Amazon.com

Like fellow former Mickey Mouse clubber Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera kicks off her debut album with a teen-lust nugget--in this case, the No. 1 single "Genie in a Bottle"--that the rest of the disc can't possibly live up to. Aguilera has a strong voice, but patterns herself after iffy role models such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Aside from "Genie," most of this music is straight from the cookie cutter, like the less than successfully sultry "When You Put Your Hands on Me" and the Mulan ballad showpiece "Reflection." In chart terms, though, there'll be no stopping her--at least for a while.--Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (886)

GOOD VOICE, GOOD UP-TEMPOS, BUT.......
I HAVE TO ADMIT, CHRISTINA AGUILERA HAS A VOICE, AND PERSONALLY, I FIND HER MUCH MORE TALENTED THAN SPEARS. HOWEVER, AS SOON AS I STARTED LISTENING TO HER CD, I FOUND THAT THE ONLY REALLY, REALLY GOOD SONGS IN THE TRACK WERE "GENIE..." AND "WHAT A GIRL WANTS". OTHER SEMI-GREAT SONGS INCLUDE "SO EMOTIONAL", "COME ON OVER", "LOVE FOR ALL SEASONS", AND...THAT'S ABOUT IT. I BELIEVE CHRIS HAS GOT A BRIGHT, LONG FUTURE AS A FEMALE SINGER, BUT SHE NEEDS TO BRUSH UP ON THOSE SONGS. MOST ARE LONG, MONOTONOUS BALLADS OR JUST PLAIN IRRITATING R&B SONGS. NO OFFENSE CHRISTINA, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU WROTE YOUR OWN SONGS. YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH THAT. HOWEVER, I DON'T DOUBT THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO LOOK UP TO AND CHERISH AGUILERA, AND WHO COULD BLAME THEM? SO PLEASE, IF YOU'RE A TRUE CHRISTINA AGUILERA FAN, DON'T LET THIS REVIEW STOP YOU FROM BUYING HER CD OR AUDIO CASSETTE. AFTER ALL, PEOPLE HAVE VARIOUS TASTES FOR MUSIC, AND I'M JUST STATING MINE.

Good Variety of Pop
From Micky Mouse to Mulan to Pop Divas, this bright young star has certainly hit a high note with this recording.

Christina Aguilera's self titled debut album is full of pop songs from strong powerful ballads to upbeat sing-a-long tunes and each displaying a great deal of talent from this young artist.

1. Genie In A Bottle - The song that has introduced Christina to most of her fans across the globe, and is impossible to dislike. 4/5

2. What A Girl Wants - A brave follow-up single to 'Genie In A Bottle'. It has an R'n'B flavor to it and may take a few listenings to before you can appreciate it. 3.5/5

3. I Turn To You - This is a powerful song with a Whitney Houston sound that shows off Christina's vocal ability. A beautiful song dedicated to Christina's Mum. 4.5/5

4. So Emotional - Another R'n'B influenced song. It's one of the average tracks on the album, but becomes quite catchy. 3/5

5. Come On Over (All I Want Is You) - My personal favorite track. It's an upbeat, fun, sing-a-along to song, and is a perfect pop tune. 5/5

6. Reflection - If this song is familiar, it is because it was on the soundtrack to the animated movie 'Mulan'. Christina was just 16 when this was recorded and her voice is brilliant and perfect for this beautiful song. 5/5

7. Love For All Seasons - This song would perhaps have been better used as a b-side on a single. Vocally, again Christina does not fail but the song just fails to go anywhere. 2.5/5

8. Somebody's Somebody - This song is often criticised however I would dispute that. Great mid tempo song that will have you tapping away to in no time. 4/5

9. When You Put Your Hands On Me - Excellent pop song, but my only criticism is the synthesised sound to Christina's voice which is really unnecessary and annoying. 4.5/5

10. Blessed - Beautiful and unique song, that has to be heard. 5/5

11. Love Will Find A Way - Upbeat pop song that will make you want to sing along to it. This would have been a good bright song to end the album on. 4.5/5

12. Obvious - The only thing that saves this song is the vocal ability. Slow and boring and just does not go anywhere. 2/5

When Christina first came onto the music scene she was given the label 'The New Britney Spears'. This album does not only prove this entirely wrong, but makes it quite clear just who Christina's influences are. With a Mariah Carey / Whitney Houston influence, she has created her own unique style of music.

Christina Aguilera is a pop album, with a variety of different songs that will keep you listening to for hours. If you love pop music, then this is the ultimate female pop album.

She sounded soulful on here
It amazes me how good she sounded when she recorded this record. The only complaint is that genie in a bottle was a little to poppy for me but the rest of the cd sounds like a young r&b cd. Who gives a damn if she doesn't have a lot of fast songs on the cd, everyone doesn't do the same thing on all cds. Be happy with what she has given you. If it still bothers you, go buy the import with the club remixes of her singles, the cheapest one was like 20 dollars, not too much more than this one.

Is this record a genie in a bottle?
Is Christina Aguilera's debut really worth a Grammy? In my opinion, no. I'm not just saying this because I'm a huge Britney Spears fan. Vocally, all right X-tina is really good. But when comparing her debut to Britney's (who'd been on the charts with "...Baby One More Time" since 1998, Christina only in August 1999), it was Britney who should have garnered Best New Artist. I love Christina's voice...but really, folks. Britney's debut is a lot more addictive!

Close but no cigar
Sorry Christina but you ain't no Britney Spears, and your debut definitely isn't close to hers either. Everybody knows you can sing but Christina Aguilera (the album) isn't nearly as addictive as Brit's. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gabriela "Nena" Kerner's American debut combines tracks from her first two European releases, including everyone's favorite antinuclear dance-pop single in both English and German. Likable as "99 Red Balloons" and "99 Luftballons" were, their international success was not to be repeated, even though tracks like "Kino" and "Just a Dream" have a similar just-this-side-of-kitsch appeal. "Leuchtturm" and "Uner Kannt Durch's Marchenland" are also strong, but the clumsy "Let Me Be Your Pirate" makes you wish Nena had stuck to her native tongue. Then again, it was that bilingual approach that allowed her to transcend her stateside status as a one-hit wonder--if only through a technicality. --Bill Forman ... Read more

Reviews (25)

A welcome respite from modern American popular music
I was just beginning to learn German when 99 Luftballoons came out. It was like a secret club; I could understand the lyrics but none of my friends could (then the English version came out). In fact, I have found that lyrical music is an easy way to learn the cadence and rhythm of a language. Nena is an exemplary performer who can temper her voice to the needs of the song. This album, her first (of only two) entries into the American market, contains some wonderful German songs prefaced by some (at times) very good English renditions of songs that were originally written in German as well. If you listen closely to the English lyrics you can tell that the cadence is off just a little; enough to tell you this was once a GERMAN song. By all means start with this album and work your way up to her '98 Live album... you can hear the development of her voice and the maturation of her style. You can also hear the beginnings of jazz influences in the form of a guest appearance by David Sanborn on a couple of tracks. This deveops over time into a blues influence by the late '90s. It all starts with this album; pop mixed with German jazz. Besides, it is SO enjoyable at stop lights to drown out the nearby cars blaring rap (that is, crap) with a song being sung in German! If you hate rap, BUY EVERY NENA ALBUM YOU CAN AND PLAY THEM AT TOP VOLUME! Start with this one, but remember: this is 80s rock, so be in an eighties frame of mind.

Wunderbar deutsche Musik!
Nena really gives us a top-notch album with this one. Chances are, if you are like me, you're only familiar with the title song "99 Red Balloons." This album is nice in that it gives both the English and German versions of this fun little song.

I really enjoyed the second side of this one (I have the cassette). All the songs there kept my interest, even though my German is not really all that strong. The great music was enough for me. It's too bad at least now that these songs aren't available for you to listen to. Hopefully Amazon will work to remedy that. There are some gems there.

Great voice, nice background, and it sure doesn't sound like it's over 15 years old.

awsome cd
This is a really awsome cd. Nena is a remarkable artist. I think she deserves more credit in the U.S then she got. I loved every single song. Even her bad english at times can be very attractive.

99 Luftballons
99 Luftballons~ Nena is a funny little album that tries so hard to be relevent that it becomes silly and prententious. Even so the album is good and deserves 5 stars.

"99 Luftballons" Is A Great Song BUT...
by Alan

The song "99 Luftballons" is magnificent in both its thematic scope and musical symmetry. It starts one way, moves into completely different zones and then finishes with yet another brilliant, triumphant stroke. Delivered on the album in both the original German and an English take, "99 Red Balloons," this classic, unique anti-war rock ballad is politically provocative, rapturously euphoric, enigmatic and perhaps tragically prophetic. For me, by itself this song is worth the price of the album.

The music by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, the entire orchestration...it just "takes you there," you know. All the members of the band play their parts to pop-music perfection. You can visualize all this stuff happening. And it's fantastic, surreal, mysterious and yet somehow frighteningly real and poignant at the same time. The metaphors, the layers of the song, are so powerful. It appeals to the child in me, the adult in me, it expresses anger, fear and fantasy, the whole works. It suggests beginnings and endings...

If you think about what balloons symbolize, the concept here is nothing short of ingenious. Balloons represent hope, dreams, happiness, freedom. There are often balloons at a "grand opening" to celebrate something new, great expectations.

The writer of the song, the now-deceased Nena band member Carlo Karges, was at a Rolling Stones concert in Berlin back in the '80s when the Berlin Wall was still up. At the end of the concert, they released all these balloons into the sky, and he wondered what would happen if the balloons floated over the Wall and were mistaken for something else, like UFO's. It really could be catastrophic.

What follows is a story about "little misunderstandings" that bring about a big battle over something small: nothing really but a bunch of balloons.

The lyrics to the original Teutonic version are closer-to-the-bone, more realistic. If you think of this Armageddon-level scuffle taking place in a city divided, it is more human-scaled. The English take--while still communicating the plot and point of the original--loses the appropriate vantage point, and therefore some of the rich flavor and subtext.

The "letting go" of the balloon at the song's finale, the end of the world perhaps, is also a rich metaphor for forgiveness and giving peace and freedom a chance.

However, I want to be honest with people who are about to purchase this CD. I think some of them may be disappointed.

Nena was--and still is--a major personality in Germany, Deutschland's earnest-if-edgy sweetheart--and a striking beauty as well. And she hasn't been without her share of ups and downs. Her first child was born in the late '80s with a terminal illness and died the same year. The next time she got pregnant she had a set of healthy twins, and the sweet lyrics of "Wunder gescheh'n" from the album of the same title talk about how miracles do still happen. There's another song from WUNDER GESCHEH'N called "Hero" which is soul-searching and rugged at once--and written by Nena Kerner in English.

But when I play Nena music for people who aren't die-hard fans--especially from this 99 LUFTBALLONS album--I usually get reactions like, "They all sound the same" or "I like The Balloon Song, but they're a little too poppy." Indeed, many of the songs on this CD are what we call "undeveloped." Ideas for songs that don't reach full potential: "Leuchtturm," "Kino" and even "Just A Dream"--they're a little pleasant but rather thoughtless and largely forgettable. They also tend to capture only one note. When I listen to "Leutchtturm" and I'm starting to get into it, I wait for there to be a crescendo after "la, la, la" but there are only more "la, la, la"'s to the point of nausea. So it doesn't even really move you to dance, if you know what I mean. Only move back and forth ever-so-slightly. David Sanborn's saxophone on "?" does liven things up a little.

Nena Kerner's voice is sweet and seductive and has a biting hard edge on occasion. She's a feisty kitten. And when she talks about taking me with her on all the seven seas in "Let Me Be Your Pirate," I do want to go with her. Unfortunately, her singing in English at this point is sometimes hard to understand, and she doesn't seem as connected emotionally as she does on the songs in her original German tongue. David Sanborn's saxophone on "Pirate" also enhances the would-be dreaminess of the piece, but the English narratives on 99 LUFTBALLONS tend to be a tad stilted and unpoetic.

