A WELL DONE BOOK AND SMOKIN' CD--NEW BARBARIANS FANS CAN'T LOSE.
345836
"You know what, in the name of great music, I'd do it again and wouldn't change  a thing."  Ron Wood.

"I can't even remember much of it, it was so much fun."  Keith Richards.

"There was a lot of testosterone on that stage."  Stanley Clarke.

"I knew they would adapt naturally--and put a new slant on their approach."  Ron Wood.

I've been a fan of this band since they first began releasing live sets from their 1979 U.S. tour.  but I have to say that I was surprised to see a book about the band and tour.  But I'm happily surprised that the book is no thrown together mess. Rather it's a well thought out, in depth look at  Ron Woods' "side band" featuring Woods and Keith Richards-guitars/vocals, Bobby Keys-sax,  Stanley Clarke-bass, Ian McLagan-keyboards, and Joseph Modeliste-drums.

The many photos and other graphics are crisp and clean.  The text is interesting and informative.  The layout of the book is well done.  Plus you get a ten track (52 + minutes)  CD of unreleased tunes.  But I'd advise you to take the disc out of the plastic envelope glued into the inside back cover and put it in a jewel case.  The sound, while not pristine, is as good as anything (at least to my ears)  that's been previously released--especially the latest live set.  There's a real sound and feel of real rock 'n' roll across all ten tracks--nothing fancy--just great shakin' rock 'n' roll.

For fans of the New Barbarians (and the Rolling Stones)  how can you lose?  The band was never really well documented, so this great book filled with many previously unseen photos of the band on and off the stage, plus  a few  photos of the Stones, and ephemera (including some of Woods' artwork, ticket stubs, T-shirts hand written lyric sheets, etc.) , and the inside story of the band finally shines some light on this short lived band.  And with relatively little of the band's music having been recorded/issued, the inclusion of a CD is very cool and a welcome addition to the band's discography.  The book includes, in both text and photos,  the band's formation and subsequent tour of Canada,  America, an opening slot for Led Zeppelin at the '79  Knebworth Festival, and their final gig in Milwaukee, Wisc. in 1980, plus a look at the band off-stage.

