Rock & Roll Machine

Rock & Roll Machine

Track Listings

1. Takes Time

2. Bringing It on Home

3. Little Texas Shaker

4. New York City Streets, Pt. 1

5. New York City Streets, Pt. 2

6. City: War March/El Duende Agonizante/Minstrel's Lament

7. Rocky Mountain Way [*]

8. Rock & Roll Machine

Tracks:

Icky Thump
You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)
300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
Conquest
Bone Broke
Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)
Little Cream Soda
Rag And Bone
I'm Slowly Turning Into You
A Martyr For My Love For You
Catch Hell Blues
Effect and Cause

Amazon.com

Bagpipes, a song written as the soundtrack to a Michel Gondry music video, Patti Page's musical shadow, and Jack and Meg co-narrating a scavenger's rummages: It must be time for Icky Thump, the many-flavored riposte to 2006's Get Behind Me Satan. The duo starts big with the title track--Jack's fast-tumbling, falsetto-tinged lyrics jagging on hyper keyboard-sounding segues and Meg's pounding drums. They rarely shy from an idea, invoking acoustic Bob Dylan to frame "300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues," but interjecting a series of distortion-laden guitar paroxysms for good measure. The end of Icky, on "Effect and Cause," is where Jack's trademark vocal warble and spare, quick acoustic strums meet Meg's single-minded beats. Everywhere on Icky giant riffs leap and shout, with Flamenco horns and those eerie bagpipes and rhythmic shifts and Jack's impatient vocal kinetics, marking new territories even as the White Stripes again populate them with vintage ideas. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Description

The White Stripes are back with the most bombastic album they've ever produced! While revealing the band's roots in American folk music, Icky Thump is an explosive, revolutionary assault that brings together garage rock, every blues style of the past 100 years, nouveau, and flamenco. This is truly a modern rock and roll masterpiece!

Customer Reviews:

Best White Stripes yet.......2007-08-01

This is definitely their best CD to date. I love that they have a definite style that they don't stray from, but still manage to make most songs interesting and unique. If you like the White Stripes, this is a must have.

Not a favorite.......2007-08-01

I really wanted to like this. Jack's fine. Meg needs more practice. Good vocals, better guitar, but very poor percussion/rhythm. I find myself skipping forward a lot, and then ejecting within minutes.

Something new I like, finally.......2007-07-31

These two keep getting better. I really think this is their best. If you've liked previous recordings give this a listen.

Great Stuff - Impressive Guitar Work.......2007-07-30

I'd been thinking of picking up a White Stripes CD for some time and finally got this one. I love it! Several songs have clear Led Zep influence (my favorite all time band). The things that Jack White does with his guitar are incredible.

icky is right.......2007-07-30

I only liked the first song. This CD just did not resonate with me like all their others. Maybe Jack should spend less time ragging on Detroit and more on writing.

Average customer rating:

I love the music of the Travelling Wilburys
Traveling Wilburys
Former John/Paul snob fan converted to George fan
WHERE IS THE VINYL ISSUE?
Traveling Wilburys

Traveling Wilburys (2 CD / 1 DVD)
The Traveling Wilburys
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live In Dublin
Icky Thump

ASIN: B000P0J024
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

Handle With Care
Dirty World
Rattled
Last Night
Not Alone Any More
Congratulations
Heading For the Light
Margarita
Tweeter And the Monkey Man
End Of the Line
Maxine - (previously unreleased, Bonus Track)
Like A Ship - (alternate take, Bonus Track)

Tracks:

She's My Baby
Inside Out
If You Belonged To Me
Devil's Been Busy, The
7 Deadly Sins
Poor House
Where Were You Last Night?
Cool Dry Place
New Blue Moon
You Took My Breath Away
Wilbury Twist
Nobody's Child - (Bonus Track)
Runaway - (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com

The Traveling Wilburys were one of the few supergroups that lived up to their promise, because they didn't try to. Things started inauspiciously when George Harrison, needing a B-side for a 1988 single, called in friends Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison for assistance. Two albums later--the second without Orbison, who had passed away shortly after the first was released--the loose-knit collective had recorded material that was as durable, and occasionally eclipsed, the participants' legendary solo work. The Wilburys succeeded due to a genial and contagious camaraderie that permeates both discs. What could have been a train wreck of ego clashes instead resulted in a frothy meeting of the minds. These guys are having a blast, trading lead vocals and harmonies on energetic folk-rock, quirky rockabilly, and Beatlesque pop that shimmers with the respect and esteem the members clearly hold for each other. Harrison and Lynne's rather slick production polishes off edges that might better have been left unvarnished, but there's no denying the loosey-goosey craftsmanship at work in tunes such as "Handle with Care," "End of the Line," and a striking Orbison performance on "Not Alone Anymore" that ranks with any of his finest. Both albums were million-sellers, but oddly went out of print for about a decade until Rhino resurrected them, adding two rare tracks per disc as well as a DVD of music videos and a band documentary. The resulting package is a comprehensive overview of a once--well, twice--in-a-lifetime project that, especially after Harrison's passing, will never be repeated. --Hal Horowitz

Album Description

Featuring classics like "Handle With Care," "End Of The Line," and "Heading For The Light," super-group Traveling Wilbury's Collection highlights all of the band's music and previously unreleased bonus tracks through this re-mastered double album. The DVD features behind the scenes footage of the band writing and recording, along with their 5 video clips.

Customer Reviews:

I love the music of the Travelling Wilburys.......2007-07-30

I love the music of The Travelling Wilburys on the two discs here. I also enjoyed watching the videos on the DVD. "Handle With Care" and "End Of The Line" are my favorite tracks. I love George Harrison singing lead vocals on these classic tunes. "She's My Baby" is an excellent rock and roll song. I love Jeff Lynne's electric guitar playing on this track. "The Wilbury Twist" is a fun upbeat track. I love Tom's Petty's vocals. Not Alone Any More is another highlight here. Roy Orbison's voice is so heartfelt on this track. Bob Dylan shines on the tracks "Inside Out" on "Dirty World". He is the member of the group I knew least about. He is a very good singer. "New Blue Moon" is a perfect example of how well these musicians sound together. This is fun music.

Traveling Wilburys.......2007-07-30

The best CD I've bought in a long while.
You can't get any better that 5 of the best singer/musicians of our/any time, coming together and complementing each other perfectly.

Former John/Paul snob fan converted to George fan.......2007-07-29

I admit it, I discounted George as the lesser talent of all the Beatles, but I was sadly mistaken,and missed appreciating his talent for collaboration and production until now. He showcases the fine talents of Petty, Orbison,and Dylan with his own and with his and Lynn's talent as songwriters. This remastering has the truly finest sound ever to grace my premium auto sound system.

