A real nice comeback for Jeff
595112
A real nice comeback for Jeff. If you remember & like ELO you'll like this cd. When The Night Comes is the best track.
2691459
After a disappointing CD of Disney tunes, Steve Tyrell bounces back with a very good CD of Burt Bacharach songs.  The previous CD of Disney songs did not play well into crooner mode.  But his gravel tinged, warm emotional voice translates very well in this latest release.  I especially like Steve's version of Walk on By, Raindrops and the star studded version of the usually corny What the World Need Now. The arrangements are very tight and crisp and it is obvious that great care was spent in making this CD.

If you've never seen Steve Tyrell in concert...you are missing a great show.  He is very warm, endearing, chatty and has charisma coming out of every pore.  It is clear that he loves singing and loves people.

This CD is on the same level of the "Sinatra CD" he did several years ago. There are a couple of weak songs, but 11 of the 14 tracks are really good.

Ricky Loves Sharon (the #1 Steve Tyrell Fan)
4895741
Tim Smooth made the comeback on this cd I have been waiting for.  His 98' album wasn't as good as I expected but he pulled through on this one.  In my eyes the best track on this cd is "Gotsta Get Paid" because it  shows Tim Smooth's real talent.  His tongue twisting talents on this cd are  among the best.  If you enjoyed his 1st cd then you should defintely think  about purchasing this one.
2276266
I thought Emotion and Commotion was a new twist for Jeff; this blows away that thought. Tracks 2 and 10 with Rosie B are great driving tunes and show case great pipes and Beck's signature Guitar playing. Saw this "nEw" version of Jeff Beck this past Friday and was knocked off my seat. JB's chronic shyness was in evidence but his guitar and this ensemble was a great 2 hrs of music and showmanship.
2545414
This is a vast improvement over some of the junk being kicked out by DC lately, and it's a good read (Jeff Smith has such a clean, easy to view brush style).  It's not perfect, and it's still not quite a childrens book (Billy Batson being kicks to unconscienceness by a thug isn't kid-friendly) but it's vastly better than the latest Infinity Whatever kicked out by DC lately.
The story is rather hollow, and has virtually no substance other than zippy entertainment.  Which can be good for a fun Shazam-like, and yet I would have liked a little more substance here.  Something a little deeper.
1056112
I'm a huge Jim Norton fan. I've heard all of his comedy albums, I've read his books, and regularly listen to him on SiriusXM on Opie & Anthony. I've always found his comedy to be funny, and at times cringe worthy. Truthfully I was excited for this album as his last one (No Baby For You) had a large amount of material from his previous two albums (Yellow Discipline & Trinkets I Made From Gorilla Hands). The material doesn't disappoint as it is new, and as always funny.
I resisted the urge to simply give this album 5* based on my being a fan. I gave this 4* as I clearly felt that his first two albums were funnier, but I am in no way disappointed with this one.
As whole I'd say that as long as you aren't easily offended by some NC-17 hyperbole and some sexual humor, you will get a good laugh from this album. If you're looking for Blue Collar Comedy clean humor, this isn't your album. If you aren't overly sensitive, and have a sense of humor, buy it and enjoy.
1773540
Remember when Rockapella had a sense of humor (a'la Rockapella Four) where they'd experiment with various sounds and didn't take themselves too seriously?
We now return to that time.
1. Shambala - been there, done that, but this time - Jeff gets to lay down some nice drum parts.  I STILL can't figure out how he can do a kick and a snare on the same beat. Then again, he's Jeff.
2.  Flamingo Sing - an original Leonard song - it could have easily been included on Rockapella Four. The twists and turns (harmonically) are stunning to say the least.
3.  Here Comes The Sun - okay, I've heard MANY Beatles cover songs but this my friends is truely original.  The arrangement is wonderful.
4.  Off My Mind - not a bad song at all.  It didn't do too much for me, but it WAS well done.
5.  Summertime Blues - proving once again that Jeff Thacher IS God.
6.  Lazy River - nice barbershop intro.  Tight harmonies (although they DID sound out of tune in the beginning).
7.  Smile On My Heart - another Leonard tune.  Can this guy write a song or what?  Beautiful.
8.  Dance With Me - much better than the live version.  They rock out a bit on this one and the V.P. is fabulous.
9.  No Doubt At All - Okay, forget Jeff - ELLIOTT is God.  Does ANYONE have a smoother voice than El?  I don't think so.
10.  Millennial Lady - I'll reserve judgement until I hear it again (and again, and again. . )
11.  Jenny Come Away - Shades of Sean Altman here - great song, very interesting.
12.  Surfin' Safari - Remember when the Beach Boys could actually harmonize? Now, take it about twelve levels higher.  Oh, and forget what you think the song will sound like - it sounds completely different, and MUCH better.
Overall, a very strong album by Rockapella.  The production is flawless and they FINALLY got away from the "vocal harmony procesor" sound their last few albums seemed to have.  What I mean is that while the harmony is perfect, it's not un-human.  You can hear Scott, El, Kevin, Barry (*sob*), George and Jeff each individually but man, oh man - they blend so very well.
The disc is rather short, clocking in at less than 40 minutes, but I think it's well worth a listen (MANY TIMES) and certainly worthy of owning.
I'd put it right up there with Rockapella Four (consider it a sequel, but with better technology).  I've listened to this disc only once (time now for the headphones, boys and girls) but I did notice that the "new guy" George has a couple of lead lines here and there.  Very nice.  He's not Barry, but he's not supposed to be.
I'm also happy to see that Rockapella is getting a little more media attention this time around (via TV Guide Channel - check out their profile on Music News) and it seems like they just might have a chance to be more than an undeserved blip on the pop-music scene.
Finally, this is a wonderful Summertime album.  Pop it into your CD player in your car, drop the top, and drive, baby, drive!
962592
I really enjoyed 3 dollar bill but my interest of limp bizkit the last 5 years has pretty much gone down the drain.  So I had about the lowest expectations possible before listening to this album.  I had read that wes borland was back, although he was present for chocolate starfish so this didn't automatically mean a good thing. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a very consise well written collection of songs.  Absent were the "limp bizkit's in the house" and other cringe worthy lines.  Fred sounds so much better than the last 2 cds and he doesn't fall into the whining tone as much (if at all).  The guitar was back in top form and Wes sounds as inventive as ever.  I even get an almost Rage Against The Machine vibe from this cd.  Which for me is a really good thing.  I don't think this album will make much waves (simply because most had written them off 2 cds ago) but it is worth a listen.  I'm only giving it a 4 because it's so short and perhaps they should have just spent a little more time and just had a 14 song cd.
1082729
First and foremost, I have to say I bought this CD for two reasons -
1) I was seeing JT live and wanted to be familiar with his newest stuff
2) I love Angels of Fenway!

Nevertheless, it is a strong effort. It is one his best CDs in a long time and a welcome addition to his vast catalog.

PS Seen him twice now, the past year. His voice still sounds the same. Isn't that amazing?
4131137
I am relatively new to the Jeff Beck world...Knew the name of course, but saw the Live at Ronnie Scott's video on cable last year, and was just blown away. I always thought of him (wrongly now I know) as a "shredder". Now I know what the fuss has been about for all of these years - his playing is so emotive, and he covers such a broad range of songs. $7.99 on Amazon is the best $ I've spent for new music in a long long time. This CD is a piece of art, pure and simple. It's a complete CD, front to back, that will stay in my CD Changer/ITunes playlist on heavy rotation for a long time. Very strange to say this, but I almost get the sense that Jeff Beck is "peaking" again at 65, with some truly amazing music that is much welcomed.
4263488
You definitely need to see this DVD.  Jeff is back with some new friends.  He is absolutely amazing.  Makes you feel like the dummies are actually real and carrying on a conversation with him.  The new characters are great too.  For a great relaxing evening, pop in this DVD, sit back, relax and laugh all night.
1777500
Great comeback album produced, in part, by the multi-talented Jeff Lynne. DVD is very nice with both interview material with Joe and performances of songs in the studio. Joe shows off his versatility on "Funk 50," a reprise of "Funk 49" from his James Gang days--he plays guitar, bass and drums, as well as sings on this track (the man is a good drummer!!!). Nice collection of original tunes with considerable variety in the selections. Well recorded and thoroughly enjoyable CD. Highly recommended, especially if you are a Joe Walsh fan.
585551
This is Jeff's fourth solo album, and it grew out of material he has been working on as part of Anne Clark's album `Smallest Acts Of Kindness'. He then took these and rearranged them as instrumentals for solo acoustic fingerstyle guitar. I have been racking my brains to try and think who he reminds me of, and at times he is like a more intense Gordon Giltrap while at others he is definitely Nick Harper as he shreds his acoustic. To say that this guy can play is something of an understatement. There are not many people who are prepared to open for Allan Holdsworth, but Jeff happily tours with him (which in turn says something about Allan's own confidence in his abilities).

None of these songs outlive their welcome, they are full of melody and pleasure and then are gone again. The only thing to really do is just put the CD on again and enjoy the experience. As the title suggests it was recorded with little or no studio trickery, just a man and his guitar sat in a living room (belonging to pianist and composer Murat Parlak) and playing away. The CD also contains videos for two of the songs, and as part of the promotion for the album he set a new world record of playing six gigs in six different countries in 24 hours and lived to tell the tale. Well worth investigation for fans of acoustic guitar, you won't be disappointed
3408761
I love Jeff Dunham's Walter, Peanuts and Achmed.  Jeff has a great sense of humor and I am sure glad he didn't let the "PC" political correctness get in the way of his very enjoyable acts.
3361315
I'm a long time fan of Timbuk3 and Pat & Barbara(Kooyman) Macdonald. I use their/his/her material on my community radio show often. (I cringe to hear them described as 'one hit wonders'; they are much better than that.) This cd is a great improvement from his previous effort. He is still an angry man. The songs have a tendency to stick to the same groove. I think he could have varied the selections a bit more. He's good enough not to get stuck in a musical rut. I wish liner notes were included with this release including lyrics. He tends to mumble at times. This should have been the follow up to the 'Sleeps With His Guitar' cd.
3573108
I love Jeff's writing and how he tells it like it was for him when he started. He has become one of my favorite authors.
4967130
This CD gets better the more it is played.  Musical, it has much to offer.  Unfortunately I am not a fan of the Payne error, but I appreciare Geoff keeping the band going with the hopes of reunion arising as it does here with Phoenix.  In this day when the record companies have pretty much vanished, we are seeing more bands producing themselves and marketing their own material. I think this deserves recognition.  It is extreemly nice that Steve Howe participated fully and contributed material here.