Amazon.com

Like the best guitar heroes, Ben Folds, pianist and leader of a guitarless trio called the Ben Folds Five, commands and fuels his small, tightly wound ensemble with an authoritative, nearly virtuosic style. Folds, based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, borrows from everywhere but lends new inspiration and insight to the instrument's possibilities--he's the Jimi Hendrix of the baby grand. His frenetic keypounding eclipses old-time styles from honky-tonk to Jerry Lee Lewis rag, and he outplinks megastars such as Elton John and Billy Joel while sifting them both through the mondo hammerings of classic pop-loving alternative keyboard bashers like Todd Rundgren and Squeeze's Jools Holland.To complement Folds-the-pianist's clean and bright ivory tinkerings, Folds-the-singer's clear and dynamic tenor swirls through Folds-the-songwriter's very capably crafted, sugary pop gems. "Philosophy" starts with a rolling Joel-like intro, slips into a Rundgrenish verse and chorus--complete with the perfect Beatlesque harmonies of bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee--and then breaks out in an overdriven piano quote from Gershwin in the climactic solo. "Underground" Sgt. Peppers us with faux theatrics and then plunges into a soul-gospel groove about the joys of the alternative rock scene. "Uncle Walter" is a character sketch Ray Davies wishes he wrote but couldn't; "Boxing" is an imagined confab between Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell that Tom Waits wishes he wrote but wouldn't. The rest of Ben Folds Five's debut achievement just does what any other timeless summer record should: it makes you feel sunny enough inside to last all through the year. --Roni Sarig ... Read more

Reviews (106)

Work your way up from here!
The first BFF album I purchased was "Whatever And Ever Amen," off the strength of previously heard songs and viewed videos like "Battle of Who Could Care Less," "One Angry Dwarf.." and the ever-popular "Brick." So I backtracked and got this one. It's a good album, but for me, it lacks some of the perfectly meshed rock and pop brilliance that made "Whatever and Ever Amen" a masterpiece. This album is one that I really have to listen a while to get that gratification that came so easily when I pressed the play button on "Whatever..." It doesn't really bring me in honestly. But I do love Ben Folds Five. If you're a really big fan and want to try some of the earlier works, I would recommend this one. As you can see, there are a lot of 5-star reviews for this one. And of course, "Whatever.." is a high-ranked album here, too. When Ben Folds Five, I've noticed that they've become like wine, getting better with age. Start from here and move up through the BFF world.

S/T rocks!
Rolling Stone called this album "pop bliss," and they certainly weren't kidding. Ben Folds Five, comprised of piano, bass guitar, and drums, is one of the most original sounds out there, helping to make this certainly one of the best, if not the best CD I own. The first 8 tracks are all light hearted, head bobbin' fun, from the kiss-offish "Philosophy" to "Underground" to "Uncle Walter," a character whom I believe everyone can relate with. The band gets a little more introspective on "Best Imitation of Myself," then slows things down with "Video" and "The Last Polka." The final track, "Boxing," is one of the best songs I have ever heard - period. So, if you want an excellent debut album that you won't want to take out of the CD player for months upon months, I strongly urge you to check this album out, you won't regret it!

One-of-a-kind, solid debut
This being Ben Folds Five's first CD, I expect that Folds, Jesse, and Sledge wanted this to be a debut that wouldn't fade within a year like so many other first albums. Nearly nine years later, and the self-titled masterpiece is still one of the most impressive blendings of piano with pop/rock I've ever heard. Much more articulately than Something Corporate ever has, Folds tickles the ivory with such utterly blinding skill and artistry that it makes me drool every time that I pop this CD in. This album feels rather like indie rock almost (¡§Underground¡¨ being the most noticeable and nostalgic indie track on the CD). You may think that I¡¦m a avid fan who puts Ben Folds on a pedestal and extols him as the quintessential savior to modern music. The truth is that the boy from Chapel Hill, NC does a pretty good job of being a musical savior.

The CD opens up with the jaunty 'Jackson Cannery.' It¡¦s musically solid, and I catch myself singing the chorus line and the tag often. Not an amazing song, but it grows on you. It then moves into 'Philosophy,' one of Ben Folds most impressive piano-focused licks coming in the intro and in the finale of this song, sounding almost like something from Gershwin¡¦s¡¥Rhapsody in Blue¡¦ in the end. Overall, just brilliant song-writing, and one of his most stunning and prolific piano parts. Some other note-worthy songs would be the compelling waltz 'Boxing,' and 'Underground,' which shows off Ben Folds' jazz ability with the tag, a brilliant jazz rift that feels almost like a Scott Joplin rag.

Ben Folds is lucky enough to have some incredible back-up singers (with some surprisingly high voices), but Folds himself carries a lot of power with his ranging voice, spanning great depths of power. Don't get me wrong; they miss in one or two places, ("Julianne" just never gets off the ground) but this CD grows and grows on you, until you eventually get lost in the techinical wizardry of Ben Folds Five.

makes me laugh
Besides having such energy and good tunes, it seems like BFF probably had a lot of fun making this album. I cannot compare their music to anyone else, and their lyrics make me laugh. I wish I could have seen them live when they were still together, but I've had to settle for the DVD (although I have seen solo Ben Folds & it's a fun show). Sports and Wine and Uncle Walter have humorous lyrics, and Philosophy, Jackson Cannery, Where's Summer B, and the Last Polka are also good songs. BFF is a refreshing change from the music that seems to be on MTV all the time -- lots of guitar rock and/or R&B which I'm not so fond of. I'm on the road a lot, and this is one of my favorite CDs to listen to, and the miles go by a lot quicker.

Capsule Review - Ben Folds Five
The best place to start for wannabe Ben Folds afficionados, the 1995 debut is stuffed with wonderful tunes and winning couplets - and not a guitar in sight. Philosophy, Where's Summer B? and Underground are obvious highlights, but other tracks win their way into your heart and mind - the melancholy Boxing or the defiant Best Imitation Of Myself, for instance. A stunning debut, and one Folds has come close to, if not fully bettering. ... Read more

Album Description

Jack sings with a sometimes soaring, sometimes abrasiveabandon that shows he really means the lyrics he's singing. Combine that with his fierce, dirty, reverb-soaked guitarplaying and Meg's powerfully minimal start/stop drumming,and you've got a rock band that is primal, melodic, punkand sophisticated all at once. 17 tracks of blissfulnoise. ... Read more

Reviews (86)

auspicious debut
First off, as a new fan who grabbed all four of the White Stripes records within the scope of a week, I would advise anyone who has been weened on 'Elephant' (2003) or 'White Blood Cells' (2001) to get the other LPs first. Their indie debut probably takes the most getting used to.

That said, the first two rockers, "Jimmy the Explorer" and a cover of Robert Johnson's "Stop Breaking Down", are like a breath of fresh air. There are other hints of greatness here as well, including the power blues of "Suzy Lee", the acoustic blues of "Sugar Never Tasted So Good" (the latter being a taste of what was to come with the follow-up record, 'De Stijl' (2000)), and the old-school blues (we're talking 1930s here) of "St. James Infirmary Blues".

The problem with the record is the one dimensional aspect - by the time you get to the third track, "The Big Three Killed My Baby", the novelty of Jack White running his voice through a guitar amp and the minimalism of Meg White's drumming starts to wear a bit thin. But hey, it was their first record, they would learn . . .

For the new listener, I recommend trying out White Stripes in the following order: (1) De Stijl; (2) Elephant; (3) White Blood Cells; and (4) White Stripes.

5 Stars, loyal fans agree, poser fans do not
As their first album, their self-titled album features some of the bands trademard songs, which include: "Jimmy The Exploder", "The Big Three Killed My Baby", "Suzy Lee", "Sugar Never Tasted So Good", & "I Fought Piranhas." True, some of the songs are cover songs, but the White Stripes are the only band that I know that can totally tear it up with a cover song. First of all, they don't take old played out pop tunes & "re-mix" them like some P.Diddy loser, they take classic songs that maybe some haven't heard & make it their own. Some say this is their worst album, & I would like to say something to those people, "You don't know what music is If you don't appreciate this album, it has their signiture sound & they worked hard to make it, so if you like the rest of their albums, or if all you've heard is White Blood Cells, then you shouldn't even be talking about TWS, because you don't know who they are. Listen & absorb their music before you open your mouth, because I know that I don't care what you have to say, you posers." But this album, it's a classic, it has 17 tracks of non-boring, non-pop garbage that people put out everyday, it's a masterpiece.

Not sure yet . . .
The best thing going for this CD review-wise is the fact that people either seem to love it or hate it. That's a sign that something good is happenning here, isn't it. But you don't know what it is, do you Mr. Jones? I'm not sure I do.
It takes me a while to get to like some albums. It has to make new grooves in my brain or something. But that's not a bad thing, though I must admit I can't afford this kind of brain surgery too often. This one could become a favorite, but it doesn't make me blush with consumer pride and confidence just yet.
The White Stripes do like all the right music though (the music I like that is), and this CD reminds me of some great living room tapes I've listened to. So I've got a soft place in my heart for it if not in my head yet. As for the hype, I don't know. We'll have to wait until the dust settles or at least until we've all listened to it a few more times.

How Rock Is Supposed to Be
Wow, what a great album. This is one of the times when you are unsure at first but every listen gets better and better. I might even go as far as to say it is my favorite now. It is so simple, so passionate, so very good.

Often I judge an album on its first five tracks. If an album can pack a punch in its first 5 songs, it is likely great throughout. That is certainly the case here (an interesting debate would be whether the first 5 songs are better on this album or on De Stijl but thats a different issue). Jimmy the Exploder, Stop Breaking Down and Big Three are the first 3 tracks. They are all hard rock and awesome, Stop Breaking Down being my favorite. Then just as rocking as it was going it instantly slows down. Suzy Lee is the next song. It is slow but it may be the best song on the album. Followed up by Suger Never Tasted So Good- a melodic song with great lyrics and an even better feel. All in all, the first 5 tracks are enough to win you over. Maybe not the first listen maybe not the second, but eventually.

The middle of the album drops off slightly in quality but it is still good. And you will probably still be reeling from the first 5 anyway. Other things to note are the AWESOME guitar riff on Screwdriver, the eccentricity of One More Cup of Coffee, and the trancelike music of I Fought Piranhas. An interesting thing to note is the longest song is just a hair over three minutes. It really is a shame because on many of the tracks, it will leave you wanting much much more.

Good debut
...and they got even better, with "De Stijl" and "Elephant".

Good garage-blues-rock, with a scaled-down sound (just guitar and drums). Reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's first two albums, and you can't get a much bigger compliment than that. Gets better with each listen, as good albums should.

The only gripe I have is that there is a degree of "sameness" between the tracks - they could have done better by trimming a few tracks off the album, and maybe worked on introducing some more variety.

The best tracks are "Stop breaking down" (a cover of the Robert Johnson classic, though for the definitive version listen to the Rolling Stones' version on "Exile on Main Street"), "Suzy Lee" and "Sugar never tasted so good". ... Read more

Album Description

The ultimate anthology curated by the band, 52 songsincluding 'Don't Let's Start', 'Birdhouse In Your Soul' and the Grammy-winning 'Boss Of Me' plus a full color book with lyrics, discography and essays by the band and NPR's SarahVowell. Digipaks housed in a slipcase. 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

The Way Compilations Were Meant to be Made
For all those They Might Be Giants' fans hoping that "Dial-A-Song" will attract new fans, well, I'm one of those newbies. Before I picked up "Dial-A-Song", I had only heard a tiny amount of TMBG material ("Istanbul", "Particle Man", "Boss of Me", "Dr. Evil") but I loved all those songs. So, I walk into my local music store, pick it up and listen to it and I am duly impressed. Since, I didn't want to purchase a studio album by then, I opted for this instead and it's now in heavy rotation around my house. I couldn't believe I was missing out on such great songs like "Doctor Worm", "New York City" and "Man, It's So Loud in Here". I was also amused by the humorous second disc, which featured some of TMBG's more obscure works like "I Can Hear You" and the three new live tracks. Add a new fan to your tally, folks!

Incredibly thorough compilation
I never really got into TMBG until I first heard this compilation. The main problem was that I had only heard a few of their songs that didn't really appeal to me. But the Dial-a-Song 20 year box set shows the wide varaiety of the Giants' style. From the poppy "Don't Let's Start," to the hoe-downesqu "Number Three," to... well, what ever you want to classify "Boat of Car" as. The only real flaw I can hear is that some songs that really aren't so great (Spy, James K. Polk, Minimum wage) made the set, while some of the Johns' greatest songs (Kiss Me, Son of God, Destination Moon, We Want a Rock) are nowhere to be seen. Still, that's really not enough reason for you not to buy this set.

