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J. Simon's Profile
Customer Reviews: 36
New Reviewer Rank: 53,816
Classic Reviewer Rank: 35,677
Helpful Votes:
172
Views:
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Reviews Written by
J. Simon (Canton, Michigan)
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Gold
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| Price: $23.98 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
great if somewhat unfocused collection, January 15, 2008
I can't fault the music on this compilation. Everything the Jam recorded was brilliant, and this double-disc set accurately conveys this with 49 amazing guitar-pop gems.
My only problem with this set is with its focus. It seems to be a random collection of singles, album tracks, b-sides and rarities without clear narrative. It's hard to imagine what the compilers were thinking.
This compilation contains nearly all of the bands A-sides (it's missing All Around the World, A Bomb in Wardour Street, Precious, Just Who is the Five O'Clock Hero, and The Bitterest Pill (I've Ever Had to Swallow), many songs from their albums (two from In the City, one from The Modern World, five from All Mod Cons, five from Setting Sons, four from Sound Affects, and three from The Gift) and nearly all of Extras, the band's B-sides and rarities collection. It's also worth mentioning that among these tracks are covers of songs by the Kinks, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, the Beatles, the Who, the Small Faces, and the Chi-Lites that are well worth checking out.
Disc one runs in roughly chronological order(disc two is aimless), but A-sides and B-sides can be found on both discs. And although the band's B-sides often contained their best work, it is strange that the album includes more non-album tracks than album tracks. It might have made more sense to sacrifice a rarity or two in favor of the rest of the A-sides and a few more album tracks from the first two albums.
Despite all of this, the music is great, and I highly recommend it for anyone intersested in British indie, new wave, and vintage punk.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
A very brief overview of pseudo-futuristic inventions, July 15, 2007
This could have been an excellent book. The idea is great, an overview of how real-life science has dealt with supposedly futuristic inventions such as flying cars, underwater hotels and jetpacks. The author who has a PhD in Robotics is obviously qualified to write such a book. The problem is that this book is written as a comedy book not a science book. Instead of interestng details relating to the subject, the reader is given bad jokes and only minimal scientific discussion. Although the book is nearly 200 pages in length, it is more like a short pamphlet with its giant print and plentiful illustrations. Overall, it was still interesting reading, but it could have been so much better.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Better than buying the original 80s albums, July 2, 2007
Obviously this isn't Bowie's greatest period; yet there are some great singles here (Ashes to Ashes, China Girl, Let's Dance). Overall, it's not an important disc. It was included in a box set with two other discs('69-'74 & '74-'79)that have been available for about ten years. People who own the other two discs were, of course, reluctant to purchase them again in a box set. For us, this disc is a welcome release and an essential purchase.
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Boxer
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| Price: $8.99 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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76 of 82 people found the following review helpful:
Highly recommended, May 22, 2007
The first thing you'll notice about this album is how slow it is. Only two songs, "Mistaken for Strangers" and "Apartment Story", rock in any kind of recognizable way. Others like "Racing Like a Pro" and "Ada" barely resemble rock music at all. The band's previous album, Alligator, was full of big rock songs and topped many critics and bloggers best of 2005 lists. This has largely been abandoned on the follow-up Boxer, a series of dark, mellow tracks, populated with low baritone vocals, horns, strings, pianos, etc.
If you've followed the band's previous work, you may be slightly disappointed by the lack of screaming or upbeat rock songs. There's nothing like "Slipping Husband", "Available", "Abel" or "Mr. November" to be found on here. What's left is a great mellow record that sounds like a continuation of the band's Cherry Tree EP from 2004. Highlights include "Brainy", "Slow Show", "Ada" and "Gospel". Give this record a little bit of time to grow on you. It was just released today, but I've been listening to a leaked copy for about two months (I bought an official copy today).
This band was originally labeled as alt-country, but has now become darker and more artsy than YHF-era Wilco. Each album has been an interesting change of pace and atmosphere. Check out their previous albums The National (2001), Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003), Cherry Tree Ep (2004) and Alligator (2005). I highly recommend them all, including this one. This is one of the best American bands making music today.
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great garage rock from future Walkmen members, March 28, 2007
I picked this up very cheaply recently and have found it to be worth every penny. Joking aside, this is a very cool rock record featuring Hamilton Leithauser and Peter Bauer of the Walkmen, one of my favorite bands. Recorded in the late 90s, it wasn't released on CD until 2003. Three songs were eventually re-recorded by the Walkmen (That's the Punch Line and The Blizzard of '93 ('96) released on Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone, and Look Out Your (the) Window on a split EP with Calla). The music is not too far removed from the Walkmen, 60s influenced garage rock but with far less organ and piano. Song of the Paper Dolls is a great opener, showcasing Leithauser's slurred vocals. Other highlights include That's the Punch Line, Modern Art Museum, and Shake Off Your Nerve). There are some errors in the tracklisting as the other reviewer mentioned.
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Field Day
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| Availability: This item has been discontinued by the manufacturer. |
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masterpiece, March 8, 2007
I too thought this was a sell-out when I heard it in the late 80s. It was soft and melodic and not nearly as hardcore as Can I Say or Wig Out at Denkos. In my skateboarding days this record was as blasphemous as 7 Seconds going soft with New Wind. Yet I've noticed over the years how much better this has aged than the other Dag Nasty albums. Remove this from the Minor Threat/Dischord scene and appreciate it for the songs. It's excellent, every bit as good as what bands like Husker Du were doing around the same time. In fact, Dear Mrs. Touma may be the pinnacle of American 80s college rock. Other tracks like All Ages Show, Trouble Is, and Staring at the Rude Boys are nearly as good.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Yes, this is a departure, February 3, 2007
This album is very different from the band's first two. Pianos and organs still linger here and there, but they are not as prominently featured in these songs which are basically guitar-driven rock songs. Hamilton Leithauser's once incredible voice has morphed into a shirll screech lacking enunciation for many of the tracks. It's a pleasant break when he explores his lower range on "Brandy Alexander". I've heard Dylan comparisons, but maybe it's closer to Faces-era Rod Stewart. "Lousiana" "All Hands and the Cook" "Brandy Alexander" and especially "Another One Goes By" are excellent. A couple more tracks like these and this album could have been great. Overall, it's not as good as "Bows + Arrows" or "Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone" but not as bad as some critics have claimed. I'd give it a B (I'm a teacher).
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
relax, January 20, 2007
This is not meant to be a major artistic statement. The Walkmen had already released an official album in 2006, "A Hundred Miles Off". This was just a fun record for the band to put together as their private studio, Mercata, was closing. It's comparable to Camper Van Beethoven's take on Fleetwood Mac's Tusk. No, it's not a great record, but it's pretty fun and crazy and interesting to listen to. As always, Hamilton Leithauser is a truly unique and exciting vocalist, and the band does manage at times to capture its usual otherworldly atmospherics. Buy it used. It's worth it.
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2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
good but a little too pompous, November 11, 2006
If you ever meet this author and get a chance to sit down for a conversation...turn and run in the other direction. He will take your every word and use it against you, making semantic arguments to make you look foolish. Or at least that's the impression I got from reading this book. I've used this as a supplementary text in argumentative writing courses I teach. It's nice to take a chapter at a time as a guide to avoiding logical fallacies, but it's maybe too much to just sit and read. Unless your a pompous jerk who enjoys feeling superior all the time. I only enjoy it sometimes.
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Alligator
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| Price: $13.99 |
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| Availability: In Stock |
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
excellent guitar work, September 17, 2006
I've heard a lot of strange comparisons between this band and others (Nick Cave, Joy Division). I don't hear it. Maybe Mark Lanegan and American Music Club. I do hear a great band with with two excellent guitarists and a pretty good singer who hits a few flat notes here and there. The songs are good and memorable, especially "Friend of Mine" and "Karen". The lyrics are very interesting and unpredictable, but the work of the two guitarists who pluck interesting intertwined high notes more than they strum power chords is what really makes this band and this album great.
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(Canton, Michigan)
