| 1. My One and Only Love |
| 2. Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most |
| 3. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo |
| 4. Up from the Skies |
| 5. Second Time Around |
| 6. Dat Dere |
| 7. I'll Be Seeing You |
| 8. Bye Bye Blackbird |
| 9. Ballad of the Sad Young Men |
| 10. I Won't Grow Up |
| 11. Love Junkyard |
| 12. Comin' Back to Me |
Pop Pop,Rickie Lee Jones,Geffen Records,Folk-Rock,Jazz-Pop,Popular Music,Rock,Singer/Songwriter
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Icky Thump
The White Stripes Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000OYC3J8 Release Date: 2007-06-19 |
Tracks:
- Icky Thump
- You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)
- 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
- Conquest
- Bone Broke
- Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
- St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)
- Little Cream Soda
- Rag And Bone
- I'm Slowly Turning Into You
- A Martyr For My Love For You
- Catch Hell Blues
- Effect and Cause
Amazon.com
Bagpipes, a song written as the soundtrack to a Michel Gondry music video, Patti Page's musical shadow, and Jack and Meg co-narrating a scavenger's rummages: It must be time for Icky Thump, the many-flavored riposte to 2006's Get Behind Me Satan. The duo starts big with the title track--Jack's fast-tumbling, falsetto-tinged lyrics jagging on hyper keyboard-sounding segues and Meg's pounding drums. They rarely shy from an idea, invoking acoustic Bob Dylan to frame "300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues," but interjecting a series of distortion-laden guitar paroxysms for good measure. The end of Icky, on "Effect and Cause," is where Jack's trademark vocal warble and spare, quick acoustic strums meet Meg's single-minded beats. Everywhere on Icky giant riffs leap and shout, with Flamenco horns and those eerie bagpipes and rhythmic shifts and Jack's impatient vocal kinetics, marking new territories even as the White Stripes again populate them with vintage ideas. --Andrew BartlettAlbum Description
The White Stripes are back with the most bombastic album they've ever produced! While revealing the band's roots in American folk music, Icky Thump is an explosive, revolutionary assault that brings together garage rock, every blues style of the past 100 years, nouveau, and flamenco. This is truly a modern rock and roll masterpiece!Customer Reviews:
The Best Mr. White and Meg have put out yet........2007-07-19
How does a mere duo create the power of one of the greatest Rock band in history? I dunno.
I don't care that Jack is an eccentric nut-case. I really like his music. He must also be doing something right because he's still with his wife.
More power to him and all those like him.
Another solid effort.......2007-07-16
Good but not great.......2007-07-15
Some great guitar work.......2007-07-15
ah, the stripes.......2007-07-15
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Back to Black
Amy Winehouse Manufacturer: Republic ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000N2G3RY Release Date: 2007-03-13 |
Tracks:
- Rehab
- You Know I'm No Good
- Me & Mr. Jones
- Just Friends
- Back To Black
- Love Is A Losing Game
- Tears Dry On Their Own
- Wake Up Alone
- Some Unholy War
- He Can Only Hold Her
- Bonus Track 1
From Amazon.co.uk
Amy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or otherwise, to come out for years. Frank, her first album, was a sparse and stripped-down affair; Back to Black, meanwhile, is neither of these things. This time around, she's taken her inspiration from some of the classic 1960's girl groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las, a sound particularly suited to her textured vocal delivery, while adding a contemporary songwriting sensibility. With the help of producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, "Rehab" becomes a gospel-tinged stomp, while the title track (and album highlight) is a heartbreaking musical tribute to Phil Spector, with it's echoey bass drum, rhythmic piano, chimes, saxophone and close harmonies. Best of all, though, is the fact that Back to Black bucks the current trend in R&B by being unabashedly grown-up in both style and content. Winehouse's lyrics deal with relationships from a grown-up perspective, and are honest, direct and, often, complicated: on "You Know I'm No Good", she's unapologetic about her unfaithfulness. But she can also be witty, as on "Me & Mrs Jones" when she berates a boyfriend with "You made me miss the Slick Rick gig". Back to Black is a refreshingly mature soul album, the best of its kind for years. --Ted KordAlbum Description
Hailed by Newsweek Magazine as a cross between Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill, British soul singer Amy Winehouse's U.S. debut, Back To Black hits the US amid a flurry of accolades, radio and TV buzz unprecedented in recent years for a young siren.Her brassy mix of emotive vocals tinged with 60's girl-group stylings, sly funk, and anguished jazz, sparked the New York Daily News to crown Back To Black a "marvelous debut that would do Etta James proud" while New Yorker Magazine called her "a fierce English performer whose voice combines the smoky depths of a jazz chanteuse with the heated passion of a soul singer," and Spin Magazine affirming "there's never been A British star quite like her."
Back To Black smolders with a bristling fusion of old school doo-wop/soul inflected uprisings, (the charismatic singer/songwriter wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album) brewing instant classics such as the Shirley Ellis influenced "Rehab," the Supremes tinged title song "Back To Black," the aching "Wake Up Alone," and the album's closer, "Addicted."
