Amazon.com

There are thousands upon thousands of children's albums out there, but the one that quietly left its mark with more '70s children than perhaps any other album was this disc. Free to Be...You and Me was a pet project of proud feminist Marlo Thomas (a.k.a. "That Girl"), and it was born--according to the liner notes--by the desire to provide her niece with music "to celebrate who she was and who she could be." Harry Belafonte sings "Parents Are People," ex-football great Rosie Grier offers an incredible, touching melody titled "It's All Right to Cry," and Diana Ross waxes future-positive on "When We Grow Up." A great hour of brain food for young--and not-so-young--children. --Denise Sheppard ... Read more

Reviews (153)

Marlo Thomas & Friends- Free to Be You and Me
Most of the songs are delightful and positive. I do have one serious problem with one track however. The "Housework" track promotes a negative attitude toward housework that should not be instilled in anyone. My wife and I enjoy housework! Obviously, one's attitude toward housework is subjective, and therefore, should not be presented as a fact that mommy and daddy hate housework, and so will you when you grow up. Since we all have to do housework, we should promote a more positive attitude toward it. There is dignity in all honest work, including housework. I want my children to learn to enjoy housework. The track should focus primarily on the cooperative, fun, and rewarding aspects of housework. Incidently, if you want THE MOST FABULOUS (6 stars) children's music audio/video, check out Parachute Express' "Feel the Music." Our entire family dances and sings to it every day! It is absolutely fabulous! Ron Schlegel.

Makes me wish I grew up with this
On an episode of "Inside the Actor's Studio," Gwyneth Paltrow cited this album as one of her major influences in life. This piqued my interest, and I grabbed it at my local library. I was so pleased that I wished my parents had this for me when I was a child in the 1980s.

The messages are all very positive and life-affirming, even for adults. The "Free To Be... You And Me" theme song is just joyful. I love "William's Doll" for the pure affection of the Grandmother. The story of Atalanta is great, even for girls today. The line from Atalanta's father, the King, "Everyone gets married. It's what people do!" was surprisingly resonant. Not everybody gets married; some are meant for single life. The story's happy ending was satisfying, and good parents would be pleased if their daughter or son was happy whether they were married or not.

"When We Grow Up" and "Glad To Have A Friend" show how good friends in childhood can really form a child's personality and outlook on their future.

I love this, and I love that it sounds like the 19670s. Perfect.

Begs more questions than it answers
I read a ton of the reviews and decided to check this CD out at the library to listen to it before buying. I was not one of the nostalgic parents who remembered this from childhood. After listening to it, I decided not to buy it. I REALLY did not care for this CD. Not only did I feel there was too much talk and not enough music, but the talk itself begged questions that probably don't even cross the minds of your average 2-3 year old (such as the "girls are just as good as boys" theme)-- your girl won't even wonder if she's as good as a boy if you don't make a "thing" of it and just treat her right. Anyway, this CD bugged me a lot because of issues like that.

Still timely after all these years
I'm happy to finally own this album after having seen the video as an elementary school child. There are both songs that children can still sing when they feel they are too old for "children's music" such as "Free to Be You and Me" and whimsical songs smaller children would like such as "Helping." This album had a few pleasant surprises I didn't remember as a child, such as the hilarious "Housework" performed by Carol Channing. This album is startlingly ahead of its time with its message of self-esteem, liberating ideas on gender, and unselfconsciously racially integrated cast.

I feel the language and subject matter in this album can be safely rated G (even in "Boy Meets Girl," when a girl and boy baby humorously debate who is the girl and who is the boy). This album is safe for households concerned about media encouraging bad behavior in their children. On the other hand, this album is best avoided by households that wish to instill "traditional" gender roles in their children.

Yes! On to the next generation...
This album was one of my formative influences as a kid. Now that many of my friends are having kids of their own, I'm passing it along to all the new parents I know.

If you love(d) this album, do yourself a favor and get the companion book, _Stories for Free Children_. It explores the same themes of compassion, cooperation, and fun.

On a side note, it was a revelation to come back to "Free to Be" in my college years and realize how many of the performers were Famous People. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

disco's best cd
this cd is a genius mix of great disco songs. its hard not to like it. to understand why, just look at whats on it: celebration by kool & the gang (classic), funkytown by lipps inc, dancing queen by abba, ymca by the village people, and many more. i mean, who doesnt know YMCA? also on this cd are less popular songs, such as knock on wood and hot stuff, but they were still popular and you will most likely know them as soon as you listen to the cd. at the end is the awesome grease megamix that anyone who likes the movie grease will know all the words to. on the megamix are grease lightning, you better shape up, you're the one that i want, and summer nights. this cd is great for parties along with personal listening because once you turn it on, everyone will want to get up and dance. Pure disco is the best disco mix around.

Disco is making a come back.
Well maybe Disco isn't really coming back, but at least this compilation sounds better than ever. Plus, when thinking about it, when did it ever actually end? There's not much that really separates the music of twenty-five to thirty years ago with today. Disco was the generic term for dance music of the 70s and maybe 1980 and 81 up until MTV came into the scene. Today dance music still is around, even if several of these artists are not. But it is fun hearing the roots of clubbing and rave. Look at what you will get with this CD:Funkytown by Lipps Inc., which featured members of the Prince's Revolution Band famous for his Purple Rain disc, Abba's Dancing Queen which inspired a Broadway play Mamma Mia, Celebration by funk-disco band Kool and the Gang, a classic. I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor which is one of the most covered tunes and a top dance song of all time. The Gap Band is here and they are an eighties favorite. Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, and Barry White are legends and they're here. My favorite song is Amii Stewart's Knock on Wood from this collection. Plus among other's the famous mix of Grease tunes from the movie not found elsewhere. Give it a try and buy the other two as well. I am sure you will dance all night.

Great collection of Classic Disco
Yea, we all love to dance- but this collection of music
are classics and they always get people young and old up to
dance. Disco is NOT dead!

What a great series!
Let me first go on record saying that my favorite artists of all time (at this point) are Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. In that vein, you wouldn't really expect a guy with a taste for that sort of music to dig disco. But I really do. Disco music defines "good times." If you've ever been to any sort of party in your life (hosted by a professional DJ, that is), the odds are you've heard a number of the songs on this compilation. And they're all great.

Some are better than others, of course, but each song is catchy and the bass lines are funky. Not to mention cheesy. If you're looking for a cool collection of disco music and don't want to splurge the cash for expensive box sets or individual artists' albums, the "Pure Disco" series is a great investment. Throw in the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack and you've got enough great disco songs to blister your feet up.

Why only four stars instead of five? That's easy. Barry White's "the First, the Last, My Everything" isn't the REAL version. Polygram omitted the spoken introduction and the phrasing is just a bit different from the original version. Must be some sort of radio edit.

Despite this, great compilation. Two other recommendations: "the Bee Gee's Greatest Hits: the Record" and "Barry White: the Ultimate Collection."

