Taken from the 2003 album 'We Sweat Blood'. The title track is b/w two previously unreleased tracks, 'Sold My Soul' & 'The Return Of Jackie & Judy' (Ramones cover). Bad Taste Records. 2004.
Dance,Danko Jones,5-Inch CD Singles
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Good Girl Gone Bad
Rihanna Manufacturer: Island / Def-Jam ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000OZ2CZW Release Date: 2007-06-05 |
Tracks:
- Umbrella feat. JAY-Z
- Push Up On Me
- Don't Stop The Music
- Breakin' Dishes
- Shut Up and Drive
- Hate That I Love You feat. Ne-Yo
- Say It
- Sell Me Candy
- Lemme Get That
- Rehab
- Question Existing
- Good Girl Gone Bad
Amazon.com
There's a cool new development in summer singles: they no longer need to be sunny. In fact, the wetter the better. "Umbrella," the first single off Rihanna's ragingly good third album, may be her strongest ditty yet, and that's saying something considering her run of past summer chartbusters. More stylish than "S.O.S." (from A Girl Like Me) and more interesting than "Pon de Replay" (from Music of the Sun), "Umbrella" barrels forward with big, brawny drums and a hot but haunted-sounding vocal. From there, the upbeat numbers chug forth like chilled pina colada mix into a blender: "Breakin' Dishes" trades skillfully on a recent vogue for man-directed venom, and "Shut Up and Drive" borrows "S.O.S."-style from the '80s New Order song "Blue Monday." Both are irresistible. So, too, are a couple of late tracks. "Rehab" and "Lemme Get That," both produced by Timbaland, prove that being an island girl is no barrier to holding one's own amid a sizzling stew of urban beats. In fact, it's a boon--one that'll register with pop music fans instantly. -Tammy La GorceAlbum Description
Multi-platinum, award-winning SRP/Def Jam recording artist -and CoverGirl spokesperson - Rihanna has taken over the charts with her # 1 smash single "Umbrella" (featuring JAY-Z) and her chart topping album GOOD GIRL GONE BAD. Rihanna's third album release in less than two years, GOOD GIRL GONE BAD is the follow-up to 2006's platinum A Girl Like Me, with the back-to-back #1 hits, "S.O.S." and "Unfaithful"; and her gold debut from 2005, Music Of the Sun, featuring the worldwide smash, "Pon De Replay." GOOD GIRL GONE BAD boasts the production skills of Timabland, C. "Tricky" Stewart, Stargate, and the team of Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken (responsible for "S.O.S." and "Pon De Replay"), as well as songwriting contributions from Justin Timberlake and Ne-Yo, among others.Customer Reviews:
New Look + New Sound = Alright Music.......2007-07-20
This is why it's HOT!!.......2007-07-16
GO RIHANNA!!!.......2007-07-10
Okay, for what it is.......2007-07-09
Some of the song lyrics struck me as being a little silly, but that didn't bother me too much.
I don't think I'd listen to this album very often, but if I had a lot of guests over for a party, I'd consider playing it if people looked like they may want to dance.
great.......2007-07-09
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We Are the Night
The Chemical Brothers Manufacturer: Astralwerks ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000OV129I Release Date: 2007-07-17 |
Tracks:
- No Path To Follow
- We Are The Night
- All Rights Reversed (The Klaxons)
- Saturate
- Do It Again (Ali Love)
- Das Spiegal
- The Salmon Dance (Fatlip)
- Burst Generator
- A Modern Midnight Conversation
- Battle Scars (Willie Mason)
- Harpoons
- The Pills Won't Help You Now (Midlake)
Amazon.com
One can never accuse the Chemical Brothers of consistency. We Are the Night continues their eclectic electronica approach even though the big-beat groove of the title track remains their digital calling card. Spotted with a minimalist keyboard pattern, vocal non sequiturs, and sampled sound effects, the infectious groove of "We Are the Night" eventually evolves into the monotone-chanted dance chorus of "We are the night skies/We are the bright lies," recalling Brian Eno circa Here Come the Warm Jets. However, for every catchy electro-dance, there's a tune that leaves you scratching your head. What to make of the novelty song "The Salmon Dance" is anybody's guess, though you might find some illumination in a salmon recipe on their Web site. With fractured nursery-rhyme lyrics that are sung like an off-color Sesame Street rap, it will drive you up the wall--or at least toward the skip button. Then there's Midlake singing the trancey ballad "The Pills Won't Help You Now," making the Chemical Brothers sound like a sci-fi version of Coldplay. Retro-analog synthesizers dominate, with the electro-grooves of "Das Spiegel," "Burst Generator," and "Saturate," which builds on a Kraftwerk-forged metal framework coupled with storming sampled drums. The circuits of '70s techno-pop artist the Normal are re-soldered on "Do It Again." With Ali Love singing the title-track chorus, it's built to be a summertime anthem akin to Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)," albeit robotically chilled. --John DilibertoCustomer Reviews:
JUST ENOUGH GOOD COLLABORATIONS TO MAKE IT DECENT (3.4 stars).......2007-07-20
The collaborations are king here. The interesting guests they roped in, deliver some of the better tracks on We Are the Night, they also represent some of the worst as well. The best of which has to be the chaotic pounding beat of All Rights Reversed, it features the uber-talented Klaxons and their brand of indie rave-rock. This amazing tune will definitely go down as one of the better things the Chems have ever put out, and this is mostly because of the Klaxons imput. I rank it right there with Setting Sun (featuring Noel Gallagher) and Out of Control (featuring Bernard Summer) expect a single in the near future. Another zinger is the albums closer, a chilled out stunner titled, The Pills Won't Help You Now. It features Tim Smith from Midlake (another great band) and reminds me of other more shoegaze fare (Mercury Rev and Beth Orton collaborations) of past albums. Now once we've moved past the Klaxons and Midlake contributions is were the record gets kinda dicey. The song The Salmon Dance, could be the worst thing they've done. Featuring a terribly childish rap from Fatlip, it's a song better suited for an r-rated kids show than a Chemical Brothers record. The song is so bad you will jumping to press the skip button for sure. If you make past that, then you are left with some very mediocre songs inbetwen the collaborations. Saturate (track 4) ends up being pretty darn good set up for Do It Again, while Das Spiegel sounds like a spacey Orbital copy (Middle of Nowhere era), Harpoons is a boring filler track, and Burst Generator fails to burst into anything that exciting.
In the end, We Are the Night is a very spotty record. An ep containing All Rights Reversed, Saturate, Do It Again, and The Pills... would have made an all around better release. As long as Tom and Ed continue to keep their friends in the studio, we can look forward to some nice joint ventures under the Chemicals moniker in the years to come. We Are the Night has just enough good collaborations make it decent, but its a far cry from the Block Rockin Beats of years past.
They conquer the night!!!.......2007-07-17
After a brief intro "No path to follow", we get a stomping number with swirling synths, the title track, largely instrumental apart from vocodered voices proclaiming "We are the night" (and a few other things) every so often.
The haunting, pulsing "All rights reversed" features The Klaxons on vocals, and is followed by the excellent throbbing techno instrumental "Saturate", one of my favourites.
Lead off single, the hypnotic drone of "Do it again" featuring Ali Love is already a UK top 20 hit. This song just keeps getting better each time I hear it. "Das Spiegel" is an effects laden instrumental that sounds like a journey through space. "The salmon dance" featuring Fatlip is a funky number with humorous spoken lyrics describing a salmon dance step, alongside a narrative on the salmon's breeding habits.
"Burst generator" is another superb instrumental with raging guitars set to a stomping beat. "A modern midnight conversation" is a lovely groovy largely instrumental piece with a chorus sung in falsetto. "Battle scars" (featuring Willy Mason) wouldn't be amiss on a Gorillaz album.
"Harpoons" is a warbling psychedelic percussion free instrumental, and closing is the album's lone ballad, the dreamy, trippy "The Pills Won't Help You Know" (featuring Midlake) which is simply lovely.
Definitely up there with LCD Soundsystem's "Sound of silver" and Groove Armada's "Soundboy rock" as best dance CD of the year.
Modern midnight album.......2007-07-17
Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. Though some of their songs simply don't mesh together well, the British electronic duo do a pretty fair job with their grimy acid beats and crazy acid-alien-spy style. And it's worth the price just to hear their delicious collaborations with Midlake and the Klaxons.
It opens with a strange rumbling grunting sound, like a robot hellhound sniffing out a trail. Then we get some mournful voices telling us that "there's no path to follow."
Oh, forget that. The action begins in the spaceship hums, electronic twiddlings (as if from a control panel), and a heavy driving beat that blossoms into a solid, danceable tune speckled with samples. It ends up sounding like James Bond on acid, and no, that is not a bad thing at all.
From there, the Chemical Brothers collaborate with the Klaxons in the eerie, clattery "All Rights Reserved," and launch into a swirl of equally energetic songs: tribal electrobeats, retro fuzz pop, eruptions of tornado synth in fun electropop, tightly woven beats, and a dense weaving of keyboard and ringing guitar. It finishes on a high note with "The Pills Won't Help You Know," a collaboration with Midlake -- a dreamy, hazy, fuzzy, sunny little tune that is drowsily winning.
In a nutshell, "We Are the Night" sounds like the soundtrack to a psychedelic spy caper, with a few aliens thrown in for good measure. The Chemical Brothers has their lax moments -- "The Salmon Dance" with Fatlip is a tumble down the stairs -- but the majority of the songs achieve just what they're meant to.
There's some drum machines and electric guitars cycling in there. But most of it is some really earthy acid beats -- sharp and flexible, synth lashings, and a few that are soft little stretches of gentle, pastoral tinkliness. They also weave some songs with sci-fi-ish samples, like what sounds like alarms going off, and a spaceship landing.
And they avoid the typical techno trap of just taking a beat and repeating it endlessly. To keep the dancefloor beats and tribal stuff from sounding like your average boring techno, they twist it into ripples, trickles, fuzz, static squeals and some brilliantly eerie vocals ("We are the nighttime/we are the bright eyes/we are the right time...").
If there's a real problem with "We Are the Night," it's that the album isn't very cohesive. Several of the songs have the same feel, but most of the collaborations don't fit in with the pure Chemical Brothers stuff. I'm the first to admit a deep love for "The Pills Won't Help You Know," but it doesn't fit.
The Chemical Brothers trip over their own feet occasionally, but despite some songs not fitting in, it still is a pretty decent electronic album. Do it again.
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FutureSex / LoveSounds
Justin Timberlake Manufacturer: Jive ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000H305U0 Release Date: 2006-09-12 |
Tracks:
- Future Sex/Love Sound
- SexyBack
- Sexy Ladies
- My Love
- Love Stoned
- What Goes Around
- Chop Me Up
- Damn Girl
- Summer Love
- Until The End Of Time
- Losing My Way
- All Over Again (Another Song)
Amazon.com
One spin of FutureSex/LoveSounds and it's hard to believe that Justin Timberlake was ever a boy-band barnstormer--no modern-day male artist beats him when it comes to single-minded self assurance or suavity. "SexyBack," the inescapable summer sizzler of a first single off this short and thrillingly unwholesome disc, makes that clear on its own: If there was ever any question about whether sexy was in need of reviving--a doubtful proposition at best, given the sheer volume of JT's gyrating counterparts--he lays it to rest instantly over a small but insistent Timbaland-concocted beat. On that track, Timberlake's appeal is his sweet but newly thuggish-sounding voice--here's a good kid gone bad, and he's determined to convince us of it not only by tossing a few well-timed mother****ers our way but also with such lyrics as "I'll let you whip me if I misbehave." The rest of FutureSex will feel familiar to anyone who picked up 2002's brilliantly funk-flecked Justified: "Love Stoned/I Think She Knows Me," shifts from Michael Jackson-esque paranoid trilling to pulsating guitar rock; "Chop Me Up," a collaboration with Three 6 Mafia and Timbaland, gives up the grit rap-style but still manages to recall both Prince and Stevie Wonder; "My Love," with T.I., mines classic Timberlake territory with meltaway lyrics like "I can see us holding hands walking on the beach/Our clothes in the sand"; and the straight-up but groovy lament "Losing My Way" asks, searchingly, what may be the silliest question a squeal-inducing pop star has ever posed: "Can anybody out there feel me?" Rest assured, JT: we feel every past-, present-, and future-sexy verse. --Tammy La GorceAmazon.com
Come Along with JT through his own groovin' universe of FutureSex/LoveSounds, co-written by Justin Timberlake and produced by Justin Timberlake, JAWBreakers, Timbaland, will.i.am, and Rick Rubin, among others. Guest artists include TI, Three Six Mafia, and Hezekiah Walker. Obviously, there is no shortage of talent.
