Can't give 4.5 stars, but this is great
345233
I was having trouble sleeping during a camping trip at a state park. I came across this model hammock along with several others at an outdoor store, and decided on this one to try hammock camping. Boy am I glad I did!

Unfortunately it doesn't come with its own tarp. That is the only reason I would give it a 4.5 rather than 5 star rating. But I had a blue utility tarp in my car camping supplies.

It took a bit to figure out the best way to hang this where I was. Being an established campgrounds, suitable trees were not readily at the site I was using. Luckily I seem to be a bit resistant to poison ivy. I used straps around the trees and short pieces of 550 paracord as drip lines at the ends of the ropes to keep any rain from coming down them inside with me. Later when I took it down, I used the drip lines to wrap the hanging ropes and prevent them getting tangled in the stuff sack that comes with it.

The first night I did not use a pad under me. Even though it only got down to about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, I felt like my entire backside was freezing. I didn't hang it high and tight enough at first, and ended up with my shoulders on the ground. (Also probably because the straps I used were nylon and not poly.) I rehung it and that was solved. Inadvertently I got in facing towards the East and where cars would come down the drive between campsites of the loop I was on. That meant every passing car shined in my eyes, and the rising sun did too. The next night I put my foam pad inside, faced the other direction, and I slept great!

My point is, and I do have one, it may take a bit to learn to hang a hammock like this to sleep the night. But it is worth it. This is an inexpensive, lightweight, well made hammock to try hammock camping. After using it a while, you will either absolutely love this one, or know what you need to make yourself more comfortable. And if you do have nylon instead of poly hanging straps, well just stretch them by spending time in the hammock and rehanging it. I know it is a tough job to do. But, if you don't do it who will? (Hon, I'll change the oil later. I'm busy stretching the straps for the camping trip... Oh yeah that would go over great..)

This hammock, a tarp, and the rigging weigh in at less than my 2 man tent with fly, groundcloth, etc.
4695815
First, I am not an audio expert. Second, I spent many years in the computer business. Polk has a great reputation, but the reviews for the previous version of this were spotty. So, with trepidation AND excitement, I removed the goods from one of the most strangely shaped boxes I have ever seen. The unpacking was easy enough, and all of the parts were present. But...but if I could have given this 4.5, I would. The instructions are sparse and obtuse. I went to their website, and the downloadable PDF added a little more information. But, essentially, I used my computer background and plugged everything into the only place each piece would fit, plugged everything in, turned it on, and it worked. I am certain it is not connected to my WiFi as I was never asked for my password. The app for it is even worse that the printed directions. It looks like it was meant for one of their speakers. Despite all my grousing, the sound bar and woofer work, and work well. I am replacing a Bose speaker, which was great, but the sound of this is even better. If I ever figure out the WiFi, I will amend this review. Again, great sound, but if you are not very computer literate, ask a friend to help you. Recommended.
4529356
It's a bit melancholy and dark, for those who aren't into that kind of thing, but has moments of light as well. For me, it's great writing music. I'm always looking for music to write to, and it's surprisingly difficult...I burn through soundtracks pretty quickly. A lot of them wear on me after awhile, or simply add nothing. I really like this one - it's got enough emotional complexity to not be monotonous, and yet it's not so overpowering that it derails me while I'm writing either. One of my favorites right now.
2413732
I really wish I could give it 4.5 stars. This is a very good album. That said, if you are closed-minded and expect bands/musicians to keep spitting out the same thing each album, you won't like this album. This IS different from what most people think of when they think The Black Keys.  But if you are one of the fortunate ones who understand that the same thing is boring to produce/create, that the good bands like to explore and expand hence you judge based upon what it is rather than prejudicial expectations and don't give into preconceived notions, I think you might find a good album.

