Notorious [CD-single] [Import]

Track Listings

1. NOTORIOUS BIG (Radio Edit)

2. Dead Wrong (Radio Mix)

3. Nasty Boy (Remix)

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
First single from the U.S. #1 album 'Born Again'. The A-side samples Duran Duran's 'Notorious' and features Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim. Tracks 'Notorious B.I.G. Featuring Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim' (radio mix), 'Dead Wrong' (radio mix) and 'Nasty Boy' (remix). 2000 release. Slimline jewel case.

Notorious,The Notorious B.I.G.,Bmg Int'l,5"CD Singles,Pop,Popular Music,R&B,Rap & Hip-Hop

Tracks:

Life After Death Intro
Somebody's Gotta Die
Hypnotize
Kick In The Door
#!*@ You Tonight
Last Day
I Love The Dough
What's Beef?
B.I.G. Interlude
Mo Money Mo Problems
Niggas Bleed
I Got A Story To Tell

Tracks:

Notorious Thugs
Miss U
Another
Going Back To Cali
Ten Crack Commandments
Playa Hater
Nasty Boy
Sky's The Limit
The World Is Filled...
My Downfall
Long Kiss Goodnight
You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)

Amazon.com essential recording

The King of Brooklyn, Biggie Smalls, busted through with an instant hip-hop classic on his first album, Ready to Die, but he outdid even his standard on Life After Death, an audible, posthumous autobiography about the life of the former dope dealer. The 2 CD set revels in death, especially on "Niggaz Bleed," "Somebody's Gotta Die," and "You're Nobody ('Til Somebody Kills You)," but it's painfully clear that this chestnut-cheeked, fun-loving father of two wanted to see his kids grow up on "Sky Is the Limit" and "Miss U," both of which point to the future. The album also serves as a testament to Biggie's flexibility: he adopts Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's rapid rhyme flow and Midwestern beats when they guest on "Notorious Thugs," he positively bounces on both "Mo Money Mo Problems" and "Going Back to Cali" (guesting Eazy Mo Bee), and even kicks it Wu-Tang style when RZA shows up for "Long Kiss Goodnight." --Asondra R. Hunter

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

More Good Stuff from a Big Man.......2007-07-20

With 2 discs, Life After Death gives the listener a lot of material by Biggie. Some reviewers criticize this as having some weaker stuff and annoying guest appearances, but I think that's just a function of having a bigger album. Some stuff inevitably will not be as good as the rest. And I think the guest appearances are fine. Lil Kim spews off a foul mouth on one track, but that's what she does in her own stuff. Anyway, there's lots of great raps on her. The album's a bit slicker and more produced, lacking some of the edge of Ready to Die, but I think things as a whole work very well. While maybe not quite as awesome, on a song by song basis, as Ready to Die, this album definitely has enough quality material for the 5 stars. The best raps:

Hypnotize
Kick in the Door
I Love the Dough
Mo Money Mo Problems
Another
Going Back to Cali
The World is Filled

Posthumous greatness .......2007-07-14

This album is Biggie at his best before his music got corrupted by a sniveling weasel named Sean P Giddy Combs. It has guest appearances like 112, Too Short, Jay-z, R. Kelly, The Lox etc but Biggie shines regardless of guest appearances. The album kicks of with vivid storytelling by Biggie on Somebody's Gotta Die but that's not the only track where Biggie tells a great story. N***** Bleed is another cinematic track and Story To Tell is Biggie telling a story of some chick he was messing with whose husband ends up coming home while he's still there. Miss U is a touching tale with some good vocals by 112 on the chorus. Big keeps it true to the MC side of him with tracks like Kick In The Door(Nas Diss), the sinister sounding What's Beef, the first single Hypnotize, My Downfall(feat DMC), Long Kiss Goodnight(obvious 2pac diss but the track could do without Puffy's bipolar ranting. We all know Diddy is a cupcake), Last Day(feat the Lox). I Love The Dough is another highlight which features Jay-z and Angela Winbush as both Jigga and Biggie drop some hot verses on the track. Bone Thugs N Harmony join in on the festivities on Notorious Thugs as everybody delivers some fast-paced verses on the track. Going Back To Cali is Big's ode California and Biggie teaches the rules to the game on Ten Crack Commandments. The album does have its flaws like Playa Hater which is awful and anybody who can tell you that track is tight is borderline insane. Last Day is suspect only because of lackluster verses by The Lox(Biggie killed it!). I never felt The World Is Filled(feat Too Short and Fluff Diddy) and thats another song, with guest appearances where Biggie had the only notable verse(case in point for Mo Money Mo Problems). After that this album is smooth sailing. Biggie has his songs for the ladies like Nasty Boy and F*** You Tonight(feat R. Kelly) which he makes work for him. Lil Kim joins in on the battle of the sexes record Another. 112 makes another appearance on the magnificent Sky's The Limit where Biggie recalls his past. The second disc ends with the gritty You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You) as Biggie brings it to you raw and uncut. Bottom Line: The Notorious Big's Life After Death is easily the best rap album of 1997 and is a necessary requirement for any rap fan's collection. Biggie excelled on every track(even when the guest spots didnt) and the production was the best that Bad Boy could get. Standout tracks on Disc 1: SOMEBODY'S GOTTA DIE, HYPNOTIZE, KICK IN THE DOOR, F*** YOU TONIGHT, I LOVE THE DOUGH, WHAT'S BEEF, N***** BLEED and I GOT A STORY TO TELL. Standout Tracks on Disc Two: NOTORIOUS THUGS, MISS U, ANOTHER, GOING BACK TO CALI, TEN CRACK COMMANDMENTS, NASTY BOY, SKY'S THE LIMIT, MY D0WNFALL, LONG KISS GOODNIGHT and YOU'RE NOBODY(Til Somebody Kills You). RIP to Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious Big. Gone But Never Forgotten. There you have it. The most earnest review you'll ever read without the silly arguments about who is the better MC out of Pac and Big. You guys who are still carrying on with this asinine dispute need to agree to disagree and GROW UP!!! You're fools are damn near 40 still carrying on like high school kids. SHAME ON YOU ALL!

Biggy at His Prime.......2007-07-11

The Notorious B.I.G. was a lyrical genius and he showed it on Life After Death. This is the greatest rap double album ever. Biggy mastered his flow and showed his versitility on this album. He told stories, gave us party records, got serious, clowned around, rapped over west coast beats, rhymed fast, and gave us hard core street records. This is the definition of a complete album. Ready to Die was a classic and Biggy took it to another level on this album.

He left the world with his best work before he passed. Biggy had a great ability to make his lyrics very visual. Stories like "Somebody Gots to Die", "Niggas Bleed" and "I Got A Story to Tell" are so good that you can visualize his every word. Biggy had the East Coast on lock and no one in the game could touch him in wordplay. I can not even sit here and start to name the best songs because there were too many.

Biggy dropped two classic albums and was killed while he was still on top. He never lost his spot. Life After Death raised the bar for the game. I would have loved to see B.I.G. grow as an artist and make new music after this record. Unfortunately, his time was cut short, but he left us with a gem that shows his amazing talent....

Biggie's best work!.......2007-07-05

The first album was pretty tight, but this title cd album is Biggie's best work. And even if he was still alive, i'm not so sure that he could really top this one. It's a collector's item.

