News of the World

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
When it was released in 1977, News of the World seemed at loggerheads with a music world that had moved beyond Queen's operatic pomprock and on to punk. In fact, the album was more in step with the punk scene than the output of most superstar acts of the time, as it contains Roger Taylor's furious "Sheer Heart Attack" and Freddie Mercury's lean, brutal "Get Down, Make Love." Of course, News is famous for its opening medley, "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions." Attend any sports event in the Western world, and you'll hear the former. If it's a championship match and the home team wins, you'll hear the latter. That's a tribute to the staying power of the music, but News of the World offers proof that, even as Queen maintained their position as rock & roll royalty, they continued to evolve and react to the times. --Daniel Durchholz

Amazon.com essential recording
When it was released in 1977, News of the World seemed at loggerheads with a music world that had moved beyond Queen's operatic pomprock and on to punk. In fact, the album was more in step with the punk scene than the output of most superstar acts of the time, as it contains Roger Taylor's furious "Sheer Heart Attack" and Freddie Mercury's lean, brutal "Get Down, Make Love." Of course, News is famous for its opening medley, "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions." Attend any sports event in the... read more

Album Details
Japanese Version featuring a Limited Edition LP Style Slipcase for Initial Pressing Only. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

News of the World

Tracks:

We Will Rock You
We Are The Champions
Sheer Heart Attack
All Dead, All Dead
Spread Your Wings
Fight From The Inside
Get Down, Make Love
Sleeping On The Sidewalk
Who Needs You
It's Late
My Melancholy Blues
We Will Rock You (Remix)

Amazon.com essential recording

When it was released in 1977, News of the World seemed at loggerheads with a music world that had moved beyond Queen's operatic pomprock and on to punk. In fact, the album was more in step with the punk scene than the output of most superstar acts of the time, as it contains Roger Taylor's furious "Sheer Heart Attack" and Freddie Mercury's lean, brutal "Get Down, Make Love." Of course, News is famous for its opening medley, "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions." Attend any sports event in the Western world, and you'll hear the former. If it's a championship match and the home team wins, you'll hear the latter. That's a tribute to the staying power of the music, but News of the World offers proof that, even as Queen maintained their position as rock & roll royalty, they continued to evolve and react to the times. --Daniel Durchholz

Amazon.com essential recording

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring a Limited Edition LP Style Slipcase for Initial Pressing Only.

Customer Reviews:

You say you love me..........2007-06-19

Queen was on a great run in the mid to late seventies, critics be damned. As the old guard suffered the slings and arrows of the punk movement, Queen was almost ambivalent. Never darlings of the rock intelligencia, they kept producing their staduim big rock, albeit in a more stripped down manner for 'News of the World', released in October 1977. Descibing it as just another Queen album would not do 'News' justice. Though it is not of 'Opera' quality, it did produce two of the band's alltime greats, "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions". Though tired of them I am, you cannot ignore the contributions to rock music that both songs made, care of messieurs May and Mercury respectively. Very tribal and very American in their stadium appeal, their impact as a double A side single was instantaneous. Other notable songs include "It's Late", a Brian May metallic rocker that was Queen's heaviest track since the early days, a strong personal favorite. "Get Down, Make Love" is another courtesy of Freddie and a strong drum sound from Roger Taylor. John Deacon contributes "Spread Your Wings" which is a nice song about going for your dreams and features another passionate Mercury vocal. Roger's "Sheer Heart Attack" is a little overrated I think, though better than his "Fight from the Inside". "My Melancholy Blues" is too jazzy, "Sleeping on the Sidewalk is too bluesy and "Who Needs You" is too, I don't know...latin?? for my tastes. I really like 'News' don't get me wrong but I think they tried too many styles one too many times. What worked on 'Sheer Heart Attack' in '74 didn't really work here. Still, any Seventies era Queen is still a must buy for fans of hard rock. Remix of "Rock You" is pointless again and annoying.

Great album with light touches of cheese.......2007-06-02

News of the World is definitely one of Queen's best albums, featuring TWO of the best known songs in the history of rock, plus plenty of other top-notch songs, although I think the album is slightly sloppy, and has a few low spots.

Obviously, this album has We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions, which defy the very term "popular". You'd be hard pressed to find a single person in your life who hasn't heard either of these songs, which isn't something you can say about very many songs. They're followed by Roger's rocking Sheer Heart Attack, which is one of the few Roger songs that I fully enjoy (Fight From the Inside is too drawn out and irritating however, one of the lesser songs on the album in my opinion). All Dead, All Dead is possibly the best song on the album, it's a beautiful Brian song with a great melody, definitely a high point.

From the reviews I've read don't seem to agree with me on this point, but I HATE Spread Your Wings. This song made me really sit down and think about John Deacon's lyrical abilities, and I realized that just about every song he's written for Queen is incredibly juvenile and poorly done, and only Freddie's interpretation of the songs allows them to have any value. Spread Your Wings is one of the cheesiest, cliché songs I've ever heard, and I wince every time that "powerful" chorus comes up. "Spread your wings and fly away, fly away, far away, spread your little wings and fly away, fly away, far away". Truly poetic, John.

Get Down, Make Love can be a cool song, but the blatant sexuality gets old quickly. The chorus is a good break between the slow verses, and overall it's not a bad song. Sleeping on the Sidewalk is just straight-up blues from Brian, and a good song at that. I always tend to enjoy Brian's songs just as much as Freddie's, he's definitely an under-appreciated singer and songwriter.

Who Needs You is a fun, breezy song with a pleasant feel, and is a case where Freddie saves a song from its own stone-dumb lyrics (it's a John song, to be sure). It's Late has that big anthem, stadium feel, great Queen harmonies fill the chorus, and it's got strong and prominent guitar parts.

