DCC America

1. America

2. Riflemen

3. Interior St.

4. Exterior St. [Instrumental]

DCC America,Death Comet Crew,Troubleman Unlimited,Experimental,Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap & Hip-Hop

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DCC America

Average customer rating: Wow! Expressive playing! another evans album you should have. a revelation Paul Motian's fave with Bill Evans

Portrait in Jazz Bill Evans Trio Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Explorations Moon Beams Waltz for Debby Sunday at the Village Vanguard Everybody Digs Bill Evans ASIN: B00000017H Release Date: 1994-05-13

Tracks:

1. Come Rain or Come Shine
2. Autumn Leaves [Take 1]
3. Autumn Leaves [Mono Version][*][Take]
4. Witchcraft
5. When I Fall in Love
6. Peri's Scope
7. What Is This Thing Called Love?
8. Spring Is Here
9. Someday My Prince Will Come
10. Blue in Green [Take 3]
11. Blue in Green [Take 2][*]

Amazon.com

Lyric and thoughtful, pianist Bill Evans proved an urbane bridge between the early bop style of Bud Powell and playful funk of Horace Silver, and the later, modern approach of pianists like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett (indeed, Jarrett went as far as to record with Evans's backup band of drummer Paul Motian and bassist Gary Peacock). Evans's second album as a leader, Portrait in Jazz combines a pair of originals--"Blue in Green" and "Peri's Scope"--with a handful of show tunes and standards, including a version of "Someday My Prince Will Come" that pre-dates Miles Davis's adaptation. With a preference for irregular phrasing and a taste for unusual chord spellings, Evans was frequently able to recast old chestnuts and tired warhorses into new gems and spirited charges, as he does here with "Witchcraft," "Spring Is Here," and "When I Fall in Love." And although he recorded in many different formats throughout his career, including duets with himself, the power and beauty of Evans's trios helped him lay a special claim to that grouping. --Fred Goodman

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2007-04-16

This is my seventh Evans recording and it is like I am getting to know him all over again. This album has energy, freshness and joy that just isn't there on later recordings. The recording quality is more than satisfactory. The group's playing is smart and engaging with a skillful balance between technical skill and understated musicality. The playfulness brought to standards like Witchcraft is a welcome contrast to many of his later more brooding works. LaFaro and Motian provide their legendary support and interplay with their typcial flair. This was definitely a high point for Evans, before drugs, bad health and personal problems got in the way. No Evans collection would be complete without this recording.

Expressive playing!.......2007-03-09

The artistic greatness of Bill Evans resides in his spelling treatment of the piano. He not only plays the keyboard; he plays with the instrument and certainly he would seem to establish with it a sort of spiritual connection making of it an extension this inner thoughts and moods.

That's why there have been so many versions about his compositions and however, just a few have been able to perform and express with such kind of feeling and inspiration the core of his compositions.

This is at least to my view, the main reason I recognize in him the essence of the genius. As Midas King all what he played it was pure gold.

another evans album you should have........2007-02-10

bill evans is perhaps the most satisfying piano player to get into my ears. the lyrical beauty of his playing is magical for late nights spent reading and listening to music. "the village vanguard recordings" are my favorite bill evans, but this comes up a close second. buy with confidence if you love music steeped in beauty.

a revelation.......2006-08-15

I thought I knew Evans' music pretty well, but this disc (which I, too, sought out after hearing Paul Motian recommend it in his "Fresh Air" interview) came as something of a revelation.

Rarely have I heard Evans play with so much energy. Some of his lines here even call to mind Bud Powell, who is not someone I would ordinarily associate with Evans. His whole approach on this disc - attack, development of ideas, use of dissonance - is more aggressive than on most of his other recordings.

This energy, though, doesn't come at the expense of lyricism. This CD has more than its share of heartbreakingly beautiful moments. Is there any ballad more affecting than (in Evans' hands) "When I Fall In Love"?

Paul Motian's fave with Bill Evans.......2006-03-14

On NPR's Fresh Air, Motian said this was his favorite recording that he made with Bill Evans. Pretty good recommendation!

Average customer rating:

America The Beautiful: An Account of its Disappearance Gary McFarland Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Does the Sun Really Shine on the Moon? ASIN: B0000001BL Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

1. First Movement: On This Site Shall Be Erected...
2. Second Movement: 80 Miles An Hour Through...
3. Third Movement: Suburbia: Two Poodles And A...
4. Fourth Movement: 'If I'm Elected...'
5. Fifth Movement: Last Rites For The Promised Land
6. Sixth Movement: Due To Lack Of Interest,...

Amazon.com

After being critically lambasted by the jazz cognoscenti of the mid-1960s for his pop-jazz recordings, composer and arranger Gary McFarland silenced the naysayers with his impressive orchestral masterpiece, America the Beautiful: An Account of Its Disappearance. A concept album that used the pro-environmental essays of Marya Mannes as its launching point, America the Beautiful successfully brought Gary McFarland's output from the early '60s full circle. A mixture of jazz and rock, America mixes McFarland's earlier orchestral style with his growing fascination with the pop-song form to create a devastating tone poem on the state of America in 1968. Breathtaking in its scope and beauty, this sadly would be McFarland's last major orchestral work. He continued to steer more and more toward popular music, and then died tragically in 1971. One of the recurring themes throughout this piece is the haunting melody that would later be renamed "Gary's Theme" and recorded as a memorial by such jazz greats as Cal Tjader and Bill Evans. --Kristian St. Clair

Average customer rating: Best Ever yyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh Wall To Wall Sound Best that Metallica can offer!! Perfect Metal

Ride the Lightning Metallica Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Master Of Puppets The Doors Metallica ASIN: B000044U4B Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

1. Fight Fire With Fire
2. Ride The Lightning
3. For Whom The Bell Tolls
4. Fade To Black
5. Trapped Under Ice
6. Escape
7. Creeping Death
8. The Call Of Ktulu

Amazon.com

Don't let that classical-guitar-ish opening to "Fight Fire with Fire" fool you--Ride the Lightning packs a heavy-metal wallop. While not as ambitious as the subsequent Master of Puppets, this early Metallica album is indubitably one of their best. Thematically, it explores death and dying from myriad points of view: nuclear war ("Fight Fire with Fire"), execution by electric chair (the title track), and drowning ("Trapped Under Ice"). Interestingly, the album's best track is "Fade to Black," a slower, introspective song about suicide. There's also "Creeping Death," which remains a concert favorite. An excellent mix of rapid-fire guitar riffs, rip-roaring solos, and singer James Hetfield's trademark growl, this is thrash metal at its finest. -- Genevieve Williams

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue of their 1984 album on a 24 karat gold CD from DCC. From the original master tapes. Booklet includes complete original artwork.