PURE DISCO / VOL . 1, 2 & 3
This is the best disco set available!!! Although,disco music
was short lived,it was an era that no one will forget.To some it
was a fashion statement.To others,a threat of,the downfall of
rock & roll music,as we knew it.No matter how you felt about it you must agree that some of best feel good music came from that
generation.I also feel that the word: "CHEESY" came from this time period.I,myself,liked it because I could sleep in my clothes
without the fear of wrinkling them... ... Read more

Amazon.com

In an age when the old-timey soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? sells 5 million copies, it's hard to imagine how revolutionary Will the Circle Be Unbroken seemed upon its release 30 years ago. The triple album (now rereleased as a two-CD set) paired many of Nashville's venerable country and bluegrass performers (Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Jimmy Martin, Vassar Clements) with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, or as Acuff called them, "a bunch of long-haired West Coast boys." The idea seemed nearly as foreign as Martians setting down in Tennessee, but the Dirt Band were Colorado hippies steeped in the genre, so there was no disputing the authenticity of the music, or its earthy appeal. Aside from the sheer joy of the performances (listen to Jimmy Martin's "whoop" on "Sunny Side of the Mountain"), there's great fun in hearing Roy Acuff give the boys a lesson in doing a song right the first time (and using the word hell before launching into a religious number). And Mother Maybelle wafts through like a benevolent ghost, or at least a patron saint. One caveat: The boast of four previously unreleased tracks is balderdash, since three are really between-track conversations and rehearsals, and only "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" qualifies as a real song. But that's nitpicking. Buy it. Love it. Wallow in it. O brother, that's country music! --Alanna Nash ... Read more

Reviews (27)

you are there....
As Will the Circle Be Unbroken came together I was living the dream of a young picker: getting to play with the people who created the form of music I had grown to love and yearned to emulate. The story on how this came about is available, but the result is what counts here. It was one of the best experiences in my life, and captured a young band at its best, shining our spotlight at the time on our heroes. And boy, did they shine back.
Vassar set the benchmark for fiddlers to aspire to with his hot inspired approach.. Earl as always defined the 5 string banjo ... Roy sang great and his performances stand as some of his best work. Travis and his songs bring you in to a different branch of the country folk world with his genius guitar style matched by his wise words written from his Kentucky background. Doc shares with everyone his joy of hot music, and makes everyone feel at home. (The first time meeting between Doc and Merle helped us out, as when we saw it happening we realized we were in a group of great people who were all truly fans of each other as much as we were of them.) Jimmy Martin demonstrated to us between cuts that he knew what his music should sound like, and cordially let us in on the secrets. He is one of the best bluegrass/country singers, and here shows why that is said. Maybelle was like an angel and, never realizing her impact on music in general, just wanted to do her songs in a way that would 'please everyone... the more the merrier.. ' She would laid down the spirit of the whole project . This was not something she could teach, but from her we learned.

This is a great album, and I say this not because I am a part of it. I do not listen to a lot of albums. I rarely listen to other Dirt Band music, although I like it. And, I play it live. But, after I remastered this from the original masters, and having heard it over the years, it seems like I would have had enough. I have listened to this probably 50 times since remastering, and look forward to the next flight where I can take a trip back to a time that was in a space where we all are frozen in the moment.

Circle represents much of the best of American music, songs, picking, singing, writing... and still draws me to it. I am sure anyone who likes acoustic music of the Americana type will find themselves drawn to it also. Circle becomes a welcome part of your life.
Thanks to the 96/24 mastering, it sounds better than ever, too.

The new pieces I put in are all equally important to me. I am proud that the Washington Post's great review mistakenly said Earl played Foggy Mt. Breakdown. The talking cuts showcase Jimmy Martin and his way of getting to the point, and gives us further insight to the true bluegrass great: funny, natural, strange.. and a definite opinion of exactly where he wants his music. And he is right.

The piece around Sunny Side is there to show all who have asked over the years "what was it like?" It captures the true spontaneity of the sessions; the constant chatter of all the players, uncertain of who was going to play where, how it starts, if one should wear picks or not... and it all of a sudden blends in to the start of such a touching piece of great music that now obviously comes from real people who are creating it from the heart.

The perfect closing song for this remastered work I found in the hours of the constant running tape, the bit of song where Doc asks us to "Remember Me when the twilight begins to fall.." and seems to speak for everyone. As I sat in the control room on the third day of running the tapes I said to the engineer "I hope today we come across the perfect closer for this" and it was the next piece of music.

So here it is - this journey back in time we were so very fortunate to make and be a part of - Will the Circle Be Unbroken in time I believe we will find to be as well known in American culture as has Wizard of Oz, Dark Side of the Moon, The Music Man, Citizen Kane, The Tonight Show, The Grand Ole Opry, and ...

A Bluegrass work of art!
In 1971, the boys of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band got together with some of the all-time greats of Country music (including Earl Scruggs, Mother Maybelle Carter, Merle Travis, Roy Acuff and others), and produced a three record album that was one of the greatest Bluegrass Country music albums ever made. Some thirty years later, this album has been re-released on two CDs, with four bonus tracks (three are dialogue and the other is the Bluegrass classic, Foggy Mountain Breakdown).

This is a great CD collection. The music is absolutely wonderful to listen to, a real work of art, sure to be enjoyed by any Bluegrass fan. Though the title might suggest that this is a collection of religious songs, in fact only a few are overtly religious, while most are simply Bluegrass tunes played by real experts. I loved listening to this album, and highly recommend it to you!

The Circle Will Never Be Broken
Before there was "O Brother, Where Art Thou," there was "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," the time the masters taught the long-haired boys how to make music. Now 30 years after its original release we have this marvelous album remastered for CD. Like wine and friends, these songs just get better with age. The great country/bluegrass musicians are all here-- Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Roy Acuff, Jimmy Martin, Earl Scruggs et al. I had forgotten that wonderful improvizational feel of this live album. If you close your eyes, these musicians appear to be "pickin" and "sangin" in your living room. The original album closed with a beautiful guitar solo by Randy Scruggs of Joni Mitchell's "Both Side Now." I'm not sure much is gained in this version by adding the four previously unreleased tracks. The producers should have left well enough alone. With that minor gripe, I know of no better country music CD than this one. It ought to be placed into a time capsule for future generations.

