Planet Pop [Enhanced]

Amazon.com
Most observers cite savvy record producers as the driving forces behind Euro-dance-cheese-fluff albums like ATC's Planet Pop. The CD's back cover gets to the truth of the matter, however, forgoing a list of the names behind the curtain (or in front of it) in favor of credits for artwork, photography, and shoes. The latter might seem like a good sign, but, despite being touted as an "international sensation," Planet Pop will hardly keep anyone on the floor all night. Mastermind Alex Christensen front-loads the CD with answer songs to Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"--"Around the World (La La La La La)," followed by "My Heart Beats Like a Drum (Dum Dum Dum]"--before allowing his young charges to sink into a morass of drab ballads, listless sub-Stacey Q electro-disco retreads, and the obligatory Latin number. Fabulous footwear, though. --Rickey Wright

Planet Pop,ATC,Universal,Club/Dance,Dance Music,Euro-Pop,Hi-NRG,Pop,Popular Music,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Got a mind full of good intentions and a mouth full of Raisinets be careful with your expectations....... Prince being Prince His Worst in Years A Pleasant Surprise.

Planet Earth Prince Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: S.S.T./Brand New Orleans 3121 Libertad Absolute Garbage Zeitgeist ASIN: B000RMC7H0 Release Date: 2007-07-24

Tracks:

1. Planet Earth
2. Guitar
3. Somewhere Here On Earth
4. The One U Wanna C
5. Future Baby Mama
6. Mr. Goodnight
7. All The Midnights In The World
8. Chelsea Rodgers
9. Lion Of Judah
10. Resolution

Amazon.com

Because it would be un-Prince-like to release a new studio album without kicking up a little controversy first, the Artist Formerly Known As a Cool-Looking Symbol gave away copies of Planet Earth with a British news tabloid weeks before its U.S. release. Among the reasons he shouldn't have: nobody who catches wind of the peerless funk-rock-soul he lays out on these 10 tracks--least of all longtime fans--would think twice about shelling out for it. A big chunk of the appeal is that Prince finds his way back to his guitar here. The title track, a politically right-on-time environmental rant, steers him back toward "Purple Rain" territory, as does "Lion of Judah" ("Guitar," oddly, doesn't--it's more of a straight-up, shout-it-out modern rocker). And the flirty numbers are seriously flammable: "Somewhere Here on Earth" seduces with a crackly jazz vibe, while "Mr. Goodnight" gets friendly with a refined slip of rap. Coolest of all are two tracks at cross purposes-- "Chelsea Rodgers" fuses funk with disco until it's so far off the hook it's in a heap on the floor, and "All the Midnights in the World" paints a picture of artistic maturity through piano and lyrics that lean hard on positivity. There's an elegance to it that Prince fans, no strangers to pop music that's truly sublime, won't fail to appreciate. --Tammy La Gorce

Album Description

Simply put, Planet Earth is the album longtime Prince fans have been waiting for. Several cuts on this album revisit some of the classic Prince sound the captured fans all over the world and helped deem him an incomparable music icon. Superstar and legendary musician prince kicked off 2007 with a show stopping Super Bowls Half-time performance. Prince pulled out all the stops during the second most-watched super bowl broadcast ever. With an estimated 93.2 million viewers to entertain, Prince wasted no time showing off his stages powers and irrefutable guitar skills. He masterfully captured the attention and respect of music fans in general, while sending a message to long time Prince fans that he was ready to once again reign supreme.

Customer Reviews:

Got a mind full of good intentions and a mouth full of Raisinets.......2007-07-30

Prior to "Planet Earth," the last Prince album I can say I liked was "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic." The last two ("3121" and "Musicology") - though obviously both commercial comebacks - did next to nothing for me. They were just more additions to the growing list of disjointed, thrown-together sub-par works that Prince began releasing back in '94 with "Come" (though not including every album after that, just that the good ones were less and less frequent). I distinctly remember how distressing it was for an artist who was responsible for such a long line of carefully crafted albums to expect record buyers to be satisfied with willful sloppiness. Yeah, with "Come" (and others) he was hurrying to get out of his Warner's contract - but all these years after the fact, what matters is the music and not his fued with the label. I continue to maintain that he hasn't released a truly great album since 1992's 'Symbol' album (and even that one was flawed, i.e. Tony M was still on board). And I still say that "The Truth" (i.e. disc 4 of "Crystal Ball") is the closest he's come to that greatness in the years since.

All that said, I'll reiterate: I like this new album. It turned out to be a nice surprise - not a major return to form, but a mostly consistently enjoyable collection of new songs. Are they all new? It's hard to say - I do have trouble believing all the musicians who are credited in the album's sparse (nearly non-existant, truth be told) liner notes turned up for recent sessions. Some of this music was quite possibly in the can for many years - the wildly varying tone, and overall sound, throughout the album supports this idea. Before delving into a song-by-song look, I'll summarize my overall feelings. The focus here seems to be tight, concise pop songwriting. Prince used to break boundaries and take chances with song form, but since those days seem long gone I'm satisfied to hear relatively straightforward songs containing strong melodies and memorable hooks. It's far preferable to the aimlessness of recent sludge like "3121" and "Musicology." I also like hearing so many guitar solos - much more than anything since "Chaos and Disorder" way back in 1995. Throughout "Planet Earth," there are lots of little musical surprises and quirks - unexpected chord changes, unpredictable melodic twists, unusual backing vocal arrangements. No, it's not "Lovesexy" revisited by any means, but it keeps the listener from being bored to tears (like the last couple of albums did).

To be more specific, take the opening - and also title - track. On a musical level, "Planet Earth" sounds very much to me like the Prince of old. The plaintive - though highly dramatic - verses that give way to swelling choruses, ultimately climaxing with a passionate guitar solo: it's a full-fledged epic Prince track (bold move to open the record with what sounds like a big finish). The piano/synth/backing-vocals section midway through sounds the vintage late-80s era. Lyrically, I'm less enthusiastic. Prince didn't used to be so literal when tackling "big issues." Here - not surprisingly, given the title - he deals mainly with the fragility of our ecosystem. Sorry, but no celebrity can escape the hypocrisy charge when lamenting the mistreatment of the atmosphere while simultaneously boasting of private jets traveling the four corners of the globe. Prince, how big is your carbon footprint? In the final verse, he sings about sending off young soldiers to fight a war, asking "If they're blessed to make it home, will they still be poor?" I'm not exactly sure what he's implying about the financial status of the armed forces, but I am a bit confused about something: in this song, and later in the album, the lyrics do get a tad bit political. I was under the impression that Jehovah's Witnesses remain strictly apolitical. How can he include this type of subject matter without violating that belief? I'm not taking any shots at his religion, I'm just genuinely curious about this seeming contradiction.

"Guitar" takes us back to mid-90s NPG, "Undertaker" style. I wouldn't be surprised if that's Michael B kicking it on this rock track. Many have mentioned it - and 'I will follow' their lead (get it?) - the main riff sounds like a certain early U2 song. Once you accept that, the song is a fun rocker with some good solos and a light-hearted lyric (what a relief after the pretentions of the first song's message).

"Somewhere Here On Earth" starts off with a hokey 'scratchy record' sound, apparently signaling it's 'old school' balladry. There's also a bit of cringe-worthiness in the lyric, "In this digital age, you could just page me/I know it's the rage." Um, really? I don't know many people who still carry around pagers - but I guess "You could just text me" didn't rhyme as well. Or it could suggest this song's been in the vault for a few years. That wouldn't be a stretch, as it sounds like it could've been on just about any album from "Around the World In a Day" onward - which I mean in the best way: it's a very good falsetto ballad in the classic Prince mold. A tad overlong, though, at nearly 6 minutes, as no new ideas are introduced to justify the length.

Things get even better with "The One U Wanna C" - a straight-ahead pop tune with a subtle, yet comfortable, countryish twang. Again, this sounds so unlike anything Prince has done in years I can't help but wonder if he pulled it out of the vault. As lightweight as it is, I love everything about it - except for the line "I ain't trying to be a hater" (which is the first of several instances of Prince forcing some 'modern' slang into his lyrics). I do like that he sings "I come like thunder" and "If u wanna get creamy" because it proves that the JW's didn't shut down the innuendo completely.

