Amazon.com

Having spent the early '80s in a giddy expansion of the sound and scale of their studio recordings and concerts, Talking Heads come full circle with this 1985 album, retracting to the core quartet and restoring a focus on David Byrne's knotty songs. Arriving in the wake of the fevered rhythms of Speaking in Tongues and Stop Making Sense, Little Creatures's new material sounds freshly lyrical, remarkably concise, even subdued, but there's the usual whimsy--the levitating heroine of the jangling, punchy opener, "And She Was," the cracked child-rearing advice of "Stay Up Late," and the galloping, anthemic reminder that we're on the "Road to Nowhere." --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (22)

talking heads deliver their first average album
Talking Heads' Little Creatures is the biggest disappointment in their entire catalog. While the album certainly appeals to newcomers due to the many hits ("And she was", "Road to Nowhere", "Stay up late"), a better first pick would be Remain in Light, or even Speaking in Tongues. Little Creatures doesn't hold a candle to these earlier masterpieces. The Heads' writing on this album sounds formulated, and lacks the appeal of most of their other albums. The artsy, intense punk of the first three albums is gone, and the organic funk of the following albums is missing as well. What replaces the appeal, however, is good musicianship. The Heads' ability has improved greatly on this album, especially on tracks like "Give me back my name" and "Perfect World". But the album is not a success because of mundane songs such as "Creatures of Love" and "Walk it down", on which precision is important, but the feeling is gone. Early Heads tunes such as "No Compassion" and "I'm not in love" succeed because of the feeling and general intensity. The songs on Little Creatures sound lackadaisical and forced. Except for "Road to Nowhere", which is available on the Talking Heads Popular Favorites compilation, this album has little to recommend it.

Riffs, Grooves and Rug Rats
To date (1985), Little Creatures is Talking Heads worst Post-Punk/New Wave album, and their best Pop album. I guess they decided to stop speaking in tongues, and start speaking in, gosh, "melody." For the first time, I can actually sing along to songs like 'Little Creatures' and 'Road To Nowhere.' The material is catchy (Television Man), bouncing (Perfect World), and funny (Stay Up Late). Surprisingly, the vocal choruses are "pretty" (And She Was, Creatures Of Love). The old "ever present" driving bass guitar rhythms are still here, and unless David Byrne hired a ringer, Tina Weymouth has never sounded more innovative (Give Me Back My Name, The Lady Doesn't Mind). 'Give Me Back My Name' and 'The Lady Don't Mind' are weird and spooky enough to remind me that I'm still listening to the Talking Heads, and not Hanson. And isn't the concept of 'Little Creatures' (no, not spiders, but "kids") bizarre? The album answers the terrifying question, "What would happen if I let David Byrne babysit my 3-year old?" The answer - "I wanna make him stay up all night" (Stay Up Late). Talking Heads followers might say that the avant garde of riffs and grooves have "sold out." Bologna - what could be more subversive than playing with rug rats?

pop TH is tasty
I can't imagine why other TH fans don't love this album as much as I do. From the cover by Rev. Howard Finster to the classic "Walk It Down," the "Little Creatures" album is everything it should be. Irony lives.

"Casual" music lover?
I want to defend this album. In contrast to many of the other reviewers, I beleive that this album marked a positive turning point. I don't dance, so I don't like dance music. I'm not an artist, so I really don't appreciate "quirky" and avant garde. I guess some would call me a "casual music" lover. I love the melody, hooks, energy, and lyrics on this album. I loved Talking Heads' first two albums, but then they lost me until this release. Little Creatures marks a change in direction for Byrne that continued, while evolving, into his solo albums. This release, True Stories, and all of Byrne's solo releases are among my favorite albums in my collection. If you prefer John Lenon over Parliament, I believe you'll prefer this album over Remain In Light.

A wrong turn for the Talking Heads.
What happened here? Having heard the masterpiece Remain in Light and the nearly as wonderful Speaking in Tongues, I was utterly shocked by their near-complete abandonment of the distinct and innovative sound they were building for themselves.

Granted, many of their lyrics actually look very good on paper (by the way, Radiohead fans, compare the liner notes to those for Hail to the Thief...I wonder if "Tchocky" was thinking of this album?). Nearly every one of them has clever turns of phrase, interesting points to ponder, such as "Creatures of Love", "Television Man"...although about "Stay Up Late", all I'll say about that one is, I do NOT want to know. However, the way they're put into music is singularly unimpressive. What happened to the basslines and melodies that defy all common sense, yet still manage to sound good? What happened to the Middle Eastern/African influences? And that synth imitation of a Rhodes should have been banned from the studio (although I must give credit to the Hammond player). Furthermore...although I initially had problems getting used to them, where are David Byrne's quirky vocals and strange noises (other than somewhat on "Television Man", perhaps the only remarkable song on the album)? This bland style simply doesn't suit him.

All in all, this is an album made up of songs that could have sounded good--if the music had approached the level of the lyrics (which save the album from a 1-star, no-merit review). I will not even be giving this CD my customary three listens for it to prove itself...this one is going immediately for trade-in. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The reflexes of those old enough to remember when "The Reflex" and "Rio" went rocketing up the Hot 100 in the 1980s may not be what they used to, but certain reactions to the first full spin of Astronaut can't help kicking in anyway. First among equals is exhilaration: Few can sit through pop this inventive--titillating, even, on the thumping disco dazzler "Bedroom Toys," which features Chic's Nile Rodgers--without owning up to a genuine thrill. And though the original fab five, as they're being heralded on this first disc in more than 20 years, leans a little heavier on Andy Taylor's guitar work than in the past, the band stays loyal to its original electropop sound, skillfully shuttling the faithful back in time but kicking in enough keyboard wizardry to avoid leaving them feeling old. Once the inevitable buzz dissipates (give it a while--the sunniness of opening anthem and first single "[Reach up for] T! he Sunrise" sticks around, as does the moodiness of "Still Breathing"), puzzlement takes its place. Simon Le Bon sounds not a day older than when he recorded "Girls on Film," something for which he owes fellow 80s-band singers who flopped on the comeback trail an explanation. More puzzling still, though, is why Duran Duran waited so long to return: Had they reunited sooner, legions of dedicated, sophisticated popsters might have been spared the indignity that was the boy-band craze. --Tammy La Gorce

Talking with Duran Duran
Amazon.com contributor Beth Massa spoke with lead singer Simon LeBon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes separately to discuss the band's original line-up reunion, the passion they felt recording Astronaut, and their appreciation for their female fan base.

• Listen to the interview with Simon LeBon
• Listen to the interview with Nick Rhodes

Amazon.com

Songs to Learn and Sing is a staple in the collection of post-new-wave rock. It was an era when the term progressive had just replaced the word alternative to describe music that was just too cool for American radio. This album is a compilation of Echo and the Bunnymen's British chart toppers from 1980 to 1985. The only song on this album that received attention beyond the band's cult following was "Bring on the Dancing Horses," made famous by its inclusion in the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. Echo and the Bunnymen are a tinny, twangy, ever-so-slightly-out-of-tune guitar band. What lead singer Ian McCulloch lacked in vocal range he made up for by embracing his comfort zone with full-force cracking, emotional yelps. A distinctive, recognizable sound, even to the barely initiated, this album marks an era yet is so enjoyable, it remains proudly timeless. --Beth Bessmer ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Just the beginning...
This is going to be just the beginning for you. The Bunnymen piqued my interest with Evergreen, so I thought I'd start off my Bunnymen collection with a sampler. Although this became my most played CD, it was my least satisfying! I just had to buy more and have not been disappointed ever since. It is obvious just listening to the disc the whole way through how different the Bunnymen's albums are. Furthermore, the rest of the songs on each album are just as good as the ones included here. In fact, I don't think the Crocodiles songs give you a good impression on how great an album that one is. It is awesome!

This is a smart investment. Not only do you get a sample of each of the Bunnymen's four classic albums, but you get two great non-album tracks in Never Stop and Bring on the Dancing Horses. If you could just get a Greatest Hits that included these two and The Game and Lips Like Sugar, the only two good tracks off the otherwise (...) Gray Album, then you would be all set.

Sounds like most of the other stuff of its time...
...until you get to track 8, "The Killing Moon." This CD is worth it if only for this song. Sure, you could buy "Ocean Rain," but why not live a little and try out some of their earliest stuff with this album? It's not the rest of the songs are all that bad; they're just really, really dated. Good CD, and worth its price.

through the thick and thin
after listening to "killing moon" in the movie donie darko i decided to go out and buy the cd. i fell in love with it and never stopped listening to it. it is very catchy. i suggest you guys go out and buy this album along with
the church-under the milky way
and joy division-substance. they are truly great albums to own and listen to for the rest of your lives...so go out now and buy them! make yourself happy

Echo & The Bunnymen Are Timeless
I first heard this band when they appeared on the soundtrack to "Urgh! A Music War" when they did "The Puppet". Ever since then I was hooked on them and this album totally epitomizes everything about them. Great lyrics, catchy guitar riffs and Ian McCulloch's vocals are extremely mesmerizing! Definitely worth the pickup especially on tracks "The Puppet", "A Promise", "The Cutter" and "Killing Moon"...definitely a great CD to have in your rotation!

a world above and beyond a drum machine called ECHO
Back in the 80's, this album got heavy rotation on my record player and I still listen to it. Even Bunnyheads that prefer proper albums to singles' collections find this one irresistable, especially since it includes some tasty non-album cuts ("The Puppet" and "Bring on the Dancing Horses").

E&B were relegated to alternative underground status, but that didn't stop them from being melodic pop geniuses. The first 4 or 5 songs are guitar-driven, but then songs become more expansive, employing synthesisers and string sections.

"Do It Clean" sounds like a rockin' update of "Stepping Stone" while "The Cutter" represents a sophisticated step forward for the boys. "Silver" is a positively joyous celebration of life. "Seven Seas" also feels like a celebration of sorts, but with a touch of melancholy.

