The Wheel

Amazon.com
Rosanne Cash went through some major changes after 1990's critical triumph Interiors. She divorced her longtime producer and husband Rodney Crowell, she moved from Nashville to Manhattan, and she shifted her career from Columbia's country division to its pop division. What hasn't changed is her music. The Wheel boasts the same kind of extremely personal portraits of troubled marriage and unsettled womanhood set to the same sort of lucid folk-pop as her previous three albums. No one in Anglo-American pop does it better. Cash is the Billie Holiday of country singers. Her small voice sometimes wanders off pitch, but she invests her soft, close-microphone vocals with so much core emotion that she creates the illusion of whispering the most intimate secrets into each listener's ear. Her translucent voice projects such resilient strength that the listener's reaction is not pity but gratitude for the confidence. --Geoffrey Himes

The Wheel,Rosanne Cash,Sony,Contemporary Country,Country,Country & Western,Neo-Traditionalist Country,Pop,Rock/Pop,Singer/Songwriter

Average customer rating: Heart Like a Wheel Linda Ronstadt's first #1 album Classsic a journey through heartbreak In need of a remaster

Heart Like a Wheel Linda Ronstadt Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Hasten Down the Wind Prisoner in Disguise Simple Dreams Don't Cry Now Linda Ronstadt: Greatest Hits ASIN: B000007O1A Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. You're No Good
2. It Doesn't Matter Anymore
3. Faithless Love
4. The Dark End Of The Street
5. Heart Is Like A Wheel
6. When Will I Be Loved
7. Willing
8. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
9. Keep Me From Blowing Away
10. You Can Close Your Eyes

Amazon.com essential recording

It's often said that this 1974 set, Ronstadt's true commercial breakthrough after a half decade's worth of minor hits, set the formula for the platinum successes to follow: some underrecognized singer/songwriter jewels, a couple of semi-obscure early rock tunes, always with something for country radio as well as Top 40 to grab hold of. But Heart Like a Wheel does it with a magic Ronstadt and her L.A. session crew would never touch again; for one thing, she was rarely again as convincingly tough ("You're No Good") or as fragile (the Anna McGarrigle-penned title track) as she is here. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Heart Like a Wheel.......2005-04-17

Rarely is a recording released that contains 10 potential hits. There is not a bad song on this CD. I remember having the LP back in the 70's when it was released. Linda Ronstadt has one of the most beautiful voices in all of music. This CD has up-tempo songs like "You're No Good" and "When Will I Be Loved" to the country classic "I Can't Help It if I'm Still in Love with You". The title track, "Heart Like a Wheel" is a beautiful ballad in Ronstadt's voice. This CD is certainly a classic for lovers of good music. It is highly recommended!

Linda Ronstadt's first #1 album.......2005-03-02

YOU'RE NO GOOD,the #1 smash from this album is probably what made the album a #1 smash. There was only one other Top 20 hit,a cover of the Everly Brothers' WHEN WILL I BE LOVED. YNG came to the attention of Van Halen around 1978 and the band decided to cover the tune. The other songs are good. Linda Ronstadt's Asylum Records labelmate Andrew Gold plays guitar and sings background on YNG.

Classsic.......2004-12-29

Even after 30 years, this sounds great. It is a true classic.
Everyone should own it.

a journey through heartbreak.......2004-03-26

Linda Ronstadt's 1974 breakthrough hit Heart Like A Wheel represents her greatest musical accomplishment and one of country pop's definitive moments. The album opens with the visceral rock 'n roll of "You're No Good," a No. 1 pop hit. But it is the suite of ballads that follows that make Heart Like A Wheel so memorable. Never again would Ronstadt be able to capture the chillingly fragile heartbreak of the title track, the guilty love of "Dark End of the Street" or the frustration of "When Will I Be Loved?"

Ronstadt's voice is well suited for the melodic banjo lines, rolling piano notes and horns of country pop, but she also uses her higher register to good effect. When she sings the line "and my love for you is like a sinking ship," her wavering voice nearly cracks with heartbreak--a sharp contrast to "Dark End of the Street," when she intones "please don't cry / tonight we'll meet / at the dark end of the street."

Elsewhere on the album, Ronstadt's voice blends perfectly with the musical arrangements. Her cover of Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" rolls along with an insistent drum-line that echoes the song's theme of reluctantly but assuredly moving on after a tedious break-up, while the blaringly loud chorus of "Willing" is as hopeful and the lyrics are determined: "I've been warped by the wind, driven by the snow...But I'm still willin'."

Heart Like A Wheel is not a celebration of love but rather, an exploration of the anguish and power of heartbreak. Relationships here are unhealthy or hopeless ("Dark End of the Street," "Faithless Love"), breakups are overwhelmingly sad ("Heart Like A Wheel," "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You") and prospects for the future are tenuous, at best ("When Will I Be Loved," "Keep Me From Blowing Away"). And yet, Heart Like A Wheel suggests that a failed unhealthy relationship is better than a successful but harmful one ("It Doesn't Matter Anymore," "You're No Good"). The album concludes with a promise of a bright new day ("You Can Close Your Eyes"), suggesting that even when you think everything is lost, time proves to be a great healer of a broken heart.

Heart Like A Wheel is a full and complete experience--a lovely set of country-pop gems encompassing the ups and downs of a relationship. Linda Ronstadt's voice carries, unites and embodies these intense emotions with such passion that it is impossible not to be moved. Each song stands beautifully on its own, but it is the stunning cohesiveness of the album as a whole that is most impressive and memorable.

In need of a remaster.......2003-12-03

The pinnacle of both Ronstadt's country-music phase and of her career as a whole, "Heart Like a Wheel" is one of those albums that does everything right to an almost uncanny degree. Sure, it contains some of her finest vocals, and yes, Peter Asher's production is as supple and modest as his work for James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James" was five years earlier. (After "Heart," Asher would adopt an ever-more rigid, formulaic approach to Ronstadt's releases that seemed to put her on a pedestal, or in a cage.) And it's inarguable that the material Ronstadt and Asher selected for "Heart" is uniformly strong. But there's something else at work here, something greater than the sum of the record's many impressive parts. If I knew what it was, I'd be in the music business; since I don't, I'll settle for calling it "kismet," or simply magic. This stellar album deserves better than the cut-rate, noise-ridden mastering of the original CD release that's still on the market. In the remastering era, it's as overdue for a sonic upgrade as any album in print.

Average customer rating: "A high caliber of muscianship" The Wheel rolls on ... and it's all good Refreshing Great New Album

Reinventing the Wheel Asleep at the Wheel Manufacturer: Megaforce ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Last of the Breed Asleep at the Wheel - 20 Greatest Hits Swing Time Ride With Bob Balls ASIN: B000N3AW1G Release Date: 2007-03-20

Tracks:

1. The Devil Ain't Lazy(Featuring The Blind Boys of Alabama)
2. Your Mind is on Vacation
3. I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine
4. Am I Right (Or Amarillo)
5. This Old Cowboy
6. I'm an Old Cow Hand (From the Rio Grande)
7. Pop a Wheelie
8. Misery
9. Hot Like That
10. Saturday Night Fish Fry
11. You're My Sugar
12. The Cape

Customer Reviews:

"A high caliber of muscianship".......2007-04-08

Those are the words that AATW's new vocalist/guitarist Elizabeth McQueen used on joining the group. Heck this whole band is 1st chair/session caliber players that hone their musical craft night after night live across the USA. IMO this is one of their top 3 CD's ever, the other two being "Western Standard Time" & "A Ride With Bob". For a long time fan of AATW Brother Ray Benson, Elizabeth McQueen, Jason Roberts, Eddie Rivers,David Miller, John Michael Whitby & David Sanger are musicians, musicians. Buy this CD, see the play a "Ride With Bob", but above all else catch them LIVE. You WILL be amazed!

The Wheel rolls on ... and it's all good.......2007-03-26

During their impressive 36-year run as Texas' premiere Western Swing band, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have not rested on the laurels of their considerable talents. They continue to push the boundaries of what defines their unique genre. On their new CD, "Reinventing the Wheel," Benson and the band show their fans how Western Swing should be done.

"I asked the band to step up to the plate with the new album," Benson said. "Jason (Roberts) and Elizabeth (McQueen) really delivered."

The first cut is a rare Bob Wills tune, "The Devil Ain't Lazy." It features a rip-roaring turn by the Blind Boys of Alabama. (Think The Mills Brothers meet a steel guitar.) I dare you not to smile while listening.

Benson's bad boy image will surely be solidified with his turn on "Your Mind is on Vacation." Van Morrison might have cut the Mose Allison tune first, but Benson sure puts his stamp on it. Da-Da-Da-Dum. "If silence was golden, you couldn't raise a dime./Your mind is on vacation and your mouth is working overtime." Da-Da-Da-Dum.

The band has a new girl singer and she is a keeper. Elizabeth McQueen's voice dances across the tunes on bright, shiny tippy toes. She lights up "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine" and she gets a chance to wail on "I'm an Old Cowhand." She earned some new fans, based on the crowd's enthusiastic reactions the last three times I've seen them.

She and Roberts team up on "You're My Sugar," a toe-tapping number with some great guitar licks and some pretty fast fiddling.

The band rocks on the instrumental "Pop a Wheelie" as they get a chance to strut their musical stuff. Benson wrote the tune, which features Rolf Sieker on banjo.

The group tips its hat to Bob Wills with a fine rendition of "Misery." Roberts, who has developed the ability to channel Wills' melancholy, can make his fiddle weep. The harmonies are filled with blue lonesome. Wills and Tommy Duncan, who co-wrote the song, would be proud.

"Hot Like That" is a great new two-stepping tune from Benson. My money says this one will become a crowd favorite. It's perfect for a Saturday night on the town. Hot. Hot. Hot. The band's take on the 1949 Louis Jordan classic, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" will also make you want to scoot your boots across the sawdust on the hardwood floors.

"This Old Cowboy" is the perfect road trip turn. Benson's jazz roots make a strong showing on this 1974 Marshall Tucker Band cover . . . and it's all good. Put the top down, grab your sunshades and head down the open road. Roberts' fiddle is outstanding in the quick break. The song is just as good live ... wow!

The Wheel's cover of Guy Clark's 1995 tune "The Cape" closes the CD. Clark's introspective lyrics and Benson's soulful interpretation are like Irish coffee after a really fine meal -- immensely satisfying and a perfect way to end the evening. "He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith./ Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape." It was a real treat to hear them do the song live Friday night. It's a soulful song, and Benson took his time to let the lyrics sink in.

Asleep at the Wheel has spent three decades as the champions of Texas Swing, and as they prove with this new CD, their place at the top of the heap is safe and secure. They've just returned from a 15 city tour with Willie, Merle and Ray Price. Would have loved to have been a fly on THOSE tour buses!

Enjoy!

Refreshing Great New Album.......2007-03-18

I really enjoyed this new AATW album. Elizabeth McQueen is a wonderful addition to the band, Jason Roberts shines with "Am I Right (Or Amarillo)", and Ray Benson is his same great self. The instrumentals are magnificent and remind you why this is the best band around to see live.

Average customer rating: Asleep at the Wheel Gotta love Texas Swing! Excellent selection, mixture of fun, serious, and in between Asleep at the Wheel - 20 Greatest Hits What a Ride !

Asleep at the Wheel - 20 Greatest Hits Asleep at the Wheel Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ride With Bob Reinventing the Wheel Swing Time Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys 23 Country Classics ASIN: B00008NGDY Release Date: 2003-04-01

Tracks:

1. Take Me Back To Tulsa
2. Fat Boy Rag
3. The Letter That Johnny Walker Read
4. Bump Bounce Boogie
5. Nothin' Takes The Place Of You
6. Route 66
7. Miles And Miles Of Texas
8. The Trouble With Loving Today
9. Once O'Clock Jump
10. Texas, Me And You
11. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie (Live)
12. House Of The Blue Lights
13. Keepin' Me Up Nights
14. Corrine, Corrina
15. Red Wing
16. Blues For Dixie
17. Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)
18. Hightower
19. You Ain't Woman Enough
20. If You See My Baby

Customer Reviews:

Asleep at the Wheel.......2007-06-08

Never received the item, had to get in touch with customer service to resend the item. Other than the delay in getting the CD the process worked well.

Gotta love Texas Swing!.......2007-05-15

Since the 70s, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel has kept the spirit of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys alive and well. This is a good representation of some of their favorites, including "Route 66", "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" and "Take me Back to Tulsa". Because there have been quite a few personnel changes throughout the years, this collection could have used better annotation so listeners know who played what on what and when the songs were released. Otherwise, no complaints. The remastered CD sounds great and brings back a lot of memories.

Excellent selection, mixture of fun, serious, and in between.......2007-03-26

Thank goodness CDs have more room than vinyl. It's hard enough to restrict the collection to 20 songs. The collection has a nice diversity, with instrumentals, ballads, swing, and free-spirited fun. The band is in fine form throughout, with crisp playing in both studio and live numbers. Be prepared for some foot tapping and singing along.

Obviously AATW recorded many of these songs many times. Only "Route 66" came to mind as having a better version elsewhere, because the vocals here didn't have the style I prefer.

The other vocalists (mostly Ray and Chris) were right on target. Ray conveys such energy and fun in the rousing "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" and the amusing "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette" and others, when he and the band let loose. His voice is not a classically great voice, but he seems so well-suited also to "Miles and Miles of Texas" and similar, more moderate tunes. Ray must believe in the old chestnut, "Know thyself".

This is not the album if you want to feature Chris' vocals. She leads on only three.

The liner notes could have used more retrospective. If the band wants this to be considered a key collection, now would have been a good time to provide some more text about the band and the specific songs. They ended up with a relatively sparse amount, in my opinion, and even had a couple of typos in the list of songs.

Asleep at the Wheel - 20 Greatest Hits.......2006-07-20

This is super album that helps me recall their many great songs. There could be a bit more documentation with the CD since this covers 30 years of their production.

What a Ride !.......2004-08-09

I remember buying my first "Asleep at the Wheel" album in the early seventies, so this band has been giving us fine music for over thirty years ! Of course, various musicians have come and gone, but there is one constant factor that keeps this band playing great stuff--Mr. Ray Benson--his leadership, talent and ear for a great song form the backbone of "AATW".

After all this time, no single CD or even a boxed set can cover all the music this band has recorded--but for a single, "best of" disc, this one is hard to beat. Of course, "AATW" diehards will want more than this--much more--but for the casual listener, this is a marvellous CD that is never going to become boring or dated. I first played this disc in my car, driving out in the country--a perfect combination !

Texas swing is alive and well in this music. It wouldn't be hard to imagine the ghost of Bob Wills near the stage, tapping his feet and grabbing his fiddle ! At the same time, these twenty tracks really highlight the versatility of the band. For example, I think that the lovely ballad " Texas Me and You" has always been one of AATW's best songs. Of course there are jump tunes aplenty here--"Take Me Back to Tulsa", "Bump Bounce Boogie", "Route 66", "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" ( Ray must be a Louis Jordan fan too ! ), and "Corrina Corrina" to name a few. Guests like Brooks and Dunn, Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck add to the fun. Speaking of fun, Ray Benson really knows how to inject humour into a song too, for example, the old Tex Williams classic, "Smoke ! Smoke ! Smoke ! ( That Cigarette ). A couple of previously-unreleased songs round out a terrific CD.

Bottom line--a wonderful, one-disc retrospective of a great band that has shunned gimmicks and fads to remain true to its roots. Mr. Benson--if you ever read this--Thank You !

Average customer rating: Catherine Wheel: Ferment sunlight bleaches you A great album to sum up the Manchester scene in the early 90's The best single second of alt-rock ever recorded Pure Genious...

Ferment Catherine Wheel Manufacturer: Fontana Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Shoegazing | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Chrome Nowhere Souvlaki Happy Days Adam and Eve ASIN: B000001DVN Release Date: 1992-06-09

Tracks:

1. Texture
2. I Want To Touch You
3. Black Metallic
4. Indigo Is Blue
5. She's My Friend
6. Shallow
7. Ferment
8. Flower To Hide
9. Tumbledown
10. Bill and Ben
11. Salt
12. Balloon

Amazon.com

One of the finest albums to arise out of the shoegazing trend coating the early 1990s, Ferment is rich, lush, and wrenching. For what it's worth, Catherine Wheel get a mention in the liner notes of the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream. Perhaps it's indicative of the fact that this album rocks a little harder than the genre-defining releases from the likes of the Stone Roses, the Charlatans, and the Inspiral Carpets. Ferment includes guitar solos, albeit tasteful guitar solos, that most of Catherine Wheel's contemporaries would have balked at. Later releases abandon the ethereal noise wash, leaning a little more toward the sound of their admirers the Pumpkins. A beautiful, spiraling release, Ferment is pliable but impenetrable. --Beth Bessmer

Customer Reviews:

Catherine Wheel: Ferment.......2007-03-31

This is an awesome CD and an awesome band. The 90's were definitely the decade where I became musically aware, and most of my favorite bands are from that decade, but somehow I never heard - or even heard of - Catherine Wheel until 2007. Man, I was missing out. I actually fell in love with them via "Crank," a song from CW's second album, Chrome...but by now, I like Ferment even better than Chrome.

If you have always wished that Radiohead would make a sequel to The Bends, then check out Catherine Wheel. And after going through Catherine Wheel's catalog, you might check out The Autumns for a current band that makes this (EXACT!) kind of music. Also, obviously, get The Bends if you don't have it yet. Enjoy.

sunlight bleaches you.......2007-03-08

A very impressive debut album from a band that will help shape and shift the landscape of the British underground. Compared to other Catherine Wheel albums, Ferment is very raw in it's production and is the main reason that they were lumped into the shoegazer category. Beautiful pop melodies that are twisted around a vaccuum of distorted fuzz to create a powerful collection of tunes. Catherine Wheel has always had the ability to make you weep with their frailty and then rip your face like an emotional juggernaut. It all starts with Ferment. Rob Dickinson begins to develop his signature breathy vocals. His voice truly is another instrument. Brian Futter drops bombs of ambient distortion. Neils Simms and Dave Hawes anchor the songs so that they don't sail 10,000 miles over the moon. Over time, Catherine Wheel would develop and refine their sound even more but this is the album that started it all. Outstanding.

A great album to sum up the Manchester scene in the early 90's.......2007-01-15

Anyone who knows the early sounds of the 90's would hear every trick in this outstanding album produced by Catherine Wheel. A great example of the 'Manchester scene' that captures those distinctive wayward guitar rifts and catchy melodies, a must for anyone who wants to bring those days back to life.

The best single second of alt-rock ever recorded.......2006-12-11

...is the one in which those four sixthteenth-note snare hits rocket us out of the moody interlude of "Black Metallic" at the 6:03 mark and back into that impeccible guitar-drenched finale. You want catharsis? This is catharsis.

The rest of the album isn't exactly bad either.

Pure Genious..........2006-11-10

You can say what you want about the whole "shoegazing" movement to come out of the UK in the early 90's, but you cannot deny the utter brilliance of this album. Loveless by MBV and Nowhere by Ride are equally impressive albums, but Ferment is the complete package. Every song is a gem and I dare the listener to play Ferment, turn off the lights and see if it doesn't make your mind travel. "Flower to Hide" is a forgotten gem on the album that gave us "Black Metallic" and "I Want to Touch You". Other standout tracks to me are "Indigo is Blue" and the title track, "Ferment". Just buy it and find out for yourself

Average customer rating: Super Blues! The Wheel Man, my review from Barcelona the real deal!

The Wheel Man Watermelon Slim and the Workers Manufacturer: Northern Blues ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Watermelon Slim and the Workers 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD) Up Close & Personal Old School In the Palace of the King ASIN: B000NJKYUE Release Date: 2007-04-17

Tracks:

1. The Wheel Man
2. I've Got News
3. Black Water
4. Jimmy Bell
5. Newspaper Reporter
6. Drinking & Driving
7. Fast Eddie
8. Sawmill Holler
9. Truck Driving Mama
10. I Know One
11. Got Love If You Want It
12. Rattlesnake
13. Peaches
14. Judge Harsh Blues

Amazon.com

This Oklahoma City singer and slide guitarist is at the creative apex of traditional blues. He took the roundabout route to get there--fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, officiating at funerals, and working as a trucker, forklift operator, saw miller, firewood salesman, and collection agent until a near-fatal heart attack compelled him to find his calling as a bandleader in 2002. Slim's fourth album since then is even sharper than 2006's critically heralded breakthrough Watermelon Slim & the Workers. It's a devil's playground for his weathered-oak voice and Delta-fueled six-stringing, full of stories of crime ("The Wheel Man"), lust ("Peaches"), and sin ("Jimmy Bell"). For Slim, that's par for the course, but this time he's drafted Chicago blues stalwart Magic Slim for a terse, burnished solo and vocal turns on the title tune and piano great David Maxwell to make three other numbers sparkle and jump. Yet some of the most compelling songs, like the howling a cappella "Jimmy Bell" and the slide 'n' vocal turn "Judge Harsh Blues" are Watermelon Slim alone. And that's enough. His sound and his soul are packed with true, natural grit. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews:

Super Blues!.......2007-06-08

This shows that Watermelon can do it all. I love the rocking out, fast tempo songs like "Drinking and Driving", but there is also a harmonica and vocal track, and an old-fashioned holler.
I still think that the more Rock'n'Roll style songs are the greatest.
Just great. You've got to hear it!

The Wheel Man, my review from Barcelona.......2007-05-21

I very much like Watermelon Slim since I heard him in his sensational April 2005 album "Watermelon Slim & the Workers" in which he made an authentic demonstration of how to play Chicago blues with complete respect for the ways of the clasic players. It was simply magnificent. Later I listened to "Up close & Personal", another Slim's acoustic jewel (see my review March 24, 2007 ), and now I have just listened to this CD, which serves me to get confirmation that we are in front of an authentic bluesman with eminent command of both acoustic and electric styles. He's one of the most authentic and original Blues music out there. In this record you can find high level typical electric Blues like "I've got news", " I know one" or "Fast Eddie", phenomenal acoustic Blues "Jimmy Bell" or " Sawmill holler", incredible slow Blues like "Newspaper reporter". In short, great blues stuff. I only can find one shortcoming which is the rock song "Drinking & Driving", this prevents me from grant five stars to the CD, but elesewhere the record gets the quality of a number one. My evaluation is 4,5 stars. Another added value is the very great MAGIC SLIM as the lead guitar in some tunes, fantastic. I recommend it strongly

the real deal!.......2007-04-30

Watermelon Slim and his band, The Workers, are truly the real deal. These guys play blues, rock, and shuffles like they were born to do it. Not a bad song on this disc. No slick production, just a great band playing great music. In a music world of increasing wannabees and looks taking precedent over substance, this band is a breath of fresh air. True lovers of the blues will love this disc. I can't play it enough. Be sure to check out his release from last year as well.

Average customer rating: Catherine Wheel: Chrome Broken Head This was my introduction... Just a great guitar driven record (four and a half stars) Not quite "Ferment"

Chrome Catherine Wheel Manufacturer: Fontana Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Shoegazing | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ferment Happy Days Adam and Eve Like Cats and Dogs Wishville ASIN: B000001E17 Release Date: 1993-07-20

Tracks:

1. Kill Rhythm
2. I Confess
3. Crank
4. Broken Head
5. Pain
6. Strange Fruit
7. Chrome
8. The Nude
9. Ursa Major Space Station
10. Fripp
11. Half Life
12. Show Me Mary

Amazon.com

Long before groups like Oasis and Blur provoked cross-Atlantic media hype, Catherine Wheel were evolving the Brit-Pop style that typifies the genre's distinction. With the release of Chrome in 1993, they advanced their whispered-wall-of-sound approach to rock amalgamation. Underneath the rust and steel exterior, Chrome exhibits the confidence and sonic rhapsody of its creators. Beyond such fortitudes, the vocal and lyrical arrangements are perhaps the truest accolades of the album with lyrical themes which accompany the listener to the heart of tranquilized and love-inflicted fantasies. The fuzzy solos and vibrato accord further complement the songs aided by crystalline guitar melodies. Jaded with growing pains, singer Rob Dickenson croons with perfect tenor appeal on tracks like "Kill Rhythm" and "Crank," highlighting the personal temperaments which shape the album. Turning experiences into 12-step chromatic conclusions, Catherine Wheel polish the metallic spirit in any latent rocker. --Lucas Hilbert

Customer Reviews:

Catherine Wheel: Chrome.......2007-03-31

This is an awesome CD and an awesome band. The 90's were definitely the decade where I became musically aware, and most of my favorite bands are from that decade, but somehow I never heard - or even heard of - Catherine Wheel until 2007. Man, I was missing out. If you want a preview before buying, just download the song "Crank" and listen to it a few times. It'll make you a believer.

If you have always wished that Radiohead would make a sequel to The Bends, then check out Catherine Wheel. And after going through Catherine Wheel's catalog, you might check out The Autumns for a current band that makes this (EXACT!) kind of music. Also, obviously, get The Bends if you don't have it yet. Enjoy.

Broken Head.......2006-10-15

I've purchased this album three times, lost it three times, and am about to purchase it again. It's that good. I've got 40 GB of music on my ipod and there's a gaping hole without Broken Head, The Nude, etc. Incredible. If you've come this far to read a review, you owe it to yourself and friends to pick this up.

This was my introduction..........2005-11-06

I was a music director at a college radio station when this came out, and along with a ton of other albums this one commanded my attention.
Shoegazers??? I am sure all the label slinging yahoos are still wiping the egg off their faces. Its as if the band heard they were pigeonholed and gave them all the big finger.
Just buy it...and all the rest.

Just a great guitar driven record.......2005-10-17

Perhaps AMAZON will link Coldplay, Blur, and Oasis search hits with this record and inspire a new generation to discover the source that those bands ripped off and do a poor imitation of. Buy this album and get the real thing, for this is a Catherine Wheel masterpiece.

The standout songs here are "Crank" and "The Nude," while "Ursa Major Space Station" also has its hypnothrob charm. This is a fantastic wall of fuzz guitar, and is the most innovative use of the fuzz box since Neil Young's "Rust Never Sleeps." But the whole album is truly the first, best, and original of the shoe gazer genre, and owning it and "Ferment" marks you as "us" versus "them" in the hierarchy of music aficionados.

(four and a half stars) Not quite "Ferment".......2005-09-19

Catherine Wheel's fine second album, "Chrome" contains all of the elements that made "Ferment" (CW's debut album) so spectacular. The merger of power chords and rhythms, with textured swirling guitars, are present here too, with a slightly harder sound. I like pretty much all the songs on the album, and would be hard pressed to name my favorite, or even my three favorites. Some criticize the finale "Show Me Mary" as being to popish (indeed, I could see the Monkeys playing it). But it makes me smile with its airy quality, almost similar to "Balloon," which concludes "Ferment." Right from the start, The first three songs, "Kill Rhythm," "I Confess," and "Crank," attack the senses with the unrelenting power of a locomotive.

These are my reasons for my title of this review ("Not quite 'Ferment'"), and why I gave it four and a half, instead of five stars: 1. It doesn't have that "knockout song" like "Ferment" had "Black Metallic"; 2. "Pain" and "Fripp" would have been better four-minute songs instead of the length they are. 3. "The Nude" and "Half Life" are just OK and somewhat out of place on this album; 4. I think that while the best songs on "Chrome" are terrific, they're not as terrific as, for example, "Shallow," or "Tumbledown," from "Ferment."

Perhaps it's unfair to compare all subsequent CW albums, including "Chrome," to the band's remarkable debut, but "Ferment," as their first album, is the natural measuring stick. However, it would be a mistake to read this as a negative review in any manner, since I love "Chrome," and believe it to be the band's second best by a fairly wide margin.

Average customer rating: Fiddles!!! Stands the test of time What Country Music Is Missing--this album is not The best they've ever done ! Second great tribute to the king of western swing

Ride With Bob Asleep at the Wheel Manufacturer: Dreamworks Nashville ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys Asleep at the Wheel - 20 Greatest Hits Swing Time Take Me Back to Tulsa Reinventing the Wheel ASIN: B00000JWOJ Release Date: 1999-08-10

Tracks:

1. Bob's Breakdowns
2. New San Antonio Rose
3. I Ain't Got Nobody
4. Roly Poly
5. Heart To Heart Talk
6. Cherokee Maiden
7. Maiden's Prayer
8. You're From Texas
9. Right Or Wrong
10. Faded Love
11. St. Louis Blues
12. End Of The Line
13. Take Me Back To Tulsa
14. Milk Cow Blues
15. Stay All Night
16. Bob Wills Is Still The King
17. Going Away Party

Amazon.com

Ride with Bob is the new and improved sequel to Asleep at the Wheel's star-studded 1993 effort, Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys. The playing behind the high-profile guest vocalists is hotter and looser this time, with plenty of solo space and the Wheel's Ray Benson assuming Wills's jovial ringleader role. Merle Haggard delivers a wild falsetto version of "St. Louis Blues" backed by the Squirrel Nut Zippers' horns, and Willie Nelson steps out with the Manhattan Transfer on "Going Away Party." Steve Wariner and Vince Gill trade fluid guitar licks on "Bob's Breakdown," Lyle Lovett and Shawn Colvin share a mic on "Faded Love," and the Dixie Chicks romp through "Roly Poly." All of Asleep at the Wheel's recordings have been tributes to Wills's Western-swing legacy in one way or another, but this is as close as they've come to distilling the timeless essence of the sound. --Rick Mitchell

Customer Reviews:

Fiddles!!!.......2007-01-16

This a frandamtastic tribute to Bob Wills & the Original Texas Playboys, & Asleep at the Wheel does ol Bob Proudly. AATW shines clearly & the well known artists, such as Willie, Reba, Dixie Chicks, Merle Haggard do not out weigh this fine rendition. If you like fiddle/country swing, this one can't be beat.

Stands the test of time.......2006-03-26

I loved this CD when I bought it back in 2000. Played it countless times while commuting in my car, danced around the house to it on several occasions I won't say more about - and six years later I still enjoy listening to it! I could live without maybe three of the seventeen tracks, but overall I treasure this music.

What a collection of artists here: the Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Clint Black, Lee Ann Womack, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Reba McEntire, The Manhattan Transfer, Tim McGraw and of course Asleep at the Wheel. The best talent, peforming strong songs. Classic country, Texas swing - whatever you call it, it's music to enjoy for years. At least, it has been for me.

What Country Music Is Missing--this album is not.......2005-06-20

As a resident of the Nashville area and having heard all the stories from insiders about the misdirection, if not indirection, of the major country labels, all one needs to do is to listen to "Ride with Bob," and one is suddenly aware of what is missing in modern country music. True that the album is "Texas swing," but it is a lot closer to country music than what is pouring out of Nashville these days. While I am not a prude, it is nice to listen to music that does not pound away at sexual and alcohol themes. "Faded Love" with Shawn Colvin and Lyle Lovett is my special favorite--Colvin's voice is as good as it gets. And if Willie Nelson and Manhattan Transfer don't convince you to play "Going Away Party" at your funeral,
your weren't listening.

The best they've ever done !.......2003-11-17

This is the pinnacle of Texas Swing! They add variety by adding cameos by other artists, with the ATW band providing instrumentals to the visiting star's vocals, and it works sooo well! I never get tired of listening to this album because it's not one of those that just drones on with the same tempo and style in each track - it has tremendous variety.

Asleep At The Wheel has produced some very good albums, but this is the best I've heard. Very glad I bought it.

Second great tribute to the king of western swing.......2003-09-06

Ray Benson and the other members of Asleep at the Wheel had never made any secret of the fact that Bob Wills was their biggest influence, but they emphasized the point by recording two tribute albums in the nineties devoted entirely to his music, of which this is the second. Both albums featured a star-studded line-up of guests.

Bob's best and most famous song is Faded love, though the song is generally associated with Patsy Cline who made it her own. Here Shawn Colvin and Lyle Lovett sing it as a duet and it works very well this way.

Among my other favorite tracks here are Roly Poly (with the Dixie Chicks), Heart to heart talk (with Lee Ann Womack), You're from Texas (with Tracy Byrd), Right or wrong (with Reba McEntire) and Going away party (with Willie Nelson and the Manhattan Transfer).

Another interesting track is Maiden's prayer featuring the Squirrel nut zippers - surely the least well-known guests here - I'd never heard of them till I heard them here. The version here is not based on Bob's standard recording but on a rare alternate version that Bob recorded with an arrangement reminiscent of Glenn Miller. The vocalist on this track is Katherine Whalen, who as an interesting voice that suits the song well.

All the tracks here are brilliant. Your favorites may be different from mine, but if you like real country music that swings, Texas style, this is for you.

Average customer rating: open your ears winning combo Awesome CD! beautiful Woody would be dancing the hora!!

Wonder Wheel The Klezmatics Manufacturer: Jmg / Jewish Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Jewish & Yiddish Music | Folk | Styles | Music Klezmer | Folk | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah Jews With Horns Rhythm & Jews Brother Moses Smote the Water New Shabbos Waltz ASIN: B000G6BLLA Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

1. Come When I Call You
2. Mermaid's Avenue
3. Headdy Down
4. Gonna Get Through This World
5. Pass Away
6. Holy Ground
7. Goin' Away To Sea
8. From Here On In
9. Wheel Of Life
10. Condorbird
11. Orange Blossom Ring
12. Heaven

Amazon.com

At first glance, the wedding of newly discovered lyrics by Okie folk legend Woody Guthrie to melodies by the Klezmatics--a band that blends the sounds and images of Yiddish culture with world music and American traditions--seems incongruous, at best. But there is method in the madness of executive producer and Woody's daughter, Nora Guthrie. In the 1940s, the Guthries family lived in the heavily Jewish borough of Brooklyn, where their visitors included not only such activist pals as Pete Seeger, but Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt--Guthrie's mother-in-law--who shared his devotion to message and idealism. The troubadour's dusted-off words, particularly on "Mermaid Avenue," show his constant awareness and appreciation of Jewish culture, as well as his predictable fixation with the fleetingness of life in a time of war ("Pass Away," "Goin' Away to Sea"). Yet there is a new gentleness and renewed love of poetry in many of these pieces, especially in the closing song, "Heaven," which reflects Guthrie's continuing social consciousness, i.e., labor struggles and the homeless. The Klezmatics, on their first English-language album, push Woody's folkie form into the 21st century, with melodies built around Middle Eastern or Slavic frameworks--put to best use on the delicate lullaby "Heddy Down" and the affirming "Wheel of Life." --Alanna Nash

Album Description

The story of Wonder Wheel is a glorious tale of happenstance and discovery, populated by luminaries from different worlds and different eras.

In the pantheon: American folk icon Woody Guthrie and world music superstars the Klezmatics, Woody's daughter, Nora Guthrie, maestro Itzhak Perlman—whose chance meeting with Nora helped plant the seed for the project, Celtic vocalist Susan McKeown, and producers GoodandEvil (Sex Mob, Elysian Fields, Felix Da Housecat).

These Coney Island-wrought lyrics add a less-known urban dimension to a man seen as the avatar of dust- bowl ballads. But, like thousands of his songs, they were left unrecorded, their music forgotten.

The result, seven years in the making, is Wonder Wheel—a record Nora describes as "Just as my father would have wanted." The album reflects Woody's political stance and social agenda into a larger, global mirror, and brings a 20th century American figurehead to a 21st-century audience. Woody's lyrics—set to music that's filled with Eastern European, klezmer, Latin, Celtic, Afro-Caribbean and folk flavors—take on a universal life of their own. As GoodandEvil's Danny Blume notes, the music is "an intense combination of the familiar and the exotic. But above all, it's completely natural, all-encompassing, and intensely human."

Customer Reviews:

open your ears.......2007-04-01

Interesting blend of Klezmer and a country approach.
I feel Woody would be very happy.

winning combo.......2007-03-26

The combination of Woody Guthrie's words and the Klezmatics' music makes for a cd that is being heard over and over again in our house.

Awesome CD!.......2007-03-23

We love this CD! We bought one from Lisa Gutkin, one of the members of the Klezmatics, at a local gig, and then proceeded to buy a bunch more on Amazon to give as gifts to our friends. The album is *genius* and just won a Grammy! Congratulations to the Klezmatics and to Nora Guthrie for enabling this project to happen!

beautiful.......2007-01-15

This album is absolutely incredible... it takes you on an amazing journey, and covers the range of human emotion. Plus, nominated for a grammy!

Woody would be dancing the hora!!.......2007-01-11

The Klezmatics have made a superb record here. I highly recommend this CD to anyone with an interest in Woody Guthrie's Jewish connections and inspirations. Fans of the Klezmatics will love it as well...

Average customer rating: It's Funk, its Bluegrass, it's Latin, It's Folk, It's Afro.. It's String Cheese Best mix of music on the planet is placed inside this cd!!! Excellent album Best of SCI Get this Album! Best album of 1998...

'Round the Wheel The String Cheese Incident Manufacturer: Sci Fidelity Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Bluegrass Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music Rock Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Neo-Psychedelia | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Born on the Wrong Planet A String Cheese Incident Untying the Not Outside Inside Carnival '99 ASIN: B000009T1N Release Date: 1998-09-08

Tracks:

1. Samba DeGreeley
2. Come As You Are
3. Restless Wind
4. On The Road
5. Road Home
6. Galactic
7. 100 Year Flood
8. MLT
9. Got What He Wanted
10. 'Round The Wheel
11. Good Times Around The Bend

Customer Reviews:

It's Funk, its Bluegrass, it's Latin, It's Folk, It's Afro.. It's String Cheese.......2005-09-14

Most eclectic lineup of songs I've heard in a while. They really prove their range of musical influences on this album. It's as if every member of the band liked a different style of music and each got to create their own track.

Best mix of music on the planet is placed inside this cd!!!.......2002-05-08

WOW!!! That's all that can be said for the best CD on the planet. Let me explain: 'Round The Wheel blasts into the groovin' scene with "Come As You Are". This track pushes funk latin beats to the limit as the band floods you with an awesome jam. Then comes the Bluegrass, which can only be described as "Finger-Slapping". But, don't worry...SCI delivers their aroma of funk with "Galactic" and "Got What He Wanted". A pure latin rush comes in from "MLT", as the drums slam their way through this fast paced song. My personal favorite is "'Round The Wheel", because it starts with the relaxed 6 feel. Suddenly charges into a quick 4 feel with incredible feel and power. SCI leaves off with their trademark Bluegrass feel in "Good Times Around the Bend", which lets you relax for a second after being hit with the best music your ears have ever heard. This is the best CD in my whole collection. Buy it now!

Excellent album Best of SCI.......2001-11-28

I can say it is the best studio album thus far, i got this album in 2001, being introduced to the SCI in 2000. All the tracks on this album are different yet appetizing to the ear and get the body grooving in a funky sort of way. Nershi decides to play a folkish role in some tracks and they merge into a unique blend of both jazzy bluegrass and electric progressions. After seeing the SCI the energy produced live is amazing, but this album is a "laid-back" energetic rush of flavor for both the ears and the feet.

Get this Album!.......2001-11-24

Of all the SCI albums I have, including live shows, this is my all time fav. I can't imagine not loving every second of this album. I can't sit still while listening to it, it makes you have to, have to, just got to shake it. Dude, even my 50ish, republican parents love this album. You gotst to get it my friends!

Best album of 1998..........2001-07-27

In a world of processed cheese, thank God for String Cheese! They're the best band anywhere these days, and this is their best album. I just wanted to pose a question to "Music Fan from Middle Earth". Since you were posting a review of the String Cheese Incident's album "Round the Wheel", and you referred to the band as a "weak cover band", can you tell me what songs on the album are cover songs? Your criticism would carry a little more credibility if you could tell us all just which songs from "Round the Wheel" were previously done by other artists, which is the definition of "cover". Well? We're waiting...

Average customer rating: venusfan A Little Weirder than Expected Venus Hum does it again! Too much layered sonic junk, not enough Annette Mood perpetuates mood

The Colors in the Wheel Venus Hum Manufacturer: Nettwerk Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Dance | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Big Beautiful Sky Hummingbirds The Complex Down Here Blink the Brightest ASIN: B000G7PNK4 Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

1. Turn Me Around
2. Untitled
3. Yes And No
4. Untitled
5. Birds And Fishes
6. Do You Want To Fight Me?
7. Genevieve's Wheel
8. You Break Me Down
9. Untitled
10. Surgery In The Sky
11. Pink Champagne
12. 72 Degrees
13. Untitled
14. Go To Sleep

Customer Reviews:

venusfan.......2007-02-22

I was a little worried after reading some of the other customer reviews of this album. I bought it and after listening several times, I am not disappointed. I did think songs 12 and 14 are weaker than the others. I get a little bored listening to them; the lyrics are repetative. Pink Champaigne is my favorite. I am a fan of experimental electronic music. This album incorporates multi-dimensional sounds with upbeat rhythms and Annette's voice is lovely. I am a huge fan of this band and they have not let me down yet. I am excited to see what they produce in the future.

A Little Weirder than Expected.......2007-01-10

We loved Venus Hum's previous albums. In this one, there's a few good songs, but the group got very experimental--to the extent that some of the songs are downright annoying. The vocals, however, are never annoying.

Venus Hum does it again!.......2007-01-09

I was a huge fan of Big Beautiful Sky, so I was excited to listen to this CD when I finally got it. In my opinion, The Colors In The Wheel is even better than Venus Hum's first CD!

While the "Untitled" songs are rather annoying, the real songs are fantastic. My favorites are "Do You Want To Fight Me" and "Yes And No", but really, it's hard to pick a favorite. All of the songs on this cd are so good.

Venus Hum's music is soothing, energizing, beautiful, and poetic all at the same time. Listen to the samples, and if you like them, you'll like listening to the real thing even more.

Too much layered sonic junk, not enough Annette.......2006-11-17

I really love Big Beautiful Sky and Songs for Superheroes, but this album really misses in the production department, and fails to draw the listener in. It's hard to listen to - challenging - almost tiring to consume. I couldn't figure it out until recently, and now it's obvious. It's all the extra sonic junk in the mixes, that aren't rhythmically or harmonically useful. There are just oodles of bleeps and bloops and filtered swooshes that are layered on every song, and they really detract from the groove and melody, burying Annette's vocals and making for basically a confusing electronic art-music experiment rather than a professional CD. I would totally buy a remix of this CD that simply omitted all the sonic junk and put the vocals front and center as found in the prior 2 CD's.

Note that this has nothing at all to do with the songwriting or performance quality - it's just a production botch that could be fixed in a single day. As it is I can't stand to listen to the songs because there's just too much crud going on.

Mood perpetuates mood.......2006-10-21

For their third full-length album, Venus Hum change their sound a bit. Rather than effervescent synthy pop, they try out a dreamier, "Colours in the Wheel" embraces a dreamy, swirling brand of electronica -- think Flaming Lips by way of Aphex Twin, with Imogen Heap doing the vocals.

The change is pretty obvious with the first song. "Mood perpetuates mood... tears perpetuate tears/one lie touches the other find..." Annette Strean croons softly over a guitar ballad, which is woven through with thin ribbons of synth. After a brief, surreal interlude, we're off into the album full-force.

Harder electronic songs have their presence -- the sultry, semisexual "Yes and No" with its urgent beats ("My no means no/my yes means yes..."), and the sinuous, ominous electroglitch dancepop of "Do You Want to Fight Me?" These are flanked by brief noodling interludes, and a few softer, sweeter little pop songs.

That changes with the exquisite "Genevieve's Wheel," where Strean murmurs over sparkling, soft-edged electronica about "all the colours in the wheel/the wheel, the wheel." At the halfway point, the album becomes experimental, without losing the catchy edge, up until the synth-lullaby finale, "Go To Sleep."

Venus Hum tries for an edgier sound in "Colours of the Wheel," and most of the time that's exactly what they get. Okay, "Pink Champagne" lumbers where the other songs dance, and the interludes aren't really necessary. But the majority of these songs are effervescent and creative, with a wider range than Venus Hum displayed before.

Their main instrument is keyboard, which Kip Kubin and Tony Miracle twist into every imaginable kind of sound -- sometimes soft and mellow, sometimes swirling and sparkling, and sometimes in sharp electronic jabs reminiscent of their last album. There's also a spattering of more down-to-earth instrumentation, such as the acoustic guitar in the opening song.

Annette Strean apparently developed vocal nodes a few years back, but her voice sounds just as good as ever -- strong and flexible, sort of like Imogen Heap's spacier little sister. The lyrics tend to be a bit on the simple side, with lines often repeated, but in Strean's voice they sound quite good.

Venus Hum have some uneven spots in "Colours in the Wheel," but the darker, more experimental, still entrancing music is definitely worth getting your hands on.

(Thank you, Rebecca!)

Music Album:

1. Third Rock From the Sun
2. This is BR549
3. Through the Trees
4. Trampoline
5. View From A Southern Porch
6. View from the Top
7. Way Out West
8. While You Weren't Looking
9. Whoever's in New England
10. Xmas With Buck

Music Album