Playback [Box set]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Tom Petty peaked early. In 1974, Petty's northern Florida bar band, Mudcrutch, moved to L.A., signed a deal with Shelter Records, and transformed itself into Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. By 1976, they had released their self-titled debut album, a seemingly impossible blend of the Byrds' jangly harmonies and Southern-California idealism with the Rolling Stones' bluesy punchiness and working-class grittiness. The rhythm section rocked; Mike Campbell was an effortlessly elegant guitarist, and Petty himself was a passionate singer. By the third album, 1979's Damn the Torpedoes, the band was creating such timeless rock & roll singles as "Refugee" and "Even the Losers." By 1980 their best music was behind them. The rhythms slackened; the melodies no longer grabbed; the performances lacked the same urgency. They played with admirable craft and sold millions of records, but they never again made music as powerful as their first three albums. This creates a serious imbalance in this box set, "Playback" (MCA), which fits 21 songs from the first four albums onto one overwhelming CD and then fills up another five CDs with 71 more tracks, which suffer by comparison. For the hardcore Petty fan, though, Playback is a treasure trove of obscurities. While most box sets adopt an 80/20 split between greatest hits and rarities, "Playback" is closer to 50/50, and includes B-sides never released in album form, rare Mudcrutch cuts, shelved studio tracks, and cover versions of songs by Jimmy Reed, Conway Twitty, and Elvis Presley. --Geoffrey Himes

Tracks:

Breakdown
American Girl
Hometown Blues
Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll
I Need To Know
Listen To Her Heart
When The Time Comes
Too Much Ain't Enough
No Second Thoughts
Baby's A Rock 'N' Roller
Refugee
Here Comes My Girl
Even The Losers
Shadow Of A Doubt (A Complex Kid)
Don't Do Me Like That
The Waiting
A Woman In Love
Something Big
A Thing About You
Insider
You Can Still Change Your Mind

Tracks:

You Got Lucky
Change Of Heart
Straight Into Darkness
The Same Old You
Rebels
Don't Come Around Here No More
Southern Accents
Make It Better (Forget About Me)
The Best Of Everything
So you Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star
Don't Bring Me Down
Jammin' Me
It'll All Work Out
Mike's Life/Mike's World
Think about Me
A Self-Made Man

Tracks:

Free Fallin'
I Won't Back Down
Love Is A Long Road
Runnin' Down A Dream
Yer So Bad
Alright For Now
Learning To Fly
Into The Great Wide Open
All Or Nothin'
Out In The Cold
Built To Last
Mary Jane's Last Dance
Christmas All Over Again

Tracks:

Casa Dega
Heartbreaker's Beach Party
Trailer
Cracking Up
Psychotic Reaction (Live)
I'm Tired Joey Boy (Live)
Lonely Weekends (Live)
Gator On The lawn
Make That Connection
Down The Line
Peace In L.A. (Peace Mix)
It's Rainin' Again
Somethin' Else (Live)
I Don't Know What To Say To You
King's Highway (Live)

Tracks:

On The Street
Depot Street
Cry To Me
Don't Do Me Like That (Mudcrutch Version)
I Cant' Fight It
Since You Said You Loved Me
Louisiana Rain
Keeping Me Alive
Turning Point
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around (Demo)
The Apartment Song (Demo)
Big Boss Man
The Image Of Me
Moon Pie
The Damage You've Done (Country Version)

Tracks:

Got My Mind Made Up (Original Version)
Ways To Be Wicked
Can't Get Her Out
Waiting For Tonight
Travelin'
Baby, Let's Play House
Wooden Heart
God's Gift To Man
You Get Me High
Come On Down To My House
You Come Through
Up In Mississippi Tonight

Amazon.com

Tom Petty peaked early. In 1974, Petty's northern Florida bar band, Mudcrutch, moved to L.A., signed a deal with Shelter Records, and transformed itself into Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. By 1976, they had released their self-titled debut album, a seemingly impossible blend of the Byrds' jangly harmonies and Southern-California idealism with the Rolling Stones' bluesy punchiness and working-class grittiness. The rhythm section rocked; Mike Campbell was an effortlessly elegant guitarist, and Petty himself was a passionate singer. By the third album, 1979's Damn the Torpedoes, the band was creating such timeless rock & roll singles as "Refugee" and "Even the Losers." By 1980 their best music was behind them. The rhythms slackened; the melodies no longer grabbed; the performances lacked the same urgency. They played with admirable craft and sold millions of records, but they never again made music as powerful as their first three albums. This creates a serious imbalance in this box set, "Playback" (MCA), which fits 21 songs from the first four albums onto one overwhelming CD and then fills up another five CDs with 71 more tracks, which suffer by comparison. For the hardcore Petty fan, though, Playback is a treasure trove of obscurities. While most box sets adopt an 80/20 split between greatest hits and rarities, "Playback" is closer to 50/50, and includes B-sides never released in album form, rare Mudcrutch cuts, shelved studio tracks, and cover versions of songs by Jimmy Reed, Conway Twitty, and Elvis Presley. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Tom Petty Playback.......2007-03-09

I bought this after reading "Conversations With Tom Petty". I really like TP & the HBs and have every album/CD, so it's no surprise that I quite enjoy this set too. Fun hearing different takes on songs I know and hearing new material as well. Perfect for the TP fan-

Excellent overview of Petty's early years.......2007-02-05

Let me start out by saying Tom Petty is a national treasure when it comes to music in general and rock and roll in particular. The man has consistently written and recorded great songs for more than 30 years, both solo and with the Heartbreakers. The Heartbreakers are simply one of the finest rock and roll bands ever; Petty and crew don't receive the credit they deserve for whatever reason. It's seems since he's so consistent that people take him for granted, which is a shame. Even his latest, Highway Companion, holds some wonderful music. This box set holds a whole lot.

You can't beat this box set for the cost. It covers Petty and the Heartbreakers career from 73-93 and it includes almost all the hits, a great selection of album cuts, and many songs that were never released for one reason or another. The most glaring omission I found was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." It's here in demo form, but not the hit version with Stevie Nicks.

As with all box set, you can complain about what track was left off, but there's so much great music here that you can't find anywhere else. Disc Six "Nobody's Children" is a treasure-trove of unreleased songs. I was skeptical about this set because it's six discs, with three of them rare or unreleased material, but the unreleased material stands up to what came out.

You'll find Petty's version of "Ways to be Wicked," which Lone Justice recorded. The version here rocks! The set has several gems from the "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)" period, and, just as much of that album, rocks harder than much of the Petty's other material. Some other gems include "You Get me High," "Turning Point," and "Keeping me Alive," both of which were left off the Long After Dark album. Also, there is a fantastic accoustic version of "King's Highway" that you can't find anywhere else. It's such a beautiful song, and this version really highlights the lyrics. It rips the version on Into the Great Wide Open to shreds.

If you're trying to figure out if you like Petty and the Heartbreakers, then obviously a greatest hits is the way to go. If you like it, then grab this because it sums up his early career a lot cheaper than buying all the discs. If you are a fan and don't own this, then get it! You won't regret it because it has too much good music to ignore.

Do not believe the amazon official review which Geoffrey Himes wrote! .......2007-01-05

There is no way to believe the amazon official review which Geoffrey Himes wrote for this BOX-SET! Just believe your ear,that is all you have to do. I am not a heavy listener of Tom petty & the Heartbreakers at all. I got this BOX-SET as a Christmas Gift from my friend. I opend this,and played this without any information about the music in there. Who said he sings like Dylan? Who said this band sounds like The BYRDS? Tom petty & the Heartbreakers sound like no other Rock'n'Roll band. I do not know how much my friend paied for this,but I do believe I enjoy this BOX-SET more than my friend expected. If something "clicked" in your mind, get this BOX-SET. Soon you will realize Geoffrey Himes did not tell us the truth. If you did not like this, do not criticize. Give it somebody else. It may give them big fun like I got.

A must for Petty & Heartbreakers fans, ok for casual fans too.......2006-09-08

This boxed set is a somewhat odd hybrid: the first 3 CDs are essentially a "best of" collection from Petty's albums on MCA (with the Heartbreakers and solo) circa 1976-1993; the final 3 CDs are previously unreleased Petty material: B-sides, demos, live recordings, and some work from Petty's earlier band "Mudcrutch". When this boxed set was released, the two disc "Through the Years" anthology did not exist; now that it does however, that collection may be the better buy for those wanting an overview of Petty & the Heartbreakers's work/hits ("Through the Years" also includes the hit single version of "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" of Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, this collection has that song, but as a demo version without Stevie). On the other hand, this collection is deeper (3 CDs worth of "hits" vs. 2 CDs), and includes a very interesting/important booklet about Petty and the band - valuable for both existing fans and potential ones.

The last 3 discs are definitely valuable for fans who have all the existing Petty/Heartbreakers MCA albums. Just because you have all the original albums, don't think that this boxed set isn't worth your money (due to the price and redundancy of the first three discs with what you already own). Many of the "extra" Heartbreakers songs are excellent, particularly "Casa Dega", "Keeping Me Alive", "Trailer", "Ways to be Wicked", and "Waiting for Tonight" (which was later deemed worthy of the "Through the Years" anthology). Also included are some very humorous songs, with great musicianship as well: "Heartbreakers Beach Party", "Gator on the Lawn", "Moon Pie" and "The Damage You've Done (Country Version)". And there's much, much more on those 3 CDs: some wonderful live performances (sadly too few live songs here though, just seven in total, and only one live version of a Petty authored song), including an incredibly moving slow/acoustic take on "King's Highway"; some very interesting demo and pre-Heartbreakers ("Mudcrutch") songs, one of which is the surprisingly good "On the Street" written by Heartbreaker Benmont Tench (and sung by Petty). Also very interesting to hear the Mudcrutch songs with Randall Marsh, who was quite a good, creative drummer. I'm a huge fan of Stan Lynch and like his drumming even more than Marsh's (I find Marsh's creative drumming a bit distracting from the song, while I find Lynch's creative drumming flows a bit more WITH the song), but there's no denying Marsh's ability, and he's fun to hear on those songs. There are very few songs I don't care for on the last 3 CDs (the Lenny Kravitz collaboration "You Come Through" isn't my cup of tea), really only about 2 or 3 songs total that I wouldn't miss if they were deleted.

Now back to those first 3 CDs, they aren't completely irrelevant to people who already have all the MCA Petty albums. For one thing, the singles "Christmas All Over Again" (a cool song, which I've actually heard playing in the malls at Christmas) and "Peace in LA" (not great, but well-meaning) are found there. Also there's Mike Campbell's instrumental demo for My Life/Your World (called "Mike's Life/Mike's World" on the CD here) which is interesting, even though the version with lyrics found on "Let Me Up" is better, and not found in this set. In fact, the "Let Me Up" album is not well-represented here, too many great songs from that one are missing ("Runaway Trains", "The Damage You've Done", and many, many more). But that's the thing about Petty/Heartbreakers albums - there are so many great songs on the albums (usually ALL the songs are good) that you can't possibly have all the good songs on a collection. For another example - even though a lot of songs are taken from "Your Gonna Get It" here, this collection still misses "Hurt" and "Magnolia", yet both of those are absolutely fantastic songs. A final note to those who think the first 3 CDs are pointless for those who have the albums from which they have been taken - the songs here are mastered in HDCD, which is usually but not always the case for the existing CD catalog. So if you have an HDCD capable disc player (those are rare these days), you'll probably enjoy the sound quality of the versions on the three discs here more than on the original CDs.

And one more comment about the booklet - this on it's own wouldn't be worth the approx. $50 price, but it's definitely worth a great deal to Petty fans. Not only has a great explanation of how Petty got started and how the band got together, but also some great pictures, and a full notation of the musicians, recording date, etc. for each song (no printed lyrics though). Again, if you are a major fan of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, get this set (assuming you can part with about $50), case closed. And for the casual/new fan, this is a great introduction.

Almost perfect.......2006-06-18

I have to start by pointing out that the Amazon "reviewer" has nary a clue when it comes to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers because anyone who thinks "By 1980 their best music was behind them" is sadly mistaken. They have continued to make great rock n' roll for thirty years, and with a new release coming out in July are still going strong. Not only do they continue to rock and grow as a band and as artists, they make meaningful songs that protest the dying of radio and the fun of music due to the corporate takeover of radio.

As for the release itself, it is filled with hits, demos, B-sides, live songs and that is what a boxset should be. It is too bad it doesn't include songs from "Wildflowers" and the other CDs that have come out since, but there's the rub with artists who continue to produce the goods. There are some songs left out that should have been included (that could be said for any boxset though), particularly, for me anyhow, "The Wild One, Forever;" "You're Gonna Get It;" "Spike;" "It Ain't Nothin' to Me;" "Stories We Could Tell" (what a gem this one is!) and "Girl on LSD" (leaving this amusing tune off when it is so hard to find was a travesty!). My only other wish was that the live songs were drawn from unreleased material and included a couple more cuts. All in all though, this boxset is not only well worth the money, it is a treasure for any fan of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Enjoy, and long live these gone gators!

Average customer rating:

rare stuff
Eighties Hip Oddities, and Obscurities

The Ego Trip's the Big Playback
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Priority Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Old School | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists
ego trip's Big Book of Racism!
Madvillainy

ASIN: B00004SCDW
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Holy War (Live) - Divine Force
My Mic Is On Fire - Lord Shafiyq
Marley Marl Scratch - Marley Marl
Get Retarded - MC EZ & Troup
Get Down Grandmaster - Grandmaster Caz
Step Up Front - Positive K
This Cut's Got Flavor - Latee
Droppin' It - The Bizzie Boys
I'm Not Playing - Ultimate Force
Do It! Do It! - The Alliance
Brooklyn Blew Up The Bridge - MC Mitchski
Beat Bop - Rammelzee vs. K-Rob

Amazon.com

On their companion album to the splendid Book of Rap Lists, the folks at Ego Trip assemble a compelling anthology that plumbs hip-hop's historic (1983's epic "Beat Bop" by Rammelzee and K-Rob), obscure (MC Mitchski's lost "answer" rap to the whole Bronx/Queensbridge beef, "Brooklyn Blew Up the Bridge"), and esoteric (MC EZ and Troop's "Get Retarded") offerings from the 1980s' so-called golden era. Archival standards aside, the comp has some killer singles from rap's yesteryear, especially the brilliant "Droppin' It" by the Bizzie Boyz and Ultimate Force's hyper-than-a-heart-attack "I'm Not Playin.'" Just like the New York hip-hop scene enjoying its breakout moment in the mid- to late-80s, The Big Playback comes out swinging with swagger, every song an attempt at a knockout punch. --Oliver Wang

Customer Reviews:

rare stuff.......2001-01-25

by their own ranking system (in the lists book) this c.d. would rate pretty low as hardly any of this stuff is really essential to a well rounded "history of rap" collection. But that's not the point, the good folks at ego trip (bonz malone excepted) have provided us with a nice little collection of hard to find on c.d. (where did all my vinyl go?)

if your like me, snatch it up.

Eighties Hip Oddities, and Obscurities.......2000-10-14

This compilation is a companion to "Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists". The book is about three-hundred pages of hip-hop trivia, opinion, stories, and facts, in list form. The tracks here appear frequently in the book. They are each relatively obscure hip-hop songs from the eighties. Each track is in at least one list in the book. "Holy War (live)" by Divine Force and "My Mic is on Fire" by Lord Shafiyq are part of the list of DJ Premiere's "Quarterpound of Underacknowledged Eightees Hip-Hop Cuts". There are some common rap artists whose work, either under previous names or earlier bands, appears here. "Get Retarded" by MC EZ and Troup has rapping by a young Craig G, long before he hit it big with "Flava In Your Ear". This cd has some early material by producers who would later go on to success. "Im Not Playing" by Ultimate Force has beats done by Diamond D, prior to his fame in Digin In The Crates. Other producers present include Mark the 45 King and Marley Marl. You may recognize parts of some songs as they have been sampled often. "Get Retarded" is performed live by contemporary rap group Jurassic 5 as an intro to their performance, although hey change the lyrics only by inserting their names into the song. The gem of this compilation is "Beat Bop" by K-Rob vs. Rammellzee. It is a stunning ten minutes of psychedelic instruments and good versus evil in the ghetto lyrics. The liner notes in the cd booklet sort out just what wen on between Rammellzee and the producer Jean-Michel Basquiat as the track was made. This cd is a must for hip hop junkies who liked the book by Ego Trip. Hip hop junkies and real hip hop jingoists will find this to be a great cd.

Average customer rating:

50 Years of Makin' Music
Charlie Louvin
Manufacturer: Playback Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000DV6E
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Makin' Music - Waylon Jennings, Charlie Louvin, Willie Nelson
Just Beyond the Pain - Crystal Gayle, Charlie Louvin
Memories Burnin' - Charlie Louvin
This Darn Pen - Charlie Louvin, Willie Nelson
Old Dreams - Charlie Louvin
Are There Any Lonely Women Here Tonight - Charlie Daniels, Charlie Louvin
Ain't You Even Gonna Cry - Charlie Louvin
Back in Harmony - Charlie Louvin, Tanya Tucker
Country Boy's Dream - Waylon Jennings, , George Jones, Charlie Louvin
Takes Love to Know Love - Charlie Louvin, Melba Montgomery
Precious Time - Charlie Louvin

Solti: The Wagner Opera Collection (Limited Edition) [21-CD Box Set with Bonus Unreleased CD]

Average customer rating:

One of the triumphs of recorded sound
A decent Wagner collection, for the price
Part 2: DIE MEISTERSINGER Analysis
Difficult
Part 1 of Comments

Solti: The Wagner Opera Collection (Limited Edition) [21-CD Box Set with Bonus Unreleased CD]
Manfred Jungwirth , Peter Klein , Waldemar Kmentt , Tom Krause , and Resnik, Regina
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti
An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen
Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen / Levine, Metropolitan Opera (Complete Ring Cycle)
Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Ghiaurov, Karajan
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde

ASIN: B00006469R
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Album Description

Track Listings:

Discs 1-3 Der Fliegender Holldnder

Discs 4-6 Tannhduser

Discs 7-9 Lohengrin

Discs 10-13 Tristan und Isolde

Discs 14-17 Die Meistersinger von N|rnberg

Discs 18-21 Parsifal

Bonus CD: The Birth of an Opera (Solti in rehearsal of Tristan und Isolde)

Customer Reviews:

One of the triumphs of recorded sound.......2007-01-09

This collection not only represents all of the glorious music of Wagner the continues to influence composers to this day; it is also one of the greatest achievements both for Maestro Solti and for recording technology that was in practice during this time period. Yes, this music is lengthy, and because of the german dialogue often difficult to follow and comprehend, but I assure you that the rewards of listening to this collection will change your life. I would also recommend seeing any of these operas live, in that they are a truly magical experience.

A decent Wagner collection, for the price.......2004-06-08

None of these is my favorite recording of each particular opera, but for the new fan of Wagner who wants an instant, and decent, collection of recordings, one could do much, much worse than this. These recordings feature the most accomplished singers and orchestras of their day, as well as the most advanced sound engineering available. That said, these recordings (The Ring in particular) suffer from an over-consciousness of their own greatness. The producers strove too hard to create perfect, definitive recordings. The result frequently is a gorgeous, but lifeless reading of the drama. Solti's languid tempi don't help, either. Bohm or Kegel (when you can find him) are far better Wagner conductors. On the positive side, the presence of French tenor Rene Kollo in several of these recordings is a particular delight. He was a singer of extraordinary taste and refinement.

A note about Tristan und Isolde: The main reason to own this recording is for the supporting cast: Tom Krause as Kurwenal, and particularly Regina Resnik as Brangaene (the best recorded Brangaene ever, by far). Fritz Uhl as Tristan is a nonentity (where's Kollo when you need him!). Nilsson of course is brilliant, but her 1966 live recording under Karl Bohm has more fire.

Part 2: DIE MEISTERSINGER Analysis.......2004-01-29

Solti's Die Meistersingers is without doubt one of the best in the catalogue. His conducting is lively and very animated, and all the singers sing very beautifully - they all have beautiful voices. As with ANY wagner opera recording, there are drawbacks. Firstly, the orchestra and singers are really recorded too closely to each other - there is a lack of space in between orchestra, singer and chorus. Secondly, the microphones were placed too close, again, to singers, chorus and orchestra. This has to do with the recording venue - Orchestra Hall in Chicago - which does not allow the singers, chorus and orchestra to be spaced out nicely. So the sound is slightly unpleasant - but you can mitigate that by turning the volume down a little. It does help. Having said that, the digital sound is very full and vivid, all the details are beautifully captured by Decca's engineers. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is absolutely gorgeous - they play beautifully and articulate clearly. Having said that, you notice that the Chicago forces lack something that the Vienna Philharmonic possesses. Call it the X-factor. The Vienna Philharmonic is an opera orchestra - they play under the name Vienna State opera orchestra at the Vienna State Opera. But in concert and in recordings, they assume the name Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Anyway, being an opera orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic certainly knows how to play opera music better than the Chicago Symphony. The Chicago forces, though technically wonderful, lack that extra X-factor in their playing. I think it has to do with injecting emotion into the playing. The end result is that although the Chicago Symphony plays beautifully, the playing is sometimes a bit bland, and you miss the kind of frisson an opera orchestra provides. Mattila sings very beautifully as Eva - she is one of the highlights of the performance. the other highlight is Ben Heppner who is wonderful in his singing and phrasing. Van Dam is excellent as Hans Sachs. All the other principals are never less than adequate although they are a bit detached.

Having said all that, this is still one of the best Die Meistersingers in the catalogue. But you have to listen to it over a long period of time before you can appreciate it properly. I only began to really enjoy the performance after spending over a year listening to it (in between other things). But that's only because I listen to tons of other music. I guess if you just concentrate on Die Meistersinger, it might take a shorter time.

There's always this talk about the K's in Die Meistersinger - Karajan, Kubelik, Kempe. Well, Kempe is in MONO, Karajan's 1951 performance is in MONO, Kubelik's recorded sound is not very nice - on the hard side. I guess Jochum and Karajan's stereo would be good alternative, but this version can hold its own against those two. Unless you are a Wagner freak (in which case, you should just buy them all), this is perfectly fine as a sole representation of Die Meistersinger in your collection.

Difficult.......2004-01-27

Wagner's non-Ring operas can be quite difficult to listen to. If you buy this set, be prepared to spend time on it. I listened to it for a very long time. For some time I was quite dissatisfied. But with time, you learn to appreciate the operas. Now I enjoy them thoroughly. Like good wine, these operas become better over time. So don't throw your set away after 1 hearing. Listen to each opera for 100 times, then you'll discover the magic.

Part 1 of Comments.......2003-07-25

LOHENGRIN ANALYSIS:

Lohengrin. My goodness, the singing here is simply gorgeous. Jessye Norman is in superb voice and her voice rings out gloriously throughout the opera. Domingo has been criticized for his German diction. But don't forget that Lohengrin is supposed to be a foreigner. Besides, his beautiful golden tone more than makes up for the unidiomatic diction. With such wonderful singing from Domingo, you just forget any shortcomings with respect to diction and related stuff. Besides, a lot of listeners do not know German (I don't) so they won't really care. Contrary to popular beliefs, Wagner loved beautiful singing. Many will be astounded to know that Bellini was one of his favorite composers. Did you know that Brunhilde's battle cry "Hoyotoho!" HAVE TRILLS WRITTEN IN THEM!!!!! YES!! Birgit Nilsson doesn't sing the trills. Almost no Brunnhilde ever attempts the trills. Only exception is Gwyneth Jones. Yes, contrary to popular belief, Wagner has some elements of Bel Canto written in them. Wagner's music has been subject to much abuse - singers singing it in a rough way. the Solti set shines out for the wonderful legato lines by Domingo, Norman, Randova et. al. It is simply a ravishing performance. No doubt one of Solti's most beautiful Wagner recording. I am not suprised that the Penguin Guide once gave this opera a rosette. Finally, instead of a tenor and a soprano with pressed shrill sound and a forced out tone, we have sensuous, beautiful, gorgeous legato lines - ravishing tone poured out minute after minute, underscored beautifully by the incomparable VPO and Solti's lively conducting - the tempi never sags but Solti never drives the music hard either.

More comments on other sets to come in time....

Here Comes That Rainbow Again
Average customer rating:

1991 Studio album, great lost disc.

Sammi is smokin'.

Here Comes That Rainbow Again
Sammi Smith
Manufacturer: Playback Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music
Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Help Me Make It Through the Night

The Best of Sammi Smith

The Essential Kris Kristofferson

ASIN: B00008FIN4
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Gonna Lay Me Down Beside My Memories
Savannah Moon
Cloudy Days
Mem'ryville
Here Comes That Rainbow Again
I'll Be Around
Way It Is
Slow Dancin'
Waltz Across Texas
I'd Do It over Again

Customer Reviews:

1991 Studio album, great lost disc. .......2006-06-02

What can I say about this album? If you like Sammi Smith then you will want to add this to your collection. Its a great piece of traditional sounding country that came out in 1991 (not 1995). Somehow this slipped under the radar, being a small label (Playback also released Jeanne C Riley's Here Jeanne album the same year) they could have gone under or had no promotional budget. There seems to be very little info about this CD online so my main reason to post this review is to confirm that this is a album of original material, not a compilation and worth snatching up if you are a fan of Sammi Smith or other classic country female singers. This is truly a lost gem and I believe her last full album.

Sammi is smokin'........2006-01-19

Wow!! I always loved Sammi's voice, but this is terrific. Every song captures her
smoky sound. Title song gives yoiu goosebumps. She really belts "Gonna Lay Me Down Beside My Memories" and tears your heart out with "Mem'ryville".
Great material, great performance, great production. "Waltz Across Texas" becomes
"her" song.
Sammi fans will absolutley love this album.
She's better than ever.

Average customer rating:

And That's the Gospel
Charlie Louvin
Manufacturer: Playback Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E2HF
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

I Feel Like Traveling On - Jim & Jesse, Charlie Louvin
If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again - Charlie Louvin, Tammy Wynette
In the Cross - Charlie Louvin
I See a Bridge - Charlie Louvin, Grant Turner
Where the Roses Never Fade - Charlie Louvin
In the Sweet By and By - Charlie Louvin
When They Ring Those Golden Bells - John Conley, Charlie Louvin
Nearer My God to Thee - Charlie Louvin, Charles Whitstein
I've Known a Lady - Little Jimmy Dickens, Charlie Louvin
Sweet Beaulah Land - Charlie Louvin

Average customer rating:

The 25th Anniversary Album
Tommy Cash
Manufacturer: Playback Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DV6D
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Thoughts on the Flag
All by My Lonesome
Hank & George, Lefty & Me
Guess Things Happen That Way
Whatever It Takes
Old Memories Are Hard to Lose
We've Got Love
Too Little Too Late
What Do We Call It Now

Average customer rating:

Debut album from a great country singer

All Right
Robin Right
Manufacturer: Playback Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008FIN6
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Right Now Is the Right Time
If We're Not Goin' Anywhere
Burnin' Blue
To Make a Long Story Short
This Old Fiddle
I Like a Man to Drive
Cross My Broken Heart
It Ain't Necessarily Love
If You Want My Love
Pull Away from Me

Customer Reviews:

Debut album from a great country singer.......2004-04-18

Robin is one of those singers that never made it as a recording artist but, despite this, has made a good living via live performances and occasional recordings on independent labels, which have won her an international fan base, particularly in Scandinavia. Robin's live act includes a Tammy Wynette tribute. Although her voice is different from Tammy's, you can hear similarities on some tracks, particularly on some of the ballads such as To cut a long story short and Cross my broken heart.

This album was her first, although she had previously recorded a couple of singles (not included here). The music here is rooted in traditional country but has a contemporary edge, although my guess is that this album will mostly appeal to traditional country fans. The set begins with an up-tempo song (Right now is the right time), which is followed by a superb ballad (If we're not going anywhere). Next comes Burning blue, a bsong with a bluesy edge. And so the album continues, with plenty of different songs. Perhaps the best of an excellent set is I like a man to drive.

Tracks:

Playback Play: News From The Music Fair Radio Piece (1996/97)

Average customer rating:

Playback
Phi Life Cypher
Manufacturer: Zebra Traffic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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Higher Forces

ASIN: B000GPAQ5S
Release Date: 2006-09-21

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