Good companion to Mac's "Say You Will", pretty solid effort
921063
"Friend", "You Are" and possibly "Givin' it Back" would have wound up on "Say You Will" without a doubt. A lot of the fans that missed Christine with FM as well as the ones who liked "Time" because of her contributions to it should pick this one up. Also, if you liked "Say You Will", you will really like "In the Meantime" as well. You won't be disappointed.

It's too bad the Mac shadow is an "albatross" over the band members, because Christine, Stevie, and Lindsey are fine songwriters in their own right. Hopefully one day, all the different eras of Mac from Peter Green to Billy Burnette (maybe Clapton and Carlos Santana can show up too) can do at least one proper show honoring all eras of the Mac.
4395441
Hypothetically, let's say someone put on this album for you without telling you who it was.  Your first reaction would be:  "If this isn't an Allman Brothers side project, I smell a lawsuit."  Upon learning that the bandleader is Jaimoe, you would relax and take the music on its own terms.

Musically, this album is actually closer to the Allmans' sound than many other Allman-affiliated projects.  Jaimoe calls the group, "Jaimoe's Jasssz Band," which suggests Allman-style fusion in the mold of Sea Level, but the jazz elements on this album are rarely more prominent than on Elizabeth Reed, with the primary exception being a piece by keyboard player Bruce Katz called Hippology.  Interestingly, Jaimoe played this piece along with Bruce on Ronnie Earl's "Colour of Love." (Side note-- Gregg has a guest spot on that album too).  Most of the rest of the album sticks close to the jazz-inflected Southern blues rock jam band style pioneered by the Allmans.  In fact, some of the album sounds like what would happen if the Allmans brought in a few horns.  The singer sometimes even sounds a bit like a less gruff version of Gregg, particularly on a version of Melissa.

Really, though, the album sounds like Jaimoe's effort to showcase his new discovery-- almost-definitely future Allman Brothers guitarist/singer Junior Mack.  He has soul, chops and versatility.  He can play blues straight or with jazz elements.  He can play conventional or slide.  He can sing kind of like Gregg when he wants to.  And, while he can obviously play the Allmans' style, the tone and attack of his guitar work instantly distinguish him from any current or past Allmans' guitarist.  Occasionally, he even has a guitar conversation with himself, alternating styles and sounds to mimic the kind of conversation that Duane and Dickey used to have (and that has been picked up by each subsequent guitar lineup in the group).

Also, seven of the ten songs here were written by group members (although Katz has recorded Hippology before, as mentioned earlier).  Of those seven, four were written by Mack.  Apparently, the guy can do it all.  Keep an eye on Junior Mack.

Incidentally, Junior Mack appears on a new release by a collective called Heritage Blues Orchestra.  It sounds nothing like this, but fans of classic blues and jazz with an open mind should definitely check it out.
2844505
I'm not a big fan of DCFC's older stuff. Really, anything before Transatlanticism doesn't do much for me. Those old songs aren't bad, but they just don't stand out too much from one another to me. That's also how I might describe the majority of this album. Never bad, but rarely great.

That being said, "Bixby Canyon Bridge" starts things out pretty nicely, building into a rocker in the middle. "I Will Possess Your Heart" has gotten a lot of buzz for it's 8+ minute track length. One of my biggest complaints about many of the songs on this album is that it takes too long for anything interesting to ever happen. Strangely enough, on the longest song on the album, the length doesn't bother me. Sure they could have chopped a few minutes off, but the bass line is pretty tight and the song sounds different enough from the other songs on the album to remain interesting.

Other standouts for me include the Beach Boys-esque "You Can Do Better Than Me" and the headphone friendly "Your New Twin Sized Bed". I also enjoy the production on this album. Chris Walla knows how to get the most out of every drum sound. He does a good job of making the songs sound good on the radio but even better on your headphones.

