Rock music has been hyphenated into increasingly narrower constituent pieces (folk-rock, punk-rock, ad nauseam) since the 1970s, which misses a crucial point--all the best rock has been a fusion of disparate elements. Simply labeling the Young Dubliners "Celtic rock," does them--and the listener--a disservice. In an irony suitable for the age, the Young Dubliners were formed in--where else?--Los Angeles by expatriate Irishman Keith Roberts and have built a sizable reputation on their energetic live shows. And though it kicks off with "Bodhran," a typically manic Irish reel, Red displays a musical sensibility that owes as much to Dave Matthews and the Wallflowers as it does to the Chieftains. The title track even features lyrics by band admirer and longtime Elton John collaborator Bernie Taupin. With mood and drama to burn, fused to an energetic, driving band sound, Red is an album as infectious as it is mature. --Jerry McCulley
Red,The Young Dubliners,Higher Octave,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Alternative Pop/Rock,American Trad Rock,Celtic Folk,Celtic Rock,Irish,Pop,Rock
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Time on Earth
Crowded House Manufacturer: Ato Records / Red ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000Q9OD7G Release Date: 2007-07-10 |
Tracks:
- Nobody Wants To
- Don't Stop Now
- She Called Up
- Say That Again
- Pour Le Monde
- Even A Child
- Heaven That I'm Making
- A Sigh
- Silent House
- English Trees
- Walked Her Way Down
- Transit Lounge
- You Are The One To Make Me Cry
- People Are Like Suns
Amazon.com
Fourteen years, a live CD/DVD, some solo albums, and one tragic suicide after Crowded House's last release comes this highly anticipated reunion. Singer/songwriter Neil Finn and bassist Nick Seymour reunited after the 2005 death of drummer Paul Hester, brought in a new member and two producers (Ethan Johns and Steve Lillywhite) to replace longtime cohort Mitchell Froom, and the impressive result is a logical and overdue addition to the band's previous four albums. Finn's knack for a melodic ballad remains firmly in place as Time on Earth coasts on his dreamy voice and introspective, hook-laden pop choruses. However, this is a more reflective collection that requires a few spins to fully reveal its charms. Finn co-writes "Even a Child" with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, and that and the frisky "She Called Up" are the most buoyant tracks on this predominantly pensive disc. Finn has generally shaded towards a darker edge and this hour-long set might have benefited from more of the lighter touch he applies to "Transit Lounge," a song enhanced by Beth Rowley's lovely and startling wordless vocals along with jazzy electric piano and even airport sound effects. Strings, sitar, and intricate production add subtle elements that bolster the timeless musical qualities Finn has always reveled in. The ominous, even brooding "Silent House," a co-write with all three Dixie Chicks, is another highlight that sounds like nothing either has done before as it floats along on fuzz guitar and hurdy-gurdy, both courtesy of Johns. Trimming some weaker cuts would have made this a more focused listen, but Time on Earth is a worthy successor to Crowded House's existing catalog--a high compliment indeed. --Hal HorowitzCustomer Reviews:
Great Album.......2007-08-06
Welcome back to the House.......2007-08-05
Simply Excellent.......2007-08-03
After 14 year absence, a great band returns.........2007-08-01
to cite a few songs, "Nobody wants to" is a great start right out the gate. beautiful melody. the 1st single "dont stop now" is a faster paced song that instantly draws you in. it has a feel of the older Crowded House we know and love as does the next song "she called up".
the album gets dark and slower (for the most part), at this point which isnt a bad thing. its just not the happy, poppy CH we're used to. I draw comparison to the song "Edible Flowers" from the Finn brother's "everyone is here" album a few years back.
theres' even some experimentation in "transit lounge". a song that sounds more like a Neil Finn solo project song. (maybe it was before the album officially became a CH album).
all in all, like the many reviews before me the album isnt as easily accesible as its predecesors.its slower, sadder and it doesnt get stuck in your head as easily as "dont dream its over" but its good that way.
