Customer Reviews

Voice of America

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Steven Van Zandt's VOICE OF AMERICA is simply one of the best records of the century, definitely on my list of the all-time top 20 American recordings. Every track rocks and when Steven wails CAN YOU HEAR ME? WHERE'S THE VOICE OF AMERICA? - - - every hair on the back of your neck stands up.

Typical of all of Miami Steve's production, there's not a weak track and all his melodies are so bright and tight and sharp, but on this one, more than on his other records, his writing is just extremely powerful all the way through. Read the track titles and it's as though the songs are like a road map to help us find our ways past the needless stuff that separates us from each other.

The great advantage of the CD release is that it contains two tracks that aren't on the LP. But for people like me who prefer the sound from the turntable, the LP is one of those treasures you'll always cherish. The best thing's to get a copy of the CD and the LP.

A few years ago I produced a series of shows that broadcast over public and community radio stations in the U.S. and around the world. In the show we used four of Steven's songs from this record. The response was phenomenal as we got over a thousand phone calls and more than 700 letters from listeners.

One day some bigshot Clive Davis~type music company executive will have the brains to get this record re-issued. With the right promotion and marketing this record should sell millions of copies.

You may have heard Jackson Browne's excellent cover of I AM A PATRIOT. Wait `til you hear Steven's original version. His voice in his production'll knock you out. I guarantee it. So do yourself a favor and get VOICE OF AMERICA. It's great sound from a great artist. Hell, I'd give it ten stars if Amazon would let me.

It's a knock~out record.

You really get the essence of Little Steven's music here. I love the predecessor, "Men Without Women," too. This one takes the musical power of the first record and blends it with the political themes that have become Steven's trademark. Nowhere did this work better than here. By the way, "Voice of America" is now available as an import twofer with "Men without Women" from BGO Records.

There's not a weak track on the record. I rank this as one of the top 20 records of the century. It's that good. The music is so tight and rockin, and the lyrics are as good. When Steven wails "Can you hear me, where's the voice of America?" --- every hair on the back of your neck stands up.

All Steven's work is good, but on this record he crosses over the fine line into the sublime. Every track is strong, and the titles are practically like road map directions on how to find our way past all the needless ... in life that keeps our people apart from each other:
Voice of America
Justice
Checkpoint Charlie
Solidarity
Out of the Darkness
Los Desaparecidos
Fear
I am a Patriot
Among the Believers
Undefeated

It's a perfect wedding of melodies and words, as I say, one of the most inspired records I ever heard; there's not a weak track on this record.

I produced a series of shows that broadcast on public and community stations in the U.S. and around the world, and Steven let me incorporate seven of these tracks on the series. The response was incredible as we received over a thousand phone calls and more than 700 letters from listeners.

One last thing: Some of you may have heard Jackson Browne's excellent cover of Steven's song, orginally produced on this record, called "I am a Patriot." Wait 'til you hear Steven's version. It'll knock you out.

It's a knock out record...

From the barn-burning title track, to the sweet soul tinge of "Checkpoint Charlie" to the angry urgency of "Out of The Darkness", Little Steven fully steps out of his former Boss's shadow with his second outing. Following his first solo work, "Men Without Woman" (One of the best albums of all time-no exageration), Steven turns the guitars up to ten and makes a sharp turn off the road of conventional wisdom. The result is another masterwork-an angry protest album that is always gloriously alive. Having already established himself as one of the best songwriters of his generation (or any other),Steven aims his laser focus on the world at large. The result is a go for the jugular album that proves that Steven is forever among the believers. Let the flag fly- this is one rebel who will never sell out.

Little Steven's VOA is just pure great rock and roll!
I was suprised when i picked this up on cassette in a
little shop for 1.99! I am not a "Boss" fan so that's
not why I got it. I heard one song off of it and it
was cheap so.... but I love it! Every song is a killer
and I'm suprised it wasn't a big hit for him. Albums
like this don't come along everyday and it's ashame
when they don't get the attention they deserve. I think
anyone who love great melodic rock songs should get it
and spread the word. VOA is great rock n roll!

Little Steven trimmed down his Disciples of Soul from his previous album and came up with a truly great album. A trip into the communist bloc countries was the inspiration for this hard edge/political album. The album is filled with different styles which leads to a must have album. This is the kind of album Bruce Springsteen wishes he could make.

Produced right after Little Steven (Van Zandt) left his lifelong friend, Bruce Springsteen, and the E Street Band, this was rock-n-roll at its political edge, where rock belongs. He exemplifies the true spirit of rock and roll, extremely talented musically, credible with political movements around the world, Little Steven was and is at the vanguard of bands who today claim the edge, including Rage Against the Machine. Study him and his music, and why you don't hear much of him in mainstream record promotion today!

Little Steven, or "Miami" Steve Van Zant, or whatever you wanna call him, is the coolest man of the millenium. This clever, intense album truly rocks, while never insulting you with boring, tired lyrics. Every influence is worn like a badge of honor, and never rehashed or trite. Little Steven, quite frankly, should be bigger than he is, but it's nice to have him around anyway. Little's only a nickname. Steve's the biggest guy in the world.