I love putting a disc like this on where I can kick back and enjoy every single track. They're all good, all featuring Ian McCulloch's rich, deep voice and inscrutable yet intriguing lyrics. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Released in 1987, at the height of the compact-disc revolution, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is the prototypical CD album. Cure architect Robert Smith knew that the newly popular format could handle almost twice as much music as records, and he wasn't about to waste the space. Unfortunately, many of Kiss Me's 17 tracks sound more like B-sides. The cream is certainly worth culling, however; "Catch," "How Beautiful You Are," and the alternative-rock staple "Just Like Heaven" are among the Cure's finest moments. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" and "Why Can't I Be You?" reveal that underneath all the dyed-black hair and glum stares lay a fervent dance band. Who knew? --Bill Crandall ... Read more

Reviews (74)

A good listening experience.
Listening to this album is a little different than listening to the subsequent disc from The Cure. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me seems to be a little more loose and less dark than Disintegration. The songs included on here aren't that morose in mood and have a little more of a sugary atmosphere to them. Robert Smith sings quite powerfully throughout. I think that this album is pretty decent overall: the highlights are "Just Like Heaven," "One More Time," and "Fight." "Just Like Heaven" would have to be one of the best songs from these guys (it's a well-written tune no doubt). "One More Time" is also has good synth work and emotion running through it. The album closer "Fight" is quite different for The Cure in my opinion. It's got quite a heavy edge to it and is cool. I mostly just like parts of the the rest of the songs on this release. "Hot, Hot, Hot" isn't so much a bad song from these guys as that it's just too silly. There's some good experimentation on this album overall--less dark in tone and sunnier than Disintegration. The production, songwriting, and songwriting are all pretty good. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is worth a listen and has some good musical elements to it.

The Album That Defines The Band
This is the album that no Cure fan can possibly be without. I was first exposed to The Cure through 'Head on the Door' and was worried this next release would be commercial, no chance of that!
From the opening track 'Kiss', which builds and savages for at least 4-5 minutes before Robert Smith even opens his mouth, to the lush and haunting 'If Only Tonight We Could Sleep' and the Cure's flip-side pop personality of 'Catch' and 'Just Like Heaven' this album runs the full gamutt of The Cure's musical genius.
Many tracks are challenging, but this is an album that continues to grow on you, even years after you've bought it.
Henry Rollins has been known to say that 'Why Can't I Be You' is his favourite pop song, all happy melody and beat, with quite frightening lyrics.
Other standout tracks are 'Like Cockatoos', 'Torture', 'Icing Sugar' and the infectious 'Hot Hot Hot!!!'.
Few double albums sustain the energy and interest over the course of the whole work. 'Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me' (2 vinyls, one very long CD) is the yardstick by which all such efforts should be measured.

THE LONGEST, MOST MUSICAL & VARIOUS ALBUM OF THE CURE
If there were 2 albums to really define the Cure, it would be this album, & 'Disintegration', released 2 years later

Whereas 'Disintegration' captures Robert Smiths ability to make powerful dark atmosphereic music, this, on the other hand, captures his ability to make powerful light atmosphereic music... Which really defines him as being the magnificent song writer he is

At first this album isn't so easy to get into, it took me a few months before finally really growing on me - It's rapid mood swings throughout the album can throw the listener off, which is why it's so important to sit down & listen to it & not just throw the album on as backround music until you're used to the songs

This supposivley was a double album originally, making it the longest Cure album in the Cure's catalog. I would also say it's their most instrumental & musical - All you have to do is get used to the variety, & this album will become one of your favorites by them

If you're completely new to the Cure, it might be better if you bought 1992's 'Wish' instead, before buying this album - 'Wish' has the same type of variety, except is easier to get into -

This is overall an excellent display of Robert Smith's genius building & building in intensity until the late 80s, where in 1989 it finally exploded in their most successful & legendary album, 'Disintegration' - If 'Disintegration' was the thunder clap, 'Kiss me x 3' was the lightning bolt

In the top 3 best Cure albums.

Masterpiece
This is a masterpeace for sure. A classic if you're into the happy and light side of the band. Songs here are very up vibe and easy to listen. A must have.

crap
this cd is horrible. pearl jam lions is a piece of garbage and all he listens to is whiny british babys (i.e) the cure and radiohead. i agree with pearl jam being good but bashing talented bands like creed & limp bizkit is just wrong. pearl jam lions probably likes coldplay too and every other british whiny band. sorry pearl jam lions but we're all waiting for the cure to break up if they haven't yet. if they did no one would notice anyway cause nobody buys their records anymore anyway. radiohead's audience shrinks with each album and they just plain suck. sorry pal hahaha!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Krafty Work
I am not sure this is the relase I am reviewing, however it contains 7 mixes from the radio edit, Morel's Pink Noise Mix, and the excellent Eric Kupper Club Mic @ 9:11 min pure excellence.So I do recommend this Cd Single, It has a great NO feeling, along with some of the best mixers "Out" and about.So take it as you will BUT I would make sure that these mixes are on there, all are great in there own aspect, to bad Amazon/CD now does not allow you full access to what songs and mixes and times are there, so I tend to order from a West Hollywood Company with FREE S/H (domestic USA) purchases over $50.00. Jason Prof DJ
1) radio edit 347
2) Morels Pink Noise Vocal 752
3) DJ Dan Vocal 818
4) Eric Kupper Club 911
5) Glimmer's 12" Extended 653
6) Phones reality Mix 706
7) Riton Re-Rub Mix 654 ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Durable goods
Few bands epitomize the 1980s like Men At Work did. Out of nowhere (well okay, Austraila), the Men burst open the scene with funny videos and songs with irresistible hooks. I was a fan from the first time I heard Greg Ham's sax intro into "Who Can It Be Now?" But buried under the amusing visuals and catchy hooks were underlying themes of fear and isolation -- prevalent attitudes during a decade in which we lived under the threat of nuclear war (expressed well in "It's a Mistake"). All of the best are here, including "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive," "Overkill" and "Down Under." However, one of the strongest tracks is the overlooked "Hard Luck Story," a song about a man who's experienced the ways of the world -- and doesn't like what he's seen. It's a reminder that we create our own misery by persecuting and rejecting others. Other favorites include the beautiful ballad "Maria," the goofy "I Like To," and the wistful "Still Life." An all-around good collection of one of the best bands to emerge from the outbacks of Austraila -- or anywhere. Would love to see a reunion.

Their best "Best Of".
This collection takes pretty evenly from their three albums. The tracks from "Two Hearts" are decent, but they definitely make up the filler third of the disc. Fortunately the majority of this includes all the great songs from "Business As Usual" and "Cargo". So you get the huge hits "Who Can It Be Now", "Down Under", and "Overkill", as well as the favorites "It's A Mistake", "Be Good Johnny", and "Dr. Heckyll And Mr. Jive". Plus a live "I Like To", and the excellent closer "Down By The Sea". If you need more than this just get the first two albums. Otherwise this "Best Of" is even more essential than the "Essential Men At Work".

Best (to date) greatest hits by the Men
The fifth Men At Work compilation finds us digging into some real good album material. This one doesn't just give you the hits but a more introspective look at the band. Plus it definitely proves they should've been called Colin At Work.

I don't have this particular CD but what I do have is...
My first encounter with *Men At Work* was during the summer of '82 when I attended Fleetwood Mac's Mirage Tour concert in Norfolk, Virginia. *Men At Work* was playing warm-up for Mick, John, Christine, Lindsey & Stevie! "This is a warm-up group??" I murmured to myself, "Man, these guys are FABULOUS!!!"

I don't have this particular CD but what I do have is the original Columbia cassette tapes which I purchased just as soon as they appeared on display at Mother's Tapes & Records. The first, "Business As Usual," came out shortly after that memorable Fleetwood Mac concert.

Now, in 2003, the first two albums, "Business As Usual" and "Cargo," have been reissued on CD--with bonus cuts! So now you can enjoy all the songs on these albums, both good & "bad," and you can make up your own mind about them rather than being limited to someone else's choosings. Unfortunately, "Two Hearts" has not yet been reissued on CD making "Contraband" the very next best thing [until "Two Hearts" is reissued] because "Contraband" contains five songs (Hard Luck Story, Still Life, Maria, Man With Two Hearts, Snakes and Ladders) from the "Two Hearts" album, whereas the other collection here, "Essential Men At Work," contains only four songs from "Two Hearts." The "bottom line," as they say, is that your buying "Contraband" will be money very well spent and very well enjoyed indeed!

I must admit, my old cassette tapes are beginning to show some signs of wear, so as I am using one browser window to write this, I am using another browser window to buy the CD reissues of "Business As Usual" and "Cargo"--complete with bonus tracks--and I am also going to buy "Contraband" to hold me over until "True Hearts" is reissued too--hopefully with more bonus tracks. Then, finally, when "True Hearts" is reissued I shall have the *COMPLETE* works of *Men At Work*!!! ::::::evil laughter::::::

This is just plain fun!
With the exception of their amazing debut CD, Men at Work's two other releases (yup they only had 3 releases) were somewhat uneven affairs with singles galore but some songs that were best forgotten. On the other hand, they also recorded first-rate album tracks that while not hits, are essential and thankfully included in this must have collection for MAW fans

When I first heard "Who Can It Be Now?" I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. Catchy is an understatement. But then there is "Down Under", "Overkill", "It's a Mistake" to slightly neglected album tracks like "Upstairs In My House", "Be Good Johnny", "Down By The Sea" just to name a few other gems.

Minor quibbles.... This collection could have done without 3 out of the 4 songs from "Two Hearts" as only "Maria" hits the mark. The other two sound very unlike their best and actually have a generic sound without any MAW touches.

One could argue that you could buy "Business As Usual" and have all the MAW that one could need, but "Cargo" also had some essential songs and I really liked "Maria" so this is the one to buy if you want the big picture, but note it is missing "I Can See It In Your Eyes", which to me in an essential song of any MAW retrospective. ... Read more

Album Description

Originally a postpunk outfit with gothic leanings, The Cure evolved into one of the most visionary, creatively satisfying and influential groups to come of age in the 1980's. From dreamy pop to moody expressionism, their signature sound is adventurous, hypnotic, and rich with texture. Formed in 1976 by Robert Smith and schoolmates Michael Dempsey (bass) and Laurence Tolhurst (drums), The Cure's stunning debut album on U.K.-based Fiction Records launched an extraordinary career and enduring worldwide popularity. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Buyer Beware - Mislabeled!
Downloaded the song 'Catch Me I'm Falling' from this album. Instead of the hooky tune I remembered, I got a badly produced Disco mix of the song. It was impossible to tell this from the short, low quality sample offered for download check.

AND, the song is labeled as if it is the original, not the screwy remix it actually is.

Get It Moving
Twenty years ago when I was half my age, I use to sing this "Send Me An Angel" in my head to get myself up hills on my racing bike, the lyrics taped to my handlebar. Think about it, the beat, the stroke, the sweat... totally in sync. It just gets you going. It still moves me. I never knew who the group was, until now. I'll take it.

Excellent compilation overall
It could be easy to pass Real Life off as a one-hit wonder (Send Me An Angel,) but it just wouldn't be right. Sure, that song's the highlight of the band's career, but they also whipped out some other excellent tracks, many of which are available on this compilation.

As another reviewer stated, the versions of these songs available in this compilation are mostly remixes and edits. If you want the original versions of Send Me An Angel and/or Catch Me I'm Falling, you should get Heartland, the band's 1983 debut album. Of course, the former was radically popular, so it can be found on some eighties compilations (I believe New Wave Hits of the Eighties Volume Eleven has it.)

