Probably the high point of '90s for Plant.
585892
Yeah "No Quarter" with Plant reteamed with Page was more epic in scale the fact is that "Fate of the Nations" maybe the most sincerest post-zepp record from any of Mr. Plant's former bandmates. The only possible blemish was the cover of "If I were a Carpenter..." on this album. I don't understand why this was chosen when undoubtably better songs were covered by Plant. Not only that, but Plant's originals are at the just-right point between him trying to acknowledge his Zeppelin past AND moving on IN A SINCERE DIRECTION. I personally don't find most of Plant's solo work to be trully sincere, he always appeared to be chasing whatever the current fashion was after Zeppelin broke up. I find Plant's solo stuff seems to have tried to cash in on that synth-band '80s pop sound then regressed into pale hair-band zep-immitation. I like the first two albums b/c they are the half-way point between Zepp and moving on. This is the reason I like this album. Plant was one-fourth zeppelin, he needs to acknowledge this, yet not appear to pander to zep fans nor current tastes among the mainstream as in the '80s, to maintain dignity. I like this album because he demonstrates the aforementioned qualities brilliantly. This is the one album where he eschews the empty-headed loveman lyrics for something more socially redeeming. Plant turned social activist and it actually makes for a far more entertaining Robert.
4082217
Back in 1990, I thought I was pretty `with it'.  In addition to indulging my omnipresent metal fetish, I was listening to Mother Love Bone, Green River, Soundgarden and whatever else I could get my hands on coming out of Seattle.  Yeah, I was big man on campus at William and Mary - at least in my own mind.  When the Seattle scene exploded I got the kudos owed to someone who was hip to the scene before it went nationwide.  Pretty cool, huh?
Perhaps not as cool as I thought.  By the mid-90s, Kurdt Cobain's suicide had pretty much signaled the end of the grunge movement and made it possible for rap metal lunkheads like Limp Bizkit and a second generation of grunge imitators like Creed to take over.  Suddenly, a genre that had seemed so vital and revolutionary became dated.  Old Soundgarden records no longer sounded as good and new ones like Down on the Upside just sounded horribly anachronistic.
The Seattle grunge scene was great while it lasted and we may never see another revolution in popular music quite like it.  However, maybe if I'd been paying a little closer attention to a musical scene developing in America's heartland at the same time grunge was developing in Seattle, I'd have caught on to a second musical revolution during that era occurring in a genre that would prove to have more staying power than grunge.  I'm talking about alt-country, aka "the movement".
The band credited with jumpstarting "the movement" was Uncle Tupelo which featured two brilliant songwriters, Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, who were heavily influenced by both traditional country and punk rock.  What Lennon and McCartney were to classic rock, Farrar and Tweedy were to alt-country.
If you can actually get your hands on Uncle Tupelo's hard-to-find debut, No Depression, it won't be long before you put an end to your habit of telling new acquaintances, "I listen to all kinds of music, except country".  The opening track, "Graveyard Shift", grabs your attention immediately with its breakneck riffs and aggressive vocals - it's heavy enough to practically qualify as country-metal.  The title track reveals a totally different side of UT as they cover the country traditional "No Depression" with such honesty and skill that it would later be adopted as the name of alt-country's biggest magazine.  "Whiskey Bottle" is a favorite of many a UT fan and it is easy to see why.  On the song, Farrar's voice exudes such raw desperation you start to genuinely worry for the guy.  Fortunately, the spirits of the whole band seem to pick up during the country raveup, "Screen Door", an ode to sitting out on the porch playing music with friends.
The seminal nature of No Depression makes it hard to rate it as anything but 5 stars, though the production quality is some of the worst I've heard since on Metallica's ...And Justice for All.  Fortunately, Farrar and Tweedy are said to be remastering the album and a more widely available reissue will probably be available some time in the next year or so.  It's your call whether you want to pay the exorbitant sums dealers are charging for No Depression these days or wait for the better sounding and cheaper reissue to appear.  If you make the latter choice, I strongly recommend you pick up the excellent UT Anthology 89/93 to tide you over until you can procure a copy of No Depression.
Trust me, if you overlooked "the movement" when it was developing like I did, there's still plenty of time to catch up.  A little remedial work on Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Son Volt, Whiskeytown, the Old 97s, the Bottle Rockets, and the Drive-By Truckers and you'll have at least an elementary education in the ways of "the movement".
2951498
As incredible as it may sound 2014 marked the 20th anniversary of the Cranberries second album, and the one that truly shot them to mega-success and fame in the US. I was browsing my CD collection the other day, and fell upon this. Hadnt listened to it in ages, so I was curious how it would stack up after all these years.

