Hard Rock and Metal Music

If $2.99 is ok, plus shippng/handling for two songs, then you will be happy.
Sound rating from 1 to 10............. 1.5. Weak
G
Live and learn

Best way to get a good sample of most of the better songs of Nazareth. Alternatively, one could go with Hair of The Dog and Expect No Mercy, but you wouldn't have "This Flight Tonight". Better yet, get this album and Expect No Mercy.

Nazareth had no class, and in rock `n' roll that counts for a lot...maybe everything. Loud and proud, rude and crude and yet surprisingly adept at reworking classic folk rock ballads; that was the paradox of Scottish band Nazareth in their salad days. This record culls 18 songs from Nazareth's most productive period from 1973 to 1982 when they recorded for A&M Records. Having seen them live twice I can attest that, Nazareth indeed did open their live shows with the blistering, pedal to the metal hard rocker, "Razamanaz". In the liner notes, lead singer Dan McCafferty said he considered himself and the band as entertainers rather than artists, and their work ethic approach to shows and the recording studio resulted in some fine and very underrated 70's and 80's hard rock. Unjustifiably maligned by "rock critics", Nazareth was versatile not only with boogie style rock, but also with proto-metal, Stones-style country, progressive rock and even with reggae-tinged ballads ("Carry Out Feelings") Some critics dismissed Nazareth as "dog food, dreadful stuff", but, the same critics at the time got it wrong with fledgling fellow hard rockers, Aerosmith too. That Nazareth was an influential band is evidenced in AC/DC's chainsaw vocals, in Bon Jovi's soft metal ballads and later in Guns `N' Roses' bone crunching speed rock. As a nod to Nazareth's influence, Guns 'N' Roses even covered "Hair of the Dog" on their great 1993 record "The Spaghetti Incident?". With over 71 minutes of music, Nazareth Greatest Hits is chock full of infectious and gritty rock and roll...and I guarantee you'll like it! My only quibble, is that their great cover of Woodie Guthrie's "Vigilante Man" is omitted. For that one, you'll just have to get "Razamanaz"!

This import from Holland uses the same cover as the 12-track A&M release, distributed through Columbia House, and offers the same contents but with the addition of the last four tracks.

You would think that, for a hard-rock group from Scotland that had exactly two charted hit singles in North America, the original release and this import version would have included both. But no, for whatever reason they chose to leave out 1980s Holiday, which may have only reached # 87 Billboard Hot 100 but it WAS a charter - unlike most of their material over here - and its flipside Ship Of Dreams.

Their first NA hit, Love Hurts [# 8 in late 1975/early 1976] is here, and was a cover of an album cut by The Everly Brothers in 1960. Its B-side, Hair Of The Dog, is also here, as are some of their U.K. hits. These include Broken Down Angel [# 9 in early 1973], Bad Bad Boy [# 10 in summer 1973], This Flight Tonight [# 11 in late 1973], Shanghai'd In Shanghai [# 41 in spring 1974], My White Bicycle [# 14 in summer 1975], and Holy Roller [# 36 in late 1975].

They did do fairly well on this side of the Atlantic with album sales, seeing eight of their many LPs make those charts, with their best being Hair Of The Dog which made it to # 17 in early 1975.

This will appeal more to fans in or from the U.K.