This isn't your garage-blues-based rock of their earlier stuff. This is much more poppy sounding with keybounds and soaring background female vocals, but that isn't a bad thing. Black Keys and Danger Mouse created a good, worthwhile album. Listen to it for what it is, not what you think a Black Keys album should sound like. Go in with an open mind.
3109882
Some people might be impressed by the fact that Oasis is still making music. But really, when you consider Jerry Rice--arguably the greatest to ever play his position--is still playing in the NFL, laughably, as a third- or fourth-string receiver, what's truly impressive is that Oasis is still great. Their level of greatness varies from fan to fan, sure; with some fans believing they've been on the downfall since Definitely Maybe. Definitely not. Everything that has been present during their careers is present here, at one point or another. There is the undeniably memorable hooks in Noel's voice which first brought Oasis their stardom and US radio play ("Lyla", "Let There Be Love") as well as the ever-present rock sluggishness that makes their albums so lovable ("The Importance Of Being Idle", "The Meaning Of Soul"). There isn't a bad song on Don't Believe The Truth, although if you looked hard enough you could probably find something to complain about. And since you're going to see the line 'don't believe the naysayers' (or something to that effect) in every positive review for this album, I'll refrain from doing so.

The opener here, "Turn Up The Sun", starts things off nicely with a booming sound and a seemingly agitated tone in Noel's voice--something that has always worked well for Oasis (e.g. Be Here Now) and also works well throughout this album. "Mucky Fingers" is a rather weird track. It holds a steady beat for the entire song, as well as almost-humorous lyrics and terrific harmonica bits. "Lyla" is everything you'd come to expect from an Oasis single. The way Noel's voice is molded around the drumming and strumming easily makes it one of the album's highlights. "Love Like A Bomb" should get most of its praise for the subdued chants of 'yer blowin my mind' midway through the song. Next we have "The Importance Of Being Idle", my personal favorite song. Not only do the lyrics fit my life to a T ('I can't get a life if my heart's not in it' or 'I guess I'm just lazy'), but Noel's voice is at its most excellent while he goes from low- to high-pitched in an instance (and beautifully). And the marching band-like beat is appealing in its own, eerie way. Next, I found it kind of odd that "The Meaning Of Soul" only lasted a minute, 42 seconds, when the word 'soul' seems to emerge in every song on the album. But whatever the case may be, the song is actually very, very good and one of the top five on the album. "Guess God Thinks I'm Abel" starts off slow, but becomes magical once they start in with: 'no one could break us / no one could take us if they tried'. The next three tracks ("Part Of The Queue", "Keep The Dream Alive", "A Bell Will Ring"), in all honesty, are all average Oasis tracks. They all have their ups and their downs, while none of them compare to the epic "Let There Be Love", which is probably the best song on Don't Believe The Truth. The lyrics are tremendous, and while the music may appear to be rather one-dimensional, the simplicity works. It is a lovely song, right up there with the best of Oasis.

This record is comparable to all of Oasis' albums, most notably Heathen Chemistry; as there are a fair number of stand-out tracks and an equal number of average tracks. It is consistent rock music all the way through, although you will notice I said "Noel's voice" a whole bunch of times. That's because it is indeed his voice that makes or breaks each song. And while you may not love every song like a "Wonderwall" or a "Don't Go Away", you aren't going to find a bad song. Sure, you can skip over a couple of tracks here and there without feeling bad about it. But you cannot deny Oasis the respect they deserve for releasing such a terrific album. You can't break 'em. You can't take 'em. And if you try or succeed in doing so, you're not an Oasis fan. Believe it.
2367962
The Classic Crime is my favorite, and for good reason. This album is overall very good, with songs like The Fight, The Coldest Heart, and The Poet being quite enjoyable. Then, there are they really great songs like Flight of Kings and We All Look Elsewhere (Make sure you listen to that song all the way, there 's a full verse-chorus-verse-chorus before it suddenly becomes fantastic). The band has a few nics to the polish, but the overall style is really great-- it's somewhat light-end but somehow with enough emotional power to make what would be a mediocre style its own strength (their 3rd CD showed where the style can come up short when it lacks the depth). The singer has a good voice, even if he has certain cracks and imperfections in his singing, his voice is perfect for the style.

