Road Island

1. For Openers (Welcome Home)

2. Still Not Satisfied

3. Kid No More

4. Feelin' Alive Again

5. How Can You Love Me

6. Fool Like Me

7. Ice Age

8. Endings

Road Island,Ambrosia,Wounded Bird Records,Adult Contemporary,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop,Soft Rock

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Road Island

Average customer rating: Decent Start...but hopefully a better one will come along A great Bon Jovi collection Cross Road Decent Beginner's Set BON JOVI AT THEIR BEST!!!

Cross Road Bon Jovi Manufacturer: Island / Mercury ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Have a Nice Day Crush Lost Highway Slippery When Wet This Left Feels Right: Greatest Hits With a Twist ASIN: B000001EC1 Release Date: 1994-10-18

Tracks:

1. Livin' On A Prayer
2. Keep The Faith
3. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
4. Always
5. Wanted Dead Or Alive
6. Lay Your Hands On Me
7. You Give Love A Bad Name
8. Bed Of Roses
9. Blaze Of Glory
10. Prayer '94
11. Bad Medicine
12. I'll Be There For You
13. In & Out Of Love
14. Runaway

Amazon.com

This best-of is loaded with the usual smash suspects plus three new cuts--the sub-Mellancamp "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night," the Bed of Roses-style ballad single "Always," and a low-key remake of "Living On A Prayer" titled "Prayer '94." Love 'em or not, there's no denying the loyalty of the fans. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

Decent Start...but hopefully a better one will come along.......2007-07-10

As far as greatest hits by the band, this I believe is the first one of studio cuts anyway. I saw this one in the Spring in the top Ten at Amazon, and was wondering why all the sudden interest in Bon Jovi, of course they did just come out with a new CD, and the new stuff is pretty good, me myself recently got the Remasters of their first 3 or 4 Cd's, and I admit that "Keep The Faith" was the last one I bought...But I did get the big box set of rarities 100 Million fans can't be wrong, so they are indeed my major rock guilty pleasure.

Is there no "Essential" Bon Jovi yet?, didn't see one...I was hoping for a 2 CD set of their hits along with a few deeper album cuts by now not that I need that, just that it would seem it's time for that since they've been around for 20 plus years now. Hopefully it isn't far off, this band deserves a better career collection than this one, I can't imagine the casual fan wanting this lacking set, even the order is strange. Of course the hardcore Bon Jovi fan likes about every one of their songs, maybe only 4 or 5 from the first album, but even I like most of the songs on 7800 degrees, and an essential would have to have Tokyo Road and Silent Night on it or I would not buy it. As far as Slippery, New Jersey...every song on those should be essential, maybe one or two left off...and that they are not on the greatest hits as this is known, is a major flaw. I'm thinking the ultimate Bon Jovi greatest hits set would have to have at least 4 songs each from the first two CD's, and then maybe 5 or 6 from Slippery, New Jersey, and Keep The Faith? That would fill out 2 Cd's I think and make a nice collection; better than this one for sure.

Hopefully fans new and old will get a better restrospective soon, this one is a nice start I guess, but I would highly recommend checking out their remastered catalog for more hits. They don't have many duds at all at least on their first 4 or 5 Cd's. The late 90's one's I don't know, perhaps an essential collection would contain some newer songs...but classic Bon Jovi is good enough for now.

A great Bon Jovi collection.......2007-06-09

For the most part, this is a great Bon Jovi collection. I do not equally enjoy every song on this album, but this collection includes nearly all of their early hits.

Cross Road.......2007-06-09

I love this CD, it's awesome, the songs are the best. Especially "Always", "Bed of Roses" and "I'll be there for you"

Decent Beginner's Set.......2007-05-22

For people who only know Bon Jovi from their "Have A Nice Day" and beyond years, "Cross Road" is a very good collection of tunes for them to check out. It gives the listener a solid set of their most popular tunes from their hair band heyday before they got all earthy/Mellencampy. This album is by no means a complete gathering of their greatest tunes. It leaves out at least two songs ("Living In Sin" and "Born To Be My Baby") and instead fills those holes with the dismal "Prayer '94," the forgettable "Always" and the harbinger of things to come, "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night." "Someday" is actually a very good modern roots rocker, but people don't buy greatest hits albums for the new songs. People buy this album for songs like the original "Livin' on a Prayer," "Wanted Dead Or Alive," "Bad Medicine," and "I'll Be There For You."

Lesser known tunes from their earliest offerings(particularly "Runaway") signal the beginnings of a great band to come. Later songs such as "Keep The Faith" and "Bed Of Roses" reveal a band in rock decline and quickly headed for the adult contemporary sound. In short, "Crossroad" gives the listener a pretty good take on how a band from Jersey made it big, leveled off, then headed for the sweet and steady success of light rock. Just to shake things up a bit, "Blaze Of Glory" from Jon Bon Jovi's solo "Young Guns II" project is included. Sadly, we do not get a sample from any of Richie Sambora's solo works. He really is a much better guitarist than he's given credit for, and it would have been nice for one of his tunes to be included in this collection.

I grew up during Bon Jovi's prime, and am proud to say that I own original cassette copies of "Slippery When Wet" and "New Jersey." Although they weren't my favorite hair/glam/hard rock band (that was Def Leppard), they were still one of the best around at the time. Bon Jovi is no longer the band they once were, but for people who want to know where they came from, this is the album to pick up.

BON JOVI AT THEIR BEST!!!.......2007-02-17

Words cannot describe how awesome BON JOVI is!!! I am their #1 fan and no other group in this world produces such quality / entertaining / heartfelt music. I RECOMMEND YOU BUY HAVE A NICE DAY and ALL OF THEIR CDs!!!

Average customer rating: Lustful Lucinda Williams is my ELVIS! Grreat Transaction - Fast A solid 5 stars Excellent CD from Lucinda Williams

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Lucinda Williams Manufacturer: Island / Mercury ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: West World Without Tears Essence Live @ The Fillmore Sweet Old World Accessories: Real Day ASIN: B000007Q8J Release Date: 1998-06-30

Tracks:

1. Right In Time
2. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
3. 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
4. Drunken Angel
5. Concrete And Barbed Wire
6. Lake Charles
7. Can't Let Go
8. I Lost It
9. Metal Firecracker
10. Greenville
11. Still I Long For Your Kiss
12. Joy
13. Jackson

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Six years in the making, Car Wheels somehow lives up to its lofty expectations because of Williams's direct songwriting and her wonderfully unaffected vocals. With assistance from cohorts such as Steve Earle, Williams uses the acoustic accents of Dobros, mandolins, slide guitars, and accordions to add color to her grooves, whispers, and rumbles. Her lyrics are undisguised as she presents to us the travelogue of her memory. We can't wait for 2004! --Marc Greilsamer

Amazon.com essential recording

Lucinda Williams makes this whole music thing seem so simple: Write in plain language about the people and places that crowd your memory; add subtle flavors of a mandolin here, a Dobro there, perhaps an accordion or slide guitar; above all, sing as honestly and naturally as you can. Of course, it took her six years to achieve this simplicity, an amazing achievement considering the number of knobs that were turned. Her exquisite voice moans and groans and slips and slides--she delivers a polished tone in a coarse manner. On the superb "Concrete and Barbed Wire," soft acoustic guitars are punctuated by electric slide, accordion, mandolin, and Steve Earle's harmony. Williams's deeply personal stories are matched with bluesy rumbles, raunchy grooves, and plaintive whispers. The entire Deep South is reduced to a sleepy small town filled with ex-lovers, dive bars, and endless gravel roads. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Lustful.......2007-06-09

If you're looking for a nice soothing CD to "set the mood"...then this CD album by Lucinda Williams should do the job quite nicely. There are a couple of songs that are just a bit "too country" for me...but the rest of the CD more than makes up for this minor deficiency.

