International music reviews

I really like Mark McGrath so I knew I would like the CD! I bought it and I don't reagret it!

Sugar Ray's import disc for Every Morning is much better than the American release. This EP has 3 tracks, all of which are cool. Rivers, the B-side which has only appeared on the Scream 2 soundtrack and on none of their LPs is a really great song. It's interesting to hear the original version of Aim For Me with slightly different guitar riffs. This CD is for Sugar Ray freaks like myself only.

I really like Mark McGrath so I knew I would like the CD! I bought it and I don't reagret it!

This is one of the most heartfelt ballads I have ever heard. It's beautiful, and perhaps one of Jewel's best ever. Jewel sings with maturity and emotion. It really touches you.

Okay forget everything I said. This is with out a doubt my absolute favorite Jewel CD single I own, or at least of the ones I could get my HANDS on (ha-ha). The first track includes the radio version of "Foolish Games", which is very nice but not quite as good as the album version. Jewel has a tendency to re-record many of her LP songs and compromise her talent for radio play. The cover picture is absolutely beautiful I may add. But the thing I love most about this CD is the two bonus tracks "Angel Needs A Ride" and "Everything Breaks". These are two absolutely beautiful Pieces Of You-quality songs. The vocals are amazingly stunning and the guitar chords are incredible. I could keep them on replay for hours. Very moving. This is definitely a collector's piece worth owning.

Pop music, Britney Spears, Cristina Aguilera, Jewel, Jenifer Lopez, etc

This song means so much to so many people.The words say it all to the way I feel about this song, so meaningfull and so real.Watch the film IT HAD TO BE YOU this song is at the end and the film say's it all.

i love brandy. she is my favorite artist. i can sing just like her. i want to meet her so bad. she is the greatest. if you can see this brandy, please contact me at labrina@cs.com. yes,im in love.

Every time I hear that song I get a chill and I think of how real that is! I love songs that I can relate to and this is definitely one of them. Brandy is such a great singer. This CD is great! It's one of my favorites!

America's second colaboration with legendary Beatles producer, Sir George Martin. While not as polished as their first album with Martin (Holiday), this is still a very strong album. Contains the number 1 hit Sister Golden Hair, along with two other hits Daisy Jane and Woman Tonight. Also contains several album cuts that received a lot of airplay in the 70's including Bell Tree, Midnight, and Old Virginia (which would have been a hit had it been released as a single). It is a shame that this album has never been released on CD in the US. It was a big hit in 1975 when it was released, sold a million copies, and was produced by George Martin! Maybe Rhino will come to the rescue in the near future!?!

HEARTS, which I am also glad to have, is definitely my most favorite album by AMERICA, eventhough they seemed to be moving further away from their original style of music. GERRY BECKLEY's piano ballad DAISY JANE that features excellent harmony vocals, acoustic guitars, and the orchestra is an outstanding beginner, and DAN PEEK's HALF A MAN is an outstanding guitar rock song with excellent guitar riffs, the soulful female singers, and a brass horn section. Unfortunately, this is when he begins to sound like he is stoned out or something, not that it is that bad though. His WOMAN TONIGHT is also a excellent rock tune with DEWEY BURNELL'S talk box guitar, keyboards from DAN that I can only assume, the fuzz bass guitar by DAVID DICKEY, and alternating lead vocals from all three singers, along with the female singers. I was surprised to learn about DEWEY playing the talk box guitar on this song when I first read about it from the liner notes of the COMPLETE GREATEST HITS album. Although all three guys can play lead guitar, they just happen to leave most of the lead guitar chores to DAN. DEWEY'S MIDNIGHT is an excellent acoustic ballad with the electric and acoustic guitars and the orchestra. GERRY'S BELL TREE is also excellent with the keyboards and the acoustic guitars. DEWEY'S PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY that features his singin, GEERY'S piano playin, DAN'S guitar solos, and the harmony vocals is excellent, as is his COMPANY with GERRY'S piano playing and DAN' guitar solos. THE STORY OF A TEENAGE with DAN and GERRY trading off the lead vocals, the piano playing, the guitars, the orchestra, and the female singers in the background. GERRY FM classic SISTER GOLDEN HAIR is excellent with his lead vocals, DAN'S rhythm and steel guitar playing, the acoustic guitar by GERRY and DEWEY, and the harmony vocals, DAN'S TOMORROW is a excellent piano ballad with his lead vocals, the harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, and orchestra, and SEASONS is an excellent closing acoustic ballad written and sung by DEWEY with the acoustic and electric guitars and the orchestra. Meanwhile, the highlight of this album for me is DAN'S acoustic ballad OLD VIRGINIA that reminds me a whole lot his song LONELY PEOPLE. I love the way DAN sings on this song, along with the acoustic guitars of DAN and DEWEY, GERRY'S piano, congo playing by WILLE LEACOX, and the orchestra arrangement. Plus, I love to play these two songs by DAN back to back on my 12-string acoustic guitar. My only complaint about this cd is that DAN's SIMPLE LIFE is not available on this cd version. Like I suggested for all new and old-time AMERICA fans, forgot the HISTORY GREATEST HITS album from 1975 and buy all the AMERICA albums from that time period, or you will miss out on a whole lot of outstanding songs. The two albums HIDEAWAY and HARBOR (the last with DAN PEEK) that come after HISTORY are also good albums. More importantly, every AMERICA album from the 1970s should be available in the UNITED STATES on cd so music lovers do not have to pay twice as much for imports, but I just glad I got all of these cds with DAN PEEK.

