies!
I have since learned the meaning of falsetto. Maybe not for everybody but I love this cd!

Nothing to rave about...
A male vocalist who sounds like Stevie Nicks with Bangles sounding hooks and harmonies. ... Read more

Album Description

1997 compilation on Epic featuring 13 of the best by Ian Broudie's indie power pop act plus, 'Waiting For Today To Happen' ('97 Version) and the brand new songs 'What You Say'& 'Brain Drain'. 16 tracks total, also featuring 'The Life Of Riley', 'Pure', 'Sugar', 'All I Want' & 'Perfect'. The full title is 'Like You Do... Best Of The Lightning Seeds'. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

stop with the remakes
This CD was a good album overall. But why do the music industries keep allowing groups to remake old songs. Let's just get on with our lives and leave the past behind and be more original with our songs. One song had over a 2 minute instrumental intro which got boring really quick. It shouldn't have been over 50 seconds.

Powerful Sounds that Never Die!
Amazing that that wonderful British pop sound (in the tradition of Soft Cell and Dexys Midnight Runners among so many others) still was going strong in the 90's.Joyful and smooth-music that really makes you feel good
My personal favourites are 'The Life of Riley' ,'Change','Waiting For Today to Happen','Pure','All IWant' and 'Three Lions' -the last which was written to inspire the England soccer team to win the 1998 World Cup

Wonderful British Sound Going Strong
Amazing that that wonderful British pop sound (in the tradition of Soft Cell and Dexys Midnight Runners among so many others) still was going strong in the 90's.Joyful and smooth-music that really makes you feel good
My personal favourites are 'The Life of Riley' ,'Change','Waiting For Today to Happen','Pure','All IWant' and 'Three Lions' -the last which was written to inspire the England soccer team to win the 1998 World Cup (alas unsuccesfully)

Wow, a greatest hit album already!
The lightning seeds have been plugging their own brand of guitar Indie/Pop for several years now, but like their colonial contemporaries, Crowded House, a greatest hits album has sneaked up on us without us realizing that they'd had that many big hits. In fact they haven't. They've managed to pad the album with a couple of very good new songs and a remake of one of their old standards. On the whole if I could only buy one Lightning Seeds album, it would be this one.

British Music
The Lightning Seeds have very quietly over the years built up an impressive portfolio of top tracks. Like You Do is a greatest hits album featuring some of their best singles like, Change, Sugar Coated Iceberg, Perfect and What If. This is a good album to have as its good throughout, whereas their previous albums all contained a few dodgy tracks where this album doesn't ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1984 release set the pace for the band's career, helped define the tone of the 4AD label, and opened the door for a genre that includes Delirium, Deep Forest, and Enigma. While much less dense and textural than more recent DCD, this album begins the group's study of combining global rhythms and instrumentation from various musical eras with contemporary sounds. Here they explore the somewhat Gothic electronic and rock instrumentation of post-punk European pop. Featuring the lush, sonorous vocals of Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, this is a dark, mysterious, and compelling release. Fans of later works will not be disappointed; newcomers will find this groundbreaker a good place to meet Dead Can Dance. --Andy Stevens ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Dead Can Dance Can Do Better...and Has
I had already bought, listened to, and fell in love with two DCD CDs (Aion and The Serpent's Egg) before picking this up, just to add to the collection, only to discover it was the group's debut effort. And I must say, listening to this CD, DCD has come a pretty long way...but still, you can hear the makings of great music.

The whole CD sounds like it's being played in a long tunnel, very echoed and far away, very thin. There are many original touches, and while Lisa Gerrard's voice has matured beautifully, it still sounds quite nice. Brendan Perry's voice I've never been a big fan of, and here it just sounds depressed. The music itself is creative, though dated. Still, the beginning efforts are admirable, at times quite creepy. But overall, I think this is only for real DCD fans who want to see where the duo started. But I think I'd much prefer their later CDs, and I hope to add more to my collection soon.

Nocturnal emissions
Dark, rocky, and somewhat abrasive, DCD's debut is anything but the medieval ambiance many have come to expect from this band. No wonder, since Brendan made his first musical experiences in a punk band. Recalling the sound of Cocteau Twins' debut "Garlands", "DCD" is also a very sparsely produced album; thin electronic percussion, fuzzy guitar riffs, and Brendan's tired-of-life voice are the dominant components on most of the songs. Still, there are also some calm tracks with Lisa's voice, but I think the more aggressive pieces like "The fatal impact", "The trial", and "A passage of time" provide the main interest throughout the album. "Threshold" rocks harder than anything the band has ever done. After all, it ends with the wonderful, appropriate "Musica eternal". The last four tracks are taken from the EP release "Garden of the arcane delights", originally released in 1984. Here, the music is rather subdued and paves the way for DCD's subsequent album "Spleen and ideal" The densely percussive "Carnival of light" and the majestic "In power we.." are the highlights here. A must-buy for fans of the early 4AD sound.

A place where New Wave punk meets Etnic vibrations
While this great duo is most known for an upgraded mixture of traditional sounds from all around the world with a bit of electronic,the self-titled debut shows all where from it came...Dead Can dance in the early eighties was an young and ambitious group with an idea of taking new wave Joy Division styled music up to higher level of art and making something fresh out of something popular at the time.

Duo on this album sounds in some moments like on "Spleen and ideal" or "Aion".The sound is mostly dominated by Brandon Perry's noisy guitar,drum machine and expressive bass riffs (a bit in peter Hook's style)."Frontier","Arcane","fatal impact" or "Threshold" define the early band's sound.Brandon's a bit distant vocals are followed by the spooky Lisa Gerrard's soprano.i believe that "Ocean" is one of the most haunting and scary tracks in history.Turn of the light and listen to it loud.i am sure that you will be scared when hte creepy Lisa's vocal will be coming straight to your ear...It is funny because even with the use of few instruments like Bass,drums and bass Dead Can Dance sounds like Dead Can Dance.4 last tracks are taken from the ep "garden of the arcane delights" - they sound much more essential,but i must say that i was not dissapointed by any track from here.

If you like dark new wave music or gothic you must listen to it.there are only few albums that will make you look nervously around searching some monsters or withches while listening it.It's creepy and beautifully haunting music.Highly recomended

GET THIS CD NOW!!!
A year and a half ago, I bought this CD. This was the first Dead Can Dance album I ever bought. I had to listen to it a couple of times to really get to appreciate it, but I have been absolutely in love with it ever since then. I have every one of DCD's albums, but this one is by far the greatest, in my opinion. I keep experimenting with other songs, other bands, and other genres, but I keep coming back to this CD. I recommend it with all my heart.

NEATO, jungle
before they got self conscious and smarty they were good, it as if they stumbled upon a golden chest in the middle of the woods and opened it and were bathed in light and transformed to an imaginary spot ,deep within theri minds ;which like a voice ,they played too... with all of their conviction and innocense with unschooled un self consciousness...EARNEStNess! the tunes speak too like a collective conscioussness ,like reading HEART OF DARKNESS, THIS IS MUSIC TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF , ALMOST too hypnotic in a inexplicable vigorous good way, unlike TECHNO AMBIENCE, this is like primal genuine and its insistence in getting under ones skin is SHAMANISM perssonified. ... Read more

Album Details

Second Part of the Hit Single that Established Coldplay as a Viable International Act. Both Back Tracks Are Not Found on the Album "Parachutes" and Are Exclusive to this Single. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Choice
This Cd includes songs from Coldplay's first demo cd and is a great investment for any real fan.

Only to complete your collection
There's not much spectacular about "No More Keeping My Feet." I like all of Coldplay's stuff, so this is probably the only song I don't enjoy. "Help Around the Corner" is a nice acoustic piece which brings the single's rating up to 3 stars. ... Read more

Album Description

2003 4AD reissue of 1983 album remastered by guitaristRobin Guthrie. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Genuine soul - beautiful and eerie soundscapes
"Head Over Heels" was the second album from Scottish group The Cocteau Twins and marked the beginning of their trademark ethereal "dream-pop" sound. However, to some degree at least, the sound was less atmospheric and more rhythmic than on later releases, especially on the techno-ish "The Tinderbox (Of A Heart)" and the amazingly hot funk of "Glass Candle Grenades" a song which showed this band's roots, like those of Jane Siberry, to lie just as much if not more in soul and jazz than experimental rock.

Liz Fraser's hymnal vocal style was already at the forefront here, though it is more comprehensible than on their fabled "Victorialand". On the opener "When Mama Was Moth", Fraser's voice was low-key and Guthrie's electronics backed by an oboe took us through a slow, gothic, soundscape that was remarkably hypnotic (especially on the outro "mother and chain"). Then, on the beautiful "Five Ten Fiftyfold", Fraser's voice came into the forefront and her soul-like harmonies and wonderful embellishments to the acoustic guitars, thus creating a feast of melody never seen before. "Five Ten Fiftyfold"'s beautifully spare saxophone just shows the listener how this band could keep continuity with itself on "Victorialand" (compare "Lazy Calm").

"Sugar Hiccup" was a continuation of this, but Fraser's magical singing was even better, whilst the brilliant "In Our Angelhood", with its lightning, danceable rhythm, was a highlight of the album, as was the almost-exuberant "In The Gold Dust Rush", and the haunting "Multifoiled". "My Love Paramour" showed Fraser's voice take on a new dimension from traditional folk and soul spirituals with her glossolalial tone in the intro of the song, whilst "Musette and Drums" was the rocking closer that most subsequent Cocteau albums were to have.

