The Dial.

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Progressive rock/pop with female vocals from Detroit, Michigan.

Album Description
Atmospheres and moods created through melancholy melodies.

Tracks:

Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
Going Underground - The Jam
A Forest - The Cure
Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
I'm In Love With A German Film Star - Passions
I Will Dare - The Replacements
That's When I Reach For My Revolver - Mission Of Burma
Johny Hit And Run Paulene - x
Just Like Honey - The Jesus And Mary Chain
Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
Tell Me When It's Over - The Dream Syndicate
Hollywood (Africa) - The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Temptation - New Order
Ghosts - Japan
A Song From Under The Floorboards - Magazine
Oblivious - Aztec Camera
Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely - Husker Du
Rise Above - Black Flag
Back In Flesh - Wall Of Voodoo
Cattle And Cane - The Go-Betweens

Tracks:

Message Of Love - The Pretenders
Vienna - Ultravox
Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr.
The Charming Man - The Smiths
Stigmata - Ministry
Ways To Be Wicked - Lone Justice
Wardance - Killing Joke
Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Mirror In The Bathroom - The English Beat
Fairytale In The Supermarket - The Raincoats
Behind The Wall Of Sleep - The Smithereens
Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing - Minutemen
Punk Rock Girl - The Dead Milkmen
Still In Hollywood - Concrete Blonde
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Blister In The Sun - Violent Femmes
Lake Of Fire - Meat Puppets
Amplifier - The DB's
When Love Breaks Down - Prefab Sprout
Goo Goo Muck - The Cramps
This Corrosion - Sisters Of Mercy
Senses Working Overtime - XTC

Tracks:

The Cutter - Echo & The Bunnymen
Pay To Cum! - Bad Brains
Birthday - The Sugarcubes
Madonna Of The Wasps - Robyn Hitchcock 'n' The Egyptians
We Care A Lot - Faith No More
Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth
To Hell With Poverty - Gang Of Four
Fa Ce-La - The Feelies
Ana Ng - They Might Be Giants
Swamp Thing - The Chameleons UK
The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I Look Around - The Rain Parade
All That Money Wants - Psychedelic Furs
Under The Milky Way - The Church
Rise - Public Image Ltd.
Kundalini Express - Love And Rockets
Gravity Talks - Green On Red
Adrenalin - Throbbing Gristle
She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses

Tracks:

Monkey Gone To Heaven - Pixies
Uncertain Smile (Original 7 Inch Version) - The The
Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
Christine - Siouxsie And The Banshees
Straight Edge - Minor Threat
I Want To Help You Ann - The Lyres
Our Secret - Beat Happening
Jane Says - Jane's Addiction
World Shut Your Mouth - Julian Cope
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
Sex Beat - Gun Club
Take The Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven
Institutionalized - Suicidal Tendencies
Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops - Cocteau Twins
24 Hour Party People - Happy Mondays
I Want You Back - Hoodoo Gurus
Suburban Home - Descendents
A Pair Of Brown Eyes - The Pogues
Jet Fighter - The Three O'Clock
Moving To Florida - Butthole Surfers
A New England - Billy Bragg

Amazon.com

As a sequel to 2004's similarly packaged Rhino box No Thanks! The '70s Punk Rebellion, this four-disc set tackles the punk/indie/modern rock of the 80s with equal panache. Subtitled "Dispatches from the 80s Underground," these 82 non-chronological tracks play like a great college station from the later part of the decade. Encompassing a dizzyingly diverse musical palate, styles range from the artsy Southern twang of R.E.M., to the sugary pop of Aztec Camera, the blistering hardcore of Black Flag, the ghostly techno of Japan and the chilly, noir dance floor attack of New Order. And that's just on disc one.

Sure, there are some omissions, but the box does a remarkable job balancing more popular acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Cure and Echo & the Bunnymenwith cult faves like Green On Red and obscurities from the Lyres and the Three O'Clock . Even those who were radio fanatics during these years will likely find tracks they aren't familiar with, along with getting a flashback rush from those they are. A colorful 64 page book provides track-by-track background information as well as a handful of essays about the decade that approach the music from different perspectives. There are no public service announcements or aspiring DJ's to interrupt the flow and the remastered sound brings the music to life with crispness low powered FM radio could never rival. --Hal Horowitz

Album Description

In his notes for this passionately compiled box, producer Gary Stewart writes, "the diversity from the late-70s punk/new wave scene turned into a full-blown, variety-fueled, genre-busting orgy in the '80s...The music became, in the best sense of the words, more complex, more literate, a bit more serious, and as a result, made astrong impact on mainsteam rock culture." From funk punk to revisionist roots rock to hard-core to smart-ass clever pop-and every musical nook and cranny in-between-Left of the Dial presents many of the '80s' most important tracks. Savor the far more influential flip side of the "Where's the Beef?" decade's musical output!

Customer Reviews:

I Never Knew What I Was Missing..........2007-01-13

Having been born in mid-1984 and being only five years old when even the most recent of these tracks were released, I never knew most of this music existed. Of course, youth is no excuse for ignorance, and I've always made it a personal priority to seek out great music from before my time, from kitschy lounge sounds and dusty 78rpm relics to the Russian Romantics and honky-tonk troubadours (just so you don't go getting the idea that I'm a music snob, I've sung along to my share of cheesy disco records.)

Older music, especially the rare "underground" stuff, isn't just shoved in front of you, a facet of every popular entertainment medium, bound to get stuck in your head whether you want it there or not. You've got to go LOOKING for it, as if on a hunt for an abandoned relic nobody else can guide you to. In the case of the 1980's, the problem wasn't that I didn't think to seek it out, but that I was under the false delusion that there was really nothing worth seeking. MTV and my local radio stations all lied to me, and many others of my generation. Not a big lie, but enough to shut us off from experiencing some pretty powerful music. We were led to believe the '80s were all about hair metal, pastel-clad yuppies in skinny neckties, and the "Me Generation." Well, the contents of this eye-catching pink box tells an entirely different story, one of boundless creativity, musical innovation, disgust with authority and convention, and unexplored horizons which still haven't been charted by commercial radio or experienced by mainstream audiences. This is the quirky, iconoclastic, progressive, and politically conscious music of the decade that somehow managed to evade notoriety in all but the most "clued in" of music-lovers.

Sheer curiosity grabbed hold of me and forced me to buy this set as a birthday present for my younger sister. As it turned out, I ended up listening to the set far more than she did! Something about the mix of all of these seemingly unrelated styles, artists, and musical approaches struck me like a comet, and I realized just how versatile, inventive, and exciting the music of the 1980's really was, underneath all of the MTV trivialization and spin. From these four discs, I uncovered gems from artists who would soon become my idols, namely The Replacements, The Cure, The Smiths, and the incomparably brilliant Pixies. They changed my life for the very first time on this set, and I shudder to think of who or where I would be without their influence. I know the seasoned experts here decry the set's "obvious" song choices, but I would implore them to reconsider whether or not this is a bad thing. For someone like me who never heard any of these songs before "Left of the Dial," these "obvious" songs have been an absolute revelation.

In closing, if you enjoy this music, have never heard it but want to, or even possess the slightest curiosity about what the "good stuff" must sound like, you owe it to yourself to hear this earth-shattering compilation. Also recommended: Nuggets, Children of Nuggets, and No Thanks! The '70s Punk Rock Rebellion.

FANTASTIC.......2006-10-31

This box is fantastic, amazing 80's songs!!! An interesting compilation of a lot of groups from the manignif era!!! Enjoy, probable you never will see these bands together in a box again!!! amazing!!!

Indulge in your 80s nostalgia.......2006-10-07

It's obvious from the long list of reviews that purists will quibble over which tracks from which artists represent their quintessential 80ness. But us ordinary folks, who just want a cross-section of the playlist from the alternate radio station we listened to in the 80s, won't care nearly as much. If you like a particular artist from this selection (and there are 82, so you probably do), you probably have several albums by that band or performer. I know I do.

Where this collection of songs shines -- and it does shine -- is in making you feel like you turned on the radio on a very good day. For every artist whose stuff I own (REM, The Pogues, They Might Be Giants, Kate Bush) there were three who made me say, "Oh wow, I hadn't even thought of that band in ages!" The Jesus & Mary Chain? Husker Du? Wall of Voodoo? In some cases, the tracks reminded me why I was willing to forget them, but that's what you get from any anthology.

Personally, if I had a long car ride coming up, I'll grab this set of four CDs and bring 'em along. I don't think I'd be bored for a moment.

Excellent listening for '80s music junkies.......2006-08-11

This is a very comprehensive collection of all the "unheard" classics of 80's alternative/underground music scene. I use "unheard" in quotes because many of the songs were heard on college radio, independent music stations, etc. I was surprised by the inclusion of a few songs ("Message of Love" by Pretenders and "Ways To Be Wicked" by Lone Justice) as I wasn't too sure how "underground" they really were. I'm sure some more mainstream stations played them. But anyway it was really good to hear the Lone Justice song again after so many years. And I was REALLY pleased with the inclusions of "Swamp Thing" by The Chameleons and "When Love Breaks Down" by Prefab Sprout.

All of the complaints about songs that were excluded, I think, can only be remedied by adding another disc or two. Four discs just isn't enough. I would have added songs by Throwing Muses, Shriekback, Comsat Angels and Wire to name a few. But overall, it's a great collection. And the booklet with pictures, notes, essays is worthwhile too.

The music that really matters........2006-07-05

I bought this box set when it first came out and it still holds a prominent place on my shelf and on my iPod. Broad blanket statements are often useless, but in this case, they apply: This box is the best collection of 80s college rock/alternative rock for your money.

You want Jane's Addiction? Sonic Youth? X? The Replacements? They're here. The Pixies? R.E.M.? Black Flag? Husker Du? You'll get them too.

You'll also get bands that always had a cult following but never broke out in their peak years or in some cases, not at all: Camper Van Beethoven, the Butthole Surfers, Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, the Passions, Cocteau Twins, Bauhaus, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Happy Mondays.

Plus, classic tunes by The Jam, Dead Kennedys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Roses, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Cure, and Kate Bush are also included. This set has a variety of styles that is mind-blowing, and it proves once and for all that 80s music did not suck.

While it is true that this box doesn't include Dumptruck, Fugazi, Galaxie 500, Skinny Puppy, Big Black or Cabaret Voltaire...that's nit-picking, and the absence of those artists doesn't really hurt this set, because the quality of the music on the four discs here is so good you won't notice what's missing.

Buy this. Drop the 60 bucks. You won't regret it.

Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants

Average customer rating:

They might be our new favorite!
fan-friggin-tastic
Catchy, fun, sing-along lyrical beauty. This is a fine collection of one fine band.
I heart the Johns.
The Giants, they hath rocked out.

Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

No!
Here Come the ABCs [CD/DVD Combo]
Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) - A movie about They Might Be Giants
Flood
The Spine

ASIN: B00006IZOC
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

Birdhouse In Your Soul
Ana NG
Don't Let's Start
Boss Of Me (Theme From Malcolm In The Middle)
Older
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Doctor Worm
The Guitar
Dr. Evil (From Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me)
New York City
Particle Man
Cyclops Rock
Minimum Wage
Man, It's So Loud In Here
We're The Replacements
Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mess Of Incandescent Gas) (Live)
Your Racist Friend
Bangs
Snail Shell
Twisting
Another First Kiss
They'll Need A Crane
The Statue Got Me High
(She Was A) Hotel Detective
Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head
I Palindrome I

Tracks:

She's An Angel
How Can I Sing Like A Girl?
James K. Polk
Meet James Ensor
Mammal
Pet Name
No!
I Can Hear You
Spider
I Should Be Allowed To Think
Fingertips
She's Actual Size (New Live Version)
Spy
Stormy Pinkness (Live In Berlin 1989)
Exquisite Dead Guy
Robot Parade (Adult Version)
Boat Of Car
S-E-X-X-Y
Number Three
The End Of The Tour
They Might Be Giants
Her Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal
Nightgown Of The Sullen Moon
Snowball In Hell
Purple Toupee
Cowtown

Album Description

The ultimate anthology curated by the band, 52 songs including 'Don't Let's Start', 'Birdhouse In Your Soul' and the Grammy-winning 'Boss Of Me' plus a full color book with lyrics, discography and essays by the band and NPR's Sarah Vowell. Digipaks housed in a slipcase. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

They might be our new favorite!.......2007-01-18

My wife and I have been TMBG fans for 20 years; unfortunately we have most of their old (and best) stuff on vinyl. "Dial-a-song..." brings all of those songs back to us, along with some new stuff we haven't picked up. Thanks to "NO!", our kids have also become TMBG fans, and have found, just like adult fans like the "childrens'" albums, they like the adult material. Our family faves - "The Guitar," "Birdhouse in your soul," "New York City," and "Twisting." With not a bad song in the bunch, "Dial-a-song" mixes all of TMBG's musical styles, twists, and quirks into one great album.

fan-friggin-tastic.......2006-02-07

Yeah, I don't know about the album yet, but it looks great and I can't wait to listen to it. I'm really here to comment on the previous review. Amen brotha man. Preach it.

Catchy, fun, sing-along lyrical beauty. This is a fine collection of one fine band........2005-11-30

I rarely review music because more than any other medium, it relies on the personal taste of the listener. I enjoy some Hendrix, Beatles, Mozart, Rammstein, Johnny Cash, and more. I'd be hard pressed to reccommend all of them to each of my friends though.

That's the case with They Might Be Giants. As my favorite band for well over a decade, and the ONLY band whose albums I feel confident buying without sampling them first, I'm very biased. When I try to describe them to those who don't know them, I can only use words like "intelligent", "catchy", "goofy", and "fun". This lack of perspicacity is due only to the fact that no matter what song genre they do, TMBG always winds up being those things to me.

Take this album. It's a fine, fine collection of some of the most catchy and fun to listen to songs I've heard in my entire life. It's got great classics- "Dr. Worm", "Ana Ng", "Mammal", some of their newer choice cuts like "Man It's So Loud In Here", and of course, the song that hooked me on them in the first place, "Particle Man".

With only a few greats missing, this really is the best album a fan can get if he wants all the best, as well as the best starter kit I can think of for those who aren't yet aqcuainted with the 2 Johns. Before this was available I burned my own greatest hits album of TMBG, and most of what I put on there is on this album as well. A much better collection than "Then: The Early Years", though that collection is reccommended for the more in-depth TMBG fan.

I wish I could say more to help someone understand the appeal these guys have. It's great to see that they've become so popular thanks to Malcolm in the Middle and constant appearances on Conan O Brien and so on, but the more fans they win the happier I am. These guys are smart enough to wax lyrical about Palindromes, a night light, and even a mirror "Clearing my throat and gripping the lantern, I smile and face the audience clearing its throat and smiling with its hands on the bathroom sink". But at the same time, their surreal and thoughtful lyrics remain buoyant, catchy, and just plain fun to listen to.

If you love these guys as much as I do and want more than just their best album ever, "Flood", then pick this one up. For anyone who doesn't yet understand their appeal, I challenge them to pick this up- I can't imagine there's not a song here that won't appeal to somebody.

I heart the Johns. .......2005-07-24

I'm pretty sure that TMBG is what sucessful psychologists use to turn their patients' lives around. Maybe they pipe it into their offices at an unnoticable frequency. Anyway, this is the TMBG collection to end all TMBG collections. I've never grown tired of listening to it - - it has all the essential giants songs in just the right order. From Another First Kiss to Meet James Ensor . . . this might be the answer to that "If you could only take one CD to a deserted island . . . " question.

The Giants, they hath rocked out........2005-04-26

Disc 2 is a little lacking (How Can I Sing Like A Girl?, Exquisite Dead Guy, Nightgown of the Sullen Moon, this version of James K. Polk), but overall it's great.

Stuff they should've put on: Sensurround, See the Constellation, Polk (Factory Showroom version), Till My Head Falls Off, Spiraling Shape, Metal Detector, Thermostat, Destination Moon, Stomp Box, just to name some.

But out of about 250 (probably a big underestimate) songs, these 52 hit the biggest ones. If you want about most of the first disc, check out the upcoming User's Guide to TMBG.

