New Wave music reviews

I agree completely with the reviewer who states that this + "The Compact Snap" encapsulate the band's legacy well. This CD is chock-full of great underheard rock music by a gifted bunch of lads.

I first bought this about 5 years ago, and will admit I only liked the stuff before the "Sound Affects" era, i.e. the first half of the compilation. I was more a fan of the "classic" Jam sound, but have recently become familiar with their later work, so that now I reckon that this compilation is, in places, remarkably good. This collection of non-single album tracks and assorted B-sides gives a perfect accompaniment to any greatest hits compilation. Even at a hefty 25 tracks, it is a testament to this band's quality that I still would liked to have seen some other tracks to have been included. To summarise, watch out for the uptempo style of tracks like "To be Someone", "In the Crowd", and "Private Hell", and the edgier, more challenging styles of "Monday" and "Tales from the Riverbank". Also watch out for Paul Weller's lyrical and observational gift. I highly recommend this to anyone who has a greatest hits type compilation and wants to find out more about the musical depth of The Jam.

I just wrote a review for Greatest Hits, and mentioned the Collection. This assortment definitely highlights the powerful dynamics of the band, and the well-honed songwriting at work. All of my friends who loathe the Jam only loathe the "In the City" incarnation. I feel that this collection shows more the breadth of The Jam, and their ability to ROCK, and communicate at the same time.(My question: Why didn't they just include the three live tracks from the Live SNAP! ep released with the early releases of SNAP! ? I SO want to hear what "The Great Depression" sounded like live!)

A friend of mine saw them live at a bar gig and he thought they were great. Knowing me very well he decided to make me a copy thinking that I would like it. And of course I did. I can't belive they aren't all over the radio yet. My favorite song on the Album is TRY.

This inventive band does what few can, pushes art into pop and pop into art... like the beatles, U2, and few solo artists before... Endgames deliveres unique soulful pop that deserves a place in today's oversaturated copycat-sex-trash music.

I really like these guys. Thier CD is real good, but thier live performances are even better. These guys are going to be a big hit one day and thier music is awesome. I really recomend buying it but the real treat is seeing these guys live, they put on one kickin' show!

Shenandoah's music is timeless, soulful & minimaly brilliant. Perhaps ambient like Eno in a way... she makes beautiful music that evokes natural images of nature's flow.

I hesitated over buying this CD for weeks at the Tower listening station, and finally, caved in...... That was 5 years ago, and today, this has now become one of my favorite disks. And, when the night has cooled down, and you're looking at laying down to rest with that special someone, this will let you drift off to the most blissful rest you've ever imagined. Buy it today!

The blend of piano, synthesizers, guitars and flute flow seamlessly with the voice of Joanne Shenandoah, to create a masterpiece. Her vocals and delivery are impeccably joined to Peter Kater's musical genius on this CD. Path of Beauty is an Iroquous "women's song" and Joanne sings it with an emotional-filled heart, spirit and voice. The accompanyment by Peter Kater is masterful. Woman's Dance is traditionally sung and danced to for many hours. I find myself listening over and over. Each time, a new facet of its beauty is revealed to me. Dance of the North is hauntingly beautiful and encompasses both body and spirit. The Iroquois tradition of singing for a departed loved one is compelling and felt through the music and vocals. These selections represent the finest musical presentation I have experienced by Joanne Shenandoah.

I loved the Motels first album but I can't say they ever produced anything afterwards that interested me EXCEPT FOR "Into The Heartland" off this album. It's EASILY one of the best, most pure, most solid rock tunes EVER PRODUCED.

It's not Politically Correct and I was amazed it got any airplay (I heard it on the late, great KMET 94.7 FM in LA). It's darn near PEOPLE'S music as opposed to the endless corporate drek we hear everywhere.

Little fingers only trying to roll one, my frozen fingers trying to find a cold one...
As we gun this sucker straight into the heartland.

Maybe it was an happy accident, but they NAILED this song, this is pure rock and roll that is EASILY worth the purchase price of the CD. BUY IT NOW WHILE IT'S STILL IN PRINT. And if you like the Motels, the other tunes are some of their best work.

But, darn, "Into The Heartland" could be a national anthem, it is really right up there with "Born To Run," it's that good, no kidding. BUY IT!!!

THIS IS A GREAT ALBUM! MARTHA DAVIS IS SENSATIONAL! I REMEMBER SEEING THEM AT IRVINE MEADOWS IN 1983, AND THEY JUST BLEW ME AWAY WITH THEIR TALENT! IT WAS SO COOL TO SEE LIFE-SIZED CARDBOARD CUT-OUTS OF ALL THE BAND MEMBERS ON STAGE, AND THEN HAVING EACH MEMBER COME OUT FROM BEHIND EACH ONE! AND MARTHA WITH HER CLASSIC CIGARETTE IN ONE HAND AND A GLASS OF RED WINE IN THE OTHER! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! LITTLE ROBBERS WILL NOT DISAPPOINT! A+!

and this is arguably their best record. 'Remember the Nights' was one of the best songs of the 80s and 'Suddenly Last Summer' is pure Motels and anyone wishing to explore their music would be well-served by starting here. (Though all of their albums are brilliant and the same kind of argument could be made for any of them -- this record is just my personal favorite.) Hopefully, there are some live tapes of The Motels out there somewhere which will one day show up on DVD, I'd be a buyer. As one of the best bands of the 80s, I'd love to see The Motels in action.

Joe Jackson's restless creative spirid world soon lead him from the spare rock of his early albums towards a more eclectic mix and compositional approaches.
but more than two decades after its creation,LOOK SHARP!! remains one the best-loved rock albums of'its era, retaining the musical and emotional resonance thtat first endeared Jackson to fan's. incluyed Hits IS SHE REALLY-GOING OUT WHIT HIM?-SUNDAY PAPERS-LOOK SHARP!!- AND 2 BONUS TRACKS (96k/24 BIT MASTERED)

LOOK SHARP!, Joe Jackson's debut album, is also his best. He had yet to turn into a crank here, and the lyrics are filled with righteous anger and biting humor. "Sunday Papers" is an attack on the press for sensationalizing things, and expresses how I felt when a murder on campus at my old school made the newspapers and the TV news, leading to a fellow alumnus telling me that he'd never wear a school jacket from there to meet his favorite actress, as well as my feelings about how the news sensationalizes crimes by people with mental disabilities, which promotes discrimination against them. "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" and "Happy Loving Couples" humorously satirize romantic breakups, and "One More Time" and "Throw It Away" show a guy dissing his girlfriend for wanting a romantic vacation in a country that regularly arrests foreign tourists for trumped-up crimes, which is not surprising considering Jackson's belief that the young Australian tourist jailed in Indonesia on drug-smuggling charges was unjustly convicted. The only problem with this CD is that it's TOO perfect; Joe Jackson would equal it on the follow-up, and then swiftly decline.

Joe Jackson at his best. If you don't have this one, you should.

Knowing that The Zambonis are buddies with Harry and The Potters, you can automatically assume that they will rock. And they do, as long as you like hockey. If not, the album can appear stupid and confusing. Except for "Hockey Monkey," of course. It was recently the #1 alternative song on the Sirius Sattelite Radio station, "AltNation." But honestly, the album is pretty hard not to like, with its mix of different styles of music, from game chants to ska tunes to pop hits.

I love minor-league hockey, which is what the Zambonis sing about, so this disc was a must-own for me. The standout songs on this CD are "Johnny got Suspended" (for wearing an Islanders sucks t-shirt, oh yes he did), "Bob Marley and the Hartford Whalers" (big ups for mentioning the Quebec Nordiques too) and the super cute "Hockey Monkey" - although "The Wait" best describes fans of my local team! Personally, I love the ska flavor of "The Breakaway" - it is my favorite song on this CD. I also like the little chants and stuff they put on here, like "Hextall" and "Drop That Puck". It's hella fun to listen to in the car on the way to the game (we always end up singing along) or in the summer, personally when I miss the ice most.

I happen to live in CT, where hockey is a big thing, so big, that Dave Zamboni (The lead singer of this band), is the MC for the Bridgeport Soundtigers (Islanders affiliate AHL team). This CD is great! It's got the catchy tune "Hockey Monkey", which is just a funny song. If you like hockey, then you will LOVE this CD!

I loved Garden of Eden, i play this cd on my way to work, makes the time pass.

A totally new style of music, NEW AGE DAWNING is a masterpiece from beginning to end. "Get It On" has a groove crying for a dance re-mix. "My Dearest Marquis" is a passionate, if not lustful, reading of a "Dear John" letter. The taunting "Your Love Is Killing Me" feature a right-on groove and some spicy lyrics. "When I Die" and "Tomorrow" are the best songs on the CD, if it's possible to pick a best song out of these, and climbed very high on internet music chart sites.

The music is consistent in quality, and the themes of Adam & Eve, the fall, and redemption are recurring throughout the collection.

New Age Dawning is a wonderful song created by a very talented team. Production is superb and the music memorable.

Great album, I love these 80's tunes. 'Tainted love' and 'Bedsitter' are stand-out tracks while 'say hello, wave goodbye' is pretty good too. He may not be the greatest singer ever, but Marc Almond knows how to make good music. The guys plan to reform to release new Soft Cell stuff later this year.

you never will get tired of hearing this album over and over.even tainted love who after 20 years still gets played on the radio,sounds fresh as it did when it first came out.i highly recomend this album to anyone who likes to get up and dance,relax,even dream while listening to music.this cd has it all.

David Ball makes a pleasant enough electronic tinkle, but what really distinguishes the music of this early 80s duo is the voice and warped world-view of Marc Almond. In his endearingly smutty picture of the Universe, every movie is a porn flick; every telephone call carries heavy breathing; every public toilet is a heaving, grunting haven of gay sex; and every respectable facade conceals a perverted double life. What makes this so entertaining is that to a certain extent it's actually true.

Almond has the innocence of the little boy in 'The Emperor's New Clothes' who points out that all the people are 'naked.' We all know this, of course, but as mature, sophisticated, self-seeking, duplicitous adults we prefer to keep up appearances. Also, most of us have got over the first shock and guilt of sexuality. For Almond this proved more difficult, and in songs like 'Sex Dwarf,' 'Seedy Films,' and 'My Secret Life,' we encounter that exaggerrated adolescent sense of cynicism and fascination with sex.

Hey you!!!!!!!!!, lately Madness have come to my mind due to young advertisers for alcoholic beverages that are currently trying to introduce good taste in music to the depressing likes youth have in this days in Mexico (or maybe this advertisers are snob and try to impress ignorant fools i dont know), one of the first memories i have in music in my life is definitelly with Madness, actually i think it was the first one, before Beatles, before Zep, before Presley before Kiss or any other artist. I should have been like seven or eight years old when i liked to watch the Madness videos that were transmited saturday morning between cartoons, before all that space were filled with advertising as today, i liked that band when i was a child and i love them today cuts like "just another day" , "nigth boat to Cairo", "Michael Caine" ,"my girl" and of course "one step beyond" are timeless classics , band such as The Mighty Mighty Bostons and many others cant deny Madness influence they were plenty funny and genious, One Step Beyond is the debut album actually neither themselves were capable to achieve a bigger sucess after this one but the roots of ska punk are there untill the end of time.
HM

I remember first listening to this and loving every single second of it. I just listened to it about 10 minutes ago and loved every single second of it even harder.

The album starts out with a powerful track "One Step Beyond", that's 2:18 of pure two-tone skanking music. It's one of the few total instrumental tracks that I really really like. Madness produces another complete track like that later on in the album (which is better than One Step Beyond), entitled "Swan Lake".

Every tune is as melodic, catchy, and unnecessarily goofy as the last one. "'Goofy'? Is that bad?" you might be saying. Nope. Madness keeps ska simple and pleasurable, every song on this entire album keeps it fun and pleasurable to listen to, just what they interperated ska to be.

There is no doubt in my mind, that this is one of the greatest (probably the second or third greatest, with The Specials leading) album made for two-tone fans. And it's definitely one of my favorite albums of all time.

Buy this CD at any price. You will not regret it. It's melodic, fun, and timeless. One Step Beyond is their best. I don't think they ever repeated the magic that is on this CD, but their second release "Absolutely" album is very good as well, and should not be overlooked. I think I may even like it more than The Specials first effort. Is that blasphemy?

Hey you!!!!!!!!!, lately Madness have come to my mind due to young advertisers for alcoholic beverages that are currently trying to introduce good taste in music to the depressing likes youth have in this days in Mexico (or maybe this advertisers are snob and try to impress ignorant fools i dont know), one of the first memories i have in music in my life is definitelly with Madness, actually i think it was the first one, before Beatles, before Zep, before Presley before Kiss or any other artist. I should have been like seven or eight years old when i liked to watch the Madness videos that were transmited saturday morning between cartoons, before all that space were filled with advertising as today, i liked that band when i was a child and i love them today cuts like "just another day" , "nigth boat to Cairo", "Michael Caine" ,"my girl" and of course "one step beyond" are timeless classics , band such as The Mighty Mighty Bostons and many others cant deny Madness influence they were plenty funny and genious, One Step Beyond is the debut album actually neither themselves were capable to achieve a bigger sucess after this one but the roots of ska punk are there untill the end of time.
HM

I remember first listening to this and loving every single second of it. I just listened to it about 10 minutes ago and loved every single second of it even harder.

The album starts out with a powerful track "One Step Beyond", that's 2:18 of pure two-tone skanking music. It's one of the few total instrumental tracks that I really really like. Madness produces another complete track like that later on in the album (which is better than One Step Beyond), entitled "Swan Lake".

Every tune is as melodic, catchy, and unnecessarily goofy as the last one. "'Goofy'? Is that bad?" you might be saying. Nope. Madness keeps ska simple and pleasurable, every song on this entire album keeps it fun and pleasurable to listen to, just what they interperated ska to be.

There is no doubt in my mind, that this is one of the greatest (probably the second or third greatest, with The Specials leading) album made for two-tone fans. And it's definitely one of my favorite albums of all time.

Buy this CD at any price. You will not regret it. It's melodic, fun, and timeless. One Step Beyond is their best. I don't think they ever repeated the magic that is on this CD, but their second release "Absolutely" album is very good as well, and should not be overlooked. I think I may even like it more than The Specials first effort. Is that blasphemy?