Free (Yes I'm Free)

Track Listings

1. Trust Him

2. Come to Me

3. Free (Yes I'm Free)

4. Fire

5. Totally

6. Star

7. Set Time of the Hour

8. Shine

9. Lead Me to the Rock

10. Sing Hallelujah

11. My Soul

12. Just as You Are

Tracks:

Acknowledgement
Resolution
Pursuance
Psalm

Amazon.com

A Love Supreme is a suite about redemption, a work of pure spirit and song, that encapsulates all the struggles and aspirations of the 1960s. Following hard on the heels of the lyrical, swinging Crescent, A Love Supreme heralded Coltrane's search for spiritual and musical freedom, as expressed through polyrhythms, modalities, and purely vertical forms that seemed strange to some jazz purists, but which captivated more adventurous listeners (and rock fellow travelers such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, and the Byrds), while initiating a series of volatile, unruly prayer offerings, including Kulu Su Mama, Ascension, Om, Meditations, Expression, Interstellar Space. From the urgent speech-like timbre of his tenor, to the serpentine textures and earthy groove of Elvin Jones's drumming, Coltrane's suite proceeds with escalating intensity, conveying a hard-fought wisdom and a beckoning serenity in the prayer-like drones of "Psalm," where Jones rolls and rumbles like thunder as Garrison and Tyner toll away suggestively--all the while Coltrane searches for that one climactic note worthy of the love he wants to share. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

Masterpiece.......2007-06-26

There is nothing I can add to what has already been said about this recording. Simply amazing and will always withstand the test of time.

Coltrane does it again!.......2007-06-11

This is one of the top 5 albums of all time. Coltrane is on fire, McCoy is on fire, Jimmy Garrison is on fire, and Elvin is murderous. Out of all of tunes, my fav is Pursuance. It's passionate, has a hard bopish-avantgarde feel and yet it still swings. Out of the park!

Rookie Coltrane Listener.......2007-05-26

For years my very good friend who prides himself on being a music aficionado and "snob", much like Jack Black's character in High Fidelity, has been raving about John Coltrane and a "Love Supreme". I however, have been firmly encamped in the classic rock, blues and pop of the 50's, 60's & 70's. I always felt the jazz style that Coltrane and others of that genre played, was way above my head. Though I appreciated the musicianship to the degree I could, I didn't particularly care for it. I didn't "get it".

But now as I reach the half-way point in my fifties, I wanted to force my self to listen and try to see just what it is about Coltrane that so many folks find extrodinary. So my friend recommended A Love Supreme. I listened and listened and virtually immersed my self in the recording until passages became familiar. Now I have a glimmer, an embryonic appreciation of the man's gift. I put it on for my 17 year old daughter and she loves it! It grows on you and I think maybe for the first time I'm experiencing what that type of jazz can do for you. Live & learn!

Deeply moving..........2007-04-20

This is a deeply spiritual album. It never ceases to move me in some way everytime I hear it. It feels so real and authentic that if you're not careful, you may shed a tear of joy or two. It's just one long suite, made by Coltrane after he kicked his heroin habit and found his soul and God again. It's not often one describes a jazz album as moving (Miles's Sketches of Spain is the only one who comes to mind), but there's really no other way to describe this wonderful, transcendent, beguiling album.

Indispensable to all music listeners.......2007-04-08

Like "Kind of Blue" this is a recording accessible to all listeners, resisting facile classifications (fusion, jazz, modal, musician's music, general public's music, etc.). Coltrane's Promethean questing sweeps up and includes the listener, taking him or her through the hero's journey, which concludes on an affirmative note of thanksgiving and peace. Moreover, the musical motifs are in themselves memorable, satisfying the listener's need for a musical stronghold in which to ground the spiritual thrust of the extra-musical religious-spiritual meanings.

Of the recordings after "A Love Supreme," "Transition" achieves a similar visionary ascent, though much of the recorded documentation of Coltrane's last two years is likely to prove inaccessible or at least less engaging to the average listener. It's music "in" but also "of" the moment, a record of pain and anger, protest and revolution, carrying an unmistakable political subtext that frequently overwhelms the main musical text.

Arguably the most influential instrumentalist of the past 50 years, Coltrane left the listener plenty of choices, should the recordings after "A Love Supreme" prove unsatisfying. "My Favorite Things" is the perfect antidote to the cloying soprano sax sound of Kenny G. (as is the soprano sax playing of the deeply expressive and moving traditionalist, Sidney Bechet). For every serious musician, however, perhaps the one recording by Coltrane that belongs at the top is "Giant Steps." Once a musician has mastered the dominant-tonic movement of popular harmonies, the next essential step is learning how to negotiate the "Giant Steps"/"Count Down" harmonic movement that Coltrane introduced. Before learning the theory, however, a listener needs to experience the stunning freshness that is its musical result. With the motivation, the theory is likely to be realized far more efficiently and effectively.

Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free

Average customer rating:

Good Album
They Just Came To Party Down
It's a good time
The Fish are Back

Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free
Reel Big Fish
Manufacturer: Rock Ridge Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Ska Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Third Wave Ska | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Ska General | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Duet All Night Long
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Underclass Hero

ASIN: B000QGE7OI
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Party Down
Another F.U. Song
Live Your Dream
My Imaginary Friend
Slow Down
The New Version Of You
Will the Revolution Come?
Another Day In Paradise
Everybody's Drunk
Please Don't Tell Her I Have a Girlfriend
Way Back
Hate You
Call You
Why Do All Girls Think They're Fat
I'm Her Man
Til I Hit the Ground
Cannibal

Album Details

After More Than 15 Years of Conveying Negative Vibes, Warning Listeners About the Dangers of Being in a Band and Lamenting their Time in the Music Industry (Case in Point: The Band's Radio Hit, "Sell Out"), the Members of Southern California Ska-punk Stalwarts Reel Big Fish Want to Let the World Know of a Big Change: They're Finally Happy. The Self-produced Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free is Reel Big Fish's First Independent Studio Album Since Leaving their Former Label and it Finds the Members of Reel Big Fish Doing Things their Way. In Fact, it features Material Done their Way, from Quite a Long Ways Back.

Customer Reviews:

Good Album.......2007-07-16

just bought the album and i like it, i dont think it is their best work, but seriously its great.

They Just Came To Party Down.......2007-07-13

Reel Big Fish couldn't have picked a better mission statement for new album "Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free" than lead track "Party Down." In addition to boldly stating that "[Reel Big Fish] just came to party down," the hyperactive romp offers a smorgasbord of musical styles from disco to country to glam rock. Casual RBF fans may identify this diversity only with the band's practice of playing their many versions of "S.R." live, but it's really been a hallmark of their studio work since "Why Do They Rock So Hard."

This album's best moments continue in Reel Big Fish's tradition of mixing ska energy with other musical conventions and interesting arrangements, from "My Imaginary Friend" - which sounds like the theme song from a children's show about atheism - to "Please Don't Tell Her I Have A Girlfriend," where the band sounds like They Might Be Giants and Billy Joel teaming up to sing a sweet drinking sway about infidelity (from the cheater's point of view, of course). It's also hard not to crack a smile during the hair metal guitar solo on "Drunk Tonight" (And, if not during the solo, at least during the hilarious Twisted Sister breakdown). Album closer "Cannibal" is another standout, as Reel Big Fish unleashes their inner Oingo Boingo for about three-and-a-half minutes before launching into an epic heavy metal epilogue.

RBF has a strong contingent of fans who (for whatever reason) profess only to like the band's first two albums. These traditionalists will enjoy the more straightforward ska-punk of "Another F.U. Song," "Live Your Dream," and "The New Version of You," not to mention a cover of Phil Collins's "Another Day in Paradise," danceable tracks that hearken back to the band's roots in the 1990s ska explosion.

Though the mood on this CD is lighter than other RBF efforts, lead singer Aaron Barrett still exudes some of his trademark pessimism. Not only does he ponder life in a godless universe, but he also notes in "Will the Revolution Come?" that "each generation's mess is bigger than the one before them has made."

MFNATCFF also includes re-recordings of old songs reaching as far back as "Everything Sucks," and even a pre-"Everything Sucks" demo. "Hate You," "Call You," "I'm Her Man," and "'Til I Hit The Ground" all sound ten times better on this disc, aided largely by the addition of Scott Klopfestein's excellent backing vocals, which have been one of RBF's best features since "Turn the Radio Off." It doesn't hurt that they've been re-recorded on such a clean-sounding album, which is a refreshing change from "We're Not Happy...," a disc whose vocals could have been recorded in a port-a-potty using an iBook's onboard microphone. Highly recommended!

It's a good time.......2007-07-13

This album is nothing less of a good, fun, energetic ska album. However, it's barely more. The new songs that were written for this album are fun to sing along to and make us longtime Reel Big Fish fans happy because of the abundance of upstrokes and horns, but after a few listens, the songs start to get boring. When I first heard this album, I was putting it right up there with Why Do They Rock So Hard? and Turn the Radio Off, but then a week or two later I started to realize how generic some of these songs are.

However, in the end this album is saved by the last few tracks which include mostly re-recorded songs off of Everything Sucks, and they sound amazing, and completely original because they were written when Reel Big Fish hadn't run out of material to write about. But don't take this review and my negativity the wrong way. It's a very good album, and there are some amazing songs on here, re-recorded and new, but it's apparent how little time they spent on it which was said to be just around a few months.

Overall, I loved to see that Reel Big Fish has made a full return to their ska roots, and the only thing this album is short of is just a pinch of originality and it'd be a 5 star album no doubt. Definitely check this one out!

The Fish are Back.......2007-07-12

Lets face the facts. Reel Big Fish's last true album was the downright disappointing "We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy." It had a few gems in it, but it quickly grew stale after track 5 or so. "Cheer Up," which was before that, introduced our fellow Fish to a slightly different Ska-Punk / Ska-Pop sound, with slightly more 'teenage nerd-slash-loser"-esque lyrics. And you couldn't deny it with songs called 'Dateless Losers" and "What Are Friends For." But Cheer Up was still a great album in its own sense, but it didn't have that RBF sound many fans were used to listening to.

