By far, the best of the tributes
354935
I have purchased and read the Rolling Stone, People and Life tribute magazines (not Time Magazine, due to it's negative reader reviews), and this one is by far, the best.  It offers a positive tribute to the Legend, as it should be.  There are also some great photos exclusive to this magazine and well, the whole thing is just done beautifully.  Buy this, you won't be disappointed.
4526844
These were my first CDs from this label and they constitute one of the most beautifully produced sets I have encountered. To the reviewer whose advice I took: yes I would have regretted missing this one, for it is one of the finest tributes to a performing artist imaginable. The booklet is a hard read, but you won't care about any opinions expressed after you hear the recordings. That is why you will want this set: for the heart and soul of the music that Ignaz Friedman conveyed and is nowhere near as easy to come by in modern recordings.
560196
Jeffrey Lee Pierce produced some of the most moving and beautiful rock music with The Gun Club, as well as his more bluesy solo work. This collection of covers and completions of unfinished works is faithful to his spirit and done with great care and love. Nick Cave opens with the lyrically gorgeous 'Ramblin' Mind'. Cave plays piano on Deborah Harry's cover of Lucky Jim, from the brilliant and ignored last Gun Club release, but what makes the collection so coherent is the use of Jeffrey Lee Pierce's guitar playing on most tracks. Cave and Deborah Harry duet on Free to Walk, and these two geniuses voices work together spectacularly well. Lydia Lunch pops up repeatedly, her voice is showing age and she sounds at time like Stevie Nicks meets Marge Simpson, but is as entertaining as ever. David Eugene Edwards (16 Horsepower/Woven Hand)seemingly can make any song sound Apocalyptic - quite hair-raising. This is the first time I have heard The Sadies and will investigate them further. One of those rare compilations that hang together in a similar mood with great performances throughout. A noble tribute to one of the musicians I miss most.
3950611
Incomprable music celebrating the best of the Broadway works featuring Fosse numbers...lovingly recreated with a stellar cast and orchestrations.  Enjoyable listening for anyone, but a must-have tribute for any fan of the Great White Way!
4061288
I have probably heard maybe two Ike Turner records in my entire life. Even though I'm usually drawn to other genres of music (far from this one), I found this tribute to Mr. Turner to be quite impressive. Tunes that managed to lure me to give this CD additional spins were the awesome "No More Doggin'", "Rock Me Baby", the swinging "Bold Soul Sister" and the couple of familiar covers - CCR's "Proud Mary" and Lennon & McCartney's "Come Together". The players here - Roddy Smith-guitar, Tim Smith-bass, Darryl Johnson-vocals, Tim Gordon-woodwind instruments, Donnie Marshall and Tony Creasman-drums + their five guest musicians really make you appreciate this effort. Definitely listen to the provided sound clips on this site, then go from there.
988554
When I first discovered this tribute disc on Amazon, I checked out the samples and liked what I heard enough to grab a copy.  While there are plenty of great artists paying tribute to what is undeniably one of America's great mid-western progressive/rock/pop bands, after listening to this disc a few times, I'm left with the "what's the point" feeling.  No one takes the reigns and does anything other than a direct remake.  The guitar lines may vary a bit, the vocals are different, but there's nothing else.  No alternate arrangements, no liberties taken, just straight ahead, exactly as before, recording of Styx.

Now, that ain't completely bad, but it did leave me with the feeling of "why bother"?  I'm already a huge Styx fan and have a plethora of their music, so I have everything this disc has to offer, but I can get it straight from the source, not this recycled 'tribute' compilation.

Individually, each of the bands on the disc do an amazing job.  It is certainly a demanding task to sing like a Dennis De Young or play guitar like a Tommy Shaw or James Young, and to that end they all do it well.