Neil has a wisdom that I can only imagine comes with age. he's nearing 50 but the songwriting is like wine; it only gets better.
Ive heard rumours that another CH album is already in the works for '08-
09. I cant wait already!
I am glad that in a world of mediocrity and record-company pushed crap this band came back against the odds to give us music with A MEANING....
Phenomenal Songwriting.......2007-07-30
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Stadium Arcadium
Red Hot Chili Peppers Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000EMGAOY Release Date: 2006-05-09 |
Tracks:
- Dani California
- Snow (Hey Oh)
- Charlie
- Stadium Arcadium
- Hump De Bump
- Shes Only 18
- Slow Cheetah
- Torture Me
- Strip My Mind
- Especially In Michigan
- Warlocks
- Cmon Girl
- Wet Sand
- Hey
Tracks:
- Desecration Smile
- Tell Me Baby
- Hard to Concentrate
- 21st Century
- She Looks To Me
- Readymade
- If
- Make You Feel Better
- Animal Bar
- So Much I
- Storm In A Teacup
- We Believe
- Turn It Again
- Death of a Martian
Amazon.com
Four-year career hiatuses followed by sprawling double-albums could spell trouble for a band of the Chili Peppers' stature: consider they'd originally recorded enough for three discs. The restless, trouble-plagued outfit that helped break alternative rock into the mainstream with a potent fusion of punk 'n' funk in the '80s finds itself two decades on almost completely devoid of the former's energetic abandon, while the latter's effusive rhythms are considerably subdued over the course of this two-hour, 28-track collection. It's not so much that the Peppers have lost their muscular, often uber-macho edge as they have willfully tamed it in service of mature reinvention here. The mellower, often introspective, if no less potent pop ethos that characterized the crossover hit "Under the Bridge" blossoms fully here on tracks like disc one's "Snow," "Wet Sand," and the jazz-cool of "Hey."The title track, "Desecration Smile," and "She Looks To Me" finds them venturing further into laid back pop ballad territory, while the tricky rhythms of "Dani California," "Charlie," and "So Much I" eventually kick into familiar top gear on the pop-savvy "Tell Me Baby" and hip-hop seasoned "Storm in a Teacup." It's not that there's a paucity of musical adventure here ("If" and "Animal Bar" finds them wafting into Floydish neo-psychedelia while "Make You Feel Better" seems to channel no less than Joe Jackson) but that it's delivered with a subtlety--and dare we say it?--tasteful musical restraint that's a stark contrast to the band's early, overly overt nature. There's perhaps too much mid-tempo simmering and reflection going on; like most double-albums it could be focused into a much more compelling single disc. But that seems largely beside the Peppers' hooks-over-histrionics point here: an unlikely record to kick back to, and one that both challenges assumptions and eases the band into middle age with an oft languorous, if undeniably savory groove. --Jerry McCulley
Album Description
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers calls the band's first new album in four years, Stadium Arcadium, the most-anticipated album of the spring, "the best thing that we've ever done . There's this weird kind of sublime, subliminal undercurrent that is suggestive, in a spirited way, of our earliest records." Exuding all the passion, energy and funked-up rock that have made the Red Hot Chili Peppers one of the most popular bands in history, the 2-CD Stadium Arcadium, simply put, will knock your socks off.Customer Reviews:
Superb effort by 'Peps........2007-08-06
BUY IT!.......2007-07-21
This is coming from someone who music typically runs a short half life.
If you are reading this about this album, and don't yet own it...then do yourself a favor and buy it!
The cynics of this album are the overly-cynical type that find a flaw in just about anything. Do not listen to (the very few) of them.
Awesome.......2007-07-13
Snow..the hit from the soundtrack.......2007-07-11
For the past two days I've been listening to one song, Snow, over and over. The cool thing is with iTunes repeat, it's the kind of song that just undulates into highs and lows, mellow and rapping and metal and back to mellow; like it never ends (and by the way, I DON'T do drugs anymore. Just want to clarify).
This is what the Chili Peppers represent to me. They have that definite sound that's been imitated ad-infinitum. But they started that sound (at least for white people) and added the heavy guitars to rapping found only in Run DMC's second hit, Rock Box back in the early 80s. Punk? Yeah. Well, that's just part of their story. Much more multicultural than that.
But what I want to say is, you know how there's that song that represents a certain time in your life? I call them life soundtrack songs. They're powerful and give you goose bumps, and you remember that time when you were, say, just walking down the street, and this beautiful serene rhythm took over from hearing that one song. Two years from now I'll try to recapiture this song's impact, but it will be second hand by then.
So, thank you Chili Peppers, for coming up with what I see as tPart II of that beautiful/desperate epic of pain and resurrection; Under the Bridge. That's when I knew you guys were incredible, and that you'd been there.
You know.
And that it made you better in the long run.
Thank God it's a double CD.......2007-07-11
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Version
Mark Ronson Manufacturer: Red Int / Red Ink ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000PGTF4G Release Date: 2007-06-12 |
Tracks:
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (featuring The Daptone Horns)
- Oh My God (featuring Lily Allen)
- Stop Me (featuring Daniel Merriweather)
- Toxic (featuring Tiggers)
- Valerie (featuring Amy Winehouse)
- Apply Some Pressure (featuring Paul Smith)
- Inversion
- Pretty Green (featuring Santo Gold)
- . Just (featuring (Phantom Planet)
- Amy (featuring Kenna)
- The Only One I Know (featuring Robbie Williams
- Diversion
- L.S.F. (featuring Kasabian)
- Outversion
Amazon.com
Following up his success in helping produce Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, Mark Ronson's second solo project covers a series of mostly British indie-rock songs but with a funky soul remake. The meeting of two styles you ordinarily wouldn't associate with one another makes for some interesting hybrids. The cover of Radiohead's "Just," done with Phantom Planet is unexpectedly excellent but hearing Tiggers and Ol' Dirty Bastard remaking "Toxic" by Britney Spears will probably leave more folks scratching their heads than nodding them. Overall, the balance is positive and should hopefully open up both indie rock and funk fans to both respective genres. In a class by itself is Winehouse's cover of the Zutons' "Valerie," --the best song Paul Weller and Martha Reeves never made. --Oliver WangProduct Description
A lot has been said about Mark Ronson. Some have called him "a 21st century Quincy Jones," while others know him as one of the worlds finest DJ's with International renown, favored by the decadent fashion cognoscenti, the Hip-Hop elite and anyone in general who likes to party... Now add to that list THE PRODUCER DU JOUR! From his stellar production on Christina Aguilera's multi-platinum "Back To Basics" to his cutting edge contributions on the much buzzed about Lilly Allen album "Alright, Still Back To Black" and the genre bending Amy Winehouse release that's taking fans and critics by storm, Mr Mark Ronson is strutting his stuff, and strutting it well.With all the production credits for other artists under his belt, he's now turned his attention to his own project, Version, the album the UK critics are calling a Major winner. Version is a beautiful collection of cover songs, re-imagined by Mark. His philosophy on Version was to work with songs he's long loved- while not trying to make them better, he just wanted to make them bounce... From the feel good "Valerie" cover (The Zutons) featuring Amy Winehouse, to the quirky and fun "Oh My God" (Kaiser Chiefs) featurung Lily Allen, to the piece de resistance: "Stop Me" (The Smiths), featuring the soul stirring vocals of newcomer Daniel Merriweather, Version is poised to be the must-have album this summer
Customer Reviews:
So entertaining!.......2007-07-25
Up a notch.............2007-07-20
Ronson kills it.
amazing version.......2007-07-17
Mark's Version of other hits!!.......2007-07-11
Lead off single, and #2 UK hit "Stop me" is a lovely remake of The Smiths' "Stop me if you think you've heard this one before" which segues into The Supremes' hit "You keep me hanging on" over Hip hop beats. It features the lovely vocals of Australian Daniel Merriweather
Amy Winehouse (whose brilliant "Back to black" album he produced parts of) guests on the sunny Motown-like "Valerie", which was originally done by The Zutons.
