Rock Puzzle

Rock Puzzle

Track Listings

1. Age d'Or (Dans 8000 Ans)

2. Ultime Rock

3. Kaelka

4. Smarto Kitschy

5. Eau (H20)

6. Garces de Femmes

7. Maison de Men-Tää

8. Puzzle

9. Ultime Rock [Studio Z Version]

10. Puzzle [Studio Z Version]

11. Atari, That's a Game! [Smarto Kitschy-American Mix]

12. Here Comes the Feeling

13. No Reply

14. Eye to Eye

Rock Puzzle,Atoll,Musea Records,Heavy Metal,Pop,Rock

Puzzle
Average customer rating:

Super solid debut

Unexpected gem

Incredible depth of talent

Great Road Music

A Rare Gem!

Puzzle
Dada
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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American Highway Flower

How to Be Found

El Subliminoso

Dada

American Highway Flower

ASIN: B000000QGD
Release Date: 1992-09-08

Tracks:

Dorina
Mary Sunshine Rain
Dog
Dizz Knee Land
Surround
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Posters
Timothy
Dim
Who You Are
Puzzle
Moon

Customer Reviews:

Super solid debut.......2007-03-28

Puzzle is the debut album from Dada, one of the best and most underrated bands to come out of the 90's. It's too bad that most people wrote Dada off after "Dizz Knee Land" saturated most radio stations to the point that it drove listeners to despise the band. If you only know Dada from "Dizz Knee Land", you are really missing out on one of the best bands to come from a decade of not-so-great music (with a few exceptions, of course...) Dada was the first concert I saw right after American Highway Flower was released. My friend and I were already huge fans, and seeing them at a local Junior College was a great first concert experience. There weren't many people there, so it made for an intimate concert, and we even got to meet the guys afterwards, which was excellent. OK, so I had been made a permanent Dada fan afer that point.
Mike Gurley is a phenomenal guitarist who has only improved drastically with every release. I could watch him play for hours and hours and still be amazed at the sounds he can produce with a guitar. The man knows how to rock, plain and simple, though it never shows as well in the studio. I would strongly recommend seeing Dada live for the full effect on Mike Gurley's awesomeness. The way Gurley and Joie Calio mesh with the vocal harmonies is really something to hear. Calio's bass work is tight, and he's a great singer also when he takes the reigns on vocals. Dada is one of the only TRUE rock bands to come out of the 90's.
The tracks on Puzzle:

1) Dorina-great lead off track, starts out mellow with some excellent solo work. 5/5
2) Mary Sunshine Rain-more of a straight up rock song with some nice acoustic guitar and pretty harmonies. 4/5
3) Dog-Another rock song, which I consider one of the weaker tracks. Has a good verse melody and kind of a 60's vibe. 3/5
4) Dizz Knee Land-We all know this one. I still love this song, it was the first song I heard by Dada. 4/5
5) Surround-A quieter but quick paced acoustic rock song with more of that 60's feel. Very pleasant. 4/5
6) Here Today, Gone Tomorrow- Good stoner rock. The spoken verse works well for me. Heavy on the flanger. 4/5
7) Posters-The Dada drum solo song. A fast paced rocker that Dada does so, so well. Awesome! 5/5
8) Timothy- A ballad complete with strings and some interesting lyrics. One of my favorites. 5/5
9) Dim- I believe this song was fleetingly popular also. Quick straight up rock song with a typical 90's sound. 5/5
10) Who You Are- A solid Joie Calio/Mike Gurley song with some awesome guitar licks and rockin' bass. 4/5
11) Puzzle- The title track; a slow spacy trip with swirling guitars. Kind of a 70's lo-fi sound and a great sing along chorus. 4/5
12) Moon- My favorite song on Puzzle. The Joie Calio ballad which builds to the end and finishes with a nice guitar solo. 5/5

Overall, I give it a 4/5. Very solid and competent debut album, nowhere nearly as good as El Subliminoso, but worth checking out. Definately see Dada live if you get the chance, it will be well worth it!

Unexpected gem.......2007-01-21

Heard "Dizz Knee Land" online (Pandora) and thought it sounded a little like Jellyfish - early '90s hooks. Disc is great, virtually every song a good one.

Incredible depth of talent.......2005-10-10

I never bother writing reviews but this band is so amazing, and this CD so incredible, I had to chime in. I agree with previous posts that it's surprising this group never got the credit it deserves. Each song has a depth and a display of musical talent I rarely find anywhere else. Each song is rich and powerful, and the lyrics vary between witty, powerful, and hilarious. I've listened to this CD (and their others as well) a thousand times and have never tired of it. You will not be disappointed.

Great Road Music.......2005-05-25

One of my favorite road trip CDs. I just don't know why this band is not bigger. Whenever I lend this CD to someone, they always come back and say it is great. Not sure if they remind me of the Almond Bros, Outlaws, Tom Petty or what, but they are great and the hard rock plus excellent vocals make this CD a gem.

A Rare Gem!.......2004-11-06

Dada showed up near my house for a concert in a smallish venue. A friend said they were good so I went. I was blown away. I didn't know any of their songs before that concert, but it was still great. Since that time I have become another dada fanatic. They are the greatest unknown band. It's too bad Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Rap took over the alternative scene, seriously. Give me back dada, Jellyfish, and Matthew Sweet any day. They also remind me of Oasis, but infinitely better. Dada also reminds me a little of Foo Fighters in way they don't take themselves too seriously (I don't dislike Nirvana, but like Foo Fighters and dada much better). Dada always has great guitar work and rocking songs, and they also have ballads that will either totally blow you away or make you cringe, they are just so good that they belong back in the days of Beatles, before the world was so cynical. Most people aren't embarrassed to sing Temptations "My Girl" or Beatles "Something," but for some reason they don't want to go there with a "new" song. Dada can take you there. They are behind the times and ahead of their time and that's part of their appeal, just damn good music. Like some of the other reviews have mentioned, you need to listen to a dada album a couple of times before it hits you. They have the best and most interesting harmonies out there today, excellent instrumentation, and unique lyrics. Puzzle has some of the most interesting songs I have ever heard, and if you haven't heard dada before, start there.

Average customer rating:

Crossword PF
This is a Cd is great
ahhhh, bubblegum!
A True Partridge Pearl
The best of what was left

Crossword Puzzle
The Partridge Family
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Partridge Family Notebook
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Up to Date
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ASIN: B000095J75
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

One Day At A Time
Sunshine
As Long As There's You
It's A Long Way To Heaven
Now That You Got Me Where You Want Me
It Means I'm In Love With You
Come On Love
I Got Your Love All Over Me
Let Your Love Go
It Sounds Like You're Saying Hello
It's You

Customer Reviews:

Crossword PF.......2007-02-11

Never had this album. Love the songs on it. Brings me back to 1974 when I was a 10 year old in love with David Cassidy. I have grown up and still love the man!

This is a Cd is great.......2006-09-13

This Cd (Crossword) is just as good as any partridge family Cd don't listen to the people downing this Cd. Any Partridge Family (David Cassidy) lover will very much enjoy this Cd. Trust me I should know!!!!!!!!!

ahhhh, bubblegum!.......2005-10-24

One of the Partridge Family's weakest sellers, "Crossword Puzzle" didn't even have a stateside 45-single release (Bell Records put out "Friend and a Lover" from "Notebook" instead!). Too bad, because the songs (mostly leftovers from the "Notebook" sessions) are terrific and David Cassidy's husky post-teen vocals are charming and warm. Opening with the kicker "One Day at a Time", it's clear that Cassidy knows his way around a hook by now, and he's fully in the bubblegum spirit. A trio of ballads ("As Long As There's You", "It's a Long Way to Heaven" and "Now That You've Got Me...") give the record a kind of AM-radio feel, and, while the songs are lovely, they make the overall tone of "Crossword Puzzle" seem a little staid. But the next few songs are upbeat, especially the album's best track, "It Sounds Like You're Saying Hello", which could've been a hit single. Waiting now for "Bulletin Board"...

A True Partridge Pearl.......2004-07-16

This Partridge Album was originally released in 1973 as the Partridge Money making machine was grinding to a halt. Unfortunately, here in the States, once the television show was officially cancelled, DJs and the music industry people truly believed that it was time to call it quits on the whole Partridge scene.....WRONG! Thirty four years later there are still some die-hard baby boomers singing along to these great tunes. Sadly, Crossword Puzzle, although thrown together from leftovers from "Notebook" tracks, had some great, more mature sounds han most of their previous material. But Crossword Puzzle and its successor, Bulletin Board, both great albums were shunned and overlooked by the pre-teens who normally snatched up these products with fevered regularity. Some of the stronger, more noteable tunes such as "As Long As There's You", "It Means I'm In Love With You" and C'mon Love" all had hit potential but like other gems from the previous "Notebook" LP were systematically ignored as the producers also went through the motions of ending the show. The last two LPs were never promoted and some baby boomers have told me that they never knew these existed! Sad but true! This artsy LP is worth it even for the pop stature of the LP cover which is a real crossword puzzle featuring superb liner notes by foremost Partridge researcher Lisa Sutton and a reissue on the back cover of the Japanese cover art (US original back cover art is happily intact on the booklet! Great LP, super 70s sound, wonderfully remastered and worth much more than it's retail price. Hopefully the execs at Arista/BMG will find it worthwhile to put the Bulletin Board and other great Cassidy LPs out on CD before us baby boomers are all dead!!!

The best of what was left.......2004-04-01

It's my opinion that all Partridge Family albums live and die by their hooks, and by that standard "Crossword Puzzle" fares very well. It's a given that any PF album has it's share of treacly love songs, but when luck strikes these can be some of the best PF tracks. The sexy-sounding (but utterly safe) "I've Got Your Love All Over Me" is a prime example -- the featherweight lyric about being immersed in love is buoyed by the trademark PF backup ooohs and aaaahs. And under everything else are the Bell sessionmen, like Hal Blaine and Larry Knetchell, providing the toe-tapping rhythms and melodies.
I can't say that all of "Crossword Puzzle" is as catchy as that one track, but there are plenty of memorable moments. I'd keep "One Day At A Time" (upbeat, definitely used in the show), "As Long As There's You" (downbeat, but heartfelt), "Now That You've Got Me..." (yeah, a long-winded title, but I dig that change in dynamic at the chorus), "Come On Love" (a jaunty lite-rocker), and "I've Got Your Love...". Of the remaining five, "Sunshine" seems well-intentioned, and "It's A Long Way To Heaven" has a nice vocal by David.

Though the subsequent PF album, "Bulletin Board," includes three or four audio gems, "Crossword Puzzle" is the last must-have disc, in my opinion. This reissue is quite well done, with excellent remastered sound that's bound to be an improvement on existing analog sources. I'd have given this album five stars, had the label included a bonus track, or been more adventurous when equalizing their digital master. This PFamily album, in particular, had some fairly dynamic moments, rhythmically-speaking, though they were always buried in the original AM-radio-friendly mixdown. Oh well, I guess Arista was more interested in 'preserving' the original sound, which is reasonable.

I think "Crossword Puzzle" is one of the Partridge Family's better albums overall. It's certainly a good selection for new listeners or casual fans, who might wish to expand their PF collection.

The Monkey Puzzle
Average customer rating:

Very Good Production and Great Rock Album

a great testament to a great band

new to ufo

I've completely abandoned the idea of comparing Moore to Schenker

Got the Monkey Off My Back

The Monkey Puzzle
UFO
Manufacturer: Steamhammer Us [Spv]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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You Are Here

ASIN: B000HD0YD8
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

Hard Being Me
Black And Blue
Heavenly Body
Some Other Guy
Who's Fooling Who
Drink Too Much
Down By The River
Rolling Man
World Cruise
Kingston Town
Good Buy You

Album Description

True rock legends distinguish themselves not only by contributing several classics to musical history, they also keep their artistic output at a permanently high level and Â- despite all routine Â- always have a fresh wind blowing through their band structure. UFO fulfils all these criteria: next to classics such as Phenomenon, Force It and No Heavy Pettin, which saw the band clock up one success after the other during the Seventies, the beginning of the new millennium finds Phil Mogg, Pete Way and Paul Raymond as inspired and creative as ever. Thanks to American guitarist, Vinnie Moore, who joined the fold three years ago and proved his class and significance for the group on You Are Here, his debut recording with UFO, and the live cut, Showtime, the band has grown even stronger. Their latest release, The Monkey Puzzle, marks the return of drummer Andy Parker, who had been part of the original line-up that recorded the legendary debut at the end of the Sixties and has already played live on stage again with his old pals.

Customer Reviews:

Very Good Production and Great Rock Album.......2007-07-01

I'll leave the song-by-song reviews to others and I'll just state that UFO have come out with a well produced album that sounds great. The drums, guitars and vocals all come through nicely and will be a joy to hear on any system. This is their second album w/o Schenker ( 'Walk on Water' was rather pedestrian and that was with him gracing the 6-strings) and I for one don't really care that he's no longer affiliated with the band. Vinnie Moore does a superb job...period. As technically gifted as he is, Mr. Moore with his current and past work w/ UFO has NOTHING left to prove.
Well done UFO..you folks know exactly what is needed in this otherwise musically drab environment. Keep up the exemplary work.
Other 70's and 80's rockers need to take a listen and realize that it's not just the songs that matter but also the overall sound quality (including the mix). Some of us have an ear and really care for that "well produced sound" and a badly recorded album like Rush - Vapor Trails for instance, makes an otherwise enjoyable album...a coaster.
Cheers to you all and happy listening.

a great testament to a great band.......2007-06-30

I have been a UFO fan since way back when,my first ever album being obsession and I have pretty much amassed their entire catalog over the years. I first heard them when I was about 16,and now at the age of 41 Im to the point where I purchase material by the band often without any pre listening. That being said,some of their newer material like Walk on Water left me kind of flat,and even though Schenker was a part of that endeavor it still lacked a spark. Enter Vinnie Moore,and now UFO sounds like a band rejuvenated. Not since Paul Chapman has a non Schenker axeman sounded this good. The songwriting leaves a bit to be desired,but then if I compare anything to such archaic gems as Phenomenon,Force It,Lights Out or the outstanding Obsession, I will be instantly disappointed. Considering how long these guys have been making great hard rock and the massive body of work they have built, its rather refreshing to have a new effort that shines as brightly as this one. Welcome back Andy Parker,his drumming sounds fresh and revitalized,and there are a lot of songs on here that simply rock hard. Its amazing to me that these musicians have never received any radio respect,as is true with any of their albums there never seems to be a shortage of FM ready material. Heavenly Body is one of the tunes that sealed the deal for me,but a lot of other songs are strong as well,including World Cruise,Some Other Guy,Down By The River and Rolling Man. If I'm comparing this to their comeback disc Walk on Water,I'd have to be brutally honest and say I find there to be more quality tunes on this one.The production is strong,the music lush,and the songs are a reminder to me at least that true rock and roll still exists in this world of cookie cutter copycat bands and talentless hacks that only know a few chords. This is a must have for TRUE UFO fans.

new to ufo.......2007-05-22

well not being a fan of ufo and very new to this group, i would say this album and you are here are definite good medium range rock. not many surprises, but the kind of good rock to me where you can never really say your not in the mood to listen to. Lots of rock/metal i need to be in the mood to hear. This album is one that no matter where i am, no matter what time it is, this album is never a bad choice. A definite crowd pleaser. Vinnie Moore does have talent, but with that said, in my opinion there are far better. But overall, this album not the best i've ever heard, but does get a definite thumbs up.

I've completely abandoned the idea of comparing Moore to Schenker.......2007-03-25

I have nothing but bad memories of Moore and the whole Mike Varney "shredder" nightmare...a bunch of untalented stoner "Wayne's World" kids crawling out of the suburbs with bad perms and eye liner and platform shoes and a burning desire to whip off more notes per second than Eddie Van Halen. Got boring after the first zillion notes. That said...sorry, Vinnie Moore "Mind's Eye" fans...the new UFO CD "Monkey Puzzle" isn't all that bad. I burned the tracks to my PC and often play it while working. With Andy Parker back in the fold to replace the departed Jason Bonham, this is as close to "real" UFO as we're likely to get without Michael Schenker. The songs bounce back and forth between riff-driven and melodic...just like any good UFO album...and there's no shortage of guitar solos. What's missing? Schenker's attitude, and rather than bemoan its loss, I throw this one on every once in a while and tell myself that it's better than Bad Company was without Paul Rodgers. It's better than the post-Ace Frehley and Peter Criss Kiss. It's better than "Rock And A Hard Place," the Aerosmith album in which Steven Tyler bottomed out with his heroin addiction while Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band (any hardcore Jimmy Crespo or Rick Dufay fans out there? Didn't think so). I think anyone who believes that Schenker can be "replaced" probably isn't a UFO fan to begin with, but that's just me. "The Monkey Puzzle" is only rock and roll, and I like it in a "3 stars" kind of way. It's rockin' background music that sounds good while you're doing something else. And yes, Moore has grown in leaps and bounds since "Mind's Eye"...I'll give him that much.

Got the Monkey Off My Back.......2007-02-15

I can't understand why anyone would consider this album a regression from "You Are Here". I think this is a fabulous album much better than "You Are Here" and their best since "Walk on Water". The material is very strong and fresh with a definite bluesy feel. Just check out "Hard Being Me", "Down by the River", "World Cruise" and "Some Other Guy" (personally I would have preferred a harmonica solo rather than Vinnie's first guitar solo on the latter). All the tracks are really good and earthy, from the heavy guitar sound of "Heavenly Body" to the more conventional UFO ballad style numbers like "Who's Fooling Who" and "Drink too Much". In fact I like all the songs with perhaps the weakest "Kingston Town" still palatable.
I saw them live in Nov '06 and although the gig was great I was disappointed they only played "Drink too Much" from this album. I would much prefer them to play this new material and dispense with some of the older tunes unless Vinnie starts playing the solo's a little more accurately.
I have to admit that I am really comfortable with this line up and the rock `n' roll craftsmanship produced on this album. I am playing this all the time in the car so "out with the old and in with the new" so to speak. As a kid I was one of the die hards where anything produced without Michael Schenker on lead just wasn't UFO. Whilst that was still my favourite era I don't under estimate the brilliance of Phil Mogg and Pete Way anymore which is still alive and kicking. Now much wiser and wrinklier than these two I have finally got the monkey off my back!

Average customer rating:

Puzzle
Biffy Clyro
Manufacturer: Wea/14th Floor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Vertigo of Bliss
Icky Thump
Favourite Worst Nightmare
Zeitgeist

ASIN: B000N4S8RA
Release Date: 2007-05-21

Tracks:

Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies
Saturday Superhouse
Who's Got a Match?
As Dust Dances 2/15ths
Whole Child Ago
Conversation Is...
Now I'm Everyone
Semi-Mental 4/15ths
Love Has a Diameter
Get Fucked Stud
Folding Stars
9/15ths
Machines

Album Description

2007 album from this oddly-named British band sees them making the bold and ambitious record that will both satisfy their huge and devoted fanbase and win the hearts of countless others, cementing their reputation as the best and most important Rock band in the UK. The album includes the singles 'Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies' and 'Saturday Superhouse', which found the band breaking into the Top 15 for the first time, and received high critical acclaim with the NME. Mixed in New York by Andy Wallace (Nirvana, At The Drive-In) and with artwork by Storm Thorgerson (Pink Floyd, Led Zepellin), Puzzle marks Biffy's transformation into a truly world-beating band. From the soaring 'Semi-Mental' to the bludgeoning punch of 'Saturday Superhouse' through the swollen intensity of the slow-burning 'As Dust Dances' and to the glorious foot-stomping live favorite 'Who's Got A Match?', Puzzle packs an emotional punch with 24-carat choruses shot through with Biffy's trademark sideways approach to songwriting. It also sees them anchor some of their most outlandish ideas (check the staggering '9/15ths') with the sort of clear and crisp melodies that this three-headed powerhouse have been hinting at since the days of 'Justboy' and '27'. Warner.

Album Details

This Limited Edition Includes a Bonus Track, 'drop It', plus a Dvd with an Amazing Documentary Called "The Making of Puzzle". Featuring Exclusive Interviews and Tons of Behind-the-scenes Footage, it is by Turns Insightful, Hilarious and Emotional. Charting the Highs and Lows of a Band in the Studio, it is a Revealing Track-by-track Study of Biffy Clyro's Recording Experience. The Dvd also features the Promos of the Singles Thus Far: The Epic "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies", Directed by Andy Morahan (Famous for his Classic Video of "November Rain" by Guns N Roses), the Hilarious "Saturday Superhouse" Directed by Award-winning Film Maker Bradley Beasley and the Raw Wonder that is "Semi-mental".

Average customer rating:

Sounds important

Puzzle
Biffy Clyro
Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk Revival | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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The Vertigo of Bliss
Snakes & Arrows
Send Away the Tigers
Stupid Dream

ASIN: B000Q6ZMCO
Release Date: 2007-06-11

Tracks:

Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies
Saturday Superhouse
Who's Got a Match?
As Dust Dances 2-15ths
Whole Child Ago
Conversation Is...
Now I'm Everyone
Semi-Mental 4-15ths
Love Has a Diameter
Get Fucked Stud
Folding Stars
9-15ths
Machines
Drop It [*]

Tracks:

Making of Puzzle Documentary [DVD][*]
Semi-Mental Video [DVD][*]
Saturday Superhouse [DVD][*]
Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies [DVD][*]

Album Description

Limited edition deluxe two disc (CD + PAL/Region 0 DVD) pressing of the 2007 album from this oddly-named British band features one bonus track ('Drop It') plus a bonus DVD that features a documentary (The Making Of Puzzle) plus three music videos: 'Semi-Mental', 'Saturday Superhouse' and 'Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies'. Puzzle sees them making the bold and ambitious record that will both satisfy their huge and devoted fanbase and win the hearts of countless others, cementing their reputation as the best and most important Rock band in the UK. The album includes the singles 'Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies' and 'Saturday Superhouse', which found the band breaking into the Top 15 for the first time, and received high critical acclaim with the NME. Mixed in New York by Andy Wallace (Nirvana, At The Drive-In) and with artwork by Storm Thorgerson (Pink Floyd, Led Zepellin), Puzzle marks Biffy's transformation into a truly world-beating band. From the soaring 'Semi-Mental' to the bludgeoning punch of 'Saturday Superhouse' through the swollen intensity of the slow-burning 'As Dust Dances' and to the glorious foot-stomping live favorite 'Who's Got A Match?', Puzzle packs an emotional punch with 24-carat choruses shot through with Biffy's trademark sideways approach to songwriting. It also sees them anchor some of their most outlandish ideas (check the staggering '9/15ths') with the sort of clear and crisp melodies that this three-headed powerhouse have been hinting at since the days of 'Justboy' and '27'. Warner.

Album Details

Customer Reviews:

Sounds important.......2007-07-03

You know how Oasis CD's always sound big and urgent, like something great is going to happen? There's a lot of that here, and unfortunately nothing really does. "Folding Stars" is the best example of that, big guitars and the lead up to the multi-harmony chorus . . . that just isn't there. "Dust Dances" is the slow burner type that sounds promising, but as the band gets into it they keep stretching lines out looking for something to click that doesn't quite happen, it all sounds like the lead up to the passage they were looking for and never found. "Saturday" goes against their sound, it's too fast and loud, and again never quite gets to a memorable hook.

A very frustrating CD, because I liked their sound and voices and was kind of rooting for them to really hit it. The problem is the one thing they're missing is the most difficult of all, nothing else really matters if you can write hooks. And if you can't, no amount of good noise makes up for it, because it just drains in one ear and out the other. You can learn a lot about music, but you can't learn to hit the gong, you either have it or you don't. Sorry guys.

Average customer rating:

FABULOUS!
Very fun disc for kids and the adults who listen with them
Not just for kids.

It's a Puzzle
Trout Fishing In America
Manufacturer: Trout Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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inFINity
Merry Fishes to All
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My Best Day

ASIN: B0000CBLAP
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

It's a Puzzle
Fill It Up
The Goops
I Get Ideas
Why I Pack My Lunch
It's Gone
Relax
Wrong Right
La La Land
Alien in my Nose
The King of My Mountain
It's Like

Customer Reviews:

FABULOUS!.......2004-01-25

We had never heard of this duo before hearing them on NPR. We ordered the CD and absolutely love it! Very humorous and clever lyrics, with fun, lyrical music. Any child who like puns and play-on-words will find this delightful. Ranks with Tom Chapin's best songs (Billy the Squid, Backwards Birthday Party, Sorry, etc.)
There is also one beautiful, lullaby-type song, "King of my Mountain" with a wonderful message about simplicity, gratitude, and positive-thinking that I (mom) have fallen in love with.
Highly recommended!

Very fun disc for kids and the adults who listen with them.......2004-01-21

I bought this disc after hearing the delightful interview with this group on NPR's Morning Edition. It is one of those rare and wonderful kid's music discs that does not insult the musical sensibilities of parents and caregivers. Everything from blues, to rock, to country inspires these songs that are natural for dancing and singing along. The best part is watching my two-year old's creative dance steps as he bops along to Trout Fishing in America.

Not just for kids........2003-10-29

I think I enjoyed this CD as much as my children. I Get Ideas is so much like my seven year old that it was scary but fun to look at life from another perspective. Each track is silly, intelligent, outrageous and most of all funny and there's something here for everyone. We play this CD over and over and over in the car and we have yet to tire of it. When is the next album coming out?

Average customer rating:

TAHITI-exquisite
Summery, contemplative, loveable
So good, so good...
A bit of a disappointment
A Very Good Place to Start

Puzzle
Tahiti 80
Manufacturer: Minty Fresh
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
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Fosbury

ASIN: B00004TLYX
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

Yellow Butterfly
I.S.A.A.C.
Heartbeat
Made First (Never Forget)
Mr. Davies
Swimming Suit
Hey Joe
Puzzle
Easy Way Out
Things Are Made To Last Forever
Revolution 80
When The Sun
Revolution 80 (Tahiti Mix)
Heartbeat (Video)

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

One of the surprise discoveries of 2000, French charmers Tahiti 80 delight with their refreshing and irresistible pop confection, Puzzle. A sophisticated indie affair, Puzzle conveys Tahiti 80's love for the British Invasion combined with a certain je ne sais quoi. Like a croissant--light, flaky, and yummy! --Kevin Cole

Amazon.com

This French quartet, who borrowed their name from a cheesy souvenir T-shirt, dress up horn- and string-swept '60s pop bliss in a tie-dyed T-shirt and black leather jacket. With their intricate melding of woozy, reverberating guitars, jangling acoustics, sitar, mellotron, breathy, effortless vocals, and almost ridiculously pleasant melodies, a listener would likely place them among their contemporary Brit pop torch-bearers Supergrass or Super Furry Animals (further, lead singer Xavier Boyer's French accent is nearly undetectable). But what gives them away is that seemingly requisite French tendency to leave no edge unsmoothed. Like their techno counterparts Air, Tahiti 80's production is aerated, refined, and simply perfect like a silky mousse. Puzzle is carefree pop at its most elegant and substantive. Boyer's proclaimed adoration of the Kinks is evidenced in the more guitar-crunched tracks like the title track and "Hey Joe," and the charming "Mr. Davies" is a reverent tribute to Ray himself. In it, he sings, "He's considered a songwriter, and I am not--at this time." Au contraire, Mr. Boyer, you are an exquisite songwriter indeed. --Beth Massa

Customer Reviews:

TAHITI-exquisite.......2006-03-08

I bought this in 2000 and I still listen to it. I like all of the tracks. The songs are very melodic and you'll end up memorizing the lyrics and singing along- highly recomended. If you like this, another group you should give a spin is SAINT ETIENNE. Julius-Allan

Summery, contemplative, loveable.......2005-09-18

"Swimming Suit" came up during a massive shuffle session on the iPod on the way from Boston to New York, and the gf/wife, who's often hard to impress, said "Oh, this is pretty." We kept the foot down and the sunny day seemed slightly sunnier.

There's a unique quality to Puzzle. The songs are clearly constructed, each of them is several different songs bolted together with different rhythms and time schemes, and yet it seems so natural. The lyrics talk about jealousy at not being considered a songwriter in the league of Ray Davies -- this on their first album -- about Irish pub-rocker Joe Dolan, about existential loneliness. The joy of it is that, against all the odds, every strange individual thing in every song is in exactly the right place. An earlier reviewer compared them to Abba, and in a sense that's fair, though a fractured Abba where the joy of the music only just outweighs the agony and frustration of being alive. "You know that's why I'd like to be somebody else / Somebody without feelings, only sensations and money" they sing, and we sing along, and in the end we feel happier for it.

So good, so good..........2001-04-14

This record is great. It's that perfect blend of 80s pop and modern sensibilities. It's layered with just the right balance retro synth sounds, live instrumentation, drum loops, compelling vocals and accessible lyrics that only the French seem to be able to do it. In the tradition of MOON SAFARI, PUZZLE is carefree and mysterious all at the same time. But the hooks - the hooks are sooooo catchy - you'll be singing along in no time. The band also gives an incredible live performance (I saw them at the Bowery Ballroom last month). HEARTBEAT is the radio single, but my favourite is YELLOW BUTTERFLY. I love this record.

A bit of a disappointment.......2001-03-28

Yeah, you can say they sound like Air, perhaps mostly because of their slightly similar ambient sound and oh, yeah . . . they're both French. But Tahiti 80 sound a lot more like ABBA and Donovan with the lead singer from Shudder To Think. The quality of songs is just as good.

The translations may be off or something, but what's up with these lyrics? They seem to be trying to make me feel that they're naive and at the same time profound ("I return home with special food dor my spirit; my spirit will pass into eternity"). Whatever this album seems to be is eventually revealed to be a forced (and in my book, false) sort of sentiment.

Of course, four or five of the songs ("Buterfly," and the title track) are really infectious and fun, in that sort of "It's summer and I'm in love" way. Their romanticism suffers, though, from the albums weaker spots.

Overwrought and over-produced, but with some poppish gems.

A Very Good Place to Start.......2001-01-24

Tahiti 80 have fashioned the debut album of the year. Forget all the hype about Coldplay and Travis. This is where its at. Granted they are from France not England, but they are one of the few rock-pop bands that is not currently ripping off "The Bends" era Radiohead. This album is fresh and breezy, a lovenote to late 60's/early 70's era songwriting, and that meakes it a welcome rarity today.

The album gets of to a low key start with "Yellow Butterfly", but the song picks up at about the one minute mark with a sped up march of a drum beat. Xavier Boyer's voice has a nice range especially when he breaks from his whisper singing. It't not that his singing voice is bad, its just that he has interesting textures else when in his vocal range. "I.S.S.A.C." has a nice rolling bass line that blends nicely with the crackerjack drums. "Heartbeak" needs to be a single. The disco beat and keyboards wash over like warm sun rays, as the juicy guitar hook lodges itself in your head. "Mr. Davies" is a nice little acoustic exercise that may or not be about The Kinks' Ray Davies. The sweet guitars and strings on "Swimming Suit" interweave with horns to form a perfect summertime song. "Hey Joe" is not a Hendrix cover, but a poppy little rave up that has a few choice blues based guitar riffs. The jangle pop of "Puzzle" has a forlorn quality as Boyer sings over churning guitars that he's "not the only one to feel that emptiness."

In todays musical climate it is rare that one hears a band who sounds like they are excited to pick up their insruments. There is a rift between happy music and artistic music, most bands feel that to be taken seriously they have to be 'dark', and whatever is not heavy or dark must be Britney Spears. The Beatles are considered the best band of all time, but some of their biggest triumphs were songs of joy. Tahiti 80 are just beginning, but this album is like a ray of light on a cloudy music scene. It has also been said that Tahiti 80 borrow too liberally from music from decades past, but their music is not just hipster posturing, its genuine. "Puzzle" is a great place for a band to start. Enjoy!

Puzzle
Average customer rating:

Awesome guitar work, stunning songs, beautiful harmonies, and some stupid lyrics

Japan Missing Pieces of Puzzle

Love this album

14 Years of Ownership and Counting

Great Rock Band

Puzzle
Dada
Manufacturer: Blue Cave
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live: Official Bootleg (Vol. 1)

Dada

ASIN: B0002IQBJE
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

Dorina
Mary Sunshine Rain
Dog
Dizz Knee Land
Surround
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Posters
Timothy
Dim
Who You Are
Puzzle
Moon
Little Way (Bonus Track)
Colour (Bonnus Track)
Opera (Bonus Track)

Album Description

In 1992 dada exploded on the scene with their critically acclaimed debut release "Puzzle" originally released on I.R.S. Records. The single "Dizz Knee Land" set the alternative radio movement (just then hitting it's stride) on fire and quickly migrated to mainstream rock and pop stations. The re-issue of "Puzzle" has been newly remasterd and enhanced and includes 3 bonus tracks (recorded during the "Puzzle" sessions)never before released in the USA. This "Enhanced CD" includes the video of "Here Today, Gone Tommorrow"

Customer Reviews:

Awesome guitar work, stunning songs, beautiful harmonies, and some stupid lyrics.......2007-01-18

I've always been impressed by good three-piece bands. It's rare for a lead guitarist to have the chops to fill out the sound without a strong backing rhythm player. So when I hear Dada's 'Puzzle' album, with its solid guitar work, backed by competent bass playing and a drummer who is up to the task when guitarist Michael Gurley is really driving him, I enter a beautiful zone. The lush harmonies escalate the feeling. The songs are just amazing - even the simplest ones have the surprising changes, and the kind of structure and flow that define great songwriting. Unfortunately, the flow is interrupted periodically by the crashing intrusion of some truly awful lyrics; not that often, but often enough to keep an otherwise excellent album out of the five-star league. They were youngsters then; I'm pleased to hear they're still working together, and I'm hoping that more recent lyrics reflect some real maturity.

Japan Missing Pieces of Puzzle.......2006-12-18

A Japanese guitarist friend of mine plays Rush and Eric Johnson songs from memory but had never heard of Dada, much less "Puzzle", until now. I lent him the CD over the weekend, giving him a playlist (start with "Dim" (track 9), I said). First thing Monday morning he comes rushing up to me with a big smile on his face. "These guys f*#$ rock", he said with a pumped fist. "I bought all their CDs on Saturday," he added.

I wonder how many more music lovers in Japan are missing out on the music force that is Dada?!?! I guess it's up to me to educate the country one person at a time. Ganbarimasu!

Love this album.......2006-11-14

I had this as a tape when it first came out and had been looking for it on Itunes- I decided that it was more cost-effective to buy the CD. I love ever song on here- including the bonus tracks that I had not heard before. So glad Amazon had it.

14 Years of Ownership and Counting.......2006-01-14

I purchased this albumn when it came out in 1992, and I still play it on a regular basis today. This is a good filter too - usually it's the truly talented musicians and producers with their own garage studios that own a copy of "Puzzle". It's smart music, and that's what I enjoy the most.

Great Rock Band.......2005-11-30

This CD has it all---a bit of blues, rock, and pop all in one. It sets various moods with sophisticated guitar that is mellow, sometimes angry, and always interesting..... and is a great road trip CD. I am surprised this CD did not sell better. If Da Da ever comes to Orange County, this will be a concert I will definitely go see.

Average customer rating:

Chris Dowd Is Back with Love in his Heart

Puzzle
Seedy Arkhestra
Manufacturer: Astor Place Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Ska General | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005EGQ
Release Date: 1997-08-12

Tracks:

You Can't Do That
Shing-A-Ling
A Thousand Tears
How Will I Know
Despite The Tears
Puzzle
Burn
Baby Would You Take Care Of Me?
Flog Your Dead Horse

Customer Reviews:

Chris Dowd Is Back with Love in his Heart.......2002-08-13

Recorded in two weeks in New York City with an all-star cast including Don Byron, Hod David, N'dea Davenport, the late Jeff Buckley, and various players from the city's still thriving roots ska scene, 'Puzzle' is a big, beautiful portrait of New York that only great artists seem to capture.

Chris Dowd, a supremely gifted singer/keyboardist/trombonist/songwriter from Los Angeles, has crafted a lovely, atypical roots ska 'n' reggae album on which every song save the very last one expands the instrumental palette of Jamaican music. "Baby Would You Take Care of Me" features banjo and other acoustic instruments, but it's straight-up rocksteady. "A Thousand Tears" is a big-band ska blowout with a gorgeous arrangement that feels like riding in a cab down Broadway with someone you love.

The opening track, "You Can't Do That," (not the Beatles tune) starts with a U-Roy-styled deejay intro from Dowd that suggests he doesn't take himself too seriously, but also has the verbal and musical vocabulary to take modern music into the next level. The human factor is critical to this album. Machines simply can't do this kind of shing-a-ling.

The bass-heavy dread vibe of "Burn" is offset by Dowd's cheeky observation, "You won't mind if I go offline," and the Christian imagery he brings to the militant meditation. N'dea Davenport guests on a sweet lovers rock tune, "How Will I Know" -- not the Whitney Houston tune -- and turns in the most impassioned performance of her career.

Tracks:

The Trap Door
The Great Puzzle
We Were Only Making Love
The Sad Sound Of The Wind
Something Else To Me
Make Believe
Much Too Much
Dreams Dissolve In Tears
The Mystery's All Mine
Jewel In A Cobweb
Bark

Customer Reviews:

CRIMINAL.......2006-12-22

The only way to describe the fact that this album isn't revered as one of the great pop albums of the decade is criminal. The melodies are sharp, the playing is wonderful and it's a great SOUNDING record. Jules voice can sound like Dylan after a whippit, but I DARE you not to forgive that during the thrilling "Trap Door" or heart breaking "Dreams Disolve In Tears." "From next door a radio played/She started banging on the wall/It was some terrible song she could remember loving/Now she couldn't stand that song at all." Talk about taking the exact moment when you realize a relationship is over and writing a pop song about it...Jules does that constantly here. If you're a fan of pure pop melodies featuring lyrics about adult issues played by grown ups, this album and Michael Penn's 'March' are two to consider. Death Cab for Cutie have come close to this record, but they're still trying. Here's what the finish line sounds like.

Print these lyrics, bind them and file under poetry.......2006-08-20

Hearing the title song on this release for the first time was like being drawn to a warm bed on a cold winter's night. Jules Shear is nothing short of a brilliant poet. His words, as wonderful and heart-rending as they sound being passionately sung over fine playing, production and arrangements, would have lost little had Jules opted to publish them as a book of poems. True, it may not have done much to increase the size of his criminally small fan base, but it would have provided the world with one more means through which to experience his art. Sadly, Jules Shear now seems destined to exist in that great pantheon the Almost Famous. I feel so lucky to have found him. You will too!

The Best Album You Never Heard.......2003-10-04

If you haven't tried Jules' music, you're missing out. This is probably the best/most consistent, but how can one say "best" when they all are great? Listen to one of Jules' albums more than about three times, and you'll find yourself awake at night because his songs won't stop flowing through your brain.

A POP MASTERPIECE!.......2001-11-26

If there is anybody who deserves to be better known in the music world, it's Jules Shear. He's an artist whose songs he's written are better known than he is. Having written the Bangles "If She Knew What She Wants", Cyndi Lauper's "All Through The Night", and Allison Moyet's "Whispering Your Name", to name a few. He's been around since the 70's, having started the very underrated new wave band Jules And The Polar Bears. He put out an excellent first album with "Watch Dog" in 1983, which Todd Rundgren produced. He recorded a couple more albums in the 80's before finally releasing this masterpiece. For people who have never heard Jules Shear sing, it may be an aquired taste for some. Personally I like it. He sings in a nasal whisper at times, but he puts so much passion and emotion into his singing that he can make even an average song sound like it means something. There's nothing average about these songs though. I think this is by far the best songwriting Shear has ever done. Some of the most unforgettable tunes off this are "The Sound Of The Wind", "Make Believe", alone worth the price of admission here. The Lovin Spoonful sounding "The Mystery's All Mine", and the title track "The Great Puzzle". These songs are all packed with the very distinctive sound of jangling guitars that are layered on top of each other so much that it almost gives them an organ sound. I've never heard anything quite like it before. Mix that with some great harmony singing, and some intelligent lyrics and songwriting, and these 60's inspired melodies become an instant classic. For some reason that's beyond me, this album didn't make Shear a star like I thought it would. Something else about this cd that a lot of people probably don't know: When it first came out it originally came with a bonus disc called "Unplug This", which was Shear doing some of his best songs "live" with just an acoustic guitar. MTV liked it so much that they started a new format called MTV Unplugged. And they ask Shear to host the first few episodes of that show. And the rest is history. The Great Puzzle came out in 1992, and I still haven't heard a better pop album since. It's one of the best pop albums of the 90's, or for that matter ever. For me, it's a top 10 Desert Island Disc, that's guaranteed to make your average pop fan hope for a shipwreck. And it comes very highly recommended!

One of the greatest albums of the 20th Century.......1999-04-08

Absolutely fantastic. This has been my favorite album for seven years. Brilliant lyrics, incredibly melodic and it rocks like crazy. This album should have made Jules a big star. It's fresh and original and an absolute stunner.

Music Info:

Music Info

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