Just bought my third copy!
I loved this album when it came out, and it's one of the few recordings from that period in my life that I still listen to as Good Music, not just an exercise in nostalgia. Growing up in San Jose, CA, 50-plus years ago, I cut my teeth on this music (my father moonlighted as a drummer in a country-western band), so the album made me feel right at home. But the quality of the performances is outstanding, the give-and-take between the musicians is fun to listen to, and the warmth and rapport in the studio comes through on every track. (I'm especially fond of "Soldier's Joy," which makes "Dueling Banjos" sound like a pallid imitation, but there literally isn't a single bad track on the whole album.) I wore out copies on 8-track tape and vinyl, so I'm delighted that a new, remastered version is now available on CD. (Note: Two versions are available, a CD/DVD combo including live studio action, and a 2-CD set with just music. The latter, which I bought, includes four previously unpublished bonus tracks, mostly conversations between the musicians, but John McEuen's breakneck rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is pretty impressive.)

perfect
This album is as good as it gets for more reasons than I care to iterate. If you care at all for classic blue grass performed at an unsurpassed level of perfection, get it. ... Read more

Album Description

Reintroduce yourself to the Smithsonian Folkways essentials. More than 15 years ago, Folkways: The Original Vision was one of the first albums released by a then fledgling Smithsonian Folkways label. It was conceived and sequenced to complement Folkways: A Vision Shared, a benefit/tribute album consisting of 14 reinterpretations of Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly songs by a cross-section of some of popular music's top stars at the time. Now, with the re-release of this historic album on its 15th anniversary, Smithsonian Folkways expands upon the original concept with the addition of 6 bonus tracks, and enhances it with stunning new packaging and newly extended notes. Original Vision now provides an even fuller insight into the scope and impact that Guthrie's and Lead Belly's music has made over the last half century. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

I'd give it ten stars if I could...
This is one awesome CD. I originally bought it because I saw two songs I liked on the CD case - "Brickhouse" by The Commodores, and "Car Wash" by Rose Royce. Not being too familiar with the funk genre at the time, I figured this would be another of my CDs where I bought it for the two or three songs I liked, and the rest were throwaways. Besides, it was on sale, and looked like a good bargain.

After having played the CD, I was like, WOW! Every song on this CD totally jams! I found myself buying albums from the likes of Issac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield just through the influence of this CD. I now have a much broader musical taste and enjoy the strains of "The Theme from Shaft" while rolling down the highway. This is my favorite CD by far, and is unlikely to be unseated by another in the near future.

Yes!
This CD rocks the house. It's got all the classic funk songs, from Shaft to Superfly to Brickhouse and Car Wash. It is excellent. The tunes just keep bouncing around in my head. It's great dance music as well. This is a classic, buy it today.

luv da funk
volume 1 and 2 of pure funk r the twon best funk cds out there buy them 2day

PURE!
Thank you, oh funk-compilation-geniuses. This CD introduced me to funk and lifted me out of the disco genre. While "Don't Stop the Music" is a low point, and i have developed a pyschological block to "Car Wash" (very like my relationship with fleetwood mac's "Landslide") the rest of the album is funk, at it's purest best. "Brick House" "Shining Star" and "Lady Marmalade" are very, very worth the money. It's a great CD for listening to when you're having a low day (i.e. Mondays), or at a party. Basically rooted out all of the crappy funk that otherwise innocent souls would have had to sift through.

Solid!
Pure Funk is the best compilation CD of funk I've seen. Although there are a couple of misses and boderline songs (Cameo, Yarbrough and Peoples), the disc holds up very well. It would be hard to include more funk hits into one disc, but a glaring missing-in-funk-tion is James Brown's "Get on Up" or "Hot Pants". The first four songs are worth the price of the album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The party line on most Windham Hill products seems to be that it's either the greatest stuff since wave machines, or that it all sounds alike. On a Starry Night, with its collection of world songs and reputable artists such as Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, the Turtle Island String Quartet, and others, does lean toward a seamlessly understated, homogeneous quality that is broken only occasionally by Bobby McFerrin's piece and a couple of others. That said, there can hardly be a more mellow or sonorous album of kid's music anywhere. Starry Night could calm a nursery with no nurses; why, it could even soothe the pained yelps at the dog pound--and turn a freeway full of bumper-to-bumper sour pusses into pussycats. Effective? You've heard of mind control, haven't you? --Martin Keller ... Read more

Reviews (29)

gentle music for children and adults
I believe that music is a powerful and innate force in our lives, so I bought a number of CDs geared toward children when I gave birth. Most were harmless enough, many became tiresome after a while .... this CD still gets played regularly at our house after three years.

International artists play and sing old favorites as well as songs new to us, but even the old favorites (Rock-a-bye-baby, Brahms Lullaby) are performed in engaging ways which renew their interest. Heaven knows, I am not one to seek out Kumbaya, but I even like that song here! Seventeen songs are presented from the US, Japan, Indonesia, Brazil, Ireland, Congo, Ghana, Cuba, Iceland, Israel, England, Russia and Germany. Some are sung, most are instrumental. All are very beautiful and soothing. The CD booklet contains a paragraph about each song with performance credits, original words and translation.

A remarkably soothing collection of lullabies.

Will definitely become one of your favorites!!
This CD is beautiful and so soothing. It really does give you a dreamy effect. It's good for the soul! We use it for bedtime music for our 4yr old, and not only does she love it, but we love it. I am so glad I found this CD. It raises the standard of what good lullaby compilations should sound like. First Class music, indeed. Don't hesitate if you're looking for good music for nightime or even a relaxing break in the day for your little ones-this is an excellent choice.

Soothing, dreamy music!
I just had to write a review of this cd. It was recommended to me by another mother, and I tried it and love it! We like to listen to it in the living room as nap time approaches, nursing with the lights dimmed. With the fan going and this cd on quietly, both momma and baby start drifting off to sleep. It's absolutely wonderful, and I recommend it to anyone who needs some instant R&R.

Your Baby Will Love This CD
We were given "Starry Night" as a gift when our son was born 21 months ago. It is one of the best gifts we have received as he has been sleeping to this CD from day one. The minute we turn the CD on and dim the lights he knows that it's time to sleep - whether it's for a nap in the afternoon or after a long day of running around.

We love this CD so much that both sets of in-laws bought it for our son...

Most relaxing compilation of music I've ever heard
This CD is a must-have! My 9-month-old puts her head on my shoulder to drift off to sleep as soon as she hears the first tune - no matter the time of day. She is always asleep before the end of the second track (the delicate, almost haunting Japanese Music Box) and I'm consistently teary by the end of the third (in English it's known as "Go to Sleep" - the lyrics will make any parent's heart ache with love for your child). It even gets the three- and four-year-olds to sleep in my older daughter's preschool class. What would really be great is if massage therapists would play this CD instead of that babbling brook, new age stuff - now THAT would be worth $100. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A splendid Seattle-scene overview featuring the likes of Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney--everyone of note, in fact, save Nirvana Bonus: two songs from Minnesotan Paul Westerberg, his first since folding the Replacements. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Still the greatest soundtrack of all time
Eleven years later, and this is an unequalled achievement: Even post-Tarantino soundtracks and countless other greats, "Singles" stands up as the best soundtrack of all time.

Effortlessly blending all of the all-stars of the early 1990s Seattle scene except Nirvana, recorded JUST before they broke into the international music consciousness, "Singles" is both an amazing snapshot of a point in time and a great companion piece for fans of that music.

Songs unavailable elsewhere from Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Chris Cornell, Smashing Pumpkins and Mother Love Bone is something of a dream come true for many music fans, and what's especially nice is that there's no filler anywhere on this album. Even lesser lights like The Lovemongers turn in great tunes, such as the band's rocking cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore."

Sticking out as not being part of the Seattle scene is post-Replacements Paul Westerberg, but his two songs -- the only performer on the album to do two, although Chris Cornell performs both with and without Soundgarden -- are probably the best tunes in the collection.

While this makes a great companion piece to the movie, which features music quite strongly -- one scene even features a character stopping the action so his girlfriend (and the audience) can listen to a good section of Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love" (included on the soundtrack) -- it stands alone as simply a great album as well.

