2nd chance but with a first rate sound
345847
Karen came back with a force on this new one to make her known if she wasent before. I don't have a lot of gospel music but the music I do have ...I have becasue there is something different about it or got my attention in some way. This one from karen is no different. It mixes gospel with contemporary sounds like mary mary, and kirk but all in her own style. Its kidna like listening to Fatih Evans do gospel becasue their voices are so similar but she has her own style. Now to the tracks...whats good? Be sure( I like this becasue it tells you why it took her so long to come back..(coma and other things))...good intro song), Only call on jesus(The organ and beat in this song is on point on this with her telling you why and when to call jesus, If I cant say a word, Higher Ground(missy shows us how much more versatile she is by making this song ...while karen handles the rest with others...tight), So good, Second Chance, and Sacrafice(This song is with her daughter and shows how much stronger her daughters voice is...almost like mom...soulful). Karen came strong on this overall and fans of gospel and contemporary soul should get this if you never knew her before....get it!!
734536
There's something about Arcade Fire's sound on this album that oftentimes reminds me of an updated 1960s sound. Songs like "Black Mirror," "Keep the Car Running," "Antichrist Television" and "The Well and the Lighthouse" have a throbbing, somewhat retro sound that's immediately enduring. "Lighthouse" even ends with a kind of nostalgic doo-wop vibe. Add in instruments like the violin, piano, cello, synth and the kitchen sink, and you've got the recipe for some exciting, different music. Singer Win Butler sounds great when he's in his baritone range, and it doesn't get much more hip and baritone than on the great "Antichrist Television Blues," where he sounds like a young Elvis making his musical way in the world.

Whereas Arcade Fire's debut CD,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Funeral/dp/B0002IVN9W/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Funeral</a>, had a beautiful but plodding touch at times, "Neon Bible" has a more immediate feel. And speaking of beautiful, the organ-drenched "Intervention" is as sublime as a song can be, a churchlike tune that contains great lyrics and eventually makes its way to rocking out.

Vocalist and multi-talented instrumentalist Regine Chassagne does her usual great job providing background vocals, and she contributes mightily on the interesting "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations," which, as the title would indicate, sounds like two separate songs. At about one minute, thirty seconds into the song, Chassagne's graceful voice amid a kind of poppy 1980s sound gives way to Butler's vocals, whose section of the song comes off as thicker and more intense. Undoubtedly, Butler and Chassagne keep things interesting when they collaborate on vocals. The poppy tune "Rebellion (Lies)" from "Funeral" is the song that piqued my interest in this band, and it was Chassagne's stellar vocals during the chorus that sucked me in right away.

Many of these songs have the same high standard of sound that drew me to "Rebellion," albeit in a less overtly pop way. There's simply an elegance and grace to Arcade Fire that's unusual for a rock band. The last two songs, "No Cars Go" and "My Body is a Cage," close the album out well and leave listeners with a sense of wanting more. The upbeat "No Cars Go" has a cool "Hey!" shout throughout and a good synth sound to boot. A great organ sound also pervades "My Body is a Cage," a tune that begins with a mysterious, low-key vibe but explodes with a vengeance midway through. Butler's cry of "set my body (and spirit) free" to close out the song and album gives one the feeling that this band hopes to expand its wings and musical vocabulary to ever-growing horizons, which can only be a good thing.
503455
There are certainly some flaws that can be found on "Antics", but give it some time and you will see that it's actually a very good album. I hated it at first, but after several listens it's actually quite good (it's definitely better than the new Strokes album). The reason I didn't like it the first time was because A: the songs just weren't as amazing as on "Bright Lights", and B: all the songs sounded relatively the same. They're not bad songs at all, but they're just very similar to one another. The lyrics are also not as good as they were on "Bright Lights", but they aren't SO bad that you will care a lot about it. It all sounds very similar to their previous albums, but not as inspired. Singer Paul Banks' vocals aren't as inspired or memorable as they were on the previous album, but they're still good - you'll like them, I think. There are no "great" songs here, but all of them are good or very good. Interpol fans will be very satisfied with this CD if they give it some time to grow on them - I also think it has good appeal otherwise. All things aside, I would highly recommend this!

