New Wave music reviews

I started listening to this album back in '83 when I was a college student asked to play it on the air at WPGU in Champaign-Urbana. The lyrics were about things we all think about at times but never discuss. The music itself was timeless,sounding like it could've been written anytime in the last 40 years. When I bought my own copy and took it home on break, my Dad walked in while Gone Daddy Gone was playing. He loved the xylophone and early 60's jazz sound and asked to hear the rest of the album. I talked him out of it, not being able to imagine how embarrassed I'd be listening to those lyrics with him. You know the ones I mean: "stain my sheets," "big hands, I know you're the one," etc...
One cannot ignore just how powerful those lyrics were, just like one cannot ignore Dylan Kliebold and Eric Harris and their infamous legacy. I never believed the Femmes deserved any association with those two and still don't to this day. But some of the DJ's I worked with speculated in '85 that it was only a matter of time... That makes this entire album their "Helter Skelter."

I have preserved the LP and have since purchased the 20th anniversary double CD collection. It holds up VERY well.
The last two songs were added later.

If there's one thing the Violent Femmes are great at, it's making relatively simple music with witty, snarling lyrics. Gordon Gano's distinct vocals (which I find sexy) are the clear highlight of this debut album. I was in the midst of my teen angst when I bought it, and every song seemed PERFECT - it spoke right to me. He's vulnerable when it comes to girls and god damn, he's pissed about it.

Not to say that happily settled post-teen-angst people won't enjoy the album; however, those with stodgy no-fun attitudes won't. I'll never be able to get over the Femmes' smart sarcasm and punk sensibilities. They can't and won't be pigeonholed. All the songs on the album are strong. A+++++++++!

the first violent femmes song i heard was probably blister in the sun like 8 or so years ago but i didnt know who did the song and i didnt really like it but then in 2004 when i got the latest game in my fave game series(Tony Hawk's Underground 2/thps) i was introduced to a lot of great music Johnny cash,frank sinatra, and x were just some of the old bands on their that i really like now but my fave song and band on that game was "add it up" by violent femmes from the singin in the beginning to the music to my favorite part of the song "so dont shoot shoot shoot that thing at me" the song was awesome i played that song every 10 minutes or so a week or two later i bought this album and it was great besides the two songs i knew "add it up" and "blister in the sun" i also loved "Kiss off" and "gimme the car" this cd is great for alternative/rock/hell maybe even metal fans

It's an amazing record for the keyboard work alone--truly stunning from start to finish. Perhaps one of the most unheralded keyboard performances of the era, but then again, it's always the guitar players who grab the glory...but seriously, the songs and the playing are phenomenal here and it goes to show what happens when talented people are successful and encouraged to not repeat themselves. Hats off to Nick Lowe for production above and beyond.

Too Bad This INDEPENDENT FILM ,SONG Track - Oliver's Army - Written & Sung by Elvis Costello Did Not Make It on Movie WebPage Stateside.com

PRESENTS

STATESIDE
Based on a true story

A FILM BY
Reverge Anselmo

STARRING
Rachael Leigh Cook
Jonathan Tucker
Agnes Bruckner
Joe Mantegna
Carrie Fisher
Diane Venora
Ed Begley Jr.
and
Val Kilmer

PRODUCED BY
Robert Greenhut

...and pay attention to Elvis. It is packed full of great pop/new-wave/punk tracks. This album made it clear that Elvis it a great, unique talent, and that he could consistently write songs of uncommon quality. This album probably formed the basis (or rocket booster) to his subsequent song writing career. This genre is not one that I am normally drawn to -- but these are great songs. Good album cover too (the original vinyl album had square color post cards inside and a strange and annoying 4 fold opening system!). Oliver's Army and Watching the detectives were hit singles from the album, but ever song on the album was good enough to be a single -- a rare feat.

This review pertains to the original 1990 release, not to the remastered 2001 version with the extra tracks.

"Songs from The Big Chair" is Tears for Fears' (TFF) sophomore release and exhibits some of the group's best music. This CD gets deep into the matter that makes up TFF. From angst to love to a deep understanding of life and the things that make up life, "Big Chair" is a testament to the feelings we as human beings experience throughout our lives. Several different musical styles are exhibited, from pop synth to jazz, to rock, to ambient, and even pop/synth/classical with a little tint of operatic counterpoint in "Listen."

While many listeners concentrate on TFF's hit songs, listening to the music "within" the music brings to the surface many tonal colors and nuances that are clearly not evident in the radio-edit versions of these works. This extra music adds to the flavor of the moment and colors the songs in various shades of light and dark that serve to enhance the emotions stimulated therein. This is especially evident in the songs "Shout," "The Working Hour," "I Believe," "Head Over Heels" and "Listen."

"Songs from The Big Chair" is considered by many to be the album that most defines TFF's music. It is both open and expressive, exhibitionist and extroverted, while at the same time personal and introspective. While other artists have successfully exploited these feelings in their music, Tears for Fears does it in a way that uniquely defines them.

When I listen to this album, I am taken back to the days
of "Miami Vice", "Friday Night Videos", "Wiseguy" and
other 80's pop identifiers that make me wax nostalgic!
This album was everywhere in 1985!
It sold like 11 million worldwide to date..
so one can't go wrong here!

"Songs from the Big Chair" is a great album. Period.

Songs like "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" made it big, but the entire album from beginning to end hooks you and doesn't let go. There's a mystical, haunting thread that runs through the entire thing. "I Believe" is one of the most beautiful songs every produced. While that tune is a world away from the harsh "Mother's Talk" there's still that same haunting background melody going just bellow the surface in both songs.

I could say more, but I think everyone should buy this album, so you can listen for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

This review pertains to the original 1990 release, not to the remastered 2001 version with the extra tracks.

"Songs from The Big Chair" is Tears for Fears' (TFF) sophomore release and exhibits some of the group's best music. This CD gets deep into the matter that makes up TFF. From angst to love to a deep understanding of life and the things that make up life, "Big Chair" is a testament to the feelings we as human beings experience throughout our lives. Several different musical styles are exhibited, from pop synth to jazz, to rock, to ambient, and even pop/synth/classical with a little tint of operatic counterpoint in "Listen."

While many listeners concentrate on TFF's hit songs, listening to the music "within" the music brings to the surface many tonal colors and nuances that are clearly not evident in the radio-edit versions of these works. This extra music adds to the flavor of the moment and colors the songs in various shades of light and dark that serve to enhance the emotions stimulated therein. This is especially evident in the songs "Shout," "The Working Hour," "I Believe," "Head Over Heels" and "Listen."

"Songs from The Big Chair" is considered by many to be the album that most defines TFF's music. It is both open and expressive, exhibitionist and extroverted, while at the same time personal and introspective. While other artists have successfully exploited these feelings in their music, Tears for Fears does it in a way that uniquely defines them.

When I listen to this album, I am taken back to the days
of "Miami Vice", "Friday Night Videos", "Wiseguy" and
other 80's pop identifiers that make me wax nostalgic!
This album was everywhere in 1985!
It sold like 11 million worldwide to date..
so one can't go wrong here!

"Songs from the Big Chair" is a great album. Period.

Songs like "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" made it big, but the entire album from beginning to end hooks you and doesn't let go. There's a mystical, haunting thread that runs through the entire thing. "I Believe" is one of the most beautiful songs every produced. While that tune is a world away from the harsh "Mother's Talk" there's still that same haunting background melody going just bellow the surface in both songs.

I could say more, but I think everyone should buy this album, so you can listen for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

When this album came out most punx I knew were totally into it. I know I was. There'd been that music scene of the B 52's, BLONDIE, ELVIS COSTELLO, JOE JACKSON and TALKING HEADS. Punk had exploded onto the scene as well, of course, The SEX PISTOLS, The CLASH, The DEAD KENNEDYS, BLACK FLAG, CIRCLE JERKS, BAD BRAINS. Punk had always had some sorta connection to reggae, BAD BRAINS being the quintessinal creator of sublime punk as well as non-sleepy reggae songs.