When I'm "in the mood for Nena" and all the good-spirited silliness of movie theatres, elephants and lighthouses, all's well. I'll listen for hours. But that's not all the time. In fact, I have to say one of her most memorable ditties, "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime," a frolicking, space-age dance mix--is unfortunately not included on this ensemble.

I still recommend the CD because "99 Luftballons" is such a great song--and there are two versions of it here, one a remix. But don't be surprised if you don't fall in love with all the melodies. Much of the pop just doesn't live up to the capacity of the world-renowned Balloon Song. And they could have used on this album Lisa Dalbello--who later did the beautiful translation "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime"--to keep the Anglo-Saxon renderings sing-able and sophisticated.

So you've been warned.

"Achtung!" as they say in German.... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good walkin'
This is an excellent walking tape. I use it on the treadmill at the gym, and I can normally walk about 3.5 mph on this one. I break a sweat by the time it's over...and yes, it is lively music; just the kind you want to walk to!

Too slow for me
I go to an advanced-step aerobics class at my gym. We usually work with songs with a 140-145 bpm. I'd heard that this was a great CD for that type of class...boy was I fooled!! It is just way too slow for me. The highest bpm in this CD is 126. We don't even warm-up to that! I know, the CD even said "Moderate Pace", I should've known. Also, these songs are very lame. I don't know what happened to SHAPE this time. These songs can be anything you want, but hits they are NOT. Anyway, if you really want a CD for an fun, fast-paced aerobic work out, I don't recommend this CD.

Upbeat music but not exactly "hits"
When I think of "hits," I think of songs that hit and stayed on the charts. Most of these songs don't fit that category. In fact, I didn't recognize most of them.

That said, this is a lively mix of music that keeps you moving. It won't be my favorite in my exercise collection, but I will use it and enjoy it.

Great Pace, Good Music
This is really a great workout CD. The songs are very lively and motivating and the pace is pretty steady and consistent. It runs at about 125 beats per minute which allows for optimum performance of step aerobics and kick boxing workouts, but also works well for running, ab workouts, etc. I highly recommend this CD for anyone who wants to workout and have fun at the same time!!

Keeps you motivated
Great collection, the music flows from one cut to the other without losing the beat, very important for maintaining your stride. Upbeat tunes, fun to dance, walk to, EFX, treadmill my favorites. I've now got all of the Shape CDs and they are the best! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

the Best of the Pointer Sisters
this is great collection for anyone who is familiar with the Pointer Sisters and their many hits. Even someone who is not familiar with the sisters will be suprised by the number of songs they will recognize when listening to this CD. The Pointer Sisters, although they never seem to get much credit, have a unique blend and this set features the best of their later hits.Classics such as "Automatic", "Jump", "I'm So Excited", "He's so Shy", "Neutron Dance", "Dare Me", and "Fire" make this Cd worth the buy. It Also features some of their less well known but excellent songs such as "Happiness" and "Goldmine." The only song on this Cd I skip over is "American Music" This Cd is a great intro to the Pointer Sisters and an excellent choice for those who think their 2 CD Set "Fire: the best of the Pointer Sisters" is too much. Besides it has some great pictures of the sisters. Highly recommended

Classic R&B !!!!!!
This is a nice collection of their music I really did enjoy their music and they are truly nice songs these girls can sing and they had talent they could sing and dance. They had beauty, style, and grace and they did very well and I really did enjoy their music this cd contains some of myfavorite songs: dare me,
slow hand, fire, the neutron dance, and other great songs if you liked the pointer sisters then therefore I truly recommend that you buy this cd it is must have for your classic R&B cd collection...

Great Collection
Although there have been many hits albums, this is probably the best single disc collection. Certainly from the time period (1978-1987) this is the best. "Fire", "Slow Hand", and hits from the album "Break Out" are here and entertaining.

However, if you want another Pointer Sisters' CD and want something different, then purchase the "Best of The Blue Thumb Recordings". Once you listen to that, then you'll realize "Wow, the Pointer Sisters have diversity in their music!"

Took Me Down Memory Lane
and I loved it. Thank you for CD'g these tracks. Enjoy listening to them while I'm driving.

The Best Songs from the Best Singers
This is a great collection from you Pointer Sisters Fans out there, or if you haven't heard a lot of their music, it's a great place to start!! This album gives you all of the styles from the smoth sounds of Fire, to the classic country song Slow Hand, and the disco beats of Jump and I'm So Excited, and over to the rock of If You Wanna Get Back Your Lady. If you want the all time collection of the Pointer Sisters availiable, get Fire, the very Best of the Pointer Sisters. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Great tracks all in one cd
This is a great grouping. If you love the most popular tracks last year that attracted the most attention and you are not up for buying every nominated cd get this. I love the mix of artists and love almost every song on this compilation. Not much to do but pick the best and put them all in one cd but this one is awesome because there were so many interesting musically aesthetic releases last year.
My favorites:
Crazy in Love - Beyoncé
Clocks - Coldplay
Going Under - Evanescence
Cry Me a River - Justin Timberlake
Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
I'm With You - Avril Lavigne
Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross
Keep Me in Your Heart - Warren Zevon
Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne
Any Road - George Harrison
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Michael McDonald
Send Your Love - Sting
Hole in the World - The Eagles
Unwell - matchbox twenty

Great Grammy's
Beyonce Featuring Jay-Z:Crazy in love. I don't like Beyonce, but this was a pretty good. 5/10

The Black Eyed Peas & Justin Timberlake:Where is the love?
Second best song. That's it. 9/10

Coldplay:Clocks. This is an ok, but it might get boring after a while. 7/10

Eminem:Lose Yourself. This is the best mother
f[family website]en song on the CD. 10/10

Missy Eliot:Work it. This song is gross. I hate it. 1/10

Evanescence:Going Under. I realy think that this song is good. 8/10

Outkast:The way You move. Bottom line, good song. 7/10

Justin Timberlake:Cry me a River. Justin was better when he was with *Nsync.

Christina Aguilera:Beautiful. I don't like it. 1/10

Avril Lavinge:I'm with you. Its a d[family website]n good song.
8/10

Luther Vandross:Dance with my father. This song is weird. 2/10

Warren Zevon:Keep me in your heart. No comment. 3/10

50 cent:in da club. Go, Go, Go Charolette its ya birthday. 8/10

Fountains of Wayne:Stacy's Mom. Funny song, good song. 8/10

Heather Hadley:I wish i wasn't. I don't like it. 1/10

Sean Paul:Gimme the light. I know i keep saying this but, it's a good song. 7/10

George Harrison:Any Road. I didn't listen to this one, but there are plenty of other good songs. ?/10

Michael Mcdonald:Ain't no mountain high enough. I'll let you decide. ?/10

Sing:Send your love. Its ok. 5/10

Eagles:Hole in the world. Its ok. 4/10

Matchbox 20:Unwell. Its an original song. 7/10

anything from 7/10 or higher is a good song.

5/10 or higher is ok.

4/10 or below is bad.

Remember, that this is my opinion.

Good Overview of 2003's Biggest Songs
1. Crazy In Love - Who could forget Beyonce's first hit by herself. Actually Beyonce's first #1 by herself. Yay Beyonce!

2. Where Is The Love? - Well, not only is it Black Eyed Peas's first #1, but Justin's first #1 by himself. Yay them! THE #1 SONG OF 2003!!!

3. Clocks - Coldplay was nominated for best record. This is a good song, but I don't think this should be here. It's too old.

4. Lose Yourself - From Eminem's #1 movie 8 Mile comes Lose Yourself. This song is good, but again, it's too old. I think the Grammy's are more focused on a good songs and not hits of 2003. I don't care, but please don't make the whole CD like this.

5. Work It - From Missy's #1 album Under Construction, comes Work It. I think it's too old, but this is nominated for album, not the song.

6. Going Under - From Evanescence's Fallen, comes Going Under. I think they should of used Bring Me to Life. It was a bigger hit.

7. The Way You Move - OutKast's first #1 hit from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. I think this was an excellent choice.

8. Cry Me A River - Ok, this is kind of a problem. Cry Me A River is a horrible song. Not a good choice, but a good album.

9. Beautiful - Another great song, but it's too old. They should have used Can't Hold Us Down. That was the 2nd biggest hit.

10. I'm With You - Avril's 2nd #1 hit. It's an awesome song!

11. Dance With My Father - Not a big hit, but who can forget Luther's incredible lyrics.

12. Keep Me In Your Heart - I've never heard this before Grammy Nominees 2004. It's ok. A little to slow and boring. I don't think this was a hit anyway.

13. In Da Club - 50 Cent's first appearance on pop radio stations. IN DA CLUB WAS THE #2 SONG OF 2003! IN DA CLUB IS AWESOME!

14. Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne's first top 10 hit. This song is excellent. It's a little gross though. " Stacy's mom has got it going on. She's all I want, and I've waited so long. Stacy can't you see? You're just not the girl for me. I know it might be wrong but, I'm in love with Stacy's Mom. "

15. I Wish I Wasn't - Wasn't a big hit. It's a good RnB song though.

16. Gimme the Light - Good dance song. Sean Paul's first appearance in the top 100.

17. Any Road - Never heard this before this CD. This is the other problem. Why was this nominatted for best POP performance?

18. Ain't No Mountain High Enough - (see Any Road)

19. Send Your Love - A good dance song. Wasn't a big hit.

20. Hole in the World - A big hit on Adult Contemparary radio stations.

21. Unwell - A big hit. #1 played on Adult Contemparary radio stations in 2003. A good choice.

Overall, a good mix of 2003's biggest songs. (Amazon, I wasn't using a word count so it could be over 1,000 words. Sorry!)

GRAMMYS 2004
BEYONCE’ FEATURING JAY-Z "Crazy In Love" Record Of The Year

THE BLACK EYED PEAS & JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE "Where Is The Love?" Record Of The Year

COLDPLAY "Clocks" Record Of The Year

EMINEM "Lose Yourself" Record Of The Year Song Of The Year

MISSY "MISDEMEANOR" ELLIOTT "Work It" Album Of The Year

EVANESCENCE "Going Under" Album Of The Year Best New Artist

OUTKAST "The Way You Move" Featuring Sleepy Brown Album Of The Year

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE "Cry Me A River" Album Of The Year Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

CHRISTINA AGUILERA "Beautiful" Song Of The Year

AVRIL LAVIGNE "I'm With You" Song Of The Year

LUTHER VANDROSS "Dance With My Father" Song Of The Year

WARREN ZEVON "Keep Me In Your Heart" Song Of The Year Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

50 CENT "In Da Club" Best New Artist

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE "Stacy's Mom" Best New Artist Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

HEATHER HEADLEY "I Wish I Wasn't" Best New Artist

SEAN PAUL "Gimme The Light" Best New Artist

GEORGE HARRISON "Any Road" Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

MICHAEL MCDONALD "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough" Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

STING "Send Your Love" Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

EAGLES "Hole In The World" Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

MATCHBOX TWENTY "Unwell" Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal

Grammy nominees 2004
1.Crazy in Love (Jay-Z /Beyonce)
A good song by beyonce and Jay-Z. A song that i will not get sick of. 5/5

2.Where Is the Love? - 4:05 (Black Eyed Peas / Timberlake, Justin)
This is an ok song gets annoying after a while. 3/5

3.Clocks - (Coldplay)
Excellent song by coldplay one of the best on the albumn. Has a great beat and great lyrics. 5/5

4.Lose Yourself - (Eminem)
Eminiem proves on this song why hes the best rapper around. 5/5

5.Work It - (Elliott, Missy 'Misdemeanor')

One of Missy Elliots best songs to date. 5/5

6.Going Under - (Evanescence)
One of the best new artists of 2003. Their debut albumn is also one of the best selling albumns of the year. 5/5

7.The Way You Move - (OutKast / Brown, Sleepy)
This song has a catchy tune and good rapping in it. 4/5

8.Cry Me a River - (Timberlake, Justin)
One of the worst songs on this albumn. Cry me a river for having to actually listen to it. 1/5

9.Beautiful - (Aguilera, Christina)
This song lives up to its name it is absolutely beautiful and has a good message in it. 5/5

10.I'm With You - (Lavigne, Avril)
This song is good but not great. 4/5

11.Dance With My Father - (Vandross, Luther)
Excellent and heart touching song. if this song doesn't touch your heart, there is something wrong with you. 5/5

12.Keep Me in Your Heart - (Zevon, Warren)
I didn't particularly care for this song. 3/5

13.In da Club - (50 Cent)
One of the best rap songs of 2003. 5/5

14.Stacy's Mom-(Fountains of Wayne)
At first i didn't like this song, but after a while this song quickly became one of my favorites of 2003. 5/5

15.I Wish I Wasn't - (Headley, Heather)
This song is ok, not the greatest though. 3/5

16.Gimme the Light -(Paul, Sean)
One of Sean Paul's most annoying songs ever. 2/5

17.Any Road - (Harrison, George [1])
Abouslete Excellent song from former Beatle George Harrison. 5/5

18.Ain't No Mountain High Enough - (McDonald, Michael [Vocals/Keys])
I absouletely can't stand this song for some reason. 1/5

19.Send Your Love - (Sting [1])
Great song from Sting. 5/5

20.Hole in the World -(Eagles [1])
The Eagles prove that they still got it with this song. 5/5

21.Unwell -(Matchbox Twenty)
Excellent song from my favorite band. Glad to see that they were nominated at the Grammys. 5/5 ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Like a futuristic Of Montreal, perhaps even better...
The twisted pop tunes that dance from mind-boggling hook to mind-boggling hook within seconds, the dually hilarious and morbid lyrics, the energy, the synths... my God, if a debut album were ever to set insurmountable expectations, this is it. Perhaps the most shamelessly fun band since Of Montreal, The Unicorns' (who are, in fact, of Montreal) debut is the kind of danceable pop album that is deep enough to keep an indie geek fascinated for months while also being accessible enough for your ailing grandmother not to complain about that god awful racket coming from Fraust's room. It's an elated frenzy of sugary death, guaranteed to rot your teeth and your flesh, without giving you a second to catch your breath. Now, of course, I realize all Amazon customer reviews are hyperbolic nonsense, and yes, I realize that only people with glowing opinions even bother to write them... but trust me, this album is sure to knock your socks off (or at least jostle them forcefully).

Cheeky and Irreverent
Maybe the rap rock reviewer was onto something. Maybe the author had an inside joke he had to tell and didn't care if the rest of us got it. In that case the reviewer accurately summed the spirit of WWCOHWWG. Musically the album is the farthest thing from rap rock. But it's also pretty far from traditional pop with its shifting song structures and playful use of multiple instruments that creates a sound that harkens back to Pavement (ala Slanted and Enchanted). Actually, take Pavement of 1992 replace the slacker pose with a cheeky Canadian sense of humor, replace fuzz and distortion with a synthesizer you'd get the Unicorns.
That aside...My theory is there was a car accident in Montreal we never heard about. One where the Ween tour van sideswiped the Pavement tour van and these three guys were the only witnesses.

quirky indie fun
Everyone I've played this album for has laughed at least once. The music, the lyrics, its ridiculious- and in a good way. The songs are catchy and entertaining, the lyrics are smart, and their general attitude will leave you wondering what just happened.

Blow your head on the turn of the fan
If you don't have this album yet, you are behind the times. No, really. This is one of the best new groups I've heard in a long time. I've had this since it came out in March and I play it all the time still, even despite my shor attention span. Funny, laugh-out-loud lyrics, and great music that's for sure not going to bore you. Guitars, synthesizers, even a flute! I say, William, clap your hands now!! This will be a cult classic. Stay away if you are mainstream.

pretty damn good
I just found out who the Unicorns were a couple of days ago, and they are catchy as hell. The songs are humorous, but the vocals and the melodies, as well as the catchy drum beats sort of make this band a unique result. Some songs are beautiful, and if you would delete the lyrics, you'd think this band was dead serious, and not singing about ghosts. I love it. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Great Album With an Unfortunate History.
Milli Vanilli was one of the greatest success stories which quickly turned into one of the biggest scandals of the late '80s/early 90s. The duo of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were riding high as instant superstars with their album "Girl You Know It's True" which spawned five top 10 hits (three of which went to No.1) and went nearly 10 times platinum. Then, in 1990, their success turned to disgrace when record producer Frank Farian revealed that Pilatus and Morvan weren't the actual singers on the album. This led to one of the greatest backlashes in music history (one that possibly rivals John Lennon's statements about the Beatles and Jesus Christ).
The history and scandal behind the "Girl You Know It's True" album has gotten in the way of what the record truly is - an album of great energetic dance/pop. From the opening orchestral hits of the title track all the way to the tender ballad "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You", the album is a solid effort with its unique production and music arrangements. The vocal work performed by Brad Howell and John Davis (who did most of the vocals on the album) along with Charles Shaw (who sang "Girl's.." title track) and Gina Mohammed (who sings all the female lead vocals) is extraordinary. Howell's delivery on "Blame it On The Rain" shows just why this song became the big hit that it did while Davis's cross between rap and singing on nearly all the tracks was of greater quality than most popular rap acts at the time.
With all the great music on this album, it's easy to see why people soaked it all up when it was released. It's also easy to see why people became so angry when the story behind the album was revealed. The unfortunate circumstances behind Milli Vanilli led to some tragic results. Rob Pilatus headed down a path of substance abuse and self-destructive behavior which led to his premature death in April of 1998. Fab Morvan (who now goes by his full first name Fabrice) has been more fortunate in leaving the scandal behind as he is now a budding singer/songwriter performing in small clubs around the world (Yes, Fabrice can really sing and he is actually quite good). The actual singers on the album continue to stay undercover as session musicians. In 1991, however, they released an album under the group name The Real Milli Vanilli entitled "Moment Of Truth". The album included the same type of dance/pop as heard on "Girl You Know It's True" but was a flop as the album was never released outside of Europe and few knew it ever existed.
Despite all the controversy, "Girl You Know It's True" was and still is a great album of great music. Forget about what happened in 1990 and listen to the album in this day and age. Pretty darn good, isn't it? In the end, it's truly the music that matters and "Girl...We know it's true"...

Forget the scandal...what matters is the MUSIC
It has almost become a stigma to own this album and actually admit that one likes it. But I for one have no shame in saying that I think it's great. Yeah, yeah, we all know about the infamous scandal with Milli Vanilli. But should that be a valid reason for judging this album? Hardly. Listen to the new Britney Spears album: on some songs her voice is so digitally altered that she almost sounds like a robot. One could argue that she isn't really singing on her album either. And there are plenty more artists out there who fall into the same category.

For the most part, Girl You Know It's True is a fantastic listen. The songs are well composed and have a great vibe. From a lyrical standpoint it's nothing profound, but then again this music is to make one feel good, not to convey life-changing deep messages. Take it for what it is. The most memorable songs are of course the hits like the title cut and "Blame It On The Rain." But there are many other gems as well, such as the nice ballad "I'm Gonna Miss You" and the funky "All Or Nothing." I didn't give it 5 stars because a few songs just aren't as memorable as the other stronger ones. But taken as a whole, Girl You Know It's True is a great listen. An album that will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. But that doesn't take away from what matters most: the music.

An Awesome Musical Milestone
When I first listened to Girl You Know Its True, I got the same ecstatic vibes as I did when I first heard I Want TO Hold Your Hand, and Born To Run. This was good! This was different! Yeah, I was bummed when the truth was uncovered, but that didn't change the music. I wish the real people came forth, and made some more tunes. And I wish the world treated those two beautiful dudes better. Every track is great. Buy the CD. It will make you feel good, get up and dance,smile, and make love.

good music regardless of the singer/artist
Lets be serious just a minute! In this day and time there are very few artists who can play an instrument, write their own lyrics, produce, so forth and so on. What was the big deal here?
Everything is done with sampling and computers. Heck, you dont even need talent(can you say "Busta Rhymes"). All I know is that the album standing alone is decent. Infused with "Girl you know its true" the album is above average. Good music plain and simple. And they didnt even need to use epic profanity to get attention(can you say "anything considered modern rap or R/B).

What else..."GIRL, you KNOW its true!"
OK, I wore out my 1989 original cassette copy last year and have been looking for another one ever since. Something has been missing from my life - without a doubt! I finally broke down and bought the cd. Flashback: My best friend and I each had a copy of the tape, would simultaneously start our walk-mans and peddle our happy selves on down to the beach with big smiles and singing all the way. Those memories and this music still makes me smile and get up and dance...there is no other - so, girl...you know its true you gotta keep it wet in your seven forty jet!! Milli Vanilli forever!! ... Read more

Reviews (36)

THEY WERE NO "ONE HIT WONDER".
Expose came on the scene in the mid 80s with their first single "Exposed To Love", from there on it was one hit after another.

Definitely one of the best dance groups ever to come out of the 80s, with Top 10 hits "Come Go With Me", "Seasons Change" and "What You Don't Know".

Also has a remake remixed version of "I Specialize in Love", and remixes of "Point of No Return" which is great!, and a poor remix of "Come Go With Me"- why I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars.

"Come Go With Me" was one of my favorite 80s and Expose songs, and they botched it up with the remix.

Other hits include "When I Look At Him" and "Let Me Be The One".

I do feel however when Giola left the group due to vocal problems, Expose never had the same punch.

However, an excellent compilation of a once great dance group whose music stands the test of time.

Cool, 80's dance music!
This is an outstanding collection that chronicles the first ten years of their career from 1985-95. Ann Curless, Gioia, Jeanette Jurado, and Kelly Moneymaker. Kelly replaced Gioia prior to the 1992 album due to Gioia experiencing irreparable throat damage. Expose never missed a beat. This collection features the uptempo hits: 'Come Go With Me', 'What You Don't Know', 'Point Of No Return', 'Let Me Be The One' and 'Tell Me Why'. Also the classic slower ballads: 'When I Looked At Him', 'I'll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me', 'Your Baby Never Looked Good In Blue' and my fav Expose song the unforgettable #1 hit from 1988, 'Seasons Change'. Also a few remixes and a couple of new tracks: 'I'll Say Goodbye For The Two Of Us' and a newly recorded version of the 1960's song 'End Of The World', are included for a total of 15 killer cuts. These songs bring back some great memories, and they make you want to get up and dance. Get this one and take a trip back in time to when music was cool. I've owned it since it's release in '95, and it never gets old. Also there are comprehensive liner notes, and cool photos in the booklet. If you don't have it, get it. ROCK ON!

A guilty pleasure
I can't really say I am a big fan of pop music nowadays. Most of it I consider just complete useless and disposable. Too much of it is based on image and too synthesized and artificial. Pop music today isn't nothing like pop music ten years ago. One of my favorite pop groups back in the '80s (when pop wasn't a complete embarassment to admit to enjoying) was Expose. Their songs were incredibly catchy and fun to dance to. Personally I'll take them over Destiny's Child. I absolutely loved their debut album. I loved "Point of No Return" and I still do to this very day. Expose may have been no Joni Mitchell but their music was fun. I also loved their ballads too. I wished they had included "As Long As I Can Dream" which was the most beautiful ballad the trio had sung. It actually moved me and I don't say that about most pop ballads. Still the group's cover of "End of the World" made up for the absence of "As Long As I Can Dream". "End of the World" is absolutely breathtaking to listen to. I also love "I'll Say Good Bye For the Two of Us". The only ballad that I was iffy on was their hit "Seasons Change". It isn't bad but I feel that their latter ballads were vastly superior. My favorite dance song from the trio is "What You Don't Know". I have always loved that song and always will. Although they are no longer around, I still enjoy listening to Expose from time to time.