An acquired taste like all feminine music, but the most essential Cocteau Twins album. Though the Twins were to delve even deeper into ecstatic atmospherics, they never bettered the power of this collection

Yes.
This is without a doubt the greatest Cocteau Twins effort, in my opinion(even Liz has said she favors this album). If you're just now hearing about them and looking for a good place to start, this would definitely be it. The full range of moods contained in this 10 track album will give you a pretty good idea of what you might find in the others, and yet not one is like the other. It may take time to warm up to their music and Liz's other worldly vocals, but once you settle into the sound its hard to escape. This album alone has gotten me through many a dark times and it continues to be one of my very favorite recordings to date. Listen to it. Take a chance. Forget about music you know. And let yourself slip into the sounds. You'll enter into another world all together. Also, try Victorialand. Incredible sounscapes... like snow drifting in the sun.

Final Decision
I have listened to Cocteau Twins since 1986. I have gone thru so many phases , trying to decided my favorite CT album. I can say, that i truely love all of them, but for some reason, i keep leaning toward this album. I think this album appitamized the darker time of their music career.. Garlands seems to be the known "dark" album to most CT fans, but this one i think is a little deeper. I think this album set the tone for CT in the next few albums to come. "Mussette and Drums" is probalby one of the most powerful songs they have ever written. "Tinderbox of the Heart", to me, is probably one of their most beautifuly depressing songs . "Suger Hickup" took a while to grow on me, but finally, i saw the light. "My Love Paramor" is truely one of the songs that punishes my heart time and time again. I can say this, if you are a TRUE Cocteau Twins fan, you might agree with me. Some might not ( and i can understand why).

Head Over Heals is total punishment for the soul. If like to torture yourself to depressing, dark music, THIS IS IT!!

Head Over Heals (Import)
If you like Cocteau Twins, you'll love this album. If you're a fan of their music, this would be yet another amazing addition to your collection. If you're not aware of Cocteau Twins, this album would be as good as any to begin your musical journey with. My all time favorite band, Cocteau Twins make the most imaginative and beautifully dark music I've ever heard. This album is just one of the many chapters in their almost 20 years of creating unbelievable music. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

the maze
After a few listens, 'Filigree and Shadow' really started to affect me and now I love it. Of course it's not as good as 'It'll End In Tears' but I think that's only because the first This Mortal Coil record had only 12 tracks and this second one has 25, which creates more room for some clunkers. The majority of this record is outstanding. I love 'the jeweler' 'come here my love' 'ivy and neet' . . .

The major standouts include "i want to live", "i must have been blind", "tarantula", and "drugs". The record captures most of the feelings one feels on the first album, and the first TMC album is perfect as far as I'm concerned. There is no track that rivals "song to the siren" but the stunners on 'Filigree and Shadow' grab you and do not let go. I listen to it in my headphones on walks at night, or alone in the dark, or during the day. I really dislike the goth label, I never really understood what goth exactly is. I suppose you could call this music a gothic ambient style, not the contempory meaning of the adjective 'goth', which involves angsty teens sitting in coffee shops smoking their heads off and talking about how much better their lives would be if they lived anywhere else.

But anyway, I love 'Filigree and Shadow'. Buy "it'll end in tears" first, let that one into your life and soul, then give the second a try. I think that I ought to buy 'blood' soon, the third and final TMC release.
~Tom Nordlum

Good - but don't start your TMC collection here
I may be the lone voice of dissent on this page, but I must say, I have owned all three This Mortal Coil compilations for some time, and of the three, "Filigree and Shadow" is the weakest. It's not bad. But unlike the raw beauty of the "It'll End in Tears" tracks (which is mostly a Cocteau Twins/Dead Can Dance concoction - 4AD chief Ivo Watts-Russell hadn't yet a roster large enough by then!) and the epic sweep of "Blood" (which has a couple of guitar-laden clunkers but is otherwise packed with dark and soaring emotional stunners), this album has a more ambient feel, and thus lacks much personality or punch. I've listened to it several times and most of it just feels samey to me. It's good, but as a listening experience, the album is strictly a flat landscape, with few peaks or valleys.

Obviously many people here feel differently. But to those who may have been curious about This Mortal Coil, but aren't sure which CD to get first, I highly, highly recommend you start your journey with "Blood." Then rush out and get "It'll End in Tears." Heck, get them both at the same time.

Heartbreakingly beautiful
This CD has not left my stereo for all that long lately... It serves as exquisite chill-out music, yet forces you to pay attention to it... All the tracks on this album are of stellar quality, but the ones that most readily leap to mind for me are "Tarantula," "Firebrothers," and a quite sinister cover of the David Byrne-written "Drugs." I can honestly say there's nothing on this that serves as filler, and that Ivo Watts-Russell and John Fryer picked an impressive array of collaborators, as well as gathering a unique eclectic selection of cover songs (Van Morrison and Judy Collins, for example). I must admit that this is the only This Mortal Coil CD I own... but that'll be remedied soon enough, to be sure.

A compelling disc
I first heard this when I was in high school. Its melancholy demeanor, luscious melody and intriguing orchestration spoke well to me then. Over a decade after the first listen, this disc still remains compelling. The sequence of tracks that runs from "Thais (I)" to the end of the album is fantastically beautiful; if those tracks were an album unto themselves, it would be one of the most listened to albums I own. I still have just as much fun singing along with "I Must Have Been Blind," and I still adore the cover of David Byrne's "Drugs." And the ambient tracks (too numerous to mention) are superb.

I can't give it the five stars because, like the other TMC releases, it is inconsistent. Some songs haven't lasted as well and now they get on my nerves. Luckily, they seem to be crowded more towards the beginning of the disc.

Not as good as "It'll End In Tears", but still very good.
Of the three TMC CD's, this is my least favorite. However that does not mean that I do not enjoy it. All three are very good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although Love Is Here, Starsailor's anxious, soulful, folk-and-urban-blues-nuanced debut won't be a culture shock to any British pop-scene follower who experienced, say, Tom McRae's 2000 debut, it certainly jolts the core beliefs and common cultural values of the U.K. indie scene. Nothing about Starsailor is remotely "alternative"; cool dads will appreciate them every bit as much as the hip kids. Not only is tender-aged singer James Walsh proud to admit to being influenced by Van Morrison and Tim Buckley (blimey, it's like punk never happened), he is also gifted with a larynx as gnarled, emotionally articulate, and demonstratively tremulous as the underrated Roger Chapman. Love Is Here is an assured classic, whose exposition of impending mid-life crises and buttoned-up desperation (typical lyric: "I need to be alone while I suffer") is conveyed through shuffling jazz percussion, metronomic acoustic guitars, and keyboards that veer between decorative cocktail piano and ice rink organ (courtesy of former crematorium organist Barry Westhead). Are Starsailor the future of British pop? Let's bloody hope so. --Kevin Maidment ... Read more

Reviews (121)

For britpop fans plus more
s a fan of britpop, I have seen the rise of the epic sounding bands, Blur,
Oasis, Charlatans, Verve, Suede, etc. as well as the new rise of the
introspective, mostly acoustic bands, Travis, Coldplay, Badly Drawn Boy,
etc. Starsailor can not only top these 2nd type of bands, but can hold
their own with the Epic bands as well. When I first heard this album I
thought wow these guys are really good, then I got the chance to see them
live and I was completely blown away. Now its one of the only british cds
in heavy rotation of my cd player. Startng with Tie Up My Hands the band
immediately grabs you with the emotion in James Walsh's voice. As you go
on through their single Alcoholic, a fantastic song drenched with emotion,
through Fever and She Just Wept, you will be stunned to know just how young
Mr Walsh really is. Then as if the moody emotional music can't get any
deeper, the band turns it up an unleashes their nod to the epic styles with
Good Souls. As I have heard some friends of mine call it, the best song to
raise a beer and shout along with. Overall, while I remain a huge fan of
Travis, Oasis, Blur, etc. Starsailor has achieved a level above most of
the average Britpop albums that have come out as of late.

Stellar debut
After a strong start in their native UK, Wigan band Starsailor release their debut in the US...and it was well worth the wait. Beginning with the captivating "Tie Up My Hands," Love Is Here is an impressive collection of emotionally-driven songs about loss and hope. Musically, it is filled with catchy folk/indie melodies that are sure to appeal to fans of Coldplay, Travis, Tom McRae, Neil Young, Turin Brakes, Doves, and the Verve.

The strength of the albums lies a great deal in singer/guitarist James Walsh distinctive voice. Very few singers have the ability to convey such depth and emotion as Walsh's, which is particularly evident on the more acoustic-based tracks, "She Just Wept" and "Coming Down." While his style is reminiscent of Tim & Jeff Buckley meets Richard Ashcroft, Walsh is a standout because of how he much he constantly sings from the heart. It's quite breathtaking. Also, an equal amount of credit for Starsailor's musical accomplishments has to go to keyboardist Barry Westhead. His contributions lend a great deal of texture to the songs, especially during "Fever" and "Talk Her Down."

If Love Is Here is any indication, Starsailor is sure to be a band that will go far and I look forward to hearing more of their music in the future.

Needs Work and Critiquing
I was rather disappointed with this. I really like their second CD. However, this one failed to impress me. I like there first few songs and then a couple at the end. All though some of the lyrics were almost too dark and didn't seam to flow well with the song.
I do hope the band continues with more music. I just think they need to work on their technique.