I just wish they would have done it with a few liberties.
4505620
I got my copy of The Gift, a Tribute to Ian Tyson, on Monday. I got it from Stony Plain since I was not patient enough to wait for Amazon.
I recommend it. It's got 15 songs plus a brief 2-minute interview with people who know Ian. With only 15 songs, an awful lot of his really great stuff is being left out, but it is a nice collection, all in all. The artists covering his work range from the well known to the unknown (at least, unknown to me). The cuts on it are, in order:  Four Strong Winds - Blue Rodeo, MC Horses - Corb Lund, Blue Mountains of Mexico - Jennifer Warnes, What Does She See - Chris Hillman, Red Velvet - Gordon Lightfoot, The Gift - David Rea, Range Delivery - Cindy Church, Smuggler's Cove - The McDades, Some Kind of Fool - Amos Garrett, Old Cheyenne - Tom Russell, Someday Soon - The Circus in Flames with Buddy Cage, Will James - Ramblin' Jack Elliott, You're Not Alone Anymore - Stewart McDougall, Summer Wages - Good Brothers, Moondancer - Jeff Bradshaw, Interviews.
Only one of these is a real dog (my opinion, of course): Someday Soon. What a shame that this would be a dog when there are so many wonderful covers out there. But, so it goes. Tom Russell and Ramblin' Jack Elliott really add nothing to their covers, but they are OK. The rest may or may not measure up to Ian's covers of the same material; but, then, that is to be expected because one is going to be hard pressed to find a singer or bandleader out there who is better than Ian!
There are several cuts I particularly like already. The cover of Four Strong Winds by Blue Rodeo is a bit more amateur than Ian's versions, but it works. It is engaging.
Jennifer Warnes reading of Blue Mountains of Mexico is just wonderful, perhaps the standout on the album. I always have liked the song. Her version harkens back to the intricate arrangements of the late 60's with beautiful strings, strategically placed bells (gongs) and lush vocal layering. This is really nice!
Chris Hillman's rendition of What Does She See sounds like a cross of The Desert Rose Band with The Sons of the Pioneers. Very nice "cowboy" harmonies and one of Chris's gentlest vocals. Herb Pedersen, of course, is on this cut. It is refreshing, it gives me a little tingle when I listen to it.
David Rea's performance of The Gift is quirky, as you would expect from David Rea. His vocals are deep and raspy and sound like he has been living out on the range for the last 40 years. In that sense, it is a match for the song's content. It is not the smooth interpretation that Ian gives on the Ian Tyson Cowboy Classics album.
Range Delivery by Cindy Church is straight off Ian's last album, Songs from the Gravel Road.
Some Kind of Fool (Amos Garrett), You're Not Alone Anymore (Stewart McDougall) and Moondancer (Jeff Bradshaw) are all performed by the same band, with these three being the core of that band, and they are all excellent. Amos's voice, if you have not heard him sing before (I hadn't) is a surprise, a pleasant one. His cover of Some Kind of Fool is a lot of fun. You're Not Alone Anymore's arrangement takes more from the last Ian & Sylvia album (of which I have a rare copy culled 35 years ago from the 2nd hand bin at the Kent Community Store) than from Ian's arrangement on And Stood There Amazed. And that is a good thing because I like the earlier arrangement better. Moondancer is an instrumental.
The short interview is entertaining and I won't spoil the surprise. But it surely captures Ian and the crowd around him.
All in all, I recommend this one highly. Even if you are just a tepid Ian fan.
2390230
I have no idea how I came accross this disc, but the moment I did, I knew I had to own it. There was something about the whole concept of Latin bands covering The Cure that appealed to my sense of adventure. I was rewarded with an even better album than I could have imagined. I think this has got to be the best tribute album ever done. Most tribute colections have absolutely no imagination whatsoever. This beauty tops them all! From the potential hilarity of freaking people out when they realize what they're hearing to the delight of thinking that some of these just songs might just be better that the originals. But don't take that one comment wrong, this is no 'joke' album. Yes it definitely tickles the heck out of my funny bone as it has for most I've played it for, it's a serious look at a whole new interpretation of the music of The Cure and a 'tribute' to the high quality of the songs they wrote.
1385366
I have this album, and listen to it at least every two weeks. It reminds me of our roots, and of a more sincere time in our lives. Listen to "The Old Tin Cup," "Ringo, and Five Card Stud" among  the many other spectacular cuts on this album. What a great tribute!
4697793
This is a FANTASTIC tribute album to one of my favorite rock bands of the 90s.  Failure never quite got the recognition they deserve, but this tribute album does them justice and then some.  For anyone that doesnt own Fantastic Planet(1996) you need to pick that album up ASAP, and then pick this tribute along with it, its the perfect companion piece for any fan of Failure.
Track by track rating (1-5)
1. Saturday Savior // Evangelos
5/5 Great cover, band sounds great. Production is great.

2. Sergeant Politeness // [Damn] The Desert Air
3/5 Not really feeling this one. Could have been better but still not bad.

3. Smoking Umbrellas // Exeter
4/5  Pretty good. Vocals could have been delivered stronger.  Still does a good job of channeling Ken Andrews though.

4. Solaris // Sex Club Reject
6/5  This is the best track on the album, I love it!  Everything about it is perfect, and dare I say it, I almost like this better than the original...actually I think I do like it better!  I listened to this song on repeat for like an hour straight.

5. Another Space Song // Orion
5/5 This is my favorite Failure song so I was very curious to see how it was covered. Very well!

6. Undone // Emotron
1/5 This is probably my least favortie track on the album. Just not feeling this one.

7. Leo // Stemage
2/5 Another one of my favorite Failure songs. Unfortunately this band doesnt quite pull off the energy of the original.

8. Frogs // Satellite Tragedy
3/5  Vocals are great on this song. Musically could have been better though.

9. Pitiful // The Comany We Keep & Rilian
4/5 I really like the rendition of this. The atmospheric touch to it really adds to the song, really captures the mood of Fantastic Planet.

10. Stuck On You // Paramore
5/5 A great cover from one of the more well known artists on here. Im really hoping this band really is a fan of Failure, and not just on here just to be here.  They did a good job none the less!

11. Blank // Catch The Sun
3/5 Pretty good.  Not just an overly huge fan of this song though or else I would have rated it higher.

12. Heliotropic // B.L Barakus
6/5 Probably the second, a VERY CLOSE second best song on this album. Its perfect!  The original is amazing, and this one is just as amazing!

13. Daylight // Solare
2/5 Not really feeling this one. Another one that Im just not a big fan of the original version to begin with, but it still has its moments.

14. Petting The Carpet // Tablets Of Orion
5/5 This is probably my favorite Failure song outside of the Fantastic Planet album.  These guys did a great job!

15. Wet Gravity // 30 Fathom Grave
3/5 Never heard of this band before but I like their name.  Their cover isn't too shabby either.

16. Muffled Snaps // Planet ID
2/5 This one actually sounds more like a demo. Not a big fan of it.

Overall, its a GREAT tribute! Most tributes Ive listened to have kinda sucked, but this one is fantastic, and a great addition to my Failure catalogue. :)

Thanks for checking out my review!
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4065105
Tribute albums that are also released to raise funds and awareness--
by their very motivation to reach a large audience--are often a mixed bag.

And this one is no different.

BUT, inspite of that, this is a 4-star 2-disc CD
from which you can then burn a 12-song, 5-star disc.
This one, for me, includes:

from disc 1:
U2, REM, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jackson Brown, Big & Rich,
and (believe it) Christina Aguilera, who nails "Mother'.

from disc 2:
Green Day, Black Eyed Peas, Snow Patrol, Los Jaguares, The Flaming Lips,
and (with a stunning version of 'Real Love') Regina Spektor.

Your edited version may be different than mine,
but there are enough good to great songs to come up with your own
while helping the cause of stopping the 4-year long genocide in Darfur.
3300081
This is a fantastic tribute concert! The hightlights for me are:

Tom Thumb's Blues and All Along the Watchtower by Neil Young - he really nailed these songs!

Chrissie Hynde does a great job on I Shall Be Released

Clapton's Don't Think Twice is absolutely amazing! I am NOT a big Clapton fan but he is back to his old self here, doing blues rock, and his playing - and SINGING - are better than I've ever heard him, live.

Tom Petty excels on License To Kill.

McGuinn's Mr. Tambourine Man shows you why the Byrds took flight for a long, beautiful journey back in 1965 or so.

Then you have Richie Havens on Just Like A Woman

And of course Dylan's own Girl From the North Country.

George Harrison's Absolutely Sweet Marie, I thought was a poor selection for him to do, but it's still great to hear him. He fares better in his part of My Back Pages featuring Dylan, McGuinn, Petty, Young and Clapton as well, which may be the highlight of the disc.

There are a few other good songs, and those plus the above make it worth owning this disc!

Everyone has their own taste, but for me, the other artists not mentioned here did not fare so well, even though I do like some of them.

What I did was take the above list of songs and put them on a cd-r, and it is a 100% fantastic single cd! You might want to choose your favorites and do the same. But get this set, it's amazing!
248260
With all respect to Van Halen and their management if they cared half as much about their legacy as this book's creator they probably wouldn't be in the sorry predicament they are in today. This captured Eddie's essence and walks us through how they went from local keg party attraction to headlining arenas. At the same time I can't help but wonder what could have been had Dave not left after 1984. I'll confess I'm a huge fan so the tribute swayed me. Much has been said about it and with good reason. Imagine rounding up an A-Z of distinguished maestros to discuss Van Halen. Ok quit imagining. It's real and in this book. Page 303 to 386 is nothing but the cream of the crop honoring Eddie Van and discussing his playing style, tone, techniques, influence, songwriting, performance abilities, all eras of the band, etcetera. It's a book unto itself. A good number of them opened up about their experiences jamming, touring and hanging with Van Halen. There's some really good stories in there. Others contributed entire essays. This tribute's a thing of beauty. It makes Halen 101 a surefire winner and one of a kind must have.
2405206
Love the Cathedral Quartet and the tribute was fabulous. and I hope they put out more CD's.  The Cathedrals were the absolute best!
2573769
In times before the internet , before finding things was so easy...I used to peruse record stores (remember those ?) looking at every disc hoping to find one elusive or rare one that struck my fancy. I relived that feeling when I found this recording. A fine , fine tribute to a fine , fine man. Harry Chapin was a truly unique individual with a master ability to sing stories. His songs weren't just melody and lyric , they each told a story and "took you" somewhere. That's why listening to someone other than Harry sing these songs is somewhat strange--they were Harry's personal masterpieces , and he made each come alive like no other. But , this recording works on many levels. It is a celebration of Harry's music by his innermost circle-his family. Having attended a dozen or so of Harry's shows , I am biased in saying the best moment on this disc is hearing Big John Wallace sing "O Holy Night" in the chorus of "Mr Tanner" again (that always did give me a spine-tingle) , but you will find many beautiful moments in this lovingly assembled tribute. Boy , I miss Harry.
2888369
I thought I'd burned out on the endless parade of tribute albums dedicated to stars and cloaked as publicity stumps for famous and wanna-be-famous musicians, but this CD proved to me that a great tribute to a great writer is still possible. Tori Amos's version of "Famous Blue Raincoat" stopped me in my tracks as well as almost every other song on the album. I missed "Sisters of Mercy" and "I'm Your Man", as well as the title"Tower of Song", (where was that one!?) but hey!-you can't put all of Leonard Cohen's brilliance into just one album anyway.
2224062
Superbly fleet and imaginatively articulated, Lisa Smirnova's performances of three Haydn piano concertos are fully competitive with the best on CD, including those by her famous compatriot Mikhail Pletnev on Virgin Classics.  Another plus -- she enjoys absolutely first-rate accompaniment by the Sinfonia Varsovia and conductor Volker Schmidt-Gertenbach.  Chances are many folks have passed by this CD because the artists are not well known, to say the least.  That's too bad because they are missing almost an hour of magnificent music making on a ridiculously inexpensive CD that boasts top quality digital sonics: nicely intimate and beautifully detailed yet enticingly warm and cozy, Smirnova and Company's fully digital recording is a lovely introduction to Josef Haydn's least known body of orchestral composition.  All in all, this Arte Nova CD offers a fine tribute to one of music's greatest composers, and a grand way to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his passing (1809/2009).