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	The Iliad of Homer
	"Western literature starts here"	2008-09-05
Having been a very lazy student in high school, I'm sure I was assigned to read the Iliad or Odyssey, but never did. A recent trip to Crete, and to the ruins of the Bronze Age Minoan civilization inspired me to read Homer. Considering the comments of reviewers who read the Iliad under duress as students, I'm glad that I read it on my own account. Why read the Iliad? For one thing, it's where Western literature begins. The Minoans had writing, but their language is undeciphered. The Mycenaean Greeks adapted the Minoan writing system, and their language has been identified as an early form of Greek, but if they ever wrote any extended works, none have been discovered. That means that Homer and Hesiod, who are generally thought to have lived in the 8th Century B.C., are the earliest surviving literature in Europe. Homer is assumed to predate Hesiod. The themes of the Iliad - fate and free will, for instance - have been dealt with by writers through the ages, and continue now. Homer's works represent the transition point where the legends and traditions transmitted orally since time inmemorial are first recorded in writing. The settings of the Iliad and the Odyssey are in Bronze Age Mycenaean Greece, and many of the traditional legends which serve as a basis for the stories undoubtedly date back far into prehistory. The style and contents of the Iliad have many elements which undoubtedly come directly from the oral traditions, most notably the Iliad is written in verse. These, as Lattimore explains in his introduction, are tools which the narrator uses (a) to memorize the tale, and (b) to help to help the listener follow along. A lot of elements are repeated, especially the epithets (my favorite is "Thersites of the endless speech") and descriptions of repeated events like religious ceremonies or the death of a warrior ("his armor clattered about him"). Reading it, it can seem a bit repetitive at times, but keep in mind that this is an epic composed long before it was transcribed to written language. This is by no means easy reading, and it is quite long (485 pages). Things are usually developed very slowly. The plot of the story is actually fairly simple. Lattimore starts the book with a 50 page introduction, which is very helpful in explaining how the Iliad works. In the beginning of the introduction he gives a summary of the story which takes less than one page, but you would be missing the entire point by reading the "cliff notes". To give you an example, there is a description of Achileus' shield which takes up 4 pages, and which is an absolute highlight of the book. Patroclos's funeral is also detailed at length, giving a fascinating look at the culture in pre-Classical Greece (you can't be sure how much is from the Mycenaean Bronze Age, and how much is from the Iron Age Dark Ages, when Homer lived). A lot of time is given to the interaction of the various gods and immortal beings with mere mortals. This is one of the most interesting aspects of the book. These gods are hardly impartial, loving, or "above things". They all have competing stakes in the outcomes of the war, and scheme and deceive humans and one another to affect the outcomes for their favorite mortals. Not having read any other translation of the Iliad, I really can't comment on the relative merrits of Lattimore's translation compared to others. Lattimore's goal is to be as true to the original Greek sentence structure and the original meter of the verse. Since English and Ancient Greek have very different grammatical structures, this inevitably results in some convoluted sentences at times. Unlike some other translations, this one remains pretty faithful to the original Greek names, rather than the Roman ones (Zeus and Ares vs. Jupiter and Mars, etc.). This attempt to be faithful to the original is why I ultimately chose to read this translation. I really wanted to get into the spirit of the times, as much as possible. BTW on the web you can listed to a recitation of the "Iliad" in ancient Greek by Prof. Stanley Lombardo, who also did a translation. I can't understand anything, but it sounds great, and you can really appreciate the musicality of the poem.
	The Beatles - Revolver [UK]
	"need a 6th star for this one. Must-have!"	2008-05-21
With "Rubber Soul", the Beatles started maturing as artists and moving away from "mere" teen pop, but it was with "Revolver" that they hit their peak. Certainly the albums that came later were perhaps even more ambitious and got more press and, yes, hype. Nevertheless if I have to choose a favorite Beatles album, it would be "Revolver". I've had this album for a long time (in LP format), and it's been one of my favorites. Almost by coincidence I was recently exposed to this album again after many years. I'm happy to say that this one absolutely stands the test of time. It's now on heavy rotation in my stereo. Originally on LP the US and UK releases of the Beatles allbums up to and including this one were different. I the case of "Revolver" the difference was that the U.S. version was missing 3 songs. The CD release is the UK version, so it includes all 14 tracks. There really isn't a weak track on the album, although perhaps the least "essential" track is "Dr. Robert". It's certainly a decent enough song, but it's not fantastic and doesn't really add anything crucial to the song mix. One reviewer suggested that "Paperback Writer", which has a similar style, would have been a better inclusion, and I would agree. Actually when I listen to the album, I typically skip two songs, "Yellow Submarine" and "Love You To". Both are certainly very creative groundbreaking songs that add to the variety of the mix, but frankly I don't need to hear them too often (all 3 of George's "raga rock" tunes have not dated well, IMHO). Everything else on the album is absolutely great. George Harrison's other two songs, the opener "Taxman" and "I Want To Tell You" are among his best, and really show him hitting his peak as a songwriter. Eleanor Rigby's lyrics and music (including brilliant orchestration) are case study in isolation and despair. "For No One" is also rather sad, but brilliantly crafted ballad by McCartney. "Here There and Everywhere" is more optimistic and has to be considered one of Mcartney's best songs ever. "Got To Get You Into My Life" and "Good Day Sunshine" are wonderful too, both bursting with a positive vibe. John Lennon's other 3 compositions are all experimental in nature. "And Your Bird Can Sing" `s most distinct feature is a very unusual guitar riff. The sound of the guitar can be described as a sunnier version of the one on "Rain" (The single "Paperback Writer" / "Rain" is stylistically consistent with this album). This is contrasted with a refrain that sounds almost retro. The part when he sings "I'll be `round" could almost be from an early Beatles song. "I'm Only Sleeping" and "She Said, She Said" Have a druggy, lazy feel to them, with the latter having more overt psychedelic references. Of course the song that takes the experimentation to the furthest degree at that point in time is the closing song "Tomorrow Never Knows". This one must have truly been a mindblower in 1966! It incorporates all sorts of avant-guarde experimentation techniques - drones, tape effects, distortion, and a really strange song structure that basically has no chord changes to it. Not to mention the creepy "seagull" noises! The result is absolutely hypnotic and spooky. I really sounds like it's coming from another dimmension. Although this is definitely John's creation, evidently it was Paul that introduced the band to the tape manipulation techniques that were being used by such avant-guarde composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen. This contradicts the conventional wisdom that John was the experimenter and Paul was the conventional pop guy. They all seemed to have a real talent for absorbing ideas and influences, which they then seamlessly vowe into their onw style. In addition to strengths of the individual tracks, what makes this a fantastic album is how cohesive it is. There is incredible diversity, but it all fits together wonderfully. An essential album, I think!
	Beatles - Revolver
	"need a 6th star for this one. Must-have!"	2008-05-21
With "Rubber Soul", the Beatles started maturing as artists and moving away from "mere" teen pop, but it was with "Revolver" that they hit their peak. Certainly the albums that came later were perhaps even more ambitious and got more press and, yes, hype. Nevertheless if I have to choose a favorite Beatles album, it would be "Revolver". I've had this album for a long time (in LP format), and it's been one of my favorites. Almost by coincidence I was recently exposed to this album again after many years. I'm happy to say that this one absolutely stands the test of time. It's now on heavy rotation in my stereo. Originally on LP the US and UK releases of the Beatles allbums up to and including this one were different. I the case of "Revolver" the difference was that the U.S. version was missing 3 songs. The CD release is the UK version, so it includes all 14 tracks. There really isn't a weak track on the album, although perhaps the least "essential" track is "Dr. Robert". It's certainly a decent enough song, but it's not fantastic and doesn't really add anything crucial to the song mix. One reviewer suggested that "Paperback Writer", which has a similar style, would have been a better inclusion, and I would agree. Actually when I listen to the album, I typically skip two songs, "Yellow Submarine" and "Love You To". Both are certainly very creative groundbreaking songs that add to the variety of the mix, but frankly I don't need to hear them too often (all 3 of George's "raga rock" tunes have not dated well, IMHO). Everything else on the album is absolutely great. George Harrison's other two songs, the opener "Taxman" and "I Want To Tell You" are among his best, and really show him hitting his peak as a songwriter. Eleanor Rigby's lyrics and music (including brilliant orchestration) are case study in isolation and despair. "For No One" is also rather sad, but brilliantly crafted ballad by McCartney. "Here There and Everywhere" is more optimistic and has to be considered one of Mcartney's best songs ever. "Got To Get You Into My Life" and "Good Day Sunshine" are wonderful too, both bursting with a positive vibe. John Lennon's other 3 compositions are all experimental in nature. "And Your Bird Can Sing" `s most distinct feature is a very unusual guitar riff. The sound of the guitar can be described as a sunnier version of the one on "Rain" (The single "Paperback Writer" / "Rain" is stylistically consistent with this album). This is contrasted with a refrain that sounds almost retro. The part when he sings "I'll be `round" could almost be from an early Beatles song. "I'm Only Sleeping" and "She Said, She Said" Have a druggy, lazy feel to them, with the latter having more overt psychedelic references. Of course the song that takes the experimentation to the furthest degree at that point in time is the closing song "Tomorrow Never Knows". This one must have truly been a mindblower in 1966! It incorporates all sorts of avant-guarde experimentation techniques - drones, tape effects, distortion, and a really strange song structure that basically has no chord changes to it. Not to mention the creepy "seagull" noises! The result is absolutely hypnotic and spooky. I really sounds like it's coming from another dimmension. Although this is definitely John's creation, evidently it was Paul that introduced the band to the tape manipulation techniques that were being used by such avant-guarde composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen. This contradicts the conventional wisdom that John was the experimenter and Paul was the conventional pop guy. They all seemed to have a real talent for absorbing ideas and influences, which they then seamlessly vowe into their onw style. In addition to strengths of the individual tracks, what makes this a fantastic album is how cohesive it is. There is incredible diversity, but it all fits together wonderfully. An essential album, I think!
	Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
	"Arguably their best"	2008-05-12
The four albums from Nursery Cryme through Lamb Lies Down on Broadway are the classic albums that represent the band's peak ("Trespass" and "Trick of the Tail" are a notch down but still great. "Genesis Live [Definitive Edition Remaster]" and "Genesis Archive, Vol. 1: 1967-1975" round things out). Each one of these contains material that is absolutely must-have, so it's hard to pick one favorite. A lot of focus is given to "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" because it's the last one with Peter Gabriel, and also their most ambitious project, but I think a good argument can be made why this one is their peak. Certainly "Lamb" contains a lot of great stuff but, as double-LP concept albums tend to be, there is a fair amount of filler material which rounds out the "story", but which makes the last quarter of it lose steam, IMO. SEBTP is as close as any of Genesis' albums to being representative of all the qualities that made them so wonderful. You even get a catchy pop ditty, "I Know What I Like". It starts out with an ominous-sounding machine-like roar, then a quintessential Gabriel spoken intro "It's one o'clock..." before launching into the song, which tells the story illustrated on the cover. IMO, as a pop song, this one is superior to anything ever done by the trio version of the band. The oddest song is definitely "Battle of Epping Forest". This is the one that most clearly has Peter Gabriel's imprint on it. The lyrics narrate a turf war between gangs in east London in stylized way that makes it sound like a medieval battle. Gabriel puts on various voices and affects to depict different characters, which are sometimes hilarious, and sometimes just irritating, frankly. It's allegedly based on a real news story, though no one can find the article, it seems. The whole thing drags on a bit long, and doesn't entirely work (I sometimes skip it), but give it an "A" for creativity and uniqueness. "Firth of Fifth" is one of their "epic" songs, with a big, sweeping theme, and lyrics that invoke legendary themes (I had to look up what "undinal" meant :)). It also features an all-too-rare acoustic piano solo by Tony Banks, and most notably, was is, IMO, Steve Hackett's greatest performance on any Genesis album (I'm not so familiar with his solo stuff). The guitar solo is absolutely spectacular in its simplicity. Unlike so many other rock guitarists, Hackett doesn't focus on flash and speed, but rather on creating sonic landscapes and moods. The solo on this song is the greatest example. I always felt that Hackett didn't get enough exposure in Genesis, and this ultimately caused his departure. The short "After the Battle" is another great example of this, and also is a great airy counter-balance after "Epping Forrest". The album opens and closes with two long multi-part songs " Dancing with the Moonlight Knight" and "Cinema Show / Aisle of Plenty". "Moonlit Knight" is a thinly-veiled criticism of trends in the UK at the time, dressed in the legend of King Arthur, and is one of Gabriel's greatest performances. It begins with an a Capella vocal, and gradually builds in intensity and complexity. "Cinema Show" likewise begins with a gentle love story and then proceeds to stranger territory, mentioning Tyresias, an ancient Greek seer whom the gods turned into a woman, and then back to a man (I had to look it up too!). At the end there is "Aisle of Plenty", which refrains the music and the lyrical theme of "Moonlit Knight", with a list of grocery items no doubt referring to the selling off of the country. The last line of the song proper refers to "deadly nightshade", which is a plant with hallucinogenic properties, allegedly used in witch's brews. What it means escapes me, but it is interesting. The only weak spot is "More Fool Me" an insignificant but innocuous short tune. It happens to be Phil Collin's official lead vocal debut (I'm quite certain he did the lead on "For Absent Friends" on "Nursery Cryme", but it's uncredited), but I'm not dumping on ol' Phil - I just don't care for the song. It's not bad, just not up to par with the rest of the album. If you can't decide which of the 4 classic albums to buy first, this one is a good one to start with. If you like this one, you will want the others: Nursery Cryme Foxtrot The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway One interesting side point: Genesis's first post-Gabriel album, A Trick of the Tail (see my review), has many parallels with SEBP, from the cover color and artwork, to the similarity between the "pop ditties" on both albums ("I Know What I Like" and "Squonk"), The crime stories ("Epping Forest" & "Robbery Assault & Battery"), the long instrumental and refrain at the end, and some other similarities in the sound & feel of the two albums. I have to think that all this was deliberate. Clearly after Gabriel's departure, they had something to prove, and it is interesting that they chose SEBP, and not "Lamb", as the reference point.
	Siouxsie & the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
	"they reached their peak with this one."	2008-02-20
This has been one of my favorite albums period, and if I had to pick one favorite Siouxsie and the Banshees album, this one just barely wins out over "The Scream" and "Juju", although both of those are excellent, and "Kiss in the Dreamhouse" deserves honorable mention. If you know Siouxsie and the Banshees at all, then I'm sure you know the two singles "Happy House" and "Christine", and they are reason enough to buy it. Really the whole album is very strong, with the exception of "Clockface", which is filler but inoffensive and short. "Christine" is driven by a great bass line and acoustic guitar, with icy vocals from Siouxsie, dealing with a Sybil-like split personality. This album represents a huge leap musically from the artsy punk of the first two albums. There is much wider variety of sonic textures, rhythms, and instrumentation. Drum machines and synth bass are prominent in the bleak "Lunar Camel" and "Red Light", the latter also using a camera shutter sound for rhythm. "Hybrid" and "Paradise Place" have a psychedelic feel to them. "Tenant" is another sparse, bleak. experimental track that is very effective. "Desert Kisses" has a more lush sound with a great vocal by Siouxsie. Only the last track, "Skin" is reminiscent of the sound from the first album, `The Scream", with a more manic feel to it. Siouxsie and the Banshees often get pigeon-holed into the "Goth" stereotype. Certainly none of these songs fall in the "cheery" or "chipper" category, but, as this album demonstrates, these guys were far more varied and gifted than any of numerous Goth posers that followed them.
	Peter Gabriel - Up * [9/24]
	"not perfect, but a welcome return to form"	2008-02-14
I'm a huge fan of Peter Gabriel's work with Genesis and up through his fourth solo album (Security). He lost me with his two commercial albums, "So" and "Us", which were good as far as commercially-oriented music goes, but a big step down artisitically. Consequently I frankly stopped paying attention. When "Up" was released in 2002 I was very interested but wary. Unfortunately my first exposure to it was "The Barry Williams Show", a song with a blatantly commercial sound and lyrics that are a hamfisted attempt at social commentary. "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes" were actually quite good as pop songs (before the over-exposure), but this one is a dud. I hated it and it just turned me off completely for 2-1/2 years. Even now I consider it the one stinker that sticks out like a sore thumb. Just program your CD player to skip it and enjoy the rest! Once you get past that there are plenty of rewards. This album, though not perfect (that would be PG#3), is a return to form. Many reviewers commented that this is an album that takes time to absorb, and I definitely agree. PG is definitely no minimalist. He spent 10 years on this, and it shows (arguably to a fault). Whereas Peter Hammill's fault might be that he releases every thought that pops in his head as a song, Peter Gabriel's arguably is that he doesn't know when to finish one. This is a DENSE album, full of the complex musical textures that are one of his trademarks. Not every song is a masterpiece (I'm now ignoring the afore-mentioned abomination), but they all have something interesting (I'm not wild about "Sky Blue", but it's not bad). The mood of the album is decidedly dark. "Darkness" starts the album off in the tradition of "No Self Control" , exploring fears that take control of oneself. The beast rears its head with a jarring burst of sound that is truly frightening the first time. The intensity climaxes with the (slightly overdone) "Signal to Noise". Some people have interpreted the lyrics to be about technology, but PG, of all people, is anything but a Luddite! To me the song has more to do with the encroaching crassness of the modern world, and with the increasing difficulty of real communication among the noise - literal and figurative. "I Grieve" deals with a distrurbing subject in an interesting way. In the middle there is a flight of optimism, before he sneaks up and bursts your bubble. (Did I dream this belief? Or did I believe this dream?) Pretty strong stuff. Even the enigmatic "My Head Sounds Like That" has a sweet melody but hints at things below the surface. The closer, "The Drop", also has a light sound with lyrics that have been interpreted in various ways. Given that the intervals between his studio albums since "PG3"" have been equal to 2 x sequential prime numbers (2, 4, 6, 10), I can only hope that the long awaited "I/O" sees the light of day before 2016.
	Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
	"brilliant, quirky, innovative, and great music too"	2008-02-07
Eno's next album "Another Green World" is most often cited as his best and most influential, and it certainly is a great one, but "Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy" is my personal favorite. The combination of experimentation, humor, and plenty of pop hooks make this a classic, though a decidedly odd one. Eno handles all the vocals and, while he certainly is no great singer technically (he's refered to himself as a "non-musician), he does have a unique. mannered style that grows on you. I don't know if you can call it a "concept" album, but there are some threads that run through the songs - travel, conspiracy, China. Each song has a unique sound texture to it, resulting from unorthodox instrumentation (one song has a typewriter solo) and Eno's trademark and groundbreaking sound treatments. The album starts of with a very melodic pop ditty called "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More". That incongruity sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Third Uncle"s scratchy, staccato guitars foreshadow Gang of Four and Wire, among others. The most challenging listen on the album is definitely "Put a Straw Under Baby", which is a derranged, deliberately out-of-tune lullaby with surrreal lyrics, and features the Portsmouth Sinfonia. The Sinfonia, of which Eno was a member, has only two requirements - that members honestly try to play well, and that they show up for rehearsals. You need to hear this to believe it! Quite honestly it's a bit of an "Excedrin Moment", but very creative. The closing title track is a pretty, airy, melodic piece that presages the ambient direction that he would take, starting with his next album (A.G.W.). This album was released in 1974 and was ahead of its time. Eno had a huge influence on all sorts of new wave and post-punk bands that came on the scene some years later, starting with Talking Heads. I first heard the album in the late 70's and even then I remember how odd the album sounded. It's a clichÃ©, but one of Eno's talents is his ability to "think outside the box". In an interview David Bowie, who worked with Eno in the late 70's on some groundbreaking albums, said they deliberately threw away the instruction manuals for the synthesizers, to see what kind of "bleeps and farts" they could come up with. Eno took (and further delveloped) elements from the avant-guarde and applied them to pop music. Many of these innovations have since become part of the mainstream (sampling, incorporation of non-musical elements), and the electronics sounds decidely retro now, bu the creativity and quirkiness still makes it sound like nothing else. Historical significance aside, this is also a very enjoyable album. Highly recommended.
	Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy
	"brilliant, quirky, innovative, and great music too"	2008-02-07
Eno's next album "Another Green World" is most often cited as his best and most influential, and it certainly is a great one, but "Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy" is my personal favorite. The combination of experimentation, humor, and plenty of pop hooks make this a classic, though a decidedly odd one. Eno handles all the vocals and, while he certainly is no great singer technically (he's refered to himself as a "non-musician), he does have a unique. mannered style that grows on you. I don't know if you can call it a "concept" album, but there are some threads that run through the songs - travel, conspiracy, China. Each song has a unique sound texture to it, resulting from unorthodox instrumentation (one song has a typewriter solo) and Eno's trademark and groundbreaking sound treatments. The album starts of with a very melodic pop ditty called "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More". That incongruity sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Third Uncle"s scratchy, staccato guitars foreshadow Gang of Four and Wire, among others. The most challenging listen on the album is definitely "Put a Straw Under Baby", which is a derranged, deliberately out-of-tune lullaby with surrreal lyrics, and features the Portsmouth Sinfonia. The Sinfonia, of which Eno was a member, has only two requirements - that members honestly try to play well, and that they show up for rehearsals. You need to hear this to believe it! Quite honestly it's a bit of an "Excedrin Moment", but very creative. The closing title track is a pretty, airy, melodic piece that presages the ambient direction that he would take, starting with his next album (A.G.W.). This album was released in 1974 and was ahead of its time. Eno had a huge influence on all sorts of new wave and post-punk bands that came on the scene some years later, starting with Talking Heads. I first heard the album in the late 70's and even then I remember how odd the album sounded. It's a clichÃ©, but one of Eno's talents is his ability to "think outside the box". In an interview David Bowie, who worked with Eno in the late 70's on some groundbreaking albums, said they deliberately threw away the instruction manuals for the synthesizers, to see what kind of "bleeps and farts" they could come up with. Eno took (and further delveloped) elements from the avant-guarde and applied them to pop music. Many of these innovations have since become part of the mainstream (sampling, incorporation of non-musical elements), and the electronics sounds decidely retro now, bu the creativity and quirkiness still makes it sound like nothing else. Historical significance aside, this is also a very enjoyable album. Highly recommended.
	They Might Be Giants - Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants
	"Introduction to a brilliant and creative band"	2007-12-05
They Might Be Giants is a band I've known about for a long time, and have always been meaning to check out, but never did until now. I actually remember calling the dial-a-song number in the late 80's. First let's be clear that, despite the title, this is NOT a compilation of songs from the dial-a-song hotline. That would be an interesting project in itself. As the liner notes to this compilation explain, the lo-fi & low tech nature of playing songs over a telephone answering machine affected the nature of the songs. Songs had to be short. Overly complex harmonics resulted in distortion. Extended instrumental tones were mistaken by the machine as a message-ending beep. This is a compilation of their regularly released material over 20 years. Not being very familiar with the original releases (yet!), I cannot comment on how accurately this compilation represents their body of work. What I can say is the it's a very enjoyable and intriguing collection of creative, clever, and eclectic songs. Most of the lyrics are full of very quirky, often absurdist humor, and present intelligent and often heartfelt subject matter in unexpected ways. "Out of the box" is a cliche, but is certainly applies to them. Disc one evidently has the more well-known songs, and there certainly are a lot of good songs. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" was an alt-rock radio hit of sorts in the early 90's and deservedly so. "Dr. Evil" is a great parody of a James Bond theme from the 60's, which was actually the theme of an Austin Powers movie. Unfortunately for my taste around the middle of the CD some of it starts to sound like somewhat generic jangly 90's alt-rock ("Bangs", "New York City"), although the lyrics are always superior. I actually ended up listening to Disc 2 first and it's the more interesting one, for my taste. It's full of really unusual, quirky songs full of lyrical and sonic surprises. TMBG actually has done some successful children's music albums, and some of these songs appear here, and they are very enjoyable for adults too. "No" is hysterical. Who else but TMGB has a song about a relatively obscure 19th Century president (James K. Polk), AND makes it enjoyable? "I Can Hear You" is brilliant. The lyrics are a series of phrases you might hear through a speaker ("step away from the car", "I can super-size that for you") recorded through what sounds like a tinny intercom. The liner notes explain that it was actually recorded on a wax cylinder similar to what Thomas Edison used. This, and the inanity of the phrases, is a great commentary on our purported "progress" If you are new to TMBG I can certainly recommend this collection. It's very enjoyable on its own, and certainly has inspired me to check out the original releases. The packaging is very nice, too, and the booklet is very informative and a fun read.
	Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation
	"classic album from a punk pioneer"	2007-11-20
The British punk scene turned "punk" into a fashion trend, and ultimately into a parody of itself, with its stereotypical buzz saw guitars, spiked hair, etc., becoming totally conformist. Prior to that, the music movement was born out of a scene comprising of a relatively small number of bands centered around lower Manhattan in NYC. Richard Hell helped found 3 of those bands - Television, the Heartbreakers, and then his own Richard Hell & the Voidoids. Unlike the later scene, these original bands were a highly eclectic and creative bunch, most of whom didn't even fit the mold of the stereotypical "punk" sound. If you listen to this album you won't hear the buzz saw guitars, and most of the vocals are sung, not hollered. It even closes with a (very tongue-in-cheek) cover of a Tin Pan Alley ballad. Which isn't to say that it doesn't rock out, but it does so in much more of a garage-band sort of way - it is full of punk attitude! The guitars jab and slice at you, rather than pummel you over the head. They would be very influential on later bands like Gang of Four. Some have referred to this as the first "post-punk" album. The lyrics are thoughtful, literate and witty. Richard Hell is certainly no great singer from a technical standpoint (beside the point!), but his vocals are very effective in their context. He sings a lot of the vocals in a way that seems to be almost shrugging them off, but they are actually right on the money, even the extended grunting and groaning session on "Another World", which is hysterical. The off-key bits of his singing are deliberately and effectively jarring. The title track is of course a manifesto for the whole punk movement, and for alienated people everywhere. Even if you aren't a fan of punk in general, please give this one a listen.
	Sun Ra - Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy/Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow
	"Space is the place!"	2007-04-05
"Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy" tops the list for all-time greatest album title (tied with "Weasels Ripped My Flesh"). The thought of these sonic vibrations from outer space reconfiguring your neural synapses is actually quite appealing. This stuff really does sound like it's from "out there"! The echo and reverb drenched and somewhat low-budget sound actually gives it extra charm. The music on "Cosmic Tones" is very abstract. It sounds quite bizzare in 2007, so I can only image what it must have sounded to people in 1961 - not even Ornette Coleman or Cecil Taylor we doing stuff this far out in 1961. "Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow" is a transitional work between straight jazz and the free space music of "Cosmic Tones". It's certainly enjoyable music, but for me it's less interesting. I was lucky to see Sun Ra Live in 1988 and 1990, and actually had a few words with him in 1990. Despite being wheelchair-ridden he still had tremendous presence and a projected a very joyful vibe. This joyfulness comes across in all of his music, which is one of the things that most appeals to me. This album is as good a place to start as any, if you are interested in exploring Sun Ra's universe.
	Arthur Brown - Crazy World of Arthur Brown
	"definitely of its time but also timeless"	2007-03-15
The All Music Guide review states "it's a little over the top, but...". Of course, the "over the top" qualities are precisely part of his appeal, as are his amazing voice and range, and his creativity. This is his first album and also his best by far. Of course it's totally of its time (1968), and there is no shortage of psychedelic silliness (I love it!), but the songwriting and performances are great, and Arthur Brown himself is a true original who sounds like no one else! On most of the songs he sings in his natural English accent, and was one of the first British rock singers to do so. He was very theatrical in his stage shows, but his singing style is also very theatrical ("I Put A Spell On You"). People who know "Fire" from the oldies radio stations will be baffled by stuff like "Spontaneous Apple Creation", but behind the strangeness is very solid music. People who, like me, like music that pushes the boundaries will certainly find plenty here to interest them. This album is brilliant. I've had it on LP for a long time, and only recently bought the CD. I'm glad to say that it stands the test of time very well. Highly recommended!
	Negativland - These Guys Are from England and Who Gives a Shit
	"Bad hair day for Casey Kasem!"	2007-02-21
I'm glad this is available again. This stuff has been legendary since Island records forced them to take it off the market in the early 90's. As you already know from reading other reviews, this is the infamous Negativland collage of the U2 song "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" with a tape of radio celebrity Casey Kasem letting out a littany of four-letter words during the taping of "American Top 40". This CD contains various versions of the basic theme, including a "radio friendly" version which has the expletives bleeped out by sound effects like car horns, etc., which is still quite funny. Even listening to it all these years later it's still very effective. One reason is that the subjects open themselves to ridicule as much as they do. To quote a reviewer on another website (don't remember who, sorry!), making fun of U2 never goes out of style. Casey Kasem's voice is so instantly recognizable, and his style so candyassed, that it's totally hysterical to listen to his profanity-ridden tirades. Kasem's comments actually help mock U2's preposterousness. Introducing their song he rattles off their names, and when he gets to "The Edge" he breaks off and says "this is B.S.! Nobody cares!", and then states the title of this CD. I think that echoes a lot of people's reaction to the guitarist's stupid monicker. This is being promoted as "semi-legitimate" or "bootleg", with Negativland's label's name modified to "Sealard". I'm not buying it. Keep in mind these are the same guys who circulated the fake news story about a kid killing himself after listening to "Christianity is Stupid". These guys are savvy media pranksters. Nevertheless, given the previous hullabaloo over this recording, you'll want to pick this up before it ends up on someone else's Bonfire of the Vanities.
	Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
	"the last really good Genesis album"	2007-02-20
As is often commented, when Peter Gabriel left Genesis, the people wondered if the band could make it without him. This is the first album after his departure, and it's very good. "Dance on a Volcano" and "Squonk" are among my favorite Genesis tunes, and all the somgs are good. It continues in a general way with the musical style of the previous albums. Sadly they couldn't sustain it. I would consider "Trick of the Tail" to be the last Genesis album worth owning. It needs to be said that the beginings of the decline are evident on this album. Phil Collins is a decent enough singer, but he doesn't have nearly the range or expressiveness of Peter Gabriel (not to mention the lyrics). Listen to "Robbery, Assault, and Battery", which is a story song involving various characters, in the tradition of "Battle of Epping Forrest" and "Get `Em Out By Friday". A comparison with the older songs will show how much more effective Gabriel was. Also, previous albums were reaching for new heights, while this is the first album where Genesis is treading water. Still this is a very enjoyable album. Fans of the Gabriel era Genesis should check this one out. Newcomers to the classic Genesis should check out their 4 best albums first: Nursery Cryme Foxtrot Selling England By The Pound The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway After that get this one and also "Trespass", their second album. Then get "Live" and "Archives Vol 1". Stop there.
	Rockers [Original Soundtrack]
	"great 70's roots reggae compilation"	2007-02-17
I've never seen the film, but the soundtrack is just fantastic. Almost every track here is a gem. There are so many highlights here, but one is the title track by Bunny Wailer. This is a longer version with more lyrics than the one on his "Roots, Rockers,..." album. It includes several classics, like "Police and Thieves", "Tenement Yard" and "Satta Amasagana" (although I would have prefered the Abyssinians' version). Burning Spear does an interesting a capella song "Jah No Dead". This CD together with the "Harder They Come" soundtrack would make an excelent introduction to 1970's roots reggae.
	David Bowie - Lodger
	"experimental masterpiece"	2007-02-16
This is the last of 3 albums Bowie did with Eno (his "Berlin" period, although this one was not recorded in Berlin. This is my favorite one of the three, and possibly my favorite Bowie album period. This one has no instrumental pieces, like on "Low" and "Heroes". The first half of the album has a vague "travel" theme to it. In several songs Bowie mixes in bits of African drumming or arabesque sounding string synthesizer sounds. These are all rock or pop songs, but they are all "deconstructed" pop songs, because everything from the instrument sounds to the songs' construction is turned on its head, at least that's how it seemed in 1979. This album features Adrian Belew on guitar making sounds that were basically unheard of at the time. "DJ" and "Boys.." are highlights - absolutely brilliant, and Belew truly uses his guitar like a weapon on his solos. The only really weak song is "Red Money", which is the music from Iggy Pop's "Sister Midnight" set to different (inferior) lyrics. Fortunately it's at the end, so it's easy to skip that tune, but the rest is highly recommended.
	Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream [Expanded]
	"Monk in top form"	2007-02-14
Monk's most creative period was the mid 40's to early 50's, when he developed his style (revolutionary at the time) and wrote most of his classic compositions. Sadly he was underappreciated by the public until after that period. By the time of this recording, 1962, Monk's style has been fully developed for a while. This record is sometimes dismissed because there is not much innovation or new compositions. I think that is a mistake. This is Monk as a mature artist refining his style with a great band. The sax player, Charlie Rouse, is not a celebrity name like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, or Johnny Griffin, but his tone and style perfectly complement Monk on this record. Monk's opening solo on "Sweet and Lovely" is one of his best, and when Rouse comes in after a couple of minutes, it's pretty close to perfect. There's only one new song, "Bright Mississippi", but it's one of his classics. When Monk covers standards like "Like a Gigolo" and "Body and Soul" he makes them sound like they are his songs. I highly recommend this one.
	Dizzy Gillespie - Groovin' High [Savoy]
	"essential big band bebop"	2007-02-14
In the mid-late 40's Dizzy put together a big band to play the new music which he, Charlie Parker, and others had pioneered a few years earlier. This album is less than 40 minutes long, and the sound quality is typical of recordings from that period, but each tune is a winner and the band puts in really tight performances, sometimes at breakneck tempos. Classics like "Salt Peanuts" mix Dizzy's goofy humor with virtuosic performances. This CD may be short on quantity, but not on quality! Highly recommended.
	Pl8Spk: California Vanity Plates Retell the Classics
	"social criticism, iconoclasm, and good silly fun - all in one!"	2007-02-06
I think this is absolutely brilliant. The author has rewritten classics of literature like The Book of Genesis and Moby Dick, along with Beatles lyrics and other stuff, using text from actual vanity license plates registered at the California DMV. The covers of the book are metal and look like license plates. Among the highlights are versions of Kafka's "Metamorphosis" (Bug Dude) and "Oedipus Rex" (O Eddy the King). This is simultaneously good silly fun, iconoclastic mockery of the canon of western culture, a celebration of California car culture, and very pointed social criticism of California (esp. southern Cali). Anybody who has spent any amount of time here will appreciate it. It will particularly appeal to people who have been transplanted here from other places, and have had to adjust to the local idiosyncrasies. I have given copies of this book as souvenirs to visitors. Why this is out of print is beyond me. This book is a CLASSIC!
	Genesis - Live
	"Necessary Complement to "Genesis Archive "1967-1975""	2007-01-13
Until 1998 this was the only official live release with Peter Gabriel in the band. "Genesis Archive, Vol 1" was intended to complement this one. "Archive" does not have the songs on this album (except for a short re-mix of "Watcher of the Skies"). All of the songs on this album are classics. "The Knife", in particular, really benefits from an energetic live performance (Gabriel sound really sinister singing "some of you are going to die..." Fun stuff!). With this CD and the "Archive Vol. 1", there are now official releases of live versions of almost all the most important songs from the classic lineup, with the glaring exception of "Fountain of Salmacis".
	Genesis - Genesis Archive, Vol. 1: 1967-1975
	"Imperfect but essential for serious fans - 4 1/2 stars really!"	2007-01-11
I'll give them 5 stars for finally releasing this material, but there are some flaws with this collection that bump it down to a 4 star (4.5 really) rating. On the plus side: Prior to this release, the only official live set from the Gabriel-era Genesis was "Genesis Live", a 1 LP album covering material up to "Foxtrot". The glaring omission was "Supper's Ready". Fans like myself, who consider the stuff with Gabriel to be infinitely superior, had to settle for "Seconds Out" (more like "Sloppy Seconds"), with Phil Collins singing the vocals. Phil Collins did a mostly decent job at covering them, but it wasn't the real deal! This box set corrects this. The performances are all very good, and they include some of Peter Gabriel's stories in between. There is no repetition with "Genesis Live", so they are very complementary and fans will want both. The collection includes two songs previously not on any album, "Twilight Alehouse" and "Happy the Man". "Happy the Man" doesn't thrill me, but "Twilight Alehouse" is great, and apparently an early concert favorite. On the minus side: Disk 4 is entirely material dating from before "Trespass", before Genesis really found their "classic" style. I am not a fan of their first album "From Genesis to Revelations". To me this CD is of interest only as a curiosity. It is very interesting, for instance, that Peter Gabriel already had that distinctive raspy quality to his voice in 1967, when he was 17 years old! Some of the material is decent, some is rather weak. Still, I won't be playing this disk very often. Another partial downer is that Gabriel and Hackett re-recorded some of their parts on the live "Lamb..." on the first two disks. In some spots it's quite obvious because, as with any singer, Peter Gabriel's voice changed in the 23 years since. Still this is nitpicking really. It's great to have the complete live performance. One further bit of nitpicking on the choice of material. I really don't mean to bash on Phil Collins, but do we really need a live version of "More Fool Me"? This song really was filler material. Meanwhile two glaring omissions from the collection are "Cinema Show", and especially "Fountain of Salmacis". Despite some imperfections, serious fans of the "real" Genesis need this collection. Neophytes should get the 4 classic studio albums, "Nursery Cryme", "Foxtrot", "Selling England by the Pound", and "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" first, and then get this box set plus "Genesis Live". After that they should also get "Trespass" and "Trick of the Tale", which are not as good, but still very worthwhile. Skip the rest, in my (perhaps not so) humble opinion. One complaint I have is that the booklet, while it has great photos and is fun to read, is very flimsy and is begining to fall apart after one reading. Boo!
	Mulatu Astatke - Ethiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974
	"very cool and unusual Afro Jazz/Funk"	2007-01-06
I bought this CD on a whim after it was recommended by Amazon, and I really like this album. Fans of Fela and other Afro Jazz / Afro Pop will probably like this one. The difference is that this is EAST African. While the music is primarily jazz and R&B, there are very clear local influences, which sound somewhat Middle Eastern to my uninitiated Western ears. It's unlike any other CD that I've ever heard, but it's familiar sounding enough to enjoy right away. The sound quality is what it is! It's from Ethiopia more than 30 years ago! The sound quality is relatively primitive, but it's not something that should keep the open-minded listener from thoroughly enjoying this music. I could even argue that the sound gives it another unique touch. My daunting challenge for me now is to determine which one of the other 19 volumes of this series to get next.
	Frank Zappa - Make a Jazz Noise Here
	"Best of the 88 band"	2006-11-09
The ill-fated 1988 band broke up mid-tour, and it ended up being Zappa's last tour. This was one of Zappa's big bands, and this is the most interesting of the 3 albums documenting it. This one focuses on extended instrumental sections. The band is very tight and the big horn section allows for ineresting new horn-driven arrangements of oldies like "Black Napkins" and "Orange County Lumber Truck", plus I THINK it's the only album where "Dupree's Paradise" is really fleshed out in a "rock" format. One of the great things about Zappa's work is that he constantly reinvented his music. Listen to different versions of songs like "Cruisin' for Burgers" over a 20 year period (this version is a highlight of the album!), and you will see what I mean. I am lucky to have seen Zappa live many times from 1978 to 1988, and a Zappa show was never predictable. One could go see Zappa 2 or 3 nights in a row and get a different song list and truly improvised on-stage antics, audience participation, etc. Zappa didn't just go through the motions. People who like "Roxy and Elsewhere", "Uncle Meat", "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" and "Grand Wazoo" will enjoy this one. I hope someday they will release the Swaggart-version Beatles meddley they played as an encore on that tour. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing during that one (use your imagination - it's Zappa!)!
	Frank Zappa - Civilization Phaze III
	"Essential must have for Zappa freaks!,"	2006-11-02
Why is this out of print????? This was the last project Zappa completed, apparently just weeks before he died. Listening to this, one can only wonder what he would have done, had he lived. It's clear from this, from "Jazz From Hell" and "Yellow Shark", that he was moving away from the rather mediocre rock-oriented stuff of the mid 80's. One reviewer commented that this album sounds like Zappa knew it would be his last project, and that he put everything he had into it. Certainly it's no easy listening. Do not look for "yellow snow" here (not that I don't love that stuff too!). This is definitely the densest, most intense music he ever did. This is not rock music at all. It's modern experimental composed music. Parts are played on a Synclavier, and parts are played by the Ensemble Modern (Yellow Shark band). He also incorporates remixes of the dialog from "Lumpy Gravy" and other stuff, including Tuvan throat singing (way cool!). This will take several listenings to wrap your head around it. It's expensive, but particularly fans of his more experimental music must absolutely have this.
	The Fall - The Fall In: Palace of Swords Reversed
	"best fall compilation"	2006-10-22
It's really too bad this one is currently out of print (2006). I bought this on LP(!!) and was the first introduction to the Fall, and I've been a big fan since. While most of their early albums are worth picking up, this really is an excellent overview of what I consider their best period (1980-1983. It's very varied and well put together. If you can pick this up at a decent price, definitely get it! This is ideal for someone just starting to check out this band.
	Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
	"the only Floyd for me"	2006-08-17
The stuff with Syd Barrett is the only Pink Floyd that interests me. After him it was a different band. This is absolutely one of my all-time favorite albums. Yes, it's very psychedelic, but I think it is totally unique and defies any attempt to categorize. There simply isn't another album like it. Check this out, then seek out the other Syd-era Floyd on albums like "Relics", plus a couple of songs - "Scream thy Last Scream", "Vegetable Man" - never officially released, but which are great. Then check out his solo albums. Unfortunately there simply isn't a lot of material out there. Beware of endless attempts to repackage the same stuff over and over again.
	Ornette Coleman & Prime Time - Tone Dialing
	"this is not your father's Ornette Coleman"	2006-05-25
Yes, it's very different from Coleman's 60's records. Guess what - he's an evolving artist, even in his 60's and 70's! Actually compared to his other CD's from the 80's & 90's, such as "Virgin Beauty" and in "In All Languages", it's not THAT different. This album took several listens to before I could wrap my brain around it. I won't repeat what previous reviewers have written. It's certainly very dense, challenging music which sometimes fools you into thinking it's just funky world beat, but then turns around and messes with your head. The lines the various instruments play are melodic and consonant, but the way they interact is somewhat disorienting at times, before falling back together. He manages to incorporate a huge variety of musical styles and influences and stir up something that could not possibly be anything other than Ornette! Overall this is fascinating music. It's become one of my favorite Ornette Coleman albums (and yes, of course I love the 60's stuff!). Give this one several listens.
	Siouxsie & the Banshees - Twice Upon a Time: The Singles
	"good compilation of material 1982 and on"	2006-03-31
I personally think they hit their peak with Kaleidoscope and Juju. A newcomer should first get Once Upon a Time, then go for The Scream, Kaleidoscope, and Juju. Those albums are great. Their later albums all had good stuff (OK, I don't know the last couple - the last one I have is Tinderbox), but they are spotty. A Kiss in the Dreamhouse is very good, but it's out of print!!!! MOST (not all of course) of the best songs from this period are on this CD. Yes, there are omissions, but that's how compilations are! This also has a couple of non-album singles (as does Once Upon a Time).
	Frank Zappa - Läther
	"you need this"	2006-01-06
You can read the previous reviews to get the story on this album, so I won't repeat it. I will cut to the chase to explain why you should get this. There are some different versions of some songs, and some slightly different mixes of others, but basically they're songs available on 4 previously released albums. Those 4 were packaged by Warner Brothers thematically - live songs on one album, orchestral on another, instrumental on another, etc. From the very first one, Zappa's albums were more than a collection of songs. If you listen to 200 Motels or Uncle Meat, you get a wonderful mix of all kinds of different styles, live and studio recordings, and other juxtapositions, sometimes in the same song. He often diddeliberately harsh and abrupt edits. Zappa hated it when people tried to pidgeon-hole his music (good luck, anyway!). That is precisely the beauty of "Lather". As a whole, it is a masterpiece. If you don't own this music in any form, buy this first, because you will get a clearer sense of what the artist intended to do. Eventually you will want the other albums because there is some music not on Lather. If you already own the other 4 albums, you are probably a big enough of a Zappa freak that you'll want to get it anyway, for the reasons I mentioned.
	Frank Zappa - Sleep Dirt
	"Sleep Dirt"	2005-12-20
I bought the LP way back when, and was quite surprised by the vocals on the CD. It took me a while to warm up to them, but now I like them. Apparently FZ had always intented for those songs to have vocals. It's definitely unique in Zappa's catalog. "Regyptian Strut" is a great tune and there is a nice example of Zappa's rare acoustic guitar playing. "The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution" is a classic showcase of Zappa's guitar playing at its best. By the way, the vocal-less versions of the 3 songs - "Flambay", "Spider of Destiny", and "Time is Money", can be found on "Lather", which is also worth owning.