This is an excellent compilation overall, but even it has its shortcomings. What's the compilation called? Send Me An Angel. You get two versions of the track (the 1989 remix version and an extended dance mix version (the highlight of the disc,)) but the original version is missing in action. Also, it is VERY short for a CD compilation. The total time is only about 45:00, and you can fit 80:00 onto a single CD. Surely the band had other excellent songs that could have been used to fill the extra space. Also, the insert contains very little information - just a tracklist and not much more. It doesn't say what songs are remixes and what ones are originals. Why couldn't the booklet have the band's history or something like that? Another interesting note - This compilation is available with two different covers - The one shown above, and one that has a guy in a toga and a dog with fairy wings on a park bench. Not sure why there are two covers.

Final verdict? If you're into good new wave rock, this is the compilation for you. Sure, the original version of Send Me An Angel isn't here, but two versions present are as good, if not better than the original. If you're desperate for the original version, get Heartland or New Wave Hits of the Eighties Volume Eleven. This compilation is an excellent example of why eighties music was pure excellent, and modern music is junk.

4 stars only
this will bring you back to the 80s!!!

what can I say im stuck in the 80's
like the title says I love 80's music and this was one of my favorites from back them. I havent heard it in ages and when I came across it on Amazon, I had to order it!!! ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Mysteriously musical
Bauhaus was an architectural style in the '20 that came back at the end of the '80 when I left the family house. Well my appartement was decorated in that style. Elegant purged line was the basic of it.

Bauhaus music is modeled on the same pattern. Minimalist with a lot of charism. It's nothing and it is everything at the same time. All through the album, the bass gets really hypnotic and the guitar is often strident, best exemlpe would be "Stigmata Martyr". My favorite,"Bela Lugosi's dead", is ingeniously well composed. "God in an alcove" and "A spy in the cab" are more psychedelic. "Terror couple kill colonel", "In the flat field" are pretty good.

Maybe not for everybody

i dare you
I enjoy the music on this CD. BAUHAUS is one of my favourite bands. They wrote and played goth music before it was a category. I feel that the songs present themselves as sonic experiences. This is especially true for the guitar playing of Daniel Ash, however, it applies equally to the vocal style of Peter Murphy. Murphy spouts words for their phonic appeal. Daniel Ash will never be accused of stealing licks from Clapton. As far as BAUHAUS is concerned "Clapton is Dead", to borrow from Nietsche. STIGMATA MARTYR is a clear example, certainly not the only. BELA LUGOSI'S DEAD also has Ash using his six string assault weapon as sound effect generator. Both of these songs are devoid of true melodic content. If you are interested in the orgins of goth-rock or in music which expands the sonic limits of pop, this CD will interest you.

Perfect introduction to this group
This is also a perfect introduction to the Goth Rock genre. True Goth Rock that is, rather than "nu-metal" and synth pop that is often mislabled as such. This album contains the majority of their most important songs. Never comfortable using only a single style of songwriting, Bauhaus' music combines quite a variety of moods, textures, and shades. Up-beat and dancy at times, slow and dirgelike at others. Then there is the spastic and tribal side as well. The songs move from dismal, depressing and nightmarishly morbid, to artsy, bohemian and sometimes downright silly and playful. The music perfectly fits the image of the band as art school weirdos dressed in black, with pale skin and heavy eyeliner. The prototype "Goth" look. The concept of Bauhaus in art is put to music here. Less is more. Sometimes anti-art can be more art than art... if that makes sense. Back to the music... The David Bowie influence is everywhere. As is Black Sabbath, Adam & the Ants and T-Rex. (check out the totally convoluted version of Telegram Sam) This compilation contains some of the most powerful Gothic Rock anthems ever written, including the cacophanous Double Dare, In The Flat Field, Passion of Lovers, and the Goth equivalent to Stairway to Heaven, Bela Lugosi's Dead; a haunting tribute to the greatest Horror actor of them all. Perfect for Halloween with effects laden guitars making what sounds like "bat noises" and creaking coffin lids. In fact, the music itself is very much inspired by the immagery of early German Expressionism. Films like Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari come to mind often while listening. Most of the music on this disc is indescribable. It simply must be heard to be understood. This is not your typical rock affair. This is very experimental art-Punk and may be a bit too strange for those who are not familiar with anything other than "normal" rock and pop. Also the music tends to be on the dark and dreary side. We aren't talking about a toe tapping, uplifting, feelgood time here (although there is pleanty of strange off-beat humor involved) Let that serve as a warning. To those interested in artsy alternative, post punk, or if you've just become interested in Goth, I can't recommend this cd more vehemently. It's invaluable!

THe best greatest hits compilation ever.
Bauhaus was a great band back in the early 80's. They took the atmosphere of David Bowie and Joy Division and combined it with the industral sonds of Can and Faust. Plus, their early songs were very heavy, almost like what Type O Negative is doing now. This ontains 14 of their best songs. including 6 off of the all-time classic, In The Flat Field. The best songs would have to be Double Dare, Stigmata Martyr, which really scared me on first listen, and the live version of Bela Lugosi's Dead. There also is a few odds-and-sods on here too, such as the cover of Telegram Sam, and the single relase Terror Couple Kill Colenel. By far, this album really shows you what Bauhaus was like in those times. Great stuff.

Good Place for New Fans to Learn about Epic Band
Bauhaus is a band that any music expert or historian has to know. Their dark, vibrant art-rock was crucial to the progression of post-punk, and many credit them with starting Goth; the band cannot be contained in that bucket but some songs definitely were. They spawned legions of followers and their influence can still be felt today. Bauhaus basically made 2 types of songs. 1 set was a charged-up, highly inventive and intelligent form of punk featuring short, direct jams with off-the-wall lyrics delivered in Peter Murphy's frantic style - think Bowie doing Sex Pistols or Stooges covers. "God in an Alcove", "Telegram Sam", "Dancing" and "St. Vitus Dance" fit into this category. The other grouping, and likely the set they are more known for, is comprised of dark, brooding songs of despair and alienation; obviously this is where the Goth rep comes in. "Dark Entries", "Bela Lugosi's Dead", "Spy in the Cab" and "Passion of Lovers" fit in this group. "BLD" was a massive underground club hit in the early 80's - it by itself created an entire subculture.

Is this collection the best launching point for a newcomer? Who's to say? There are so many Bauhaus compilations out there that you could make any number of arguments. I think it's a very good place to start, as it is slightly more accessible than Volume 2, which has a generally bleaker feel. Personally I prefer Volume 2 but then again I'm a long-time fan. "Crackle" would be a good alternative starting point, or perhaps the 80's comp "Swing the Heartache" - the track listing is similar to this disc. If you can spend the dough, I'd say just get both V1 & V2 and be done with it. If you like these then you can consider getting the studio albums. It can be hard starting with the studio albums unless you really know the group; they are quite strange and don't always feature many of the singles - they are excellent once you are used to their sound. Bauhaus was odd in that way. The group only made 4 studio albums but the number of singles and comps would make you think there were like 10 of them. Even we big fans often listen to Bauhaus through compilations; it's an easier way to get most of the songs in 1 place. Much of their stuff was released only on now hard-to-find vinyl singles and old 7" releases. The studio albums are great and they complete the collection but may not be the best starting point. ... Read more

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Collection of the Definitive Tracks from One of the Punk/New Wave Movement's Most Revered Iconic Bands. The 15 Essential Tracks were Chosen by the Group, Including the Previously Unreleased Track "Dizzy". ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Doesn't Dazzle
I think they should have remastered the original two greatest hits collections, not to mention all the albums, rather than picking and choosing for a new collection. I have every CD and they are in bad need of remastering (low volume production on all). As much as I love them, they seem to be trying to get yuppies to enjoy their music by making a rather radio friendly "Greatest Hits" collection. I still think Hyena is their best album with the amazing Dazzle & Swimming Horses. Where is the b-side collection all us fans are waiting for? They speak so much about them in the Biography but they haven't surfaced since 45's were made. Hell, I love them so much I forgive them. They still put on an amazing show.

Great songs that improve with age
This collection is ideal for the casual listener or those who wish to investigate the work of Siouxsie And the Banshees based on what they have heard on the radio. As such, it is a more than satisfying collection that offers the greatest hits from 1978's Hong Kong Garden up to 1991's Kiss Them For Me and 1995's Stargazer. It includes two cover versions: The Beatles' Dear Prudence and Julie Driscoll's hit This Wheel's On Fire, both competent if not brilliant interpretations.

Of course the 1980s was their most fruitful period with UK hits like Happy House, Israel, Christine, Spellbound and Arabian Knights. Most of these are atmospheric numbers with just a hint of The Banshees' proto-goth dark side shining through. Their debut album The Scream still remains one of the most psychotic statements in rock but is not a piece of music that lends itself to hits compilations. Well, perhaps Helter Skelter should have been considered ...

My favorites include their first hit, Hong Kong Garden, a powerful punk number with absolutely blistering guitar work and an exotic touch, Kiss Them For Me, their lilting, swaying 1991 hit about a doomed actress, Peek-A-Boo from the 1988 Peep Show album and Stargazer from their last, under-appreciated album The Rapture. Great songs and an innovative edge lend a timeless quality to the music. Those who want more of this great band are advised to investigate the compilations Once Upon A Time (1981) and Twice Upon A Time (1992).

This has all been done before
I would give this CD 5 stars because the songs on here are indeed brilliant but given the fact that nearly all of these songs have already been released on the compilations "Once upon a time" and "Twice upon a time" and are not necessarily their best - but just selected singles, I can only give this 3 stars. Siouxsie's songs were pure genius back in her 80's heyday. "Happy House", "Christine" and "Spellbound" are absolute classics and still stand the test of time.

I think her hardcore fans are still wanting more than just the repackaged singles. The b-sides and more obscure album tracks on a compilation would have been far more interesting.

Yes, there are better songs to choose from, but.....
I don't argue with the fact that there are better, more fascinating and perhaps even more representative songs in the Banshees' backcatalogue which would have made a more compelling set of discs. But, because every die-hard fan claims to be an aficionado, someone would inevitably complain with whatever set of more obscure songs were chosen. One must remember that this is, first and foremost, a "Hits" package--and for that purpose the selection of songs is right on the mark. A listener experiences the commercially successful side of the Banshees, which, while not the most intriguing or satisfying facet of an incredible band, is heaps better than 99.9% of everything else being produced today.....commercial or otherwise.

"Best Of"? Hardly.
With the notable exception of "Arabian Knights" and "Spellbound", Siouxsie and the Banshees forfeit two decades of intense, gut-wrenching, innovative work in favour of the watered-down, pop-influenced music that soaked much of their late albums. This "Best of" album is a sorry representation of the incredible depth of their work, and sadly surprising in its selection. The Banshees would have done well to let fans pick the songs, in the fashion of Björk's compilation. This might have ensured a more well-rounded set of discs.

The remixes, while undoubtedly entertaining, would have been better replaced by B-sides or genuine Banshees songs such as "Night Shift" off of the album Juju and the incredible "Switch" from their debut album, The Scream. The dark torment and twisted ecstasy of the band's early compilations is completely absent from this album. Experimental songs from albums like Kaleidoscope and Hyaena also get overlooked although the notoriously happy-sounding "The Killing Jar" can be reexamined in light of its morbid, telling, lyrics. Gone is the wound-up fury of "Blow the House Down" and the tragic statement made in "Swimming Horses" (Siouxsie speaks out against honour killings...). Gone is the gothic heave of "This Unrest" and the uncanny beauty of "Lullaby".

The creative genius that is the base and the source of the band's unique revolution cannot be divined from this poor offering. For a more complete vision of everything Siouxsie has to offer, I would suggest seeking out every album, starting from the debut and moving on through The Rapture. It's the only way to fully embrace the breadth of the work. Of course, there are quite a few throw away songs in the mix - pop chart sellouts and weak attempts at music palatable to the general public - so let me narrow it down to a list of songs/albums well worth the money.

1) The Scream - This debut album is an amazing force of bitter rebellion and gothic sound. The band's layered, dark approach to music is absolutely stellar. Stand-out tracks include "Metal Postcard", "Switch", and "Nicotine Stain". Read the lyrics, they're worth the effort. For a band that came together over a non-serious, unmusical rendition of "The Lord's Prayer"...this is unbelievable.

2)Join Hands - Although I don't own a copy myself, I can't wait to get my hands on one. This is a further exploration of their moody trek down the road of classic goth and the songs can be alienating to new listeners. Lyrics are often undiscernable - hence the necessity of the lyrics booklet. Knowing what she's saying helps in appreciating the band's work that much more. Check out "Placebo Effect".

3)Hyaena and Kaleidoscope - Experimental songs like "Tenant" and "Swimming Horses" are amazing for their innovation and peculiar clarity. Then there are the typical Banshees songs such as "We Hunger" and "Trophy" which bring out the gritty, dark style that is so vital to their music.

4)Juju - This is a dark tour de force that stands on its own as a symbol of everything goth and everything Banshees. Every song is a stand-out and the extended "Voodoo Dolly" has creepy going for it every second of the way.

5)Tinderbox and Peepshow - These two albums dabble in the darker side of pop and the lighter side of goth with introspective songs written by Steven Severin (his lyrics for "Cascade" and "Melt!" are beyond comparison in the way of description and detail, imagery and beauty). Tracks like "Scarecrow" and "Turn to Stone" unveil a more polished side of the Banshees while retaining the sombre fervor of earlier albums. In "Rhapsody" Siouxsie reveals the true strength and operatic quality/potential of her voice to the stunned surprise of the listener.

The Rapture is a strange, disconcerting album in that Siouxsie makes way for a strangled attempt at pop. However, tracks like "Not Forgotten" and "Sick Child" (the latter of which has lyrics by Budgie!) are heartfelt reminders of their old style. In any case, for a real taste of Siouxsie and the Banshees, do yourself a huge favour and look beyond the packaged, polished world that is their "Best of" album. When you've done that, you'll realise (as did I) that your money is better spent elsewhere. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

A Girl Just Wants To Have Fun & Be Unusual
First off, I'm 16 so what the heck am I doing writing about something that my older cousin owns on record? Well, for starters I love 80's music (heck, I was born in the decade!) I like my hip-hop, R&B and Justin Timberlake pop era too but this album has got to be my cure for getting out of the blues. I LOVE this album, not gushing, but I LOVE it. It's so good, even though Cyndi does not have a diva voice, she can belt it out like she was one. I absolutly love "Time After Time" and the controversial "She Bop" and of course you can't miss with "Girls Just Wanna..." well you know the rest. The live tracks on the end are pretty special and give a new twist on some classics so this is a keeper of an album. I recommend this album for anyone who just wants to jump around and let it all hang out cause this album will do that. "Money Changes Everything" kicks it off, which I like in it's hard-rocking sort of way. The Prince remake "When You Were Mine" is excellent, Prince whould be proud, "All Through The Night" is another fave of mine, very mystical and dream like. "Witness" sounds like something The Police whould do, you know the guitar work not the Cyndi singing part :) but I like this song nonetheless. "I'll Kiss You" is kinda dumb, really demanding and dumb (I sometimes skip this one). "Yeah, Yeah" is just down right fun and scream out, "Yeah, Yeah" over and over again. Cyndi is the coolest, she's not afraid to have fun and be strange at the same time. I'm sorry Britney but Cyndi, Madonna, Janet, Whitney, Mariah, Taylor, Paula and Jody will always be my fave pop queens.

Forgotten Soundtrack Of The Early 80's
Cyndi Lauper made a superlative record with "She's So Unusual". The opening 6-song punch is breathtaking in its consistency and quality, and make this album a classic. The remaining songs, while cute, are merely filler made charming by their association with such impressive material. A closer look:

01. Money Changes Everything; Possibly Cindy's best song, definitely her most rocking one. The lyrics are superb and the arrangement here is terse and harsh, as appropriate.

02. Girls Just Want To Have Fun; The classic that perfectly captured the artist's personality and image. The MTV video is infamous. Pure power pop and a pleasure to listen to.

03. When You Were Mine; a cover of the Prince song from his 'Dirty Mind' album. Wonderful arrangement, excellent vocals.

04. Time After Time; one of the best ballads (or songs, for that matter) of the 80s, and a No. 1 smash. Haunting lyrics, tortured vocals, and timeless production make this a standout.

05. She-Bop; A veiled ode to female self-gratification, this song is notable for its complex orchestration and very sexy vocals.

06. All Through The Night; The least of the 6 songs, this is another ballad, but not terribly distinguished. Wonderful to listen to, though.

This album ranks among my favourites simply because of the sense of FUN Cindy brings to the material and her delivery. Also recommended: Twelve Deadly Cyns: And Then Some, for a hits collection (which also features the incredible "I Drove All Night"). This reissue contains 3 bonus tracks (live), all enjoyable, all not really necessary.

Unusual and Unforgettable
I owned this album back in the 80's. It was Cyndi vs. Madonna and Cyndi would be champ. Does anyone remember that silliness? Still, I was cheering for Cyndi. Well, we all know how it played out, but I still consider Cyndi a winner. Who wants to be as famous as Madonna, anyway - besides Madonna? The sheer torture of it all.

Cyndi was our champion. She encouraged us to walk in the sun, have fun, and play with ourselves. She was a little bit kooky, a little bit radical, and a whole lot of pop. A playful swirl of rainbow colors with an upbeat no-nonsense attitude and a generous spirit. Maybe it was the wrestling thing that was her downfall, I don't know.

Her singing voice could be surprisingly powerful, as well as a bit quirky, a bit confused, and a tad heartbroken at times. *She's So Unusual* succeeds at displaying her range of emotions and her invigorating energy.

If you need to lift your spirits, play "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"; in the mood for a bittersweet ballad then listen to "Time After Time". "Yeah Yeah" and "I'll Kiss You" are crazy fun, "When You Were Mine" is her wonderful rendition of a Prince song, "All Through the Night" is soft and gentle, and "She Bop", well, listen and decide for yourself.

Cyndi was one of the shining lights of the 80's. Even though she still burns brightly with unique talent, for a far too brief period in time she was not only the most unusual but simply The Most.

One of the 80's Best
"She's So Unusual" is clearly one of the defining albums of the 1980's. Cyndi Lauper's style on this album was incredibly fun, upbeat, and just plain unique. I can't imagine why anybody who grew up back then would not want this album in their collection. And, unlike many albums released back then, this effort has aged really well. It's every bit as fresh and fun today as it was in 1984.

cyndi lauper best album
this is my favorite cyndi lauper album. but this is not digitally remastered . enhanced remaster. cyndi lauper best of the best (gold cd) import. will prove that im right. the best digitally remaster recording ever. but does not include money changes everything. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though Joy Division's anxious, angular songs echoed time-honored art-school obsessions from the Doors through Eno, they never stooped to cheap nostalgia or pretentious condescension. Neither bridge nor battering ram, the band's music--haunting and hypnotic, with an emotionally naked core as bleak as it was compelling--has transcended disposable pop culture past and present; leader-vocalist Ian Curtis's 1980 suicide only underscored the notion that Joy Division was a band out of time, figuratively as well as literally. In just over two years, the Manchester, U.K., group constructed a legacy whose influences have surfaced with the surviving members' New Order through macabre, psychically-damaged Curtis/Cobain parallels to the sonic atmospherics of Radiohead. And if their recorded output was limited, it has long been ill served by the record industry's worst Cuisinart instincts. Thus, this artfully designed four-disc, 81-track box should reign as the band's definitive recorded history. Journalist Jon Savage collaborated with band members Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook to assemble Joy Division's legacy into four subtly different chapters. Discs one and two center around the band's albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer respectively, culling singles, demos, and outtakes. Disc three gathers BBC and Peel sessions and more than a dozen previously unreleased outtakes. The final chapter may be the most artistically revealing: 17 live tracks that represent not only the best of the band's darkly compelling songs, but show their riveting stage presence during a performance peak that spanned but seven months. The accompanying booklet presents an almost Rashomon-like take on the band, from its spare, impressionistic imagery through its multiple essays and, crucially, the lyrics of Ian Curtis, starkly presented as the candid, disquieting poetry that was the essence of Joy Division's murmuring heart and troubled soul. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Some packaging flaws - my version at least.
Everything you've ever heard about Joy Division is true. They were a truly incredible band, even as Ian Curtis' vocals quickly dropped from ferocity to unsteady. Make no mistake, by the time Joy Division recorded 'Closer', Curtis had lost his vocal skill, whether to epilepsy or loss of soul. Doesn't matter - 'Closer' is a brilliant unforgettable record. This massive box set is equally wonderful, the only tracks left out are live tracks better unheard. (Their version of 'Sister Ray' is NOT superior to the original. Not at all.)

The quality and content are great - you MUST hear this stuff. The problem I have is with the packaging. I bought the UK version - no different from the version now available in America. The glue was so weak that the CD cases shifted, dropping the actual CDs on the floor. Since every CD holds about 80 minutes, a scuff & nick matters a lot. Great CD-closers like "In a Lonely Place", "These Days" & "From Safety to Where?" were scratched, or at least threatened to. I had to buy this amazing box set twice, so be warned. Buy American! (Will they do it better?, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.....)

(PS: shame on whoever designed the cover art. Ian Curtis looks like a stoned retard. This music isn't half-lid dull, it's nasty sad eye-wide reality...)

What more could you want in a box set?
The premise of HEART AND SOUL is simple: take nearly everything ever recorded by Joy Division, add some alternate versions and live tracks, and put them on 4 CDs.

Granted, this is only possible because Joy Division's career was cut short by the suicide of singer/lyricist Ian Curtis, but that doesn't make HEART AND SOUL any less monumental. This is one of the few box sets that one might even consider purchasing as an introduction to a band. Of course, there are very few people (and I'm one of them) who would be willing to pay for a high priced box set when their only previous exposure is "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and perhaps NIN's cover of "Dead Souls," but I digress.

This box set is essential for any fan of Joy Division, even those who have already purchased all their previous albums (UNKNOWN PLEASURES, CLOSER, SUBSTANCE, and STILL), because of the aforementioned unreleased tracks, as well as the stunning booklet, which includes not only the standard band history and and waxing peotic, but all of Joy Division's lyrics, as well as a complete discography and sessionography, making it an invaluable resource to fans.

In short, if you've heard enough Joy Division songs to know that you like them, then it's worth your money to get HEART AND SOUL and discover that you love them.

Fix This Box
I would never think about giving this set anything but 5 stars. I have nothing to add to the reviews of this set. It is perfect. I just want to encourage the industry to package their material better than they do. When I shell out $60 for a box set, I would love it if the book didn't fall apart, or if the cd trays would stay glued to the box.
Word of advise-don't count on the industry to fix this. Buy yourself a hot glue gun (their inexpensive) and you can fix the trays as thy fall off. I used it on this one and the echo and the bunnymen box.

The past has become the future.
First of all, I have reviewed several items and this is only the second time I have granted one with 5 stars (the other being The Wipers box-set) so don't confuse me with the kind of people who give an album five stars if they like the way a singer phrases some of the words on the fifth track. I only give the best 5 stars. This means, obviously, that this is the best. On disc one, you have Disorder, a song which takes the listener straight to Manchester at night time with all the shining lights being viewed from a passing car. I've yet to meet someone who doesn't see those things when they hear that song. Insight, Candidate, Wilderness...it goes on & on. Interzone doesn't sound great on this disc compared to the version on disc three. The highlights, in my opinion, are New Dawn Fades, Day Of The Lords and Excercise One. One is shocked when they hear The Only Mistake or Something Must Break because you wonder how these songs were not included on any of the bands LP's. Disc two contains the most touching music I have ever heard. The Closer material is exceptionnaly astonishing. Sound Of Music is a very good rarity. Isolation is a song that nobody in this world could possibly dislike. Colony = adrenaline. A Means To An End is possibly my favourite JD song. Heart & Soul is one of Curtis' best pieces of poetry. Twenty Four Hours is another frantic slice of brilliance. Then come The Eternal and Decades - no words could describe, no actions determine. Love Will Tear Us Apart + These Days are just...unexplainable. Then comes disc three : absolute enjoyment. Lot's of intriuging stuff. The Drawback is great. These Days and Interzone sound better than ever. Transmission sounds a bit dull and flat but yet doesn't fail to arouse interest. It closes with Ceremony and In A Lonely Place, two songs that you will not care about the bad quality if you listen to the beautiful melodies. Curtis must have been aware of his fates coming, because Ceremony couldn't be more poignant. Disc four is unexplainable. Joy Division were a live band. No doubt about it. Just when Dead Souls sounds as if it's about to break, Curtis comes in and powers it straight ahead. Every song is breathtaking live. The only flaws are towards the end from the later concerts : Peter Hook has gone terribly wrong during Heart & Soul (what is he playing?) and Isolation sounds a bit lifeless although is still very listenable. This is more than just music. It's a whole way of life. There are hundreds of people out there waiting to hear this music and be taken away by it's stunning power and, whether you like it or not, as Curtis did, they will live and die for the unexplainable beauty that he sings about in the last verse of Isolation.

Joy Division Could Have Been Recorded Next Year
It strikes me how ahead of their time this band was. A mostly guitar band who's production sensibilities forshadowed some of what "electronica" has done over the past twenty years..or a least in the progressive margins. Not so surprising when you know that the surviving members of this band made many great dance classics and were big supporters of dance music life. Whether any of us would have seen Ian Curtis boping around at a rave party in ' 91 if he had lived that long is another perplexing Joy Division question. Certainly none of this sounds like the Junior Vasquez mix of New Order's "Regret" that came out ten years ago now. But you do get Joy Division, and more perspective on history, human organizations and their flaws and human frailty in general than I am sure going to get from my state college education. I just watched a Dead Kennedys live tape that was buried in my collection made the same time as Joy Division was doing their work. Ian Curits in his take on the horrors of humanity and what we seem capable of doing to each other as well as the vast sorrows that this creates...does lack the sarcasm and more straight forward "**** you!" that Jello Biafra had while they both were intellects. Additonally, punk purists may not have had patience for their evolution into studio processing, synthsizers and very early drum machines. Some may find a band's or an artists' evolution very exciting and downright inspiring. This is music for people that make music. Again, that shows how close to the "punk" spirit they really were. They make YOU want to form a band. But..one warning..my box set was not made very well..and the cardboard fell apart. I just have the CD's in a disc folder ...a disappointment considering how packaging and quality were always New Order, Factory and Joy Division mainstays. ... Read more

Album Description

55 tracks on 4 CDs, featuring 34 tracks on CD for the first time, including The Thorn EP. 76-page booklet with an introduction by Siouxsie and full track annotation by all 3 band members plus full lyrics for all B-sides, printed for the first time. Sleevenotes by Mark Paytress. 2004. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Excellent Debut
Outlandos d'Amour, the debut album by the Police, shows one thing for certain: the members of the band were extremely talented instrumentalists, a trait uncharacteristic in most aspiring punk bands of the time. Despite punkish ambitions early in their career, as one can hear by listening to early Police singles such as "Fall Out", the Police already seem to be out of that stage by the release of their debut album. The result is a much more pop-sounding album with lighter, more melodic guitar/bass harmonies. While this album is certainly not the best Police music out there and gives little indication of what direction the Police went in later in their career, Outlandos is still an excellent album that is a lot of fun to listen to. Three songs in particular, "So Lonely", "Roxanne", and "Can't Stand Losing You", are great pop cuts with the reggae influence that would become more evident in later albums. "Peanuts" and "Born in the 50's" are not quite as serious attempts at pop songwriting but are still enjoyable for their energy and the driving rhythms delivered by the three band members. Unfortunately, the other four songs on the album, "Next to You", "Hole in My Life", "Truth Hits Everybody", and "Masoko Tanga" are about as filler as it gets...

starting point of a great rock band
One American and two English guys form a band and start a new wave of rock music. The album starts with "next to you" which sounds very punky. Although the band had been affeceted by the punk sound of late 70's, this can not be called as a punk album. The second song "so lonely" is an emotional soft rock song and than comes the first single "Roxanne" which is still a classic. One my favorite songs is "can't stand losing you". You can't stop yourself repeating the chorus after listenning to it. This may not be the best Police album, but if you like soft rock and Sting's voice, you should get this one. I also think that Stewart Copeland is a great drummer.

Sting makes my pants tight.
It's the late '70s, the British punk invasion just started. Bands like The Sex Pistols and The Clash reigned supreme. Right before the predecessors like Blondie and Devo made big in the '80s. Also in that time, The Police came along.

The Police members Sting (the group's bassist and vocalist), Stewart Copeland (drummer), and Andy Summers (guitarist) were no newcomers. Seasoned (Andy Summers had been in a line-up of The Animals) aside, they also had more talent than your average punk band. Lots more.

This is The Police's debut album, and maps out what was to come in the '80s. Elements of pop, reggae, punk, and jazz are all fused together on Outlandos d'Amour in symmetry.

The album opens with "Next To You", the fast-paced, and most punk influenced song on the album.
The next track, "So Lonely", immediately opens up with an catchy white reggae-rock bass riff, showing what to expect of the rest of the album.
"Roxanne" shows how well Sting writes his infectious pop melodies, with one of the most memorable lyric hooks
in the history of '70s music, telling the story of a girl who turns to prostitution, singing some Steven Tyler-esque notes along the way. After that, the album basically goes on repeat (power pop, punk-infused rock, rinse-and-repeat), highlights along the way being "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Hole In My Life". Until, the closing song, the Jamaican funk of "Masoko Tanga" is one of my personal favorites. As, it also shows Sting's powress as a bassist.

Outlandos d'Amour was ahead of it's time. It showcases Sting as one of rock's great melody writers, and also what was to come from The Police, Sting, and the rest of mainstream '80s.

The Police climb into the vehicle
With "Outlandos d'Amour", The Police climbed into the vehicle that would eventually lead them to become musical legends. Being their debut album, it's only natural that "Outlandos" would differ from their later albums; but compare this album to "Synchronicity", and you will find a major difference. While on "Synchronicity" The Police went more for calm, modern rock, "Outlandos" is clearly a product of the late-70's British punk era (the album was released in '78). The album begins with a relatively simple piece, "Next to You". Next up is one of the band's most popular and distinguishable tunes, "Roxanne", which introduces Andy Summers on guitar, Stewart Copeland on drums and Sting as the sad-sounding vocalist. Then there's another Police hit, "So Lonely", a mix of calm rock and reggae that sounds almost like something Bob Marley would whip out. Following that is "Hole in My Life" and "Peanuts", two more "punkish" songs, along with another terrific Police hit, "Can't Stand Losing You". (The album is worth buying if only for "Roxanne", "So Lonely" and "Can't Stand Losing You") "Truth Hits Everybody" follows, along with a good song, "Born in the 50's", and "Be My Girl-Sally". And finally, the album closes with a very fine piece, "Masoko Tanga". If you're a fan of the era or of The Police, then it would be a bad choice not to buy the album; it will be of little value to most other people.

- THOMAS BENTON wonders where they got their name from.

White punk/reggae at its best!
The Police were never a pure punk group. But, then again, they didn't fit into any genre. Over a period of five years, and as many studio albums, their sound underwent a remarkable evolution. To listen to this, their debut album, and "Synchronicity" back to back, one notices how quickly Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland matured as songwriters.

That being said, however, there is absolutely nothing amateur about "Outlandos D'Amour." But, as with most debut albums, it gives us a look at the Police unrefined. There is a brashness, an edge to both the music and lyrics. The basic three or four chord style of punk is fused with the percussion rhythms of reggae to create an album with a vibrant pulse. Sometimes they are distinct from one another (Next to You has all the energy of a punk song, while So Lonely, which immediately follows it, has a distinct reggae flavor), but they are never isolated completely from one another. The rhythms are, with a few exceptions, simple. But the band's musicianship more than makes up for this. Songs such as Hole in My Life (the piano fading up and then down at the end is the icing on this one), Can't Stand Losing You, Truth Hits Everybody, and especially Masoko Tanga get inside your head and stay there.

Lyrically, the rhyming schemes are almost childish at times. But even at this early stage, Sting's lyrics were seasoned with cynicism, and grappled with the issues of depression and loneliness. There's not as much political commentary as there would be on later albums (with the exception of Born in the 50s), but the lyrics by themselves would be painful were they not accompanied by such upbeat music. Topics of obsession (Next to You), loneliness (So Lonely, Hole in My Life), and suicide (Can't Stand Losing You) run rampant over an audio bed seasoned with white reggae and punk. Even Roxanne, one of the most overplayed of all Police songs (not criticism, just fact) deals with the frustration of a man in love with a prostitute. The juxtaposition of dark subject matter and catchy music was something seen on all Police albums (that reached amazing highs with "Ghost in the Machine"), and here it has a different side to it. Sting wails with sorrow in So Lonely, snarls with defiance in Born in the 50s, and forcefully pleads in Roxanne. It is more raw, more primal. And the music that goes along with it is just as edgy.

Finally, this album also marks the beginning of the Police's experimentations with style and content. Be My Girl - Sally is a magnificent, albeit disturbing Sting/Andy Summers collaboration, which begins as a nice pop song that fades into spoken word piece about a man in love with an inflatable woman. One could call this an early ancestor of Mother, the song that Andy Summers would write and sing on "Synchronicity." Then, of course, there is the 6 minute Masoko Tanga, one of the most infectious pieces of music I have ever heard. And I love every second of it. It's a magnificent experiment in freestyle rhythms combined with lyrics that make absolutely no sense (this was done on purpose, according to one very reputable website I checked). It's almost as if Sting tries to create a rhythmic whole through both his words, and the music he and his bandmates were playing.

All in all, this album serves as a fitting start for a group that would become one of the best bands in the 1980s. At a time when it looked as if the music industry were starting to become stale, the Police breathed new life into it, with a sound and a style that were truly original, and probably remains one of the best things to happen to popular music in the last 25 years. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

What the hell is this? Though the two-record sprawl of London Calling--with its exploratory mutations of reggae, rockabilly, and even disco--proved that the Clash weren't content to lie fallow in a punk-rock ghetto, nothing prepares you for Sandinista's messy melange. For 36 tracks (the Clash originally released this as a three-record set for not much more than the price of one), the band tackles everything in sight, including waltz, gospel, disco, children's ditties, funk, reggae, dub, delicate instrumentals, psychedelic explorations--hell, they even play a Clash rocker or two. Though many have said there is a single great album hidden among the three here, it's the pure chutzpah of Sandinista that makes it such a particular pleasure and a brain drain at the same time. It's the document of a band that can do anything and tries to do everything. It's the glorious sound of failure. And if that ain't the Clash, what is? --Tod Nelson ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Best of the Clash, best of 80s, best of rock
Why I called it the best of rock? It is among 30 or 40 rock masterpieces that I know. Among them it is the longest, offering more brilliant songs than any other one. Sometimes songs from other album are not poorer, but their number is less. Notice: all the poorest songs of Sandinista are collected on the 1st disk. Don't be fooled, listen more! The 2nd and the 3rd disks are almost perfect.

List of masterpiece songs (my edition): Magnificient Seven; Junco Partner (+ its reprise Version Pardner); Something About England (+ its reprise Mensforth Hill); Crooked Beat (+Junkie Slip); One More Time (+One More Dub); Lightning Strikes; Corner Soul; If Music Could Talk (+Living In Fame); Equilizer; Call Up; Washington Bullets(+Silicone On Sapphire); Broadway; Charlie Don't Surf; Street Parade; Version City; Shepherds Delight.

The Leader, Somebody Got Murdered are the poorest. In comparison with other ones. The rest are quite good, good and very good.

And the last note. IMHO cult of the London Calling is the kind of mass psychosis.

quite good...
I think there are a few weak songs here, and there might be a tidge more mucking about than is really necessary, but there are also some true classics. The Call-Up is utterly brilliant--perhaps my favourite Clash song, it's powerful, haunting, and entirely gorgeous. One More Time isn't far off; I even like the dub version, although I think it was a mistake to put it right after the original version. Somebody Got Murdered, Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice), Police On My Back, The Equaliser, Ivan Meets GI Joe, and Washington Bullets are also great. Hell, even the gospel number The Sound of Sinners, which sounds like a very, very bad idea on paper, turns out to be quite good.

As I said before, it's not perfect--some of the songs, especially on the second disc, kind of blend together, and it also features two of the greatest travesties ever perpetrated upon mankind; i.e., a little girl mangling Guns of Brixton (at the end of Broadway) and the--gack--*children's choir* version of Career Opportunities. Still, it's a great album in all. The Clash were easily punk's most significant band, and this does a fine job of showing why.

it's sounds like early BAD to me.
this is my favorite clash album of all time. only thing was, it was on eight track. man, i hated that freakin (clunk clunk) right in the middle of a song you were really digging. can't wait to hear it on cd. if you like this you'll love Big Audio Dynamite. pura vida, steve

The nadir
When I think back on the first time I heard this album, I remember saying to myself, "That's it. It's truly over. Punk, Clash, everything is gone". This gruesome, indulgent, unnecessary and plain awful album was the nail in the Clash's coffin, as far as I was concerned. Somewhere in all these tracks is a decent e.p., if you remember those. "The Magnificent Seven", "Washington Bullets", "The Call Up" are okay tunes. If I could find three or four others, maybe there would be an e.p. On the other hand, just looking back at the songlist on this album is depressing me over 20 years later.

5 Stars for its Conception, despite the Mixed Results
Anytime you hear anyone talking about the greatest album in rock history with at least a dozen songs that they can't bear to listen to, you should immediately think of the Clash's masterpiece of musical diversity, "Sandinista!". Those who are only familiar with this band through the remarkable "London Calling" or their commercial breakthrough "Combat Rock" will undoubtedly be perplexed by the stupefying array of musical directions taken during this two CD set from 1980.

No matter what you think as a listener, the stylistic mélange has a definite purpose: to show the universality of fundamental human concerns about oppression, violence, poverty, and despair, and also the universality of music itself, as an expression of these concerns. As The Only Band That Matters, the Clash's main strength has always been their songwriting: indignant, sardonic, but always heartfelt in their concern for the downtrodden. Anthems such as "Magnificent Seven", "Up In Heaven", "Police on My Back", and "The Call Up" are equal to anything in the band's oeuvre, and still serve to remind us of the ideals that once made rock music seem relevant. And sure it's tempting to skip over the more off-the-wall selections (some of which foreshadow the coming of so-called "world music" and some of which are just plain annoying), but that's taking the easy way out, and at this point in their career, the Clash just wasn't ready to do that. Perhaps we shouldn't either.

But the simple fact is that most listeners today are less interested in the band's politics than in the music itself, and that's where the album's diversity can be problematic. How many of us can honestly say that we're strongly connected to all the various musical styles that the Clash attempt over the course of these disks? To this reviewer's ears, the rock and funk tracks still stand up very well, but what is to be made of the band's forays into dub, Irish folk music, calypso, the minuet, cocktail jazz, etc.? Whether you can hang with these tracks or not, it's hard not to admire the sheer audacity of it all, but that doesn't mean you'll want to listen to every song whenever you put on this CD. But despite the presence of material you might never want to hear again, the good stuff on this album is too great to ignore. I've found that an 80-minute CD is enough to hold all the real winners on this album, plus enough of the better oddities (not every experiment is a failure) to preserve the flavor of the complete work.

Now more than ever, we mustn't forget that there's a whole world of people suffering out there, and what diminishes them diminishes us, because we're all living in the same global village. This multifarious work of musical art is a powerful reminder of their plight. And ours. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime is a masterwork of American indie rock, a sprawling, 42-song explosion of terse, revolutionary rock & roll. Rifling through a kind of lurching punk-funk, this San Pedro, California, trio poses philosophical questions, mocks love-song clichés and Michael Jackson, covers CCR and Van Halen, and gets drunk on "Jesus and Tequila"--all of it brought to life by the jazzy, popping bass of Mike Watt; the rifle-shot fills of drummer George Hurley, and the staccato guitar and impassioned cries of the late D. Boon, whose voice will forever insist: "No hope? See, that's what gives me guts." --David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (88)

Just Wake Up!
Strap this on and get yer brains blown back!! The hottest album of the 80's with absolutely no rivals. I found this as a young teen and thought it looked cool. I had no idea what it was. My first thought was that they were just bad musicians with bad haircuts. For some reason, I stuck with this record, though at the time it was way over my head. I could not stop listening to it nonetheless, and just figured I was a weird-o. Almost 20 years later, my lord does this stand up! This is an absolute must for anyone between the ages of 16-40. Gritty, heavy, and oh-so jazzy. PURE POWER!

As an adult, the first thing that you notice about these cats is that they are smarter than you. They are also much, much braver. Minutemen fearlessly burn through country, folk, funk, punk, jazz, latin, rock, disco and will bust your as* in about 30 seconds flat. I still have no idea how a bunch of YOUNG(!) jitterbugs made this record. This is probably the greatest album ever recorded. 100% raw from tip-to-tail. All burners. One of the those seriously RARE records you can just put on, front to back, with no dry spots.

This D. Boon guy is so sensational words fail me. He wrote songs that shaped my life. His voice, lyrics and playing set a tone for my youth. I used to gaze at the album art all night doing shots of Popov. I couldnt figure out who this guy was. His voice was pretty awful, his guitar-work was sloppy as all get-out, and best of all, he was really fat & sweaty.....how did his sausage fingers play those blazing scales & leads?? Holmes would rock-out till the wheels fell off, and probably got paid about 50 bucks to make this masterpiece. What I am trying to say here is that this was the most righteous dude to ever play music. An unbelievable loss. Thank you, D. Boon. Words are not enough.

As young bucks, my brother, cousin & I used to spin the grooves off this joint. It was the "coin of the realm" and we knew every phrase, chord, and line on it. Nobody we knew had even heard of Minutemen, so we just had to sack-up and form our own little squad. We were so absorbed in this thing, it wasnt even worth trying to turn some other 15 year-old on to it. It just didnt translate. We literally idolized these guys. The outfits alone were so terrific it made your head spin.

If you found your way to this album review, I IMPLORE you to buy this cd, and before it arrives, go out and buy the vinyl (and a turntable if you have to) as well. Then buy every other album you can find by Minutemen. This CD has been chopped up to make it fit on one disk, and many tracks are faded out early, to my huge disappointment. YOU NEED THIS FOR YOUR CAR, though, dont get me wrong! You absolutely HAVE to have this record on vinyl to experience it properly. The liner notes/artwork really add spice to it. DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS.....nuts&sorbe

The only album you really need!
I bought the LP in 1985 and fell in love; already had PROJECT MERSH, but it barely prepared me for DOUBLE NICKELS ON THE DIME. I agree with the politics--not everybody does. You'd have to be tone deaf, though, not to hear the pure superiority of these 3 guys. Mike Watt alone just makes me want to pound my head on the floor in amazement. He and George are even ahead of Foxton and Buckler in the early-80s rhythm section sweepstakes, and if you know those names you know what I mean. But D. was the front man and he put it over the top, with guitar, vocals, and lyrics. They covered every base except maybe the old fashioned love song. The only downside here is the limitation to the CD version. The LP is still in print, still sounds flawless, and has all the songs. The pictures are bigger too! The price of a good second-hand turntable is justified to get the whole package, so make amazon.com stock the LP, and get it. My personal CDs are copies of that same old 17 year old LP, and I'm luckier than you are. I still remember the feeling I had when I heard about D. and I still can't believe this was supposed to be an answer to Husker Du's double album, and the Minutemen didn't even need a 14 minute instrumental to pad it out. Better than EXILE ON MAIN ST., better than THE BLANTON-WEBSTER BAND, better than THE SUN SESSIONS, better than PIANO QUINTET IN F MINOR OPUS 34. It's better than ROCKET TO RUSSIA!! If you don't understand, you lose.

no.1
nothing compares to this...... Song after song of one minute funk-punk-jazzy brilliance.If anyones heard anything like "toadies" these days i have to be notififed!

One of the Best Records of All Time! Jam Econo!
The Minutemen were an amazing trio from San Pedro, CA. They took rock, jazz, blues and punk, deconstructed it and put it back together again in the most wonderful ways. Though most Minutemen songs were brief, each one is a satisfying composition that will leave you hungry for more. Musically, The Minutemen were like a well-oiled machine. Drummer George Hurley absolutely has to be the tightest drummer I ever witnessed live. Bassist Mike Watt truly is one with his bass. To hear his mastery over the instrument, you can only assume he came out of the womb with it! Singer/guitarist D. Boon's heartfelt, thoughtful lyrics and his commitment to the musical ideals he believed in have always served as an inspiration to me in my own musical endeavors. His honesty, integrity and imagination really helped me to realize what punk rock really meant. D. Boon never seemed like a guitar hero to me. He seemed like an older brother who took you under his wing, imparted words of wisdom upon you and gave you the idea that you were free to listen to anything you wanted, achieve anything you wanted or be anything you wanted to be. D. Boon's senseless, tragic death (he was killed in a car accident) was an unbelievable loss. God bless D. Boon!

This imaginative masterpiece was recorded in a relatively short period of time and features 43 cuts (45 on the original vinyl LP) that range in style from punk to country to funk to pretty much all points in-between and they cover such wild stylistic ground so effortlessly! Not one track on the album is a throwaway or a disappointment! Some of my favorite tracks here include "Jesus & Tequila", "This Ain't No Picnic", "Glory of Man" and "#1 Hit Song" but rest assured, every track is a winner and your particular favorites will probably differ from mine and from anyone else who holds this record near to their heart. Trust me, if you are debating buying this, do so now! This record cannot mean so much to so many people if it wasn't good!

First and Last Review
This album stands alone as the most innovative, independent, truely punk spirited made. How do I know this? I was there. It's interesting to hear reviews from younger folks as they try and disseminate this album and compare it to their "vast" knowledge of what they consider punk. Punk, as most of us here know, doesn't exist anymore, in either music or spirit. It came and went. What is considered punk nowadays is but a marketing ploy. Korn? Gimme a break. Borrowed bass lines from Mike Watt. Loudness is not punk. Screaming is not punk. Speed is not punk. Angry words are not punk. Not selling albums is not punk. Punk is an archeological artifact. So no more present tense talk about it, OK? Just put this one on the turntable, sit back and listen to 1984......car engines and all. ... Read more

Amazon.com

XTC's frothy, Beatle-esque concept album about birth, death, and the passing of the seasons is hardly soft-headed: its melodic inventiveness and lush orchestrations supports bitterness ("That's Really Super, Supergirl"), displacement ("The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul"), and agnostic tirade ("Dear God") as often as it does the pleasures of sun and shower. The greatest achievement of XTC's post-Drums and Wires career, Skylarking is a must-have for the first days of spring. This deluxe, remastered version of the album contains a bonus track, "Mermaid Smiled." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Brilliant Masterpiece
I remember the first time I heard XTC. In 1988, I was at my favorite record store browsing when I started to notice some Beatle-esque song playing above on the in-store stereo. Then I heard some incredible, orchestrated segue into another song. The sinuous string arrangements crossed each other and came back to their original notes. I knew I had to find out what mad genius thought up that!

Trying to play it cool, I calmly asked the salesmen what was playing. A few days later I bought Skylarking and was equally blown away by the rest of tracks on the CD.

Now, more than 10 years later, this CD ranks as No 2 of my all-time favorites:

1) The Beatles - White Album

2) XTC - Skylarking

3) Midnight Oil - Earth & Sun & Moon

4) Catherine Wheel - Happy Days

5) Paul Weller - Paul Weller

I promptly bought XTC's Big Express and the rest is history... a lifetime XTC fan. You'll be too.

[DW]

A Good, Quirky Album
XTC began in the late 1970s amid the British punk explosion and took a very different path. They are sophisticated pop enthusiasts, with an obvious affection for the Beatles. This album got some notoriety for the "controversial" (please) single, "Dear God". But the brief buzz around that single overshadowed a very good album, and very representative of mature XTC. I wore out my tape of this album, which had "Mermaid Smiled" instead of "Dear God" (due to pressure from industry censors), and was dismayed that they didn't include that song on the CD, because it was a great tune itself, with amazing guitar work.

This band has always been quirky, going off their own way, with their own sound, and taking you with them if you listen to them, because they do it so well. You can sense the creative tension between the members and producer Todd Rundgren, however, in this album. "Summer's Cauldron", "Grass" and "The Meeting Place" are all very listenable, and reminiscent of their work as the Dukes of Stratosphear, which came out around the same time.

"Earn Enough for Us" is a great, upbeat single, while "Dying" and "Sacrificial Bonfire" are brooding and disturbing, although attractively rendered. The overall album seems to pursue a vague seasonal theme (with the exception of "That's Really Super, Supergirl"), beginning with a euphoric summertime vision and ending with a haunting, seemingly pagan bonfire. This is a very good cross-section of why people continue to follow XTC, when they haven't toured for over a decade.

The Todd Rundgren Show
Forget the Who, the Kinks, the Beatles and even the Spice Girls, XTC are the most intelligent, sublime British pop band, ever. Great melodies, terrific lyrics, inspiring music. So why only 3 stars for Skylarking? Because this is not an XTC album, its a Todd Rundgren album composed and played by XTC. Sorry to dis Todd (he's done great work with other people) but he leaves huge indelible Todd fingerprints all over this album. The production seems forced, artificial and even at times cheesy. The band had to sit there while Todd f'ed up their music because they were in such financial trouble at the time. Hey it worked, they got a hit, and it is a good album but its just not XTC. Where are the guitars?

XTC's Best with a 'little' help from Rundgren
This must be a classic album, otherwise why would I possess five versions of it on CD? There's the original UK and US presses, the Gold Ultradisc CD, the Japanese paper sleeve edition (remastered) and this latest remastered edition.

The original album as it appeared back in 1986 (it sure doesn't sound like an 80s album) does not include Dear God which was actually a B-side to the Grass single. Dear God became a college radio hit in the U.S. and that resulted in it being included in the U.S. album at the expense of Mermaid Smiled. The initial UK and US CD releases reflect this difference, with the Gold Ultradisc following the latter's track listing. It is only after remastering, that the latest releases (Japanese paper sleeve and this one) contain both songs with Dear God being tagged on at the end (the Japanese paper sleeve edition does not list the track). Sequence-wise, I prefer the latest incarnation as it offers the best of both worlds and generally sound better after the remastering (the Gold CD stills sounds superior but lacks Mermaid Smiled).

XTC play quirky and intelligent pop with shades of Squeeze and the Beatles. Early XTC sounded a little different, having more punk and new wave elements in them. The best albums pre-Skylarking include Black Sea and Drums & Wires. Notable post-Skylarking releases include Oranges & Lemons and their last studio album Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol. 2). Skylarking stands out from all their other albums in that it follows a concept - pastoral meditation on the cycle of life and death. It is quite likely that this is down largely to Todd Rundgren's production and vision. If you study his other work (including his own albums) as well as other artistes he has produced (prime example being Hall & Oates' War Babies), you will see that unity and flow are the twin pillars of his production technique. This however should not detract from the writing skills of Partridge and Moulding, which turn up many gems here including Grass, Ballet For A Rainy Day and Dear God. Of course, there was the inevitable clash of egos between Partridge and Rundgren (an example being Partridge's annoyance that Rundgren chose almost, if not all of Moulding's offerings for the album - other XTC albums feature about 3 songs from Moulding; Skylarking has 5).

Reluctant concept album? XTC's Sgt. Pepper? Whatever the label, this is one fine album that has to be listened to from start to finish and then back again. It is another one of those 'cyclical' albums that deserve a wider audience, much like Love's Forever Changes and The Byrd's Notorious Byrd Brothers.

Dear Who???
Yeah, this album is quite amazing. I was in the record store looking for a Christmas gift for my sister, and I picked up Skylarking at the suggestion of the clerk. Pheww! Thank God she had good taste. It was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I'm not really going to add my two cents to the merits of this fine work of musical genius. One thing that did bug me though is that at the time I purchased this album ('86), Dear God wasn't even on it! It was added a few years later....So I had to go out and buy the entire album again, just to get that one song. Anybody out there know if the first issue (w/o Dear God) is worth any money to a collector? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nirvana made a lot of things irrelevant when Nevermind was released in 1991. Among the most unfortunate casualties caught inside the blast radius were the B-52's. Just two years prior, they had released their very first mainstream breakthrough album, Cosmic Thing. This album was featherweight, sun-kissed, playfully pansexual and, most importantly, danceable. Tracks like "Love Shack" and "Roam" reminded us there could be fun without responsibility. Alternately kitschy and lazy (I still insist that "Deadbeat Club" was a slacker anthem long before Beck's "Loser"), Cosmic Thing took the B-52's signature Trekkie-camp sensibility and slowed it down just enough to click on MTV and portable radios wonderfully. And let's be honest, anyway: would you rather road-trip to Kurt's sad refrain of "Well, whatever, nevermind" or Fred Schneider belting out, "The whole shack shimmies!!" at the top of his lungs? On second thought, don't answer that. --Todd Levin ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A return to for....no, wait, scratch that
In 1989, the B's suddenly returned with a completely new image, revitalized and full of a bunch of Nile Rodgers/Don Was-produced dancepop. And hey, despite the obvious cries of "sellout!" that are perfectly deserved, this is still a very good album. It's most heavily remembered for the hit "Love Shack," which is an infectious song that suffers a bit from constant overplay and an overlong running time (it doesn't need that "bang bang" part at the end at all), as well as the gorgeous, solid pop song "Roam"("Boooy Mercury, cruisin' throoough every degreeeee"). For the most part, the songs on here are very well-written in spite of their slickness ("Bushfire," "Channel Z," "Deadbeat Club"), the only real gripes being the kind-of-dull studio creation "Dry County" and the fact that on the catchy title track the band tries to mix a political message ("Don't let it rest on the president's desk!") next to lyrics like "SHAKE YOUR HONEY BUNS!" Still, overall, an album well worth buying and one of the better releases to come out in the overproduced year of 1989.

Cosmic Hit!
This album features the B-52's biggest hit ever,LOVE SHACK. The video is quite awesome also. The song was even heard in the 1991 Paramount film FRANKIE & JOHNNY. I even heard another hit,ROAM in one or two television commercials. The title track is cool so is DEADBEAT CLUB. Another hit is CHANNEL Z. The instrumental FOLLOW YOUR BLISS was probably inspired by Todd Rundgren's HELLO IT'S ME(they both sound almost identical). After this album,band member Kate Pierson would join R.E.M. recording ME IN HONEY on R.E.M.'s 1991 multi-platinum OUT OF TIME.

a last gasp
not bad for a belated "comeback". the bees hadn't yet sold their souls to the flintstones, so all was not yet lost. "roam" is still a pop masterpiece of the 80s, and maybe someday people will realize that and quit playing that infernal "loveshack" at weddings.

Love Shack Overplayed But Album Quality Can't be Overstated
"Love Shack" is the one song from this album that you probably can name without any hesitation. That's because to this day it's overplayed -- how many flashback lunch hours, etc., belt out this tune daily? Too many, considering that there are other great B-52 tunes that are hardly obscure ("Roam" from this album, "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", and "Private Idaho" from previous ones) that could be played.

But I digress . . . that "Love Shack" is overplayed is hardly an indictment of this album. Though not groundbreaking or history-changing, this album definitely is a must-own. Why? Simply because of the fun factor! It's a delightfully fun album from start to finish.

"Love Shack", if you manage to avoid the iterations on the radio dulling its impact, is a contagious party tune, as is "Roam" (which I prefer just because it hasn't been played to death). Of the remaining album, I also really like "Deadbeat Club" (a slacker anthem), "Junebug", and "Bushfire" -- all very up-tempo, fun songs.

As a fan of the B-52s, I can't say they've ever put anything that wasn't good. This is probably their second-best album behind their self-titled effort. It's fun, breezy, and something any serious music fan should have in their collection as a result.

Insanely great
The B-52s are great, and this cd is definately their strongest. The songs are crazy, with the classic wild sounding tone that shows up again and again in songs such as cosmic thing and love shack. The calmer songs, deatbeat club being the best, show emotion on a level that is amazing for the b-52s common image as crazy people. this cd is great in also that the way the songs are arranged, the hit songs arent the first and second tracks, but they're spread throughout the whole cd, keeping your enthusiasm to keep listening to the cd going. this is a great cd ... Read more

Amazon.com

The departure of bassist Pete Farndon, and the drug-related death of lead guitarist James Honeyman Scott in 1982, left Chrissie Hynde's Pretenders in disarray, but she and drummer Martin Chambers rallied to produce the stunning 1983 single, "Back on the Chain Gang" (dedicated to Scott), and over the course of the next year, cobbled together enough material for a new album, some of whose tracks included new members: guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster. Nontheless, the album held together due to Hynde's uniformly strong material, which ranged from the rocking, bluesy "Middle of the Road" to the near-protest tune "My City Was Gone," to the piercing "Time the Avenger."--Billy Altman ... Read more

Reviews (29)

An 80's top-notch classic!!
This is my favorite album by the Pretenders. One year in the early eighties when I was working as a waitress, this tape never left my player. "Serving the middle-class, yeah it's a cool routine" was my anthem as my clothes literally did "go round." It's funny (and scary!) listening to "Middle of the Road" now that I'm 33. I had the wonderful opportunity to see them in concert after they released this one with their new line up. They were even better in concert than on the album, hard to believe, but true. They're a great band and this album is their magnum opus, yet it still sounds fresh and relevant today.

Working Class Hero: Chrissie Hynde Rocks!
"Learning to Crawl" is the only Pretenders album I like. The album has 8 great songs and 2 so-so ones (tracks 9 & 10). "Learning to Crawl" merges the personal and political, allowing its listeners to feel/view the world as experienced by a working class woman: Chrissie Hynde, an Ohio native who wrote all but one of the songs on this album. Hynde, a former waitress who bitterly remembers the experience on "Watching the Clothes" ("I been kissing ass/Trying to keep it clean/Serving the middle class"), is the authentic voice of a working class person, a voice not heard on pop radio since Bob Dylan faded from the scene. "My City Was Gone" mourns the destruction of Hynde's childhood Ohio: "My pretty countryside/Had been paved down the middle/By a government that had no pride." Quick, name another pop song that has a funky backbeat and a social/political message. Hynde's voice, with its limited range, is an advantage rather than a liability. No pretty melodies here, just some five-star writing/musicianship

Ok
The high points of CD are some, but there are some low points, too. The high points are: My City Was Gone(which in case your'e wondering is Rush Limbaugh's theme), Middle Of The Road, and Back On The Chain Gang. The low points are: Watching The Clothes, which is a silly song about sitting in laundromat, I Hurt You, Thumbelina, and just about every other song on the album. I gave this album a whole 3 stars because the high points are really high, in spite of the lows.

Not exactly a review...
More like a few thoughts vaguely related to a famous and very
British rock band that had more than it's share of trouble...

A stock scene from zombie etc. monster movies is when your old
friend (looking a little worse for wear after having had his
brain sucked out by the headlining monsters) shows up to hang
out. Its usually played with a certain amount of comedy as it
becomes increasingly clear that your old friend has showed up
not so much to "hang out" as it were, but rather with the
intention of sucking out *your* brain... There's a certain
amount of comical trepidation and attempts to maintain a certain
degree of politeness and decorum as the extent and irreversible
nature of the changes become clear.

[This is slightly different than the plot line in vampire movies
where someone's girlfriend/lover/fiance has become enamored of
the leading vampire, and is no longer quite herself, if not
actually dead/buried and leading a new existence as a blood-
sucking fiend. As far as I know, this situation has never been
successfully played as a comedy - it usually requires some sort
of intervention by Dr. Von Helsing or others with a certain
degree of emotional detachment, because the fiance
or boyfriend in question is inevitably and invaryingly (and
quite honorably) unable to give up all hope.]

There's not a lot of comic material to be mined in this
situation, even though the actual outcome of the story usually
isn't clear until the final minute or two, when the vampires are
routed out in one way or another. In some cases, the woman
actually does return from what would seem to be beyond the
grave, when the leading vampire is destroyed, but this does not
seem to be a hard and fast rule.

The stock scene, usually played late at night in some graveyard,
where the now quite happily undead woman attempts to suck the
lifeblood out of her ex-boyfriend invariably ends badly. But
however the story ends, it's some sort of tragedy, or, if you're
very lucky, tragedy narrowly averted. Revenge, as meted out upon
the vampire brood, has a sense of clinical detachment and relief
and grisly horror, rather than any real satisfaction,
irregardless of the amount of spurting blood or the actual
number of vampires extinguished.]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, what does this have to do with The Pretenders. People
always say that rock bands have a lot of "trouble" because they
can't deal with the fame, etc. - but maybe another reason is that
sometimes they are quite political and make some very real
enemies...

I want to make a couple of points about what an odd (perhaps
even unnatural) political concoction the British Commonwealth
is...

The British Empire was at least understandable - one side had
much better guns and were able to dominate the situation for over
100 years because of that fact. Not wholly positive or negative,
but certainly very old news.

Exactly what holds the British Commonwealth together today is
not clear. Of course there are a number of different sorts of
attachments, the most obvious being the political distinction
between the Dominion countries and the remainder of the
Commonwealth. Britain, Australia, and Canada are politically,
socially, linguistically etc. very closely related, as well as
being closely related to the US. Another group of Commonwealth
countries are small but strategically located, or have important
commercial advantages. But another group of countries would
seem to have no obvious or natural basis for political
affiliation with Britain, or even overall (one might think)
negative reasons for remaining attached. Finally, there are
countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe etc. that had large
numbers of British colonists/settlers which no longer have any
sort of political control.

These questions appear somewhat obvious when stated clearly, but
they are not often stated clearly. The Commonwealth is not
highly advertised, even though on a map it quite closely
resembles the British Empire. A sort of stealth empire, with
somewhat hazy and/or unstated goals and aspirations.

Politically, however, the only thing that it resembles at all
closely would be the UN...

Population-wise, Britain and the Dominion countries comprise
about hmmm... 10% of the total?

Supposedly the Queen of England is the beloved head of this
conglomeration and they are all bound by mutual feelings of
affection and goodwill. However, in case after case, for the
last 75 years, essentially every political contest between
Britain and one of these countries has gone *against* Britain.
To the point where you have to wonder whether Britain itself is
merely the titular/figurehead "leader", what exactly the
policies, aspirations and agenda of this third world

conglomeration might be, and whether the glue holding it
together are related more to this agenda than it is to any love
for Britain, the Queen or any of the other stock responses for
it's reason d'etre.

So that's the basis for concern about our friends in Britain and
Canada and Australia. They seem to be paying a very high price
for what appears to be essentially leadership in name only.
Love for the mother country, that is only provided as long as
the mother country does as it's told, is not something to
cherish.

Britain and Canada and Australia are also our closest allies and
friends. They have access to the US in a way that most other
countries do not. There is a real threat to the US if they are
no longer in control of their own situation, or are indeed
overly influenced by the unspecified/unstated/stealth agenda of
the heavily third worldish remainder of the Commonwealth.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Alternate Title:

Demonic Possessions... Or Why I Learned to Stop Worrying and
Love the British Commonwealth

---------------------------------------------------------------

So, our old friend William has shown up and wants to hang
out... It's not that we're not glad to see him, but we're a bit
worried about the somewhat sickly greenish hue to his skin, and
the rather obvious hole in the back of his head where it looks
as if someone took a big bite out of his brain.

RUSH's Theme Song Is On This CD!
If your looking for Rush's theme song, this is the CD you want to buy. I bought it for that tune alone and keep my CD player on repeat because it's really the best tune on it and it's been made kind of famous. ... Read more