Reviews (34)

Great Television Soundtrack..
Out of all the other television soundtracks that I have and that I've listened to, I think this one is one of the best ones. In a few other soundtracks, I maybe listen to about 5 songs and that's it. "Our little corner of the World" music from Gilmore Girls, has great songs. It has punk, it has a bit of rock and a bit of everything, especially the theme song sung by Carole King and her daughter Louise Goffin. Excellent!! I recommend every music lover buying this CD.

Welcome To The Gilmore's World
The Gilmore Girls is a great television program on the WB about a mother, Lorelei, who is from a well-to-do family, got pregnant at sixteen, left home to raise her daughter Rory alone. Now Rory is sixteen and Lorelei and her are best friends. They live in the quirky Connecticut town of Stars Hollow that is full of strange, but lovable townsfolk. The show is full of witty dialogue and has a hip sense of music. The soundtrack to the program shows off its eclectic musical tastes. Carole King originally recorded "Where You Lead" on her Tapestry album and the show uses an updated version she recorded with her daughter Louise Goffin as its theme song. Grant Lee Phillips plays a troubadour on the show who plays musical interludes throughout episodes and he contributes the strong "Smile". Sam Phillips does not appear on the show, but her music is a strong part of each episode and the little snippets of her simple la-la-la cues are sprinkled throughout the album. Another strong aspect of the album is that while it has many well-known artists like John Lennon, XTC, Big Star and Joey Ramone, it doesn't pick obvious songs from their catalogues, but lesser known gems. Mr. Lennon's "Oh My Love" is a beautiful and tender song, XTC's "I'm The Man Who Murdered Love" perfectly encapsulates Lorelei's love life. Big Star's "Thirteen" is a sweet acoustic number and Joey Ramone rips through a thrashing version of the standard "What A Wonderful World". The Free Design's "I Found Love" is a quirky pop tune from the early 70's and The Shin's "Know Your Onion" is a quirky pop tune from 2001. Other standout tracks include Ash's rocking "Girl From Mars", PJ Harvey's "One Line" and Yo Lo Tengo's "My Little Corner Of The World".

Great Music for this "Corner"
I admit to being a male Gilmore Girls fan. I cannot get enough of it. When I noticed this soundtrack I bought it immediately. The songs are great; they are from various eras in time and various styles of music are featured. My fave songs are What A Wonderful World, Oh My Love, Where You Lead and Girl From Mars. If you're a fan, this is a MUST!!

i found love!
i've always loved gilmore girls, as a teenaged bookworm, quirk appreciator, & music obsessee, it couldn't have been more right up my alley. it's one of the funniest, smartest, strangest, pop-culture packed sitcoms around. amy sherman and daniel palladino really do love music, and it shows. this soundtrack hosts a great array of interesting songs! there is no absolutely no filler on this cd. it all meshes well together to make a strange, indiepop day in the sun. le sigh! buy the cd, spread the love.

Permanently in my stereo
This CD is hands down the best CD ever. I am a huge music fan, being a singer and I think that Amy Sherman - Palladino and Sam Phillips did a great job on this compilation based on Gilmore Girls (my favorite show). Even if you don't like the show, it's a great CD to buy to explore music you don't hear on Top 40. It turned me unto so many great artists and bands like Sam Phillips and Grant Lee Buffalo. Buy it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Electrifying performers and pure-pop songwriters of the highest order, Toronto's Barenaked Ladies have emerged over a decade as that strangest of beasts. They'll never land a dishy cover story in Mojo Magazine, but as they reflect on those ribald years between 1991 and 2001, the five can allow themselves wry smiles, knowing that sometimes, just sometimes, the cream rises to the top. In addition to familiar radio staples such as "Pinch Me," "The Old Apartment," "Jane," "Alternative Girlfriend," and the ubiquitous "One Week," there's a trump card on All Their Greatest Hits that will prove irresistible to completists: the Ladies' buttery, acoustic version of Bruce Cockburn's "Lovers in a Dangerous Time." Recorded eons ago for a Cockburn tribute disc that almost immediately went out of print, the song has until now been a rare and highly coveted collector's item. Two news songs--"Thanks That Was Fun" and "It's Only Me (The Wizard of Magicland)"--were recorded specifically for this collection, while two others ("Brian Wilson" and "What a Good Boy") are captured live. But what really brings this album home is, ironically, "If I Had $1,000,000." One of their very first hits cut as the Ladies were learning to dovetail their so-called "acoustic hip-hop" into slicker pop sensibilities, "$1,000,000"--a simple knock-kneed love song with harmonies so tight they're practically braided--is a snapshot of a band with all the pieces in place just as the planets were about to align. --Kim Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (74)

BNL comes full circle...
...from fringe-dwellers mocking 'Greatest Hits' collections on their first album ('Disc One, it's where we've begun/It's all our greatest hits/And if you are a fan then you know that you've already got 'em' from 'Box Set') to Big Stars putting out a collection of their own. As the title indicates, they're well aware of the irony; what this traditional-style CD really celebrates is success for a band that has never sold out.
The lush (19-song!) selection is excellent, covering the obvious highlights ('Brian Wilson', 'If I Had $1 000 000', and, yep, 'One Week' - be prepared to be driven crazy all over again) as well as less successful or harder-to-find treats ('Call and Answer', 'Shoe Box', 'Lovers in a Dangerous Time'). The only track I'd disagree with is a live version of 'What a Good Boy', an essentially intimate ballad that isn't at it's best with several thousand people singing along.
The two new tracks are a toss-up; 'It's Only Me' is frenetic New Wave stuff, funny but maybe a bit too busy, and 'Thanks That Was Fun' is the gentle, nicely rueful story of a break-up that (in patented BNL fashion) isn't proving nearly as satisfying as the narrator had hoped.
The liner notes include two admiring (but thankfully not gushy) 'how-they-dunnit' essays and track-by-track annotations from Steven Page. In other words, everything you wanted to know and some stuff you maybe could have lived without but will enjoy anyway.
All told, a hugely satisfying Barenaked Ladies experience. (Although they'll hopefully drop the 'Box Set' references while they're ahead. Otherwise...'Disc Three/Well this is really me/In a grade school play' and 'Disc Six/A dance remix/to catch the latest trend...')

Disc one...it's where we've begun...
I am probably one of the biggest BNL fans out there. I've seen them live too many times to count and I have all of their earlier CDs, yet I still had to have this Greatest Hits compilation. For older fans, it's totally worth it for the amazing version of the previously rare cover of Lovers. *This* is the song that should have Steve Page writing Jim is a bass god on random walls. Wizard (or It's Only Me) is an excellent upbeat, fun song, particularly once you realize what it's all about. Great fun to sing along to. Thanks That Was Fun is quite possibly the greatest Ed song ever. This song owns me. The bridge is fantastic, and his voice on this song gives me chills every single time. I can't get enough. And if that's not enough to sell an older fan of the band, it's worth it just to have Steve's commentary in the liner notes.

For the rest of you, this is an excellent introduction to the wonder that is Barenaked Ladies. Be warned, however, because once you hear the gems What a Good Boy, Brian Wilson, and Too Little, Too Late, just to name a few, you will be hooked.

A Great Introduction/Compilation To A Great Group
When I heard this for the first time, I noticed there's something both modern and Beatlesque about the music. For me, it's refreshing to buy something I can listen to all the way through and enjoy every song. It's now one of a handful of albums I play regularly.

To all BNL fans who haven't bought this yet: You already know great these songs are. It's worth buying because Lovers In A Dangerous Time, It's Only Me, and Thanks That Was Fun don't appear on any of the other albums. This Old Apartment and Shoe Box sound remarkably better than the versions on Born On A Pirate Ship.

To everyone who doesn't listen to top40 radio: If there's one modern group to buy music from, it's BNL. Start with this album and then check out their studio albums. You will discover, as I did, that this album is a brilliant introduction and will have you wanting more.

Great Introduction to Barenaked Ladies for newcomers
If you do not own a Barenaked Ladies CD this is a good selection for you. I suspect those new to the Ladies will find tracks on thsi CD they are familiar with but did not know the artist.

My favorites on this disc include, "Jane", "Lovers in a dangerous Time", and a very nice live recording of "What a good boy".

vintage Barenaked Ladies
This is easy-listening rock that does not suck. Barenaked Ladies basically sound like the Beach Boys but better, more depth and talent. This is a great collection of their best songs, new and old. they also have the best name of any band

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes" ... Read more

Amazon.com

A good, inexpensive single-disc compilation of Rundgren singles may not be what the world's been waiting for, but it's a fine thing nonetheless. Largely avoiding the big pretensions of many of his post-Something/Anything? albums, this record distills 15 years of releases into a hits-just-keep-on-coming set which makes sense of the sensibility that produced the bemusedly soulful "Hello It's Me," the straightforwardly sweet "Dream Goes On Forever," and the outright goofy "Bang the Drum All Day." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Fairly Good Compilation
As many Todd Rundgren fans know it is very difficult to make a BEST OF or GREATEST HITS album on all of Todd's music. As far as this one goes it is a decent start for people who are just getting interested in Rundgren's great wide variety of music. It contains all of his hits including "We Gotta Get You A Woman", "I Saw The Light", "Hello Its Me", "Couldn't I Just Tell You", "Can We Still Be Friends", and the never ending hit "Bang The Drum All Day". All of these songs are classics in the Rundgren mold, but I really wish there were some more songs from A Wizard, A True Star and Todd. All in all though it does contain some Utopia songs icluding the excellent rocker "Love In Action" from the album Ooops Wrong Planet. Todd Rundgren's major hits are all here making it an excellent addition to any music fans collection, but buyers beware of the last track with Bobby Womack called "The Want Of A Nail".

Great for the casual fan
For over three decades, Todd Rundgren has been one of the highest quality pop-rockers out there, Not many artists last that long, let alone have music that stands the test of thime. Todd's music more than stands the test of time - it's an infinite number of times better than the stuff that has been flooding the mainstream in recent years. To not love this guy's music is the ultimate sin! Okay, enough talk, let's get down to business. Read on for my review of The Very Best Of Todd Rundgren.

PROS:
-If you're a casual Todd Rundgren fan, and you like the songs of his that get played on the radio on a regular basis, this is the compilation for you. All his big hits are here, from the deep and meaningful early seventies tunes Hello Its Me and I Saw The Light, to the much more pop-oriented and keyboard-heavy eighties pop-rocker, Bang The Drum All Day.
-The compilation truly is a "best of" and not a "greatest hits", because it relies on a number of excellent songs that were never popular in any way.
-The album features tracks from Todd's Utopia days.
-The liner notes are very nice. They contain info on Todd's career, original release dates (to the month) for albums and singles.

CONS:
-The major problem with this compilation is its run time. It doesn't fill the eighty minutes you can fit on a compact disc. This is sad, because Todd has so many songs that could have been used to fill the time, and ultimately make the compilation more complete.
-As another review stated, the liner notes (while good) could have been better. I don't like it when an artist disses his or her own music.

OVERALL:
Minor flaws aside, this is an excellent compilation for any casual fan on Todd Rundgren. If you're just a casual fan, don't get a pricey, multi-disc anthology - this will do just fine.

Great for the bewildered fan
I owned and loved all of Todd Rundgren's albums until he formed Utopia and stepped off into outer space. I still stand by the two Runt albums, "Something/Anything," "A Wizard a True Star" and (especially) "Todd" as some of the most brilliant, creative pop-rock ever produced. If you like Todd Rundgren, before you buy this best-of, buy all of those. You also might want to get a couple of other winners from a little later in his career, "Faithful" and "Hermit of Mink Hollow." But after all those, you might want to get this, because it's the best way to get great tracks like "Real Man," "Love is the Answer," "Something to Fall Back On," and "Want of a Nail," without having to expose yourself to the maddeningly tedious side of Rundgren's music, his explorations into generic transcendentalism, accompanied by endless screaming guitar and synthesizer solos, with zero evidence of the humor and soul he shows at his best. None of that music is represented here, luckily. You can enjoy "Real Man" without ever having to listen to "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire," and that's the best favor anyone could do for this gifted, but sometimes self-indulgent, artist.

