American Alternative music reviews

this CD is totally awesome. i really love "be my ex-girlfriend" and "smile". if you're looking for a good cd, this is it.

from way back in 96 comes gones best if not perfect album they have done so far.so of those of you who dont know this band or what they are about .well they are an one of best post punk american instumental bands of our time.fronted buy greg ginn(a madman of a guitarist)that has fronted and put together some of the best punk and experimental bands around.with his record lable SST and his being responsable for signing countless bands making the modern punk alternative sound what it is today...so any ways as far as the album this is my favorite off all his 7 gone albums.it for one has all the best grooves of any of his albums and his gutar [playing is near perfect for being so out of control of a player.his new members in the band (steve sharp)bass)and gregory moore(drums and percussion)are a welcome part of the unit.replaceing the ak.a rollins band rythum section)those guys are tight as a rock leaving ginn to really just wail off in all directions.so anyways the best way to describe this album is like punk fusion groove madness.it is as modern to punk rock as we should be in 2002 even though this came out in 1996 its still way ahead of its time..its not sounding loke some retro yada yada but new and fresh .so with out any kind of singing to get in the way of the real music of this incredable album.so do you record collection some good and but this today...ITS A disc to play LOUD

This is what a compilation should be. Lots of different types of artists with hits, non-hits and b-sides. Plus the live aspect truly brings some of these bands to a new level! Live versions of "Low Rider" by Blues Traveler and "Middle of the Road" from the Pretenders are true classics. It is a must buy....

Classic 80's so cal punk from the greatest radio station KROQ in southern california and Rodney Bingenheimer, an icon from that era! If you lived in So Cal at that time, you know what I mean! Buy it!

This was my first Bongwater album (although I had heard them before) and I still like it the best. Perfect from the first note to the last.

this is the last, but not least, of the material we got from bongwater, and for that reason alone we should be so sad that collectively we jump out of windows all over the universe.

I love every record by bongwater, and therefore feel the need to review them all and give them all 5 stars, and wow, there doesn't seem to be any other reviews here. Can it be that I alone know the beauty that is bongwater? This is a shame. Don't let it happen to you, order this record, and all others by this band. Keep hope alive.

THIS COMPILATION BRINGS BACK PRECIOUS MEMORIES OF THE EARLY 80'S CALIFORNIA SCENE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GREATS HERE:YOUTH GONE MAD,SIN 34,GEZA-X, DEMENTED,REDD KROSS,the most rare SADIST FACTION,CIRCLE ONE, AND SO,SO MUCH MORE. ALL THESE CLASSIC HITS ON A SINGLE COMPACT DISC. '5'STARS ALL THE WAY.

Once upon a time listening to the Swans was about as enjoyable as sticking knitting needles in your ears and the effect was often the same. Relentless pulverising beats without the vicarious thrill that a band like say Big Black could give you. Also without the warped humour of The Butthole Surfers, this was bleak humourless fare. Up until this album the Swans were industrial noise-nicks you lump in with Skinny Puppy and Front 242etc."Time is Money (B******)" was the rape scene in "Irreversible" set to music. Then out of nowhere came "The Burning World" and although the world view is obstensively still as bleak as ever suddenly it's set to a gorgeous lush musical landscapes. A couple of the songs actually feature la la, s. Gira goes pop. "Burning World" is The Swans in collision with The Chills while the Waterboys look on.
And goddam as Gira would say, if there isn't a little optimism in here. Opening track "The River that runs with love won't run dry" is a statement in itself. But add in the warm washes of violin and perfectly picked guitar notes with Jarboes honeyed backing vocals and you have a song so uplifting Westlife could cover it...if they had any taste ....or talent.
"Let it come down" is more like old style Swans. "I will drown in flames" sings Gira portentously in his cavernous vocals to a stumbling deluge of charcoal bass, percussion and wheezing strings. Jarboe sings a beautiful version of Steve Winwoods "Can't find my way home" backed by tabla, mournful strings and random guitar notes sprinkled like diamonds on a tar pit. The tabla provides rhythmic propulsion to "Mona Lisa(Mother Earth)" with suitably eerie backing vocals. "Saved" is another song suffused with uncharacteristic hope. It has a sumptuous melody, twinkling guitars and more opulent backing from Jarboe., who sings wonderfully again on "I Remember who you are" a string smothered ballad of fevered brow intensity. On "Jane Mary cry one tear", "Everything is a cause for sorrow" which may explain the funereal arrangement something it shares with the pitch black (She's a )Universal Emptiness", while "See no more" is two paced, starting with urgent spiky guitars and tumbling percussion until Giras vocals pull in the reins." See our sun go black because we made one mistake" he grumbles. It ends with ardent tipples of bazouki before "Goddam the Sun", a ballad of jaw dropping bleakness with contradictory fervent strokes of guitar and strings.
Overall despite the inevitable themes of death, despair and torpor this is musically a rich and textured album, with many moments and songs of outstanding beauty. Don,t let the granite faced disposition of Mr Gira fool you. Within him sit's a heart that beats in time with the rest of us. His world may be burning but he's prepared to concede that for us it may still be a place of hope and wonder.

The Burning World is infused with the spirit of author Paul Bowles as reflected on titles like Let It Come Down and the mention of "sheltering sky" in the lyrics of Saved. The album is a classic by default. The artists are of the opinion that producer Bill Laswell didn't understand what they wished to achieve, hence their low opinion of The Burning World.

I beg to differ. As far as accessibility goes, this is the one Swans album that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of people with different musical tastes - from the Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave fan to those who love atmospheric rock or eastern-influenced world music sounds.

The now defunct Swans is still my favorite band but it must be admitted that they're an acquired taste, since on various albums they have explored extreme emotions and extreme music. This gentle, melodic album still has its moments of extremity, like the devastating God Damn The Sun, where Michael Gira goes a few steps further down the road of despair than Leonard on a Cohen-type ballad.

Another breathtaking track is their interpretation of Steve Winwood's Can't Find My Way Home, hypnotically and spookily sung by Jarboe over the eerie instrumentation, as is I Remember Who You Are, which allows Jarboe's unique voice to soar into regions celestial. I also love the tuneful Saved, an evocative love song with a spiritual undertone.

To me, this is their folk album, just as their early work was an exploration of industrial/extreme heavy metal sounds, Love Of Life was powerful guitar rock and Soundtracks For The Blind was an investigation of the drone.

Judged on the quality of the material, the vocals, the overall mood, this is an enduring classic. Fans of Leonard Cohen, John Cale, Richard Thompson, Peter Murphy, Velvet Underground, Nico, Nick Drake and similar artists will do themselves a huge favor by acquiring this shimmering masterpiece.

even the swans themselves hate this wonderful thing.
although it can't be compared with all the amazing stuff that came after it, especially in terms of richness of arrangements, the songs and the deliveries are very, very strong indeed.
sometimes an album has to be judged WITHOUT comparison to other ones of the same artist. and this one is simply great by itself.

This should have been one of the defining rock comps of the 90s. From the outset, you can tell it's something special. It opens with an immediately addictive song from Elastica, "Waking Up", and you can feel yourself in the middle of a time warp. It grabs you and pulls you right in. As you listen to the rest of the album, you hear bands like Skiploader and Bivouac, who could have easily been big names in the Post-Grunge scene. This album is absolutely essential for any fan of 90s rock.

Perusing the Amazon listing of available albums from Richard Burmer has me scratching my head as to why so much of his output is so "unavailable" or exclusively priced. Of those electronic new age "space music" artists who came to pseudo-prominence in the '80s - Steve Roach, Kevin Braheny, Patrick O'Hearn, Jonn Serrie, Vangelis, et al. - Burmer has the most developed sense of traditional musicality without sounding cryptic nor "poppish". One can count on an album that will transport the listener to other times, places, and dimensions while treating the ears to beautiful melodies and compellingly exotic arrangements with both romance and drama; this is more than just background music!

Bhakti Point and On the Third Extreme are the two Burmer albums I own and revisit quite often. If you can find them at a reasonable price, I would wholeheartedly suggest you try them for a worthwhile excursion into very accessible electronic new age music.

I bought this CD when it first came out in 1986, and it's been one of the best investments I've made since then. In my mind, "Bakhti Point" is the standard by which all New Age music can be judged. Richard Burmer composed the tracks herein and played all the instruments, layering one instrumental track over another until he achieved luxurious swaths of exquisite sound that engages the listener rather than simply soothes him, although it does just that. If this CD is still available, grab it. The music is seductively melodic, and there is one track that falls into the ambient category. Burmer hasn't been heard from for almost a decade. Too, too bad. "Shining by the River" is an excellent compilation of his best work from 1986 to 1996, another gem that you will absolutely not regret having spent the money on.