United

United

ASIN: B00006J9FZ

Track Listings

1. United

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
The Biffs are a group of friends who have known each other since they were in school together in Michigan in the early 1980s. With spouses and children, they now number over 40 and are spread throughout the USA. At least once a year, Biffs gather to reunite, to revel in Biffdom, and to celebrate each other's talents and ingenuity. This musical work is but a tiny example of the creativity found in the Biff circle. Over the years, rumors have surfaced as to what the word "Biffs" stands for. Now, it could stand for "Believe In Freedom Forever." With long resumes and credits in drama, vocals, and music, some of the Biffs collaborated on this from-the-heart hit. Hopefully this amateur hit can help a nation move forward.

Product Description
A stirring tribute to the nation, "United" is an instant hit. Some of the Biffs were moved to write and record this after September 11th. They put together a winning ballad here in the spirit of Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American." From the tender verse to the harmonious chorus, the Biffs' powerful vocals are complemented by the oration of America's "We hold these truths..." and the children's Pledge of Allegiance. Is this the anthem of this war?

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 Bartlett

Album 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:

Icky? No. Thump? Yes! (4 1/2 stars).......2007-07-10

Counting this album, I own the last three White stripes albums, and this one is my second favorite, after Elephant.

What I like about this band is that they aren't afraid to experiment. What other popular band do you know would use a trumpeter from a mariachi band for a Patti Page cover song? Or use bagpipes on not one, but TWO songs?! None -- except the White Stripes!

My favorite song, and the one I can't get enough of is the title track. The only bad song on the album is "Saint Andrew (This Battle is in the Air)". The instuments are so loud, they drown out Meg's voice and you can't hear what she's saying, so I took off half a star for that song.

Jack White is a good songwriter, and this album is no exception. My favorite lyric on the whole album: "You can't take the effect/and make it the cause"!

Overall, this is the loudest, thump-iest White Stripes album ever. Old and new Stripes fans will like this album, so buy it!

Bringing the Fire Back.......2007-07-10

Back when Elephant came out in 2003, The White Stripes renewed my faith in popular music. From then on I began to listen to (and love) more music than ever before, and The White Stripes led that train.
After a while (and after Get Behind Me Satan) I sort of tuned out to The White Stripes. While I really did (and still do) like GBMS, it just didn't fulfill my expectations: a whole CD in the rock style of what the first single Blue Orchid promised.
And then there was a bump, on my trunk, on the wagon to Mexico -

Icky Thump!

I have now fallen in love with The White Stripes again. I won't bore you (like I just have with my intro) with descriptions of all the songs, because other reviewers do that. What really needs to be taken from this review is that Icky Thump has the nice sounding folkiness that De Stijl owned (Bound To Pack it Up), the simple brilliant brashness of White Blood Cells (Fell in Love With a Girl), and the matured sound of Elephant (Seven Nation Army) all rolled into one album. This is not simply a "compilation" type album, but instead has the feeling a Led Zeppelin album brings of hearing a song that sounds familiar, but in some mysterious way seems totally new.

Jack and Meg do just that with Icky Thump. They remind us who they are, intertwine some of the quirkiness of their last album, and sprinkle it all with dabs of ingenious to make what might have been a mediocre song, something that is worthy of the term "Rock and roll".

Now I'm back on the wagon (to Mexico apparently) with Jack and Meg. 'Cause they've definitely got me hooked again. There's no doubt.

Incredible.......2007-07-08

I thought this cd would be heavy but it is a little more bluesy. Still it is in my top five favorite CD's and always will be.

Another exceptional release by the heroic Jack & Meg!.......2007-07-07

I have to say that The White Stripes are one of the most interesting acts in the music business currently. Jack always finds a way to make the Stripes sounds different with each forthcoming album and there are few acts that can boast of that. Jack's unique vocals, writing skills, and multi-instrumental talents coupled with Meg's drum skills always make for a superb affair. I would even venture to say that The White Stripes couldn't make a bad album if they wanted to. Sure, ICKY THUMP is different than perhaps the more critically lauded GET BEHIND ME SATAN (which I must say sometimes gets a bad wrap despite being exceptional as any other Stripes release), but it is different in a good respect. To be honest, Icky Thump rocks more than GET BEHIND ME SATAN ever did with it's country, piano (and marimba) driven tendencies. Aside from particulars, ICKY THUMP is a welcome addition to the White Stripes's discography. I'm sure than the Grammy for best Alternative Music Album will once again go to ICKY THUMP as it went to both ELEPHANT and GET BEHIND ME SATAN. Here's a brief rundown of the tracks:

1. Icky Thump - 4/5: an exceptional first single; I love the vocal performance by Jack here in particular. This is clearly going down as a Stripes classic.

2. You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)- 4/5: Another brilliant performance that rocks pretty hard. The guitars are anthemic in timbre and Jack sounds top-rate here. I particularly like the refrain here.

3. 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues- 4/5: Lengthy, but worth the duration. The acoustic guitars work exceptionally well here coupled with traces of electric guitars and Meg's drumming, which has never sounded better (I promise I'm not being sarcastic!).

4. Conquest- 5/5: Perhaps my favorite Stripes track to date? Hard to believe that Jack didn't pen this track.

5. Bone Broke- 4/5: some sick guitar work in this one! Rocks hard!

6. Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn- 4/5: Not my favorite, but top-rate nonetheless. The "Scottish" feel is quite unique and the drum groove is infectious with the emphasis of on the beats with the bass drum (Go Meg!).

7. St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)- a continuation of "Prickly Thorn..."

8. Little Cream Soda- 4.5/5: Can you say exceptional?! This one is mostly instrumental with a couple of choice lyrics. Can't miss this awesome track.

9. Rag And Bone- 4/5: A fun track; I love how playful the Stripes are here.. this certainly wouldn't have fit on GET BEHIND ME SATAN. Again the groove and guitars are phenomenal.

10. I'm Slowly Turning Into You- 4.5/5: Another favorite of mine - the groove won't leave you. You'll keep humming this one after hearing it.

11. A Martyr For My Love For You- 3.5/5: 100% solid, just not my favorite
12. Catch Hell Blues- 4/5: Superb
13. Effect and Cause- 3.5/5 Solid

Overall, ICKY THUMP is one of 2007's best and I'm sure the 2008 Grammys will showcase that. 4 stars from me.

Another stellar from rock and roll's greatest duo.......2007-07-07

I will admit that I have been really nervous the past couple of years. With the success of the Raconteurs and Jack and Meg moving to completely different parts of the country I was afraid that the beginning of the end of the White Stripes had commenced. And who knows, perhaps it has. But Jack's new band commitments and their new places of residence certainly hasn't impacted the quality of their work together. My fear was that Jack might keep some of his "A" material for his new band and that the overall quality of ICKY THUMP might suffer as a result. But it is clear from this album that Jack either has an awful lot of "A" material or that he is giving the Raconteurs his "B" material. ICKY THUMP is simply a brilliant album, definitely as good or better than GET BEHIND ME SATAN and at spots as good as anything before that (though ELEPHANT remains my favorite White Stripes album).

