Album Description

Taken from the 2004 album 'American Idiot'. The title track is b/w one non-LP track 'Letterbomb' (Live). Reprise. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Best Punk Rock Song of the Year
'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' is the new punk rock anthem of America... there's no other way of putting it! The song is so catchy and deep. It's a song that anyone can relate to unless they're some rich @ss bast@rd with everything they want. This song had taken Green Day to a new level of rock music. They're now among the most memorable of bands. 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' is simply amazing because it's bringing rock music back... something America needs. Letterbomb is a great song too =)

|my shallow <3's the only thing that's beating|

Cant get enough of it....!
A must hear from Green Day! The music , the lyrics.. all so profound! quality on the same lines as "When I come around", "Good Riddance" etc etc.
Rightly put by darkangel, so much time mustav been put into this song.

jus look at these lyrics frm Boulevard man... and I see so much talent and emotions!!

################################################
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
################################################

An amazing song
When i first heard "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" i thought it was an AMAZING song. So much time must have been put into writing it, i just love it. It is so powerful and stuff, just amazing.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams ROCKS
Yeah, you hear this song everday on the radio, but still i cant get enough of it.The single is a great cd plus the added bonus of Letterbomb live.

We Hear It Enough On The Radio...
Tune your radio to any alternative, rock or hits station. What do you hear? This lame excuse for music. Green Day sucks now. My sister actually loves this band. They've become a bunch of talentless hacks after "Warning" was released. Why don't you save your money, turn on the radio, wait only a few minutes and wait for this gay song to pop up on the radio. You'll break the radio and want to kill Green Day in a matter of seconds. It happened to me when I listened to this lame excuse for music my sister played in the car. If you want punk that sounds like Green Day, but isn't overplayed get stuff from Allister, A New Found Glory (the old stuff), Fenix TX, Midtown, The Movielife and any other Drive-Thru records alumni. For better stuff, buy something from Less Than Jake, Rancid or NOFX. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Green Day's 2001 singles collection, International Superhits, was nice, but now these San Francisco East Bay punks are really spoiling us. Shenanigans sweeps up Green Day's assorted rarities, oddities, and B-sides into one surprisingly coherent package. The poppy "Suffocate" is just as good as anything that showed up on the previous compilation. "I Want to Be on TV" is unruly American pop punk at its best. And the smart surf-guitar instrumental "Espionage" will already be familiar to anyone who owns the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack. Meanwhile, the straight-faced cover of The Kinks' easy-listening favorite "Tired of Waiting" is truly something to behold. Sure, some of these tracks would have benefited from withering in obscurity forever--but the rest capture Green Day in fine style.--Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (68)

The best b-sides album ever
Pop-punk followers like Blink-182 may have eclipsed Green Day in the past few years, but the Bay Area trio's 2001 greatest hits collection, International Superhits, was an excellent reminder of how seductive this band can be when pumping out those Modern Rock radio gems. Shenanigans is the flip side of Superhits, collecting Green Day's b-sides and cover tunes into a compilation that jells. It kicks off smashingly, the boys cranking out "Suffocate", "Desensitized", and "You Lied" with all the energy and snottiness of their biggest hits. The covers of the Ramones ("Outsider") and the Kinks ("Tired of Waiting for You") are faithfully executed; but the next two ("Don't Wanna Fall in Love" and "Rotting") are uninspired filler; and the surf instrumental "Espionage," seems out of place amid the bubblegum punk and hardcore. That's not to say there isn't plenty of fist-pumping fun here, particularly for die hard fans; the fast and furious "I Want to be on TV" thrashes like the band's pre-Dookie performances on Berkeley's Gilman Street punk scene. "Sick of Me" and the previously unreleased "Ha Ha You're Dead" are both very solid anthems; "Ha Ha You're Dead" along with "Desensitized" are my two favorite tracks on this album. Even the shuffling "On the Wagon Again" is a surprising countryish charmer. This collection of odds and sods proves Green Day were every bit as passionate as their first generation punk heroes.

Ha Ha Green Day's not Dead (they're still awesome!)
If you really think about it, Green Day has been around for a long time. While other bands break up and so on, these guys still know how to put out great music. Some people have given them a hard time for sort of breaking away from their punk roots with the album, "Warning," but I still was able to see the punk side of them. Especially if you've ever seen them live. They have to be one of the best bands ever to see live.

"Schenanigans" is an outstanding album! It's not a CD of new songs, it's rare songs, B-Sides, cover songs, outtakes, and more. This CD takes me back to the "Dookie" era. There is nothing but punk on this album. There are some serious songs, but most of them are fast and upbeat.

I really enjoy every song on the album. My favorite songs are, "suffocate," "you lied," "don't wanna fall in love," "scumbag," "sick of me," "do da da," and "ha ha you're dead." (Especially "ha ha your dead." An excellent finale to the album.) The only downside to the album is that it is very short. Though it is true that this is how Green Day has always been, it would've been nice to have it just a couple minutes longer. But, that does not take away the greatness from this CD.

If you love Green Day, now or back then, "Schenanigans" is the CD for you. Great songs, great band, and just a great time.

P.S. If you haven't seen these guys live yet, you don't know what you're missing. They are AWESOME live! See them live and see if you can still convince yourself that these guys have no talent.

Hey WTF!! Where's J.A.R.??
I gave it 4 stars 'cos i couldnt understand how they could miss J.A.R. (it's a b-side, single or rarity, w/e) on this compilation.... :S
Other than that, this album has very nice songs, and it is worth listening to... I admit there are some songs that you "need" to "get used to" (what the heck, that happens to many green day's songs) but u'll end up loving it.

Coulda been 2 songs
This CD is a total load of junk, and not my type of music. If u take the CD and cut it down to Espionage and Ha Ha Ur Dead, I would be just fine. Green Day is not really my type, so I think they suck.

People Giving This 5 Stars Haven't Heard This Album
Okay, maybe the heading is a little rough, but I had to get your attention.
Now, I love Green Day. They have put togather more great records than many bands dream of, but "Shenanigans" is pretty bottom barrell. But thats really the case with all B-Sides comps, isn't it?
A few good tunes creep out and catch you off guard, like the lead off track "Suffocate" or the excellent Ramones cover "Outsider", but few of the songs here will scream at you and tell you to take "dookie" or "Warning" out of your C.D. player to lsiten to this one instead.
If you are a completist, then you should defintley get this because it has a cover you need in your disc wallet. But if your just getting into Green Day, go but "dookie", "Insomniac" and "Warning". At the same time. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

After the success of the dance hits "Fame" and "Young Americans" (both off 1975's Young Americans), Bowie seemed to step back, ponder the future of rock, and then turn up the guitars and the art-rock sensibilities and make a completely engaging and evocative album. From the epic title track (introducing the Thin White Duke character and building into an incendiary rocker) to the irresistible "Golden Years" (another dance hit) and on to the physically wrenching and funk-drenched "Stay," the soul of David Bowie is pretty much meshed into every track. The playful "TVC15" takes the listener on a bumpy ride into unholy tech-love, and the gorgeous "Wild is the Wind" and "Word on a Wing" have Bowie stepping out of his rocker persona and into sensual crooner mode. Strong from beginning to end. --Lorry Fleming ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of Bowie's finest efforts.
Released in 1976 on the eve of the punk explosion, Station To Station was a fairly risky release for David Bowie. This album marked a transition from the critically acclaimed glam rock of his previous material to the electronic Eno collaborations of the "Berlin Trilogy." Bowie at the time was a serious coke fiend (he can't even remember recording most of this album) and was clearly pressed for new material--there are only six songs on Station To Station, all of them extended to four minutes-plus. This album also introduced a hauntingly dark new persona to replace the glam Ziggy Stardust--the fascist addict Thin White Duke. All this baggage could have potentially added up to a disaster.

