American Matador

1. One, Two

2. I'll Take You in My Car

3. At Least Ten Years

4. Pablo's Theme

5. Instrumental Lessons

6. Voyage

7. PJ

8. Dave on a Plank

9. Let's Ride Horses

10. Millions Can Be Wrong

11. That Does Not Make Sense

12. Ender

Tracks:

Don't Give It Up Now
Help You Ann
I Confess
I'm Tellin' You Girl
Love Me Till The Sun Shines
I Really Want You Right Now
Tired Of Waiting
Dolly
Soapy
The Way I Feel About You
Not Like The Other One
Never Met A Girl Like You
How Could I Have Done All Of These Things
Swing Shift
Trying Just To Please You
Busy Body
Someone Who'll Treat You Right Now
She Pays The Rent
You've Been Wrong
I'll Try Anyway

Customer Reviews:

A genuine classic!.......2007-04-08

This is a great cd but if you're new to the group, see my review of their even better Lyres Lyres release.
Here a few of the many highlights are Not Like The Other One, Don't Give It Up Now and of course Help You Ann.
A terrific addition to any collection. Long live The Lyres!

Worth it!.......2006-07-21

When I first put this album on my turntable (I have it on vynil, but hey- it's still the same music) I was quite baffled. The copyright date read "1984"- but that couldn't be right. This album sounds like only one other album I have ever heard, the one-of-a-kind "Pink Floyd/ Piper at the Gates of Dawn." The instruments have been tuned to the same sound, and the speed and rhythm is classic Barrett style. The rhythm to the opening track even sounds just like an old Floyd song, "Lucifer Sam." The musical framework may, indeed, be true garage, but the sound and the delivery is as beautifully psychedelic as any Barrett single.

Ever since I heard "Piper" for the first time, I have been looking for something else like it. I have finally found that something, and it is called the Lyres.

best Of The Boston Scene.......2006-07-08

If you are a fan of the boston music scene then check out these amazing albums:
1) Surfer Rosa by The Pixies
2) Lyres Lyres by The Lyres
3) Low Rises by Baby Ray
4) Vs. by Mission Of Burma
5) Fig. 15 by The Human Sexual Response

The ultimate truth in advertising.......2005-03-17

"On Fyre" may very well be one of the most appropriate names ever for a rock'n'roll album. The first full-length album by Boston's Lyres wasn't just incendiary -- it was a deliberate act of arson.
It also provided one of those handful of musical moments (hearing "Rocket to Russia" for the first time, watching Costello's first "SNL" appearance, the first time I heard "Pet Sounds," etc.) that changed my life as a music fan -- walking into Sounds records in Manhattan's East Village on my 23rd birthday in 1984, hearing the first bashing strains of "Don't Give It Up Now" for the first time, right into the mad vibrato throbbing of "Help You Ann" ... and two songs later, the familiar "You Really Got Me" riff that opened "I'm Telling You Girl," followed by a scream and a Vox organ riff from the depths. And my jaw dropped. And I just about ran out of the store with the album. It led to many Rolling Rock-powered nights over the next decade of seeing Jeff "Monoman" Conolly and his various Lyres lineups in New York, New Haven, New London, Naugatuck, Boston and Hoboken. And between "On Fyre," my immersion into The Fleshtones, The Vipers and the Hoodoo Gurus shortly after, and of course the "Pebbles" comps, I was about 90 percent on my way to being a garagehead.
The original Ace of Hearts release was way too short, with just 10 songs. But they were the right songs, including two real Kinks kovers (a sweet "Love Me 'Til the Sun Shines" and a slowed-down, wring-it-out "Tired of Waiting") and the garage equivalent of "Splish Splash" -- the squeaky-clean yet soulful grind of "Soapy."
The aces 1998 Matador reissue includes 10 more doses of whipped cream w/cherry on top: "I Really Want You Right Now," another throbber only released on the import New Rose version of the LP; five previously unreleased studio cuts (the best being longtime Lyres staples "Never Met a Girl Like You" and "Swing Shift"), and, best of all, the four songs (if you had the import version) from their 1985 12-inch single. Two of their best tunes came off this single: the wind-it-up-and-let-it-rip "Someone Who'll Treat you Right Now" and especially the bashing, crashing, unrelentless, full-on sound of "She Pays the Rent" (much better than the ensuing dragged-out version that appeared on their next album, "Lyres Lyres").
It's amazing that, 21 years later, it's held up so well (better than many of the fans from back then who swear by it). It's the type of album that if a contemporary radio station just plucked it out of nowhere and decided to play it (dream on), it would get dozens of calls wondering "What the hell was THAT?!?" and "Where can I get it?" The garage tribe, just like the rock'n'roll world in general, is full of hot stove league arguments over how good this record or that record truly is. Among garage fiends, there's no argument about "On Fyre." It was one of the best albums, period, and even more so with all the goodies added for the Matador re-release.

The Lyres Set The World On Fyre.......2003-10-11

"On Fyre" is a Matador reissue of the of the Lyres 1982 debut album on Boston's homegrown Ace of Hearts label. The Lyres, lead by the charismatic Jeff "Monoman" Conolly were among the premiere bands of the early 80s club band renaissance in Boston Massachusetts. Only two other bands, Mission of Burma and the Pixies were arguably more significant players in a music scene that revolved around tiny, smoke-filled, standing- room-only music venues like Cantone's, the Rat, the Underground and the In Square Men's Bar. The neo-garage rock of the Lyres was particularly well suited to the sweaty hard edged clubs of that era. The Lyres embodied all that was pure and passionate in the music of the venerable Boston school of garage punk.

Monoman, a walking archive of garage rock, was initially involved with DMZ, the seminal Boston garage rock band of the late sixties. DMZ, along with performers like Willie "Loco" Alexander, provided a blueprint for the for the the Boston punk scene. If Willie Alexander was the godfather of Boston punk, then Monoman and DMZ were his heir apparents. DMZ actually got signed by a major label (Sire), but production quality was so abysmal that even garage afficiandos hated the Flo and Eddy (of the Turtle's) drum heavy mix of sound of the mix. DMZ mutated into the Lyres in the early eighties and the band recorded "Help You Ann" a local hit on Ace of Hearts. "On Fyre" is arguably the most significant album of the post-punk garage movement. Monoman's choppy Vox Continental organ is the signature sound of the Lyres. The snarling vocals, the punky Danelectro guitar and the flat un-miked drum sound suggested a time tunnel back to the mid-sixties heyday of true garage bands like Question Mark and the Mysterians and the Seeds. The technical ability of the Lyres surpassed those "one-hit wonder" bands and put them in a class of garage bands that were actually musically accomplished, like Roky Erikson's legendary 13th Floor Elevators.

"On Fyre" has a dazzling and warm analogic mix which enriches authentic garage esthetic the Lyre's sound. The first song, "Don't Give It Up" became the Lyres anthem of hope and glory, in their turbo changed live shows. It is as close to perfect as garage rock has ever gotten. There is a fade-in guitar and drums which is joined by the organ and Mono's half spoken vocals which segues into a pummeling chorus of "don't give it up". The bluesly guitar break which is charmingly eccentric because Danny McCormack resolutely refuses to bend a single note on his vintage Daneletro guitar. All the while, Mono bangs a tamborine on his hip, while chording the ubiquitous Vox Continental with his right hand. On "Help You Ann" Danny's guitar is on a delay switch, and the guitar's cascading echo displays Danny's mastery of pre-digital guitar technique. "Love Me Til the Sun Shines" is one of those innocent but seductive flower power ballads that shows the Lyres mastery of Hart and Boyle school of songwritting. The odd time signature and slowed tempo of "Tired of Waiting" comes close to trumping (but not quite) the original Kinks version. Another triumph is a cover of Pete Best's obscure "The Way I Feel About You." The choice of covering a song by the "failed Beatle" is yet another trademark obscurantist ploy Monoman's enless bag of tricks. The Matador release has also included 10 bonus tracks in this amended issue of the original. These are not throwaways or outtakes, but terrific studio cuts which actually enhance the legacy of the original album. The orginal cover art with the distinctive Lyre's logowork is wisely retained from the 1982 Ace of Heart's vinyl release.

The Lyres' cult following has expanded steadily since there final album in 1993. The passage of twenty years since the original "On Fyre" has cemented the Lyres reputation, in the hearts and minds those fans of; the Stooges, the 13th Floor Elevators and other "ragged but right" architects of timeless garage rock. The Matador re-releases of the Lyres back catalog have brought the music of the Lyres to a devoted European audience, where the Lyres are a household name in many areas of Western Europe. The Lyres produced two great albums on Ace of Hearts, this album "On Fyre" and "Lyres, Lyres". There is one mediocre Ace of Hearts release, "A Promise Is A Promise." It fails because the Lyres tried to sound something they were not: a hipster alt-rock, college radio band. The Lyre's swan song on another Boston label Taang!; revisits the sound that made them great and they end their recording career in a blaze of glory. In addition to the Ace of Hearts and Taang offical realeases, numerous bootleg quality live performance are available. The are two are three comilations which are spotty and haphazard. For my money, "On Fyre" should be an essential album for any fan of garage bands, post-punk, early psychedelic pop, or roots rock.

American Matador
Average customer rating:

AWESOME GUITAR - AWESOME CD

Powerful, Graceful Rock

American Matador
Marc Bonilla
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
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Ee Ticket

The Urge

Pink Floyd - Pulse

ASIN: B000008DNN
Release Date: 1993-08-17

Tracks:

American Matador
Get off the Fence
Streetalk
Whiter Shade of Pale
Vanishing Road
Mephisto
Wake the Baby
Under the Gun
Vette Lag
Prde
In the Blue Corner
I Am the Walrus
Whiter Shade of Pale [Instrumental]

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME GUITAR - AWESOME CD.......2004-08-06

Another guitar virtuoso that combines awesome technique with the ability to compose stirring and emotional musik. The playing is second to none and shows restrain were it is called for. Bonilla doesn't decent into noodling and every note has a valid place that serves and enhances the composition. If you like HOEY / TIMMONS / FIRKINS / ZAZA or anything of that nature, you will love this CD.

Powerful, Graceful Rock.......2003-09-30

This is a solid piece of rock that lifts the listener through a variety of moods and textures. It isn't just Bonilla's virtuosic skill as a pure player that is so impressive; it is, even more, the range and scope of sheer sound that he coaxes, cajoles and rips out of his instruments.

