International music reviews

This is a wonderful CD. It can be appreciated by everyone, no matter their age or the background. It is truely uplifting, rich with sound that you can feel with your heart and soul. If you have a Native American Music Collection this is an absoulte must have. If you don't have a collection this would be a wonderful CD to start with. Spirit Tracker will invoke feelings, thoughts and emotions you didn't know you had.

Spirit Tracker brings up images of Native American's communities and culture before the europeans came to America.. Mainly their oneness with nature!!!!

I love this cd, because the music is simple, clean and it moves the Spirit. I love this cd because it is "flute plain and simple" without the OVER-clutter of other instruments (what is done is tastefully done).

I also like the honor it shows to beloved things, persons, and Mother earth.

I hope you enjoy it, too.

His beats make you want to dance and just get on the dancefloor to shake your booty and sing along....when his songs are played no one is sitting. Weeeeepaaaaaaaaaaa !

Esta muy bueno, yo pens� que me aburriria enseguida de un compacto con dos temas, ya hace como dos meses que lo tengo y no dejo de escucharlo, dos por tres me aburro pero al tiempo lo estoy escuchando de nuevo con la opcion "repeat" del CD... �COMPRELO!

I work for Carnival Cruise Fun Ships and I have gotten a very good response from anyone and everyone that I spin Elvis infront of on the ships. Elvis has given us Deejays another awesome tool to mix it up and drop something different and loveable. When people hear it the vibe and the energy in the disco gets higher, so why not play him back to back. Much love from the people that support you Elvis......

There are umpteen Simon and Garfunkel compilations out there, all vying for your money. And for those of you that are a little shy of forking out for a boxset, there's 2003's `The Essential Simon and Garfunkel' being amongst the strongest efforts. So what makes this as this effort stand out from the crowd???....well, this is one of those compilations that occupies a slightly weird middle ground, by being suitable for those that probably want to buy just the one purchase of a Simon and Garfunkel compilation, that not only contains the hits, ("Mrs. Robinson," "The Sound of Silence", "The Boxer", "I am a Rock", "Bridge over troubled water", "Cecilia") but also goes a little further that all the biggest hits, and includes albums tracks, and lesser know tracks that stand up as admirably as the most popular work: ( "The only living boy in New York", "Fakin' It", "Scarborough Fair/Canticle", "A Hazy Shade of Winter", "My Little Town", Kathy's Song").

This (with the exception of picking up a boxset), is arguably the most comprehensive compilation of the duo's work. It tops the `Essential Simon and Garfunkels' 33 tracks, by having a impressive 40 tracks, spread over two disks. Obviously this wouldn't mean much if those extras tracks where merely forgettable, and might merely drag the standard of the compilation down, but thankfully this is a masterfully compiled selection of tracks, that will surprise those that, only know the hits, by making a superbly rounded summary of the Duo's career, encapsulating their early bittersweet and sentimental folk numbers with the mainstream friendly amiable and reflective pop songs, that brought them a much larger audience. And it's here that this compilation really comes into its own, because unless you have the majority of the Duo's work, there's likely to be a fair bit of material that you either (A) Haven't heard in Years, or (B) Is completely new to you, and startles at its brilliance.

Several things, that I feel are important to note, is that the musical fidelity of the recordings is brilliant....sure, it's not been mastered in a relatively cutting edge music format (SACD, etc..), but few will complain with the mastering that has been done here, with every note and word, perfectly sequenced and mixed, it's gratifying to hear that the label actually put some effort into the mastering process for this release. Which leads me onto the next point, which is more significant....the majority of the tracks here, almost sound like brilliantly edited `Live' versions of the tracks. They're probably not...but there certainly a more muscular sound and resonance to the tracks, that I simply don't remember the regular studio albums having (I put on a couple of tracks from the "Bridge over Troubled water" studio album, and it seemed far weaker in comparison). Some tracks in particular, sound noticeably fuller and more prominent than usual. Maybe it's just me...but I simply wouldn't want to trade in this compilation for any of the other dozen or more Simon and Garfunkel compilations knocking around out there, for fear of getting (by comparison) muddy and muffled versions of these songs.

But, Irrespective of that, it has to be said, that this really is the most comprehensive and impressively compiled compilation of the Duo's work. It's goes beyond just given the causal listener the hits, and has enough material to satisfy those that might already own a couple of the Duo's studio albums, and yet remains accessible enough for those that want to dig into the Duo discography a little deeper, without having to shell out bucks for a boxset, and the sound is brilliantly mastered. It's entirely possible, that even if you're a big fan of the Duo's work, you can pretty much get all you need from just owning this truly superlative effort.

This excellent compilation includes all of this famous duo's best-loved classics. They had a flair for combining poetic lyrics with unforgettable melodies and ruled the charts for most of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Bridge Over Troubled Water album - a greatest hits collection in itself - stayed on both the USA and UK charts for years. Sound Of Silence articulated a particular late 60s urban youth feel in its images of subway walls and graffiti, while Homeward Bound is filled with loneliness and redemption.

Mrs Robinson appeared on a movie soundtrack and El Condor Pasa with its lovely Amerindian flutes remains quite unique. All these songs are classics, but my favourites include The Boxer, America, I Am A Rock and the lively, upbeat Cecilia. You can't go wrong with this album where every track is worth its weight in gold.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were better together than apart, because they had such different talents. Paul was a brilliant songwriter - certainly one of the best of his generation - and a good singer without being anything special. Art was not a songwriter, but he had a superb voice which brought out the best in Paul's songs.

So, here we have 40 of their finest recordings, digitally remastered to sound better than ever, with most of the songs written by Paul and Art doing most of the singing. Of course, all the obvious tracks are included - Bridge over troubled water, Mrs Robinson, Homeward bound, Sound of silence, The boxer, Cecilia, Feeling groovy, I am a rock, America and El condor pasa (If I could) - but this collection contains a further 30 tracks which are all of a very high quality.

Among them are Hazy shade of winter (a song revived brilliantly by the Bangles in the eighties), the upbeat but rueful Keep the customer satisfied, Baby driver - another upbeat song, a live cover version of Bye bye love, not forgetting the superb Scarborough fair/Canticle.

After the split, Paul and Art each had some success as solo singers, but despite some great individual moments, they never achieved the level of consistency separately that they achieved together - and this is the best collection you'll ever find, unless you want to go for the boxed set from which these tracks were selected.

I was very disappointed by this album. I gave three stars because some of the music is decent, and the concept as well. What I need to ask when I listen to this is, why does Buck 65 now insist upon using this phony/pretentious, hoarse smoker's voice on all of the songs? With albums like Vertex, Man Overboard, and even Square Buck 65's voice is very dynamic and dances around the beats.

If you are a fan from the old days then don't waste your money.

Once again this artists blows me away with his versatile and genre crossing music. Secret House...blew me away, and Talkin Honey does the exact same thing. Talkin Honkey seems to be a concept album about travelling and crosing river beds. Buck 65's flow is so original and his blending of hip hop, country, blues and spoken word is unique and inoovative. His lyrics are personal and deep and his lyrical style is simplistic yet straight to the point and heartfelt. I would recommend this album to those who are not afraid to listen to hip hop that defies genres. Such a great album. Buck 65 is one of the definitive artists of our generation, no doubt about that. Talkin Honey has a heavy country influence as well and generates such a creative vibe. I am very impressed and inspired by this album and by Buck 65.

I recently got one of Buck 65s older albums - Man Overboard to be precice...this was the first i heard of the 'old buck'. I loved this album...but now that I have his old album I can tell that his voice IS very different, but the truth is that I like his 'new voice' much better. My favourite songs on this album are Wicked & Weird, Protest, Roses and Bluejays, and Riverbed Pt3. Wicked & Weird is very catchy and exciting, Roses and Bluejays is a bit depressing but to me comes off projecting a message. Protest is one of the only more 'positive' songs, and Riverbed Pt3 I just like, I don't really know why, it's not that impressive and has nothing really going for it, it's just catchy. I really love this album and I'm sure anybody who's looking for something new to listen to would love this. After all, this IS the album that got ME hooked on Buck!
-Kat from Canada

one of the best cd's i own. you should deffinetly buy this. I never get tired of listening to it.

Un disco CHINGON !!!