More from JT & Friends
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Customer Reviews:
JUSTIN IS HOT AND HIS MUSIC HOTTER!!!.......2007-07-06
Best one yet!.......2007-07-05
Very nice.......2007-07-03
Perfect for Nickelodeon?.......2007-06-26
What's all the hype about?.......2007-06-08
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Loose
Nelly Furtado Manufacturer: Geffen Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000FII324 Release Date: 2006-06-20 |
Tracks:
- Afraid
- Maneater
- Promiscuous
- Glow
- Showtime
- No Hay Igual
- Te Busque
- Say It Right
- Do It
- In God's Hands
- Wait For You
- All Good Things (Come To An End)
- Te Busque (Spanish Version)
Amazon.com
The buzz for Nelly Furtado's Loose began before the music was even recorded, with the announcement that legendary hip-hop knob-twirler Timbaland (Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake) would act as co-producer. The question on fans' minds: what would it sound like when a hip-hop kingpin collaborated with an artist who culls inspiration not just from pop music, but also her own Portuguese roots?As it turns out, Loose incorporates a number of different styles along its journey, but is--surprisingly--primarily divided between '80s-influenced electronica and latin-infused pop. This disc is very different from Furtado's previous CDs, a fact immediately evident from track one, the new wave-affected "Afraid." A strong opener, the song is the beginning of a 1-2-3 punch of uptempo, infectious dance floor beats. The second cut, "Maneater," also proves to be incredibly catchy, but the verses and keyboard sound too much like they were plucked from electroclash artist Peaches' tree, and originality is lost. The perfect summer pop song follows, the massive hit "Promiscuous," which features clever interplay between Furtado and Timbaland on their sassy duet. From that point, Loose oscillates between the Miami-affected sounds of R&B, Latino pop, and reggaeton ("Showtime," "Te Busque," and "No Hay Igual" respectively) and the aforementioned '80s vibe ("Glow," "Do It"). Fans will hear Furtado at her vocal best on "Say It Right" and "In God's Hands"--two of the most lyrically compelling tracks on the disc. --Denise Sheppard
Album Description
In preparation for her new album, Loose, NELLY FURTADO tried out collaborations with a who's who of producers, and she tried to create a music more of the body than the mind. A prime example of the latter is first single "PROMISCUOUS," a duet with Loose producer TIMBALAND, known far and wide for his groundbreaking work with, among others, MISSY ELLIOTT, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and AALIYAH.It stands to reason that gold and multiplatinum certifications (for 2003's Folklore and 2000's Whoa, Nelly!, respectively), a pair of Top 10 singles ("I'm Like a Bird" and "Turn Off the Light"), and a Grammy Award (for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance), to name just a few accomplishments, would afford a certain level of confidence. But nothing has inspired Furtado to throw caution to the wind more than motherhood. "Motherhood makes you fearless," she says. "The album is very youthful-sounding," Furtado continues, "and I think that's partly due to the presence of this two-year-old in my life. I was with her all day every day and then I'd go to the studio at night, and I think that translated into a playful energy I feel onstage but that hasn't really been heard on my records."
Starting with her longtime production team of Track & Field, she also knew she wanted to check out a variety of producers. "Working with new producers," she hazards, "is like trying on new clothes - you never know what you look good in until you try it on. And sometimes they will see something in you that neither you nor anyone else could see." So she traveled with her daughter from Toronto to London to work with NELLEE HOOPER; to Los Angeles to work with LESTER MENDEZ (who produced, "Te Busque," her moving duet with JUANES) and RICK NOWELS (co-writer and producer of the gorgeous ballad "In God's Hands"); and to Miami to work with PHARRELL WILLIAMS and SCOTT STORCH and finally, TIMBALAND.
Indeed, the raw, lighting-in-a-bottle spontaneity of the collaborative process is at the heart of Loose. "This record shows who I am in a jam-type environment, where I really feel the excitement of the creativity flowing," Furtado reveals. "It's who I am at my most artistic. I live for that, and I'm very grateful to be able to share it."
Customer Reviews:
All around Fun.......2007-07-17
dissapointing.......2007-07-12
good cd though
Very Happy with my Purchase.......2007-06-27
I really like it........2007-06-20
Then one day "Promiscuous" started up and I realized I actually quite liked it. I'm big into 80s music, and the chorus has that 80s synth sound to it which caught my attention.
I own Nelly's first CD, and I enjoy it still, but I, like some other reviewers, had kind of lost interest in her with her change in "image" and turn toward hip-hop. So when I realized I liked one of her new songs I blindly went out and bought the new CD. I popped it in the car player and listened to it all the way home. It has remained in my player since.
I've come to the realization that if I keep turning my nose up at things, I'm gonna miss out on some good music. This CD is very good. Obvious favorites are the singles "Promiscuous" and "Say It Right", but the real jewels for me are "Te Busque" "Afraid" "In God's Hands" and "All Good Things". They are Lyrically beautiful as well as just being plain good.
I seriously recommend anyone with reservations to give it a listen all the way through before rushing to judge.
Loose.......2007-06-10
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Cinco De Mowo!
Mocean Worker Manufacturer: Mowo!,Inc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000QEILQK Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
Tracks:
- Shake Ya Boogie
- Tickle It
- Ole Baby
- Que Bom
- Reykjavik (featuring Rahsaan Roland Kirk)
- Changes (featuring Herb Alpert)
- I Got You (featuring Morley)
- Sis Boom Bah! (featuring Rahsaan Roland Kirk)
- Brown Liquor (featuring Marcus Miller)
- Les & Eddie
- Son of Sanford
- Pretty
- Songnumber 3
Album Description
On the fifth album of his career, appropriately titled Cinco De MOWO!, Mocean Worker, (pronounced Motion Worker) has concocted the quintessential feel-good summer album of 2007. The opening number, quite simply, says it best: "Shake Ya Boogie." In what has become the incomparable Mocean Worker sound, Dorn mixes and matches the best of modern beat-making with live musicians like trumpeters Herb Alpert ("Changes") and Steven Bernstein ("Shake Your Boogie"), bassist Marcus Miller ("Brown Liquor"), alto saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum ("Les & Eddie" and "Son of Sanford") and vocalists Morley ("I Got You") and Alana Da Fonseca ("Que Bom"). As on all Mocean Worker records, the legendary jazz icon Rahsaan Roland Kirk joins the party from the great beyond addind wicked flute ("Sis Boom Bah" & "Reykjavik").
Cinco De MOWO! is the follow up to Mocean Worker's 2005 release Enter The MOWO!, which went on to become his biggest album to date. It's where the true vision for the definitive Mocean Worker sound came into focus. While liberally embracing his jazz and funk influences, Mocean Worker crafted songs with undeniable hooks. On Cinco De MOWO!, that vision has evolved even further. More than just funky grooves, tunes like "Shake Ya Boogie," "Tickle It" and "Son of Sanford" find their way deep into the sub-conscious with melodies that reverberate long after the record has ended.
Customer Reviews:
Holy Smoke!!.......2007-07-09
Mocean Worker will Move ya..........2007-07-09
Once again people..MOWO! delivers a HUGE HELPING of some good times!.......2007-07-01
Dial M for Motion.......2007-06-29
"Shake Your Boogie" will not leave your head once it gets in there.
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Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Timbaland Manufacturer: Interscope Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000NA26ZE Release Date: 2007-04-03 |
Tracks:
- Oh Timbaland
- Give It To Me
- Release
- The Way I Are
- Bounce
- Come & Get Me
- Kill Yourself
- Boardmeeting
- Fantasy
- Scream
- Miscommunication
- Bombay
- Throw It On Me
- Time
- One & Only
- Apologize
- 2 Man Show
Amazon.com
When the most exciting producer in pop music himself puts out a CD, the thrill is in the discovery: The world may have already suspected that Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, and a small army of other singers owed 75% of their fame to the stockpile of skittering beats Timbaland built and then graciously set them upon, but here's a chance to prove it. Or it might have been in less welcoming hands. Shock Value is a far-reaching and ambitious disc; a masterpiece, even, in its own way. But it's not at all self-centered. If there's a point being put across here, it's that Timbaland came by your vote as behind-the-scenes musical man of the hour honestly: pair him with Fall Out Boy or the Strokes, and he will not only provide tracks that surprise you by maintaining their rock 'n' roll integrity, he will also convince you that shimmer's role in rock music has, to now, been tragically misguided and miniscule. Re-team him with Timberlake and Furtado (for the near-flawless track "Give It to Me") and he will again trade vocal bites, but they will still be nibbly, not voracious. In a CD full of experiments and puzzles (why is Elton John just piano-playing, not singing? And how did the L.A. band One Republic end up on this disc?) a single truth emerges: Timbaland's taste is impeccable, but his judgment is even better. Shock Value, by virtue of its swirly beats and mesmerizing rhythms, will bring him a smidge closer to the spotlight. But because it's a disc of collaborations, he'll retain the shadowy-genius reputation that precedes him, and that he so richly deserves. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
Shocked at shock value.......2007-07-13
I think he is a wild stallion, but it just felt like something was pulling back on the reins, something was MISSING.
I can't put my finger on it, but felt this album was...Too controlled to offer an SHOCK to me.
I wanted a cut loose RAW BEAT album.
I was satisfied, but being satisfied means the content was just satisfactory. I want to be satiated. I hope another album is to follow this, I really do. I'm addicted to the beats, Timbaland is EXCELLENT for those. I can't get enough. BUT, please next time don't just shock me.
I want shock waves, electricty to the veins. Maybe next time.
Can't stop Tim.......2007-07-09
two decent cuts.......2007-06-30
in the mid 90s timbaland sounded fresh - had a new style - and was known for his creative beats. you would never know that from this new cd. theres nothing remarkable about the beats - the melodies dominate. do we buy timbaland albums for the melodies? i dont think so.
timbaland isnt trying to impress anyone - and when artists arent hungry and have no one to impress they slack off and make lame albums like this.
