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Parkas4Kids
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- Review count83
- Helpfulness votes48
- First reviewMarch 2, 2010
- Last reviewFebruary 11, 2017
- Featured reviews1
- Average rating4.1
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![Let It Bleed [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4737/4737878_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
2nd of the Four Great Albums Is Not One to Missed
on February 11, 2017
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Between 1968 and 1972, the Rolling Stones released some of the greatest rock 'n' roll records ever recorded. 1968 saw the release of Beggars Banquest, 1969 saw the release of Let It Bleed, 1971 saw the release of Sticky Fingers, and 1972 saw the release of Exile On Main St. 1969 also saw the removal and eventual death of the founding member of the Rolling Stones, Brian Jones, as well as the introduction of his replacement, Mick Taylor. It was a time of great flux within the band, and with the flux came an absolutely outstanding record.
With the release of Beggars Banquest, the Stones decided to stop releasing different versions of their albums for the UK and US markets (typically, the UK market would not release any singles from an album as those songs were considered to have already been released), and they kept that tradition with the release of Let It Bleed (and every album released thereafter). The first single released was "Honky Tonk Women" b/w "You Can't Always Get What You Want" as both songs had been recorded prior to the release of the album itself, and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" appeared as the album closer even though "Honky Tonk Women" did not. No other singles were released from the album until 1970 when "Let It Bleed" b/w "You Got The Silver" was released in Japan.
While following the standard blues-rock style that made the Rolling Stones one of--if not THE--biggest and best bands on the planet, Let It Bleed has a rather strong undercurrent of country influence, particularly on "Country Honk" and "You Got The Silver." Truth be told, old American country songs were a strong influence on many of the original British Invasion bands, though not as much as the blues or R&B. But the Stones, throughout the course of their history, have paid homage to more than their fair share of country classics. But, at its heart, this is a blues record as are all Stones records, and that's why we fell in love with these guys way back in the early '60s.
Let It Bleed has a veritable pantheon of hits. "Honky Tonk Women," "Gimme Shelter," a live version on "Midnight Rambler," and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" appear on Hot Rocks 1964-1971. "Country Honk," "Let It Bleed," and "Monkey Man" are also incredibly strong songs that could have easily been released as singles. And then there's "You Got The Silver," which is the first-ever Rolling Stones recording where Keith took on lead vocals while Mick (Jagger) manned the harmonica. Sadly, Brian Jones, who was becoming increasingly estranged from the band, only appears on two songs: "You Got The Silver" and "Midnight Rambler," playing autoharp and congas respectively.
If all you have are greatest hits albums in your Rolling Stones collection, do yourself a favor and buy this album. It's considered to be one of the greatest rock 'n' roll albums ever recorded because, well, it is. Listen to it just once and you'll agree. So what are you waiting for? Buy it already!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Black and Blue [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9259/9259857_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
To say this is a curious album for the Rolling Stones is a bit of an understatement. Mick Taylor had just recently left the band (he joined as replacement of the band's founding member, Brian Jones, in 1969), and his replacement had not yet been selected. So what do you do when you're the biggest and baddest rock 'n' roll band on the planet? You host auditions and record the whole darn thing, that's what! Among the hopeful new guitarists were Rory Gallagher, Steve Marriott, Jeff Beck, Harvey Mandel, Wayne Perkins, Peter Frampton, and Ronnie Wood, though only Harvey, Wayne, and Ronnie's work would appear on the subsequent album.
Stylistically, the band found themselves at another crossroad. Though the majority of the album sticks true to their electric blues roots, there are also elements of reggae (see "Cherry Oh Baby") and jazz (see "Melody"), which were pretty far out of the band's usual playbook. And yet they managed to incorporate these different styles as only the Rolling Stones can do: with balls and bravado. Opening with "Hot Stuff" followed by "Hand Of Fate," the door gets kicked in pretty heavily before the gears shift for their cover of Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby." Side 1 closes with the slow blues burn of "Memory Motel" where both Mick and Keith contributed lead vocals to a love song embedded within a tale of life on the road.
Side 2 opens with "Hey Negrita," another bluesy-rock number, then shifts to the bluesy-jazz "Melody," which features the piano work of Billy Preston rather prominently. "Fool To Cry," the album's second single, follows before closing out with the rockin' "Crazy Mama." Overall, Black And Blue is a solid addition to the Stones already stellar catalog, but it doesn't hold as much reverence as, say, albums like Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, or Exile On Main St. But when you record some of the all-time greatest rock 'n' roll records back to back to back, don't you deserve a little time off? A chance to step back and try something a little different? I think that's what Black And Blue is all about, a chance for the Stones to step out of their comfort zone and try something a little different.
If all you know of the Rolling Stones is their greatest hits albums, you'll recognize "Hot Stuff" and "Fool To Cry" from Jump Back. In my opinion, the strongest outings on this album are "Hot Stuff," "Hand Of Fate," and "Crazy Mama"; these are what I would consider to be the *essential* tracks on Black And Blue. "Cherry Oh Baby" and "Hey Negrita" are pretty cool to listen to, and "Memory Motel" and "Melody" and excellent "late night" tracks for relaxin' at home. I'm not a huge fan of "Fool To Cry," though; it reminds me too much of "Angie," and I tend to skip it whenever I listen to the album. But overall, this is an album worth having whether or not you're out to collect the entire Stones catalog; if nothing else, it makes an excellent bookend (but in a good way).
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Looking for Johnny: The Legend of Johnny Thunders [Original Soundtrack] [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2605/26051737_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Perhaps *the* Definitive Johnny Thunders Collectio
on February 11, 2017
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Picking out a Johnny Thunders album is pretty tough. Tougher than necessary because there are so many bootlegs and unofficial albums that the market is saturated in Johnny Thunders performances. Outside of his time spent with the New York Dolls, he only recorded seven studio records, one of which was recorded with the Heartbreakers (L.A.M.F.) and one that was the soundtrack for the film "Mona et Moi" (Copy Cats). Well more than double that is the number of compilation and live albums of Johnny's music that are availabe. So yeah, unless you're already well versed in the music of Johnny Thunders, picking out a good, comprehensive career overview is more than a little daunting. Fortunately, thanks to the recent documentary about Mr. Thunders, "Looking for Johnny: The Legend of Johnny Thunders," an excellent anthology of his non-New York Dolls work has been compiled (and also happens to be the soundtrack to the film)!
Even though the New York Dolls have been considered amongst the godfathers of punk rock, Johnny was well versed in a variety of guitar styles including glam rock, rock 'n' roll, and even rhythm and blues. Nearly half of this soundtrack focuses on his work with the Heartbreakers, and only one track is credited to Actress, the pre-New York Dolls band for whom Johnny played guitar. The remainder of the soundtrack focuses on Johnny's solo work and a handful of songs either about or inspired by Mr. Thunders himself. To say that Johnny was an inspirational figure in punk rock is an understatement; his inate and uncanny talent is still talked about among musicians.
So if you're curious about the music of Johnny Thunders, I highly recommend picking up this compilation. My first introduction to Mr. Thunders is ROIR's The New Too Much Junkie Business, which is an excellent collection of both live and studio tracks but was made to have a more intimate, "bedroom recordings" feel to it. The soundtrack for "Looking for Johnny: The Legend of Johnny Thunders" cuts straight to the bone and leaves out an semblance of fluff. And I really dig the addition of the last six tracks on the second disc; it's nice to hear songs influenced by the legend as well as songs that helped him achieve that status.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The xx [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9536/9536914_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
2
The Cover Says It All: Avoid the X at All Costs
on February 11, 2017
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Between August 2009 when this album was released and November 2010 when I bought it, it seemed like all anyone was talking about was The xx. Rolling Stone absolutely raved about the band as well as the album, and the reviews of the record were practically off the charts. So, during Amazon Music's holidays sale in 2010, when the album was super-duper cheap, I went ahead and bought it figuring there was no better time to check this band out. Sadly, that money was utterly and completely wasted.
The only song worth listening to on this album us "Intro." The rest of the album is boring minimalist garbage borrowed heavy-handedly from bands like Joy Division and New Order as well as contemporary R&B. The basslines alone sound as if Peter Hook was flown in to record them personally, and there is a strong level of R&B production across the whole record. However, what slapped me in the face the most about this album is just how utterly and completely BORING it is. The singing is barely audible, and they sound as if they can barely lift a finger to play their instruments. And I won't go into the drivel that gets passed off as lyrics....
How this album garned--and won--so many awards is completely beyond me. How so many music critics not only didn't flame this record back to the Stone Age but actually stated they LIKED it is flabbergasting. I've listened to this album over a dozen times, and I'm not lying when I tell you I can barely stand it. Every time I put it on, I'm bored out of my gourd by the fourth track, but I keep hoping every time I play it again that I'll find something else besides the opening track that I'll actually like. So far, though, I've failed at this fool's errand every single time. And this last time I've played the album will be my last; this album can't be removed from my music collection fast enough.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9203/9203097_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Few bands can do spacey psych rock quite like Weird Owl. I initially stumbled upon this band on Twitter shortly after they'd inked a deal with Anton Newcombe's 'a' Records for the release of their first EP, Healing. I then found their debut album, Nuclear Psychology, on CD Baby and knew I was in for something special. Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed is the band's debut album, and Teepee Records did an excellent job with its release.
Teepee Records tends to specialize in psychedelic and heavy metal artists, so the songs on Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed are heavier than those on Nuclear Psychology, which was self-released by the band. Where Nuclear Psychology draws many comaprisons to early-era Pink Floyd, Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed reminds me more of psych metal bands like Orchid, Kadavar, and Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats. However, whereas those bands deal in heavier-themed songs, Weird Owl plumbs the psyche and delves into the spiritual aspect of what it means to be human. In other words, if you're looking for sugary pop tunes, you've come to the wrong place.
My personal favorite tracks on this album are "Skeletelepathic" and "Phases of the Moon." Truth be told, I prefer the spacier sound they forged in Nuclear Psychology and Healing. While I do enjoy a good heavy record, I feel as though the songs structures on those two EPs is superior to their work here. However, this is certainly an album with a great deal of merit and an excellent addition to your collection if you enjoy psychedelic and/or space rock.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Mind Control [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8865/8865433_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Chances are you've already listened to Blood Lust if you're reading this review. If you haven't, please try to rectify that mistake. If you have, then you will naturally be able to see and feel the progression of Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats in Mind Control, their sophomore album for Rise Above Records/Metal Blade Records. Whereas Blood Lust felt like the gathering of a cult, Mind Control feels like the cult has turned into a living, breathing society ready to lash out against the world. A little more heavily steeped in contemporary heavy metal, Mind Control is a more aggressive-sounding record than Blood Lust while further cementing the fact that Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats are here to stay. And that, my friends, is a good thing.
As stated above, the first half of Mind Control is much more aggressive and much faster than the heady psych-metal of Blood Lust. "Mt. Abraxas" takes you into the heart of the band's metaphorical commune, immersing you in the dark, sweaty, bloodthirsty halls of many of humanities deepest emotions. "Mind Crawler" begins to warp your mind as well as your perceptions of the world around you, twisting your thoughts until you desire nothing more than to bite the "Poison Apple" as part of the initiation rite: the "Desert Ceremony." In that deadly ritual, you fall under the spell of Uncle Acid's "Evil Love" as you and your fellow Deadbeats sing the "Death Valley Blues." It is then that you and your fellow Deadbeats "Follow the Leader" to the "Valley of Dolls" to do the "Devil's Work"!
All jokes aside, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats may very well have outdone themselves with this album. Harder and faster than Blood Lust, the band take back their signature sound as "Evil Love" ends and "Death Valley Blues" begins, something akin to the euphoria a serial killer feels after finishing with each victim. I also really rather like the simplistic album art, the rainbow banner around the distant mountain range on a primarily-black background. Very minimalistic.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Blood Lust [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2073/20734266_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Remember when rock 'n' roll was dangerous? When people feared Ozzy Osbourne because they thought he was the spawn of the devil? When the Misfits were thought to be demons from below dressed in human flesh? Or when the world feared that rock 'n' roll would poison the minds of the youth and have them worshipping Lucifer whilst conducting Satanic rituals in their bedrooms? Well, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats do, and they're doing their best to make rock 'n' roll a place safe for...well, no one.
By now, you may already be familiar with the legend. The band began uploading songs to YouTube before they ever performed live. And they would only use vintage equipment to both perform and record as they felt it better rooted their sound in that late-'60s era from which they draw so much inspiration. It wasn't until they signed with Rise Above Records that they had their first live performance, several years after they self-released their first album, "Volume 1," which is incredibly rare and hard to find as of this day.
Whatever it is Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats are doing to preserve the Golden Age of heavy metal, it's working. Their songs are laced with dark, heavy psychedelia that harkens back to such luminaries as Blue Cheer, early Alice Cooper, and (of course) Black Sabbath. They've also drawn comparisons to early Stooges, which is more subtle but definitely there. My personal favorite tracks are "I'll Cut You Down," "Death's Door," "Curse in the Trees," "13 Candles," and "Ritual Knife"; I'm surprised "13 Candles" was never released as a single as it's hands-down my favorite song on this album. All-in-all, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats have a remarkably solid debut album in Blood Lust, and debuts like this don't come around all that often. Initially, I didn't particularly care for this album and found it mediocre, but something in it drew me back in again and again, and each time I listen to it I love it a little more. And that, folks, is what makes these guys so dangerous!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux/Ghosts of Download [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6017/6017239_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Okay, seriously, what the heck happened to Blondie? I'd heard the band hasn't sounded like it did in the '80s and '90s in quite some time, but what the heck is this garbage? For starters, you have several perfectly good greatest hits collections out on the market, so why re-record a bunch of your biggest hits with sub-par vocals that are buried in the instruments to hide the fact that they don't sound like they used to (with the exception, of course, for "Maria," which was not re-recorded). At best, I would give the Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux four stars; on the whole, the songs are there, but the vocals just aren't where I think they should be for a former powerhouse band like Blondie.
That brings me to Ghosts of Download. What on Earth is this pile of trash? I realize Blondie aren't the first post-punk/new wave band to dabble in other genres (in fact, Blondie have been rather experimental over the course of their career), but this thirteen-track pile of refuse borders on a lackluster dancehall album more than anything else. It reminds me a little bit of Billy Idol's most recent record, Kings & Queens of the Underground, that blended dance music with '80s punk rock, but it doesn't do nearly as good a job of blending those two disparate genres into something actually worth listening to. Instead, I could listen to barely more than half of each of the songs on Ghosts of Download before shutting it off in disgust, earning a solid one star (since I can't give it zero).
This brings me to another issue: what happened to all of Blondie's other albums? The digital market used to be saturated in Blondie releases, and now all we have are a handful of actual albums and a bunch of singles and EPs. And none of the previous (and far superior) greatest hits compilations are available aside from Atomic/Atomix: The Very Best of Blondie. Did Debbie & Co. lose the digital rights to their own music? I mean, they're pretty much all still available on CD and vinyl, so why not digital?
In short, don't buy this album. Save up your hard-earned dollars and get yourself a copy of the 2002 Greatest Hits album on CD. The recordings are FAR superior to the re-recorded versions found on this album, and you won't have to suffer therough the abomination that is Ghosts of Download. Then we can lament Blondie as we knew her and loved her together.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Blondie 4(0)-Ever/Ghosts of Download [CD/DVD] [CD & DVD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6017/6017082_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Okay, seriously, what the heck happened to Blondie? I'd heard the band hasn't sounded like it did in the '80s and '90s in quite some time, but what the heck is this garbage? For starters, you have several perfectly good greatest hits collections out on the market, so why re-record a bunch of your biggest hits with sub-par vocals that are buried in the instruments to hide the fact that they don't sound like they used to (with the exception, of course, for "Maria," which was not re-recorded). At best, I would give the Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux four stars; on the whole, the songs are there, but the vocals just aren't where I think they should be for a former powerhouse band like Blondie.
That brings me to Ghosts of Download. What on Earth is this pile of trash? I realize Blondie aren't the first post-punk/new wave band to dabble in other genres (in fact, Blondie have been rather experimental over the course of their career), but this thirteen-track pile of refuse borders on a lackluster dancehall album more than anything else. It reminds me a little bit of Billy Idol's most recent record, Kings & Queens of the Underground, that blended dance music with '80s punk rock, but it doesn't do nearly as good a job of blending those two disparate genres into something actually worth listening to. Instead, I could listen to barely more than half of each of the songs on Ghosts of Download before shutting it off in disgust, earning a solid one star (since I can't give it zero).
This brings me to another issue: what happened to all of Blondie's other albums? The digital market used to be saturated in Blondie releases, and now all we have are a handful of actual albums and a bunch of singles and EPs. And none of the previous (and far superior) greatest hits compilations are available aside from Atomic/Atomix: The Very Best of Blondie. Did Debbie & Co. lose the digital rights to their own music? I mean, they're pretty much all still available on CD and vinyl, so why not digital?
In short, don't buy this album. Save up your hard-earned dollars and get yourself a copy of the 2002 Greatest Hits album on CD. The recordings are FAR superior to the re-recorded versions found on this album, and you won't have to suffer therough the abomination that is Ghosts of Download. Then we can lament Blondie as we knew her and loved her together.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![No Control [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2689/26892343_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Turbo Fruits Return with Something New to Love
on December 5, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
When Turbo Fruits released the album "Butter" in 2012, I was blown away. Even though "Echo Kid" is, song for song, a stronger album, there's an aesthetic to "Butter" that I just can't shake. So, when the band announced their next album, "No Control," I was more than a little excited. I have all their albums, all their singles, pretty much everything the band has made available to their fans, so yeah, I really dig this band.
Well, as they've done with each album, the Turbo Fruits sound has evolved once again. What I dug about "Butter," that down-and-dirty rock 'n roll vibe, is still there, but there's also a rather polished pop sensitivity that changes the whole dynamic. I feel as though they've finally moved away from their garage/punk roots and are headed towards a more polished, commercial sound. Now, I don't mean commercial in a negative way; these guys deserve to have a sell-out arena tour or two. Also, it doesn't hurt that these guys have a lot more talent than some of the major bands on the road these days.
As with their previous albums, this is one to grow on. As I mentioned above, their sound evolves with each album they release, so you can't judge the new on the old without looking at the big picture. So far, my favorite songs are "The Way I Want You," "Favorite Girl," "No Reason to Stay," "Friends," and "Big Brother." Without a doubt, I dig this album, and you can bet I'll be listening to it again and again. Turbo Fruits doesn't write throw-away songs; that's for lesser bands!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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