Reviews (15)

Strange Flower
Aya has a beautiful voice and this woman turned down BIG money from the Recording Industry to do this album with Naked Music HER way....well it paid off....every song has her voice lining it like silk and with Jay Denes producing it you couldn't expect anything less than the best My favorites from the Albumn were Curtain Call, Looking for the sun, Slippin, Nobody knows me, Uptown, and 45 Parade Palace....I hope we can expect more from this rising star

An exquisite musical voyage
This is a wonderful album that will appeal to just about anyone. All soulful music lovers will definitely enjoy the collaboration between Jay Denes (Blue Six) and sweet, and seductive, vocalist Aya (Sade). Jay is the man in the studio, dropping the vibe that all Naked Music fans can appreciate (I'm talking to you, old-school freakz), while Aya compliments him behind the mike with her own style. Ah, it's great real instruments... The first track sets off the feelings, while a smooth accoustic-inspired follow-up hits you from nowhere. Uptown is already well-known to the dancefloors that are full of people feelin' it, but Jay's dub is what really does it for me. Then there's a song called Sean, with a funky Stevie Wonder intro, destined to keep bodies moving. All in all, this is a sublime album that can warm you up, yet make you feel chill. If you like good music, then this is definitely one for you.

Etheral Pleasure
Never heard of her until I happened to crossed this page, heard some samples and immediately bought the cd. I have to say it is pretty good. Very calming, relaxing, and etheral. Its a very chill out cd. My only complaint is that some of the songs can tend to sound the same. Aya is a good vocalist, but not as good as Sade (someone said she was better than Sade). But realistically they don't even have the same type of sound to their voices so the comparison is really unwarrented. Anyway, good cd. I recommend it if you want to chill at home and just relax.

Naked music at there best!!!!
14 tracks of pure sonic intoxication!!!! Can't wait for Lisa Shaw and Gaelle album to drop.

I'm not recommending this.. I'm TELLING you - BUY THIS NOW!!
This is a remarkable album!

"Strange Flower" is not released on a "major label," which may account for the relative lack of publicity/reviews. Also, distribution seems to be a bit screwed up at the time of this writing - out of stock at a lot of e-tailers, though available for download at the iTunes Store. The extra effort you may have to endure to get this will be rewarded on the first listen.

Unlike most current releases, EVERY song on "Strange Flower" is excellent.

Aya displays the finest vocal styling of any popular female singer today. Especially interesting and evocative are the moods developed in Aya's "doubling" of her vocal.

I have seen her compared to Sade Adu, but this is unfair. Aya has a far superior vocal range to that of Sade, and is able to deliver a " heat" Sade never approaches.

Truly a landmark debut album - the last time I heard a "first effort" of this caliber was Pete Yorn's "musicforthemorningafter" in 2001. While I have never listened to it, I think Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me" is also comparable in its excellence to "Strange Flower"; though both Yorn's and Jones' music is different styistically from what you will find here.

Simply put: Aya's "Strange Flower" is the best release of 2004 (so far). ... Read more

Album Description

Throughout her illustrious career, Vanessa Williams has maintained a reputation as one of the most respected as one of the most respected and multifaceted entertainers in the world amassing accomplishments and accolates one after another. Vanessa fans can bask in the warmth of the Valentine's Day spirit with Everlasting Love, a collection of '70s love song covers. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Everlasting Love for good music
Great CD heard her preview it on the Howard Stern Show and couldn't wait to buy it.She's got a beautiful voice and does all these classic songs real justice.I really like the remake of the Ohio Players "Let's Love" and Chaka Khan's "Everlasting Love".All the songs are good so Sit/Lay back and enjoy this class act CD by a classy lady such as Ms. Williams.

Woman, withyou I'm born again
Williams scores another series of hits with producer Bob Mathes, in this well-chosen collection of re-makes from the 70's.

Smooth jazz great, George Benson also adds his articulate vocals to two of the tracks which creates a magical vocal synergy. Although some of the renditions don't stray too far from the originals, Williams certainly adds a vocal energy and passion which is truly her own.With the help of Mathes, the renditions also seem to maintain some of Williams more familiar musical arrangements while showcasing her vocal prowess.

Although her cover of Stevie Wonder's "Send One Your Love" doesn't stray too far, she clearly creates a mood of romance.She also injects her own soulful and romantic new energy into Al Wilson's "Show And Tell", Carol Bayer Sager's "Midnight Blue", Roberta Flack's "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and the seemingly endlessly remade classic "You Are Everything".

The best illustration of the synergy between Williams & Benson is heard on "With You I'm Born Again". The soulful and articulate vocals of both along with the sound of the London Session Orchestra make this track extraordinary.Williams background vocals are as smoothly ethereal as in the orginal and are sure to give you a sorrowful chill.

Some of the lesser known selections from her musical heroes include Rufus & Chaka Khan's "Everlasting Love" and the Isley Brothers "Harvest For The World".

A duet with James 'D-Train' Williams, "I'll Be Good to Ya", picks up the pace a bit and adds a little funk to the collection.

If you grew up listening to the music of this era, you will appreciate this collection and will enjoy this nostalgic musical journey of love.

A Class Act
This is a superb cd. Vanessa Williams is one of those few artists who has taken the time to nurture her talent to keep from stagnating. Her voice is in top form, probably as good as it has ever been. I was not born in, nor did I grow up in the 70s, so I am not familiar with all of the original versions of these songs. However, I believe Vanessa's interpretations of the ones I do know are refreshing and flawless. For anyone who has doubted this woman's talent should feel ashamed. She is amazing, both on cd and singing live. Ms. Williams is one of the few classy actresses/singers left in the business and her performance here is a testament to that.
Favorite tracks:
Midnight Blue
Show and Tell
Let's Love
With You I'm Born Again
One Less Bell to Answer
Nevermind...the whole cd is great!!

Glad She's Back...
It is my personal opinion that she hit a home run with this CD!A cover of classics and a well done one at that!I won't write a long drawn out review, I'll simply say, she does a terrific job on the remakes and I'm glad to see her back again and doing what she does best...and that is sing a tune!No props!No hooks!No over produced garbage!No fillers!We know all these songs and she puts her fingerprints on them and sings them well!

Finally...someone who gets it!
What a great selection of songs - including some of the best songs from the 70's.Vanessa's rendition of "You are Everything" was the first I heard on the DirecTV "Soft Rock" music station.The minute she started singing, I stepped back in time to some very fond memories.The rest of the songs are just as remarkable.This is one of the CD's that you can play according to your mood...whether for sparking romance with your lover, unwinding after a long day, or even if you're feeling just a bit nostalgic!Enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Waiting to Exhale is the exception that proves the rule about mish-mash '90s soundtrack albums. Even though it features 22 different female voices, the album boasts a rare continuity because Babyface wrote or cowrote 15 of the songs and produced all 16. Moreover, the gifted R&B artist used every song to explore the film's theme of women trying to balance self-respect and romantic desire. Not only has Babyface (nee Kenny Edmonds) created a fascinating song suite, he has produced one of the best middle-of-the-road-pop, adult- contemporary albums of the decade. Mary J. Blige stakes out a claim as the new diva on the block with an astonishing performance on "Not Gon' Cry." Babyface's music and lyrics suggest a woman barely holding back a swelling flood of anger and heartache, and Blige's brilliant vocal captures both the agitation and the restraint. --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Great Soundtrack...Five Reasons
Waiting To Exhale is such a great soundtrack that men aren't afraid to admit that they have it in their collection. here are five reasons why this soundtrack is a definite must have.

1. Babyface wrote and produced the entire album, and from his history that instantly makes it worth listening to.

2. Mary J. Blige, SWV, Brandy, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, Cece Winans, TLC, Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin, Faith Evans all sing on this album. Can You possibly go wrong?

3. Brandy - Sittin Up In My Room is my favorite midtempo track of all time

4. The soundtrack stands alone. In fact I have never seen the movie but own the soundtrack. Usually you buy the soundtrack and then see the movie or vice versa...not so with this one. The songs perfectly tell the story of the movie judging from the reviews of the movie. Every song has a definite theme and feel.

5. The soundtrack is soothing and relaxing but not sleep inducing. Some cd's have a laid back feel but sometimes make you sleepy...that's not evident here though.

Waiting To Exhale - One of the Great Soundtracks of the 90's, right up there with Above The Rim and Murder Was The Case. An Essential album.

Great Soundtrack
The soundtrack for WAITING TO EXHALE is an excellent collection of R&B songs from the divas in R&B. Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Shanice, TLC, Toni Braxton, Brandy, Mary J Blige, Chaka Khan, SWV and many more appear on this soundtrack. Some highlights include the self affirming "Not Gon Cry" by Mary J Blige, the beautiful "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" by Whitney Houston, and also another song by Whitney titled "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", "Let It Flow" by Toni Braxton, "My Funny Valentine" by Chaka Khan, and more. It was a great idea to include so many different female R&B artists, on one collection of great songs, which really do fit the style of the movie. Any fan of R&B music will want this CD, as it represents a different time in R&B, when it meant something completely different, than it does today in R&B. A great soundtrack overall and well worth looking into, and the movie is pretty good too!

A greatest OST album ever!
first, the artists are great!! they are not only famous but awesome. all songs impressed me. i bought this album luckily. it is a rare album in korea. my money deserves this album. songs are impressing. i don't regret this album and i recommend this.

Brandy - Sittin up in my room
Mary J. Blige - Not gon cry
Whitney & CeCe - Count on me
Sonja Marie - and i gave my love to you

a must-have of the 90's
your 90's collection of r&b music is incomplete without this compilation of r&b/soul singles from artists of that time like TLC, Toni Braxton, Mary J Blige, Brandy and musical legends like Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle. It would have been even better if female artists like Janet Jackson, Monica, Aaliyah, Mariah Carey and En Vogue were featured too, but still a must have. Standout tracks are Exhale, Sittin Up In My Room, This Is How It Works, Not Gon' Cry, Count On Me

not the best
i love babyface. he is much better than david foster but still i was skeptikal listening to an album full of babyface songs, as it would get kinda boring...and it did. i liked whitneys hit "exhale", Toni braxton's "let it flow" and brandy's "Sittin up in my room" but that's all i pretty much liked. I wasn't feeling TLC (tho i usually do) on "This is how it works." I love all the singers on this soundtrack and i thought with babyface it would be a dream come true but it ended up being a nightmare. Sorry but a WHOLE ALBUM with babyface? I dont think so. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mariah Carey's #1's is as much a time capsule of '90s pop and R&B as a record of one woman's chart toppers: the disc chronicles a shift from the sweet, nearly '50s-style "Vision of Love" to more recent hip-hop-lite grooves featuring heavy input from Puffy Combs ("Honey"), Jermaine Dupri ("Sweetheart"), and O.D.B. ("Fantasy"). Some hit, some miss, but all feature the fluttery swoops that Carey substitutes for expression of feeling. Depth is beside the point, but few of these tracks are even fun. Still, after eight years, there seems to be no stopping her, and this album will hardly break her streak of successes. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (418)

Mariah is truly #1
In the liner notes for this CD Mariah says that this is just a gift to her fans and it's not really her greatest hits album. She's right! Mariah's had over 40 top 50 hits! I have only rated the new material on this CD. I rated the songs on a scale from 1 (horrible) to 10 (great.)

1. Sweetheart- (7/10) This song is okay. I really don't like the rap. Thank god that it's not all the rap that was in the original version of Sweetheart. I think that the song mainly focuses on JD and not Mariah. There never seems to be a chorus. It's not very catchy.

2. When You Believe- (10/10) I love this song! This is one of few of Mariah's songs that were included on a movie soundtrack. The song includes Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, two of the greatest vocalists ever. There voices really make this beautiful song even more amazing. I have no problem listening to this song over and over. It's amazing that Mariah and Whitney dueted since some believe that Tommy Mottola wanted Mariah to record an album so that Whitney would lose some fame.

3. Whenever You Call- (5/10) I loved the version of Whenever You Call on Butterfly but I can't stand this version. Brian McKnight has a beautiful voice but I don't think that he should have done this song. I don't even think that the song was rerecorded. I hope that Mariah doesn't do this again without rerecording the song that she wants to rerelease.

4. Fantasy- (7/10) I only included this #1 song because it is the remix of Fantasy (not the one from Daydream.) This is a great remix but it was (as many of her remixes) not RERECORDED. O.D.B sounds kind of nasty when he raps like him and Mariah are madly in love.