Lucinda Williams is my ELVIS!.......2007-04-12

I am BLOWN AWAY by this album!

Only once or twice if you're lucky in a lifetime if you come across an artist with this level of creativity and talent.

"Too Cool to be Forgotten" - Hey Hey....this song will be remade by future generations of Rockers.

"On the way to Jackson" - A fantastic song that sounds like it's been around since pioneer days and yet it had just been CREATED by Lucinda!

"Lake Charles" - Oh my! What a DELICIOUS SONG!

I can't say ENOUGH how FANTASTIC this whole album is and I don't like writing long-winded reviews...but to give it justice - I would have to create a review as big as anyone's viewing area. Every song on this album is INCREDIBLE!

Every song...something that future generations will re-do. Way ahead of it's time in creativity and originality.

P.S. I've read a lot of people comparing Lucinda Williams with Patty Griffin. Hands down. No contest. Lucinda RULES though I also love Patty Griffin incredibly well.

Grreat Transaction - Fast.......2007-02-14

Recommend this seller highly - quick delivery and CD was perfect.

A solid 5 stars.......2007-01-20

This has become one of my desert island CDs - right along with Joni Mitchell's "Hejira", Bob Dylan's "Desire", Stevie Wonder's "(well, ALL of his 1970's music), Emmylou Harris' "Wrecking Ball", Neil Young's Crazy Horse stuff... The song that really gets me is "2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten" - for that incredibly liquid guitar sound. It's not my favorite song on the CD - that is "Lake Charles", but hey - the next time I listen I'll probably have another favorite song. Every single selection on this CD is a masterpiece of the genre - there is not a single throwaway track in sight. This is roots soul music - anyone who has ever lived on a farm, hitchhiked across the countryside, found themselves alone and come to terms with their own sense of being, been hammered by the storms of life and love - would find a lot to like about this music. Her voice is not polished, it is not a five octave mindblower, it is not smooth or pitch-perfect. What Lucinda William's voice is though is... real, powerful, compelling and very sexy. This vocalist writes songs perfectly fitted to her instrument, and then creates a sound that washes over me in a hundred layers all at once. That's damn fine music in my book...

Excellent CD from Lucinda Williams.......2007-01-09

The CD Car Wheels on a Gravel Road contents of rather good music numbers, many of the numbers are exceptionel good. E.G, Car Wheels... Joy and Still I Long for Your Kiss.

Average customer rating: The multi-talented Elton Elton John in top form. The Definetive Elton John album Elton! Elton! Elton John rocks strong and even does some "lighter" music to give us all a golden nugget of an album !!!

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Madman Across the Water Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy Tumbleweed Connection Honky Chateau Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player ASIN: B000001DQI Release Date: 1996-02-20

Tracks:

1. Funeral For A Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)
2. Candle In The Wind
3. Bennie And The Jets
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
5. This Song Has No Title
6. Grey Seal
7. Jamaica Jerk-Off
8. I've Seen That Movie Too
9. Sweet Painted Lady
10. The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34)
11. Dirty Little Girl
12. All The Girls Love Alice
13. Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'N Roll)
14. Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
15. Roy Rogers
16. Social Disease
17. Harmony

Amazon.com essential recording

Rarely mentioned as one of the great double albums, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road had to settle for ending up in a few million record collections. So sprawling that it doesn't quite measure up to the earlier, more laid-back Honky Chateau or the later, pushy Rock of the Westies, this still holds claim to a lot of brilliant, very pop-savvy music: the winking rebellion of "Bennie and the Jets" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," the ready-made nostalgia of "The Ballad of Danny Bailey," the downbeat melodicism of "Harmony." --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

The multi-talented Elton.......2007-07-17

Rightly this album is rated as the greatest album Elton John ever made. In fact its not my favourite but thats a different story.

The breadth of material on this is amazing. It opens with 'Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding' which is a stunning prog-rock overture followed seamlessly by a hard rock song. Remember before he became Elton John the young Reg Dwight auditioned for both King Crimson and Gentle Giant!
Following track 1 is the original and best version of Candle in the Wind. Sadly this tune has been overplayed... Bennie and the Jets is track 3. A great crowd pleaser (with artificial live feel on the track). This track was huge in the U.S. and it went to the top of the R&B charts. It also best displays Elton's Piano playing and has a completely unique feel to it.

The title track Goodbye Yellow Brick Road sounds like a standard that was written in the 40's or 50's. This is one of those songs that Elton will be remembered for in the decades to come.

On these opening tracks you can hear (but not see!) everything that made Elton such a huge star:
Primarily great song-writing, but also high quality musicianship - listen to Nigel Olsson's drumming or Davey Johnstone's guitar playing on this album.

With one exception the rest of the album maintains a similar high standard. Jamaica Jerk-Off is the one track I really don't like but there's 16 others so I'm not complaining!

Elton John in top form........2007-07-13

In 1973, Elton John released his first and only double-album, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". While he also made several other truly fantastic albums in that era, this one always stands out for me as being a completely flawless and true masterwork.

First off, the album opens with the epic "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" which easily ranks as one of my favorite songs of all time. The placement of the songs on this record make for smooth transitions between each song. There's never a track for me that makes me want to skip. Elton John is in top form here. While technically considered a "pop" album, it easily ranks next to such classic albums as Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", or Led Zeppelin's "Zoso". It's a mostly upbeat album, with a few mellower songs (Candle in the Wind, Sweet Painted Lady, I've Seen That Movie Too) and makes for a great album to bring along on a road trip.

It's not as compact and ragtime-ish as "Honkey Chateau", and not as personal as "Captain Fantastic", but it's downright fun the entire way through and will always stand as the pinnacle in Elton's career.

The Definetive Elton John album.......2007-06-21

If there was ever an album that defined the seventies, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" has got to be one of them. It is also the album that comes closest to being what Elton was about in his grandest. Extravagant, over-the-top, melodic and brash, this double album is probably how many from the period would describe both the album and the performer. As such, it redefined music and super stardom, and is a classic.

Stylistically, the 1973 version of Elton John and Bernie Taupin were now fearless. They were (to quote a line that eventually became part of "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy") turning them out thick and fast. There was the beautiful, melodic piano work on the title track and "Candle In The Wind," the hard rocking "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" and "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," the western looking "Social Disease" and the melodrama in "I've seen that movie too" and "Harmony." Seventeen near flawless songs over two albums, and that was following the breakthrough of "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" and the number one "Crocodile Rock" from earlier that same year.

