2Pac Pac's Life | 3.0 |
Arcade Fire Neon Bible | 3.0 |
Bay Faction Bay Faction | 5.0 |
Big Audio Dynamite This Is Big Audio Dynamite | 3.0 |
Big Country The Seer | 4.5 |
Big Country The Crossing | 5.0 |
Black Flag My War | 3.5 |
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Baby 81 | 4.0 |
Bob Dylan Modern Times | 3.5 |
Bob Dylan Desire | 4.0 |
Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind | 4.5 |
Bob Marley and The Wailers Catch A Fire | 5.0 |
Bob Marley and The Wailers Legend | 5.0 |
Bob Seger Face the Promise | 2.5 |
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet | 1.5 |
Bon Jovi Lost Highway | 2.5 |
Boston Don't Look Back | 2.0 |
Boston Boston | 3.0 |
Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time | 1.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. | 3.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Hammersmith Odeon London '75 | 3.0 |
Bruce Springsteen The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle | 3.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. | 3.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Lucky Town | 3.5 |
Bruce Springsteen The Rising | 4.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Tunnel of Love | 4.0 |
Bruce Springsteen We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions | 4.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Live in Dublin: With the Sessions Band | 4.0 |
Live In Dublin: Bruce Springsteen With The Sessions Band was recorded on the final leg of a world tour that saw Bruce and company take their brand of loud folk music to fans and the newly converted alike, and if you saw the group early in the tour you were sure to be pleased. But its obvious from this recording the best was yet to come.
It pays to note that as good as the chosen material is for this album, whether taken from last years Seeger Sessions album or newer additions, among the standout cuts are Bruce's own originals, several of which mix nicely side by side with the traditional numbers .
This is a loud, full bodied, revivalist celebration of folk / traditional music. With back up singers, a full horn section, banjo, piano, organ, percussion, steel guitar, pennywhistle, and maybe even a little washboard, the performances on Live In Dublin are straight forward and bold from the beginning. |
Bruce Springsteen Working on a Dream | 4.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Nebraska | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen The River | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Magic | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball | 4.5 |
Chris Cornell Carry On | 2.5 |
Christina Aguilera Stripped | 2.5 |
Christina Aguilera Back to Basics | 3.5 |
Concrete Blonde The Essential | 3.5 |
David Lee Roth Strummin' With The Devil | 3.0 |
Deep Purple Machine Head | 2.5 |
Dinosaur Jr. Where You Been | 3.5 |
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper | 3.5 |
Duran Duran Rio | 1.5 |
Elvis Costello The River In Reverse | 4.0 |
Born of the hurricane Katrina disaster that destroyed a major American city in one fell swoop, this soulful, deeply spiritual release finds Elvis Costello and the Imposter's engaged with legendary New Orleans R&B piano man Allen Toussaint for a set of his classics, several newly penned collaborations, and just a little bit of protest. Costello shines on vocals doing the old standards while Toussaint lays down tasty piano work throughout, but the real revelations come on those several newly written songs and the Costello penned title track. And what was simply to be a "songbook" record of Costello doing Toussaint covers was instead turned into a thoughtful, bluesy, gospel infused album of pain, hope and despair, and a testament to the hardship of overcoming. A must listen for any Costello, Toussaint, or music fan in general. |
Elvis Costello This Year's Model | 4.5 |
Emerson Lake and Palmer Works Volume 1 | 2.0 |
Everclear Slow Motion Daydream | 3.0 |
Everclear Welcome To The Drama Club | 3.0 |
Everclear So Much For The Afterglow | 4.0 |
Everclear Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 1 | 4.0 |
Fiona Apple The Idler Wheel... | 4.5 |
Fleetwood Mac Rumours | 4.5 |
Foo Fighters There Is Nothing Left to Lose | 3.0 |
Foo Fighters Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace | 3.0 |
Foo Fighters Skin and Bones | 4.0 |
Genesis We Can't Dance | 2.5 |
Grant-Lee Phillips nineteeneighties | 4.0 |
Green Day Insomniac | 3.5 |
Green Day American Idiot | 3.5 |
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion I | 3.0 |
Guns N' Roses The Spaghetti Incident? | 3.0 |
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion II | 3.5 |
Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction | 4.0 |
An album that was dead in the water until a video caught on with the MTV crowd, Appetite For Destruction sounds exactly as the title suggest. Far from the bloated and slick hard rock of the day that was clogging up the airwaves, this hungry, outrageous, hell raising band from the gutters of L.A. calling themselves Guns n Roses would put any and all poser bands to instant shame with this furious first effort of hard rock tracks such as "Welcome To The Jungle" "Mr Brownstone", and "My Michelle". Signaling the real beginning of the end for hair bands far and wide that simply couldn't keep pace, Guns n Roses "Appetite For Destruction" is a lean, mean, ground breaking hard rock album for the ages. And destroy it did. |
Hole Pretty On The Inside | 3.0 |
Husker Du New Day Rising | 4.0 |
Husker Du Candy Apple Grey | 4.0 |
Jennifer Lopez Como Ama Una Mujer | 2.0 |
Jerry Lee Lewis Last Man Standing | 4.0 |
Jessica Simpson In This Skin (Collector's Edition) | 2.0 |
Jet Get Born | 3.0 |
Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes Live At The Greek | 4.5 |
Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros Streetcore | 3.5 |
Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros Rock Art And The X-Ray Style | 3.5 |
John Mellencamp Freedom's Road | 4.0 |
John Mellencamp's most focused work in well over a decade, Freedom's Road is a rock n roll blast of idealism from the heart of the American Midwest. Troubled songs for troubled times it hits the sweet spot between hope and hardship and delivers the goods true on heartfelt numbers such as "Forgiveness" and "Ghost Towns Along The Highway", as well as stating a case for a kinder, gentler America in soaring anthems like "The Americans" and the This Land Is Your Land inspired "Our Country".