Fans of the band will want this great book, but  for anyone who hasn't heard the New Barbarians this book and, equally importantly the smokin' CD will give you a good idea of what went on in '79.  This sums up what this band was all about--"For a little bit of time six of us got lost in the music."  Ron Wood.
2408731
GO Bob and the band. I love every word off of the new cd, and I highly recommend it to all. I cant wait for the band to start touring, and for another cd to come in the future.
815508
I have never been a big Backstreet boys fan. I've only liked a few of their songs on previous albums. But this cd is a really good cd. There are only a couple of songs that I could do without. All of the others are outstanding. I'd have to say my top favorites are "Climbing the Walls", "Incomplete" and "Crawling Back to you". These stand out to me as just really well done songs. There are many more that I like a lot on this cd. The backstreet boys' voices have matured so much since their previous album. They sound excellent. I highly recommend this album, even if you weren't a previous BSB fan.
108961
I like this book and the accompying cd. It gives a bit of everything and for the low used-book-price I got a real bargain.
3550102
Let me tell you right now -- alongside Tool and R.E.M., Faith No More is one of my most favorite bands. I own all of their albums, and that being said, I have also burned my own greatest hits compilation for Faith No More in the past, because I felt that their first greatest hits project only focused on the singles (unless we're talking about the rarities bonus disc that came with it -- that was a definite plus).
The REAL reason to buy this CD is for "The Cowboy Song" and "The Perfect Crime" -- two of my most favorite Faith No More songs. "As the Worm Turns" was pretty good as well, but it didn't hold up as well in comparison to the two other classic cuts I just mentioned. Also, if you don't own their version of "Easy", then this would be the place to get it. Otherwise, there is no real reason to buy this CD. Some of the choices are hits, and some are misses. I'm glad they included "Midlife Crisis", but they also included "War Pigs", which, while it was great, really shouldn't have been on there -- Faith No More has enough original,beautiful material of their own to include. "Epic" shouldn't have been put on purely for the fact that it still has some radio airplay and it really pales in comparison to some of their other songs. And including "Be Aggressive" was the biggest mistake of them all, in my book. In that slot could have been "RV" or "Land of Sunshine" or, especially, "Everything's Ruined". But NO -- they chose "Be Aggressive", a song that, while being strikingly original, is nothing in contrast with the rest of the Angel Dust album.
But I DO like the artwork in the CD, and it's good to have a little biography to go along with it as well. I guess that would be the only other positive.
In conclusion,I have this to say -- buy all of Faith No More's albums, download their rarities, and make your own greatest hits -- because that is the type of band Faith No More is : an in depth, personal music experience.
1842210
Ah, the Samhain box set. Could hardly call it "long-awaited", as  it never would've occurred to me they'd bother, given the paucity of their  releases back in the day. But I'm a fan, right? And what does  "fan" mean, if it's not a euphemism for "sucker"? So  here goes....
First, you might mistake this for a Danzig box, given the  competence of the consequently un-Samhain packaging, so be sure to open the  thing up before shipping it back to Amazon with a letter of complaint. Once  you do that, you'll find all three original records (with "Misery  Tomb" included on Unholy Passion--revisionism, anyone?), plus a disc  labeled "Final Descent" and a disc of live cuts. Not much needs  to be said about the live disc, which is great, or the original albums,  which are also great (and, I'm happy to report, not too grossly  remastered). The real gem here for all you vinyl hounds, though, is Final  Descent, in which the Unholy Passion tracks from the original CD are  replaced with a few new finds, like a primordial version of "Twist of  Cain". Very cool.
The video is entertaining enough; sure, you've  seen bootlegs with higher production values, but the band, who look like  they're barely out of high school, are genuinely charming. This, after all,  is what rock and roll is all about--but don't take my word for it: Look at  the group shots on the early albums by the Stooges, the Dead Boys, or for  that matter, AC/DC or the Seeds. Hats off to a group of snotty kids, who,  admittedly, you probably COULD take in a dark alley, but rock harder and  with more vehemence than you could ever hope to.
The read disappointments  here are the booklet and comic. I know, here I am saluting kid rockers and  then complaining that that comic is so infantile as to be, frankly,  embarassing. But these guys were always the quintessential horror rockers,  the Hammer studio on wax, and stupid drawings of Glenn Danzig boning  groupies hardly enhance that image. If Black Widow did anything similar, I  hope they have the sense to keep it under lock and key; let porn rock be  porn rock and horror rock be horror rock.
The booklet is almost as bad:  The lyrics to all the Unholy Passion and Final Descent songs are omitted  (not that you need to care, anyway; as Fats Domino said, it's more fun to  figure 'em out for yourself), the Danzing write-up self-congratulatory, and  the other anecdotes (by both ex-drummers--go figure) strikingly  uninformative. I guess the pictures are fine, but hey, the cover of Initium  was always enough for me.
Finally, the packaging is so cheap as to almost  be insulting. Remember those flimsy containers in the Misfits box? Well,  this time, Glenn dispensed even with those, going instead for the kind of  cardboard sleeves you KNOW are going to get all bent-up in the car. You'd  think $60 would buy a couple extra pieces of plastic, and full-size jewel  boxes would fit in the oversized box, no problem.
So the bottom line is,  if you're considering buying this, and you already have the albums, you  should know that you'll probably end up feeling just a little bit ripped  off. Of course, if you're a fan, you'll still need to have it, as I did,  and you're hardly going to be daunted by ol' Glenn's cynicism (does anybody  know if there's anything to the rumor that he's the one secretly putting  out all those bootlegs of the old Misfits 45s?). So to you new guys, caveat  emptor; to you fellow old fans, I raise my glass! You'll dig this thing  over and over, just as I am.
2201716
Imagine an  alternative band that goes back in time to around 1985, and you get pretty good idea of  The Barbarian Lovers. In truth it's more like four and a half stars, but only because the only albums I ever gave 5 stars to were Dark Side of the Moon and Blood on the Tracks. In fact I'm suprised "Neon Nocturne" didn't get put on the "The Crow" sound track, it is cooler than some of the other songs chosen. Yes, the sound is a little dated (but then again, that's part of the charm and era) who cares. The lyrics and music are really good. Let me tell you that this worthwhile album, really deserves a chance from anyone who like synthy rock music.
1355061
One of the best boxed sets I have purchased in a while.  If you're a jazz lover, this set will not disappoint you, but more importantly, if you are a "newcomer" to jazz, I would recommend this product to introduce you to the music that spawned just about everything we hear today.
Please watch the documentary series that coincides with the CD Set.  (Currently being broadcast as I write this.)  Witnessing the history of jazz while listening to it's history can't be beat.  The book included in the jazz set has short narrations of each song and why Burns selected each song as an important milestone in jazz.
Great selections such as Soon One Mornin' which allows listeners to experience 19th century jazz (the roots of the music), the classic Strange Fruit by Billie Holliday which is a lesson in history in that listeners hear the feelings of blacks that endured the hate crimes of early-mid 20th century America (and to this day), etc..
There are so many great selections and their importance in jazz history that I would take a good amount of scrolling from your mouse to complete them.  A few songs were left off that I hoped would be included.
A no-brainer for any jazz fan and like I mentioned earlier, anyone wishing to be introduced to an original American art form.
1985824
This cd is a must-have for any old-school Barenaked Ladies fans.  You know who you are.  You're the ones who say, "I liked them before they were famous."  That means you prefer Gordon (their best cd in my opinion) to Stunt or Maroon, and you think their radio songs are some of their worst stuff.  If you fit into this category, you need this cd.  There are a few classic BNL songs that make the cd worth buying.
For those of you who are new fans and like their newer, catchier, more pop-ish stuff that plays on the radio, there is some stuff on this cd for you, too.
And thirdly, for those of you who were recommended BNL but aren't sure if you like them, this is a good cd to start with because it contains both styles of music that they play: their non-mainstream hard-to-classify rock and their pop rock.  If you like certain songs but not others on the cd, you'll know which other cds of theirs to buy.
Some highlights (rated out of 5):
1. Jane:  3 - also on their live cd.  Live version is of course better
3. These Apples: 2 - never liked this one, too whiny.  on the live cd, too
5. A: 4 - cutesy, catchy, but not annoying
6. Everything old...: 3 - cutesy, catchy, slightly annoying (more like the new stuff)
7. Alternative Girlfriend: 3 - little too catchy for me (new fans enjoy)
10. Life In A Nutshell: 5 - on the live cd but it's good to hear the original for contrast.  They're both great but in different styles
11.  Wrong Man: 5 - Great classic BNL
12.  Great Provider: 5 - Great classic BNL
In short, fans of all types will find something to like in this album.  The last three songs are the best.  Life in a Nutshell is different from the live cd version, it's less up-beat.  Wrong Man has the country/folk feel that Million Dollars had, and Great Provider is the haunting slow song (like Blame it on Me from Gordon).
However, if you don't like BNL's songs on the radio but are being forced by some well-meaning friend to give them a second chance, I strongly recommend that you listen to Gordon before Maybe You Should Drive.  Gordon is a better album and contains less of the pop-like stuff you are hearing from them nowadays.
So, go ahead, buy the cd.  Enjoy!
4641974
I am a great fan of Slade. One of the most succesful acts in UK in the 70's, they created a great bunch of now legendary records. But under those well-known songs, lie some gems that had to wait a long time to be heard in CD format. This collection of B-sides shows the great musicianship of these guys and the wide range of musical styles they played. My favourites (just to name a few) are: Wonderin Y (?why this did not was an A side?), the swing version of My oh my (equally better than original) where Noddy shows his great vocal skills apart from screaming, Red hot. A great place for new fans to know this fantastic and underrated group and a must buy for long time fans.
207222
I was torn about how to rate this new product from one of my favorite bands. I'll break it into two parts: CD and DVD.

CD: As a huge Hackensaw fan, I love the live music on this CD. It really captures the spirit of the band, and the story behind the making of this CD is touching and inspirational. The music is recorded live, so the sound quality obviously won't be on par with that of a studio CD. However, you'll soon get over this minor detail, and overall the CD is quite enjoyable. A few of my Hackensaw favorites are found on here -- "Dance Around," "Ruby Pearl," "Keep It Simple," "Can't Catch Me," and "Oh, Girl," to name a few -- and there are even some new songs I haven't heard before (traditional songs/covers, I assume, but enjoyable nonetheless). I give it 4.5/5 stars.

DVD: Well, this is where the band, producer, record label -- whomever you want to blame -- really messed up. This CD/DVD combo was originally released overseas, so the DVD was in PAL format (the format most of the world uses with the exception of the U.S. and about fifteen other countries). However, upon being released in North America, you'd think they would have converted the format to NTSC so that we American fans can actually enjoy it. Nope. After looking so forward to watching the DVD documentary, I popped it into my PS3 only to get the compatibility notification that it cannot play PAL software. I contacted the company from which I purchased it and am waiting for an answer. Pretty bummed out. 0/5 stars since I can't watch it (and neither can any other Americans).

Overall a great CD, but the DVD won't play unless you have a PAL-compatible device, which is more difficult to obtain for us American fans. And who would want to purchase a separate device for one DVD? It's a shame because the DVD is probably pretty awesome, and Hackensaw doesn't have a live DVD yet that I'm aware of. I suggest downloading just the CD instead for now.
3945042
Staring at you with a middle finger salute from the cover of this book is Big Boys frontman "Biscuit." Letting you know immediately that this book isn't another myopic volume of punk/hc history, but the most thorough book yet published on this corner of music.

Inside you get detailed writing covering the rise of punk and hardcore in North America with deserved attention paid to the Midwest, Canada and less cosmopolitan scenes where punks had to struggle twice as hard as their big city peers to make it happen.

Of course you still get all the heavy hitters from the coasts but you also get great coverage of bands like Zero Boys, Die Kreuzen, Husker Du, etc. not to mention all of the crucial Texas bands like Big Boys, Dicks, Really Red, MDC, DRI, and on and on.

Hurchalla shows punk and hardcore as it really was in the US and Canada; a thriving underground network of kids and bands all across the country. This is by far the best starting point for anyone interested in punk and hardcore, no other book comes close. And like a true punk Hurchalla published this through a tiny independent without the help of corporate cash like Sony or MTV as some other books have done.
2445091
Putting together a tribute Cd is a bit risky since they'll have to reach a pretty high bar to please MB & PBBB fans.  With three excellent guitarists (Robben Ford, Chris Cain, and Volker Strifler), they get pretty close.  The sound quality is excellent, especially considering it's a live performance.  Not much harp, but good when you do get it.  The Cd starts off with a hot version of the classic 'Killing Floor.'  One big surprise was their attempt at 'East/West.'  Although much shorter than the original, I can't recall anyone else ever having the guts to attempt it - well-played and they succeed in achieving a similar abstract feel.  The best track is probably the slow blues instrumental 'Blues for MB.'  My only wish is that the Cd had more blues tracks.  After all, what concert is this short? There must have been other MB & PBBB tunes played that night.  What happened to those?  In the mean time, this is worth checking out if you appreciate blues icons Michael and Paul.
2811989
This has been a new thing in the past 2 years, a couple of companies digging up old radio brodcast and getting them to CD/MP3/and Vinyl. Dio, queensryche, the lemonhead are a few ive seen these old radio shows pop up as cd now. That being said, this is a great addition for Replacement fans. Good quality recording that for some reason has been stashed on a shelf somewhere. good mix of their songs over the career of the band. Check this one out.
4966362
Bob's done it again. I'm just glad there are still bands that want to rock-n-roll. He realizes he doesn't have to reinvent the wheel, or even the GBV sound; just keep writing songs, show them to the band, and crank it up. Can't wait to see them again! I grabbed their setlist off the stage last year. There's over 40 songs on it! You've got to love that.
389515
The only problem I have with Vernon's bible is the small fortune in new music it has cost me, but considering some of the great artists I've discovered through this fantastic compendium, I think he can be forgiven. The short descriptions of the albums are normally enough to give a general impression of what to expect, and when I then get the album myself, I generally tend to agree with his assessment of it. There is a lot of material on many bands I'm not interested in, but that goes with the territory. Important is that if I pick up any compilation of 60s or 70 artists, I can probably find information on nearly every band on it, no matter how obscure. I've checked through my many compilations, and it is very seldom when a band is not listed, normally because it's an acetate which was not an official release, or it's a song publicly released for the first time. If I were Vernon, I'd seriously think of trying to get some kind of commission from Amazon and the re-issue record companies, for he has certainly generated sales of countless thousands of CDs through his monumental work.
2893015
It's been nearly three decades since The Eagles released a studio album of brand new material, and the loooooooong wait was definitley worth it. The  band have toured over the years and had the ocassional new song here and there, but nothing compares to an entire new CD. And what a new CD it is!. Upon first listen, it's as if the years in between never happened. The guys have picked up where they left off and continue making music together as if they never stopped. The familiarity of the sound and tone is refreshing. They aren't trying to be what's "new" or trying to connect with what the youngsters would like. They just make music. Straight forward, unapologetic, and simple. Just good music.