And yet, Station To Station ranks as one of Bowie's classics, up there with The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust, Low, and Scary Monsters. While there's not a lot of material to work with, what Bowie and his team of musicians (Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick on guitar, Roy Bittan on piano, Dennis Davis on drums, and George Murray on bass) do with it is consistently amazing. Bowie's voice sounds suprisingly soulful for all the drugs, belying the dark narrative.

The epic opener of the title track effectively establishes the mood of the album and the introduction of the Thin White Duke. The lurching opening suggests a heavily laden locomotive chugging away, and midway into the song the band blasts off into a funky, jubilant jam that goes until the ten-minute mark. A lot of fans call this their favorite Bowie cut, and I can understand why. Golden Years is the only commercial single, a catchy, funky tune with a fine vocal by Bowie. TVC15 and Stay are brilliant disco-funk jams that are wonderfully energetic and endlessly repeatable. The album is rounded up nicely with Word On A Wing and Wild Is The Wind, both fine ballads.

This is a great introduction to Bowie, because it bridges the gap between the more popular glam-rock material preceding it and the more challenging Kraftwerk-inspired trilogy that followed. Start here, then go either forward to Low, Heroes, and Scary Monsters or backward to Aladdin Sane, Hunky Dory, and the two Ziggy Stardust albums. Station To Station is not an album to be missed by anyone.

...it's not the side effects of the cocaine....
Earmarking a more experimental phase, Station to Station provides a more angular take on dance rhythms (most obvious on this album through the sublime funk bass of George Murray). Preference herein was for a more chilly alienated mood, percolated through Bowie's heavily stylised vocals and increased use of electronica.

Bowie adopts a new persona, the Thin White Duke. This cold New European, forever restless, introduces the whole album on the title song. Station to Station is about the strains of the three-day train journey from New York to Los Angeles - all condensed into ten minutes of music. It begins with the sound of a train moving from speaker to speaker and ends as an all-out rocker. "It's not the side effects of the cocaine - I'm thinking that it must be love", he tells us. Only the song's coldness and desperation prevents it from being as commercial as, say, Modern Love from his 1983 Let's Dance album.

The next song, Golden Years, was the album's only hit single. A melodic but restrained disco song with strong lyrics, it became the follow-up to to his US chart-topping song Fame. Legend has it that Bowie originally wrote the song for Elvis Presley, he reportedly rejected it.

Word On A Wing on the other hand, is a ballad about Bowie's restless searching - this time for God. Perhaps inspired by The Man Who Fell To Earth, refuge is found in the Lord and prayer. The song is literally heavenly with is choir-of-angels effect.

TVC 15, a bizarre, raunchy song inspired by a (supposedly drug-inspired) story Iggy Pop told Bowie - about how Iggy's girlfriend was swallowed by his TV set!

Stay is a smooth effort from the master. Running breathless on a funk groove, it continues on the "it's too late..." theme ("Stay . . . or do something..."). Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick get a chance to reveal their talent in the final (instrumental) two minutes of the song.

Wild Is The Wind is a cover of a song written for a 1957 western starring Anna Magnani. The romantic mood of the song seems to have inspired Bowie, his singing is brittle and vulnerable.

This cd is a must for any genuine music lover.

Brilliant album!
I've read that Bowie was so messed up on coke when this album was recorded he doesn't even remember it. Maybe his subconcious mind was writing these songs and recording them, if so, let's hear it for Bowie's subconscious mind!

I was thinking very carefully about WHY I love this album so much and consider it Bowie's best album, which is saying a lot because he's recorded some fantastic albums. I hate to endorse drug use, but maybe the coke had something to do with it. Would Bowie have come up with this album without the influence of coke? Would the Beatles have come up with "Sgt. Pepper" without the influence of acid? I would say highly unlikely on both counts.

Whatever the coke did to Bowie's brain at this time, I definitely find Bowie's musical statements compelling. Bowie's pre-"Station to Station" albums found him searching for the voice he achieved on "Station to Station."

All his albums have flashes of brilliance, but "Station to Station" finds that brilliance sustained throughout. Bowie sings better. That nasal "Anthony Newley" voice of yore is gone. There is a depth and resonance to his voice on "Station to Station." His vocal control is amazing. His finest recorded vocal of all time may be his track, "Wild is the Wind." Bowie writes better. Gone are the wordy, precious, pretentious lyrics he could so annoyingly write on his earlier albums. His words are sharp like razors. He keeps the words clean and concise, but with an edge of danger.

Like the Beatles did with "Sgt. Pepper," Bowies hits just the right balance of pop music and experimental music. His post-"S.T.S" albums with Eno would veer further into the experimental realm. But none of the Eno projects hit this brilliant balance of pop/experimental music which is achieved on "S.T.S."

The Thin White Duke is not Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dog, or the reincarnation of Lauren Bacall's 1940's youth. The Thin White Duke is more of a ghost than a persona. Where Bowie's pre-"S.T.S" albums were often clearly concept pieces centered around a clearly defined persona, "S.T.S" has no precise concept. The six songs on the album stand alone with no problem. There is no looming persona to tie them all together. The Thin White Duke is only mentioned in the title cut, and the Thin White Duke is essentially a spectre hovering around this album who may, or may not, drift into focus sporadically. The album works just as well if the Thin White Duke didn't exist at all.

Post-"S.T.S" albums in the seventies would find Bowie trying to make "experimental" albums while regaining his health, attempting to live a "normal" life in Berlin, becoming a good father to his son, and maintaining his dominant voice in modern rock while being assailed, or praised, by punk/new wave bands as both a "dinosaur" and a "icon."

"Station to Station" sounds just as vital and progressive today, twenty-eight years after its release, as it did when it was released in 1976. How many other albums released in that year can claim that credit.

Essential Bowie
Station to Station along with Young Americans are essential Bowie releases!

These two albums fuse jazz, funk and rock, leaving the listener clamoring for more.

And the vibe from Station to Station can't be topped!