Can we still be friends?
Can we still be friends? is quite simply one of the most amazingly beautiful and moving and poignant songs this reviewer has ever had the good fortune and blessing to hear.

Good Starter, could have used a couple more tracks
This is a good starter CD for anyone who is learning about Todd's music, but it barely scratches the surface about who Todd is (and thats hard to explain because he kept trying to re-invent himself every LP during his 70's prime) Rhino has a few other 1-CD budget comps of Todds stuff but they are very skimpy - get this one instead to see if you like him or not. (I think you will)

My only gripe is the liner notes which someone should have re-edited, Todd complains a lot about his early music (which I adored).

All his well known "hits" are here, but I would have loved to also have had "Sometimes I Dont Know What To Feel", "Time Heals" and the underrated "Parallel Lines" from his last great CD, "Nearly Human". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Brendan Benson is the kind of guy who still sits by the AM radio late at night, spinning the tuning dial from one end to the other in a hopeless search for the perfect pop song. Little does he know he's considerably helped his own plight by making an album full of them. Unlucky in both love and money, the Detroit singer-songwriter has plenty to chew on with his third disc. Using wistful bubblegum melodies and crisp '60s harmonies, in tunes like "Feel Like Myself" and "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)" he lashes out at former lovers and A&R men with equal venom. "I always wind up screwed without a kiss," he hisses on the Phil Spector inspired "The Pledge." But, in the end the man who counts Jack White and Beck as devoted fans, knows impending success is the best payback. "Maybe I've been caught red-handed, making off like a lucky bandit/ This wasn't how I planned it," he gloats on the title track. It's really hard to argue. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (15)

I HEART BRENDAN BENSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I found out about Brendan because he was opening for Keane. I went into it having no idea who he was and the minute he started to play I was hooked! This guy knows how to rock! And what I really love is how he combines so many era-sounds to make awesome Music!!! Buy this cd, you will not be dissapointed!!

Am I Missing Something?
I saw Brendan Benson open for Keane last night. I mostly looked up the reviews on him because I was, quite frankly, appalled. My friends and I spent most of his set laughing at the stupidity of his lyrics. We assumed that he was someone Keane had brought in because the actual opener had cancelled at the last minute. When I checked online this morning and discovered that Benson has actually experienced some acclaim, I was very surprised. And Jack White likes him too? Why?

I very much feel like I am missing something here. Where's the appeal? Sure, Benson's cute, and his music is not innept, but we all agreed that he should pay someone else to write his lyrics for him. Perhaps Benson's music would be more listenable (at least for me) if his diction wasn't so good. Sadly, however, I could understand everything he sang, and he sounded like a complete idiot.

"Whenever you feel me slipping away, that's when you should hold me tight," makes me doubt Benson (or at least whoever he's impersonating in his songs) has never progressed beyond junior high school relationships. The rhyming is perhaps the worst part, and one person I was with suggested that perhaps its atrociousness stemmed from Benson's overreliance on a rhyming dictionary.

I don't doubt that Benson's previous albums have been better, and do not find him wholly untalented. However, as for last night, I have never been less impressed by a musical act in my entire life.

Benson finally reaches power pop nirvana
I feel compelled to write this review after reading Mr Otwell's savage mauling of this album.I don't like to criticise the opinion of others but I really must protest at someone who reckons that Benson has lost his ability to write good music.

The simple truth is that 'Alternative To Love' is a masterpiece.

I already own 'Lapalco' and 'One Mississippi' but I always felt that they were patchy affairs.One or two songs on either album hinted at Benson's talent but over all there were too many half tunes to contend with.

On 'Alternative To Love', Benson really gets it right.
The songs are more straight forward power pop than before.

Musical highlights are many.I especially love the title song 'Alternative To Love'.It's great to hear layer upon layer of harmonies and great guitar work.The harmonica solo is a big bonus as well.I also love 'Biggest Fan'.It's the work of a genius.The keyboard (I think it's a Moog or a Melletron ?) dominates the track.Other highlights for me would be 'Flesh And Bone'.It's a nice melancholic track. Benson achieves the right mix of sadness and joy.
Any non-believers out there should listen to 'I Feel Like Myself Again' to dispel any nagging doubts about this man's genius.This song is an anthem to the power pop generation.It's a song similar to 'Surprise' by Semisonic - an uplifting song about finding your confidence again.A wonderful wonderful optimistic track - everything a power pop song should be.

I was doing a bit of research on this album and I found out that Benson recorded the album and then handed the tapes over to the producer with the instruction to 'fill out' the sound.This was a masterstroke.The producer added keyboards, vocal dubs and other technical flourishes to give the album a fuller sound.

I wish more artists would take a leaf out of his book and do the same !

I believe that at the moment Benson is collaborating with his friend Jack White of The White Stripes on new material.I'm not expecting too much from this.I can't see how White's back to basic blues approach will blend in with Benson's intricate power pop.Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised....

Its really good
Brendan bensons new cd is really good, if you like brendans stuff you will dig it. Its not going to be another Lapalco, because if it was it would be very dissapointing to see that brendan isnt maturing as a musician. I mean, if he wrote another "Good to me" would we really be impressed?

"Between us" is defenatly my favorite song on the album, its so good it gave me chills when i heard it live. The albums awesome, and you should buy it, end of story.

Good framework...frustrating listen
Brendan Benson's 'Alternative To Love' is sort of a frustrating listen, in that you can see the framework of great songwriting that never really materializes.Songs like 'Alternative to Love' and 'Feel Like Myself' start off sounding like they're going to be great songs, then they sort of wander off into monotony.

There's solid enough pop craftsmanship to suggest Benson is ripe with talent, but result of this songwriting effort is unrewarding and banal.Really more accurate than a 3 is a 3.5 or so, but I just couldn't bring myself to round up to a four because so many of the songs sound like they could be made into great songs with just a slightly different approach to them.And the sometimes cringe-worthy lyrics clinched it as a 3. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

"I wear my influences like a f***ing badge," proclaims lead singer-songwriter Courtney Taylor regarding Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia. But while the Dandy Warhols liberally steal Rolling Stones riffs, Iggy Pop vocals, Britpop sonic surfing, and even Burt Bacharach horn sections, they give it back in spades, delivering one of the best rock albums of 2000: a masterpiece of sex, beauty, strife, and wry, raunchy-cool attitude. --Beth Massa ... Read more

Reviews (83)

The Last Classic Rock Album
After waiting three years, the day has finally arrived. A new album by the Dandy Warhols, and quite possibly their best yet. Although it doesn't have some of the slow heavy psychadelic tracks from Dandys Rule OK and ...the Dandy Warhols Come Down, every song has unique qualities that make each one worthwhile. Basically, it comes down to one simple fact: this record rocks. The first track is "Godless" which is also the first US single, and it sets the pace for the album, always staying at this zenith of quality. Some of my favorites are "Country Leaver", "Horse Pills", "Get Off", and "Bohemian Like You", another of the album's singles. Even if you haven't heard either of the band's first two albums, you should buy this as soon as you can. The vocal harmonies are as tight and layered as ever, and the band seems to have gone deeper into arrangements, including horns and strings on some of the tracks and layering guitar, bass, and organ sounds more than on the other albums. The first few thousand albums pressed also contain a bonus disc, which includes "White Gold", "Phone Call", and live versions of the band's hit single "Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" and "I Love You".

4 1/2 stars...loads of fun
The Dandy Warhols are one cheeky band. Amidst today's one-hit-wonder pop music scene, where buzzbin bands go from being the second coming to yesterday's news practically overnight (a fate that The Dandy Warhols narrowly escaped with their 1997 hit 'Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth'), the band decided to make "one last classic album" in the tradition of the great albums of the late sixties and early seventies, where the entire recording is remembered more than the one or two hit singles it may spawn. That's an audacious thing to do (after all, the music biz is all about pushing singles), but for real music fans, it's a godsend, and the resulting product, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia, is one of the most enjoyable albums of the year, and definitely the most fun.

Guitarist/vocalist/producer Courtney Taylor-Taylor and his crew plundered the classic rock vaults to create a wildly eclectic album. Notable styles that were 'lifted' are Burt Bacharach ('Godless'), The Beatles ('Mohammed'), Led Zeppelin III ('Country Leaver'), The Byrds ('Cool Scene'), Iggy Pop and The Velvet Underground ('Shakin''), Gram Parsons ('The Gospel') and Buffalo Springfield ('Big Indian'). Some people have also noted the sly irony in the song 'Godless', which borrows the intro to George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord'. The classic album sound is also mimicked to perfection, with a warm, bass-heavy sound, luscious guitar overdubs, beautiful vocal harmonies, and as a final kicker, cross-fades between songs to give 13 Tales a continuous feel.

Taylor-Taylor's chameleonlike voice is the real star here. One minute he's delivering the vocals in a whisper-like tone, the next he's evoking Lou Reed while doing an eighties-style rap, then he's sounding like Iggy Pop, then he's harmonizing like the White Album-era Beatles, and as a final coup de grace, he sings the country-style album closer 'The Gospel' in a voice that sounds amazingly close to Thom Yorke of Radiohead.

Every song on the album is loads of fun, especially 'Country Leaver', 'Solid', 'Horse Pills', 'Cool Scene', and 'Shakin'', but the real great song (and ironically, potential huge single) is the sardonic 'Bohemian Like You'. Not since Jarvis Cocker's legendary class-war diatribes 'Common People' and 'Sorted For E's & Wizz' has anyone so hilariously lampooned wannabe hipsters. Over a guitar riff blatantly stolen from The Rolling Stones' 'Brown Sugar', Taylor-Taylor sings, "so what do you do?/oh yeah I wait tables too/no I haven't heard your band/cause you guys are pretty new" before launching into a (yet again) Stones-like "woo-hoo!" chorus. Irresistable!

People will probably overemphasize Taylor-Taylor's social commentary, but that's just prevalent in one song. As for the rest of the songs on 13 Tales, there's a reason the lyrics weren't included with the cd; as Taylor-Taylor sings in 'Cool Scene', "I really don't care what I sing/and I really doubt you know what I mean." Hey, forget about finding witty bon mots in the songs, sit back, and have a blast listening to this fabulous album.

Couldn't Find Second?
I just don't understand bands that have sensational released songs and the rest of their album's unreleased songs are nothing like the released ones either in quality, style or sound. A lot of songs on here seem to have had no effort put into them whatsoever when either writing or performing them.

Bohemian Like You is a sensational song, probably the best they've ever done. It is clever, catchy and one you can sing along to and would also be an excellent live song as well. You cannot say the same thing about any one of the other songs on this album. Some of these songs start of great but never seem to find second gear. You're listening, expecting something great to happen any moment but the song stays in the same first gear introduction format for its duration. Some of these songs even seem to be stuck in a loop repeating exactly the same thing for between three and five minutes. Even the songs which you are into at the start you get sick of halfway through them. The dreaded F word, Filler comes to mind.

The Dandy Warhols have had great success with Bohemian Like You from this album, We Used to be Friends from Welcome to the Monkey House and Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth from The Dandy Warhols Come Down. Why? Because they open their mouths in those songs and actually seem like they are interested in singing them. The rest of the songs on here are either mumbled, sung so softly you have to struggle to understand what is being said or are just plain terrible.

Great Album
One of the better CD's in my collection.

Telling Stories
One of the best and unfairly underrated rock albums of the last years, this third Dandy Warhols` release is worth multiple listens. Here, the band gets even more experimental and innovative, covering a wider range of styles, rehashing old elements and using them to create something new.

This is a rich and multi-layered record, presenting a strong set of songs that flow well into each other and, although all of them sound quite different, they make sense as a whole. The first three songs in particular are great and make an engaging intro into the album.
"Godless" is a terrific ballad, proving that lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor has indeed a great voice behind his cool, slacker and laid-back attitude. The use of trumpet generates some unusual and gourgeous moments, giving an excellent starting point to the album. "Mohammed" is an unique moment of ethereal beauty, a dreamy and addictive song, even if it seems too strange at first. "Nietzche" is another high number, sounding harsh and abrasive while delivering a compelling and melodic chorus. These three tracks are a terrific beginning to a surprising musical experience.

The band offers new perspectives to rock here, combining influences yet managing to create a particular and personal sound and perspective. The quirky "Country Leaver" and the mellow "Big Indian" recall some Beck moments, while "Solid" seems like a Lou Reed experience with britpop. The energetic and delightful "Get Off" has some Pixies` resemblances and "Cool Scene" could be from a cooler, gutsier Elliot Smith.

The Warhols really outdo themselves here, offering a tight album that never gets tiresome or repetitive, even if it may sound a bit weird and strange at first. The quasi-instrumental "Sleep" is one of the best slices of music of the last years, creating a relaxing, spacey and dreamy mood that goes on and on with a sense of uplifting peacefulness. It also proves that this band has a great sense of melody without sounding too poppy or cheap.

"Thirteen Tales of Urban Bohemia" is a thrilling achievement that should get more recognition, presenting the Dandy Warhols in top form and proving that these guys are one of the most interesting alternative bands around. They surely know how to deliver a sucessful and consistent rock album.
Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Not bad; now how about a box set?
This CD provides a workmanlike overview of the band's career on both the Apple and Warner Brothers labels. For new or casual fans who only want the biggest hits, it's probably an ideal compilation. And while the song selection isn't as deep as that of the previous "Best Of" CDs (there's really no excuse for them not filling the disc out at a full 78 minutes, BTW), the sound quality is noticably improved with the newer, 24-bit remastering.

One can't help wondering, however, when (or if) Apple/EMI plan to issue a box set on this great band. With three or four full-length discs, they could provide a truly definitive overview of Badfinger's finest moments AND include more of the rare and/or unreleased tracks that fans crave. Perhaps this new disc is the opening salvo of a full-blown reissue campaign by Apple and WB. One can always hope...

It's Okay.
I'll begin by saying that I have very mixed feelings about this collection. As a single-disc compilation, it is obviously not as comprehensive as the two previous volume of "The Best of Badfinger". On the other hand, it does condense their Apple and Warner Brother years onto one tidy disc for the first time ever. For anybody who's never really experienced Badfinger, this collection is probably a good place to start. Yes, many people have heard several of the hits before, but they don't know who sang them. Play this at any gathering and I guarantee that everybody will know at least two or three of these songs (you may even create some new Badfinger fans).

Now for the critique...

The compilers pretty much culled all of the essential tracks from their album as the Iveys and from their first album as Badfinger (except for maybe "Crimson Ship" from _Magic Christian Music_) The same goes for the tracks from their second album, _No Dice_. One can never tire of the likes of "No Matter What" or "We're for the Dark". The inclusion of the "rare" "I'll Be the One" is a nice surprise.

The selections from _Straight Up_ and _Ass_ are, however, highly suspect. Yes, we have "Day After Day", "Baby Blue" (simply the best power-pop song ever recorded by anyone), and "When I Say". But what possessed the producers to replace the majestic piano-driven _Straight Up_ take of "Name of the Game" with a highly inferior guitar-based recording from the same sessions? This is NOT the way for the casual listener to be introduced to such a great song!

As for _Ass_, why does Capitol insist on mistreating this highly underrated album so much?! First, they choose not to reissue it in the U.S., then they practically ignore it on this collection. "When I Say" is a great song, but what about "Apple of My Eye", "I Can Love You", or "Timeless"?

The big news here, of course, is the inclusion of several WB tracks, all of which are worth the price of admission, especially "Love Time" and the stunning medley "Meanwhile at the Ranch/Should I Smoke".

I recommend this collection to anyone who's never really heard Badfinger aside from there few hits. From here, though, the listener is advised to check out their individual albums, especially _Straight Up_, _Ass_ (good luck!), and _Wish You Were Here_.

Is That Carrot Top?
With such hits like "Come And Get It," "Day After Day," and "Baby Blue," Badfinger (whatever that means) is certainly a band that was capable of making good music. Unfortunatley the only thing they'll be remembered for is the fact that they are one of the ugliest bands of all-time, capped off that their drummer looks like the not-so-funny prop comic Carrot Top.

The essential tracks are here...
Badfinger perfectly captured the sound and attitude of the popular music of the time. Indeed, many of these songs are as good as anything released in the early 1970s (Come and Get It, Day After Day, No Matter What). The band also had a way with a Beatle-esque ballad (as evidenced by the hit Without You, and Carry On Til Tomorrow). Not all of the material on this collection is as strong, and some tracks (like Apple of my Eye) are noticibly absent - but that's a common complaint when evaluating "Best Of" compilations. The essenial tracks are here, and there should be enough to keep you rocking for a long time. Recommended.

Great Badfinger Compilation
This new Badfinger compilation contains both Apple and Warner tracks. Undoubtedly this album will be a good appetizer and a good place for "newcomers" to start, All the hits are here and most of the immediately catchy songs too. Good to see Pete Ham so well-represented; and also great that "I'll Be The One" , the great lost single, is included. Obviously there are many great songs left out. I would like to have seen "Apple of My Eye", "Blind Owl", "Shine On", "Know One Knows" and some of the great "Head First"-tracks included ( "Keep Believing", "Lay Me Down", Mr Manager", "Moonshine" etc, ) . Also a bit disappointing that that none of the great still unreleased Apple tracks were not included as bonus-tracks. ( e.g. "Sing For The Song" and "Baby Please"). Still a great release ... Read more

Album Description

You want your '80s! Fer sure! This is the mother of alltributes to the era of skinny ties, Reaganomics, andPac-Man! Seven CDs, 142 hit songs, from New Wave to Pop toR&B to Hip-Hop to Novelty, including an incredible 49 #1tracks! Starring Queen, New Edition, Duran Duran, RichardMarx, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Men At Work, Toto, The Cure, Culture Club, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, Simple Minds,Bangles, New Kids On the Block...and many more. Plus a90-page book with hundreds of historical photos, facts, and memories from the decade that wanted it all! Limitededition sculpted rubber cover! Approx. 10 x 8 x 3/4 inches. 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Doesn't compare to Rhino's 70's box
Okay, I'll concede this point: If you like a lot of 80's pop, from "new wave/new romantic/synth pop" to metal to plain-old top 40, you'll enjoy the music. I'll also concede that the art direction is both amusing and top-notch, in typical Rhino style. Their box sets are beyond compare in terms of presentation.

The problems: Almost all of these songs have been released on other 80's compilations, and many on Rhino's own product. Billy Crystal's novelty song is probably the rarest thing here. This is a general beef with Rhino, which reissues the same one or two tracks by a certain artist over and over as opposed to picking a lesser known hit. My guess is that most people likely to buy a package like this probably has at least some of Rhino's "Just Can't Get Enough" series, perhaps some of their Billboard 80's discs, and some other companies' compilations. I end up feeling like I pay $10 to $20 per song, or end up buying a package because I like the packaging! (It's true -- suckers are born every minute.)

What's most disappointing, however, is that Rhino did a much better job with their 70's box set. The 70's box set DID contain a few rarities from some big name artists. In fact, their "Have a Nice Decade" box is the ONLY place I'm aware of that one can buy the single version of David Bowie's "Fame" on cd. Similarly it was one of the first cd's to feature the single edit of Gladys Knight and the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia." These are just two examples. The only unusual sounding mix I heard on this box was the Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep", and I didn't listen closely enough to be sure that there was something different about it.

The 70's box also had many interesting sound bites from the 70's (Nixon, Patty Hearst, etc) placed at amusing points during the program. The 80's box contains NO sound bites. This makes this box set more of a collection of tunes and less of an "experience." Sure, the music alone evokes nostalgia but sound clips from Reagan, Bush, Quayle, or "Murphy Brown" would have been interesting. Imagine a soundbite from the news of the shuttle exploding right before Peter Shilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)". That's the kind of fun the 70's box provided.

I also thought the first essay in the booklet was lame, but that's neither here nor there.

I know that my critique may seem overly harsh to some. If I were reviewing this only for people who didn't have any 80's music on cd and wanted a great amount and variety of tunes, I'd certainly recommend this at the 5-star level. Somehow I don't think that is the primary market envisioned for this.

Is this enough '80s music for you?
My biggest gripe is this: there are seven CDs in this package, and my CD player only holds five CDs! :-(

OK, seriously, this is quite a comprehensive collection of 80's music, and just about every genre is represented to some extent. There's Eddie Rabbit, Blondie, New Edition, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Devo, Simple Minds, Duran Duran, just to name a few. Of course, though, it is heavy on the pop numbers, and it certainly brings back memories of high school for me, particularly since the collection seems to lean heavily toward early to mid '80s music. There's not much on it after 1987, which doesn't bother me personally, but I would have liked, for example, "We Didn't Start the Fire," by Billy Joel.

Indeed, that is the one problem with this collection, but that can be said for any collection. For all the wonderful songs on there, so many more were left off. There's nothing by A Flock of Seagulls, Journey, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and each artist that is there is represented only once. Why was The Thompson Twins represented with "Lies" and not "Hold Me Now" or "Doctor Doctor"? Where was Howard Jones? Still, it was well worth the money.

Now, I just need a CD player with more spaces . . .

Nice overview - may be addictive...
Be forewarned, the sugar-coated empty calories found in the LIKE, OMIGOD... box set from Rhino will just leave you wanting more. 142 tracks across seven CDs and it just scratches the surface on a shallow, yet oddly endearing decade.

LIKE, OMIGOD... hits almost all of the popularly acknowledged high points, including "867-5309/Jenny," "Tainted Love," "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," - as well as great novelty numbers and underground tunes like "Pac-Man Fever," "Da Da Da," and "Turning Japanese." While not in strict chronological order like Rhino's 70s set, HAVE A NICE DECADE, LIKE, OMIGOD... is well-sequenced and provides a relatively satisfying trip - as well as a great set for any party. No need for "random play" here - just load this set, hit "play" and dance away.

While this set is almost certainly a one-stop shop for the music fan simply looking for a well-balanced 80s collection, the completist and discerning collector will no doubt view this as the tip of the iceberg. Those such as myself, more enthralled with the simultaneous New Wave movement, will find lots more to love (approximately 300 tracks worth - with minimal duplication) in Rhino's 15-volume JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH 80s collection. Even then, LIKE, OMIGOD... will spur you on to fill up your shopping cart with with entire albums by Billy Squier, Duran Duran, The Fixx, Pretenders and more.

The only downside to be found is that LIKE, OMIGOD... also forces the listener to take the bad with the good (or the worse with the bad?), presenting end-of-the-decade stinkers such as New Kids on the Block and Richard Marx toward the end of the seventh disc. For this listener, those musical tragedies are still too recent, too terrible to revisit with any degree of nostalgia.

As gaudily packaged as the decade it represents, LIKE, OMIGOD... is presented in a hardcover book format identical to HAVE A NICE DECADE and contains a similar full-color booklet complete with essays, trivia, 80s timeline and notes on each of the performers and songs included. The sound of the CDs, as with all Rhino product, is pristine. As for the sound of some of the music - well, you can't blame Rhino...

