Black & White

Black & White

ASIN: B00000DS39

Track Listings

1. Till I Can't Take It Anymore

2. He's Breathing Down My Neck

3. Take Me a Little Vacation

4. Nothing Left to Say

5. Comin' Apart at the Seams

6. Always Have Always Will

7. Don't Put It Past My Heart

8. When a Woman Cries

9. He's Making a Love Story Short

10. I'd Take You Back Again

Tracks:

Rehab
You Know I'm No Good
Me & Mr. Jones
Just Friends
Back To Black
Love Is A Losing Game
Tears Dry On Their Own
Wake Up Alone
Some Unholy War
He Can Only Hold Her
Bonus Track 1

From Amazon.co.uk

Amy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or otherwise, to come out for years. Frank, her first album, was a sparse and stripped-down affair; Back to Black, meanwhile, is neither of these things. This time around, she's taken her inspiration from some of the classic 1960's girl groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las, a sound particularly suited to her textured vocal delivery, while adding a contemporary songwriting sensibility. With the help of producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, "Rehab" becomes a gospel-tinged stomp, while the title track (and album highlight) is a heartbreaking musical tribute to Phil Spector, with it's echoey bass drum, rhythmic piano, chimes, saxophone and close harmonies. Best of all, though, is the fact that Back to Black bucks the current trend in R&B by being unabashedly grown-up in both style and content. Winehouse's lyrics deal with relationships from a grown-up perspective, and are honest, direct and, often, complicated: on "You Know I'm No Good", she's unapologetic about her unfaithfulness. But she can also be witty, as on "Me & Mrs Jones" when she berates a boyfriend with "You made me miss the Slick Rick gig". Back to Black is a refreshingly mature soul album, the best of its kind for years. --Ted Kord

Album Description

Hailed by Newsweek Magazine as a cross between Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill, British soul singer Amy Winehouse's U.S. debut, Back To Black hits the US amid a flurry of accolades, radio and TV buzz unprecedented in recent years for a young siren.

Her brassy mix of emotive vocals tinged with 60's girl-group stylings, sly funk, and anguished jazz, sparked the New York Daily News to crown Back To Black a "marvelous debut that would do Etta James proud" while New Yorker Magazine called her "a fierce English performer whose voice combines the smoky depths of a jazz chanteuse with the heated passion of a soul singer," and Spin Magazine affirming "there's never been A British star quite like her."

Back To Black smolders with a bristling fusion of old school doo-wop/soul inflected uprisings, (the charismatic singer/songwriter wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album) brewing instant classics such as the Shirley Ellis influenced "Rehab," the Supremes tinged title song "Back To Black," the aching "Wake Up Alone," and the album's closer, "Addicted."

Album Details

Ivor Novello Award Winner, Mercury Music Prize and Triple Brit Nominee Amy Winehouse, Follows the Release of her New Single "rehab" and Recent Sell-out Mini-uk Tour, with the Hugely Anticipated Release on October 30th of her New Album "back to Black". On "back to Black", the Follow-up to her Platinum Debut "frank" which Established her as One of the Most Exciting and Challenging Artists in Pop Music, Amy Confirms, Beyond Any Reasonable Or Unreasonable Doubt, What a Truly Remarkable Talent She Is.

Customer Reviews:

FLASHBACK.......2007-07-10

THIS ALBUM IS PRETTY GOOD. A VERY SOULFUL ALBUM. IT TAKES YOU BACK. TO ME ITS AN ALBUM THAT I HAVE TO BE IN THE MOOD TO LISTEN TO. HER HIT SONG "REHAB" I CAN LISTEN TO ANY DAY.

Sorry folks...........2007-07-08

Don't see (or hear) the hype about this one. Actually, I'm not sorry.Too many of these non singing folks who are just here for a minute. We need to hear more Amel, More Jill, More Goapele(?). Talented folks who can sing. BTW, Where is MAXWELL? What's he doing? Tyrese SURPRISED me! Brova' can sing! And Ac k t (as Marisa Tomei says in My Cousin Vinny).

Great.......2007-07-08

Amy Winehouse is very refreshing. She reminded me of a young Timi Yuro with the runchyness of Milli Jackson. I cannot wait to here what next she has available.

5 stars plus 2... 7 stars on 7/7/07.......2007-07-08

This is by far the best CD I have purchased in a long time. I saw her on David Letterman...I love the hair do ...throw back to the 60's. I sampled the CD on Amazon... purchased it and have not stopped listening to it. I have to hear it every day. Don't think about it...JUST GET IT... you will love it

Contemporary with a vintage sound.......2007-07-07

A friend gave me this album, and it sat in my car for a week. I decided to listen to it (not having heard anything by her at all, just knowing she had some song about rehab...) and immediately loved it. Normally I don't go for stuff played on top 40 radio stations, but I think her fame is a misnomer, for lack of a better word.
this album is catchy the whole way through. If you enjoy The Crystals, The Supremes, and other Wall of sound/girl groups/Motown of the 60's, and can handle "adult subject matter," this album is for you!
People on here are constantly complaining about her and calling her a copy cat, but I say bring it on! I hope more people start singing and producing like this again. I have a lot of 60's soul, and I love it, it's refreshing to hear this sound again.
I usually don't like modern female singers very much, but Ms. Winehouse does it for me! Key tracks are obviously the singles, and I really really like "He can only hold her." The other songs are all stellar too, I get into a different one every time I listen to her.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl

Average customer rating:

Great music
This soundtrack will make you feel like a pirate
yes, all true, but the sound!!!
awesomee
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl

Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

ASIN: B0000A1RJI
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Tracks:

Fog Bound
The Medallion Calls
The Black Pearl
Will and Elizabeth
Swords Crossed
Walk the Plank
Barbossa Is Hungry
Blood Ritual
Moonlight Serenade
To the Pirates' Cave!
Skull and Crossbones
Bootstrap's Bootstraps
Underwater March
One Last Shot
He's a Pirate

Amazon.com

Loosely based on the popular Disney theme park audio-animatronic ride, one might expect a modicum of good-natured "Yo-ho-ho-ing"--or maybe a little rousing Korngold/Errol Flynn/Captain Blood orchestral romanticism--here. Instead composer Klaus Badelt initially entices us with some sparing Celtic folk charm, then unleashes a furious broadside of symphonic and choral thunder to rival his ominous score for K-19. The composer's fellow German mentor is an obvious influence throughout (the album is credited with a wink as "Score overproduced by Hans 'Long John' Zimmer") but Badelt brings his own muscular instincts to bear throughout. Perhaps shrewdly realizing that genre cliches are nothing if not for reinventing, Badelt delivers his rhythmically nervous Eurocentric sensibilities--sort of Holst duels Shostakovich on the Spanish Main--with the subtlety of a scorching cannonball. It's seasoned with a little romantic respite in the final act, if a bit gingerly, and could no doubt profit by some of Korngold's sparkling melodic verve. But it's a loud, unabashed Summer Blockbuster score at heart; alert the neighbors. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Great music.......2007-07-08

A great soundtrack from a wonderful movie. Too bad the second and third pirates movies weren't as good as the first. Regardless, great soundtrack.

