Pubblica Ottusita [Import]

1. Pubblica Ottusita

2. Dolce Rompi

3. E' Ancora Sabato

4. Fresco

Pubblica Ottusita,Adriano Celentano,Sony Bmg,World Music

Average customer rating: Who are the idiots?? As eerie as a siren. PUBLIC ENEMY Wall of Sound Mind Blowing from beginning to end............

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Public Enemy Manufacturer: Def Jam 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 CDs $7 - $10 | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rap & Hip-Hop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Fear of a Black Planet Straight Outta Compton Yo! Bum Rush the Show Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black The Low End Theory ASIN: B0000024K1 Release Date: 1995-05-02

Tracks:

1. Countdown To Armageddon
2. Bring The Noise
3. Don't Believe The Hype
4. Cold Lampin' With Flavor
5. Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic
6. Mind Terrorist
7. Louder Than A Bomb
8. Caught, Can We Get A Witness?
9. Show Em Whatcha Got
10. She Watch Channel Zero?!
11. Night Of The Living Baseheads
12. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
13. Security Of The First World
14. Rebel Without A Pause
15. Prophets Of Rage
16. Party For Your Right To Fight

Amazon.com essential recording

It Takes a Nation of Millions was the sign that hip-hop had exploded like a grenade. A rap record as abrasive, hardcore, and eloquent as a JFK speech, the 1988 disc is one classic track after another: tense, multilayered, harmonically wild music. Chuck D. declaims like a master preacher with foil Flavor Flav's voice darting around his. They've got the desperate energy of people fighting for their lives, and everything from their pumped-up rhetoric ("Prophets of Rage") to the group's quasi-paramilitary organization to the sirens and sax squeals in nearly every track declares how urgent their mission is. It's a hugely influential album, and it still sounds fresh and frightening after all these years. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Who are the idiots??.......2007-04-14

I'm compelled to provide a review. For one reason. Why the f isn't this a five star album? Some reviewers out their need their keyboards revoked. I've been listening to this record on and off for almost 20 years. Each time I get the same old buzz. My old (much loved) Pixies albums don't come close in terms of providing everlasting pleasure.

For those that don't own this, just "do yourself a favour."

BTW - DJ Spooky Trojan Records excursion is a blast....(on the platter as I write)

As eerie as a siren........2007-02-18

You know, I once saw someone say that this shouldn't be considered music, and in one way, that person is right: it's an aural explosion on record, in a way not even an industrial band could execute it. This record came out at a time I was still coloring walls, but even I could connect well with it, it is that good. The record hasn't aged a bit. The first I heard from P.E. was "Fear of a Black Planet" a few years back, and I really enjoyed that one. I got to this and was shocked at how it was EVEN better.

Chuck D. and Flavor Flav have a delivery that can't be missed, and the Bomb Squad use some awesome loops and samples. The 3 or 4 interludes on here are great too, and not even those come off as filler. The lyrics are intellectual social/political message. There's not much quite like this today, in fact that might even be an understatement. Some tracks come off like siren tracks, like listening to songs like "Night of the Living Baseheads" and such. The live samples add to the energy of this record. It is a hip-hop record, but you don't have to be a fan of the genre to enjoy this. The energy could be appreciated by a rock fan, and the instrumental of a track like "Black Steel..." could be appreciated by a jazz fan maybe. It doesn't need to be limited to genres. It's a great record, period. The influence is something that's even been going on through the times, and that doesn't need to be explained or even justified.

It's cheaply priced and an amazing album, even sounding fresh nearly 20 years. It doesn't even need remastering any time soon! That's all the more impressive. There is so little not to like about this record, it is recommended to everyone from me.

PUBLIC ENEMY.......2006-11-13

WELL, BEING FROM "THE OLD SCHOOL"...YOU KNOW, "THE POSSITIVE ERA", ITS HARD TO FIND TODAY'S HIP-HOP SATISFYING TO MY SOUL.......SO I GO BACK, AND THERE I FIND WHAT I NEED.
PEACE

Wall of Sound.......2006-11-10

Possibly the greatest rap album of all time. The hard rhymer Chuck D. paired with the multi-layered production of Hank Shocklee(Bomb Squad) still packs as potent a punch as when it first dropped. Not to sleep on Flava, the greatest hype man in the business is essential to the final product; I can't imagine this album being as perfect as it is without him.

Mind Blowing from beginning to end...................2006-09-22

Chuck, Flav, Griff, Terminator X, The Bomb Squad and the S1W's was and still is one of the most powerful hip hop groups ever put together. Chuck's voice alone should be added as seperate member. Check the power of "Here it is BAM!" Absolute classic joints are Don't beleive the Hype, Black Steel, Night of the Living Baseheads, Terminator -Rock-n-Roll, She watch Channel Zero and rest of the album.

Average customer rating: love it! Ready for the reissue treatment TENDERNESS Catchy and enjoyable More than just another 80s Synth-Pop Sounding Group

All the Rage General Public Manufacturer: A&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Vinyl Records | American Punk | British Punk | Emo | Garage Punk | Hardcore | Post Hardcore | Proto Punk | Punk | Punk Revival | Punk-Pop | Riot Grrl | Ska Punk | Straight Edge New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ska General | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music New Wave | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Beat This: The Best of the English Beat Special Beat Service I Just Can't Stop It Pelican West...Plus Wha'ppen? ASIN: B000001I0R Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Hot You're Cool
2. Tenderness
3. Anxious
4. Never You Done That
5. Burning Bright
6. As A Matter Of Fact
7. Are You Leading Me On?
8. Day-To-Day
9. Where's The Line?
10. General Public

Amazon.com

General Public's debut is arguably the ska supergroup's best work. Fresh out of the English Beat, Dave Wakeling recruited vocal partner Ranking Roger, as well as bassist Horace Panter (the Specials), keyboardist Mickey Billingham (Dexy's Midnight Runners), and veteran sax man Saxa for this set of shiny pop that is virtually all as infectious as the album's Top 40 hit, "Tenderness." Sure, the English Beat's best grooves found their way into the Fine Young Cannibals, but Wakeling and Roger's breathless vocals and undeniable hooks still shine on this undervalued album. --Bill Forman

Customer Reviews:

love it!.......2007-06-04

I love this CD. It takes me back to the 80's with lots of cool music.

Ready for the reissue treatment.......2005-07-31

This is just a really awesome CD and I'm suprised it hasn't been given the re-issue treatment as of yet. All The Rage was released in late 1984 or early 1985. The US singles were "Tenderness" and "Never You Done That." The album itself contained a lot of different sounding songs. General Public toyed with reggae ala UB40 style on the song "General Public." I enjoy the whole album but really like songs like "Anxious," "Where's The Line," and "Are You Leading Me On?" There are some really great remixes to some of the songs on this album, I hope that it is given the reissue treatment soon.

TENDERNESS.......2005-07-04

1984 Brit pop group dabbling in funk and ska yielded one great song; "Tenderness", a jingly piano-driven, bassoon enhanced, unabashedly sweet, catchy song that contains maybe the most representative line of '80s suppressed left wing agenda, - "I open my mouth and out pops something spiteful.", it rises above the hyperactive vocals and dull routine funk of the other songs, although the song, "General Public", adds Middle Eastern and progressive elements in a grandiose album closing. Band member, Ranking Roger (vocals, keyboards), has put out at least one fine Motown influenced solo album, and Clash guitarist Mick Jones, plays some rough guitar on some of the tracks. The band needs to lean more towards it's tender side than it's frantic funk.

Catchy and enjoyable.......2005-06-18

Nothing spectacular here, just a thoroughly enjoyable pop/new wave/synth/whatever offering from an outfit that probably deserved more attention. Definitely worth getting.

More than just another 80s Synth-Pop Sounding Group.......2004-10-28

My first exposure to General Public came in 1984. I was listening to the original WKTU radio in New York City and this song called "Tenderness" came on then. At the time, this radio station was the "Disco/Dance" radio station in New York. What I distinctly remember about this station was that it was a very different song than the dance numbers that were typically played on this station. Nonetheless, this song caught my attention as well as the attention of many other fans. It turns out that this was a true "crossover" song done by the group General Public. It was part of a collection of ten songs that could easily fall into the "crossover" 80s/Techno-Pop category from General Public's debut album "All The Rage".

In the mid 1980s, the term "Supergroup" became very popular. A Supergroup is basically a group or project whose primary members were in other successful bands. The two most common Supergroups were the Power Station and Mike + The Mechanics. Before either or these Supergroups, there was a Supergroup called General Public. When the English Beat disbanded, vocalists Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger decided to form a new band. They recruited keyboardist Micky Billingham and drummer Andy "Stoker" Growcott from Dexy's Midnight Runners. Also recruited was bassist Horace Painter ("The Specials") and guitarist Kevin White. Both The English Beat and Dexy's Midnight Runners produced a most unique 80s pop sound that has almost become synonymous with the decade itself. Make no mistake about this, the sounds of both of these groups are alive and well with this "alliance". In a lot of ways the formation of this alliance results in so much more than "80s music".

Here is a quick synopsis of the album song by song:
"Hot You're Cool": This might not be the deepest song in terms of lyrics, but there is a lot more than just an 80s sound on this particular track. There is some terrific saxophone work that makes the melody so terrific.

"Tenderness": This is the signature song of the group. There are a lot of reasons this became the signature song. You will hear Wakeling and Roger's trademark vocals, - but you will hear contributions from just about everyone in the band. I think Billingham's keyboards, Painter's bass, and White's guitar deserve a lot of credit. Justine Carpenter does the background vocals (i.e. "Where is the...") that make this song so special. As mentioned above, this is a crossover song - although I see it more as a Dance song.

"Anxious": Although not the strongest track, here is another track that breaks the 80s mold. This song features a brass section of some trumpet and trombone that helps distinguish it from many other 80s tracks.

"Never You Done That": This was the second single released from this album. Here is a song that definitely walks the tightrope between rock and dance music. This is a pretty good track and the more you hear it, the more you will want to hear it.

"Burning Bright": This is the second best song behind "Tenderness". I am very surprised this song didn't get more airplay. This song opens with some outstanding guitar with a light keyboard overtone. "Stoker"'s drumming is strongest on this track. There is a 1 minute introduction. This isn't as much of an 80s Techno-Pop track as the others, but has much more of a progressive rock sound. This is the song that has the lines "From Moscow to Monterey and From Maine to Mexico" that is printed on the back of the CD.

"As a Matter of Fact": I don't think this is the strongest track, but it isn't a bad track. This song moves back toward the Techno-Pop sound and has much more of a Dance Music feel to it. "Stoker" shines here again with some nice drum work on here.

"Are You Leading Me On": From a lyric and melody standpoint - this song starts out with a Classic 80s Techno-Pop feel to it. About 90 seconds into the song there is a terrific reggae sequence that is a nice change of pace. General Public finds a great way to integrate the reggae into the song and they switch gears flawlessly.

"Day to Day" also starts with a Classic 80s feel to it. Unlike "Are You Leading Me On", it doesn't switch gears. It sticks to the Classic 80s feel. I would say this is the weakest track on the collection.

"Where's the Line": Terrific mix of 80s music with a Carribean Twist. This is a very catchy song and one that is good for the dance floors. Vocals are in top form and once again the horns find their way into a track.

"General Public": I think its great when a group names after song after themselves (or names the group after the song). This song is the perfect wrap-up song. It is a mix of some theatrical qualities and a very European sound. This song too is pretty catchy.

The liner notes contain all of the lyrics to all of the songs. All participating musicians are listed in the credits as well along with some of the production credits. The one drawback of the liner notes is that the lyrics and credits are put into 6 thin columns per page. The result is small fonts and very difficult to read. Following this debut album, General Public's subsequent albums would never achieve the success of this debut album from both a commercial or critical standpoint. Much of this was due to the fact that in the late 80s and early 90s, the music landscape would change and move away from synth-pop to a more natural Rock Sound. However, this is more than just another 80s album - there is some real talent on this collection. You will get so much more than the song "Tenderness". I highly recommend this collection.

Average customer rating: Tacky and Hilarious Excellent I can listen and listen The Best! HUGE FAN!!!

Drunk in Public Ron White Manufacturer: Hip-O Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Novelty Music | Comedic Music | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Ron White - They Call Me Tater Salad Ron White: You Can't Fix Stupid Ron White - You Can't Fix Stupid Lord, I Apologize The Right to Bare Arms ASIN: B0000TAZHY Release Date: 2003-11-11

Tracks:

1. Sunglasses
2. Truth In Advertising
3. Plane Crash
4. Cincinnati Chili
5. Hurricane George
6. I Drink Too Much...
7. Ten Days In Los Angeles
8. Outlaw Video Games
9. Cousin Ray
10. Married A Wealthy Woman
11. Cheating In Columbus
12. Osama Bin Laden
13. Lug Nut Day
14. Car Salesmen
15. They Call Me 'Tater Salad'

Customer Reviews:

Tacky and Hilarious.......2007-05-12

Though not as good as the cd, Mr. White leaves out some prime lines, you'll still laugh out loud. His great talent is not just timing, but the cadence of his voice that makes ordinary language hysterical.
A former comic,
Loretta Collins

Excellent.......2007-05-07

What can you say about one of the best comics of today. an awsome cd, extremely funny.

I can listen and listen.......2006-12-28

Ron White is so good, I can listen to this over and over and it doesn't get old.

The Best!.......2006-07-27

Ron White does it again. This is absolutely funny. If you have never heard of him before, you're missing out. Get this CD. You'll laugh every time you hear his crazy stories.

HUGE FAN!!!.......2006-04-19

I'm a HUGE fan of Ron White, but don't waste your money! I pre-ordered this because I was so excited about a new video. I watched it immediately and was so disappointed. He was so laid back I almost fell asleep, I kept waiting for him to get into his groove but it never happened. I really feel like this video was quickly made only to make Ron White more money. His last joke was an OLD JOKE that wasn't his funniest joke either. Big disappointment and I hope someone from his staff reads this review and gets Ron off his duff and make a video with NEW and FUNNY stuff. We all know he can do it ~ so let us have it.

Average customer rating: ugh unbelievable It's ok Sounds Okay To Me LOVE IT

Public Warning Lady Sovereign Manufacturer: Def Jam ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Alright, Still The Sweet Escape The Dutchess Back to Black Alright, Still ASIN: B000IFRQAY Release Date: 2006-10-31

Tracks:

1. 9 to 5
2. Gatheration
3. Random
4. Public Warning
5. Love Me Or Hate Me
6. My England
7. Tango
8. A Little Bit Of Shhh
9. Hoodie
10. Those Were The Days
11. Blah Blah
12. Fiddle With The Volume
13. Love Me Or Hate Me Remix - Missy Elliot

Amazon.com

More Eminem than Missy Elliot, this diminutive U.K. rapper shows exactly how threatening a small woman with a big mouth can be. Her spiky collision of punk rock attitude and pop appeal is a revelation and her self-awareness is oddly shocking, but rather endearing, as the 5-foot-1 rapper asserts, "I'm the biggest midget in the fame." Wicked, irreverent, smart, and full of self-depreciating humor, this queen of grime rap pillages her autobiography on "Those Were the Days," deconstructs nationalism on "My England," raids Mother Goose on "Public Warning," and then drops a gauntlet with a loud clattering sound, making listeners laugh out loud with the snotty, but laughable challenge of "Love Me or Hate Me." But mostly she keeps things moving, throwing off sparks and bon mots with her mad, furious, in-your-face flow, while adding a bit of glam and new wave to the electro hip-hop beats. She might be small, but her future as the voice of the fashionably disaffected is huge. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews:

ugh.......2007-06-14

I liked the single, so got the CD. Oops.

unbelievable.......2007-06-12

I just went to the Gwen stefani and akon concert with sov opening. all i can say is that being a huge fan of gwen and really enjoying akon's work i really wasn't thrilled to see that sov was opening beings that i had never really heard any of her music, but by the end of her show i knew there was no way akon nor gwen had a chance of grabbing my attention as much as sov. if you get a chance see her live you won't regret it.

It's ok.......2007-06-03

She is good, but she must emprove herself... Eminem's level is still too far

Sounds Okay To Me.......2007-06-02

It's hard to find someone in the rap/hip hop world today I like. MIA is good and I've heard a few of her offerings and like it, and there's Lady Sovereign as far as the females. I've heard her compared to Eminem or a female version, but I really don't like Eminem, so I guess I'll take those peoples word for it on that one. I'm normally into old school rap and hip hop from the 80's, all the genre's of it from the beginnings of the late 70's early 80's through the Gangsta Rap of the late 80's into early 90's. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre might have been the last ones I really got into let's put it that way.

This is a really fun CD to listen to, it's bratty, witty, and has some good beats I think, it may not be ground breaking; but it's for lack of a better term a Party CD in my opinion, she's very direct and has some fight in her, I don't know where she goes from here, but this is a nice start. I find myself listening to the first 4 or 5 songs at least once a day and they always make me smile and bob my head, so that's good enough for me, since there's not much out there that does that these days.

LOVE IT.......2007-05-08

I love love LOVE this CD. I thought I was partaking in something different and interesting, but I really didn't expect to be this smitten with a rap sound. Lady Sov is absolutely wonderful, and I adore the remix with Missy Elliot, who I don't normally like. Very good buy.

Average customer rating: Rap heaven A Great Album, but... Another hip hop masterpiece!!!!! Still revolutionary! Fight the Power!

Fear of a Black Planet Public Enemy Manufacturer: Def Jam 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 CDs $7 - $10 | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rap & Hip-Hop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black Yo! Bum Rush the Show Straight Outta Compton Paid in Full ASIN: B0000024IE Release Date: 1994-07-26

Tracks:

1. Contract On The World Love Jam (Instrumental
2. Brothers Gonna Work It Out
3. 911 Is A Joke
4. Incident At 66.6 FM (instrumental)
5. Welcome To The Terrordome
6. Meet The G That Killed Me
7. Pollywanacraka
8. Anti-Nigger Machine
9. Burn Hollywood Burn
10. Power To The People
11. Who Stole The Soul
12. Fear Of A Black Planet
13. Revolutionary Generation
14. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man
15. Reggie Jax
16. Leave This Off Your Fu*kin Charts (Instrumental)
17. B Side Wins Again
18. War At 33 1/3
19. Final Count Of The Collision Between Us And The Damned (Instrumental)
20. Fight The Power

Amazon.com essential recording

PE's third album is dense, heavy, and urgent as a bullet. Fear of a Black Planet single-handedly added half a dozen phrases to the language, and not just from Chuck D.'s troop-rallying bellow--Flavor Flav's "911 Is a Joke" is as catchy an indictment of urban policy as anyone has ever come up with. The Bomb Squad's music is complicated, challenging, terse, and totally funky, and Chuck matches it with one impassioned pronouncement after another: on Hollywood's racism, on miscegenation, on "real history / Not his story." The album ends with "Fight the Power," the group's ultimate statement of purpose, from its pounding, atonal sound collage to its furious politics. Put Black Planet on, and it's always a long, hot summer. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Rap heaven.......2007-05-04

Fear of a Black Planet transcends what we know as rap and goes down as just a great piece of work in any genre. This is an album that combines all the elements: vision, cohesion, originality, scope, ambition, confidence, substance, and relevance. From the sound bites of the opening track right on down to the call to arms of "Fight the Power", this masterpiece is breathtakingly on the mark. These songs deal with a wide range of subjects such as hope ("Brothers Gonna Work It Out"), interracial dating ("Pollywannacraka"), the bigotry of showbiz ("Burn Hollywood Burn"), and everything in between to create an album of sheer power. Even the throwaways like "B-Side Wins Again" and "Reggie Jax" keep the listener interested. Fear of a Black Planet is just a massive onslaught of song-tumbling-into-song that grabs your ears and refuses to let go. Chuck D has always been a master of the 5-minute rap song and on here, he delivers maybe his best ever on "Welcome to the Terrordome", Chuck D spilling his guts about everything that pisses him off at a schizophrenic pace about the dangers of propaganda. It is truly a magnificent and moving piece of personal songwriting. All in all, Fear of a Black Planet is right up there with Blur's The Great Escape, Radiohead's OK Computer, and Massive Attack's Mezzanine for best album of the 90's. A+

A Great Album, but..........2007-04-05

...Not PEs best. Without a doubt a classic, but not better than Nation of Millions, BRtS, or Apocalypse 91. 'Fear' lacked the cohesion of these others with a few missteps like: Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man, Reggie Jax, and 4(!) instrumentals.

And, not the fault of PE, or the song, which was good when it came out, but Fight the Power was so over played I can no longer listen to it.

Another hip hop masterpiece!!!!!.......2006-03-12

PE is another hip hop music icon that'll be talked about in 100 years as pioneering the heart and soul of America's truest art form of self-expression, joy, pain, heartache and real world problems and solutions.

You don't know hip hop and you definitely know hip hop music at its highest, purest form if you don't own, know of or even heard this album.

It's overwhelming Afrocentric (par for the course circa popular hip hop 1989-mid 1990).

For all listeners, you'll definitely get a strong sense that PE has something to say about Black Empowerment and challenging the status quo.

For white listeners, please don't be scared off by this album's Pro Black sentiments.

PE's Pro-Black messages are NOT anti-white ... PE's very much about self-help.

I can remember seeing tape of a documentary back in 1993 of a PE concert they performed waaayyy out in the boonies, somewhere in Middle America where minorities are an entity the local yocals probably only saw on TV.

Point is, they talked to several members of the overwhelmingly white, big hair, mullet-sporting crowd and to my surprise and delight, the crowd "got it."

They spoke with respect and admiration of PE and explained themselves how they thought it wasn't offensive and that PE was just promoting Black empowerment and for more people to get education, question society's way and know their history.

Powerful stuff (both this album and that documentary).

Still revolutionary!.......2006-02-16

"Fear Of A Black Planet" - The title alone is worth the money.Such a great undertaking in making this album and you here it from the first cut.So much texture from the interludes to songs, practically seemless.Mostly remembered for "Fight The Power" but at so many points of this album Chuck D drops an entire history course ear whooping without the listener realizing it.He had the fury of a poet, the urgency of a street reporter and the wisdom of a teacher.Its like listening to a rebel harnessing all of his frustration and anger into some sense and direction.Flavor Flav keeping pace with his yeaah boyeees gave the songs an audience almost without getting in the way.Hank Shocklee and Co. did a masterful job with the production and arangment of the loops,samples and instrumentation.Future producers for any music can listen and learn.My track highlights are as follows:
1)Welcome to The Terrordome
2)Brothers Gonna Work It Out
3)911 Is A Joke
4)Who Stole The Soul?
5)Fight The Power

- Not in that order, just my favorites.

Fight the Power!.......2006-01-29

Most of the younger generation (those born in the 1990's) are probely familer with Flavor Flav with all the TV spotlight he gets on VH-1. Yet back in the Day when Flavor was cracked out, he was with the likes of Chuck D and Terminator X in a very important rap group Public Enemy. This is my favorite PE album of the bunch. They say three times is a charm, and since this was thier third effort, not only did they manage to pull off their best album, but one of the top ten best albums in hip-hop EVER! Almost every song here is a Gem, and for all those that listen to garbage hip-hop (50 Cent, Juvinelle, Little Jon, D-12) then maybe you should use those CD's as coasters or frisbees, and pick up Fear of a Black Planet to hear what REAL Hip-Hop soundsl like. Unfortanltly, the band started to go downhill from here, with two less then steller efforts after this one, and then completely vanishing into thin air. With the return of Flavor outta nowhere being on VH-1's "The Surreal Life" and 2 other shows on VH-1, it seems like Public Enemy also came back. I have heard some of the newer material, but it just doesn't live up to this. This is a real important piece of hip-hop history, as a matter of fact, MUSIC history. Please Put this one in your collection if you dont have it. ENJOY

Average customer rating: NPR gives "moments" period NPR has the best programming I really had a driveway moment with this CD

Driveway Moments Various Artists Manufacturer: Npr National Public ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Styles | Music | Alternative Rock | Blues | Broadway & Vocalists | Children's Music | Christian & Gospel | Classic Rock | Classical | Country | Dance & DJ | Folk | Hard Rock & Metal | International | Jazz | Latin Music | Miscellaneous | New Age | Opera & Vocal | Pop | R&B | Rap & Hip-Hop | Rock | Soundtracks Similar Items: Driveway Moments, Vol. 2 This American Life: Lies Sissies & Fiascoes Crimebusters & Crossed Wires: Stories from This American Life This American Life: Stories of Hope and Fear Driveway Moments, Vol. 3 ASIN: B0000YEEF8 Release Date: 2003-11-18

Tracks:

1. Amy's Answering Machine - Amy Borkowsky
2. Killing With Kindness
3. Nutcracker Dreams - Kevin Kling
4. His Father - Marion Winik
5. My Dad the Ex-Con
6. Animal Sex Advice by Dr. Tatiana A.K.A. Olivia Judson

Tracks:

1. Sweet Potato Queen's Latest Dish - Jill Conner Browne
2. My So-Called Lungs
3. Hitching a Ride With Junior McGhee - Charlie Barnet
4. Santa-Land Diaries - David Sedaris

Customer Reviews:

NPR gives "moments" period.......2005-07-20

I cannot write enough to praise the radio essays that have been broadcast regularly on NPR. I've been a fan for the past four or five years. So, I not only have "driveway" moments, but "parking lot" moments, "at home after work" moments; you name it. If NPR is on my radio, I literally find I cannot leave my car.

My only regret was the CD didn't contain the complete broadcast of the amusing "Santaland Diaries."

NPR has the best programming.......2005-01-24

There is no other radio station that has better programming than NPR. The creativity, humour and complexity of their stories gives them a head up on all other media outlets. This CD is poignant, funny and interesting. The stories really do hold you in the car and in your driveway. There were times where we had to pullover because the story was so funny. In other situations there was not a dry eye in the car. I highly reccomend this CD. Although, "Driveway Moments 2" 2005 is not nearly as good. In fact I was completley dissapointed in the sequal.

I really had a driveway moment with this CD.......2004-10-03

This CD is a wonderfully eclectic collection of some of the best stories of NPR. A "driveway moment" is when there is something so compelling on the radio that you sit in your driveway, listening, rather than leave the car.

That's exactly what happened to me when I heard "My So-Called Lungs." It's indescribably touching, and I was left with tears streaming down my face, in awe of how the young girl making this audio diary could be so brave.

The stories span an almost unbelievable arc of emotion, from the drama of the story I just mentioned, to David Sedaris's Santaland Diaries, which is so hilarious that it's commonly played every Christmas on NPR stations across the country.

This is a suberb CD. Listen to it on a long road trip, and I guarantee the miles will just fly by, you'll be so absorbed in these stories. I have just ordered Driveway Moments 2--if it's half as good as this one, it'll be well worth it.

Average customer rating: The beginning of the Public Enemy legacy-- If you're expecting the usual Public Enemy, you'll be surprised Public Enemy If you don't know; you better ask somebody Conscious Hip-Hop at it's finest!!

Yo! Bum Rush the Show Public Enemy Manufacturer: Def Jam 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 Old School | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rap & Hip-Hop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Fear of a Black Planet Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black Long Live the Kane By All Means Necessary ASIN: B0000024JZ Release Date: 1995-05-02

Tracks:

1. You're Gonna Get Yours
2. Sophisticated Bitch
3. Miuzi Weighs A Ton
4. Timebomb
5. Too Much Posse
6. Rightstarter (Message To A Black Man)
7. Public Enemy No. 1
8. M.P.E.
9. Yo! Bum Rush The Show
10. Raise The Roof
11. Megablast
12. Terminator X Speaks With His Hands

Amazon.com essential recording

With Yo! Bum Rush the Show, Public Enemy introduce a new kind of bravado that's not just directed at other players and sucker MCs but is an out-and-out middle-finger challenge to the whole world, as these serious brothers roll right over you in a slow-moving convoy of 98 Oldsmobiles ("You're Gonna Get Yours"). PE crowd these tracks with disparate sounds that move your butt while they buzz from every channel. Despite their serious posturing, you'll be grateful for the sloppy bass line in "Timebomb" and Terminator X's brilliant tone experiment, "Public Enemy No. 1." Yo! isn't PE's masterpiece, but it's a truly standout album, a warning shot for the full-scale assault they would later initiate on It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. --Todd Levin

Customer Reviews:

The beginning of the Public Enemy legacy--.......2007-06-04

Yo! Bum Rush the Show-
Formerly a loose congregate of college-radio DJs and party promoters in the Long Island area, `Spectrum City' became Public Enemy when Def Jam exec Rick Rubin allegedly badgered Chuck D into accepting a record deal; Chuck insisted that Flav come along, and hip-hop history was begun. Along with producers Bill Stephney and Hank Shocklee, Chuck and company considered themselves hip-hop's answer to the Clash: The first album as almost a punk effort, more about rhythm & noise rather than rhythm & blues. The LP opens with "You're Gonna Get Yours", Chuck and Flav's ode to the Oldsmobile 98: "Smoke is coming, when I burn/ rubber when my wheels turn; tinted windows so super-bad; looking like the car the Green Hornet had." The riskiest cut may have been "Sophisticated Bi*ch": hardcore metal guitar (courtesy of Vernon Reid) and hip-hop bassline make for a powerful punch. The lyrics rail against a loose woman, though later statements by Chuck assert that this was an allegorical rant against the policies of urban radio stations at the time. Other standout joints include "Public Enemy #1" (covered years later by Puff Daddy), "Miuzi Weighs a Ton", "Timebomb" ("They go `ooh!' and `ah!' when I jump in my car, people treat me like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.."), and the anti-crack-cocaine diatribe "Megablast". This is the true beginning of the PE dynasty, even before "Nation of Millions". Not to be missed.

If you're expecting the usual Public Enemy, you'll be surprised.......2006-03-16

This is a really strong album, although there are a few misses, and that's understandable, since this is P.E.'s first album. It does sound like the Public Enemy that would become world famous hip-hop icons on a few tracks, but for the most part this album sounds like a transition from old school rap to Public Enemy's own sound as heard on albums two through whatever they're on now. You can hear it in the way Chuck D raps- he sounds like himself, but with an almost Run DMC timing. It's still great, but not indespensible like It Takes a Nation of Millions or Fear of a Black Planet. I'd suggest buying this album, but either get a good deal on it, or get it after you've gotten better Public Enemy albums.

Public Enemy.......2006-02-18

This was always one of my favorite albums/tapes & I wanted the CD. IT is in great condition. Thanks so much

If you don't know; you better ask somebody.......2006-01-30

In the 80's, I never missed a Public Enemy concert. You can't be a true hip-hop master unless you know where it began. Public Enemy's music had a message. Nearly all rap in the 80's had a message, unlike todays music. This is an outstanding CD!! Do not hesitate one second; buy this CD right now!! It is worth it!!!!

Conscious Hip-Hop at it's finest!!.......2005-09-22

This was only the introduction, but what an introduction!!! Their best work (in my opinion) was yet to come, but "Yo, Bum Rush The Show" was and is the truth!!

Stand out hits are "You Gonna Get Yours", "Miuzi Weighs a Ton", the title track, and....well hey, I'm not gonna sit here and list like 9 of the 12 tracks I dig....too much typing! :) Suffice it to say, to any old schooler (who was in high school like me when this first came out) or to any young head who wants to educate themselves to when Hip-Hop music truly had something to say, this is your album to purchase! After this, exhale and then get "Fear of a Black Planet" and then...take a pause, and then get their all-time greatest (the 5-mic classic as far as I'm concerned) "It takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back".

How I miss conscious Hip-Hop! Eons away from this rap mess today. And if you don't know the difference between Hip-Hop music and rap music, IMMEDIATELY purchase Boogie Down Productions/KRS-One and Eric B & Rakim!

Average customer rating: ok, wanted a little more variety This is what got me into Public Enemy! PE Keep Bringin That Noise! [and sonnin' Viper] Kids, put away your Paul Wall and Nelly albums...this is some REAL rap music I think they're better than DMC, De La and even NWA...

Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy's Greatest Hits Public Enemy Manufacturer: Def Jam 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 $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Run-D.M.C. - Greatest Hits The Very Best of Big Daddy Kane 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Eric B. & Rakim Straight Outta Compton It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back ASIN: B00021LQ82 Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

1. You're Gonna Get Yours
2. Public Enemy No.1
3. Rebel Without A Pause
4. Bring The Noise
5. Don't Believe The Hype
6. Prophets Of Rage
7. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
8. Fight The Power
9. Welcome To The Terrordome
10. 911 Is A Joke
11. Brothers Gonna Work It Out
12. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man
13. Can't Truss It
14. Shut Em Down
15. By The Time I Get To Arizona
16. Hazy Shade Of Criminal
17. Give It Up
18. He Got Game

Amazon.com

Public Enemy is not the kind of group that does compromise--either you own It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back and its explosive follow-up Fear of a Black Planet in their entirety or you simply hate music. So use this all-too-brief primer merely as a map to find your way to the albums that actually shook the world, mixing blunt politics with hard-hitting beats and Chuck D's prophet-like zeal for affecting change. If nothing else, tracks like "Bring The Noise" and "Fight The Power" serve as timely reminders of how much power hip-hop can wield when not tripped up in name-calling and bitch-slapping (D famously dubbed the genre "CNN for black people"), while on "911 is a Joke" Flava Flav proves there's a fine-line between laughter and tears. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

ok, wanted a little more variety.......2006-11-11

not bad, but i thought it'd have some of the other well-known hits on it as well. good for reminiscing about my youth!

This is what got me into Public Enemy!.......2006-08-01

Without a doubt, hip-hop was in its prime during the late 80's and early 90's. Unfortunatly, I didn't even exist untill '91...I was born into the generation of cookie-cutter "gangsta" (c)rap like 50 cent and lil john...oh, how lucky am I...

Anyway, I had heard a few samples from p.e. on tv and the internet, and decided to look for one of their cds. They sounded so different than anything I've heard before. Chuck D's vocal energy and style grabs your attention right away, while Flava's crazy wierdness keeps you hooked. While looking through Wallmart's cd selection, I came across this cd and decided that a greatest hits cd would be a perfect introduction to a group I had never really listened to before.(It was only 10 bucks, so what harm could it be?) Lemme tell ya, after listening through the cd once, my jaw was dropped, and I was floored.

First off, for any fans of pop-rap with candy-coated beats, this cd is NOT for you. Public Enemy are raw, hard, and abrasive. They're definatly not for everyone.

Second, their lyrics are political, and confront many serious issues that were being ignored during that time. Pay close attention, and you'll see that they actually have something important to say and aren't just grunting about their cars, money, hoes, bling-bling, whatever.

Finally, while their music may sound somewhat cacaphony at times, they were definatly way ahead of their time. They have the rare ability to make seemingly clashing noises work together in an intriguing and almost harmoneous way. For example, "Rebel Without A Pause" uses a repetitive screeching tea kettle in the background, which would be ear-drum-breaking in any other circumstance. However, combined with the song's heavy bass and Chuck D's lyrical wit, the kettle becomes less of a nussance and more of an actual instrument that enhances the song's quality. (Yeah, that sounds really stupid, but I don't have any other way of describing it.)

So yeah, that's another one of my rambling reviews. I would recomend this cd to hip-hop fans who are open-minded and ready for beats that are rough and different from anything else. I've become a huge fan of p.e. because of this cd, and I plan to buy more of their work. That's all for now. PEACE

PE Keep Bringin That Noise! [and sonnin' Viper].......2006-07-06

What else can be said about this release? The entire collection of singles (from their Def Jam period) from the most important and influential group ever. It doesnt get much better than this.

Public Enemy albums are consistent affairs with segues, inserts and instrumentals acting as the musical glue for each release. Some have therefore argued that listening to the singles in isolation is a less cohesive affair. I disagree. While Chuck D maintains that the group has never been singles orientated, their discography begs to differ: throughout the early 1990's, Public Enemy single releases were massive affairs accompanied by groundbreaking videos and fantastic cover art. Remember that "Fight the Power" only appeared on "Fear of a Black Planet" some several months after it "hit" - as did the B side release of "Rebel without A Pause" prior to "It Takes a Nation of Millions...".

This collection of singles reinforces their creative output, musicianship and legacy. The groups most commerciably accessible offerings are all here in their high-rotation-strong-unit-sales glory: the aforementioned "Fight The Power", "Hazy Shade of Criminal", "Shut Em Down", "911 Is A Joke" and the hugely popular "Give It Up", arguably the groups most successful single in terms of retail sales.

PE have crammed 18 cuts on to this release - but this just barely represents their release schedule. There are several cuts that have been released as singles and/or videos that are ommitted, including "Livin In A Zoo" (from the CB4 soundtrack), "Get off My Back", "Shake Your Booty", "I Stand Accused", "Louder Than A Bomb (Remix)", "Anti N*gga Machine/Burn Hollywood Burn" and the love-it-or-hate-it Anthrax thrash version of "Bring Tha Noize". A double disc edition with say, 28 tracks would have been nice - but then again, Def Jam/Universal dont want to cannibalise any trailing album sales the groups catalogue may still command!

Oh yeah, the reviewer "Viper" is the embodiment of the typical ignorant white American youth that PE originally set out to educate! Its unfortunate, but he of his ilk will never understand what true hip hop is or represents. "Hip hop" to Viper and most other Generation Y'ers constists of gun toting and talking about how much money you have and how many "biyatchs" youre doing. Grafitti? Breaking? DJ'ing? Beatboxing? Get outa here - that stuff's ancient, right Viper? Cats like Juvenile and Fitty Cent are the truth yeah!? heheheheh!!!!

Not all is lost though - I know plenty of young cats who take the time to check their history and educate themselves. Its just that people like Viper are already a lost cause - this album is the antithesis to his played out, thugged out BS so it will never get heard. But thats okay, cos dudes like me will never check for G Unit or Juvenile - so like PE's ratio of message:music, in the end there is some balance...

Kids, put away your Paul Wall and Nelly albums...this is some REAL rap music.......2006-04-12

Def Jam finally did what was right and released a complete Public Enemy greatest hits compilation. All of the PE classics are here including "Fight The Power", "Welcome To the Terrordome", "Bring The Noise", and "Can't Trust It". If you are not familiar with PE, this compilation is a great opportunity for you to become acquainted with one of the greatest rap groups of all time.

I think they're better than DMC, De La and even NWA..........2006-04-08

Back when Public Enemy were shooting holes in the template, hip hop was already beginning to fracture as Bronx rapper KRS One traded insults with Queens resident MC Shan. But PE's agenda travelled beyond petty territorialism. Their look and sound was without precedent. It would change the face of music in the late twentieth century.

British rock critics hearing white noise and anger, knee-jerked their Punk Rock eulogies but Chuck D (aided by his comic foil Flava Flav) had too much to say to fit in that bracket.

The impact of their second album, It Takes A Nation Of Millions... , is still to be fully realised within hip hop. It made black politics iconic and inspirational to the dispossessed of the nation, and it did it with a soundtrack that reconfigured black music's past into a maximum velocity present.

Producers the Bomb Squad looped funk, jazz, soul, rock - and anything else they could lay their hands on - into a wall of sound that found its natural home way up in the red. Into it, Chuck D's proselytising lyrical barrage merged to form the greatest hip hop act of all time.

Almost everything here is of the highest grade, but for me the pummelling "Welcome To The Terrordome" - the lead-off single from their third album - sounds like the most exciting five minutes ever committed to wax. It's so fierce that it makes the hip hop that followed sound just a little less significant than you thought.

As a summary of a modern musical giant, this album is essential.

Average customer rating: Hey you! Don't buy this! It's no good! A limited Public Image. Severely Limited introduction Not Perfect, by any means, but excellent for new listeners.. nice

Public Image Ltd. - Greatest Hits So Far Public Image Ltd. Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Dance | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Similar Items: Big Audio Dynamite - Planet BAD: Greatest Hits Public Image Second Edition Kiss This: The Best of the Sex Pistols The Best of Siouxsie & Banshees ASIN: B00000DR6J Release Date: 1992-06-29

Tracks:

1. Public Image
2. Death Disco
3. Memories
4. Careering
5. Flowers Of Romance
6. This Is Not A Love Song
7. Rise
8. Home
9. Seattle
10. The Body
11. Rules And Regulations
12. Disappointed
13. Warrior
14. Don't Ask Me

Amazon.com

Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten made a definitive break from his past when he reclaimed his real name--John Lydon--and formed Public Image Limited. He was no longer a token punk rocker, but an artiste reveling in his newfound auteur status. The first six songs of this collection feature this vision of the group: hard, uncompromising, idiosyncratic tunes that turn pop music inside out with devastating results. "Public Image" is the residual fury of the Sex Pistols' breakup rendered with spiky guitars and Lydon's patented snarl. "Careering" and "Memories" are skeletal art rock based on the atmospherics of dub music and perverse dance grooves. But by the Bill Laswell-produced "Rise," PiL was no longer a group but Lydon's personal pop vehicle. The music became increasingly accessible, allowing for "alternative" hits such as "Seattle" on college radio and other tunes that, while enjoyable, do not challenge the status quo as advertised. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

Hey you! Don't buy this! It's no good!.......2006-09-01

What a silly little man John Lydon was. He took this quasi-band and did not know what direction to take them in. With the first 2 albums, he was, at least, musically adventerous. Jah Wobble and Keith Levene were very innovative and knew how to play. The dub stuff had the potential to be cool. What detracted from the sound was Lydon screeching.

As the band moved on, they tried too many diverse musical styles, which is why this compilation is horrible.

I like rock, I like musically adventerous music. I like good musicianship. I don't like weird quasi-dance music especially mixed with screechy, purposefully annoying ,semi-rock music.

Only a fanatic of this group could listen to the cd all the way through. The songs are too diverse for the casual listener.

A limited Public Image........2006-02-27

As others have said, this is not a perfect collection, but it is perfect for the new PIL fan. After John Lydon left the Sex Pistols he formed this band, but PIL is far from the punk sound of the Sex Pistols. While I find the whole disc here good, it doesn't become what I would call catchy until the track "This Is Not A Love Song", though the opener "Public Image" is rather good. The biggest hits to the casual fan will probably be "Rise" and "Disappointed". Both are late 80's alternative classics, and both are over six minutes long. Minor hits like "Seattle" and "The Body" I like also. I'm happy this runs in chronological order, and it ends with the alt/pop sing-a-long "Don't Ask Me", which is hard not to like. Overall it's probably the only disc most fans should need.

Severely Limited introduction.......2005-03-09

Slender but reasonably comprehensive package which if nothing else serves as a good intro into for the novice into the PiL oeuvre. John Lydon actually had to haggle with Virgin Records (Virgin originally wanted a mere 8-song set), but the end result is still frustratingly meagre. Inevitably, many gems are absent, and sadly the LP remake of "This Is Not A Love Song" is included instead of the original single version which, ironically enough, was PiL's greatest (commercial) hit. Still, there are superior remixes of "The Body," "Rise" and "Disappointed," and the set is closed off nicely with the supremely catchy eco-pop single "Don't Ask Me." But there's little need to revisit this collection once you get all the PiL albums.

Not Perfect, by any means, but excellent for new listeners.........2004-09-21

Surely after the disbanding of "The Sex Pistols" few would have put money on singer "John Lydon / Johnny Rotten", setting up a
'Post-Punk' band, from the ashes of his first band. But then John Lydon was always about confounding the publics perceptions. So with World music / Worldbeat / Alternative bassist "Jah Wobble" (Who would be later sacked from the band), PiL is an amalgamation of early post-punk, Dub-rock, Alternative Dance & (later on) Pop/Rock.

First and formost, It must be noted that this is a 'Singles' collection more than anything, and thus forgoes consistency in favour of popular hits or singles tracks. So the collection of songs is understandably diverse and a little erratic. Although that's not to say that the singles in question are anything less than excellent choices, in fact it's surprising how well these singles stand up under close inspection considering how old some of them are (late 70's - Early 80's).

The First Track, "Public Image" is closer to the fiercer rockier side of the band that first emerged, with chugging guitars, rapid drumming and John Lydon shrieking with lyrical contempt "Two sides to every story, Somebody had to stop me, I'm not the same as when I began, I will not be treated as property" shows that his disdain of the establishment hadn't completely deserted him, when the Sex Pistols split. In fact this is one of the songs that is like a closest relative to the pistols work. Urgent, conformational, short and to the point noise rock!!. Sure, it's no replacement for the Pistols, and it certainly isn't Punk, but that rough & ready Angst-ridden alternative sound isn't too hard to discern.

If there's a particular stand out track, then for me, it's unquestionably got to be "Careering", a particularly exemplary example of Dub-Rock / Alternative Dance, that takes a sublime slow tempo slap-heavy bass (courtesy of 'Jah wobble'), brooding percussion, and scattershot electronics, which sound like thousands of metallic ball bearings hitting sheets of aluminium. and a shouty-sung dancey aesthetic that belies it's easy to miss seriousness of lyrics, with Lydon yelping "A face is raining, Across the border, The pride of history' The same as murder, Is this living, He's been careering!!", its a stunning juxtaposition of articulate lyrics mixed with the bouncy post-punk, dance sensibility, that earmarks some of the genres finest tracks, and went on to feature on several Post-Punk compilations.

"This is not a love Song" begins to show the transition of the band into a more accessible Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Dance group (much to the cargin of fans of their early material). And yet if you (like me), You are happy to take the music on its own merits, (as opposed to worrying about it's lack "Sticking it to the Establishment" approach from before). Then the introduction of a more refined and less abrasive sound Lydon won't disappoint, as well the use of a horn section, spiky guitars, and a far more FM Rock orientated sound. (Not strictly FM rock, as such, but certainly something that had more chance of being played on the radio, then their early work). But maybe its Lydon's reluctance to completely give in to the general public, because although the lyrics were less confrontational, they still retained that sarcasm that Lydon is famous for, with the lyric "I'm adaptable and I like my new role, I'm getting better and better, And I have a new goal, I'm changing my ways, where money applies" being a particularly Lydon-ish moment.

"Rise" is possibly one of the biggest concessions to refining a more accessible sound. And the single I remember most, on hearing it being playlisted on the radio on its first release. But actually a song that seems to touch up social/racial injustice with Lydon firing up unifying lyrics like : "I could be wrong I could be right, I could be black I could be white...", over looping guitars, keyboard and droning synths, showed that the transition to something that could make an entry into the musical charts was complete (possibly to subvert from within the pop/rock industry??), and although this is the point that they admittedly attracted a new audience with it's more rhythmic sounding instrumentation, largely broader musical scope and less confrontational lyrics (this song was actually the track I remember most, when I first heard PiL), It probably had their intital audience moving elsewhere, but the repeated shouting of "Anger is an Energy" showed that Lydon hadn't completely forgotten his past.

So there you have it, It's not a complete summary of the band by any means, and there are almost certainly omissions in track selection. And as been previously mentioned in the reviews below, is the the albums lurches wildly from Experimental Dub-rock track one minute, to Post-Punk throwdown the next, without much consideration for what went before. Plus not forgetting that the album feels largely in two distinct halves. The early Post/Experimental Punk/Rock & Art-Rock work, and the later, Alternative Pop/Rock & Dance sounding tracks, which may alienate early or later adopters to their music. But then this collection was never designed with them in mind. and they should seek out the individual albums.

So bearing in mind these criticisms, why is this release getting 5-Star's??....simple, because if your not concerned with their musical transitions, and how they were then, or how they are now. This is a fantastic singles collection full stop. There's some truly superb material here, irrespective of whether its : Dub, Noise-Rock, Art-Rock, aggressive Rock, Alternative Dance, or any of the other multitude of genres the band touched upon. PiL enthusiasts may want to overlook this release in favour for the studio albums, but the rest of us (especially those relatively new to the band), will find this to be an excellent primer for their work.

nice.......2004-06-25

"This is not a love song" one of the best song's I've heard on this cd.I recommend this.It sounds eerily similar to "Holiday in the Sun" by The Sex Pistols.The rest of the cd is good.This is a either/or type of cd.You're either going to like it,or you're not going to like it at all.I like it.

Average customer rating: The godfather of conscious rap Bass for your Face , Not an 8 Track The Last Call Good Album from PE Public Enemy No 1

Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black Public Enemy Manufacturer: Def Jam ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music 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 CDs $7 - $10 | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Rap & Hip-Hop General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 R&B | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rap & Hip-Hop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Fear of a Black Planet It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Yo! Bum Rush the Show By All Means Necessary Straight Outta Compton ASIN: B0000024IM Release Date: 1994-09-06

Tracks:

1. Lost At Birth
2. Rebirth
3. Nighttrain
4. Can't Truss It
5. I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga
6. How To Kill A Radio Consultant
7. By The Time I Get To Arizona
8. Move!
9. 1 Million Bottlebags
10. More News At 11
11. Shut Em Down
12. A Letter To The New York Post
13. Get The F--- Outta Dodge
14. Bring Tha Noize (w/Anthrax)

Amazon.com

Maybe it's a concept album, but every odd numbered track on Apocalypse is incredible, while the even tracks fall apart or never come together at all. If you listen to the odds, you get PE breaking down issues facing African Americans almost to minutiae, outing everything from corporate sneaker pimps ("Shut Em Down") and 40oz. killers ("One Million Bottlebags") to a racially corrupt government ("By the Time I Get to Arizona"). And, thankfully, most of that dogma is couched inside PE's trademark air-raid drill noisematics so you can shake your ass while PE sublimates the gospel into your brain. Unfortunately, drop the odd tracks and you're listening to a sonically and lyrically inferior album. Suffer through Flav's reprehensible plea for martyrdom in "A Letter to the New York Post," or the inane and superfluous "Bring Tha Noize"--a co-op with Anthrax which takes rap-rock crossover back to a sad place, alongside Lou Reed's "Original (W)rapper". --Todd Levin

Customer Reviews:

The godfather of conscious rap.......2007-01-13

I have nothing but respect for Public Enemy. They opened up the doors for rappers who would raher give you insight in music than the same old playlist recommendations. Even though my respect for Flava Flav(or Tasteless Taste)has dwindled over the years, my respect for Chuck D has never changed. Standout Tracks: LOST AT BIRTH, REBIRTH, NIGHTTRAIN, CANT TRUSS IT(I used to be able to sing all the words to this song as a youth), I DONT WANNA BE CALLED YO N***A, BY THE TIME I GET TO ARIZONA, MOVE, I MILLION BOTTLEBAGS, SHUT EM DOWN(the skit at the end of this song is as truthful as it is hilarious), GET THE F*** OUTTA DODGE etc. Filler: None. Bottom Line: This is a hip hop classic from beginning to end. A lot of gems on this album, the lyrics were excellent and the production(provided by the Bomb Squad) is solid as usual. One of my favorite Public Enemy albums after It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back.

Bass for your Face , Not an 8 Track.......2006-01-03

After having released 3 critically acclaimed albums, PE came with Apocalypse 91. Unfortunately, this album (unfairly) marked a long downslide for them. Although the album itself is first rate, critics were already comparing their work to the near-perfect Nation of Millions. While Black Planet continued that barrage, 91 was a different record. It also came out at a time when Professor Griff and Chuck D were coming under heavy fire for statements they had made in press conferences. So as their public image suffered, so did this record. Standout cuts include "Can't Truss It" "Arizona" "Bottlebags" "Shut Em Down" and "Dodge". Granted, this project is more uneven than the other 3 PE tracks to this point, but still a great PE album.

The Last Call.......2005-11-20

The last great album from PE. It was released when the minstrel show known as gangster rap was on the verge of taking over hip hop.

Good Album from PE.......2005-08-08

Public Enemy's fourth album is as good as as It Takes a Nation... and Fear of a Black Planet. This album is the first album I listened that got me into Public Enemy. The songs are as political as on the last two plus there are some great lyrical songs on this cd. This also has the rock version of Bring Tha Noize with Anthrax which makes a great song even greater. Flava Flav's track is pretty good too. Favorites include Lost At Birth, Can't Truss It, I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo N**a, How To Kill A Radio Consultant, By The Time I Get To Arizona, 1 Million Bottlebags, More News At 11, Shut Em Down, Get The F--- Outta Dodge, and Bring Tha Noize (w/Anthrax). Highly Recommended.

Public Enemy No 1.......2005-02-14

This was actually the first hip hop album I bought (aswell as Dr Dre's 2001) when I was 10 in 2000. I didnt know this was rap cause i'd heard "Bring the noise" with anthrax on a video gameandthought it would be rap metal. At first I didn't like it and didnt listen to it for a couple of years, when I did I thought This is sick!

Annnywayz the standoutz on here are Shut Em Down, Bring the noise, nighttain and Dont Wanna be called yo N-gga. This is a less heard of cd than the others but is still dope. Not asgood as the first three but still you should buy it.

And thats all I have to say about that

International Music:

1. Pyara Bharat
2. Raga Bilaskhani Todi [CD-single]
3. Raga Lalit
4. Romany Songs: Winter Moons Summer Moons
5. Scotland's Greatest [Import]
6. Short Stories
7. Singing Revolution: Estonia 125 Years Struggling F
8. Song and Hardingfele
9. Tabla for Accompaniment or Practice - Boxed Set
10. Tangos Eternos

International Music

International Music