Special Album

Amazon.com
Norway’s Ralph Myerz follows up the buzz-heavy A Special EP with this full-length effort, a rather weightless yet pleasing mix of good-natured cheese and sunny downtempo. With a light trip-hop touch, Myerz draws from artists like Bent and Gus Gus while incorporating elements of dub and astral jazz. Some songs have a Martin Denny-esque exotica quality about them, like "Casino," but the record plays it straight most of the time, infusing mellow electronics with dreamy reverb and throbbing bass tones. The silky tones of the title track, for instance, create a sexed-up ambience ideal for late nights and candlelight. Myerz’s experiments do go occasionally awry; the retro-funk of "Funky Bizness" goes nowhere. Nevertheless, A Special Album promises great things in the future with its airy, off-kilter sensibilities. --Matthew Cooke

Special Album,Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band,Emperor Norton,Dance,Dance Music,Downtempo,Electronic,Electronica,Pop,Progressive House

Average customer rating: Probably the best concert ever preserved good Talking Heads record Bigger is not always better One of the greatest live albums ever. Great Improvement Over The Original Version

Stop Making Sense: Special New Edition (1984 Film) Talking Heads Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music American Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Rock | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Stop Making Sense The Name of This Band is Talking Heads Little Creatures Speaking in Tongues Remain in Light ASIN: B00000K3G8 Release Date: 1999-09-07

Tracks:

1. Psycho Killer
2. Heaven
3. Thank You for Sending Me an Angel
4. Found a Job
5. Slippery People
6. Burning Down the House
7. Life During Wartime
8. Making Flippy Floppy
9. Swamp
10. What a Day That Was
11. This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
12. Once in a Lifetime
13. Genius of Love
14. Girlfriend Is Better
15. Take Me to the River
16. Crosseyed and Painless

Amazon.com

The soundtrack to the Jonathan Demme documentary, Stop Making Sense captures the Talking Heads live in 1984 on what would turn out to be their last major tour. This collection, and the film, is a true gift to the band's fans, a testament to the Heads' extraordinary talent, both in the studio and especially onstage. Frontman David Byrne infuses each song with a jolt of energy and drama that could only have come from a late-'70s art-school student. Now-classic tracks such as "Psycho Killer," "Girlfriend is Better," "Once in a Lifetime," "Take Me to the River," and "Burning Down the House" have never sounded better. This expanded 1999 reissue includes all nine of the original tracks, plus seven previously unheard cuts, including "Heaven," "Found a Job," and "Crosseyed and Painless." --Lorry Fleming

Customer Reviews:

Probably the best concert ever preserved.......2007-02-19

Simply the single best set by any band in the history of rock and roll. I know there will be people out there who will point to some Dead concert that's only available on a third generation cassette, but this set is as hot as the Heads ever were. The expanded edition is a great gift to the world.

good Talking Heads record.......2006-02-20

i own this on vinyl and it's just good talking head songs live,although i have to say the original version of some songs are better but if you have the money i guess go for it but i recommend buying non live recordings.

Bigger is not always better.......2004-10-26

The original LP version of this was a mere 9 songs, and was absolutely brilliant. I remember playing it constantly, wearing it out much like my two album "The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads" double live album. I also got to see the concert film at some midnight show and was enthralled...a concert movie for people who liked music! I loved it so much that I eventually got David Byrne to sign the book that came with the album.

So I was really hyped to hear that the entire concert soundtrack was about to be reissued on CD. Seven extra songs! Warm with nostalgia, I finally bought the disc. Boy, was I let down. First, it isn't the whole concert. "I Zimbra" is particularly missed. Then, of all the crappy songs to include over that one, we have the Tom Tom Club and their SERIOUSLY dated "Genius Of Love."

One of the brilliant things about Talking Heads is that they may have been trend setters, but they were never trend mongers. The music sounds just as fresh today as it did when I slit the shrink wrap on the 1984 Album. But the Tom Tom Club was a lightweight side project that scored one novelty hit, and it sticks out like crayon smears on a DaVinci. I reach for the skip button just about everytime its lame, cliched, and oh so 80's stage patter starts to invade what used to be a flawless CD.

It takes what used to be a 5 star CD and knocks it down by one. It also provides continual proof that that not all unreleased tracks are really a "bonus." Since it has finally come out on a double disc, I strongly recommend the remastered and reissued "The Name Of This Band is Talking Heads" over this. At least the expanded tracks aren't an emarrassment.

One of the greatest live albums ever........2004-10-23

Jonathon Demme's 1984 concert film of the Talking Heads was an incredible experience. Sadly, when the original soundtrack was released, it contained only nine of the songs performed. Not only that, but they were entirely out of sequence, completely destroying the original purpose behind David Byrne's conception of the concert. Thank God they released this anniversary edition of the soundtrack, as this really does the film justice. Every song is here, and in its proper place, the way it was meant to be heard.

So, what is the big deal, you ask? Well, picture this. The soundtrack begins with "Psycho Killer," one of the first really big hits for the group. Instead of the entire band being onstage, David Byrne walks out with an acoustic guitar and a boom box. He presses PLAY on the box, which cues a drum program to begin playing. So the first song is just David Byrne singing and strumming his guitar, accompanied by pre-recorded percussion. For the next song, "Heaven," Byrne is joined onstage by bassist Tina Weymouth. Then Chris Frantz's drumset is wheeled out, and the three of them go into "Thank You For Sending Me an Angel." We finally hear some real drumming, not the predictable, computerized beats in "Psycho Killer." The album really begins to come alive. Then they go into "Found a Job," and things get more interesting. Byrne swaps his acoustic guitar for an electric, and lead guitarist Jerry Harrison comes out, meaning we now have two guitars. By the time the fifth track, "Slippery People," is underway, the entire band (including the extra musicians and backup singers) are on the stage, and now things are cooking. What happens over the remaining twelve tracks can only be described as an overload of the senses.

The purpose behind the concert was to provide a unique experience for the concert-goer, to create visual as well as aural art. Some of that sense is lost on the CD listener, but some of it remains. The songs were translated to disk beautifully, so that they still retain just about everything that made them a pleasure to listen to while watching the film. One can almost picture David Byrne running laps around the stage, dancing with the lamp, or wearing the big suit.

The concert resulting in the film and this album was performed shortly after the band released their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." So, needless to say, many of the songs you will hear are from that album. And I have to say that for each of them, I prefer the live version to the studio version. Each one of them sounds more vibrant, more full of life when performed on the stage. The improvisation on "Burning Down the House" is as good as it gets. Ditto "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)," which is one of the most beautiful things I've heard, and I don't even like love songs. The studio versions lack that extra energy. Their pulse is just too slow. This is never more true for "Life During Wartime," which is actually a song from 1979's "Fear of Music." But anyway, this song displays Byrne's tendency to perfectly mismatch music and lyrics. The pulsating beat of club rock flows beneath what I interpret to be a humourously disturbing tale of a country under martial law. The song should not work as well as it does, and yet somehow, they pull it off. Anyway, after hearing the live version of it, I can no longer listen to the studio version. Also noteworthy is the improvisation on "Crosseyed and Painless." The intro and the extended guitar solos are just the icing on the cake for that one!

If there is a bad song on this album, it would have to be the interlude by the Tom Tom Club (a solo project of Heads drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth). "Genius of Love" could have been a great song. The instrumentation is very good. Sadly, it's ruined by Frantz's raucous babbling. He's attempting to be random like David Byrne, but tragically, he's not good at it. Other than that, this album is solid gold. It demonstrates the full potential of live music, and sounds amazing while doing it. Whether you're a fan of the Talking Heads or not, this album belongs in your collection.

