King

I have been listening to this album a lot, and I can't get the songs out of my head. I think this surpasses their first few albums by leaps and bounds. If you kind of liked there previous albums give this one a listen, and you will be as hooked as I am.

Very good release by a hot young band of brothers. The obvious hit "Sex On Fire", is excellent, and the rest of the material stands the test. I recommend this.

This is one of those CD's that I like from beginning to end. There are songs that stand out more than others; Closer, Sex on Fire, and Be Somebody for example. The fuzzy bass riff that dominates Crawl makes it one of my personal fav's. I'm hopeful that these guys stay in it for the long haul and that we can expect many more fantastic CD's.

Great cd. I only knew one of the songs on it, but have been listening to the entire cd since I received it. Great.

This CD is by far the best I have heard in a long time. It is unique.
Every song has it's own style and is a treat to the ears!
Enjoy this amazing CD.

What a wonderful late career tour d'force. So good to hear the King on songs he hasn't recorded before, supported by world beating production from T Bone Burnett and magnificent players like Dr John and Jim Kelter. Nathan East's acoustic bass is a special stand out.
This record is just a gem, the warmth of tone, understated playing and love of blues oozes out of every track.
If you love the blues, you'll loves this. Buy it, play it, recommend it.

83 years old! 83 years old for God's sake, and he's still not only putting out albums, but damn good albums!! BB King's new album is a wonderful experience. He plays covers of classic blues tunes in his own special way, and sounds as fresh as he ever did. I had read that in the studio the aim was to sound like his older 50s recordings, and this was achieved for sure. I still just get constantly amazed when I think of King's age and track record. You think 50 Cent or the friggin' Jonas Brothers are gonna be recording albums at 83?
Not much else I can say about BB King here except that the album is great(as to be expected anyway), and it's more than worth the purchase. If King still sounds this invigorating I can only hope he's got at least two more albums left in him!

Amazing he can still sing this way at his age.
Best stuff in years.

As a Blues fan this album is a big favor for me. I like better B.B. King of the old times. But this new cd is something else. Like his early days, B.B. King is focused on creativity in singing as well as playing the guitar.

There are those Blues Ballads only B.B. King can make the justice with: "Get These Blues Off Me", "My Love Is Down", "Waiting For Your Call".

Some songs are in style B.B. King didn't do so far. "Tommorow Night" , a sweet Ballad B.B. challenges himself it is a bit outside most of his repertoire over the years, "How Many More Years" the rough Chicago Blues, both are dealt well in his hands.

My 3 favorite were "I Get So Weary", because the power singing, "The World Gone Wrong", because this old melody was revived so beautifully in the hands of B.B. King, and "Backwater Blues" for the guitar on this slow Blues.

Memphis, TN lays claim to two Kings and one still rules with his Queen, Lucille, by his side. BB King hardly sounds like he's over 80 in this collection of blues standards. You've heard this music before and you'll hear it again, but mark my words you will remember these versions of the songs.

Other reviewers have said it better. I'm just contributing to this product's star rating, but I will say honestly. You are doing yourself a good dozen kind favors when you buy this CD.

BB, may you reign long and prosper.

Rebecca Kyle, October 2008

If you don't have this already, what are you waiting for? My all time Christmas favorite.

A lot has been written about the quality of the music on this classic so I won't comment but suffice to say that if you are a fan of classic Christmas music, this should be in your collection. I am a fan of high quality sound and early CD transfers were notoriously poor in sound quality. I often find it hard to purchase a new CD that I already have based on "digitally remastering" but this is such a classic and the sound quality on the original CD that I have was so poor that I decided to purchase it. I immediately noticed a difference in the sound quality and felt that it was defiantly worth the upgrade.

Having this as background for my holiday parties is a real plus. It adds to the holiday atmosphere. Also, some folks sang along with it. Some songs we knew and others we'd forgotten but they all enhanced this year's holiday memories.

Nat has passed away some years ago and Natalie his daughter must be mid 30's by now and she's good.....but I like songs sung by the original writers and composers/arrangers and Nat fits the bill with great easy listening for anyone.....a man truly one of a kind and I miss him.

This is a classic Christmas CD that will get a lot of play for years to come. This ranks right up there with our Perry Como Christmas CD's. If you want great music to have playing Christmas morning as you open the gifts around the tree let this be the CD to play.

This album is absolutely amazing and belongs on every top album list. Every song is finely crafted, executed and produced. There aren't too many albums where I like every song but this is one of them. Five stars and very high on my top albums list.

This was a total let down. Their last album was one of my favorites and I was physced for this to come out. Gone is the original sounding Dixie fried garage rock sound that put them on the map. They totally changed. Sounds like they put a lot of money into it. They also said they were drunk the whole time recording this one unlike their past albums. Sounds like it's not working for them.
Their album after this one "Only By The Night", from what I've heard of it so far, seems like their making this new sound work for them. But do yourself a favor and skip this one.

I agree that Y&YM and Aha Shake Heartbreak are excellent albums, perhaps more raw than Because of the Times, but just because KOL strays a little bit from their gritty rock sound on the first two albums doesn't mean this album isn't amazing...because it is.

[...] Because of the Times is edgy, graceful, packed with a punch, and keeps you emotionally involved throughout its 13 tracks. I will admit that getting over the hump of the 7 minute, but brilliant, 'Knocked Up' to start the album could turn some people off, but 'Charmer through Fans' will keep you rocking out and falling in love with this group. The 'Runner' and 'Trunk' slow down the pace with a graceful delivery and the foursome rev up their engines on 'Camaro' and leave you wanting more with the uplifting 'Arizona' to close out this masterful album.

Do yourself a favor and get it. Be patient and you will see why listening past the the fourth track is well worth it.

WOW!,the sound and performance is just like "Aha Shake Heartbrake" but the tracks are different.For a true fan,i recommend "Youth And Youngman Hood","Aha Shake Heartbrake","Because Of The Times" and "Only By The Night".

This is the best album in the last year, maybe last two. Followill's voice is the most uniquely haunting sound ... I can't stop playing these tunes. There are half a dozen unforgettable cuts here; "Knocked Up" ranks with the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs' "Maps" as one of the best tracks of the decade. And I'm not some kid: at 44, I come out of a Lou Reed, Petty, Costello, Springsteen mold. This is good stuff.

This is the 2007 Christmas Concert. The King Singers are exceptional and great new arrangements from Mack Wilberg.

This is a beautiful album. Wilberg's arrangement of "Still, still, still" performed by the King's singers and the Tabernacle Choir brings me to tears every time. The harmony is breathtaking. This album is a great addition to your Christmas collection.

Once again, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir doesn't disappoint. This is probably the best Christmas CD I own! Their version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is priceless!

I attended this concert and I was blown away with the sound. The CD is a excellent reproduction of the concert. I have listened to this on several different quality speakers and headphones and it sounds transcendent. I normally do not enjoy classical or choir music, but this has become my new favorite Christmas album, topping all 5 CDs of Sufjan Steven's Songs for Christmas.

I have numerous Christmas CDs but find myself listening to this one most often. Both groups are superb, both individually and when they sing together. Some of the carols are so beautiful they can bring you to tears.

Wonderful and angelic singing!
This choir sang the music I heard on one of the Sopranos episodes.
I had beens searching for this music for several years and finally found the answer on a website. Carmela sitting in living room listening to music on season 3 episode save us all from satan's fire.

I just read J Morgan's review. I like Robert Shaw too, but Kings College Choir is fabulous. Too bad this disc is no longer available new.

I live in the D.C. area and have the former Classical Station WGMS to thank for introducing me to the King's College Cambridge Choir. This wonderful radio station used to play gorgeous Christmas music all through December, but alas it (the station) is no more, which is why I bought the CD. The CD is exquisite, every carol fills me with the proper Christmas spirit of reverence, benevolence... to think of music doing that to a driver in this area is quite impressive, as the traffic around here would try the patience of St. Francis himself. Anyways, this music is an absolute joy, a blessing, a comfort, and I would recommend it with ten stars if I could. Do yourself a favor, buy this beautiful CD collection and truly FEEL the Christmas spirit in 08!!!

This is familiar, traditional Christmas music, very well-crafted and performed in the Anglican style of hymnody. One of the best ever Christmas albums.