Ah, the wild, wild North of Britain! Home to such rowdy legends as the Animals from Newcastle, Jethro Tull from Blackpool, and who can forget those "darlings of Dunfermline"--Nazareth!
Long before The Bay City Rollers came along to polish and "pretty-up" the image of the Scottish pop star, rock critics were dismissing Nazareth's music as "dog food". But like every good Scot, the band pressed on doing their own thing, caring not what some "frisco bay scribe" thought of them, but winning converts of many American rock fans who related to the folk-influenced, country-leaning, hard-rock boogie anthems of an overseas unit many Americans could easily mistake for their own. This "greatest hits" collection gives you that sense from start-to-finish. Early band compositions like "Shanghai'd in Shanghai" and "Go Down Fighting", with their repetitive sloganeering and driving rhythm, make Nazareth sound like the sort of band that AC/DC inspired to be (which they were, minus the honky-tonk leanings of songs like "Holiday" and "Broken Down Angel".) "Go Down Fighting", in particular, is an anthem for anyone who ever had to stand up to a bully in their life (and come to think of it, could have been a poor man's anthem for Scotland, in general--a nation with a history of being bullied herself. "I can fight dirty when I'm scared"--in deed!) To me, the most intense, relentless Nazareth rocker of all has to be "Razamanaz". Having never seen this band in concert before myself to know for sure, I would have to assume this song was a standard concert opener, and if it was, I would have to rate it right up there with "Footstompin' Music" by Grand Funk Railroad as far as great, lively opening numbers to get the fans pumped up and excited for the show. If "Razamanaz", with its bone-crunching, fast-paced boogie doesn't move you, you don't have a pulse! But that could possibly be the influence of the producer on "Razamanaz", Roger Glover from Deep Purple, because the song bears a striking resemblance to the Deep Purple number, "Speed King"--Roger possibly encouraging the band to write a hard-and-fast number in the same vein.
I would never really consider anyone in this band to be an "ouststanding" musician, but they all contributed to make a good collective product. Funny, as much as the Brits cite the influence of American blues in much of their playing, very few were as adept at playing slide guitar as Nazareth's Manny Charlton. And the slide playing throughout many of the songs on this collection is of the quality that would have even made the likes of Joe Walsh or Duane Allman smile! And there's the singer Dan McCafferty--I'm not sure, but I'm beginning to think having a "raspy" voice is a Scottish thing! Rod Stewart, Bon Scott, and Dan himself. I suppose some Scots are just genetically-predisposed to sound like they swallowed razor blades. Dan's voice can be downright painful to listen to at times!
And of course, there are the obligatory hits on this collection--"Love Hurts" and "Hair of The Dog", but for those who have never heard the rest of what makes Nazareth so great, once you give those other songs a listen, you will forget those two hits easily--I promise! Nazareth, like so many others from the 70s, like Free, Mountain, and Thin Lizzy, had so many great songs, if you only ever heard the one-or-two the radio plays, you are really missing out. This bands music is so catchy, and their arrangements so tight, it will grow on you instantly. Virtually every number is almost a sing-a-long. Buy this "greatest hits" collection, and you will have a hard time taking it off your CD player for weeks!

Why do bands fool themselves into thinking that they have to "unplug" and "go acoustic" in order to have any credibility? Ugh! I really despise the whole "unplugged" fad. Why is it necessary to take a totally awesome, totally rockin' band, and make them sit down and pluck away as if they are frustrated folk singers? This makes no sense to me at all. I love Tesla, but this album I see as an abomination. That MTV jumped on the bandwagon just shows how shallow and devoid of any originality the modern music industry really has become. These "acoustic" versions add nothing to the original songs, and it's just a cheap and lazy way to put out more product for easily satisfied and non-discriminating consumers. You want my respect? Let's see Joan Baez plug into a screaming Marshall stack and ride the lightning. If she can.

The whole reason i bought this cd was to be able to listen to it in my car. However, it will not play at all in the car. Lower quality cd's and cd's that are made at home quality will not play on my cd player, so I thought by ordering them on Amazon I would get new cd's that were good quality.

Este es uno de esos discos que deber?an acompa?arte de por vida. Una aut?ntica maravilla. Muchos de los temas, como la preciosa "Paradise" ganan en ac?stico y el resultado es mucho mejor que en estudio. La banda al completo versionea cl?sicos de Grateful Dead, Stones, Beatles o la Creedence y los hace suyos sin problemas, rindiendo un perfecto homenaje. Muy por encima de la gran mayor?a de "unpluggeds" que desfilaron despu?s copiando esta formula.

No lo dudes, Tesla es una de esas grandes bandas capaces de facturar maravillas, y esta es su maravilla m?s grande.

I am not a big Tesla fan but this is a great album. I think what hurt them is that they were categorized with the all the goofy hair metal bands but they were more in the vein of your classic 70's style rock and roll band. This live album, along with the accoustic format, helped to distinguish Tesla from the hair metal bands of the era.

Tesla did not do much after this cd so this acts as an excellent greatest hits compilation as well.

Besides their own work, the covers are good and interesting selections. They do not just play "Truckin", rather they segue into it. "Lodi" is done very well and then the song that essentially launched the cd, as well as the band, is "Signs". They take this marginal 60's era protest song and put their stamp of it. It still maintains a protest aura to it but the accoustic treatment makes it grittier and it rocks out harder. Tesla made the song their own!

As far as the accoustic format, the song "Love Song" showcases the musicianship of the band. I like how they could not resist plugging in for the guitar solo.

Overall, you do not have to be a fan of this band to enjoy this cd. If you like any classic rock Led Zep, CCR, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Aerosmith etc. then you will like this.

Like I said, I am not a big fan but b/c of this cd, I would see them live any day!

I really love this cd. A first of its kind (now everyone has done an acoustic cd). They proved to be much more than anything in their league in the late 80's with this cd. Great ambiance and a really full sound. excellent for background music while having some beers with friends. Something everyone can enjoy. Classic.

This album, for me personally, ranks right up there with Led Zeppelin I-IV, the Beatle's White Album and Sticky Fingers from the Stones. I think it has to be the most slept-on classic rock album (and artist) of all time. Terry really came into his own on this album with some much more well-contructed songs. He knows exactly when to take over the track with that always right-on-key raspy yell, but his guitar work is what sets this album apart from Rivers, Superlungs and Bang Bang.
I can't say enough about this album. Every song is a classic, my personal favorites being Seed of Memory, Brave New Awakening, The Frame and Make Me Feel So Young. This album will never get old. Buy it if you like any classic rock at all and you will have something to show your friends that they will thank you for forever.

Terry Reid's Seed of Memory is one of the all time great classic rock recordings. Terry, bro, it's a shame the world didn't appreciate your talent enough that you had to sell some of your tunes to that idiotic Devil's Rejects soundtrack. You're better than that man. It's a crying shame to see your tunes associated with such a crappy film.

I first heard Terry Reid while watching TV and came across Live at the Isle of Wight 1970. I heard seed of memory watching the devils rejects. His voice has a way of standing out like no other. This CD is full of great songs.

I courted my wife to the music of this LP the better part of thirty years ago. It was, and is still one of finest collections of ballads and truth's recorded.

I read about Terry Reid maybe 20 years ago, as he was sought out by Jimmy Page to be the lead vocalist for the New Yardbirds, later Led Zeppelin. Voice is somewhat similar in some ways to Robert Plant, and it's interesting to note that Page definately had that style of voice in mind. A smoother version of Rod Stewart, who was on the first two Jeff Beck albums. Having read about Terry Reid, it was always,"I'm going to get some of his work to check him out." Watched the Rob Zombie movie,"Devil's Rejects", and loved the closing song. Lo and behold Terry Reid. It was twenty years in getting, and is going to be the CD to end my summer '07. As with the other reviews, if you like Crosby,Stills,Nash,and Young, you'll dig this. The liner notes say he turned down Deep Purple as well, before Ian Gillan took over. Can only imagine him working with Tommy Bolin after Blackmore left....Anyway, get this, you won't regret it......

Ritchie and Candy struck gold again with this cd, a great blend of the old with the new.

I continue to listen to this album often. Every song is good and has its own atmospheric presence. I often travel to the high sierra nevada's and this album doesnt leave my cd player. I highly recommend it. Composed beautifully and sound quality is great.

I've been looking for rock/medieval music for a while and had begun to think that there wasn't anything out there other than the odd novelty. So to my extreme happiness (with a little help from Wikipedia, of all places) I came across this CD. I've never been into Deep Purple, and I never even heard of Rainbow, but this Ritchie Blackmore guy is phenomenal. And so is Candice Night. I've seen the word "ethereal" mentioned in a few reviews, and that's the perfect word to describe her voice. Clear, sweet, strong - perfect. This CD (and all the other Blackmore's Night CD's out there that I also bought) has it all - strong rock songs, sweet soft songs, awesome instrumentals. My favorites from this CD are Way to Mandelay, Ghost of a Rose, and All For One.

A Blackmore's Night classic.

Most of the highlights from the Castles and Dreams DVD are here, Candace's vocals are strong and the guitar work is smooth. There is real feeling to many of the tracks.

The title track is a standout, and "All for One" makes a good sing along when caught in traffic. Go and buy it!

Brilliant. This is Blackmore at his best. His most inspired work to date. "Cartouche", "Loreley" and "All for One" are among his classics. So are "Queen for a Day", "Dandelion Wine", "Way to Mandalay", "3 Black Crows" and the title track. Masterpieces all. One day, this CD (along with the DVD) will be looked back upon as the crowning achievement in the career of Blackmore's Night.

My only negative comment would be to leave off the cheap covers of Joan Baez and Jethro Tull. They pale in comparison to the originals. Particularly on "Rainbow Blues". On the original, Ian sings like his life depends on it. Here, the vocals fall somewhere under the rainbow.

3 disc set covering all the Saxon material through 1990. Diverse collection with some really great songs and some really awful songs too.
Some live tracks. Some tracks are repeated, studio and live...that isn't really necessary to me but someone else may dig it.

This is the ultimate best of collection on the legendary British Heavy Metal band, Saxon. Covering their golden era-the 80's, the band's best tracks are collected here from their first 8 albums. Brilliant remastered sound, great liner notes by Mick Wall, and 52 tracks all on 3 cds. Beware, as there seems to be 2 versions of this out there, one without the essential anthem, "Denim & Leather" and including a live version of "Midnight Rider" instead. I got the one w/ "Denim". Also the price is amazing-I bought mine new at $10.99-not bad for a 3 disc set. Glaring omissions: "This Town Rocks", and the rockin' version of Sweet's "Set Me Free", and I would have left out the horrible, embarassing take on Christopher Cross' "Ride Like The Wind". That aside, this Saxon collection is essential for any true fan of classic heavy metal. Now buy this, turn it up to 11 and ROCK!

This is a great compilation to get ya some old Saxon. However, you might as well order Strong Arm of the Law and Denim & Leather, too, if you want to get some of the missing beloved anthems that Saxon is known for.

This is some of the greatest Metal that Saxon had to offer. It not only has multiple CD's, but over 40 songs to boot. With the release of a new Saxon album in 2007, this would be a great compliment to anyone wanting great Metal from an amazing Metal band. As a radio DJ with my own Metal show, I bought this to let my listeners enjoy what i have been enjoying from Saxon for years. All the best in one package, you can't go wrong. And it won't break the bank either to buy this set. This would save you alot of cash from having to buy all the past albums if you are on a budget, but even if you aren't I suggest buying all of them along with this set just for fun....

I write this review, because I feel guilty. My first experience with Saxon was when the opened for Iron maiden, and absolutely blew them off the stage. This was on the Power and the glory tour, and i thoroughly enjoyed all the material up to that point . . . then, they released Crusader, and it seemeed like the band had totally wussed out. Covering Christopher Cross? Please . . .

So, when I bought the greatest hits Cd, I was expecting two discs of greatness, and one that would rarely grace my CD player. Boy, was I wrong. The first two (early) CDs are predictably great, but the third contains a selection of songs that, for the most part, rock really hard and stack up to Saxon's best early material.

This is an exceptional set of tunes, and very reasonably priced. My only complaints: the omission of their excellent coverr of Sweet's "Set Me Free" and my guilty pleasure of "This Town Rocks" from The Power and the Glory.

Dan

classic kiss .this is kiss at their best. destroyer,rock and roll over. and love gun.

Kiss, who desperately needs to put out a new disc,
really was in top form
when they made this album. This was to be their last great disc until "creatures of the night." although the albums between had alot of
great songs even if they had lost track of their true direction it seemed. Back in 1977 this album was well greeted by fans and foes alike
and it wasn't apparent that the band was in trouble for various reasons.
Love gun had many great songs that are very melodic and to this day
are quite enjoyable. Kiss continues to draw new fans into it's orbit based on great discs like this one but unless they put out a new cd soon they will be seen as a dead band regardless if they tour or not. They just have to look back to this period and see that they can put out decent songs that the fans can enjoy and that are melodic and alot of fun.
Love gun, is a good introduction to the wonderful hard rock of kiss; who if they wake up will finally get some new songs to us; because we the fans are still out here. rock and roll over!

A couple of the songs are damaged on the CD and skipped the first time I played the cd

By the time this album came out Kiss were the biggest band in the world. Everybody was into kiss. This is another great album and would sadly be the last true classic hard rock Kiss album of Kiss... Anyways this album is a cool CD with nice songs like, "I Stole Your Love", and Love Gun. All in all cool album buy today.
1. I Stole Your Love 5/5 stars
2. Christine Sixteen 5/5 stars
3. Got Love For Sale 4.6/5 stars
4. Shock Me 4.3/5 stars
5. Tommorow And Tonight 5/5 stars
6. Love Gun 5/5 stars
7. Hooligan 4.8/5 stars
8. Almost Human 5/5 stars
9. Plaster Caster 5/5 stars
10. Then She Kissed Me 4.7/5 stars

While Destroyer gets the kudos for daring to be "experimental" just as Kiss had made it big, this is my favorite of the later classic lineup albums. It retains the rockin' vibe of the first three and is simply a better collection of songs than Rock And Roll Over.

Contains the awesome title track, which is one of the most gloriously awful rock songs ever written. "No place for hidin' baby... no place to run... you pull the trigger of my... LOVE GUUUUUUNNNN..." I swear to God it's this very album that inspired Spinal Tap. Also contains I Stole Your Love, Christeen Sixteen, Plaster Caster, Tomorrow & Tonight and a fun cover of The Crystals' Then (S)he Kissed Me. Kiss klassicks. Ace Frehley also takes vocal duties on Shock Me. Not bad, Ace.

I seriously love this album. Take it for what it is and you might understand what the fuss was about thirty years ago. Five stars all the way. Even the Stiffly Stiffersons at pitchforkmedia recognize the awesome power of Kiss. That should tell you something right there!

Anyone who discusses "essential" rock albums will nearly always mention "Machine Head," but I was unaware that Deep Purple also had a quadrophonic mix in their vaults, just waiting to be put on a SACD.
So, when I finally bought a full SACD/DVD-A system, I bought this, and I was simply blown away.
Yes, there is the ever popular "Smoke on the Water," but to be able to exploit the huge sonic advantage and space of a 4.0 sound version of an album I had for years listened to in plain vanilla stero was a real treat.
The bonuse of buying this hybrid SACD version is that, unlike with DVD-A, you are not confined to your high end system, forever unable to listen to it on your car CD player.
No, this version will play on your surround system at home, then you can take the same disk, and play it in your car stereo on the way to work.
You get the best of both worlds.
There was a minor hiccup, with USPS losing the initial shipment, so I called Amazon, and they sent another, with it in my hands days later.
Outstanding response time and service!

The music alone is well worth the $22--although cheaper versions do exist-- but where this version soars above all others is in the sound quality. The sound quality is simply stunning. I could go on, but just listen to the audio preview available on this product's main page. While listening, keep this in mind: the audio preview is only 1/10 the resolution of what is found on the Hybrid SACD. And as good as the audio preview sounds, the Hybrid SACD sounds that much better. Highly Recommended.

This album release in 1972 was one of their best, next to live in Japan release. excellent for those who like hard rock.

THE classic album from Deep Purple on multi channel SACD with "that" track.You know the one.Da da daa,da da da daa.I worked in a music store for a few years and never thought I would ever enjoy hearing "Smoke On The Water" again.Thankfully the SACD treatment of this album contains the original Quad mix with some bonus alternate versions and a b-side.Great value!

If you're looking for the best PCM CD version of Machine Head available - this is it. The CD layer on this hybrid SACD is vastly superior to the anniversary 2 CD remaster (which is superior to the original CD release). It sounds very natural and hi-res, exactly what I'd expect the master tape to sound like. On previous versions, including the original vinyl, the mix was all jumbled with the instruments all seemingly jammed on top of each other. On this DSD remix and remaster, the instruments and vocals are all in their own space, and the soundstage has depth, plus the bass is stronger and more defined. The price, at the time of this writing, is astronomical, so I'd recommend buying from one of the Amazon Market sellers or go to Amazon UK.

I've seen the DVD before I bought it but I think it is great. I enjoy the special features that are included. I love it! A must have for any Incubus fan.

This performance is really something special, and was surely a very memorable experience for the audience.

The venue is small, cozy, and intimate. The band members face each other, arrayed roughly in a circle, so that they can really communicate and synergize. The audience surrounds the band on nearly all sides, as though it's hugging the band. And the ambience has a soothing aura, with simple warm lighting and a scattering of lava lamps and assorted other homey trinkets.

Most importantly, the band flawlessly delivers awesome music, which ranges across the full spectrum from rock which will blow your hair back to ballads which are tender and beautiful. And to top it off, the sound quality of this DVD is superb. In fact, I'll even dare to suggest that the band's performance and the sound quality of the DVD may surpass their corresponding album versions.

Simply put, this DVD captures a truly magical and transcendent moment, and is not to be missed by Incubus fans, especially the Incubus of this vintage (2002).

Very quick service. Received within 2 business days and in great condition. Would order from again.

This is an absolutely amazing concert dvd. I am a long time incubus fan and i love it. I think it has the best version of "The Warmth" ever recorded and Brandon's vocals are dead on for every song. Even if you're not an incubus fan, you will be after watching this. Must have!

If you are really into incubus, I highly recommend this DVD. It contains a full concert with good sound and video quality. Along with the concert comes a bunch of video clips that give you some insight into the quirks and personality of the band members. I really enjoyed it and have watched it several times. But then again i was a huge incubus fan to start with.

After releasing two mediocre albums with Tim Owens, Judas Priest has managed to prove there are no wrinkles in a band that has been around for decades. Angel of Retribution is one of those albums worth buying not just because it is Judas Priest, but because the songs are too good to be marred by the cyber-monster called piracy.

I thought the collection of songs was outstanding and that Halford's voice has been kept in tact. Pretty remarkable after such a long hiatus, but the songs are well written and the mix of sound is superb. Couldn't wait for the tour, learned all the lyrics and still rock to them today! A CD I was able to turn a non-Priest fan onto, bought more than one copy. Finally, Rob's voice is superior to Geoff Tate's.

I had almost given up on good metal becoming a reality in my lifetime (with a few rare exceptions of course) till the Priest reunited. I held my breath and hoped for at least a savory morsel from the past. That's not what I got: Judas Priest came back from the dead and kicked my arse! This is easily a collection of some of the best work of any metal band of any time...period. Judas Priest is REAL, and it shows in the music. It's classic Priest while being on the cutting edge of great metal.
Any metalhead must, and I repeat must own this CD. The DVD side reaffirms why metal isn't just great music to me but a way of life; it's an attitude about life and it's being part of a family (with a few disfunctional members like all families!).
Buy this CD and be prepared to raise your devil fist and be blown away.
All the best, MLC

The priest is Back, and this new album proves why they are the metal gods a true return to form!!!! WEll DONE!

DON'T BUY THE DUALDISC!!! GET THE CD INSTEAD!!! Full review on the CD.

Daniel Malzman's review pretty much nails it, but here's 2 reasons to buy this: it's Diamond Dave's most creative work ever, and Vai's guitar interaction with the layers of synths on the songs is quirky, memorable, and brilliant.

One of the reasons Roth left Van Halen, it was alleged, was that he was unhappy with Eddie's growing preoccupation with keyboards. With his first solo album Roth put an exclamation mark to his argument - 1986's "Eat Em And Smile" is the early Van Halen sound on steroids. Vai, Sheehan, and Bissonette, under the guidance of long-term Van Halen producer Ted Templeman (another alleged enemy of Eddie's keyboard work), riffed their way thru an album which, on first listening, makes the supposedly lofty Skyscraper sound more like a spraypainted molehill.

But that's first listening. Skyscraper has many layers. Eat em And Smile, after a while, gets revealed for what it is - a Van Halen imitation. I may be being too harsh, but i don't put Eat Em And Smile in a different category than all the other Van Halen copy bands of the mid 80's.

Skyscraper took Roth into territory far beyond Van Halen. For proof, please take a listen to the sample of the title track "Skyscraper." This is a Steve Vai special: ethereal, detailed, and full of studio wizardry (every line Roth sings is treated with a different effect). Roth has never created anything like it since.

So Roth changed his mind about synths on this album. The sound is certainly more polished and mainstream than his previous works, but apart from two tracks, "Just Like Paradise", and "Perfect Timing" this is NOT a top 40 kind of an album! This is a pot pourri of styles, from the funk soul of "Two Fools A Minute" to the Hendrixy rock of "Hina", from the 'bubblegum laced with cocaine' of "Hot Dog And A Shake" to the melencholic folk-pop of "Damn Good." Roth has never stretched himself more. Stylistically speaking.

And lyrically, for that matter. "And the tides rise, distant sighs fall on deaf eyes/ Vision makes you every inch a king, king for a million years." (Hina)

In terms of pure sound quality, the mix lacks bass and the hi-hat is lost. I can understand why Sheehan prefers the demos, altho in fairness the layers of sound are handled pretty well. The album could have been a dense mess, but retains clarity and doesn't get on one's nerves. Certainly Vai's guitar tone occupies a happy middle ground between the raw dominance of earlier work (which would have bullied out the synths here) and his (over)processed, effects laden, anal retentive 1990's sound.

At times Vai's musically complex style and Tuggle's synth playing just don't sit well with Roth and I don't think this album is an absolute classic. But give it a handful of listens. It shows at least one (Roth) and arguably two (Vai) at their creative peaks. Well done Diamond Dave: this album is for you as musically adventurous as the cover suggests.

Daniel Maltzman's review sums this up very well. In my opinion this a great DLR album. Good rockin' fun. Which is really the definition of Dave. Two fools a minute is quintissential Dave. Skyscraper is a very cool tune as well as damn good. There is enough here to enjoy the taste of. I recommend it.

This is a good example of hard rock of late eighties. It's a little bit more commercial than "eat them'd smile", but have very interesting instrumental and fx stuff. The main thing is that the Dave/Vai partnership worked very good at that time.

This is real close to being the best Dave solo album ever. Just something about Eat'em and Smile makes it a tick better. This is more of a party album than the debut, but both are good for loud fun. This is also a tad more commercial than Eat'em. Not a bad thing tho. Just Dave experimenting with new and different sounds. Hina sticks out, Damn Good sticks out, and who can forget Just Like Paradise? Just a down-right good album.

With the crap of nu metal or rock whatever..this is a classic. just as good or better than van halen. and i have a collection of both! support dave he is awesome talent.