Nowhere near a sellout, just a contiunation of the brilliance...
927041
In a career of brilliant work, some Zappaphiles have called this album a blatant sellout.  This is preposterous.  This is not a sellout by any stretch of the imagination.  It's simply Zappa, one of the most prolific and greatest musicians ever to exist in the US or the world, reinventing himself.  There is not one song here that can be called a blatant attempt at top 40 airplay.  Every song here display Zappa's sense of humour, sense of satire, and intricate musicianship.  My favorites are I'm the Slime (which is still valid today), Caramillo Brillo, and the Zappa classic Dinah Moe-Humm.  It's taken a while for Dinah to grow on me, but it has.  Zappa once said that thanks to songs like Dinah (and Don't Eat the Yellow Snow and T***ies and Beer), he managed to get enough cash to make his orchestral work (the LSO album in particular).  So the album was a hit, but it's still Zappa.  It can't be mistaken for anyone else.  This is great stuff, yet one more great album in the Zappa universe.
4066276
I wonder how it is possible to write beautiful songs like  "butterfly", "I can only disappoint u", "comes as  no surprise" or "fool".
I wonder how it is possible to be  so melodious, instrumentally so gorgeous and generous without becoming  pompous...
Considering these facts, I really wonder how could someone  give only one star to this little masterpiece. This will remain a total  mistery but shall not prevent you from buying a record which will certainly  provide you with hours of discontinuous pleasure.
4216762
In a word, the Blu-Ray release of Snakes and Arrows is: Amazing.  I will caveat this review with the fact that I am a Rush fan, and have been for twenty years.  That being said, this concert, this show(s), this chapter in their career is a benchmark for others to follow.  In an interview I read, Geddy Lee indicated that this release was done for the fans.  To the viewer and fan, it is immediately evident.  Shots are much longer and cut to catch a fill of Neil's, the fretwork of Alex, or the plucking of Geddy.  Gone is the jerky editing of Rio and to a lesser extent R30.  If you never had the chance to sit in the front row (like me!) of a Rush concert, while still taking in the atmosphere of the stage from high in the back (much more like me!), now is your chance.  The HD imagery shows off details either us as fans, or concert goers, have not seen before.  You can almost count all of the hairs underneath Geddy's lower lip and read the label on Alex's jeans (Not that I really was trying mind you).  The image is simply impeccable and the view it gives you of their musicianship is phenomenal.  The DTS-HS audio puts you front and center.  Geddy's base is firmly to the right, Alex is on the left and Neil is all over the place.  The mix provides just the right amount of atmosphere from the crowd too.  During the Main Monkey Business, check out the crowd clapping along.  It is subtle, but brilliantly done.

For a Rush experience, I know this is a disc I will go back to again and again.  This is not Rush flogging another live disc out there for the money, this is Rush throwing one out there for the fans. As a fan, I am glad that they did.
2819182
Wow did this album get panned in a hurry.  I almost feel like I'm listening to something different from all these other negative and mediocre-reviewers.  It's untraditional and it's funky.  3000 doesn't sound forced - like some of the "different for difference's sake" which oozed thorugh so many of the Love Below tracks.  Idlewild flows, it's complete, it's a cohesive story, it's well produced, and Big Boi is smooth and deep as ever.  Put down that hatorade and pick up the love.
993939
Of course, people will say that the Red Hot Chili Peppers have "sold out" or "gone soft" or whatever else music snobs who think they know something say.  However, if one listens to By the Way more closely, one will see that the Chili Peppers have not sold out AT ALL.  Rather, they have expanded their sound to include more than just the punk-funk that put them on the map so long ago.  The music is top-quality, with almost every song featuring the Chili Peppers harmonizing beautifully, including on the tracks "Universally Speaking" and "Tear".  To be sure, overall the album is soemwhat gentler on the ear, "softer" than their works prior to Californication.  However, there a few songs that see the Chili Peppers holding on to their punk-funk roots, such as the first single and title track "By the Way", "Can't Stop", and the anthemic "Throw Away Your Television."  Anthony Keides's vocals are as sincere and yearning as ever, even in his "white-boy rapping."  Still the clincher for this album is the absolutely awesome, never-disappointing guitar work by John Frusciante and Flea's outstanding bass.  The best thing about the album is the immense variety within it.  Each song is distinct- a VERY RARE thing it seems for modern rock albums these days.  With By the Way, one actually feels like they paid for AN ALBUM (many songs), rather than one continuous song that takes up an hour of disc time.  This innovative album is all thriller and absolutely no filler.  And that is precisely what makes By the Way the best rock album of the year.
3215804
When I found out that this CD had only ten tracks, I considered writing it off as a lazy token release.  Many of the songs from Tight and Frankenstein Girls, while catchy and amazingly-constructed, had little to no substance, and very often made almost no sense whatsoever, so it didn't seem worth my money to pay for less than half an hour of the same sort of thing.  This CD, though, is anything but more of the same.

You'll Rebel To Anything is simply made for a different audience.  It still retains some of MSI's signature styles and sounds, but the songs here have a darker feel to them, and the lyrics have a clear and powerful message.  Honestly, at first listen, I was disappointed because MSI seemed to have lost the manic/chaotic edge I'd grown to love and expect from them, but by the end of Straight To Video (Little darling/Welcome to the show/You're a failure/Played in stereo/I never noticed/No, never noticed/You're so amazing/So amazing), I could tell that there was something here that wasn't present in MSI's other work.  After several listens, it became obvious that an unexpected amount of thought had been put into these songs.  The band has matured, and knows its message (there is a great note to irresponsible parents printed inside the liner notes).

I hesitate to say that this is the best MSI release to date, simply because the others are so incredible, but it is by far the most mature and cohesive, and greatly increased my respect for the band, which, considering how much respect for them I had before, is an accomplishment.  It may not appeal to fans who are expecting another Frankenstein Girls, but it earns the five stars I'm giving to it, and earns them the hard way.  Highly, highly recommended.
1546442
When people think of this album, even though the amount of main albums that Metallica made was nine, an odd number, this album always comes up in the middle. This is the album when people started thinking Metallica got  trendy, mainstream, ya know sold out. Ha Ha, metallica selling out?  Wouldent believe it becuase it never happened. The black album is a classic  that will never be forgotten, trust me, never...
2518377
That music of such brilliance and quality has remained neglected to our own day is astonishing. The vocal virtuosity on display here reminds me of the instrumental virtuosity of Paganini and Liszt, yet the analogy is not exact because here, while  listening,  the predominant first impression is that of great unforced and natural beauty and only later does one realize that part of the magic is vocal virtuosity.
844682
Milemarker have created and successfully produced a sound that is both unique and talent driven with Frigid Forms Sell.  The lyrics, contrary to the other reviewer are in fact amazing in their own right.  Theres a interesting combination of both emotion, and surprisingly, humor.  Since when are all lyrics intended to be believable?  Its obsurd to even think about relating that to this album.  To say that this band is "new to the music biz" says nothing.  One: They are not.  The fact that they have two previous full length releases, which are accomplishments in themselves, plus a plethora of 7" and splits proves this comment bunk.  Two: Since when did being established in the "music biz" make for good music.  Just listen to most "punk music" released by many veteran artists.  Most, if not all of it, is horribly written and shows no talent whatsoever.  As far as Milemarker is concerned, i was very concerned about the future releases for the band.  That was incredibly stupid of me.  Every release is worthy not only of purchase, but of the several hours you SHOULD be spending listening to it.
2513537
There has been a significant amount of press about this game, especially in Britain, where it's been pulled off of shelves (and makes me wonder why this is listed as "not stocked or discontinued"...hmmm...).
The subtitle, for me, is the key to understanding the brilliance of this game.  SILENT is the point...not SHOOT-'EM-ALL-AND-LET-GOD-SORT-THEM-OUT.  Accomplish your objective with minimal (or no!) bloodshed...don't let everyone know you're coming by launching an artillery barrage...just get the job done and move on.  The challenge is in the puzzle and figuring out the optimum way to complete the mission without raising an alarm and without taking innocent lives.
Can you shoot every living being in sight, engaging in wanton slaughter?  Sure, just like any government has throughout all of history.  The point is, achieving the ultimate prize in this game ("Silent Assassin" rating) occurs when you take out the one bad guy, not every pedestrian you come across.
People make all sorts of horrendous or wonderful decisions...the bane or blessing of human free will.  Real life good and evil can be brought to bear in this game just the same.
Enough philosophizing...the game is a heckuva lot of fun to play and the puzzle aspect is challenging, while not impossible.  Graphics are smooth and thorough without being sparse, though I think there's room for improvement.
The one part I found deliciously unnerving is the sound of Agent 47's ("your") breathing, feeling the heartbeat in the Shockwave controller, while trying to hold your sight steady as it bobs up and down on your target.  Playing late at night while the rest of the house is in bed and the lights are out can make you VERY paranoid.
The drawback to all games like this (GTA3, Medal of Honor, etc.) is that once you've figured them out, all you can do is play to improve your time and/or performance.  That can get old...but I suppose that's what makes places like Amazon so great...sell the old game to trade up to a new one.
648019
Well, I just saw them recently in concert at the Whisky in Hollywood and the show was a knockout!  Sold out tickets, sold out kegs and a frenzy of excitable fans in the limited mosh.  The band has matured nicely and the percussion is outer-worldly.  Not for the faint of heart!
3018426
A few soul elitists have sniffed at Floetry, claiming the duo is just another run-of-the-mill neo soul act jumping on a bandwagon for sales.  I always found that claim both ungrounded and terribly unfair, as Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart do indeed possess considerable talent deserving of praise.  "Floacism Live" is a performance including three new songs that kick off the CD.  The strongest of these tracks are "Wanna B Where U R" (with Mos Def) and the solid "Tell Me When."  Moving on to the live performance: it isn't flawless but they do manage to hold their own onstage with concert renditions of "Getting Late," "If I Was a Bird," and their biggest hit to date, the winning ballad "Say Yes."  But some flaws remain.  While the duo's energy is undeniable, the groove does fall flat in just a couple places, and their "Butterflies" only proves that Michael Jackson's version is vastly superior.  But all in all, I'm glad I picked up this disc, and the bonus DVD gives you bang for your buck.  It contains the hour-long concert, presented in fullscreen format and in lively 5.1 surround sound.  There's also a 9-minute behind-the-scenes clip as well as 2 music videos. "Floacism" could have been a slapdash effort, but it turned out to be an overall solid performance with a pretty good DVD.  Go with the Flo.
378475
The above title is not meant in a bad way. Sum 41's third album is just so amazingly different that it's hard to believe they went through this kind of change in a few years.

This album may be my most favorite out of Sum 41's work (my favorite band) and all the music I have in general. Their amazing ability to combine catchy but intelligent music into the most brilliant lyrics I have ever heard come out of anything combine to form 12 songs from gods.

In preparation for this review, I have read some of the (bad) things that others have said. They go along the lines of, this isn't music, they're just copying, nothing's original, go listen to a bunch of underground music that you can't find.

Fine. Go ahead. Do that. They're as qualified as me to give advice. But first let's address their complaints.

Sum 41 isn't music. Of course they are. They are producing music. They are also producing good music. If one would read their lyric sheets, they would find brilliant poems which just happen to sync up to the MUSIC Sum 41 has provided. Also, the MUSIC that I am referring to happens to be the best since maybe Nirvana or Linkin Park (but considering half of Linkin Park's actual music is made with synthesizers by the talented Mr. Joe Hahn, it might not be fair to compare the two, though Sum 41's guitarists are pretty talented). Wow. Long parentheses.

Second, Sum 41 is just copying/are not original. I have news for the people who enjoy comparing EVERY SINGLE rock/metal band after 1991 to Nirvana. According to them, everyone is copying Nirvana. I am not exaggerating. Read the reviews. If these people think everyone is copying Nirvana, stop buying CDs and just listen to Nirvana all the time.

Granted, Sum 41, like all other rock bands, owe a certain debt to Nirvana. And the Beatles, and...et cetera. But we have to remember that Nirvana didn't just fly from space. They were influenced by other bands too, and their sound isn't completely original. Yes, they were extremely innovative, but they weren't the first. Sum 41 simply builds on their formula. And they do it well, especially in this album. I disagree that Linkin Park has affected them as much as people claim they did. They don't cite LP as an influence for AKNF, but it was released a year after Hybrid Theory.

Third, and final, go listen to a bunch of underground music that you can't find. I am writing this with the assumption that you know nothing of the rock/metal scene, much less everything about the billion different underground bands. I know something of the underground scene, and every time I read a review citing an underground band, I've never heard of them. Every time. So instead of looking here to buy a used copy from someone you probably shouldn't trust of a CD that you won't get if you don't know anything about rock, maybe you should buy something mainstream. Mainstream simply means it's fairly popular, which means people like it, which means you probably will too. It doesn't mean bad, nor is it some kind of diseased word. Mainstream is okay.

If you buy this and don't enjoy it, or think you won't before buying it (though that is a really stupid thing to think without even trying it), go for some Hoobastank, Blink-182, Green Day (new=American Idiot, more familiar=Dookie, Nimrod), or if you're feeling adventurous, Thornley or Rammstein's "Reise, Reise," though that may be a little heavy.

This review is too long. And I just made it longer.
3140900
If I weren't biased, I would have only given one star.

Every good band does it... sell out.  You can hear some of each song in every song on this album.  Nevermore's last masterpiece was DEAD HEART, after that...

It's not that the songs are BAD.  They're just linear.  On DEAD HEART, NM switched gears with each song.  This was especially so on their EP IN MEMORY.  Each song was a masterpiece you could hang on the wall and admire as an individual work of art.

ENEMIES is a collection that you get the sense of the genius behind it only collectively.  None of the songs really stand out on their own merit.

But hey.  Awesome band.  These aren't guitar-slinging nuts, these are musicians to be reckoned with.  Their guitar work is unrivaled and the lyrics aren't just to meat up the sound.

They just didn't dispense with their talent as well as they usually do, that's all.

But that doesn't discredit their value as a legendary band.
1302081
I can never understand why nobody loves this thing. It was a hell of a swan song for the Clash as we know and love it--the music and lyrics are brilliant, and as for them having sold out... Well, I look at it this way: any band that puts a commercial for toliet cleaner in one of their songs (Inoculated City) is either A) not a sell-out, or B) conscious that they are a sell-out and very, very angry about it. I think I may be leaning toward the latter assessment, and fair play to them for being that principled and self-aware.

The Clash might have been on its last legs here, and the crazy success of Should I Stay and Rock the Casbah might have been the last straw--but Combat Rock is still a great album. Topper, who got the pink slip shortly after its release, provides some KILLER drumming: Check out Car Jamming and Straight to Hell--no, actually don't check out Straight to Hell. Draw the blinds in your room, lie on the floor, turn the volume up to max and prepare to let Straight to Hell f--- you up. That song needs to come with some kind of warning label, or be sold by prescription only to people who are too cheerful.

It's a weird album, alright--you have Overpowered By Funk and Should I Stay, which are prime dance party material; you have Know Your Rights and Red Angel Dragnet, which are mostly spoken (or yelled) rather than sung; you have Ghetto Defendant, which features Allen Ginsburg talking about methadone kitties and doing the worm on necropolis; you have Death is a Star and Sean Flynn and Straight to Hell, which are downright beautiful and therefore positively scary...  but I still feel the album has some kind of unity. Maybe just the bitterness, sarcasm and--nihilism? incipient despair?--that creep into even the few 'happy' tracks. And I like nihilism and dispair. I like the half-horrified, half-reverent references to pop culture, the beats, the basslines, the weird instrumentations... it's like riding the subway home over Queens as the sun sets on the day before the Apocalypse. You don't ask questions--just look at the sunlight on the billboards and the graffiti and enjoy your last ride. Maybe dance in the aisle while you're at it.
2475145
I can only conceive of one possible situation that leads to the purchase of this record. Naivete; inexperience with the "alt-folk" genre and all of its many deplorable lows and rare and beautiful highs which may excite an inexperienced listener into thinking that this particular album was at all worthy of the seemingly endless kudos it has recieved from (mostly clueless) scads of reviewers. Yes, alt-folk (or no depression, or whatever they are calling it today) can be hauntingly beautiful in its raw, emotionally gripping meld of sonic textures and styles, and it has been vastly underexplored and overglorified by mainstream press. Yet we must not be too hasty to label every album involving a seemingly intelligent and poetic scrap of music recorded anywhere sub mason-dixon line as "the next dylan" "or just like a young bruce springsteen." Yes, it is nice music. Is it anything new? Is it groundbreaking? Absolutely not. Does that even matter? Well, that is really the essence of why people make music. Everything is derivitave of course, any system with a finite number of tones is going to repeat itself from time to time, but records like this are just simply static. Malin's disc offers nothing remotely clever or exciting and while it is far from unlistenable, it is not a product that i would encourage anyone with well developed musical tastes to add to their collection. Yeah, Ryan Adams produced it, so what? His career has been amazingly unimpressive in my opinion. Yeah, Whiskeytown was occasionally pretty great, but none of his solo work has intrigued me in the least. Personally I don't think it would have mattered who produced this caper, as the material is rather weak no matter who you compare him to, and Malin would be better off transcending his influences a little and putting even a remotely fresh spin on that so very typical "alt-folk" sound rather than directly emulating the artists he has obviously patterned himself after. I mean, if you wanna hear Bruce Springsteen's songs, pick up one of his albums and if you wanna hear some not quite southern dude singing songs he hopes remind people of the boss, then buy this. But don't really. Buy a Wilco album. Or even a little Bright Eyes. You'll thank me later.
2345075
The sad element here is that this majestic piece of musical artistry will go largely ignored in the U.S. Mike Oldfield has created an expansive and inspirational work of great impact here.  My first listen was in my car where I was struck by the tone and range of the work.  At home, through my surround system (hey, why no 5.1 release???), the music naturally came fully to life and elicited many emotions and feelings.  Oddly enough, at times I felt I was hearing the score to an epic film, yet one with quiet and contemplative moments.  This is music with purpose, context, and meaning.  If Tubular Bells was the prologue, this, then, is the masterwork. I will be buying more than a few copies for my friends.

Mr. Oldfield should "hook-up" with P.B.S. to present this work to a wider audience which may not be aware of its availability (although I could not find it in any store in the hinterland of Pittsburgh) and accessibility (for mature and focused listening pleasure).  If P.B.S. can elevate "Celtic Woman" and other third rate warblers to big-seller-status, surely the same promotional effort can be put forth to genius.

Thanks, Mike, for an essential piece of music for the 21st century!!