American Alternative music reviews

The Dead Milkmen were a punkish band that played "funny" songs. They had a somewhat immature sense of humor, but a lot of it was pretty funny. Beelzebubba was their best selling album, because it featured their most popular song, "Punk Rock" girl. That song is a great one, and there are a lot of other funny ones here, too. I particularly like "RC's Mom", which is a James Brown impersonation where he sings about beating his wife. Not all the songs work, but a good percentage of them do. If you like music that has a goofy sense of humor, you will probably get some laughs from this album.

I'm looking at the song listing, and where can you go wrong? Yeah, "Punk Rock Girl" is on here, and yes, it's a great song, but c'mon... "Stuart" is hilarious, "Brat In The Frat", "RC's Mom"... oh, don't even get me started on "I Walk The Thinnest Line". Why do I finger-point when I hear that song? It's not hardcore or anything! BECAUSE IT'S THE DEAD MILKMEN! Shame that "Bitchin' Camaro" isn't on here, cuz I love that one. Anyways, I recommend this album in CASSETTE FORMAT since that's how I listen to it. Hooray for archaic audio formats!

Stuart and Thinnest line say it all. The Milkmen kick it!!

The first Steamrolle Christmas album was really something new, and the second one (A Fresh Aire Christmas) took everything that worked on the original, and improved it, resulting in one of the all-time best Christmas albums. This one, almost inevitably, is a step down.

Track by track, here's a review:

1. Joy To The World: A good, upbeat opener. On a par with the opening tracks from the other Steamroller Christmas albums (better than "Hallelujah" from "Christmas Extraordinaire.") Oddly, though, it sounds more like the opening to a sports show than a Christmas song.

2. Joseph Dear Oh Joseph Mine: Very simple piece, but good. Reminiscent of "Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" from the original Christmas album, though not quite as good as that one.

3. "Rudolph": Um... no, Chip. Please stop. In an attempt to be whimsical (I suppose) Chip Davis creates the most obnoxious rendition ever of a cheesy Christmas song. Next.

4. "Herbei Oh Ihr Glaubigen": aka "O Come All Ye Faithful." It's okay, but I always thought this was a song Mannheim could do wonders with. As it is, they did a very basic rendition, mainly just featuring a kids' choir. Not bad, but could have been more.

5. "Pat A Pan": One of the album's best. Starts simple and gradually builds. Not exactly "Christmasy," but still a good piece of music.

6. "O Little Town Of Bethlehem": Aside from a horribly off-key opening, this is a beautiful, quiet rendition of a classic.

7. "Angels We Have Heard On High": The most typical Mannheim track on the album. It's lively and good fun, but you can't help but think, "Haven't I heard this before?"

8. Gagliarda: The obligatory Renaissance piece. I'd never of heard of this tune before, but I like it. Mannheim never disappoints with this sort of music.

9. "Los Peces En El Rio": Not quite as obnoxious as "Rudolph," but it sure gives it its best effort. It's a synth piece, and I suppose it could be seen as this album's version of "Good King Wenceslas" or "Carol Of The Bells," but it's nowhere near as good as those. Skip it.

10. Christmas Lullabye: Very nice original piece. I prefer "Traditions Of Christmas," (the original from album #2), but this is still a highlight.

11. Kling Glochen: Kind of feels like a filler track. Pleasant enough piece with a children's choir, but doesn't go anywhere, and is quite short.

12. Jingle Bells: Perhaps the slowest ever rendition of this song. It falls WAY short of the closing tracks from the previous two Christmas albums, but I suppose it's an interesting interpretation of a classic. Not bad, but comparatively speaking, it's weak. Which, incidentally, pretty much sums up the whole album, so I suppose it's a fitting conclusion.

This is the third of four superb Christmas albums.
Mannheim has a reputation of synthesizers, and exquisite arrangements of Christmas music, second to none.
Joy to the World opens with a synthesizer.
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer has a synthesizer and a drum machine.
Pat-A-Pan is played on a pan flute and has a Celtic sound to it.
O Little town of Bethlehem is slowed down and is played with bells, it is very relaxing.
Angels we have heard on High is very nicely done as well.
It is performed by an Orchestra with an added synthesizer.
Christmas lullaby is played on a flute with bells and a harpsichord, another outstanding arrangement with a renaisance sound to it.
Jingle Bells is actually played with bells.
As with the other three albums the songs are very well arranged.
The moond and the tone the music sets, not only gets you into the Christmas spirit, but is very relaxing as well.
No collection is complete without Mannheim Steamroller

In my opinion, this album is worth it for just two songs: "Joseph Dear Oh Joseph Mine" and "Jingle Bells." Not that the other songs are low quality, by any means. "Jingle Bells" doesn't even sound like itself; Mannheim Steamroller took this bouncy little tune and transformed it into something very dramatic and emotional. This is my personal favorite among the Steamroller Christmas albums.

it's amazing how everytime SY can make an album that is completely different than the previous one. Again so now, after the 'commercial' -Dirty- (which was an awesome record) comes this one.

Starting with the previous unexplored world of acoustic lo-fi, which was relatively big in the indie scene back then, in 'Winner Blues' comes an instant SY classic, 'Bull in Heather'.
For some reason this song is perfect for around 5 am in the morning, it just has that scary feeling, but in a seductive, sexy way that borders on the pornographic when Kim is droning up numbers. Kim's songs are very good on this album by the way, 'Doctor's Orders' having a great chorus you can sing along, and it could almost be a Nirvana chorus.

There are some swing-and-misses, it could have done without 'Androgynous Mind'

In line with 'Dirty', there are some great Thurston Moore songs, if you can call them that. While never reaching the level of 'Sugar Kane' or 'Chapell Hill' songs like 'Waist' and 'Screaming Skull' (with a great riff as a break) have their moments.

It may not be the best SY album, but it's still very good and worth listening to over and over

Bull in the Heather is almost epic; creepy, slow, reminds me of stuff on Sonic Nurse, like New Hampshire.

Sonic Youth was always good, this may be their best, and one of 4 great 90's albums, along with "CIA Drug Fest" by Old Skull, "Undisputed Attitude" by Slayer, and "We Are They Who Ache With Amorous Love" by Half Japanese. "Winners Blues" is acoustic, a crazy move for these noisemakers, and then we get what we really came for, noisy improv-ish songs that are fantastic, exciting, and occasionally intelligible! Some of the early SY stuff is a little overrated, but this, "EVOL", "Goo", and "Confusion is Sex" are sure to please fans of noisy music.

I bought this by mistake thinking the songs were performed by the original artists. I think you can only hear the originals by getting the dvd. I was pretty bummed at first but my child loves this. My only complaint is that you can't understand all of the words so some of the educational value of the songs is lost.

Making a cover album is difficult, you'll almost never please the purists who loved the original. Putting together a compilation CD with various artists adds the problems of uneveness in style and talent. Do do all this with School House Rock songs seems really hard. To review this CD is almost as hard. Most of us of "age" loved these songs when our musical tastes ran more toward Sesame Street (or insert your tastes here, the point is our tastes have evolved). The fact that so many people still like these songs is a testament to the originals.

That being said, this album has some very strong tracks. Seems like everyone loves the reworking of Mister Morton (Skee LO, deservedly so. Three is a magic number, well I liked it as a kid. Now that I have a brand new baby I REALLY LIKE IT. Blind Lemon nailed it. I don't want to repeat everyone's raves too much, so I'd like to hilight seeminlgy under appreciated Chavez take on Little Twelve Toes, nicely pschedelic.

I didn't care to much for electricity and one or two other tracks but maybe other folks will. Like I said earlier, style varies a lot on this CD.

So buy this CD and try to appreciate it for with newish ears. And as for the reviewer from amazon goes. I am too hip!!

Sometimes, covers of old songs and attempts to modernize old childhood favorites just fall flat. This isn't one of those times.

From the rocking rendition of "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here" by Buffalo Tom to the R&B Soul crooning of "The Tale of Mr. Morton" by Skee-lo, this album will have you singing along and recalling those simpler days of catching Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday Mornings.

A wonderful effort by all involved and a must-have for children of the 70's and 80's.

This cd is very good and should be in anybody collection

The artists who stuck to the classics always come out better on these albums. It is a dangerous thing to write a new one unless you can come up with something really significant. Sadly "Christmas Time" by Smashing Pumpkins is not. It's maudlin (meaning sickly sweet and whingey) and the words are worthless. "Christmas time is fun presents for everyone" Ohhh please. Perhaps Bob Geldof and Bono could teach some wealthy rockstars that not everyone gets presents at Christmas and it ain't always fun for those whose families have difficulties or who are under persecution or war. Better to teach the real meaning of Christmas- that Christ was born to offer a new start to everyone. This makes every difficulty you are under fade and is a much better message than "presents for everyone".
Sorry for the diehard pumpkins fans. I actually like their stuff, but Christmas Time is pumpkin pulp. hohoho

I found many songs I like on the other "Very Special Christmas" albums, but front to back this is easily my favorite. Maybe because it includes alot of "adult-alternative" artists, but probably just because the songs are sooo good. Just look at the tracklist. Sting, Natalie Merchant, and Sheryl Crow all do great covers, and I also love the songs done by Tracy Chapman and Enya. As far as originals go, I was really impressed by the tracks from Smashing Pumpkins and Blues Traveler, both are excellent, and both sound very seasonal. My reason for purchase however was for "Ave Maria". Chris Cornell (Soundgarden/Audioslave) does an amazing job with it, and it's really quite moving. The rest is good at the least. As the holidays approach, I already can't wait to play this. I also suggest "The Edge Of Christmas" and "You Sleigh Me: Alternative Christmas Hits".

This was in effect Paul's first solo album. I guess, in a sense, it was his best solo album, but the worst Mat's album. It is sappy pop and anybody that came up with the boys in the early '80s would never believe that this was the same band. The fact of the matter is that this was not the same band. Bob Stinson the driving force behind the power that symbolized the Mats was gone and with his absence was any kind of check on Paul, for when Paul started to cross too far over to the pop side. Drummer Chris Mars had lost interest in keeping this charade going either. Paul should have just put his name on it and forgotten using the Replacement name, that way the Mats would have had only one bad album, "Don't Tell a Soul."

all 5 of us in my hometown who knew who the replacements were stayed out all night and herd it on a car stereo at 1:30 am (in the parking lot of a baseball field- you know who you are!). Blasting from a "hear it before you can buy it" radio show that was "alternative" before the word had been heard in the south. We heard a dirge. It was our senior year. It was like a death in the family followed by a birth. Someone else here said it was a "coming of age" type thing. Listen to this CD when you aren't sure if your life is going in the right direction or if you aren't sure you are making the best decisions- you'll get it then. All the uncertanty and pain, it's what the replacements felt being left out and forgotten from american music at the time; like so many hardcore/alternative (or what we would later call alternative -forget the crappy MTV label) bands of the time they weren't even sure they're story would remain. That this is the last chapeter is tragic but understandable- its a goodbye of sorts. Like those of us who sat in cars that night in a baseball field parking lot- the replacements gave up- like we gave up on ever having a normal futures, not a doctor or lawyer amoung us more tattoos then u can count & we like it that way. Like the dogs on the cover we all ended up being strays.

I got to the Replacements a few decades too late. The first I ever heard of Paul Westerberg was on the "Singles" soundtrack, which is one of the first CDs I ever bought when I was fifteen in 1992. "Dyslexic Heart" made an impression, but I didn't think about Paul and his music until I developed a taste for "Alt-Country" (bands influenced by Uncle Tupelo and the Jayhawks) later in the 90s. I found out that the Replacements were kind of an influence on some of the music I was listening to, so I went out and bought "Tim." I liked it well enough, but didn't really get anything else by them for a while.

Then, somehow, I found out that this one existed, read some glowing reviews, and thought I'd take a chance when I saw a copy sitting in my local indie record shop for $8. Let me tell you, the best $8 ever spent. This is one of the most complete albums I have ever heard, with a solid feel or mood throughout. It is also very honest, as it shows a very self-critical man looking back on the choices of his youth, not always pleased with the outcome. If the early Replacements work was the drunken party, this album is the morning after when you wake up with a bad taste in your mouth and a headache, wondering where your life is headed.

It's really a timeless record, with a sound that is similar to the Westerberg-penned tracks on the "Singles" soundtrack but not so uniquely "90s" that it won't be just as meaningful ten, twenty, or thirty years down the road. There's no one standout track either, no obvious single, just a song cycle that is best listened to as a whole. Want an album that makes it OK to look back on your mess-ups with a smile? Want to feel less alone as you find yourself creeping into adulthood? Try this disc.

ah, it was the summer of '99, and as far as summers go, this was a good one. Tin Cans... became the disc of choice for the long summer days and nights, and, whenever I listen to it, I am brought back to some moment during my fledging youth during that hot summer. This is moe's best studio album, topping no doy, by the sheer fact that they did not just arrange their music, put it to paper, and then record it to disc. There are some tracks that could be characterized as overproduced such as Plane Crash, but the whole thing has such a casual, yet professional feel that I can't compare it to any of their other releases. The flow of the album is great and moe shows their musical range with many different sounding tracks. A great starter album for anyone not familiar with their work, they'll be humming Happy Hour Hero in no time. A great album, easy to listen to, and I just can't waste my time here criticizing any part of this work, even though moe is not one of my favorite bands. You know its a solid listen when a non-fan gives it the props it is due. Buy this disc, go to the beach, and crank it!!

Moe. is one of the few bands out there today that actually create music with depth to it without crossing the (quite boring) artsy line. Some are turned off by Jam Bands (i.e. The Grateful Dead, Phish, etc.) due to the fact they seem to overindulge, and I'm hard pressed to disagree. However, Moe. defies that image, making the solos and instrumental tracks just long enough to be appreciated, but not too long that they become boring.

All of that aside, I found "Tin cans..." to be Moe.'s strongest effort, a unique blend of rock, country, bluegrass, the list goes on and on. With a rhythym section as tight as ever and amazing guitar playing to match it truely stands out.

Highly recommended to fans of Phish, Dispatch and good music in general.

this album is inredible the jam breaks are what really makes this album a favorite in my cd player. What makes this cd better is to see these guys do these songs live i have about 20 bootlegs and have seen them. they never get old and just when you think you have heard everything or think mainstream music is getting old they come out with the crazy song.buy warts and all vol.2 if you even like only one song on this great album

This just arrived in the mail and as I was playing it I realised that I hadn't heard Freak Scene for years. At that moment the sun came out and I was lurched back to my youth and sweaty nights at the Pink Toothbrush where that song was guaranteed to fill the dance floor.

Today is a good day.

4 stars not 5 as Pond Song should have been on here. Otherwise it is great.

From there inception as a post hardcore sonic terrors until the end as grunge survivors, 'Ear Bleeding Country' Dinosaur Jr's best of covers a great deal of territory. Full of great tracks, some classic some merely good, the one thing you should take away from listening to this collection is that J Mascis, boy could he play guitar. A generation of who were brought up on grunge owe that guitar sound to J, one of the few originals of the last 25 years.

What this fails to do however is give a good overview of the band. The early tense savagery of the more punk albums especially isn't really on show on this collection, and is rather under represented. However its still great fun, often thunderous, and almost reveling in a slacker ethic. Though I'm sure every fan would have come up with a different best of 19 songs, this is still as decent a starting place you'll find for the band, after which if you're interested you should get 'You're Living All Over Me' then 'Bug' then 'Greenmind' and 'Whatevers Cool With Me', followed by the rest at random. Of interest long time fans still is the pretty flower of a 'Take A Run At The Sun' which J did for a movie soundtrack, and is probably the best example of his softer sider you'll ever find.

The other high lights, the first seven songs, 'Whatevers Cool With Me', 'Start Choppin', 'Feel The Pain' and 'I'm Insane'. Really just enjoy and then hopefully you'll discover the rest of what the band has to offer.

Odlicna kolekcija pesama jednog od najzanimljivijih americkih bendova nezavisne scene. Ne znam kako i zasto, ali Dinosaur Jr. su uvek bili i ostali nezasluzeno u senci Sonic Youth i Nirvana.
Ovo je kompilacija koja ce vas vratiti u vreme kada je nezavisna scena i tekako bila uticajna, a pesme poput Little Fury Things, Just Like Heaven, Whatever's Cool With Me, Out There... potsetiti na neka bezbednija vremena.

I came here on a recommendation from a friend as a "must buy" and after listening to the clips, every song sounds more or less the same and the lead vocalist seems to sing in the same notes and key in each song. Sort of reminds me of an updated "hootie" sound. Not innovative sounding enough to make me want to spend money on this album.

Wow. These guys are amazing. My brother likes them a lot, and he eventually got me into them, and now they're one of my favorite bands. This CD is amazing, it's got tribal aspects to it, originality, and is one of the best CD's I think I've heard in my entire life.

this cd is so great. mine broke a year ago and i had to replace it! my cd collection was not complete without it!

When I first saw this cd, I thought "This has got to be great!"
I love all these guys, and I figured this cd has to be just wonderful! Wrong! After listening to as much as I could stand, I now realize why these wonderful songwriters sell their songs. With the exception of Steve Earle, (who also bombed on this cd),
I don't think any of these guys are singers at all. You may not like this, fans, but I would definitely skip this one. Just my opinion, I only gave them a 2 for their songwriting.

Townes Van Zandt's performance on this album made me appreciate his earlier recordings all the more, but he was still my favorite of the three. Hearing him do "Pancho and Lefty" in that rusty old voice made me weep, and his monologue about having a gold tooth extracted as a gambling debt made me laugh till I wept. It means even more now, knowing that this was very likely one of his last public appearances.

Anyone expecting perfection here will be disappointed. But it's the roughness of this performance that makes it so damned endearing.

Did you ever wonder what would happen if three of America's best songwriters got together to share songs and stories? This disk answers the question. Earle, Van Zandt and Clark are arguably among the best songwriters this country has to offer (Texas branch) and on this disk they share their songs with each other in round-robin fashion before a very small audience. Stripped of studio arrangements, the three performers proudly display their wares for what they are - classic songs that ought to last long after the songwriters are dead and gone.
All three performers are (were, actually - Van Zandt died a few years back) great friends, with tremendous mutual respect for each other, so the camaraderie and friendship heard here is a rare and special thing. It must have been quite a special evening at the Bluebird Caf� that night. If you're a fan of any one of these three performers, then this disk is well worth your attention, since I can guarantee that you will soon become a big fan of the other two as well.A-- Tom Ryan