Seventy really is the new Forty
930036
A very entertaining read.  Fun dialog and great topical Ohio small town references and humour.  Looking forward to more Lou Fletcher!
4728580
If you enjoy 70"s music and want to listen to songs that they don't always play on radio stations, then this is a great CD.
4176857
We're looking at the late '60s into the early '70s when music was taking another turn in their musical journey...listening to the radio you could hear the sounds and times changing...this album is justly named from the man who was at the helm ~ Alan Lorber, generated a new phrase "Boston Sound" (Boss-Town Sound).
Blends of folk, close harmony and loves song themes come through with each lyric...haunting, almost mesmirizing in content as you listen to each track..."OFF WITH THE OLD", by Chamaeleon Church would be a good example...entire gig of compilations is a blast, need this one for your collection, trust me!
Total Time: 73:09 on 18 Tracks ~ Varese Sarbande 302-066-235-2 ~ (2001)
885208
A friend of mine got me hip to acid jazz at Berkeley in '92 listening to local bands like Alphabet Soup and tracks from the Braun Fellinis.  In her opinion, AJ is the first big "new" subgenre of jazz in years, the logical descendent of Miles Davis' pioneering Fusion recordings (beside the traditional revivalists in the '80s and '90s, who thankfully broke away from jokes like Kenny G who mistakenly thought their music was "jazz"). But the best AJ somehow brilliantly blends spacey Fusion, 70's R&B, including some of the social-awareness vibes, with jazz spirals laced throughout in the horn section.  Still others sound like hot-buttered funk with the moogs and synths and Hammonds. This collection angles more on the R&B revival-type of AJ, which has now mushroomed on its own, losing any jazz trappings with the likes of Maxwell, D'Angelo and Jill Scott.  There are some misses and Volume TWO of the series is better, but highlights include "You Shouldn't Lie" and "Sally 19."  For a single-act album that's PACKED top to bottom with great AJ, get Night Trains' "Miles Away."
3694507
If you were a fan of Level 42 in the mid eighties when "Lessons in Love" and "Running in the Family" were so popular, you will love this album.  This compilation is actually better than its predecessors.  I love the old stuff and have it in my music library, including the great culmination of that period, the Wembley dvd.  I also have the latest cd, "Retroglide", along with the tour dvd.  I highly recommend both of those and have written a review of "Retroglide."  "Guaranteed" is brilliant on all levels.  Many of the songs sound like vintage Level 42 without sounding like they tried to make the same music all over again.  This sounds new and fresh and a little more advanced, or perhaps "now", although this band cannot sound dated, as no other bands can lay claim to this genre.  Level 42 is known for their unique jazz/pop/rock/funk fusion and it is certainly all here on "Guaranteed."  The songwriting is brilliant, the trademark layering of percussive sounds is all here, as is Mark King's trademark percussive bass style of playing.  Mike Lindup is on this album (and he has returned after a long absence to be found on Retroglide as well) and you can't mistake him.  Phil Gould was great but so is Gary Husband who plays the drums on this album and has been with Mark King for nearly twenty years now.  The song, "Guaranteed" sounds like vintage Level 42 with its nice layers and a bit of a rock edge that clips right along.  "Overtime" gives you the twists and turns while maintaining a groove that is just great.  "Seven Years" is a truly beautiful song, every bit as lovely as their eighties hit "Leaving Me Now".  The song "She Can't Help Herself" has a more adult contemporary sound, but is beautiful as well.  These guys are master musicians and songwriters as ballads are either real good or make you want to cringe.  Level 42 always crafts extraordinary ballads both instrumentally and vocally.  "If You Were Mine" has a great groove and I find myself playing it again and again.  "The Ape" has this great percussion and exceptional drumming by Gary Husband.  A wonderfully moody track is "Lasso the Moon", which should have had "hit record" written all over it.  The last track, "With a Little Love" is fairly well infectious.  There is not a bad song on this entire cd.  So if you thought the eighties saw the end of Level 42 as a creative force, let me assure you 1992 showed the band still had it and had in fact, grown musically.  You can't go wrong with this cd. I should state that I have the RCA release, I have heard it is the better one while the one available here is still very good.
4602796
Being over 30 I don't keep up with the current music scene as much as I once did.  Just when I was to the point where I thought I would never buy another disk by a current band I heard/saw these gals on televison the other night and I was quite impressed. This disk is a throwback to the old rock and roll of the seventies.  Take one part Kiss, one part AC-DC, one part Brownsville Station and add one part punk/garage and you have one of the best new rock disks I have heard in a long time.  Every song is great and after I finished the disk the first time I immediately started the disk over again.  The disk combines raw punk/garage aggression with catchy song hooks.  Donna R's guitar playing while not overly flashy fits the vibe of the album perfectly and Donna C's drumming keeps the tempo at a breakneck foot stomping pace.  I bet these gals are great in concert. Two of the songs which are instantly memorable are "It's on the Rocks" and "Pass It Around".  Although I have not tried it yet the disk is supposed to be an enhanced cd.  My only regret is that the disk is only 40 minutes long. Oh well, I guess I will have to pick up some of their older disks.  I hope this disk provides a much needed KICK IN THE PANTS to the current music scene for those like myself who are SICK of hearing Eminem, Britney Spears, Back Street Boys and others everywhere we go!  Maybe if this disk sells well it will start a trend to return to basic meat and potatoes rock and roll of the late sixties and seventies. These girls rock harder than most of the bands on the current scene, male or female. You go girls! I can't wait to hear the next disk!
501017
This is a *new* record and should be treated as such. This record is a collection of snapshots (frozen frames in "Gold Dust") from Ms. Amos' life.

This is in no way, shape, or form a 'greatest hits' record. It is a look back at 20-some-odd years with a very present context and classical composition.

I love it very much already. It's a look back at my life too - every bit of it.

Thank you, yet again, T.

P.S. The packaging is top-drawer. It would be a wonderful gift for anyone who loves good music.
1769724
I'm an old prog guy and this is one of the best things I've heard in years. It blends all the classic 70's giants with their own passion into something new and incredible. This is supreme head phone stuff, absolutely essential for the discriminating prog-head.
1480582
How can a 60 year old who hasn't released a new album in 30 years fill concert halls around the world on a 2003 comeback tour playing the songs from a 1967 record that only reached #200 on the charts ? Because the 60 year old is overlooked genius Arthur Lee and the album is Forever Changes. It was largely ignored on release in 1967, overshadowed by Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds. In contrast to the mostly happy psychedelia of those two better known works, Forever Changes combined a dizzying array of musical influences with a somber, down to earth world view that Lennon only hinted at in A Day in the Life. And that folks is why almost 40 years later Forever Changes still sounds like it could have been released yesterday. It's also why Arthur Lee's reputation grew to mythic proportions among critics and knowledgeable listeners even as his musical career floundered in the 70's and 80's. When you listen to Forever Changes' remarkable songs and memorable orchestral arrangements recreated in 2003 by Arthur and a new band that's much tighter than the original Love the irony will hit you full force. That is, the irony that Lee and Love created the greatest album of the 60's and one of the very best of all time and virtually no one outside of L.A. and London knew it. The eleven Forever Changes songs and six bonus tracks are showcased on a nicely filmed DVD with good 5.1 sound that is a must buy for one more reason-Arthur Lee was recently diagnosed with lukemia and this was probably his last comeback. If you're familiar with Arthur and Love you'll love this for sure. If not, don't miss out again on the definitive work by an artist whose music profoundly influenced Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and two generations of English rockers but unfortunately never found a mass audience.

**Easter Egg Update**: another reviewer let us in on a version of 'Singing Cowboy' on the DVD that's not listed on the Bonus Tracks menu. Problem is, the way he accessed it by numerically selecting the track doesn't work on my lousy DVD controller so here's another way to get to it: if your computer has a DVD drive, pop it in, go the Bonus Tracks menu and double click on Arthur's sunglasses in the menu picture. However you get there be sure to see this cut, it's incredible. Guest Graham Coxson of Blur provides some screaming lead guitar, the Swedish horn players turn it loose and it's the rockingest song on the DVD!
585208
I am loving this new group of songs. It has a good mix of old school Steve Taylor with some new sounds to round it out. As with previous Steve Taylor outings the lyrics are inspired. Listening to these songs made me want to pull out some old Steve Taylor CD's and tapes and Reminisce, and so I did.
3160961
I just purchased this at a local store, as I am too impatient to wait for the other 6 I ordered through Amazon.  Those people that say that they can hear no difference do not know what they are talking about.  All of the accoustic guitars are now bright and jangly as they should be.  The bass is more prominent and the drums are crisper, all without overpowering the vocals.

There is more seperation between the voices so you can tell who is singing which part.  It is not all muddled together, each individual instrument stands out on its own.  Anybody who expects a modern digital recording from a 1964 analog source is just being unrreasonable.  Remember, these were recorded on two- and four-track recorders, so with any bounce down to add instruments, you will have some loss of sonic ability, in spite of all they can do.  It's just the limit of the 1964 analog source tape.  For what it's worth, in my mind, it's a welcome addition - a veritable breath of fresh air.  I highly recommend this album.
638196
I already owned the original CD version of Street Legal when the remastered version was released but  I bought this new release as well. I have compared the old and the new versions and I have to admit that the  improvement in quality is much better than I had expected. Both the music  and Bob Dylan's voice are much clearer and sharper in this new release. It  is like the album was recorded using today's technology. So, if you already  own the original version and enjoy it do not hesitate to buy this new one.
521551
This 2CD shows the great improvement that Oldfield has done in his recent music. It's a developing and understanding of the new technology. From the light Cd: ANGELIQUE a great opening melody, FIRST STEPS is a long composition (10 minutes), full of flashbacks of Oldfield's early compositions, SUNSET just beatiful.
From the shade Cd: RESOLUTION a Jarre's type of music, SURFING using vocaloid he makes another hypnotic song (Like Hibernaculum, Mistake, Foreing Affair, from previews works) with a Great guitar solo, TEARS OF AN ANGEL the best in both albums.
A very refreshing music
1988025
Who of us ,that enjoyed this when we were in our youth, would believe that we would actually see the year 2000. In 1974 it seemed unfathomable. Actually,I had thought this music would have been forgotten as Capricorn records bankrupted years ago. Im happy to see that they are back. These tunes on this CD are way before their time. It seems like they encompass eveything from BOWIE to Deep Purple coming in with some Guns n Roses and even Eric Claptons sound of guitar licks. We ll all ride high(Moneybag$) Showdown and Black Widow Lover are the highpoints but every one of these tracks are worth the bucks! NP
2314879
Despite the fact that it hasn't been until recently that I have ever heard of this group, which is a travesty on my part. Being introduced to this group by a 14 year old, It brought back memories to my liking of punk rock back in the mid to late 70's.
As clever as any, most of these tracks' intro's are faithful to the original, but then the hammer hits. What a joy to hear new versions of old classics, like Joel's 'Only The Good Die Young', John's 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', and Denver's 'Country Roads'. To some, you may have to have a liking to fast-paced punk. To others, you may need to have an appreciation of the oldies represented.
All in fun, this is a fast and furious listen. A superb effort to be sure.
2632594
this is a great collection of 70's hits made in the 2010's more powerfull, but not loosing the spirit of the 70's. this is not a house or techno remaster or remix, this just adds a little potency to the hits that we know already. good work mr. moulton, but next time don't record it so loud. ah! by the way, they are all extended mixes, specially the 2 bonus tracks, they reach the 9 min.level. 70's disco fans, go for it. is something different than the versions you had heard before.
2261407
Yes, he's getting older, and the songs are more mellow and reflective, especially in regards to matters of the heart, but it's still Billy Bragg and there is also predictable outrage, and passion in these new tunes. Well, they aren't all new; he also included a terrific cover of Woody Guthrie's "I Ain't Got No Home." But the overall tone is definitely mellower, with much of the material exuding a definite folk and country vibe.

Someone also remarked that this album sounded more "American" in tone, and I'd agree with that. Whether it's the themes of the songs or Joe Henry's production, the album DOES have a slightly different vibe, especially if you go back and compare it to the records Bragg made in the 1980s. He may not be the angry young man who many of us were so captivated by back in those days, but he still has a lot to say and this is a consistently good album with that familiar Bragg "bite" in just the right places. There are a few tracks that don't move me, but overall this one is a keeper. Songs like "There Will Be a Reckoning," "Your Name on My Tongue" and "Goodbye, Goodbye" rank with his very best compositions.