Customer Reviews

Very Best of the Samples

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let me start by saying this music is great. The Samples are one of the best and most original bands out there. This cd has a lot of good music. Why the 1 star? The musicians who make up the Samples do not get any of the royalties from any of these songs or for this album. The WAR (What Are Records) label owns the rights on the Samples work from 1989 to 1994 (this should explain Heathcliff's complaint about a lack of songs after 1994).

The current incarnation of the band has put out better compilations of their work in Landing on the Sidewalk, Sparta, and Anthology. Go out and buy some of the original more recent Samples including Here and Somewhere Else, and Return to Earth.

Sometimes I wonder if there will ever be a perfect collection released for any artist. This does a decent job, but do any casual fans really care about the DVD? And why is this only up to 1994, where's everything since? Also, even from the years presented, where are well known songs like "Everytime", "Who Am I?", and numerous others? Just like the bloated 3-disc collection "Anthology In Motion", this could be better. God knows The Samples deserve a simple 18 track career-spanning "best of", and so do we. Still though, great songs, and their best release since "The Last Drag" album.

The Samples has a unique sound. The remind me of an underground R.E.M. I cannot believe they are given 2 out of 5 stars. When you play "Weight of the World" or "Did You Ever Look So Nice" from start to finish, you want to hit replay. While "Birth of Words" doesn't have the best melody, the lyrics are pretty good and tell a story which is already better than what most songs do. There is no "sexual" content of their lyrics - it is not rated R like most modern music. They are simple and they are giving you a sample of what they do best. Write lyrics and create strangely unique melodies. Other awesome songs by them are "Little Silver Ring", "Waited Up" and "The Streets in the Rain". Don't judge until you hear it all.

The Samples took the best of 80's music and made it their own. In fact, their music is the culmination of global art finding a comfortable nexus on humanity's terms. They were the sum of manufactured genres and a testament to something beyond that status quo. They took soul, reggae, folk, rock, bluegrass, etc., wrapped it up, and went after it! During the 20th century, media brought the world together in a way person-kind had never known. The Samples helped solidify that reality. This music moves beyond the arbitrary classifications that human beings find pleasure in. In fact, this band was a manifestation of the beautiful things than can happen when humans see past difference. Music can, in an era of ringtones hits, still mean that much. It's up to us to place it in a broader context.