Alternative Rock Compilations music reviews

Right, no surprises here, just a big ol' chunk of big names and some exclusive remixes by the chillout regulars currently cashing in. All calculated for maximum appeal, of course. Brit bird Dido has her brother offer up some strings and trip-hop with "Here With Me," and it's actually quite lovely, grandiose even - matched by Coldplay's "Trouble." FC Kahuna look beyond their electro-disco tastes for "Hayling," a beeping electronic waterfall backed by that GusGus gal Sia Furler. And whatta you know, Zero 7, Bent, and Delirium all show up again.

Now, too bad about whiny Radiohead, buy your moody pals probably like that stuff, and the Dusted mix of McLachlan's "Angel" just adds unnecessary beats. So how good is Chillout 2002? Pretty ace as a gift or for the casual electronic music fan, but dance aficionados should be aware the new remixes alone (barring "Intensify") don't warrant a cash layout if you have most the other tunes.

4.5 Stars... This CD is very good, and much better than the below average 2001! I recommend the entire series, expept for the original 2001 (the 2001 isn't that good). 2002, 2003, '04, and '05 are outstanding. I own all the discs from 2001 thru 05. If they can keep this up, I'll look forward to purchasing another CD ASAP!

This CD is awesome. I've had it for a year and a half now, and I still listen to it all the time.

A good collection of songs, as are all the Grammy Nominees cds. The only problem really with these types of albums, is that the songs get so much airplay that you can get tired of hearing them after a while. That was the way with me and this disc. But now, 3 years later, I can listen to it again as most of the songs aren't played that much any more. This collection though, doesn't cover as many genres as other Grammy cds have. Everything on here is rock with a couple r&b.

I buy Grammy CD's not to really listen to them but to see if I can get a song that I do not have on tape or CD. This Grammy collection, was one that was put together well. And although I no longer like most of the artists on this CD, I did at one point like their songs. Paula Cole's "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?" was one of my favorites from 1997, but now I can no longer listen to her, Shawn Colvin, who in my opinion didn't desevre anything that night, back in 1997, on this CD, is one I did listen to because I had her on nothing but a cassette single, "Sunny Came Home" is another now that I can't listen to any more, but isn't it funny how both these artists won grammys and are no longer around. The real winners on this CD, are "Criminal" by Fiona Apple, "Silver Spring" by Fleetwood Mac, and "Everyday Is A Winding Road"(my favorite)by Sheryl Crow, but the surprise on this album was "MMMBop" from Hanson which I ended up liking in the end. Also it doesn't hurt that their is a Rolling Stones song on this album.

This entire album is full of "A" grade songs. Song writers are especially represented here. A good buy pretty much sums it up.

This is a good CD with some excellent trance/dance selections. Volume 2 of Altered States is a better CD, though. This one has some likeable things on it.

Well mixed, deep melodic tracks filled with enough energy to light a stadium. Buy this CD for a friend or family member who hasn't had much exposure to trance music. They may or may not like it immediately, but they will love it eventually.

This is the first mix cd I bought by Andy Hughes and I was not disappointed. This is a great cd. This was a great selection of tracks, all mixed perfectly. If you are still a little new to this kind of music, like I am, this will be a good starting cd. Well worth the price and the wait.

Henry Mancini was a master musician. His music will always be remembered and anytime you watch a film that he scored you'll hear what a great musician he was. You can actually hear his trademark sound and get to recognize his style. Pink Panther's Penthouse Party came out to coincide with the release of the DVD box set of the Pink Panther Movies. The CD includes the original version of the Pink Panther Theme as well as remixes of it by Fischerspooner which basically adds the signature Fischerspooner sound from (#1) and mixes a modern dance beat to the original. Also the Malibu Remix which adds a big beat sound to the original version of the track. And then there's also the Pink Panther Theme Revisited by St. Germain which slows down the track and adds a funky, jazzy and groovy beat to the original. There's also a remake of the Shot In The Dark Theme mixed with The Peter Gunn Theme called (The Gunn Mix) by Chris Mancini and Lennart. This is a fun and groovy remake which basically mixes the two Henry Mancini classics together as one piece. A great idea! The album also contains some original tracks by artists that sound or are inspired by the Henry Mancini sound. Some great tracks on here are included like Tres Tres Chic by Mocean Worker which fits perfectly here. This track has the french vocal sampling to the loungy dance beat track. Then there's Intraspettro by Les Hommes which sounds like an update Bossa Nova lounge track. Bossa Per Due is also another fun track on here dating back to 2000 but still sounding retro fresh! I remember this track was used in a Nissan Commercial back then. But a great track and work perfectly in the Pink Panther soundtrack. Other stand out cuts on here include Voulez Vous by Arling and Cameron, Sacre Francais by Dimitri From Paris, Bachelor Pad by Fantastic Plastic Machine, The Girl From Ipanema by Fantastic Plastic Machine and Smokebomb by Ursula 1000. The only track i had a problem with in the collection was San Antonio by Kinky. I like the track but I didn't think it fit here. Oh well overall a really fun CD.

SJ
www.bestplaylists.com

... hands down the best compilation I've heard in quite some time - an intelligent selection of contemporary tunes that fit nicely with the penthouse theme... highlights include the jet-set sound of Koop's "Summer Sun", Fantastic Plastic Machine's retro-60's "Bachelor Pad" and the outstanding "Shot In The Dark/Peter Gunn" mix... a definite desert-island disc.

Of all of the lounge, smooth, cool-jazz, chill and other trendy compilations of the last few years, this is one of the best, coherent in organization and sequence, consistent in theme, and with a unified aural feel. It all fits together just about perfectly, with that unstated Panther attitude and feeling.

Remember, the Pink Panther (original) was an all-Euro production, with European actors, locations, and a decidedly pre-Mod-60s, riche-chic Euro feel. After all, the original locations were Paris, Cortina, and Monte Carlo. This album faithfully captures that reserved, understated and laidback Euro cool.

The liner notes are disappointingly scant, a single albeit accurate paragraph about the Panther, with some whack homage to some artist named Shag. Apparently Shag is "proud to have created the newest chapter in the ongoing evolution of (the Panther)," but it's achingly unclear what this copy is talking about and how it relates to this CD. The liner notes could have been much better, with at least a nod to the brilliance of Mancini.

Sadly missing on this CD is a take on "It Had Better Be Tonight." I'm disappointed that there were no artists who wanted to take on this mod-rocking bit of ski-sweater fireside dance mania.

The CD opens just the right way, with the original Mancini theme, but the jazzy solo and bridge are cut from the track; Track 1 just ends cold and the Fischerspooner theme Mix kicks in. This is an awful segue, and a disrespectful butchering of Mancini's original theme. This Fischerspooner mix, however, is a perfect counter to the original.

The Gabin Remix Edit of Peggy Lee asking the musical question "Fever" is very well done. The pace is just right, not a pounding club bpm, but with enough drive to get up and dance to it if you want, or just to sit back in your sling chair and nod your head to the rhythm. The horns are sparse and soft, with a lot of smooth echo and tremolo. Good stuff.

Titan's "Corazon" follows, and continues the up-tempo trend of the CD. This is a get-on-the-floor dance track. It's a smooth shift here, geographically and ethnically, away from the original Euro Panther vibe to the Latin, and it works. It's not intrusive or jolting, and fits very well after "Fever." Good addition, and a good selection for this release.

"Smokebomb" follows, and is a full-on electronica club assault. It's not too heavy or hard in punctuation--no "Spybreak" here--and it follows well the bass feel and sounds of "Corazon." Good flute and well-defined bongo punctuations in the center, and a great thwanging guitar breakdown to take us back to the Panther theme, maybe even as far back as "After The Fox," a sadly overlooked Mancini soundtrack masterpiece. This track echoes the Latin feel of the previous track and the subtle shift in the CD's direction. Another good choice here, and good sequencing.

Then follows Pizzicato Five's "Girl From Ipanema." Sorry, but this tune is out of place here, too far apart musically, geographically, ethnically, even in metaphysical linking of the ultra-cool cat with hot-n-steamy Brazil.

Then comes Fatboy Slim's relative hit "Weapon of Choice." The muted intro goes on a bit too long before the tune kicks in, but its bass-heavy sound and depth fit well in the CD.

"Summer Sun" follows and fits as well, bringing the album back down a bit in tone and pace, slowing things. This is a light and airy tune, very cool and smooth, and you can hear the sunshine, good stuff. You can hear this tune on "Jazz Lounge" a definite Euro-feel release, which I recommend.

"Bachelor Pad" follows, and it's a fantastic melding of the old and new. This would've worked in any of the mod films of the late 60s, with great fuzzed-out rhythm and lead guitars, and a simple beat and melody to follow. Great dance tune, but again, not too heavy, not pounding or too fast.

Then there's the "Revisited" Panther theme. A better title would've been "Pantha Dub." I swear, my eyes were watering and I was getting hard munchies just bobbing my head with my eyes half-closed to this reggae-fied, horn-heavy yet still very cool take on the original.

I really enjoy the "A Shot in the Dark/Peter Gunn" mix. Very nice phrasing throughout, with most of the original arrangements and sound replicated here. The two themes move in and out of each other very nicely, playing off their sounds and images quite well. One quibble: the track ends way too soon. A great jam like this one should be allowed to run free and have some fun.

"Bossa Per Due" follows, and is a nice, quiet, even haunting chill tune. Good organ punctuation, with smooth female vocals, and nice counterpoint to the drive and humming guitars of the preceding mix.

"Intraspettro" comes next, and is a fantastic addition to this CD. Another piece with a single singing female vocal, it fits perfectly. Great Euro feel and sound, the sound of movement, of adventure, of clear weather and hazy horizons over the Mediterranean. You can find this track also on "Jazz Lounge."

"Tres Tres Chic" is interesting, but the over-enunciated French lyrics quickly become grating. I noticed this also on "Voulez-Vous?" and especially "Sacre Francais," the French ultimately distracting from what are smooth, simple, cool, and enjoyable tunes.

The Panther theme Malibu re-mix concluding the CD is very, very cool, a great closer. This is the sound of James Bond meeting the Panther. It rocks, but again, sadly, the jam just doesn't go on long enough.

In conclusion, this CD is a winner, a fantastic compilation and fitting tribute to the original understated, implicit 60s Panther cool, brought right into the new millennium and updated splendidly. The tracks fit (with a minor exception), compliment the attitude and vibe of the original, and contribute to an overall superb release.

This cd is on rotation with my workout music on my treadmill and most of the songs are very motivating for me. Only a couple of songs get tedious for me. Good beat and fast-paced.

This is a fun and motivating CD for all of us who grew up in the 80's. The songs are pretty fast-paced, but the music is up-beat so the workout goes fast.

I haven't heard a lot of these songs since the mid 80's in high school. Hearing them now, and working out to them now, make me strive harder to get back to the shape I was in back then!! If you loved new wave music then this is a must have!!!

I dont want you to think Im acting all smart, but, 34 tracks, (...), that would be...(...) per track. I think thats a good deal!! Besides, if you like variety, this is for you!! I think these are all the different types of music there are: hard rock, rock, light rock, rap, punk rock, and more! Most of the songs on this CD are good, so I reccommend buying this! Thank you for reading this and hope this review helped you!!!

X2003 is one of my favorite cd's that I own! It features some great songs that really rock out!
The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because there are several songs that are a little too slow for my liking.
But this cd definately rules. It has many differant varieties of rock (soft rock, heavy rock, rap, contemporary-rock, punk, heavy metal) and many differant awsome groups.
Kutless, Pillar, Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Demon Hunter and Pax 217 are some of the heaviest groups on this album, and Tobymac, Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, Tait, Switchfoot and the Supertones are some of the other softer (but definately not SOFT!) groups. Then there's also inbetween groups, like MxPx, Peace of Mind, The Cross Movement, and Five Iron Frenzy.
Sounds like a cd you could only own in your dreams, doesn't it? And there's many more unnamed groups such as Jeremy Camp, Superchick, Benjamin Gate and Sanctus Real! And MANY, MANY MORE!
What an awsome cd! I want to listen to it just talking about it. This cd rocks, and if you don't own it, BUY IT RIGHT NOW!

X 2003 is loaded...heavily loaded. This is your CD is you feel a need to rock out! Wow! Packed from beginning to end of this two CD set are songs from some of today's best Christian alternative/rock bands. There are some new bands listed on here as well and this CD I'm sure will help get their name out there.

There are many times during the year that Christian stores will offer the "Simply Familiar" "Simply Christian" rock and pop music samplers at "Simply Irresistible" prices that "Simply Get Forgotten" a lot of times. (I "simply" don't understand the "simply" tag on that promotion) The main purpose of these is to expose the new artists and promote new albums by familiar artists. X 2003 is put together by a collaboration between Tooth & Nail, Forefront and Sparrow Records and may be the best collection of Christian alt/rock music put together yet.

Disc One leads off with the appropriate "Get This Party Started" from Tobymac. It really sets the mood for the rest of the collection, despite the editing blunder that abruptly cuts the song off in the middle of a word! Not a sentence, but a word, just seconds from the actual ending of the song. Pillar takes off next with their big hit "Fireproof" from their album of the same name. Disc one continues with songs from established bands like the OC Supertones, Mxpx, Bleach and Five Iron Frenzy. There are a few new bands introduced to the listener as well, such as Justifide, Sanctus Real and Holland. Switchfoot is represented by their track "You Already Take Me There" which is a somewhat bizarre choice since they do have a newer album out with other songs that would have made excellent choice to be on this disc. As bonus tracks we hear from new bands Anberlin and Watashi Wa.

Relient K starts off disc two with "Chap Stick, Chapped Lips and Things Like Chemistry" and then Audio Adrenaline keeps things going with "Summertime". Again, another bizarre choice because of the fact AA has a newer release that could be featured, but regardless, the song fits really well with the energy of this collection. Disc two is my favorite of the two discs because there are some awesome rock tracks on here. "Your Touch" from Kutless, "John Woo" off of the Newsboys "Thrive" CD which is a great release from them. Further Seems Forever is a new band with a very unique electronic-style rock sound, that at times is rather "experimental", and lend their song "The Sound" to this CD. There is some youthful rap-rock offered from PAX 217's "Engage" and some hip-hop from The Cross Movement and Peace of Mind which features KJ-52 on vocals. Jeremy Camp lends his song of surrender to the party with "Take My Life" and is appropriately followed up by his fianc�e's band The Benjamin Gate's "Lift Me Up". Disc two also features Tait, Tree 63, Delirious?, Skillet and Demon Hunter. The bonus tracks are from Lucerin Blue and Starflyer 59.

This set is a great sampler of the Christian music that is out there from these record labels, and is definitely something Christian youth can enjoy and listen to with friends who may not be Christian. This is for the listener who enjoys the heavier rock style and wouldn't last one minute with the radio dial on K-LOVE. You get 34 songs in this collection that are up-tempo, energetic, and simply RAWK!

4 of 5 stars

This is a rather uneven Christmas album. The standout track is the great, funny "Merry Christmas From the Family" by Jill Sobule. There are some other good performances here, but nothing great. The lowlight is the seemingly endless 8 minute long jazz saxophone version of "White Christmas" by James Carter. This CD is almost worth getting just for the Jill Sobule song.

I really like the idea of this album, however it could have had a few bigger names and better songs. Overall though it's a good listen. After the Rudolph opener, Collective Soul does a nice job, the Tori Amos cover is wonderful as expected, and the Juliana Hatfield song is a big plus too. Also worth a mention are the tracks from Victoria Williams and Everything But The Girl, both quite pleasing. The rest is good at the least, and the Jill Sobule song is a great addition. A nice disc for those wanting a cooler Christmas. I also suggest "The Edge Of Christmas" and "A Very Special Christmas 3".

Admittedly, this is not a proper review, but I just wanted to convey a quick "thank you" to the person who felt her voice was important enough to meddle with the one recorded version the world has of Tori's Little Drummer Boy.

More from http://thedent.com/sleigh.html#littledrummerboy ...

The Little Drummer Boy was recorded live on November 12, 1992 at a club in Dundalk, Maryland called Steel Town. Tori asked the crowd for silence, saying that the song would be recorded for a children's charity benefit. Of course, there was a woman who had to shout "play it, Tori" in response to the "shall I play for you" line. The bouncers quickly took care of her but, in a way, she had ruined the mood -- at least for some of those in her immediate surroundings...

These albums are always good, this one especially, maybe because the quality of songs was high at the end of last year. They feature most of the songs which were big last Autumn (Fall) and Leann Rimes got to #1 after this CD was released. But as always some songs seem out of place and many are missing. I just wish i could choose what songs would get on, now that would be fun

Now 47 has the worst cover color out of all the NOW CDs to date. However, the songs are still up there in quality. I do have a couple of complaints, though. The songs all seem to be hits from a little way back (maybe I'm just ungrateful about my Christmas presents :-)

Songs which I felt should have been put on the CD, and which I notice aren't on the NOW 5 CD either, are "Music" by Madonna and Walking Away by Craig David. They're really good, popular songs, but the guys who make the NOWs still didn't put it on either disc! But I'm not really complaining - Rock DJ, It's My Life, Pure Shores, Natural, Kids, Time to Burn and Who Let the Dogs Out? were really good,and I have enjoyed them immensly. Still not 100% yet, though, hence only 4 stars - keep trying, guys.

The UK version of the Now CDs have been out longer than the America version, and are therefore much better. They've had more time to perfect it. The UK version isn't biased to the top 12 songs on the billboard chart at that time. The UK Now adds techno songs, pop songs, hardcore/punk songs and something for everyone. There is more of a selection, more up to date and is made for a larger audience. Much better than anything the American version can ever do!

Any Beatles fan will appreciate this collection. It's a lot of fun to listen to Kate Pierson do "Step Inside Love" and her other contributions turn out to be the most fun of the bunch. But both Graham Parker and Bill Janovitz infuse great nuance to songs you may or may not have heard before. Throughout you hear the Lennon/McCartney melodies and songs that, although are considered throwaway Beatles tunes, represent very strong material that is better than 99% of what is out in today's music. Seriously consider picking this one up if you want to be pleasantly surprised. A true find that has been unfortunately ignored by Beatles fans. GP's rendition of "BAD TO ME" is amazing!

David Hartman's review is BS, frankly. I listened to half these songs some 40 years ago. These versions are better. This album/CD kicks major ass. Nice going all

This album was made for artists that are bigger than the usual charts ones.They love the songs they sing, there is a real feeling on these musics, and this album is a gift to us, people that love the Beatles legacy, as they prove in these songs they offer to us.Excelent artists, playing beautiful songs in a marvelous album.Indispensable, truly.I wish that records like this wouldn't be so rare.

What alot of reviewers fail to realize about this comp is that it's a Mute/Rough Trade collaboration/compilation which means only bands from those labels are represented.
I actually do not own the disc but have most of the tracks on CD, vinyl or taped from the radio in the early 80's (WNYU). But am gonna get it ASAP since it's a very good representation of that era. Plus it's good to see NYC bands like Liquid Liquid and ESG (who were both on 99 Records in the US) finally on digital format.
Yeah, there might be some stuff missing and the inclusion of the newer bands may seem lame, but it's definitely worth the money!
Check out the Rhino Records 80's/Post-Punk box-set "Left of the Dial" for the rest of the worlds contributions (heavy on USA).

This is a lovingly put-together, although by no means complete, overview of the incomparable post-punk scene, compiled by the splendid folks at Rough Trade. Colin Newman (of Wire, if it's the same Colin Newman I'm thinking of) wrote the description in the booklet, which made me quite happy seeing as his band was responsible for some of my favorite music, ever (they're on here too, by the way).

I fancied myself to know quite a bit about post-punk before I came across this compilation, but there was still quite a lot of interest for me. The big players are all represented here, but those bands like PiL, Gang of Four, and The Fall comfortably rub shoulders with the lesser-known likes of Family Fodder, Blurt, and the Prats. The No Wave scene manages to creep onto this compilation in the form of DNA and James White and the Blacks. Scritti Politti and XTC might seem a bit out of place if you're only familiar with their later pop careers, but both songs fit in quite well (the difference between the two is that later XTC was better than the XTC featured here, but early Scritti Politti was much, much better than their later chart-toppers). In fact, Skank Bloc Bologna, the longest song on the entire comp, is one of my favorites.
One thing that really put a grin on my face while listening would be the female representation, being one of the fair sex myself, it was good to see that almost half of the songs featured are done by women. And rightfully so!
I do have a minor irritance with the inclusion of newer bands on here. The difference is obvious, they just sound too derivative, and I usually find myself skipping them. Nothing really bad, per se, but they would have done better with including more 70s/80s artists instead.

Ok, so, before I ramble on too far, this is a good overview of both the obvious and the obscure. But like I said before, and the ones who compiled this would agree with me, it isn't complete. There are quite literally hundreds upon hundreds of post-punk and no-wave bands out there that weren't represented (no Joy Division?), so keep listening! This is an excellent introduction to those uninitiated with the unparalleled, wildly experimental world of post-punk, and a good listen for those of us who already are.

Glorious, sublime, exceptional, inspired....that's some of the superlatives That are deservedly heaped upon this fantastic collection by myself. Even if your not 100% completely up to speed on the Post-Punk scene, and don't know your "Gang of four" from your "Public Image Ltd", if you have even a passing interest in this music, you owe it to yourself to give this more than a passing glance. `Gang of Four' start things of with their twitchy spoken/shouted "I found that Essence Rare".....leading through to `The Pop Group's' neo-Dub punk of "We are all Prostitutes"...and not forgetting the bouncy Punk-funk of `Delta 5's - Mind your own Business', and the Dub-reggae of female trio `The Slits - Shoplifting'. The double album weighs in at a hefty 44 tracks...and you'd be forgiven for thinking that the quality of songs will suffer with such a large tracklisting...unfortunately you'd be wrong, as whoever the group of individuals were that complied this album, were obviously treated this project as a labour of love...(and it shows), easily the best (and most enjoyable way) to familiarise yourself with the Post-punk generation.