The European Cannon is here...
The mid-1970's were a stressful time for David Bowie. His marriage to the obnoxious Angela Bowie was disintegrating, he had become a top-notch coke freak, and was convinced that practitioners of black magic were out to get him. He had laid his Ziggy Stardust persona to rest, in favor of a white-boy soul man character, which was not as well-received as he had hoped. While his "Young Americans" album was a bold step in a new direction, it did not receive the kind of adoration that Bowie had become accustomed to. Somehow, while fighting with dictatorial manager Tony Defries, sorcerers, and the homosexual image he had created for himself, David managed to come up with an absolutely brilliant album that retains the disco-funk of "Americans", but pushes it into a whole new direction. The persona that dominates this album is that of the Thin White Duke, an aristocratic European fellow who likes to cruise around in limos, binged out on cocaine, his head swimming in fascist paranoid fantasies (someone once told me that "Station To Station"-era Bowie was one of the people Pink Floyd based "The Wall" on. I cannot verify this but it seems plausible). So self-absorbed was David during this era that he actually made his band play behind a backdrop during concerts, so that he could be the one and only center of the audience's attention. One look at the photos inside the CD booklet (David, looking like a famished hairdresser in sore need of a dental hygienist, scribbling kabbalistic desings on an asylum floor) will clue the listener in to Bowie's frame of mind at the time. The songs themselves are the antithesis of the shallow yet groovy preceding album; the hooks are there, but not as contrived sounding. The title track starts off slow and menacing, then builds to a disco crescendo that could take the Bee Gees on anyday. "Stay" is fast and funky, "Word On A Wing" is very heartfelt and seeminly religious, "Golden Years" (the closest thing to a hit here) is a doo-woppy dance tune that Dave supposedly wrote about Angela (who was also the inspiration behind the Rolling Stones' "Angie"). "TVC 15" seems to be the favorite of most, dealing as it does with a carnivorous television. And finally, "Wild Is The Wind", while not written by Bowie, has to be one of his most heart-felt performances. This album was the transition into a more experimental phase of Bowie's career, and I strongly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Here are my full predictions for Volume 2...
OK... I hope yall like it! Ive put 7 songs before, and, this the full listing (duh):

1. Maroon 5- This Love
2. Usher- Confesssions Part 2 or Burn or Yeah
3. Brandy featuring Kanye West- Talk About Our Love
4. Avril Lavigne- Don't Tell Me or My Happy Ending
5. Fantasia Barrino- I Believe
6. Alicia Keys- If I Ain't Got You
7. Mario Winans featuring P. Diddy- I Don't Wanna Know
8. Kimberley Locke- 8th World Wonder
9. Terror Squad- Lean Back
10. Ying Yang Twins featuring Trick Daddy- What's Happenin!
11. Alanis Morsette- Everything
12. Kanye West- Jesus Walks
13. Mase- Welcome Back
14. Jet- Cold Heart Bitch
15. Outkast- Roses (Radio Edit)
16. Monica- U Should've Known Betta
17. Mellissa Ethridge- Breathe
18. Trapt- Echo
19. Calling- Our Lives
20. Maria Mena- You're The Only One

Oh, yes, Mase & Mario Winans are on Universal, but, they would fit better on here, cuz, theyre on bad boy too. I dont care if theyre bad boy artists and theyre not on arista, cuz, those songs would fit better on here than on any Now.

Worst Totally Hits compilation -- Mainstream Top 40 Chart
I am a devout follower of the Totally Hits series, and have all of them, but this one really disappointed me. Often I praise the Totally Hits compilations for outdoing in quality the Now CDs, but not this time around. Anyways, like always, I will be doing the peak positions on the Rick Dees Top 40 Mainstream chart.

1. Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet -- #16
2. Harder to Breathe -- Maroon 5 -- #4
3. You and I Both -- Jason Mraz -- #32
4. Milkshake -- Kelis -- #8
5. I'm Still In Love Wtih You -- Sean Paul and Sasha -- #17 (and rising)
6. Ying Yang Twins, Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys -- Salt Shaker -- #40
7. J-Kwon -- Tipsy -- #8
8. T.I. -- Rubberband Man -- hasn't charted
9. Alicia Keys -- You Don't Know My Name -- #29
10. Christina Aguilera -- The Voice Within -- #12
11. Ruben Studdard -- Sorry 2004 -- hasn't charted
12. Justin Timberlake -- I'm Loving It -- hasn't charted
13. Kelly Clarkson -- The Trouble With Love Is -- #23
14. Dido -- White Flag -- #17
15. Clay Aiken -- Invisible -- #16
16. Simple Plan -- Perfect -- #4
17. Michelle Branch -- Breathe -- #19
18. R. Kelly -- Step in the Name of Love (Remix) -- hasn't charted
19. Joe -- More and More -- hasn't charted
20. Missy Elliot -- Pass that Dutch -- hasn't charted

2004 hot hits
THIS IS THE ULTIMATE 2004 ALBUM AND IS DEFINITELY A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE INTO TODAYS GREATEST HITS.

This Cd Is The Bomb!!!-A must have for 2004!!!
If your a fan of the Now Cd's, but have never really considered Totally Hits, this is for you. I own this Cd, and love it! I also own and have a review for Now 15, and personally think this is way better! It has all the hit songs for this year, but it does have some downs, believe me. See my review below and make your own judgement. Definetly worth buying, and worth 5 stars!

1. Jet-Are You Gonna Be My Girl-9/10
2. Maroon 5-Harder To Breathe-8/10
3. Jason Mraz-You And I Both-6/10
4. Kelis-Milkshake-7/10
5. Sean Paul w/Sasha-I'm Still In Love
With You-4/10
6. Ying-Yang Twins w/ Lil' Jon & The
East Side Boyz-Salt Shaker-7/10
7. J-Kwon-Tipsy-8/10
8. T.I.-Rubberband Man-4/10
9. Alicia Keys-You Don't Know My Name-
6/10
10. Christina Aguilera-The Voice Within-
9/10
11. Ruben Studdard-Sorry 2004-6/10
12. Justin Timberlake-I'm Lovin' It-3/10
13. Kelly Clarkson-The Trouble With Love
Is-9/10
14. Dido-White Flag-10/10
15. Clay Aiken-Invisible-7/10
16. Simple Plan-Perfect-9/10
17. Michelle Branch-Breathe-8/10
18. R.Kelly-Step In The Name Of Love
[Remix]-6/10
19. Joe-More & More-5/10
20. Missy Elliot-Pass That Dutch-4/10

hilary duff
i think with the totally hits cds they should add the young artists like hilary duff and jojo they are singers to you know ... Read more

Album Description

Slightly Stoopid possesses a unique dynamic. They have the sort of musical kinship that is clearly the result of years spent growing up together in one of Southern California's premiere surf towns and the relentless pursuit of creating the quintessential soundtrack for the lifestyle that exists there. Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald are perfect musical counterparts, complementing each other in the realm of elctric and acoustic rock, reggae, dub, blues, hip-hop, punk and metal. Boasting dual front men, Slightly Stoopid yields a rare chemistry. Both are multi-instrumental, often switching effortlessly from bass to guitar in the middle of their shows, continuously balancing their vocal stylings and fresh harmonies and always converging into songs that are good enough to be respected by the very artists who inspire them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sick CD
This album is absolutely dope. Buy it. Good to get stoned to. ... Read more

Album Description

The Definitive Portrait Of A Rock 'N' Roll Genius!

Roky Erickson is one of the most influential cult artists of all time. His work with the ’60s Texas group The 13th Floor Elevators bridged garage rock and psychedelia, and cast a long shadow over the punk and post-punk movements. After a 1969 drug bust, the already mentally fragile Roky chose a stay in a mental institution instead of doing jail time, but was subjected to electroshock therapy and emerged in a highly unstable condition. He continued to write brilliant, chilling songs throughout the ’70s and ’80s, and the cult around him grew. In 1990 he was honored with an acclaimed tribute album, Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye, featuring R.E.M., ZZ Top, and Primal Scream. This led to a revival of his fortunes, which included new releases made in conjunction with Charlie Sexton and Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers.

The 2-CD set I Have Always Been Here Before: The Roky Erickson Anthology is the only release to cover his entire 40-year career, making it the definitive Roky Erickson collection. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The sound is amazing and Roky Erickson is GOD by the way...
This is a very beautiful anthology that is Assembled perfectly. It is One of the best retrospectives on any artists career and The songs are remastered beautifully.I want to thank the people at Shout factory, Roky is finally getting the respect he deserves.