My Melancholy Blues is a regular lounge-style song, it's good, but it seems like Freddie hams it up a little too much. It's a nice ending to a varied album, unless you count the remix as the end to the CD, which is NOT a good ending. If you can make it through the whole We Will Rock You remix without trying to choke yourself with your own tongue, then you must not believe in artistic integrity of any type. It says "Ruined by Rick Rubin", but "ruined" doesn't begin to describe the horror of this song. I've only listened to it more than once to make sure I wasn't just imagining things, but I won't make that mistake again any time soon.

Overall, News of the World is a great album, though I'll admit that I liked it more on initial listens. Once I started digging deeper into the layers of the songs, they lost a little bit of their appeal, especially once I payed attention to the lyrics of Spread Your Wings. That song, along with Fight From the Inside and occasionally Get Down, Make Love convince me to rate this album at 4 stars instead of 5 (I won't count the remix as Queen's mistake). Apart from those songs though, the rest is very good, and it should easily be appreciated by any Queen fan.

Classic Queen.......2007-04-06

This was the first Queen album that I ever had so getting it on CD is great. "Sheer Heart Attack" is an overlooked Queen gem.

The Rock Album has aged well.......2007-02-13

The heaviest rock since the early days for Queen and plays well after 30 years of aging.

One of the "Big Three.".......2006-11-09

Queen's mega-albums were, in order of release, A Night At The Opera, A Day At The Races, and News Of The World. Personally, I've always ranked this a shade behind Opera and a shade ahead of Races. It has the gigantic "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions," but there are a lot of great songs here you don't hear too often. My favorites are "Sheer Heart Attack," "It's Late," and "Sleeping On The Sidewalk." All in all, a great album.

Average customer rating:

Perfectly Williams
Inspiring soundtrack that is vintage John Williams
Very impressive stuff
Essential for the John Williams lover
Really makes you feel proud

American Journey - Winter Olympics 2002
John Williams
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Summon the Heroes
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Unity: The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album
John Williams - Greatest Hits 1969 - 1999
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ASIN: B00005UN9G
Release Date: 2002-01-15

Tracks:

Call Of The Champions (The Official Theme Of The 2002 Olympic Winter Games)
American Journey: Immigration and Building
American Journey: The Country at War
American Journey: Popular Entertainment
American Journey: Sports and Celebrities
American Journey: Civil Rights and The Woman's Movement
American Journey: Technology and Flight
Song for World Peace
Jubilee 350
The Mission Theme (Theme for NBC News)
For New York (Variations on Themes of Leonard Bernstein)
Sound The Bells!
Hymn To New England
Celebrate Discovery
Summon The Heroes

Amazon.com

Anchored by his Mormon Tabernacle-charged "Call of Champions" (theme of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games) and the sweeping, emotionally rich six-part title suite (originally written for Washington, D.C.'s millennium celebrations and appearing here for the first time as a complete concert piece), this rousing, unabashedly patriotic collection from John Williams seems doubly timely, given America's hunger for comforting affirmation. Those who criticize the scale of Williams's music for its lack of irony will find little here to dissuade them, save perhaps "For New York," his deft, surprisingly low-key arrangement of appropriate Leonard Bernstein themes, and the comparatively subdued harmonic/melodic sophistication of "Song for World Peace." But this is largely music of ceremony and celebration--its scale and frequently martial rhythms are a direct function of purpose and intent. The collection's notes foster the notion of Williams as America's contemporary Sousa, but that's a comparison that sells the composer woefully short. Even "Sound the Bells," a piece written for the Japanese royal wedding, eschews any efforts at ethnic "authenticity," paying its tribute in distinctly American terms. "The Mission Theme" (from NBC News) and the Coplandesque bonus track "Summon the Heroes" (from the 1996 Olympics) further underscore the iconic intent of Williams's work. Chiding this collection for lack of subtlety is like complaining that fireworks are too spectacular. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Perfectly Williams.......2006-02-25

If you want a combination of John Williams at his best and the original olympic spirit, this is a must! The album starts off with the olympic theme from the Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games and continues with the opening ceremony music. It's wonderful how Williams composes the music to describe the American evolution and history.

If you like the more fanfare-like Williams type of music and want to listen to a great album with great compositions I recommend this album to you! It really deserves 5 out of 5 stars!

Inspiring soundtrack that is vintage John Williams.......2006-01-15

I really enjoyed American Journey, as well as the other pieces John Williams composed for the 2002 Winter Olympics. When listened to all the way through, American Journey is a powerful tribute to the pioneers and explorers of America. Of the other pieces, my favorite was the Mission Theme, which features the well-known theme from NBC news with some excellent variations. The two main fanfares (Call of the Champions - 2002 Olympics, Summon the Heroes - 2000 Olympics) are the highlights of the CD, and unlike most people I actually thought Call of the Champions was better. I especially liked Williams' use of the choir and timpani in this piece.
I would recommend this CD to anyone whether they are a fan of John Williams or not.

Very impressive stuff.......2005-04-28

This really was one of William's best compositions and the performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was inspired as well. I think when people recall these Olympics, the sounds of "Call of the Champions" provides a very memorable musical image of the games. The Boston Pops Orchestra does an impressive job as well in this very attractive CD. Wonderful music from a memorable Olympic experience.

Essential for the John Williams lover.......2003-05-11

This is not my favorite John Williams CD, because I love his film scores, and the way they are arranged and built. However, this is John Williams performing his classical and ceremonial music, and with that in mind, this is an excellent CD. The "American Journey" suite is the strongest new material on the album - I say "new material" because the last track, Summon the Heroes (1996 Olympics) is one of John Williams's greatest, most energetic pieces. "American Journey" is filled with American patriotism, feeling, and excitement (my personal favorite is the Arts & Entertainment movement). With this CD and John Williams's other Olympic music, I believe he has redefined what American classical music is.