My strongest possible recommendation for fans of early 1990s rock music.

Seattle Snapshot
Back in the early 90's, Seattle was the hippest place in the country. From grunge music to coffee, Seattle was the center of cool. Cameron Crowe used the city and it's music scene as the backdrop for his second movie, Singles. This soundtrack is made up of mostly Seattle grunge bands and is a true gem. Many of the bands included here are instantly recognizable, but at the time of the movie's release they were young and fresh and just making a dent on the music scene. Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden & Smashing Pumpkins all released highly successful and notable recordings throughout the 90's and they all contribute excellent songs. Pearl Jam provides two numbers and they are among the band's best. "Breathe" is a classic PJ rocker in the "Alive" vein while "State Of Love & Trust" contains a classic Vedder lyric. Alice In Chains provides the short burst of energy in the pulsating "Would?" and Soundgarden's lead singer Chris Cornell contributes the reflective "Seasons". The two non-Seattle performers, Minnesotan Paul Westerberg & Chicagoans Smashing Pumpkins, give the album two of it's best songs. Westerberg's "Dyslexic Heart" plays throughout the movie and gives it its theme. It is a great piece of pop music and stands in contrast to the grunginess of the rest of the album. The Smashing Pumpkins close the album out with the feedback driven epic "Drown". Other lesser known Seattle bands who never reached the mainstream success of the previously mentioned bands given the album a nice balance. Mudhoney is a Seattle legend and they provide "Overblown" while a band who contained future members of Pearl Jam, Mother Love Bone's "Chloe Dancer" is quite poignant. Seattle godfather Jimi Hendrix is here as is the Lovemongers which is Heart's acoustic forary. All in All the album and movie is a time capsule of Seattle and is worth looking back on.

Nostalgia for the '90s
In the course of the two decades I have listened to music, my favorite decade for music was the early '90s when alternative (I hate using this world immensely) music was big thanks to the explosion of Nirvana and grunge (another term I hate using) music. One of the most defining moments in alternative music that particular decade was the Seattle-based film "Singles" (one of the few films I can stomach from Cameron Crowe). Not only did I love the film but the soundtrack was equally good. It had some of the hottest modern rock bands of the decade on one cd. Not only was it the soundtrack to an excellent film but also the soundtrack to generation x (ugh! another term I loathe). One of my personal favorite songs on the cd is by Minneapolis hero Paul Westerberg "Dyslexic Heart", an incredibly infectious song that I could not get out of my head when I first heard the song. The cd kicks off with one of the most premier grunge bands from the '90s, "Would" by Alice in Chains. It is one of my favorite songs by Alice in Chains with its trademark sludge guitars provided by Jerry Cantrell and nihilistic lyrics by Layne Stayley (R.I.P). Ironically enough, Cameron's wife Nancy Wilson (Heart/The Lovemongers) appears on the cd with her side project The Lovemongers. They do a fairly interesting cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore". All the songs are great. I love the Screaming Trees' "Nearly Lost You" and "Seasons" by Chris Cornell. "Singles" is evidence to what great music that came out of the '90s. Too bad the new millenium has proven jacksquat.

Those were the great days of Music in the 1990s
The Grundge era of the early 90s was a wonderful time for me, growing up as a teen. The music, album and movie were great. I still love the grunge music from that time period. It's better than what happened musically the rest of the decade and into the new millenium.

Nostalgia...
This was one of the first albums (I got it on cassette) which I ever bought, back when I was about 15 or so in 1992. I had been listening to the radio for a year or so, hearing all those "grunge" sounds coming out of Seattle at the time. This became my favorite for 1992, and whenever I hear any of these songs these days it instantly takes me back to my teenage years, as awkward as they may have been, just because of the newness of the whole thing. So far as I can tell this was the last big "scene" in rock, to break at a national level. At the time, everyone was wearing flannels and faded jeans (I was no exception). Not all of the music has held up (I'd cite Alice in Chains as sounding more dated than the rest but maybe I just personally don't like the sound), but much of it sounds even better to me now than it did back then. The Chris Cornell solo track is very passionate and soulful (why didn't he just go solo back then??) and the Pearl Jam songs are better than anything I have heard on their albums. Basically, this is the only early-90s rock compilation you'll ever need, it has everything and as some reviewers pointed out, no filler. Even a throw-back to the best stuff from the 80s, with Paul Westerberg of the Replacements contributing a few great tracks. By the way, as this soundtrack gets so much press on its own, see the movie too! It's great, and now that I'm a few years short of 30 I appreciate it more. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Less successful when it's sentimental (Waylon Jennings' "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys") than when it's wry (Willie Nelson's myth-puncturing "Me and Paul"), this cash-in compilation of previously released cuts was just in time to grab the first platinum record ever awarded a country album. It's not bad, but both Jennings' contemporaneous Dreaming My Dreams and Nelson's Red Headed Stranger are more nuanced tastes of the good-bad-but-not-evil-ol'-boy lifestyle. (Not to mention much of Tompall Glaser's own Outlaw compilation.) This 1996 CD reissue adds nine more tracks from the era as well as a new Jennings-and-Nelson version of Steve Earle's "Nowhere Road." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Snapshot of a Transitional Time
This album is like a phantom that won't die, and in this case that's certainly a good thing. Forget that, when it was first released in 1976, it wasn't even "original." Indeed, RCA was out to capitalize on the fact that Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson were finally receiving widespread radio recognition as establishment rebels and that Jessi Colter was, for at least a couple of years, one of the biggest selling female artists in country music. All three of them had made a series of uneven recordings back in the early 70's under contract with RCA, several of which became the 'Outlaws" album in its smash-hit 1976 incarnation. Now, two decades later, more kindling has been added to the fire, but the effect is not entirely pleasing. Listening to several of the 'newer' songs by Waylon and Willie, one realizes why they never made it to any final studio album cuts in the first place. The album does remind us, however, that it's a bit of a shame that Jessi Colter faded into the woodwork after three massive-selling albums during the outlaw years--her songwriting hooks and stark vocals--especially on 'If She's Where You Like Livin'--are still oddly ahead of their time. This album is for die hard outlaw cultists only.

a childhood memory, an adult treasure
I remember back in the late 70's sitting in the back of my parents car on numerous roadtrips across Texas listening to this album. Now even though I was into rock and roll at the time, this album still held my attention on those long trips. I bought my own copy a few weeks ago when I heard that Waylon had passed to that great honky tonk in the sky. Man what a great album! My boyhood memories have been coming back to me with each listen. There is not a weak track on this record, with many of them finding their way to Willie and Waylons greatest hits albums. As mentioned by earlier reviewers, Jesse Colter is the hidden gem of this album. The album includes ten new tracks that did not make the original cut, but are all strong. "Why you been gone so long" by Jesse is really outstanding. Finally, the newest track "Nowhere Road" is a Steve Earle song recorded in 1996 by Willie and Waylon (Earle produced it). All I can say is this song should be playing on country radio right now, as its better that 99.9% of all the current country tunes. Do yourself a favor and add this album to your collection. Put it on, sit back and listen, you might be able to imagine what the Austin outlaw country scene was like in the late 70's!

