"Compilation Reviews"

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by Dan MacIntosh... 

Seattle Women • We Are Not Good Girls

Joerecords.com
>From the looks of the CD cover, these are six big women, with six extra-large cases of the blues. Apparently, there is more left in the Seattle music scene than just classic rock grunge bands. The song selection for this disc reflects the evolving definition of blues music, which includes equal parts traditional blues and old school soul music. L.J Porter, for example, takes on the straight blues of "Sweet Hoe Chicago" and then slides naturally into the soul chestnut "Respect Yourself."

Country Cares For Kids II

BNA Records
Buying this benefit album is equivalent to taking a brief survey of the country charts over the past little while. These songs really don’t have much to do with children’s hospitals, or even health-related issues for that matter. But if it helps kids, who really cares. Best cuts include Amy Grant’s "Somewhere Down The Road," LoneStar’s nostalgic "Everything’s Changed"... and Billy Ray Cyrus is even listenable with "Busy Man." Overall, it’s plain good medicine.



NOTE: Due to space constraints, the following reviews were not included in the print edition of Geoff Wilbur's Renegade Newsletter.  These reviews are only available here in the online edition.

by Dan MacIntosh... 

The long-form review for...

Country Cares For Kids II

BNA Records
This charitable-cause album is also a good overview of today's country charts.

"Something That We Do" by Clint Black is fitting, since his straightforward words  speak about how true love is a verb. Martina McBride's "Wrong Again" is -- like much of her material -- overwrought. "Everything's Changed" by Lonestar carries with it a deeply felt melancholy about how places and people change. Billy Ray Cyrus sounds better than his reputation with "Busy Man." "I'm Already Taken" by Steve Wariner is the kind of tear-jerker he's best known for. Lari White is one of the few to put a good beat to her addition with "Stepping Stone." The song "26 Cents" by The Wilkinsons is probably better than that family group actually is. Kenny Chesney's "When I Close My Eyes" is the kind of ballad we used to make fun of Barry Manilow for. Not anymore, though, in today's country music atmosphere. "Guilty" by the The Warren Brothers is both fun and funky. Paul Brandt has a nice turn with the simple and acoustic "I Do." "Love Lessons" by Tracy Byrd -- with its fiddle intro -- is probably the most traditional tune on this disc. The Kinleys truly bring a lot of sadness out of "Please." "Jenny Dreamed of Trains" is the perfect vehicle for Vince Gill's high and lonesome voice, and "Somewhere Down the Road" by Amy Grant is much better than her normally simplistic gospel material. 


Worldwide Radiohits.99

Caprice International Records
Although this release is eclectic, even for the most eclectic among us, calling it a 21-cut collection of "radio hits" is a big misnomer. While Hour Glass is able to conjure up memories of when Ratt and Poison ruled the charts, they’re clearly no competition for the Korns of this world. And when you get to Neil Della Torre Jr.’s swing take on "Anything Goes," you’d better go have the brakes checked on that time machine of yours. 

One Two Blow

25 Records
This compilation features a wide variety of modern rock styles. Blaze has sort of a glam-lite approach with "Prey For Me." "Lifeline" by Osmosis has a nice acoustic guitar intro. Firedaze is a sprightly sounding Celtic group with its "End of the Light." "Girl in a Flower Shop" and "Galaxy Base Spaziale" by Stoker are flawed by  weak vocal tracks. Addano sounds a lot like ’60s folk and psychedelic music with "I Haven’t Told Her Yet." "Build" by Red Ash and the Love Commandos has an annoying spoken vocal. Smiler is recorded nicely on it’s pop-rock "Love Me Always." "Eylinerrefinery" has an ominous Gary Numan quality to it. Plastik comes off positively manufactured in "Blow-up." "What Did I Do To You" sounds like it was recorded on a portable cassette deck. The Hamptons sound like what the Beach Boys might have come off like, had they been raised on the East Coast with "She Couldn’t Make The Stretch Marks Tan." "You’ll Never Be Mine" and "Home Alone" by Jeg are punky little bits of angst. Idiot Bear has kind of a Cure vibe on "Easter Island." "Cosy" by Round Wound is a few rude moments of fun. Drowning Boats have great guitars, but awful vocals with "Absolute Bliss." "Now Is The Time" is not a bad slice of yearning pop when in the hands of Malice In Wonderland. Parkstone Dub Foundation closes this collection with a blues-y rocker, and
not the kind of reggae it name might imply. 

by Vic Gemmingen 

Seattle Women • Back Porch Gossip

Joerecords.com
An inspired collection of blues covers by Jet City women. Interviews with the artists gives a nice history of the Seattle blues scene and the torch carried by these talented singers. Comp includes awesome covers of "Walkin’ Blues" (Holly Figueroa) and "Hound Dog" (Kathi McDonald), as well as some impressive originals and performances. A unique listening experience for blues fans. 