2 many changes
The original Recording group for Expose not present on this album Lori Ollie and Sandra got the group started then the group was revamped and rerecorded by Jeanette Ann and Gioia they made Expose what it was and is in our hearts at one point for about the year that seasons change was number one Julie Albers took Gioia's place. For a short time after that Gioia went back but eventually she left the group again. The last kiss of death version if you will was Jeanette Ann and Kelly They are pictured on this album yet Gioia is still the voice on many of the leads of this album.. Jeanette had a catchy voice but be assured every time you here a ballsy kick your a** vocal it is Gioia's ..on this CD as well as the previous CD's from Expose you have heard It is worth the listen I just wanted to give You all the facts first. After all I was in the group for a year:)

exposure
This is a pretty good cd for it's collection value. I liked them mixes, but there is a really good remix of Come Go With Me out there somewhere called the extended mix. It's 6:30 long. If anyone know how I can find it on cd, contact me. Thanks. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If the one-disc All-Time Greatest Hits leaves you panting for more, but the three-disc box set Just for You proves that one can, in fact, get enough of Barry White's love, well, then the two-disc Ultimate Collection is the anthology for you. An entire slow-jams industry has been erected in White's wake, but no one has done it better. Call it "funkzac"--an inimitable fusion of lush strings and suave brass dancing on a bed of funk and disco rhythms, with the manly maestro mixed prominently atop his seduction soundscapes. Ultimate Collection serves up enough cherry Barry to produce another baby boom. --W.C. Sweeney ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Let The Music Play!
This collection speaks for itself! Thirty songs and not a single dud! What is here is essential and entertaining. If there is any flaw I can find it would be this: Is this collection suppose to be just Barry White: SOLO artist? There are a few collections from Love Unlimited Orchestra, but still I don't have a problem with it.

The really great thing about its collection that it included his 1990s hits "Practice What You Preach" and "Stayin' Power" which is better than his 1994 "All-Time Greatest Hits" on one CD. If you are a fan, but are still not sure about his box set, then this is your ideal pick. Highly recommended!

Two discs of pure BW
Its rare that a best of collection gets it right, but when the artist is involved that usually helps a lot. That was the case here & Barry White oversaw this two disc set of his best work put together lovingly & with care. What an awesome style The Maestro had back in the day. Lush strings, heavy beats, guitar riffs, and that nice blend of his deep bass vocals with the female back up. The Man could really create an atmosphere and he made an awesome body of work in the 70s, bringing both soul & FONK. Most of the singles are included, and it also captures his work in the late 80s and his big comeback in the 90s. 'Practice What You Preach' is still the killer jam of 94.

This is a great and near complete overview of The Maestros sound & career, and a perfect introduction to his back catalogue. In my opinion everyone should check out all 8 of his classic 70s albums but ifyour wallet says no this is a great piece to own. How I miss this guy, there will never be another Barry White. R.I.P.

Unlimited Barry
This is an excellent set of songs that defined era. Barry White, the granddady of rap, disco and soul, has had his music justified with this 2 - disc set ranging from 1972 to 1999. It features 30 tracks, each of them great for the perfect romantic dinner or in the bedroom with your lover.

Disc 1 spans from 1972 to 1976, when Barry was a major force on the Hot 100 as well as in the studio. Just about every big hit Barry had is included here - "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby", "Never Never Gonna Give You Up", "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe", "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", and "What I'm Gonna Do With You" still sounds as fresh and energetic as they did over 30 years ago. Combined with three Love Unlimited instrumentals and songs that failed on the pop charts but were big hits on the R & B charts, the first disc is grand - slam Barry.

Disc 2 kicks off with two of Barry biggest hits between 1974 and 1977, the lushly arranged "Love's Theme" and the odd thump of "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me" (which was something of a late - in - day hit for Barry), before delving into the final 22 years of his career. Here is where you'll find such uncharted gems like "Playing Your Game, Baby", "You're Sweetness Is My Weakness", "Love Serenade, Parts 1 And 2", "It Ain't Love Babe (Until You Give It)", "Practice What You Preach" (his last top 20 hit in 1994), and "Staying Power", his last chart single in 1999.

The producers of this disc also included a beautiful booklet featuring brilliant liner notes, intimate pictures of Barry, a timeline of all his albums, and chart listings for each of these songs. I think that this is the essential Barry White collection, full of timeless music that will be heard on radios all over the world for centuries to come.

What's wrong with you guys?
...Well, I guess it's like the old saying goes: people don't realize what they have until it's gone. By the way, this is the best introduction to Barry White besides the boxed set. "The Ultimate Collection" has 30 wonderful songs which are immaculate in groove and hypnotizing in vocal delivery. Barry was truly "the Man." It's too bad he had to die before people finally decided to figure that out.

R.I.P. Barry

This collection is as good as it gets
I've always been a huge Barry White fan, but had forgotten just how many of his songs were true smashes and are as relevant today as when they were originally released. Equally enjoyable for me, were some songs that I had never heard and all I have to say is if song number 7 on the second CD does not bring a combination of laughter and a more than a little heat to your loins, then maybe you are not human... All in all, the collection is not lacking any important songs in the Barry White song book and truly merits a 2 disc set, which can't be said even about other favorites of mine who have done it before. Also, no true fan should be without the star-studded "Secret Garden", which was a single off the Quincy Jones' most recent Grammy-winning CD or Barry's duet with Tina Turner from her "Wildest Dreams" release. ... Read more

Album Description

Multi-platinum selling, Grammy winning, critically acclaimed Seal unveils his first greatest hits collection on DVD-audio. Seal Best 1991-2004 is packed with content containing 14 original hits, 13 acoustic tracks, plus 10 music videos. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

My SEAL of approval.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Amazon community...please indulge me as i try to explain why iam going CRAZY with happiness with this masterpice of musical production.First of all we are talking about three of the best musical disc ever made,but my review will be based on the DVD-Audio Disc.For those of you who have a DVD-Audio system...i share all the emotions that you are experiencing...but for those of you who do not yet own a DVD-Audio player, please stop what you are doing and go out and buy one today you will also need a mutichannel capable Audio Reciever.I have never heard,seen experience anything like this,words cannot describe the amazing sound quality coming from this disc...i have a $16,000.00 absolute state of the art Multichannel stereo/hometheater system with 1300 watts 9 speaker sytem(2 12" subwoofers)...reproducing high resolution sound that will send one straight to audiophile heaven... this is an historic moment in the history of music...all 3 disc will amaze you but DVD-audio will blow your mind.

Seal On The Beach.
This is the first best of by Seal, so I will break down all three discs included in this deluxe edition.

Disc One: The Hits

Some Seal fans might debate whether Seal had enough 'hits' to make a best of. He certainly has enough songs from four albums to make a decent collection. Here, is a collection of some of his best work with the obvious tracks being "Crazy", "Kiss From A Rose" and his version of Steve Miller's "Fly Like An Eagle". There are also minor hits (in America at least) such as "Killer", "Prayer For The Dying", "Don't Cry" and "Human Beings". There are a few album cuts such as "Waiting For You", "My Vision (Remix)", "Love's Divine", "Get It Together" and "Future Love Paradise". This disc is mostly Seal's released singles. He adds a cover of Burt Bacharach's "Walk On By" and Echo & The Bunnymen's "Lips Like Sugar" to round out the set at 66 minutes. I think he could have added "New Born Friend" and "Latest Craze" to fill in the extra disc space. The sound quality is exceptional and all the songs sound pristine in their digital remastering.

Disc Two: The Acoustic Album

Seal decided to re-work some of his own songs by stripping them down to their basic elements. This worked more often than not. There are interesting changes in "Killer", "Love's Divine", "Get It Together" and "Waiting For You". The duds are certainly "Just Like You Said" and "Colour" with neutral editions of "Crazy", "Bring It On", "Kiss From A Rose", "Prayer For The Dying", "Touch", "Don't Cry" and "Walk On By". The audio is exceptionally rich and full and digitally remastered. It's a reasonable change of pace if you are tired of listening to the regular versions.

Disc Three: The DVD

This is probably the best disc. You can put it in your dvd player and listen to Seal's hits disc, in its entirety, in 5.1 surround sound. I have to say this was brilliantly done. Likewise, you can listen to the entire acoustic album in 5.1 surround sound, and again brilliantly produced. You also have a select video collection of 10 videos in 5.1 surround sound. I did not mind one bit that "Kiss From A Rose" video was not included. Same with "Fly Like An Eagle". I believe the best video is "Love's Divine". All of his videos have a sophistication and artistic approach like "Crazy", "Future Love Paradise", "Prayer For The Dying", "Don't Cry" and "Human Beings". His newer videos for "Get It Together" and "Waiting For You" fit nicely into the VH1 playset.

So, ultimately, this is a truly great package give or take a few songs. I look forward to another best of 15 years from now. Seal is a rare talent. He makes mature, elegant and sonic soundscapes like no one else and has a smooth silky voice and thoughful lyrics to go with it. Most r&b artists today have come right from the record company Willy Wonka factory and are utterly forgettable. Seal is one of a kind and intelligent. Here's to many more years of great music. ... Read more

Amazon.com

OK, "Macho Man," after you are "In the Navy" and you've spent the night at the "Y.M.C.A" in New York City, you should "Go West" to "San Francisco" where they "Can't Stop the Music" and then, when it gets too foggy, head out for some sun in "Key West." All the great Village People classics are in this collection. Whether you fancy yourself the Construction Worker or the Native American, you'll be happy with this raucous collection of grandly cheeky hits. These are big disco songs, with thinly veiled innuendoes; the flamboyant and triumphant lyrics will get you on your feet, arms in a "Y," in no time. --Beth Bessmer ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The memories alone make you smile!
The memories alone make you smile! I didn't know that Village People had more hits than just YMCA, Macho Man and In The Navy. I saw a list of Hot Cop, San Francisco/Hollywood, Can't Stop the Music in "villagepeople-official" website and it got me to thinking that there was more to this group. The CD is clean, fun and very danceable. From start to finish, I could sing along. That's a fun CD.

Village People... Fight For Your Right
Producer Jacques Morali had a vision for a group that would speak out for the concerns and sensibilities of the (then) unsung Gay populace that was struggling to find a voice in the late 70s. Village People was the end product of that vision. Ads were taken out and actors were hired to play 6 arch-typical (or stereotypical) Gay male types; icons, if you will: A Soldier, A Biker, A Cop, A Construction Worker, A Cowboy, and An Indian. Four songs were constructed and made into an album: Village People. The songs celebrated four hotbeds of Gay male activity: San Francisco, Hollywood, Fire Island, and Greenwich Village. The songs were also trendsetting and funky, filling dance floors from coast to coast. This was the start of The Village People, and all four of those songs are included in this greatest hits package. That first album was really the creative zenith for the group. Lead singer Victor Willis soon took over as the lyricist for the guys, and he came up with a big, big song for the follow-up album. Macho Man gave The Village People their first crossover success, going top 10 on three charts. To me, it was their last song worth a damn, but the Macho Man album did so well, it was ripe to be cloned. And it was cloned not once, but twice, on the albums Cruisin' and Go West. Cruisin' contained the campy "Y.M.C.A.", which topped the charts and spawned the most ridiculous dance sensation since The Freddy! Go West had on it the cartoonish "In The Navy", which was picked up as a recruiting tool by the U.S. Navy, until it was explained to someone of high rank, just what it was about the Navy that The Village People were championing! After a great first album, The Village People's three follow-ups all had one big hit and a host of other songs that we'll magnanimously refer to as "filler." Nothing else they put out as a single ("Ready For The 80s" "Can't Stop The Music" etc.) was even close to being
a hit. But for what it's worth, the hits are here. And since the entire first album is, too, I give the whole thing four stars. If you didn't know that The Village People had a life before "Macho Man," then you need to check out tracks 4, 5, 9, and 11 on this CD. Knowing that this group once had a strong direction, a strong message and a strong groove, it was hard for me to see them commercialized and homogenized, and turned into (what amounts to): An all-male group of male impersonators that masquerades as itself. Can you dig it?