Average customer rating:

This Bliss
Pantha du Prince
Manufacturer: Dial
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

From Here We Go Sublime
Asa Breed
Chromophobia
Mirrored
And Their Refinement of the Decline

ASIN: B000M2DJZ4
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Asha
Saturn Strobe
Walden 2
Moonstruck
Eisbaden
Urlichten
White Out
Florac
Steiner in Flug
Seeds of Sleep

Average customer rating:

bonobo rocks
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So good but get animal magic instead then get this
A Worthy Heir to the Bonobo name?
Creative, Innovative, and Smart... 4.5 stars
Amazing

Dial "M" for Monkey
Bonobo
Manufacturer: Ninja Tune
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Animal Magic
Live Sessions
It Came from the Sea
One Off Remixes and B-Sides
Music by Cavelight

ASIN: B0000996HH
Release Date: 2003-06-17

Tracks:

Noctuary
Flutter
D Song
Change Down
Wayward Bob
Pick Up
Something for Windy
Nothing Owed
Light Pattern

Customer Reviews:

bonobo rocks.......2007-01-06

I'm a huge fan of bonobo and own every single one of his albums...this album only gets 4 stars because of how much better animal magic was. this is solid album...especially "pick up" and "something for windy"...i'd recommend you pick this album up. And while you're at it, pick up his other albums as well.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So good but get animal magic instead then get this.......2006-02-25

this is truly amazing different then blockhead skalpel amon tobin and any other Ninja Tune Stars listen to flutter and pick up and if u dont dig it cry. i got started by listenin to RJD2 and Dj Shadow if you dont listen to them stop reading this and buy RJ's Deadringer or shadows Entroducing those will be a good introduction. then get every blockhead album all 2 he has to offer music by cavelight then downtown science next this and everything elso that bonobo has put out. if you like jazz get Skalpel. if u need more infobuy it if its on ninja tune label............this is such a good album but animal magic is 50% better seriously get them both

A Worthy Heir to the Bonobo name?.......2006-02-01

So, here we have it... Bonobo's second album. Well, here goes. As a passionate fan of Bonobo's first album, 'Animal Magic,' I have to approach my judgment of their second outing with some tact. Their sound on 'Magic' was a much needed departure from what had all-too-quickly become the norm in downbeat/chillout music; namely, slick, glossy, but often bland and 2-dimensional loops of knob twiddling, laughable techno-diva-vocals, and pedantic melodies. Bonobo's adventurous plunge into rich, moody, layered cinematic arrangements - often the most lauded trait by reviewers - broke the above-trend with grace and stealth. Yet it was by no means a totally "new" concept; virtually every genre in music has seen at least one artist every few years who delves into the narrative qualities of orchestral movements as an undercurrent to their vocals and beats. But the trend perseveres for good reason - it's beautiful, unique (in the grand scheme of things), and unfolds a much deeper, more complex landscape into which the listener can journey. It gives the album a 'theme' through which the various "characters" (i.e. songs) can wander and sail, without having to double back on their path every three minutes as is the case in more formula driven sounds.
On 'Animal Magic' songs like 'Wayward Bob', 'Shadowtricks', and 'Terrapin' pour themselves upon the listener like honey, swirling around the senses and enveloping the mind in a warm, luxurious, and seductive vibe. And it harkens to mind the less-known but equally, if not more brilliant, work of Snooze on 'The Man in the Shadow' [a gorgeous album made several years earlier that went out of print until the group's long awaited follow up]. 'Animal Magic' in whole delivers, structurally, a range of development that is rarely found in downbeat, but often rather on soundtracks, or in the artful craftsmanship of more alternative acts. It was, simply, a triumph for the Downbeat genre.

On 'Dial M for Monkey' - a HIGHLY anticipated release because of 'Magic's brilliance - the effect is actually difficult to describe. It's pretty, soothing, and even bold in rare moments. Clearly, Bonobo's skill with arrangement and their understanding of the equipment they're working with is still well intact. They certainly haven't lost any technical aptitude, and seem even more aware of the "trusty-tricks" in electronic music that 'move units.' And perhaps it is this comfort in using the tricks that, sadly, renders 'Dial M' a rather prosaic, lackluster, and most of all phoned-in attempt. It's not a 'bad' album! And if you want something to throw into the CD changer as a safe back-up if Zero7's 'When it Falls' or Air's 'Moon Safari' get too scratched up and start skipping, or if you just want to underscore a lively cocktail party or please your customers in a Lounge, 'Dial M' is a pristine addition and will never disappoint. But, it also won't surprise... And 'Animal Magic' - at least in the first few plays - always offered a pleasant tickle of the unexpected. 'Dial M' on the other hand, left me asking, "why?" As in, why the side-step? It feels almost like the studio tinkerings that might have (should have) been woven into a much more intricate tapestry of songs; one which was of course never made. And, at the risk of sounding harsh, I will NEVER buy 'Dial M'. Having sampled every track, I doubt I would even download a couple of them to use as anything more than filler. [And I despise filler] Because that is really all that we are offered here - filler. It's damn good filler, and a far cry better than most of the nauseating, government-cheese, pseudo-lounge/tropical/soft-jazz junk to be found on the average chillout albums. But I felt very let down, and deflated after checking this album out, having built up very high expectations listening to 'Magic'.
If you didn't know otherwise, 'Dial M' would logically feel much more like the freshman act that 'Animal Magic' would have towered over in a staggering, sophomore growth spurt. Had they really been released in that order, at least the stigma around 'Dial M' wouldn't be one of such disappointment, but more so tolerance of immaturity. However, as a follow up, it really makes itself instantly obsolete, as it is plainly incomparable to the mastery of 'Magic'.