Now, after a few years, a great live album, a worthless Greatest Hits album released by the evil mind monkeys at Jive, Reel Big Fish are back. Now here is a disclaimer: Not all of these songs are "new" songs; some of them are past songs that have been redone. But that just adds to this albums greatness. RBF truely return to form in this album, and by form I mean the "Sell Out" days. The ska rhythm makes a comeback for RBF. Where as the past 2 albums have been full of power chords and have drifted away from the whole ska beat, this album finally brings it back.

And its orgasmic. Bottom line, this is far from RBF's best album, but my todays ridiculous music standards, this album is a pure gem. If you are a Fish fan, you need to get it, no matter what.

Average customer rating:

Okay but definately 70's sounding
Oldie but a Goodie
I still remember all the words
Still fresh and new
Still great after all these years!

Free to Be You and Me
Marlo Thomas
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Educational | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Stories | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Sing-A-Longs | Children's Music | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Free to Be You and Me
Free to Be You and Me
The Johnny Cash Children's Album
Best of Schoolhouse Rock
Really Rosie (1975 Television Special)

ASIN: B000F2CC0E
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

Free To Be You And Me - The New Seekers
Boy Meets Girl - Mel Brooks and Marlo Thomas
When We Grow Up - Diana Ross
Don't Dress Your Cat In An Apron - Billy De Wolfe
Parents Are People - Harry Belafonte and Marlo Thomas
Housework - Carol Channing
Helping - Tom Smothers
Ladies First - Marlo Thomas
Dudley Pippin And The Principal - Billy De Wolfe, Marko Thomas, Bobby Morse
It's All Right To Cry - Rosey Grier
Sisters And Brothers - Sisters and Brothers
My Dog Is A Plumber - Dick Cavett
William's Doll - Alan Alda and Marlo Thomas
Atlanta - Alan Alda and Marlo Thomas
Grandma - Diana Sands
Girl Land - Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones
Dudley Pippin And His No-Friend - Bobby Morse and Marlo Thomas
Glad To Have A Friend Like You - Marlo Thomas
Free To Be...You And Me - The New Seekers

Amazon.com

There are thousands upon thousands of children's albums out there, but the one that quietly left its mark with more '70s children than perhaps any other album was this disc. Free to Be...You and Me was a pet project of proud feminist Marlo Thomas (a.k.a. "That Girl"), and it was born--according to the liner notes--by the desire to provide her niece with music "to celebrate who she was and who she could be." Harry Belafonte sings "Parents Are People," ex-football great Rosie Grier offers an incredible, touching melody titled "It's All Right to Cry," and Diana Ross waxes future-positive on "When We Grow Up." A great hour of brain food for young--and not-so-young--children. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews:

Okay but definately 70's sounding.......2007-07-10

I remembered this from childhood so I bought it. It's okay but you don't want to listen to it over & over, the songs and skits get irksome after the first run through. Not actually all songs, some short skits - a lot to do with gender equality wich is good but not alltogether entertaining... I prefer Billy Jonas - What Kind of Cat Are You!!!

Oldie but a Goodie.......2007-06-27

This title was great when my children were children; now they're adults with children of their own, and it's still great. We keep it in the player in the car for when the grandkids ride with us along with Peter, Paul and Mommy and Peter, Paul, and Mommy Too. The grandkids enjoy it just as much as our kids did.

I still remember all the words.......2007-05-24

Every time I hear these songs, it takes me back to my very first Fisher Price record player! I can still sing along with every song. My husband thinks the collection is a bit cheesey, and he is probably right. But that never stopped me from loving the best memories of my childhood. We are buying the collection for our children for sure!

Still fresh and new.......2007-05-12

Not literally fresh and new, perhaps, but thirty years ago when I was first listening to this on vinyl, I never would have imagined that the message would still be essential in the 21st century. I've been buying copies for the kids of all my friends and relatives, because I hope that the more people listen to this growing up, the more likely that eventually we'll live in a world where this CD isn't needed.

Still great after all these years! .......2007-03-14

An early birthday gift for my daughter (to be nine in April '07) - she can't get enough of this CD! After one listen, she was quoting bits and bites and getting up to hit "repeat" on the CD player. Cool.

My sister and I loved it as kids and though it's a teeny bit dated, the messages are sound, clear, and still 'work' today. The comedy is great for all ages(who can beat Mel Brooks and Alan Alda?)
So, my review says: get it! Listen ofen! And give it to someone you love!

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
a little story of the little puppies who could.
More Sick Puppies!
Not a bad buy...
Great music with good songwriting!