5. Do You Know Where You're Going To- (8.5/10) This song is nice. Mariah doesn't sing strongly like usual though. She's pretty quiet throughout the song. It's a cover of the Diana Ross song. This song is only on imports of #1's.

6. I Still Believe- (10/10)This is a cover of the Brenda K. Starr song. It's very good and climbed very high on the Billboard charts in 1999.

B for effort
There's nothing really wrong with this album except that like the LA times said, it really emphasizes her limitations. The songs are good on their own, but as a whole, this album is really uneven and doesn't flow. Every song on the album can be classified into three categories- 1. A guy has left her (or she left him) and she's upset about it. (Someday, I Still Believe, I Don't Wanna Cry, Love Takes Time, ect.) 2. She's praising a new guy in her life. (Honey, Sweetheart, Fantasy, Emotions, ect.) 3. Inspiration/Believing. (Whenever You Call, Hero, When You Believe, One Sweet Day, ect.) She needed more variety in the songs to show that she is a well rounded performer, and more words to her disposal than "baby," " love," and "believe." I have bought all of her other records too and enjoyed them, but this one is definitely my least favorite. The bottom line is- If you've never owned a Mariah cd before you'll love it, and if you have her other cd's, then you won't like it. Since I have all her cd's, I didn't really like it, (and the naked picture of her as kid inside the liner notes was kind of self exploitative, if you ask me.)

An accomplished collection of brilliant songs
This just proves how briliant Mariah Carey's music is; 13 No.1 hits are included on this album, along with four bonus tracks. The songs are well written and the new songs are great; 'I Still Believe' being the best. All the old favourites are here; the incredible 'Vision Of Love', the inspiring 'Hero' and the song with the longest run at #1 EVER 'One Sweet Day'. And of course the new hits, 'Honey' and 'My All' which are excellent songs, with more of an urban/RnB feel, which shows how Mariah is comfortable with both sweeping ballads and up-tempo tunes. The best songs in my personal opinion are 'When You Believe', 'My All', 'Honey', 'Always Be My Baby', 'Hero', 'Emotions', 'Love Takes Time', 'I Don't Wanna Cry', 'I Still Belive' and the awesome 'Vision Of Love'. This collection of songs is a must for any serious music fan, and an excellent addition to anyone's record collection and musical repertoire.

A Perfect Collection of #1 Hits
This collection is of Mariah Carey's number 1 hits. Most of the songs can be found on albums (Self-titled, Emotions, MTV Unplugged, Music Box, Daydream and Butterfly) except for the first, second and last track.
Sweetheart featuring JD is an upbeat song, could have been included on the Butterfly album (meaning it sounds more like the material off that album)
When You Believe, the duet with R&B/pop diva Whitney Houston is from the Prince Of Egypt soundtrack, a beautiful song about believing in yourself.
I Still Believe is a beautiful strengthening song, I could see this song being on a single with Hero (and the later track Never Too Far from Glitter).

The other tracks that appear on albums but have been remixed are Fantasy and Whenever You Call.
Fantasy featuring ODB is originally on the Daydream album, this song is very danceable and one of Mariah's best remixes.
Whenever You Call which originally appeared on the Butterfly CD appears here but with guest vocalist Brian McKnight. I prefer this version more compared to the Mariah only version. It's very beautiful done with a male voice.

Overall, it's definitely a must by for any Mariah fan but if you mainly like her singles get this and/or Greatest Hits (which contains songs that didn't make it to number one). A perfect collection.

Mariah Carey's #1's
Keep in mind that this album is called #1's and not Greatest Hits. So you know that it will include Mariah Carey's most popular songs and not necessarily her best. That being said, you can already guess why it gets only 3 stars from me.

The most noteworthy songs on this album are the ballads. Which has always been the case with just about every Mariah Carey album. She does the ballads so much better than she does the pop/commercial songs. "When You Believe", "Love Takes Time", "I Don't Wanna Cry" and "Hero" represent the core of this album. Those are the most powerful songs and they prove that Mariah Carey is a great vocalist. Maybe it's just me but the commercial songs like "Honey", "Sweetheart" and "Fantasy" always annoyed me. Her good fast songs were the ones back on her early albums like "Emotions" and "Someday". I'm a hip-hop fan to the fullest but her collaborations with rappers never impressed me much. They seemed to be made just for the sole purpose of being raped to death by the radio. Well at least the disc closes on a high-note with Mariah's stellar performance on "I Still Believe".

All in all, this collection isn't all bad. However, I don't recommend you purchase it unless you need it to complete your Mariah Carey collection. Mariah's 2-disc Greatest Hits is available now and it features just about every song here plus many of her other great works. Even if you like her pop songs the Greatest Hits album is still better. It will satisfy you much more. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Handsome in his designer clothes and angelic, nappy dreads, Maxwell styles himself a modern-day urban love prophet in the tradition of Marvin Gaye. He concocts a conceptual music suite that purports to tell a fully rounded tale of meaningful love set in the tough but misunderstood inner city. What he delivers, however, contains only the faintest hints of what he promises. Instead we get a whole lot of the same tired R&B elevator slush and lyrics like "Gonna take you in the room suga'/ Lock you up and love for days." Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite is significant only in that it recasts the same old same old as something monumental, and nearly pulls it off.

Initially, there's a lot to like about Maxwell: On his openers, "Urban Theme" and "Welcome," the early '80s full-band R&B and jazz pop grooves are reminiscent of Maze's brightest days and Steely Dan's coolest nights. But soon even Maxwell's passionate voice gets lost in a flat mix that turns every song into faceless background music. While R&B is at no loss for suave and sexy personalities to take the stage, a dearth of new ideas keeps the genre for the most part floundering and visionless. In the end, Maxwell's urban hang suite is just another empty room.--Roni Sarig

... Read more

Reviews (110)

Urban Excellence
3 words...
GET THIS ALBUM!!

If your a lover of quality R&B then this should be in your collection. If its not, then your not as cool as you think you are!!

Maxwell, brings an album which is totally fresh and full of great tracks.
Vocally he is top notch and the music will satisfy all.

Track 1
The Urban Theme
Basically its an intro. But funky and sets the mood. You've opened the doors to Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite here.

Track 2
Welcome
So your into the Hang Suite now, and Maxwell is welcoming you. This is the first taste of his voice. Its a very cool track that is great to kick back with a drink in your hand and listen too.

Track 3
Sumthin' Sumthin'
Now we really get into it. This track is out of this world. You might know this one, it was a single. Catchy chorus but oh so cool. Sexy sexy track.

Track 4
Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)
This just beats Sumthin Sumthin for the title of the albums best track. One of my favourite songs of all time. Once again its cool and catchy, but its a beautifuly written song. With Maxwell's voice oozing soul, this track is without a doubt fantastic.

Track 5
Dancewitme
This track is bassy and once again really chilled. Maxwell is making a move this woman and telling her to dance with him. Its another sexy track. Not to be missed.

Track 6
Til' The Cops Come Knocking
This is the first ballad on the album. If you want to impress a lady fellas, make them dinner, bottle of wine, with this track playing in the back ground. A winner for sure.

Track 7
Whenever Wherever Whatever
A sentence most people like to hear. Another classy ballad. Not a great as Til the cops... but still a beautiful track.

Track 8
Lonely's The Only Company
The theme of the album is a chilled one. This ballad is not only fantastic but very emotional. Maxwell's voice range is in full flow here. A corker.

Track 9
Reunion
Bit more upbeat here than the previous three. Still a cool song. Maxwell continues his emotional mood. Superb.

Track 10
Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)
Fellas, want to propose to a lady? Let Maxwell do it for you!
His voice shows a completly new side here. Sounds almost like another singer. Its just testement to his vocal ability.
A lady won't say no!

Track 11
The Suite Theme
Its the farewell tune. But while other people are leaving the Hang Suite, Maxwell wants one particular lady to stay with him.
Its love making music baby! Fantastic end to a uttely superb album.

Overall
I cannot recommend this album highly enough.
You must buy it. Your missing out if you do not have it.
Its just fantastic.

.... Just the beginning for Maxwell
If you are a R&B music fan and you don't have this CD in your collection, you might want to do some soul searching. This is one of the best CDs of all time, in my opinion. I first heard Maxwell when I saw the video for "Til The Cops Come Knockin'". For most new artists, I have to hear a few songs before I buy their debut CD. That wasn't the case this time. Then, to make it even better, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" was released to radio, before "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite" was released. After I purchased the CD and listened to it a couple of times, I realized that Maxwell had a classic on his hands. I would put this CD right up there with D'Angelo's and Chico DeBarge's debut CD, as well as Eric Benet's and Erykah Badu's. Although, their styles are all different, their CDs bring light to a different form of R&B, separate from what you hear most of today. My favorite two songs on the CD are "Welcome" and "Whenever Wherever Whatever". Those two songs represent the best uptempo and slow song on the CD, in my opinion. "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite" is really an r&b CD with a jazz appeal to it. That's one of the reasons why I like the CD so much. Other gems include, "Sumthin' Sumthin", "Lonely's The Only Other Company" and "Suitelady". I would also recommend that you pick up the "Ascension" (Don't Ever Wonder)" CD maxisingle, because it has a remix version of the original song and a song that is not on the CD called "Lock You Up In Love For Days". You should also pick up "Maxwell's MTV Unplugged" for the classic "This Woman's Work" and his 2nd disc "Embrya". Believe me, you won't be disappointed.

Opinions are a dime a dozen!
Urban Hang Suite is my very favorite record in my collection!! This record is the "Holy Grail" of the post 1970's Soul Revolution!
THIS IS REAL SOUL MUSIC AND MAXWELL'S BEST WORK.

From the biggest Maxwell fan of all time, MichauX http://www.michauxmusic.com

Maxwell, if you are reading this, I can't wait to get your new record, "Black Summer's Night".
By the way, Tom Coyne has an autographed copy of "Just MichauX" waiting for you when you come into your mastering session at Sterling Sound.

........a must
I never get tired of this disc. Great funk, smooth vocals, and never boring. If your reading this and you don't buy it, your making a big mistake.

Fresh at the time...
I remember 1995 when this kid came out of nowhere with 'Maxwells Urban Hang Suite' and blew everybody away. Back then it was all slowed down g-funk with explicit lyrics and wailing & screaming that qualified as contemporary R&B. Maxwells more intelligent and changed all that with his throw back to the ole school masters. The kids silky smooth falsetto combined with laid back, jazzy grooves makes for one awesome listening experience.

From front to back this album flows perfectly, the kid constructs real harmonies with real feeling & strong but understated sexual vibes. You've got to consider either this or D'Angelos 'Brown Sugar' as the Greatest Soul Record of the 90s. Back then it looked like Maxwell was going to be a major player but his two albums since have been real disappointments and I guess D'Angelo really is The Don these days. Classic debut though. ... 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

Reviews (31)

Put tracks #1 to #5 on continuous repeat and u got 5 stars
Jodeci's freshman album was a definite hit and it put these church boys from down south on the international map of secular music. However, Jodeci knows love songs not dance beats and fails in its efforts at upbeat tunes. If this cd was recordable, I would record over all songs after track #5. Even with the medicore and half-assed songs that fill the rest of the album. The love songs that greet you at the commencement of the CD are truly contemporary r&b classics.

Forever a Jodeci fan.....
Jodeci first released their debut album Forever My Lady in 1991. They have been noted as sparking off the freaky, bump-and-grind flavored songs that we now know so well. This quartet knew how to make awesome slow-jams that younger people could relate to. Jodeci paved the way for the R&B boy bands of today like 112, Dru Hill, Jagged Edge, Silk and countless others. In my opinion, Forever My Lady was a musical masterpiece. Never before had we been serenaded with such smooth, sexy ballads like this. My favorite song is "Stay", where Jodeci made begging sound so good. The best thing about Jodeci other than their music and lyrics was their ability to harmonize. They gave the cautious, mellow songs of the 90s a rough edge and urban flavor. Let's remember that they were the bad boys of the R&B music scene at this time. Next up is "Come & Talk To Me" and "Forever My Lady" where the group displayed their distinct style and made their mark on the music industry. These four crooners showed their soft side with "U & I", a pledge to everlasting love. On the other hand, "Gotta Love" was their contribution to the New Jack Swing R&B movement with its upbeat tempo and hip-hop groove. Overall, Jodeci and Forever My Lady taught us how to get down and dirty, have true love and go half on a baby...what more can I say.

