Weezer
by Geffen Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (10 May, 1994)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

There's a classic episode of The Little Rascals where one of the gang can't join everybody else on the ballfield because he has to stay home with his younger brother, who has the croup. "I can't come out and play," he whines. "I've got to stay home and grease Wheezer!" Nobody at Geffen Records knows whether this was the inspiration in naming Weezer, but it makes sense. Like many of their peers, the members of the Los Angeles quartet seem to have spent their formative years in front of the TV; when they were a little older, they were just as entranced by college rock. Finally, ala the Rascals, one of the gang said, "Hey, kids, let's put on a show!," and the result is Weezer's uplifting, unpretentious, and extremely endearing debut.

The self-titled Weezer is lean and mean at 10 short, punchy tunes, but nearly every one is powered by a larger-than-life chorus or a simple but effective lyric. "Undone-The Sweater Song" uses an unraveling sweater as a metaphor for a relationship on the rocks; "Buddy Holly" pays heartfelt tribute to the '50s rocker, and "In the Garage" paints a scene of suburban teens jamming while surrounded by posters of Kiss. Producer Ric Ocasek of Cars fame pushes the vocals and rhythm guitars, and this bare-bones approach may earn comparisons to fellow garage-pop band Green Day. But Weezer has more in common with the late, lamented Big Dipper, another group of slacker wiseguys that you just had to love. --Jim DeRogatis ... Read more

Reviews (441)

Breathtaking.
I can't say I love any album more than this.From the moment I heard that amazing fingerpicking intro to My Name Is Jonas to the last bass note in Only In Dreams, I was enthralled.I literally got goosebumps, it was so great.

The Blue Album is written with a different spin than any bands of the time.It's emotional, yet fun and cheerful at the same time.From the real life twist of Say it Ain't So to the cheerful atmosphere of Holiday and the nostalgic song Only In Dreams, Blue is solid all the way through.It's thought by many fans, including myself, that it will never be surpassed by Weezer or another band.Pinkerton, their next album, came close, but in a different way.

There's no reason why not to buy the Blue Album.Weezer earned a name from this CD that sold less than a hundred in the first week, yet came back to sell millions.Listen to the Blue Album, and find out why.

Au Contraire
I don't mean to ruin the five-star party, especially given that a number of good friends of mine do love this album.But, despite the fact that I really liked Undone, Buddy Holly, and Say It Ain't So on the radio, I just have a hard time listening to this album and getting into it.Weezer seems stuck in a rut stylistically-- every song has the same heavy guitar sound, mixed in with the occassional light acoustic guitar.While other bands do the same thing without it getting really bothersome, Weezer's sound grates on me after a few songs.That said, Holiday and Garage are good songs, and you probably already like the singles if you're reading this.But for what it's worth, the bulk of the album doesn't do anything for me that the singles didn't.3 and a half stars.

Modern Rock Masterpiece
I can't begin to describe the feeling I get whenever I hear those opening finger picking notes on the acoustic guitar ridden song "My name is Jonas." The Blue album is the apex of what music means to me. All then tracks are phenomenally written Pop gems. This album will never get old to me. I'm buying a copy for my nephew when he turns 8 years old. I was 8 years old in 1994 when it came out. Don't listen to a single negative review of the blue album if you ever come across one. This is music from a great band that hit it right on the head with this release. Go and buy Blue, you will not be dissapointed in the LEAST bit. ... Read more

Asin: B000003TAW
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Pinkerton
by Geffen Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 September, 1996)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $12.99
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Editorial Review

A hit single can be a bit of a mixed blessing for new bands, especially if said song gets you firmly lumped into the "novelty band" category. Such was the case with Weezer, whose runaway hit "Buddy Holly" touched a global nerve upon its release, then got on everyone's nerves after months of radio saturation. However, it did ensure that they sold millions of copies of their self-titled debut. Which is why it's so strange that their second album, Pinkerton, was ignored. Perhaps the cold shoulder was due to the willfully noncommercial first single, "El Scorcho," which crashed and burned. Whatever the reason, Pinkerton soon disappeared, which is a shame because it's a great album. Whereas Weezer reveled in the band's geek-rock image, Pinkerton saw Rivers Cuomo maturing as a lyricist. From the opening, "Tired of Sex," which rants about the frustrating easiness of groupies, to the new wave pop of "Getchoo" to the epic genius of "The Good Life," there's much more diversity here than the Pixies-influenced bouncy grunge of their debut. With the closing solo, the acoustic lament "Butterfly," Cuomo demonstrates a pop mastery that promises great things from this reformed geek. --Robert Burrow ... Read more

Reviews (460)

Best CD ever
Weezer's "Pinkerton" album is probably one of their best. It's different from the first album because it is more realistic. You can tell Rivers(lead singer) really wrote his feelings into it. My personal favorite track is "El Scorcho." "Pink Triangle", "Why Bother?", "Falling for you", and "Butterfly" are also fantastic. The whole CD is good though. I totally and completely recommend that you go and buy it right now. Some people don't like it when they first listen to it, but give it time and it will soon become your favorite CD ever.

bUY
Great Album. Completely under rated. Butterfly is a masterpeice as is Falling for You as is The Good Life. Please buy. Music has rarely sounded so good or so melodic.

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE
Words cannot describe the effect this album has had on me. People who know little about Weezer always give me a strange look when i tell them this is the greatest record ever made. in my first year at university a girl i was seeing bought this CD for my 19th birthday and then dumped me the day after. I listened to this CD on the night of my birthday stoned in her room and couldn't believe what i was hearing. The next day i thought maybe the 'smoke' had my judgement a little exited. No. It got better again. 'Getchoo' made the hairs on my neck stand. Overlooked gem 'No Other One' made me want to cry especially the key change after the second chorus. 'Why Bother' summed up exactly what i was feeling at the time. The whole album ripped me to shreds. From 'Tired of Sex to 'Butterfly' I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. The combination of the most emotional, powerful lyrics i had heard, with the most beautiful melodies that Brian Wilson would be proud of, topped off with such hard, fractured, fuzzy, distorted, beast-like instrumentaion made me realise i'd found my special album. To Rivers I am thankful. As a songwriter myself I owe him a huge debt in my own work, having just secured a publishing deal. This is simply one of those albums. Not everyone can agree with me, but thats what makes us all different. ... Read more

Asin: B000000OVP
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Sha Sha
by Ato Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 March, 2002)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
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Editorial Review

In 1997, with dreamy Ozzie kiddos Silverchair at their commercial zenith and record labels seeing dollar signs, an unassuming pop-rock trio from Texas led by teenage singer-songwriter Ben Kweller sparked a bidding war. As the dust settled, Kweller's band Radish signed with Mercury and released Restraining Bolt; the stately New Yorker magazine weighed in with a profile; and the world had promptly rolled over and fell back to sleep. Sha Sha, Kweller's 2002 solo debut on Dave Matthews's ATO imprint, captures an understandably cynical but not entirely sour 20-year-old. While Sha Sha can be broadly described as melodic, somewhat rickety, frequently acoustic, piano-laced pop--think Ben Folds with less irony--there are some twisted shadings. "Walk on Me," with its propulsive beats and cascading piano line, is a whiny and wide-eyed plea for mercy to a nasty lover; "Wasted & Ready" is built on a series of preposterous rhyming couplets ("Sex reminds her of eating spaghetti / I am wasted but I'm ready") while "Harriet's Got a Song" sticks to a hard-soft formula, alternating between white-hot guitar licks and little tinkling bits. None of the tracks on Sha Sha screams megahit, but Kweller acquits himself as a unique songwriter nonetheless. --Kim Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (111)

A CD that never gets old...
I absolutely loved the entire CD. Every song is different and has its own meaning.I bought the CD almost 2 years ago and have been hooked since. It can put you in a great mood even on the worst day. If you like a mellow CD that you can pull out every now and then this is your lucky day. You will not regret buying this CD, I promise!
*BK can put on a GREAT show live, so don't miss the opportunity if you have a chance!

A mediocore album, lots of potential
While many rave about Ben Kweller's Sha Sha, it really is not that solid of a cd. Most of the music seems derived from Weezer with even more of a pop element. The strongest song on the Album is undoubtably "In Other Words." "In Other Words" is an amazing song however the rest of the album is not written in the same style and honestly are not that pleasent to listen to. "Harriot's Got a Song" and "Falling" are also strong points on the album. While Ben Kweller has a lot of potential, this album just does not completely deliever. However Kweller is only 20, so he has alot of time to get into his musical element.

nice little surprise...
Wow - really not sure how I missed this gem of an album (and artist). Maybe I was having a jazz trip around this time...

