Amazon.com

On Jerry Seinfeld's debut CD, he already sounds sick of his material. Of course, the point of the performance that it captures--the HBO special I'm Telling You for the Last Time--was to perform the routine one last time and then retire it forever. This recording was taped just a couple of months after Seinfeld went off the air, and the crowd sounds like it's jonesing for a fix--they laugh at everything, even Seinfeld's setup lines ("So what's with the cabdrivers and the BO?"). Still, Seinfeld's humor--that now-familiar observation from a satisfyingly elitist point of view--delivers. But after all the late-night talk-show appearances, the book Seinlanguage, and nine years of the series, was there really any question? --Randy Silver ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Worth your time
Jerry Seinfeld is very funny here. Like most comedy records, its well worth borrowing from a friend/library, and listening to once, but not worth owning. The same is true here, but the first time, it's quite funny. This is about 75 mins., so you get well enough entertainment (its also on video and dvd). Jerry talks about everything from air travel to McDonalds, and everything in-between. Haloween is quite funny; we've heard about Florida before. Although it has slow spots, I never once fast forewarded, because Jerry can rebound just about everything. He seems to be good with the audience (Q + A), and this is a decent cd. Seinfeld fans will love this (and who doesn't like Seinfeld?). Thank you for taking the time to read my review and feel free to leave me a helpful/not helpful feedback. God Bless America!

Non-stop laughs, laughs, laughs from a master
Jerry Seinfeld's "I'm Telling You for the Last Time" is typical Seinfeld stuff--that is to say, of course, EXCELLENT SEINFELD STUFF. He hits topics like cab drivers, sky diving ("You get up that high, I think that helmet is wearing YOU for protection"), drugstores, bathrooms, and so on. It's astonishing to us non-comedians that these seemingly hum-drum topics can be mined for such riches, but Seinfeld does the impossible and makes them each a comic gem that will have you red-faced and absolutely helpless with laughter.

His take on Halloween may be one of the funniest things I've ever heard (On hearing about Halloween for the first time as a kid, Seinfeld says his reaction was, "You mean everyone we KNOW is just GIVING AWAY CANDY? What's WRONG with them?"). He segues from this into the meanings of "up" and "down" for kids and adults: "When you're little, life is up. Wait up, hold up, shut up! Mom, I'll clean up! Lemme stay up! Parents, of course, are just the opposite. Just calm down! Slow down! Come down here, sit down, put that down! Keep it down in there!"

This album deserves your undivided attention--to really enjoy it, my husband and I recently listened to it on a long drive when we were going on vacation and we both were nearly in tears from laughing so hard. Great stuff!

Seinfeld at close to his best..
Jerry Seinfeld is almost at his best during this recording, though at times, it sounds as though someone is walking in front of the audience with an 'applause' sign, as the audience laugh very frequently at things he says that are simply not funny. This aside, the recording is very fun to listen to once or twice and everyone will have their favourite bits.. including the 'hello newman' at the end during the question and answer segment. Some of the material does sound a little overworked, especially to people who watched the show regularly (as I did). Never-the-less, this is a good recording of some of Seinfeld's funniest material

funny for some
dont get me wrong. this guy is very funny, and there are some very funny jokes on this, but the overall attitude of this cd is not very funny. i do not think that some of his jokes are funny though. i think that some of the people writing the reviews here are just diehard fans who are not willing to admit that it is NOT in fact jerry seinfeld at his best. he is funny, but some of the thiings on this cd are not funny.

Jerry Seinfeld
This CD is pure Jerry Seinfeld comedy. I reccomend this CD greatly. It is full of non-stop jokes, ones that you and everyone else can relate to! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first time you listen to this disc you will undoubtedly be transported directly back to your childhood. Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters will go toe-tapping and funky-dancing through your mind's eye. Play it a few more times, though (ignoring the dialogue snippets, if you can), and you will begin to truly revel in Guaraldi's wonderful, humorous, deep piano playing. You'll hear why he's such an influence on new age ivory tickler George Winston, but you'll also realize that Winston's holiday music never quite sparkles with the underlying passion, and humor, that twinkles in these grooves. Buy it for the nostalgia--keep it because it will remain one of the most enchanting albums in your holiday collection. --Michael Ruby ... Read more

Reviews (130)

An all-time Christmas classic!
Thanks (so much) to the timeless annual television special which delights us each December, it's difficult to find a collection of songs which touch the inner child in quite the way A Charlie Brown Christmas does. The late Vince Guaraldi's brilliant interpretations of these holiday standards are borderline genius---tailor-made to reflect the Peanuts characters' pursuit of integrity and meaning as adults trapped inside little children. As good a true jazz piano record as anyone will find, this treasure chest echoes of many happy Christmases past, and warms the heart and soul like nothing before or since.

There simply aren't enough positive adjectives to describe this soundtrack. I wholeheartedly recommend it to all---those who fondly remember the TV special and look forward to its return every year; those who desire to add a slightly different flavor to their yuletide music collection; and those who enjoy fine jazz, by an artist whose immense talent was barely realized, but fortunately captured here. And pardon the cliche', but like a fine holiday wine, this one only betters as it ages. Drink it in as it rekindles your most joyous childhood memories.

STAR TRACKS: Classic carols "O Tannenbaum," "What Child Is This" (extended later on the album as its traditional "Greensleeves"), and "The Christmas Song" each are delivered in a style unlike any holiday chestnuts, but "My Little Drum," a lovely interpretation of "The Little Drummer Boy," is a far more stirring rendition than the famous original it borrows from. "Christmas Is Coming" and the ebullient "Linus and Lucy" are spirited, youthful celebrations guaranteed to raise a smile on anyone, anywhere, at anytime. But for pure imagistic splendor, the beautifully desolate "Christmas Time Is Here" (performed twice, once with a small children's choir) and the colorful "Skating" may be the album's most evocative numbers, transporting the listener into the story's animated world which every one of these enchanting songs so perfectly support.

A Great Stocking Stuffer
This is one Christmas CD you should have in your collection! If you already have it, give it to someone special!

Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to the 1965 classic TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas helped incorporate the style of music that became known with Charlie Brown specials (he would do several more soundtracks for Charlie Brown TV specials and their 1st movie until his untimely death in 1977).

This is more than just a soundtrack, as there are many pieces not featured in the special ("My Little Drum", a variation of The Little Drummer Boy, "The Christmas Song", "Greensleeves", and "What Child Is This").

Then of course come the songs from tne special. There's the original compositions "Christmastime Is Here", which opens the special, "Linus and Lucy", which would be featured in many of the other Charlie Brown specials for years, and "Christmas Is Coming" (a bossa nova number, which sounds a little like Richie Valens' "La Bamba"). Of course, you have the traditional Christmas carols included like "O Tanenbaum" (if you close your eyes, you can almost picture Charlie Brown and Linus shopping for the perfect Christmas tree!) and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (which closes the TV special. Sorry, you don't get the anticlimactic "MERRY CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!".). Then there's the ode to Schroeder's favorite all-time composer, Beethoven, who as Lucy points out "never got his picture on a bubble gum card" with "Fur Elise" (you can almost picture Schroeder tickling the ivories as you hear this!).

Reminds me of being a little kid watching Charlie Brown.
This is a great CD! It takes you back to when you were a little kid on the couch watching the Charlie Brown christmas special.
I think it will make a great CD to play around the holidays. =)

The Definitive Christmas Album
This album is an absolute MUST HAVE. It is what Christmas is all about, a true masterpiece. No contest as my favorite Christmas album.

Still the best Christmas Album Ever...
I first bought this LP (yes, LP) when I found it in a dusty used album bin, about 2 blocks from Fantasy Records in Berkeley where it was recorded. The album was in perfect condition, so I made a tape copy that got played year after year. Eventually I wore the tape out, so I took out my pristine album and made another copy. No one I knew had the LP or knew where to find it, so they'd ask me to make them a tape. I wouldn't copy the LP directly - it was priceless to me - though I'd lend out the tape for them to copy. Eventually someone never returned it, so I made yet another copy from the LP. I wore that one out too, but by then they'd issued the CD and I bought that. The CD had one or two tracks the LP didn't have, and to be honest they added little for me - the LP as it stood was perfect. A few years later a bunch of my CDs were stolen, so I bought it again, which is my current copy.

There really isn't any more to be said about this CD. Everyone's seen the show, and the music of Vince Guaraldi is timeless. One of the all-time greatest jazz musicians, Guaraldi had a unique and almost universally liked style few, if any, modern musicians can touch. The soundtrack has taken on a life of its own - play it at a party and people will smile and relax as they are almost subconsciously transported back to childhood.