FREAKIN' AWESOME COLLECTION!
I can't tell you how many 80's compilations I have and, aside from each of them usually having the same couple songs, like The Fixx or Squeeze, (which isn't on here), you're always surprised when you listen to a compilation by which songs you hear that you never knew the name for and all of a sudden you're "like, omigod! (no pun intended) That's THAT song!?! I KNOW that song!" LOL...hearing a lot of these brought back some great eighties memories for me, even though I was only a kid back then. This compilation had most of my fave 80's songs on it, so I could just copy the one or two songs off my other compilations, make one CD out of them, and sell the rest. I advise anyone who's interested in this to do the same. But read Amazon's list of songs first, if you haven't already, to make sure your favorites are on here. Definitely worth the money, considering you're getting seven CD's, so it equals out to about ten dollars or so per CD, (I got mine for $73). As further proof, I'm letting my co-worker listen to disc 6 right now and she's so impressed, she's downloading it to her hard drive at work and will be purchasing it with her next check to bring it home! :-p If you love 80's, get this compilation. No collection is complete without it. Plus, the awesome booklet it comes with gives you a little info on each song, a historical timeline following the songs, and many many many colorful photographs! Impressive and worth it!

A must for any 80s fan!
Like, OmiGod! This set is awesome! It has almost every song that came out from any one hit wonder during the 80s like You Dropped a Bomb on Me (The Gap Band) and Turning Japanese (The Vapors). It's definitely a pop culture box with its songs on General Hospital, Pac Man and Valley Girls. This is a must for anyone who still dwells on the decade of E.T. and The Breakfast Club. Not to mention that I'm a huge Star Wars fan and it has a medly from The Empire Strikes Back. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This double record from 1972 remains the definitive collection of Rundgren's long career. With Rundren acting as a one-man-band for three-quarters of the session, it was also his bid for a Ph.D. from the college of musical knowledge. He deserved the degree for simply writing the lead-off track, "I Saw the Light," a melodic pop-rock gem that remains Rundgren's greatest hit. Rundgren excels at Beatles-esque pop-rock ("Couldn't I Just Tell You," "Wolfman Jack") and Philadelphia-styled soul ballads ("It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference," "Hello, It's Me"). He also sticks his toe into heavy metal ("Black Maria"), jazz-rock fusion ("Breathless"), and cerebral pop ("The Night the Carousel Burnt Down"). Like most double albums, there's fat on the play-list, but the best of Something/Anything gave credence to Rundgren's boast of being a wizard and a true star. --John Milward ... Read more

Reviews (45)

An underrated pop/rock masterpiece!
Todd's Something/Anything is one of the most sensative and poignant rock albums ever! The blend of soft harmonies, strong melodies and surreal atmosphere create a utopian listening experience! Can there be more haunting and beautiful tunes as "Marlene", "I Saw The Light", "It Couldn't Have Made Any Difference" and "Your Saving Grace". Todd rocks too... but it's the pop sensativities throughout this tour de force that make it one of the finest albums of this century! I first heard this album in 1972 and still look forward to hearing it. True musicians know....long after Billy Joel, Mariah Carey and Michael Bolton are in the grooveyard..Todd Rundren's Something /Anything will live on.

sometime/anytime
i've been listening to music since i can't remember when, and certain albums from my childhood (few, a very precious few) have stayed with me through the decades and have continued to make a huge difference in my life. creedence's "green river" is one. bowie"s "station to station" is another. but while spending a year plus living in the vaccuous vegas desert, i had the great fortune to remeet another old childhood friend that i thought had left me long ago. as you are reading this under the particular context, that record, is, of course, todd rundgren's, "something/anything?".
as fresh and relevant today as it was when released 29(!) years ago, this baby never fails to deliver, and in a variety of musical styles. you get todd as pop god--"i saw the light", "hello it's me", "coudn't i just tell you?"--todd as soulful balladeer--"it wouldn't have made any difference", "cold morning light"--todd as tortured punk--"little red light" and "slut" (with the pre-tin machine sales brothers).
lots of the songs are completely undefinable pieces of whimsy--"the night the carousel burnt down", "it takes two to tango", while others still go down a road impossible to peg--"black maria", "i went to the mirror".
two discs, twenty-five tracks, and not a dog to be seen.
these are songs filled with meaning, and grace, and a real soul behind them, laying it all on the line.
words fall short when it comes to describing great music, so if you're not in the know about this record, do yourself a favor and pick it up. it just may change your life, as it has changed mine, and perhaps more importantly, continues to do so.

Absolutely mind blowing..and not even his best work!
After crafting a perfect pop album on "The Ballad..", Todd took it to the next level with "Something/Anything?", a sprawling double album broken up into four parts. With the exception of the fourth side/part, Todd wrote and played all of these songs himself - every word, every instrument!

Part 1: A bouqet of ear catching melodies

1. I Saw the Light

The first of two big hits that Todd scored off this album. I'm sure you all know it. A classic pop song.

2. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference

A sad piano ballad (save the upbeat bridge) that would've fit in perfectly on Todd's previous album. Fits in great here, too.

3. Wolfman Jack

A catchy, upbeat, Motown inspired romp whose title is a reference to a famous radio DJ. Again, amazing vocal delivery from Todd, ranging from a very high falsetto, to his normal singing voice, and even a spoken word, "jive talkin" segue in the middle.

4. Cold Morning Light

Another heartbreaking ballad, but a little more complex than "..Difference". The verses are in 4/4, with a dainty accoustic guitar line that repeats throughout. Then, it switches into 3/4 time for the chorus.

5. It Takes Two to Tango (This is for the Girls)

Another catchy, upbeat song.

6. Sweeter Memories

A slow burning ballad, kinda psychadelia-lite. The organ touches in the background will make you want to fire up that lighter and sway it back and forth.

Part 2: The Cerebral Side

7. Intro

An amusing spoken word bit from Todd.

8. Breathless

An *awesome* instrumental that really foreshadows the direction Todd would take on "A Wizard, a True Star". The main melody is a heavily synthesized blend of jazz, dance, and psychadelic pop, with a honky tonk inspired break in the middle.

9. The Night the Carousel Burned Down

My favorite song on the first disc. This is really Todd's first ballad that wasn't about love or heartbreak. He plays this on a pipe organ (or probably a synthesized version of one, no less), which really gives it a Carnival/Amusement Park feel to it. Theatrical and great.

10. Saving Grace

Despite the bizarre intro (you'll see), it's another great pop song. This one would've fit better into the "bouqet of ear catching melodies", because that's exactly what it is.

11. Marlene

Another "celebral" ballad in which Todd confesses his love for a 17 year old girl. It's a little repetitive, and tends to drag, but it has some of Todd's best vocals in the background where he REALLY hits those high notes.

12. Song of the Viking

Just a really cool song. It's a fast paced, Gilbert & Sullivan inspired mini pop opera with Todd going to town on the piano. The lyrics are humorous and light hearted, but all of the rapid chord changes make it one of the more complex songs on the album, musically.

13. I Went to the Mirror

From fun to plain bizarre. It starts with Todd playing a bluesey piano melody as he mumbles (yes) lyrics about looking in the mirror. At the end, Todd goes into an intense jam session on the guitar. Psychadelic-Blues!

Part 3: The kid gets heavy

1. Black Maria

The psychedelia at the end of Disc 1 continues right into Disc 2 with this blistering blend of hard rock and R&B. This one must've been great to see live!

2. One More Day (No Word)

The kid certainly does NOT get heavy on this one. You'll picture yourself being saranaded along the Venice Canal, or sitting in a sidewalk cafe in Paris, when you hear this one.

3. Couldn't I Just Tell You

One of the best songs Todd wrote. Rockin' and cathcy: power pop at it's best.

4. Torch Song

It's a slow piano ballad, but it's emotionally very heavy. Great lyrics + great delivery = way underrated!

5. Little Red Lights

Call it hard rock, call it proto-metal, call it whatever you like, but make sure to turn the volume up all the way!

Part 4: Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots

In case you're wondering, this is Todd's lighthearted mock pop operetta that was recorded live in the studio with a bunch of people (sax, trumpet, horn players, backup singers, etc).

6. Overture - My Roots

The closest thing to filler on the album. It's a couple of old cover songs that sound like they were recorded on a Fisher Price tape recorder, in a basement or garage.

7. Dust in the Wind

An absolutely beautiful song. Very soulful piano ballad. Love the saxophone work during the bridge. FYI, this is WAY better than that other "Dust in the Wind" song!

8. Piss Aaron

From heartbreaking to hilarious. This goofy little song has Todd singing about some colorful high school characters from the past. Todd's delivery will make you laugh.

9. Hello It's Me

We all know this one! Originally written when he was in The Nazz, this version is much better: an infectious blend of soul, jazz, lounge, and of course, pop.

10. Some Folks Are Even Whiter Than Me

Silly title, but it's a little deeper than it may seem on the surface. Musically, it combines blues, funk, and a touch of jazz (love that sax!). Underrated.

11. You Left Me Sore

This one went over my head the first time I listened to it. A great song to promote safe sex, if nothing else!

12. Slut

First off, the dialogue before this song is hilarious (Ya think this would've been such a critically acclaimed album if he *did* change its name to "Throw Money"?). Anyway, a fun, hard rocker to close out the album.

There it is! Pop, rock, soul, blues, jazz, psychadelia, theatre, etc. A very complex work, yet still accessible. And that's why it remains Todd's most critically acclaimed and popular album (not to mention it has two of his biggest hits).

Best Songs: The Night the Carousel Burned Down, Couldn't I Just Tell You, Breathless, Cold Morning Light, Torch Song, Dust in the Wind.

Todds finest hour!!! Two Thumbs Up!!! A+
This is Todd's finest album!!! A treat from start to finish!!! Most of his hits are here!!! Hello It's Me, I Saw The Light... AWESOME!!! Highly Recommended!!! Five Stars!!! A+

Todd's Most Popular Album
Todd Rundgren's double-album SOMETHING/ANYTHING? (1972) was a diverse juggernaut of catchy pop, R&B/Soul, hard rock, psychedelia, scatological humor, and other styles which may be difficult to classify. However, the album is fairly accessible throughout. It was this album that Todd received a huge slice of mainstream success. However, since many had perceived him *solely* as a soft rock/ballad writer, Todd chose to abandon mainstream rock for many years after this album - making some of the most experimental music this side of any notable experimental artist. The unfortunate misconceptions and the willful misrepresentation of an artist's creativity has been bestowed upon other artists as well (Queen comes to mind), which misleads listeners into thinking that an artist specializes in one particular style, and therefore, helps to blind fans from enjoying an artist's work to it's fullest when an album is bought, and listened to in it's entirety. Or perhaps, it's just simply that many listeners are staunch in their listening preferences, and wouldn't be able to tolerate hyper-diversity from the start.

Getting to this album. The album is divided into four distinct halves, and Todd plays all of the instruments, and provides all of the vocals for the first three halves of the album. The first half (Disc 1, Tracks 1-6) is called "A Bouquet of Ear-Catching Melodies," and is comprised of mostly catchy, melodic pop tunes. "I Saw The Light" has been compared to Carole King. While his vocals seem like Carole King, the music on this track is much more upbeat and energetic than any typical King song. "Wolfman Jack" makes me wonder if it was inspired by the television host of the same name throughout the 70s. A fun, catchy, 50s-like track. "Cold Morning Light" is probably my favorite from this half. A lovely, airy, melancholic R&B ballad featuring Todd performing some wispy, poignant vocals.

The second half (Disc 1, Tracks 7-13) is called "The Cerebral Side," and is comprised of cerebral, experimental and/or psychedelicesque tracks. The Intro is Todd giving the listener a tour on studio functions. Quite a fun and interesting listen, while "Breathless" is a indescribable instrumental blending psychedelic, symphonic, R&B and dance flavors filtered through electronics. "Song of The Viking" seems like a tribute to Gilbert & Sullivan, as it's a quirky, show tunes-rock track. Todd doesn't have a British accent, so it's interesting hearing his voice backed up by a mostly British style of music. Fans of Queen, Gentle Giant, Frank Zappa and selected others will be especially fond of this track. Listen to this track, as well as many others on this album, on a good pair of headphones to catch many of the subtleties that may otherwise be missed.

The third half (Disc 2, Tracks 1-5) is called "The Kid Gets Heavy" and shows a more rocking side to Todd Rundgren. "Black Maria" is a slow rocker, while "One More Day" is a tasteful, soulful number. "Couldn't I Just Tell You" is unbelievably tasty and infectious - so much so, it hurts to listen to this at times. It's that good. The vocals, guitar strumming - everything here is excellent, while "Little Red Lights" is a scorching rocker, featuring roaring distortion to resemble that of Jimi Hendrix. The fourth half (Disc 2, Tracks 6-12) is called "Baby Needs A New Pair of Snakeskin Boots," which is a live in-studio recording featuring a full band, and is supposed to be a rock operetta. Each track features silly, funny comments and shenanigans at the end and beginning of each track by band members, which are made to look like dialogue, and are reprinted as such in the sleeve. "Dust In The Wind" is a poignant ballad with some tasteful, R&B-esque guitar, sax and lovely vocals, while "Piss Aaron" is an hilarious song dealing with a person who has trouble with his bladder. "Hello It's Me" is the elegant Philly Soul/jazzy ballad that everyone probably knows Todd Rundgren by. However, when hearing this song in the context of the rest of the album, one will have the right perspective regarding Todd's musical personality, as the dialogue heard before and after the song ends was never heard on the radio. This offers an interesting perspective. "You Left Me Sore" is also somewhat hilarious, at least when hearing the dialogue. This song is something of a double-entendre: it can mean that the protagonist was left sore due to his love leaving him, or it could mean he was left sore - literally, after contracting a venereal disease. You decide. While "Slut" is a Rolling Stonesesque rocker to close out this juggernaut.

This album is definitely the recommended place to start as you get the essence - the closest you'll get to the FULL essence - of Todd Rundgren's creativity, and arguably at it's most accessible. The album is infectious, diverse, cerebral, intelligent and utterly moving. Don't believe the idea of Todd being just a ballad writer, as his styles run the gamut. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A two-for-one combo of the first two Big Star albums (they only recorded three). Heard side by side, #1 Record and Radio City only add further testament to Big Star's seminal greatness. On the first album, Chris Bell and Alex Chilton share songwriting credit, though each brings a remarkably different sensibility to the band: Bell creates pure pop nuggets ("Feel") while Chilton swaggers with reckless melancholy ("Ballad of El Goodo," "Thirteen."). After Bell's departure, Chilton took control of the helm for Radio City, and what a ride it is. While not abandoning Bell's penchant for pop, Radio City careens wildly through some of the most exhilarating music ever created, from the rave-up opener, "O My Soul," to the pure pop masterpiece "September Girls" to the whimsical ditty "I'm in Love with a Girl." It's too bad that Big Star didn't create more albums, but thank God they made the ones they did. --Tod Nelson ... Read more

Reviews (82)

Incredibly Fresh Music
Great hooks, jangly guitars, beautiful harmonies ... the quintessence of power-pop. Big Star, more so than many of its contemporaries (e.g., the Raspberries and Badfinger), has defined the genre in the two amazing albums comprising this disc.

On #1 Record, there's the inevitable Lennon/McCartney comparison between Alex Chilton and Chris Bell ... Chilton the bluesy, cynic and Bell the sycophant of sweet melody. It works almost as well as Macca and Dr. O'Boogie. These two guys play off one another in a psychological and visceral game of "can you top this?" For me, #1 Record is the better of the two albums since I'm a sucker for power-pop in its purest form.

Radio City finds Big Star sans Chris Bell (for the most part) due to manic depressive illness. Accordingly, the record is more aggressive and steeped in the blues than its predecessor since it's Alex Chilton's baby. The British bent that Chris Bell brought to the band is somewhat reduced (but does not disappear altogether) in favor of a more "American" sound. This makes it an extremely interesting musical document since one hears the beginnings of a hybrid sound that had yet to be understood or even defined at the time. One might even say it was "experimental" for its era. The result, in both cases, is music that sounds as fresh today as when it was recorded.

The fact that Big Star didn't receive the fame it deserved is yet another black mark on the music industry (and there are a plethora of them given its current, sad state)... distribution conflicts and lack of promotion doomed the band to failure even before they got started. It's a shame, really. While they might have been so much more than they were, what they left us in recorded form is a testament to their indomitable will to create.

Outside of the Beatles, this is Power-Pop heaven!
#1 Record/Radio City are the first two albums by Memphis, Tennessee Power-Pop group Big Star combined on one CD; and an awesome CD it is! There is an abundance of A-level songs here: "September Gurls", "Feel", "Back Of A Car", "My Life Is Right", "You Get What You Deserve", "In The Street", "Thirteen", and "The Ballad Of El Goodo".

Chris Bell and Alex Chilton both demonstrate considerable genius as songwriters and vocalists. The two singer-songwriters have somewhat different personalities, but they compliment each other well. Bell has a little more of a fragile sounding voice and songwriting persona while Chilton has a more swaggering persona and a scruffier voice. Drummer Jody Stephens also plays a huge role in the band with his Keith Moon style drumming very prominent in most of the songs.

Chilton's "September Gurls" and "You Get What You Deserve"; and Bell's "My Life Is Right" are the most memorable songs here in my opinion though several others are close in quality, and none of the 24 songs are bad.

If your a fan of Beatlesque pop you should check this out!

They'll Show You Somehow
Anyone familiar with the mid-sixties pre-psychedlic Beatles is no doubt going to get a kick out of this stuff, especially given that one of its main singer-songwriters, Alex Chilton sings so much differently than he had in the Box Tops. Never the conformist, Chilton actually walked off the stage of a Box Tops gig saying he didn't want to be controlled as the sixties came to a close with so many creative artists making an impact. Later in the seventies, when questioned by a Long Island Radio jock about making "anachronistic music" and what his career had become, Alex summed it up with a curt "pretty scummy". Before this revelation, Big Star blessed the few with #1 Record, a culmination of the very best both he and a spaced out Memphis Anglophile named Chris Bell could muster in the way of perfectly crafted songs. While progressive rock became snottier, more lugubrious and about all that would play on FM radio, Big Star made a record of melodic sheen (In the Street, India Song, Ballad of El Goodo), gloriously juxtaposing sentiment in the lovliest of adolescent ballads, Thirteen, followed by the nuclear holocaustic Dont Lie to Me. It is there where #1 Record is fully realized. They perfected the experiments by earlier similar bands like the Nazz, Raspberries and Badfinger by making the acoustic guitars sound that much more earnest and crisp and making their rockers snarl that much louder. They even address their apparently deep spirituality in El Goodo, My Life Is Right, Try Again and Watch the Sunrise without the clockwork zealot righteousness found in most clergical music. They capture genuine and desperate human conflict of not being holier than thou. With Bell's tortured spirituality coming unglued as the second side of the record came to an end, chronicled on Try again and ST 100/6, Big Star ends their one perfect Pop rock masterpiece on a forboding note.
To make matters more interesting, they actually make there next record Radio City better by making it more haphazard and slightly deranged. Given that their next and last record Third/Sister lovers is basically down to Chilton falling to pieces, we have the 2nd record, in subsequent listens, sound like the last gasp for sanity with loads of sinister slop creeping its way in to their pop. While the Beatles melted into psychedlia, Big Star chose a more downward spiral in Radio City attributed in large part to booze and narcotics rather than hallucinogens. Chris Bell had minimal imput and was out of the group to cope with drugs, depression and suicide, while Alex continued to chronicle their personal mess. One gets an inebriated feel from the rollicking stop-start number O' My Soul and the crunchy She's a Mover, then descend into an almost completely bottomed out feel of the Third Album with Daisy Glaze, only to watch it explode as if the song was Stairway to Heaven with a Mandrax prescription. The best cuts on Radio City are the closest to #1 Record. Both Back of A Car and September Gurls have a candid sexual tension in the lyrics and some of the most perfect melodies and hooks committed to rock n'roll. The very moment when Chilton sings "OOOh when she makes love to me!", on September Gurls and launches into an orgasmic jangling guitar run is pop perfection. These two records combined for an affordable must buy for anyone with a rudimentary understanding of popular music. With virtually no distribution by their original label Ardent, many who own this treasure may have otherwise never heard it. Now it's your chance to do the right thing when you go to the record store to buy Hoobastank, the Calling or Ashlee Simpson; get this record instead and while you're at it, buy those other acts a copy. Chances are the ones responsible for grooming these acts may have been trying to replicate Big Star's craft ever since. Oh that's right, Big Star didn't have a stylist. But they had a need to paint their hearts on anyone's ear who heard them instead of their nails by someone making 6 figures to do it. They didn't really need it, they were Big Star!

white dwarf music
when i first heard this music, i was so excited. here, then, was the greatest rock 'n' roll band of them all. maybe not the best hard rock band, or the best pop rock band, but as far as rock 'n' roll went, who could top this? it was genuine, simple, catchy, anthemic, well-produced-but-not-overly-produced...but just a few years later, i never EVER listen to it anymore. i realize now that what impressed me so much was the purity of it. a purity that, let's face it, could also be called "middle-of-the-road". it's TOO simple, TOO catchy. there's just not enough here to keep me coming back. it's predictable, and that's a shame, because in a lot of ways, this was a great band. they just didn't have many great songs...

big star
i have lived in memphis tn.for many years when i first heard of big star about 1985 they were all ready mythical band.i seeked out jody stephens who works for ardent records today i called him and my jounery with big star began,i attented thier first reunion in columbia mo.in 1993 with john hour and ken stringfellow along with jody and alex it's was some experience ill never for get it seek out the live lp on zoo recoreds might be avaiable on amazon.com?
there is rumor that the show was video taped along with 5 songs from that show that was never released sound board quality.
anyhow any one thinking of this lp should but it and enjoy one of the greatest bands ever.i have all the big star stuff in my car it is a fresh today as it was when it was written.the song watch the sunrise beautiful song most don't know that there is a alternative to that song called country morn.written by chris bell,all instro sound beautifull seek out back of a car magazine
the second issue has a felxy disc of that song worth seeking out.
so allll enjoy lay back listen t oa wonderfull band once you listen you will be hooked forever!!!
by the way big star is mixing a new lp right now first in 25 years should be great and rumor is that the orginal bass player(andy hummel)might be playing on a few tracks now if only chris were here.by the way chris has a lp on zoo records also solo stuff look for it amazon .com might still carry it
enjoy all ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Not Perfect, But Close
If you're looking for a Cheap Trick primer, this proabably your best bet. Out of all the odd-ball hits collections that CBS/Sony dumped on the market, this is the only one that the band had a hand in. With the exception of the remastered version of the original "The Greatest Hits," those other CDs were, anyways, pretty much junk. The sound upgrade makes it worth having over any of the other budget line discs glutting the market. "Authorized Greatest Hits" also boasts a beefier song selection than the 14 to be found on the remastered "Greatest Hits."

BUT.......

It is a well established fact that Cheap Trick HATES "The Flame." But did they have to substitute a lackluster live version for the superior studio one? And even if "That Seventies Show (In The Street)" is driving us crazy on TV, it is not a very inspired recording. Still, you get "Surrender, "I Want You To Want Me (Live)," and "Dream Police," three of the best songs to rock a radio during the seventies. Plus, there are a couple overlooked goodies here, such as "She's Tight," "Walk Away," "Stop This Game," and "Everything Works If You Let It" to make you covet this CD. Had the single version of "The Flame" been included, this would have been the 5-star retrospective of Cheap Trick that we've been waiting for.

Who "Authorized" this release?
Made in USA in 2000, Serial# EK-66015, Playing Time 66:22

Cheap Trick left the Sony Music stable back in 1990, after the release of "Busted". Since then, as is usually the case when a band switches recording company, the former company releases various items so that they can sell their "catalog".

Remember 1991's "The Greatest Hits", which was also released in Japan as a 2-disc set; how about "Budokan II" in 1993? And 1996's "Sex, America, Cheap Trick" 4-disc set, as well as the double set from 1998 "At Budokan: The Complete Concert"?

This latest offering follows in that tradition; and, as usual, they include 1 or many "previously unreleased" tracks to lure the consumer into buying the album. In this case, there's "That 70's song" from "That 70's Show", plus a live version of "The Flame" recorded during the "Busted" tour, as well as 2 other tracks (#7 and #9) only available on the 4-disc set mentionned earlier. Which also explains why any material from the "Woke Up With A Monster" and "Cheap Trick (1997)" are completely absent from this retrospective.

Bottom line is: "Is this disc any good?" - Yep!; and does such a scheme from record companies work? I bought it, didn't I!

And guess what? "Silver", a new 2-disc compilation from their latest record company (Cheap Trick Unlimited), is just about to come out! Maybe they should call that one "Really Authorized Greatest Hits"...

Kings Of Power Pop
If The Cars, The Knack, Bazooka Jones and The Romantics are princes of power pop, then Cheap Trick are the Kings. This is a great 'sampler' of some of their most popular tracks. I would have preferred the studio version of "The Flame". but this rare live offering is a nice variation. If you don't have any Cheap Trick (why, you wouldn't I don't know) then this would be a good segway into one of the greatest powerpop bands of all time.

The best single disc collection.
"Cheap Trick" seems like one of those bands like "The Cars" that doesn't get much credit, but are totally awesome! This basically is a great collection. The big hits "I Want You to Want me", "Dream Police", and "Surrender", along side favorites like "Tonight it's You" and "Southern Girls". PLUS a live version of "The Flame" and the theme song from "That 70's Show". Even though others don't like "Mandocello", I really like it. Being a child of the 80's, I would have liked "Ghost Town" on here, but at least it doesn't have "Magical Mystery Tour" like the other collection does. Overall a great cd, and not getting it right now would be "cheap".

I Want You To Want This!!!
It pretty much stands to reason that most everyone is going to find faults with ANY Greatest Hits package. For everyone complaining about missing tracks, I offer this solution: Get a copy of this AND a copy of "The Greatest Hits"... sure there is some overlap, but the tracks that DON'T overlap cover pretty much everything you would treasure by this cool band, and ultimately both collections compliment each other nicely. Big pluses for this CD include "Stop This Game" (from the ALL SHOOK UP album), "Everything Works If You Let It" (from the ROADIE motion picture and soundtrack) and "That 70s Song" (from one of the coolest shows on TV today... I swear I actually went to high school with those people!!!). Anyway if you're not ready to dive into the box set, I would highly recommend having "The Authorized Greatest Hits" and "The Greatest Hits" CDs side-by-side in your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Nice New Wave Rock From Donnie Iris!
I really liked Donnie Iris's L.P. "Back On The Streets" and it does include the hit "Ah Leah" which is his best song. The other songs on this collection are good with a few standouts. Other than "Ah Leah" you've got "Love Is Like A Rock",That's The Way Love Ought To Be", "Do You Compute" and a nice live version of "The Rapper", originally a hit for The Jaggerz. Iris had a knack for writing hook laden songs, some of which are kind of corny but still good none-the-less. If you like groups like The Rubinoos, The Plimsouls, The Knack or The Romantics then you'll certainly enjoy this collection. Recommended!

DONNIE IRIS IS PRETTY COOL!
I bought this because of the song "Do You Compute?", which I'd never heard before, but liked -- after seeing the music video on a station that plays classic videos. Now the rest of the songs are stuck in my head ! If you're an 80s fan , like I am, this would be a GREAT add to your 80s CD collection :D

Still wanted more
When I first saw this CD, I thought it was a reissue of "High and the Mighty" (IMO the best Donnie Iris release). I thought it needed additional songs. You can't have "Agnes" without "Back on the Streets". "Parallel Time" and "High and the Mighty" would have been great addition.

This music takes me back 20+ years and reminds me of home. I still remember seeing Donnie Iris with an opening act called Bon Jovi. It's a great group of songs and a must buy

The cool guy from PA
This cd contains just about all of Donnie's hits that were played on the radio, such as "Ah Leah!", "Love is like a Rock", and "My Girl". It even has the song "Do You Compute?" from the extremely rare 1983 Fortune 410 album. Enjoy.

Excellent Greatest Hits Collection
O.K., in a perfect world, Donnie Iris would be popular enough to be performing at the Superbowl halftime show and tearing Janet Jackson's top off instead of Justin Slumberlake (or whatever the hell his name is). Unfortunately, in the real world, 99% of the world's population has no idea who Donnie Iris even is. But you do, because you're reading this, and that means you have good taste in music. Anyway, back to my review. This cd is 100% prime Donnie Iris, with no filler. Just about everything you could possibly want is on this disc, although I strongly recommend that you search out all of his discs. Great songwriting, superb vocals, and rocking guitar are all Donnie's trademarks, and every song on this collection demonstrates this. If you don't own any Donnie Iris music, pick this one up. Trust me, you'll be back for more. ... Read more

Album Description

In his notes for this passionately compiled box, producer Gary Stewart writes, "the diversity from the late-70s punk/new wave scene turned into a full-blown, variety-fueled, genre-busting orgy in the '80s...The music became, in the best sense of the words, more complex, more literate, a bit more serious, and as a result, made astrong impact on mainsteam rock culture." From funk punk to revisionist roots rock to hard-core to smart-ass clever pop-and every musical nook and cranny in-between-Left of the Dial presents many of the '80s' most important tracks. Savor the far more influential flip side of the "Where's the Beef?" decade's musical output! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Rock and roll's a loser's game," goes a Mott the Hoople line borrowed for an epigram for this best-of. It invokes the story of this New Jersey band on two levels. First, these guys were smart enough to draw on slightly left-field influences while remaining sufficiently modern to gripe about the FM stranglehold of "Classic Rot." Second, like Mott's Ian Hunter, they bet big and lost big. This collection of semi-hits and obscurities might well have been titled "Work for Food." Singer John Easdale wrote that song for Hi-Fi Sci-Fi, the outfit's 1993 swan song. Imagining himself a few years past his minor stardom, Easdale sang of pushing a shopping cart full of Dramarama memorabilia, aluminum cans, and his baby blanket. The song roared with power chords, bitterness, and resignation, flipping the rock cliché "keep on rollin'" onto its side. Girls who don't count sleeping with the radio on as being alone, non sequitur rhetorical questions, promises of everything, all tied up with bashes and riffs and madly catchy hooks--these are the stuff of Dramarama songs. Typically, 18 Big Ones comes a day late and a dollar short--maybe the same buck Easdale passes to a street-corner denizen in "Last Cigarette." But it also stands as testament to the fact that, whatever else, Dramarama lived up to its end of the bargain. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Still the Best!
Someone here said they met John E., and thought he was a jerk...Wow, the two or three times I met him here on the New Jersey shore he was simply one of the nicest guys I have ever met. Dramarama was a SCORCHING band to see live and I still have their CDs in rotation! Buy this CD to get a taste of their sound, then buy their whole damn catalog. They are that good. And if you ever get the pleasure of meeting John, tell him Katie said hello, he rocked playing solo at Surfstock in Jersey!

A GREAT BAND THAT NEVER GOT ITS DUE
After I saw a recent VH1 "Bands Reunited" show that showcased Dramarama, the rediscovery of this lost band shows just how easy it is to get buried in the music business between record labels, marketing the band and successfully blending a mixed bag of personalities that goes with it.

Artistically combining the melodicism of the Beatles, the power of the Stones,and the glam-punk style of the N.Y.Dolls, Dramarama never got it going commerically and therefore suffered not getting the recognition it deserved. Not only did this band put out some very good material as evident on this CD, their classic "Anything, Anything (I'll Give You)" is one of the best rock songs to come out of the 80's. This CD is absolutely worth the purchase to rediscover these lost gems.

The best unappreciated band in rock history
I love Dramarama and it still annoys me that they never broke thru to superstardom. I am doing my part to keep them alive in the minds of music fans everywhere by doing a cover of "Last Cigarette" with my band.

Buy this album.
I've had the album for over a year now and still haven't gotten sick of it, which is really saying something. Everyone knows how great "Anything, Anything" is, but you haven't lived until you've heard "Last Cigarette".

One of the best bands around
Like most of the reviewers before me, the first time I heard "Anything, Anything" I was in awe. (God bless Rodney Bingenheimer).
I just don't know what else to say but that I love them and miss them very much. You will never go wrong buying a Dramarama album. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

One of THE BEST Best-Of CDs!! :)
I bought this CD last year and it is still one of my favorites. Even the few songs on it that I didn't previously know are quite excellent (especially the spirited and intelligent "Celebrate Youth").

I've always liked Rick Springfield, from the time he hit us all with his ultra-catchy #1 hit "Jessie's Girl" through the "Living In Oz" CD. My favorite songs are "Love Is Alright Tonite," "I Get Excited," "Human Touch," "Love Somebody," and "Souls." I noticed back then that Rick's songwriting and musicianship matured with each album he released. However, I had never bought any of his albums on vinyl, and I think it's because I was uncomfortable with his teeny-bopper image. Now I totally see through that externally manufactured 'image' and see Rick Springfield for what he truly is: a talented rock 'n' roll singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Sure, he may have the 'good looks', but the main thing is that the guy rocks!! You can see that whenever he's up there on stage, he has a great time, and so do his fans.

Rick, you're looking great for fifty...hope you keep going till you're 70! (Boy, imagine that!) Like your song says, "Bop till you drop!" Rock on, man- you're great!! :)

Still holds up as a catchy teen pop record.
Let me tell you something about Rick Springfield: His music sounds much better than I remember it. Back in 1983, I agreed to go with my sister to see Rick in concert at the Blossom Music Center in Richfield, Ohio. And there may have been other members of the male species attending, too. But not many. That was definitely a woman's night out.

But years later, as I listen to this collection, I am amazed at how well crafted Rick's pop rock really was. The songs are definitely aimed at the teenage market: "Jessie's Girl," "I've Done Everything for You," and "What Kind of Fool am I" deal with teenage love and heartbreak with emotional clarity and classic pop tunefulness. After I played this CD once, I was singing "Jessie's Girl," "Don't Talk to Strangers," and "What Kind of Fool am I" for weeks. Especially the latter song.

If you liked the catchier music of the early 1980's, then you couldn't go wrong picking this CD up.

Ricks stuff is Cool !!!!
I OWN THIS C.D. AMONG MANY,MANY, OTHERS AS A SINGER AND ROCK
GUITARIST I CAN SAY THAT RICKS MUSIC DEFINITELY ROCKS.I RECENTLY
JUST GOT INTO THE OLD VINYLS AND PICKED ANOTHER GREAT ALBUM THAT HE PUT OUT A WHILE BACK CALLED LIVING IN OZ. WOW!!! WHAT A GREAT PIECE OF MUSICAL ART THAT ONE IS AS WELL.ITS GOT SEVERAL HIT SONGS ON THE ALBUM BUT THE B SIDES ARE THE ONES I REALLY DIG.
SONGS LIKE JESSIES GIRL,BUT WITH ALOT MORE AGRESSION AND EDGE
(TIGER BY THE TAIL IS ONE THAT IS WAY WAY WAY COOL)AND LIKE FATHER LIKE SON IS HIP TOO!) BUY IT LATER,PIECE F ZACH!!!!

