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Reviews Written By: A3464G00K8ZYD1

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	Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album [2002 Reissue]
	"Great Live Grand Funk Railroad CD"	2009-09-18
Grand Funk Railroad's 1971 LIVE ALBUM is one of the best of its era, and of all time. It includes one of the best songs to listen to before a big event, the hard-charging "Are You Ready?", which was left off CAUGHT IN THE ACT, another great live album by the band. This album does get a bit windy with the extended jamming, but the songs are strong and the playing is superb. This CD is essential for any fan of rock & roll.
	Jimmy Buffett - A-1-A
	"The Nautical Theme Kicks In Here"	2009-09-12
On A-1-A, Jimmy Buffett begins his exploration of the seafaring theme that would become his stock in trade. The songs "A Pirate Looks At Forty", "Trying To Reason With Hurricane Season". and "Nautical Wheelers" indicate that he'd recently relocated from Nashville to Florida, and the breezy atmosphere of his adopted state pervades this entire CD. This is an album you should pick up if you can find it.
	Jimmy Buffett - Living And Dying In 3/4 Time
	"Jimmy Buffett Breaks Through"	2009-09-12
On LIVING AND DYING IN 3/4 TIME, Jimmy Buffett achieves his commercial breakthrough. It comes in the form of the Top 30 ballad "Come Monday", a country heartbreak song that's a far cry from the seafaring songs he'd later be known for. This CD also features other songs that are in a less novelty-oriented vein than he'd become known for later, and is worth buying to see him moving in directions he ended up not pursuing.
	Grand Funk Railroad - Closer to Home [Bonus Tracks]
	"Great Grand Funk Railroad Album, Even Better With Remastering"	2009-08-09
CLOSER TO HOME is a great Grand Funk Railroad album that's now even better with warm, crisp, thick remastering. Many of the songs here, including the Top 40 single "I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home" and "Aimless Lady", have become standards on such classic rock stations as WPYX, KZOK, WCSX, KGON, WQUS, WCMF, WGRF, KSEG, KLPX, KFEG, WPDH, KQMT, and many others. Even lesser known songs such as "Sin's A Good Man's Brother" sound a clarion call for peace, love, and understanding that even today might inspire a high school boy not to reject an ordinary girl in favor of the cheerleading captain. Moreover, the fact that past and present members have supported recent efforts to free Americans detained in Iran and North Korea on false charges makes this CD an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.
	Damn Yankees - Don't Tread [5/6]
	"Damn Yankees Hit A Second Grand Slam"	2009-08-01
With DON'T TREAD, Damn Yankees step up to the plate again. And yes! Another grand slam. The vocal-songwriting team of guitarist-singer Tommy Shaw and bassist-singer Jack Blades, along with guitarist Ted Nugent and drummer Michael Cartellone, create another slab of fire-breathing rock & roll, once again blending the metal of Night Ranger and solo Nugent, the Southern rock of the Allman Brothers Band, the Outlaws, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, the straight-ahead Detroit blues-rock of Grand Funk, and a touch of Styx's progressive pop-rock into a unique hard rock & roll sound that holds up better than anything by Ratt, Poison, or Motley Crue. The fact that Nugent, Blades, and Shaw supported the right of the police to use deadly force to rescue two girls kidnapped in California in 2002 makes this CD and its predecessor essential purchases for both your ears AND your conscience.
	ZZ Top - Deguello
	"Original Mix Is Intact, As It Is On Reissues Of TRES HOMBRES And FANDANGO"	2009-07-03
The original mix of DEGUELLO is intact on the original CD issue, whereas it had to be restored on TRES HOMBRES and FANDANGO! in order to make those CDs enjoyable. This album was three years in the making, and featured the debut of ZZ Top's long beards, as well as one of the last examples of the band's pure blues-rock sound and style for many years. This CD is a must-own for any fan of rootsy rock & roll.
	Jimmy Buffett - Son Of A Son Of A Sailor
	"Great Jimmy Buffett CD"	2009-06-26
SON OF A SON OF A SAILOR is a great Jimmy Buffett CD. It's not quite as great as its immediate predecessor, CHANGES IN LATITUDES, CHANGES IN ATTITUDES, but only by a hair. This CD features the wonderful title track and "Cheeseburger In Paradise", both of which are as good as anything on the previous album. The rest of the album is quite impressive as well, but the follow-up, VOLCANO, despite a few good songs marked the beginning of a commercial and artistic downslide for Buffett, making this his last great studio album for many years. Buy this CD if you can.
	Styx - Come Sail Away: The Styx Anthology
	"Styx's Best Anthology Ever"	2009-06-24
GOLD, a two-CD set of Styx material, is the best anthology of Styx material ever released. Replacing the two volumes of GREATEST HITS, it has several advantages over those: 1) It includes the original version of the band's first hit, "Lady" (GREATEST HITS had a remake that even the types of people who volunteer regularly at such places as hospitals and nursing homes wouldn't have anything positive to say about); 2) It doesn't include the goopy ballad "First Time" (which was on the second GREATEST HITS); and 3)It includes a song from CYCLORAMA. In fact, the only important songs missing are the moderate hit "Why Me", "Superstars", and the PIECES OF EIGHT album tracks "I'm OK" and "Queen of Spades." Nonetheless, this anthology, along with PIECES OF EIGHT, THE GRAND ILLUSION, CRYSTAL BALL, and CYCLORAMA are the essential Styx library.
	Planet P Project - Planet P Project
	"Great Prog-Pop Project"	2009-06-16
PLANET P is a great progressive rock/pop album recorded mostly by singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Tony Carey. Unlike his albums under his own name, which are more pop-oriented and rooted in bands such as Survivor, Shooting Star, and Asia, this one sounds a great deal like the Alan Parsons Project and features extended pieces. Carey sings lead on all but one song here, and the lyrics explore a theme that would be even more pronounced on Planet P's follow-up, PINK WORLD: anxiety over Albert Einstein's work with nuclear physics being used to eliminate the human race. The songs here describe the fears of the Cold War generations, and anyone who was a teenager or adult before glasnost should own this CD.
	Neil Young - On the Beach
	"Underrated Neil Young"	2009-06-14
ON THE BEACH is yet another underrated example of how Neil Young overcame three challenges (epilepsy, diabetes, polio) to virtually turn music on its head. In fact, the fact that Young's disabilities haven't stopped him from controlling his own career is part of why this album was unavailable on CD for so long. Digging his way out of the despair of TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (recorded earlier but released a year later), Young creates a strange hybrid of hippie folk-rockers Buffalo Springfield and pro-law-enforcement hard rockers Montrose, which seemed to foretell what he would do for much of the second half of the 70s. This CD has a line on the first song, "Sooner or later, it all gets real", which inspired me to hang up pictures of pretty actresses as a deterrent to excessive self-indulgence. This CD is great and deserves much higher regard than it's gotten over the years.
	Neil Young - American Stars 'N Bars
	"Neil Young's Most Underrated Album"	2009-06-13
AMERICAN STARS 'N' BARS is Neil Young's most underrated album ever. Not even the artist himself has made any grand claims for it, and, given the low-key performances that make up much of the album, it's easy to see why. However, it does feature two of Neil's best rockers of the 1976-78 period, "Bite The Bullet" and "Like A Hurricane", both of which sound like a mutant hybrid of hippie-country-folk-rockers Buffalo Springfield and pro-law-enforcement hard rocker Ted Nugent, with a huge helping of Montrose (another band featuring a pro-law-enforcement member, Sammy Hagar), thrown in. This CD deserves a wider hearing than the original album got.
	.38 Special - Very Best of the A&M Years 1977-1988
	"If You're Only Buying A Compilation Of .38 Special, Make It This One"	2009-05-31
Although .38 Special were never in the same class musically as the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, or the Outlaws, they did have plenty of great songs and albums. Some people compare them to Foreigner or REO Speedwagon, or even Loverboy, but they have a lot more teeth and crunch than any of those bands, and have been bravely pro-law-enforcement in recent times. Given the willingness of the band's members to express the opinion that the police were justified in using deadly force to rescue two girls kidnapped in California in 2002, the best way to honor this band is to track down the original albums, particularly SPECIAL FORCES, WILD EYED SOUTHERN BOYS, ROCKIN' INTO THE NIGHT, or the reissue of the debut, but if you can only buy a compilation, make it this one.
	Eddie & The Cruisers - Soundtrack
	"Great Soundtrack For A Mediocre Movie"	2009-04-25
The EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS movie soundtrack is far better than the movie, which concerns the mysterious disappearance (or is it?) of a rock star who'd recently transitioned from smart rocker to serious artist, leaving an unreleased album called THE DARK SIDE, which blended straight-ahead rock with French Symbolist poetry (in 1963, no less). The movie took its cues from rumors concerning the death of Jim Morrison, but the music is nothing like the Doors. Instead, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band provide bar-band rock & roll similar to Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger's best work. In addition, you get two songs by doo-wop pioneer Kenny Vance fronting the Beaver Brown Band. The fact that Cafferty, along with many of his American rock and country music peers, expressed support for police use of aggressive force to rescue two girls kidnapped in California in 2002 makes it worth having this example of his music, even if the film was totally mediocre.
	Boston - Third Stage
	"Third Boston Album Reflects My Musical Growth"	2009-04-04
THIRD STAGE, Boston's third album, is about how a person matures once they reach their 30s. In a way, the album also reflects the changes I went through musically in my early 20s, going from being into mostly hard rock and metal to actually appreciating softer music by the time I hit 23. This album also reflects why I chose to skip my old school's food-related reunions in order to look good for a number of pretty actresses, as I came to realize that my high school days were a moment that, once over, could never possibly be recaptured. The only songs that don't fit this theme are the opener ("Amanda"), and the last two ("Cantcha Say" and "Hollyann"). If you buy this CD, it will inspire you to work hard to reach new levels of personal AND musical maturity.
	Russ Ballard - Winning/Russ Ballard & the Barnet Dogs
	"Two Great Russ Ballard Albums On One CD"	2009-03-28
This CD features two great albums by Russ Ballard on one CD. The songs are all great, but the highlights include his only solo U.S. chart single, "On The Rebound", and the original version of the Santana hit, "Winning." The second half of the CD, originally released as the follow-up to the stunning AT THE THIRD STROKE, includes "Rebound", whereas "Winning" is the first half's title track. It's great that Renaissance Records has released these two albums together, as they both provide intelligent, well-played, yet soulful rock in an era when most artists are content to revel in young adult angst.
	Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation
	"Thin Lizzy Come Up With A Winner Despite The Absence Of One Guitarist"	2009-03-22
On BAD REPUTATION, Thin Lizzy, in spite of the fact that guitarist Brian Robertson was out of the picture on all but three songs, managed to put together one of their finest albums ever. Scott Gorham responded fantastically to the pressure, coming through with some of his most aggressive playing ever in order to cover for Robertson's absence. Bassist-vocalist-songwriter Phil Lynott also let his jazz and folk influences shine through in spots, resulting in one of the band's most musically diverse albums ever. Overall, BAD REPUTATION is essential for anyone even remotely interested in 70s heavy metal.
	Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation
	"Thin Lizzy Come Up With A Winner Despite The Absence Of One Guitarist"	2009-03-22
On BAD REPUTATION, Thin Lizzy, in spite of the fact that guitarist Brian Robertson was out of the picture on all but three songs, managed to put together one of their finest albums ever. Scott Gorham responded fantastically to the pressure, coming through with some of his most aggressive playing ever in order to cover for Robertson's absence. Bassist-vocalist-songwriter Phil Lynott also let his jazz and folk influences shine through in spots, resulting in one of the band's most musically diverse albums ever. Overall, BAD REPUTATION is essential for anyone even remotely interested in 70s heavy metal.
	The Grateful Dead - The Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) [Bonus Tracks]
	"Great Grateful Dead CD"	2009-02-18
SKULL & ROSES is a great CD by the Grateful Dead. The remastering on this version is warm and crisp, giving you the feeling of actually being in the room where it was recorded. This album is just as great as AMERICAN BEAUTY and WORKINGMAN'S DEAD, and features excellent versions of country and blues standards, as well as a rendition of John Phillips' (Mamas & Papas) "Me & My Uncle." There are also a couple of great originals here, including Bob Weir's "Playing In The Band." This CD is a must-own for any Deadhead.
	Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes - Reach Up & Touch the Sky: Live
	"Great Live Southside Johnny Album"	2009-02-18
REACH UP AND TOUCH THE SKY: LIVE is a great live CD by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, the only major defect being that, as one reviewer said, it was taken from a number of shows, which means that, as great as this one is, LIVE AT THE PARADISE THEATER is even better, as it was taken from one seamless perfomance. However, since that one is extremely hard to find, this one can suffice if you can't obtain PARADISE THEATER (I actually have both CDs). This CD is a must-own for any fan of R&B-rock who can't obtain LIVE AT THE PARADISE THEATER.
	Bruce Springsteen - Tracks
	"Great Collection Of Outtakes and B-sides By The Boss"	2009-02-12
TRACKS is a great collection of outtakes by Bruce Springsteen, with some B-sides thrown in for good measure. The best songs here are "Rendezvous" (a live recording), "Don't Look Back" (from the DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN sessions), "Dollhouse", "Where The Bands Are", "Roulette", "I Wanna Be With You" (from the sessions for THE RIVER), and "My Love Will Not Let You Down" (from the BORN IN THE USA sessions), and several others, but everything here is good, even if the idiosyncrasies that kept it from being released until 1998 are audible. This is a set that you must own.
	Ted Nugent - Spirit of the Wild
	"Great Reissue Of Terrible Ted's Best Atlantic album"	2009-02-09
This is a great reissue of Ted Nugent's SPIRIT OF THE WILD, which was the best album he ever did for Atlantic Records. The remastering is warm and crisp, and all of the songs are terrific. Ted's guitar playing here is a mix of 70s heavy metal and Southern rock. This album helped keep real rock 'n' roll alive in an era of grunge and teen pop. Moreover, Nugent's advocacy of capital punishment/life without parole for aggravated kidnapping, as well as his no drink/no drugs/no smoke lifestyle, is refreshing in this era of excessive overindulgence. Buy this CD anywhere you can.
	Leon Russell - Leon Live
	"Great 2-CD Live Set By One Of Rock's True Greats"	2009-02-08
LEON LIVE is a great live album by Leon Russell, who was truly one of the great live performers and recording artists that 70s rock had to offer. The album features intense concert versions of his best-known songs of the early 70s, as well as some terrific cover versions of songs by other writers. If you buy this CD along with LEON RUSSELL, LEON RUSSELL AND THE SHELTER PEOPLE, CARNEY, and WILL O' THE WISP, you'll have the perfect Leon Russell library.
	Leon Russell - Will O' The Wisp
	"The Last Great Leon Russell Album"	2009-01-15
WILL O' THE WISP was Leon Russell's last great album, showing a move away from gospel-rock towards a mix of pop, rock, and soul. The songs "Back To The Island" and "Lady Blue" have become radio standards, but there's other great stuff here, too. If you own this album along with the self-titled debut, LEON RUSSELL AND THE SHELTER PEOPLE, CARNEY, and LEON LIVE, you'll have the ultimate Leon Russell library.
	Insight Guide Pacific Northwest
	"Great Overview Of Washington And Oregon"	2009-01-04
INSIGHT PACIFIC NORTHWEST is a great overview of Washington and Oregon. This book has both pictures and text, which is why it's better than the LONELY PLANET series, while its intricate descriptions of recreation, dining, nightlife, shopping, and the habits of the locals make it as good as the FODOR'S, NEWCOMER'S HANDBOOK, and INSIDERS' GUIDE books on Portland and Seattle. The only problem with this book is that it has no information on shopping centers in the smaller cities in either Washington or Oregon. An added bonus is that the binding is plastic (also known as "turtleback"), so you can take it in your backpack. This book is a must-own for anyone interested in travel and/or in different regions.
	Leon Russell - Carney
	"The Third Great Album In A Row From Leon Russell"	2009-01-01
CARNEY is the third great album in a row by Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter-pianist-guitarist Leon Russell. It includes his big hit "Tight Rope" and various other gems as well. The fact that Russell, who has cerebral palsy, made out so well artistically with his first three albums proves that a disability doesn't have to be a handicap. You should own this CD, LEON RUSSELL AND THE SHELTER PEOPLE, the self-titled debut, LEON LIVE, and WILL O' THE WISP in order to have your perfect collection of Leon Russell CDs.
	The Band - The Last Waltz [2003 Remaster]
	"A Great Farewell For Robbie Robertson & Company"	2008-12-21
This reissue of THE LAST WALTZ is absolutely wonderful. The Band had decided to go out in style, and they invited plenty of guests to join them for a gala concert at San Francisco's Winterland Auditorium, plus additional music made in New York, to create a recording and movie that makes you wish that it had never ended. Ronnie Hawkins, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, the Staple Singers, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Dr. John, and Emmylou Harris are in the Band's ballpark, but making sense of Neil Diamond is nothing short of a small miracle. Moreover, the fact that the surviving members oppose countries falsely jailing foreign visitors for trumped-up crimes, as well as advocating high-school community-service requirements, makes this reissue of THE LAST WALTZ an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.
	Cross Canadian Ragweed - Cross Canadian Ragweed
	"Equally At Home On Both Country And Rock Radio"	2008-12-04
Cross Canadian Ragweed's self-titled debut album is a unique blend of Waylon Jennings, the Allman Brothers Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, the Outlaws, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Seger that would sound equally at home on country radio (e.g. WPOR, KUPL, WTHT, KWJJ, KMPS, KKWF) and on rock radio (e.g. WBLM, KCRX, WIZN, KGON, KZOK, KEGX, WCPV, KISM). The band's music is equal parts heartland rock, Southern rock, and country, and their advocacy of capital punishment/life without parole for kidnappers straddles the fence between artists of the latter two styles and the former four artists, making them equally palatable for fans of Hank Williams, Jr., the Outlaws, and Ted Nugent. This is a CD that anyone who's ever been out west will enjoy.
	Kentucky Headhunters - The Best of the Kentucky Headhunters: Still Pickin'
	"The Bridge Between Country And Southern Rock"	2008-11-09
The music of the Kentucky Headhunters is the bridge between outlaw country and Southern rock, blending Hank Williams, Jr. and the Outlaws so well that you can't tell where one ends and the other begins. Lead guitarist Greg Martin is a wonderful rock player in the Clapton-Beck-Page-Walsh mold, and rhythm guitarist Richard Young plays has a style that blends country and rock rhythms so well that it's hard to separate the two. For all the rock & roll in the band's sound, however, the vocals and lyrics are pure country, although without the alcohol references so common to the style (brothers Doug and Ricky Lee Phelps, the original singers, are devout teetotal Christians). This album is equally at home on country and rock radio, and is a must-own for fans of either or both styles.
	Top 10 Seattle
	"Great Pocket Guide To Seattle's Best- And Worst"	2008-11-05
EYEWITNESS TOP 10 SEATTLE is a great pocket guide to the city of Seattle. It lists the Top 10 in every category, from nightlife, dining, attractions, and shopping, to even what to avoid. Overall, this book, combined with INSIGHT CITYGUIDE SEATTLE, FODOR'S SEATTLE, THE NEWCOMER'S HANDBOOK FOR MOVING TO AND LIVING IN SEATTLE, LONELY PLANET SEATTLE, BEST PLACES SEATTLE, and THE SEATTLE GUIDEBOOK, tells you everything you need to know to enjoy vacationing or living in the Seattle area.
	Rick Derringer - Derringer Live
	"Great Live Rick Derringer CD"	2008-10-01
This CD is a great example of what Rick Derringer could do live. With the more fusion-oriented Danny Johnson as foil for Derringer's bluesy style, this band created great music that Derringer had trouble equaling with 80s albums such as the heavy metal disaster GOOD DIRTY FUN, which was a total waste of the talent that G-d gave him. This, along with ALL AMERICAN BOY, DERRINGER, LIVE AT THE PARADISE THEATER, and Derringer's work with Johnny and Edgar Winter, are the ultimate Rick Derringer library.