The Christmas season starts for me right after Thanksgiving, when I first play "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Through all the hassles of traffic, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and the overall holiday rush, this CD always reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas, what this season is truly about. And I still take out and admire securely-stored LP version which I will never give up. ... Read more

Album Description

Attell's unique blend of demented stories and off-kilterobservations have made him a favorite on the stand-upcircuit. He's also the star of Insomniac, one of ComedyCentrals highest rated programs. Digipak. Comedy Central.2003. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Coming this fall to Fox, the Unf*ckables!
I know who Dave Attell by watching his show Insomniac, and I love Dave Attell, and Skanks for the Memories is THE BEST COMIC ALBUM TO DATE! The jokes are fresh, and the laughs dont stop, when I first heard this CD, me and my friend were laughing our asses off because it is this funny.
Dave talks about just about everything; from having an albano friend, a midget friend, and a friend that believes that the Lord Of The Rings is real, and together they call themselves 'The Unf*ckables', and having a woman scream another man's name in the height of passion: 'Oh give it to me Chubacca, work it Spider-Man, oh not in my eye Papa Smuft. Now is she crazy like it says on her braclet, or is she looking at my sheets, I dont know.' Just a little taste from the CD.
This CD is not for everyone, Dave talks about some graphic stuff, especially since his friends are doing yoga, not for him, if he wanted his legs behind his head, he would just go to jail. See what I mean? Also some people might find this album VERY OFFENSIVE (look at the titles on the CD) and THIS ALBUM IS NOT FOR CHILDREN! Dave is all out hardcore on this CD, this is his first CD, and his best. If you like cruel humor like me, then get this, but a word of advice, dont pop this in your CD player in your car because you are likely to crash because you are laughing your butt off.

Funniest comedy CD this year!
I've been a fan of Dave for a few years now. His original stand-up comedy show on Comedy Central was great. Now after the success of Insomniac, we are treated to a gem of a concert. Dave holds nothing back when it comes to sex, drinking, drugs, and of course the infamous Find the Smell. His delivery and rapid fire execution ranks him as one of the best stand-up comedians today. If you've seen Dave before or watched Insomniac then buy this CD, you won't regret it.

Laugh Until Your Stomach Hurts
If you've ever seen Insomniac, you know how funny Dave Attell is. This CD is super funny from start to finish. I only wish I had this on DVD to stimulate my visuals.

Funny Funny Funny
As far as trashy, insulting, and generally gross humor goes, Dave Attell had mastered it. This CD is one of THE FUNNIEST compilations by a single artist I have ever heard. After sharing this CD with others I only ever seem to get the one complaint..."How could Dave Attell not have other CD releases" I recommend this to anyone with a really open sense of humor, just maybe don't play it for Grandma.

This man is funny
I can't describe this cd, you just have to hear it to believe how funny it is. I've never seen Insomniacs so I wasn't familiar with Dave Attel. However, I'm very happy with this purchase, I just keep laughing every time I play this cd. Better not play this one while driving. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A gem from one of the greats!
Rodney Dangerfield is simply one of the best stand-up comedians of all time. This CD catches him at the top of his game in the '80s. Every line is a howler. He absolutely murders the audience with one liners that never miss their mark. It's a riot from start to finish. Absolutely no negative criticisms whatsoever. This is this album's first appearance on CD and I doubt it will be in print very long. Let's also hope that Rodney's other great LP, "Rappin' Rodney," will be released on CD some day soon. Few can match Rodney laugh for laugh and NO ONE can top him.

Is he a loser, a smartalec, or just a genius?
"I get no respect", has always been a Rodney Dangerfield trademark and if you have never heard Rodney's humor from his own mouth, then it is about time. This routine was recorded around 1979-80, and Rodney stayed in the limelight for about 10 years after this with various late night specials and even his own comedy show in 1988. In about 50 minutes of stand-up, Rodney goes from loveable loser, to a-hole, to sexual pervert, to jerk, to loser that is a jerk, to sarcastic twit, and finally to comic genius. Rodney was indeed the man, as his crazy jokes could indeed happen to anybody. I mean, who can't help but laugh at jokes about "Rodney's wife" being "easy", or even about Rodney seeing a naked guy jogging outside his house and when Rodney asks him why, the guy answers, "because you came home early".

I don't know how to classify Rodney Dangerfield, but I do know that he is one of the greats.

What the deuce is wrong with all you people?!!!
This horrible album really sucks
How'd it ever make the bucks?

Rodney's Lyrics are lame, they just aren't funny
When I bought this album I wasted money.

seriously people...this is terrible. I love Rodney as much as the next guy... but this is total crapola.

Rodney Is Krazy
This was very funny. Had to run some of it back to make sure of what I heard. Has some slow spots but Rodney stchick has been working for years now.....

Certified Classic!!
As far as comics go Rodney is on top!! This late night comic is a crowd pleaser from the start. This CD is a riot. Rodney pokes at all types of people and doesnt leave himself out of the joke. From his wife to his kids no one is safe. I laughed from the start till the end. He IS a genius. This takes all of his talent and rolls it in one. Hands down one of the greastest stand up comics!! Worth the money for this CD. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good Bossa Nova and MPB
I picked this up several years ago, and what a great disc this is. It's got some old classics on it and some pretty rare tracks too. At the time I picked it up, this was actually a series. There is another cd titled: "Samba Brasil" that has a similar cover, but is white and green.

The artists on this are fantastic. From Gal Costa do Vinicius De Moraes, you're taken on a real trip through some of the classics in Brazilian music. Perhaps most interesting and stellar of which is the Elis Regina only vocal of Waters of March. It has such an innocent sound! Carlos Lyra's "Influencia Do Jazz" will take you to a beach in the late 60's, and Baden Powell's Consolacao has that rich acoustic sound I've grown up with and love. And check out Joao Gilberto's song here along with Gal Costa's tracks... She's a VERY underrated singer IMO. But this CD isn't without fault. The sound quality can be suspect on some tracks, and a song or two weren't what I would have selected from the musicians here. (You can find "Aguas De Beber" and "Girl from Ipanema" on virtually every compilation.

Still I would have to recommend this. It's not that expensive, and out of most of the Bossa Nova/MPB samplers, this is one of the better ones IMO. For the make of Samba De Bencao, Elis Regina, Baden Powell, Tamba Trio (who did the wildly successful take of "Mas Que Nada" that featured in the 1998 World Cup commercial with Brazilian footballers in an airport) and the others... good tunes. Also check out Nova Bossa Nova - a companion piece to "Red Hot & Rio". There is some overlap, but the other version of Baden Powell's cut on that comp is better than this one IMO. Maybe also check out Bossa Nova Gold, a two disc set of MPB and Bossa Nova.

Wish I could Give It 6 Stars
One of my all time favorite discs! A great introduction for this style of Brazilian music. Romantic beyond belief!

Uplifting afternoon music
Put this on as a soundtrack for the perfect afternoon. It will bring summer to winter, yet cool off a sultry August day. There are other more comperhensive reviews here, and it was by reading them that I bought this. I am happy I did!

Great introduction to bossa nova
This great introduction to Bossa Nova couldn't be a better value-for-money. Sampling from each of the major trends in the genre, _Bossa Nova Brasil_ will turn the mildest curiosity in the rhythms into a genuine interest. This is great I-just-got-off-work-and-I've-got-a-date-in-an-hour music. Put it on in your car to unwind and enjoy the ride. Or throw open your windows on a spring day and celebrate the change of seasons. Or share it with someone you love to dance embarrassingly unwell with. Whatever you do, though, give bossa nova a try, and trust that this collection will be an excellent way to start.

A stick a stone...
Great compilation with great artists; it reminds you of a sunset beach in Brasil. Elis Regina's solo origanal of Waters of March is timeless and Leila Pinheiro's Pra Iluminar is one of the smoothest sambas I had ever heard. Other artists don't disappoint. A must have for any Bossa Nova collection. ... Read more

Album Description

US debut from these Montreal pop heroes whose previous releases and incinderary, yet fragile live shows have them poised to be the next band for the Smiths obsessed; for music fans who find comfort in defiant gloomy melodies.The CD, a min-concept album whose central theme is hope in the face of the horror of the world, contains eleven songs including the NME single of the week "We Can Have it." Quciktime video for "Lost in the Plot" also included. ... Read more

Album Description

A restful guided imagery CD creating a path towards deep relaxation.Helps to reduce stress and anxiety, achieve restorative sleep, enhance the body's natural healing process and increase balance and focus in your life. Background music especially composed to deepen your state of relaxation. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

It¿s a great value for the price
I am a junior at U.C Santa Crews and I am finding it deficit to relax at night with the pressure of school and work. I am looking for different and natural ways to relax and wake up refresh every morning to meet the challenges of the new day. I was skeptical at first, but I am willing to try anything once. After buying Journey into Deep Relaxation and listening to it for a few nights I have seen a noticeable difference in the morning after waking up. I feet like I slept a deeper then I had before thereby not feeling groggy when I wake up. I normally don't post things, but I have to recommend it. It was a good investment that I made.

Excellent CD
Bought this and Barry Pitkoff's. This is the best, hands down! I use this before a Reiki teaching session to reach meditative levels for my students, and this CD works superbly.