Like I said, the songs are remastered beautifully. The music has never sounded so good! I wish the company that put out this anthology would remaster all the 13th Floor Elevator albums and Roky's solo albums.

grungy, yowling, classic -- this is rock and roll
I had long heard _of_ Roky Erickson, but hadn't _heard_ him until I saw on allmusic.com that this was out and, subsequently, sighted it in Tower Records and plunked down my money & took it home. It is the next day, I have NO REGRETS and I cannot look back ... for now I have really _heard_ Roky Erickson!

After buying this 2-CD set I peeled off the plastic and started listening to it on the subway ride home. The very first track, the extremely garage-y "We Sell Soul" took me by the ears and shook me out over the third rail. Listened to with one ear, it sounds like your typical gritty garage three-chorder ... but this weird undercurrent starts slithering into your _other_ ear (or is your third ear/eye?) and you realize this is something very different indeed. It has something _other_ in it and coming out of it ... the chords aren't quite typical, they don't resolve quite the way familiar blues-based rock does. It faces a wind coming from another direction and makes things unfamiliar and, yes, weird and scary. It drones.

... I am giving this an unequivocal 5 stars and I haven't even heard the 2nd disc, yet. I just can't help it.

I have read elsewhere that some people, having heard of the 13th Floor Elevators for years, were disappointed upon first listen. It's hard to imagine why, unless it's because they were only listening with the single unenlightened ear that reported back "well, this is just plain old garage music." What other band do you know that features an electric jug in addition to Roky's commanding-yet-desperate vocals? Open up _both_ ears!

If you love rock and roll and are deadly tired of the sludge waves of Britney, Whitney and other such tripe skirling around your sonic knees, I beg you to give this collection a listen. Here are the sounds of a man who has been through a grittier series of hells than most of us (we hope) will ever be able to imagine. He lived, and sings, and helps us make it through.

More Than Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye
What do you get when you mix Buddy Holly, Black Sabbath, Syd Barrett, & Robert Plant? Well, somewhere close to describing Roky Erickson. Best known as the frontman for the 13th Floor Elevators, it's easy to write Erickson off as another acid casualty. But where Syd Barrett mumbled in the corner about terrapins, Erikson's screaming his head off about Two Headed Dogs. If Screamin' Jay Hawkins was the Vincent Price of Rock & Roll, then at times, Erickson is the heir apparent. From the B-Horror film imagry to out & out Satanism, it's hard to gage whether it's all an act or the product of a seriously disturbed mind. But just because the guy's a little unhinged, that doesn't mean he's lost his sense of humor. Read the liner notes & get the whole sad story. None of that accounts for bittersweet ballads like, "Starry Eyes" or the biting wit of "Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play".

The 1st half of Disc 1 covers the best of his 13 Elevator days, including the Garage Rock classic, "You're Gonna Miss Me". Rarities like the gritty gem, "We Sell Soul" & the Dylanesque, "Right Track Now" only sweeten the deal. As for his post Elevators work, "Red Temple" & "Don't Shake Me Lucifer" rock as hard any AC/DC cut. The surreal reverie of "Been Here Before" certainly takes the edge off, despite Erickson's penchant for Satanic imagry. Disc II continues in this vein with the frightening "Bloody Hammer", & my personal favorite---"If You Have Ghosts". The scathing "Don't Slander Me" is another classic on par with "You're Gonna Miss Me". Yet, despite all the demons & the ghosts, Erickson's ballads betray another side. "Clear Night For Love" & "Nothing In Return" are as achingly tender as it gets. The likes of "True Love Cast Out All Evil" & "When You Get Delighted" are enough to make you think he found God.

Without a doubt one of Rock's great unsung cult artists, this long over due collection finally sheds some light on "where the pryamind meets the eye".

We should have elected Erickson president in 1968.
If you have any interest at all in Roky Erickson, I highly recommend this set.Some of these songs are so beautiful they'll stop you in your tracks.Get this thing and stick it in your CD machine; you won't be sorry. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Iggy's torturous, red-lined remix puts the claws, violence, and danger back in grooves first cut in '73 (and supposedly botched in David Bowie's far more tame--and somewhat more listenable--original mix).Result: Sublime Motor City mayhem. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (92)

RAW POWER lives UP to its name!! :)
I'm only beginning to really get into old-school punk. I just borrowed this CD from a friend, and I can't wait to buy it myself!! I just played it tonight, and I just HAD to share my thoughts in this forum.

First of all, RAW POWER really rocks. Imagine a faster, more more bare-bones version of the 1960's Rolling Stones (when they were really wild) turned up a couple of notches, and that only begins to describe Iggy & The Stooges circa 1973. I guess the only CD I know that sounds sort of similar to RAW POWER is the debut album by the New York Dolls, which is the only old-school punk CD I own...so far.

This CD immediately kicks into high gear with "Search And Destroy" which is a great anthem for those times that still holds up today. It's got great fast rhythm and lead guitar by James Williamson. Very raw indeed. :)

The second song, "Gimme Danger," starts out surprisingly soft with slow acoustic guitar strumming and gradually builds into a punk crescendo of very raw proportions, with some heavy feedback by Mr. Williamson. It kind of reminds me of the Stones' "Paint It Black."

Then we get back to full-steam-ahead with "Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell" (Originally titled "Hard To Beat"). If you listen carefully to the 3-chord guitar riff in this and other songs on this CD, you can hear the late 50's - early 60's influence present in the music. It's just transformed into wild stuff here. :)

"Penetration" features growling, sexual vocals by Iggy that are heavy on reverb. You can just hear how much of a sex machine he was back then! It's sure to put you in the mood for...something.

"Raw Power," as the title song, is a bonafide classic with some memorable lyrics. I like the way Iggy leers, "Raw Power is sure to come a-runnin' to you!" This song reminds me of the Stones' "Street Fighting Man"...played about twice as fast!

"I Need Somebody" has a slower, bluesy rhythm to it (believe it or not) but is undeniably early 70's punk. This song actually has a well-defined, and memorable chorus, as Iggy sings "I need somebody, baby...just like you." The rhythm section, provided by brothers Ron and Scott Asheton on bass guitar & drums respectively, keeps a good steady pace and provides the backbone of the song.

"Shake Appeal" is faster, catchy, and actually features handclaps! Talk about a TRUE punk first. :) It also features "Yowwwww!!!" screams by Iggy, that I know must have influenced David Lee Roth later on.

The final track, "Death Trip" is long (5:52, by far the longest song on this record), but fast and steady in it's guitar riff. It's also quite a wild track. Everyone gives his all here. Another memorable line from this song, repeated a couple of times, is "I with you, you with me, Baby, we're a-goin' down in-a history." That makes me think that Iggy knew exactly what he was doing at the time-- he knew that he and his band were going down in history as one of the seminal voices of punk, which almost nobody else was doing at the time, except for the New York Dolls. Hearing both of their early CDs now for the first time, it's pretty evident that they both set the example that would be followed later on by the great punk rock bands of my generation, namely the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Black Flag.

