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| 81. Sea of Faces | |
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Reviews (32)
BTW, the only reason I didn't give this album 5 stars is because I dont give out 5 stars to pretty much anything. I'd probably give this one 4.5 stars if I could rate on that scale.
None the less, it is good music, and if you can get past the horrible lyrics, (even if you do believe in this stuff..., they are still absolutely attroucious - I suggest you listen to atomship) he is a good vocalist, and the band plays together well. I have a CD case full of 300+ CD's, and I'm searching for some new music. So I'm going to overlook the fact this is a christain CD and give it a try...
1.good opener,not the best on the cd but still good/8/10 6.another awsome song/11./10 | |
| 82. This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (49)
This is probably one of the most appropriately titled albums I have encountered in a while. It really manages to give you the feeling that you're out on an open road without anything substantial to think about. And that's not a bad thing. It's a distant and wandering sound. Long Drive can sound incredibly neurotic, with their twangy and chaotic guitar rhythms along with Brock's unstable voice. But the genius of MM is that the neurotic sound all falls together and manages to make sense, beautiful sense. Long Drive isn't nearly as polished or accessible as The Moon and Antarctica or Good News for People Who Love Bad News, but in no way does that discount the greatness of Long Drive. I recommend this album without any real reservations. But as one should do with any music, listen to this album without projecting any preconceived notions about what good music should sound like.
Best Songs:Lounge, Beach Side Property, Exit Does Not Exist. ... Read more | |
| 83. Now That's What I Call Music! 16 | |
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| 84. Stage [Virgin] | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (17)
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| 85. Kerplunk | |
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Reviews (93)
1. 2000 Light Years Away - Catchy and almost too sweet, but perfect for everyone's 'long lost love' 2. One For The Razorbacks - Another catchy tune, great placing on the album 3. Welcome to Paradise - This is the pre-dookie version of this song, and it is the better version. It's more punk than the dookie version and you get more of a feel for what Billie Joe is saying...just listen to both versions and you'll get what i mean 4. Christie Road - This is one of my favorite songs on this album, it's very hard to explain why. But Billie Joe turned a place where he and his friends used to smoke pot into a wonderful punk song. 5. Private Ale - Another catchy punk rock tune. It's a hard to explain though. 6. Dominated Love Slave - Tre Cool's entrance into the band comes from this song. It is an earlier, more redneck, version of Blood Sex and Booze (From WARNING:). It's enough to give anyone a laugh. 7. One of My Lies - Another catchy great writing job by Billie Joe 8. 80 - This song is about Billie Joe's wife Adrienne, this song is ridiculously sweet, but it is so easy to relate to. 9. Android - The lyrics to this song almost seem like a predecessor to "basketcase" but all the same its an awesome song. 10. No One Knows - My second favorite song on this album. It is a great song about being confused and not knowing what to do. It's more mellow than the rest and has an awesome bass line. 11. Who Wrote Holden Caulfield? - My personal favorite. This song was written after Billie Joe read "Catcher in the Rye". This song has an awesome guitar line to it. 12. Words I Might Have Ate - Another great catchy tune, and wonderful writing job by Billie Joe. 13. Sweet Children - You can totally get the vibe of this song just from the title. 14. Best Thing In Town - This is another great song by Billie Joe 15. Strangleland - same as best thing in town, just a great song. 16. My Generation - A cover of The Who's song, but a very good one, i believe that Mike Dirnt has a little lead vocal on it in the beginning, all very cool. This is the best green day album in my personal opinion, and i think that any green day fan should get it...it's just an awesome cd, and it foreshadows how great their other albums will be.
