New Wave music reviews

The Stray Cats is my favourite R�N�R band for all the times. He mixed the spirit of the classsic sound of the fifties and the fury of punk. Trough eight official records and many bootlegs and compilations Brian, Lee and Slim, now sounds like a classic like Gene or Eddie. Thanks for all the moments of pure R�N�R you bring to me. I�m spanish and my english is no so good.

Both albuns featured here aare masterpieces of early British hevay metal. Band line-up: Peter (Biff) Byford - vocals; Paul Quinn - guitar; Graham OLiver - guitar; Steve Dawson - b; Pete Gill - drums.

this is very basic heavy metal, but the songs are great. if u liek more complex metal i suggest late 90s saxon. this is early 80s hard rock/metal. its raw and it is the sort of thing that if u heard live would make u headbang so much!!

Okay, not an easy CD to find, that's for certain. Can't purchase it new. Ebay provides an opportunity for those of us who've discovered music who's release has already been discontinue. It's a shame it can't be purchased new. Based on my love for "Ray", however, I knew I had to check out "Sue", and I'm so glad I did!! Not ONE ounce of disappointment! I'm still in the middle of my first listen, but I've already been moved to tears. Something this wonderful should not be so difficult to purchase. Please re-release this gem!

Every song,lyric,and beat is complete perfection.
"This is the kitchen where every cupboard is marked
"Mothers Little Helper" and from where children go to school
with fingers sellotaped to their foreheads"
How can you go wrong!!!
Tim Freeman has a magical whisper soft voice
that is sure to lull you into happiness.
A must.

Frazier Chorus are one of those bands that were fated to make some really good music and then disappear. Their first full length album "Sue" was an amazing amalgamation of melancholy moods and atmospheres that were at the same time very catchy both musically and lyrically. Tim Freeman's softly spoken lyrics were perfectly suited to the orchestration of this fine "poppy" album. This album includes the beautiful single "Sloppy Heart", which on first listen blew me away.
If you like the Lightning Seeds or the atmospheric landscapes produced by the 4AD label, including the This Mortal Coil projects, you might be interested in this gem.
Their second full length "Ray" is a masterpiece and EP "Wide Awake" is excellent as well.

Swingshift packs a wallop! From Ian Moss's power chords opening "Conversations" to the last strains of Jimmy Barnes screaming "Goodbye", this album showcases Cold Chisel in their prime as they ascended to the top of Australia's thriving music scene. I've burned through 2 copies of Swingshift over the years, and am ready for my third. The concerts capture here represent the true essence of a Chisel concert - great playing, crowd energy, and a terrific setlist. The mix povides the edginess that a powerful live concert ought to have without messing up the quality. All the early favorites are here with a killer Bob Dylan cover thrown in for good measure. The guest musicians in attendance (David Blight and Billy Rodgers) and the band are all in top form. Barnesy's voice and stage presence are incredible,Mossy's guitar is inspiring, and Don Walker's subtle touches are a perfect compliment to Moss's punchy guitar work. Beneath it all rides a power-packed rythmn section that goes about its buiness in journeyman style. This is a band that knows what it's about and is obviously having a good time. Favorite tracks include 'Khe Sahn', 'One Long Day', 'Long As I Can See the Light', and 'Goodbye'. Wish I'd been there. Swingshift's the next best thing.

Swingshift is, without question, the finest recording of all time. Cold Chisel have recorded on a night at their best during the Youth In Asia Tour and the results are spectacular. The classics are all there- "Cheap Wine", "Choir Girl", "My Baby"- with Barnes and Mossy hammering out the vocals while the band show us just how tight they can be. The band also show us how the songs from "Cold Chisel" and "Breakfast At Sweethearts" are supposed to be heard, and the "Khe Sanh" on this recording is the best "Khe Sanh" ever. Songs like "Conversations" and "Shipping Steel" go from being average to incredibly moving on this album, the band going for all they're worth. The covers on the album are also worth noting, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is a fabulous interpretation of the Dylan Classic, and the brief but magic Cameo vocals from Don in this one send tingles down the spine. The final track, "Goodbye", comes to a fantastic climax to end the album, but it is never enough, the listener always wants more after being blown away by Swingshift!

This album was so different from everything Ultravox did I am guessing people just ignored it. Too bad, it is brilliant. The songs are full of energy and enveloped by an atmosphere that is magical. A masterpiece from beginning to end.

Every single song is a piece of art. If there was any justice, this cd should be one of the first piece hanging in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when visitors enter. Yes, it is that good!

Just listen to the snippets, if they don't move you, nothing will.

This is my favorite John Foxx era Ultravox Album. I played this repeatedly for over a year back in 78/79'. Back then i was getting into those bands who were trying out the new synth sounds like 'Human League' & 'Devo' & who along with 'Ultravox' were among a select few bands taking punk into a whole new direction & a whole new feel without being New Wave & overly radio friendly. That would be left to Gary Numan i suppose. Long droning synth lines might sound passe & quaint nowadays with Trance/IDM using complex programming to give intricate soundscapes but sometimes less is more & in the hands of those who know what they're doing it can really bring out a powerful atmosphere in the music, just take 'Slow Motion's' opening drone which lifts to a Roxy Music like Chorus. John Foxx's lyrics are alway's interesting and imaginative & the whole album seems very introspective and perhaps even depressing to me. At least it would be if you go purely on the lyrics alone. But the music saves the songs from being too maudlin & is beautifully executed. For the most part the album is upbeat, save for 'Just for a Moment' & 'Dislocation'. Simple synth lines, quick sharp guitar licks (check out 'Blue Light') & Mr Foxx's distinctive voice. Everything on this record sounds crisp and sharp. Great car music for my money on those long trips. Remember that this was released in 1978 and what else back then was sounding anything like this rock/synth mix back then, not a whole lot. It's definitely up there in my top 10 favorite albums. Give it a listen why don't you and it may become one of yours too.

Has anyone ever seen this album on CD and if they do I'd love to see it in stock as well

This is positively my favorite Canadian rock album of all-time! This new version has several bonus songs, including their great and hilarious "Disgusteen"-currently available on "Frantic City".

We need this back in print!!

this album kicks ass to bad its never in stocl id like to buy it i have on record but what on a cd please put in stock......

Dylan? Neil Young? Jeff Buckley? Add the name of whoever you rate as the greatest wordsmith to ever stretch their soul across a bruised guitar body.

Whoever they are, they ain't Kevin Hewick.

There is no more outrageously talented yet criminally ignored singer/songwriter on the planet, take it from me.

From the highly-strung-out rawness of Haystack (the first recording New Order made following the death of singer Ian Curtis, no less) to the holy-hushed-rush of Scapegoat In A Country Churchyard, here are some of the most honest, stripped-down and dirty confessionals ever scratched onto vinyl.

Sex, death, love, loss, loneliness, longing - it's all there and then some. Elizabethan death raps, yearnings for call girls and door-to-door salesmen, sexual frustration in 2nd World War trenches, Shakespearean suicides, laments for insects entombed in amber and more emotional wrestling with the sins of the flesh than you've encountered outside of a D.H. Lawrence novel.

Don't waste your money on the latest hip 'n' hyped troubabour. You don't need more songs you'll instantly forget. Buy this bargain now and experience some songs you'll never forget.

this cd is a very special reward for music enthusiasts since much of this material is quite hard to find. i discovered hewick after searching for oddities for london band the sound and picked up the "this cover keeps reality unreal" 12" which was a very hard thing to listen to at first. the tracks are featured here and i am very excited to hear what else kevin had done in this time period. i have yet to receive the disc but the songs on the 12" get glued to my head all day and like adrian borland, kevin has a real talent for melody as well as song writing. very catchy and very recomended for rock fans, 80's fans and simply for anyone who wishes to hear something refreshing in the face of all the other "guitar" rock out there.

Australia's Sports released a few albums stateside back in the early 1980's and they went nowhere fast, unless you consider the cut-out bins "somewhere." This compilation gathers all of their best on two discs, including the shoulda-been-a-huge-hit "Who Listens To The Radio," which features vocalist Steve Cummings spitting out lyrics like Graham Parker on methamphetamine, the rest of the band churning away behind him like a whirling dervish. Criminally overlooked power pop, full of huge hooks and lovingly crafted, "This Is Really Something" is a must for fans of angry-young-man fare like early Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, and the aforementioned Graham Parker. Highly recommended...

The Sports were really something. They were everything. Sharp and aggressive, but not overdone. Steve Cummings vocals chop and change, screaming and then pleading; he's often angry. Not angry at life. Angry in love. So much of what the Sports did was something one could relate to. There was no hype. No razzamattaz. They were just real. Real people doing real music. This CD just sums them up perfectly.

There are many productions outhere that utilize the same selection of songs: boring. Thump Records, one of the best independent labels in SoCal captured the true feeling of the 80's with this cd. You are not only provided with the 80's staple that is "tainted Love" but also with Yaz's " Don't Go" and the hard-to-find "Nowhere Girl." It even includes Devo's only major hit, as well as those from INXS and Dramarama. The songs are full length and unaltered, as it is common with those by major companies. This production will never grow old in your collection, and I assure you that your friends will ask if they can borrow it. It is the 80's at its best.

What's not to love, the CD has Dramarama and Devo. If you ever have an 80s party, Thump'n New Wave is a must have! I got the CD just in time for my party and it was a huge hit. You find yourself singing along, when you thought that you had forgotten the words. The CD captures the new wave era. Who could forget hits like "Whip it," "Wild, Wild West," and the ultimate favorite "Anything, Anything." Tainted Love and Relax get people off the couches and dancing. Great CD for reliving the new wave scene.

This album certainly deserves a 5-star and 10+. It's like a cross between Madness & The Grassroots(Madness+The Grassroots=Dexy's Midnight Runners). Chances are that if you like the pop/rock group The Grassroots or Madness, you'll definetly like this album.I liked this album so much, it's one of those cds you have to play more than once. I think Kevin Rowland did a wise thing when he re-recruited his members of the group-especially the violinist Helen O'Hara.

If you like Wire , gang of Four, XTC, The Cure,Etc. Get a dose of this album! So soulfull and well written. Punk meets a Celtic , they get married in Motown.

I have the original Dexy's Midnight Runners Too-Rye-Aye album and I have to say, I didn't think it could get any better. However, this special edition version of Too-Rye-Aye with the music videos to Come on Eileen and Celtic Soul Brothers is truly worth the purchase. All of the songs on the CD flow together beautifully.