The true test, of course, lies in what they do next... In the case of a forgettable second album, the third album is often either a pilgrimage of redemption, or proverbial Iceberg that can sink a group, especially in the enormous sea of downbeat music, in less than an hour. I have high hopes for a victorious return on their next disc, but honestly, it could go either way.
So, if someone offers to give you a copy of 'Dial M' for free, don't refuse it. But I would suggest a long exploration of 'Animal Magic' before ever purchasing 'Dial M' with your own money. Believe me, I gave 'Dial M' a very generous try - and I always attempt to recognize the positive qualities in any CD. Again, it isn't bad; it's just not that exciting either.

Creative, Innovative, and Smart... 4.5 stars.......2005-06-22

This is so difficult to describe, it's kind of pointless, but let me give it a try.

This is mainly world music, electronica, downtempo, breaks (amazing beats), jazz (horns, strings, flutes, etc.), trip-hop, and groovy basslines ALL WRAPPED IN AN INCREDIBLY WELL-PRODUCED CD. Breath-taking album. Everytime you play it, you find different elements and sounds that take you different places. It can be edgy, it can be dark, it can be classy, it can be smooth. But it can never be bad. It all depends on your mood (but believe me, it doesn't matter what your mood is, you will always enjoy this one).

This is a lot of music ! Brilliant !!!

Amazing.......2005-01-01

After hearing the song "Pick Up" on my local trip-hop/chill-out/worldmusic radio station, i knew i had to pick up Bonobo's "Dial M For Monkey"! An awesome release influenced by plenty of international sounds and solid, heavy/chilled beats, "Dial M" is a sure fire record to please any emotional and chilled listener.

The Alamo: The Essential Film Music Collection

Average customer rating:

More expensive than the other Essential but worth it.
Excellent compilation of an important composer.
"film composer Dimitri Tiomkin gave his all and then some"

The Alamo: The Essential Film Music Collection
Dimitri Tiomkin
Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tiomkin: Red River
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection, Vol. 2
The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection
Giant

ASIN: B00022MBNK
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Tracks:

Night Passage
Tension At Table Rock
High Noon
The War Wagon
The Wild Wild West: Main Theme
The Wild Wild West: The Ballad Of Jim West
Gunfight At The O.K. Coral
Rio Bravo
Rawhide
Red River
The Unforgiven: Across The Texas Panhandle
The Unforgiven: The Need For Love
The Unforgiven: Horse Ballet
The Young Land
Duel In The Sun

Tracks:

The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Overture
The Fall Of The Roman Empire: The Fall Of Love
The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Pax Romana
55 Days Peking
Land Of The Pharaohs
Circus World (The Magnificent Showman)
Dial M For Murder
Strangers On A Train
Giant: Main Title
Giant: Love Theme
Giant: The Jett Rink Theme
The High And The Mighty
Wild Is The Wind
The Guns Of Navarone

Tracks:

Cyrano De Bergerac
The Well
Friendly Persuasion
Town Without Pity
It's A Wonderful Life
Tarzan And The Mermaids
The Thing From Another World
The Alamo: Overture/Prologue
The Alamo: Davy Crockett
The Alamo: Tennessee Babe
The Alamo: The Battle Of The Alamo
The Alamo: The Green Leaves Of Summer
The Alamo: Finale

Tracks:

Giant: This Then Is Texas
Rawhide: Rawhide
High Noon: Do Not Forsake Me
Night Passage: Follow The River
Giant: The Ballad Of Jett Rink
Friendly Persuasion: Thee I Love
It's A Wonderful Life
Wild Is The Wind
The High And The Mighty
The War Wagon: The Ballad Of The War Wagon
Rio Braco
The Young Land: Strange Are The Ways Of Love
The Wild Wild West: The Ballad Of Jim West
The Wild Wild West: The Wild Wild West

Amazon.com

Dimitri Tiomkin was one of the most prominent composers of Hollywood's Golden Age and beyond, his career spanning a half-century and some of America's most classic films. This sprawling, four-disc anthology (its title a marketing nod to the modern remake of one of Tiomkin's notable collaborations with John Wayne) features new digital recordings of full-bodied performances by the City of Prague Orchestra and Festival Chorus, the most ambitious and comprehensive tribute to the composer yet attempted. There's something here for film score buffs (rarities like a suite from his sci-fi genre-defining Thing From Another World and the "Main Theme" for the pilot of TV's Wild, Wild West) and novice alike; indeed one could scarcely ask for a more complete overview of Tiomkin's robust orchestral oeuvre. Divided into four chapters, disc one chronicles how the Ukrainian immigrant concocted a rich Western film heritage (including such genre landmarks as Red River, High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Rio Bravo) from largely European traditions, while the next two CD's cover his rousing work for epics and thrillers of every stripe, and collaborations with Hitchcock, Wayne, Capra, Stevens and more. The concluding disc pays homage to Tiomkin the unlikely pop tunesmith, via his hit vocal themes to Rawhide, Wild is the Wind and High Noon's "Do Not Forsake Me." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

More expensive than the other Essential but worth it........2007-04-22

This is an excellent set of music of Dimitri Tiomkin's music! The 4th disc is short (at just over 30 minutes), but thats because it is just the vocal versions of tracks which appeared in instrumental form throughout the first 3 discs. Whenever you buy a silva screen compilation, the first thing you ask yourself is 'when were these recordings made' and 'do I have these tracks on other compilations? Thankfully, this set has TONS of new recordings, but there is some recycled stuff and they are as follows:

Dial M For Murder is from the 1993 History of Hitchcock Vol. I, while Strangers on a Train is from 1995's History of Hitchcock Vol. II.

Three tracks originate from 1994's "Music From the Films Of John Wayne". They are "The High and the Mighty", "The Alamo - Overture" and "The Alamo - Green Leaves of Summer".

Red River is from 1996's "How The West Was Won: Classic Western Film Scores Vol. One".

The Thing From Another World suite is from the excelllent 1998 set "Alien Invasion: Space And Beyond II"

Many tracks first appeared on "Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection Vol. Two". They are: "Duel In The Sun", "The Alamo (Davy Crockett)", "Friendly Persuasion", "Giant (Main Theme)", "Gunfight at the OK Corral", "High Noon", "Rio Bravo", and "The Unforgiven (The Need For Love)".

The rest of the tracks are brand spankin new, and most are not available on other discs, so snag this one up in a hurry!

Excellent compilation of an important composer........2004-07-16

This long overdue collection of Tiomkin standards and rarities is a must for any fan of symphonic music; albeit, for film or concert hall. As the liner notes clarify; these recordings are a real labor of love for James Fitzpatrick and the Silva Screen team. Tiomkin is; undoubtedly, one of the most difficult of composers to replicate. This recording comes extremely close to "hitting the nail on the head" particularly with tracks such as: "Across the Texas Panhandle" from the Unforgiven, The Entr'acte from Duel in the Sun, The Guns of Navarone, The War Wagon, and the main title and Jett Rink theme from Giant. This recording is a bargain, particularly for collectors who have sought after many of Tiomkin's composer conducted soundtracks (which are getting harder and harder to obtain). Listeners who enjoy this set should consider seeking out previous cd releases of the soundtracks to "The Guns of Navarone" (SONY, Varese Sarabande), "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (Varese Sarabande, PEG), "55 Days at Peking" (Varese Sarabande), and "The Alamo" :original soundtrack (still available on SONY-Legacy).

"film composer Dimitri Tiomkin gave his all and then some".......2004-07-13

Silva America presents the ultimate in film music during the illustrious career of an icon and legendary composer of film scores ~ "Alamo:Dimitri Tiomkin Essential Film Collection/O.S.T", featuring some long forgotten 53 cues that sent chills and thrills into the pulses of world events ~ selections from a limited collectors edition that would make any "film-score-buff" green with envy.

Tiomkin was born in Ukraine, Russia [1894-1979] attended and graduated from St. Petersburg Academy[studied under the famed composer Glazunov] ~ had a degree in music as well as law ~ came to America in 1925, shown great interest for Native American music early in his film career.

Great fondness for "The Western" ~ "DUEL IN THE SUN" (1946) (Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton, Lionel Barrymore, Lilian Gish and Charles Bickford - one of biggest and successful epic Westerns ever, score & photography was simply breathtaking), "RED RIVER" (1948) (John Wayne, Monty Cliff and Walter Brennan - the Duke should have won an Oscar for his performance as the aging cantankerous cattle baron)"HIGH NOON" (1952)(classic film with Gary Cooper in his Oscar winning performance of Will Kane), "TENSION AT TABLE ROCK" (1956), "GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL" (1957)(Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp & Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday pulled this off with the help of the Main Theme), "NIGHT PASSAGE" (1957), "RIO BRAVO" (1959) (top box office leaders John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan and Ricky Nelson), "THE YOUNG LAND" (1959) (young Dennis Hopper), "RAWHIDE" (TV Series) (1959-66) (Eric Fleming as trail boss Gil Favor & Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates), "THE UNFORGIVEN" (1960) (Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy and Audrey Hepburn), "THE WILD, WILD WEST" (TV Series) (1965-69)(Tiomkin's music never saw the light of day), "WAR WAGON" (1967) (John Wayne & Kirk Douglas starred) (beautifully melodic) ~ it's easy to see why Tiomkin loved Western lore.

Second disc contains The Epics ~ "LAND OF THE PHARAOHS" (1955) (Jack Hawkins as Pharaoh Cheops and a beautiful Joan Collins as his scheming wife), "55 DAYS AT PEKING" (1963) (Charlton Heston, David Niven and Ava Gardner is the all star cast), "THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE" (1964) (featuring Alec Guinness as emperor Marcus Aurelius), "CIRCUS WORLD" (1964) (John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale and Rita Hayworth under the big top) ~ next we Hitchcock Thrillers with "STRANGERS ON A TRAIN" (1951) (a masterpiece film featuring Robert Walker and Farley Granger are both very convincing as we learn, never talked to strangers on a train or anywhere), "DIAL M FOR MURDER" (1954) (tense moments come from Grace Kelly, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings - they don't get any better than this) ~ finally Drama and High Adventure with "HIGH AND MIGHTY" (1954) (another outstanding performance by John Wayne, as the co-pilot of an airline whistling the haunting theme), "GIANT" (1956)(another big epic film with Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean and Chill Wills show us what it's like to be a Texan, with oil and money), "WILD IS THE WIND" (1957) (Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani and Anthony Franciosa), "THE GUNS OF NAVARONE" (1961) (World War II film featuring Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven and Stanley Baker on a small Greek Island trying to outwit the Germans and a very big gun) ~ some of Tiomkin's most inspiring themes rise to the surface.

