Carlos Paredes Only Released Three Studio Albums of New Material Throughout his 40-year Career. This 1968 Album was the First of the Three and Remains One of the Defining Moments of Portuguese Music in the 20th Century.
Guitarra Portuguesa,Carlos Paredes,EMI,World Music
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Rodrigo y Gabriela (with Bonus DVD)
Rodrigo y Gabriela Manufacturer: ATO Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000HKDEE2 Release Date: 2006-10-03 |
Tracks:
- Tamacu
- Diablo Rojo
- Vikingman
- Satori
- Ixtapa
- Stairway To Heaven
- Orion
- Juan Loco
- PPA
Amazon.com
How did two Mexican-born heavy-metal enthusiasts end up at the top of the Irish charts? The story begins back in their homeland, where Rodrigo Sanchez (lead guitar) and Gabriela Quintero (rhythm and guitar-top hand percussion) met as teenagers. Following years of fruitless struggle, they settled in Dublin, working as street entertainers, eventually wandering as far afield as Denmark and Spain. But over time, their virtuoso duo-guitar instrumentals garnered them a following, which in turn led to indoor engagements where they no longer had to freeze their hands off. And no wonder -- their eruptive mixture of Central and South American folkways, with its propulsive rock rhythms, plus grooves reminiscent of The Gipsy Kings' crowd-pleasing Catalan rumbas, is incredibly infectious. Yes, their frisky yet spot-on covers of "Stairway To Heaven" and "Orion" may goad some listeners into purchasing the album, but believe it or not, the original tunes are even more mesmerizing. "Ixapa," in which the pair are joined by noted Hungarian Roma (Gypsy) fiddler Roby Lakatos, has a wicked, pan-European swing, while the impossibly fleet "Juan Loco" should delight all comers -- once they catch their collective breaths! Produced by John Leckie (Radiohead, The Stone Roses, Muse), the USA release includes a DVD containing interviews, live performances and other extras. --Christina RodenAlbum Description
The sleeve photo of a crocodile's eye with a faint image of Rodrigo and Gabriela superimposed, suits the artists' desire for something which didn't shout "Mexican guitarists" or "Couples." "It reminded us of Tamacun, the famous Mexican eccentric who is in Ixtapa where we lived for a while".Tamacun -"Tamacun's message is to teach kids to respect nature." He handles crocodiles, and tourists come to photograph him.
Diablo Rojo - Inspired by a wild rollercoaster called 'Red Devil' at a theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark. Three rides in a row, each.
Viking Man - Another Danish inspired piece. The Viking Man was a homeless guy who encouraged Rod & Gab to tough it out on the streets, busking in minus zero conditions at Christmastime. John Leckie adds radio static.
Satori - Experiencing self doubt shortly after arriving in Ireland, Rodrigo y Gabriela were at a low ebb. No money, poor English and a deep sense of uncertainty. Only an unshakeable faith in perseverance kept them going. Satori describes the Zen - like moment of enlightenment they felt when they came through the storm.
Ixtapa - "Ixtapa is a very beautiful, very Mexican town." Roby Lakatos' wildly soaring violin solo is a perfect counterpoint to the melodic and percussive guitars.
Stairway to Heaven - "Ixtapa was our very own Stairway to Heaven!" Rod & Gab's take was initially inspired by Stanley Jordan's interpretation of the Led Zep warhorse. Growing from snippets in their live show, their unique version is at once both respectful and innovative.
Orion - This epic reworking of the Metallica song is the second time Rodrigo y Gabriela have covered Messrs Hetfield, Ulrich & Co: "A tribute to the style of music we love, it's what kept us playing the guitar through all those Spinal Tap years"
Juan Loco - The first attempt at recording this album in Mexico in Summer 2005 resulted in three weeks of sunbathing, beer drinking and power cuts. Enter Mr John Leckie, legendary producer of Radiohead, The Stone Roses and Muse, to name but a few; to midwife Rod & Gab's musical vision into what you hear today. 'Juan Loco' ('Mad John') is their Mexican nickname for Mr Leckie.
PPA - "The first P of PPA stands for Pinche, a Mexican term meaning f**king asshole. This is for all the people in the music business who think they know what's going on but actually don't have a clue".
