September 24, 2024

Various Artists - Step Up (Original Soundtrack) (2006)

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*European pressing. 
Contains 16 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B, Dancehall
Label Number: 82876 88063 2

© 2006 Jive/Zomba Label Group Records
Like Save the Last Dance, Honey, and Take the Lead before it, Step Up plays like a fun, lively time capsule of urban pop and rap singles that were made for dancing. Though the soundtrack is toploaded with the one-two-three punch of Yung Joc's "'Bout It," Ciara and Chamillionaire's "Get Up," and Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole's "(When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me," the entire set is pretty strong. Kelis' "80's Joint," which lives up to its name thanks to its nimble bassline and squelchy synths, Petey Pablo's "Show Me the Money," and Clipse, Re-Up Gang, and Roscoe P. Goldchain's "Ain't Cha" are some of the most energetic standouts, while Chris Brown's wistful "Say Goodbye" and Drew Sidora and Mario's duet "For the Love" get the film's romantic angle across without interrupting the flow of the more danceable tracks. Step Up just might be one of those soundtracks that's actually better than the movie that inspired it.

 tags: various artists, step up, original soundtrack, ost, 2006, flac,
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September 19, 2024

Slade - Slayed? (1972) ☠

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*European first pressing. 
This pressing was digitally remastered 
by Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd.
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Glam Rock
Label Number: 849 180-2

☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1972-1991 Polydor
Slade might have built its everywhere-but-America fame upon a succession of gut-tearing hit singles, but the band's true rocking credentials were on display elsewhere, in the second to none stage show that had already been preserved on the epochal Slade Alive! earlier in 1972 and across the chain of storming B-sides that had accompanied the smashes so far. Slayed? may have been only the band's second studio album in four years, but it reinforced that barrage with enough mighty stompers that the band could have taken the next year off and still not run out of steam. Even if one excises past hits "Gudbuy t' Jane" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" from the equation, Slayed? is a nonstop party, from the riotously self-fulfilling prophecy of "The Whole World's Goin' Crazee" to the down-key but still eminently stompalong-able "Look at Last Nite," the latter a reminder that, even at its loudest, Slade was still capable of some fetching balladry. Or should that be the other way around? The tomahawk riffing of "I Won't Let It 'Appen Again" is another highlight -- a similar arrangement was later borrowed, to excellent effect, for sometime support band Blue Öyster Cult's version of another Slade favorite, the rocker anthem "Born to Be Wild," while "Gudbuy Gudbuy" lurches like a battalion of tanks and matches a stirring Dave Hill guitar break to one of Noddy Holder's coolest-ever vocals. A couple of covers break the Holder/Lea songwriting domination. A bass-heavy blues boogie through Janis Joplin's "Move Over had graced a Slade BBC session earlier in the year, and provoked such a great response that they had no option but to re-record it, while the closing medley of "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Feel So Fine" was the closest you could come to the mania of a Slade live show without actually going out and buying a ticket. Of course, listeners don't have that option today. But stick on Slayed?, crank the volume well up -- and the whole world will be going crazee all over again.

 tags: slade, slayed, 1972, flac,
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Slade - Rogues Gallery (1992 Reissue)

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*Reissued in 1992 by RCA Records
This pressing contains 10 tracks total 
and non-remastered audio.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: 74321 10563 2

© 1985-1992 RCA Records
Thanks to a pair of Quiet Riot cover versions of early Slade songs, Slade was brought to the attention of a new generation of hard rock fans, who turned around and made their first album in ten years a fair-sized hit. Aiming to capitalize on their resurgence, the boys went back into the studio to record the follow-up, Rogues Gallery, even going so far as to give opening track, "Hey Ho Wish You Well," the same galloping beat and Celtic string work that made "Run Runaway" such a great comeback. Unfortunately for everyone (most notably the band), the decision was made to lay on a whole pile of keyboards this time out, perhaps trying to tap into the success Van Halen had achieved with breakthrough album 1984; the end result was an album that was far less endearing than Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. In fact, some of the songs are downright embarrassing, like "Walking on Water Running on Alcohol," which marries a "Be My Baby"-style big beat to Van Halen keyboards and then adds a melodramatic but ultimately sad-sack set of lyrics. Far worse is first single, "7 Year Bitch," which could have been a thoughtful look at someone who's attracted to younger women, but which kills off any chance of moral high ground with the question "...can you control the bitch?" (whether the question was asked in persona or not). Given the title of the album, perhaps such sentiments shouldn't be all that surprising, but it has to be said that the rogues' gallery concept probably would have been a lot more convincing if the music had been stripped of the keyboards and overly slick production and given more of a rock & roll edge. That edge doesn't really emerge until the track "Lock Up Your Daughters," tellingly a track that the band pulled out of the vaults.

 tags: slade, rogues galley, 1985, 1992, flac,
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Various Artists - Dark City: Music From & Inspired By The Motion Picture (1998)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Electronic, New Wave, Instrumental
Label Number: TVT 8160-2

© 1998 TVT Soundtrax
Trevor Jones' soundtrack to Dark City is very much what one would expect from a film about evil bald men who control the night. It is not as stark and intriguing as the film, but as a stand alone, it is a mild balance between Batman and The Crow. The grimness is offset by several artist vocal cuts, some inspired by the film and some contained in the film. Anita Kelsey's dark lounge song "Sway" is melodic and trance-like; hearing it gives the feel of a snake slithering through tall grass, as it weaves in and out of tone. As good as it is, it will never be as striking a solo piece as seeing it lip synched in the film by the gorgeous Jennifer Connelly. In fact, the soundtrack never really breaks into its own; it serves as tone for the film, but is not very listenable outside of that. Take the gloomy track "Emma," for example. It is so low key that you wonder why it is even included -- without a picture in front of it is turns up as dead air. "Into the City" and "You Have the Power" are synthetic orchestrations with better energy, not classic themes, but they do make for standout tracks.

 tags: various artists, dark city, music from and inspired by the motion picture, ost, soundtrack, 1998, flac,
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Various Artists - The Avengers: The Album (Music From & Inspired By The Motion Picture) (1998)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Film Score, Electronic, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock
Label Number: 83118-2

© 1998 Atlantic Records
The Avengers was a quintessentially English television show, and even in its Americanized, updated feature film version, many of its sensibilities are British, not American. That's why the ska-punk of Sugar Ray and Dishwalla's post-grunge stand out on the otherwise stylish soundtrack to the Uma Thurman/Ralph Fiennes/Sean Connery wannabe blockbuster -- without flair and camp, it's hard to fit into the world of The Avengers. The Verve Pipe try to remedy that situation by collaborating with XTC's Andy Partridge, a quintessentially English pop songwriter who just happens to lack style; consequently, "Blow You Away" -- a tune that sports a modern, techno-conscious production previously unheard of in a Verve Pipe song -- is a catchy, well-constructed track that nevertheless sounds out of place on an album that's slanted toward modern British dance and pop. Most of the music on The Avengers is John Berry filtered through big beat and trip-hop. It's not necessarily cutting-edge -- Stereo MC's and Utah Saints are simply playing catch-up, while Grace Jones has never sounded more awkward. Much of the rest, however, is quite fun. Roni Size's "Visiting Angel" proves his mastery of elegant jungle; Suggs' ridiculous "I Am" has some charm; Babybird's "Bad Twin" is appropriately ironic in its melodic gloom; and Marius de Vries explodes the theme, re-creating it as a thundering club cut. These moments may not be enough to make The Avengers consistently entertaining, but it's enough to make it an enjoyable listen.

 tags: various artists, the avengers the album, music from and inspired by the motion picture, ost, 1998, flac,
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Various Artists - The All Time Greatest Movie Songs (1999)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop Rock
Label Number: EK 69879

© 1999 Sony Music Soundtrax
Now, here's an album title to conjure with! What could The All Time Greatest Movie Songs be? Let's see, if we go by the most popular songs ever heard in the movies, we'd be talking about "White Christmas," "I Will Always Love You," "The Third Man Theme," "Cheek to Cheek," and "Buttons and Bows," to cite the longest running number one hits. Are any of those here? No. Well, OK, how about "greatest" as in "best," say, for example, Oscar winners like "Over the Rainbow," "All the Way," "Moon River," "The Way We Were," and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"? Any of those here? Nope. OK, we give up. What are the all-time greatest movie songs? As it turns out, they are (with one, licensed exception) all songs that happen to be under the control of Sony Music and (with one exception) all songs from movies of the 1990s. Granted, there are some big hits and Oscar winners here, starting with Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and including Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" and Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle's "A Whole New World," and some of Sony's biggest stars of the moment, including Will Smith, Lauryn Hill, and Babyface, as well as blue-chip talents like Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, and Michael Jackson, are represented. But that title could only have been conceived by a marketing staff as ignorant as it is arrogant.

 tags: various artists, the all time greatest movie songs, 1999, flac,
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Various Artists - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2010)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Glam Rock
Label Number: 0343-2

© 2010 Universal/ABKCO/Iliad
The soundtracks to movies adapted from comic books are often marketing free-for-alls; promoting bands takes precedence over choosing songs that make sense for the film. However, nothing could be further from the truth for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s music. Since so much of the comic revolves around the bands that the characters play in, the film was already somewhat protected from having a bunch of random songs crammed into its soundtrack, but the film’s creative team ensured that the music was done right. Director Edgar Wright's other films (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, etc.) boast soundtracks that brim with personality onscreen and play more like mixtapes than albums in their own right; that feeling continues here with picks like Beachwood Sparks' “By Your Side,” T. Rex's “Teenage Dream,” and Frank Black's “I Heard Ramona Sing.” The musicians who bring the comic’s bands to life are just as cleverly chosen. Beck revisited his slacker-punk roots with the songs he wrote for Scott's band Sex Bob-Omb; though they’re performed by Michael Cera and the other actors in the film, “Threshold,” “Summertime,” and “Garbage Truck” still have Beck's gloriously messy early-‘90s vibe to them. Later, he contributes “Ramona,” a dreamy ballad that sounds more like his 2000s work. Meanwhile, Broken Social Scene are Crash and the Boys, the rival band whose “I’m So Sad, So Very Very Sad” lasts a whopping five seconds. Every part of the soundtrack shows how much care went into it, from choosing artists like Broken Social Scene and Metric to nod to the story’s Canadian setting, to the 8-bit version of “Threshold” that reflects Pilgrim’s immersion in video games. The sweetest detail may be the song that started it all: “Scott Pilgrim,” by the Canadian all-female band Plumtree from their 1997 album Predicts the Future, holds within it all the breathless true love and crunchy guitar goodness that sparked the comic. Somehow, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World's music remains true not just to the comic, but to the work of everyone involved in the story at every stage, with plenty of fun and heart to boot.

 tags: various artists, scott pilgrim vs the world, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2010, flac,
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September 16, 2024

Ambrose Slade - Beginnings (1969)

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*European first pressing on CD. 
This pressing has been digitally remastered 
by Jim Lea for for Perseverance Ltd. 
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Label Number: 849 185-2

© 1969-1991 Polydor
Time was, Beginnings represented a holy grail of sorts for Slade fans (and original Fontana pressings still do). Thankfully, a rash of reissues have taken much of the edge of the market, and the band's debut album, cut while they still traded as Ambrose Slade, is readily available for all to hear, and what a joy it is. Of course, little of what you'd expect from Slade is actually in place, although Noddy Holder's vocals, naturally, are unmistakable. The songwriting duties are split between well-executed covers and full band compositions -- the Holder/Jim Lea team of future renown has still to crystallize itself, and their one joint effort, the hauntingly folky "Pity the Mother," has little in common with anything the future held. But the opening "Genesis" will be familiar to anyone who rocked out to the second album's "Know Who You Are," proving that the band already knew a great song when they wrote one, and a cover of "Born to Be Wild" sets them up for the definitive version featured on the first live album. A floor-shaking slam through the Amboy Dukes' "Journey to the Center of Your Mind," and a suitably deranged romp through Frank Zappa's "Ain't Got No Heart," meanwhile, demonstrate the band's musical versatility, and while there are a handful of disappointments ("Martha My Dear" is almost heinous), still Beginnings stands as, indeed, a fine beginning. But things were going to get a lot better than this.

 tags: ambrose slade, beginnings, 1969, flac,
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Slade - Play It Loud (1970)

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*U.K. first pressing on CD. 
This pressing was digitally remastered 
by Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd.
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: 849 178-2

© 1970-1991 Polydor
This album demonstrates Slade's image evolving, along with their sounds; four rather respectable lads are on the vintage cover photo, reversed to negative for the back side, delivering a more refined hard rock than portrayed by future titles like "Gudbuy T'Jane" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now." Chas Chandler's production beefs up the bottom with noticeably more bass and piano than on Ballzy by Ambrose Slade. Also there is less cover music here. What sounds like the opening to the Yardbirds version of Graham Gouldman's "For Your Love" emerges as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's "The Shape of Things to Come." Things to come is exactly what this album is, from the Ten Years After inspired original "Raven" to the more ominous "See Us Here," which is Noddy Holder sounding as sinister as Ozzie. Slade has gone from redoing classics of the genre to copping riffs and writing their own rock essays. "See Us Here" is subtle Black Sabbath, when the Sabs are on their best behavior. One of the album's most outstanding tracks is "Dapple Rose," a take-off of the Move when Jimmy Miller gave that band their number one British hit, "Blackberry Way." The violin adds to the majesty of the big vocals and pretty guitar, delivering a commercial performance very unlike the stuff that would make them famous. J. Griffin/R.Royer's "Could I" sounds like heavy Chinn/Chapman with a sludgy solid hook that gives birth to an elegant chorus and fade. Very sophisticated, which is where the first album was heading. "Know Who You Are" is a wonderful study here; the band is more proper dipping into that Yardbirds bag again on this original. By the time it was re-released on Slade Alive, only two years later, the song would become part of their glam success. But here, Neville "Noddy" Holder is kept on key by Chas Chandler, and that restraint makes for an intelligent album of rock which draws from all of the aforementioned sources, Ten Years After, Sabbath, "The Move," Yardbirds, as well as the Beatles, Steppenwolf, and Kaleidoscope U.K. Surprisingly, there's no Animals or Hendrix that can be seen on the surface, an original like "Pouk Hill" leaning more toward the rock side of things than the blues embraced by Jimi and Eric Burdon. Nick Innes' "Angelina," however, takes that early pop/blues sound Z.Z.Top gave to their early-'70s single "Francene" and shows what that style sounds like when performed by Englishmen as opposed to Americans. "Dirty Joker" seems almost anti-gay, a paradox for a band that would be so essential to the glam blitz which Bowie, T. Rex, and Mott the Hoople were all part of. There should be more similarities to Mott, but there are not, the final track, "Sweet Box," taking a Beatles riff from "She Said" and mutating it beyond recognition, experimenting with rock & roll in an inspiring way. Although the latter-day Slade were fun, it is the music of Ballzy and Play It Loud which was more serious and which demands repeated listenings. Wonder what would have happened if Slade had dismissed the humor and kept on this more serious course? They certainly had the chops for it, and this is, on the whole, a good record apart from what they became famous for.

 tags: slade, play it loud, 1970, flac,
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Slade - Old, New, Borrowed & Blue (1974)

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*European first pressing on CD. 
This pressing was digitally remastered 
by Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd. 
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Glam Rock
Label Number: 849 181-2

© 1974-1991 Polydor
It took Slade two years and one hits-and-rarities compilation (Sladest) to get around to following up 1972's U.K. chart-topping Slayed?, two years during which the entire complexion of the band had altered dramatically. No longer the rampant yobs out on the stomp of yore, the quartet members placed the rabble-rousing bombast of old far behind them during 1974, and switched their songwriting efforts to more mellow pastures -- the gentle "Everyday," the yearning "Far Far Away," and the decidedly pretty "Miles Out to Sea." Old New Borrowed and Blue was the album that introduced the chrysalis to its audience -- not that you'd know it from the opening bellow. Riding a raw guitar line based, very loosely, around the guttural riffing of the Beatles' "Birthday," "Just a Little Bit" cranks in with almost metallic dynamics, even retaining the in-concert ad-libbing that had long since made it a highlight of the live show. "We're Gonna Raise the Roof," "When the Lights Are Out," and "My Town," too, offer little that Slade wasn't already well renowned for and that, perhaps, was what the bandmembers were thinking as well. The glitter-soaked thunderclap was old news now; they could write those rockers in their sleep. The vaudeville piano-led "Find Yourself a Rainbow," though, was new territory altogether, while the country-rock-inflected "How Can It Be" posited a direction that Holder himself admitted had long been a regular on his home turntable. It was "Everyday," however, that held the secret of the band's future, a crowd-swaying singalong of such scarf-waving majesty that it might well be single-handedly responsible for every great record U2 has ever made. It was certainly Slade's most memorable new single in a while and, as the cue for further airborne anthems, it became one of the most crucial songs in the group's entire repertoire. On an album that, at best, can be described as patchy, "Everyday" is a new day altogether.

 tags: slade, old new borrowed and blue, 1974, flac,
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Slade - Slade In Flame (1974)

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*European first pressing on CD. 
This pressing was digitally remastered 
by Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Glam Rock
Label Number: 849 182-2

© 1974-1991 Polydor
Slade in Flame is a tough album to judge. It marks the end of Slade's rule over the British charts -- the album went to number six (the band's previous four LPs reached number one), but it would be nearly ten years before the band would return to the top of the pops. Made as an accompanying piece to the movie of the same name, Slade in Flame was different than the group's other records. It's an artistic tour de force for a band that was looked on as "just a good time." Although Slade was that, the band had a lot more in its bag of tricks, and this album shows it. Most folks (if not all) were expecting Slade to come out with a Monkees-type movie: lots of slapstick and a funny, lighthearted good time. Instead, the band delivered a much more reality-based film and album. Don't worry, though, because it's still pure Slade. The album stretches the band's stylistic universe to include brass and more keyboards than before. The lyrics are a little more serious than you might expect -- the album is about what a bummer it can be to be famous, as well as the all of the advantages (girls). From the opening number, "How Does It Feel," Slade sets a different tone. A piano and vocal intro greets the listener. Of course, by the end of the song the full band is rocking furiously. They don't let up on the classic "Them Kinda Monkeys Can't Swing," which features great drumming by Don Powell. "So Far So Good" is a beautiful rocker, and was covered by Alice Cooper songwriter Mike Bruce on his first solo album. On "OK Yesterday Was Yesterday," Noddy gives his lungs a big-time workout. [The British and American versions of this album differ slightly. The U.S. version added two British A-sides, "Bangin' Man" and "Thanks for the Memories," while deleting a couple of tracks. "Bangin' Man" is definitely one of Slade's best, and worth seeking out on a greatest-hits CD.]

 tags: slade, slade in flame, 1974, flac,
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September 14, 2024

Soulhat - Outdebox (1992)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: EK 57508

© 1992-1993 Epic/Spindletop Records
Soulhat made a name for itself in the early '90s by playing weekly gigs at the Black Cat Lounge on Sixth Street in Austin, TX. Outdebox, their debut studio release, makes for a fine representation of those smoky, beer-drenched nights. In the tradition of Austin legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, Soulhat livens up the blues into a rock & roll frenzy. Songs such as "Big Backyard," "Stink Pot," and "Build It up, Tear It Down" highlight the exceptional songwriting abilities of Kevin McKinney and Bill Cassis as extended studies in emotional release. Even with sappy folk-rock themes explored on tracks including "Brian Waltz" and "Here," Soulhat, aided by the presence of seasoned drummer Barry "Frosty" Smith, still manages to bridge the gap between hokey and funky with extraordinary ease.

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Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table & Dreaming (1994)

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*This the 1994 first pressing of this album. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Rock
Label Number: 07863 66449-2

© 1994 RCA Records
On their major-label debut, Under the Table and Dreaming, the Dave Matthews Band is helped by the lean production of Steve Lillywhite, who manages to rein in the group's tendency to meander. The result is a set of eclectic pop/rock that is accentuated by bursts of instrumental virtuosity instead of being ruled by it. That also means that the Dave Matthews Band is capable of turning out pop songs, and as the hit single "What Would You Say" and "Ants Marching" illustrate, they have a flair for catchy hooks.

 tags: dave matthews band, under the table and dreaming, 1994, flac,
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Various Artists - Current Vision (1995) ☠

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Post Grunge, Alternative Rock
Label Number: OPCD-1693


☠: Selected by Lass
© 1995 Warner Special Products
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: various artists, current vision, 1995, flac,
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Wakeland - Magnetic (Promo CD) (1995) ☠

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*This is a promotional CD not intended for consumer sale. 
Contains the album in its entirety. (12 tracks total.)
A photo of the disc is included in the RARA file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: 9 24628-2


☠: Selected by Lass
© 1995 Giant Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: wakeland, magnetic, promo, 1995, flac,
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September 10, 2024

Various Artists - Dumb & Dumber: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Indie Rock
Label Number: 07863 66523-2


☠: Selected by Lass
© 1994 RCA Records
Dumb and Dumber is a surprisingly entertaining hodgepodge of alternative rock (Echobelly, Primatives), mainstream pop, and novelties (Deadeye Dick's "New Age Girl") that is considerably smarter than the movie it supports.

 tags: various artists, dumb and dumber, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 1994, flac,
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September 07, 2024

The Virgins - The Virgins (2008)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock, Power Pop
Label Number: 7567-89940-6

© 2008-2009 Atlantic Records
Brooklyn indie rockers the Virgins debut with their self-titled effort, which recalls the rock-&-roll swagger of the Strokes' Is This It? leavened with some more overt 1980s influences of New York contemporaries such as Vampire Weekend. First single "Rich Girls" is the album's strutting calling card, with "Teen Lovers," the sneering "She's Expensive," and "Radio Christiane" among the other highlights. The Virgins is available both on CD and as a vinyl LP.

 tags: the virgins, the virgins album, 2008, flac,
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The Selecter - Too Much Pressure (1980)

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*Reissued on CD for the first in 2001 by Captain Mod. 
This pressing contains 16 tracks total and non-remastered audio.

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: New Wave, 2 Tone
Label Number: MODSKA CD 17

© 1980-2001 Captain Mod
Of the many bands that charged out of the gate after the Specials launched the British Ska Revival in 1979, the Selecter were one of the strongest, and one who had a musical mind of their own. Though the Specials' hot-rodded take on the vintage Jamaican sound was a clear influence, the deeper grooves of roots reggae were a significant part of their formula, and with lead vocalist Pauline Black, their music had a subtle but clear feminist undertow that was a welcome alternative to the boy's club perspective of their peers. Like many of their fellow 2 Tone groups, the Selecter's initial run was short, resulting in just two albums (though they would have a long and productive life after reuniting in the 1990s); however, their debut, 1980's Too Much Pressure, was one of the best LPs to arrive in the wake of the Specials' breakthrough. The vocal interplay between Pauline Black and Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson was inspired, with the rougher, more aggressive tone of his voice adding ballast to Black's more flexible instrument, and the group's political broadsides were more effective for their unified report. Songs like "Three Minute Hero," "They Make Me Mad," "Murder," and the title cut are taut, nervy, and pack a welcome punch. Elsewhere, the dubwise reworking of "James Bond" splits the difference between Jamaican ska and early reggae and works on both levels, and "My Collie (Not a Dog)" is an amusing homage to recreational marijuana use. Bassist Charley Anderson and drummer Charley "H" Bembridge were a potent rhythm section who could gracefully turn on a dime, Desmond Brown's keyboards add abundant color and texture to the arrangements, and the guitar work from Neol Davies and Compton Amanor is sharp and concise. The Selecter never won the larger audience that the Specials, Madness, and the (English) Beat would command, but Too Much Pressure confirms it was never because they lacked the talent, and this remains one of the most satisfying LPs from the first salvo of British ska.

 tags: the selector, too much pressure, 1980, 2001, flac,
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September 03, 2024

Various Artists - Heavy Metal 2000: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2000)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Nü-Metal, Groove Metal, Alternative Metal, Industrial, Hard Rock
Label Number: 01877-73733-2

© 2000  Restless Records
The original soundtrack to Heavy Metal 2000, the sequel to 1981's cult classic animated film, gathers appropriately moody and aggressive songs from Hate Dept., Days of the New, Apartment 26, and Machine Head. Monster Magnet's "Silver Future," Insane Clown Posse's "Dirt Ball," Zilch's "Inside the Pervert Mound," and Sinisstar's "Psychosexy" are among the album's highlights, along with Bauhaus' first new effort in 17 years, "The Dog's a Vapour." A quintessentially brooding and stark song, it shows that the group has remained fresh as well as classic, and it's easily the soundtrack's best cut. The limited-edition version of Heavy Metal 2000 also features deluxe packaging and artwork, making it essential for new and old Heavy Metal fans; this package was also released in a different version with a less explicit cover, making it more acceptable to family-oriented chain stores.


 tags: various artists, heavy metal 2000, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2000, flac,
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Various Artists - Shrek: Music From The Original Motion Picture (2001)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Pop
Label Number: 0044-50305-2

© 2001 DreamWorks Records
If you scanned the back cover of the soundtrack to Shrek, without seeing the film first, it's hard not to think that this is an album that's designed to be a crossover success, containing very few songs that are in the film. You'd be wrong. Almost all of the 12 songs on this soundtrack (there's a 13th track, an excerpt of Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell's original score) are not only in the movie, but they feature prominently in the film -- which just goes to show that Shrek doesn't play by the rules of animated features, just like DreamWorks told us in the publicity drive. What that means, though, is that it plays by the soundtrack rules of most mainstream comedies, down to the use of the omnipresent Smash Mouth not once, but twice. The record does take a couple of detours from the conventional though, no doubt thanks to DreamWorks' desire to keep their hip NPR audience and to promote their own artists as well. So, when it does deviate from the norm, it's for the eels' "My Beloved Monster" (from the 1996 DreamWorks release Beautiful Freak) and for Rufus Wainwright's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (not heard in the film, where it was sung by John Cale, but Wainwright is part of the DreamWorks family and he has an album coming out a few weeks after the release of Shrek), along with a cover of Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" by Halfcocked (again, not in the film, where the original was used) and the Proclaimers' 1988 chestnut "I'm on My Way." Though these detours are a little questionable, they are enjoyable, but they still don't alter the character of a record that's essentially just a soundtrack, without much of the personality of the film it's attached to. It's not bad, but it's not great, either.

 tags: various artists, shrek, music from the original motion picture, soundtrack, ost, 2001, flac,
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Various Artists - Shrek 2 (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2004)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop, Pop Rock
Label Number: B0002557-12

© 2004 DreamWorks Records
Following in the footsteps of the original Shrek soundtrack, Shrek 2 emphasizes the crossover potential of the movie and its music. Unfortunately, though, the album doesn't have as many surprises as its predecessor; none of the songs here have the same left-field feel as Rufus Wainwright's version of "Hallelujah" (or the John Cale version that actually appeared in the film), although Tom Waits' mischievous, middle-of-the-night "Little Drop of Poison" and Nick Cave's dignified ballad "People Ain't No Good" come close. On the other hand, Shrek 2 doesn't include anything as obnoxious or omnipresent as Smash Mouth's "All Star" or "I'm a Believer," although it does feature of plenty of covers, including Frou Frou's odd techo-pop revision of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero," which turns the song from a fun if overblown AOR anthem into a chilly yet slick lament. Butterfly Boucher's "Changes" and Pete Yorn's "Ever Fallen in Love," meanwhile, have the dubious distinction of being average renditions of great songs; not even David Bowie's cameo on "Changes" can elevate it (although his duet with Mick Jagger on "Dancin' in the Streets" remains his worst collaboration). And while Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas' version of "Livin' la Vida Loca" isn't as thorough a deconstruction of a Ricky Martin song as William Hung's infamous "She Bangs" (or as funny -- albeit unintentionally so -- as his own single "Party All the Time"), it is a dose of silly fun on a soundtrack that is sorely lacking that quality. Jennifer Saunders' "Fairy Godmother Song" -- which sounds like her Absolutely Fabulous character making up words to the Cinderella classic "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" -- and "Believe"-esque version of "Holding Out for a Hero" also liven up the soundtrack a bit. However, most of Shrek 2 features mopey love songs like Dashboard Confessional's "As Lovers Go [Ron Fair Remix]," the Eels' "I Need Some Sleep," and Rich Price's "I'm on My Way"; they reflect the film's romantic misadventures between Shrek and Princess Fiona, but these songs don't make the soundtrack an especially fun listen, particularly considering that the movie is, ostensibly, first and foremost aimed at kids. But Counting Crows' "Accidentally in Love" -- which sounds like a cross between one of their old hits and the BoDeans' "Closer to Free" -- and Joseph Arthur's "You're So True" are aimed at those kids' older siblings and parents, making Shrek 2 a lukewarm compromise that isn't likely to satisfy either audience

 tags: various artists, shrek 2, motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2004, flac,
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Various Artists - American Gangster: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2007)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B, Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop
Label Number: B0010200-02

© 2007 Def Jam Recordings
Almost all the material on the American Gangster soundtrack that does not originate from the early '70s or prior is engineered to at least sound like the early '70s: two excellent Anthony Hamilton songs produced by Bomb Squad innovator Hank Shocklee (both of which feature string arrangements from Willie Mitchell), as well as a handful of instrumentals produced and directed by Shocklee (including a version of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Checkin' Up on My Baby") that cook. The music that was originally released during the early '70s or earlier makes for a mini-compilation of soul and blues classics: the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There," Bobby Womack's "Across 110th Street," Sam & Dave's "Hold on I'm Comin'," John Lee Hooker's "No Shoes." The lone surprise is Lowell Fulsom's cover of the Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road." An entirely fitting companion piece to the movie, but certainly not on the endlessly playable level of the Dead Presidents soundtrack discs.

 tags: various artists, american gangster, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2007, flac,
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