Really makes you feel proud.......2003-02-02

John Williams scores again, proving he can do more than compose music for Superman and Star Wars. This disk is filled with simply wonderful patriotic music, upbeat, small-scale at times, always suited to the title.

Tracks:

Serse: Frondi tenere - Ombra mai fu
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: E pur cosi - Piangero la sorte mia
Als Luise die Briefe ihres ungetreuen Liebhabers verbrannte
Ridente la calma
S'il est un charmant gazon
Comment, disaient-ils
Enfant, si j'etais roi
Oh! Quand je dors
Amor
An die Nacht
Vocalise
Zdes' Choroso
V molcan'i noci tajnoj
Ne poj, krasavica
Porgy And Bess: Summertime
Good News
Louise: Depuis le jour
Die Fledermaus: Mein Herr marquis
Over My Head I Hear Music
He's Got The Whole World In His Hand
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Customer Reviews:

Ms. Battle does it again.......2006-03-29

Ms. Battle covers musical styles from baroque all the way to spirituals on this CD, and excels at each song she sings. My personal fav's are "Frondi tenere...ombra mai fu" "Mein herr marquis" "Vocalise" "Swing Low" "Piangero la sorte mia". One impression I get when I hear this CD, is that Ms. Battle had fun with each one of these songs. She sounds like she is enjoying singing them and is totally relaxed with full confidence in her voice. So many singers you hear sound tense, but not here. It's hard to explain really, but generally, when a singer is struggling and fighting to sustain a good sound or sing artistically, you can sense it. This CD is would make a wonderful sampler for someone new to Ms. Battle's voice. It is a shame, though, that she is such a "diva". Nevertheless, this is a delightful recording and I would strongly recommend it.

A charming, lightweight song recital.......2005-09-18

This recital is a pale shadow of the great one Battle gave with Levine from Salzburg, so I wasn't satisfied with one track after another of pretty, charming singing without deep musicality or committment. battle is capable of much beter. Her fans will be pleased, and that's about all.

Kathleen Battle Takes On Carnegie Hall.......2005-04-04

Every big artist wants to perform at Carnegie Hall, its' a sign of a true career. For Kathleen Battle, this must have been quite a night. This album captures that great night, solely built around her, in which she sang aria after aria in a spectacular showcase. Handel was a specialty of hers, and the lyric texture and coloratura heights are nearly dizzying. She makes it all seem so effortless. Furthermore, Miss Battle was a magnificent French singer- most coloratura sopranos excell in the French repertoire- as Beverly Sills did and as did Madie Mesple. However, Battle always makes me feel mixed emotions. One the one hand, she does have a classic, lyric-coloratura voice that nearly became extinct after the reign of Beverly Sills and even earlier with the likes of Lily Pons and Amellita-Galli-Curci. Battle has a bright, golden voice, capable of sweetness and refinement without hysterical declamation or any unpleasant sounds. It's such a shame she did not behave proffessionally. The stories were true. She behaved like a diva holding a whip! She was ungrateful and selfish and couldn't work well with her colleagues and co-artists. She was always late to rehearsals, left early, refused to socialize or ride in the same car with her other artists and went far beyond perfectionism- she behaved like she was the greatest thing since sliced bread. But for all these shortcomings, we love her voice. Her fans, and yes she has fans, continue to buy her albums even though she has long disappeared from the world of opera that once tolerated her but said enough is enough........

I'd give this CD 20 stars if I could! Sheer perfection!.......2003-12-07

God made the nightingale, and somewhere down the line, he touched a little girl named Kathleen Battle with what he originally gave to that bird from the beginning of creation. I cannot, for the life of me, believe that a voice could be so beautiful. I hear it, I marvel, but sometimes the sheer incredible beauty of this woman's vocal artistry is mind altering and surreal. Even the nightingale must suffer a moment of jealousy when a Kathy Battle tune is played!(This is bordering on blasphemous I know, and I beg forgiveness!) But Kathy Battle is simply amazing! This CD captures her at her best.
I'm not an opera buff by any means, but I love the human voice and great singing. There is not a bad song in the bunch. Like one reviewer, I too, am not a big fan of the spirituals segment, but I have a higher tolerance for it than she..I can still enjoy them for what they're worth.

Just BUY this CD...buy more than one if you can. One for home and one for your car. Believe me, you will not be disappointed.

P.S. Can someone tell me if this Carnegie Hall recital was also filmed and where I can get a copy of it? I cannot find many filmed recitals of Kathleen Battle anywhere. There used to be many at the Metropolitan Library in NYC, but all they seem to have now are her appearances in operas. I remember seeing a Met recital of her in a red gown on the cover of the vhs box, but they must have retired it. Any Kathy Battle fans out there who can help me get a video collection going, I would be most appreciated! (ryanmarcus1@juno.com)

Lovely.......2003-07-22

Kathleen has a beautiful voice, and it's wonderful to have a CD that includes both traditional opera pieces as well as fun gospel songs. I recommend this!