Customer Reviews:
Excellent CD.......2007-07-14
Exceptional.......2007-07-12
good flamenco guitar music.......2007-07-11
Gets the kid grooving.......2007-07-07
TERRIFIC!.......2007-07-05
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Come Away with Me
Norah Jones Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005YW4H Release Date: 2002-02-26 |
Tracks:
- Don't Know Why
- Seven Years
- Cold Cold Heart
- Feelin' The Same Way
- Come Away With Me
- Shoot The Moon
- Turn Me On
- Lonestar
- I've Got To See You Again
- Painter Song
- One Flight Down
- Nightingale
- The Long Day Is Over
- The Nearness Of You
Amazon.com
It is not just the timbre of Norah Jones's voice that is mature beyond her 22 years. Her assured phrasing and precise time are more often found in older singers as well. She is instantly recognizable, blending shades of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone without sounding like anyone but herself. Any way you slice it, she is a singer to be reckoned with. Her readings of the Hank Williams classic "Cold Cold Heart" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" alone are worth the price of the CD. Jones's own material, while not bad, pales a bit next to such masterpieces. They might have fared better had she and producer Arif Mardin opted for some livelier arrangements, taking better advantage of brilliant sidemen such as Bill Frisell, Kevin Breit, and Brian Blade; or if the tunes had simply been given less laconic performances. Jones has all the tools; what will come with experience and some careful listening to artists like J.J. Cale and Shirley Horn is the knack of remaining low-key without sounding sleepy--sometimes less is not, in fact, more. --Michael RossAmazon.com
Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)
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More from Norah Jones
Not Too Late |
Feels Like Home |
The Little Willies |
Customer Reviews:
Simply addictive!.......2007-07-12
Her voice is unbelievable, the delivery is amazing and the lyrics are stunning!
Haunting sounds.......2007-07-06
The phenom Ms Jones.......2007-06-27
Glad i bought it ( Part II )...!.......2007-06-20
I'd Love To...........2007-06-05
The daughter of famed Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar, Jones grew up in Dallas with her mother, and her work is firmly rooted in the dry Texas soil. The youngest in this survey (she was born in 1979), Jones burst on the scene in 2002 with this debut album of nine original songs plus a handful of country and pop standards. Renowned for her sweet and soulful set of pipes, Jones has often been compared to Billie Holiday. There's also a touch of Roberta Flack and Emmylou Harris in there.
Come Away with Me is an honest-to-goodness country-blues recording that you can sit back with on the front porch rocker on a brisk autumn afternoon. Sort of like an early James Taylor, Jones mixes a little bit of country, folk, and soul into a collection that's the perfect antidote to today's insincere fare. The public must have sensed the same thing, because it bought this CD in boxcar loads, and in 2003 Jones walked away with eight Grammies, including album of the year and best new artist.
The title track, written by Jones, is the first new song I've heard in a long time that's utterly believable. "Come away with me and I'll never stop loving you," she begs, and it's as though she's singing it to you, personally. To Hank Williams's "Cold Cold Heart" she brings an R & B feel, petitioning in anguish to her lover man to come back, body and soul. "I've Got to See You Again" is an exquisite modern torch song in the same vein, while "One Flight Down" is an upbeat tune with chord progressions right out of Paul McCartney's Wings songs, like "Carry That Load." She ends with Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You." Close your eyes, let Jones's words envelope you with their soulful caress, and you'll sense that she's a lot nearer than your living room speakers.
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Let It Die
Feist Manufacturer: Interscope Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0008KLVW8 Release Date: 2005-04-26 |
Tracks:
- Gatekeeper
- Mushaboom
- Let It Die
- One Evening
- Leisure Suite
- Lonely Lonely
- When I Was A Young Girl
- Secret Heart
- Inside And Out
- Tout Doucement
- Now At Last
Amazon.com
Canadian singer Leslie Feist has served as a guest vocalist for Norwegian folkies Kings of Convenience, Toronto power-pop troupe Broken Social Scene, and - under the frightening moniker "Bitch Lap-Lap" - the hairy female rapper Peaches. But her unruly resume hardly prepares you for the emotionally rich, softy sensual music on her major label debut. Moving from tortured torch songs such as "Lonely Lonely" to pulsating originals like "Mushaboom," it also contains stunning remakes of Ron Sexsmith's "Secret Heart" and the Bee Gees' "Inside and Out," tunes Feist not only makes her own but effectively uses to dissect her romantic desolation. "Don't you wish we could forget that kiss?" she smolders on the title track. Not in this lifetime. --Aidin VaziriCustomer Reviews:
Hmmm, go back to Broken Social Scene and let this siht die, please.......2007-07-10
Another great album.......2007-07-06
Two stand out songs.......2007-06-18
Delicately Beautiful.......2007-06-12
Refreshing.