Now all I need to do is to return this CD to my friend, buy this CD myself, and then check out more of Iggy's long, tortured career. I can't wait to share the pain right along with him! :)

Give 'em Hell, Iggy
This album's title is an accurate description of what you find inside. It is the third Stooges album, but does not fully represent a continuation. Members of the band had gone their own ways, but Iggy had a new guitar partner in James Williamson and after deciding to give it another try re-roped the Asheton Brothers. This time Ron was primarily on bass or second fiddle to Williamson, whose rough guitar dominates the music. Still, Raw Power can be seen to represent somewhat of an advance over Fun House, as that album did over the Stooges' debut. The rhythm guitar worksmanship is better, the sound more balanced musically. I also like Williamson's blistering outpourings of heavy metal soloing more than Ron Asheton's previous stuff, which was limited in scope. As to the best songs, I think it's interesting to hear vibraphones in a Stooges song ("Penetration"), but my choices are those most-intense and faster blasters, "Search and Destroy" and "Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell," which I believe are also the musically strongest (and boy, does Iggy sound evil).

MC5 meets Velvet Underground plus Iggy Pop
This album will rock your socks off. Every song is catchy in its own way. Iggy Pop's best written-songs. Great punk rock wailing guitar, solid rhythm sections, interesting arrangements. Loud and fast, and slow and moody. Good-time Reckless abandon, destitute street rock... RAW POWER! Outrocks the "funhouse" album.

Favorite album
This album made me an Iggy Pop fanatic. I bought this album because I bought and enjoyed the Stooges first album. That first album though in no way prepared me for how much I'd enjoy this album. The way this album gets my blood racing, the catchy guitar licks, the sick visceral voice and lyrics...this album is STILL ahead of it's time even today. I think groups of today are not only trying to recreate this sound, they're struggling to KEEP UP WITH IT. Highly recommended.

iggy & the stooges : raw power (1973)
The stooges were a band who invented punk. I think they were the first band to play punk, and they influenced the ramones, and other punks. Although the ramones are much different. Now let's talk about the album ...

This is the stooges' third and last album, and it came out in 1973. This is a very noisy album, in my opinion, but it's pretty good. I feel James Williamson is a underrated guitarist, and he blew me away. Iggy Pop kinda shouts and screams much more than in his solo albums. Which isn't surprising, because when he began the whole idiot and lust for life scene, his vocals changed, because I think Bowie influenced him.

I think the sound quality is pretty bad, but here are some songs which are classics like search and destroy, your pretty face is going to hell, and gimme danger. Which I think are the best songs in here. And honestly I think this is one of the best punk albums of all time.

This is my only stooges album, and I think this is all I need. I might buy iggy pop's nude and rude compilation. Anyway I recommend this album and I hope you'll enjoy it.

And please vote on reviews based on the information, not whether you agree or disagree. Thanks. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A great singles band that often got a little unraveled on its album-only epics, the Doors are predictably remembered as Deeper Artists than some of their (especially Jim Morrison's) pretensions merit. But those 45s really were great. They dominate this disc, with "Light My Fire" (the album version) and "Hello I Love You" banging by to complement the moodier "Riders on the Storm" (also at LP length) and a live "Roadhouse Blues" rescued from An American Prayer. Predictably, the record closes with a few other non-AM tracks, including "The End." But most of the real meat is in the stuff that made it to the jukeboxes. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (47)

All You Need (Or At Least All I Need) From The Doors
This is an excellent collection of Doors songs, and I don't believe it's missing anything crucial. I am not a "die-hard" Doors fan, and for anyone else who isn't, but still really enjoys their music, I definitely highly recommend this. From the very calm, low key "Riders on the Storm" to the upbeat blues-style "Love Me Two Times" to the fast, harsh "Break On Through" to their most famous classic, "Light My Fire", this CD has a great variation of Doors songs. I also was introduced to some of their songs I had never heard before that I now enjoy a lot such as "Love Her Madly". "People Are Strange" is also one of the top songs on there. To put it simply, my Doors collection is complete with this CD.

The title sums it up....
This collection features some of The Doors most successful tunes, not their best. Even The Best of The Doors 2-CD set is lacking. The only collection that would truly contain the best of The Doors would feature all six of their studio albums as well as the In Concert double CD.

The songs on this Greatest Hits collection are great, but this CD is not for true Doors fans. Only those who just want the popular, radio-friendly Doors tunes need bother. If you want the true 'best' of the Doors, buy their albums.

Does justice for the most part
My favorite tracks are Riders of the Storm, People are Strange and Light my Fire. It's only 12 songs, however, which is kinda suspect. You'd think for such a famous band, there would be more. The design on the cd is awesome, by the way. It's sad that Jim Morrison had to die 12 years before I was born. There aren't many interesting people out there like he was.

Fabulous!!!!!!!
The Doors are the absolute greatest rock band ever. One thing that drawn me to The Doors was drummer John Densmore and organist Ray Manzerik's passion for jazz, as I was a jazz fan. I found this cd in my sisters cd collection. Her friends were getting in to The Doors, and people at school were talking about them. So The Doors aren't completely forgoten them, kids round age 14 and 15 like them. Well, they're great! The Doors are fun and great! their songs are well written and have good hooks. The Doors aren't known as a "jazz" group. Heck, they didn't even play jazz, but they took the basic elements of it, like improvisation and rock and rolled it. Ray and Robby take solos like they were in a quartet headed by Miles Davis or John Coltrane. This cd has great tracks. It's a great sampler, but in order to get the full Doors majic, you'd have to buy every single studio album! This cd is great!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing CD
I love this CD. It's missing a few Doors fundamentals like "Waiting for the Sun," but a great compilation nonetheless. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This Swedish garage-punk band that faced off against the Vines on the MTV Video Music Awards in 2002 after the release of is breakthrough Veni Vidi Vicious album still sounds like it's in battle mode on Tyrannosaurus Hives. Violent songs such as "Walk Idiot Walk" and "Abra Cadaver" jerk forward in a noisy collision of surf guitars, frantic rhythms, and front man Howlin' Pelle Almquist's preposterous barks. He's part ringleader, part instigator, and the main ingredient that keeps the Hives' Nuggets-inspired retro rock from sounding as dated as its influences. Despite a few light electronic touches, the band sticks largely to formula throughout this album but by keeping the focus on its biggest assets--simplicity and volume--it comes out triumphant nonetheless. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Our records have the bitterness of life in them," quoth Dee Dee Ramone, and Rocket to Russia brought the pain. Despite carrying on the celebratory tone of the Ramones' debut and Leave Home in the likes of "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker," "Cretin Hop," a tribute to dirty "Rockaway Beach," and covers of the Trashmen and "Do You Wanna Dance?" their third LP displays a dark humor that's less jokey than the previous releases' goofs on bad mental health and dysfunctional relationships. The group's best-produced of its first three releases, Rocket achieves an almost smooth texture thanks to a clean mix and increased use of Beach Boys-inspired vocal harmonies. Still, the joyous grind of Johnny's guitar is front and center for much of this enduring album. Rhino's refurbished version offers five bonus tracks, including a rough early version of "It's a Long Way Back to Germany" and a demo, "Slug," which imagines (?) a world crawling with insects. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Let's Dance with the Ramones
The best thing I can say about this record is that it is so eminently danceable, beginning with "Cretin Hop." This album is chock full of good, fun, songs, that hailed from a time when punk was still tongue-in-cheek enough not to take itself seriously as some kind of "social movement."

"Rockaway Beach" brings back memories of much of my childhood spent there. It's the ultimate surfer song spoof, not about California, but the filthy beaches along the outer borough of Queens, on the rotting boardwalks...stepping on pop tabs in the sand, and swimming in diluted sewage.

