Plain & Simple [Import]

Plain & Simple [Import]

Track Listings

1. Lady from Bendigo

2. Dan

3. Aussie Bar-B-Q

4. Glasgow Lullaby

5. Belle of Broughton

6. Mary and Me

7. No Man's Land

8. Queenland Whalers

9. No Use for Him

10. Bloody Rotten Audience

11. Gentle Annie

Tracks:

Our Time Now
Come Back To Me
Hate (I Really Don't Like You)
You And Me
Friends Don't Let Friends Dial Drunk
Making A Memory
So Damn Clever
Tearin' Us Apart
Write You A Song
Gimme A Chance
Figure It Out
Let Me Take You There
Hey There Delilah

Album Description

Contains the smash hit, "Hey There Delilah"!

Customer Reviews:

Very solid CD with terrific hooks.......2007-08-01

After seeing that "Hey There Delilah" was #1 on Billboard's Hot 100, I listened to a 30-second clip from the song, and liked it - not only because it was a catchy song, but also because it was different (i.e., *not* "Party Like a Rock Star"). Then I came here, where I saw that the album had a decidedly average ranking, and very few reviews written for it. That last bit surprised me, given the length of time the single had been on the chart (16 weeks when it hit #1).

I read all of the reviews here, and after reading a particularly negative review, I decided that I wanted to buy the CD. There's a pet peeve I have with people who disregard pop songs simply because they're pop songs. (Like the Lennon - McCartney debate. Lennon wrote the more meaningful songs, but McCartney was far more successful on the charts because he wrote pop songs, and was fine with it. "Silly Love Songs" was his ode to that philosophy, and is one of my favorite songs from him because of it.) Not everything needs to be deep and meaningful. I look at it like this: regarding films, I love heart ripping dramas - Schindler's List - but I also love movies that make me laugh, like South Park. There's a place for almost everything.

That I purchased the CD and gave it a shot couldn't have made me happier. I'm delighted with it. Sure, as some reviews say, the lyrics on a few songs aren't clever and on a couple of occasions are hokey, but excepting those few instances, the lyrics stand strong. Also, this is an eminently listenable CD. Don't confuse that with "muzak". These guys really have a knack at writing hooks, and if "Hey There Delilah" appeals to people, I have a feeling several other songs may find their way onto Billboard's Hot 100 as well.

Some of my favorites are:
-Our Time Now
-Come Back to Me
-Write You a Song (great lyrics)
-Let Me Take You There
-Hey There Delilah

The rest of the CD is very solid. If you're on the edge and like songs with great hooks - NOT bubble gum pop at all - you'll probably like this. As I said: eminently listenable, and also supremely enjoyable.

I loved it.......2007-07-31

I simply loved this cd. From songs with a quick beat like Friends Don't Let Friends Dial Drunk to toning it down with Write You A Song. They have a familiar sound but to me it's unique. The lyrics are all solid. I don't know how anyone could not like the acoustic Hey There Delilah, it's probably one of the sweetest songs on the radio today. Overall, I recommend this cd to anyone.

Solid Emo-Pop.......2007-07-13

Plain White T's delivers a solid cd of emo & pop-punk tracks. My favorites include "It's Our Time", "Making a Memory", and "Hey There Delilah". The best aspect of this cd, to me, is the perfect "warm-weather drive"-ness. It is an excellent cd for rolling all the windows down and singing along with when you are driving about. Every track has a great sing-along aspect. It has catchy, upbeat songs, and a few slower acoustics. It's a very enjoyable cd, but nothing groundbreaking or remarkable that sets it apart. For the current price ($9.99), there is no harm in picking it up and keeping it in the cd case for those summer days!

such a let down.......2007-07-04

Okay, so I bought this album based on "Hey There Delilah". I know, I know. What can I say? It's a simple, fun little ditty. When I saw it was a "bonus track", I briefly considered the possibility that this is the little lyrical accoustic after-thought to an album full of bland power chords and blander lyrics. Then I said, "No, this'll be good."

Nope. As I desperately sought for another song with some hint of originality or depth (track 12 coming the closest), my girlfriend aptly said, "They sound like a high school band."

Fifteen regrettable dollars lighter, I pause to pontificate on what it is people hear in this kind of bland music. Perhaps it is just the MTV teen girls with their parents' disposable income who think they're cute and really don't care what they're listening to, so long as it's cool. This album is so derivative and bland - both musically and lyrically. Is there some rule that rock artists who break into major formats can't incorporate interesting instruments (violins, digeridoos, flutes, etc...) or drift from repetitive power chords? Are these artists forbidden by market demands to write anything but navel-gazing songs about their own seemingly uninteresting lives? Why can't they look at the world beyond and comment on something that actually matters - war, the environment, greed, whatever? Green Day finally did it and that seemed to work out pretty well for them - grammy wins, record sales, and peer respect.

I don't know - I look at exciting newer artists who are bending the rules of instrumentation, lyrical exploration, and styles like Bright Eyes and Xavier Rudd, and they don't have a tenth of the exposure this band now has. Then, on the other side of the coin, I consider older artists that have maintained a musical and lyrical creativity for decades like Springsteen, Van Morrison, and (though a few decades lighter) Ben Harper. How does music this bland break into the big time when there's so much better work out there struggling to exist? Even outside the music realm, there's an incredible number of really intelligent, creative thinkers pushing the boundaries of human thought, and still this is the drivel that rises to the top. There's either something deeply wrong with the music industry or extremely unspiring embedded in the public to which they cater.

Nothing new.......2007-06-15

This cd is pretty average. They aren't doing anything original with this album. I feel like I've heard all these songs before with other bands/music (it reminds me a lot of the older Vertical Horizon and The Calling stuff). The songs are enjoyable for a few plays, but they are also easily forgettable. It's the complete middle of the road - not exactly bad but not really great either. I don't find anything special or spectacular here.

Average customer rating:

Hey There, Plain White T's
Let me be your Sampson, Delilah
Great
Love this CD

Hey There Delilah
Plain White T's
Manufacturer: Fearless Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

All That We Needed
Stop
Every Second Counts
Every Second Counts
Don't You Fake It

ASIN: B000F3AAYS
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

Hey There Delilah
Easy Way Out
Down The Road
Losing Myself
If I Told You
Hey There Delilah

Album Description

This acoustic number (downloaded over 40,000 times on iTunes) has developed a special identity within the band's female fan base; their most successful merch item is a t-shirt that says, "I Am Delilah". This enhanced CD features of new version of "Hey There Delilah" plus four new songs. Also included is a live version with 1,000 fans singing along, plus an enhanced component with four music videos. The video for "Hey There Delilah" will make a national premier in April.

Customer Reviews:

Hey There, Plain White T's.......2007-07-06

I wish there were half stars, but this is closer to 4 than to 3 for me.

I'm older than the average demographic for this band, if I went to their concert I'd have to wear a "Delilah's Mom" t-shirt :) but Hey There Delilah has been playing on my radio station and the song just sticks in my head.

It is the song that every girl wishes someone would right for her. Unusual these days to hear something sweet about commitment, it's a beautiful sound with a beautiful message.

I bought the EP along with the All That We Need album. It's all young catchy pop (but not bubble-gum pop) stuff, airplay sort of stuff. It is not an acoustic band. Very enjoyable for a 46 yo mom and my 19 yo son doesn't mind me playing it in the car. He just doesn't appreciate me singing along...

BTW, I like it that the rest of the band is in the Delilah video. That shows class.

Let me be your Sampson, Delilah.......2007-07-04

"Listen to my voice, it's my disguise . . ." My niece said: "I found out who did that song. The new Delilah song." I had completely forgotten but she said there was a song about Delilah. I named one of my dogs Delilah. She was a stray that some family found, and put a flyer up at the dog park. The kids called her Lilah, but I changed it to Delilah . . . and it fit her to a "T."

In the bible Delilah is the downfall of Sampson, a strong Hebrew warrior. She keeps trying to get the secret of his strength, but when he tells her, she has Sampson's enemies do it. He tells her, if I am tied up with green saplings, then I will be powerless. He wakes up tied with green saplings, bursts the bonds, and slaughters the enemy. Whatever he tells Delilah, they try. You'd think he'd catch on, but no. He, like an idiot, tells her his real secret. His strength will never wane, as long as he never cuts his hair. Next thing you know, he's as bald as Britney Spears.

Anyway, my dog Delilah is a pretty red dog, an Australian Cattle Dog, or maybe a Kelpie. Maybe part Dingo. She is pretty, but can be contrary. She might not want to come in at night, and if you leave the gate open, and she gets out, good luck trying to get her to come back.

Anyway, my niece Kelsey told me about this band so I checked them out. I like the song, "Hey There Delilah" and it is also the name of their album. There are two versions, and the last one seems to be a sing along, like their fans heard it and everyone who came to their show knew the words. I like it that they inspire such loyalty.

Their music sounds like rough rock, but with a focus on songwriting. Maybe they would fall in the category of Emo. I played it for my dog, Delilah, and was wondering if she would respond to her name being sung. She had no reaction. She gave it two paws down. But what does she know about music anyway? I like it.

Great.......2006-09-21

I bought this because I saw the Hey There Delilah video on MTV 2. This cd is great, and I listened to the title track about 10 times.

Love this CD.......2006-06-18

I recently saw this group at Warped Tour and really liked them. I had their CD before this, but never really listened to it. At Warped Tour, they had a tent and they all signed a tee shirt I bought, and then took a picture with me and my sister. The entire way home from the concert, I listened to both of their CD's, and really liked them.

Average customer rating:

Urban Blues w/ Maria in top form
Excellent Tribute with Awesome Backup
Good stuff
PAYING HER DUES , AGAIN

Naughty, Bawdy and Blue
Maria Muldaur
Manufacturer: Stony Plain Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Classic Female Vocal Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan
30 Years of Maria Muldaur: I'm a Woman
Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul
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Richland Woman Blues

ASIN: B000O591I8
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

Down Home Blues
Up The Country Blues
Separation Blues
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
Handy Man
New Orleans Hop Scop Blues
Smile
TB Blues
One Hour Mama
Empty Bed Blues
Early Every Morn
Yonder Come The Blues

Amazon.com

Building on her Grammy-nominated collections of classic women's blues from the '20s through the '40s (Richland Woman Blues, 2001, and Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul, 2005), jazz/blues chanteuse Maria Muldaur returns with Naughty, Bawdy & Blue. It's an apt title for a sassy group of songs originally recorded by Victoria Spivey (one of Muldaur's mentors), Alberta Hunter, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and other female urban blues stylists the singer describes as "liberated socially, financially, and most of all sexually from the confines and mores of the times." Backed by the perfect fit of James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band, who often performed with Sippie Wallace and whose sound seems to have time-traveled without alteration, Muldaur moves through a dozen vaudeville blues numbers with integrity and authenticity, and never resorts to campy riffs or faux black dialect. Her expressive soprano has taken on a depth and heft through the years, and she's smart to deliver such suggestive lines as "I love the way he whips my cream" (from "Handy Man") or "He's a deep-sea diver with a stroke that can't go wrong" (from Smith's "Empty Bed Blues") with a subtle wink, preferring to let an insinuating trumpet chase home the joke. The album finds its highlight with "Separation Blues," a duet with Bonnie Raitt, who introduced Wallace to new audiences on her tours of the '70s and '80s. Muldaur and Raitt--corduroy and burlap--harmonize with the ease that comes from decades of friendship, and from the joy of preserving and appreciating one of America's purest musical forms. --Alanna Nash

Customer Reviews:

Urban Blues w/ Maria in top form.......2007-06-05

Thankfully there is someone carrying the torch to the Next Generation of music lovers. I can say, "Gee, I remember when I heard Alberta Hunter sing 'Handy Man' live in New York City." and count my blessings. Now there is someone who will keep these songs alive for others to discover.

The Chicago Jazz Band is one of the best bands I've heard in ages and they work hand in hand with Maria Muldaur. It's a shame this is just a single cd - they have enough material for a double, I'm sure.

I know there is that DRIVE to hit the ultimate cut of a song, but I think a second version of Empty Bed Blues wasn't quite necessary. I keep thinking there were two or three other songs that could have been used. Coming in at just a shade over 45 min. seems like a big tease.

Coming down to it - she's the best blues singer, she gathers the best musicians and arrangers around her. She just oozes sex appeal and she knows just what she's singing about.

Hopefully she's got a Naughty, Bawdy & Blues Pt. 2 up her sleeves.

Excellent Tribute with Awesome Backup.......2007-06-01

This album is great. I discovered her music back in college in the 90s, and she really is one of the best blues singers around. . .and amazingly productive putting out an album a year since Louisiana Love Call came out in 1992. She has done all types of genres of jazz and blues.

Naughty Bawdy & Blue is one of the best. The songs are mostly uptempo with a great backup of trumpets, trombones, clarinets, saloon style piano, etc. It is urban upscale blues of the 1920s and 1930s, a tribute to the great female singers of the era.

The songwriting is terrific. You don't get this kind of smart, bawdy, and often moving type of songwriting today. The Chicago Jazz Band brings an infectious mood to the songs.

In short: This is a really fun album of great songs, singing, and musicianship. I guarantee you will like it. It is one gem after another to the point you are disappointed when the album ends. My favorites: Down Home Blues, Up the Country Blues, Separation Blues (great duet with Bonnie Raitt), New Orleans Hop Scot Blues, TB Blues, One Hour Mama (very funny), and Yonder Come the Blues.

I cannot imagine anyone not liking this album. It makes me want to seek out the original singers and songwriters of these songs, which is exactly what a tribute album should do.

Good stuff.......2007-05-25

Just love the delicious old-time racey blues. The harmony with Bonnie Raite is so tight.

PAYING HER DUES , AGAIN.......2007-05-17

PAYING HER DUES, AGAIN

If you ever wondered who, if anyone, was going to carry on the tradition of great female blues singers now that the likes of Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith, Sippy Wallace and Memphis Minnie have long been gone from the scene look no further. As I pointed out in a review of her last album Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul Maria Muldaur has paid her dues and here she is doing it all over again. This is the third album in series that she started in 2002 to cover the old great blues singers. In the present album she covers the above-mentioned singers and others in a style in which they would surely recognize their style. These are the classic female blues singers of the 1920's and 30's. Maria is in fast company but she does not miss a beat.

Pay particular attention to her rendition of Victoria Spivey's Handy Man and the covers of Sippy Wallace songs. Damn if Maria does not sound like that unfortunately not well known singer (Maria also covered a Wallace classic Don't Advertise Your Man on her last album).

I would also add that I had the pleasure of hearing some of the cuts on this album live in concert by Maria in Cambridge (one of her old stomping grounds in her youthful days with the Kweskin Jug Band back in the sixties) and she can still belt them out. If there is any truth in the assumption that former President Clinton was our first `black' president no one can deny that Maria is our first `black' classic blues singer. And has the stage presence, to boot. The tradition lives. Listen on.

Average customer rating:

good yes but ....
Another great album from the "Master".

Duke Robillard's World Full of Blues
Duke Robillard
Manufacturer: Stony Plain Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Power of the Pontchartrain
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Solid Ice
Breakin' It Up & Breakin' It Down

ASIN: B000PFU8GG
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

Jump the Blues For You
Everything Is Broken
Treat Me So Lowdown
Slam Hammer
You're Killin' Me Baby
Slim Jenkins Joint
Sweet Thing
You Won't Let Me Down
Six Inch Heels
World Of Blues
Look Out
Stoned

Tracks:

Gonna's Get You Told
Monkey Arms
Who Do You Love
Low Side Of the Road
Too Much Stuff
Blues Nightmare
Bounce For Billy
Bright Lights, Big City
Steppin' Out
Anything It Takes
Stretchin'

Amazon.com

If there's such a thing as narrow-focus versatility, this set's a prime example. Duke Robillard has cut jazz, swing, rock, and instrumental albums, and he was Tom Waits's 2006 tour guitarist. Now the virtuoso returns to his true love--the music that first brought him acclaim as founder of Roomful of Blues--with two CDs that explore all aspects of the style. Dirty Chicago grinds like "You're Killin' Me Baby" tumble into gentle swingers like Robillard's take on T-Bone Walker's "Treat Me So Lowdown" and the hushed Wes Montgomery-influenced "Stoned." He conjures a raw Mississippi-juke-joint sound to interpret "Everything Is Broken," a tune penned by another former employer, Bob Dylan. And electric and acoustic guitars, plus some lute-like sax, are used to magnify the hoodoo vibe of Waits's "Low Side of the Road." Robillard also experiments with his voice, dropping to his lowest register to echo Bo Diddley's brawny growl as he covers the rock godfather's "Who Do You Love." These 23 numbers culminate with "Stretchin'," a nine-minute guitar-and-organ showcase that evokes the soul-jazz style invented by Jimmy Smith, concluding a "World" tour that'll please blues guitar lovers. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews:

good yes but ...........2007-07-31

have been listening to the blues for 30+yrs. Robillard's a fine player but it all sounds too artificial to me.The samples I listened to lack spontaneity and feeling.

Another great album from the "Master"........2007-07-29

Duke Robillard is in my opinion one of the best white blues guitarists around. He is able to play every style of blues effortless always with stunning results. Both in his solo carrier and with the groups he played with, he has always been able to deliver extremely good results, playing the blues with his own personality and feeling but at the same time with great respect for the masters of the past. Having said that, I believe that if you love the blues you cannot go wrong when you decide to purchase a Duke's album. "World full of blues" is a kind (a bit as Guitar groove-a-rama) of celebration of all the different areas of blues and blues related music that have influenced his sound throughout the years. The entire album, more that 115 minutes of music, is played extremely well by all the musicians involved in the project, most of who have been played with Duke Robillard for years: Mark Teixeira, Doug James, Al Basile, Marty Ballou, "Sax" Gordon Beadle and "Sugar" Ray Norcia contribute, among many others, to the brilliant final result. In conclusion another Duke's great performance that surely deserve the attention of all the blues aficionados.

Average customer rating:

the original plain white t's cd with fearless records...
Awesome CD
Great PWT's offering
Intelligent rock at its finest
TOM TIM DAVE & D

Stop
Plain White T's
Manufacturer: Fearless Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

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

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

All That We Needed
Hey There Delilah
Every Second Counts
Every Second Counts
Don't You Fake It

ASIN: B0000DBJ9U
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Stop
Please Don't Do This
What If
Fireworks
Leavin'
Shine
Your Fault
Happy Someday
A Lonely September
Can't Turn Away
Penny (Perfect For You)
Radios In Heaven

Customer Reviews:

the original plain white t's cd with fearless records..........2007-05-08

i love this cd! it's my favorite of all of their cds. it seems so real, because it is. these songs were written when the guys were regular people, complaining about life as a teenager in the suburbs. i can relate to a lot of the songs, and they're super catchy. Penny is my favorite song by the t's. this cd sounds completely unmanufactured, which is probably why i love it so much.

buy it you crazy kids!

Awesome CD.......2007-05-06

I first heard of Plain White T's through a friend and after finding their album "Every Second Counts" (and loving it!) I decided to go and find the band's other CDs too.

It's hard to pick one favorite song here because they're all so good. Like most of the band's songs the lyrics are really powerful. Sometimes they're called Alternative and Punk, but I'd term their music as closer to rock--something similar to Daniel Powter and a little softer than Matchbox 20 (circa "More than you think you are") and a little angrier/punkier than Train.

"Radios in Heaven" is likely the most well known song on this album. It's a classic lost love ballad and is quite good. However, I find the band's break up songs to be much more powerful and evocative. My personal favorite on this CD is "Penny (Perfect for you)." The song begins with the recurring line "What's your car doing outside his house, it's three o'clock in the morning"--a line that sets up the theme for rest of the song. Interestingly, this song keeps the same tempo and upbeat sound of other songs on the album (like "Happy Someday"--a forward-looking song about not dwelling on regrets) so that it is only with repeated listening that the underlying meaning comes through.

That's the great thing about this album. The songs are all multi-dimensional and offer a unique experience.

Great PWT's offering.......2007-03-09

Plain White Tees are my daughter's favorite band, and I like them too. This CD is great, very listenable, one of their best.

Intelligent rock at its finest.......2006-06-28

I must admit, I had never heard of this band until a good friend of mine sent me a song of theirs. The moment I heard it, I was hooked. The lyrics are intelligent and tap into real emotion. A must have for anyone who likes to have some substance with their strumming.

TOM TIM DAVE & D.......2005-11-24

I have had the pleasure to know these talented young men, not just by there music, but by their live present and extrodanary ability to go above and beyond for there fans.. There music, and stage presents, and lyrics make them one of the few bands out there that are not classified as POSERS, they are all heart and music..

Average customer rating:

A Shame This Had to End

Resolution
Hidden in Plain View
Manufacturer: Drive Thru
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Direction
The Needles The Space
Come Back to You
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Lies for the Liars

ASIN: B000ROALLW
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Tracks:

Bendy
I Don't Wanna Hear It
Like an Ocean
Heavy Breathing
Walk Harbor City
Circles
Our Time
Off My Shoulders
Interlude
Something Needs to Change
Lake House
Hear Me Out

Album Description

Drive-Thru Records' recording artist, Hidden In Plain View will release Resolution on July 24th, 2007. Resolution is the follow-up to 2005's Life In Dreaming and sadly, Resolution is the final release from this beloved New Jersey band. Resolution proves HIPV learned much from their time together by and through years of performing live. The album kicks off in grand HIPV style with Bendy possibly the best song by HIPV to date, catchy and charming as hell. The rest of the album charges with big rock numbers, like Like An Ocean and Heavy Breathing and slower paced but powerful songs like The Lake House. Touted as one of the greatest bands to emerge from the North Jersey music scene, HIPV couldn't have ended on higher note than Resolution. With Life In Dreaming and a self-titled EP, HIPV has a combined sales history of more than 86K records sold.

Customer Reviews:

A Shame This Had to End.......2007-07-24

After listening to "Resolution" I was sorry to hear that Hidden in Plain View had broken up. Hopefully it is not true, since this album shows just how much they have to offer. "Bendy" is one of the better rock songs I have heard all year. They turn up the guitars on "Like an Ocean" and "Heavy Breathing" more than ever before, but at times, they slow the pace down, particularly toward the end of the album. HIPV is just one of those bands that everyone should hear, and people rarely do. HIPV is on my list, along with NHOI, Better Luck Next Time, Round Three Fight, Lucky 7, Crash!, Melody Fall, Faber Drive, Stellar Kart, etc. that just are so good everyone should hear. And although many of these bands like HIPV will never get their big break, at least they went out on a very good note with "Resolution."

Average customer rating:

5-stars!! Sills owned this role!
SILLS and a Perfect MANON.....
For Sills fans, mainly.
A Great Recording of an Opera That Should Be Performed More Often
Beverly Sills Signature Role

Massenet: Manon

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation)
Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato
Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel
The Ballad of Baby Doe
The Great Recordings

ASIN: B0001Y4JGG
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

This recording has been unavailable for too long. Recorded in 1970, a solid year-or-so before Beverly Sills' voice began to show the damage caused by singing Elisabetta I in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, this is the finest all-around recording of Manon on the market. Sills, in addition to being fresh-voiced, is so thoroughly in the part that we can chart Manon's downfall step by step; her girlish singing is as right on as her sassy, showy coloratura in the thirds act, and her St Sulpice scene is truly seductive. She's the perfect Manon. And Nicolai Gedda's Des Grieux, sung, as is Sills' Manon and the rest of the cast, in impeccable French, is passionate, madly in love, and ultimately tragic. Gabriel Bacquier's Count is imperious and authoritative and Gerard Souzay's Lescaut is smooth. Julius Rudel's leadership sparkles when it should and his sense of French suavity is unfailing. The score is given more than complete - as an appendix, there's an aria for Manon that Massenet added later. This is a desert island disc. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

5-stars!! Sills owned this role!.......2007-07-18

Until I heard Sills sing Manon in the 1970's I have to admit that it was not one of my favorite operas. This recording certainly does her justice, capturing the complexities of this role. It is an outstanding recording! (as an aside, if you have not seen it, go to youtube's recording of her farewell recital, where, as in all of her recitals, she closes with a Portugese folk song taught to her by her famous teacher Estelle Liebling. If this doesn't bring tears to your eyes, nothing will!).

SILLS and a Perfect MANON............2007-07-07

Enough has been written about Beverly Sills and the role of Manon that you already know that she OWNED the role for a long time.

This recording was originally issued on EMI, and I find it unusual that it should have disappeared from that label and it now appears on DG. Although it is strange, we need not worry about that; the main thing here is that the recording is again available to us.

You only really need two copies of Manon...the Victoria De Los Angeles one under Pierre Monteaux, and this one with Sills, Gedda, Bacquier, and Souzay under Julius Rudel. All participants here are simply wonderful, and all in very good voice as it happens! Usually we get a weak link, but somehow, the god's smiled on this effort, and everything came together wonderfully.

This is one of Gedda's efforts that I heartily commend! Simply a great des Griux! Souzay's Lescaut is really a wonderfully smooth, and mellow, performance that you need to hear. Gabriel Bacquier, AS ALWAYS turns in a magnificently commanding performance as Count des Griux. This of course brings us to the role of Manon. Simply stunning would be a great way to say it! Sills is just so real-life-bubbly girlish, and so lovely, that we are swept up in the swirl of mad love, right up to tragedy that comes to her, and the heart-wrenchingly sad finale.

This recording belongs in everyone's collection, right beside the Victoria De Los Angeles one! Enjoy! ~operabruin

For Sills fans, mainly........2006-01-16

As good an ensemble as could be assembled in the more recent past, well conducted by the seasoned Rudel, this 1970 performance stands or falls by one's perception of the two principals.

Nicolaï Gedda (né Ustinov,) b. 1925, half-Swedish, half-Russian, was a fine musician with a highly developped vocal technique. His manner was rather cold, however, and at 45 his lyric voice had lost some of its original bloom. I find his des Grieux rather grim and emphatic, lacking in romantic élan. I much prefer the poetic Henri Legay in the definitive Monteux recording (TESTAMENT.)

Beverly Sills (née Silvermann,) b. 1929, American, studied with Estelle Liebling, a pupil of the legendary Mathilde Marchesi, teacher of Melba, Eames, Kurtz, Alda and many an other French stylist.

Sills new exactly how to sing this music and had the perfect voice and technique for it. Many years of repertory singing in the provinces, often in inappropriately heavy parts (Tosca!) however, had made Sills' voice thin and unsteady by the time she made this recording at age 41. Her interpretation is intense, heartfelt and full of telling dramatic detail, but often heavy-handed and unpleasant on the ear. She is also rather short on the elegance and chimeric charm that characterises the best interpreters of this part (Vallin, Heldy, Féraldy, de los Ángeles.)

The airplane hangar ambience of the recording studio (talk about overresonant!) does not help, either.

Incidentally, the rôle of Lescaut is sung (well) by Gerard SOUZAY.

Gabriel Bacquier sings comte des Grieux--very well indeed.

A Great Recording of an Opera That Should Be Performed More Often.......2005-10-08

Massanet's MANON is a work that is no stranger to the stage in New York City where it has had a glorious history at both the Met and the New York City Opera though this is not the case around the world. Its frequent New York performances may make it Massanet's most staged opera. For those familiar with the work, it is a favorite. It has all the elements that make French opera great, but it is not a work that has familiar excerpts. As a matter of fact, Massanet's bets known melodies are from lesser known works, such as the "Meditation" from THAIS and Porquoi me Revelier" from WERTHER. Yet when MANON is broadcast from the Met or if one takes out a recording, it's easy to understand why this work has been a favorite of so many for over a century and begs the question `Why isn't this work performed more often?'

Like great French opera, MANON is a work that is a bit larger than life, requires exquisite orchestral playing, and of course great singing. This set, originally released by Westminster in the 1970's and re-released by Duetsche Grammophon has it all. The vocal abilities of the three leading performers: Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda and Gabriel Bacquier as Manon, des Grieux, and Lescaut respectively are each in top vocal form. Sills herself states that Manon was a role she loved and one that she believed her voice was well suited for, and there can be no disputation when listening to this set. As a conductor, Julius Rudel is at his best. He has great control over the New Philharmonia Orchestra, creating lush sounds that make the recording spectacular and an added, but essential plus would be the outstanding choral performances by the Ambrosian Opera Chorus and the great performances of the smaller roles.

Just about every reviewer, from Amazon reviewers to the critics who write for OPERA NEWS have heralded the new availability of this recording. Listen to it, and you will understand why and echo the many praises of this set.

Enjoy!

Beverly Sills Signature Role.......2004-12-17

Beverly Sills once said that if she was to be remembered for anything, it should be for "Manon". This is the role that catapulted her to opera superstardom. And she made this recording in 1970, when her voice still had all its youthful freshness and vigor, and shows just why Beverly Sills had such a great reputation. It has been said that Massenet wrote for his soprano, and nowhere is that more true than in the title role of this opera. And Sills does the role complete justice, vocally demonstrating in her singing the downfall of Manon from young innocent girl to demimondaine to despair and death. Her rendition of the great aria "Adieu, notre petite table", is incredibly moving. And the rest of the cast is excellent as well. Nicolai Gedda is supremely stylish as Des Grieux, Gabriel Bacquier strong and forthright as his father, and one gets to hear the late Gerard Souzay, famous primarily as a concert artist, singing a rare opera role as Lescaut, Manon's cousin. Julius Rudel conducts cleanly, making the most of Massenet's lush orchestrations. This recording belongs on the shelf of every opera lover.

Average customer rating:

In Good We Trust
Harry Manx , and Kevin Breit
Manufacturer: Stony Plain Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Slide Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

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Jubilee
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ASIN: B000NQDN28
Release Date: 2007-04-05

Tracks:

I'm On Fire
Sometimes
Bottom Of the Hill
Better Man's Waltz
Death Have Mercy
Steal 6
Ship Of Fools
In Good We Trust
Hang On
Don't Swim Float
Sisters

Average customer rating:

Teaching Peace
Wonderful, Wonderful!
Grandchildren Love It
Kids Rock! A must have for the whole family!
why isnt there a best of Red Grammer CD???

Teaching Peace
Red Grammer
Manufacturer: Red Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

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Hello World!
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Teaching Peace Songbook & Teacher's Guide
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ASIN: B000009NGF
Release Date: 1986-01-01

Tracks:

Teaching Peace
Places In The World
Say Hi!
I Think You're Wonderful
Rapp Song
Barnyard Boogie
Hooray For The World
With Two Wings
Use A Word
See Me Beautiful
Shake Your Brains
Listen

Album Description

Teaching Peace has been called "one of the top five children's recordings of all time" by the All Music Guide and has been given a rare Parent's Choice Classic Children's Audio Award.

Customer Reviews:

Teaching Peace.......2007-05-07

Excellent for use at home. Outstanding for classroom climate in younger grades.

Wonderful, Wonderful!.......2007-01-13

I've been giving this(first a cassette, now a cd) as a gift to children since it first appeared in the mid-80's. It's as fresh and wonderful today as it was then. I know many children who grew up knowing the words to all the songs and internalizing the wonderful messages they impart.Check out other cd's by Red.

Grandchildren Love It.......2007-01-05

This CD provides lively songs that offer kids a positive approach to life and problem solving and are also great fun to dance to. My grandchildren really enjoy it!

Kids Rock! A must have for the whole family!.......2005-02-12

I was so touched by the voices of these children on this CD. What an inspiration for kids of all ages. Childrens Music with CLASS~ Buy it..You'll Love it.
DMC

why isnt there a best of Red Grammer CD???.......2003-12-08

"Listen" - now THAT IS the song that should have been on
his "Freefalling" Album...

Very powerfull stuff-- although powerfull
does not do justice for Red....

Tracks:

West Side Shuffle
Two Bones & A Pick
My Tears
Lookin For Trouble
What Have I Done Wrong
Zeb's Thing
I Need You So Bad
A Soul That's Been Abused

Amazon.com

Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl are among blues guitar's hottest pistols, but their first studio union is no showdown. Although Robillard is steeped in all aspects of technique and Earl is a pure "soul" player, their styles overlap in the Texas and Chicago schools, which grant both giants plenty of space for elegant and biting single-note solos, daredevil string-bending, and chugging rhythms. Robillard sings two numbers and "Mighty" Sam McClain, whose red-clay voice is the perfect foil for their emotional fretwork, guests on Earl's heartbroken epic "A Soul That's Been Abused." The real mojo, however, is in the instrumentals, where these virtuosos who emerged from the New England scene to achieve worldwide acclaim maintain a beatific dialogue. They both swing like T-Bone Walker on "Two Bones and a Pick" and trade sliding chords and slide guitar licks on "Zeb's Thing," which dips into down-home Mississippi grit. The highlight is "My Tears," on which Robillard sings sad and dirty, Earl turns sustained notes into Zen koans, and both players stretch their flair for dynamics and brilliant, unhurried, lyrical playing to its limit. Fans of blues guitar need to hear this album. --Ted Drozdowski

Product Description

1. West Side Shuffle (7:43)
2. Two Bones & A Pick (8:06)
3. My Tears (15:53)
4. Lookin For Trouble (4:25)
5. What Have I Done Wrong (6:42)
6. Zeb's Thing (7:27)
7. I Need You So Bad (8:14)
8. A Soul That's Been Abused (13:05)

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

T-Bone's Spiritual Sons.......2006-06-16

If you've ever liked the T-Bone Walker style, or drooled over the pure T-Bone licks that both Ronnie and Duke have graced us with over the years, "Two Bones and a Pick" is eight minutes of pure jump-blues-guitar-heaven. I can, and do listen to this for hours on end. If any two white guys have got that jump-blues-guitar-thang down, it's these two. T-Bone is grinning like a Cheshire cat.

A guitar duel with production and quality music to back it up.......2006-04-27

Unlike some artists who get together and try not to outplay each other, i.e. not show each other up, these two planned the session well ahead that allows each to show their virtousity against each other without the latter.

The production, songs chosen and performance from other backing musicians are brilliant.

If you like guitar duels in the jump blues fashion, this is a recording to buy.

Royal Rhapsody.......2006-03-09

This disc combines the considerable talents of two premier guitar players within the Blues genre. The Duke (Robillard) and the (Ronnie) Earl demonstrate why they are deserving members of Blues guitar royalty. It has been well documented that this effort is not a showdown between rivals or a stage to demonstrate one-up-manship but rather two friends kicking back to jam back and forth and effectively intertwine their extensive expertise. I can only offer that this fine effort is seamless, seeming to be an overall masterpiece versus a collection of individual songs. The instrumental flow and sequencing of the songs is superb. The songs don't seem as lengthy as they are, avoiding the tediousness that sometimes befalls such efforts. Quite to the contrary, the hour plus of excellent music contained within seems to fly by leaving the listener wanting more. The two players pass the baton back and forth in an effortless manner, almost overly conscious as to not dominate the other's time. Ronnie and Duke demonstrate they are passionate craftsmen and worthy members of the upper class. Mighty Sam McClain's plaintive plea on "A Soul That's Been Abused" will only leave you wanting more. Ronnie Earl's slide guitar work on "Zeb's Thing" is also worth special mention. This is a can't miss addition to anyone's collection.

The Duke Meets The Earl.......2006-02-20

I bought this album on pure speculation it was an Amazon recommondation and was uncharted waters for me. Owning around 200 blues albums with close to 100 of them being lps. I had never listened to either of these guys. Read the reviews and seemed like it would be a good venture. Received my cd figuring it would be like most blues albums and would take several listens before it would start throwing its arms around me. Wrong! This is one of the few albums I own that nails you right out of the box! It has been in my car stereo for around a month now and shows no indication of getting old.The first three tracks are non stop adrenalin guitar work with number three at just over 15 minutes just being a total piece of work. Smooth like a well aged whiskey. The final track with guest singer is one of the more haunting blues pieces I've ever heard. It's one of the few pieces I know that actually brings you to the edge of reverse blues and makes you feel bad this track is also in the 15 minute time slot too. All and all you can just let this cd run and it becomes nice back gound music to what ever it is you are doing. All in the way classical music does. I'd be surpised if any one really listening to this could give a bad rap! This is a real guitar players record.

Good stuff.......2006-01-25

First off; I really appreciate artists or labels that give you at least 60 minutes of play time and don't cut out lengthy guitar solos. This CD certainly delivers in this regard as Ronnie Earl and the Duke trade guitar jams in creative duets for a solid 70 plus minutes. This is a close 5 star recommendation but it isn't a classic and it isn't groundbreaking; although I would think some reviewers would seriously disagree with that point. It's just damn good music by two pros whose different styles compliment one another. Highly recommended.

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