Alive Again [Enhanced] [Live]

Alive Again [Enhanced] [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The thrash metal act's first release in over nine years. Featuring 12 tracks, recorded live, culled from their first three albums & EP, plus enhanced footage including a short interview with Danny Lilker & Glenn Evans & live footage of 'Brainwashed' from the 2002 New Jersey Metal Meltdown. Steamhammer/SPV. 2003.

Tracks:

Joe Hill (Instrumental)
Stupid's Song
The Most Dangerous Woman
Stupid's Pledge
Direct Action
Pie In The Sky
Shoot Or Stab Them
Lawrence
Bread And Roses
Why Come?
Unless You Are Free
I will Not Obey
The Long Memory
The Silence That Is Me
Joe Hill
The Saw-Playing Musician
Dump The Bosses
The Internationale

Amazon.com

Following their successful 1996 The Past Didn't Go Anywhere collaboration, anticorporate folksinger Ani DiFranco and vagabond historian-storyteller Utah Phillips gather for another rousing round, though Fellow Workers is a looser, funkier, more acoustic affair than its predecessor. These sessions step lively: the performers burst into seemingly spontaneous applause, cheers, and laughter. Phillips honors civil disobedience, leftist matriarch Mother Jones, and the complex feelings entwined with the promise of a better America. The album's core lies where "The Long Memory"'s soulful organ, bass, and trumpet flow into the powerful "The Silence That Is Me." DiFranco and band provide mellow fingerpicking, shattered beats, hopped-up Wurlitzer, and bass-heavy funk, beautifully complementing Phillips's wry tales and paying homage to the invaluable oral tradition. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

Ode of an Old Wobblie.......2006-03-20

This review was originally written as a commentary on Utah Phillip's Songbook- Starlight on the Trial issued in 2005. Looking it over I believe that the comments can be applied to this CD as well, obviously noting the differences in format. Utah has been consistent throughout his career in both the kind of songs he writes and sings about. He has also maintained his same basic political philosophy so my comments about our political differences also apply. Nevertheless, treasure any CD of his you can get your hands on.

The political consciousness developed in my youth coincided with an expansion of my musical tastes under the influence of the great blues and folk revivals of the 1960's. Unfortunately my exposure to the blues greats was mainly on records as many of them had been forgotten, retired or were dead. Not so with the folk revival this was created mainly by those who were close contemporaries. Alas, they too are now mainly forgotten, retired or dead. It therefore is with special pleasure that I review Utah Phillips Songbook while he is very much alive.

Many of the folksingers of the 1960 have attempted to use their music to become troubadours for social change. The most famous example, the early Bob Dylan, can be fairly described as the voice of his generation at that time. However, he fairly quickly moved on to other concepts of himself and his music. Bob Dylan's work became more informed by the influences of Rimbaud and Verlaine and the French Symbolists of the late 1800's and thus moved away to a more urban, sophisticated vision. From the start and consistently throughout his long career Utah has acted as a medium giving voice to the troubles of ordinary people and the simpler ethos of a more rural, Western-oriented gone by day in the American experience. He evokes in song the spirit of the people Walt Whitman paid homage to in poetic form and John Dos Passos and John Steinbeck gave in prose. He sits conformably in that very fast company. Utah Phillips can justly claim the title of a people's troubadour.

A word about politics. Generally, one rates music without reference to politics. However, Utah has introduced the political element by the way he structured the Songbook. Each song is introduced by him as to its significance heavily weighted to his political experiences, observations and vision. Thus, political comment is fairly in play here. Utah is a long time anarchist and unrepentant supporter of the Wobblies (International Workers of the World, hereafter IWW). Every militant cherishes the memory of the class battles led by the IWW like the famous Lawrence strike of 1912 and honors the heroes of those battles like Big Bill Haywood and Vincent St. John and the militants they recruited to the cause of the working class in the first part of the 20th century. They paved the way for the later successful organization drives of the 1930's.

Nevertheless, while Utah and I would both most definitely agree that some old-fashioned class struggle by working people in today's one-sided class war would be a very good thing we as definitely differ on the way to insure a permanent victory for working people in order to create a decent society. In short, Utah's prescriptions of good moral character, increased self-knowledge and the creation of small intentional communities are not enough. Under modern conditions it is necessary to take and safeguard political power against those who would quite consciously deny that victory. History has been cruel in some of the bitter lessons working people have had to endure for not dealing with the question of taking state power to protect their interests. But, enough said. I am more than willing to forgive the old curmudgeon his anarchist sins if he'll sing `I Remember Loving You' the next time he tours the Boston area.

In A Wobbly's Living Room.......2004-06-17

I come to you not as a member of Ani's Army, but as an appreciative listener to Utah Phillips for maybe fifteen years. It was for that reason that I bought this CD--at a Utah show--and it is on that basis that I review it. For anyone who has seen Utah live ("and it comes to us highly recommended"), most of the usual cast of Labor characters can be found here: Stupid, Herb Edwards, Mother Jones, and of course Joe Hill. Indeed what is mostly captured on Fellow Workers is classic, colorful Wobbly Utah. On that basis alone, this CD is worth the time; collected here are many of the tales and simple songs that make up his off-kilter Union repertoire. THAT is what makes it a good listen, perhaps even a necessary listen, as Utah regales us with the stories of "those extraordinary lives that can never be lived again."

So what does Ani DiFranco bring? Aurally speaking, a band and production chops. Wisely she keeps that as a backdrop to Utah's words. Except for a few instrumental pieces, the band simply gives Utah a sort of funky, acoustic groove to rap over. This is the capturing of a live show (in New Orleans), and Ani has mostly downplayed studio trickery to keep the intimate, living room feel of the concert. But, of course, what Ani really brings is her Army. And the real purpose is to introduce Ani's followers to a man who is now an elder statesman of Direct Action. I already knew about Utah, and I already knew how to sing "Pie in the Sky." For me, and for fans of Utah, this album works because Utah is up front and in good form; it's an "Essential Recording" for Utah, if not necessarily Ani. For the Army...welcome to the history we were never taught. Take a seat and pay attention.

quit whining and listen..........2003-11-21

i just got through reading all of these reviews on this album and i must say we have a lot of whining here, a waste of money,too much talking, not enough ani, blah blah blah. first of all, it is a 13 dollar c.d. get over it. go sell it to a music store that buys c.d's. i am sure they would give you at least 4-5 bucks for it, so your only out like 8 or 9 dollars. i am sure you have spent more at mcdonalds. or on a pair of nikes. now what i percieve this collaboration to be is ed-u-cation-al. do u know what that is? this c.d. is a well established musician helping another well established musician get a point across. realize the importance of labor unions and pay homage to the past labor heroes who gave us what we have now, labor laws, if it weren't for them we would be working as soon as we could walk. quit worrying about how many times you heard ani and concentrate on what the artists are trying to teach you. in order to understand you must first examine, so try to examine these two brilliant musicians so you may better understand them and their messages.

Inspired by adversity........2003-07-09

Ani DiFranco is the name that will get copies of Fellow Workers into people's homes and into their stereos. But it's Utah Phillips, her grizzled partner on this album, who will keep the CD playing.

Fellow Workers isn't an album of alternative rock or folk pop by any stretch. Rather, it's a musical stage on which Phillips tells stories of the American workers' plight and their struggle for rights as the nation developed. And it's a bloody powerful tale he tells, shot through with hardship and death, corruption and plain dirty dealing, and the indomitable spirits of the American men and women who refused to bow down and take less than they deserved.

Some he tells in straight storyteller fashion, with DiFranco and Phillip's Mensabilly Band providing a musical backdrop. Others he sings, sometimes alone, sometimes with a harmonic accompaniment by DiFranco and others in the band. Believe me, when Phillips first opened his mouth for a sing-songy chant called "Stupid's Song," I was prepared to dislike this album immensely. But then he launched into the story of Mother Mary Harris Jones, the miners' friend, who at age 83 was labeled by President Theodore Roosevelt "the most dangerous woman in America" -- a fiesty champion of underground workers across the country, driving scabs from the coal pits with a broom and singlehandedly facing down a militia.

And I was hooked.

The soul of working people.......2003-05-22

I really love this collection. Sure, it doesn't have a slick, polished studio sound. It sounds like real people making real music and telling real stories in the front parlor. This is what real people sound like- before the technicians and marketing people suck out the soul and turn them into a mass product.

These are some great old union songs combined with a bit of labor history in between. Yet this isn't dead and sterile history, for nothing could be more timely in today's world. In fact, this is one reason why I'm glad that Utah's voice isn't more polished- it doesn't distract from the lyrics and the message. And the message is that it is the workers that actually make this society run, we have the actual power, and the bosses don't give you anything out of the goodness of their hearts! You have to fight for it! You have to organise to get it! That was true a hundred years ago and it is just as true today.

In a time when workers are constantly being brainwashed by the corporate and political powers-that-be into thinking that they are disposable "losers" and paracites, it is refreshing to be reminded that it is the bosses that are the real disposable paracites. They live off our labor- sing it out! They are nothing without us- or without the workers in the foriegn countries where they are shipping our jobs.

This isn't simple minded nostalgia. It is deep rooted truth. This is an intelligent piece of work (Utah's back up is the Mensabilly band- like the High IQ society.)

Tracks:

Recollections
Shadowman
The Glory Days
Falling
Into The Light
Eternal
State Of Shock
The One
Shadowland Serenade
Forever And Never

Album Description

Subtitled - The Breathing Shadow Part IV. 2002 album from Dan Swano and team, graced with an amazing production the highly anticipated album offers some magical tunes for fans of hard rock and melodic metal. The End Records.

Customer Reviews:

FOR OPEN-MINDED METAL FANS.......2006-08-29

SHADOWLAND SERENADE & FOREVER AND NEVER, the last two closing tracks are worth the price of this disc alone - very heavy with some awesome solos and synths.

This band shows a more mature and melodic side of DAN SWANO as compared to his participation in primal death metal bands like EDGE OF SANITY and BLOODBATH.

Is this band really METAL? That all depends what is your perspective and understanding of METAL music. The only thing I can really attest to is that this is some true and fine piece of work to listen to. This is melodic and progressive METAL as far as I am concerned.

JP is the biggest hater on here .......2005-03-06

JP shouldn't be saying all this crap about swano or nightingale
i can tell right off the bat he is one of those guys that (talk alot) those kind of guys that walk around knocking everybodies music, saying "if you dont listen to six feet under, or cannibal corpse, your not a true metal head." And all that crap, he sounds like one of those guys that try too hard, and scared to make a change in music because if he does people wont think he's hard, one of those guys that if they see anyone listening to a metal band are quick to call them "posers" without even knowing them.And if he knew anything about music he'd know that lyrics are the most important thing, and that swano's not just saying anything, there's a message he is trying to get across a message of "reality" and "stories" that happen to him or other people, how much his life has changed, never giving up,perseverence and so on.

Rock.......2005-03-04

Nightingale is simply some of the best rock out there. Catchy melodies and hooks, fun songs, epic songs, all one album. Again Dan Swano shows how good he is at clean vocals, crafting interesting rock songs, deviating in many cases from stadard construction. The instrumentation combines the guitar rock of the seventies with layers of some synth rock of the 80s, giving the best of both worlds. The production sounds dense and full, avoidng the tin sound that many rock bands fall prey to.

If you want some creative hard rock, without any crazy experimentation (not that experimenting is bad), buy this record.

Nightingale's best release to date.......2004-06-02

You're not going to find metal here. This is moody hard rock and roll without being too brooding, and plenty of hooks to make it immediately accessible.

Dan Swano once again produces his smooth mid-deep delivery, 180 degrees from the deathy vox you'll hear on his other projects. Don't be expecting any Edge-of-Sanity-like music here. (But if harsh vocals don't bother you, and you also like a keyboard-laden prog sound, you HAVE to give his solo "Moontower" album a try).

If you've heard the other Nightingale releases, you'll be happy to hear that the mix here is the best of the lot. All of the instruments are clear and distinct. Swano finally got himself a real drummer on this one - and the drums' sound is infinitely better than on the previous three discs. Lots of keyboards continue to set the mood. The guitar is tastefully done with virtually no noodling wankery (I love wheedly stuff, but it has its place, and that place isn't here). The bass could maybe be a little more prominent, but that's a minor nitpick.

The songs here are fantastic! Melodies are instantly absorbed in the system, and it's almost a crime that you won't hear this on your local airwaves. A large chunk of this album wouldn't be out of place on the radio. (Although my favorite Nightingale song is still "Steal The Moon", out of place on the "Closing Chronicles" album). "Recollections" starts the album with a gloomy atmospheric intro that goes right into two upbeat sounding tracks "Shadowman" and "The Glory Days" followed by the ballad "Falling", which would've undoubtedly been an MTV staple had it been released in 1987.

One way to judge an album is by its staying power in your listening rotation, and I find myself picking Alive Again more often than a lot of other stuff I've bought in the past 18 months. If you haven't picked up a Nightingale album yet, here's where you should start.

The IVth and last album of the concept.......2003-12-05

Nightingale's Alive Again is the fourth and last album of their everlasting concept storyline. Released in random order, Alive Again is both chronologically and storywise the last album of the series that seals the end of this amazing piece of work. Dan Swano will now work on a new album that has different motives lyrically.

Nightingale is an incredible band. It started out as Dan Swano's solo project after the break-up of Unicorn and gradually began to develop with the addition of Dan's older brother, Tom Nouga, and eventually a new bassist and drummer too. The first album was completely Dan Swano, the second one was Dan and his brother, the third one showed signs of promise and the Swano brothers toured and played several gigs. And now Alive Again has turned into a completely different entity with the inclusion of bassist Erik Oskarsson (Godsend) and drummer Tom Bjorn. Erik and Dan also played in the amazing doom metal band Godsend together and they certainly have a great chemistry between them. Tom Bjorn on the other hand is simply a fantastic drummer and a well needed breath of fresh air. He plays tastefully, enters the songs with beautiful (but modest) fills and rolls. Considering that the debut Nightingale had a drum machine and the other two featured Dan Swano himself on the drums, Bjorn's addition to the band has brought a new vibe, which I really dig.

Tom Nouga is a very 80's inspired guitar player and Alive Again is the first album that gave him the opportunity to play those 70's-like riffs in a more 80's style. Excellent. I'm not saying that AA is my favourite Nightingale album but I know that Dan Swano has managed to put out four albums under this moniker, all of which are different from each other. Isn't that what prog music is about? The Closing Chronicles was a monumental CD in (dark) prog rock as was I with a more concise sound. Alive Again, on the other hand, goes for a more lively sound, more energetic, more exciting. The sound on the previous CD was a bit dry; it's a great album and I love it, but AA definitely has a more fresh tone overall. Maybe it's the hard rock vibe, maybe it's the heavier 80's sound rather than the 70's, I don't know. It's really hard to put your finger on it. The songs are still progressive all the way; Dan would never make sacrifices in that aspect. But the writing is more forthright. The choruses are more central and focal. The writing is sort of more cohesive and controlled. Maybe it's because Part IV was the first and only Nightingale album Dan Swano took a whole year to write, record, and mix.

This album displays a more carefully planned sound, both sonically and stylistically. Therefore you may think that the previous Nightingale CDs The Closing Chronicles and I were more written in free form, pushing the limits of art. AA is different. It's not meant to be a groundbreaking effort; it's not meant to start a new era in prog music. So don't expect anything over the top. But this is not a weak point. Dan and his brother apparently wanted to explore in the 80's ground a bit more this time, and they were never afraid to mention their influences, so it's all there. Alive Again is a perfect trip back to the early 80's with all the synths, proggy driven guitar tones, nicely mixed drumming, the not too ornate bass lines. A very well rounded album to say the least. Dan has expressed his wish to go for a more 70's style on the next album already.

While all the songs are good in their own way, I feel "Eternal" deserves a special mention. Over 12 minutes, this is the longest Nightingale song ever with its minimal yet deep composition. Dan absolutely entered a new path with this one hinting that his new project Second Sky is quite going to be in this vein. I look forward to that already. Excellent stuff. The slow opening "Recollections" is a pleasant surprise with Dan's tender vocals. "Shadowman" is possibly another highpoint of the CD, especially the unexpected guitar solo is mighty! Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) has also contributed to this beautiful album with a nice guitar solo. Top notch musicianship. Dan Swano, as always, sings with invaluable emotion. His dark vocals are one of a kind. He is needless to say a brilliant musician. Few others are as gifted as he is. So the result is an album that has numerous textures. Anyone into good prog mixed with melodic hard rock will find elements that attract them to this type of music. Super!

Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey
Average customer rating:

As Always, Hilarious

Spoof Odessey worth the laughs!

better to be "Lost in Space"

Stretched Thin

Do the Math

Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)

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ASIN: B0000584UL
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Forbidden Broadway 2001: Another Op'nin, 'Another Show
Futuristic Stewardess/Usherette: Come Fly With Me
Judi Dench: Why Can't The English?
Trouble In New Tork City: Trouble
The Music Man Revival 2001: Till There Was You
Cole Porter: You're The Top/From The Moment On
Kiss Me, Kate Revival 2001: Wunderbar
I Hate Ben - Marin Mazzie: I Hate Men
Cheryl Ladd In Annie Get Your Gun: There's No Business Like Show Business
Miss Saigon Farewell: Why God Why?
Saturday Night Fiasco: Stayin' Alive
Gwen Verdon & The Fosse Dancers: I'm A Brass Band/Steam Heat
Liza Minnelli 2001/Alan Cumming in Cabaret: Wilkommen
Let's Run Times Square Again: Let's Do the Time Warp Again
Ethel Merman & Elton John: I've Got Rhythm/Old Fashioned Wedding
Beauty's Been Decreased: Beauty And The Beast
Being Lupone: Being Alive
Sondheim's Blues: Buddy's Blues
Streisand's Farewell Tour: Happy Days Are Here Again/Mame
Les Miz 2001 - Edith Piaf/Milord
Aida - Amneris Intro: Every Story Is A Love Story/Heather Headley/It's Cheesy: Easy As Life
Elaborate Sets (Aida Cont.): Elaborate Lives
Angela Lansbury: I Don't Want To Know
The Full Monty: Let It Go
76 Hit Shows: 76 Trombones
Bows-Ta-Ta Folks: Another Op'nin, 'Another Show
Joseph And The Amazing High 'C': Any Dream Will Do

Customer Reviews:

As Always, Hilarious.......2007-05-03

This is so funny! Like all the Forbidden Broadway cds, its another knock-out. I feel like such a crazy person when I am in the car driving and I just burst out laughing. Its great and a must have for any Forbidden Broadway fan.

Spoof Odessey worth the laughs!.......2002-04-14

I enjoyed "Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey." This recording has some truly genius material, and although these actors' impersonations of famous Broadway stars aren't as strong as they have been in the past, the CD has a lot to recommend it.

Particularly strong is Track 16, "Let's do an old fashioned show tune," featuring Elton John and Ethel Merman duking it out over AIDA, which Merman says is "putting everyone here through hell." Likewise, Track 15, "Let's Ruin Times Square Again," tickles my funny bone. Also wonderful are the satires of Beauty and the Beast, Angela Lansbury, and the Full Monty; Gerard Alessandrini's done a tremendous job with these! In addition, this CD's introductory song is much stronger than those on the previous volumes of Forbidden Broadway. It really sets the tone for the best parts of this recording.

Unfortunately, with a few notable exceptions, the first half of the CD is a bit thin, which is why I give this recording 3 out of 5 stars: Even though it entertains me, there's a lot I have to skip over. For example, the Liza Minelli spoof annoying (though, I admit, a little funny), and in the Music Man revival satire, their Robert Preston impersonator sounds *nothing* like the original. (In earlier recordings, the actors *did* sound like the people they claimed to be.)

The good news is that the CD has 30 tracks in all, so even though there are 13 that I dislike, I just love the rest... I do recommend it!

better to be "Lost in Space".......2001-12-31

First and foremost, this CD is really for diehard fans of Forbidden Broadway, those of us who want the good, the bad and the ugly on the cd rack. I was extremely unimpressed with the latest offering.

While I agree with some of the other reviewers that there is some nice work, I don't know that Saturday Night Fiasco and Sondheim's Blues are sufficient to carry the rest of the tracks. Not much seems new or worse yet, important. Disney isn't new, nor is Les Miz. And while pointing out what is stale and pedestrian on Broadway was amusing on the last couple of releases, this Forbidden Broadway spoof clearly has joined the list of stale and pedestrian.

While there is some nice material on this disc, I really didn't laugh out loud, and that is why I have always bought these in the past.

If Alessandrini reduces the show to the same complaints of the same shows and then replaying lightly tweaked versions of past numbers, Trouble and Alan Cumming in Cabaret specifically, then he has himself is on the becoming a revival - and we know what he thinks of revivals.

The repeats might even be acceptable if there was something fresh in the perfomance, but both were done much better on their respective discs. I think Danny Gurwin is a great comedian, but he doesn't shine in either of these numbers. We also need a recording with no Ethel Merman or Liza numbers - give them a rest already. And why bring back Streisand with such a poor imitation? The earlier Barbara's were dead on vocal impressions as well as speech patterns. If you aren't going to improve on it, then don't drag it back out.

Alessandrini suggests that this is one of the best casts he has ever worked with. I don't know what he bases that on, but I beg to differ, either cast with Bryan Batt was significantly better, although they worked with fresh, clever material. Still, those recordings had verocious talent that brought Gerard's stinging wit to life for those of us who can't see every new production of FB.

Maybe it is time to go to off Broadway productions, or to the radio or the movies for some new ideas. Or else promise no references to the Gap, Disney, or Chorus Boys, (way over used on this recording), along with a Merman and Liza free season. Start from scratch. That might give us hope that Forbidden Broadway too might not be dead.

Stretched Thin.......2001-03-26

I just saw the stage production of Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey. I agree with the other reviewers who feel that Alessandrini is no longer at the top of his game. Perhaps he should lay off for a year or three and let Broadway present new things for him to lampoon - as it always will.

The opening sequence is forced and unfunny, and clearly in place only to batter the listener with the "2001" theme. Unlike a previous reviewer, I found the Judi Dench parody hysterical, though I question its accuracy.

The "Trouble" parody is, as it always was, incomplete and thin. My dear friend John Kenrick (...) did a better job with it - included the segments of the original song that GA left out, and in a funnier fashion. The Cole Porter parody is marginally amusing, but the Brian Mitchell/Marin Mazzie parody is dead on the mark, and VERY funny.

The parody of Cheryl Ladd remains in the show, although she's no longer in "Annie Get Your Gun" - Reba McIntyre is now in the role. Similarly, he stabs at Alan Cumming, who is no longer playing the Emcee. These numbers, while funny, lack punch. On the other hand, he once again skewers long time target Patti LuPone with an hysterical new parody of Being Alive. I suppose she's innately funnier, after all these years, than Alan Cumming, who is, after all, a relative newcomer.

The Rocky Horror parody is amusing, and the observation that sex has moved off 42nd Street and onto the Broadway stage is not without merit. The Beauty parody is amusing, and apt, but as has already been noted, GA has been clobbering us with the Disnification of Broadway for years now. I suppose he finds some glee in the fading success of this particular show.

I must say that while Gurwin is not the greatest singer, "Sondheim's Blues" is the most brilliant piece I've heard from Alessandrini in years. It's absolutely dead on. The friends I was with had never seen nor heard "Follies" and completely missed the point, but I was in stitches.

The "10 Years More" (which does not appear on this album, but remains in the show) has really begun to wear thin, especially with the closing this year of Cats and Miss Saigon. The Cameron Macintosh British mega-musicals are finally releasing their grip on Broadway, and this isn't as funny any more.

Broadway, despite the naysayers, will never die... and apparently, neither will Forbidden Broadway. I don't think it should - but I do think it needs a rest.

Do the Math.......2001-03-15

Four CDs cover the first 20 Years of Forbidden Broadway, Gerard Alessandrini's viciously witty satire of New York Theatre. The last year has seen Three new CDs, FB "Cleans Up Its Act" "20th Anniversary Edition" and now "2001 a Spoof Odyssey". Do the math.

Alessandrini is running out of ideas, and is spreading the remaining ones too thin. . Sanitized Time Square - Been there. Disnified Broadway - Done that, and so many times. Asinine casting faux pas, plotless pointless set-monster musicals, and Ethel Merman and Liza. We've heard it all before - and last time, it was funnier.

Now normally when a writer (or director or actor) has truly entertained me on numerous occasions, I'll forgive the odd show that disappoints. This would be the case here except for two things: Alessandrini is in the vicious parody business - he's never spared anyone else Besides, if he's going to actually include couplets like: "If lyrics are no longer witty... Then I don't want to go " he's inviting the pans.

When you hear the AIDA lampoon, you'll be reminded of the dim bulb in Cyrano de Bergerac who taunts the hero with the brilliant witticism: Your nose is very large

Yes, there are a few true Forbidden Broadway tracks on Spoof Odyssey. Dame Judi Dench singing "Why can't Americans do theatre like the Brits?" (with apologies to My Fair Lady), I Hate Ben (with apologies to Kiss Me Kate) and about 1/3 of "Let's Ruin Time Square Again" (no apologies necessary to Rocky Horror which understands how easy it is for good parody to go bad). Oh yes, there is one absolutely true Forbidden Broadway track: TROUBLE - yes, the same Trouble from Volume 3 which was just re-released on the 20th Anniversary compilation - and it's back again with a more hackneyed Robert Preston impersonation and all of 4 words changed. Granted it's one of the better bits, more worthy of rerunning than say, referring to Miss Saigon as Viet-Numb, but oh, he reran that gag too

Average customer rating:

Nuke on a budget?

Nuclear Assault - 'Alive Again' (SPV)

10 Years....and still a fan!

Alive Again
Nuclear Assault
Manufacturer: Steamhammer Us [Spv]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000099O1D
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Tracks:

Rise From The Ashes
Brainwashed
F#
New Song
Critical Mass
Sin
Betrayal
Radiation Sickness
Game Over
Butt F**ck
Trail Of Tears
Hang The Pope

Album Description

The thrash metal act's first release in over nine years. Featuring 12 tracks, recorded live, culled from their first three albums & EP, plus enhanced footage including a short interview with Danny Lilker & Glenn Evans & live footage of 'Brainwashed' from the 2002 New Jersey Metal Meltdown. Steamhammer/SPV. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Nuke on a budget?.......2005-05-01

I have been a big fan of NA for a long time and I honestly got to say I was a bit disappointed. The tracks they put on here are all right although some of my favorites are definitely missing. It is still good to hear the songs that are on the album again, but therein lies the problem... you don't hear anything really well. The production and sound quality is lackluster at best. I hope they do better on future endeavors...*** PLEASE RELEASE 'SURVIVE' AGAIN *****

Nuclear Assault - 'Alive Again' (SPV).......2004-04-20

Twelve tracks of top grade '80's classic trash by Nuclear Assault.I got to see the band awhile back and the only downside was there was a very poor turn out and the gig was cut a tad short.That's living proof that a lot of the really good music doesn't make it to the masses.Couldn't believe my ears when I heard they'd actually reunited after a lengthy seperation.You'll feel like you're PRACTICALLY near the mosh pit when you hear(make that experience) killer cuts like "Brainwashed"(remember this video on Mtv?),"Critical Mass","Game Over" and "Trail Of Tears".Who said that metal is dead in the 21st century?

10 Years....and still a fan!.......2003-07-10

What can I say? Its about time these guys got back together. I can't believe its been 10 years since they jammed last and listening to this live CD you could hardly believe it. These guys still jam with intensity and rythm after all these years. Glenn Evans' drumming is incredible as usual and the sound quality is the only thing that kept me from giving this CD 5 stars. The sound quality isn't real bad and all the instruments and vocals are clear and you'll find yourself ready to stage dive with the rest of us. I can't wait for NA to get back into the studio and write new material...Welcome back!!!

Average customer rating:

Poet Of The Piano
Carmen Cavallaro
Manufacturer: Sea Breeze/Traditions Alive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

My Sentimental Heart: 1946
Stairway to the Stars: More Cocktail Piano Favorites

ASIN: B000HAVVGA
Release Date: 2004-03-26

Product Description

1.come back to sorrento.2.tango of roses.3.you'll always be the one i love.4.kiss me again.5,indian summer.6.anything goes.7.it's a pity to say goodnight.8.i'll never love again.9.linger in my arms a little longer beby.10.falling in love with you.11.why.12.rumors are flying.13.excerpts from rachmaninoff's second piano concerto

Average customer rating:

great overview of 70's music

The 70's Come Alive Again
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Mca Special Products
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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

Compilations | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Maggie May - Rod Stewart
Easy To Be Hard - Three Dog Night
Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh
Radar Love - Golden Earring
Roll On Down The Highway - Bachman Turner Overdrive
Sooner Or Later - The Grass Roots
California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Customer Reviews:

great overview of 70's music.......2001-02-20

all of the selections are great, even maggie may and i'm not a rod stewart fan. the extended version of "free bird" on this cassette is not to be believed. it's not the extended "live version" which i have on cd and which cannot compare to the version on this cassette. i wish someone could tell me on what cd of lynryd skynyrd this extended version appears. i imagine the cd of this compilation is worthwhile since it includes the great steppenwolf. to get this much geat music in a cassette at this price is wonderful.

Caribenos - Latin American Music for the Marimba

Average customer rating:

Magnificent Marimba Music
A landmark recording!!!
Highly recommended
Every time I play this CD is like going to heaven.

Caribenos - Latin American Music for the Marimba
Orlando Cotto
Manufacturer: Orlando Cotto
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Best of the Baja Marimba Band

ASIN: B00000HZ8U
Release Date: 1998-11-04

Tracks:

Elegua
Son Montuno
Cuba y Puerto Rico Son
Pequena Pieza para Marimba
Natalia
Yacambu
Misionera
Bordel 1900
Cafe 1930
Night Club 1960
Piedra en la Piedra
Almendra

Album Description

Congratulations to those of you who have purchased a copy of the CD; you have made a wise choice. For those who need a little encouragement: go ahead, take a chance, you will not be disappointed. This is a recording unlike any other you have heard. It is good for any type of audience. For the "New Age" listener, this recording brings a new level of beauty and joy to the music industry. For the Classical listener, the music will move your feet. For the Latin music listener, you wondered why it took so long to get this published. Needless to say, I had a hard time deciding where to place this recording under the Amazon categories. But be assured that the music is easy to understand. To put it simply, this recording took some of the best traditional music from Latin American countries and re-invented them on a classical music instrument, the concert marimba.

Fernando Meza describes the instrument in the CD liner notes: "The marimba as a solo instrument has only come of age over the past few decades. This recording will undoubtedly contribute to the future professional development of the marimba, both because it is tremendously enjoyable character and because of the artist's high level of "musicianship". Orlando is able to sail through the murky waters of demanding technical passages making the music come alive in all its splendor. As we move into the twenty-first century and more demands are placed on performers to reach ever-higher levels of artistic excellence, creative and unique voices such as [Orlando's] will be the ones dictating the future of this instrument".

Fernando continues to talk about the recording: "Coming from the small town of Cayey in Puerto Rico and being able to draw from the extensive musical traditions of Latin America, [Orlando] offers in this recording a musical bouquet of delicious inspiration and daring undertaking. The adventurous quality and demanding virtuosity of works like Caribenos by Andrew Lazaro, or Piedra en la Piedra by Ricardo Lorenz, along with the delicate beauty of Piazzola's Historia del Tango and other gems included here are representative of [Orlando's] sensitive musical nature. With a thorough understanding of Latin rhythms and harmonies, this gifted artist dives into the depths previously unexplored by other marimbists and makes us engage and relate to the wonderful subtleties of the complex world of Latin music".

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent Marimba Music.......2002-02-24

This is a splendid CD. I came across it in a general search for marimba music. For those who might think of "Latin" music in rather limited terms--son, samba, etc.--this CD will come as a revelation. The program is tremendously varied, with both danceable pieces and more abstract, darker compositions that beautifully exploit the instrument's warm sonority. I had the pleasure of seeing Cotto perform live recently: he is a dynamic performer whose mastery of this difficult instrument looks effortless. No one will regret purchasing this.

A landmark recording!!!.......1999-04-06

Your CD is a landmark on the history of latin music written for the marimba because it is one of the few available on this particular genre. The repertoire is very well balanced, your performance perfect while Giovanni Hidalgo's participation gives the authentic latin touch. A+ to you, congratulations!

Highly recommended.......1999-03-28

I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this cd. The marimba is enchanting...the music of Orlando Cotto both soothing and complex. My favorites on this unique cd are Caribenos and Piedra en la Piedra. Great stuff!

Every time I play this CD is like going to heaven........1999-03-19

Every time I play this CD my mind goes to those places reserved for your soul to go and enjoy. The performance of the artist is nothing less than subliminal and the selection of the music was excellent. I can't wait for his second album.

Average customer rating:

A nice slice of New England garage!
Excellent Garage Record!!!
--

Calm Before.../Alive Again at Andover
The Rising Storm
Manufacturer: Arf Arf
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tomorrow
Love
Before the Dream Faded
The United States of America
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

ASIN: B00005Y82X
Release Date: 1995-09-01

Tracks:

Don't Look Back
To L.N./Who Doesn't Know
I'm Coming Home
A Message To Pretty
In The Midnight Hour
Frozen Laughter
She Loved Me
Mr. Wind
Big Boss Man
Bright Lit Blue Skies
The Rain Falls Down
Baby Please Don't Go
Slow Down
I'm Crying
Signed D.C.
I'm Coming Home
A Message To Pretty
In The Midnight Hour
My Little Red Book
Catch The Wind/The Singer Not The Song
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
Time Won't Let Me/Respectable

Album Description

First released in 1967, this is the crown jewel of sixties garage, with original copies fetching over $4,000 on eBay. Originals plus savvy covers of The Remains, Rockin' Ramrods, and Love make this a classic. Bonus 1983 live LP Alive Again at Andover.

Customer Reviews:

A nice slice of New England garage!.......2007-01-12

This is a pleasant enough compilation from a group that is is essentially an unknown entity by most oldies enthusiasts. "Frozen Laughter" is undoubtedly the highlight but I thought the group did a credible job on Love's "A Message To Pretty" as well as most of their other original 60s recordings.

In my book the final ten "reunion" songs are not total throwaways but taken for what they are worth, an amateurish uncoordinated goof session, they are certainly listenable. The guys appear to be having a good time, no doubt fueled by a bit of spirits, and that comes through loud and clear.

I would not recommend this to the casual listener but I believe that anyone with a devout interest in 60s garage would find this CD to be attractive from both a musical and historical perspective.

Excellent Garage Record!!!.......2004-01-02

This is one of the great,pure garage rock records that actually lives up to its great reputation. Bands like the Barbarians, Savage Resurrection, and Knickerbockers seem to enjoy great reputations while their albums suck! I believe this record was released in 1966. The soul covers are the only downfall to this album but even these songs are solid and quite respectable. Mr. Wind, Frozen Laughter, A Message To Pretty, and To L.N. are excellent folk rock songs with a garage touch. Frozen Laughter in particular is the album's standout being a sublime slice of folk-psychedelia. Don't Look Back, I'm Coming Home, and She Loved Me are effective, driving garage numbers as well. In addition, the label has added a reunion concert as a bonus. This material is not included in the review and should be ignored completely.

--.......2003-09-13

It's hard to take a critical stance with a band of such modest ambition as the Rising Storm, but their music is in the world for anyone to purchase, whether the band forsaw that at the time or not. Actually there's quite a bit to like about these guys, but not if you're into heavy garage/psych sounds - the bag the Rising Storm get mistakenly placed in.

More than half of this record is made up of covers that are, more often than not, weak. There's a few solid uptempo numbers like 'Don't Look Back' and the group original, 'I'm Coming Home,' with its surf guitar. Their version of the blues standard 'Baby Please Don't Go' is an unusual reading for it sounds as though it was recorded at Sun Studios. However, the one rocker you should really dig is 'She Loved Me'. You may not find a better slice of adolescent hormone celebration than this anywhere. The song rides an insistent wave of fuzz guitar and the drummer fails to understand his limits, but the cake is when the singer repeats the line, "And then she said she loved me" - news which the guitarist immediately celebrates with a guitar run full of such profound naive conviction that it's actually stunning and even heartbreaking - the sonic equivalent of the adrenaline rush and sheer joy that follows the successful courting of a young woman. It's even more effective with the cheap fuzztone he's got because it sounds as though his guitar is trying to take that next step to manhood with him.

'She Loved Me' aside, the big news on this record is the original folky ballads the band wrote themselves. 'Frozen Laughter' is the jewel of the bunch with its lyrics adapted from T.S. Eliot's 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' and hazy atmosphere. The "Honey, is that you?" spoken intro and tape cut-up at the end are both brilliant. 'To L.N./Who Doesn't Know' (outstanding title) displays an extremely sophisticated melodicism that's the all the more amazing considering that these are the same guys who did 'She Loved Me'. 'The Rain Falls Down' is good as well.

The final ten tracks on this release consist of a live gig the band did at their fifteen-year high school reunion in 1982 and its inclusion was extremely ill-advised.

Alive Again
Average customer rating:
Alive Again
Full Minute of Mercury
Manufacturer: Full Minute of Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAF1DO
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

March of the Cicada
Alive Again
All Channels Clear
That Song (Is Stuck in My Head)
For Argument's Sake
5 Days Till Tomorrow
All in on the Big Blind
Is This Thing Loaded?
After You
Cold Day Last December
E to the M to the Mother-Fucking O
Left for Dead
Next to Me
Why Can't We Be Together?
Let's Rock 2 Nite
Battle
Worst Best Friend
Ready to Go
Now or Never

Average customer rating:

Track Listing

Wake Up... It's Alive (Again)

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0006ACMFK

Customer Reviews:

Track Listing.......2005-12-08

1. Men Are Slime (New Song)
2. When the Lights Go Out
3. I Love Money
4. World Dance Party
5. Bite It! (Mar-Keys)
6. The Blooze
7. My Right Hand (New Song)
8. Can You Dance to It
9. The Sound of Silence (Paul Simon)
10. What I'd Do for You
11. mack the Knife (Weill, Brecht & Blitzstein)
12. That's It, Go Home

1993 Ough!!! Records

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

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