George Martin didn't work with just anybody-and the talent of this band almost rivals the Beatles.This band is criminally overlooked nowadays.I think if they put out one of those ULTIMATE collection deals , and ran the commercial all the time-it would sell like crazy, and make people realize how great this band is/was.I've had this on LP for years, and then finally found the Japanese CD in 1994.This is their best album, but certainly not because of Sister.For reasons of Seasons,Story of a Teenager, Old Virginia, and Company.Seasons starts off with a horn solo making you think it will be a classical song- but what it really is, is their best written and most complex song ever, with time changes pleasing to even this jaded drummer.Company works great with the constant pauses of tabla, you dont know quite where they are going with it, until the chorus kicks in .Old Virginia is one of those semi-country songs, great for sing-alongs like Black Water by the Doobie Brothers, or even their own Lonely People.People In the Valley has a modern alternative sensibility long before there was alternative.Half a Man, and Woman tonight are the only songs on this CD that are not 100% great.Unfortunately the great picture of the Bay Bridge on the inner sleeve of the original LP doesnt show in the CD booklet. Mastering to Cd went well, but I still slightly prefer the warmth of the bass and midrange separation more apparent on the vinyl.I have their box set and it hardly covers this album.They added a bonus track SIMPLE LIFE to the Japan version.PS< yes I can hear the SUMMER CALLING , that's why I moved to Florida!

Beth Patterson mixes Irish and Cajun traditional music with progressive rock energy and the result is great. This CD avoids the trap that independantly produced CDs often fall into in that every track ends up sounding the same after awhile. She mixes styles and vocal/instrumental tracks so that every song on the CD sounds fresh. She's truly a master musician who has developed her own exciting sound.

Having heard several of the tracks on this album live at O'Flaherty's Irish Pub in New Orleans (her home) it's not hard to recommend this CD. She fuses traditional Irish music with Cajun influences seamlesslesly and combined with impeccable mastery of the bazouki and a voice that is a joy even a capella there's nothing to carp about.

Her second CD "Take Some Fire" (all her own songs) is even better. If she ever shows up in your neighbourhood, run to the performance. It'll be one of the best night's entertainment you've ever had. In the meantime, grab the CDs and enjoy the efforts of a unique masterful musician and entertainer.

They don't come along too often these days.

Hybrid Vigor is a great CD. Beth Patterson's music and vocals are stellar. One of the songs on this CD, "Steer by the Stars," is truly a wonderful (and wonderfully melancholy) love song.

It's always nice to be able to compare an artist to somebody else, but Beth Patterson's music is so inspired and creative, that comparisons wouldn't do this CD justice.

I'd heard Joining You on the Supposed Former [...] album. I found it overstated, with too much guitar (and I'm a guitar kind of person!). I found this CD Single in a used CD store and bought it on impulse, mostly because of the Melancholy Mix. I found the story of Alanis talking to the younger person about thoughts of suicide to be very powerful. The music caresses the words, and I can hear Alanis' concern for her friend.

These Are The Thoughts was truly a bonus. Her voice and the lyrics combine again to speak with power.

I'm very glad I stopped in the used CD store, else I might not have given this disc a chance.

this c.d is so cool, these r the taughts is absolutly flawless, its kinda like an upbeat mix between uninvited and unsent except better and joining you is, i think, one of the greatest songs of all time, and this version is even better than the album, buy it

I love Alanis, and I think this was a great choice for a single! The melancholy mix of Joining You was great, and so was These R The Thoughts. Thank U was also excellent live. The only suggestion i have is that she should've had the REAL Joining You (The one from "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie") on the single too. But it still is a great single.