Dressed Up As Life
Sick Puppies
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Australia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sick Puppies
Southern Weather
Vena Sera
Lies for the Liars
Minutes to Midnight

ASIN: B000NJL502
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

My World
Pitiful
Cancer
What Are You Looking For
Deliverance
All The Same
Too Many Words
Howard's Tale
Asshole Father
Issues
Anywhere But Here
The Bottom

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-06-28

I am in love with this CD... it is almost aways in my CD player

a little story of the little puppies who could........2007-05-19

few people into the sick puppies outside australia would know that dressed up as life is actually the bands second LP. they're first LP was called 'welcome to the realworld' and released on transistor records who dropped the band after the cd wasn't a breakout hit like it should of been.

i've been into the pups since they we're discovered on Triple J with the song nothing really matters. (JJJ is OZ's largest and best youth radio station.) that first album and the follow up EP 'FLY' are both awesome and ironically no longer in print which is a shame. although since i own original copies of both means they are probly worth alot now that the puppies have been shot to stardom thanks to youtube and a little song called 'all the same'.

anyway that earlier work was brilliantly layered songwriting. it was alot more angrier and beautiful than D.U.A.L but completely ignored and unpopular. this was mainly due to the bands sound being to heavy and full of swearing - a big no-no for commercial radio (case in point google the lyrics for 'rock kids')

they were soon dropped by the label and fell into obscurity. i genuinly thought it would be the last of the pups but i heard rumours they had moved to LA to colaborate with muso's. several years later a free hugs campaign filmed by singer/guitarist shimon to the bands song 'all the same' hit you tube and was an overnight success.

this was my first taste of the sick puppies new songs and sound which was completely noticible straight away to me. i want to make it clear that i really like the bands new album (hence the 4 stars) and am excited this little aussie 3 piece could crack the hard international market. and all they had to do was keep the same great songwriting, just tone down the language and up the ballads. the lyrics in D.U.A.L are ok but some are lame and slightly emo (i'm sure gerard way could of written the lyrics for pitiful.) regardless this album has some great songs and is completely solid, personal favourites include my world, what are you looking for, all the same, too many words and cancer.

anyway congratulations sick puppies, i'm proud. and cheers 4 reading.

More Sick Puppies!.......2007-05-18

Excellent..I enjoyed every cut. Not going to compare them to anyone tho a couple of other indie bands spring to mind. Looking forward to hearing more from down-under.

Not a bad buy..........2007-05-16

A quality album with a few top notch songs. In a nutshell, however, most of the songs aren't as great as "All The Same" -- which is probably what brought the album to your attention in the first place. That being said, at least a couple other tracks such as "World" and "Deliverance" make it well worth the buy. I wouldn't hesitate to see them live and still recommend the album.

Great music with good songwriting!.......2007-05-13

Saw these guys live in concert...then saw their "Free Hugs" video online (check it out) - really solid rock with genuine emotion. Highly recommend (especially the lyrics to "Cancer")!

Average customer rating:

this is really cheesy music...
One of my favorites EVER!
Good music!
Ageless Sounds
All surface

The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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The Carnegie Hall Concert
The Melody At Night, With You
Paris Concert
La Scala
Vienna Concert

ASIN: B0000262WI
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Part I
Part II a
Part II b
Part II c

Amazon.com essential recording

A musical chameleon, pianist Keith Jarrett was at his finest when he recorded these sustained solo improvisations in a German concert hall in 1975, the first lasting 26 minutes, the second 40. Melodies and rhythmic figures arise fluidly from his fingers as he moves from one idea to another, while his strong left hand is often used for repeated motifs that generate a rolling hypnotic power. This couples with strongly consonant harmonies to impart the flavor of gospel music at times, dance musics and Debussy at others. Above all, it's Jarrett's ability to knit all of his moods and wanderings into an almost seamless tapestry of warm and tuneful ideas that gives this music its enduring appeal. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

this is really cheesy music..........2007-06-23

...and it's as pure piano playing it's absolutely awful. Nothing but ENDLESSLY repeated riffs overlaid with harmonically elementary noodling. No harmonic tension, no structure, no imagination, no technique. It might make decent background music at an all you can eat buffet, however. Pure kitsch from beginning to end.

One of my favorites EVER!.......2007-04-23

I first heard this in the late 70s and thought it was nice, but a bit boring. Then I heard it again and liked it more. Gradually I have fallen completely in love with it. I am captivated by the way the different tracks build and grow and fall back again, but mostly it's the emotional energy you feel from Jarret himself. I also have "La Scala" and some other things he has done, but nothing quite matches this for me. I don't know how many times I have given it to people or recommended it.

Good music!.......2007-03-19

I like the consert and its variations of sound. It is rare to hear musicans reaction to his work.

Ageless Sounds.......2007-02-18

The Koln Concert's improvisations highlight Jarrett's skills and passion. Truly ageless music that continues to provide pleasure to the lovers of jazz piano.

All surface.......2007-01-15

The playing on this album is pretentiousness masquerading as profundity. Jarrett can set a nice groove, but then he simply falls in love with it, and self-indulgently persists to a point where I want to scream "Get off of it!" He tosses in some pretty decorations along ther way, and a few shouts and grunts now and then to show us how moved he is by this music, but it all adds up to an immensely forgettable experience.

Average customer rating:

Nothing standout!
Best Action Movie of the Summer 2007!!!!