Mellencamp's songwriting prowess and keen eye for the plight of the common man remain undiminished and steadfast as he and his mix of old and new players let the guitars ring out like it was 1985 and his classic "Scarecrow" album all over again for a new generation. But the songs and performances on Freedom's Road are lower key then were found on that album and are infused with a maturity, reflection, and perspective that often comes only with age and experience, and it serves Mellencamp welll on these eleven solid tracks of rootsy rock n roll twang and blue collar, blue state patriotism. Some may scoff while others may cry "liberal" at the albums love thy neighbor sentiments in this time of war and often volatile discourse, but Freedom's Road is full of music so good and lyrics so unabashedly forward in statement and tone the sound of the naysayers are easily drowned out by the voices of rock n roll freedom lovers everywhere and John's focused, determined songwriting and performances. The new years best rock release thus far. |
John Mellencamp The Lonesome Jubilee | 4.5 |
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison | 5.0 |
Joni Mitchell Blue | 5.0 |
Joss Stone Introducing Joss Stone | 4.0 |
Journey Trial By Fire | 2.0 |
Justin Bieber Believe | 1.0 |
L7 The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum | 4.0 |
LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver | 3.5 |
Led Zeppelin Presence | 2.0 |
Led Zeppelin Best Of, Vol. 1: Early Days | 2.5 |
Led Zeppelin How the West Was Won | 2.5 |
Led Zeppelin The Song Remains the Same | 2.5 |
Led Zeppelin Best Of, Vol. 2: Latter Days | 2.5 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin | 3.0 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin [DVD] | 3.0 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II | 3.5 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV | 4.0 |
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti | 4.0 |
Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door | 4.0 |
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy | 4.0 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III | 4.5 |
Lily Allen Alright, Still | 4.0 |
Lone Justice Lone Justice | 4.0 |
Los Lobos How Will The Wolf Survive? | 4.0 |
Los Lobos The Town And The City | 4.0 |
Perhaps Los Lobos most meaningful and musically rich work since the artistically triumphant Kiko album of nearly 15 years ago, "The Town And The City" is as diverse, colorful, and soulful a record as this group has ever put out in its long and prolific career of making music. Peaceful thematic ballads such as "The Valley" and "If You Were Only Here Tonight" mix with Southwestern flavored rockers like "The Road To Gila Bend", "Two Dogs And A Bone", and long traditional Los Lobos fare like the Cesar Rojas led "Chuco's Cumbia" and "No Puedo Mas", which makes for very rewarding listening throughout.
With drummer/guitarist Louis Perez and singer/guitarist David Hidalgo handling the bulk of the songwriting and arranging as usual, and with a clear and unique vision that has stood the test of time for over 30 years, "The Town And The City" is a dizzying, jazzy, sonic trip through the landscape of the American barrios the members of this group come from. And like so many times before they show the depth of feeling and understanding only life can provide in its words and stories, and manage to make beautiful music from it as well. Simply a superior effort in a catalog teeming with albums you can say the same of.