The greatest album ever released by Biggie & BadBoy Records........2006-12-01

Life After shows Biggie's growth as an artist and man. The storytelling is very cinematic and compelling. This is really a movie on wax for real. The paranoia is also raised on here and for good reason since Biggie spent 1996 fending off Pac's accusations and insults. In short, Biggie was a naturally gifted, personable, smart dude that's greatly missed.

Top Joints:
I Got A Story To Tell
Long Kiss Goodnight
Notorious Thugs
Hypnotize
N*ggas Bleed
Goin Back To Cali
My Downfall
What's Beef
Kick In The Door
You're Nobody.........
Ten Crack Commandments

Basically the whole 2 discs.

Average customer rating:

Dope
greatest music
So-so, but worth a listen
greatest hits to say the least
half-filler

Greatest Hits
The Notorious B.I.G.
Manufacturer: Bad Boy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000M5473E
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Tracks:

Juicy
Big Poppa
Hypnotize
One More Chance/Stay With Me
Get Money - Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Warning
Dead Wrong
Who Shot Ya
Ten Crack Commandments
Notorious Thugs
Notorious B.I.G.
Nasty Girl
Unbelievable
N***as Bleed
Running Your Mouth
Want That Old Thing Back
#!*@ You Tonight

Customer Reviews:

Dope.......2007-05-13

The best songs from one of the best hip-hop artists in history. F*cking Awesome!

greatest music .......2007-05-09

biggie is the best i enjoy this cd everyday ,biggie is awsome worth all its money i payed for it,

So-so, but worth a listen.......2007-05-07

This has a few songs I really like and some I had never heard of. I wouldn't really say it's ALL of Biggie's hits, but it's definitely worth checking out.

greatest hits to say the least.......2007-04-03

this was simply the perfect way to end the legacy. all the hits and no filler. i was even impressed with the new material which has been lacking in his posthumous deaths. a must buy for any biggie fan.

half-filler .......2007-04-02

An artist with as influential (and short) a career as Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., is done a disservice by an album like "Greatest Hits," especially since it was conceived as a tribute to the Brooklyn rapper 10 years after his tragic death.

While half of the release lives up to its premise with choice cuts from B.I.G.'s brief but brilliant studio album output like "Juicy," "Hypnotize" and "One More Chance/Stay With Me," the other half is muddled with posthumously-released cuts that are more vehicles for guest artists like Nelly and Eminem than true Biggie classics.

Removing the layer of artist purity, one would expect radio hits like the massive tribute release "I'll Be Missing You" or duets like "Mo Money, Mo Problems" (with Diddy), especially since minor hits like Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s "Get Money" made the cut. But no, sadly, neither of the first two tracks are anywhere to be found, while the latter track and "Notorious Thugs" (with Bone Thgs-N-Harmony) made it onto the album.

This album is worth it if you're only passively interested in Notorious B.I.G.'s biggest radio hits (and don't mind paying for a lot of filler). Serious fans and B.I.G. beginners should seek out "Ready to Die: The Remaster" and "Life After Death" and call it a day.

Average customer rating:

Mostly fizzle, little sizzle
I liked some of it
Very original Cherry Bombs
It just makes ya happy!
The Notorious Cherry Bombs

The Notorious Cherry Bombs
The Notorious Cherry Bombs
Manufacturer: Universal South
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Outsider
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The Essential Rodney Crowell
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ASIN: B0002IQIXI
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

Let It Roll, Let It Ride
If I Ever Break Your Heart
Wait A Minute
Making Memories Of Us
Oklahoma Dust
Dangerous Curves
Forever Someday
On The Road To Ruin
Heart Of A Jealous Man
It's Hard To Kiss The Lips At Night
Sweet Little Lisa

Amazon.com

This reunion of singer-songwriters Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill with pianist Tony Brown, ace guitarist Richard Bennett, and steel guitarist Hank DeVito sounds like the country equivalent of the Traveling Wilburys--a veteran supergroup having too much fun to take itself too seriously. Alumni of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band, the Cherry Bombs were Crowell's backing band in the '70s. Since then, Gill has become a star, Brown has become better known as a label executive, and Bennett has seen considerable demand as a producer. Starting with a call to loosen up on "Let It Go, Let It Ride," the album shows a spirit of playful camaraderie. It's tough to imagine either Crowell or Gill putting a cut titled "It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long" on one of their own albums, but the collaboration here is a honky-tonk highlight. DeVito remains the band's secret songwriting weapon, as "Wait a Minute" (in collaboration with Crowell) and a revival of "Sweet Little Lisa" (previously recorded by Dave Edmunds) capture the exhilaration of early rock & roll. A former gospel pianist, Brown adds revivalist preaching to this busmen's holiday. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Mostly fizzle, little sizzle.......2006-10-03

With a pairing like ace songwriter Rodney Crowell and crystalline-tenored, jagged-riff twanger Vince Gill, you'd expect some fireworks. Those are sadly not in evidence on the 12 track release from the super duo. Along for the ride are hot shot producer Tony Brown handling piano and old colleagues Hank DeVito and Richard Bennett who were with Vince in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band" when he was still an unknown commodity.

HIGHLIGHTS:
For the most part the songs that veer farthest afield of honky-tonk fare best. "Wait a Minute"'s call for forgiveness in the midst of relationship strife is a bit lightweight (Gill had a much better take on it with "Gimme Just One More Last Chance") but catchy and hummable, sounding not unlike a Traveling Wilburys outtake with just a dash of Tex-Mex influence. "Oklahoma Dust" is clearly a Buck Owens' homage and a well-done one as guitarist Bennett does his best Don Rich impersonation. The sole exception to the 'fast songs are best' rule here is jokey weeper "It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night that Chew Your A** Out all Day Long". The hook is so clever and undeniable that it escapes the stupidity in the use of the phrase "disses" from someone Gill's and Crowell's age.

LOWS:
"If I Ever Break Your Heart" is a dull string of cliches every bit as yawn-inducing as the latest Nashville assembly line hat act number.

BOTTOM LINE:
It only really catches fire thrice...far from enough to justify purchasing this dud.

I liked some of it.......2006-09-05

I bought this album after listening to the first few songs.

The first 1/3 seems more rock & roll then country -- and that's the part I like. The second 2/3rds of this album is a bit to country for me.

Very original Cherry Bombs.......2006-08-26

The entire album is good. Every song is unique, fun to listen to, and has an original sound. We especially love Rodney Crowel's simpler than Urban's version of "Making Memories of Us". I loved this song the first time I heard it done by Keith Urban on CMT, and noticed that Crowel wrote it and knew he'd had to have done his own recording of it. But the reason we bought the Cd was the "Kiss the Lips" song that the radio won't play. My husband absolutely loves that song.

It just makes ya happy!.......2005-12-27

As a real hard-core Vince Gill Fan, I've been wanting this CD for awhile now and finally got it for Christmas. What a fabulous collection of music! The talent on this CD is incredible; it makes you want to sing along, to dance, to stop and just listen, and of course, to laugh. I can't go from one room to the other without bringing it with me to play!

The Notorious Cherry Bombs.......2005-09-10

this is the best album with the most talented guys of country music - my husband is a radio dj in Dunedin (NZ) and I can tell you this is a very popular album with us South Islanders!! I personally think these guys have just got quality and wow can't wait for another CD!!

Average customer rating:

Best of the last of the "old" Byrds
This is a true pyschedelic classic!
psychedelic byrds. great music.
Flying High in the Friendly Sky
Last Of The Greatest

The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Younger Than Yesterday
Fifth Dimension
Turn! Turn! Turn!
Mr. Tambourine Man
Ballad of Easy Rider

ASIN: B000002AHC
Release Date: 1997-03-25

Tracks:

Artificial Energy
Goin' Back
Natural Harmony
Draft Morning
Wasn't Born To Follow
Get To You
Change Is Now
Old John Robertson
Tribal Gathering
Dolphin's Smile
Space Odyssey
Moog Raga (Intrumental)
Bound To Fall (Intrumental)
Triad
Goin' Back (Version One)
Draft Morning (Alternative Take)
Universal Mind Decoder (Intrumental)

Amazon.com

The Notorious Byrd Brothers captures the Byrds between the seminal folk-rock glories of their better-known mid-'60s triumphs and the equally influential country-rock that would soon follow, but the album is no holding action: with onetime Beach Boy associate Gary Usher producing and Roy Halee engineering, the band weaves its signature vocal harmonies and chiming guitars through a lusher, more impressionistic art-pop tapestry that stops just short of post-Sgt. Pepper cliché, employing phased vocals, sound effects, Moog synthesizer, and horns. Thematically, the project pits utopian innocence ("Tribal Gathering," "Dolphins Smile") against a new wariness ("Artificial Energy," a cautionary look at amphetamines, and the Vietnam vignette of "Draft Morning"). In a field of well-paced, inventive songs, the zenith is the silken, wistful "Goin' Back," Carole King's poignant meditation on childhood and innocence. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Best of the last of the "old" Byrds.......2007-05-24

Replaces a worn out LP. Actually a 4.25 on the star scale but there is not that choice!

This is a true pyschedelic classic!.......2007-03-16

THis is the sound of the Byrds imploding while at the same time throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the mix. Hints of their eventual country turn sit inside burbling moogs and mellotrons- (Yes spacey keyboards)- backwards phrasing- flanged guitars and vocals - swirling inside the classic Byrds sound. The guitars still chime but this is very much a pyschedelic and one of the most unique i might add records from the era. Dont be fooled by the negative reviews this is right up there with piper-sgts peppers-( beatlesque horns at times) and for my money it may not be the best Byrds record(though i think it is)most interesting and rewarding listen. It also doesnt sound as dated as most pyschedelia. SOme of the bonus material is good (triad a crosby penned tune is very good and should have made the album originally). Crosby was booted during the recording but despite the problems internally this is a stunning album. And for the price you cant beat it.

psychedelic byrds. great music........2007-03-12

though mr tambourine man, younger than yesterday, and sweetheart of the rodeo are usually regarded as the best byrds albums, it is the notorious byrd brothers that i find myself returning to most often. i never tire of this great album. it's spacey psychedelicism is mesmerizing. the songs abound with wonderful floating melodies and stunning harmonics. horn and string arrangements are added to the byrd arsenal of sound here, and the rythmic shifts, abrupt tempo-changes, and various psych touches leave one wondering what sonic surprise might happen next. two slow numbers, "goin' back," and "draft morning," are particularly gorgeous, while "old john robertson" and "change is now" foreshadow the country leanings their music would later acquire. this is a great album, beginning to end. the bonus tracks on the cd do not, however, add anything worthy of the original recording, and would have been best left off. anyway, the remastered version from 1997 (which contains the six bonus tracks) is a big improvement in sound over the first cd version, so if you get this, make sure you get the '97 remastered disc.

Flying High in the Friendly Sky.......2006-07-01

The Byrds, as a working unit, were beginning to disintegrate at the time this album was released; with their main songwriter Gene Clark quitting the band because of the fact that he was terrified of plane-travel, and David Crosby feeling increasingly neglected. And yet they managed to piece together some of their finest pop music to date, but this time with a little more edge than on their previous albums.

Their main inspiration, it seems, was a healthy competitive streak with their old Liverpudlian sparring partners, and Roger Mcguinn's occasional acid-buddies, The Beatles. Sgt Peppers fever was everywhere at the time- with everyone from psychedelic jazz artists (David Axelrod) to folkies like The Incredible String Band trying to ride the wave. And the Byrds were no exeption; they hardly even tried to hide the influence. I can think of three Sgt Pepperisms off-hand: the Lovely Rita-style heavy breathing in Get to You, the horns that come in near the end of Draft Morning, and then there's the fact that each song segues into the next. However, the Byrds were always more than mere Beatles wannabes, they were wonderful melody makers too.

The opening track, Artificial Energy, sounds like Beck thirty years before the fact- the driving horns and Mguinn's laid-back vocals make for what is probably the best opener on a Byrds' album. The rest of the album doesn't disappoint; from Carole King's Goin' Back (try and check out Nils Lofgren's brilliant piano-driven version if you can too) to Space Oddyssey, which continued the Byrds' obsession with alien contact. It could be said that the latter is some, dipsy, love-child era claptrap, but, writing this review in the year when Neil Young has released a State of the Union address/album called Living With War, I could do with a little more of this kind of music. What is arguably the best song on the album didn't even make the cut on the original release, which is a very Byrdsian trend (see axed songs like Psychodrama City and She Don't Care About Time). Triad's basically Crosby asking two lovers to go take part in a menage a trois, and I wouldn't be surprised if they went with it considering he delivered the idea so beautifully. However, I also think the song is about adopting a free-living, hippie aesthetic, and in that way I think of it as a sort of sister-song to his simliar sounding Almost Cut My Hair, which he released with Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Whether or not this is their best album depends on your tastes. Personally I'd give that award to Sweetheart of the Rodeo or maybe even Fifth Dimension, but I do know it's a wonderful album of catchy, sometimes inspiring, songs.

Last Of The Greatest.......2006-06-05

For me, this album will always represent the last of the great, classic 'Byrds' albums, even if 'Sweetheart Of The Rodeo' might have some claim for thuis title. But I am just in love with psychedelia, and even though the album cover here indicates a country album, that style first entered the Byrd repetoire on their next outing. This is just simply one of the most brilliant recordings of the psychedelic era.

'Goin' Back' and 'Natural Harmony' are pleasant, soft, psychedelic songs, well-crafted, well-played and well-sung. But with 'Draft Morning' and 'Wasn't Born To Follow' the real classics kick in, before the surprisingly powerful 'Get To You' ends side 1.

'Change Is Now' is a true gem, even if the beginning sounds somewhat dull. The chorus revives all this and brings a wonderful Byrd song, easily a contender for the same status as earlier songs like 'Turn, Turn, Turn'. 'Old John Robertson' is arguably even better, though quality then drops a little bit for 'Tribal Gathering', though it is, nonetheless, a good song.

But then comes 'Dolphin's Smile' and 'Space Odyssey', two of their most marvellous psychedelic gems, as just the titles indicate.

All these songs are, however, nothing, compared to the first track. 'Artificial Energy' is simply one of the best psychedelic songs ever. It may be outshined by Steppenwolf's 'Magic Carpet Ride', but put it up against 'Magical Mystery Tour' or 'Pinball Wizard', and it, and I hope I don't offend anyone here, for all these titles have been chosen, because they are great monuments of psychedelia, but I think 'Artificial Energy' would beat them both!

This album is not better than 'Younger Than Yesterday', but it is neither worse, and both are very very valuable creations, and it is unbelievable, how underrated they have become...

Average customer rating:

The album that defined an era
Biggie's Best!
The Album That Set The Year '94 (Rating: 10 out of 10- -5 stars)

Ready to Die: The Remaster
The Notorious B.I.G.
Manufacturer: Bad Boy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000JJ4PDK
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

Intro
Things Done Changed
Gimme the Loot
Machine Gun Funk
Warning
Ready to Die
One More Chance
#! *@ Me (Interlude)
What
Juicy
Everyday Struggle
Me & My B*tch
Big Poppa
Respect
Friend of Mine
Unbelievable
Suicidal Thoughts
Who Shot Ya
Just Playing (Dreams)

Tracks:

Juicy [DVD]
Big Poppa [DVD]
Warning [DVD]
One More Chance [DVD]
Unbelievable [DVD][Live]

Customer Reviews:

The album that defined an era.......2007-07-10

The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 debut arrived at a turning point for hip hop music. As the old school style from the east coast was slowly growing stale, a new funkier and angrier approach was steadily growing in the form of gangsta rap from the west coast. Then, of course, came "Ready to Die," one of the finest hip hop albums of all time, and one that bridged the gap between the old and new schools. This is the album that introduced the world to the incredible rapper and incredible character that was Christopher Wallace. A young, overweight Brooklyn native, a father, and a former hustler, Biggie impressed listeners not only with his talent but his personality on the mic. Technically, he is not short of amazing. His ingenious punchlines, late-night stories, threats, and jokes are delivered in his raspy, cheeky voice with precise technique, always on time and in a perfect flow. Lyrically, he covers many topics but the quality is ever so consistent. On one song, he'll be telling a story of crime, on the next song he'll be poking fun at a ghetto loser, or seducing a woman, nostalgically reminiscing over the past, or dramatically philosophizing about the meaning of life and death. His verses are all meticulously written and never lose your attention. Another reason "Ready to Die" is so great is the production. The young Sean Combs anchors a production team that uses extensive, clever sampling to create a unique musical backdrop for Biggie. The album is well divided between radio friendly singles and harder, darker songs that would be too rough for radio. The hardcore tracks inspired an entire generation of grimy New York rappers that would reign towards the late 1990s, but the influence of the popular singles could also be felt on urban radio for years to come. "Ready to Die" is an absolutely classic hip hop album and one of the finest ever, a must have for any collection.

The album begins with a dramatic intro, which gives way to "Things Done Changed," a well-produced and ironic look back at Biggie's humble roots. "Gimme the Loot" is one of the songs that shows his lyrical genius, where he plays multiple characters in a conversation, creating a classic track. "Machine Gun Funk" is an upbeat, funky cut sampling a song by Lords of the Underground for the hook. On the excellent "Warning," Biggie again plays multiple characters during conversation, before dropping philosophy on backstabbers and issuing threats. The title track follows accordingly, as does the original mix of "One More Chance," a song to a woman about their relationship (the more popular remix is not included on the tracklist). Perhaps my favorite song is the Method Man collaboration "The What," a song where the two depressed MCs drop some dark knowledge and philosophy over a great beat. It doesn't get much better than having two of New York's finest rappers over a solid 1994-styled beat. "Juicy" is an absolute classic, an emotional and effective rags-to-riches look at his upbringing, effectively sampling an 80s R&B hit by Mtume. Another of my favorites is the hopeful "Everyday Struggle," which is blessed with the nicest beat on the album, a sunny, clever production over which Biggie recounts the troubles of trying to get by. "Me & My B..." is a humorous and enjoyable tune, followed by the unforgettable hit "Big Poppa." This song has a perfect, Isley Brothers-sampling beat, a head-nodding funker, and shows the humorously seductive BIG at his finest. The well done "Respect" and catchy "Friend of Mine" are worthy deep-album cuts, and the DJ Premier-produced "Unbelievable" has an unforgettable chorus and production. The album closes with one of his most stunning works, "Suicidal Thoughts," a depressing insight of life from a suicidal person.

Overall, "Ready to Die" is inspiring, beautiful, and immensely entertaining. This album doesn't sound like it has aged a bit, and even thirteen yeras later sounds as fresh and incredible as the day it dropped. Listeners of any age should be able to appreciate this masterpiece, it's so consistent that there's not one piece of skip material over seventeen tracks. Unarguably one of the finest hip hop albums ever, I cannot recommend it any higher.

Today, the black covered "Remaster" is the only version in print as far as I know, because last year some lawsuits emergedo over sampling issues. The remaster includes two bonus tracks, "Who Shot Ya?" and "Just Playing," both worthy additions to the tracklist. Also, the DVD is a welcome bonus, with videos and live performances. It's a pretty nice package for a good price.

Biggie's Best!.......2007-04-09

Although Life After Death was excellent, Ready to Die was a landmark album. It is cool to hear the angrier Biggie on some songs and an others the smooth, slick Biggie we all know. His flow is outstanding and his lyrics and content truly capture his life's story. It will always remain one of the top hip hop albums of all time.

The Album That Set The Year '94 (Rating: 10 out of 10- -5 stars).......2006-12-14

Can anyone forget this album? This album (as well as Nas' "Illmatic" were the front runners of the year 1994. Christopher "Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls)" Wallace debuted with this album with the lead single "Juicy". A rags to riches song that still gets played here in 2006. Biggie's lyrical skills were excellent. I hear a lot of rappers (who I will be here all day naming) saying excellent lines that came from Biggie. I think to myself "Damn, this guy said everything".

The album is excellent too. A lot of these songs are about drugs, robbing, and what not. Big was just rhyming about things that he went through before he had a record deal, trying to survive and eat. Who could blame him? "Give Me The Loot" is one of those songs about his struggles (some words were edited in this song. I'm pretty sure rhyming about robbing a pregnant woman was going to gain some negative attention). "Machine Gun Funk" is self explanitory on how a good song it was. "Warning" was a short song and video about people targeting him for his money. "One More Chance" is a great song about how he gets his females. The song would be remixed and made into a video a year later, but both versions sound great.

Guest appearances are only one. Method Man, back when his rhyme skills were phenomonal, would rhyme on "The What". Classic track if you ask me.

Production was by Mr. Cee, Puff Daddy, and Easy Mo Bee. True, Puffy might be the "king of beat jacking" and what not, but he did a damn good job with them. The Isley Brothers "Between The Sheets" would be made into the classic single "Big Poppa" was one of them.

This album was pulled off the shelves earlier of this year, because of unauthorized sampling on this album. But recently I've seeing it back on shelves. I guess it got settled. I bought this back in 2003 when it had the origonal white album cover. If you purchased this in 2004, you get the album with a few extra tracks like the more popular "One More Chance (Remix)". And you get the DVD with all the videos that came from this album. This album had a heavy impact in 1994, is a classic and is a must have for any hip hop collection. Most of these songs are rehashed into choppy verses on his postmothous albums unfortunately. But this is where most of them origonally came from. Biggies legacy helped influenced a laundry list your favorite rappers today, who bite his style. That alone should explain how this impacted hip hop. Word.

Rest In Peace Biggie Smalls

Lyrics: A+
Production: A+
Guest Appearances: A+
Musical Vibes: A
Overall: A+

Favorite Tracks: Give Me The Loot, Machine Gun Funk, Warning, One More Chance, Juicy, Every Day Struggle, Me & My B*tch, Big Poppa, Respect, Friend Of Mine, Suicidal Thoughts

Peace!

Average customer rating:

Its Definitely a Good Ready To Die Companion CD
decent (3.5 stars)
Pretty good, but not better than his others.
aight
How can you not see?

Born Again
The Notorious B.I.G.
Manufacturer: Bad Boy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Life After Death
Duets: The Final Chapter
Ready To Die [PA] [Remaster] [CD & DVD]
Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter
Vol. 2, Hard Knock Life

ASIN: B00002S5DF
Release Date: 1999-12-07

Tracks:

Born Again (Intro)
Notorious B.I.G.
Dead Wrong
Hope You Niggas Sleep
Dangerous MC's
Biggie
Niggas
Big Booty Hoes
Would You Die For Me
Come On
Rap Phenomenon
Let Me Get Down
Tonight
If I Should Die Before I Wake
Who Shot Ya
Can I Get Witcha
I Really Want To Show You
Ms. Wallace (Outro)

Customer Reviews:

Its Definitely a Good Ready To Die Companion CD.......2006-08-31

Ok, not every song is Ill... I read the reviews and thought twice but I bang that stuff just as loud as I do Ready To Die. Its got some jems on it.

decent (3.5 stars).......2006-08-08

lemme start off by saying DEAD WRONG IS ILL and eminem rips that track up, even better than big. other standouts include "notorious big" and "rap phenomenon" (which features the classic line 'all them rings and things you sing about bring em out / its hard to yell when the barrel's in ya mouth', which was used by jay-z on "what more can I say", and the jay version was sampled by swizz beats on last years hit "bring em out" by t.i.). the rest of the tracks range from good to bad, and none are outstanding like the first two.

buy it if you love big, otherwise just get the few best tracks from itunes.

Pretty good, but not better than his others........2006-07-28

There's always been one thing I didn't like so much about Biggie's music, and that was the fact that it is so beat based. When I listen to some of 2Pac's material, I get caught up in the lyrics much easier. On Pac's songs his voice is standing out on the track so you notice it, while Biggie's voice is just there, while the beat dominates.

His voice fits the beats very good on this CD, just like his other Albums. This CD starts with an intro, and after that possibly my favorite track on the CD, simply called "Notorious B.I.G.". It's just the whole beat in this you just can't help loving. The CD continues the success with another great track after that, "Dead Wrong". But, sadly, after these two great tracks, this CD is only going to get worse. The next 5 tracks are also pretty good, all with rather good beats, but none that compares to the two first. Once you're about half way through the Album the songs starts getting really bad though, it seems that at this point Puffy had run out of good beats and just wanted this CD over with, but what do I know.

All around a pretty good CD, definetely worth picking up if you like Big's material, however, I would recommend getting Life After Death and Ready to Die instead, if you haven't already got those.

aight .......2006-02-11

this album is real tight but dosen't have anything on Life After Death. in my opinion Biggie is the best rapper ever right behind Tupac, so thats why i gave this album 4 stars

How can you not see?.......2005-12-30

Biggie is not dead. The guest rappers spot is just a fairly good ploy to hide this fact. Not like Tupac, who is consistently coming out with new material despite having died. I mean, please, people. How could Snoop Dogg NOT show up? He's a big crusader on the gangster front lines, pushing for the leader of the Crips and this as well. It's a front I tell you.

Average customer rating:

The Most Influential Hip-Hop CD EVER
The best debut hip-hop album ever
The Album That Set The Year '94 (Rating: 10 out of 10- -5 stars)
BULL SH*T!!!!!!!!!
The Mathmatical Flow, that was never writting down- Ready to Die

Ready to Die

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Life After Death
Born Again
Me Against the World
Illmatic
Doggystyle

ASIN: B0000039PW

Amazon.com essential recording

During the Reagan era of "all-for-me" economics, MCs like Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap painted pictures of silky rap gangsterism, inspired by movies like The Mack and Superfly. Out of the post-Reagan rubble came Notorious B.I.G.'s debut, the "Hustler" reality-trip Ready to Die (also the LP debut for beat-thief producer, Sean "Puffy" Combs). Biggie still rhymes about the gold, the Moet, and the ladies, but also reveals the casualties on the road from struggler to hustler to player. "Juicy" sets up Biggie's rags-to-riches story, but then the curtain gets pulled back, with unapologetic, hardcore tracks like "Gimme the Loot" and "Machine Gun Funk." It's a funky album (just try not throwing your hands in the air when you hear "Big Poppa"), and it's a powerful album--possibly even the Mayflower of 1990s East Coast "Hustler" rap. --Todd Levin

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The Most Influential Hip-Hop CD EVER.......2007-06-07

Funny how most of the "This album sucks"/"Biggie sucks, 2pac is way better" are from Kids Reviews. What a joke. You can't get more classic than this album. I did something that made me realize how priceless albums like "Ready To Die" and "Illmatic" are. I stopped listening to them for almost a year, listened to all the current (c)rap that is out now and then listened to these and other classic hip hop albums straight through again and again. All I could say is WOW. The difference in talent is unreal. It makes you TRULY miss artists like Big and Pac to the point where you actually get irritated by how wack so-called artists are now. Nothing but pop-rap and studio gangsters. How unfortunate.

The best debut hip-hop album ever.......2007-05-05

Ready to Die has four songs put together in a row that can just make your jaw drop: "Juicy", "Everyday Struggle", "Me and My Bitch", and "Big Poppa". In the history of hip-hop, there are no four songs put together on one album that can equal this string of mastery. Biggie was the master of the hit rap song, as he demonstrates on "Juicy" and "Big Poppa". Biggie's clean version of "One More Chance" debuted at #5 when it was released, the highest-debuting single of all time (the album version is dirty, the radio version is romantic). But he cared about every song and that is what set him apart from his peers. Biggie's songs on Ready to Die were often snapshots; you can't help but get visions in your head while listening to "Gimme the Loot" or "Warning". This ability to conjure up graphic detail made Biggie a master storyteller. But he also had a sense of humor to offset his tough-to-swallow autobiographical sketches. "One More Chance" and "Friend of Mine" were hilarious takes on women that Biggie loved to take advantage of. Biggie would take more chances with diversity on Life After Death, but Ready to Die was his more personal and introspective album, thus making Ready to Die more satisfying and more essential. A top 5 hip-hop album. A

The Album That Set The Year '94 (Rating: 10 out of 10- -5 stars).......2006-12-21

Can anyone forget this album? This album (as well as Nas' "Illmatic" were the front runners of the year 1994. Christopher "Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls)" Wallace debuted with this album with the lead single "Juicy". A rags to riches song that still gets played here in 2006. Biggie's lyrical skills were excellent. I hear a lot of rappers (who I will be here all day naming) saying excellent lines that came from Biggie. I think to myself "Damn, this guy said everything".

The album is excellent too. A lot of these songs are about drugs, robbing, and what not. Big was just rhyming about things that he went through before he had a record deal, trying to survive and eat. Who could blame him? "Give Me The Loot" is one of those songs about his struggles (some words were edited in this song. I'm pretty sure rhyming about robbing a pregnant woman was going to gain some negative attention). "Machine Gun Funk" is self explanitory on how a good song it was. "Warning" was a short song and video about people targeting him for his money. "One More Chance" is a great song about how he gets his females. The song would be remixed and made into a video a year later, but both versions sound great.

Guest appearances are only one. Method Man, back when his rhyme skills were phenomonal, would rhyme on "The What". Classic track if you ask me.

Production was by Mr. Cee, and Puff Daddy. True, Puffy might be the "king of beat jacking" and what not, but he did a damn good job with them. The Isley Brothers "Between The Sheets" would be made into the classic single "Big Poppa" was one of them.

This album was pulled off the shelves earlier of this year, because of unauthorized sampling on this album. But recently I've seeing it back on shelves. I guess it got settled. I bought this back in 2003 when it had the origonal white album cover. If you purchased this in 2004, you get the album with a few extra tracks like the more popular "One More Chance (Remix)". And you get the DVD with all the videos that came from this album. This album had a heavy impact in 1994, is a classic and is a must have for any hip hop collection. Most of these songs are rehashed into choppy verses on his postmothous albums unfortunately. But this is where most of them origonally came from. Biggies legacy helped influenced a laundry list your favorite rappers today, who bite his style. That alone should explain how this impacted hip hop. Word.

Rest In Peace Biggie Smalls

Lyrics: A+
Production: A+
Guest Appearances: A+
Musical Vibes: A
Overall: A+

Favorite Tracks: Give Me The Loot, Machine Gun Funk, Warning, One More Chance, Juicy, Every Day Struggle, Me & My B*tch, Big Poppa, Respect, Friend Of Mine, Suicidal Thoughts

Peace!

BULL SH*T!!!!!!!!!.......2006-03-21

I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY PULLED THIS OFF THE SHELVES!!! BULLSH*T!!!!!! SAVE READY TO DIE! BRING IT BACK! C'MON PUFFY, BRIBE SOMEONE AND GET THIS CLASSIC BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE PUBLIC! Either way if u dont, im jus gonna make copies and sell em for 5 bucks a piece...nvm dont re-release it. imma make a fortune off ya ass! haha sucka!

The Mathmatical Flow, that was never writting down- Ready to Die.......2006-02-28

Illmatic was the best hip hop cd of 1994....Until Ready to Die hit.

1.Intro- A look through Biggie's life.(4/5)
2.Things Done Changed- Big talks about how things have changed in the ghetto and every where else.(5/5)
3.Gimme The Loot- Biggie changes his voice on this song. He planning to steal money and he says how.(5/5)
4.Machine Gun Funk- This song is a G-Funk hiphop song, I heard the hook from another song.(5/5)
5.Warning- This is about somebody wanting to kill Big, and Pop from the Barbershop Warning him about it.(5/5)
6.Ready To Die-Good Song, good lines.(4/5)
7.One More Chance- Song to the ladies, the lyrics on the video is better though.(4/5)
8.#!*@ Me- Bigge having sex with Lil Kim.(1/5)
9.The What- The only song with somebody else featured on it. Big and Method Man kill this song.(4/5)
10.Juicy- A song of rags to riches, classic.(5/5)
11.EveryDay Struggles- The title tells what the song is basically about.(4/5)
12.Me & My B*tch- Talks about this woman and the times the shared together.(4/5)
13.Big Poppa- One of the best club songs that is still being played on radios and clubs.(5/5)
14.Respect-Big talks about his time from his young life up to this point.(4/5)
15.Friend of Mine- Good song, that's all u need 2 know.(4/5)
16.Unbelievable- Unbelievable lyrics are dropped on this song by the Notorious B.I.G.(5/5)
17.Suicidal Thoughts- Biggie talking to P.Diddy on the phone about why he's going to kill himself. Very creative song. (5/5)

This rapper never wrote down any of his rhymes. The man is the best lyrical rapper of all time, king of NY, and he never wrote any of that sh** down? That is crazy, if 2pac wasn't so deep and created so much power in his music 2pac would not be the best rapper of all time. As for Biggie he is a lot better lyrical rapper than 2pac ever was. Buy this classic ablum if you haven't already, the orignal ready to die not that remaster sh**. Peace
RIP Notorious BIG aka the king of NY of all time.

Average customer rating:

Notorious cumdumpster!
Queen Bitc*, what bitc* u know can thug it like this!
I agree with kurupt
2 dollar whore with a three dollar hairkut
Lil' Kim...notorious for making horrid music.

Notorious K.I.M.
Lil' Kim
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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La Bella Mafia
Hard Core
The Naked Truth
Chyna Doll
Ill Na Na

ASIN: B00004TSX6
Release Date: 2000-06-27

Tracks:

Lil' Drummer Boy - (featuring Cee-Lo of Goodie Mob and Redman)
Custom Made (Give It To You)
Who's Number One?
Suck My D**k
Single Black Female - (featuring Mario "Yellowman" Winans)
Revolution - (featuring Grace Jones and Lil' Cease)
How Many Licks? - (featuring Sisqo)
Notorious Kim
No Matter What They Say
She Don't Love You
Queen Bitch Pt. 2 - (featuring Puff Daddy)
Don't Mess With Me
Do What You Like - (featuring Junior M.A.F.I.A.)
Off The Wall - (featuring Lil' Cease)
Right Now - (featuring Carl Thomas)
Aunt Dot - (featuring Lil' Shanice)
Hold On - (featuring Mary J. Blige)
I'm Human

Amazon.com

The Madonna of hip-hop strikes again. But in spite of her blonde ambition (demonstrated on "I'm Human," a "Vogue"-esque tribute to the other material girl), the Queen Bee maintains her thug-ette aesthetic. Her beats (provided by an assortment of dance-floor-friendly producers) may be slick, but the rhymes are rough, rugged, and raw. Kim proved her post-Biggie microphone prowess with a take-no-prisoners cameo on Mobb Deep's "Quiet Storm (remix)". Here she continues her reign. Tracks like "Who's Number One?" where she reps for hometown Brooklyn, and "Notorious KIM," where she denounces ex-pal Foxy Brown, demonstrate her lyrical skills, which transcend the sex-centric niche market that she dominates. Notorious KIM builds on the foundation created by her cheeky debut, Hard Core, with more freakiness than Penthouse's letters page. She also gets macho male rappers on their knees with "Suck My D**k," in which she turns the sexual tables on males like those from N.W.A. The weak spots on the album are flaccid pop confections such as "How Many Licks" and "No Matter What They Say," which don't provide Kim with the support she needs. --Lizz Mendez Berry

Customer Reviews:

Notorious cumdumpster!.......2007-03-26

Hoodrats, ho's with no class, and gay n*gga's who like to giggle are the only ones who can feel this. I swear if anybody comes up to me! And calls this hip hop, I will hurt them!Women like her is alot of the reason why black women are so disrespected in the first place. How can someone relate to a female tellin them to suck her d***?! Is Kim a tranny or something? And this album sounds more like pop than a rap album. I swear even if my shorty plays this in my whip, I will knock her out. This album deserves no stars. I wish this ho did life in prison so she could've stopped puttin out albums.

Queen Bitc*, what bitc* u know can thug it like this!.......2006-07-20

Despite what all the negative reviews say. Kim proved herself the leader of the female rap game with this album. Just because she isn't afraid to say what she wants doesnt mean its trash. Suck mY DI.. is one of the best tracks. The beat is crazy and the way she spits on this tracks makes u get the chills! Thats good music!
Fact is Lil Kim is the leader of this game and clearly doesn't give a fu*.. what people think. Thats a winner.
And her image cant get no better, Yea shes sexual to the xtreme, so what, stop hatin!

I agree with kurupt.......2006-07-06

Kim is nothing but a publicity tramp with no class or style. Please stop buying her albums b/c to me, it sounds like stereo porn. Great female MCs to check out: Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, even Salt N Pepa. What do they have in common? They were pioneers who didn't sell music with horrible lyrics and had class at the same time. So don't buy any of Kim's records and get something from the ladies I listed above. So now, your stereo system should be playing the right music.

