Skid Row - B-Side Ourselves

'B-Sides...' has just five songs and runs twenty minutes.Skid Row playing five of their personal favorite covers.
Psycho Therapy (the Ramones) - Nothing's more fun than a Ramones cover. Bach & the boys take on this punk rock classic and seem to enjoy themselves in the process.
C'Mon and Love Me (KISS) - I'll give them credit for not picking an obvious KISS song, and they deliver a faithful cover version.
Delivering the Goods (Judas Priest) - This live track features a guest appearance by Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford. Bach ends the song proclaiming his love for Halford, which you have to find slightly ironic given Rob's (at the time) closet homosexuality and Bach's homophobic "AIDS kills f--s dead" t-shirt controversy. The song still rocks though, and is worth the price of the CD just to hear these two screamers perform together.
What You're Doing (Rush) - Again, I give them credit for picking a song that you wouldn't expect. This one comes from way back on Rush's debut album.
Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix) - It's not easy to cover a legend, but the band does a good job here both musically and vocally. The Ramone's "Psycho Therapy" with bassist Rachel Bolan on lead vocals.Something I didn't at all expect to see here,was with their cover of the Judas Priest tune "Delivering The Goods",that Rob Halford was trading off vocals with Sebastian Bach.The two remaining cuts are Kiss's "C'mon And Love Me" and Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing"

Skid Row - Subhuman Race

Bachs trademark pipes soaring and growling their way through tunes that had more in common with Slave to the Grind than the debut. Which is as you'd expect. Heavy rockers abound here as hard riffing is the order of the day, personal faves bein the lead cut My Enemy, the title track and Medicine Jar. That's not to deny the impassioned Bach efforts on Frozen or Beat Yourself Blind. And the band weren't above a few gimmicks, such as the single Breakin' Down being issued in two versions, effectively trying to double sales for the single.Skid Row's finest ever offered, serving up monstrous riffs, Bach dishing out catastrophic vocals, and the entire band bashing away at some of the heaviest music ever.

Every song is slamming', the most fatal ones being My Enemy, Bonehead, BEAT YOURSELF BLIND, Subhuman Race, Frozen and Breaking' Down.Lyrically, a major progression has taken place. Songs like "Frozen" and "Firesign" are great examples of that lyricism at work. "Breakin' Down" a song written by "Snake" Sabo should satisfy the ballad crowd as should "Eileen". The album is a bit of a departure for the band but is still down and dirty rock and roll, just like when the band started.

sepultura - Arise

Sepultura - "Arise" is a true thrash metal masterpiece and it is also considered by most people (me included) to be Sepultura's last "pure thrash" disc. It is a complete tour de force for lead guitarist Andreas Kisser; his fingers must be worn down to the bone by the time he's done playing any one of these songs.Sepultura's world on Arise is an unforgettable one - it is heavy, bleak and beautiful all at once. If you've ever driven the New Jersey Turnpike on a rainy afternoon and said to yourself, `damn, those factories are strangely beautiful', you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you're still clueless, imagine the sort of music that might go along with the song titles, "Dead Embryonic Cells", "Desperate Cry", "Altered State", and "Under Siege (Regnum Irae)". This is metal with an appeal that crosses international boundaries.

The title track has blindingly fast guitar work and pounding drums, and "Dead Embryonic Cells" is the popular (and controversially named) lead single which has fiery, chugging riffs and thumping drums.on the first track, "Arise", he warns of a "terrorist confrontation waiting for the end" and "cities fall(ing) in ruin". Then, on the classic "Dead Embryonic Cells", Max rails against "tribal violence everywhere, life in the age of terrorism". "Desperate Cry" has many different parts to it, including several tempo changes and an acoustic intro. After the "Tarzan-esque" intro, "Altered State" turns to heavy churning, cascading, almost grinding riffs. A nice, long guitar solo is included, here, as well. "Under Siege" is mid-paced, with chug and churn guitars and an acoustic intro, but the next two tracks ("Meaningless Movements" and "Infected Voice") are straight-up, full speed ahead thrashers. Finally, "Orgasmatron" is a catchy Motorhead cover, and a nice homage to a Sepultura influence.

Max, Andreas, Igor, and Paulo Jr. would later make albums that were much more experimental and a lot less heavy than this album, but "Arise" is the sound of Sepultura at their masterpiece.