Uh-oh -- Prince gets all lover-man in "Future Baby Mama" -- and there's another (obvious) example of that 'modern' slang. Building a song around the phrase "baby mama" wasn't a great idea, even if he did break out the Linn for this one (which isn't all that exciting anyway - he was trying to evoke the old days in the exact same way back on "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic" back in '99!). Still, it ain't an entirely unpleasant sounding song, but it feels very out of place in context of the four songs that preceded it. Maybe the course will be corrected shortly...

...in a word, no. "Mr. Goodnight" sounds like it could've been on ANY "Emancipation"-onward album. It's a sort-of rap song, and I hoped he was done with that kind of thing. Suddenly the vibe of the album has been completely altered, and necessarily in a good way. Not that I don't love the funky R&B that has been Prince's bread and butter his entire career - I most certainly do. But this generic-sounding stuff evokes "New Power Soul" more than "Sign O the Times"...or even "Diamonds & Pearls" for that matter. In fact, songs like "Come On" and "Shoo-Be-Do" from that 1998 disappointment KILL this "Mr. Goodnight" bit of indulgence. Oh well, at least it DOES have the funniest food reference in a Prince song since the immortal "Cap'n Crunch with soy milk."

"All the Midnights In the World" - short, but oh so sweet. My favorite track, and it clocks in at just 2 minutes, 21 seconds. THIS is classic Prince pop: idiosyncratic lyrics, melodically inventive, captivating vocal performance. Can this possibly be a new song? Or is this some lost "Dream Factory"-era track? It's so fantastic I can't really explain it. Who but Prince would include a reference to Zuzu's pedals from "It's a Wonderful Life"? "Amethyst and rubies, crystals and black pearls/I'd trade them all just to spend with you/All the midnights in the world." I don't usually use words like splendiferous, but it truly applies to this gem of a song.

Nowhere to go but down, I guess, after such a natural high - but "Chelsea Rogers" is actually a pretty entertaining dance track nonetheless. It's a funky disco-style song, sung along with a husky-voiced woman (reminded me of Mavis right at the beginning). It doesn't really DO all that much in nearly 6 minutes (one of only three tracks that push past 5 minutes). It's about the same length as the title track, yet unlike that well-structured epic, it wears out it's welcome after the halfway point. I haven't really bothered to figure out if the lyrics, which apparently concern a real-life fashion model, tell a coherent story.

"Lion Of Judah" brings it back to guitar-oriented rock. It's grown on me over repeated listenings, though I'm not sure what he's getting at in the lyrics. Sure sounds like something was on his mind though. A failed relationship, it would seem - one that he didn't want to end, and felt ended in the midst of miscommunication...leaving him seeking some sort of revenge? I don't know really, but I like the guitar playing.

"Resolution" - bouncy up-tempo pop, kinda like a less corny "Graffiti Bridge." Also kinda like the opening track: I like it musically, I'm less wild about the lyrics. It's actually a good bookend - both songs tackle "big issues," albeit in a clumsy way. I really like the melody, the simple arrangement, and especially the backing vocals. But spelling out the world's problems in less than four minutes is a tough order for anyone. Actually, in the final verse ("Love is like a circle, no beginning and no end..") he has the right idea - keep it a bit vague, rather than trying to specifically explain the "main problem" with war (that no one ever wins) and with people (that they never do what they say). In fact, his reasoning is incorrect in both cases, so why bother trying to cover so much ground in one song? Anyway, the lyrics are just too dopey-hippy for me to take seriously - I still enjoy the heck out of the song on a musical/performance level.

I've been listening to the album as I write this. I really have to say: the highest praise I can offer is that every time it ends, I feel like starting it up and listening all over again. I haven't felt that way about a Prince album in far too long. Not because it stands as a truly classic Prince album, but because it's the most tuneful and entertaining album he has released in ten years. And, of course, there's that track 7 that brings joy everytime it rolls around.

be careful with your expectations..............2007-07-30

I made the mistake of reading a few reviews (Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, etc.) prior to buying this CD. I was very excited that the reviews called it a "return to form" and compared it to "Purple Rain" and "Parade" era Prince. Add to this the fact that Wendy and Lisa are part of the band here, and I was definitely looking forward to hearing "Planet Earth." Well now that I have listened to it for several days...there is certainly his usual genius on a few songs, but way too many ballads/slow jams (his most recent CDs seem to have TERRIBLE pacing...i.e., the sequencing of songs sucks)...there is no doubt that "Guitar" is a cool single and that there's a few good funky tunes here, but again, to me I found about half of it to be filler. His crappy songs are still better than most people's gold, but this is not Purple Rain the sequel, or the successor to Parade or Sign o' the Times, etc. Oh well, I will keep holding out hope...and enjoying a few of the songs on here.

Prince being Prince.......2007-07-29

It really is unfair for me to write a review on Prince. I am a long time fan. Critics say it harkens backto his 80's sound. Well, maybe. But it sounds like Price being prince. He lets us know that he still rocks! Planet Earth the title track shows this. His guitar liks can't be beat (as he showed on both the Super Bowl half time show and the jam session on his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame). He gets mellow and shows that he still owns the dance floor on other cuts. Prince does what he wants when he wants as shown by giving the cd away. So people, stop tripping. He's the Purple One!

His Worst in Years.......2007-07-29

Prince gave this album away in Europe. I can see why. Some had called this a return to his 80's sound and lyrical style. Everything on here is musically very disappointing. Lyrically, this album is nothing but fluff. To hear an artist of Prince's caliber, doing this junk is embarrassing. Do yourself a favor...put his greatest hits in your CD player and skip this one.

A Pleasant Surprise........2007-07-28

Prince seems to have reached a comfortable plateau in his career, he no longer feels the need to shock the masses by simply being outrageous but shocks us still by 1.) the mere fact that he's still around and 2.)by being one of the most prolific, exciting and consistent artists in music today. Did you see the Super Bowl Halftime Show?, the man is true rock royalty! "Planet Earth" is exactly what I was hoping for from his next album, more rock, loads of guitar, live drums and his freakishly elastic voice. The opening title track, "Resolution" and "Guitar"(a super-catchy throwaway)and "Futurebabymama" are destined to become staples in his live show and possible radio hits, while "The One U Wanna C" should get much love on urban outlets. The production on this direct, 10 track LP is also pristine with Prince's bee-sting guitar and the percussion mixed right up front, so you don't just hear the music, you feel it. Along with "Musicology" and "3121" Prince has created another classic trilogy.

Average customer rating: Delightfully, more of the same.... It just hasnt hit me like the previous stuff. They've done it! Will This Be The Breakthrough? Pretty good

Fear of a Blank Planet Porcupine Tree Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Snakes & Arrows Stupid Dream Arriving Somewhere (2pc) Somewhere Else In Absentia ASIN: B000O75F7C Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

1. Fear Of a Blank Planet
2. My Ashes
3. Anesthetize
4. Sentimental
5. Way Out Of Here
6. Sleep Together

Amazon.com

On Fear of a Blank Planet veteran progressive-rock act Porcupine Tree takes up the task of exploring the alienating forces of the media and its impact on our youths and ourselves. Fear's titular cut features lyrics rife with allusions to the confusing, isolating effects of TV, the X-Box, drugged out consumer escapades, and the ennui that arrives with prescription and self-prescribed numbness. "My Ashes" advances the themes of isolation, as a young person becomes increasingly estranged from himself; "Anesthetize" aptly captures dull apathy with accuracy and knowing but perhaps delves to deep into the dark depths and instead of alleviating pain and pressure instead deepens it via a track that fails to offer much emotional or mental counterpoint. The tune does feature an exceptionally lyrical guitar solo from Rush's Alex Lifeson and proves that if anyone can write a sprawling, throbbing epic it's most likely Porcupine Tree. Elsewhere, such as on the beautifully crafted "Sentimental" and "Way Out of Here," Wilson and Co. land squarely between the epic grandeur of peak-era Pink Floyd and the psychically distant cool of Radiohead, a feat that doesn't as much demonstrate how well PT echoes those bands as it shows us how expansive the English quartet's music and emotional vocabulary is. For elder listeners Fear probably won't serve as the powerful statement it wants to be--its themes have been explored to more exacting impact before and, musically, it's fairly standard progressive fare--but it is a strong and intelligent album and for a generation that's grown numb from three-minute ditties about life at the end of the country club cul-de-sac that embrace rather than rage against the dying of the light, it may serve as a wake up call and provide hope for a brighter and more color-infused tomorrow. --Jedd Beaudoin

Customer Reviews:

Delightfully, more of the same...........2007-07-24

Fear of a Blank Planet by the band Porcupine Tree neatly picks up where the band's previous outing, Deadwing, leaves off. This CD openly owes a lot to bands like Pink Floyd, the later King Crimson (Robert Fripp is a guest guitarist on this CD) and The Police. Leader Steven Wilson is still hard at work here with his bleak lyrics and bleaker vocals, but always there, moving the music along, is drummer Gavin Harrison. This work is a bit more driven then Deadwing and while the cuts My Ashes and Sentimental let you up for air, these songs are in no way comparable to the tune Lazarus from Deadwing. The title tune is great, but very dark. Maybe the weakness here, if any, is that the Thrash Metal direction the group seems to be taking is puzzling. But, another good and consistant work is Fear of a Blank Planet. Progressive, neo-Psychedelic, whatever, fans of the group will not be disappointed. Give it a try if you are not a fan, I think you will like it.