Awesome!!
I love this album. It's fantastic. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great music.

Party on a platter!
If the Casablanca record label was the Monarchy of the Disco Nation, The Village People were their finest ambassadors. More than any of the prefabricated disco machines that the decade produced, it is the VP's cavity provoking bubble-gum dance records that made strobe lights and disco balls accessible and acceptable to party people of all stripes. Add in the undeniable fact that the innuendo laden singles and their stereotyped get-ups made gay subculture visible and you can actually add the term "culturally significant" to the Village People's list of accomplishments.

But all that pales when placed next to the vibrancy of this solid collection of 12 inch singles and dance mixes. Like all of the best dance floor confectionary creampuffs, the songs here convey a kooky innocence (the Navy had to let in on the joke before they backed off their decision to use "In The Navy" as a recruitment jingle) that remains timeless. And in the post-AIDS decades, the more obvious 70's call to the disenfranchised like "Go West," "San Francisco" and "In Hollywood" are even poignant.

Deny it if you dare, but secretly you know this stuff is great. Just see if your limbs don't start contorting into the alphabet next time "YMCA" gets played on some football arena PA or at your next company party. I double dog dare ya.

My dad is not proud of me,
Oh, the music that changed me. I was there, sitting in the corner, sucking on a beer, when I heard 'Yummie', and...and something tweaked inside of me. I looked down at my steelcaps, looked down at my beer, looked at my tough long johns, and began to question myself. I looked at men there. The music made me look at the men there! I looked at them!!!!!!!!!! I have NEVER looked at men there before, but the music made me do it! I will never set foot inside a tractor again. I am unworthy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Did the Bee Gees get too big too fast on their second run at fame? This compilation suggests the answer is yes; their early self-reinvention as a disco-soul act yielded fabulous singles like "Jive Talkin'" and the unstoppable Saturday Night Fever trilogy of "How Deep Is Your Love," "Stayin' Alive," and "Night Fever," but by the end of the '70s the inspiration was gone. Bland follow-ups like "Too Much Heaven" and "Love You Inside Out" are at a minimum here, though, making Greatest for the most part an honorable alternative to the SNF soundtrack, should you want one. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (48)

The definitive collection of their disco music
There have, of course, been many compilations of Bee Gees music but this one focuses specifically on the late seventies disco phase of their career.

The recordings here begin in 1975, when the Bee Gees were just starting to get into disco music, and end in 1979, when this phase of their career ended. All the famous songs from the period are here including Jive talking, Night fever, Tragedy, You should be dancing, Staying alive, How deep is your love and Too much heaven.

Also here are the Bee Gees' original versions of songs that became hits for others. These include If I can't have you (a transatlantic hit for Yvonne Elliman), Love me (a UK top ten hit for Yvonne Elliman), More than a woman (a transatlantic hit for Tavares), Rest your love on me (an American country number one hit for Conway Twitty) and Nights on Broadway (a UK top ten hit for Candi Staton, but an American hit for the Bee Gess).

There are some other great songs here that you won't normally find on other Bee Gees compilations - songs like Love so right, You stepped into my life and Children of the world.

You can get the big hits on a career-spanning compilation covering their music over several decades and you can also get many of these songs on re-issues of the original albums on which they appeared, but there is something appealing about this compilation. It sets its own mood because the songs all fit together so well. If you are only interested in the Bee Gees for their disco music or if (like me) you appreciate being able to play their disco music separately from all their other stuff, this is ideal.

The best Bee Gees Greatest Hits collection ever!
An excellent disco era faze collection with two great double CD's has all the brothers Gibb Barry, Maurice and Robin. Boogie classics style funky music hits ever. Like songs they sing are highlighted with "Staying Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love", "You Should Be Dancing" and "More Than A Woman" from the Saturday Night Fever movie soundtrack phenomenon trilogy. These were most popular tunes that I remember back then from the past. Again the best works compilation disc ever included with 20 song tracks in this Bee Gees mid seventies CD right here!

It's Surely Greatest
Bee Gees finished off with the disco era with their album Spirits Having Flown. After writing the song Don't Throw It All Away (Our Love) for Andy Gibb, their younger brother, they released this double LP. All the songs in this album are picked from Main Course (Night on Broadway, Jive Talkin', Fanny (Be Tender With My Love), Wind of Change), Children of the World (Children of the World, Love Me, Love So Right, You Should be Dancing, You Stepped Into My Life), Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack (Stayin' Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever, More Than a Woman), and Spirits Having Flown (Tragedy, Too Much Heaven, Love You Inside Out, and Spirits (Having Flown)). With some songs from the singles A and B sides: Stayin' Alive (If I Can't Have You),and Too Much Heaven (Rest Your Love on Me).
Don't Throw It All Away was recorded during this LP since it was never released elsewhere before other the Andy Gibb's CD.

Well - actually the best stuff from their greatest period
"Bee Gees Greatest" covers the work of the Brothers Gibb during their most successful period of their careers, 1975-1979. This was the period when the Bee Gees adopted their trademark sound and became associated with the forefront of the "Disco" movement. This greatest hits collection contains 20 songs encompassing four albums: "Main Course", "Children of the World", "Saturday Night Fever", and "Spirits Having Flown". There are also 2 "B" side singles and one 'unreleased' song that are a part of the 20 songs. The nice thing is that this CD basically contains every song you would expect from a Greatest Hits collection by the Bee Gees with really the only weak point being that the work from their early period is missing. This collection was released in 1979. It is worth noting that the Bee Gees had put out several Greatest Hits albums already covering the early work and that there is a Boxed Set entitled "Tales From the Brothers Gibb".

My feeling is the strength of the Bee Gees has always been the vocals. Yes they had some catchy beats, but it was the unique harmonies of the Brothers Gibb that made those catchy beats and Disco-esque rhythms work. This collection will represent those strong vocals well - and of course contain those catchy beats.

The singles from "Main Course" are well represented. The album "Main Course" really launched the 2nd phase of the Bee Gees career which is what the "Greatest" collection focuses on. It contains the hits "Jive Talkin", "Nights on Broadway", "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)", and "Wind of Change". The latter two songs "Fanny" and "Wind of Change" often are forgotten songs, but are two of the better songs done by the Bee Gees - both contain some great harmonies. "Fanny" reminds me of a "bridge" between the early work of the Bee Gees and what was still to come in the late 70s. "Wind of Change" has some absolutely terrific harmonies by Barry Gibb.

The album "Children of the World" is often forgotten when looking at the history of the Bee Gees, but "Greatest" represents it very well. "You Stepped Into My Life", "Love So Right", "Love Me", "Children of the World", and "You Should Be Dancing" are included. Yes, "You Should Be Dancing" was on the Saturday Night Fever album and movie to follow, but it was actually a 1976 song by the Bee Gees. Apparently John Travolta used this song to rehearse his dancing in SNF and lobbyed hard to get it included in the movie - thus it was included in the soundtrack.

All of the big hits from "Saturday Night Fever" that were contributed by the Bee Gees are here. These need no explanation here. "Stayin Alive", "How Deep is Your Love", "Night Fever", "More Than a Woman" (Bee Gees version), and "If I Can't Have You" are on here. "If I Can't Have You" was actually sung by Yvonne Ellman on the SNF album, but it also was a B side to "Stayin Alive" (the Bee Gees are the actual authors of this song). Simply put - the Bee Gees version is superior and I am glad they included it on this collection (part of it almost sounds like a precursor to 'Tragedy'). Technically "Jive Talkin" and "You Should Be Dancing" were also on the SNF album.

"Spirits Having Flown" was the monster follow-up to SNF. That album was the last big selling studio album done by the Bee Gees. "Too Much Heaven", "Tragedy", "Love You Inside Out", and "Spirits Having Flown" are represented on here. There is also a B side from "Too Much Heaven" called "Rest Your Love on Me". I find this song most interesting - it has almost a country-western feel to it. It is a nice change of pace.

The unreleased song is "Our Love (Don't Throw it Away)". This technically wasn't an "unreleased song". This song is most remembered on the incredible 1998 album "One Night Only" in which the Bee Gees 'sing' with the recorded track of their late brother Andy Gibb. In that performance I remember feeling the emotion of how they lost their younger brother. This song was actually a song written by the Brothers Gibb for Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing" album. The version included here is the Bee Gees recording of it.

As for the layout of the collection, one thing that is also disappointing is that the songs are not in chronological order. I usually prefer a greatest hits collection to follow a sequential format and with today's CD randomization capabilities, I will then let the technology randomly select my songs. Perhaps the Brothers Gibb were looking to mix things up back in the days of LPs, 8 Tracks, and Cassettes which was the norm for this period of time. It is also worth noting that when this collection was released in 1979, it was released as a double LP. This collection is also a double CD and each CD contains 10 songs. The liner notes do a nice job at listing the songs and credits. It also does a nice job at mapping the albums back to the songs. The weak part is that the lyrics aren't included. I also would have liked a writeup about this period of their careers as well - but I do realize this was originally an LP and not a CD and that just wasn't as common back in 1979.

If you are looking to capture the hits of the Brothers Gibb at their peaks, this is the CD to buy. Keep in mind it does cover a limited period and doesn't fully represent the body of work the Bee Gees would do from a recording and a songwriting standpoint.

Bee Gees Gold,Volumes 2 & 3
In the mid-70's,the Brothers Gibb released GOLD,their first compilation on the RSO label. The songs on that album were all previously released,originally on their first label,Atco. On this later compilation,GREATEST,are their hit songs from 1975 to 1979,the year of this release. This was a 2 LP set,a single cassette and a 2 CD set. 20 ass-kicking tunes that will make many people move! From MAIN COURSE are NIGHTS ON BROADWAY,the megahit JIVE TALKIN',WIND OF CHANGE and FANNY(BE TENDER WITH MY LOVE). From CHILDREN OF THE WORLD are the title track,YOU SHOULD BE DANCING,LOVE SO RIGHT,YOU STEPPED INTO MY LIFE and LOVE ME. It should have BOOGIE CHILD on it since it was a Top 20 hit also. From SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN are the title track,TRAGEDY,TOO MUCH HEAVEN and LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT. From the SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER soundtrack are STAYIN' ALIVE,HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE,NIGHT FEVER and MORE THAN A WOMAN. The original tracks on this album are their own cover of IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU which was a hit for Yvonne Elliman and the B-side of STAYIN' ALIVE,Barry Gibb's personally penned REST YOUR LOVE ON ME,which the late Conway Twitty would record also and a cover of OUR LOVE(DON'T THROW IT ALL AWAY),which was a hit for their late brother Andy Gibb. Except for OUR LOVE,REST YOUR LOVE ON ME,WIND OF CHANGE,YOU STEPPED INTO MY LIFE,CHILDREN OF THE WORLD and SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN,the songs on this album would appear on the Gibbs' ultimate compilation THEIR GREATEST HITS-THE RECORD. ... Read more

Album Description

Following her massive success in 2003 with her brilliantsingles 'Free Me' & 'Maybe' & her 2004 smash 'I'll BeThere' everyone's favorite former Spice Girl releases herhighly anticipated album entitled 'Free Me'. Recordedthroughout 2003 in the UK & Spain, 'Free Me' is a diverse,energetic album that oozes sophistication. A markedmaturity of sound is featured on this record which Emmaherself describes as having, "a real 60's influence". Thealbum features collaborations from such esteemed hit makers as Cathy Dennis, Yak Bondie, Simon Ellis & Henry from Zero7 & is Emma's most accomplished achievement to date. Agreat pop record from a great pop star. 12 tracks including all three of the smash hit singles mentioned above, alongwith a 16-page full color booklet with some great photos.19 Recordings/Universal. 2004. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

At the risk of losing my reviewer "cred", not bad
Imagine Olivia Newton-John singing bossa nova and you're pretty close to the sound the former Spice Girl has captured on her 2nd solo album (1st to release in the U.S.). The vocals are soft and breathy with plenty of clarity and there's a very retro musical vibe (mostly live instruments) running throughout with occasional modern touches (some filtered vocals here and there, drum machine and the occasional keyboard blip).