This soundtrack will make you feel like a pirate.......2007-07-07

i saw the movie which i recommend to buy now from amazon,i recommend to buy the three movies and have all the selection of pirates of the caribbean,this soundtrack is something that put you in the movie,words can't describe this cd,click,buy and you will see

yes, all true, but the sound!!!.......2007-06-28

I agree with the other reviewers about the music, which is fine, but also want to point out that this is a terrific work-out for sound systems with REAL sub woofers (not the scrawny boxes that say they are, but aren't). If you have a room shaker system, down to like 15 Hz, this is for you. The deepest and most sustained bass I have ever heard.

Secret - listen for hints of Gladiator and Mission Imossible. He helped with those films - maybe they are little inside jokes?

awesomee.......2007-06-21

I'm not a huge fan of classical music, but many of the songs in this soundtrack melted my heart. :) Some were not *that* good, but some were just very incredible, which makes it worth five stars !

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl.......2007-05-15

I love this soundtrack!
The music is perfect to listen at work or driving.

Average customer rating:

New style - the 80s are dead!
Write on Point!
CD skips when played on a Sony PS2 !!!
Ozzy Still Rocks after All These Years !!!!
Great solid album by Ozzy. Would have been 5 stars had it not been for the bad packaging

Black Rain
Ozzy Osbourne
Manufacturer: Epic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000PAAIXY
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

Not Going Away
I Don't Wanna Stop
Black Rain
Lay Your World On Me
God Bless The Almighty Dollar
Silver
Civilize The Universe
Here For You
Countdown's Begun
Trap Door

Amazon.com

Ozzy returns with a startlingly heavy ninth studio album, a record filled with vows to continue his rock 'n' roll ways ("Not Going Away," "I Don't Wanna Stop"), meditations on the state of a world that has changed surprisingly little since Black Sabbath's early days ("Black Rain," "God Bless the Almighty Dollar") and the obligatory ballad ("Here for You," which can be read either as a letter to a lover or a love letter to his fans). With longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde providing plenty of brutal, soul-searing riffs and solos, there's no shortage of reasons to throw the horns, raise your fist, and yell. The rhythm section of Mike Bordin (drums) and Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (drums) is simply the best since Randy Castillo and Phil Soussan joined up for 1986's The Ultimate Sin and fires most accurately on the title cut, "Lay Your World On Me" and "Countdown's Begun." There's no "Crazy Train" or "Mama I'm Coming Home" here but Black Rain is a more convincing statement for it. The promises Ozzy makes here are sincere, he's not going away anytime soon--and he's still got plenty of game. --Jedd Beaudoin

Customer Reviews:

New style - the 80s are dead!.......2007-07-10

"Black Rain" brings a new Ozzy: industrialized and updated. The new album sounds a lot like Zakk Wylde's solo project: Black Label Society. The guitar's distortion is heavier and dirtier, and Ozzy's voice remains just the same. Incredible how his voice doesn't bow over to the years!

Black Rain has nothing to do with Blizzard Of Ozz, Diary of a Madman, Bark at the Moon, Wicked, No More Tears, Ozzmosis or Earth. It's a new sound. The 80s are dead, my friend. If you long for the old Ozzy, forget about it. Zakk's guitar work sounds lazier (compared to the previous efforts), less melodic, less magical. Nothing to do with the great old Zakk Wylde. It's XXI century Ozzy Osbourne. What can I say? I miss the 80's and early 90's...

Write on Point!.......2007-07-08

Skymac2 must be a ventriliquist. No need writing a review. Maybe when Metallica's next 'Tin Can Bangin' comes out, we can form a symposium for those who only know Ozzy since Zakk Wild, Wylde, Wilde (Ohh, whatever) has been the guitarist. Now don't attack me folk, Zakk is the best thing since Dime (Someone PLEASE, dispute me). I hate to say this, but, I think SOME groups need to revisit their early beginnings when they were Inebriated and they made GREAT music. Like Ozzy and Metallica. Megadeth, Exodus, Overkill, Anthrax and a ton of other 80's thrash bands are doing it. Over the Mountain is the PERFECT title of reveiw for the majority of Ozzy music in between Randy Rhoads and Zakk. Those other cats were ok until Ozzy started wearing Sequence. Look like that IDIOT from W.A.S.P.
PS, I think (not sure), SERIOUSLY think Zakk is from my hometown nown in Fords, NJ. Correct me if I'm wrong.

CD skips when played on a Sony PS2 !!!.......2007-07-08

Sure wish I could listen to the CD, this CD (and only this CD) skips when played on my PS2. All other CD's, DVD's and games have absolutely no problem!! I even tore apart the PS2 and cleaned it, same problem! I returned the special edition CD to SONYMUSIC and of course, it was never received! Goodbye $18!! Before I buy another one (from Amazon), is any else having problems playing it on a PS2?

Ozzy Still Rocks after All These Years !!!!.......2007-07-07

I love this CD !! Ozzy is still rocking after all these years ! I have been an Ozzy fan since his days with Black Sabbath. Some of the reviewers have complained about this CD. I am not sure what they are wanting. This CD is full of great songs. It starts out rocking and full of energy with the songs "Not Going Away", "I Don't Wanna Stop" and the title song "Black Rain". My favorite is "The Almighty Dollar" which is full of energy. The two ballads "Lay Your World On Me" and "Here For You" will not disappoint. Through his lyrics Ozzy expresses his feelings about what is going on in the world from the environment to the war. His ballad "Here For You" could easily be for his loved ones and/or to his fans. Overall this is a great CD that I would recommend buying. I keep playing this CD over and over. It is wonderful to see that after all these years, Ozzy still knows how to rock and how to please his fans. May Ozzy have many more healthy years ahead to keep on doing what he does best - rocking !!

Great solid album by Ozzy. Would have been 5 stars had it not been for the bad packaging.......2007-07-05

First off, let me say something about the bad cover for the US version. The US version is a paper sleeve with no liner notes, and no cover art. It's a real bad package - maybe the cingular worst design I've ever seen in the history of CD's, and I've been buying them for 20 years now. The grey image is what you get when you order it in the US, although it's not as gray as that in reality, it's a brown color. If you want the good one with the good cover art, buy an import, as the US version doesn't have that (or any liner notes). They did make the CD booklet available as a free download from Ozzy's site about two weeks after the album came out. I actually have three versions of this. I have the US standard version, which was sent to me due to my running my Sabbath site, I have the iTunes US version which I pre-ordered to get the extra track, and I have the Japanese version which a friend of mine in Japan sent. So I have all the tracks mentioned below, but wow was this release a pain in the backside to complete due to all this.

Anyway, the album review itself.