I always love King's College Christmas CD's. The music sung by these awesome voices is like hearing angels in heaven praising the newborn King. I have also sung some of the descants used with the old favorites like "O Come, All Ye Faithful". The soaring of the young boys' voices in songs like "Once In Royal David's City", is just beyond compare. Be sure to buy one or more of the King's College CD's and just sit, listen, and fully enjoy the music.

This woman has it together. Bluesy, retro,and you feel as if you should be attending church at the same time. 100 days, 100 nights is an excellent song.

I got this back in December, and I'm now kicking myself for not discovering her earlier albums, and I'm now in the process of buying them from Amazon. She can sing, and for the younger people reading this, you don't have to look like Beyoncé to get an album. (Sharon Jones is not ugly by any stretch of the imagination, by the way. Besides, she's a better singer than Beyoncé and most of the pretty girl singers that the Music Industry has forced on R&B/Pop/Rap and Hip Hop the last few years.) I'm eagerly awaiting her next release.

I bought this after reading the other reviews about the ablum and am THRILLED to say that all the good things are TRUE!!! This is a friggin' classic from A to tomorrow. All that which sounds paradoxically, classically true in Amy Wine-weed-and-whatever-else-detox-house is even better here with Sharon's vastly superior vocals. FYI, that which turns me on with this disc is largely true of James Hunter's "People Gonna Talk" disc. They both do a fantastic job of capturing that distinctive sound of late '60's soul/blues hit parade. It's largely from the brilliance of the engineering and production staff at the studio, so keep those guys in mind as you smile while listening to either (and if you like James, buy this and vice versa!).

I really hate all this retro this and throwback that.
THIS IS SOUL MUSIC, R and goddamned B !!!
RnB is not some idiot note bending over computer generated beeps and thuds. I dont care what MTV calls it.
Buy this today, and something tells me your Beyonce, Usher and Justine Timberlake
CD's will be in the trash tomorrow.

I was late, like most people were, in discovering Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, but I am so glad I did! Recently I heard the title cut being played in the Virgin Mega Store, and was totally blown away by the music and the vocalist. Turns out I had been seeing this CD on display for a LONG time - around the time when Amy Winehouse blew up. Yet Sharon and her group were getting little to no publicity, doing the same type of music as the troubled beehive-styled songstress. We see all of the acclaim that Winehouse got for her BACK TO BLACK CD, and I admit I really loved that CD because of the retro-soul style. But let me tell you, without this phenomenal band backing her up, Winehouse's CD would have been just average. With a much better vocalist at the microphone, 100 DAYS, 100 NIGHTS is pure soul and I love the fact that SOUL MUSIC IS BACK and it's because of artists like Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings!

This CD takes you back to the days when soul music ruled the airwaves, when there were REAL musicians, REAL singers, and such a thing as professionalism and style. When I hear what is passing for so-called R&B these days, it's enough to make you vomit - minimally talented, overhyped and overrated "vocalists" warbling meaningless excuses called lyrics over 20 and 30 year old looped samples and computer generated beats. That is NOT what R&B and soul is. Thank God that there is an audience out here that demands the REAL thing, like what is featured on this disc.

Think of how important the Funk Brothers were to the Motown Sound of the '60s, of how essential James Brown's band was to his musical compositions, throw in the grit, funk and soulfulness of those old Atlantic, Atco and Stax records coming from down South and you'll get the gist of what this band is all about. Ms. Jones is a vocal powerhouse and her voice suits the retro-soul genre well. Had she been around back in the day, it's for certain that she would have given other high-profile soul divas some SERIOUS competition. My favorites: "100 Days, 100 Nights", "Nobody's Baby", "When The Other Foot Drops, Uncle", "Something's Changed", "Humble Me" (this is my absolute favorite of all the songs - has an Otis Redding-ish kind of feeling to it), "Keep On Looking" (you will be thinking of the JB's when you hear this one!) and "Answer Me", which is a gospel song with a Memphis soul twist. Fantastic!

I intend to pick up the other CDs by Sharon & the Dap-Kings, because if 100 DAYS, 100 NIGHTS is any indication of what else is out there by them, then they have a new fan in me. Lovers of real soul music cannot afford not to own this.

In The Court of the Crimson King
Album Rating: 10
Best Song: The Court of the Crimson King
Released on October 10, 1969, "In The Court of the Crimson King" is considered by many one of the King Crimson's best albums, and one of the most, if not the most influential albums in progressive rock history. While the album may not be one of the most well known albums, the progressive rock cult certainly was influenced by it, and it's easy to see why. Using a wide variety of different instruments, rock instruments do not take a lead in this album. Take for instance "I Talk to the Wind" lead by a soft flute, or "Moonchild" with no lead but a ton of strange instrumental parts. This album, even in the progressive rock camp, is very experimental and one of the most influential of all time.
The album starts of with what remains as one of King Crimson's most well known songs "21st Century Schizoid Man" with loud saxophones and loud disoriented vocals from Greg Lake, this is considered a classic by lots of King Crimsons fans, but not me. Those loud disoriented vocals aren't that good, and the song drags on to me. A decent song, but easily the worst on the album.
It gets picked back up immediately by a soft flute introduction to "I Talk to the Wind" which is a nice soft relaxing tune, with a nice hippy feel to it for me. Constantly lead by a flute, and fun lyrics, not that I know what they are about. This is where the album gets good.
We got into the epic "Epitaph" with it's soft drums and heavy use of the meltron, is just genius. The song feels like an epic soft-rocker, and has the epic lyrics about mankind and death. One of the best songs on the album, though that's along with everything besides the first track. Strangely this was released as a single a couple of years later in 1976 leading in front of "21st Century Schizoid Man" after the "A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson" a 2-cd compilation released by King Crimsons where they choice some of the best songs from their albums prior to that.
Next up is the very experimental "Moon Child". We're treated too a two and a half minute meltron ballad, and then go into a random instrumental phase. Tons of instruments are played in this, and it's just feels completely random. I know a lot of people who hate this song, I have friends who think it's stupid and boring, but I think it's pure genius. The actual song part is really good, and I always listen to the crazy experimental part too as I find it enjoyable, especially towards the end.
Finally we have the closing epic "The Court of the Crimson King", and I can't emphasize on how great this song is. The lyrics are very fantasy-like, and whatever he is talking about has background things doing it perfectly when Greg Lake says "The purple piper plays his tune" you hear a flute in the background, everything in this song is just perfect. The haunting vocals, the strange instrumentals, the aahs after Lake says Court of the Crimson King, everything is wonderful. This is the progressive masterpiece, and the crowning achievement of one of the greatest progressive albums ever.
This album was the album that set the standards for progressive rock in the seventies, this album was the album that influenced many, and this album is one of the best progressive rock albums of all time. Soft and haunting with fantasy lyrics, though it is a rare thing, King Crimson hit the mark on their debut, and I can't say it is their best as I haven't listened to all their albums, but I think it will be, along with one of the best albums of all time.

Song Ratings:
21st Century Schizoid Man - 7/10
I Talk to the Wind - 9.5/10
Epitaph - 10/10
Moonchild - 9.5/10
The Court of the Crimson King - 10/10

What can one say about an album like "In The Court Of The Crimson King"? The word "classic" immediately springs to mind, quickly followed by "incredible" as well as "stunning". I pay absolutely no mind to the few musically illiterate people who have said this album is "overrated"...what garbage! This album is a one-of-a-kind & was way ahead of it's time then & even now. Besides King Crimson & possibly their fellow UK counterparts Soft Machine, no one was making music like this in 1969.

Opening with the classic "21st Century Schizoid Man" with it's crunching guitar riffs, wailing sax & heavily distorted vocals perfectly creating an eerie, paranoiac feel. In sharp contrast is the hauntingly beautiful "I Talk To The Wind" featuring wistful vocals & gorgeous flutes floating in the background. Next is "Epitaph", with its' climactic, sorrowful Mellotron strains & the 12-minute plus "Moonchild", which starts off nicely but breaks down into a lengthy stretch of weird, random percussion & guitar pieces. Pink Floyd did a similar thing on "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" from their "Ummagumma" album released later the same year.

I agree with many of the reviewers that the superior musicianship of the original lineup is what made this album what it is: guitarist/mastermind Robert Fripp, bassist/vocalist Greg Lake (who would later join Emerson, Lake & Palmer), keyboardist/flautist Ian MacDonald (who later turned up in Foreigner), drummer Michael Giles, & lyricist Peter Sinfield. Sadly, most of the lineup splintered after the release of this album, with only Greg Lake remaining for the band's 2nd album "In The Wake Of Poseidon" before he too departed to join Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1970.

I have the 2004 Original Master Edition of this album with 24-bit remastering; the sound quality is absolutely amazing, the best that you'll find with a domestic release. I've heard that the Japanese reissue sounds even better, but if you're like me, you don't want to shell out over 50 bucks for a CD, even for this. I do agree however, that if you have the original vinyl LP &/or the 1st CD pressing from 1988, you'd do very well to replace them with this CD edition; you'll be impressed, trust me!

This album is truly brilliant from start to finish, but now do yourself a favour and listen to these guys.......... they have an album coming out soon[...]

In 1970, every stoner had this, led zepplin, frank zappa, and pink floyd in their repertoire.

Year Zero for progressive rock. Ridiculously complex song-structure? Check! Pratty, regal-voiced lead singer later to join one of the Seventies' more dire groups? Check! DUAL Mellotrons? Check and check! (These being Mellotrons, the second "check" is slightly out of tune with the first one.) Lyrics written by Pete Sinfield? Check! Robert Fripp? Aye, mate, and how so!

Actually, Fripp's involvement with In The Court Of The Crimson King was actually surprisingly small. He wasn't the bandleader he later became, nor the main songwriter - he was just the quiet, eccentric lead guitarist who insisted on sitting down during gigs. Which is probably why Fripp, who went on to be the last truly revolutionary guitarist in rock history, still holds such a soft spot in his heart for this incarnation of the group he would later go on to become synonymous with: it was a true collaborative effort. Fripp sprays his first definitive guitar moment all over "21st Century Schizoid Man" and decorates everything else with laudable restraint. Lake comes up with the bulk of "Epitaph" and brings his icily patrician vocals to lyrics which need exactly such an approach to not sound ridiculous. Michael Giles drums with a combination of metronomic precision and free-flying expressiveness that would become an inspirational touchstone for future progressive drummers, while also thinking up the great 1-2-3 stairstep chord progression that caps the main riff of "Schizoid Man." Sinfield writes, for the first and last time in his career, a set of lyrics whose cod-mystical literary pretensions are both checked by self-restraint and matched flawlessly to the music. And finally, the quiet man...Ian MacDonald, who burned with the inner mounting flame that truly fired the first edition of Crimson.

Nowadays everyone thinks of King Crimson as Robert Fripp's band. Surely that has a measure of truth now, but Fripp would be the first to tell you that back when the Crimso monster first got underway KC was, if anything, Ian MacDonald's band. Not only was he the band's primary Mellotron player (and remember: it was this album that would inspire a rush on Mellotrons from a hundred aspiring bands - in fact, Genesis actually acquired THEIR brilliantly-deployed Mellotron from Crimson), his reed playing (saxophone, flutes and various & sundry woodwinds) also dominates the album, featuring on every song. And the range he displayed with these instruments was stunning: yeah, there's definitely some airy-faerie folky flute playing on In The Court, but the lasting impression is given by the psychotic free jazz sax solo on "Schizoid Man" and the swirling Mellotron assault of the title track.

MacDonald wasn't just the most important player in the early Crimso. He was also the key creative contributor. Most of the songwriting was done by Ian MacDonald, and the power of his work on pieces like "Schizoid Man" (which is SO hard that it will shock you even today: not just loud, but irresistibly grotesque), "I Talk To The Wind," "Epitaph," and "In The Court Of The Crimson King" is so undeniable that it boggles the mind that THIS IS THE MAN WHO LATER WENT ON TO FOUND THE BAND FOREIGNER.

Lily-gilding commentary aside, I wouldn't consider any music-lover's collection complete without this album, and not just because of its historical importance. It's because it's one of the most simultaneously shocking, ravishing, stately, and aggressive things laid to wax. A record which announced "YO BUDDY - THE 1960'S ARE OVER" just as surely as Led Zeppelin's debut ever did. And now, with this current CD version taken from the (finally unearthed) original master tapes, the best-sounding copy ever available on CD.

If you don't own it, blush.

Although my tastes have shifted away from pop-punk into post-hardcore and hard rock, I still find myself back into the genre every now and then. WTK are def more pop than punk, but the crunchy guitars and upbeat sound lend more to The Starting Line than Boys Like Girls. Granted, there isn't any screaming, dual vocals or techincal musicanship here, but WTK do what they do well and have managed to put out an enjoyable set of songs that may just cross over into guilty pleasure territory. As a guy who listens to everything from NFG to Atreyu to Blink to Underoath, I'd recommend this album.

Although I am biased, being that Travis Clark (lead singer/guitarist) is my little cousin and all, it's a very good album.

I love the fact that the music is up-beat & fun, clean lyrics (hard to come by & even harder in a complete album) & each song is catchy!

It's an album that you can listen to from beginning to end. And in no time, without looking through the lyrics, you will find yourself singing correctly along.

Bravo, Cuz! Have fun in the UK and see you Christmas!

An awesome album from fresh faces, We The Kings. This band is very comparable to bands like Blink 182, New Found Glory, and Fall Out Boy... so if you like those bands you stand a VERY VERY good chance of liking these guys too.

Truthfully, We The Kings follow the same tried and tested formula of the pop-punk band, and don't REALLY bring much originality to the genre, yet still somehow manage to really stand out. This is a surprisingly memorable album. Its enjoyable right the way through, it has a great pace, and feel good factor is through the roof!

'check yes Juliet' and 'stay young' are the stand-out tracks.

...Get on the band wagon now cos these guys are gonna be huge.

These guys are really good. Of course, I first heard Check Yes Juliet on the radio and decided to pick up their album. This really is a great album, but is it just me, or does every chorus sound the same? Anyway favs: Skyway Avenue Check Yes Juliet Stay Young and All Again For You.

I first got interested in this band because I went to high school with these guys. At the time I thought they were just some kids that entertained well at talent shows. But i decide to show some support for our local stars and bought the cd. I was very impressed. Its pretty good music. Some of it is geared toward the high school audience but I still enjoyed it, even though those days are a few years behind me. Buy We The Kings. This band is going places.

I wish I had completed reading the review. I didn't take the term "lessons" literally, as I should. I find the read passages of scripture intrusive interruptions of otherwise lovely music.

This is familiar, traditional Christmas music, very well-crafted and performed in the Anglican style of hymnody. One of the best ever Christmas albums.

A great experience combining Christmas carols with the reading of Holy Scripture (the lessons). It's a beautiful Christmas worship service in the Anglican tradition. I highly recommend it.

In our age when thing change so fast, it's good to know that some great traditions continue. This recording is one of them.

A DIVINE DISC FOR THE DEVOUT!

Listening to this one and one-half hour recording is one way to experience the meaning of Christmas. It must be a joy for those who can attend such a service as the "Festival of nine-lessons and carols". To hear the beautiful voices of the King's College Choir and their marvelous organist, Benjamin Bayl. This is all under the direction of Stephen Cleobury, and provides a treat for music lovers everywhere.

The carols are related directly to the scripture readings that tell the Christmas Story in its entirety, all read skillfully by various people involved in the program. They are not lengthy, but quite to the point. The related carols are varied as to composer and mood, running the gamut from the traditional to the more recent such as : 'The Truth from above'(Vaughan Williams)-'Illuminare,Jerusalem' (Judith Weir)- and 'The Lamb' (John Tavener). The soloists include:Edward Moore (treble)-Thomas Bullard (baritone)-Adrian Kelly (tenor)-Edward Harries (treble)-and Julian Perkins (baritone). All sang well as did the entire choir.

The English sound, that is boy sopranos and male altos, appeal to me personally and show up very well in this particular group. It's all quite emotional and very moving, especially to those who celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. I've had this disc for several years, and would not think of celebrating Christmas without listening to it several times during the season.

A holiday classic. It has been a tradtion in our family for years. This is the first time I've seen it available on CD. I would highly recommend it to anyone.