Live Free Or Die Hard

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Ratatouille
Shrek The Third (Original Motion Picture Score)
Rescue Dawn
Evan Almighty

ASIN: B000QUCQE2
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

Out of Bullets
Shootout
Leaving the Apartment
Dead Hackers
Traffic Jam
It's a Fire Sale
The Break-In
Farrell to D.C.
Copter Chase
Blackout
Illegal Broadcast
Hurry Up!
The Power Plant
Landing
Cold Cuts
Yippee Ki Yay
Break a Neck
Farrell is In
The F-35
Aftermath
Live Free or Die Hard

Customer Reviews:

Nothing standout!.......2007-07-11

After making a mockery of the score to Terminator 3 and acknowledging Brad Fiedel's great theme only once in a Casio Midi-file quality track over the closing credits, you really have to wonder why Fox would give the scoring duties of LFODH to Marco Beltrami. With Michael Kamen no longer with us there are a number of better composers who could have made this score something special. As it is, it's just competent.

Beltrami only uses Kamen's fourth most reoccurring motif from the original film and uses a tiny bit of score from Die Hard 2...and that's it. The rest is all his work and it's just the usual action bombastics without a hint of class or anything memorable. What about all those cool signature cues from the previous films, such as McClane making the bomb to throw down the elevator shaft, McClane spying on Hans and Takagi, the rooftop fight, the computers room shootout, the runway hatch, the ejector seat, the wing fight and that brilliant cue where Hans falls to his death? Where are all these? All Beltrami offers us is generic action stuff which works fine but is nothing memorable.

If Chris Young, Alan Silvestri, Debbie Wiseman, Bruce Broughton or Craig Armstrong were given this movie to score then you can better your bottom dollar it would have been brilliant. As it is, it's is merely a workable score that will be forgotten very quickly.

Best Action Movie of the Summer 2007!!!!.......2007-06-27

I know this is for the audio cd, but I couldn't find a space to say something about the movie. Just got back from a midnight showing and it was the best expierience. This movie has it all and the action is just great. Its really worth the ten bucks. This isn't no costume or pirate crap. This is the real deal. Can't wait till the dvd comes out and we can see the unrated version!!!!

Average customer rating:

Actually, this is pretty good
"Giant Steps" "Equinox" and "My Favorite Things" are enough for 10 stars alone.
The Very Best of John Coltrane -- Not To Be Missed!
All The High Points of the Atlantic Years
Outstanding Compilation

The Very Best of John Coltrane
John Coltrane
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

The Essential Charlie Parker
Kind of Blue
A Love Supreme
Blue Train
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane

ASIN: B000046PVI
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

Giant Steps
Cousin Mary
Naima
Like Sonny
My Shining Hour
My Favorite Things
Central Park West
Summertime
Mr. Syms
Equinox
Body And Soul

Amazon.com

With his inexhaustible technique, trademark sound, and limitless imagination, tenor and soprano saxophonist John Coltrane was one of jazz's most dominant musicians. This collection covers his important Atlantic Records sessions recorded from 1959 to 1960 (chronicled in their entirety on Heavyweight Champion). The tunes signal an important transitional phase from Trane's stints with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk to his emergence as a leader in his own right. "Giant Steps" "Naima," and "Cousin Mary"--featuring pianist Tommy Flanagan and drummer Art Taylor--crystallized Trane's supersonic "sheets of sound" style. "Like Sonny," an Afro-Latin dedication to his friend and contemporary Sonny Rollins with Wynton Kelly on piano, reveals Trane's stylistic debts to Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins. His historic renditions of "My Shining Hour," "Body and Soul," "Summertime," and "My Favorite Things" highlight Coltrane's ability to remake a song into his own image, as well as introduce his influential sound on the soprano sax. These landmark recordings show the development of Coltrane's "great" quartet as well as forecast his iconoclastic excursions into the outer limits of rhythm and tonality, which grew during until his death in 1967. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Actually, this is pretty good.......2007-07-17

It's tempting to laugh at a John Coltrane compilation, simply because so many of the man's albums are essential. However, even though this neglects Trane's awesome Impulse! albums, focusing instead on his Atlantic years, it's a great introduction to Trane before he revolutionized free jazz and turned himself into one of the jazz world's most controversial musicians as a result. Material from five albums is featured here: Giant Steps (a must-have album), My Favorite Things (ditto), Coltrane Plays the Blues (very solid album), Coltrane Jazz (right in the middle) and Coltrane's Sound (his weakest studio album, though it has its moments - all of them are found here). And the only questionable song on the album is Summertime, a standard I'm pretty well tired of: the Coltrane version is okay, but by far the weakest song on My Favorite Things (I'd rather either Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye or If Not For Me). Other than that one dud, my only complaint about this album is its rather limited scope: The Ole Coltrane album is entirely ignored, which is a shame because its title track (Well, semi-title track) would definitely qualify as "very best", and the fact is you can't get an idea of what Coltrane's like just by listening to his Atlantic recordings: you need the Impulse! ones too if you want the full picture. Still, as a summary of the Atlantic recordings, it's hard to go wrong with this one: you get a few of his most widely known originals (Equinox; Giant Steps; Naima; Cousin Mary; Like Sonny; Central Park West), and a couple superb covers (My Favorite Things; My Shining Hour; Body and Soul - hard to ruin a song with such a beautiful melody!!), as well as a dark horse that's got my blessing, Mr. Syms. And this does for the most part offer the peak of the man's Atlantic recordings.

"Giant Steps" "Equinox" and "My Favorite Things" are enough for 10 stars alone........2007-05-18

This is a good intro to Coltrane, he has too much amazing stuff to put into a single CD but this is a great place to start off. You'll get a little sample of all his sounds from this CD. And for those of us who own more than 10 Coltrane Albums, it's still nice to have all these excellent songs on one high quality CD.

The Very Best of John Coltrane -- Not To Be Missed!.......2007-01-03

In this recording of John Coltrane, there are several songs that stand out in my mind as I write this: The incredibly complex "Giant Steps", the child-like version of "My Favorite Things", the on-again/off-again sad to happy blues song "Equinox", and the business day blues of "Mr. Syms".

Each of these standout songs is different and unique among the other songs on the recording, but it is to these I want to draw your attention as those that captured mine when I listened to the CD.

I am a guitarist who wants to learn Coltrane's interval and melodic technique, but I am always perplexed by his ever changing exploration of the note, in and around the note, wrenching it of its juice like a squeezed lemon, until there is no more; and then Coltrane changes his melodic structure and has another entire lemon to work with.

Please don't misunderstand this illustration as to make it sound like his music is sour like the lemon, although that's what you may be thinking!

Coltrane's unique use of intervals has always what has been his hallmark, some slow and bluesy, others as in the changes of "Giant Steps" blindingly fast and complex.

There are other songs I would have liked to have seen appear on this recording, but as advertised as "The Very Best of John Coltrane", this CD doesn't fall that short.

If you are new to Coltrane's work, this is an excellent place to start. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because of the fact there should be other more recognizable songs of his on this recording, and I would have gladly paid for a 2-CD set if "The Very Best of John Coltrane" delved more into his vast repertiore of work.

All that being said, the songs on "The Very Best of John Coltrane" will not disappoint or denegrate the recording in its entirety. Again, the CD should be taken for its whole, not just the standout songs I mentioned above.

Classic Jazz enthusiasts already know Coltrane, and this is a welcome addition to my collection, almost always in rotation on my CD carousel if not uploaded to my iTunes.

All The High Points of the Atlantic Years.......2006-12-24

This is an excellent introduction to John Coltrane. The music is very accessible for even a casual listener. If you listen to this and Coltrane's vibe gets to you then you're going to be picking up the actual releases that this best of was drawn from. Personally, I actually favor Coltrane's work on the Impulse label, but this Atlantic collection is great. I purchased it because, though I'm an avid jazz collector and listener, I am embarrassed to admit that I do not own a copy of Giant Steps or My Favorite Things, two of Trane's landmark releases. The Very Best of John Coltrane has all the high points of those Atlantic years including the incredible Giant Steps that sent Sonny Rollins back out to the Brooklyn Bridge for more late night practicing and My Favorite Things which brought Trane legions of ,albeit temporary, fans and great commercial success. Naima has always been a favorite and it's included here along with all the other wonderful stuff from those Atlantic releases. Actually there just are not any dull tracks on this CD, it's all great though more laid-back than the Impulse stuff. My actually wife lets me play this one in the house (ha ha). Nice packaging too, the booklet includes a discography of Coltrane's Atlantic releases and an essay by the famous jazz critic and writer Nat Hentoff. There's really nothing else that can be said about this CD. This release perfectly captures Coltrane in his groundbreaking, transitional years, perfecting his "sheets of sound" approach to playing.

You know, listening to Coltrane is actually very much like riding on a real train. The stuff on this CD could be compared to having left the station a few miles back but not yet up to full speed. Things start picking up around the time that "Live at the Village Vanguard" was released, and full speed is achieved right at and immediately after "A Love Supreme". Some people don't care for the train ride at full speed. I love it. It's really quite amazing to compare the music on this CD to a release such as Sun Ship (December 1966) and realize there is only about 7 years time that passed between these sessions. So this is really a great place to start if you've been hearing Coltrane's name (from your musician friends perhaps) and don't know where to start.

Buy

Outstanding Compilation.......2006-11-08

After many years of listening to Ken Burns and Smithsonian collections, I have started buying individual artist compilations (with a view to buy more of the artists I enjoy). Some have been erratic and disappointing; this one is amazing. This "best of" CD contains nothing but jewels that show exactly where Coletrain fell on the jazz evolutionary scale. In other words, this CD gives a great sense of what came before Coletrain, how he built on it, and how others then built on his work. He had a combination of virtuosity and artistry that earned him an uncontested place at the top. If you want to get to know the giants of jazz, this is a perfect introduction to one of them.

Average customer rating:

Sacred Ground
David Murray & Black Saint Quartet
Manufacturer: Justin Time Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Sweet Warrior

ASIN: B000PY50ZQ
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

Sacred Ground
Transitions
Pierce City
Banished
Believe In Love
Family Reunion
The Prophet Of Doom

Album Description

"Sacred Ground" is a fascinating and important new recording that grew from David Murray's involvement in the acclaimed documentary film, Banished, directed by Marco Williams. Although it's virtually unknown, more than a dozen counties in the U.S. violently expelled thousands of families between the Civil War and the Great Depression. The film - and this recording - explores not only these historical facts, but also the legacy of these events in the communities and for the descendants of the families.