If 1,039/Smooth was more unpolished and punk, then this album has slightly more of a "Dookie" feel, but still raw. For "Kerplunk!", Green Day's overall feel was, 'If it ain't broke, why fix it?'. And fix it they didn't. For the most part, it features Green Day's now infamous and loved three-chord, two-to-three-minute punk-pop style. But WAIT! That's not all. For a few tracks, Billie Joe and company tried some experimentation... A hick love song. ("Dominated Love Slave") And, also on this CD, are four extra tracks recorded by Green Day when they were 15, under the title "Sweet Children". The songs on here are actually really good, including a punk rock version of The Who's "My Generation". (Take that, Wimp Bizkit.) One thing to notice on this album: Green Day improved their songwriting skills. Take this line from "One Of My Lies": "Why does my life have to be so small / and death is forever / and does forever have a life to call its own?". Or "No One Knows": "Call me irresponsible / call me habitual / but when you think of me / does it fill your head with schemes? / Better think again / 'cause no one knows." Somehow I doubt that the Juliana Theory can come up with that. (Or anything beyond breaking up with your girlfriend.) So there's talent to be had here. Anyway, if you want to hear some great vintage Green Day, check this one out.
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| 86. Hey! Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (73)
Having said all of that, the only reason this collection doesn't get 5 stars from me is because there are too many Ramones compilations on the market already. And by the time the boys decided to (finally, thankfully) call it a day, they had released so much tripe in the later years that they forgot to put together a 'definitive' collection that includes the last ten years or so. This is the one to get. It's chock-full of their best material (including the import-only "Carbona Not Glue"), and their most representative material as well. Most of the video-based tunes are here, and the selection is chronological, unlike the mind-warping 'Best of Smiths' albums. The liner notes are decent, and they've put on JUST EN0UGH to satiate even the die-hardest die-hard for his/her desert island collection. Anybody who complains about why there isn't a box set is missing the point; until there IS a box set, this is the one to buy. Especially recommended for the uninitiated.
Throughout their career, Ramones have been rather uneven, making some brilliant songs but also a lot of .... On the excellent side you got songs like 'Sheena is a punk rocker', 'Beat on the brat', 'I wanna be your boyfriend', 'Poison heart' and 'I believe in miracles' among others, and they're all present on this compilation. If you're not a dedicated Ramones fan, I'm sure this 'best of' is all you need. You'll probably discover that you love a lot of the songs but also that a decent amount of tunes will do nothing at all for you. I think it would be fair to say that one half of the included songs are very good, while the other half is rather bad. As far as compilations goes, I think this one is great and although there's a lot of songs I don't like at all I'll lean toward giving it all 4 stars.
Back in the Mid. to Late 70's, Underground Punk was taking the world by storm, with bands such as The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and The Pixies dominating the Punk Scene. But one lone American band, taking influences from The New York Dolls and The Stooges, called The Ramones, were just as popular. Adding more traditional Rock N Roll to Punk, The Ramones were one of Punk's most influential bands, and were one of Kurt Cobain's biggest influences for his band Nirvana. Although nobody would say they were incredibly talented, The Ramones were able to mold a catchy, hooky, Punk tune, emphasizing vocals and inane lyrics to appeal to listeners, while always having the chugging guitar right behind it. So it's no surprise, at the Turn of the Century, The Ramones released a massive 2-Disc career retrospective, containing almost 60 songs, and a booklet containing The Ramones ENTIRE career. So how does Hey Ho Let's Go-Ramones Anthology stack up? Read on to find out? PROS- -ALMOST SIXTY SONGS ON TWO DISCS!- The Ramones Anthology has 58 songs on TWO(!) discs, so you can expect bank for your buck! CONS- -EXPENSIVE!-The Ramones Anthology will set you back 30 Dollars, while 'The Ramones Mania' and 'Loud, Fast Ramones:Their Toughest Hits' will only set you back Fifteen Dollars, making it less accessible to casual fans. Overall, Hey Ho Let's Go- The Ramones Anthology is a very good and detailed compilation, but casual fans and diehard fans may be turned off because of its lack of new material and price. But, if you were only going to buy one thing by The Ramones, I would suggest picking this up. If your a casual fan, I recommend the 'Ramones Mania' compilation, because it's also very good and a lot cheaper. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, IF YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO BUY ONE THING BY THE Also Recommended- The Essential-Clash Thanks For Reading!