A whole new form of music came smashing into existance, that nutty Two-Tone sound. MADNESS, The SELECTOR, The SPECIALS and The ENGLISH BEAT. There was no equivilent in the U.S. It was a pure UK import. In the UK there'd been musical movements in modern rock including Mods and other stuff that never fully translated to the U.S. But the SPECIALS' first album here sure did. It hit us smack in the face. This is one of those albums that's perfect. There's no weak song. You could listen to a MADNESS album and find maybe 2 great songs. i was never particularly fond of The SELECTOR. The ENGLISH BEAT's first album was also a pure delight. However, this SPECIALS' album was a stunner. It was so good that it immediately took its place as the premier Two-Tone release, as far as everybody I knew in the punk scene was concerned. We could tell this wasn't New Wave, it wasn't some big music business over produced musical Frankenstein meant to appeal to the masses. This was honest, high energy cousin of reggae and we knew it when we saw/heard it.

That two tone piece of having black guys and white guys in the band was just another delight. There were very few black or brown guys (I may have been one of 5 brown guys in the San Diego punk scene in the late 70's, early 80's till I stumbled across the Tijuana punk scene, plenty 'o brown punx there. A delightful scene). The good news was, I never picked up a hint of racism amongst the mainly white, mainly male punk scene in San Diego or L.A. Of course, that doesn't count the skin heads. And some of them were into the ska thing and not particularly racist.

What's the true test of a classic, a masterpiece? It's what does it sound like 10, 20, 30 years later. Give this slab 'o vinyl (er, cd) a listen. You can tell each song is a hit. Beautifully crafted fun, high energy, creative musical gems. Did you see them on their Saturday Night Live set? Musta been about 1980. Whew, I don't remember a single other band, before or since, on that show, that was as full on energetic and jumpin' around and firing on all pistons as the SPECIALS were.

As you may know, this was their peak. Everything they did after this, well, one album really and several singles and a great 12" (Ghost Town) were all they could muster before they broke up, transforming into SPECIALS AKA and splintering into other groups, never to recapture or continue to create songs as fully realized as the ones on this record although it's way worth getting that 12".

Aside from the first two ENGLISH BEAT albums, this album is, by far, the premier late 70's, early 80's two tone ska album. It takes no effort to buy this baby. No trust. Just get it if you don't have it. Heck, I might get it just to see those 2 videos on this enhanced cd. I am partial to vinyl records with one proviso, ok, two, pops and cracks inevitably show up and they aren't nearly as portable as cds. But their size is a great advantage for albums with good album covers. When a bunch of other reviewers reach concensus, listen to them. It's a winner. If there's any negative reviews here, then the person must not be into high quality ska. It's as simple as that. chrisbct@hotmail.com

Well I'm not a kid, but M. Fantino, The Specials didn't influence The Clash on Pressure Drop. Toots and the Maytals did, seeing as how Pressure Drop is actually a Maytals song, not a Clash song. Just a heads up.

p.s. Check the Maytals out, they rock my skull.

It irks me a little when people actually like bands like No Doubt and Sublime. It infuriates me that no one knows that the Specials could veritably rip all these new school California pansies new ones. The Specials are my all time favorite SKA band, and this is hands down the best album from them. It's got that stunning blend of punk, reggae and funk that no one has really been able to copy succesfully. Everyone I have revealed this album seems to adore it.

When this album came out most punx I knew were totally into it. I know I was. There'd been that music scene of the B 52's, BLONDIE, ELVIS COSTELLO, JOE JACKSON and TALKING HEADS. Punk had exploded onto the scene as well, of course, The SEX PISTOLS, The CLASH, The DEAD KENNEDYS, BLACK FLAG, CIRCLE JERKS, BAD BRAINS. Punk had always had some sorta connection to reggae, BAD BRAINS being the quintessinal creator of sublime punk as well as non-sleepy reggae songs.

A whole new form of music came smashing into existance, that nutty Two-Tone sound. MADNESS, The SELECTOR, The SPECIALS and The ENGLISH BEAT. There was no equivilent in the U.S. It was a pure UK import. In the UK there'd been musical movements in modern rock including Mods and other stuff that never fully translated to the U.S. But the SPECIALS' first album here sure did. It hit us smack in the face. This is one of those albums that's perfect. There's no weak song. You could listen to a MADNESS album and find maybe 2 great songs. i was never particularly fond of The SELECTOR. The ENGLISH BEAT's first album was also a pure delight. However, this SPECIALS' album was a stunner. It was so good that it immediately took its place as the premier Two-Tone release, as far as everybody I knew in the punk scene was concerned. We could tell this wasn't New Wave, it wasn't some big music business over produced musical Frankenstein meant to appeal to the masses. This was honest, high energy cousin of reggae and we knew it when we saw/heard it.

That two tone piece of having black guys and white guys in the band was just another delight. There were very few black or brown guys (I may have been one of 5 brown guys in the San Diego punk scene in the late 70's, early 80's till I stumbled across the Tijuana punk scene, plenty 'o brown punx there. A delightful scene). The good news was, I never picked up a hint of racism amongst the mainly white, mainly male punk scene in San Diego or L.A. Of course, that doesn't count the skin heads. And some of them were into the ska thing and not particularly racist.

What's the true test of a classic, a masterpiece? It's what does it sound like 10, 20, 30 years later. Give this slab 'o vinyl (er, cd) a listen. You can tell each song is a hit. Beautifully crafted fun, high energy, creative musical gems. Did you see them on their Saturday Night Live set? Musta been about 1980. Whew, I don't remember a single other band, before or since, on that show, that was as full on energetic and jumpin' around and firing on all pistons as the SPECIALS were.

As you may know, this was their peak. Everything they did after this, well, one album really and several singles and a great 12" (Ghost Town) were all they could muster before they broke up, transforming into SPECIALS AKA and splintering into other groups, never to recapture or continue to create songs as fully realized as the ones on this record although it's way worth getting that 12".

Aside from the first two ENGLISH BEAT albums, this album is, by far, the premier late 70's, early 80's two tone ska album. It takes no effort to buy this baby. No trust. Just get it if you don't have it. Heck, I might get it just to see those 2 videos on this enhanced cd. I am partial to vinyl records with one proviso, ok, two, pops and cracks inevitably show up and they aren't nearly as portable as cds. But their size is a great advantage for albums with good album covers. When a bunch of other reviewers reach concensus, listen to them. It's a winner. If there's any negative reviews here, then the person must not be into high quality ska. It's as simple as that. chrisbct@hotmail.com

Well I'm not a kid, but M. Fantino, The Specials didn't influence The Clash on Pressure Drop. Toots and the Maytals did, seeing as how Pressure Drop is actually a Maytals song, not a Clash song. Just a heads up.

p.s. Check the Maytals out, they rock my skull.

It irks me a little when people actually like bands like No Doubt and Sublime. It infuriates me that no one knows that the Specials could veritably rip all these new school California pansies new ones. The Specials are my all time favorite SKA band, and this is hands down the best album from them. It's got that stunning blend of punk, reggae and funk that no one has really been able to copy succesfully. Everyone I have revealed this album seems to adore it.

Violent Femmes only made one good album, but what a great album it is! The sound and attitude are absolutely unique and combine with a batch of great songs to make for a thoroughly enjoyable album. It is filled with classic songs, including "Blister in the Sun," "Add it Up," "Please Do Not Go," "Kiss Off," Gone Daddy Gone," and "Good Feeling." A pure blast of post-punk pleasure, it is the one Femmes album that qualifies as a must-own.

If I could get up on stage, and have a drummer and bassist with me, then this is the sound and these would be the words I'd wanna perform...brilliant, sparse but melodic, mournful and passionate, catchy and clever. Listening to it recently, it remains remarkable undated, and the lead singer reminds me of Lou Reed backed by a skiffle band. Excellent!

As the Femmes' career continued it became harder and harder to recall just how amazing this debut sounded upon its release. As the so-called New Wave petered out in the early 80s, the stripped down, angry, desparate, angst-ridden folk-punk of the Femmes cut through all those synthesizers like a red-hot knife.

Writer/guitarist/vocalist Gordon Gano not only gave words to his sexual (and other) angst, but performed on record and in concert as though the emotions were gripping him at that very moment. The back-to-basics instrumentation, including an acoustic mariachi bass and a minimal snare drum set-up only accentuated Gano's presence.

Their succeeding albums all contained moments of brilliance, but their debut was the one solid effort from top to bottom. A landmark debut that still packs a punch.

Violent Femmes only made one good album, but what a great album it is! The sound and attitude are absolutely unique and combine with a batch of great songs to make for a thoroughly enjoyable album. It is filled with classic songs, including "Blister in the Sun," "Add it Up," "Please Do Not Go," "Kiss Off," Gone Daddy Gone," and "Good Feeling." A pure blast of post-punk pleasure, it is the one Femmes album that qualifies as a must-own.

If I could get up on stage, and have a drummer and bassist with me, then this is the sound and these would be the words I'd wanna perform...brilliant, sparse but melodic, mournful and passionate, catchy and clever. Listening to it recently, it remains remarkable undated, and the lead singer reminds me of Lou Reed backed by a skiffle band. Excellent!

As the Femmes' career continued it became harder and harder to recall just how amazing this debut sounded upon its release. As the so-called New Wave petered out in the early 80s, the stripped down, angry, desparate, angst-ridden folk-punk of the Femmes cut through all those synthesizers like a red-hot knife.

Writer/guitarist/vocalist Gordon Gano not only gave words to his sexual (and other) angst, but performed on record and in concert as though the emotions were gripping him at that very moment. The back-to-basics instrumentation, including an acoustic mariachi bass and a minimal snare drum set-up only accentuated Gano's presence.

Their succeeding albums all contained moments of brilliance, but their debut was the one solid effort from top to bottom. A landmark debut that still packs a punch.

This album is a great companion to their fantastic singles greatest hits album. It hasn't got the studio production but it still sounds phenomenonal, the band sounds great and Morten's vocals are often rediculously GOOD!!
Some of the tracks sound mayby better than their studio counterparts, for example lifelines has an extra bit of finish live that's very very cool, and the "swing of things" is another that rocks live(but is equally as great as recorded on the great "scoundrel days" album). A-ha as well as having great studio songs are fantastic live and really are quite inspirational to listen to in full flight.
This is my favourite album, and will be one of the best live albums u'll hear. Don't get me wrong, the band has it's weaknesses thought, just hear the end of the living daylights where the band completely steals the momentum from their until great song.. Guys, you are great musicians but jaming isn't why you r so good! Morten was born to sing and the songs are all very captivating live.

a-ha will play their first U.S. concert since October 1986 on Sept. 12, 2005 at Irving Plaza, New York City. It's been along time coming and you'll get the chance to hear the live album tracks... well, live! This show will surely help re-acquaint the U.S. market to this fantastic band! This live album is well produced and recorded, crowd noise is at a minimum but boosted just at the right moments for full concert effect. Vocally, you're not going to get a better performance than from Morten Harket's voice like an angel. See you at the show!

I am a huge fan of a-ha from way back... I have loved everything that they have ever produced and honestly, this is their best album to date! Not to say that it is their best work of all time... but as far as a complete album with every song being exceptional and as far as the flow from one song to the next goes, it is definitely the best album to date. A-ha's live sound is unbeatable! Morten's voice is so interesting to listen to and I love the emphasis on the guitar rather than the synthesizer. My only complaint about this album is that it does not include some of my very favorite a-ha songs "Dark is the Night", "Angel in the Snow", "Velvet", "Memorial Beach", and "Turn the Lights Down". On the bright side, it has a long list of excellent songs that you have to hear. I LOVE the live version of "Sycamore Leaves" performed by Pal and Magne's song "Dragonfly" is excellent as well (much better than the version on the lifelines album). "Time and Again" is breathtakingly beautiful and "Minor Earth Major Sky" really rocks. I can't even choose a favorite song from the list. I do have to admit that I am not a huge fan of the songs "Cry Wolf" or "Oranges on Appletrees", but even these songs don't sound bad on this album. The Live version of Oranges has a cool section in the middle of it that isn't on the Lifelines album and redeems the song. Also, the version of "Cry Wolf" is the first version I have ever listened to without cringing... The compilation maintains a high-paced energy which is a delight to listen too. With a-ha I am torn between my love for their stunning ballads and their heavier-guitar rock sound.
Also, as an FYI, I read recently that A-ha signed a 3-record deal with UNIVERSAL and have plans to release the albums world-wide and launch the album with a world tour in 2005. If this is true, then we can all experience their spectacular live sound first hand! I hope that the US gets a chance to hear what they've been missing. Even though I LOVE "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always shines on TV", these songs are not why a-ha is my favorite band. With this album, you can get a feel for what this band is capable of. I love the fact that their sound is constantly changing as they experiment with new techniques and styles. I have the 8 released a-ha albums and all solo albums from the three norwegians and am surprised at how different their work is from one another. They are each so very talented and have to much to offer individually... together they are unbeatable! This album is fantastic--get it and you will discover just the tip of what this band is capable of. If you are interested, pick up some of Morten's solo work, which pushes you even further into a whole new musical realm. Initially, I thought that because Pal wrote the majority of a-ha's songs and lyrics, that his solo work would have the most depth. Morten's solo work by far exceeds Pal's band Savoy. Morten is an excellent musician and wrote all the songs for his solo efforts in Vogts Villa and Wild Seed. I do think that he should get rid of his lyricist, Havard Rem. Havard isn't bad, but I think that Morten could find better. But who needs lyrics with such fantastic music? And it would be difficult to find a better singer than Morten!

The song selection spans the Adam and the Ants period as well as the Adam Ant period. Dirk Wears White Sox is overrepresented. Adam's more recent stuff, i.e. Room At the Top, came after this compilation. It is not digitally remastered so the quality isn't the best. I've enjoyed it.

The VHS tape "Adam Ant: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" includes videos of 13 songs from Adam and the Ants made between the years 1980-1985. Songs include:

1.Kings of the Wild Frontier
2.Dog Eat Dog
3.Antmusic
4.Stand and Deliver
5.Prince Charming
6.Ant Rap
7.Goody Two Shoes
8.Friend or Foe
9.Desperate But Not Serious
10.Puss N' Boots
11.Strip
12.Apollo 9
13.Vive Le Rock

While Kings of the Wild Frontier is performed in the studio, the other 12 songs are music videos. Several of the videos are based around popular fairy tales, and these themes are perfect for Adam Ant's flair for theatrics. Who can forget Adam Ant as a highwayman or as a medieval knight? Prince Charming is perhaps the most elaborate music video and includes Diana Dors as the Fairy Godmother--with flashes of Adam Ant dressed as Clint Eastwood, Alice Cooper, Rudolf Valentino, and Marlon Brando.

The music videos allow Adam Ant to show his acting ability, and he really hams it up at times--once even standing next a huge bodybuilder. Fans will remember these videos from MTV, and it's great to see them again compiled together in this 50 minute VHS tape. While the images are not crisp and clear, the quality is not bad (the first sequence, Kings of the Wild Frontier, is the poorest quality). There are also a lot of good close-ups. So here's Adam Ant once more--with all his wild energy, and zest for life. Will there be a DVD release? Let's hope so, but in the meantime, this VHS tape is staying in my collection--displacedhuman

This is the definitive best of collection that you're looking for and includes such gems as "Goody Two Shoes", "Beat My Guest", and "Antmusic". It also includes some really good obscure stuff like "Ant Rap" and "Killer in the Home". But as with any collection, it's missing some of my favourite gems; particularly "Never Trust A Man...", "Plan Nine Failed", "Physical", "S.E.X", "Picasso Visita...", "Miss Thing" and (my favourite) "Place in the Country". Short of getting the Antbox or all the individual albums (which is always recommended!) this is a great starter kit. Also check out "B-side Babies" which has an excellent selection of B-sides.