Alternative Rock music reviews

About the Band:
Dead Can Dance is considered the seminal example of the ethereal (in the US) or heavenly voices (in Europe) genre. In fact, the name of the label, 4AD, which carried many of the 1990s DCD releases, is sometimes also used to describe this genre of music, which is a fusion of subtle electronics, vocals, drums, world music, and a near limitless count of instruments. Brendan Perry sometimes has been described as a gothic Frank Sinatra. Lisa Gerrard's enchanting vocals are often sung in a language only known to Lisa. I count myself among the many that hold these two musicians in the highest esteem.

About the Album:
Toward the Within is a live album from 1994, and though many music fans will often prefer the quality associated with a studio recorded album, I personally feel that heavenly voices music is designed to be emotional and moving ... and this album has a sincerity that will touch any listener. Toward the Within is one of my favorite albums. Fans of Brendan Perry's vocals will likely be more pleased by this album, as he provides the lead on the majority of the tracks.

Recommended Tracks:
-I Can See Now
-Don't Fade Away
-Rakim
-American Dreaming
-Desert Song
-The Wind that Shakes the Barley (I like this live version better)
-Cantara

In contrast to two very popular DCD offerings that are also worth checking out, Aion (which is very medieval sounding) and Into the Labyrinth (which is a bit remorseful and dark), I found this entire album extremely uplifting and inspirational. I can't stress enough how much I wish I could sing like Perry, and the truth is that I find myself doing so with this album. Fans of folk and romantic music will absolutely love this album.

Similar Artists:
If you love DCD because of Lisa's and Brendan's vocals, then I am confident you'll enjoy the following heavenly voices artists:
-Impressions of Winter (hard to find) - considered better than DCD, by many DCD fans lucky enough to hear them!!!
-Das Zeichen
-Love is Colder Than Death
-Deine Lakaien
-Qntal
-Helium Vola
-Corvus Corax
-Soil & Eclipse

I wish so much I could have been there when they were touring America...It sounds so much like your right there listening to them.

Dead Can Dance is one of the most talented artists I have ever heard. I love their music, and I feel this album is a great piece to add to the collection.

Any work by Dead Can Dance is more than a musical work: it's an almost trascendent experience. Their music crosses geographical and cultural barriers. By blending in Middle Eastern influences ("Rakim", "Desert Song", "Oman", "Tristan"), medieval/gregorian chants ("Cantara", "Song of the Sibyl") and traditional folk sounds ("American Dreaming", "Don't fade away"), they take you on a musical trip that goes beyond the confines of the album.

This recording contains live versions of several of their well known songs, some of which are presented in a brand new light. My favorites, the renditions of the highly spiritual "Yulunga" and "Sanvean". As a whole, this is one mesmerizing work you should not let go by the side. It's an absolute must on any serious music collection.

Rusted Root is like Dave Matthews Band with a flute/whistle instead of a saxophone! Or atleast in my opinion...I like it!

So you have heard of them recently in Ice Age?? Or maybe you heard of them in college a few years ago?? Well keep goin back... because they have been rockin it for awhile!

Rusted Root opened up a whole new sound of music to me. They are not afraid to speak their opinion, and inspire others to get back to the earth of which we came. They thrive on channeling beautiful energy into drums, guitar, flute, and amazing female vocals that are very tribal and soulful at the same time. Rusted Root plays from the heart. They perform from the heart.
If you have ever seen them live, you know... they rock!
When I first saw them perform in '96 I was barely breaking my teenage years, and now hear I am, still jammin' to this album that uplifts my heart and soul and I just can't stop dancing!

This is an album to have in your collection if you enjoy epic songs. If you enjoy organic beats. If you love inspiring music. If you feel like dancing. If you want to kiss the earth. If you want to breathe with a relief that somewhere out there someone made music that liberates your beliefs.
Enjoy!!!

One of the most unique and original bands I've heard in years. They combine a percussionish, alternativish, rockish and a kind of feel to the songs that makes them OH SO hearable and enjoyable!!! Almost indescribable. A MUST HEAR! Send me on my way was what got me into them. After hearing the song in "Ice Age" I was rusted rooted! It heard the rest of the album and take my word for it. They really ARE GOOD! Their songs have a milarepaish kind of osho music kinda feel to them. Really nice
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If you read the other reviews you know how important the music is to the program. Here is the twist most soundtracks are quite shocking and awfull however because of the effort that went into the planning of the music and series, this incredible CD has come about Im only 20 and was 10 when i first started watching this program on my flight to australia from the UK i watched the pilot about 4 times and the when i got to oz. The music is what really stands out trust me if you never seen the program the music is just as powerfull on its own. please BUY IT to give back to a great show and you will get an awsome CD out of it !!!!!!

Excellent sampling of music from the tv series. I wish there were more original score pieces, but what's provided is great and really takes me back to nights watching this great production faithfully every week with my sister...how we used to smile when that opening theme began (watching Fraser tumbling thru that awning...)!! Playing the cd in the car I have a big grin on my face listening to it...other drivers must be getting a kick. Also, the sound quality on this recording is fantastic - crystal clear.

All good things must end, but what a great show this was. One of the best in the history of television, in any country. Truly zany, groundbreaking, poignant, and too many other positive adjectives to list. Pity the person who wasn't a fan! If you were a Due South-er, you must order this cd.

Besides being a tongue-in-cheek TV series produced by Canadians and acted by Canadians-pretending-to-be-Americans judging Canadians and filmed in Toronto (supposedly Chicago), Due South had an amazing roster of Canadian musical talent spanning generations. This is the more "Due Southy" of the two soundtracks, and there was plenty more great music that never made it on the DS CDs.

This first "Due South" soundtrack features some lesser-known (to Americans south of the border) Canadian artists such as Kashtin (Quebec First Nations group), Klaatu, the Northern Pikes (who recently reunited), Figgy Duff, Blue Rodeo and the Holly Cole Trio, Paul Gross (Benton Fraser/director and exec producer of last two seasons), along with Sarah McLachlan and The Guess Who.

The songs featured range from whimsical (Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft), folksy (Due South Theme, Bone of Contention, Figgy Duff, Ride Forever), native (Akua Tuta), and rock (Possession, American Woman). There are also snippets of the original score (Horses, Cabin Music featuring bad boy fiddle virtuoso Ashley MacIsaac, Victoria's Secret, Inuit Soliloquy, Dief's In Love) by Jack Lenz that capture Fraser's yearning for the silent white north of his childhood, piano driven, wistful laments on lost love, action sequences....this is a Canadian soundtrack at its best. It is the essence of "Due South" on CD. This is also more family-friendly than the second "Due South" CD that features adult language and some very dark songs.

Being a Jill Sobule fan after all of one month from when I first heard her, I can say this captures the essence of her joyous and excellent insight into human nature as we all live it.
Her "Heroes", which I first heard on NPR is a classic of modern thought. "Karen By Night" on the other hand is a great throwback, thoughtful rocker.
Her thrown-in afterthought comments are a hoot.
All together a great musical collection.
Worthy of any attempt to get it!

Jill Sobule is an awesome artist, and if you like her music you should buy this CD. It's only a sample of her best music. But if you're just getting into Jill, it's a good starting point. It will only whet your appetite for her amazing music.

Jill never ceases to amaze and this compilation is no different. Like Warren Zevon she is a masterful lyricist and the best one to pick up his torch now that he is sadly dying of cancer. Big shoes to fill but she (and I think Zevon would heartily agree) will do the job with grace and style.

Buy it, you won't be sorry.

It's a choice between this and Dark Side Of The Moon...This album has better individual songs but probably DSOTM beats it on being more than the sum of the parts. A hard choice.

and I don't regret it. Not one bit. This has some beautiful acoustic psychodelic ballads such as "1 of the 3" and "out to get you," along with some catchy more upbeat tunes such as "Sometimes" and of course, the title track, probably they're most known song in at least the states. I remember hearing that song as a high school student and never knowing who it was by. I think I was wondering if it was an early Verve song or something. I guess that just goes to show how ahead of their time James was! 2Bad I didn't know better. Oh well, thankfully, a local radio station played it again a couple of years ago and actually announced it. I'm just curious to know what some of their other stuff sounds like. I'll have to check that out too. If u like acoustic music of any kind, definately pick this up.

On Christmas day a couple of year ago, I got Laid for the first time. I suggest that you get Laid too. Not that I would get Laid more than once. I mean, who wants two copies of the same cd?

I multiplied, added and then subtracted to figure out that it's been 10 whole years since i first listened to this cd. As a matter of fact, cd's weren't even that common those days,
folks were still buying tapes back home!!

This album is kind of tough. You cannot get the feel unless you listen to it (without exaggeration) a couple of years.
... As you grow older, your personal favorites will change. After a lot of back and forths, my solid best became "Sometimes"...(a.k.a Lester Piggot). The song still blows my mind when i listen to it. The lyrics and the music are in a way Yin & Yang - complementary and opposing.
I don't know any other basic way of explaining this one.

To overcome my curiosity, i did some research and found out that Lester Piggot was actually a jockey in Britain in the 1930's.
He was famous for being extremely tall for a rider (5'8") and a housewives' favourite. I remember years ago reading somewhere that the band named this song Lester Piggot because of it's "racing beat".

There's a lot of soul searching in this album.. The guitar rattles all the way from Manchester to overseas, giving you a one two punch in the face. A forceful and effective combination of songs swinging your mood.

Amazingly , it's a joyous piece of English pop which i am not a big fan of...

For most bands, and album like "The Legend of Chin" would be a success. Switchfoot, however, has raised the bar.

All the 5-star ratings can be explained by the fact that the only people who look for this album are those who are really committed to the band and thus already favorably dispositioned to it.

I bought "Legend" used after I already owned "New Way to be Human" "Learning to Breathe" and "Beautiful Letdown." At first listen I thought thought the album was alright but not up to Switchfoot's new standard. Many spins later, my opinion remains the same.

Unlike later albums, "Legend" has a garage sound with choppy guitar and less smooth vocals. It is interesting to see how far the band has come.

But it's not all bad news. Even at their most primitive work, the band's talent is evident. The songs "You" and "Home" remain some of their best songs to date. "You" in fact, was on the movie "A Walk to Remember," which came out many years later.

If you are a devout Switchfoot fan already than it wouldn't hurt to add "Legend of Chin" to your collection. Otherwise, your hard-earned cash would be better invested in one of the band's later releases, particularly "New Way to Be Human."

This cd is probably the best even though it is there first. This cd contains starts with the great "Bomb" then goes to probably the most known, Chem6a. Underwater, concrete girl, live and love and why, and Don't be there are probably the most valuable songs on this cd. Still, this cd has more to offer such as You, and ode to chin. I guarantee that this cd will probably be in your favorites.

Before Jon learned how to write popular songs, he used to tour to small towns, hang out to chat after shows, and make some of the best guitar rock ever. Of course he probably had to drive a smelly van, and worried about his financial and artistic future -- which sucks -- but man did he rock. "The Legend of Chin" is a true masterpiece, especially notable for a debut, but great not just in relative terms, flat out amazing. Every song is well written, well played, well sung, and unique. Jon wasn't relying on the amazingly catchy hooks that he learned to write later on, or those soaring choruses that all the kids go for, he was just straight up writing perfect rock songs. We love you Jon, come back to us.

This is a very interesting compilation. It has many good songs on it, but none of the big hits. I thought it was a little strange that they would release this CD before an actual greatest hits. I got it before Dizzy Up The Girl and Gutterflower because I was interested to hear what their "non-singles" were like. I was very impressed. But like any Goo Goo Dolls CDs I usually skip Robby's songs. No offense to him, I saw him on the Live in Buffalo DVD and he seems like a real good guy, but I just really don't enjoy his songs. This CD is really for the people who don't have the Goo Goo Dolls older stuff and can't find it. It really is a terrific compilation of all of the non-singles and I strongly recommend it to any Goo Goo Dolls fan.

EOAC is a great best of CD for a fan who hasn't collected much past Dizzy Up the Girl and Gutterflower. However, die-hard collector's won't find that this adds much to their collection. It is heavily-weighted towards the past three CDs (before Gutter) and the tracks don't add much new to the album versions.

Also, anyone who is a fan or friend of Robby Takac may as well skip this - it is HEAVILY weighted towards songs by Rzeznik. Granted, for most fans that is preferred, but again, die-hard fans will note a lack of Robby songs. (For the uninitiated, they split lead vocal duties, but have become heavily-weighted towards John Rzeznik in the more recent albums).

Summary: Good for a beginner; just another disc in the collection for fans with other albums. You'd do better to create your own Greatest Hits with your CD-burner.

I have heard many complaints about how pathetic a greatest hits album this is, not having the goo goo dolls greatest hit "Iris" on it. Sorry guys but this album wasn't intented to be a 'greatest hit' album in the 1st place! Still, it is a great collection of their work with some of my favourite goo goo dolls' songs included.

This cd begins with four tracks from the goo goo dolls most recent album at the time, Dizzy Up The Girl. The "Acoustic #3" song was a beautiful soft ballad on the Dizzy Up The Girl album, but was remixed for this cd into (what may seem impossible) an even more passionate song.

The next five songs were taken from the record, A Boy Named Goo, and are all exactly the same as the originals on A Boy Named Goo.

There is also no change to the 7 songs from A Superstar Car Wash, but from the album Hold Me Up, the ballad "Two Days in February" was remixed into a version which (I believe) isn't as good as the original.

The last 2 songs on the album were taken from the 2 oldest goo goo dolls' cds: Jed, and Goo Goo Dolls. I always press the stop button on number 20, because personally I believe that these last 2 songs are so different to the band's more recent work, and I don't like them.

My favourite song on Ego, Opinion, Art and Commerce is "Cuz You're Gone", and I would recommend the cd to people who own a couple of the Goo Goo Dolls' albums, but not to people who already own the whole collection, simply because there aren't enough new remixes to get your money's worth.

yes, i believe that this is BR's pinnacle. they were at their top game here. the album starts awesome, but kind of drops off near the last few songs....the closer "walk away" is amazing though! i think that suffer and no control beat this one, but being 3rd or 4th isnt bad. i believe that the only album to come close to the holy trinity is "stranger than fiction." i recommend this to all punk rock fans. BR was on a roll, but sadly this was the last truly amazing thing they made until stranger than fiction.

process and beleif and empire strikes first are also noteworthy.

This album is like having sex with a supermodel, except she keeps using big words. I'm pretty sure I know every word and note by heart.

Bad Religion is one the finest bands in Punk Rock. Their longevity is testament to this fact. Against the Grain is the best Bad Religion album ever. BR's Songwriting on this album is top notch as usual, with lyrics that blast the status quo and leave the listener ready to start a revolution. The music a fast paced, and the guitar work is some of the best in the genre, with foot-tapping riffs and transitions the happen so smoothly you wpnder what the hell just happened.

yes, i believe that this is BR's pinnacle. they were at their top game here. the album starts awesome, but kind of drops off near the last few songs....the closer "walk away" is amazing though! i think that suffer and no control beat this one, but being 3rd or 4th isnt bad. i believe that the only album to come close to the holy trinity is "stranger than fiction." i recommend this to all punk rock fans. BR was on a roll, but sadly this was the last truly amazing thing they made until stranger than fiction.

process and beleif and empire strikes first are also noteworthy.

This album is like having sex with a supermodel, except she keeps using big words. I'm pretty sure I know every word and note by heart.

Bad Religion is one the finest bands in Punk Rock. Their longevity is testament to this fact. Against the Grain is the best Bad Religion album ever. BR's Songwriting on this album is top notch as usual, with lyrics that blast the status quo and leave the listener ready to start a revolution. The music a fast paced, and the guitar work is some of the best in the genre, with foot-tapping riffs and transitions the happen so smoothly you wpnder what the hell just happened.

How can anyone fault bad religion, one of the longest running punk bands in history and easily one of the best.You would think there is only so much you can do with power chords and simple melodies, well Someone forgot to tell these guys.Here lies 20 odd tracks of political,state of the world,think for youself punk rock not a skateboard or emo kid in sight.There is not one bad track on this collection and for a band that has 20 years of material behind them thats a hard thing to do.If you are either an Old BR fan or new to them This is the definative guide to the bands former years.If only there were more bands like this one.

Gotta check this out!Dammit dont waste time, you could be dead any minute...Buy or steal this album as soon as possible...its for youre own good!

The only compilation worth buying is a compilation of all old Bad Religion songs. Period. This CD mixes a variety of songs from "Suffer", "Against the Grain", "No Control", "Generator", and "How Could Hell Be Any Worse?", probably the highlights of Bad Religion's long running career. Personally, I don't think there was ever a dull moment, even with albums like "The New America", "Recipe for Hate", and "No Substance", I think Bad Religion has made every album strong and full of thought and Greg and Brett's own opinions and bits of wisdom (which they have plenty of). But that's another subject matter. "All Ages" combines a lot of great songs off of the before mentioned albums like "Generator", "Anesthesia", "Walk Away", and "Sanity". It also contains live versions of "How Could Hell Be Any Worse?" and "Do What You Want". If you've never heard Bad Religion and want a good gist of their previous albums, pick this up. If you like what you hear, definately pick up the rest. "Generator" and "No Control" have tons of songs you can't afford to miss.