From listening to the previews
From listening to the previews the guys voice sounds like it has a tint of wales singer Tom Jones, Im pretty big on my british music and im not impressed; I find the music boring and predictable.

They're "Good Souls".
I must say, everytime I hear this I like it more and more. They're quickly becoming a favorite among the groups that they're often compared with, and I'm really liking the piano lately. At times they can be a little dramatic, but that doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the album. I think "Good Souls" was the only song with airplay around here, but "Poor Misguided Fool", "Lullaby", and "Way To Fall" are all excellent as well. The whole thing is really good front to back actually. They're not as emotional as "Coldplay", or as complex as "Radiohead", but if you like the British scene, or good music in general, you should like "Starsailor". ... Read more

Album Description

2003 4AD reissue of 1990 album remastered by guitaristRobin Guthrie. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Fav rock band of all time
Ok here it is this is a band that has changed music forever. Elizabeth Frazer has the most angelic and beautiful voice I've ever heard. I thankfully got to see them in concert 3 times before they broke up in 98. I heard them when I was 16 when I went into record bar and found "Loves Easy Tears" and loving the cover art took the cassette home and the rest is history I was instantly a fan once I played it. I think all the members of the band are still making music but it is sad that they aren't working together. This work has an almost visual feel to it because of the way it makes your body feel as it pulls you into it's web. This album and "Four Calendar Cafe" are my fav twins albums but every album is worth purchasing. Note make sure you get This Mortal Coil because the twins have a few tracks on one of those compilations. It'll end in tears is the name of the cd I think.

hooray for the twins
i can't say much about the remaster because i haven't honestly ordered my own copy yet nor have i the pleasure of hearing it but this is one of my favorite cocteau twins album of all time next to treasure or blue bell knoll. from the opening track of "cherry colored funk" to the closing "frou frou foxes", you can't help but feel a bit light-headed after hear liz fraser's beautiful vocals. not only are the vocals dreamy & sweet but the electrical arrangements here are to die for. let's just say i played this album for so many years( and still do listen to it on a regular basis), it's really hard to believe i've had this album in my collection for over 13 years. i don't really catch half of the words on this cd but i could care less. for all i know, cocteau twins may have made up their own words but the end result is definately enticing & plausible even if that be the case. having said that, this goes on the top of my list as one of the best cds to own in the nineties which still sounds as great today as it did when i first bought it. no favorite tracks unfortunately to list as all of them serve their purpose & each one is simply gorgeous. if you haven't already heard the cocteau twins or have never bought one of their albums, i believe this is the first one you should purchase & the remastered version sounds heavenly to me. enjoy.

Now THIS is a remaster!
After being disappointed in the remastered version of Blue Bell Knoll, I was having trouble deciding whether to purchase another in the Twins' new remaster series. After I tentatively gave HOLV a shot, I was flabbergasted. The sound has come alive! What was previously leaden and muffled has been set free into the sparkling ether. And keep in mind-- I had never considered the production on the original album to be lacking-- maybe a tad overreacting to the bright sound of Blue Bell Knoll two years previous, but rich, full and melodic nonetheless. What a difference thirteen years makes! It's like listening to a brand new release. The sound is no longer so midrange-heavy; the instruments have been lifted and separated just enough to delineate them, while preserving the gauziness of the original. The vocals have a newfound space and importance, as if Elizabeth just got through clearing her throat. And the bass! Chunkier, crunchier, it actually makes my Grados pulsate during 'Cherry-coloured Funk'. This newfound clarity is even more apparent on 'Fifty-fifty Clown', which must be one of the most timelessly futuristic pop songs ever produced. It shimmers more forcefully now, chugs along more insistently, and leaves you wanting more. It's amazing how a good remaster can change your feelings about a song; I had never been a huge fan of the title track, but now I have rediscovered it--it's more balanced, less honk-y. I can honestly recommend this remaster as a must-have for real Cocteau Twins fans, it's that much better. One of the richest, most luxurious albums ever. *** Oh, and fellow Twins fans/reviewers: hey! don't be blithely glossing over the song titles. Elizabeth worked too hard on them for you to dismissively call them "Track 1" or "Track 9". Sheesh. Learn them and use them-- they're windows into the songs themselves. They cross-reference each other and provide a huge chunk of the only insight into Elizabeth's lyrics that exists. Show some respect!

Their best since album Treasure
Their last album for 4AD marks Cocteau Twins's journey from cold industrial sound of 80's to 90's. The thing that has always made me adore their music and records are that every song has so amazingly invented title. You can almost taste those songs in your mouth like Glass Candle Grenades, Orange Pink Red, Pearly Dew Drop's Drops, Ice Blink Luck,...
It's a very magnificent talent for a lyricst to have.

After truly classic albums such as Treasure and Head Over Heels and also some parts of Blue Bell Knoll Cocteau's just
happened to create their most delicious album in their marvellous career. Heaven Or Las Vegas begins with
Cherry coloured-funk and Guthie's guitar work offers Elizabeth begin on low notes and in the chorus she puts out the most hookable vocal works of the whole album. Though Cherry Coloured-funk is quite simple, its melody sounds extremely classic and it is very memorable as well.
Pitch the Baby, Fifty-fifty Clown are all high standard Twin's songs with great ambitions. The Single Iceblink Luck and title track Heaven or Las Vegas are both the two tracks that describe best the albums sound scape. Especially the title track is massively produced and really worth hearing.

As with all their great albums Heaven or Las Vegas has also good songs placed in the B-side of the album, there are real
treasures there like Wolf in the Breast, I Wear Your Ring, Fotzepolitic and definitely gorgeous Frou-Frou Foxes in Mid-Summer Fires.
Like Musette and Drums there's same kind of feeling, though Frou-frou is more comfortable with larger scale of vocal work
of Liz and therefore much more harmony all over the song.

For a superb group that Cocteau Twins were one would've hoped they'd never broke so secretly and with some kind of
dissappointed feelings due to the release of Milk & Kisses -96. Their last recording for 4AD is for me their last huge album
although beautiful stuff kept coming untill the very end.

Jury still out
HOLV is one of my favorite albums of all time. When I found out that remastered were being issued, I was excited and also a little perplexed. There are CT albums with which I could find some (minor) production faults, but HOLV was never among them. However, my copy was aging and beginning to show signs of the dreaded pinhole dropouts, I figured I could not go wrong by replacing the older version with the remastered. The production on the remastered version is quite similar to that on the original version, and i doubt that most casual CT fans or listeners could tell the difference. However, unlike my experience with the remastered BBK album, I found that some of the subtle differences on HOLV actually were detrimental to parts of the orginial album that I had liked. The bass line in Iceblink Luck (3rd track for those of you who, like me, perpetually ignore the song titles) is more subdued in the chorus. Road River and Rail (9th track) begins to fade out at the very last line, whereas the original did not. And Pitch the Baby (2nd track) is less lush than the original, with more separation between the vocals and background music. Overall, the latter is the major difference in production on the remaster: the instruments are somewhat brighter and more separated, as they are on the remastered BBK. But whereas I felt that worked quite well on BBK, I was a bit disappointed with how this affected HOLV. If you have never heard HOLV in its original format, I think you'll find this remastered version to be brilliant and you'll probably love it. But for those of us who have listened to the original version more times than Gene Simmons has had sex, the differences may take some getting used to. One caveat: I have yet to listen to this album through headphones, so there may be more subtle, positive differences that I have not yet picked up on. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Directors making strong characteristic decisions about the music in their films are, aside from being few in number, generally people who depend on a particular composer--directors like Steven Spielberg (John Williams), Steven Soderbergh (Cliff Martinez), and John Carpenter (himself). Michael Mann is that rare director for whom musical literacy has less to do with professional partnership than with a hunger for aesthetic exploration. From his days with Miami Vice, in which he spearheaded the integration of pop songs with a scene's motion, Mann has been relentlessly creative in the scoring of his work--setting producer Trevor Jones (a knowledgeable technophile) loose in The Last of the Mohicans wilderness and getting Elliot Goldenthal to blend electronic, hard-rock, and orchestral effects for a haunting score to Heat. The common theme is mood, at times profoundly spiritual, fashionably effete, or resolutely cold. These are the temperaments of Lisa Gerrard, best known for her work with the prototrance act Dead Can Dance, and her sometime partner Pieter Bourke. Their score for The Insider is a rich montage of paranoia and momentum, perfectly suited to Mann's moralistic corporate thriller. Mechanized drums flirt with ambient music while, soaring above, thick clouds of synthesized drones recall Peter Gabriel's fortunate work on the big screen. --Marc Weidenbaum ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Full Of Style And Effect.
Michael Mann is known for the exquisite style in his films, and his soundtracks. Here is another great example, following the masterful soundtrack to "Heat," of Mann showing great style not only in film composition, but musical as well. The music here by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke is brilliant, powerful, stylish and moving. The first track, "Tempest," casts it's hypnotic spell from the first note to the last. What we have here is a great use of talent with electronic music combined with orchestral. There is an intensity and suspense to the music apart from the film, which is also brilliant. "Safe From Harm" by Massive Attack is especially unique and effective. Every musical piece is done with care and brilliance. This is musical genius vibrating into life. The music here is both beautiful and dark, powerful with a certain edgyness and sadness. "The Insider" was a great movie, one of 1999's best and the one worthy of the Best Picture Oscar, and it's no wonder, considering it has this great music to back it up. I wasn't surprised at all when Gerrard and Bourke received a Golden Globe nomination for their great music here. And let's not forget the effective score contributions by Graeme Revell, especially the track "Polladino Montage." Michael Mann's work is all style and genius, both in film and soundtrack compilation. He knows what artists to get and what type of music to use. Great soundtrack, unforgettable music.