Blue Rodeo live will leave you wanting more, yet, they leave you having given their all. An amazing group, richly talented, this Canadian group played The Ramshead Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland in November, 2006 and I was fortunate to be there. They would be worth a trek to Canada to see if they never played nearby again...and I think I just might plan a trip North...they're a super group! Vocally, they have no peers, lyrically, they make sense when so many writers are just scribbling and as musicians, they bring a sound uniquely their own...you can say rockabilly, or country, or rock, or blues, or jazz or psychedellic...they roll it all together. FIND A WAY TO CATCH THIS GROUP LIVE! If you can't do that, buy all their material...you won't be sorry.

The first time I heard Blue Rodeo was on a Juno Set that a Canadian friend gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago. The track was "Try"... it sent chills up my back then and the version on this CD does as well.

Last year while visiting my friends in Kitchener, Ontario I picked up a couple more Blue Rodeo CDs and then more on Amazon. I think 5 days in July is probably the best of all of them, but Just Like a Vacation is excellent as well.

This group never disappoints. Every CD is filled with great tracks. I hope to someday get to see them in concert, until then this live CD set may be the closest I get.

I have been a Blue Rodeo fan since 1990 when their ablum Casino came out. I at first didn't like them, but it was the song Trust Yourself that really did it for me. Just Like A Vacation is my favourite Blue Rodeo cd, because not only is it a live cd, but it's also kind of a greatest hits cd. I have seen these guys 5 times in concert, and they really know how to put on a show.

The instrumentals on this cd are okay, but the vocals are just sickeningly sweet. I listened to the cd twice because I wanted to like it based on all of the glowing reviews it has gotten. The vocals, especially on Braes O' Strathblane, were so saccharine, I had to turn it off. Throwing in a few scottish pronunciations done in an American accent just made it worse. I regret I wasted my money on this treacle.

I bought this CD a little over a year ago, and I still listen to it several times a week. It almost sounds better each time I listen to it. I love the mix of traditional irish melodies with new instruments and with other genres of music. I've been listening to some of the free downloads, and am hoping Green Man will make another CD!

You will find that this is an amazing mix of celtic music with guitars and drums. A beautiful blend of traditional and non traditional which spices each and every song in this album. Soothing vocals adds to the already impressive sounds. They are definetely NOT a one hit wonder. A wonderful CD that I recommend to anyone that wants to go from the Orchestra to the EDGE!

I'm not sure why this Album is often overlooked when Sinatra's Reprise period is discussed. Frank's interpretation of Rod McKuen's poetry is "Haunting" if I can use that word. Not only was Frank in excellent voice for this album, but his poetry readings were amazing. Given his acting ability he delivers palpable sentiment and captures the essence of Rod McKuens theme of being alone and being lonely; something Sinatra conveys like no other. This is very much a "Mood piece" which deftly alternates song and poetry. Don Costa's orchestra provides a delicate balance of soaring strings and bluesy saxophones. Frank says in the liner notes that McKuens work "got inside me". It definitely gets inside me every time I listen to it.

Why this album is not available on USA Reprise is beyond me. In 1969 Frank and poet and songwriter Rod McKuen got together to record a song cycle specifically composed by McKuen for The Voice. In the tradition of NO ONE CARES and WHERE ARE YOU, this is Sinatra for two in the morning. Sinatra for the time of clubs closing and going home by yourself.
The cycle goes from song to poetry reading and back again, and Sinatra shows with every turn how the art of song and the art of acting are one and the same: his reading of lyrics was always the very best. Your heart will ache as you recognize the pain that the Man Alone is going through, especially if you have ever gone through that same thing. Great, great stuff.

I agree that "Love's Been Good To Me" sounds a bit out of kilter on this collection, but perhaps the placement of this song is intended to be a look backward, a rose-tinted remembrance of loves past, not love lost present.

Again, this is not the Big Band, Swingin' Sinatra which inhabited most of his Sixties albums. This is the intimate Sinatra, the very personal Sinatra.

One of his very best albums.

No one brings the words to a song better than Sinatra. His mature voice touches your soul. This one is for listening alone or with your most intimate partner.

Nice music, but $12.99 is a little steep for 11:05 of content.

Enya voice is so beautiful, it is out of this world.

No wonder she is the major singer of the movie - Lord of the Ring.

God bless her.

Hopefully, she will have more records coming out.

While looking at all the extras on my 2-disc version of "Fellowship Of The Ring" I came across the video of Enya singing "May It Be". I was hooked by about the ten-second mark. The song instantly became a favorite of mine and I began looking for it on cd. I finally found the movie soundtrack and had the song in a format I could play in my truck. If you haven't yet seen it, the video is nothing short of fantastic! I would place this song alongside of other great movie music such as: "Moon River" and "My Heart Will Go On".