Great Improvement Over The Original Version.......2004-10-17

It's true, to really appreciate this album, you have to see the film. And that's no chore. Stop Making Sense is probably the best concert film ever made. It's hard to imagine just listening to the album without thinking of Byrne's amazing stage presence (in or out of the big suit).

The Special Edition is the entire film soundtrack (minus some stage banter and the cut performances of "Cities" and "I Zimbra"). Their imagination made Talking Heads one of the greatest live bands of all time. The songs are mostly from SPEAKING IN TONGUES, but they also include interesting and in some cases superior versions of songs from all of their albums prior to 1983 with the help of the Tom Tom Club.

In addition to STOP MAKING SENSE, I recommend the newly released CD version of THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS. Listening to both would map eight years of live performances and barely short of 4 hours of live material.

Average customer rating: Bargain! If you love 38 Special... Great Album Comprehensive introduction to 38 Special Great Sing-a-Long

Anthology .38 Special Manufacturer: Hip-O Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Box Sets at 30% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Molly Hatchet - Greatest Hits [Expanded] Rattlesnake Rock 'n' Roll: The Best of Blackfoot Best Of The Outlaws: Green Grass & High Tides Anthology: The First 30 Years Foreigner - Complete Greatest Hits ASIN: B00005K9R7 Release Date: 2001-06-05

Tracks:

1. Rockin' Into The Night
2. Stone Cold Believer
3. Money Honey
4. Hold On Loosely
5. Long Time Gone
6. Take Me Back
7. Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
8. Fantasy Girl
9. Hittin' And Runnin'
10. Caught Up In You
11. Chain Lightnin'
12. Rough-Housin'
13. You Keep Runnin' Away
14. Prisoners Of Rock & Roll
15. Twentieth Century Fox
16. Long Distance Affair
17. One Time For Old Times
18. Take 'Em Out (Live)

Tracks:

1. If I'd Been The One
2. Back Where You Belong
3. Teacher, Teacher
4. Somebody Like You
5. Like No Other Night
6. Back To Paradise
7. Rock & Roll Strategy
8. Second Chance
9. The Sound Of Your Voice
10. Last Thing I Ever Do
11. Rebel To Rebel
12. Fade To Blue
13. Deja Voodoo
14. Homeless Guitar
15. Saving Grace
16. Just One Girl

Customer Reviews:

Bargain!.......2007-05-12

A very good option to enjoy the music of one of the best groups ever.Don't miss it!

If you love 38 Special..........2007-03-28

If you love 38 Special, then this is THE CD for you. It has so many great songs. My husband is a huge fan (we fight over the CD); even my daughter likes a lot of the songs, and she's only 8.

Great Album.......2007-01-20

If you like .38 Special you will love this album. It contains all of the well known hits and some great hits that aren't as famous...
A total Compilation of .38 Special...

Comprehensive introduction to 38 Special.......2006-04-20

THE BAND: Don Barnes (vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica), Donnie VanZant (vocals), Jeff Carlisi (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), Jack Grodin (drums), Steve Brookins (drums)... and assorted players joining on later albums. The members listed here were the key contributors during the band's hay-day in the late 70's and early 80's.

THE DISC(S): (2001) 2 discs clocking in at just under 150 total minutes (Disc-1 76:50 minutes, Disc-2 72:55 minutes). 24-bit digitally remastered sound. Included with the 2 discs is a 14-page booklet containing band pictures, song titles & credits, thank you's, and what songs came from which albums. The first 9 pages features interviews with frontmen Van Zant and Barnes... discussing tough beginnings, Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane crash, and member changes and musical direction. Label - Hip-O/Universal Music.

ALBUM REPRESENTATION: 38 Special (1), Special Delivery (1), Rockin' Into The Night (3), Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (4), Special Forces (4), Tour De Force (5), Strength In Numbers (2), Flashback (1), "Teachers" Soundtrack (1), Rock & Roll Strategy (2), Bone Against Steel (3), Resolutions (4), Live At Sturgis (2), B-Side unreleased (1).

COMMENTS: This compilation features 38 Special from their underrated debut in 1977 through their "Resolutions" album in 1997. Where the Allman Bros and Lynyrd Skynyrd were very 'Southern', I always felt 38 Special was in the same catagory, but leaned toward rock & pop more than the others did. For me, 38 Special had some great songs, but on the 'Southern Rock' wave, they were just a tad behind the major players. The Allman Brothers had been established since 1969, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker since 1973, and the Outlaws in 1975. Molly Hatchet's first two albums in 1978/79 had a deeper impact then 38 Special at the time... but 38 Special's time was coming. 1979 saw a bit of a resurgance in Southern Rock... and 38 Special was there with their first big hit... "Rockin' Into The Night" (from album #3). This was their first break... as their first two albums were vastly different than their 3rd. 1980-83 featured 38 Special at the top of their game - releasing perhaps their biggest and best albums - "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys", "Special Forces", and "Tour De Force" in succession. After these 3 albums, the band had only hit and miss success. There are several 38 Special compilations out there... and this "Anthology" is the most comprehensive one. "Flashback" is good, but short at 14 songs (drawbacks being 4 live tracks and nothing from after '87). "Millenium Collection" is average, but also short at 12 songs. If you want a one disc collection, I recommend 38 Special's "Very Best Of The A&M Years" from 2003 (18 tracks - all their big hits). I was a bit more than a casual fan back in the 80's and dare I say there are some songs here on "Anthology" that I did not recognize right off the bat. "Anthology" features one live track (a good thing because I prefer the studio versions). The sound is crisp and the remastering definitely helps here. The song order is not truly chronological - it starts with "Rockin' Into The Night" and then reverts back to the first 2 albums, then proceeds album to album. Disc 2 is mainly their later era material. One of the only things I don't understand about the band is the two drummers playing at the same time (maybe not totally so in the studio, but they definitely did in concert... the Outlaws did it, as did the Grateful Dead... but never understood why). This is a great collection of tunes from the band - Comprehensive with many a deep album cut. If you're looking for one disc with strictly hits, go with the "A&M Years" disc mentioned above. "Anthology" would be the last one you'd ever need though (4.5 stars).

Great Sing-a-Long.......2005-08-24

I'm 52 years old and grew up on .38 Special and their contemporaries. I appreciate their music now more than I did "back in the day". I bought an IPOD and this is one of the first CDs I loaded. I hate going grocery shopping and when I go I just put in the ear buds and crank up these tunes. I get a few odd looks because I usually end up singing aloud and dancing a little in the aisles as I look for my items. But guess what! I don't care. I no longer hate grocery shopping nearly as bad as I did. At least I can get out of the store without wanting to kill someone. This music makes me happy. It's alive and vibrant just as it was years ago.

Average customer rating: Classic Rock for any age If You Like What You Hear on the Radio, Buy This. Great Tunes WHOA This guys are not Southern Rock in my book

The Very Best of the A&M Years (1977-1988) .38 Special Manufacturer: Interscope Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Loverboy Classics: Their Greatest Hits Molly Hatchet - Greatest Hits [Expanded] Night Ranger's Greatest Hits Foreigner - Complete Greatest Hits REO Speedwagon - The Hits ASIN: B0000931MU Release Date: 2003-04-29

Tracks:

1. Rockin' Into The Night
2. Hold On Loosely
3. Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
4. Fantasy Girl
5. Caught Up In You
6. Chain Lightnin'
7. You Keep Runnin' Away
8. Rough-Housin'
9. Stone Cold Believer
10. Twentieth Century Fox
11. If I'd Been The One
12. Back Where You Belong
13. Teacher, Teacher
14. Somebody Like You
15. Like No Other Night
16. Back To Paradise
17. Second Chance
18. Take Me Back

Customer Reviews:

Classic Rock for any age.......2007-04-02

I am getting a lot of enjoyment out of this CD! Buy one; you won't regret it!

If You Like What You Hear on the Radio, Buy This........2006-11-10

I'm really just a radio fan of 38 Special. But I decided to take a chance with this "best of" collection. And I came out golden on this one. Every single song is at least as good as the handful that you hear on the radio now.
Personally, I tend to go for the harder bands. So I'm often having to enjoy my music in a semi-voluntary semi-solitude while pretty much everyone else plugs their ears and runs away. But this is catchy, very nice, and lively while somewhat softer rock and roll, with a more general appeal--something that the whole family can kind of enjoy together. I would probably compare 38 Special to the Eagles, for beat, intensity and overall listenability.
So far it has a 5-star average rating, and I wouldn't mess with that.

Great Tunes.......2006-08-17

This is really good music to listen to on a beautiful day driving in the car or just hanging out- I love 38 Special and this CD has alot of their hits on it. Its worth a buy

WHOA.......2006-04-21

I could see, why they are called Southern Rock indeed. At first, back in the old days (aka 90's for me), I mistaked this guys for an 80's band. Most of their great songs came out in the 80's I believe. So, these guys can't be southern rock. But that doesn't matter, cause they still kick it.

Caught Up In You, is quite a good song, due to the guitar solo. It's practically that 80's "Dream song" since it's so perfect in every manner. You know how the band Autograph had their perfect song called "Turn Up the Radio"? Well, Caught Up in You, is just as perfect, or more perfect. I can picture many things when that guitar solo goes off... It's quite astounding what music can do to the brain.

Somebody Like You- When this song first started, I thought it sounded a little like Billy Idol's debut. This isn't a waste of time ballad, like some bands right. This is happy feeling, yet sad due to the "broken" heart. Any broken hearted person could listen to this and feel great. This song makes alot of sense, which helps you come to your senses. (good line huh?) The Soli (minor guitar solo) is very good.

Like No Other Night- Very very 80's. I could see someone rocking out to this song. I heard the song "Straight to Your Heart" inside that song, by Bad English. Except, it's well written. I could imagine John Waite singing this. Over all it's a great song.

I reviewed only 3 songs, because they touch me the most on the inside. They're fantastic. I love .38 Special. Where would the music world be without them. This cd (off itunes) blew me away, listening to the whole thing. I listened to this cd many times last night, and I didn't get to bed until atleast 3 am! haha!

On my ipod, I only have hair metal and classic rock, aka like Journey, Boston, Eric Clapton, etc. I got sick of rap and R&B, so I took it all off. Sound crazy? Well, I've only been listening to classic rock and hair metal for a few years, since I was born in 1990. KEEP CLASSIC ROCK AND HAIR METAL ALIVE.

This guys are not Southern Rock in my book.......2006-01-03

If you looked up 38 Special on the internet or in a book, you would probably see these two words: southern rock. Widely considered southern rock, I think they have a more Foriegner-type pop/rock sound and feeling. This album is a rather nice compilation. It has all the major and minor hits and fan favorites. You get 18 songs on one disc and it's rather inexpensive. Not a bad deal. If you like 80s pop/rock like Foriegner or REO Speedwagon buy this superb collection of radio friendly rock godliness.

Average customer rating: Bob Welch, sometimes forgotten star of Fleetwood Mac Iconic 70's fusion of pop, rock and disco. french kiss Over and Over What a pleasant surprise

French Kiss Bob Welch Manufacturer: EMI Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classic Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Hard Rock & Metal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Mystery to Me City to City The Dream Weaver Bare Trees Three Hearts ASIN: B000002TIR Release Date: 1995-11-01

Tracks:

1. Sentimental Lady
2. Easy To Fall
3. Hot Love, Cold World
4. Mystery Train
5. Lose My Heart
6. Outskirts
7. Ebony Eyes
8. Lose Your...
9. Carolene
10. Dancin' Eyes
11. Danchiva
12. Lose Your Heart

Customer Reviews:

Bob Welch, sometimes forgotten star of Fleetwood Mac.......2007-07-04

Many years ago, in the late seventies, I first heard Fleetwood Mac's later albums, i.e after Jeremy Spencer and Peter Green had left. This was the time when Danny Kirwan and Bob Welch were playing the lead roles in the band. Future Games was the album where Bob Welch really shone with his songwriting, playing and vocal skills. I got out of touch for a while but then I heard Bob Welch had left the band and sort of disappeared for a while, until he sprang back with this lovely album "French Kiss". I really loved his playing and singing in this album. Somehow the cassette I used to have got lost, and when I discovered the CD available on Amazon I jumped. Wow, although the music sounds a bit dated now, my kids are starting to listen to this CD now too and have become interested in finding out more about Fleetwood Mac all over again.

Iconic 70's fusion of pop, rock and disco........2007-06-22

I've held off writing a review of this becuase I couldn't come up with words to adequately describe what I feel about this recording. I bought it on vinyl back in '78 and replaced it on CD and I dig it out about once a year or so and crank it up.

I absolutely love the silky soft power chord "hard rock" vibe of this record with the disco idioms sprinkled throughout, as a tribute to the disco era even while taking it where it hadn't gone yet. Of course, this would all be a waste if not for the genuinely chatchy, melodic and hook laden songs the form the musical backbone of this album.

I've listened to sound samples from other Bob Welch's recordins, and while I acknowledge his talent and contributions to Fleetwood Mac, I really believe that this is his magnum opus. This album is like a rock symphony. There "sameness" of the songs on this album is in arrangement, not in melody. It's not repetitive, except in the way a classical music symphony is "repetitve" in the sense that a few melodic themes may be reprised several times through a symphony to provide a sense of continuity and completeness. It's called thoughtful music writing. This is a concept album, and I simply can't stand to hear pieces of it chopped out of context as on greatest hits albums.

As far as I'm concerned, there's never been a pop music album quite like this before since. It has it's own special ambiance. So, plug that CD player into a 70's era Marantz or Sansui or Pioneer type amp with some big, wooden speakers with huge woofers, or a really good set of headphones, and enjoy.

french kiss.......2007-05-12

Hey this is one of those albums from the late 70's that I didn't buy. Now I guess I am trying to collect some memories so I can relive them. Good album with several great songs. Great to pick up some old Fleetwood Mac also when Bob was with them and was a big influence on the band...

Over and Over.......2007-04-13

This is one album that I can listen to at anytime. Bought it when it came out. It makes me happy, my legs start pumping, feet tapping. I want to put on my white tails, pick up my walking stick and slide down the railing. Really miss tunes where one can actually sing or hum along and not be afraid of sexually harrasing anyone listening. Great tunes, great sounds, great dance tunes. Love the guitars. Thanks, Bob Welch. Thanks everytime I listen.

What a pleasant surprise.......2007-03-22

Having not heard the album French Kiss for 20 years & now owning it on CD for the 1st time it came as a pleasant surprise that the majority of the songs sounded as fresh as they did all those years ago. Sentimental Lady could still be a hit today if recorded by the likes of Robbie or Westlife. Ebony Eyes is just a great pop song that should have topped the charts in 1977 but was just a minor hit. My 3 favs though are Caroline, Dancing Eyes & Danchiva which are great singalong rocky songs which in my dancing eyes have passed the test of time remarkably well. A couple of the songs are admittedly weak the only reason that i've given the album 4 & not 5 stars. I have lost my heart to the album (another good song being the repeated thro the album "Lose Your") & play it really loud to get the best from it.

Average customer rating: Must Be the Greatest! SUPER disc 3.5 Stars: Pretty Good The Best of Joe Walsh James Gang - 'Live In Concert' (MCA)

Live in Concert The James Gang Manufacturer: Mca Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classic Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Hard Rock & Metal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Yer' Album Rides Again Thirds The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get So What ASIN: B000002R47 Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

1. Stop
2. You're Gonna Need Me
3. Take A Look Around
4. Tend My Garden
5. Ashes, The Rain And I
6. Walk Away
7. Lost Woman

Album Details

A Rock Classic, Digitally Remastered in 2001. These Recordings Confimed that Joe Walsh was Everything People were Saying About Him...a Great Guitarist and Vocalist. He Had Taken the James Gang from Obscurity to Heights of Stardom....and Ultimately Legend. A Solid Rockin Outfit, the Addition of Walsh Provided the Catalyst that Brought them to the Forefront of Progressive Rock N Roll.

Customer Reviews:

Must Be the Greatest!.......2007-07-01

Unreal heavy guitar blues workout with organ songs too. Whew! Man, these guys let it go!

What can said? Joe works the wah-wah like mad and I just can't get enuf of the humbuckin' Les Paul crunk... wish we had more of this, man!!!

SUPER disc.......2007-05-12

WOW! That's the first word that popped into my head after this 40-minute Live in Concert album came to an end . I always knew the James Gang was a hard rock band a bit heavier than the rest, but I had *no* idea they were actually THIS heavy!

I'm serious when I say this album might out-rock Zeppelin and Deep Purple's heaviest moments during their prime. I have a hard time understanding HOW this album could go by all these years unnoticed by the majority of people who like to rock out to the classic 70's stuff. This is just an extremely heavy album. There's nothing else I can say!

When you first hear this album, the first song is called "Stop". Your first impression might be that the album is old, muddy and dated. However, it only sounds like that because the music is so heavy, technology was having trouble back then capturing these musicians at their absolute heaviest and putting it on record.

This live version of "Walk Away" is quite different from the one radio stations play. If you're used to that version only (like me) you're going to be in for a pleasant surprise. This version starts off with a heavy musical bit before the vocals come in. It's pretty clear the James Gang wanted this version to be all about power and intensity, which explains why the guitars and drums are so loud and in your face. If I have one complaint, it's that the guitar section from the studio version that ends the song isn't here. Instead, the song just comes to a sudden end. It's really not much of a complaint, because you'll be so excited and shocked at just how heavy the song is, you probably won't even notice.

"Lost Woman" is 18 total minutes of straight blistering guitar work and extremely heavy drumming and bass. In fact, there's moments on this album where Jim Fox drums with *just* as much extreme speed as Keith Moon. Very few people can drum like that. This song separates the men from the boys.

"Take a Look Around" is probably the only moment on the entire album where all the heavy guitars, keyboards and drums take a back seat to a pretty vocal melody. That means, out of 40 minutes of music, only 4 minutes is devoted to a somewhat quiet tune. The rest of the album is some of the heaviest music I've ever heard, and definitely one of the heaviest live albums I've heard from a 70's rock artist.

I said to my dad that he probably won't be able to handle it. Of course he disagrees, but I think I'm right in this case! Joe Walsh and the James Gang live and tearin' it up!

3.5 Stars: Pretty Good.......2007-03-05

I just bought this album and have listened to most of it. What I've heard I've liked. "Stop" is really good; "Walk Away" is even better. The rest of it is a bit trippy. I thought Walsh was more of a comic-rock kind of guy (As in his "Ordinary Average Guy" single). Better song writing than I'd expect. Cherck out the 71 version of "Walk Away." Amazing.

The sound, however is not the greatest. It seems that they have the mics in the balconies rather than near the band. This might be the only detration from a pretty good record. I'm looking foreward to "You Can't Argue With a Sick Mind" from Walsh.

The Best of Joe Walsh .......2007-02-15

This is Joe at his finest and the James Gang is his best rhythm section. He knows it too, thats why he reformed the group in 2006 and is touring with the JG again! Go Joe. The 2 organ tracks Take a Look Around and Tend My Garden and done very well live and Joe rips on the Hammond organ as well as the guitar. Stop! and Walk Away blow away the studio versions also. Get this record if you are a Joe Walsh fan.

James Gang - 'Live In Concert' (MCA).......2007-02-14

Good 1971 live recording of the James Gang at their very best. Tracks that certainly had me sit up and take full notice were "Stop", their Albert King's cover "You're Gonna Need Me", their sole hit "Walk Away" and the awesome seventeen minute Yardbirds cover "Lost Woman". It's been so long since I've heard a James Gang lp or CD. Unforgetable great early '70's album rock to be fully taken in. Line-up: Joe Walsh-guitar, keyboards&vocals, Dale Peters-bass&vocals and Jim Fox-drums,organ&vocals. If you dug some of the era's better known bands like Bad Company, Mountain, Faces and Grand Funk, you should like this archive release a lot. A definite should-have.

Average customer rating: BPs Review Me and Janet.......and Rod. make a solo album,call your mates The Best Rock Singer Ever HE'S JUST THAT GOOD!!!!

Never a Dull Moment Rod Stewart Manufacturer: Umvd Special Markets ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Every Picture Tells a Story Gasoline Alley The Rod Stewart Album A Nod is As Good As a Wink to a Blind Horse Atlantic Crossing ASIN: B00000612Q Release Date: 1998-03-31

Tracks:

1. True Blue
2. Lost Paraguayos
3. Mama You Been On My Mind
4. Italian Girls
5. Angel
6. Interludings
7. You Wear It Well
8. I'd Rather Go Blind
9. Twistin' The Night Away

Amazon.com essential recording

The fourth Rod Stewart album to contain his trademark acoustic-electric mix of instruments and bluesy vocals, Never a Dull Moment feels anything but formulaic, kicking off with the aw-shucks modesty of "True Blue" and rollicking on through the enduring original "You Wear It Well." Some of the best tunes here are covers--Bob Dylan's searching "Mama You Been on My Mind," a soulful reading of Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away," and a scorching take on Etta James's "I'd Rather Go Blind"--but, as always, Stewart manages to make them sound of a piece with his own compositions. Unlike the promises proffered by some album titles, Never a Dull Moment (ironic though it was, given the cover painting of a terminally bored Stewart) proved to be dead-on. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews:

BPs Review.......2007-01-09

This remains my favorite Rod Stewart music. Reminds me of when I listened to it on my way to SAT classes back in high school on my 8 track! So happy to have finally found it on Amazon, cos I've been looking for years....

Me and Janet.......and Rod........2006-07-21

This album was the soundtrack to a (for me, at least) painful breakup with Janet, who seriously broke my heart at the tender age of 19. Every track brings back memories, and I consider it to be one of the best albums of all time, with "Every picture tells a story" bringing up a close second. It was simply Rod and his mates at their best, playing good rock an'roll as it should be played, with a bit of a sense of humour,and it was all downhill when they broke up. I actually got to see them live, (in '72, i think) and I wish I still had the haircut! it would be good if some of todays bands could sound as good live.

make a solo album,call your mates.......2006-04-16

How do you make a solo album? Call your band mates. How do you follow up a serious classic album? Make a fun classic album! Step 1: call the Faces, Step 2: Add some awesome studio musicians, Step 3: Rock'n'Roll. One of the most underrated,unabated albums ever recorded, it never disappoints from song 1 to song end. True Blue kicks off the album in a raw and rythmic jam followed by one of the greatest exiles of FM radio the loose rockin' "Lost Paraguayos" where all guitars,vocals,horns,bass & sloppy drums SHINE! Next The Faces make Dylan their own with "Mama You Been on My Mind" and then roar through the infectious riff rock of Italian Girls". A simplified soulful garage rock version of Hendrix's "Angel" keeps the good times rolling. The classic " You Wear it Well" starts the second half of the album which concludes with 2 smokin' remakes: Etta James would be proud of the boy's take on her classic "I'd Rather Go Blind" and next is a get up and party version of Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away". WARNING this album makes you want to play it over and over again!!!