Not Going Away: A nice chugging slow to medium tempo song. Lyrically it kind of makes me feel like a sister song to "Gets me Through" from his last album. I think it's a good album opener. The sequence with different repeated "I'm not going away" lyrics at 3:15 sounds like something from a Marilyn Manson album, actually. It is plauged though with the Zakk Wydle "Wah wah" effect that we've been hearing since 1988. I like Zakk. I think he's a great guitarist for Ozzy. However, that "wah wah" sound needs to go. It's in a ton of his songs. I was going to count them in this song, but gave up after a bit. The first two of this effect appear at 0:23 & 0:34 of the song. This is more a general remark about Zakk than about this particular song.

I Don't Wanna Stop: The first single. This took some flak from some folks online about not being "Ozzy" enough. I'm not sure what the heck that means. This song is plagued even more with Zakk's "Wah wah" (0:38, 0:43. 1:25, 1:33 to start) than the last song. It's not the most imaginative song, but it's not a pile of suck that some people like Eddie Trunk have made it out to be. It actually now that I think about it also lyrically related to Not Going Away and "Gets Me Through". Probably the most "single" feeling of any of the songs. This song has also turned up as a free video download from Xbox 360's Marketplace. It's also on the soundtrack for the videogame Madden NFL 08. I also love the bass intro that starts off the song.

Black Rain: Starts off with a harmonica. I wonder if that's Ozzy playing that. Not quite like the old Sab track "The Wizard", but a surprise to hear that on a modern Ozzy tune. This song is about oil, and the casualties of humans the oil has caused as far as I can tell. I've also read rumours that the album's cover art which is about "Black Rain" is why the US version has no good cover art, and is just a paper sleeve, although I don't know how true that is. But as a song, it works. It's not a terribly complex song. It's got some pretty simple musical lines, but it seems to work well enough for me.

Lay Your World On Me: I've seen a few reviews of this album that rag on this for being a slow emotional, ballady song. Uh, do these people know of Ozzy's history? Slow Down, Sabbath's Changes? He's been doing songs like this since 1972. In a post "Osbournes TV show" era, I guess these kind of things make him seem like an easier target. For that reason I dislike when people rag on him just because it's an emotional ballad song. Now the song itself doesn't do much for me. It might be my least favorite, but not jus because it's a ballad. I just don't care for the tune much at all.

The Almighty Dollar: The longest track on the album by time (just a few seconds under 7 minutes). An ironic choice for an Ozzy track, as both he and his wife are masters at generating that. But that's a bitch for another time. This has an odd bass intro that doesn't sound like it would have existed on earlier Ozzy solo material, and DEFINITELY not on a Sabbath track. Then the bass intro keeps going for the first minute of the song before much else happens. An oddly constructed song. The bass intro seems to not match the style of the "main part" of the song. Ozzy's vocal delivery on this song seems to be all over the place - parts of it seem like "screaming". Not one of my favorites. It's not bad, and I don't skip it when it comes on, but not one of my favorites outside of the rather "funky" bass line in the intro. It just never seems to "get going" for me despite it being the longest song on the album.

11 Silver: According to interviews, this song is about crystal meth addiction. It's also a nice faster paced song, and shows why Zakk is a good guitarist. He's much better than that "wah wah" drivel I posted about further up. One of the better tracks, although I have a harder time following the lyrics than others. I'm writing this as I'm listening to the song, and to be honest, as much as I like it I'm having a hard time thinking of much to say beyond "good song!". I do like the combination of the guitar riff and the bass track. They are mixed very well together in this song. Like it a lot.

Civilize the Universe: Another track with a bass line that stands out more than usual. You know it seems to be a theme with this album. I wonder if that's due to the bassist himself, or if it's due to the way the album was mixed. Don't know - I'm not THAT analytical about my music. I just enjoy it. Another song where the effect of using multiple vocal tracks at the same time works very well. I like this one a lot, even if I have no clue what the heck it is about. :)

Here for You: The second ballad on the album. This one has more of a classic piano sound. It feels like a spiritual successor to the aforementioned "So Tired". It's a bit better than Lay Your World was, but it doesn't do much for me, actually. Two ballads on this album, and they're both strikeouts with me. But I don't dislike his ballads. These just don't do anything for me, although this one is better than the other one.

Countdown's Begun: One of the better tracks on the album. I like the simpler guitar intro to the song. Has a nice basic feel, but the song gets going pretty quickly after that. Has a nice good basic riff that drives the bulk of the song. I enjoyed this a lot.

Trap Door: The basic album ends here. This is the last track on the "Regular" version of Black Rain. And wow - is it a great track to end the album with. Trap Door may very well be my favorite song on the album. I like everything about this. The speed, the lyrics, the guitar, the vocal delivery, etc.. This is a very VERY enjoyable song for me. "Nice and crunchy".

And now we get into the "extra" tracks. There were three extras which are/were available for this album. I know WHY these things are done, but they generally piss off fans, as the majority of people can't legally get all these songs. Anyway:

Nightmare: Nightmare is available in two places. You can get it on the Japanese version of the CD. You can also get it as a bonus track if you buy the album from iTunes. It starts off with a slow keyboard intro, but doesn't stay there, so the intro is somewhat misleading as to what the song is really like. The song doesn't do much for me. It's kind of bland. Wouldn't have bothered me if I didn't get it. It's another of those songs that isn't really "bad", but I just don't care for it.

Love to Hate: Love to Hate is probably the hardest of the three to get. It was only available to folks who pre-ordered Black Rain from iTunes. That's it. It's not anywhere else. If you go to buy the album after it was released, this track was not there anymore, so I expect this one will get pirated pretty good. Stupid decision. The song itself is quite good. In fact, I think it's the best of the three bonus tracks. Nice guitar riff. Nice vocal delivery by Ozzy. Shame most people won't ever get to hear this one.

I Can't Save You: The other exclusive track is available in two places. It's on the Japanese CD, and it's also a digital exclusive to MSN Europe. MSN Music in the US doesn't have the track, and I've already tried faking out the system to get the track, and I couldn't. Zakk's "wah wah" resurfaces on another track. It's a good track though. I can't find anything particularly exciting to write about it, but the chorus is fairly catchy.

I think I'll do with these bonus tracks on my ripped version on my HD that I do with albums that have these bonus tracks on them; rearrange the song order. For me, the Black Sabbath album Forbidden ends perfectly with the song "Kiss of Death". Tony Iommi's "Fused" album also ends perfectly with the track "I Go Insane", but the extra tracks change the feel of the album. To me, "Trap Door" is a great album ending, so that should be the 13th track. :) I'll probably stick these extras before Countdown's Begun. But I digress.

Despite my gaggle of negative remarks above, they're really just nitpicks. This is a great solid album. Only really one track I don't care for. I've seen it read where folks say this is Ozzy's best studio album in quite a few. Now I personally liked Down to Earth. I like Black Rain a lot. To be honest, after "The Osbournes", I wondered how relevant Ozzy would be given his descent from Rock icon into bumbling old fart (as portrayed on the show). Good thing that wasn't true, as he certainly can still make a decent rock record.