But then there are two songs which suddenly make this one of the best albums ever. When I was first introduced to the band, I quickly latched onto Say the Word, and for good reason. The song packs such a huge amount of raw power and it's well polished to boot; it's easily my 4th favorite song-and I rank things obsessively.  I also noticed Headlights, but it didn't impress me too much.

Now I can't figure out why. Headlights... Headlights is a masterpiece of such unimaginable greatness I can't begin to describe it. It is the utter epitome of the "bittersweet" emotion, an emotion made so powerful by being a combination of both Happiness and Sorrow, the two most powerful emotions to begin with. And this song accentuates that feeling beautifully. It begins with more of a slow sad feel to it, but not the hopeless kind of sorrow (there are so many shades of sorrow) but rather the soft, weeping caress. Then it speeds up in the second chorus, but not in the RJA's "Your Guardian Angel" kind where a slow song morphs into a fast one (which was well done in that song) Rather, this is a subtle increase in speed and volume. The song is just so wonderfully complex, so heart-wrenching and incredible, with fantastic vocals to boot. His voice manages to be flawless for this song; a friend has told me he's electronically assited, and while I don't know the truth of this I can say it doesn't SOUND electronic at all, and that's ALL I care about. The song is easily, EASILY my favorite song.

So, with my 1st and 4th favorite song on one album and many other good pieces, Albatross becomes phenomenal.
502137
This is more of a 4.25 star album (yes, I'm getting nit-picky here).  I love Two Steps from Hell, and Thomas Bergersen's previous album "Illusions" was magnificent (10 stars for that one).  This one sounded better in the 30-sec previews; I found it has a very tribal quality (due to the vocals) upon listening to the tracks all the way through.  It's in my writing playlist rotation, as I don't think it's a bad album...it's just not quite what I was expecting.  Still, it's grown on me the more I've listened to it - one of those cases of familiarity breeding enjoyment.  I don't regret my purchase; this is one I might have delayed, however, if I'd had the forethought to listen to it on YouTube.  While "Illusions" remains a masterful work with infinite replay value, "Sun" is more a mood thing and one I don't find myself reaching to play as often.
4299307
First of all, I am reviewing the CD with only the first ten songs--the original album, in other words. I don't know if the production of the longer CD is quite the same.

Here are the good points: First, the engineers really pushed Elaine's drums way out front, which is a good thing. It makes the Trip Shakespeare "sound" come across with more power and punch, more like a rock band should sound. She was so good, and the songs really drive forward. Matt's vocals are good, and (surprisingly) the guitar solos, IMHO, are actually better than many solos of the later songs on later releases. However, you don't get the guitar interplay that you would hear later on songs like "Patricia," for example, or on the live CD "Epic Renditions." The bass playing comes out on several songs as a rhythmic match to the drums, loud and yet tasteful at the same time.

Some minor bad points: John's harmonies are pretty far back in the mix; he almost sounds a bit tentative at times, not much like the third volcano he becomes when Dan joins the group later. A more important criticism relates to the songs themselves: These are for the most part okay, and some of them are really good. "Applehead Man" and "Pearle" are the standouts by far; in fact, I kind of like this version of "Pearle" better than the later remix. However, the songs on the later CDs, notably "Across the Universe" and "Are You Shakespeareanced?", are the "classic" Trip Shakespeare. Some of the songs on this CD are approaching that level, but not quite hitting it.

So overall, the good points outweigh the criticisms, and five stars for the CD. They should have hit it big. Sometimes life isn't fair, but how cool, after all these years, to have a Trip Shakespeare CD that I had never heard before. Thanks for bringing it out.
4712980
I admit it.  I tend to love classic prog.  I love the mellotrons, the screaming Hammond B3s, the synths, the obtuse lyrics, the odd time signatures, the crunchy rickenbacker bass lines, the classically-influenced melodies (sprinkled with a bit of jazz and a lot of rock), the creative vocal harmonies, the soaring electric leads, the feathery 12-string arpeggios...yep...I like it.  I don't like ALL of it, but if there's a healthy dose of all the aforementioned elements, there's a pretty good chance I'll like SOMEthing about it.

