The album of a lifetime for Mike Paradinas
924221
I think this is the best he has ever done.  I really enjoy the throwback drum samples which are just such a part of his sound, but also the really nice smooth integration of new sounds.  Old + New = really nice :)
4355720
I've been a Rufus fan since Poses, but this is his best and most mature album.  It may equal the Beatles' St. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band in terms of the variety of its music, the richness and creativity of its orchestration, and the play with and mash-up of cultural references and musical genres.  The singing has improved from previous albums.  What really makes this album stand out for me is the variety of personas Rufus draws on for each song.  He had already shown a penchant for role-playing in the Want albums, and "The Rebel Prince" and "One Man Guy" from Poses.  But each song in Release the Stars creates its own world of characters and sounds, and you find yourself being drawn in and more convinced that such a world must exist every time you listen.  I love the startlingly whimsical, bizarre apocalyptic vision of "Between My Legs" (with a shocking reference to Phantom of the Opera at the end!); the idea of an online photo slideshow as the ultimate recognition in "Slideshow;" the do-wop influence in "Release the Stars;" and the pared-down, cleaner sound of the pained "Going to a Town" and "Leaving for Paris."  This is a ground-breaking album.
3898865
This is a great album with Ronnie James Dio at the apex of his vocal and writing abilities. Cozy Powell on drums, Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, need I go further? The production and sound quality achieved in the studio are excellent. The songs run from the short  hard hitting pop oriented, ("Starstruck", "Do You Close Your Eyes") to the epic metal classic "Stargazer". The songs don't all work together as an individual album unit per se, but ultimately it does not matter because the material individually and musically is so strong. I happened to catch them on this tour at the Beacon theater in NYC and I have not forgotten it and still listen to this album all the time. This Deluxe edition offers alternate versions and some slick packaging. You can get the regular version for less if you don't want to spring for the extra dough. You won't be disappointed.
2175949
What an incredible album ! Staying true to his form, Paul Stanley has given his fans his most memorable work of art yet, and this time you won't find it in an art gallery. You'll find it right in your local music shop. "Live to Win" is one of the most inspirational albums I have hear in the at least 20 years.  Where has rock n roll gone? Where has good music gone? It all went here. I couldn't help but listen to the title track, "Live to Win" without thinking of Rocky Balboa or Muhammed Ali. It is a very inspiring song that will "pump you up." It's a whole album for the underdog, the person who gets laughed at or passed up for dodgeball, yet never gives up. The vast majority of songs on this album are somewhat of a new age rock n roll, using some synthesizers and sound effects, however never over doing it. "Bulletproof" and "Its all About You" are perfect examples of how Paul has proved that his talent is endless, and definitely not old fashioned. This album has been long overdue, not for Paul Stanley, but for Rock n Roll. Live to Win, and live to buy this album !
572250
Seriously.  In 39 years of life I have never listened to an album for the first time and loved every single track, first off, first listening.  That is how good this LP is.  Not even "Ziggy Stardust" did that for  me.  My first impression was New Oder collides with The Wedding Present.  This album at once rocks you into a frenzy with glorious guitar riffs and  chord changes, blistering bass rythyms and synchopated vocal intro's.  Then  it slugs you in the stomach with it's desperate dark melodies and words.  It's a roller coaster ride, and Molkos voice is sheer jagged ice.  I am one  moment atop a mountain revelling in "Brick" and "You don't  Care" and then dredging the oceans of my heart with "Crawl"  "Sweet Prince".  Like Bowie with "Rock 'n' Roll  Suicide" Molko leaves us with "Burger Queen". My spirits are  lifted and dashed in 66 minutes of the best music I have ever heard.  I  feel the angst in this album, and yet in the end I am left with a sense of  hope.  Please God let Placebo live forever.  Simply the best album ever  made, it saved my life.
3144978
This is the album that defined Dashboard Confessional as a "band."  I loved the other DC albums, where it was just an acoustic guitar (sometimes drums and bass) and Chris Carabba, wearing his heart on his sleeve on every song.  So this album made me a little nervous, wondering if I could still feel that passion with a full band.  The answer...of course!  This album is breathtaking, and the drums are excellent, guitar work of John Lefler is amazing, and the harmony vocals are perfect.  Lefler has a style that sounds so lush and beautiful and compliments perfectly with Carabba's.  The feeling of this album is less raw than the previous, but even with all of the extra instrumentation, it is still Carabba's voice and lyrics that make this album truly great.  From "Hands Down" to "Several Ways To Die Trying," DC has entered into a list of great bands such as Jimmy Eat World and Counting Crows that feature great music, vocals, and better-than-most-band's lyrics.  My favorite songs are: Hands Down, As Lovers Go, Carry This Picture, Bend and Not Break (my favorite song on this album), Ghost of a Good Thing (a raw, acoustic song that is very heartfelt), and Carve Your Heart Out Yourself.  Each song has a different sound to it and there is no song on here that you will want to skip.  Because of this album, the sky is the limit for Dashboard.  Also, what makes this album truly worth buying is that is has an enhanced limited edition DVD of DC playing R.E.M. covers from their album "Automatic For The People."  It's so good that I immediately bought that REM album.  DC is here to stay, so sit back and enjoy!
990189
I've listened to two other IQ albums, and this one just kicks those albums into oblivion as far as I'm concerned.  "Sacred Sound" and "Harvest of Souls" are excellent epics, but it's the shorter songs that really make the punch.  I have been singing "Red Dust Shadow" and "You Never Will" for the past year constantly. They're catchy, moody, and intensely emotional.

Peter Nicholls may come off at first as a Peter Gabriel-wannabe, and there's no doubt that the album follows a similar format to "Foxtrot" by Genesis.  But over several listens, this album gains an identity of its own.  Michael Holmes' subtle guitar work blends in nicely with the bombast of Martin Orford's keys.  This album is a wonderful find and along with Porcupine Tree and the new Neal Morse-less Spock's Beard is one of the true champions of hook-worthy art rock.
1103836
This and The Beatle's White Album are my all-time favorite records.  That's actually saying enough, but I will elaborate:

It's something about how the album begins and ends with Jeff's lone acoustic guitar.  Natural, alone.  How his voice is so strained, so honest.  As he takes you into his dream, the music evolves into a whilrwind of sound and noise, but never looses its guitar/voice backbone.  Like having a good friend with you during an intense acid trip.  All the songs somehow blend into one another, yet each tells it's own version of the story.  The images the lyrics bring about are incomprehensible, but at the same time you relate to the emotion of what Jeff is trying to convey.  Some words paint a thousand pictures.

This album will grow on you.  Do not dismiss it upon your first listen.  I immediately liked tracks 1 and 3.  2 grew on me next.  Then track 5, 10, and 9.  With each listen, I began to enjoy more and more of the songs.  Eventually I came to love each and every note on the album.  I am listening to it right now for probably the 100+ time, and COINCIDENTALLY my wife it listening to it right now as well in the bedroom!  Yes I got her hooked on it too, and she agrees that it is a spectacular album.

Discovering this album has made me a happier person.
2573025
There are many words that can explain this new cd from Shinedown, some being (but not limited to) astonishing, brilliant, and mind-blowing.  Lead singer Brent Smith, who has struggled through the loss of his two guitarist quite possibily has developed the best rock album of the century yet.

Stand-alone hard tracks this album contains include Devour, Sound of Madness, Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide and Cry for Help, all of which show maturity and development from the previous two cds.  Slower tracks, such as The Crow and the Butterfly, If You Only Knew and Call Me are just as good if not better than the previous album (such as Shed Some Light, I Dare You and Someday).  After mentioning all these tracks, I have not even mentioned my personal favorite, What A Shame, which knocked me off my feet the first time I heard it.

This album represents pure genius in the modern rock and roll era.  Shinedown's passion, devotion to fans and ambition to keep rock and roll alive in the world is a blessing to all rock and roll fans in existence, and hopefully they will stay around for years and years to come.
1527634
I consider the first three The Cars albums as a soundtrack to my teenage life. I was introduced to their debut album The Cars by my first boyfriend and I can remember many nights listening to it in the quiet darkness of his car after a football game. Then Candy-O arrived and was given to me as a Christmas gift by that same boyfriend. By the time Panorama was released, I was nursing a broken heart after the end of that sweet relationship. Every single song on Panorama seemed to help me through the bad times and mirrored that darkness I was feeling. Panorama is something special indeed. The sounds, the lyrics, the experience of this album is mesmerizing. The lyrics are both funny and heart-wrenching. My personal favorites are You Wear Those Eyes, Up and Down, and Touch and Go. Perhaps Panorama means more to those of us who were there when it was first released because it is so tied to our memories. However, I believe any true The Cars fan will appreciate the artistry and beauty of this album.
4957900
Close To The Edge is a superior album that has not dated one bit since 1972. And You & I still gives me the chills, especially the mellotron solo by Rick Wakeman. all the musicianship by group members Jon Anderson,Chris Squire,Steve Howe,Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford are simply stunning. the other tracks Sibirian Khatru and Close To The Edge are as close to perfection as humanly possible. beautilful accoustic and slide guitar by Howe, tasteful keyboards by Wakeman, lead bass by Squire, angelic vocals by Anderson, but the drumming by Bruford is what sets this album apart from all future releases (featuring still great Alan White). in the world of 70's progressive rock, it doesn't get any better than this
2207344
This is by far the best album from Mike & The Mechanics and one
of the few albums I can listen from beginning to end without hitting
the forward button. Since Mike Rutherford doesn't sing, he enlisted three different
singers for this album (kind of reminds me of the Alan Parsons Project). Paul
Carrack and Paul Young are the most familiar. Too bad they couldn't keep it going; the rest of their albums were very disappointing.

Favorite tracks:
"All I need is a miracle"
"Par avion" ( John Kirby on vocal)
"A call to arms"
3470284
I bought this album on vinyl in 1994 based on a good review; I'd never heard them before, but I've never regretted the purchase. It had me tapping my feet and humming along right from the start, and I'm still listening to it 12 years down the line. Did they produce any other records? Whatever happened to Something Happens? If you want to try something that will keep you listening for years to come, then buy this album!
1275104
Mike Rutherford & Paul Carrack---I salute you! Mike & The Mechanics have just released a *stunning*, *astonishing*, *magnificent* brand-new album called "Rewired." It's the first M+M album in five years, and the first M+M album since the untimely passing of singer Paul Young in 2001, with co-lead singer Paul Carrack now handling all of the vocal duties. But if you live in North America, don't bother looking for this CD at your local music stores, 'cause it's not available on this side of the pond. Thank GOD then that Amazon.com has it available as an import, because this album is worth *every single penny* of the import price. I received my copy in the mail the other day, and from the very first song, I was instantly floored. FLOORED, I tell you! The album isn't called "Rewired" for nothing---it's practically a *reinvention* of Mike Rutherford's side-project outside of Genesis since 1985, and it works magnificently. Even though Paul Young's vocal presence is greatly missed, and the Mechanics will never be quite the same without him, Mike Rutherford & Paul Carrack have nonetheless created what is quite possibly the best Mechanics album to date, and I tip my hat to both of them with the utmost respect & admiration. "Rewired" is a truly special album. What you'll discover on "Rewired," along with the Mechanics' trademark, first-rate dramatic pop-rock, are the brand-new *sounds* Rutherford has brought to the band with this album. There's elements of techno, funk, and DJ-style scratching on this album, and man, does it rock. You've NEVER heard M+M like this before. "One Left Standing" is groovy with a capital G. "If I Were You" and "Perfect Child" are both beautiful songs. And then comes one of the most daring tracks the group has EVER recorded, the title track for "Rewired." This rip-roaring instrumental is nothing short of thrilling. The creativeness behind this track, with killer guitar riffs from Rutherford, the heavy percussion, ominous piano & synths, tape loops, and the occasional vocal drop-ins from Carrack, is simply astonishing. Another pair of lovely, well-crafted pop songs follow with "I Don't Want It All," and "How Can I?". "Falling" is a fabulous song, with it's catchy grooves and it's clever mixture of techno, pop, rock, and even the occasional dash of *orchestral* soundbites, all in one amazing tune. "Somewhere Along The Line" is a sparkling, radiant number. And finally, for the ultimate encore, there's the towering "Underscore," a rough-and-tough instrumental cousin of "Rewired," with some more delicious beats, samples, guitar & keyboard riffs, and vocal cameos from Carrack. A fitting end to a total powerhouse of an album. And it certainly goes without saying that the album's sound quality & production is fantastic, the musical performances are top-notch, and Paul Carrack, who is more than up to the challenge of becoming the band's sole lead vocalist from now on, sings brilliantly. And if that wasn't enough, this edition of "Rewired" comes with a bonus DVD of music videos for every single song on the album, created by students from Britain's National Film And Television School. Alas, the DVD is in the PAL format, so chances are you won't be able to watch it if you live in North America. I tried loading it into my DVD player anyway to see what would happen, and all I got was a rolling picture and no sound (*sniff sniff*). So yes, I'm disappointed that I can't watch it, but no biggie. It's the *album* I'm interested in, and that plays on my CD player just fine. Shame on you, Atlantic Records (the US label for Genesis and the early M+M albums), for not giving this new masterpiece by Mike & The Mechanics a release in North America. For now, it's the import route or bust. But if you're a diehard fan of Mike Rutherford's, the decision is obvious---BUY THIS ALBUM. And be prepared to be amazed. Without question, "Rewired" is an outstanding and exciting new chapter for Mike & The Mechanics. Congratulations, Mike & Paul, and welcome back.
4854399
I had a major musical identity crisis growing up, especially when it came to picking a band or person I really liked.  Devin Townsend has been the person that stands out above of anything else I have listened to.  Every album he does is different, but he keeps his Devy signature there.  Ki without a doubt is no different, being the album to date that is way different than anything else he has ever done, it proves that Devin Townsend is one of the few people out there that creates music that is original and new every time a new album is released unlike other bands that fall into the same genre with Devin.

Ki is a first of four albums under 'The Devin Townsend Project' plus this is first album being sober and it's very noticeable.  His style has obviously changed, plus the clean tone guitar is something that gives the album it's own stand alone sound.  The album plays on self control, something that Devin himself has learn and explained in his radio interview, every time you think this record will lose its composure, it takes a breath and let's it go.  But there are some very 'chill' songs on the record like "Terminal" "Ain't Never Gonna Win" "Winter" and "Lady Helen" that are soothing enough to make you doze off while you listen.

The record itself can leave you hanging if you are looking for something that will rock out at some point, because it won't.  Ki is instead an introduction to what Devin has now become, a sober and brilliant artist with a whole new side to show us.  If you have been listening to Devin over the years, you will appreciate this album for what it is.
3146851
The first time one listens to Antony's prodigious voice it takes a long while to assign it a place in the espectrum we have grown used to judge music by. Past that mere moment of contemplation there is nothing more than awe and bliss to describe what "I am bird now" provokes. If there is more than one "big name" listed on the credit sheet, it is his staggering whisper that carries on an album so intense and hard to digest that it becomes a classic from the moment one opens the shrinkwarp. Loneliness never sounded so poignant as in opener "Hope there's someone", while the craving for acceptance  finds its way throuhg the nostalgic 'For today I'm a boy", just like the plea for hope and even a future materializes as the spoken track "Free at last". If I were to pick the highlights of the album, the obvious choices would be 'Fistful of love" with its impressive horn section and an introduction by Lou Reed that makes anyone turn pale, and the incredible duet with Boy George ("You are my sister"), which will certainly send shivers down your spine.

Much have been said and writen about raw talent, but when one gets to experience it first hand is just mindblowing. Forget the overly produced record and embrace purity with a touch of glitter.
2957359
I've listened to PG for the last thirty years and I think this album is his best ever.  To really understand the amount of work that went into this album you must listen with headphones.  There are slight whispers and sounds within all of his albums going back to early Genesis and in UP he continues to communicate with layers of sounds and resonance.  I consider him a true Auteur.  One can only hope that he'll take this album on tour; he is one of the best live performers I've ever seen.  There is an audio interview with Peter Gabriel from NPR where he talks at length about the making of UP and some of the things going on in his life today.  The article title is "NPR : Peter Gabriel" .