Lily Allen (whose lovely album "Alright, Still" he also produced parts of) guests on the retro funk sounding "Oh my God", a remake of the Kaiser Chiefs song. It is currently in the UK top 20.
Britney Spears' hit "Toxic" is slowed down and almost unrecognizable, featuring vocals by Tiggers and a rap by ODB.
The Maximo Park song "Apply some pressure" is given a slight ska feel, set to an almost marching beat. Vocals by Paul Smith.
Kasabian show up on a funky remake of their "L.S.F", while Coldplay's "God put a smile on your face" gets the big horn section treatment.
Robbie Williams (his "Rudebox" album was also part produced by Mark) shows up on the Shaft-like remake of The Charlatans "The only one".
I like it!!!
It delivers the goods in style........2007-06-18
Comprised of new versions of old classics, it's a very entertaining listen from back to front, featuring the likes of Amy Winehouse, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Daniel Merriweather and Kasabian, all helping Ronson put his considerably fresh and funky twist on familiar tunes.
Highlights include the late ODB rapping to the Britney Spears refix of Toxic, Winehouse making vast improvements on the original with 'Valerie' and Phantom Planet singing an uber cool version of Radiohead's 'Just'.
Impressively suited for a party play through, this is definitely one to pick up for the nearing summer months.
With "Version", super-producer Mark Ronson has set out to prove that pop voyeurism and experimentalism don't have to be bad things using his own unique re-interpretive style.
Hence, he has assembled an album of spectacular cover versions that deliver very alternative versions of modern classics from Coldplay, The Charlatans, Radiohead and The Smiths.
Some listeners will undoubtedly write it off almost instantly as disastrous. Others may take some convincing.
But for many, "Version" is a brave, bold, blast of an album that almost always gets things right.
Ronson, for his part, emerges as a musical artist of the highest calibre -a music innovator whose funk-strewn re-interpretations effortlessly place themselves on the right side of cool.
On the whole, "Version" is a cut above most cover version compilations, as well as a darn fine party album for the approaching summer season. It probably won't impress the die-hard cynics - but for those willing to open their minds, or anyone in search of some expert funk, it delivers the goods in style.
My picks: "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face", "Oh My God", "Valerie", "Pretty Green", "Amy", "Just" and "Toxic".
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This Is Ryan Shaw
Ryan Shaw Manufacturer: One Haven / RED / Columbia ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000NJXBYA Release Date: 2007-04-17 |
Tracks:
- Do the 45
- We Got Love
- Nobody
- I Am Your Man
- Working on a Building of Love
- I Found a Love
- I Do the Jerk
- Lookin' for a Love
- I'll Always Love You
- I'll Be Satisfied
- Mish Mash Soul
- Over & Done
Amazon.com
Just when you thought the 21st century retro-R&B revolution was grinding to a sunken-hearted halt, Ryan Shaw comes along and revives the revivalist moment: This Is Ryan Shaw, the 26-year-old's phenomenal debut, dazzles not just because he can sing a song like Bobby Womack's "Lookin' for a Love" without letting the rear-view mirror leach him of his own soul, but because his originals--first single "Nobody," "We Got Love," and set closer "Over and Done"--convincingly replicate the classic sound of such forebears as Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Wilson Pickett. Here's a man who can plead, please, and play out love-struck dramas with his voice as though the '60s never ended; if his sound borrows heavily, it pays back what it owes with genuine contributions to the genre. Shaw's is real R&B without the raunch--a return to uplift too self-respecting and sincere to land on the retread pile. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
This Is Real R&B.......2007-07-31
Awesome!.......2007-07-29
"This is Ryan Shaw"
album is pure gold.
This young man will go far in the music business.
A real talent - great album, great live.......2007-07-25
Ryan is a great talent, singing with such soul. He sings with such range and seems comfortable in several different styles. Some songs remind me of Memphis Stax (in the sytles of Sam & Dave, Otis Redding) of 60's Motown (Do the 45, I Found a Love), some like Keb'Mo (We got love), and some have a little funk (Nobody).
Tell your friends. Buy the album. See him live. You won't be disappointed.
A great talent like his should be appreciated by the masses.
Great Retro debut from really talented singer.......2007-07-12
That said, the songs "Nobody" and "We Got Love" are unbelievably good and worth the price of the disc alone. I've been playing them constantly. In another era they'd garner him instant stardom. They may even do that now.
Whatever 'school' you put him in, Ryan Shaw's definitely head of the class.......2007-07-10
Shaw clearly demonstrates the old adage of RESPECT as well. There's no explicit language or situations that would prevent an Old School grandparent from introducing the kids to this music.
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Brandi Carlile - Brandi Carlile + ( Bonus Tracks )
Brandi Carlile Manufacturer: Red Int / Red Ink ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000FP2ZM6 Release Date: 2006-06-13 |
Tracks:
- Follow
- What Can I Say (New Recording)
- Closer To You
- Throw It All Away (New Recording)
- Happy
- Someday Never Comes
- Fall Apart Again
- In My Own Eyes
- Gone
- Tragedy
- Sixty Years On (Live)
- Tragedy (Austin Cello Version)
Customer Reviews:
OUTSTANDING.......2007-07-14
Fantastic Debut.......2007-06-17
THE FIRST OF TWO EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD AND SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ALBUMS.......2007-05-21
'The Story' combines some songs which are fairly dramatic (sometimes climactic) with others that are gentler and which have a strong 'folksy/rootsy' flavour. By comparison, on 'Brandi Carlile', although these influences are also present, many of the song structures and melodies are more conventional (more 'mainstream'). I'd say the songs have slightly stronger melodies with 'hooks' which give them more of a 'pop feel'; on the other hand, they don't seem to have quite the same intensity ('Sixty Years On' being one obvious exception) - but I think this has more to do with the types of song rather than any lack of commitment by BC.
With the possible exception of a couple of songs, the overall mood on 'The Story' is moderately sombre and this is reinforced by the absence of any up-tempo songs; however, on 'Brandi Carlile, there is much more variety in mood and tempo. On both albums, production is never overdone (so you get a very 'stripped down' sound) but I thought it was cleaner and more 'disciplined' on 'The Story'.
There isn't a single bad song here (or on 'The Story', for that matter); everyone will have their own favourites - here are a few brief comments about some of mine (songwriters in brackets):
WHAT CAN I SAY (Tim Hanseroth) - A mid-tempo very catchy song with a soft undulating melody giving it a 'folksy' feel; the addition of fairly emphatic percussion produces a song that 'rocks a bit' also.
CLOSER TO YOU (Brandi Carlile/Tim Hanseroth) - Another catchy song - this time fairly up-tempo; some of the acoustic guitar breaks remind me a little of early Simon & Garfunkel.
THROW IT ALL AWAY (Brandi Carlile/Tim Hanseroth) - A song which has relatively gentle passages alternating with more powerful ones and these have an intensity that is reminiscent of some of Roy Orbison's music.
HAPPY (Brandi Carlile) - Mid-tempo song with some really fluent guitar and delicate 'feathery' percussion; again, there is something here that reminds me of Simon & Garfunkel.
SIXTY YEARS ON (LIVE) (Elton John/Bernie Taupin) - A fine song this (as are many from EJ's first half dozen or so albums). It is a bit 'angst' laden so it may not appeal to everyone, but there can be no doubt that this is a potent rendition. You can detect some of EJ's vocal intonation in BC's singing but, nevertheless, she makes the song her own - there can't be many singers who can interpret EJ songs in a way that does them full justice.
As I am clearly 'hooked' on BC's music, my reviews will be biased; so, if you are thinking of buying either of her albums, it might be prudent to check out some of the less favourable reviews also (if you can find any). In terms of my enjoyment, I preferred 'The Story' (to put things into perspective - I enjoyed 'Brandi Carlile' very much, but The Story' just 'blew me away'!); but any differences that might exist between her two albums are slight. All I can say is that I find BC's voice and music very addictive - great stuff.
Carlile's music should include a Warning Label: You will become a Carlile Addict .......2007-04-20
(Fair Warning! Listening to this CD may result in a Carlile Listening Addiction)
Always looking for new music.......2007-04-01
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Greatest Hits
Red Hot Chili Peppers Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000C1733 Release Date: 2003-11-18 |
Tracks:
- Under the Bridge
- Give It Away
- Californication
- Scar Tissue
- Soul to Squeeze
- Otherside
- Suck My Kiss
- By the Way
- Parallel Universe
- Breaking the Girl
- My Friends
- Higher Ground
- Universally Speaking
- Road Trippin'
- Fortune Faded
- Save the Population
Album Description
ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS : The Modern Rock #1s are "Give It Away," "Soul To Squeeze," "My Friends," "Californication," "Otherside" and "By The Way" (also Top 40 Pop). The Top 20s are "Higher Ground" and "Suck My Kiss."Customer Reviews:
Some good stuff, missing lots, HORRID sound quality.......2007-07-05
However, the sound quality is as bad as it gets. It's easily the loudest album I own, and anything that was the chili peppers is flattened out as much as possible. Give It Away is a far, far cry from the original release quality.
Do yourself a favor, since RHCP have only released a few albums in the past 15 years, pick those up individually (you'll get 90% of this Greatest Of by picking up their last 3 releases). Then track down the ORIGINAL ISSUES of RHCP's early stuff, they used to care about sound quality and had some really great stuff back in the day. Just don't get fooled by the "Remastered" editions, they will have hacked sound quality just so it can sound as loud as modern releases.
Red Hot Chili Peppers.......2007-06-14
Excellent.......2007-05-14
Great mix of music.......2007-03-31
Awesome!!!.......2007-03-16
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Don't You Fake It
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000G0MI86 Release Date: 2006-07-18 |
Tracks:
- In Fates Hands
- Waiting
- False Pretense
- Face Down
- Misery Loves Its Company
- Cat and Mouse
- Damn Regret
- Atrophy
- Seventeen Aint So Sweet
- Justify
- Your Guardian Angel
Customer Reviews:
This is an easy joke, but..........2007-08-01
The answer is no. Basically, the fact that the quintet named their album Don't You Fake It is quite ironic, considering that they appear to be an emo band trying really hard to be a metal band or something. Some people might say it's too soon to assume this because it's only their first album, but lead vocalist Ronnie Winter has a habit of doing loud, deep grunge-like screaming just for the sake of doing it. This is evident in selections like "Justify", "In Fate's Hands" (the song that inspired the album's title) and "Atrophy". And speaking of "Atrophy", that song doesn't sound much different from "Face Down".
The only other song that really stands out aside from "Face Down" is the necessary end-of-album acoustic song, "Your Guardian Angel", because the rest of the songs really don't go anywhere. I don't mean to sound cruel, but the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus needs a lot more substance in their material because right now, having their album titled Don't You Fake It makes me think they should take their own advice.
Anthony Rupert
Flat-Out Unique.......2007-06-21
It's nearly impossible to fit this band under a genre other than Alternative. Believe me, it is. This band has so many different sounds of music, varying from pop-punk to metal to screamo to post-hardcore, it gives you some thing not very many artists aim for, these days. It's a good change for those looking for some thing new.
"In Fate's Hands" is an energetic start to a great album, as the position of the first track. "...Who finally understand, what it takes to make this dream come true..." It gives you the message that they really write themselves, and really give a crud about their music, and not their image, unlike many mainstream bands. Hell, just look at the band's name.
They have some meaningful lyrics, to say the least. They have a good beat. They have a freaking awesome vocalist (or in this case, vocalists, because since I last checked, they all sing). They have a unique sound. They'll make you go crazy.
Pick this up if you have the money and the chance. You won't be disappointed, let me tell ya.
No, I'm not a kid........2007-06-13
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus you rock!!.......2007-05-30
**sigh**.......2007-05-19
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Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000J7JO Release Date: 1999-06-08 |
Tracks:
- Around The World
- Parallel Universe
- Scar Tissue
- Otherside
- Get On Top
- Californication
- Easily
- Porcelain
- Emit Remmus
- I Like Dirt
- This Velvet Glove
- Savior
- Purple Stain
- Right On Time
- Road Trippin'
Amazon.com
Reunited with producer Rick Rubin and guitarist John Frusciante (both of whom were on board for the 1991's breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik), the Chili Peppers waste no time in burying their last effort, the so-so One Hot Minute. Californication's kickoff cut, "Around the World," swaggers around the room, reacquainting itself with old fans and welcoming new ones. Fuzzy Hendrix vibes and popcorn bass lines still rule the roost, along with a heaping helping of disco magic and some unexpected twists. Ten years ago, Anthony Kiedis and company wouldn't have been comfortable doing revamped new wave ("Parallel Universe") or unpretentious ballads (the acoustic "Road Trippin'"), but such material fits Californication's extra-wide canvas. Except for a few meandering numbers that could have been excised, the Red Hot Chili Peppers succeed and regain their footing on the mountain of adrenalized funk. --Jason JosephesCustomer Reviews:
Chili Peppers takes it to a whole nother level again!.......2007-07-16
Red Hot.......2007-07-06
Californication Review.......2007-07-05
Best CD purchase in a long time!.......2007-06-17
OK CD.......2007-06-01
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Stay
Simply Red Manufacturer: Simplyred.Com ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000N3ST2U Release Date: 2007-04-24 |
Tracks:
- The World and You Tonight
- So Not Over You
- Stay
- The Don't Have To Know
- Oh! What A Girl!
- Good Times Have Done Me Wrong
- Debris
- Lady
- Money
- The Death of The Cool
- Little Englander
Amazon.com
With young, British, soul stars like Amy Winehouse, Paolo Nutini, and Joss Stone crashing the American charts, what better time to celebrate the return of one of the original great blue-eyed soul singers, Simply Red's curly-mopped Mick Hucknall? Despite being dropped by its label in 2002, his band has flourished on its own, both artistically and commercially. Stay, Simply Red's third independent release, loses none of the crisp soul-jazz beauty that marked the group's late '80s heyday. It has a younger, fresher feel than 2003's elegant Home, but that does lead to more of a mixed bag. A pair of bite-the-hand-that-feeds protest tunes, "Money TV" and "The Death of the Cool," fall wide of the mark, but Hucknall makes up for it when he lets his shimmering voice rise above the electronic fanfare, delivering the classic love song "So Not Over You." Meanwhile, "They Don't Know" and the lively "Oh! What A Girl" prove that he can still give the new generation of soul singers a run for their money. --Aidin VaziriAlbum Description
2007 album produced and co-mixed by Andy Wright (Annie Lenow, Natalie Imbruglia).Customer Reviews:
PLEASE BUY IT.......2007-07-22
Getting Better.......2007-07-13
LOVE this CD!!!.......2007-07-13
Simply Red.......2007-07-11
Simply Red Returns.......2007-07-06
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Like Red on a Rose
Alan Jackson Manufacturer: Arista ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000HDZKAA Release Date: 2006-09-26 |
Tracks:
- Anywhere On Earth You Are
- Good Imitation Of The Blues
- Like Red On A Rose
- Nobody Said That It Would Be Easy
- Don't Change On Me
- The Firefly's Song
- Wait A Minute
- Had It Not Been You
- A Woman's Love
- Don't Ask Why
- Aa Lovely As You
- Where Do I Go From Here (A Trucker's Song)
- Bluebird
Amazon.com
The idea of twang king Alan Jackson pairing up with Alison Krauss for an album of love songs might seem heretical to some, especially if they heard only the first cut, the adult-contemporary ballad "Anywhere on Earth You Are." But producer Krauss, whom Jackson approached to make a traditional bluegrass record, always knew there was a sensuous heart beating beneath his aw-shucks demeanor, one that would fit perfectly with the intimate repertoire, genre-bending musical framework, and virtuoso players she'd always chosen for herself. (Robert Lee Castleman, one of Krauss's favorite writers, weighs in with four tunes, and Ron Block, Jerry Douglas, and Dan Tyminski, Krauss's Union Station cohorts, anchor the band.) Jackson, it turns out, also wanted a chance to reflect on the ups and downs of his long marriage, apart from 1998's daring, spoken-word hit "I'll Go On Loving You," a far lustier admission than anything included here. If there's a downside to this brilliant, if unlikely pairing, it's that Krauss's somber program could benefit from something a tad more libidinous or uptempo. But what is here is so beautifully chosen and performed (with spare, affecting harmony vocals by Lee Ann Womack, Cheryl White, Sidney and Suzanne Cox, and Krauss herself) that it's hard to quibble. Throughout, and especially on the ballad "Wait a Minute" and his own dusted-off "A Woman's Love" (1998), Jackson, who explores his rich, lower register more frequently than in the past, comes across like Don Williams in his prime. He's a middle-aged man taking stock of what and who matters most to him in life, and speaking his heart without artifice. In the title track, a song so bone-marrow deep it might bring you to your knees, Jackson declares, "I love you like all little children love pennies." That line that may sound odd and superficial by itself, but in Jackson's nuanced reading, it takes on a nearly spiritual yearning. This album, like the gospel Precious Memories before it, proves that while Jackson--the most nominated performer in CMA history--may be nearing 50, he's not ready to quit challenging himself as an artist. --Alanna NashMore from Alan Jackson
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Customer Reviews:
like red in a rose.......2007-07-01
Great Album.......2007-06-16
Not as country as I always thought Alan was........2007-06-04
Then I borrowed the album from a friend of mine to give it a listen; I intended to give Alan Jackson a chance.
I knew quickly that I didn't like the overall tone and sound of the album.
I classify country artists in three categories based on their sound and the themes of their songs: people who have more of a country theme, people who sound more country, and then those who clearly have both. I like to refer to the third group as "pure" country. And I love pure country the most. Alan Jackson has always fallen into that category for me.
I'm a diehard fan of country music. I enjoy many other types of music, but country has always been my favorite. Alan Jackson's pure country sound and theme has always been one of my favorites. "Like Red on a Rose" is a solid letdown from that. It doesn't seem to have any of Alan's usual pure country self. The sound of the album is far from it, and the themes too seem out of the range of usual country songs. To me, the album isn't really country.
I do like artists who explore their sounds, but this seems to be a fruitless exploration. And besides, if you're such a hitmaker as Alan Jackson, pray tell, WHY would you EVER want to change your sound so dramatically? I also don't understand how such a bluegrass wonder as Alison Krauss, while producing on this album, let Alan slide so far from his usual sound.
Apart from the sound that I dislike, the albums songs themselves don't seem to be up to par either. Usually when I listen to an album, a few songs will immediately leap out at me on the first listen-through, and they'll slowly become my favorites. I gave "Like Red on a Rose" FOUR listens, and never once did any of the songs leap out at me. The whole album was one single monotonous, boring blur to both my ears and mind. If you were to ask me now about any of the individual songs on the album, I wouldn't be able to tell you a thing. They were simply that forgettable.
The whole album would be that forgettable if its blatant contrast to Alan's usual sound and quality didn't make it noteworthy. And I honestly wish that the album was forgettable or non-existant.
Alan Jackson Great singer.......2007-05-28
He always puts out winners and this one is too!
You will not be disappointed!
Could be better.......2007-05-15
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