On disc three ~ as we continue with Drama and High Adventures "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" (1946) (James Stewart, Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, Lionel Barrymore and Ward Bond with wholesome warm and endearing themes from our favorite composer), "TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS" (1948) (in his 12th film as Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller still had what it takes to swim and defeat the man-god Balu - Weissmuller and Tiomkin the perfect combination for this Tarzan adventure), "CYRANO DE BERGERAC" (1950) (Jose Ferrer stars as Edmond Rostand's famous swordsman with a even more famous nose), "THE WELL" (1951) (intense cues give the film musical triumphs in final scenes), "THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD" (1951) (exciting Howard Hawks film with a score to match), "FRIENDLY PERSUASION" (1956) (director William Wyler shows the life and times of a Quaker family played by Gary Cooper, Dorothy Mcguire and Anthony Perkins during the American Civil War, very touching), "THE ALAMO" (1960) (big budget epic western with Big John Wayne it's producer, director and star as Davy Crockett with a haunting and never to be forgotten "The Green Leaves of Summer"), "TOWN WITHOUT PITY" (1961) (Kirk Douglas in a post-war Germany story, blends jazz themes with Tiomkin signature arrangements) ~ Tiomkin always made the difference when it came to scoring a film.

The last and final disc four ~ The Tiomkin Vocal Songbook featuring "This Then is Texas" (Giant), "Rawhide" (Rawhide), "Do Not Forsake Me" (High Noon), "Follow the River" (Night Passage), "The Ballad of Jett Rink" (Giant), "Thee I Love" (Friendly Percuasion), "It's A Wonderful Life", "Wild Is The Wind", "The High and the Mighty", The Ballad of the War Wagon" (The War Wagon), "Rio Bravo", "Strange are the Ways of Love" (The Young Land), "The Ballad of Jim West" (The Wild Wild West), "The Wild Wild West" (The Wild Wild West) ~ many were hit makers of the day and in the top ten.

Outstanding performances by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Nic Raine, Paul Bateman, Mario Klemens - are the conductors), Crouch End Festival Chorus (David Temple - choir master), featuring vocals by Jason Howard and Keith Ferreira ~ hats off to James Fitzpatrick (producer), Reynold da Silva (executive producer), Olilvia Tiomkin Douglas, John Waxman, Rick Clark and Gareth Williams (associate producers) ~ all film producers and directors welcomed the legendary composer with open arms for their forthcoming projects ~ the "film-score-buff" collectors are ecstatic about this four disc release on the essential film music collection of DIMITRI TIOMKIN, the arrangements and performances are top notch inclusive of HDCD/Dolby Surround.

When listening to the music of a film, you had the feeling of the storyline, characters and convictions of the whole picture, they'll never be another to come this way again ~ Silva America has outdone themselves on this one, it is definitely a five star film score box set...gotta love it!

Total Time: 4-CD-Set ~ Silva America 811 ~ (7/13/2004)

Efdemin
Average customer rating:

Lovely

Efdemin
Efdemin
Manufacturer: Dial
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Please Please Please

Liebe Ist

From Here We Go Sublime

I Put a Record On

COAST2COAST

ASIN: B000OV14GE
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

Knocking at the Grand
Lohn & Brot
Ratafia
Acid Bells [Album Version]
Back to School
Stately, Yes.
Further Back
Salix Alba
April Fools
Bergwein

Customer Reviews:

Lovely.......2007-05-26

It's very hard to express in words how music like this makes you feel and think, and genre comparisons tend to do more harm than good. This is dance music that winds down eerie paths, but the paths are so fascinating that you're drawn into the intricate detail of each piece. There are no booty-shaking moments, but there are places where your heart leaps into your throat thinking that this bubbling cauldron of sounds must boil over before it finds some hidden restraint and continues on. I'm not sure how I came across this artist as I had not heard of him until recently, but I'm glad I took a chance on this album.

Average customer rating:

Perfect for the Non-Completist Who Wants More Than The Hi-lights
Bible ''o'' Be-Bop
Careful!
Essential Charlie Parker!
Bird

The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes
Charlie Parker
Manufacturer: Savoy Jazz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Complete Verve Master Takes
Charlie Parker: A Studio Chronicle 1940-1948
Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve
The Complete RCA Victor Recordings: 1937-1949
Speak No Evil

ASIN: B00006H6A6
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Tracks:

Tiny's Tempo
I'll Always Love You Just The Same
Romance Without Finance
Red Cross
Warmin' Up A Riff
Billie's Bounce
Now's The Time
Thrivin' From A Riff
Meandering
Koko
Diggin' Diz
Moose The Mooche
Yardbird Suite
Ornithology
A Night In Tunisia
Max Making Wax
Lover Man
The Gypsy
Bebop A
This Is Always
Dark Shadows

Tracks:

Bird's Nest
Cool Blues
Relaxin' At Camarillo
Cheers
Carvin' The Bird
Stupendous
Donna Lee
Chasin' The Bird
Cheryl
Buzzy
Milestones
Little Willie Leaps
Half Nelson
Sippin' At Bell's
Dexterity
Bongo Bop
Dewey Square
The Hymn
Bird Of Paradise
Embraceable You
Bird Feathers
Klactoveesedstene

Tracks:

Scrapple From The Apple
My Old Flame
Out Of Nowhere
Don't Blame Me
Drifting On A Reed
Quasimado
Charlie's Wig
Bongo Beep
Crazeology
How Deep Is The Ocean?
Another Hair Do
Bluebird
Klaunstance
Bird Gets The Worm
Barbados
Au-Leu-Cha
Constellation
Parker's Mood
Perhaps
Marmaduke
Steeplechase
Merry Go Round

Amazon.com

As Ornette Coleman said, "Charlie Parker was blessed with the eternal quality of existing forever." The brief trajectory of Parker's career has directly or indirectly affected all saxophonists who have followed him. Sadly, the machinations and pressures of fame were more than this basically fragile man could bear, and he died at age 34 in 1955.