Album Details
Ivor Novello Award Winner, Mercury Music Prize and Triple Brit Nominee Amy Winehouse, Follows the Release of her New Single "rehab" and Recent Sell-out Mini-uk Tour, with the Hugely Anticipated Release on October 30th of her New Album "back to Black". On "back to Black", the Follow-up to her Platinum Debut "frank" which Established her as One of the Most Exciting and Challenging Artists in Pop Music, Amy Confirms, Beyond Any Reasonable Or Unreasonable Doubt, What a Truly Remarkable Talent She Is.Customer Reviews:
Good, except for the noise..........2007-07-19
Judge by the music, not her appearance.......2007-07-19
One girl: girl-group sound, with a new attitude.......2007-07-19
what the??!!!.......2007-07-17
Amy's Music.......2007-07-17
Long version: The content and style Amy has is great. I do have a bias though. I have seen Amy recently in concert on TV. If I have one complaint is the fact that she mumbles through some of the lyrics. That takes away from the music in my opinion. Now that we have that part out of the way, Back to Black is a brilliant body of work.
Amy Winehouse is a throw back the people like Etta James and then mix it Johnny Rotten. She is raw and powerful. She may be the most rock n' roll chick I have seen in a long time. I hope she is not all Courtney Love (i.e. self destructive). There is a fire burning inside of her, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next. I think boredom will prevent this artist from giving us just another repeat performance.
Kevin
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Lost Highway
Bon Jovi Manufacturer: Mercury Nashville ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000P2A24W Release Date: 2007-06-19 |
Tracks:
- Lost Highway
- Summertime
- Make a Memory
- Whole Lot Of Leaving
- We Got It Going On
- Any Other Day
- Seat Next To You
- Everybody's Broken
- Stranger (feat. Leann Rimes)
- The Last Night
- One Step Closer
- I Love This Town
Amazon.com
Given the chart success of their Grammy-winning country single "Who Says You Can't Go Home," it's no surprise Bon Jovi upped the ante by recording an entire album paying homage to Nashville. In some ways, it's amazing they didn't do this sooner, given the way Keith Urban in particular is blurring country-pop lines, much as Garth Brooks and others did in the 1990s. To their credit, you won't find predictably shallow invocations of past country icons or any self-conscious, in-your-face down-home twang added strictly to remind the listener of the musical premise. In fact, Lost Highway isn't "Bon Jovi goes country" so much as a meaningful tribute to the Nashville ethos done on their own terms. They honor the spirit of the town through 12 simple, direct originals. The intimate, smoldering "(You Want To) Make a Memory," the ballad "Seat Next To You," "Lost Highway" and its roaring celebration of freedom, and "Stranger," an effective duet with LeAnn Rimes, all invoke country's spirit, and "I Love This Town," an eloquent nod to Nashville itself, ties it together admirably. --Rich KienzleAlbum Description
"Artistic freedom made this record possible," says Jon Bon Jovi. "Musical freedom to explore--and emotional freedom to express what was in our hearts."The result of that freedom is Lost Highway, an album Jon describes as "a Bon Jovi record influenced by Nashville."
Bon Jovi explains. "Nashville is all about songs and songwriters. If you're someone like me who loves songs and hanging out with songwriters, Nashville is the place. I thrive on that feeling and I'm inspired by that creative ambience."
The result, a haunting set of 12 new and original sounding songs, is a stunning, multi-layered look into the nature of love and life in all its glory. Love, like life, is lost, found, forgotten and reclaimed in this collection.
The moods are many, but the core feeling is pure Bon Jovi.
"Writing this record with Jon was deeply cathartic," says Richie Sambora, who collaborated on ten of the songs. "I was going through emotional changes that were new for me. An ailing father. A painful divorce. The start of a new chapter in my life. I poured everything I had into this project, every last bit of soul at my command."
"For over twenty years now," Jon explains, "Richie and I have been close collaborators. Even when our songs create fictional stories, they reveal our states of mind. To a large degree, Lost Highway focuses on the light that love brings. When you shine the light on love, you see the chinks in the armor. You see every crevice, every crack. And that's all right".
Lost Highway is Bon Jovi's tenth studio album since the band formed in the early eighties. One hundred and twenty million albums and 2500 concerts in over 50 countries later, Bon Jovi is enjoying the greatest popularity in their history.
Customer Reviews:
Great! Exactly what I wanted!!!.......2007-07-20
Bon Jovi does The Jayhawks.......2007-07-18
However, if you're at all familiar with The Jayhawks, especially the brilliant and criminally overlooked "Smile" then you've heard this before.
They may call it country in some reviews but others have identified this sound as "Americana" and that's what I'm going with. Harmonies, strings, beats and rhythms, it's all here as clear and crisp as Bon Jovi can give it.
Go ahead and give it a whirl and, if you like it, listen to "Smile" by The Jayhawks also.
Nice stuff.
How about NO?.......2007-07-18
Heres my quick review of it - you don't have to agree with everything I'm saying:
1. If you likes Bon Jovi's work so far, then you would love this. Its more of the same, nothing Groundbreaking, nothing revolutionary.
2. This is one of those `flavor of the month' albums that garner a lot of blog praise, but later in the year no one will even remember it.
3. Though some of the rock tunes here are good (in an `averagey' sort of way), none of them are memorable (even after three listens)
4. Theres this OVERWHELMING feeling of `been there, done that'. In fact, the entire album sounds very tired to me.
5. You could do much better than fall for the hype.
I would highly recommend the new White STripes album over this one, anyday.
Two Stars. Skip this one.
Never Disappointed.......2007-07-18
Jon Bon Jovi just keeps getting better.......2007-07-17
Credit Jon Bon Jovi for knowing exactly what to do with the right tune. Every song here is a killer, and don't judge the album by the merits of the first single (as great as the song is). "Lost Highway" only suffers when it tends to get a little sappy for its' own good (the lyrics tend to veer toward Richard Marx territory every so often), but the core of the album screams `country'!
The standout tracks are "Stranger" - a strangely successful duet with LeAnn Rimes, and "I Love this Town", where the boys sing to Nashville.
Everything on this record just WORKS. Yes, its no `Slippery When Wet' or even `Blaze of Glory', but if you like tuning into an artists' evolution, then this is the album for you. Just can't go wrong.
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My December
Kelly Clarkson Manufacturer: RCA Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000QFAJ7S Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- Never Again
- One Minute
- Hole
- Sober
- Don't Waste Your Time
- Judas
- Haunted
- Be Still
- Maybe
- How I Feel
- Yeah
- Can I Have A Kiss
- Irvine
Amazon.com
Judging by the themes of anger and betrayal that dominate Kelly Clarkson's third disc, My December, perhaps 'Jagged Little Idol' would have been a more telling title. According to interviews, the massively successful artist wanted more creative control with her music going forward; as a result, unlike her previous CDs, Clarkson contributes as a songwriter on every track. The final product is not nearly as catchy as Breakaway, but is far more introspective and honest. My December's overall sound brings a harder musical style than fans might expect, with acerbic lyrics to match; the disc's first single "Never Again"--a dark rock song slamming her ex-boyfriend--is certainly a tip-off. The compelling chorus of "Hole" finds Clarkson singing "There's a hole/inside of me/it's so damn cold/slowly killing me" over a melody that is far more Tool than top-40. "Haunted" and "Judas" are wrought-over tracks that veer into Evanescence territory, while the wonderfully sparse "Maybe" is a highlight within which Clarkson's pleading voice is perfectly showcased. My December's final listed track, "Irvine" (prior to the hidden bluesy acoustic ballad "Chivas") sounds far more Cat Power-meets-Corinne Bailey Rae than Clarkson, but it is certainly one of the most captivating songs on the disc, and serves as yet another reminder of just how versatile her voice is. Fans of her previous radio-friendly releases may well be divided on her new direction, but it appears to be the path Clarkson is likely to continue to travel. --Denise Sheppard
More from Kelly Clarkson
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Customer Reviews:
Love Her.......2007-07-19
Miss Independent, Miss Self-Sufficient, Miss Keep Your Distance.......2007-07-19
"Miss independent / Miss Self-sufficient / Miss keep your distance / Miss unafraid / Miss out of my way / Miss don't let a man interfere / Miss on her own / Miss almost grown / Miss never let a man help her off her throne"
This song was originally a Christina Aguilera throwaway, but in retrospect we can see that it fits Clarkson like a glove. In fact, we all should have seem "My December" coming from a mile away. Kelly Clarkson refused to let her vision be put on a shelf in a backroom somewhere and that should come as no surprise. Not only is "My December" her BEST album to date, but it's also her most self-assured and confident. The puppet masters have been left in the dust and what we're left with is nothing short of fabulous. It's honest, organic, and doesn't sound like it came out of the latest Idol convention. Thank goodness.
"Breakaway" was an excellent album for Kelly Clarkson, but "My December" is far superior in every sense. The music is more sophisticated, the lyrics are more personal, and finally I can actually relate to this one so much more. With respect to this album being less catchy, I would disagree. I think "My December" has far more energy than its predecessor. Songs like "One Minute," "How I Feel," "Don't Waste Your Time," "Maybe," "Can I have A Kiss," "Yeah," "Never Again" are easy to get along with. This album is more heavy-handed, but it's peppier. My favorite song on the album is "Hole" and it's her most Rock track that she's recorded. But it's sensational. Overall, Kelly's new album is a more mature version of "Breakaway" but not a huge departure.
If you liked "Breakaway" then I would give "My December" a chance. You don't want to miss out on her best record thus far.
Never Again.......2007-07-19
You go Kelly!
Flawed, but real - and important.......2007-07-19
That having been said, there is something missing on My December - seasoned songwriting. There are few hooks and none to match something of the caliber of Breakaway. The melodies are a bit repetitious and don't have that crafted grace that the best pop has - even edgy stuff of this character. Nevertheless, My December has an abundance of sincerity, honesty and integrity. It was obviously an important part of Kelly Clarkson's artistic journey and it needed to be made. Some of the tracks are achingly sweet, though always wistful, poignant or downright depressing. Sober and Irvine are standouts. Her incredible voice does occasionally veer toward being shrill but more often delivers raw emotional power and authority. She clearly felt this music deeply and so does this listener. I'm surprised that Mr. Davis, in all his years of so-called experience, hasn't yet learned that allowing the artist to be true to her vision will ultimately serve her growth, maturity, and yes, Clive, ultimately even her earning potential. Kelly Clarkson is only 25; There's a lot more to the story yet to be written.
Waste of money.......2007-07-18
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Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus
Hannah Montana , and Miley Cyrus Manufacturer: Disney ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000OYC3L6 Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- We Got the Party
- Nobody's Perfect
- Make Some Noise
- Rock Star
- Old Blue Jeans
- Life's What You Make It
- One in a Million
- Bigger than Us
- You and Me Together
- True Friend
Tracks:
- See You Again
- East Northumberland High
- Let's Dance
- G.N.O. (Girl's Night Out)
- Right Here
- As I Am
- Start All Over
- Clear
- Good and Broken
- I Miss You
Amazon.com
Tweens aren't often heralded for their good judgment and excellent taste (Heelys--hello), but if any young starlet can redeem them, it's Hannah Montana. On this, the second soundtrack from the Disney Channel series, Miley Cyrus takes her cues from her TV alter ego, who has an alter ego of her own: Disc 1 features Miley as Hannah, hair-tossing pop princess by weekend, likable schoolgirl by weekday (see "Old Blue Jeans" and "True Friends" to get a sense of each episode's un-cloying sweetness). But disc 2 is the start of something new, as her friends over on the High School Musical set might say: Miley sings strictly as her spunky, truth-telling self. This yields a number of pepped-up pop tracks bound to vibrate through the walls of pink bedrooms everywhere--"See You Again" is a boy-centric song instantly relatable to anyone who's ever been in seventh grade and suffered a bout of bashfulness, "East Northumberland High" puts a punk spin on an I'm-just-not-into-you tale, and "Clear" bounces on a reggae beat while canceling any doubt about our heroine's ability to stand up for herself. Like Hannah before her, Miley makes the best of both worlds--this well-worth-it set, by turns rockin' and reflective, is a masterful example. --Tammy La GorceHannah Montana Photos
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Album Description
This 2-disc set features 10 all new Hannah Montana songs from the #1-rated Disney Channel series, as well as a 2nd CD including 10 brand-new original songs by Miley Cyrus!Customer Reviews:
A Review for the Adult Readers.......2007-07-17
For those of you who don't know what the big deal is about, Miley Cyrus sounds like a younger Avril Lavinge, but with more varied musical tastes. Much of her music is straight-forward pop-rock (evoking some of the new Kelly Clarkson), and some of it is decidedly experimental (Latin & Reggae tunes on a couple of tracks). Its evident they wanted to make a record that everybody would love, and yes, I can guarantee that much of this is juvenile and really quite repugnant.
However, if theres one thing that stands out - it's the voice. Miley Cyrus has a raspy, throaty voice that is really unlike most pop-queens. Listening to her voice makes you realize just how thin and boring Lindsay Lohan sounds on record. I think Cyrus has a musical future in front of her - I would just like her to record an album of jazz standards, and it would actually work. Yes, shes that good, but the music isn't exactly groundbreaking.
Listen, theres a market for this. But I must say that for all the hype, Cyrus DOES have something. If you look beyond the insanely pink jackets she wears and the hair extensions that change every day, she has a really unique voice, and you might want to get this just to check that out.
If its any help, this is definitely better than both of Lindsay Lohan's albums.
My students love her.......2007-07-17
Hannah Montana.......2007-07-15
No. 1 With a Bullet. :).......2007-07-13
My family and I thoroughly enjoy this collection. There are twenty songs (ten by Hannah Montana and ten by Miley Cyrus), and the styles represented are quite eclectic. There appears to be a humble maturity occurring in her vocals and in a number of the 'Miley' texts being set to music; indeed, some of them are philosophical, while others are retrospective and (speculatively speaking) apparently prophetic, to a degree. Although the album is enjoyable to hear and digest on its own merits, in the opinion of this writer a number of tracks require repeated listenings in order to grasp some of the more subtle nuances, both musical and textual. Perhaps it is this aspect of the double-CD album that is most impressive: the quality of the work presented here by Miley and her entourage of writers is musically engaging and challenging to the listener.
The tunes on this double CD set, like those included on the initial soundtrack release, are again cleverly written. Among the genres and styles covered are ballads ("One In a Million" and "Make Some Noise"), rock, techno-pop, and a smidge of hip-hop, as well as songs containing both Spanish ("Let's Dance") and reggae ("Clear") elements. There are also some tracks (e.g. "Old Blue Jeans" and "See You Again," among others) which incorporate slightly more complex harmonies--harmonies that should keep those whom are musically inclined engaged and attentive. Among the ballads represented, it is pleasing to note that not all are about the all-too-common subject of love (e.g., "Make Some Noise").
Some semi-technical musical aspects:
The transition (from Hannah to Miley) I spoke of when reviewing her first album is deliberate on this stylistically-diverse collection. The new 'Hannah' tunes are as energetic and forward-moving as any of the power-rockish songs on the first album, while the cuts recorded by Miley continue to be imaginative and thought-provoking musically, especially with regard to the harmonic progressions being used. The melodies contain a relatively balanced mix of conjunct and disjunct movement, with some being diatonic (e.g., "Start All Over") and others encompassing more angular intervals (such as with the pronounced agogic accents that articulate the opening of "Life's What You Make It"). Particularly engaging and memorable to this listener, at least, is the unfolding locrian-esque ascending melodic line (built upon the third degree of the mode in which the tune resides) of "Start All Over" and the rhythmic movement accompanying the embedded pair of descending perfect fourths (F-C and C-G) included in the instrumental and vocal opening to "Life's What You Make It."
There is a decidedly less preponderant use of E major on this album, with keys such as C-sharp minor ("Nobody's Perfect"), G major ("Life's What You Make It"), A major ("Right Here"), A minor ("See You Again"), C major ("Clear"), G minor ("East Northumberland High"), and F-sharp minor ("Let's Dance") being used. {It must be noted that it was for me difficult to determine the precise key a given tune was written in as the tracks often sound a half step higher or lower depending upon the medium (DVD player, radio, or television) or format (CD or DVD) being used. But the relative, if not the absolute, pitch of the keys used is extremely varied.} The 'signature' E major framework is not entirely absent, however, as it is used on a couple of songs, one of which is "Bigger Than Us," a tune first heard by this writer performed in a different iteration (and in a different style and tempo) by Billy Ray Cyrus on the hit television show, "Hannah Montana." Speaking of which, another of the tunes on the 'Hannah' portion of this most recent effort, "Rock Star," is a trademark song of hers stylistically, and is sure to make its way to the television series as have several others to date.
As was the case with her first album, I again noticed--and appreciated--how different the vocal timbre of Miley Cyrus can be depending on the key being employed. Significantly, there are a few times where she cautiously extends her vocal range upward, and in so doing continues to attack her notes with excellent intonation and with what I perceive to be a modicum of ease. I am still hopeful that we will one day hear a more extensive (and melodically protracted) use of her lower range; the vocal quality is markedly different and may lend itself to a plethora of styles not yet represented on either of her first two albums.
The performances of "Nobody's Perfect" (the melody was heard initially as the "Bone Dance" on the television show, albeit with a different and more script-specific text) and "Life's What You Make It" are particularly engaging. It seems to me that both tunes (with a nod to "Make Some Noise" in 6/8 meter, and the harmonically compelling "Old Blue Jeans") are among the most imaginative and ambitious of any performed by Hannah thus far. Interestingly, "Make Some Noise" is the second tune of Miss Montana to use the barcarolle-like 6/8 meter; the first being the jointly-performed (with her father) "I Learned From You," the final cut to grace her premiere album, and a song which is interesting for its well-positioned use of syncopation at the level of the sixteenth note. {N.B.: The songs by Miley are perhaps even more ambitious than those of Hannah Montana, with such gems as "See You Again," the dark (dare I say sardonic?) "East Northumberland High," and the somewhat flamenco-esque "Let's Dance" residing within and/or flirting tenuously with the minor mode; tangental cuts such as "Right Here" and the reggae-like "Clear" employ the unlikely melodic interval (performed vocally) of the ascending major seventh(!), while another track, "We Got the Party," includes a couple of well-placed blues notes that provide a degree of melodic variety.} Curiously, and yet refreshingly, Miss Cyrus in some of the repeated sections of the pointedly melancholic "See You Again" chooses to vacillate between the raised (and eventually lowered) leading tone degree. The tension produced by the (albeit protracted, depending on one's musical memory) cross-relationship makes the tune somewhat modally ambiguous. Combined with her judiciously placed upward and downward slurring occurring on several of the phrases, and with the performance of the beginnings and endings of these segments being spot on with regard to pitch, the result tends to drive the music forward with a measured tenacity, which in the opinion of this writer is one mark of musicality occurring on the album. It is also noteworthy to mention that the first three tracks on the final CD--"See You Again," "East Northumberland High," and "Let's Dance"--each occupy a minor mode sound world.
Although I have given a cursory review of "Nobody's Perfect" elsewhere, it is important to reiterate that the tune is performed remarkably well, with Miss Montana's stage presence and accompanying rhythmic synchronizations (hand gestures and choreography) augmenting an already intriguing piece of writing. The track may interest those who enjoy relatively uncommon chord progressions in pop music. It begins and ends in C-sharp minor, but meanders effortlessly through a B minor/D major framework, eventually gravitating toward E major. The combination and succession of pitch centers--and especially the harmonic tension created between the opening and closing key of C-sharp minor and the B minor/D major/G(!) major constructs within which the second major section of this work vacillates--provides a stark yet musically engaging contrast.
I continue to appreciate the image Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus has thus far portrayed as well. As a father of several children (including four daughters, each of whom loves her music), it is gratifying to see a positive role model (with talent to burn) coming out of the Disney stable. I and my family wish her all the best in the years to come.
A Very Good Second Album .......2007-07-10
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Traveling Wilburys (2 CD / 1 DVD)
The Traveling Wilburys Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000P0J024 Release Date: 2007-06-12 |
Tracks:
- Handle With Care
- Dirty World
- Rattled
- Last Night
- Not Alone Any More
- Congratulations
- Heading For the Light
- Margarita
- Tweeter And the Monkey Man
- End Of the Line
- Maxine - (previously unreleased, Bonus Track)
- Like A Ship - (alternate take, Bonus Track)
Tracks:
- She's My Baby
- Inside Out
- If You Belonged To Me
- Devil's Been Busy, The
- 7 Deadly Sins
- Poor House
- Where Were You Last Night?
- Cool Dry Place
- New Blue Moon
- You Took My Breath Away
- Wilbury Twist
- Nobody's Child - (Bonus Track)
- Runaway - (Bonus Track)
Amazon.com
The Traveling Wilburys were one of the few supergroups that lived up to their promise, because they didn't try to. Things started inauspiciously when George Harrison, needing a B-side for a 1988 single, called in friends Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison for assistance. Two albums later--the second without Orbison, who had passed away shortly after the first was released--the loose-knit collective had recorded material that was as durable, and occasionally eclipsed, the participants' legendary solo work. The Wilburys succeeded due to a genial and contagious camaraderie that permeates both discs. What could have been a train wreck of ego clashes instead resulted in a frothy meeting of the minds. These guys are having a blast, trading lead vocals and harmonies on energetic folk-rock, quirky rockabilly, and Beatlesque pop that shimmers with the respect and esteem the members clearly hold for each other. Harrison and Lynne's rather slick production polishes off edges that might better have been left unvarnished, but there's no denying the loosey-goosey craftsmanship at work in tunes such as "Handle with Care," "End of the Line," and a striking Orbison performance on "Not Alone Anymore" that ranks with any of his finest. Both albums were million-sellers, but oddly went out of print for about a decade until Rhino resurrected them, adding two rare tracks per disc as well as a DVD of music videos and a band documentary. The resulting package is a comprehensive overview of a once--well, twice--in-a-lifetime project that, especially after Harrison's passing, will never be repeated. --Hal HorowitzAlbum Description
Featuring classics like "Handle With Care," "End Of The Line," and "Heading For The Light," super-group Traveling Wilbury's Collection highlights all of the band's music and previously unreleased bonus tracks through this re-mastered double album. The DVD features behind the scenes footage of the band writing and recording, along with their 5 video clips.Customer Reviews:
A Great Set.......2007-07-19
The DVD is great shows some really nice home movies, about the making of the albums.
grannysue
Waller,TX
Great To See The Wilburys Back In Print.......2007-07-19
A must have for Wilbury fans!.......2007-07-19
It keeps alive the memory of the immense talent of Orbison and Harrison and is a must for the CD collection
A Must Have Addition.................2007-07-18
Travelling Wilbury's Review.......2007-07-17
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Zeitgeist
Smashing Pumpkins Manufacturer: Martha's Music / Reprise ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000OQF6N6 Release Date: 2007-07-10 |
Tracks:
- Doomsday Clock
- 7 Shades of Black
- Bleeding the Orchid
- That¹s the Way (my Love is)
- Tarantula
- Starz
- United States
- Neverlost
- Bring the Light
- (Come on) Let¹s Go!
- For God and Country
- Pomp and Circumstances
Amazon.com
Inside the buzzing hive of Smashing Pumpkins' guitars is clearly where bandleader Billy Corgan feels most comfortable. So, after a seven-year hiatus for the short-lived group Zwan and his surprisingly sunny 2005 solo album, Corgan has revived the Pumpkins in all the six-string-spattered shades of emotional gray that made them one of the greatest bands of the alt-rock era. Longtime drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, along with famed boardsmiths Roy Thomas Baker and Terry Date as well as Corgan himself coproduced. Chamberlin also supports mountainous layers of guitar with his fiercest playing. California musicians Ginger Reyes (bass) and Jeff Schroeder (guitar) complete a version of the band dedicated to early bare-knuckled form, with a few exceptions: Corgan's grown into a more powerful wordsmith and his lengthy guitar solo explorations of yore are replaced with a trim, barbed textural approach that's ultimately more vicious. That is, until the centerpiece "United States" stretches into an epic punk-metal-informed sibling of Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun," with Corgan's strings singing like explosions and twisting metal as he warbles about revolution. Much of this album conjures literal and sonic visions of apocalypse, but there's grace, too, in the blithe grind of the hopeful "That's the Way (My Love Is)" and the melodic "Neverlost." Overall, Corgan's captivating effort to mine both the spirit of these turbulent times and the soul of his defining band is a smashing success. --Ted DrozdowskiAlbum Description
The Smashing Pumpkins are back! After seven years, the acclaimed Pumpkins have returned with Zeitgeist. Featuring the single "Tarantula," this new sound is not to be missed.Customer Reviews:
One of SP's best.......2007-07-19
But, then I put Zeitgeist on my MP3 player, adding it to my Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan/Billy mix. Mixing Zeitgeist songs with other SP songs helped me realize that Zeitgeist is right up there with anything Smashing Pumpkins has created. In fact, this is classic Smashing Pumpkins. They have really delivered on providing a great start to their reunion. The only reason why I didn't give this album 5 stars is because I would have enjoyed a wider use of instruments.
I definitely recommend it...and make sure and buy (no bit torrents on this album) a copy to send a message that we want Smashing Pumpkins to keep making music.
The Pumpkins are back. Or are they? (3.5).......2007-07-19
While I don't think it holds a candle to the first four albums, it is in many ways superior to the scattershot MACHINA/The Machines of God and the songs are pretty well put together. It may seem like a crowd pleaser to some, as the more "rock" songs tend to be in the first half and more of the keyboard-laced songs are toward the end. And truth be told there is some pretty good moments. I hear that "That's the Way (My Love Is)" will be the album's next single and on top of being catchy is a great pop type song from Corgan.
Perhaps the centrepice of the record though is "United States." It is the longest song on the record and perhaps all for the better. The riffage reminds me of the psychedelic hard rock of older releases. Another great highlight on the record is the gorgeous closer "Pomp and Circumstance," which to me, is aural bliss, like a song that must have come from heaven. Not that it's my favorite song from them, but it gives you that sort of feel. There is a sort of political undercurrent to the record and it's one thing that did make me a bit skeptical. However, it seems that Billy can make anything sound like a personal record which is one reason this works fine for some of the fans.
On the downside, I wonder if the release was a bit rushed, something I never thought I'd be saying about a Pumpkins release. It seems like more is put to the tracks. That being said for the first time since Gish has an album come out that wouldn't make an ADD-diagnosed listener pass out. That being said, the ambition was always one of Billy Corgan's strengths and his heart gave the songs their feel, showing the band did in fact have integrity.
Another let down is that some of the "bonus" tracks on other releases are actually better than at least half of the songs on this record, which makes me wonder if Billy's learned from the mistakes of seven years ago. This also makes me hope for a commerical single release or something. And while this didn't have me holding my breath, something like releasing "Mashed Potatoes" commercially would do that trick. That being said it's 2007, and Billy wants to play Smashing Pumpkins tracks again.
Good Comback.......2007-07-18
Recommended for any serious fan, or casual listener..
Good by any standard but their own.......2007-07-18
On this album, Billy and Jimmy pick up the pieces after Zwan disintegrated and make the hard rocking Pumpkins sound I had hoped for with MACHINA. True, this does not live up to the standard if you are using Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie as a measuring stick, but Zeitgeist outdoes anything being put out these days by Nickelback clones. If you are upset about James and D'arcy being absent, remember that a majority of their studio sound was just Billy and Jimmy to begin with. Get off your high horse and give it chance.
NOT FOR OLD SCHOOL SMASHING PUMPKIN FANS.......2007-07-18
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It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Maroon 5 Manufacturer: A&M / Octone Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000P2A256 Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Tracks:
- If I Never See Your Face Again
- Makes Me Wonder
- Little of Your Time
- Wake Up Call
- Won't Go Home Without You
- Nothing Lasts Forever
- Can't Stop
- Goodnight Goodnight
- Not Falling Apart
- Kiwi
- Better That We Break
- Back At Your Door
Amazon.com
Sometimes it's O.K.--even important--to put aside your reluctance to embrace artists who make teenage girls scream. It happened in 2006, when Justin Timberlake scraped the sludge off pop and left something shiny behind, and it's happening again in 2007 with Maroon 5. It Won't Be Soon Before Long, the L.A. band's sophomore studio disc, rode in on a crest of hype and crumpled expectations--fan reports had it that Adam Levine & Co. scrapped their signature pop-soul sound for something harder and darker. Not so. Shades of Prince, Hall & Oates, and Sting still color the Maroon sound (check out the spectacularly fizzy "Little of Your Time," as well as the first single, "Makes Me Wonder," a song catchier than fire), but they're made ever fainter here by the clamping down of five guys on what is essentially the most distinctive pop sound to emerge from a single band since the Bee Gees squealed into the mid-'70s. It Won't Be Soon squares hip-hop sensibilities ("Wake Up Call") with rock ones ("If I Never See Your Face Again") and stormy moods ("Can't Stop") with bittersweet ballads ("Better That We Break"). It's a disc destined to defy detractors and go on to greatness, elevating the credibility of teenage girls for years to come. --Tammy La GorceAmazon.com
Global neo-soul rock superstars Maroon 5 are back with their much-anticipated sophomore album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long. The follow-up to the 10x platinum, Grammy-winning Songs About Jane will be "sexier and stronger," according to frontman Adam Levine, who looked to '80s icons such as Prince, Michael Jackson, and Talking Heads for inspiration. Recorded at home in Los Angeles with producers Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Eminem), Mark "Spike" Stent (Bjork, Keane, Gwen Stefani), Mark Endert (Madonna, Fiona Apple), and Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Nickel Creek), the album promises to be a louder take on the pop sounds of their first effort. "It's definitely aggressive, upbeat and pounding," says Levine.
More Maroon 5
Songs About Jane |
Live Friday the 13th |
1.22.03.Acoustic |
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Customer Reviews:
I LOVE THIS CD!.......2007-07-19
Pleasant Surprise.......2007-07-18
It Won't Be Soon Before Long - Absolutely No Songs About Jane.......2007-07-15
Musically speaking, this record is way much better than "Songs About Jane" in my opinion. It is clear that songs are now arranged and played in a more careful and sophisticated way. My picks are: "Nothing Lasts Forever", "Can't Stop", "Not Falling Apart" and "Back at Your Door". My guess is that if you hear at least these four tracks, you will notice a better and more mature Maroon 5, going to the right way and making their evolution.
buy it.......2007-07-14
even the songs you've never heard before you will love
if you like songs about jane, you'll like this, too
i have it in my car cd player right now
The Wait is Over.......2007-07-13
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Once
Original Soundtrack Manufacturer: Columbia ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000PFU7OO Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Tracks:
- Falling Slowly
- If You Want Me
- Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy
- When Your Minds Made Up
- Lies
- Gold
- The Hill
- Fallen from the Sky
- Leave
- Trying to Pull Myself Away
- All the Way Down
- Once
- Say It to Me Now
Amazon.com
Even those allergic to musicals may be won over by Once, a tender-hearted Irish romance with songs by Czech Republic-born Markéta Irglová and Frames frontman Glen Hansard. (The film's director, John Carney, actually used to play bass in the group.) The trick here is that Irglová and Hansard also play the leads; because their characters are shown busking, writing music, or rehearsing, the songs are smoothly integrated in the film. The overall acoustic mood won't surprise fans of the Frames--some tracks ("Say It to Me," "When Your Mind's Made Up") have even popped up on the band's albums, though the arrangements are more pared-down here, befitting the scruffy, street-musician setting. Being the lesser-known entity, Irglová feels like a revelation; she sounds a bit like a folkie Björk on "If You Want Me," and her song "The Hill" is downright heartbreaking. Irglová and Hansard had already made the 2006 album The Swell Seasontogether, so their collaboration here feels really organic--they sound particularly good together on the title track, for instance. Now that's the kind of magic you want from musicals. --Elisabeth VincentelliCustomer Reviews:
WoW!!!.......2007-07-19
Once.......2007-07-19
Fabulous follow-up to the film.......2007-07-19
Every song is gorgeous. Both the male and female vocals are filled with emotion. (Maybe more than some people would be comfortable with.) You might have to see the film to really appreciate all of the lyrics and soulful renditions. But several of the songs would make my playlist any day.
Stunningly original.
awesome.......2007-07-15
Once.......2007-07-13
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Easy Tiger
Ryan Adams Manufacturer: Lost Highway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000P29B1W Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- goodnight rose
- two
- everybody knows
- halloween head
- two hearts
- tears of gold
- the sun also sets
- off broadway
- rip off
- oh my god, whatever, etc.
- pearls on a string
- these girls
- i taught myself how to grow old
Amazon.com
Easy Tiger, Ryan Adams's ninth solo studio album, is a return to form in every way. He's already shown that he can bash out three albums in one year--not to mention the hilarious fake hip-hop records posted for free on his Web site--and that he can sound as much like the Grateful Dead as he wants to in his constant subsequent touring. Backed once again by the Cardinals, Adams synthesizes and refines his approach to smooth, gorgeous country-pop. "Tears of Gold" is one of the best songs he's written in ages, while "Two" is a slowly percolating, sweet little number that recalls Sean Hayes in its soulful folksiness (someone named Sheryl Crow accompanies Adams on vocals). One of the greatest treats of this languorous, twangy album is the subtle ways that genre gets played with. "I Taught Myself How to Grow Old" is the best Harvest outtake Neil Young never wrote, while the treated, synth-sounding guitar solo on the druggy, chooglin' "Halloweenhead" sounds like it comes straight out of Journey. And "The Sun Also Sets" sounds more than a little like Rufus Wainwright covering Fred McDowell's "Write Me a Few of Your Lines." It bursts with enough melodrama as to border on musical theater. But, as is clear on these songs of love and loss, Adams has always been at his best when giving into his most mellow, dramatic side. --Mike McGonigal Ryan Adams Photos
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More Ryan Adams
Heartbreaker |
Gold |
Love Is Hell |
Album Description
I think there are really only two kinds of pop music CDs these days. There are the ones you listen to only once or twice, maybe downloading the single good song to your iPod or computer; then there are others that grow stronger, sweeter, and more necessary each time you play them. Gold was that way; Cold Roses was that way; so was Jacksonville City Nights. I won't say Adams is the best North American singer-songwriter since Neil Young...but I won't say he isn't, either. What I know is there has never been a Ryan Adams record quite as strong and together as Easy Tiger; it's got enough blue-eyed, blue-steel soul (with the faintest country tinge) to make me think of both Marvin Gaye and the Righteous Brothers. Probably ridiculous, but true. And the songs themselves are beautiful--the lyrics tightly focused and brief, the feeling one of melancholy calm that will probably be a revelation to fans that remember the old, sometimes angry Ryan Adams.Now there's this, maybe the best Ryan Adams CD ever. And I know you want to listen to it right away. But slow down. Take your time. This album asks for that, and it will reward your full attention.
In other words--easy, Tiger.
--Stephen King
Customer Reviews:
Solid Album.......2007-07-19
A true Ryan Adams classic.......2007-07-18
So what does this analogy have to do with a review of "Easy Tiger?" To put Ryan Adams's new album in perspective, it would be the equivalent of Van Morrison's "Moondance." It is the first record that comes across as being almost conservative in its polished professionalism. If you're a Van fan who hated "Moondance" because its warm, relaxed, pastoral vibe felt like a "sellout" after the wild abandon of Them and the heady experimentalism of "Astral Weeks" (and I'm sure there were more than a few people of that opinion at the time), then likewise, "Easy Tiger" is going to sound too safe, too pat. But if you think "Moondance" is a beautiful masterpiece, then you may well love "Easy Tiger."
This is the album where Ryan Adams sobers up, bears down, and actually turns out an album of "all-killer, no filler" (arguably the first since "Heartbreaker"). And if that comes at the expense of the roughness and raggedness that has accompanied his best work to this point, then so be it. But ten years down the road (if Ryan Adams keeps getting songs like "When the Stars go Blue" covered by enough mainstream artists to make him a mainstream artist himself), my money is on this album being considered as one of his true classics.
In a way, it's almost a career summation up to this point. It has the acoustic front-porch "Heartbreaker" vibe on "These Girls," the lush "Gold"-ballad feel on "Two, and "I Taught Myself How to Grow Old" the "Demolition"-style late-night laments of "Everybody Knows and "The Sun Also Sets," the atmospheric "Love Is Hell" angst of "Off Broadway," the "Rock and Roll" crunch on "Halloweenhead," the jam-band "Cold Roses" sound on "Goodnight Rose," the "Jacksonville City Nights" countrypolitan of "Tears of Gold," and to make it complete, "Pearls On a String" and "Two Hearts" even harken back to his Whiskeytown days.
In fact, this album plays almost like a Ryan Adams Greatest Hits album that, like a good hits comp, manages the trick of being summative without being disjointed or haphazard. And like a good compilation, these songs are all keepers. If this is what being sober means, here's hoping Ryan can stay on the straight and narrow from here on out and have a later-day career as interesting and rich as Van Morrison's.
Yea right.......2007-07-18
Little too country for my tastes.......2007-07-17
One Man's Trash Ain't Another Man's "Ripoff".......2007-07-16
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