"I Don't Care" is Joey's hepcat to British Invasion rock as he affects a limey cockney whine. "We're a Happy Family" is reality radio a quarter century before the farce of "reality TV." Sort of a harbinger to the Bundys.

"Teenage Lobotomy" is also prescient, predicting almost word-for-word personages such as 'n'Sync and Backstreet Boys and their nubile, airheaded, fans.

However, the gem of this one is the bonus tracks "Needles and Pins" (a nice salute to the now late Sonny Bono, who wrote it, and who never knew what a great song he wrote until the Ramones put it down on wax) and the stripped down demo for "I Don't Care."

This is my second favorite, right behind "Road to Ruin," but about 10 of their albums can easily make that cut.

Joey and Dee Dee, your hard work and dedication to rock and having a good time have not been in vain.

The best album of all time
Rocket to Russia is my favorite album ever,I just can't live
trough a day without Cretin Hop or We're a Happy Family.RTR shows
Ramones at their best.Everything's here:Johnny s beautiful,comma-
nding,hard,but still melodic guitar,Joey s amazing voice,full of
emotions,Tommy's non-stop loud beating,and,of course,DeeDee's
simple,but enjoyable bass lines,and his lyrics(okay,it says songs
are written by the Ramones,but,since DeeDee was the main lyric
writer and composer in the band,I think the praise should go to him).Song are classic Ramones style:you have Joey's great poppy
oriented love songs and ballads(Her Today,Gone Tommorrow,Locket Love),and DeeDee's punk classics(We're a Happy Family,Teenage Lobotomy,Cretin Hop...)There is nothing more to say.This is the
third of Ramones first five albums,...

best ramones cd
from start to finish..this album is truly the best

Five stars for the songs, minus two for the new package
Why, oh, why? Simply put: if you're new to the Ramones and didn't have this album before, by all means, pick this up. If you're like me, and you've owned the vinyl or tape for decades, pass on this. I have to agree with reviewer "9pretzel", this remastered/expanded set isn't worth your money. These songs are undeniably among the best to come from the 70s punk scene because they were stripped down. It's what the Ramones were pretty much about! What marketing assistant thought it a good idea to expand on the masters of minimalism? It reeks of packaging and profit. Do yourself a favor, find a second- or third-hand music store and buy a used copy of the album.

Joey and Dee Dee, Rest In Punk.

Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity --
All Together In One Place!

Is this the best Ramones record? It's not really a question that makes sense: although they didn't live to 200 or make a record every year, like many of their rough contemporaries they paid enough attention to the word from Mose to give their output more sameness than it need have. This is the least sincere one, though, and that's saying something since it's the one that usually gets invoked as blueprint for experiments in Nice-Price soddenness (and this cultural current shows little sign of decreasing, whether less or more people now know how to "pray yow"). Is this a must-have? No, although cuts from it help *Ramones Mania* put a breach in the "hull" of "completists" and the artwork helps demonstrate the possibility that Legs McNeil et al. really were good for something. But it's a "sequin" you can stand to have around, whether you it need it or not. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

nice album
Wiretap Scars was amazing, and I was wary of the followup. Fortunately, Sparta knows what they're doing, focuses on developing their former sound instead of trying too hard to reinvent themselves for the new ablum, and the result is solid.

There's not much change musically, just variety, although on a whole the ablum is a lot less gloomy. So far, none of the tracks are as memorable as "Glasshouse Tarot," "Air," or "Cut Your Ribbon," but on the other hand it's also not one of those mediocre albums where every song blends together.

This album is definitely satsifying and definitely one of the best I've heard all year.

Great CD
To me it has more of the ATD sound than Wiretap Scars, which is an excellent CD.

Put it in your car, play it, and on the about the 3rd time through, you'll be giving it 5 stars as well.

Very solid follow-up to Wiretap Scars
I think Sparta have finally carved their niche with this album and proved that they can do amazing things post At The Drive-In. Amazing songs pretty much throughout, especially with "While Oceana Sleeps", Breaking The Broken", "Travel By Bloodline". The closer to the album "Splinters" is absolutely amazing. All in all I think a very strong follow-up album to Wiretap Scars. The only reason I'm giving it 4/5 is because I think the production and mixing is a little below what Jerry Finn can do. But again this is simply my opinion and I do realize that they were probably going for a "rawer" sound that the last album.

Sophistication rears its head
After a good, solid, restrained debut and a sort of fuzzy EP (which came earlier, and was re-worked for said debut album), Sparta has returned with a more cohesive sort of album, as opposed to what I choose to term a "collection of songs."
This is not to say there is a thing wrong with "collection of songs" albums, but they aren't as interesting as a WHOLE work (better take in as the parts that make up the whole).
But that's the last album.
Porcelain has increased instrumentation, with a few short instrumental tracks interspersed between songs that are as strong as ever otherwise. I must stress that these tracks are added TASTEFULLY; it does not feel as if it came across as "Hey, let's do some instrumental stuff for 'artistic' credibility." They are appropriate, and "Syncope" is, for certain, beautiful. The lead-off song (heard on their website), "Breaking the Broken," oddly does not feel as if it should be the stand-alone light to guide the unfamiliar toward the album. I would have chosen "La Cerca" for its strong, and quite catchy, chorus.
Still. Quibbles on marketing decisions aren't terribly relevant to the album's quality, are they?
The title is an appropriate one (though I fear the prejudicial cynics may find it appropriate for wholly immature reasons) in that the sounds of the record (including an interesting sort of harmonic sound to "While Oceana Sleeps" and some very, very subdued strings) are very smooth and calm, and very...well, "swirling" is the word that comes to mind. The rhythm section is tight as usual, especially Tony's drumming, but the songs swirl nonetheless, even if it is very restrained and planned swirling. Reminiscent (very faintly) of the sort of atmosphere of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless in a way.

By far the biggest surprise from a band known for tight and 'simple' rock (in the sense of containing distinct choruses much of the time) is the nearly 9 minute "From Now to Never."

It's not a repetition of the same idea for 9 minutes by any stretch, as it mutates into various different ideas, including some fairly instrumental stretches, with mere whisps of Jim's vocals in the background. The mutations are very natural and flow well though, and so it works very well for a group from which nothing of the like has previously been heard.

Highly reccommended.

Rock music for the easily shattered.
Sparta is a band with a lot to live up to. Formed from the ashes of At the Drive-In, considered in its time to be the Next Big Thing, Sparta has competition from the two former bandmembers who didn't join them. Those two band members formed The Mars Volta, a band that pushes the envelope much farther than even ATDI ever did. So what has Sparta done? They have made progressively more pop-minded rock, first in their debut album Wiretap Scars and now in this latest release. In other words, they've gone in the complete opposite direction of their former mates in The Mars Volta.

This was a good move for them, because they could not possibly compete in the creativity department. What they have done better, though, is to create emotionally satisfying pop rock that has more potential for mainstream crossover appeal. For the emo kid fans of ATDI, this will be the band for them. Those who appreciated the experimental side of the band more will be disappointed, but may still find something to like here.