Among the best of the "Best of" records!
I bought "Dial a Song" expecting a run-of-the-mill "best of" compilation, hoping to fill in the cracks in my small collection of "Giants" recordings. Well imagine my surprise to find a beautifully assembled compilation of the best of "They Might be Giants"! I mean this in the sense that they didn't just pick out their most popular recordings, but truly the BEST of their recordings. And they didn't stop there! Because instead of simply plopping the songs onto a CD in chronilogical order (as so many do), they arranged them in a sequence that actually makes many of them sound BETTER than they did on the original recordings. The songs flow from one to another with almost eerie smoothness, pulling you into the music and making you bop around the livingroom oozing joy.

Really. A great record. You need it now.

A Great Way To Get Acquainted (or catch up)
In 1999 the band released _Severe Tire Damage_, a disappointing 'live' album that attempted to act as a career retrospective. It did feature many of their best-known songs, but in relatively subpar renditions. This 2-disc anthology is very welcome. It's got ALL of their singles, in the original studio incarnations, plus a good number of classic album tracks ...even a few rarities. Well-sequenced and remastered, too.

Best compilation ever!
This is a good compilation if you are new to they might be giants, it will make you love them!the first cd is kinda like their greatest hits, I love all but one song on this CD.The second one is all of their best songs that weren't hits.Has a lot of live songs and alternate versions too!Oh, and this isn't a collection of dial-a-song songs either, just an anthology and other stuff. If anyone told you not to get this anthology, don't listen.Well worth your money.If you like weird al, devo, or anything of the sort, you'll love this! ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Possessing a likable, arena-rock amalgamation of grunge, alternative, and nu metal, Kansas City's Puddle of Mudd are at once emotional and straight-ahead. Indeed, their no-frills lineup puts one in mind of a less uptight Creed. Singer Wesley Reid Scantlin possesses an Eddie Vedder earnestness that on hard-hitting tunes like "Nobody Told Me" takes on a Cobain-like urgency. Ranging from acoustic-based yet lush midtempo rockers such as "Drift and Die" to the gimmicky fun of "She Hates Me" to the edgy Nirvana-esque "Bring Me Down" to the dynamic and direct "Control," the 11-song-strong Come Clean is an assured, accomplished, and varied debut likely to resonate with rock fans of many tastes and temperaments. Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (255)

Guilty Pleasure
I miss Alice in Chains. Nobody did dark, brooding rock/metal better. They were powerful on their full length albums, and astonishingly fragile on their acoustic EP's. But unknown forces have driven Alice in Chains underground, and the closest someone's come to approximating their sound lately is Puddle of Mudd.

Come Clean isn't revolutionary, and the lyrics leave something to be desired (particularly on "Control," the opener). But Puddle of Mudd's echoing of AIC's debut album Facelift gives their own debut a solid quality to it that most current metal bands just don't have (especially if said bands employ a DJ). Heavy riffs are piled on top of heavier riffs without the holier-than-thou preciousness of a band like Creed. It's simple, straight driving metal that doesn't try too hard and isn't over-produced. For today's music scene, that's the best you can ask for.

Most critics have bashed Come Clean as derivative. It is, of course, but I also think the band's gotten a bum rap for its incredibly stupid name (apparently Korn was already taken) and its ties to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. POM's songs have strong melodies (particularly on "Blurry" and "Out of My Head"), and singer Wes Scantlin has a solid, if indistinguishable, voice. Clearly this is a band that has potential beyond this album, but this is a nice start.

On another note, POM's live show (which I saw here in NYC) is still pretty weak. I'd wait another album or two to see them live.

Great debut
I didn't have high expectations for this album, especially because of what i've read in here, before buying it. Well I was wrong.
"Come Clean" is great, from the first moment until the last one, it keeps you listening and forces you to thank - again - Fred Durst for a marvelous discovery.
POM sings hard rock, with grunge influences... many great in-your-face songs, also 3 awesome ballads..
They may not be too original, but at least they sing, and they do it in a great way. Some songs reminded me about Nirvana, and Wes's voice is not like Eddie Veder's, not at all...
The best song on the album is a ballad called "Blurry", a song that i know it's a big hit in the States, but it hasn't been released as a single yet here in Europe, so the first time i have heard it was actually on this album.
"Control" is well known, while other great songs are "Drift and Die", "Basement" and "Said"...
Advice: buy this album. You won't regret it. But don't expect something new, like you've never heard before. Just expect great quality rock music.

Puddle of Garbage
If you think nirvana was bad enough, this pile of s***
is even worse, this is an annoying piece of trash
that even kurt nobrain would hate too, poor songs
poor writing and even worse guitar playing in years
Thankfully terrance j. reardon did not review this
Thank You kurt nobrain and Fred Douchbag you allowed this stupid music to happen, Puddle of Mudd totally sucks so badly.

great cd
Control - 10/10

Drift and Die - 10/10

Out of my Head - 9.5/10

Nobody Told Me - 9.5/10

Blurry - 10/10

She hates me - 9/10

Bring me Down - 10/10

Never Change - 8.5/10

Basement - 9.5/10

Said - 8/10

Piss it all away - 5/10

AWESOME
u losers keep dissing nirvana AND saying these people r just like them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a**holes

u dis the lyrics come (...) lyrics NEVER make the real music music all about the lyrics if RAP that sh*t blows monkey nuts if u really wanna feal the music u gotta get into it, beyond the lyrics, where u not only hear the music, u feel it and how it all fits together the lyrics dont matter the notes do u can even ask an old person that like classical that

so (...) the music before u reveiw it, and if u cant feel the music, go listen to rap sh*t ... Read more

Album Description

Recorded virtually live in the studio presents a differentfacet of the groups style. 18 tracks. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Cause Anton's Quick Like That
Let me preface this by saying that this is one of the most amazing albums I have ever heard. It is Newcombe in his finest hour. After downloading B.S.A. and the ode to Davis Bowie I switched off my computer and went straight to the record store. It was the best fifteen dollars I ever spent. Cabin Fever is purely tragic, and Straight Up and Down is possibly the best song of the 'psyche-pop' genre. You should get yourself a copy of this album. Its worth it.

real rock
real rock music is messy, deranged, and often angry. the trick is making it fulfilling to listen to, which bjm does with each successive record. they somehow drench their tunes in great moody noise, while keeping all the traditional elements needed for groovy rock songs. great songs that sound like people making them are hard to come by, and these guys hit it every time. thanks for the alternative to creed and linkin park.

my favorite
This is probably my favorite BJM release...they bounce back and forth between Stones, Beatles, and Bowie homage-parodies without a hitch.

To say the singer stinks is to misunderstand what it's all about. He captures the swaggering, self-absorbed, heroin-addicted brit quite well. Tracks 5 through 12 are a non-stop ride through the late 60's/early 70's.

If you take the trip, be sure to say hi to "Keef" before lead singer Anton kills him on (the channeled) Brian Jones' behalf.

Mocking the Music Business
I think that this album rocks and not only because of the music, but the attitude as well. The Jonesers hit the nail on the head with the title of the album. It seems like this is the album the record producers want to see, but they do it in such a way that they are really mocking the system and its evil forces. Long live the free!

Music at its lowest
Ok its deriviative, the soudn quality is bad and the singer stinks. What more is there to say? I think this band would be good if they at least pretended to care about the music but I think they are to busy trying to be something they are not....talented. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When you come up with the most-played radio hit of the year, there is no need to wrack your brains for a follow-up. Lifehouse, who earned such a distinction with 2001's highly addictive "Hanging by a Moment," shrewdly stick to the emotional guitar-rock palette of that breakthrough single for most of their second album. "I wouldn't change a thing," frontman Jason Wade declares on the searing "Spin," and the band follows through on powerful, life-affirming tracks such as "Wash" and "Take Me Away." Produced by Ron Aniello (Days of the New), mixed by Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, U2), and written primarily between tours, this is the kind of ambitious and endearing album that suggests its makers won't settle for anything less than global domination. --Aidin Vazari ... Read more

Reviews (103)

Don't overlook this album!
Stanley Climbfall is one of the best cds I've purchased this year. I've been anixously awaiting Lifehouse's second album ever since I got my hands on No Name Face in early 2001. I was not at all disappointed by Stanley Climbfall. The album is amazing, but keep in mind, it is NOT a carbon copy of No Name Face. The band has grown and matured significantly without abandoning their catchy melodies and honest, uplifting lyrics. Lead singer Jason Wade's extrordinary songwriting skills really shine on this cd. He has expanded his vocal range as well. Most importantly, Lifehouse sounds like a band now--the songs sound like group efforts, like all members made contributions, not just Jason. The band has amazing chemistry together. It's difficult to listen to the cd only once though; it takes a few listens for the depth of the songs to really sink in. The album has a good mix of fast, mid-tempo and slow songs, making the cd perfect for any mood you're in.

DO NOT be afraid to purchase this cd!! If you liked No Name Face, you will like this album. Even if you didn't like No Name Face, give Stanley a listen anyway, the band has grown and now you just might find yourself singing along to "Spin" next time you hear it on the radio.

A few of my favorites: The Beginning, Am I Ever Gonna Find Out, Spin, and Empty Space

Lifehouse - Stanley Climbfall
Lifehouse frontman Jason Wade quoted a Dreamworks executive saying 'you have you whole life to write your first album and just a few months to write the second'. Although that statement sounds credible and applicable for Lifehouse, the difference in quality between their debut album 'No Name Face' and this follow-up is barely recognizeable, though the band has invented a totally new sound for themselves while keeping some of the first album's characteristics. Below you will find reviews of all the tracks.

Spin - An oath to Led Zeppelin? Maybe. Seemingly inspired by that group, it opens the album in a typical rocking fashion. 9/10

Wash - Features a great instrumental intro and an awesome chorus. 7/10

Sky Is Falling - A bit monotone, but beautiful in some parts. One of the more quiet songs on the album. 7/10

Anchor - Sounds like it wasn't made by Lifehouse, being very heavy and hard. The lyrics are typical of Jason Wade, but it's a bit too far off for my liking. Still a great song in its own right. 6/10

Am I Ever Gonna Find Out - Makes great use of the wide range of Jason's voice, a bit on the short side, but one of the better songs on the album. 8/10

Stanley Climbfall - A beautiful ballad that has Beatle-esque atmosphere troughout some parts of the song. One of the best songs on the album. 8/10

Out of Breath - Hanging by a Moment part 2, the pacing in this song is similar to the smash hit by Lifehouse, though the bass line and chorus aren't quite as catchy. 7/10

Just Another Name - One of the weaker songs on the album, it is a quite boring one for Lifehouse standards and the lyrics aren't in the same league/style that we're used to from Jason Wade. 6/10

Take Me Away - One of the best songs Lifehouse has ever made, this song is beautiful on the album, but it can be played in so many variations: a long, epic rock variation as well as the acoustic set, which transforms it into an emotional ballad. An awesome, awesome musical masterpiece. 10/10

My Precious - Drowns in not so memorable lyrics and insturmentals, one of the weaker songs on the album. 5/10

Empty Space - Superb song with great lyrics. Ballad-like, but has a rocking style to hide its purpose. One of the better songs on the album. 9/10

The Beginning - Something totally different for Lifehouse, but it ends up being a great song. Starts slow, but the pace picks up further along. 7/10

How Long - Awesome song that features as a bonus track on the album. Very great intro with drums and some guitar accords. 8/10

Sky Is Fallin acoustic - Great acoustic version of a great song. 7/10

All in all simply not as good as 'No Name Face', but this is a great follow-up seeing how high the expectations were. My highest possible reccomendation, also for people who still know Lifehouse only from Hanging By A Moment, Sick Cycle Carousel or the beatiful Breathing.

Buy it, buy it, buy it
I'm going to try and keep this short, so I'll just start by saying that this is one of the best albums I own--and I own a lot. Whereas with "No Name Face" there were always tracks I could skip over to get to the better ones, such is simply not the case with "Simon Climbfall." The title track itself is all strange and blissful sadness, and when Jason Wade writes lyrics like "living just to make it through another day," it sticks with you. So many of us think that, and yet no one ever really says it, at least aloud. He's a wonderful songwriter.

Other standouts (must I pick?) are "Wash," "Just Another Name," "Take Me Away," and "Spin." The band is truly adept in writing music that is more an experience, rather than just clever wording or hooky bass riffs; I believe they accomplish this with actual MELODY and what must be a very good knowledge of composition, in order to turn in and around those beautiful resolutions the way they do.

