Brigade

Meh, I could take or leave this album. I am a long time fan of Les', but this album is kinda' slow moving, and relatively uninteresting. Not horrible, but it's dark, and I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase this one again...

Les Claypool is one of those individuals who does music for the sole purpose of doing music. It sounds to me like he digs to the core of music itself and tries to pull the creative, not to mention dark, musical forces that HAVE to be running through his head. These forces are transformed into something progressive, on its own level, that leave you with a band like Primus and a product like "Purple Onion." This CD is something that I'm certain not everyone will like, but I enjoyed it because it tickled the musical muses flowing through MY head and left me with a perspective on music that I had never before experienced. I hope that gives you a better encite into what Purple Onion is all about...

my son bought this cd and put it in the car stereo on the way home, i fell in love with this cd EVERY song is great and very catchy, i had to burn a copy from his for my own use.
i played this cd every day for over a month it was so catchy and great then we got to see him in boulder at a show and he is just a great performer and very talented bass player

This is one Les Claypool's many side projects from Primus,this one callled "The Flying Frog Brigade".But this doesnt sound much like Primus.It is much less heavy than Primus,and alot more experimental and jammy.This is definately Claypool's work though,containing all the quirky sense of humour and story telling elements that he is associated with.And as with every band Les is involved with,the musicianship is excellent.
The best songs are "David Makalaster","Buzzards Of Green Hill","Whamola","Ding Dang","Lights In The Sky","Up On The Roof",and the best song on the album:"Cosmic Highway".I think a few of the songs couldve been effectively cut("David Makalaster II","Barrington Hall")but this is a great offering either way.
This album is highly reminiscent of Frank Zappa,and propably the next best thing nowadays...so I would suggest this album,if your familiar with Claypool's work,or are a fan of Zappa.
Pick this up,along with any Primus album.

You have to wonder at a world where a cd like Purple Onion is overlooked. While far from perfect, there are so many great songs that the cd easily earns five stars.

Where to start? Well, how about "David Makalaster", the ten o'clock newscaster, who reminds us that "anarchy is back in style"? Or, perhaps, "Whamola" - which I like to think of as Les' cautionary tale about conformity, though the song is almost without lyrics! "Buzzards of Green Hill", "Long in the Tooth", "Ding Dang" and the closer "Cosmic Highway" are all outstanding tracks. The rest of the songs are...um...merely good.

I don't always know what Les is getting at, but I'm up for going along for the ride.

The musicianship and quality is excellent but Les's style is sometimes too much for me. Take it for what it is, an excellent live recording of the band. The second set of Animals is awesome.

Absorbing concert jam, far from comfortable due to acquired taste Claypool, but undeniably proficient in the art of the warped live jam. Playing a majority of original solo material, the decade old stuff has positively taken on a new shine. Claypool's unabashed enthusiasm for incorporating a broad range of musicians into his maniacally comical live sessions, including this time the heavy incorporation of surf sax, will have fans basking in the new interpretations. The two cover songs as well are handled with eccentric, talented care. With most things Claypool, the performances can get a little over-indulgent, loosing track of melodic structure in favor of pure unbridled rhythmic jam- despite there being an abundance of outstanding solos and synergies throughout the musical show off. Still, anyone interested in the art of the jam, granted one will accept the perverted spin Les puts on the genre through his nasal vocals and aggressive, quirky instrumentation, will be heavily rewarded with this great live experience.

this live set of les claypool's fearless flying frog brigade is extraordinary, an explosive first set right off the bat with Thela Hun Ginjeet and just doesnt quit the entire show, everyone playing at this show are in the peak of their playing, it just sounds amazing, not one single note is off, or wrongly played, absolutley one of my favorite cds i own, if i ever lost it, i would need a replacement, if youre a les claypool fan or just love straight up solid funky jams, get this cd, you wont be sorry

The title says it all folks. I will do a song by song review, and note: this album gets a five, but i am grading the songs based on the others in the album; they all get 5/5 otherwise, but in the context, some are better than others:

Thela Hun Ginjeet- A King Crimson tune, the frogs do a great job of interpreting it on the stage. However, even though this song would be the highpoint of any other record, here its just one of many greats. 4/5

Riddles Are Abound Tonight- This song kicks. It just does. Les plays bass like a madman on this, and just doesn't stop. Eenor and Todd Huth battle it out on guitar, while Jay Lane and Jeff Chimeti hold the groove, and Skerik busts out a fantastic sax solo. 5/5, and well deserved.

