Cherry

This is not great album for 2008. I was anticipating this album alot, problem is it's just plain boring. There is a couple rockers here but if you want a great album like their self-titled, you will be hugely let down.

New groups must do new things. I can listen once. Because I don't want to listen it again.

i'm a bit confused coming here to see that there are a lot of negative reviews. i think people have to give it a second listen. i didn't really like them at first but after hearing the first album a few times made me like it more and more. same with the second. it grows on you (if you're into rock).
i say buy it ^^

Loved the first album. Can't say the same about this album. Seemed more like a contractural aggreement than an actual effort. Kept hoping to find at least one song that would "grab me" on this album. Never found it. It is tolerable, nothing more, nothing less. This will become a dust collector in my collection.

I'm very impressed with both albums from this band. Finally a rock band that does NOT sound like Nickelback.(I like Nickelback but I don't need 10 different other bands that sound just like them) This has a little southern flair without sounding country. Great solos, great changes, great rhythms. Overall I think these guys are better musicians than some of the other bands people want to compare them to. I can listen to both albums all the way through and enjoy every song.
PS: I originally stole this from the internet but it was good enough for me to later seek out and purchase. Why would I do that? Because I want the industry to know that I'll support them if they produce good music.

BSC was one of the best bands to break out in '06 and their self titled debut album was easily one of the best of the year. It was no wonder that i was really looking forward to the new one. They are a killer band with absolutely talented musicians. Blind Man increased my expectations cos that's a great track. Now, the rest of the album.... is rather disappointing. I wasn't expecting the guys to re-invent the wheel with this one... just wanted and expected no holds barred straight up rock 'n roll. While there are maybe 3-4 tracks that serve that purpose, the rest of the album is pretty forgettable. Each to their own opinion. Some might like this one cos its got a broader appeal... dare i say slightly commercial. I think the first album was a great effort. This one... not so much. I still think the band is great and will look forward to stuff they put out in the future.

Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
They set the bench mark back in the day when this came out, this is a great CD, and if you love swing, buy it.
Their new stuff that they are doing on their tours this spring [2008] just don't cut it, it aint swing baby, its SKA...YUCK!
Hope this review helps others...

I didn't pay attention to the reviews, sigh. I tossed the cd. The music may be good, but the concept is creepy. I glad for my naivete, this isn't the sophistication that I want to embrace.

Swing was well before my time, but damnit if it wasn't good music. I am glad a modern band came along to play some swing without treating it like some sappy background music for a church party.

"Zoot Suit Riot" includes some fast-paced swinging (!) tunes about fights with sailors, bady guys, getting drunk, and of course some good old-fashioned questionable romantic pursuits.

The lead singer doesn't have the best voice of the decade, or even the year, but he is good enough and he sings like he has something to say. The music backs this up, and the result is an album with the energy we should expect from a dance genre.

If anyone is bothered by songs about fightin' and philanderin' and dirty dancin', maybe they should pass on this and go listen to one of those nice wholesome 16th-century operas about rape and murder.

I love swing revival music, but my exposure to various groups has been limited. I bought this as a "buy it together" with another CD, listened to four songs, and turned it off. I won't listen to it again. The themes of the songs are sex-charged and the language vulgar. I guess I should have known by the title, "Cherry Poppin' Daddies," but I was thinking more along the lines "poppin' = jivin'" rather than it having a sexual connotation. Shows how out of the loop I am, I guess. Some people would probably love this CD, but as a Christian, I'm offended by the themes and the language. There was a low-class knock on God, too, and that was the end of the CD for me.

I postively love this cd. It so entertaining to listen to and if you are into swing dancing this is the music for you. The quality is like having Cherry Poppin Daddies right there with you performing it, it's that good. Zoot Suit Riot is a very up beat and fun cd for everyone to enjoy .

Don Cherry - one of the most unique and revolutionary of jazz musicians - lets it all hang loose as the crescendos pour forth from his amped-up pocket trumpet on this Zen inspired masterpiece from the late 1970's, his "Old and New Dreams" period. A classic with substance which, happily available again after nearly two decades on this UK reissue, ought not get lost in the shuffle of far less profound releases.

This is one of my favorite records. Lovably cheezy, great immersive listening. The Ornette-style blowing by Cherry, Billy Higgins and Charlie Haden takes an interesting, non-Western turn.

After loosing much interest in the modern hard rock and alternative scene, I've finally found a band that can pull me back. Black Stone Cherry are a group of talented hard rockers. The guitar tones are muddy and the solos aren't over emphasized. One can trace their sound to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd and then back to the modern scene with Sevendust, Crossfade, and Breaking Benjamin.

Black Stone Cherry have two major releases to date, this being their debut. Although not as accessible as their following album "Folklore And Superstition", this one as a whole is a stronger effort. The production isn't top notch, coupling the muddily distorted guitars makes for a pseudo poor quality.

The album starts with "Rain Wizard", not exactly my choice to launch an album. The song is great, but takes about thirty seconds to project any vocals, The intro is interesting though,a chunking guitar contrasted with a smooth slide of sound and drums that don't take away from the experience. The band packs a few cool studio and pedal based effects, the intro to "Backwoods" fades in and out of each speaker. "Shooting Star" does so in a similar manor, but with a tremolo effect added, proceeding with a drugging bass. "Hell & High Water" sounds like Johnny Lang vocally and good old blues rock. "Tired Of The Rain" is another song that may bring on nostalgia. If no hits yet, their cover of The Yardbirds 1966 hit "Shapes Of Things" might be a wake up call. Managing to make the song contemporary and still interesting. "Lonely Train" feels a bit corny, but you can't deny that catchy chugging sound. Reminds me of a song you'd find from a local band whose singer has yet to find their voice.

Black Stone Cherry have gone above the call of duty on their debut, greeting rock fans with a variety of powerful classic and contemporary sounding tunes.

These guys, along with Shinedown, may be the saviors of straight up rock in this contemporary Clear Channel/Infinity music scene. One of the all around best and most solid albums I have heard this generation.

I really like their first single lonely train, so I picked this cd and the first 3 songs of this cd rocks,the band really plays well. this is what rock and roll should sound heavy with great lyrics .

Black Stone Cherry's self titled debut is simply impressive, I mean what else can I say? Yeah I know what you're thinking why a metalhead like myself is reviewing a rock album and giving it 5 stars. Hey, just because I love metal (Pantera, Slayer, Testament, Exodus, Megadeth, Machine Head, Sepultura, Nile, Origin, Behemoth, Atheist, Suffocation, Deicide, Malevolent Creation, Opeth, Dream Theater, In Flames, Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, etc) doesn't mean I can't like a few rock bands every now and then. Black Stone Cherry are one of the best new modern hard rock bands out there today. When I heard the song "Lonely Train" last year, I was very impressed, and afterwards I went out and bought the band's 2006 self titled debut from Roadrunner, and I really enjoyed it. Hailing from Edmonton, Kentucky, Black Stone Cherry's musical influences range from bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, and even Soundgarden as well. Their sound is just straight up raw and southern fried heavy, and I also learned the band's name was delivered by the famous kretek cigarette Black Stone (Cherry Flavour). The musicianship is very solid, genuine, and impressive. Chris Robertson's southern style vocals are impressive and downright awesome, and together along with Ben Wells, they both churn and rip out great heavy, crunching southern fried riffs and fantastic solos that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand. Jon Lawhon does some nice work with his bass, and drummer John Fred Young pounds out some nice, solid, rocking fills that will get you in that rocking mood. Each song is great, and the songwriting is just excellent, and also storytelling wise at times as well. "Rain Wizard" is a nice, solid opener that tells about a local legend of mysterious wisemen who could bring the rain in times of drought. Track two "Backwoods Gold" (my personal favorite song on here) is a fast, yet straight forward crunchy rocker which is about a local bootlegger who ran moonshine out of a hardware store in the middle of the band's hometown of Edmonton, and is highlighted by heavy, crunching guitars, pounding straight forward beats, and a very addicting chorus as well as a great guitar solo. "Lonely Train" is another favorite on here (which tells about the effect on families when a relative goes to fight in a war) features more crunching riffs, great vocals, another great chorus, hefty drumwork, and another great solo, and some nice basslines. Track four "Maybe Someday" is another fun, catchy rocker that showcases the band's southern rock roots, and track five "When the Weight Comes Down" features a nice electric sitar solo, followed by another great, wailing guitar solo. "Crosstown Woman" and "Violator Girl" are both great crunchy riff rockers that lyrically deal with women of course, and "Hell and High Water" is nice, straight forward, melodic rocker. "Tired of the Rain" and the album closer "Rollin'On" both feature some cool catchy B3 organ effects from guest Reece Wynans (the former being a catchy blues rocker, and the latter being another great straigh up melodic rocker featuring some more great guitar soloing).
Jeremy's song ratings:
1. Rain Wizard (3:24) - 5/5
2. Backwoods Gold (3:06) - 5/5
3. Lonely Train (3:50) - 5/5
4. Maybe Someday (3:47) - 5/5
5. When the Weight Comes Down (3:35) - 5/5
6. Crosstown Woman (3:36) - 5/5
7. Shooting Star (3:12) - 5/5
8. Hell and High Water (4:01) - 5/5
9. Shapes of Things (3:05) - 5/5
10. Violator Girl (3:23) - 5/5
11. Tired of the Rain (3:15) - 5/5
12. Drive (3:04) - 5/5
13. Rollin'On (4:59) - 5/5

Overall, if you enjoy southern rock, hard rock, heavy metal, alternative metal, whatever, then you'll definately be impressed with Black Stone Cherry's self titled deubt which is indeed pure southern fried hard rock for the ages, and puts all that bubblegum teenpop/top 40 garbage to absolute shame. I also recommend this album to fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Black Crowes, and even AC/DC as well. Pick up this album now and prepare to rock, southern fried style.

The first three tracks are awesome, but the rest of the album has a tough time keeping up. Fortunately the last three are also very good, so about half of it is great and the other half is pretty good. That adds up to a good record. At worst they sound like above-average (in terms of musicianship, at least - all of these guys are great) hard rock. Their next album should be even better.

My favorite song is A Man Doesn't Know (From "Damn Yankees") (Remastered 1988) - this can be so true ! :P

Gwen Verdon...need I say more????
The whole cast is great.
The show is great
The best recording of the show

The great song writing team of Adler & Ross only wrote two musicals, "Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankeees." Both have songs you can't stop hearing and singing. If you love baseball and you love Broadway musicals, there's never been anything better than "Damn Yankees." This is the original Broadway cast, with the greats, Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston. Stephen Douglass has an old-fashioned opera-like voice, the kind they still favored on Broadway in the 50s, and Shannon Bolin and Rae Allen can really belt, too. A joyous album.

This was one of the best musicals of the 50's. I saw the 94 revival and loved it as well. I prefer the revival cast recording because it is more complete and sounds infinetly better than the original. Still, Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston are wonderful to hear. DO NOT make the mistake I did and buy the DVD of the film version. They totally butchered it, editing out the majority of the score, leaving in about 4 songs. It is so awful, scenes and major plot points are gone, it doesn't always make sense. I've seen the film before and know there is soooo much more to it. Not on the DVD. Hopefully someday a restored version will be released.

So, I just bought this version, after owning the revival cast, and being in it recently. There are definitly good things about this recording. The music is beautiful and Old Joe has a beautiful voice. Also, Joe Hardy is better on this recording than the revival. Unfortunately Lola is not the greatest in this cast, I much perfered the revival's Lola. SO which version should you get? Collectors, should get both, people who perfer a more classical musical theater should get this version. Other than that, the new version, is better, and a better value. Favorite Song: "Goodbye, Old Girl"

It's been a very long time since I was this bowled over by an album. Like the first featured reviewer, I am in love. I just don't understand why I didn't know about this. I've had a different version of the song "Braided Hair" on a compilation CD for years, and liked it so I finally sought out the album it originally came from. I never, ever expected to find this deeply spiritual collaboration of amazing talent.

WOW!!! If you are the least bit spiritual then you will fall right into this CD with no problems at all, and if you are not, you will before you finish listening to this. The music spans the globe reflecting how other cultures express their spirituality and touches something way deep down inside and makes you think much deeper than the surface of things. It is the companion to the DVD and I can't imagine having one without the other.I play this CD contantly and it always brings me a sense of calm, and happiness yet with a touch of sadness, only because I wish everyone could listen and have a similar experience. If everyone listened to this music, I think our world would be a better place. Yes, simple as that.

This is a beautiful cd. The combination of sounds in the songs, the combination of cultures is very well done. Even the spoken intros are interesting. I first borrowed this cd from the library and fell for it immediately. I didn't want to return it. Anything that combine Indian, Reggae, Rap, Africa and more...that, that is a wonderful thing..

Artists Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman collaborated in 2002 on this concept album to rousing success. Working under the theme of "Unity Through Diversity," the Brit-based duo travelled across the world gathering video, sound, and guest artists in an attempt to create a wholistic creative vision. The end product is a stunning achievement, a combination of loamy spirituality, untarnished deep earth culturalism, and the sprig and sap of full-bloom electronica.

You may remember "My Culture," a hip-hop-n-dream-pop number featuring Robbie Williams and Maxi Jazz. One of the album's first singles, it got a lot of play in 2002-3, and its short form music video was nominated for a Grammy. Rightfully so, as the song is reminiscent of what makes the entire rest of the album so wonderful -- uncannily unique rhythms tied to lyricism and tones that strike chords at the cellular level.

Not a hard thing to do when you dipping your ladle into the slow-moving streams of tribal music, unsullied Indian chants, and the traditional prayer-songs of people with more than a little of their life tied inextricably to the past that made them. Songs like "Ma' Africa," "Passion," and "Braided Hair" postively glow with the energy and emotion behind the words. Others, like "The Way You Dream" and "Daphne" and "All Alone" float dreamily through their own notes, aloft on the not-so-hidden hope of the record's message.

Some might find it heavy-handed or cliched (the DVD runs a bit long), but there's really no denying that the music is, in fact, beautiful. Assisted musically (and with some vocal contributions by) people such as Brian Eno, Michael Franti, Michael Stipe, Kurt Vonnegut, Dennis Hopper, Baaba Maal and others, the record does court themes that may seem old news, but I'd argue that just because a message is old doesn't make it any less true, doesn't deprive of it of any of the power and honesty that compelled it when it was fresh and alive. Although this album is over five years old by now, and although the spirit that prompted it is even older, "fresh" and "alive" are still perfect words to describe every song in it.

The DVD alone is worth the price. However, the album is not that great

You all know that line about Rollins: "One night...nothing like anything which has ever been captured on recording..". Well, I think this hyperbole is true in the case of Sonny. More than any of the other greats, he seems to, so often, hint at a power and majesty which is approached, elided, but not quite reached. But it's reached here. Listen to this remarkable version of Green Dolphin Street. Rollins' solo evokes for me nothing less than Louis Armstrong's playing on the original recording of Sweethearts On Parade:the combination of humor, simplicity, complexity, an incredible drive and groove, the most absurd quotations...And then there's what is, for me, Rollins' greatest innovation: the Bachian principle of making a solo instrument into a total musical experience. Rollins plays rhythm section for himself, he riffs for his own solo. Not to take away from the extraordinary playing of Henry Grimes and Billy Higgins. Sensitive and incredibly powerful. Oblique and direct, by turns. One could go through their choices, chorus by chorus, and come up with a textbook on modern (circa 1963) rhythm section playing. And then, there's Don Cherry. The head-scratching aspect of Our Man In Jazz has disappeared. As is so often the case, touring has changed potential into realization. And you can understand why Rollins wanted to work with this quixotic genius. Cherry is one of the most approximate of Jazz greats-most of his solos sound like rough sketches for a final product which never appears. But he is nowhere near as tied to the strophes of the AABA (or ABAB, or whatever) form of Jazz standards, and is able to play freely, lyrically and even symmetrically (question/answer phrases) over, under and through these procrustean markers. It must have sometimes driven Rollins crazy that, for all his mastery, this was something that he never really achieved. But Cherry, as a foil, took him as close to that Ornette-ian world as he was ever to go. The difference between this disc and Our Man...is that there Rollins really sounds like a tourist.
Which brings up my one question about this disc. As great as the performances of Solitude and Without A Song are (particularly the former, which sounds, at its beginning, like what composer Stefan Wolpe REALLY had in mind when he wrote his great Jazz-influenced Quartet in 1950), sometimes I feel that these venerable standards are made to stretch beyond their boundaries; material begins to seem like a necessary evil. It's not for nothing that Ornette Coleman is celebrated as a COMPOSER as much as anything else; his tunes are brilliant corporealizations of his improvisatory language. And this is the complex story of what "Jazz Composition" signifies: that particular synergy. Monk is Rollins' composer: his motives free flow all over the map while remaining bounded by symmetrical phrase lengths. And Sonnymoon For Two is Rollins' modest masterpiece of same, although this version can't hold a candle to the one on Live At The Village Vanguard (still my favorite Rollins disc; this one is now second), where Rollins' method of developing motivically is taken to a hilarious extreme. Caveat Emptor: this version is 23 minutes long!
The crowd in Paris knew they were witnessing something really special; their enthusiasm grows track by track. By the time we get to the shattering version of Everything Happens To Me,they are virtually delirious. Someone should write a whole paper on the relationship between material and interpretation on this track. Moments of high irony, seemingly informed by the ironic lyrics of the song. Moments of deep feeling, connected to the song's denouement...and one of Rollins' greatest recorded cadenzas, duly appreciated.This great evening ends with such a loose and jovial version of Monk's 52nd St. Theme, complete with popping rhythm section and a myriad of Monk quotes.

With a pairing like ace songwriter Rodney Crowell and crystalline-tenored, jagged-riff twanger Vince Gill, you'd expect some fireworks. Those are sadly not in evidence on the 12 track release from the super duo. Along for the ride are hot shot producer Tony Brown handling piano and old colleagues Hank DeVito and Richard Bennett who were with Vince in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band" when he was still an unknown commodity.

HIGHLIGHTS:
For the most part the songs that veer farthest afield of honky-tonk fare best. "Wait a Minute"'s call for forgiveness in the midst of relationship strife is a bit lightweight (Gill had a much better take on it with "Gimme Just One More Last Chance") but catchy and hummable, sounding not unlike a Traveling Wilburys outtake with just a dash of Tex-Mex influence. "Oklahoma Dust" is clearly a Buck Owens' homage and a well-done one as guitarist Bennett does his best Don Rich impersonation. The sole exception to the 'fast songs are best' rule here is jokey weeper "It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night that Chew Your A** Out all Day Long". The hook is so clever and undeniable that it escapes the stupidity in the use of the phrase "disses" from someone Gill's and Crowell's age.

LOWS:
"If I Ever Break Your Heart" is a dull string of cliches every bit as yawn-inducing as the latest Nashville assembly line hat act number.

BOTTOM LINE:
It only really catches fire thrice...far from enough to justify purchasing this dud.

I bought this album after listening to the first few songs.

The first 1/3 seems more rock & roll then country -- and that's the part I like. The second 2/3rds of this album is a bit to country for me.

The entire album is good. Every song is unique, fun to listen to, and has an original sound. We especially love Rodney Crowel's simpler than Urban's version of "Making Memories of Us". I loved this song the first time I heard it done by Keith Urban on CMT, and noticed that Crowel wrote it and knew he'd had to have done his own recording of it. But the reason we bought the Cd was the "Kiss the Lips" song that the radio won't play. My husband absolutely loves that song.

As a real hard-core Vince Gill Fan, I've been wanting this CD for awhile now and finally got it for Christmas. What a fabulous collection of music! The talent on this CD is incredible; it makes you want to sing along, to dance, to stop and just listen, and of course, to laugh. I can't go from one room to the other without bringing it with me to play!

this is the best album with the most talented guys of country music - my husband is a radio dj in Dunedin (NZ) and I can tell you this is a very popular album with us South Islanders!! I personally think these guys have just got quality and wow can't wait for another CD!!

I saw this play on Broadway when it opened. I still know the lyrics!

"Oliver!" is not a musical to be analyzed song-by-song or voice-by-voice. It is a musical to be enjoyed as a whole. While a couple of the songs did enjoy some popular success, there is really no stand-out among them; and none of the voices is out of the ordinary.
However, every song either propels the plot or reveals character traits. And every voice portrays the person it represents.
So--Sit back, close your eyes, relax, visualize the version of "Oliver!" you have seen (either the movie or on stage), and relive your theater experience. You will not be sorry.

Charle's Dickens'musical adaptation for "Oliver Twist" showed to be a most acclaimed work of art. This is the very original version, which makes it as twice as valuable as any other version, although the movie soundtrack is quite good. Wonderful songs and a very attractive story make this an experience for all.

Although this original cast recording includes all the musical numbers, I can see why songs like "My Name" and "That's Your Funeral" were not embraced by the 1968 Academy Award winning film; they simply do not measure up to the high standards of the other tunes. Also, the orchestration lacks the lushness and fullness of the film. The singers of this and the film version both give credible performances; however, I would have to give the nod again to the film performers, if only because this collectors edition has a thin recording studio sound. It is evident from the information brochure that is included that this cast recording was hastily gotten together and seemingly lacked the numbers of choral boy singers to overcome its musical deficiencies.

I love the songs from Oliver! -- learned them as a child from the LP of the film and from a songbook. They are so sprightly and clever, with melodies that capture the lilt of the words perfectly. I remember them as very tuneful and fun to sing. So I am disappointed in the musical style on this recording.

Everyone seems to be shouting instead of singing. I expected Fagin to "patter" in that speaking-singing hybrid, but on this recording MOST of the characters do it, and in a loud, forced voice -- the Artful Dodger, Nancy, and the kids' chorus. The ones that aren't pattered are belted out in the "Oom-Pah-Pah" style. The score comes across as not very nuanced or varied, which is a shame.