No Need To Argue (13 tracks; 50 min.) stars off with a whimper, the gentle Ode to My Family which is a bit too sweet and sugary for my taste, but thats just me. Things perk up right away after that with I Cant Be With You. Then comes the haunting Twenty One (with lyrics like You took my thoughts from me/Now I want nothing more/ And did you think you could just take it all away?, wow). The CD booklet notes by the way that Dolores wrote this song on September 6, 1992 (her 21st birthday to the day). This is followed by Zombie, the monster-sized song that became a monster hit, and a poster child for alternative radio, which probably was at its peak in the 94-95 era. Zombie to this day remains one of my all-time favorite Cranberries songs. After that, the album continues to flow nicely. Other highlights on here are Ridiculous Thoughts, Dreaming My Dreams and the album closer, also the title track. (The album was eventually reissued with 5 bonus tracks, most of which I found unessential, with the best one of those being So Cold In Ireland. The worst is the 8 min. Zombie (Camel's Hump Mix) which is completely unrecognizable from the original song. )

Bottom line: I am astonished, and very pleasantly surprised, how well this album has aged since it came out 2 decades ago. With this album, and their next one as well (1996s To The Faithfully Departed), the Cranberries made their mark on the alternative music scene, achieving mega-mainstream success along the way. I saw the Cranberries in concert for the first time here in Ohio in early 1995 when they were touring in support of No Need To Argue, and it remains a fantastic concert memory after all these years. Meanwhile, No Need To Argue clearly stands the test of time and is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
1311908
Pictures at eleven is the closest Plant's solo career would get to the Zeppelin sound. He was searching for his a new sound and didn't veer to far, he did later with synths and I wasn't all that thrilled. Most of the songs are well written and played tight. He enlisted Robbie Blunt, Paul Martinez, Jez Woodruffe and Phil Collins and Barrimore Barlow on drums. Highlights include Burning down one side(the MTV video for this song was simply amazing!), slow dancer, moonlight in samoza and the infectious pledge pin(with sax solo,sorta odd, I'd like to hear a Blunt guitar solo instead!)but overall a solid yet experimental immediate post Zep solo album. I really like this record and still play it regularly! The production values stillsound as crisp and clear now as it did in the early 1980s. It holds up well and is still my fav Plant solo record, without a doubt. Give it a listen for yourself, you'll agree!
2585433
1990 was one of the pinnacle years in metal in that it represented the imminent doom of the glorious 80s. The early genres of heavy metal (mostly Speed and Thrash) have sadly approached the peak of their refinement stages, but fortunately we were blessed with some final classics these once groundbreaking fields had to offer before they ultimately resolved in a cycle of tedious parodies in the next decade. It was this year that Mustaine & Co. released the high watermark of their career, a technically brilliant album by the name of Rust In Peace.

With the acquisition of Marty Friedman, Megadeth suddenly had one of the most lethal guitar duos in metal history. Although this lineup would sustain until the latter half of the 90s, Rust In Peace is really the only record in which Mustaine and his band "take no prisoners". Friedman in particular unleashes the true extent of his talent, from the electricity exemplified with his leads in Hangar 18 and Five Magics to the emotively stimulating solo showcased on Tornado of Souls, his guitar wizardry is bar none, a chronic onslaught here to both excite and stun your senses. Mustaine is no slouch himself. From the very opening set of riffs to Holy Wars, he conjures a steady spell of rhythmic mayhem for the duration of a good 40 minutes. The riff arrangements of Take No Prisoners are totally insane a la Coma of Souls while the structure of the title track is also completely unorthodox.

Although some musical patterns are reiterated (the blitzkrieg entrance to Five Magics is awfully reminiscent to that of Devil&#65533;s Island), there are a myriad of fresh ideas to be found as well. Poison Was The Cure is the most overlooked gem here in that it is simply just one immense crescendo from beginning to end. It initiates from a slow foundation but very quickly morphs into an all out Speed metal monster. The bass intro by Ellefson is full and thick, although not exactly as evil and captivating in the vein of say Merciless Death, it still however gets the job done. The riffs become faster, tighter and stronger as the journey up the slope continues until it reaches the climax, where Friedman the magician reaches up his sleeve again to pull out another amazing solo. Lucretia, although a bit silly lyrically, is more proof of the band growing musically with the addition of Middle Eastern flavors and melodious hooks.

Alas, Rust In Peace is certainly not void its share of faults either. Take No Prisoners should consult Bonded By Blood for a textbook example on how to achieve barking vocals correctly. Also, in all honesty, the album should have ceased fire following the nitro of Tornado of Souls. Instead, we are left with the bitter aftertaste of a misfit oddity and a mildly disappointing conclusion. Dawn Patrol, an intro into the last track or a complete waste of disc space? You be the judge; but aside from the comic relief, it offers absolutely nothing. The title track on the other hand, although possessing its share of vicious riffs, has two main problems. The first of which is the obvious lack of leads, which is undeniably the highlight of this album. The second is that Mustaine's horrid vocals, an obstacle placed throughout this record, is accented to the most unbearable point here. Gone are the passion and heart from Peace Sells, and in its place lies an empty soul striving to still remain relevant. Reality from rehabilitation first starts to take its toll here, although very subtly. As for Mustaine and his career, the rest is history.

Although Megadeth did not fully establish themselves commercially until the next album, they did reach the apex of their abilities as musicians here, creating a Thrash/Power Metal gem that continues to sound extraordinarily fresh even today. Relive this album and be pulled back to a time before Mustaine and his band lost their ammunition, a time where showing off the true extent of your talent was to prove how metal you were, a time well before their musicianship itself would eventually rust in peace.
1448233
One word can symbolize the entire early 90's hard rock scene... Grunge.  I know, I know, I hate the term, but it's what it was.  And the crown jewel of the 90's grunge era, was infact, with out a doubt, Nirvana's "Nevermind."  Track after track, riff after riff, and drum hit after drum hit, the album gains momentum towards the late half of the album.  Not very many cd's can claim that to this day.  I have always broken this album into 2 parts; the Radio half, and the unheard half.  Most people heard of Nirvana through radio, and only listened to those, Radio Songs.  But listen to tracks 7 through 12 again, and be amazed like I am everytime I hear the album.  I'm not saying that 1 through 6 are weak, just 7 through 12 have more substance.  I am a HUGE Nirvana fan, but sadly, this album isn't their best work.  But still, 5 out of 5 is what this masterpiece deserves.
  The great tracks of this cd are the lesser known one's.  'Drain You' is an extremely powerful song with lyrics that really make you think.  And 'Lounge Act' is a track that just screams raw rock.  I highly suggest people purchase this album.  It is, and always will be, a part of music history.  This album, brought Hard Rock back to the front of mainstream music.  Where it belongs.
3510357
Boy, this takes me back to my college years--after the glorious debut album, "New Clear Days" the Vapors had nowhere to go but down, slightly. The songs are much darker lyrically (the title track especially), and the reggae-flirtations might've been done a little better by the Clash a few years earlier, ("Silver Machines" wouldn't be out of place on the 2nd Elvis Costello record) but the hooks are still there and the production is first-rate. This doesn't sound like it's 30 years old--hell, Green Day could release this tomorrow with their faces on the cover and sell millions. If all you know of this overlooked band is "Turning Japanese" do yourself a favor and get their only 2 studio recordings--the remastered versions include single edits and other goodies.
749530
This album came out at an unfortunate time in rock's timeline, just when the grunge movement was becoming the New Big Thing. Melodic power-pop of this kind fell out of fashion in the early 90's, and Jellyfish's trippy-hippie overtones were out of sync with the current trends of 1990-94. But if you like 1960'-70's classic pop of the Badfinger or McCartney style, this is for you.
 I was lucky enough to see Jellyfish live in its original ensemble (circa 1991 between their 2 albums) at a college in San Diego, and they were fantastic. Some hardcore fans were there, but most of the audience seemed a bit indifferent. If it had been 1976 instead of 1991, they'd have been major stars. Of all the Beatle-ish clone power-pop bands over the years to make a go of it, these guys were the best of the bunch. Even Badfinger and Wings paled by comparison. Nevermind Cheap Trick or the Knack. I'm glad after 20 years I held on to this CD.
1488405
It's such a shame that by 1996 anything tagged with the grunge moniker was considered old hat by mainstream media and fans alike. This gem of an album easily ranks up there with the best of Seattle's "Big Four" and is light years ahead of anything Creed or Nickelback could ever hope of concocting. It's straightforward, mature and melodic, sans the cheesy theatrics of what passes for rock music these days, and every song is a keeper. An all time classic.

UPDATE 6/7/11
The CD-R re-release is a complete joke. Shameful. If you're buying for the first time, hunt down an import or buy a used original copy. To hell with Sony Music.
4205765
it is august in the midwest of USA.  really tall plants and we now have 2 green tomatoes.  that's it.
4899420
The concept is great.  The execution is pretty good.  There's something here for everyone - if you're new to Robert Plant or if you're an old fan.  But ultimately, this feels more like a sampler than a greatest hits collection which it should have been.

Glaringly absent are some of Plant's best songs from his first album - Pictures at Eleven.  As well as other strong tracks over the years.  Ultimately, this collection leans heavy towards latter Plant work from Fate of Nations and Dreamland.

CD 2 has some ultra rare tracks.  The sound quality ain't great but it's there.  Zep fans will enjoy it but somehow repeat listening may take more time.  Tracks like "Hey Joe" take you back to a pre-Zep Plant at full power.  There are many other nice tracks which ended up on B-movies like Porky's.  "Road to the Sun" is a great rock track that incredibly, was buried somewhere in Plant's early 80s catalogue.

Conclusion: the album won't provide a complete picture of Plant's full repertoire (but what possibly can?) but will provide some pieces to the missing links of his career.
579506
It took me awhile to finally hear THOUSAND LEAVES after it was released, but luckily I did, and -- WOW!  (I should have known based on the cool title, taken from the hip social theorists Deleuze & Guattari.)  They *branched* out in an exciting new/old  direction after several years of sonic stasis.

 LEAVES has a very organic feel to it, even given Kim's occasional ranting.  Mellower, yes, but deeper -- they've arrived at a rapprochement with psychedelia. This was  hinted at on DAYDREAM NATION, on sides 1 and 4 in the long trippy jams, and on WASHING MACHINE with "Diamond Sea."  But here it is integral to the whole, with the explicit homage to Allen Ginsberg, "Hits of Sunshine," and several long jams by Thurston and Lee.  It makes sense, since both guitarists have been involved in the free jazz scene for years  now.  I love the irony of it.  Once punks had nothing but scorn for hippies, which never made any sense to me -- I could always see the common countercultural elements -- and now the SY artpunks are playing jams that Jerry Garcia could be dropped into perfectly!

 The rest of the world seemed to finally get excited and decide that SY was reborn with MURRAY STREET in 2002 (see my review), but that album sounds to me like LEAVES, PART II.  My ears tell me that LEAVES marked a new sonic beginning -- it's one of SY's best records.
1889868
at a time when all we knew was grunge and seattle and matt dillon playing a rocker dude, it's strange that one of the most powerful and creative bands of the time barely got recognition. this album, also from the washington area, is brimming with ultimate catchy riffs, fast paced punk leading into great choruses and melodic breakdowns. this album is really, really good. seaweed meant alot to me when i was younger, but upon hearing them again i would have to say they are timeless. all the riffs are catchy and the variety of song styles is perfect while maintaining their drive and emotion. the lyrics still make sense and are delivered sincerely. Seaweed's music strays from the typical sludgy manifestation of grunge rock like soundgarden and nirvana and instead focuses more on dynamics and melodies. the result is somewhere between quicksand and jawbreaker. ultimately hard to pigeonhole, but wholly unique and enjoyable. i would also agree with the others below me that this is the album you should own of all their albums. the previous album was also good. but this one in particular is good straight through. they should have been as big and influential as nirvana. but i'm biased, ce la vie.
2042839
Way back in '83, Savatage independently launched the first of many potent  weapons, perhaps in a rebellion against the big hair party rock of the day.  With Jon Oliva's legendary pipes, his brother Criss' nimble fingers and an  adequate rhythm section, they were able to take the early metallic crunch  of the underground, and a darker, more political Dio-ish lyrical base and  bring the underground that much closer to the surface. 'Sirens' is a  seminal metal release in the sense that it kickstarted a generation that  would splinter into two important sub-genres; the progressive metal  movement (Queensryche, Fates Warning, Dream Theater...) and the Thrash  movement (Death Angel, Nasty Savage...) Also, very important in that this  album was the first in a very long line of important releases from the  Tampa Bay metal scene. (Nasty Savage, Death, Obituary, Deicide, Atheist...)  The songs themselves cover a broad swatch of territory. The title cut,  "I Believe", "Holocaust", "On The Run" all  displaying some very fertile metallic stylings, while "Rage" and  "Twisted Little Sister" show a metal band with a slight ear for  punk/hardcore, if in delivery as opposed to attitude. The production is  quite strong and material is not quite as dated as most of the genre. Not  bad for a bunch of guys working on a self-financed independent recording!  Kult Klassik!
1657241
Being an MBM since waay back in '89, I remember hearing this release with trepidation.  "Did Meat Beat go techno?"  Well guess what, they went from the dissintegrating genre of industrial music to being one of the leading pioneers of the electronic music scene in the 90s.  Never before had Jack Dangers put his voice, or his samples to better use to weave a protest against the Reagan/Bush/Thatcher administrations of the 80s and early 90s.  He was, like a lot of us youngsters, upset at what had been dubbed the "New World Order" and he, along with Johhny Stephens used Satyricon as a forum to vent their frustrations on issues such as politics, animal rights, corporate greed, depletion of natural resources, overpopulation, even organized religion was a target.  What resulted stands the test of time, even now over 15 years later.  I only hope their new album "Autoimmune" goes back to the biting raps of MBM's past.
1355454
First point:  This is a reprint of an excellent, early book (originally published in 1976) that should be read by all lovers of wild plants (in the field and in the garden).  Second point:  The title is somewhat misleading.  This is NOT a primer on how to collect, propogate, cultivate and design  with native plants in the garden.  While it is filled with interesting and  useful information on the plants it describes, those looking for pictorial,  step-by-step, truly "how-to" information should consult other  reference books.  It also focuses on plants found in the mid-Atlantic  regions of the U.S., so readers in other areas may find even less useful  information for their own gardens.
All hint of misleading titles aside,  however, this is a great book to read for one man's perspective on  environmental destruction and salvation.  Written by Mr. Bruce during a  transition period in our environmentalist evolution - between the  ecology/flower child movements of the 1960s and early 70s (remember the  closed, green "E"?) and the rise of the prairie restoration,  Nature Conservancy, rainforest protection, and other highly-organized,  politically-correct movements of the 1980s and 90s - it is a plea for  people to open their eyes to the beauty and potential loss of the  environments that surround them.  Using the changing seasons as his  backdrop, Mr. Bruce takes us with him on a year-long, three-times-per-week,  90-mile commute through the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia countryside  that he refers to as "Delmarva".  He tells us about the flora and  fauna he sees on these drives, and then goes into great description of  their attributes, their relationship to the environment, and the history of  their development and distribution.  He then shares idea for how these  plant materials can not only be preserved from destruction, but how they  can be best used in our own gardens, large and small.
Throughout, the  author writes with a passionate, personal, engaging perspective on these  plants and the people that protect them, never hesitating to criticize  plant features he dislikes, but glowing in praise of their attributes and  value.  It is an enjoyable read, a four-season visit to a beautiful place,  with an excellent traveling companion.
4733093
I think it's crucial to finally make use of the advanced gardening techniques, seeing as there have been so much revolutionary and age-defining systems that have been invented in recent years. I found out about hydroponics not a long time ago and my interest has been increased after this read as it really brings out all the positives and benefits.