Skid Row

This album is a classic! It belongs in every serious collection of music.Skid Row distinguished themselves from the legions of pop-metal bands of the late '80s and early '90s chiefly by their attitude, which was closer to Guns N' Roses than to Bon Jovi,Whitesnake or Def Leppard."Skid Row" is one of those albums that embodies that time of my life. From "Youth Gone Wild" to "I Remember You," the simple lyrics talked to every teenager growing at that time. There isn't anything great about any of the songs here, but they were the world to a lot of people back in '89. "18 and Life" is on the Classic Rock.
Big Guns -- Dirty lyric-filled, loud, slightly bluesy pop/metal anthem. A great opener.Sweet Little Sister -- Fast paced, heavy, but also extremely catchy and somewhat poppy tune.Can't Stand the Heartache -- Only a teeny bit less heavy, but more of an arena rock 'post love' anthem. Very underrated and another highlight of the album you won't hear on the radio.Piece of Me -- One of the hits/videos. Probably the toughest, heaviest song on the album. An angry sounding, almost straight metal tune about fighting and partying. It's still singable though.18 & Life -- The most well-known tune. A melodic but still hard-edged pop/power ballad about a suicidal guy named Ricky. A slight departure from what most of the era's bands' power ballads sounded like.Rattlesnake Shake -- Yet again, a tough, streetwise hard rocker about a prostitute. Reminds me of something Guns N' Roses would do.Youth Gone Wild -- Another well known, shout-along rebellious (yet fun) anthem. Loud and heavy, yet slightly melodic.Here I Am -- Not one of my favorites. A non-hit, rawer metal anthem.Makin' A Mess -- A fast paced hard rocker, but it strays from the 'Get Chicks and Party' theme of the album. A first person account of, what sounds like, spouse abuse. Told in an anti- kind of way, but not a ballad at all.
I Remember You -- The other power ballad of the album. A somewhat acoustic tune in parts, almost reminding me of Mr Big's hit "To Be With You." It still rocks, but it's probably the highest song here.Midnight/Tornado -- Yet another underrated rocker that got away.
This one has more of a melodic, power rock sound to it. It's somewhat heavy as well, but it's one of those songs even someone who isn't a fan of hard rock could like.Sebastian Bach's voice is incredible, and he brings the songs on this album to life. It is easy to see why SKID ROW stood out in the crowd of fledgling bands that emerged at that time. The songs don't sound "all the same" and there's absolutely no "filler" in this album. You can expect to enjoy every song.

Skid Row - Slave to the Grind

Skidrow Slave to the Grind album is the absolute epitome of Southern American Hard rock, from the same school as Blackfoot. "Monkey Business", "Slave to the Grind", "Living on a Chain Gang", and "Mudkicker" are some of the heaviest and best songs ever recorded.

Heavy doesn't always make it good. Hard rocking doesn't always make it heavy. But it all comes together - completely together - on Slave to the Grind.The Guns 'n' Roses comparison is tempting, but GnR have a completely different style overall (with the exception of maybe "Welcome to the Jungle") and, as a vocalist, Axel Rose sounds positively weedy and strangled next to Mr Bach's mighty lungs. It must also be noted that Slash's solos lack the tight structures of Sabo's.

This album shares the same qualities of greatness. The whole feeling of a journey is there from start to finish - and that feeling at the end of having arrived somewhere. This is often accompanied by dissatisfaction, in the sense that it is better to travel than to arrive, and there is a powerful urge to start the whole thing over.Slave to the Grind" is far heavier and meaner than the debut album. It sounds like "Appetite For Destruction" era Guns N' Roses meets Pantera.

The songs are heavy, and in-your-face, yet also highly melodic, and filled with killer solos. Singer Sebastian Bach has a very distinct set of pipes that make him unique and set him apart from all the generic David Lee Roth wannabe singers from the late 80s.This was a real shame, because Skid Row was a great band, and their sophomore album "Slave to the Grind" remains great record.

sex pistols - Kiss This: The Best of the Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols' albums: "Never Mind the Bollocks" and "Rock n Roll Swindle." There's just nothing out there that even remotely resembles the Pistols' version of 'Roadrunner'.the Sex Pistols remain the greatest punk band of all time and this disc has just about everything they ever did. There are liner notes for every single song (which actually come straight out of John Rotten's 1995 book, "Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs", which is a fabulous auto-biographical recount of the whole mid-seventies madness."Live in Trondheim, 21 July 1977," a pretty good recording of a decent performance with Sid on bass.Sid Vicious' version of "My Way," a brilliant/stupid, trashing/celebration of the Sinatra/Presley egotistical classic. Is this Sid's finest moment? It's a phenomenal piece of work, really. The last song is "Silly Thing," sung by Steve Jones after Rotten had left the band and "Satellite" has some of the best Rotten lyrics, a fantastic Steve Jones riff,
Track Listings
1. Anarchy in the UK (Anarquía en el Reino Unido)
2. God Save the Queen (Dios Salve a La Reina)
3. Pretty Vacant (Bastante Libre)
4. Holidays in the Sun (Vacaciones en el Sol)
5. I Wanna Be Me (Quiero Ser Yo)
6. Did You No Wrong (No Te Hice Nada Malo)
7. No Fun (No Es Divertido) - The Sex Pistols, Stooges
8. Satellite (Satélite)
9. Don't Give Me No Lip, Child (No Te Hagas el Malo, Nene) - The Sex Pistols, Thomas
10. (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone (No Soy Tu Pledra de Apoyo) - The Sex Pistols, Boyce
11. Bodies (Cuerpos)
12. No Feelings (No Hay Sentimientos)
13. Liar (Mentiroso)
14. Problems (Problemas)
15. Seventeen (Diecisiete)
16. Submission (Sumisión)
17. New York (Nueva York)
18. EMI (Unlimited Edition) (EMI Edición Illmitada)
19. My Way (A Mi Manera) - The Sex Pistols, Revaux
20. Silly Thing (Cosa Tonta)

sex pistols - There'll Always Be an England

The Sex Pistols are in fine form in this They are obviously enjoying themselves, but the shots of the crowd are specially fun as you'll see everyone from young teens to older folks getting into the spirit their legendary status as punk icons They play better than they did in their prime and certainly are NOT going through the motions.

