American Alternative music reviews

Opens with absurdist juxtaposition imagery welded to fiery music and guitar strong-arms in "My Music At Work". "Tiger The Lion" 's far-flung abstraction hangs loosely from weakly grasping music. "Lake Fever" is well done, with its hopping percussion and diversifyingly spacey lyrics. "Putting Down" is a mid-tempo typifyingly hip number, lyrics' wild obtuseness fits its fistful of music.
"Stay" is one of the album's top spots, its mellow mood contrasting coolly with Downie's barely restrained howl. "The Bastard's" lyrics are obscurist pedantry and the music is ok. "The Completists"'s shared vocals dilute well while "Freak Turbulence" tries but goes nowhere. "Sharks" I am mixed about, though "Toronto #4" is tonewise and vocalwise pleasantly composed, a rumination on surfacing.
The next four songs "Wild Mountain Honey", "Train Overnight", "The Bear", and "As I Wind Down The Pines" are better titles and occasional glittering phrases than vocals or musical stylings; the lyrics and music cloud one another more often than not.
Overall, the Hip here seem stranded in obscurity for ogling lyrically and often lazy shiftwork musically; a trimming down of the quantity of songs may have lifted the quality.

Wasnt thrilled with this one when I picked it up on its release date 3 years ago. Kinda hard to top Phantom Power. But this album grows on you and will find its way in your cd player as often as other Hip recordings. The best all around ROCK band out there today.

Over three years after its release, I'm ready to go out on a limb and say that "Music @ Work" is The Tragically Hip's best record - certainly not a consensus view, given the comments here. But I believe in terms of musicianship, lyrics, variety, innovativeness, and sonic excellence, it's second to none in the Hip's discography.

Unfortunately, "Music @ Work" begins with its weakest song, the relatively inane title track - a fairly cynical attempt at a hit single. The next song, "Tiger the Lion," is unquestionably an acquired taste, with its sinister guitar chords and obscure John Cage references. But to me, this is the type of song that makes The Hip great - a gutsy, idiosyncratic reworking of the rock idiom. After that comes one of the Hip's best songs ever, "Lake Fever." It's simply a beautiful song, with lush acoustic instrumentation, spine-tingling chord changes, and one of vocalist Gordon Downie's strongest performances.

The rest of the record weaves through varied musical territory. There are straight-ahead rockers, like "Putting Down" and "The Bastard," as well as atmospheric ballads such as "Toronto #4" and "As I Wind Down the Pines." How many bands have written a song from a carnivorous bear's point of view? Not many - but on "The Bear," the Hip do it with tongue-in-cheek aplomb.

The Hip's charmingly peculiar style establishes a sense of continuity that helps guide the listener through their diverse musical landscape. Their Canadian milieu informs their music with a unique cultural and geographical sensibility that sets them apart from other current alternative artists.

As bold and varied as the colors on its cover, "Music @ Work" is a wonderfully diverse and grand accomplishment. For everyone? Maybe not. But for this Hip fan, it's their best.

I just got this CD, and maybe I'll hear some incredible things after a few more listens, but so far it doesn't seem like their best work. Maybe it's just me, but the vocals sound alittle off --something seems different to me -- as compared to their other live stuff. The song selection is decent, especially Wolfman's Brother and Mike's Song, but it could better. Hampton Comes Alive and A Live One are deffinetly stronger albums with better songs.

song by song overview because it sounds lame to tell someone hey this sucks or i love this
cities - funny, groovy and has a cool wah rythym to it good song to chill to and 'get some thinking done'
wolfman - awesome version of the song possibly the best because unlike hoist its a little more flowing and when it goes 'broth-er' with the guitar riff after it, i get goose bumps
jesus/chicago - and after a long slow paced jam with distintive bass and wah guitar we find our selves at a beat-slow slow-beat blues cover of jesus left chicago with a sweet solo in the midst of it
weigh - an alright song not my favorite but,give it credit for being mike's highlight on the album, not to much improv here but it does give a nice interlude to mikes' song and this song is really, i guess you could say, overall, phishy
mike's song - wow best part of the cd maybe, take mike's song and add a out of control sweet tension build up,' the end theme ', 'careful with that axe screams' and finish with a factory jam until we get to a 'and he walked down the hall'(morrison) to the next ...
lawn boy - good song with some nice page vocals and a smoothe bass riff by mike, also some nice feed back
weekapog groove - cool main riff with more 'the end' referencing, it's a groove, a monster groove, so don't think to hard just appreciate it all at once as a whole flowing enima, can you dig?
hello my baby - it's cute and funny but also quiet and that ticks me off just a wee bit, i have to turn up my stereo to hear the individual words, this track closes the album in a sense and prepares the listeners for a climax on taste
taste - great closer, if it weren't for this song i wouldn't probably be writing this review and screaming to all to buy it and listen your ears off and don't be to quick to judge

overall awesome, only four stars because of hello my baby is quiet and weigh is not the greatest song inmy opinion, but hey who am i, if you like phish and want to know what live phish is all about or just like jam bands or just like music get it and embrace it
'express yourself but listen to others' - fishman

Phish is an amazing band, no question. This release is one I keep coming back to for "Taste," the final track on the disc, and the two covers, "Cities" and "Jesus Left Chicago". The latter is one of my favorite tracks on any album, period. It shows Phish tackling a genre they usually don't approach so directly- the blues- with a style and grace that almost convinces me they are a blues-rock band masquerading as a prog-funk outfit. I am amazed that Trey can nail that sound so well, when he seems to practice it so rarely. It speaks volumes for the versatility of Trey and the band as a whole. The rest- good- but "A Live One" is better overall as it is "edgier" and sounds more fresh. Still, you can't go wrong here.

The tracks "I'll be you," "Talent show" and "Achin' to be" are among the Mats finest but as a whole document "Soul" doesn't quite measure up to the likes of "Tim" and "Pleased to meet me." Still this is one fine record worthy of your time and attention. "Rock n' Roll Ghost" is one of the bands most underated tracks and, again, i have to stress how amazing those three songs are that i noted at the beginng of this mess. " You be me for awahile and i'll be you."

I've always wondered why people dislike this album. To me, it seems to be one of the Mats' finest efforts. Four of the songs are instant Mats classics ("Talent Show," "We'll Inherit the Earth," "Achin' to Be," and "Rock and Roll Ghost") and all of the other songs are very good. The production does sound a bit too 80s on some songs (i.e "Asking Lies"), but the songs are good enough to overcome any production flaws. The disc also happens to be The Replacements' most mature album. There are no songs like "Gary's Got a Boner," which is probably for the best. "Don't Tell a Soul" picks up where "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Skyway" left off, meaning that the album is more subdued than their previous efforts, yet the band can still rock, as evinced by the songs "Anywhere is Better Than Here" and "I Won't." If you like The Replacements, then buy this; if you don't like The Replacements, buy this album and see the light.

Time for an honesty check. My friend introduced the replacements to me years ago and I remember him getting excited about letting me hear "let it be" and "sorry ma, I forgot to take out the trash." I liked them...intermittently...some brilliant stuff, some noise and covers that I didnt really get or enjoy but overall it was good. It wasnt until he played me "Dont tell a soul" that I perked up like a shot of caffiene in the neck and found myself enthralled with the album. I remember being spellbound and after I heard the last song I asked to go to wherehouse to buy the record. I found it for .99 on casette and the reason it was so cheap was because the case was cracked. Big deal. I listened to that album so much and it was just pure crack cocaine for my ears. This was part of my holy trinity..the other two albums...depeche modes..Violater and the cures disintegration. The songs are BRILLIANT...BRILLIANT....BRILLIANT. How anybody could hate this album or say its overrated is truly plexing. It is an absolute joy from start to finish. The replacements should have been huge stars!!!

This CD is an ambitious step for Phish, and for me it represents the prime of Funk '97, their peak year in my opinion. I think Siket Disc is one of their most cohesive pieces, and it breaks all of the boundaries set by the conventional studio album. It is also worth noting the introduction of Page's synthesizer. It adds more to the album than it would seem, and in my opinion, makes the album much better; it gives the album a spacy, relaxed mood, unlike the generally up-tempo feeling and pace that is present in their other albums. The only other album that comes close to this space-like mood is Story of the Ghost, not surprisingly recorded in around the same time. Phish extend their jams much to much further and better ground. On this album, I think they got closer to the musical style and feel of Pink Floyd than they did at any other point. If only they hadn't gone in the direction of the Siket Disc!

Could people who have no idea what they're talking about PLEASE not try to review albums (especially ones such as this)?

This is by no means a traditional "studio album," nor are the tracks on it really "songs," even if PHiSH has played SOME of the tracks live (they're liable to do ANYTHING live!) - hence there is no melody, as another reviewer so kindly pointed out. But try and expand your concept of "music" past needing a catchy riff or hook!

These tracks are not the jam sessions for Farmhouse (of which I believe there were probably very few, given the nature of that album), but are culled from a spontaneous "fungus-assisted" jam session during the same period of time the band was recording the Story of the Ghost album.

When PHiSH jam in concert, they're very excited, and, of course, whether they mean to or not, playing to the crowd. Here, they're relaxed and alone, yes, in a studio (hence the releasable sound quality), but just doing their own thing for no one but themselves, and it provides a very interesting counterpoint to the style of their live jams, as well as some AMAZING music! Page (PHiSH's pianist/keyboardist) edited the tracks to listenable lengths so that the [blessed!] repetition of the first track (and others) wouldn't go on for HOURS (although some, this reviewer included, would like to have the entire session released as a giant box set!)!

This is pure, free, improvisation, people, from the best band that ever did it! ENJOY!

As you can read from these other reviews, this album is close to a hit or a miss. Let me start off by saying that I used to be really into Phish. I attended a bunch of their shows, collected tapes of thiers, etc. In the past 3 years, my musical taste has changed and I'm am not into the "jam-band" scene anymore. I guess you could say I'm more into the "indie" rock scene. Anyways, I don't really listen to any of Phish's material anymore, execept, for this album. Its a fantastic experimental album that I think could appeal to even non-phish fans who are into art rock/indie. If art rock nerds could handle listening to an album by a "stoner hippie rock group" and not be so critical all the time, they would find something very rewarding here.

I am pretty much going to echo what most people here have already said - this album is necessary solely for the last 5 tracks (i.e. The Chronic EP), which are just as good as anything off "Murmur" and "Reckoning". The wonderfully catchy jangly guitar-pop we all know and love is in full force on these 5 songs. The remaining 15 tracks are purely for completists and re-confirm the fact that R.E.M. are definitely an album band, and they truly put the best songs on their albums. The first 4 songs and "Ages of You" are the onky non-Chronic tracks that are any good. "Burning Hell" may be the worst thing these guys ever recorded, and the Velvet Underground and Aerosmith and Roger Miller covers are mostly bland and lifeless. I usually have to skip through too many tracks to get to the good stuff, so I cannot give this a high review, but definitely get the songs from The Chronic EP however you can if you are an R.E.M. fan.

I was planning on giving this album 3 stars until I noticed that this release includes R.E.M.'s 1982 EP Chronic Town. If you do not have this EP, you are getting some awesome additional tracks with this CD. My review of Chronic Town (5 Stars):

Chronic Town was R.E.M.'s first EP released in 1982. Listening to it now, I can see how this band was "out the door" ready to explode on the music world. The EP offers five tracks and three of them are on my all-time favorite R.E.M. songs list. "Wolves, Lower" is one of their best singles. The unique guitar intro pulls me in every time. "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" is a very cool, fun track. I almost always include that track on my R.E.M. compilation tapes as well as "Stumble." I like the overall sound of that track. Of the remaining tracks, my least favorite is "1,000,000." It is not that it is bad, it is just not as memorable as the others. A better version of "Gardening at Night" is found on Eponymous. The version on Chronic Town has weaker vocals. Still, Chronic Town is an awesome debut and should be included in every R.E.M. collection. Now for my review of Dead Letter office (3 Stars):

Dead Letter Office (released in 1987 before Document) is probably a more suitable buy for R.E.M. completest and serious fans as it is a collection of B-sides, covers, and outtakes. There are quite a few gems on this record though for casual fans if they run across a good deal on this one. Each track includes a brief note by Peter Buck who offers some interesting background (i.e. Walters Theme/King of the Road).

My favorite track is the Pylon cover "Crazy." It is an outtake from my favorite R.E.M. album Fables of the Reconstruction and is as good a track as anything R.E.M. has done. I always include it on my R.E.M. compilation tapes. Another of my favorites is "Windout," one of their earliest songs written in 1980, which Buck admits would have fit on Reckoning very well. I agree as it is a catchy rocker. They do nice covers of Velvet Underground's "There She Goes Again" and "Pale Blue Eyes" (the latter is a slow, country-style song). I'm not an Aerosmith fan, but they do an excellent, fanny-kicking cover of "Toys in the Attic." "Burning Hell" may be as close to metal R.E.M. ever got and good thing they didn't move in that direction. It is actually humorous.

As would be expected, there are some fillers on this album. "White Tornado" is an instrumental "surf's up" track while "Rotary Ten" is another instrumental with a 1960s detective show sound. "Bandwagon" is a very silly song ("We won't hurt the horse"). "Voice of Harold" is "7 Chinese Bros." with Stipe seeming to make up lyrics on the fly. Sometimes he sounds like a preacher, other times he sounds like a record promoter. It's got to be heard to be believed as does "Walters Theme/King of the Hill." As Buck writes, "I suppose if we had any shame we would have never allowed this little gem to see the light of day." It is a fun novelty album.

This is worth picking up solely to get the five tracks of the band's debut 12-inch EP, "Chronic Town." Everything that made the subsequent "Murmur" so mesmerizing was already in place on the EP, with perhaps an added dose of na�vet� that keeps the songs fresher. The fold-out insert even includes the EP's original front and back covers. The remainder of this collection pulls together 15 odds 'n' sods that represent B-sides, film soundtrack contributions, experiments-gone-wrong, covers, and album outtakes, all annotated graciously by Pete Buck.

Highlights include surprisingly faithful renditions of The Velvet Underground ("There She Goes Again" and "Femme Fatale") and a third that takes liberties ("Pale Blue Eyes"), as well as the band-written surf tune "White Tornado." Still, it's the quintet of tracks from "Chronic Town" that are a must-have, and the basis for this disc's five-star rating. The remaining fifteen cuts are really only for completists.

Fastball's Harsh Light of Day is the second album I've listened to by the group from Austin, Texas. This was a much-anticipated album for me after listening to All The Pain Money Can Buy. This albumen didn't quite live up to all of that hype. Fastball seems to have reached a mellower state after All The Pain Money Can Buy, perhaps they bought too much pain? The song "You're An Ocean" was good, but definitely wasn't the Fastball I had expected. I was looking for much more like "This Is Not My Life", instead of the pop sounding album I got. I liked the album, it just wasn't the Fastball I wanted.

Once again I'm very late in saying what should be said. This is easily one of the hundred greatest rock albums ever. Fastball is THE greatest band you never heard of. Most people hear their songs on the radio and think they're hearing someone else. They think, Oh that's an Elvis Costello song or Tom Petty or Eagles but it Fastball. The way you tell is it's usually better.

This album shows there songwriting genius. Luckily someone already committed sacrlege so I will reiterate. Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga are the Lennon-McCartney of this era. There's not a single false note on this album. Ever song is brilliantly clever without being pretenious in anyway and where as almost every band, even the great ones, try to unsuccessfully break out of their one sound and represent as many different genres as possible, Fastball does succeed and seemingly effortlessly.

Often the best movies and songs take time to warm up to and many that are immediately accessible wear thin fast. All the cuts here have the amazing trait of being immediately accessible and never wearing thin. In fact their songwriting has the trait of sounding familiar but not like some other song. It's called great songwriting. Become familiar with the two greatest tunesmiths working today and if you get the chance to see them live make sure you don't miss it. Plus they're really personable, cool guys. Well, Tony anyway. Oh lighten up Smiley.

This album is a ten out of five. You can't go wrong buying any Fastball album though.

I absolutely love this album. All the songs are great to listen to and I know almost all the lyrics by heart. This is a great band. I was hooked with their music when I bought "All the Pain Money can't buy." That album also had great songs, but this album has unforgettable songs. From start to finish, It's great. These songs are great pick you up after a hard days work, which is what "Funny how it fades away" says. They undeniably have a Beatlesque sound from songs like "Goodbye" and especially "Love is expensive and free." The way the lead guitarist, Tony Scalzo, and the bass guitarist, Miles Zuniga, alternates lead vocals is what makes both albums great. I also recommend getting the limited edition of this album which has a great live recording of "The Way."

First of all, I think Paul Westerberg is a national treasure. The songs he penned for Tim and Pleased to Meet Me belong alongside those of Dylan, Springsteen and even Gershwin in the pantheon of great American music.

That said, I'm afraid the well has run dry for ol' Paul. Yeah, this record brings back the rough-n-tumble sounds of the classic 'mats albums; sadly, the great songs from those albums remain in the past. The memorable hooks and beautifully trashy melodies are scarce here; the songs just don't stick in your head the way "Kiss Me on the Bus" or "Achin' to Be" did. There's the occasional spark here -- "Silent Film Star" and "Let's Not Belong Together" stand out, but even these jingles sound undeniably weak compared to "Hold My Life," "Answering Machine" or "Color Me Impressed".

By the time "Eyes Like Sparks" rolls around, it's obvious Westerberg is coasting on his reputation. He takes a potentially brilliant, truely Westerbergian turn of phrase ("My heart's like gasoline/Your eyes are like sparks") and runs it into the ground by repeating it, over and over, to a lethargic, unimaginative melody.

Westerberg is still a brilliant live performer, mostly due to his willingness to dip into his considerable back catalogue. But this record, as well as his last couple (Suicaine Gratification, Eventually) make a strong case for a graceful retirement.

Maybe, just maybe, I had way too many expectations for this CD? It just
doesn't hold up (in my ears) to the heaps of praise that has been hoisted
upon it since it's release a few months back. Yeah, it's better than that
last god-awful record that Paul made, "Suicaine Gratifaction" (SG), but
really, how could it not be? This CD sounds like Paul wrote a bunch of songs
while he was bored out of his mind & then waited until he felt somewhat like
rocking out a tad & then recorded them. This CD has been called the greatest
thing Paul has done since "Pleased To meet Me"... I don't hear it. In my
opinion that falls on the CD "Eventually". Hell, even the last 2 Replacements
albums were better than this (If you count "All Shook Down" as a Replacements
album - it was meant to be & recorded as Paul's first solo album) & so was
"14 Songs". Are we so afraid to admit that Westerberg ... now that we'll
heap tons of praise upon such a lack luster affair as this? Admittable it's
GOOD but it's just not that damn good! Oh well, he sounds like he's having
some fun & that's more than it sounds like he's having on the "Stereo" CD
which is just "SG" volume 2.

Paul has turned back more to the Replacement's style on this cd and its noticeable immediately. He skips the drunken, 'howling into the mike' tunes and as a result has put out a more 'grown up' release. The last song, 'AAA' sounds as though it could be a song off one of the mat's later albums, a sound that Paul has admitted to trying to ressurect on this cd. Speaking from a die hard Replacements fan's point of view, this is the first of Paul's solo releases that I'd insist you buy.

I bought this one about 10 min after i had bought Vol. 6 sence i was driving from one record store to another. This one is pretty good, but saddly its kind of a tease today, seeing as many of the tracks are from albums that went out of print years ago. This one is probably one of the best out of the 10 Punk-O-Rama compilations so far. The only two that i would rate better would be vol. 1, and the somewhat rare and un heard of Vol. 2.1, which was a special deal at the 97 warped tour(looks the same only the moster on the cover is skateboarding, not urinating on a wall, and it has the Wapred Tour logos) 2.1 featured a slightly modified track list with stronger tracks from SNFU, Down By Law and Pennywise. Its worth the money youll spend if you ever see a copy in the used cd bin. Anyway, Punk-O-Rama 2 is a pretty good collection of punk from the 90s as well as the two 80s hardcore bands Poison Idea and DFL. If you want to sample a pretty broad spectum that is punk music, this is a good place to start, as it gives you not only some of today's vetran bands' older material, but some seriously old scool stuff too. also some of these tracks arent for those turned off by questionable subject matter...Namely the one TSOL track

It was 1996, I was young and pissed off, had problems with school, parents and girlfriends. This CD came right on time. The Offspring's Smash brought the Epitaph name to my attention, so I saw this for 10 Guilders (Yes, guilders...damn the euro)and picked it up. I was not dissapointed. It was angry, loud and fast. Descendents, NOFX, Pennywise, Bad Religion.. Loved it.

This cd just belongs in 1996. It couldnt be released again today. It was in the height of the second punk explosion. Punk is dead now again. I don't listen to any more new Epitaph releases, they just all plain suck. Even NOFX doesn't put out decent records anymore. So that's why I started to look elsewhere and found it in garage bands like Kings of Leon.
But sometimes I get nostalgic and give Punk O rama a spin once more, and remember times past.... ahhhh.

The Punk o Rama series isn't ever one to disappoint, and this proves it. The second disc in the series, it's definatly the best. most well planned mixes out there.

Why do I love this mix so much. I like it because it features two of my favorite songs "Perfect People" by Pennywise and "Code Blue" by TSOL. The album begins with the 34-second speed demon "Coffee Mug" by the legendary band The Descendents. Then it goes into an amazing group of songs from well knowns like NOFX, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Pennywise, TSOL, Rancid, and Bad Religion, but also features such unknowns as Poison Idea, Dead F**king Last (DFL), and SNFU.

So pick up this album now. It's a classic.

What more can I really say?

What's nice about this one is that its all John. Not that the rest of BT pulls him down or anything. Its just nice to see a different side of John. The music resembles Blues Traveler but it is not the same so don't expect that if you're buying this CD.

This peaceful sound is a must have for your collection.

I'll be honest, I was a bit skeptical when I recently found out John Popper had released a solo album a few years back. I'm not a big Blues Traveler fan, but one of my closest friends is, then I also found out that Carter Beauford, the drummer for the Dave Matthews Band (my all-time favorite band!) was the drummer on this album as well, I was convinced to buy it. Even after I bought it I was hesitant to listen to it, I had heard that it was a slow album and I was worried how Popper's voice might sound. Now that I've listened to it, I can safely say this is quite an awesome album. It is a slow album, but the lyrics are excellent, Popper's voice is outstanding and mesmerizing and his harmonica parts blend in to perfection. But being a fan of Dave Matthews Band, my personal favorite part of the album are Carter's 'signature' tendencies on drums...he loves the high hat! I read a review that his drums didn't go well with Popper, that Carter is too "pop"...I disagree, I feel that Carter is a drumming genius and I'm not even a big fan of drums! The only way this album would disappoint would be if you bought it thinking it is another Blues Traveler album; it is nothing like a BT album (sorry BT fans, it is much better!) This album will NOT disappoint!

Zygote: John Popper's 1999 solo album: extremely excellent, could be easily mistaken for a Blues Traveler album (since what makes most of the BT sound is John's vocals and bluesharp) to the untrained ear, but it's got a certain freshness due to guitarist Crugie (Riccio, but he never lists his last name, ever)'s writing. Not as good a guitarist as Chan Kinchla, but a very fine writter, both musical and lyrical. As for bass, Dave Ares is not as good as Bobby Sheehan(Rest in Peace), but not bad either. Same goes for drummer Carter Beauford (of DMB fame), who's style works well for Dave Mathews, but is way too pop for John. BT's Brendan Hill is much more folk. All in all, an excellent album, however, even if it is lacking BT's virtuosic solos. Get this if you like Blues Traveler, or are simply looking for a good solid rock album.

Where did we go wrong in thirty years? We went from seeing a massive youth movement rally for peace, to having a youth so apathetic and angry and violent. Rapings, fires, smashing and destruction ..at woodstock? Are you kidding me?

I could go on, calling the youth of the 90's, or at least the youth in attendance at woodstock 99, apathetic, selfish and irresponsible, but you want know what the truth is? It's the promoters fault. If you want to have a festival that is about peace and love, don't hire a bunch of violent heavy metal bands to play there. I know the whole game; "just because it's heavy doesn't mean it's bad"; "Freedom of expression"; "Just because it sounds heavy and angry doesn't make it negative"; "It's art". Well I understand to a degree. I'm a big fan of certain heavy bands with good intentions such as Nirvana. But mainly I say bullocks. Bands like Metallica and Limp Biscuit and Korn, those bands are for smashing things up and getting your frustrations out; they're not the kind of bands you hire to play at a peace festival. Not unless your idea of peace is smashing a beer-can over your head and throwing the girl next to you down into the mud and raping her.

Point blank, the promoters sold Woodstock out.

As for the record, what can I say. If you enjoy the idea of having the legacy of really important historical events being completely sold out and tarnished then it's the record for you. For everybody else, I recommend any of the records from the original 1969 Woodstock festival.

They used to say "Make Love Not War". In 1969 they made love. In 1999, they made war. Next time let's make it love.

Peace and love to my brothers and sisters all across the world.

I would like to preface this review with the comment that I do not and will never own this compilation. "Woodstock 99", that ironic and ultimately tragic attempt to cash in on a counter-culture brand (think John Lennon in a Nike ad), sent out the 90's in a literal blaze of anger, rape and profiteering. Apparently, Altimar 99 didn't have the same ring to it...

This tracklist particularly captures the enduring $200+ ticket, $4 water, "show us your breasts on pay-per-view" spirit of Woodstock 99. "Stop Being Greedy" indeed, DMX.

Where else will you find musical icons like Korn, Offspring, Lit, Creed, Sevendust, Kid Rock and Godsmack? (Artists that managed to raise rock music to the "dead" status where it remained until about 2002). There's no point in dwelling in the absolute lack of musical ability shared by these now-forgotten "stars" (when is the new Everlast album expected? how about Our Lady Peace?).

I can only hope that legitimate artists like Elvis Costello (or, worse still, politically conscious artists like Rage Against The Machine) who participated in this nauseating event feel, at the very least, shame and regret.

What did one fan have to say about Limp Bizkit's set?

" [I] saw women being pulled into the pit and having their clothes removed and being assaulted and raped by men in the crowd.

"They were pushed in against their will and really raped, from my vantage point, it looked like initially there was a struggle, and after that there were other people holding them down. It seemed like most of the crowd around was cheering them on."

Don't buy this CD. Not ironically, not as a cautionary example. If they hold a "Woodstock 09", don't go. Just read this tracklist, remember the late 90s and shudder (or weep). What a disgrace. NEVER AGAIN.

woodstock is about peace ... not rape and death . the first woodstock is thought to have been the biggest peace demistration of all time that helped bring a end to the war in 'nam , and it was this disgrace that changed that !
"woodstock" 1999 was all about money (if i remember , bottled water was $7.00 U.S.)
there was many reported and comfermed rapes
and then there was the fires......this is not what woodstock was about !!!!
if you like live music and the bands listed , go ahead and buy this cd ... but you can always buy other live cd's now can't you.
please don't give the money machine any more of your cash ... they'll wast it on more B.S. that will disgrace U.S. history .