The Limey Original Movie Soundtrack

Flash Cut Records
The Limey features some songs you know (The Who "The Seeker," Boston "Smokin’"), but, it’s the ones you don’t know that are really interesting. Composer Danny Saber brilliantly captures the sounds of late ’60s/early ’70s mod/porn on wah-wah mood tunes that sound as cool as their picturesque/scene-related titles ("Limey Shuffle," "Sitar Bathroom"). The original score by Cliff Martinez is powerful as well. When a mostly-instrumental soundtrack makes you want to see a film, it’s good. 

by Tyler Moore...  

Drive Me Crazy original motion picture soundtrack

Jive Records/Fox Music

This soundtrack tends to rely on HAM (Hits Already Made) such as the Backstreet Boys’ "I Want It That Way" and the Barenaked Ladies’ "It’s All Been Done."  It also includes the summer hit "(You Drive Me) Crazy (The Stop Remix!)."  Less Than Jake provides the angst of the album with "Help Save The Youth of America From Exploding."  Jars of Clay make an appearance with "Unforgetful You."  This is definitely a crowd-pleasing party album with a little something for just about everyone. 

Millennium Singles

Caprice International Records
This compilation is made up of song and spoken word from all genres.  "Custom Made" by Dave Gero is a well constructed love song with a country-sweet theme.  Neil Della Torre’s "They All Laughed" is for the big band, Sinatra fans.  There is upbeat blues such as the Icemen’s "Sweet Loreena."  Then, for the guitar fan, there is "Have a Nice Day" by Peter Estrella.  Nothing but a very melodic guitar with rhythm and bass to back it up.  This is definitely one of the biggest varieties of music put on one album I’ve ever seen.  There are even tributes to Elvis by Amy Beth. 

by MikeSOS... 

Rise 13 -- Magick Rock Vol. 1

The Music Cartel
 Produced by English stoner rock pioneer Lee Dorian, this compilation CD is a 13 track barnburner, showcasing some of the
fresher faces on the indie rock circuit. Sporting the likes of Unida (featuring wildman John Garcia,) Spirit Caravan, Orange
Goblin and Goatsnake among others, this CD is a surefire hit for those that enjoy tuning in, dropping down, and burning out. 

by Diane Anderson... 

Root II

Root Of All Evil/Earl Root
The Root Of All Evil record presents a collection of the best death metal, Goth, old school metal, crust core, industrial and extreme dark ambient music Minnesota, Ohio, Japan and South Africa has to offer.  Band like Porcelain God, Impaler, 612 Crew, Sign and Tellariam to name a few plus 13 other bands.  If you want to here the best each bands has to offer, I highly recommend this CD.  Check out some of the best bands the world has yet to discover.

This CD can be purchased at Root Cellar Records by e-mail (root@rootofallevil.com) or at 1-888-663-2070 


by Al Slavicsky... 

animalhouse.com

Universal Records
Containing 15 tracks from new and upcoming artists, this CD represents some great music from bands such as Crystal Method ("Comin' Back"), Black Eyes Peas ("Que Dices"), Grinspoon ("Champion"), Blink 182 ("Josie"), Semisonic ("Singing in My Sleep"), Homegrown ("Suffer"), Canibus ("RipRock"), and more. Overall, a great mixture of hip-hop, alternative, rock, electronica, and more. Worth checking out to see what bands are going to be the next big things. 

Family Values Tour CD

Immortal/Epic Records
Highlights the highly successful Korn Family Values Tour. This CD contains exclusive live tracks from Incubus, Orgy, Ice Cube, Rammenstein, Limp Bizkit, and Korn recorded during the fall 1998 Family Values Tour which was one of the most successful live packages of the year. Highlights include Rammenstein's "Du Hast," Ice Cube's "F*** the Police," Orgy's "Blue Monday," Limp Bizkit's cover of House of Pain's "Jump Around," and Korn's "Got a Life," to name a few of the 21 tracks. Overall, one suggests that you check out studio material from these artists before you check this out... so you can see where the bands are coming from. Also, disappointment occurs in the live mix. 

The Malaco Music Group Sampler

Malaco Records
A great sampling to the whole world of Malaco and its subsidiaries Waldoxy Records and J-Town Records. Contains artists such as Johnnie Taylor, Carl Sims, Shirley Brown, Mel Waiters, Little Milton, Stan Mosley, Kristine, and Poonanny. If you never listen to any of these great blues, R&B, and urban contemporary artists, then you are in for a treat. Wake up and see what is happening within the stables of Malaco. 

Skunk Records Sampler Fall 1998

Skunk Records
Skunk Records continues with their tradition of releasing great compilation sampler with new music and some rare gems here and there. The Fall 1998 sampler has material from Skunk idols such as The Ziggens, Del Noah & the Mt. Ararat Finks, Corn Doggy Dog & the 1/2 lbs., Filibuster, Long Beach Dub All-Stars, Slightly Stoopid, and Das Klown. Plus there is an exclusive track from the band Secret Hate, which is not signed to Skunk Records. Some of the highlights include Bert Ziggen doing a solo track called "Here Comes a Regular," Filibuster with "Me & All My Friends," "Lonely Man," and "Chin Up," and Del Noah & the Mt. Ararat Finks doing "Mr. Lucky," "Bajavishnu 500," and "Re-Satch-A-Go-Go." If you ever need something to party with, grab a 40 oz. and slip to freedom with this release. 

12" Essentials: The Seventies

Chronicles
The definitive 12" single collection featuring classic 12" dance mixes -- many have been out of print since their original 12" pressing. Contains the extended version of the Brothers Johnson's "Stomp," which has an extended horn interlude in it. Alicia Bridges' "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)" has an extended intro and the outro is extended with a long instrumental break. Peaches & Herb's extended version of "Shake Your Groove Thing" is a little disappointing, for it ends with a fade into the reverb vocals, which is on the commercial 12". Donna Summer's "Last Dance" is a complete reworking of the song. This collection also includes material from Bionic Boogie, Grace Jones, Gloria Gaynor, and others.

CMJ: The Year in Music 1980

Chronicles
CMJ is a weekly music trade paper, and this series highlights the hits that the alternative college radio stations and DJs were reporting to CMJ in 1980. The selection is rather good, for it includes classics such as The Pretenders' "Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)," Devo's "Whip It," the B-52's "Private Idaho," Gary Numan's "Cars," and Madness' "One Step Beyond." Plus, it includes lost gems such as the Ramones' "Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio," The Teardrop Explodes' "When I Dream," The Brains' "Money Changes Everything," Gang of Four's "I Found That Essence Rare," Dead Kennedys' "Holiday in Cambodia," Public Image Ltd.'s "Poptones," and Ultravox's "Vienna." Alternative music from 1980 which is still refreshing today.

Serial Killer Compilation

Fearless Records
28 of the best punk hardcore/alternative bands in the world today combine to create one of the best punk compilations ever assembled. Serial Killer is a clothing company which is known for their infamous nude in their catalogs. Some of the noteworthy bands featured include Queers, No Use For A Name, Blink 182, Gob, Cooter, Bigwig, All Day, Zeke, Ballgagger, and 30 Foot Fall, to name a few. If you really want to see what is going on in the punk world, check out this release.

NG Records Sampler

NG Records
Features material of great bands who are currently on the NG Records roster, including Orange 9MM ("604" from their Ultraman vs. Godzilla EP and "Beowolf"), Spider Virus ("Young Turks," a Rod Stewart cover, and "To Screw Ya"), Battershell ("White Wedding," a Billy Idol cover, and "Electric Chair"), Lower East Side Stitches (selections from Staja98L.E.S. -- "Naked A" and "Down the Drain"), The Forty Fives ("Get Out" and "More Than Ever"), and the last band featured, noisecore legends Anal Cunt (doing probably the first time ever on any CD -- selections from their long out-of-print split EP with the Meatshits). Overall, the NG Records bands are truly gods of the independent music world.

Ozz Fest '98

Best Buy
A special double CD devoted to bands that played on the Ozz Fest '98 tour, plus some added goodies. Bands that were on the North American Ozz Fest '98 dates included Ozzy Osbourne, Coal Chamber, Limp Bizkit, Sevendust, Kilgore, Soulfly, Megadeth, Monster Voodoo Machine, Motorhead, Incubus, and Life of Agony. Other bands featured are Slayer, Fear Factory, Vision of Disorder, Cold, Rob Zombie, Monster Magnet, Deftones, Rammstein, Rorschach Test, Gravity Kills, Jackyl, Clutch, Kid Rock, Sprung Monkey, Urge, Flight 16, Spineshank, and Our Lady Peace. Overall, a worthy compilation of new metal/hard rock rock bands.

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