The DEAD CAN DANCE CD I always imagined in my mind
I always liked what Michael Mann was TRYING to do with images and music, but always found him lacking in such fare as "Manhunter" (scoring the climax to 'In-A-Gadda-da-Vida', and such), and pairing 80s synth and cool tunes to images by Dante Spinotti promised so much. For my money, his intent and his manifestation have finally achieved balance in this wonderful film and its accompanying soundtrack. Rallying Lisa Gerard and Pieter Bourke was a smart stroke for a movie of stylish close-ups and internal dramas. "Sacrifice" is a highlight that recalls the best moments from Dead LPs like "Labyrinth" and "Aion". The Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek contributes a typically cold and dreamy edit, and while I could've lived without the concession to pop tastes with Massive Attack, it's good pop, and meshes with the rest of the score rather well. Looking for another companion to the Blade Runner score for that rainy night when existence seems so unfathomable? This is it, babe.

Heavenly
Gentle, beautiful sounds from a master composer and a vocalist from another world.

Upside of this disc is the unique combination of different types of songs and music that fit rather nicely.

Downside is much of this music is already available through other Lisa Gerrard collections.

If you are new to her sound, this is a great one to start with.

Great music, reminds me of the "Pure Moods" series
"The Insider" was an intriguing film describing the true story of Jeff Wigand and how he revealed devastating information about the tobacco company, and then how a CBS reporter named Lowell Bergman took on the fight of his career to air the story on "60 Minutes". It featured great performances by Russel Crowe and Al Pacino, and taut direction by Michael Mann, but also some very cool music too. The music added lots of tension to many scenes, although I really didn't see what the lyrics of Massive Attack's "Safe From Harm" had to do with the film's plot or theme.

However, even without the film's scenes, the music is still great. It features cool synthesizers and electronic drums for a hypnotic effect. I especially love the first track ("Tempest"), which reminds me of the scene where Russel Crowe is watching the "60 Minutes" segment while thinking of his wife and daughter. Just like the "Pure Moods" series, this music is great for listening while you read, write, draw, or study.

My only reason for the 4-star rating is that the CD cover never mentions how long the songs are, and therefore I was a little surprised to discover that "LB In Montana" and "Palladino Montage" are about 40 seconds long, while "Safe From Harm" and "Sacrifice" clock in at about 8 minutes each. But this is just a minor problem, and until a "Pure Moods IV" is made, this CD works just as well.

Cliff Martinez???
Excuse me, people. I only read about this Martinez-guy, but the film credits mention Michael Brook, and if you ask me, most of the musical contribution is from Michael Brook, who worked a lot with Brian Eno. If you like this soundtrack check out Michael Brook albums. He did some more soundtracks like ALBINO ALLIGATOR. He also did a soundtrack for a film called CAPTIVE in 1985 which is out of print. Both CDs are highly recommended if you like The Insider. Michael Brook uses mainly guitar synthesizers and if you have the chance to see him performing live go for.

And the Eno piece has been used numerous times before - see DUNE for example.

For people who like Robert Rich and dark ambient: Gaudi is awful like a marshmellow(has been mentioned above). You better check out the real stuff like "A troubled resting place" (great compilation of his best works) or Rich & B. Lustmord - Stalker.

On Steve Roach: some of his best albums in my opinion are "World's edge", "Dreamtime Return", "Well of Souls", "Desert Solitaire" and "Cavern of Sirens". Very dark and only done with guitar synthesizers is "Midnight Moon". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mix Bananarama with Elastica and you've got this giddy, goofy confection in the yummy Top-of-the-Pops tradition. And yes, trainspotters, that's Dave Barbarossa of Bow Wow Wow delivering the big Burundi beat. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Fun and Catchy!
I first discovered Republica when the song Drop Dead Gorgeous appeared in one of my favorite movies--Scream. I tracked down their CD and was hooked immediately. An amazing blend of catchy techno-dance mixed with rock and electronica, this CD is fantastic. Even the lyrics are different from anything I've heard before--someone criticized the line "In a Hollywood bowl of serial killers," but I thought it was brilliant. And contrary to what another reviewer said, the CD has aged very well and is as good now as it was five years ago. I love all the tracks on this one, but Drop Dead Gorgeous, Ready to Go, Out of the Darkness, and Holly are the stand-outs. A terrific CD!

One of my personal all time favorite cds
Although this band's career has been a brief career, their first album has remained a personal favorite of mine. I remember being blown away by the fusion of rock with dance music when I first saw the video for "Ready to Go". I simply fell in love with the band's music right away. I was rather disappointed in the band's second and final album "Speed Ballads". I thought it was awful. The songs on that album lacked the hooks and techno beats that I fell in love with on their first album. I never heard anything before like what I heard on Republica's self-titled album. I particularly dug the original mix for "Ready to Go". I wish that was released as the single here in the US but unfortunately America remains clueless on techno music. "Drop Dead Gorgeous" is my other personal favorite track off the cd. Saffron's vocals is awesome. She sounds like she is shouting and singing at the same time on every track in a good way. "Out of the Darkness" and "Holly" are other faves of mine. All the songs off this cd are excellent. There isn't a single track on this album I did not like.

It's a crack, yeah I'm back from the rooftop shoutin' out...
This is a rememberal song, I've never heard the others, but I bet they are pretty good! The title is my fav Republica song "Ready To Go" the US mix is sweet in it's own way, original mix has Eng. but was recorded in Germany, "ACH-TuLiBa"! Hahahahahaha! Any way, pick up this CD, IT'S FUN!

What's a catchy dance song that isn't catchy?
The problem with writing several songs that are supposed to be catchy dance tunes is that if they aren't as catchy as you think they are, then there is absolutely nothing for the music to fall back on. REPUBLICA has a few tracks that succeed as being great, throw-away, and fun dance numbers, but the rest of them are fairly forgettable. Most of them fail to have a good catch or a hook to grab the listener.

The two singles "Ready To Go" (recently the background music in a car commercial or two), and "Drop Dead Gorgeous" are about as good as this CD gets. The change of quality from these two tracks to the rest of the forgettable material is fairly dramatic. Instead of catchy little techno-dance tracks, we have boring songs with lethargic drum beats. I've listened to the CD several times in the past week, and I simply can't remember anything about the other songs. Looking at the track listing reveals no recognition on my part. I've heard these songs, I've listened to them several times, but all I can remember about them are vague drumbeats.

The downside with being too simple is that if the single thing that you attempt to do fails, then the entire endeavor is wrecked. Apart from the notable successes, the failures on this album destory any chance it has of being a winner. When the dance songs are too limp to dance to, there isn't a reason to listen anymore. Party music definitely shouldn't be boring.

boring and quickly aging sound
I've seen reviewers relating this album to Garbage 2.0 and Elastica. This is far from true. Republic is techno-dance. They are capable musically and vocally but the lyrics to the songs and the melodies are lame and amateurish at best. "Ready to go" is cool but is not worth the price of the CD. Download the mp3 of it and move on. ... Read more

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue of the brit-pop act's 1990 album. Includes five bonus tracks, 'All By Myself', 'Clean Prophet', 'Knock Me Down', 'Over' (Live in a stable in Liverpool) and 'I.O.U.'. 2001 release. Standard jewel case. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A Classic
Oasis, amongst others, cite Lee Mavers and the La's as a major influence, and it's not hard to see why. They both have an obsessive devotion to 60's music, both Noel gallagher and Lee Mavers produce extremely catchy guitar based pop, both engage in minor plagarism ( "There She Goes" owes it's main riff too The Byrd's "Mr. Tambourine Man"), both milk the Manchester angle for all it's worth. Hell, Liam Gallagher even sings like a higher pitched Mavers! The La's were truly inspiring for the time, with many of the album's tracks having the potential to be number ones - "Way Out" "Timeless melody" "I Can't Sleep" in particular. In fact, the only spot on this excellent album is the stupid, cloying, "Freedom Song" which has the ugliest melody ever committed to disc.

Sadly forgotten by most
It is one of the most terrible disappointments in music that so many people are blind to the sheer genius of this album, the one and only by the La's. Released back in 1990, it has not aged a day and goes far beyond the simple "60s sound sampling" that a lot of British bands were privvy to practicing back in those days. The entire album is a 40 minute long joyride through sublime melodies, tight musicianship and humorous lyrics. Because primary songwriter Lee Mavers was such a perfectionist, all the songs are perfectly put together - even though he claims he was rushed into finishing the album and handed the record label an album of "demo" quality. This perfectionism also essentially killed the La's because they haven't recorded anything since. The band was a killer live band, due to 12-hour rehearsals to be on top of their game. Mavers apparently still writes songs, but refuses to record them.
"Son of a Gun" is a great little ditty that opens the album, crisp acoustic guitars and a man who's at "loggerheads with his past". Doesn't even reach 2 minutes, but still great. Follow-up song "I Can't Sleep" is another killer melodic song, bouncy and fun. "Timeless Melody" is exactly that. "Liberty Ship" sounds a little like an old sea chanty from another century, huge fun. "There She Goes" is the band's signature song and has relegated them to a one-hit wonder, which is a terrible shame. It's also funny how Sixpence None the Richer, a Christian band, got famous for covering this song: it's about heroin. "Doledrum" is a bouncer about visiting the village of Doledrum, apparently a boring place.
The second side begins with "Feelin" a song with a guitar sound lifted right out of 1966. It's a big song with the Naked Chef, he plays it during the intro to his show. "Way Out" is a simple acoustic song performed in 6/8 time, very catchy. "I.O.U" is just great, another catchy song (aren't they all?). "Freedom Song" is the one song that is cut from a different cloth, an acoustic lament with very sharp lyrics. "Failure" is like a furnace blast, a raucous meditation on teen angst the year before Cobain Americanized it. Album closer "Looking Glass" is the perfect epoch of the La's sound, the longest, most luxurious and most melodic song on an album chock-full of melodies. As the song fades out, snippets from the past triumphs are mixed together and fed through backwards faster and faster until the album suddenly ends. "the glass is smashed..."
I don't know if I sold too many people with this review but I hope you do consider my ramblings as those of a man who holds this wonderful album as a precious jewel in his almost 300+ album collection. Amazing everytime you listen to it.