|
Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi | 3.5 |
Matisyahu No Place To Be | 3.5 |
Perhaps his most seductive release to date, Matisyahu returns at years end to lay upon us "No Place To Be", a seven song EP and 90 minute live DVD in one package. An oddball to some and small genius to others, this record continues the deep jam, reggae influenced dancehall stylings that is this groups/artists specialty. From the funky, socially/politically charged opener Jerusalem (Come Out Of Darkness), spiritual yearning of the reggae/pop groove Warrior, and lean, upbeat, high energy dancehall remix of the previously released "Youth", the CD portion of the package continues to show this is one Hasidic Jew who knows his beats and is far from the fluke and gimmick some have accused him of being in years past. The DVD includes live footage from a Tele Aviv show before an adoring crowd as well as interviews and scenes from the city itself. Taken together this two disc set gives a strong overview of the man, the artist, and the band, and serves as a great introduction for the curious and interested, or another fine taste of this artist for the already converted. |
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Love Their Country | 3.5 |
Motley Crue Theatre of Pain | 1.0 |
Neil Young Harvest | 4.0 |
Neil Young Living with War | 4.0 |
Neil Young Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere | 4.5 |
New Found Glory Coming Home | 2.0 |
New York Dolls New York Dolls | 3.5 |
New York Dolls One Day It Will Please Us To Remember... | 3.5 |
Nickelback All the Right Reasons | 2.0 |
Nine Inch Nails Year Zero | 4.0 |
Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York | 4.0 |
Nirvana Nevermind | 4.0 |
Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | 4.5 |
OutKast Idlewild | 4.0 |
Papa Roach The Paramour Sessions | 4.0 |
Patti Smith Twelve | 3.0 |
Paul Westerberg Eventually | 4.0 |
Pete Townshend White City: A Novel | 3.5 |
Pete Townshend Empty Glass | 4.0 |
Pete Townshend Deep End Live! | 4.0 |
Pete Townshend All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes | 4.5 |
Pete Townshends second offical solo album and arguably one of his most satisfying works, All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes finds The Who leader clean and sober and spritually relieved for the first time in perhaps a decade up to this point, and it is through this work that he chose to express his new found clarity. Musically upbeat, reflective, and meloncholy, and lyrically bold and honest, ATBCHCE chronicles Pete's personal journey through his struggles with his demons, his relationships, his drugs, and his very life. And the listener is rewarded by his passion for his message of forgiveness and redemption and acceptance, both lyrically and musically. A substantially greater work then any of The Who's last three albums, this album and the one which came before (Empty Glass) shows Townshend at the top of his game, instead of the fading rockstar he had become with The Who. And it's a refreshing listen for Who and non who fans alike. Rock, pop, a touch of new wave, and The Who, this album has it all. I highly recommend it. |
Pink Floyd The Final Cut | 4.5 |
Pixies Surfer Rosa | 4.0 |
Pixies Trompe Le Monde | 4.0 |
Pixies Come On Pilgrim | 4.0 |
Pixies Doolittle | 4.5 |
Pixies Bossanova | 4.5 |
Prince 3121 | 3.5 |
Prince 1999 | 4.5 |
R.E.M. Green | 2.5 |
R.E.M. Around the Sun | 3.0 |
R.E.M. Monster | 3.0 |
R.E.M. Up | 3.0 |
R.E.M. Dead Letter Office | 3.0 |
R.E.M. Document | 3.5 |
R.E.M. Reveal | 3.5 |
R.E.M. Murmur | 4.0 |
R.E.M. Out of Time | 4.0 |
R.E.M. Reckoning | 4.0 |
R.E.M. Fables of the Reconstruction | 4.0 |
R.E.M. Lifes Rich Pageant | 4.5 |
This, REM's fourth full length album in as many years, finds the band working with a new producer and a new sound after three albums of jangly acoustic rock leanings and vague undersung vocals that perhaps even CIA decoders would be challenged to decipher. Here, the band picks up noisy, distorted electric guitars for outstanding cuts such as "Begin The Begin" and "These Days", but also strike a nice balance in softer tunes such as "Fall On Me" and The Flowers Of Guatemala". A turning point for the band that would see it leave it's indie roots behind while remaining true to all they ever were, Life's Rich Pageant finds REM coming to new life as a rock n roll band as full and rich as any you can name. And it remains one of the bands very best. |
R.E.M. New Adventures in Hi-Fi | 4.5 |
R.E.M. The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 | 4.5 |
R.E.M. Automatic for the People | 5.0 |
Radiohead The Bends | 4.0 |
Rancid ...And Out Come the Wolves | 4.0 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers One Hot Minute | 3.0 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers By the Way | 3.5 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication | 4.0 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium | 4.0 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik | 4.5 |
Robbie Robertson Robbie Robertson | 4.5 |
Rod Stewart Still The Same.... | 2.0 |
Roy Orbison Black & White Night | 4.5 |
Rush Fly by Night | 2.5 |
Rush Hemispheres | 2.5 |
Rush Roll the Bones | 2.5 |
Rush Snakes & Arrows | 3.5 |
Sarah McLachlan Wintersong | 3.0 |
Satellite Party Ultra Payloaded | 4.0 |
Screaming Trees Sweet Oblivion | 4.5 |
Sloan Never Hear The End Of It | 3.5 |
Snoop Dogg Tha Blue Carpet Treatment | 3.5 |
Social Distortion Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell | 3.5 |
Sonic Youth The Destroyed Room B-Sides and Rarities | 3.0 |
Sonic Youth Dirty | 3.5 |
Sonic Youth Rather Ripped | 3.5 |
Sonic Youth Evol | 4.0 |
Stevie Nicks Bella Donna | 4.0 |
Stone Temple Pilots Core | 2.5 |
Stone Temple Pilots Tiny Music... Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop | 3.0 |
Stone Temple Pilots Purple | 3.5 |
Stone Temple Pilots No. 4 | 3.5 |
Styx The Grand Illusion | 2.0 |
This album blows harder then a mighty hurricaine wind. Full of overblown synthsizer work, boring guitar drivel, Queen inspired faux chior vocals, and silly pretentious pap such as the overwrought "Superstars", dumb cautionary tale "Miss America", the preachy "Fooling Yourself", corny "Man In The Wilderness", and of course the bloated, grandiose title cut, this kind of crap is like the heavy straw that would break the back of rock n roll. 100% awful. |
Taylor Hicks Taylor Hicks | 3.0 |
Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny | 4.0 |
The B-52s Cosmic Thing | 3.5 |
The Beat I Just Can't Stop It | 4.0 |
The Beatles Love | 3.0 |
The Beatles Please Please Me | 4.0 |
The Beatles The Beatles | 4.5 |
The Blasters Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings | 4.0 |
The Cars The Cars | 4.0 |
The Clash Cut the Crap | 2.0 |
The Clash Combat Rock | 4.0 |
The Clash Give 'Em Enough Rope | 4.0 |
The Clash Live: From Here to Eternity | 4.0 |
The Clash Sandinista! | 4.0 |
The Clash The Clash | 4.0 |
The Clash London Calling | 5.0 |
The Decemberists The Crane Wife | 3.0 |
The Flaming Lips Live At Austin City Limits | 3.5 |
The Format Dog Problems | 4.0 |
The Knitters The Modern Sounds Of The Knitters | 3.5 |
The Pogues If I Should Fall from Grace with God | 4.0 |
The Pogues Rum Sodomy & the Lash | 4.5 |
The Police Ghost in the Machine | 4.0 |
The Pretenders Pretenders | 5.0 |
The Replacements Don't Tell a Soul | 2.5 |
The Replacements All Shook Down | 3.5 |
The Replacements Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? | 3.5 |
A great album for those unfamiliar with this band, "Don't You Know Who I Think I Was" covers a lot of ground over it's twenty tracks. Taking songs from the entire 'Mat's catalogue, including the first three "punk" albums, and the listener gets is a strong impression of what this band was and what they eventually became. Every track here is solid and is truly among the Replacements best work. Of course omissions abound, but with material like "Left Of The Dial", "Alex Chilton", I Will Dare, and "Achin' To Be", who's complaining?The best way to sample this band yet for the five early songs included and if a sample is all you want to digest. Also included are two new songs of some merit, and while nothing too special and sounding somewhat like Paul Westerberg solo cuts, they do contain the spirit of The Replacements. Especially the garage pop of "Pool & Dive". And they are good songs, both. Recommended for the uninitiated or interested. |
The Replacements Let It Be | 4.0 |
The Replacements Tim | 4.5 |
The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me | 4.5 |
The Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist | 3.5 |
The Strokes Is This It | 3.5 |
The Who It's Hard | 2.0 |
The Who Who Are You | 2.5 |
The Who Tommy | 3.0 |
The Who Then and Now | 3.0 |
The Who Face Dances | 3.0 |
The Who 20th Century Masters | 3.0 |
The Who Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy | 3.5 |
The Who The Who by Numbers | 3.5 |
The Who Live at the Royal Albert Hall | 3.5 |
The Who Wire And Glass | 3.5 |
The Who Quadrophenia Live | 3.5 |
The Who Endless Wire | 3.5 |
The Who The Who Sell Out | 4.0 |
The Who A Quick One | 4.0 |
The Who My Generation | 4.0 |
The Who The Kids Are Alright | 4.0 |
The Who Who's Next | 4.5 |
The Who Live at Leeds | 5.0 |
Considered by many to be the best live rock n roll recording of the rock music era, Live At Leeds by the Who is loud, brash, violent rock n roll at it's best. Far from who the band were in the studio, on L&L The Who create music that is truly alive and spectacular. It's hard to imagine this much explosive power coming from only three musicians and a singer onstage, but from the opening number to the closing track this album is an almost physical assualt on the body and senses. Magnificiant, bold, and astounding in everyway, I cannot recommend any live recording higher.
Also available in an expanded "Deluxe Edition". |
The Who Quadrophenia | 5.0 |
Tim Armstrong A Poet's Life | 2.5 |
Tom Petty Highway Companion | 3.0 |
Tom Petty Full Moon Fever | 4.0 |
TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain | 2.5 |
TV on the Radio Dear Science | 3.5 |
Twisted Sister A Twisted Christmas | 3.0 |
U2 Wide Awake in America | 3.0 |
U2 The Unforgettable Fire | 3.0 |
U2 U218 Singles | 3.0 |
U2 Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago | 3.5 |
U2 Boy | 3.5 |
U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb | 4.0 |
U2 Zooropa | 4.0 |
U2 Under A Blood Red Sky | 4.0 |
U2 Songs of Innocence | 4.0 |
U2 Songs of Experience | 4.0 |
U2 The Joshua Tree | 4.5 |
U2 All That You Can't Leave Behind | 4.5 |
U2 No Line on the Horizon | 4.5 |
Van Halen Fair Warning | 2.5 |
Van Halen Women and Children First | 2.5 |
Van Halen 1984 | 4.0 |
Van Halen Van Halen II | 4.0 |
Van Halen Diver Down | 4.0 |
Van Halen Van Halen | 4.5 |
Adding much flavor and needed color to the late 70's Los Angeles hard rock scene, Van Halen's self titled debut album took the nation by storm with fun and exuberant tracks such as "Feel Your Love Tonight" and down and dirty, living on the edge cuts like "Runnin' With The Devil". With a flamboyant lead singer that oozed sex appeal in David Lee Roth, a hard hitting rthymn section, and the latest hard rock "Guitar God" on hand in Eddie Van Halen, this once completely unknown group from Pasadena Cali came out of the gates smokin' and never looked back. Good time, uproarious rock n roll for whenever you're in the mood for such. |
Various Artists A Christmas Gift For You | 5.0 |
Various Artists (Punk) Brats On The Beat: Ramones For Kids | 3.0 |
Weezer Weezer | 3.5 |
Wham! Make It Big | 2.0 |
X (USA) Ain't Love Grand | 2.5 |
X (USA) Hey Zeus | 3.0 |
X (USA) Live At The Whiskey | 3.5 |
X (USA) See How We Are | 3.5 |
X (USA) Live In Los Angeles | 4.0 |
Don't let the 2005 release date sway you from checking this one out. "X: Live In Los Angeles" finds this band of now middle aged punks swinging for the fences and knocking 'em clean out of the park. Classics such as Los Angeles, Johny Hit And Run Pauline, We're Desperate, and The Hungry Wolf are all performed with as much, if not more vigor, then when this band was brand new. And the unique harmonies of singers John Doe and Exene Cervenka are just as fresh and familiar today as they were 25 years ago. If anything all sounds even better for age and experience, but this original line-up have also retained the explosive power and spontaneity of its youth. Perhaps one of the better and more accessible live punk rock albums ever recorded, X: Live In Los Angeles is sure to please fans but is also a great introduction for the newbie to this highly influential group. |
X (USA) Unclogged | 4.0 |
X (USA) The X Anthology | 4.0 |
X (USA) Under The Big Black Sun | 4.5 |
X (USA) More Fun In The New World | 4.5 |
X (USA) Los Angeles | 5.0 |
X (USA) Wild Gift | 5.0 |
A wild, visceral trip through the hard life and hard fun of the Los Angeles underground scene circa the late 70's early 80's, Wild Gift by X finds the band with a stripped down, toughened up sound and heartbreak on their minds. The punk rock foursome break new punk ground with rockabilly stylings, bouncy pop-punk, and hard edged rock n roll. Singers John Doe and Exene Cervenka wail away like wild banshees on a rampage, Billy Zoom lays down lightening guitar licks, and DJ Bonebrake pounds his skins with finesse and fury. A must have recording in any rock music collection |