Chrysalis

Chrysalis

ASIN: B0006MSNVU

Track Listings

1. Snowaltz

2. Nightfall

3. Cool But Confusing

4. Chrysalis

5. Silhouettes

6. Le Luxe V

7. Yellow Bus

8. Sculpture IV

9. Sculpture V

Editorial Reviews
Jon Garelick, Boston Phoenix October 2004
"[His] music moves in subtle, wave-like rhythmic variations... colored by warm, pastel harmonies and tone colors."

Product Description
BRUNO RÅBERG'S CHRYSALIS Boston-based bassist/composer Bruno Råberg is proud to announce the November 30th release of his fifth recording as a leader, Chrysalis (Orbis Music OM404), on his own Orbis Music label. This new recording features nine diverse Råberg originals written specifically for his new all-star nonet of notable veteran Boston and New York musicians.

Chrysalis

Tracks:

Sugar The Road
Working On The Road
50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain
Year 3,000 Blues
Me And My Baby
Love Like A Man
Circles
As The Sun Still Burns Away

Amazon.com

Ten Years After guitarist Alvin Lee's hyperactive guitar solos (fretboard attacks a speed-metal guitarist would be proud to unleash) caught the ear of British rock fans and built a bridge to the blues. The well-produced Cricklewood Green, consisting of all-original material by Lee, is the group's best studio effort. For a band that made its reputation with live performances, most conspicuously at the Woodstock festival, that's probably minor praise, but it's praise nevertheless. The extended workout of the hit single "Love Like a Man" is the centerpiece of the album, one that opens with the frantic buzz of the back-to-back road songs "Sugar the Road" and "Working on the Road." But Lee, ably assisted by keyboardist Chick Churchill, fleshes out the trademark Ten Years After blues frenzy with an assortment of atypical approaches and styles. "Me and My Baby" delivers Lee and the band in a relaxed, almost swinging, mode, while "Circles" is a rare ballad offering. The sci-fi blues of "Year 3000 Blues" and semi-psychedelia of "50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain" and "As the Sun Still Burns Away" further extend the album's reach without sacrificing any of Lee's guitar excursions. --Michael Point

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2007-03-23

Great studio album. Alvin Lee is one of the best, next to Peter Green and Clapton. But don't buy used copy from Smokey Mountain Books, they're a rip-off.

The Best from Ten Years After.......2007-02-22

If you enjoy 1970's Rock and Roll, this is a must for your collection

Cricklewood Green...Excellent! but SHAME on Amazon :(.......2006-10-19

I know you probably won't publish my review. But I am returning this CD which you promote as the "Reissue-Remastered" edition by EMI, yet what I received was the old Chrysalis recording which sounds horrible. I know it was a deal at $3.99, but I don't apreciate being lied to.

I have been an Amazon customer for years and hope to keep buying from you, yet it's things like these that make me start looking elsewhere.

...I just spoke to customer service at Amazon, and they are giving me a full refund. Amazon, the product may be bad and misrepresented, but your customer service makes the difference. thanks! :)

A classic album by an obscure band.......2005-11-18

It's a shame not many people know about Ten Years After. I'm very thankful for my Father for introducing me to this band. Alvin Lee is a masterful guitarist, years ahead of his time. The songs on Cricklewood are wonderfully written, and from track to track have a great flow. Buy this album if you're a blues/rock fan, you won't be dissapointed.

Not there best.......2005-07-30

Good cd, but I'd prefer SSShhhh, Watt, rock 'n roll music to the world, or TYA ist album.

Average customer rating:

Touches your heart and soul
A musical tapestry of elegence
Don't Miss Out- Pick Up Some 2002!
Worth telling friends about
Meditation and Healing Music at its Best

Chrysalis
2002
Manufacturer: Real Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

Relaxation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Land of Forever
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River of Stars
Across an Ocean of Dreams
This Moment Now

ASIN: B000001J5C
Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

To Touch The Sky
Chrysalis
A Gift Of Life
Greater Than The Sum
Spinning The Silk
Journey Within
Dream Come True
Healing Rain
Cocoon
Magic Flower

Customer Reviews:

Touches your heart and soul.......2006-10-19

I have bought this CD four times because I am so impressed with it. It is the first CD that the music actually touched me to a depth that it brought tears to my eyes. The soft melodies sooth the heart and soul. I bought it four times because everytime I wear it out listening to it, as I fall asleep at night.

A musical tapestry of elegence.......2006-01-22

I stumbled across this CD quite by accident in a 'Natural Wonders' store several years ago. I was intrigued by the cover art as well as the brief desrtiption of the music as "hauntingly beautiful" and bought it.

That chance encounter-which could have happened later as the genre of this music appeals to me, turned into one of those rare and great musical treasure discoveries.

Unlike some music which has to be heard repeatedy for the listener to attain common ground with the artist(s), 'Chrysalis' draws one majically from the very first playing into a mystical experience that transcends the earthly realm to a level of serenety, joy, and at times melancholy that is at its very least beautiful, and at its best a rare masterpiece.

Like all great albums, the whole is a theme of individual tracks that weave consistently from one to the next, and there are no weak songs. At the end, you wonder where the time went and are wanting for the experience to never end.

Interestingly, it was a couple of years before I searched out their other works, and found them to be equally worthy.

Following the timeline of 2002's works is like watching something very mystical, rare, and beautiful come of age. Each album has a coherent theme,(this one the metaphor of metamorphasis of caterpillar to butterfly-say that 3 times!) and usually a myth or ancient legend behind it as inspiration-which reveals that there is an intellectual depth behind the music that on the surface is quite pleasing to the unsophisticated ear, but at the same time- for the disciplined and discerning listener each time listening reveals deeper layers of elegance and beauty that is obviously the product of gift, discipline, and mostly a lot of hard work.

All great creators-whether musical, artistic, or literary- are inspired by the majestic, profound, and sometimes deeply sad mysteries of this journey we call life, and as each uses their chosen medium to fulfill their endless need to create-whether as a medium to convey their deepest feelings to others, or simply for the release of the life energy within, they leave great works that awe and inspire others long after their time on earth is done. 2002 is worthy of that billing. I highly reccomend their work.

Don't Miss Out- Pick Up Some 2002!.......2005-08-02

I first heard a song from this album on a cable TV audio channel. It was my introduction to 2002. I quickly wrote down the information about the song, which was glorious, and later found it at Amazon. I can say wholeheartedly that this album is one of my favorites. I was really lucky to hear it on that TV channel. It opened my eyes to the world of 2002. Now I own Land of Forever, This Moment Now, River of Stars, Chrysalis, and Across an Ocean of Dreams. Do yourself a favor, lovers of New Age music, get all of the 2002 you can, starting with this album.

Worth telling friends about.......2004-05-06

2002 is a group that is hard to go wrong with. I own Chrysalis, Across an Ocean of Dreams, River of Stars, Land of Forever, and This Moment Now. I do not have a favorite; every album of theirs that I own is equally good and worth buying in my opinion. If you like lullabies, meditational music, and music to relax to, you have found your jackpot. 2002 really helps you unwind. I use it to find my center right before going to sleep almost every night. No complaints here. Thank you 2002, I appreciate your talents!

Meditation and Healing Music at its Best.......2003-09-03

There are very few albums that would get five stars from me, but this is one of them. If you are looking for a Yanni-like experience, or one of those ubiquitous neo-new age albums with the synthesized drumbeat, this may not be your cup of tea. If you are a seeker of consciousness, awareness or healing, though, this album will become a close friend. The tracks play as an organic whole, and many times I have realized that I was in an awake lucid dreaming state without even trying. This music resonates with an inner harmonic chord, and is transformational. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Should-Have Album
great old times
At last!
Never Thought I'd Hear It Again

Michel Colombier
Michel Colombier
Manufacturer: Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
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Live and Outrageous

ASIN: B0000300JK
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

Sunday
Take Me Down
Dreamland
Queens Road
Overture
Bird Song
Layas
Do It
Spring
Dancing Bull
Autumn Land

Album Details

Recorded Back in 1979, this Magic Album is Now Totally Remastered on CD for the First Time! Famouns List of Guests: Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine and Many More!

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Should-Have Album.......2005-02-07

The personnel on this album are simply many of the very very best studio and cameo musicians on the planet at the time. Perusing the back cover will knock your sox off. Tom Scott, Larry Carlton, Michael Brecker, on and on, plus the wonderful Jaco Pastorius playing in top studio form on numerous cuts. Wow, really great stuff. ...Got the vinyl myself in '78 or '79 and now look for the CD.

great old times.......2001-02-23

guy's this is the bollock's ! a beautiful album first heard in the 70's . i was involved in west end theatre at the time and all the muso's were blown away !!!

At last!.......2001-01-20

This is one of the biggest possible surprises for me (concerning music, of course!). "The" fusion record with one of the most stunning and touching appearances of Jaco (Dreamland is one of the most beautiful tunes ever written!) is available on CD. I only can subscribe to everything David Dunn, the other "reviewer", has already written, including the endless search in music stores in different countries to replace the battered and only cassette copy being on the verge of self destruction all those years! I haven't even heard the new mix, 'cause I'm just about to order the CD, but one thing's for sure, as we say in Germany: "This is like christmas and eastern at one day!" To everybody who knows that masterpiece: Congratulations to us and let's see what they did to improve the guitar sound, haha! Greetings to David Dunn, isn't that peculiar and fascinating to share the same love and taste living on the opposite ends of the world?

Never Thought I'd Hear It Again.......2000-10-23

every music shop i visited and searched through in Europe,Australia and New Zealand failed to come up with the c.d of"Michel Colombier"so i could not beleive my goodfortune when i spotted it on Amazon. This is truly one of the best melodic jazz/quasi classical albums ever.When you pick a cd of the best musicians in the world you know their performance will be great but what is unknown is the quality of the compositions. Michel Colombier has some of the best musicians in the world

recording marvelous compositions.In particular Jaco Pastorius plays with such sensitivity and note choice on the tracks Dreamland and Birdsong that one is left in a complete state of calm. This cd also features the great skills of Larry Carlton,Peter Erskin,Steve Gadd,Herbie Hancock,Lee Ritenour,Tom Scott,Michael Rrecker and the London Symphony Orchestra. Anyone who is a fan of this group of performers should,without question, buy this c.d even if the track previews are unavailable.

What a Life!
Average customer rating:

Power-Punk-Pop at it's Best!

Pure Rock! Great Band!

SuperSexy Power Rock/New Wave Hybrid

Excellent!!! forgotten eighties treasure

Divinyls- The "original" alternative band

What a Life!
The Divinyls
Manufacturer: Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Divinyls

Essential

Greatest Hits

Temperamental

ASIN: B000008F4C
Release Date: 1998-03-11

Tracks:

Pleasure And Pain
Don't You Go Walking
Good Die Young
Sleeping Beauty
Motion
In My Life
Casual Encounter
Heart Telegraph
Guillotine Day
Dear Diary

Album Description

1985 album for Aussie new wave act.

Customer Reviews:

Power-Punk-Pop at it's Best!.......2005-08-28

Australia has produced some fine bands (Bon Scott's AC/DC) & some absolute rubbish (Men at Work), but none can compare to Christina Amphlett, "The Wonder From Down Under" & her band Divinyls. This is the best of their releases, a truly amazing experiment in powerful, energetic Punk/Pop that has never been duplicated - & judging by the state of music these days - never will!!
This is one of my favorite albums of ALL TIME! "What A Life!" is one of those rare examples of a record that kicks ass from opening note to glorious conclusion; every song, every chord, every lyric intelligently crafted by talented musicians who know how to get a point across to the listener without being pretentious or overbearing. Amphlett's delivery is caustic yet invigorating, raw yet poignant, sweet & sexy yet sinister all at once - a feat only a rare few can attain. Each tune has its own unique identity, yet they blend together seamlessly as if parts of a "concept" album. The instruments accent each other perfectly, & when combined with Amphlett's power they resemble a hard-rocking blues band more than a punk outfit (a la Patti Smith or Concrete Blonde). This record must be listened to in its entirety to get the full impact - cherry-picking is for 80 IQ & under lame-oids!
MTV & VH-1 classify Divinyls as "One-hit Wonders", which shows how much they know about music! Trust me - this band is HOT!! I highly recommend EVERY DIVINYLS RECORD, but this is the best of the best! Do yourself a favor & add "What A Life!" to your collection - you'll never watch music television again!!

Pure Rock! Great Band!.......2005-07-15

I love this cd By Australia's Divinyls...My favorite songs are: Pleasure and Pain and Dear diary..I love Christina's super sexy style. The Divinyls will always be one of the best rock bands of the 80's..Must have for Divinyls fans!

SuperSexy Power Rock/New Wave Hybrid.......2005-07-08

The second full-length album by the DiVinyls, this is the 'International' Edition of "What A Life" that was released for the world at large and not the original Australian version, which is apparantly unavailable anywhere on CD. The two differ in this disc's exclusion of the tracks 'Talk Like The Rain', 'Old Radios', 'Para-Dice' and 'What A Life', and the abscence of 'Don't You Go Walking', 'Motion' and 'Casual Encounter' from the old original version. This disc is perfect in the songs it has, but somehow somebody has to get those other tracks out on CD format.

Onto the disc at hand: "What A Life" is definately the most New Wave-ish of the DiVinyls's albums, mixed with more of a power rock/hard rock style than New Wave usually has (I'm not really an expert on the style but I have heard and liked some of it). And it's quintessentially DiVinyls, having that unique intangible that's at the core of all their albums, whatever style they're playing, that's always taken bits and pieces of the best of so many genres and subgenres until the DiVinyls almost constitute their own genre.

"Pleasure And Pain" is one of the least typical musically of the group's output, probably because ('cover songs' excluded) it's the only one they've done that none of the band members wrote or co-wrote. It's a great song though, very well written and distinctively performed, about a woman trying to find a way out of an abusive relationship. It's got this poppy beat, strange for a song of its subject matter, but Christina Amphlett's vocals hit all the right notes emotionally and it, like other tracks before and after this album, debunks the notion among critics that DiVinyls only do one kind of lyrical material. "Pleasure And Pain" helps show their true versatility musically and lyrics-wise.

"Don't You Go Walking" treads the tried but true ground of 'lover don't leave' material found on so many rock albums, but with the added vocal quirks and impassioned bellowing Amphlett brings to the table and a great extended guitar outro. "Good Die Young" is on the much rarer (musically) ground of what I think of as Dark New Wave, with drummer Richard Harvey getting a good chance to shine, and another turn of the tragic/dark side of Chrissie's vocals which she used to such devastating effect on "Elsie" off the "Desperate" album.
"Sleeping Beauty" - now here's the kind of song the DiVinyls Are known for, and how they shine on this one! Deliciously suggestive vocals from Chrissie ranging from dreamily pure to teasingly playful to red-hot whispered husky. "Motion" is just plain bizarre, and wonderfully so, with Chrissie in full Wild Girl mode through most of her singing.

On "In My Life" though, the vocals manage to go from wild to downright scary. Christina is one of four singers I know who can really, on more than just an occasional basis, 'sing scary' when they want to (the others are Alice Cooper, King Diamond and Till Lindemann from Rammstein). This is a delight though, not dark. Roller coaster ride scary vocals. "Casual Encounter" is a misinterpreted song. People say it's mean and taunting; I get the opposite from it. It's about a girl looking for love (and sex, might as well call a spade a spade) but who's tired and cranky (Really cranky in this case) from potential suitors faking the first just to try to get the second. That's how I read it anyway. Musically, it's one of the most clearly Hard Rock tracks on the album and the least New Wave.

"Heart Telegraph" is really different musically again, with unique intro effects and a pulsing, electronic-sounding rhythm throughout and more subdued but still excellent vocals. "Guillotine Day"'s vocals are definately not subdued and highlighted by great keyboards.

The album ends with "Dear Diary", one of the most beautifully haunting tracks I've ever heard. Soft and powerful vocals, an outstanding example of the art of songwriting, incredible musicianship all around, the effect of the rain heard in the background fitting in perfectly, the slow drums seeming to bleed with unnameable emotions. A perfect way to close an eclectic album.

Only downsides: not enough pictures of Christina (alright, to be fair there'd have to be some of the rest of the band too, but it's the abscence of a booklet of Chrissie pictures I'm mourning); the 4 missing tracks from the original version of this still NEED to get out there ("Old Radios" has the single most adorably bizarre vocals I've ever heard) and it's been too many years since there was any new DiVinyls material. Maybe they've retired or gone onto non-performing ventures, but if you read this, PLEASE consider coming back for even just a couple of new songs to go on a collection of rarities. We miss you!

Okay, enough lamentations. Great, eclectic and unforgettable album. 10/10, at the very least.

Excellent!!! forgotten eighties treasure.......2003-12-03

God I miss the eighties! when are we going to have another creative explosion, from the looks of things that's not going to happen. I loved this band the first time I saw them on MTV, and I miss them. When is America going to wake up and smell the roses instead of wallowing headfirst in the dingleberries of current music. Stop pipe dreaming...Guitar driven and fun! classic alternative rock album, not really a bad song on it...give it a try at least for nostalgic interest and remember... they did it before Nirvana or Hole or any other imitator that's followed.

Divinyls- The "original" alternative band.......2003-06-04

Before Nirvana, before Godsmack, before Alanis, before anybody considered alternative nowadays, there was Christina Amphlett and the Divinyls, period. This album was made in 1984, when many of todays "alternative" band members were still in diapers.
It is also one of the rare albums, you can play front to back without skipping any songs.

Average customer rating:

Best Billy Idol Album Ever!
Set the Cruise Control to Idol

Charmed Life
Billy Idol
Manufacturer: Capitol/Emi/Sbk/Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

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Billy Idol
Vital Idol

ASIN: B000008GS9
Release Date: 1990-05-01

Tracks:

The Loveless
Pumping On Steel
Prodigal Blues
L.A. Woman
Trouble With The Sweet Stuff
Cradle Of Love
Mark Of Caine
Endless Sleep
Love Unchained
The Right Way
License To Thrill

Album Description

Reissue of this 1990 album by former Generation X vocalist and bonafide Rock Star! Features the hits 'Cradle Of Love' and 'L.A. Woman'. 11 tracks total. EMI. 2006.

Customer Reviews:

Best Billy Idol Album Ever!.......2007-04-26

He took a much edgy, more hard rock path with this album. It's more along the lines of "Blue Highway," than any other songs before it. Less punk and more hard rock. His cover of "L.A. Woman" is worth buying this cd for.This is hands down my favorite Billy Idol record. Every song is memorable with great melodies and excellent lyrics. This was a perfect match between music and lyrics. More originality, more raw, and less pop and overproduced. It's great to hear this album because none of the songs are overplayed like "Mony Mony" and "Rebel Yell" on the other albums. Songs are alot deeper and unexplored such as "The Loveless," "Sweet Stuff," "Prodigal Blues," and "Cradle of Love." Definitely his most underappreciated and overlooked albums. Probably because it was ahead of it's time.

Set the Cruise Control to Idol.......2007-01-12

First, let me say I love BI and his band with Steve Stevens, what a great combo and music they could create, studio or live. The album is keeping in form with earlier releases, basically where you have 3-5 tracks on the whole affair worth listening to. But, REALLY worth listening to. The only hit was Rock The Cradle, but hits aren't always it.... I put my chips on Prodigal Blues! Anyway, with RTC amongst the tracks, this was supposedly a comeback album for Billy Idol, and it sold well, unlike the preceding disc from 4 years prior (1986), Whiplash Smile, which was wrongly considered a disappointment, when in fact, IMHO, it is his best work ever!!! Buy it, but buy this disc as well for the few tunes really worth listening to, since, after all, it's available for one cent used.

Average customer rating:

THE CD that changed my life!

Once in a Lifetime
Runrig
Manufacturer: Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Scottish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Contemporary Folk | Live Albums | Folk | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

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Mara

ASIN: B0000266Q3
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Tracks:

Dance Called America (Live)
Protect And Survive (Live Version)
Chi Mi'N Geamhradh (Live)
Rocket To The Moon (Live)
Going Home (Live)
Cnoc Na Feille (Live)
Nightfall On Marsco / 's Tu Mo Leannan (Live)
Skye (Live)
Loch Lomond (Live)
Hearts Of Olden Glory (Live)

Album Description

UK pressing. Ten live tracks from 1988 including the amazing 'Loch Lomond'. A must for fans of live music, especially Runrig fans. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

THE CD that changed my life!.......2003-07-22

This was the 1st Runrig CD I bought back in '94 when I didn't know anything about the band. But from the opening of the 1st song, Dance Called America, I was hooked for life. This was the Celtic sound I was looking for but didn't know it could exist from lead singer Donnie Munro's POWERFUL voice to the awe inspiring poetic lyrics of the MacDonald brothers, the perfect blend of traditional melody combined with heart-pounding energy of the ultimate Celtic rock concert - this is no delicate Celtic folksy New Age style - there's no fiddle player - the band has 2 drum sections, electric guitars, electric bagpipe, and electric keyboard. How a band that can play so loud and can still manage to produce a sound so deeply traditional to their Highland Gaelic roots is a miracle in itself. And they can compose in Gaelic which is a real treasure.

The impact of listening to this CD was life altering. Their music and lyrics inspire me to this date, even with the new lead singer. With over 16 Runrig cd's in my collection, this is still the definitive Runrig sound for me. The songs, the words, the sound, the voice - Runrig IS the reflection of modern Gaelic at its best. Especially if you are of Scottish heritage, you have to listen to this.

Average customer rating:

TYA, the generic version

Underrated...to me

BGO remastering for Positive Vibrations

Good cd

POSITIVELY ROCKS

Positive Vibrations
Ten Years After
Manufacturer: Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
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Ssssh

A Space in Time

ASIN: B0001CTJQS
Release Date: 2004-03-15

Tracks:

Nowhere to Run
Positive Vibrations
Stone Me
Without You
Going Back to Birmingham
It's Getting Harder
You're Driving Me Crazy
Look into My Life
Look Me Straight into the Eyes
I Wanted to Boogie

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Re-issue of Alvin Lee and Company's Last Studio Album for Chrysalis that was Originally Released in 1974.

Customer Reviews:

TYA, the generic version.......2006-07-24

'Positive Vibrations' was released in 1974 as the last studio album from Ten Years After. The band had an incredible run of eleven excellent albums. In the same year that 'P.V.' appeared on the shelves, Alvin Lee released a double vinyl disc with a collection of musicians known to him affectionately as "and company". That album lacked the classic Ten Years After sound that Lee's fan base had grown accustomed to, yet revealed Lee's composing prowess was anything but exhausted. In contrast, 'P.V.' possesses the superficial sound of TYA, but absent the composing genius that had continued into their previous studio album, 'Rock and Roll Music To The World', and the fire of their 'Recorded Live' 1973 release.

The title track from 'P.V.' is one of only two highlights on the disc, and even that song gives one the feeling that you've checked into a psychiatric hospital and the staff is trying to calm you down. The track does possess some interesting ponderings, such as Lee's complaint about "too many wonderers, ponderers and squanderers are wondering, pondering and squandering". Images like that may in themselves drive you crazy, if the rest of the disc doesn't. While Alvin and his fellows work hard to recreate the TYA formula for success, throwing in good-time rock & roll ('Going Down To Birmingham', complete with lyrics like "boom, boom, boom, boom", and "say hey, hey, hey, baby"), a lengthy, thoughtful epic ('Look Me Straight Into the Eyes', at 6:18 the longest excursion on the disc), a laid-back acoustic love ballad ('Without You', even with its dubious lyrics, such as, "I'm just like a grave without the flowers..."), a nod to the band's nodding off, drug enthused chapter ('Stone Me', which announces, to no one's surprise "I can't deny... I'm high"), and a Bob Seger 'Katmandu' redeux, 'You're Driving Me Crazy'. 'It's Getting Harder' brings in some horns to spice up the night, and a couple funky rock tracks with decent riffs (no surprise there) can be found in the opener, 'Nowhere To Run' and 'Look Into My Life', with lyrics harkening to '50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain'.

The best song on the disc turns out to be the closer, however... which gives us something positive besides the previous vibrations to remember the band by. While 'I Wanted To Boogie' may seem like faux-boogie at first glance, there's some sweet pickin' and interestin' lyrical work going on here. It's the one song on the disc where Alvin really churns convincingly on his e-lectric geetar. And with each verse beginning with "Well I wanted to boogie...", and finishing with entertaining mantra's such as "... but I wasn't sure if I wanted what you wanted me for", the song gets your foot to tappin' and you're brain cells firin'. Really too bad the rest of the album can't cook like that. I guess 'P.V.' retired the band in the same way all too many of our favorite entertainers, sports stars, and generals exit our lives... they just fade away. This one is for hard-core fans and completists only. I considered giving the disc two stars, but let's add one as a "thanks for the memories" to Alvin Lee, Chick Churchill, Ric Lee, and Leo Lyons. Thanks for the positive vibrations, men!

Underrated...to me.......2006-06-28

When I was a kid (this was in the early 90s) I was something of a classic rock junkie. My Dad gave me all his old records and I was in hog heaven. I'd spend my $5 allowance per week on 50 cent albums at thrift stores and used book stores. I loved the Beatles especially but would even buy albums by Journey, Bob Seger, The Eagles, and others if they were cheap enough. I liked them well enough but they were cheap and, more importantly, MUSIC, so I loved it.

My Dad had Positive Vibrations in his library and I found it when I was young. This is not their most popular release, but I'm very glad my Dad had it (he became a fan of the band after their awesome performance at Woodstock and their hit A Space In Time album). I used to pretend that I had a radio station back then and I'd pick a few choice cuts to put in regular rotation. My favorite on this one was the title cut. The lyrics, in retrospect, are kind of lame, but the chord progression and melody are classic, just totally fantastic. I wonder if Positive Vibrations is a play on Good Vibrations...

My other favorite cut on this album was Look Into My Life, which features better lyrics and a great riff that is expounded upon very well by the insanely well done drums. Another good melody on this one, as well. Look Me Straight Into The Eyes is another highlight, featuring the band in very tight form and another driving melody.

The rest of the album is pretty good as well, comprised of 50s rock throwback sounding songs (even a great Little Richard cover) and pretty straightforward Ten Years After sounding 70s blues/rock.

I could see how some would say that TYA had run out of steam by this album, as certain parts sound like they're coasting. But that is the view of the jaded music critic; the less cynical music fan will most likely find it enjoyable and worth the money - especially if you can find it in the 50 cent bin at the thrift store!

BGO remastering for Positive Vibrations.......2005-11-22

Definitely a superior sound. Great hearing these classic TYA tracks come alive. Hit 'I Wanted to Boogie' and crank up the volume. You'll hear keyboards & cowbell percussion not noticeable on the American Chrysalis release. Enjoy.

Good cd.......2005-07-30

Not as good as rock 'n roll music to the world, but A solid effort.

POSITIVELY ROCKS.......2004-09-11

GOING BACK TO BIRMINGHAM, YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY, LOOK ME
STRAIGHT INTO THE EYES, I WANTED TO BOOGIE, LOOK INTO MY LIFE,
and IT'S GETTING HARDER are all stand outs in the great tradition
of earlier TEN YEARS AFTER releases. But the band had set the bar
so high by the time of this set that it was close to impossible
to reach on a consistent basis. The remaining four songs are not
quite up to the standards these guys had set for themselves,
which is not to say they are bad songs. If they had been recorded
by any other band of the time, they may very well have been
considered album highlights.
Yes, the band was getting tired by '74 {and tired of eachother}.
Even so, they come through hard enough on this release for it
to be considered a rock classic and an essential entry into any
serious rock collection.
POSITIVE VIBRATIONS? The title almost invokes visions of a
softer, gentler TEN YEARS AFTER, but make no mistake, this c.d.
ROCKS.
Thanks, and keep rockin' to the classics.
Tom

Average customer rating:

One good mix
Kris Menace Remix

She's Madonna
Robbie Williams
Manufacturer: EMI/Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music
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E She's Madonna
I Could Fall in Love with You
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Rudebox

ASIN: B000N0W9N8
Release Date: 2007-02-22

Tracks:

Album Version
Chris Lake Remix
Kris Menace Vocal Re-Interpretation
Kris Menace Dub

Album Description

Part Two of Two. 2007 CD single, a collaboration between UK solo superstar Robbie Williams and Synth-Pop legends Pet Shop Boys, taken from Robbie's Rudebox album. Features four versions of 'She's Madonna': Main Version, Chris Lake Remix, Kris Menace Vocal Re-Interpretation and Kris Menace Dub. Chrysalis.

Album Details

2007 Single Release of Another Meeting Between the UK'S Leading Pop Singer and his Mentor Mates the Pet Shop Boys. The Song is Lifted from his Album "Rudebox" and Has Been Remixed Twice by "Chris Lake" and "Kris Menace".

Customer Reviews:

One good mix.......2007-03-27

...is all you get on this single. The "Menace" mix, as mentioned in the previous review, adds more depth to the original, but clocks in at a mere 4 minutes and 23 seconds. The Chris Lake mix is basically a dub, offering few vocals and a thematic thread that bears no resemblance to the original. I usually like Williams's remixes, but this package is a dud. Note to remixers: Please maintain the integrity of the original song while building around it. If I wanted to hear techno bleeps and burps, I'd actively pursue them.

Kris Menace Remix.......2007-03-22

The Kris Menace Vocal Re-Interpretation Mix is the best mix on the cd--hands down. It keeps many of the original elements of the song, but adds more to the beat. This enhances the synths in the original. The Chris Lake remix is horrible. It is boring and repetitive. Download the Menace Remix. The Dub is very good as well.

Average customer rating:

I have heard the Big Music.
Fine re-issue that doesn't replace the original
the signs of greater things to come!

A Pagan Place
The Waterboys
Manufacturer: Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Waterboys
This Is the Sea
Fisherman's Blues
Fisherman's Blues
Room to Roam

ASIN: B00005YU98
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Tracks:

Church Not Made With Hands
All The Things She Gave Me (Unedited)
The Thrill Is Gone (Unedited)
Rags
Some Of My Best Friends Are Trains
Somebody Might Wave Back
The Big Music
Red Army Blues
A Pagan Place
The Late Train To Heaven (Rockfield Mix)
Love That Kills (Instrumental)
The Madness Is Here Again
Cathy
Down Through The Dark Streets

Amazon.com

"I have heard the Big Music and I will never be the same," Mike Scott declares triumphantly on "Big Music." The lush romanticism of that song--with its layer upon layer of acoustic guitars, trumpet solos, and sax and violin--stands as a unique achievement. "Church Not Made with Hands" is as claim-staking an opening cut as any--powerful, fast, unashamedly romantic, and rounded out with a tremendous Scott guitar solo. With reference points that include the Celtic soul ramblings of Van Morrison and the then-burgeoning epic rock of U2, this was where Mike Scott began to build his now iconic status. The trumpet playing of Roddy Lorimer, the sax of multi-instrumentalist Anthony Thistlethwaite, and the keyboards of Karl Wallinger fill out the sound of this record. "Some of My Best Friends Are Trains" is a little jaunty to be a totally welcome new centerpiece to the restored album, but "Red Army Blues," "All the Things She Gave Me" and the astounding title track sound more impressive than ever. The producers of this reissue deserve credit for approaching the deluxe upgrade without the cynicism of some labels. Working with Scott to restore edited and missing tracks left off the original long-player for time reasons, and adding additional contemporaneous tracks, they have created a valuable CD for longtime fans and new acolytes alike. --Rob Stewart

Album Description

UK reissue of 1984 album, remastered from the original tapes at Abbey Road. Includes unedited versions of Waterboys' classics 'All The Things She Gave Me' & 'The Thrill Is Gone' along with six bonus tracks, 'Some Of My Best Friends Are Trains' (previously unreleased), 'The Late Train To Heaven' (previously unreleased mix), 'Love That Kills' (previously unreleased instrumental), 'The Madness Is Here Again' (previously unreleased early version of 'Be My Enemy'), 'Cathy' (previously unreleased version of a Nikki Sudden song) & 'Down Through The Dark Streets' (previously unreleased). Additional highlights include track-by-track musician credits (for the first time) & in-depth sleevenotes by Mike Scott. 2002.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Reissue of their Classic Rock Album with Six Bonus Tracks and 'all the Things She Gave Me' and 'the Thrill is Gone' Restored to their Original Lengths and Completely Unedited.

Customer Reviews:

I have heard the Big Music........2006-06-22

And I'll never be the same. That's not only a line from one of the best songs ever written, but the definition of an entire sound. The self described Big Music sound of the Waterboys.

I first heard the Waterboys in 1985 at the Tower Records Store on Watt Ave. in my old hometown of Sacramento, CA. I had been shopping probably for the latest Leon Russell or Elton John album when out of the ceiling came the opening piano licks to "A Girl Called Johnny" from the Waterboys self-titled debut album. I gathered my jaw from the ground long enough to buy that album and race home with it. What a joyous sound! I had never heard anything like it in my life! It sounded a little like Lennon, you could hear Dylan and Bowie, a little U2, possibly even The Cars. All at the same time! I remember shaking as I drove back to the store to see if they had any other albums I could buy. And there were two more albums! "This is the Sea" and "A Pagan Place."

For the next six months all I listened to was The Waterboys. Like a man posseded by the truth I went about preaching their sound to anyone that would listen. I had found a new musical messiah. My favorite album of the three quickly became "A Pagan Place". Songs like...A Church Not Made With Hands, The Thrill is Gone, All the Thigs She Gave Me, Somebody Might Wave Back, Rags, The Big Music, Red Army Blues...Oh, Red Army Blues!

I fell in love to these songs, I dreamed with these songs, I planned my life with these songs. Even thinking about them here gives me the chills. I don't know where this music came from, but calling Mike Scott a musical genius would have been like calling Jesus an important historical figure. Surely the Waterboys were destined to become the kings of the music world.

But it was not to be. For the next two years as I awaited their next release I was daily at my Tower records like a demented disciple begging for scraps of bread: "Is it here yet? Is the new Waterboys album here yet? Finally one bright and sunny day having other things on my mind, much how the pot boils when you stop watching it, the record clerk presented me with a shiny new copy of "Fisherman's Blues". The light reflecting from the cellophane blinded me as I approached the altar. Is this it? I asked the smiling clerk.

I did 95 miles an hour on the way home. Very carefully I put the black disc on the turntable and...(cue the sound of the needle screeching off the vinyl)...oh my God! What is this? Fiddles? This isn't the Waterboys! Fiddles? There's no fiddles in the Waterboys. It says right on the album The Waterboys. It says this is the blues. "Fisherman's Blues".

You see, Mike Scott decided that instead of putting out another album of good music, he would experiment with the celtic sound. Lots and lots of fiddles. Imagine in the 80's if Bruce Springsteen had suddenly taken up the flute, or AC/DC decided that polka was more their thing.

I had come full circle as my jaw once again hit the ground. All those people I had preached to would have to be called. The Waterboys were not the Second Coming. They were merely a band who at one time briefly put together a sound unlike any other. Ocasionally they reveal glimpses of the promised land with albums like "Dream Harder" or "Rock in a Weary Land" and you might even enjoy "Room to Roam" at times, but seldom has there been a resurrection of the Big Music sound from those first three albums.

Note: The remastered "A Pagan Place" CD, with the bonus songs adds little to the album. Frankly you're better off with the original version.

Fine re-issue that doesn't replace the original.......2004-03-19

This was the first Waterboys album I ever bought, and I remember laying that slab of vinyl on the Dual and being blown away by the full envelope of sound. This remastered release sounds infinitely better than the original CD release, even if you're not a total audiophile. The new additions are pretty good, but frankly I find that "bonus tracks" tend to distract from the song cycle that was the original album. (Can you imagine Abbey Road with bonus tracks? Seems to cheapen the original effort.)

As for the two "restored" songs, however, I do take issue with Mike Scott on those. "All The Things She Gave Me" does appear to be a slightly longer, more satisfying version. However, "The Thrill Is Gone" replaces the original vocal track with a much more bluesy/meandering lead vocal which has a very different feel from the original sparse, haunting vocals on this song. I still have my original CD of this album for that reason: "The Thrill is Gone" here on this re-issue is not just an "unedited" version, as listed on the cover and in the liner notes. The original is probably my favorite Waterboys songs ever, so hearing it here with an overly self-indulgent vocal track bugs me. Perhaps you'll like it more, but it put me off.

(On a side note, "The Live Adventures of the Waterboys" has the most amazing medly of "The Thrill Is Gone" with "The Healing Has Begun" which is really terrific, as is the "Because the Night/Pan Within" on that same collection. Wow. Highly recommended.)

Overall, I'd give this re-issue a thumbs up for the excellent sound and most of the bonus tracks, which are fine songs,though it's unclear how they fit into the album concept. I just wish artists wouldn't use re-issues as a way of tinkering with classic works. (George Lucas should have kept his hands off the original Star Wars movies as well.)

the signs of greater things to come!.......2002-06-28

A Pagan Place is light years ahead of the debut Waterboys, but not yet at the heights they would reach on This Is The Sea. The early sound of the band is formulating nicely, with some very strong songs here - the title track DEMANDS your full attention! The re-issue is essential for hard-core Waterboys fans who must own this for the full, unedited versions of The Thrill Is Gone & All The Things She Gave Me. The sound quality is much better on this disc than the original. The previously unreleased tracks generally are 'interesting - for collectors only'. However, great thanks go out to the people involved in making this re-issue - is there a "This Is The Sea" reissue coming?

Average customer rating:

The essential collection of Steelye Span
Folk rock for starters
A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!
A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!

Best of Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span
Manufacturer: EMI/Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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Liege & Lief
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ASIN: B00000743T
Release Date: 1992-01-01

Tracks:

Gaudete
All Around My Hat
Thomas The Rhymer
Alison Gross
Little Sir Hugh
Cam Ye O'Er Frae France
Long Lankin
Gone To America
Let Her Go Down
Black Jack Davy
Bach Goes To Limerick

Customer Reviews:

The essential collection of Steelye Span.......2005-08-12

Steeleye Span were one of the first folk groups to attempt to liven up their sound by adding first electric guitars and eventually drums. But there was much more to the band's music than folk songs with a rock beat. They well and truly re-constructed traditional songs with highly inventive arrangenents which often seemed more aligned with progressive rock than folk music.It's probably this aspect of the group which seems to divide fans. Whether you prefer their earlier fairly conventional arrangements or their more adventurous "progressive" re-workings using electric instruments it's worth bearing in mind that folk songs were originally performed unaccompanied so I would argue that "rocking" up traditional music is no more debasing than simply adding an acoustic guitar.Infact it's part of the folk process! There have been numerous compilations of this band's output over the years but this one, originally released as a vinyl LP remains the one truly essential collection.At first glance it looks like a poor cousin to the more comprehensive and lavishly packaged "Original Masters" double CD which was originally released a few years earlier.However while that album seems a little padded out with non-essential tracks, "The Best Of Steeleye Span" concentrates all their classics primarily from their middle period on a single 47 minute disc and as a result packs a mighty punch.
First off is Gaudete from the album "Below The Salt", their well known version of a Christmas song sung in Latin.Then comes All Around My Hat" their one true hit and probably the one song for which they're most closely associated. It's an exciting arrangement with a great sing-along chorus and feisty mandolin breaks. The album of the same name was actually pretty uninspired and only contained one other true classic- "Black Jack Davy" which fortunately is also on this album.
The single version of "Thomas The Rhymer" is arguably their finest moment.With it's punchy verse, sublime chorus and ever shifting rhythms, this is Steeleye Span at their most progressive and exciting. Labelmate Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson was the production consultant and seems to have taken the experience of working with Steeleye Span when his band recorded the Songs From The Wood album.
"Alison Gross" and "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" are from the Parcel Of Rogues album which for the first time,shows the band moving into a more progressive direction. The latter song is particuarly haunting and beautiful.
"Little Lord Hugh","Long Lankin" and "Bach goes to Limerick" are all from the bands most underated album, Commoner's Crown.The epic eight and a half minute "Long Lankin"with its dramatic music breaks and dramatic feel is one of the band's crowning achievments.
The album also includes two of their later songs, "Gone To America" and "Let Her Go Down" from the Sails of Silver album which saw the band losing much of their eccentricity and becoming more mainstream.They are pleasant enough though a little pedestrian for my tastes.
This is the one Steeleye Span album I throw on when I need a quick dose of high energy inventive progressive folk rock. Anyone who buys this who only knows "All Around My Hat" are likely in for a treat! Highly recommended.

Folk rock for starters.......2004-05-10

Great folk rock with some progressive elements on it. After getting this compilation you'll be encouraged to get all the albums.The voice sounds close to the Cranberies but focus on the instrumentation and forget about the poppy Cranbs. Very Celtic and a true English folk music.

A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!.......2001-06-05

This is a wonderful album. I got to it by chance as I was searching the net for songs of the comidian Peter Sellers and found a song called "New York City Girls" with Sellers playing banjo and doing some strange noises in the background. I learned (from this CD cover) that those guys recorded english folk music back at the 50's - 60's. They had endless matirial to record as the song were all written and known as traditional songs.

The songs on the album are all great, especially "Gaudete", "Cam Ye O'er Frae France", "Long Lankin". "Gaudete" sounds like some kind of prayer. very strong. "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" is my favorite track. It shows the wonderful ability of there female singer. It sounds almost imposible to sing. It is not in france but old english. And "Long Lankin" is the best example of a folk-rock song. It is a very old song modernly interpeted with electic guitars.

Their style reminds me sometimes of a feminan version of Jethro-Tull. Those guys sure know what they are doing. A must buy!!!

A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!.......2001-06-05

The songs on the album are all great, especially "Gaudete", "Cam Ye O'er Frae France", "Long Lankin". "Gaudete" sounds like some kind of prayer. very strong. "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" is my favorite track. It shows the wonderful ability of their female singer. It sounds almost imposible to sing. It is not in france but old english. And "Long Lankin" is the best example of a folk-rock song. It is a very old song modernly interpeted with electic guitars.

Their style reminds me sometimes of a feminan version of Jethro-Tull. Those guys sure know what they are doing. A must buy!!!

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Jazz Music

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