The CD is a sprawling 2 discs that runs for nearly an hour and a half. Out of these two disc, disc 1 is easily the best. Disc 2 is great, but the first one is definitley 'The Eagles'. "How Long", a JD Souther song, is a classic tune for the band. It has a very easy going, charming vibe to it like "Take It Easy". "What Do I Do With My Heart" is a beautiful ballad sung by Glen Frey, with a little assistance at the end by Henley. Lovely song. "Waiting In The Weeds", sung by Henley, has a late 80's/early 90's sound to it that wouldn't be out of place during his "End Of The Innocence" period. Joe Walsh gets in on the action with the rocking "Guilty Of The Crime", a up tempo tune that harkens back to their late 70's/early 80's rock. Timothy B. Schmidt knocks it out of the park with two songs, "I Don't Want To Hear Anymore" and "Do Something". Each one, especially the latter, match his previous singles with the band. Henley gets a little old school rocking done on "Fast Company", and Frey ends the first disc with the short, but pretty, "You Are Not Alone". My favorite track, however, would be the Henley sung "Busy Being Fabulous". An absolutely great and charming ditty that is currently the second single.

Disc 2 is where things get a bit more rock and roll, and sound much more like their edgier sound once Joe Walsh had joined the band. The epic 10 minute "Long Road Out Of Eden" starts things off in classic Eagles tradition. This is a song that could of come out of any of their earlier albums. "Somebody" is a great little rocker from Glen Frey that sounds as if it would belong with his mid 80's solo stuff. Walsh contributes the cool "Last Good Time In Town", while Henley delivers three knock-out songs. "Frail Grasp Of The Big Picture" and "Business As Business", are vintage Henley tracks that also wouldn't be out of place from his own solo career. "Center Of The Universe" is a beautiful little song that features those great Eagles harmonies. The disc ends with Frey singing "It's Your World Now". The lyrics are meaningful. Is this it?. Is this the end of the road for the band?. Let's hope not.

"Long Road Out Of Eden" is a superb CD filled with wonderful music. There are a lot of great artists and bands who deliver wonderful harmonies, but there is just something special about these 4 guys. Nobody sounds like them, and this CD sounds as if time has stood still. There is so much good stuff here. They are already on their second single, but there are at least another 3-5 tracks here that belong on the radio. It's just good music. Henley and Frey are usually the most with the vocals, but Walsh and Schmidt's contributions are wonderful. They all do their part. It should satisfy fans and, hopefully, gain new ones. I can't stop listening to it.