U2 Songs of Experience | 4.0 |
Lone Justice Lone Justice | 4.0 |
Paul Westerberg Eventually | 4.0 |
Van Halen 1984 | 4.0 |
Van Halen Van Halen II | 4.0 |
Van Halen Women and Children First | 2.5 |
Van Halen Diver Down | 4.0 |
Bay Faction Bay Faction | 5.0 |
Big Country The Seer | 4.5 |
Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes Live At The Greek | 4.5 |
U2 Songs of Innocence | 4.0 |
Fleetwood Mac Rumours | 4.5 |
Duran Duran Rio | 1.5 |
Big Country The Crossing | 5.0 |
Fiona Apple The Idler Wheel... | 4.5 |
Justin Bieber Believe | 1.0 |
Rush Fly by Night | 2.5 |
U2 The Joshua Tree | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball | 4.5 |
Screaming Trees Sweet Oblivion | 4.5 |
The Police Ghost in the Machine | 4.0 |
U2 Wide Awake in America | 3.0 |
Bruce Springsteen The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle | 3.0 |
U2 No Line on the Horizon | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Working on a Dream | 4.0 |
TV on the Radio Dear Science | 3.5 |
Foo Fighters Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace | 3.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Magic | 4.5 |
Nickelback All the Right Reasons | 2.0 |
The Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist | 3.5 |
Bon Jovi Lost Highway | 2.5 |
Chris Cornell Carry On | 2.5 |
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. |
Satellite Party Ultra Payloaded | 4.0 |
Tim Armstrong A Poet's Life | 2.5 |
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Baby 81 | 4.0 |
Rush Snakes & Arrows | 3.5 |
Patti Smith Twelve | 3.0 |
Nine Inch Nails Year Zero | 4.0 |
Jennifer Lopez Como Ama Una Mujer | 2.0 |
Roy Orbison Black & White Night | 4.5 |
Joss Stone Introducing Joss Stone | 4.0 |
LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver | 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. |
Various Artists (Punk) Brats On The Beat: Ramones For Kids | 3.0 |
Taylor Hicks Taylor Hicks | 3.0 |
The Flaming Lips Live At Austin City Limits | 3.5 |
Sonic Youth The Destroyed Room B-Sides and Rarities | 3.0 |
X (USA) The X Anthology | 4.0 |
Bruce Springsteen The River | 4.5 |
Twisted Sister A Twisted Christmas | 3.0 |
2Pac Pac's Life | 3.0 |
Snoop Dogg Tha Blue Carpet Treatment | 3.5 |
U2 U218 Singles | 3.0 |
Pete Townshend Deep End Live! | 4.0 |
Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny | 4.0 |
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Love Their Country | 3.5 |
Foo Fighters Skin and Bones | 4.0 |
The Who Endless Wire | 3.5 |
Robbie Robertson Robbie Robertson | 4.5 |
Rod Stewart Still The Same.... | 2.0 |
Sarah McLachlan Wintersong | 3.0 |
The Who Quadrophenia Live | 3.5 |
Jerry Lee Lewis Last Man Standing | 4.0 |
New Found Glory Coming Home | 2.0 |
R.E.M. The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 | 4.5 |
Papa Roach The Paramour Sessions | 4.0 |
X (USA) Los Angeles | 5.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Hammersmith Odeon London '75 | 3.0 |
OutKast Idlewild | 4.0 |
New York Dolls One Day It Will Please Us To Remember... | 3.5 |
Los Lobos How Will The Wolf Survive? | 4.0 |
The Format Dog Problems | 4.0 |
The Who Wire And Glass | 3.5 |
Tom Petty Highway Companion | 3.0 |
Grant-Lee Phillips nineteeneighties | 4.0 |
U2 Under A Blood Red Sky | 4.0 |
U2 Zooropa | 4.0 |
L7 The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum | 4.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Lucky Town | 3.5 |
David Lee Roth Strummin' With The Devil | 3.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Nebraska | 4.5 |
X (USA) Hey Zeus | 3.0 |
X (USA) Unclogged | 4.0 |
U2 The Unforgettable Fire | 3.0 |
Pete Townshend White City: A Novel | 3.5 |
The Replacements Don't Tell a Soul | 2.5 |
John Mellencamp The Lonesome Jubilee | 4.5 |
X (USA) See How We Are | 3.5 |
The Who It's Hard | 2.0 |