sex pistols - The Great Rock & Roll Swindle

sex pistols - The Great Rock & Roll Swindle album is weird but is still a great album. The song's humour get old fast but so does any humour really. There are still a few good solid songs though like "Belson was a gas" and "I'm not your stepping stone"."A Punk Prayer" with Ronnie Biggs is a lot more fun than an entire Damned Box Set, "C'mon Everybody" has Sidney going at it with a spot-on Joey Ramone impression, "Belsen Was a Gas" tore us all up back in grade nine.along with songs such as "Don't Give Me No Lip Child" and "Substitute", this album went down as one of my favorites. Sure, "Friggin' In The Riggin'" and Sid's infamous rendition of "My Way"
Track Listings
1. God Save the Queen (Symphony) - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
2. Johnny B. Goode/Road Runner - The Sex Pistols, Berry, Chuck
3. Black Arabs - The Sex Pistols, Biggs, Ronnie
4. Anarchy in the U.K. - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
5. Substitute - The Sex Pistols, Townshend, Pete
6. Don't Give Me No Lip Child - The Sex Pistols, Thomas, J.D.
7. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone - The Sex Pistols, Boyce, Tommy
8. L ' Anarchie pour le U.K. - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
9. Belsen Was a Gas - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
10. Einmal War Belsen Wirflich Bortrefflich (Belsen Vos a Gassa) - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
11. Silly Thing - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
12. My Way - The Sex Pistols, Anka, Paul
13. I Wanna Be Me - The Sex Pistols, Matlock, Glen
14. Something Else - The Sex Pistols, Cochran, Eddie
15. Rock Around the Clock - The Sex Pistols, DeKnight, Jimmy
16. Lonely Boy - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
17. No One Is Innocent - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
18. C'mon Everybody - The Sex Pistols, Cochran, Eddie
19. EMI (Orch.) - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul
20. The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle - The Sex Pistols, Cook, Paul

sex pistols - Sex Pistols

The best sex pistols album
1. Holidays in the Sun
2. Bodies
3. No Feelings
4. Liar
5. God Save the Queen
6. Problems
7. Pretty Vacant
8. Submission
9. Anarchy in the U.K.
10. Substitute - The Sex Pistols, Townshend, Pete
11. (Don't Give Me) No Lip
12. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone - The Sex Pistols, Boyce, Tommy
and many more...
Every song is remastered. The first disc is the studio tracks and some their first demos. The second disc is demos like 'Stepping Stone', 'No Lip', and others. The third disc is their famous concert at the Screen on the Green Cinema and a few unrealesed live songs, including 'Flowers of Romance' and 'Understanding'cover of the Creation's "Through My Eyes" which is more like a warm-up that lasts about a minute or so. If only they had actually recorded the song full out, it would have been great fun! Some of the well-known covers such as "Stepping Stone" and "Substitute" are presented differently; the vocal tracks are the same, but the music is an early, rough mix. An improvement to the over-produced versions previously available. "No Fun" is pretty much the same, they just cut it off a few seconds later so we get more studio conversation. Virgin provides some live tracks, in addition to the complete live show, that sound more like set fillers and audience agitation; mostly moaning, improvisation and feedback.

sex pistols - Filthy Lucre Live

The tracklist itself is pretty solid. It takes the basic "Never Mind the Bollocks" template and appends some tracks from that era and that Monkees cover that ever punk band does.the inept sound of so many other live albums by the Sex Pistols. "Better Live than Dead" is a grainy bootleg with professional packaging, and the "Chelmsford" show is a joke--lousy sound, coupled with a staged "background" tape that repeats several times throughout the show.
This album has quite exceptional sound, and fortunately, after an additional 20+ years, finds the Sex Pistols with a bit more mastery over their instruments.The band itself, despite playing the same chords as always, sound tighter than you'd expect. The fact that the distortion exeeds that you might be expecting also shows how these aging punks won't go down without a noisy fight.'Filthy Lucre Live'(Lucre is French for 'money')is actually pretty good,I thought.It's a live recording of a reunion gig the guys did in London in early 1996,they toured the states later that fall.I've heard several negative reviews about this reunion,even remember Johnny Rotten nearly popping some MTV staff member on the chin during a TV interview.

sepultura - Chaos A.D

"Chaos AD" also features Sepultura's first serious exploration of tribal and political issues, with the songs "Kaiowas" (named for a tribe of native South Americans that were all but wiped out) and "Biotech is Godzilla" (co-written by Jello Biafra).Before "Chaos A.D.," Sepultura were a great death metal band that were as important as Slayer. The only problem was that the genre that Sepultura helped create had become very popular by the early 1990's. Bands like Carcass, Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, and Suffocation had formed and Sepultura.

"Refuse/Resist" leads off the album with a ripping-hammer punch that socks you into your seat. "Territory", "Slave New World" and "Nomad" are outstanding songs as well, running the gamut from the slow, heavy trudge to the fast-paced pummeling guitar that was Sepultura's bread and butter for so long.
Amen" has chug and churn, up and down riffs. I enjoy the part of this song when the beat comes down a few decibels and some female vocals sing over the light percussion. The song ends with bobbing riffs and some good, pounding drum work.
The aforementioned "Kaiowas" remains a staple/centerpiece of Sepultura's live shows. The band members play for a little while, then abruptly stop to talk amongst themselves. They finally shut up and play the rest of the song in is entirety. They strum the acoustic guitars fast and the drums thump, but, even still, this is a very pretty, melodic, and atmospheric song. I also enjoy the squawking birds, giving it a rainforest vibe.
"Propaganda" has machine gun riffs which, together with the drums, sound awesome. Another Slayer-esque, careening guitar solo is included, and the song ends with cascading riffs.
"Biotech is Godzilla" has a scorching opening riff, but this song is a highlight because of the tempo changes (before and after the choruses, which are slower) and the catchy shout along: "BIO-TECH!"
"Nomad" has some more stop-start rhythms and riffs, and increasingly fast, heavy, and talented drum work (which becomes especially apparent at the end).
Some of the all time sepultura classics are on this disc, including slave new world, refuse/resist, amen, propaganda, biotech is godzilla, clench fist, territory, and nomad. Sepulutura are flawless on this album, the political lyrics, the deep growls of max, the great guitars by andreas, and drums of igor.

celine dion - A New Day Has Come

On A New Day Has Come, the big production numbers most associated with the Canadian superstar's name ("My Heart Will Go On," "Because You Loved Me") are evoked by the two versions of "I Surrender" and somewhat lifeless covers of "At Last" and "Nature Boy." At the same time, though, Dion shows her willingness to stretch on the classic-house homage "Sorry for Love" and the unavoidably catchy "Right in Front of You" and "Ten Days." The album's unexpected, often low-key production allows Dion to emote in a straightforward way that gracefully skirts the chest thumping of past days, and the relative subtlety works in her favor.The album starts with I'M ALIVE, which is fresh, and has a 'make-you-wanna-dance' rhythm to it. Then there's RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, which starts out dark and swiches to a poppish sound, the one that Celine seems to give a mature and beautiful sound to. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE is a beautiful song, with some of the most beautiful lyrics.The second song "Right in front of you" has a mix of great sound and beautiful lyrics, this one is followed by "Have you ever been in love" which is a romantic soft ballad, track #4 was written by Tina Turner's songwritter Terry Writting (What's love got to do with it), the song is "Rain, tax", after this song comes the great hit "A new day has come", what a wonderful song

celine dion - Miracle

Track Listings
1. Miracle
2. Brahms' Lullaby
3. If I Could
4. Sleep Tight
5. What A Wonderful World
6. My Precious One
7. A Mother's Prayer
8. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
9. Baby Close Your Eyes
10. Come To me
11. Le loup, la biche et le chevalier (une chanson douce)
12. Beautiful Boy
13. In Some Small Way
Celine's voice is excellent and the production is well done.At least she was teaming up with famous photographer, Anne Geddes.There are no up-tempo tracks although there are some songs with a little more movement to them. The soothing sound is great to relax to after putting the baby down for a nap that predominantly on this album.

celine dion - All The Way

Track Listings
1. Power of Love
2. If You Asked Me To
3. Beauty And The Beast
4. Because You Loved Me
5. It's All Coming Back To Me Now
6. Love Can Move Mountains
7. To Love You More
8. My Heart Will Go On
9. I'm Your Angel
10. That's The Way It Is
11. If Walls Could Talk
12. The First Time
13. All The Way
14. Then You Look At Me
15. I Want You To Need Me
16. Live
Displaying a generosity toward her fans, Dion cherry picks nine signature singles ("My Heart Will Go On," "Because You Loved Me," "Beauty and the Beast"), then fills the rest of the CD with seven new cuts when one or two would have done the commercial trick.Her rendition of the Roberta Flack tune, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, is soft and memorable. If Walls Could Talk displays the music magic of Shania Twain's husband, Mutt Lange, and even Shania makes a cameo appearance on background vocals. That's the Way It Is is a toe-tappin' hit. When You Look at We are truly lucky to experience her talent and sincerity to her work. I can say that the new tracks on All the Way rival the old and even her greatest French recording "On Ne Change Pas".Me reunites Horner and Dion and it is unforgetable. The song, the title track from the upcoming Chris Columbus movie Bicentennial Man, and starring Robin Williams, is arguably a better song than My Heart will Go On and looks like another Oscar contender for best song from a movie.

celine dion - Taking Chances

Taking Chances celine dion albums."Taking Chances" doesn't quite do what the title suggests, it's pretty predictable, overpolished and overdone This album is just the essence of what Celine has been doing in English for a long, long while. No that new, not that good, not that bad...just a remarkable but over produced voice.Celine has a beautiful one of a kind voice and most of her past albums."Taking Chances" sees Dion teaming up with a host of internationally renowned songwriters and top, most expensive producers that have produced some of the biggest pop hits in the last five, ten years to produce yet another album of her signature over-the-top ballads.

The album begins in surprisingly restrained fashion, with Dion crooning softly over a near-acoustic musical backdrop, but the soft rock bombast kicks in soon enough.
She doesn't have the sensitive, raw touch to pull off her cover of "Heart's Alone" and to match the emotional and unparalleled version by Ann Wilson but she enters into the gutsy rhythm'n'blues feel of "That's Just the Woman in Me".
Elsewhere, Dion sticks to her bombastic power-ballad comfort zone, warbling away in the upper echelons of her range, smashing and crashing with her super powerful pipes -- unnecessarily fully unleashed -- all the small feelings and emotions and nuances out of her songs, and riding those key changes with that air of barely suppressed insanity and tasteless, hystrionic record-setting vocalism which she and Mariah Carey have made all their own.

celine dion - My Love

Celine Dion is the 'World's Biggest Selling Female Artist' who has collected numerous awards worldwide including Golden Globes, Grammys and Academy Awards.My Love: Essential Collection, is a single disc reflection of Celine Dion's big songs from the 90's and the 2000 era that show just how dominant her voice really remains. The collection includes a lot of her biggest hits, but sadly just like before overlooks a lot of greatest moments. Nevertheless, there are a lot of her great songs here including her standards Because You Loved Me, her Titanic smash My Heart Will Go On, The Power Of Love, and That's The Way It Is.she still has shown a lot of strength and soul on just about anything she could really sing.
Track Listings
1. My Love (New Version)
2. Where Does My Heart Beat Now
3. Beauty & The Beast
4. The Power Of Love
5. If You Asked Me To
6. Because You Loved Me
7. The Power Of The Dream
8. It's All Coming Back To Me Now
9. All By Myself
10. My Heart Will Go On
11. I'm Your Angel
12. That's The Way It Is
13. A New Day Has Come
14. I'm Alive
15. I Drove All Night
16. Taking Chances
17. There Comes A Time

sepultura - Blood Rooted

sepultura - "Blood Rooted' gets off to a decent enough start. Celtic Frost's "Procreation Of The Wicked" would be heavy and menacing no matter who played it. This is as heavy as a truckload of bricks, with a nice line in stressed guitar effects.the front cover of `Blood Rooted' a little stamp says "Over an hour of live and rare material".Roadrunner panicked, and started grubbing round to see how much Sepultura material they could find. The archives were quite full, with a heap of studio outtakes and enough concert material for a killer live album.

This album is very uneven, and would have been a very unsatisfying epitaph for a once great band had it been the final release.The Song Procreation (of the Wicked), actually outdoes the original by Celtic Frost. Other stand outs include the Symptom of the Universe, (Black Sabbath) even with its poor quality and Drug Me (Dead Kennedys). The main difference in the remix of Lookaway is that you can hear Jon Davis (Korn vocalist) a lot better then on the original.Sepultura manage to wreck up the unwreckable- Black Sabbath's "Symptom Of The Universe". It has two redeeming features- Igor's drumming, which is incredibly precise, and Andreas' solo. Otherwise, Max half-heartedly strums his way through the rhythms, and listlessly moans and grumbles through the lyrics.

The studio tracks are hardly worth the effort, and the half-a-live album is too short. Approach it with eyes and ears wide open. Well, it's a great addition to any Sepultura fan's collection.

alicia keys - The Diary of Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys arrived on the scene back in 2001 with her No.1, multi-platinum debut album "Songs In A Minor." The Grammy award winning album made Alicia a worldwide superstar and a true force to be reckoned with in the music industry. "The Diary Of Alicia Keys'" puts Beyonce, Shakira, Underwood, & all of today's female artists from every genre of music in the bargain bin. The album starts with the classical song "Harlem's Nocturne." Her Piano playing is superb, then a choir joins in aided by a fine beat.Her debut album was ever so slightly overhyped which then made the follow-up, "The Diary Of Alicia Keys," ever so slightly over-anticipated upon its fall 2003 release.

There are other flashes of brilliance throughout the album that let you know that Alicia is a force to be reckoned with. But you always get the feeling that there is too much left in reserve."If I Ain't Got You" displays Alicia's superb vocals perhaps better than on any other track. Alicia really sells the song and this is the second single. Meanwhile, the gorgeously-melodic "Diary (Featuring Tony! Toni! Tone!)" is a definite album highlight. The gentle piano creeps in here and drops to offer superb lyrics; "Just think of me as the pages in your diary." "Dragon Days" is one of the album's highlights. Alicia sings of the dragon days when the fire was hot, like a desert needing water, baby! Her soulful voice totally complements the song's mature mood. "Wake Up" is yet another highlight with Alicia displaying her vocals once more in an up-tempo track about relationship troubles.

Obviously Alicia couldn't compete with her debut single "Fallin'" on her comeback single, so what does she do? She releases a six-minute, future-classic love ballad masterpiece with spine-tingling piano trickles and a full-on telephone section, remeniscent of Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You!""When You Really Love Someone," seems like a cross between "A Woman's Worth & Fallin?" I would call it the former part two. "Wake Up & So Simple" are too familiar & the latter has some annoying sounds. "Slow Down," is reminiscent of Janet Jackson's "Lets Wait Awhile." "Nobody Not Really," is lighter & has a less cloudy or dark feel as if the day was just starting.

alicia keys - Unplugged

Alicia's album is a fine gem, here the slightly scaled back sound allows her vocals to shine. She occasionally goes from the Piano to Organ with equal dexterity. "Fallin," gets a semi-operatic treatment here.With MTV's decision to revive its much-missed "Unplugged" series came a certain obligation: Whoever was going to kick the shows off needed to have the means to deliver serious heat, Grammy-vote garnering heat. The "powers that be" couldn't have chosen better than Alicia Keys.She gives a more seductive tone to "Diary & If I Ain't Got You." The former is one of my all time favorites. In "Streets Of New York," the first part with her recitation is ok, but the second part with it's jazzy tones blend well with her more controlled voice.she's a force of equal might and measure. All the favorites are here, the danceable "Karma" carries into the funky "Heartburn" and the give-it-up glory of "Unbreakable." "Fallin'," "If I Ain't Got You," and "You Don't Know My Name" come later, but interspersed are enough pleasant surprises to make even fanatical Keys followers forget the signature songs

Skid Row - Thickskin

Snake and the boys came up with a fresh new aproach that should still keep the die hards happy. From the first track "New Generation" you know what to expect. Heavy and energetic rock is back. No the singer is not Sebastian, But he is very talented in his own right.The song writing of Rachel Bolan & Snake Sabo along with Scotti Hill on the heavy-rockin "Hittin' the Wall" are great.Johnny Solinger helped out in writing "Mouth of Voodoo", and a couple of outside writers helped out in a couple of other tunes.
The group proves that haven't lost a step when it comes to songwriting either. "Born a Beggar" starts off with a great twangy guitar intro, as the deep vocals of Solinger describe one's devotion to their significant other. The group goes in the opposite lyrical direction on "See You Around", a moving power ballad about breaking up. The chunky guitars of "Thick is the Skin" boast more of the updated sound, as does "Mouth of Voodoo". "Lamb" has a wicked baseline and a distinguished chorus.
Track Listings
1. New Generation
2. Ghost
3. Swallow Me (The Real You)
4. Born a Beggar
5. Thick Is the Skin
6. See You Around
7. Mouth of Voodoo
8. One Light
9. I Remember You Two
10. Lamb
11. Down from Underground
12. Hittin' a Wall

Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks

There's tons of interview footage with the band and Malcolm McLaren, and it was fun to hear them speak so enthusiastically about the making of the album. Glen Matlock and Steve Jones explain a bit about where riffs for songs came from, and how the songs developed. Also included are interviews with Jamie Reid (cover art designer), Chris Spedding (producer), and Bill Pryce (engineer).English "punk" or anyone just passionate about rock music.
Steve Jones demonstrating just how he gets that guitar sound by effortlessly casting off patented wall-of-noise riffs from his white Les Paul, and Price showing how he combined guitar, bass, drum and vocal tracks in the studio to create a big, beautiful din that a thousand Nirvanas couldn't come close to duplicating if their lives depended on itWe are treated to candid and relaxed interviews with the important characters involved in bringing this great album to life NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS has never grown old, the music brilliantly simple. In addition, knowing the history of the band, it makes the music that much richer. On this documentary - John Lydon speaks fondly to the comic, almost camp feel at the heart of this album. Steve Jones laments that if they hadn't kicked Glen out, if they didn't do the Bill Grundy show - there may have been more albums from the SEX PISTOLS.

sepultura - Roorback

Sepultura with Max is the best metal band period. Derrick Green had a hard job filling in for Max when he joined the band. The first album he did with Sepultura Against was a good 4 star album. It was a bit uneven and they weren't as good as they used to be but they still rocked.

Every song is ferocious and impactful and down right amazingly crafted. The bonuss disc "Revolusongs" showcases Sepultura's divine ability to cover songs and make them their ownTheir next effort Nation was a disaster. What ever they played it wasn't metal, hell it wasn't even hard rock. Igor the best drummer in the world, merely taps the drum instead of his usual pounding, awe inducing drumming. On this album Roorback Igor unleashes once again. He plays with speed and power and carries this band. Andreas on guitar does his best work since Roots the last album with Max. If you accept that this bands best days are behind them and realize they are a different band the music is enjoyable.

The lead track Come Back Alive is the best song on the album but other good ones are Apes of God & Corrupted.On this album Roorback Igor unleashes once again. He plays with speed and power and carries this band. Andreas on guitar does his best work since Roots the last album with Max.This album is the group's tenth album total, but only their third album without original vocalist Max Cavalera and with Derrick Green behind the mic

alicia keys - As I Am

There's only one way R&B artists grow to become legends, and it's by drenching the words they sing with feeling (think Gladys Knight, Roberta Flack).This album does seem to be her most personal & intimate.

The skeptical listener might have had her doubts before As I Am, but there's no mistaking it now: Alicia Keys is well on her way to sharing a category with them. This record radiates not just old-soul maturity, the kind Alicia fans say makes her modern rarity, but real soul."Like You'll Never See Me Again, No One, I Need You, Tell You Something, & The Thing About Love," are my five favorites from this album. The latter has an Al Green early 1970's feel to it with an angry middle which most folks at some time in their lives can relate to. While the former may eventually challenge "Fallin" as her best song to date? It has lucid lyrics & a depth of feeling to it that many modern tunes lack. "I Need You has Alicia pulling you into the song & "Tell You Something" is a thoughtful get you to think tune. While "No One" is a sensual speaks for itself song.

This record radiates not just old-soul maturity, the kind Alicia fans say makes her modern rarity, but real soul. Vintage-leaning hooks and horns grab hold on "Where Do We Go from Here" and an assortment of other songs, but Keys can also get by just fine without them, as she proves on more pop-flavored numbers like "Lesson Learned," with John Mayer, and "Superwoman."Some of the best cuts include "Superwoman," (co-written with Linda Perry and Steve Mostyn), an anthem for strong women everywhere and an ear-catching chorus that will get you singing along, the beautiful, reggae-inspired "No One" (co-written with Kerry Brothers, Jr. and George M. Harry.This young woman has been blessed with many talents and we are lucky and privileged that she is sharing them with the world.

Skid Row - Revolutions Per Minute

The twelve new songs on Revolutions Per Minute see Skid Row pulling out all the stops. Bolan, Hill and Sabo play their guitars with a vengeance, firing off power chords by the second, turning their amps to the max and apparently knowing but one "Slave to the Grind," Skid Row lyrics have taken on pretty weighty issues and dealt with relationships in more mature prose than most any other metal band.direction straight ahead! Whether on the hook-oriented opener, Disease, the aggressive Another Dick In The System, the catchy White Trash or the programmatic Shut Up Baby, I Love You - their unadulterated vitality seems to practically jump at the listener.It has the classic Bolan writing, Sollinger's vocals are solid, and the songs are memorable, but it's probably the least 'Skid Row' sounding album of the bands career. It doesn't compare by far to "Slave to the Grind" or "Thickskin." It's only comparable to "Subhuman Race" - Bas's final effort with the band - in that it has both the classic Skid Row sound.ohnny Solinger is a worthy successor and Bolan continues to write incredibly memorable songs with big riffs and metal sensibilities.
Track Listings
1. Disease
2. Another Dick In The System
3. Pulling My Heart Out From Under Me
4. When God Can't Wait
5. Shut Up Baby, I Love You
6. Strength
7. White Trash
8. You Lie
9. Nothing
10. Love Is Dead
11. Let It Ride

alicia keys - Songs in A Minor

Alica Keys' is the sexy artist that won five Grammy's for this her debut album for a reason, she is that good! Take a piece of Roberta Flack, Al Green, & Stevie Wonder pour into a twenty first century Motown gal & you'll have Alicia Keys'.It will also keep her from being just a one hit wonder or a flavor of the month. Classically trained, her piano playing and her touching lyrics can ignite. Hers is a talent which is very rare these days in our younger performers. She will have a career that stands the test of time like superstar rock diva Tina Turner, or Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. All of her talents, coupled with the fact that she is beautiful to boot, will help to make Alicia Keys the star she is destined to be.
Track Listings
1. Piano & 1 (intro)
2. Girlfriend
3. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
4. Fallin'
5. Troubles
6. Rock Wit U
7. A Woman's Worth
8. Jane Doe
9. Goodbye
10. The Life
11. Mr. Man (featuring Jimmy Cozier)
12. Never Felt This Way (interlude)
13. Butterflies
14. Why Do I Feel So Sad
15. Caged Bird (outro)
There are sixteen tracks including two remakes, "Someday We'll Be Free & Prince's How Come You Don't Call Me." These two were fine but I like her tunes far more. They range from slow, midtempo, to fast. "Fallin," is hands down the best song on the album & for me the best ballad since the Rolling Stones "Almost Here You Cry" from 1989's "Steel Wheels" album. "Fallin" should have been the number one song of 2001, not Christina Aguilera's screaming tune. "Fallin" has an Acapella intro & the violin of Miri Ben Ari that comes in with a smooth feeling. "A Womans Worth," has a satiny flow of lyrics as she tells her guy about her fine qualities & how she deserves to be treated. Grammy winning singer/songwriter, poet, philanthropist and visionary Alicia Keys proceeds to outdo herself with AS I AM, her third and finest album, to date.Keys is a classically-trained pianist

sepultura - Schizophrenia

Sepultura - Schizophrenia is always overlooked for some reason. It isn't Beneath the Remains, Arise or Chaos A.D. or Roots but it manages to stand out on its own and it is easily worth the five stars think of Schizophrenia as the Slayer's Hell Awaits, or Anthrax's Spreading The Disease, or Metallica's Ride The Lightning. it is simply put, the prequel to their upcoming masterpiece. the best songs are definitely the new version of Troops Of Doom, and Escape From The Void.
The recording quality isn't that great,but neither was "Kill Em All".The true star of "Schizophrenia" is the then new guitarist Andreas Kisser.His solo on my personal favorite,"To The Wall",is unbelievable and secured his place as one the best metal guitarists ever.


Andreas Kisser the new lead guitarist for Sepultura and Jairo T.'s Replacement. This lineup change would lead Sepultura in the direction that would lead them out of the jungles of Brazil and onto the map as one of the best Thrash bands around.The lyrics content has matured; instead of songs about the antichrist we have songs about being taken advantage of by cops in To The Wall; which contains the best drum solo section on the album. Speaking of the drums, Igor has definitely improved and only got better with each album. Schizophrenia has a weird production to it that affects the tom drums in the most unusual manner. It sounds like Igor had left and briefly joined the blue man group only to return with a drum set made out of plastic pipes. Sepultura grew up somewhat from their primitive Death Metal albums Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions and released Schizophrenia which officially transferred them over into the realm of Thrash.

sepultura - Roots

Track Listings
1. Roots Bloody Roots
2. Attitude
3. Cut-Throat
4. Ratamahatta
5. Breed Apart
6. Straighthate
7. Spit
8. Lookaway
9. Dusted
10. Born Stubborn
11. Jasco
12. Itsari
13. Ambush
14. Endangered Species
15. Dictatorsh*t

Sepultura's Roots went bravely where no other metal album had gone before. It mixed Afro-Brazilian drums and tribal rhytms/music with down tuned new metal guitar and death metal vocals. This 1996 album was also Sepultura's last with front man Max Cavalera; he would leave the group and go on to front a solo band, Soulfly. And, until 2004's "Prophecy," "Roots" was also more experimental than anything Max would make in Soulfly.

It's not the masterpiece people say it is. It was released at a great time, rivaling and overtaking most other musical accomplishments of 1996(metal, anyway). Slayer had just released their very own Spaghetti Incident?, Pantera made one big mess of album in Trendkill, and KoRn's abysmal follow-up Life Is Peachy was out too. Amidst this, Sepultura released Roots. If you compare it to Metallica's Load, well...we'll just leave it at that. Nonetheless, it lacks the flare of previous releases. Beneath The Remains was a classic, Arise was a masterpiece, and Chaos A.D. was experimental and brilliant

"Roots, Bloody Roots" is the first single, probably the heaviest song on "Roots," and is one of Sepultura's best known songs. It remains a staple of their live shows, and the success of this song has influenced some Soulfly songs (like "Prophecy.") Plus, Max has even adopted this song as his own, and played it during some Soulfly concerts. The album opens with the sound of crickets chirping, then this song launches into heavy, de-tuned guitar bluster. These guitars, which make a heavy churning and humming noise, are a big part of why this song is so heavy and catchy (even though there are some good vocal hooks, here, too). I enjoy how the beat comes down, then Max comes out of no where to let out one of his loud, ascending yells.
"Attitude" features guitars which are at first flamenco, then punching and pounding.
"Ratamahatta" is the song with the Brazilian tribe. It begins with what sounds like maracas and tribal drums. The guitars kick in and there's some catchy, aggressive scat in the background. The verses on this song are soft and restrained, making a good friction between the verses and heavy choruses.
"Breed Apart" has tin drums at the beginning, before turning to chunky, chug and churn guitars and vocals that alternate from supple growling to raging yells. The Jew's harp comes aboard and plays briefly over the beat, and the song ends with some static-sounding white noise.
"Spit" starts with (what sounds like) guitar feedback and some distant yelling (of "Un, dos, tres, cua!") The crunchy guitars eventually come to the front, and there are a few more of Max's heavy yells.
"Lookaway" has an instrument that could be a flute and a catchy drum beat, followed by DJ scratching (compliments of DJ Lethal-a DJ who would later join Limp Bizkit). Even though there are some guitars, this song's pace is about half as fast as the others. Two guest vocalists, Faith No More's Mike Patton and Korn's Jonathan Davis, make an appearance and sing/whisper over distant, dreary, ghost-like noises.
"Dusted" begins with a banging of the drum sticks, then the guitarists (Andreaas Kisser and Max Cavalera) make some of the heaviest and fastest guitar riffs since track one.
"Born Stubborn" has a beeping guitar noise which becomes increasingly fast and heavy, but some more tribal drums and Brazilian chants are tossed in near the end.
"Itsari" mixes more South American chants and maracas with acoustic guitar strums and soft hand percussion.
"Ambush" is highlighted by a nice breakdown of heavy, groove-y guitars, which comes after the song veers into soft, serene territory. It's not thrash metal, so don't expect vintage Sepultura here. Try to enjoy the experience. Roots truly kick started nu-metal, and opened the world to tribal metal. If you don't like it, check out Chaos A.D. for a thrashier approach, and Arise, Beneath, and Schizo for intense, brutal, aural insanity.It has elements of trash and death metal but the experimentation with tribal rythms and instruments is starting to have more presence