Highlights include:
"Next Exit"
"Evil"
"Narc"
"Slow Hands"
the rest are good, too
588020
The third time may be a charm, but when it comes to NuMetal bands often times the second time is a disaster. The second album that is. So many times we get a great debut by a band with a great sound, only to either have the band fall off the face of the earth never to be heard from again (Sinch, 3rd Strike) or have their follow up album so polluted by the poison of a record company it's simply unlistenable (as was the case with Crossfade and Shinedown).

So when I found out one of my favorite bands - 10 Years - was releasing a follow up to 1995's `The Autumn Effect' (A simply AWESOME album, BTW. Go buy it) I was understandably nervous. But after hearing `Division' I was relieved... kind of.

10 Years is pretty unique and their sound on `The Autumn Effect' was somewhere just between A Perfect Circle and the normal NuMetal sound. For `Division' they seem to have taken a few steps away from APC and more toward the `norm' and I for one am not at all happy about it.

Yes this disk has half dozen legitimate songs worth listening to - basically the first half of the CD - before it deteriorates quickly to crap. Literally, after track 6 only one of the remaining 7 songs doesn't belong in the toilet (All Your Lies). But like I said, there are a couple of gems.

Actions & Motives and Beautiful are both solid songs, if lacking in imagination. 11 AM is a catchy song even if the lyrics are a bit on the thin side. The two songs that shine the brightest are Just Can't Win and Russian Roulette - both of which harkens back to `The Autumn Effect' and remind me why I fell in love with this band in the first place.

All in all a solid album, I guess, but still very disappointing. Only if it's because I was expecting better from these guys. I mean honestly, if Shinedown or Crossfade had released this album we'd be triumphantly championing their return to NuMetal relevance. But they didn't, 10 Years did, and this is quite a fall from `The Autumn Effect.'
1890985
Hearing "Mine Smell Like Honey" on Little Steven's "Underground Garage", their best single since Bill Berry was slapping the skins, predicated my decision to chance this. "Document" and "Automatic For the People" it isn't, but the listenability is undeniable. These veteran alt-rockers source those two worlds admirably but I'm not so positive this will serve more than as a temporary substitute to those classic records. The ringing guitars of the opener has strands of "The Finest Worksong". The musically pleasant "Uberlin" almost parrots "Monty Got A Raw Deal" in areas. A couple of the rockers don't escape banality. In terms of pointed observation, the ballad "Everyday Is Yours To Win" is on a par with  "Everybody Hurts", but it straddles the line of self-imitation. Better is the gentle buildup of the instrumentation that distinguishes "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I". Special thanks to Peaches and guitarist Lenny Kaye for lending some fire on the great "Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter". Also welcome again is Patti Smith and that priceless coda to "Blue". It's good to have you guys back because it hasn't been the same. ***1/2
4270979
After hearing that Billy Sherwood's remix was finally going to be released on the 4th. I decided that I better snag it because honestly, I didn't really care for the original mix that much. The songs seemed to be lacking that dynamic sound and some parts just did not fit in well with the songs.

Fast forward a day later. I sit with the digital copy in my hands of the deluxe edition and threw on my Motorheadphones and WOW! I was very impressed with the newly refreshed sound that Mr. Sherwood has given the songs. Basically all the songs have a new atmospheric sound to them, new life, new parts added, some parts thrown out and all the songs have their own new life and they sound great! A very much improved and needed remix! I give it 4/5 starts compared to the original mix that I gave 2.5/5 stars.

This is definately worth getting a 2nd spin. Hopefully people's minds change after hearing this a 2nd time around. I know my thoughts have. 4/5 stars. Check it out!
387312
Whenever a band releases an album that causes people to get emotionally attached to--as happened with Interpol's first album "Turn On the bright Lights"--inevitably the follow-up is bound to be met with skepticism and criticism.  After all, the band set a very high bar for themselves on their first offering, many wondered if they would be able to equal it.

The answer is yes, they could.  And did.

At first listen, I wasn't overly impressed with Antics.  It sounded like a poorer version of "Bright Lights", trimmed down and more neatly packaged.  But after repeated listens, the subtleties and arrangements of each song began to creep out, to the point where I couldn't deny the fact that it was, in fact, as good (if not better) tha Bright Lights.

The overt 80s references are still there--Joy Division, Echo, Psychedelic Furs, Smiths, etc.  It's not hard to guess what Paul Banks and Co. grew up on.  What they have accomplished on this album, however, is move from simply aping those bands to taking their sound a step further and marking a style of their own.  "Slow Hands", the album's opening single, is energetic with both a memorable central riff and chorus.  It is certainly, for me at least, a strong contender for single of the year.

Other tracks are less immediate though no less rewarding.  "Evil", "Narc", and "C'Mere" are all engaging listens, and reveal an intriguing depth upon repeated listens.  The oddly-titled "Public Pervert" builds with a subtle growling energy before heading off on a thundering chorus.  The bridge on this track is one of the finest and most uplifting musical moments in recent years.

Musically, the band retains its strong alt-80s and neo-goth influences, but add to them with a unique gift of melody and hypnotic guitar riffs.  Paul Banks, already regarded as an interesting lyricist (along with owning one of the most distinctive voices in music today) really comes into his own on this album in terms of engaging melodies.  I have often subscribed to the belief that the best and most memorable melodies are those that don't grab you immediately, and that is certainly the case here.

Not every track here is a winner, however.  "Not Even Jail", the longest track on the album, sounds pleasant enough but also sounds like a leftover from the "Bright Lights" sessions.  Ditto for "A Time to Be So Small", which was actually played live during the "Bright Lights" tour.

An above-average and solid effort from a band with loads of potential.  They have cleverly shrugged off the criticisms that they rely too heavily on their 80s forbearers and have carved out a sound that is unique to them.  It is debateable how long they will be able to maintain this, but for now they remain one of the most engaging and unique listens in music today.
998621
This re-recording of Beast Simone is an improvement over the original recording from 2004. I saw Exit Clov play live during the ESPN televised finals of the 2004 P.B.A. World Championship in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They played going into commercial breaks and also when ESPN was coming out of commercial breaks. I was impressed with what I heard. After the TV finals were over, the Exit Clov band members were selling their newly recorded CD out in the lobby area. I bought a copy for $5.00 and went home and listened to it. Beast Simone was the first song on the disc, and I immediately recognized it as a song they had played during the TV finals. I immediately noticed that the drums seemed to dominate and overpower the song. In other words, the drums were front-and-center, while the other instruments were at a lower volume. When I heard the re-recording of this song, I noticed that they toned down the drums more, which is an improvement. The two female vocalists (who are identical twin sisters) also made some changes in how they sing the song. Overall, the song does sound better than the original.

If you like pop-like music that is a little on the darker side, check out Exit Clov. They have a very unique sound and use different instruments, such as violins. Their drummer is very good. The two twin sisters' voices are very appealing and really stand out, much like how Lily Lane stands out as Lazy Lane's singer. In fact, in my opinion, Exit Clov and Lazy Lane are very very mildly similar, in a loose sort of way, though Lazy Lane is a little darker. Exit Clov's lyrics are intelligent and different. They are definitely not mainstream, but they have good melodies. It is very apparent to me that this band has good chemistry amongst its members. They're good enough to have their stuff on Amazon and good enough to play at a nationally televised bowling tournament, like they did in 2004. Check them out.
4911719
while this album was not my favorite it does however have its charm.  several songs are standouts and thus should be an album of merit.  the album was hurrily recorded while the band was exhausted-it does show because of some limp performances in some songs.  to be fair, most if not all artists have a bone buried in their discography and I think this is theirs.  this album was also remastered before with 2 bonus tracks in 1999.  all contents of that issue are included here.  the only differeces are some photos--so, for fans who have to have it all--there is a couple of reasons to keep that reissue. the sound quality to me sounds the same as the prior-the album sounded muddy then and remastering probably has improved it.  the latest reissue is a boatful of bounty--disc 1 - original release with 6 bonus track - 4 of which are new.  disc 2 is a DVD of a BBC tv show "OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST" recorded in mono. the performance on the show is FANTASTIC and really showed the ORIGINAL band in all of its glory-disc is about 45 mins and makes you want more.  I only wish the latest CORPORATE version of the band could implement the passion shown here.  superb liner notes*-*same as 1999 version but adds more.  while I hate that music and movie companies force us fans/collectors to double or triple dip to "have it all"  - there are valid reasons for coughing up money for this.  I am surprised that this album was given the LEGACY EDITION treatment but you can bet the original albums will get the same.  lets hope they continue to give us quality unreleased gems.
3233308
Don't buy the vinyl pressing of this record. It's a little defective.