Bonilla, who produced the release and wrote most of the songs, has a graceful, powerful hand that creates music at once moving, inspiring, and exhilarating. It's hard to pick a standout piece as the quality of the album is so high. His title track ("American Matador") shows Bonilla's remarkable range in a thrilling metal instrumental with prog rock and flamenco roots. "Get Off the Fence" (an ode to Harley-Davidson), "Mephisto" and "Vette Lag" fill ears with indelible sonic images. Glenn Hughes' vocals on "A Whiter Shade of Pale" mix well with Bonilla's deft delivery of rock-charged soul music; this blues metal mix is even more apparent in his haunting "The Vanishing Road." Bonilla himself steps up to the microphone for brutal insight into the insanity of societal violence ("Wake the Baby"). Would that all rock records were made with the same care, the same passion and invention. David R. Bannon, Ph.D.; author, "Race Against Evil."

Onoffon
Average customer rating:

Burma's best record?

Same raw intensity and musical ambition they had in 1983...

Mission Accomplished

Defies All Logic

Mission of Burma: even better - and always ON!

Onoffon
Mission of Burma
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Signals, Calls and Marches

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ASIN: B0001U1QB6
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Tracks:

Setup, The
Hunt Again
Enthusiast, The
Falling
What We Really Were
Max Ernst's Dream
Fake Blood
Prepared
Wounded World
Dirt
Into The Fire
Fever Moon
Nicotine Bomb
Playland
Absent Mind
Untitled

Amazon.com

Lots can happen in 22 years. Babies grow up, graduate college, start families. The onset of maturity is typically harder on rock bands. In 1972, the Stones released Exile on Main Street; by 1994, they were slumming in Voodoo Lounge. So it comes as a terrific surprise that Boston punk experimentalists Mission of Burma, who split shortly after 1982's Vs., sound as cutting edge as ever on this reunion disc. Opener "The Setup" features a midsection that sounds more like a jar of buzzing bees than any conventional solo, thanks to tape manipulator Bob Weston (borrowed from Shellac) putting guitarist Roger Miller through a barrage of effects. On a quieter note, the seductive "Falling" features backing vocals by Tonya Donnelly, while somber strings underscore "Prepared." Through it all, Burma still boast unerring melodic sensibilities; "The Enthusiast" and "Wounded World" are rife with sharp hooks. ONoffON was a long time coming, but well worth the wait. --Kurt B. Reighley

Album Description

The first new recordings in 22 years from avant-rock titans Mission Of Burma. A work of staggering complexity, brimming with all the raw power of their 80's releases, while revealing tones, textures, and lyrical themes unimaginable the first time around. One of the most forward-thinking American bands, Burma have been covered by REM, Moby, Blur, and others, and helped shape the sounds of hardcore, indie rock, and emo. They're part of the Velvet Underground, MC5, Television, and Joy Division pantheon. Available in CD, hybrid SACD, and true all-analog 180-gram double vinyl.

Customer Reviews:

Burma's best record?.......2005-09-14

I don't know how many times it can be said: on "Onoffon," Mission of Burma sounds as vital and intense as they did in 1983, an amazing feat for a band who hasn't recorded together in 22 years (and lost a founding member along the way). Another review noted that the returing Burma doesn't attempt the wide-ranging experimentation of "Vs." For my money, that's not a bad thing, and here's why. "Onoffon" retains all the stomping ferocity of the 1983 model, and adds a focus and maturity gained through the intervening 20 years. In retrospect, it probably shouldn't be too surprising that a Burma reunion sounds this good. Miller stayed active in projects like the semi-successful Birdsongs of the Mesozoic; I think that gave him a clear idea, from the standpoint of musical experimentation, of what works and what doesn't. Prescott, meanwhile, blossomed as a leader and songwriter in his own right with the Volcano Suns and Kustomized. The only wild card here is Clint Conley - from what I know, the guy got out of the music business entirely after producing the first Yo La Tengo album (according to the Trouser Press, he was a TV producer in New Jersey); but then, we're talking about the guy who wrote "Academy Fight Song" after all.

Anyway, in summary, "Onoffon" sounds like the logical follow-up to "Vs." It's a testament to their previous work that Mission of Burma needed 20+ years of experience to find the confidence and vision needed to build on the strengths of those records while de-emphasizing their weaker moments.

Same raw intensity and musical ambition they had in 1983..........2005-02-04

How could a band get back together after 22 years and still sound relevant...like they never left? They're playing today with the same raw intensity and musical ambition that they had in 1983. No more Martin Swope manipulating their sound but their producer, Bobby Weston does create some pretty interesting effects. My favorite three tracks are the hard-rocking "The Set Up" which is loaded with great riffs and noises, "The Enthusiast" sounding like the Gang of Four jamming with The Clash, and "Fake Blood" with King Crimson like guitar and bass lines. I hope we don't have to wait 22 years for their next album.

Mission Accomplished .......2005-01-20

An old Boston friend wrote me an email in late 2001 to tell me that Mission of Burma was reuniting after a 2 decade hiatus. The news ruined my day. Why would Mission of Burma want to reunite with its three founding members well into middle age? Had Roger, Peter and Clint succumbed to the impulse to finally cash in while the Mission of Burma name was still bankable? The Sacred Legend of Burma would certainly go up in flames, as the reunited members would certainly be a mid-life crisis parody of the band's former glory. An artistically viable reunion of a middle-aged Mission of Burma seemed akin to something like mission impossible.

For three short years (1980-1983) Mission of Burma was the band that was our life. In the fashionably right wing climate of the early Reagan/Thatcher years, our boys fought the power and laughed in the face of conventional success as rock stars. It wasn't all about fame and fortune for Mission of Burma. Burma's music was about the outsider, the quiet loner who finally makes a political statement by reaching for his revolver and blowing it all away. Burma's left-leaning politics were aligned to the anti-authoritarian stance that inspired post-punk bands like the Gang of Four, the Mekons, Au-Pairs and even the Clash in the late Seventies.

The 2004 release of "Onoffon" on the venerable indie label Caroline, Mission of Burma gives faith to the jaded skeptics who believe that lightening cannot strike twice. From the opening chords of "The Setup" the trio plays with the same intensity, inspiration, clarity and creativity as their farewell gig in the Bradford Ballroom in 1983.

If anything the refinements in digital technology has enhanced the chugging leviathan rhythms of Peter Prescott and Clint Conley's signature drum and bass sound. Roger Miller's knotty riff driven guitar that inevitably resolved the dramatic tension with squalls of feedback remains intact. This is not a watered down, chilled out, lounge lizard version of Burma. Mission of Burma 2004 remains unafraid to enter the eye of the hurricane.

Burma rages against the New McCarthyism of the current George W. Bush era with the same vehemence as they did in opposition to the New World Order of the Reagan/Bush years of the early Eighties. The egalitarian experimental spirit of the early Eighties when Mission of Burma played seedy Boston punk rock circuit in clubs like the Underground, the Rat and Cantones has risen from the ashes. The resurrected Burma can still deliver deadly blows against the empire and inspire shock and awe.

Defies All Logic.......2004-12-19

Bands that reunite after 20 plus years aren't supposed to sound like this. On OnOffOn, Mission Of Burma sound like they've unleashed a lost record from 1983. All of the passion, energy, and chops are still here; this is by far the most incredible reunion record I've ever heard. It's just as good as all of their previous output, and although it won't replace Vs. or Signals, it's beyond worth owning. I mean, really, how many bands sound like this after remaining stagnant forever? Come on, even Gang Of Four and Television put out crappy reunion albums, both incredible bands. Even if the Pixies gave a new album a go, could they write anything on par with "The Setup," "Falling," or "Wounded World"? Mission Of Burma's 2004 opus is proof that sometimes getting the band back together won't inspire groans. This'll bring a tear to your eye.

Mission of Burma: even better - and always ON!.......2004-09-23

First: how about a little history on Mission of Burma. Perhaps one of the most heralded and influential groups in the history of rock music, Mission of Burma was the epitome of what underground punk was supposed to be in the eighties. MOB's 'time in the sun' however, was more like 'time in the shade.' During the best years of their brief career during the early to mid-eighties, it seemed that only fellow musicians such as Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Big Black, The Minutemen and a small sporadic fan base were appreciating Burma's extremely unique brand of punk rock. It was MOB's outside the box thinking that garnered them the attention of like-minded people and the underground media. Mission of Burma was a power trio with an added twist; and that was one of things that separated them from most of the other punk bands at the time. Unlike many of the fast, angry and undecipherable punk bands in the early eighties; Mission of Burma was still very much an amplified/distortion and feedback group. It was just evident in their sound, as it is especially now - that their music just seems to have a much more thoughtful center to it. With Peter Prescott on drums, Clint Conley on bass and Roger Miller taking up guitar duties, Mission of Burma was a complete and functioning entity that spewed-forth pure, rocking creativeness. However, it's extremely undeniable that the brilliant nuances of tape manipulator Martin Swope was an extremely important factor as to why Mission of Burma is, and will be one of the most important bands in the history of American music. Having only released a couple of seven-inch singles, one EP "Signals, Calls and Marches", one LP "Vs." and their final recording, "The Horrible Truth About Burma" which was a compilation of live recordings from their final tour in 1985; Mission of Burma called it quits and went their separate ways on good terms. All of the members have stayed in their native area of Boston, MA - except for the enigmatic Swope. Having recently regrouped in the past couple of years; what was supposed to be a couple of one-off reunion shows has since turned into a full-blown documentary, subsequent album and tour. "ONoffON" is Burma at their best! It's like these guys walked through a time warp direct from 1983 and haven't skipped a beat. Absent from the line-up this time around is the ever elusive tape manipulator Martin Swope. Having retired from music, he now lives on an island in the Pacific Ocean and is probably enjoying the hell out of life. Taking up duties as tape manipulator and recording engineer for "ONoffON" is none other than producer/engineer/musician extraordinaire (*and active member of Shellac) Bobby Weston. With sixteen amazing new tracks from the innovators of what has now become "indie rock," Mission of Burma's highly anticipated album "ONoffON" has definitely been worth the 22-year wait. Mission of Burma: even better - and always ON! Keep it real kids*

Average customer rating:

More punk rock than most bands could ever hope to be
pretty much the best album I've ever heard
(continued...)
Bangin' for Bangs
Uncompromising, a big "I hate you!"

Right Now!
Pussy Galore
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Uptight
Biker Rock Loser
Wretch
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Fuck You, Man
White People
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NYC: 1999!
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Pussystomp
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Fix It
Really Suck
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Hell Spawn

Customer Reviews:

More punk rock than most bands could ever hope to be.......2006-04-18

Whether you like it or not, admit - this is punk rock. Low-rent and inaccesible nihilism played by people with no discernable talent. However it is artistic, occasionally catchy ("White Noise", "NYC: 1999"), and holds up extremely well on repeated listenings. Quite frankly, this is anti-music that most people are bound not to get. However, the cult following of the legendary band certainly understood their appeal. People have attempted to classify this band as garage-rock, indie, lo-fi, or noise rock. While the band certainly contained elements from those genres, ultimately they did their own thing. The interplay of untuned and as distorted as possible guitars and trash-can drumming have left a lasting legacy. If this is a little too raw for you, you may want to calm down and listen to The Stooges or early Sonic Youth instead. While I enjoy "Dial M" more, this is probably the ultimate Pussy Galore album. It is certainly a more accurate portrait of their original intentions. However, "Dial M" is much more accesible and is probably a better starting place (along with the compilation "Corpse Love"). While we're at it, why doesn't someone put these classics back into print?

pretty much the best album I've ever heard.......2002-06-05

It's not that it's noisy, it's not that it's offensive, it's not that it's "blues", it's not that it rocks... I'm not exactly sure what it is. It's just that it's a pure, giddy, hilarious thrill the whole time this album is on, and that it seems to be a completely different record with each different volume I listen to it at. I love it love it love it.