It just hasnt hit me like the previous stuff........2007-07-18

As a long term Porcupine Tree fan and in posession of every CD they have put out, I was really looking forward to F.O.A.B.P. I received my CD the day before a week's holiday in Greece, so immediately downloaded said product onto my mp3 player and listened to it continuosly (Alongside the new Rush CD "Snakes and Arrows"). I was present at a Manchester Gig where the band played the whole album six months before it was due to be released so I had a bit of an inclination as to what to expect. It sounded mostly like a continuation of their previous 2 albums (Deadwing and In Absentia) at the time, but having listened to the finished article, there were a couple of tracks where "Lightbulb Sun" came to mind on the 2 softer tracks (i.e. My Ashes and Sentimental)and a touch of "Sky moves sideways" atmospherics appears elsewhere. The begining of "My Ashes" is very close to Led Zeps "No Quarter". So much has been made of "Anesthetize", and yes, it is without doubt the highlight of the album. The opening to this song is monumental. However, I feel the album could have offered more to us, the fans. Firstly, I believe that "Anethetize" should have been chopped into two parts. After 12 or so minutes, it is turned into a completely different vibe and is like a totally new song. Steve Wilson had great joy at introducing the song at Manchester as "18 minutes long", and the crowd response was just as enthusiastic at hearing the news. Neal Morse's new CD has a 3 tracks on his new CD "Sola Scripture" averaging 23 min. each, and yet each is made up of 6 songs within it. In this case I would rather skip to a favourite piece of the track than have to fast forward. Prog. music is "Very much alive". I would rather have 4 x 5 minute songs highlighting Mr Wilson's amazing musical talents than one stretched out piece. On "Voyage 34" that was a different story. AHHHHH Voyage 34. That brings me to another small matter. That CD (Or "EP" as it was known) totalled 60 min. whereas F.O.A.B.P. (A full album release) totals only 50 min. Why is that so? Finally, I believe the 2 main ingredients that were lacking on this release were the trademark harmonies and also the lack of any guitar solos, apart from Alex Lifeson's shortis piece on Anesthetize. Steve seems to be putting more emphasis on the heavier chunky sound. Who knows, we could be witnessing an Opeth-like sound on their next release. To me, This CD was like listening to "Animals" after the release of "Wish you were here". Do you understand where I am coming from? Animals was a great album, but not up to the class of Wish you were here. I got more satisfaction listening to both the Blackfield albums honestly.

They've done it!.......2007-07-12

I'll admit, I was skeptical. I consider all of Porcupine Tree's albums from Signify all the way up through In Absentia to be five star albums. All of them are nearly flawless, and each of them is groundbreaking in their own way. They quietly became the best band of the new millenium. Then came Deadwing. Deadwing is a solid album, but to me, it is *only* four stars. While it does have some of their best work, it *gasp* has a few weak tracks at the beginning. And much worse, it doesn't seem to be a breakthrough album like each of their previous four.

Then came the announcement that the new album would be titled "Fear of a Blank Planet." I thought, "This could either work or it will be a complete disaster." I heard the two tracks that found their way out to the internet before the release, and there was one brilliant track and a better version of "Deadwing" (the song, that is). So, to be honest, I was a bit nervous.

After a few months of digesting it, I can now say, with excitement and relief, that this is PT's best work yet. With the exception of a couple minutes at the end of "Anesthetize", every single second of this album is solid. It begins with the heaviest track on the album, musically and perhaps lyrically as well. They're not messing around here!

After we are treated to a very nice, atmospheric melody in "My Ashes" (the first PT track in some time to feature strings), we get to experience the brilliance that is most of "Anesthetize" (clocking in at 17 minutes or so). This track, albeit epic, is actually fairly minimalistic. We get repetitive, thinly-layered guitar parts over a trip-hop bass and drum beat which is reminiscent of circa-Up The Downstairs PT. The drums make this songs work, and they make it work well. The heavy riffs at some points in the songs are some of the best Steven Wilson has created.

Sentimental has a much lighter feel and flows softly and smoothly. It also has a sound different than anything they've done before, with high-pitched clean guitars ala U2 (though I'm not a U2 fan in the slightest...). This is followed by what is perhaps the weakest songs on the album, Way Out Of Here (which is not bad by any means).

The album closes (some would say too soon) with Sleep Together, which is absolutely brilliant. For all the flak it has gotten in some of these reviews, I consider this one of the most interesting pieces they've put out lately, with a feel that is completely different than anything they've done before. It ends in epic fashion, with thick strings, keyboards, and guitars reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir, except not as unneccesarily long.

This album is simply phenomenal. They've outdone themselves. Steven Wilson has demonstrated with flying colors that he's still got it.

Will This Be The Breakthrough?.......2007-07-10

Its been about five years now since I first was introduced to the music of Porcupine Tree and I have found that the more I listen, the more I find to like. In another era not so long ago, PT would have been bigger than Pink Floyd was at its zenith and deservedly so. Steven Wilson and his band are so good that they nearly overshadow almost anything else being played today. The music is spectacular, the lyrics are thoughtful and deeply intelligent. The big question is whether Fear of A Blank Planet will be the breakthrough that catapults Porcupine Tree into the upper echelons of superstardom.
That may just be the case. With Alex Lifeson and Robert Fripp on board, literally millions of their fans blissfully unaware that Porcupine Tree exists will now be left wondering how a band so good could have been around so long and escaped popular notice. There is a market for great music out there as the success of bands like Rush and Radiohead proves, its just that there are few outlets for it. With luck, the rising popularity of bands like Porcupine Tree will force a change.
I had to listen to Fear of A Blank Planet several times before I appreciated it as much as I now do. There isn't really a weak point on it. From the first notes of the title cut to the final notes of Sleep Together, the listener will be transfixed by the layers of sound that are both hard-driving and dreamily soaring, and by the relentless despair of the lyrics.
Fans of the last couple of years' harder-edged direction of Porcupine Tree will love the title cut and also or even especially the epic Anesthetize which feature's Rush's Alex Lifeson. Those who prefer the spacier soundscapes of PT's earlier years will enjoy My Ashes, Sentimental, and Way Out of Here. The final cut, Sleep Together, offers something to both camps. Me, I like it all!
Fear of A Blank Planet is a recording that will spend a lot of time in my CD changer. Some have suggested that it may be the album of the year. I say its definitely in the running. If you haven't yet heard it, listen and hear what I mean. If you have been lukewarm on Porcupine Tree, this should be the album that makes you a confirmed fan.

Pretty good.......2007-07-08

Steve Wilson did a good job on this one.
It is very good. I have enjoyed everything that Porcupine Tree has done, except Stupid Dream. It sucked.
Blank Planet is WAY better than Stupid Dream but not quite as good as Up the Downstair, The Sunday of Life, Deadwing, or In Absentia.
BUT I still give it 5 stars!