The Savoy imprint, after being acquired by an assortment of companies over the years, has been reinvigorated to celebrate its 60th anniversary. This three-disc set includes all of Parker's work for the Dial and Savoy labels (excluding alternate takes--hence the title). It starts off with his appearance as a sideman with the Tiny Grimes Quintette, at which time the 24-year-old's alto saxophone playing bears his unmistakable stamp of fluidity and daring aplomb. The stellar lights of bebop are heard throughout this set, as Parker plays with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Max Roach, creating the enduring shape of contemporary jazz. --David Greenberger

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for the Non-Completist Who Wants More Than The Hi-lights.......2007-01-29

I picked this up because I only had 2 Charlie Parker CDs in my collection and I call myself a jazz lover. I had the Best of The Live Sessions on Savoy and an older Best of Bird on Verve. As something of a Miles Davis collector I felt I needed more in order to get the full Miles Davis perspective, so I picked this collection. Anyone who knows jazz knows that the really good stuff by Parker happened during the Savoy years between 1945 and 1948. The Complete Savoy Master Takes gives the collector everything Parker released as a leader plus a Miles Davis session and a Tiny Grimes session. I don't need to hear everything that Bird did so I didn't want to shell out the bucks to get every single note he laid down for Savoy. Again, this is all of the stuff that was picked by the artist and producer for release to his adoring public back in the day and that's plenty for me. If there is one disappointment it is that there are no sessions here that include Milt Jackson. I have Jackson playing with Parker on some Royal Roost recordings. Maybe Jackson never recorded in the studio under Bird's leadership? I dunno. Other than that, it's splendid!

This set is attractively packaged and comes with a nice booklet with the usual liner notes and pictures.

The 20bit remaster is superb but one word of warning, it's impossible to remove all of the crackles from some of this stuff that was pulled from 78rpm acetate. Just keep that in mind when listening.

Buy this if you don't want everything but want more than a "best of" collection.

Bible ''o'' Be-Bop.......2005-03-24

In 1945, Charlie Parker, along with Dizzy Gillespie got tired of the poppy swing of the early 40's and loosened up. They started playing faster than swing and soloed more. The result: a type of fiery jazz known as Be-Bop. It turned off swing audiences and the boys coming back from WWII, but the other jazz musicians who heard this new sound could understand what Diz and Bird were doing and soon audiences did too. These three discs showcase the legendary Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie at their best and a young Miles Davis. When most people think about jazz saxophone, they think John Coltrane. Well if there wasn't a Bird, there would not be a Trane. It's too bad that Bird self destructed in the 50's and died from Heroin related problems in 1955. In the big book on jazz released recently, it said that Bird was laughing, then choked and fell over and died. What a humorous way for a guy who was a jokester and always had a happy, laughing sound in his playing to pass into heaven. This great set documents the first steps of modern jazz...and the legend of Bird.

Charlie Parker
1920-1955

Careful!.......2004-08-13

I just purchased this set, thinking that I was getting the best available compilation of Bird's early work. But, two days after getting it in the mail (and loving it), I discovered that JSP has out a Charlie Parker box set titled "Studio Chronicle 1940-1948," also available here on Amazon, which by all appearances is a far superior purchase. For only $28, you get 5 full discs worth of material, including a wealth of early recordings not included here, as well as a number of recording sessions not led by Parker (notably those under Dizzy Gillespie's name). Apparently some of these rarer recordings are hard to find elsewhere. Everything included on the present set is on that set as well. All in all you get almost twice the number of tracks (125 to 65) for nearly half the price. And, from what I've read, the sound quality on that set is actually marginally better. So, check out the JSP so you don't have to kick yourself like I am right now!

Essential Charlie Parker!.......2003-10-14

There is probably no such thing as a "definitive" Charlie Parker
collection, without collecting EVERYTHING, but this comes awfully
close. These master takes of Bird's sessions as a leader for
the Savoy and Dial labels contain rich examples of his genius, and virtually every important title he did not record with Dizzy
Gillespie. Even before we get to the joys of "Billie's Bounce,"
"Warming Up a Riff," "Now's the Time," and "Ko-ko," we are treated to Bird's mastery on "Romance Without Finance." Besides
being one of the most politically INCORRECT songs ever recorded,
"Romance Without Finance" provides an excellent example of Parker's ability to rein in his prodigious abilities in the service of the song. Beyond that, everything here is just pure, unbridled inventive genius! The amazing thing about Bird's
playing is the way every phrase is a complete, perfect, self-contained musical idea, unique and independent to itself. Then,
suddenly in the last four bars of his solo, Bird comes up with something that makes all of it cohere, magically, brilliantly
and LOGICALLY. There's plenty of that kind of playing going on
throughout this entire collection!

Bird.......2003-06-10

In a perfect world, this would be one of the 5 best selling jazz albums of all time. Why? Because Bird is one of the most influential and best jazz artist of all time and this collection includes every reason why. For a long time, it was a pain trying to collect these sides; and now, they all are in one place, with great sound in a nice package. It does not get any better than this, 50 years have passed and no one can touch Bird.