A hidden avergers gem
585755
This a very well drawn and written avergers book. Very close to the original story lines it a good quick read if you want to learn about the origins of Vision, Ultron and Jocasta. The costumes of the avengers are more modern then in the original story line but they are mostly based on well known fan favorites. All in all a great read I think it should not be overlooked.
3999819
Its a pity that IQ is so little known in the United States. Here you have one of the best neo-prog bands on the scene today, who have issued one of the finest live DVDs around, and its already been discontinued by the manufacturer after a couple of short years on the market! That crime is compounded by the fact that it wasn't even available on amazon until relatively recently so that most IQ fans who shop here were likely unaware of Stage's existence.
This double set shows IQ in action in two distinctively different settings, the Nearfest setting being more "formal". The set lists for both Nearfest and the Burg Herzberg Festival are similar, but the band handles both appearances with aplomb. You might ask why anyone would want to buy a DVD on which most of the songs in the first set are repeated on the second. Well, listen and you will hear the reason why as IQ puts on a spectacular display of power and virtuosity in both venues.
A lot of my favorites are here including Sacred Sound, The Seventh House, Widow's Peak, Guiding Light, and Harvest of Souls. All musicians are in top form and the vocals are stunning.
Stage is tastefully presented in a durable double-folded casing with all liner notes and album info presented on the "wings" and on the back. An attractive cardboard slipcase also included forms a protective cocoon for the DVD set. If your taste in rock leans toward the progressive and you have not yet heard IQ, then you have been missing out. Start your journey to the music of IQ with Stage, you won't be disappointed. And do it today while this set is still available.
753193
I am usually wary of Morricone compilations as they tend to hit the "high spots", when all of us Morricone freaks know that it's the hidden jewels in the obscure soundtracks (early 1970's in particular) that keep us coming back for more.  Surprise, surprise, then, that "Morricone 2001" is a compilation of those "hidden jewels" and what a treat it is.  I'm particularly struck by "Ultimo", which is one of those full on, big band happy Morricone songs that pratically makes life worth living.  Another treat is "Barbablu" or "Bluebeard" to us English speakers.  This has long been missing from CD and the main theme is one of Morricone's most original, if not best: whimsical, nostalgic and melodic with some alarming vocalisations by the "duck man".  So here we have, finally, a compilation that accomplishes something beyond giving us "the greatest hits".  The packaging is quite deluxe, too, and worth every penny.
332424
A must have and very much worth the asking price
4505487
a hidden fighting force style gem..more complex but awesome nonethless
3223376
In addition to two lengthy and well-informed reviews here, I would like to add my appreciation for this DVD of a rare piece of operatic repertoire.  I also have long loved the orchestral suite from this work, which is all that most people, even avid classical music collectors, know of it.  What always endeared that suite to me was not just the typical Rimsky-like Orientalism and melodic beauty, but much more subjectively, a strong sense of nostalgia, of colorful festivity tinged with sadness, a sort of "once-upon-a-time" atmosphere.  The "Le Coq d'Or" suite that I know and love has never suggested to me the biting sarcasm and satirical intent that the opera is obviously built around, despite having read about that aspect of it in the past, and in that sense it really is a startling revelation.  It's always gratifying to learn something new about an old favorite, and seeing "Le Coq d'Or" in its entirety is certainly an eye-opener.  I feel privileged to have to opportunity to see it.
1153061
A very underrated film with talented character actors and a good Ring Lardner story.  Henry (not Harry)Morgan's only starring role, one that mirrors his cynical radio and subsequent TV personality, is a delight.  An early Carl Foreman adaptation and Stanley Kramer production that was directed with surprising inventiveness (for its day) by Richard Fleischer. This film hasn't surfaced for many years and deserves to be viewed by wider audiences that appreciate good post-war film-making.
3895034
What remains a mystery to me is how American radio could ignore the achingly beautiful work of this extremely talented band.  While a bit inconsistent, this album is worth the price of admission if only for "This Feeling," which remains one of the best three minutes to be captured on CD.  From its lush orchestra and "wall of sound" guitars to the beautiful vocals, it is a fine fine piece of craftmenship.  Grab hold of this album and listen to a group that deserves, ney, DEMANDS, more exposure in this country!
804169
I am a connoisseur of anything and everything funky, and when I first heard these guys on a compilation about three months ago, I couldn't believe I hadn't heard of them previously.  I have a theory that time is one of the best filters for good music, in that if a band is still widely appreciated years after performing, it is most likely worth listening to.  It is bands like this that weaken my theory and show that some classics end up being under-appreciated.
If you're sitting there pondering over the value of adding this album to your collection, take it from a funkateer of the first degree:  You'll dig it!
2885469
I discovered this without really knowing what it was on a very crude CD playing machine with a tinny small speaker in a public art gallery in Dsseldorf in Germany in Oct. 2010. It was a fairly good value bulky package with this particular title of 80 pages or so of his various sort of naif artwork (which no doubt gave rise to the title of Scratchbook). But it is the music that got me in, even in that very basic listening environment. Basically Neoangin/Jim Avignon has virtually perfected the almost perfect two-minute Power Pop song with a catchy melody and riff that just sticks in your brain and he is enough to cheer you up at any time of day. As I was travelling in Europe generally for about six weeks I could really only rip it on my laptop and then transfer it to my iPod to listen to it through headphones. However I soon found that if I was travelling on a train between cities and needed something bouncy to listen to this was the perfect solution. There are so many of the gorgeous tunes that are now locked in my brain and for me this has virtually been the musical discovery of 2010 (although this particular disc was actually recorded in 2006). This is likely the perfect one to buy (he appears to have many others - and I must caution that I have not really heard the others) because of the very complete package of the artwork which makes it very good value - I know that's shallow - but the music certainly isn't!

Jim Avignon (you will find his website on a Google) appears to split his time between Berlin and the US, along with previously touring in weird places like Russia it seems, along with presumably maintaining his art practice. What he manages to create with guitar and keyboard riffs is just amazing to my ears, which is why I would rate him as already mentioned My Musical Discovery of 2010. There are samples on his own website which will give you an idea, as there are none on Amazon. He is somewhat unique (and by that I do not mean "strange") but perhaps the closest other musical "group" I can place him with in the musical universe is They Might Be Giants, if that gives you a potential idea of what he is about (the perfect pop song in under two minutes 30 secs mostly). I just love this disc and I cannot recommend it highly enough. And to some extent you can then rave to your friends about someone that nobody has ever heard of (if that sort of one-upmanship spins your boat!) but he well and truly deserves to be listened to. In a way I wish I had bought a couple other of his CDs at that time (you will almost certainly otherwise find it impossible to locate them in a general CD store - and as I live in Australia this is even more difficult/impossible). But in a strange way I almost don't want to burst the perfect bubble of this disc which was the perfect musical discovery in three wonderful sunny days in Dsseldorf in October (now that might be strange enough in itself).
915573
This recent purchase joins a collection I started some years ago.  It is a blessing to be able to view, at one's leisure, the "real" New Orleans that tourists might miss if they're not really curious and willing to venture out into lesser known neighborhoods.  Curiosity is all you need and an insatiable itch to find hidden treasures that disappear generation after generation as people and places slowly become homogeneous and sterile and like all other kitschy, safe tourist traps found in anytown USA.  A real treat to be exposed to a real genius blessed with eyes drawn to unearthing hidden treasures.
4307139
A hidden gem - get it while you can.  Two great voices singing some great songs.
An unlikely team, but they made great music together.
2785418
This is the kind of film that makes me appreciate Amazon Prime Movies. I had never heard of this film, but I have known about the painting it was based upon for years. I know it certainly wasn't something that played at my local cinema and I don't recall it being advertised. It's like finding a hidden gem. I enjoy artistic films and I like to learn the history behind the art we all enjoy, so this was a very enjoyable film.
1502670
Wow! What an undiscovered gem this album this has become.  Back in the  '80s, X proved you didn't need to be British and live in a dreary climate  to produce great punk rock.  Palm trees and punk can co-exist.  Unfortunately, it appears people have dimissed X as just another  "punk" band.  But these guys put out some great tunes that  transcend the ephemeral punk momement.  "White Girl" "Los  Angeles" and "Johnny Hit and Run Paulene" are classics.  I  definitely recommend you pick this one up and revisit it. I bet you'll find  this one ought to be an essential part of every CD collection.  And if you  get a chance, you ought to check out "The Unheard Music," a  documentary about X and the L.A. punk movement.
1722540
CQ is a hidden gem! It is a homage to the quirky, avant garde European sci-fi films of the 1960's that is part history lesson (if you know what to look for) and part love letter to an era of cinema magic. It's heart is Barbarella, but it's so much more then that. The cinematography is spot on for the time period, as is the soundtrack. And what a cast! Well worth hunting up!
4633589
Released in 1977, this obscure album is a rare gem that unfortunately fell through the cracks and came and went virtually unnoticed. Vitamin E was a Soul harmony vocal group with a strong Gospel influence and the title track deserved to have been a much bigger hit than it was. Produced by the great Norman Connors this album (like most R&B albums from the late 1970s)  features uptempo Disco numbers, sultry and soulful ballads and a mid-tempo number or two as well. The 2008-issued BMG Japan CD reissue of this obscure but very nice album features excellent sound quality and is well worth getting if you are into high-quality R&B/Soul music. Enjoy!
4662860
How this soundtrack has continually slipped under the radar is such a crime. Absolutely one of Michel Legrand's most beautiful achievements and that's saying A LOT. I'm just happy it was released on CD at all (very limited edition of only 1200 copies). Once you've heard this score, you'll want the CD. I guarantee it.