Go buy it. It's a good album, if it has a weird cover art choice for the US.

Average customer rating:

We'll never turn back
Mavis Staples rules
quafable but not transcendent
Yes and no
Passion and soul

We'll Never Turn Back
Mavis Staples
Manufacturer: Anti
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000MR8SZU
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

Down In Mississippi
Eyes On The Prize
We Shall Not Be Moved
In The Mississippi River
On My Way
This Little Light
99 And 1/2
My Own Eyes
Turn Me Around
We'Ll Never Turn Back
I'Ll Be Rested
Jesus Is On The Main Line

Amazon.com

As musical activists in the 1960s civil rights movement, the Staple Singers were powerful voices for equality and change. And more than 40 years after Pops's daughter Mavis spent a night in a West Memphis, Arkansas, jail at the behest of a racist cop, she still remembers the terror of the experience, as well as the counsel of Dr. Martin Luther King. That episode is at the centerpiece of "My Own Eyes," one of the most moving offerings on this collection of songs of racial struggle in the '50s and '60s, produced by guitarist Ry Cooder and featuring backing from the original Freedom Singers and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Throughout, the album proves both emotionally chilling and spiritually uplifting. On J.B. Lenoir's "Down in Mississippi" and Marshall Jones's "In the Mississippi River," for example, Cooder makes fine use of pounding percussion and snaky electric guitar to capture the danger and fear inherent in the Deep South at the time, while the title song and "Jesus Is on the Main Line" draw on gospel and the traditional framework of church hymns to promise positive solutions. Staples, who adlibs on several cuts, connecting the injustice of yesterday to the continuing marginalization of blacks in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, remains a remarkable performer, employing a throaty sensuality that rises from a deep well of tremulous emotion. If her album is musically uneven at times, her artistry and strength continue to shine as undimmed beacons. --Alanna Nash

More from Mavis and the Staple Singers

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Album Description

From the liner notes, by John Lewis:

When I listen to this music, it takes me back. It takes me back to the red clay hills of Georgia, to the Black Belt of Alabama, and the Delta of Mississippi. It takes me back to the moans and groans and pains of an oppressed people yearning for freedom. It takes me back to the time when hundreds and thousands of us decided we were "sick and tired of being sick and tired," as Fannie Lou Hamer said. It takes me back to the days when ordinary people inspired by a dream decided to quench our hunger and thirst for justice in the fountains of mercy and love.

Back then, some people thought legalized segregation in America would never come to an end. But those of us in the Civil Rights Movement were inspired by a higher calling. And even if it cost us our very lives, "we weren't gone to let nobody turn us `round". We believed that the action of peace, the way of non-violence, and the power of love could overcome our oppression and remind our oppressors of their own humanity. Through the power of this faith our nation witnessed a non-violent revolution of values, a revolution of ideas that changed America forever.

The music you are listening to right now was the soul of that revolution. It was this music that gave us hope when it seemed like all hope was gone. It was the heartbeat of this music and its steady, reassuring message that bound us together as one solid force. So when we were beaten, arrested and jailed; when we stood together on picket lines or marched through the streets of the Deep South; when we faced the guns drawn, the billy clubs and the bullwhips raised; when we were teargassed, trampled by horses, or scattered by fire hoses, it was these songs that lifted us and pushed us to a higher place.

It is my hope that when you hear Mavis Staples, when you hear the Freedom Singers, and the other artists on this CD, that you too will be inspired. I hope this music will help you find the courage to stand up, speak up, and speak out and answer the call of your own conscience. It is my hope that this music will help you see what ordinary people with extraordinary vision can do when they decide they will never turn back.

Rep. John Lewis

Customer Reviews:

We'll never turn back.......2007-07-05

I enjoyed this cd very much. I had listened to the Staples singers years ago and was glad to see Mavis recording again.

Mavis Staples rules.......2007-06-28

This is one fantastic recording. Mavis has a magnificent voice . . . perfect for the songs and full of depth and determination. The musicians notably ry cooder and back up singers are up to the task as well. Mavis let her light shine brightly!!

quafable but not transcendent.......2007-06-27

This is a solid album, similar in tone to the recent retreads by the Blind Boys of Alabama and John Hammond. The historical and emotional baggage it carries help one to listen with a sympathetic ear, and perhaps lend it more pathos than is earned strictly on aesthetic merits.

Yes and no.......2007-06-27

A tribute to the legacy of the Civil Rights movement and the Staple Singers themselves. Doesn't really live up to the hype, though. Mavis has still got the drive and passion, but her voice doesn't have the range and nuance.

Passion and soul.......2007-06-26

Mavis Staples sings with passion and true soul the songs of the Civil Rights movement on "We'll Never Turn Back". The CD has all the sounds of a great Ry Cooder CD too because he did arrangements of many of the songs and he plays on them too. This CD's version of "This Little Light of Mine" shows what can be done respectfully to bring a whole new sound to an old song. This CD really deserves 5 stars.

Average customer rating:

One of the best CDs ever...REMASTERED
The rebirth of AC/DC
It does'nt get much Better than this!!
Back In Black again
Hard-Rock Perfection!

Back in Black (Deluxe Digipak)
AC/DC
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Highway to Hell
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
High Voltage
For Those About to Rock We Salute You
The Razor's Edge

ASIN: B000089RV6
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Tracks:

Hells Bells
Shoot To Thrill
What Do You Do For Money Honey
Givin The Dog A Bone
Let Me Put My Love Into You
Back In Black
You Shook Me All Night Long
Have A Drink On Me
Shake A Leg
Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Amazon.com essential recording

Most critics complain Back in Black, the album AC/DC recorded after the death of their original lead screamer Bon Scott, is ridiculously juvenile, obvious, snickering, bludgeoning, derivative, single-minded about sex and booze, a big cartoon. All true, of course, and--on rock 'n' ragers like "What Do You Do For Money Honey," "You Shook Me All Night Long," and the title track--all great. As Scott's replacement Brian Johnson reminds us, loud and crunchy, no-holds-barred "rock and roll ain't noise pollution...it makes good, good sense." Never trust anyone who refuses to drink domestic beer, laugh at the Three Stooges, or crank Back in Black. --David Cantwell

Album Description

AC/DC's 1980 album digitally remastered and reissued in a special digipak plus a 16 page full color booklet containing all original album art, many unpublished photos, classic memorabilia and new 2003 liner notes. Epic.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best CDs ever...REMASTERED.......2007-06-27

I owned an original copy of Back in Black and played it constantly. It's an ideal CD for road trips and just incredible rock from beginning to end. I didn't think anything could possibly improve it until I heard the remastered version. Suddenly the bass comes out more, the drums are even more in your face, the vocals are clearer, it just ROCKS even more. There are plenty of bad remasters out there of various classic albums, but thankfully, this is not one of them.

The rebirth of AC/DC .......2007-05-16

Hands down the best AC/DC CD. This is the cream of the crop, and it doesn't get any better than this. To this day, each song rocks loud and hard, and vocalist Brian Johnson was never better. A must for any hard rock collection, your ears will be bleeding.

It does'nt get much Better than this!!.......2007-05-11

Of course, In my humble opinion, this album is in my Top Ten of all-time. It rocks, it's bluesy,crushing, sneering and has that "I'm badder than you attitude." And it's just a lot of FUN. Really, what more could you want in a Rock album? Get your hands on this bad boy!!!

Back In Black again.......2007-04-12

This is one of the best albums of all time and if you don't believe me check any registered music critic's top 100 list and you'll see it there somewhere. Not only is it a fun album and one that brings constant memories of high school flooding back to me; it really is a very well put together record. Coming off the death of lead singer Bon Scott, the Young boys and their co-horts hopped onto the Brian Johnson wagon and headed into the studio. With the fists to the air and groin to the ground "You Shook Me All Night Long" this album was off and running all over the world. The sound on the remaster is excellant and so are the liner notes some of which make you really listen to the album. The mixture of old blues and hard rock is more evident than I originally had even thought of and just the hard rocking fun of the title track, the grinding "Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" and "Giving The Dog A Bone" is just plain exciting. If you haven't heard it in a while I highly suggest you throw that old cassette into the boom box and give it another go - or better yet get this remaster, I know you want it.

Hard-Rock Perfection!.......2007-03-27

What is there to say that the other 180 or so reviewers haven't said about what makes AC/DC's "Back In Black" so great?!Well,the 2003 remaster here is awesome sonically.While the previous 1994 Atlantic remaster(done by Ted Jensen) sounded tame and timid,Epic's one(done by George Marino) took it to next level,sounding bassier,ballsier and much truer to the original vinyl verison.In addition,it comes in a attractive digipack containing an entertaining 16-page booklet that contains rare photos,memorabila,press clips and a good essay by noted rock writer David Fricke.You know the rest,so if you are not one the 22 millon who don't already own this timeless classic,click "Add To Cart" right now!

Average customer rating:

bluestastic
Wonderful Soundtrack!
At least this snake isn't moaning on a plane!
North Mississippi Hills blues sampler
Stack-O-Lee from RL Burnside CD "Well, Well, Well..." on MC Records

Black Snake Moan

Manufacturer: New West Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Old School
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Black Snake Moan
10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD)
Grindhouse: Planet Terror

ASIN: B000L211NC
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

Opening Theme / Scott Bomar
Ain't But One Kind Of Blues / Son House
Just Like A Bird Without A Feather / Samuel L Jackson
When The Lights Go Out / The Black Keys
Standing In My Doorway Crying / Jesse Mae Hemphill
Chicken Heads / Bobby Rush
Black Snake Moan / Samuel L Jackson
Morning Train / Precious Bryant
The Losing Kind / John Doe
Lord Have Mercy On Me / Outragious Cherry
Ronnie and Rae's Theme / Scott Bomar
The Chain / Scott Bomar
Alice Mae / Samuel L Jackson
Stack-O-Lee / Samuel L Jackson
Old Black Mattie / R.L. Burnside
That's Where The Blues Started / Son House
Mean Ol' Wind Died Down / North Mississippi Allstars

Amazon.com

This soundtrack to the film written and directed by Craig Brewer is as steeped in the Southern blues as his Hustle and Flow was in hip-hop. The biggest surprise here is how well actor Samuel L. Jackson (who seems to have a thing for "Snake" films) holds his own as a blues singer against selections from Son House and R.L. Burnside. He sounds like a throwback to the classic Delta bluesmen on "Just Like a Bird Without a Feather," does a convincing take on the Blind Lemon Jefferson title track, and rocks the juke joint on "Alice Mae" and a down-and-dirty recasting of "Stack-O-Lee." Produced by the Bo-Keys' Scott Bomar (who also scored Brewer's previous movie), the 17-cut soundtrack features a kaleidoscopic array of blues, from the primal throb of the Black Keys' "When the Lights Go Out" and the funk of Bobby Rush's classic "Chicken Heads" to the spiritual lilt of Precious Bryant's "Morning Train" and the North Mississippi Allstars' expansive finale, "Mean Ol' Wind Died Down." --Don McLeese

Album Description

Black Snake Moan, the latest film from Hustle And Flow director Craig Brewer, tells a tale of love, betrayal, sex and salvation. It stars Samuel L Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake. The film take place in Memphis, Tennessee and the local blues music from the area is a central part of the movie.

The soundtrack includes some classic and current blues artists including Son House, R.L. Burnside, North Mississippi Allstars and the singing debut of Samuel L Jackson.

While the Black Snake Moan soundtrack presents the best musical moments of the movie, as a stand-alone document, its seventeen tracks weave together a raw depiction of today's North Mississippi scene: a little bit country, and a little bit rock'n'roll, both built on a bedrock of primitive blues.

The Black Snake Moan soundtrack is a must have for fans of the film, the Blues, Samuel L Jackson or just a music fan looking for something very cool.

Customer Reviews:

bluestastic.......2007-03-19

This soundtrack to the excellent film was obviously put together by people who both know and feel a responsibility to the blues. Samuel L Jackson adds vocals to four tracks and does an admirable job; on 'Just like a Bird Without a feather' he more than holds his own alongside classic blues singers like RL Burnside and Jessie Mae Hemphill. John Doe--from the punk band X--adds a track as well that fits in much better than one might think.

Wonderful Soundtrack!.......2007-03-11

Watching the movie I was overwhelmed by the greatness of its soundtrack, and after purchasing this CD I was pleased to see that everything still seemed as wonderful. I am not a blues afficianado, but I do appreciate good music. I think that most anyone could enjoy this soundtrack.

At least this snake isn't moaning on a plane!.......2007-02-28

On this relatively good collection of mostly blues tunes, the main curiosity item is to see how well actor Samuel Jackson carries off the singer role. He sings four songs on this soundtrack CD, and acquits himself pretty admirably, although the standard comment about the day job does apply here. Otherwise the theme is the blues, but actually several of the tunes swim in that deep, dark water where blues, soul, gospel and rock 'n' roll meet. I thought the John Doe cut was excellent, and I also really liked the R&B leanings of the Bobby Rush track, and the Black Keys song is pretty great too. The score cues by Scott Bomar provide nice atmosphere in a Ry Cooder-ish vein (smoky slide guitar). In all, the CD is a reasonably enjoyable listen.

North Mississippi Hills blues sampler.......2007-02-26

The soundtrack to the upcoming film, "Black Snake Moan" is a nice curiosity for the blues aficionado, but like opening Pandora's box for the uninitiated. Those familiar with the hypnotic, drowning, trance-like sounds of the North Mississippi hills a la Fat Possum records will find a lot to enjoy here, including tracks by the actual visible heads of that style, such as the late Jessie Mae Hemphill and R.L. Burnside. In fact, this entire CD relies heavily on the aural legacy of R.L. Burnside, providing some sort of last will after the bluesman's passing last year.
For those unfamiliar with the evolution of blues as a genre, the North Mississippi blues is somehow primitive, repetitive (almost mantra-like), but results in a very authentic, tribal-style variety of the blues. But blues and movie lovers alike will be curious about Samuel L. Jackson's credibility as a bona fide blues singer. The surprise is how adequate he is. He might not be the next Muddy Waters, but he delivers convincingly and, despite lacking a thunderous voice, he owns the role of a bluesman as a modern herald of human suffering. His outrageous cover of "Stackolee" fronting the R.L. Burnside live unit plus Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi Allstars is a highlight, but his recitative to eerie bluesy sounds in "Black Snake Moan" is even better.
The established names showing up in this CD include Bobby Rush, fresh from the Chitlin circuit, acoustic blues-gospel singer Precious Bryant, as well as the aforementioned Jessie Mae Hemphill and R.L. Burnside. One misses at least one track from the other godfather of the North Mississippi sound, Junior Kimbrough. Many listeners will be already familiar with the North Mississippi Allstars. Their entry on this CD is a mellow, evocative piece augmented by fife-and-drum background over NMA's classic and classy slide sound.
The soundtrack tracks, by Scott Bomar, include a true allstar lineup including the Dickinson brothers and Charlie Musselwhite on harp, and they are uniformly exciting and interesting, keeping a sense of continuity throughout the CD.
In summary, this is more than a curiosity for blues aficionados, sitting proudly by their Junior Kimbroughs' and R.L. Burnsides', and it will definitively attract outside attention to this particular brand of the blues, providing an introductory-level package that will bring on more "true believers". Highly recommended.

Stack-O-Lee from RL Burnside CD "Well, Well, Well..." on MC Records.......2007-02-13

This is a very good soundtrack heavily influenced by R.L. Burnside. That raunchy, X-rated version of Stack-O-Lee sung by Samuel Jackson is directly from a version that Burnside sings on his MC Records CD "Well, Well, Well..." (that incidentally has blues singer Curtis Salgado laughing wickedly in the background). I believe the Burnside recording is the most unique version of this song ever recorded.

Average customer rating:

My pick for '07 Power Metal album of the year
As good as Black Halo but different
Beautiful.
kamelot
Amazing

Ghost Opera
Kamelot
Manufacturer: Steamhammer/SPV
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Paradise Lost
Unia
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One Cold Winter's Night
Systematic Chaos

ASIN: B000PA9PMY
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

Solitaire
Rule The World
Ghost Opera
The Human Stain
Blücher
Love You To Death
Up Through The Ashes
Mourning Star
Silence Of The Darkness
Anthem
EdenEcho
The Pendulous Fall (bonus track)

Amazon.com

Kamelot's latest power metal offering seems unlikely to win the collective the kind of major attention its sought for more than a decade now. While vocalist Roy Khan still emits his signature siren wail and guitarist Thomas Youngblood crafts riffs that crunch with more power than your average fast food taco, the band still lacks a unique identity, alternating between its status as a Queensryche retread or vying for listeners more attuned to Korn and Avenged Sevenfold. "Rule the World" certainly stands as one of the outfit's heaviest works to date and "Mourning Star" carries with it its own kind of majestic beauty but repeat listens reveal that Ghost Opera is little more than by-the-numbers power metal, of the kind that didn't really work when Helloween released Keeper of the Seven Keys two decades ago and still fails to satisfy today.--Jedd Beaudoin

Album Description

American Melodic Metal masters Kamelot are back with the follow-up to their breakthrough epic The Black Halo. Ghost Opera is simply one of the most diverse metallic listening experiences of the year, containing all of the melody, power, passion and crunch that have earned them the undying respect of metal-heads around the country and around the world. The first pressing contains a bonus DVD featuring the video of Ghost Opera and a making of feature. Catch Kamelot on tour across North America late this summer!

Customer Reviews:

My pick for '07 Power Metal album of the year.......2007-07-10

THE BAND: Roy Khan (vocals), Thomas Youngblood (guitars), Glenn Barry (bass), Oliver Palotai (keyboards), Casey Grillo (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (2007) 12 tracks clocking in at approximately 48 minutes. Included with the disc is an 18-page booklet containing song titles/credits, song lyrics, band photos, and thank you's. Recorded at Gate Studios (Wolfsberg, Germany). All songs written by Kamelot. * There is a limited edition package available - containing the music disc as well as a bonus DVD (which is short at about 10 minutes... containing the video of the title track, as well as the making of the video... each in the 4-5 minute range). Label - SPV/Steamhammer.

COMMENTS: If you're a fan of Kamelot, as well as the power/symphonic/progressive genre, then without a doubt you'll need to add "Ghost Opera" to your collection. Khan's voice gets stronger as both he and the band mature. His ability to sing, his harmony and delivery of words, his emotion (both high and low) are truly a gift. Youngblood's guitar (rhythm sections and solos) are quick when they need to be, crisp and befitting. Barry is steady on bass and Grillo is a master on the double bass drum kit... exciting, but not overly flashy. THE GOOD: From the beautiful one minute violin intro "Solitaire" to the brilliant final cut ("The Pendulous Fall") there is no filler. "Ghost Opera" is an album you can listen to again and again without skipping tracks. Keyboardist Oliver Palotai is a nice addition. Kamelot has used keyboards on previous albums, but they've only been guest artists. Palotai's contributions are welcomed. Quietly in the background and never overbearing... in my opinion, the way keyboards should be in most forms of metal. Musicianship is professional, tight, amazing. The orchestra is woven nicely into various songs. Dare I say Kamelot is becoming less focused on speed and crunchy riffs, as they at giving the listener a full musical journey of ups and downs. I keep asking myself - how will Kamelot out-perform their previous album... and they keep doing it. I loved "The Black Halo" (2005) and thought it perhaps their finest in their catalog... until now. Khan's vocals soar once again. Sound production is once again stellar (crisp highs and thundering bass lines). Favorite songs include the mid-tempo "Rule The World"; the exciting title track of a dream gone bad with the opera as a backdrop; the chugging "Human Stain" featuring some great rhythm guitar, a very emotional Khan, and the piano sliding in at the right times; and perhaps the best power ballad on the album (featuring guest singer Amanda Sommerville sharing the vocals with Khan). THE NOT SO GOOD: The melodies are top notch... and taking anything away from the music would be criminal. A minor flaw with the album is the print in the liner notes... the song lyrics are printed in extremely small script over illustrations - making them tough to read. My eye-sight is 20/20 and I have to squint to make out all the words. The only other small detail I could think of is the shortness of the disc (recent albums ranging from 52-60 minutes in length) and the absence of an 'epic' song over 8 minutes. Not since 1999 ("The Fourth Legacy") has the longest song been in the 5 minute range... "Love You To Death" is the longest track on the disc here clocking in at 5:13 minutes. It doesn't have to be a "Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner" epic, but I think it would break that commercial prototype feel to this album as a whole. OVERALL: Brilliant album. Incredible melodies. Flawless musicianship. Distinct vocals once again are the trademark of Kamelot. My pick for '07 power metal album of the year (5 stars).

As good as Black Halo but different.......2007-07-07

This is probably the most different Kamelot album to date (at least post Khan, which is all I have), but do not be alarmed. The album is excellent. More melodic than the Black Halo, but it works great just the same. Make sure to get the album with the bonus track Pendulous Fall; it's one of the best songs on the album. For those that like Symphony X and were dissapointed with the direction they took on Paradise Lost, do not be alarmed as this is less severe of a change and it is excellent nonetheless.

Beautiful........2007-07-06

After their last album, The Black Halo, I was really worried about what Kamelot was going to put out. How could they follow up such a perfect album? While TBH seemed to refine and polish their previous work, Epica, Ghost Opera goes to different places. It captures more operatic and melodic themes and successfuly intertwines them with Kamelot's unique metal sound. It really is quite amazing. If you've listened to Kamelot's previous releases and enjoyed them, do yourself a favour and get Ghost Opera.

kamelot.......2007-07-05

As usual Kamelot shines and if you like this Genre you will love this cd

Amazing.......2007-07-03

They put me in awe with their last effort "One Cold Winter's Night" and now I would have to say they have amazed me.They continue to serve up some of the best metal around.They are without a doubt the best in a genre they invented.Nobody does it better.If you like rock in any form,I recomend this CD,it is worth every penny you pay for it.

Average customer rating:

Simply Astounding
Amazing Band!!
Muse is one of the greatest bands Ever!!!
It's like QOTSA meet ELO and have a kid
Progress = GOOD!!!

Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Absolution
Sam's Town
Origin of Symmetry
Under the Iron Sea
Eyes Open

ASIN: B000FVQYYK
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Tracks:

Take A Bow
Starlight
Supermassive Black Hole
Map Of The Problematique
Soldier's Poem
Invincible
Assassin
Exo-Politics
City Of Delusion
Hoodoo
Knights Of Cydonia

Amazon.com

Sounding like the confident, ambitious superstars they already are in their native UK, Muse follows up their breakthrough Absolution with an album that tempers the trio's unabashed grandiosity and apocalyptic obsessions with a smart pop groove. The minimalist angst of the opening "Take A Bow" may bridge the goth-pop conceits of the collection's successful predecessor, but those expectations are quickly kicked aside by "Starlight"'s synth-pop bliss, the falsettoed, space-disco thump of "Supermassive Black Hole" and the chilly, New Wave redux sheen of "Map of the Problematic"; so much for being held hostage to those early Radiohead comparisons. Indeed, on the lilting "Soldier's Poem" vocalist Matthew Bellamy cannily channels Freddie Mercury while "Assassin" pulses with the familiar metallic nerve and lyrical dread of Muse past. But by the time "Knights of Cydonia" erupts in a wrenching, melodramatic climax that somehow fuses ELP, Davie Allan, Procul Harum and Chris Isaak with enough giddy abandon to suspend disbelief, Muse have long since proved their case as genre-be-damned rock world-beaters. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

In 2004, U.K. favorite Muse broke through in the U.S. with Absolution and major performances across America that won legions of new fans. In 2006, Muse takes a bold new step with Black Holes And Revelations, a powerful, upbeat epic album that takes the band's music to a whole dimension. Once again co-produced by Rich Costey (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave), Muse incorporates influences from electronica and Prince to pure pop. The album is sure to be a revelation to those still unfamiliar with the 2005 Brit award winner for Best Live Act who headlines this summer's Reading and Leeds festivals.

Customer Reviews:

Simply Astounding.......2007-07-06

Much like thier earlier works and but still a brand new sound.

Take a Bow is reminicent of thier older Radioheadeaque sound while Black Holes and Revelations contains more of a funk sound to it.

And if anyone is interested in the upcoming Guitar Here. Knights of Cydonia, which is also on this albulm, will be on it.

Amazing Band!!.......2007-07-05

This band is so amazing. With each listen of the cd it continues to get better!!! They have so much depth.

Muse is one of the greatest bands Ever!!!.......2007-07-03

Muse has always been my favorite band. Black holes & Revelations is just the latest addition as to why they are my favorite. The lyrics are beyond deep and they have no problem expressing exactly the emotion intended with both their soulfilled singing and emotionally charged music. The entire cd is fantastic and almost breathtaking!

It's like QOTSA meet ELO and have a kid.......2007-06-20

If you've been walking around p-o'd because Queens of the Stone Age and Electric Light Orchestra haven't collaborated on an album, pick up Black Holes and Revelations. This may be the best album I've heard in a long time. I'll give it to the U.K. - with bands like Muse and The Go! Team bringing back synthy pop-rock goodness, American music is doomed to fade.

Long live the re-emergence of ROCK!!!

Progress = GOOD!!!.......2007-06-20

I have to admit, I would never have bought a Muse CD previous to this album. I had heard of them before, but they weren't really my cup of tea, so to speak!

This all changed when I first heard Supermassive Blackhole on the radio. I was pleasantly surprised to be informed it was Muse. Starlight only reinforced my changing opinion of them.

I purchased the CD and I initially found it a little inaccessible besides the first two singles. After a few listens these preconceptions faded away. I am always attracted to bands that progress. Changing the 'sound', experimenting with new instruments and styles are always preferable to those lesser bands that stupidly resist any form of progression. I hate Razorlight! (arrogant aswell!)

Muse have done themselves a great favour in this album as I am convinced they have garnered themselves with new fans that wouldn't otherwise have considered listening to them. As to the idiots who cry 'sell-out', I simply don't understand that, if they have introduced Dance and Electronica, aswell as 'pop' elements to their sound, so what? Are you suggesting that these are inferior genres to 'rock' - most people acknowledge this is not the case... Those people who aren't able to adapt there listening styles and reject any form of development are just reactionary philistines. Go away.

Average customer rating:

By all means, welcome to The Black Parade!!!!
One of the best albums that I've heard in a long, long time
big surprise
Better than I ever would have expected
Good CD

The Black Parade
My Chemical Romance
Manufacturer: Reprise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sam's Town
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
Decemberunderground
Infinity on High
A Beautiful Lie

ASIN: B000I5Y8ZU
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Tracks:

The End.
Dead!
This Is How I Disappear
The Sharpest Lives
Welcome To The Black Parade
I Don't Love You
House Of Wolves
Cancer
Mama
Sleep
Teenagers
Disenchanted
Famous Last Words

Amazon.com

My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has alternately described his band's third album as "completely over the top" and "borderline psychotic." But even those words can't adequately prepare fans of the group's 2004 platinum major-label debut, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, for the onslaught of twisted song suites, glam-rock cannon fire and drama-club theatrics that make up The Black Parade. Tracks like "Mama" and "The End" make "Bohemian Rhapsody" sound like "Blitzkrieg Bop." It's no coincidence that the disc feels as dizzyingly monumental as Green Day's American Idiot--after all, the two albums share the same label, producer, studio, janitorial team, and sense of apocalyptic dread. Similarly, The Black Parade will cast its creators in a completely new light. Despite its overly histrionic tendencies and a totally oddball cameo from Liza Minelli, it offers a clear signal that My Chemical Romance is ready to be taken seriously. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance's follow-up to its 2004 platinum major-label debut Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, "is way more dramatic, way more theatrical, completely over the top, borderline psychotic," says Gerard Way. "It's the most pure, intense thing we've ever been involved in." Producer by Rob Cavallo (Green Day), the album is a celebration of lvoe and death and darkness. Join The Black Parade.

Album Description

Customer Reviews:

By all means, welcome to The Black Parade!!!!.......2007-07-09

When lead-singer Michael Way called the album "psychotic", he wasn't kidding. Upon my first go-round with The Black Parade, I didn't get it. I sat there for a moment thinking, "Wait, what?" However, having listened to "Three Cheers...." and "I Brought You...", I knew better than to go with first impressions, so I listened to it again....and again....and again...and I'm still listening to it almost a year after it's release.

What a superb Junior effort by this group of alt-rockers (if that's the genre you choose to place them in). This album has a little something for everyone. I enjoy this albgum so much, I would love to write a review for each song on the album. However, that would prolong you from doing what you should be doing, which is listening to the album. Stop reading and start listening.

One listen and you'll hear influences ranging from Green Day to Pink Floyd to Queen. All superbly brought together with the brilliant musicianship of My Chemical Romance. If you're even remotely interested in My Chemical Romance, buy this album. And, even if you're not interested, buy it anyway. WOW!!!

One of the best albums that I've heard in a long, long time.......2007-07-06

I was driving home one night, and I heard this song playing on the radio. It was epic, big, and unlike anything that I had ever heard. My wife said that it was from someone called 'My Chemical Romance.'
I had heard of them, but I thought that they were some sort of punk rock band. I love alternative music, and hard rock. I grew up on it, however, I could never get into punk rock.
I mentioned the song to someone at work, and they said that they had the CD, and said that it was great, and that I should try it.
So I did.
I was totally blown away by this album! There's not a song on it that I would skip through. From the opening lines of 'The End.,' to the almost inspirational chorus of 'Famous Last Words,' My Chemical Romance brings an album with a wide range of styles that all seem to meld into on fantastic album. 'The Black Parade' is one of the all-time greats, and 'Disenchanted' near the very end of the album really stand out as songs that could stand the test of time.
This is an album that I could anticipate picking up ten years from now, and still like it as much then, as I do today. And THAT sort of album does not come along very often.
So I say, that if you like music, any kind of rock music, pick up this album.

big surprise.......2007-06-15

i heard amazing hype after this album droped. i mean magazines were saying it was awesome and my freinds dont get me started on them. so lo and behold i downloaded it and to my complete and utter surprise i LOVED!!! it. i thought bullets was overated and three cheers was meh but this one was on a whole nuther level. awesome anyone who is a fan of punk of goth oughtta pick up this album u wont be dissapointed

Better than I ever would have expected.......2007-06-14

Their first CD is raw. Their second CD is so emo even I get depressed from it. The Black Parade is as close to a masterpiece that any modern band has been able to achieve. Of course, this band borrowed quite a bit of the musical feel from the '70s. From infinite harmony parts to beautiful stadium-rock guitar solos (thank you, Ray!), this album just screams classic rock with a modern twist: Gerard's voice and a theme of death and agony. The comparisons with the Smashing Pumpkins that have been made are justified after this album: both bands disappoint their old fans in a wonderful, interesting way. With time, maybe those disappointed fans realize what a great new sound the band has created (or half-recreated, in MCR's case), but what is certain is that new fans will be brought along with the new sound. I'm one of those fans. I'm not a big lover of their earlier works--too sappy and boring and similar to other bands--but this album is really something. MCR are a rock band again, not emo, not soft punk, but rock.

Good CD.......2007-05-31

I bought this cd on a whim while buying another album. Find myself listening to some of the tracks on this more then the other.

Average customer rating:

Painfully good....
Great Ray
1st the Best, 2nd the same
The most calming album...
Can't stop listening

Till the Sun Turns Black
Ray LaMontagne
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Trouble
Supply And Demand
Continuum
9
Amos Lee

ASIN: B000GPIPVU
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Tracks:

Be Here Now
Empty
Barfly
Three More Days
Can I Stay
You Can Bring Me Flowers
Gone Away From Me
Lesson Learned
Truly, Madly, Deeply
Till The Sun Turns Black
Within You

Amazon.com

How do you follow a debut record that achieved out-of-the-blue grandeur on its way to selling a quarter of a million copies? For Maine's Ray LaMontagne, it's all about shaking up the formula, evading repetition and delivering the unexpected. Till the Sun Turns Black finds the introspective singer/songwriter complementing his folk-country ways with traces of strings and horns and spooky soulful background voices. Songs like "You Can Bring Me Flowers" and "Three More Days" are the most R&B-influenced, the latter shuffling about ala The Band or Tony Joe White. Despite its brooding lyrics, "Empty" has a rollicking, almost breezy delivery, a perfect balance to either the hushed title track, the unnerving "Be Here Now" or the horn-fortified waltz, "Gone Away From Me." Throughout the 11-song sequence, and especially on the final song "Within You," LaMontagne's voice remains the record's most crucial element, as vibrant as it is tattered and as harsh as it is flawless. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews:

Painfully good...........2007-06-22

The first time I plopped this CD in, I was thinking "if it's half as good as `Trouble' then I'd be happy." My happiness turned into complete elation. This CD is just as good as `Trouble' and it continues to grow on me with every listen. It is a little mellower than his first effort, perhaps a little darker. Having said that, it doesn't take anything away from this beautifully crafted CD.

Highly, highly recommended.

Great Ray.......2007-05-15

If you like Ray, you'll love this too. Better then his first outing of Trouble which really was hard to top.

1st the Best, 2nd the same.......2007-05-13

The first time hearing the CD, I was a little dissappointed. I really liked his first CD and was looking forward to more of the same. I don't know what I was thinking! A second time through and I was convinced that Ray LaMontagne is the best "unknown" singer and songwriter today!

The most calming album..........2007-05-12

For an absolutely soothing passionate album, try this...Ray LaMontagne is great for the office or a road trip...love it!

Can't stop listening.......2007-04-16

This entire cd is just absolutely incredible. Ray's voice is amazing, and he has the ability to make you Feel what he is singing. I love it! worth every penny and so much more!

Album Review:

Album Review

Album Review

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