All in all this is neat album and Kweller knows what he is doing, as shown by a consistently strong album. The first two songs are my own favorites, and the rest of the album is quite enjoyable. As I listen though... what is that influence that I hear? Two things - I shall call it one - Ben Foweezer Five. The Ben Folds influence is extremely present both in the style of many of the songs and in Kweller's voice. Don't deny it... The Weezer shows up in a couple songs, sort of Pinkerton style (Wasted and Ready - VERY much so). Anyhow... these are by no means criticism - everyone is influenced by everyone (as are - obviously - Weezer and Ben Folds). Kweller does this all pretty well and is original enough to pull it off. Ben Folds actually grates my nerves, so to hear Kweller do it better (in my opinion) is a nice alternative.

Enjoy. ... Read more

Asin: B000060P7P
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Spending Time On The Borderline
by Kung Fu Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (06 May, 2003)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
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• Enhanced

Reviews (23)

Pinkerton-esque
Let me begin by saying that this review was written after Ozma's 2004 breakup. This was, to say the least, quite a heartbreak. And since there's been plenty of apt time to reflect upon Ozma's debut and sophomore albums [yes, the ones that sound like Weezer], I can now undoubtedly say that "Spending Time On The Borderline" is Ozma at its best. To put it plainly...a masterpiece. Admittedly, when I first picked this album up and popped it into my CD player, I was NOT impressed. Ozma could have broke up at that very moment and my response would have been, "Who cares...they're no good anymore." But as albums do have a tendency to grow on you, I decided to give this one a try. After all, what did I have to lose? Slowly and steadily certain tracks started to pop out at me..."Hey, 'Come Home Andrea' is one catchy song!" And, "Whoa, this Japanese song sure is poppy!" Then there are the deeper songs on the album, like "Eponine", "Bad Dogs", and "Game Over". They take a bit longer to love, but the wait is certainly worth it. To sum it all up, there's not a single track on this album that I wouldn't want to listen to, anywhere, anytime. Despite the mysterious tension that corrupted Brummel and Slegr, I, for one, know that they went out [no pun intended] on a good note with "Spending Time On The Borderline". Another "Pinkerton"? Perhaps. But only time will tell...



*Ryan and José have started up a new band labeled "Yes Dear". Hopefully they can continue their largely unpublicized legacy. Check them out at myspace.com/yesdear

A disappointment
I bought this album because I heard that Ozma was similar to Rooney and Weezer (bands I think are good).Ozma sure does have some similarities in this album (though they're probably more comparable to a Christian band like Reliant K), but that doesn't make the album any good.The whole album is very boring.There's just nothing special to it.I recommend that you pass on this.

Great Guitar Pop
I think that Ozma is consistently one of the more "interesting" bands to come along.I do hear the Weezer influence, but at the same time it is filtered through a lot of other bands (Queen anyone?) as well as a lot of originality.The two part vocal melodies, instrumentation, tones, etc. are fully realized on this "studio" album.I like the whole Ozma catalog, but the production on this disc kicks all the other ones in the rear.As a guitarist, I have to hand it to Ryen.This is consistently one of the better riff orientated guitar albums that I have heard in a long time.He can also shred like a beast, but all his guitar lines support the song melodically and rhythmically.You can't ask for more from a guitarist.All the guitar is there for a reason.This is playing that I aspire to.It reminds me a lot of Brian May.

As for the songs, "Your Name" is one of the most orginal ballads I have heard in a while.I love "Bad Dogs" even though most don't.The lead on that song is exceptional. ... Read more

Asin: B00008MJ3V
Sales Rank: 34394
Subjects:  1. Indie Pop    2. Pop    3. Power Pop    4. Punk-Pop    5. Rock   

Viva La Woman
by Warner Brothers
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (16 January, 1996)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

From the melting pot of New York's East Village come two ultrahip and very tasty expatriate Japanese music-makers, Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda, calling themselves Cibo Matto. That the name (pronounced "cheebo motto") means "food madness" in Italian is appropriate: the female duo sings about things to eat (apples, beef jerky, artichokes, birthday cakes) on all 10 tracks of their debut album, Viva! La Woman. And even if the record's lyrics are generally nonsensical, food makes for a great text: ripe with metaphors, it's sensual, colorful, irresistible, and quite universal.But as in another East Asian export--the 1994 Taiwanese film Eat Drink Man Woman--food is the canvas on which the artists paint their story, and not the story itself. Cibo Matto could just as easily stand for "sample madness." Sound, not taste, satisfies their appetite, and the disparate ingredients they pop in the blender--ambient bursts, random noises, hip-hop breakbeats, trip-hop swirls and churns, Afro-Cuban percussion, muted cool jazz trumpets, funky bass and keys--produce a sonic collage of rhythms and melodies that makes for some of the most successful sampler-based songwriting to date. Like Soul Coughing --a similar-minded downtown New York outfit--Cibo Matto don't replace real playing with sampler loops, they just bring the sampler into the mix as a limitless source for all the crazy sounds their conventional instruments can't get to. And like the Beastie Boys, Cibo Matto compose music the way kids play with toys--so naturally and so ecstatically it makes us all want to come out and join in their irrepressible fun. --Roni Sarig ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Mixture
I would have to say this is backed by a drum machine with slow talking to the beat. Sometimes they rap and sometimes they sing at the top of their lungs.It reminds me of women Beastie Boys and Morcheeba.

fuschia fun, good pink fun!
Crazy about food? Crazy about music with flair? I'm crazy about this whimsical and greatly sophisticated band straight out of Japan. Not only would I reccommend Viva la Woman, I would recommend Stereo-A, Smokey and Miho and the collaborative efforts. I demand a lot out of my music, but the addictive metaphoric lyrics take food examples and turn them into something wonderful. This is an album for those with a sense of humor, and high expectations.

Kooky, camp and kaleidoscopic
This album never ceases to entertain me with its witty one-liners, nonsense, and yet utter meaningfulness symbolized in their non-stop allegories of food speaking for elements of everyday life.
They do this all so expertly, in a way that's trippy hip-hop to the next psychadelic level.
Each song has an eerie quality, interspersed by immaculately crafted samples, and of course, the off-the-wall attitude of these two, very talented Japanese pranksters.
One of the finest albums in avant-hip-hop. I can't stop loving it. ... Read more

Asin: B000002N11
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Stereo Type A
by Warner Brothers
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 June, 1999)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

It wasn't so long ago that New York-based Japanese duo Cibo Matto (Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda) were simply a fun, gimmicky East Village outfit who performed on Casio keyboards and sang almost exclusively about their favorite foods. As such, the band's major-label debut album Viva! La Woman was sugary, but not really substantive--a clear-cut example of Eastern culture endearingly misinterpreting Western music. But Cibo Matto has come a long way since penning songs like "Know Your Chicken," "Beef Jerky," and "Birthday Cake." Stereotype A is a mature, instrumentally rich album that sees the group break the novelty mold and achieve recognition for compelling songwriting and interesting arrangements. On Stereotype Cibo Matto incorporates such styles as electropop, bossa nova, soul, hip-hop, and butt-waggling funk, expressing a dizzying range of influences that include TLC, Ice Cube, Luscious Jackson, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Isaac Hayes. In the process of becoming musically legit, however, Cibo Matto has lost some of their former charm, which is probably fine with Hatori and Honda, who would no doubt rather be seen as credible than cute. --Jon Wiederhorn ... Read more

Reviews (90)

Actually 4.5
A Japanese-born duo relocated to New York and christened with an Italian band name. Their surreal narratives sung in a combination of French and broken English may not be for those fans of J-Pop groups. I have seen this group emerge since 1994 since their first release Viva! La Woman in 1996 ... this is when I immediately started to buy their releasing albums. We should be thankful we have an imported talent from Japan signed to Warner Bros.

Wonderfull...but perhaps not for the snobs
This is the best music I have heard in a long while.It has a hard, edgy pop sound and the duo luckily refrain from the long ballads that ruined Viva La Woman in my opinion.If you like japanese girls singing pop this album is for you though the music snobs out there may not find this up to your level of snob.

If this is so trite and unoriginal as one reviewer claimed why can't I find anything else like it?I certainly don't trust amazon's recommendations in respect to this album, I want edgy pop not slow ballads.

Oh...how I love this
This was my first Cibo Matto album, and what an album it is!
It's too bad the duo split after this, because their potential had always been utilized in über-spiffy ways, of which this is quite a shining example indeed.
In the fine tradition of "Viva La Woman", Cibo Matto mix hip-hop and funky sounds all around the mix with tales of relatably mundane experience and, again, sometimes food and related appliances.
Sean Lennon even appears as a guest on this album, as he was Yuka's boyfriend for a time, but there's no doubt that one with his talent could have done wonders for what was already amazing!
From the first, amusing and breezy song, to the last, and all the rocky, rappy, latin-ish and even ballads in between, this album is like an extremely gleeful cornucopia featuring the most unusual, yet succulent fruits.
Proof that the whimsical often wins out. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J7J2
Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Shibuya-Kei    7. Trip-Hop   

Gorillaz
by Virgin Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 June, 2001)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.49
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Editorial Review

The Gorillaz claim to have found their motley crew of cartoon characters sleeping in Leicester Square, but Blur's Damon Albarn (a.k.a. 2-D) and cult cartoonist Jamie Hewlett (Murdoc) aren't fooling anyone. As the ultimate experiment in manufactured image, the Gorillaz are a virtual cartoon-character-based hip-hop band who bring together witty, silly lyrics and talented musicians. Infectious old-school hip-hop rhythms, rhymes, and effects courtesy of Deltron 3030's Kid Koala and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (Russel) are combined with Albarn's passion for chugging lo-fi and edgy melodies to create a seemingly raw but ultimately slick blend of styles. This is nowhere more evident than on the hit single "Clint Eastwood," which is carried along by the sound of 2-D's slurred voice and a bluesy harmonica melody interrupted by Russel's punching rhymes. But the surprises don't stop there: Ibrahim Ferrer's appearance on "Latin Simone" could have come straight from Buena Vista Social Club but for the obvious Blur-influenced piano style, while the spooky intro to "M1 A1" wouldn't sound out of place on Michael Jackson's Thriller. Backed by Jamie Hewlett's death-wish character on bass, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori (Noodle) on guitar and occasional hyperactive vocals, and produced by Dan "the Automator" Nakamura, it's hardly surprising that Gorillaz is marked both by a sense of playfulness and a passion for experimentation. --Caroline Butler ... Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (316)

Greatest Band that Never Existed
Gorillaz is probably the greatest band producing music right now. No, scratch that-they are the greatest band producing music right now. A pity most people won't 'get' it. The band is the brainchild of Damon Albarn (from Blur) and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett.That's right CARTOONIST! Why cartoonist? Because Gorillaz is a fictional cartoon band! The idea is so ironic, so fit for the times...it's genius. Think Ms. Spears and Backstreet Boys are manufactured? Ha! Gorillaz is the ultimate manufactured band (they don't even exist!). Okay, cartooning aside (the music videos are awesome, imagine Western animation meeting Japanese anime mereged seamlessly with GCI graphics) lets focus on the music.

What makes Gorillaz so incredible is the music.The range this band has in amazing!! This is album is: a rock record, a hip hop record, a dance record, a punk record, and a techno record rolled into one. Not to mention the Spanish speaking, world beat track. The lyrics, while at once catchy and strange ('she turned my Dad on/she turned my Dad on/ She made me kill myself') are appropriate and unique. But that's not the main event here, Gorillaz music is where you'll find yourself floored. The sound is both High-Fi extemely polished on some tracks, and on others girtty and almost Lo-Fi. I've never heard a more textured record in my entire life. From the brutally sharp trumpets on "Latin Simone" to the electro regaee of "Dracula."

There are so many near 'magic' moments for me on this record.The killer chorus and awesome rap of the smash single "Clint Eastwood" is one. The blistering turntable scratch on "Sound Check" is another. The ultra creepy "M1 A1" with it's frightening build up and awesome guitar/drum work is another. Which brings me to another wonderful aspect of this ablum: mood.Never have I heard such a moody album. Certain tracks are bright and sunny ("19-2000" and "Rock the House") while others are dreary and/or downright scary ("M1 A1" and "New Genius"). It's this amazing diversity and genre bending, borrowing, and splicing that makes this record such a huge hit on an artistic level (which of course spilled over into the realm of the commercially successful).

The only downside to this band is that as cartoons the ability to tour/perform live is somewhat limited.The only downside to this record is that it ends. Gorillaz rule!

One of my favorite CDs, ever...
When I first heard of Gorillaz in 2001, my first reaction was "Eh". I didn't really care about them and Clint Eastwood didn't impress me too much. And that was that. Fast forward three years later to 2004, I decide to give Clint Eastwood another chance, and I found I like it much more, but I didn't bother with the rest. I was asked to burn this CD a while later and did, and I liked what I heard, so I decided to give it a listen myself.

But enough about that. This CD has impressed me very much. I love this this CD. It is a great album that mixes rock, hip-hop and techno all into one smooth mix. The result is just one great album.

Just a short intro to the Gorillaz, if you didn't know: They consist of 2-D (aka Damon Albarn from Blur) on vocals, Noodle (Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto) on guitar, Murdoc on bass and Russell (Del tha Funkee Homosapien) on drums as well as doing his raps.

It starts with Re-hash, which starts out with effects mixed with acoustic guitar. Overall a nice-sounding track and a good way to get it started. It then goes to 5/4, which is a nice short little track that starts with acoustic guitar and the vocals of 2-D. A cool song that's more on the rock side that is reminiscent of Nine Inch Nail's Closer at some part. The third track is Tommorow Comes Today, one of the singles. A slow paced song with an excellent tune. Excellent song that's one of the more serious-sounding ones.

The CD continues with New Genious (Brother). This is one of the weaker songs on the CD in my opinion. The scratching and the parts of Russell are a good touch, but eh, not my thing. Then follows Clint Eastwood, one of the highlights of the CD. This is just a great song. Awesome tune and use of vocals. The mixture of 2-D's singing of the chorus and Russell's rapping makes this one of the best songs on this CD. It then slows down with Man Research (Clapper). More on the hip-hop/techno side for this song, producing a strange sound with 2-D's "Yeah yeah ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya" and the scratching. A good track.

Punk follows next and is the shortest song in the Gorillaz library at 1:38. Still a fun song nonetheless and a good song you'll find yourself clapping to. It's good to transition to Sound Check (Gravity). Sound Check is another good song, starting with a slower pace and 2-D's singing, then going into scratching and Russell's rapping in the background. 2-D's vocals and the bass of Murdoc makes for this to be one of the higher points of the album. Double Bass is next, and is an instrumental. I don't feel it's as good as the others, since the vocals in Gorillaz songs are an essential part, but a cool sound nonetheless.

Rock the Party is the only song on this album consisting of only Russell's vocals. A cool song mixing his usual drum beats and trumpets to make a good dancing track. His raps are good, as usual. 19-2000 follows and is one of the better known songs, and is the one featuring the rather cute voice of Noodle, the guitarist for the band, saying "Get the cool, get the cool shoeshine". Though I feel the Soulchild remix on G-Sides is far better, still an excellent song. After that is Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo). This is song made to sound like a traditional Spanish romantic song, with a Gorillaz beat added to the background. Featuring the vocals of Ibrham Ferrer, this track is one of my favorites, though many people don't like it because of the Spanish vocals.

The thirteenth is Starshine, which has an excellent tune, but with limited vocals/lyrics. The music more than makes up though, as this is one of the more trippy songs on the CD. The next song is Slow Country, my personal favorite. With an excellent piano intro and excellent use of sound effects, combined with 2-D's excellent vocals, this song excels above most others. An amazing song overall. M1 A1 follows. The build-up is a tad bit too long (nearly half the four minutes...) but the following isn't bad, a guitar-driven track. Good to listen to if you can put up with the build-up.

Towards the end is Dracula, with an interesting sound to it. Just a good song overall, one of the longer ones on the CD. And finally is Left Hand Suzuki Method, which isn't much really, but interesting, mixing strings, hard guitar and Noodle speaking. At about 3 minutes, it's over, leaving a space until 5:30, where the Ed Case Remix of Clint Eastwood starts. It's basically a faster mix of Clint Eastwood with different vocals added in with the usual chorus. A cool version of Clint Eastwood.

If you don't feel like reading all that, my ratings:

1. Re-hash - 8.5/10
2. 5/4 - 8/10
3. Tommorow Comes Today - 8.5/10
4. New Genious (Brother) - 6/10
5. Clint Eastwood - 10/10
6. Man Research (Clapper) - 7/10
7. Punk - 8.5/10
8. Sound Check (Gravity) - 9/10
9. Double Bass - 6/10
10. Rock the House - 8.5/10
11. 19-2000 - 8/10
12. Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo) - 9.5/10
13. Starshine - 9/10
14. Slow Country - 10/10
15. M1 A1 - 7.5/10
16. Dracula - 8.5/10
17. Left Hand Suzuki Method - 7/10
17.5. Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Remix) - 8/10

damn..........
ok, i just started to listen to gorillaz three weeks ago when they had Feel good Inc. on itunes. I feel in love after i listened to it once. You can not describe gorillaz in any way. They say its hiphop or rock or anything, its not. They in a way craeted their own type of music. Ihave never heard an album like this one. Many albums all their songs sound the same, so if you have heard a differents band single, and none of their others, you could listen to a song and go " Hey that sound like " That Band". " when you listen to gorillaz, all of their songs sound different in their own way. You could listen to it forever and still be pleased. I say bye it. If not , you may miss out in alot to come in the near future......... ... Read more

Asin: B00005LMBK
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Rap    3. Hip-Hop    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Underground Rap   

Doolittle
by Elektra
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

Yeah, Kim Deal made a big splash of her own, and Frank Black is still holding his own. But as any Pixies fan will tell you, and as Doolittle suggests (like "ten million pounds of sludge" to the head), the Pixies rocked harder than the sum of their parts. They were masters of dynamics (check out "Monkey Gone to Heaven," or "Hey"), moving from quietly subdued to all-out head-banging and back before you could say "la la love you." Black Francis was one of the most unique vocal stylists of the '80s. His duets with bassist Deal, "I Bleed" and "Silver," work the way Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong worked together. And it's still staggering how much Joey Santiago, lead guitarist, could accomplish with one simple, single note. "Here Comes Your Man," by the way, is as straightforwardly poppy as the Pixies ever got, so enjoy it. --Dan Leone ... Read more

Reviews (215)

Very good, an underground tour de force.
This CD was my introduction to the Pixies, and I must say, it's quite good. The second half drags a little, but it is still better than other bands regular songs. The frantic screaming, the quaint sweet melodies, the... uh... odd lyrics, It all comes together to make a very enjoyable and odd listening experience.

Stay Out Of The Daylight!


Isaac!

Brilliant, but not my fav
Don't get me wrong, I've listened to "Doolittle" probably as much as anyone and love it. But it's not my favorite Pixies album, despite the fact that fans and critics have decided to term it their official "Best". There are some songs here like Mr. Grieves, Crackity Jones, and No. 13 Baby that I just don't think are that great, but I still listen to them. The main reason I can't say it's the best because of those 3 songs, which I am not a fan of. But IMO every single song on "Surfer Rosa" and "Bossanova" are great. I would rank this album 2nd after "Surfer Rosa".

Quite possibly the greatest rock album, ever!
Anything recorded by the Pixies is essential listening and this album is the epitome of their art.Doolittle captures them at their artistic peak.Every song on this album is a classic.After listening to the album for hundreds of times over the past 16 years, I still get chills down my back when I hear songs like "Tame", "Dead", and "Gouge Away".Aside from Nirvana's Nevermind and the first Velvet Underground album, I'm hard pressed to think of any other album that comes even close in terms of originality, excitement, and sheer greatness. ... Read more

Asin: B000002H72
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative/Indie-Rock    3. College Rock    4. Noise Pop    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. United States of America   

Surfer Rosa
by Elektra
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (28 January, 1992)
list price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

Before the Breeders and Frank Black, there was this Boston quartet, playing hardcore's rush and terseness against the acoustic grit and the minor-key flourish of Latin pop. Their first full-length album is their starkest, harsh and trebly, with the drums right in your face, and songs edited to eliminate any note that's not absolutely necessary. Singer Black Francis yelping away about destroyed bodies and the river Euphrates, alternately acting cryptic and crazed. Kim Deal, then calling herself "Mrs. John Murphy," contributes the highlight, "Gigantic," a creepy anthem about childhood voyeurism. The playing is snarly and tricky but unfailingly tuneful, and the hooks come out of nowhere, hiding behind the noise, and bite down hard. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (143)

If you don't like this album!
I generally hate it when people claim you don't know good music if....etc, so I'll just say you better at least understand why this is an awesome, groundbreaking album (not that it wouldn't be incredible even if it hadn't come at the time when it did), you're an old man or just not listening hard enough, although with the irresistble catchiness of this album (and almost every Pixie song) I don't see how the latter could be true. What...is all that distortion or whatever distracting you? come on! I've never given a thought to the raw production or abrasive guitar because there's so much else to grab your attention, not that it doesn't contribute to the charm and spookiness of the work. Bottomline, this album wreaks of (its own) character as much as any I can think of, and if its too short listen to it again. If its melody you want listen to first off River Euphrates, Where is Mind (of course right?), Broken Face, Break My Body, Cactus, Brick is Red, Gigantic, and the others are definitely not monotone or filler by any means.

The Shape of Things to Come
As much as the Pixies were great songwriters and innovators, they will be remembered at least as much for their influence on future genres like grunge. Amidst the excess of glam and hair metal, the Pixies helped bring music back to its basics. There are no long technical guitar solos, no helium vocals, no makeup, costumes or gimmicks. The Pixies's music had a primal intensity that was equally weird and harsh as it was catchy and powerful. The influence and lasting power of Surfer Rosa and later, Doolittle, is a testament to the power of strong songwriting.

The songs here zip by fast, many under 2 minutes. So it takes repeated listens to grab the subtle nuances that make this album so enjoyable. This music isn't too layered or complex, but it has true depth.

The opening four songs, Bone Machine, Break My Body, Something Against You, and Broken Face let you know what you're in for. The harsh music, melodies that make more sense with repeat listens, latin tinges, disturbing lyrical imagery, and vocal maneurisms are all prevalent.

Tracks 5-7 are the core of the album in my opinion. The popular Kim Deal penned Gigantic is catchy, upbeat and somewhat anthemic hiding the dark undercurrent of the lyrics. The quiet verse, heavy chorus structure was a fixture of Nirvana's songwriting. River Euphrates is one of the more catchy songs here. It reminds me of Wave of Mutilation from Doolittle. The chorus is very catchy but not in the traditional way. Where is My Mind? is the pinnacle of this album. It's beautiful, melodic, catchy and haunting. A classic by any defintion.

Cactus has a chugging guitar riff and drum work with Black's strained singing. Really catchy. Tony's Theme is a silly song about a superhero named Tony. Oh My Golly! is chock full of abrasive guitars and Frank Black's bilingual hysterics. Vamos is similar with crazy guitar effects and lyrics. At four minutes it's the longest song here, but it doesn't get boring. I'm Amazed has the band going off their hinges even more than usual. The closer Brick is Red has some interesting instrumental sections with bluesy distorted soloing and acoustic guitars juxtaposed. The vocals kick in eventually to round out this beautiful song and album.

Surfer Rosa a monumental record for any genre. Plus, the Pixies's next album Doolittle is also amazing. Buy them.

Where Were Their Minds?
Like The Smiths, The Pixies never made a bad record.They may have made a few that didn't live up to the standards of their best albums, but the lesser efforts by either band (eg, "Meat Is Murder", "Trompe Le Monde") could have been any other band's greatest masterpiece.During the brief but amazing careers, neither band ever really had anything to prove.Except, perhaps, that they could deliver on the promise of their initial offering.While The Smiths second "proper" album may have slipped a bit from their debut (even though their second actual release didn't), The Pixies surged full-speed ahead with "Surfer Rosa", the full-length follow-up to their debut EP "Come On Pilgrim". (One then can't help but wonder, could the band follow up on a masterpiece? I think that we all know the answer to that one.)

"Surfer Rosa", all 33 minutes of it, is overstuffed with everything that made The Pixies creepy, unpredictable, and impossible to resist.The guitars are sometimes chainsaws, sometimes lasers, and sometimes surfboards.(Plus, there is that cool distorted James Brown riff in "Bone Machine", and the beginning of "Something Against You" sounds like a game show theme.)Frank Black's vocals are alternately shrieking and pensive, while Kim Deal's are a winsome counterpoint, and the lyrics are always at least a bit obscure, no matter who is singing them.Finally, David Lovering's thunderous drumming gives the songs an earthquake-like quality.

For all the truth that there is to how modern and groundbreaking The Pixies were, The Velvet Underground and especially The Stooges are the most obvious influences on this record .But as I said in a previous review (of The Strokes' "Is This It"), rock's greatest bands usually combine elements of the music that came before them, and breathe new life into it.Nowhere is The Pixies' ability to do this more obvious than on "Vamos", which answers the question of what a jam session between The Velvets and The Stooges would sound like (assuming, of course,that either Lou Reed or Iggy Pop could speak Spanish).Iggy Pop screams are all over the record - "Bone Machine", "Something Against You", "River Euphrates","Tony's Theme", etc.And while there is genuine beauty in the mess of this music, one cannot help but be struck by the creepy lyrics.Three of the first four songs make some reference to bones, usually broken ones.Moreover, strange sexual references are also sprinkled throughout the record, eg, "I miss your kissin' and I miss your head", "He bought me a soda and tried to molest me in the parking lot", "There was this boy who had two children with his sisters", "We'll have our sons, they'll all be well hung". (Considering this, the name of their 1989 tour - "Sex and Death" - comes as less of a surprise.)

Like The Velvet Underground, The Pixies had their abrasive and softer sides, and were able to display both on a single record, and often within a single song. On "Surfer Rosa", the softer - but equally cryptic - side is evident in the pensive "Where Is My Mind?", the T. Rex-ish "Cactus", and Kim Deal's delectable song "Gigantic", which seems perfectly innocent at first, until one realizes what it is about (clue - think voyeurism and interracial love)."Gigantic" always comes as a bit of a welcome relief, as Kim Deal's voice is beautiful and the song is so damn singable.It is every bit as significant to the album's quality as any of Frank Black's songs.(It's too bad that his unwillingness to record her songs lead to their acrimonious breakup, but he probably couldn't help but feel a bit threatened.And Frank Black doesn't seem like the type of person you want to piss off.)

From the tempo-defying opener to almost the very end, "Surfer Rosa" storms through your speakers like an aural blitzkrieg.I say "almost" because the final song, "Brick Is Red", is practically a throwaway, but it at least gives the listener the chance to catch his/her breath.This is probably one of the Top 5 American albums of the 80s, yet is inexplicably excluded - as are all Pixies albums - from MOJO's book of the greatest albums of all time. This has been partially remedied in the most recent editon with the inclusion of "Doolittle", but it certainly didn't have to be one or the other, so the continued absence of "Surfer Rosa" is still inexplicable.

All the same, it is hard to go wrong with any Pixies record.This happens to be the one that I like the best, and I highly recommend to, well, anyone who hasn't heard it. ... Read more

Asin: B000002HAF
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. Noise Pop    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. United States of America   

The Doubble Donkey Disc
by Kung Fu Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 June, 2002)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (18)

R.I.P. Ozma <3
I would have to agree with Erik, This is some of Ozma's greatest stuff.This record has more of a fun vibe than RaRP3, though both being equally good, DDD really shines through with such songs as Flight of the Bootymaster and COntinental Drift.If you want some awesome music pick up Rock and Roll part three and DDD, you won't regret it.

Fetchin' sweet
This "album" is an incredible show of musicianship. I own all three of Ozma's discs, and many of their unreleased stuff, and I've gotta say that this is their best work.The keys are fine tuned and incredible, as is the painfully beautiful flute used on some of this album. This "album" comprises two EP's:The Russian Coldfusion EP and The Bootytraps EP

1. Flight of Yuri Gagarin - Not bad at all. A nice little intro to start things off and to kind of get to the theme of the rest of the CD. 8/10

2. No One Needs To Know - Basically a guy telling his girl to keep a few secrets. Ryen Slegr and Daniel Brummel's voices harmonize quite while on this song.8/10

3. Korobeiniki(Traditional Russian Folk Song) - You might recognize this tune. It's the theme from Tetris, but totally rocked out. No words, straight instrumental, but is it ever one helluva instrumental. 10/10

4.You Know The Story - Really good. The keyboard integrates really nicely in there, almost so you don't notice it but can't help but love it. Once again Slegr and Brummel harmonize very well on this one. 9/10

5. The Landing of Yuri Gagarin - This and track 4 run together to make kind of a super song. This is the last song of the Russian Coldfusion EP, and does it ever end it right. Drums are incredible, some of the sweetest I've heard. 9/10

6. The Business of Getting Down - Great. The lyrics in this one are really cool. I especially like the line "When I woke up this morning, I knew what I had to find/Somewhere there exists a melody that'll make you change your mind." 10/10

7. Maybe In An Alterante Dimension - The opening guitar is wicked tight. Goes from a rock sound to almost a blues riff in less than 30 seconds. One you can really jam out to. 9/10

8. Immigration Song - A bit slower, but still very nice. The guitar in here is pretty cool. And the drums keep a pretty good tempo. 8/10

9. Flight of The Bootymaster - Personally, this is my favorite song on the CD. I love everything about it, from the drums to guitar to lyrics. It's just all around incredible.10/10

10. Continental Drift - A good way to end the whole CD. Remember when I said how painfully beautiful the flute was when it was used? Well this is the song. The bass in this one, by Daniel Brummel, is subtle yet catchy. 9/10

Overall, it's a incredible CD. It's a must buy. Especially since the band has decided to call it quits, it's a great cd to add to your collection.

Most of their best songs are on here
I guess I'll start out by commenting about Weezer, since it's impossible not to. I've always maintained that Ozma doesn't so much SOUND LIKE Weezer, as occasionally sound like they are playing songs written by Weezer. I think both Daniel and Ryen are better singers than Rivers and everyone in the band is a better musician than anyone in Weezer. And, really, none of the songs on here sound like Weezer songs. The only Ozma songs that really do, I think, are Natalie Portman, In Search of 1988 (from the Blue album or Pinkerton), and Bad Dogs (by far the worst Ozma song, sounds straight off Maladroit). Anyway, I like Rock and Roll Part 3 more than either of Weezer's first 2 albums, and I like this at least as much as the Blue Album, and probably as much as Pinkerton.
That said, the only problem with this album is that it's not really an album. It's just two of their old EPs put together, and as such, is not really cohesive in the way Rock and Roll Pt. 3 is. Still, Continental Drift is my favorite Ozma song, and I like ALL of the songs on the last half of this as much as any of the songs on R&R Pt. 3 except for Baseball. The first EP on here is also great and right up there with the best Ozma songs. You can never go wrong with Ozma, in any case. I only hope they stick away from stuff like Bad Dogs in the future, or they'll go the way of Weezer. ... Read more

Asin: B000066RIL
Sales Rank: 31536
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Pop    3. Pop    4. Power Pop    5. Punk-Pop    6. Rock   

Space Monkeys vs. Gorillaz: Laika Come Home
by Astralwerks / Emd
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (16 July, 2002)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $19.98
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Editorial Review

Sure, Gorillaz sounded original, but it was a pop project with all the constraints that went with it--can you imagine the six-minute remixed version of "Clint Eastwood" making it onto MTV? But that's exactly what makes Laika Come Home so good. It's a reimagined collection filled with bone-shaking dubscapes and enough reverb to transmit a message to the farthest edges of the universe. Listen to the "De-Punked" version of "Punk" with its meandering, decayed trumpet and computerized tweaks--hardly recognizable as the original--or the swinging old-school ska that crops ups on "5/4." The two-tone skank of "M1/A1" (with Terry Hall) sounds as if it should have been the original version, but the real killer tracks are those injected with dancehall vibes by DJ U Brown and Earl 16. Who says "you don't get paid for doing what you love?" Not Damon Albarn. --Caroline Butler ... Read more

Features

• Limited Edition

Reviews (26)

Gorillaz Get 'Planet of the Apes' Treatment
Obviously you're a Gorillaz fan, or you wouln't be researching this 3rd generation remix project.
If you prefered the pop/hip hop, up-beat feel of their debut album to the tracks with reggae/dub leanings, then run, run and hide!
Much like Tim Burton 're-imagined' Planet of the Apes, the Gorillaz debut has had it's bare bones removed and completely reworked, this time as a deep chill dub/reggae album, by a couple of guys calling themselves 'Space Monkeys'. Most of the songs are hardly recognisable, but who would want to buy the same album twice?
If I had found this within 12 months of getting the first album, I would have been annoyed and bitterly disappointed. Now, three years down the track, this is a surprise, a real gem and welcome listening.
Some of the feel from the debut has been completely inverted, like the fury of M1A1 converted to arms-in-the-air celebration and of course Punk is now De-Punked, while some of the spookier moments like Starshine and Soundcheck (Gravity) are dropped back to an almost X-Files torch waving creepiness.
On the whole this is a much more cohesive album, but with limited appeal to the public at large. You won't hear any of this on the radio.
I'd recommend this as great music at work (I'm in an art studio, so I guess that helps), a soundtrack to the comics of James Hewlitt or pumpin' at a back yard bar-be-que.
Let's just hope this collective project will realease some new music eventually.

Strong showing
I first heard this album while in my friend's car. At the time, it sounded flat and, frankly, boring. The problem, as I later learned, was that I was listening to it in the car. With the engine running, I missed what this album's all about, those funky, cool, out-of-left-field tweeks and alterations of the original that make it a great dub album. After sitting in my apartment and having a little time to listen more carefully, this album has grown on me. This album is absolutely novel, you will probably not even recognize a few of the tracks at the first few listens. The sound is smooth, downtempo, beautiful, electronic.
That the Gorillaz source material holds up under this dub is no small recognition of its quality. That the dubbing has taken the material to such great new places speaks to the ability of the "Space Monkeys".
Recommended

The naysayers either have innate bias or don't get it....
...and that's ok, too.
Let's review the flaws, first:
1) Its the same songs, AGAIN.
2) Its nothing like the source material.

OK, downsides listed. Perfectly respectable downsides, yes, we all already own these songs once or twice. However, true to roots dub, that's sort of the point and its well represented here. And, since it is well represented here, its nothing like the original rock songs, its not even like the hiphop songs, its dub.

You get dub (real dub, not electronic thumpathumpa crap) when a producer would take the source material and manipulate it to create fresh music for the sound systems. Vocals out, lead insturments out, rhythm in. Up the bass, up the drums, and let it roll. Punch in a riff, punch in a word, then out again and run the whole thing through more reverb than you can shake a stick at. That's what you've got here. And its not just dub, but its fantastically well done dub. Its an album that's tuned for raving Gorillaz fans, dub fans, and ideally for people who are both. Or will become both.

This may not be the record for you, thankfully Amazon provides you with sound samples. Use them. What you hear is what you get, so stop whining about how much it sucks cause its the same songs over again or because its a style you don't like. ... Read more

Asin: B000069CMI
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Rap    3. Dub    4. Pop    5. Rock   

Bossanova
by Elektra
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (07 August, 1990)
list price: $11.98
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Reviews (77)

Ecstatic
I have been a Pixies fan for only a few years, and this is the last album that I heard. A friend introduced me to Where Is My Mind? and told me it was the best song to kill yourself to. I loved it and I bought Surfer Rosa. I didn't know what to make of it, and I didn't listen to it again for about a year. But when I finally heard it again, I was blown away. I bought all the albums, and Bossanova is just as good as Doolittle or Surfer Rosa, if not better. People who say that it's not as loud and too toned down are being really closed minded. Just because the Pixies changed their sound a bit from Doolittle to Bossanova does not mean that Bossanova isn't as good. This album makes the Pixies sound even better as a whole. It shows their versatility as a band, with the pop sounds of Dig For Fire and Velouria, and the rocking stuff like Down to the Well and Rock Music, and the beatiful and enchanting song Ana. This is also an interesting preview to Trompe le Monde, with Black Francis leaving behind the incest and mutilation for more outer space type stuff. But Bossanova is not the same sound as Trompe le Monde, either. It's sort of a transition between Doolittle and Trompe le Monde. Bossanova was not the start of the decline of Pixies, because there was no decline. It just sounds more melodic than Bone Machine or Crackity Jones. The one problem I have with this album is the relative absence of Kim Deal's voice. I really love the combination of Black Francis and Kim Deal's voices with Joey Santiago's guitar. Overall, Bossanova shows a somewhat different and magnificent side of Pixies. Bossanova is reccomended to any Pixies fan; or if you're just getting into the Pixies, this is a good place to start because there are elements of all the other albums in this album.

PIXIES meet PERFECTION!
I first want to say that I probably feel so strongly about this album because it was the first Pixies album I ever heard, 13 years ago. I still listen to it with the same awe I did as a 14 year old girl. It is simply beautiful and mind blowing and perfect in every way, if you ask me. The Pixies will always be my favorite band and I wish everyone could experience their genius!Bossanova is the best! Please buy this album!!!!!!!! Then you will wonder how you ever lived without it!

not their best work
I'm a huge Pixies fan, but this album has never really appealed to me as a whole like Surfer Rosa, Doolitle, or Trompe le Monde do. Maybe it's beacuse those albums seem to work as a whole - Bossanova just seems disjointed to me. There's plenty of good songs on this album, but as a whole it doesn't match up to the rest of their catalog. ... Read more

Asin: B000002H8F
Sales Rank: 87234
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. College Rock    3. Noise Pop    4. Pop    5. Rock   

Tenacious D
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 September, 2001)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

Biting, sometimes base satire and humor populates this 21-cut comedy-rock debut from actor-musician Jack Black and his band, Tenacious D. Sort of like a trashier, more casual and less musical Beck, vocalist-guitarist Black and guitarist-vocalist Kyle Gass, with help from Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, Redd Kross's Steve McDonald, and Page McConnell of Phish, deliver oddball musings that will appeal mostly to fans of the talented Black, whose earned a following thanks to memorable, frenetic turns in the films Hi Fidelity and Jesus' Son. The songs and "bits" include the wonderfully, intentionally melodramatic "Wonderboy," Black ordering "four Chicken McNuggets" on "Drive Thru," and the funny ode to vocalist Ronnie James Dio, where Black observes, "Dio has rocked for a very long time / Now it's time for him to pass the torch." With often intentionally droll and dumb humor smartly executed like a latter-day version of Bob & Doug McKenzie with a dash of Spinal Tap, this more-comedy-than-rock debut is likely to achieve cult status. --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (150)

Hilarious
I got this CD when it came out, and I just played it again recently. I swear to god it's f-ing hilarious. Not to mention JB is actually a pretty good vocalist, and KG actually plays a mean guitar. Plus the band they have behind them. But, seriously, this album is so hilarious... enough to piss your pants.


Long Live The D.

Tenacious D kicks some Frickin A
No band is like them.they are a one of a kind superband.their lyrics, pure guenius.if you have a brain stem and can hear i suggest that you buy this now.nothing will ever come close to this, this is pure magic.as AC/DC would say it,"for those about to rock, we solute you"

Exellent!!!
yes! this is great! its funny! AND IT ROCKS!!!!!! this cd is full of goodness ... Read more

Asin: B00005QXDD
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Fashion Nugget
by Volcano
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (17 September, 1996)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

The twisted cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" is a statement of intent, while the cool jazz riffs from the band's trumpet player are part of what makes tracks like "Daria," "It's Coming Down," and "Frank Sinatra" so original. "The Distance" is a funked-up jam with a Chili Peppers chorus.--Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (181)

Quantum songwriting leap for quirky alt-rockers
The template musically was in place on their debut MOTORCADE OF GENEROUSITY. What John McCrea and co. do on this one is beef up the arrangements to make them more complex and spend more time on the songwriting. As a result, this one plays better as a whole and offers up more moments that stick than the first disc did.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"The Distance" is one of 2 big alt rock hits here. It's a zippy pastiche of 50s sci-fi TV show synth and muscular guitar and easy to tell why it was a hit. "Friend is a Four Letter Word" is a tricky lyric that suggests the 4 letter word might be "OVER" though he wants it to be "LOVE". (When I go fishing for the words I am wishing you would say to me/I'm really only praying/That the words you'll soon be saying/Might betray the way you feel about me"). "Daria" paints the picture of a man who doesn't love himself and won't allow anyone else to either. A burbling bass line from Victor Damiani anchors an irrestible cover of Gloria Gaynor's 70s disco smash "I Will Survive". [NOTE: The band loses points for tossing in a suerpfluous "F-bomb" that wasn't in the original. The song makes its point on its own without throwing in a swear word to make it more "angsty".] It goes into near-orbit when a stinging guitar part comes in near the fadeout. "Stickshifts and Safetybelts" is a country shuffle that plays like a 90s update of old 50s rockabilly tune "Hot Rod Lincoln". Doris Day chestnut "Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps" is redone with Latin tinges intact courtesy of Vince di Fiore's mariachi trumpet. Yuppie holdovers are the mainstays of "Italian Leather Sofa" ("She doesn't care/Whether or not he's an island/She doesn't care,/Just as long as his ship's coming in...") The gloom is left intact on a worthy cover of Willie Nelson's classic "Sad Songs and Waltzes".

LOWS:
"Frank Sinatra" unfortunately was chosen to introduce the album and it's rather lackluster. People sampling it in music stores may give up after this one and if they do, it's a shame. The horrid off-key clanging harmony vocals on "Open Book" are probably intended to be "loose and relaxed" but they end up jarring. Worst track here for sure is "Race Car Ya-Yas" which just feels like a throwaway track written at the last second to pad out the CD. Most of the lyric consists of the phrase "land of race car ya-yas" repeated again and again and uses genitalia as part of a simile comparison with hanging fuzzy dice. (y'know..the ones people dangle off their rear view mirrors). It's every bit as bad as the description would suggest.

BOTTOM LINE:
This is a big step forward for the band from MOTORCADE. More actual songs rather than just exercises in quirkiness. Even the "filler" tracks are mediocre rather than bad for the most part. Recommended for all fans of alternative rock and more open minded pop fans (McCrea is very accessible when he puts his mind to it).

"Perhaps" you should ask Doris Day
RE:review from P.Lima (Sera, sera, sera ... Fernando?)
"Perhaps" is a remake of the Doris Day song "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" from her 1963 album LATIN FOR LOVERS.If there was any "creative collages" with that song, take it up with Miss Day, not the guys from CAKE!

album cuts like sharponed knives through chicken mcnuggets.
cake will tear you apart with sarcasm and then rebuild you with the beauty of truth. ... Read more

Asin: B000003CKH
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Prolonging the Magic
by Volcano
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (06 October, 1998)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

A kinder, gentler Cake? You'd never know it from listening to the opening track, a ditty with the rather unconventional title "Satan Is My Motor." But the truth is, most of Prolonging the Magic finds the Sacramento, California, quintet toning down the arch commentary of tracks such as "Rock and Roll Lifestyle" and "The Distance" from albums Motorcade of Generosity and Fashion Nugget. In its place is straight-ahead observational songwriting on "Alpha Beta Parking Lot" and "Guitar," and the naked, if still quirky, relationship commentaries "Where Would I Be?" and "Walk on By." Not to worry: The group's trademark humor is still in place on "You Turn the Screws" and "Sheep Go to Heaven," while touches of steel guitar and musical saw expand their already unusual sonic palette. As the title suggests, Cake seems capable of prolonging the magic a while longer. --Daniel Durchholz ... Read more

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• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (212)

One fewer member...a little bit weaker album
Prior to recording this one, Greg Brown..electric guitarist and organist for the band..left the group. Many are pinning the blame for a less stellar album here on Brown's departure but I don't think that rings true. Granted, Brown was responsible for "The Distance", arguably the single best track on their last CD FASHION NUGGET, but he was also partly responsible for "Race Car Ya-Yas", easily the dog of that disc. All told, Brown wrote or co-wrote only 4 of the album's 14 tracks so it seems a bit overstating the case to say it's his departure that's caused a quality dropoff. Maybe the blame can be laid at lead singer John McCrea's feet. Whereas the first 2 Cake CDs were "Produced by Cake", this one is "Produced by John McCrea, arranged by Cake" which reveals he had a firmer hand in the final outcome of this disc.

HIGHLIGHTS:
PROLONGING THE MAGIC doesn't bottom out much, nor does it have very many peaks. "Never There" was a catchy deserved hit. "You Turn the Screws" is a rant against the music biz. "Sheep Go to Heaven" is probably a Biblical allusion to Judgement day when the sinful (the "goats") would be sent to He11. McCrea touts the virtues of hedonism here. ("I just want to play on my pan-pipes/I just want to drink me some wine/As soon as your born you start dying/so you might as well have a good time..") "Let me Go" is a lover's plea for freedom within the relationship ("let me go, she said, let me go, she said/let me go and I will want you more")

LOWS:
There aren't really any awful songs here, but I'm not particularly wowed by "Guitar" or "Walk on By".

BOTTOM LINE:
This is not a BAD outing, but I would say it's a definite backwards step in terms of the quality of the songs from FASHION NUGGET. There's more filler and fewer stellar moments, making it a fairly average recording. Perhaps McCrea's pen will be sharper next time..or the other members will step up more often with material.

what a great "goodtimes" album
I first heard this album while in Italy and was having a great time enjoying the local wine. What a great memory with a great album!
This album has a range of humor, and resentment that you would love to hear from Cake.
Don't pass it up or you can't be a real Cake fan. Where do YOUR fingers go?!

Whats really going on?
It really annoys me when people say this album is horrible only because Fashion Nugget was a better album.I realize that this album wasn't as good but it isn't horrible.Sometimes this album can get dull and a bit boring but it still has some awesome songs.If you bought this album before Fashion Nugget just like I did then you would respect it more and think it was a better album.There are classics on this cd like "Sheep Go To Heaven", "Never There", and "Cool Blue Reason." If you are just getting into Cake then I would suggest Comfort Eagle.If your a Cake fan and you don't have this I would suggest it if you can keep an open mind. ... Read more

Asin: B00005ABIP
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Rock Steady
by Interscope Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (11 December, 2001)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
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Editorial Review

As much as No Doubt have protested that they are a singular unit and not "Gwen and her guys," Gwen Stefani's much-touted duets with rapper Eve and techno mogul Moby did nothing to juice the boys' spotlight, which had been steadily dimming since the release of 2000's Return of Saturn. But all that banter is silenced with Rock Steady, on which the music is definitely the star, unfettered by Gwen's cutesy-clouded feminism or dumped-by-the-boyfriend woes. Having mostly departed from their ska home base, No Doubt's well-navigated exploration of hip-hop beats, reggae, and the reunion of '80s keyboards and guitars finds the group picking up the pop-rock baton that Garbage dropped with an unsettling thud. Rock Steady's delegate of stalwart producers perfectly decorate the disc with their respective expertise; Ric Ocasek (new wave), Prince (R&B), Nellee Hooper (trip-hop), Sly & Robbie (dub), and William Orbit (trance) offer some staying power to music that's always been on the edge of disposable. Despite their disparate styles, the songs complement each other like stars and stripes. This is No Doubt's best album to date, and as they continue to expand their influences, the party only gets bigger. --Beth Massa ... Read more

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Reviews (640)

theirbest CD
they were alright during tragic kingdom but too overrated, they showed artistic growth on return of saturn and blossomed on rock steady. The pop and ska styles of music on this CD are more listenable and radio friendly and more my style of music, so naturally I loved this CD, it was what I'd been waiting for from no doubt. I love the fact there are 80's music sounds mixed with modern beats too, they were always a talented band, but proved they are creative musical artists with this CD.

HOTT!!!!
This CD is really cool because it's just SO different than any other group's music! It's really great. Gwen's funky voice mixed with the hott background beats and synthesized jamming makes you wanna move! You can't help singing along. If you buy this CD you will be happy you did, because it's worth every penny. Everyone will loooove this rockin' disc. Every song is a hit.
The lyrics make the songs easy to understand, sing along to, and DANCE TO. "Hey baby, hey baby, heyyy! Girls say, boys say..." and "You hold me like you should so let's just keep on daaancinnn'" make this CD the best for parties.
Anyone could enjoy this awesome CD- whether you're into pop, rock or especially ska. These infectious hits will become your favorite songs in 10 minutes. Listen to every track and groove like it's 2001!!!
Every track is the best!! There is so much great stuff you can't pass it up!
$$$$$$$ Who to buy it for*** buy for your preteens and teens (both boys and girls!!) and pick up a copy 4 yourself too.
Tracks 2 download onto ur iPod***all of them!!
Who WOULDN'T love it*** everyone would love it!!

All there albums deserve individual recognition
Blah blah blah about Tragic Kingdom, them losing their ska roots and selling out. If you love an artist, you love watching them grow, experiment, and expand...and No Doubt is BARELY even changed that much. All I hear when I listen to their music is a group that was incredibly influenced by a wide range of excellent music when they were growing up, take those influences, blend them together and write some of the strongest pop songs out there--yes I said pop...which is short for POPULAR which means anything that's played on modern radio and popular...as far as I'm concerned even the most underground music is POP...

By the way...if you're looking for the No Doubt remake of Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby," it's readily available on the Zoolander soundtrack. ... Read more

Asin: B00005QDW1
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Return of Saturn
by Interscope Records
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (11 April, 2000)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
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Editorial Review

After No Doubt sold more than 10 million copies of Tragic Kingdom, riding that wave of success without toppling over must have been a daunting mission. No sweat for No Doubt. The band toiled as national unknowns with a loyal local following for a decade before that album's release, and during that time the band members were learning how to be better songwriters and musicians. The follow-up, Return of Saturn, glides along that continuum of songcraft perfection. The band presents a cleaner, less apologist representation of their influences. They pull off some of the more difficult maneuvers of pure reggae, ground-pounding ska, and Cars-esque New Wave. Gwen Stefani, the fearless Orange County princess, belts a powerful pout, her Mae West-meets-Siouxsie Sioux vocal bravado the bungee cord that springs in between the band's retro tendencies and SoCal pop-punk attitude. It seems believable that she could stamp her foot and always get her way, but her self-deprecating confessions evade brattiness. Songs like "Bathwater" and "Ex-Girlfriend" reveal the singer's vulnerability to being hurt or dumped on, and the band's sense of humor and exploration (albeit firmly controlled) matches the songs' sentiments. This group is growing out and tightening up, and while the rest of the ska-punk surfer-dude bands do nothing more than repeat history, No Doubt is creating it. --Beth Massa ... Read more

Reviews (447)

Definitely not No Doubt's best
It is unfortunate, but true. I bought this album in hopes that it would be as good as Tragic Kingdom and their first, self-titled album, but sadly it didn't live up to their usual standards. the lyrics were poor and almost whiny, the music was was too boring and slow, by the end of it I was shuddering. It was depressing and just plain horrible. The only song that was pretty okay was Simple Kind of Life. the song Ex-girlfriend, for me, teetered between good and really, really awful. I wouldn't recommend buying it, Tragic Kingdom, their first album, and the No Doubt singles album are way better.

Comforting Music
This cd is one cd that you can start it off and listen to the whole thing through without getting to a song you have to skip. Each song is dark and comforting, and all of the work put into this album is absolutely amazing. Each song brings you a gift that is so amazing.

Gwen and the rest of the band puts so much emotion into each song, you can feel how they feel. Most songs are dark and slightly depressing on the cd, but a couple of them are brighter. I love this cd very deeply and I love this phase and style the band went through while making it. It's full of heart ache with some anger, and all the mixed emotions resulted in one totally kick a** album.

The time to buy the album is now, I highly reccomend it.

Probably their best
"Tragic Kingdom" put them on the map, and I love the breezy, fun-loving "Rock Steady", but "The Return of Saturn" is probably No Doubt's most artistically accomplished work. I think what makes "No Doubt" such an intriguing band is the juxtaposition of the mercurial, innovative, fleshed-out sound of the band combined with Gwen Stefani's sincere, vulnerable lyrics and vocals. Those two powerful, yin/yan forces really come together beautifully on a lot of the tracks here. While the band explores and experiments with sounds and influences, Gwen adds the emotional core by singing about lost love, insecurities and longing for family. The result is pop music bliss. ... Read more

Asin: B00004SAWN
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Post-Grunge    5. Rock    6. Ska-Punk    7. Third Wave Ska Revival   

Fight Club
by Twentieth Century Fox Home Video
Average Customer Review:
DVD (06 June, 2000)
list price: $26.98
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Editorial Review

All films take a certain suspension of disbelief. Fight Club takes perhaps more than others, but if you're willing to let yourself get caught up in the anarchy, this film, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, isa modern-day morality play warning ofthe decay of society. Edward Norton is the unnamed protagonist, a man going through life on cruise control, feeling nothing. To fill his hours, he begins attending support groups and 12-step meetings. True, he isn't actually afflicted with the problems, but he finds solace in the groups. This is destroyed, however, when he meets Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), also faking her way through groups. Spiraling back into insomnia, Norton finds his life is changed once again, by a chance encounter with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), whose forthright style and no-nonsense way of taking what he wants appeal to our narrator. Tyler and the protagonist find a new way to feel release: they fight. They fight each other, and then as others are attracted to their ways, they fight the men who come to join their newly formed Fight Club. Marla begins a destructive affair with Tyler, and things fly out of control, as Fight Club grows into a nationwide fascist group that escapes the protagonist's control.

Fight Club, directed by David Fincher (Seven), is notfor the faint of heart; the violence is no holds barred. But the film is captivating and beautifully shot, with some thought-provoking ideas. Pitt and Norton are an unbeatable duo, and the film has some surprisingly humorous moments. The film leaves you with a sense of profound discomfort and a desire to see it again, if for no other reason than to just to take it all in. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

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Reviews (1268)

I am Jack's feeling of awe...
I believe that movies are made to entertain. I basically enjoy all kinds of movies...action, comedy, romance, sci-fi, thrillers etc. and I rarely criticize a movie because I know the effort put in to make a movie. But every once in a while, a movie comes out that does more than entertain, it makes you think, it makes you question and it changes your perception about various things. Well, Fight Club is one of those movies. I have watched this movie many many many times and it never fails to astound me. This is in my opinion, one of the best movies to come out of Hollywood.

It is basically about this guy, only known as the Narrator who is a white collar employee, working a 9 to 5 job, has his own apartment and his own collection of branded items. Sounds familiar? It's not surprising many of us can relate to this guy. Anyhow, even with all these material items, he finds his life unsatisfying, he feels that something is lacking. Because of this problem, he suffers from insomnia. He finds solace in attending those self-help sessions but soon meets another faker, Marla. The presence of another faker makes him uncomfortable and the sessions don't work for him anymore. It is then that he meets Tyler Durden, this cool, smart talking dude in a plane. This guy intrigued him and when the Narrator returns to find his apartment burnt, he turns to Tyler for help. From there on, this movie spirals to dizzying heights, with the creation of Fight Club by the Narrator and Tyler, and later what seems to be a takeover of Fight Club by Tyler leaving the Narrator clueless about what's going on.

I really have to say this movie really fascinated me so much with it's intelligent ideas and dialogue, partly because deep in my heart, on some level...I can relate to the character, and although I don't agree with everything that is said, it does make me think and how many movies can do that? Fight Club to me, represents our lives in a twisted way. It challenges us to think about things in life, for example our view of success. Does working a boring job to pay for things we don't need a success? Do you experience fulfillment or do you think you're wasting your life away? "Self improvement is masturbation, now self destruction...is the answer," Tyler says.

Everybody involved in this movie did a fantastic job but extra credit has to go to the director, writer and the actors. David Fincher has come a long way from directing music videos for Madonna. I am a huge fan and I've seen all his work, Aliens 3, Se7en, The Game and more recently Panic Room. No one but him can create an environment of decay and desperation in this movie that just grabs you. Kudos to the actors involved too. Everyone was perfectly cast. The talented Edward Norton was excellent in his role as the Narrator. He so accurately resembled the average guy that it was scary. His voice has a perfect tone for narrating the story and he reminds me of a young Kevin Spacey. If only he gets better roles, he could be a very well respected actor in Hollywood. Brad Pitt has always acted in likeable hero roles as well as "feel good" movies and he has managed to pull it off but in many of those roles, there was nothing special or extraordinary. In this movie, he was fantastic. I consider this to be his finest work together with his role as Det. Mills in Se7en. No one but him could've pulled of Tyler Durden. When he spoke, it just doesn't sound written, it sounds authentic, the words come alive...like he really lives his life that way and it's what he truly believes. Any other person might have made it less exciting but I'm glad they got Pitt to take this role. And last but not least Helena Bonham Carter as Marla was also a really good choice. She did not have much screen time, but the times she does appear..she delivers with a fine performance.

There was a lot of bad publicity about this movie and although I admit this movie may not be for everyone, I loved it and so did most of my friends. I HIGHLY recommend this movie. This movie is not a renter, it's a keeper. It's movies like this that sets the bar higher for American cinema...seriously. And finally, as Tyler said "It's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything".

oh man, i am so deep and such a nonconformist
i hate this movie.

yeah, there's nothing cooler than having someone like brad pitt tell me that major corporations are a bad thing.

and let's not forget that this movie was kind of, you know, distributed by a........UH OH, major corporation!

sure, Seven was awesome, and the Fight Club book was good, but this is just trash for whiney suburban kids to connect with, i loved when this movie came out back in 2000 and all the jocks were hyped up about "OH MAN, DID YOU SEE WHEN THEY BLEW STUFF UP AND HIT PEOPLE, THAT WAS AWESOME."

if anyone doubts that man evolved from apes, just talk to a devoted fight club fan.

A Multi-faceted Semi-precious Gem
This movie is anti-capitalist, fascist, Marxist, anarchist, libertarian, anti-State and anti-society. How can it be all those? Because what it's really about is alienation -- our protagonist is alienated from work, society, the government, and most of all, himself. It's about emotionally dead people who can't feel anything except through violence, and it's also about the desire for community, which can lead to fascism. It's not great, but it is very, very good. ... Read more

Asin: B00003W8NM
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure