Ya Ya

Ya Ya

Track Listings

1. Time of Glory/NYC

2. Song for the Family

3. Take Me to Your Country House

4. Do the Swimming Dragon

5. From the Richest Planet

6. Your Priorities

7. Coming from the Attic Window

8. New Jersey Fake I.D.

9. My Brand New Bike

10. These Arms of Mine

Tracks:

Jumpin' Jack Flash
Carol
Stray Cat Blues
Love in Vain
Midnight Rambler
Sympathy for the Devil
Live With Me
Little Queenie
Honky Tonk Women
Street Fighting Man

Album Description

Remastered reissue of 1970 album (in concert), suitable for standard & 'Super Audio' CD players. Digipak.

Customer Reviews:

I was there.......2007-07-25

The first concert I ever went to. I was 15, towards the back, on the floor level of the Garden. This CD captures it as it was, except better because you can relive it any time you want. Raw, alive, rocking and bluesy as hell.

Essential. If you don't have it, get it, now. If you do have it, put on, now. And LOUD!

"Well, alright!"

"EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE READY...ARE WE READY?.......2007-07-11

From the opening introduction to the last guitar cord ringing to fade out this is the Stones best live album and one of the greatest live albums of all time. There is a great debate going on the Amazom review board about this album it seems. Some think this Stones live album is not as great as it's reputation. Stating out of tune guitars, mistakes ... blah, blah, blah. The Stones are the greatest "rock and roll" band! Rock and Roll is not about being perfect....is it? I know that some would name other bands that they consider able to "blow the Stones away live",but this is not a contest of who can play the fastest or hardest. The Stones are not known for being technically perfect musicians. They are tremendous songwriters and have written many of the greatest rock anthems in history! I am a musician and their playing ability is excellent, but it is their style and writing craft that sets them apart. Their sound is seemingly easy, but just try to duplicate it. The Stones have an amazing ability to take a 3 cord progression and turn it into something special. Musically Brown Sugar,Jumpin' Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Woman to name a few are nothing more than basic rock tunes in the hands of any other group. Yet I have never heard another group pull off an exact sounding cover of any of their songs. If I want to listen to incredible musicians I throw on a Rush album,if I want to rock I listen to the Stones. If there is another live album that comes close it might be Lynyrd Skynyrd's "One More From The Road" The boys are smokin' on that one surpassing every one of their studio counterparts,but the Stones have more classics on one album than they have in their entire recording history. So, give me " Get Yer Ya ya's Out" with all it's raw wild power, because it rocks like no other blemishes and all! If I have one complaint about this album, they should have released the complete show. Satisfaction,Gimme Shelter and Under My Thumb to name a few songs done on that tour could have been added and their are incredible versions available in the movie Gimme Shelter of the Satisfaction and Gimme Shelter.

Yes, it's that good..........2007-05-19

This is one of the best records the Stones have ever released. It is concise, powerful, intense, and brilliantly played. It is amazing how well Mick Taylor melds into the band, so recently added as he was by the time this tour started. I'm not convinced that the strict lead/rhythm method the band took on during his tenure is the best sound for the band. I think Brian Jones and/or Ron Wood weaving their guitars with Keith is better than Taylor's more constricting format, but this is still an excellent highlight for that unique stage in the Stones' history. I can't imagine Love In Vain ever done better than here with Taylor demonstrating his slide chops and his additions to Jumping Jack Flash, Midnight Rambler, Sympathy, and Street Fighting Man are excellent as well.
Furthermore, the band is truly scary on Midnight Rambler, Street Fighting Man is exhilirating and leaves you breathless, Sympathy is quite different than the studio version with good lead work by both guitarists, and Live With Me and the Chuck Berry covers are as rocking as any band ever gets (as well as being Keith Guitar School 101). There is simply not a dull moment or a bad song on this entire set.
As Keith pummels you with the opening hammer of Jumping Jack Flash just after Sam Cutler introduces the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World, you may come to realize that this document is the evidence that proves his Beatle-bashing boast beyond any doubt.

Much better than Got Live.........2007-03-01

The first Stones Album, the first Live Album i ever bought was the first Stones Live Album and it was the first and only one i ever returned. I said the singing sucks and the playing is just damn awful. i was ready to give a whole list and fight to get my money back. Guess what? there was no argument, he agreed he said this was 'THE' album in the record section of Gimbel's Department Stores that has had the highest return to manufacturer at that time. I bought Ya-Ya's with a little please God let this be the one. It did not let me down. The Cover's and the Originals and singing plus Mick Taylor on Guitar was a corner stone to the album. I loved Brian Jones's work with the Stones and his betrayal was a key reason for the Stones sloppyness that was with them for a long time, included on their GLIYWI Album. Even though The Stones improved i still miss Brian Jones and his Musical Skills that made them hits. Can you imagine him on the Sitar and Mirimba at Concerts, today. Ya-Ya's Rocks, it did then, and in a Dinosaur Way, it still does.

My favorite Stones album.......2007-02-10

No question about it.
I could listen to The Rolling Stones covers of Chuck Berry's "Carol" and "Little Queenie" on this album
10 times a day every day for a year and never get sick of hearing'em.
"Midnight Rambler" played here is the definitive version of the tune.
The studio release pales in comparison.
The sleazy bluesy feel of "Rambler" captured on "Ya-Ya's" could never be duplicated in a recording studio.
The best part of this album though is in the first moments when a climactic energy seems to've gripped Madison Square Garden when the band is in the process of being introduced and taking the stage.You can practically feel the excitement and anticipation coming right thru your speakers from the crowd and the wild manner of the microphone announcements.It still brings chills to me imagining how that scene must've looked as it was playing out.
Again...my fave Stones record.A must have classic for your collection.

Average customer rating:

A wacky classic
Marvelous
music
Interesting
Should have won an Academy Award!!!

Everything Is Illuminated

Manufacturer: Tvt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Everything Is Illuminated
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Everything Is Illuminated
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ASIN: B000AYEIMW
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Tracks:

Paul Cantelon--Odessa Medley
Leningrad--Zvezda Rok-N-Rolla
Csokolom--Amari Szi Amari
Leningrad--Dikiy Muzhchina
Paul Cantelon--Prologue/Babushka
Paul Cantelon--Little Jonathan/The Wall
Gogol Bordello--Bublitschki
The Con Artists feat. Peter Miser Ya-takoy
Leningrad--Malen'kiy Mal'chik
Tin Hat Trio--Fear of the South
Paul Cantelon--River Of Collections
Paul Cantelon--Tank Graveyard/Valse de Suzana/Dee-yed
Paul Cantelon--Sunflowers
Paul Cantelon--War Is Love/eta-Ya
Paul Cantelon--Trachimbrod/Ressurection/Requiem
Paul Cantelon--Inside-Out
Gogol Bordello Start Wearing Purple

Album Description

"Everything Is Illuminated" is the directorial debut of actor Liev Schrieber and an adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's best-selling novel. A blend of high comedy and great tragedy, the film tells the story of a young American man, played by Elijah Wood (The Lord of The Rings trilogy), who journeys to the Ukraine to find the woman whom he believes saved his grandfather from the Nazis all those years ago.

The soundtrack features two new songs from high energy New York City based gypsy punks Gogol Bordello, including one track not on their current cd. (Note: Gogol Bordello's lead singer plays a role in "Everything Is Illuminated"). Also included are gypsy folk songs from Russia and the Ukraine by Leningrad, Arkadie Severmie, Csokolom and Tin Hat Trio. And finally, Paul Cantelon's ethnic score ties together this nicely cohesive soundtrack.

Customer Reviews:

A wacky classic.......2007-07-18

Passionate, inspired and exotic, this soundtrack truly captures the spirit of the movie as well as Safran Foer's brilliant first novel; it resonates with longing, heartbreak, and a totally unique sensibility; highly recommended.

Marvelous.......2007-06-13

This is an amazing soundtrack that highlights the two prevalent emotions in the film: hilarity and tragedy. Paul Cantelon deftly mixes an Eastern European feel with pure, gorgeous soundtrack music. Along for the ride are songs by genuinely fun and original bands. I never get tired of it. Sometimes, indeed, there are tracks I can't listen to simply because they're too sad - but then I switch to the upbeat, funny tunes, which always manage to entertain.

1. Odessa Medley: 9/10 - Enjoyable, with fun instruments. It builds up into an intricate array of instruments and melodies, and really picks up at the end, tempting you to let it sweep you along into the movie's crazy world. A great overture to the movie.
2. Leningrad, Zvezda Rok-N-Rolla: 8/10 - Oh, the drama! Leningrad is a Russian band. All of their songs on this album are crazy and fun and fit the craziness of the movie to a T. The horns are wonderful.
3. Csokolom, Amari Szi Amari: 10/10 - Superbly catchy, with that quirky, old feel dominant in the film, this song is a laidback sort of fun. It's the only song on the album not in Ukrainian, Russian, or English: it's Hungarian. This doesn't matter, however, because it fits so perfectly with the feel of the movie.
4. Leningrad, Dikiy Muzhchina: 10/10 - I LOVE this song. It's one my favorites here. The title means "Wild Man" in Russian, and it is definitely a very wild and (dare I say it again?) fun song. The lyrics really are just plain fun to sing along to, even if you don't speak Russian. You can practically feel the energy. In fact, I just now started to sing to it again...
5. Prologue/Babushka: 9.5/10 - This is where a darker mood begins to edge in. It sinks into a waltz that is more bittersweet than tragic, and then slows down to make way for a sweeping, haunting tune. Lovely.
6. Little Jonathan/The Wall: 9/10 - Playful, but once more in a bittersweet sort of way. After awhile it switches gears, swooshing up with energy, befores changing back to that haunting feeling of "Babushka" that I like to think of as simply The Past.
7. Gogol Bordello, Bublitschki: 8/10 - Time for some fun again. This instrumental piece by an immensely talented band (actually, Eugene Hutz, who plays Alex, is the lead singer of Gogol Bordello) mixes an irresistible beat with a traditional Slavic sound.
8. The Con Artists, Peter Miser, Ya-takoy: 9/10 - This definitely brings one back to the silliness of Alex in the beginning of the film. With snippets of his unbelievably hilarious dialogue and an urban beat going in the background, you'll be sucked right in.
9. Leningrad, Malen'kiy Mal'chik: 9/10 - Great fun! Leningrad never fails to entertain with this lazy collection of horns and vocals.
10. Tin Hat Trio, Fear of the South: 8/10 - Here's a piece to relax to. It's lighthearted and fresh.
11.Paul Cantelon, River of Collections: 9/10 - With breathy strings, "River of Collections" urges you quietly but with instistence along the river of The Past.
12. Paul Cantelon, Tank Graveyard/Valse de Suzana/Dee-yed: 9.5/10 - Here is the tragedy I've been referring to. It's sad. Almost unbearably so. It sweeps you up in the conflict of the characters, teasing you with peaks at the truth before fading back into the darkness.
13. Paul Cantelon, Sunflowers: 10/10 - Ukrainian, I believe. Haunting, with strong vocals that cast a spell.
14. Paul Cantelon, War Is Love/eta-Ya: 9.5/10 - It begins with lazy simplicity, but toward the end bursts into a powerful and urgent message.
15. Paul Cantelon, Trachimbrod/Ressurection/Requiem: 10/10 - Simply beautiful. About halfway through, the urgency of the previous tracks finally builds up for the climax, whooshing over you bitterly, sadly, and with almost a sense of determination. Again, it's tragic. You don't hear the lightheartedness of previous tracks, but the slight nudging of a past that doesn't want to haunt: it just wants to resolve itself. To exist.
16. Paul Cantelon, Inside-Out: 10/10 - And it does resolve itself. Here is another bittersweet piece. But this time, it carries a touch of enlightenment (illumination?) with it.
17. Gogol Bordello, Start Wearing Purple: 10/10 - This was the absolutely most perfect song the movie could have ended with. It switches the film seamlessly back into that feel of silly hilarity, single-handedly managing to leave the audience uplifted - a sore necessity for such a partly bleak film!

Overall, one of my favorite soundtracks out there. Whether you've seen the (remarkable) movie or not, get this! It is gorgeous, beautiful, fantastic, powerful, uplifting, and itching to tell you something you've known all your life but just can't quite grasp. In short, a brilliant piece of work.

music.......2007-06-02

does anyone know who sings the last song that plays on the movie trailer?

Interesting.......2007-03-18

Elijah Wood was surprising in his portrayal of the main charecter, who is a bit of a "nebish" or dweeb, and a collector of multitudenous often unthinkable items. His search of his family's past which takes him to the Ukraine, and the people he meets are
funny, amusing and often very moving. It's got a shocking thread to it,
but not without humor. I also liked the surprise ending. The music was great!

Should have won an Academy Award!!!.......2007-03-15

Funny, insightful, emotionally a rolling coaster and a must see.
Anita in Albuquerque Nm ....also a collector

Average customer rating:

The vibrant spirit of the South, from blues to Cajun
Great music
Divine Music of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood
looking for the name of a song
T-Bone Burnett does it again

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Evangeline Made: A Tribute to Cajun Music
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Full Screen)
Gods & Generals
Little Altars Everywhere: A Novel
Best of the Savoy Doucet Cajun Band

ASIN: B0000658AS
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Tracks:

Assi Dans La Fenetre De Ma Chambre - Blind Uncle Gaspard
Drug State - Jade Vincent
Found Love - Jimmy Reed
C'est Si Triste - Ann Savoy
Lulu Revenue Dans La Village - Ann Savoy
C'est Un Peche De Dire - Ann Savoy
My Mother's Son-In-Law - Macy Gray
Keeping Out Of Mischief Now - Taj Mahal
Little Rain - Jimmy Reed
Ain't That Lovin' You Baby? - Jimmy Reed
Dimming Of The Day - Richard & Linda Thompson
Selah - Lauryn Hill
Got Love If You Want It - Slim Harpo
Lonely Avenue - Ray Charles
Sitting At The Window Of My Room - Alison Krauss
Walk In Jerusalem - Mahalia Jackson
If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow - Tony Bennett
Waiting For You - Bob Dylan
The World Exploded Into Love - Bob Schneider

Amazon.com

With the soundtrack to Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, O Brother, Where Art Thou? producer T Bone Burnett has compiled another gently nostalgic gem. Filled with covers of jazz standards, sparse blues picking, and traditional Cajun pieces, Sisterhood matches Brother in ambiance and impeccable musicianship. The highlights are numerous: Bob Dylan's lively song waltzes with a raspy narrative, Lauryn Hill uses acoustic plucking to complement her soulful croon, and Bob Schneider contributes an understated love-ballad rumbling with piano. Even the cover songs are first-rate; Macy Gray jive-jumps through a faithful Billie Holiday cover, and Tony Bennett slows things down with a dapper and distinguished Nat "King" Cole homage. Despite the diffuse genres covered, the superior quality of Sisterhood's songs renders these differences negligible, and the album's pacing ensures a pleasing alternation of styles that never lags. In fact, there's nary a bad song on the entire album. The divine secret's out--Sisterhood is an essential listen. --Annie Zaleski

Customer Reviews:

The vibrant spirit of the South, from blues to Cajun.......2005-12-03

The excellent soundtrack to "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" is a divine gumbo full of juicy bits of blues (Slim Harpo, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles), gospel (Mahalia Jackson), lounge (Tony Bennett, Taj Mahal), back-porch Cajun fiddle (Ann Savoy, Blind Uncle Gaspard), bluegrass (Alison Krauss), R&B (Lauryn Hill, Macy Gray), even Bob Dylan makes an appearance. There were only two songs that I didn't care for: Drug State by Jade Vincent and Dimming of the Day by Richard and Linda Thompson. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the genius behind the massively successful O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, "Ya-Ya Sisterhood" does a great job capturing the diverse musical genres of the post-WWII South.