(continued...).......2001-05-17

Just to add the missing final sentence from my review: "...and especially the Iggyesque barnyard stomp "[That's What The] New Breed [Say]"

Bangin' for Bangs.......2001-05-13

I first heard this in '88, and my original reaction/revelation remains the same: This is what Lester Bangs most likely would've imagined Count 5's legendary (albeit nonexistent) "Carburetor Dung" LP sounded like! It's one of those classic LP/CDs that owe a large part of their mystique to poor sound quality, other examples being "Exile on Main Street", "Raw Power", & "White Light/White Heat". Basic sound consists of mostly unintelligible (& often obscene) marble-mouth "singing", 3 barely-in-tune cheap guitars (no bass) & stiff bang-bang-bang percussions, all murkily recorded & mixed. Not all of these (21!) "songs" are great (or even GOOD), but the best ones are awesome & sound as dangerous, thrilling, repulsive & propulsive as those brand-new rock 'n roll sounds must have sounded to the mid-'50s white teens who were its first recipients. Among the best are "Alright", "NYC: 1999!", "Trash Can Oil Drum" (a tribute to/description of their percussion!) and especially the Iggyesque barnyard stomp "New Breed": "Ya little runt, just get outta my way/Ya pig, ya punk yeah hey hey hey/That's what the new breed say!" So THAT'S what they say - thanks for telling me. I can barely make out a word!

Uncompromising, a big "I hate you!".......1999-11-11

OK, all you wusses. This IS rock'n'roll. Sure, it may sound like a bunch of junkies dropping guitars on a concrete floor. Sure, there's NO production. Sure, it may be harder than a root canal, but this IS rock'n'roll. Welcome to Scuzz Rock, ladies and gentlemen... this may not be "Dial 'M'", but it's damn good.

Average customer rating:

Buyer Alert
good music always goes unnoticed

Singles 89-92
Unsane
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000036RJ
Release Date: 1993-06-28

Tracks:

Burn
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Blood Boy [#]

Customer Reviews:

Buyer Alert.......2006-02-09

Okay, it's not THAT rare. Used for $25? I bought it THIS MORNING for $8 at my local record store. I've been eyeing it in their bins for around a year.

Just do a little looking around at your favorite independent shop or some record shows, you can find it.

And it's well worth the search if you enjoy these New York noise stalwarts. Songs like "Burn" and "Vandal-X" crackle and growl with menace -- one of the thicker and more nuanced guitar sounds in punk/hardcore, a rolling boil of drums, and nice growly bass in each and every song.

Some of this material has been re-issued on "Lambhouse," but there's still a nice trove of songs here to dull your hearing and vent your restless demons with.

So good luck on your search. Don't support the used CD equivalent of ticket scalpers.

good music always goes unnoticed.......2004-05-22

I bought lambhouse, the Unsane best-of/dvd about a month ago. I asked someone for a great heavy album, and he said Unsane. He also says that unsane are THE best band to come out of the 90's. After getting the best of, i believed him. Next time i went into the record store i found this album, then i found out it was out of print, so i asked him to put it on hold for me. Today, about three weeks later, i finally got the money together to buy it, and i am not disapointed. This album is amazing. So amazing, that it pisses me off that it is out of print. Unsane should go down in history as Noise Rock Royalty. They came out of the same scene as Sonic Youth, and though EVERYONE knows sonic youth, NOONE knows Unsane. So if you are in the mood for some hard, heavy music, search out Unsane. Evem though amazon doesnt carry any of their cd's, Scattered Smothered and Covered, Occupational Hazard, and Lambhouse(the bestof) are still out there waiting to be bought.

Average customer rating:

american specatador
american spectatador
american spectatador

American Matador
Buddyrevelles
Manufacturer: Motorcoat Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000053F4M
Release Date: 2001-07-12

Tracks:

One, Two
I'll Take You in My Car
At Least Ten Years
Pablo's Theme
Instrumental Lessons
Voyage
PJ
Dave on a Plank
Let's Ride Horses
Millions Can Be Wrong
That Does Not Make Sense
Ender

Customer Reviews:

american specatador.......2002-02-22

sorry i messed up but really these guys deserve three ratings. get the cd!

american spectatador.......2002-02-22

the buddyrevelles are simply the best band in america. they are composed of three musical masterminds whose talents are continuously bumping and merging throughout. thus a composition will rise up through the ashes. like scientists proposing sound experiments blending indefinite melody, movement and depth. it bewilders me how three people can maneuver themselves so precisely with a drum,bass, guitar ensemble. the possibilities seem endless but seem to have been utilized to their utmost. their many musical abstractions infuriate, more so on this album( if it is pop you are interested in check out there first album September, November) but on the same token are very necessary to a mood or a story and are supplemented by gentle croonings by aaron grant to finish the puzzle. take heed america.

american spectatador.......2002-02-22

the buddyrevelles, much to an unknowing public, are in fact the best american band making music. their sound flourishes within a traditional three piece. In turn a very minimalist structure with maximalist melody and depth and movement. this album exploits the beauty that will continue to grow with time. they are a band to grow old with. take heed america!

Average customer rating:

Onoffon
Mission of Burma
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001XAQU0
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Tracks:

Setup, The
Hunt Again
Enthusiast, The
Falling
What We Really Were
Max Ernst's Dream
Fake Blood
Prepared
untitled - (hidden track)
Wounded World
Dirt
Into The Fire
Fever Moon
Nicotine Bomb
Playland
Absent Mind

Album Description

Average customer rating:

Time and Time again
A must for Richard Hell fans...
Hell, Plus 25 Years

Time
Richard Hell
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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L.A.M.F.: The Lost '77 Mixes
Destiny Street
The Stooges
Down to Kill
Spurts: The Richard Hell Story

ASIN: B000060MNS
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Tracks:

Love Comes In Spurts
Chinese Rocks
Can't Keep My Eyes On You
Hurt You
I'm Your Man
Betrayal Takes Two
Crack Of Dawn
Ignore That Door
I Live My Life
Time
Going Going Gone
Funhunt
I Can Only Give You Everything
I Been Sleepin' On It
Cruel Way To Go Down
The Hunter was Drowned
Hey Sweetheart

Tracks:

Intro
Love Comes In Spurts
Liars Beware
You Gotta Lose
Lose Yourself
New Pleasure
Walking On the Water
The Plan
Blank Generation
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Vacancy
Venilator Blues
Kid With The Replaceable Head
Dont Die
You Gotta Lose (with Elvis Costello)
Shattered

Amazon.com

Sinewy, trashed and poetic, Richard Hell was the apotheosis of New York punk, as this double-disc release shows; it's a suitably ragged catalog of his work beyond Television and 1977's marvelous Voidoids LP, Blank Generation. Disc 1 begins in 1975, with four tracks from Hell's short stint in the Heartbreakers alongside Johnny Thunders. There's a first attempt at the seminal "Love Comes in Spurts" and a grizzled, heartfelt version of Dee Dee Ramone's junkie prayer, "Chinese Rocks." But Thunders's guitar playing sounds trad and clumsy next to the wiry garage art of Robert Quine, who drives some pretty spunky Voidoids tracks. It's these that prove the Voidoids, of the CBGB generation, sound most like the Strokes. Four from 1984, with Meters drummer Ziggy Modeliste and a skronky sax player on board, act as a curious epilogue to this brief, incendiary career. Hell dispassionately abandoned rock & roll for writing and left his legend to grow largely untainted by bad records. A 1977 London gig provides the bulk of Disc 2. The sound quality is shockingly bad, but it's clear the Voidoids had, fleetingly, a wild, mercurial genius most bands only dream of, even when ritually massacring "I Wanna Be Your Dog." A year later in New York, Elvis Costello turns up to bellow "You Gotta Lose." Like most things here, it's a phenomenal mess. But a mess that's lost none of its potency to inspire and provoke. --John Mulvey

Album Description

Collection containing 2 fearsome concerts never before released, one from London in 1977 and the other at CBGB in 1978. The second disc consists of an expanded version of ROIR 's cassette-only R.I.P. collection, featuring never before heard studio material. Matador.

Customer Reviews:

Time and Time again.......2002-09-24

Time and time again Richard Hell ardently heightens that incantatory possession/dispossession all great music catalyzes to a level where the body is too small a host for the inspiration! This double disc retrospective, both incendiary, dolorous and highly evocative, is an indispensable gem for any music lover. Featuring 17 previously unreleased live recordings, (two with Elvis Costello and a cheeky cameo of Johnny Rotten urging for an encore at the Music Machine 1977), a fuelled classic live set in New Orleans (84), not to mention some of the best versions of "I'm Your Man", "Crack of Dawn" "Time" etc. Hell's eloquent, informative introduction in the cover booklet is reason enough to purchase this item! The perfect musical parallel for Hell's Hot and Cold, a priceless collection of writings! Don't miss out!

A must for Richard Hell fans..........2002-04-05

This quite good collection fills in all the holes in Richard Hell's short-lived, but nonetheless excellent foray into music. The collection covers a lot of ground over the more or less decade that Hell recorded. For fans, its a must. However, its not a "greatest hits" or "best of" package, so if you're new to Richard Hell and the Voidoids, I'd strongly suggest that you first try out his classic (and best) release, "Blank Generation." The first disc on "Time" is an expanded "RIP," which ROIR released originally many years ago. The recording quality varies greatly as does the general quality of the songs. Highlights include early and excellent versions of "Love Comes In Spurts," "Chinese Rocks" (both recorded when Hell was a member of the Heartbreakers), "I'm Your Man," and "Time," as well as the (pre-RIP) never-before-released "The Hunter Was Drowned." The disc perfectly displays Hell's wide and divergent take on music (which went way beyond just punk music, incorporating elements of blues, 1950's pop, and free jazz, among other influences). Again, not every track is a winner, but taken in total, it provides a very interesting retrospective of Hell's career. The second disc is all live material, and while the sound quality is a little rough (to say the least), the performance is outstanding: very energetic, with the aggression level amped up on a number of the songs, particularly the first few tracks -- "Love Comes In Spurts," "Liars' Beware," and "You Gotta Lose." Very good.

Hell, Plus 25 Years.......2002-03-26

This fine collection of Mr. Hell's work is best exemplified, to me, by two sections: the Heartbreakers and New Orleans stuff. (I qualify this by saying I am a Heartbreakers fan from New Orleans.) Here we hear the lost verse from "Chinese Rocks," the pre-One-Track-Mind "Love Comes in Spurts," and other such arcana from the days when Johnny Thunders had long hair, Walter Lure was in his larval stage, Jerry Nolan was still perfecting perfection as the world's best drummer, and Richard Hell was being followed by a Malcolm McLaren taking notes. Then came the salad days of a record contract and inferior material and superior musicianship--as well as a drop off in interest. But the New Orleans recordings are most interesting. Ziggy Modeliste of the Meters provides the down-home drums that made him a recognized genius, Pete LeBon on guitar (a man whose band Wild Kingdom broke more walls in 1982 than we broke in war in 2001-02), and Nicky (All Key) Sazenbach on drums and sax make this good stuff. The live recordings are OK, though we who have read "Please Kill Me" forgive Mr. Hell if he doesn't sound his best on the 1977 English tour. Recommended for Hellions and the Thundersian heartbroken.

Average customer rating:

Incredible, joyful sounds that need to be shared. Unforgettable!
One of the greatest bands that most people haven't heard of
Turn this up and don't sit down!
Arguably the best Lyres studio record

Lyres Lyres
Lyres
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Early Years Live 1979-1983
Outta the Nest
Time Bomb High School
Get Our Way
Icky Thump

ASIN: B00000649W
Release Date: 1998-05-05

Tracks:

Not Looking Back
She Pays The Rent
You' ll Never Do It Baby
I Love Her Still, I Always Will
No Reason To Complain
The Only Thing
Stacey
How Do You Know?
You Won' t Be Sad Anymore
If You Want My Love
Busy Men
Teach Me To Forget You
Stormy

Customer Reviews:

Incredible, joyful sounds that need to be shared. Unforgettable!.......2007-04-08

What if say...The Dark Side of the Moon...was played in a forest and no one was listening?
Would it still be great?
My answer is..of course it would. Just like Lyres Lyres.

I've been a music collector for a long time now and what never ceases to disturb me is how truly great music such as this sometimes goes widely unheard or unheralded. I realize that music production has a business side to it but how the catchy, infectious, original songs on this cd have failed to capture a larger audience is beyond me. This disc deserves to be right next to Abbey Road or Exile On Main St. or Doolittle.

Probably like some others, I first heard of The Lyres when their "Help You Ann" was rightly included on the Children of Nuggets fantastic "garage rock" compilation. That box set consisted of songs by various artists released from 1976 to 1996 and my first reaction to hearing their song was to ask why I had never heard of the band before. I've now come to subscribe to a conspiracy theory - Boston just wants to keep The Lyres to themselves.

"Help You Ann" led me to their On Fyre cd but I HAD to have more so I bought Lyres Lyres and while both discs are wonderful, this one is better by a noise. If you like "garage" or 60's oldies or straight ahead rock like any Clash song or the music of more recent groups like The Greenhornes or The Spoons you NEED this cd. Take my word, it will be stuck in your system on repeat for a long, long time.

There isn't a weak song in the set and if band main man Jeff Conolly were to read this I would be truly embarrassed for even offering slight criticisms about any of his gems, but in the past I have found reviews such as the following helpful, so here goes...

1. Not Looking Back (10/10) - A great opener! Starts the cd with a driving drum beat and has the usually prominent organ taking a back seat. Awarded bronze for third best song.
2. She Pays The Rent (10/10) - My favourite song. Here the organ plays a larger role and Jeff's vocal is superb. Truly a classic. Solid gold.
3. You'll Never Do It Baby (10/10) - Pure joy! Makes you laugh as Jeff whoops it up. A return to the crisp, pounding drum beats of John Bernardo. Silver for a close second.
4. I Love Her Still, I Always Will (9/10) - Hate giving anything less than a ten but while a terrific song this one just isn't as strong as the opening triad.
5. No Reason To Complain (9/10) - A nice fade in and good beat. A cover version but hey, no reason to complain.
6. The Only Thing (7/10) - A little darker mood created here. I appreciate the nice change of pace and wouldn't trade away any song, but it's just not why I love these guys.
7. Stacey (9/10) - Didn't realize The Dave Clark Five were still cranking them out. Like the name dropping ending.
8. How Do You Know? (10/10) - Oooooh, they're back strong with this one and the girls are gonna dig it.
9. You Won't Be Sad Anymore (8/10) - It's a given that Conolly's organ playing is an integral part of any Lyres tune but here it is special.
10. If You Want My Love (10/10) - A little different sound here. Sort of a weepy ballad flavour. They should do more of these.
11. Busy Men (10/10) - If you want introspective lyrics go find Tori Amos or someone, these guys are too busy. Just fun that'll put a smile on your face when this comes on your car stereo on a hot summer day. Sort of a Dick Dale surf guitar feel to the thing.
12. Teach Me To Forget You (8/10) - Somehow more of a pop sensibility to this one. Nice, just not as rocky.
13. Stormy (8/10) - Not the strongest song but an appropriate closer.

Please, just buy this cd. You'll quickly have your own favourites that you can't get enough of.

One of the greatest bands that most people haven't heard of.......2006-03-17

Many discerning rock aficionados know the Lyres, but these guys remain one of the least known great bands in America. I don't know the reason. Perhaps the main guys in the band had day jobs they couldn't quit to do that worldwide tour. Maybe they had a fear of flying and/or driving that has kept them from branching out. Whatever the reason, it is criminal how few people know the Lyres. Over the years I have lent eight or nine people my copy of LYRES LYRES and ON FIRE, their two best albums, and every time I've done this the band has gained new fans.

The band that the Lyres most reminds me of is the sixties British band the Animals. If ? and the Mysterians had recorded more, perhaps they would remind me of them. Sufficient to say that the band is driven by tremolo guitar and Farfisa organ and sounds a lot like the Animals except they are driven more by soul than blues. They are also among the greatest bands ever to come out of Boston. The Lyres are often referred to as a garage band, but one has to qualify this by saying that they sound like a British Invasion garage band. They are famous for having had a host of line-ups and for having lasted for several decades, the golden thread running through every incarnation being organist, front man Jeff Connolly.

Essentially, there are two must-own Lyres albums and two really-nice-to-own albums. The two must-owns are this one, LYRES LYRES, and ON FIRE. Most record guides and review sites regard the latter as their best album, but I have to say that I couldn't bear to part with either disc from my music library. ON FIRE is perhaps a more consistently fine album, but I'm not sure that the best parts of LYRES LYRES are better than ON FIRE. But one shouldn't have to choose between the two. The two nice-to-own albums are AHS: 1005, which over twenty years ago was originally an EP on vinyl but which now on CD has been expanded with cuts of many of the songs that later were on their first full album, ON FIRE. The other album that I would recommend is A PROMISE IS A PROMISE. The latter is a mish mash of older material, new material, and live recordings, but much of it is first rate (with the caveat that much of it is not).

LYRES LYRES is just a dream of an album. At its worst, I find it unrelentingly entertaining, while at its best it fills me with what I can only describe a pure joy. I simply can't listen to "How Do You Know?" and feel unhappy. In fact, it engenders something akin to glee. The album opens with two incredible cuts, the wonderful "Not Looking Back," which is followed by the even better "She Pays the Rent" (which is very slightly marred by having the organ inexplicably buried in the mix). "I Love Her Still, I Always Will," with its guitar that seems stolen directly from the Animals, is another irresistible cut. The chorus, in which Connolly proclaims that he loves her still and wants to tell her that he always will, you want to go fall in love and break up just to have someone this song can refer to. The album then rolls straight into another awesome pair of songs, the driving "No Reason to Complain" and then straight into the slower and sadder "The Only Thing." But really, there isn't a bad cut on the album. I first discovered this album and ON FIRE around 1990 and I have listened to each of them an incalculable number of times over the years, without a hint of diminishing joy.

Anyone wanting new music to listen to should definitely take a risk and pick this up. If you love garage, you will love this. If you love British Invasion rock, you'll love this American version of it. If you love music you will love it.

Turn this up and don't sit down!.......2001-07-19

Let's face it. We have all seen great bands during our college days but how many do we still absolutely praise nearly twenty years later? The Lyres fit this description. "Lyres, Lyres" is arguably their best album. This alubum provides the listner the closest opportunity of seeing them live other than actually doing so. For those who have seen this band play, you understand what I mean. Unlike their previous and later albums (although they are certainly worth having in your collection) "Lyres, Lyres" takes garage rock to a new unbridled level of frenzy. Rough but clean, raunchy but respectable, wild but controlled, this album is a constant contradiction of itself. This is exemplified by the very nature of the songs and how they are performed. Bottom line: this album is a must have.

Arguably the best Lyres studio record.......2001-05-03

The Lyres, the legendary Boston garage combo of the 80s and 90s released their best work back in the mid-80s with Lyres Lyres. Unlike many garage bands today, the Lyres pack a lot of energy but little sloppiness into their sets, and are faithful worshippers at the altar of mid-60s garage rock. Their cover of the Alarm Clocks' "No Reason To Complain" could possibly be better than the original. The disc also contains one of their signature tunes, "She Pays the Rent," which has always been a crowd-pleaser at the band's frantic live shows.

Average customer rating:

One of Pussy Galore's Best
smells like teen s**t

Sugarshit Sharp
Pussy Galore
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Right Now!
Historia de la Musica Rock
Dial 'M' for Motherfucker
Boss Hog

ASIN: B0000036Y6
Release Date: 1998-03-24

Tracks:

Yu Gung
Penetration In The Centerfold
Handshake
Adolescent Wet Dream
Sweet Little Hi-Fi
Brick
Renegade!

Customer Reviews:

One of Pussy Galore's Best.......2001-09-23

Pussy Galore, you either love them or hate them. This is an album for the people who haven't heard them yet. This shows off all the good things they can do. This is one of those albums that you can listen to start to finish if you like the band's style. Jon Spencer's vocals and the "live" sound on the album, like on all PG's CD's, just add to the listening expierence. If you like this album, you should go get their DIAL M album. That's the next best after this one.

smells like teen s**t.......2001-02-15

good n noisy trash rock. the first track is a E. Neubauten cover (if you couldnt tell from the cover) and starts off on the right foot. After that its hit and miss (which can be tough with only 7 songs) but highlights do poke their ugly heads through all of the commotion...especially when julia "sings". Only get this album if you have a high threshold for noise...if your only experience with these guys is Blues Explosion, dont buy it if you liked Acme but not JSBE.

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