Although I like this album more than GET BEHIND ME SATAN, they are definitely kindred affairs. Both have the same kind of eclecticism and almost any song on the one album could have been fit onto the other. I personally find Jack White to be one of the wonders of music. While I confess to nursing a sizable crush on Meg White, hers is a supporting role to Jack. I find him to be one of the most innovative guitarists in rock, with a seemingly endless supply of new and interesting musical ideas. His guitar toolkit is a bit larger than those of most other guitarists. The same can be said for his song writing as well.

If there is a criticism that can be made of the album, it is that the first half is stronger than the second half. Though perhaps that should be amended to say that the first two-thirds is better than the final third. This distinction allows me to include the absolutely delightful "Rag and Bone" and the hard-driving "Little Cream Soda" with the best part of the album. But none of the final songs are actually bad or even below average. "A Martyr for My Love for You" is a good enough song, with some fairly pedestrian hooks, but the point is that it isn't quite up there with the earlier songs. The album starts off with a vengeance, with the superb title track followed by "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told), which is in turn followed by the marvelously long winded "300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues." Then follows the lone song on the album not written by White, the country classic "Conquest," which under his reinterpretation is certainly no longer country.

All in all, this is one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. I know that some White Stripes fans tend to specialize in either early or late albums; they prefer either the rock purity of DE STIJL or the eclecticism of GET BEHIND ME SATAN or the sheer power of ELEPHANT. Well, forgive me if I like it all. I don't get people who want performers to never evolve or change. I've been delighted with the White Stripes because they have never stayed stuck in one place. They've continued to grow and evolve. I can't wait until their next album. Let's just hope that their changing personal lives and professional obligations don't prevent a "next." But as great as Jack White is, he is never as good when he and his "sister" Meg crank it.

Finally, Jack and Meg have always been interesting to look at on stage. They've always worn interesting outfits, but their psychedelic suits on the front cover of the CD is the most bracing that I've seen worn since the days of the Flying Burrito Brothers GILDED PALACE OF SIN.

Average customer rating:

An excellent follow up
Can't Get It Into My Head
"Velvet Revolver": save rock music
Let what roll?
Give me Libertad or give me death

Libertad
Velvet Revolver
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Zeitgeist
Icky Thump
Carry On
Era Vulgaris
Black Rain

ASIN: B000P29B62
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Tracks:

Let It Roll
She Mine
Get Out The Door
She Builds Quick Machines
The Last Fight
Pills, Demons & Etc.
American Man
Mary Mary
Just Sixteen
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
For A Brother
Spay
Gravedancer
Re-Evolution

Amazon.com

When they exploded out of the gates on their 2004 debut, Contraband, Velvet Revolver were met with as much diffidence as appreciation. After all, supergroups have tended to detonate as often as succeed, and with vocalist Scott Weiland, bassist Duff McKagan, and guitarist Slash all vying to keep the lit match away from the fuse, the odds against this band ever seeing album #2 were even money at best. Surprise! Not only have Velvet Revolver survived three years with unreckless abandon, this album blows the doors off its predecessor. Save a pair of disinfected ballads ("The Last Fight," "Gravedancer"), Libertad is all about hand-grenade chords, drag-racing riffs, and circus-tent choruses. The ageless McKagan and Slash continually gun for the disorderliness of their former band (most notably on the punkish opener "Let It Roll" and its lewd brother "Spay"), while Weiland sounds--knock on wood--positively clean and like a voice of boisterous renewal on tracks like "Mary Mary," "She Builds Quick Machines," and the melt-in-your-mouth cover of ELO's "Can't Get It Out of My Head." Obviously egos have been checked at the studio door, as Velvet Revolver have already exceeded their anticipated existence. And now that existence goes back on the clock, trying to outshine a second album that's head-and-shoulders better than the first. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews:

An excellent follow up.......2007-07-10

Most musicians have a sophmore slump as they try to both duplicate the same sound that was successful on their first release, but be different enough to bring in new listeners. Libertad is filled with musicians who have had far more than two albums, yet fall somewhat into the slump. While the album is solid, the guitar work matched with the vocals is great, there are times, where the band feels trying too hard to have a commercial hit. That being said, the band has grown together. The sounds are more cohesive and do not have to rely on the raw energy of the first release. Instead the band makes stronger music, and more cohesive, paving the way for a amazing third album. Hard rock has become a dying breed in music, and it's great to see some bands still churning out excellent rock music.

Can't Get It Into My Head.......2007-07-09

Velvet Revolver continues to perform a crucial service for humanity - keeping the great Slash employed. Whatever he's doing, the rock world needs it bad. The band also has the potential to bring trashy riff-heavy rock back to the top of the heap. Unfortunately this second disc displays a common pattern among older rockers, with increasing competence in playing and songwriting but decreasing excitement for the listener. Critics have croaked that Velvet Revolver still hasn't gelled and still sounds like a collective supergroup rather than an organic band. I'm not sure about that, but this album is definitely high on skills but low on pizzazz, with most of the songs failing to really sink in. Drummer Matt Sorum is the only member of the band who sounds truly energetic here, and even Slash sounds a bit subdued despite his typically expressive solos and occasionally swingin' riffs (this might be blamed on the suspiciously bland production).

The songs here can rock out enjoyably but are predictably constructed and unenthusiastically played, with real excitement only popping up in a few places like "Mary Mary" and certain parts of "She Builds Quick Machines." The epitome of this album's trouble is the creeping adult pop of "Can't Get It out of My Head" - a cover of a song by Electric Light Orchestra for cryin' out loud. However, this album does have one advantage over the debut, with the elimination of sappy ballads in which Scott Weiland tried and failed (miserably) to sound sensitive and romantic. Instead, this album's biggest surprise is the non-sappy dirge "Gravedancer" which burns slowly with genuine emotion. I have never been able to stomach Weiland's posturing and attitude, but I have to admit that on this album he has finally become a pretty solid singer, finding a coherent style at long last. But then he went and ruined it with that cheesy Zorro outfit. And finally, this album closes disastrously with the hidden bonus track (a trick that is so over, by the way) - a halfhearted country-rocker that might be serious but is probably making fun of its genre. At the end of this track, someone (probably Slash) dismissively says "whatever..." Quite. [~doomsdayer520~]

"Velvet Revolver": save rock music.......2007-07-09

Velvet revolver put out contraband; it was a great album. Contraband suggested an answer to the question we all lose sleep over, "Is rock dead?" For those of you who believed in VR from the beginning, and could see a long lasting career way back in '04...i applaud you; because as of July 3rd, 2007 Velvet revolver has proved any skeptics to be completely wrong. Libertad is a classic "rock and roll" album (and as much a fan of this genre i am, it would help keep rock alive if we put the last nail in that term's coffin). Anyway, what do you expect from VR when their lead guitarist is slash. Let's look back to '87 - rock was at a decline when Guns N' Roses give us Apetite for destruction. I know, i know, the last thing we need to hear is another "VR is great, but slash should get back with GNR"; however i bring up the point that Slash has saved rock before, and the guys done it again. The man is the Jesus of Rock Music. In addition to slash is Duff, weiland, kushnor, and Sorum. These guys know what they're doing. I'm sure you've heard 'She builds quick Machines' by now, and in my opinion its a brilliant song, but that's not even the best one on the album. Contraband is the kind of album that you'll like a lot of songs from, but not all of them so you'll end up just listening to the same ones from it usually. There is not a song off Libertad that i ever feel like skipping. Velvet revolver has brought rock to new levels of popularity, hey pretty soon all the middle class white kids will listen to rock music (wouldnt that be weird)

Let what roll?.......2007-07-08

It's called "Libertad," which isn't a word, which is appropriate for an album where words are the weak point.