Rare form
It is so rare for every track of a CD to be enjoyable, and this is one of them. Every single song on the CD is good... isn't that a hoot? How can you not buy this. I bought it when it came out in the '90s, and have been listening to it ever since. It definitely has a "British" feel to it, and I find it enjoyable to this day. Too bad they split up :-(

the blueprint for Britpop of the 90's
this album really fell on deaf ears here in America at the time of its release. England of course tended to gravitate to it more so than American audiences due to its prevalent Mersey sound. Lee Mavers might then have been considered a special songwriter in that he was able to inject his brand of creativeness to the songwriting process however still leaving a foot firmly planted in the magical world of the British Invasion. He has since the release of this album become a recluse and still whenever found for a comment or remark about his bands fleeting daliance with world pop stardom that the recording for this album was never up to snuff. it's been widely reported that the instruments and equipment used during the production of this album were left with the dust still on them whilst recording because it added that element of mysticism to the sound (see Brian Wilson). Indeed, there is certainly an enchanted feeling and vibe you get when listening however im not sure how much it actually had to do with the "dust". it might be noted that several Brit pop stalwarts have recognized this album as the one which layed the groundwork for their respective sounds. the songs are uplifting and have certain cheeriness to them. im sure you could have placed a band like the La's next to others like the Kinks, Hollies and the Who they would have certainly fit in. it's nice to know that artists still draw from this amazing time in musical history for their influences and that while still sounding relative to that time and place it spawned a much needed music movement in England and the world over. Noel Gallagher once said that his ambition for Oasis was only to pick up where the La's left off. Well done, Noel!

A Revelation
I am constantly in search of new, enlightening records, records that synthesize the 60s genius of The Beatles, The Byrds, and Dylan and add a distinctly modern twist. Although I have previously discovered excellent records in this vein, I have never come across an album quite as astounding as "The La's."

The one and only album ever released by Lee Mavers' genius band, "The La's" is a sleek, uber-melodic, mind-blowing tour de force, a record that towers over the landscape of British (and, for that matter, all) pop music. The unforgettable melodies, such as the chiming and heavenly tune that is "There She Goes" make a case for The La's being the direct descendents of fellow Liverpudlians The Beatles. Maver's thickly accented singing is rich and varied, a blueprint for every singer from Liam Gallagher to Stephan Jenkins (well, if you can consider the latter a 'singer').

Each and every song is flawlessly constructed, concisely and effectively arranged with minimalist guitars and bubbling rhythms. All of them clock in perfectly at or under three minutes, with the exception of the epic closer "Looking Glass," which is nothing less than a latter-day "A Day In The Life," an avant-garde suite complete with escalating tension and embedded with snippets of the eleven track that precede it (try to pick out the melodies of "Liberty Ship" and "I Can't Sleep" during the fadeout). Mavers' lyrics are inventive and poetic, and he delivers them with style and power (I love the way he says "person-arly I think that's fine" on "Son of a Gun").

It's a shame that The La's never made a follow-up to this absolute classic, although I doubt that they could have ever outdone it. "The La's" is a truly perfect record, and a precious gem in any record collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It all began with the perfect pop moment of "Stutter," and then everyone wondered if Elastica had it in them to produce more sublime songs. Elastica showed that they did. Never quite as much Britpop as Birdpop, Justine Frischmann parlayed a Bryan Ferry hairstyle into an individual take on the world with material like "Car Song" and "2:1," while the rest of the band showed that they were along for more than just the ride. And if they owed a debt to Wire, well, it was all paid in the end (out of the royalties). The question was, could they ever follow it up? Chris Nickson ... Read more

Reviews (35)

If Britpop had a defining moment, this is it.
If you were to take bits and pieces of every Britpop band (Pulp, Blur, Suede, OCS, Supergrass ect) and classic punk metal bands (The Clash, Sex Pistols, and The Stranglers), add an angsty and desireable female singer, black clothes and combat boots, and mix them all together, you would have Elastica.

"Elastica" is a fantastic record, by a mostly girl band that seems to have disappeared into nowhere (throughout 1998, promises of a new album hung in the air which were, alas, never to be kept). But to their credit, they gave us one of the finest Alt.rock albums of all time. Such classic songs are "Connection", "S.O.F.T", "Blue", and "Car Song". Each one had Justine Frischman's tomboy-ish, attitude-laced vocals and brilliant use of guitar and bass.

All of this is pressed into a neat, 16 song, 40 minute package that is sure to please everyone. The music, while not the most original, leave an impact. The proble is that they didn't do themselves any favours by only releasing this one album.

Neo-Wave goddesses in Frishmann/Matthews.
Elastica may have played its trump cards in the form of frontwoman Justine Frischmann's pout and photogenicism, but Elastica is, surprisingly, a guitar band above all else, Frischmann and lead guitarist Donna Matthews offering melodically smart guitar sounds with an edge (the element often missing from bands these days).

Sexual innuendoes abound on the lyrics to the album ("Stutter" isn't about verbal impotence at all), but the best songs on the album -- "Stutter", "Car Song", "Connection" and crowning glory, pure pop-rock anthem "Waking Up" -- are all based around synth-flavoured guitar riffs that choke, wail and serenade their way into your memory. It helps that Frischmann, though no great singer, delivers lead vocals with confidence to match the insrumental punch, and the melodic instincts shown on this album are pretty impressive.

Half a decade has passed since this debut album. It remains to be seen whether Elastica will base its career model on The Sex Pistols career or The Clash.

Snap up this Elastica
I always forget how good Elastica's eponymous debut album is, so it's a pleasant surprise to pop it into the stereo. There's nothing particularly revolutionary about this record (although having three out of four band-members being female is, sadly, still something of a rarity), but what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in spontaneity. This is a fun, bouncy, catchy bunch of songs and no mistake.

The tracks don't deviate from their guitar-bass-drums sound. They're all short and fast-paced. It's slightly punkish sounding, with a harder edge to it than most of the rest of the Brit-pop that was out around this time. There are some really nice melodies running through here. It's hard, but not too hard -- tuneful, but not too tuneful. A few of the songs are great, and none of them are bad. There's nothing on here that's any worse than solid.

The album has a very consistent sound (perhaps a polite way of saying all the songs sound the same, which is a fair criticism, but since I like them, it's not something I'm going to complain about). If you liked "Connection" (which was all over the airways when this first came out) you'll probably like this; if you hated that song, then the rest of the album probably isn't your cup of tea either.

Oh, and Suede fans will note that Brett Anderson gets a song writing credit in "See That Animal" (did every song he was writing in the mid-90s have some reference to animals?!).

Amongst the best of the 1990's
Elastica is dead, long live Elastica.

Justine et all put together perhaps one of the best albums to come down the pike in the nearly barren wasteland of the 1990's (heck that extends to the 2000's).

Stutter and Connection are the obvious songs on the CD and are the glue that holds it together. Intermixed beside these two incredible songs are a load of very good songs (2:1, Vaseline, Car Song, etc.), which is a tough trick no matter what band you are.

If you do not own this CD, get out from under your rock and buy it. It is not too late.

Excellent collection of playfully punky pop gems
This album has become an essential staple in my Cd player since i was lucky enough to find it at a local store.
Its sixteen, relatively short songs, are energy bursts full of spunk and punky magnificence.
Such songs as the most popular, "Stutter" and "Connection", "Car Song", "Waking Up" and "2:1" are filled the catchiness and wittiness to keep you coming back for more.

Quite Reccomended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Pure Mania is a terrific relic of the punk era by a London band that owes much more to the Ramones than the Sex Pistols. Light on anger and nihilism but heavy on humor and fun, it's a blitz of twisted love songs ("Sweet Sweet Heart," Wrecked on You," etc.) with an ode to bondage thrown in for good measure. Label it music to shake your brains to. The Vibrators apparently thought they were playing pop music for the end of the decade (the '70s, that is), oblivious to the fact that the masses (especially in America) could never have been expected to catch on. That doesn't mean you shouldn't. --Mike Corrigan ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Punk at it's finest
The Vibrators, contrary to The Sex Poseurs, were actualy punx, and therefore actually diserve some recognition. This is just good old fashion punk, that anybody should own. Every track is killer. Relive the glory days of punk with The Vibrators!