This '05 debut album for Feist is crisp, clear, and melodious. Right from the moment "Gatekeeper" grabs your attention you're hooked, and glad to be so. It's hard to place Feist into any one category of music. She makes me think of a possible Norah Jones wrapped in a modern shell of jazzy, loungy, and slightly Indie influences. Like nothing you've ever heard, certainly not in the last few years. Her more recent album, The Reminder, is capturing most of the attention of listeners right now and rightfully so, but this work is not to be forgotten. For a debut solo album, Let It Die seems to lack no maturity, and to think that it was recorded in a mere week amid her many international tours of '05! These songs show no hint of being mindlessly crammed onto a record ready for the shelves. In fact, it shows no haste at all. Simply the most relaxing music, but not to the point that it's short on pop, albeit in a very subtle way.
"Mushaboom" picks up the pace followed by worthy-of-flagship-status "Let It Die". All of the next three tracks are gold when you arrive at the strange tale of "When I Was a Young Girl" to which there is nothing I can compare it to except maybe Norah Jones' "Sinkin' Soon". "Secret Heart" is a fun little inquiring kind of tune with nice subtle vocals. Now we come to the place that the critics really rave about here. Feist's remake of one of my favorite Bee Gees songs "Inside and Out" is killer. The Bee Gees did such an original good job on it that its tough to say this one's better, but its close. Alot jazzier to boot. After you finish jivin' out, you arrive at unexpected "Tout Doucement". Feist's surrounding influences shine out in this jaunty little tune, so jaunty that you feel like you're strolling down a sunny avenue in Paris one morning on your way to a little cafe. Afterall, it was recorded in Paris. This charming tune will tell you that. Last we have "Now At Last", suitable but certainly not least. Of all the songs on this album it seems that this one above all others was made for Feist. Simple, delicate, and just really nice.
You simply must check out this one of a kind CD, certainly one of the best of '05. Enjoy
Time to Let it Die.......2007-05-18
Sorry, I didn't like it. The sound quality is poor which may contribute to the artist's poor performance. 2 stars because it's different and different is good. I don't think things will get better in future releases because the talent doesn't burst through. There's talent in her but not in the quantity to smash into your CD "Top Played" list.
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Led Zeppelin IV (aka ZOSO)
Led Zeppelin Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002J09 Release Date: 1994-07-19 |
Tracks:
- Black Dog
- Rock And Roll
- The Battle Of Evermore
- Stairway To Heaven
- Misty Mountain Hop
- Four Sticks
- Going To California
- When The Levee Breaks
Amazon.com essential recording
Also known as the "rune" album or Zoso because of the medieval symbols adorning the inner sleeve, Led Zeppelin's fourth album, released in 1971, turned them from mere superstars into giant behemoths of the rock world. On tracks like "Black Dog," "Misty Mountain Hop," and "Rock and Roll," the combination of Robert Plant's banshee wails and Jimmy Page's frenetic guitar playing forever altered the stylistic bent of hard rock music. And the foreboding "When the Levee Breaks" demonstrated that Zeppelin could indeed play the blues fairly straight if they so desired. Still, everything here ultimately took a back seat to the album's (and, ultimately, the band's) magnum opus--the expertly constructed and deftly executed classic, "Stairway to Heaven." --Billy AltmanAmazon.com
Jimmy Page was a top London studio guitarist before he got rich and famous as the musical leader of Led Zeppelin. The group's fourth--and arguably their finest--album is as much a tribute to his technique as a monument to his versatility. Page produced the album, co-wrote all eight songs, and played mandolin as well as all the guitars. Musically, this 1971 disc ranges from acoustic English folke ("Goin' to California" and "The Battle of Evermore," the latter featuring the late Fairport Convention frontwoman Sandy Denny) to bone-crushing, bluesy riff-slinging. On the album's centerpiece, "Stairway to Heaven," these light and dark strains are dramatically intertwined. The chiming "Four Sticks" aside, it's the Little Richard-inspired "Rock and Roll" and the tricky time changes--a Zeppelin trademark--of the fast-and-furious "Black Dog" that elevate this album into more than just a bustle in aspiring guitarists' hedgerows. --Don WallerCustomer Reviews:
The Essence of Rock and Roll.......2007-07-07
Black Dog - blues-influenced (like a lot of earlier Zeppelin), loud and raunchy (in the best kind of way), some over-the-top vocal stylings
Rock And Roll - barn-burning blues and a great vehicle to show off one of the greatest rock drummers ever
The Battle Of Evermore - inventive art rock that proved that these guys were not only great rockers, but great artists as well
Stairway To Heaven - the definitive power ballad
Misty Mountain Hop - more barn-burning blues with monstrously huge guitar sounds and distinctive electric piano riff
Four Sticks - raucous art rock, using a crazy time signature and chord voicing that few bands other than Rush and Jethro Tull would dare to touch
Going To California - yes, they can do acoustic folk rock better than anyone else too
When The Levee Breaks - more rowdy blues, this time with some gritty harmonica to give it a different vibe
The production and engineering behind this album are the icing on the cake. Recording students are still studying and copying this stuff and trying to reproduce the "Bonham drum sound" to this day. The generous echoes and overdubs on Plant's vocals somehow never seem overdone or dated.