When Portishead released Third after a decade-long hiatus, their album began with a slow, propulsive, menacing build-up. David Bowie's The Next Day started with a rushing, frantic disco-rock title track. All of these comeback albums start with a self-awareness, as if to say: "Yeah, we know, it's been too long." Mazzy Star, on the other hand, starts their comeback album as if there was never a 17-year break after Among My Swan at all, and their new album, Seasons Of Your Day, proceeds accordingly. Recorded sporadically between 1997 and 2012, Mazzy Star's long-awaited follow-up doesn't reinvent the band's sound as much as it re-establishes it.

When we last heard from Mazzy Star, Hope Sandoval and David Roback were crafting tunes that were as comfortable as a fleece sweater, and just as warm. Their brand of alternative folk incorporated elements of psychedelia and (what's now referred to as) dream pop. The same sound returns on Seasons Of Your Day, and at its best, the band is able to rekindle the slowburning fires that were alive and well on their other three albums. Sandoval's voice sounds just as good as ever, though she sounds even more timid than usual on this record.

Seasons Of Your Day carries a pretty big problem with it, though. When Mazzy Star first arrived in the mid 1990's, what they were doing was new and inventive. Their sound now isn't quite as interesting this time around, but that's not their fault, per se, because Sandoval and Roback are just doing what they've always been doing. The unfortunate aspect of this is that now that there are tons of alternative folk acts out there, offering a lot of the same sounds, there's not a lot to distinguish this once-unique band from their contemporary peers. Over the decade-plus hiatus, Mazzy Star didn't learn from some of the mistakes that this genre easily falls into: repetitive sounds/tempos, the use melodies that are too spacey to really be captivating.

Whether it be a function of the changing times or something that was lost in the 17-year interim, but Mazzy Star just isn't as breathtaking as they once were. It's much harder to get "lost" in some of these songs, and in most cases, you have to allow yourself to do so. Compare this with 1993's So Tonight That I Might See, where songs like the title track draw you in, whether you like it or not. The closest Seasons Of Your Day comes is "Flying Low", an 8-minute closer that slowly brings in whatever instrument Roback finds lying around the recording studio. David Roback has hinted that several album's worth of material was recorded during the process of writing Seasons Of Your Day -- it's a strange thought because this album feels like a B-Sides collection. The songs are good, the sound is the same, but the gravity, immediacy, and atmosphere were lost somewhere along the way here.

Key Tracks:
"Flying Low"
"California"
"Sparrow"
754028
Hopefully you're read the reviews on (and/or purchased) the group's first album, now reissued, "Inside The Shadow" (under their original name Anonymous), and are now checking out this great album.  The sound is very good overall--no original sources are given.  The booklet is informative and has photos of the band--unlike their  first album with none--to keep the anonymous thing going.  Included is their second album (tracks 1-6) and another ten tracks from later years.  This is another originally privately pressed album that, like their first album, few people ever heard.