And that's EXACTLY what I can say about Cirrus Bay.  This is a REALLY good CD with some REALLY nice music.  Pretty, atmospheric, melodic in that classic 70's prog kind of way.  Yes, it definitely reminds me of Renaissance.  It also reminds me quite a bit of mid-70's Genesis, with a BIG touch of Steve Hackett's "Voyage of the Acolyte".  And ALL of that contains quite a bit of what I described above as favorable qualities in prog.

Music-wise, this thing is a 5+.  So, why did I only rate it a 4?  Well, the big pull-down for me are the vocals as a whole.  The lead female vocalist is decent...she's just not great.  Pleasant enough voice, but she can't quite handle a smooth slide from "full voice" to falsetto and there are quite a few passages that require that as the songs are written.  As I said: she's not bad...she's just not great.  And for me the music IS great and very well recorded, so the vox are a comparable let down.

Is it still worth buying?  Heck yeah!  There are PLENTY of prog attempts out there with worse vocals and even worse music.  This thing is a gem.  It's just a slightly-lesser quality gem.

If you're a classic prog fan (especially Renaissance and Genesis) give it a shot...I think you'll be pleased.
2554765
This is really a great box. I've had it for about four months now and every time I get in the car and turn it up I think, "man, I've got to write that review," but I'm usually on my way home from work, or to work from home and get busy pretty quick. This box is more than I hoped for. I'd read some of the reviews and had high hopes. I was not disappointed. In fact, the installation tech complimented it and said that someone else getting stereo equipment installed asked what I had in the car. The sound fills the car well. It goes very low and you can feel the base hit not only in your body, but every where. Your mirrors shake, your hair shakes. It's pretty awesome. My only complaint, and it's a small one and probably for the best, is that you can't really hear it from outside the car. I know it's annoying to hear someone else's stereo, but sometimes I want it to rumble other people's cars too. Anyway, for the price, it's incredible. I'd of expected to pay more for the sound that's being delivered. You'll love it.
3400864
Probably more like 3 1/2 stars, but that's not an option.  If you are new to these great musicians, start with "I and Love and You"...you won't be disappointed.  It is starting to look to me like that album will stand as their masterpiece.  Having said that, I DO like it when bands experiment and try new things, and here it works on some songs, and doesn't on others (Satan Pulls the Strings is so good live...what did they do with it here? Sheesh).  There are quite a few slow tempo Avett songs here, so the pacing isn't great, but the slow songs are beautifully done.  I definitely agree with some of the other reviewers here who suggest that the Avetts ought to try a different producer (enough Rick Rubin already).  It would be interesting to see what someone else would do with these songs.  Anyway, it's a really good album and even with a few missteps on here it is better than 90% of the "Top 40."
1632134
Just got this one off Amazon.co.uk, since the US store was sold out.  Also have the 1970s box set.

This set is "lighter" than the '70s, in that whereas the CDs in the 70s set are chock full, those in this 60s set generally have an LP's worth of music on each.

But, this is fantastic.

It might be just me, but where there's overlap between the two sets, I find the older, 60s performances to be much more emotionally engaging than the 70s.  Perhaps by the 70s, HvK had perfected the technical end of the performance and let the expression slide.  Or, maybe it's because I grew up with the 60s era LPs, and am therefore more used to them.

Either way, the remastering is just fine.  Listening carefully on headphones and a high-ish end DAC, one can easily hear some of the faults of the older recordings - some hiss here, some audience noise there, some random analog noise artifacts here and there, but they've held up great, and deliver a quality and dynamic range that's wholly lacking in modern recordings of just about anything.  And they were made before the recording engineers started trying to give everything an ultra-precise "digital" sound.  Some might call the result more mushy, while others would say it's a lot less percussive, so I s'pose that's entirely down to taste.

