Now see, I only have illegally dubbed copies of these mid-period records, so correct me if I'm wrong (I often am), but I think they recorded this album as a trio. Anyone? Some help here? Anyway, some will moan, others complain. Me, I listen to these pop strains of Mr. Westerberg and I'm flabbergasted that this record didn't make them a household appliance. Unbelievably great songs all the way through, from the fast ("I.O.U.") to the jazzy ("Nightclub Jitters") to the bold ... read more

Finally, they crank up the asbestos and rock!!!!! So long, folk! Hello, audible vocals! A TRUE stand-out. And I mean that in the Spandau Ballet sense of the word. Lots of hits - the moody lead track "Begin The Begin" (can you beat that little "doodle-oo-doo-dee-doo-doo-doo" guitar bit? No, you cannot!), the sad harmonious "Fall On Me," the dark sandbagger indictment "Swan Swan H," and the upbeat Mike-Mills-larynxed "Superman" cover all polluted ... read more

Holy cripes is this a depressing record. It's Lou's ruminations on two friends who died in the previous year - one of cancer, the other I'm not sure. Their names were Doc and Rita (at least, that's who the CD is dedicated to). The album is full of really somber, emotional guitar music and titles like "Cremation," "Goodby Mass" and "No Chance." The guitar tones are angelic, almost unforgivably beautiful - and the collection of slowly jazzy riffs and gorgeously ... read more

Hey, you'd be rattled too if your band put out an album this great and nobody noticed because they were too busy celebrating your brother. It happened with Frank Stallone when the press was going gaga about Over The Top, it happened with Mark Wahlberg when The New Kids On The Block were on every magazine cover in the country (including a nude centerfold on www.virtualbirder.com), it happened with Sonny Bono when his brother " " released the Joshua Tree album and it happened in 1985 to ... read more

Chime right on in gayfer if you got shit to say to me about this 10. I don't even like X all that much anymore. Never get the urge to listen to `em. No urge to hear their filler or Exene's tuneless wailing. But this is GOOD! I'm fairly sure that Davey Allen is gone from this one, replaced by none other than X's own suave guitarist Billy Zoom who feels that tattoos are too trendy and drummer DJ Bonebrake! The result is gorgeous - all you Ventures fans out there, I would say that, where the debut ... read more

The first two albums and some bonus tracks. The best Ramones that money can buy.

To be honest, I can't get past the first 5 seconds without giving the CD a 10. "Everything In Its Right Place" features one of the most hopeless, frightened atmospheres I have ever come across in music. I don't know how much Thom Yorke actually thinks about suicide, if at all, but this song is the PERFECT soundtrack for somebody whose life meaning has been destroyed. The soft echoing keyboard tones, Thom's pleading vocals set in perfect coordination with the four-chord rising self- ... read more

With their second attack on America's most cherished traditions, The Punkles bring The Ramones' "fill every space with sound" guitar approach and doo-doo-chi-doo drumbeat to 3 With The Beatles tracks, 2 each from Help!, Rubber Soul and Revolver, and 1 each from Please Please Me, A Hard Day's Night and For Sale, plus 3 singles and even a solo John Lennon hit. No other Punkles album features such a wide range of source material! And for this reason, I award Punk! the coveted Mark(R) ... read more

Originally packaged as a bunch of 7-inch singles in a metal box under the confusing and non-understandable name Metal Box, this double album does away with the stylistic jumping around that I claim to have heard on the first album, instead establishing the PILs as the coolest dance band EVER. Dance music that MUSIC fans can enjoy too! The kind of dance music that didn't exist prior, and hardly existed afterwards! This is dance music to zone out to, with Jah's extraordinarily catchy, moody, ... read more

Here it is, Steve. The reason I got into Public Enemy in the first place. Every single one of these fourteen tracks is a masterpiece, from the totally kickass air-raid siren intro "Lost At Birth" to the even more absolutely buttpunch thrash version of "Bring The Noise" (with Anthrax!) that closes the record. Completely gripping at every moment this album is, sir.
The lyrics discuss the black community's role in destroying itself, the music is mean, and the production is ... read more

My pal Matthew Terrebonne whines about the lack of innovative (or, in fact, discernible) lead guitarwork on this record, but as far as my musical ears are concerned, this is the one to watch. This album marks the exact point in time that Les Claypool reached the pinnacle of his powers - right before he tired of showing off and began concentrating on more low-key ways of making songs sound awfully strange. I'm not the hugest fan of record reviews that describe individual songs (even though I ... read more

I suppose it should come as no surprise that the best album of Iggy's solo career would be the one he recorded with the old Iggy And The Stooges guitarist. What's surprising, though, is how little the record has in common with Raw Power. What it sounds like is a classic Rolling Stones album. Lots of gorgeous slide guitar, heavy emphasis on keyboards and pianos (which, if you've never seen one, is kind of an acoustic keyboard) and such unexpected accoutrements as saxophone, harmonica, congas and ... read more

The coolest. The tempo-halting harmonic "gleeng gloong!"s in "Thermal Treasure," the queasy axe meanderings of a solo Mr. Ash in "My Kimono," the harmonic-laden rat-a-tat-a-tat chorus in "Sure Shot," the pick-tapping-string solos in "Stinger (Five Wigs)," the high-energy guitar swoops and clachunkas in "Action Vs. Vibe" (action wins by a longshot), the smash-em-up count-to-fives that close "Gemini Cusp" - crud, dude - these ... read more

The albums are all good, but never consistent enough for me. So here's the greatest hits compilation for you. It's got all their best hits, wisely skipping the radio hits that I personally didn't love quite as much as the others ("Synchronicity 2," "Driven To Tears," "So Lonely"). So whatcha left with? A bitchin' Police comp! Every tune on here is among the catchiest radio hits ever created by anybody ever at any time ever, and makin' this smacker a fantastic buy ... read more

This is my favorite Pixies record. It's definitely not their most popular, but I've never been one to let the majority decide what albums are the best, by golly! If I were to do that, well mister, I reckon I'd be listening to Patti Smith's piece of shit Horses album all fluffy day then, wouldn't I now? Eh??? You hear what I say about Patti Smith's Horses, eh??? The enjoyableness of this album for me comes from the charming weirdness of it all. Just all these two-minute songs - coming one after ... read more

UPDATE 2007: Before you read my original review (written at age 24), let me add this at age 34: At this point in my life, The Wall sounds like an album for young teenagers. Unlike all other Pink Floyd albums, it is so overblown and full of self-pity that it's really hard to take seriously at my advanced age. However, I discovered it at just the right time in my emotional development (age 13) that it became one of the most important albums of my life. I still really, really love it (hence the ... read more

Either buy them all or buy this one, because there are just way too many great hits for you not to own as many of them as possible. This comp includes sixteen cool classics, plus a decent new depression anthem called "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and a fairly pointless new cover tune. Sole gripes - and you knew I had to gripe, so don't act surprised - where the fork are "Woman In Love," "Change Of Heart" and "Jammin' Me"? You telling me those weren't hits? ... read more

I honestly don't think it's quite a 10. In fact, an eight and a half is more whereabouts I'd put it. But rounding up is the right of every American and I consider myself the most American American in the American States of America. Let's discuss this matter!

The first Pere Ubu album has some incredibly DIFFERENT things going on, almost like a cross between the progressive rock of the early 70s and the punk rock that rebelled against it in the late 70s. Yet, it's NEITHER progressive NOR punk ... read more

Enslavement, shavement, ravement. All have their apologists, but none can match the songwriting elegance of early '90s Pavement. Enslavement, for example, seemed to spend most of its time subjugating black people, making them pick cotton and having fuck with their daughters. What time did that leave for writing catchy indie-rock songs? Not bloody much, I'd argue if tempted. But Pavement, because they weren't so busy overseeing the plantation and making zebra babies (scientific term per The ... read more

I was lying on the floor petting Mr. Henry The Dog just a few moments ago, wondering what in God's Butt I could say about such a multilayered, brilliant and copyright-unfriendly non-release as Milkshake X Infinity when suddenly out of the guitar rock din of "Conditional Positive Regard," I heard Mark E. Smith say to me, "Feel the wrath...of my...Bombast!"

This was enough to give me the first thing I wanted to say to you: There are so truckfuckingly many samples in each of ... read more