It is thought by so many that the Ramones placed into rock and roll a completely new attitude of not caring about what others thought and of wanting no acceptance. In fact, this "don't care" attitude has been typical of famous rockers for many years, and even at their most confrontational that Ramones were not nearly dangerous than most of the heavy metal they went out to destroy. Moreover, the Ramones'music really can only be described a childishly simple and at the same time mechanical. Whilst there certainly is room for childlike naïvette in music (say, with ESG's superb "A South Bronx Story"), the Ramones on a song like "Now I Want To Sniff Some Glue" are totally calculated to sound like children in order to annoy grown-ups and for no other reason at all. The lyrics, to put it bluntly, are designed to appeal perfectly to young children who want to vet out the most trivial complaints or express the most simple and shallow desires. Such songs as "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" and "Judy Is A Punk" say it succintly enough of themselves. The music, whilst truly stripped-down, actually has no more emotional power than most rock and roll of the time, and it must be seriously described as grating in its inane repetitiveness. There is never anything more than guitars, bass and drums played in a format that aimed to update to a louder and faster extreme the basics of 1950s and early 1960s rock and roll but ended up hitting no targets whatsover: it can seem OK at first but really it is in no way likeable. Claims of the band's supposedly great influence of succeeding generations of alternative rock seem dubious in most repects, for there is no hint of darkness in the music, nor depth. Moreover, if the Ramones' playing was simple, it was not because they were naïve and had no understanding of rock music: it was because they wanted strip music of any ornations, subtlety or thoughtfulness just to make it "fun". In the latter repect, the Ramones cannot be said to have succeeded, either. I might be brave in saying this, but for all their acceptance the Ramones must be seen as the most overrated band in the music world. There is music much more distinctive, much more powerful, and much more beautiful to be heard.
Back in the Mid. to Late 70's, Underground Punk was taking the world by storm, with bands such as The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and The Pixies dominating the Punk Scene. But one lone American band, taking influences from The New York Dolls and The Stooges, called The Ramones, were just as popular. Adding more traditional Rock N Roll to Punk, The Ramones were one of Punk's most influential bands, and were one of Kurt Cobain's biggest influences for his band Nirvana. Although nobody would say they were incredibly talented, The Ramones were able to mold a catchy, hooky, Punk tune, emphasizing vocals and inane lyrics to appeal to listeners, while always having the chugging guitar right behind it. So it's no surprise, at the Turn of the Century, The Ramones released a massive 2-Disc career retrospective, containing almost 60 songs, and a booklet containing The Ramones ENTIRE career. So how does Hey Ho Let's Go-Ramones Anthology stack up? Read on to find out? PROS- -ALMOST SIXTY SONGS ON TWO DISCS!- The Ramones Anthology has 58 songs on TWO(!) discs, so you can expect bank for your buck! CONS- -EXPENSIVE!-The Ramones Anthology will set you back 30 Dollars, while 'The Ramones Mania' and 'Loud, Fast Ramones:Their Toughest Hits' will only set you back Fifteen Dollars, making it less accessible to casual fans. Overall, Hey Ho Let's Go- The Ramones Anthology is a very good and detailed compilation, but casual fans and diehard fans may be turned off because of its lack of new material and price. But, if you were only going to buy one thing by The Ramones, I would suggest picking this up. If your a casual fan, I recommend the 'Ramones Mania' compilation, because it's also very good and a lot cheaper. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, IF YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO BUY ONE THING BY THE RAMONES, YOU SHOULD BUY THIS! IF YOU'RE WILLING TO SHELL OUT 30 DOLLARS, IN THE END THIS COMPILATION IS WORTH IT! Also Recommended- The Essential-Clash Thanks For Reading! ... Read more | |
| 87. If It Was You | |
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Reviews (12)
My favorite song, though, is a love ballad of sorts..."Underwater". It's one those charmingly hard look at love: "Underwater I wrote drowning All in all a great album...definitely worth picking up. If you like Ani DiFranco or Melissa Ferrick, I'm pretty sure you'll love this CD.
