Beat & Soul

1. Love Is Strange

2. Money

3. What Am I Living For?

4. Hi Heel Sneakers

5. C.C. Rider

6. Lonely Avenue

7. Man with Money

8. People Get Ready

9. My Babe

10. Walking the Doc

11. I Almost Lost My Mind

12. Girl Can't Help It

Beat & Soul,The Everly Brothers,Collector's Choice,Close Harmony,Oldies,Pop,Pop/Rock,Rock,Rock & Roll

Average customer rating: Maybe 4.5 stars, but still stellar Soulful West African soul First Introduction To Angelique Kidjo Not as good as Black Ivory Soul - but still enhoyable Who Knows?

Djin Djin Angelique Kidjo Manufacturer: Razor &Tie ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Africa | International | Styles | Music Mali | Africa | International | Styles | Music Benin | Africa | International | Styles | Music Jamaica | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: CéU Momento Keep on Moving-Best of Angelique Kidjo Oyaya! Black Ivory Soul ASIN: B000MTOWSU Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

1. Ae Ae
2. Djin Djin featuring Alicia Keys and Branford Marsalis
3. Gimme Shelter featuring Joss Stone
4. Salala featuring Peter Gabriel
5. Senamou (C'est L'amour) featuring Amadou and Mariam
6. Pearls featuring Josh Groban and Carlos Santana
7. Sedjedo featuring Ziggy Marley
8. Papa
9. Arouna
10. Awan N'La
11. Emma
12. Mama Golo Papa
13. Lonlon (Ravel's Bolero)

Amazon.com

Angelique Kidjo has four Grammy nominations, a mantel-full of international awards, several dance hits, and notable appearances on film and TV soundtracks to her credit (to say nothing of being a major style icon and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador). So this Benin-born, New York-based singer-composer has long since gotten past having to prove anything to anybody--other than to herself. On Djin Djin (the title refers to a bell that sounds at daybreak in parts of Africa), she is self-indulgent in the best possible sense, shooting for a big, glossy, super-pop sound that nonetheless remains essentially, even devoutly, African in inspiration and execution. Produced by Tony Visconti (The Moody Blues, T. Rex, David Bowie, Boomtown Rats, and Morrissey), the release is a bewitching amalgam, with guest stints from Joss Stone, Carlos Santana, Branford Marsalis, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Malian husband-and-wife team Amadou and Mariam, and noted reggae scion Ziggy Marley. Kidjo, her salty-sweet voice in top form, moves confidently from ballad to club track to homespun earthmover. She never for a second relinquishes control of the festivities, even during a hectic, Haitian-rara-influenced cover of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and "Lon Lon," in which she takes on--and takes over--French composer Ravel's "Bolero." --Christina Roden

Album Description

With DJIN DJIN (pronounced "gin gin"), Angelique Kidjo returns to the soul of Benin - and, for the first time, shares it with a cast of all-star guests, in a marriage of cultures that has significance far beyond music alone. Inspired by the traditions and culture of Kidjo's native Benin in West Africa, the title of the album refers to the sound of the bell that greets the beginning of a new day for Africa.

The diversity represented by Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, Branford Marsalis, producer Tony Visconti, and the others who contribute to DJIN DJIN speaks to the lesson of this project: For all the differences in the music of our time, the river of Africa flows through it all.

The key was to build DJIN DJIN on a Beninese foundation. The heartbeat, then, comes from percussionists Crespin Kpitiki and Benoit Avihoue, both members of Benin's Gangbé Brass Band. Details of their country's rhythmic heritage, specific in some cases to individual villages, feed the rhythms they lay down throughout the album.

To this mix Kidjo welcomes players whose backgrounds complement the idea of DJIN DJIN: drummer Poogie Bell, known for his work with Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan; funk keyboard wizard Amp Fiddler, whose credits include Prince and George Clinton; Larry Campbell, whose multi-instrumental work has adorned the music of Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, and Paul Simon; Senegalese bass giant Habib Faye, a fixture with Youssou N'Dour; guitarists Lionel Loueke, from jazz legend Herbie Hancock's band; Romero Lubambo, a Brazilian wonder whose credits include Diana Krall and Dianne Reeves; Joao Mota, from Guinea-Bissau and kora master Mamadou Diabate.

Produced by Tony Visconti. (David Bowie, T. Rex, Morrissey)

Customer Reviews:

Maybe 4.5 stars, but still stellar.......2007-07-01

Angelique Kidjo's amazing whether she's covering Hendrix in "VooDoo Child" or singing West African tunes. Her roots are much wider than just her country of origin. It'd be hard for me to name a favorite among these gems. I love the people she's selected to work with. "Gimme Shelter" with Joss Stone may be the kind of duet that's going to propel her right up to the top of the charts where she belongs. Smart move, lady, for sure, but I also love the songs where Angelique sings her own music alone.

Soulful West African soul.......2007-06-22

Angelique Kidjo is one of those rare artists who has the Midas touch. No matter who she's performing with, no matter what she's performing, she makes beautiful music. While "Djin Djin" can be considered one of her more mainstream albums, she still proudly shows her African roots. In a sense,it's not surprising it's sold alongside coffee at Starbucks; "Djin Djin" is as potent as a cup of steaming java.

The opening "Ae Ae" is anthemic;it's a power ballad in which Kidjo calls on her fellow Africans to be self-sufficient. The title track is a jazzy collaboration with Alicia Keys and Branford Marsalis. It's Benin meets the Big Easy. Kidjo does an amazing cover of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" with Joss Stone. The '60s British Invasion gets an African makeover,transforming it into a tribal rave-up. Kidjo and smoky-voiced Peter Gabriel complement each other in "Salala." A thumb piano gives "Senamou" a deeply African flavor. "Sedjedo", a duet with reggae heir Ziggy Marley, doesn't quite work. Marley is relegated to the sidelines. However, Kidjo's rousing singing saves the piece. The same goes for "Pearls." Josh Groban's operatic voice is unsuited to the style of the song. It's Afropop meets Latin rock (since Carlos Santana plays the guitar),not the Three Tenors or Il Divo. Kidjo's amazing singing again saves the song from becoming a novelty song. In "Papa","Arouna","Awan N'La","Emma" and "Mama Golo Papa" Kidjo shows she doesn't need collaborators. She's still going strong since her debut in 1990. She covers difficult issues such as marital conflict and divorce soulfully. Finally, in "Lonlon" Kidjo transforms Ravel's annoying and overplayed "Bolero" into rousing,toe-tapping Afropop. Instead of being filler or a song worth skipping, "Lonlon" serves as a grand finale.

Angelique Kidjo is accomplished,as a person and as an artist. She is a UN Goodwill Ambassador;she has her own charity,Batonga. In Bono's guest-edited issue of "Vanity Fair" about Africa, Harry Belafonte praises her activism. Angelique Kidjo's music is truly angelic. "Djin Djin" is a great introduction to her music, and is a perfect mainstream introduction to African music. It's as rousing and flavorful as a good hot cup of coffee.

First Introduction To Angelique Kidjo.......2007-06-20

This is my first introduction to any of Angelique Kidjo's music. I bought this compact disc for myself as a birthday present based on the reviews it has received and listening to the short musical segments found on Amazon.Com.





After recently listening to "Djin, Djin" on a 4 hour road trip, I feel in love with the music & lyrics! The music is fantastic and varied from song to song.... Angelique Kidjo is phenomenal as an artist. I also enjoyed the musical guests performing on "Djin, Djin" too. This compact disc is perfect as background music while long distance driving, at home relaxing, during dinner parties, etc.

Not as good as Black Ivory Soul - but still enhoyable.......2007-06-11

This is a good release, with many guests on it, but not quite as accessable as the Black Ivory Soul CD. However, it will get you up and moving.

Who Knows?.......2007-06-08

I would love to review this CD by never received my order from Amazon. Nor have I received a credit either. I doubt I will ever order anything from Amazon again.

Average customer rating: Quantity over quality i assume 5 stars is appropriate Absolute Favorite Singer! It's Tom Waits, and therefore excellent Why did I wait so long before buying this CD?

Orphans [Fold-out Digipak with 24-page booklet] Tom Waits Manufacturer: ANTI ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Urban Folk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Poetry | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Modern Times West The Road to Escondido Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD) Real Gone ASIN: B000L43AN4 Release Date: 2006-12-05

Tracks:

1. Lie To Me
2. LowDown
3. 2:19
4. Fish In The Jailhouse
5. Bottom Of The World
6. Lucinda
7. Ain't Goin' Down To The Well
8. Lord I've Been Changed
9. Puttin' On The Dog
10. Road To Peace
11. All The Time
12. The Return Of Jackie and Judy
13. Walk Away
14. Sea Of Love
15. Buzz Fledderjohn
16. Rains On Me

Tracks:

1. Bend Down The Branches
2. You Can Never Hold Back Spring
3. Long Way Home
4. Widow's Grove
5. Little Drop Of Poison
6. Shiny Things
7. World Keeps Turning
8. Tell It To Me
9. Never Let Go
10. Fannin Street
11. Little Man
12. It's Over
13. If I Have To Go
14. Goodnight Irene
15. The Fall Of Troy
16. Take Care Of All My Children
17. Down There By The Train
18. Danny Says
19. Jayne's Blue Wish
20. Young At Heart

Tracks:

1. What Keeps Mankind Alive
2. Children's Story
3. Heigh Ho
4. Army Ants
5. Books Of Moses
6. Bone Chain
7. Two Sisters
8. First Kiss
9. Dog Door
10. Redrum
11. Nirvana
12. Home I'll Never Be
13. Poor Little Lamb
14. Altar Boy
15. The Pontiac
16. Spidey's Wild Ride
17. King Kong
18. On The Road

Amazon.com

With these astounding 54 songs (plus two bonus tracks) Tom Waits has added a vital new work to his catalog. The title, Orphans, refers to the songs either being from a range of outside projects, various impulses, and whims, or simply not having found a place on the albums for which they were intended. While that scenario has constituted a stopgap measure for lesser artists, this set stands alongside Waits's finest work. He has shaped it into three separate discs, each one separately titled after the prevailing character of its tracks and playing with its own mood and dramatic arc. Brawlers favors raucousness and uptempo grinds and grooves, while Bawlers showcases balladry and the more overtly poetic. Bastards is a funhouse of angular characters, spiky anecdotes, shaggy dogs, and even a Kurt Weill cover. The set offers everything from the amped-up rockabilly hiccuping of "Lie to Me" to the breathtaking perfection of "Shiny Things," and from the outraged political reporting of "Road to Peace" to the closing-time lament of "Little Man." --David Greenberger

Description

The three disc set is packaged in a fold-out digipak with a beautifully designed 24-page booklet, including neverbefore-seen Waits' photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Quantity over quality.......2007-05-20

A bit disappointing. As usual with Tom Waits, some of the tracks are great -- Lucinda and Goodnight Irene are standouts. But too many, while not bad, are kinda ho-hum. With editing, this would have made a better 2-disc set, or a really good single CD.

i assume 5 stars is appropriate.......2007-05-10

I bought this CD a couple of weeks ago, but haven't heard it. My husband immediately took it from me & hasn't given it back. "Oh, I keep forgetting it at work." He said it's great. Based on that & the other reviews, I'm giving it a 5 star rating anyway. :)

I plan on getting it by this weekend or going out to buy my own copy.

Absolute Favorite Singer!.......2007-05-04

I bought this the second I found out it was available for my husband who is a HUGE Waits fan. A gotta have!

It's Tom Waits, and therefore excellent.......2007-04-06

Nobody does grizzled and world-weary quite like Tom Waits, and coming off 2004's incredible Real Gone, the mammoth three-disc collection Orphans is yet more proof of his bizarre genius. Even putting aside the abundance of great music it contains, it is, if nothing else, a fitting tribute to Waits's persistently uncommercial, marketing-be-damned approach to his music. Comprised of a whopping 54 songs (both Waits originals and covers) and clocking in at about three hours, Orphans is vintage Waits from beginning to end-unvarnished, unconventional, and uncompromising. Given the enormous amount of variety to be found here, everyone's going to have their personal favorites, but whichever tracks one prefers there's no denying that Orphans makes the perfect testament to Waits's endless creativity, stinging wit and gritty, PhD-in-life sensibility.

Waits has long been a a man of many personas-demented carnival barker, old testament prophet, Jesus freak, depression-era bluesman-and even more than his more traditional albums Orphans shows off his chameleonic nature to the fullest extent. With its ample available space, Orphans allows Waits to induldge in genre exercises ranging from rockabilly (Lie To Me); to baroque pop (Little Drop of Poison); to swamp blues (Buzz Fledderjohn); to gospel (Lord I've been changed) without ever sounding like just an imitator of his varied influences. That said, Waits is still at his best when he dwells in a musical territory all his own, be it noisy, free-form experimentation or more reflective, sparsely instrumented balladry.

Each disc brings with its own unique feel, with the first one feeling the most like a proper Waits album in the vein of such all-encompassing classics as Rain Dogs and Bone Machine. Waits gets his classic-rock fix taken are of early with the scorching Low Down, whose big, brash guitar riffs wouldn't sound out of place in the '60's. The clamorous percussion and dizzying time signatures of Fish in the Jailhouse should please fans of Waits's more eccentric side, or just those like this writer who crave something abrasive and weird. Providing a sharp contrast to these tunes, but still very much in line with Waits's overall approach, are the downcast resignation of the bluesy, guitar-driven Road to Piece (a seven-minute examination of the conflict in Israel) and the closing lament of Rains on Me.

The ballad-heavy second disc, while occasionally a tad forgettable, is still home to some of the most brilliant material of Waits's career. The triumphant Take Care of All of My Children is driven by a stirring, martial drum beat, while the following Down There by the Train manages to expertly combine sadness, regret, and hope through Waits's singularly poetic lyrical imagery ("There's no eye for an eye/There's no tooth for a tooth/I saw Judas Iscariot carryin' John Wilkes Booth"-brilliant). In somewhat of a curveball for Waits, Never Let Go is inspiring and poignant in its straightforward message of devotion. There's also a great, booze-sodden lament in Goodnight Irene, which finds Waits's nicotine-stained voice at its most raw and unhinged.

The third disc is a nod to every side of the schizophrenic last two decades of Waits's career, with unstructured noise explorations (the mutant jazz-blues-rock workout Heigh Ho is hard-edged and ominous even for Waits) to a slew of spoken-word pieces to some more tender ballads. Waits starts off the disc by breaking out his classic rasp on the delightfully malevolent What Keeps Mankind Alive, and backs himself up with some inspired vocal beat-boxing on the Spidey's Wild Ride and King Kong. The latter track is especially interesting, with Waits's pained wail augmented by some ear-piercing guitar squeals and a subterranean bass line as he declaims the tragic story of, well, King Kong, with all the gravity of a character delivering the closing monologue of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Why did I wait so long before buying this CD?.......2007-03-24

I've been aware of Tom Waits for many years and have purchased a few of his more popular songs online. However, this is the first album of his that I've bought. My criteria for album purchases is that the album price must be competitive with the sum of the download prices for all the songs that appeal to me when reviewing samples. I was not disappointed and will likely go back and buy some of his older albums.

For me, 4 stars is about as good as it gets because I reserve the 5 for perfection. The biggest negative for me was the lack of lyrics in the the lower cost edition.

Average customer rating: A master class in the legacy of The Four Seasons. Information needed Five star collection, with one gripe A feast for your listening and viewing pleasure YES!!!!

Jersey Beat: Music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Doo Wop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Teen Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons The Warmth of the Sun Sweeping Up the Spotlight: Jefferson Airplane Live at the Fillmore East 1969 Traveling Wilburys (2CD/1DVD, Deluxe Edition) Beggin' ASIN: B000NA2AJ6 Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

1. Sherry [Disc 1]
2. Big Girls Don't Cry [Disc 1]
3. Walk Like A Man [Disc 1]
4. Ain't That A Shame [Disc 1]
5. Candy Girl [Disc 1]
6. Marlena [Disc 1]
7. Peanuts [Disc 1]
8. Alone (Why Must I Be Alone) [Disc 1]
9. Stay [Disc 1]
10. Little Boy (In Grown Up Clothes) [Disc 1]
11. Dawn (Go Away) [Disc 1]
12. Big Man's World [Disc 1]
13. Marcie [Disc 1]
14. Silence Is Golden [Disc 1]
15. Huggin' My Pillow [Disc 1]
16. Ronnie [Disc 1]
17. Rag Doll [Disc 1]
18. Save It For Me [Disc 1]
19. Big Man In Town [Disc 1]
20. Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby, Goodbye) [Disc 1]
21. Betrayed [Disc 1]
22. Toy Soldier [Disc 1]
23. Girl Come Running [Disc 1]
24. Let's Hang On! [Disc 1]
25. Don't Think Twice (It's All Right)[Disc 1] -- The Wonder Who?
26. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) [Disc 1] -- Frankie Valli
27. (You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself [Disc 1] -- Frankie Valli
28. Pity [Disc 1]
29. You're Ready Now [Disc 1] -- Frankie Valli
30. Cousin Brucie Go Go [Disc 1]

Tracks:

1. Working My Way Back To You [Disc 2]
2. Can't Get Enough Of You Baby [Disc 2]
3. Everybody Knows My Name [Disc 2]
4. Comin' Up In The World [Disc 2]
5. Beggars Parade [Disc 2]
6. Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me) [Disc 2]
7. I've Got You Under My Skin [Disc 2]
8. The Proud One [Disc 2] -- Frankie Valli
9. Tell It To The Rain [Disc 2]
10. Beggin' [Disc 2]
11. Can't Take My Eyes Off You [Disc 2] -- Frankie Valli
12. C'mon Marianne [Disc 2]
13. Lonesome Road [Disc 2] -- The Wonder Who?
14. Around And Around (Andaroundandaround) [Disc 2]
15. I Make A Fool Of Myself [Disc 2]-- Frankie Valli
16. Watch The Flowers Grow [Disc 2]
17. Raven [Disc 2]
18. To Give (The Reason I Live) [Disc 2]-- Frankie Valli
19. Will You Love Me Tomorrow [Disc 2]
20. Good-Bye Girl [Disc 2]
21. Saturday's Father [Disc 2]
22. Electric Stories [Disc 2]
23. Something's On Her Mind [Disc 2]
24. Idaho [Disc 2]
25. Genuine Imitation Life [Disc 2]

Tracks:

1. And That Reminds Me (My Heart Reminds Me) [Disc 3]
2. The Girl I'll Never Know (Angels Never Fly This Low) [Disc 3] --
3. She Gives Me Light [Disc 3]
4. Patch Of Blue [Disc 3]
5. Heartaches And Raindrops [Disc 3]
6. Lay Me Down (Wake Me Up) [Disc 3]
7. Where Are My Dreams [Disc 3]
8. Sleeping Man [Disc 3]
9. The Night [Disc 3]
10. My Eyes Adored You [Disc 3] -- Frankie Valli
11. Swearin' To God (Single Version) [Disc 3] -- Frankie Valli
12. Who Loves You [Disc 3]
13. Our Day Will Come (Single Version) [Disc 3] -- Frankie Valli
14. December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night) [Disc 3]
15. Silver Star (Single Version) [Disc 3]
16. Fallen Angel [Disc 3] -- Frankie Valli
17. Rhapsody [Disc 3]
18. Grease [Disc 3] -- Frankie Valli
19. East Meets West [Disc 3] -- with the Beach Boys
20. Streetfighter [Disc 3]
21. Hope And Glory [Disc 3]

Tracks:

1. Big Girls Don't Cry [DVD] -- from The Steve Allen Show (2/14/63)
2. 1964 Medley: Sherry/Walk Like A Man/Big Girls Don't Cry/Dawn (Go
3. Working My Way Back To You [DVD] -- from Hullabaloo (2/7/66)
4. Can't Take My Eyes Off You [DVD] -- Frankie Valli from The Bitter End
5. Let's Hang On! [DVD] -- from Top Of The Pops (2/25/71)
6. Saturday's Father [DVD] -- from The Kraft Music Hall (7/3/68)
7. (You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself [DVD] -- Frankie Valli from The Joey
8. I've Got You Under My Skin [DVD] -- from Top Of The Pops (2/25/71)
9. Dawn (Go Away) [DVD] -- from Los Angeles Coliseum Concert (11/25/72)
10. Who Loves You [DVD] -- Promo Film (1974)
11. Rhapsody [DVD] -- Promo Film (1976)
12. December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night) [DVD] -- Promo Film (1975)

Amazon.com

As the music and legacies of various rock legends--Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones, Dylan, the Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen--have been thoroughly celebrated, analyzed, and overanalyzed by rock critics, fans, and reissuers, the Four Seasons--New Jersey's premiere pop act before Springsteen or Bon Jovi--remained grossly overlooked and underappreciated. To the uninformed, their pre-Beatles roots--stretching back to the doo-wop era--or sure slickness might have fostered the misconception they were somehow less "hip." Musicians, however, knew better. Dylan, Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, and Brian Wilson among them thoroughly understood and appreciated the Seasons' vision, centered around their harmonies, Frankie Valli's vocal virtuosity, and the stellar work of songwriter-organist Bob Gaudio who, with producer Bob Crewe, created the now-classic Seasons sound, which withstood Beatlemania and everything afterward. The recent Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys helped sweep aside those decades of neglect by reintroducing the Four Seasons to a new audience. Rhino's magnificent package--four CDs on 84 tracks and a DVD of rare performances--explores the music that inspired it all, beginning with their 1962 debut hit "Sherry," through magnificent, timeless mini-dramas like "Dawn," "Rag Doll," and "C'mon Marianne" and tongue-in-cheek efforts like their version of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice (It's All Right)" by the "Wonder Who." Along with various rarities, the collection includes Valli's solo hits. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "Swearin' to God" reaffirm his stature as one of that era's great vocalists. The DVD includes performances from a 1963 Steve Allen show and a 1971 appearance on Britain's Top of the Pops. --Rich Kienzle

Album Description

Featuring their biggest hits and highlighting their most interesting television performances, this compilation of Franki Valli & the Four Seasons hits is a collector's dream. The Jersey Boys were masterful musicians with unforgettable harmonies and it's all captured here.

Customer Reviews:

A master class in the legacy of The Four Seasons........2007-07-17

This is all you will ever need. This has everything you want.
"Jersey Beat" is a perfect box set covering the careers of The Four Seasons and Frankie Valli. Like many people, after seeing the remarkable "Jersey Boys", I sought out some Four Seasons music, and ordered THIS.

Jackpot.

All important (and many peripherally interesting) songs are here, remastered as good as they're probably ever going to get. Big hits, B-Sides, those weird "Wonder Who" songs...they sound glorious.

The three CD's cover "Sherry" all the way to an unusual Four Seasons-Beach Boys "duet." And it's one heck of a ride. Those early singles have not lost an ounce of their power. The 70's songs...like "Who Loves You" and "December 1963"...also hold up surprisingly well.

Classic singles abound..."Walk Like A Man", "Dawn", "Rag Doll"...even slightly cheesy material like the solo "Swearin' To God" comes to life here. I discovered other tunes to love...like "Alone" and "Opus 17".

The fourth disc is a 40-minute video compilation of a bunch of their songs, performed on various TV shows over the 60's and 70's. I promise you that you will laugh out loud watching the strange, stilted choreography, the hilarious haircuts and riotous "fashions" of the era.

But those songs still hold up.

A terrific, thick booklet accompanies the set, with great liner notes.

This box set is a master class in the legacy of The Four Seasons.

Information needed.......2007-07-14

I know I am not using this particular forum for its intended purpose, but I hope I can be forgiven. I am writing because I want to find a website or message board where I can communicate with Frankie Valli/Four Seasons fans. I have a particular question that I want to be able to post to a large number of fans at one time. So can someone please provide a website address or link where I can find such a message board. Thanks!

Five star collection, with one gripe.......2007-07-14

"Jersey Beat...The Music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons" is a wonderful, thoughtfully put together box that finally gives the boys their long overdue credit. My only gripe with the box is that Disc One contains far too much mono where I know stereo exists, since I have owned other Rhino collections. At least they found the single version of "Save It For Me" rather than the underdub that appeared on their "Anthology" and the "Definitive Pop Collection". And the single version of "Swearin' To God" is the original single master, not the crudely done edit of the LP master that was on the other collections (where is Frankie Valli's "Close-Up" album on CD, with the 10- minute version of "Swearin' To God"????) And they finally found the stereo "Let's Hang On". But I have stereo versions of "Rag Doll" , "Walk Like A Man", "Big Girls Don't Cry", and other early hits, on earlier Rhino discs, as well as the Curb reissues of their albums from the early 90s. Why doesn't a label like Warner Brothers do proper tape vault research? (Rhino is now for all intents and purposes, Warner Strategic Marketing) Otherwise, this is probably the best compilation of their work I have ever heard, and, stereo quibbling aside, everyone should own it, and even if you're not a fan, after hearing this amazing collection, you will be.

A feast for your listening and viewing pleasure.......2007-06-25

It is all here in one place, the greatest of the 4 Seasons. Enjoy 3 CDs with the best audio quality that I have heard to date. The mixing of the vocals is excellent, just as you remembered them on all of the 4 Seasons' hit and b-sides. Actually any of the b-sides here could just as well been a hit. There is something wonderful in the order of the play list of the songs in this compilation. They flow together beautifully. You'll experience hours of listening enjoyment. It is also very interesting to see how the music of the Seasons has matured over the years, while the early songs, such as Sherry, still having a "spine-tingling" timeless impact on the listener. Close you eyes and enjoy the past several decades of beautiful music. Do your self a huge favor and listen to the cut "Hope and Glory" several times. It is Bob Gaudio's and Frankie Valli sharing the lead. This could easily become a big hit single for the Seasons in this decade, given the proper airplay. Also be sure to treasure the DVD which takes you from the original Seasons with Nick Massi and then the fabulous Joe Long, through the later group members such as Don Ciccone and Gerry Polci. I promise that you will be thrilled that you purchased this extraordinary collection.

YES!!!!.......2007-06-24

Let me start by I was born in Jersey in 1983. But I grew up to the sounds of WCBSFM 101.1 from NYC. This of course included many of The Four Season's Hits. I have an original vinyl copy of Gold Vault of Hits that, for a while, constantly played in my parent's turntable. I love The Four Seasons. This collection should be in every home in America (and around the world). It allows me to discover even more songs that until now I didn't know existed. BUY THIS COLLECTION. As far as I'm concerned, it's a steal at this price.

Average customer rating: A good relaxing and romantic CD nothing special Awesome!!! best coffee music French Cafe

French Cafe Various Artists Manufacturer: Putumayo World Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Compilations | International | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music International | Putumayo World Music Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Putumayo Presents: Paris Putumayo Presents: Italian Café C'est L'amour: Romantic French Classics The Voice of the Sparrow: The Very Best of Edith Piaf Something's Gotta Give ASIN: B0000DBJDB Release Date: 2003-11-11

Tracks:

1. Fibre De Verre - Paris Combo
2. Marilou Sous La Neige - Serge Gainsbourg
3. Si La Photo Est Bonne - Barbara
4. Juste Quelau'un De Bien - Enso Enso
5. Je M'Suis Fait Tout Petit - Georges Brassens
6. Elaeudanla Teiteia - Jane Birkin
7. La Mer Opale - Coralie Clement
8. Ondule - Mathieu Boogaerts
9. Un Jour Comme Un Autre - Brigitte Bardot
10. On N'a Pas Besoin - Paris Combo
11. Mal O Mains - Sanseverino
12. En Douce - Baguette Quartette
13. La Fee Clochette - Polo

Amazon.com

Although far from definitive (no Edith Piaf in sight!), this enchanting compilation delivers a perfect aural snapshot of what spending a late summer afternoon in a French cafe actually feels like. The supreme elegance and understated approach that lie at the core of these 13 tracks will delight fans of sophisticated pop. As is the case with previous Putumayo releases, the sequencing is seamless, combining the endearingly old-fashioned flavor of George Brassens with the iconoclastic romanticism of George Gainsbourg and the sultry whispers of a youthful Brigitte Bardot. Better yet, the disc spends some valuable time introducing listeners to a new generation of French musicians who have embraced the traditional chanson format while incorporating fresh elements into the mix. Try the light-as-a-feather caress of female vocalist Enzo Enzo, the sweet playfulness of the electronica-informed Mathieu Boogaerts, and the irrepressible optimism of Paris Combo--a jazzy quintet that represents the French cafe ambiance at its cosmopolitan best. --Ernesto Lechner

Product Description

Legends of French chanson join exquisite new voices for an enchanting musical sojourn to the cafes of Paris. Paris Combo Fibre de Verre Serge Gainsbourg Marilou Sous La Neige Barbara Si la Photo est Bonne Enzo Enzo Juste Quelqu'un de Bie

Customer Reviews:

A good relaxing and romantic CD.......2007-07-16

If you want to relax and sip on a good cup of coffee / tea on a Sunday afternoon, this is a good choice.

nothing special.......2007-06-26

This cd didn't do much for me...there's only a couple songs on the entire cd that i enjoy...i skip through the rest of them (they are just goofy).

Awesome!!!.......2007-04-11

I am a high school French teacher and it is REALLY hard to find French music that doesn't make the kids groan. When I first listened to this cd I loved it, but I didn't think THEY would since our tastes in music are sometimes not real similar! Quelle surprise!!! They loved it as much as I did - some have even asked me where to purchase it. I have played it so many times that I am now ordering a back-up copy to keep here at school.
This is French music at its finest!!

best coffee music.......2007-03-20

I love sitting in a cafe and remembering when I went to Europe. This CD gives me the exact feel when I stayed in Paris. I love this cd. I play this cd all the time when I want to relax to mellow tunes.

French Cafe.......2006-11-29

I love this CD and it is one of my favorite French CD's (I own many). Putumayo does such a great job of putting together wonderful compelations from different artists. If you are looking for something you will be able to enjoy during a nice dinner at home, a relaxing car ride or as some easy listening background music, this is a great CD to get. I speak French on an intermediate level, and I've enjoyed trying to figure out what the songs are about. My husband, on the other hand, speaks no French at all, but also enjoys this CD as much as I do. Kind of strange as his regular favorites CD's include anything by U2, The Killers, Cold Play and the like. With that said, I guess French Cafe will appeal to anyone! Additionally, the new Paris Cafe, also by Putumayo, is just as popular in my house!

Average customer rating: JOLLYMON Just "OK" The British Beats on the british beat Great collection

The British Beat: Best of the '60s Various Artists Manufacturer: Shout Factory ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music British Invasion | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: British Invasion: 1963-1967 Summer Of Love: The Hits of 1967 The Warmth of the Sun British Invasion - 1960s & 1970s Gold: British Invasion ASIN: B000N69P6G Release Date: 2007-03-27

Tracks:

1. Wild Thing - The Troggs
2. Hippy Hippy Shake - Swinging Blue Jeans
3. Black Is Black - Los Bravos
4. It's Not Unusual - Tom Jones
5. I Only Want To Be With You - Dusty Springfield
6. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away - The Silkie
7. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) - The Walker Brothers
8. A Groovy Kind Of Love - The Mindbenders
9. Bad To Me - Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas
10. Game Of Love - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
11. Concrete And Clay - Unit 4+2
12. Wishin' And Hopin' - Dusty Springfield
13. You've Got Your Troubles - The Fortunes
14. A Summer Song - Chad & Jeremy
15. Love Is All Around - The Troggs
16. I'll Never Find Another You - The Seekers
17. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying - Gerry & The Pacemakers
18. The Look Of Love - Dusty Springfield
19. Nights In White Satin - Moody Blues

Tracks:

1. You Really Got Me - The Kinks
2. She's Not There - The Zombies
3. Gimme Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis Group
4. Do Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann
5. Mellow Yellow - Donovan
6. Baby, Now That I Found You - The Foundations
7. Tell Her No - The Zombies
8. Sunshine Superman - Donovan
9. All Day And All Of The Night - The Kinks
10. Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats
11. Needles And Pins - The Searchers
12. How Do You Do It? - Gerry & The Pacemakers
13. Love Potion Number Nine - The Searchers
14. A World Without Love - Peter & Gordon
15. Carrie-Anne - The Hollies
16. Telstar - The Tornados
17. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Dusty Springfield
18. Everyone's Gone To The Moon - Jonathan King
19. Catch The Wind - Donovan

Tracks:

1. Time Of The Season - The Zombies
2. For Your Love - The Yardbirds
3. Here Comes My Baby - The Tremeloes
4. A Whiter Shade Of Pale - Procol Harum
5. Bus Stop - The Hollies
6. I'm A Man - Spencer Davis Group
7. Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations
8. Downtown - Petula Clark
9. Georgy Girl - The Seekers
10. What's New Pussycat? - Tom Jones
11. Silence Is Golden - The Tremeloes
12. Ferry Cross The Mersey - Gerry & The Pacemakers
13. I Know A Place - Petula Clark
14. To Sir With Love - Lulu
15. Itchycoo Park - Small Faces
16. Winchester Cathedral - The New Vaudeville Band
17. (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me - Sandie Shaw
18. Make It Easy On Yourself - The Walker Brothers
19. Woman - Peter & Gordon

Customer Reviews:

JOLLYMON.......2007-07-12

The British Beat is a wonderful selection of of 60's music.
The 3 discs include a variety of good music that will be sure to please any fan of the 60's. The only thing missing is of course THE BEATLES.
Otherwise, I would give it a BEST BUY rating!!!

Just "OK".......2007-07-12

Nice collection. Was dissapointed though that Do Wah Diddy is in mono when it's in stereo on many collections. Liner notes don't indicated exactly which cuts are first time stereo mixes.

The British Beats on.......2007-07-04

This CD was really good, it was all the original artists and their music which takes me back to when I was a teenager. What great music we enjoyed then as well as now.......

the british beat.......2007-05-27

I am very glad to add this cd to my "oldies" collection. In the future I will be looking to add more british rock to my collection.

Great collection.......2007-05-21

A very nice collection of works from British singers and groups of the 1960s. This 3 CD set, as some note, costs a bunch, but it takes one back in time very nicely. Also, in the version that I acquired, there is a bonus CD that includes some of the best works of that decade--The Animals sing "House of the Rising Sun"; Marianne Faithfull does "As Tears Go By"; there are Herman's Hermits classics, "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" and "There's a Kind of Hush." Of course, there are obvious absences, such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, etc. Some strange songs show up, too. Is "Winchester Cathedral" really a song to be included here? Do we need four cuts from Dusty Springfield, good as she might be?

That said, many of these songs are classics of the 60s. Think about these:

The Troggs ("Wild Thing"); The Mindbenders ("A Groovy Kind of Love"); Gerry and the Pacemakers ("Ferry Cross the Mersey" and "How Do You Do It?"); Manfred Mann ("Do Wah Diddy Diddy"); Donovan ("Mellow Yellow"); The Searchers ("Love Potion Number Nine"); The Yardbirds ("For Your Love"); Petula Clark ("Downtown"); Lulu ("To Sir with Love"); and so on.

There is a nice booklet going with this CD set. It provides some nice photos, a brief essay on the British music of the 1960s. Worth the price? If you're someone interested in the British music of that decade, then, yes, it is probably a good investment.

Average customer rating: Rock to the rhythm of the Refugees ABOUT TIME! Bob Marley would be proud! Living Like a Refugee CD is excellent for both music and content Passionate Sounds Must have!

Living Like a Refugee Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars Manufacturer: Anti ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Dance & DJ | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology Of American Folk Music Revisited (2 CD/2 DVD BOX SET) Savane Boulevard de l'Independance ASIN: B000HDRARQ Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

1. Living Like A Refugee
2. Soda Soap
3. Weapon Conflict
4. Bull To The Weak
5. Big Lesson
6. Let We Do We Own
7. Smile
8. Compliments For The Peace
9. Pat Malonthone
10. Garbage To The Showglass
11. Akera Ka Abonshor
12. Kele Mani
13. I'm Not A Fool
14. Ya N'Digba
15. Refugee Rolling
16. Monkey Work
17. Ma Fo Ya

Amazon.com

Made up of former displaced persons from the killing fields of Sierra Leone, members of the Refugee All Stars (a.k.a. R.A.S.) were forced to flee for their lives during the 1990s, fanning out into nearby West African nations. Through continued hard times, bandmates Reuben M. Koroma, Francis (Franco) Langba, and Abdul Rahim (Arahim) Kamara entertained and heartened their compatriots with truthful, gently satiric, liltingly infectious tunes. Filmmakers Banker White and Zach Niles made a prize-winning documentary about the band's courageous struggle, thereby bringing their story to an international audience. Backed by Keith Richards, Sir Paul McCartney, and other socially conscious celebrities, R.A.S. embarked on a rapturously received world tour and were at long last able to augment their earlier, but nonetheless invaluable, field recordings with professionally engineered studio tracks. The resulting seventeen songs travel through deceptively relaxed Sierra Leonean Palm Wine music, triple-rhythmed gbute vang and reggae-like sounds (complete with toasting), Nigerian Afro-Beat, and even echoes of Congolese soukous. Backed by sweet yet astringent vocal harmonies, sultry guitars, homemade percussion, and playfully retro-sounding organ riffs, each selection reveals still another facet of a bittersweet but ultimately triumphant saga of survival. At long last, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are poised to become the superstars they were always destined to be. --Christina Roden

Album Description

This is a group of musicians who lived for years as refugees in the West African nation of Guinea. While living in a tent camp, they acquired a couple beat up guitars and a rusted out sound system and began playing. American documentary filmmakers made the band the focus of their movie, which received enthusiastic endorsements from the likes of Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Angelina Jolie, Joe Perry, and Ice Cube. The film's success has allowed the band to tour internationally to ecstatic audiences. Born in the midst of a violent, decade-long civil war, the group and its music celebrate our ability to sustain hope, inspiration, and creativity - the best in us - even in a climate of rage, loss, and madness.

Customer Reviews:

Rock to the rhythm of the Refugees.......2007-07-12

I lived in Sierra Leone for 4 years, from 1971-1974. The time I spent there has shaped my beliefs. I was introduced to new music, new languages and this album brings it all back. As well as the Hi-Life and more traditional songs, this album has some really good roots reggae

But, don't buy it because I'm getting misty eyed. Buy it because the music is inspiring and makes you want to dance. Buy it because you've never heard anything from Sierra Leone. And, when you've bought it, go out (or online) and find the album by Afro National.

I was lucky to live in Sierra Leone and I love this music. Now to try to find the tv program which goes with it...

ABOUT TIME! Bob Marley would be proud!.......2007-06-27

At a time when we are overwhelmed by negative and ignorant music (with few exceptions) in the US and elsewhere, this CD is a Godsend! Positive and uplifting music along with thought-provoking lyrics by people who really know that you can't be happy if you've never been sad.

The rapper Black Nature has a lot to teach his American rap counterparts. Keep up the good work brother, your work far outstrips the US rappers who have inspired you!

To Grace, The Emperors, and all the other RAS, God bless you all. ZBob Marely is smiling somewhere.

Living Like a Refugee CD is excellent for both music and content.......2007-05-13

I work with refugees here in the U.S. so I was particularly interested in listening to this group of musicians who formed a band while they were in refugee camp. The song "Living Like a Refugee" poetically describes some of the many feelings refugees have when they are uprooted from their homes and forced to flee to another country. Many of the refugees I am working with are from West Africa and they love hearing the music because they identify with the songs and they understand the ethnic languages used with the music. This is the first artistic and creative piece that I know about which has originated in a refugee camp and is now being listened to by ordinary people all over the world. I hope that the music will help all of us to understand that refugees are people just like us and that they deserve to be acknowledged and respected for the courage they demonstrate to the rest of the world, especially those of us in the U.S. who have no idea what it is like to "be a refugee".

Passionate Sounds.......2007-01-19

Great CD filled with passion and emotion. Recommend to anyone. Smooth, relaxing vibes.

Must have!.......2007-01-15

If you like world music this will be a great addition to your music collection. It has a slight reggae feel to it at times but the lyrics make you really feel where it is coming from. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this 15 song album. Enjoy

Average customer rating: New "med!" This is a fantastic album! the sequel might be better than the original

Nu Med Balkan Beat Box Manufacturer: Jdub 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 General | International | Styles | Music Dance Hall | Reggae | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Balkan Beat Box Fresh Off Boat Teknochek Collision Gogol Bordello vs. Tamir Muskat East Infection ASIN: B000OZ2COI Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

1. Keep 'Em Straight (Intro)
2. Hermetico
3. Habibi Min Zaman
4. BBBeat
5. Digital Monkey
6. Balcasio
7. Pachima
8. Quand Est-ce Qu'on Arrive?
9. Mexico City
10. Delancey
11. Joro Boro
12. Gypsy Queens
13. $20 For Boban
14. Baharim (Outro)

Amazon.com

It seems impossible to avoid the fusion and clash of cultures in world music these days. Connectivity means it's all within your (everyone else's) reach. Here on their second album, Nu Med, Balkan Beat Box continue to play at the nexus of Eastern European, klezmer, Arabic, hip-hop, rock and electronic music. Headed by Israelis Tamir Muskat (drums, programming) and Ori Kaplan (saxophone), the band's sound is far from forced, easily summing up the musicians' lives in their homeland as well as their current experiences living in New York City. As with all great folk songs, the melodies are insistently catchy enough to get listeners to sing or hum along before the song ends. Highlights include the Saharan dancehall cut "Digital Monkey," the insistent "bbbeat," and the Dead Sea surf guitar sound of "Joro Boro," which features singer Dessislava Stefanova. Like the first album, this one is as fun as it is far reaching. --Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews:

New "med!".......2007-07-12

Just look at the camels parachuting into a striped desert. Who wouldn't want to listen to what's inside?

Well, hopefully lots of people will. East European fusion music is moderately hot right now, with bands like Beirut and Gogol Bordello on the rise. But one of the best ones is Balkan Beat Box, whose second album "Nu Med" further polishes their ethnic hip-hop/rock sound -- it's just a thoroughly colourful, flavourful album.

It opens with a deliciously funky "Keep it Straight," which sounds like an Arabian market being invaded by hip-hop gypsy brass bands. It's followed by the deliciously colourful rap song "Hermetico," riddled with brass blats, handclaps, horses, and a voice telling us, "We're comin' straight through your ears, no complications... here we go, you better listen..."

They follow it with the exotic "Habibi Min Zaman," which sounds like a James Bond soundtrack in the Middle-East, and lead in to a bunch of even better songs: bootyshaking marches, sinuous rap, gypsy music wrapped in electrodance, folksy horn-rock, funky Balkan dance tunes, and colourful folk pop filled with yipping, yowling vocals.

If anything, "Nu Med" is even better than Balkan Beat Box's debut -- it's more polished and melodious, and more relaxed now that they have their sound down. But they don't change much musically, with the core of the music remaining the same: Middle-Eastern and East-European folk music, interwoven with modern dance, rock and hip-hop.

Musically it's a big hodgepodge -- you can hear some steely guitar buried under all the other sounds, which is the most normal part of it. Then you have nimble horns forming sinuous melodies and funky edges, solid drums, some colourful electronica, some accordion and some murmuring violins in "Mexico City," which is the one dud in the album. It's too sedate and mellow for the raucous overall sound.

But they also spice it up with samples and odd sounds -- babies laughing, horses neighing, a man calling out in another language. And in some songs, we get some very heavily accented rapping, usually pretty nonsensical: "I'm the digital monkey/supply the freakin' season with the rhythm that's funky/I come from Belize/but don't belong to no country..."

"Nu Med" takes what Balkan Beat Box had to begin with, and polishes it to gem status. Despite that one dud song, it's a wild, colourful festival ride, full of gypsy music and dance flavour.

This is a fantastic album!.......2007-07-09

How do you top an album that starts off with a rooster crowing? With a Digital Monkey, of course! After having listened to the first Balkan Beat Box cd quite a lot for the past year, I wasn't sure if Nu Med would live up to my expectations. It absolutely DOES. The band's second effort may actually be stronger, throwing even more varied influences into the music and keeping it really tight while picking up the energy from their live sets. They're all good tracks, at the moment, my faves are Joro Boro, Mexico City and Hermetico. This cd should carry a warning that it will make you dance whenever you hear it (and sometimes even if you only hear it in your head).

the sequel might be better than the original.......2007-05-24

Balkan Beat Box's self-titled debut was terrific, but after listening to Nu Med, the first BBB disc seems almost like a test run to make sure this crazy mash of balkan folk, Jewish and Middle Eastern melodies, beats, pieces, party horns and snippets of politics could actually work. And did it work.

In this record, they've firmly established their groove and the sound here is a more complete package. (And more hilarious cover art: I'm a fan of the parachuting camels motif.) It's also more lyric-heavy than the first one, and filled with live snippets and clips of cheering crowds from tours past, adding to the infectious flavor of the record. At 14 tracks, it probably runs a couple numbers too long, but I'm hard-pressed to tell you which ones should have been cut, because they're all good. If you liked the original Balkan Beat Box, you will like this. And if you don't know BBB yet you can start with this record or the debut without missing out. But you're probably going to end up owning both, like me, because this is some of the most exciting and energetic music being made today.

Average customer rating: This is more mainstream than earlier Ozo Actually, 4.5 stars! Fantastic, Ecclectic Mix Expanding their musical scope. Slouching toward pop - disappointing

Don't Mess With The Dragon Ozomatli Manufacturer: Concord Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Experimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rock en Español | Latin Music | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Dance & DJ | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Street Signs Ozomatli Live at the Fillmore Embrace the Chaos Coming Up ASIN: B000M06STA Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

1. Can't Stop
2. City Of Angels
3. After Party
4. Don't Mess With The Dragon
5. La Gallina
6. Magnolia Soul
7. Here We Go
8. La Temperatura
9. Violeta
10. Creo
11. When I Close My Eyes
12. La Segunda Mano

Amazon.com

On their fourth full-length studio release, Ozomatli serve up a rhythmically seething musical mélange that serves as virtual mirror to the dizzying cultural contradictions at the heart of their Los Angeles hometown, wrapping it in a studio-polished veneer (largely courtesy of Santana/Ricky Martin producer KC Porter) that only underscores their intriguing reflections. They wear their civic pride as badge of honor on the gritty "City of Angels," a hip-hop-funk-fusion anthem that courses straight from the street to the stars. The joyous "La Temperatura," a tribute to the city's pro-immigrant marches of '06, picks up the local thread and weaves it into the band's longstanding social conscience, one they focus on Washington's inept response to Hurricane Katrina via the savory, N'Awlinz-meets-Norwalk swagger of "Magnolia Soul." The title track hints at a few conquered personal demons, while the sultry, Los Lobos-esque Spanish ballad "Violeta," the infectious 80s-ska-funk-meets-00s-punk-pop of "When I Close My Eyes," and the hip-hop-jarocho stew "La Segundo Mano" (featuring Queztal's Martha Gonzales on vocals) stand as vibrantly disparate testaments to the band's true range of pan-cultural musical fervor and accomplishments. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

This is more mainstream than earlier Ozo.......2007-07-01

Which may be why some listeners object. "Dragon's" good and it may be their entree into more acknowledgement. "Street Signs" is probably my favorite of their CDs and more indicative of their work, but this is still a great melange of a lot of different styles and worth the investment.

Actually, 4.5 stars!.......2007-06-19

Truth is, I barely liked this disk after the first listen. I thought the guys had "sold out" and made a disk that was too pop-ish, slick and lightweight. But then I played it a few more times and, DAMN, these songs are stuck firmly in my head. I still think Street Signs had three songs better than everything on this disk, but overall I have come to thoroughly enjoy Dragon for what it is... different, fun and very energetic. Ozo is one of the coolest bands around and if this disk draws in some new fans to mix with us old ones (I discovered them in 2005), then I'm OK with the "selling out".

NOTE: If you want to buy their very best, get Ozo's Live at the Filmore set!!!! That one earns 5.5 stars.

Fantastic, Ecclectic Mix.......2007-06-12

Compared to the rest of the music Ozo has put out this is probably their most solid integration of various types of music. With a lot more Asian influence on this album I think they hit the nail on the head. Most of the songs get your foot tapping and the lyrics in English are quite profound. Highly recommended! It has been in my CD player since I bought it last month!

Expanding their musical scope........2007-06-10

Their usual high energy with another "take" on the avenue of employing rap technique that helps someone who is 60 (which I am) appreciate one style of rap as a valid form of musical expression.

Slouching toward pop - disappointing.......2007-06-06

I have been a big fan of Ozomatli since their first CD. I rave about them to all who will listen as most people who love this band do. This CD is indeed the turning point toward pop for this band. There are shades of the old band in some of the songs like La Gallina, or Violeta but most of the stuff is empty. It is like a band trying to cover Ozomatli songs. I am sure that most fans will give this a try in spite of the negative reviews, but for our sake guys don't do this again.

Average customer rating: Usual great quality you can expect from Putumayo stress buster Beautiful music! Dreamland CD a big hit Beautiful, complex, soothing

Dreamland Various Artists Manufacturer: Putumayo World Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Compilations | International | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Lullabies | Children's Music | Styles | Music Children's Music | Putumayo World Music Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music International | Putumayo World Music Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Putumayo Kids Presents: Sing Along With Putumayo World Playground African Playground Lullaby: A Collection Planet Sleeps ASIN: B00008XESC Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

1. Naima (Benin) - Angelique Kidjo
2. Ny Fitiavako An'i Mama (Madagascar) - Erick Manana
3. A Lullabye (Canada) - Teresa Doyle
4. Thula Mama (South Africa) - Sibongile Khumalo
5. Arriba Del Cielo (Mexico) - Claudia Martinez
6. Yi-Rrana (Australia) - Letterstick Band
7. La Vai Alguem (Brazil) - Virginia Rosa
8. Cradle Spell Of Dunvegan (Scotland) - Lynn Morrison
9. Numi Numi (USA) - Tanja Solnik
10. Cradle Song (Japan) - The Sanshin Cafe Orchestra
11. Cancion Para Dormir A Un Nino (Argentina) - Beatriz Pichi Malen
12. Durme Durme (Brazil) - Fortuna
13. Lullaby (Tatarstan/Russia) - Zulya

Amazon.com

If these truly gorgeous lullabies and songs from all over the world don't soothe the savage beast within your child, nothing will. This hypnotic collection of soft and slow melodies--some ancient, some new--is perfect for lulling a child to sleep or for any evening when you want to escape into a warm bath with candles. Carlos Santana accompanies African singer Angelique Kidjo on the sweet opener, "Naima." Claudia Martinez sings "Arriba Del Cielo (Above the Sky)," a lilting traditional lullaby with roots in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The Letterstick Band, from the small An-Barra clan of Australian Aborigines, performs the moving "Yi-Rrana (Sunset)." One favorite is "Lá Vai Alguém (There Goes Someone)," a hot-summer-night-sounding lullaby sung in velvety tones by Virginia Rosa. Another lovely addition is Kanji Yano of the Sanshin Café Orchestra playing a generations-old lullaby on a traditional stringed instrument from Okinawa called the sanshin. The liner notes, written in English, Spanish, French, and Dutch, provide kid-friendly facts about the countries of origin. A portion of the proceeds are donated to the Putumayo Cross-Cultural Initiative, a non-profit organization that uses the power of world music and the arts to inspire children to connect with diverse cultures. Vive Dreamland! --Karin Snelson

Product Description

This CD has beautiful, calming songs from around the world are perfect for bedtime, meditation, yoga and relaxation. Some of the songs included are A Lullabye, Arriba Del Cielo, and Cradle Spell of Dunvegan.

Customer Reviews:

Usual great quality you can expect from Putumayo.......2007-07-02

Putumayo produced CDs is the only music I have ever bought without knowing it first and I have never been disappointed. This is a gorgeous collection which my children listen to at night but which can also be enjoyed by everybody of all ages at any time of the day! We also recommend Asian Dreamland which is just lovely and even more gentle and dreamy.Putumayo Kids Presents: Asian Dreamland

stress buster.......2007-03-09

The music is very peacefull and the melodies really help me to relax after a stressful day in the office. I like it better then my children.

Beautiful music!.......2007-01-10

The music is beautiful! My baby falls asleep every night to these enchanting lullabies.

Dreamland CD a big hit.......2006-11-05

My 4 yr old falls asleep to the Dreamland CD every night. We love it. We have other Putumayo CDs and love them all. There isn't a song we just don't on the CD's. I highly recommend.

Beautiful, complex, soothing.......2006-08-23

This is not your typical "baby music" CD, watered down melodies with sterilized syncopation and minimal instruments. These are luscious, rich, harmonic, melodic songs that my 16 month old twins have loved since they were born. Now, they wait for me to turn it on before naptime and start swaying to the music before it even starts. Mom and Dad never tire of listening to it - an important consideration as it will become a favorite in the nursery! The a capella voices are heavenly. There are male and female artists on the album, and the use of all kinds of interesting instruments from different cultures. We use it for daytime naps - I put the CD player on shuffle/repeat and get a couple of hours peace and quiet. Often I turn the nursery monitor up, just so I can hear the music myself.

Average customer rating: Commit to the Genre, Dude!!! A fine introduction to an underrated band Beat This: The Best of the English Beat Its a Great Beat This is the beat you're looking for..

Beat This: The Best of the English Beat The English Beat Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music British Ska | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ska General | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Eccentrics | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: All the Rage Specials Ultimate Collection Singles 45's and Under The Psychedelic Furs - Greatest Hits ASIN: B00005NOZD Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

1. Mirror In The Bathroom
2. Best Friend
3. Hands Off She's Mine
4. Too Nice To Talk To
5. Doors Of Your Heart
6. I Confess
7. Twist And Crawl
8. Rankin Full Stop
9. Drowning
10. Save It For Later
11. Sole Salvation
12. Click Click
13. Tears Of A Clown
14. Can't Get Used To Losing You
15. Stand Down Margaret

Customer Reviews:

Commit to the Genre, Dude!!!.......2007-03-14

In the 80's, "Save it for Later" was Pete Townshend's favorite song and The Beat were Sting's favorite band -- but the The Beat weren't bombastic or pretentious!

The best praise really came from the Japanese-American ballet dancer I took to see The Beat at Berkeley's Greek Theatre. She said they were "excellent" and later that night realigned my ska-dance weary spine with her massive calves!! (Another attendee was not so lucky: As Bow Wow Wow opened for The Beat, a crazed fan jumped on stage and was tackled by security guards at Annabella's feet! OwwwwOOOHHHHH!!! That deserved another bota bag squirt!!!)

Only 4 stars for two reasons 1) The Beat only had three original albums (and ALL the songs are "best of"). You can get all three for as low as $20. 2) The Beat's two leads - Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger - left the band so they could split new money between the two of them instead of with all six players. The Beat's anti-greed and socialist unity lyrics are forever tainted.

Wakeling and Roger left and formed General Public, whose "All the Rage" was not a massive seller, but was THE party album of 1984-5. (It's been said that only a few people bought Velvet Underground's first album, but everyone who did started a band. Everyone who bought "All the Rage" got freakin' loaded, man!!! OwwwwwOOOOGGGAAACHAKA!!!) The single "Tenderness" has been used in the Weird Science and Clueless films, and in countless drunken "courtship" attempts. General Public's follow up LP "Hand to Mouth" sold weakly, but was great as well.

Two Beat players that were left behind (termed "redundant" in Brit-speak) by Wakeling and Roger's quest for lucre were David Steele and Andy Cox, who drafted singer Roland Gift and formed Fine Young Cannibals. FYC went multi-platinum with "The Raw and the Cooked" (far exceeding General Public's sales) and saturated American airwaves with "She Drives Me Crazy" (make it stop!) and other hits. IMHO, FYC was calculated/perfected chart pop (ALL cooked) that gave the nation a quick sugar rush. Their next album was remixes of the SAME SONGS from "The Raw and the Cooked." At the time, Madonna or Paula Abdul could get away with that -- FYC just overexposed and let us know they were played out.

In short: Party girls and smart chicks dig a lot more songs than are offered on "Beat This." Save your money up and get all three real Beat albums, and then General Public's first, and then get a keg of Guinness and unroll the Twister mat. (And move the precarious vase that's on the mantle).

A fine introduction to an underrated band.......2007-01-26

Kinda funny what happened to the Beat (known as the "English Beat" here in America, though I find that name clunky): their debut, I Just Can't Stop It, was an excellent album with their biggest hit (Mirror in the Bathroom), and assorted other goodies, most of them found here (Best Friend; Hands Off She's Mine; Twist and Crawl; Click Click; Whine and Grind/Stand Down Margaret; Can't Get Used to Losing You; Tears of a Clown, though Two Swords is missed). Then they crashed: Record #2, Wha'ppen? had a few gems (Too Nice to Talk to; Doors of Your Heart; Drowning, featured here: Get a Job and Dreamhouse in NZ are both sadly MIA), but it was uneven and felt like a holding pattern. By album #3 (Special Beat Service), they had all but lost it, going from a premeire punk-ska act to an Adult Contemporary act with a slight Jamaican feel. They managed to wring three good songs out of that mess: I Confess; Sole Salvation and Save it for Later. Wisely, they put those songs here.
Find yourself a copy of this album. It's a great party CD, and I used to listen to it near-religiously. Great music. The Beat were a more authentic Police when it came to mixing reggae and punk, thanks to their brilliant saxman Saxa: that's saying something, since the Police were also an authentic reggae band. Every song on this one's a gem, unlike on some of their studio albums: if you're a casual fan, this is all the Beat you need.

Beat This: The Best of the English Beat.......2007-01-10

If there were one UK band that was a true icon of the 80's, it would definitely be the English Beat. With the upbeat ska sounds that were heavily influenced by the Specials, this album is a must have. The album starts out with "Best Friend" which has a real catchy beat and funky horn section. "Save it for later" is another favorite which appears in the Woody Harrelson movie KingPin. "Mirror in the Bathroom" is on everybodys favorite 80's hits. The cover of "Tears of a Clown" is a masterful ska interpretation of The Smokie Robinson hit. My only gripe is that "Rotating Head" (heard in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when he is running through back yards towards the end) was not included. If you like The Specials, General Public and Fine Young Cannibals, you will love this album.

Its a Great Beat.......2006-10-19

I grew up on the English Beat and they are still one of my favorite bands today. There is something about the ska from that era that really appeals to me. My first exposure to them was in the early '80s when my brother was in college and the Beat were a college radio staple.

When I finally purchased "What Is Beat?" on tape, their first compilation album, I was in heaven. When my music collection converted to CD, "What Is Beat?" was one of the first CDs I purchased. It was a slight disappointment, though, because the CD could not hold as much music as the tape did and a few songs had to be cut. Bummer.

When I found "Beat This!" a few years ago, I was thrilled. Even though there were many repeat songs, it also included some that were cut from the "What Is Beat?" CD and a few that were never included such as "Click Click" and "Drowning." I still have both CDs and each fulfills a different purpose.

Ultimately, though, these Best Of albums will never tell the whole story but they are a great start to this ska band. If you like "Beat This!," be sure to check out their original albums as well for other gems that just didn't fit with the time limitations.

This is the beat you're looking for.........2006-07-11

Definitely could've been another song or two added to this best of, but what a brilliant collection. I can't keep it out of my cd player.

I think everyone will find what they're looking for in a collections album when they purchase this, and it's a great cd to start off with if you don't have anything else by The Beat.

The cd ranges over the many genres and influences that are jam-packed into this bands talent to a perfect blend, but this one will always stick alongside my ska and reggae collection.

So put it on direct play, or shuffle - you'll thoroughly enjoy it either way.

Music Album:

1. Best of the Best [CD-single]
2. Big Sandy Presents The Fly-Rite Boys
3. Billy Jack Wills & His Western Swing Band
4. Bitter Sweet
5. Blue Moons and Broken Hearts: The Anthology 1979-1996
6. Blue Ridge Mountain Music "Old Time Banjo"
7. Box of Photographs
8. Brian McComas [Enhanced]
9. Burning Daylight
10. Capitol Years: 1965-1977 [Import]

Music Album