Great music.......2004-12-15

This is a Great CD for cruising in the car or even better cruising on the river . . The Pee Dee or the Waccamaw:)
Its a pretty good intro into Zydeco if you are unfamiliar with it. The modern pop stuff is pretty good too.

Divine Music of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood.......2003-10-05

The film is about how the wounds of the past affect the feelings and the behaviour of generations of some people and their families. The soundtrack plays an important role in it.

Who enjoyed the overwhelming presence of a quality cast in the film will not be disappointed with the soundtrack.

It is a soundtrack involved with feelings, exhaling different emotions in each track. Gorgeous performances of Lauryn Hill, Bob Schneider and Alison Krauss.

looking for the name of a song.......2003-08-31

Loved the movie, love the soundtrack, but I am looking for the name of the song near the end, where the band is playing for Vivi's birthday party. It is not in the soundtrack and is has a great sound to it. Does anyone know the name of that tune and the band playing it?

T-Bone Burnett does it again.......2003-08-14

Once more, after the incredible success of the OST for "O Brother, where art thou", the now-legendary producer comes back with the soundtrack to another very enjoyable movie. Although I could honestly live without the French-sung Ann Savoy tracks (which actually comprise the majority of the first half of the album), the rest of the songs really make a solid album. With classic tracks pulled from legends such as Jimmy Reed, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and Taj Mahal, combined with some truly exquisite songs by recent acts such as Lauryn Hill (her song, I simply love!) and Macy Gray, the album comes out as a very solid "follow-up" (if such a thing is fair to say) to "O Brother...", yet considerably more eclectic. In the end, I give it only four stars only because the stream of six songs opening the album really turn me off. It takes a little "patience" to get through them into the best material of the album, in my opinion.

Greatest Fits: The Best of How Big'a Boy Are Ya?

Average customer rating:

Grave Robbers!!
Roy D. is a rip off
this isn't even worth one star...
HYSTERICAL!
If you can't laugh at Roy D.Mercer, get a new funny bone...!

Greatest Fits: The Best of How Big'a Boy Are Ya?
Roy D. Mercer
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

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How Big 'a Boy Are Ya?, Vol. 7: Hangin' It Up
Roy D. Mercer Vs. Yankees
Get Well Soon
Black & Blue
How Big 'a Boy Are Ya?, Vol. 1

ASIN: B00004SQW1
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Bank Deposit
Girl's Shoes
Unlucky Charmer
Dead Hamster
Bird Dog
Travel Agency
Graveyard
Bad Apples
Dead Trees
Vet Bill
Fingernails
Hot Tape Deck
Bad Popcorn
Bowlin' Ball Fungus
Horse Feed
How Big'A Boy Are Ya?

Amazon.com

If you haven't yet fallen victim to Oklahoma's favorite ass-whuppin' shock jock, go ahead and let Roy D. Mercer beat you like cornbread batter this time around. Album volume 7 is a great place to start, since it compiles some of Brent Douglas and Phil Stone's funniest sketches of outrageous kvetches. The accusations hurled in these prank calls--a homespun alternative to the obscenities of The Jerky Boys--are classic Roy D., terrorizing a range of unsuspecting folk, from a cemetery custodian, bank clerk, and bowling alley owner to a shoe salesman (ordered to pay the psychiatric bills occasioned by selling girls' shoes to little "Joey Mercer"). With minimal sound effects (including some impressively realistic borborygmi suffered from eating "bad apples"), ol' Roy pursues his victims like Ahab after Moby. The only letdowns are in the anticlimactic candid-camera moments explaining how the callees (surprisingly few of whom have managed to cut Roy off entirely by then) have been set up by their friends. After which, you can be sure, the traitors are going to face some intense ass-whuppin' of their own. Not recommended for those recovering from surgery: there's too high a risk for popping your stitches. --Tom May

Customer Reviews:

Grave Robbers!!.......2006-09-17

Search for and buy "The Real Leroy Mercer is John Bean" CD. John Bean was the guy who did this first. His tapes were passed around by people for years and that's how he became so well known. This 'Roy D. Mercer' thing is a rip-off of John Bean who died in 1984 of cancer at the age of 33. 'Roy D. Mercer' is stealing John Bean's stuff. He imitates Bean's voice and steals the words and expressions he was famous for. You can patronize this theft or you can support the family of the real deal. John's stuff is better anyway.

Roy D. is a rip off.......2005-11-07

They got this off of a guy from Knoxville who did this in the early 80's. Go and hear the real stuff. Leroy Mercer, aka John Bean, is the real deal,not these theives.

this isn't even worth one star..........2005-07-01

Roy D. Mercer is a poor imitation of a really funny guy who used the name Leroy Mercer (see any similarities there?) for his prank calls. If you want to know the real story, do a search for Leroy Mercer aka John Bean. Unfortunately there is also another jerk imitating Johnny and he calls himself "Lee Roy Mercer". These men should be ashamed of themselves

HYSTERICAL!.......2005-02-11

Absolutely the most hilarious thing you could ever hear. I can listen to this over and over. I am a native oklahoman currently in Tulsa, OK and I have listened to Phil and Brent for years on KMOD doing ROY D MERCER. It's a running joke around my office and we are always imitating him! I totally recommend any of his CD's to everyone. I bet $100 you won't be able to keep a straight face! KEEP ON WHOOPIN @$$ ROY D!

If you can't laugh at Roy D.Mercer, get a new funny bone...!.......2004-10-07

Roy D. Mercer is the "down home" version of the Jerky Boys, the brainchild of Oklahoma DJs Phil and Brent. He is the radio version of getting Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher, that is if Ashton had a Southern accent. Through nearly a dozen CDs he has caught many an unsuspecting caller with a threat of an "ass-whoopin'", mainly thanks to the caller's friends/family/co-workers who set up the calls to see if they can get them (the intended victim) riled up.

"Greatest Fits" takes some of the best pranks from the first 6 volumes of the "How Big a Boy Are Ya?" series and combines them into one sweet package for the consumate Mercer fan and/or neophyte to enjoy.

Truly the best of the bunch has to be "Bad Apples" where Roy calls a grocer and asks to see if he can get a delivery of certain items due to the fact that he ate a few apples that have left him with a bad case of diarrhea (the sound effects are hilarious enough that even I was left in the floor, as Roy says during the skit, "doubled up with a gut-ache" from laughing so hard). Also great is "Dead Trees" where Roy calls a woman requesting compensation for several trees that died thanks to a herbicide advertised in a newsletter that the woman suggested. But when Roy threatens her with the customary "ass-whuppin", she turns the tables and dares HIM to bring it!

My personal favorite is "Horse Feed", where Roy calls a woman requesting payment over cancelled horse riding groups after one of the horses has a little problem (or should I say a BIG problem)after eating the horse feed from her shop, a fact the shop owner finds hilarious, laughing through the entire phone call. The clincher comes when Roy tells the woman that his wife, Sharon Jean, is "gonna kick [her]ass so hard [she'll]have to clear her throat to fart".

Whether you are a fan of the HBaBAY? series or just getting started in, you definitely need to make room for Greatest Fits into your collection...

The Music Man (1957 Original Broadway Cast) [Angel Reissue]

Average customer rating:

Music Man
One of This Country's Finest Musicals Beautifully Re-Mastered
We need a new remaster, nonetheless
Accept no substitutes!
Preston and Cook are the best ever

The Music Man (1957 Original Broadway Cast) [Angel Reissue]

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000002SNL
Release Date: 1992-11-17

Tracks:

Act I. Overture/Rock Island - Vern Reed
Act I. Iowa Stubborn - Ensamble
Act I. Ya Got Trouble - Robert Preston/Ensemble
Act I. Piano Lesson - Barbara Cook/Pert Kelton
Act I. Goodnight My Someone - Barbara Cook
Act I. Seventy-Six Trombones - Robert Preston
Act I. Sincere - Buffalo Bills
Act I. The Sadder But Wiser Girl For Me - Robert Preston
Act I. Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little - Asnia Rice, Peggy Mondo, Elain Swann, Helen Raymond, Martha Flynn, Robert Preston
Act I. Goodnight Ladies/Marian The Librarian - Robert Preston, Buffalo Bills
Act I. My White Knight - Barbara Cook
Act I. Wells Fargo Wagon - Eddie Hodges, Ensemble
Act II. It's You - Buffalo Bills
Act II. Shipoopi - Iggie Wolfington, Ensemble
Act II. Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You? - Buffalo Bills, Barbara Cook
Act II. Gary, Indiana - Eddie Hodges
Act II. Till There Was You - Barbara Cook, Robert Preston
Act II. Finale - Robert Preston, Barbara Cook, Ensemble

Amazon.com

Although Robert Preston and Barbara Cook put in stellar performances, it's the music that's the star of this hugely successful document of the 1958 Broadway smash. Written entirely by Meredith Willson, it drew from memories of his childhood in a small Midwestern town. Preston plays a traveling salesman/con artist, while Cook is the dull spinster "Marian the Librarian," whose love for Preston's character makes her come alive. "Seventy-Six Trombones" has become a marching band standard, while "Ya Got Trouble" (featuring dizzying fast-talk from Preston) and "'Til There Was You" (with a gorgeous vocal from Cook) remain well known even among those who have never seen the show. The latter was also a favorite of the Beatles, who covered it on their first album. --Dawn Eden

Customer Reviews:

Music Man.......2007-02-09

The original cast recording brings back the memory of the live production I saw which will always be superior, in my opinion, to the movie version. However, the movie was one of the better "reproductions" of this genre.

One of This Country's Finest Musicals Beautifully Re-Mastered.......2006-11-23

THE MUSIC MAN opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957 to rave reviews from the critics, adulations from the captivated audiences, and the beginning of a long run. This wondrous musical is an 'opera' of sorts in that the piece is not a series of songs connected by the usual musical comedy spoken dialogue. Meredith Willson wrote the music and lyrics in such a way that there is not an extraneous note or word that doesn't contribute to the totality of the work.

Despite the multiple reincarnations of this brilliant show both on film and recording, none of them compares to this original cast. Imagine Barbara Cook (lithe, and new) as Marian the Librarian: Cook still reigns as one of our finest voices on the stage and cabaret rooms today. Robert Preston is not only rich in personality he also delivers the immensely complex patter songs with deft authority. And the Buffalo Bills add the multiple barbershop quartet numbers with authentic sound and professionalism.

This musical holds all of the joys and imaginations and longings that we all hold so dear in our memories of how things used to be - and it is so terrific to return to that stage of ecstasy again. This is a must own CD. Grady Harp, November 06

We need a new remaster, nonetheless.......2006-10-22

A very interesting photo on the liner booklet's back cover demonstrates the one real flaw in this otherwise classic recording: it shows Robert Preston at the album sessions singing at two mikes, a fat Neumann with a Capitol flag and a skinny one, probably an AKG. This can only mean Capitol recorded this in simultaneous mono and stereo takes. With all that knob twiddling the balance had to go off, a problem not entirely corrected by the reissue engineer Bob Norberg, whose remasterings of Ol' Blue's Capitol mono output have earned scorn from some Sinatraphiles for their slight fake echo and stereo effects. (He remastered just about every album in the Broadway Angel series; the monos all appear to have the echo and stereo.) I guess we should be happy to have this in any form at all given how the other majors turned it down. Capitol was late and indifferent to the cast album trade, and it only had three hits before making its monumental closing botch of "Follies." However the label approached it it's still a great and exciting score perfectly performed. Who could have imagined a hit musical with a barbershop quartet? And if only all women could sing like Barbara Cook! Who says you can have too much of a good thing?

With the show's fiftieth anniversary coming up (!) now would be a good time for a remaster. (I know, I know, I'm tired of paying repeatedly for the same product too, but this deserves it.) It should include a second disc with the 1959 Capitol documentary LP "And Then I Wrote 'The Music Man'", where Meredith Willson and his wife Rini detail the eight years of trials and rewrites behind the show. Nor would it hurt to have bonuses like Willson's original take on "Till There Was You" (called "Till I Met You," which Fran Warren evidently first sang on "The Big Show") or a few licensed pop balladeers of the day -- and maybe examples like the 70s jingle for the late lamented Oldsmobile ("Oh ho the new Oldsmobile is a -- comin' down the line...."). It must also include Willson's contentious JFK physical fitness tune "Chicken Fat", recorded about the time "The Music Man" was filmed and available only on oddball Web music sites, where Preston yells and grunts himself into an athletic -- passion. (I keep thinking Allan Sherman recorded a full version of his notorious parody "76 Sol Cohens", but I guess he didn't.) The whole thing should end with a live public-radio performance from 1980 or 1981 where Willson led the superb Detroit Concert Band in "76 Trombones" and "The Stars and Stripes Forever" -- an apt and brilliant finish.

No, I have not forgotten the Beatles, but I fear neither have their lawyers.

Accept no substitutes!.......2006-08-22

This the best version of "The Music Man" available, especially if you're looking for the Broadway cast. The performances here are all terrific, the recording and mastering are great, and the liner notes are informative and thorough. "The Music Man" is available in several other versions and forms, including other releases of the same original cast recording, but without the good mastering or liner notes found here. My wife and I, hoping to listen to this great show with our kids, first purchased other versions that were easier to find (e.g., on iTunes) and those were major disappointments. Buy this CD (Broadway Classics from Angel) and accept no substitutes.

Preston and Cook are the best ever.......2006-07-15

Yes, the film is a delight, and Shirley Jones is certainly good as Marian. But the original cast album of this wonderful musical remains the best version ever, mostly thanks to Barbara Cook, whose voice was and remains a miracle of rare device to listen to.

For years I thought I was the only person who was in love with her voice, wearing out vinyl LPs of this musical with replaying. Then, in the early 80s I saw Cook in a one woman show in London, and discovered I was part of a fanatical following! The other reviews here on Amazon confirm the truth: there is only one truly great Marian, Madam Librarian.

Watch the movie, which is a terrific adaptation of the stage show, go to professional and amateur revivals of the musical, but buy this recording of the score for repeated listening. There is nothing better.

Average customer rating:

M.S.B.
Good Music!!!
TAKES ME BACK TO MY HEY DAY...
A carbon copy of a carbon copy...
A Great "Best Of" CD By A Phenomenal Band!!!