It wasn't just the seeming effortlessness to Elton and Bernie's prolific pace that was so attractive, it was the extravagance. Elton's reputation as a showman had already become the stuff of legend, and in the feverish time of the seventies, he allowed that into the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" artowrk. The original album was a thing of ornate beauty, a triple-fold gate sleeve that expanded out to show Elton stepping into a magic kingdom in ruby red platform shoes. The inner-sleeves were decorated with illustrations for each lyric and the band photos. It was everything you wanted in an album at the time...the full experience. Something you really don't get from too many performers these days. (And better reproduced in the Deluxe "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.")

As such, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is as good as gold. I know it is a cliche, but they just don't make 'em like this anymore.

Elton! Elton!.......2007-06-08

This is one of my favorite Elton John albums. I had it on vinyl when it first came out (was that yesterday?) and bought it recently as a CD because of technology.

Elton John rocks strong and even does some "lighter" music to give us all a golden nugget of an album !!!.......2007-06-03

Elton John has enriched us all with his incredible artistry. He remains a prolific writer and he sings with all his heart. This double LP album entitled Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, here on one CD, shows us just a glimpse of Elton's great artistry in rock, reggae and "lighter" music as well.

The CD starts with one of Elton's greatest masterpieces entitled "Funeral For A Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)." Elton's piano and the work of his band make a smashing musical intro to a song about a love gone bad. Elton displays his raw emotion on this track as he sings about how "love lies bleeding in (his) hands."

The CD track set remains incredibly strong with "Candle In The Wind" and "Bennie And The Jets." "Candle In The Wind" explores how people can be misunderstood and abused and it uses Marilyn Monroe as an example. "Candle In The Wind" also features Elton's piano playing to reflect the sensitivity of the song. In addition, "Bennie And The Jets" paints a portrait of a fictional female rock star and her band. The rock beat on "Bennie And The Jets" is strong, solid and awesome.

The title track actually comes fourth on the set: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" allows Elton to sing of a supposedly beautiful and luxurious lifestyle that he realizes is not as special as he thought it would be. The use of the image of the yellow brick road to a better life from The Wizard Of Oz works well; and we see, just like Dorothy concluded, that there's no place like home.

If you REALLY want to hear Elton at his most versatile, listen to "This Song Has No Title." Elton plays farfisa organ, electric piano, mellotron AND piano!!! This number shines like pure gold and the mixing reflects excellent judgment. The melody of this song is wonderful.

On "Jamaica $erk-Off" Elton and the band turn out an excellent reggae tune that beckons to you to love it; Elton sings his praises for the island of Jamaica and Prince Rhino's "vocal interjections" rule!

Other gems on this CD include the stunningly beautiful "I've Seen That Movie Too;" for this song Elton sings of how he won't let himself be fooled by a woman who doesn't truly love him. The piano and percussion work wonders in the arrangement; and Del Newman's orchestral arrangement stuns you with its beauty. "Sweet Painted Lady" tells the story of a woman who "rents by the hour" as she "satisfies" the sailors in the port; Elton sings this with a type of sensitivity that I rarely experience. Del Newman once again gives "Sweet Painted Lady" a gorgeous orchestral arrangement. Excellent!!!

"All The Girls Love Alice" lets Elton sing about a young lady who enjoys pleasing some of the other girls in town; however the ending is most definitely glum. The musical arrangement shifts back and forth between a hard rockin' song and a type of love ballad with a much slower tempo and great key changes--and this impresses me greatly.

Of course, there's that Elton John classic number, "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting." This number showcases the youthful rebellion young people experience when they are starting their own lives separate from their parents. I can just envision all these young people marching and dancing through the streets chanting this anthem as they shake their fists in the air!

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. "Harmony," the last track on this CD, moves you with its sensitivity; and Elton delivers this with great panache. An excellent number to close the track set!

The liner notes feature an awesome essay by John Tobler; and you get all the lyrics and song credits. The beautiful art work enhances the liner notes as well.

Elton John is a living legend. Long after most "celebrities" are dead and forgotten, Elton John will remain in our hearts and minds because of his incredible music and his legendary performances. Thank goodness Elton has shared his work with us; and, if we're lucky, Elton will be performing for many more years to come.

Average customer rating: Great Songs... Not definitive: Selling Melissa short 4.5 Stars... Definitive overview of Mellisa Etheridge's career Coming Back To Her Window

Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled (Eco Friendly Packaging) Melissa Etheridge Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Lucky Yes I Am Skin Melissa Etheridge Never Enough ASIN: B000ND91RM Release Date: 2007-02-27

Tracks:

1. Refugee
2. Similar Features
3. Like The Way I Do
4. Bring Me Some Water
5. You Can Sleep While I Drive
6. No Souvenirs
7. Ain't It Heavy
8. I'm The Only One
9. Come To My Window
10. If I Wanted To
11. I Want To Come Over
12. Angels Would Fall
13. Lucky
14. Christmas In America
15. Piece Of My Heart (live at the Grammys)
16. This Is Not Goodbye
17. I Run For Life
18. I Need To Wake Up

Album Description

The Number 1's series is a brand-new line of CDs featuring #1 radio hits from the biggest names in music. This collection includes decade compilations as well as individual artist CDs and is being released by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) in its ground-breaking, environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable, continuing the company's long-standing commitment to being "green."

To further reduce the amount of paper in the Eco-Pack, the CD booklet will no longer be offered.UMe is the first North American music company to replace the traditional jewel case with recycled paperboard sleeves and the plastic tray with trays made from PaperFoam®, a new packaging technology from Shorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper, that is paper-recyclable and biodegradable. Shorewood Packaging is the first North American packaging supplier to produce disc trays from PaperFoam®.

Customer Reviews:

Great Songs..........2007-07-18

A moving tribute to our need to WAKE UP and change... Whatever that needs to be changed ouside needs first to be changed from the inside...

Not definitive: Selling Melissa short.......2007-07-08

Melissa Etheridge is, simply stated, one of the most important female artists of the last two decades. She not only made it as a woman rocking on her own terms, she also put her sexuality on the line and then made her personal battle with cancer into a public crusade. These qualities frame her as a person and are important markers of her integrity.

But more importantly, she has made some brilliant music with at least two five star albums. Both the debut and her breakthrough, "Yes I Am," are must-own records. Naturally, they are the two CD's from which the lion's share of "The Road Less Traveled" is culled; six of the 18 songs here. Add the six songs that are previously unreleased, and that leaves only six songs culled from the rest of Melissa's library.

The diference between this and the previous version is the addition of the Oscar winning "I Need To Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth." The CD booklet is gone to make it more environmentaly freindly and the plactic jewel box is replaced by a recycled paper shell with foam tray. While it changes the packaging, it doesn't change the fact that there are too many ommissions here to make it listener friendly.

This presents a problem. It leaves off such terrific popular favorites and singles. "Dance Without Sleeping," "Your Little Secret," "Breathe" and the entire contents of "Skin" wind up being neglected. That is not to say that "The Road Less Traveled" is a poor collection; it's just that it is not as thorough as it could have been.

As for the new material, it's all good stuff. Melissa's covers of Tom Petty's "Refugee" and (finally!) a studio version of Janis Jopin's "Piece Of My Heart" are, alone, worth the price of the disc. Her anthems of survival "This Is Not Goodbye" and "I Run For Life" are heartfelt and solid. Too bad the collection is a little too tame and not enough crazy. I am sure the inevitable double disc collection will eventually appear, but for now, "The Road Less Traveled" is a less than perfect primer.