This is the amazing work of an amazing team of players and recording experts on their best days ever. Rock fans should be intimately familiar with this timeless and hugely influential CD.
brings back memories........2007-06-20
ZOSO.......2007-06-12
This ground breaking recording was Zepplin's #1 album, and if this would have been the only album they would released, I think they still would have had just as much of and impact on the world as they do now.
1. Black Dog- Strange name but awesome song, and one of the best riffs ever!!! 5/5
2. Rock And Roll- This song is exactilly what the name is; Rock And Roll. It's Zeppelin at their best, Jimmy Page's solo is simply amazing and fits with the song. Perfect riff, Perferct title, and a perfect solo make this song, well...perfect! 5/5
3. Battle of Evermore- It's always nice to slow it up a bit with some thing accustic, and "Battle Of Evermore" is that something accustic. This song really shows off Robert Plant's vocal range and fetures matiline. Bring it Back! 5/5
4. Stairway to Heaven- This is a song that needs no introduction, it's such a totamic peace of music, mainly because it is a constant climing song. It has some of the stragest lyrics of all time, and is known for having a backwards massage. Message or not it is still an amazing song, and Jimmy gives one of the best solos ever. 5/5
5. Misty Mountain Hop- This is the first Zeppelin song I ever heard and it still rocks. Greatest riff of all time? Maybe, but one thing that I know that everyone thinks at some point is, "What the hell is a Misty Mountain Hop?" The world may never know. 5/5
6. Four Sticks- This is a highly underratted song. It has tons of cool elements about it, Electric and accustic guitar parts, cool vocals, and great keyboard. Classic hard rock song. 5/5
7. Going To California- Another accustic song, nice and mellow. 4/5
8. When the Leeve Breaks- Best drum beat ever, provided by the one and only Bonzo. Heavy riff with some harmonica, great way to finish off a great album. 4.5/5
Led Zeppelin made their mark on the world with this one, legend- Chuck
Simply the Best.......2007-06-04
I give every single song on this album a 10/10 with the exception of Four Sticks, which I would give a 9.5. Albums can't really rate much higher.
These are the gods of rock and this is their masterpiece. No person who claims to listen to rock should be without it. Don't pay any attention to the 1-star reviews, or the 2- and 3- star reviews, for that matter. They are ridiculous and written solely out of rebellion. Let them listen to their Fallout Boys and Nirvanas and Panic at the Discos. This is real music.
I am someone who usually does not give in to fads and trends just for the sake of doing it, but Led Zeppelin IV is a trend that I can't help but follow. It's simply the best..
Soulful ,Passionate and Emotional Brilliance !.......2007-05-30
Black Dog and Going to California are my particular favorites on this CD. Sung with his needy , yearning, whining soul !
Got to buy it !
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The Essential Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005Y1M2 Release Date: 2002-02-12 |
Tracks:
- Hey Porter
- Cry, Cry, Cry
- I Walk The Line
- Get Rhythm
- There You Go
- Ballad Of A Teenage Queen
- Big River
- Guess Things Happen That Way
- All Over Again
- Don't Take Your Guns To Town
- Five Feet High And Rising
- The Rebel-Johnny Yuma
- Tennessee Flat-Top Box
- I Still Miss Someone
- Ring Of Fire
- The Ballad Of Ira Hayes
- Orange Blossom Special
- Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)
Tracks:
- It Ain't Me, Babe (w/ June Carter Cash)
- The One On The Right Is On The Left
- Jackson (w/ June Carter Cash)
- Folsom Prison Blues (Live)
- Daddy Sang Bass
- Girl From The North Country (w/ Bob Dylan)
- A Boy Named Sue (Live)
- If I Were A Carpenter
- Sunday Morning Coming Down
- Flesh And Blood
- Man In Black
- Ragged Old Flag
- One Piece At A Time
- (Ghost) Riders In The Sky
- Song Of The Patriot (w/ Marty Robbins)
- Highwayman (w/ Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson)
- The Night Hank Williams Came To Town (w/ Waylon Jennings)
- The Wanderer (w/ U2)
Amazon.com
It's a great and perhaps impossible challenge to encapsulate the highlights of Johnny Cash's vast musical catalog in a two-CD, 36-song collection like this. Yet, though it barely scratches the surface, 2002's The Essential Johnny Cash--part of a series of compilations and reissues celebrating Cash's 70th birthday--does present three-dozen satisfying and balanced snapshots of some of the Man in Black's most memorable work for the Sun, Columbia, and Mercury labels. Above all else, these 36 selections are wonderful reminders of Cash's rustic eclecticism. Cuts range from '50s Sun rockabilly classics like "Hey Porter" and "I Walk the Line" to '60s country-folk gems like "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" and Cash's memorable duet with Bob Dylan on Dylan's "Girl from the North Country." Also included are more recent samplings of Cash's celebrated collaborations, including "Highwayman," which he recorded in 1984 with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson as part of the on-again, off-again supergroup the Highwaymen, and "The Wanderer," a fervent gospel collaboration with U2 that appeared on the band's 1993 album, Zooropa. --Bob AllenCustomer Reviews:
Great collection.......2007-07-13
Like I said--this isn't the only Johnny Cash CD you'll ever need, but this, along with the Folsom and San Quentin concerts, is a good way to start your collection. Highly recommended.
All of the favorites!.......2007-05-17
Perfect Intro to Johnny Cash!.......2007-05-14
Best Cash CD Compilation.......2007-05-12
The Essential Johnny Cash.......2007-05-02
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Fallen
Evanescence Manufacturer: Wind-Up ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000089RVX Release Date: 2003-03-04 |
Tracks:
- Going Under
- Bring Me To Life
- Everybody's Fool
- My Immortal
- Haunted
- Tourniquet
- Imaginary
- Taking Over Me
- Hello
- My Last Breath
- Whisper
Amazon.com
The Daredevil soundtrack provided a nice boost for this previously unknown quartet from Little Rock, Arkansas. Evanescence's songs "My Immortal" and the imposing "Bring Me to Life" are clear standouts in the film, mainly because they work so well with the dramatic, eerie undertones of the storyline. They reappear here on the band's debut, alongside a selection of similarly brooding tracks that evoke pensive artists like Tori Amos and the Cranberries. Vocalist Amy Lee has the kind of voice that can cause weeks of insomnia, but on songs like "Tourniquet" and "Haunted" she belies the music's sinister mood with evenhanded spirituality, thoughtfully letting some light shine through the tempest. --Aidin VaziriCustomer Reviews:
What you hope for if you've ever heard "Bring Me to Life".......2007-07-16
Indispensable.......2007-07-09
Light in the Darkness.......2007-07-03
"Bring Me To Life" is a stunning track on its own merit that could stand to lose the male pseudo rap-rock vocal yelling "Wake Me Up". (If you hear the demo version without the male vocal you will understand) I find it amusing that fans of bands like Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit are buying this disc just on the basis of this track alone only to realize that the rest of the disc is moody, dark journey into the belly of various beasts. Nevertheless, Amy Lee has a haunting voice that layers beautifully over gothic rock/metal passages much like Tarja, Anneke, Christina, and Tori Amos. "Haunted" is a short, but remarkable track that allows Amy's vocals to breathe chilling words of despair. Just read the cold words to "Imaginary" and you wonder what exact demon tortures the writer's (Ben Moody) soul.
Overall, this disc is way too deep and thought provoking for its target audience. For those of us that have supported this style of music for years, please don't pass judgment against this disc until you have experienced the overall enchantment within its 11 tracks.
Amy Lee: The most underrated voice in music today.......2007-06-27
After selling 14 million copies worldwide and having a strong sophomore release with "The Open Door", I decided to give Evanescence another chance, returning to the debut album "Fallen". Sometimes it takes giving an album a second chance to make a first impression, and this time around I guess I was ready to embrace a band that was deemed as Goth Metal by the masses, but had a female vocalist that was able to help them rise above the all too familiar growl and dirge vocal efforts that usually fall into this category. Strong singles that stand out to me start out with Track 1 in "Going Under", which has a nice, simple guitar piece that has enough grind to stay down in the darker, more brooding sounds of this style of music. Track 6 is a tune called "Tourniquet" and has some eerie tones that help it start out before breaking into a clean, balanced attack of guitars and percussion. The overall structure of this album is great, and although I said there are several singles I like, I will just sum it up by saying there is something great about every song on this album.
What really is a selling point for me, however, is the lead singer Amy Lee. Amy's voice is poetic in deliverance of the songs and has a great overall emotional connection with the music, while at the same time her range allows her to add a lot of diversity to each and every song throughout the album. Overall you have a powerful set of music that rocks when it has to, and has some piano melody to add to the mix (Track 6 and 9 in particular) that I feel sets it apart from a lot of the genre's and classifications that people have been trying to put it in. If you are not much into newer "Nu-Metal" or what have you, but enjoy some of the progressive metal sounds and intricate approaches of such musicians, you just might find Evanescence to your liking. As stated before, it took me a few years to "come back" and discover them, but the wait was worth it and I look forward to any new releases this band has to offer.
smart people BUY THIS CD.......2007-06-24
lets start with Going under great rock i would give it a 9/10
every one knows this song Bring me to life AWSOME all around 10/10
the everybodys fool was a good try good message to i would give it a 7.5/10
the 4th one was also very nice not for rock fans but nice 8.5/10
haunted was my Lest liked did not do what Amy does best 5.10
The 6th one Very very nice not the best but not the best 8/10
the 7th one nice strings very nice to 8.5/10
the 8th one rock on 9/10
hello tryed to be like the 4th one BUT failed badly 6.5/10
we are allmost done My last breath they did it again Very nice 9/10
last one whisper 9/10
and it wont tell you but theres 1 more its number 4 again but with guitars again BUY THIS CD
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On And On
Jack Johnson Manufacturer: Umvd Labels ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00008NG5V Release Date: 2003-05-06 |
Tracks:
- Times Like These
- The Horizon Has Been Defeated
- Traffic In The Sky
- Taylor
- Gone
- Cupid
- Wasting Time
- Holes To Heaven
- Dreams Be Dreams
- Tomorrow Morning
- Fall Line
- Cookie Jar
- Rodeo Clowns
- Cocoon
- Mediocre Bad Guys
- Symbol In My Driveway
Amazon.com
Jack Johnson has found himself a groove. Indeed, the Hawaiian surfing champion turned alternative pop-folk star really hasn't changed things one iota for his sophomore release. Fans of Brushfire Fairytales should be delighted with the results. The groove is a mellow one--most of the 16 tracks here are semi-acoustic--and that easy-going spirit filters into Johnson's lyrical philosophies. "What will be will be / And so it goes" he sings on "Times Like These," the opening track. Thankfully, Johnson is never too mellow, and there's a "Don't worry, be happy" vibe to most of his music. "The Horizon Has Been Defeated" even has a pseudo-reggae feel to it. Although classified as an alternative musician, the singer-songwriter's compositions owe much to past hits. "Traffic in the Sky" is reminiscent of Jim Croce's "Operator" and Looking Glass's one-hit-wonder, "Brandy." On the splendid "Taylor," Johnson sounds an awful lot like Donovan. And "By The Way" recalls the Lovin' Spoonful. -- Bill HoldshipAlbum Description
Special digipak UK version of his second album features 17 tracks including the bonus track, 'The Horizon Has Been Defeated' (Acoustic Version). Moonshine Conspiracy. 2003.Album Details
The Sophomore Album from the Hawaiian Surfing Champion Includes the Bonus Track "The Horizon Has Been Defeated (Acoustic Version)" which is Not Found on the USA Equivalent.Customer Reviews:
On and On.......2007-06-13
GREAT STUFF!.......2007-06-08
Amazing Album.......2007-05-30
Jack--always a classic.......2007-05-15
Wonderful addition to my CD collection.......2007-04-12
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Hot Fuss
The Killers Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0002858YS Release Date: 2004-06-15 |
Tracks:
- Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
- Mr. Brightside
- Smile Like You Mean It
- Somebody Told Me
- All These Things That I've Done
- Andy, You're A Star
- On Top
- Change Your Mind
- Believe Me Natalie
- Midnight Show
- Everything Will Be Alright
Amazon.com
The Killers match postpunk guitars with a synthesizer overlay that recalls '80s New Wave without burying their sound in nostalgia. On their debut, Hot Fuss, frontman Brandon Flowers plumbs his imagination for tales of murdered lovers ("Jenny Was a Friend of Mine," "Midnight Show"), voyeurism ("Mr. Brightside"), and sexual confusion (the single "Somebody Told Me"), Flowers and his mates are obviously canny students; the total effect is of a playacted obsession, but one made irresistible by their skillful, catchy songs. If there's an occasional misstep (the painfully earnest line "I got soul but I'm not a soldier" from "All These Things That I've Done"), it seems of a piece with the Killers' influences. As it is, Hot Fuss is one of several recent releases that bring a diverting faux glamour to the mainstream rock scene. --Rickey WrightAlbum Description
Hot Fuss features eleven nuggets of reel-you-in storytelling genius and musical nectar. These eleven tracks span from the "very Vegas - like Ziggy came to town" first proper single release "Somebody Told Me";"Mr Brightside" - a tale of jealousy that depicts that moment in a relationship when you realize that your other half might be playing away and this thought takes up residence in your psyche feeding the worst fears and visualisations your imagination can then throw at you. You'll find two-thirds of a murder trilogy in "Midnight Show", which starts off harking back to "Lipgloss" before veering into far darker territory than old Jarvis would ever have flirted with, in Pulp days at least, and "Jenny". These two are connected by the story of a murder of a girl by her jealous boyfriend. The first part of the trilogy, "Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf", will, you can be sure, make an appearance at some point in the future. It's a deliciously ambitious series that! belies the band's tender years. Elsewhere, meanwhile: "On Top" celebrates where Brandon feels the band is at, while stalker's tale "Andy You're A Star" and "All These Things That I've Done," saw Flowers realise his dream of using a gospel choir in their recordings.Album Description
International version of the Las Vegas Band's 2004 album adds 2 bonus tracks 'Glamorious Indie Rock N' Roll' & 'Somebody Told Me' (video). Universal.Album Details
Includes Two Bonus Tracks "Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll" and the Video of "Somebody Told Me"Customer Reviews:
A Lovely Journey.......2007-06-02
Loveeee me some killlers.......2007-05-31
Satisfied.......2007-05-26
Thanks.