Hendershot- Surf's up! Hendershot gives Eenor and Skerik time to stretch out, with extended solos and nice groove development. A fun listen indeed. 5/5

Shattering Song- This song is very iffy with me, as at times I am bored by it, and at other times I am completely blown away. Today is this song's lucky day, as I can't help but love it. 5/5

Running The Gauntlet- The solos in this song save what is quite a simple-structured piece of music. Jeff, Eenor, Todd, Skerik, and finally Les get to stretch out some solos, and although amusing, this song is actually a lower point. Still a very strong piece though. 4/5

Girls For Single Men- The only song that outclasses the bass playing on Riddles is this ripping version of Girls. Les and Skerik own this show, each having a ball on their respective instruments and plain old rocking. Eenor and Todd provide great guitar lines, while Jeff and Jay and Les do what they do best- groove reinforcement. This song is a slap in the face, as good as it gets. 5/5, 10/5 if I could.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond- The Fancy Band pulls this one off excellently, but to find its origins in a Les cover band, this is the place to look. Les has always been a Floydian fan, and couldn't help himself with covering a few Floyd tunes (see Set Two). Shine On is a great example of this band's flexibility, and ends the show on a perfect note. 5/5

Buy this if you don't have it, play it constanly, never tire of it, and keep on rocking.

There is an age-old saying that goes with music: "They're better live." And, for some bands, this is entirely true. Dave Matthews and the Grateful Dead both come to mind when I think of that age-old line, so why not Claypool? Most Primus fans will tell you that the energy from live Primus is simply overwhelming, and I will attest to that. Studio Claypool is amazing in itself, but hearing Claypool live brings forth-another dimension of sound that cannot transpire through the speakers of any home audio setup.

With those things said, I also need to point out that this is not Primus. This is Claypool's later project, The Frog Brigade, and they sound much more jammy then Primus. Encompassing a sexy saxophone, the Frog Brigade has a jazzier jam-vibe that layers nicely with the funk-vibe already established by Claypool's bass-work. It's difficult to describe this album, because this album is much more broad and expansive then the Frog Brigade's studio album, Purple Onion. Purple Onion is fine, but it isn't very jammy nor does it give much room for the songs to expand. Live Frogs, Set 1 is a tremendous jam album, giving equal amounts of time to every musician to screw around and just play whatever the hell they want for a few minutes.

The CD opens up with King Crimson's Thela Hun Ginjeet - the lyrics are removed, and the song is extended, giving plenty of time for Claypool to get into a nice bass groove while the band works around him. Riddles Are Abound Tonight has a fantastic Saxaphone solo, and the bass-work is incredible. It's not quite as intricate as some of the stuff that was outputted by Primus, but then this is a jam album and not a bass album. The drum work is also incredible on this song, and is actually fantastic throughout most of the CD, but it will probably go unnoticed by most listeners as the bass and sax steal the show. The live version of Hendershot is fantastic, and much more interesting then the studio version. There is a tight guitar solo in the song, and the keyboards also give the song a lot more personality. The Shattering Song is an amazing live jam, and the guitar - I'm not sure what you would call it, maybe "slide-middle-eastern-guitar" - is absolutely incredible. In front of the guitar is the bass, of course, and the keyboard, which sounds really damn good. The Shattering Song, one of the more lengthy songs has an amazing saxaphone solo, with a lot of little intricate guitar work going on in the background, all while Claypool is keeping the music flowing with the exuberant, flashy bass-line. Also, is an incredible little diddy, "The Jim Bush," which goes back to that "slide-middle-easter-guitar" thing. I guess you could call it sitar on guitar, and wow, does it sound fun to play: top notch. The live version for Running The Guantlet is also superior to the studio version (anyone seeing a trend here?), featuring a lot of cool soloing from everyone, and fantastic drum work which will probably go unnoticed by the majority. Girls For Single Men is kind of a heavy song, that would bring back Primus memories, except for the saxophone that dominates the introduction, and the fantastic underlying keyboard work. The live album closes with another cover: this time Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The cover is absolutely haunting, with just as much haunting synth-effect as on Wish You Were Here, giving more emphasis to the bass, and bringing everything out a bit. The live cover also foreshadows Live Frogs, Set 2, aka the cover of Animals (the album). All in all, this is probably one of the best live albums I have ever heard and easily would be on my top 5.