Overall, I've found there are some good songs on this album, but not as many standouts as DCFC's previous two albums. Too many songs drag on for too long without any type of rewarding chorus. Still, I'd recommend picking this up and giving it a listen and seeing if any of the other songs spark an interest for you.
4829250
The third release from Page and Co. takes a bit of a turn from the hard rock/blues format of the first two recordings.
Perhaps not quite as hit heavy as II, IV (Zoso, Runes, whatever) or Houses of the Holy, this is still a strong disk, with solid band performances and Robert Plant singing with more and more confidence. I consider this to be one of Led Zeppelin's more organic efforts, full of acoustic guitar driven songs, but there's plenty of electricity here to balance things out.
"Immigrant Song" leads things off with a propulsive rhythm and beat, some terrific wailing by Plant and lyrics based on Norse mythos that mention Thor, Valhalla, etc. Great Viking imagery and some tricky stop/start changes.
"Friends" picks up a nice strummy groove with unusual chords and an orchestral string track.
"Celebration Day" gets back to some electric zip, with a nifty little riff.
"Since I've Been Loving You" is a cool blues tune, but seems out of place here, more like a leftover from the 1st album.
"Out on the Tiles" has another memorable riff that guitarists cut their teeth on.
"Gallows Pole" shifts back to the acoustic mode with a new arrangement of a traditional folk song that has an old American west feel, with mandolins and banjos and knee-slapping beat. Nice basswork by Jones hidden in here too. "Hangman, hangman..."
"Tangerine" has a false start, then moves into a pretty acoustic strum, with chord arpeggios, and lyrics of yearning and loss. This song also has a western feel, with lap steel guitars. I like this song, but the harmonies have always sounded a bit off to me.
"That's The Way" is one of LZ's all-time underrated tunes, a moving, introspective song about coming of age and leaving old friends behind. Nice acoustic strumming, atmospheric pedal steel guitars, and emotional vocal performance by Plant. I also like the instrumental refrain at the end.
"Bron-y-aur Stomp" features some nice acoustic picking, and picks up that western twang with more thigh-slapping fun.
"Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" always led to the question, 'Who is Roy Harper, anyway?' See Pink Floyd's 'Have a Cigar' for more on Harper. This song has Plant trying to do that Delta blues inflection, but the repetitive acoustic sliding gets a little annoying. A quirky tune, but not one of my favorites.
If you don't have this disk already, I recommend it for collecting some nuggets that you might not be familiar with. If you had the old LP album, don't expect the psychedelic spin wheel with the gate fold, but you'll still get the pictures.
1712551
There are a couple songs that may take some time to win you over (I'm thinking of "Pancreas" and "Weasel Stomping Day" in particular) but even so, this is a fairly solid album from the paragon of parody. It's not the instant classic that some of his other albums were (such as "Even Worse" or "Off the Deep End") but it does eventually work its way under your skin. You'll find yourself humming sections of "Trapped In The Drive-Thru" while you're waiting "at the pay window, ... or whatever you call it."

The videos on the second disc are quite odd. Al is attempting to encourage independent creativity by having a number of different people make their own version of music video based on his songs. Some play out better than others, but they all have some quite interesting imagery.

If you're an Al fan, this is a "must get". If you're not, you'll enjoy many of the songs but will probably be put off by a couple of the others as being just a bit too ... dare I say it? ... weird.
2124716
Somewhat a stylistic nod back to "Diverse City" which is a good thing as that still happens to be my favorite T-mac album, yet it still sounds current. Thankfully, this is not another EDM album like "Eye On It" except for the title track featuring Capital Kings. I love funk rock, so my favorite track happens to be "Feel It", the only track on this album that I keep repeating. Perhaps Bruno Mars was an influence?  Anyway, this album features another DCTalk reunion on the track "Love Feels Like" which makes me wish I could have actually heard more of Kevin and Michaels vocals on this one.  This album is full of honest, fun, uplifting, and witty songs that TobyMac has been known for since his days with DCTalk. While I don't consider this to be his best album, it is definitely a step in the right direction from "Eye On It" and also another great album from probably my favorite CCM pop artist.
3670205
A re-release of Mac's second CD, produced and arranged by Allen Toussaint with the Meters as the house band.  I've been looking for this CD for a few years now and was really psyched to see the re-release.  The sound is similar to "Right Place" which had the same band and producer.  This is a total NO music fest with excellent songs and playing without relying on a lot of New Orleans music cliche's.  This is one of my favorite periods of Dr. John's music.  The song writing, playing, backup singers, and his voice are at their most distinctive.  This is the kind of music that made Mac famous. You can tell that Mac has a young spirit and and really wanted to make a complete swamp-funk record.  I like a lot of his later work, but with all artists, there's a difference between the raw early stuff and the more polished older stuff. I'd highly reccomend getting this CD, Gumbo, Right Place, and Gris Gris to start off your Dr. John collection and to really find out what New Orleans music is about.  There's a lot of good time party music (some of which is sublime... see Rebirth's "We Come to Party" and the Meters "Live on the Queen Mary") that lacks depth.  Mac's early work has a depth and mysticism combined with great playing that really is greater than the sum of it's parts.
Also, this CD has "Everybody Wanna Get Rich (Rite Away)" that Robert Walter covers on his excellent CD, Money Shot.
p.s. In case the references to Mac don't make any sense, Dr. John (the Night Tripper) is the character that Mac Rebennac plays i.e. Mac is Dr. John.
3206775
Another excellent record from Mac. Sounds exactly like Portastatic to me, so not sure why he released it under his name, but whatever you call it, it's fantastic.
3754820
"Minute By Minute", originally released in December of 1978, was the third official studio album from the Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald as a member of the band, and I think it's clear that the third time was the charm, both artistically and commercially--although the previous two albums certainly weren't without solid commercial success in the US, this one was a bonafide blockbuster, topping the US charts, having gone platinum within the first four months of its original release, and having gone triple-platinum by 1985.

I think the report of the band being dissatisfied with this album can be attributed to them feeling emotionally drained at the time of its recording/ release.  The sessions weren't exactly smooth sailing--in the booklet for the Rhino "Greatest Hits" CD, Michael McDonald recalls how the band did countless takes just for "What A Fool Believes" alone and that they "almost gave up".

Without a doubt, the huge success of this album was deserved.  It's really amazing how much better of an album "Minute By Minute" is compared to the first two Doobies' albums with McDonald--1976's "Takin' It To The Streets" and 1977's "Livin' On The Fault Line" respectively.  Although respectable albums, the Doobies sound rather burnt out on "...Streets" and "...Fault Line" and often seem to be coasting on their (admittedly hugely respectable) instrumental chops to try and mask a lack of quality songwriting.  With "Minute By Minute", energy and enthusiasm are back in a big way--it's like the band suddenly got a second wind.

Michael McDonald's gasping, soulful vocals here pack a major wallop and are simply infectious, and he handles the lead vocals on a handful of classic tracks from this album.  And of course, McDonald was one damn impressive songwriter as well--his album opening solo composition, the heavily syncopated "Here To Love You", is one of his characteristic "soulful rants" as I like to call them, and it's an irresistible, uplifting feel-good tune.  "What A Fool Believes" was a huge hit, and with its crisp beat, rich & soaring harmonies, clever and incisive love lyrics, the sly key change on the chorus, and the extreme melodic catchiness, it's a total classic--it's true that you've probably heard it a 'zillion' times, but there's no denying the brilliance of it.  The jazzy, arrestingly hushed and moody title track is also classic hit.  "Open Your Eyes", with its pleading minor-keyed verses and extreme catchiness, is also a gem, and don't forget about the grooving album closer "How Do The Fools Survive?".

The greatness doesn't stop there.  On the previous album, it was as if the band was either afraid to rock out or had forgotten how to do so, but they come gloriously roaring back in that department with Patrick Simmons' enthusiastic bluesy rocker "Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels", an irresistible song with a super fun guitar line and cool atmospheric stuff going on as well.

I'll admit that not every song itself on the album is a classic, but still, "Dependin' On You" is a fun feel-good tune, and "Streamer Lane Breakdown" is a solid, country-flavored instrumental that adds a welcome diversity.  The minor-keyed "You Never Change" is admittedly a bit slight, and yet it's still another piece of arrestingly catchy material.  The quasi-ballad "Sweet Feelin'", with vocals from Nicolette Larson, is rather fluffish, but it's still catchy, under 3 minutes long, and nicely enjoyable.

So, despite some weaknesses, I have to admit I have a real weakness for this type of classy music, the kind of stuff that really holds up to repeated listening.  Even "What A Fool Believes" is one of those songs that, despite its relentless airplay, has so much going on to make it one of those songs that's always 'worth one more listen', as the saying goes.  On the whole, "Minute By Minute" is a great and timeless album.
404336
EUCADEMIX picks up where Yuka Honda's excellent prior solo album MEMORIES ARE MY ONLY WITNESS left off, offering a distinctive set of tracks that taken as a whole display a individualistic musical vision.  The tracks are relatively short (the longest is four minutes in length), and vary from a solo acoustic piano piece ("Seed Of Seed Of Peach") to cuts with layers of electronics, including several with dance beats and/or funk elements, and bits of jazz and rock elsewhere.  Although many of the tracks have melodies, they seem an equal part of the entire soundscape, as opposed to the arrangements taking a supportive, background role behind the tunes.  For the most part the tracks have a reflective and moody feel, with occasionally harsher elements via edgy guitar solos ("Spooning With Jackknife," "When The Monkey Kills") or free-form improvisation ("Why Are You Lying...").

For the first time on either of her solo albums, Yuka has a vocal track with lyrics ("I Dream About You") that piles on addictive hooks yet still veers left of the pop-culture center.  Given that ex-Cibo Matto co-leader Miho Hatori is the lead vocalist I suppose this could be considered a reunion of sorts.  But not really ... even this track is more consistent with Yuka's current musical approach than that of Cibo Matto.  Several other cuts have wordless vocals on this otherwise instrumental album.  If I had to choose between Yuka's two albums I'd prefer EUCADEMIX by a small margin (I's say because all of the tracks here are allowed a little more time to develop).  Both CDs are recommended, though.
4586847
A good solid listen. Ideal for those who can't abide the sacharine (sic) style of bland pop/country that eminates from Nashville these days. I've actually heard two of the songs on other compilations. I didn't find it as lively or fresh as other Krauss/Union Station albums I've got. I'm waiting on "Forget about it" so the comparison will be interesting. Definitely one to add to your collection.
1167129
It took a year to grow as Relient K released their second album. There were still references in the song lyrics--Breakfast at Tiffany's, Mr. Ed, Star Wars, Thundercats, Maybelline, Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Brian Wilson. But there are actually songs concerning worship.

Distinctive from its predecessor, references utilize fun, as opposed to exemplifying a point. A case in point is "Maybe it's Maybeline" which addresses our fixation with blame--"Maybe it is them. Maybe it is me. Or, maybe it's Maybeline."
The vocals clearly have grown, as shown in "Lion Wilson," a concise a cappella song. The tunes also have advanced, taking more of a punk feel, but varied with acoustic guitar for worship songs.

Songs like "Sadie Hawkins Dance" and "I'm Lion-O" are enjoyable, and call the listener to dance. However, the real highlight is again an edgy song titled "Failure to Excommunicate," which speaks of excommunication in the world, racism, and loving outcasts.

Overall, an entertaining album; the group has enhanced their sound, but there's still room to grow.

By the way, the Gold Edition isn't all that much different, except for one music video, and that's really it. But there could be a sound quality difference, which I wouldn't know, without having the original album.
4194397
This is a solid album from Skillet, and a much better follow-up to "Comatose" than "Awake" was. With this album, the band offers a good amount of variety by structuring the singles into a story. Many of the singles end with a prelude into the next song, rewarding the listener with more rich content, while also helping tie together a cohesive narrative. There is a nice amount of variety and atmosphere across the album, keeping the entire experience fresh and engaging throughout. My only complaint comes from the lack of consistency in the quality of each single. Some singles, like "Rise", "Circus of Psychos", and "Not Gonna Die" are certainly of higher quality than other singles in the album, such as "American Voice", "Good to be Alive", and "My Religion". After my first listen through, I often find myself skipping many songs in the album, which is a shame. Can't say this is the best album the band has released, but for what it is, it's definitely worth a full listen, for its movie-like presentation and many of its high quality singles. Also, if you have the funds, I'd recommend picking up the Deluxe Edition, as it comes with two singles that add to the experience.
785661
I couldn't give this album the full monty, because it really isn't perfect. That's because of Tracks 7 and 8, "Quest for Fire" and "Sun and Steel". I enjoy listening to both of those songs every once in awhile, but not all the time. They are both kinda good, but aren't anything spectacular at all.

Hence my rating of 4.5.

The title of this review states "The Golden Era Begins". I wirte that because(obviously) this is when the Golden Era for Iron Maiden began band member wise. They would carry this lineup through their Seventh album "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son".

And that lineup looked a little something like this:

Steve Harris-Bass Guitar

Dave Murray-Lead Guitars

Bruce Dickinson-Lead Vocals

Nicko McBrain-Drums

Adrian Smith-Lead Guitars

The change they made to the lineup was bringing in Nicko McBrain for Clive Burr. Clive was great and talented but Nicko stuck. Every since "Piece of Mind" Nicko McBrain has been on every Iron Maiden album up to the most recent album "Dance of Death"(2003). The song lineup is goes as followed:

1. Where Eageles Dare

2. Revelations

3. Flight of Icarus

4. Die with your Boots On

5. The Trooper

6. Still Life

7. Quest for Fire

8. Sun and Steel

9. To Tame a Land

Even if you don't own this album I'm sure you have heard both "Flight of Icarus" and "The Trooper". They were the 2 biggest singles off "Piece of Mind" and are both excellent songs. "Where Eagles Dare" is the perfect way to start off the album as new drummer Nicko shows off his talent right from the start. "Revelations" is also excellent, as Bruce shows off his song writing talent. "Die with your Boots On" is a great catchy tune, that will impress the heck out of you. "Still Life" is one of my favorite songs off the album, and it's basically the title track. It starts slow, and builds too an extremely tremendous chorus. I've already given my opinion on "Quest for Fire" and "Sun and Steel" at the beginning off my review. They are both solid yet unspectacular. The longest track on the album is the closer "To Tame a Land". Some people say that they were just trying to make another "Hallowed be thy Name" with this song, but I believe that that is crap. This is absolutley nothing like that classic, and it is great in it's own way.

Overall, I'd reccomend this to any fan of the band, or just anyone looking for good music.
437791
Is it my imagination or do the opening and closing tracks NO LOOKING BACK and DON'T LET ME DOWN sound eerily similar?  Don't get me wrong--I really like Michael McDonald--I have all his CDs.  I mention this because for me the similarity of songs on this 9-track collection don't allow Mike to take any risks or broaden his estimable horizons. But NO LOOKING BACK gives us those smoky, evocative vocals of one of pop's most recognizable voices.  Backed by the best studio musicians, McDonald and co-producer Ted Templeman have fashioned a palatable addition to McDonald's discography.
While not my personal MM offering, there are some shining moments:  the jazz-flavored OUR LOVE is one of Michael's finest recordings; BAD TIMES is a great slow burner; I like the structure and feel of ANY FOOLISH THING; and NO LOOKING BACK and/or DON'T LET ME DOWN are vintage McDonald.
McDonald has had a great influence on jazz/rock fusion and I feel fortunate to have his collection.  NO LOOKING BACK isn't perfect but it's still worth listening to.
217864
Hussein Fatal, formerly of the Outlawz, returns with his 3rd solo album, and another good 4 star effort.  His 1998 debut, "In The Line of Fire"  is about equal with this one, and his self titled, late 2002 release is my favorite of his 3 solo's and worth 4.5 stars.  He was also a part of the 2Pac + Outlawz, 4.5 star "Still I Rise" album from late 1999 (he was on 5 of the songs), and had an album with fellow outlaw member Young Noble come out in 2007, "Thug in Thug Out" (also worth 4.5 stars), and has a few mixtapes over the last few years.  As always you're gonna get some nicely spit street, fiery, and angry lyrics from Fatal.  This one has 15 songs (3 of them have verses that he used on songs from his album with Young Noble), 12 are good and 3 are ok.  Guests are on 3 of the 15 songs so you do get to hear a lot of Hussein Fatal on this one.  Production is nice as well.  SC, Drone, and Choir Boy each do 3, Young Roc does 2, Jack B, Cosmo, Ozone each do 1.  A nice album for fans of the Outlawz  to get a hold of.

#1 - 8.5 (has verses he used on his album with Young Noble)
#2 - 8
#3 - 9
#4 - 7
#5 - 7
#6 - 8.5
#7 - 8.5 (f/ QU Gangsta)
#8 - 8 (f/ Jim Jones)
#9 - 9 (f/ Killa Black & Slim - nice beat)
#10 - 8.5 (nice beat, verses are edited)
#11 - 9 (nice style of rapping about himself like it's haters  actually rapping)
#12 - 7.5
#13 - 8 (has verses he used on his album with Young Noble)
#14 - 8.5 (has verses he used on his album with Young Noble)
#15 - 9 (deeper more personal song)

Bruce Washington -- Montclair, NJ
Check all my reviews
4468355
I was captivated by Tasmin Archer after hearing "Sleeping Satellite" via "UK Chart Attack", a Top 40 program featuring hits from Britain in late 1992. After buying the cd upon its release in the U.S. in early 1993, I was pleasantly surprised. "Great Expectations" covers an array of various styles and tune smithing that reveal polish and melody. Some of the production is a bit glossy and formulaic in parts - but I find that this approach likely helped the cd to find a footing in mainstream music. Interesting subject matter abounds of which in conjunction with some melodic arrangements and strong vocals, tends to reel the listener in. "Sleeping Satellite" (written about the implications of space travel) has a nifty organ instrumental in the middle of the song that stands out nicely; "Lords Of The New Church" which details disillusionment with religion, is very catchy and rife with pop ambiance and hooks. Yet, it is lyrically deeper than your everyday pop song. "Hero" also has a strong chorus that has you humming and reflecting on the song long after its conclusion. "When It Comes Down To It" has a nice melancholic aura about it that lingers through subdued arrangements and poignant vocal delivery. "Somebody's Daughter" has a pop/rock "by the numbers" feel that again, impacts the listener on a number of levels. "Ripped Inside" is an earnest, heartbreaking account of betrayal and love lost. The other tracks on here are all solid and very accessible. Some may contend that the songwriting misses the mark on some counts and the production is "overripe" - but I beg to differ. "Great Expectations" is a great piece of music from a truly great (and seriously underrated) singer. Check it out and enjoy.