Bang [Extra tracks] [Import]

Bang [Extra tracks] [Import]

Track Listings

1. Nuclear Reactor

2. Get Ready To Run

3. Take Alarm

4. Greedy Eyes

5. Day Of Doom Is Coming

6. Doom Boom

7. King Of An Island

8. Nuclear Reactor

9. Get Ready To Run

10. Nuclear Reactor

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
1997 reissue on Repertoire of their 13th album (1982) with three bonus tracks: 'Nuclear Reactor' (Single Version), 'GetReady To Run' (Single Version) and 'Nuclear Reactor' (12' Mix). 10 tracks total.

Tracks:

Here We Go
Bats in the Belfry
General
Bang Bang
Mission
Drive
Two Coins
Railway
Whirlwind
Out Loud [Live]
Way It Goes [Live][*]
Bats in the Belfry [Acoustic][*]

Customer Reviews:

A little late.......2007-06-01

I regret to say that i only started listening to dispatch about a year ago. it is horrible that such a great musical group had to seperate. Anyway this was the first dispatch cd i got and it is undeniably one of the best cds i own, its mellow, chill, and feel-good. YOu can listen to this cd when you feel bad and it will make you feel happier, you can listen to this cd when you feel good and youll feel better. I bought this cd after my friend let me listen to the general on his ipod. Since then i have been an avid dispatch fan and the general remains one of my favorite songs of all-time. Late-comers like me there is no need to fear...ill hopefull see you at their reunion concert this summer...by the way if you like dispatchand want more check out state radio chad (dispatch's lead singer) formed the band and they are pretty good.

Their best, and one of my favorite cds.......2006-09-06

This cd is one of my favorites. I have listened to it over and over and i never get bored, and i always find something new that surprises me. Bang Bang offers enough variety to please almost every listener of every genre. Perhaps the best testament to Dispatches ability is its loyal fan following. Ask any die hard dispatch fan, and you will be amazed by how much they know, and how much they care. Even after the break up, still the music is being spread across the nation.

Now onto the music. There is a little bit of everything. It starts off with here we go, which is an upbeat rocker that really gets this album started. From there it goes into bats in the belfrey wich is along the lines of here we go. After the first two the cd really slows it down and kicks back and relaxes. Almmost everyone hears about dispatch by way of the song, the general, and i assure you even though it is a great song, its not the best. Bang Bang is next and perhaps the most chill song yet.

From there you take a ride through the cd that will leave you wanting more. Finally it ends with two coins wich, lyrically and musically, i find to be the best on the cd. If you like dispatch you can also check out State Radio, which was formed by one of the members of this band. If you are looking to get into dispatch, this is a great way to start.

Late comer to Dispatch music.......2005-10-26

but all I can say is better late than never. These guys were a great band and it would be sweet to seem them come back together again. I now own every Dispatch CD, but this one is like a greatest hits compilation, every tune is THAT good. They are the best indie rock band I've ever heard and likely the best I'll ever hear. "The General" makes me want karaoke, "Mission", "Here we go", "Bats in the Belfry" and "Whirlwind" are great rockers, while "Out Loud" and "Two Coins" are acoustic gems. "Bang bang" and Railway Station" are hypnotic and intelligent rap-like tunes. The only thing that I find confounding is how their stuff never made it to the airwaves, it's better than 99.9% of the stuff out there. As much as I like other Indie bands like O.A.R. and Guster, those bands just can't measure up to Dispatch. Check them out.

Bang Bang - BOSH!.......2005-09-08

Incredibly easy going and motivating. Lyrical perfection and musical excellence. This album is a must have for anyone with a love of acoustic funk guitar sounds. A simply perfect album

Feel-Good Album.......2005-09-07

Dispatch is a small band with large amounts of talent. They took something they love and turned it into a listener's passion. Something that can be expressed from similar and new perspectives.

Dispatch recorded this album, Bang Bang, with a different kind of flare that their previous and the albums to come didn't have. The tones and movement were different from one track to the next but unified the release all the way to the last track with the same energy. The band incorporates an earthy acoustic sound with tight harmonies using the styles of reggae and ska.

Even though this album has a defined transitional sound, for them specifically, the album as a whole is very catchy and slightly emotional. It portrays an underground style that had/has potential of becoming something of the popular music culture. It's a feel-good album. I highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

WELCOME BACK, STONES!
Biggest Bang Since Some Girls
If only new bands were half this good and consistent
Back to form
They've still got the "Bang"

A Bigger Bang
The Rolling Stones
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Supergroups | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

$9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

$9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Back Home
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Prairie Wind
Souls Alike
Magic Time

ASIN: B000A7Q27I
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Tracks:

Rough Justice
Let Me Down Slow
It Won't Take Long
Rain Fall Down
Streets Of Love
Back Of My Hand
She Saw Me Coming
Biggest Mistake
This Place Is Empty
Oh No, Not You Again
Dangerous Beauty
Laugh, I Nearly Died
Sweet Neo Con
Look What The Cat Dragged In
Driving Too Fast
Infamy

Amazon.com

It should come as no surprise that it took sex, disease and death to shake the Rolling Stones out of their latest creative dry spell. Leading up to the making of A Bigger Bang, produced by Don Was, Mick Jagger endured a very public break-up with Jerry Hall, Charlie Watts battled throat cancer, and Ron Wood was devastated by the news of his ex-wife's suicide. Out of their collective struggles, the members of the venerable British rock band managed to piece together some of their best work in nearly two decades. It's a slick, slightly uneven affair bounding from raunchy blues to MOR rock songs that sound suspiciously like they were left over from the Alfie soundtrack, yes, but it also sounds vital at every turn. Even though they don't really need to, the jet-set vagabond rockers plunge into hot-button politics ("Sweet Neo Con"), rummage through their dirty laundry ("Oh No, Not You Again") and dip cautious toes back into ridicule-tempting "Miss You"-style funk ("Rain Fall Down"), without making any major missteps unless you count the ewwwww-factor of a 61-year-old Keith Richards singing "Come on honey, bare your breasts and make me feel at home" on "This Place Is Empty." --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

WELCOME BACK, STONES!.......2007-07-11

A Bigger Bang released in 2005 is one of the stronger albums the Stones have ever released. It is one that I continually go back to time and time again unlike anything they have done since 83's Undercover. What makes it so good? Well, for starters the Stones are not interested in chasing the latest musical trends on this release. It is straight ahead simple rock and roll-what we always have loved about the Rolling Stones. Secondly the band is playing like they WANT to play again. By that I mean there is a fire there that has been missing, an intensity that can make even an average song sound that much better. Perhaps the quality of the material reinvigorated them or perhaps it was simply the fact that on this release they used very little outside help and play all the instruments and sing all of the vocals themselves. Not too many cooks in the kitchen, if you know what I mean. It's not a perfect record, but a very very good one and it feels good to say that along with the 4 classics, Aftermath, Some Girls, Tattoo You and now A Bigger Bang can be seen as the core of this band's monumental musical legacy.

1. Rough Justice- kicks things off and it is a great rocker and album opener. Woody's slide work is phenomenal. A great way to open an album and this track tells you right from the start that the Stones as we know them are back.

2. Let Me Down Slow- A popier rock song with a catchy swinging beat. One of the better songs on the album and great lyrics by Jagger who appears to be the one most responsible for the song.

3. It Won't Take Long- This one opens with a trademark Richards riff, albeit a bit pedestrian. The Stones, however, play it with a passion that helps make it better than just filler.

4. Rain Fall Down- A sly funky tune reminiscent of Miss You but not as good. The song works, however, and is a welcome addition to their catalogue.

5. Streets of Love- This is one of 2 mistakes on the album. A slow ballad that weighs in on the sappy side. The Stones have done this before and much better. See Out Of Tears from Voodoo Lounge and Memory Motel from Black and Blue.

6. Back of My Hand- Ahh, ok we're back. A slow blues tune. Engaging guitar work throughout the song and you'll find yourself singing along with this one. It is the kind of song that the Stones, in the past decade or so, have saved for b-sides. I am glad they decide here to include it on an album. VERY welcome indeed.

7. She Saw Me Coming- This is one of my favorite songs on the album and maybe in past years this would have made an excellent single. The sense of humor is back in the lyrics and it also contains a nice riff to chug it along.

8. Biggest Mistake- A Jagger tune without a doubt, very similar to his solo material of late. It's not a bad song by any means but neither is it above average. It sounds good while it's playing but you won't miss it once it's over.

9. This Place is Empty- The first of 2 Richards sung songs. This one is a barroom styled ballad and a great one at that.

10. Oh No Not You Again- The Stones as we know and love them, great riffs and guitars harkening back to the Some Girls days. Yes, it IS them again and we are happy to have you back! Easily one of the better songs on this release.

11. Dangerous Beauty- Another rocker that seems as though it is filler, but it is better than that. I think this one will be one of those 'overlooked gems' because of it's placement so deep into the release. The solo sounds as it were done by BB King.

12. Laugh I Nearly Died- A slow rocker in which Jagger sings like he hasn't in a long time. Perhaps his best vocal performance since Gimme Shelter. He steals this one away and the breakdown at the end is priceless. Amazing creation!

13. Sweet Neo-Con- Ahh, mistake number 2. Many people have said that this is their favorite song on the album but I have to believe that is due to the political nature of the song. Judging it just as a song it isn't bad but it just never really goes anywhere. Would have made a nice b-side or bonus track.

14. Look what the Cat Dragged In- This is one of my favorite songs on the album. It has a funky, jazzy riff and guitars that are similar to those in Undercover. Charlie, as usual, keeps the beat rolling and this is one of the highlights of the album.

15. Driving Too Fast- Like the song before it this is another rocker. A very good song but not as good as 'Cat'. Play it loud for best effect!

16. Infamy- The second Richards tune that works but the Stones used to close out their albums with songs that were magnificent, not just good. Moonlight Mile, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Shattered, Fingerprint File to name a few. Well, this is nitpicking. I like the song and it fits in well with the album.

I gave this album 5 stars because the album itself deserves 4 stars but I added one because I feel that for a band in their 60's this blows away almost or all of the rock music being released today by much younger bands. Yes, this is the comeback album Stones fans have been waiting for. It is the Stones doing what they do. Nothing more and nothing less-which is always a good thing. That is the key to A Bigger Bang. The Stones are no longer at the forefront of the pop audience. They are not trying to keep up with the latest musical trends on this release. They are not concerned with top 40 radio nor are they interested in breaking new ground. The secret here is easy-Keep it simple, stick to the basics, crank it up and rock and roll.

Welcome back, boys! I am glad it's you again!

Biggest Bang Since Some Girls.......2007-06-20

A Bigger Bang is a great comeback by the Stones. Ron Woods slide on Rough Justice gets it off to arolicking start. It wont take long has good guitar.Rain Kept Falling has a Miss you vibe. Streets of Love is great. Back of my Hand continues the Stones great blues legacy. Laugh i Nearly Died is good blues too. The rock songs Oh No not you Again, Dangerous Beauty and Look At What The Cat Dragged In, make A Bigger Bang the best Stones cd since Some Girls.

If only new bands were half this good and consistent.......2007-03-30

I must say, the stones still have it in them.
As someone said before my, this is not the next best thing or the record to redefine music, it is just straight ahead good rock.
Man they are 60+ and listen to them ! Real musicians only get better with time... it's the public that stop listening really listening to what they are saying once they are not "pop" "mainstream" or young enough.
Listen to the record, yes it is a great record...
Oh one last thing, Sweet neo con, IMO is the best song on the album, music and lyrics, it stands on it's own as a great song.

Back to form.......2007-03-17

"A Bigger Bang" is the Stones album I've been hoping for since 1983's "Undercover." This album contains only the core band with a minimal amount of outside musicians, unlike the extravaganzas on prior ones. It's great to hear the four Stones, plus a bassist and maybe a piano player, cranking out rock-n-roll just like the old days. This basic rawness is sadly missing on every album since "Undercover".

"Bang" shows that the Stones still have it, and that they can give any modern act a run for their money. I hope the Stones know what works and make their future albums along this vein.

They've still got the "Bang".......2007-01-23

This CD, along with the Stones 2007 Wall Calendar, made a perfect gift for my rock 'n roll sister. Perfect pairing. We are contemporaries of the Stones and its good to see the old guys still tearing the house down.

Average customer rating:

Great Audio Quality from the Original Film
great substitute for the movie
Great music but less than great sound quality
Great Soundtrack
A most excellent soundtrack CD for a classic.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Robert B. Sherman
Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Mary Poppins
The Sound of Music (1965 Film Soundtrack - 40th Anniversary Special Edition)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Full Screen Edition)
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory: Music From The Original Soundtrack Of The Paramount Picture
Jungle Book

ASIN: B0001DMVXK
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
You Two
Toot Sweets
Hushabye Mountain
Me Ol' Bam-Boo
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Truly Scrumptious
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Lovely Lonely Man
Posh!
Hushabye Mountain (Reprise)
The Roses of Success
Chu-Chi Face
Doll on a Music Box/Truly Scrumptious
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Finale)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Main Title)

Amazon.com

1964 brought both triumph and ironic tragedy to English spy-turned-author Ian Fleming. The year that saw producer Cubby Broccoli's successful film adaptation of Goldfinger elevate the adventures of British secret agent James Bond into a four-decade-plus global phenomena and the publication of Fleming's most idiosyncratic work, the children's fantasy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, was also the year the author succumbed to a heart attack. Broccoli (who'd acquired the Chitty rights along with Bond) shrewdly lured the Sherman Brothers away from Disney (where their musical successes included a pair of Oscars for Mary Poppins) to write a collection of songs for Fleming's magical tale of inventor Caractacus Potts (Poppins' star Dick Van Dyke) and the phantasmagorical flying car he and his children soar to adventure in. The Sherman's songs are among their best and most beloved, highlighted by the jaunty rhythmic rhymes of the title track, Van Dyke's energetic cane dance, "Me Ol' Bam-Boo," and his bittersweet children's lullaby, "Hushabye Mountain," all set to the magnificent, 90-piece orchestra arrangements of Irwin Kostal (Mary Poppins, West Side Story). Released in conjunction with MGM's double-disc DVD anniversary release, this new edition restores the album's tracks to their original 1968 format and features a new historical essay on the film that's become an enduring children's classic. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Great Audio Quality from the Original Film.......2007-07-28

Our daughter loves the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", so we bought this CD for her. It was a wonderful gift. We were amazed at how well the quality was, especially for an older film that was not originally captured digitally.

great substitute for the movie.......2007-03-21

My 2 year old daughter loves the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and asks to watch it all day long. I will often offer the soundtrack instead, and she will dance and sing along to all her favorite songs.

Great music but less than great sound quality.......2007-03-09

The music from the movie is great but the sound quality on the cd is no where near as good as it could be. I'm not sure why a better recording is not out there but this recording sounds 'tinny'. That said, I want to keep the recording because it's fun to sing along to the songs, etc., but if a better one comes along I would think seriously about trading this one in for a better one.

Great Soundtrack.......2007-01-12

That Soundtrack grooves, as the film did.
I always have a great time when I listen to it. My favourite
is the song when you hear Gerd Froebe singing. I hope futur brings such great Composers back as the Sherman brothers were. Not only loud boom - booms as Hans Zimmer or Howard Shore, for example, dare to present us today.

A most excellent soundtrack CD for a classic........2006-05-18

This new soundtrack release for the 1968 family musical classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, contains all of the songs from the movie, albeit some have instrumental parts edited from the tracks. It contains several performances of the title track, as well as classics such as "Toot Sweets," "Hushabye Mountain," and "Doll On A Music Box." The sound is fairly crisp, clear, and mostly free of flaws.

I took one star off, however, for the simple reason that these 16 tracks don't even add up to 40 minutes of audio, which is why the exclusion of the demos that are included on the 2-Disc DVD baffles me. I made myself a copy of the CD with both the songs from the CD and the demos from the DVD, and it came to just under 70 minutes. It'd be nice if in the future, a new soundtrack was released with the demos, or even just the full songs, including the instrumental breaks. It's about time these record companies started taking advantage of a CD's ability to hold up to 80 minutes of audio.

Despite any flaws, I wholeheartedly recommend this soundtrack to ANY fan of the film. It presents all of the classic songs in a satisfactory presentation, and is wonderfully nostalgic. The songs aren't as good as the songs you'll find in any great Disney classic, but they're still fantastic fun.

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD)
What to Listen for in Music
Study of Orchestration, Third Edition

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

Standing In The Rain
The Devil Is Singing Our Song
Must Be Love
Alexis
Ride The Wind
Got No Time For Trouble
Rather Be Alone With You (A.K.A. Song For Dale)
From Another Time
Mystery

Customer Reviews:

nonstop Bolin.......2007-06-01

The 70's rock era is one of a kind and will never happen again.However
you can capture it on this classic cd in the prime of great rock.The
smooth guitar tones of Tommy Boiln are consuming. Roy Kenner's voice
leaves Walsh in the dust. If it's not in your collectoin make it a priority.

The sound still kicks.......2007-05-12

Pretty decent album Must be Love still lays it down It was
good to hear those 70's guitar wails It was even nicer to learn
that the charasmatic frontman was not Joe Walsh, as I had believed
all these years The resemblence in vocals is uncanny

One of the top 5 most overlooked CD's .......2007-02-07

This music has more than stood the test of time. If you are a Tommy Bolin fan then this may be the one item that you must have. Yes some of his work is more adventurous but in the rock music format that this music follows there are few that can touch Tommy here. I saw these guys in Memphis TN before alot of you were even born. This was in the time frame of when MUST BE LOVE from this CD was a hit. I hate to say that I did not realize who and what I was seeing at this time and it was only years later that I could really understand how talented Mr. Bolin was.

Bang? - This album's worth the shot!.......2006-11-15

Another album I picked up to hear more from Tommy Bolin, this one did not disappoint. Back in my high school metal days I would have hardly given this album more than an approving nod but now I am glad to be able to appreciate it. Overall, it's a good straightforward early 70s rock album, American style, with some very talented guitar work by Bolin. The style of playing familiar on Deep Purple's Come Taste the Band and Bolin's solo albums is noticeable here. Some guitarists are technical masters while others go for style. Bolin has the technical side down perfectly and adds flair with sound effects that give punch to the music without detracting from the song. Personal favourites of mine are Standing in the Rain and Ride the Wind. Bolin's Alexis is a great ballad in the true sense of the word where the song tells a story.

If you're into finding good rock albums from the 70s and enjoy some great guitar solos then this album is worth picking up.

James Gang - Bangs.......2006-07-07

I've been listening to this one since it first came out on vinyl in 1973. I absolutely love it and after finding it on cd have put it on my Ipod to play when the moods strikes and the mood strikes often. Bolin, Fox, Peters and Kenner simply nailed it. Great playing and outstanding vocals. One of the finest rock releases of the 70's.

Bang!...The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Average customer rating:

nice
Where sex and horror are the new gods
OK.. for the few hits that they have.
Gotta have it!
When Two Tribes Go to War.

Bang!...The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Welcome to the Pleasuredome
The Best Of A Flock Of Seagulls
The Best of Simple Minds
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
The Best of Howard Jones

ASIN: B000002IYG
Release Date: 1994-03-22

Tracks:

Relax
Two Tribes
War
Ferry Cross The Mersey
Warriors Of The Wasteland
For Heaven's Sake
The World Is My Oyster
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Watching The Wildlife
Born To Run
Rage Hard
The Power Of Love
Bang
Relax (New York Mix-The Original 12in)
Two Tribes (Teckno Prisoner)

Customer Reviews:

nice.......2007-06-27

couldnt find it anywhere. but ordered it, got it undamaged, and enjoying it almost daily now!

Where sex and horror are the new gods.......2007-04-03

Frankie Goes To Hollywood was possibly the ultimate in created new wave bands. They made a huge controversial splash, charted one of the most successful singles in the history of the UK and flaunted their homosexuality so blatantly that the Village People would have been proud. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" was one of the biggest selling double albums in Europe. "Frankie Say..." T-Shirts were everywhere. Brian DePalma directed their video. Then suddenly, it was over. Their second album, "Liverpool," sank like a rock, and the two major figures (Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford) in the group embarked on minor solo careers. Even so, FGTH meteoric rise and just as rapid fall is marked by songs that still sound as anthemic and ridiculously over the top as they did in 1984-86. They even managed to capture a classic song, in the hedonist anthem "Relax."

That is what "Bang" captures. Thirteen songs are split nine from "Pleasuredome" and four from "Liverpool," each with Trevor Horn's kitchen sink productions and Holly Johnson's drama queen vocals. Horn, who had just started his ZTT label, had learned his lessons with Yes quite well. Both "Relax" and "Two Tribes" were huge sounding records that still have that grandiose distinctiveness of both progressive rock and Hi-NRG dance music. There was nothing else like them, and coupled with the hyper-aggressive marketing, nothing could resist their sonic onslaught.

Once you get past those two signature songs, it is amazing what Frankie had left to say. Granted, the lyrics were sometimes beyond bizarre ("here comes a supernova, what a push-over!"), but the ferocity of "Rage Hard" and the sheer sexuality of "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" do offer proof that the group did have a bit more to them than Horn and hype. The same can not necessarily be said of the band's choice of cover songs. While "Ferry Cross The Mersey" is lightweight enough that it sounds fine in the band's version (and I once read an interview where Gerry Marsden expressed his gratitude to FGTH for making it the B-Side to "Relax," making him an almost instant million in royalties), the decision to cover "Born To Run" seems more like an ego-disaster. Weird thing is FGTH still rock the crap outta the thing, even if Springsteen probably didn't lose any sleep over these guys nicking his signature song. As for Edwin Starr's "War," I always found it interesting that Springsteen covered it and released it as s single later on. Life can be funny that way.

That said, the thirteen songs here sound wonderful even now. The comic-book politics of "Two Tribes" (remember the great video of Ronald Reagan Vs Konstantin Chernenko?) and the uber-gay sexual pronouncements of "Relax" make you almost long for music that was happy to not play it safe, even if it meant your career was going to flame out.

PS. One small gripe. "Bang" has almost nothing by way of liner notes, even with the multifold graphics inlay card. it would have been nice to have a little perspective on the band from someone, maybe a member of even Trevor Horn.

OK.. for the few hits that they have........2006-11-06

I originally bought the CD for 'Relax', which was a big hit in the 80's especially in England. With the exception of a few other hits, it doesn't have much to offer. I was looking forward to the re-makes of Bruce Springsteen's songs, but you can't compare. Basically, if you don't have the CD with 'Relax', then it might be worth it; otherwise there are better ways to spend your $$$. B

Gotta have it!.......2005-08-09

Ron Hardy was a DJ in the Chicago area back in the early 80's. Welcome to the Pleasuredome was one of his theme songs. I had to have it. Oh my gosh, don't let me start singing "When Two Tribes Go To War". I'm lovin' it!

When Two Tribes Go to War........2004-08-20

Exactly twenty years ago, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, led by the flamboyant Holly Johnson, was the hottest band to emerge from the UK. From their hit singles to their "Frankie Say Relax" t-shirts, FGTH was as much an attitude as they were a music group. Their songs, often produced by Tervor Horn, were elaborately produced, highly conceptualized, and had all the subtlety of a hand grenade. Not everyone, it must be said, was pleased with the group. And Johnson's coming out as a gay man did nothing to appease conservatives, either. But that didn't stop the hits from coming. Their debut single, the high-NRG "Relax," was banned from the UK airwaves for its explicit lyrics, despite going Number One and sitting comfortably in the Top Ten for several weeks. That song was unseated from Number One by the band's own followup, the politically charged "Two Tribes," whose video was also frowned upon. The third single, the killer ballad "The Power of Love" also went Number One, as did FGTH's debut album "Welcome to the Pleasuredome." But the success was short lived; 1986's "Liverpool" LP was a relative flop and the band called it a day shortly thereafter. Still, "Bang! The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood," is a great snapshot of FGTH's brief career as a band. In addition to the previously mentioned singles, we get the full-length 13-minute "Welcome to the Pleasuredome," which is far more preferable than the edited single version, "Rage Hard," and their campy cover of Bruce Springsteen's classic "Born to Run." As a bonus, we also get the original, 7-minute mix of "Relax" as well as a 90's update of "Two Tribes." My only complaint is that the liner notes aren't as detailed as they should be. Even so, this disc is worth picking up. If nothing else, it's a welcome trip down 1980's memory lane.

Average customer rating:

Popular culture no longer applies to me
Creative, original, annoying.
Good times, but not like the old times
great album
The music that feeds my pleasure!

Bang Bang Rock & Roll
Art Brut
Manufacturer: Downtown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks)
Boys and Girls in America
Favourite Worst Nightmare
The Good, the Bad & the Queen
Broken Boy Soldiers

ASIN: B000F3AJA8
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

Formed A Band
My Little Brother
Emily Kane
Rusted Guns Of Milan
Modern Art
Good Weekend
Bang Bang Rock & Roll
Fight!
Moving To L.A.
Bad Weekend
Stand Down
18,000 Lira
These Animas Menswear
Really Bad Weekend
Maternity Ward

Album Description

"In the spirit of sex you're too drunk for, drugs that don't work, and rock clichés that should be Sharpied to your forehead, these Brits deconstruct bombast via bombastic guitar riffs. Sing-speaking like he's working through a 'Learn To Read Handbook', front man Eddie Argos makes fun of star-fuckers and meatheads. Star-fuckers and meatheads will totally headbang along" - Spin. The formerly "best unsigned band in the world" (Blender) now looks forward to their US release. This new version contains several exclusive tracks not found on the UK version. "Wild, ingenious fun" - Pitchfork. Topped everyone's year end list (as an import), including landing the #3 spot on Pitchfork Media, #6 in Blender, and #38 in Spin.

Customer Reviews:

Popular culture no longer applies to me.......2007-04-23

There's just something so endearing about a band who announces on their first song: "Formed a band/we formed a band/look at us! We formed a band!" with a mixture of glee and winking confidence.

And it's just the warmup for this enthusiastic, energetic rock band, with their solid, peppy Britpop debut, "Bang Bang Rock & Roll." Their rollicking guitars are so infused with fun and over-the-top rock'n'roll sentiments that it's impossible not to be charmed.

A sizzling riff opens the first song, in which Eddie Argos announces that they've formed a band, and urges people to"Stop buying your albums from the supermarket/they only sell records that have charted." Then he adds with winking charm: "And yes, this is my singing voice. It's not irony, it's not rock & roll -- we're just talking.... to the KIDS!"

Turns out it's only the warmup -- next Art Brut focuses on the jangly, tight rhythms of how "My little brother just discovered rock & roll/There's a noise in his head, and he's out of control!"

From there, they trip off into a joyous round of tight Britpop odes to Emily Kane, bouncy little indiepop, and frolicking rock numbers that twist in on themselves during the catchy chorus. But they also try out some other sounds: the sunny Beach-Boysy pop of "Move to L.A.," and the weirdly ominous ballad "Rusted Guns."

At first, Art Brut sound like any other fun Britpop band. But their album blossoms the more you listen to it -- these lads have a tight grip on their brilliant instrumentation, and they know how to wink at us through their odd, somewhat repetitive lyrics.

The riffs in this album are simply stunning: they ring, buzz, bounce, and sizzle, tightly wound into solid tunes. They're paired with solid basslines and some smashing drums, along with some twisted keyboard and what sounds like stomping feet. Together, they form some deliciously dancy rock tunes, but they're complex enough to never get dull

At first, their lyrics sound kind of simplistic, and in a few songs they are. But listen carefully. They're a lot wittier than that: they take a few humorous jabs at L.A., the music industry, and derivative bands. And they know how to create beautifully over-the-top odes to a first love ("Every girl that I've seen since/looks just like you when I squint"), and the joy of rock'n'roll. Even a song about.... um, performance problems.

In fact, in some songs, they exude the delight of some teenage boys who are getting to have fun out on the town... with girls! In one song, Argos yells out joyously about a new girlfriend, "I've seen her naked.... twice!" Very cute.

Argos himself has a nice voice -- it's pleasantly ordinary, neither too smooth or too rough, and he can sing through quieter songs as well as the rollicking dancier ones. And occasionally he drops out of singing altogether, usually to deliver the best lines: "No more songs about sex and drugs and rock and roll / It's BOOOOORING!"

Art Brut's debut album is a fun, rollicking, laddish album of solid rock'n'roll tunes, delightful lyrics and solid singing. Definite;y a must-buy.

Creative, original, annoying........2007-02-06

Ok, so it doesn't sound EXACTLY like everything out there. And the lyrics are witty, I'll admit. But I find this album so annoying that I skip EACH TRACK hoping to find the next one more interesting. No luck. This band REALLY LIKES TO REPEAT PHRASES OF MINIMAL INTEREST. I don't ever want to listen to my Art Brut album. It may be better than 99% of what's heard on major channels (both radio and video), but it is still basically unlistenable. Enjoy.

Good times, but not like the old times.......2007-01-19

My cat loves this record. He says it's cool and fun and "Emily Kane" kicks some serious butt. He says for you to give it a try, and then give it a second and third listen, and when you're hooked you should send him some nice cat treats as thanks for hooking you up with Art Brut.

great album.......2006-09-25

I heard this band last year and have loved them since I heard "Formed A Band." I have seen them play several times. It was one of the most exciting shows I have witnessed. I even saw them when they were on Jimmy Kimmel. This band, along with The Cribs, are among my favorite new UK bands. This record has been out a while in the UK, and is only coming out now in America in July 2006. All the songs are clever stories. "My Little Brother" is about a young person's discovery of music. "Emily Kane" is about lost love. "Rusted Guns Of Milan" is about bad sex. "Modern Art" reminds me of Bongwater. "Good Weekend" is a song about new love. "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" is a song against all these bands trying to be the Velvet Underground. "Moving To LA" is a funny song about dreaming of better places. I was there when Art Brut first played this song in Los Angeles. It was hilarious. All these songs have evolved overtime too. "Bad Weekend" has the great line "Popular culture no longer applies to me." The song "18,000 Lire" is a song about a robbery. This album is more like a set of short stories than a record. The American version of this great album has three more songs. They are a little like Pulp and a little like Bongwater. This is a great album. It has lost none of its power.

The music that feeds my pleasure!.......2006-08-27

This CD was an immediate hit with me. What's great about this is the sound, the overall product. The speak-singing vocals brings out the english accent and is a pleasure to listen to. "My Little Brother" and "Rusted Guns of Milan" are a few favorites, "Moving To L.A." is the hit of the collection. To describe Art Brut music I would have to say Indie Avant-Garde. In my opinion it's well worth the money and one of the better CD's of 2006.

Average customer rating:

Ka-boom!
Heard OF them but haven't HEARD the MC5?
The Big Bang: Best of MC5
A great compilation of a great band
There is no studio version of "Kick Out The Jams"

The Big Bang: The Best of the MC5
MC5
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rebels | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the New York Dolls
Raw Power
New York Dolls
The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!
A Million in Prizes: The Anthology

ASIN: B000046PVF
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

I Can Only Give You Everything
Looking At You (Original 'A-Square' Single Version)
I Just Don't Know
Ramblin' Rose
Kick Out The Jams (Uncensored Version)
Come Together
Rocket Reducer No.62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)
Tonight
Teenage Lust
High School
Call Me Animal
The American Ruse
Shakin' Street
The Human Being Lawnmower
Back In The USA
Sister Anne
Baby Won't Ya
Miss X
Over And Over
Skunk (Sonicly Speaking)
Thunder Express

Amazon.com

Arriving a decade before the Clash but every bit as politicized, musically revved, and rife with contradiction, the MC5 scorched the earth in ways that few late-'60s bands ever even imagined. The Big Bang! covers their career from 1967 to '72, collecting early singles (in better sound than on ROIR's Babes in Arms compilation), cuts from the Detroiters' three Elektra and Atlantic albums, and one live in-studio performance. We hear the punk precursors offer a testimonial to sex and rock & roll while damning American prosecution of wars ("The Human Being Lawnmower") and the Vietnam-era draft ("The American Ruse"). Were their twin incursions on U.S. politics and the record industry ultimately failed crusades? Perhaps, but the energy, intelligent attitude, and sheer riff sense encased in this CD's 21 cuts make a mighty case for MC5's sound and stance. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Ka-boom!.......2007-06-27

There aren't many bands who would feel at home on the 'Nuggets' box set and a Sun Ra tribute CD. But one, a bunch of radical Detroit garage punks with free-jazz hearts, would--the MC5.

Their short-but-influential career was besotted by almost too much choice. It's no coincidence that like unruly children, all three MC5 albums go off in different directions (not the best way to build an audience, even in the anything-goes climate of the early-seventies).
But Rhino's MC5 compilation 'The Big Bang!: Best of the MC5' pulls it all together, and builds a powerful case for the Motor City Five's legacy.

Opening with a locally-recorded single, "I Can Only Give You Everything" points the way to 1969's 'Kick out the Jams', with its hard-as-nails riff and pounding beat. Two more singles follow before 'Bang!' sinks its archival teeth into 'Jams'. This is the MC5 at their most feral and brilliant. The transcendant metallic chaos of "Kick out the Jams", "Ramblin' Rose", "Come Together" and "Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)" ensues.

'Bang!' then turns its attention to 'Back in the U.S.A.', a 1970 attempt to focus the MC5's free-ranging muse on a song-oriented album. The collection does a good job of presenting 'U.S.A.'s strengths, and even adds weight to 'U.S.A.'s anemic production. "Tonight", "Teenage Lust", "The American Ruse" and "The Human Being Lawnmower" sound far-better than I remember. ("Ruse" is one example of why the MC5 were the target of so much law enforcement attention.)

But following in the wake of 'Jam's wild-eyed radicalism, the comparatively tame 'U.S.A.' failed to chart. That left the band in dire financial straits, and desperately needing to reconnect with their audience. 1971's 'High Time' was the result. And judging from the material presented on 'Bang!', possibly their best.

Abandoning the concise song structures of 'U.S.A.' (and producer Jon Landau), the MC5 stretched-out and followed their free-jazz desires. "Sister Annie", "Over And Over" and "Skunk (Sonicly Speaking" all shine with inventive arrangements and instrumentation, and the blistering guitar tandem of Fred "Sonic" Smith and Wayne Kramer. But ultimately, 'High Time' failed to chart as well, providing the end, if not the means, for the MC5.

The MC5 never enjoyed a high-profile front man ala the Stooges' Iggy Pop, making it unlikely their albums will ever see the remastered and expanded treatment accorded '1969' and 'Funhouse'. Which makes the newly out-of-print 'Bang!' even-more critical. It integrates material from five different sources into one cohesive document that secures the MC5's place as one of the most-influential bands to ever plug in to an amp.

Pay whatever you need to get it, but get it. Yeah, it's that good.

Heard OF them but haven't HEARD the MC5?.......2007-01-11

If you've heard of them, know they've influenced every band every since, even the Stooges, but haven't actually listened to them, this collection is a good place to start. I think their first, Kick Out the Jams, is required listening & owning. It's a sweaty, loud, stomping set of political, heavy metal, rock & roll circa 1969. It kickstarted punk & metal. All that became the Clash starts here. Political lyrics with a Marshall stack. I actually also love their 2nd album, Back in the USA. Straight ahead rock & roll. Looking at You and Shakin' Street are classics - with demon guitar duelling supreme. High Time - some people it was their best. Others think it's their worst. But on this compilation you get a taste of all of them, + rarities like their earliest demos and Thunder Express. A great compilation I always keep in my car for cruisin'.

The Big Bang: Best of MC5.......2006-10-06

I had heard so much about this band, and came close to buying "Kick Out The Jams" (their debut) many times. I was always averted though, at the last minute, by the feeling that they were just a bunch of hype. Their manager, after all, was the leader of the White Panthers (a bunch of white kids who were trying to express solidarity with the Black Power movement), so it seemed reasonable to think that The MC5 broke ground mainly in terms of image, rather than music. Wow, was I wrong.

I've heard that the MC5 couldn't play their instruments. They were practically virtuosos! The songs are melodic and well-written. The lead guitarist is terrific, and yes, he even solos. And the solos are terrific, too. You think The Who are "maximum R&B"? I don't blame you. Until recently, so did I. Now I realize that The Who are tame. If you like The Who, especially Live At Leeds, you will LOVE this disc (The MC5 even directly swipe the opening chords of "I Can See For Miles" for use in their own "Come Together"). If you like Zeppelin, you will like this disc. If you like British punk, you will like this disc. If you like Rock and Roll, you will like this disc.

And as far as the lyrics go, there is nothing really offensive. I love the lyrics of Joe Strummer (amazing) , and I don't mind the lyrics of Zack de la Rocha (they're a little dumb sometimes, but not offensive), but I had worried that the MC5's lyrics would be flat-out crass. Not so. Half the songs are about standard R'n'R subjects (girls, mild rebellion, etc.), and they even cover a Chuck Berry song. In the live stuff there are some little preachy diatribes about revolution, but they are never overbearing. The MC5 weren't just rebels, they really were rebels with a cause; but most importantly, the lyrics and the image never overshadow the music.

Why didn't this band get *huge*? I can't explain it. Surely, the world was ready for them and their radical stance - this is the late 60's we're talking about. Was it some sort of a conspiracy among music execs (who are, remember, upper class businessmen with a serious stake in the societal status quo)? I'm not big on conspiracy theories generally, but in this case a conspiracy seems to be the most compelling answer. I don't know if I've convinced you, but as for me, I predict I'll be buying up all of their individual albums in the coming weeks. Long live The MC5.

A great compilation of a great band.......2006-05-12

From a band that exerted an enormous influence on the
punk/hard rock scene from the 70s onward I found this best of compilation to be well worth the wait.
From the sheer live energy of Kick Out the Jams to the more
measured progressive riff driven rock of the later `Sister Ann` I think the listener who is willing to give this disc a few
spins is in for a real listening treat.
A unique revolutionary band which were a true sign of the times and also possibly a sign of the things to come,its rather sad in the way that they could not have gone on to develop and further refine their music,but I guess that has been the fate of many a promising and talented rock band.
The 5 were indeed a formidable act and even if you did not get the privilege to see them live this well thought out and digitally remastered compilation should be more than enough ample compensation

There is no studio version of "Kick Out The Jams".......2005-04-12

To the reviewer who mentioned "Kick Out The Jams" being live it's because the MC5's debut album (KICK OUT THE JAMS, 1968)was a live album and no official studio version exsists (except on possible bootlegs of demos). Don't write reviews if you don't know your material.

Average customer rating:

Classic Busta Rhymes
This will be a classic!
The Dungeon Dragon's fangs are still razor-sharp..
Hit-or-miss affair
The Leader is BACK

The Big Bang
Busta Rhymes
Manufacturer: Aftermath
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Laugh Now, Cry Later
In My Mind
Blood Money
New Joc City
Second Round's on Me

ASIN: B000F8DSTM
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Tracks:

Get You Some
Touch It
How We Do It Over Here
New York S***
Been Through The Storm
In The Ghetto
Cocaina
You Can't Hold The Torch
Goldmine
I Love My B****
Don't Get Carried Away
They're Out To Get Me
Get Down
I'll Do It All
Legend Of The Fall Offs

Amazon.com

This is Busta's first new album in four years plus Dr. Dre cosigns by signing him to Aftermath. Will the success enjoyed by 50 Cent, Eminem and The Game work for Busta? Surprisingly, Busta has never sounded so mature -- joining a brigade of over 30 rappers who are thinking beyond the corner. Songs like "In the Ghetto," "Been Through the Storm" and "You Can't Hold a Torch" reflect a more grown-man outlook, which is a refreshing departure. There are the requisite fast-chatter club tracks, some predictably formulaic ("Touch It"), some better than expected ("I Love My Bitch"), some that will leave you scratching your head ("I'll Do It All," featuring Latoya Jackson). Unfortunately, the album is also overloaded with more guests than needed --Stevie Wonder and Q-Tip were good, while Rick James middling and Swizz Beatz should stick to producing. It's hard to tell what expectations to put on this album. It's not going to trump 50 Cent sales but it's also a better effort than Busta has put forth on his last few, and that's worth letting it bang. --Oliver Wang

Customer Reviews:

Classic Busta Rhymes.......2007-07-09

im a big fan of hip/hop the underground & the mainstream & busta is one of my favorite east coast MC's but some of his previous releases were not that great but THE BIG BANG is a classic DR. DRE & BUSTA RHYMES are a good combination amazing beats plus great lyrics by BUSTA RHYMES this is a must have album & probably one of the best of 06 my favorite track is DONT GET CARRIED AWAY NaS and Busta both come hard on that track plus a DRE beat need i say more? CLASSIC!

This will be a classic!.......2007-01-22

Remember Busta came on the scene with Leaders of the New School. Then he went solo and dropped "The Coming" around 1996. If you don't remember the album, I'm sure you remember "Woo-Hah, I got you all in check".

Well, his style from the beginning has been based on a gimmick. Kind of loud, wild, weirdness vibe. MC's like this generally don't live long. People get tired of being yelled at. Yelling on a song doesn't make you hard either. Take a look a Rakim. One of Hip-Hop's hardest rhyming MC's without ever raising his voice.

Anyway, Busta's new album, "The Big Bang", is back to solid MC'ing. Beats and rhymes. He only yells at you on one song and not the entire song at that. I'm talking about that song "Touch it". On the rest of the album, his style is the same as when he "gets low" on that touch it track. I appreciate it.

Solid guest MC's like Raekwon and Nas appear. Watch out for Rick James track also. Classic Rick James is back. There is also Kelis, Will.I.Am and Swizz Beats. Oh, how can I forget that most productions are by the legendary Doc Dre. I love to bump this album during my workouts. Its far from annoying and contains elements of becoming a hip_hop classic.

The Dungeon Dragon's fangs are still razor-sharp.........2007-01-06

The Mighty Busta Rhymes; Bussa Bus has gone by many nicknames throughout his career, but in the end, Bus has always been one thing; an emcee in the same bugged-out league as ODB, Sticky Fingaz, and Kool Keith. At least, Busta was a zany emcee; he's a grown man now, though. People think that Jay-Z's album was the only release in 2006 that showed a legendary, and prominent figure in hip-hop show a great range of maturity, and growth an an artist, but before Kingdom Come even dropped, Busta was doing the same thing on The Big Bang. In fact, Busta and Jay-Z's two 2006 releases have even more in common than being comeback albums by New York legends that expressed a large change; they also had a lot of production work from Dr. Dre(more so on The Big Bang, mainly because it was released under the Aftermath label, after all), and threw off their main fanbase.

They're also a bit inconsistent. Much like Kingdom Come after it, when the tracks on The Big Bang did hit, they hit HARD; but when they flopped, they became virtual abortions. "I Love My *****" is just as mind-numbingly bad as "Anything," and "New York ****" is just as blatantly average, and forced as "Hollywood." Their lead singles("Touch It" for Bus, "Show Me What You Got" for Hov) were chastised heavily by the media, but were actually pretty tight tracks hidden beneath the commercialism. Touch It may not be as hot as previous Busta club-bangers like "Break Your Neck" or "WOO-HAA!," but it's still a very hot track, which features a very innovative flow from Bus. Swizz Beats also provides a beat that doesn't annoy me; quite rare these days.

Unlike Kingdom Come, though Busta has a ton of appearances from guest emcees on this album; in fact, this entire album almost consists of posse tracks, with a few rare exceptions. There's good news, though; Busta picked some of the illest cats to ever spit as guests for The Big Bang. Q-Tip, one of hip-hop's smoothest cats, whether in Tribe or on his own, is also one of hip-hop's most underappreciate legends, and provides two guest appearances, which both overflow with dopeness. Raekwon, the premier Chef in the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, and also another unspoken legend, makes one guest appearance on the brilliant "Goldmine," which shows that Cuban Linx II will be everything we could hope for. Finally, the man who dropped the arguably best album of 2006, Nas, makes a guest appearance on the infinitely ill "Don't Get Carried Away."

This is one of the strongest produced hip-hop albums in quite awhile; especially out of the Aftermath camp. Dre provides the majority of the production, and it shows by the dopeness that this album excrete musically. Dre's production is flawless throughout the album, epic, and rich in cinematic qualities. The late J Dilla provides a great backdrop on "Can't Hold the Torch," while Sha Money XL provides some equally beautiful music behind the boards on "Been Through The Storm." Mr. Porter and the aforementioned Swizz Beats also do well on their contributions; the other non-Dre produced tracks is where this album, unfortunately, flails around, and Busta doesn't possess the same energy he once did to lighten up any track.

Busta is not an outrageous, party rapper anymore; he is a wise veteran, who provides knowledge to the younger cats in the game, as well as his peers. While this album may not have the same blazing joints that albums like Genesis did, it more than makes up for it with the introspective, and insightful tracks Busta drops. "Been Through The Storm" and "In The Ghetto" are two of the most personal tracks Busta's ever dropped, while "Legend of the Fall Offs" is one of the darkest hip-hop tracks heard in quite awhile; and it's also an amazing concept cut. The Dungeon Dragon may've pulled up his sagging pants, and cut off his dreads, but in exchange, we got Busta in his purest form.

The Big Bang isn't perfect; the track with Missy, "New York ****," and "I Love My *****" could've been done without, for sure, but the rest of the tracks are some of the tightest all year. It all depends on your personal preference; Busta still puts everyone "In Check," but he's doing it in a completely different way than he was a decade ago; he's doing it with his widsom now. If you want your favorite artists to progress, and grow, then you'll be more than satisfied with the Big Bang; it's my favorite Busta album to date. However, if you want the Bussa Bus of old, you're better off spinning his old tapes a little more; the dude's grown up.

Hit-or-miss affair.......2007-01-05

I remember when I was young and Busta Rhymes was one of the first rappers I had gotten into. In fact, I have three of his other albums and have heard another one. But this one seems the least consistent. "It Ain't Safe No More" was kind of mediocre but was kind of similar through quality in the rest of the album. "The Big Bang" has great production and Busta sounds great, but unfortunately that does not make the entire album.

Well, I can't get over the misogyny of certain tracks, most particularly in "I Love My B----," or in other tracks. In some songs, the samples are saving graces, like the chorus of "Touch It" which puts Daft Punk in or "In the Ghetto," an interesting reflective song of youth. I actually like most of the guests on here, and some of it is enjoyable. As the main review said, Swizz Beatz should just stick to producing, he didn't add much with "New York S---" which otherwise was fine and the album could have been cut about half its time length, in spite taking four years to come out.

I actually think "The Big Bang" is an okay album, but I think it has its flaws. I was actually a bit hesitant to buy it for other said reasons, but I found it for $4 used and figured I could just sell it if I decided I didn't want it. It's nothing special and I prefer the other three Busta albums I own -- "The Coming," "When Disaster Strikes..." and "Genesis."

The Leader is BACK.......2006-10-01

This cd is a must. Busta Bus goes back to mcing and skips all the skits and makes just hits.... A great album for the '06 and i hope he can only get better.
rating A+

Average customer rating:

Not a CD to add to your Johnny Lang Collection
Jonny Lang
A solid, rocking blues cd
JUST GREAT
Great early release

Smokin
Jonny Lang & Big Bang
Manufacturer: Red Int / Red Ink
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Blues Rock | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Long Time Coming
Turn Around
Lie to Me
Wander This World
Live On

ASIN: B00006JOC8
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Tracks:

Louise
Changes
Lovin My Baby
I Love You The Best
Nice & Warm
It's Ohdacious
Sugarman
'E' Train
Too Tired
Smokin
Malted Milk

Customer Reviews:

Not a CD to add to your Johnny Lang Collection.......2006-07-01

I appreciate and like Johnny Lang's music. There is no doubt that he is amazing. However, this CD is awful. It does not demonstrate his true abilites and should have the "kid" still in the title. The CD is good if you want to complete your collection, but this CD is not one worth listening to twice. Save your money and wait for his next CD release.

Jonny Lang .......2006-03-15

this kid is great. i have several of his cds and they all are great. this kid can sing. i listen to him at work, in the car and on my ipod.
this is good sounds, not hostil or booming. you can hear the words and understand what he sings. he as always has a good band backing him up.
i would buy this again should something happen to the cd that i have now.

A solid, rocking blues cd.......2005-08-10

I recommend this cd to anyone who likes Jonny Lang and his brand of music. This was his first cd and a brilliant entrance into the world of music. The boy is a very talented writer and musician.

JUST GREAT.......2004-08-12

For 14 yrs old at this time I can't believe how great this cd is. You can still hear the kid in his voice,but it is just amazing how really great he is. I love it. Every single song is great.............................sbaby

Great early release.......2003-12-07

Very bluesy - slower than his later releases. Hopefully he will come back to this style as he matures and after he's done experimenting with other sounds.

Music Info:

Music Info

music info

Recommended Music:

Where The Fields Grow Green

Flute Sonatas From the Italian Baroque

Fugue You!

Any Saturday Night in Texas [Live]

Funkunfusion [Import]

Gallery, Vol. 1: In Rhodt

Flaco's Favorites [Import]

From the Inside [CD-single] [Import]

Houston McCoy

Dvorák: Piano Trios Op. 65 & 90

Freedom Jazz Dance [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Entertainment [Enhanced] [Import]

Diferente

Heifetz Collection, Volume 18 (EMI Masters)

Bluesiana Hot Sauce