But this too is a small classic of it's time.  The band consists of Ron Matelic-guitars/vocals (who also wrote all the lyrics), John Medvescek-drums, Greg Reynolds-bass/vocals, Justin Garriott-guitars/vocals, and Marsha Ervin (Rollings)-vocals.  The ten extra tracks are by basically the same band.  This album benefits with better production values without losing that great sound and feel of the first album.  The guitars are a bit heavier here ("Kiss Of Your Soul"), and "Pike River", with a great Ervin vocal.  But the real kicker is that this "album" is really made up of demos--but you'd never know it.

The band's sound was influenced by bands from the late '60s with some influence from the mid '70s.  Even the tracks recorded in the '90s have the same sound and feel of their influences.  And like the first album, you can pick virtually any tune and hear some great music.  A few of the later tracks are not quite up to the standards of the band's best work, but are still eminently worthwhile.  Songs like "One Sided Lover", "Kiss Of Your Soul", "We Got More", and "Sunday's Hero" are simply great songs with great instrumental arrangements.  Later tunes like "Blue Moon Delight", and "Quartet+1" (a slight country-ish feel), or "Look Out Any Window" (a good bluesy ballad) show the band expanding their sound a bit.  And songs like "Carry Me Over", "Silent Sunrise", and "Moon Horizon" are as good as any earlier songs.

This album (like their first) is a small classic that fans of '60s/'70s bands should hear.  If you're a fan of this era--miss this--it's your loss.
978365
This is a very impressive debut from a clearly musically talented band.  They remind me a little of Black Sabbath and yet they do have a slightly different twist to their sound enough to make them sound uniquely themselves.  Track 6 is one example of this as it shows they can be very hard and yet have a melodious side as well.  The guitarist is very good though not quite in the Tony Iommi league as yet but still he plays very interesting chops.  The lead singer has a much better voice than Ozzie though.  I only gave 4 stars because I suppose for an unremastered disc the sound is okay but after 14 years, it really is about time they cleaned up the sound.  Overall, a rather decent disc.
1544047
No Second Chance is in my personal top 10 favorite albums of all time. The harmony vocals on this album are something you have got to hear  for yourself. It is incredible the way they sound so smooth and tightly woven  together on songs like Don't Look Back and No Second Chance just to a name  a couple.  This band does an incredible job of mixing things up on this  album, from the funky guitar rythyms on songs like No Second Chance to the  good rock guitars on Johnny Hold Back to the spacious rock guitars leads on  the heart wrenching song Thirteen. If you listen closely, they even slip in  some fantastic horns once or twice.  In my opinion as a self proclaimed  music connoisseur, this album is a must for any music lovers collection. I  think it is well described by the name of a radio show I once heard the  album played on called Rare But Well Done. Somebody please get this album  reissued. I have worn out several cassettes and my vinyl is not going to  hold up forever.
3980471
This is one you definitely need to let play through a few times before coming to any conclusions about it.  The first time I played it, I found the songs clumsy and thought it all sounded kind of lost.  The second play-through, I started hearing some bits and pieces that seemed to click.  On the third and fourth listens, I realized that there is a kind of off-kilter groove happening here, just the kind of left-of-center hookiness you would expect from a dB.  There ARE some flat-out clunkers, but the best three or four songs make the whole worthwhile.  The closer, "Here and Now," is a mid-tempo ballad whose chorus you will find yourself humming all day.  The title track has a guitar line that is all Peter Holsapple- that kind of bubblegum-meets-art-pop thing that only he and Chris Stamey can do the way they do.  "Away With Love" might be the catchiest song on the album.  Is this as good as the dB's records?  Well, no.  But still, it's a fine record by one of the better songwriters of the past two decades.  Just don't judge it after one try.
1762356
"Priest=Aura" is a terrific album by The Church. Although a bit inconsitent at times, the album was a exceptional return to form by the band that Arista had at one time wanted to turn into the next U2. This new deluxe edition is mastered louder than the original version with the dynamic range not quite as good but overall sounds pretty good (those minor flaws aside). If you're buying this strictly for the remastered sound, your original disc sounds pretty good in comparison with little compression. If you never bought this on CD, this is a fine one to pick up Dan Bartley does a good job of mastering the material without squashing the dynamic range and compressing it as much as many more recent recordings out there. Still, keep in mind that this is a CD that is LOUDER and COMPRESSED when compared to the original CD with LESS DYNAMIC RANGE. If these things matter to you, I wouldn't get it.