I'm now officially a Tegan and Sara fan and have since purchased two of their records and am waiting impatiently for thier third CD and tour. If It Was You is a strong album, filled with catchy hooks, impressive lyrics and vocal styles that compliment each other very well. There's not a dud on the record, but best songs include: Monday Monday Monday, You Went Away, Not Tonight, I Hear Noises and Living Room. ... Read more | |
| 88. The New York Dolls | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (42)
Which is a pity - "Pills", "Subway Train", "Trash" are all great trashy glam-blues-punk-whatever rock songs and the rest isn't bad either. The problem really is in the Track selection - why couldn't "Frankenstein" and "Vietnamese Baby" have been left off and instead replaced by some inspired covers, as on Too Much Too Soon? "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" springs to mind. In case all of this is a little too bitchy (it probably is), "Lookin' for A Kiss" is worth the price of the CD alone, and 80% of the rest of the album is damn good. I'll give it 4 stars, but (sigh) it could so easily have been a 5...
From beginning to end, this is uber-classic rock'n'roll at its finest, and what's still amazing is that over 30 years later, it's still as vital and fresh as ever. From the gutter-punk raunch of "Trash", "Personality Crisis", and "Looking For A Kiss", the album subtle melds Chuck Berry to Iggy & The Stooges, but injects more than its fair share of original licks that have yet to be topped even to this very day. "Lonely Planet Boy" is the doo-wop classic that never was, and "Pills" sounds just as potent unplugged as it does here in this steamrolling version. My personal favourite has to be "Subway Train", which crystalizes the ethos of the Dolls in under 4 1/2 minutes. The follow-up "Too Much Too Soon" is equally good, but less rife with classics. Get 'em both anyway.
I've gone through so many copies of this recording, the cassettes wore out, the vinyl is thrashed and now the CD needs replacement. That's a lot of listening and it's still not enough. From start to finish this record is great - no filler or throwaway songs to speak of. Just full on rock and roll at it's finest.
Way grittier and wilder than their glam rock kin (David Bowie and T. Rex), the Dolls basically updated the early rock 'n' roll of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. What the Dolls lacked in instrumental prowess they made up for in reckless sexual abandon and crazy R&B swagger. Thunders' guitar is HUGE, sloppy, and manic, and his filthy riffs and solos are what make this album. But let's not forget the trashy wit and great singing of Johanson, Sylvain Sylvain's piano, Jerry Nolan's crashing drums, and bassist Arthur Kane...well, he sucked, but you barely heard him over the wonderfully shambolic boogie anyway. The opener Personality Crisis establishes everything the Dolls were about--stomping piano, riproaring guitar, and Johanson's cocky swagger and crazy vocals. The 1-2-3 punch of Personality Crisis, Looking For A Kiss, and Vietnamese Baby is then followed by the short reprive of Lonely Planet Boy. The epic Frankenstein brings the rawk back, and it is immediately followed by the insanely addictive sing-a-long Trash. The album ends with Jet Boy, which hooks you with the biggest freakin' chorus ever. Filler? What filler? Every song rules. They're so good that you will almost forget about Todd Rundgren's godawful production. Almost. The New York Dolls' first release ranks up there with The Stooges' Fun House and The MC5's Kick Out The Jams as the definitive proto-punk album. Barring that, it may be the greatest pure rock 'n' roll document EVER. You need this one. ... Read more | |
| 89. Page Avenue | |
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Album Description Reviews (186)
01 - And the Hero Will Drown - 4/5
1. And the Hero Will Drown - 8.5/10. good opener, but not even close to the best song on the album. 2. Until the Day I Die - 10/10. amazing song. displays the great vocal quality of this album. 3. Anthem of Our Dying Day - 9.5/10. great lyrics, good beat too. 4. In the Shadows - 10/10. good chorus & lyrics, and AWESOME ending. 5. Dive Right In - 9.5/10. perfect mix of singing and screaming. 6. Swallow the Knife - 9/10. important piece to the middle of the album. 7. Burning Years - 8.5/10. awesome beginning, good guitar and drums. 8. Page Avenue - 9.5/10. good beginning, good middle, good end. 9. Sidewalks - 9.5/10. great lyrics, we can all relate to. 10. Divide and Conquer - 9.5/10. I love the chorus, and also again the blend of screaming and singing is sensational. 11. Razorblades - 9.5/10. perfect chorus, good drums. 12. Falling Down - 8.5/10. great song, really fast paced. meaningful lyrics. its just too short or it would be in the 9's.