HIGHLIGHTS:
The title track was the single from the album and the hook is pretty strong, though I prefer the dancier "Dr. Octavo Seduction Remix" included later on the disc. The skittering "Maybe"'s "ba-dadadada dadada-da-da-da ba-dadadada dadada-da-da-da" hook is relentessly catchy. Immediately singable. "Breathing" is Bunton realizes that while the passion may still be there physically she just doesn't trust the guy she's with anymore. A flute solo is a nice touch here. Sensual "Lay Your Love on Me" is another winner as Bunton proclaims "Nothing's as sexy as the power of the birds and bees". String-laden ballad "Something So Beautiful" is lush and a classy end to the disc (apart from two remixes of "Free Me" also included as bonuses.) Bunton's almost in Carpenters territory with this one.

LOWS:
"Crickets Sing for Anamaria" is the peppiest Latin track here and has a catchy hook but it beats it into the dust of repetition. The writers should have taken time to do more verses here. If there's an overall low, it's the pacing problem. There just aren't enough uptempo numbers to keep this from sagging a bit from being topheavy with ballads and midtempo tunes.

BOTTOM LINE:
While it's definitely pop, an appreciation of the synth heavy manufactured pop of the Spice Girls is NOT needed. In fact, I'd be willing to bet Bunton's old fans HATE this. I'm guessing it was a labour of love for Bunton since her name appears as co-writer for all but 1 track and I can't imagine any label exec thought this was going to be hitmaking material. My guess is Basia fans will love this, along with Bacharach aficionados, and perhaps Gilberto fans who don't mind the absence of jazz influence.

Free Me - For the True Pop Music Fan!!!
I have not felt this good about an album purchase in such a long time!!!Emma Bunton's "Free Me" is by far my favorite album so far this year!Every track on this album has its own uniqueness, and would sound wonderful on mainstream radio.If you are a fan of pop music (I mean true pop, not the 50 Cent/Eminem garbage) then this album is definitely for you!

1. Free Me - Great opening track and lead single!
2. Maybe - Very fun and upbeat, you cannot be still listening to this one!
3. I'll Be There - Very catchy, uplifting tune!
4. Tomorrow - The perfect segue from I'll Be There.It continues where IBT left off!
5. Breathing - Another amazing track!
6. Crickets Sing For Anamaria - Kind of an oddball song on this album.The samba sound, and if you listen to the lyrics, a rather humorous tune.I love it!
7. No Sign of Life - She slows it down a little here.Very nicely done.
8. Who the Hell Are You - Sounds like something you might here on a Spice Girls album.
9. Lay Your Love on Me - Another strong up track that holds its own.
10. Amazing (f/Luis Fonsi) - She sounds amazing on this song, however she should've had a better duet partner.This song is not in Luis Fonsi's key.A for effort though.
11. You Are - Has a sound similar to Janet Jackson's Someone to Call My Lover.
12. Something So Beautiful - Album closes on this beautiful ballad.Reminisent of Olivia Newton-John.

The album also includes 2 bonus remixes of the lead single "Free Me."

This album is full of songs that would be great for pop radio, but unfortunately in the sad state we're in (where great music like this is overlooked, and trash like 50 Cent gets all the attention) radio will likely miss it.

Best album of 2004/2005
Im soo speechless emma is one of those artists that can do anything. she has proved she is a spice forever.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
O M G.........i cant belive how good this cd is. when isaw her perform her single on regis and kelly i loved the song "free me" soo much i HAD to get the album. AND she looks great!!! its amazing how far shes come from being baby spice to right now!!!.....all i have to say is that this album rocks!!! love it lots. and all the tracks are great. VERY catchy :)

EMMA HAS FOUND HER SOUND
This album is very, very good. I love everything about it. The musical arrangements, the look, the lirics, Emma's voice, eveything. She's not Baby Spice anymore. Thank god for good music like this, i rather listen to this great album than much of today's putrid garbage like Jennifer Lopez "Rebirth", the Simpson sisters and Britney Spears. Emma's new look and sound reminds me of when Madonna came out with Ray Of Light in 1997, all i had to say was... WOW!!!! Worth every penny! GET IT! ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

New Order is a member of an elite group of long-standing bands whose sound remains innovative, despite a nearly unchanged musical direction. No one touches Peter Hook's warm, startlingly melodic basslines or Bernard Sumner's slightly unsure but instantly recognizable singing. Get Ready is a classic New Order album with a few twists. Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan (who no doubt hero-worshipped the band, like most angst-ridden alterna-youth of his generation) is invited for a guest appearance on "Turn My Way," and Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie aids New Order in producing the dirty, Stones-ripping tune "Rock the Shack," an imitation of Scream's 1994 single, "Rocks." Fans might be taken aback by the disc's occasional sophomoric lyrics, but given the band's standard for poetic prowess, it may be safe to assume that lyrics like "Here comes love/it's like honey/you can't buy/it with money" are tongue-in-cheek. The CD is bookended with its best songs: "Crystal" is one of their finest singles ever, layered with synthesized rhythm tracks and a beautiful interplay between Sumner and a backing female vocal, and "Run Wild" is a tastefully lush ballad that summons those painful and glorious emotions that somehow are unique to the band's music. Few rock groups that equally utilize keyboards and guitars have survived the post-Nirvana shakeout, but Get Ready is further testimony that while trends and musical movements come and go, New Order will always matter. --Beth Massa ... Read more

Reviews (173)

A return to fine form
It was certainly well worth the wait for a new album by one of my favorite synth-pop bands from the '80s. This album definitely is certainly one of best albums that came out of 2001. For me the highlight tracks on this album was "Crystal", "Turn My Way", "Run Wild" and "60 Miles an Hour". I love how the band finishes the album with the acoustic track "Run Wild" after listening to a mostly rock driven album. I'm not a huge Billy Corgan fan but the track he contributed "Turn My Way" is by far one of the best songs I've heard from New Order". That song would have sounded completely different without Billy Corgan's unintentional impression of an angry Big Bird. "Crystal" is a 6 minute epic that kicks off this great album. Originally I didn't care for "Crystal" but that was based on the few seconds I heard of the song. After hearing it in its entirety, it didn't take very long for me to love the first single of "Get Ready". While I do think this album has more of a rock edge and has less synth-pop edge, I still hear the traditional sounds of New Order. "Get Ready" is destined to be a classic like "Substance" and "Republic" (to some people.

Dissapointing
This should have been a very good album but unfortunately I'm highly disappointed. Especially after seeing the record in every music magazine's or site's charts of the best album of 2001. I felt like I was really missing something in this record.

My first disappointment was over the first single "Crystal". I think it is an excellent song but the album version is very short. Still this track shows what they are really capable of at this age. This track is also the best in the album. The next song "60 Miles an Hour" is all right but "Turn My Head"s only good part is the beginning, the part where Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins sings. The rest of the song makes you embarrassed liking New Order because of corny lyrics. Another victim of lyrics is "Slow Jam", where the singer Bernard Sumner sings "I don't want the world to change / I like it the way it is". So this is New Order's new philosophy? That's pathetic. Whatever, "Rock the Shack" is funny, rather than good. Here, Bobby Gillespie out of Primal Scream trying to do a Raw Power but they sound silly. "Someone Like You" is the best next to "Crystal", "Vicious Streak", "Primitive Notion", and "Close Range" are middle of the road New Order songs while the final song "Run Wild" is a disaster. So only two of these songs are totally satisfactory. This work is way much better than their previous offering "Republic" in 94 but the result is still very poor.

By the way, what happened to their keyboard player?

another gem in thier catalog
i have been a fan of NO since they were joy division back in the late 70's. and as a fan of both electronica(what new wave became) and rock, they have always fit the bill. sumners wonderful voice and plain delivery fit peter hook's prominant bass on the rock songs as well as the keyboards on the more electronic songs. this album is a return to the form of the earlier albums before they experimented with pure dance on the last couple of albums. any new NO release is a highly anticipated event. here's hoping that they continue to work together. if you like this, also check out all of thier side projects like electronic, monaco, revenge, the other two, etc.

ps. i did think that the reviewer that was surprised that NO was making rock music and called NO a "techno" band was funny. NO was rock before they were ever dance. IE, joy divison

NOT A ¿NEW ORDER¿ ALBUM AT ALL!!
GET READY is an album, in which New Order has done what it has never done before in the last couple of decades of its career. As an avid 'New Order' fan, I love its laid-back simple and unassuming techno, and Bernard Summoner's oblivious and impassive style of singing. On GET READY, however, there is nothing such as a laid-back simple unassuming techno. As a matter of fact, there is hardly any disco at all! As far as Bernard's vocals are concerned, he is more passionate than ever before, and in fact, he rants in a lot of places.

GET READY doesn't at all have the things for which I love New Order, but I strongly feel it is their best album of all time. Moreover, there is absolutely no doubt that it is way better than 'New Order' masterpieces like TECHNIQUE or REPUBLIC. This is a rock album of sorts. It is amazing how a pure techno band who never seemed to touch a guitar at all can create such a hard-hitting rock album, and with such aplomb and confidence. It seems as if this is an album by a rock band gone mellow rather than a techno band gone rock. Probably the folks of New Order might have learnt a lesson or two in rock from William Corgan Jr. who was a part of New Order-live around the time GET READY was released, and also features in this album. Billy's band, The Smashing Pumpkins, always seemed to be influenced by 80's British alternative sounds, with the typical style of guitaring in its mellower songs. With the new, face-lifted New Order, perhaps the protégé is repaying back his mentors.

All this while New Order always seemed to have an elusive and submissive attitude, but all of a sudden, they are angry and sarcastic. Bernard has never ever shouted "I don't want to change the world, I like the way it is, so give me one more wish, I can't get enough of this...", like he does in "Slow Jam", one of the most acerbic songs in GET READY, where he sings in the most coldest tone, the most coldest lyrics he might have ever written. But, that's not all. In "60 Miles Of Hour", which has such a hum-able chorus, it seems as if Barney, Stephen, Peter and Gillian have let their hair down after being uptight for so very long. One of the main songs of the album, which is an exemplar of New Order's drastic transformation, is "Rock The Shack", which resembles the 'Jesus And Mary Chain' sound, with all its mindless distortion and of course, its delightfully crazy sing-along chorus.

New Order might have changed, but it is one of the best alternative techno bands ever. In addition to their myriads of older songs, a perfect example of this, in GET READY, is possibly the only 'pure' techno song, "Viscous Streak". This song is what this band had always been: laid-back, beautiful pop, and an unforgettable tune with smooth and assuring vocals. All of New Order's numbers had always had a strong presence of Peter Hooks' strong bass-lines. As a matter of fact, Peter's distinctive bass-lines, to a great extent, give this band, its trademark sound. Though GET READY might not have the traditional 'New Order' sound, but Peter's deft basses still make a strong presence in each and every song of this album.

The members of New Order have had a lot of side-projects like Bernard's 'Electronic', and Peter's 'Monaco'. Hence, it never seemed as though this band would ever make a studio-album after REPUBLIC. Even if they would, it would seem just for the sake of it. But, with the comeback album of such a quality and after such an unimaginably long hiatus, it seems like the band has a new found fire, and is more alive and kicking than in any other album of theirs. This fact seems more striking, especially since one thought the band was done for good. Even in the band's various side-projects the sounds were a lot like the typical 'New Order' sound. However, GET READY, which is an album, wholly made by 'New Order' members, has a dramatically alien sound, and by the feel of the album, it seems as though the band has always been making such kind of music. GET READY is indeed the best a band could come up with as a 'comeback' album.