This CD contains such a wonderful collection of songs. From the first to the last, it's terrific. "Chao Lola" is such a sad song and quite beautiful. "Dicen" is also one of my favorites...a very catchy tune with great lyrics and a South American feel to it. "Hoy Que No Estas" was the reason I bought this CD. I heard this song on Colombian internet radio and I fell in love with it (It's been in the Top-10 for a couple of months already!). It's a shame that the Spanish radio stations in NYC don't play singer/songwriter/pianist/guitarist Juan Fernando Velasco's music yet. His music is so refreshing and beautiful and original. My friends who don't speak Spanish loved this CD when I played it for them....it's THAT good. If you like thoughtful lyrics, and superbly arranged music, you will enjoy this CD immensely. Also, it's enhanced so you will get the music videos for "Chao Lola" and "Dicen" too. I'm grateful we have internet radio and as a result, the opportunity to discover the great music that is being made in the rest of the world!

This is an awesome cd. It's a pity that such talented artists like Velasco or Kevin Johansen are not given the recongnition they deserve. I guess good taste would not be considered good taste if it were everyone's taste. Anyhow. Do buy this gem of a cd. You won't regret it.

4 1/2**

Milly Quezada deserves the over used title "Queen of Merenque", because her singing is technically about the best that is out there in the Latin singing world, and expressively, has few rivals. She has always shown herself to be extremely versatile in how she shades different styles of merengue and occupies the unique essence of every song.

Now Milly shows us that her way with bachata is at least as impressive, even more so. There is nothing more you could ask for in her wonderful phrasing, varied timbre, and perfect vocal delivery.

Manuel Tejada has provided us with superb arrangements, even by his amazing standards. The first four songs are really wonderful, from the plaintive "Penas", to the the ingratiating duet "Pideme", the delightful "Que se Mueren de Envida" and the lovely "Mesita de Noche." The next three songs are not quite in the class, but still very fine. There is also a Juan Luis Guerra song, and in no way does she copy his singing - she puts her own stamp on it, as does Tejada.

There follows a merengue Pideme, which is a nice variation, tho less good than the bachata. The merengue Un Nuevo Amor, is the least interesting track on the CD. I would have liked to have seen one or two more bachatas on this CD - with two "version" cuts, 10 tracks is a little slim, and the CD comes to a less important conclusion than I would like.

Despite this criticism, Tresoros de Mi Tierra is a must-have.

El disco es completamente bueno desde la primera cancion hasta la ultima. No dudaba que Milly hiciera un trabajo asi, pero es un trabajo musical increible. El arreglo, la combinacion de voces. De esta produccion clasifico como la canciones sobresalientes son: Pideme, Que Se Mueran De Envidia, Mesita De Noche, Dos Rosas, Antologia De Caricias, Un Nuevo Amor.

Este CD es increiblemente bueno. La "Reina Del Merengue" por fin grabo un disco de bachatas. Esta maravillosa produccion estuvo a cargo del maestro Manuel Tejada, para SONY. Una excelente variedad de romanticas bachatas que con la voz unica de Milly Quezada lo hacen un exito. Los mejores temas del disco lo son "Que Se Mueran De Envidia", "Pideme" (a duo con Fernandito Villalona), "Mesita De Noche", "Antologia De Caricias" y "Un Nuevo Amor". El disco tambien inluye el tema "Burbujas De Amor" del gran Juan Luis Guerra. Pero la REINA no se podia quedar sin incluir merengue en este disco "Tesoros De Mi Tierra", por tal razon se incluyeron las versiones en merengue de los temas "Un Nuevo Amor" y "Pideme" (a duo con Miguel Vasquez). Todos los temas estan excelentes y tienen unos arreglos unicos. Sinceramente Milly Quezada tiene voz para cantar de todo...merengue, balada, bachata, salsa y todo lo que se llame musica. Cuando hay talento y una voz como la de Milly todo es posible.

Tambien recomiendo el CD de la que a mi opinion sera la nueva "Reina De La Musica Tropical"...Jessica Cristina titulado "Pasional". Asi que si a ti como a mi te gusta Milly Quezada, te encantara Jessica Cristina. Te lo recomiendo.

Aqui hay algunas recomendaciones de otros discos de bachata: "Bachata Rosa" de Juan Luis Guerra, "Decidida" de Sonya Cortes, "Unplugged" de Monchy & Alexandra y "Corazon De Bachata" de Juan Manuel.