Associated Titles: Linkin Park, Billy Talent, The Used(Same Producer),and The Lostprophets
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| 90. Lonesome Crowded West | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (97)
So finally, after a month or two completly dry of new music, I finally went out and got this CD. Whoa, was I amazed. Modest Mouse, has an interesing sound, the album started off with the jarring loud sounds of Teeth Like God's Shoeshine, and then moves into the softer, Heart Cooks Brain. By the end, I felt as though this album went through so many different genre's it was amazing. Issac Brock's voice, which was jarring at first, has quickly become one of my favourite parts of Modest Mouse. His voice is definately an aqquired taste though. Musically, Modest Mouse tend to be "punk rock" ish (And I've heard many comparisons made between them and The Pixies, but I've never heard anything by the Pixies) but they occasionally dip into a country western sound (Jesus Christ Was An Only Child) or a softer, sound (Heart Cooks Brain) Definately a good place to start listening to Modest Mouse.
After the longest period of getting into an album I've ever had to deal with, I can say that this is MM's best release. It is their most focused, with all tracks focusing on single goals or points of view, without the jump-around eclecticsm of their later releases (i.e. "Good News..." and how it jumps from emo-rock to Tom Waits). Although it's harder to get into, this album is definitely worth it. As the AllMusic.com review says, there is a very "white-trash" feel to this album. But not celebrating being ignorant, like Kid Rock does. It's more like having to cope with being poor (just see the absolutely jaw-dropping track "Trailer Trash"). Seeing as how Modest Mouse honed their skills playing in a makeshift practice space BUILT by Brock next to his mother's trailer, they have credibility in living a hard life. I'll outline some of the standouts: See the first track, "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine". Long (it's past 6 minutes) and angry. Isaac Brock's incredibly moving screams and shouts (criticized by many of the newer Modest Mouse fans) permeate this song as he sings, "Said hell ya! The money's spent - went to the country line and paid the rent said 'Uh-oh'!" After a momentary silence, the guitars burst back in with jagged rage as Isaac screams, "Well, do you need a lot of what you've got to survive?" The next track, "Heart Cooks Brain" is the best downbeat indie-rock song with DJ scratching I've ever heard. Some of the coolest and most bizarre metaphors in music. "Lounge (Closing Time)" shows off Modest Mouse's ability to play in bizarre time signatures and starts to show their ability to write jump-around emo. "I've got a girlfriend out in th ecity, I know I like her I think she is pretty!" Isaac chants with a hillbilly drawl over 7/8 time. "Jesus Christ was an Only Child" is funky country that features Tyler Riley, one of the most prominent MM side musicians. "Doin' the Cockroach" is just cool. Listen to it. Damn. "Cowboy Dan"...uh...let me just quote the lyrics: The rest is more of the same brilliance. If you are open-minded and looking for something indepedent-sounding, while needing a fix for loud guitars and a dose of Americana, buy this album.
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| 91. Straylight Run | |
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| 92. My Aim Is True (With Bonus Disc) | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (27)
On My Aim is True - which must have come as a shock to his ex-office colleagues - his greatness manifests itself in about six tracks, five of which are undeniably brilliant, the other of which any individual listener can choose for him or herself. The other songs, while hardly mere filler, pale by comparison, and are perhaps ill-served by bare-bones production, slow tempos, and somewhat forced lyrics. The greatness of My Aim is True lies at least as much in the fact that it is the marking of an arrival as it does in the half-dozen truly great songs it contains. On first listen, "Welcome to the Working Week" seems to start off the disc beautifully, and provide a great introduction to what makes Elvis tick. It is angry, bitter, and pithy (which is probably the single best and most oft-used word to describe his lyrics). However, one cannot be struck by the song's overly abrupt ending (a technique which can be effective, especially in punk, but isn't here), and the fact that the song doesn't make much sense and therefore fails to pack its potential lyrical punch (why is someone whose picture is in the paper being "rhythmically admired" being welcomed to the working week?). "Miracle Man" further reveals Elvis' lyrical abilities, and has that patented Elvis mix of bitterness and guilt, but is a bit ill-served by its matter-of-fact presentation (as are "Blame it on Cain" and "Less Than Zero," the latter of which was the first indication of what one critic called his "bizarre fascination with fascism"). "No Dancing," a chronicle of an eager-to-please, sex-starved nice guy (I wonder who?), is more pleasantly poppy, and is the best of the first four songs Finally, at track five, we arrive at "Alison," the first undeniable indication of Elvis' talent. Here he is a singer-songwriter in the best sense of the term. Elvis packs all of what were to become his trademark emotions into this song, as he laments a lost love from whom he just can't keep the appropriate physical and emotional distance ("Sometimes I wish that I could stop you from talking" / "I can't stand to see you this way"). The singer of the song wants Alison back, but cannot accept her as she is now (and he probably shouldn't), but would gladly have her as she once was (and she might be just as happy to be that person again, too). This song should lay waste to any doubts that the first-time listener might have. After "Alison," the CD alternates between truly undeniable brilliance and pleasant enough pop songs. In the latter category are the Tin Pan Alley ditties "Sneaky Feelings" and "Pay It Back," which are entertaining, but serve mainly to indicate Elvis' range, and may not impress listeners who appreciate the pithy Elvis. "Less Than Zero", the first line of which was immortalized by Elvis's first (and, for a very long time, only) Saturday Night Live appearance, might have worked better if it were a bit tighter, and played at a quicker tempo, while "Waiting for the End of the World" sounds more like a report than a song (although the guitar work is quite tasteful). But don't let this frighten you away. The second half of the disc also treats the listener to four of the best songs Elvis ever recorded, which, in combination with "Alison", almost make pointing out the weaker moments of the disc sound like nit-picking. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" sublimely reveals a kinder, gentler, whimsical Elvis, who seems to think he's good enough, smart enough, and possibly liked by non-existent entities. It also contains some of the best lyrics on the CD (eg, "I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused" / Oh, I said 'I'm so happy I could die'/She said 'drop dead' and left with another guy"). "Mystery Dance" reveals the sexually frustrated Elvis in an impossibly catchy one-and-a-half minute glory days of rock and roll song drenched in the attitude of punk. Hearing Elvis Costello sing "I'm not angry anymore" - in a quintessential Costello self-portrait - is like hearing a fish sing a song called "I'm Not Wet." And the disc's closer, the reggae-infected "Watching The Detectives", almost sounds out of place on My Aim is True, but it nicely foreshadows the greater sophistication of his future releases (but the soon-to-be-released single "Radio Radio" seems to belong on this album). All things considered, Elvis emerged more or less fully formed on the finer moments of My Aim is True. The weaker songs, at the very least, indicate an amazing musical facility, while the stronger songs are strong not only by comparison to the others on the disc, but to any song released in 1977. The CD is less of a sign of things to come than a full-fledged revelation of a great musical talent and palpably unique personality. I do believe that he has better, or at least more consistent, albums (eg, This Year's Model, Armed Forces), but the best songs on this CD are at least as good as the best ones anywhere in his catalog. Still, the lesser songs do subtract a bit from the overall quality and momentum of the disc. Even if they are good enough songs, they are less impressive in a way that makes them seem unsatisfying and disappointing. But this can fade with repeated listenings, and My Aim is True is a fine place to start or to continue appreciating one of the best singer-songwriters of the past three decades. (The bonus disc included with the Rhino re-issue is worth having not only for the alternate takes and live songs, but for the fascinating liner notes, penned by Elvis himself. All nine of the Ryko version bonus tracks are included, and the alternate versions of "No Action" and especially "Mystery Dance" - which is solo and all acoustic - are welcome additions. Live versions include those of "Less Than Zero" - with some interestingly different lyrics - and the David/Bacharach song "I Just Don't Know What to do With Myself". Several other tracks are presented in what are appropriately called "Honky Tonk demos," and showcase Elvis' lifelong enthrallment with country. Plus, lyrics to every song - bonus tracks too - are thrown in. So be sure to shell out the extra few bucks for the Rhino 2-disc set.)
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| 93. Within a Mile of Home | |
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Album Description | |
| 94. Spiderland | |
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