While there's no mistaking that this music is the product of Lifehouse, I see growth and greater collaboration among the members themselves. When artists fail to grow with each album, they are accused of not doing anything different, not maturing. When they do mature, however, people will inevitably complain that "it's just not like their first one." I believe that artistic growth is much more important than the bottom line, and while I'm very disappointed that this album sold so relatively few copies, I'm glad there was little artistic sacrifice. Here's hoping they come out with their next one soon, and that the masses will rediscover how truly gifted and real these guys are.

Climbfall Falls Flat
Being a huge fan of the great craftsmanship that went into their previous album "No Name Face", Stanley Climbfall could not compete in the least.

The songwriting was very dull, the production boring, and the album continuity flat. Nothing of the great creativity that went into songs such as Everything and Breathing.

Not worth the money. Better luck next time to Lifehouse.

Don't bother with this garbage
This album pales in comparison to no name face. No name face is without a doubt a five star album, but these songs are somehow horribly inferior. The lyrics are still emotional but sung without the same conviction of no name face leaving the songs sounding dull and boring. I was expecting so much more after their debut brilliance. Forget this, get no name face. ... Read more

Reviews (77)

Awesome
After the first listen, I thought this cd was just ok. After repeated listenings, I really started to get into it. Every song is very catchy, and the disc definately grows on you. John McCrea's bitter vocals are wry and incisive as always, and the bass lines are driving, the trumpets are soaring, the guitar breaks are rocking, and the drums are banging. John's vocals and the music really mesh together well, rendering a furor of rich, melodic, pop songs. The apex of the cd is probably the funky jamming toward the end of track 5, Tolene. Backround vocalists are chanting an amazing "ahhhh ah ahhh" in the backround while the guitar solo is just shredding and John is begging the listener to "get down!" Awesome. Other high points include the opener Comanche, Rock N Roll Lifestyle, Ain't No Good and I Bombed Korea. This cd is intelligent pop/rock at its best. Any fans of cake or just pop music in general should be smitten with this incredible outing from a stellar band.

Easily the best Cake album
I think Cake sold out, or at least got that miasmic sheen of celebrity which coats many young bands after their initial success and makes it so hard for them to ever make another good album, a long time ago. But Motorcade of Generosity is the straight dope. The only bad things about this album are that I spelled Motercade wrong in permanent ink on my burned copy and that I played it about 500 times in a row during my junior year of college. Jolene is Cake's best song. Haze of Love, Up So Close, Pentagram, Mr. Mastadon Farm.. I don't even know the names of half the songs, but I know the words. Seriously, if you like Cake at all, you should get this album. I Bombed Korea is awesome. "Red flowers bursting down below us / Those people didn't even know us." Also, the CD I have was made for me by a friend from Sacto, their home town, and at the end he tacked on a nice punk version of Groovy Kind of Love. I'd highly recommend it highly.

Classic Cake
Motorcade is a great cd. This is the first of Cakes cd's and with Motorcade, you really get a great sense of what this band is all about. This cd has many great songs on it including 'Jolene' (my favorite cake song,) and 'Rock n Roll Lifestyle.' Motorcade has perfect blends of guitar, trumpet, bass, and John Mcrea's voice. With superb lyrics and sound, Motorcade is a must have for Cake lovers, or lovers of good music.

CAKE!!!
Yeah, this band rules. I still haven't gotten around to picking up some of their newer material, but this disc smokes. If you feel like kicking back with some seriously good music, this is the disc for you. Great singer, unique sound, creative lyrics....you can't go wrong with Cake. If you've only heard their later material, do yourself a favor and pick up "Motorcade of Generosity" to see where it all began.

Cake is the Truth...
Cake's first album, Motorcade of Generosity, released on a shoestring budget, is my favorite album of the four, which I believe will be looked upn many years from now, and probably not until then, as classics. Cake is a band that does not require a perfect recording to get their music across and MOG is by no means a high quality studio production, but Cake is best in their rawest form. Cake's music meshes so many different genres together into a unique sound that added to McCreas vocals and metaphorical lyrics represents the most original music being made today. Cake songs are made to be sung, and are all ridiculously easy to sing to. Many are sad, some tragic, some a little crazy, and many are laughably funny (and sometimes all of these elements appear in the same song). Yet many can be danced to as well. The use of instruments is brilliant at times. Is Cake's music 50 years ahead of its time or 50 years behind it? It's actually a strange thing to think about. Cake is to music right now what South Park is to television. It is full of meaning and metaphors without a thread of self-righteousness. It is the truth... It examines and communicates many things through its metaphors and expands knowingly or unknowingy into many realms of humanity and then brings you back to simply enjoying the music with a silly or disturbing lyric. Of course, McCrea would deny any deeper meaning to his music, and there is genius in this insistence. McCrea makes his point about the meaning of music, to make you think without letting the meaning being lost in always trying to find meaning; ultimately you fall back to simply laughing and singing these crazy tunes. This is timeless music, and will not fad e. I think he would be honored by the comparison with South Park. This album is a work of art, and every song should be enjoyed. Do not skip any! You may start to realize that excess ain't rebellion, you're drinking what they're selling... or maybe that Jesus wrote a blank check, one you haven't cashed quite yet... ... Read more

Amazon.com

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

Reviews (238)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

Creed burst out of Florida with 1997's My Own Prison, a dark but commercial debut reminiscent of the early-'90s Seattle sound. Creed's moody guitar grunge and ardent lyrics, coupled with singer Scott Stapp's passionate vocals, helped My Own Prison sell millions. Human Clay demonstrates that this likable quartet hasn't messed with success; they turn in a sophomore outing rife with evocative moodiness, soaring guitars, and a dark, roiling, intense vibe. "Beautiful" is but one of the winners on this strong 11-song CD. Haunting and indeed beautiful, the track is more delicate and seductive than most heard here, as is another lilting and mysterious entry, "Never Die," which boasts some Middle Eastern accents. "Higher" is typical Creed--safe, emotive guitar rock for the masses, but with a slight edge. Memorable hooks, Soundgarden-like guitars, and Vedder-like vocals make Human Clay at once compelling and effectively redundant. --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (743)

Creed's most complicated and brooding album
"My Own Prison" was very good, but this builds on it to give Creed a more distinctive and clearer sound. Mark Tremonti came out wih all guns blazing to craft a hard-edged, yet melodic sound with his guitar that is the focal point of the album. For some of the songs, Tremonti compiles intricate songwriting, much like Alex Liefson does for Rush. As for Creed's rythym section, they are in fine form with bassist Brian Marshall banging the 4-string well and drummer Scott Phillips creates more of his own style from his influences of Living Colour and Led Zepplin. And lyrically, Scott Stapp pens some outsanding words and sings them with equivelent furvor.

Stand outs on this 11-song outing would have to be the the rock hard "What If," the wonderful tracks "Beautiful" and "Say I," and espiescially the soul-stirring "Higher," even if it is over-played. Other excellent tracks are the beautiful "With Arms Wide Open," the haunting "Wash Away Those Years," and the middle-eastern tinged "Faceless Man." Though every song is very good and I enjoy them all, those are the best and they make this album more than worth while. If you like your rock hard with lush overtones and melodism, this is the record for you. And even if you are just curious, I highly recommend this album.

Boring, humorless, and pretentious...
and that's the best part of this album.

I'd rather hear my dog eating out of his dog food bowl.

Avoid this group like the plague.

Thankfully, they have broken up, so we will no longer be exposed to this sludge anymore.

Not bad...
These guys will probably go down as one of the best rock bands of the early 00's. This album along with their other one sold alot of copies, and they did have alot of hits. Their music isn't amazing, but I think their way better than those Nickelcrack and 3 D***s Down wannabes will ever be.

When is Alter Bridge releasing it's first album?
I'm with the millions of other people who are mourning Creed's breakup and eagerly awaiting the release of "One Day Remains" by Alter Bridge, essentially Creed minus Scott Stapp. I won't get into Pearl Jam vs. Creed because a couple hundred people before me were trading reviews about this...
This is the best Creed album, proven through it's instant ascent to the top of the charts upon its release. The heavy songs in the first half of the album, Are You Ready? through Wrong Way are deep and forboding, and the distortion on the guitars and lyrics fit very accordingly. In the latter half, Creed spreads its arms wide open and plays/sings with anthemic style that sports the most catchy guitar riffs I've ever heard.
I've only been introduced to Creed recently by a friend at school, I had my own doubts at first, because the only bearable songs for first-timers are the radio-ready songs "Higher" and "With Arms Wide Open." However, as I listened to it more, the other songs became more appealing and I got the other two disks.
I was disappointed that Creed broke up only several months after I got into its music, but I'm awaiting the arrival of Alter Bridge. Creed isn't finished yet.

MY MOUTHS NOT OPEN
this is a horrible band. scott staff cant sing. the muisc is ok. i cant think of anything good to say about them so i will leave it at that ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Though R.E.M. titled a later album Monster, this 1991 smash was the true monster, with the little Athens, Georgia, quartet graduating once and for all from its jangling independent-rock roots. The confusion Michael Stipe communicates in the catchy "Losing My Religion" and the dark-and-dreamy "Low" hit the mainstream-rock audience when it was most primed for uneasy angst. (Nirvana's Nevermind was released a few months later.) There are also odd but successful experiments, like ceding the opening "Radio Song" to rapper KRS-One (with Stipe playing the moaning straight man) and going peppy for the surprisingly nonsarcastic "Shiny Happy People." --Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (135)

Out Of Time,Just in Time
Out Of Time is the double edge sword for REM.It brought them to superstar status yet it brought the wrath of longtime fans who thought they'd sold out.In retrospect it seems a little extreme since at the time,there was nothing like it.In the time that hairbands were soon to become an endangered species,and Nevermind was just around the corner,REM released an album that took chances when most acts at the time(heck even today)ran a formula into the ground. Losing My Religion led the way with its delicatly picked mandolin and understated string arrangement.But for those who played only the aformentioned track 2(and sometimes track 7)were missing out on a great album.Near Wild Heaven,Shiny Happy People,and Radio Song are bouncy pop songs that improve on the peppy tracks on Green.But songs like Low,Half a World Away & Texarkana have an air of melencholy about them.Country Feedback build in intensity as Michael Stipe sing the most personal pre-AFTP song,and Honey In Me brings both sad & happy together on the final track.Old fans could yell sell out all the want,but OOT came out at the right time which also helped pave the way for more daring music to be embraced by the mainstream and make the 90's a memorable decade in music

Blessed Sounds
This was the first REM album I listened to and , although I have listened to all their subsequent albums and Document, Life's Rich Pageant and Green before it, it still remains the most pleasurable. Like most REM albums, it has multiple meanings but it has generally come to be regarded as their 'love' album. This effect is partly achieved by Kate Pierson's warm and lively presence on tracks like Shiny Happy People and Me in Honey. To me, this album sounds like a lost summer with the mandolins and baroque instrumentation Automatic for the People would wallow more blatantly in nostalgia on Man on the Moon and politics in Drive and Ignoreland and twisted the tunes even more than Country Feedback was threatening on OOT. Their ultimate 'twisted' album was Monster, that picked up where Monster's Star Me Kitten left off. >So Out of Time is a lot of things- KRS-One's funny, ironic rap that makes you think (Radio Song) a sunny surf/road album (Near Wild Heaven, Texarkana), a baroque meditation (Losing my religion, Endgame, Half the World Away), and something inbetween (Shiny Happy People). The likes of Low and Belong sound ancient and tribal, a perfect counter-evolution of the Beach Boy style harmonies. But there is nothing simple about the thought processes behind this album- it takes a lot of intelligence, a lot of avant-garde thinking, to sound this upbeat yet this sombre. Michael Stipe's warm, resonant voice is recorded in digital while the instruments are recorded by analogue. The cover art and inside sleeves are, for once, not just afterthoughts. The sound is crystal clear and it resonates with that sense of being revolutionary yet innocent that fully emerged, blinking in the summer of the very early nineties, from the likes of The La's, The Stone Roses and, in their own way, Nirvana. To any ordinary band, this would be, undisputedly, their finest moment. To me, it still is.

REM sells Out!
This is by far my least favorite album by the boys. I thought then and still do today, that it was a wannabe commercial, sell-out recording. It lacked the soul of their earlier albums and the innovation of their later albums. This is a great band, but they dropped the ball on this one. Too sappy!

Shiny, Happy Music (albeit rather insubstantial)
OUT OF TIME stands as something of a paradox in R.E.M.'s discography. Even though it's R.E.M.'s most inconsistent album, OUT OF TIME ushered in a new, radical phase in the band's career, moving them far and away from such groundbreaking recordings as MURMER or RECKONING. Because of the massive hit "Losing My Religion," R.E.M. came out from the underground and began their mainstream career. While all the subsequent records (AUTOMATIC, MONSTER, NEW ADVENTURES, UP, and REVEAL) have moved them further along the lines of reinventing their sound, this transformation started here.