2 dollar whore with a three dollar hairkut.......2006-06-09

This is the perfect example of why black women and women in general are disrespected. Lil kim is teaching generations of women to be nasty as you can be and to disrespect yourself. Then to top all of this off she is still hanging on the coat tails of biggie, the ultra fantasy gangsta rapper. Queen latifah never had to talk like this to get her name out or to make good music. This is ridiculous! Kim would be better off in a porn movie than in the rap game. Please please please spare us and stop rapping.

Lil' Kim...notorious for making horrid music........2006-06-01

Biggie put her on the map. Why, i'll never know. So she sucked off the fame he gave her (not the only thing she's been sucking) Also, being a Biggie fan, the name of this cd (proving my point about Biggie) was offensive and disrespectful. This is not rap, this is pop. If you think this is rap, you need to get smacked with a "The Lost Children of babylon" album and learn real rap. Nothing but two dollar trash by a two dollar wh*re.

Average customer rating:

Missing Key Tracks
Dreamy and Hypnotic; Outstanding New Wave Rock
IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!!!
Their best.
Yes, incomplete... although blissful this was re-released!

Listen
A Flock of Seagulls
Manufacturer: Superfecta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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A Flock of Seagulls
Dream Come True
Quick Step & Side Kick
Lament
The Party's Over

ASIN: B0002ZDW80
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Tracks:

Wishing
Nightmares
Transfer Affection
What Am I Supposed To Do
Electrics
The Traveller
2:30
Over The Border
The Fall
(It's Not Me) Talking
Committed (Extended Version)
Quicksand
I Ran (Live)

Album Description

The Grammy-Award winning band's 1983 album finally makes its compact disc debut in the United States. A Billboard Top 20 album, Listen features four hit singles: "Wishing (I Had a Photograph of You)", "Nightmares", "Transfer Affection", and "(It's Not Me) Talking". Three bonus tracks have been added, including the 80s alternative radio classic, "Committed". All songs are newly digitally remastered and the booklet contains complete lyrics for the first time. Furthermore, journalist Stephen "Spaz" Schnee has compiled new liner notes based on a 2004 interview with Mike and Ali Score.

Customer Reviews:

Missing Key Tracks.......2006-08-14

The reissue of A Flock Of Seagulls brilliant second album "Listen" disappoints for a number of reasons. First, why has the album never included the beautiful 9:38 version of "Wishing" that was released as a 12 inch single in the UK? Even the US promo EP has a 6:05 version that has the same gorgeous intro as the UK 12 inch. (The US album version clocks in at 5:30, this has been the version issued ad nauseum, except for the seriously truncated 3:58 US 45 version). Second, where are "Rosenmontag" and "The Last Flight of Yuri Gagarin"? I have a former edition of the CD, released in 1992 by Beehive Trading Limited (perhaps UK?) which has these two tracks, as well as "Quicksand", but no "Committed", which I only have on the aforementioned US EP and UK 12 inch. Buy this disc for what's here; the rating is for the "business" end of things, not for the fantastic music.

Dreamy and Hypnotic; Outstanding New Wave Rock.......2005-04-18

Dreamy and Hypnotic; Outstanding New Wave Rock

All right, I'll admit, maybe this band from Liverpool, England, took themselves just a little too seriously in 1983, what with the silly hairstyles and odd fashion sense. Maybe they let the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental in 1982 go to their hair-do's. And maybe my 4-Star rating might be just a bit inflated, being that I've been an undying fan of AFOS since their first record, which is still today one of my all-time favorite albums. But cast all that aside, and you'll find that this is a darn good album, difficult as that may be for the casual listener to believe. While "Listen" departs from the harder-edged sound of the debut LP, it does find its own groove within a somewhat softer and more techno-fied atmosphere. Don't get me wrong; a few songs still rock pretty good, highlighting the work by amazing lead guitarist Paul Reynolds. But for the most part, the in-your-face guitar licks of the first album are relegated to the middle-ground, or background completely, while the drums and keyboards are pushed forward (could it be that the Score brothers; singer and keyboardist Mike, and drummer Ali, wanted their handiwork to overshadow that of Reynolds and bassist Frank Maudsley? Who knows.). In general, the formula works, in the context of the album as a whole. "Wishing" is brilliant, except for the annoying "buzz" sound heard on every single drum beat of the song (too bad that wasn't eliminated for the remastered release). "Nightmares" reminds one of how it felt to be eight years old and alone in the dark. "Transfer Affection" is a lovely ballad, found also on the Flock's "Best Of" CDs. "What Am I Supposed To Do?" is a fast-tempo tune, but does evoke sadness from the listener, as the song is about a painful breakup. "Electrics", "The Traveler", "Over The Border" and "It's Not Me Talking" are all New Wave-Rock oriented, while "2:30" seems to be really not much of anything; just synth effects that open with what sounds like an earthquake. Only "The Fall" causes me to hit the skip button. It's not all that bad, just a bit too slow and a bit too monotonous, even for the `Gulls. Two of the three bonus tracks are worth the price of the disc alone. The grunge-like "Quicksand" could have been a rock-radio favorite, had the group used it as a single instead of a b-side. It still stands up as one of the Flock's very best rock songs. And the live version of "I Ran" (the b-side of "It's Not Me Talking", at least in the U.S.) manages to capture the raw energy of the original studio recording. For some reason, there are two songs from the original CD and cassette releases that are missing from this reissue; "Rosenmontag" and "The Last Flight of Yuri Gagarin." Both were weird techno-flavored instrumentals, which tells me that AFOS, along with other British synth-rock bands and artists (like Gary Numan), were musical visionaries rather than One Hit Wonders. So if you're reading this you must be thinking about buying the CD. Do it, and also what the title suggests.

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!!!.......2005-02-15

In the year 1983, we were introduced to (among other things)both Listen by A Flock of Seagulls AND the CD. So why it took 22 years for Listen to come out on CD (and why we were stuck with nothing but 'best hits' albums by A Flock on CD during this time)is quite beyond my comprehension. But as they say, better late than never. Now I have to agree that it would have been FAR better to include the omitted songs than get another version of I Ran (like you can't find this song in enough places already). But I guess we just have to take what we can get. And an actual CD beats scratchy old vinyl (or a CD-R made from scratchy old vinyl) ANY DAY. If you like A Flock Of Seagulls, or if you just like New Wave in general (Admit it, you do. After all, you entered A Flock Of Seagulls as a search parameter. And Deftones and Linkin Park fans don't do this!), this CD is a must-have. Give your turntable a rest and hear this album WITHOUT the pops and scratches!

Their best........2004-11-18

Oh my gosh! Am I dreaming? This can't be! Just as I was fixing to leave the record/electronics last week after being there for 2-3 hours, it suddenly occurred to me that I almost forgot to check the bin for my favorite band of all time, A Flock of Seagulls. And, lo and behold, what do I find but a CD reissue (!) of 1983's "Listen", as well as a copy of "Platinum and Gold". I couldn't help but get 'em both!

In fact, I still have their first 3 TAPES--their self-titled debut, "Listen", and "The Story of a Young Heart". I think most AFOS fans would agree that "Listen" was the best of their 4 records. (The 4th album was "Dream Come True", apparently a really bad one.) They sound more mature on it with better songwriting, whether it's the dance groove of "Over the Border", the techno-punk fun of "Electrics", the dreamy vocal of "Nightmares", or the adventurous "Traveller". Flock's sound was/is so unique that one should admit that no one has sounded like them since. A song like "Wishing", with it's clashing synth/guitar/bass chords, still sounds rather exotic 20 years onward. You just don't hear such originality nowadays.

Speaking of tapes, the outside of my original tape of "Listen" says it contains 3 extra songs, "Rosenmontag", "Quicksand", and "The Last Flight of Yuri Gagarin". However, they're not on the tape itself. I have the Jive/RCA version, maybe that's why. The other tapes say Jive/Arista. Anybody know what gives? Of the 3, "Quicksand" is featured on this reissue and is actually one of their 'heavier' moments with the deepest groove of any AFOS song.

Yes, incomplete... although blissful this was re-released!.......2004-11-14

I am in agreement about the missing tracks "Last Flight of..." and "Rosemantag". Those were two hellaciously alternative songs, given the time of its original release. I will miss them.

I have waited many years to hear this CD again. I originally had the cassette when first released, but after taking that damn cassette everywhere I went for many years, it faded with the scenery. I have looked for the CD version on ebay and every so often one can find one going for $80 out of some remote village half way around the globe. Now that it is rereleased and two very important tracks were omitted I will still wait for that day I can get the original CD on ebay for $50.

The song Committed was a treat for me since I only had a sound snippet memorized in my head from the one time I had heard the song back in 83. Thanks for the memories.

Anyway, get this CD. It, in my humble opinion, is a work of art. The songs are strong and good. THe Production is very much unique for the time, the reverb fills up your speakers and gives an unmistakeable sense of place while you 'listen'. I wish they would have graced the bottom end of the sound spectrum a bit on the remaster, but then it wouldn't true to how Mike Howlett produced it. I guess I can just use my stereo's EQ.

Average customer rating:

Matches Rio in it's brilliance
The best!
In Their Own Words
Funky Stuff
Flawless, sans two Taylors

Notorious
Duran Duran
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DQSV
Release Date: 1993-06-29

Tracks:

Notorious
American Science
Skin Trade
A Matter Of Feeling
Hold Me
Vertigo (Do The Demolition)
So Misled
'Meet El Presidente'
Winter Marches On
Proposition

Customer Reviews:

Matches Rio in it's brilliance.......2006-04-28

The song Notorious I think has earned a place in the dictionary of funk, it still sounds classic 20 years later, and ofcourse it's been used by P Diddy and sung on B.I.G.'s Nasty girl giving it some real credibility. Skin Trade, Vertigo, American Science and So Misled are other awesome funk odyssey's that make you wonder what critics were on about labelling them 80's pop icons and pin up idols. After all this is a point where they lost many of their screaming girl fans, but gained new listeners who discovered that they had wronged a great band. Half of the album is more melodic with tracks like Hold Me (I don't know why but I hear Pearl Jam in this) and A matter of feeling, two stand outs which are among their best songs ever. Then there's the dark and wintery, Winter Marches on, my favourite on the album. Just love those cold atmospheric synths and Simon's voice on it. The album flat out rules, every minute of it, so get this one immediately.

The best!.......2006-04-17

England's Fab Five strike back with a potent album that silences the haters. Just because they lost two members, it doesn't mean these guys can't rock. I'm lovin' every minute of "Notorious"!

In Their Own Words.......2006-03-13

Nick Rhodes: "When we came to get back together [after the splinter group projects Power Station and Arcadia], there was only three of us."

Simon LeBon: "We were so desperately happy to get back into Duran Duran but we almost overlooked the fact that we'd lost Roger and Andy in the time that went by. When a band loses two of its members, it loses two fifths, 20%, it's a big knock to confidence. We had fans who were Andy and Roger fans who just......well they left us. You know, when Roger and Andy left, they left, too - or they'd just write letters, `Get Roger and Andy back!'"

Nick Rhodes: "They basically didn't want to be involved for their own reasons; it was to do with the pressure of the situation."

Simon LeBon: "You can't make someone do what they don't want to do. It wasn't us kicking them out; we'd have loved to have had them around still. They just didn't want to know. [Nick and I] just felt that [Duran Duran] was not dead, and we weren't going to let it die."

John Taylor: "Nick came to me and said, `We're going to do another Duran Duran album,' and I was kind of getting into a more of a funky [sound]. I'd enjoyed with a horn section [on the Power Station album] and the band didn't exist as it had before; we had to find a new sound."

Nick Rhodes: "It left us in a position where we knew what direction we wanted to go in. We knew what producer we wanted to use. We teamed up with Nile Rodgers who'd worked with us on The Reflex and Wild Boys. We wanted to make a funk record."

Warren Cuccurullo: "When I got into the band in 1986, here they were, three guys from the original five, continuing on under the name Duran Duran. To go on and to keep the name is something that I really admire about John, Nick, and Simon because you're really putting your a** on the line. There's fans that are expecting to see the whole band, and then there's the die hard fans who are thinking, `This isn't Duran Duran anymore.' ...I think my style of guitar playing is more what the band really needs. I think it's more with the direction where Nick and John were kind of at than what Andy's doing. Andy was more into kind of an American rock thing, and I was always more into the more esoteric British rock stuff."

John Taylor: "The scary thing about `Notorious' was that it was the first album we put out that people didn't buy. After having toured it, we sat looking at one another saying, `Wow, what happens now??!'"

Funky Stuff.......2006-03-10

Ok, so it doesn't have the hooks that their earlier stuff has and it isn't as strong as the stuff they are doing now - but its a solid album. The melodies are great and I challenge anyone to sit still while listening to the title track. Its a funkier Duran, and totally dance-worthy, but also manages to leave you feeling soothed. "Winter Marches On" is a bit out of place on thise album as it sounds more like something from Rhodes' and LeBon's project, "Arcadia", but it remains one of my favorites with its haunting beauty. Simon LeBon shows a lot of versatility on this album, and John Taylor proves again that he is possibly one of the most underrated musicians out there. Nick Rhodes - well, he pulls it all together in his Wizard-of-Oz-man-behind-the-curtain way that he always does. All in all, not my absolute favorite Duran Duran, but still makes regular rotations through my CD player.

Flawless, sans two Taylors.......2006-02-13

I'll be the first to say Notorious doesn't sound like the old Duran Duran, but that's good for many reasons: First, it's always great to see a band step out of their typical genre and add other musical styles to their own album, for instance the big addition being a horns section and the addition of soul and funk. This does nothing but make the album have an incredlble flavor throughout the whole thing, especially on songs like the title track "Notorious", "American Science" and "Skin Trade". Now for all of you afraid of this album, there are still many elements of Duran Duran still majorly present throughout the whole album, like Nick Rhodes excellent performance on Synthesizer. There are so many overlooked gems on this album as well, not the least of which being "A Matter of Feeling", "Hold Me", "Winter Marches on", and "Proposition". I hate using the term, but Notorious certainly has a more "Adult" feeling to it then their previous albums (WHICH WERE ALL PERFECT in every sense of the word, don't get me wrong). And as far as I'm concerned, Duran Duran mastered the Genre of Funk with Notorious. THIS IS NOT A POP OR SYNTH POP ALBUM. This is Duran Duran. And since they have bravely explored many genres of music with many different songs over the years and in my opinion succeeded, they deserve a hell of a lot more praise than most people will ever be willing to give them. Notorious was just the beginning, a Phenomenal beginning.

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