Almost perect collection of an underrated rocker.
Rick Springfield is one of the more underrated artists of the early/mid '80s. The critics may have bashed him and his music's credibilty just 'cause he was a soap opera star, and guys might not have given him a chance since he had a large female audience. Well, they're all morons, this guy rules! His high energy mainstream rock is like a more pop friendly version of Eddie Money, The Romantics or Loverboy.

As far as this particular collection goes, basically, it's just an extended version of his earlier "Greatest Hits" from 1989. 4 other tracks are added here, as well as the album versions of other songs which were the hit single versions on the earlier collection.

With that out of the way, let's get to the music itself.

The debut album, WORKING CLASS DOG, not surprisingly, gets a bit of attention. Rick's signature song, the surging jealous-of-love happy yet rocking "Jesse's Girl." The fast-paced dating tale "Love is Alright Tonight" is another winner, as is his own classic rock-ish version of Red Rocker Sammy Hagar's message to a girlfriend "I've Done Everything For You." It's a little lighter than Sam's version, but no less good!

1982's SUCCESS HASN'T SPOILED ME YET is, at least in my opinion, his best album, which nearly every song could've been a hit. Included here is the slightly cautionary mid tempo, cooled down keyboard rock of "Don't Talk to Strangers," the slower but no less fun low key ballad "What Kind of Fool Am I," and the lite arena rock of "I Get Excited," an underrated masterpiece left off the earlier collection.

1983's LIVING IN OZ was a little harder rocking and more serious themed, but just as good. Included are the poweful and passionate synth rocker "Affair of the Heart," the look of technology and its effects on us in the danceable, almost hard rock of "Human Touch," and the uptempo but more laid back "Souls."

His contributions to 1984's HARD TO HOLD soundtrack include what just might be my all-time favorite, the mid tempo keyboard rocker "Love Somebody." Straight fun arena rock like mid 80's Starship might've done, but even better! The guitar solo rules too (and rocks a little harder than you'd think).

After that, it might be hard to have the remaining tracks as good, but by no means are they bad. The new wavey dance of "Bop Till' You Drop," is okay, but the saxophone based rock ballad "Don't Walk Away is a nice underrated tune I only recently heard of. The softer duet ballad "Taxi Dancing" was a little strange, but not terrible.

TAO marked the change suggested in OZ of harder edged, yet more mature and serious songwriting. This time around, it ain't as good (this guy is just better at happy rock), but the loud drumming and synths of "Celebrate Youth," and the more typical, slight new wave rocker "State of the Heart," (which, weird as this sounds, reminds me a bit of a male version of Gloria Estefan's "Uh-Oh" in sound) are still not bad at all.

The late 80's effort ROCK OF LIFE includes the title track, a possibly autobiographical, mature-ish effort similar to something from TAO, but a little more toned down.

Well, there we have it. This is just about as complete a collection as I could imagine, unless you're a die hard fan. The only missing tracks might be "Alyson," or "Calling All Girls," but I have those on old casettes of the original albums.

And I Didn't Even Like Rick in The 80's
Great songs that hold the test of time for the most part. Highlights: I've Done Everything For You, Love is Alright Tonight, Don't Talk To Strangers, Affair of the Heart, Human Touch, Love Somebody, Celebrate Youth and State of the Heart. Alot of hits, some minor some major, but a great collection of ALL the hits. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Where are the real great tunes?
Where is Roadrunner? Another Lonely Saturday Night? The Girl Most Likely? Valerie? That's When The Music Starts? Jeez - remember KMEL?

The highlights of a lightweight artist
I'll confess that I rarely listen to any other songs on this CD other than "Jeapordy," "The Breakup Song" and "Can't Stop Hurtin' Myself." They were the highlights of Greg Khin's pop songwriting career. The rest are now very dated sounding faux new wave. And the less said about the awful cover of Bruce Springsteen's "For You," the better. (Hey, at least Manfred Mann's Earth Band gave the song some flair!) This is as complete a collection of Khin as you could want. Why you'd ever want more is beyond me.

so-so
I wasn't to crazy about Greg Kihn on a Whole but Jeopardy was the cut.it still rocks to this day.Much of The Songs here are so-so.But when he hits upon a good track it's Worth Checking out.

Remember Those Friday Afternoons At UC Berkeley?
A highly underrated artist/songwriter. This is just the tip of the iceberg. How about re-releasing his first two albums?

One of the great Rock and Rollers!
This is a great collection of songs from the Greg Kihn Band featuring some great early accoustic numbers, some Bruce Springsteen covers,and excellent original compositions like "Remember", "Jeopardy", "The Breakup Song", "Lucky", and many others. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Album Description

This One Way Records release features both theirself-titled and You Make The Heat LP's digitally remastered on 1 CD. Features What She Does To Me (The Diana Song) What He Got? and more. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

20 years later, and can hit #3 in Georgia!
Unlike many of the reviewers here, I don't have nostalgic reasons for buying this CD. In Colorado, the Producers are virtually unheard of, although I can vaguely remember "What's He Got" getting some airplay when I was in High School. I had always been interested to hear more from Van Temple, the singer, after discovering his amazing vocals on another 80's recording, "Book of Dreams", from Steve Morse's album "Stand Up". Here it is fifteen years later, and thanks to Amazon I have had the opportunity to discover the Producers. After listening to the CD, with it's great combination of polish without compromising the fun and the energy of rock, and the great musical performances combined with the catchy tunes, I am convinced that this band should have been huge nationwide fifteen years ago, instead of huge only in Georgia. Somebody at some record company made a huge mistake back then by not marketing these albums better. I think that the fact that as of this review the re-released CD can become the #3 seller in Georgia really demonstrates that this band never got the exposure they deserved. Great 80's pop! Only a few of the songs sound really dated. Highly recommended for anyone who has a place in their heart for strong melodic 80s music that doesn't take itself too seriously. And what a singer Van Temple is!!!

It is about time this stuff was on CD
Sounding like a US version of the UK group "The Records", The Producers wrote and played some excellent instantly memorable pop tunes (complete with great harmonies and catchy guitar riffs) led by Van Temple's soaring tenor voice and guitar, Bryan Holmes' driving drums, Kyle Henderson's melodic bass lines, and of course, Wayne Famous--the resident looney on keyboards.

It is a shame that their only really major national success was "She-Sheila" because a large percentage of the tunes should've been hits. They were very popular with the college crowds circa 1982-85. I saw 'em three times and EVERYONE in the crowd knew all the words! In concert, they also did a killer cover of "A Hard Day's Night" (hmmm, maybe a live album is called for).

The first album (Producers) is the most fun of the two in this package. Innocent, light weight, hummable, and a killer soundtrack to your college beer party (well maybe not these days). "What's He Got", "I Love Lucy", "What She Does To Me", "Certain Kinda Girl",... ahhh greatness! The second (You Make The Heat) is a little more serious and probably an attempt to compete more with the arena supergroups at the time. The songs are still good. It is just a little less Hollies-sounding and a little more Journey-sounding. "You Make The Heat" and "Breakaway" are standouts.

These recordings have been criminally out of print for years. I myself have only had a cassette tape copied from the LP's back in the 80's. This release is greatly welcomed. I don't know how well it will go over with today's youth, but I know that a bunch of folks that were in college during the first half of the 80's are going to be tickled pink about it. I am now going to pop open a cold one, put this disc on and wax nostalgic. "Lucy....Luuuuuucy!"

Thanks Producers for some great memories.

Remeber when
These guys were great...i lived in Atlanta in 78/79 and there was this art rock band called Hydra. Decent..sort of a toto'ish. Not really my thing. Then one night theres this band called the producers on stage. Same guys...new haircuts, new act. Beatles harmonies, whacky bald keyboard player, Probably a little to contrived to ever make it huge...but really talented

Buy it ,,,you'll like it.

Message in a Bottle...
wow, i thought i was the only person who ever heard of these guys... surprise, surprise. unlike most of these other folks, i saw these guys in massachusetts as a pre-teen on mtv (thank god my mom's boyfriend was one of the first cable households!). anyway, i saved up enough lunch money to get the first (and then the second album). i bopped around my bedroom like a freak to these songs! the good songs sound fanastic still (she-sheila, what's he got) but some of the other songs sound to my 30sumthin' ears to be b-grade police. BUT STILL... so glad to hear them again!

It's a Five Star for me too!
I agree with the all the great reviews here! Not only is this a great 2 disc set, but a bargain. Producer fans have been screaming for years to make these 2 discs available. Thanks One Way!

Tom Werman, who produced the first Producers album, also has credits producing Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Molly Hatchet, Mothers Finest, and Motley Crue among others, has praised their talents in past interviews. The Producers musical style can not be compared to any of those mentioned above!

I too discovered the band on college radio. They played numerous clubs in North/South Carolina and Georgia during the 80's. Fortunately, I was able to see them many times during my college days @ Western Carolina University. These 2 CD's take me back! If your were a "MTV head " in the early years, chances are you saw the band there. They performed on the MTV New Years Eve party in '82. Now , Classic VH1 will show "What's He Got" and "She Sheila" every now and then.

Like everyone, I have to mention "She Sheila" from "You Make the Heat". The entire disc is great, but this is head and shoulders above anything else. "Operation', "Dear John", and "Breakaway" are excellent tunes also.

The great news is that they still get together and play! The original band performs periodically. Check out their web site, and be sure and buy the CD! ... Read more

Album Description

Hailing from Portland, OR, the Exploding Hearts are knownfar and wide for their white denim pop style and energeticlive shows! With the songwriting charm and guitars of early brit pop/invasion bands like the Undertones & the Jam.Dirtnap. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Sleeping Aides and Razor Blades
Exploding Hearts are one of the best bands I've heard in a long time. Their debut album, Guitar Romantic, created quite a stir in the underground, mostly along the West Coast. Distorted guitars and dirty sounding vocals give the album major appeal to anyone interested in the garage rock/garage punk revival. The album itself best fits in the "pop" genre, but there are some fantastic garage and punk elements as well. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the Deadly Snakes or other such bands.

As many are aware of, tragically 3 of them died in a van accident. That's no excuse not to get to know this band.

Track list is as follows:

01 - Modern Kicks
02 - I'm a Pretender
03 - Thorns in Roses
04 - You're Black and Blue
05 - Sleeping Aides and Razor Blades
06 - Rumours in Town
07 - Throwaway Style
08 - Boulevard Trash
09 - Jailbird
10 - Still Crazy

Broken mirrors and a bloody nose
The loss of the Exploding Hearts in a tragic car wreck is one of the most depressing things to happen musically in the last few years. In this current scene, where 70's / 80's retro has become the hottest ticket around, the 'Hearts stopped in to drop this 'lil bombshell. If you scream for all the dreamy neo / retro punk / post-punk bands like Rapture, Hot Hot Heat, the Strokes et al. then please do yourself a big favor and pick up this release. It will kick in the door with its blazing raw punk beats (ala The Fall, The Clash, etc) punch those pretty boy bands in the nose , take their best girl and toss her on the back of their bike, and leave a big cloud of smoke and rubber in their driveway. There's the throwback love saga "Jailbird", there's the anathematic "Boulevard Trash", the blistering "I'm a Pretender", the very Clash-y "Rumours in Town". And if it were still the eighties, "Sleeping Aides and Razor Blades" would be the off kilter radio hit. Crap, lets face it every track on this album absolutely goes toe down, leaving you crying with a black eye and a big fat lip. Then there's "Modern Kicks", that's probably one of the best songs this decade, if not ever. A fired up guitar mugging of a song that has everything a classic song should have... shouting punk chorus, scorching guitar riffs and solos, and lead vocals delivered with a sneer. At a battle of the bands, it would be standing there laughing while those other MTV bands ran crying for their mommy.

Fun, dynamic explosive
this band rocked. This album will always bring me back to Summer 2003.

RIP Exploding Hearts

A Question
Do you like music? Good, I thought so. You're going to need this.

Album of the year
This album is praised by critics everywhere, but none of them do it justice. This is the best album of the year, no doubt. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Crotchety critics complained that this Glaswegian quartet sounded too close to cult Memphis band Big Star for their own or anyone else's good, but Bandwagonesque proved that unapologetic homage can sometimes work. The Fanclub's mesh of yearning, ethereal melody and cranked, feed-backing guitars came together superbly on "The Concept," "Metal Baby," and the thrashing "Star Sign"--mini-blizzards of mellifluousness that yoked Alex Chilton to Crazy Horse and the Ramones. Dismiss "Alcholiday" as "record collection rock" if you must: it doesn't make the track any less sublime. --Barney Hoskyns ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Every music lover should own this
Teenage Fanclub have made a better album than this in the form of Grand Prix but Bandwagonesque is an equally essential purchase. Part self-conscious evocation of sixties' pop, part grunge-inspired guitar fest, Norman Blake, Raymond McGuinley and Gerard Love pointed the way for a host of cross-Atlantic guitar bands with a Lennon/Wilson fixation and a modicum of talent. Alcoholiday, a blaze of criss-cross guitars and heart-breaking lyrics, is one of the finest singles never released, while The Concept, Star Sign and Guiding Star are not far behind. Utterly wonderful.

Get On The Bandwagon
Teenage Fanclub is one of the most underrated bands of the 90's. They are pure power pop and their fuzzy guitars perfectly balance off their exquisite vocal harmonies. "The Concept" opens the album and it is a brilliant song that sets the tone for the album. Lead singer Norman Blake's honey drenched vocals are backed by a fuzz-toned guitar riff and the lyrics are quite sly. Other standout tracks like "Alcoholiday", "Star Sign", "December" and "What You Do To Me" combine the band's Beatles and Big Star influences of slick harmonies, large hooks, crunching guitars and snarky lyrics.

Soundtrack to high school
One of the best records of the 90's. Finally getting around to replacing my long lost worn-out tape. Buy this.

up-beat and fun!
This cd is up-beat, fun, happy, sad, mellow, and energetic all at the same time. They use harmonys on the chorus and the melodies are pop-ish. I love it! It is good to chill out to.

a power pop classic
I just bought this album due to the fact that everyone says it is so great and because it is really cheap. Everyone is right. This record is fantastic. It is full of great songs like The Concept, What You Do To Me, and I Don't Know to name a few. Really if you are into highly melodic music with some distorted guitars I highly recommend purchasing this record. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Originally released as a 10-track live album in the late 1970s when live albums were all the rage, At Budokan neatly summed up this oddball power-pop/hard rock band with the added ferocity a live show brings. Tracks such as "Hello There," "Surrender," "I Want You to Want Me," and Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" were infused with a power their studio versions only hint at. Twenty years after the original concert in April 1978, the classic live album has been expanded to include nine additional tracks that make this a must-have for fans of the original. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Cheap Trick at Budokan: The Complete Concert
Is Cheap Trick the finest rock band America has ever produced? Listen to Budokan: The Complete Concert and decide for yourself. Many rock critics place the 1979 Live at Budokan show in their list of best-ever live rock recordings, and this new release arranges all the songs in their original order, with enhanced digital mastering. Cheap Trick is the diva of American power pop; give them a taste and you'll detect satisfying hints of the Beatles, The Who, and The Sex Pistols. Cited by icons Kurt Cobain and Billy Corrigan as a major influence, Cheap Trick is more fun, less angst. In addition to Cheap Trick's familiar radio anthems "Surrender", "Ain't That A Shame", and "I Want You To Want Me", you'll find undiscovered gems like "Lookout", "Oh Caroline", and "California Man". You also get two mini-videos from those amazing Budokan shows on this 2-disc set, to enjoy on your computer screen. A must for all rock and roll collections!

Absolutely Essential
There are just some albums that everyone must own. "Cheap Trick at Budokan" is one of them. This is one of the 3 best live recordings ever (The Who's "Live at Leeds" and "Frampton Comes Alive" being the others). Now it has become even greater, and all the more essential, in this new version including all the material off of "Budokan II" and re-arrainged in the original set-list from the concert. The sound quality has never been better (even rivaling the gold edition floating around); Columbia/Legacy have built a good reputation in their fine remasters. And this is no exception, especally with the added material. You are THERE, in the crowd. Tom's bass sounds positivly chunky, Bun E.'s drums are crisp & deep, Rick's guitar soars & Robin is truly amazing. From the opening scorch of "Hello There" thru the all-out assult on "Clock Strikes Ten", the crunch of "Auf Vedershen" & "Surrender" and the pop jump of "I Want You to Want Me", it's all here. The defining pop/rock sound that is often imitatded, never been duplicated. This is the sound that all of the 90's wanna-be alt-rockers have been trying to emulate (Billy Corigan & Kurt Cobain freely admitted it). If you're a serious rock fan, you need to own this. If you have the original, time to trade up. It all starts here. Truly timeless kickin' rock & roll.

"Budokan" Showed the Western World What They'd Been Missing
After spending a large part of their early career opening for the likes of Kiss, AC/DC, and Queen to name a few, the unusual foursome known as Cheap Trick undertook a highly successful tour of Japan, becoming unlikely superstars in that country. The stellar live recording "At Budokan" documented their new-found fame in Japan and ironically became their commercial breakthrough in the States.
The album presented every part of the one-of-a-kind formula that made Cheap Trick so entertaining to begin with; their unique and often erratic musical style was matched only by their visual gimmick: Vocalist Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson both resembled pin-posters one might find in a teenage girl's locker, clashing with the exact opposite of guitarist Rick Nielsen's goofy wardrobe and the cigarrette-smoking depressed looks of drummer Bun E. Carlos. But the music, not the image, made the band. By this time, Rick Nielsen had laid out the blueprint for the plan that struck a chord with audiences; intentionally radio-suiting pop melodies brilliantly combined with raunchy, eardrum shattering guitar hooks. "At Budokan" is the live testament of this successful match. For the first part of this combination, refer to 'Surrender' and even the otherwise upbeat pop ballad 'I Want You To Want Me.' And for the second part, look at 'Hello There' and the exhilirating 'Ain't That A Shame'--Cheap Trick's version of the Fats Domino classic is one of the hardest rocking renditions ever spawned.
The shrieks and screams of thousands of fans don't lie; Cheap Trick's often oddball approach in form hit the jackpot, and rightfully aquired the recognition the group deserved. Here in its remastered form with a slew of tracks cut from the original release, "At Budokan" is an essential for lovers of in-concert recordings.

They Should Have Left It Alone
It's very simple; the added material may be of interest to utterly hardcore Cheap Trick fans, but it slows down the concert, and robs the original LP of much of its impact. More isn't necessarily better, and whomever edited the original LP version selected the best cuts, in the best order, and came up with a real fast, compact record. My advice: if you remember the original LP, then buy the CD of the original LP, not this version.

The definitive desert-island album.
If I were on my way to a desert island and had to choose just one album to take with me, CHEAP TRICK AT BUDOKAN would be it. If I had to choose just one disc, it would be Disc 2, because it contains my favorite tune, NEED YOUR LOVE.
I originally bought the LP when I was 13, because I liked the cutesy I WANT YOU TO WANT ME. It quickly became my least favorite song. As for the rest of the music, I was bowled over by the raw and powerful guitar sound and vocals, and by the sheer energy of both the band and the audience. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As with Fight Songs, the 1999 predecessor to Satellite Rides, the Old 97's are ringing a poppy bell. The cover art has a retro 1960s vibe, and the chiming guitars echo that sentiment. Is it 1960s Britpop? A tad, but singer Rhett Miller has a vocal palette that runs from 1980s new wave-leaning alternative to a more scouring, acidic country yowl. He uses his range well. The twang here is more subtle than in the past, cloaked in big rave-up melodies (like the fine single "King of All the World") and heart-on-the-sleeve emotions (as on "Question"). Some of the latter are great, particularly the poppy "Do you wanna mess around" refrain in "Buick City Complex." Miller runs down a seriously twangin' gem on "Am I Too Late," and bassist Murry Hammond does the same on his brooding "Up the Devil's Pay," which ranks as one of the CD's highest marks. What the Old 97's have done with this session is push themselves further away from their original alt-country heartbeat--much the way Jeff Tweedy did after Uncle Tupelo once he had Wilco as his platform. --Andrew Bartlett ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Continuing on their poppy path...
The Old 97's released a new CD that doesn't stray too far from the path they carved in their previous release, Fight Songs. Those of you who enjoyed the bright, glittery pop in Fight Songs probably won't be disappointed with Satellite Rides. Those of you who expected a return to The Old 97's roots - think again. The Old 97's are, since Fight Songs, the "New 97's".

The Old 97's have - probably wisely - changed their sound from their raucous, twangy alt-country-punk to a more consumer-friendly sound that can be heard in clothing stores across America. The Old 97's do not entirely abandon their long-time fans on this CD, however. "Am I Too Late" would be a natural fit on the Wreck Your Life CD (sounds a little like a polished "Over The Cliff"), and Murry Hammond delights with another gem, "Up The Devils Pay."

Rhett Miller joins the pop fray with several crisp tracks, such as the fine single "King Of All Of The World", "Rollerskate Skinny", and "Bird In A Cage". There are some dogs on this CD however, as "What I Wouldn't Do" is just plain bad, and Murry penned a rare loser in "Can't Get A Line", our first glimpse at Hammond's pop-rock writing skills.

The bottom line here is that The Old 97's released a pleasing pop album, similar to Fight Songs, but probably not as good. Fans of Fight Songs will enjoy Satellite Rides - by all means, pick it up! Don't expect the Old 97's of old - this is definitely the "New 97's". This is great for them and good for the listening public in general, however the songwriting has lost most of its imagination, and there won't be any more spectacular albums like Too Far To Care. This is a shame, but "The New 97's" are here to stay.

Their best yet
I've been a 97's fan for awhile now, and I'd have to say this is their best yet. Long-term fans who were disappointed by Fight Songs should be brought back into the fold with this one. It's definitely more twang than Fight Songs (although not nearly as much as the classic Too Far to Care) but builds on Fight Songs' pop tendencies as well. This combination of sounds also serves as a great introduction for the new fans who are bound to discover the 97's through this album and the first single King of All the World. Favorite tracks are Can't Get a Line, Up the Devil's Pay and Designs on You. One more note, go see them live if you get the chance, they are probably the best live band I've ever seen.

Great!
All there stuff is great. This CD gets better and better each time you listen to it. I like their older stuff a lot, especially 'Wreck Your Life'.

Where were these guys hiding?
Damn, why didn't someone tell me about these guys before?! I only heard of them through Amazon's automatic recommendation thingy. I've been a fan of the Jayhawks, Wilco, Patty Griffin, BoDeans, etc. for years, and have suffered through Ryan Adams -- what a disappointment! Completely overrated. Anyhow, Old 97's are my new favorites. This album is great fun. It combines country twang with catchy, original melodies and VERY smart, but simple lyrics. Miller's voice is perfect for this style. The "Do you wanna mess around" line in "Buick City Complex" is both endearing and sexual -- innocent but eager. This is my favorite song. "Designs on You" also has some great lyrics. I could go on and on, but I need to check out their other albums now. As I said, I had no idea these guys existed...on one hand, I'm bummed I didn't find them earlier, but finding them now has come at the perfect time. I was beginning to think I would run out of new favorites! BUY THIS ALBUM AND ENJOY!

The record company won
I came on board with Too Far To Care (an unheralded classic mix that defies the simplistic country/punk/metal/pop genres). It was by far their best album. I liked Fight Songs a hell of a lot. It had lost some of the edge/sting of Too Far but it was still damn good.
I hate to say it but Satellite Rides feels like some record company exec kept telling the band what would sell and blanded the hell out of them. The beats and chords are simple and predictable. And I never thought I would say that about the 97's. ... Read more