Alternative Rock Compilations music reviews

...At least, I had to think again after buying this CD. I had never heard "Lucky Number" by Lene Lovich, which according to the liner notes was a European dance floor staple in the '80s. Wonderful bouncearound head-bobbing happy dancey NWave. Ditto (though not as bouncy) for Romeo Void's "Never Say Never," with its unforgettable spoken (not sung) line from the female vocalist "I might like you better if we sslllept together." Finally, near the bottom of the playlist is a brilliant NW cover of "Money" (I remember this track, by Barrett Strong according to the liner notes, from the Beatles' cover of it on "The Beatles Second Album"). The Flying Lizards put a whole new twist on this ancient track--and that is hard to do with something this old and so multi-covered over the years. It would be hard to find three tracks that better capture the essence of New Wave.

Those were the newbies for me. But "Sedated" has some more great obscurities too--Berlin's "Sex (I'm A...)" (a verrry racy song for the early 80s, too racy for air time in fact), "Saved by Zero" by The Fixx (vs. their better known, commonly included, "One Thing Leads to Another"), and ABC's "Poison Arrow"--from their unbelievably outstanding first (1982) album, "The Lexicon of Love." So often the relatively obscure songs on collections like these are throwaways, but someone here has done a great job picking-over the candidates and selecting the obscure winners. Most of the rest of the tracks are mega-hits, so it is a great combo of the well-known and the should-be-well-known.

This is one of the best compilations for NW, and fidelity of the CD is very good too. Liner notes are extensive and interesting, and show the TLC someone put into this CD. Buy and enjoy!

I've been collecting the Rhino New Wave Hits series, which is great, but after stumbling across the Sedated series I have to say it's superior. There are fewer CDs in the Sedated series so the selections on each CD are a bit more focussed. This first volume has a great representation of the best of the era - you get the fun lite stuff like Mexican Radio and the Go-Gos, along with more artsy cuts such as Romeo Void and The Smithereens. Classics like the Ramones I Wanna be Sedated and People who Died. Really just a very enjoyable CD to listen to again and again. I look forward to adding more of this series to my collection.

The Sedated in the 80's series truly captures the spirit of the era for me. It sends me back to the nights at CBGB's or Max's Kansas City in New York when I intentionally sat in front of the speakers so I could feel my internal organs shake (by the way...it didn't damage my hearing...your mother was wrong!).

This compilation is excellent, and it also holds an important place in history because it was released back when these bands were not well known. This is not an after-the-fact retrospective, it's the real thing. It has great songs from bands that became classics, such as Youth Brigade and Bad Religion, as well as some bands that most people will probably only hear right here. Also, as far as I know this compilation is the only place that you can get some of Youth Brigade's best songs, such as "Look In the Mirror" and "Boys In the Brigade." If you like early 80's US hardcore, get this. If you think you like it but you don't know yet, get this first.

i lived in portland for 7 months and i used to go to boston whenever i had a free weekend...listening to jennifer trynin's stuff and mary lou lord's ( i also like the pixies...) got me thinking about this one..i can't remember where i got it. maybe it was at a used bookstore or record shop...what attracted me to it was the second disk of spoken words stuff...patricia smith has a poem on here. i remember that. there is also a song by laurie gelman called " paris " that was particularly memorable..i haven't been to new england in 8 years...i'll have to get up there one of these days to see if it's still the same...

Awesome sampling of Boston's best singer-songwriters!

This album is a sheer delight with tracks to suit all tastes and moods. There are older 'classics' such as Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' to the more comtemporary Sarah Whatmore's 'Automatic'.
Lively numbers such as Avril Lavignes 'Complicated' feature alongside Eva Cassidy's gentle and moving 'Fields of Gold'.
There are 42 tracks including a bonus number by Heather Small and some of todays best known female artists are included...Dido, Pink, Alicia Keys to name a few.
Well worth a listen to.

I think this is one of the best time ska/punk CDs ever made. Riverfenix stands out as having the coolest band on the CD, but the others do a great job too. YOU MUST BUY THIS CD!

Hmmm, at first it was a little strange but each time I listen to this record it becomes better. Great idea!!! To make dub versions of punkrock 'oldies' For all those who love Dub and Punk :)) I recommend to listen also to 'Dub Side of the Moon' - Dub versions of Pink Floyd and 'Psyhedelic Souls' - Dub versions of 60ties hits. I wanted to give it four stars only, but I discovered that I listened to this record 4 times allready today and I got it yesterday!

Calling the Patti Smith Group's "Because the Night" the best single of the 80s is a little like saying "We Built This City" is the best single of the 90s or "Yesterday" is the best signle of the 70s. It came out in '75. Still, it IS awesome, and there are a few other selections here that are neccessary 80s tunes. Romeo Void, Furs, Bunnymen. And props for including the Suburbs "Love is the Law": A true New Wave classic. If you approach the 80s from a college radio (and not an MTV) type place, the Sedated series might just be for you. They're all out of print too, so get 'em while they're cheap!

Patti Smith's Because the Night (written for her by Bruce Springsteen) is simply the best single of the 80's, hands down. So you know that an 80's compilation that includes it is going to be great. And this one is great. You also get the best of Exene and X -- Los Angeles -- as well as Wall of Voodoo's mindblowing cover of Johnny Cash's cover of the Carter Family's Ring of Fire. Wow. The Kinks making a comeback in the 80's with Superman (wouldn't it be cool if Laurie Anderson's O Superman was on this volume instead of on Vol. 3 ... but then that volume is also fabulous so go ahead and get it too) The English Beat doing I Confess ... Chili Peppers' proto-whiteboy-hiphop Fight Like a Brave ... Ramones, David Bowie, what more do you want? This is a CD to listen to again and again. I've been collecting the Rhino New Wave Hits series, which is good, but after stumbling across the Sedated series I have to say it's superior. Smart people put these compilations together.

I am an 80's music junkie who has collected many anthologies and compilations from this decade. SEDADED 2 has risen to the top of the pile as one of my most listened to CDs. In fact, it rarely leaves its spot on my player. The songs do not become tiresome or tedious; and they tend to be tracks that are not usually played on the 80's flashback radio shows or stations. In fact, the CD features a lot of hard to find tracks that are not included in most 80's compilations, such as "Pale Shelter" by Tears for Fears (instead of the more typical "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World) and "Los Angeles" by X. This compilation has a nice edge to it. The songs have something to say, they are well written, extremely well sung and all will move you in some way. Starting with Billy Idol's driving beat and rebel attidude of "White Wedding", to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sing/shout-along chorus of "Fight like a Brave", followed by the sensual "Lips like Sugar" of Echo and the Bunnymen with a nice segue into the Psych. Furs raspy "Heartbreak Beat", etc. Not many CD's can pull off playing the painful end of a relationship "Kiss Off" (Violent Femmes) AND English Beat's "I Confess" of new love. The CD also includes Patti Smith, the Ramones, David Bowie, the Kinks, Wall of Voodo, English Beat and Stone Roses. (Wow!) Really, this is the coolest compilation of rebel-sexy-moody anguish-with-a-beat you'll ever find!

These songs are for advanced New Wave listeners only. They go deep into/off the Top 100 charts of the day, or deep into the albums on which Top Charting NW songs were found. Many of them are quite good. A couple of them are unusually bizarre and uninteresting (Exhibit A: "O Superman" by Laurie Anderson). Don't bother with this until you have heard a few hundred top New Wave hits first. When you get your NW diploma, then you can move on up to this more challenging grad school course!

Fidelity of this and the whole Sedated in the 80's series is quite good.

I also recommend Sedated #1, outstanding!

This is one of the better 80's compilations that I have heard. I am pleased that some of the rarer songs are being released in this format. Listening to these songs makes be remember my own bittersweet eighties experiences. A must for all eighties devotees

I play Taylor guitars and learned of this series when Volume 1 was released. I bought it, and loved it. The diversity was amazing. I couldn't wait for Volume 2, and bought it as soon as it was released. I loved it.

So it is with a heavy heart that Volume 3 didn't meet my lofty expectations. Its a good album. But it sounds more mainstream than either of the first two. And although I have listened to it several times, its not an album that is growing on me. I see a limited listening life fot this one. And a return to Volumes 1 and 2.

What better way to pay tribute to the acoustic guitar than with an album by some of the world's most proficient and influential players? The musicians are world-class, and so is this album.
Dave Matthews commands with "Litho Blitho," while Robben Ford surprises with a unique version of Louis Armstrong's "St. James Infirmary."
Kenny Rogers, Randy Dorman and Rick Harper team up for an unforgettable "Night Winds;" Doyle Dykes paired with Duane Eddy are an unbeatable twosome.
All the stars whether singer, songwriter, guitar soloist or producer are here. It's a must-have for guitar aficionados.

- Gail Cooke

..but I just feel indifferent about this CD. I bought it thinking it would be an orchestrated-type stuff, which it is but I was hoping for something I could relax to. Whenever I hear the music in this CD, I think of weddings. Don't get me wrong, it's a good CD, but just not what I was expecting (which was a more relaxing kind of orchestration).

I realy happend to enjoy this CD. I just bought it recently and every time i listen to it i feel like its the real thing because its so similar. I Love just relaxing to this cd. I think it is worth hearing.

i bought this cd when i went looking for the last elusive cd that was missing from my rhcp collection(freaky styley, you should buy that one too)...i ended up walking out with this one as well and i rocked it all the way home with my windows open. this isn't an orchestral arrangement, it is a true to the original quartet: every solo, (almost) every fill, and every vocal que is present. The basslines jump from Persiani's prodigious upright (bass) and u can almost picture flea bouncing around. this work brought a whole new breadth and life to th emusic that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end; and for that, i applaud the string quartet.