This is quite the live album to have, and is easily one of the best. The massive layering of instruments into an intricate, tight, unified whole is amazing. Everything fits together nicely, and everything jams. The production is TOP NOTCH. You can hear the crowd, but they don't overtake the music. The CD doesn't feel over-produced either, you get a sense that all the musicians on stage know what they are doing, because, guess what, THEY DO. The selection of musicians here is incredible - divine musicians. The Frog Brigade is SUPERIOR live, and has so much energy that you can't pass this one up. If you were let down by Purple Onion, pick this one up, and I guarantee you will get some closure. And, if given the opportunity, see these guys live.

I'm a hardcore Floyd fan and really enjoyed this album. I do prefer the Floyd version but the Frog Brigade did a good job on this cover. The keyboard is a bit weak and the vocalist on Sheep sucks - they should have used Les. Nevertheless, they stick to the songs and take few liberties except on Sheep. A few of the lyrics are off but not by much. Despite these weaknesses it is worth a listen.

I love Animals and this is as good as it could ever be covered. I don't care for the first set as much but this is great.

What all of these reviews seems to miss, is that this is not just an ordinary studio cover - it's the entire album from end to end - LIVE, in a club! I bought it not realizing it was a faithfull rendition, even though the song titles and back cover art hinted at it. Its just that, with Les, you never know. I daresay that Pink Floyd themselves couldn't pull it off and probably haven't/won't try. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan and have seen them live, I just wish I'd been in the audience the night that the Frog's performed this one! Buy it!

If you are a Floyd Fan ~ this is truly an experience you will want to hear. It's the full album ~ as it should be. I recommend it highly.

Not only is this the best Les Claypool offering, it's only the second CD I have kept of him. Oysterhead is another, but I rate that second to this one. Pigs on a wing songs start and end this cd is, well not much, it's all the meat of the 3 songs in the middle. I have this on ipod and we sat on the north shore of Lake Tahoe and watched the sun set with this baby going. its a long 3 songs, Talk about trippin.

Sorry to slam all the rest of his work, I just don't like it. Primus sounds to much like a bunch of guys running into each other. I have given Primus cd's and tried 2 concerts, all because I love bass and Les is well, you know, the man on bass. Frogs live 1 didnt work for me either, now the SHOW was cool, loved that, but does not transfer over to cd that well. why I have no idea. I WANT it to work out. I wished I were into ALL Of the mans music.

I saw Frogs in concert in what, 2001?

Todd Huth on geetars. He was bringing out all kinds of dif ones.

And Tree Frog, that's his name, on percussion, he wore this all green doctor outfit, and just went ape on the drums, standing the whole time. That was a show!! One of the best I ever seen of any show of any band, and I have been to hundreds of concerts. I am only a couple months older than Les.

Sherik on sax, monster player.

And the man that drove the whole show, not Jay Lane, some black guy on drums, who IS this guy I have not been able to find out. Was a sit in? I have seen the primus DVD with the frogs and the black guy that was in the show I saw is not on the DVD, and several shows are on the DVD, dude was killer! Looks like Isaac Hayes or close! Drove the whole show! Why isn't he on the DVD??!!!??? WHO IS HE! Can anyone tell me? Please post a reply if you know.

So if you or someone you know like PF AND bass, but not Primus type metal, then this is the deal. Heck I dont even like most of PF the WALL album, but Roger Waters In The Flesh CD/DVD is one of the best all time albums ever. That can spin on my ipod just about anytime and never get tired of it after all these years.

what the hey, I guess I am as weird as Les.

maybe this is due to the Flesh cd and Frogs live 2 put out so much power out of the recording? All the reg PF cd's dont put out any power, I have sold them all. why is all this, I dont get it. Is it the people who mix it? the producers? the equipment used to record it? I can take these same cd's and play them in everything I own, home, car, ipod, all several thousand dollars worth of media, rattle windows if want, or use friends and families, its all the same. And everyone reacts the same way as I do. So go figure.

At home I also have Sennheiser 595 headphones, stunning. worth the money.


Sorry Les, I hear another version of the Frogs is out again, I missed them last year, and a new album is due out, but some delay for whatever reasons. I hope its good. Waited for how long for PF Pulse to come out and all this chatter about it that led up to it, turned out to be more lame junk.

Yea I am picky, so what, whatever, its my money, I deserve better, we all do. I know whats good after 25 years of listening.

If Les would go on tour and play a reg set and then this music off this cd for second set. At all shows not just the SF show one time only deal that turned out this great cd, now that would be stunning and floor everyone that goes and send them out the doors happy as can be.

I bought this CD because I love Jim VanCleve's fiddle playing and I knew that he not only played on here, but he also produced the music. I wasn't disappointed. However, I was surprised---after hearing his work on Carrie Hassler's CDs and Mountain Heart's recordings, I expected him to jazz up the songs. He stayed strictly traditional in this performance, though, along with his A-list group of fellow musicians. (Aaron McDaris from the Grascals on banjo, Ashby Frank from Special Consensus on mandolin and vocals, Darrell Webb (just moved out of Rhonda Vincent & the Rage) on guitar, and Randy Barnes (former NewFound Road member) on bass.) These songs truly are "smash hits" for bluegrass. You hear them in jam sessions all over the country! It's a pleasure to hear them performed by professionals of this caliber, and I hope to see more of this type of recording in the future.

This is a great CD. Traditional songs with impeccable vocals. I can't wait for CD #2

I loved the original edition of "Red Hot & Latin" when it came out 10 years ago, but the new re-issue track is even better! Highlights include the new bonus tracks from Brazilian Girls/Kevin Johansen, Kinky, Nortec Collective, and Thievery Corporation....but the older material also holds up quite well.
I still think that Fishbone and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs' collaboration on "What's New Pussycat" is such a blast - those guys should tour together again some time!

This album was truly groundbreaking when it first came out - there were bilingual collaborations from many acts, WAY before this was commonplace. Any fan of Latin, world, or alternative music needs to own this album.....plus, all the proceeds go to fight HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the U.S. Latino community, so it's for a worthy cause.

The first half of this album was originally released as "Sound and Fury" in 1982. The other half is from "Something to Believe In" and I'm not sure where the live tracks are from.

This was one of my favorite albums in high school (early 80s) along with Battalion of Saints 'Second Coming', Nip Drivers 'Destroy Whitey', Bad Religion 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse', Misfits 'Walk Among Us', Minor Threat, etc.

A classic punk record. You must add this to your collection......and that's all I have to say about that.

Well, I don't know what to say.......since I haven't heard this album in a very long time....but I did see these guys open a show for D.O.A. in 1984 in Portland Oregon.......and I can say even though the bass player was totally hammered.......THEY ROCKED!!!

While Oi! was transforming the UK punk scene, hardcore was doing the same in the US. Youth Brigade was somewhere in between the two, certainly a US hardcore band but their fast, fist-pounding songs actually had a melody that you could sing along with. In a scene dominated by nihilism, they were a voice for unity, and they saw a chance for punks to do something good. Youth Brigade expresses despair and exasperation with the world's problems without preaching, much like Bad Religion, but they are different in that they offer an alternative: that we can maintain hope and work together for a better future. Musically, this album is actually a bit slower, on the whole, than much of their later stuff. It has more variety, as well, there is no single beat to this album, unlike the vast majority of punk albums in existence. Unfortunately, not all of the songs are equally catchy, and I have found that this album doesn't stand the test of time as well as others. In particular, the band sounds better on the faster songs, and although Sean Stern has a great voice, on the slower songs he wavers a bit at times and sounds off-key. The production quality is poor -- the sound is thin and tinny -- but that's par for the course for the era, when it cost a lot of money to make a good-sounding record and even the best punk bands were too strapped for cash to afford it. Turn up the volume and you'll forget about it. This is a great album, but I would reccomend Someone's Got Their Head To Believe In Something and To Sell the Truth ahead of it; on those records the band has a tighter sound and the singing sounds more self-assured. (Note that the former is actually a compilation, but has a number of Youth Brigade songs that aren't published elsewhere.)

This cd will make you want to get off your seat and thrash. These guys rapped about police abuse while NWA were still in diapers.

When you listen to these early 1950's hits there is no mistaking the sound and style of Enoch Light & His Light Brigade. Ever since he first formed his band in 1935, his unique approach to other's hits was instantly recognizable, and although the singles charts would more or less elude him (he had one lonely hit back in 1937 when Summer Night made it to # 19 with Johnny Muldowney doing the vocal), he did come up with 25 charted pop LPs from 1959 to 1971.

Born in Canton, Ohio on August 18, 1907 [he passed away on July 31, 1978], Enoch was a recognized pioneer in stereo recording and eventually became president of the Grand Award label and managing director for Command Records. In fact, his only two charted singles in the 1950s came for Grand Award when I Want To Be Happy Cha Cha made it to # 48 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in late 1958 b/w Cara Mia Cha Cha (Ciribiribin) and, in June 1959, With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming topped out at # 99 Hot 100 b/w I Cried For You.

The original renditions of these four sides remain among the most difficult to find for completist collector's.

Enoch Light used the 'new' stereo systems of the late fifties and sixties to there max, flipping from channel and had great separation. But alas, on current systems he is a bit dated. The musical content is good and the songs are the best.

I bought this item, but was scandalously expensive. I can't believe its cost: almost 49 dlls. ONE music cd with 22 tracks.
The cd is awesome, but I don't agree with the price.
I don`t know when will I buy another thing in Amazon with this prices policy.

This collection provides an incredibly talented group of studio musicians, playing authentic arrangements, and recorded with the mastery that Enoch Light brought to all his projects. I first bought this recording (on vinyl) as a teenager and it remained one of my prized possessions. I was thrilled to find it on disk. If you like Big Band music, you can't go wrong with this CD.

hey all,

The Punk documentary "Another State of Mind" showed a young, wide eyed Shawn Stern displaying to the world his passion for Punk and its ideals. Countless years later[ :) ] Stern's flame still burns. He deals with his past without overly lamenting for those "good old days" and his lyrics reflecting on the present are insightful. Its apparent Stern has come full circle. My recent interview w/Shawn had him eagerly discussing Punk like it just happened yesterday! He showed no signs of hanging his guitar up or surrendering to a more mellow lifestyle. Youth Brigade? oh the irony! three brothers in their mid 30's (?) calling themselves Youth Brigade, but don't you see?! age is a mental state! their passion shows that they live for today. Shawn organized BYO Records, an independent, DIY label run out of LA. Instead of sitting back and pointing a finger, Shawn seeks to better Punk and lends a helping hand to others.

The 'Utters tracks have a Social Distortion, Oi type feel. I don't understand why everyone fusses over them, but I must admit the lyrics were impressive.

Ok. Here's the skinny; the Utters are the best punk rock band now, and ever. I own every released recording by this band, and let me tell you that is no easy feat. as a lot of their releases were limited to 200 to 1000 presses. These tracks take off where the last EP, "Brazen Head" stopped. More smooth melodies, catchy riffs, and punker than f ck attitude. Again, there's a heavy Clash/Pogues feel (I would feel cheated by now if there wasn't) but the Utters are deffintly establishing thier own sound now instead of just simply imitating thier idols from 70's England. They even pound out an amazing cover of Queen's "'39", and I could not believe how well they succeeded. I mean, Queen? My only complaint is that "Troubadour" sounds incredibly similar to "Picture's Perfect" from their latest LP, "Five Leasons Learned" But no matter, this is an essential addition to your collection if you're in any way familiar with the Swingin Utters' work.

I have to be honest I expected to like the Swingin' utters side. A complete turnaround. The Swingin' Utters come on strong with my favorite being the regret filled 'Haven't seen yourself in years'. But the suprise is in the Youth Brigade side. All 6 songs rip off fast and furious, like the days of yore of 'sink with kalifornia' fame. Its all their from the group vocals, to the intilligent lyrics. Great great job and all 6 songs just leave you thirsty for a full length. The last YB record had its moments but some of the sarcasm was overshot and the bass guitar has that typical flat dull sound that almost became a Youth brigade trademark to me. But this split has re-opened my eyes to this legendary SoCal band. If you wrote them off, heres proof that Youth Brigade will never 'decline' and 'youth' will always remain a state of mind alive in their songs.

The entire CD is made by the song "It's not enough". Listen to the sample see for yourself, and buy this CD.