4.5 Stars... Definitive overview of Mellisa Etheridge's career.......2007-07-02

Melissa Etheridge is one of the premier female singer-songwriters from this era, and after 8 studio albums, issued from 1988 to 2004, Melissa got a very deserved "Greatest Hits" treatment in 2005. Two years later, the album is reissued to include an unexpected development.

"Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled" (18 tracks, 76 min.) brings a terrific overview of Melissa's career. The set starts off with a nice new cover of the Tom Petty hit "Refugee". After that the set rolls chronologically. "The Way I Do" from her debut album is very typical of the "Etheridge sound": acoustic guitar driven rock-and-roll. I perseonally love that sound. 1993's "Yes I Am" album, arguably Melissa at her commercial peak, gets 3 tracks: "I'm The Only One", the beautiful "Come To My Window" (her biggest hit ever), and "If I Wanted To". Other highlights include "I Want To Come Over" and the new cover of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart".

The reissue comes with a new track, the excellent "I Need to Wake Up", which plays over the closing credits of the "Inconvenient Truth" documentary. The song went on to win the Oscar for Best Original Song in the 2007 Oscars. Overall, this makes the compilation just that much better than the original 2005 compilation. If you were on the fence about getting this, go ahead and buy this, surely the definitive Melissa Etheridge compilation.

Coming Back To Her Window.......2007-03-17

There are very few female singers that seem to show that their words come from the heart. While more of the artists are about the outside image like Jessica Simpson, Beyonce', and Kelly Clarkson, there are much fewer singer/songwriters that still sing with feeling and compassion. Melissa Etheridge is one of those who still has the drive and has definitely shown it the past few years. She had struggled and defeated her battle with breast cancer, and reclaimed herself as a defiant, down to Earth female performer. Her hits record which was released a few years ago, showed that she was good, but it didn't completely showcase her career definitively. Now that it has been re-issued, has it gotten any better?

Melissa Etheridge's 2007 re-released Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled, spans her near 20 year career with 18 tracks that are bold, and defiant to her voice. The songs here have all been remastered nicely, and sound better than they were released a few years ago. Although not much has changed on this record as before. The album still includes a lot of great tracks including I Want To Come Over, Come To My Window, I Am The Only One, and Ain't It Heavy. The album also includes her adult contemporary hit I Run For Life, and a cover of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Refugee. The only new addition in this reissuing is I Need To Wake Up, her Oscar-winning song from the Al Gore documentary, An Inconvient Truth. The song is very bold and speaks a clear message to life around us, and fits nicely in the package. Nevertheless, the album still overlooks a few great tracks like it did before such as Breathe, Your Little Secret, and her soulful song I Wanna Be In Love from her
album Skin.

Still, despte the record overlooking a few songs, Melissa Etheridge's Greatest Hits: The Road Less traveled isn't a bad record worth listening too, for anybody who doesn't own a Melissa Etheridge album. It is a little better than it was before. I still love listening to her music, and I hope she comes back with a new record soon. Even with all the stuff that is going on, many of us are still coming to her window for great music.

Album Cover: B

Songs: C+

Price: B

Remastering: B+

Overall: B-

Average customer rating: My review Melissa's Past Meets My Past Great collection and I Loved the new tunes! Melissa Rocks! Grabs you by the heart...

Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled Melissa Etheridge Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wildflower Souls Alike Where You Live Taking The Long Way Lucky ASIN: B000AMJE7S Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

1. Refugee
2. Similar Features
3. Like The Way I Do
4. Bring Me Some Water
5. You Can Sleep While I Drive
6. No Souvenirs
7. Ain't It Heavy
8. I'm The Only One
9. Come To My Window
10. If I Wanted To
11. I Want To Come Over
12. Angels Would Fall
13. Lucky
14. Christmas In America
15. Piece Of My Heart (live at the Grammys)
16. This Is Not Goodbye
17. I Run For Life

Album Description

This collection covers Melissa Etheridge's 17-year career in 17 dynamic songs, including hits like "Come to My Window," "I Want to Come Over," and "Bring Me Some Water." It also includes four new recordings: her simmering take on Tom Petty's "Refugee"; a reprise of "Piece of My Heart," which wowed the world in her stunning Grammy Awards show performance this past February; an emotional and heartfelt original song called "This Is Not Goodbye"; and the brand-new "I Run for Life," an inspiring anthem for those who, like Etheridge, have had their lives impacted by breast cancer. Regarding its release, Etheridge says, "I always thought that a greatest hits album was something to aspire to. When you got to the point in your career where you could have one, you did something right."

Etheridge has recorded eight albums over the course of her career. She has won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance twice: for the song "Ain't It Heavy" in 1992, and "Come to My Window" in 1994. In 1996, she was honored with the prestigious ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award. The Kansas-born singer/songwriter has sold more than 30,000,000 records worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

My review.......2007-04-01

Fantastic CD. Melissa's voice is so incredible, the passion that she has with each track makes this a must have

Melissa's Past Meets My Past.......2007-03-28

When I purchased this CD, I did so because Melissa sings a song very dear to my heart - I Run for Life. As an 11 year cancer survivor, I've never forgotten those with whom I shared the "dark" times with. The important thing that Melissa says and I believe is that we, as survivors, have to continue to represent those who have died, those like us who have survived and to support anyone in the future whose body is "darkened" by this disease. I'm with you Melissa... I run for life.

As I began listening to the entire CD, I heard songs from her past and some songs I had never heard before. All in all, I enjoy to this day listening to The Road Less Travelled, maybe that's because it is the road I usually take.

Rosemarie

Great collection and I Loved the new tunes!.......2007-03-28

There are several new songs on this album and they really do make it worth purchasing even if you own all of her other albums like I do. Sit back relax and enjoy. A wonderful collection from a fantastic artist.

Melissa Rocks!.......2007-01-17

I am a huge fan of Melissa Etheridge. I love this cd. While none of the songs are new I feel that all of them come together to pull off a stellar Greatest Hits. Some of these songs I haven't heard before because I don't own all of Melissa's CDs yet but I will eventually. You won't be disappointed...this is a cd you can listen to over and over again and never get bored.

Grabs you by the heart..........2007-01-14

Yes, she speaks to your heart, mind and soul. You can read between the lines, of her passionate relationships with lovers past, the hurt, the yearning, the pain of abandonment, the fire of love and jealousy. After her bout with Cancer, she wrote some very touching songs about this experience. All that she sings sounds true to the core of one's heart, it is what she means. Great rock sound, too! Go Melissa! She is the best!