Customer Reviews:

Best Ever.......2004-09-08

This is a must have for any Metal or Metallica Fan Awesome Sound this is rock history just listen it blows you away

yyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.......2004-01-09

this is the greastest metallica and thrash metal album ever

Wall To Wall Sound.......2001-02-03

Okay, we all know the history behind the 1984 classic. For those who are questioning the fact that you should buy the DCC Remastered 24 Karat Gold Disc? I will be more then glad to give some reasons why.....

Reason 1) It's sounds way better then the 1995 Elektra CD. Reason 2) You can actually hear Lars' drum snare a little more clearer, and the same goes for double bass drum. Reason 3) For all us old fans who owned the original vinyl, you finally get the original artwork, check out the sleeve inside the jewel case, you'll say to yourself "that's so old-school". Reason 4) You can actually hear the guitars and bass guitar even out. Reason 5) Listen to your favorite track then compare it to the Elektra version and hear the sound quality at work. Reason 6) If your like me, and were starting to give up on Metallica, hearing this and the DDC version of "Master Of Puppets" will keep make these 2 albums timeless and alive in your collection forever.

This is not a re-issue, this has not been remixed (like what Ozzy did on his second set of Remasters), this is just simply a perfect digitally remastering job that most record company can't comprehend just yet.

Best that Metallica can offer!!.......2000-09-30

This is the best Metallica CD out in the market. It has the best song, "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Also one of the most intense songs, "Fight Fire with Fire". I recommend this CD very much.

Perfect Metal.......2000-08-22

First, I must say that "Ride the Lightning" is one of the best heavy metal albums ever released. The songs are incredible, the song writing is untouchable, and the lead guitar work is masterful.

The standard issue Elektra Records version of Ride the Lightning WAS remastered by Elektra technicians back in 1995. However, after being remastered, the album seemed a lot less heavy and there seemed to be a "jagginess" so to speak in the overall sound. But this isn't really noticable until you hear the near-perfect remaster by DCC.

The difference between this and the standard issue CD is the overall sound of the music. The music now sounds like it was recorded especially for CD (which cannot be said for the Elektra version). The sound seems more polished and eliminates most of the "jagginess" in the sound, and the dynamics are accentuated perfectly. For example, the intro solo in Fade To Black now really blends together and sounds like it should - Kirk's guitar work dynamically interlacing with the acoustic guitar (in the standard CD, the intro solo seemed detached somewhat). These things may not mean much to most people, but to me it makes listening to the album more enjoyable. Highly recommended if you have the money.

Average customer rating: Blistering Images in Rhyme The Sun's not yellow, it's chicken! I Love this Record Gone are the Protest Songs on this Rockin' Rocker The Whole Album is a Rocker Extrodinaire

Highway 61 Revisited Bob Dylan Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Blonde on Blonde Bringing It All Back Home The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks The Times They Are A-Changin' ASIN: B00000016L Release Date: 1992-04-30

Tracks:

1. Like A Rolling Stone
2. Tombstone Blues
3. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
4. From A Buick 6
5. Ballad Of A Thin Man
6. Queen Jane Approximately
7. Highway 61 Revisited
8. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
9. Desolation Row

Amazon.com essential recording

Dylan was virtually gushing great songs when this masterpiece arrived in the summer of 1965. From the epochal opening of "Like a Rolling Stone" through the absurdly apocalyptic closer, "Desolation Row," his command of surrealistic language was daring and amazing. As a vocalist, he was rewriting the rules of the game. Jimi Hendrix made note of Mr. Z's technically suspect pitch and decided that he too was a singer. And the backing, though ragged, is precisely right. Is this the essential Dylan album? It's certainly one of them. --Steven Stolder

Album Description

Millenium digipak reissue of 1965 album includes original artwork. 2001.

Customer Reviews:

Blistering Images in Rhyme.......2006-08-27

This is Bob Dylan at his very finest and this is probably his best record, from "Like a Rolling Stone" to the album's closer, "Desolation Row," the listener is assaulted with blistering images in rhyme that she will never forget. Dylan changed the shape of the musical landscape with this record, changed rock and roll forever. His songs broke the three minute mold, they weren't about love and love lost anymore. In fact some of them are darned hard to understand, but they stay with you none the less. Bob Dylan was, and is, the poet laureate of Rock and Roll, the poet laureate of America. Love after we're all gone, his lyrics will be sung, recited, read.

The Sun's not yellow, it's chicken!.......2006-05-21

This album has everything!

Best story song: "Like a Rolling Stone"

Most rockin' song: "Tombstone Blues"

Most bluesy song: "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"

Most poppy song: "From a Buick 6"

Most haunting song: "Ballad of a Thin Man"

Most druggy song: "Queen Jane Approximately"

Funniest song: "Highway 61 Revisited"

Most witty song: "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"

Best lyrics: "Desolation Row"

See, there. It's the best album ever!

I Love this Record.......2006-04-02

"Like a Rolling Stone" the first song on HIGHWAY 61 grabs you right from the getgo and this album does not let go till the last guitar lick in "Desolation Row" and in between there are some of the best rock and roll you are ever going to listen too. It seems like the band has been playing together forever, though from what I've read of how Bob Dylan makes records, they probably just got together, did a few run throughs, then bang, they probably cut the record. Well, they did great, this record not only stands the test of time, it will never get old.

Gone are the Protest Songs on this Rockin' Rocker.......2006-04-02

It must have been hard for the Dylan faithful to make the switch from folk to rock. He didn't make it as easy as Steve Jobs apparently has done with the switch to the new Intel processor in his new Macs. However he set the world on fire with "Like a Rolling Stone." Al Kooper's keyboards are nothing short of haunting. I've heard Dylan do this song on countless live tapes and in person a few times, but never have I heard him approach the power he does on this record with this song. "Like a Rolling Stone" is followed by "Tombstone Blues" more shear rock and roll music and this time it's piled on top of beautiful poetry. Next up comes my favorite song on the record, "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry" more raw power. And the record goes on in that vein, ending with the long and very wonderful "Desolation Row." Just wonderful. Wait, I already said that. Well now I'm saying it again.

The Whole Album is a Rocker Extrodinaire.......2006-04-02

I just love the lead guitar work on "Desolation Row." That lead guitar punches up Dylan's voice and those surreal lyrics to make this song like no other. I shudder for the whole eleven minutes every time my husband plays this song and he plays it a lot. You can never get tired of this. Mr. Dylan really raised the bar with this one. "Like a Rolling Stone" is a rocker extrodinaire and it goes on for six minutes, which was a big deal when it came out, because most hit records never when over something like three minutes, ten seconds. Dylan really broke the mold with "Stone", opened up the scene for others to record long songs. This is a super CD. One you just have to own.

Average customer rating: Soooo close to 5 stars Terrific live Wes recording One of two Wes Montgomery Classics Wes & Co. stretch out to devastating effect Genius at Work

Full House Wes Montgomery Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery Smokin' at the Half Note Boss Guitar Complete Live in Paris 1965 The Wes Montgomery Trio ASIN: B00000018R Release Date: 1997-03-18

Tracks:

1. Full House
2. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
3. Blue 'N' Boogie
4. Cariba
5. Come Rain Or Come Shine
6. S.O.S
7. Born To Be Blue
8. Come Rain Or Come Shine
9. S.O.S

Amazon.com

Recorded live in performance, this 1962 recording is evidence that Wes Montgomery was first and foremost a live player, able to build long, sinewy solos, giving justification to the concept of "stretching out." And the excitement only builds when tenorist Johnny Griffin jumps in. Fiery and articulate, Griffin was at the top of his game as his excellent solos on Montgomery's "Cariba" and Dizzy Gillespie's "Blue 'n' Boogie" testify. Add the Miles Davis rhythm section of Jimmy Cobb on drums, Paul Chambers on bass, and the elegant Wynton Kelly on piano, and you have some truly sparkling live jazz from the classic era. --Wally Shoup

Customer Reviews:

Soooo close to 5 stars.......2006-12-10

This is a live set of Wes Montgomery playing with Wynton Kelly, Johnny Griffin, the omnipresent Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Wes plays his typically fluid, beautiful, amazing guitar. The songs are mostly up-tempo, so they avoid Wes' sometimes maudlin streak on the soft stuff. "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" is nearly solo Wes, but Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb provide some subtle help. This wasn't a working band, so there's only three Wes originals and the rest are standards. The CD is at a very high level, but somehow it's missing the extra umph to push it over the edge to a rare (from me) 5-star rating.

Terrific live Wes recording.......2006-11-23

I had the privilege of seeing Wes live in Chicago and it is true that his live appearances were exciting. This one shows him at his best with wonderful solos that build on each chorus. He has Miles Davis's rhythm section of Jimmy Cobb, Paul Chambers and Wynton Kelly plus the great Johnny Griffin on sax. Get this one for your collection. The recording quality is very good.

One of two Wes Montgomery Classics.......2005-10-24

This cd and "Live at the Half Note" are Wes Montgomery's two best cd's, and they are both live. If you like the one, get the other. If you have both, buy anything Wes did on Riverside. All those cd's are great!

Wes & Co. stretch out to devastating effect.......2005-07-01

As one of the most influential jazz guitarists of all time (second only to perhaps Charlie Christian), Wes Montgomery created a vocabulary of techniques and mannerisms for jazzers similar to how Andres Segovia did for classical players. His trademarks - octaves, extended block chord solos, and above all, melodicism - blew many away in the forceful manner which Wes employed them. I feel that on this release, Full House, Wes demonstrates his talents as a bandleader and player better than most of his recordings, except for perhaps the legendary Smokin' at the Half Note.

The engineering on this record is superb; every instrument comes through in the mix loud and clear, yet retains a special spot in the audio spectrum and blends nicely with the other instruments. I personally own the 20-bit remaster, but it sounds to me like the basic mix itself was pretty good to begin with.

This is one of the most superb bands that jazz has perhaps ever seen. We have the esteemed Wynton Kelly trio, with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums, to back up Wes, of course, and also on this occasion the formidable talents of saxophonist Johnny Griffin (who would pair with the same quartet on several later dates). Wes and Johnny often harmonize on the melodies, especially on "Cariba" and "S.O.S.", and it works quite well, especially with the notable difference in tone color between their instruments. Griffin has a sound that I can't quite pin down; to my ears, it doesn't sound distinctly like any of the sax masters, so it's a surprise that he isn't better known in the jazz canon. Regardless, his playing is superb and he goes toe-to-toe with Wes on nearly every cut.

The blues is in strong effect on this record, as with most Wes recordings; "Cariba", in fact, is at its core a basic 12-bar Latin blues, with a unique bassline that gives it a little bit of a distinctive sound. "Cariba" is also the cut with the best Wes solo (although "Full House" comes rather close as well). Really, the whole ensemble works together to make an overall appealing sound, and it's not just like the rhythm section is ticking away while the soloists blow. The drummer and Wynton are always in tune with the soloists, whether they're doing repeating riffs and Cobb comes in with a few synchronized cymbal hits, or the soloists step it up dynamically and the rhythm section follows them all the way. This is a little more evident on Smokin' at the Half Note, but that was several years later, when Wes had been playing with Wynton's trio on a regular basis; this is the genesis of their collaboration, and it's an impressive one.

So why only 4 stars if the record is overall incredible? Well, having multiple takes of the same song to fill space on a jazz record is not something I am particularly fond of. It makes it a little hard to listen to the record straight through multiple times and not get a little annoyed. Plus, each extra take is pretty routine. Also, the track selection is not quite perfect; "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" was not a good choice, as Wes's chord-melody playing is nowhere near his octave- or single-note talents. He is a master chord soloist, true, but he can't play chord-melody like Joe Pass or anything. Also, "Come Rain or Come Shine" is kind of a substandard tune on the record - not bad by any means, but every other track is killer, so it weighs down the others a bit.

This is still a very worthy purchase; the band is hot, and so are Johnny Griffin and Wes, and that's pretty much the fundamental selling point of any great jazz record. If multiple takes don't bother you much, this record is only more recommended. For everyone else, it's still a great album to just plain listen to; it's not boring like some jazz records, due to the incredibly dynamic playing of the band. Plus, hearing Wes live is pretty much the only way to go, and that's probably the best compliment I can give. I'm sure the club was a Full House on this night for sure.

Genius at Work.......2004-11-24

I have listened to this album over and over again. I just can't understand where Wes Montgomery got all that beauty and rhythm and melody and soul from. Hands down the man was a genius. He just had it, that's all, like Mozart and Haydn and Miles. Listen to all the performances on this live album, because they're all good, but Wes is explosive, with ideas coming at you from all directions and well-thought out lines that reach right down into you and satisfy. The great thing about his music: the more you listen, the more you hear. That's what genius provides.

Average customer rating: Fogerty Pretty Good Other stuff to check out This CD sounds wonderful. One of their greatest

Cosmo's Factory Creedence Clearwater Revival Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Willy and the Poor Boys Green River Bayou Country Pendulum Creedence Clearwater Revival ASIN: B00000016S Release Date: 1993-01-15

Tracks:

1. Ramble Tamble
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Travelin' Band
4. Ooby Dooby
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door
6. Run Through The Jungle
7. Up Around The Bend
8. My Baby Left Me
9. Who'll Stop The Rain
10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
11. Long As I Can See The Light

Amazon.com essential recording

If, as many contend, Creedence Clearwater Revival was the foremost singles rock band of its time, Cosmo's Factory is the ultimate end-of-the-'60s singles album. Indeed, seven of the album's 11 tracks turn up on Chronicle, CCR's best hits collection. That said, Cosmo's is really a must-own in its entirety. No other album so adeptly laces together the various strands of the CCR sound. John Fogerty's ready-for-AM-radio knack surfaces in "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and "Up Around the Bend." His sober side is in evidence on "Who'll Stop the Rain" and "Long As I Can See the Light." And no white group of its time could cover black music with as much natural flair; check out the 11-minute cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" for proof. The band broke up two albums after the release of this, their apex LP, but Cosmo's Factory cemented CCR's standing as a great American band. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Fogerty.......2007-06-10

Great value. If you are into the 60s' and 70s' you will love this one.

Pretty Good.......2006-11-04

Creedence was a singles band, and most of the best songs here are the singles - Travelin' Band; Run Through the Jungle; Up Around the Bend; Lookin' Out My Back Door and Who Will Stop The Rain were all big hits, and they're all by far the best songs here. As for the worst? Aimless jam Ramble Tamble getsabsolutely nowhere; Ooby Dooby and My Baby Left Me are fillers. But their cover of Before You Accuse Me also shines, plus album-closer As Long as I Can See the Light has a nice sax solo and the long, murky, hoodoo cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine is easily my favorite Creedence jam. It's no masterpiece, but it's a good record, highly recommended for CCR fans.

Other stuff to check out.......2006-06-21

I am a huge fan of John Fogerty's solo music and his music with CCR. If you enjoy his roots-rock style then I strongly recommend that you check out the following:
1) 24 Hours A Day by The Bottle Rockets
2) Chooglin': A Tribute To The Songs Of John Fogerty
3) Banjos and Sunshine by Sixty Acres
4) Trace by Son Volt

This CD sounds wonderful........2006-02-24

It sounds as clear and crisp as it did when I was 13! It's Great!

One of their greatest.......2006-01-06

Apart from their flawed first & last albums, Creedence actually never made anything short of perfect, short of classic, or short of 'greatest', so I can't say if this record is better than 'Willy And The Poor Boys', for example... actually my main point must be, that any serious fan of music in general should have all their classic albums, while anybody who really LIKES creedence should ALSO acquire their inconsistent but mostly marvellous debut, & their chaotic last album (which nonetheless includes such classics as 'Sweet Hitch-Hiker' and 'Someday Never Comes')

'Cosmo's Factory' opens with 'Ramble Tamble', a joyous & exhilerating rocker, a true anthem for a world that never was (or was it? !). It changes midway into a slower, almost Abbey Road-era Beatlesque song. The next song is a cover of the classic 'Before You Accuse Me', &, not to offend anybody else who has covered it, but this definently THE version of that song.
The following song, 'Travelin' Band' is one of their greatest ever, a simply wonderful slice of a rockabilly-like stomper, recalling figures such as Gene Vincent & the King himself.
The next song, the cover 'Ooby Dooby', is sort of a comedown from the skies, but it still works, though it is eclipsed by the next classic, 'Lookin' Out My Back Door', a lazy, gleamin' jewel of a rock song with a divine intro, followed by another classic, the paranoid, screeching rock of Creedence's great anti-Vietnam song, 'Run Through The Jungle'.
The third, & arguably greatest, classic in a row follows; 'Up Around The Bend' is driven by a marvellous riff & is the purest Creedence, simply breathtaking, lifegiving...
In this way, the cover of 'My Baby Left Me' could be seen as a disappointment, but few songs could have held the atmosphere of 'Up Around The Bend', and succesfully followed it ('Bad Moon Arising' actually works wonders on the 'Platinum' best-of, where it sounds so perfect just after 'Up Around The Bend' that I was surprised they didn't come off the same album...). Anyway 'My Baby Left Me' is a great song, but it's not 'Bad Moon Rising'... not that that matters, for the last three tracks are almost-classics all the way, from the brilliant 'Who'll Stop The Rain' through 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', again the best version of that classic song, to the pure Creedence 'Long As I Can See The Light', that shimmers till the end of the album.

Average customer rating: Romantic Night for Listeners Where's Stardust!!!!?????????????????????????? Good, but not great Unforgettable A great collection of jazz, country, and love songs!

Nat King Cole - Greatest Hits Nat King Cole Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Tony Bennett - All-Time Greatest Hits 16 Most Requested Songs Love Songs The Very Best of Frank Sinatra Louis Armstrong - All-Time Greatest Hits ASIN: B000007SNY Release Date: 1998-07-28

Tracks:

1. Unforgettable
2. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
3. Orange Colored Sky
4. Mona Lisa
5. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
6. Straighten Up And Fly Right
7. Send For Me
8. Looking Back
9. You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)
10. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
11. Nature Boy
12. Rambilin' Rose
13. Pretend
14. Too Young
15. Somewhere Along The Way
16. Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer
17. Smile
18. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
19. Answer Me, My Love
20. A Blossom Fell
21. If I May
22. Unforgettable

Amazon.com essential recording

You could fill box set after box set with Nat "King" Cole's work--and those are certainly out there--and never hit a less-than-stellar note. But for the creme de la creme, it'd be hard to fault this career-spanning, 22-song retrospective. From the swinging jump blues of "Straighten Up and Fly Right" to the easy lope of his definitive "Route 66" to the lush balladry of "Mona Lisa," every facet of the great singer-pianist's is explored. Bookended by Cole's original version of "Unforgettable" and his posthumous duet with daughter Natalie, this collection provides an ideal introduction to--or a stirring reminder of--Nat "King" Cole's legacy. --David Sprague

Customer Reviews:

Romantic Night for Listeners.......2007-07-09

This old stand by is a must for a guy's collection.

Nat's smooth, spacious voice fills the room with electric sparks and coziness together. I find it's one of my most worn out CDs that I own. I don't only listen when I'm alone with my girl. I also listen if I've had a pretty agitating day.

He has an effect on his listeners thgat time could never fade.

A must have!

Where's Stardust!!!!??????????????????????????.......2006-12-13

This CD has beautiful tracks - my favorites being the two Unforgettable tracks. But how can a Nat King Cole Greatest Hits recording NOT have Stardust?!?!?! That's Unforgivable!

Good, but not great.......2006-08-25

These are some excellent songs, but the sound quality wasn't the best. I thought that they should have added some of his other songs and took out a few on the track listing. THe final track, the duet with his daughter, was beautiful and eery all at once. Perhaps it was me, but his voice sounded almost ghostly when I heard it. I couldn't imagine the emotions she was feeling, singing a duet with her passed on father (I also can't imagine why she would agree to, but that's another story). This album isn't bad, but I wouldn't say greatest.

Unforgettable .......2006-05-28

What makes a voice distinctive and memorable? Nat (King )Cole I believe had the smoothest voice of any male singer. Clarity and a sureness in phrasing was also gifts of his. Aside from 'Unforgettable' the songs I best remember are 'Mona Lisa' and 'Nature Boy'. But this recording also includes originals of the 'Nat King Cole trio'. It also includes the famous duet put together of 'Unforgettable' from his early version and his daughter Natalie Cole's recording made after he had passed on. That particular recording was a 'knockout' sentimental and beautiful.

A great collection of jazz, country, and love songs!.......2006-01-09

I think this is a great collection. It includes the country-style "Ramblin' Rose," some jazzy tunes and the great love songs of Nat such as "Unforgettable," "Mona Lisa," and others. Wow! There was only one Nat King Cole, and if you could only own one cd, I would recommend this one or "Love Songs." Yet this cd gives you a mixture of all Nat was best at.

Average customer rating: Hoffman master is the only way to experience this album Rock on Hey Puppets Genius. Pure genius. this album ROCKS!!

Master Of Puppets Metallica Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ride the Lightning Appetite for Destruction The Dark Side of the Moon Signals Metallica ASIN: B00000JCRH Release Date: 1999-07-13

Tracks:

1. Battery
2. Master Of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage, Inc.

Amazon.com essential recording

One of the defining albums of thrash metal, Master of Puppets is arguably Metallica's best album (as well as their last with bassist Cliff Burton). Focusing on the concept of power and abuses thereof, this is a collection of complex, intelligent music, played at about 100 miles an hour. Not that these are short songs; this eight-song album clocks in at over an hour, which makes it all the more impressive that not one moment on this recording is boring. In tackling various approaches to their subject, Metallica is insightful lyrically as well as musically: "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is from the point of view of an institutionalized inmate and "Disposable Heroes" is the perspective of a soldier. DCC's 24-karat-gold version of this title offers superior sound quality for a higher price than the standard-issue CD. --Genevieve Williams

Album Description

1999 24 karat gold disc version of their classic five-times platinum 1986 release. Eight tracks, including 'Damage, Inc.', 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)' and 'Disposable Heroes'. All tracks have been remastered. Comes packaged in a standard jewel case within a full color die-cut slipcase cover. 1999 release.

Customer Reviews:

Hoffman master is the only way to experience this album.......2007-06-02

If your a Met fan than save up and get the DCC hoffman remaster. It is SO worth it. This is such a staple of this genre, to miss out is a shame. Like missing a food group.

Rock on.......2004-09-08

Since I own Every Metallica CD known to man this takes the cake. Really Good Sound just like on the originial LP. Totally Awesome Must have for any fan

Hey Puppets.......2004-07-30

1986 release and its now 2004.This album still GRINDS.A truly PHENOMINAL RELEASE THAT CANNOT BE OVERLOOKED.

Genius. Pure genius........2004-01-13

There is not one song I even remotely dislike about this album. What can I say except that Master of Puppets rocks? The album starts off with a mellow opening to the first track, Battery. Then, all of a sudden, it goes into thrash mode and just kicks your a$$! This song practically defines thrash metal.

Then we go into the legendary Master of Puppets, a song about the effects of drug abuse. This song would make a great song to celebrate Red Ribbon Week at your school...that is, if they do that sort of thing. That song is the most common favorite song among Metallica fans, and I can see why. From the heavy riffs, the solo, and everything else, that song has it all.

Next up, The Thing That Should Not Be. Some say that this song shouldn't be on this album, but my question is "Why not?" It's deep, it's heavy, and it's haunting. What's not to like?

Now we move on to the ballad of the album, Sanitarium. Metallica have been criticized for making ballads back when Ride the Lightning was released, but the people who criticized them really should think about why. Even if the ballads are softer than their other stuff, they still have their hardcore parts. Sanitarium changes from soft to hardcore at the point of Kirk's solo. So I guess you could say that song has a little something for everybody.

We now move to Disposable Heroes, another thrash song about war. The lyrics are extremely deep and thought-provoking, and the guitar riffs are pure metal. Another awesome song.

Now we move to the next track, Leper Messiah. I find this song to be underrated. I know it's not as thrashy as some of the other stuff on this album, but so what? It can still spit out some poetic lyrics, electric guitars, and crazy solo, can't it?

Next up, Orion, a legendary instrumental. Cliff Burton's skill on the bass was definitely shown in this song. Plus, a band's ability to do instrumentals proves that they can make good music without poetry.

We're coming down to the final track, Damage, Inc. If you look up "thrash metal" in the dictionary, you will see this song. Like Battery, it starts out slow and then all of a sudden goes into a full-on thrashfest! My personal favorite Metallica song.

Overall, Master of Puppets is a must-have for any metalhead.

this album ROCKS!!.......2002-10-09

i have listened to just about every Metallica album, but this one is by far the best. great guitars, awesome lyrics, and slammin drums. if you buy this album, you will want to buy all of the other Metallica albums. the BEST song on the cd is the title track, Master Of Puppets. it has some of the best guitars i have ever heard anyone play.

Average customer rating: Understanding "Pet Sounds" Important, yes, great, no. Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Together, in the Kind of World Where We Belong? Good one of the only beach boys albums essential

Pet Sounds The Beach Boys Manufacturer: DCC ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Baroque Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Pop | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: SMiLE What's Going on The Velvet Underground & Nico Revolver [UK] Rubber Soul ASIN: B0000259CP Release Date: 2000-09-11

Tracks:

1. Wouldn't It Be Nice (Digitally Remastered 96)
2. You Still Believe In Me (Digitally Remastered 96)
3. That's Not Me (Digitally Remastered 96)
4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)(Digitall
5. I'm Waiting For The Day (Digitally Remastered 96)
6. Let's Go Away For Awhile (Instrumental)(Digitally
7. Sloop John B (Digitally Remastered 96)
8. God Only Knows (Original Mono Version)(Digitally R
9. I Know There's An Answer (Digitally Remastered 96)
10. Here Today (Digitally Remastered 96)
11. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (Digitally Rema
12. Pet Sounds (Instrumental)(Digitally Remastered 96)
13. Caroline No (Digitally Remastered 96)

Amazon.com essential recording

If you need some pointy-headed pundit to sell you on the merits of Pet Sounds, your money might be better spent on an ear specialist. Brian Wilson's gift to 20th-century music elevated this pop album into a beguiling musical and emotional cogency that still operates outside pop culture's fickle space-time continuum--and limited critical lexicon. There's never been another record to compare (Rubber Soul, its inspiration, is close; Sgt. Pepper's, its response, misses the point), and certainly no album has been as dissected, overanalyzed, and predigested for public consumption. In 1997 Capitol Records devoted an entire four-disc box set, The Pet Sounds Sessions, to its thorough deconstruction. The techno-marvel centerpiece of that project--the album's first true stereo mix, painstakingly conjured out of multitape session sources by producer-engineer Mark Linett (under Wilson's supervision)--was at once heresy and revelation. Now the label has gratifyingly seen fit to offer both mixes on a single disc (along with alternate versions of "Hang On to Your Ego," the original title of "I Know There's An Answer"), an idea that should please the orthodox and heretics alike. And while the album has always clearly been The Brian Wilson Show featuring the Beach Boys, David Leaf's concise new notes attempt to be more inclusive of a wider band perspective. The result (three of the five band members claim credit for the album title) sometimes resembles Rashomon. If Pet Sounds forever crystallized the band's various creative (in)differences, it also became Wilson's grand karmic joke on his band mates; its burgeoning reputation (Mojo magazine's panel of pop experts once elected it greatest album of all time) guaranteed they would sing its songs--and praises--until the end. And if putting two different versions of the same album on one disc seems like overkill, look at the bright side: it's a perfect excuse to listen to the glorious Pet Sounds twice. --Jerry McCulley

Amazon.com

Beach Boys Photos

More from The Beach Boys

Sounds of Summer	Sunflower/Surf's Up	20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys	Endless Harmony	Endless Harmony DVD

Album Details

2000 Hdcd Remaster of the Original Mono Mixes. Does Not Include the Bonus Tracks that were on Previous Issues.

Customer Reviews:

Understanding "Pet Sounds".......2007-07-26

Some of the reveiws here in the place have seemed to not understand the reason why "Pet Sounds" rings abroad albums and is constantly in competition with various Beatle's albums as the "greatest album ever made". It is important to realize first and formost that albums, after reaching such a selection process and being moved into the higher tier of "greats" can not just be appreciated for their pleasing sound.

"Revolver" for example, has what ive seen many on here say "Pet Sounds" has: about one great song and three good ones.
now this is true in terms of "sounding lovely" but in terms of musical masterpiece this is not the case.

when i first listened to Pet Sounds, each song started and i asked myself "why am i listening to this?". but by the time each song was over i felt like a different person
the rich chord progressions illustrate the movement that words alone can not explain. Take for example the infamous "God Only Knows". It is a swirl of diminished verse with many inverted chords that keep the listener tagged through its bipolar verses... then the refrain of "god only knows..." is a rich set of major chords (A-E/G#-F#m7) followed by a m7 which is a major chord with a changed root. If i was to post the chords in verse on here it would look like higher math.
this is what the "genius" of Brian Wilson comes to.
When a musician heres an album a lot more goes into play than the sound alone. The technicality, a word oft thrown around yet seldom understood, is another window into the "what" of the song and sound and an explanation of the feelings.
Thus a song like "Thats Not Me" keeps it begging sensationalism not through its simplistic lyrics, but by balancing such simplisity upon a background chorus of percussive indecency... a strange combination that shows not only the narrator's desperation but also his frustration.

The only songs that shouldnt have been on the album from an outstanding standpoint would be the instrumentals...
not because they are free of genius or do not have a complex meaning... but instead because they do not fit the overall flow of the album.

my recommendation for anyone who buys this album:
you must listen to it more than once
the first time, other than a few songs, you will probably be wondering why anyone in the world would say this was the best album, let alone good.
but the more you listen the more you feel
the more the harmonies play the more you can understand

the lyrical meanings of the songs mean nothing when not compared to the harmonies beneath them...
imagine Wouldnt it Be Nice in Minor
that would change everything the song has ever stood for

also, Wilson's rythmic movement and enjambments should be noticed and the effect they have (such as in "Dont Talk") are astounding to the listening ear.

in conclusion
the reason this is one of the greatest albums ever, or possibly the greatest (i have yet to find few who compete) is because it is like a jazz album: it is a listening mans CD. if you just pop it in and lolly around you get nothing. Yet if you become involved with the music, past the normal level of casuality... a plea made by the BBs and the Beatles at this time... You will find what makes it the "greatest album" yet. It touches more than the mind. It touches the mind and heart, and will profoundly affect the way you hear things in the future.

Important, yes, great, no........2007-07-20

Just because something is important doesn't make it great. Look at our current president, important, yes, great, not hardly. Yes this album is good and Brian Wilson deserves praise, but let's not go overboard. Springsteen, The Beatles, and others not only have one, but more than one album better than this. You Still Believe in Me, and Don't Talk sent me running for the phone to call the suicide hotline. These songs don't evoke much if any emotion and are droning. There are some very good songs on this album (Wouldn't if be Nice, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, and a couple others are good) but to be a great album, shouldn't most, if not all, of the songs be great? 2.5 stars.

Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Together, in the Kind of World Where We Belong?.......2007-07-15

Your illustrious Seer is at the beach now. The warm sun and ocean breeze are invigorating. The white seagulls circle overhead (watch out!), and I have been busy all afternoon trying to build a summer sand castle for myself meanwhile sweating to death in this Seer's cape. They said the fabric breathed and would be good in all temperatures. They lied. And, aside from all that, just when I get the sand castle to a stately form, some freckle-faced, red-headed bratty boy comes around and knocks it down. I threatened to report him to The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Seers, however, an ice cream cone made him go away. Dealing with Guido has made me very adept in any situation. Now if only the tides would stop being a threat. Ah well..........
Anyway, I am in the perfect setting to examine the rewards of "Pet Sounds" by the Beach Boys. Much has been written about this seminal album. And why not? It consistently ranks in the top 10 pop-rock albums of all time. And rightly so if you ask me.
Of course, it wasn't greeted ethusiastically when it came out. At least not as much as their prior hits. Brian Wilson took the hit most of all. Probably unjustly. But time has proven that it was the right move and the right time. To most, perhaps a little early and maybe they would say the wrong time. But I would have to disagree with that. Brian was ahead of everything on the scene at that time. He saw that the music was changing. Plus, artistically, you can not stay in the same place. Artistry needs real growth. Meanwhile, the other Beach Boys needed more hits- and this is why the chasm happened.
But, lets get into this a little more. The Beach Boys were (and still are) the ultimate summer group. Songs about California Girls, fast cars, high school life, requited love, and teen angst, angst, angst. These songs were incredibly successful. But Brian knew that, as he got older, his audience were also doing the same thing. He wanted to try a new direction and add some sophistication. Looking back to 1966, this album is a monumental achievement- and remains so until this day. Sure, some may downplay the importance of this recording, however, that cannot eliminate the fact that it was a monumental change that influenced the musical landscape at that time forever. It is essential, and one of the very best.
But, getting to the main point. Brian Wilson was moving towards greater musical compostion and more adult and inner emotions on record. This was a mega step- and quite a risk at the same time. Most of the music is lush, well thought out, and instruments used precisely to get the right nuances that bounced around in his mind. Certainly the songs are confessional, i.e; "You Still Believe in Me", emotional, i.e, "That's Not Me", "I'm Waiting for the Day", and quiet, heartfelt romance, i.e; "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on my Shoulder)". One must, of course, listen to all the colours and passages in this music. All these songs have a way of revealing certain moods that marry the music perfectly. Beautiful lilting breaks, shifting meter, an array of musical instruments heretofore never thought of in the pop-rock genre. Excellent.
And songs? We are treated to different, but essential, gratuitous hits with "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Sloop John B". But more than this, Brian gives us 2 more considerable high standard gems. Yes. We get to "God Only Knows" which I nominate as the most beautiful song ever written in the course of popular music. Grandiose, glorious- I am fairly convinced that a higher power is somehow behind this remarkable song. Sweet, yearning, beautiful beyond compare. Angelic vocals as well. If anyone doubts Brian Wilson's genius, have them look to this song. Absolutely the highest gem. Then we get to the wispful "Caroline No". Brian reflects upon how time can change a relationship. He looks back to a time when his love was new and exciting and wonders why she changed. "Where is the girl I used to know"? He hurts badly from the change and yearns for a return to a satisfying relationship, knowing full well that it has changed forever. Listen to the end. A train in the distance, approaching at a rapid pace, getting louder, and then quickly passing by. A dog barks in the distance-urging its return. But it gone and then silence. What an incredible conveyence of mood this is for the ending. Superb.
In a way, the outtake of "I know There's an Answer" entitled "Hold On to Your Ego" to me, conveys the frustration Brian was going through in order to have the other members of the group in compliance with his new direction. But he knows he's alone and he knows that he's "going to lose the fight". Well, he may have lost it to them- however- he won the classic album. And we are all so much better that he did.
Now, I must go and make sure that kid isn't planning some new attack on my new home. I don't want to lose the fight anymore than Brian does.
In conclusion- a classic and a must have in any considerable music collection.

Goats say "feed me", Seers say "read me". -- yours, Metamorpho

Good.......2007-07-12

This is a good album. Thus said, I don't see it deserving being on any top 10 or even top 50 list of greatest albums ever.

one of the only beach boys albums essential.......2007-06-15

This is the only beach boys album that is acctullay essential besides the sounds of summer cd or the good vibrations hits packages the reason i think that pet sounds is the only studio beach boys album to buy is this one most of the beach boys albums ever realesed are just about surfing and girls thats it it gets boring plus you can all the best songs from these surf albums on greatest hits so dont even bother spending 10 bucks on some surfin safari album, pet sounds is a good album some of the tracks may be dull but it is still worth it for the other tracks. plus the cover is good. so just buy or rent the damn album if you havent yet

Average customer rating: One of The Greatest Albums I eat more chickens any man ever seen The Doors' debut album breaks on through to the other side A classic rock masterpiece Part of life in 1967

The Doors The Doors Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Supergroups | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: L.A. Woman Strange Days Waiting for the Sun Fresh Cream The Dark Side of the Moon ASIN: B00000016N Release Date: 1992-07-06

Tracks:

1. Break On Through (To The Other Side)
2. Soul Kitchen
3. The Crystal Ship
4. Twentieth Century Fox
5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
6. Light My Fire
7. Back Door Man
8. I Looked At You
9. End Of The Night
10. Take It As It Comes
11. The End

Customer Reviews:

One of The Greatest Albums.......2006-02-03

This is by far one of the greatest albums I have ever listened too. I recommend to every rock fan this album. Well worth any price.

I eat more chickens any man ever seen.......2005-11-11

This album is regarded as one of the best debut-albums ever made. Probably correct. There haven't been a lot of bands with a song as charismatic as The End on their first album. The album shows the Doors for what they were musically and lyrically.
A little bit of criticism is at it's place bacause the album has it's weaker moments. The Doors got better over the years and this album has a fierce sound (that is typical for that period of the history of recording studio's) and not every song does as much to you as The End does. I believe that not even the still living Doors would disagree about that. But let's focus on the best parts of the album, because it's an album everybody with an interest in music and poetry should own.

The best songs on the album are Break On Through (To The Other Side), The Crystal Ship, Light My Fire and The End. These songs are of such unbelievable high level for a debut-album that it's not strange that there are so little new bands reaching the level of the Doors. If you compare this album to the first one of the Beatles or the Stones (hail to both of them) you must agree: this one says a lot more.
The album has the high flying guitar, the mystic running groovy organ, the great free jazzy drumming and the poetic strength the Doors are famous for.

Something about two of the songs:
Break On Through (To The Other Side): In poetry there are some programatic first poems to be found (at least in Dutch poetry) in the poetry of new poets. In rock-music that's an exeption. What would have been more programatic for the music and the lyrics of the Doors than this song? It says almost everything about what the Doors were all about.
The End: When I was at puberty I found the part of The End that says: `father, I want to kill you, mother I want to...' to be a little shocking (especialy for others..). When I got to know to stories of the ancient Greek I found out that there really wasn't anything shocking about this song, exept the fact that Morrison put the story about Oidipus and the Freudian version of it into clear words. I still believe The End has a more honost and direct way to put the Oidipous-complex into words. Nothing more (or less) than poetic freedom.

To give stars for an album is difficult. For it's importance in pop- and doors-history this album must have 5 stars. The End is more worth than five stars and some other songs are real good too. But the album put into perspective of the whole Doors-oeuvre would be a 4-star-album, with the four songs I mentioned earlier definitly bringing it up to five stars.
(For more comments on The Doors: look up my other Doors-reviews)

The Doors' debut album breaks on through to the other side.......2004-10-29

The Doors were probably more controversial than they were influential, but they were certainly one of the signature rock bands of the 1960s. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1965 by a pair of U.C.L.A. film students, keyboard player Ray Manzarek and vocalist Jim Morrison, along with guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. Because the group did not have a bass player their music was dominated by Manzarek's distinctive electric organ work and Morrison's evocative vocals of his evocative lyrics. Signed a year later to Elektra Records with the goal of capturing on vinyl what the group did in live performance, their self-titled debut album featured the hit "Light My Fire" and because of their distinctive sound became one of the best albums of psychedelic music. In fact, "The Doors" was such a great album that it made everything that came afterwards pale in comparison and gave credence to the idea the group was on a destructive arc fueled by Morrison's personal problems and then went nova with "Morrison Hotel" and "L.A. Women" right before his death.

The music of the Doors was a peculiar blend of rock, blues, classical, jazz, and powerful lyrics. Nobody around played guitar like Krieger, while Manzarek's classical influences showed up in his organ riffs, Densmore brought some Latin influences, and Morrison's lyrics contained moments of searing emotional poetry. From the opening notes of "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" it is clear this group is different. For somebody who was consuming mass quantities of drugs and alcohol, Morrison's lyrics were the sort that students should be discussing in literature class: "I found an island in your arms/A country in your eyes," a love that becomes transmuted into "arms that chain" and "Eyes that lie." Then the song explodes into sound as the band announces its presence with authority. This is such a key song in the history of the Doors that there is reason it leads off most anthologies and collections of their best songs.

"Light My Fire," and I can remember finally getting to listen to the long version having only heard the single version with the impressive, intricate organ solo that still stands alone as the epitome of what can be done with that instrument in a rock song. Then Jose Feliciano proved how good it was in his totally stripped down acoustic version. "Take It As It Comes" is also pretty good, even if not quite in that same class. Still, it is the moodiness of "The Crystal Ship" and the "eleven-minute Oedipal drama" of "The End" that defined the Doors as one of the strangest and most ambitious rock groups around. It is impossible to think of another Sixties rock group that was as disturbing as the Doors, an idea codified in popular culture by Francis Ford Coppola's use of "The End" at the climax of "Apocalypse Now." Not only literature classes but future psychologists and psychiatrists could have a field day analyzing Morrison's lyrics as well.

A classic rock masterpiece.......2003-12-07

The Doors (1967.) The Doors' first album.

In the latter half of the sixties, rock and roll was beginning to make serious progress. It's hard to believe that a musical genre that didn't even exist twenty years ago had come such a long way in such a short period of time. One of the reasons that the sixties was so great a decade for rock and roll was The Doors. Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, John Densmore, and Ray Manzarek were rock and roll geniuses, and there's no disputing that. In 1967 the band released its self-titled debut album. Read on for my review of it.

The band kicks things off with what would become one of the biggest hits songs of their career - Break On Through (To The Other Side.) This is straight-up classic hard rock, the way it was meant to be heard, and it certainly serves as a premonition to the heavy metal that would begin dominating the music industry in the next decade. Soul Kitchen is a bit on the lighter side than the track that followed it, but it's certainly nothing less in the quality department. Why's that? Because Ray Manzarek is a god when it comes to playing the organ. That claim is only further demonstrated on another one of the band's big hits that can be found here, Light My Fire - OVER HALF OF THE SONG IS AN ORGAN SOLO - and a damn good one too! One of the most interesting tracks featured here is The Crystal Ship. This one is slow and ultra-melodic, and nothing short of excellent. There are also two cover songs featured here - Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) and Back Door Man (the latter of which was originally done by Willie Dixon, a blues artist who has been covered by god only knows how many rock artists.) In my opinion, The Doors takes on these tracks outshine the originals. Twentieth Century Fox is upbeat classic sixties rock at its very best, and in my opinion, severely underrated. I Looked At You, End Of The Night, and Take It As It Comes were never nearly as popular as the other songs featured on the album, but they are still excellent, and should NOT be overlooked due to the mere fact that they were never popular songs. The band closes things with one of their most memorable songs - The End. This song is extremely long and it explores a plethora of styles, making it one of the band's masterpieces. This is a great album, no question.

Overall, I (and millions of others worldwide) feel this is an excellent debut album. It's not my favorite Doors album (that honor would have to go to their sophomore effort Strange Days, released later in 1967), but it's still an excellent album, and definitely my second favorite. If you're a fan of classic rock, your collection is NOT complete without this album.

Part of life in 1967.......2001-05-07

It sure is a pleasure to reminisce, back to a day when we really thought that "all you need is love" and everything would be all right. Yes, the time between my 14th and 15th birthdays, when Sergeant Pepper was redefining what was musically possible and everyone else was reacting to it. "Light My Fire" indeed!

For Jim Morrison and the Doors, it was an unbelievably creative time, as evidenced by the songs on this, their first album. To say there is not a bad track here only begins to communicate the importance of the record. Some at the time called them America's Dionysian counterparts to the Rolling Stones, and that's a good place to start. Let's just say the Doors showed what could happen when "California Dreams" turned into nightmares, as "The End" so aptly describes.

The gem here remains "Light My Fire", every bit as incandescent as when I first heard it all those 34 years ago during the "Summer of Love." Of course, we're talking about what we then called the "FM Version" with its soaring keyboard and guitar break in the middle. The album snaps, crackles and pops with the bluesy "Break on Through", "Back Door Man", "Take It as It Comes", and such fine rock standards as "Alabama Song", "Twentieth Century Fox" and "Soul Kitchen". Another favorite of mine is the softer "Crystal Ship", and of course, "The End", which later gained new fame from its appearance in the film "Apocolypse Now" (a particularly poignant use of the song I might add).

Another reviewer called this one of the four or five best rock albums of the 1960's. (I'm inclined to agree with that, but completing that list is a difficult chore indeed!) Simply put, Morrison's later death in 1971 would rob the music world of perhaps many other great works to come. For the Doors, only L.A. Woman rivaled this one creatively.

Rap Music:

1. Devil's Night [Clean]
2. Devil's Night [Clean]
3. Dogg Food [Explicit Lyrics]
4. Doggystyle [Enhanced] [Original recording remastered] [Clean]
5. Dreamz [CD-single] [Explicit Lyrics]
6. Four U [CD-single]
7. Game of Life [Explicit Lyrics]
8. God's Assassins
9. Hardest Hitz 2000 [Explicit Lyrics]
10. Hit List [Explicit Lyrics]

Rap Music

rap music

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