Amazing.......2007-06-27
(2.5 Stars) He Definitely Gives You Some 'Shock Value' With This CD!.......2007-06-26
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I'm Not Dead
Pink Manufacturer: La Face ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000EGCITG Release Date: 2006-04-04 |
Tracks:
- Stupid Girls
- Who Knew
- Long Way To Happy
- Nobody Knows
- Dear Mr. President (Featuring Indigo Girls)
- I'm Not Dead
- 'Cuz I Can
- Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)
- U + Ur Hand
- Runaway
- The One That Got Away
- I Got Money Now
- Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self
- I Have Seen The Rain (Featuring James T. Moore)
Amazon.com
Some music is celebrated for its elegant subtlety; Pink's slams you over the head. Four albums in, she's not changing her formula. I'm Not Dead touches on bulimia ("Stupid Girls"), war-mongering politicians ("Dear Mr. President"), teen angst ("Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self," "Runaway"), overheated pickup artists ("U + Ur Hand"), and gross materialism ("I Got Money Now"). None of it, in other words, is for featherweight listeners. Then again, none of it suits eggheaded college tastemakers either. Where this translates, then, is with those willing to man up and embrace what makes Pink Pink: her spellbinding ability to render rebelliousness in all the many colors of the rainbow. Neil Young-inspired acoustic guitar is sketched into "The One That Got Away," but it's just as quickly scribbled over by Joan Jett-style ranting (on "Long Way to Happy") and Janis Joplin/Joss Stone-fueled howling (on "Who Knew"). Even R&B gets its turn ("I Got Money Now"). The album also includes appearances from the Indigo Girls, who duet on "Dear Mr. President," and Pink's father, who joins for the hidden track "I Have Seen The Rain." Pink pulls all of this off, and probably without even breathing hard. She's not dead. --Tammy La Gorce
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Customer Reviews:
Pink Rocks It.......2007-07-17
love it, I've played it a lot!.......2007-07-14
Fantastic discovery!.......2007-06-28
I'd like to add that not only is this album awesome, but I finally found out that Pink is an incredible vocalist and performer. Based on that, I ended up buying Misunduztood and there are several songs on that album I loved as well. I just wish I had noticed Pink long before this! Buy the album, you won't be disappointed!
Fantastic.......2007-06-10
AH! SHE OUT DID HERSELF!.......2007-06-06
Intelligent, thoughtful, inspiring!
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The Sweet Escape
Gwen Stefani Manufacturer: Interscope Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000JJRIN4 Release Date: 2006-12-05 |
Tracks:
- Wind It Up
- The Sweet Escape - featuring Akon
- Orange County Girl
- Early Winter
- Now That You Got It
- 4 In The Morning
- Yummy - featuring Pharrell
- Fluorescent
- Breakin' Up
- Don't Get It Twisted
- U Started It
- Wonderful Life
Amazon.com
There's nothing like a Gwen Stefani disc to rip you from your pop comfort zone and, in the pleasantest way possible, knock you around a bit. On The Sweet Escape, the blows arrive roughly every four minutes: a yodel ("Wind It Up") skitters off ceremoniously before the title track, featuring Akon, catches you off guard with its infectious yelps of "Woo-hoo, YEE-hoo!," and the pouty rap of "Orange County Girl" has barely petered out before we're vectored somewhere back toward the '80s with the indie rock-ish "Early Winter." That the sound of these songs doesn't follow a formula--that they pounce wherever they please, without regard for genres or decades--is no big whoop; this is Gwen Stefani, after all, and her up-for-anything, play-along fans probably wouldn't have it any other way. More surprising is the extent to which Stefani inserts what seems to be her genuine self into the music: "4 in the Morning," a Madonna-reminiscent midtempo groover, drops the wide-eyed Betty Boop pose and basks in a rarely plumbed depth of feeling ("I give you everything that I am / I'm handing over everything that I've got / 'cause I wanna have a really true love," she sings with something like sincerity). A single track later, she's owning up to motherhood in the sexiest, most unapologetic way possible: "I know you've been waiting," she pants, "but I've been off making babies / And like a chef making donuts and pastries / It's time to make you sweat." Lyrics don't get much cleverer than the ones to "Breakin' Up," a kiss-off disguised as a dropped cell phone call, and sounds don't get much swizzier than the ones on "Now That You Got It." Which is to say that Gwen's got game--as much as on Love.Angel.Music.Baby, if not more--and that anytime she's prepared to hollaback, the world will do well to listen. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
I really like it .......2007-07-14
Not normally my bag, but..........2007-07-13
Currently, it's in the CD changer and will remain there for awhile. If I were blind, I'd still love Gwen's music. Thank Heavens I can see. Gwen looks like someone who'd be fun to Kiss.
don't listen to the haterz kk.......2007-07-11
Of course it does come across as a bit calculating and jerky. It has plenty of variety. It's just fun, dumb pop music. Excellently done dumb pop music. And it sure beats Fergie.
Good Album.......2007-07-05
Great CD.......2007-07-03
Average customer rating:
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Songs from the Labyrinth (Music by John Dowland)
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000HXDESU Release Date: 2006-10-10 |
Tracks:
- Walsingham
- Can she excuse my wrongs?
- Ryght honorable: as I have bin most bounde unto your honor
- Flow my tears
- Have you seen the bright lily grow
- Then in time passing on Mr. Johnson died
- The Most High and Mighty Christianus the Fourth, King of Denmark
- The lowest trees have tops
- And accordinge as I desired ther cam a letter
- Fine knacks for ladies
- From thenc I went to the Landgrave of Hessen
- Fantasy
- Come, heavy sleep
- Forlorn Hope Fancy
- And from thence I had great desire to see Italy
- Come again
- Wilt thou unkind thus reave me
- After my departure I caled to mynde our conference
- Weep you no more, sad fountains
- My Lord Willoughbys Welcome Home
- Clear or cloudy
- Men say that the Kinge of Spain is making gret preparation
- In darkness let me dwell
Amazon.com
In choosing to cover the music of John Dowland (1563-1626), who is known as the "melancholy madrigalist" from his output of cheerful ditties like "Flow My Tears," Police bandleader Sting has entered into a whole new realm of austere eeriness. Originally inspired by the gift of a lute, the rock superstar and activist sings the songs, deliciously sweet and tender or spirited by turn, accompanying himself, with Edin Karamazov sitting on lute and archlute. For listeners accustomed to hearing material of this period interpreted by rigorously trained early music stylists, especially countertenors and the like, Sting's sometimes tight-jawed, chest-heavy vocals may seem amateurish. It's undeniable that in four-part harmonies, the singer, tightly overdubbed, comes across like a combination of the Swingle Singers and Queen (meaning Freddy Mercury and crew, NOT the first Elizabeth). But it's important to remember that music of this period was routinely heard as a casual diversion in private homes, even more often than at Court. It was considered a crucial social skill to be able to join in with an adequate degree of skill, but not everyone was able to negotiate the perilous melodic twists and turns typical of the era's music. With this in mind, the overall effect is of a candle-lit, postprandial entertainment in the home of an English gentleman. Muttered readings from Dowland's letters and brief snippets of sampled birdsong aside, it is a courageous effort, displaying heartfelt admiration for the composer and a considerable degree of earnest charm. --Christina RodenAlbum Description
StingÂ's Songs From The Labyrinth is an album of 17th century music composed by John Dowland and performed on the lute, an ancient acoustic guitar. After being given a lute nearly two years ago as a gift, Sting became fascinated and immersed himself with the instrument and the history of lute music. Reminded of his almost 25 year long enthrallment with the works of John Dowland, the Elizabethan composer who wrote songs for the lute, Sting has recorded a new album of vocal and lute music. All songs were composed by Dowland in the 17th century, but have been given new life in these fresh new recordings by Sting. Sting not only sings all the songs (accompanied by leading lutenist Edin Karamasov, who appears on two Andreas Scholl albums), but also plays lute on two instrumental duets with Edin and reads short extracts from a fascinating autobiographical letter by Dowland. Sting has also written a brilliant account of the album's genesis, along with notes on the individual tracks, which serves as the CD booklet.Customer Reviews:
Very disappointing.......2007-07-19
*sigh*.......2007-07-16
In a way, it doesn't surprise me that Sting would do this. For years now he's been trying to gain cred in the classical music world (I have a 1988 recording of him doing Stravinsky's A Soldier Tale that delighted me when I was 16 and musically ignorant, but now makes my eyes roll into the back of my head). What upsets me is he had to do something that's initimately important to me as a musician. The is problem is that when it comes this kind of music, as others have said, he IS an amatuer, and all his heavy-handed, juvenile earnesty and clumsy, misplaced intensity just drains out all the joy I would normally experience from these songs. Moreover, he's voice isn't merely "untrained" - it's *shot* from years of strain caused by bad "rock" vocal technique. It's just pitiful to listen to in such an exposed context. If you think this is how these songs ought to be intrepreted, you're sadly mistaken.
There are people who would call Sting a "pop genius, " laud him and hand him all sort of impressive looking awards and honors, but this is the music of a real genius, someone who knew not just how to write lyrics that hit home with his audience, but as how to compose songs with unparallel grace, form and sophistication in an idiosyncratic style that bridged convention and innovation. And Sting simply cannot do Dowland's music justice. He just doesn't have the chops or the insight. It's great he's supposedly "studied" this music and that he wrote lengthy, flowery liner notes, but did he really need to record this CD for any reason that his own self-satisfaction? It's far too obvious he hasn't done the same level of groundwork of countless Early Music musicians who don't do this a hobby or avocation from political causes or high-profile celebrity, but as their sole passion. Why couldn't he simply support those musicians, without trying to grab some spotlight for himself? Having a decent lutenist as a sidekick just isn't enough to pull him up from his amatuerly, self-important bog, either. Frankly, he just doesn't get it, and at this stage, I don't think he will.
Early music lovers don't need someone like Sting to bring this music to us - we've been doing just fine without him because we have so many other, really wonderful musicians around to keep this music alive. Someone else recommended Nigel Rogers and Paul O'Dette, and I would gladly recommend them over this celebrity-fuel nonsense as well. Yes these are both musicians with academic backgrounda, but that doesn't mean they are academic musicians - far from it. They just have to hold down teaching positions and do master classes because they don't have a pop career to play the bills. Musicially and professionally, they're what Early Music musicians ought to be - dedicated, educated, passionate and yet they don't have any need to take themselves this deathly seriously.
Elizabethan Music.......2007-07-12
Vibe shift.......2007-07-10
Gorgeous, pure and unexpected.......2007-07-06
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Volta
Björk Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000NVIXFA Release Date: 2007-05-08 |
Tracks:
- Earth Intruders
- Wanderlust
- The Dull Flame Of Desire
- Innocence
- I See Who You Are
- Vertebrae By Vertebrae
- Pneumonia
- Hope
- Declare Independence
- My Juvenile
Amazon.com
Björk's main asset as a musician is her fearlessness. Since the end of The Sugarcubes and the pop-dance of Debut, she has released progressively more experimental records. But after well over a decade of going further and further out, Volta steps back. Make no mistake; this is Björk, and so it's still fabulously weird. Like 2004's mesmerizing Medúlla and the 2005 soundtrack for Drawing Restraint 9, the songs are blissfully peculiar, with narratives about love, offspring, aliens...you name it. Yet melodically and philosophically, Volta recycles more than it innovates; the driving pulse of "Declare Independence," for instance, reminds us of Homogenic's "Pluto," and the lead single "Earth Intruders" sounds like Post's "Army of Me" on steroids. And just as Medúlla oriented itself around a certain instrument--the human voice--this one concentrates on horns.Still, the transition between her early work and the avant-garde bender she's been on since Vespertine is pretty harrowing, and it's satisfying to hear Björk revisit her more accessible self. Uber-producer Timbaland pitches in here and there, most successfully on "Innocence," which uses a fat, disjointed pulse to drive the euphoric vocals forward. Elsewhere, the hyperactive sitar sample on "I See Who You Are" provides texture for the song's theme of enjoying each other while there's still "flesh on our bones." And "Pneumonia" makes fantastic use of the horn section with a soft arrangement that compliments the song's lyrical melody.
So while it's a bit of a stall, Volta is a lovely pause. It reminds us how much we appreciate the laboratory of Björk's imagination, but also how much we missed her back when she was just goofing around. -Matthew Cooke
Album Description
Bjork returns to her iconic, innovative and rhythmic roots with Volta. Featuring her own infamous beats and collaborations with Timbaland, Antony Hegarty, Brian Chippendale and an all-female Icelandic brass section, the end result is an explosion of beats and an amalgamtion of sound and visuals that give Volta a life of its own, like the world hasn't seen from Bjork in years.Customer Reviews:
fearless original.......2007-07-19
Confused?.......2007-07-18
Stunning.......2007-07-16
Am I glad I did that? Oh yeah. As many have noted, this builds on you over a number of listens. My pure listening time is in my car commuting. So I stuck the CD in and played it 3 or 4 times through, only extracting it a couple of days ago. Wow!
The overall sound structure of this CD is heavily layered and haunting. Take track 3 as an example, 20/30 words of lyrics, repeated and repeated, but the whole is a wonderful, moving sonic masterpiece, almost Gorecki in the way it swells and shifts. And there's more ... but let the analytical reviewers tell you about the track structure. All I want to say is ... buy this, play it right though at least 3 times, fall in love with it.
Bjork goes back to what works.......2007-07-15
Almost, but not quite.......2007-07-14
Rock Music:
