Rock & Roll Machine

Rock & Roll Machine

Track Listings

1. Takes Time

2. Bringing It on Home

3. Little Texas Shaker

4. New York City Streets, Pt. 1

5. New York City Streets, Pt. 2

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

7. Rocky Mountain Way [*]

8. Rock & Roll Machine

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

Album Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

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

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

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Icky Thump

ASIN: B000P0J024
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

Album Description

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

Customer Reviews:

Happy hubby.......2007-08-03

My husband is so happy that I was able to find this CD. And buy it. He loves it. He has been looking for this CD a long time. It was wonderful to be able to buy it new. Thank you very much. I look forward to buy from Amazon again.

Sydney Emigh

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

Sultry, sexy, infectious and authentic, an album that deserves every bit of the praise...
My new favorite CD
Back to Black-Amy Whinehouse
I love this women
What I always wanted oldies to sound like.

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

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

ASIN: B000N2G3RY
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

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

From Amazon.co.uk

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

Album Description

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

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

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

Album Details

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

Customer Reviews:

Sultry, sexy, infectious and authentic, an album that deserves every bit of the praise..........2007-08-03

Amy Winehouse has shot to fame quickly over the past few months thanks to her brilliantly crafted album `Back to Black'. A disc rich with eleven tracks all blistering forth with originality and effortless charisma, `Back to Black' is a dream album, a coupling of everything that is perfect in the music world today and something that most artists dream to one day achieve. Amy has delivered to us, her loyal fans, one of the most memorably perfected albums to date. Not a song deserves the skip button and not a single second is wasted. Amy's voice is so authentic, so impressively elegant that I'm stunned to silence almost every time I listen to this album. When you look at her you'd never imagine something so powerful would come from those lungs, somewhat like hearing the powerhouse vocals from Joss Stone for the first time and having to sit back and catch your breathe you're so blown away.

The disc starts off with an impressive number, the first single `Rehab' and it does the trick. It instantly hooks the listener and brings that punch that the remainder of her tracks will display. Her voice is crisp, the hook is engrossing, the beat is splendid; everything fits perfectly. Like `Rehab', most of Amy's best tracks are the more up-tempo offerings. Following `Rehab' is another fantastic track, `You Know I'm No Good'. To me this track one-ups the previous. It adds layers of sultry sexuality that `Rehab' lacks. To see this chick live is my next goal for I have a feeling that the atmosphere of her performance will only add to the effective aura her album emanates. Another up-tempo track that delivers effortlessly is `Tears Dry on Their Own'. The chorus itself is so catchy you can't help but sing along. The beat for `He Can Only Hold Her' is one of my favorite and the whole bouncy feel to the song bring back memories of days of old, lounging around the pool in my youth. I just love it.

Some of the slower tracks exude a little more sexuality in her voice and tone. The first of these is `Just Friends'. It's a very sultry song, subject wise and in momentum. As she recites a relationship (affair) with a man already spoken-for her voice is so intoxicating it's impossible to turn your attention away. Not to mention that the beat itself is one of my favorite on the album. Falling along these slow-tempo lines is `Wake up Alone' which also works beautifully. It's the title track `Back to Black' though that may very well be my favorite track here, but that's something I struggle with since every song is just so brilliant. The song is so effortlessly intoxicating, the beat, her vocals, the lyrics and when she slows everything down and repeats `black' over and over I'm just smitten in the most endearing of ways. It's amazing the effect good music can have on a person.

If any song here can dethrone `Back to Black' as my favorite it would be `Some Unholy War'. I really can't explain the joy this song makes me feel. I love its simplicity, its raw energy. Same can be said I guess for `Me and Mr. Jones' which is just utterly infectious. I don't see how anyone could stay seated still throughout this track. I can't help but sing along to this brilliant track. It carries much the same upbeat vibe that her single `Rehab' infuses. The closing track `Addicted' is probably the funniest track here and due to that very fact it's probably the most fun as well. I've heard talk about her being very open about her drug habits, and while this is no where near to the drug talk in your average rap track it's still shocking in it's bluntness for her genre. The only track here that fails to utterly impress me is `Love is a Losing Game'. It just doesn't really grab me. It's a bit monotonous and redundant, but it's short enough to allow it to play through. Plus, the next track ultimately redeems it.

So, the verdict is adore, love, support and relish Amy Winehouse. She's a rarity in the music industry. There really isn't a soul like her. She effortlessly exudes class (at least on disc) and maturity that are beyond her years. I am not one to readily over praise an artist. In fact I usually shy away from any artist, actor, singer, author etcetera who I feel receives too much praise for their own good. In this case though I feel every stitch of praise is well deserved. `Back to Black' is the first album in years that I am in complete and utter awe of. I don't see this leaving my disc-player for quite some time. Sit back and enjoy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

For us long time fans, this one is worth it
This is a good CD
A holding pattern
Classic Prince
Sequencing, Sequencing, SEQUENCING!

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

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S.S.T./Brand New Orleans
Libertad
3121
Zeitgeist
Icky Thump

ASIN: B000RMC7H0
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

Album Description

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

Customer Reviews:

For us long time fans, this one is worth it.......2007-08-03

I bought the CD mostly because, as a major Prince fan, I tend to buy all of his CDs. It's an impulse, not a researched, purchase. My first piece of pre-recorded music that I bought was _Purple Rain_, as a 10 year old...I've been in love with the genius that is Prince ever since.

While I haven't been unhappy with the last 2 CDs, I wasn't fully satisfied...and judging by what others on here say, I'm clearly not alone. But upon listening to the grooves of "Planet Earth" and the subsequent songs on _Planet Earth_, I have to say that this is about as satisfied as I have been in a long time with Prince. Just like _Purple Rain_ and _Diamonds and Pearls_ (my absolute 2 favorite CDs of all time), the songs on _Planet Earth_ hit all the notes: sensual, blusey, gutteral rock, classic funk and R&B...I am 98% sated. It's not as good as the other two, but it's definitely one to have the in permanent rotation.

This is a good CD.......2007-08-03

Let's face it, Prince was in the zone from 1982 to 1988. During that period he could do no wrong. Planet Earth is not from that period. Compared to more recent stuff, I think Planet Earth is better than Musicology but not as good as 3121.

To me, there are 3 stand out tracks: Guitar, The One U Wanna C, and Chelsea Rodgers. Guitar is a catchy little pop-rocker. The One U Wanna C vocals are laid down very well and this too is catchy. Chelsea Rodgers is relentless disco-funk.

The rest of the songs are good and well written. There is an overall brightness to the tunes on Planet Earth. Like I said, this is no masterpiece, but it's worth the $15 you shell out.

A holding pattern.......2007-08-02

Forget the reviewers telling that Prince has grown so much with this release. In fact, as far as Planet Earth is concerned it's all been said and done before...and much better. Am I getting sick of Prince or am I spoiled with his 80s output, which was new, fresh and exciting with each release? Sure, it's not reasonable to expect that pace from him anymore. In any case, there is indeed nothing new under the sun.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

A wonderful first album for a shining star who will only grow from here
Paul Potts ONE CHANCE
Amazing and beautiful
MR. POTTS !! ..YOU GIVE ME CHILLS...
Enjoyable first effort for Mr. Potts

Paul Potts [United Kingdom]: One Chance

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

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Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...
The Best of Italian Opera
Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)
Turandot 24 Versions of Nessun Dorma
Bianca Ryan

ASIN: B000SKO0OY
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Tracks:

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

Album Description

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

Product Description

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

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful first album for a shining star who will only grow from here.......2007-08-03

I must admit I became mystified by Paul Potts via You Tube with his performances on BGT and I preordered his first album in high anticipation.....I was not let down when I opened it and played it for the first time. I, not having any experience with opera prior to this, must tell you that since listening to this wonderful cd I have become more interested in opera classics which I have found myself listening to lately and must give full credit to Paul Potts for making opera so accessible to the masses. Even my 20 year old sister loves Paul's music, who up until recently would only listen to what her friends liked. There really is something emotionally connecting about Paul's voice and you can't help but to be drawn in no matter your age, genre, or life experience.
I think that Paul will only continue to grow and fascinate us with his emotional depth and beautiful voice for years to come.
Do yourself a favor and buy this cd.

Paul Potts ONE CHANCE.......2007-08-03

Bravo Bravo This is a great album of melody...heartfelt and utterly beautiful, This man's story makes it even more heartening. His honesty and demeanor bring such a truth to his talent and his voice is clear, strong and vibrant.

I believe that even non-opera lovers will enjoy this CD. I am buying a second one for my daughter and probably more for Gifts at the holidays.

Amazing and beautiful.......2007-08-03

I first saw Paul Potts on Britain's Got talent, and my heart was so touched by him, by his voice. I received my CD yesterday and I cannot stop listening to him, with tears in my eyes at times, knowing the words he is singing. I cannot wait until there is another CD, and hope he will, some day, sing in the US. Truly a wonderful voice, a touching story, and an amazing man. Thank you, Paul, for sharing yourself with all of us.

MR. POTTS !! ..YOU GIVE ME CHILLS..........2007-08-03

THE FIRST TIME I HEARD THIS MAN SING I HAD THE MOST INCREDIBLE FEELING ...I THINK HE HAS SOMETHING MORE THEN WHAT YOUR GREAT OPERA SINGER CAN DELIVER...ITS MAGICAL ..ITS EROTIC..ITS PASSION...ITS PAUL POTTS!!...I LOVE THIS CD !!..I LOVE PAUL POTTS !!...THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR MAGIC WITH US PAUL..BRAVO!!!

Enjoyable first effort for Mr. Potts.......2007-08-03

This is a nice first effort for Paul Potts, the unassuming fellow who won the "Britain's Got Talent" competition earlier in 2007. Here in the U.S. we became acquainted with Mr. Potts via YouTube, and his CD is indeed available now in the States.

Having listened to it several times, I'm struck by the voice. It's interesting and emotional; he connects and makes you want to listen. While he struggles just a touch with the higher range, he has a warmth and color to make him consistently pleasing.

The disc itself has a few problems. While he wowed the crowd in the competition with 'Nessun Dorma', it's actually the least-strong track on this disc: I imagine it's the first one he recorded in the studio session, and because of that he sounds just a little unsure of the process, and as a result he's just a little rushed. I expect that he'll want to re-record this in a year or two when he's mastered the studio. 'Music of the Night' is pleasing, but he's no Michael Crawford, and his relative lack of power in the upper range is noticable. He's stronger with 'Con Te Partiro', and 'Everyone Hurts' is simply superb; tuneful, emotional and spot-on. I was impressed with 'My Way' -- you sing that in English and everyone compares you to Sinatra; you sing it in Italian and your audience just listens and enjoys.

The arrangements, as noted by other reviewers, sometimes overpower Mr. Potts' voice. That's a real shame because it's the voice we want to hear. As Mr. Potts grows I expect he'll fix this as well.

Overall, the disc is an excellent start for an artist who deserves every bit of the notice he's had so far. I look forward to the next disc, and I'd like to see him in a full opera.

Average customer rating:

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

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

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

ASIN: B000P2A24W
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

Album Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

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

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

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

ASIN: B000P2A256
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

Amazon.com

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

More Maroon 5

Songs About Jane
Live Friday the 13th
1.22.03.Acoustic

Maroon 5 Photos

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

Should have sold more.....
Great but fades towards the end
Kelly Clarkson Is Solid As A Rock!
Kelly's album...not her best but not bad
Good

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

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

ASIN: B000QFAJ7S
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

More from Kelly Clarkson

Breakaway

Thankful

Since U Been Gone

Customer Reviews:

Should have sold more............2007-08-03

I can't understand why this album has not sold more and why it's gotten such bad reviews from critics. I think it's fantastic! Kelly has co/written great songs and I'm glad she fought to make the record she wanted. Way to go Kelly!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

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

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

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

ASIN: B000NVIXDW
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

More Music from Michael Bublé

It's Time
Michael Bublé
Caught in the Act

Album Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

Disappointment
Don't bother
It's over.
Dissapointment reigns supreme!
Not bad, but Iha and Darcy are clearly missing

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

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Icky Thump
Libertad
Our Love to Admire
Year Zero
Era Vulgaris

ASIN: B000OQF6N6
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

Album Description

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

Customer Reviews:

Disappointment.......2007-08-03

Talking about The Smashing Pumpkins I really was expecting so much more...
It's sad to say but I think they'll never do something similar to their old stuff: masterpieces like 'mellon colie & the infinitive sadness','siamese dream' or even 'pieces iscariot'.

Don't bother.......2007-08-03

Zeitgeist is a major disappointment. It is very immature and sloppy, which is strange coming from such a perfectionist. Billy's vocals are dreadful, so much for the singing lessons! As for the music being reminiscent of the "old pumpkins" like I had read, well it just isn't true.

If you want good Pumpkins, look at Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and Machina.

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

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

On Billy:

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

On Jimmy:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

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