After exploring the themes of the film he'd been asked to score, Murray was inspired - indeed compelled - to dig deeper, and to compose further music. David Murray enlisted poet Ishmael Reed, one of today's pre-eminent African- American literary figures. Reed wrote two poems, performed here by the great Cassandra Wilson.

David chose to record this using his Black Saint Quartet - sometimes called Power Quartet, on the group's first outing since the passing of the great John Hicks last year. Logically then, David enlisted pianist Lafayette Gilchrist, informally a Hicks student and admirer, and on drums the great Andrew Cyrille. Bassist Ray Drummond completes this first class group.

Tracks:

Ain't Gonna Beg
Free Yourself
Truth Is
Selfish
Summertime
Baby Mama
Got Me Waiting
It's All Good
You Were Always On My Mind
Good Lovin
Don't Act Right
This Is Me
I Believe

Amazon.com

Few would accuse Fantasia of a reluctance to abide by the wisdom that what you've got, you should flaunt, and the vocal gusto she slathers over her full-length debut gets partial credit for earning--and keeping--your attention. To a greater extent, though, the high-wattage help heaped over the Idol 3 champ and Patti LaBelle-sound-alike makes the disc dazzle. In addition to pitch-ins from Missy Elliott, who produced and co-wrote three tracks and busts out a two-snaps-up rhyme on "Selfish (I Want U 2 Myself)," Jazze Pha duets on the ultra-mod "Don't Act Right" and Jermaine Dupri wrote and produced the smolderer "Got Me Waiting." Surprisingly, though, it's not those tracks or even the Idol-propelled cover of the Gershwins' "Summertime" that will stick with listeners most. Instead, first single "Truth Is," a sweet, old-school R&B lament directed toward a lost love, and "Baby Mama," a spirited shout-out to hard-working single mothers, snare standout status with their from-the-gut authenticity. Keeping it real is what won Fantasia the hearts of millions on TV, and despite Free Yourself's likable slickness, it convinces that--hot commodity or no--she's not about to forget it. -Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Total Garbage.......2007-02-27

This album and this artist should never be heard. There were sooo many more talented people on American Idol when she won. This album is a perfect example of that. All the studio effects in the world can't help this over-rated, so-called singer. You can't make chicken salad out of chicken s$%^.

c'mon now.......2007-02-16

what happened to that voice we wanted to hear from American Idol? maybe it was the choice of songs but I really was disappointed.

Nice little debut.......2007-01-02

When the three diva's Jennifer Hudson, Latoya London and Fantasia Barrino
were killing the competiion on Amercian Idol in 2004 it was almost a given that an female R&B singer would take the crown that year. Well Fantasia ended up taking the crown and lived up to her promise on her first CD. Her first single Truth Is was an excllent R&B single and the song Baby Mama was catchy and fun.

Could not get past Baby Mama .......2006-12-29

I am sorry but I could not get past the Baby Mama song. Unlike some of the other complaints it does not bother me if people are single moms or had a child out of wedlock. The whole "baby mama" stuff is just so played out and ignorant sounding. There must have been a more classy way for her to get her story across and empower moms. She has a great voice but this song was beneath her, it ruined it for me.

I didnt know the chipmunks won American Idol.......2006-12-22

Although the music porition of the cd has potential, the singer has a horrible voice. I am surprised not more people have noted that she sounds like a chipmunk. Like past AI winners, this is a sore loser in the end. Bleh!

Average customer rating:

Fresh, Innovative, Fleck
Enjoyable listening.
A Great Imitation of Their Own Style
Pleasant (newly defined) mix of genres
Flashes of greatness.

Hidden Land
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000BUXUU6
Release Date: 2006-02-14

Tracks:

Fugue From Prelude & Fugue No. 20 In A Minor, BWV 889
P'lod In The House
Rococo
Labyrinth
Kaleidoscope
Who's Got Three?
Weed Whacker
Couch Potato
Chennai
Subterfuge
Interlude
Misunderstood
The Whistle Tune

Amazon.com

Banjo player Bela Fleck has a world-class set of chops and a willingness to follow his muse wherever it takes him. The band ranges far and wide once again on the The Hidden Land it opens with a Bach Fugue, delves into swing, has a bit of bluegrass, does progressive rock, and jets to several other locales. But the everything-and-the-kitchen sink concept is still considerable more streamlined than 2003's Little Worlds, an overproduced and under-focused three-CD set. Highlights here include Fleck's pickin' on a progressive country stomp called "Weed Whacker" and the playful "Couch Potato," which has a hyper edge that doesn't match the sedentary implications of the title. The band's telepathic interaction is highlighted on the Middle East-influenced "Chennai," where musical lines are played in unison or tossed back and forth, making the song crackle with energy. The broad aesthetic and restless sonic changes might be a bit much for some, but a patient survey of this album will be rewarded. --Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews:

Fresh, Innovative, Fleck.......2007-02-21

The band started to get carried away with guest appearances (Outbound, Little Worlds, etc.) that it was almost unbearable and overwhelming. Their compositions suffered because instead of something designed for specifically the Flecktones, other things came out of the woodworks (not to say that all of it or any of it was bad, but it was almost too much).