Average customer rating: Deluxe in every way Great Concert in South Philly A great album gets a polish Nice extras, horrible sound Yes, clearly worth trading up

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Lucinda Williams Manufacturer: Island / Mercury ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: West Live at the Fillmore East Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD) Real Live Roadrunning (with DVD) Not Too Late ASIN: B000IMUY42 Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

1. Right In Time
2. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
3. 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
4. Drunken Angel
5. Concrete And Barbed Wire
6. Lake Charles
7. Can't Let Go
8. I Lost It
9. Metal Firecracker
10. Greenville
11. Still I Long For Your Kiss
12. Joy
13. Jackson
14. Down The Big Road Blues
15. Out Of Touch
16. Still I Long For Your Kiss

Tracks:

1. Pineola
2. Something About What Happens When We Talk
3. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
4. Metal Firecracker
5. Right In Time
6. Drunken Angel
7. Greenville
8. Still I Long For Your Kiss
9. 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
10. Can't Let Go
11. Hot Blood
12. Changed The Locks
13. Joy

Amazon.com

This 1998 Grammy-winning release--Lucinda Williams's popular breakthrough--certainly merits the double-disc "deluxe edition" treatment. And it's hard to find significant fault with anything here: the remastered version of the original album, the second-disc live performance from that year featuring guitarists Kenny Vaughn and Bo Ramsey, and the smattering of outtakes (highlighted by a slower, sadder version of "Out of Touch" than the one Williams ended up releasing). Yet the set misses a glorious opportunity to document one of the more laborious (and notorious) recording projects, one that saw Williams switch cities, studios, and producers three times before she was satisfied with the results. And while the results confirm her judgment, fans would likely find it fascinating to hear a lot more takes from the original Austin sessions (featuring accordion master Flaco Jimenez and keyboardist Ian McLagan) or outtakes from the Nashville sessions with producer Steve Earle, before Williams overhauled the project in Los Angeles with Springsteen keyboardist Roy Bittan. Such a set could have put a revelatory spotlight on the creative process that resulted in an album widely regarded as Williams's masterpiece; instead, this release is more like souvenir snapshots. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Deluxe in every way.......2007-06-28

Lucinda Williams may be notoriously slow in releasing albums, but such laborious love for her craft is evident in her choice to reissue Car Wheels on a Gravel Road as part of a new deluxe edition set. The set, which combines a remastered version of the original album and live cuts from her performance at Penn's Landing during the WXPN Singer Songwriter Festival, is a collector's dream. Outtakes and new versions of favorite tunes done live make the investment worthwhile. As always, however, Williams own gravelly, soulful tone combined with realistic lyrics ("conversation with you was like a drug.../cause there's something about what happens when we talk") easily remind us of our faults, our successes and why we love her in the first place. She could be us, singing about the troubles in life without bemoaning them or harping too long on the choices that brought them. Her musical gestures resonate similarly--perfect chords, never a note too long or inappropriately placed. Beautiful tone combined with the hearty ability of this songstress lulls you into retrospective bliss. This double CD set can bring you up, remind you why you're down and can easily please a crowd of diverse fans.

Great Concert in South Philly.......2007-03-15

Up from DC to visit a woman I'd just started dating and she suggested going to the WXPN free festival being held right along the Delaware. Southern Culture on the Skids were just finishing, but we were there to see the sometime associate of Steve Earle, who my friend adored.

The next act was nothing short of revelatory. The guitars dueled to incredible intensity, the songs were simply brilliant, and I was completely enamored by the singer in jeans and cowboy hat. My friend was a little put out by my rapt attention, but I just couldn't help it. Lucinda Williams was performing the most magical show I had seen in more than a decade.

I went from zero to all of her stuff within a couple of days and caught a few more shows up through Essence. During that stretch, I know of no stronger composer and performer; and her rendition of Masters of War was enough to make you want to take to the streets.

Anyway, great album, great show, great artist in her prime. You'd be hard pressed to do better.

A great album gets a polish.......2007-01-30

Lucinda's quintessential album gets a bit of a production polish with this reissue that falls just short of a 10th anniversary. Yes, Disc One of this edition contains the original material from "Car Wheels," but, in my opinion, the songs sound MUCH, MUCH better - crisper, clearer, with greater definition. There was nothing wrong with the original production, but this one just pops out of my headphones and car stereo speakers with a bit more oomph.

Three added-value tracks follow "Jackson," the album closer. "Out of Touch" ended up on her "Essence" CD, and I think that version is the better one, but this early attempt is still interesting to hear. "Down the Big Road Blues" is a tremendous tune that did not make the final cut, probably because it's more of a pure blues number, unlike the material that did make it. And who can resist any version of "Still I Long For Your Kiss"? This music is sexy as hell!

"Car Wheels" is one of my favorite albums, and ranks alongside "World Without Tears" as my favorite Lucinda record. She's a phenomenal songwriter, able to craft deeply personal lyrics that have universal value, and has a voice to rival Bono's in its uniqueness. (Just as you'd recognize Bono's voice almost instantly, so Lucinda's is easily recognized.) She sparkles on the second disc of this release, recorded live in Philadelphia back in 1998. Lucinda and her band burn through a great set that includes "Joy," "Hot Blood," "Changed the Locks" and "2 Kool 2 B Forgotten."

I'm not a big fan of reissues, but this is no retread, this is the ultimate version of a fantastic album.

Nice extras, horrible sound.......2007-01-28

Add one more title to the list of unfortunate recent remastering jobs: Lucinda Williams' "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road".

I listened to the new version of "Car Wheels" (one of my two favorite Lucinda albums) through headphones for the first time last night and couldn't get beyond the second track. By now, this is a familiar story - anemic bass, too high volume levels that distort at normal listening levels, and shrill, harsh sound. It also sounds hollow and "phasey", which to me suggests low-bit-rate mp3s. There's no clipping, but every track is mastered at the maximum peak level (something which shouldn't happen given the variety exhibited in these songs).

If you've still got the original CD, hold on to it because that sounds wonderful, with warmth, texture, visceral bass. It rocks.

What happened to this disc answers one question. When it comes to reissues of older albums, I've often wished that the remasters could be compared to the original tapes, or even to an LP. Maybe the warmth and texture in the original CDs were actually the byproduct of analog distortion and deteriorating tapes. But when Cream's "Disraeli Gears" and Lucinda's "Car Wheels" have undergone almost exactly the same changes, that tells me the people doing the remastering are just willfully altering it to their own peculiar tastes. (I should have been forewarned by how badly the Universal "deluxe edition" of The Who's great debut album turned out. Lost Highway has denied having anything to do with this reissue, so I assume Universal is again to blame.)

Reviewing the "sound" of this reissue on a car stereo or portable player is missing the point. Does anyone even know what a well-recorded and reproduced piece of music sounds like anymore?

Yes, clearly worth trading up.......2007-01-06

The original Car Wheels is a five-star album if there ever was one. This landmark work is beyond question on of the finest albums of the 1990s. But you probably already know that. But does it really sound better, as there is some debate in this review section? (And the original is hardly shabby.) First, the difference in my pretty good car system (VW Monsoon, so nothing truly special) was not suble, if that's any help. If you have anything approaching a high-end system in your home or car, this is an easy call. The instruments just jump out of the speakers in a way the original mastering did not. Second, the added songs are certainly worth it. Third, the live set is mandatory if you love Lucinda; it was a great period of her live performances. So there you have it. And if you're new to Lucinda, it is hard to figure any down side to buying this. Get it.

Average customer rating: Three Cheers for the Irish!!! Ellis Island song brings tears to my eyes How Are Things In Glocca Morra? How Are Things In Glocca Morra? The Best Historical CD Ever!

Ellis Island The Irish Tenors , Brendan Graham , Chauncey Olcott , Irish Traditional , Johnny Cash , John Francis Patterson , Dermot MacMurrough , C. Kirkham , Eric Bogle , Burton Lane , Thomas Osbourne Davis , Irving Berlin , and Frank McNamara Manufacturer: Music Matters ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Irish Tenors | ( I ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Ireland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Tenors | Voices | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Celtic | Europe | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of The Irish Tenors The Irish Tenors / McNamara, McDermott, Kearns, Tynan Live in Belfast Home for Christmas Heritage ASIN: B000059TBG Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

1. Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
2. My Wild Irish Rose
3. Love Thee Dearest
4. Forty Shades of Green
5. Courtin' in the Kitchen
6. The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door
7. I'll Tell My Ma
8. Macushla
9. Slievenamon
10. The Green Fields of France
11. Trasna Na Dtonnta (Over The Waves)
12. Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile (Long Life to You on Your Homecoming)
13. An Poc Ar Buile (The Mad Goat)
14. The Rose of Tralee
15. The Old Bog Road
16. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
17. The Croppy Boy
18. A Nation Once Again
19. Let There Be Peace
20. Danny Boy
21. God Bless America

Product Description

1. Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears
2. My Wild Irish Rose
3. Love Thee Dearest
4. Forty Shades Of Green
5. The Courtin Medley
A. Courtin, In The Kitchen
B. The Stone Outside Dan Murphy s Door
C. I ll Tell My Ma
6. Macushla
7. Slievenamon
8. The Green Fields Of France
9. The Irish Medley
A. Transna Na Dtonnta (Over The Waves)
B. Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile (Long Life To You On Your Homecoming)
C. An Poc Ar Buile (The Mad Goat)
10. The Rose Of Tralee
11. The Old Bog Road
12. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
13. The Croppy Boy
14. A Nation Once Again
15. Let There Be Peace
16. Danny Boy
17. God Bless America

Format: CD

Amazon.com

The Irish Tenors' fourth album sees the trio of Anthony Kearns, Ronan Tynan, and Finbar Wright paying a sentimental musical tribute to Ellis Island, the hallowed landmark that met the majority of immigrants entering the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Needless to say, the Tenors' repertoire this time around is full of reflective ballads of love, loss, and homesickness, including the original "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears" that opens this disc. Throughout this studio recording, the Irish Tenors are in fine form and backed by a soft-hued orchestra that never interferes with their soaring vocals. Traditional tunes include "My Wild Irish Rose," "How Are Things in Glocca Mora," and, of course, "Danny Boy" (the last sung by all three tenors, with refreshingly simple solo piano accompaniment). Thankfully, the threesome didn't forget that the immigrants had fun, too, as evidenced by some lighthearted fare; "The Courtin' Medley" features the Tenors at their most upbeat and comical. Ellis Island is a moving aural portrait of the struggles and triumphs of the Irish émigrés and a must-have for fans of the threesome. Newcomers may enjoy the Tenors' debut disc even more, as the earlier live album is a slightly more upbeat and spirited affair. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Three Cheers for the Irish!!!.......2007-05-30

A glorious concert in a historic setting, with all involved in top notch form. Finbar finds a great old Johnny Cash number, Ronan sings a Glocka
Mora to end all, and Anthony Kearns sings murderously difficult versions
of Macushla and The Croppy Boy like an angel. And their Courtin' and Irish
Medleys, and their "Nation Once Again" trios are simply glorious glees.

With the benefit of a grand theme, this is perhaps the best, and best balanced, of all their programs.

Ellis Island song brings tears to my eyes.......2006-03-17

This magical album crosses oceans and centuries and puts me in touch with my Irish ancestry. The title song tells a story similar to my greatgrandmother's and even though I've heard it many times now, I still weep for her.

How Are Things In Glocca Morra?.......2004-04-16

Long a fan of Irish music, I have turned to a series of artists to satiate my appetite. Bing Crosby and John McCormick have been succeeded by the Irish Tenors.

This CD has a bit more of an Irish American theme as "Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears" and "God Bless America" illustrate. Interspersed among these tunes are traditional Irish tunes such as "Macushla" and "Croppy Boy", along with newer songs, such as "The Green Fields Of France" and "How are Things In Glocca Morra?"

The singing is excellent, the words understandable. I appreciate the inclusion the lyrics of the songs contained on the insert of the cover. These are songs you will want to learn, whose stories you will want to research. I have. Listen again and again!

How Are Things In Glocca Morra?.......2004-04-16

Long a fan of Irish music, I have turned to a series of artists to satiate my appetite. Bing Crosby and John McCormick have been succeeded by the Irish Tenors.

This CD has a bit more of an Irish American theme as "Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears" and "God Bless America" illustrate. Interspersed among these tunes are traditional Irish tunes such as "Macushla" and "Croppy Boy", along with newer songs, such as "The Green Fields Of France" and "How are Things In Glocca Morra?"

The singing is excellent, the words understandable. I appreciate the inclusion the lyrics of the songs contained on the insert of the cover. These are songs you will want to learn, whose stories you will want to research. I have. Listen again and again!

The Best Historical CD Ever!.......2003-11-21

I think this is best CD since Live in Belfast! it also has 2 songs not included on the video! it's a unique album of how the immigration to Ellis Island and New York turned out. It also has songs of the war such as The Green Fields Of France (The Best One) or, the croppy boy. I would recommend this to anyone!

Average customer rating: Classic Concert LP from a Great Band Traffic's second live album more gutiar! Twenty-five years later, it just gets better! Excellent Album

On the Road Traffic Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Live Albums | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory Welcome to the Canteen When the Eagle Flies Last Exit Low Spark of High Heeled Boys ASIN: B000096FSU Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

1. Glad./Freedom Rider
2. Tragic Magic
3. (Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired
4. Shoot Out At Fantasy Factory
5. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
6. Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys

Customer Reviews:

Classic Concert LP from a Great Band.......2007-03-01

30 years on and this album sounds as fresh and exciting as it did in the 70's. Fantastic songs, fantastic musicianship, fantastic improvisation. One of my all-time favorites.

Traffic's second live album.......2007-01-08

This is a really great live album featuring improvised versions of songs from John Barleycorn, Low Spark, and Shootout At The Fantasy Factory. Barry Beckett was added to the band's lineup to help out on keys. The release opens up with a version of Glad/Freedom Rider that, back in the old days, took up the entire first side. the rest of this release finds the band giving the same treatment to Low Spark and Fantasy Factory songs. Tragic Magic is a pretty Chris Wood instrumental. Sometimes I Feel So Uninspired is a classic among classic Steve Winwood songs. Shootout is a fun rock and Roll number as is Light Up Or Leave Me Alone. The album ends in fine fashion with a cool version of Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys. This album also features no overlap in songs that are on the band's first live album Welcome To The Canteen. Now if only we could get them to release the unreleased live album from Fillmore East 11/70 on cd and Santa Monica '71 on DVD we'd be set.

more gutiar!.......2006-11-03

altho it's noted in these other reviews i have to mention the thrill for me is hearing so much winwood playing gutiar. when i would see them in the 70's he wouldn't play as much as he does on here but everytime he picked up his axe my jaw would drop, thinking this guy is great on this insturment, (no slouch on piano mind you..) so what a treat to here him do so many solos on here!

Twenty-five years later, it just gets better!.......2005-12-06

I got this album for Christmas during my sophmore year in high school shortly after its release and I truly enjoyed it through college and beyond. But, in the early '80's, I boxed and then lost most of my records. I finally replaced it and recieved it yesterday. After twenty-five years, it is better than ever. It dove tails perfectly with "Welcome to the Canteen". Great music.

I have enjoyed listening to this more than any CD I've purchased in recent memory.

Can't say enough.

Excellent Album.......2005-12-06

I bought this album in 1973 after it received an excellent review from Richard Williams in the London Times. Most Americans have probably never heard of Williams, but he was also a presenter on the Old Grey Whistle Test, an influential TV rock show in the UK. I was something of a rock snob and already owned Welcome to the Canteen so I had to buy this album. It's an album I still love, but it's not for everybody.

On the Road pushed Traffic into jazz / Grateful Dead territory. At times it can ramble and sound a little unfocused to people who like 3-5 minutes songs. The studio version of Low Spark was already 11 minutes long, but on this album it is stretched to 18 minutes. Back in 1973 most of my friends didn't really 'get' this album: Prog-rock and metal were king. So I have some reservations about recommending it whole-heartedly, but it has aged much better than most of the popular albums from that time.

By 1973,Traffic had become mainly a vehicle for Steve Winwood. Winwood plays guitar and piano and is in fine singing form. Winwood plays some excellent guitar solos but tends to noodle on piano. Capaldi and Rebop add percussion. Chris Wood contributes sax and flute. Wood and Capaldi contribute a song apiece.

For this album three Muscle Shoal players are added: Roger Hawkins (drums), Barry Beckett (keyboards) and David Hood Hood (bass). They are all master musicians and were used by Paul Simon on his There Goes Rhymin' Simon which also came out that year. It's Beckett's piano solo on Kodachrome.

The version of (Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired is one of my favorite all time tracks tracks. It's 11 minutes long, and builds slowly, starting with Beckett's piano and Winwood singing. The drums and bass then come in and Winwood then adds guitar. His solos are beautiful but not flashy.

I feel a little nostalgic for this era, when bands regularly experimented and pushed boundaries. Since the 1980s we have had shorter songs and fewer solos. Steve Winwood's glossy and pragmatic solo work is an unfortunate example of how things changed.

Average customer rating: Love it MYSTERY & WHISPER IN TOP 30 EVER Brings back memories Classic dnc Good, But Not Great

Mystery Road Drivin' N' Cryin' Manufacturer: Fontana Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fly Me Courageous Ultimate Collection Wrapped in Sky Drivin' N' Cryin' The Essential Live Drivin' N' Cryin' ASIN: B000001FUM Release Date: 1990-06-15

Tracks:

1. Ain't It Strange
2. Toy Never Played With
3. Honeysuckle Blue
4. With The People
5. Wild Dog Moon
6. House For Sale
7. Peacemaker
8. You Don't Know Me
9. Malfunction Junction
10. Straight To Hell
11. Syllables

Customer Reviews:

Love it.......2006-11-06

I first heard the group on a radion station while living in the South and loved the way they sang. When I moved back to the West Coast I decided to buy the CD and love the whole thing.

MYSTERY & WHISPER IN TOP 30 EVER .......2006-07-11

Drivin n Cryin and Led Zeppelin are my two favorite bands ever. Mystery Road & Whisper Tames The Lion are DNC at their best.

This and Whisper include some of the best southern/bluegrass/folk/laid back music on the planet.

All the songs are great! My absolute favorites are:

AIN'T IT STRANGE
TOYS NEVER PLAYED WITH
WILD DOG MOON
PEACEMAKER
MALFUNCTION JUNCTION

Brings back memories.......2006-01-04

This was the current release when dnc played the yearly Winterfest concert at my high school in Chattanooga, TN. That was probably the loudest show hosted at the school up to that point, and one of the biggest names to play one of the Winterfest shows.

I was a sophmore at the time, and found their music to be different than most of what was popular at that point. While it's possible to mindlessly sing along, most of the words of all the dnc songs have some sort of meaning, like the helplessness of an elderly man losing his home in "House For Sale," and pride in Southern scenery found in "Honeysuckle Blue." And who hasn't been drunk and belted along to "Straight To Hell?"

While this album was the current one at the time of the show, the band treated us to some cuts from the soon-to-be-released "Fly Me Courageous."

This album is a good one to look at the band when their reputation was building, and their sound was evolving toward the hard-rock sound that brought them onto MTV.

Classic dnc.......2005-06-22

This record remains the favorite of most dnc fans, since it comes from their most creative and unique period. Continuing the previous record's ("The Whisper Tames the Lion") balancing act between hard rock and folk, "Mystery Road" brings these two aspect's of the band's sound closer together by delving into southern rock--"Toy Never Played With," "Wild Dog Moon," and the anthemic "Honeysuckle Blue"--and by upping the ante on the folk/country side with the top-notch writing (veering from story-song and socio-political rant) of "Ain't it Strange," "With the People," "Peacemaker," and the band's signature song "Straight to Hell," a trash-country sing-along if ever there was one. And I haven't even mentioned "Wild Dog Moon," a "Rocket Queen"-style anthem. In 1989, reviewers were apt to mislabel the band as "southern rock," but it's more than that. If your tastes include Neil Young, Son Volt, or like bands, then you might like "Mystery Road."

Good, But Not Great.......2005-06-10

For the longest time the only DNC album I had was "Fly Me Courageous". This album was so out-
standing I couldn't believe this band wasn't huge. After hearing "Mystery Road" I think I have a
better understanding. This isn't a bad album by any stretch, but it doesnt have the same
infectious grooves as FMC. The best songs on this album can be found on other compilation albums,
most notably, "The Essential Live Drivin N' Cryin" which I own; "Honeysuckle Blue", "Straight To
Hell", "Peacemaker" and "House For Sale" can all be found on the live album in much stronger
form. For the just-curious or beginning DNC fan I would recommend this route.

Average customer rating: They saved the best for last Was This Too Little, Too Late? "Road Island"...At Last! Return to form One step closer to breaking up

Road Island Ambrosia Manufacturer: Wounded Bird Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Life Beyond L.A. Ambrosia One Eighty Somewhere I've Never Travelled The Secret Of Movin' On ASIN: B0006Q0XW8 Release Date: 2005-01-18

Tracks:

1. For Openers (Welcome Home)
2. Still Not Satisfied
3. Kid No More
4. Feelin' Alive Again
5. How Can You Love Me
6. Fool Like Me
7. Ice Age
8. Endings

Customer Reviews:

They saved the best for last.......2006-10-26

Many Ambrosia critics would say "One Eighty" is the best album because of the several hits that made the Billboard charts. I say...WHO CARES? Even though "Road Island" is the least known of Ambrosia's 5 albums, I think that it's the best one they ever did. It has a little bit harder feel than the previous 4, but that's what makes it so great. It still retains that old Ambrosia sound throughout the whole album. My favorite track is "Endings..." because it's sooooo beautiful (for an Ambrosia song.) I think it was fitting for the last song of the last album. I'm sure that many other fans could agree and say "Why in the heck did they break up after 'Road Island'?" I've heard it was because "Road Island" wasn't as successful as "One Eighty", but I say...who cares? I'm sure there was more going on than any of us know. Overall, I'd say that "Road Island", regardless of critic reviews or its popularity, is a great album to finish your Ambrosia collection. I just hope that one day Pack, Puerta, Drummond, and North can set aside their differences and release another album together.

Was This Too Little, Too Late?.......2006-02-12

Prior to buying this CD I had only heard one song from it... Still Not Satisfied. This appears on the Ambrosia Anthology CD release in 1997. It's a great song! I was a BIG fan of Ambrosia when they first came out, but felt abandoned when they turned to pop rock. I never bought anymore of their records after Life Beyond L.A. It was a disappointment too! The first song For Openers (Welcome Home) has drums in it that remind me of the Eagles song Those Shoes. Overall, it's a good song. It also has guitar sounds and special effects that remind me of many bands in the 80's. Kid No More is a catchy rock n' roll style song. I could have done without the screaming in the middle of it. Feelin' Alive Again...a pop love ballad sang by David Pack. How Can You Love Me is another lively pop song, but may be one of the best songs on this one. Fool Like Me appears to be an attempt that borders on a Contemporary Christian song. It has some odd lyrics..that even kind of reminds me of early Kansas. Ice Age is definitely a progressive-rock song with strange electronics and sounds in it. Try listening to this one with headphones. Endings is a beautiful song and is probably my favorite on this CD. This really is a good CD that is virtually unknown to many Ambrosia fans. I was glad to see that the price had dropped down to $13.99. But, I must ask myself was this recording too little, too late for most fans who were alienated by previous albums???

"Road Island"...At Last!.......2005-12-11

In the ROAD ISLAND recording (1982), Ambrosia really shows a compositional maturity (music & lyrics) that express an artistic emotional peak, different from their previous efforts. Passing through the Hard & Jazzy Rock formats to Progressive relative tracks: the performed songs are arranged with great vocal textures and amazing hypnotic fast rhythms like the fantastic "Still Not Satisfied" or the Oriental percussive "Kid No More", both tracks sang by the bass player Joe Puerta. Into another songs, we can listen the talented guitarist singer David Pack, singing great tracks like the heavy-Prog relative "For Openers", or the rhythmic Pop single "How Can You Love Me", the Progressive relative theme "Ice Age" and the romantic ballad "Endings", as the sucesor theme for "How Much I feel" (from the LIFE BEYOND L.A. album). Without a doubt, ROAD ISLAND and ONE EIGHTY, are the best recordings of the band ever, so don't lose this new opportunity to listen this underrated recording. A must for the Ambrosia fans...Good Luck!

Return to form.......2005-11-28

After their first two albums, Ambrosia seemed to shift gear and move towards soft R&B and pop fluff. Life Beyond LA, apart from its singles, seemed morose and bland. One Eighty was a bit more energetic but still lightweight and starting to get silly. Buying this CD, I was expecting to hear more of the same, and find a just a few tracks that I liked on this album. But they actually gave it their all for this! Every song is good, and most are EXCELLENT! The lyrics give away the fact the band knew they were recording their last album.

The opening song sounds very much like Pink Floyd (probably because the album is produced by Pink Floyd engineer James Guthrie). A tiny bit bland compared to the rest of the album, but it's an acceptable opener to this album. Very heavy song.

Still Not Satisfied is a very good song, just prog rock enough to make it interesting. Good harmonies and awesome groove.

Not A Kid Anymore is a bit 80s huey lewis style cheesey, but the manic marimba solo (and top notch playing) redeems it. If they had made this a bit heavier or something it might have sounded better. It's still better than most of the stuff off the previous two albums. The screaming parts in the middle would work better if the whole thing was more heartfelt, instead it just comes off as silly.

Feeling Alive Again is a beautiful McCartneyish ballad. Outstanding vocals by David Pack. When this song is fading out it sounds absolutely majestic. This is what music is about.

How Can You Love Me is an good song, not particularly original but with good harmonies and playing. A bit dated sounding, the 80s crept into this track too.

Fool Like Me is an achingly beautiful song that sounds vaguely like Genesis on Then There Were Three, with a soaring guitar and a wistful, noodling keyboard solo, and some of the most reflective lyrics Joe Puerta has written.

Ice Age is a very creative prog rock song with innovative (for the time) use of technology. Synchronized echoing vocal lines and a very heavy drum sound, and of course time signature changes.

Endings is a good song to close the album with, a bit of a Beach Boys sound to the vocals and a haunting electric piano break.

If you liked their first few albums but wondered what happened after that, you'll definitely like this album!

One step closer to breaking up.......2005-10-05

For one reason or another,Amobrosia decided to call it quits after this (original)1982 release. Two years earlier,their ONE EIGHTY album spawned two Top 20 hits,BIGGEST PART OF ME and YOU'RE THE ONLY WOMAN. The band recorded this album in England instead of their native California where their predecessors were recorded. This album was originally distributed by Warner Bros.,the same label that distributed 1978's LIFE BEYOND L.A. and ONE EIGHTY. Also,on that same label,the band's 1975 self-titled debut and 1976's SOMEWHERE I NEVER TRAVELLED were re-released along with the original release of LIFE BEYOND L.A.. The debut album and SINT were originally released on the now-defunct 20th Century Fox label. STILL NOT SATISFIED,from this album was recycled for the 1997 ANTHOLOGY compilation(currently available as Ambrosia's Greatest Hits). HOW CAN YOU LOVE ME? is pretty cool. You could hear the band's updated sound of the semi-hard rock. HCYLM was recycled for another compilation,THE ESSENTIALS(all tracks previously released). Bruce Hornsby joined Ambrosia on tour promoting ROAD ISLAND. Then Hornsby formed Bruce Hornsby & The Range and elected Ambrosia bass guitarist-lead vocalist Joe Puerta to play bass(for BH&TR). Lead Guitarist-lead vocalist David Pack would later record a solo album,ANYWHERE YOU GO on WB,released in 1985. That same year,PROVE ME WRONG from AYG would appear in the Columbia film WHITE NIGHTS and on the soundtrack album. Also,Pack joined forces with a close friend,ex-Doobie Brother Michael McDonald,producing and co-writing a few songs for McDonald's second album,NO LOOKING BACK. The Doobie Brothers disbanded along with Ambrosia. In 1989,both the Doobie Brothers and Ambrosia reformed. However,in the case of the Doobies,they reformed with only the original members(McDonald was not one of them). Between the disbanding and reforming of Ambrosia,drummer Burleigh Drummond co-founded Tin Drum with his wife Mary. Puerta quit BH&TR when Ambrosia reformed. Just recently,Pack decided to quit the reformed Ambrosia because of a matter regarding the band that angered him. In fact,Ambrosia wound up disbanding for the second time. Original tracks from the Greatest Hits compilation are MAMA DON'T UNDERSTAND,SKY IS FALLING(in the style of BH&TR) and a new version of I JUST CAN'T LET GO from AYG(basically the same track,just different percussion). IJCLG is actually a trio number between Pack,McDonald and James Ingram.

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