Love that album
Picked it up 2 years ago at music store after I heard one song on the radio "Crystal". How can New order be bad I told myself. I was not wrong since they're even better than in the '80s. I was hooked at first listening with their processed beats, nice guitar and synthesizer.

I like the processed beat of "Primitive notion" conjugued with the guitar, my favorite song. When I heard "Turn my way" I tought it was cool to sound like the "Samshing pumpkins". My second favorite is "Close range".

It was a great guess since all songs are good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the most consistently enjoyable and successful of '80s dance-pop acts, Shalamar still sounds fabulous on this hour-plus set of classic singles. From the late-disco era "Take That to the Bank" and "Second Time Around" to the New Wave-like "Dead Giveaway," Greatest Hits is a stellar listen and a reminder of the days when Solar Records was in the forefront of modern R&B. Only the empty-calories Motown medley "Uptown Festival" and the movie theme "Don't Get Stopped in Beverly Hills" slow the flow. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great Collection
This is a fairly comprehensive collection of Shalamar's hits. "Take That to the Bank", "The Second Time Around" and "A Night to Remember" are all fantastic soulful dancefloor grooves that you can't help but love. Jody Watley was the vocalist who went on to have a short but successful solo career in the late 80's, but this stuff is even better and certainly more mellow. Sample the tracks above (perhaps not the forgetable "Uptown Medley")and I'm sure you will like!
Oh yeah and i agree the cover art is dreadful!!

Finally! A compilation worthy of Shalamar
It's been a long time coming, but Shalamar finally have a compilation worthy of their legacy. And what is that legacy? Along with Ray Parker Jr., they made some of the best black-pop of the late70's/mid-80's. All the hits are here, and even if the final 2 tracks (which don't feature Howard Hewett) aren't much this is still a great listen. One note to Right Stuff. How about dumping the cheap cover art, which are also on the Lakeside and Whispers compilations. Shalamar and the rest of the Solar gang deserve better.

Back To The Past
I am a fan of Shalamar. Their music always take me back to the days when life was simpler and easier. I will recommend this collection to the casual fan. This collection has all their biggest and even some minor hits. When Shalamar was rocking the charts, I was only a small kid. But their music lives on in the me and puts a smile on my face. I don't need to collect all their albums, just give me their best. If you feel this way, then this collection is for you!

Very good, but read this first ...
The music deserves five stars & this collection contains all major & minor hits that the great group had, but the reason for the 3 stars is that all songs are in their 45 rpm versions! This may not bother some, but for the TRUE fan (like me), this will be very annoying.

For those of us who need something more, buy the 12" collection here on Amazon. This is an import from Canada & a little more expensive (about $$$), but MUCH better. This one also collects all the hits & all of the long versions at that. To have Uptown Festival in its' complete form after all these years is great!

See what kind of a fan you are & make your decision off of that. Hopefully you will make the 12" choice ...

great collection!!
their best work on,"take that to the bank","second time around', "a night to remember""make that move",everybody get on up n get down, get down tonight!!joey hoffman , dover pa ... Read more

Album Description

This 2 CD set features a mix from both Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Neil Tennant’s idea when compiling the CD was to create a sequence of music late-night listening, Sequencing electronic, ambient, classical and pop music. Chris Lowe on the other hand has chosen songs about love, friendship, sex, religion, hope and despair., starting with early 80’s electro through Italian disco, rock, gospel and ending of course with classic Dusty. DMC. 2005. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Despite millions of album sales, 'N Sync are an obvious No. 2 to label mates the Backstreet Boys. Fittingly, they try harder--too hard, in fact--through most of their second non-Christmas disc, No Strings Attached. The quintet and Strings' dozen-plus producers fill these 47 minutes with bland ballads by Diane Warren and Richard Marx, mildly funky workouts like a cover of Johnny Kemp's "Just Got Paid" and the muddled "Space Cowboy," and gimmicks such as "Digital Get Down" that hardly lend credence to whatever career-longevity claims they might want to lodge. This is a guaranteed smash, but judged on the merits of its weak material and less than compelling vocal performances, No Strings Attached should be long forgotten by the time the Backstreeters' next CD arrives. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (1792)

Fun listening but these guy are more of balladeers
There are distinctively 2 types of music you can get in Nsync's No Strings Attached : lush, romantic ballads and fun, funky uptempo numbers.

The intense production level in this album is readily manifested in all the fast songs :

"Its Gonna Be Me" has rich, infectious beats and well-sychronised layering of sounds.

The next track "Space Cowboy", with its funky, colorful lyrics, opens with a grand, futuristic sounding intro music.

"No Strings Attached" has a wild energy in it, which "explodes" in between the verses.

With a rather sleazy intro, "Digital Getdown" is perhaps the first song from Nsync that steers away from their clean image. The song itself is extravagantly vamped up with lots of digital sythesizer effects. But the suggestive lyrics should gather pretty much attention themselves.

"Bringin' the Noise" is a party tune designed to bring up the atmosphere of the "house". However the lyrics of this song are rather lame. It's probably the weakest song in the whole album.

"I'll Be good for You" is the only track that can be classified as a mid-tempo song. It has a smooth, easy-going, R&B feel to it. Produced by Justin Timberlake, it is a commendable effort.

So far, the only weakness in the FAST songs, is perhaps the inconsistent vocals provided by JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake. It seems that the two sing MUCH better in ballads. When it comes to the fast songs, JC sometimes sounds weak (e.g. No Strings Attached), while Justin's voice sounds like, er...Britney Spears (e.g.It's Gonna Be Me). Those are things the two singers should note.

In any case, the gems in this album are really the ballads - and there are sadly only three of them: the romantic "This I Promise You", the gorgeous "That's When I'll Stop Loving You" and the soulful acapella "I Thought She Knew". If Nsync could have included a number of ballads to complement the number of fast songs here, "No Strings Attached" could have been sounded more balanced.

A final observation: In this album, Nsync seemed to have shown more creativity in their music. While the fast songs in "All Strings Attached" are best intended for fun-listening, none of them are at least reminiscent of those trite-sounding ones (like "I Want You Back", "Tearin' Up My Heart") Nsync used to sing ages back.

Let's just hope "No Strings Attached" is the harbinger of better things to come from Nsync.

Thank God the Boy Band Craze is Over
Man, oh man - thank god this craze is over. They vaulted to the top of the charts a few years ago, thanks to the dedicated teenie fans, but alas, no longer are they so respected, except by people who Never Got Over It. Yet they still linger beneath the surface, waiting to rise again. We have four who never used this horrid band as a catalyst to start something else, and then you have this yellow-haired clown invading the media worse than anthrax. And yet, you know that this single clown is going to keep reminding us that, yes Virginia, there were boy bands.

As for the cd, please do yourself a favor and don't buy this crap. If you want real music, go to the alternative tentacles website and purchase an old Dead Kennedys album. Buy a NOFX cd. Or, for crying out loud, go get a Beatles cd or an Enrico Caruso! Support anybody but these manufactured bimbos! Support REAL musicians!

Good night

Worst music ever? Maybe...Wait! It is the worst!!
This is the kind of crap that makes me and every single person that has a brain become a "hater". You think NSync is good music? Here is the reality. They suck, and you are nothing but a brainwashed fool!!
MTV and the radio stations have turned the world of music into a big territory full of Crap!!! First of all, I don't know what happened to this clowns. All I know is that 4 of them must be really unhappy today and that the other one thinks he is Michael Jackson!! Can music get any worse ? I don't think so. Is hard to tell. The backstreet boys are nothing but a piece of s+++t like this crap. Is hard to tell what's the worst piece of crap in the music industry. But is clear that is after 1995. Oh that's for sure.
Everyone in this world has a dream. Well, this is my dream. I dream with the day in which rock and metal bands, that play instruments (and they do it well, not like all the Linkin Park crap!!) will invade this music world full of crap. Leading the invasion, the greatest band of all time. The one that doesn't need the stupid MTV and a crappy pop radio to sell millions. A band that changed the world of real music. Iron Maiden!!!

Suckiest Album of All Time
Everything on this albums sucks. If I could have I would have rated it 0/5. This isn't even music. If you want real music listen to some Sabbath or ACDC.

A discrase to music
First I would like to say that five guys that don't play instruments, dance around the stage, and don't sing good lyics (in my opinion they didn't sing anything at all) is not a band. Thety are barly a music group. Them, like many other groups of the late 90's (the begining of the dark age of music that we are in now as i like to call it) only got popular becasue MTV said you should listen to it. WELL DONT. The music sucks and every time I here Bye Bye Bye I play someone ramdonly come up to me with a gun and pull the trigger. Im glad they broke up (not supprises there.) If you want good music then travel back a bit to the 60's and 70's and listne to the exellence of the music then. The Who, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin are good places to start. ... Read more

Reviews (78)

A debut with power!
Ace of Base's debut effort, The Sign, is probably the best of the nineties. Aside from selling 21 million copies around the globe, and from being the #1 album of 1994, it is truly creative. From the opening track "All That She Wants" that includes the feel of Jamaican beaches and features their signature reggae-pop beats, it is a non-stop tour of Euro-dance and reggae-pop! "Don't Turn Around" is a powerful lost-love song that echoes with Linn's dramatic vocals and Jenny's heartbreaking back-ups. "Wheel of Fortune", "Living In Danger", "Dancer in a Daydream", "Happy Nation"- these are the album's best tracks. The Bangrha version of "ATSW" could have done better off of the CD, maybe replaced with one of their European tracks, like "Hear Me Calling", and the 7" Remix of "Waiting for Magic" totally kills the original version of the song that is on the European album (The original version of "WFM" is very good). The standout song is the title track, "The Sign", which is a fun, poppy song that, aside from being their biggest hit, is a meaningful track that brings life to to the whole record. This is the best album of the decade, so GET IT!

OUT OF CONTROL-GOOD-This is the ABSOLUTE truth!
I can NOT SAY ENOUGH good things about this album! I bought it when I was 10 or 11 when it first came out, and I STILL listen to it, it is still relavent! This cd ranks on my top 10 cds of all time, hands down...it is THAT GOOD! Here, I will rate the songs....

1. All That She Wants-definitely a classic, surprisingly not one of my favorite cuts though, but nothing on this album gets below an 8! The only reason I rate this an 8 is b/c I am into the more uptempo songs on here.. 8/10
2. Don't Turn Around-classic Ace of Base...9/10
3. Young and Proud-very good, excellent even. Nothing on this cd will dissapoint in my opinion 8/10
4. Sign-NOT one of my fav cuts on the album. I may sound negative, but I am trying to show that there are even better cuts than the radio classics!!! The Sign is great of course! :)

5. Living in Danger-one of the best cuts on the album! Dark, mysterious, should've done better in the US 9/10
6. Dancer in a Daydream-Unbelievably good! One of my favorite cuts on this cd, just a totally unreal great dance song, Jenny/Linn's vocals are so perfect for this song! 10/10
7. Wheel of Fortune-ANOTHER perfect 10 song IMO...this song is also haunting and strange, and magical which leads me to...10/10
8. Waiting for Magic [Total Remix 7"]-Waiting for magic, sounds..magical!! 10/10 HANDS DOWN! It is hard to explain these songs, but it sounds icy, and princess-y...
9. Happy Nation-midtempo song, very good, one of the best midtempo songs!~ 9/10
10. Voulez-Vous Danser-great, fun 10!
11. My Mind [Mindless Mix]-ONE OF THE BEST mixes ever!~ 10/10
12. All That She Wants [Banghra Version]-great version of ATSW!! 10/10

Please, just pick up this album it is worth every penny!