WHERE IS THE VINYL ISSUE?.......2007-07-27

THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A FIVE STAR COLLECTION. BUT, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VINYL ISSUE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT? IN THE ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE IT SAID THAT A VINYL VERSION WITH 3 LPS WAS GOING TO BE RELEASED. THE THIRD LP WAS GOING TO CONSIST ENTIRELY OF ALTERNATE TAKES THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED ON THE 2 CD/DVD SET. IT WAS ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE A BONUS POSTER AND BOOKLET. THANKS.

Traveling Wilburys.......2007-07-27

This is such a great memory if you're a George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan fan - the DVD is so personal and just takes me back forty years!! GREAT stuff!

Average customer rating:

My new favorite CD
Back to Black-Amy Whinehouse
I love this women
What I always wanted oldies to sound like.
Something Very Different

Back to Black
Amy Winehouse
Manufacturer: Republic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Introducing Joss Stone
Alright, Still
Corinne Bailey Rae
The Reminder
Icky Thump

ASIN: B000N2G3RY
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

Rehab
You Know I'm No Good
Me & Mr. Jones
Just Friends
Back To Black
Love Is A Losing Game
Tears Dry On Their Own
Wake Up Alone
Some Unholy War
He Can Only Hold Her
Bonus Track 1

From Amazon.co.uk

Amy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or otherwise, to come out for years. Frank, her first album, was a sparse and stripped-down affair; Back to Black, meanwhile, is neither of these things. This time around, she's taken her inspiration from some of the classic 1960's girl groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las, a sound particularly suited to her textured vocal delivery, while adding a contemporary songwriting sensibility. With the help of producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, "Rehab" becomes a gospel-tinged stomp, while the title track (and album highlight) is a heartbreaking musical tribute to Phil Spector, with it's echoey bass drum, rhythmic piano, chimes, saxophone and close harmonies. Best of all, though, is the fact that Back to Black bucks the current trend in R&B by being unabashedly grown-up in both style and content. Winehouse's lyrics deal with relationships from a grown-up perspective, and are honest, direct and, often, complicated: on "You Know I'm No Good", she's unapologetic about her unfaithfulness. But she can also be witty, as on "Me & Mrs Jones" when she berates a boyfriend with "You made me miss the Slick Rick gig". Back to Black is a refreshingly mature soul album, the best of its kind for years. --Ted Kord

Album Description

Hailed by Newsweek Magazine as a cross between Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill, British soul singer Amy Winehouse's U.S. debut, Back To Black hits the US amid a flurry of accolades, radio and TV buzz unprecedented in recent years for a young siren.

Her brassy mix of emotive vocals tinged with 60's girl-group stylings, sly funk, and anguished jazz, sparked the New York Daily News to crown Back To Black a "marvelous debut that would do Etta James proud" while New Yorker Magazine called her "a fierce English performer whose voice combines the smoky depths of a jazz chanteuse with the heated passion of a soul singer," and Spin Magazine affirming "there's never been A British star quite like her."

Back To Black smolders with a bristling fusion of old school doo-wop/soul inflected uprisings, (the charismatic singer/songwriter wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album) brewing instant classics such as the Shirley Ellis influenced "Rehab," the Supremes tinged title song "Back To Black," the aching "Wake Up Alone," and the album's closer, "Addicted."

Album Details

Ivor Novello Award Winner, Mercury Music Prize and Triple Brit Nominee Amy Winehouse, Follows the Release of her New Single "rehab" and Recent Sell-out Mini-uk Tour, with the Hugely Anticipated Release on October 30th of her New Album "back to Black". On "back to Black", the Follow-up to her Platinum Debut "frank" which Established her as One of the Most Exciting and Challenging Artists in Pop Music, Amy Confirms, Beyond Any Reasonable Or Unreasonable Doubt, What a Truly Remarkable Talent She Is.

Customer Reviews:

My new favorite CD.......2007-08-01

I love this CD. I can't stop listening to it. Amy's sound is so unique. Her voice is absolutely intoxicating. The mix of old style with new elements makes for interesting music and the lyrics really kick you in the pants. I highly recommend this CD for anyone that is looking for something different.

Back to Black-Amy Whinehouse.......2007-08-01

This is an okay album. Re-Hab and I'm No Good are the best. The rest is mediocre.

I love this women.......2007-07-31

Its been awhile since a good album haas come out that caught me off guard, like this one did. I have enjoyed every song she has sung, I love her voice and I appreciate her songwriting, she brings so much to industry. I am a FAN!!!!!

What I always wanted oldies to sound like........2007-07-31

Amy Winehouse has realized something that had always been in the back of my mind--I've always liked the sound of 60s R&B, but thought that it was a dead form that would never catch up with harder, contemporary sensibilities--at least without spoofing or just outright covering old songs. She's done it, and done it right--staying true to the sound rather than staying at an arm's length for irony's sake. Is it possible to make a wholly modern record from a retro sound while staying sincere and not mocking the source? Back to Black is proof that you can.

Something Very Different.......2007-07-29

I was in San Francisco , in a cd store of all places..go figure , and they were playing this cd.
At first i thought it was a very old re issue from the 50's Motown era, but when the guy at the counter said it was new and a hot seller i decided to listen.
First i heard Rehab , a pretty fun and amusing way to talk about bad habits..should be Lindsay Lohan's theme song.
Then came You Know I'm No Good, which i totally related to...lol.
Needless to say i went back home to boring Connecticut , and ordered it from Amazon, at half the price!
I have to say while Ms Winehouse is very young, she has a nice singing style that makes you think of 50's Motown and Jazz..and once more she does it pretty well!
Some of the songs have strong lyrics, but are not clearly noticed unless you really listen hard to the track , many are just plain fun , and have a good beat.
My very favorite song on this cd is when Amy slows it way down to do a torchy type ballad called Love Is A Losing Game.. This song is awesome! and Amy's vocals make you melt with feeling!
This young woman is clearly destined for much greater things.
The funny thing is she sounds like a black diva yet she is from the UK, and i was told is quite Jewish!
More power to her i say!
In fact Amy is quite pretty if you can get a glimpse of her without the rats nest hairpiece, gaudy makeup, and one too many tats.
I in no way insult her , but know she would clean up very well as she starts to mature and get beyond the youth oriented market i am sure her label has her set on.
This cd is pretty good and Amy's distinctive style is surely worth a listen!

Average customer rating:

Classic Prince
Sequencing, Sequencing, SEQUENCING!
For true Prince Fans
True to his classic sound
Bottom line, it's a good CD.

Planet Earth
Prince
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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S.S.T./Brand New Orleans
Libertad
3121
Absolute Garbage
It Won't Be Soon Before Long

ASIN: B000RMC7H0
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Tracks:

Planet Earth
Guitar
Somewhere Here On Earth
The One U Wanna C
Future Baby Mama
Mr. Goodnight
All The Midnights In The World
Chelsea Rodgers
Lion Of Judah
Resolution

Amazon.com

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

Album Description

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

Customer Reviews:

Classic Prince.......2007-08-02

You can tell the real Prince Fans and the sometime I like Prince fans. This is classic Prince. Some people wants him to do the same music all the time. Please get over the Purple Rain times, yes that was good music, BUT WAKE PEOPLE! Prince has grown up and moved on. If you play all the cd's he's made, each one is different. Prince music has never been better. I really don't see how anyone can judge a cd by playing it one or two times and say that it sucks. You have to give music time to sink in your spirit and understand why good artist like Prince never does the same things. I always look forward to his new music when it comes out and this is a great cd. My only complaint is that it's only ten songs.

Sequencing, Sequencing, SEQUENCING!.......2007-08-02

The good:
Wendy and Lisa return. Hooray! Prince needs to include them more. "The One U Wanna C" has a similar feel to "Take me with U", "Raspberry Beret", and "I could never take the place of your Man".

More good:
I agree with a previous reviewer about "All the Midnights in the World" -- it is a brief, glorious trip back to 1986. Very reminiscent of "A place in Heaven" from the original (and tragically shelved) Dream Factory album.

The bad:
Song order. Momentum is key, as well as the placement of serious ballads like "Somewhere here on Earth", which are tough to follow.

Bottom line:
I've spent an hour reconfiguring the songs to something far more practical. If the album were resequenced in the following order, I'd give it 4 stars...

Guitar
The One You Wanna C
All The Midnights In The World
Resolution
Planet Earth
Chelsea Rodgers
Future Baby Mama
Mr. Goodnight
Lion Of Judah
Somewhere Here On Earth

For true Prince Fans.......2007-08-01

...because we're the only ones that will put up with such mediocre tripe from a man who knows better. First let me say that I love Prince, even when I chunk money down for stuff that should have never had a price tag on it. Not everything that pops in your head needs to be set to music. Overall, I like three songs on this: Guitar, Somewhere here on earth and Mr. Goodnight. Lyric wise: I could have written The one U want to C-probably like in the Junior High. Prince is very good writing senusal lyrics, but whenever he starts his political agenda stuff, it suddenly sounds juvenile and campy. Like: Planet Earth and Resolutions. He truely could have kept : All the midnights in the world. It's only tolerable because it's so short. While he's waxing proses about the problem with wars and people, I think the problem with telling certain people that they are musical geniuses is that they start slacking off and start pasting weak lyrics on recycled beats. Sorry, but some of these songs sound eerily familar. Still, I'm a sucker for my 80s icon and I'll continue to follow his music journey. Overall, get for your collection, but try to get yourself one of those free copies if you can.

True to his classic sound.......2007-07-31

Prince has cleaned up his act. No naughty lyrics here. Just classic Prince melody. The guitar is back y'all!

Bottom line, it's a good CD........2007-07-31

Ever since Musicology, all of Prince's albums have either been considered his return to form or another disappointment. To me, it's just unfair to compare 2007 prince to 1985 prince.

He's released so many albums and has so much material still locked up in the vault, you can't blame the guy for running low on ideas. All of the past greats still recording, from Paul McCartney to Stevie Wonder, aren't even coming close to their primes.

So instead of using the "Purple Rain was 5 stars, so Planet Earth gets 3" approach, I chose to judge it for what it is. All 10 songs are iPod worthy, and like 3121 and Musicology, this one has a couple truly Prince-calibur tracks mixed in. Some complain about the bad pacing, but this format makes you want to listen all the way through and gives the feeling of a true album, instead of a collection of songs.

A lot of reviewers will tell you simply to listen to his past work instead, but true fans can appreciate this just as a fresh Prince album that's among the best of the year and can be listened to front to back.

Average customer rating:

Paul Potts One Chance
Great Newcomer
My soul is better for this
A chance at last!
Astounding debut album

Paul Potts [United Kingdom]: One Chance

Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...
The Best of Italian Opera
Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)
The #1 Opera Album
The Most Famous Opera Arias

ASIN: B000SKO0OY
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Tracks:

Nessun Dorma
Time to Say Goodbye [Con Te Partir
Amapola
Everybody Hurts [Ognuno Soffre]
Caruso
Nella Fantasia
You Raise Me Up [por Ti Ser
My Way [A Mi Manera]
Cavatina
Music of the Night

Album Description

2007 debut album from the winner of the first season of Britain's Got Talent. Potts' winning performance of Puccini's 'Nessun Dorma' is now one of the most watched clips in You Tube's history (10 million+). The album includes that track as well as the equally captivating 'Time To Say Goodbye', a Spanish version of 'My Way' and Italian version of REM's 'Everybody Hurts'. 12 tracks. RCA.

Product Description

This Unassuming Man, a 36 Year Old Phone Salesman from South Wales and Amateur Opera Singer, Stepped Up to the Microphone on Simon Cowell's British Itv Show "Britain's Got Talent" and Literally Stole the Show. Many Anticipated Another William Hung, but Instead Got a Caruso! the Performance Brought the Entire Audience to their Feet, Even Winning High Praise from Cowell Himself. Potts Went on to Resoundingly Win the Competition! his is a Real Rags to Riches Tale, Having Been £30,000 in Debt and Suffering Years of Bullying and Recovering from a Serious Motorbike Accident. His Winning the Competition Got Him Signed to a Lucrative Recording Contract and He Gained Considerable Media Exposure all Over the World. This Debut Album Naturally features the Piece He Auditioned with (Puccini's "Nessun Dorma") as Well as his Heart Stopping Version of "Con Te Partiro/Time to Say Goodbye", the Song He Sang in the Finals, Originally Made Famous by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.

Customer Reviews:

Paul Potts One Chance.......2007-08-02

Mr. Potts does not need "One Chance" since he has already arrived and will be here to stay. His voice is so gentle and melodic and a pleasure to listen to. He does show his lack of experience in his performance in some songs where he could have expressed a little more passion in his presentation but his musical talent is amazing. I'm sure he will develop his very special gift and style of presentation with time.

Great Newcomer.......2007-08-02

I know the purist opera people are somewhat critical in their reviews of this Paul Potts One Chance CD, but I think he has a beautiful voice, and in time I think he will be fully appreciated.

My soul is better for this.......2007-08-01

Thank you Paul, and thank you Simon. One Chance is soothing, restful. I just received my CD, listening to it brings peace. Is that so bad?

I stand and applaud you, Paul. Best of everything to you and Julie-Ann as your dream unfolds before your eyes. I am proud to be part of the mighty YouTube, Paul Potts, community, and forever thanks to Myredroom for making it happen. Bravo, Paul!

A chance at last!.......2007-08-01

I am so happy to this CD arrived today! We have followed Paul Potts since we saw his try out on YouTube. So happy that an every day kind of guy gets a change to prove himself. Way to go PAUL! Loved the CD.

Astounding debut album.......2007-08-01

This album gets 4 stars because the engineers tried too hard to drown out Mr. Potts in the second selection. I also wish there had been at least one more real opera hit. "Nessun Dorma" is sung really well, including a small chorus in the interlude of the aria. The balance of the album is Italian (or Spanish) schlock. Good schlock, please understand, but standard pop stuff. Sort of a solo version of "Il Divo."

The difference here is Potts himself. His voice is ever so slightly reedy. He does have the timbre and size of voice to pull off his signature tune, "Nessun Dorma", but I'd hate to see him try the entire opera. Unlike say Mario Lanza, when he tackles the more intimate songs, he lets the focus shift away from all-out operatic singing. yet he never gets the "microphone" voice that Boccelli uses at times. Potts is just able to tune his sound to the material at hand. He is always connected emotionally, too, which some greater singers than he is can't say. I have many complete operas in my collection, and yet I bought this album because I found his performing to be quite moving. Pity Paul Potts? Never! He is a real singer and not the product of some over processed sound machine.

Average customer rating:

Amazon rocks
Lost Highway- Bon Jovi
Multiple Layers of Sound He Created
Bon Jovi has done it again.
Don't label, just listen and enjoy

Lost Highway
Bon Jovi
Manufacturer: Mercury Nashville
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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My December
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Big Dog Daddy
5th Gear
Have a Nice Day

ASIN: B000P2A24W
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

Lost Highway
Summertime
Make a Memory
Whole Lot Of Leaving
We Got It Going On
Any Other Day
Seat Next To You
Everybody's Broken
Stranger (feat. Leann Rimes)
The Last Night
One Step Closer
I Love This Town

Amazon.com

Given the chart success of their Grammy-winning country single "Who Says You Can't Go Home," it's no surprise Bon Jovi upped the ante by recording an entire album paying homage to Nashville. In some ways, it's amazing they didn't do this sooner, given the way Keith Urban in particular is blurring country-pop lines, much as Garth Brooks and others did in the 1990s. To their credit, you won't find predictably shallow invocations of past country icons or any self-conscious, in-your-face down-home twang added strictly to remind the listener of the musical premise. In fact, Lost Highway isn't "Bon Jovi goes country" so much as a meaningful tribute to the Nashville ethos done on their own terms. They honor the spirit of the town through 12 simple, direct originals. The intimate, smoldering "(You Want To) Make a Memory," the ballad "Seat Next To You," "Lost Highway" and its roaring celebration of freedom, and "Stranger," an effective duet with LeAnn Rimes, all invoke country's spirit, and "I Love This Town," an eloquent nod to Nashville itself, ties it together admirably. --Rich Kienzle

Album Description

"Artistic freedom made this record possible," says Jon Bon Jovi. "Musical freedom to explore--and emotional freedom to express what was in our hearts."

The result of that freedom is Lost Highway, an album Jon describes as "a Bon Jovi record influenced by Nashville."

Bon Jovi explains. "Nashville is all about songs and songwriters. If you're someone like me who loves songs and hanging out with songwriters, Nashville is the place. I thrive on that feeling and I'm inspired by that creative ambience."

The result, a haunting set of 12 new and original sounding songs, is a stunning, multi-layered look into the nature of love and life in all its glory. Love, like life, is lost, found, forgotten and reclaimed in this collection.

The moods are many, but the core feeling is pure Bon Jovi.

"Writing this record with Jon was deeply cathartic," says Richie Sambora, who collaborated on ten of the songs. "I was going through emotional changes that were new for me. An ailing father. A painful divorce. The start of a new chapter in my life. I poured everything I had into this project, every last bit of soul at my command."

"For over twenty years now," Jon explains, "Richie and I have been close collaborators. Even when our songs create fictional stories, they reveal our states of mind. To a large degree, Lost Highway focuses on the light that love brings. When you shine the light on love, you see the chinks in the armor. You see every crevice, every crack. And that's all right".

Lost Highway is Bon Jovi's tenth studio album since the band formed in the early eighties. One hundred and twenty million albums and 2500 concerts in over 50 countries later, Bon Jovi is enjoying the greatest popularity in their history.

Customer Reviews:

Amazon rocks.......2007-08-01

I love Bon Jovi, this cd is just another extension of their fabulous talent and view of music. It's like listening to the stories the guys would tell their families. Great buy!

Lost Highway- Bon Jovi.......2007-08-01

Every song on this cd sounds the same. It's a waste of time and money.

Multiple Layers of Sound He Created.......2007-08-01

There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave. Basically, I don't know how many times I kept on trying and kept on failing and failing and trying and failing in order to make certain dream come true. Sometimes it's better to sink than to swim. Thankfully, Bon Jovi doesn't subscribe to this advice. I was once told in confidence that he does, but this propitious slab proves that his artistic compass could indeed see land. Tracks like "Vanishing Horse" and "Ditching a Plane For Cat Food" are the immediate standouts, highlighting Bon's enthusiasm for the novelty hits of yesteryear. But "jack'round" music is not the only boring part here. Bon begins to put all his eggs in the most fearsome basket of all by track 3, the thunderous and ivy-covered "False Hope." I thought that was the most awesome song there was at the time. It is an anti-Irish diatribe in the spirit of "Firecrotch" from his 1976 masterpiece "Pussy Heaven," but this time the unsuspecting targets are Chinese railroad workers of the late 1800's. Heartfelt verses give way to the rousing, chanted chorus of "go home or effing die!" Over and over. Yeah. Sometimes I hear a CD and I think that nothing could ever be as good as this. Well, that's what I thought about this one. "Final Approach" is the best song. It's a heavy rocker in the spirit of Century or Robust Rufus, and probably the most emotionally-healthy breakup song I've heard to date. And I've heard a lot of emotionally-healthy breakup songs. I assume this was written to deal with the death and Co-dine overdose of Bon's second wife, Marie, in August. I was made to understand that he was so excited by her magnetism and the intensity of her speech methods, but especially by the power of the images she was capturing in her "beat poetry." Then the whole damn thing basically all goes downhill from there. Awesome record, though. The only thing that offended me about this slab was all the thinly-veiled jabs at the mentally retarded population. Hitler was NOT right, Bon! LOL Oh, well.

Bon Jovi has done it again........2007-07-30

Wasn't sure how I'd like this CD, but after seeing Bon Jovi sing some of the songs on TV I ordered it. I was very pleasantly surprised. I like most of the songs on the CD. The quality of the CD is excellent. The duet between Jon Bon Jovi and Leann Rimes is amazing and is now one of my favorite songs.

Don't label, just listen and enjoy.......2007-07-29

I loved it; vocals and instrumentals were strong. My personal favorite is "One Step Closer", but I loved all the tracks. If Bon Jovi is selling out, then I am going with them!

Average customer rating:

Awesome and energetic
Sophmore Album
fastest 30 minutes of my life
Greatest album
Why so sad 5?

It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Maroon 5
Manufacturer: A&M / Octone Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Songs About Jane
Call Me Irresponsible
Daughtry
Lost Highway
Introducing Joss Stone

ASIN: B000P2A256
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

If I Never See Your Face Again
Makes Me Wonder
Little of Your Time
Wake Up Call
Won't Go Home Without You
Nothing Lasts Forever
Can't Stop
Goodnight Goodnight
Not Falling Apart
Kiwi
Better That We Break
Back At Your Door

Amazon.com

Sometimes it's O.K.--even important--to put aside your reluctance to embrace artists who make teenage girls scream. It happened in 2006, when Justin Timberlake scraped the sludge off pop and left something shiny behind, and it's happening again in 2007 with Maroon 5. It Won't Be Soon Before Long, the L.A. band's sophomore studio disc, rode in on a crest of hype and crumpled expectations--fan reports had it that Adam Levine & Co. scrapped their signature pop-soul sound for something harder and darker. Not so. Shades of Prince, Hall & Oates, and Sting still color the Maroon sound (check out the spectacularly fizzy "Little of Your Time," as well as the first single, "Makes Me Wonder," a song catchier than fire), but they're made ever fainter here by the clamping down of five guys on what is essentially the most distinctive pop sound to emerge from a single band since the Bee Gees squealed into the mid-'70s. It Won't Be Soon squares hip-hop sensibilities ("Wake Up Call") with rock ones ("If I Never See Your Face Again") and stormy moods ("Can't Stop") with bittersweet ballads ("Better That We Break"). It's a disc destined to defy detractors and go on to greatness, elevating the credibility of teenage girls for years to come. --Tammy La Gorce

Amazon.com

Global neo-soul rock superstars Maroon 5 are back with their much-anticipated sophomore album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long. The follow-up to the 10x platinum, Grammy-winning Songs About Jane will be "sexier and stronger," according to frontman Adam Levine, who looked to '80s icons such as Prince, Michael Jackson, and Talking Heads for inspiration. Recorded at home in Los Angeles with producers Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Eminem), Mark "Spike" Stent (Bjork, Keane, Gwen Stefani), Mark Endert (Madonna, Fiona Apple), and Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Nickel Creek), the album promises to be a louder take on the pop sounds of their first effort. "It's definitely aggressive, upbeat and pounding," says Levine.

More Maroon 5

Songs About Jane
Live Friday the 13th
1.22.03.Acoustic

Maroon 5 Photos

Customer Reviews:

Awesome and energetic.......2007-08-01

I love this CD. I've been listening to it everyday in the car for two weeks straight.

Sophmore Album.......2007-08-01

I am VERY pleased with this CD, I can't wait for the 3rd in the series from Maroon 5.

fastest 30 minutes of my life.......2007-08-01

In short I saw these guys at the Belly up for 91 cents and they were incredible. They did a cover of "Closer" by NIN that would blow the doors off any venue! When Songs about Jane came out I couldn't believe how much of their edgy sound had been completely produced out of the final product. These guys have great potential but they are too busy selling to a commercial generation for me to realize it. At 30 minutes I think I'll pass on their next album when it comes out in 2013.

Greatest album.......2007-08-01

After, Songs About Jane one would have though Maroon 5 had reached their Zenith. But, they came back, "Not so soon After Long" with a bang. Its the only album I have listened to for the past three weeks.

Why so sad 5?.......2007-07-31

Obviously... this album would have to be one of the best in history to live up to Songs About Jane. I'm not sure what kind of magic they had in helping with that album, but everyone I know and from all the reviews I've seen agree with me, it's one of the best-ever. I was very anxious for this one to come out (it took forever!) and was a tiny bit disappointed. I guess their first album had a way of making even the sad songs a little more upbeat... this one does not.

However, I cannot stop listening to 'Goodnight Goodnight' and 'Nothing Lasts Forever'- which is the best song on the album lyrically in my opinion..

I just hope it doesn't take as long for the next one to come out.....!

Average customer rating:

Great but fades towards the end
Kelly Clarkson Is Solid As A Rock!
Kelly's album...not her best but not bad
Good
My December is a great album!

My December
Kelly Clarkson
Manufacturer: RCA Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lost Highway
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Wild Hope
Daughtry
Good Girl Gone Bad

ASIN: B000QFAJ7S
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

Never Again
One Minute
Hole
Sober
Don't Waste Your Time
Judas
Haunted
Be Still
Maybe
How I Feel
Yeah
Can I Have A Kiss
Irvine

Amazon.com

Judging by the themes of anger and betrayal that dominate Kelly Clarkson's third disc, My December, perhaps 'Jagged Little Idol' would have been a more telling title. According to interviews, the massively successful artist wanted more creative control with her music going forward; as a result, unlike her previous CDs, Clarkson contributes as a songwriter on every track. The final product is not nearly as catchy as Breakaway, but is far more introspective and honest. My December's overall sound brings a harder musical style than fans might expect, with acerbic lyrics to match; the disc's first single "Never Again"--a dark rock song slamming her ex-boyfriend--is certainly a tip-off. The compelling chorus of "Hole" finds Clarkson singing "There's a hole/inside of me/it's so damn cold/slowly killing me" over a melody that is far more Tool than top-40. "Haunted" and "Judas" are wrought-over tracks that veer into Evanescence territory, while the wonderfully sparse "Maybe" is a highlight within which Clarkson's pleading voice is perfectly showcased. My December's final listed track, "Irvine" (prior to the hidden bluesy acoustic ballad "Chivas") sounds far more Cat Power-meets-Corinne Bailey Rae than Clarkson, but it is certainly one of the most captivating songs on the disc, and serves as yet another reminder of just how versatile her voice is. Fans of her previous radio-friendly releases may well be divided on her new direction, but it appears to be the path Clarkson is likely to continue to travel. --Denise Sheppard

More from Kelly Clarkson

Breakaway

Thankful

Since U Been Gone

Customer Reviews:

Great but fades towards the end.......2007-08-01

The first few tracks are great. Kelly is trying new things but it still is classic Kelly. The songs get weaker though towards the end. Still good songs but not her best stuff.

Kelly Clarkson Is Solid As A Rock!.......2007-08-01

Darkly beautiful, brash, vulnerable and artistically sound, "My December" has come early in the career of Kelly Clarkson. Few artists would have dared show what she has the heart to share with us after what seems to be such a short time. This collection of songs marks the official end of Kelly's infancy in this business. She has graduated, with honors, and cemented her place in the elite world of Superstardom. The brouhaha that ensued with the release of this CD can only serve to propel it to where it rightfully belongs. Those of you who are only familiar with the anthem to retibution, "Never Again," have a few surprises in store for them when Kelly tenderly turns the page and begins her first ballad on the CD, "Sober." In fact all the ballads on this CD are worthy of being released as singles and able to stand on their own. "Be Still" - "Maybe" - "Irvine" are all varying aspects of Kelly's heart and her journey thus far. Her career is far, far away from her December and with this, the first offering of Kelly's own works, it looks like it will take many,many more December's of her life to come and go before anyone will want to close the door on this talented, multi-faceted rock star/chanteuse.

Kelly's album...not her best but not bad.......2007-08-01

I was excited when Kelly's new album was coming out. I love her music and have followed her from Idol till now. Kelly is still having growing pains in trying to find herself as an artist. Although it is easy to take help from Clive Davis...Kelly chose to carve her own path artistically with this record. Kelly falls slightly short overall, but her efforts are to be commended. She has experienced true success quickly and a little bit of reality check may be what helps her find her balance as an artist. I predict her next album will be better as most of us learn from our mistakes and take our successes and improve upon them.

Good.......2007-08-01

Kelly is such a talented and beautiful girl. This album is good, but not her best. I think she sounds like she is screaming alot and many of the songs sound the same. It's a sad album - maybe she needed to get some things off her mind?

My December is a great album!.......2007-08-01

I love this album because it is so different from the 'pop' music of today! the songs are actually ::gasp:: meaningful which i never see anymore!, my favorites are Maybe, Sober, How i feel, and Hole, if you like actual good music....check out My December!.

Average customer rating:

OK CD, BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS "IT'S TIME"...
Frank Bubbly
Wonderful
Does he have a speech impediment or is it just me?
Buble is still on a roll

Call Me Irresponsible
Michael Bublé
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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It's Time
Michael Bublé
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Not Too Late
A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection

ASIN: B000NVIXDW
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

The Best Is Yet To Come
It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera)
Me And Mrs. Jones
I'm Your Man
Comin' Home Baby (duet with Boyz II Men)
Lost
Call Me Irresponsible
Wonderful Tonight (duet with Ivan Lins)
Everything
I've Got The World On A String
Always On My Mind
That's Life
Dream

Amazon.com

It's no coincidence that Michael Bublé's new album starts with just his voice and some fingersnaps on "The Best Is Yet to Come," a song made famous by Frank Sinatra. The Canadian smoothie looks longingly towards early-'60s Vegas, an impression quickly reinforced when a boisterous horn section makes its grand entrance, about 20 seconds into the track. That Bublé means business is confirmed by the second cut, a fast-paced take on Henry Mancini's "It Had Better Be Tonight," and of course by the CD's very title, another song identified with Sinatra as his cockiest. There are just a few sidesteps from the retro formula that's served Bublé so well so far: a languid duet with Brazilian star Ivan Lins on the bossa "Wonderful Tonight," a gospel choir on "That's Life." Interestingly, Bublé co-wrote the best of those sidesteps, "Everything," a Norah Jones-esque number that alluringly harks back to sunny '70s pop. It's also the only song on the album produced by Bob Rock (best known for his work with Metallica), sending out a strong signal that Bublé should reach out to unlikely collaborators more often. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

More Music from Michael Bublé

It's Time
Michael Bublé
Caught in the Act

Album Description

Melding the contemporary and the classic in ways only he can, Michael Buble has created his most complete studio effort yet. Ranging from "I've Got The World On a String" to "Me and Mrs. Jones," in addition to two new songs co-written by Michael, Call Me Irresponsible makes this album irresistible.

Customer Reviews:

OK CD, BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS "IT'S TIME"..........2007-08-02

... but it does have its moments, especially with "It Had Better Be Tonight" - that one's a grand slam home run that's guaranteed to be a live performance favourite when MB hits the road on tour.

On the flip side, his remake of "That's Life" is a clunker that could have been a smash if he'd played it closer to Sinatra's original (even David Lee Roth, of all people, did a better version!).

But I've noticed that about Michael Buble; his remakes are either fantastic or outright throw-aways. So far, "It's Time" represents the apex of his career.

Frank Bubbly.......2007-08-01

I kept hearing the name Michael Buble and finally checked him out. Heard "Always on my mind" on his MySpace page and was blown away. Loved his older hit "Home" too. Took a chance on this album when I saw it at Starbucks. Listened to it and....

Please don't try and be a new Frank Sinatra, just be yourself, Mike, you got the chops, as you clearly show on the sublime "Always on my mind". I never tire of listening to that track, but skip alll the others. My ears were bleeding listening to you butcher the Eric Clapton tune "Wonderful tonight".

The production is superb - big points for that: 1 star. 1 star for "Always on my mind".

I wish you would have recorded an entire album of new classic sounding tracks a la "Always on my mind". That would have been a 5 star album.

Wonderful.......2007-07-28

I love this CD. Michael Buble' has such a smooth voice. I can't get enough. It's easy listening, good for dancing, romantic. and I cannot say enough about the music.

Does he have a speech impediment or is it just me?.......2007-07-27

Doesn't anyone notice he has a speech impediment? He slurs some words and has a very pronounced lisp at times. I'm not making fun of the handicapped. If he was someone that I met on the street I wouldn't mention it, but he has chosen a profession that requires clear speech and should be held to higher standards. If he was my dentist, I would be good with it.

The songs where there are fewer instances of "s" or "th" etc. are fantastic, but songs like "World On A String" are reminiscent of William Hung. I really like "Me And Mrs. Jones", but I can still hear a slight lisp here and there. I don't think I remember hearing the slurring and lisping on previous recordings??? I agree with a previous reviewer that asked how the studio could put this CD out.

Buble is still on a roll.......2007-07-23

Michael Buble still fills the musical niche left by Sinatra's passing. The big band is top-notch and Michael, despite his youth, swings big time on these solid standards. Another good addition to your Buble collection.

Average customer rating:

It's over.
Dissapointment reigns supreme!
Not bad, but Iha and Darcy are clearly missing
A good album.
The Pumpkins are back!

Zeitgeist
Smashing Pumpkins
Manufacturer: Martha's Music / Reprise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Icky Thump
Libertad
Our Love to Admire
Year Zero
Era Vulgaris

ASIN: B000OQF6N6
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Doomsday Clock
7 Shades of Black
Bleeding the Orchid
That¹s the Way (my Love is)
Tarantula
Starz
United States
Neverlost
Bring the Light
(Come on) Let¹s Go!
For God and Country
Pomp and Circumstances

Amazon.com

Inside the buzzing hive of Smashing Pumpkins' guitars is clearly where bandleader Billy Corgan feels most comfortable. So, after a seven-year hiatus for the short-lived group Zwan and his surprisingly sunny 2005 solo album, Corgan has revived the Pumpkins in all the six-string-spattered shades of emotional gray that made them one of the greatest bands of the alt-rock era. Longtime drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, along with famed boardsmiths Roy Thomas Baker and Terry Date as well as Corgan himself coproduced. Chamberlin also supports mountainous layers of guitar with his fiercest playing. California musicians Ginger Reyes (bass) and Jeff Schroeder (guitar) complete a version of the band dedicated to early bare-knuckled form, with a few exceptions: Corgan's grown into a more powerful wordsmith and his lengthy guitar solo explorations of yore are replaced with a trim, barbed textural approach that's ultimately more vicious. That is, until the centerpiece "United States" stretches into an epic punk-metal-informed sibling of Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun," with Corgan's strings singing like explosions and twisting metal as he warbles about revolution. Much of this album conjures literal and sonic visions of apocalypse, but there's grace, too, in the blithe grind of the hopeful "That's the Way (My Love Is)" and the melodic "Neverlost." Overall, Corgan's captivating effort to mine both the spirit of these turbulent times and the soul of his defining band is a smashing success. --Ted Drozdowski

Album Description

The Smashing Pumpkins are back! After seven years, the acclaimed Pumpkins have returned with Zeitgeist. Featuring the single "Tarantula," this new sound is not to be missed.

Customer Reviews:

It's over........2007-08-02

The Pumpkins' elderly Zeitgeist just ain't all that, and in my not-so-humble opinion, here's why I think so:

On Billy:

I'll say that there are chords that only Billy Corgan knows how to play. The ethereal beauty of his wild soloing has always struck me, and he is, I think, a pureblood wildchild of guitar, divinely blessed, at times revolutionary. And insurrection is what Billy demands with song titles like the ball-fisted "United States" and the faithfully inspired "Bring the Light." But what's posing as aggression on Zeitgeist is merely an over-admission of free-flying distortion. The more effective rock n' roll snarling of the Pumpkin's debut Gish comes with fast, muted machinegun strumming, tripped-out, watery, slithering snakecharmer-riffs, and brazen sonic shifts. And on Siamese Dream, Billy's guitar crunches and grinds with a more focused, upfront attack. On Zeitgeist, there is a welcome return to spontaneous soloing and more wandering melodies, but these recalls are often stunted by generally restrictive structures, and echoey distortion that disseminates and thins out like feathers being sucked into a fan on the ceiling of a barren, steel warehouse. All being said, the brief, searing solo in "Bring the Light" is one of the greatest, artful, and most elevating and perfect moments to have ever occurred in rock. In regards to Billy's vocals, I've thought it was a mistake, since Mellon Collie, not to adorn his voice with phasers, ala Siamese Dream days, to give depth and a cosmic layer to his undeniably trebly tenor. The Queen-esque multiple layering of Billy's vocals on Zeitgeist is interesting and at times dramatic, but overall his voice comes off weak, and overbearingly dry and thin.

On Jimmy:

While his signature style continues to relay off an explosive, papery snare drum, jazzily bright toms, celestially sparkling crashes, sizzling chinas and a fast, airy ride cymbal, Jimmy's just no longer an innovative drummer, and really hasn't been since Machina. It's the same formula, over and over, song after song. He submits compulsively to whipping the hi-hat to add a jazzy punch and hardly ever varies from his four-four clicking of the hats in keeping time; the hats are hardly used at all except for riding, snapping and as a clapping metronome. Furthermore, he rarely rides his hats with moderation, only using them for rattling or tight-clamped tapping. On the same note, Jimmy's violent, marching pounding of crashes on "Starz" is emotional and bold and has an imminent effect, but there are segments throughout the album of Billy's driving, cutting strumming that could have possibly been more powerfully layered with a sharp, aggressive and perpetual waving of cymbals (such as on "That's the Way (My Love Is)), instead of his typically frequent, focused attacking. Jimmy's tribal skills and athletic endurance on "United States" is reverential, but overall the song itself doesn't afford him the opportunity to really jump off into the stratosphere in the way "Silverf*ck" allowed. Chamberlin's most engaging and original playing presents itself in his diesel-fueled snare drum rolls and rim-shotting, but too often does he resort to tapping a double hit before bar changes and during verses rarely strays from ordinary rock layering with the snare on 2 and 4.

Overall, Zeitgeist's strongest tracks include "7 Shades of Black", which contains particularly creative innovations of structure and dirty grooving, "Bleeding the Orchid", whose plasmic chords recall the overcast thickness of Adore's sound and exhibits Billy's exceptionally spacey talents, "Starz", whose punchy blasts harken back to the solar flares of "Rocket" days, of course "Tarantula", which carries the sexy swinging energy of a glorified Thin Lizzy (with it's middle finger boldly jamming up the face of pitiful terrestrial radio), and "Bring the Light", whose ambition and electricity is moving. "Pomp and Circumstance" should have opened the album, successfully levitating the record into the stratosphere with a fragile, patient, and graceful beauty once witnessed on Adore's "To Sheila", "Once Upon a Time", "Behold! the Nightmare", and especially "Blank Page".

"Doomsday Clock" is much too bland of a song to have been chosen for radio (or an album for that matter) or as the opener to Zeitgeist, and suffers the most from the aforementioned weaknesses in Corgan's production and Chamberlin's performance. While "That's the Way (My Love Is)" produces pretty chords, it does not have enough rock n' roll meat to justify the Pumpkin moniker, coming off like a decaffeinated track from the Zwan album. "United States" implies giant potential in its percussionistic width and hungry trajectory, but ultimately the song cannot stand up to the stylistic, acid trip marathon of the sensual and hyper-kinetic "Silverf*ck". Musically, "Neverlost"'s xylophones hop over colorful roadways, but Billy's vocals cannot compliment the songs dreamy wanderlust. The riff of "(Come On) Let's Go" remembers the knife-sharp scraping of "Zero" but is just not memorable. "For God and Country" might've made a good mood piece for the soundtrack of a science fiction metropolis setting, but only without the overshooting vocal strains. And as for "Zeitgeist", the closing acoustic commentary of a people who need to take part in some kind of implied political and spiritual revolution, the song is like a throw-away track from The Aeroplane Flies High's gentle and beautiful "Tonight Tonight" single (hear "Meladori Magpie").

In the end, I would never trade my ongoing love affairs with Gish, Siamese Dream, Pisces Iscariot and Mellon Collie for all the riches in the world, but the days of the Pumpkins are long gone. The fault lies heavily with production and a blindness for blandness.

Dissapointment reigns supreme!.......2007-07-31

Woah. When I heard Corgan was bringing the pumpkins name back from the dead for another album I was quite worried. The worry proved correct. Where the hell have the classic melodies gone? Remember the chorus to "Cherub Rock"? Remember the riff from "Zero"?
I listened to this with no cynicism, I gave it a good shot. I've had it for at least a month now. I think it's a huge dissapointment. There's SO much more to Billy than what is presented on this album. I rank Siamese Dream in my top albums of all time list. That album meant so much to me when it was released and still does. This album doesn't make me feel much at all.
It's more a sad feeling than annoyance. I understand how hard it has probably been for Billy to try and sort this all out.
I give Jimmy one star for his drumming which is and will ALWAYS be sensational no matter what he is playing along with. I give Billy one star for the amount of emotional effort that has probably been invested in the last couple years of getting this back together. I don't really like any of the tracks. None of them move me at all.
I really believe that Billy should have shut the Pumpkins down after Mellon Collie. It would have been hard for us fans but he would have cemented himself in history as someone who never compromised.
This may sound very VERY lame but ever since he shaved his head, things have been very different :P

Not bad, but Iha and Darcy are clearly missing.......2007-07-31

I'm a huge pumpkins fan, so of course I was eager to get their latest record. It definitely has some rocking riffs (Billy and Jimmy know how to do that!) but I feel like overall most of the songs are more atonal and purely rhythmic and lack the roundness and fullness of say Mellon Collie or Siamese Dream. It's alsmost as if not having James Iha and Darcy is limiting the music--even though Corgan was always the major creative influence--when it's just Billy and Jimmy, it sounds like, well just Billy and Jimmy. Worth picking up if you're a fan, but I didn't hear anything that makes me think "this is up there with my other favorite sp songs".

A good album........2007-07-30

With Zeitgeist, frontman Billy Corgan, along with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin have successfully reformed the Smashing Pumpkins and revitalized the band after seven years of silence. Despite several other projects, it seems the Pumpkins have been and always will be this duo's best artistic outlet.

As a pumpkin fan of many years, I was at first a little skeptical of a new album to be released without guitarist James Iha and Bassist D'arcy Wretzky. I know there are rumors that those two never had much of a role on any albums, but it still seemed incomplete to go on without them. However, after listening to the album several times, I must admit that the band has proven they can still make good music without all four original members.

Zeitgeist comes on strong and rocks hard throughout most of the record, proving that not only are the Pumpkins still capable of making good music, but can still rock, even into their 40's. Zeitgeist, a nostalgic record, largely rehashes (albeit a in a much sunnier fashion) the past.

Billy delivers bone-crushing walls of guitar sounding similar to the likes of Pumpkin classics Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness, as well as screeching guitar solos harkening back to the neo-psychedelic sounds that made Gish great. Jimmy pounds the heck out of the drums in manic fashion, giving the album a raw, untouched feel.

Production is approached differently than on previous albums. Corgan's voice seems to float above the music, and in places is strangely chorused (with itself?). Jimmy's drumming is front and center, sometimes does not blend as well with the music as it could.

There are moments that will quickly bring the listener back to the Pumpkins familiar mid-90's territory such as the hard hitting numbers "Doomsday Clock," "7 Shades of Black," "Tarantula," "Bring the Light," and "(Come On) Let's Go."

"Bleeding the Orchid," a dark, catchy track is reminiscent of a sound somewhere between "Adore" and "Machina."

"That's the Way (My Love is)," "Starz," "Neverlost" and "Pomp and Circumstances" are well-done mid-range rockers that are closer to the sound found on Zwan and Billy's solo record.

One difference with Zeitgeist, and perhaps in an attempt to stay relevant, is that the band takes on some political issues. Even the artwork indicates early on that this album has something to say. On the epic, standout 10-minute long rocker "United States," Billy calls for revolution, for change and challenges political apathy with the ironic statement "I don't know what I believe, but if I feel safe, what do I need?" In the pop number "For God and Country" Billy questions patriotism and fighting for a country under God. Coming from a band that mostly wrote songs about the inner struggle with all of it's associated emotions and search for meaning in a sometimes-hard life, it is a bit odd to hear a less timeless theme such as politics come forth.

What is missing on this record are the more somber, more mellow songs, which in the past have been a huge element of the pumpkins repertoire. Also missing are the incredible combinations and buildups from of quiet-to-loud. While the new sound is definitely high-energy and aggressive, it is playing only on the heavy elements of the past, which are only part of the puzzle that defines the "Pumpkin sound."

The Pumpkins are not breaking any new ground with Zeitgeist, but they are also not tarnishing their legacy as a great band, which is more than can be said of many reunion efforts.

Overall, Zeitgeist is a good record. One of the best of the year, in fact, and it is a record that stands out from most of the popular modern rock of the moment. Most people will find the songs, aggressive edge, excellent guitar and drum more than appealing. Zeitgeist is not the Pumpkins' best, but it is definitely an album worth buying and listening to for Pumpkins fans old and new.

The Pumpkins are back!.......2007-07-29

I was pretty disappointed with their last album before their break-up, Machina. I felt it was a little over-indulgent and had a lot of hard edges without the poignant lyrics Corgan is known for. However, this album reminds me of Melon Collie. Only difference is... they were able to resist the urge to put every single diddy they did while hanging out in the studio on the album. It's a short (by Pumpkins standards) and intense album with the pretty melodies set to ripping guitars. It's a great CD. I feel like they're back.

Music Info:

Music Info

music info

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