New Wave music reviews

Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE Kid follower from 1981. I'm not giving 5 stars based solely on the choice of pieces on this compilation. His albums were very story driven, as if he were writing musicals. Taken out of context, most of these songs hold well. I wish the songs were placed in chronological order. Like I said, Kid Creole's albums were stories and the stories were linked like a grand epic that involved paternity issues, gigaloism, cannibalism, corrupt law enforcement! I think it woulda painted a better picture if told in order. If you can find the original albums, grab 'em. This greatest hits will suffice until T.P.T.B. make a boxed set! P.S.: where the Hell is "My Male Curiosity" from the movie, "Against All Odds"????

This is the music you may have heard, but didn't know who wrote. These catchy island music/pop music hybrids are wonderfully crafted and hilariously irreverent. I cannot recommend this album enough. Just buy it. I have yet to meet someone who isn't charmed by these lost '80s pop gems.

I only wish more of Kid Creole an the Coconutz albums were available on CD.

The sound quality alone is enough to buy this CD, not to mention 14 classic Kid Creole and the Coconuts songs. It's missing a few of my favorites, but compared to other CD's and most of the vinyl, it is worth the buy. And you can give it to people who don't know him and they'll love it. Last time I saw him at Central Park, I wanted a refund. Not like the great times at the Ritz and there obviously for the few bucks. But if you love August despite August, this is one of the better Best of albums. The best will be the one I'm going to compile with my CD burner! But buy this and you'll have a great time. You might even be inspired to write your first Amazon review!

Grab a dictionary... look under PERFECTION and you'll see this badass starin' back at ya! Simply the best 'Heavy Metal' album ever to grace the planet! This version in perticular is my favourite (with the green/blue Judas Priest logo on the cover) and is a real gem... not easy to find... so if this item becomes available dont hesitate!!

When Priest did this album live, it was awesome. This really is a great album and the themes of the songs are ever relevant. This album is quite a departure from other Priest albums and it is definately worth the investment: Halford shows his entire range and the guitar work by KK and Tipton are top notch. The quality of the recording and interplay of the instrumentals are fantastic. This is serious music by serious musicians and the production is extremely well done....think Pink Floyd and the maniacal perfectionism of Roger Waters.
I highly recommend this album for someone looking to explore more of Priest or Heavy Metal.

Sad Wings of Destiny is one of the finest metal albums of all time. Period. It belongs on the shelf next to Paranoid, Machine Head, KISS Alive, Van Halen I, Heaven and Hell, Blizzard of Ozz..all the absolute landmarks of the most misunderstood but passionate musical genre of modern times. Track by track, Victim of Changes sums up everything worthwhile in Priest: hooky, intricate guitars, wailing solos, a forceful rhythm section, and the vocals of Rob Halford. To go from some of the most intense screams ever captured on tape to the most sinister, Satanic sigh (during the mellow part preceding "once she was beautiful...") is to get a thumbnail sketch of human emotion in the amount of time it takes to have sex. Then comes The Ripper, a tune so frightful that the BBC banned it because at the time a serial killer was actually stalking London! Dreamer Deceiver is one of the few songs ever recorded which caused me to weep openly...it is the prototype for Beyond the Realms of Death which actually surpasses that already perfect song. Deceiver is the first mini-let down of the album, but the tempo reminds me of Children of the Grave by Sabbath so it can't be all that bad. The buildup to Tyrant reminds me of a James Gang song and reminds us that, hey, it WAS the '70s. Tyrant rocks along like punkish Thin Lizzy, with a chorus that would make for a great audience participation song. Next is Genocide, with its riff that could be right at home on KISS' Hotter than Hell. It never lets up despite some tempo changes; the listener cannot help but think "So catchy...but is it really about Hitler?" Epitaph is Queen-like, with soft beautiful singing, wonderful piano, and an air of uncertainty. Finally comes Island of Domination, not my favorite song on the album by a longshot but still great metal. Buy Sad Wings of Destiny today. The whole thing just reeks of evil.

All these songs are good I didnt realize how many songs they sung that i like.

The Fixx ran up a string of great modern rock hits and cut one really great album ("Reach The Beach") before falling out of fashion in the late 80's. They matched the rhythmic intensity of Duran Duran and the lead singer harbored an obvious Bowie fixation (Bryan Ferry and Peter Gabriel also seem to be reference points.) They made highly entertaining videos that catapulted the funky "One Thing Leads To Another" to super hit status, and ensured The Fixx a spot in history.

There are also a bunch of "hits" collections available. The reason this "Ultimate" collection stands above the others is two-fold. It covers the RCA albums and "Ink," recorded after their run with MCA. So that gives you two significant songs, the hit "Driven Out," and "Ink's" best track, "How Much Is Enough." The other reason is that, for some inexplicable reason, the live versions of "Red Skies" and "Stand Or Fall" almost always seemed to show up on other albums. Frankly, one of the Fixx's weaknesses was their live shows, so it slogged the sets they appeared on down. On "Ultimate," the studio versions from the "Shuttered Room" album are BOTH here, and notch this collection's rating to the full four stars.

So if you need a quick FIXX but are having a question as to which one is the best value, "The Ultimate Collection" gets the vote.

Much better than the previously released collection. Has the nuggets that almost got away (Driven Out) and all of the classics. A good way to get all the best, or to complete the collection.

Okay...to start off with...there are some tracks that just have Mary Kate and Ashley talking to each other...and the last time i checked that was not music and it sure in hell isn't worth paying for.

I admit that I was watching MK and A when they did those Musical Mysterys. ("We'll solve any crime, by dinner time") but eventually it wasn't cool to like the twins. Well to heck with what people think is cool because I have seen every MK and A movie and this one is by far my favorite. Then what would a good movie be without an equally great soundtrack? The french song is by far my favorite because even though you may not understand the words you just have to get up and dance! Unlike a lot of movie soundtracks were half the songs aren't even in the movie this one actually uses the great songs! So even if MK and A aren't "cool" enough for you this cd is a most have!

This is a great cd for any and everyone. Parents like it becuase a lot of songs are from or have an 80's feel to them. Kids like it because it is great to dance or sing to. When I am down I listen to this cd and suddnly it is "Ca Plane Pour Moi" (cool for me is what I think it translates to) I liked that track so much that I am ording a cd by that group from of course Amazon.com. The song "Get out of London" is really funny too. From my ten year old sister to my parents I haven't met a person who could resists this must have cd!!!!!! Even if you hate mary-kate and Ashley just skip over the tracks of them talking and get dancing!!!!

Adamson was a brilliant entertainer and musician, and his tragic death can be remembered by this incredible debut album.
Not a dud track and still great after 20 years.

A must get CD

I recently picked up The Crossing as a digitally remastered CD containing additional tracks beyond the original release. It was years since I had this album, and quite honestly, I had forgotten how remarkable it is. Big Country's debut is infectious, energizing, affective, and unique. These guys wrote and performed with all the energy and sincerity of soul, making the music on The Crossing both powerful and captivating. I was very pleased to discover that the additional tracks that have been added to this remastered CD are just as compelling as the originals. The Crossing continues to be one of my very favorite albums from the 80's, one of those rare albums that I enjoy as much (or even more) today as I did "back in the day."

I first saw & heard Big Country back in'83-84 when TBS use to play videos on Friday & Saturday nights on a show called Night Tracks. My only exposure to the band was the video, "In A Big Country", which I loved for it's unique sound. After arriving in South Korea, where I was serving in the U.S. Army for a year,I found the cassette EP, Wonderland, and picked it up and promptly wore it out. I've been hooked on the band ever since.

All the reviews before mine spell it out, this is one unique and fabulous album. If you get the chance also pick up the King Biscuit Flower Hour album featuring Big Country in concert, it is basically a live version of The Crossing.

It was SO nice to see some new material from Berlin. The live cuts are great and lively and Terri Nunn never sounded better. The new material, some live and some recorded, ain't bad either. I really liked "Steps" and "XGirl," written with Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Gos.

Its nice to see that at least one 80s band has not disappeared and is still kicking a-s!

First let me tell you, the energy that resonates off this CD alone is amazing. I can't imagine what the real concert was like. Terry Nunn sings an amazing set of songs, and her performance is truly remarkable.

I am not usually a fan of Live Cd's, because the songs usually sound bad or nothing like you remembered. This set of live songs are different from their origionals, but the way they are sung is really good.

I was also afraid to purchase this CD when I heard that there was a lot more guitar than synthesiser. Being a big synth-pop fan, this scared me off, but luckily I gave it a shot anyway.

Synth or no synth, these songs are sung beautifully and you will love your favourites sung with an energetic band and audience! In the song "No More Words", Terry interacts with the audience letting them sing part of the chorus.

Personal Picks: "No More Words", "Metro" (you have got to hear this one) "Masqurade", "Tell Me Why" ... well at this rate I'll name the whole CD, but it is a stellar performance.

What I would've done to be in that concert...

The new berlin album sacred and profane is one of the best live albums ever done.It was done in a small venue,therefor it feels like you were at the concert.Berlins sound is more Rock live and if you ever seen them live you know what I am talking about,Teris vocals are stronger than ever,I strongly suggest if like to rock a little pick up the new berlin -its hot

I only got Come Up Screaming recently, and I really wanted it to be the definitive performance of Big Country's best songs. It's a welcome addition to the catalogue, but ultimately doesn't quite achieve that status.

The sound is clean, straight-ahead rock, and the vocals are stronger and clearer than I've heard from them anywhere else. The simplicity allows many of the songs to stand alone and sound better than ever before. There are blistering performances of `The Storm', in particular, and `Harvest Home', while `Where the Rose is Sown' is melodic and powerful. `Broken Heart' is something of a revelation, shorn of the plasticky production of Peace in Our Time. `Dive Into Me', which I hadn't heard before, is dynamic and uplifting. This should surely have been a huge hit, if uplifting guitar anthems could still be hits in this day and age.

But there are quibbles. A minor one is that Stuart's lead guitar doesn't seem to have enough sustain, so that it sounds a bit thin and trebly on some of the high parts, and at times is buried in the mix. Missing, too, is the spiralling guitar lead-out at the end of `Inwards'.

I also have a few issues with the song selection. I've never liked `King of Emotion' nor the overlong, strident `We're Not in Kansas'. Neither am I really enamoured of any of the most recent songs apart from `Dive Into Me' (`John Wayne's Dream' is particularly ho-hum and obvious). Of The Crossing songs, I'm not sure that `Porroh Man' really works here. Where's `Close Action' or `I Walk the Hill', both of which would sound great in this stripped-back setting? Where's the moving ballad `Ships' or, if epics are in order, the much-overlooked `Sailor' from The Seer?

I guess it depends on whether this is supposed to be a best-of, recorded in Big Country's natural environment, or a unique collection of live performances which happens to be a swansong. If it's the latter, why have versions of five of the same songs with much the same live "tweaks" as on Brighton Rock? (Though I do enjoy the snatch of "Wild Mountain Thyme" thrown into "Fields of Fire"). If it's the former, then there's just a few too many "you had to be there" live moments. While the odd bum note and missed vocal are fine, the crowd participation is ultimately a bit overdone. It's spine-chilling on "The Storm" when the crowd sing the high harmony part leading into the chorus. It also works on "Chance", which lends itself to a singalong. But they really didn't need to put a couple of "this is yours" choruses into every one of their better-known songs. In my view, the "introducing the band" interlude ruins "In a Big Country", too.

Enough complaint - I guess I was just looking in vain for that elusive perfect Big Country album. I've still played this over and over since I got it, and it's worth the purchase price for the versions of "The Storm" and "Where the Rose is Sown" alone. For anyone new to Big Country, however, I would recommend getting the great first three albums plus Restless Natives. This is a fine reference point for them.

And yes, truly tragic irony in Stuart's parting comment to the crowd - "remember, stay alive"...

It's amazing how many people thought Big Country split in the mid-eighties. In fact, the band carried on recording and gigging until 2000. It is a story of unrealized potential, lack of support from record labels, and a musical style that the music industry couldn't pigeon-hole. However, let's go back to the beginning.

The band formed in 1981 when hugely-talented vocalist/lead guitarist/songwriter Stuart Adamson left Scottish punk band The Skids and joined with long-time Dunfermline pal and ex-nuclear submarine cleaner Bruce Watson on rhythm guitar. In 1982 the original rhythm section was fired and Tony Butler (bass) and Mark Brzezicki (drums) were recruited from On the Air via session work. On the Air was a three-some with Simon Townshend, who's now helping brother Pete out in The Who.

The band signed up with Phonogram and released their first single `Harvest Home'. It introduced the band's distinctive twin-racing guitar sound. References have been made to a `bagpipe' sound. Let me tell you that most bagpipes I've heard would make a deaf dog cringe. We'll leave this stereotype to the ill-informed. The band's second single, `Fields of Fire', hit #10 in the UK charts in 1983. The excellent first album, `The Crossing', charted initially at #4 and eventually reached a peak of #3. Subsequent touring and singles releases confirmed Big Country as the hot new act in the post-punk music industry.

Big Country's second album, `Steeltown', hit the UK charts in 1984 and went straight in at #1. More successful singles and sellout gigs followed. The band then took a brief sabbatical to record the soundtrack to the movie Restless Natives.

The third album, `The Seer', was released in July 1986 and reached #2 in the UK charts supported by the success of their biggest hit single (at #7) `Look Away'. High profile live appearances followed at the classic 1986 Princes Trust Concert and at Knebworth, supporting Queen at their last ever UK gig in front of 200,000 people (including this dog!). Looking back, 1986 was the band's commercial peak.

Each of the five studio albums that followed had some elements of experimentation and achieved varying degrees of success. The sixth studio album, `Buffalo Skinners', was a classic twin-guitar hard rocking album that eventually reached #25 in the charts, but with proper support from the record label could have brought the band back into the big time.

Big Country's last studio album, `Driving to Damascus', encompassed many of the styles of the previous albums and had a more relaxed leaning consistent with Stuart Adamson's move to Nashville in the US.

So, what do we have in Come Up Screaming? A double live album of 22 of their best tracks taken from the Glasgow and London gigs on the `Final Fling' tour of May 2000. The album kicks off with the rousing `Harvest Home', quickly followed by the hard-rocking `King of Emotion' from the `Peace in Our Time' album. `John Wayne's Dream' and `Driving to Damascus' follow with Adamson and Watson in great form, supported by the tightest rhythm section in the business. Other classic tracks follow including `The Storm' with the unique E-bow intro; a quieter moment with `Come Back to Me', before cranking up again for the ever-popular `Look Away' and 'Wonderland'. The finale is formed of four tracks from `The Crossing' in rapid succession - the epic `Porroh Man', `Chance' with vocals as usual loudly augmented by the crowd; theme song `In a Big Country', and great favourite `Fields of Fire', all with the racing guitars on full throttle.

Where are they now? Sadly, Stuart Adamson took his own life in December 2001; Bruce `the man who invented the seagull' Watson is recording and touring with ex-Marillion-frontman Fish; Mark Brzezicki has been recording and playing in Procol Harum, and Tony Butler currently concentrates on remastering and music production.

It's always been a mystery why Big Country never made the big time commercially. They shied away from publicity-seeking at the height of their popularity, when many of their less-talented contemporaries sought the limelight. The band stayed together for most of their 18 years and continued to be a great live act to go and see. However, a band with four top ten albums and four top ten singles should not have been forgotten so easily. Their legacy is kept alive by the ever-supportive ex-Manager Ian Grant, the two websites he runs (Track and Big Country), and an enthusiastic group of fans across the world. Live and rarities albums continue to be released and some of the studio albums have been lovingly remastered by Tony Butler. The big stores in Thailand have seen fit not to import `Come Up Screaming', so the best bet is the Track Records website - www.trackrecords.co.uk or the Big Country website - www.bigcountry.co.uk

Mott the Dog.

Fitting 2 CD live performance from one of, if not the best rock act of the past 20 years with material representative of 8 studio albums. If you lost touch with the group in the mid-eighties then this is a great album to reacquaint yourself with them doing what they do best LIVE!
In A Big Country and Fields of Fire have to be the two best encore songs it is possible to rock to.

The Jam are one of my favorite bands. They're also largely a singles band, something fans more rabid than I are loathe to admit. With some bands, it's worth the while to be a completist. With The Jam, this CD should be more than enough for anyone. I can see why the vinyl geeks would complain that, say, Eaton Rifles is from a concept album, but who really cares? It stands fine on its own. The songs on here were picked in such a way that you get the best combination of the band's great musicianship and Paul Weller's lyricism. If you appreciate Punk Rock, Mod Beat, Britpop, or just well played, energetic, tuneful music, this is an essential buy.

Great music. The best of the Jam's music is summarized on this CD and on "The Jam Collection". It's a great set of songs, played with passion and precision.

Here's yet another misunderstood relic from the early days of the CD format that drives many folks into conniptions. What many of today's music buyers don't seem to realize is that CD pressing plants initially could not guarantee that discs longer than 60-65 minutes in length would play properly on all CD players. Combined with the trappings of the industry's own hype (which touted the CD's 74-minute storage capacity), labels tried wherever possible to make sure all albums released on the CD format would fit on a single disc.

Thus, Snap! was "re-compiled from the double album and cassette...and omit[ted] eight tracks to make it suitable for a single compact disc." To differentiate it from the complete album and cassette editions, the title was changed to Compact Snap.

Compact Snap - which was my proper introduction (apart from the videos for "Absolute beginners", "Start!", and "A town called malice", which MTV used to play in its early days) to the band - is still the best of the single-disc Jam compilations I've encountered. I've never been all that fond of "News of the world" or "Funeral pyre", but the rest of the set is untouchable, hitting many of the band's highlights - among them "In the city", "Going underground", "That's entertainment", "Start!", "A town called malice", and "Beat surrender" - while chronicling the progress of the band from its beginnings in the midst of the punk era to the more overt soul influences of its later records.

From the guitar riff that opens "In the city" to the pure joy that is "Beat surrender", Compact Snap reveals The Jam to be easily the most vital band of its era. Whether your preference is for the former, the latter, or somewhere in between, there's no denying the band's energy and passion - two things that no band should be without.

Completists should note that the version of "Funeral pyre" included here is a remix, and that the demo version of "That's entertainment" differs from the demo found on the Direction, Reaction, Creation box set.

INXS's big, showy album from 1985, finds the late Michael Hutchence leading his band through agreeable, if a bit pat pop construction, which in retrospect, is a bit choppy and nerve ridden, like a constant hiccup, with belches of guitars cutting a sharp chord for hook's sake, bass vibrating like something funkadelic, and drums never veering from a rock beaten path. What was exciting in 1985 sounds routine today. "This Time Will Be The Last Time", still holds it's ground as snazzy pop harmonics, and "Falling Down The Mountain", is still an Aussieland-Appalachian misty folkish dream, but the rest of it, well, it's only rock 'n roll.

Aussie rock superstar's 1985 breakthrough album that hit America is charactereized with heavily beating drums and uptempo rhythms. After untimely death of legendary vocalist Micheal Hutchence in 1997 they miraculously returned with the latest "Switch" in 2005.

This 1985 piece of work really rocks, yet with catchy pop songs such as WHAT YOU NEED which became #5 hit and extensily radio-airplayed tracks such as LISTEN LIKE THIEVES, THIS TIME, and KISS THE DIRT. THREE SISTERS is amusing instrumental featuring the image of the wild nature of Australia. SHINE LIKE IT DOES and SAME DIRECTION are fine tracks as well.

Verdict: Fine and rockin' album.
Rating: 89 out of 100
Recommended for: Every Aussie pop fans, 80s pop rock fans. Essential for anyone who listened SWITCH and their greatest hits package.

I recently rediscovered how much I love this album. It really came back to me after purchasing and watching INXS What You Need: The Video Hits Collection. I had heard of INXS before this album came out back in '85, and actually listened to my cousin's tapes of Shabooh Shoobah and The Swing, but INXS didn't grab me until this album. It's so full of great hooks and melodies! I love good guitar-driven music, and the songs here are excellent examples of this. Michael Hutchence had one of the very best voices in rock music and it shines on these songs. I think INXS on the whole had perfected their game. Their next album, Kick, would be their biggest smash hit and zillion-seller, but I think this is probably still their best album. My favorite tracks are "Shine Like it Does," "This Time" and "Kiss the Dirt." Those songs hooked me from the start and played great all the way through. They still thrill me as much as they did as a high school junior back in '86. Seeing the music videos for "This Time" and "Kiss the Dirt" was great as well.
I definitely think INXS was influenced by the Stones in their ability to write good melodies as well as rock out on songs like "What You Need" and "Listen Like Thieves." Hutchence even cultivated a Jagger swagger. Their guitar riffs are as good as anything by Keith Richards. The sax solos may be very '80s but they work.
Another highlight on this album is the moody instrumental, "Three Sisters," which very much creates mental images of the Australian Outback. An excellent piece of work!

Grown men singing about ghosts, devils, souls, gods, and angels. When they move onto reality they sing about rain, not just rain, but spring rain from the Liberty Belle release, easy to see the genius here. Seriously when you buy an album and put it on you can tell what your going to get with them. It will be solid and hopefully grow on you. Unfortunately the items I have bought from the Go-Betweens have never lived up to their promise. The songs remain precious and dull. This is their best offering, but still it is rather bland and it does bother me when a band is ignorant and conforms to the worldview shared by the masses. They continue to do this and remain a band that delivers many types of love songs. Not always going below the surface, but always trying. Pretentious.

Following the mixed bag of 'Tallulah', '16 Lovers Lane' offers a more cohesive collection of the Go-Betweens unique, ultra-melodic brand of pop. This is their most polished album to date, though the studio-sterile sheen does not detract from the depth or character one typically expects from the Go-Betweens. In fact, the mellifluous, airy feel of the album suits the songs well; crystal-clear (largely acoustic) guitars weave intricate, lovely textures which, when combined with Amanda Brown's oboe and violin, form a mesmerizing sonic tapestry.

Of course all this atmosphere would just meander aimlessly were it not for sharp, solid songwriting, as well as the conviction that emotive singer/songwriters Forster and McClennan bring to their insightful, adult tales of love and loss. "Steets of Your Town" is one of the most beautiful, infectious tunes they've ever done, while its line "watch the butcher shine his knives/and this town is full of battered wives" makes for some brilliant, stinging irony. Likewise, Forster's hook-filled, moving "You Can't Say No Forever" features another thorn beneath the rose with "Yes my world's tumbling down/stone by stone to the ground/please take out the garbage". Brilliant.

What also makes this album different from its predecessors is the ease with which it all seems to come together. On the surface, the songs all seem to have a simple, even effortless quality, though repeated listens expose the complexity and sophistication lurking not far behind the soothing sounds. That they can take simple elements like acoustic guitars and major chords, and weave them into something so refined, demonstrates the brilliance and resourcefulness of this criminally under-appreciated band. This may not be their best album ("Liberty Belle" holds that proud title, in my humble opinion), but it's none the less a fine example of their now legendary, timeless approach to pop.

The Go Betweens are one of those rare bands with two brilliant songwriters. Add the violin of Amanda Brown and you have an effortlessly transcendent album. The gentle songs of Grant McClennon chug along, 'Quiet Heart' and 'Devil's Eye' are beautiful pieces of music. 'Love is a sign' is my favourite, a poetic masterpiece. There is heart and soul all over this album, in an understated fashion. Musical bliss.