The mastering deserves a 3 star ranging because it's good but could be outstanding while the album itself deserves 4 stars.

The real reason to buy this, though, is the second disc with the single edit of "Ripple" and a remix of "Feel" (its not really an "extended album mix" per se but that differs quite a bit from the finished album version ). "Drought" which was originally on the bonus CD of the original issue of "Sometime/Anywhere" has been properly relocated to here because of when it was recorded. "Nightmare", "Fog" and "Unsubstantiated" all would have been solid contenders for the album but work better on their own and probably wouldn't have quite fit in with the texture of the "Priest=Aura". "Nightmare" would have been a solid single for the album and probably would have gotten airplay for the album. "Fog" is almost as catchy although it doesn't quite have strong an opening hook. "Unsubstaniated" was originally on the soundtrack for the Robert Towne film "Tequilla Sunrise". It would have fit in quite well on the album.

The booklet has all the credits a couple of photos not in the original booklet but lacks lyrics. That's the main flaw with most of these reissues--I love reading Kilbey's lyrics when they are included and am disappointed they don't show up here.

If you have the previous edition of the album "Priest=Aura" the only reason to get this are the b-sides/non-album tracks. If you have those somewhere else, you might as well save your money and buy something you don't have by the band. I'd still recommend this album to people upgrading their collection or just getting into the band.
3709895
This third album from Razorlight shows a fair amount of musical growth from their first album (which I also have; I do not have nor have I heard their 2nd album).  Compared to the first album, this one is a bit more polished in both arrangements and sonics - the first one struck me as a bit raw and underproduced, with mostly fast-tempo songs; here, the songs seem a bit more fully realized and distinctive, but tending to occasionally sound like show tunes, with big choruses.  One thing that stands out here is that the vocals and the music itself (more piano than before) sounds a bit like Live and Keane - much stronger vocals than on the first LP, and there's an earnestness to the playing that is pleasant to hear.
1927769
Few bands have been able to overcome the seemingly inevitable "sophomore slump", as music critics call it. That is, their second album doesn't measure up to the first whatsoever. This is unfortunately the case with many great bands, partly due to the fans' and critics' continual comparison to the debut album.  "Room On Fire" could've very well been considered a brilliant stand-alone album, if it wasn't for their stunning first album, "Is This It". "Room On Fire" has somewhat failed to meet general expectations, being that it is evident that the band is really capable of more.

 The Strokes have chosen very wisely with their release of memorable radio songs; 'Last Nite' from "Is This It", 'Reptilia' from "Room On Fire", and then 'Juicebox' from "First Impressions of Earth". These songs recall the sort of complexity and style of music of past generations. They are still thoroughly modern in sound, with Julian Casablancas' clever, articulate vocals, backed by guitar rhythms, melodious bass, and continuous drumming. Each of their albums almost seem as if they're each one whole song broken up into different phases. It's a good album, and would be even better by itself if there wasn't the shadow of "Is This It" looming over it. Still, "Room On Fire" appears to have lost some of the freshness and pep that was present in their first album.

The songs that were released as radio singles, 'Reptilia', '12:51', and 'The End Has No End', were all catchy enough to lure in album sales. The rest of "Room On Fire", however, contains many songs that are rather similar to one another. The Strokes have figured out a pretty good formula for coming up with a plausible melody, but how many times can that formula be repeated before fans get bored? When you hear one of their songs, it is unmistakably The Strokes, and it is a good thing that they have come up with their own style. However, this album as well as their 3rd album "First Impressions of Earth", suffers from having too much of the same. They are still one of the better bands around in the 00s, though they have yet to show their full potential.