Is it me?.......2007-05-17
great music, sometimes too random.............2007-05-16
But some songs I don't like.....
I still think it's worth buying!
Average customer rating:
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Armchair Apocrypha
Andrew Bird Manufacturer: Fat Possum Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000MV9A1C Release Date: 2007-03-20 |
Tracks:
- Fiery Crash
- Imitosis
- Plasticities
- Heretics
- Armchairs
- Darkmatter
- Simple X
- The Supine
- Cataracts
- Scythian Empires
- Spare-Ohs
- Yawn At The Apocalypse
Amazon.com
Strip away the music of an Andrew Bird song, and you're left with brilliant prose ("across the great chasms and schisms and the sudden aneurysms"), vignettes about mentally fending off plane crashes, infiltrating characters like the kings of Macedonia and Lou Dobbs, and titles such as "Yawny at the Apocalyspe." It's hard to believe that, really, his music reigns, but when Bird adds understated acoustic guitars, Wurlitzer and Rhodes, and his own mesmerizing pizzicato violin, his songs take on a progressive mood all their own. The Chicago Bird's tenth album (and his debut for extraordinary Mississippi blues label Fat Possum) is perhaps his most diverse, expansive, and resourceful yet, catering to a half-dozen genres of music while exploring storylines that are naïve ("Dark Matter"), candid ("Fiery Crash"), and blatantly comical ("Armchairs"). Making no palpable effort to crack the conventional with overflowing melodies and love songs, Bird instead latches up the intellect to create tiny packages of literature that make always leave you thinking--and snapping your fingers at the same time. --Scott HolterCustomer Reviews:
Not to my taste.......2007-07-14
An Antti Keisala Comment: Tales Of The Mysterious Moon.......2007-06-02
I am new to Andrew Bird. This I'm ashamed to confess, but better late than never; I only stumbled on him at the time of the release of this album a few months back, then had to get The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Weather Systems and his work with the Bowl of Fire. I came to him pretty straight through the usual companions, Sufjan Stevens and Jeffrey Foucault, and I don't know how I've managed so far without him: he's a part of the new wave of post-indie rock channeled through self-conscious resurgence of American folk music culture. But that's only part of where he's rooted: there's some of The Arcade Fire and some Jeff Buckley, and yet transcending comparison and forming a recognizable entity on his own.
Bird is a great musician and the live recordings, the three Fingerlings, should give some weight to this argument about his sense of using the instruments; he's like the young Warren Ellis of violin. He's also absolutely hilarious; his humour is witty and ironic, and his lyrics and singing completely complement the mood the song sets musically. The album opener "Fiery Crash" opens like a trashy garage rock song and evolves to an immesurably sophisticated pop song, almost echoing a Belle And Sebastian composition; but this is pop music that isn't pop music; it has twists and turns that continuously shape the direction the song and album are going to. Every time my mind grasps a hook and settles onto it for continuity, Bird changes the direction. I've scarcely had so much fun whilst listening.
A gem that's special. Have fun.
With best regards,
AK
memorable 'apocrypha'.......2007-05-21
Andrew a Bird than I'm a bird.......2007-05-16
I usually don't write reviews.........2007-05-16
Anyway, its an amazing album. The highs aren't as high as Eggs, but its so consistent that it doesn't really bother me. If its an introduction to Bird you want, I'd recommend his previous album, but this is just as good.