The Best Rock Singer Ever.......2006-02-27

Back in the day, Rod Stewart was, quite simply, the best rock singer in the world. If that sounds like a grand claim, pick up this CD and listen. Case closed. A lot of younger people listening to Rod's most recent output must wonder why he was once so revered. I'd say the first 20 seconds of this album would be a pretty good clue. As Rod rips into "True Blue", it's the start of a powerhouse album of great rock singing. Essential from start to finish. "You Wear It Well" may have been the (deservedly) big hit here, but the rest of the material is outstanding.

Of course, nobody would have noticed if the material and the support from the band weren't consistently excellent. They are. This album is astonishingly good from start to finish. The only song that didn't grab me from the start was the cover of Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away", played quite slower than the original. Now I realize it was just that this song about twisting was reinterpreted as a hard rock song. Not really twistable, but darned good nevertheless.

Arguments about whether this or "Every Picture Tells A Story" are Rod's best album are irrelevant. If you're a serious fan of Rock music and you don't own both, you're doing yourself a diservice.

HE'S JUST THAT GOOD!!!!.......2005-10-29

BUYING THIS CD WAS ACTUALLY A REVISIT FOR ME BUT AFTER LISTENING TO IT I REALIZED HOW FORTUNATE I AM TO BE ON THE SAME PLANET WITH THIS ICON!

Average customer rating: Beautiful album! Great Bob Seger CD! not my favorite...but its still good! On the verge of greatness. Great Music for A Great Price!

Beautiful Loser Bob Seger Manufacturer: EMI Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classic Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Hard Rock & Metal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stranger in Town Against the Wind Night Moves Smokin' O.P.'s Live Bullet ASIN: B000006337 Release Date: 1995-06-16

Tracks:

1. Beautiful Loser
2. Black Night
3. Katmandu
4. Jody Girl
5. Travelin' Man
6. Momma
7. Nutbush City Limits
8. Sailing Nights
9. Fine Memory

Amazon.com

Bob Seger Photos

More from Bob Seger

Smokin' O.P.'s	Nine Tonight	Face The Promise
Greatest Hits	Greatest Hits 2	Night Moves

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful album!.......2007-04-03

This 1975 release was the last of Bob Seger's pre-Silver Bullet Band albums. Seger,who began his musical career about a decade earlier,gives us great tracks like Tina Turner's NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS,TRAVELIN' MAN,the title track,JODY GIRL and KATMANDU(the latter four penned by Seger). When Seger assembled his SBB,he promoted this album beginning with the first two concerts at Detroit's Cobo Hall on September 4 and 5,1975,resulting in the recording of the double LP live album LIVE BULLET. The aforementioned tracks are heard on the live set. One SBB member is Seger's longtime buddy,bassist Chris Campbell. Other members were saxophonist Thomas "Alto Reed" Kirkman,keybordist Robyn Robbins,drummer Charles Allen Martin and rhythm guitarist Drew Abbott. Robbins and Martin would later leave the SBB,Robbins being replaced by Craig Frost and David Teegarden replacing Martin when Martin was involved in a paralyzing accident. Abbott's departure from SBB in 1981 downgraded the group to four members. The other four tracks are great.

Great Bob Seger CD!.......2007-01-10

I just really love Seger's musical style and have since childhood. It's so poetic and magical. I would recommend this CD especially to anyone. I've listened to it all my life and it never gets old.

not my favorite...but its still good!.......2006-09-11

I always underrated this album because it wasnt very "silver-bullet" like. Probably because this is before the silver bullet band! Here are the tracks from the album and each one is better than what people say.

BEAUTIFUL LOSER- this is a great ballad from the record and one of the best. its slower but has a great smooth sax solo in the middle and i nice piano solo near the end.

BLACK NIGHT- A rocker that sounds like the silver bullet kind of seger. It is a great way to rock people into katmandu!

KATMANDU- a fast rocker and probably the fastest seger has ever recorded before the silver bullet band. it has a nice classic rock feel to it and sounds like something off his later album "Night Moves"

JODY GIRL- a slower ballad to sooth you after a couple of harder rock songs. it is accoustic and u get the softer side of bob through this classic.

TRAVELING MAN- this has always been a favorite. and it has a really good live version on live bullet too! this starts off slow but speeds up near the middle.

MOMMA- some pure seger. sounds like some of his others but one of the best songs on the album. this one is so underrated...

NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS- the fastest song since katmandu. this one is another big seger hit that starts off his live set live bullet. however this is the extended version that has an extra version that was taken out of live bullet.

SAILING NIGHTS- a sailing song that seger doesnt mention until his later hit ship of fools. this one is also slow and good like the ship of fools ballad from night moves if not better. it calms and slows you down after nutbush. this is probably my favorite off the cd.

FINE MEMORY- a nice soft ballad to end the album and like the other songs besides beautiful loser, katmandu, travelin man, and nutbush this one is overlooked.

well there you have it! a fine memory and classic from bob seger!

On the verge of greatness........2006-03-03

This was the last album for Bob Seger, before he hit it big. At this point in his career, Seger was devloping his skills as a songwriter. There are some great songs on this album, but some weak moments as well. Lines like "I used to go out evenings, I used to stay out late some evenings" (Momma) show a that a bit of work was needed before Seger could reach the top of his game. On the other hand there are lines like "He wants his home and security, he wants to live like a sailor at sea" (Beautiful Loser) which are great. There are some good rock tracks on the album such as Katmandu and a cover of Nutbush City Limits. These along with the title track, and Travelin' Man, are the best songs on the album.

This album is a definite must for any die hard Seger fan. If you are just getting into him, I would recommend "Stranger in Town, "Against the Wind," or even "Night Moves" ahead this one.

Great Music for A Great Price!.......2006-02-12

I saw this the other day in Wal*Mart for only $5.00! Since I am a Bob Seger fan, heck, I bought it! I am in the process of collecting of albums released by him. Besides that, if you are a true classic rock fan, go get this cd. I think you can spare $5.00, right?

Average customer rating: Look At Mott Criminally underrated, indeed.... A little excessive for my tastes.. Underrated Classic - Perfect for a July Morning! Didn't disappoint

Look at Yourself Uriah Heep Manufacturer: Mca Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music British Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classic Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Hard Rock & Metal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Demons and Wizards The Magician's Birthday Salisbury Sweet Freedom Uriah Heep Live ASIN: B000001F4O Release Date: 2006-05-23

Tracks:

1. Look At Yourself
2. I Wanna Be Free
3. July Morning
4. Tears In My Eyes
5. Shadows Of Grief
6. What Should Be Done
7. Love Machine

Album Description

1996 remastered reissue from Castle of the band's 1971 albumfor Mercury with two bonus tracks: 'Look At Yourself' (Single Version) and 'What's Within My Heart'. Nine tracks total. Also features faithfully restored artwork and is a limited edition picture disc.