ARe you kidding me?
This CD is hands down the worst CD since, well, ever. I'm disappointed in our country as a whole for rating this CD with as many stars as The Beatles. The fact that one even has to ask oneself about the gender of the singer makes me want to throw up in my mouth. This CD sucks. My ears have put me on music probation for a month for forcing them to listen to such an abomination of tones and rhythms. Such crimes have not been comitted with electronic instruments since this album or before it. Quit listening to crap.

The Sign
The Sign~ Ace of Base is on of the best debut record maybe since speak and spell by Depeche Mode. The songs are fun and the lyrics are stupid and inane like they should be.

I still love this album to this day!
I didn't know about this group as much when "All That She Wants" was a hit in the US. But I liked them more when their album "The Sign" came out! Very fun, catchy and funky songs with a lot of melody and rhythm! Their clashing of pop and reggae was so unique. Love the title song, All, Don't Turn Around, Young and Proud, My Mind, Wheel of Fortune, the adventurous Happy Nation and others. Joker's producing of many of the songs were the album's highlight. And the two women and the other fellow in the group were also superb. 10 1/2 years later, this is such a fun pop album from this group from Sweden! I hope they make a new album soon! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though best remembered as the act whose "Fantastic Voyage" was transmogrified into Coolio's mid-'90s plea for urban peace, Ohio-based funksters Lakeside deserve to be recalled for more. For instance, their album covers usually pictured them in some movie-inspired getup or another--see 1982's Untouchables, which even backed up its Capone-era gangster concept for more than one song. This collection gets a little dull when they slow down, except for an inspired ballad rendition of the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand." But if you're looking for something entertaining to complement your James Brown, P-Funk, and Earth, Wind & Fire discs, you could do worse. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (9)

fantastic voyage!!
it is a fantastic voyage!!j.h. of dover usa

raid everybody on the dance floor
lakeside was another funkdafied group that gave up classic funk jams which survived through rap samples fantastic voyage, raid and all the way live are bumping to this day and they are bad cop this and put some funk in that trunk.

Incredible group spins excellent grooves
I just picked up this CD last week and I'm blown away. I knew very little about "Lakeside" before my purchase other than "Fantastic Voyage" and "It's All the Way Live", but man, these guys have so much more than those two great tunes.

This CD has a tremendous blend of funk and soft soul. It's tough to do both well, and these guys are as good as I've heard at producing ballads as well as danceable grooves.

A huge plus for this album is the sequence of songs. For once a compilation puts it together just right. They don't fly you off the soft stuff too quickly into funk, and they don't go straight funk forver and suddenly slow you down. There's a nice progression throughout the whole CD. (Best tune is "Something About That Girl.")

I stuck gold when I bought this CD. Others should do the same, this is classic stuff.

ONE OF OHIO FUNKIEST BAND'S
BORN AND RAISE IN OHIO ESPICALLY IN THE 70's YOU COULDN'T HELP BUT BREATHE THE FUNK.WHEN YOU WAKE UP!YOU TAKE A DEEP WIFF OF LAKESIDE O.P's SUN,SLAVE AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.LAKESIDE REALLY FLOATED OUT THE "LAND OF FUNK".WHEN THEY LEFT THE SHORE'S OF THE OHIO RIVER FOR THEIR PARTY CRUISE"FANTASTIC VOYAGE"ALL OF US WERE ON ONE FUNKY BOAT THAT COULD KEEP THE SHIP A FLOAT.EVERY PORT KNEW WHEN THAT FUNKY CRUISE SHIP CAME IN.BECAUSE THAT CREW BROUGHT HARMONY,RYTHM AND FUNK!LOOK OUT THEY MIGHT JUST BE DOCKING AT PORT NEAR YOU.

The best of lakeside
This cd Grooves. I realy injoy I wanna hold your hand.but I love all the songs.you must add this one to your collection.it jams ... Read more

Amazon.com

Evita was finally filmed in 1996, 20 years after its initial incarnation as a studio-bound rock opera. In between, of course, it was one of the most successful and long-running musicals on either side of the Atlantic. Given such a long history, the film might easily have been a stale anticlimax, fatally holed by our overfamiliarity with songs such as the ubiquitous "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina." On the contrary, it was an impressive and immensely satisfying production. The numbers, augmented by a new song for Eva ("You Must Love Me"), sound fresh and the singing is excellent. Coming from Jonathan Pryce (Peron) and Jimmy Nail (Magaldi), this is hardly a surprise. The real revelation is Antonio Banderas as Che, a kind of one-man Greek chorus commenting on Eva's rise and the price she must pay. His warm tenor dispels memories of previous, rougher interpretations from such singers asDavid Essex and Colm Wilkinson. Ultimately, though, the star is Madonna. She is totally immersed in the role of Eva from start to finish, her singing ranging from girlish delicacy to a hard-edged stridence as the dictator's wife achieves her goals. Rarely has a film so successfully given a stage show such a new lease on life. --Piers Ford ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Can't stand on its own without the visuals of the movie...
I heard this soundtrack about two weeks before the movie was released back in 1996, and I was very disappointed. I thought the movie would be a disaster. Upon seeing the movie in a large theater, I was very pleased.

It may be that I was spoiled by Patti LuPone's performance in EVITA (ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING). Madonna simply does not have the range, vocal power, or presence of Patti LuPone. And that's exactly why Madonna is perfect for the movie role: Patti's voice would have been over-powering when combined with the sweeping cinematography of this lush epic. In contrast, Madonna's voice would not be able to hold its own in the sparse theater production. In my opinion, "The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like To Hear)" is the only aspect of this movie version soundtrack that surpasses the LuPone Broadway version. Madonna's voice is so sweet and warm in the newer rendition of the song, and the orchestration is much more rich and embracing. I also liked Madonna's version of "Another Suitcase In Another Hall," which in the Broadway version was sung by Peron's mistress. But hearing Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Pryce on this sountrack is perhaps the ultimate proof that the visuals are needed to make this project work (Pryce doesn't even really sing the lines). This version is also much slower than the Broadway Cast album or the London Cast album. The reason for this is that during filming, the actors had to lip sync to playback of this recording. In my opinion, this all but ruins "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You." LuPone's uptempo version is stunning!

My only other "complaint" about this recording is the same I have with the movie and all other EVITA recordings: the lack of historical accuracy. Juan Peron is portrayed as having been a fascist, and it is hinted that Evita had been a protitute. All serious biographers know that this is inaccurate; Peron was not a fascist, Evita was never a prostitute, and though the song "A New Argentina" casts Evita in the hero's role, she in reality had nothing to do with organizing the rally that freed Juan Peron from prison on Oct. 17, 1945. She was still an actress at that point, not yet Peron's wife, and had no affiliation with the true heroes of that day: the union leaders. But I understand why the historical inaccuracy that Evita organized the rally to free Juan Peron was inserted into the musical, because it dovetails nicely with the undercurrent theme of this musical: the assertion that Evita was a ruthless woman who coldly calculated her rise to the top of Argentine society ("Eva, beware your ambition. It's hungry and cold," sings Magladi in the song "Eva Beware of the City").

But that's the operative word here: "serious." ...this is not a serious biography; this is a musical. If you are looking for a serious biography of Eva Peron, I would suggest the book EVITA: THE REAL LIFE OF EVA PERON. The authors of this book say that this musical is an outgrowth of the "black myth of Evita," which was created by Juan Peron's political enemies. Indeed, the entire musical is based on the anti-Peronist book EVITA: THE WOMAN WITH THE WHIP. Thankfully, Madonna helped lighten the portrayal of Evita a little. For that, she is to be commended. She, more than anyone else, knew what Evita - a woman at war with the confines of established society - was up against.

Sure to give you a "Rainbow High"
All I can say is wow! I love this soundtrack. The casting is superb and all of the songs are fabulous:the first cd upbeat and fun and the second haunting and sad especially near eva's death. When I first saw the movie in 1996, I loved it! I wasn't able to get the soundtrack until a while later but it was worth the wait.The music direction is incredible! I never skip over any songs and I never get tired of listening to it! It's perfect for anything--in the morning, for sad or happy times, to listen to while you are working etc. I love singing to it and my friends are seriously sick of hearing from me about how great it is and having me let them borrow my cd so they can see for themselves. This is my dream role and Madonna does a fabulous job portraying Eva, as well as Antonio Banderas as Che and Jonathon Pryce as Peron. And for all of those people out there who say Madonna doesn't have talent, they obviously haven't seen or listened to evita because she has a beautiful voice as well as acting talent in this role. She was very worthy of winning the golden globe.And who knew Antonio Baderas had such a fabulous voice! I love the way he portrays his character. These songs make me smile and cry when I sing them and whenever I hear the complete soundtrack I relive the life of Eva again and again!

TOO WEAK!
OK, HERE'S THE DEAL. THIS CD IS NOT VERY GOOD AT ALL. I LIKED THE ORIGINAL PATTIE LuPONE VERSION MUCH BETTER. SEE, I'M NOT SAYING MADONNA IS A BAD SINGER, SHE JUST CAN'T SING FOR THE PART OF EVA PERON. AND I DON'T KNOW WHO PLAYED THE PART FOR CHE, BUT HE DID AWFUL AT IT. HE'S SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE A COOL GUY WHO HAS TO DECIDED A LOT. THIS GUY MADE IT SO YOU CAN HEAR THE LYRICS TOO CLEAR. I MEAN, I KNOW THERE IS NO DIOLOUGE IN EVITA, BUT THERE ISN'T DIOLOUGE IN JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR OR CATS EITHER. HE SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS SOOOOOOO TIRED AND SOOOOOO BORED.

OH YEAH, AND THE ACCENTS ARE AWFUL. COME ON! THIS STORY TAKES PLACE IN SOUTH AMERICA! NOT NEW YORK OR PENNSILVANA! ALSO, MADDONA SOUNDED LIKE SHE WAS TALKING WHEN SHE WAS SU PPOSED TO BE SINGING. EXAMPLE, BUNIOUS AIRES IS A WONDERFUL COLORFUL SONG. WHEN PATTIE LuPONE SANG IT, IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS TIME RICE EVER WROTE. THIS VERSION WAS BAD AND SOUNDED LIKE A 9 YEAR OLD WAS SINGING IT A PROM OR FOR MONEY. ANOTHER EXAPLE:A NEW ARGENTINA IS MY FAVORITE SONG IN THE SCORE. THIS VERSION SOUNDED LIKE PEOPLE WERE CRYING AND MOPPING, AND humma...jummana...WHEN PATTIE LuPONE SANG IT, IT WAS SOOOOOOO GREAT AND AWSOME, I'VE BEEN SINGING IT TO MYSELF FOR WEEKS. THIS VERSION SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS FROM BATMAN. IF YOU ARE STILL READING THIS REALLY LONG REVIEW, YOUR PROBOBLY THINKING WHY I GAVE IT A 2. WELL, I THOUGHT MADDONA DID AN EXELLENT JOB SINGING DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA. DO NOT BUY THIS CD IF YOU HAVN'T SEEN PATTIE LuPONE'S FABULOUSE VERSION. BUY THAT CD FIRST. GOODNIGHT NEW YORK!

Not what you're used to...
I've watched the movie so many times over the years, so when I got the soundtrack I was a little disappointed. I understand that they had to re-record the songs for sound quality, but Madonna, Jonathan, and Antonio could have tried harder to make certain songs sound like they did on the screen. For a person who's heard the same thing over and over and expected the same thing on the soundtrack, it was very disconcerting. It pulls me out of being swept up in the marvelous orchestration and lyrics and gives me the "nails on the chalkboard" feeling.

I still recommend the soundtrack, but just be aware that it's not exactly what you're used to...

Madonna's voice is simply too weak...
...for musical singing. It gets on your nevers after some time and you simply have heard better versions of these songs by better singers often before ... Read more