BUY THIS ALBUM ![.]
I had a chance to see them play last year.and it was a blast to see such a classic Punk Rock band play all thier old songs.This album is a must get for those interested in hearing Great Punk Rock bands that were left in the dust of the Clash and the Sex Pistols.its a shame they were not bigger than what they were.
BUY THIS ALBUM![.]all the songs are Classics,I reccomend this Cd to any new Viborators fans that havent heard alot of their music.its the most catchy i think
remeber "DANCE TO THE MUSIC"-track off the cd-not a stupid quote

One of my all time favorites!!
This is in my top ten all time favorite releases by a punk band. The Vibrators were more on the poppier side of [other band], not as poppy as the [other band], but definitely not as crude as the Sex Pistols. This opens with "Into the Future", an instant punk classic. They can go from great punk-mush like "Sweet, Sweet Heart" and "Baby, Baby", to harder rocking all-out punk pop like "Stiff Little Fingers" and "I Need a Slave". The titles of these songs are pretty self-explanatory! This is one cd any self-proclaimed fan of punk should absolutely have in their collection!!!

What it was like to be a college aged music fan in 1977
I'll start off by saying that I've never _loved_ this album
musically. While it's better than 99% of all the contemporary
punk stuff that was coming out when it was issued, it's really
not a musical challenger for the better
post-punk/new-wave/whatever music that was soon to push punk
aside (think Clash "London Calling", Elvis Costello's "This
Year's Model", the best of the Buzzcocks, any of the Ramones
albums [which were never really punk], etc.)

That said, of its time and place, it was head of its class.
The Vibrators were much more musical than their punk
brothers...The lyrics are fairly one dimensional (and sex
obsessed), but did anyone care? Naw...it was the sound, rush and
bounce...always the sound, rush and bounce. That's why this
album was a keeper in 1977 and is a keeper in 2002.

If you were of the right age and ran in the
correct circles in 1977, you will recall this album as the
perfect soundtrack to many a mind-altered, pogofested party.
And ... if doesn't sound exactly that way today. Put it on
your CD player, crack open a keg, and let the good times
roll! If you weren't old enough (or even around) in 1977, now
you can understand what it was like.

This album won't change your life. But it will surely make
you smile.

David

just brilliant, faszinierend!
worth every Pfennig, i've had this album for years and it never grows old, it is however a shame that these Guys never really got the spotlight as they should have. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Worthwhile, but not perfection.
You know those CDs that you can listen to again and againwithout ever skipping over a song? Those CDs I call perfection. If"Deadicated" had just a few less songs it would be that much closer to perfection. Since I'm a positive person, I will ignore the songs that irritate me and focus this review on the tracks that rock my world. "Uncle John's Band" as sung by the Indigo Girls is one of the best covers I've heard in my life. The guitar work is great, as usual, and the Girls really know how to pay tribute without changing the meaning of the song. Elvis Costello is as smooth as ever and brings a new feeling to "Ship of Fools." Although I don't know the reasons why, I'm really glad Suzanne Vega sings two tracks on this CD. Her voice is so soothing...the version of "Cassidy" on this album is my favorite. Lyle Lovett can't be beat--I'd heard his version of "Friend of the Devil" on a local radio show and knew I had to have this CD. Burning Spear certainly does justice to "Estimated Prophet"--Spear is a fantastic reggae group, their cover is excellent but I also recommend checking out their original work; brilliant! Lastly, who would have thought of Perry Farrel and his boys covering the Dead? Well, it works--and "Ripple" is the perfect song for Jane's to tackle. Despite the few low points in this CD, the good songs are VERY good. Thank goodness for the "track skip" button. Enjoy!

A Mixed Bag with Stellar Gems
The best tracks here are keepers for the ages; but the duds have only withered over time. Originally released in the late 1980s, this tribute album offers the original covers by artists who followed up by keeping the Dead tracks in their performing repertoires. Los Lobos' "Bertha" is a classic. Dwight Yoakam's "Truckin'" stayed in his live shows for years. Lyle Lovett's "Friend of the Devil" likewise. And the all time keeper of this collection must be Burning Spear's "Estimated Prophet," which captures the spirit of the song in a way even the Dead never imagined. I remember hearing an NPR interview with Winston Rodney, Burning Spear's leader and founder, in which he said he'd never heard of the band much less heard the song before. But that learning it, playing it and recording it changed him. He still plays the song to this day. The midlin' tracks on the CD are Hornsby's "Jack Straw", " Dr. John's "Deal", Indigo Girls' "Uncle John's Band", David Lindley ("Casey Jones") and Elvis Costello ("Ship of Fools"). All are good, some reach for great. A few even make it. But the duds ... ouch! ... are Jane's Addiction's murderous misinterpretation of "Ripple", Midnight Oil's bewilderingly clueless "Wharf Rat" (they'd never heard of the Dead and were included by the producers to take full advantage of the band's popularity at that time), Suzanne Vega's whispy-voiced "China Doll", which reaches for tragedy and ends up just plainly annoying, and Cowboy Junkie's meandering "To Lay Me Down."

Something for everyone
Back in the days before there were tribute albums for every band you've ever heard of (and some you haven't), there was Deadicated, and it quickly became apparent that it would be a tough act to follow. If you know the Dead, but not the contributing artists, you will surely be compelled to look them up after hearing them here. If you are a fan of one or more already, buy this CD and learn about the underappreciated songwriting talents of Garcia, Hunter, Weir, and Barlow. All we need now is a tour...

great
You don't have to like the Dead to like this (it may help) but this just has got to be one of the best tributes of the 90's!

Nice selection of songs, nice selection of artists,great performances, funny liner notes and a worthy cause.

Highlight: unique Ripple by Jane's addiction

Dead On Tribute!
I discovered this disc listening to Fordham University's city folk station, WFUV, while driving down a country road in New Jersey. The Indigo Girls came on playing their cover of "Uncle John's Band." It is an outstanding performance of my favorite Dead song by artists I love. Hearing this selection spurred me to hunt down "Deadicated." It is probably one of the most consistently enjoyable musical purchases I made all year.

Outstanding artists all, great renditions of Dead classics, and to top it all off you are making a contribution to worthwhile causes. Order two and gift a friend - it's that good! ... Read more

Album Description

The definitive Fall anthology, this 39 track double cd spans the illustrious career of one of rock music's most important bands. Of all the late-'70s punk and post-punk bands, none are longer-lived or more prolific than The Fall. Throughout their career, the band underwent a myriad of lineup changes, but at the center of it all is vocalist Mark E. Smith. With his caustic, acerbic wit and inimitable vocal style, Smith has become a cult legend in alternative rock circles. This double cd set , at the bargain list price of $16.98, is the ultimate collection for both newcomer and veteran fan alike. "Led by acid-tounged poet Mark E. Smith, whose caustic lyrics and accented, amelodic vocals provide the Fall's primary features, the Fall has created a huge body of unique, adventurous and challenging rock.From its experimental beginnings, the Fall has continued to explore and grow stronger...the Fall has made a crucial difference in modern music."Trouser Press ... Read more

Reviews (5)

YEP.
Woah. I bought this cd a couple days ago and it just blew me away! Love the Fall! They're definitely going in my all-time favorites with Sonic Youth, Pixies, Dead Kennedys, etc. Never a dull moment. I'm really looking forward to exploring this band's music in depth...

Awesome Band
I'm not going to pretend that I would have picked the same 39 tracks for a compilation such as this, but I would have picked many of them. The Fall have been a wildly underrated band. They are massive, artistically. The best rock band you haven't heard. The kings of grunge. The best rock band of the past 27 years. A white rap phenomenon. The best at what they do. If you're thinking of checking them out via this compilation, you should.

Drowns out the kids!!!
So you're a member of the class of '77 and now you've bought into the whole middle class. You're in the car with your kids griping about something in the back. Put this CD on and all is fine. The kids can't even understand what Mark Smith is saying, and you can just get in synch with his noise and misanthropy.

The Fall may not have been among the top tier of their era's bands, but Smith deserves face for sticking it out and maintaining a singular vision without descent to self-parody or boredom. He may like repetition, as the lead-off track insists, but it doesn't preclude an interesting artistic vision that makes for a fine compilation.

And it drowns out the kids. I love them, but sometimes it's gotta be done.

How Good Is This?
Beyond measure. I think I own everything this band has ever put out (I could, of course, be wrong), but I still had to have this release. A collection chronologically arranged from the earliest moments to the glorious present where we live and breathe today. 39 tracks that will prove once and for all that under the rubric of The Fall lies a creative force that never faded or dimmed for a second. Or almost, anyway. There are those, um, oh nevermind.

If you don't know the band but have heard those of arcane yet admirable musical taste admit to having great esteem for this outfit, here is your chance to get on board. If, like me, you own a small crate of Fall CDs and you'd like to take only one or two with you on your next trip to Cincinnati to visit auntie, here's one that will help lighten your load.

Fantastic Fall compilation !#!
Their peers have all either disbanded, gone soft, or release a CD only now and then. But the mighty Fall keep on. This is a generous compilation, which spans from 1978 to 2003 and including "39 Golden Greats" - from Rowche Rumble, Prole Art Threat, and Hip Priest, to Crop- Dust.

You may not agree with some choices, but for both new and old fans, you couldn't go wrong with purchasing this as you may discover a song you are not familiar with. After all, only the most committed fan would have all their output. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

great album - forget Stone Roses
I never liked the Stone Roses that much... But Solarized is great.its a mixture of rock, 60s psych and interesting dance beats.Nobody else is succesfully fusing these genres these days - except occasionally the Chemical Brothers on "The Test" or something.Lots of great songs, good lyrics, cool psychedelic sounds.Some kind of 60s spirit lives on in Ian Brown despite his violent bludgeoning of a bouncer in SF a few months back - check the web for the footage, its out there!