Right Back at Ya (1971-1983)
Michael Stanley Band
Manufacturer: Razor & Tie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Heartland
Stage Pass
Coming up for Air
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Donnie Iris
The Best of Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes

ASIN: B000002Z6Z
Release Date: 1993-03-26

Tracks:

Roseweed Bitters
Let's Get The Show On The Road
One Good Reason
Strike Up The Band
Midwest Midnight
Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind
Why Should Love Be This Way
We're Not Strangers Anymore
Lover
He Can't Love You
In The Heartland
Somewhere In The Night
Falling In Love Again
In Between The Lines
Someone Like You
My Town

Customer Reviews:

M.S.B........2007-06-27

I think the cd is awsome!, I am very pleased with it. I listen to it all the time.

Good Music!!!.......2005-12-17

Although non-inclusive, this is a very good album. If you were in NE Ohio in the 70's or 80's, you'll remember EVERY one of these songs. If not, you'll enjoy this anyway. Without question, Michael Stanley was the top local ( and, midwestern regional) band during that period. That record companies turned such a blind eye, is crazy. Rolling Stone magazine, in their History of Rock, called them them, in essence, the 'best american band that never became huge stars'. Listen, and you may well wonder, too.

TAKES ME BACK TO MY HEY DAY..........2005-10-10

WHAT A BLAST FROM THE PAST. WHEN I ATTENDED MUC(COLLEGE) MSB CAME
AND PLAYED MANY DATES AND REALLY ROCKED THE HOUSE(GYM).IT WAS THE
ALL TIME ALLIANCE AND CLEVELAND AREA PARTY BAND AND I OFTEN RAN
INTO MICHAEL WHEN I WAS PLAYING OUT OR JUST CHILLIN' IN THE FLATS
THE PARTY CENTRAL OF THE LATE 80'S. THIS IS THE BEST COMPILATION
OF ALL THEIR BEST HITS. A MUST HAVE FOR THE COLLECTOR WHO WANTS TO GET SOME BANG FOR THEIR BUCK, THIS IS THE ONE. THE HITS ARE
TIMELESS AND STILL ONE OF THE ALL TIME CLEVELAND AREA TOP FEEL
GOOD BANDS. HERE'S TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS GUYS. LOVE YA... TENA

A carbon copy of a carbon copy..........2005-06-14

One of the worst things about day-to-day survival in the city of Cleveland is the amount of second-rate celebrities that meander around town. Even though they have some talent and some energy, somehow, they just don't have whatever it takes to move on to bigger markets. Usually, Cleveland celebs shoot for the moon, but end up falling back to earth like a lead balloon.

Michael Stanley and his Band are but one example of dozens. As a writer and performer, Stanley produced and recorded material throughout his career by mimicking the styles and arrangements of more popular acts at various times, such as James Taylor, Bob Seger and later on, Bruce Springsteen.

That was enough to land him a steady job as a Cleveland act, but even though Stanley toured the nation with his band at several junctures, this milquetoast approach never really was picked up by anyone outside the area of Northeast Ohio. It's hard to imagine why.

The songs that are on this album are all okay, if you don't have anything else better to listen to, but that's just the point. The music on this CD is the musical equivalent of a carbon copy of a carbon copy. Why listen to Michael Stanley trying to sound like Bruce Springsteen when you can listen to Bruce Springsteen?

In the meantime, there have been numerous Stanley sightings here in town since this CD's release date. Rumor has it that he might be planning a more permanent gig as a local news reporter.
I guess I would encourage him to do that. Oh well. Life's imperfect, anway...

A Great "Best Of" CD By A Phenomenal Band!!! .......2004-07-24

This was the first compilation CD of reissued Michael Stanley Band material. At the time, it was wholeheartedly welcomed as most of us thought that we'd NEVER see the entire MSB catalogue on CD. But thanks to Razor & Tie, eventually the whole MSB catalogue was reissued on CD.

That being said, this is a great CD for new fans of MSB or for those looking for a MSB "Best Of" CD. Sound quality is great, and the song selection, for the most part, is impeccable.

A "More Of The Best Of" MSB disc followed this release, entitled "Misery Loves Company, More Of The Best 1975 - 1983".

here's a review of the songs on this cd:

1. Rosewood Bitters - The first song on the first side of the first Michael Stanley album. Nice early version recorded back in 1973.

2. Let's Get the Show on the Road - Taken from the second Michael Stanley album, Friends & Legends. Eventually evolved into a MONSTER live song (check out the "Stage Pass" album!!!).

3. One Good Reason - From Ladies Choice (1976). A nice version, but I prefer the live version found on "Stage Pass".

4. Strike up the Band- From Ladies Choice (1976). A nice version, but I prefer the live version found on "Stage Pass". Evolved into a show-closing rocking encore song.

5. Midwest Midnight - Taken From "Stage Pass". Michael calls this the most honest songs he's written. I'd have to agree.

6. Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind - Also from "Stage Pass". Not much to say except that is a BEAUTIFUL song.

7. Why Should Love Be This Way - From "Cabin Fever" - A nice ballad that should've been a hit. It wasn't.

8. We're Not Strangers Anymore - From "Greatest Hints", a joke that seemed to pass by most people. A moving rocker.

9. Lover - From the "Heartland album. A perennial favorite. Great to hear live with the crowd singing the "Thank God for the man who put the white lines on the highway" lyric.

10. He Can't Love You - Also from the "Heartland album. This Kevin Raleigh song brought much attention to MSB. A GREAT video for this song was filmed in and around Cleveland. A radio staple.

11. In the Heartland - Oddly not from the "Heartland" album, but the "North Coast" album. This song flat out rocks. Another should've been a hit.

12. Somewhere in the Night - From the "North Coast" album. A great song that gets even better live.

13. Falling in Love Again - A heartfelt love song from the "North Coast album. Why was this song NOT a hit?

14. In Between the Lines - A blazing rocker from the "MSB album.

15. Someone Like You - From the "You Can't Fight Fashion" album. Simply put, NOT one of my favorites. A song that starts nowhere and then takes forever to get there.

16. My Town - From the "You Can't Fight Fashion" album. A great rock song, about MY Town, and likely yours as well. This MSB song appears on more compilation CDs than any other.

This is a GREAT place to start your MSB CD collection. After you fall in love with these songs you can start filling in the missing pieces with the CDs reissues of each MSB album.

Buy this, put it in your car stereo, go riding, and CRANK IT UP!!!

Average customer rating:

Very Proud Of Ya
The Good Old Days
Good, if a bit generic
AFI's SECOND classic
love.this.album.

Very Proud of Ya
AFI
Manufacturer: Nitro Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Shut Your Mouth & Open Your Eyes
Answer That and Stay Fashionable
All Hallow's EP
Sing the Sorrow
Decemberunderground

ASIN: B000003J1L
Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

He Who Laughs Last...
File 13
Wake-Up Call
Cult-Status
Perfect Fit
Advances In Modern Technology
Theory Of Revolution
This Secret Ninja
Soap-Box Derby
Aspirin Free
Fishbowl
Charles Atlas
Crop Tub
Consult My Lover
Take The Test
Two Of A Kind
Shatty Fatmas
Yurf Rendenmeim
Cruise Control
Modern Epic

Album Description

This album is A.F.I.'s 1st release on Nitro Records and is packed full of melodic hardcore. 20 tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Very Proud Of Ya.......2006-07-10

AFI-Very Proud Of Ya *****

It's kind of like really great sex. Very fast and powerful and ends just like it began, on top, and in the end your left with a feeling of satisfaction, well that's Very Proud Of Ya by AFI. Very Proud Of Ya is the bands first album on Nitro records as well as one of the best. Havocs fantastic vocals mixed with the Misfit influenced guitar and rhythm section makes for one mean punk album. Now keep in mind this isn't your little sisters AFI, this is good straight up hardcore-old fashioned punk rock at its most pure and best.

`He Who Laughs Last' `File 13' `Soap Box Derby' `Theory Of Revolution' and `Consult My Lover' are all excellent examples of what AFI started out as, a hardcore punk band. On Very Proud Of Ya this are the five songs that to most stand out the most. `Consult My Lover' might as well be changed to Very Proud Of You and made the title track. The chorus on this track alone is worth the perches of the album, easily Davy Havocs best vocal performance on the album by far.

Songs like `Crop Tub' `Cult Status' `Take The Test' and `Fishbowl' while they aren't as good as the before mentioned songs and while they don't stand out as much they are still very good very solid songs, its these songs that hold the album together in between the classics.

To review Very Proud Of Ya by AFI and not mention `Perfect Fit' would just simply put not do the album justice. It is to AFI what `Devilock' was to the Misfits. It's that rare classic that was mixed in with the shuffle and over looked by many but is truly on of the very best things the band has ever recorded. The guitar alone is some of the best they ever played and Havocs lyrics and vocal delivery is among his career best.

It's a shame AFI refuses to play their older music such as the material on this album and really anything before Sing The Sorrow, as if the music is inferior to the new when in reality it's by far superior and is what made the band what they are today. So while AFI may have forgotten their roots you don't have too so this is highly recommended to anyone who is reading this.

The Good Old Days.......2006-06-27

If you started listening to AFI when this cd was released then you know they changed the sound big time. For me that is when I said "I 'll just stick to the first two cds". I'm really not in to thier whole new "hardcore" style they have now. I just saw the video on MTV for the latest single and boy what a laugh. I guess it happens to a lot of bands. But it sucks when they change from a band you like to hear, to band that hurts your ears. I still remember seeing them open up for Guttermouth in 1996 and then hearing this cd played in the record store, buying it like a week after it came out and having many bedroom concerts..hahaha Those were The Good Old Days.

Good, if a bit generic.......2006-05-30

Much like "Answer That and Stay Fashionable" (which was released before "Very Proud of Ya" on a different label before being rereleased by Nitro after the latter was released) this is AFI in their punk phase, before the harder and darker influences began to take over. This release is slightly darker than their previous release in that their are no real novelty songs and most of its tunes tend to have a "dark" focus, but its still basically three quickly played chords backing up Davey's whiney voice. I group this one with their first record because its basically the same sound, if a little more developed.

Despite the development I don't like this one as much as ATaSF because the latter can be listened to straight through while this one has some songs that I don't really like that much ("Take the Test" and "Crop Tub" for example) though it does have the BEST songs out of the two releases. Songs like the catchy "This Secret Ninja", the amazing "Perfect Fit", and the dark "Advances in Modern Technology" outshine the best on Answer That's songs in my opinion. Unfortunatey they all come towards the start of the record and most of the other ones are not that good or only okay. The average song on here is still good punk rock and its worth your time if you enjoy that kind of thing. Its nothing earth shattering but its a solid record and it beats the hell out of Sing the Sorrow.

AFI's SECOND classic.......2006-05-08

This was AFI's second album, and their first nitro album. This is one of my favorite of their releases. I think that alot of people misinterperate this album. Number 1: It's not punk!!! AFI never claimed to be punk!! So quite calling it punk. I'm dissapointed in these reviews. I'm the only person who loves both Sing the Sorrow and Very Proud of Ya'!! This album was much better than the next two. The chord progressions were much more catchy and creative. Geoff is a great bassist. Him and Davey did most of the song-writing in the early years. This album had better chorus melodies than the next album, too. I personally think the lyrics on this album were actually much more straight-forward, and serious on this album. It just comes off funny because most "hardcore kids" don't see things the same way as Davey. He must have been pretty serious when he wrote Cruise Control! For once! Someone who's not a self-endulgent pig! Anyway, my favorite songs are Two of a Kind (darker than the Answer That version), Cult Status, Consult my Lover, Take the Test, Modern Epic, and Advances in Modern Technology. Get this album, along with every other AFI release!

love.this.album........2006-04-30

This is such a good album. Just like Answer That and Stay Fashionable, it's filled with really fun and fast songs from AFI's earlier years. It's great to listen to!!!

Average customer rating:

Already a "Dirty Little" Classic
Can't argue with his logic or his talent
The Meaning Of Life
A Blast of Refreshingly Pungent Air
mercy

Life'll Kill Ya
Warren Zevon
Manufacturer: Artemis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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My Ride's Here
The Wind
Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School
Sentimental Hygiene
Mutineer

ASIN: B00003XASS
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

I Was In The House When The House Burned Down
Life'll Kill Ya
Porcelain Monkey
For My Next Trick I'll Need A Volunteer
I'll Slow You Down
Hostage-O
Dirty Little Religion
Back In The High Life Again
My Shit's Fucked Up
Fistful Of Rain
Ourselves To Know
Don't Let Us Get Sick

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Early in his ninth studio album, Warren Zevon sings of Elvis Presley: "He was an accident waiting to happen... Most accidents happen at home." Zevon's own demon-infested past, still-mordant humor, and post-midlife peace of mind meet on Life'll Kill Ya, his finest effort in more than a decade. From visions of decay ("I Was in the House When the House Burned Down") to hopes of deliverance ("Don't Let Us Get Sick" and a cover of Steve Winwood's "Back in the High Life"), Zevon makes a compelling statement of strength and cockeyed wisdom. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Already a "Dirty Little" Classic.......2006-07-14

I love the way Warren Zevon uses words...he plays with them, he creates strange and interesting images, he creates an emotional tug that makes his listeners --his fans-- feel at once off-balance and at the same time ready for more. His songs drip with a sense of humor and dry wit that never grows old...and this cd stands as a shining example.

Love is a very old topic...one that in lesser hands could feel very tired, very worn. But this is Warren Zevon. Only he could write something as completely whacked and yet surprisingly tender and sentimental as the sardonic "For My Next Trick I'll Need a Volunteer" (track #4): "I can saw a woman in two/ but you won't want to look in the box when I do/ I can make love disappear/ for my mext trick I'll need a volunteer..." He continues to paint with queer brush-strokes ("I will be your hostage-o"?) and yet each strange lyric feels like a bullseye. It feels right.

Anyone who feels that Warren Zevon was a one-trick pony with one lone hit ("Werewolves of London") needs to take a closer look. He is heartfelt, deeply moving (consider track #5, "I'll Slow You Down")...he is bizarre (look at "Porcelain Monkey," a song in which the main character is caught "eating fried chicken with his regicidal friends")...and he's brilliant.

This is a near-perfect album (the only glitch is that it doesn't contain my absolute favorite Zevon song, "Carmelita," which has been described -and I have to agree- as the "prettiest song about addiction I've ever heard").

Can't argue with his logic or his talent.......2006-03-29

Warren Zevon is down right clever. You can appreciate his humorous lyrics but also realize there is a definite message within this group of songs. I'm sure at the time, Warren knew of his cancer and a handful of these songs portray his outlook. The title track, "Life'll Kill Ya", "I'll Slow You Down", "Hostage-O", and "Don't Let Us Get Sick" all fall in that boat. Most direct and to the point is "My S--t's F---ed Up". The s--t is the cancer, and it's all wrong (F---ed up) because nothing can cure the disease. The depressive blues arrangement fits the lyrics perfectly. Speaking of clever, track 9 is not listed on the outside cover which is for public view. I don't know who's idea it was, but it sounds like an idea of Warren's.
Warren leans heavily on acoustic guitar for tracks within this release. "I Was in the House When the House Burned Down", "For My Next Trick I'll Need a Volunteer", "Hostage-O", "Dirty Little Religion", "Ourselves to Know" and "Don't Let Us Get Sick" all follow that format. The beautiful "Hostage-O" particularly stands out. Warren is very seldom complimented for his vocals but he deserves accolades for his singing here.
"I'll Slow You Down" is one of the few electrical tracks and it comes across like a Roger McGuinn/Byrds composition. His rendition of Steve Winwood's "Back in the High Life" is excellent. I think he chose to do that song to portray cautious
optimism regarding his future. "Fistful of Rain" has superior background soulful vocals. Curtis King is one of the vocalists. He has performed for a handful of artists such as Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, and Ry Cooder to name a few. His long time bassist, Jorge Calderon again joins him for this project and is professional as usual.
An excellent release. After listening to it from beginning to end, you will appreciate not only Warren's talent but courage as well.

The Meaning Of Life.......2005-11-07

Some artists are born with a divine vocation to enrich the meaning of our lives. A most personal, intimate revelation from such an artist will evolve into a universal light - an intense showering of sparks from one who is/was, as Kerouac would say, born to "burn, burn, burn like a fabulous roman candle". Warren had his one and only hit record in 1978: history's most literate party song, "Werewolves Of London". On the album, Life'll Kill Ya", Zevon begins with the concept of a the faded and jaded rock star, presumably inspired by the liberation from his former label and the disappointment of two massive commercial failures, "Mutineer" and "Mr Bad Example" (despite being two of his best albums). This premise affords his deepest self-examination. The universal light, however, from this album is the laughing-in-the-face of death relentless visionquest for truth and beauty in the life.

"I Was In The House When The House Burned Down" comes closer to telling Zevon's life story than any other song in his catalogue. It only recently occurred to me that part of the magic of the song lies in the way it elucidates how generations of people fought the good fight until the Seventies gave them the choice between the devil (go into advertising, publishing, the film industry, moderate politics or corporate rock) and the Lord, literally, because "you gotta serve somebody", even if you happen to be Bob Dylan. Zevon sings, with the conviction of someone who lived his own words, "I was in house when the house burned down / I met the man with the thorny crown / I helped him carry his cross through town". Yes, sometimes the holiest of holiest vocations will make a martyr out of you. This song is the best folk-rock you will ever hear, built around blazing harmonica and acoustic rhythm guitar.

The title track is introduced by a Randy Newman-esque piano solo - a whimsical melody cutting through the centre of the song and sustaining it. Zevon sings about death but his meaning, again, applies to life. In a song that also refers to "awful, awful diseases" which would later, ironically, seize upon him, there is something so pretty about the simple words, "Life'll find you wherever you go".

Sounding the most like the kind of material that first made Zevon famous, that unashamed easy West-Coast FM swagger and sway, "Porcelain Monkey" is the flip-side to "Graceland": "He threw it away for a porcelain monkey ...It's a rockabilly ride from the glitter to the gloom ... He traded it in for a night in Las Vegas ..." But where is the light? The chosen imagery conjures up Faustian implications and beckons the question: what price for a soul?

The best account I can give of "For Next Trick I'll Need A Volunteer" and its catholic quality is to say it has been, since the very first time I heard it, the only song I want played at my funeral. It is also fitting that I played the song incessantly on repeat when I personally fulfilled my life-long dream of directing my first feature film. It's that kind of song. Everyone one of us knows the feeling it captures: "It's lonely up here/When the tricks have been played/And the spotlights have faded". Zevon's humor balances perfectly with a humble, sad guitar strum and more breathy harmonica.

On "I'll Slow You Down" Zevon allows his vocals to be frail and it is incredibly evocative; a work of greater honesty and genuine human emotion than its closest relative - John Lennon's "Crippled Inside".

"Hostage-O" is the big love ballad. Sort of. It would be impossible to be more open-hearted and lay it all on the line: "I can see me bound and gagged / Dragged behind the clownmobile / You can treat me like a dog / If you make me feel what others feel". It's a love song, all right: one written for his fans.

"Dirty Little Religion" is a deliriously delicious up-tempo blues that strikes at the very heart of rock and roll, merging the sacred and the secular, just like Elvis, Ray Charles, Prince and the masters that came before them: "I'll make a dirty little religion out of lovin'".

Normally, a cover version would be out of place, especially on a masterpiece, but Zevon makes "Back In The High Life Again" his own. Although a gentle, quiet translation, the song still resonates much louder than Steve Winwood's original because Zevon is equal parts blessed and burdened with the gift and grasp of irony.

"My S***'s F***** up" starts out like a classic Groucho Marx routine: "I went to the doctor / I said I'm feeling kinda rough / Let me break it to you, son / Your s***'s f***** up". How can you not love it? The words, themselves, make the music; it's a talking blues like the kind Dylan perfected on "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan".

"Fistful Of Rain", a very fine folk waltz, further endears and defines Zevon's whole Quixotic visionquest: "In a heart there are windows and doors / You can let the light in / You can feel the wind blow / When there's nothing to lose / And nothing to gain / Grab a hold of that fistful of rain".

The beauty is in the chase, even when you are chasing the holy grail, itself, as Zevon and his protagonists do in "Ourselves To Know". Ever so compassionately, he extends the metaphor to include himself and his peers, many of whom didn't survive the journey of life: "Everyone got famous / Everyone got rich / Everyone went of the rails and landed in a ditch". Zevon's vocal performace here is one of the best of his entire career. He still sounds smart but he has never sounded more impassioned.

And "Don't Let Us Get Sick" is one of the best songs Zevon has ever written; indeed, one of the greatest songs ever written. He may still snarl a little when he sings "Don't let us get stupid all right" and, let's face it, he, more than any other artist in past 30 years, has suffered the injustice that emanates from the inherent shallowness of popular culture. But there is no bitterness here, whatsoever. There is, instead, humanity beyond measure, rejoicing in the pan-ultimate beauty and truth of living: "The moon has a face / And it smiles on the lake / And causes the ripples in Time / I'm lucky to be here / With someone I like / Who maketh my spirit to shine".

Zevon was often considered obtuse and aloof by more mainstream critics, who were all too slavish to popular culture and mindless trends. Some said he was too clever for his own good, in that annoying way like a car with buttons for everything. With "Life'll Kill Ya", he laid his heart bare and unleashed an inspirational blood-letting that proved once and for all how human he was, like the rest of us. The album is heartbreaking and heart-warming, all at once. Not only is "Life'll Kill Ya" the best album Zevon ever made, it is one of the greatest recordings you'll ever hear.

A Blast of Refreshingly Pungent Air.......2005-02-23

After several years out of the 'scene,' Warren Zevon played a tape of his new songs for Jackson Browne. Browne asked him who he was making an album for, and Zevon told him "no one." A few calls later, Zevon had a deal with Danny Goldberg's Artemis Records, and I'm sure no fan has ever been sorry.

He blasts us in the face from the get-go, with the Dylanesque folk fire of "I Was In the House When the House Burned Down," takes us through a couple of more-or-less typical Zevon moments (the title track, "I'll Slow You Down"), and then slaps us with "Hostage-O," a plea for help coming from the side of everyone who feels remote and emotionally helpless. ("You can treat me like a dog if you make me feel like others feel.") Brilliant.

He winds up the album with "Don't Let Us Get Sick." At the time it was sad and poignant, now it just wipes you out. ("Don't let us get sick/Don't let us get old/Don't let us get stupid, all right?/Just let us be brave/And make us play nice/And let us be together tonight.")

His observations are offset by sparse, mostly folky accompaniment (acoustic guitar, bass, percussion..a little piano).

Powerful, pungent, emotionally raw and fantastic.

mercy.......2005-01-10

Warren Zevon was one of the greats of rock and we hardly knew him. His lyrics always respect and even demand the intelligence of the listener. His songs were full of a basic decency, compassion and sadness.
His decency was disguised by cuss words and snarling wit - or should I say his decency was revealed by cuss words and a snarling wit? His moral compass was as perfect and as pure as the snows that are driven over the north-pole.
His songs were full of compassion because he took the place of us mortals and suffered with us all that we suffer - alienation, doubt, momentary ecstasys, and thwarted hope. He always told the truth and like most truth tellers he hardly ever got credit for it.
His songs towards the end were sad though the sadness was sometimes disguised. He had lost faith in the power of satire (if he ever really had it) and come to mourn over the complexities we call human living.
He was one of the greats and we hardly ever really knew him. We should hold him in our hearts for at least a bit more than a little while.

Average customer rating:

defining an era
Sylvester's Tour De Force Album
Sylvester's Best L.P. of the 80's!
Sylvester - All I need 1982
True 80s disco funk! A must for anyone into CLASSIC retro

Do Ya Wanna Funk
Sylvester
Manufacturer: Unidisc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Disco | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | R&B | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Sylvester - Greatest Hits
The Original Hits
Living Proof
Mutual Attraction
Lime - Greatest Hits

ASIN: B0000074A6
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Tracks:

Do Ya Wanna Funk
All I Need
Be With You
Hard Up
Don't Stop
Tell Me [Remix]
Won't You Let Me Love You
Be With You [Remix]
Don't Stop [Remix]
Do Ya Wanna Funk [Remix]
Do Ya Wanna Funk [Radio Edit]

Album Details

The late entertainer's finest artistic achievement was his 1982 LP 'All I Need', originally on Megatone Records. The original no longer exists on CD, but this resequenced disc combines all the tracks of that LP plus extras for an entirely new package. the track "Do You Wanna Funk" is one of the hallmarks of HI-Nrg and was also the final recording by Patrick Cowley, the pioneering electronic musician. Features Three versions of the title track (Original, remix & radio edit) plus much more.

Customer Reviews:

defining an era.......2007-02-05

if i could take one album that could without a doubt hold the energy and excitment of the disco era it is Sylvesters masterpiece work here.this album not only encapsulates the heart and talent of this late artist but what the era was all about. six stars!!!!!!!This album is iconic.

Sylvester's Tour De Force Album.......2005-08-20

This album was orginally released as All I Need, and the title track is a fun post-Disco romp. Do You Wanna Funk is no doubt the song that most would consider the biggest hit off this release, but this track was released months before this album and was already a hit on it's own.

Don't Stop is the standout track here and it is to me one of his greatest Disco tracks ever. This song takes the best of late 70's Disco and reworked it for the 80's, without loosing anything in the translation.

Hard Up is VERY notable for the video made to support it was the first video by a black male artist to be featured on MTV
(sorry Michael Jackson, and just deal with it). Be With You is another great track and the line about being with someone in heaven proved to be an erie foreshawdoing.

Most of what is currently offered of this awesome talent is various greatest hit packages, so it is great to see this studio album being offered on CD.

See also my review of Living Proof.

Sylvester's Best L.P. of the 80's!.......2001-08-11

This cd which is released on the Canadian label Unidisc was originally released (on L.P.) on the Megatone label in 1982. Electronic synthesizer master Patrick Cowley (who died in the early 80's) was an innovator in this hi-nrg electronic sound (as was Giorgio Moroder in the 70's) and both Sylvester and Cowley make the perfect combination. Sylvester with his gospel high searing vocals and Cowley's melodic synthesizers. This cd includes all the hits (Do you wanna Funk, Don't Stop and Be with You) plus the remix versions, some of which were only available as import 12" records from Europe. The sound quality is nothing less than superb. If you enjoyed hi-nrg music from the 80's such as Miquel Brown, Hazel Dean, The Flirtations, Bobby O, Lime, etc. then you'll love this disc. Highly Recommended!

Sylvester - All I need 1982.......2000-02-27

It was Originally released late 1982 under the name "All I need " by the San Francisco dance label "Megatone" which was owned by legendary (revolutionary) Synth dance producer Patrick Cowley. Songs where written and produced by James Tip Wirrick who also performed everything. The song "Do you Wanna Funk" which is written and produced by Cowley was added to the album becuase it had become a hit. In general, in this album you get an energetic yet elegant synth Hi-Nrg backround ...all very well arranged with moog solos...and over it you get an extremely emotional and heart pouring melody song by sylvester in falsetto ..plus a near gospel chant backing vocals apear featering big voices like Martha Wash/ Daryl Coley/ Jeanie Tracie. I think its Sylvester's best album and one of 80's best albums to be ignored by the mass media.

True 80s disco funk! A must for anyone into CLASSIC retro.......1999-10-13

What a great disc. Funky drag-queen Sylvester "funks" with you on almost a dozen tracks, including the smooth "All I Want" and the classic disco anthem "Do Ya Wanna Funk". Add it to your collection!

How Big 'a Boy Are Ya?, Vol. 7: Hangin' It Up

Average customer rating:

Hilarious!
a great cd for anyone who loves to play jokes on others
Couldn't Be Much Better
Never a Dull Moment With Roy D. Mercer.

How Big 'a Boy Are Ya?, Vol. 7: Hangin' It Up
Roy D. Mercer
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

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Greatest Fits: The Best of How Big'a Boy Are Ya?
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How Big 'a Boy Are Ya?, Vol. 2
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How Big 'a Boy Are Ya?, Vol. 3

ASIN: B00004YLJI
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Tracks:

Police Chief
Roy Vs. Goldberg
Lost Lunch Box
Smooshed Hand
Lost Heirloom
Zeerox The Myna Bird
RV Backwash
Poison Pansies
JJ The DJ
Cookie Buzz
Giant Squarsh
Who Wants To Whup A Millionaire?

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious!.......2005-09-04

Our family was recently "introduced" to the CD's by Roy D. Mercer. After listening to a couple different CD's, we knew we would be getting some of our own. They are so funny, they have had our family and friends laughing out loud!

a great cd for anyone who loves to play jokes on others.......2002-05-08

I have been listening to RD Mercer for about 3 years now. Unlike the Jerky Boys (who I dont find funny at all) RD Mercer calls up people with a problem, asks for money to solve the problem and then if he gets no money he tells them he will kick there butt....and the lets the person on the other end off the hook. This CD never has a dull call and will keep you on the edge of your seat. To me this is the last of the best radio skits around.

Couldn't Be Much Better.......2000-12-22

Probably the best yet. Zeerox the mynah bird is incredibly funny!

Never a Dull Moment With Roy D. Mercer........2000-10-13

Roy D. Mercer is a telephone prankster which is actually, the creation of two DJS from Tulsa, Oklahoma, namely, Brent Douglas (the voice of Mercer) and Phil Stone. In each of its' ribtickling releases, Mercer, calls up on unsuspecting victims tells them that their responsible for a strange incident that took place. The fun part is that Mercer threatens to whup their you-know-what if he isn't financially compensated. Unlike the Jerky Boys, Phil and Brent let their victims off the hook.

Volume Seven never has a dull moment. One of the highlights is track two "Roy vs Goldberg" which features its' first celebrity victim, professional wrestler Bill Goldberg. My favorite of all has to be "Giant Squarsh" in which Roy harasses a TV journalist about her failure to show up to cover a giant Squash." Wait until you hear her reaction when she realizes that the phone call was a prank.

Like the first six volumes, you'll get an enjoyment out of people reacting to Roy's threat of a major "...".

If you never heard of Roy D. Mercer. Volume Seven counts as your introduction to this mad redneck maniac and his two creators.

Music Review: