Alternative Rock music reviews

Another fine outing from Joan Armatrading. "In Your Eyes", "Merchant of Love" and "Spapes and Sizes" rank up there with her best work. While not ber best album, What's Inside is worth the purchase for any serious Joan fan. Causal fans should get her Greatest Hits.

Greetings from beautiful downtown Poughkeepsie!
Most people (including myself) adore Joan's 3rd CD 'Joan Armatrading' but I think "What's Inside" is her best work to date! What a great CD! The songs are all so rich and warm.
Joan plays all the guitars - gotta love that! You'll play this CD every now and then for years and years...
1.In Your Eyes - Joan coos through a nice soft intro song over synths and snare drums.
2.Everyday Boy - Song builds up brilliantly with guitars, piano, string, drums and of course, Joan, in a "poignant" tale (what an overused word). I must say, there are 3 words in this song that disturb me.
3. Merchant of Love - Another gem, Joan's voice is soft and longing, the piano and guitar intertwine beautifully throughout.
4. Shapes and Sizes - Kronos Quartet join in on this great song with a creepy important message "obituary columns are filled with love"
5. Back on the Road - the only possible throwaway - but does feature great acoustic guitar playing by Joan.
6. Lost the Love - yeah baby! Joan throws down on some serious blues guitar licks. Takes her time! Love this song!
7. Songs - beautiful song with lots of strings!
8. Would you like to Dance - funky little midtempo song with triple echo vocals and perhaps a little too much falsetto but still great. Nice solo sax!
9. Recommend My Love - see number 8 above. Keyboards are very cool..
10. Beyond the Blue - a little bit country, a little bit gospel ...acoustic guitars remind me of 'down to zero' - Joan seems to be having fun. She gets 'honey from the bee..DUH'
11. I cant stop loving you - Definitely having fun here...funky horns and baseline, goofy lyrics and an occasional wacky noise (he he he), funny repetitive singing of 'i cant stop, i cant stop, i cant stop '...and what is that one off beat drum doing about 2/3rds of the way through the song?
12. Shape of a Pony - nice light song with a bit of an island feel to it (no, not reggae) - I totally get this song.
13. Trouble - You may not agree but I think this song is a masterpiece. Joan sings her heart out over sweeping strings, distant echoing drums, and simple soulful keyboards. I have to play this song twice when I get to it.
Well, I've said too much. Clearly I get Joan. Hopefully you will too.

It was back in the later 70's and on the radio I heard something by Joan Armatrading, and I doubt if I will ever remember what the song was and forgot about her. Forward to the later 90's and I heard a song on the radio and discovered it was Joan Armatrading. I knew I had to get into her music in that it heightened my awareness to her smooth voice with varying vocal range.

This is my second CD of hers. I love this one, I can relax and know that the tempo and beat is soothing. Not knowing her songs, my favorite is "Everyday Boy" Her lyrical writing style is powerful and true to her spirit. Musically, the strings section stands out; there is also excellent background vocals to enhance her music. And, one more note: Her favorite singer/songwriter is VAN MORRISON, WOW! I LOVE HIM TOO! .....MzRizz

My favorite thing about this album was that they sent out a "Capitalism is Killing Music" promotional coffee mug to the music director at my college radio station...I would kill for that mug today.

I would never have thought politics and love could go so well together. On this album, every song is political, yet every song is a love song, and the politics and love seem completely inseperable. The words are always great--Billy Bragg's best--and the music always serves to make the words even more powerful. You can hate Billy Bragg's politics, but if you've ever been in love or wanted to be, you still find something for yourself here. "Worker's Playtime" was recorded in the 1980s, yet it still sounds fresh and timeless. It's better than anything Billy Bragg's done in the last ten years (though that's not saying that much) and possibly better than any of his other albums.
"She's Got A New Spell" rocks out jangling, with citar, even. "Must I Paint You A Picture?" uses a female vocalist to tell about a decaying relationship, and then declares, "This would never happen, if we lived by the sea." "The Price I Pay" is one of the best piano love songs ever, full of regret and sad hope. And "Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards" is about as good as songs get, building into an anthem, a collectivist anthem embraceable by anyone who's ever hoped for change. "Here comes the future / And you can't run from it / If you've got a blacklist / I want to be on it!"
This is a great album. It will always remind me of my older brother who first introduced me to (good) popular music, and it will always remind me of what Billy Bragg is capable of. (Now if someone would just remind Billy....)

What to say about Workers Playtime? Listening to it is like going back to college and reliving your youth. I'm sure Mr. Bragg feels the same way about it. It's only 11 songs long but it's impossible to think that the music could be much better.

On this album, the master of urban folk created melodies concerning politics and love that are as outstanding as anything found in his oeuvre. "Waiting For The Great Leap Forward" needs little explanation but the tune includes lyrical nuggets like "the revolution is just a t-shirt away." Honestly, there's not a bad song on the CD even though I didn't like the a cappella, "Tender Comrade," at first. Now it goes down like Chimay Ale.

Even though I bought my copy about 15 years ago, I still sing along to the tracks when they play. Workers Playtime is an inspired mix of rock, folk, and late eighties pop. What a combination. It begins with the earnest joy of "She's got a New Spell," which is the perfect tune with which to introduce friends to Billy Bragg. Its lyrics are original and you cannot sit still while listening to it. "Must I Paint You a Picture" and "The Price I Pay" are both intense and passionate. They also showcase his complexity as a lyricist. Personally, I spent years laughing about the line, "I hate the a--hole I become when I'm with you," in "Life with the Lions." The sentiment is quite accurate about many a relationship.

As for the album's zenieth, I would have to say that "The Only One" is right up there with "St. Swithins Day," as Billy's most beautiful love song ever. It'll haunt you for life; just like the rest of this release.

....its not every day you get a rock concert in your living room but with this album thats exactly what you get. My biggest complaint about this album is that it repeats early cuts from studio albums...but it has 3 singles unique to this recording that really stand out and are definately worth the purchase price. My only other compaint is that it wouldn't be a real show if you didn't hear Keith telling stories, doing impressions, or making bad jokes...for pete's sake record the banter its half the fun. Blink is one of my all time favorite songs, and the only studio track on the album. According to Keith it was written after a long night 'out on the piss' (pub crawling) and 'completely drunk at 4am', he said he wrote it in about 15 minutes but you would never know it...soulful, honest, and intense. This album is a must if you like live music or are a dubs fan.

PS-this is better than having them in your living room, this way you don't have to figure out how to get rid of 5 rockers before your parents/spouse/roommate gets home...and an album can't drink all your beer.

The Young Dubliners have a lot of great CD's, but I find "Alive Alive O" to be their best yet. I can listen to this CD for hours and not get tired of it. They don't have an unnatural amount of bass or guitar in their songs, but instead they work their instruments together.

Their lyrics and vocals aren't painful to listen to, they don't scream loudly, or talk about death. Their vocals are well done, and they even sing in an Irish accent occasionally.

Although most of the songs on this CD don't have a certain theme, they are all wonderfully done and deserve listening to.

Live is the best way to experience the Young Dubliners. Anyone who's ever been to one of their shows knows just how much these guys put into a performance. Their energy takes the music to another level. If you haven't had the pleasure of seing the Dubs live do yourself a favor; GET THIS CD!

Years ago, I had this up on the stereo when my wife walked in the door. "What the hell is that?" she asked.

"Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers," I replied, and before "Morning of Our Lives" was over, she was choking back tears.

That's the kind of record this is. It walks the thin line between stubborn steadfast optimistic love and stalking

I won't try to describe the phenomenon that is Jonathan Richman. He started as an MC5/Lou Reed rocker and is now the troubadour for those two guys that make unfunny comedies. I love Jonathan and always have, but his work can become precious. (I'm not sure "Nature's Mosquito" or "Dancing in the Lesbian Bar" qualify as works on the level of "Desolation Row" or "Gimme Shelter," but you get the picture.)

This album, however, is nails through and through. It is not a solo album and this line up of the Modern Lovers is really great. Jonathan's songs here are all rockin', too. They are nostalgic without being cloying and funny without being slapstick (mostly). There are no less than three genuine Jonathan classics, too: "That Summer Feeling," "Give Paris One More Chance," and "Not Yet Three." The remaining songs are not just filler.

If I had to pick two albums, I'd pick this one and "In Your Life." In fact, I'd say this was an essential album to anyone's library.

I was sort of surprised to read all these generic reviews of "Jonathan Sings," as none of the reviews actually dealt with this specific album (Good work, Amazon.) Jonathan Richman can be really self-indulgent, and although I'm a huge fan, I'm not wild about his solo albums (which seem to be the majority). Nor do I think the first "Modern Lovers" album is so essential (but then I also hate the Velvet Underground's first album as another example of bad musicianship). Not to worry, however: this album (i.e., "Jonathan Sings") sparkles. Richman assembled a really good group of musicians for a change: the back up singers are really wonderful (I saw one of them (Ellie something) open for Richman circa 1990 at the Palomino Club of blessed memory). Each song is a gem, and three are his best: Give Paris One More Chance, That Summer Feeling and I'm Not Yet Three. I'm kind of shocked that this ablum is out of print, but I'm not shocked that used versions fetch so high a price. If I could replace my crappy cassette version of this album, I would. Go buy this if and when it's re-released.

"Dramarama? Who are they?"

"Um, 'Anything, Anything'? 'Last Cigarette'? Maybe you heard 'Haven't Got a Clue' on MTV?"

"Oh, _them_..."

Yeah, them. At their best, Dramarama combines great guitar work, infectious rhythm, and clever lyrics with a wit and sense of irony you almost never see in the post-grunge pop/rock top-40 world.

At their worst... Well, the irony and cynicism sink into whininess, exaggerated pathos, and/or absurdity, and instead of an effective hook you get an overly simplistic musical line that gets hammered into the ground.

"Hey! You gave the album four stars! What's with the-"

Well, I want to be honest here. There's maybe one or two songs that grated on me after a couple of playings. Everything else is perfectly listenable, and half a dozen or so of the eighteen are flat outstanding, including the aforementioned "Cigarette", "Anything", and "Clue". I've paid more than $10 for albums that contained less music I liked. If you want some good, solid rock with strong guitar and higher than usual intelligence, this is a good addition to your collection.

I am ready to give my wife away to anyone who can bring this band in my city for a gig.
My favorite band of all time.

Who would've ever thought that these guys would have a best of compilation. Well deserved for this band that put out great albums in the early '90's. I think they should've included "70's TV" and their great version of Mott's "I Wish I Was Your Mother", but let's not nitpick. "Anything, Anything" is one of the greatest rock songs of all time and I never tire of hearing it. I hope some of Dramarama's music sticks around and doesn't eventually fade into the abyss of obscurity. I'm still smoking that "Last Cigarette"

I'm not a huge Suzanne Vega fan but I do like the ferw singles of her's I've heard (Luka, Tom's Diner, 99.9 F, etc.) so this wasn't much of a dare. I do have to say that while not all of the songs on this CD are just like the ones I'd heard before it was definitely good to listen to. If you're as familiar with this artist as I was I doubt that you'll be disappointed by picking this up. I'm sure the die hard fans will love this collection and newcomers as well. There is very little here that goes off in a tangent. I recommend looking up some of these tracks on other albums to sample if you're on the fence about it.

This was the first compilation of Suzanne Vega`s best songs released in 1998; featuring songs from her first 5 albums, two new recordings and the rare "Left of Center" from the soundtrack "Pretty in Pink".

It`s always a matter of taste which songs are actually the best; in my opinion this album does the job pretty well.

From her debut album "Marlene on the Wall", "A Small Blue Thing" and "The Queen and the Soldier" (her great song about power, loyalty and honesty) are obvious choices. I would not have minded "Cracking" being there too, but these 3 songs represent that album perfectly.

From "Solitude Standing" it`s the same; the best songs are there, but a few more would not have harmed the collection.

I have always considered her third album "Days of Open Hand" her weakest; it seems the compiler of this album feels the same since he`s only selected "Book of Dreams" from the album. "Tired of Sleeping" would also have been a good choice.

On "99,9 F" Vega experiments with new sounds and rhythms. When the album was originally released, I was not so sure if I liked her direction; now it`s my favourite and the title track, "Blood Makes Noise", "In Liverpool" and "When Heroes Go Down" are all great tracks.

The slightly "jazzy" "Nine Objects of Desire" is represented by "World Before Columbus", "Caramel" and "No Cheap Thrill". It`s a good album, where most song could have deserved selection. My favourite "Headshot" is not here, but then I have the original album already.

Both new songs "Book and a Cover" and "Rosemary" are good which was fine for me, since I had already bought her original albums.

This CD is highly recommendable, and if you want more of the same, you can seek out the 2 CD "Retrospective" or simply buy her original albums - they are all worth it.

First of all ... this is an extraordinary collection of songs, and if you have liked just a few of Suzanne Vega's songs, you should by this record ... it's more than worth it.

My complaints are as always the song selection. Yes, I know Tom's Dinner was a hit in that crappy remix version, but the original A Capella version is just much better. And include the groovy instrumental version ... love that one. Also, I sorely miss the song 'Solitude Standing' - this was actually released as a single, and was always one of my favorites from that album, and I can't for the life of me see why it wasn't included.

Other songs could have been left out. Caramel is ok, though I don't like it that much. Worse however is the utterly boring Book Of Dreams, that I think is only anoying. The new song Book & A Cover is also pretty uninspiring.

Finally I'm not content with the song arrangement. The stunning The Queen And The Soldier deserved to have closed the album - I love Rosemary, but it's not really an album closer. The Queen And The Soldier is about the ultimate album closer, so that's a bit frustrating.

All that being said, this reopened my eyes to the fantastic Solitude Standing album (which I grew up with, since my parents loved it) and offered me a bunch of for me hither to unknown gems like '99.9 F', 'Blood Makes Noise', 'Left Of Center', 'In Liverpool', 'World Before Columbus' and not least 'The Queen And The Soldier' - so I can only recommend it.

When I originally bought this CD I was 19, single and a lover of good punk. I am now pushing 30, married, a mother of 3 and have run more in the direction of music a little more mellow. We recently moved to Hawaii from the mainland and I was having a couple cocktails while I was unpacking and hit my long lost box of "cassette tapes"heehee. I found all of the music I haven't listened to in ages...because of the simple fact that we only buy CD's now. Anyhoo, I decided to mosh down memory lane....I am buying back all of my Face to Face tapes on CD because they are a great band....no matter how old you get! 'Disconnected' is still the best! Enjoy!

This is Face To Faces second album. And it is a must have. This is not a [lousy] Band like All. Anyone that likes older punk like the Romoans or the Smiths would love this. This is another great Face to Face album. MUST HAVE

I am into punk music. When my brother introduced me to the idea of a punk band that didn't "use foul language"...I was kind of in doubt that they were an actual punk band. I love this CD, I ended up taking it from my brother and I listen to it all the time. It is worth the money...you'll never get tired of it!

guitar driven classics with an 80's tinged sound to the songs.
not as bad as you may think. one of the best pop cds to be released in a long time. refreshing and very summer sounding.
standouts are "you", "let me fly so long", "wait until", and "don't say goodbye, say goodnight".
above average music much better than the junk flooding the radios today!

This is my second review for this item (with another user). I have managed to listen to the whole album and I think only one word can characterize it : AWESOME . On a scale from 1 to 10 I would give it 20 !! I am a big music fan and I've listen to great songs but in my opinion Binocular's album is the BEST album I've ever listened to . What makes it so good is the fact that each song is beautiful in it's one way .
"You" has a great guitar single at the end but you can hear great guitar chords all over the song .
"Never" is an explosive song with good guitar chords and good lyrics.
"Everything Turns" - this song is one of my favorites - lyrics containing life facts and great background vocal.
"Deep" - I think it's the weirdest song I have ever listened, because of it's lyrics ... but it's excellent ; amazing song.
"You Were The One" - it has a very nice rhythm ... you'll surely be captivated by this song.
"Gone Away" - great lyrics and a good guitar all over the song.
"Don't Say Goodbye, Say Goodnight" - even from it-s title you can guess that it's a special song ... there is a part in it (at about 3min and 15 seconds) that I really love , it's the best in the whole song...whenever I listen to this song I become relaxed and all the sad things go away.
"Fire Burns Bright" - my personal favorite ... great rhythm, lyrics... the whole song is super-super .
"Let Me Fly So Long" - again you can hear excellent guitar chords (this guy really knows how to play the guitar !!)
"Wait Until" - I really love this song .. especially the end.
"As The End Of The World" - one of my favorites ... the lyrics are very good and as well as the music .
"Paradise Club" - another excellent song that ends an excellent album !!

If you haven't made a clear idea about this album then just buy it, listen to it and you'll be captivated. I can't express my feeling in words but I've been listening to this album for over an year now and I just can't get tired of it ... it's a classical !!! I gave it a 5 star rate but I think it deserves all the stars in the world !!!!

To Trebla62 : The song Maybe you're gone is NOT available on any album. It can however be ordered directly from the songwriter (D. Scherr) via www.soundclick.com. You then get the song as it is performed in the movie "the girl next door" and the original demo by Scherr. Ciao.

Actually it's their second, but the first to most who know about them. What a blessing this group is! Their songs are deep without being confusing, touching without being mushy, heartfelt without feeling "girly". These guys are the first band remotely country that I began to listen to, however to call the group country doesn't fit. It's rock-country with an emphasis on the rock IMHO, but a definite country feel and sentimentality. I can't say enough about the band to be honest! First saw them in Lincoln, NE...and can't get enough from there on out. I was the type to listen the hell out of a CD and then rarely listen to it again, but I always return to TGD's CDs--ALWAYS! You can't go wrong with any of them. This CD has their most memorable songs as far as "fun tunes" go. I enjoy the songs Mike sings the best, but they are all good. Some are fun, some are deep, but all the songs will set your soul free and make you feel alive! Also check out Mike McClure's (lead singer) solo CD "12 Pieces". It's acoustic and more mellow, but very solid IMHO!...

Break in the Storm is one of the best albums out there! I've been listening to it for two years straight. There's not a single song on it that I skip. (I can't say that about too many cds these days--Can you!?!) If you haven't given The Great Divide a listen, you really should! It will be well worth your time!!

This album is one of my favorites. From "Pour me a vacation" to the soulful "I want to come home" this cd offers a wide range of talent. (Scotte has some great vocals on this one.)

The review has nothing to do with the actual music, which is great. Rather, it's the "best of" collection status. It's really a redundant waste. Just buy In the Flat Fields and The Mask, and you have all that's on this "Volume 1" and more. Maybe at the time, they weren't available on CD, but they are now. GET THE COOL ORIGINALS!

Bought this a few weeks back but I was slightly disapointed when I realized that most of the songs on this album were taken from Swing The Heartache, The BBC Sessions...but honestly, I didn't mind much because the additonal songs that were inculded with it were one's that I hadn't heard yet (My collection of Bauhaus is depressingly small) so I feel that it was still worth it.

While not an official Bauhaus album, this collection, with Volume 2, is the very best way to appreciate the musicianship and influence of what was one of the greatest early 80s post-punk bands. Yes, I would recommend this over In a Flat Field, but only because of the inclusion of the single "Bela Lugosi's Dead," and the fact that this cd is comprised of the best songs from the afore mentioned album, plus a few from their second: Mask. Of course, for compelete-ists like me, the full albums are definitely worth buying, but for the more casual listener this (AND the second volume) will supply enough of an experience to enthrall and educate, therefore making itself an essential addition to any music library. "Dark Entries," "Double Dare" and "Mask" are some very, very great highlights in a compliation full of highlights. If you love this stuff, then by all means get the full albums. If Love is too strong a word for you, this should still be a highly enjoyable cd.