Average customer rating: Serene disappointing Love it! wonderful compilation of world lullabies If you only get one lullabye cd, this should be it

Planet Sleeps Sherrilyne Blakey-Smith , The Rankin Family , Hun Sarath w/ Marc Marder , Houria Aichi , Familion , Boukman Eksperyans , Wes , Baluji Shrivastav , Sophie Meriem Rockwell , and Hinewehi Mohi Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Folk | Styles | Music India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Compilations | International | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Compilations | Children's Music | Styles | Music Lullabies | Children's Music | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Children's Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Children's Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | International General | International | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | International General | International | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Alternative General | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 International | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Lullaby: A Collection On a Starry Night Guitar Lullaby Dreamland African Lullaby ASIN: B000002BOW Release Date: 1997-05-06

Tracks:

1. Chi Mi Na Morbheanna - The Rankin Family
2. Yhanaway Hay Yowna - Sherrilyne Blakey-Smith
3. Phnom Penh Lullaby - Hun Sarath, Marc Marder
4. Ana Latu - The Kingdom Of Tonga Cultural Group
5. Berceuse - Houria Aichi
6. Hace Tuto Guagua - Familion
7. Mayi A Gaye - Boukman Eksperyans
8. Ag Criost An Siol - Maria Doyle-Kennedy, Kieran Kennedy
9. Sweet Bitowo - Wes
10. Sleep Queen Of The Dolls - Baluji Shrivastav
11. Fais Do Do, Colin Mon Petit Frere - Sophie Meriem Rockwell
12. Noomey - Yermi Kaplan, Haya Samir
13. Itsuki No Komoriuta - Traditional Japanese Music Ensemble Of New York
14. Schlafe Mein Prinzchen, Schlaf Ein - Michelle
15. Moe Moe - Hinewehi Mohi
16. Oj Talasi - The Trebevic Choir

Amazon.com

Everything about this CD, from its eye-popping cool packaging to its beautiful booklet, is wonderful, perhaps peerless. It's a study that spans 16 countries, catching paeans to childhood sleep from varied traditions. The set traverses the Cape Breton Gaelic tradition with the Rankin Family, Haiti with pop stars Boukman Eksperyans, and the African continent with music from Tonga, Algeria, and Cameroon. Despite their distances from each other, at times the songs sound quite alike. Voices might begin alone but then gather into choral size, with a reliance on wordless passages to emphasize the flow of time as sleep encroaches. In execution, the surprises are many. Algerian Houria Aïchi sounds East Indian; the Traditional Japanese Music Ensemble of New York sounds poised somewhere between a stately concert of historical court music and a touching homage to childhood; and German singer Michelle sounds pop-music ready even as she toes the line on singing a sleep-triggering song. Beyond being a great collection of international music, this is probably the most interesting mix available of cultural voices approaching the issue of children sleeping. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Serene.......2007-07-23

This is a beautiful, relaxing addition to our lullaby collection. It's a wonderful way to calm down before bedtime.

disappointing.......2007-06-10

I purchased this CD in conjunction with another CD with lullabies for a friend who had just had a baby. She said the music is fine but it's got an audio portion that is totally useless for her. She said she's not been able to get the CD to play just the music w/out the video portion.

Love it!.......2007-05-12

I love this CD and so does my daughter. I have been putting her to sleep with this CD since the day she was born (she is now 10 mths old). I have bought this CD for a few friends of mine and they also love it. Great buy.

wonderful compilation of world lullabies.......2007-01-10

It's a wonderful compilation of world lullabies. It's good all over the world - doesn't matter if your baby is from Mars or Paris, Amazon or New York, it definitely works!

If you only get one lullabye cd, this should be it.......2007-01-04

We have over a dozen lullabye cds, and this is the only one we have worn out from constant use, and are replacing for baby #2. My daughter got hooked from the first track, Chi Mi Na Mór-Bheanna. As soon as it would come on, she would calm down and focus, and the other tracks would lull her to sleep. When we made the mistake of forgetting it at home on a road trip, I had to sing it to get her to stop crying (still learning the gaelic words to that!). It is a brilliant, well-compiled, album of tracks you won't find elsewhere (and which won't bore you, the parent). I have given it over and over as a baby present; it is tried and true. An earlier reviewer commented that the tracks were jarring; we don't find them to be, but then again, we don't like "new age" music (i.e., Wyndam Hill) because we find it too monotonous, so it is a question of musical tastes. Just an added note: the version featured of the classic French lullabye featured, Fais do-do, is truly lovely.

Average customer rating: Planet X raises the bar How Could This Band Get Any Better! My kind of Planet, thank you Virgil ! Their Best Yet Amazing

Quantum Planet X Manufacturer: Inside Out U.S. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Moe's Town Paradise Lost Fear of a Blank Planet Systematic Chaos Systematic Chaos ASIN: B000P46QIG Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

1. Alien Hip Hop
2. Desert Girl
3. Matrix Gate
4. The Thinking Stone
5. Space Foam
6. Poland
7. Snuff
8. Kingdom Of Dreams
9. Quantum Factor

Album Description

Self-founded band of Derek Sherinian (Billy Idol, former Dream Theater) from 1999, describe themselves as "the sickest instrumental band in the world, ...a band that played so fiercely, it would strike fear in the hearts of other musicians when they heard us". Their latest piece of work is such a didactic play. It uniquely demonstrates what happens when a number of exceptional musicians team up. An incredibly fast-pacing roller coaster ride. The perfect fusion of rock and metal. Featuring guest appearances by Allan Holdsworth (Soft Machine, UK, Gong), Brett Garsed (John Farnham) and Rufus Philpot (Al Di Meola).

Customer Reviews:

Planet X raises the bar.......2007-07-05

Theres not enough cliches to describe the level of depth and virtuosity that this band has attained. Virgil gets the MVP award in my book. His playing is simply beyond everyone else on a drumkit. His compositions are futuristic and mind bending, both literally and metaphorically. Every player in the band is at the top of his game, Quantum will be THE CD that will make waves in the prog/metal universe this year.

How Could This Band Get Any Better!.......2007-07-02

Definately the best Planet X album so far. Absolutely Stunning! Put on your headphones and get ready to travel the Universe! Derek Sherinian is the best keyboard player on Earth. The only drawback to this record is that the Great Allan Holdsworth should have had alot more playing time.

My kind of Planet, thank you Virgil !.......2007-06-18

Many thanks to Planet X for another ride in their universe of very different and interesting music. This album is a breath of fresh air. I own all of PX albums and I follow them since their first output "Universe". I find this as one of the most focused efforts of theirs. First of all I prefer Garsed to Macalpine on the guitar chair. I think Brett fits better this kind of "alien" music even if Tony played very well on the other releases from the band. Rumors are that for the next chapter the band will have Greg Howe on board. I hope it could be true because Greg is probably the biggest gun in these territories. Holdsworth plays here just a couple of solos, they are nice but don't change the overall feel of the music ... Brett contributes a lot more. What you can find here are a lot of dispair times at the point that sometimes you lose the guys. It is very funny and interesting. If you are a musician you have a lot to think about here rhytmically. If you are not, don't worry because the music is really entertaining if you love this style (metal plus fusion I may say). I really appreciate Virgil Donati's drumming. Sometimes I find myself focusing on his playing and wow, I have to say that he's incredible. I hope this band will release more albums in this area ... I think it is something new and that this style has the potentials to be something even more interesting in the future. But this Quantum is already a very nice album that I find myself listening over and over. Even better than Moonbabies if you want. Bravo to the guys, Brett and Virgil in particular.

Their Best Yet.......2007-06-13

This is by far Planet X's best effort to date.
Worth the wait since the last release, Derek Sherinian, Virgil Donati and guests do an unbelievable job.
Alan Holdsworth, Rufus Philpot and Brett Garsed do outstanding work on guitar, while keyboardist Sherinian and drummer Donati give their usual great performances.
This is one of the year's best in progressive rock so far.

Amazing.......2007-06-11

Easily the best from Planet X yet. If you love technical progressive rock, this is about as good as it gets.

Average customer rating: Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V) Not one of his bests, but very close John Williams' finest work A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy Williams is slumming it

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Soundtracks | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Music from the Star Wars Saga Star Wars Trilogy Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope ASIN: B000850IS6 Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

1. Star Wars and The Revenge Of The Sith
2. Anakin's Dream
3. Battle Of The Heroes
4. Anakin's Betrayal
5. General Grievous
6. Palpatine's Teachings
7. Grievous and the Droids
8. Padme's Ruminations
9. Anakin vs. Obi-Wan
10. Anakin's Dark Deeds
11. Enter Lord Vader
12. The Immolation Scene
13. Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious
14. The Birth Of The Twins and Padme's Destiny
15. A New Hope and End Credits

Amazon.com

John Williams' lovely and moving score for the sixth Star Wars film brings thirty years of collaborating on George Lucas' beyond-popular intergalactic franchise to a close. (Is this really the end of Star Wars? Can't Lucas and Williams work together on a prequel to these prequels? Let us hope so, and that Jar Jar Binks is nowhere near it.) As this music accompanies the most exciting Star Wars film in many a moon, the soundtrack itself is more fun, more evil, more nasty and bumpy. Many of the heroic, anthemic themes woven throughout Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith will necessarily be familiar to any fan of the series, from the "Imperial March" to the main theme. It's remarkable how stirring the latter can be, no matter how many times you've heard it, and even for those who do not have all their money invested in S.W. memorabilia. There is a lot of new music here, and the lush, extensive range of both Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra is on display, most notably in the menacing, percolating "General Grievous" and the rousing "New Hope" end theme. --Mike McGonigal

The Force Is Also with:

Star Wars Trilogy soundtrack box set	Star Wars Episode II sountrack	Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace	Star Wars Trilogy on DVD	Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Customer Reviews:

Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V).......2007-06-21

product: Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V), included as bonus disc in Episode III soundtrack.