The Knitters The Modern Sounds Of The Knitters | 3.5 |
X (USA) More Fun In The New World | 4.5 |
The Pretenders Pretenders | 5.0 |
Neil Young Living with War | 4.0 |
The Who Live at the Royal Albert Hall | 3.5 |
The Replacements All Shook Down | 3.5 |
Concrete Blonde The Essential | 3.5 |
Bruce Springsteen We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions | 4.0 |
X (USA) Live At The Whiskey | 3.5 |
R.E.M. New Adventures in Hi-Fi | 4.5 |
X (USA) Ain't Love Grand | 2.5 |
The Who Face Dances | 3.0 |
U2 Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago | 3.5 |
Pete Townshend Empty Glass | 4.0 |
The Blasters Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings | 4.0 |
X (USA) Under The Big Black Sun | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Tunnel of Love | 4.0 |
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. |
Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town | 4.5 |
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 |
Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time | 1.0 |
Motley Crue Theatre of Pain | 1.0 |
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet | 1.5 |
Led Zeppelin Presence | 2.0 |
Wham! Make It Big | 2.0 |
Emerson Lake and Palmer Works Volume 1 | 2.0 |
The Clash Cut the Crap | 2.0 |
Journey Trial By Fire | 2.0 |
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. |
Boston Don't Look Back | 2.0 |
Jessica Simpson In This Skin (Collector's Edition) | 2.0 |
Led Zeppelin Best Of, Vol. 1: Early Days | 2.5 |
R.E.M. Green | 2.5 |
Led Zeppelin How the West Was Won | 2.5 |
Stone Temple Pilots Core | 2.5 |
Deep Purple Machine Head | 2.5 |
Led Zeppelin The Song Remains the Same | 2.5 |
Led Zeppelin Best Of, Vol. 2: Latter Days | 2.5 |
Rush Hemispheres | 2.5 |
The Who Who Are You | 2.5 |
Genesis We Can't Dance | 2.5 |
Rush Roll the Bones | 2.5 |
Van Halen Fair Warning | 2.5 |
Christina Aguilera Stripped | 2.5 |
Bob Seger Face the Promise | 2.5 |
TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain | 2.5 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin | 3.0 |
The Who Tommy | 3.0 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers One Hot Minute | 3.0 |
R.E.M. Around the Sun | 3.0 |
The Who Then and Now | 3.0 |
Jet Get Born | 3.0 |
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion I | 3.0 |
Stone Temple Pilots Tiny Music... Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop | 3.0 |
Foo Fighters There Is Nothing Left to Lose | 3.0 |
R.E.M. Monster | 3.0 |
Boston Boston | 3.0 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin [DVD] | 3.0 |
Bruce Springsteen Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. | 3.0 |
Guns N' Roses The Spaghetti Incident? | 3.0 |
R.E.M. Up | 3.0 |
R.E.M. Dead Letter Office | 3.0 |
Hole Pretty On The Inside | 3.0 |
The Who 20th Century Masters | 3.0 |
Everclear Slow Motion Daydream | 3.0 |
Big Audio Dynamite This Is Big Audio Dynamite | 3.0 |
Everclear Welcome To The Drama Club | 3.0 |
The Decemberists The Crane Wife | 3.0 |
The Beatles Love | 3.0 |
Arcade Fire Neon Bible | 3.0 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers By the Way | 3.5 |
Weezer Weezer | 3.5 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II | 3.5 |
The Strokes Is This It | 3.5 |
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion II | 3.5 |
Sonic Youth Dirty | 3.5 |
Green Day Insomniac | 3.5 |
Green Day American Idiot | 3.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. | 3.5 |
Stone Temple Pilots Purple | 3.5 |
Stone Temple Pilots No. 4 | 3.5 |
R.E.M. Document | 3.5 |
The Who Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy | 3.5 |
Black Flag My War | 3.5 |
The Who The Who by Numbers | 3.5 |
Dinosaur Jr. Where You Been | 3.5 |
R.E.M. Reveal | 3.5 |
Social Distortion Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell | 3.5 |
Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros Streetcore | 3.5 |
New York Dolls New York Dolls | 3.5 |
Prince 3121 | 3.5 |
The B-52s Cosmic Thing | 3.5 |
U2 Boy | 3.5 |
Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros Rock Art And The X-Ray Style | 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. |
Sonic Youth Rather Ripped | 3.5 |
Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi | 3.5 |
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper | 3.5 |
Christina Aguilera Back to Basics | 3.5 |
Bob Dylan Modern Times | 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. |
Sloan Never Hear The End Of It | 3.5 |
Radiohead The Bends | 4.0 |
The Replacements Let It Be | 4.0 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication | 4.0 |
Rancid ...And Out Come the Wolves | 4.0 |
R.E.M. Murmur | 4.0 |
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV | 4.0 |
Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York | 4.0 |
Nirvana Nevermind | 4.0 |
Pixies Surfer Rosa | 4.0 |
The Pogues If I Should Fall from Grace with God | 4.0 |
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti | 4.0 |
Everclear So Much For The Afterglow | 4.0 |
Bob Dylan Desire | 4.0 |
Pixies Trompe Le Monde | 4.0 |
Neil Young Harvest | 4.0 |
Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door | 4.0 |
U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb | 4.0 |
The Beatles Please Please Me | 4.0 |
The Clash Combat Rock | 4.0 |
The Who The Who Sell Out | 4.0 |
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy | 4.0 |
R.E.M. Out of Time | 4.0 |
Bruce Springsteen The Rising | 4.0 |
Pixies Come On Pilgrim | 4.0 |
The Clash Give 'Em Enough Rope | 4.0 |
The Clash Live: From Here to Eternity | 4.0 |
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. |
R.E.M. Reckoning | 4.0 |
R.E.M. Fables of the Reconstruction | 4.0 |
Sonic Youth Evol | 4.0 |
The Clash Sandinista! | 4.0 |
Everclear Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 1 | 4.0 |
Stevie Nicks Bella Donna | 4.0 |
The Who A Quick One | 4.0 |
The Clash The Clash | 4.0 |
Husker Du New Day Rising | 4.0 |
The Cars The Cars | 4.0 |
The Who My Generation | 4.0 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium | 4.0 |
Husker Du Candy Apple Grey | 4.0 |
Tom Petty Full Moon Fever | 4.0 |
The Who The Kids Are Alright | 4.0 |
The Beat I Just Can't Stop It | 4.0 |
Lily Allen Alright, Still | 4.0 |
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. |
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.
|
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III | 4.5 |
Pixies Doolittle | 4.5 |
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. |
Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | 4.5 |
The Replacements Tim | 4.5 |
U2 All That You Can't Leave Behind | 4.5 |
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run | 4.5 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik | 4.5 |
Pixies Bossanova | 4.5 |
Pink Floyd The Final Cut | 4.5 |
The Who Who's Next | 4.5 |
The Beatles The Beatles | 4.5 |
Neil Young Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere | 4.5 |
Elvis Costello This Year's Model | 4.5 |
Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind | 4.5 |
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. |
The Pogues Rum Sodomy & the Lash | 4.5 |
The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me | 4.5 |
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. |
Prince 1999 | 4.5 |
The Clash London Calling | 5.0 |
R.E.M. Automatic for the People | 5.0 |
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 |
Bob Marley and The Wailers Catch A Fire | 5.0 |
Bob Marley and The Wailers Legend | 5.0 |
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison | 5.0 |
Joni Mitchell Blue | 5.0 |
Various Artists A Christmas Gift For You | 5.0 |