Geoff & Amos [Import]

Geoff & Amos [Import]

ASIN: B00005J9I5

Track Listings

1. My Terms Came Rolling Down

2. Rivers Invitation

3. Prelude In EM No 4 Opus 28

4. Sloppy Drunk

5. La Juanda

6. Carolina Sunshine Girl

7. Washboard Blues

8. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy

9. Chicken Stew (Part 1)

10. Dance Of The Coloured Elves

11. Beautiful Isle Of Somewhere

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese gatefold paper sleeve reissue of 1978 album originally released on the Flying Fish label features 11 tracks. Tokuma. 2001.

Tracks:

Hoist the Colours
Singapore
At Wit's End
Multiple Jacks
Up Is Down
I See Dead People In Boats
The Brethren Court
Parlay
Calypso
What Shall We Die For
I Don't Think Now Is the Best Time
One Day
Drink Up Me Hearties

Amazon.com

The music for this third chapter in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is a traditional, efficient action score that, due to the film's setting, occasionally incorporates light Asian touches. The popularity of Hans "Long John" Zimmer (all the credits in the CD's liner notes include pirate-themed nicknames, like the roll call in a Simpsons Halloween episode) isn't in doubt--he sure is one in-demand composer--but afficionados are divided about his artistic worth, and this score isn't about to reconcile them. Some think that Zimmer relies too much on his stable of composers and sticks to tried-and-true recipes; others admire his capacity to weave themes in and out of cues, creating a whole made of subtly interrelated parts. At World's End feeds both camps: Seven of his collaborators are credited with writing "additional music," and the album feels by-the-numbers at times; but those inclined to listen very closely will be rewarded by the way Zimmer sneaks in bits of two main melodies (especially variations on the first track, a pirate theme titled "Hoist the Colours" and cowritten by director Gore Verbinski) throughout. The use of electronics is so light as to be almost undetectable, which will please fans of a more organic orchestral sound. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Beyond words.......2007-07-09

I can't even explain how I feel about the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks, especially the third disc. I can't imagine how someone can be so talented to be able to connect you to the story through this music, I just really can't understand. "At Wit's End" is definitely a masterpiece, however every single song on this disc, along with all the others are absolutely outstanding. I love soundtracks, but I am aware of Hans's talent, and knowing he was one of the composers of these tracks I knew it would be a win win situation, and I knew I was not to be disappointed. I have never caught myself listening to a soundtrack..over and over.....and over again. Literally, I even watch the movies over and over so that I can listen to the soundtracks on it. Amazing stuff, just like I said, BEYOND WORDS!!

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.......2007-07-07

The 1st Pirates cd is my all time favorite, however I really enjoy this cd also. I've put all three cd's on MP3 and listen to them when I need a lift in spirits.

The best of the three?.......2007-07-03

I love this CD, in my opinion it is the best of the three movies and it certainly benefits from the full orchestral treatment.

I have no knowledge of musical theory but very much enjoy the way that the differing themes appear throughout the soundtrack and how, when they are played on varying instruments and to changed tempos, they present such different feelings. It is also fun to be able to recognise themes that have appeared in the soundtracks for the first and second movies.

If you are a fan of movie soundtracks I would definitely recommend Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Fantastic Zimmer!.......2007-07-03

Once again Hans Zimmer proves that he is good at his job. He has the talent to make the music both sad and enjoyable at the same, and all the songs have their own amazing sound. If you liked POTC score 1 and 2, you will definetly love this album! And Zimmer fans, like myself, will not be disappointed!

Zimmer's greatest work to date!.......2007-06-30

I must say that the score may actually be better than the movie itself! Not to bash the movie, I did enjoy it immensely- but the Score is just unbelievably amazing!

Unlike many other franchsie scores, by the third and fourth part the score can become a little boring and redudnent, "At World's End" not only keeps up with tradition and has a sound that ramins true to the other two scores, but it has enough to make it completely original and fresh.

The score is amazing at evoking emotions from the listener, I heard the score prior to watching the film, and had an amazing understanding of the emotional content from this score.

"Hoist the Colors" not only starts out the soundtrack and the film, but it sets the mood and story for the film, and the theme reoccuers throughout the score.

"At Wit's End" is hauntingly beautiful and evokes a sense of mystery and sadness. "Calypso" is an amazing piece that grows from a mysterious haunting melody to a ferocious and rolling score complete with a choir that grows ever larger (which is PERFECT for the scene)

My personal favorite pieces are "What Shall We Die For" and "I Don't Think Now is the Best Time". The tracks are all part of one scene. "What Shall We Die For" is almost inspirational and has an amzing "uplifting" quality to it and the track grows bigger and larger and is just phenomonal. But the artistry of Zimmer and the Pirates score really comes to fruition in the second half of "I Don't think Now is the best Time" That's almost a ballet of a score that flows from Action mcvie score to romance- it's also one of the more memorable scenes in the film. The score has a multi-genre feel to it with the score running through Romace film, to western, Action picture and everything in between!

As scores go, "At World's End" really runs the gambit, from quiet and tragic, to desperation, to scary, to Soft and emotional, to hard driving action, to "Drink Up Me Hearties" that is almost impossible to listen to and NOT picture our Hero, Jack Sparrow, as it rolls into the unforgettable theme in true epic style.

My only problem with this score (as with the others in this series) is that at a running time of just under an hour, you do wonder where the other 2 hours of score are!

It doesn't quite have the Rock sound that 'Dead Man's Chest" had, but it really holds it's own as an unforgettable and amazing piece of work that really captures the spirit of "The Pirates of the Caribbean" and rounds out the trilogy quite nicely

Average customer rating:

Amazingly underwhelming
A comeback- Sort of.
QUEENSRYCHE rocks NOW, as THEN!!
excellent
If you like progressive, then progress!!

Operation: Mindcrime II
Queensrÿche
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Operation: Mindcrime
Karmacode
A Matter Of Life And Death
IV
Educated Horses

ASIN: B000E1ZBHM
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Tracks:

Freiheit Ouverture
Convict
I'm American
One Foot in Hell
Hostage
Hands
Speed of Light
Signs Say Go
Re-Arrange You
Chase
Murderer?
Circles
If I Could Change It All
An Intentional Confrontation
Junkie's Blues
Fear City Slide
All The Promises

Amazon.com

Queensrÿche's sequel to the classic 1998 concept piece Operation: Mindcrime is not as good as the original. Mindcrime II lacks the sense of sweeping cinematic awe found on the original and although the quintet has managed to create an album that's equal to or above any studio outing it's done in recent years, there's nothing here that will bolster the band back to its former glory. A distinct lack of standout songs is perhaps the greatest problem. "Revolution Calling," "I Don't Believe In Love," and "Speak" became Queensrÿche classics not because they were part of the grand concept found on O:M, but because they could be drawn out and held up as fine examples of writing that probed the corrupt spirit of the age. O:M bled heavy truths from its deepest grooves.

Those familiar with the concept from the first album should note that this second installment focuses on protagonist Nikki and his desire to exact revenge on the corrupt Doctor X, making for a more insular narrative. That's a problem because one of the great thrills of the original Mindcrime was the scope of its scorn; here, the band never reaches beyond the confines of the world it created for this updated fantasy. The urgency that emanated from the earlier affair hasn't become muted, it has simply faded.

Yet, this new record's better than you might first believe and proves difficult to fully dismiss. In the 18 years since the original installment the band has become leaner, often more exacting, possessing a confidence that was less pronounced on earlier recordings. Scott Rockenfield's drumming has grown more interesting with time and the years have done little to lessen vocalist Geoff Tate's multi-octave expertise. The dual guitar attack of Michael Wilton and Mike Stone lacks the depth that the classic Wilton/Chris DeGarmo pairing had, but it proves enamoring on tracks such as "The Chase" (featuring a surprisingly pallid-sounding Ronnie James Dio), the swaggering "Junkie's Blues," and the near return-to-form "Fear City Slide."

No matter its strengths, O:M II ultimately reinforces the idea that while Queensrÿche's greatest moments may still lie ahead, the prospects of that being true become increasingly scant with each passing record. A decent enough stab at rekindling old glory that fails with admirable flair. --Jedd Beaudoin

Album Description

Seattle quintet Queensryche has always stood apart from other heavy metal bands through their artful progressive bent and intense observations on the world around them. With their third album, 1988's Grammy-nominated and critically acclaimed Operation: Mindcrime-a concept opus born out of Reagan-era disilllusionment-Queensryche transcended the metal label and sealed their reputation for cerebral musci and heady lyrical vision. Set 20 years later, and awash in "rock, revenge, and redemption," this brilliant new sequel was inspired by current political and social climates.

Customer Reviews:

Amazingly underwhelming.......2007-06-21

If you're already familiar with the band Queensrÿche, then you likely remember where you were and what you were doing when you first listened, really listened, to the lyrical content and musical onslaught of "Operation Mindcrime." That album was a relatively fascinating fiction focusing on the pliability of reality and the progression of psychosis. It's a dark, wild ride where a street punk is molded into an assassin with all that such a transformation would entail, ending with the central figure killing the individual who might have been able to save him. There are incredibly memorable moments from that album. Seriously, you only need to hear the first four chords of "I Don't Believe In Love" to have the remainder of the song play off of your brain's built in player.

Fast forward to Queensryche's follow-up to that tremendous album, almost two decades later. Gone is, Chris DeGarmo, one of the major writing talents that made the first "Operation Mindcrime" such a standout release. Also gone is the drive, the passion, the anger, and the loss that made you spin that first disk until you started to worry you might melt through the plastic with your CD's laser. In and of itself, it's a perfectly okay release that many other bands would likely be quite proud of...but in this case that's not enough. If you don't have something new to say, something that adds value to the original, then there's not a point in creating a sequel for it, other than perhaps a paycheck.

If I had to choose just one word for this release it would be "harmless." It treads over much safer ground than the first release. There's no real challenge here. Nikki, the central character from the first album, has spent 18 years in prison and hasn't learned a damn thing. The album descends into a very clichéd story of vengeance against the man who made him what he is, and in the end is still controlled by Dr X. It's really a rather pathetic tale that really manages to subvert the lessons Nikki learned in the first album.

The Amazon review speaks of a lack of standout material on this album, which is a good assessment. I would say there is one standout track, although it's such more because of the contribution of Ronnie James Dio rather than the writing itself. I suppose it's a slight spoiler, but Dio plays the role of Dr X on the album, and those moments in which he breathes life into that character are the only moments that you can see a glimmer of the power of the original "Mindcrime" album. The drawback of this is that, because of the power of Dio's performance, when faced by Dr X, Nikki is reduced to little more than a whiny brat in the context of the story.

I've was a huge fan of Queensrÿche for years and years, and loved their most recent stint of "Operation Livecrime," but they really started losing me with "Promised Land." In my opinion, Queensrÿche never really recovered their glory following "Empire." This album is no exception. While it is their best release since Promised Land, in the context of the old Queensrÿche that isn't saying a lot.

I can't really recommend this release to anyone, be they hardcore fans of Queensrÿche or casual fans of rock. Over the last 4-5 years the bar has been massively raised in the realm of power, prog, and melodic metal. While there was a time when Queensrÿche was at the top of the metal heap, that is no longer the case. If you're looking for a metal fix, I'd strongly advise looking elsewhere.

A comeback- Sort of........2007-06-19

I have to admit that this album is growing on me when I listen to it more and more. At first I thought "blasphemy!", or "how could they do this"?
However, as I thought about it more and more, and read over interviews and years and years of discussion, studied Queensryche's history (one of my favorite bands at this moment), I began to see the reasons why the band chose to tackle this task. Its an enormous task, to be certain, because following up an album that is such a classic etched in time is not easy feat. On one level, OMCII is a very shallow sequel storywise. In fact, the story seems almost unnecessary when one looks at the album. Nikki gets revenge, then dies. I think it sums up most of the album's storyline, I feel that its a bit dissapointing in that regard. But the real motivation I believe for the band to do it, is not for a return to previous financial glory, but to PROVE TO THEMSELVES that they could do such an album without the input of one Chris Degarmo.
Its apparent that since his depature, the band has fumbled in the dark creatively (and critically, considering the scorn critics have lashed at their two previous releases) and the band wanted SOMETHING, ANYTHING to give them the motivation to do a good album again. So the results (this is only one persons opinion of course) are that the band chose to do Operation Mindcrime II.

Did they succeed? Yes and no. As previously stated, the storyline doesn't have that much depth. Sure it goes into Nikki's mind (in my opinion not enough), and his conscience, but I don't know if the story does anything but give an overview of a tortured soul.

Musically, however, Operation Mindcrime II is definitely back to where Queensryche were years ago.

Some "alternative" trappings remain (despite some previous statements to the contrary, there are some dropped d tuned songs on the record, more beatlesque or Zepelinish parts), and this is mixed with a mid period dual guitar format that QR used to explore on such records as Rage for Order or the original Mindcrime. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Its not that they totally abandoned the more alternative (or 70's rock based) sound of albums Promised Land onwards, but its not a one hundred percent trip back to the Eighties sound either.

The songs are there. Songs such as "the Hands" and "I'm American" are the best Queensryche have sounded in years. The album gets a little long winded in the second half, but thats ok, because the music is still more impassioned and epic then they've been for many years. Tate's singing is the best its been in years as well.

All is not great however. I don't feel the emotion is present that was on the original, even though it could have been.

Overall though, I think this is a step in the "Ryche" direction (couldn't resist the pun)!
I think that they have solidified the new lineup, and while Degarmo is not with the band anymore, they have proved that they are not creatively bankrupt with regards to writing music. The problem I see with it, is that they're halfway up to their previous glory, and its going to take more than a sequel to their best loved album to get there. I would have given this album four or five stars if the album was shorter, and it wasn't a sequel to Mindcrime (and the production was less muddy at times). It would have been still cool to have as a concept album, but by all means they could have come up with a different story and make that one more dramatic and convincing. By the way, rumor has it that the next album is being written, and that it will be a concept album, not at all related to the Mindcrime opus.

QUEENSRYCHE rocks NOW, as THEN!!.......2007-06-18

Everyone gets older, even those complaining about rock stars aging and "losing their pipes." I don't care if Geoff's pipes seem a little worn out. The fact of the matter is that Queensryche is a great rock band overall, with or without Chris DeGarmo. From what I've seen and heard, apparently it sounds like sour grapes on Chris DeGarmo's part, as he really is being inconsiderate to the fans of Queensryche while he was in the group. By abandoning Queensrych, he's abandoning Queensryche fans. Perhaps he think he's better than the other members of Queensryche. If that's the case, I don't care if he EVER comes back to Queensryche. There's nothing more I hate than a STUCK UP MUSICIAN! There will ALWAYS be someone better, including someone BETTER than you, Chris DeGarmo. Of course, he added his 2 cents to the band, as did the other members and all members' contributions are critical. I really enjoy Queensryche's song "Open" on the Tribe album. This, in fact, could have very well been a track on Empire. I will always be a Queensryche follower/fan. Just remember: All musicians are gifted and there is no room for conceit among the multitude of talented musicians.

excellent .......2007-06-10

If your a Q fan than yes this release has some great moments and is worth picking up!It took me awhile to buy it only because of the name they used for a title. Anytime you see a part 2 you have be on artist cashing in alert if you know what I mean. But this cd could have been called anything else and is still very good!! This cd is more of a rocker than tribe. The only thing that I would of liked to see is a free bonus dvd with this release it probably would of helped the sales of this effort of a band that was on top in the early 90s.

If you like progressive, then progress!!.......2007-05-11

Dictionary definition: "Pro-gres-sive a: characterized by progress b: interested in new ideas c: moving forward or onward : ADVANCING Antonyms: dormant, lazy, sluggish, static, conventional, mainstream." What part of this don't we understand?

Why listen to "Operation: Mindcrime II" if you already have "Operation: Mindcrime"? Well, why listen to "Wish You Were Here" or "The Wall" if you already have "Dark Side of the Moon"? Why listen to "Red" if you already have "In the Court of the Crimson King"? Why listen to "Thick As A Brick" if you already have "Aqualung"? Why listen to "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" if you already have "Images and Words"? Why listen to "10,000 Days" if you already have "Lateralus"?

"Hello? McFly!?" It's "progressive" music. It progresses. It presents new ideas (musically and lyrically). It moves forward and onward. It advances. It is not dormant, lazy (sticking with the "same old same old"), sluggish, static, conventional, and definitely NOT mainstream.

No Queenryche, much like Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Dream Theater, or Tool are not "starving for popularity." ("Middle age will do that to you"?!?!! Please!! If progressive artists were interested in popularity they would do the same things over and over that brought them to popularity at periods of their careers. If anything, middle age has made these artists some of the finest musicians in the world and able to do what they want to do. After all, do you want an intern operating on you or a seasoned surgeon?) Whew!! Glad I got all that out of the way, aren't you?

Fellow fans of progressive music, please do us all a favor. UNITE!! DON'T PAY HEED TO THE THREE-STAR REVIEWS!! "Operation: Mindcrime II" is an excellent album and it deserves the attention of progressive music fans everywhere. And the sheer fact that it came along some 18 years after the original and is still coherent and excellent is even more astonishing.

We often hear of the "big four" bands of grunge music, those being Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam. (Love `em all, by the way.) I believe we can also speak of the big three bands of progressive metal, those being Tool, Dream Theater, and, yes, Queensryche.

The music on "Operation: Mindcrime II" is impeccable, as we have come to expect from Queensryche, and Geoff Tate's vocals are definitely not middle-aged sounding. This guy has one he** of a set of lungs. The unique lyrical rhyming is present as well. I defy the other (emphasis on "other") armchair critics here to produce something that is a fraction, a miniscule fraction, as creative and interesting.

While "Operation: Mindcrime II" might not be as memorable as the original, it is still more than worth owning and will make hard core progressive music/concept album fans happier than a kid in a candy store.

I conclude by explaining my 5-star rating. I feel that this album deserves four stars but I am so annoyed by the average three-and-a-half rating that I feel compelled to do what I can to raise the average. GO TEAM PROGRESSIVE!! RAH! RAH! RAH!

Average customer rating:

Moore's maturity shines through every aspect of this release

Speak to Me
Geoff Moore
Manufacturer: Rocketown Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

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33Miles
Glory Revealed: The Word Of God in Worship
See the Morning
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ASIN: B000NOKAOO
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Speak To Me
Your Day
When I Get Where Im Going
Captured
Every Single One
She Knows My Name
Thats What Love Will Do
This Is My fathers World
So Long, Farewell (The Blessing)
Erase

Customer Reviews:

Moore's maturity shines through every aspect of this release.......2007-05-01

Veteran music artists are sometimes overlooked in favor of newer ones. It's a mistake to not consider the experience of someone like Geoff Moore, who has been making music since 1984. Much of it was with his rock band The Distance. In 1999 he went solo with the release of Geoff Moore, and the last time we heard from him was 2002's A Beautiful Sound.

Seasoned artists reflect a maturity that can only come with time. That alone makes Speak to Me worth checking out.

Despite the use of some cover songs, Moore's wisdom is reflected in the songs that he helped write and in his choice of music. He is a singer-songwriter at the height of his powers. An organic, roots-rock sound (reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seeger) works well with lyrics that reflect a lifetime of walking with God. These songs touch on many aspects of the Christian life. There's the brokenness and passion of the title song and the world-weary hope of heaven in "When I Get Where I'm Going," which includes guest vocalist Christy Nockels.

"Your Day" may be the best of all. An echoing guitar leads a melodic adult contemporary sound marked by lyrics that are full of confident expectation and faith. "If I find victory or pain / If it's in sunshine or driving rain / I will trust you and do the next thing." Moore admits that the last phrase comes from a favorite thought from Oswald Chambers, "When faced with uncertainty and unsure what to do next, he (Chambers) encourages us to `trust God and do the next thing.'" This is the ultimate start-your-day song.

Over the years a number of artists have recorded songs about our obligation to the poor. Petra's "Hollow Eyes," Michael Card's "Distressing Disguise," and the Randy Stonehill/Phil Keaggy classic, "Who Will Save the Children," are a few that come to mind. We can add to the list "Every Single One," another poignant reminder: "In a world away from luxury / Is where I found prosperity / Where greater love laid down His life / For the orphan and the widowed wife." It springs from the many years that Geoff has worked with Compassion International. The song is graced with beautiful violin playing. A more electric and programmed version is included as a hidden track.

Moore does excellent covers of two familiar songs: "He Knows My Name," a duet with Kendall Payne, and an acoustic "This Is My Father's World."

"So Long, Farewell (The Blessing)" is a raw and musically raucous goodbye song. That same spirit of musical abandon comes through on the chorus of the title song. Loud and furious, they lack some of the distinction heard elsewhere on the recording.

The album closes with the tender and beautiful "Erase," a plea to be more like Christ. "Erase all the distance between us / replace all the space with Your presence."

Moore's maturity shines through every aspect of this release. His first Rocketown Records recording shows that experience is worth a lot.

Average customer rating:

Average
Sophie Milman (GREAT)
Knock Out Debut
The Differences Between Sophie and Diana
Great debut

Sophie Milman
Sophie Milman
Manufacturer: Koch Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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What Love Is
Yours
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ASIN: B000637XN8
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Tracks:

Agua De Beber
I Cant Give You Anything But Love
Guilty
My Baby Just Cares For Me
Back Home To Me
The Man I Love
Lonely In New York
I Feel Pretty
La Vie En Rose
My Heart Belongs To Daddy
Ochi Cherney (Dark Eyes)
This Time Of The Year

Album Description

Sophie Milman's debut self-titled CD is a collection of Jazz standards and contemporary new compositions that together showcase the maturity and originality of this young Jazz singer, skillfully produced by Canadian Jazz patriarch Bill King, and Danny Greenspoon, and features some of the best Canadian jazz players in the business.

Album Details

Sophie Milman's Debut Self-titled CD is a Collection of Jazz Standards and Contemporary New Compositions that Together Showcase the Maturity and Originality of the Young Jazz Singer, Skillfully Produced by Canadian Jazz Patriarch Bill King, and Danny Greenspoon, and features Some of the Best Canadian Jazz Players in the Business.

Customer Reviews:

Average.......2007-02-21

Average Singer with below average arrangements on often sung standards.
I was expecting at least some re-harmonization on these tunes but very much
straight from the fakebook kind changes. The horn lines were not too exciting.
Well....overall, very clean and straight.

Sophie Milman (GREAT).......2006-07-29

I just received the new "linus" Sophie Milman CD and have been playing it over and over again.

The visualization of a fantastic playful jazz angel on the other side of such a beautiful voice is not hurt by the reality that she is one. Her harmonic rythmic voice makes the heart happy just to listen to it and entertains the mind with frequent smooth variations that make other overcomplicated musicians just seem dull and nervous. She also has a great bunch of excellent jazz musicians that accompany her and they echo the mood perfectly. Great job Sophie Milman and "LINUS"!

Knock Out Debut.......2006-07-23

An ultra hip, swinging song stylist; and this time I'm not talking about Mark Murphy. Sophie Milman is a revelation, by way of Russia, Israel, and Canada. She sings the hell out of a song here. Want proof? Check out "My Baby Just Cares For Me." "I Feel Pretty," and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." For a great change of pace, there's "La Vie en Rose" in French and "Dark Eyes" in Russian. Want more? The band includes some exceptional talent, and is a perfect fit for Milman. This is a great cd by a beautiful, brilliant young singer.

The Differences Between Sophie and Diana.......2006-07-16

When this c.d. hit American release, it came with a lot of hype. "The Next Diana Krall" was the proclamation. Perhaps because of the hype, this is one of the top jazz c.d.'s on I-Tunes, and has been so for awhile.

It didn't take me long to get past the hype. Sophie Milman, like Diana Krall, is an attractive blonde singer who sings standards in a jazzy style. And like Ms. Krall, she calls Canada home (although Ms. Milman was born in the U.S.S.R., and emigrated to Canada by way of Israel as a teenager).

There the similarities end. Actually, Ms. Milman has a rounder, fuller singing voice than Ms. Krall, although Sophie does have a tendency to scoop and croon a lot. But she also has a tight, tremelo vibrato which comes out when she's singing a loud note in her chest voice, and I like it.

But here's the thing: when Mme. Krall hit the scene 10 years ago, there weren't that many attractive standard-singing young jazz chanteusses. She came along at the right time. Now, the scene is saturated with them.

And as a result, if that's how you're making your mark, you have to do something to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack. For example, you could mix some killer songs of your own with the standards. (e.g., Rene Marie, Jackie Allen or Erin Bode) Or, you could mix a fair number of well-done European art songs with the standards. (e.g., Ilona Knopfler, Jackie Ryan or fellow countryman, Madeleine Peyroux). Or, you could mix in some nods to more current fare, so as to gain the interest of baby-boomers and gen-x'ers. (e.g., Karrin Allyson, Lizz Wright, Janis Siegel or Lea DeLaria). Or, you could become proficient on an instrument in addition to voice (e.g., Ms. Krall, Dena DeRose, Patricia Barber, or Luciana Souza).

Or, you could do the standards in truly unique ways never attempted before. (e.g., Tierney Sutton, Cheryl Bentyne or Cassandra Wilson--back when Ms. Wilson did standards, that is.) These standards are pretty standard. In fact, outside of the jazzy read of "I Feel Pretty" and the "Goldfingerish" variations on "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," there's nothing here that especially piques my interest.

It seems that most jazz singers start with an album of standards. The really talented ones figure out where to grow from there. All of the above-mentioned singers have grown since their beginnings. Hopefully, that will be true of Sophie Milman as well. RC

Great debut.......2006-03-30

Heard this CD online and immediately ran out to get it. Sophie Milman has a sophistication and depth to her voice that belies her age. While she evokes the spirit of the great jazz singers of the '40s and '50s, she has a fresh approach to the old songs and a contemporary sound for the more modern cuts. Her voice has a rich, satisfying quality that will only get better with age. She has done her homework on the great smoky-jazz singers of the '50s, capturing the quality of those singers while bringing her own style to her singing.

She even makes the three least interesting songs--"I Feel Pretty," "Ochi Cherney," and "This Time of the Year"--listenable with her easy-swinging style. The band is great and provides smooth accompaniment.

I look forward to her future releases.

Average customer rating:

Shock and Awe
Help my ears
OK.........not great
Easily the best Thursday album
what happend to the music

A City by the Light Divided
Thursday
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Louder Now
Full Collapse
War All the Time
Decemberunderground
Sound the Alarm

ASIN: B000EZ903Y
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Tracks:

The Other Side Of The Crash/ Over and Out (Of Control)
Counting 5-4-3-2-1
Sugar In The Sacrament
At This Velocity
We Will Overcome
Arc Lamps, Signal Flares, A Shower Of White (The Light)
Running From The Rain
Telegraph Avenue Kiss
The Lovesong Writer
Into The Blinding Light
Autumn Leaves Revisited

Customer Reviews:

Shock and Awe.......2007-07-11

These are the only 2 words that came to my mind after listening to this album. I think this album is a great mixture of the great music from Full Collapse and War All The Time. I have been a Thursday fan since Waiting came out and this album will keep me going. Rock on Thursday fans!!!

Help my ears.......2007-06-05

Yes this album makes me want to set myself on fire. It is terribly produced.
Anyone that can listen to this needs to wipe the junk out of their ears.
Someone fire the audio engineer.

OK.........not great.......2007-03-11

If you are a fan of Thursday, then you will probably get this album and like it regardless of what anyone says. If, on the other hand, you haven't heard (much) of these guys before, then, you might not really like this. Most of the songs either drag on for way too long, or never really seem to get going. Don't get me wrong, the music is good, but I just wasn't impressed. I was looking for something a little less epic. I wanted more emo, and less Dream Theater.

Easily the best Thursday album.......2007-02-27

Well produced album. You wont be skipping many songs on this one. This album covers the whole range of what Thursday can do. These guys are gonna be famous someday.

what happend to the music.......2007-01-24

i have to say the only thursday cd i like and continue to like is Full Collapse. A city by the light divided just seems to be a streached, worned out piece of all their past music.What i loved about thursday was thier ability to create something very experimental. every song in collapse had beautiful changes in melodies, it was one song changing and evolving differently until the very end.
I feel a lot of the music that was "emo" just evolved into one single note,it lost all expirimentation and became pretty much a trendy mesh that keeps repeating.

Average customer rating:

Audio Ambrosia
A fine CD ruined by over-aggressive copy protection
Fantastic
Well Arranged but Overproduced
Copy protection dangerous and unlawfull

Defined
Amici Forever
Manufacturer: RCA Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Opera Band
Ancora
Il Divo
Opera Band
Follow Your Heart

ASIN: B00099HFJ6
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

La Fiamma Sacra (The Sacred Flame)
Nella Fantasia
The Prayer
Aranjuez Ma Pensee
So Far Away
Nostalgia (La Mia Nostalgia)
Core 'ngrato (Ungrateful Heart)
Land & Freedom (Terra e Liberta)
Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix
Recondita armonia
Adagio
Ocean Heart (Oceano Cuore)

Amazon.com

The five, young, good-looking and classically trained singers who comprise Amici Forever have a lot to offer. They have taste, and they make, for the most part, beautiful sounds (one of the sopranos is wobbly; the other singers--a soprano, two tenors and bass-baritone--are splendid). Their debut CD, The Opera Band, has sold over a million copies. Their arrangements, though somewhat sappy, are attractive, and they're very imaginative with both classical and pop repertoire. I Amici are not just good singers who add a beat to the classics; they think things through. Defined offers a fine arrangement of the Allegretto of Beethoven's 7th Symphony with a text that turns it into a Hymn to Liberty; a Bocelli-Celine Dion duet has been transformed into a densely harmonic quintet; an original work tells a Maori legend; Dalila's "Mon ceur s'ouvre a ta voix," once past the wobbly soprano, becomes a fine blend; Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto and Rodrigo's "Concerto de Aranjuez" form the basis for two other pieces. This is a handsomely produced album which could alert pop fans to some beautiful classical melodies and, in and of itself, it's good listening. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Audio Ambrosia.......2007-01-10

Amici Forever is one of the finest singing groups to come along in many, many years. Their musicality is awe inspiring.

A fine CD ruined by over-aggressive copy protection.......2006-08-12

The CD shown here is the infamous disk inflicted upon the listening public by SONY/BMG/RCA which has resulted in several law suits because of its inclusion of a particularly nasty bit of spyware/malware (a "root kit") which is buried in any Windows computer system into which the disk is inserted, innocently or otherwise. It is a spectacularly stupid, sneaky, and downright mean attempt to control copying of the disk's contents, and as such it has earned universal opprobrium after its discovery and publicizing by a third party. This disk has been recalled and owners of it (such as me) may supposedly return it for replacement with a non-infected version.

My first bit of advice on the recording, then, is either to return it for exchange or put a note on it to warn against insertion into a computer. Alternatively, if you have the equipment, software, and ability, you may capture its music by playing it in a regular CD player with a cable connection to your sound card's input. A stereo analog audio cable connection will do, but if you have it, a digital SPDIF connection will do even better. My infected CD, by the way, is labeled as RCA Victor 8 2876 68883-2. (Further information/discussion of the CD's problems can be found on the Internet.)

The replacement version of this CD, the 2006 Australian Tour Edition, with two "bonus" tracks and presumably free of the rootkit, is also listed on Amazon.

I am a newcomer to Amici Forever (though they've been around awhile) and no fan of "fusion" music in general, but I bought the disk because some of my friends are fans and I wanted to see for myself what they were like. In general, I must say that I rather like this disk, though it is obviously something quite distinct from the classical music from which much of it is derived. It is a transformation of familiar classic tunes into a populist genre characterized by strong emotional intensity, highly synthesized and sonically processed sound, and often prominent percussion effects. (The waveforms show clear evidence of volume-limiting, with sustained passages right up to the allowed maximum. This creates the effect of great loudness and intensity, even passion.)

The singers possess very fine voices for this idiom, which seems partly an outgrowth of the "Three Tenors" phenomenon. A good bit of the singing is in Italian, but English is well represented, along with bits of Spanish, French, and even background Maori.

I think these pieces should be treated as creations in their own right (even though many are derivative) and judged on their own merits as to musical appeal, imagination, and artistry.

"La Fiamma Sacra" (the sacred flame) is sung in English, despite its Italian title, and tells the story of a low-born man endowed with the gift of a singing voice which destines him to greatness. It is sweet, sentimental (not wishy-washy!), and altogether loveable.

"Nella Fantasia" (in a fantasy or dream) is widely known as a tenor vehicle derived from Morricone's film soundtrack for "The Mission." (I believe Bocelli and Watson, among others, have recorded it.) It is sung in Italian, and is very fine and satisfying in this version.

"The Prayer" (la preghiera), a composed song in Italian and English, is also widely known, especially in the version by Bocelli and Dion. Here it is no less delightful with five voices instead of two.

"Aranjuez Ma Pensee" (Aranjuez my thought) though titled in French is sung in the Spanish appropriate to its subject, the historic town just south of Madrid. The tune is a well-known and gorgeous theme from Joaquin Rodrigo's guitar concerto "Concierto de Aranjuez" set with words to make it a kind of love song for a place. The words are lovely and poetic and the piece is hauntingly and exotically beautiful. (Rodrigo is buried in Aranjuez, and I doubt if this borrowing makes him turn over in his grave.)

"So Far Away" is another love song for a place, this time New Zealand, "the land of the long white cloud." It is a very nice composed song sung in English with ethnic touches (a celtic pipe and background chorus singing in Maori). It has an irresistible loveliness.

"Nostalgia" (la mia nostalgia) is a derivation from Rachmaninov's immensely popular and often quoted second piano concerto. It is a song of loneliness and longing for a past love whose music tells the story without the need to understand the Italian words.

"Core 'Ngrato" (ungrateful heart) is an old Neapolitan chestnut sung in Italian dialect by tenors from as far back as Caruso and on up to today's cohort. It complains of the lover's mistreatment by the unappreciative Catari. It's a fine, impassioned song, and this group does not stint in its presentation.

"Land & Freedom" (terra e liberta) is perhaps the most surprising inclusion here, for it is a transformation of the supremely beautiful second movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 into another song of nostalgia for a beloved place, now distant or even vanished, associated with freedom, music, and poetry. In this Italian language song, the composer uses Beethoven's own exquisite countermelody, along with his strikingly lovely harmonies. With music from such a master, how could this song be anything but transcendant?

"Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A Ta Voix" (at your voice my heart opens) is the most popular aria from Camille Saint-Saens' opera "Samson and Delilah," sung by Delilah to express her love for Samson (with some response by him). This arrangement, which becomes a duet, preserves much of the original, and is properly ecstatic as sung in the original French.

"Recondita Armonia" (hidden harmony) is another well-known aria, this time the tenor Cavaradossi's song about his fascination with the contrasting beauties of two female figures (from Puccini's opera "Tosca"). Here he gets support from other Amici members, but the music itself is left mostly intact, except for the instrumental accompaniment and vocal expansion. It's quite convincing.

"Adagio" is another borrowing from a purely instrumental classic, Albinoni's adaptation of pre-existing tunes to create his immensely popular "Adagio for Strings." The voices here follow the interweaving melodic lines of those strings, singing the newly-supplied Italian words of a lover's yearning for his absent love, and ending with "I feel beating within me this music which I invented for you." The result of this fusion of the very old with new words and vocal/instrumental sounds is likely to be much more accessible to most of today's hip-hop generation than the original, for all its classic elegance and beauty.

"Ocean Heart" (oceano cuore) is another instrumental music adaptation, being a setting of new Italian words to an arrangement of music from Aram Khatchaturian's ballet "Spartacus." The original music here is much less familiar than that of the other two, perhaps emboldening the arranger to take a bit more liberty (a new countermelody is added to the composer's own tune). This attractive, more midstream arrangement may waken many new ears to Khatchaturian's lovely, pensively yearning melody.

In summary, I applaud Amici Forever for their success in translating some of classical music's finest products into a form likely to appeal to a much wider audience than heretofore. This is not for everyone though: classical music purists will likely reject it as overblown, overheated, and just too remote from the original versions. Those with parochial musical tastes may dislike its cosmopolitan nature with untranslated foreign words. Still, youngish people who embrace the world's diversity and who were brought up in the tradition of rock concerts will probably find much enjoyment in the sheer vibrancy and musical pleasure here.

So, within its genre, I give the music of this disk 5 stars, but its physical embodiment in an infected CD merits no stars at all, rather, a big raspberry!

Fantastic.......2006-02-26

These are truely wonderful singing voices,backed up by a beautiful orchestra.The first song actually gave me chills.I can't wait to buy another one of their CD's.I recommend it highly to anyone who loves REAL music.

Well Arranged but Overproduced.......2006-02-20

This is a novel concept for opera lovers and fans. There are some original songs and also some classic arias and ensembles with a modern update. Most of the pieces have been "enhanced" with additional voices (e.g. an aria sung as a two-soprano piece, with three male voices as backup).

Unfortunately, this album has so much echo and reverb that it is almost impossible to hear the artists' actual voices. If you just like opera music, this is a wonderful album, but if you are a student of the operatic voice, look elsewhere.

Copy protection dangerous and unlawfull.......2006-01-20

Copy protection is unlawful. ENCRYPTED MUSIC TAKES AWAY OUR RIGHTS AS AMERICAN CITIZENS. STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND DON'T BUY THIS ARTISTS MUSIC!

Average customer rating:

For Fans of Broadway (Sondheim, Hamlisch & Bernstein e.g.):
The songs that didn't get away
Songs that showcase Sarah's theatrical gifts
Good, for Sarah Brightman
Pleasant, but not up to standard

The Songs That Got Away

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dive
Surrender
The Trees They Grow So High
Fly
As I Came of Age

ASIN: B000005S0R
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Meadowlark
I Am Going To Like It Here
I Remember
Mr. Monotony
Dreamers
Silent Heart
Lud's Wedding
Three-Cornered Tune
If I Ever Fall In Love Again - Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman
What Makes Me Love Him?
Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
Away From You
If Love Were All
Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman

Amazon.com

For those Sarah Brightman fans who didn't spring for The Songs That Got Away when it was a pricey import, this domestic release will be a must-buy. Originally recorded in 1989 shortly after she achieved international fame in The Phantom of the Opera, the album spotlights obscure American and British musical theater songs that either were removed from shows or were "lost" when the shows themselves slipped out of the repertoire. (Of course, some of the songs aren't nearly as obscure as they were in 1989--the opening track, Stephen Schwartz's soaring "Meadowlark," has since been claimed by Liz Callaway, Patti LuPone, and Betty Buckley, while Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember"--well suited to Brightman's glasslike tones--is now recognized as one of his most gorgeous and haunting compositions.) Brightman performs well on this diverse collection of entertaining and often lovely songs, including an early draft of Frank Loesser's "Fugue for Tinhorns," here sung as a triple-tracked, lilting waltz, and the Puccini aria "Chi il bel sogno di doretta," which foreshadows her later, more ambitious crossover projects. There's also a tune from Jeeves by then-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber, who produced this album not long before he and Brightman divorced in 1990. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

For Fans of Broadway (Sondheim, Hamlisch & Bernstein e.g.):.......2007-02-24

This is an interesting and surprising production that showcases the vocal prowess of Sara Brightman. It is not however, representative of the new and highly overproduced vocal productions that constitute her newer recordings. Although this production really allows the listener to hear a very melodic and unencumbered vocal performance, as it is pleasing in it's simplicity, yet meant for the more discriminating listener. Fans of Irving Berlin, Andrew Lloyd Weber, and Richard Rodgers will feel right at home here. For those seeking another major sonic production as in Eden, La Luna, Dive, or The Harem Tour this is not it! My criticism is not of her vocal prowess or production values but the apparently endless array of previously released material offered as a new and different recording. But I suppose that this is rather due to the greedy objectives of of A&M Records just trying to go to the bank, often and laden heavy with dollars. Nothing that any label wouldn't try to do. My advice with Sara Brightman is "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) check the disc carefully for redundancy of tracks within her discography. If you're a fan of this genre of music, you will probably respond quite well to this recording.

The songs that didn't get away.......2004-02-12

This is one of my favorite albums by Sarah. She surprised me with her ability to go from light opera to jazz. Here we don't find the over-produced albums such as Harem, just a superbly trained voice. No little girl breathy tunes here, just solid performances. This is the Sarah Brightman that I like to remember and enjoy. If you see this album and you're a Sarah Brightman fan, pick it up and treasure it. I'd like to see her do more of thisgenre, where she showcases her voice. Who ever thinks that Sarah has a small voice will be convinced otherwise by this album.

Songs that showcase Sarah's theatrical gifts.......2003-12-11

Before experimental albums like Dive and Fly, as well as the ones where her classically-trained voice enchanted millions, Sarah Brightman did a collection of musical and theatrical songs originally released in 1989, but reissued when she made it big with Time To Say Goodbye. Her vocal style leans towards the theatrical Broadway side, but more mellowed. But on songs like the strings-laden mid-tempo "Meadowlark" from Stephen Schwartz's The Baker's Wife, the way she would later do splendidly interpret Lloyd Webber's songs is in the making. Here are other highlights, including those that were reissued on Sarah's Encore album (2002).

Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember" is a sad ballad told from the POV of a window mannequin remembering the sights it has experienced throughout the seasons, but the memories are now hazy and at the end, it sings, "At times I think/I would gladly die/for a day of sky."

Some songs like "Lud's Wedding" from Bernstein's failed bicentennial musical, only seem to work due to Sarah's voice. Ditto for the simple "Three-Cornered Tune." Consisting of three verses, each repeated twice. However, Irving Berlin's "Mr. Monotony", a tune understandably cut from Easter Parade, is not a particularly inspiring song.

Marvin Hamlisch's "Dreamers" is one of my favourites here, as I have affinity to it, and I'm sure Sarah is one at heart as well. "Only dreamers have wings with which to fly far away", as in their own fantasies, but unfortunately, "sometimes dreamers are forced to leave their dreams far away", i.e. the harshness of reality. However, it paints them in a positive light and states that everyone needs to have some sort of dream "to take time to find treasures and mountains we can climb."

"Silent Heart" really showcases Sarah's voices, on how some things the heart is best left silent, as in things that really thrill it. "If I Ever Fall In Love Again" is taken from The Crooked Mile and is a nice love song Sarah really wraps herself in.

"Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta" from Puccini's La Rondine is a great showcase of the operatic voice that would come into full bloom on Time To Say Goodbye. This song would be reissued on Encore.

"Away From You" by Richard Rodgers, and taken from a musical biog of Henry VIII (!!!). "The clocks are frozen and time's a traveler who's lost his way" is one of the sentiments Sarah conveys effectively. Also reissued on Encore.

"If love were all, I should be lonely" sings Sarah from Noel Coward's Bittersweet, "If Love Were All" was the one song that stood out for me when I first heard this CD. The ability of a talent to amuse is seen as a solid standing for mental security. A definite standout here.

From Lloyd Webber's Jeeves, the lush strings of "Half A Moment" features the vocal stylings familiar enough to those who have Sarah's Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. It focuses on how important the capture of a moment to bright up a future rainy day is. Also reissued on Encore.

Initially, I dismissed this as the songs that should've stayed away. Although they lack the magical punch of Time To Say Goodbye or La Luna, it's still a worthwhile collection, because Sarah's clear birdlike theatrical/musicals voice makes it all worthwhile.

Good, for Sarah Brightman.......2003-08-25

Some people just love Sarah's voice, but I don't see what's so special about it. She sings in two sorts of ways, the first one is lovely, simple, forgetable, and the other sounds like Stitch with a high voice. This CD does her justice, though. A lot of the tunes are catchy and nice (how she sings them could be better) but the one I really like is "Three cornered tune." Now that's a good song! She does not have a particularly bad voice, but nothing interesting - that's for sure. And when she tries to act in her music she sounds even worse! But that's alright. After all, everyone has a different style. A highlight of this CD includes "Mr. Monotony," which, unfortunatly, did not come with lyrics in the CD case. Too bad, because its a great song. At the end of this record, though, she writes about these songs and - wow! It is amazing how many shows that song was taken out of! At one point it said it had Judy Garland singing it, and when I try to imagine her doing it I know that must have been awesome. I really want to hear Judy Garland singing this song sometime. Maybe I'll find it here on Amazon... But anyway, back to Sarah Brightman. The only other thing I can think of to say at the moment is that from what I've heard of her records, this is as good as it gets. And also, the track titled "Dreamers" is nice. I like the tune and she doesn't sing it too bad, either. It would be a good song to be played at a graduation. Only after a while the sound of it gets a little creepy and annoying. And its sticky, too. "Silent heart" is a classic, though she shouldn't sing it twice. For you see, she sings it, and then you think, "Ah, that's a sweet song. Wonderful words, soft tune," and the music gets at a great stoping point and then comes back for an encore (as one of Sarah's other records is titled). And then we have to listen to it all over again - and its not as good the second time. So overall is it good? Yes, it is. Though perhaps not good enough.

Pleasant, but not up to standard.......2003-06-22

I love Sarah Brightman's singing and her musical style as presented on Eden and La Luna. This CD is completely different in style from those two. I find it enjoyable, but it is not my favorite. Her singing is nothing special on this CD, it doesn't display her vocal range or talent in the way that her other CDs do, especially her CD "Surrender", her vocals are absolutely stunning on that CD.

Average customer rating:

Amazing Depth

Disturbia

Manufacturer: Lakeshore Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Smokin Aces
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Bourne Ultimatum
Ratatouille
1408

ASIN: B000Q9OD80
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Disturbia
Fishing
Poofoot
Voyeurism
Every Killer Lives Next Door To Someone
I Like To Play
Stealth Ronnie
Walking Ashley Home
The Club Girl
Stalking a Killer
The Basement Graveyard

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Depth.......2007-07-10

This ascending talent in American cinema finally gets his due on this great release.

I look forward to many more fantastic showings from Mr. Zanelli.

Average customer rating:

Schizophrenic Album
About Stumbling Upon:
a lesser known treasure
What a find!
What a welcome rediscovery!

Garden of Joy/Jim Kweskin's America
Jim Kweskin , and Geoff & Maria Muldar
Manufacturer: Collectables
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band - Greatest Hits
Jump for Joy
Relax Your Mind
What Ever Happened to Those Good Old Days at Club 47
Even Dozen Jug Band

ASIN: B000B2WJTW
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Tracks:

If You're a Viper
Minglewood
Garden of Joy
Circus Song
My Old Man
Kaloobafak (I'm Confessin' [That I Love You]
Sheik of Araby
When I Was a Cowboy (Western Plains)
Mood Indigo
I Ain't Gonna Marry
Ella Speed
Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You

Tracks:

Back in the Saddle
Sugar Babe
Okie from Muskogee
99 Year Blues
Rambling Round Your City
Amelia Earhart's Last Flight
Stealin'
Old Rugged Cross
Dark as a Dungeon
Old Black Joe

Customer Reviews:

Schizophrenic Album.......2007-06-27

The two disks in this set are quite distinct. The first is vintage Jim Kweskin jug band music, but it is only 33 minutes long. Stingy. The second consists of 10 mostly well-known mostly sentimental songs sung soggily.

My rating is based on four stars for the first disk and zero stars for the second. I find it hard to relate the two glowing views posted above to the album that I heard.

About Stumbling Upon:.......2007-05-13

I was wanderin' around a store, looking at books, picking up one and another and looking at it, then doin' the same with DVDs, then went to the CD section and looked here and there at and for this and that. Saw lots I wanted. Then thought to check, yet again, for Kweskin Jug Band -- and this was there! Guess what I did -- go ahead, guess. OK, I'll tell ya: I jumped for joy!

I picked up the vinyl of "Garden of Joy" when it was released in circa August, 1967 (even though I'm still not tall enough to be over 18, so couldn't possibly have done that). Gad! it was like reading a favorite nosepaper headline to see it again. I did what's called "scarfed" it. Strangely, or not, I had never heard "America," though a friend of years, of years ago, had it. Strangely (more likely), I've still not heard it: that's how good "Garden of Joy" is. Fun. Aw-reet! If

you'se a viper you might even remember it. If not, then you'll dig "Kaloobafack" (also). That's Fritz doin' the talkin.

Why are you wastin' time reading this!? Buy it, slip it in, an' try to not dance -- but don't step on the tumatuhs!

a lesser known treasure.......2007-03-07

As a kid, a promo LP of Jim Kweskin's America fell upon me. It was not the accustomed, but it gradually struck a deep chord. Many of the songs as performed by Kweskin, Muldaur, Lyman and company have stayed in my mind through the decades even though I haven't heard them in ages (haven't had a working record player to play that LP). I just discovered the reissue and look forward to hearing them other than in the mind's ear. The tone of the America album is peculiar. There is a tongue-in-cheek quality to a number of the performances, yet it's clear that they love the music, too. I would recommend tracks but fully seven of ten make my first cut. This is fine and interesting music, much of it from America's interwar years (that is, WWI and WWII).

What a find!.......2006-03-23

Stumbling across this set was magical for a number of reasons. Every few months, I would check the internet music sites for a reissue of Kweskin's "America" and it never showed up until... Likewise, for years, I had been trying to remember where I first heard "Minglewood (Blues)" and "If You're a Viper". Ka-Ching! So many wishes granted in one package. Two sides of one of the most estoteric musicians of the sixties and both wonderful. Someone make a movie on the life of Gus Cannon and maybe we'll have a brief rebirth of jug band music up in here.

What a welcome rediscovery!.......2006-01-17

I'm referring to Jim Kweskin's America, which I had feared I would not hear again for many a year. My old lp and tapes are lost, and this is the first reissue I've seen. What deep healing music!

It's an odd repackaging. The old Jim Kweskin before the reborn man, quite a contrast to say the least. The old Jim sings on Garden of JOy, the new man on America.

I don't believe America is for the casual listener, unless he's ready for quite a deep transformation. "Are they all 'in the Spirit'?" my new wife asked me when I recently played it for the two of us. Afterwards she announced herself totally healed of a deep malaise she'd been suffering. I heard it anew myself. It always sounds different to me. Sometimes my thoughts will come crowding in and the "old-timey" music seems suddently far away, and I feel guilty. But I relax and open up again and it's as powerful as ever. It's the saddest, most joyful, far-ranging, profoundest music of America ever sung. Unbelievable that it hasn't reached a larger audience -- but then, maybe it has and people still don't know how to talk about it.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Pop-Rock
It's NOT the Gin Blossoms
A GREAT CD!
CLASSIC ROBIN!! NOW, DON"T FORGET THE POPPIN WHEELIES!!
FBTBB Rocks! 5 Stars!!

From Beyond the Back Burner
Gas Giants
Manufacturer: Atomic Pop
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gas Giants
Major Lodge Victory
Dusted
Up & Crumbling
Northey Valenzuela

ASIN: B000021XVT
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

Now The Change
I Hope My Kids Like Marilyn Manson
In Between Two Worlds
Stinking Up The Charts
Whose Side Are You On
Circus Of Stars
Quitter
Useless
Letter
Going Down
Like It Or Not
Tonight Won't Let Me Wander
You're Absolutely

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Pop-Rock.......2007-02-25

This is Robin and Phil (singer and drummer) from the Gin Blossoms' post-Blossoms effort. This CD came out in '99, and I was a little late getting it, but I'm a huge Gin Blossoms fan, and this does not dissapoint. Pretty similar to the Blossoms last record, perhaps a little more aggressive? Anyways, near perfect pop-rock. Don't player hate, get this.

It's NOT the Gin Blossoms.......2004-11-12

This wasn't what I expected coming from 2 of the members of the Gin Blossoms. Actually, I heard that the other member of the Gas Giants was a member of the Gin Blossoms way back in the day. Anyway... the Gin Blossoms put out incredible albums. Generally, there aren't many bad tunes on their cds. But the Gas Giants couldn't pull that off. "I hope my kids like Marylin Manson" and "Quitter" are really good songs. But the rest of the album is average at best. It was sort of a filler during the time when the Gin Blossoms had broken up. Hearing Robin's voice and Phil's beats was great but it lacked Bill's bass lines. But hey, they're not supposed to be the Gin Blossoms so I'll cut them some slack.
As a side note.. what the heck is with the name "Gas Giants" anyway????????????

A GREAT CD!.......2004-07-11

Many of these previous reviews hit it on the nail. ROBIN has a wonderful voice and makes this project, POPPIN' WHEELIES and now recording with the GIN BLOSSOMS again....reason to BUY this and the other ROBIN WILSON CDs! A CLASS act!

CLASSIC ROBIN!! NOW, DON"T FORGET THE POPPIN WHEELIES!!.......2003-09-19

Always been a Robin Wilson fan, as it seems he was the focal point of both the much-loved Gin Blossoms and his followup band here, the Gas Giants. His vocal style is just CLASSIC powerpop, and here, Robin is in VERY fine form. I just love the Gin Blossoms records, and their mix of great Big Star-ish powerpop, jangly REM/Byrds riffs, and a drop of alt-country for flavour.

Now, I love harder-edged powerpop too, like Cheap Trick, and here, on this flat-out FANTASTIC Gas Giants record, Robin and his pals seem to merge Robin's trademark vocal stylings of his Gin Blossoms days, with more of a Cheap Trick-ish setting, and it totally works. It's like the Gin Blossoms live attack but in the studio. And the reason it works is cuz of Robin's spot-on powerpop songwriting and pure passionate yet understated vocals, plus their sense of fun. Robin is just great and he seems to not be able to do any wrong moves, classic!!

There are at LEAST 3 classic tunes here: "In Between Two Worlds", "Quitter" and "Tonight Won't Let Me Wander", and all the others are almost in the same excellent realm. I also rally dig "Circus Of Stars" and the way it changes form mid-song without losing any melody or momentum, quite inventive really, even genius.

Now, here's a tip: there IS a SECOND Gas Giants record out, but not under that name, but the POPPIN WHEELIES!! They sell it here on Amazon.com, but no one seems to know about it here, and that's a shame, because it's CLASSIC ROBIN (Dan and Phil AND Scotty Johnson are on there too)!! It's Robin + his pals doing a Gorillaz-like project, aka a CARTOON, but it's still the same voice and style, like classic Gin Blossoms, the Gas Giants edge, just more powerpop sugar piled on, a VERY good thing. It was produced by Robin, most of the tunes WRITTEN by Robin, along with 3 Tommy Keene covers (attention powerpop enthusiasts), including a killer "Places That Are Gone"!! Imagine ROBIN WILSON SINGING "PLACES THAT ARE GONE" (with Scotty Johnson on lead guitar), and believe me, it's as drop-dead amazing as you would imagine. TOTALLY cool!! Sooo, order this Gas Giants record AND the Poppin Wheelies CD (and Jesse's solo record, "Tunes Young People Will Enjoy"), and you are set!!

Robin rules, what can I say?? Helluva nice guy too...

FBTBB Rocks! 5 Stars!!.......2001-02-21

As a longtime fan of Gin Blossoms and Robin Wilson, I bought the CD as soon as it came out. I LOVE it! I think it has a great diversity of styles; a cool mix. Great rockers, classic pop tunes, everything a music lover can want. Robin's impeccible vocal style is in fine form. I give FBTBB 5 stars!

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music