Ironically enough, this is R.E.M.'s worst album, although this is the very record that broke them into mainstream and enabled them to make some of the greatest music of their career. While many purists despise this album, I personally feel that without this record which brought R.E.M. such massive success, we wouldn't have those great later day records. It may have turned off a lot of fans, but OUT OF TIME brought R.E.M. to national attention. Still, it can be hard to swallow some of this record.

Filled with sonic grooves and textures, bright, shinny production, and lots of outside collaboration, OUT OF TIME finds R.E.M. moving away from the more jangly pop and underground sound of their IRS years to a more mainstream, streamlined sound. ("Radio Song," one of the more bizaare collaborations with rapper KRS-1, is a fun, jaunty little song, but still sounds, after all these years, as a rather misguided and a largely failed experiment.) The biggest problem with OUT OF TIME is, after the record finishes, there's not a lot to return too. It's a shiny, happy record, without much substance.

Any record where the production is more noteworthy than the songwriting is in deep trouble, and that is exactly where OUT OF TIME suffers. I do admire the band's ambition to broaden and deepen their sound, bringing in mandolins, keyboards, and even string sections. It's just the songs on OUT OF TIME are so breezy and insubstantial that is plays like a 1970s Wings album. It gets in a mellow, sunny groove, more concentrated on making a pleasant summer record than making lasting music. Like "Shiny Happy People," OUT OF TIME is a great catchy album overall but when it comes down too it, stripping away all the bright production and concentrating on the album itself, there's not really that much to it. Even the title has that tossed off feel. The band laterally ran out of time to come up with a title, hence the name.

However, when the band does get the songwriting right, then OUT OF TIME strikes gold. The aforementioned "Losing My Religion" deserves all the acclaim it gets. (Who'd think a mandolin driven song would be such a huge hit???) "Half a World Away," "Texarkana," and "Near Wild Heaven" are essential songs. Also, the two outtakes on the bonus disc from IN TIME, R.E.M.'s recently released greatest hits compilation, would have greatly aided this record. "Fretless" and "It's a Free World Baby" are both more substantial than most of the material here and Buck even said to send in a resequenced setlsit to the band because they were thinking about reissuing this album with these two songs incorporated into it.

The real masterpiece, however, is the phenomenal song "Country Feedback." Capturing a general psychic unrest and a searching for meaning, "Country Feedback" is easily my favorite song on the album and one of my top ten R.E.M. songs. The lyrics reminds me "E Bow the Letter." Both "E Bow" and "Country Feedback" have a very distinctive, haunting style that never fails to capture my ear, with wonderful, free association lyrics wedded with R.E.M.'s great instrumental sensibilities. One of R.E.M.'s best. Great live version on IN TIME on the B-Side disc.

In the end, OUT OF TIME never really offends; it just never really makes you think other than the two aforementioned masterpieces. It's a pretty fun record to listen too, but not something to return too time and time again. It's ironic that this is the album that catapulted them into mainstream radio, given OUT OF TIME's spotty nature. R.E.M. made great records before this, and they made wonderful records after this. We can thank OUT OF TIME for coming at that critical juncture, that linchpin record that secured R.E.M. a place in 1990s mainstream rock. Just wish it was a more substantial record than what it is.

An essential classic for R.E.M. fans.
This is the first R.E.M. cd I have owned. I bought it when it first came out, and I'm still listening to it since. It is a great cd, full of classic, memorable songs, with surprising cameo appearances. Only a few flaws prevent it from getting the perfect 5 star rating...

Losing My Religion is the main song off this album, and it's brilliant, of course. It's a fantastic, catchy song that will have you hooked... that is, if you aren't already!

The brilliant Low and Half A World Away occupy this album, both great pieces of music that deserved more recognition. Country Feedback is another great song, and keen R.E.M. fans may tell you that it's one of their best.

This cd also contains the single... um, Shiny Happy People. This song has a mixed opinion about it; some love it, some can't stand it. I suppose the same can apply for Radio Song (which I, personally, can't stand.) With "Automatic", generally everyone can relate to, and love, the songs on it, but with these...

As for the others, well, they're a mixed bag, really. Near Wild Heaven is catchy, though perhaps a bit poppy. Endgame is a great instrumental, and the remaining Belong and Me In Honey are certainly good songs, though they are dwarfed by the more popular songs on the cd.

So what's the verdict? Well, despite 2 or 3 poppy songs that some people are bound to oppose to, this is still a great album that I recommend to anyone! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ben Folds Live is a stellar exception to the rule that live albums are contractually obliged stocking fillers. Folds is at his best on stage with only a grand piano for company. He is a compelling showman who's blessed with an unforced charm that complements the anger and melancholy that informs most of his songs: the self-lacerating "Army" loses nothing by having a hall of people bellowing the saxophone and trumpet parts as Folds conducts them. The material here spans Folds' work with the three-piece Ben Folds Five as well as 2001's excellent solo debut. The readings of "Fred Jones," "The Luckiest," and "Brick" display an immediacy and intimacy that transcend the recorded versions. A couple of worthwhile curiosities--a minor chord rearrangement of "Song for the Dumped" and a faithful, affecting version of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" round out the offerings. This is an impeccable document of a superior performer at work. --Andrew Mueller ... Read more

Reviews (91)

Folds Takes Audience on Solo Outing
On this album, Ben Folds takes us on a musical journey through some classic Ben Folds Five songs--Solo! This is a live album. It's just Ben, a Baldwin Piano, a stage, and the audience. This disc package also offers a bonus DVD which is especially rewarding, as we can see Ben perform some of the very songs featured on the audio CD.

After the breakup of the band Ben Folds Five, Ben Folds himself went solo, releasing an album called Rockin the Suburbs on Sept.11, 2001. This album contains live versions of several songs from this album as well as Ben Folds Five standards from their first three studio albums.

Ben does an amazingly good job keeping the rhythm flowing, even without his band. His playing goes from sincere to aggressive very easily.

If you are a fan already, buy this album. If you are new, try the album Whatever and Ever Amen first.

Live Performance at its Best
If nothing else, Ben Folds is a performer. He is a song writer, lyricist and artist, but he revels in live performance more than anything. When Ben Folds Five toured, their shows were exhilirating, and so were Ben Folds' initial solo tours. But when Ben Folds decided to ditch the backup band and go literally solo (with just his baby grand), it took his music to an new level.

I saw three of the shows from this tour, aptly titled "Ben Folds and a Piano", and the final CD production has done the shows justice. On all the tracks, Folds makes up for the lack of a band with just his piano, altering the songs to take on new forms. The result is a stripped down, more raw version that brings out the intensity in even his lightest, most comical songs. Additionally, the packaged DVD gives you a little idea of the way he involved the crowd in the shows.

The album is a must for anyone who missed the tour and would like to get a small experience of Ben Folds in his element.

One of the Best Live Performers Ever!
I wasn't a huge Ben Folds fan until I saw him live opening on the Lottapiano's tour for Tori Amos. I was only slightly familiar with Ben Folds Five, and wasn't even aware that he had gone solo. Shame on me! I was missing out on some incredible music. Not only is Ben Folds and incredible live performer, but he's an incredible musician, storyteller, and artist. Unlike so many acts out there today, he has plenty of talent aside from merely holding a microphone and looking pretty. His lyrics are definitely amusing and very witty, and his piano playing is unrivalled (with the exception of his 2003 tour partner Tori). In comparison to what I've heard of Ben Folds Five, I like his solo material better by far. He is certainly talented enough to hold his own on stage without any backup.

I believe that sometimes in order to really, truly appreciate someone's music and musical talent, you need to see them live. Luckily, you don't have to fork out the money for expensive concert tickets in order capture that energy and essence in this case. This inexpensive CD does that for you, and believe me, it's worth every penny!

Some highlights on this CD include:

Track 2 "Zak and Sara;" This song really showcases Ben's piano playing ability, and has really great lyrics. Definitely a song that you will get stuck in your head and find yourself singing all day long!

Track 5 "Not the Same;" A great song that manages to be emotional and funny at the same time. Tells the story of a friend who went on an acid trip that changed his life.

Track 9 "Brick;" Tells the tragic tale of Ben and his high school girlfriend getting an abortion, and what it feels like. A great slow, emotional song.

Track 11 "Army;" Great lyrics that tell a story about Ben Folds getting into music. Very funny song, and great piano playing! This one is particularly fun live when Ben has the audience sing the brass parts.

Track 13 "Tiny Dancer;" Ben does and awesome job covering this Elton John song. I never really liked it before until I heard this version.

I would recommend this CD to anyone who can appreciate great piano playing and superbly witty lyrics. The only thing this CD doesn't do is capture some of his humorous stories in between songs. If you ever get the opportunity to see Ben Folds live, definitely go see him! You won't regret it!

1 word: AMAZING
Ben Folds is a genius. His music is incredible, and sounds even better live. This is a great 2-disc set, and the DVD of songs is great too! His impression of Elton John in Tiny Dancer on the DVD is priceless. This is a must-have for any true Ben Folds fan!

my favorite BF album
Although the audience noise can be a bit annoying sometimes, I really like this album the best because of the variety of songs. He plays some Ben Folds Five songs as well as others. It's interesting to hear the stories behind some of the songs, and I enjoy the music with just the piano. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The splicing together of nu metal, rap, funk, and sterile electronica laced with dark melodies as infectious as anything Britney has to offer inspired 6 million people to purchase copies of Limp Bizkit's Significant Other. With Chocolate Starfish, they perfect their formula. From the electro-infused "Intro" through the contagiously chugging "My Generation" to the straight-up rap of "Getcha Groove On," Chocolate Starfish is a slick, clinical, and flawless platform for Fred Durst's effortlessly savage--and occasionally unintentionally comic--sociological rants geared toward disaffected youth. Ultimately, though, it's that undeniably intelligent musical backdrop--the brooding guitar sound that gave the Mission Impossible 2 theme haunting new life and menace, and that defines "Hot Dog," "Full Nelson," "My Way," "Rollin'," "Boiler," and "It'll Be Okay"--that makes this a seething work of genius. The fact is, with rap and rock saying pretty much the same thing, Limp Bizkit have plenty of competition. They just do what they do better than everyone else. --Dan Gennoe ... Read more

Reviews (1018)

Limp Bizket has lost their touch
The best Limp Bizket album of all time is by far 3 dolla bill. All following albums have been mediocre and satisfy nothing more then the pure MTV neo hardcore audience that want to be with the "in crowd" at junior high school. Just attend a Limp Bizket concert and you will see amazingly young people running scared from the mosh pits with wild eyed fear. Lord knows they then go home to tell their friends that they had "a BLAST" at the show, "moshed the entire show" and "almost got into a fight with a two ton gorilla." The CD does show some effort however with catchy guitar work and reasonably decent mixed backbeats, but thats about the extent of it. Fred Durst is in with the whole Carson Daily, Kid Rock, Eminem TRL crowd that everyone seems to love today. In other words Durst is the Christina Aguilera of hard rock/rap core and it was quite fitting to see them together on stage at this years MTV Video Music Awards. If you want a truly innovative CD I recommend Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory, any Deftones CD, Taproot - Gift (Fred Durst doesnt much like Taproot for some reason *shrug*), or any Pitchshifter cd. Hope this helps.

Disappointing.
When the history of post-Nirvana rock is written, Chocolate Starfish will probably have a worse reputation than it deserves. I say this because it wasn't until after Limp Bizkit put out this album that I really noticed any comparisons of nu-metal to 80's hair metal. After seeing the heights Limp Bizkit was capable of in Significant Other, watching them crash with this one is all the more painful.

What is wrong with this album? In a word, filler. I don't mind filler on albums, as long as it doesn't distract the listener from the good stuff. The filler on Starfish, however, is either bad, or entertaining in its badness (like an Ed Wood film). It sounds as though Durst realizes his conflict with his ex-girlfriend has finished, but he's still angry. Probably the biggest mistake is starting out with "Hot Dog", Mr. Durst's ode to his favorite four-letter word. I might have been able to forgive this, had it not been for the track that immediately follows. I didn't expect "My Generation" to have any connection to my favorite song by The Who, but when Durst launched into the chorus with a cheap imitation of Roger Daltrey's stutter, I became so incensed that the rest of the album, was, for a intents and purposes, ruined for me.

Although there are some reasonably good singles ("Boiler," "My Way"), the bad tracks make this purchase questionable for anyone who isn't already a Limp fan.