Porcelain is a competant album and an enjoyable listen taken on its own merits. If Sparta didn't have so much to live up to, they would probably get a lot more praise for it than they are likely to. When you've come from a band as revolutionary as ATDI, though, competant just isn't good enough. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Roxy Music appeared to have beamed in from another planet when they appeared in the early '70s. Impossibly alien and exotic, they bucked trends by being kitschy, avant-garde, and unashamedly pop. Bryan Ferry was the sensual frontman, Brian Eno threw his deconstructionist spanner into the works, and they played songs that sounded like demented, sexy logarithms. After Eno left in 1973, frustrated that Ferry was marginalizing his input, Roxy became a different beast entirely, developing a suave, sophisticated pop-soul sound and abandoning the art-rock niche to enlist a wider audience. This lush compilation, released to accompany their reunion tour (minus Eno), captures both sides of Roxy and, true to the subversive spirit that informed their early years, does so in reverse order. This anti-chronology means they open with the languid, supper-club croon of 1980s hits "Avalon" and "More Than This," plus the beauteous cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy," then peel back the years through midperiod gems such as "Dance Away" and "Love Is the Drug," before closing with the hyperventilating, superbly twisted bubblegum of "Pyjamarama" and "Virginia Plain." The sequencing may be bonkers, but this is an essential souvenir of a band in a million. --Ian Gittins ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Glaring omissions
This is a nice enough collection, but I always wonder who decides which tracks to include (and exclude) for this sort of compilation and what they could possibly be thinking. Yes, Roxy Music probably needs/deserves a two-disc set to adequately document their major stylistic shifts, but a truly excellent single CD collection IS possible. This just isn't it.
The most glaring omissions, I think for many fans, would be as follows: 1. The slight but sublime "Take a Chance with Me" from Avalon. For many of us early 30 somethings, this was the breakthrough single, our introduction to this amazing band.
2. WORST OVERSIGHT -- Flesh + Blood's gorgeous masterpiece, "My Only Love." This song majorly foreshadowed Avalon as well as some of Ferry's later solo material. I couldn't believe it wasn't included here.
3. "Still Falls the Rain" from Manifesto, another strange precursor to later work and all-around great song.
4. Two biggies, from the older stuff -- "A Song for Europe" and "Editions of You." Total classics! I guess the only "Best of" Roxy that will meet my criteria is the one I burn myself...

Just came from THE concert!
This is a wonderful album, and has been released to celebrate Roxy Musics current world tour;the first time they've been togethr for 13 years. This is a Roxy Music tour and album, NOT a Bryan Ferry tour and album, and as a consequence, it is only right and proper than Ferry's solo stuff should not be included. I am British and have been a fan since my teens, particularly of Ferry. I was SO impressed that at the concert in San Fransisco they did not do any of his solo stuff; and, he either left the stage, or quietly moved to the back so that the other members of the band took the spotlight. He is, and AlWAYS has been the consummate gentleman. This album is full of all the songs that made us love them. I am only sorry that Brian Eno got his feather boa in a knot and left them when he did. The songs after him were equally as good, if not better in some cases, but he could have brought a little something extra. This is yet another compilation album, but it is significant because of it's timing. Congratulations to Virgin for releasing this album in celebration of this fabulous reunion!

Great stuff from a different kinda band ...
First discovered Roxy via the opening sequences of Times Square the movie (remember?) with Same Old Scene. Became more familiar as years passed. Now I love every song on this album. Both Ends Burning is the tops! Great music from a great band ... need more be said? :)

THE BEST BAND EVER
IF YOU ENJOY GOOD MUSIC, YOU'VE TO OWN THIS CD.

An intriguing & successful retrospective...
Compiling a one CD "Best of Roxy Music" is a tough task. Why?... well, not only did the group re-invent itself in personnel & style on at least three occasions during its 10 year life but, the strength of its most effective albums (in particular "For Your Pleasure", "Country Life", "Flesh + Blood" and "Avalon") lies in their cohesion, making the selection of individual tracks out of context extremely difficult. So... better to forget any pretensions to a "Best of..." title and to consider this compilation for what it actually is: an intriguing and successful retrospective.

Intriguing because it's sequenced "back to front", starting off with the "radio friendly", beautifully crafted tracks produced at the end of their career and then progressing backwards (in time at least!) to the distinctly less "easy listening" and far more radical outings from the beginning of their career. Compare this album's first track ("Avalon", from their last studio recording) to its last track ("Re-Make/Re-Model", from their first record) to witness the scale of the change involved. Successful, because it gradually takes the listener from the familiar to the "strange" and, in so doing, pretty effectively maps out the group's career while providing, on the way, an excellent "sampler" of what's to be found on their individual albums. A job well done but, "The Best of...": unlikely/impossible! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though possessing a heavy-duty indie history featuring such luminaries as the Pixies,Mission of Burma, and Throwing Muses, Boston is also famed for its booze-sodden Irish exile rock. And the Dropkick Murphys--clearly influenced by the Pogues at their most uproarious--are the cream of the present crop. Yet this is not simple jigging traditionalism. Despite employing bagpipes, mandolins, and tin whistles to add Celtic flavor to their sound, these guys are full-blown punks, harking back to the immediate post-Pistols era of the Angelic Upstarts. The riffs here are fast, heavy, and purposefully uncomplicated. The vocals are an impassioned gabble, usually building to terrace chants, while the lyrics are consumed by the plight of the working class in modern-day America and the need to keep a tight grip on Irish history. The Pogues' Shane MacGowan contributes a garbled but charismatic rap on the racy "Good Rats." The Murphys are also capable of heartfelt acoustic numbers, as evinced by the melancholic and impressively melodic "The Torch." --Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Great Stuff!
I just listened to this album in it's entirety for probably close to the twentieth time just a few minutes ago,and decided that it's high time that I write a review for it-so here I am! The Dropkick Murphys are not the first band to mix traditional Irish music with punk,but in my oppinion,they are the most talented. The way I see it,The Pogues started it,but the Murphs perfected it. Although I,along with many other DKM fans,am from a working-class Boston neighborhood,and part Irish,make no mistakes about it-you DO NOT have to be Irish or from Boston to be a Murphys fan! They play around the world,to people of all ethncities and walks of life. They actually have a very strong fanbase in Japan,and a very strong anti-racism message. But to give details on this paticular album...from open to close it's simply great,and very creative. Not many punk bands do accoustic ballads,but there are not one,but two on this album ("Forever" and "The Torch")! Some songs are straight-up punk,others blend Irish/Celtic sounds into the mix. Songs such as "The Fortunes of War",and the two previously mentioned accoustic songs are very serious in subject matter,while "Good Rats" (featuring Shane MacGowan of The Pogues) and "The Spicy McHaggis Jig" are very fun and show the band's humorous side. Speaking of Spicy McHaggis-that dude is one hell of a piper! I can't believe how much lung power he has,especialy considering his reputation as a chain smoker! I highly reccomend "Sing Loud,Sing Proud" to anyone,even if you're not a punk fan. I myself,for the most part,am a metal kid. While I like punk,the only other punk band that I consider myself a huge fan of is The Misfits. My advice to anyone who may happen to read this is to at least give it a try. My guess is that you'll love it as much as I do. -Peace-

Grab A Guiness And Join In
Ah, The Dropkick Murphys... the band that seemlessly combines punk rock with bagpipes is back, and has an album that could easily be called "One of the year's best", literally. If you listen, the Irish influence is easily apparent in several songs, like The Rocky Road To Dublin and the finale, the hilarious Spicy McHaggis Jig, though the whole song is probably an inside joke to the band. Either way, it's still funny, and a great closer to the album.

The album is called Sing Loud, Sing Proud!, and that's exactly right. This is one that you'll want to sing along to. Especially, songs like Wild Rover and Good Rats are ones that are great for those late night bar games. The new singer Al Barr does a great job, and the band's new additions don't seem to subtract from anything that DKM has done previously. It has everything - catchy tunes and great lyrics (The Rocky Road To Dublin, Heroes Of Our Past, and The Gauntlet being the best tracks on the album). The year's half over and this is easily one of the best albums to date.

Bagpipes rule
This cd is awsome, if you like hard rock with bagpipes, this is the band for you. I have been listening to Dropkick Murphys for about two years, it has not left cd rotation.
Exellent cd, track 16 is one of the greatest(spicy).
I strongly advise buy blackout too. Two of the best cds I have ever got. The Bagpipes rule.

my interest in the Dropkicks ended here
i enjoyed this band a lot more when their punk to irish folk ratio was 80-20. it seems like with this release, they flipped that ratio to 20-80. i agree with some of the other naysayers that the whole "irish" image has gone too far and is just a cheap gimmick now. their working-class pride has been stated ad nauseum too, just like many working-class punk/h.c. bands (agnostic front, madball, blood for blood, etc.), which is kind of amusing since at least half of their audience, if not more, would be considered middle or upper-class. i'll stick with the 1st two LPs...

Best Boston has to offer
Great disk, every song is great. All of the other reviews are right on. Buy this CD and you wont be sorry. I mainly wrote this to correct one of the previous reviews. For Boston is the Boston College fight song, not Boston University fight song. As a BC grad I had to correct that since BU is the enemy and isn't deserving of such a great song. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Loneliness, boredom, and random observations have been at the heart of Modest Mouse's skewered musical universe through all their releases. The Issaquah, Washington-born trio has also been able to spin very-long-playing albums that catered to the group's core obsessions, with both its full-length Up Records releases--This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About and The Lonesome Crowded West clocking in at more than 70 minutes in length. So it's refreshing to hear this supremely odd rock band at its most economical. Building Nothing Out of Something catches singles, compilation tunes, and more--none of which were ever intended to be sequenced as an album. As a narrative whole, the singles take on a visionary quality, discerning worldly, bent revelations in the everyday world. The swervy vocals that Isaac Brock has made his trademark sound as languidly distressed as ever, stricken by marvel and ghastly awakenings in equal measures. The music serves Brock well, sounding wobbly and sturdy at once, as if it barely teeters on chaos's brink at a variety of mostly midtempo paces. "Never Ending Math Equation," "A Life of Arctic Sounds," and "Other People's Lives" play the most stoutly, with the tonally clean guitars breaking across all the angular phrasings and rhythms Modest Mouse thrive on while Brock's voice goes from warpy drollery to exasperated wail in the face of his task as a singer and writer. --Andrew Bartlett ... Read more

Reviews (38)

BEST MODEST MOUSE CD!
THis was the first modest mouse CD i ever bought. I bought it straight off of recommendation and at first i didn't like it enough to play it more than 2x in my CD player, (except baby blue sedan, which was the only song that even somewhat caught my attention) Later i heard Lonesome Crowded West and loved it, got it, and the other modestmouse CDs, and then i listened to this one again and it still seemed hard to get into...then something happened and every single song became a masterpiece. I couldn't stop playing this CD and after just seeing them live i was really happy they played lots of songs from this album, it's great. buy.

The 'Mouse return and have built something special!
Yes, it's a compilation of 7-inch singles (plus one vinyl-only track), but it holds together just as the greatest albums do. The reason? The music (which any fan of American indie-rock, Built To Spill, or the Pixies should already be familiar with) is fully-focused, ethereal, and beautiful, ever ready to be purposely spoilt by an injection of twangy guitar noise, or Isaac Brock's warm, throaty (occasionally abrasive) rasp. The range is also terrific, as the band sound delightfully jumpy on "Never Ending Math Equation", but gorgeously insightful and melancholy on "Positive Negative". There is also some of their most hummable stuff here. "Broke"'s swirling, stoned-into-logic refrain haunts long after the disc stops, as does "Workin' On Leavin The Livin", while "Baby Blue Sedan" is possibly the most tearjerking song they've ever done. A fantastic album that shows off a truly special band, who are themselves one of the best American indie-rock bands since the Pixies or, dare I say it, Nirvana.

My only 5 star album by modest mouse.
My introduction to modest mouse was the deliciously strange EP, "Everywhere and his Nasty Parlour tricks" which I took a while to warm up to. I can't help but thinking that if "Building Nothing out of Something" had been my introduction to Modest Mouse I would have caught on to the true depth of their musicianship much quicker. Every Modest Mouse release, especially the new one, gets High marks in my book, but this is the one that I never get sick of and never skip a track on. If you like unique music, buy this album. If you just heard "Float On" and you're curious about what Modest Mouse has to offer, buy this album. It's definately a worth while purchase.

These are B-Sides???
This is another amazing album from modest mouse. It's a collection of B-sides and rare tracks but you wouldnt know that because the quality of these songs is breath taking. Just listen to "A Life of Arctic Sounds" and "Never-ending Math Equation" these are some of Modest Mouse's best songs.

Wonderful!
This is my favorite Modest Mouse cd, mostly because it deals with a lot of personal views or problems or any of the likes. The introduction is great, fast and witty, and I enjoyed the cd from then on. Baby Blue Sedan is a very pretty song and you'll want to listen to it for days. Whenever you breathe.. is perfect, and I very much so recommend this cd whether as a collectible or a starter. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This Album Crushed My Mind
This is the album that put BlindSide on the map. At this point you either loved thenm to death or you hated their guts. No band goes from alternatve rock to hard core metal but this band managed to somehow pull it off and with style. From the crazy opening of the now classic "King of the Closet" to the beautifully structured epic "Nothing but Skin" this album mixed all the harmonic elements of their first album with a new sound that caught everyone by surprise. It's light years better than "Silence" and matched only by the sonic velocity of "About a Burning Fire". The bonus tracks are a real treat and the bonus cover art makes this one really worth getting. If you own the first release of this record(and its probably worn out by now) than you owe it to yourself to get this version.

Since this record BlindSide have moved on from the hardcore scene but you can still see the remnants of it in their new songs.

Great way to witness the evolution of a powerful metal band
The Good
The best part about having both of the Blindside re-issues is that you get to hear how they evolved and defined their sound. On their self-titled debut, Blindside struggle with finding their sound. You can hear that they become torn between sounding sort of like Clutch or sort of like Shadows Fall. "Invert" comes barreling at you like a 16 wheeler out of control on a steep hill (long way to go for a simile), with its monster riffs and manic vocal delivery. It's almost like Blindside is messing with you on "Born". The track takes a completely different direction with more subdued vocals and minimal distortion. The track is defined by a simple guitar lick.

It's back to releasing the fury on "Empty Box". This time theirs a soulful bass line matched by heavy breakdowns. A meaty chugga-chugga riff runs rampant on "This Shoulder". The vocals are melodic yet still edgy. "Teddy Bear" has a clean arpeggio lick and somber drum rhythm. By the time the chorus kicks in, the riffs become thunderous and driving. It's nice to be able to compare the four demo bonus tracks to their final product.

On A Thought Crushed My Mind, Blindside have settled on what they want to sound like (more like Shadows Fall). It's also apparent that they had a bigger production budget when this was originally released. "Vow of Silence" is everything but silent. It's pure assault of heavy distortion and fur