Doreen's gift
Doreen's CD came into my life during a extremely rough period of stress and life changes. For the first time in my life I was having trouble sleeping and experiencing panic attacks. Doreen's techniques for relaxation and stress reduction were instumental in getting me through this period. She was a calm and guiding voice in the middle of the chaos.
I have been able to carry her relaxation techniques with me and use them when ever I feel tense or anxious. Her CD helped me to learn new ways to deal with life's challenges. Truly an amazing gift.

mrTsays
Doreen's relaxation CD is one of the finest products of it's kind I have ever used. It took me over a month of listening to it before I could stay awake long enough to hear it in it's entirity. If you want to relax, recharge and have a greater peace in your life try this product!

Deeper Sleep
A friend recommended that I purchase this guided imagery. I am a midlife woman dealing with a lot of health and personal issues. I wake up in the night and have a hard time returning to sleep. I feel so stressed so much of the time. This recording has helped me a great deal. Doreen's soothing voice and the soft relaxing music allows me to quickly return to a deep sleep. I wake up feeling more rested. I am now able to work and function in a more normal way. I'm just not as uptight. I have also recommended this recording to a friend of mine that is dealing with cancer. She thinks its helpful and great too! Thank you Doreen for making this available to help so many people. Your voice is perfect to listen to as I fall asleep, almost like I have a new friend! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steven Halpern has more than 60 recordings in circulation, including audio projects ostensibly designed to enhance memory, wealth, and weight loss. He even has his own trademarked slogan--the Halpern Effect(tm)! (Take that, Mozart.) Thus, it's easy to view Halpern's high-volume output since 1975 less as art and more like a commodity. Gifts of the Angels, a 68-minute compilation (sampling eight albums and adding two original pieces), offers a few nuggets that suggest Halpern's music at times can stand on its own merits, detached from all of its deep-bliss, New Age pretensions. "Celestial Prophecy," is a nicely detailed (which is not to say complex) excursion on solo piano that briefly stirs the senses, and the title track from Higher Ground is a delicate space-music standout. Meanwhile, the 1970s-flashback tonality of Halpern's electric piano (one piece, "Earthrise," can be traced to Halpern's debut release, Spectrum Suite) dates several of the tracks included here. Nevertheless, the disc's pace, which drifts deeper into the ether on each of the last five tracks, is nicely constructed for those aiming to nod off into a state of contented nothingness. --Terry Wood ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Regeneration
I don't usually make promises about any product I review. But as I sit and listen to this right now, I can promise with confidence that if you purchase "Gifts of the Angels" you are indeed receiving a Gift. I find myself, when I am overwhelmed or exhausted, fetching this cd with surprising ease from many. And every single time, It Regenerates me. This is a rare feat which attests to "Gift of the Angels" allure and the cleansing, healing power that is found within. I believe, like only a handful of cds, that I was meant to find this. And that is an encouraging thought... ~_^

I love all kinds of Music. But it appears these days, I am drawn more and more to peaceful, meditative Music such as "Gifts of the Angels." (Funny, but I am filled more with Peace than I have been in a long time. Perhaps we seek out Music that represents our state of mind...I don't know. Or maybe we take on the emotions/message of what we listen to most. Again I don't know.)

I remember how upon the first listen I didn't care for "Gift of the Angels" that much. The truth is, I didn't Get it. I wasn't Ready for it. Ah, but I felt there was something THERE. Whatever it was, it drew me to listen again and again. And I am so glad it spoke to me and continues to do so. If you are still reading this, and your "Peace" cds are in short supply, please purchase this and truly listen and Allow it to Regenerate you. You deserve that and every Joy. Many wonders await you. But you have to open the door and let them in. Soar!

Excellent for yoga...
This CD is one of the few I don't have to worry about getting "weird" on me while teaching yoga. It's soothing, and agreeable to all my students. Several even went and bought their own copies! I'd lost my original CD, so I'm happy to be able to order a replacement. I strongly recommend it for yoga, massage, or just for relaxing.

Divine sounds
This is great music for relaxation and meditation or to recharge your psychic batteries. It's a compilation with similar-sounding tracks drawn from a wide variety of his albums, like Radiance, Inner Peace, Ancient Echoes and Spectrum Suite so it all hangs together nicely. There's lots of ethereal choirs and spacey melodies. My favorite by far is the uplifting, even rousing, Pachelbel's Canon and the delicate Eternally. Ideal for using as a soundtrack to the practices of holistic healing or just to destress and reclaim your inner piece.

Gfts of the Angels
very nice cd for relaxation

This is like floating in heaven!
I love the concept of keeping all the songs in the same basic style. This is a luminous halo of sound. The angelic anthology features the sounds of a celestial choir (A digitally sampled human choir recorded in a cathedral.) You will hear piano, harp and ethereal sounds.

I heard a few similar sounds in this CD which I had heard in other recordings, however this one is especially inspiring.

To me, it sounds like what you might hear if you were floating out in space and you could hear angels singing. It also feels like you could be a star falling slowly through the sky, just observing the earth. This music makes you feel as if you are floating above the earth. Close your eyes and you will see what I mean. Listen to: "Gifts of the Angels" and "Awakening."

Sand Dance is also quite pretty and you can hear more of the harp music in that selection. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Four early rock and roll classics, but really nothing else
This Billboard collection of "Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1955" starts off big time with four absolute classics of early rock: "Rock Around the Clock," "Maybellene," "Earth Angel," and "Ain't That a Shame." But once you get past those four biggies you are probably going to be in uncharted territory. "Sincerely" by the Moonglows was the only one I recognized. So if you do not have the above referenced quartet of classics from Billy Haley, Chuck Berry, the Penguins, and Fats Domino, then this is an album you should consider adding to your Fifties music collection. But if you have all (or most) of those songs, you should probably keep on looking.

Great songs!! A must-listen to and a must-have forever!
I think that this is one of the best Billboard CD's that's been made. However, I don't think it's as good as Billboard CDs' 1979 and 1986, but for being one of the best ones out there, I'm giving this CD 5 stars out of 5. Erik Carr Age 12 ... Read more

Reviews (24)

1981 Classic..........
This has to be one of the best soundtracks of all time from the 1980's. The movie is just an 80's classic and sets the stage for the genre itself. I know every Heavy Metal fan has to have his or hers favorite on here. My 2 favorites are "Heavy Metal" By Sammy Hagar (this version is way better then the one off the "Standing Hampton" LP) and "Prefabricated" By Trust. I can go on and on about both the movie and the soundtrack. I just recently bought this album back in the summer of 1998 and was amazed that they even made it for CD. This brings back a lot of memories for me and i hope many others. Here's a saying from the song "Heartbeat" By Riggs...."Heartbeat...heartbeat, i'll do you in a heartbeat." Remember from the chase in the first half of the film, so classic.

Catch a contact buzzzzzzz....
What a great movie to eat a bag of mushrooms and chill out to. The soundtrack has the same effect, but lacks the strenght of the movie's visuals. The Donald Fagan song was reported by Joe Walsh during an Eagles interview to be an idea they 'passed around' originally titled, "you're really high, aren't you?" The answer to that is a resounding YES! While watching the cartoon chic get naked during "Open Artms" on the DVD adds a new dimension to the Journey song, it still holds up as one of the best rock ballads of all-time, before they became a lame bunch of wussies. The BOC track kicks ass and so do the Nazareth, Sammy Hagar (also before he sucked) and even the Devo track. Even the Dio fronted Sabbath "Mob Rules" doesn't make me want to vommit as much as his usual dragon/wizard rantings do. I don't remember the rest of the tunes...it must be all of the space dust....but regardless, buy the DVD before you buy the sound track, but either way, visit your dealer first.

A strange selection of non-heavy-metal songs
There are only four good songs on this album:

Heavy Metal by Sammy Hagar
Heavy Metal by Don Felder
Radar Rider by Riggs

Okay, three songs. I was going to add Blue Oyster Cult's 'Veteran of the Psychic Wars' or Black Sabbath's 'The Mob Rules,' but they just aren't in the same class as the three listed above.

And the rest of it? Well, Cheap Trick is always entertaining but never amazing. The songs by lesser-known bands are okay. Journey's 'Open Arms' is completely out of place. So is Stevie Nicks.

You have to admire the wide range of songs here, but the top three outshine the rest. (And there's something funny about the fact that the two best songs on the Heavy Metal soundtrack are BOTH called Heavy Metal. Maybe the producers should have given each band or musician that requirement: "The song has to be called Heavy Metal.")

One of my favorite soundtracks!
This is a superb compilation full of realitively overlooked 80's gems (with the exception of Journey's "Open Arms"). If it weren't for this popular movie, these songs and maybe even their artists wouldv'e been forgotten. I am 18 and have missed the theatrical boat for "Heavy Metal" but home video took care of that. One of this first things I did after seeing the movie was going out and buying this excellent CD. It was an unforgettbale time when music was unique in their lyrics and sound. If there were ever to be a justice anthology for the 80's, this CD is a perfect start. Imagine, this was only by 1981. The decade just begun and already, the 80's music treasure trove was wrought with riches. Go out and buy this. You won't be disappointed as a film fan or a classic rock fan!

More like a classic rock soundtrack
Overall, this CD would've better if it had groups like Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and maybe Krokus but instead they have the classic rock groups like Nazareth, Stevie Nicks, Sammy Hagar, Journey and more but at least we have the metal tunes like Black Sabbath, Riggs and Trust (wonder what happened to those other two bands) and Cheap Trick has an awesome intro and outro from I Must Be Dreamin' and I also really liked Nazareth's Crazy (Suitable Case For Treatment) and of course the best song on this CD is the title track from Sammy Hagar and Don Felder. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Props
I am a high school senior, and at first, I honestly didn't expect to find Ray Romano funny. But then a few weeks ago I was bored and flipped to Everybody Loves Raymond. That was probably the smartest thing I've ever done. The show is hilarious and I know I can't really relate to it, but it's funny just the same. Then I decided to read my first book in years - Everything and a Kite, and loved it. I recently started reading it again, just for kicks. And to top it all off, I got Ray's cd Live at Carnegie Hall for Christmas and yes, even though the material is basically the same as the book, (there are still quite a few surprises left in the book though) it's so much better when he's performing it...his trademark nasally voice adds so much to his stories. I didn't have any problems with the volume of him and the audience though, the sound is perfect on my cd. Anyway to sum it all up, if you get a chance, pick up this cd - it's the funniest thing you'll ever hear.

Enjoy Lauging?
This was the first comedy cd that I have ever purchased, and boy did I get my money's worth with this one! Ray Ramano has the audience in hysterics for over an hour with his dry wit and humor that has made him a household name, with his show, "Everybody Loves Raymond." He speaks of his past experiences with the relationships with his wife, family, and children--all in clean humor, as well. After hearing this cd, this will make you want to hear him live. Do yourself a favor--if you need a good laugh, check this album out.

The first man ever to say anal leakage at Carneige Hall.
Ray is hilarious. You gotta love Raymond. He is cleanwithout too much profanity. A family comic. The Bachelor Party, The Shower, Adult Movie and Sex are the only profanitys on there. The cuss words are all bleeped out, too, never fear. Ray is a good comic. He can make you laugh, not because the material is strange and unusual, but just everyday things. He does it so well that you can't help but laugh. DOn't even try and resit. He is up there with Bob Newhart and Jerry Seinfeld for sure. You can order this online, or it should be at a Wal-Mart near you.

I cried with laughter!
I bought this CD as a valentine gift for my husband who loves Ray Romano. However, I couldn't resist a sneak preview! I played the CD in my car and absolutely howled with laughter. Nothing has made me laugh so much in years. Every sketch is hilarious and I'm sure you'll relate to everything Ray refers to, particularly if you have children. He is a wonderful comedian and I fail to see how anyone wouldn't find this hugely entertaining. I haven't stopped smiling and know my husband will love it. Go buy it now!

Classic Ray shtick
LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL is not exactly groundbreaking stuff. It's basically the material that the sitcom "Everybody Love Raymond" is built on, and Ray is basically the same character as he is on the show. So, whether you will like LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL can be gauged by whether you like "Everybody Loves Raymond."

In other words, this CD is not likely to win Ray any new fans, but is certain to please those who already are. My favorite bit is "Italian & Jewish" where Ray talks about how similar these two ethnic groups are. "They both have the neurotic mother who won't stop feeding you," Ray says. ... Read more

Album Description

Limited & numbered edition digipak features 4 tracks'Moments In Love', 'Beatbox Diversion 10'(AnotherMoment...Do This And Don't Do That...), 'Moments In Love'(Beaten) & 'Moments In Love' (Original video). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice Collectors Addition
I am a huge Art of Noise fan. This is a nice addition to add to your collection. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because a couple of the songs was mastered from a record, but still sounds good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The most amazing thing about Stereolab's Margerine Eclipse is how much of a surprise it is. It's not just that it's a fantastic record--Stereolab have made plenty of those. But since 1996's classic Emperor Tomato Ketchup, they've been deconstructing and breaking down their mix of exotic lounge pop and progressive Krautrock, throwing up cyclones of electronic mist. It's yielded some beautiful, but cold and distancing work. Eclipse shocks you with the contrast. Filled with the warmest possible intentions, it invites you to fall in love with its kind thumps and aural flotsam. Anchored by a test pattern baseline and a sly beat machine, the title track wanders around the edges, breaking into the main groove only to smoothly dissolve in a bittersweet end. Sounds like any other Stereolab song, right? But here--stripped down, dynamic, and alive--it's simply charming. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (32)

skip the first track
I recommend skipping the first track, "Vonal Declosion", which leaves me cold as soon as the dippy singing and string section kicks in, a bit too campy for my taste. It's not so bad really, it just stands out because the rest of the album is much better. To my ears all the other songs are right on target, whereas the first track seems a bit awkward, hurried, aloof (though it does have a nice trundling bass line).

For the listener who has only a passing familiarity with Stereolab, this will sound like more of the same (bleeps, blops, french accents). A closer listen reveals rich, carefully constructed soundscapes. With respect to their previous albums, this one's closest to Sound Dust (song structure: each one has at least one major transition) and Emperor Tomato Ketchup (sounds, energy, alt-pop/post-rock feel).

The recording is sharply divided between left and right channels, particularly noticeable on headphones. See the forum on stereolab for a debate on the pros and cons of that.

p.s.
Track 10, "Feel and Triple", ends with this low plastic warping sound in the background, like someone's screwing a lid on your skull, interesting sound effect I've never heard before.

Impressive To Say the Least
I have always been a fan of stereolab, since Peng! came out in the early 1990s. I have never been disappointed by this band. Granted, some albums are better than others. But... still... they have never released a "bad" album per se. Why? Every single of their albums are different. This band has truly evolved over the decade or so that they've been together.

However, I am not a fan of Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Compared to their earlier stuff, and their more recent stuff, ETK is extrememly weak and boring. IMHO.

The death of Mary Hansen was a serious blow to them. They didn't let this deter them, as they rose out of the ashes and gloom of her death to make their best album yet. The tracks on this album are much shorter than their others, but they're tighter. They took their previous 7 or 8+ minute releases and compressed them into shorter, but simply astounding pieces. "Feel and Triple" is a poignant and touching epitaph for Mary.

In this album, they have taken elements from their past sounds and combined them, to reinvent themselves once again. There are echoes of a much younger Stereolab in this album; and there are echoes of an older, wiser Stereolab in this album, too.

If you are a longtime Stereolab fan, you will NOT be disappointed by this album. If you are a new Stereolab fan, this is a brilliant introduction to the band.

The Lab is back!
Of the handful of Stereolab albums I have been privileged to hear, this one is in the high ranks. On Margerine Eclipse, the Lab is as upbeat, energetic and funky as ever. While not quite as brilliant as Dots and Loops, it comes pretty darn close. The cover is a ridiculously bright, tangerine orange and that is exactly how the music sounds, bright orange. Utilizing their trademark mix of 60's flavored French pop, funky grooves, exotica and the Velvet Underground, this album will be no surprise to longtime fans. Full of percolating rhythms, sparkling keyboards and shimmering guitars, Stereolab still sound like no one else, but this is one of their most accessible releases to date, staying clear of the more experimental tendencies that made '99's Cobra and Phases Group a difficult listen, instead perfecting their pop song strengths. "La Demeure" is a slice of pure pop a la mode that will make you want to spend the rest of your life listening to Latetia Sadier's voice. "...sudden stars" is effortlessly laid back dream pop with funky popping and bubbling rhythms. And the lite house groove of "Margerine Melody" will sweep you up and make you its permanent dance partner. Everything here is warm, organic and lovely...and tremendously addictive.

Even better than (insert favorite 'lab album here)
I think this is Stereolab's strongest album to date. I've always liked Stereolab's earlier stuff, when they sounded more like a band and less electronica-ish. This album includes a lot of sampling and electronica sounds, but is way more live sounding than the three albums starting with Dots and Loops and ending with First of the Microbe Hunters. The opening track seemed a bit inauspicious the first time through the album, but over time has only gotten better and better. The same is true of all the tracks on this effort. I had the good fortune of seeing a lot of these songs performed live at the Roxy in Boston last spring, and it confirmed my suspicions that these songs are the most beautiful and well constructed pieces of art that Stereolab has conjured. Well done!

Their best album since Emperor Tomato Ketchup
I'm impressed. Unlike most bands who lose it after getting older, Stereolab's latest effort is their best since Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Not as indulgent and loungy as their last couple recordings; sort of a continuation of the smooth electronic pop on Dots & Loops, but with a warmer ETK-style production. There's not a song quite as catchy as "Captain Easy Chord", but overall, this is a more consitent effort than Sound Dust...and more upbeat with a bit more ETK-style guitar songs and more techno/disco grooves. Support bands who make well-crafted and distinctive music and buy this album. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I have NEVER laughed so hard in my life!
I had heard Rodney on XM Comedy, and decided to buy into his albums. Best place to start is right here. He had me laughing hard enough to wet myself (I didn't). Think of Tim Wilson with the foulest mouth you ever heard, and some of the funniest stuff ever performed! I'm buying ALL of his albums now. ALL OF THEM!

Finally the greatest hits!!
Rodney Carrington is the funniest country comedian to date. Sure Jeff Foxworthy is funny, but he is no match for Rodney. The best songs on this are: Titties and Beer and Letter to my Penis. This man is a comedy God. His skits are funny as anything. I would reccomend this cd to anyone who is interested. True he may not be for everyone. He can be a bit vulgar at times and a bit disgusting. But if you are willing to take a walk on the wild side, buy this record and listen to it over and over again. You will laugh your ass off. I'm not just saying this because he lives in Oklahoma and so do I, I'm saying this because it is true. Plus he was born in Texas! But back to the subject at hand, truly get this cd and listen to it. I reccomed it to anyone who will listen. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"Tiny field mice singing gospel"
La Maison De Mon Rêve is essentially a tale of two sisters' dreams and fantasies: CocoRosie are Sierra and Bianca Casady, two Brooklyn siblings - the former a student of classical opera in Rome and Paris, the latter a wild child who started singing a cappella on street corners and bars - who rediscover one another in Paris, city of dreams. They hole themselves up in a small apartment in the 18me arrondissement in the spring of 2003 and eventually surface with this music box of sleepy-eyed, light-as-air melodies.

This is an album that compels you to make 'if' conjectures: if Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain had been an album, it would have sounded like this; if Björk ever picked up an acoustic guitar and lived in a van in Alaska like Jewel, this would have been the result.

The first song, Terrible Angels, sums up the mood perfectly as the ambient noises of the sisters' Paris flat and recorded barnyard animal noises add idiosyncrasy to the questioning, childlike vocal duet: "If every angel's terrible, then why do you welcome them?" The wistful, helium-pitched gospel stylings of By Your Side add a faded linoleum tinge, as Sierra warbles "I'd wear your black eyes, bake you apple pies...I just wanted to be your housewife", while listening to the unpolished, organic '70s style acoustic guitar melody of Good Friday is like eavesdropping on the two sisters as they tinker away quietly in their white-shuttered flat. The tinny sounds of Tahiti Rain Song evoke ethnic music heard through a scratchy, broken-down transistor radio while sitting in a thatched hut in a steamy jungle.

Their record company labels them "tiny field mice singing gospel" and, for once, the hype is spot on.

Beautifully Daunting Memoirs (4.5/5)
"I'll iron your clothes / I'll shine your shoes / I'll make your bed / And cook your food / I'll never cheat / I'll be the best girl you'd ever meet / And for a diamond ring / I'll do these kinds of things / I'll scrub your floors / Never be a bore / I'd tuck you in / I do not snore." - Sierra Casady

If you believe in the idea that big things come in small packages, La Maison de Mon Rêve is the type of album you'll want to hear. It comes in the form of a duo called Cocorosie. What makes the album immediately charming is the restrained humility that surrounds each of these songs. From the extremely gentle, yet very old-fashioned, vocals of Sierra Casady to the sparse organic sounds performed by her sister Bianca, La Maison de Mon Rêve is expressive art in its most basic form. Although it's blatantly obvious that the easiest reference here would be Devendra Banhart and his ghostly style, there are additional layers in Cocorosie's music that make it just as promising as anything Mr. Banhart has currently completed. This is primarily due to the fact that there are more instruments and textures in Cocorosie's work.

One of the most influential things about Cocorosie is the fact that they've actually (re)invented a genre consisting of folk, hip-hop, and blues that has never been pursued prior to today. What that genre will be called remains to be seen, but I'd call this album a dense study in "delta folk-blues." Funny enough, because if you research back to the beginning of blues music, you'll find that there aren't too many (if any) female artists from the 30s, 40s, or 50s that played the same type of music as a Robert Johnson or Skip James. Fifty years later, however, Cocorosie actually possess these qualities that were missed by the female artists of those periods.

Not all of La Maison de Mon Rêve is folk and blues based. In fact, on songs like "By Your Side," "Not For Sale," and "Hatian Love Songs," there are tiny hip-hop beats that give the album yet another unlikely dimension. The single greatest element of this album is the vocals given up by Sierra. Her vocals and songwriting abilities are passive, yet entirely effective ("Jesus Loves Me" and "By Your Side"). These are the types of songs I've never heard before; at least in this context. The lyrics themselves are worth their weight in gold; but the entire album is a forward-thinking piece of music.

Only on rare occasions do artists come along and create something completely detached from the rest of the field. They immediately become a trendsetter, and inadvertently inspire many other artists to attempt the same sound. This Parisian duo is one of those artists. I can almost guarantee you haven't heard anything like it in the past, but we'll probably see a lot of imitators in the future. I get extremely excited when things like this come along and remind me that big things do come in small packages. And for the time being, La Maison de Mon Rêve remains the most original sounding album I've heard this year.

Bewitching, Baffling and Beautiful
When I was younger and hadn't heard as much music I used to quite often get this feeling of wonderful confusion and a kind of dizziness when I heard NEW music. I used to think "what is this? I've never heard anything like this before but I think I like it". That feeling has become a rarer and rarer result from things I've heard over recent years but it happened with this album.
There are gospel influences here but in a similar way to it has touched Daniel Johnston's music. The lyrics are almost as beautiful and bewidering as the twinkling, rattling, beeping and buzzing music. Highlights include By Your Side, Tahiti Rain Song and West Side. The is a trully odd delightful thing of rare beauty and something to be both championed and cherished.

Glitchy, Inspired, Beutiful
Well, I too had the pleasant surprise of catching CocoRosie at a tiny Florida gig with TV on the Radio this spring, and I admit up front I didn't know a thing about the sister duo. I put in a bit of work, and downloaded a promotional track and read a brief background. A pair of sisters, having been separated for years, reunites in a quite Paris flat to record and reconcile. Well, this story of each maturing vocally along separate paths was very evident. As the two quietly got on stage and got seated on stool, the scant crowd began to settle in cross-legged around the meager stage, and the two encouraged it. As they began to play, Sierra - armed with an acoustic six string and sporting a seafaring hat in her best Captain Stubing imitation - opened up with a startling opratic aria like vocal display that caused me to sit up and take notice. Sierra joined in with her sisters mournful guitar plucking, first glitching off sound bytes from some children's recording and playback toy in tempered staccato fashion, then lendeing her unique voice to the mix. Taking the vocal lead in most songs, I think a lot of people were thrown a bit by her voice. Nasal and almost childlike at times, my girlfriend asked me later if I had found it annoying. "Heck no" I answered, and proceeded to play my collection of Billie Holiday cd's for her when we got home.

The above formula seems to best sum up their style and the style present on La Maison De Mon Reve. Most songs featured Sierra making a commotion with various found noismakers while caterwauling mournfully, backed by the stunning voice of her sister and her willowy acoustic pluckings. For an example of the glitchy found-sound rythem section Sierra creates, I might cite the end of track 10, "Madonna". One my favorites is "By Your Side", with lyrics that conjure up Lady Day not only in tone but in substance, I recall them recreating this number on stage with some recorders of some sort managing the volume and effect by simply moving it around and closer and then back from the mic. Stripped down but complicated; eclectic but somehow steeped in tradition, this album is certainly worth taking a chance on to see if you too are surprised, and thus rates a generous 4 star rating.

Carol Channing meets scary grandma voice
I saw Cocorosie open for TV on the Radio. It was a unique night of vocals. Vocals that rarely see the light of day (or night) in indie rock clubs.
Minimal percussion (minimal instrumentation in general) which gives the record a nice blues feel. ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Complete Aural Insanity On A 5-Inch CD For Your Convenience
Unlike most people here, I did not pop this CD into my player and instantaneously pass out or begin having fits of ecstasy. I was also far too young and naive back in 1991 to even know this album existed, and therefore investigated it only recently due to glowing reviews and a personal love of Faith No More. I was surprised, to say the least.

See, I expected a collage of nearly unlistenable, profane, garbage pieced together in an experimental, haphazard, or non-traditional manner, hailed as 'progressive' by genuinely weird people looking to be different. Uh, no. Actually, what I found was a VERY listenable, VERY catchy, VERY unique, amalgam of musical styles, samples, and unusual lyrics resulting in an amazing work of musical genius. Boy, was I impressed.

Tracks begin and end in a random manner, usually ending with a sample or something, but not necessarily. Within each, the music might jump from piledriving metal to smooth jazz, to quiet electronica, raucous funk, or upbeat ska. Video game loops and random samples noodle in and out of the mix, as guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, saxophones, bells, whistles, and the manic vocal stylings of Vlad Drac(Mike Patton) burst out over top of it all. He does everything from growling, squealing, rapping, croaking, crooning, talking like a retard, barking like a dog, and more, all in his Real Thing-style vocal prime. Needless to say, this affected FNM to the point that Angel Dust came out a year after this with so much Bungle influence that it was a different style than The Real Thing.

Memorable moments? Look at these:

The keyboard-laden circus-styled riff jumping to laid-back jazz phrase in "Quote Unquote," a song about a man who has nothing but a nose,
The thrash riff and Defecation Man sample in "Slowly Growing Deaf,"
The fast-paced food orgy lyrics in "Squeeze Me Macaroni,"
The awesome ska and "Will WB put this record on the shelf?" lyric switch in "Carousel,"
The low-quality train-boarding sample and philosophical lyrics in "Egg,"
The waltz-to-polka intro in "Stubb (A Dub),"
The 'redundant' line and title of "My Ass Is On Fire," a song about an ass on fire,
The crazy perverted lyrics and music of "Girls Of Porn," a song about porn girls,
The squealing sax and hardcore-shout chorus of "Love Is A Fist,"
And finally, the progressive circus music of "Dead Goon."

A true kaleidoscope of musical insanity and creativity, breaking the rules and making new ones on the way. It's not atonal by any means, with plenty of catchy goodness, sing-a-long passages, and memorable, wacky, and hilarious moments. It might take a few listens to digest, just don't force yourself. You'll come back to it eventually. It's a crowning achievement in music.

The album begins with 30 seconds of silence, and that's all the rest your senses really get...

EARS ARE RINGING EARS ARE RINGING
Mr. Bungle is a band that is too alternative to be considered progressive, and too progressive to be alternative. Not to mention, they were mostly considered too weird for anybody else. Yet their first (and every other) album can definitely be called its own thing. It inspired acts like Korn, Slipknot, and System of a Down. However, Mr. Bungle is far more talented than all their imitators combined.

The band created a very unique dark carnival landscape. Try to imagine a clown at a child's birthday party wearing a bulky jacket that is hiding a bottle of scotch and an old issue of ... If you can, then you have a pretty good idea of what kind of world Mr. Bungle created with songs like:

1. Quote Unquote - A funky circus metal number about a blind, deaf, and limbless man whose only sensory input is through his nose. Kind of like Metallica's "One" with a sense of humor.

2. Slowly Growing Deaf - My personal favorite. Like it or not, Mr. Bungle somehow make punk and progressive rock coexist. Dramatic, and full of teeth.

3. Squeeze Me Macaroni - A raunchy little ditty about a food orgy. Quite funny and funky.

4. Carousel - Another circus metal song, this time about about an evil carnival. If you listen closely, the lyrics that say "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee" sound suspiciously like "Will Warner Bros. put this record on the shelf?". Hmmmmm.

5. Egg - Sounds like a cross between Napalm Death and Fishbone. Nice videogame music intro. The lyrics seem to be about overprotective parents. I could be wrong.

6. Stubb (a Dub) - Bizarre tune about a dying dog. Combines extremely upbeat cartoonish music with lyrics that are so morbid they are almost funny. A fine display of the band's musicianship.

7. My A** Is on Fire - I like the combination of jazz and metal - listen to Candiria if you want to hear a group who knows how to do it - but it is quite annoying having to hear Mike Patton's lousy imitation of Dennis Hopper's character on BLUE VELVET.

8. The Girls of Porn - I don't mean to sound like a member of the Moral Majority, but the lyrics seem like an excuse to write something dirty. This song is filler compared to all the other songs on the album. Fortunately, they didn't make a career out of writing songs like this.

9. Love Is a Fist - Weird ( as opposed to what? ) and violent. Another jazz-metal song.

10. Dead Goon - Just as strange as anything else, yet Patton sings with quite a bit of emotion here. The lyrics will either weird you out or make cry, maybe both.

One thing I didn't mention was that this album has entirely too many extended samples. Who honestly wants to hear a poorly made recording of when the band was trying to sneak on board a train? Or better yet who wants to hear someone taking a dump? Mr. Bungle was creative and talented enough to not need to resort to such measures.

But overall, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. The band's lowbrow humor is not enough to disguise the fact that they are amazing musicians. Also check out their other two albums if you like this one. The fourth one might be out in 2003 since their albums seem to come out every four years (1991, 1995, and 1999).

Overall rating: 4.5 stars.

Bungle Rocks!!
Mike Patton is a God, and anyone who disagrees has already been brainwashed by mainstream media. This album is over a decade old and it is still the best damn thing in my collection, with Fantomas a very close runner up. It only gets five stars because I can't give 27. Mr. Bungle forever!!!

I will never get tired of this record. Never!
I'll add my glowing recommendation to the pile. This album is truly a marvel. When I first heard it in high school, it changed my whole perception of what a record could be. This music is so well conceived and so well realized. The production is an integral part of the compositions. John Zorn produced the album and he definitely deserves a lot of credit for its clarity of vision and cohesion. The whole record hangs together as one piece of art. I understand where the "heavy metal circus music" moniker comes from, I just don't think it quite does the music justice. There is a very prevelant theme of amorality and irreverance - a kind of R. Crumb-like nightmare-of-America kind of thing. Not just in the lyrical content, but in the musical content as well. You can hear the violence along side the flipancy in songs like "Stubb a Dubb" and "Love is a Fist" and "Dead Goon." No subject is sacred.

All of this thematic theorizing is, of course, a bunch of subjective horse feces. This music is incredible. They probably think they have outgrown it and maybe they have, but I sure haven't. In my opinion, Mr. Bungle's three records get successively better, so if you like this one, listen to others as well. Just don't expect to hear more of the same thing. I have made the mistake of trying to describe this music before. I always fail miserably. You will just have to give it a listen.

"Mr. Bungle" came out in 91'. Remember that while you are listening to it. An underground classic.

Good lord
Personally, I think this is Mike pattons best cd with any band. Its amazing and I wish he would have made a cd more similar to this than disco valantcrap. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's safe to assume that every kid in the United States--outside of those raised among fringe groups--grew up harboring fantasies of shoving aside the animated star of the latest hit Disney film and inhabiting the character's cartoon shoes him- or herself, at least until the end credits rolled. Such an assumption is not lost on the clever folks at Disney, who've launched the Disney Karaoke series, consisting of favorites from the company's perennially popular movies, first sung in apple-pure, completely unironic Disney style and then presented instrumentally, giving closet crooners a chance to show their stuff. Highlights on the first volume include 10 songs from 10 films, including "Just Around the Riverbend" (from Pocahantas), "Reflection" (from Mulan), and "A Whole New World" (from The Little Mermaid) as well as the feel-good "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (from Song of the South), the infectious and entirely irresistible "Hakuna Matata" (from The Lion King), and the sentiment-stirring classic "When You Wish Upon a Star" (from Pinnochio). Even without the karaoke concept this CD would make lots of can't-miss lists; the song selection alone adds up to pure fun. Even so, Disney, not wishing to disappoint karaoke die-hards, has thoughtfully included complete lyrics in the liner notes. So no excuses for missteps and no more feeling silly--The Jungle Book's "I Wanna Be Like You" actually does include the phrase "Oh, Oobee doo--I wanna be like you." --Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very Disappointed
I expected more from Disney I guess they are learning and now are doing better with what they have put out. But do not waste your money on it. Look for a more recent one which has lyrics as well as graphics. The songs on it aren't all that - I bought if for my daughter and even the music sounds a bit off when it goes without words. Really - save your money on this one! :0(

Great for Road Trips
Most of my college friends have moved off to different cities, and it's quite a haul to visit them. Music in the car is nice, but I always get the urge to sing! That's why I enjoy this CD so much. First we are treated to somewhat simplified arrangements of ten great songs, ranging from classics like "Once Upon a Dream" to more current songs like "Reflections" from Mulan. Each is performed by an artist who does an excellent job of enunciating to help the budding singer hear the words and where they go (the lyrics in the booklet help too!). The next ten tracks are the same songs, but without the lead vocals. Simple, elegant, fun.

Which leads to the two caveats: 1.) The "20 Tracks" label shouldn't be confused with 20 songs and 2.) There are no special lyrics/pictures/etc. encoded on the disc. Several other reviewers have groused on point two, but I see it as being like enhanced CD's: Sure the extras are neat, but I buy it for the music.

Nice to listen to; Hard to sing - for "Advanced" Karaokists
This CD contains 10 Disney songs, (each sung, apparently, by different vocalists than the originals)followed by an instrumental of each track for karaoke. The songs are a mix of old and new school (from Song of the South, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty to Lion King, Little Mermaid and Pocahantas).

The production certainly sounds professional and I probably wouldn't have known the vocals weren't the originals on the songs I didn't know. The problem isn't with the production or even the song selection, but rather the degree of difficulty. These are not the easiest songs to sing which I think would make this prohibitive for most kids, as well as adults who have trouble enough screeching their way through "My Girl" and "Born to Be Wild".

It should also be noted that the lyrics do not display on your screen, but are included in the booklet.
Recommended for hardcore Disney buffs and "advanced" karaokiers.

Great fun for long car trips!
I love to sing, especially when I am by myself on a long car trip. Singing along with these songs (that I know by heart!) make the trip fun and go by fast. I have read reviews that said the people were upset because it was not a CD with graphics, but no where does it say that graphics are included. I never once thought they would be on there. I own Vol. 1 and 2 and love them! If you want to have fun singing along, this is a great purchase.

Disappointed
You would think that Disney would provide the highest quality product. Think again. I purchased Disney Karaoke Discs 1-4 at Disneyland, thinking I would get "the real thing." Well, their vocal demonstration tracks were NOT taken from the movies but were sung by others (i.e. they had the well-known songs re-recorded by people we've never heard of, poor imitations of the original tracks), AND the words are only printed on an inside liner, not embedded in the discs. In other words, these are just song and music discs with no graphics at all. You can play them in a karaoke machine and you might as well be playing them in a regular CD player. If you plan on singing these songs, either memorize the words or carry the cumbersome songbook wherever you go. Not worth it. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

I thought down to earth people are gone... UNTIL I FOUND
"Right Now Right Now" is one of the best CD I ever heard. As a family we went to Las Vegas for weekend and bought some tickets to see George Lopez live as a stand up comedian. We laughed so hard to a point where tears were rolling down our faces.

We watched his new sitcom and laughted at it so much. "Finally, I said, something to really laugh about. His sitcom was so much down to earth, simple, innocent, entertaining, loving, caring, and extreme sincerity. Just heard that George Lopez Show is coming back in fall. Can't wait to see it!!!

Didn't we have enought of George so far? Someone might ask. NO No NO NO NO we never can get enough of him. After we bought the CD "Right Now Right Now" we listen to it and laughted again on the way back home. We laughed so much with "lick and pass, lick and pass, take a bite out of it and see what happens"... He was talking about a ice cream in a little cone and ten latino kids sharing it.
Even though we are not latinos we have no problem understanding his jockes. Latinos can say what ever they want but his jockes are international. Buy this CD and we will see what i mean.

Finally, Start to Finish
Finally, someone who knows how to reach the people with laughter. Right Now, Right Now is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. George really knows how to make the audience feel understood. Right Now, Right Now is no act, he really reaches home with this one. This cd took me back to my childhood. I could hear and see my family now departed and was able to re-live the good 'ol days with joy and solid laughter. I've never laughed so hard. He has my family down pat, right down to the white underwear, hair dying, and band-aid blowing. Truly a gifted man. I recommend this guy to everybody who enjoys comedy, needs a laugh or just wants to take a walk down memory lane. That's what George has done for me and I can't wait to tell my brothers and sisters about this cd. They're going to love it! Thanks George and keep up the good work man, you're awesome! Funny, I felt like a kid again sharing popsicles, and taking pictures and never developing them. That's me to a tee! He really has us down. The skate boarding, roller skating, elbow pads, churros, fixing our own house, we really did go through all that. Exactly like that and I'm so proud of that. Born an American and still with my accent. All of it! I mean it, I've relived my entire life now. Thank you George. My mom is gone now, you just reminded me of the things I'd almost forgotten. You are so funny George. My sister can share in both sides. Now she's the Hillary too. What a great time! I can't turn it off. God bless George Lopez! Finally, someone who knows how to reach the people. This cd Rocks! Start to Finish!

you memer.........
George Lopez, finally someone who can speak for us Latinos. He is the Cheeche of our generation. I also love his sitcom, that is the show because its the only latino sitcom in history. This cd is really really funny. You can heir this over and over again. George Lopez suffers what we suffer as mexicans. His stories are simular to mines. This cd is hilarious to show to your latino friends. You guys will be laughing, and stuff. George Lopez shows the toughness in growing up as a chicano. Its really my bible.

This cd is a definate must for chicanos. If your a Joker and stuff. A must for this hilarious cd.

Que La Chingada! This CD Esta Muy Chingon...I know huh?
Que La Chingada! I love this damn CD so much as I'm writing this Pinche review I'm listening to this chingadera! I know the other reviews have said their parts, this cd being similar to their lives, this cd is 99% my life, my childhood. When George talks about his family, it reminds me of my Parents. When he talks about how his Dad is usually mad, my Mom and Dad's favorite saying to me when I was a kid and even now when I'm 23 is "Como chingas" (What the hell do you want?,Damn you bug!")My trips to Califas (That's California for you hueros) with my parents and Tios y Tias, primos,primas when we went to Universal Studios or Disneyland, yeah we would bunch up 10 or 15 of us in a van or longer ago station wagon. I got the "I know huh and tell em' eh" friends, I'm guilty of that myself. Before I heard this cd, my family and friends would sometimes remind me that it's not "memmer" it's remember, I have laughed so hard to tears because it fells like I'm listening to my life on disc. I also have those "sell out" friends (Vendidos) who don't claim to be Mexican just Hispanic but the Putos don't know a word of Spanish. In my house and my parent's house we have the calendars from the panerias and tortillerias, and yes they do have that guy carrying the chick (Quetzoquatl the great Aztec poet King)In my house I use the microwave,vcr,or preview channel for the time.All in all I could go on and on but this has a 1000 word limit. But this CD Esta muy chingon, I love the way he describes everything, I love the way he makes fun of the Pendejo Hueros. I know many Hueros who are exactly the way he describes them. I received a letter the other day from a family of gringos that they sent to the person who lived in my house before I moved there. (Although I can't understand why they did'nt give their new address) They wrote something like "Oh my God!,Bret,Kiersten, Oh my God! you have just got to come see our new vacation home in the mountains,it's not as big as our house in the city but still it is just to die for, and the view of the mountains from our 30 acre land is just out of this world, we just had our new stables built for our horses, we have just got to go horseback riding. We miss you! Please write back soon, we've just got to get together. The Wilsons (No, I can't understand why nobody would want to give them their new address) Gringos are really like that and El George' sure let's us know that. Incase you haven't noticed in this review, George says we sometimes use our own language, we do, it's called Spanglish. But George shows everybody that it's cool.

Go George Go
Plain and simple, this has got to be the funniest guy around. If you're missing your childhood and hanging out with your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and if you're really lucky great grandparents, and the rest of the family, turn up the speakers and have a great laugh. Can't wait to see what he'll come up with next. Thank you George, for bringing back some great memories. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Cosby sounds fired up on this live one. "Kindergarten" kicks off the disc in fine fashion with the soon-to-be TV star's spot-on and kid-centered description of early grammar school. Cosby accurately captures the strangeness of a time when a lot of things don't quite make sense and you are constantly being told what to do. "Personal Hygiene" and "Shop" take us through junior high before we arrive at the comedian's tales of young adulthood on the disc's last five tracks. "Hofstra" closes the CD with an eight-minute depiction of a very bad college football team before and during another humiliating game. Cosby manages to turn the awful team's terror and suffering into an occasion for laughs. Like other Cosby albums from the '60s, Why Is There Air? is full of the comic's highly effective sound effects. --Fred Cisterna ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Comedic greatness personified
This was the first--oops, I almost typed "CD"--ALBUM of comedy that I listened to. The fact that it was in my home as a child provides irrefutable proof that my parents were once hip, try as they might to disprove that theory today. As many other reviewers have written, this collection makes me laugh every time I hear it, and I have probably heard it literally 500 times. It has been over 20 years since I first heard it and I still vividly recall my dad appearing at the bedroom door to find out what was making my brother and I laugh when we were supposed to be asleep. With Cosby, we did not stand a chance of cladenstine comedic experiences.

The greatness of Bill Cosby isn't that he is funny. Lots of comics are funny. What makes him great is that he is as funny the first time as he is the 500th time. He paints a picture you can see and hear in your imagination. When he talks about kindergarten you are transported back to your kindergarten room. Same with shop class, and a $75 car, and playing on a horrible team. And he can make a 7-year old kid laugh at the same time he makes a 50-year old laugh. And he is clean! There is very little if any comedy for shock value--what he says isn't funny because you can't believe he said it. It's funny because you know EXACTLY what he is talking about. You can relate. The man crosses all cultural and ethnic boundaries, proving that deep down we are all more alike than we are different.

I had just about all his albums at one time, then loaned them to a freind who never returned them. It is great to see them available on CD. I can't wait to introduce my kids to Fat Albert and the statue of Frankenstein they found (stole it, really...but that's another CD)

the only comedy album i remember from my childhood!
i was 5 the first time i listened to this in our new house in pennsylvania, and i have never forgotten it. listening to it now only makes me laugh harder. this will be my favorite bill cosby album if he and i live to 100. it is not hard to tell why. from the paper straws i remember as a kid to the shop class story (my absolute favorite bill cosby material EVER- if you put a bullet in the furnace, it will EXPLODE), this live taping captures what so many comedians cannot do today. bill captures the essence of the moment without any vulgarity. being a captain underpants fan, i still let my kids hear this and watch them laugh themselves silly at each and every story, because the man needs no potty humor to make you laugh out loud. my son has seen eight dollar cars in germany, and he loves the car story. my daughter loves the kindergarten story, and i love the fact that a man can laud the benefits of midol.
do not be taken that bill cosby-himself is the ultimate. listen to the man before he was the man we watched growing up. listen to him as he was raw and funny and just reaching out in all directions. he hits on all of them.
i mean, who would listen to van hagar when they could hear van halen?
for any child of the seventies, buy this because you may hear something in it and realize you heard it years ago and did not realize it was this taping. the memories i get are the orange shag carpeting in our livingroom and the scrape of the needle in between stories. i remember having to set a record player and this tape takes me back. i hope you give it a go. try to find a carpet remnant store, make some kool aid, and lose the years.
it feels great. thank you bill.

"Who puts a stop sighn at the top of the hill?"
Great. Top notch. Better than....ummmm...LOTS!!! You gotta like the Cos. (short for Cosby for the younger readers :))! Buy this, I don't care who you are you will laugh. He was the inspiration for Jerry Seinfeld, or so I heard. Funnyer than the show and the cartoon (fat Albert). If you like Bill Cosby, you may also like Richard Pryor, or Steven Wright. Please buy it online, or it is also available at most Borders near you. Don't just disregard this, either. It's only $10.00. And it provides hours of laughs every time you hear it. It's totally free of profanitys.

Awesome!
This is hilarious! If you have never listened to Bill Cosby, beware there is serious risk of broken bones when you fall out of your chair laughing! If you don't already have this BUY IT!

Silly Bill Cosby's third set of hilarious routines!
WHY IS THERE AIR? comes from $75 CAR. The question was asked by Bill's girlfriend. I think the girlfriend is his wife Camille. The album opens with KINDERGARTEN. On that track,Bill tells about snacktime when the teacher gave every student an old dried-up,nasty-tasting,stick-in-the-throat graham cracker. The crackers are washed down with good old lukewarm curdly milk. The milk was sitting on a hot radiator for 80 years! Bill played with his navel also. Bill's mother told him,"Keep playing with your navel,pretty soon you'll break it wide open and you'll fly around backwards for 30 seconds!". He got an 'A' in going to the bathroom. He even said that it was cool to drink ink,do that at school and leave with a blue tongue! For that matter,blue teeth,blue gums and blue everything else in the mouth also. On PERSONAL HYGIENE,Cosby tells about junior high school gym class. That was the first time he wore jockstraps. Another junior high school experience was about metal SHOP. "Everything I ever tried to make turned out to be an ashtray.". One of his classmates found a .45 bullet in metal shop. The bullet was placed inside a furnace,thus exploding. The teacher angrily asked "WHO PUT A BULLET IN THE FURNACE?". One student said to another,"The guy's talking about your mother.". Then the student whom that statement was dircted to said,"Listen,I didn't put the bullet in the furnace and stop talking about my mother!". This routine is not to be confused with the WONDERFULNESS routine of the same title. The WITA routine became one of MORE OF THE BEST OF BILL COSBY,released in '70. BABY is about the joy of babies and the beginning of parenthood. This track appears on 1969's THE BEST OF BILL COSBY compilation as BABIES. I guess we can say that BABY is a prequel to NATURAL CHILDBIRTH from BILL COSBY HIMSELF. Also on the '69 compilation is DRIVING IN SAN FRANSISCO. "Does it make sense to put up a dip sign two inches before you get to the dip?",Cosby asks. He says that there are the worst hills in the world there to build a city around,in or on. The $75 CAR is Cosby's first car ever,a 1942 Dodge. On THE TOOTHACHE,Cosby tells about good ol' reliable Midol that relieved his toothache pain. Also on MORE OF THE BEST OF BILL COSBY is HOFSTRA,a sequel to T.V. FOOTBALL from I STARTED OUT AS A CHILD. Again he says that when his Temple University football team is on the field they sign affidavits indicating they will not touch certain areas of their bodies. On the cover,Cosby is wearing athletic apparel from his alma mater holding a volleyball with his fingertips. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"If, after hearing my songs," Lehrer says in this disc's liner notes, "just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while." Makes him sound like a modern punk, eh? Not so, though. Lehrer, ever the king of jolly vitriol, recorded these still potent parodies in the '50s--and the best of them, "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," "The Masochism Tango," and "The Elements" (which joins science with Gilbert & Sullivan) remain both nasty and striking. Musically, Lehrer comes across like a demented Cole Porter, wrapping sophisticated, showy tunes around his acerbic jokes. Lyrically, he's a clear forebear to folks like Phil Ochs and Barry Crimmins, who also cloak their commentary in comedy. --Michael Ruby ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Hardly A Waste!
I was introduced to Tom Lehrer 11 years ago by my then drama lecturer. I never got the chance to thank her by introducing me to the clever wit of this genius. Lehrer was tackling topics in the '50s and '60s than some still skirt around today. This was the first album of his I heard, and it still remains my favourite. The audience is right behind him on this recording. to think that Lehrer actually put his albums out on his own indie label. . .a trendsetter even then! This album was released with a corresponding studio album of the same material (MORE OF TOM LEHRER); I prefer these songs in a live setting. While some of the songs might have dated somewhat, I guarantee you'll get more than one belly laugh out of the clever, caustic wit of Tom Lehrer, the U.S.A's funniest mathematician.

POISONING PIGEONS IN THE PARK - Delivers a poisonous dose to all those 'Springtime walking in the park with my love' type songs.

BRIGHT COLLEGE DAYS - Come on, all of you must have heard a school song you wanted to cringe at. They're trotted out at every school reunion.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - A carol celebrating the monetary (and the montonous) aspects of Joyous Yuletide.

THE ELEMENTS - Inspired by the tongue twisting genius of Danny Kaye and the music of Gilbert and Sullivan. Lehrer sings the periodic table of elements! I wish I could've heard this song much earlier . . .it could've stopped me from failing high school science!

OEDIPUS REX - A title soing that never was for the movie version of Oedipus Rex. "Of all ideals they hail as good, the most sublime is motherhood". LOL!

IN OLD MEXICO - A ballad of Old Mexico; complete with a half a ton of angry pot roast, Lehrer's brother's pet dog Rover, typhoid, dysentary, and a stolen wallet!

CLEMENTINE - The traditional singalong as reworked by Cole Porter, Mozart("Or one of that crowd . . ."), a bebop beatnik, and Gilbert and Sullivan.

IT MAKES A FELLOW PROUD TO BE A SOLDIER - Tom Lehrer was in the army for two years; from January 1955 to January 1957. This track is full of characters he could have rubbed shoulders with during this time, but most likely didn't.

SHE'S MY GIRL - Despite all your lover's faults (inability to cook, bathroom habits), you still love her/him. This track could use a bit of a gender swap, though.

THE MASOCHISM TANGO - A tango for all you gluttons for punishment who want the love for your partner to be a flame, not an ember.

WE WILL ALL GO TOGETHER WHEN WE GO - This should have become an anthem for the 'anti-nukes' and 'anti-war' protestors from the '60s til the present day. It packs the same punch as the early Dylan protest songs or the later electric ones by the Turtles, Country Joe & The Fish et al.

Genius!
I am a teenage folk music fan who discovered this CD upon one of my regular browsing sessions at Borders, and picked it up on a whim after listening to the first two tracks. Tom Lehrer is a comedy genius--this has to be one of the funniest comedy recordings I have ever heard. In this day and age where Weird Al Yankovic is the favorite satirical recording artist among music fans, it is amazing to listen to this album and see how much Lehrer was ahead of his time, as well as how funny these songs are even after over forty years. But the the funny songs are not the only pleasure of this recording--I was also duly impressed with Mr. Lehrer's ability as a pianist. For more musical comedy fun, check out CDs by the folk artist Loudon Wainwright, III.

Quality always holds up.
One reason why the great songs of Tom Lehrer hold up after all these decades is that some of the issues they cover have not gone away. The Cold War may be over, but the weapons remain. And anyway there are other ways Armegeddon may arrive. Misunderstanding between the sexes will never vanish.

But I think the real reason Tom Lehrer's "An Evening Wasted..." has held up so well for so long is that his humor and craft are top quality. We still read Mark Twain's acerbic satires. Will Rogers is still an American icon, while others have come and gone. And in the tradition of Twain and Rogers, Lehrer, while commenting on contemporary conditions, takes them and twists them in a way that is nothing short of brilliant. And, without realizing it, has given us a better understanding of his times, while making us laugh (or weep) at ours.

Forget all that heavy stuff: this is just a darned funny collection!

hilarious
I have to say that I would never have piccked this CD up and listened to it if it hadn't been for my dad. He listens to the oddest selection of music, so I, being his child, have grown accustomed to it; but this CD was the best out of all my dad's CDs. Although I am only a teen, and I do not understand all the references, political and otherwise, the CD gave me a chance to sit back and relax for 45 minutes and laugh. I enjoy Lehrer's dry sense of humor and it is entertaining to try to decifer what Lehrer is saying(as in the song The Elements, has to wait till I took chemistry to figure out what all he was saying!).
ok, basically what I am trying to say is that this CD is just perfect!

The far side of music. . ..
Tom Lehrer really WAS a Harvard Professor, but his work in math didn't get him what he most dearly loved -- money. So, despite the counsel of several friends and coworkers (none the same, alas) he launched off into a musical career that shall remain infamous for a lunchtime! From defiling cutesiness in Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, to the almost serious "The elements," Lehrer never fails to amuse old and Jung alike.
Remember that Lehrer told us that an Innuendo is "An italian suppository."
This album is dangerous: you may repeatedly fall out of your seat trying to listen to it. ... Read more