Very good stuff
Very interesting music with a voice that flows well. The arrangements are clever and are never out of bound.

Tres bon choix!

if you're not a rabid fan of Stone Roses, best take a pass
This is easily Ian Brown's best solo CD, but that, sadly, isn't saying much.It seems like the sleek-sounding tracks were created by studio musicians and engineers, and then Ian Brown came into the studio and sang "over" the tracks.Not all of the tracks are this disappointing.Kiss Ya Lips has a nice low-key groove and a couple of the other tracks will hold your attention for a few listens. But you'll quickly forget this music. Its odd how much of this CD sounds like Massive Attack....

Never heard of this guy until I saw him on VH1
I now know he was the lead singer of the Stone Roses. I happened to see his video on VH1 from his new cd Solarized. It was a freaking great song. I went out that day to buy Solarized and love it. Its one of my favorite cds. I usally listen to classic rock to hard rock and this dude's cd blew me away. I love it. Its too bad I didnt know about him before. His music is like psychedelic 60's with a modern beat. Its awesome! cheers Ty

Three Cheers For Ian!
Having been a big Stone Roses fan for quite some time, I have to say I drifted away from Ian's solo stuff after his first outing (which I personally couldn't get into). I decided to check 'Solarized' out on a whim, and I am so glad I did. This is the best thing I've heard come out of the post-Roses camp. If I had to summarize it, it feels like a trimmed-down, less sprawling version of 'Second Coming'. Ian still dabbles in the synthesized beats and layered vocals, but he keps the songs short and catchy as hell this time around. What a great disc. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Five years before the group's Urban Hymns broke the band into the mainstream, The Verve's first full-length effort, A Storm in Heaven, gave incredible insight into the band's ability to mesmerize it's audience. Hypnotic vocals courtesy of vocalist Richard Ashcroft and layered musical textures from the band make for an incredible, memorable album. This is not the stuff of background music but instead best suited to provide the soundtrack for a candlelit, incense-filled Saturday night. Perhaps the band's best effort to date. --Denise Sheppard ... Read more

Reviews (45)

I'm wondering how long this CD will be my favorite...
...cause its been going on now for 5 years now. I discovered The Verve while listening to our college radio station, they played "Sail Away". That DAY I went out and bought it. Since then I listen to it just about everyday, its a permanent fixture in my car's CD changer, and I've considered buying another one for my home. Each song has so many layers that all come together to form music that is wickedly absorbing. This is by far the best Verve album.

One of my all time Faves
I listen to everything from Slayer to Toto to James Brown to Louis Armstrong, and this is one of my all time faves. This is a life changing album. It showed me that there is so much more out there. It is a roller coaster for the senses which takes you up, down and all around to release you feeling inspired. Northern Soul and Urban Hymns seem as though they are simply albums which this band produced while on their creative demise. Almost as though "Storm" was the Climax. I feel fortunate to have seen this band live many times in Detroit and Grand Rapids in their early to mid-90's hey day. Simply Amazing. Many believe this is the first release from this band. Indeed it is their first full length release, but I suggest getting a copy of their "All in the mind" EP, Or the Verve EP if you dig this album. If it weren't for this band, my appreciation for music would have been so limited. But, it is not for everyone. If you have an open appreciation for true musical art, I would suggest getting a copy of this. LISTEN WITHOUT DISTRACTION!!PLEASE.

What Heaven Sounds Like
This is definitely one of my all-time favorite albums. I, like many others, first discovered the most awesome of modern bands--The Verve--when they released their breakthrough single Bittersweet Symphony and its companion album Urban Hymns.
I do believe that The Verve were one of the greatest rock groups to come along in quite some time, and I find it hard to pigeonhole them into any category or movement, although they had the shoegazer influences of their time, as well as a wondrous penchant for psychedelia that even blows away many of the bands of the late '60s. I have all three of their major albums, and cherish the songs of Ashcroft and Co. but this will forever remain my favorite. I agree with many reviewers who have said that the few who deeply appreciate this album are affected by it, it leaves an imprint on the inner soul.

The entire album is an enrapturing voyage: challenging, nocturnal, twilight-filled, and a perfect chaser for drugs or other substances (if you are the type). In all actuality, this album IS a drug on its own level.

Take the chance and buy this or burn it. In my opinion, this is the closest thing to musical paradise.

Very disappointing.
This album could have been a good one if it weren't for two things. Number one, the sound quality of A Storm In Heaven is just plain horrible. Ashcroft's vocals are just about nonexistant, as McCabe's guitars steal all of the glory throughout nearly the entire recording. Even some of the guitar work in this album is atrocious. As one reviewer said, parts of this album sound like a 'bad bootleg'. Another reason why ASIH gets two stars is because of the poor songwriting by Ashcroft. Before I bought this album I was expecting to hear thought-provoking, heartfelt lyrics and some decent guitar work. Well, the guitars deliver somewhat, but there were no lyrics that brought out any emotions whatsoever. "I must be feeling alone...I talked to God in a phonebox on my way home. I told you my answer...I left you my dreams on your answering machine." These are the kind of lyrics that you'll find on Urban Hymns(check out A Northern Soul too). Giving this album two stars is very generous.

Mind Expanding
I usually read reviews, but I had to share my opinion on this album. Like many other of the reviewers here, this album is an obsession for me. A friend recommended many years ago and gave me a copy but I couldn't get past the atmospherics and jam quality of the music. So it sat on my shelf off and on. A few years later I put this disc on my new upgraded speakers and was floored by the sheer level of power and grace of the music. Up and down the songs push and pull against Richard's vocals and lyrics which fill in the instruments and not the other way around. I've had this album on loop for probably the last 2 years and it never gets tired. It's an album that is not for everybody, but for those who get it are permanently changed.

Side note: I do think that this album lends itself well to drugs especially for those of you who partake. Lights off, volume up, some herbal enhancement and you're Already There. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Pulp frontman-lyricist Jarvis Cocker is still obsessed with making his concerns those of his audience and the even wider world. Drawing again on classic British pop like the '70s Roxy Music, Pulp attempt to make sense of--and draw together--everything from the aging process ("One time they were just like you / Drinking, smoking cigs and sniffing glue") to doing the dishes. This is Hardcore is slightly less charged than its predecessor Different Class, but only slightly; Cocker is one rock star who knows how to raise his fans' expectations and then surpass them. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (85)

another brilliant album- almost
How do you follow up an album that sold 4 million albums in Britain without disappointing the people who want another album just like the last one, without failing to change? Never mind that Different Class didn't sell in America, Pulp knows this album probably won't either. There was a lot of pressure on Pulp for this album, but Jarvis & Co. came through again, managing to make an album that doesn't sound like Different Class, nor does it make you wish it did sound like it. The title track may be one of the best singles of the year, and Dishes and A Little Soul are songs that well leave any Pulp fan loving this new album. But there are just a few too many songs that never really develop and depend too much on empty guitar riffs. As much as I try to like songs like Glory Days or Seductive Berry for Cocker's wonderful singing and lyrics, the music just completely fails to match his emotion on these songs, a problem that never really appeared on their previous two albums.

Reality Bites Back!
How do you follow the multi-platinum selling, perfect pop of Different Class? Well, you can wave bye bye to that gold disc and release your darkest collection of songs to date. That's exactly what Pulp did with This is Hardcore. It may have been considered a commercial "flop" by some insiders, but their loss was very much our gain. This is Hardcore is undoubtedly Pulp's finest collection of songs. It's depressing, funny, sad, despondent and uncomfortable to listen to if you are approaching that difficult age of 33. This is a moody, almost sleazy album in places and it's all the better for it. Different Class had an instant appeal to it, but I quickly lost interest.Two years on, Hardcore is still essential listening. That's the biggest compliment you can give to any album, if you still play and treasure it months after the hype has faded. It took a few listens for me to fully appreciate this album, but it soons hit you. Practically every listener will identify with the opening track The Fear. A tale of missed opportunities and panic attacks when everything goes horribly wrong. It all rings so true, and Jarvis knows it. Helped of course by the fine melody, the album touches on many fears but you sort of laff because Jarvis delivers his lyrics like some stand-up comedian. Other highlights include Helped The Aged and the title track which is aided along the way by strings Diva Anne Dudley. Hypnotic and seductive and quite simply brilliant. The track Dishes will make you chuckle whilst TV Movie and A Little Soul will scare you slightly. I never thought that Pulp would release a finer album than His N Hers, but Hardcore is in a class of it's own.

"Irony is over"
It's a pity that Pulp's lead singer is mostly known in the US as the guy who knocked over Michael Jackson and then waved his backside during an awards ceremony in the mid-90s. Jarvis Cocker manages to write bizarrely appealing lyrics, and fronts a band that really deserves to have more Stateside exposure.

THIS IS HARDCORE is, despite its name, a fairly mellow album in places, with many of the songs having a wistful, nostalgic feel to them. The band has moved on (again) from their previous sound, but all the tracks still retain that essential quality that makes them recognizably Pulp. The music somehow manages to sound cheap and throwaway, while able to retain a tough core.

The omnipresent keyboards and synthesizers of previous Pulp albums are back again, though I think they are somewhat more restrained than usual. There's a section in the middle of the CD of mostly guitar-based and straight piano music that seemed much more mainstream, although there are still some eerie sounding effects running through the tracks. "TV Movie" is a sad comparison of a broken relationship to a badly produced made-for-TV film. (It sounds sillier than it is. Cocker's lyrics alternate between hilarity and sentimentality masterfully.) "A Little Soul" is a frankly bizarre song where Jarvis sings to his fictional son about how he really wasn't a terribly good father and makes a brief, frightening mention of what things he used to practice every night with the kid's mother. I can't think of too many people who could get away with this, but Cocker does it with a wink and a smirk.