Average customer rating:

A cool album but no Grammy-winner
Small Word Is One Of The Best Of 1988
The best Huey Lewis and the News ever did, though Sports and others are *** or more too

Small World
Huey Lewis & the News
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hard at Play
Fore!
Picture This
Plan B
Four Chords & Several Years Ago

ASIN: B000008HPH
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Small World, Pt. 1
Old Antone's
Perfect World
Bobo Tempo
Small World, Pt. 2
Walking With the Kid
World to Me
Better Be True
Give Me the Keys (And I'll Drive You Crazy)
Slammin'

Customer Reviews:

A cool album but no Grammy-winner.......2007-07-10

This 1988 release was a cool album but no Grammy-winner like SPORTS and FORE!. Huey Lewis & The News did spawn two Top 20 hits,PERFECT WORLD and GIVE ME THE KEYS(AND I'LL DRIVE YOU CRAZY). 1988's top-selling albums include the COCKTAIL movie soundtrack,U2's RATTLE AND HUM,Guns 'n Roses' APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION,Bon Jovi's NEW JERSEY,Def Leppard's HYSTERIA and Van Halen's OU812. What happened to your Grammy-winning hit-making,guys? After this album,HL&TN were dropped from the soon-to-be-extinct Chrysalis label,whose other major clientele included Blondie,Pat Benatar and Billy Idol. Following this album in 1991 was HARD AT PLAY,released on the EMI-Manhattan label and was available on LP on a limited edition basis. Lewis became an actor,secondarily,appearing in a few films especially 2000's DUETS with Gwyneth Paltrow. Lewis and Paltrow had a hit from that film,CRUISIN',which was originally a hit for William "Smokey" Robinson.

Small Word Is One Of The Best Of 1988.......2007-04-05

Huey Lewis is one of those rock n' roll musicians who never forgot the heart was the beat,the rhythm and the blues.After the two massively successful (and satisfying) albums Sports and Fore! Huey & The News decided they just wanted to do something a tad more....artistic.So they turned away from being precieved as a singles act and made a genuine album 'Small World'.One of the best things about this is the two part title song,still that great,funky rock n' roll Huey and his band did so well but ads on still extra funk from the hot Tower Of Power horns and the gritty jazz sax of Stan Getz.Unlike some earlier albums 'Small World' is very strong on New Orleans R&B and jazz stylings;there's even a little bit of a light West Indian rhythm present in the bluesy "Bob Tempo",one of those ultimate party songs!Actually a similar feel is present on the hit "Perfect World".Bruce Hornsby shows up on "Old Antone",another great New Orleans kind of strut.The bouncy "Walking With The Kid" and the fine crafted "World To Me" are great pop and have really great hooks."Better Be True","Give Me The Keys (And I'll Drive You Crazy)" and the the hard groove of "Slammin'" are all extremely funky and the latter again showcases the Tower Of Power horns.As I well remember critics were quick to ravish 'Small World' with every scathing review they could think up when it came out and even though it went platinum like the bands other records it doesn't get the recognition that even the previous album Fore! did.Being an R&B,funk and jazz lover 'Small World' is one of my favorites,even though I love all of Huey's stuff.All of it has a great groove and great sound.But music lovers are not critics;if these Amazon critiques are correct 'Small World' has impacted regular music listeners very well and I happen to be one of them.So I say this is a CD worth checking out.

The best Huey Lewis and the News ever did, though Sports and others are *** or more too.......2006-06-07

Huey Lewis, who is doing more stage
acting than anythig now, is superb
on this album and Chris Haynes
never did better on guitar! Great
job guys!

Average customer rating:

Likeable rock&roll with a big smile
A fine example of when a band produces "their" music
A little Different
A rare gem
Sounds great!

Small World
Huey Lewis & the News
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hard at Play
Huey Lewis and the News
Picture This
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Fore!

ASIN: B00004Y58G
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Tracks:

Small World, Pt. 1
Old Antone's
Perfect World
Bobo Tempo
Small World, Pt. 2
Walking With the Kid
World to Me
Better Be True
Give Me the Keys (And I'll Drive You Crazy)
Slammin'

Album Description

Digitally re-mastered reissue of the pop-rock act's hit 1988 album. Includes the hit 'Perfect World'. Digipak. 2000 release.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Digipak Version of the San Francisco, Ca-Based 1988 Release.

Customer Reviews:

Likeable rock&roll with a big smile.......2006-09-07

If this is it, i mean likeable rock&roll with a big smile all over. Huey Lewis is the man. As a flashback to the 80 ths if you look for the effective and joyfull soundpicture , Huey makes the day. He kicks the mood right in gear on Track 1 Small World (Part 1) with springiness. It`s funky and straight to your`e nerve string. Hip is probably the right word. Track 2 Old Antone`s has a certain cajun feel over it, with the funky mood intact. Great. Track 3 Perfect World, has a certain big band beat, mixed with reggae rythm, which works quite ok. Quality shines. Track 4 Bobo Tempo is the weird reggae one . A letdown, which doesn`t has the right mood. Just put together, with a disturbing harmonica spread all over. Track 5 Small World (Part 2) fades in as Part 1, but this is just somekind of an "overlong "instrumental saxophone solo over the same theme. The saxophone delivers, but that`s it. With Track 6 Walking With the kid, we are back in business again. Effective and funky with a "big band beat" urban city life mood over it. Track 7 World to me, is the first " slow song/ballad hybrid on the CD, and it has that good backbone chill that tickles your`e soul. Track 8 Better be true is back to funky business again, that has the right 80 ths touch of the genre. Track 9 Give me the keys is not straight up there in quality heaven, but it certainly has it flairs. Track 10. Slammin, it`s back to the "tower of power" big band beat. Quite nice, and deadly funky . Yo, man, it swings. Anyway Huey is the Man, if you want relaxable and joyfull rock&roll.

A fine example of when a band produces "their" music.......2006-07-01

You can see many a person's eyes roll back when your mention the words "Huey Lewis & The News" and great music in the same sentence. And usually from "know it alls" who believe they're above popular music. Well I'm pleaseed to inform everyone, that if Huey and News didn't get "you in" with their stellar pop albums of "Sports" and FORE!, complete with their mega top 10 hits, then this album will.
It's essentially an album devoid of big hits, but it's an album in the true sense of the word. One gets the impression that by 1988, Huey and the News had made their squillions, the pressures of hit manufacturing was behind them, and now "they" decided to produce some music, and just the way they wanted to.