The bonus dvd with this soundtrack was the reason I purchased. I enjoy film soundtracks, and science fiction, but this dvd was a real highlight for me. I got the soundtrack cd out of the local library. The cd was missing from the case, but I found this wonderful dvd instead that I went out to purchase later.

With optional segments of dialog from Ian McDiarmid, this film is a stunning visual and musical overview of the full epic story of episodes I-VI of Star Wars. For those of us who felt that eps. IV-VI fell short of our expectations, this film presents them well as parts of the whole story. The Musical Journey also stands as a summary of the entire SW opus for someone who is not familiar with the Star Wars characters and plot. Highly recommended.

Options: no subtitles or other options.

Not one of his bests, but very close.......2007-05-21

The Episode III soundtrack is very good. Not great, but very, very good. You can tell that Williams is getting old, but he still manages to weave together a very memorable score.

My favorite tracks are "Battle of the Heroes," "Anakin's Betrayal," Palpatine's teachings, "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan," and the "Immolation Scene."
The others are very good as well, but these are especially nice. "Battle of the Heroes" is Dual of the Fates for Revenge of the Sith. "Anakin's Betrayal" is a very sad track that is, in my opinion, one of William's most powerful pieces. "Palpatine's Teachings" is really, really neat. It's very dark and moody, a perfect piece for the evil emperor. The only weird thing is the end. "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan" is the action piece that plays during the battles of Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Yoda and the Emperor. Finally, "The Immolation Scene" is another sad piece, even more so than "Anakin's Betrayal."

Although I really like this CD, there are some things that are missing (as usual). First, the whole sequence where the droids are looking for Obi-Wan after he was shot. You see Obi-Wan in his ship with Senator Organa on the Hologram (or whatever it is), and Obi-Wan says that his clones turned on him. That was some pretty awesome music that OF COURSE was left out of the CD. Then there was Dual of the Fates in the movie, but completely absent from the CD. And probably the most annoying was that whole piece of music before Obi-Wan and Anakin fight. It was so touching and sad and I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT IT OUT! Absolutely amazing. Also, did anyone notice that some little bits were cut out? For example, in Anakin vs. Obi Wan, they cut out about a second or two of choir. What?! What the heck is with that? It's when Anakin is running on the long thing and jumps on the droid on the lava. Also, there was some pretty cool drumming when you see Yoda and the Emperor fighting, and you can see the whole stadium (the big room). There's also drumming in "Enter Lord Vader" that is muted in the soundtrack.

Oh well...if I'm going to collect movie scores, I'm going to have to get used to the fact that in almost all cases there's not going to be every bit of music. I've experienced this in both Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park I (there was very little left out on this score), and almost everything else. At the moment, I'm just waiting for the 22nd, for the Pirates of the Caribbean 3 soundtrack. It's gonna be amazing.

See Yu

John Williams' finest work.......2007-04-20

There is little more I can say that hasn't already been said about the soundtrack to Episode 3, especially what Amazon contributor Dan Mohr wrote in his review of the soundtrack on 2/2/2006. His review captured almost all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions I had when I first listened to the soundtrack, and was, IMO, the best review of John Williams' greatest masterpiece.

Having said that, I will say that few soundtracks have ever so perfectly captured the underlying emotional currents of their respective movie; in the case of ROTS, the contemporaneous tragedies of Anakin's fall to the Dark Side, the extermination of the Jedi, and the rise of the oppressive Empire. The listener is confronted with the depth and totality of the evil that has beset the entire galaxy to a degree that the film could not reach in only 2 hours.

Bravo, Dan Mohr, and BRAVO John Williams!

A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy.......2007-04-07

This is a great work of art. I rank it 4th among Star Wars soundtracks after A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and The Phantom Menace. I had a hard deciding which I thought was better, The Phantom Meance or Revenge of the Sith, but I decided that The Phantom Menace lays the foundation for so much that is in this soundtrack and is thus the more masterful work. But that doesn't mean that this score still isn't great. Every piece is a thrill to listen to and pace never lets up. "Battle of the Hereos" is an amazing piece and the rendition of the "Funeral Theme" from Episoded I captures the film's tragety magnificently. Also I do not think John Williams could have portrayed the Jedi's extinction more perfectly than he did in "Anakin's Betrayal". This is without a doubt the best score of 2005 and one of the best of the decade.

Williams is slumming it.......2007-04-01

Williams's score for Revenge of the Sith is almost entirely overbearing, lacking any emotional subtlety. The music is overcomplicated and even a bit confusing, especially in the tracks that correspond to action sequences in the movie. His overuse of choral tracks and vocals is too bombastic and irritating to be listened to without the explosions and laser blasts of the soundtrack to soften them. (Yes, this music is actually softened by the sounds of warfare.) Worst of all, much of the music has simply been lifted from earlier scores. At times his self-imitation was so blatant that I actually wondered whether the editor who had complied this score had made a mistake and I was listening to The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope. Also suffers from not including the entire score, in some cases cutting out musical segues in obvious and awkward ways.

Average customer rating: Rap heaven A Great Album, but... Another hip hop masterpiece!!!!! Still revolutionary! Fight the Power!

Fear of a Black Planet Public Enemy Manufacturer: Def Jam ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rap & Hip-Hop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black Yo! Bum Rush the Show Straight Outta Compton Paid in Full ASIN: B0000024IE Release Date: 1994-07-26

Tracks:

1. Contract On The World Love Jam (Instrumental
2. Brothers Gonna Work It Out
3. 911 Is A Joke
4. Incident At 66.6 FM (instrumental)
5. Welcome To The Terrordome
6. Meet The G That Killed Me
7. Pollywanacraka
8. Anti-Nigger Machine
9. Burn Hollywood Burn
10. Power To The People
11. Who Stole The Soul
12. Fear Of A Black Planet
13. Revolutionary Generation
14. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man
15. Reggie Jax
16. Leave This Off Your Fu*kin Charts (Instrumental)
17. B Side Wins Again
18. War At 33 1/3
19. Final Count Of The Collision Between Us And The Damned (Instrumental)
20. Fight The Power

Amazon.com essential recording

PE's third album is dense, heavy, and urgent as a bullet. Fear of a Black Planet single-handedly added half a dozen phrases to the language, and not just from Chuck D.'s troop-rallying bellow--Flavor Flav's "911 Is a Joke" is as catchy an indictment of urban policy as anyone has ever come up with. The Bomb Squad's music is complicated, challenging, terse, and totally funky, and Chuck matches it with one impassioned pronouncement after another: on Hollywood's racism, on miscegenation, on "real history / Not his story." The album ends with "Fight the Power," the group's ultimate statement of purpose, from its pounding, atonal sound collage to its furious politics. Put Black Planet on, and it's always a long, hot summer. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Rap heaven.......2007-05-04

Fear of a Black Planet transcends what we know as rap and goes down as just a great piece of work in any genre. This is an album that combines all the elements: vision, cohesion, originality, scope, ambition, confidence, substance, and relevance. From the sound bites of the opening track right on down to the call to arms of "Fight the Power", this masterpiece is breathtakingly on the mark. These songs deal with a wide range of subjects such as hope ("Brothers Gonna Work It Out"), interracial dating ("Pollywannacraka"), the bigotry of showbiz ("Burn Hollywood Burn"), and everything in between to create an album of sheer power. Even the throwaways like "B-Side Wins Again" and "Reggie Jax" keep the listener interested. Fear of a Black Planet is just a massive onslaught of song-tumbling-into-song that grabs your ears and refuses to let go. Chuck D has always been a master of the 5-minute rap song and on here, he delivers maybe his best ever on "Welcome to the Terrordome", Chuck D spilling his guts about everything that pisses him off at a schizophrenic pace about the dangers of propaganda. It is truly a magnificent and moving piece of personal songwriting. All in all, Fear of a Black Planet is right up there with Blur's The Great Escape, Radiohead's OK Computer, and Massive Attack's Mezzanine for best album of the 90's. A+

A Great Album, but..........2007-04-05

...Not PEs best. Without a doubt a classic, but not better than Nation of Millions, BRtS, or Apocalypse 91. 'Fear' lacked the cohesion of these others with a few missteps like: Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man, Reggie Jax, and 4(!) instrumentals.

And, not the fault of PE, or the song, which was good when it came out, but Fight the Power was so over played I can no longer listen to it.

Another hip hop masterpiece!!!!!.......2006-03-12

PE is another hip hop music icon that'll be talked about in 100 years as pioneering the heart and soul of America's truest art form of self-expression, joy, pain, heartache and real world problems and solutions.

You don't know hip hop and you definitely know hip hop music at its highest, purest form if you don't own, know of or even heard this album.

It's overwhelming Afrocentric (par for the course circa popular hip hop 1989-mid 1990).

For all listeners, you'll definitely get a strong sense that PE has something to say about Black Empowerment and challenging the status quo.

For white listeners, please don't be scared off by this album's Pro Black sentiments.

PE's Pro-Black messages are NOT anti-white ... PE's very much about self-help.

I can remember seeing tape of a documentary back in 1993 of a PE concert they performed waaayyy out in the boonies, somewhere in Middle America where minorities are an entity the local yocals probably only saw on TV.

Point is, they talked to several members of the overwhelmingly white, big hair, mullet-sporting crowd and to my surprise and delight, the crowd "got it."

They spoke with respect and admiration of PE and explained themselves how they thought it wasn't offensive and that PE was just promoting Black empowerment and for more people to get education, question society's way and know their history.

Powerful stuff (both this album and that documentary).

Still revolutionary!.......2006-02-16

"Fear Of A Black Planet" - The title alone is worth the money.Such a great undertaking in making this album and you here it from the first cut.So much texture from the interludes to songs, practically seemless.Mostly remembered for "Fight The Power" but at so many points of this album Chuck D drops an entire history course ear whooping without the listener realizing it.He had the fury of a poet, the urgency of a street reporter and the wisdom of a teacher.Its like listening to a rebel harnessing all of his frustration and anger into some sense and direction.Flavor Flav keeping pace with his yeaah boyeees gave the songs an audience almost without getting in the way.Hank Shocklee and Co. did a masterful job with the production and arangment of the loops,samples and instrumentation.Future producers for any music can listen and learn.My track highlights are as follows:
1)Welcome to The Terrordome
2)Brothers Gonna Work It Out
3)911 Is A Joke
4)Who Stole The Soul?
5)Fight The Power

- Not in that order, just my favorites.

Fight the Power!.......2006-01-29

Most of the younger generation (those born in the 1990's) are probely familer with Flavor Flav with all the TV spotlight he gets on VH-1. Yet back in the Day when Flavor was cracked out, he was with the likes of Chuck D and Terminator X in a very important rap group Public Enemy. This is my favorite PE album of the bunch. They say three times is a charm, and since this was thier third effort, not only did they manage to pull off their best album, but one of the top ten best albums in hip-hop EVER! Almost every song here is a Gem, and for all those that listen to garbage hip-hop (50 Cent, Juvinelle, Little Jon, D-12) then maybe you should use those CD's as coasters or frisbees, and pick up Fear of a Black Planet to hear what REAL Hip-Hop soundsl like. Unfortanltly, the band started to go downhill from here, with two less then steller efforts after this one, and then completely vanishing into thin air. With the return of Flavor outta nowhere being on VH-1's "The Surreal Life" and 2 other shows on VH-1, it seems like Public Enemy also came back. I have heard some of the newer material, but it just doesn't live up to this. This is a real important piece of hip-hop history, as a matter of fact, MUSIC history. Please Put this one in your collection if you dont have it. ENJOY

Average customer rating: Not A "Tarantino" Soundtrac Awesome movie... awesome soundtrack! Some Great Hard Jams And A Cool Throwback To An Era The soundtrack to "Grindhouse: Planet Terror" is great!

Grindhouse: Planet Terror Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Death Proof Grindhouse: The Sleaze-filled Saga of an Exploitation Double Feature Death Proof: A Screenplay Vanishing Point Black Snake Moan ASIN: B000NJL07K Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

1. Grindhouse (Main Titles)
2. Doc Block (Robert Rodriguez & Carl Thiel)
3. Sickos (Robert Rodriguez & Graeme Revell)
4. You Belong to Me - Performed by Rose McGowan (Pee Wee King, Chilton
5. Go Go Not Cry Cry (Robert Rodriguez & Rick Del Castillo)
6. Hospital Epidemic (Graeme Revell & Robert Rodriguez)
7. Usless Talent #32 - Performed by Rose McGowan (Rebecca Rodriguez &
8. His Perscription...Pain (Robert Rodriguez & Carl Thiel)
9. Cherry Darling
10. The Grindhouse Blues
11. El Wray
12. Police Station Assault
13. Dakota (Robert Rodriguez & Carl Thiel)
14. Zero to Fifty in Four
15. Fury Road
16. Helicopter Sicko Chopper (Graeme Revell & Robert Rodriguez)
17. The Ring in the Jacket (Robert Rodriguez & George Oldziey)
18. Killer Legs (Robert Rodriguez & Rick Del Castillo)
19. Melting Member (Graeme Revell & Robert Rodriguez)
20. Too Drunk to **** - Performed by Nouvelle Vague (Jello Biafra)
21. Cherry's Dance of Death - Performed by CHINGON
22. Two Against the World - Performed by Rose McGowan (Rebecca Rodriguez &

Amazon.com

This Robert Rodriguez-written-and-directed half of Grindhouse, his and Quentin Tarantino's $50+ million valentine to '70s exploitation fare, turns on the typically over-the-top tale of a go-go dancer (Rose McGowan) whose severed leg is replaced by an assault weapon-cum-prosthetic. But unlike the typically frenzied stew of pop gems, vintage soundtrack obscurities, and dizzy oddities Tarantino uses to score his Death Proof half of the project, Rodriguez continues his John Carpenter-inspired habit of writing and performing the music for his. Anchored by a snarling, guitar-driven instrumental title theme that sounds like it was piped in straight from a strip club in Hades, the director's score is a gritty, frequently metal-driven sonic m#233;lange. Previous musical cohort Graeme Revell again collaborates on a handful of tracks (with additional contributions from Carl Thiel, George Oldziey, and Rick Del Castillo), and there are moments that instantly recall their dank work on Sin City, particularly the throbbing sax-uality of "Grindhouse Blues." Star McGowan contributes a trio of languorously wasted vocal turns on a cover of "You Belong to Me" and the alternately electro-clubby/flamencoesque Rodriguez originals "Useless Talent #42" and "Two Against the World." Completing the score's evocative musical recipe, Nouvelle Vague offer up a breathy, tongue-in-cheek cover of the Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk to Fuck" while Chingon turns in a searing, Latin-metal fusion take of Rodriguez's own "Cherry's Dance of Death." --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

"Grind House" - noun - A downtown movie theater -- in disrepair since its glory days as a movie palace of the '30s and '40s -- known for "grinding out" non-stop double-bill programs of B-movies. From groundbreaking directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez comes the ultimate film experience: a double-bill of thrillers that will recall both filmmakers' favorite exploitation films. GRIND HOUSE will be presented as one full-length feature comprised of two individual films helmed separately by each director. Tarantino's film, Death Proof, is a rip-roaring slasher flick where the killer pursues his victims with a car rather than a knife, while Rodriguez's film explores an alien world eerily familiar to ours in Planet Terror. Welcome to the grind house -- it'll tear you in two.

The riveting score for GRIND HOUSE is by Rodriguez himself.

Customer Reviews:

Not A "Tarantino" Soundtrac.......2007-05-15

Robert Rodriguez makes really good movies and he definitely is a good "guitar" player. But, these recent soundtracks are not what we got with "Desperado" or "From Dusk to Dawn". I mean this soundtrack is just that, "soundtrack sounds and riffs" from the movie. They work good in the movie, but your not going to want to listen to them on their own. Totally unlike a "Tarantino" soundtrack that has actual "songs" on it by artists that you will want to listen to separate of the movie. I'm a "guitar player" and although I respect Robert Rodriguez as a guitar player, I'll probably never buy one of his "soundtracks" again. What's the point, just watch the movie.

Awesome movie... awesome soundtrack!.......2007-04-27

Anyone who went to see Grindhouse and is now looking at the soundtrack for Planet Terror, I know exactly why you're either thinking of or already have purchased it. It's because of the main title theme. Quite possibly one of the coolest movie themes ever composed.

I'll spare you a detailed report of the CD. It's awesome. Possibly one of the best movie soundtracks ever composed, beats out the Sin City soundtrack... something I previously didn't think was possible. A must have for any music fans!

Some Great Hard Jams And A Cool Throwback To An Era.......2007-04-14

The joint film venture by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, "Grindhouse," is a throwback to the cult classic grindhouse movies of the 70s and 80s, it is only fitting that the musical score does the same. But like the movie itself, the music is both an update and a throwback. For "Planet Terror" Robert Rodriguez, the one-man film production crew, again takes composing duties upon himself as he did in "Sin City." Along with some guest work by Graeme Revell and the band Chingon, Rodriguez captures both tne synth feel of the 80s horror film scores and produces some hard rockin' jams that stand on their own. "Grindhouse (Main Titles)" is a scorching opening with a raunchy sax and ripping, flamenco Arabic guitar that sets the tone for "Planet Terror," this is like stripper music from hell and indeed, Rodriguez's on set love interest, Rose McGowan, does a great go-go dance number to this song in the opening titles of the film. Other tracks like "Hospital Epidemic" and "His Prescription" capture that synthesized feel of the old horror movies with a fan boy's glee. "Useless Talent #32" and "You Belong To Me" feature McGowan singing. She has a wonderfully sexy, deep voice with a jazzy feel. She also croons on "Two Against The World." What Rodriguez shows here is a real sense of good film scoring, much of this material can sometimes even feel a little too elevated for a grindhouse flick. Rodriguez in the past has provided great music for "Kill Bill Vol. 2" and his own "Once Upon A Time In Mexico," both featured great songs and again, a kind of musical emotion sometimes too grand or too well-assembled for what Rodriguez's films deserve. It's almost as if the man is a popcorn filmmaker with the soul of a true musician inside. His guitar playing in "Planet Terror" is awesome with notes that glide, slide and rip hard. Fans will not be disappointed, the soundtrack is campy, fun, exciting and expertly produced and played. "Planet Terror" delivers more than what you would expect.

The soundtrack to "Grindhouse: Planet Terror" is great!.......2007-04-08

The soundtrack to "Grindhouse: Planet Terror" is great! The score by Robert Rodriguez is excellent. Great music from a great movie.

Track Listing
1. Grindhouse (Main Titles)
2. Doc Block
3. Sickos
4. You Belong to Me
5. Go Go Not Cry Cry
6. Hospital Epidemic
7. Usless Talent #32
8. His Perscription...Pain
9. Cherry Darling
10. Grindhouse Blues - Nouvelle Vague
11. Wray - Chingon
12. Police Station Assault - Rose McGowan
13. Dakota
14. Zero to Fifty in Four - Rose McGowan
15. Fury Road
16. Helicopter Sicko Chopper - Rose McGowan
17. Ring in the Jacket
18. Killer Legs
19. Melting Member
20. Too Drunk to ****
21. Cherry's Dance of Death
22. Two Against the World

Average customer rating: This is one of my favorit Bela Fleck records! A Rarity... Hair Raising Outstanding CD! If I could recommend only one CD to anyone, this would be it.

The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2 Béla Fleck Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Bluegrass Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Eccentrics | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: Tales From the Acoustic Planet Perpetual Motion The Telluride Sessions Drive Live Art ASIN: B00000JC6D Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

1. Blue Mountain Hop
2. Buffalo Nickel
3. When Joy Kills Sorrow
4. Spanish Point
5. Polka On The Banjo
6. Clarinet Polka
7. The Over Grown Waltz
8. Ode To Earl
9. Home Sweet Home
10. Valley Of The Rogue
11. Plunkey's Lament
12. Maura On A Bicycle, Stout And Molasses, Way Back When
13. Dark Circles
14. Old Jellico, Puddle Jumper, Dead Man's Hill
15. Katmandu
16. Do You Have Room?
17. Foggy Mountain Special
18. Major Honker

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

In a jaw-dropping return to his roots, banjoist Béla Fleck led a stellar lineup (Jerry Douglas, Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice, and Sam Bush, to name a few) through one of his finest albums. With incredible musicianship and a smidgen of Fleck's genre-hopping personality ("Polka On The Banjo"), The Bluegrass Sessions is fun, nostalgic, and inspiring. --Jason Verlinde

Amazon.com essential recording

Béla Fleck, the banjo-wizard leader of the fringe-jazz quartet the Flecktones, returns to more-bluegrass-oriented concerns with this 18-song outing, a complement to 1988's Drive and a more-traditional follow-up to 1995's fusion-leaning Tales from the Acoustic Planet. Most of these songs are instrumentals boasting Drive's core group of Sam Bush on mandolin, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Tony Rice on guitar, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, and bassist Mark Schatz; they're augmented in spots by fine guest players such as Vassar Clements, John Hartford, and the incomparable banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs. Fleck's spidery, tasteful plucking style lends originals like "Major Honker" and "Katmandu" an ever-so-slightly offbeat air, while he gives classics like Scruggs's "Foggy Mountain Special" and "Polka on the Banjo" traditional readings that wouldn't be out of place at the Opry. Flecktones fans will find much to like in Fleck's rootsy playing, and so will bluegrass purists. --Gregory McNamee

Customer Reviews:

This is one of my favorit Bela Fleck records!.......2007-01-10

I love this CD, i think it is one of the best bluegrass collections Bela has produced, with a host of different styles and artists.

A Rarity..........2006-07-19

It's rare when a sequel exceeds the original. This album, though, exceeds the first "Acoustic Planet" effort by Fleck.

Why? Well, the playing is better technically, if you can believe that. And the energy and drive is stronger here than in Acoustic Planet 1.

You also get treated to a greater number of original compositions on this CD. I've come to appreciate this dimension of Fleck's artistic gifts even more as time has passed. While he does do a lot of variations on derivative music, his original compositions are memorable, too.

Hair Raising.......2006-04-12

I've had this album for two years now and it still sometimes makes my hair stand on end when I listen to it and I don't even consider myself a SERIOUS bluegrass fan. Absolutely amazing!

Outstanding CD!.......2006-02-25

Bela Fleck is arguably the premeir banjo player in the world and he does not disappoint on this CD. His music and that of the musicians he has gathered to play with him is superb. If your feet aren't tapping to the music in short order, then you probably have a few disconnnected nerves leading to them.

If you enjoy Americana/Bluegrass/Country, then you'll love this CD!

If I could recommend only one CD to anyone, this would be it........2005-11-20

This is the CD that was singlehandedly responsible for revealing my long-hidden love of bluegrass music to me. I can listen to it in any season or mood and at any time of day. Each performer on the CD has moved beyond mastery of his instrument to fusion with it, and the results are incredible to hear. My favorite track on the CD is "Buffalo Nickel," which combines a gorgeous wistful melody with a constantly shifting meter and an undercurrent of satisfaction. Other favorites include the rollicking opening track of "Blue Mountain Hop," the well-titled "When Joy Kills Sorrow," the lullaby favorite "The Over Grown Waltz," the deliciously fast ending track "Major Honker"...well, who am I kidding? The entire CD is amazing. It gets my highest recommendation. Don't waver. Buy it. You'll be glad you did.

Average customer rating: Power chord heaven Amazing to say the least! Daylight won't find us here... Concert Sound A Dream Within A Nightmare

Fantastic Planet Failure Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Magnified Year of the Rabbit You'd Prefer an Astronaut Secrets of the Lost Satellite Downward Is Heavenward ASIN: B000002N89 Release Date: 1996-08-13

Tracks:

1. Saturday Saviour
2. Sergeant Politeness
3. Segue 1
4. Smoking Umbrellas
5. Pillowhead
6. Blank
7. Segue 2
8. Dirty Blue Balloons
9. Solaris
10. Pitiful
11. Leo
12. Segue 3
13. The Nurse Who Loved Me
14. Another Space Song
15. Stuck On You
16. Heliotropic
17. Daylight

Customer Reviews:

Power chord heaven.......2007-05-14

Great hard rock album with engaging power chord sequences. Reportedly,
Failure was Tool's favorite band back in the mid 90s. Some songs build in a dreamy, hard rock way; others kick a** all of the way.