Customer Reviews:

Look At Mott.......2006-07-21

There has been a band going under the 'Uriah Heep' banner now since 1969, and no one can take away their influence on hard rock music, only Mick Box survives from the original line up. But combining his undeniable popularity, with musical skill on his chosen musical weapon the modern electric guitar, a great vision of what the customer wants, and an incredible faith in his ability to succeed within the band, he has kept the band going through all the sticks and arrows that have been thrown at them. (A certain journalist from America's prestigious rock magazine 'Rolling Stone' said she would commit suicide if the band made it, when she reviewed their debut album. Fortunately for her after millions of album sales later including 19 studio albums and countless live albums and compilations, playing concerts to thousands of adoring fans all over the world, the band has not held her to her word).
The line up of the band today, Mick Box on lead guitar, Trevor Boulder(ex-David Bowie's Spiders from Mars, and Wishbone Ash) on bass guitar, Phil Lanson on keyboards, Bernie Shaw on lead vocals and Lee Kerslake on drums (Lee has been with the band since the fourth album only missing one along the way after a spat with keyboardist Ken Hensley, but when he left the band it left an easy way for Lee to come back as he had just been evicted from 'Ozzy Osborne's Blizzard of Oz')Have now been together for over twenty five years but it certainly was not like that at the beginning.
In their early days 'Uriah Heep' were one of the main bands who gave the inspiration to the 'Rockumentary' Spinal Tap, one of the finest comedies ever made about rock culture, with it's self combusting drummers, revolving stages, and dramatic band break ups.
'Uriah Heep' had five different drummers before their fourth album, to be fair the fifth was Lee Kerslake, who became the fifth and seventh drummer after Chris Slade stepped in for the 'Conquest' album, before going off to 'The Firm' with Paul Rogers and Jimmy Page. Throughout their career 'Uriah Heep' have had five lead singers, four keyboard players, six bass players, but only one lead guitarist good old Mick Box who today looks more and more like one of the wrestlers from the American wrestling series than ever, although he still plays a mean guitar.
'Uriah Heep' were formed in 1969 by taking the four members of the band 'Spice' David Byron on lead vocals, Paul Newton on bass, Alex Napier on drums, Mick Box on lead guitar, and adding Ken Hensley on keyboards to add an extra dimension to the instrumentation and the writing skills of the band. Ken Hensley had been in 'Toe Fat ' with Cliff Bennett and a certain Lee Kerslake.
Their first album 'Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble' (1969) had a very good cover! It also contained the opening track 'Gypsy' which is still in the live set list today, which does have a certain appeal in it's opening riff, but then rather fades away as an excuse for a long complicated keyboard solo, which to be fair it still is today. After that things rather went downhill with the rest of the album searching for direction and including an ill advised blues work out imaginatively titled 'Lucy Blues' a cover of 'Come Away Mellinda' which would of been better left in the hands of a Tom Jones wannabe, and some other assorted plod rockers. Six months later the band came out with their second album (and third drummer, second drummer Nigel Olsson got an offer from Elton John, which he could hardly turn down) 'Salisbury' (1970) (Even the cover was awful). This started in fine style with a song called 'Bird Of Prey' with it's harmony vocals, excellent soloing from both guitars and keyboards, giving hints as to what the band were capable of. This was then followed by a rock ballad which had a very stop start rhythm, clever but a bit confusing for the new fan, then it was back to hard rock for the flat out 'Time To Live', next was the now classic 'Lady in Black' an acoustic sing-a-long which had wonderful harmonies, and was great for a sing song at concerts, then when you turned the album over (Ah The good old days of vinyl) there was another rocker in 'High Priestess' before a sixteen minute piece which was the title track, it had brass sections, sweeping violins, you name it 'Uriah Heep' added it onto the song, listening to it now it really was a mess. Leaving the record buying public in complete confusion.
Things had to be put right, and ten months later that year they were. `Look At Yourself' (1970) still is to many the ultimate Uriah Heep and hard rock album. The cover is great, it's a mirror, look at yourself! Get it? Opening with the title track it hurtles out of the tracks like some demented heavy metal demon, Hensley and Box thrash out the songs riff before the wonderfully strong voice of David Byron calls his brethren to the cause, the rest of the band harmonizing behind him, then after a rampaging guitar solo, the riff is picked up again to bring the song to a rousing crescendo with the percussionists from 'Osibisa' brought in to add their sound to the climax, this time the session musicians were used to good effect. The pace is not let up by the following song 'I Wanna Be Free' as the chorus is driven along by a pounding beat, but with sympathetic vocals, and fine musical flourishes, with all the guitars in the band standing out. At track three is probably Uriah Heep's most famous song 'July Morning' a song that no version of the band could ever contemplate going on stage and not playing before they leave, it must of also been licensed out to every 'Best of Hard rock albums' ever made. After Ken Hensley's strident organ chords open the song up, Mick Box takes the song to a higher level with some truly rockin' guitar, before the whole thing is brought down to allow the vocals of David Byron to take over, the song is a loving ten minutes long, showing the full range of all the soloist's, building to many crescendo's before reaching a dramatic conclusion with everybody having a go at the solo's and Manfred Mann brought into the studio to add his deft touch on the moog syntherziser, a classic rock song.
The following songs on the album are not an anti-climax 'Tears In My Eyes' is a great little rock 'n' roll song lots of loud guitars, and the harmony vocals would not do shame to any of the great American vocal groups of the Fifties. 'Shadows Of Grief' is another epic song that perhaps never gets the recognition of some of it's peers, maybe this is because there just was not room for it in the live set with all it's twists and turns, but it is like a hidden treasure on the album. It has aged very well even though it still glorifies in the use of stereo with all the instruments and vocals switching from one speaker to the other in dramatic fashion, as if the band had found a new toy to play with. Finally the band drop the pace a little as if needing to catch their breathe, with the beautiful ballad 'What Should Be Done' there is nothing wrong with having one ballad on a rock album as long as they do not dominate proceedings. The album is brought to a rollicking conclusion by 'Love Machine' a number that just rocks, bringing the music to a conclusion as it did Uriah Heep's live set at the time. A job well done, 'Look At Yourself' was the first 'Uriah Heep' album to break into the American Top 100 and the British Top 30. Of course the band would hit pay dirt with the next years 'Demons and Wizards 'album but would it all of been possible with out a good look at yourself?
Over the next thirty years 'Uriah Heep' did make some awful yawn inducing albums (Like 'Fallen Angel' in 1978). But make no mistake 'Look At Yourself' is a diamond hard jewel
Mott The Dog.

Criminally underrated, indeed...........2006-01-12

Uriah Heep was my very first concert!! 1973 Magician's Birthday tour in Boise. WOW!! Talk about a lasting impression: great show, Dave Byron was fantastic, and the songs...well, if you're a fan, I don't need to tell you. I think they opened with Sweet Lorraine - - can it get much better??

Back then, my brother & I didn't have a lot of money for records, but we bought every one of theirs, including Look At Yourself, which is undoubtedly one of their heaviest, while still being melodic...July Morning being a stellar example.

By the 80's, it was a guilty pleasure if you liked Uriah Heep, because they were not considered cool ('course, if someone else's only sampling of them was Ken Hensley's truly sorrowful solo effort, "Proud Words On a Dusty Shelf", who could blame 'em for thinking Heep probably sucked, as well?)

It's great to know there are so many other Heep fans out there, still. Dave Byron's singing inspired me later to become a professional singer myself, and the indelible mark this band left on me had a big impact on my preference to this day for melodic, hard rock and progressive/European influences with a bit 'o fantasy thrown in.

This album, their first with Gypsy, Demons and Wizards, and Magician's Birthday are their best efforts. Buy 'em all and enjoy a trip back in time with a band who managed to write some true classics in spite of what the nasty critics said, and gave us a classic singer many of us thankfully can never forget.

A little excessive for my tastes.........2005-10-29

The first two songs 'Look At Yourself' and 'I Wanna Be Free' fall in the ranks of pure hard rock genius for the early 70s; sizzling guitar solos, heavy hammond playing that puts Jon Lord to shame (IMHO) and solid explosive drumming that holds everything together. What's more, David Byron is at his finest exhibiting great vocal range and dynamics without one embarassing moment.