Who'z in Tha Houze?
"Limp Bizkit Presents Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water"...Definitely one of the funkiest titles I've heard in my lifetime so far. And, I'm sure it wont be the last. Funkiest is definitely one word to describe this album. Its got a nice blend of Rock and Hop-Hip. A testament of that is "Rollin'" (both Air Raid"Rock" and Urban Assault"Hip Hop" Vehicles), "Getcha Groove On", and "My Generation". Tho LB has lost a bit of their Punk edge that they had with "Three Dollar Bill$ Y'All", there's still a hint of it in the song "Full Nelson". This years (and into 2001) angst anthem(s) are definitely "My Generation" and "My Way". The track "Getcha Groove On" feat. Mr. X to the Z (Xzibit)has got a nice beat going there made by DJ Lethal. And the collaboration with Scott Weiland on the melody ballet "Hold On" is reminisant of "Nobody Like You" of last years "Significant Other", only softer. There are also spoken cameos from actors Mark Wahlberg, Ben Stiller, Pro Skater Rob Dyrdek. This album wont compare to LB's breakthru "Three Dollar Bill$ Y'All" But it's a good album..more of a experimental album but like Wes Borland said,"I think we have a solid fan base that will buy it, no matter whether it's shunned by the mainstream or not,that's who we made it for - them (the fan base), and for ourselves." Die-hard fans of "Three Dollar Bill$ Y'all" will probably look at this album in disgust, Fans of "SO" will like this album....but if you're like me..both a fan of "3DBY" and "SO" and welcome changes in the music world then you'll enjoy this album.

the best limp bizkit album ever!!!!!!!!!!
1.intro-9/10 very good beat in the intro.fred did a good job on this intro.has the alien voices in it,there are pretty good.<br /> 2.hot dog-8/10 this song is good.good beat and guitar sounds.this song would have had 10/10 but it got 8 because the lyrics are nothing but the F word over and over again.He says it 48 times in this song.<br /> 3.my generation-10/10 AWESOME song.everything in this song is good.<br /> 4.full nelson-9/10 this song is pretty good.fred sings about how he was bullied all the time and how he would knock anybody out who picked on him.this song will pump you up to fight anyone who messes with you.good song though.<br /> 5.my way-10/10 absolute awesome song!!!lyrics,beats,guitar,everything in this song is great!<br /> 6.rollin {air raid vehicle}-100/10 The best song on this album!!!!!great for when your cruising around in your car.everything in the song iS GREAT.<br /> 7.livin' it up-9/10 a good rap and rock song.beat is alright.guitar is absolutely awesome!lyrics are awesome too.<br /> 8.the one-5/10 this song is ok.not rock or rap.not much to say about this song.<br /> 9.getcha groove on-10/10 very good rap song.fred and xzibit did a great job on this song.great beat and lyrics.<br /> 10.take a look around-9/10 the classic mission impossible song.beat and guitar is great.lyrics are alright.it's pretty good.<br /> 11.it'll be ok-7/10 this song is not bad.everything but the lyrics are good.lyrics are slow.<br /> 12.boiler-3/10 this song isn't really good.all it's about is fred's problems.<br /> 13.hold on-4/10 this song is fair.that's all i can say.<br /> 14.rollin [urban assualt vehicle]-10/10 great remix.fred,dmx,red man and method man did a good job with this song.this is the rap version.very good song.<br /> 15.outro-6/10 great outro.just like the intro.it's good until they start talking.the guy that starts the talking is annoying.<br /> <br /> <br /> WARNING:I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU GET THE EXPLICIT VERSION OF THIS ALBUM.THE EDITED VERSION SOUNDS LIKE CRAP.HOT DOG IS ALMOST NOTHING BUT INSTRUMENTAL.TRUST ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />

The most underrated album ever
Rolling Stone was smart enough to give it 3 1/2 stars, Amazon.com was smart enough to give it a rave review, and everyone who rated this album under 4 stars is dumb enough to bash this album for reasons that they are unaware of, I'm sure. People, grow up. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From 1999's Music Bank box set and its one-CD compilation offshoot, Nothing Safe: The Best of the Box to a 1996 Unplugged CD, the Alice in Chains titles continue to arrive even while the band--and especially reclusive frontman Layne Staley--stagnates. The quartet's heavy, dirgelike music is aging well, but the 10 songs that comprise Greatest Hits are the basic radio hits. Greatest Hits features no new music, no liner notes, no lyrics, no new photos, and no elaborate packaging. Still, for the rock fan, every song on the disc (five of them penned solely by talented guitarist Jerry Cantrell) is a bona fide hit, from the band's earliest, their 1990 breakthrough "Man in the Box," to the lush orchestration of "I Stay Away" to 1995's dark pop gem "Heaven Beside You." Greatest Hits provides a quick fix for newer fans, but with The Best of the Box boasting 9 of Greatest Hits' 10 songs, plus an additional 5 selections. Skip Hits and go for The Best. --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Great for the casual fan 9 hits [inexpensively]
Just incase you didn't pick up the 16 track Nothing Safe: Best of the Box, and the Music Bank Boxed Set, the Greatest Hits have been released. For the casual fan of Alice In Chains that hears them on the radio and loves them, this is great, because its at a [low] price and it comes with 9 hits and a filler track... Them Bones. For those who have never heard these songs before, Man In The Box is a slow rocking melody, which centers around one constant guitar riff and the singer's vocals. Them Bones is a hard rocking song that only lasts two minutes, but its worth a listen. Rooster is a slow mellow song with the hook phrase "they come to snuff the rooster, but he ain't gonna die." This song gets very boring once you hear it 3 times. Angry Chair centers around a tranquil drum beat and a quiet guitar riff, which occasionally breaks for the singer to emphasize something. Would comes from several soundtracks and has a nice rolling beat to kick off the song before slowing down into trance like vocals. Unfortunately fans of Alice in Chains are cynical about this release, because there was a 16 song Best of released only 2 years before this.

What the hell....
It saddens me that record companies are willing to resort to this kind of marketing. The only difference between this album and "Nothing Safe" released 2 years ago is the name and the fact that it has 5 fewer songs. Nominally, this will be Alice's "Greatest Hits" album though really Nothing Safe has done the job quite well. There is no need for this.

The only reason I'd buy this album is because I love Alice In Chains and I seek to have everything they've made. There's no value in this besides another CD that says "Alice In Chains" on my rack. Instead of resorting to this nonsense, Columbia would have done much better by either releasing a CD of "authorized" bootlegs of live recordings and rare tracks, or released a video of live Alice material. This compilation doesn't come close to filling a CD, and is a stark reminder that maybe Columbia and not Alice is now running the show.

Dont waste your money, stick with the studio albums.
Just buy the album's, AIC had no need for a greatest hits. All there albums were greatest hits. This is just a record company ploy to make money. If your looking to start somwhere buy "Dirt".

Notable for getting me into AIC, and it will make you a fan!
Although this compilation surely isn't the BEST or the Worst collection of Alice in Chains, it's a good compilation with all of Alice in Chains best-known songs. Although having only 10 songs on the CD, they all are classics which no reviewer would dare question, and are the perfect introduction to Alice in Chains for a casual fan. Thankfully, I picked this CD up at a Garage Sale for 5 Dollars, and I've never looked back since, purchasing all of Alice in Chains excellent albums, and none disappointed. Although reviewers will pan this CD because it's missing a "Lot of songs", it's really only missing 3 songs, the mild radio hits "Down In a Hole" and "Sea of Sorrow", plus the fan-favorite "What the Hell Have I?". Plus, this CD is basically a steal, as you can get it for ONLY 9.99$ at most Record Dealers, while the other Alice in Chains compilations, Best of the Box and Music Bank, can cost you much more. Best of the Box is a good compilation, but it suffers from an over-emphasis on live material, and Alice in Chains Live is simply not as good as the studio recordings. Music Bank is criminally expensive, and there's no reason to buy it unless you want Early Demos of Alice in Chains before they released Facelift. Also, another good thing about this album is it is in Chronological Order so you can see how Alice in Chains improved(Or didn't) as they went along. You get "Man in the Box" from Facelift, "Them Bones","Rooster","Angry Chair", and "Would?" from Dirt(Probably Alice In Chains Best Album!), from the Jar of Flies acoustic EP you get "I Stay Away", and "No Excuses", and from Alice in Chains (Sadly) final Self-Titled (Coined "Tripod" by fans because of the 3-Legged Dog on the front)album you get the songs "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", and "Again". Overall, the only album it doesn't cover is the Sap EP, but that really has no good songs, and was made when Alice in Chains was still trying to find their style. TO ALL POTENTIAL BUYERS, IF YOU HEARD ALICE IN CHAINS WAS GOOD BELIEVE IT! IF YOU BUY THIS AND LOVE IT(Which you will!), GO AHEAD ANY BUY ALL THEIR MATERIAL(Except for maybe SAP), AS YOU WILL LOVE IT ALL! If you like Grunge(Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden) or Metal, you will like this! But really, Instead of buying this compilation or any other, I would just go ahead and buy Facelift, Dirt, Tripod, and Jar of Flies as they will only set you back 35 Dollars, which is a very good deal! Overall, a short but sweet compilation that delivers what it says it will, and is a cheaper alternative to Music Bank or Best of the Box. The only reason this compilation gets 4 stars is that it is simply impossible to create the "Definitive" Alice in Chains Compilation, but it does a good job even if it is missing a few songs, or maybe even many songs.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! START YOUR ALICE IN CHAINS COLLECTION WITH THIS COMPILATION, AND IF YOU LIKE IT BUY ALL THEIR OTHER RECORDS!

Short and sweet
I know that hardcore AIC fans won't stop and dive for the racks just to nab this collection, but I consider myself a casual listener so I picked it up because it contained the essential radio-aired songs that made them famous. Sure this CD doesn't add up to The Best of the Box, and it's not supposed to, but if people love the band so much they'll buy Facelift, Dirt, Jar of Flies, and the final self-titled album instead. This is short and sweet, and that's how I like my music. 4 stars in total. ... Read more

Album Description

Green Day's first album "39/Smooth" is back in a brand new deluxe edition. Originally released in 1990 and selling over 900,000 copies to date, this album was the world's first glimpse of Green Day's unique blend of punk rock energy, melodic riffs and self depreciating charm. Green Day is the most popular punk band in the world today with millions of fans all over the world. Every track has been re-mastered from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman in 2003. This historic album sounds better than ever, and is available at a new low price. More for Less, how can that be wrong? Special Features * Enhanced CD! * Over 20 minutes of live video performances from 1990-1991 * Vintage photos, handwritten lyrics by Billie Joe and flyer art * Live radio performance and interview from 1991 * Included are the band's first two 7 inch EPs "1000 Hours" from 1989, "Slappy" from 1990 plus a compilation track from 1991 * The CD package has been redesigned by the original artist into a deluxe embossed digipack with a twelve page booklet including more art and photos from the original vinyl releases. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

It *does* sound better...
I'm not going to review this album again, considering I already did a couple of months back. Instead, I'll just answer the big question: is the new remastered, enhanced version really worth the purchase?

I think so.

Here are a few reasons why:
1. The enhanced CD features are really neat. You can look at old, previously unseen pictures of the band when they were young, listen to acoustic versions of "Paper Lanterns" and others that were previously only on the radio, etc.
2. New artwork. It's not much, but it's pretty cool to have.
3. The remastering. Honestly, when I first put it in my CD player, I said, "That's it?! It doesn't sound any different to me!" But then I put it in my discman... I was wrong. There's a difference. Now everything sounds louder and clearer, and like another reviewer said, it breathes new life into old songs.

Also, there is a version out there that has a free large Green Day t-shirt and sticker pack for the same price. That's the one I got, so look for it, although I don't know if it's limited edition or not.

Overall, if you don't have the original copy of 1,039/Smooth, and you want to buy it, make it this one. It's got all the extra features listed above, it sounds better, and oh yeah, it's cheaper. If you have the original, it's also worth checking out. Snoogins.

greendays great debut
The fact that this album is less known is unfortunate, because its green day at their best. This cd and Kerplunk are the oldest but the best of their albums. Some guy in an old rundown cd store (school feild trip), had this cd on his counter several years back. I had never seen it and had all the other green day cds to date. I asked him about it. He said that it was very rare and couldnt be bought in US. He said it was in his personal collection but that he would sell it to me for 35 bucks.Ass hole. Me (not knowing you can buy it almost anywhere) bought it for 35 dollars. Although i was pissed off when i found out, i think it was worth the money. A must have for any green day fan.