When I listen to this album, not only does it feel more original and fresher than anything I have heard Bela and the Flecktones do (at least after listening to their older albums for long spans of time), but this album just has a more intimate and naturally revealing side of the Flecktones. This is an album that will make you think, "Wow I was not expecting that! I kind of like it! Give me more!" and the more you listen to it, the more you feel like you are on the same page as them. This is a more mature album, not one for someone who does not already know how Bela Fleck speaks, so please do not listen to this as a novice listener, it sends a false first impression. The music is more jazz-like than before, and all of the songs flow together. The Flecktones take the listener on an epic adventure like none of the albums have really done before. With the major peaks (in my opinion) being the transition from Fugue to P'lod, Labyrinth, Weed Wacker>Couch Potato>Chennai, this album hits hard from the getgo.

I have always wondered, what will they do next? Bela plays guitar on here, Futureman plays a lot more acoustic drums (which is soooo refreshing), Jeff plays the flute quite a bit, and Victor is always amazing. This album keeps the Flecktones in my top five best bands of all time; The Hidden Land is indeed another album that leaves the listener wanting much more, just like the others. Although, I really like this style the most, I hope they produce more of this gold.

-Aaron

Enjoyable listening........2006-12-09

After several Flecktones albums (including 2003's ambitious triple CD Little Worlds that found the act collaborating with all-star guests including Derek Trucks, Branford Marsalis, and Bobby McFerrin), the group chose a back-to-basics approach for its latest release "The Hidden Land".
The disc solely features the Flecktones quartet, comprised of bassist Victor Wooten, percussionist Roy "Future Man" Wooten, and saxophonist Jeff Coffin. Together, the band expertly hones its trademark combination of bluegrass, jazz, funk, and rock influences within a more spacious and stripped-down environment.
The band has been together for 17 years, always trying to find the right next thing to do and not repeat themselves.
Having a lot of guests playing with them was an incredible amount of fun, but if they were to continue along that path,they would become very predictable.
Banjoist Bela Fleck hooks back up with his longtime backing group The Flecktones featuring longtime electric bass stalwart Victor Wooten. Their music is a mix of Americana, funk grooves and jazz and makes for pleasant if unchallenging listening. After opening with a brief Bach classical composition, the group moves into "P'lod in the House" which kicks the tempo up with pulsating electric bass and funky drum breaks. Wooten's bass is an active presence in almost every performance on this disc, especially on "Labyrinth" where it underpins pensive sounding flute and saxophone solos while scatted vocals bubble just underneath the surface.
There's a brief acoustic interlude on "Who's Got Three" with unamplified banjo (fingers scraping quite audibly on the fretboard) and clarinet taking center stage. Funky bass moves back into the forefront with the upbeat "Weed Whacker" with some quick pickin' and bouncy saxophone. "Subterfuge" gets a little more adventurous as the band jumps the rails of its comfort zone with an electric guitar solo, before ending things on a back-porch note, pickin' the banjo and tootin' on the flute for "The Whistle Song." Jam band fans will find a lit of grooves to like here, and while I found myself wishing that they took a few more chances, the album does make for pleasant if unchallenging background music.

A Great Imitation of Their Own Style.......2006-11-18

Reading between the grooves, it sounds like there was a contractual obligation to produce a new album. Great playing. Innovative compositions. It's hard to pinpoint why these great musicians somehow just didn't manage to get this bird in the air. However, nothing about it really inspires, entertains or surprises.

Pleasant (newly defined) mix of genres.......2006-11-02

This was my introduction to Béla Fleck and it served me very well. It's supposed to be very different than previous albums (more jazzy) and this is absolutely well done. I find it magnificient! You should have a (at least small) taste for jazz sounds, otherwise, "Hidden Land" won't work for you.

Not all songs are good, but what do you expect? I like most: Rococco, Kaleidoscope, Weed Whacker and The Whistle Tune.

Buttom line: In my view, Béla Fleck's sound and melodies have evolved for the better in the past years. It's getting more unique every time. I like it!

Flashes of greatness........2006-09-25

I have to say that this is without a doubt their most uninspired and unoriginal album yet. The first few tracks are really bad, as bad as "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" (I thought they got all that out of their system?). Maybe it will grow on me, but I think with repeated listens I will become more and more bored with it. I will say that as the album moves on, it gets better and "Misunderstood" is definitely the high point on the album (Too bad it takes so long to get there). I have a really hard time recommending this album especially considering their ridiculously strong output leading up to it. Here's to hoping their following is looking better for the mighty Flecktones.

Look for _Outbound_ or _Little Worlds_ instead.

Music:

Music

Music

1. Trust Him
2. Come to Me
3. Free (Yes I'm Free)
4. Fire
5. Totally
6. Star
7. Set Time of the Hour
8. Shine
9. Lead Me to the Rock
10. Sing Hallelujah
11. My Soul
12. Just as You Are