Largely unknown masterpiece. One of the 10 best albums of the last 15
years.

Amazing to say the least!.......2007-04-09

Completely overshadowed by the multidue of grunge/alternative rock etc. bands when this was released. Ken Andrews has an outstanding voice for this genre and the rythms are out of this world. tight drumming and great chord structures to boot. Theee most UNDERRATED cd in my opinion. I mean melodies from beginning to end that makes the listener want to sing along.
Why his team didnt advertise this more is puzzling because it really stands out as a solid effort. I just got my 2nd copy cuz i lost the first. Its THAT good!

Daylight won't find us here..........2007-04-03

I first heard this cd in 2001 from a friend's suggestion, or rather, he kept playing it & I ended up listening to it a lot as a result... & I STILL feel like I missed out on hearing it from '96-2000!! However, this wasn't one of those albums I casually listened to a few times, thought "oh, this is cool, I'll hear it again someday", & then barely touched it again. This cd still manages to creep its way back into my rotation for unknown reasons. I say unknown because there really isn't just that one song you want to listen to because it gets stuck in your head, & then put on something else. Once I pop it in, I almost always feel compelled to listen to the entire thing, even if I have to break it up (like a normal car trip that takes 30 minutes in either direction), which is exactly why I love to save this for road trips... it deserves to be listened to in its entirety every freaking time, & it also deserves to have the word "Fantastic" in its title. To say this album is underrated is an understatement... it's been downright neglected. I will say it prolly hasn't caught on to mainstream listeners cuz of its length (think of The Cure - Disintegration, as far as epic length), & even though it has some catchy songs, they're not generic sing-along catchy. The chord changes can be very interesting, the bass lines move (esp. in your car speakers!), & the drums can be really powerful. As for the vocals, he can whisper at times, & then really come out, but never forcefully. His voice reminds me of Gavin Rossdale of Bush the closest... but even better. It's hard to even compare this band to others, or even make a "if you like {insert band here}, you'll like this" kind of statement. In general, if you like good interesting rock music, just listen for yourself... you'll be glad you did.... & you'll also be dumbfounded as to what to put on next.

Typical song synopsis, influenced from driving while I listen to this most of the time:
1 - excellent mid-tempo moody opener
2 - more "alterna-rock" feeling, & a good early evening song when the sun's fading away
3 - don't skip the segues, they're exactly that, but very cool
4 - mid-tempo w/ a cool bass line
5 - if you're driving, watch the foot pedal... this will make you want to speed... & bop your head too
6 - cool slow song; i love the spirally flange guitar effect
7 - slower segue
8 - another mid-tempo song; i love when the dynamic picks up
9 - more up-tempo; one of my favorites
10 - another of my favorites; i LOVE the sliding bass
11 - ok, this is my least favorite, & I think it's a lot of people's least favorite; it's not bad by any means though
12 - very mysterious segue; my favorite of the 3
13 - i LOVE this one; it seems to be the 1st song of the rest of the album
14 - this is the song that initially got me into the rest of this; the creepy, slightly out of tune harmonic-y guitar part is just way cool; my 2nd favorite
15 - i realized in 2001 that i remember seeing this single vaguely on eMpTV back in '97... but it wasn't rotated very much, & like i said, i missed out on the rest of this album for a few years too long
16 - words can NOT express this song... it's AMAZING!! no doubt my favorite here. it's so creepy & good, & it STILL gives me chills. don't even hear a clip, just buy this cd, crank it up, turn off the lights, & sit back, it's that good
17 - excellent closing track w/ more cool creepy effects from an out of tune piano; never has out-of-tune sounded this cool, & the dynamic change is, well, dynamic

Concert Sound.......2006-10-23

Enjoyable album. Great sound. At times it reminds me of seeing Abandoned Pools and Garbage at The Hard Rock's The Joint. That's a big compliment. Beginning at the song right before Stuck on You and continuing until the end, I think Fantastic Planet is as masterful as alt rock & roll pretty much gets.

A Dream Within A Nightmare.......2006-07-12

I am surprised by how many people do not know what this album is about. It is, as stated by the band themselves, an album about heroin abuse, specifically its pitfalls. Saturday Savior is not a song about sexual politics. It is a song that Ken Andrews sings in character. The character that he takes on is heroin personified. As the drug "speaks" to the listener, the premise for the whole album is set up. The user is hopelessly in love with the drug and wants something from it that it can never give. The drug is cold and will never give itself to the user. It will only tease, as it has no heart to give. The user is being used and tossed aside like so much trash. The rest of the album chronicles a day in the life of the user and the drug's parasitic "relationship" with him. The album begins and ends with clock-like sounds, bookending the beginning and end of the user's day and offering an eerie reminder of the user's lost and perhaps, very limited, time. "Stuck on You," while not so subtle in its title, subtly compares heroin to a tune that slowly but surely creeps up on you and becomes ingrained in your consciousness. "The Nurse Who Loved Me" is the user deluding himself into thinking that the girl with "pharmacy keys" (heroin) actually cares for him. He insists that the girl "acts just like a nurse with all the other guys," but the song begins and ends with the user lying by himself face-down on the ground. This is the moment on the album where we realize just how pathetic the drug has made the user and to what extent he has been degraded and demoralized by his addiction. The pounding horror of "Daylight" ends the album. The user tries to assure himself that "daylight won't find us here," but there is, of course, no escape from reality, and this is confirmed by the aforementioned clock sounds. This is an album that is practically overflowing with symbolism both in its lyrics and in its music. Failure sound like no other band, but it would not be inaccurate to characterize them as a combination of Nirvana and My Bloody Valentine. They can create massive soundscapes and love their feedback, but they also understand their way around a pop song, albeit really heavy pop songs. This is a landmark in space rock. Enjoy.

Average customer rating: FABULOUS Really Different. Pretty Boring Mickey's Classic! Some Successful Experiments, But Not a Cohesive Album

Planet Drum Mickey Hart Manufacturer: Rykodisc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rock Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music World Dance | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Jambands | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: At the Edge Supralingua Drums of Passion Drums of Passion: The Invocation Planet Drum: A Celebration of Percussion and Rhythm ASIN: B0000009O6 Release Date: 1991-09-25

Tracks:

1. Udu Chant
2. Island Groove
3. Light Over Shadow
4. Dance Of The Hunter's Fire
5. Jewe 'You Are The One'
6. The Hunt
7. Temple Caves
8. The Dancing Sorcerer
9. Bones
10. Lost River
11. Evening Samba
12. Iyanu 'Surprises'
13. Mysterious Island

Customer Reviews:

FABULOUS.......2007-05-07

I used this to do an African dance workout & everyone asked me for the music. It takes you to another place, and every song is different and wonderful in its own way. Mickey Hart definitely deserved a Grammy for this one!

Really Different........2005-09-25

This album is cool, but if you don't try to get in and create a mood for it you won't get it. Dim the lights, read the song titles and imagine you're right there with the natives, you'll dig it.

Pretty Boring.......2003-07-23

This is the first CD of all percussion I have ever bought, and it'll prolly be my last. An album of all percussion is, frankly, pretty boring. Much more interesting to hear percussion-heavy *music* such as, say, Peter Gabriel. "The Hunt" and "The Dancing Sorcerer" are ok, but even at its best, this album is background noise.

Mickey's Classic!.......2002-08-12

All I can say is awesome album! Goes well with the previous effort "At The Edge".

Mickey gathers up percussion players from all over the world to create a mass drum/percussive ensemble with pieces that will go to your soul.

Great headphone album. Sit back and let Mickey & Co. take you on a percussive trip around the world.

Planet Drum is the way to go if you're looking for some good Mickey Hart.

Some Successful Experiments, But Not a Cohesive Album.......2000-10-08

In this concept album, Hart brings great drummers from around the world to participate. The result is wholly new works that are without question novel, but this record has not fared well in my collection since I bought it four years ago. I find myself choosing traditional Brazilian or Latin American or Indian or Middle Eastern performances rather than Planet Drum. I would especially warn potential buyers that Planet Drum is not a survey of percussion styles that will help you decide what you do and do not like. It is instead outside all the mainstream styles and I would consider it the kind of album that would augment a percussion collection rather than start one.

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