"Compilation Reviews"
Sponsored In Part By
by Eric Harabadian...
Caprice International Records "Presents Millennium Singles Distributed
and Promoted to Worldwide Radio"
Caprice International Records
This is, beyond a doubt, one of the finest compilations that Caprice has
put out to date! With well over twenty songs to choose from the variety
represented here is quite good. Whether it’s the swing of crooner Neil
Della Torre, the traditional country of Buddy Quinn or the rockin’ blues
of Blue Taxi, there is something here for almost everyone. Overall, a fine
crop of talent you hopefully will be hearing more from in the near future.
by Dan MacIntosh...
Soundtrack from the motion picture Where The Heart Is
RCA Records
Who knows if Where The Heart Is is a tasteful film, or just one
more crass Hollywood offering? Its soundtrack, at least, is filled with
flavorful taste, though. Beth Neilson Chapman, normally known only as a
songwriter, contributes a comforting soft rocker. Shannon Curfman will
pleasantly remind you of Bonnie Raitt with her bluesy "Few And Far Between."
The usually overblown Martina McBride sounds sweetly restrained with "There
You Are." "So Young," is a little too close to Wilson Phillips for The
Corrs’ own good. Lyle Lovett shows a lot of nerve taking on Ray Charles’
classic "What’d I Say," but doesn’t embarrass himself. Emmylou Harris and
Patty Griffin reveal a moody spiritual side with "Beyond The Blue." "Completely"
features newcomer Jennifer Day on a gentle ballad. A yearning harmonica
gives Coley McCabe and Andy Griggs’ "Grow Young With You" a nice kickstart.
"Rowdy Booty Time" is a nice R&B experiment for Joan Osborne and Tommy
Sims. Lonestar’s selection, "Only You," is the oldie you guessed it was.
John Hiatt shines with his urgent love song "Let It Slip Away." Girlfriendz
are some fine little Dixie chicks on "Just Might Change Your Life." "That’s
The Beat Of A Heart" is a nice quiet closer from The Warren Brothers along
with Sara Evans.
Tracy Byrd’s Wonders Of Wildlife
RCA Records
This album is a benefit for various national conservation groups, but the
album selections are not always strictly about nature. Although it opens
with Byrd’s own "Pass It On," which clearly fits the concept, one wonders
why "Bubba Shot The Jukebox" by Mark Chestnutt was selected. Waylon Jennings’
"America" gives these issues the big picture perspective. "Sleepin’ On
The Foldout" might be appropriate, since Brad Paisley has set up this temporary
sleeping arrangement in the backyard. Alabama’s "Born Country" has some
nice thoughts about nature. Montgomery Gentry sounds honky tonk ready with
"I’ve Loved A Lot More Than I’ve Hurt." "You’ve Got Stand For Something"
by Aaron Tippin could apply to this, as well as many other good causes.
Tracy Byrd returns again with the regretful "Down At The Bottom." It’s
hard to listen to "Hard Livin’" by Keith Whitley now, especially knowing
how such wild living killed him. Andy Griggs must have been thrilled to
duet with Waylon Jennings on "Shine On Me." "Love Trip" by Jerry Kilgore
puts the hardships of love and the working man into perspective. One doubts
that the newly religious Charlie Daniels drinks like his character does
in "Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye" these days. The album closes with the gentle
"Back Where I Come From" by Kenny Chesney.
by Al Slavicsky...
Go-Kart Vs. The Corporate Giant 2
Go-Kart Records
Go-Kart Records presents a sampler of some of the best punk to wrack
your membrane in years. Have been listening to punk since the days of Television,
The Undertones, Ramones, Blondie, The Supersonic Motherf**kers, and Sex
Pistols and this compilation of new punks ranks up there with some of the
greatest punk bands of all time. Some of the bands featured include Anti-Flag,
Plan A Project, Down By Law, Buzzcocks, Lunachicks, Parasites, Boris The
Sprinkler, Doc Hopper, Vision of Disorder, The Candy Snatchers, The Unseen,
True Love, The Pinkerton Thugs, Pseudo Heroes, Under The Gun, and The Sharpshooters.
Crank this s.o.b. and make your parents create a pit and pogo in the nation.
A great punk sampler for the world.
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 Al Slavicsky...
Heavy Metal 2000 Sampler
Restless Records
Great sampler to the Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack which contains
six snippets from songs off the album. Included here are Monster Magnet's
"Silver Future," Pantera's "Immortally Insane," Days of the New's "Rough
Day," Insane Clown Posse with Twiztid's "Dirtball," Hate Dept.'s "Hit Back,"
and Queens of the Stone Age's "Infinity." Wonder if any of these songs
would be as big as Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal" or Devo's "Working In A
Coalmine" from the first movie's soundtrack...who knows. However, this
soundtrack does look like it has some of the best upcoming bands of the
future on it. So pick it up and go see the movie. Heavy Metal magazine
continues to make the forefront and cutting edge of music and animatation,
so sample some of the music... you may like it.
Punk Goes Metal
Fearless Records, 13772 Goldenwest St. #545, Westimester, CA 92683
Wow... this is a great comp CD. Most people who grew up in the eighties
were into Poison, Warrant, Judas Priest, Guns N' Roses, Ozzy, AC/DC, Skid
Row, Motley Crue, Slayer, and Metallica, to name a few, and not The Ramones,
Sex Pistols, Circle Jerks, and Dead Kennedys whom were the masters of punk
in that era. However, this comp is today's punk bands covering metal classics.
17 tunes which rock such as Divit doing Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law,"
Jughead's Revenge doing Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me," AFI doing G N' R's
"My Michelle," A New Found Glory doing Warrant's "Heaven" as an uptempo
punk tune which is great yet humorous. Strung Out's version of Ozzy's "Bark
at the Moon" reminds one of a mosh pit gone bad with acid.
In the Memory of James Lynn Strait of Snot 8/7/68 - 12/11/99 cassette
sampler
Immortal Records
A special early sampler for the release Strait Up which is going
to be released in November 2000. This sampler contains three tunes which
are well worth the memory of James Lynn Strait. "I Know Where You're At"
features vocals by M.C.U.D. of (hed)p.e., "Catch A Spirit" features Max
of Soulfly doing some intense singing that James Lynn would be proud
of, and Serj of System of A Down's vocals on "Starlit Eyes" prove that
the spirit of James Lynn Strait lives. If you had the pressure of seeing
Snot live like I did two times... you would really want to get this sampler
as soon as possible. Thanks, James, for the memories and getting me into
the Pittsburgh (hed)pe, Incubus, Snot, and Soulfly show... you were one
of the best.
Rock This
Island Records/Def Jam
Highlighting four of the new forces of metal -- Full Devil Jacket, Primer
55, Relative Ash, and Drain STH. Material by Full Devil Jacket ("Stain"
and "Mr. Wiggly") and Drain STH ("Enter My Mind" and "Simon Says") are
taken from the bands' albums which are widely available at any record stores;
but what makes this sampler special is the material from Relative Ash and
Primer 55. Primer 55's songs are different than the versions that appear
on their full lengths. "Loose," even though it said it is the album version...
the mix sounds slightly different, for it has more of a raw sound and the
scratches are louder, and "The Big F**k You" is a rare demo version of
the song which has all kind of weird noises and drum beats... very different
and raw... in fact, sounds better than the released version. Also, Relative
Ash has two previous unreleased demos on the tape which are "5:30" and
"Good Form." This band plays sort of a metalcore, and if these songs are
anything like the versions that make the album... watch, for they are going
make an impact on the scene. Overall, a great tape.
Divine Recordings' The Ozzfest 2000 Sampler
Divine Recordings/Priority Records
A special three song EP made for Ozzfest 2000 contains three unreleased
tunes from Slaves On Dope, Iommi, and Black Sabbath. The Slaves on Dope
song is a demo version of "Tremolo," which was available as an MP3 download
for a while... and gives the world the high energy power of the band. Iommi's
song is "Time Is Mine" featuring Pantera's Phil Anselmo. And the last tune
is from the Ozzfest movie soundtrack due out this fall Black Sabbath doing
"Childern of the Grave" recorded at Ozzfest '99. If you want to hear a
sampling of what is going on at Divine Recording, pick up this sampler
even if it is just for the exclusive Slaves On Dope track.
metal-is.com PC-CD-ROM
Magex Limited
A mutlimedia lover's CD, for it contains an exclusive Iron Maiden video
and the first chance to hear Halford's "Rescurrection." (Halford is best
known as the Judas Priest frontman and from Two.) Also includes 6 songs
from bands which are destined to make metal rock into the year 2000...
The Almighty with "Broken Machine," Spirtual Beggars with "Sedated," Entomed
with "Seeing Red," Blaze with "Silicon Messiah," Kick with "Inhibition,"
and Dirty Deeds with "Kill The Pain." If you like your metal in extreme
doses and are computer friendly, please find a copy of this disc, for it
worth the search. Technology is bringing music back to the masses, and
it looks like this new PC-CD-ROM format is going to bring a revolution
to the music industry. Along with DVD... the music has never looked and
sounded better.
by MikeSOS
Power From the North
Digital Dimension Records
The Swedish metal community get together and pay homage to their Swedish
roots and give props to the band’s that inspired them on this 15 band compilation.
Highlights include the mighty Meshuggah’s cover of a Whimzy tune and the
brutal Entombed and their cover of Stillborn’s "Albino Flogged In Black".
If you’d like to hear how these bands got to sound how they did, or if
you just dig the "Garage Inc." concept of the whole project, then seek
this puppy out.