1. "Let It Roll" 5/10: Let what roll? Okay, so her name is Candy. The first song was the first sign that the lyrics for the whole album were probably written in about twenty minutes.
2. "She Mine" 3/10: Okay, more candy, and this song is just generally terrible.
3. "Get Out the Door" 6/10: A little bit better.
4. "She Builds Quick Machines" 7/10: This is the first single. It sounds more like a single than anything else on the album.
5. "The Last Fight" 8/10: This song grew on me a bit.
6. "Pills, Demons & Etc." 6/10: For Scott Weiland, probably the most personal song on the album.
7. "American Man" 7/10: It's kind of catchy; I'll give it that.
8. "Mary Mary" 9/10: Right now, this is probably my favorite song on the album.
9. "Just Sixteen" 5/10: I think this is a filler track.
10. "Can't Get It Out of My Head" 6/10: I guess this is a cover song. It's okay.
11. "For a Brother" 6/10: This song could grow on me.
12. "Spay" 5/10: Here's another filler track.
13. "Gravedancer" 7/10: I liked this song better the first time when it was called "Fall to Pieces."
14. "Don't Drop That Dime" 8/10: For what it is, it's pretty good.

Overall, this is a very archetypal rock album from a very experienced collection of musicians. That comes with all its upsides and downsides. In my opinion, the first Velvet Revolver album was a lot better. Songs like "Sucker Train Blues" and "Set Me Free" were sing-along gold, and "You Got No Right" and "Loving the Alien" evoked real emotion. This album just doesn't measure up. As someone who owns every STP album, I think it's safe to say that Scott has gotten lazy, or maybe he's just snorted too much.

Give me Libertad or give me death.......2007-07-08

OK, if you're surprised that Velvet Revolver didn't implode before this album reached completion, raise your hand. If you're even more shocked that "Libertad" is as good or even better than "Contraband," raise that hand, shape it into a fist and start punching it into the air. Because the ruff-riots on this album will ultimately provoke that sort of response.

This cast of rock-and-roll petrol sticks had every opportunity to self-combust, but Scott Weiland, the candidate most likely, sounds better than he ever has and that includes his STP days. Slash is given free reign to solo away, and he does so with gusto (just listen to him rip on "Just Sixteen"). The rest of the support crew (Duff McKagen, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner) bring on the chemistry. These five men sound like they are really a band and not just pent-up egos in a supergroup. There isn't a bum-song on the whole album. (Although I will hedge on the countrified bonus track "Don't Drop That Dime," complete with Weiland yodeling.) Better yet, no annoying copy-protection.

Velvet Revolver also make up for "Contraband's" greatest weak-spot; lyrics. Where songs like "Set me Free" and "Big machine" sounded like either toss offs or obscenity laden rants, the songs are "Libertad" really sound like they did more than try to load as many f-bombs into 3 and a half minutes. Drop in a glammy-cover of Electric Light Orchestra's "Can't Get It Out Of My Head," and you've got the best hard-rocking album of 2007 so far.

Average customer rating:

Still strong.
Yawn!
AWESOME
It Was Worth the Wait!!!!!
SP returns to what made them great

Zeitgeist
Smashing Pumpkins
Manufacturer: Martha's Music / Reprise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Icky Thump
Libertad
Our Love to Admire
Era Vulgaris
Year Zero

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 Swan 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 Drozdowski

Album 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:

Still strong........2007-07-10

Slightly more one-dimensional than past endeavors, "Zeitgeist" still holds it's own in the pumpkins catalog. The absence of half of the original lineup no doubt contributes to the change in sound, but Billy and Jimmy channel the "Siamese Dream" sound and it works. I would have liked this album a little more if it were less political; in today's music world, politics are such a reoccurring theme that political albums are almost becoming caricatures of themselves. Anyway, I'd like to hear more of this sort of thing. So I think everyone should support this release and get us one step closer to washing away all those bad memories of emo bands that won't get off the radio.

Yawn!.......2007-07-10

Want to know what the sound of a desperate mid-life crisis sounds like with guitars? Just listen to Zeitgeist.

AWESOME.......2007-07-10

I am so happy that these guys are back. I have been a huge fan of them for years! The standout tracks: Doomsday Clock, That's The Way (My Love Is), United States, Tarantua, and the bonus track from Target (the title track)

All the songs are listenable. Very good purchase. You will not regret it!

It Was Worth the Wait!!!!!.......2007-07-10

FOlks Listen to this over at least thre times to Understnnd its Lyrics and get pass the Somewhat Repetitive Riffs.
Not too Repetitive but enough t get thie message across
And The Track United States is the longest and the best I've heard thus far...
I havn't heard all yet but briefly...
So
Yes worth Every Penny
Your money WON'T be wasted here...
Crista

SP returns to what made them great.......2007-07-10

Billy and Co. return to their roots and add a little something new. It's refreshing and displays the same great songwriting that made Corgan a GOD in the 90's. Highly recommended as this is probably their 3rd or 4th best album.

Average customer rating:

love it, love it, love it!!!!
Perhaps 2007's Best Country Album
This is a very entertaining CD from Brad
Good but not great
I guess I like country music

5th Gear
Brad Paisley
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music
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Big Dog Daddy
Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace
Let It Go
Lost Highway
Pure BS

ASIN: B000PFUA9G
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

All I Wanted Was A Car
Ticks
Online
Letter To Me
I'm Still A Guy
Some Mistakes
It Did
Mr. Policeman
If Love Was A Plane
Oh Love Featuring Carrie Underwood
Better Than This
With You, Without You
Previously Featuring Kung Pao Buckaroos (Little Jimmy Dickens,
Bigger Fish To Fry Featuring Kung Pao Buckaroos (Little Jimmy Dickens,
When We All Get To Heaven
Throttleneck

Amazon.com

Like his friend Vince Gill, Brad Paisley has achieved the often-difficult feat of reconciling being an entertainer and world-class guitarist. He's proven that on four admirable albums, and 5th Gear follows in that vein. Certainly "Ticks," an airy, radio-friendly ditty, is not the true substance here. That comes with such superior fare as the insightful "All I Wanted Was a Car" and "Online," a sly satire of people's Web facades. While his duet with Carrie Underwood ("Oh Love") is a bit cut and dried, Paisley ably handles "Letter to Me," "It Did," and "Mr. Policeman," a 21st-century outrun-the-law tune. The closing hymn, "When We All Get to Heaven," and ripping instrumental "Throttleneck" are Paisley at his best. It's admirable that he invites his venerable buddies, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones, Vince Gill, and Bill Anderson, along with Dolly Parton, to join in, but the obligatory "Kung Pao Buckaroos" skit is wearing a bit thin. Better to feature them musically, the way he includes Dickens, Gill, and Anderson on "Bigger Fish to Fry." In a time where lines between county and pop are blurring far too much, it's comforting to know Paisley still realizes and respects the differences. --Rich Kienzle

Customer Reviews:

love it, love it, love it!!!!.......2007-07-07

I recently purchased this cd because I heard and loved the clever tune "Ticks" Now that I have it I love every song on it the guitar work is incredible and the lyrics are great. I actually went through all of his CD's and realized I am a Brad Paisley fan and just purchased all the others.

Perhaps 2007's Best Country Album.......2007-07-03

I have to give kudos to Mr. Paisley for the fantastic 5th GEAR, which just may be 2007's very best country album. Prior to 5th GEAR, I'd never even heard any albums nor songs by Paisley. I'll admit, I'm not as avid a country fan as compared to other genres of music (though I'm a `multi-dimensional' music listener as I like to put it), but I've been trying lately to truly cover all the bases of music aside from my comfort zone. Honestly, Paisley's album truly excited me with his nearly pitch-perfect vocals, his adventurous songs, and his kick-butt guitar riffs. Let's face it, if I were a musician, I would call Brad Paisley just to come and play electric guitar on my album because the man is so sick at it. Sure, I've listened to a number of country albums including fine releases by Miranda Lambert (her CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND is also in the top echelon of releases in 2007) as well as the good, if somewhat bland underrated third release by Gretchen Wilson (ONE OF THE BOYS), but Paisley's 5th GEAR just feels more genuine in a number of respects.

I could run down every song on the track list, but with an album this consistent, I don't think that it is necessarily in the least. The album starts with the rousing "All I Wanted Was a Car" in which Paisley reminisces about how the other boys (in his teenage years) were looking for a slew of other things and he was simply searching for a car. "All I Wanted Was a Car" turns out to be ultimately a simple song with poignant, telling lyrics that really make it more complex. It is a personal favorite of mine with Paisley wailing on one of country music's most bluesy guitar solo of 2007 or for a couple of years for that matter. The refrain is perfect for singing with Paisley and with the catchy nature of "All I Wanted...,"you will definitely be singing along. First single "Ticks" is just as great and shows off Paisley's great sense of humor, something that Paisley and contemporary Joe Nichols seem to be exceptional at. Again, the guitars are sick and the groove is definitely "in the pocket", as jazz musicians would say. Mentioning in passing, the third straight consistent number, "Online" shows off Paisley's experimentalist tendency by featuring a tagged ending that includes a marching band. Now how many country albums in 2007 have featured a marching band? It's a rhetorical question, don't answer.

"Letter To Me" slows things down while, "I'm Still A Guy" features sound-effects that transcend country music. It is one you don't want to miss with bluesy fiddles, rollicking piano, and of course that signature guitar sound. Moving down the track-list, "Mr. Policeman" is a true standout track that brings a traditionalist country feel out with a very liberal tempo filled with complex guitar riffs from Paisley. For musicians, the track modulates several times as Paisley sheds through some sick guitar riffs. At the end, none can deny how funny the tag is when Paisley sings "I'm in the jailhouse now", after all the singing and instrumental breaks. "If Love Was A Plane" is certainly the most sweet song from 5th GEAR, while his duet with Carrie Underwood, "Oh Love," is fantastic as well. I don't usually mention interludes, but the interlude "Previously" leads into the phenomenal "Bigger Fish To Fry" in which Paisley reminisces how he used to cuss and do bad things as a child. The moral of the story is that he bad things, which would be consider miniscule in today's society, aren't a bad as other things and he resolves it to the fact that God has "bigger fish to fry". After his rant, he follows with the appropriate "When We All Get To Heaven", a very good interpretation on the church hymn and concludes the great album with an instrumental (very appropriate considering his musical skills), "Throttleneck".

Face it, 5th GEAR might actually earn Paisley a Grammy nomination because it is nearly the perfect country album. The tracks I didn't mentioned are as good or nearly as good as the ones I did mention. I highly recommend this fine album; it would make a great addition to any country fan's musical library or any fan of good, solid music. 4 stars Mr. Paisley.

This is a very entertaining CD from Brad .......2007-07-02

5th Gear is an excellent new CD from Brad Paisley. Brad has always been very perceptive about life and relationships. I like the way he turns his perceptions into songs. "Online" is my favorite track. This is a very funny song about how a person can have an online life and a very different real life. "I'm Still A Guy" is another good song about how a man's personality doesn't change when he is in a relationship There is a lot of truth in this song, and that is why I like it so much. "All I Wanted Was A Car" is a very true song about how a car is the most important thing to a young man in high school. "Some Mistakes" is a song about how some mistakes in life can be fun. I like Brad's fun vocals on this track. "Oh Love" is a very pretty duet with Carrie Underwood. I really how their voices blend together. "Letter To Me" is an excellent song for any person who feels depressed about being dumped. This is a very hopeful song, and I like it very much. "Mr. Policeman" and "Throttleneck" are two up tempo songs that show Brad's talent on the guitar. This is a very enjoyable new CD by Brad Paisley.

Good but not great.......2007-06-28

So far I really only like 3-4 songs on this CD. I am hoping it will grow on me.

I guess I like country music.......2007-06-28

I have gone through my CD collection and the country CD's out number anything else, guess I like something about it. I can say CD's like this one are the REASON I do like country music!! Great CD, and it is always a plus when you listen to a CD straight through.

We saw Brad in concert and he sang "I'm Still A Guy." I looked forward to this CD coming out for that song! Letter to Me is also a great song!

Average customer rating:

"This is important...but I know you're not listening..."
This must have been a really bad breakup
Beautiful!
I'm trying really hard to like this album......still trying....
AWESOME!

Sky Blue Sky
Wilco
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

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ASIN: B000NVIGC0
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

Either Way
You Are My Face
Impossible Germany
Sky Blue Sky
Side With the Seeds
Shake It Off
Please Be Patient With Me
Hate It Here
Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
Walken
What Light
On And On And On

Amazon.com

After their wild experimental streak of the past decade, Wilco's sixth studio album might feel like a bit of a comedown. Sky Blue Sky is mellow, moody, and uncharacteristically monotone, opening with a pleasant jangle and Jeff Tweedy singing a simple song: "Maybe the sun will shine today, the clouds will blow away." He doesn't even follow it up with a barbed punchline. Could it be that the restless Chicago band has settled back into its gentle Americana roots--or does this sudden mid-career reappraisal represent Wilco's gutsiest move yet? Mostly written in the studio by the full band, it's certainly the group's most cohesive album in ages, presenting a dense song cycle padded with intricate guitar work, brushed rhythms, and '70s soft-rock accents. In places it sounds like Wings ("Hate It Here"), in others Harry Nilsson ("Walken"), and in the middle it goes a bit Grateful Dead ("Shake It Off"). At the same time, there's a distinct sense of hearing a band finally at ease in its own skin. Sky Blue Sky represents the sound of Wilco finally pulling through its petulant adolescence. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

"Sky Blue Sky" has hints of early-seventies Southern California folk-rock sweetness in the harmonies. The album is filled with brash guitar solos that take songs like "You Are My Face" and "Shake It Off" in unexpected directions.

Customer Reviews:

"This is important...but I know you're not listening...".......2007-07-09

It seems that with every record, Wilco has a divided audience. Here we go again. I'm a Summerteeth and Yankee guy if I could have only two. Luckily I can have them all! So I find myself in a position defending the album rather than just saying that I enjoyed it as always. First, I don't think this is a grower, I liked it just fine the first time through. That may be because I had already been alerted that it was not Yankee or Ghost part II. Allot of any initial response to a new album comes from your predispositions as to what you expect or want. If you really want Yankee or Ghost part II, I suggest you go listen to them again or get the live "Kicking Television". If you want a new Wilco experience, this should do just fine. It's been funny reading a few reviews suggesting the lyrics are weak compared to other albums. I don't think lyrically this album is much different from the others. The usual mix of the "what does that mean" (Side with the Seeds") with the straight ahead folky ("What Light"). As to the music, the essentials are still the Wilco staples: Time signature changes, quiet to loud shifts within one song, beautiful melodies, great rock vocals, all rooted in a folk idiom. To me the only significant difference is that there is more melodic guitar lead mixed in with the occasional guitar crunch. Some of these are absolutely haunting (see "On and On", "You are My Face", and "Leave Me" for starters). I happen to like that change-up on this outing. This album also doesn't have a real hard-rocker ala Spiders (from AGIB) but Spiders was a bit aberrant to me. Of course there are no noises here, but that only happened on YHF anyway and how many times can one go to that well for atmosphere? I have missed the quirkiness Jay Bennett brought to the music since he left, but Jeff still brings the good songs. And the continuing reinvention keeps me coming back. So where does that leave us? I have happily put this album next to Summerteeth, Yankee, and Ghost at the top of the Wilco oevre. Being There is very, very close behind (it has two of my favorite Wilco songs after all: "Misunderstood" and "Sunken Treasure"). So if you like Wilco because of their great music, get this! If you like 'em because you have a Conet fetish, skip it.

This must have been a really bad breakup.......2007-07-09

This is one of my absolute fave bands--This is disappointing for me even after 5 or 6 run throughs..Tweedy whines on and on about love lost on virtually every song...the most sophomoric he has ever sounded, with ocassional nice little lyrical parts (not as clever or as important as previous three records--I mean he sings about doing laundry for Christs sake, c'mon man) and some guitar parts which he relies too heavily on..it remainds me of Beck's Sea Change which he came back from thankfully and Neil Young's Tonights the Night (although Neil relied a lot on Lofgren's guitar, at least the angst was not a handcuffing factor for every track). Some good stuff on here, but get over the broken heart thing on every track man. Not nearly as pretty as previous "girl" tracks.. I look forward more inspired things from Tweedyco next time.

Beautiful!.......2007-07-08

I listen to this CD every day and will for a LONG time to come! I love all Wilco records, but I have a special place in my heart for this one, for reasons I cannot divulge, but I have a good reason.

I love the title track, Jeff's voice is better than it's ever been, and it's an emotional record, full of just downright beautiful music. Also, for the fan who wants "rock", you've got Walken, Impossible Germany, Shake it Off, what more could you want? If you've never seen Wilco live, you must, a completed rewarding experience!

You won't hear a lot of the noise that was on the last two Wilco CD's, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or A Ghost is Born (both equally excellent records), this new one is quieter, but the lyrics and musicship are first rate. Wilco is the BEST american band today!! Highly recommended!

I'm trying really hard to like this album......still trying...........2007-07-05

this ablum is difficult. why the change to dullness? Basically, I feel like I'm back in my parents house listening to America or the Eagles or Lightfoot on 8-track. I'm sad. This album is sad. I'm sorry. I so like to idea of siding with the seeds, though. Maybe next time. Wooahis me.

AWESOME!.......2007-07-04

Wilco onc again delivers an all around solid album! I definatly recommend it for any diehard Wilco fan or anyone looking for get into Wilco for the first time!

Average customer rating:

A Hundred Miles or More
A selection of songs on previous CD's
Wonderful! back to her bluegrass & gospel roots.
Awesome Voice!
A HUNDRED SMILES OR MORE

A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection
Alison Krauss
Manufacturer: Rounder / UMGD
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

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Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000ND91SG
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

You're Just a Country Boy
Simple Love
Jacob's Dream
Away Down the River
Sawing on the Strings
Down to the River to Pray
Baby Mine
Molly Bán
How's the World Treating You (duet with James Taylor)
The Scarlet Tide
Whiskey Lullaby (duet with Brad Paisley)
You Will Be My Ain True Love
I Give You to His Heart
Get Me Through December
Missing You (duet with John Waite)
Lay Down Beside Me (previously unreleased duet with John Waite)

Amazon.com

A Hundred Miles or More carries the subtitle A Collection, and what a curious collection it is--cuts from soundtracks, side projects, and tribute albums, plus guest duets on other artists' albums and five previously unreleased tracks. In other words, this is a collection of Alison Krauss performances that have never appeared on an Alison Krauss album, though it holds together better than such a grab-bag approach might suggest. Highlights such as her duet with Brad Paisley on "Whiskey Lullaby" and her a cappella rendition of "Down to the River to Pray" from O Brother, Where Art Thou? will be familiar to most Krauss fans, though it's doubtful that many share her infatuation with retro rocker John Waite (with whom she revives his "Missing You" and duets on a cover of Don Williams's "Lay Down Beside Me."). Other projects represented range from Disney to the Chieftains to the Louvin Brothers (she duets with James Taylor on their "How's the World Treating You." There's minimal contribution from her Union Station band--making this a solo release by default--and little information to indicate whether the previously unreleased tracks were outtakes from earlier releases or recently recorded for this one. --Don McLeese

More Alison Krauss

Lonely Runs Both Ways

Live

Now That I've Found You: A Collection

Album Description

"A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection" is comprised of 16 tracks, highlighting Alison Krauss's career outside of her traditional releases with longtime band Union Station. The album features Krauss's collaboration with John Waite on the single "Missing You," as well as Krauss's contributions to film soundtracks, including the Oscar-nominated songs "The Scarlet Tide" and "You Will Be My Ain True Love," written for the motion picture "Cold Mountain," and "Down to the River to Pray" from the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Known for her collaborations, Krauss also includes several duets in the collection such as the 2003 hit with Brad Paisley, "Whiskey Lullaby," and her duet with James Taylor for the tribute album "Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers," "How's the World Treating You." The collection debuts five new songs: "You're Just a Country Boy," "Jacob's Dream," "Simple Love," "Lay Down Beside Me," and "Away Down the River," all of which feature Krauss as a producer.

Customer Reviews:

A Hundred Miles or More.......2007-07-09

I purchased the CD for my husband, a long-time A. Krauss fan. I heard the CD once and fell in love with it and immediately played it again. The Don Henley duets are fabulous. Very relaxing and enjoyable CD.

A selection of songs on previous CD's.......2007-07-09

I was not disappointed in this CD however I had heard most of the songs previously on her other CD's. I still recomend this because I could listen to her sing anytime.

Wonderful! back to her bluegrass & gospel roots........2007-07-03

I first heard Alison Krauss doing a solo playing interview on Fordham's WFUV radio. Instantly loved her work and my wife loved the CD I bought and all we've found since. Her best ever was the double album Alison Krauss Live. Since then she's gone through a period of trying to slick up her image and go more mainstream with her music. Her strength is bluegrass and gospel where she is the sweetest and most compelling performer I've ever heard. She was the backbone to the O Brother Where Art Thou sound track and we saw her at Carnegie Hall in a terrific recreation of the O Brother soundtrack with all the original performers. This album is a wonderful return. Highly recommended.

Awesome Voice!.......2007-07-02

I love her voice and all of the songs. I do wish there were more Bluegrass songs on there, but overall I am very pleased with the cd!

A HUNDRED SMILES OR MORE.......2007-06-27

As is mentioned in the program notes in the CD booklet, this compilation includes 4 unreleased tunes as well as songs from outside her previous solo and Union Station recordings -- many of these from movie soundtracks. I was first introduced to Alison Krauss on the Soundtrack, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and was thrilled that the song, "Down to the River to Pray" from that soundtrack was included on this compilation.

The album as a whole has a folksy, country-western, bluegrass and Celtic feeling to it. There are some soft, subdued songs, such as "Scarlet Tide" (with just vocal, piano and cello); Celtic-flavored tunes such as "Molly Ban"; more mainstream country, such as the wonderful duet with Brad Paisley on "Whiskey Lullaby"; a little pop with accompaniment, similar to Berlin's "Every Breath You Take," on "Missing You" (one of two duets with John White); and even a little Disney("Baby Mine")!

Allison's voice is clear, soft and pleasant, but she can also play a mean fiddle, as heard on "Sawing on the Strings"! While some of her lyrics might be considered "depressing" to some, the eclectic mix - and especially the fiddling - still brings a smile to my face.

If you buy just one Alison Krauss compilation, this would be it.

Average customer rating:

Insipid and inoffensive, uninspired and uninspiring
Simply Wonderful
I have a serious Norah Jones
Boring and useless...
Not Too Late - Norah Jones

Not Too Late
Norah Jones
Manufacturer: Blue Note
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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Wintersong

ASIN: B000KCHZK6
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

Wish I Could
Sinkin' Soon
The Sun Doesn't Like You
Until The End
Not My Friend
Thinking About You
Broken
My Dear Country
Wake Me Up
Be My Somebody
Little Room
Rosie's Lullaby
Not Too Late

Amazon.com

Although the music of Norah Jones continues to blend pop, soul, folk, and country with a seasoning of jazz, her third album for Blue Note is the first where she's written (or collaborated on) all the material. Beneath the smooth surface lie darker strains on the album-opening "Wish I Could" (about a boyfriend lost to war), intimations of mortality in "The Sun Doesn't Like You," and the post-election horrors of "My Dear Country." The last seems to channel the inspiration of Brecht/Weill, while the equally bleak "Sinkin' Soon" is set to a jaunty Dixieland rag. Throughout, Jones's vocal intimacy and melodic warmth remain as disarmingly understated as ever. The soulful "Thinking of You," the countryish "Wake Me Up," and the syncopated "Be My Somebody" reflect the captivating style of her previous work. Although too much in the same midtempo mode becomes a dreamy lull, cut by cut, Jones's voice is irresistible. --Don McLeese

From Blue Note

Album Details

1. "Wish I Could" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals; Jesse Harris: acoustic guitars; Julia Kent: pizzicato cello; Jeffery Ziegler: bowed cello

2. "Sinkin' Soon" (Lee Alexander-Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals, piano; Daru Oda: vocals; M. Ward: vocals; Jesse Harris: guitjo; Kevin Breit: mandolin; J. Walter Hawkes: trombone; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums, slit drum, pots and pans

3. "The Sun Doesn't Like You" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, piano; Jesse Harris: acoustic guitar; Adam Levy: electric guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums; Paul Bryan: Chamberlain keyboards

4. "Until The End" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, Wurlitzer, piano; Jesse Harris: acoustic guitar; Adam Levy: electric guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums; Larry Goldings: Hammond B-3 organ

5. "Not My Friend" (Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals; Jesse Harris: acoustic guitars; Adam Levy: backwards electric guitars; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: marimba, cymbals

6. "Thinking About You" (Norah Jones-Ilhan Ersahin): Norah Jones: vocals, Wurlitzer; Chuck Mackinnon: trumpet; Rob Suddith: tenor sax; Lee Alexander: bass; Tony Mason: drums; Devin Greenwood: Hammond B-3 organ

7. "Broken" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, electric guitar; Julia Kent: outro cellos; Lee Alexander: pizzicato, bowed basses

8. "My Dear Country" (Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals, piano; J. Walter Hawkes: trombones; Jose Davilla: tuba; Bill McHenry: tenor sax; Larry Goldings: Hammond B-3 organ

9. "Wake Me Up" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, acoustic guitars; Lee Alexander: bass, lap steel; Andy Borger: drums

10. "Be My Somebody" (Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals, Wurlitzer; Richard Julian: vocals; Tony Scherr: electric guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums; Larry Goldings: Hammond B-3 organ

11. "Little Room" (Norah Jones): Norah Jones: vocals, acoustic guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Daru Oda: whistle

12. "Rosie's Lullaby" (Norah Jones-Daru Oda): Norah Jones: vocals, Wurlitzer; Daru Oda: vocals; Adam Levy: electric guitar, vocal; Robbie McIntosh: electric guitar; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums

13. "Not Too Late" (Norah Jones-Lee Alexander): Norah Jones: vocals, piano, Mellotron; Lee Alexander: bass; Andy Borger: drums

Produced by Lee Alexander

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Come Away with Me
Feels Like Home
New York City

Customer Reviews:

Insipid and inoffensive, uninspired and uninspiring.......2007-07-08

That's about the highest praise I can muster for this effort. It isn't that it's BAD, but it just never achieves "lift off."

I wish I could wax enthusiastic, but after quite a few listens at this point, I don't think my opinion is likely to change appreciably.

Time for Ms. Jones to find her passion. It isn't evident on this CD.

Simply Wonderful.......2007-07-07

I have all her cds. This one is new, different and good. I like all the tracks, Be my somebody tonight got me a speeding ticket. I saw her in concert and she puts on a helluva show. Worth every penny.

I have a serious Norah Jones.......2007-07-06

For 3 months, my Norah Jones CDs have taken over my car stereo. This woman is very talented!

Boring and useless..........2007-07-06

Unfortunately, this CD is much below all what one could expect from Norah Jones. Except the cover, nothing is worth remembering.

Not Too Late - Norah Jones.......2007-07-06

There are only a couple of songs on this collection that I enjoy. "Come Away With Me" is a better collection.

Average customer rating:

Big Dog Daddy
quality maintained
This Album will Cure Your Insomnia
Another album with a dumb title
On the brink of unlistenable...

Big Dog Daddy
Toby Keith
Manufacturer: Show Dog Nashville
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000NIBV0C
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

High Maintenance Woman
Love Me If You Can
White Rose
Get My Drink On
Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya
Big Dog Daddy
Burnin' Moonlight
Walk it Off
I Know She Hung the Moon
Pump Jack
Hit It

Amazon.com

On his first totally controlled album for his own label, Toby Keith adds another title to his résumé: producer. Throughout, the former Oklahoma wildcatter, who's taken heat for his blustery patriotism and outspoken remarks, seems to be seeking new respect, shifting the focus off of politics and grandstanding and back to his talents as a musician. While his last album, White Trash with Money, found him flirting with R&B and adding horns for a bit more bump, his latest effort finds him nearly in a singer-songwriter mood, taking more time to craft the sound of the tracks and laying down his own harmonies. He's still relying on gimmicky wordplay and cartoon puffery for his full-tilt radio numbers ("High Maintenance Woman," "Big Dog Daddy"), but he also showcases the sensitive, ballad-heavy side of his personality that hasn't been as apparent since the '90s ("Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine on You," "We Were in Love"). He achieves this with some fine cowriting--the winsome "I Know She Hung the Moon" and "Walk It Off," and the lusty "Burnin' Moonlight." He also finds two excellent covers, Fred Eaglesmith's "White Rose" (which combines nostalgia for full-service gas stations with that of a teen's coming of age) and the thoughtful Craig Wiseman/Chris Wallin ballad "Love Me If You Can." The latter, a quiet social commentary, revisits Keith's familiar theme of holding one's ground, but with a far more compassionate approach than he's tried before. Consider it a meditation from a brash king of the hill who hasn't forgotten how to be humble. --Alanna Nash

Customer Reviews:

Big Dog Daddy.......2007-07-06

I was skeptical about purchasing yet another Toby Keith CD but am glad I made the purchase. Once again, Toby comes through with his distinct voice and ear catching tunes. Toby is by far one of the best song writers yet in country music. I went to see a concert at the Tweeter Center in NJ and let me tell you, I am still impressed with the show he performed. The song "High Maintenance Woman" is cute and funny. The cd was a very good buy.

quality maintained.......2007-07-05

I like toby because he has a fine distinctive voice and uses it well on differing song moods and his backing is well thought out. Especially liked the Jack Daniels track as we visited the distillery in april and our guide called Dusty was memorable ..............keep going toby and always try new things.

This Album will Cure Your Insomnia.......2007-07-03

This is the worst kind of trash I have ever heard. The chord progressions are not unique, and it is not even true to the spirit of punk rock. The guy can't even sing. In fact, I heard he lip syncs at his concerts. After I heard this album, I stomped on it and threw it in my garbage. Maybe you should buy it to do that yourself.

Another album with a dumb title.......2007-06-28

Another album with a dumb title after 'White Trash With Money': 'Big Dog Daddy'. Sounds 'very Country', doesn't it? It sounds more like a book for toddlers than a Country album. How can this guy be taken seriously?

I don't think he knows exactly what his fans want. His songs about bars, drinking, booze and women may appeal to people like him but they are not to the taste of everybody. If he thinks it is what all his fans want he is wrong. He doesn't know his audience. Some of his fans are not really interested in songs about Jack Daniels whiskey, a couple having sex in a pickup truck, a woman in a mini skirt ( what's next? A song about a woman in a bikini?) or his pro-war politics ( I don't get how this warmonger claims he 'prays for peace on earth every night' ). Same garbage. No originality. It seems that it is all he has to offer. Very disappointing. It is not hard to figure out why he has lost a lot of fans.

On the brink of unlistenable..........2007-06-27

I approached "Big Dog Daddy" with an open mind but I have to say that it rivals K-Fed's "Playing With Fire" as the most unlistenable album of all time (and appeals to the same dumbed-down audience). It is one of the most over-produced, insincere, steaming piles of garbage I have heard in a long time. The guy just has nothing to say. You can't let your "boots do the talking" through the speakers. I guess he should have stuck to football.

Average customer rating:

Paul Potts [United Kingdom]: One Chance

Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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The Best of Italian Opera
Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)

ASIN: B000SKO0OY
Release Date: 2007-07-30

Tracks:

Nessun Dorma
Con Te Partiro (Time To Say Goodbye)
Nella Fantasia
Caruso
Jerusalem
Music Of The Night
Maria
Cavatina
Amapola
Por Ti Sere (You Raise Me Up)
A Mi Manera (My Way)
Ognuno Soffre (Everybody Hurts)

Product Description

This Unassuming Man, a 36 Year Old Phone Salesman from South Wales and Amateur Opera Singer, Stepped Up to the Microphone on Simon Cowell's British Itv Show "Britain's Got Talent" and Literally Stole the Show. Many Anticipated Another William Hung, but Instead Got a Caruso! the Performance Brought the Entire Audience to their Feet, Even Winning High Praise from Cowell Himself. Potts Went on to Resoundingly Win the Competition! his is a Real Rags to Riches Tale, Having Been £30,000 in Debt and Suffering Years of Bullying and Recovering from a Serious Motorbike Accident. His Winning the Competition Got Him Signed to a Lucrative Recording Contract and He Gained Considerable Media Exposure all Over the World. This Debut Album Naturally features the Piece He Auditioned with (Puccini's "Nessun Dorma") as Well as his Heart Stopping Version of "Con Te Partiro/Time to Say Goodbye", the Song He Sang in the Finals, Originally Made Famous by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.

Average customer rating:

Interpol continues being... Interpol
Antics Pt. II?
A FEW NEW DIRECTIONS, BUT STILL INTERPOL AT THEIR FINEST (4 stars)

Our Love to Admire
Interpol
Manufacturer: Capitol 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
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ASIN: B000PY32CO
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Pioneer To the Falls
No I In Threesome
The Scale
The Heinrich Maneuver
Mammoth
Pace Is the Trick
All Fired Up
Rest My Chemistry
Who Do You Think
Wrecking Ball
The Lighthouse

Amazon.com

Moving up to a major label has hardly lifted Interpol's spirits. This is a good thing. Even with the twisted Wild Kingdom album cover and bassist Carlos Dengler's unexpected Wild West makeover, on its third studio album the black-clad New York quartet still sounds inflexibly menacing, grasping tighter than ever to its doomy post-punk influences and delving further into frontman Paul Banks's emotional unrest. Everything sounds a little bigger and brighter, sure, but at their core songs like "Rest My Chemistry" and "Wrecking Ball" are heroically sinister, goaded on by prickly riffs and slow-bleeding rhythms. The group briefly jumps to life on the buzzing "Heinrich Manouver" and exhibits an unexpected dash of humor on "No I in Threesome," but it's the closing "Lighthouse" that best defines the set--a late-night lament that simply steals away into the dark. --Aidin Vaziri

Amazon.com

Our Love To Admire is at once unmistakably Interpol and undeniably new. The witty and perverse "No I In Threesome" is an upbeat ode to shaking up a staid relationship propelled by Carlos D's peerless bass melody while the tenderly observant "Pace Is the Trick" proves that the band are still the masters of the dramatic - check the painful pause right before the sinfully satisfying return of Sam's thundering drums and Daniel's ringing lead guitar. The band's impressively seductive evolution is obvious all over the record, but never more so than on tracks like "Mammoth," "Who Do You Think" and on the album's lyrical centerpiece, the ghostly "Rest My Chemistry." While Daniel is understandably proud of the song he cautions against reading too much autobiography into its lyrics. "We always leave the interpretation to the listener," he says. "I mean, you shouldn't watch a movie for the first time listening to the director's commentary!"

Our Love to Admire closes with "The Lighthouse," a funereal dirge that is among the most unexpected and memorable songs ever recorded by the band. Almost entirely percussion-free, the song is constructed around Daniel's mournful guitar and Paul's sparten lyrics. Not only is it one of their finest moments to date, it provides the album's most goose-bump inducing moment, the very same reflex shivers that make Interpol live shows such an exhilarating experience. As the very last song the band recorded for the album it was, they say, the hardest to play. The hypnotic guitar part was played on a 50-year-old guitar that had toxins on the strings, providing Daniel with a blistering and painful sensation in his fingers. The band weren't even sure the track would make it out of the studio, but once they heard Paul's remarkable vocals they were floored. The song - and the album - doesn't so much end as it bleeds to a close with a long, echoey coda filled with feedback and strings. A fittingly dramatic end to a stunning and emotional journey. Interpol is back, every bit as good as before but charged with a new spirit, a new direction, a new label and, most of all, a new confidence.

Interpol Photos

More from Interpol

Antics
Turn on the Bright Lights
The Black EP

Customer Reviews:

Interpol continues being... Interpol.......2007-07-10

After a startling and instantly classic debut album (2002's Turn On the Bright Lights) and an upbeat but less ambitious sophomore set (2004's Antic), Interpol made the jump to the major labels, and then took its sweet time to come up with new material. Finally here comes the much anticipated new album.

The music on "Our Love to Admire" (11 tracks; 47 min.) generally seems to fall within two categories: on the one hand there is the continuation of more upbeat songs, with the prime example being the first single "The Heinrich Maneuver" ("Slow Hands" Part 2, but even catchier), but also on songs like "No I in Threesome" and in a strange way also on "All Fired Up" (with the main guitar riff seemingly lifted straight from Radiohead's "I Might Be Wrong"!). Other songs fall within the more ambitious TOTBL-like category, such a mesmorizing slowburner (and album opener) "Pioneer to the Falls", "Pace is the Trick", "Rest My Chemistry", and the closer "The Lighthouse", which is haunting in many respects and the perfect way to close things of. There are unfortunately also a couple of songs such as "The Scale" and "Who Do You Think" that don't grab you and really don't seem to fit in very well in this set.

Interpol has not gone into any new musical direction or even expanded dramarically on what it has done before, which some might call a lack in ambition. But there are a lot of great tunes on this album, and in the end that is what it's about. I saw Interpol play a number of the new songs at Coachella a few months ago, and live they sound better than ever, including on the new songs.

Antics Pt. II?.......2007-07-10

Interpol is back with their first major label release! They haven't "sold out" or written more commercial material, which proves to be both a good and a not-so-good thing. "Our Love to Admire" doesn't take Interpol in any new directions, unlike the band's growth from their first album to "Antics." In fact, most songs on this album could sit comfortably on "Antics," and feels more like a sequel to that album rather than anything "new" from the band. Since "Antics" is one of my favorite albums of all-time, that's not such a bad thing.

A FEW NEW DIRECTIONS, BUT STILL INTERPOL AT THEIR FINEST (4 stars).......2007-07-10

I have the joy in announcing the new Interpol album is as good as I hoped it would be. In fact it does exactly what it needs to do. It sounds like Interpol, it's got some great lyrics, and it timidly breaks into some new directions. Our Love To Admire is another step forward for the NYC band without abandoning the familiar waters in which they sail. I'll spare the Joy Division comparisons because after 3 records, that has gotten very old, and quite frankly it's a label not all that appropriate anymore. Sure, Paul Banks' voice still has the Ian Curtis gloominess about it, but musically I think Interpol have gotten more adventurous and playful on Our Love, and in some ways, much stronger for it. Again, this doesn't mean the band stray far from the formula, Our Love To Admire is a sweeping ode to relationships and the personal struggles that come with them.

The album starts off somewhat more experimental before settling in, but after a few listens, this start, particularly Pioneer of the Falls, might be one of the key moments of the entire disc. Nearly 6 minutes in length, Pioneer of the Falls sounds as if we are witnessing a funeral of sorts, with all kinds of subtle sonic rumblings going on. It's not over the top mind you, but it's enough to evoke a new and emotional starting point for the new material. A stunning start. The first single, The Heinrich Maneuver, is an up-tempo jab to an ex-love now residing on the opposite coast, it's fun and as accessible as Interpol can be. As always, Carlos D's commanding bass lines carry the single, and in many ways, anchor the whole of the record. More familiar footing can be found in, `No I in Threesome' which is about (obviously enough) someone trying resurrect a dying love affair with ways to spice things up. In it, Paul playfully sings, "maybe it's time we give something new a try". The result, both sonically and lyrically, is a relentless and interesting view of love and how certain people may handle the harder times. Mammoth, the album's dynamic fifth track, attacks the ears with Daniel Kessler's simple, repeated guitar riffs that fans may feel echo early work like C'Mere or PDA (not a bad thing at all). More ambient numbers are also present as well. The eerie, The Lighthouse, has Bank's crooning in a way that it almost turns into spoken word, it's strange and affecting.

The subtleness of Interpol's maturation and evolution as a band is more obvious in tracks like, Who Do You Think, Pace Is the Trick, and Rest My Chemistry. All have an underlining new spirit and fervor reserved for bands making drastic changes to what they do best. Not the case here, Interpol have employed these changes with the expected precision we've come to admire from them. And even with all the expected underpinnings, the band has grown perfectly into what they do. Fully realized, Our Love To Admire is more ambitious and more rewarding than their first two releases combined, and for me, that's speaking volumes. One only has to look upon to new (and great) art direction they've added to visual represent the change in the band's direction and growth found within.

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