Pulp prove that they still know how to make some fast danceable music when they want to. "Party Hard" has a strong rhythm, while "The Fear" and "This Is Hardcore" feature some great bass guitar work. The music is fairly catchy overall; there are many tracks that I hum to myself for days after listening.

The US version of THIS IS HARDCORE features a bonus track not included on the UK release: "Like a Friend". This interrupts the fine conclusion that was brought by "The Day After The Revolution". But it is a fun song, so its inclusion is welcome. The album as a whole will probably appeal to those people out there who like quirky, offbeat music. It's not different enough from the mainstream to freak out anyone weaned on US radio, but it is just that little bit off to be quite appealing.

Feeling Older
Pulp's This Is Hardcore is a hard album, but not in musical sounds. The band's front man, Jarvis Cocker, gets at his hardcore inner feelings. The album has a dark and somber tone with most of the songs dealing with his getting older and the carefree days of his youth slowly slipping away. Songs like "The Fear", "Help The Aged", "A Little Soul" and "I'm A Man" all deal with aging while songs like "Glory Days', "The Day After The Revolution", "Party Hard" and "Like A Friend" longingly look back at fond memories. The album has a subtle power and the band employs a lot a synth and strings that cast a dark shadow over the songs. This Is Hardcore is an album that challenges you, makes you think and makes you feel.

Very Softcore
I purchased this after reading the reviews here. On first listen, I found it fairly inoffensive. There are some cute lines - "I'm not Jesus, but I have the same initials" and then a line about old people sniffing glue. Both of these are worth a small chuckle.

However, that's as good as this cd gets. The music certainly isn't exceptional or interesting. The songs aren't particularly catchy. So, the cd has to stand on the strength of the singer and the lyrics. Both are wanting.

The lyrics are banal. Jarvis is apparently a sensitive guy, full of middle-aged doubts about aging, lost opportunities, masculinity etc. He simply doesn't have anything to say about any of these topics that hasn't been said a dozen times by much better songwriters. His sensitivity seems to be a bit strained at times - he seems to be trying to make deep comments. He comes off as a bit of a wimp, and has absolutely no edge to him.

The vocal performance is mediocre. He tries to inflect sincerity and pain into his relatively ordinary observations. That would be hard for a great singer to do (which he isn't), and after a while, it becomes plain irritating.

I realize that I'm in the minority on this. However, my copy's going back to the cd store's used bin. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

To nkroachment: Yarbles!
A raucous, rough and ready riot of garage rock from start to finish, 'This Nation' veers between the brash, unfinished amateurism of 'Bombast' and 'Spoilt Victorian child' to the highly produced and polished sound of 'LA' and 'Petty (thief) lout'. This is without doubt The Fall's finest sixty minutes, with Mark E Smith's vivid, twisted take on the everyday in overdrive (cf 'Couldn't get ahead's strange rant about queuing up for an aeroplane toilet; one of the few tracks with easily discernible lyrics).

Every song here is up to scratch, with none of the sloppy filler tracks of later albums. This nation's saving grace? Well, with this album The Fall come damn close.

Another Fall classic from one of their finest periods!
Originally from 1985, this LP is now available on CD with extra tracks from the two twelve-inch singles COULDN'T GET AHEAD and the commercial-sounding, punky but still abrasive and funny CRUISER'S CREEK, a surreal tale of an office party. Vocalist Mark E. Smith is in fine form here, ranting about everything from Japanese minimalist synthesiser legends(I AM DAMO SUZUKI) inspiring him, to the record industry(WHAT YOU NEED and GUT OF THE QUANTIFIER with its spoof Motown/soul beat!) and the band even steal a guitar riff from The Monkees' 'Valerie' on BARMY for added fun. The band were a six-piece during 1985, so a chaotic but tight Spectoresque wall of noise manages to work in perfect disharmony with the ranting vocals. Brix Smith, Craig Scanlon and Simon Rogers give us some pounding, chugging and simple-but effective guitar riffs(SPOILT VICTORIAN CHILD and the weirded-out, trippy PAINT WORK are the best examples), Steve Hanley gives us his usual manic bass guitar playing and here PIL's Karl Burns is on drums, and I have to say he gives Rush's Neil Peart, a world-renowned drummer, a run for his money! To top it all, you get a rockabilly cover of the old Gene Vincent song ROLLIN' DANY! Overall, if you love The Fall as much as I still do after 18 odd years, then don't be without this CD.

Good, but I can't remember what any of the songs sound like.
Generalized description of what this album sounds like:

The band will be playing some music, kinda sloppy at times, but always interesting to listen to. A nasal, British guy will start singing lyrics that don't necessarily go along with the music. You will not be able to make out any words he sings.

I really like this album, but all of the songs, with the exception of "I Am Damo Suzuki", sound alike.

By the way, I saw these guys live very recently in Detroit. It was killer. Lots of older people were there. Tamion 12 Inch opened, which was also killer.

Another brilliant album!
This album definitely preserves the post-punky simplicity of early Fall. The album would be worth buying just to hear "Could'nt Get Ahead" and "Gut of the Quantifier", but there's even more up this sleeve! Mark Smith, once again, proves to be one of the most bizzare human beings on the planet!

classic
this album rocks. possibly one of my favorite punk albums ever. i can see where other bands such as sonic youth looked to for inspiration. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Fantastic remastering job
What the previous reviewers have said about the excellent remastering job on this compilation is an understatement. The remastering is easily 10 times better sonically than the original and 100 times better than "The Complete Stone Roses" on Silvertone which sounds terrible next to the standard first CD or this compilation. I'd also wager that John Leckie (producer/engineer of the best Roses material) actually remixed "She Bangs the Drums" with more background vocals and better reverbs/outboard gear...it sounds like an actual remix-check it out...it's that good!

This band is easily one of the best English bands of all time. There's a reason why fellow musicians and the critics continually rate the first Roses CD as one of the top 10 English rock CDs ever released.

Delectable
Me oh my, what an outrageously good record this is. I had never heard of The Stone Roses until my brother played me "I Wanna Be Adored" a few years ago. I loved the song, but I thought they would be a band very much like The Smiths or The Cure (which isn't a bad thing at all, I just wasn't interested at the time), so I never followed up and bought any of their albums. Thankfully, my father received this cd from my brother for his birthday a few months ago, and I've had the pleasure of listening to it everyday since then. All of these songs exude an indomitable vitality that lends an extra cachet to the already stellar music. There is a distinctive 80s sounds to The Roses, but after listening to all the material present on The Very Best Of, it's apparent that these songs transcend their era and will always remain as timelessly great pop confections. Highlights of this recording include the ebullient "What the World is Waiting For", the dreadfully pleasing "I Wanna Be Adored", and the anthemic numbers "Made of Stone" and "I am the Resurrection". I highly recommend this to all.

Without a doubt the one to get for Americans
I agree with a lot of the comments made below, especially waiman. I had the first CD years ago as I've always loved the British scene, but never had their early singles or the 2nd CD. When I looked into it, there was quite the discussion in both review sections between this and the Complete Stone Roses as to which one was the better compilation. First off, this one sounds far better and if you like to listen to your CDs on a decent home theater or car stereo there is no choice. Ever make a CD mix with other CDs and throw in something from the first CD or Complete? You will notice the drop in quality. Secondly, this one has Love Spreads which, at least in Chicago, was their big hit on MTV and radio. People tend to remember the "she's my sister" video when thinking about the Roses, at least people I've met and tried to convert. That's good in a way... this compilation has the song and will introduce the casual music fan looking for it to their superior sound from earlier work. It basically has all the essentials... I bought it on Amazon, and now own every Stone Roses CD including Garage Flowers so it truly converted me. Yes, it would have been nice to have some of the B-sides, especially Mersey Paradise, Going Down and Where Angels Play, but I'm hard pressed to think of a track that would be dropped to make room. Some may say anything from Second Coming, but I like the fact that this CD is TRULY Complete. Also, in my opinion only, the Very Best of has the superior version of Elephant Stone. You will play this CD over and over and not get sick of it if you like upbeat, positive anthems. It was actually incredible that most of these songs were from their first CD... they sounded like a band that had totally perfected their sound. Any fan of the Flaming Lips "Soft Bulletin" should check this out.. it's an essential addition to your CD collection. You will not be dissapointed- nobody I've played this for, from my friends stuck in their hard rock closemindedness to people who only listen to what's on the radio, has not praised it.

A pretty good collection
If you only buy one Stone Roses cd. Buy the first album. If you buy two Stone Roses CDs buy this too. What you get are 15 classic Stone Roses tracks (all the best from the first album, all the singles, and the best tracks from Second Coming). Remastered. My only real complaint is the absence of some substantial B-sides (Mersey Paradise, Standing Here) and the inclusion of the shorter version of "One Love." Other than those minor compaints this is an essential collection for any Roses fan.

Outstanding Remaster
The comments below mine notwithstanding, I think this is a great CD and a fantastic remaster. Sure, there was a prior compilation but it was not as complete as this and was not remastered as perfectly as this disc was. The difference in audio quality is quite dramatic, in my opinion, between this disc and the first compilation. ... Read more