Same old Sound
Disappointed for the most part...the extras are cool but not nearly enough to justify a re-release. Other bands I've been a fan of have re-released old stuff, but took the time to make the music 100 times better....redid guitar tracks, vocals, etc., made it more polished. The actual music from the album sounds exactly like it did in 1991. A great album, don't get me wrong, but don't expect a wall of guitar sound now. It's the same as it was. If a couple of songs off a concert video interest you or a handful of songs from an old radio show interest you...spend the money. If you're a fan and have never purchased this album...spend the money. If you're old like me and bought this in 1991, save your money....it's been there, done that. On the bright side, I didn't buy the last couple Green Day albums so I'm still ahead in the long run. ALL, no ALL!

Better than Before?
I will readily admit that I was a bit skeptical about this re-release, but my fears have been silenced after purchasing it. It breathes new life into old songs, and gives this album the sound it deserves. A MUST OWN for Green Day fans - even if you have the original version.

My favorite Green Day CD
That's right I like this one the best. I can't believe only one other person left a "review" for this so far. So for those who missed out on this one becuase it was released before Green Day was a popular group, you really should check this one out. There are a lot of good songs on here, and it's a MUCH better album compared to the last Green Day CD I bought, "Warning". Totally recommended for Green Day fans or fans of punk rock in general. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Soundgarden combined the epic grandstanding of Led Zeppelin with the grunge buzz of Blue Cheer and the psychedelic undertones of the Butthole Surfers to create some of the definitive hard rock of the 1990s. This collection of what can loosely be defined as "hits" (hard rock isn't noted for its singles action) briefly sweeps over the indie years with SubPop and SST, placing emphasis on the band's successful A&M years. Singer Chris Cornell's histrionic wails grabbed the bulk of the attention, but the band's true power rested with the drumming of Matt Cameron and the twin guitar attack of Cornell and Kim Thayil. One need only listen to "Fell on Black Days" or "Blow Up the Outside World" to understand that Soundgarden's complex riffs and superb dynamics were its great strengths. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (64)

An excellent choice if you don't have any of their albums.
This 17-song collection is a near-perfect showcase of some of the incredible rock tunes Soundgarden were able to come up with over the last few years. This CD highlights stuff from their indie days (the rocking 'Nothing To Say', 'Loud Love', 'Hands All Over', to name a few) all the way up to their excellent finale Down On The Upside ('Pretty Noose', 'Burden In My Hand', Blow Up The Outside World', and for some strange reason, 'Ty Cobb'). Most of their biggest and best hits ('Black Hole Sun', 'Outshined', 'Jesus Christ Pose', 'Pretty Noose' among them) are here, the only omission really being 'My Wave'. The material had to be balanced though, so there wouldn't be 3 from Badmotorfinger, but 7 or 8 from Superunknown. There are 3 or 4 songs from each of their LP's, which is good, because they perfectly capture the spirit of each respective album. As a Greatest Hits package, you can't go wrong with A-Sides, but if you have all of their albums, the only previously unreleased song is the 'Burden In My Hand' B-side 'Bleed Together', so you might not want to fork out more cash. If you're just a casual fan who never really bothered to buy any of their CD's, then A-Sides is all you need to get your Soundgarden fix.

Seattle's Finest
Don't get me wrong, Nirvana is hella good, but they really get too much credit from "being from Seattle". Soundgarden is basically what "Seattle Bands" music is made up of, and alot of bands that followed tried to immitate but can never master. This collection is more of a greatist hits than Superunknown. Don't get me wrong, Superunknown is one of the greatest CD's ever realeased in the 90's, but this collection encompasses their more successful songs, and in my oppinion is on of the best and most talented CD released in the 90's. This collection has some of Superunknown's finest (Black Hole Sun, Fell on Black Days, and Spoonman). It also has some of Badmotofinger's finest (Jesus Christ Pose, Outshines, Rusty Cage, [It's missing Room A Thousand Years Wide, I personally think]). It also has tons of other great songs from earlier years that really are excellent songs. Such as: Flower, Loud Love, Pretty Noose, Burden In My Hand, and Blow Up The Outside World). As with every Soundgarden CD every song is great, and if there has to be one called 'greatist hits' I'd put my vote on A-Sides.

Great for anybody trying to get into Soundgarden or Grunge!
First off, If you didn't figure this out before, this album is essentially a compilation of the best songs from Soundgarden's 6 album spanning career, not necesarrily a Greatest Hits compilation, as many of the songs on here are not hits, but you will find many hits. Soundgarden, along with Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, hit it big after the sucess of Nirvana with the sucess of Superunknown, which featured the massive hit "Black Hole Sun", "The Day I Tried To Live", and "Fell on Black Days". It also had the mildly popular "Spoonman", which introduced the major public to Soundgarden. Although this was Soundgarden's commercial breakthrough, they'd had many albums before this one. Soundgarden started off with the EP "Screaming Life/Fopp" which is represented on A-Sides with the haunting song "Nothing to Say", which has a surprising amount of maturity for a song released on their first album, and is one of my personal favorites. Thier next CD turned out to be a full LP, and it was called Ultramega OK, and this album is represented by "Flower", yet again another powerful song with great lyrics from Cornell. Next up Soundgarden released another LP, Louder Than Love, which is represented on A-Sides with "Loud Love", a song with a great chorus that sounds a lot like fellow Grunge band Mother Love Bone, "Hands All Over" has great guitar work from Kim Thayil, and " Get on the Snake", a song that to me sounds like late 80's metal with an AC/DC edge to it. Soundgarden's next album was their first Major Label release, and it was this album, not Nevermind, that was expected to blow the Alt Rock doors open. That album, the mysteriously called Badmotorfinger, is probably Soundgarden at their grungiest and best, and still stands as thier best album in my opinion, with no bad songs on it whatsoever, and it is represented in A-Sides with the less than stellar "Jesus Christ Pose", which is a little to repetitive for me, "Outshined", my 2nd favorite Soundgarden song because of the great chorus and overall musicianship to the song, and "Rusty Cage", a song that features some great singing via Cornell and a speed that rivals Metallica in some ways. The next album, as I have said before, Superunknown, was Soundgarden's huge commercial breakthrough, and most all of the singles off Superunknown are still radio staples on any station. Superunknown is represented on A-Sides with the catchy "Spoonman", a song that gets old after a few listens though, "The Day I Tried To Live", a dark song that builds up to Cornell's haunting lyrics(Great Guitar work too!), "Black Hole Sun", my personal favorite song from Soundgarden, as just everything seems to fit, with Cornell's GREAT vocals, and the end of this song really makes you want to jump up out of your seat and bang your head(Really!), and finally the last song of Superunknown is "Fell on Black Days", a song that starts slow but really picks up at the end, great musicianship all around. Soundgarden's next album, Down on the Upside, was thought to be as big a commercial sucess as its predecessor, but upon it's release, it flirted on the charts for a few weeks, then dropped off, and sales never really picked up after that. Down on the Upside is represented on A-Sides with the songs that follow: "Pretty Noose",a song with great vocals from Cornell and really good drumming from Cameron, "Burden In My Hand",a relatively slow song with an awesome chorus, gets faster at the end, "Blow up the Outside World", a song that starts slow with annoying vocals but quickly picks up to an awesome chorus due to some great vocals via Cornell, and the worst song on the album, "Ty Cobb", a song with a pretty good beat that is ruined by the stupid lyrics that don't add anything to the song. There is also a previously unreleased song on here, titled "Bleed Together", and it is a great addition to A-Sides, with really good guitar and drumming work, and catchy vocals from Cornell. Unfortuneatly, after poor sales on Down on the Upside, Soundgarden decided to part ways, closing one of the best chapters in the history of Grunge, and in effect, ending the whole grunge movement, with Pearl Jam the only one to carry the load but failing to do so with their albums Yield and Binaural. Since the end of Soundgarden, Chris Cornell has gone on to do a solo project, releasing the LP "Euphoria Morning", and also teaming up with the instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine to release the stellar self-titled LP "Audioslave", which has introduced a whole new generation to Chris Cornell and his faithful old band Soundgarden, and A-Sides is where you want to start.

Good, more titles, live cuts?
A good collection, but it certainly could have been better.

Three songs I certainly would have considered adding, which I have not seen mentioned here, are:

Girl U Want (from BMF SOMMS) - among best cover tunes ever.
Slaves and Bulldozers (any live version ... no history of this band is complete without a live version of this song and that is all there is to it.)
Big Bottoms (live) - funny and loud and passionate and crud and musical all at once.

That would be a good start.

The best of the northwest.
"Soundgarden" being a favorite band of mine for 15 years, I've got to own every album. But for the newcomer or casual fan, this collection pretty much gets to the point, "Soundgarden" rocks! Regardless of their sound at the time (punk, metal, grunge), they have consistently made excellent music, and this disc is proof of that. Included are the hits "Black Hole Sun", "Outshined", and "Burden In My Hand", as well as favorites "Nothing To Say", "Hands All Over", and "Fell On Black Days". Plus the cool unreleased track "Bleed Together". I could tell you what I miss on here, but I don't want to type that much. However my biggest question after many years is, where's "B-Sides". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Garbage's third album is an almost total departure for modern rock's renowned poster children. Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Duke Erickson, and Steve Marker robustly straddled the line between alternative rock and techno in their two efforts, whipping up two finely crafted CDs that captured the cultural mood of the late '90s. After six years in the saddle, they've shaken off the charge that they're a producer's creation and have emerged as a full-blown band. The band has also given up all pretext at being au courant and topical, instead combining '80s kitsch with '70s pop, with a stop along the way to worship at the altars of Phil Spector and Chrissie Hynde and even at times arriving at their own version of nu soul. "Shut Your Mouth" is raw and menacing and does as much for female empowerment as a Missy Elliott hit. "Can't Cry These Tears Anymore" is a modern take on Leslie Gore's "It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To), but with all the strangeness of Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. If there is a single theme to Beautiful Garbage (named after a line in a Courtney Love song), it's that smart girls don't put all their faith in love. The heroine in most of these 13 songs would rather kick a faithless lover in the, er, shins with her stilettos than pine by the phone. The "Stupid Girl" of the band's debut is now just a stupid memory. --Jaan Uhelszki ... Read more

Reviews (581)

garbage tkes new direction
Garbage's music could be described as an indie-rock conglomeration. They incorporate different styles and techniques that, when layered, form a complex network of unique sounds that give Garbage their infamy. The new album, "Beautiful Garbage," released in the US on Oct. 2, meshes tough lyrics with the sporadic lapse into vulnerability, familiar jagged guitar chords, and the occasional tribute to form a satisfyingly diverse album that goes where no band has gone before. Garbage consists of Shirley Manson's vocals, Butch Vig, who has worked previously on hit records by Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins, on drums, Steve Marker on bass and Duke Erikson on lead guitar. The band was popularized with their first two hit records (self-titled, and "Version 2.0") which drove some of their songs to the mainstream. "Only Happy When It Rains," "Queer," "Special" and "When I Grow Up," are some of Garbage's more prevalent hits. Manson's image as a tough vixen was solidified by the success of their previous singles, but "Beautiful Garbage" shows her more vulnerable side with admittances such as "I never said that I was perfect/but I can drive you home," from "Drive You Home." The CD begins with the contradictory "Shut Your Mouth." The song is aimed at those who want too much too fast, and will inevitably be overwhelmed by it. It addresses the folly of those who are constantly transforming in an attempt to be everything to everyone. The song has quickly flowing vocals that contrast with the often harsh, accusational lyrics, and interjecting guitar stylings to form a razor sharp effect that perfectly matches the song's message. The first single from the album, "Androgyny," is a somewhat lighthearted song preaching the need for companionship. Its theme is self-evident and trite, as it states "Nobody wants to feel alone." "Androgyny" seems focused toward the mainstream pop audience with its catchy chorus, and synthesizer-heavy echoes. It is reminiscent of Blur's "Boys and Girls," but the latter successfully broadcast its message without wearing a pseudo-pop mask. "Cup of Coffee" is centered around a familiar topic: the unexpected end to a relationship. It is about withdrawal and how it is dealt with. The song is primarily soft and melodic, but picks up in parts to create smooth transitions. The lyrics are delivered in a sultry manner that leaves a lingering sense of loss in the listener. "Silence is Golden" casts a new light on a worn phrase. The song appears to be spoken from the perspective of an abuse victim who is angered by the paradoxical nature of her situation. The lyrics "If I am silent then I am not real/but if I speak up then no one will hear," are sung with the frustration that a fear of admittance can cause. The song is supported by Garbage's signature pounding guitar style that parallels Manson's ever-present strength. "Silence is Golden" successfully channels anger and frustration into a strong yet mournful cry challenging abuse. "Parade" is the album's crowning achievement. It is a powerful song that is unlike any Garbage thus far. Its vocals are effectively detached, and blend skillfully with the song's churning background. Individuality is its message, and the song recognizes the lack of it in today's society. "Beautiful Garbage" may be quite unlike Garbage's previous albums, but it offers a fresh and creative diversity that is uncommon amongst the usual waves of replica-pop. Garbage has always been an experimental band, and "Beautiful Garbage" is a creative step in a new direction.

Buy it. Play it. Love it.
When Garbage roared onto the music scene in 1995 with their highly successful debut album, they were well received by both music fans and critics. But one criticism they've always had fired at them is that they suffer a chronic lack of diversity in their musical style. Their second album, the appropriately titled Version 2.0, only gave these criticisms more credibility, bouncing the same boppy techno tracks with each cut. So does beautifulgarbage correct the problem? Indeedy do!

Androgyny, the first single, is a danceable, highly enjoyable R&B number, with lyrics like 'boys in the girls room, girls in the mens room' which liberally mock traditional gender stereotypes. It's a totally different Garbage sound to what you're used to, but there's no denying it sinks its hooks in.

As for the rest of the album, their new sound takes some warming up to, but there's enough oldgarbage in beautifulgarbage to remind you who you're listening to. Shut Your Mouth (as the title would suggest) is an acidic, vicious funk song, with so much attitude that it's impossible to dislike. Garbage pay homage to their punk roots on this one. Can't Cry These Tears is a much more soothing ballad, with a gorgeous sweeping harmony, and Shirley really pushing her vocal skills to the limit. Till The Day I Die is a schizo rock/dance number that I completely adored.

Garbage are well noted for slow ballads such as Milk and You Look So Fine, so it's no surprise that Cup Of Coffee, with its mesmerizing piano track and outright depressing lyrics is such a wonder to listen to. Silence is Golden is perhaps Garbage's heaviest song to date. A favourite from their old live sets, it's erratic melody is held together by Shirley's anguished lyrics. Cherry Lips is a fabulous tribute/send-up to/of bubble-gum pop music, while Breaking Up The Girl is a strong rock song in the tradition of favourites like Special or Only Happy When It Rains.

After that point, the album really slows down. Drive You Home and the finishing track So Like A Rose are wonderfully atmospheric. Nobody Loves You equals Cup Of Coffee with its gorgeous lyrics and haunting music from the three boys. Parade is a wonderfully fast, celebratory song. Untouchable is another trip into R&B territory, that after Androgyny seems like overkill, though it's probably the better of the two songs.

Overall, Beautiful Garbage won't challenge their first album, but it's a damn fine collection of tracks, which explodes the myth of Garbage being samey. If you haven't heard it, I can't really tell you what to expect whether you're a Garbage fan or not. I grew to love it on the whole, but it took some getting used to. One thing's for certain, Garbage explore a lot of new territory here very successfully. Buy it. Play it. Love it.

New and old come together for a party of something unique
I realize from the sheer volume of reviews, that a variety of points of view have already been introduced, but too many of them have been negative, for my liking.

I think this album is yet another incarnation of the indespensible versatility of this band. Each song is crafted in a way that hits home with me, whether emotionally or on a tonal level, in a way that few albums with popularity can hope to accomplish.

Some say they "went pop" but I just find this a clever way to leave their own imprint on pop...to twist it or perhaps pervert it, I could say, to their image. And that's a main reason I love it.

From the industrial faux-rap aimed at their hopeless deniers, right through to the very last, subtly spooky and mournful track, this album moves from place to place with the greatest of ease and grace.

They cover pop such as the delightful "Androgeny" and the snappy "Untouchable" and the irresistible "Cherry Lips (Go Baby, Go!), heavy metal/power pop with the painfully honest "Silence Is Golden" and "Parade", and heartbreakingly keen balladry such as the subtle songs "Cup Of Coffee" and "Drive You Home", the latter of which provoking my tears each time I listen to it.

Anyone who has misinterperated this album, really must give it a chance to unearth the true extent of its genius and cleverness.

One of the best albums of 2001. I can't wait to see Garbage's next incarnation.

Incredibly catchy
I can't say I'm acquainted with Garbage's first album, but this album prompted me to go out and buy their second effort. Both are excellent but very different. The great thing about this album is the array of different sounds the album boasts. This isn't one of those albums where somebody could complain that "all the songs sound the same." For instance, there are songs that clearly take their influence from the 50's and from the 80's. If you like female driven vocals for rock/pop, don't pass this one up!!

A VERY Noticable Change
I think that, since Garbage changed their style on this album, they aren't liked as much. Personally, I still like them.

1.Shut Your Mouth-This song is a great opener, it's a song that's a bit hard to describe but it's well worth listening to, just to hear this new side to Garbage.

2.Androgyny- This isn't as good as 'Shut Your Mouth' but it's a very good song. The beginning (the flute sounding instrument) was a very smart idea.

3. Can't Cry These Tears- This is a slower song, not exactly slow, but slower then the previous tracks. I personally don't really like this song, but I can manage a listen.

4. Til The Day I Die- This is like a techno song, something they might've played in a 70s disco if it had been around. I love when she goes "farewell.... farewell"

5. Cup Of Coffee-A very dark song about getting dumped. It's VERY slow, but very good and also very depressing. I know this is just me, but sometimes I'll cry.

6. Silence Is Golden- Not exactly a favorite, but in a sense it almost is a favorite? This song is a but weird, and Shirley sounds very pained.

7.Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)- In the beginning of this song, Shirley's voice.... it sounds like a baby's. Never the less, this song is very good.

8. Breaking Up The Girl- Um, I don't really like this, and I think Parade was practically about the same topic and that song is better.

9. Drive You Home- This song is sad, it's almost empty. It's another Garbage song that you just can't describe.

10. Parade- This song is much better then Breaking Up The Girl. It's fast paced, and the chorus is very energetic as well.

11. Nobody Loves You- It reminds me of 'Sour Times (nobody Loves Me) by Portishead, and sounds a bit like it. This song has a very long intro that is quite haunting.

12. Untouchable- One of the poppier songs, but it's still very good. It has a bit of a hip hop vibe to it as well.

13. So Like A Rose- A nice ending, sad, but also very good.

I'm looking forward to the new album, coming out "later this year", entitled 'Hands On A Hard Body' and has 14 tracks. You also can't help wondering what they'll sound like next ... Read more

Reviews (1)

ptree s.m.s. -- essential extacy enhanced
"the sky moves sideways" is absolutely essential (6 stars!) early ptree. this remaster contains the s.m.s. titles from the original uk release (the us release was different -- it dropped "prepare yourself" and added "stars die"), plus this has "stars die" and a slightly longer version of "moonloop" (both were on the uk ep)....so already it has enough to warrant buying it....but wait! there's more -- this also has a 34 minute alternate version of the title cut.

110 minutes of aural gratification.

why are you still reading this? you should be ordering this disc!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The story of Elliott Smith is well known now: Shy and reclusive indie rocker soars to a Hollywood soundstage and major-label contract. His fans gasped in collective horror when he took a bow at the 1998 Oscars, his hand clasped by Celine Dion. He seemed far too fragile to survive among the sharks and vultures on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. But as his subsequent albums XO and now Figure 8 show, Smith has weathered the spotlight successfully and is moving ahead with self-assured grace. The beauty of Figure 8 is that it encompasses Smith's musical virtues, from the stark and wispy tunes of his lo-fi beginnings on Roman Candle to the orchestrated, Beatlesesque pomp and circumstance of later work to the intimate and sometimes painful nature of his live shows. Figure 8's opener, "Son of Sam," is as good as anything Smith has ever crafted, its soaring melody buoyed with lush instrumentation and a tin-pan-alley piano romp. "Happiness" is vintage Smith, its lyrics belying the title. But best of all are "Everything Reminds Me of Her" and "Everything Means Nothing to Me," which capture the dichotomies of Smith's music. The first is a lovely, delicate little tune--just Smith's wavering voice, a plucked guitar, and the plaintive lyrics of unabashed longing. The second is a layered soundscape, heavily produced, with washes of music covering a repeated lyrical line. One is direct, naked, and honest; the other is slippery, distant, and rational. These are the yin and yang of Smith's music, and it's the friction between the two--or, more accurately, the wreckage from one obdurate truth bashing up against the other--that makes Figure 8 resonate with such devastating power. --Tod Nelson ... Read more

Reviews (125)

Giving Us Another Little Peek At His Growing Musical Arsenal
After a couple of listens, you get the feeling that Elliott Smith is still exploring the studio space, carefully mulling over his musical arsenal and pondering what he's going to spring on us next. FIGURE 8's sound is much fuller and much richer than on his previous efforts but before you read "fuller" as "overproduced" (which seems to be the growing complaint about FIGURE 8...), you'll be happy to know there's still plenty of quiet intimacy on FIGURE 8. After all, it's still what Elliott does best. Besides, Elliott's voice is so sweet sounding it gives even the more upbeat pop songs a delicate, fragile quality. And his lyrics are so introspective, you become convinced Smith became a musician solely for his own theraputic benefit. That is, until you realize everything he says applies to your life, too. It's a gift too many musicians THINK they have and few actually have.

Although I think a few songs here could have been trimmed ("Everything Means Nothing To Me," "Pretty Mary K," and the saloon-plinking piano of "In The Lost And Found" don't really grab me...), there's just a lot of great stuff here. Start with three genuinely great pop offerings: "Son Of Sam," "Wouldn't Mama Be Proud?," and my personal favorite song on the album, "Junk Bond Trader." Then there's "Stupidity Tries," which builds with such melodrama, you'd think it's a sweeping epic twice its actual length. For those of you who prefer a more contemplative Elliott Smith, there's "Easy Way Out," "I Better Be Quiet Now," and (another one of my favorites from FIGURE 8) the simple yet beautiful "Everything Reminds Me Of Her." It's just a sweeping, beautiful album that'll have you tapping your foot one moment and crying the next. Fantastic.

Brilliant - Very Elliottesque...
Elliott does it again. But boy, the people who hated XO are gonna be bummed. This makes XO look like Either/Or. I have to admit, the first few spins were a little strange - this album is very produced. Son of Sam sounds nothing like either the one on the Happiness single nor the one he's been doing live with the band for the last couple of years. This is like a ragtime-shuffle version. It took a while to get used to some of these sounds, but ultimately these are all great songs. A great song is a great song. This album is loaded with instant classics. Apparently, Elliott's gone as far as wants to go with the solo acoustic thing (although a lot of these songs sounded great solo acoustic on his latest tour) but the embellishments don't ruin the songs. This is not your typical I-don't-have-any-real-songs-so-I'll-cover-it-up-with-heavy-production scams. And forget all the critics spouting about this being Beatlesque or Big Staresque. Listening to this album reminds me of listening to, well, Elliott Smith. The melodies and harmonies are very reminiscent of .. Elliott Smith. In fact, this album is very Elliottesque. And very excellent.

brilliant and beautiful
Figure 8 is a soundscape of its own. Lushly and crisply produced, each song resonates in its own way. Many Elliott Smith fans feel that the sound encompassed by Figure 8 is of a lower integrity or quality than Elliott's earlier music, such as the famously "lo-fi" Roman Candle. Figure 8 shows Elliott crafting rich arrangements eerily reminiscent of the Beatles--especially the soaring penultimate track, "Can't Make A Sound". Elliott's voice is lush and startling on this album; I do miss his certain qualities of it that were present on his earlier, starker albums. Figure 8 is addictive.

A Tortured Genius
Elliot Smith is a pure musical genius. His music is as pure and honest as music can be. This album is one to be treasured. You will not be disappointed.

Fine pop
An impressive suite of perfect gestures, 15 remarkably meticulous and dazzling aerian ballets of 3 minutes each. 15 songs straight from heaven. Elliott Smith was simply the best songwriter of his generation in the US. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Their formula is simple enough--equal parts teenage humor and brattiness combined with infectious guitar hooks that just beg to be cranked up on the stereo. But with Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, the guys in Blink 182 may have delivered their best album to date, a punk-pop fusion that's so consistent you'll wonder which of the 13 tracks will become radio hits (any has the chance, really). Yes, as with Dude Ranch and Enema of the State, the songs here revolve around falling in love ("The Rock Show," "First Date"), falling out of love ("Online Songs," "Happy Holidays, You Bastard"), and plenty of other ways to kill time while away from school ("Reckless Abandon"). And yes, these guitar-driven songs all pretty much sound the same, but Take Off never gets boring. There's too much nervous energy here, too many slight variations in the arrangements, and too many hilarious lyrics that you won't want to miss. Parents may remember that the Buzzcocks used this same shtick in the late '70s, older siblings may remember that Green Day did it well not so many years ago, but Blink fans know that their band is more clever than anyone else playing today. The bonus tracks are throwaways, but that's OK--the threesome have given us plenty to bop our heads to here. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (740)

Blink 182 rules the Rock World !!!
Like all blink albums this one improves on the last one ! Don't get me wrong , Enema of the state is just exelent , Dude Ranch rules , Chesire Cat has great lyrics but the vocals is too soft .
Take off your pants & jacket begins with Anthem Part 2 , supports teenage politics....
Followed by Online Songs , Mark Hoppus sings fast , better keep up . First Date turns back too High School with a nervous guy on his first date .... Story of a Lonely Guy is a half sweet punk rock song about a guy that falls behind . Track 6 is The Rock Show , who doesn't know this great single ? . Stay Toghether For the Kids goes about the life of divorce and love (video on the way) . Roller Coaster "favourite ride , let me kiss you one last time !" . Reckless Abandon is about a drugger . Everytime I Look for You will be seen on American Pie 2 , and will surely be a favourite many places . Followed by Give me One Good Reason that gives the finger to every principal and dominating parent . Shut up , I'll shut up about this one .
Lastly is , Please Take Me Home , telling you not to fall in love with you're hot friend (girlfriend). I Recomend every teenager in the world to BUY THIS CD . It's very good and very nice on the ear .

Every Song On Here Gets Better Every Time
That's what I think anyway. This whole CD is great from top to bottom. Not a bad song on here. Everyone knows that Blink 182 is not punk but they are pretty good. Anthem Part 2 would be my favorite track on this CD. It has great riffs and drumming.

1. Anthem Part 2: Great song. My favorite on here.

2. Online Songs: I recently got into this amazing track. Great speed with the guitars.

3. First Date: A little mellower than I want but it's okay.

4. Happy Holidays You Bastard: Great song with funny lyrics. This song gets stuck in my head a lot.

5. Story Of A Lonely Guy: Great! Perfect! Nothing else to make this track a better one. Everything is just perfect. Another personal favorite.

6. The Rock Show: I used to like this song but now it is just getting old.

7. Stay Together For The Kids: Awesome. Really hard at some parts. Yet again another personal favorite.

8. Roller Coaster: Awesome!

9. Reckless Abandon: Personal favorite again.

10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 are all really good with awesome guitars and vocals.

Overall:

Nice job on this CD. A great way to spend your money!

Take Off Your Pants & Jacket....A Must!
This is an awesome cd! I'm a big Blink 182 fan, so don't diss the band! The cd has awesome songs, and some funny ones. This is one of my favorite cds from them (next to Enema), and has used up at least 6 batteries on my cd player from listening to it! Anthem Part 2: True, so very true! Online Songs: Hahaha! This is a sort of funny song, and it's good! First Date: Love it! Happy Holidays: xP Very funny! Short Story Of A Lonely Guy: Wow, this is one of my favorites on this cd The Rock Show: This one ROCKS! Stay Together For The Kids: Ooh, soo good and true! It's one of the "slowest" on the cd Roller Coaster: ^^ Very good! Love it! Reckless Abandon: 'On and on, reckless abandon Something's wrong, this is gonna shock them, Nothing to hold on to, We'll use this song to lead you on' Ooh, ^^ good! Everytime I Look For You: Not my favorite, not my least favorite Give Me One Good Reason: Hmm, very good! I like it, it's probably my 3rd favorite, it's true and it rocks! xP Shut Up: Hahaha, it's sort of funneh Please Take Me Home: hmm...good You have to get this cd, it rocks!

excellent cd
dude dont diss this band they are so good this is one of my favortie cds ever get this.

Good follow up from Enima.
This is Blinks second Pop/rock/punk cd and their 5th actual cd ( not including Flyswatter demo ). What I eman by that is their odler stuff is more Punk, and when Enima of the State came out, their music started to change a little from punk to a pop-rock punk. This cd had such great songs as Happy Holidays You Bastard, Give Me One Good Reason, and Story of a Lonely Guy. The whole cd is great but thoes are just some of my favorites. This is a great cd and I recommend it to all blink fans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Reanimation is the evil twin of Linkin Park's 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory. While plotting their next studio album, the Southern California band enlisted some of aggro rock's leading lights, as well as some of the more enlightened underground MCs and producers, to slice and dice all the songs on their debut (including a few bonus cuts that made it to their Japanese release). Linkin Park allowed their special guests--including Korn's Jonathan Davis, Staind's Aaron Lewis, Orgy's Jay Gordon, the Roots' Black Thought, and Jurassic 5's Chali 2NA--to run riot through their songbook, tweaking melodies, writing new lyrics, and sometimes changing the entire intent of the originals. As a result, this collection of 20 songs is Mr. Hyde to Hybrid Theory's Dr. Jekyll. Most of Linkin Park's atmospheric and melodic moments have ended on the cutting-room floor--along with the self-consciousness that pervaded many of the songs--replaced with a brash impudence that's more rap than rock. Chali 2NA entirely changes the landscape on "Forgotten," shape-shifting the song into an alien being dubbed "Frgt/10," which takes you to a dark, desolate place with only your own disturbed thoughts and some electronic bleeps for company. And that's enough. This is a masterful art project that truly succeeds. --Jaan Uhelszki ... Read more

Reviews (457)

A different sound... but good for die hard LP fans.
With the release of the somewhat overproduced HYBRID THEORY, almost overnight LINKIN PARK (LP) became poster boys the for glam-boy-band-metal-pop rock set. Casual listeners forget that LP's origins feature heavy Hip-Hop influences courtesy of MC Mike Shinoda's lyrical raps and heavy sample-driven beats and Joe Hahn's incredible skills on the turntables. Early LP works lean heavy on the rap and pull back somewhat on the hard metal edge. Chester Bennington's screaming vocals still figured prominently, though were not the focus. From those beginnings, LP blended Hybrid Theory into a perfect mix of rock-rap that depending on who you ask, was generically good or uniquely awesome. Either way, Hybrid Theory was a smash appealling to rap/rock fans as well as metal/rock fans.

REANIMATION can be seen as a throwback to LP's old style with the hope that it would holdover fans until the second (official) album's release. Instead of new music, Reanimation features 12 remixes of the songs from the Hybrid Theory CD as well as a couple remixes from some unreleased/b-side tracks. 20 tracks total (including intermission tracks) for nearly an hour of music. The metal feel is still there, this time a little subdued while the rap element steps to the fore. Looking at some of the featured guests Kutmasta Kurt, Alchemist, Pharoahe Monch, Chali 2Na (of Jurrassic 5 fame), etc. etc. lets the listener know to get ready for some lyricists on the mic. Several songs get an extensive rap treatment including IN THE END (Enth E Nd), FORGOTTEN (Frgt/10), and PAPERCUT (PPr:Kut). In The End becomes barely recognizable with a complete lack of guitars, Bennington's piercing vocals and any emotion in Shinoda's rap. Annoying vocal loops and sound effects are the order of the day. Considering that In The End is one of LP's defining songs, it deserves a little better treatment on this CD. Forgotten is the same story except what saves this song is 2Na's smooth lyrics and the fact that it is so different from the Hybrid Theory version. Still, the high powered and fast feeling of the original song is lost in this remix. Papercut manages to have a better rock sound to it, but in the end the sampled guitars and whatnot sound too much like rap remixed to a rock beat.

Reanimation does have some overdriven, hard and loud highlights. STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis lends his mournful voice to an orchestral (yes orchestral) remix of CRAWLING (Krwling). The result is somewhat odd, but immensely satisfying in a fusion sort of way and manages to end the CD well. Also of note and my favorite track, is Shinoda's remix of PUSHING ME AWAY (P5hng Me A*wy) featuring Stephen Richards (of TAPROOT). Bennington's and Richards' vocals lead the way with highly processed guitars following right behind. Other tracks that seemingly follow the old LP format with a new sound and an electronic feel include RUNAWAY (Rnw@y) and BY MYSELF (By Myslf). Both rock enough to satisfy the metal heads who aren't enthused by all the rap. It's also worthwhile to mention the appearance of Jonathan Davis (of KORN) on the Humble Brother's retooling of their earlier remix of ONE STEP CLOSER (1stp Klosr). A somewhat older remix, One Step Closer gets a new feeling with Davis' -er- unique sound in the mix.

Having said all that and despite its faults, REANIMATION is still a worthy buy for any fan of LINKIN PARK. The sound is different, but LP is getting back to its roots. In these days of nu-metal and boy-band rock funky beats and songs from artists are to be expected and crossover is an everyday word. Alt-rockers and casual LP fans might want to stay away however, if you dig Shinoda's sound and the electronic/techno side of LP give REANIMATION a spin.

-dlb

Innovative, Simply Artistic
This album is original despite the fact that its not that original. Of course yes, most all of the songs are cuts from the previous studio hit album Hybrid Theory. This is basically a remix CD. But its a very unique remix album. Linkin Park decided to ask many popular DJ's and well known-artist (I.E. Aaron Lewis of Staind) and come in and mix everything up. The result is an album thats sounds very much like its NOT Linkin Park, but its fun to listen to and some of the tracks are amazing (Aaron Lewis version of Krwling). Some of the songs words are changed from the original and so it does provide something different. The only reason this is not a 5 star effort for its lack of cohesivessness. Some tracks are hip-hoppish with annoying DJ making up their own words. (In the End) and some are downright Moby-ish. TECHNO. Anyway I would say I really do enjoy listening to it. Anyone who was a fan of Hybrid Theory should get this......at least it will hold them over until the next all-new studio album.

this may be 4 u
if u like hybrid theory and love rap this is 4 u.
this may be one of my fav likin park cd's

Underground Rising!
This album, in my mind, is without a doubt, Linkin Park's best album. They experiment more with a hip-hop/hard rock cross that comes off with a very original style, worthy of recognition. I myself am a hard-core fan of underground hip-hop, not the ridiculous rap you hear more than often on the radio, but the clever, positive messages that intertwine their way through the master wordplay of a talented emcee. Oddly enough, "Reanimation" showcases some of the most talented underground emcees, backed with EXACTLY the potent, emotional production and melodies they need to showcase their talent. This is rap, rock, and music in general at it's very best.

Linkin Park actually doesn't need any help in the production area of things, but even so, just to be absolutely sure they prove that they will not be musically outdone, the sophomore rock group recruits the talented Kutmasta Kurt, Alchemist and Evidence, among others. I suppose this is needed, since this is technically a remix album, though I can see Linkin Park handling this aspect of the album without any help.

Linkin Park's emcee is very talented, all by himself, however, he has one of those voices that needs variety to counter-act him. His lyrics are strong and his flow is fluent, he just needs a different sound to break the monotony of his flow on every track. Linkin Park does a superb job of balancing the chemistry of this album. Track 5, "FRGT/10" is one of the best cuts on the whole CD, the original Linkin Park track being remixed by talented Alchemist. Lyrically, however, Chali2Na stands out like a floodlight in the dark. If only his verse was a little longer! Track 5 is nowhere near the only worthy track on this CD. Track 9, although lyrically very odd (seeing as it focuses largely on X-Men type of superpower), is a genius cut. Linkin Park this time calls in the talented rhyme and production masters of Dilated Peoples, Evidence and DJ Babu. That's not the end of it though. The grand finale is easily Pharoah Monch's magic touch on the track, courtesy of my favorite record label, Rawkus.

Finally, we make our way to the BEST track of the CD. 13.) "PPR:KUT", remixed by Cheapshot and Jubacca, featuring the underground master emcees Rasco and Planet Asia. They blow every other song on this record out of the water, adapting their flow to Linkin Park's cryptic, dark, and emotional sound with lines like "Now it feels/like my back's against the wall/I'm taking the fall/Whenver I call/nobody's responding at all/But I don't know who I can trust/they're screaming my name/I need somebody to help me out of the flame." When written down, these rhymes may not be terribly impressive, but the passionate delivery that accompanies them makes them great.

Overall, I recommend this CD to anyone who admires good musicianship, anybody with versatile tastes in music, and any fans of good rock or hip-hop. A very, very solid showcase of Linkin Park's talent, as well as the overlooked skills buried in the underground hip-hop market.

A Re-incarnation of Hybrid Theory
There are no negative aspects to this record , this is almost alike Trent Reznor's remix album's of all of the records he has recorded but with linkin park there more songs but the mintues that calculate all together are shorter than what Nine Inch Nails produced . Nine Inch Nails are a far better band than Linkin Park , that is a thing you people ahve to agree with me and Nine Inch Nails are like the creators of industrial music in my own little world .

Overall , this album isnt bad but great . It's more different than Hybrid theory and consist of unsual parings . ... Read more