I truly hope someone reissues this album in CD format. I have the original vinyl version and it is one of my all time favorites. This is pure Michael before he went more commercial with his songs. He is an excellent guitarist and has a great voice. both of which this album showcases.

This was one of my favorite albums, which I unfortunately lost in a fire.
I was delighted to see that it had been re-issued on CD and was available here, and I immediately ordered it.
Unfortunately,after 6 weeks of run-around and excuses, the seller-HOMERUNSMUSIC-cancelled my order and said they are no longer doing business with the overseas supplier of ANY of the Micheal Johnson albums and CD's listed here.
The fact that they still show the cd as available here is an example of their business practices and service-or lack there-of.
I still hope to find the cd of this wonderful music-but i will never do business with HOMERUNSMUSIC again.

It was long ago back in 1973 when I was at boarding school that I first received this album as a freebie giveaway at a music store in Wayne Pennsylvania. I had a limited record collection and played it over and over and over again. The music was crisp, the lyrics were real and his voice cut through you and forced you to sit up and listen. Uplifting at time and depressing at others (you know, that good tear-jerking kind of depression).
Nobody had ever heard of Michael Johnson before, and I had this all-knowing kind of pride when he started to make it big, as if I discovered him. There was a type of honesty in this album that he left behind in his search for fame and commercial success.
Sadly one day my album was left too close to the radiator and warped. While I searched and searched to replace it I couldn't find the album anywhere. Until today. My search is over. I have found an old friend

If you're a casual Natalie fan or are just getting into her music, stick with the original Tigerlily. If you are a huge fan of the woman with one of the most beautiful voices in popular music today, get this! In my opinion, Tigerlily is Natalie's weakest album (I love Ophelia and Motherland equally) but it's still an amazing piece of work and the bonus songs are a great addition to this great album! The original version of Tigerlily rates a 4 out of 5 but this special bonus edition rates a perfect 5.

This set has the origional Tigerlilly cd and a second cd with 5 songs:

1. Jealousy (REMIX EDIT)

2. Sympathy for The Devil (live)[the same as the B-side on the Jealousy single]

3. Baby I Love You/Son Of A Preacher Man (live)[NOT the same as the 'Baby I Love You' on the Wonder single]

4. Take a Look (live)

5. The Work Song (live)

As a devouted Natalie fan, I had to have it even though it only has two songs I don't already own. The booklet containing the lyrics has the lyrics written in several languages, although the actual cd is in English. The actual cd is completely green, instead of green and orange like the original.

For devoted Natalie fans, it is a must have, still, for those just becoming interested in her, save yourselves the money and buy the original Tigerlilly.

This 2-CD set is a real bargain, costing about as much as a domestic single CD; imports are usually exorbitantly priced.

Anyway, regarding the topic of this comment, I really liked Nat's rendition of the famous Stones song, though, I had to listen twice to really appreciate it. It's a tad annoying that she sort of slurs the lyrics, seems to skip one verse altogether and, by the sound of it, ad lib some lines, but Natalie sounds so sultry and smooth, you can't help but overlook it. I tell ya, damnation never sounded so sexy.

This is not your typical music in any sense. Kevin uses instruments in ways I have never seen before, and his topics range from tourism, moving to or from south america(he does not tell which), intellectual women, etc.
The lyrics can be very intertaining, and the instruments, once you get used to them you may certainly come to enjoy them.
However the main problem lies in the range of Kevin's voice. It is not very good, and in my opinion he would do better if he found another singer to sing along some of the songs.

Kevin is witty, fun and deep at the same time. I got the CD a couple of days ago and can't stop playing it.

I have heard music far and wide from classic to hard rock from Corse music to china. I single out Kevin as an extremely talented musician. His music although unconventional is elaborate with stunning musicality.

I haven't gotton this album yet, but I really want too. Dose anyone know where you can hear clips of this music? Sorry for leaving a question and not a review.

To be short and basic. It's an awesome CD...which EVERYONE who's a fan of JOJ, Scarling, My Ruin, Kidney Thieves, ect...SHOULD have!!!

Queen Adreena's album "Taxidermy" is a real pleasure to listen to. Great soft songs sometimes and rock songs. The sounds is heavy, powerfull. The imaginary circus style of the band is a + in this perfect cd. A great moment for those who like rock songs with originality. A must.