Or, maybe I'm just getting old.

But, if you're getting old as I am, and are fond of that old 1960s LP sound, this boxed set is pure gold, and a bargain when you figure the per-CD cost.  If you can find the physical media, I say buy it.  I guess it's also available on lossy MP3, but it just wouldn't be the same.
3891460
1. SOS - A very solid opener. Nick commands the front vocals from the start, and that's not that good of an idea. He works them fine here, and the whine is kept to a minimum. =^_^= 4 stars.

2. Hold On - This CD would be so great if the singer's voice wasn't so darn whiny. I like the songs though...like I said, I'm surprised and taken aback by that little fact but whatever. =^_^= 3.7 stars.

3. Goodnight and Goodbye - I like the xylophone in this. It's awesome! I also like the message about how you shouldn't give up on love or people in general when your heart is broke. I have a feeling I will like this CD. =^_^= 4.25 stars.

4. That's Just The Way We Roll - . ... Crazy riff intro, which is good. Very good. Lyrics are very fun and catchy. Like this tune. A definite foot-tapper. =^_^= 3.9 stars.

5. Hello, Beautiful - Great that another singer takes the lead. He's (Joe) actually good at it. :) Very catchy and I'm in love with it! His vocals are sweet and quite fitting. Nothing wrong with this one! I'm now positive this is Nick. His vocals are the best out of the 2 lead, but they are still quite immature. =^_^= 4.35 stars.

6. Still In Love With You - Title couldn't be more cliche. The song is almost as trite. It's not catchy like the others but some may like it. I just don't love it is all. =^_^= 3.2 stars.

7. Australia - I'm really surprised at this song myself. Love the "hoo ooh" in the beginning, and the doo wop deal they had going on at the end. Nick, who takes most of the lead on this album, is the the lead singer here. =^_^= 4.5 stars.

8. Games - A nice mid-tempo that feels like you're on a wave. No other way to describe it other than that it's a super-solid pop song with rockier riffs than some of the others here. Also one of the better tracks. Enjoy! =^_^= 4.3 stars.

9. When You Look Me In The Eyes - Another mid-tempo, OK lyrics. Relate-able. But whiny, whiny vocals. Nice falsetto at the end that somewhat saves it. Teen pop for the masses to be made out as the most relate-able. =^_^= 3.4 stars.

10. Inseperable - The best song I've EVER E V E R heard by them, by F A R. It's very upbeat and fun. Didn't want it to ever end! Definitely gonna be on repeat! =^_^= 5.5 stars.

11. Just Friends - Nice lyrics. Decent if predictable production and guitar riffs but all in all a good song. The "La La La La" chant at the end is classic! One last request: Nick needs a vocal clean up. He reminds me of Tom Delong's whiny voice but worse... 4.3 stars. =^_^=

12. Hollywood - Peppy pop-rock goodness. YES, I'm still surprised that they aren't some pop Disney-knock offs. They're actually decent at what they do. Still too whiny again, Nick. =^_^= 3.9 star rating + .3 for some of the best lyrics on the album. "Don't forget to hold back your thoughts and live like robots..." 4.2 stars.

13. Year 3000 - Too too childish of a topic for me. Nice shout out to Kelly Clarkson, my favorite pop star though. No other comment. 3.2 stars. =^_^=

14. Kids Of The Future - This is the first Jonas Brothers song I've ever heard and upon initial hearing, it made me want to puke so I turned the channel. How does it fare a month or so later? It's tolerable now! 3.5 stars. =^_^=

I just wish the vocals, probably done by Nick (I just have a feeling) were less whiny and more structured. But that's my only complaint. If you like catchy, lively pop-rock then this is where you should go! No joke! I didn't believe it either. But they have...um...talent...especially to be so young!

=^_^= Dri =^_^=

Cover Art: B
Inside Art: N/A
Songwriting: C+
Vocals: D (Joseph: C- Nick: D-)
Vocal Emotion: C
Vocal Acrobatics: F
Production: B
Length: A+

56.3 / 14 = 4.021428571429

Overall: B-

4.02 stars.

P.S. If you thought it was harsh, sorry, but I tell it like it is. My opinion definitely is NOT the final one, and MAYBE I DID get them confused, but it's fixed now. Sorry, I'm not some crazy 12 year old stalker who knows the time that they get up to use the bathroom, and what color shirt they're gonna wear that day! I'm just glad I got my opinion out.
3185887
Let's face something here, something that fans might not like to face: Marmalade Boy is not exactly a work of art. Okay, let's generalize less; it's a feel-good piece of fluff that has very little substance and whose only entertainment value is in seeing how far one can stretch relationship troubles. But, despite that, I love it anyway, and Volume 1 showcases why exactly that is.

Yes, the characters are cliche. Yes, the plotlines are often ridiculous. Yes, the animation isn't exactly the strongest example of this anime era. But you know what? The writing's tight (again, with it's moments), and you can't help but love the cliches anyway. As well as one of the best (and one of the only) positive and semi-realistic handlings of a student-teacher relationship (and if that needs spoilers, you have no idea what you're buying, do you?)

The extras for this version are pretty good; a few episodes worth of commentary (I would have liked every-episode commentary, but in a series this long, that's impractical enough to be forgive), an interview with the character designer, and a nice little picture card that presumably fits in with the ones in future boxes. And it all comes cased in a beautiful container that you will probably never show off for fear of screams of "What the frick is this?" from your family.

Overall, if you're a fan, I highly recommend this, you sad, sad person. ;)

Overall Score: 5/5
4030961
First off, I am a long time fan of all things Bill Leeb. FLA, Delerium, Noise Unit, etc. I think the FLA catalog is a treasure trove of inspired sound. That said, while I respect every album FLA has put out for different reasons, some are most definitely stronger than others. Honestly, I was not entirely optimistic about the new Front Line album since their previous proper album, "Improvised Electronic Device" was one of their weakest albums IMO. It was not bad, but it seemed lacking in new ideas and truly "wow" moments. The Air Mech soundtrack that followed was actually much more interesting and did perhaps give me some hope for Echogenetic.

So...I've had the album on non-stop for over a week now. And it is TOP NOTCH. There are echoes of past FLA albums here (particularly Caustic Grip and Civilization). But the impressive thing is that there are new aspects as well. Contrary to some reports, this is NOT a dubstep album. There are glitchy elements here and there in some songs, and even a "wub-wub" bass sound in one song's chorus. So yes, there may be a hint of that style in parts, but it is used sparingly and EFFECTIVELY. I am NOT a fan of dubstep, so believe me, it's OK to buy this! It should be noted that Front Line was doing these same types of glitchy sounds in the 90's....I sometimes wonder if they in part invented some of dubstep's sounds anyway. So I don't really understand some of the complaints about these elements when really they have been a part of their sound for quite some time...

The two most striking things about Echogenetic are the atmosphere and the tempo. This is a very dark sounding album, with an apocalyptic feel to it. Most of the songs are pretty SLOW for FLA. This actually works incredibly, leading to a dark creepy grindy atmosphere throughout. There are still a couple of more uptempo songs as well tho (Killing Grounds and Exhale), which are both excellent. While the songs are slower and more gloomy, there are still plenty of "hooks" in my opinion. A few of these choruses are absolutely epic and beautiful (especially "Ghosts", "Exhale", and "Exo").

Buy this album, and put on some good headphones. The sonic sculpting is incredible, and I think it really does sound best on headphones. I like listening to the whole thing straight-through, but "key" tracks would be "Killing Grounds", "Deadened", "Ghosts", "Exhale", and "Exo".
53693
This is great, why are you even reading a review... buy this now!
4538637
I could only give this 5 stars... it's worth a million though