Average customer rating:
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Into the Blues
Joan Armatrading Manufacturer: 429 Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000NVHWMU Release Date: 2007-05-01 |
Tracks:
- A Woman In Love
- Play The Blues
- Into The Blues
- Liza
- Secular Songs
- My Baby's Gone
- D.N.A.
- Baby Blue Eyes
- Deep Down
- There Ain't A Girl Alive
- Empty Highway
- Mama Papa
- Something's Gotta Blow
Amazon.com
On the surface, yes, this is a blues album; mostly, though, it's a Joan Armatrading album--which means she'll follow blues forms and conceits wherever she damn well pleases. On "Liza," she takes the "Mannish Boy" groove across the tracks for a pick-up on the wrong side of town; on "There Ain't a Girl Alive (Who Likes to Look in the Mirror Like You Do)," she dresses down a rival; on "Play the Blues," she simply undresses herself to a juicy, contemporary soul groove; and on "Mama Papa," the album's finest and funkiest moment, she recalls her youth on the island of St. Kitts in lines that flash with truth: "Seven people in one room/No heat/One wage/And bills to pay." It's also a guitar album: her blues chops, especially on the sprawling closer "Something's Gotta Blow," would give Robert Cray a serious run. Fiery as her playing can be, her blues riffs are mostly economical, concise, with evocative spaces between the notes. The same can't be said for the overall production values. Armatrading is still enamored with slick gimmicks: doubling and tripling her vocals and adding layers of echo on top of that, and synth pads and distortion that feel more bombastic than bright. Into the Blues is far from a return to form, but it still sends a tough, funky message. --Roy KastenAlbum Description
Into the Blues is the album that Joan Armatrading was always meant to write. Immediately you can tell how much she enjoys playing the blues as her guitar belts out these 13 hits.Customer Reviews:
Armatrading's Dynamic Dive "Into the Blues".......2007-07-14
Although her official website describes Joan Armatrading's new CD, INTO THE BLUES, as being "blues influenced" rather than a straightforward blues album, the songs on it achieve exactly what the best of blues music does. They take us deep inside the raw agonies and ecstasies of life, love, and the struggle to live at peace with ourselves and the world. That drama is one Armatrading has set to superb guitar-playing that rivals (with all due respect) that of such icons as BB King, Eric Clapton, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen. Add to her artistry a voice which can boom like a Chicago baritone or caress like the sweetest ingénue and it becomes easy to see why this CD shot straight to number one on Billboard Magazine's blues chart.
On the title track of this phenomenal set, Armatrading proclaims, "My baby don't like rock and roll/ Not hip hop or pop/ My baby's just into the blues," then proceeds to deftly demonstrate why. We can debate whether the "baby" of which she's singing is a favorite lover or her guitar. But one thing not in question is the serious skill with which Armatrading explores various forms of the blues--rock, gospel, ballad--throughout the CD's 13 dynamic cuts.
The trademark finesse with which she's known to dissect the most intimate of relationships are in full play on the first two songs, "A Woman in Love" and "Play the Blues." She is particularly heart-wrenching on the mournfully plaintive "Empty Highway," which broods and croons and bleeds with the best of any blues ballad on record. "Baby Blue Eyes" is a blue-grass tinged number that evokes the soulful country traditions of an Allison Krauss or the Dixie Chicks. She moves beyond romantic introspection for some powerful social and spiritual commentary on both "Secular Songs" and the explosive eight-minute-long closer "Something's Gotta Blow." In the biographical "Mama Papa," fans get a rare treat as Armatrading pays tribute to her birth island of St. Kitts and the industrious parents who taught her to: "Play hard/ Fight fair/ Live life/ And love the Lord."
From the very beginning of Joan Armatrading's amazing career, starting with the 1972 release of WHATEVER'S FOR US, the rhythms and colors of the blues and jazz have helped define the brilliant depths and substance of her work. Also from the very beginning, Armatrading has demonstrated an uncanny ability to employ various musical trends and genres to amplify the uniqueness of her own creative voice. Those two traits serve her genius exceedingly well on INTO THE BLUES, a CD very much on its way to becoming a celebrated classic.
by Author-Poet Aberjhani
author of I Made My Boy Out of Poetry
and Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Facts on File Library of American History)
excellent, excellent, excellent.......2007-07-13
she's back and better than ever!!.......2007-07-05
Another Winner For Joan.......2007-07-05
It'll take a few listens for this one to settle in.......2007-06-27
Some of the songs sound like typical Armatrading with a funkier bluesier arrangement. They're not bad songs at all but they;re not consisitently great. Too much overdubbing on the vocals does take away from some of the songs. I'm both a blues fan and a Joan fan so this is one I had to get. It's good, it's interesting but not great. 3.5 Stars.
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