ONE OF THE GREATEST COUNTRY ALBUMS EVER!
Lord this is a great album! My dad had this one when we were growing up and I remember listening to it in the evenings when the day's work was done. It includes hits from all the big fellas. Gosh you don't find music of that caliber nowadays. When I was 15 I borrowed this record from Dad's collection and broke it accidently. I felt bad for what I'd done and made it worse by lying to him when he asked me if I knew where it was. A few days later he found it and I had to fess up. Boy was I in trouble! It was a sore lesson, but I needed it. I understand why Dad was so upset. That Outlaw record was his favorite. If you grew up with this music or just like to reminisce about the good ol days, I honestly think you'll love this album.

Country and Western Got Cool Here
Outlaws are often the stuff of country and western songs.

In the annals of popular music, this CD is a bit of an outlaws tale. After this album came out in the mid 1970's, Nashville's total dominance of Country & Western was ended. Austin Texas, a sleepy small town in the middle of the Lone Star State, became a rival center for country, blues, rock, and other music genres.

Willie & Waylon contribute most of the sound, style, and songs here. Perhaps this is to be expected, since they were already "names" at the time this CD was originally released: Waylon as a performer, Willie as a songwriter. But Jessi Colter has a great voice, and Tompall Glaser provides great instumental accompaniment as the rhythm section.

Willie and Waylon were pure gold after this, and while Jessi Colter & Tompall Glaser were not heard from much afterward, they do live on here.

Waylon Jennings had several big singles and successful concert tours after he and Willie Nelson went their separate ways. But even so, his biggest applause came when he did the tunes from this CD. Sadly, Waylon Jennings declined and was in ill health during most of the 1990's. Willie Nelson has managed to sustain a career full of comebacks -- the IRS, marijuana arrests, and an occasional flop album have all failed to stop him from becoming an (admittedly unlikely) popular folk-hero.

Like "The Weavers at Carnegie hall", which is often credited with launching a folk music revival, and the early Beatles & Stones albums which generated interested in anything that came from England, this album is often credited with the birth of "alt Country".

Because of its maverick style and content (more radical at the time than today), it has retained or obtained a status that few country and western CD's ever do: IT'S COOL.

A wonderful collaboration!
Nashville's rebels and outlaws are back! Waylon and Willie's original "Outlaws" CD is titled, 20th Anniversary CD. It includes the originals, the lost songs, and the new, a total of 21. Included is Waylon's wife Jessie Colter, who I believe had a modest career of her own, her most popular, or as they say, signature song, a beautiful ballad "I'm Not Jessie"

The combined talent of Nashville rebels, Waylon and Willie was phenomenal! With different vocal styles, their teaming was a major success! Nelson's nasal sound worked well with deeper vocals of Waylon. Tompall Glaser, I can't say I had heard about him, but he does "Tea for Texas" and the catchy sexist tune by Shel Silverstein "Put Another Log on the Fire". ......fill my pipe and then go fetch my slippers and boil me up another pot of tea, then put another log on the fire and come and tell me why you're leaving me.

"Me and Paul" has always been a favorite by Willie, here his deeper voice projects. That and "Yesterday's Wine" are both written by Willie Nelson. Also included on the original LP are "Heroes have Always been Cowboys." Jessie and Waylon do their hit "Suspicious Minds." Twenty years later, a 1996 anniversary CD is a classic timepiece and includes the lost songs, these do include several more by Jessie Colter, who lends a very soothing beautiful voice to the male dominated CD. She and Waylon do "Under Your Spell."

The "new" portion stated on the CD includes rockabilly and folk singer Steve Earle's hit "Nowhere Road" done by Waylon and Willie. Steve Earle produced this anniversary CD. I love the two Willie Nelson ballads "Healing Hands" and "You Left a Long Time Ago", a very soft, mellow song about watching and losing a love. A first-rate collection, a real classic! ...MzRizz ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Amazing!
YOURS, MINE & OURS" is amazing! The songs we used from this CD touched so many people. My friends said that most of the fathers had tears in their eyes when my Dad and I danced to "MY LITTLE GIRL"...even my 'tough guy' Dad. I had looked for months and months to find something emotional but not corny. This song couldn't have been more perfect. Then, before playing "IN YOUR EYES", my husband announced that he had something special to play for his Mother and that the song expressed all the things he could never find the words for. It was really quite a moment. Eveybody loved it. We also used the song "YOURS, MINE & OURS" for the unity candle lighting at the ceremony and that too was very moving. My teenage brother and younger sister loved lighting their own candle and being a real part of the ceremony that way. I highly recommend this CD to help make any wedding extra special.

Settled in Seattle!

Save Your Money
I was very disapointed in this CD.
For the price I expected more. After reading about it I thought the songs were going to have words that said something about the wedding or the bride and groom and they didn't. The singers are OK but for some of the songs I could hardley hear what they were saying.
I did finally find another CD (on Amazon) I really like.
Its called The Ultimate Collection Of Wedding Music
The price is great. I got 3 CDs for less than I paid for this one. There are more songs and a much better selection of music on this CD and the singers are very good.

Bride in Chicagoland

The Search is Over
I looked everywhere and listened to incredibly corny wedding songs until I found this CD. These songs are absolutely beautiful and fit all those situations it's so hard to find music for. My parents cried when I played this for them and so did my future mother-in-law. The singers are fabulous also. If you have stepparents, the right songs are on here too. I'm really grateful because I believe there will be some really special moments at my reception because of these songs!

What Great Songs!
My Dad and I wanted a special song to dance to at my wedding - not Butterfly Kisses. When we got this CD, there were 2 great songs for the father daughter dance. One was from the dads point of view and one from the brides. We loved both and coudn't decide which to use, so I let my dad choose. He picked "My Little Girl". Tears filled his eyes when we danced. I'll never forget that moment. My husband and his mother danced to "The Man You've Become". She said it expressed everything she wanted to say to her son but couldn't herself. We also had a reception candlelighting ceremony and used "Yours Mine & Ours" for a circle of love to unite our two families. I can't say enough how much this CD contributed to the warmth and emotion at our wedding.

The Perfect Reception CD
I wanted a special song to dance with my father, and my husband was looking for a song that he would feel comfortable dancing to with his mother. We found those and more on this CD. The songs were just beautiful, not syrupy but yet emotional, expressing everything we wanted to say! There was also a family unity song that we used as well. The recordings and vocals were great. My father had tears in his eyes and my mother-in-law was thrilled that my husband found such a fabulous song for them to dance to. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Lively, upbeat walking workout for intermediate walkers!!
I've been an aerobic walker for about 8 years. It's very hard to locate music designed for an aerobic walking workout performed by original artists. This CD is a find!!! It starts at a pace of 120 beats per minute and builds to 134 beats per minutes in 11 selections. The last selection is the cool down at 120 beats per minute. This pace is great for an intermediate walker - a workout, but not fast enough that you feel you need to jog. It is an hour-long workout and the songs are "blended" together so there's no gap in the music. Most of the 70's songs are easily recognizable and I find myself singing to them as I walk. I'm sure you'll enjoy the CD.

Great to get you going! LaVanda from GA
After walking for exercise for over a year, I was getting bored with the music I had. This CD is wonderful for keeping your pace, starting slower, picking up to 4.3 mph and then slowing to cool down. Even though these songs are from way back, it's great to hear again. I will try more of these CD's.

upbeat music
I've had my cd for a week now and I love it. It starts out a little slow, but then again, I hate to warm up so it is probably good for me. I like to hit the trail walking at a brisk pace so I usually start on song #3. I love the music and I probably look crazy to people driving by. This cd has definately added a quickness to my step and an energy to my walk. I plan to buy more music!

Great for Aquatics
I teach an aquatic shaping and toning class and this is my favorite CD. The class, which varies in age from 30 - 70, enjoys this music and it contains nothing objectionable. I only wish SHAPE would put out some more of this great stuff.

Great songs, mid tempo walking
I have 3 of the Shape walking CD's and this is a good one if you like disco. This CD has a good pace if you are wearing ankle weights and pushing a stroller (as I do). If you are just walking on your own though I'd recommend one of the faster Shape CD's. Modern rock is a good one. ... 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 (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

Amazon.com

It would be impossible to capture all the things that make the game great--the drama, the humor, the roar of the crowd--on one album, but the folks behind this sprawling collection come pretty darn close to hitting for the cycle. Old-time faves like Les Brown's "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" segue into modern tributes such as Bill Slayback's "Move Over Babe, Here Comes Henry," while such tangential yet groovy chestnuts like the Intruders' soul standard "Love Is Like a Baseball Game" and Rockin' Richie Ray's utterly unhinged "Baseball Card Lover" are guaranteed to make even nonfans cock an ear. Interspersed among the songs are spoken interludes, ranging from classic comedy bits like Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First" to moving memories such as Lou Gehrig's famed farewell speech. Baseball's Greatest Hits is a one-of-a-kind collection. --David Sprague ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Puts me in the baseball mood
This is a great baseball CD.

True you probably would have to create a 10 CD box set to cover all the great songs of baseball, but this CD will get you started on a private collection.

I have an mp3 file of the Who's On First bit, but this version is 10 times better since it has been digitized.

Joltin' Joe, the Willie Mays Song, and D-O-D-G-E-R-S Song (Oh Really? No, O'Malley) are songs you'll find yourself singing along with.

My two favorites on this CD are Land of Wrigley and Dying Cub Fan's Last Request. Steve Goodman really makes last request a good listen. What a good singer.

Talkin' Baseball is also a song you'll be singing along with, and you'll be picturing baseball days of old.

The Lasorda recording is classic, and had me laughing the hardest.

Baseball Dreams is the kind of song I could picture putting behind a highlight film.

The only two major downsides to this CD are the recording of We Are the Champions not being sung by the right group, and I just can't listen to Casy At the Bat more than once every so often. That reading really gets on my nerves.

Other than that this is a perfect CD to begin a collection of great baseball songs. Get this for playing in the car on your way to the next baseball game, or at your childs little league game.

Best CD ever!
"Baseball's greatest hits" is a wonderful cd, My favorite all-time song is talkin' baseball by Terry Cashman. I allso like "Whos on first", "A dying Cubs..." and many more.On a 1-10 scale, I rank this cd a 15!

I Don't Know! Third Base!!!
This is (obviously) a compilation of baseball related songs, sketches and what have you. The songs here cover a wide variety of styles, including bluegrass, big band, rhythm & blues, pop, jazz, novelty, country, rock, soul, a capella, folk, gospel and rap. Not all of the songs are good, but a majority of them are. Of course, one of the highlights is Abbott & Costello's classic routine "Who's On First". The classic poem "Casey at the Bat" is here, but the recitation by DeWolf Hopper is a bit too "hammy" for my taste. Not everything here will appeal to everyone, but like I said, there is more good than bad. Recommended for baseball fans.

B"s GH
Fun to listen to, is it available in CD media.....jb

Most of what you want on a Baseball album is on this one
the younger generation. Except for "We Are the Champions," which is covered by the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, you will not hear any songs likely to be played during a time out at a NBA basketball game. So this is an album for you and your dad, not you and your kid, but hopefully your kid will learn to appreciate the collection of baseball songs on this album. For your dad there are the classic baseball songs "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio," "Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)," "Van Lingle Mungo," "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" For you there is Terry Cashman's folksy "Willie, Mickey & The Duke (Talkin' Baseball)" and Bruce Springsteen's rockin' "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." There are also a few choice pieces of baseball history with "Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech" and "Bobby Thompson's Shot Heard 'Round the World." But what makes this collection earn five stars is that it also provides both a 1945 version of Abbott & Costello's famous "Who's On First?" routine and DeWolf Hopper's recitation of "Casey at the Bat." Yes, there are some minor efforts here (does history really need to preserve Tommy Larsoda's bleeping opinion on Dave Kingman?). On the flip side, who knew Mickey Mantle actually cut a record (sort of) and how can you not love "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" by Steve Goodman. Besides, you have to like a baseball collection that gives you Count Basie and Danny Kaye. The main thing is that of the nine bits of baseball audio that need to be on any baseball collection are all here: the exception, "Centerfield" (although a case could also be made for the title theme from "The Natural"). For the record those nine would be tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 21 and 22. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Pop has a good time eating itself on this collection of Doctor Demento favorites. The tunes on this stylistically varied double CD send up a plethora of pop culture phenomena. The perpetrators come from every imaginable entertainment background. Pro wrestlers, folk singers, comedians, actors, garage bands--you never know who's liable to produce a novelty song. Here it doesn't matter if a respected composer or a one-hit wonder recorded the ditty; all sorts of tracks jostle each other on this funny collection. The material covers quite a time span, ranging from Spike Jones's "Der Fuehrer's Face," released in 1942, to "Wappin'," an unreleased track by Darrell Hammond and Christopher Snell which was a hit on Demento's radio show at the tail end of the 1980s. The 20th Anniversary Collection is quite an assortment of the corny, goofy, wacky, and wild. --Fred Cisterna ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Best CD-Set in the Demento Series
This double CD is the best of the series. It features nutty numbers like "Poisoning Pidgeons In The Park" and "Dead Puppies" as well as the well known Weird Al Yankovic song "Eat It". My favorite in this bunch of novelties is Jim Backus' "Delicious" (this actually made the top 40 back in '59!). If you haven't yet sampled any of Dr. Dementos compiliations, you should start with this one rather than any of his other "anniversaries". The rest are filled with lame songs by unknown (or forgettable) artists. Demento is pricy, too, so anyone not seriously looking for strange novelty stuff, there are better deals out there!

The best of Dr. Demento's collection of novelty hits
You simply cannot please everybody when it comes to putting together an album that professes to include "The Greatest Novelty Records Of All Time" as Dr. Demento does for this 20th Anniversary Collection. I take one look at the playlist and want to know where is Groucho Marx singing "Lydia the Tatooed Lady" and probably everybody has a different "Weird Al" Yankovic song they would rather listen to than "Eat It." But then it is not like this is the only collection the good doctor has thrown our way. This 20th Anniversary Collection does include a good number of "must have" novelty hits, from "Cocktails for Two" by Spike Jones and "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" by Allen Sherman to Steve Martin's "King Tut" and "The Time Warp" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Tom Lehrer has always been my personal favorite and "The Masochism Tango" is one of his best. There is also the quintessential novelty song with Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" (although your taste might run towards "Purple People Eaters" or my friend the "Witch Doctor"). The most important thing is that is you do not have a Dr. Demento collection, then it is almost impossible to have even half of these songs. These are not songs you want to listen to every day, but every once in a while you need to get up and hop around the room to the "Monster Mash." Despite any holes you might see in what is included, "Dr. Demento's 20th Anniversary Collection" is the best offering from the good doctor to date.

While not all of the best, definitely a good colelction
When I got this CD, I expected it to be based on the record album compilation similarly named. It wasn't. Still, it's a truckload of great demented songs that'll keep your toe tapping and your belly laughing. It was just missing some of my favorites, though over time most have since been released on other demented CD's.

The perfect carpool collection....
When I was a kid there was one crazy dad in the neighborhood that collected novelty and party records- and looked for any excuse to play them- usually for us kids. There are recordings here that I haven't heard for 30 years- and several that I never heard before. There was also some stuff here that I think that I may have heard before at parties, but it was so far into the evening before anyone had the guts to play it that I'm not really sure....
If you want to drive your carpool crazy on the way to work, then this is the perfect collection for the job. Actually, if you just want to make a permanent impression on people, turn the stereo up full blast, roll down the windows, and play "Masochism Tango" or "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park"....they'll never forget you. In fact, they'll probably even write down your license plate number....

This Is SO COOL!
This Is The Greatest Album By The Doctor. It Features A Lot of Great Stuff Like BOOT TO THE HEAD By The Frantics, Pencil Neck Geek By Frank Blassie, The Time Warp By The Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast, Fish Heads, The Purple People Eater, Dead Puppies, And Others! Love The Dr. Demento Show. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Variety of Songs from the 1950's
If you enjoy songs from the 1950's this CD should be in your collection. It has a great variety of songs from that time period. What made it especially attractive to me was the inclusion of the song "The Witch Doctor." I have tried very hard to find this song on a CD, and this is the only one that I could find that had it included. I wouldn't have bought the CD if it wasn't for this song, because I already had the "key" songs for me on other CD's, but if you don't have these songs on a CD of your own this would be a great one to have in your collection.

Everything you could want in a 50's compilation and more!!!
DANCE HITS OF THE 50'S is just what it says it is. It contains all of your favorite, up beat dance hits that you love to listen and dance to. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Great themes from the classics...
This CD has great themes from the classics...from famous shows like "Wheel Of Fortune" (its "Changing Keys" theme which was used from 1983 to 1991), "Jeopardy" (the theme first used for the Alex Trebek syndicated version...this version was used until around 1996 when it was replaced by a modernized version), and the classic "The Price Is Right" (which has been in use since 1972) to obscure shows like "The Wizard Of Odds" and "Go". There are also great themes to "Password" (this one from the 1971-1975 ABC version), "The New $25,000 Pyramid", "Tic Tac Dough" and "The Joker's Wild" (Hal Hidey wrote both these great themes for those 2 great shows), "The Dating Game" and "The Newlywed Game" (both pretty good themes by the creator of those two shows, Chuck Barris), "What's My Line" (the closing theme from 1950 to 1967), "I've Got A Secret" (opening theme from 1952 to 1967), "To Tell The Truth" (opening theme from 1969 to 1978), "G.E. College Bowl" (opening theme from 1959 to 1970), "Match Game" (the 1970s version...Dumb Dora was SO DUMB...), "Family Feud" (opening theme from 1976 to 1985...Survey SAYS this is a great theme), "Card Sharks" (opening theme from 1978 to 1981...this theme was also heard on the short-lived Alex Trebek NBC gameshow "Double Dare"), "Jackpot" (opening theme from 1985 to 1990), and "Chain Reaction" (opening theme which was used on not only the 1980 NBC Bill Cullen run but also the 1986-1991 Geoff Edwards run). A must-have!

Buy it! A treasure chest for the game show fan!!!
If you've got a love for game shows, then folks, this one is a must buy. My favorite tracks on the CD are Wheel Of Fortune (Heard on TV from 1983 to 1991) and Jeopardy! (1984-1996). For true game show fans, there are themes like Match Game, Password, I'VE GOT A Secret and What's My Line. And don't worry Price Is Right, Family Feud and $100,000 Pyramid fans, the themes of these shows and lesser known shows (GO!, The Wizard of Oddz and Chain Reaction) are all here. With 20 mouthwatering original themes, this is a knockout!

You don't know how to tell the truth
This CD features 20 theme songs from classic (and a few obscure) TV game shows. They managed to find the music from these shows without the announcer's voiceover that you usual here on the shows. The sound is good, although the recordings from the 1950s sound a bit "thin". The recordings are in mono, with a few exceptions. (The stereo recordings are "Wheel of Fortune", "Jeopardy!", "The Dating Game", "The Newlywed Game" and "Family Feud".) This CD is a lot of fun. Recommended to game show fans.

Come on down!
Game shows, we all loved them and continue to love them to this day . Thanks to this great CD we are able to relive some of the moments through the great themes of the past.

Some of the real classics are here. Like the old Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! themes. Price is Right, Family Fued and Match Game. Every song on here is a classic. Some you may not know to well like Wizard of Odds or Go! but I think the great thing about this CD is that first of all its 20 complete game show themes. Secondly it gives a good taste of all time periods. From the really old What's My Line and Password to some defunct 70s shows to classics that are still on Game Show Network to this day.

Any fan of game shows or old tv shows will love to hear the themes on this. Its truly a wonderful idea and I thank Game Show Network for putting this together for the fans.

Oldies But Goodies
Great Listening From Past Memories - I highly recommend.... ... Read more

Reviews (16)

BPM too high for aerobic classes
Although the music is fun and energetic, it is not really suitable for a step or cardio kickboxing class. If you are relying on BPM to count out moves, the pace of this CD averages about 140-145 which is generally too fast to perform moves without the risk of injury. On the other hand the sound is very motivating and energetic (if you are in to '70's hits) and works well as background music for an individual workout.

SHAPE Fitness Music Cardio 2
Hard rock. Has very little beat. Noise mostly from guitars and other stringed instruments.

Good music!
My husband actually enjoys this c.d. more than I do. I was an 80's teen but I guess I listened to more new wave music than he did. If you liked these songs then, then you'll love to work out to them now! I would definetly recommend the quality of the c.d. and how upbeat and quick the music is for working out!!

Absolutely Horrible
I bought this CD based on the reviews, as I noticed several other people did. I was especially influenced by the person who wrote "I love this CD"...This has to be the absolute worst collection of workout songs I've ever heard--from the pace, to the content, to the horrific effect it has on your ears. This CD did nothing to motivate me to work out. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

I JUST WANT TO STOP
I PURCHASED SHAPES: WALK 2, WALK 1, AND CARDIO 2. THE SAMPLE SONGS IN CARDIO 2 SOUNDED PRETTY GOOD, AND I NEEDED A FASTER PACE CD SO I ORDERED THE CARDIO 2. WHILE I ENJOY USING THE WALK 2 SOMETIMES I WOULD LIKE TO GO LONGER THAN AN HOUR. SO I PUT ON THE CARDIO 2 CD AND BY THE TIME THE FOURTH SONG IS ON I CAN'T WAIT TO STOP MY WORKOUT. IT'S SO DISAPPOINTING TO THROW MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN.

DISAPPOINTED IN LOS GATOS,CA ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good Stuff
Not a bad collection of 70's stuff, every song on this CD will be pleasing to the ear. Boston, Santana, ELO and others are represented as well as many other groups. If you are into the music of the 70's then this will fullfill all your expectations.

Great Collection!
If you're like me and don't own all of the original (albums!) tapes from these bands, then you'll love this CD. I often try to find classic rock compilations that have REALLY good songs on them, but most of the time I only like about 4 or 5 songs on any one collection. Not so with this CD! I snapped this one up because I totally enjoy every one of these songs. And several of these bands were one or two hit wonders, so why buy the band's whole tape in order to get one or two songs? Okay, so I'm not a die hard fan. Whether you have the original tapes or not, you'll like the variety and awesome guitar on this collection of classic 70's rock.

Pretty good collection, but is there anything here you need?
Of course, during the 70s the term "supergroup" was used to refer to rock bands made up from members of other rock bands (e.g., Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was a supergroup made up of members from Buffalo Springfield and the Bryds). But on "Best of the 70s Supergroups" the term "supergroup" means a group that sold millions of of records (e.g., Boston, Grand Funk), although not necessarily so (e.g., Little River Band), as opposed to a solo artist (e.g., Elton John). This album does span the entire decade, since several of the musicians who started out in The Guess Who at the start of the decade were in Bachman Turner Overdrive (a.k.a. BTO) by the end. The problem is going to be that if you graduated high school or college during that particular decade you probably have pretty much everything that is in this collection that you would already want. That was my problem; there was one song on this collection that was an addition to my music library. However, if this is indeed the music of your youth (read: junior high or earlier), then you might be able to fill up some serious holes in your music collection with this album.

Good songs, tape quality not so good.
I had to adjust the volume between different songs.

No wonder K-Tel went bankrupt
Wow! That's about all I can say here. This indispensable 5-star gem kicks off with the MIT-grad bad boys of Boston rocking the house with More Than A Feeling, introducing to us for the first time!!! the same guitar riff they would beat senseless over the next fifteen years and countless comeback albums and tours. It's one thing to have an MIT pedigree, quite another to get a job at Hewlett Packard when all you have on your resume is "play guitar."

Then we get "Evil Woman," or should I say "E-E-vil Woman," the first smash hit from borderline werewolf Jeff Lynne and crew. Clearly incensed that the Bee Gees sold more albums in the 70s, after a few buttons of peyote one night Mr. Lynne vowed to grow his hair taller, wider and longer than Barry Gibb, and as this song amply shows, when anger like that is channeled properly, one starts humming "Staying Alive" whether he wants to or not.

Then Styx paddled onto the scene, bringing with them their big hit often mistaken for Christopher Cross's big hit. There is very little that can be said about Come Sail Away, and I'm not about to try.

Luckily, right when you have the razor blades ready over your wrists, BTO pounds their way onto the CD, saving the day with one of the true rock anthems of the 70s, right up there with Rock n Roll All Night and Show Me The Way. If you don't know who performed those two songs, then you shouldn't be buying this CD. As David Crosby has said, if you didn't spend the 70s drying out and seeking organ replacements while peddling your works to corporate America, well then laddie, I guess you just missed the 60s altogether.

I could go on and on, but Amazon only allows 1000 words and I am too lazy to count. Perhaps others can fill in for tracks 5-14, but 1-4 alone make this CD worth having in your collection. Big Tone says make a spot this baby, even if you have to chuck that American Graffiti soundtrack or one of your Beach Boy CDs! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Some of the best music this century!!!
I don't have this cd, but I have heard most of the songs that it contains. I am a huge fan of classic Big Band Swing. Sing Sing Sing is my favorite song or all time. These are all great hits, and worth buying. Those that haven't heard the songs on this cd are really in for a treat. I have spent hours listening to all of the songs over and over again.

SUPERLATIVE SWING COLLECTION.
A truly magnificent collection of great sides originally waxed in the thirties and forties, this CD is indispensible for any Jazz-Swing-Big-Band enthusiast! Here we get Benny's terrific signature theme "Don't Be That Way", Shaw's own swingy composition "Non-Stop Flight", T.D.'s immortal "Boogie Woogie" (which many jazz purists deplore because of its innovative use of instrumentals -rather that solo piano work- the public obviously disagreed- recorded in 1938, it went on to sell an incredible 4 million copies!) "Take The "A" Train is Ellington's timeless record and Miller offers his "String of Pearls". "Marie" was recorded by Dorsey in early 1937; he traded 7 arrangements for this famous record (he heard the arrangement being performed by an obscure Black Band and instinctively knew the record would be a hit). "Back Bay Shuffle" offers another killer-diller instrumental from Artie Shaw's great '38 band. My only gripe is that the definitive (more swinging and less corny) version of "Casa Loma Stomp" is NOT the one we get in this otherwise excellent collection.

Best I've Heard
I purchased several swing collections previously and they all had poor quality audio - they had not been cleaned up from the original recordings. This CD is MUCH cleaner and makes for an enjoyable experience.

Entertaining, but some tracks don't belong here
The main problem with this CD is the coupling of great tracks with fairly awful ones.

On the great side, you have Benny Goodman's rollicking "Don't Be That Way" and a song destined to kill live in "Sing Sing Sing." Tommy Dorsey's beautiful "Opus One" and lively "Boogie Woogie." Duke Ellington's signature "Take The 'A' Train." Artie Shaw's bouncing "Back Bay Shuffle." Glenn Miller's theme for jitterbuggers, "In The Mood."

Then there are the disappointments. The whitebread "Casa Loma Stomp" by Glen Grey. The cringe-inducing "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" by Bunny Berigan. The extremely silly "Mary Had A Little Lamb" by Fletcher Henderson, which is especially disillusioning to hear when one considers that Henderson supplied a good many of Benny Goodman's hard swinging band arrangements!

We can at least be thankful that Kay Keiser and Hal Kemp didn't show up on this disc.

The Swing CD to put you "In The Mood"!
All of the Swing Era's "Greatest Hits" are in this original package! The sultry "Minnie the Moocher" by Cab Calloway, the snappy "Boogie Woogie" by Tommy Dorsey and the legendary "Take The A-Train" by Duke Ellington are all one-of-a-kind signature songs of great big band leaders. The sweetest ear-candy on this CD are the great "In The Mood" by Glenn Miller and the original 8+ minute version of "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Benny Goodman including the trumpet solo by Christoper Columbus. If you will own only one Swing Era CD, make it this one, it is sure to put you "In The Mood"! ... Read more