A brilliant album indeed.
I was about 10 years old when I first heard this album. I fell in love with it and listened to it constantly. Today, I am proud to say that Jodeci was the best R&B group ever. Like others say, 1-5 was the best tracks on the album. But also, number 9, 10, and 12 was great too. Their voices, along with their "Begging" type of ways got more and more people to listen to their lyrics, rather than chorus lines. Jodeci did pave the way for today's R&B artists. Jodeci had a tight way to harmonize and they also had nice instruments for the melody and background. I jus don't listen to the song and the lyrics, I also listen for the instruments and changes in notes. Much talent. My favorite track on there is of course "Forever My Lady." Not only is it my favorite track, but also my favorite song. I am also a big Al B.Sure fan also and with him as a co. producer, things were fine. I wish they were to soon reunite, along with the help of Al B.Sure and Babyface to make some more tracks. I'm sure it would be an excellent album. I recomment any R&B lover to buy this album. It's worth the money.

classic
oh how i long for jodeci to come back. They sang such great ballads. this album is a classic.

Romantic SMOOTH R&B from very talented boys!
This is one of the best R&B Groups of the 90's. K-Ci has such a rich deep voice and Jo-Jo makes the songs very emotional. So romantic and great to listen to with a loved one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After a decade and a half of only making records that tickled his own eccentric fancy, Prince has returned with a rather high-minded agenda to educate listeners in the science of music--or at least take them back to school--make that old school, bragging on the title track that "We got a Ph.D. in advanced body movin'." But his braggadocio is not without merit. The Purple One has reconnected with that deep vein of funk after experimenting with his splendid and messy excesses since the cusp of the nineties, and turned out his best album since 1987's Sign of the Times. Lean and minimal but with pronounced airtight grooves, the musician once again fuses the spiritual with the carnal, but has turned down the heat quite a bit since becoming a Jehovah's Witness. Instead of a dirty mind, Prince extols the joys of wedded bliss (he married Manuela Testolini on New Year's Eve 2001) on the slow, seductive "Call My Name," displays a sardonic sense of humor when he skewers his old 80s rival Michael Jackson on "Life O The Party" (My voice is getting higher/I ain't never had my nose done), and shows a rather tart and anxious social conscience throughout the disc; most eloquently articulated on the arch and acerbic "Mr. Man" where he not only references the gospel but the U.S. Constitution. "Cinnamon Girl," which borrows its title from Neil Young's infamous seventies anthem comes closest to the inscrutable musician's former high water marks, and shows that Prince well deservedly is able to reclaim his thorny crown. --Jaan Uhelszki ... Read more

Reviews (232)

Prince Is Striking Back With Musicology!!!!
Well, after Prince released the 56-minute, jazz instrumental EP, N.E.W.S, I thought that he was going in different and new directions in music. I also thought that he was straying away from pop, funk, R&B, and rock. With the release of his new album, Musicology, it seems that Prince returns to his rock, pop, and R&B formula. Musicology is the album listeners and fans have been waiting for Prince to deliver. This 12-track, rock and soul affair, is a pleasant and satisfying release. The title track, "Musicology" is a upbeat, funky, and humorous tribute to old-school funk artists like Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, and Earth, Wind, & Fire. It's probably one of the best tunes on here. Then, there's "Illusion, Coma, Pimp, and Circumstance", which is a funky, head-nodding track that is about a white girl that can't dance, but she still pays out for the funk. "A Million Days" is a rock song with bluesy lyrics, yet it sounds like an ordinary rock opera. "Life 'O' The Party" is a funky, party jam with a somewhat off-key rhythm. "Call My Name" is a decent slow jam, but I consider it as a small filler-track. "Cinnamon Girl" is a so-called rock anthem, in my opinion. It's the best straight rock tune on Musicology. The song, itself, has some well-crafted hooks. "The Marrying Kind" and "If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life" are both uninteresting to me, but they both have great, well-balanced rhythms and beats. "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?" is smooth R&B track that has Prince playing an old 1980's, Linn drum machine. I first heard this track on his website, www.npgmusicclub.com. The song is one of my personal favorites on this album. "On The Couch" is another blues-type track. The song has a gospel sound in it. "Dear Mr. Man" is a catchy, soulful tune that has Prince approaching into the President's policies and other social problems. The closing, "Reflection" is a beautiful yet, mellow acoustic tune. All in all, Musicology is a great album, but it doesn't break any new ground. You get 49 minutes of new, well-balanced material. All I can say is that some fans or listeners will love this effort, some may hate it. It's probably his best effort since Rave Un 2 The Joy Fantastic from 1999 or even the triple-album, Emancipation from 1996. It's demanding to think that he hasn't recorded a great album in probably 10 or 15 years, but Musicology is nevertheless, a return to form album. So, buy it, listen, and enjoy. A-

Prince back on top!
Prince is back on top of the charts again with Musicology!
I love it!

With "Musicology," Prince does what his many detractors -- pretty much the entire community of critics, radio tastemakers and pop-culture gatekeepers -- believed was beyond his present-day capability: He crafts a disciplined pop-rock-soul statement that's fun from start to finish and doesn't require a fan club decoder ring to appreciate.

It's got crazily catchy hooks and moments of unexpected euphoric bliss. It takes swipes at Prince's rival in weirdness, Michael Jackson ("My voice is gettin' higher and I ain't never had my nose done," he sings in "Life of the Party"). And it delivers slivers of showstopping guitar cast in contrasting shades, from the metallic crunch of "Cinnamon Girl" to the liquid jazz that enriches the gentle bossa "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?"

In songs that resist overt religious proclamations and outright booty calls while flirting, as ever, with both extremes, Prince comes close to the fireworks-erupting energy of old. He looks to his "Purple Rain" heyday, then back further to display a formidable command of music history. There's a minute of ripping avant-jazz swing appended to the otherwise uneventful "If I Was the Man in Ur Life," and those organ chords of "On the Couch" align with the Sam Cooke gospel phase.

But he never succumbs to outright nostalgia. His vamps are as dense and culturally diverse (sitar over here, turntables there) as those of OutKast. His melodies are endlessly inventive when compared with the drooled sweet-nothings of the celebrated neo-soul crooners.

It's possible to read "Musicology" as not merely late-innings career reclamation, which it surely is, but as Prince's periodic table, a codification of funk's essential elements. The creator of "Soft and Wet" and "Gett Off" has appointed himself a Wynton Marsalis-style conservator of all that's "true" about funk. He connects the slow-cooking rituals of groove associated with Eddie Hazel-era P-Funk to the age of spotless and symmetrical computer music. He finds new application for the restraint that made James Brown a drama machine. He recasts Sly Stone utopianism in a language the hip-hop fringe can understand.

The pan-generational lunge works because it's based on the old-school ideal: Everything's so tightly wound it squeaks, each instrument contributes just what's necessary and nothing more. After years of struggle, Prince has decided that revisiting the past doesn't have to be a craven glory-grab. You hear the razor-sharp sounds, and fleeting mention of "terror wars," and you begin to think that the old purple eccentric hasn't lost it after all. Then you hear him utter the rallying cry "Watch me now," and for all his romantic, self-referential yammering about "the day," it's clear that this guy has his feet planted firmly in the present

Prince is the prince!
I love tha album Musicology and the video!

Ingredients Are Missing
Almost every song made me think of a different era in Prince's evolution. I kept thinking this song sounds like he wrote it when this or that cd came out. The songs reminded me of old Prince without the edge, the power, the raw sexiness, the oomph. Someone called Musicology Prince lite. I concur. He needs to go back deep himself and find that old recipe. No carb free zone in my headphones!

he's still great, but...
I miss the raunchiness. This is Prince "lite" for some kind of New Age meets airy funk something or other...

Prince needs to stick with what got him here - lustiness, edgy lyrics and real wild funk. Taking tea with Kenny G was not what I was expecting with this one! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' 25-cut disc is the single mostimpressive one of Motown's Ultimate Collection series (which features 17artists). Combining Smokey's endlessly inventive twists on romance (good andbad) with the Miracles' handful of straight-up party hits, it showcases one ofAmerican pop's most sure-footed and touching acts. The frontman's prowess assinger, writer, and producer lights up each of these single mixes;less-celebrated tracks like "My Girl Has Gone," "(You Can) Depend on Me," and"The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" stand as tall as the many oldies-radiostaples featured here. (For much more, including "Mirage's" unstoppable flipside, "Come Spy with Me," check out the four-disc 35th Anniversary box set.)Robinson and his collaborators, both in and out of the group, regularly injectedundeniable emotion into their creamy constructions, making for a stack of tracksthat remain as relevant as the contemporary creations of fans Lennon-McCartney and Bob Dylan.--Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (20)

No question about it....still the best collection available
Checked out all of the other available offerings on amazon.com and found that this is still the best available collection from one of the pioneer groups at Motown. And the price is right too. Although Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were never on Motown's "A" team in terms of chart success, they were nonetheless a reliable money maker for the label for over a decade. Lead singer Smokey Robinson, who wrote all but three of the selections on this disc, has long been regarded as one of America's greatest tunesmiths. From the first big smash "Shop Around" released in 1960 until their the final #1 hit "Tears of A Clown" in 1970, the Miracles were on the charts almost continuously. You'll find nearly all of their hits on this 25 track disc. Among my personal favorites are 1967's "More Love" and "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" from 1969. It is really quite amazing that the Miracles did not achieve even more chart success then they did. Thanks to the masterful pen of Smokey Robinson, the group had a seemingly endless supply of material to work with. Alas, Smokey left the Miracles and went solo in 1972. The Miracles went on to have a couple of more big hits over the next few years. And Smokey enjoyed some chart success on his own as well. In looking over some of the other reviews here on amazon.com the verdict is virtually unanimous. This is a five star selection!!!

CLASSIC MOTOWN
Smokey Robinson is what Bob Dylan described as "the greatest living poet". Whether you agree or disagree, this compilation album easily gives you an understanding of that statement as the vast majority of these tracks remain stunningly unique!Robinsons' vocals are crystal claear throughout and the best of the hits include their first single release, SHOP AROUND, YOU'VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME, I SECOND THAT EMOTION and the two very fine classics that are possibly their very best cuts (certainly amongst their most famous), THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS and THE TEARS OF A CLOWN. The classic sound of Motown was defined by groups like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Robinson was one of the most talented songwriters at Motown. He produced most of Diana Ross and the Supremes early recordings as well as major hits for The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes (their 1972 FLOY JOY album). An excellent compilation from one of Motowns best groups!

Undeniably "miraculous!"
Certainly, a fitting compilation of the group's best songs! These aren't all in chronological order like some of the other "Ultimate Collections" are. That shouldn't detract from your enjoyment, though. That matters the least. I don't thank Motown missed anything when this was being put together. For someone young, I know Smokey and the Miracles well, and there are some songs I never heard of. Those were remarkable, too. It felt like the disc was never going to end. 25 songs is a perfect line-up. This is certainly one of the best Motown "Ultimate Collections." Second my emotion, for it's worth your while!

being related to Smokey's best friend makes this even cooler
Smokey Robinson is best friends with my grandpa, Ronald Welser.
I got to hear this pre-release due to this fact.
It is awesome.
Buy it NOW if you like Smokey.

An interesting Motown group
In Britain, Smokey and the Miracles are remembered primarily for two songs, these being Tracks of my tears (later revived by Linda Ronstadt) and Tears of a clown, but they were more successful in their homeland. Among their American hits to be found on this collection are I second that emotion (later revived by the Supremes and Temptations), Shop around (later revived by Captain and Tennille), Mickey's monkey and You've really got a hold on me. All of those hits came in the early sixties, before Motown's success spread internationally.

Smokey was a prolific songwriter, but as the sixties progressed, he gave many of his best songs to other Motown acts, so hits for his own group tended to be smaller and fewer. The last significant American hits they had together were If you can wait, which just missed the American top ten in 1968, and Tears of a clown, which was actually released on an album in 1967 but became a transatlantic number one in 1970. So their biggest hit came at a time when they were a fading attraction. It did not revive their career, which ended as a unit with 1972's We've come too far to end it now.

A separate compilation in the same series is available of Smokey's solo recordings with Motown. Being with you and other solo gems can be found on that compilation. So, this excellent collection of their best songs together includes all the essentials, something that cannot be said of all the compilations in this series. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Another Marvin Gaye overview/introduction? Why not? Pullingtogether the usual hits from "I'll Be Doggone" to "Grapevine," "What'sGoing On" to "Let's Get It On" to "Sexual Healing"--all musts for anyR&B or pop fan--this two-CD set also offers treats for the Marvinconnoisseur. Foremost are the previously unreleased "Where Are WeGoing?" which marries Nixon-era (and beyond) social concerns to alilting groove that brings to mind Spinners records ofthe period, and an alternate mix of Gaye's rare version of "His Eye Ison the Sparrow." Very Best also pays proper tribute to Gaye'sfinal years at Motown with the full 11-plus minutes of the intensely,casually funky "Got to Give It Up," Here, My Dear'ssmoldering "Anger," and several tracks from the under-heard LoveMan/In Our Lifetime sessions. More than just aprofit-generating package from the parent company, it's a loving, roundedselection that's sure to widen newcomers' perceptions of a greatartist's creativity and spirit. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Mercy, Mercy Me these discs are a great compilation
Marvin Gaye wrote the book of Motown. He brought style. He brought millions of fans to his side, and to Motown. His music has come in handy lately in the hard times America is going through right. His song "What's going on" was done by twenty or so artists in different ways and made into a cd benefiting victims of September 11. Remember the crazy clothing, the high platform boots. Remember his music. Remember him. Think what one song has done to help our nation. This cd brings out all his qualities. His first disc of the pair portrays the love appeal with 'Ain't no mountain high enough', "I heard it through the grapevine' and 'To busy thinkin' 'bout my baby' and others. The second disc has more insightful, deep songs like 'Inner City Blues' 'Where are we going' and 'What's going on'. It has the sex appeal in 'Let's get it on' and 'Sexual Healing'. And of course the a girl-heartthrob song 'Distant Lover' This awesome album brings out the best attributes in the legendary Marvin Gaye.

Beautiful, Definitive, Fantastic¿ the best ever Compilation
What can I say. There has never been such a beautiful Marvin Gaye compilation. I've owned every LP, CD and DVD. This is the nicest thing I've ever seen on Marvin. But nuff about me. The sound quality on this-the remastering-is sensational in every way. I hear things I never heard on songs like "Grapevine," "Hitch Hike," "You," "What's Going On," "Inner City Blues," the list goes on. Also offered here for the first time are two previously unreleased songs. The newly discovered "Where Are We Going?" and the alternate version of the rare gem "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." Plus other rarities like the single only releases "You're The Man" and "Ego-Tripping Out." Another MAJOR point is that aside from the out-of-print boxed set "The Master," the is the only Motown compilation that has the CBS track-and final masterpiece from MG- "Sexual Healing." So you get EVERY HIT on these double CD set. Deluxe, beautiful digipak packaging (with photos I have never seen before) done by the same guys who brought us the other jewel of the year, "What's Going On (Deluxe Edition)." These are by far the best Marvin Gaye releases ever. Pick the latter up if you haven't done that yet. You will LOVE the unreleased, new song "Where Are We Going?" It sounds like it was recorded yesterday. The wonderful essay by Gaye biographer (and "Sexual Healing" author) David Ritz should not be overlooked. very refreshing. This CD is for all ages and colors.

The Best Marvin Gaye Retrospective
It took Motown nearly 20 years to finally get it right, and release the first career spanning collection of Marvin Gaye's music. It begs the question one question, however: what took them so long? Marvin Gaye was arguably the most influential rhythm and blues artist of his generation and this moderately priced 29 track double C.D. is the best retrospective of Gaye's work. It is the only "Best of" CD that will aquaint the casual fan with the scope of Marvin's career. There are some unreleased treats for the collector, but the avid fan will want it because it's the first comprehensive set of Marvin's hits since the refinement of digital technology. Many of Marvin's early hits were actually mixed through car radio speakers, so they would sound good on an AM car radio, which was the primary method of marketing music in the early sixties. The muddy mixes of many of Marvin's early hits are cleaned up, and the upper and lower registers of don't "bleed" into mid range sounds.

Marvin Gaye acquired and lost three monetary fortunes during his 23 year musical career. Each time Marvin was confronted with failure, he successfully reinvented himself and gained an even wider following. He became the first black popular music performer to gain complete artistic control over his work, which laid a blueprint for independence to guide other black artists, most notably fellow Motown musician, Stevie Wonder. Marvin Gaye introduced topical and political commentary into his music with his transcendental 1971 album, "What's Going On." Curtis Mayfield may have predated Gaye in the use of social commentary, but no album produced, before or since, has carried the stunning immediacy of "What's Going On." It has become an artistic benchmark by which all other musical accomplishments have been measured.

"The Very Best of Marvin Gaye" doesn't overlook any aspect of Marvin's multifaceted career. The dapper young star of the Motown stable with a string of AM radio hits, his successful pairing with Tami Terrell and Kim Weston for duet albums, his stellar 1970s career as both a protest artist and singer of jazz infused love ballads and his final incarnation as the sleek singer of "Sexual Healing" in his trademark smoking jacket. Marvin Gaye lived in an era that produced the most talented rhythm and blues singers in history. In the ten year span from 1963 until 1973 artists like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green were either emerging or established performers.

Despite all of his personal demons, Marvin Gaye's career spanned well into the 1980s, when most of his peers from the golden age of soul had either died prematurely or had developed a formulatic approach by using the same production template for every album. Marvin refused to use a cookie cutter approach. Marvin Gaye wasn't afraid of taking chances, reinventing himself and redefining his artistry.

Excellent career-spanning compilation
This comprehensive collection contains all Marvin's important American hits as well as highlighting other aspects of his music, including his political songs of the seventies. His British hits were sometimes different from his American hits. Three UK top ten hits are missing, though as this is an American compilation, there is no reason why they should have been included. Abraham Martin and John was an American hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - perhaps it was felt that Marvin's version was better for the UK market. You are everything, a duet with Diana Ross, made the UK top five. Onion song, a duet credited as being with Tammi Terrell but recorded with a stand-in, made the UK top ten.

The classic American hits (not all of which charted in Britain) are all here including Can I get a witness, How sweet it is, I'll be doggone, Ain't that peculiar, I heard it through the grapevine, Too busy thinking about my baby, That's the way love is. What's going on, Mercy mercy me, Trouble man, Let's get it on and Got to give it up. Some of his duets are here, too, including Ain't no mountain high enough, Your precious love, If I could build my whole world around you, Ain't nothing like the real thing, You're all I need to get by (all with Tammi Terrell) and It takes two (with Kim Weston).

Marvin always considered himself a balladeer like Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole rather than a typical R+B singer, but his early attempts to establish himself in this role were not a success. Eventually, he did gain acceptance as a balladeer after proving that he could do the R+B material - compare his definitive version of I heard it through the grapevine with the Gladys Knight version, released a year earlier. Marvin actually recorded the song before Gladys but Berry Gordy initially rejected his version. It shows what perseverance can do.

Marvin once again had Berry Gordy worried when he completed his anti-Vietnam album, What's going on. Motown had always been primarily a singles label so this album was completely alien to the marketing department, although it appears that many people at Motown loved it. Once again, Marvin was right. The album was a huge success and three of its tracks are here - they are the first three on CD 2.

This double-CD is a nice introduction to the music of Marvin Gaye, one of the finest soul singers of the twentieth century.

The Very Best of Marvin Gaye
probably one of the very best of all cds, ever. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Potential surpassed the actual product
To say that I was looking forward to "Motown Remixed" is an understatement. Having been a Motown fan since the early 1960s, I was excited to hear the reworkings of classic Motown songs.
First off, let me say that if you go to ITunes, the best songs mixed for this project were left off of the CD but are included on ITunes as "Bonus Tracks." These include The Four Tops on "Reach Out I'll Be There," Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heatwave," and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on "Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing." Why these were left off in favor of the really bland work that was included on the release is beyond me.
Just so one reading this doesn't think I am a purist who doesn't believe in tampering with a classic, please understand I have been pleased with past remixes. In the last year alone, ALMIGHTY RECORDS remixed the Supremes "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (an edit version of which was included on the U.S. Version of Diana Ross & the Supremes "#1's) and Diana Ross & the Supremes "Love Child." Both of these remixes are light years superior to the sleep-inducing remix of the girls' "My World Is Empty Without You" that is featured on "Motown Remixed." The U.K. release of "Motown Remixed" is supposed to include the 70s' lineup Supremes "Stoned Love." My expectations have been significantly lowered that I won't expect anything from that track either.
The remixes on the U.S. release of "Motown Remixed" do nothing to add to the original luster of these songs, and only detract from them. I found myself expecting something exciting from the remixes of such tracks as Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours," but, alas, it was not to be. Most of the tracks don't deliver any punch. I feel as though I am listening to great songs that have been put through the deflavorizing machine. Instead of bringing new sounds and technology to performances -- some of which are now 40 years old -- they sound like they've been given tranquilizers. Some extra vocals have been unearthed for the two Jackson Five offerings. Perhaps Motown will release CD-singles with extra versions of these remixes that might offer some salvation for this project, but I am not holding my breath.
Be careful of some of the review on this page. They are reviewing Motown songs and then they call the songs by the wrong title. Clearly not someone familiar with the Motown catalog.
Save your money. Don't buy the album. But download the bonus tracks from ITunes. Then go to the Almighty's website and get the full-length remixes of "Love Child" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On."

Your Favorite Motown Hits Remixed!
I happened to be in a local music store (FYE) and they were playing a remix of classic Motown songs. The salesman showed me the collection amptly named "Motown Remixed". The songs have all been updated and are given a whole new feel many with new beats and music much like the popular Verve Remixed series. Many of the songs are also longer than their original counterparts. Lovers of the "original" versions may scuff at these versions but I think the whole "remix" idea shows you just how good these songs were. What really comes across are the vocals, they stand out even more than ever. Good examples are Gladys Knight & The Pips "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", The Jackson's "ABC", Rare Earth's "I Just Want Celebrate" (which has been stripped down considerably from it's original version), The Temptations "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", Edwin Star's "War" (given a house feel), Diana Ross & The Supremes "My Life Is Empty Without You" (slowed down to a ballad), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "Tears Of A Clown" (also stripped down with a hip hop feel) plus more. Note: There's also a cd of this collection that includes only the original versions instead of remixes.

'Mixed' Blessing?
For the most part, "Motown Remixed" is an attempt to redesign classic Motown anthems to give them a more modern and sometimes Neo-Soul feel. From the remix of "Let's Get It On" which had been receiving significant airplay among adult-leaning R & B stations for over six months to the new mix of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone", this appears to be the over-riding consideration. One of the only musical missteps occurs on a revamping of "War" which should stand as it stood when it first made waves: as an ominous and foreboding anthem. On "Motown Remixed" it appears light and airy.


Prior to the set's release, there was a great deal of buzz among Motown savants about the direction of the remixes. Many were speculating - including excited Ross faithful - that it would have a similar bent to recent remixes assigned to old Diana Ross/Supremes numbers which appeared on vinyl compilations pressed in England which sported dance beats, but that proved not to be the case, but Ross faithful can celebrate that the biggest transformation of any song on "Motown Remixed" is of the classic "My World is Empty Without You".

While fans of Ross can will indulge in the smooth slow jam, fans of Mary and Florence will likely be less receptive to this reworking as it appears the role of Diana Ross dominates. In the case of the original, throughout the entire song the sweet harmonies of Mary and Flo were woven within with great nuance. Here, it is as if at only selected points within the song - maybe 3 or 4 times-Mary and Flo are heard as window dressing.

This is likely to disappoint many Supremes fans who wish the legacy left behind by all three women remain preserved and that it not once again threatened to be overshadowed by what many feel was Diana Ross' own presence as a worldwide solo star.

While the Supremes' legacy is represented, sadly the legacy of Motown's second-biggest girl group Martha and the Vandellas is not honored on this set whose mission appears to be toreintroduce classic songs to a to R and B fans. Though a remix of "Heatwave" was commissioned, it is only available on itunes as a download - not on the actual CD release.

Fans of Miss Reeves may indeed feel it is a slight to Martha that the Supremes receive their rightful spot yet Martha and the Vandellas are nowhere to be found. In terms of preserving a legacy in the minds of Martha's fans, this omission likely reminds her fans of how in other ways Martha has been alleged to have had to play second fiddle to Diana Ross and the Supremes.

When Martha had to surrender involuntarily the hitmaking machine Holland-Dozier-Holland who up to a certain point in her career had been her magical hitmaking machine exclusively until Berry Gordy wanted to jumpstart the Supremes as a singles act and instructed HDH to use that magic on Diana Ross and the Supremes, Martha has hinted in the E! True Hollywood Story on Ross that Martha and the Vandellas began to suffer.

Further making matters worse in 2005 is that the group Rare Earth appears on "Motown Remixed" set with a second-rate song and Martha is not here. Hopefully, Martha will receive her rightful place in upcoming volumes should this set prove commercially successful - given the moderate success of the Gaye radio cut introducing the set, hopefully people will be ready to investigate.

'Must Hear Music', no matter WHO you are!
You probably don't remember where you were when you first heard a Motown song. After all, what's known as the 'Motown Sound' has been so thoroughly embedded into the psyche of music lovers on planet Earth that you'd be hard pressed to find a canon of artistic expression as regularly underrated and overlooked as the label that Gordy built.

Consistently and positively impacting the morphing musical landscape of the world for nigh on 45 years is no small feat... and yet many people seem to feel that they've heard everything Motown could possibly throw at them.

That's exactly what makes the transformative experience of listening to Motown Remixed such an outright joy.

See, I DO remember where I was when I first heard 'I Want You Back'. I was nine and MJs voice was blasting out of a boombox slung over the shoulder of a kid riding by on a bike in my neighborhood. (Boomboxes were the iPods of the late `70s, kids...). In the time it took him to pedal past my block, I heard the last part of the first verse and most of the chorus. It stopped me dead in my tracks and prompted me to go ask my older brother who sang the song, then to save my money and buy a J5 record as soon as possible.

The fact that the producers of Motown Remixed chose I Want You Back as the opening salvo of this head-spinning set is certainly no surprise. What IS surprising is the fact that hearing Z-Trip's reverential yet radical reworking of the classic stopped me in my tracks ALL OVER AGAIN. I got **bleep**ing goosebumps when he dropped the beat. I kid you, not.

The entire CD is filled with moments like that. Each remixer was apparantly chosen for their own unique style and paired with an appropriate song, to great effect. The way Hank Shocklee approaches Undisputed Truth's 'Smiling Faces' couldn't be more different from the way Green Lantern molds Rick James' 'Mary Jane' but it's quite clear that both men hold these songs very close to their hearts and were intent on creating something epic that could live up to the lofty standards set by the legends who provided the source material.

Conceptualizing this project was probably a no-brainer. However, stepping up to the plate is only the first step in hitting it out of the park. Much like a world champion sports team, the crew assembled on Motown Remixed seems to have been selected not only for their raw talent but more importantly their ability to function as a cohesive unit, working toward the same goal - namely, paying homage to the venerable American institution of Motown while simultaneously making you shake your thing.

Motown Remixed is (to complete the analogy) a thundering grand slam of a CD that should not be missed by anyone who is a fan of the original versions of the songs or is just a fan of good music in general.

It is 'must hear music' that belongs in your collection no matter who you are. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Long Over-due Remastering Worth The Wait
At Last!Stevie Wonder's four "70's Power Albums" get a serious digital makeover.For years the CDs sounds as if they're from a fourth generation master,let alone the original album packaging being chopped up for its smaller predecessor.After hearing At The Close Of A Century and it remastered sound on many tracks,the treatment for Talking Book was around the corner.Not only does it sounds as if I'm in Electric Lady studios(among others) but the packaging includes the original notes,lyrics as well as the translation of the braile message originally inside the gatefold.As for the songs,the clavinets sounds more squashy(Maybe Your Baby)and sinister(Superstition),while the synths on Blame It On The Sun(my favorite song of all time)makes the sadness prevelent in the songs lyrics even more deeper.The jazz inflections in You've Got It Bad Girl and Lookin' For Another Pure Love sound sharper now making you wish Stevie play this type of music more often.You & I ,already remastered for the recent boxed set finally does away with the left channel glitch after the "Don't Worry What Happens To Me"line.Kudos to Harry Weinger for his research as well as Kevin Reeves for his remastering job.Now Talking Book speaks in a more beautiful sound.

Stevie Wonder- Talking Book (1972, Universal)
Musical genius Stevie has made himself even more popular with the song 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life' & 'Superstition', but the main highlight songs here are 'You And I', 'Youve Got it Bad, Girl', 'Lookin For Another Pure Love' & 'Blame it On the Sun'. Almost with the same mood as "Music of My Mind" with some depressing, slow songs, Talking Book is the second Stevie CD in my collection and I love the album very much. It's very good and, like usual, is full of powerful messages, but not like 'Innervisions'. More people prefer "Innervisions" & "Songs in the Key of Life". My personal favorites are "You've Got it Bad, Girl", "You and I" & "Blame it on the Sun". "Blame it on the Sun" is the saddest song ever made in music history (with "Hero of Heroes" from the "Swordsman 2" movie starring Jet Li as being the second saddest song) & I cry and get very emotional every time I hear "Blame it on the Sun"!

Stevie on 'The Next Level'
Having finally been allowed the freedom to record the kind of music he wanted to with 1971s 'Music Of My Mind', Stevie Wonder came back in 1972 to build on that foundation with 'Talking Book'.

This album is another great capsule of Wonders inventive & individual style. The man really had a style all to himself back then & with this album takes himself to the next level. 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' is a classic love groove that kicks things off, and 'Superstition' rides one of the greatest guitar riffs that was ever recorded. From front to back the production is awesome, slick keyboard melodies & guitars, with bongo-based beats. My personal cut has to be the bouncy 'Maybe Your Baby', a great fonk number. 'Big Brother' is another inventive cut with its heavy drums and harmonica based groove.

Stevie Wonders sound is just undeniable to me. The man created an awesome body of work in the 70s and this is another of those classic Must Own albums.

It don't get much better than this.
If you don't have this in your collection, BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

And then go straight to track 9 - Looking for another love.
If only I could write stuff like this. The structure and composition of this album is pure genius. Obviously Stevie was going through a tough time when he made this album, and every emotion comes through when he sings.

I love this album. It's one of those albums that you just never get tired of playing.

I believe...
I first became interested in this music upon hearing the closing track to the film "High Fidelity," which is "I believe (&c)," the last track on this disc as well. I had heard "Superstition" before on the radio, and I liked the sound of that track as well. So I sprung for it, and it has become one of my favorite records (I orginally got it on vinyl, then on CD) of all time. While people tell me that "Innervisions" is the one essential Stevie release, with "Songs in the Key of Life" in second place, I put this one above both. It sounds rawer than either, more unpredictable, yet with a nice studio polish that can be expected from Stevie's work. It's a rock album as much as it is a soul album, and it can also be deeply political ("Big Brother" has new relevancy in the age of the erosion of our civil rights). It's full of feeling, love and creativity. It's really too bad Stevie couldn't keep this quality up after "Key of Life," but the fact that anyone could produce an album this consistently good is amazing. It's in my top-ten list folks, and may be in yours if you give it a chance. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sam Harris has always had a powerhouse voice that raises the roof as well as an honesty that touches the soul, so it seems natural that the former Star Search champion should strike a winning note with his 1999 gospel/inspirational album, Revival.The album had its genesis when Harris's performance of "Bridge over Troubled Water" on The Oprah Winfrey Show prompted the host to declare, "Sam could make Jesus walk through the door!" That Paul Simon standard is included with other familiar tunes such as "Peace Train" and Rockapella's "A Change in My Life" (which features the a cappella quintet as Harris's backup band). "Love Letter" delivers a great funky beat, and "The Rescue" is a spare ballad that works beautifully in contrast to the high-energy tunes. Harris himself contributes two songs, the lovely, yearning "Holding On" and the rousing title tune, while David Friedman's "I'll Be Here with You" is Harris's tender farewell to his longtime collaborator Laurie Beechman following her tragic death from cancer. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (109)

Revival Fever Runs Rampant!
Once in every generation a singer comes along that captures the pure emotion that music is! It requires a soulful presence, a mastery of control and emotion that is beyond belief. The singer for this generation is Sam Harris!

The way Sam interprets the songs on "Revival", is unparallelled, unequaled, in all of music. You hear the pain, the joy, the fear, the hope pouring from his heart and his soul in each note.

Over the course of 16 years we have been witness to the growth and maturation of this artist, from the Star Search stage to Internation Acclaim! His uncompromising approach of pouring his all into his music reaches the soul of listeners and pulls them into his joy, ecstasy and passion as he powers the soul through every emotion that God held in His heart at the beginning of time.

"The Cirle" is the epitome of this CD. It's message of new beginnings so appropriate for Sam's beginning again, "Revivalized" and bursting with the power and the splendor that we have come to expect from the Ultimate Artist. Excellent! A must have for any true music lover, and a standard by which all future artists will be measured.

No other entertainer can match the range of this talented young man. No one else can grip the soul of the listener and require him or her to touch the song in the ways that music has always craved.

A powerful and complete experience.

Good, but could've been better.......
Sam's latest CD, "Revival" is a mixed bag of songs that could have used a little fine-tuning. As evidenced on earlier recordings, Mr Harris has an incredible voice, but doesn't always pick the best material to showcase his talents. There are a handful of stand-out tracks here, ("Come to Me", "The Circle", and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" being among them), but for every great song, there seems to be one of lesser quality thrown in the mix as well. "Giving It Up for Your Love" is one of those throw-away tunes that sounds like it was composed in 5 minutes or less. (featuring this Shakespearean-like lyric......"giving it up for your love, everything......giving it up for your love, right now......" (egad.....) "Love Letter" seems to suffer a similar fate, but I won't quote any of it's memorable lyrics here. Another oddity is "Holding On", written by Sam, himself. Long-time fans who own Sam's 1986 release, "SAM I AM", will remember the song, "Don't Wanna Give Up On Love", which sounds alarmingly similar to this song, right down to the high-sustained note on the end. (Can an artist sue himself for plagiarising his own song? ) At any rate, this is a CD worth picking up for the few truly great songs contained herein, but you'll find yourself wishing it was just a bit better. A voice this good needs better material. MUCH better material.

Preview of Revival
The man could be a preacher, amen this is a sampling that will have to do till I get my copy. WOW, he can bring me to tears, and take me to heaven. What a range he has, he continues to top each performance, better than the one before. Look out Broadway, HERE COMES SAM HARRIS!!!!

Simply THE BEST!!!
This CD personifies Sam Harris at his best. The wonderful piano accompaniment compliments his powerful voice. I highly recommend this CD set; a MUST for any Sam Harris fan.

Great CD-Let's hear something with VIKKI CARR
Sam, been a fan of yours since the 80's and you were recording for Motown...love Vikki Carr and you should record with this multi winning Grammy Award winning international superstar. I know it would be great and Vikki still rocks and so do you! Great job on this release SAM! ... Read more

Reviews (114)

Like Ali, it's the greatest!
I've owned this cd for 3 years and it can't be touched. I'm 27 and I listen to all kinds of music from pop/rock like Rod Stewart to serious rap like N.W.A./ Dr. Dre, old stuff like Chuck Berry to newer stuff like Eminem. However this album is the best. I heard Inner City Blues when I was in high school and went and bought his greatest hits. Then a few years later I heard this album and I was amazed. The songs flow from one into the other, the messages are all good and hey, Marvin is one of the best voices we'll ever hear. Rarely do you get an album that every song is good; actually maybe only this album and Michael Jackson's Thriller (remember that's why Thriller is the best selling album ever). It's funny though, after watching that music special that appeared on all the channels after the World Trade Center attack I thought someone would sing What's Going On, but noone did. However, a few weeks later a few singers together released a version, but nothing compares to the original. Right on Marvin.

It's More Relevant Now Than Ever.
Having just approached the one year anniversary of September 11, I'd thought it be a good idea to revisit Marvin Gaye's 1971 masterpiece, "What's Going On." Originally recorded as a commentary of the socially turbulent 1960s, "What's Going On" has lost none of its power after more than thirty years, and its messages still possess relevance in today's climate. Gaye addresses the environment ("Mercy Mercy Me"), the future of our children ("Save the Children"), and war (the title track). The brilliant finale "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Want to Holler)" obviously wasn't written in reference to the WTC attacks, but I can imagine many people relating to the frustration and anger with which Gaye sings this song. But "What's Going On" also possesses spiritually uplifting messages of positivity, and these messages couldn't be needed more urgently as the survivors of 9/11 struggle to adapt and move ahead. The beautiful "God is Love" is still tough enough to move this grown man to tears, while "Wholy Holy" inspires us to come together, believe in Jesus and "rock this world's foundation."

September 11 was a day that forever rocked this nation's comfort zone, forcing us to reassess our lives and priorities. But instead of conforming to the often dubious forms of patriotism that keep surfacing in this country, let's revisit this still-stunning classic and learn from its messages of optimism and faith.

simply one the BEST musical compositions of all time
This is simply put the greatest body of work ever written for the public to enjoy, and yet to learn from too. He was not just writing for one person, he wrote this for all of us.

It stands alone in the music world, in high demand still, even after its 1971 release. Motown did not want this album, it was too volitile to release in 1969, so it sat for a year and a half. Yet it revoloutionized music, it was an album, a concept album when America was into singles still.
I am so glad they realized someone had to say what was said on this disc. To me this is a work of musical, and spirtual art. He is speaking of himself and of society, all in one beautiful musical journey.If you have never heard this work, listen to this disc, and listen with an open mind.

It is simply one the BEST musical compositions of all time. Timeless and powerful, a piece of love from a man who was so troubled in his own life. He gave us a message from God, a gift he could not ultimately find himself, peace and love.

One of the greatest ever
Marvin had broke out of Motowns formulaic hit making machine with this 1970 album and set out to record the kind of music he wanted to make. The result was 'Whats Going On', possibly the greatest R&B album ever. That title track is just eternal.... What a groove!

The whole atmosphere Marvelous Marvin creates here is just incredible! Moody and dramatic numbers about the world, people of today, social ills... The songs are carefully crafted and flow into each other one by one, culminating in the all time classic high of 'Inner City Blues'. 'Mercy, Mercy Me' is also present, and the rest of the material is equally inspired and pleasurable on the ear. Marvin was in the zone with this one, just as important & relevant today as it was back then, essential.

Legend
There are NO type of words to describe HOW beautiful this album is! I mean, people had been saying that for a while before I finally copped it around 2000 but when I finally heard the album with nine tracks in all its glory, I was floored! I mean, this is what a TRUE artist IS! Marvin Gaye is more than just a musical legend, he is a legend for the entire world. Each song he had done, he always knew how to invoke so much emotion, so much pain, so much hardship and still come out with a piece of beauty.

Save Sam Cooke and Al Green, no other artist turned R&B upside down and made it personal better than the man hailed from the Chocolate City. With his 1971 album, "What's Going On", Brother Marv went from singing about NEEDING love all the time to singing about WANTING love not only for himself but also for the entire world from ghetto to ghetto, backyard to yard, country to country. Forget Elvis, Marvin was truly a rock & roll innovator. He proved Black artists can sing a full album full of personal anguish and make it touch you deep inside your heart.

No track is a filler and it's not so much the music but the message behind it that hits home. Telling a story of the singer's brother returning from Vietnam and asking that important question ("What's Going On"), his Rip-Van-Winkle sense of things-gone-by ("What's Happening, Brotha?"), his descend to drug abuse ("Flying High In The Friendly Sky"), and Marvin's own messages of trying to understand his place ("Right On"), trying to understand why the world is in such a disarray ("Mercy Mercy Me"), tormented because the children of the world are already going through terrible times while living in the ghetto ("Save the Children") to accepting Jesus into his life and also asking those not to question His majesty ("God Is Love") to embarking on a mission to conquer all hate ("Wholy Holy") and finally exposing the truth of his surroundings as poetically as he could in the streets ("Inner City Blues"--which is his landmark single IMO, but it's hard to choose THE landmark since Dude has had so many "landmarks"). This album told a STORY. It wasn't all out there like the work from the Beatles and the Beach Boys, less raucous than music from the Rolling Stones and the Temptations (who was going through a "psychedelic-soul" phase) and was just as serene as the music that would be released soon afterwards from these acts:

Issac "Black Moses" Hayes

Curtis Mayfield
His fellow Motown brotha, the Wonderful Stevie
Leon Ware (who would also produce a classic album along with Marv five years afterward)

And much, much more.

It also paved the way for Black acts to personally write about their own troubles like a book and not so much about pleasing youngsters but pleasing the soul within us. After Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye helped bridged the gap in Black music. This album remains his ultimate landmark but he was just getting started. This will be his decade to shine.

You know the only bad thing about it is that the man who inspired a lot of R&B, rock, pop, hip-hop and soul singers today is no longer with us to experience and tell us more stories about ourselves that before, we didn't have an idea or clue about, also his music is so timeless because the stuff that had happened when he recorded this in the late-'60s and early-'70s (Vietnam, civil rights movement, Black Panthers, etc), is still going on today in 2004 (Iraq, civil rights lawsuits, injustice among celebrities, the FCC, etc).

Long live Marvin P. Gaye, Jr. forever and ever!

My overall rating of this classic: 10+

As I said in the title, LEGEND is all that needed to be said! We love you and miss you, Marvin. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Good idea that is poorly executed
A album including #1 hits in the US and UK should include ALL the number #1 hits although one can understand why "Say Say Say" isn't on the cd (bad blood between Michael and Paul). Instead this collection features some #1s and songs that didn't make it to that position on either the US or UK charts. A perfect track listing for a #1s set for MJ would consist of the following songs: Ben; Don't Stop Till You Get Enough; Rock With You; Billie Jean (12" version); Beat It; I Just Can't Stop Loving You; Bad (12" version); The Way You Make Me Feel (12" version); Man In The Mirror; Dirty Diana; Another Part of Me (US #1 R&B hit--12" version); Black or White; You Are Not Alone; Earth Song (UK #1); Blood On The Dance Floor (UK #1); One More Chance (New song) and another new song lifted from the vaults

Jacko Rocks - KING OF POP!
Here is the definitive collection of #1 hits by The King Of Pop, along with a few new recordings. Michael Jackson's reign as Tabloid Favorite only drew more attention to his work as singer, song writer, dancer, actor, all-around-super-talent. While the world is richer for the multitude of brilliant music, it is sad that Michael himself seems unable to truly enjoy his own giftedness; instead walking on the brink of insanity, plagued by unknown demons.

Easily ranking with the now famous Beatles ONE and the Elvis ONE & TWO, as well as Mariah's set of #1's, Michael Jackson will never be unthroned as the ONE and ONLY King of Pop! Come what may, we will always have the music.*****

"NUMBER ONES" REALLY ARE!
Michael Jackson is still #1 to a lot of music lovers, and "NUMBER ONES" quickly shows you why! His vocal versatility and unique creativity cannot be denied. This CD has something for everyone, and "One More Chance" is at the top of the list. Jackson faves like "Billie Jean," "Black or White," "You Are Not Alone," "The Earth Song," and "You Rock My World" are also included for good measure, and this Michael Jackson effort may be one of his very best yet. Buy it; you'll be glad you did!

Curse Epic and Tommy M
First, before I rip this album a new one I must say that I am a huge Michael Jackson fan/supporter and IF YOU WANT HIS GREATEST HITS YOU HAVE TO BUY ALL HIS ALBUMS :). Number Ones is a pathetic greatest hits collection. Most of the songs on here are cut short. Example: You Are Not Alone starts out with MJ singing on the first note which he does not do on the album version and it fades out way early. One More Chance (the only new song) is the worst song R. Kelly has written for Michael. It's not a bad song, but R. Kelly should have kept it to himself. Michael should have submitted one of his own songs. R. Kelly can write better songs, just look at Cry or You Are Not Alone. One More Chance has a one line chorus and it sounds like it belongs on an R. Kelly record. Another problem with this record is the name Number Ones. Most of these songs didn't make it to number one, in fact many didn't even crack the top 10. If you own all of the albums and you want the song one more chance, just buy the single. I own both, but most people shouldn't bother unless they care about a complete collection. This collection is a weak display of MJ's amazing talent. It basically contains radio versions of his songs so they can put more on the cd. I love michael and know that he is innocent. I can't wait for his new album. I think MJ released this just to fullfil his record contract. Now he can be free and actually get promoted :).

A Superb Collection From The No.1 King Of Pop!
As the first few weeks of 2004 are upon us, and I'm sure Michael Jackson will be hoping that this year will bring him better luck than 2003 did. Despite dominating the tabloids with his appearance, the baby-dangling incident and THAT Martin Bashir interview, Michael Jackson still remains the King of Pop. There's some people who are famous. There are some people who are superstars. There are some people who are icons - and then there's Michael Jackson. Arguably the most famous entertainer alive, Jackson's 30 years reign on the charts is unchallenged.

So that's precisely why Michael's latest release, "Number Ones," is essential for all fans of brilliant music. Since the early 1980's Jackson has captivated the world with his music. We've had fun dancing to his music and cried to his emotional ballads, and that's why he's the greatest male performer ever. His talent is undeniable, and even though he's gone a bit off the rails in recent years, the world and his die-hard fans have never forgotten the music which is what matters the most.

First off, Number Ones is a title that tricks the buyer somewhat. There are eighteen songs on this album, and Jackson has had no where near eighteen US No.1 hits. He's had a total of 13 US No.1 singles, and his last was in 1995. Michael has had 7 UK No.1 hit singles, and his last was in 1997. His first UK No.1 hit was in May 1981 with "One Day In Your Life," which isn't included on here strangely enough. Michael's sixth US No.1 "Say Say Say" is also not included, and I have the UK version which includes "Human Nature" instead of "Man In The Mirror." Silly different regions and record companies! What is the point? Why not just have a complete tracklisting?! Also, "Ben," Michael's first ever US No.1, is included on the US version, but not on the UK version. Instead the UK gets "Blood On The Dancefloor," Michael's last UK No.1 single.

Apart from these minor hiccups, all of Michael's biggest and most popular hits are included here. The album opens with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You." Both songs are from Michael's debut album Off The Wall and both hit the US top spot. "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller" are up next and all from Thriller, Michael's signature album. 50 million copies shifted worldwide, and nothing's going to take over it any time soon! Up next, we have six songs from the follow up to Thriller. Bad was Michael's third album, released in 1987 and sold 25 million copies as well. The songs from Bad on here are "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," "Bad," "Smooth Criminal," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man In The Mirror" and "Dirty Diana." All these songs were huge hits and all were US No.1's, apart from Smooth Criminal.

After this we get "Black Or White," which was a huge US and UK No.1 hit. It's the only song on this compilation album from Michael's fourth album - 1991's Dangerous. "You Are Not Alone" was one of Michael's biggest hits ever, and is next on here, followed by Michael's biggest selling UK single, "Earth Song." No.1 for six weeks and shifting more than 1 million copies this masterpiece is a perfect world peace anthem. Michael's 2001 comeback single "You Rock My World" follows. It wasn't a No.1, so by rights it shouldn't be included here, but it's a great track, so why not? "Break Of Dawn" wasn't even released as a single, so it's got no excuse to be here! It's from Michael's trans-atlantic chart topping Invincible album from 2001. "One More Chance" is Michael's latest single, and will not top the charts by my 'expert' predictions. "Ben" closes the album, which goes back to the very beginning of his career.

OVERALL GRADE: 8/10

I think it was a wise move for Michael Jackson to release Number Ones. It provides new fans in their teens a chance to get to know Michael's best music, for those who were too young to be digging it when 1995's "HIStory" was released, because let's face it, even people in their early teens love Michael's music! I think some minor adjustments could have been made to the tracklisting to improve this album, but it's still not a bad collection and definitely worth the money. Upon its release this album didn't even crack the US Top 10 - Britney stormed to No.1 that week, but in the UK, Number Ones did just that, and went straight to the top of the charts! All in all a brilliant record to add to any Michael Jackson collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

DJ Shadow, a.k.a. Josh Davis, could be credited with bringing newfound introspection to the gloating sounds of hip-hop. Condensed with urban oscillations and scatological beats, Endtroducing shutters with eclectic samples and aural montages that reach beyond the constraints of hip-hop style. Enhancing the mix with fundamentals of rock, soul, funk, ambient, and jazz, the modern fusions fail to go unnoticed, even by the casual listener. While most of the tracks are compiled by layering samples from vinyl treasures found in used-record bins, the production quality of the mosaic is unmatched. Darkened melodies carry throughout the album with its eye on the end of the tunnel. The narration samples come from numerous sources and keep the listener involved and waiting for resolution. With a message as fragmentary as an overheard conversation, Endtroducing conveys no apparent conclusion, but begs the mind, body, and soul for some rewind. --Lucas Hilbert ... Read more

Reviews (159)

DJ Shadow is the Postmodern artist
I first go this album in 96; I was still in high school and didn't know much about sampling, beat production, etc. I thought it was one of the most amazing things I'd ever heard. Now, as a senior in college with more musical experience under my belt, I can still say this is one of the best albums I own. DJ Shadow revolutionized the way I and many people thought about sampling. As he takes a record from his insanely deep crates, he doesn't simply loop a catchy cut a la Puffy, he manipulates and recontextualizes these sounds into something completely his own. Like his track "Organ Donor," where he uses a sample of a church organ and turns it into a beat. Shadow in my opinion is the epitome of the postmodern musical artist: taking what's already out there in the world we live in and breathing new life into it. I highly recommend this to any electronic or hip hop fans. Oh, and by the way I heard he has a new album coming out soon; he's on MCA now, so his access to production equipment is gonna be insane this time. I'm expecting a truely remarkable album.

Wow! DJ Shadow's a genius!
I bought this album a few days ago on my 13th birthday because I liked "Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt" and "Organ Donor". At first I didn't like it because a lot of it I found boring. It also made me angry that the Organ Donor song is only 2 minutes in lenght on mine! (The one I listened to on the internet was over 4 minutes long)I put it in the next day and I got it. It may not be the Orbital, Fatboy Slim type stuff that I usually listen to but it isn't supposed to be. I got it in the Dance/Electronica section of the local record store...so it is a bit misleading. Dance? No way. It's very different and extremely hard to classify. I would say...Trip-Hop/Jazz/Electronica/Hip Hop/Soul.

So overall:

PROS:
Very moving
Nicely mellow
Great variation of songs
Often funny

CONS:
Seems kind of short
Some filler "tracks" like 6 and "Why Hip-Hop Sucks in '96" which are somewhat annoying.
Organ Donor is WAY too short!

Best tracks:
Building Steam
Stem/Long Stem
Changeling
Midnight in a Perfect World
Organ Donor

-Also I have the "Mo Wax" label, and it says "Mu Wax" on the back in really small print when it should say "Mo Wax"!

Producing one of the best albums ever
From the opening sample of "Building Steam With a Grain of Salt" where a voice is heard saying "Producing..." you know you are listening to an outstanding piece of work. In order to better understand this, you have to position yourself at the time this album came out.

You have to realize Trip Hop was already in full fledge: Massive Attack and Portishead had already come out with their own thing, but DJ Shadow came with a different proposal in 1996 when he produced 'Endtroducing...'. Through the magic of samples, he blended in a way many have tried to copy, yet no one yet matched, genres such as rock, soul, funk, ambient, and jazz, into a final product that transcends time. If you need further proof of that, think how long it's been since this album came out (1996) as you are reading this, sit back, listen to it and be amazed, as so many have been amazed to this day.

After listening to 'Endtroducing...' almost daily for three weeks now, turning back and thinking of acts such as Fatboy Slim almost feels awkward, considering his sample-based 'Better Living Through Chemistry' came out almost a full year after Shadow's debut. Granted that everyone has a place in music, DJ Shadow's genius with sampling work simply is above and beyond, making this not only his breakthrough, but also one of the best albums ever.

Other favorite tracks: "Changeling", "Untitled" and the grandieuse "Mutual Slump". If you want to take a dip into an evolved form of his work, check out his side project, U.N.K.L.E., in particular 'Psyence Fiction'.

A shadow of himself
A couple years back i became interested in underground hip hop and turntablism. My first, and best purchase, was DJ Shadows Endtroducing. Nary a day goes by that I do not find myself listening to this album. The way he mixes and blends the songs together puts Shadow at the top of his game on this record. Where this album excels is in its ability to not only drag you into the world that Shadow has produced but takes you through the mind of one the most talented individuals in all of music. If you enjoy music, do yourself a favor and buy this album. You will never find another like it, as it creates a constant state of euphoria, as the beats and samples are blended together in such a way that it is almost impossible to describe.in my top 10 albums of all time.

Excellent work
Dj shadow has proved that he is one of the greatest artists ever. With such diverse tracks and complex beats, Endtroducing will be something to look back on from years to come. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

GREAT BEGINNING SAD ENDING!
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, guilty pleasure of the middle 80's scene, she was the queen of Freestyle by that time, her music was around every club, and her style will remain in many people minds. Her sounds were extremely danceable, although some people thought that her voice was a little bit squirky and anoying, it fitted just great to the type of music she wanted to approach, even her hit ballad "All Cried Out" a bittersweet melody with amazing lyrics, that will be covered later by many, fitted her just great, but undoubtly her greatest achievment was dance music, "Head To Toe", "Lost In Emotion", where #1's the same year and make everybody love this, sadly she became lost in more pop oriented tunes with the next albums, saving only "Let The Beat Hit Em" that it's truly a comeback to the dance music scene, but too late, the magic was lost and we should point to "Little Jackie Wants To Be A Star" as guilty for throwing Lisa's career to oblivion, but if you forget that and concentrate on the early materials you will find an artist that surface out of the bunch, because they were talented and had a new flavor to offer to the public.

Take it Home
The queen of Latin Hip-hop soul, Lisa Lisa shines on this set of big eighties pop hits with her crew Cult Jam. The songs for the most part are all upbeat dance gems that are very influential (ask Jennifer Lopez or even Janet Jackson for the matter) and full of great beats. The set really hits is stride with ahead of their time early tracks like "Can You Feel The Beat" and "I Wonder If I Take You Home" which prove that the Latin grooves can make great dance music and are brightly vivid songs about young love. These tracks make some of the best pop around now very seem lacking. Big hits like "Head To Toe" and the sweet "Lost In Emotion" is excellent modern mid eighties pop productions with a little soul influence in the vocals. Pure magic on CD these songs are. Prom classic "All Cried Out" is a lot more innocent on here than the over produced Allure version ever could try to be. "Someone To Love Me For Me" is very beautiful. "Let The Beat Hit "Em" is a powerful club hit from the likes of Clivilles and Cole. Basically the rest of the set leads astray with the lame R&B of "Something About Love" and an unnecessary Full Force feature "U Never Knew How Good U Had It". The set is excellent but the weak songs drag it down ("Little Jackie..." is iffy pop, but cute), but I think we can credit Full Force with blessing us with this set of dance gems that are as good now as they were in the mid eighties.

1985- THE YEAR Lisa and her Cult Jam came out
True Lisa Lisa& Cult Jam fans know that Full Force produced the group. Everyone loves how they brought serious flava to the 80's
Lisa and Full Force did a great Job on "Someone to Love me For Me" Full Force was great, and Lisa added that special touch!!!!!
The cult jam added their good beats, and together they became Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam...often featuring Full Force
I like "This is Cult Jam" it was original, it was fun, and it really showed how cult jam played part in the group.
"I wonder if I take You Home" was their first hit
next it was "Can You Feel the Beat" "All cried out" and"Behind My eyes"
On their 1987 album.... I like "Playing with fire" "A fool is born everyday" "Lost in Emotion" and "Head to Toe" very good
songs....
I forogt what album but "Little Jackie wants to be a star" is another good one!!!!
Who could forget...Someone to Love me for me
the duet with full force...very good!!!!!!
i like the part when lisa says " if your in love with someone, make sure they love you for who you are, and not for the material things that surround you" and full force says afterwards" enough said"
they kept it real during the 80's.
1991'S lET THE bEAT hIT EM
on their "Straight out of hell's kitchen" was also great!

tHIS IS WHAT i WOULD SAY TO THEM:

"BABY WE WERE WONDERING
IF YOU WOULD SING SOMETHING NEW FOR US
BECAUSE WERE NOT TOO SURE ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL
SO WE RATHER GIVE YOU AN IDEA
I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU SING AGAIN
YOU WILL DO A GOOD SHOW
BUT YOU MAY DO SOME THING YOU MIGHT REGRET THE NEXT DAY
AND YOUR FEELINGS WILL GET HURT
bUT i DONT KNOW....THE WAY THAT I FEEL
IM SO AFRAID....I
WONDER IF YOU WOULD SING AGAIN
WOULD YOU FEEL US WITH LOVE BABY
BECAUSE WE NEED YOU TONIGHT

-ML

*Sigh* 80's Nostalgia
Anyone who is familiar with mid/ late 80's pop has got to remember Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam and the great jams they cranked out. All of the big ones are here. You get both of their fabulous #1 hits. "Head To Toe" starts out like a Supremes song and then takes off with a terrific catchy chorus *instantly recognizable.* "Lost In Emotion" was the other #1 and is just as great. Then you have the slow song "All Cried Out" which is beautiful and although Lisa Lisa comes off as sort of whiny, it justifies the song so it's forgivable. "Youuuuuu you leave me so confuuuused, now I'm all cried out...over you." An 80's slow jam classic. Plus, you get the great free-style dance jams that put them on the map in the first place. Who can forget "I Wonder If I Take You Home" or one of my faves "Can You Feel the Beat." A MUST buy for 80's music fans. I don't care what people say about the 80's. Free-style dance music like Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam is awesome and music just isn't made this fun anymore. If you like this, I also recommend music by Expose and Debbie Gibson. Ear candy to help you forget about your troubles!

I REALLY like this album!
I got laughed at by the saleslady for buying this album. She looked at me as if, "What is this teenager doing buying a Lisa Lisa album?". I didn't care because I had grown up listening to Lisa Lisa on the radio when she was singing "Head To Toe" and plus I really liked her other hits like "I Wonder If I Take You Home" and "All Cried Out" so it was something I was willing to shell out cash for. I love this album because the music is pretty orginal, Lisa Lisa has a style that is unbeatable, the lyrics are catchy and those breakdancing beats are really danceable. My fave track has to be "I Wonder If I Take You Home" but I like the classics like "All Cried Out", "Head To Toe", "Lost In Emotion" and "Can You Feel The Beat". I also liked "Let The Beat Hit 'Em" and "Something 'Bout Love". This is the perfect dance album and one that you can play at parties, it's one of my personal faves and I recommend that anybody should buy this album and don't be afraid to just because it's old school! :) ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

In the mid-'60s, a distinctive postbop style evolved among the younger musicians associated with Blue Note, a new synthesis that managed to blend the cool spaciousness of Miles Davis's modal period, some of the fire of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and touches of the avant-garde's group interaction. Maiden Voyage is a masterpiece of the school, with Hancock's enduring compositions like "Maiden Voyage" and "Dolphin Dance" mingling creative tension and calm repose with strong melodies and airy, suspended harmonies that give form to his evocative sea imagery. Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard was at a creative peak, stretching his extraordinary technique to the limits in search of a Coltrane-like fluency on the heated "Eye of the Storm," while the underrated tenor saxophonist George Coleman adds a developed lyricism to the session. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A landmark recording
Herbie Hancock reaffirmed his importance in modern Jazz history with this stunning album. Hancock always is a pioneer of Jazz music, and this album takes him to another level of Piano brilliance. Using outstanding musicians as backup compliments this album. With Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and Saxophonist George Colman, Hancock explores each and every song on here with different rythmic spacing, and musical influences from Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman and even Art Blakey. Hancock isn't afraid to go for a new sound and we are all gratefull to this Jazz pioneer. From "Maiden Voyage" to "Dolphin Dance" each and every song on this album (CD) is a delight to listen too. Blue Note recordings did an excellent job of letting Hancock explore and the Jazz world is gratefull for it. Highly recommended!

A classic from the early 60's
This collection with Herbie Hancock fronting a group consisting of the rhythm section of Miles Davis' second quintet; the always amazing Tony Williams and Ron Carter; is an absolute classic from the period. Freddie Hubbard is at times astonishing in his soloing. George Coleman who also did a brief stint with Davis rounds out the group on tenor. While not one of my favorite tenor players overall he does some of his best recorded work on this. Hancock established himself as a composer of jazz standards with Maiden Voyage. His playing on this is comparable to another classic of the period Miles Smiles. Maiden Voyage ,Miles Smiles and Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil are the epitome of where modal jazz was headed in the 60's under the influence of Miles Davis. These fabulous musicians were making history again and again.

One of the best jazz albums ever
Wow...this album blew me away. I'm a kid of the 21st century in a world of new exciting forms of music...the fact that this thing still gets to me shows that "Maiden Voyage" is a timeless jazz album....a classic. Herbie's masterful use of harmony is definitely evident in this recording. The beginning D Suspension and F Suspension chords are so classic...every jazz pianist should know his chord voicings in this song. It is incredible that Herbie is able to create beautiful musical textures in songs such as Dolphin Dance and Maiden Voyage. This recording is an essential item for every jazz listener. Yep, buying this is an option.

Maiden Voyage - a classic!
I was listening to this disc just a moment ago and I decided to make justice for it and decided to review it. This is what I've got to say.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

About The Rudy Van Gelder Edition
(In these RVG edition CDs all transfers from analog to digital are made at 24-bit resolution). The remastering done by Rudy Van Gelder is excellent! The sound Gelder gives the recording - which he originally engineered - a more life like balanced sound that is more pleasing to the ears. The listener is able to hear nuances of the instruments (f.ex. fingers on trumpet valves very clearly). Sometimes the remastering makes you believe that the recording session was held only recently.
By comparison most of the mid 80's Blue Note releases - that have been precursors to RVG editions - are muddy and have little bass definition and an inappropriate amount of treble.

About the packaging
I find it very nice! RVG edition CDs contain the original liner notes and also liner essay ("a new look at" as it is called) from critic Bob Blumenthal, that provides interesting historical insight that may - or may not - reveal new information to the seasoned jazz fan, but definitely could be helpful to new listeners discovering the legacy of Blue Note through these deluxe RVG editions. Also some session photos by Francis Wolff that fold out to full view in the booklet are very nice, some of them are well known and some are published for the first time.

About the music
To put its simply - it is beautiful. Other adjectives that I would use to appraise this disc: reserved, complex, elegant, sophisticated, cerebral, refined/mannered...
It is modal jazz that has some post-bop influences. Maiden Voyage is less overtly adventurous than its predecessor, Empyrean Isles, but it is nevertheless full of creativity of these musicians, notably Herbie Hancock who is at the peak of his entire career. It could easily be the finest recording of the '60s, reaching a perfect balance between accessible, lyrical jazz and chance-taking hard bop.
Each member is on top of his game for this session, and the result is a very enjoyable recording. Rhythm section is exceptional; Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums. Carter and Williams ceate an ideal backround (along with Herbie) where Coleman and Hubbard can do their soloing. Freddie Hubbard plays trumpet with nice phrasing but George Coleman won't stay far behind him as he shines with some of the best saxophone playing ever.
The quintet plays five Hancock originals. They are all simply superb showcases for the group's provocative, unpredictable solos, tonal textures, and harmonies. The quintet does take risks, but the music is lovely and accessible, thanks to Hancock's understated, melodic compositions and the tasteful group interplay. All the elemenst blend together and make Maiden Voyage a shimmering, beautiful album that captures Hancock at his finest as a leader, soloist and composer.
This is an excellent recording, which I unhesitatingly recommend as a great addition to any serious jazz library, and possibly as good a way as any to have Hancock represented as the essential musician he is. This is an excellent CD to begin exploring jazz - it is an ideal introduction for newcomers but also a must have for veterans.
It will immediately let you know that you're listening to a classic and with every listen it gets better.

When I listen to this CD I feel like I'm in one of those tropical isles surrounded by blue-green sea. Sun shines and the sand on the beach just shines pure white. Sky is blue and a few white clouds are scattered here and there. I walk in to the sea and dive to the direction of the bottom of the sea. I see many different coloured fish species swimming around me. A green turtle flows over my head. So much life... But suddenly it all disappears. I see couple of sharks swimming and passing by. And it all just calms down. Life returns. Turtles, fishes, octopussies... Everything shines and colours are bright and warm. It is so beautiful...And when the music begins to fade away I rise from the sea, get back to the beach and just watch as it all gets wrapped around the calmenss of nigth... Beautiful.

This is Essential jazz. Essential Hancock and essential modal jazz. It definitely deserves a five star rating. I have had this CD for a long time. I keep enjoying it time after time. You will do yourself a big favor if you buy this. If you don't believe me, just read what other reviewers have to say.

Almost Perfection
I would rate this CD as being a Jazz classic were it not for one or two weak moments in the set; that aside, it rates as one of Herbie hancocks best efforts to date, and is definitely a Jazz essential.

"Maiden Voyage" is a brilliant, mellow track, one that highlights both impressive individual improvisations and stunningly cohesive collaberation. "The eye of the hurricane" is a snappy little number that alomst allows its impressive style to overshadow its rather substantial substance. "Little One" veers back towards the mellow, serving as a quiet interlude before the free-form cacaphony of "Survival of the Fittest," a work that is not as cohesivelly structured as I would prefer. "Dolphin Dance" is a pleasently fitting close to the album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whoopi Goldberg has a lot of talents, but singing is not one of them. Hearing her massacre Motown classics like "Dancing in the Street," "Ball of Confusion" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in her flat, dull voice on this soundtrack album would be harmless if a whole generation weren't being introduced to these songs through her clumsy performances. Several choirs turn in lackluster performances of gospel numbers. The disc's one redeeming moment is Aretha Franklin's overpowering delivery of "A Deeper Love," written and produced by C+C Music Factory. --Geoffrey Himes ... Read more

Reviews (26)

That's Some Powerful Gospel!
I prefer Sister Act 2 Soundtrack over Sister Act because of it content of songs. It has the best selection of songs. Don't get me wrong, Sister Act is good but I think this is better. Consisting you have Lauryn Hill of The Fugees and Grammy Award winner for her album 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.' My question is, why hasn't other talents like Ryan Toby and Tanya Blount been successful? Blount did a great album called 'Natural Thing' but nothing since then. I'm glad they have this album as a momento of some of the best singing talent around.

Just about every song here are some of the best classics put together. Whoopi does an OK job on Motown's classics, 'Dancing in the Street,' 'Ball of Confusion' (with the St. Francis Sisters) and closing song 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough.' The best comes from Lauryn Hill and Tanya Blount singing the old gospel hymn 'His Eye Is On the Sparrow.' There's excitement in 'Oh Happy Day' sung by Ryan Toby and the St. Francis Choir. Their shining moment at the competition with the new version of 'Joyful, Joyful.' They bring down the house with their kicked up performance. So if you haven't seen the film yet, don't miss out on some fun, some powerful voices and beautiful gospel.

Fun, Fun, Fun
This is simply a fun album to play. We hear it a lot because my wife loves it and she loves to sing. She has a good voice and often uses this album as a warm-up before singing.

The opening medley is lively and constantly changing (medleys tend to do that, but not as fun as this one). "Oh Happy Day" is fun to sing-along to, especially if you have seen the movie. They dynamics and voice control on "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" are awesome. The "Ode to Joy" is like "Boston Public" meets Saint Olaf's Choir. Followed by "Joyful, Joyful" will get you off your feet, clapping your hands and stomping your feet. Even Whoopi Goldberg does a decent job in "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

If you love to sing, you must get this album (and should watch the movie, too). If you like upbeat songs or gospel songs, certainly give this album a try.

One of The Great Soundtracks...
Back in the day Sister Act 2 was one of my favorites because it represented the struggle to rise up and overcome adversity and doubt and excel...something we needed coming out the ghetto. Hope. The soundtrack was definitely a fun 'sing - along' type of thing since I already knew all the songs from watching the movie so much anyway. Notable singers that were on the album include Ryan Toby of City High fame, Tanya Blount, and the great Lauryn Hill. Granted that outside the movie I would rarely listen to these songs but that's exactly why this is a soundtrack. When I feel like reminiscing about a movie or something I just pop in the soundtrack. Still a great soundtrack with very memorable songs. 5 Stars.

Soulful
Do not listen to Amazon.com's review of this CD. You will be deprived of a great collection of soulful songs from the cast, especially their version of Oh Happy Day. And this contains one of the first available recordings of Lauryn Hill, who was also in the movie as an angsty teenager. Buy the CD and the DVD and enjoy.

GREAT!
This shows why soundtracks are good in the first place. This CD is so much fun, just like the original! I can'tdescribe it any other way. It lifts your spirits, every soulfull and uplifting tune! It has great Dance songs too! If you have a chance to listen to this CD, take it! ... Read more

Album Description

2002 vehicle from former At The Drive-In members OmarRodriguez and Cedric Bixler. A potent blend of dub reggae,psychedelic Latin and Can-inspired 'tribalisms'. 5 tracks'ShrimpTown', 'Dystopia', 'Lopsided', 'Paganorama' & 'Songs For Luna'. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

It's ATDI all over again...
In my opinion ATDRI was Cedric (and quite possibly the other guy with the afro - he seems to have gotten it right with crime in choir). Without his vocals ATDRI would have been just another band. So whenever someone says "boy, I'm sure bummed that they broke up," tell them to go listen to The Mars Volta. MV continues with some of the same type of beat Vaya had - spacey, intense, tribal rock stuff...the peak of ATDR.
The only major difference between the two bands is that Cedric doesn't scream. However, give MV enough time and I think he'll be freaking out in no time flat - sort of like how Crooked Fingers started out as a solo act and evolved into a full blown rock-out band. Hopefully, by the time MV releases an LP or two, ATDRI will be completely reincarnated, without the guys from Sparta dampening the real talent.
Buy Tremulant, it's good music.

Seriously the greatest cd I have ever listened to.
There's not much to say except that everyone should own this cd no matter what type of music they like, although you can hear influences from the 70's and obviously influences from today's indie bands, this music is wholly different. I am in love with these 3 songs and 2 other demo songs that are floating around the internet. The lyrics, vocal melodies, guitar work, and especially the drums are amazing. Music fans searching for innovation look no further. The Mars Volta will probably take over the world with their full length now that they are signed to a major label. Please listen to this cd, and download the songs Cicatriz and Roulette Dares.

Don't look this over.
Don't let the three song track list persuade you otherwise, this is worth the money. Well..when I think about it, they should of changed more. Every song is filled with such power and raw emotion it's hard for me to conger a compairison. "Concertina" is easily the backbone of the EP. They lyrics are beautifully crafted and blend with the music flawlessly. The song takes you on a journey of spirituality that few musical acts can duplicate and is one of their greatest songs. "Eunch Provocateur" is also a great track with amazing guitar and percussion work but the listed 8:48 is a little deceiving because the song really ends at 5:36 and is followed by muffled voices and techo drums. If you're interested in "The Mars Volta" then this Ep should be a great introduction to their music for you. If you like this then you'll love their full lengthed album "Deloused in the Comatorium".

Play That CD!
Did you ever have that brother or sister in your family, that eclipsed you, no matter how great the things you did were and how truly magnificent you are? Well, De-Loused in the Comatorium is the popular brother in the Mars Volta family. Hailed by critics left and right, loved by nearly all who experience it.

But what about Tremulant? The one that showed De-Loused the ropes? While it's not as polished and filled with some big-name session musicians and producers (although Alex Newport is nothing to poke a stick at) it has just as much heart and soul as De-Loused. It's still spacey and surprising; surreal and searing, just packed into a smaller amount of time.

Cedric's lungs still seem to be coughing up the shards inhaled at the demise of At The Drive-In, but it's only small pieces, and like they aimed to, they progress forward with their music.

This CD helps complete the chain that leads you to their newest endevor and manages to offer The Mars Volta with textures and tones that we're yet to see on any of their other works.

It's a reccommended buy if you even remotely liked De-Loused.

A jolt of the Volta
One of the freshest new rock bands in years is the Mars Volta, a sort of space punk band that blasts in and out and leaves you dizzy. The EP "Tremulant" is a fierce little chunk of music that blends together a dozen different musical styles into a big glorious stew.

The EP features a mere three songs. "Cut That City" has a steady buildup before exploding to life. "Concertina" is a more conventional rock song, but it's always ready to twist when it seems to become ordinary. Closing track "Eunuch Provocateur" is a mind-blowing example of what Mars Volta does best: rapid-fire, loud and strange, with plenty of dizzying instrumental stretches.

The Mars Volta is not what most people think of as a rock band. They rock, sure. But they cram in about every musical style that shouldn't fit together: punk, funk, psychedelica Latin, a touch of jazz. And at the heart of it is art-rock. Rather than defying the standards of rock music, the Mars Volta grabs those standards and twists them into a Dali-esque sculpture.

It has the weird, science-fictiony lyrics that Mars Volta does so well, but it's hard to hear them. Cedric Bixler's high, thin voice bobs in and out of the explosive music, and at times you can catch little hints of things that don't seem to make sense. No matter. His voice sounds almost like another instrument being played, whether he's wailing or murmuring.

"Tremulant" is a good intro to Mars Volta's full-length debut, the magnificent sonic avalanche "De-Loused in the Comatorium." The only problem is the hunger for more it leaves in its wake. ... Read more