Customer Reviews

Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit

5 star:		(7)
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3 star:		(3)
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The album simply is a great buy for anyone even slightly into the detroit music scene. Just to clear up one issue though there is no problem with the product, anyone with the 'Candy Coloured Blues' unauthorised white stripes documentry will know that the cut short tracks are an interesting experiment in which Jack White asked band members to simply play something bluesey, in an effort to reveal somthing about the detroit bands he was showcasing.

In the wake of the White Stripes, the long-forgotten Motor City has suddenly become a pretty happening place, and deservedly so, because, as those in the know can tell you, Detroit has had a burgeoning scene for quite some time now.
This record, compiled by Jack White, serves as a decent taste of what's happening up in Michigan for neophytes, and might even deserve a place in more seasoned garage fans' CD collections. However, for all the great, raw, rocking tracks on the album, there is a nearly equal number that fall flat.
Among the best are "Shaky Puddin'" a charging blues tune by the Soledad Brothers, that makes the smooth, creamy foodstuff a lascivious metaphor for a girl who knows how to flaunt what she's got; Ko and the Knockouts' poppy revenge song "Black and Blue," and the Von Bondies' genuinely spooky "Sound of Terror" which reminds me of Ohio's vastly underappreciated Them Wranch.
Deroit mainstays The Dirtbombs contribute "I'm Through with White Girls," which has a fist-pumping bridge and tons of great 70's references. The song fails to deliver an accurate picture of the band's sound, though, because bass player (and semi-legendary producer) Jim Diamond has lead vocal duties rather than the superbly soulful Mick Collins.
Also good are tracks by The Paybacks, whose singer Wendy Case yowls like a female Bon Scott; The Detroit Cobras, who offer an alternate version of Otis Redding's "Shout Bama Lama;" Bantam Rooster, The Hentchmen, and, yes, The White Stripes.
Other songs range from somewhat disappointing to nearly unlistenable. The Buzzards' "High Class" is killed by singer Joe Burdick's irritating Wayne County-style lisp; the Clone Defects "Whiskey 'n Women" is lackluster at best, and Whirlwind Heat's "Decal on My Sticker" is pointless filler.
Even so, the balance here weighs heavily toward the good. "Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit" is a worthy buy, if the price is right, and one of the better ways for fans new and old to get and handle on one of the liveliest rock scenes in the U.S. I recommend you catch a few of these bands live now, before ticket prices get too high and the whole bunch implodes under the pressure of sudden fame.

Being a White Stripes fan I had to seek out this album to get their previously unreleased track "Red Death at 6:14". Along the way I was introduced to a number of bands from detroit I would have not heard of otherwise. Standout bands on this compilation include The Dirtbombs, Ko and the Knockouts, The Soledad Brothers, The Von Bondies, and Whirlwind Heat.

And about the tracks that seem to "cut off" after 30 seconds, I have this album on vinyl (yes I have a record player) and the tracks are meant to be like that. I think of them as segues.

Pick this disc up. If you like gutsy, impassioned updated garage-rock, you'll love the bulk of this. Take the plunge and enjoy!

This collection was put together by Jack White of White Stripes fame. Many of the best Detroit bands are here including, of course, White Stripes as well as Detroit Cobras, Von Bondies, Dirtbombs, Ko And The Knockouts, and the Come Ons. Some tracks are different versions of songs that appear on albums. Also there are some non-album tracks. Some "blues" tracks appear to be snippets of longer tracks and give a good feel of what's out there. This is a compilation that fits nicely together and is well worth the price.

Amazing songs from some of the best groups in recent history. This CD is an awesome mix of the blues-influenced alternative and punk music that Detroit is known to produce. I would highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys a little bit of blues a little bit of edginess, great lyrics and great songwriting.

if you are like me and are an avid fan of the White Stripes, you are probably waiting for their next album, with De Stijl and Elephant in the CD player to tide you over. The White Stripes weren't always Grammy Nominees, they were once a new band on the Detroit music scene. Fortunately, jack White really stayed true to his roots and was able to give us the awesome album. It will really give an inside look at new bands, that have that same raw, real, simple sound that the White Stripes are known for. For the White Stripes fan this is a must buy.

With different songs from different artists, it contains a wide variety of sounds and a little bit of everything that's good about the world. It's got something for everyone.

If you are like me, than you really like the white stripes. When searching for material which reflected the vibe created by the white stripes, I came across this album. This album came highly recommend by other people who had already reviewed it. When I finally got it, I was a little disappointed. Many of the songs on the album are only 30 sec long, so this album has an unfinished quality to it. It was nice though to listen to other bands from the Detroit area.

This CD has some excellent music -unfortunately the CD appears to have a production problem where track 2, 3 and 9 are cut short (after about 20 seconds). Amazon provided a replacment (really good service) but same problem. I also note that someone else mentioned this in another review. They thought it was by design - I don't think so but it might be.

However this issue aside, there does seem to be something in the Detroit scene. An interesting mix of rock, punk and blues - with some surprising edginess, drive, inventiveness and a good indie sound. White stripes are great but here are some some others. Perhaps without the technical greats of Jack White but nevertheless some real commitment to an individual sound and style. Its a good buy - even with the defect - sample a few of these bands. highly recommended.