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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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![The Innocents [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2568/25687517_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Few musicians have the talent to go beyond the framework of making music into building moods and atmospheres, but Natalie Meting is one such artist. "The Innocents" feels more like the score of a Golden Age suspense/thriller film than an album. This is not an album you listen to casually; it's an immersive experience.
If your musical taste doesn't go beyond the standard rock/pop catalog, this probably isn't the album for you. However, if you're looking for something off the beaten path and truly creative, get yourself a copy of "The Innocents." Natalie's hauntingly beautiful vocals will chill you to the bone.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
5
The Experimental Side of JEFF the Brotherhood
on January 4, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
JEFF the Brotherhood are a rare breed: two brothers who can weave just about every music genre into some of the most intense rock the human ear drum can handle. Most of their albums follow a more standard album structure, but "The Brotherhood of Light" is a beast of a completely different nature. Split into two tracks--Side 1 and Side 2--the album follows a more progressive/art rock structure like Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick" or "A Passion Play."
Very little is said about the album on Infinity Cat's website, which adds to the album's mystique. Side 1 is the heavier side, steeped more in heavy metal and hard rock than anything else. Predominantly guitar-and-drum driven, the brothers pull out the keyboard to add a little texture to the compositions.
Side 2 is more on the slow side by comparison. More pop-driven than Side 1, it shows off the softer side of the brothers' musical influences. Where some bands show their influences on their sleeves, JEFF have obvious influences in terms of genre as opposed to specific band names.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Wild Onion [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2544/25441227_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If the Byrds had been born in a garage in Chicago, they would've called themselves Twin Peaks. These guys make albums that are far beyond what most bands can achieve throughout the peaks of their careers, and this is only their second recording! And their albums grow on you more and more each time you listen.
"Wild Onion" could have easily been recorded in the mid to late '60s, and these guys keep their songs short, tight, and sweet. The songs range from standard rock n roll to psychedelic surf rock, yet none of it sounds odd or out of place. They make it work, and every note feels genuine and pure.
The next time you hear someone lamenting the state of rock n roll, have them listen to this album. If Twin Peaks can't change their mind, I don't know what will!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Caramel [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2278/22783276_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you're looking for something that's aurally challenging and off the beaten path, stop searching and buy this album. It's Mockasin's second full-length album (his first is set to be released later this month), and it's quite frankly like nothing you've ever heard before. The easiest description I can give is if Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett became lead songwriter for Prince: smooth R&B-like jams with weird lyrics that make you wonder what's going on in Mockasin's head. In terms of the process of writing the album, Mockasin said, "It's just ideas in my head that I put together, and later on it might make more sense. But I don't think about the meaning at the time. Or I'm not aware of it."
Whether or not this album makes sense is so far from the point, because this album is like a drug. And if this album is a drug, then I will gladly declare myself a junkie. On my first listen, I didn't particularly care for the album. On my second listen, I liked it even less. And yet there was something there each time I listened to it, something unique and painfully intriguing. It wasn't until my third listen that everything started to meld together and start to work. As of today, I think I'm on my twelfth listen, but I've honestly lost count. It's just that good!
Mockasin's music harkens back to that of the '70s and leans strongly towards the two artists mentioned above. Above all else, this album is refreshing. Like the album's namesake, there's something sweet and sensual about the songs and the music. The slow pace makes for a romantic feel, Connan's vocals coming through in a hushed tone to both soothe and stimulate your ears. If you're having a romantic evening with the missus, "Caramel" could very well set the perfect mood.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia Live at Wonder [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2425/24254166_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
A Live Commemoration to the Dandy Warhols' Best
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Okay, I really don't understand all the hate for this album. It's a live record, and all live records have their flaws. As for the audio quality of this concert, I have no idea what the other reviewers are talking about; this recording is practically flawless in its clarity. True, in some areas Courtney's vocals get a little buried underneath the drums and guitar, and Zia's keyboards are not as audible as the other instruments, but that's what happens with live recordings. And, as the liner notes stated rather clearly, the show was recorded live with no overdubs, so any mistakes are simply part of the package!
'Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia' is quite possibly the last great rock 'n roll record to be recorded in the 20th Century, and it's easily one of the best albums released in the 21st Century to date. It also heralded a new era of exposure and popularity for the band and brought them global exposure. In the end, though, their relationship with Columbia Records soured with subsequent releases, and the Dandy Warhols went back to writing, recording, and releasing their music their own way. Regardless, 'Thirteen Tales...' is a gem, and to commemorate its release, the Dandies took the album on tour to celebrate its thirteenth birthday.
"Godless," "Mohammed," and "Nietzche" sound very much like they did on the record though perhaps a bit slowed down in tempo. Courtney's vocals get a little lost in all the effects on "Country Leaver," which isn't as strong a performance as on the original album, and the vocals continue to sound a little weak as "Solid" gets revved up. As the band jumps into "Horse Pills," they up the tempo a bit, and Courtney more talks his way through the song than sings. "Get Off," in my opinion, is a little weak compared to the record and doesn't quite have the same feel. However, once "Sleep" starts up, the band gets back in the groove, slows things down a bit, and start to sound more like they did on the album. "Cool Scene" is just as excellent as it was on the album, though "Bohemian Like You" falls short of its initial grandeur. "Shakin" also leaves a little to be desired compared to the original record, but "Big Indian" and "The Gospel" really manage to bring it all back home again.
All in all, if you enjoyed 'Thirteen Tales...' for the big radio hits, this live recording isn't for you. The songs that really shine here are the lesser-known songs, the less popular tracks, but this is a far cry from a terrible live recording. Could it have been better? Sure, it could have, but I've listened to a lot of live albums that sound a LOT worse. You also have to take into account that this was one of the last of a marathon set of shows--thirteen shows at thirteen venues in thirteen days, if I remember correctly--so the band was also probably a little road-weary. And they absolutely KILLED IT, flaws and all.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Wiser for the Time [LP] - VINYL](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2097/20971197_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys One More Time
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
On August 3, 2010, the Black Crowes released their ninth studio album, an all-acoustic compilation record consisting of songs from their first six albums. They also went on their "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys" tour, a double 90-minute acoustic/electric set extravaganza to celebrate the release of 'Croweology'. During their (at the time) farewell tour, they played a series of shows in New York City, and it was those shows that make up the 26 songs found here on 'Wiser for the Time'.
The Black Crowes are among my all-time favorite bands, and they share a very special honor in that I far prefer their live output over that of their studio ventures. Sure, I have the staple greatest hits album, 'A Tribute to a Work in Progress...', but I rarely ever listen to it. It's records like 'Live', 'Freak 'n' Roll...Into the Fog', 'Warpaint Live' (which is far better than the studio record), and 'Wiser for the Time' that I find myself playing far more often. Like their contemporaries the Grateful Dead (the Crowes have accompanied both Phil Lesh & Friends as well as Bob Weir on numerous occasions), there's a level of dynamic energy that just can't be captured in a recording studio. Whether it's something funny or witty that Chris says to the crowd or an extended solo by Rich and whomever's accompanying him, it's on the stage where the Crowes really stretch their wings and take flight.
In terms of personal preference, 'Freak 'n' Roll...Into the Fog' is my favorite live Black Crowes album, bar none. Nothing beats those recordings of "Soul Singing," "My Morning Song," and "Sunday Night Buttermilk Waltz." My second favorite would have to be 'Wiser for the Time' with its acoustic openers and electric finishers as well as its under-the-radar cover songs like "Hot Burrito #s 1 & 2" and "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You." I do find, though, with 'Wiser for the Time' that the acoustic set actually stretches into Disc 2's "Soul Singing" and "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You"; the electric set doesn't actually begin until "Exit." So, even though there are 26 track on the album, you get 15 acoustic songs and 12 electric songs (since "My Morning Song/Stare It Cold" is technically a two-song medley) and makes for one heck of a live album to add to your collection.
Of course, for the casual fans, the hits are here: the acoustic set has "Downtown Money Waster," "Jealous Again," and "Soul Singing," while the electric set has "My Morning Song" and "She Talks to Angels." Surprisingly, missing from this album is the Otis Redding cover "Hard to Handle," which helped make the Crowes famous; but, if you dig into their live catalog (you can actually purchase just about every concert they've ever playing through their website), taking the hits on the road has never really been their thing. Instead, the Crowes play the songs they want to play, and their set list changes all the time. Perhaps that's why their considered the "bad guys": they do what they want!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Static Age [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/3144/3144065_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
This Is Horror Punk at Its Finest
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
In my opinion, there are only two Danzig-era Misfits albums worth owning: 1982's 'Walk Among Us' and the long-delayed 'Static Age'. Nothing else compares, really. The level of musicianship found on these records far outstrips the thrash-n-bash 'Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood' and the awful-sounding 'Evilive' albums. They both also serve as a better "best of" than 'Collection' and 'Collection II', which culled alternate takes and songs not actually recorded by the Misfits to fill their 40 tracks. The versions of the songs one these two albums are the best you'll find, bar none. And, unless you're a completist, with the exception of "American Nightmare," 'Static Age' renders 'Legacy of Brutality' completely irrelevant.
Though they were pioneers and progenitors of the horror punk genre, the Misfits started out as a drum/bass/electric piano trio similar to New York's art-punks Suicide. It wasn't until Franché Coma joined on guitar and Mr. Jim took over on drums that they became a more traditional punk band. And look at the back cover of the CD; do you see any Halloween make-up or (soon to be) trademark devilocks? No, because this was 1978, and the band had yet to adopt its iconic imagery. Instead, they built the foundation of their legacy.
In spite of Jerry's iron-fisted heavy hand in his control of the Misfits since reforming the band in the mid-'90s, it was Danzig who captained this ship. He wrote and composed the mass majority of the band's songs during his tenure as lead vocalist, and it was during this time that the Misfits were seen as dangerous. I mean, just listen to the lyrics of "Last Caress"! The band didn't really need to look like monster, because they certainly sounded like monsters.
I'm extremely partial to this incarnation of the Misfits and absolutely LOVE pretty much every song on this CD. The only songs I think fall short of pure perfection are "Angelfuck" and "Spinal Remains"; the rest is utter genius. It's a shame it took 19 years for this album to be released, but it was well worth the wait. And, for fans like me who came to love this band well after the Danzig Era had come and gone, it means I don't have to wade through the sea of compilations to get to the good stuff.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Live at the Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, April 28th 1968 [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2415/24157095_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
3
Beore He Was Called the Space Cowboy....
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Sometimes I wonder why archivists bother releasing early recordings like these. First and foremost, it should be mentioned that Steve Miller has been around since the '60s as an impeccably talented blues guitarist. In fact, the blues are where he cut his teeth, and in Chicago of all places. It wasn't until 1966 that he moved to San Francisco and became part of the psychedilic rock movement. But it's not this era of his music that most people know and love the Steve Miller Band. In fact, a lot of casual fans of his music don't know of this era of the band at all.
The Steve Miller Band most people know and love came about in 1973 with the release of 'The Joker', one of his best and most-beloved albums. The two albums he's best known for are 'Fly Like an Eagle' and 'Book of Dreams'--arguably his best albums ever recorded--and it's these three albums that have overshadowed his entire career. So why the sudden gust of Steve Miller (Blues) Band nostalgia? Is it their big 2014 tour with Journey? Who knows?
Unless you're an absolutely die-hard fan of Steve's early work, don't even bother with this album. It's not a Capitol Records release, which sends up red flags that it's a bootleg recording. Put the CD into your stereo system, and the sound quality that will soon emit confirms your suspicions. Barely audible at a "normal" decible level, you REALLY need to crank the knob if you want to hear Steve's vocals. Then there's the hum, the ever-present hum of the Carousel Ballroom's PA system. My guess is our bootlegger held the microphone of his tape recorder right up to the speaker system and started recording. Somewhere in the midst of track 8 on the first disc is where that first side ran out, because the audio cuts out completely.
I give this album 3 stars based solely on the solidity of the band's instrumental performance. The band was on fire that night, and the quality of their performance is the only thing that shines on this album. The jams that took place that night were pretty epic; the crime here is that a proper release was not done. Who knows exactly how long this recording has been sitting, but I'm sure the audio could have been cleaned up and remastered, the levels could have been balanced better, and that God-awful PA hum could have been removed completely. I know we can all learn to live with the hum, but it just murders the last two songs on disc 2. I'm just glad I came across this release through my local library and didn't actually pay my hard-earned dollars for this.
By the way, who the heck are Keyhole Records, anyway...?
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Skullage [CD] [PA]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9264/9264636_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
The Best of Zakk Wylde's Post-Ozzy Career
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
It's tough to call this album a "best of" compilation for Black Label Society seeing as how it covers some of Zakk's work before BLS ever got started. Track 1, "Machine Gun Man," was recorded by Zakk's first post-Ozzy band Pride & Glory, and track 2, "Dead as Yesterday," is from 'Book of Shadows', Zakk's only solo album. Also, tracks 13 through 16 were from Zakk and Nick Catanese's acoustic tour, which is hard to categorize as a full BLS performance. For me, this comp. serves more as a career retrospective for Zakk than for Black Label Society.
If you're looking for a single-disc collection of Zakk's work, look no further than this album right here! What struck me first and foremost about these songs was not Zakk's insane level of talent on the guitar but the unexpected quality of his singing voice. His vocals on "Machine Gun Man" and "Dead as Yesterday" are downright beautiful, which is saying something for a guy with one hell of a metal growl! The studio tracks are absolutely KILLER--especially "Stillborn," which features guest vocals by Ozzy, and "In This River," which is Zakk's tribute to his friend Dimebag Darrell--and the live acoustic tracks help to round out the edge and fury of the heavier material while adding a new dimension to Zakk's music.
I highly recommend this album for anyone looking to get a taste of Zakk Wylde's music. A near-perfect compilation album, it's sure to please just about any music fan out there. My only suggestion: CRANK IT TO 11.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![London 1966-1967 [3-Track] [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/7481/7481003_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
The Only Live Recording of the Original Line-Up
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Nearly a decade before "The Dark Side of the Moon" became one of the best-selling albums of all time, Pink Floyd was a very different band. Fronted and co-founded by a young man named Syd Barrett, they were among the forefathers of psychedelic rock, experimenting heavily with long instrumental pieces as well as designing their own accompanying light shows--a feature for which they were well known until the band dissolved in 1995. However, Syd cracked under the pressure of the band's growing popularity as well as his history with drug use and was dismissed by the band on April 6, 1968. "London 1966/1967" is among the very few live recordings of Syd's time spent with Pink Floyd and is an excellent gauge for the talent of these four young men.
For any Pink Floyd fan familiar with the Syd Barrett era and with the band's debut album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," "Interstallar Overdrive" is a familiar song, but the version found here is well worth another look. The album version clocks in at a cool 9:41, but this version goes much deeper. Clocking in at close to 16 minutes, to call this version "trippy" is an understatement. The B-side, "Nick's Boogie," is a previously-unreleased recording composed by Nick Mason, Pink Floyd's drummer, and adds a bit of funk to the psychedelic freak-out of "Interstallar Overdrive." Seeing as it was composed by Mason, the drummer, it is very percussion-heavy and shows another side to the overall sound of Pink Floyd.
Fans of the early days of Pink Floyd should definitely pick up this live EP. Sure, it's a little expensive considering it's only two songs long, but there are close to 30 minutes of music between those two songs. It also displays well how skillful and artistic Pink Floyd were before their own fame broke them apart. Keep in mind, neither of these songs have any lyrics, but sometimes lyrics just get in the way.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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