I'm not going to ramble through each track, but they are all musically strong. Chris Hayes excells on the lead guitar, demonstrating his obvious jazz upbringing. Small World is a gem of a track, with the Stan Getz guest solo a standout.

Not surprising that around this time many local bands had this CD pumping along, pre-show.

I know many a proud muso who were hooked on Huey Lewis and the News after hearing this album.

An 80's classic, and fine example of a band exercising creative control.

A little Different.......2005-12-05

I pulled out this CD last week after collecting dust for years, and have been listening to it everyday. I can't believe how musical they were back then. They really stretched (and abandoned alot of fans) with "small world."

I had forgotten how different the band had sounded compared to eariler hits. I did remember Stan Getz's tasteful solo, recorded just before he died, but having the all instrumental Tower of power feature was a nice memory forgotten. But though the cover, doesn't say it, it's all about Chris Hayes (guitar). Not only does he show his chops, but he really shines and I think proves that he was one of the best guitarist of the 80's. His solos are more complicated than almost all of the 90's grunge guitar solos combined and he proves he has much more technique than previously heard.

Sean Hopper is also front and center on most of the tunes.

Yeah this a treasure not to be missed if you are a Huey fan

A rare gem.......2005-04-11

This album, together with Fore!, are the best Huey Lewis albums ever. The melodies and instrumentals are very solid, and I never grow tired of them. "World To Me" and "Old Antone's" really stand out.

Sounds great!.......2003-05-19

I bought "Small World" when it was first released, and I was a bit disappointed. Of course, their prior two albums (Sports, Fore!) where jammed packed with hits. "Small World" had fewer obvious hits, and indeed only "Perfect World" hit the Top 10. However, in retrospect, the CD sounds great and has much more diversity than their other CDs. Several songs have a terrific zydeco/Louisiana flavor, such as "Old Antwone's" and "Bobo Tempo." They also have a couple of instrumentals that sound great and highlight their growth as musicians, such as "Small World (Part Two)."

Sadly, "Small World" was the group's last major hit CD. If they had continued on this trajectory, they may have ended up making music pretty similar to Hootie and the Blowfish and other early 90's hitmakers. However, much of their later music took on the sound of 50s and 60s rock (their "Four Chords..." CD featured remakes of old rock songs). Don't let the lack of success of these later CDs scare you away. Huey Lewis and the news are a great, under-appreciated rock band.

Good News from the Next World
Average customer rating:

Solid from start to finish

A worthy effort

Good News: Great Album

Minds Keep 'Em Coming

A must have CD

Good News from the Next World
Simple Minds
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Street Fighting Years

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Cry

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Black and White 050505

ASIN: B000000W6Y
Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

She's A River
Night Music
Hypnotized
Great Leap Forward
7 Deadly Sins
And The Band Played On
My Life
Criminal World
This Time

Customer Reviews:

Solid from start to finish.......2005-11-01

After the release of the much underrated "Real Life" and the subsequent tour, longtime drummer Mel Gaynor had departed the band for "a spell" and singer/songwriter Jim Kerr and multi-instrumental musician Charlie Burchill faced the fact that their band had dwindled from 5 to 2 members over the last 8 years and they were a voice and a guitar now so what did they do? They penned one hell of a rock record with great musicianship, singing, songwriting and production.

There is not one song I skip through on this disc and that does say something since I am picky and impatient when it comes to music. For any Simple Minds fan who may have fell away from the band as they struggled to recover from the major drop off in exposure in the states following "Street Fighting Years" to listen to this one they are in for quite a surprise. The majesty and vision of the words and music are still there but with quite a different influence in the music.

Grunge was in full swing at the time as well as some of the more guitar driven music coming out of England and it really found its way into this record. Much more steady and polished percussion with major fills as well as plenty of layered guitar on this one. There is that great Burchill guitar heard throughout this one, the same that was heard in Street Fighting Years but this time with a much harder edge.

Like I said there are no weak tracks here but my favs on this one are Great Leap Forward, Seven Deadly Sins, And the Band Played On, Its My Life, Criminal World and Hypnotised. I can listen to tracks 3-9 without ever tiring There are some great lyrics here as well...one of my favorites "a coward dies a thousand times but the brave they die just once" exemplifies a clarity that runs right along with the much more straightforward playing.

This is a fun and powerful record for any fan of the more thoughtful side of rock and is another testiment to the resiliency of the core of my favorite band.

A worthy effort.......2005-01-02

Okay, so maybe it's not Sparkle In The Rain. But at least it's not Street Fighting Years or Real Life, either. Overall, it's a CD worth having.

Good News: Great Album.......2005-01-02

After 1989's flawed "Street Fighting Years," and 1991's decidely mediocre "Real Life," Simple Minds bounces back with a terrific, empassioned album. The band has had many different phases, and this album will appeal most to fans of the anthem rock of "Once Upon a Time" and "Sparkle in the Rain."

After losing yet another key member (the incredible drummer Mel Gaynor), the remaining two band members - Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill - unleash a great album of passionate anthems, driven by big guitars and awesome lyrics.

The highlights are the monster riffs of "She's a River," and the live-life-with-a-passion anthem of "The Band Played On," which includes some of Kerr's best and most inspiring lyrics ever.

There are some low points - "Night Music" is certainly one of Simple Minds' more disposable songs. But the album overall is fantastic. Like the piano-based closer "This Time," this album is driven by refreshingly optimistic lyrics - you feel like life will only become more rewarding and successful with each listen.

Minds Keep 'Em Coming.......2004-08-30

"Good News From the Next World" is another great album from Simple Minds. The Mind's continue to grow with the release of this album, while the minds of the band are Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill. This album seems to have a lot more edge to it than to previous releases. Kerr and Burchill pen nine songs that continue in the style of the Mind's from the past while taking them to new heights of sound.

The album opens with a crescendo of sounds, drums and guitar before Kerr's voice cuts through the mix with "She's a River". The song is a powerful wall of sound with Kerr's voice sounding rich and full. Kerr has always had a great voice, but it has aged to near perfection, and this single becomes a playground for his vocal acrobatics. This fist cut makes the album worthwhile in it's self. "Night Music" sounds a little more like Mind's past material, yet with an edge to it giving it separation from that 80's sound. Burchill's guitar work is prominent, taking a few short riffs to add color to the song. He opens "Great Leap Forward" with another great riff. The song sounds like vintage Mind's. The growl in Kerr's voice for "And the Band Played On" makes the song.

I've always been a big fan of the Mind's, and like to see bands experiment with new sounds and material without leaving their fan base behind scratching their heads. Mind's does exactly that. "Good News" is new, yet has enough of the stuff that made us enjoy the Mind's of old. An excellent album for any Mind's fan, or anyone who enjoys good rockin' music.

A must have CD.......2004-07-12

I am an all around fan of Simple Minds, and have been for almost 20 years now. I have loved their progression through the years as the band have expanded, explored, and grown as human beings. 'Good News from the Next World' is one of the BEST albums of their career in my opinion. Jim Kerr really explores the depths of his voice on this CD, and the lyrics are haunting, hopeful, and soul searching. It grabs you by the ears from the first bars of 'She's a River' and doesn't let you go. My absolute favorite song on the album however is '7 Deadly Sins'...it's really a wonderful showcase for the full spectrum of Jim's voice, and just a good, pure, fun rock romp. 'Criminal World' really got to me as well, espcially the line:

"Is it my fascination, or does love come inspired."

Tracks:

We Will Rock You
We Are the Champions
Sheer Heart Attack
All Dead, All Dead
Spread Your Wings
Fight from the Inside
Get Down, Make Love
Sleeping on the Sidewalk
Who Needs You
It's Late
My Melancholy Blues
We Will Rock You [Remix][*]

Customer Reviews:

Queen's biggest selling album of the 1970s for good reason! .......2006-03-27

Queen's News of the World was released in October of 1977.
The album was recorded in the height of the punk rock movement in the UK at Wessex Studios with the band self-producing once again with Mike Stone engineering.
Aside from the graphic album cover, there are nothing but great songs throughout.
The album opens with the one-two punch of the #4 charting We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. The former was written by guitarist Brian May and is known for its stomp-stomp-clap beat and rally cry. The latter was frontman Freddie Mercury's victory cry which has become a victory song. Next, is drummer Roger Taylor's punk-sounding Sheer Heart Attack. The song was as punk as Queen ever got and Roger plays drums, bass and rhythm guitar on this track. Brian's All Dead, All Dead is a soft beautiful ballad sung by Brian with Freddie on backing vocals. Bass player John Deacon's Spread Your Wings follows and is a mellow hard rocker about one not giving up on his dreams. Fight From The Inside is another heavy rocker sung and written by Roger(whom also played guitar and bass on the track and did all the vocals on this track).
The lyrically dirty Get Down Make Love kicks off the second half and is one of the few blatant sexual anthems that Freddie wrote with raunchy guitar playing by Brian(lets see Britney or any low-life teen queen write something like that). Brian steps out in front on Sleeping On The Sidewalk which is a bluesy shuffle track with some great guitar work and was recorded without overdubs(save Brian's harmony vocals). John's Who Needs You is another great track with Freddie's elegant vocals and featuring Brian and John on acoustic guitars. Brian's It's Late is almost in the same vein as some of the epics they wrote in the past, but alot heavier and not strange. The ending is great as Roger goes into this insane Bonham/Peart like drumming, if not better. It was released as a heavily edited single in the US and flopped but the song rocks. The lyrically depressing but superb My Melancholy Blues is an all-out jazz song featuring Freddie's sorrowful vocals which is a great song for those whom have had either broken hearts or bad days and ends the album in a relaxing fashion.
News Of the World peaked at #3 in the US and sold over 4 million in the US alone to date because of the songs and not the personalities in the band and News of the World became Queen's best American selling album until The Game in 1980 tied this.
This album is highly recommended!

More seventies Queen rock excellence.......2006-03-19

News Of The World (1977.) The sixth Queen studio album.

INTRODUCTION:
The latter half of the seventies was the golden age for Queen. The rock band who had started out in relative obscurity and was popular only in their native nation had become worldwide rock sensations practically overnight. The foursome was only rising in popularity, and it seemed like they could do no wrong. As the band continued to tour, they were gradually becoming even more popular. And in 1977, they released the News Of The World album. With some more big hits added to the group's catalogue, it was another hugely successful record. Read on for my review of the band's sixth studio effort!

OVERVIEW:
Queen released their sixth studio album, News Of The World, on October 28, 1977. The band produced the album, along with Mike Stone. Almost needless to say, the band consisted of the classic lineup of Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and Brian May. Tracklist for the album consists of We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, Sheer Heart Attack, All Dead All Dead, Spread Your Wings, Fight From The Inside, Get Down Make Love, Sleeping On The Sidewalk, Who Needs You, It's Late, and My Melancholy Blues.

REVIEW:
In the seventies, Queen was the band that could do no wrong. Every album they released in this decade was a classic rock masterpiece, and album number six proves to be no exception. In this day and age, the punk movement was in full swing across the United Kingdom, and some influence from that managed to make its way into the Queen sound. Nonetheless, the band succeeded in maintaining a sound all their own. Let's look at the tracks, and see how they fare!

-SIDE A-

-We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions: Just when you thought Queen couldn't create a song more popular than Bohemian Rhapsody, they created a song that became more popular than they ever could have imagined. With its memorable beat and heavy audience involvement, We Will Rock You became a massive hit. It's hard to go to a major sporting event without hearing this song! The latter piece, We Are The Champions, is a slow and melodic piece which makes for a nice finish to the melody started by the former. These two songs were released together on a single. We Will Rock You was written by Brian May, and We Are The Champions was written by Freddie Mercury.

-Sheer Heart Attack: This is a song Roger Taylor began writing for the album of the same name, but never finished - until this time. It's a fast-paced, straight-up rocker. And it's probably better that Taylor held off on its release, because it eventually came to symbolize the punk influence Queen's sound had taken on at the time. A true classic for the ages, even if it never was released as a single or became a hit.

-All Dead All Dead: Slow, melodic and piano-intensive. Brian May originally wrote this song in reference to the sadness he felt as a child when his cat died. However, to make the song more meaningful, he generalized the lyrics. The song definitely sounds like it took some influence from the latter-day Beatles recordings. An underrated gem.

-Spread Your Wings: One of the few songs from the album to be released as a single, bassist John Deacon wrote this one. Any Queen fan knows that John Deacon made very few compositions of his own for the band's albums, but the ones he did make were always excellent. This is no exception. The tune combines rock elements, as well as softer, more melodic ones. The end result? Another Deacon-penned gem!

-Fight From The Inside: And now for something completely different. What would a Queen album be without a Roger Taylor composition that features him singing? This is straightforward, gritty hard rock. The melodies here are excellent, as are Taylor's vocals. There are a plethora of underrated songs in this record, this being one of the major ones.

-SIDE B-

-Get Down Make Love: Wow. Queen is one hell of a diverse rock band, and perhaps no song on the album demonstrates that the way this one does. The song is very slow in its pace, but still rocks very hard. It's one of those songs so unique, words don't really do it justice. You need to give it a listen for yourself to fully appreciate it. Freddie Mercury wrote this one.

-Sleeping On The Sidewalk: You've gotta love Brian May. His ability to pen excellent rock tunes is virtually unrivaled. Here we have vintage seventies blues-based hard rock. He even does the vocals on this one! It's a catchy little tune. Not only one of my favorite tunes on the album, but one of my favorite Queen songs of all. Why wasn't it more popular?

-Who Needs You: Wow, TWO John Deacon songs on one album! Deacon's ability to create cheery, optimistic pop-rockers is one of his strongest traits, and once again he demonstrates it well. This is a slow and melodic track, and every member of the band does a good job bringing Deacon's vision to life. Certainly a memorable piece that could have used more credit.

-It's Late: And now, back to Brian May stuff. Over six minutes in length, this is the longest song on the album. Once again, May has created an excellent musical sound, once again managing to find the happy medium between the hard rock and melodic rock sounds. Freddie Mercury's vocals suit the song style perfectly, too. Great stuff.

-My Melancholy Blues: What better way to close out a Queen album than with a Freddie Mercury ballad? Instrumentation in this song is minimal, the primary emphasis being on Freddie's vocals and piano, both of which he does a damn good job of here. His interests in a variety of musical styles are one of the things that made Queen so diverse a band, and perhaps no other track on the album shows that off the way the closer does.

OVERALL:
Once again Queen succeeded in the creation of an awesome record, and they came out of the recording sessions as popular as ever. The band's albums are all great, but these ones, from the latter half of the seventies, are the band's quintessential high point. Don't hesitate to pick up these albums if you're a fan of classic rock! Final verdict? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

EDITION NOTES:
This album was reissued in the nineties by Hollywood Records. The reissued versions of the albums on Hollywood feature bonus tracks. These are usually nothing remarkable, being that they usually are just bland remixed, but occasionally you'll get a good little rarity like a B-Side or an alternate take. There are also slightly-expanded liner notes and lyrics. And since these compact discs are the readily-available versions of the albums in America, they're the obvious choice to buy.

Magical Musicals / Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Not impressed
Inexorable wonder!

Magical Musicals / Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
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Disney's Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack

ASIN: B00001QGKF
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

Hercules: Introduction
Hercules: The Gospel Truth
Hercules: One Last Hope
Hercules: I Won't Say
Hercules: Zero To Hero
Hercules: A Star Is Born
Hercules: Go The Distance
Aladdin And the King Of Thieves: Party In Agrabah
Pocahontas: Just Around The River Bend
The Return Of Jafar: You're Only Second Rate
The Return Of Jafar: Forget About Love
The Return Of Jafar: I'm Looking Out For Me
The Return Of Jafar: Nothing In The World
Toy Story: You've Got A Friend In Me
101 Dalmations: Cruella De Vil
Pocahontas: Colors Of The Wind
Oliver And Company: Once Upon A Time In New York City
Oliver And Company: Why Should I Worry?
The Nightmare Before Christmas: What's This?
James And The Giant Peach: Good News
Mulan: Orchestral Suite
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: The Bells Of Notre Dame
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: Someday
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: God Help The Outcasts
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: Topsy Turvy
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: Court Of Miracles
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: A Guy Like You
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: Heaven's Light

Customer Reviews:

Not impressed.......2003-11-25

I was not terribly impressed with this CD. Fortunately, I decided to get it from the library to see if it was good before deciding whether or not to buy it.

Although the orchestration of the songs is well done, most of them simply were not meant to be performed by a chorus; and they sound terrible in that form. If you want some of the songs on this CD, I suggest you look at one of Disney's compilation CDs in the Classic Disney Vol. 1-5 series or the actual soundtracks of the movies.

Inexorable wonder!.......2001-06-23

Where to start?! Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra have had a track record for recording some of the most stupendous movie music ever. Magical Musicals is just another example of how audaciously bold, yet beautiful Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops have taken the original scores, molded them into the same pieces, yet at the same time, creating life of their own in each and every note. If you are looking for ANY soundtrack containing Disney music, this should be the first CD you listen to. There are others out there, and yes, they may sound beautiful and enchanting, but you won't find such a unique and compelling score anywhere else other than this CD. Check it out!!

Average customer rating:

the ingredients

Christmas with King's Singers

Manufacturer: Signum UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B0000DDB84
Release Date: 2003-01-01

Tracks:

Veni, Veni Emmanuel
Angelus Ad Virginem
This Is the Truth Sent from Above
Wie Scheuchtet Der Morgenstern
Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprunger
There Is No Rose
Coventry Carol
Nowell Sing We Now
Remember, O Thou Man
In Dulci Jubilo
Lullay My Liking
Bogoroditsye Dyevo
Lamb
Maria Durch Ein' Dornwald Ging
O Little One Sweet
Bethlehem Down
Crown of Roses
To Us in Bethlem City
Szczo to Za Prediwo
There Is a Flower
Peregrinan
Away in a Manger
NoNouvelet
Stille Nacht
Born on a New Day

Customer Reviews:

the ingredients.......2006-12-23

This is a perfect King's Singers recording filled with Christmas music. The sustained success of this group of six English gentlemen is legendary, but not surprising. The ingredients for that success have remained the same for many years, through varying personnel, and across a very wide-ranging repertory of a capella music. First and foremost, these men are true musicians - musicians first, singers and interpreters second. Musicianship consisting of equal parts learning and attentive transmission, the King's Singers are immaculate musicians - attuned, commited, ready, and fortunately blessed with musical intelligence to guide their choices of material. Second, and as important in my view, these men are comrades. In their recently released DVD, one finds abundant evidence of a committment not only to their art, but to each other. A capella singing by nature revealing, you'll find no seams in the singing of this mastergroup. Everything is seen to, raised up, compelling - and ever beautiful. This is authentic art of the gods. As fond as I am of Chanticleer, and of Harry Christopher's The Sixteen, the work of those fine ensembles pales when compared to the lingering beauty of the King's Singers. Constant invention is one of the hallmarks of their recorded legacy, and is bountiful on this disc - voicings, approaches, and a magical communion of voices. Check out Ariel Ramirez' instantly amenable 'La peregrinacion' and you'll never turn back. Big recommendation.

Average customer rating:

Remasters
This Queen album is a classic!
Sorry, it's truly weak, NOT a good Queen album
yes,it is good news
Nope, it's bad news.

News of the World
Queen
Manufacturer: Toshiba EMI Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Night at the Opera
A Day at the Races
Jazz
Sheer Heart Attack
The Game

ASIN: B00016ZQXE
Release Date: 2004-02-23

Tracks:

We Will Rock You
We Are the Champions
Sheer Heart Attack
All Dead, All Dead
Spread Your Wings
Fight from the Inside
Get Down, Make Love
Sleeping on the Sidewalk
Who Needs You
It's Late
My Melancholy Blues
We Will Rock You [Remix][*]

Album Description

Japanese remastered (2001 digital remastering) reissue of 1977 album packaged in a miniature LP gatefold sleeve, features 11 tracks. Virgin. 2004.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

Remasters.......2006-07-04

Note: This Mini Lp Version We Will Rock You [Remix][*] don't have in this CD. I ordered the mini Lp, and haven't the Remix of We Will Rock You. These bonus tracks is available for US versions Only.

This Queen album is a classic!.......2006-04-19

Blue Racer: Say Bug, The Last Word/Cranky is way off on News Of The World's sales. Japanese Beetle: You are correct Serpent Son, News Of The World sold 4 MILLION COPIES in America alone NOT 4,000 like Cranky and his aliases claim. Blue Racer: Also, Saturday Night Fever no longer sells in the US and Michael Jackson's Thriller is no longer best selling album in America anymore, that honor goes to The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits 1971-75! Japanese Beetle: Back to this record, it has classics like We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions plus awesome album cuts Spread Your Wings, It's Late and Sheer Heart Attack amongst others. Blue Racer: This Queen record is their second best seller after The Game whic tied this album's sales and for good reason cos it rocks! Japanese Beetle: You avoid this album it's HAASAH(karate chop) for you. SAYONARA!

Sorry, it's truly weak, NOT a good Queen album.......2006-04-18

Queen has put out some true classics. THIS one, however, ain't one of those. Repeated listenings will certainly prove that, as I really wanted to like this album.
It's a fair well-thought out opinion--seems you can tell which reviews here are honest and unbiased...and question the merits of those that TYPE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME. ugh. This is a fair album, period.

yes,it is good news.......2006-04-17

STUPID REVIEWS ARE WRITTEN BY STUPID PEOPLE AND THAT REVIEWER BANNED AND CENSORED IS INCREDIBLY STUPID.WILL SOMEONE REMIND THE PREVIOUS ONE STAR REVIEWER THAT QUEEN ARE GREAT AND THIS ALBUMS IS TOPS.FORGET FANTASIA,QUEEN ARE THE REAL DEAL.

Nope, it's bad news........2006-04-17

I hate saying this over and over again, but Queen are bad. The bucktoothed Freddie Mercury is no match for Carrie Underwood or Fantasia. Get any of their CDs instead.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review