However, after these two songs, the whole thing slowly slides into a horrible art rock nightmare. July Morning sounds like it was building into something strong with the instrumentals getting progressively intense and when you think the climax is about to happen, it turns into a ballad. Tears in My Eyes actually has a good slide guitar riff and some catchy 'LA LA LA' vocals from Mr. Byron. But there is still an odd feel to the song. Shadows of Grief has a real akward if not grating operatic hook which repeats itself tiresomely throughout the whole song. What should Be done is a nice funky little soulful mellotron ditty which gives us a break from the artsy dronings. Lastly, Love Machine doesn't fit with this album at all. It's your basic boogie-rock baby baby song with nothing interesting happening. Why they would think to lump this 'foghat' type thing into an art-rock album is beyond me.

I would still get this album for the first two songs, but for good solid albums, I would recommend Sweet Freedom, Magician's Birthday, and even the first self titled one. In my opinion, those albums contain better composed hard rock / progressive experiments. STAY AWAY FROM SALISBURY!! WHAT A DISASTER THAT WAS!

Underrated Classic - Perfect for a July Morning!.......2005-05-08

Look At Yourself (1971.), Uriah Heep's third studio album

Uriah Heep, in the early 1970's were very much the band which everyone but the fans of the band themselves, loved to hate. They got loads of stick from critics often calling the heavy rock band the 'Poor Man's Deep Purple'. However, in my opinion, these are particularly unfair criticisms on a band who have produced some excellent music during their career and 'Look at Yourself', Uriah Heep's third studio album, released in 1971 stands as one of their finest and most accomplished efforts.

Its particularly sad that this band is so underrated, because, if this album made sales based on the quality of the music, it would have sold quite a few million copies. The tag which Uriah Heep gained of being very similar to Deep Purple is a little unfair. I will not deny that they are in a very similar mold to the great Deep Purple, employing a thick hammond organ and heavy guitar style but nevertheless, Uriah Heep have their own trademark sound and I would not waste a second in dispelling any claim that they were Deep Purple rip offs. Instead, what you have with Uriah Heep is a group of excellent musicians who, certainly with this album made some amazingly powerful music. Dave Byron, the lead singer with Uriah Heep at the time is an excellent and much underrated vocalist, as is the guitar playing of Mick Box and the diverse instrumental abilities of Ken Hensley, who also proves himself to be a great songwriter on this album. 'Look at Yourself' is a masterpiece from start to finish, with loads of explosive moments of power.

Thankfully also, the 'Look at Yourself' album has undergone an excellent remaster by Sanctuary Records. I would definitely recommend the deluxe issue over the standard 7 album track issue. The deluxe edition is one of the best remaster efforts I've seen. The original tracks are of excellent quality but what you also get are 7 bonus tracks, giving you double the music from this fruitful time for Uriah Heep. The bonus tracks include BBC session versions of the 'Look at Yourself' title track and 'What Should Be Done'. Theres alternate versions too of these two tracks and an extended version of 'Tears in my Eyes'. However, perhaps the best additions are the two session outtakes which have only been discovered in the last 15 years. 'Whats Within My Heart' is one, an excellent acoustic track and 'Why' is a remarkable 12 minute jam. The liner notes within the CD sleeve are also excellent with pictures, interviews and lyrics all included. So, the deluxe version is definitely the way to go if its available readily and is of a reasonable price.

The seven tracks on the album are masterpieces in their own right. The album opens with the title track, 'Look At Yourself', a blasting, guitar and keyboard heavy rock song with a great chorus build up. 'I Wanna Be Free' is a bit more like a ballad but is just as heavy as the first track. 'July Morning', the 10 minute epic, is worth the price of the album alone, often acclaimed as Uriah Heeps best song, its a killer from start to finish. The band themselves recorded it on the first take - some great lyrics sung with heart by Byron builds into a long keyboard and guitar interlude which is brilliant. 'Tears In My Eyes' is another great rock song and 'Shadows of Grief' is a more unusual, 8 minute epic, with a heavy vocal sections and an interesting harmonising finish over lots of keyboard. 'What Should Be Done' is a piano based, lighter track - written in quick time, this is no filler, its one of the best tracks on the album. 'Love Machine' is a 4 minute hard rocking finish to the album in typical Heep style.

'Look at Yourself' deserves much more recognition than it deserves. I often say Deep Purple are criminally underrated but this band are even more so. It always amazes me how this album stayed in the charts for just 1 week and reached only #39 - its a classic with plenty of great songs within. Any fan of heavy rock should not overlook Uriah Heep's music and especially not this masterpiece album.

Didn't disappoint.......2005-01-23

I was a young college student when this was released, and am in agreeement with other reviewers that this is a classic! I might be a little biased in reminiscing to a different generation, but think that newcomers will appreciate this too. "The more things change, the more they remain the same."

Average customer rating: great album Meat is the man! Welcome to the Neighborhood Great music, Ok album coulda been better

Welcome To The Neighborhood Meat Loaf Manufacturer: Mca Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Oldies | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classic Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Hard Rock & Metal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Dead Ringer Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell Bat Out Of Hell III Bat out of Hell Heaven & Hell ASIN: B000002OYB Release Date: 2002-11-19

Tracks:

1. Where The Rubber Meets The Road
2. I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)
3. Original Sin
4. 45 Seconds Of Ecstasy
5. Runnin' For The Red Light (I Gotta Life)
6. Fiesta De Las Almas Perdidas
7. Left In The Dark
8. Not A Dry Eye In The House
9. Amnesty Is Granted
10. If This Is The Last Kiss (Let's Make It Last All Night)
11. Martha
12. Where Angels Sing

Customer Reviews:

great album .......2006-12-24

i would rate meatloaf albums in this order=bat out of hell one and two are the best followed by bat three,than welcome to the neighborhood,than chsib.his eighties albums did not do much for me at all.i think this is a great album and liked every song.unlike another reviewer i thought his voice is excellent.if you are a meatloaf fan you will love this album.where angels sing is a beautiful song ranking up with heaven can wait.

Meat is the man!.......2006-11-06

Great album by a great singer!Most songs are grade A!Meats voice is amazing.These songs are more ballads and rock songs than opera.if stienmans name was slapped on the album this would have been even more popular.

Welcome to the Neighborhood.......2006-10-29

This is great album.Of course not better than Bat I and II. But it belongs to the group of his best records. Even it was able to enter top 20 in the USA( I think 17th place and was platinum for almost million sold coppies)and it is not so usual.And for the rest of the world it was big success( in the UK reached 2nd place).The song I'd lie for you is amazing and Original sin too. Meat is really able to make a great album without Jim Steinman( wrote only two songs).

I really recomend this album.

Great music, Ok album.......2006-10-02

The title to this review says it all. The music is great. All the composers involved try to stay in the signature Steinman sound, yet they all have their individual differences. The problem with this album does not lie with the producers, composers or instrumentalists, it lies with Meat himself. It almost sounds painful to hear him try and sing. His voice is not what it used to be. His age shows especially as you listen to songs, such as Martha and Where Angels Sing, as he gasps for air and can barely squeak out many of the higher parts. Operatic, thunderous voice, not here folks. If you want a newer album of his that is good, buy Couldn't Have Said it Better. Totally different voice.

coulda been better.......2006-09-03

'If you need an experience of pure meaningless noise, this one's for you.
However, dont expect it to change your life much.

The price listed above for the album is a very good example of the old cliche, "you get what you pay for."'
09/02/06

REVISION

The above review, written several months ago, is a perfect example of the type of review I don't like, as it is not really a review at all but more an opinion. I was guilty of writing the above opinion in September 2006 purley on implulse, but now I realize that it was not fair of me to write it without explaining -- as this is what a review is.

I generally dislike reviews that say stupid things like: get this cause I like it. Or get that cause my husband likes it. Even if those statements are positive, they still are opinoins and not reviews. Then there are those who write really long opinoins diguised as reviews. That should not be done either; and Amazon should reject those kinds of things ideally.

Now I'd like to take the time to explain why I gave this album one star. I came across this album quite by mistake. I purchased it from the now-extinct Tower records for about $7 (full price)thinking it was an early meatloaf album [possibly cause of the cover]. When I opened the CD and actually discovered that it really was released in 1995, I was a bit taken aback, but decided to keep it anyway and see what it was about.

When I first played it, it sounded alright. I even discovered that it had a song I recognized: "I'd Lie for you and that's the Truth". On first impression, none of the songs were that bad. Only one thing got me pissed at Meatloaf instantly upon my first listen of this album, which I will discuss later. But for now I'd like to continue what I was saying before. Anyway, I listened to this album again. Then again. Then a few more times. After that I stopped. It just went stale on me. Even now it sits in my house; I never touch it. I don't know why I still keep it.

Why did it go stale, you ask? Because I just grew tired of hearing it after several listens. Because after several listens, I could smell the gimikry of this album a mile away--no foolin'! Firstly, this album is really just a collection of generic tunes created to appear like Meatloaf was really trying to do something serious. It has a very 80's retro sound to it, yet without any intrinsic quality, as if the songs where written as imitations of good 80's songs that where good enough sung originally. "Where the Rubber Meets the Road" may have some good imagery in the lyrics, but that one sounds like Meatloaf was copying his previous release. "Original Sin"--just listen to various early-eighties metal albums to hear many songs that sound like this. Ozzy Ozbourne's early solo albums have many songs that can sound like "Original Sin". "Left in the Dark" can easily be compared with many 80's new wave songs (the Motels come to mind for some reason).

I got one comment that "Not a Dry Eye in the House" is a good song. Well just compare that one to several songs on Meatloaf's own "Dead Ringer" album. The last two on the WTTN album can be placed that way as well. Then what about "Amnesty is Granted"? Well, lyricwise, it is an okay song, but musically...it's completely generic. Just compare it with anything Sammy Hagar sung before and you'll have a much more authentic experience.

Now getting to the subject of what instantly peeved me about this album on my first listen. It's simple! What does the album cover show? A 1940's female in fright on some stairs. What does this make one think of? 1940's detective stories and such, of course. When we open the jewel case, we even see Mr Meatloaf himself dressed as a 1940's private-eye. When we look through the sleeve, we see a listing of the album-tracks with an illustration to go with each track, all related to 1940's detective genre imagery. Yet no song on the album has ANYTHING to do with 1940's detective storytelling in any way. No song on this album even makes you thik of the 1940's in any respect! Except maybe for the above-mentioned "Not a Dry Eye", and that one more because of its lyrics. Then maybe that short Spansih-sounding instrumental montage that falls somewhere between tracks 5 and seven or something.

Why couldn't Meatloaf, if he's gonna use 1940's imagery, put some of that into the music and make it interesting. He could have utilized swing elements; he could have put some jazzy sounds into it; maybe some big-band sounds here and there and mixed it with the modern hard rock sound. Instead, the tracks on this album are just straight-forward modern hard rock. If anything, they make you think of the 80's more than the 40's. What was Mr Aday really trying to do, imitate early Rick Springfield? That's exactly what Rick Springrield did in his Comic Book Heroes album--the exact same thing! He used comic-book images and tried to associate them with the song titles, yet only one or two songs on the album really had anything to do with comic books or heroes all together!

Ultimately, my reason for giving this album one star, is not as much in criticism of the album itself, but more to critisize the ARTIST, who in my belief did not and still does not make much effort to try harder.

Average customer rating: Very special christmas Rock'n Christmas Not worth buying Worst online experience ever Rocking Christmas

A Very Special Christmas The Pretenders , and John Cougar Mellencamp Manufacturer: A&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music 1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 1980-1989 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Pop Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Pop Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 2 A Very Special Christmas 3 A Very Special Christmas - Vol. 5 A Very Special Christmas Live! A Very Special Acoustic Christmas ASIN: B000002GFJ Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Pointer Sisters
2. Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics
3. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Whitney Houston
4. Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas -The Pretenders
6. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Cougar Mellencamp
7. Gabriel's Message - Sting
8. Christmas In Hollis - Run-D.M.C.
9. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2
10. Santa Baby - Madonna
11. The Little Drummer Boy - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
12. Run Rudolph Run - Bryan Adams
13. I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas-Bon Jovi
14. The Coventry Carol - Alison Moyet
15. Silent Night - Stevie Nicks

Amazon.com

When was the last time you heard collard greens being sung about in a Christmas song? Probably never, unless you're a Run DMC fan, or were wise enough to hop on the Very Special Christmas tip. The rappers' contribution to this benefit collection is probably the highlight, although traditional songs covered by now-traditional artists like the Pretenders ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") provide the majority of the material here. Eurythmics turn in a suitably chilly "Winter Wonderland," Stevie Nicks sings a beautifully haunting "Silent Night," and Whitney Houston proves again that she's every woman with "Do You Hear What I Hear"--that is, every woman with a voice strong enough to do the song justice. "Santa Baby," Madonna's contribution, isn't as sultry as it could be, but there's more fun thanks to hell-on-heels, the Pointer Sisters and Bon Jovi. --Steve Gdula

Customer Reviews:

Very special christmas.......2007-01-22

Great cd, have the original on record & couldn't find it anywhere in Oz on cd. Not your traditional boring christmas carols - love it!

Rock'n Christmas.......2007-01-19

If you luv Xmas, but you are a little sick of hearing the same old 40's & 50's sounding carols & songs and you wish xmas would ROCK, just a little, then this is the CD for you!!!!
I luv it, I have heard these songs played on the radio and thought
"Where can i get a copy of these tracks!".
Well here they are, in 1 neat little package.
Merry Rockn Xmas Next Year!

Not worth buying.......2007-01-19

I bought the cd for my sister, because it was the only recording I could find of this particular Sting song that she loved. It turned out she already had the cd, and said the ONLY good song on the cd was his song. Therefore I took it back to another store, as I didn't want it either. Too much discordant, and rap type music, she said.

Worst online experience ever.......2007-01-18

Hermanstreet is lame and I would never, even with my life hanging in the balance, order from them again.

I e-mailed several times (3)inquiring about my order and not once received an e-mail back. Worst online experience ever, this coming from someone who does the majority of their shopping and all their bill pay online.

Rocking Christmas.......2007-01-15

This is a good Christmas CD for people who are tired of the usual same-old-same-old. It features Mellencamp and the Eurythmics among others. It's really good and I highly recommend it.

Album Review:

1. Stay With You [CD-single] [Import]
2. Sunshowers
3. Surrender [CD-single]
4. The Boxer [CD-single]
5. The Hampster Dance Party
6. The Isness
7. This Is My Battlefield
8. Trance Planet, Vol. 5
9. Tunnel Trance Force V.33 [Import]
10. Ultimate Trance V.2: Mixed By Matt Darey, Future Breeze and Three Drives [Import]

Album Review

album review

Album Review

Hot Rods to Hell

Reference Classics

Mirrors [CD-single] [Import]

Music: When the Kite String Pops [Explicit Lyrics]

Rampotanza Ronil Grodo Remplente

Sea Shanties [Import]

Rise Up

Piano Cto 1 E Minor Op 11 / 2 in F Minor Op 21

Place I Call Home

Mi Tesoro

New Morning + 2 (Limited UK)

Rai the Album [Import]

Pure Relaxation: Movement of Time [Import]

Bach: De Occulta Philosophia

Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi