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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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![...Like Clockwork [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8954/8954048_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Back from the Dead and as Heavy as Ever!
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
I have listenend to all and own the majority of the QotSA discography--I'm missing 'Lullabies to Paralyze' and 'Era Vulgaris'--and often try to discern the core sound that is Queens of the Stone Age. It's hard to pinpoint due to the somewhat heavy rotation of players backing Josh Homme, but I feel like it's somewhere between the self-titled debut, 'R', and 'Songs for the Deaf'. Like most people, I'm sure, I was first introduced to this band when singles from the aforementioned 'Songs for the Deaf' received rather heavy radio airplay, and I went out and bought the album. To this day, it's far and large my favorite, but I have a strong affinity to the other two albums I mentioned.
This is a band I hate to love, largely because Homme is such an a-hole (do your research on his fallout with former band Kyuss) and also because I feel like this band is somewhat inconsistent and unstable, but it's hard to deny Homme's musical genius. With '...Like Clockwork', I feel like Homme, after a six-year hiatus from writing QotSA material, has gotten back to (what I feel is) the band's basics. This album is heavy, laden with Homme's signature guitar sludge that you can almost feel. This is owed, most likely, to the re-release of the band's self-titled debut that was followed by a tour of said album where it was played in its entirety each and every night. It's easy to understand why these guys are time and time again labelled "The Kings of Stoner Metal."
Something else this album has in spades in superstar guest appearances. Whether it's Dave Grohl on drums, former bassists Nick Oliveri and Alain Johannes, Trent Reznor, or even Sir Elton John, this album has a little something for every QotSA fan, both long-time and new. If you're like me and have a hard time getting over 'Songs for the Deaf', key tracks to look out for are "I Sat by the Ocean," "My God Is the Sun," and "Smooth Sailing." These, to me, were the major stand-out tracks. The rest of the album is solid--heavy, but solid--and makes for a nice re-introduction to the world of Queens of the Stone Age.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [4 Discs] [Includes Digital Copy] [3D] [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D] [2012]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8212/8212138_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
The Unnecessarily Extended Version of "The Hobbit"
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
I recently read J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" to my daughter as a bedtime story, and, as I book that I started reading as a child and put down because I found it boring, I rather enjoyed as an adult. The story is often considered children's literature, but there is much, much more to Tolkien's story than a simple adventure. A lot of the humor and social criticism is lost on anyone not old enough to understand what he was trying to say. And it truly is an excellent story.
With that said, my wife really wanted to go see "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" when it was in the theaters. However, she was rather pregnant at the time, and we never wound up making the trip. After convincing her to do a 3-day "Lord of the Rings" marathon, she wound up really enjoying the story as well as the individual movies. Therefore, I pre-ordered the Blu-Ray 3D/Blu-Ray/DVD + UltraViolet edition, and we waited anxiously for it to arrive. With the story fresh in my memory, I was curious to see how Peter Jackson would take a 200-plus page novel and turn it into a 3-film epic.
Over the years, I've heard many complaints about the liberties taken with "The Lord of the Rings" in how the story was told from multiple perspectives. My response to these complaints was to wave my hand in dismissal and remind the complainer that they have to give some leeway when taking an established novel and interpreting it into film. Liberties HAVE to be taken; it's almost always how it goes. With that said, I had a hard time swallowing a lot of what was filmed for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." I may be blowing things out of proportion here, but only about half of what happened in the film was actually in the book. A LOT of liberties were taken with the making of this film, and I can only imagine how much additional material will be added to the following two films.
Saying that, the film, in and of itself, is an enjoyable experience. If you're a long-time fan(atic) of the original novel, please accept this film as an "interpretive dance" version of the pre-"Lord of the Rings" universe as a whole. If you've never read the novel, please, by all means, watch the film. Just understand that the book, if you decide to read it, is a rather different animal. And if you have no intention whatsoever in reading the book, chances are you'll love this film, especially if you love the "Lord of the Rings" films.
In conclusion, I could have done without all the liberties taken with the story to make this a 3-film epic like "The Lord of the Rings." It was a bit much for me, and, as someone who has minimal background in the world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbitverse, I have no clue where it all came from. My only guess is that these films will be the last Hobbitverse films made, so they're trying to cram in as much material as humanly possible.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Time to Pretend [2 Track Single] [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9227/9227295_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
The Oracular Spectacular Demo Tape
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
MGMT's debut release isn't a demo tape per se, but it has a much rougher edge to it than their rather polished debut album, 'Oracular Spectacular'. On 'Time to Pretend', we get to hear early versions of the band's hits "Time to Pretend" and "Kids," both of which were re-recorded for their debut album, as well a four other songs. Personally, I prefer the later version of "Time to Pretend," but the version of "Kids" found on this release rivals the re-recorded version found on 'Oracular Spectacular'.
Though a mere six songs in length, this EP does a rather good job of sculpting the broad sound of Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, otherwise known as MGMT. And it was these six songs that got them a phone call from Columbia Records offering them a record deal. If you're looking to get into the band's music, this is a good place to start; while not as polished as their Columbia releases, you can easily hear their broad, expansive brand of psychedelic pop.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Chelsea Light Moving [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8057/8057099_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you're like me, you shed a tear or two when you heard the news of Sonic Youth's hiatus/possible break-up as well as the divorce of Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. Is doom looming on the horizon for the pioneers of art-punk/no wave/noise rock? That has yet to be determined, but, in the meantime, at least we have Chelsea Light Moving, Thurston's new band.
While I feel that SPIN Magazine's choice to name Thurston Moore the Greatest Guitarist of All Time is a bit of a stretch, he is certainly in my list of top 5 guitarists. When you hear Thurston's name attached to a project--any project--you expect greateness, and greatness is often received. If you were lucky enough to snag a copy of Thurston Moore and Loren Connors's "The Only Way to Go Is Straight Through" Record Store Day exclusive, chances are you were blown away by their exceptional improvisation.
Sadly, I feel like that expectation of greatness from Thurston is CLM's ultimate downfall. Granted, I didn't know what to expect from this band because the music Thurston creates is so diverse, but I think my expectations were a bit too high. This album feels less like a new venture for Thurston's talents and more like a way to pay his divorce lawyer. If this album had come out in the mid to late '90s, it would've been an absolute dynamo. Unfortunately, this is 2013, and the music style sounds a tad bit dated.
"Heavenmetal" and "Sleeping Where I Fall" sound like outtakes from the early days of Frank Black's post-Pixies solo records, lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally. With the opening lines of "Alighted," we get the Thurston Moore we know and love, but more along the lines of mid-'90s Sonic Youth. In fact, the rest of this album reminds me of SY circa 'Washing Machine' through 'The Eternal', that slower-paced, less angst/anger-driven "Tuff Gnarl" for which the band became so well-known. None of the playing on this record comes close to the sheer power of late '80s/early '90s SY records like 'Daydream Nation', 'Goo', or even 'Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star'.
With that said, this is in no way a bad record whatsoever. I don't think Thurston Moore could make a "bad" record; it's not in his DNA. For me, this record is more of a let-down. I picked it up expecting something new and fresh from Thurston, and instead I feel like he's simply taking his signature SY sound and finding new musicians with whom to explore that territory. It also makes me realize how having another virtuoso on guitar alongside Thurston--Lee Ranaldo, for example--makes Thurston sound that much better. Perhaps the other musicians of CLM simply haven't challenged Thurston's talents enough to make him truly shine.
All in all, I expected more from this album than I got, which is most likely more my fault than the fault of Chelsea Light Moving. It's enjoyable to listen to, but it doesn't move me the way Thurston and Co. do/did on prior records. 'Daydream Nation' is one of my all-time favorite records, and I could listen to it every day without ever getting tired of it. And perhaps that's my ultimate dilemma: I keep wanting Thurston to make another 'Daydream Nation', and, chances are, he never will.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Mosquito [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8815/8815402_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
The Continuing Evolution of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you've been a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from the very beginning, you've noticed a gradual but discernable difference in their sound. Their early releases--up to and including "Fever to Tell"--were grounded in old-school NY art punk and no wave. I'd go so far as to say the YYYs sounded like former roadies for Sonic Youth. They embodied that pseudo-Bohemian angry-at-the-world art-rock attitude that permeated the underground rock world of late '70s-to-early '90s New York.
With "Show Your Bones," the YYYs developed a more pop sound, though their early art punk/no wave influences were still raw and heavy. Their sound was more polished, I guess you could say. With "It's Blitz!", their sound was even more polished, so much so that they almost sounded like a completely different band. They moved away from their early sound of attacking their instruments and more into experimentation into what kinds of sounds their instruments can actually make. But that visceral edge of pure energy was lost, that art punk joie de noise.
"Mosquito," in and of itself, is a continuation of the experimentation begun in "It's Blitz!". This record, to me, feels far more stripped-down that the YYY's previous albums. More to the point, it sounds like they spent the time between the last record's release listening to the infamous NY duos Suicide and MGMT. Gone are the days of Karen O jamming the microphone into her mouth and screaming at the top of her lungs. Gone are the days of Nick Zinner shredding on his guitar as if he's having an epileptic seizure. "Mosquito" is the herald of a new era where the YYYs write more subtle songs that expand the listener's sonic pallet. If you're looking for more old-school YYYs, skip ahead to track 8, "Buried Alive," which features rapper Dr. Octagon. Otherwise, sit back and listen as the YYYs enter yet another phase of their ongoing evolution.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Live at CBGB 1982 [LP] - VINYL](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1925/19252268_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
The Definitive "Live at CBGB 1982"
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you're a Bad Brains fan, which you most likely are if you're reading this, you've either watched "Live at CBGB 1982" on DVD, listened to "Live at CBGB 1982" on CD, or both. Personally, I've done both, and while I really enjoyed the DVD for both its intimate look at the band's three-day Christmas holiday performance at the legendary CBGB and its raw but striking audio quality, I was rather disappointed in the quality of the performances captured on the CD. I don't know what happened to the recording equipment or the audio tapes when the CD was edited, mixed, and released, but it is noticeably inferior to the audio quality of the DVD. While the DVD sounds like a professional recording, the CD sounds like a cheap bootleg.
MVD Audio, the company responsible for both releases, must have realized the mistake they made with the the release of "Live at CBGB 1982" on CD because, four years later, they released this special vinyl edition. Not to be confused with the CD release, this limited edition vinyl release uses the audio recordings from the DVD. The result: a much cleaner, smoother, and better-sounding "Live at CBGB 1982." Five songs, however, were dropped from the mix: "Big Takeover," "I," "Jah the Conqueror," "Supertouch/S***fit," and "All Rise to Meet Jah." Also, the order of songs has changed from the initial CD release, though why this was done is a mystery to me.
All in all, this is a far superior version of "Live at CBGB 1982" than its predecessor on CD. Whether or not MVD Audio will decide to re-release this version of the festival on CD to replace the previous edition is highly doubtful (like I said, they didn't do a digital version and most likely won't), so be sure to pick up a copy when and wherever you can. Only 1,000 copies were made, so they're not joking when they say it's limited edition! This is an absolute must-have for every Bad Brains fan!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Best of 1968-1973 [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/0372/0372386_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Some People Call Him the Space Cowboy....
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you're a fan of classic rock radio, then you know the music of the Steve Miller Band rather well. The band's first compilation record, which collects their hits from '74 to '78, is full to the brim of immediately recognizable rock & roll tunes. If you're not familiar with "Rock'n Me," "The Joker," "Fly Like an Eagle," "Jet Airliner," etc., then you haven't been listening to classic rock long enough.
Now enter this compilation album, which was released in 1990. What most people don't realize is that Steve Miller began his career as a bluesman, and the early days of the Steve Miller Band saw then playing a lot of blues. The band also dabbled in psychedelia and mixed it in with their blues/rock, making them one of the preeminent psychedelic blues/rock bands of the late '60s/early '70s. What this 'best of' album provides is a broad spectrum of the psychedelic blues/rock that the band was working on before they took the rock & roll world by storm with the one-two combo of "Fly Like an Eagle" and "Book of Dreams."
The only crossover hit found on both this record and "Greatest Hits 1974-78" is "The Joker," which came out in '73 and helped create the framework of the two aforementioned classic rock barnburners. That song is--or should be--instantly recognizable and is an utter classic. Other favorites are "Going to the Country," "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma," "Seasons," and "Sugar Babe," all tunes reminiscent of the band's well-known radio hits. The rest of the album is solid, full of bluesy tunes dripping with hints of that '60s psychedelic haze, particualrly "Kow Kow Calqulator," which sounds like a Rolling Stones b-side.
If you love the Steve Miller Band's classic radio hits and are looking for more of what this band was doing prior, I highly recommend purchasing this album. I don't feel it's as strong a collection as "Greatest Hits 1974-78," but it is in no way a weak collection whatsoever. You're guaranteed to fall in love with at least one of these songs, "The Joker" not included.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![United States of Being [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/5470/5470435_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
I first heard PUJOL's music on Jeffery Drag Record's summer mixtape (a free download from the label's Bandcamp site), which featured the track "Bonedaddy," a B-side from his 2011 album 'X-Files from Main Street'. It's a solid song, but nothing really jumped out at me. However, PUJOL hails from the alternative rock mecca of the 21st century: Nashville, TN. His 2010 Third Man Records Blue Series single, "Black Rabbit," rocks so hard it'll make your hair stand on end. It's just one of 12 songs that will absolutely and completely blow you away.
PUJOL play fast and loose. They have that '90s edge while maintaining that old-school punk energy that make them just a little bit dangerous. But then there's the band's namesake Daniel Pujol's lyrics, which aren't just witty but downright smart. So smart, in fact, that they make you think. From the opening of "DIY2K" through the end of "Psychic Pain," this album will have you dancing like a fool and singing along all the while.
The only downfall of this album is that it's one of 3 releases available from Amazon. PUJOL has released at least a dozen singles, EPs, and LPs, most of which are available on iTunes. Others you'll have to dig around through the various labels the band's signed with over the last few years. Regardless, it's worth the time and effort. These guys are going to hit it big; the only question is when.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Avengers Assemble: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/5209/5209395_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you're like me and have been a comic book fan since childhood (especially Marvel comics), you were at the edge of your seat from beginning to end of "The Avengers." Let's face it, that movie is hands-down the greatest comic book movie ever made. Each and every movie preceding the greatest superhero team-up film in history was well worth the wait, and the movie hit the ground running up until the very end.
Now, I'm mentioning the greatness of the film to get a little perspective here. If you see a movie that absolutely blows you away, you'd expect the soundtrack that claims to have "music inspired by the motion picture" to blow you away as well, right? Sadly, such is not the case with this collection of songs. Chances are, if you bought this CD, you bought it for the first new Soundgarden song in years and for no other reason whatsoever. It's okay to admit it; they were a pretty big deal for a good long while, and they're an amazingly talented band. Unfortunately, "Live to Rise" is not nearly good enough to save this sorry collection of songs.
The only songs worth listening to on this soundtrack are Soundgarden's "Live to Rise," Shinedown's "I'm Alive," Scott Weiland's "Breathe," Bush's "Into the Blue," Evanescence's "A New Way to Bleed," and Cherri Bomb's "Shake the Ground." Rise Against's "Dirt and Roses," Black Veil Brides's "Unbroken," Redlight King's "Comeback," Pusherjones's "Count Me Out," and Buckcherry's "Wherever I Go" are simply mediocre, and Papa Roach's "Even If I Could" and Five Finger Death Punch's "From Out of Nowhere" are just terrible. It also doesn't help that the collection of bands on this soundtrack are mediocre themselves; I'm surprised, though, that Nickelback was too busy to contribute a song.
All in all, if you're considering buying this soundtrack, take my advice: Don't. It sucks. Spend your money on something else.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Making Mirrors [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4706/4706605_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
2
What's Wrong with the Music Industry Today?
on January 25, 2015
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Like pretty much everyone else around the world who's either bought or borrowed this album, I fell a little bit in love with "Somebody That I Used to Know" when I heard it on the radio. In a music world oversaturated with auto tune, electronic dance music, and just generally poor musicianship, Gotye's fresh take on pop music was a breath of fresh air. "Somebody That I Used to Know" is undeniably unique, and if the rest of this album is even half as good as that one particular song, it MUST be hit, right?
Wrong. Billy Corgan recently made a statement about the music industry: "If you're just going to create an album of singles, then I guess you don't care. ...The public's interest in albums has diminished, it sort of rewards those people who can come up with the one song. You have, in essence, the wrong end of the telescope. It's like guilt by implication. So if you come up with this one song, people think, Oh, this artist is so great!" He must have been listening to this record before he made that statement, because it describes this album PERFECTLY. As a single, "Somebody That I Used to Know" is gold. It's unique, it's quirky, it utilizes instruments not heard by 99.9% of other popular artists, and it seems to tell a story. However, it doesn't really fit into the framework of the album, 'Making Mirrors'. More to the point, none of the songs on this album fit into anything even remotely resembling a framework. 'Making Mirrors' is little more than a collection of 12 singles packaged as an album.
Now, if you're into that, fine, but I have a major problem with 'Making Mirrors' becoming a hit album based on the popularity of one song. Gotye dabbles in a lot of different sounds and musical genres in these 12 songs, but they don't really fit in with or play off of each other. They just...are. I also have a major problem with Gotye touring major arenas all across the country based on the success of "Somebody That I Used to Know," but that's another argument altogether.
I guess you could say I agree with Billy Corgan, and I feel like this album is just...lazy. What ever happened to bands/artists recording and amassing a huge collection of songs then piecing those songs together into a cohesive record? I'm not saying it has to be a long narrative like Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' or a concept album like The Sword's 'Warp Riders', but to haphazardly slap together a bunch of songs and call it an album spits in the face of music lovers everywhere.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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