Freeze [CD-single] [Import]

Freeze [CD-single] [Import]

Track Listings

1. Freeze

2. Horn 1

3. Av' It (Teaser Edit)

Tracks:

Freeze-Frame
Rage In The Cage
Centerfold
Do You Remember When
Insane, Insane Again
Flamethrower
River Blindness
Angel In Blue
Piss On The Wall

Customer Reviews:

A silver classic!.......2007-04-05

This silver classic,released around fall 1981,features two Top 20 hits,the title track and CENTERFOLD. I first heard this album around then on my cousin's phonograph(he had an LP copy). The videos for the two aforementioned tracks frequently aired during MTV's(Music Television) first year on the air. The title track has such powerful,angry beats that I'd like to put on a pair of boxing gloves and hit a canvas bag with them! I have to admit that it would help boxing trainees. According to Norm N. Nite's Rock On Almanac,this album was one of 1982's top albums.

A classic '80s rock album.......2006-06-13

Anybody who watched MTV back when they actually played videos will remember the video for Centerfold and probably for Freeze Frame as well. These songs saw a lot of play when they came out. I didn't know anything about J. Geils Band at the time. I certainly had no idea they'd already had a string of records over the past decade. All I knew is that the few songs I'd heard were great.

Since then, I've picked up their first album. There is an amazing difference, but at the same time, it was clear for the first time how they arrived at the sound they made themselves famous with in Freeze Frame.

Most of the deep bluesy sound they had way back when are gone here, but there is enough left to give this album a sound of its own. Other great tracks here include "Rage In The Cage", "Insane, Insane Again", and "Flamethrower".

If you liked Centerfold or Freeze Frame, it's safe to say you will probably like the rest of the album. If you're a blues/rock fan, you'd probably like it as well as liking their earlier stuff. As far as '80s rock goes in general, this is a great one to add to your collection. I'm glad I finally did.

J. Geils Abandoned Their Roots For Pop? Then Some Of The Quirkiest, Most Inventive Pop Of Its Time!.......2006-05-08

With FREEZE FRAME, the ultimate party/bar band made a record far removed from the more purist blues moves of their earliest days. This is basically some good, very tuneful rock 'n roll. Nearly all of these cuts are really catchy. Many have a distinct 50's feel while others veer a little more towards experimental/avant-garde territory. The production is slick and solid - sometimes it's even pretty trippy. I was pretty darn young when this came out (middle school age), and of course I loved the big hits - "Centerfold," "Rage In The Cage," "Freeze Frame" and, of course, "Flamethrower" with images of the cheerleaders at school getting down 'n dirty to its downbeat seared permanently on my little brain.

Listening to this album today, I'd say it's unique enough to still sound great to the average listener, even though some might say it does sound kinda dated (as someone who's never been particularly concerned about what's current or fashionable, this isn't really a problem for me).

My impressions:

"Freeze Frame" - an instantly recognizable series of camera clicks sets this addictive tune in motion. Great keys, horns, and that swaggering doo-wop dip is so infectious. Still way cool in my book. *****

"Rage In The Cage" - this one cranks up the intensity level and it still gets my blood flowing. *****

"Centerfold" - ah, the biggest hit and a classic expression of male sexual fantasy life. This one's still a riot. I remember some tight-wads at the time thought that it was too dirty for radio, but they played the hell out of it anyway because it's actually pretty innocent (and of course it's a great song). *****

"Do You Remember When" - has this wistful, romantic quality that (some) chicks will dig. ****

"Insane, Insane Again" - this one's a trip, a hyper kinetic romp with vocalist Peter Wolf sounding like a real maniac. The band's excellent pop musicianship is in full effect as the song morphs into bizarre Walt Disney moves and a raging piano solo. *****

"Flamethrower" - maybe I'm biased, but I think this one still sounds sexy. It may be the best on the album. *****

"River Blindness" - strangely enough, this is my absolute favorite track on FREEZE FRAME, and I tend to listen to it much more than the others these days. This one ventures quite a bit further into left field than any of the other tracks do. There's something so evocative about this song - my brain has created an entire visual scenario to accompany it which I can totally get lost in when I'm lying in the dark, completely tripping out on it (the scenario is based on "Dungeons & Dragons" - another relic of my past I wouldn't mind revisiting). A trippy, intense, unusual track. Reaches a great climax. *****+

"Angel In Blue" - this one's got a great melody and it does rock although it's much slower and sadder than the other songs. It isn't really my cup of tea, but sometimes I'm in the mood for it. *****

"Piss On The Wall" - I recall playing this one in secret because I knew it definitely WOULD piss off my parents if they heard it (and I normally never felt a need to do that). It's a great rockabilly-style groover, really funny too. *****

Ya know, 50's rock 'n roll is still some of the best rock ever made and if you can appreciate that as well as have a taste for the slightly weird, you might really go for this album. An 80's classic.

Freeze Frame ~ The J. Geils Band.......2005-12-14

When I was young I heard the song Centerfold, I was totally surprised and I wanted to hear more of this band. And here is the result of my interest: FREEZE FRAME. It certainly an enjoyable item, but not 5 stars, cause I went into the Metal-direction a few months after this buy. But this album is quite good, you know. It's all happy pop music with a lot of keyboard, but it's nice. But when I'm really angry, I only get a headache of this. Anyway, all of the songs are good, except River Blindness. This one ain't really bad, but it's just too longwinded. And I really get a headache from this song (even when I'm not upset:). See my tracklist rating:

Freeze-Frame: 9/10
Rage In The Cage: 7/10
Centerfold: 9/10
Do You Remember When: 8/10
Insane, Insane again: 7/10
Flamethrower: 8/10
River blindness: 5/10
Angel In Blue: 8/10
Piss On The Wall: 10/10

That was my review!
Keep On Rocking!!!!!

Believe the Hype.......2004-05-12

Don't buy into the clichéd idea that something commercially successful can't still be a work of genius, that's preposterous. Let's cut to the chase - this CD ROCKS THE HOUSE and has been legendary since it's release. Buy it, and you will listen to it many, many times. I couldn't give this CD enough stars.

Average customer rating:

guitar music lover

Deep Freeze
Albert Collins
Manufacturer: Recall Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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Live in Japan
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Frostbite

ASIN: B0007ODLBO
Release Date: 2005-03-28

Tracks:

Introduction [Instrumental]
How Blue Can You Get?
Thaw Out
So Tired
Funky
Deep Freeze
Baby What Do You Want Me to Do?
Mustang Sally
Backstroke

Tracks:

Intro
All About My Girl
I've Got a Mind to Travel
Things That I Used to Do
Frosty
Wah Heat
Can't You See What You're Doing to Me
Cold Tremor
Johnny B. Cool

Product Description

CD 1:
1. Introduction Instrumental
2. How Blue Can You Get?
3. Thaw Out
4. So Tired
5. Funky
6. Deep Freeze
7. Baby What Do You Want Me To Do?
8. Mustang Sally
9. Backstroke

CD 2:
1. Intro
2. All About My Girl
3. I've Got A Mind To Travel
4. Things That I Used To Do
5. Frosty
6. Wah Heat
7. Can't You See What You're Doing To Me
8. Cold Tremor
9. Johnny B.Cool

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

guitar music lover.......2005-09-20

the sound isnt the best.but when its all over and both cds have been played and your jaw is off the floor you wont remember the sound quality.MR COLLINS RIPS!!!!!!

Time Freeze: The Best of Asian Dub Foundation

Average customer rating:

Time Freeze: The Best of Asian Dub Foundation
Asian Dub Foundation
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Enemy of the Enemy
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ASIN: B000NA1THA
Release Date: 2007-03-12

Tracks:

Rebel Warrior
Box
Jericho
TH9
Naxalite
Black White
Change
Free Satpal Ram
Buzzin'
Real Great Britain
Collective Mode
New Way, New Life
Fortress Europe
Thousand Mirrors
Flyover
Stop Start [New]
Target Practice [New]

Tracks:

Debris
Culture Move [Pusher Sound Mix]
Memory War
Siberian Slengteng
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos [Live] - Asian Dub Foundation, Chuck D
Son of a Bush [Live] - Asian Dub Foundation, Chuck D
Modern Apprentice
Free Satpal Ram [Russell Simmins Remix]
Fortress Europe [Jazzwad Remix]
Journey
Oil
Hope [Congo Natty Remix]
Rafi
Round Up [Sun J Remix]
Activists & Selectors [New]

Album Description

Limited edition two CD pressing of this 2007 compilation from Asian Dub Foundation features a bonus disc that features an additional 15 tracks including remixes, rarities and more. 32 tracks total including 'Rebel Warrior', 'Black White' and 'Change'. 12 years, five studio albums, two live albums, many EP's, several world tours, major festival appearances and an Opera. Even after all this, Asian Dub Foundation are still one of the most incendiary, relevant, outspoken, truthful, honest bands in the world today. In an era when there seems to be little or no political or emotional engagement between bands and the world around them (other than the self-absorbed whining of Emo or the gangsta culture of Hip-Hop) what a refreshing thing it is to have a band that believe in the power of music to change the world. From their earliest days they fought for people's rights - culminating in the night when a free Satpal Ram was able to join them onstage in London; on Tank, their last album, they foretold the disaster awaiting the US and UK in Iraq following the overthrow of Sadam; throughout their careers they have had something to say - and they have said it by shouting loud and hard! Fusing the Punk DIY ethic with Funk, Hip-Hop, Asian music and LOUD guitars, ADF have long been a live staple at colleges, clubs and bigger venues all around the UK and beyond and this summer will see them appearing at several festivals in between bouts in the studio recording their next album with producer Adrian Sherwood. EMI. 2007

Average customer rating:

pretty darn good follow-up for the veering group
Beautiful experimental follow-up album

First Light's Freeze
Castanets
Manufacturer: Asthmatic Kitty
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Feels
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Takk...
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ASIN: B000BCKFMA
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

(The Waves Are Rolling Beneath Your Skin)
Into the Night
Song Is Not the Song of the World
Good Friend, Yr Hunger
(We Drew Uncertain Breath)
Bells Aloud
First Light's Freeze
Evidence (A Mask of Horizon, Distortion of Form)
No Voice Was Raised
(Migration Concentric)
All That I Know to Have Changed in You
Dancing with Someone (Privilege of Everything)
Reflecting in the Angles

Album Description

A dark, mutant-country sound infused with strands of free-jazz and a late-70's Nashville big-radio strut hijacked by post-punk unravelers. The result is a beautiful mix of somber reflection, destination-unknown travelogue, and subversive anti-war boogie. "Freeze" confronts the mythology of war and friendship; the close proximity of things painful and pleasurable, and the complications of this as a paradigm for the world. Castanets suggest artistic geography as transcontinental as Merle Haggard, Albert Ayler, Television, and Richard and Mimi Farina.

Customer Reviews:

pretty darn good follow-up for the veering group.......2005-12-22

Castanets first album Cathedral was a surprise release that came out of nowhere with its unique style and knocked me back a bit. Raymond Raposa created an album that mixed folk and country with drone and free jazz in a way that seemed natural and it crept into my head and onto my year-end list. With First Light's Freeze, he retains many of those pieces, and also draws a touch of electronics into the mix. The overall result isn't quite as solid as his previous album, but nonetheless contains some of his best work to date.

Once again, there are shorter pieces of ambient drones that fill in the gaps between the longer pieces, and the album opens with one in "(The Waves Are Rolling Beneath Your Skin)" before the album starts in full with the desolate-sounding "Into The Night." The track mixes sparse, acoustic instrumentation with the buzz of streetlamps and haunting vocals (that touch on politics of war) into a track that sort of drifts like a dense fog. "A Song Is Not the Song of the World" drops a slightly fuzzy electronic beat behind strummed guitar and building vocals before the track skronks out about halfway through with some bursts of noisy guitar, synth bubbles, and organ.

From there, the album is even more mixed. "Good Friend, Yr Hunger" is a weird electronic stomp with banjo, droning e-bow guitar, and melancholy vocals from Raposa while "Bells Aloud" drops off into billowing alt country, a subdued track drenched in reverb and haunted with regretful vocals. Arriving in short bursts are hazy, short bursts of droning guitars that act more as chapter dividers than bridges between tracks. In places, the new instrumentation sounds a bit well-worn, such as the drum machine beats and guitar beginning of "No Voice Was Raised." Just about the time you think the track is going to be another electro-indie snoozer, though, Raposa drops a twist and the track turns into a full-on freakout complete with dense layers of howling guitars, pounding drums, and horns.

The best track on the entire release might be the more subdued "All That I Know To Have Changed in You," which seems to be the best blending of styles on the entire release as subtle electronics glint and flutter around a slow and heady track that pulses with reverb. Despite the great tracks, First Light's Freeze feels a bit more inconsistent than the great debut from the group. At just over a half-hour in running length, the sequencing (with the short tracks that don't really do much to hold it together) seems a bit strange, and the hodge-podge of genres is interesting but at times a bit distracting.

Beautiful experimental follow-up album.......2005-11-10

The Castanets are the perfect eclectic band. While they're on the Ashmatic Kitty label with Sufjan Stevens and the Danielson Famile, I can't help but mistake them for a Young God Records band. They take after the Swans and the Angels of Light in a big way, but unlike the former, they forego the long slow-metal dirges and focus their experimentation on diverse instrumental change-ups and likeable chanting vocal melodies, although you'd get the feeling they'd be quite comfortable covering the Swans or Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music.

The second album takes off just where the first left us. It is just as good and there are no major alterations to their sound. Like, say, D. Banhart's Rejoicing in the hands and Nino Rojo, or the two Franz Ferdinand or Interpol releases, they haven't changed much but manage to keep up the creativity. The Castanets are a good distance into the experimental side of modern music. They pay good attention to backing instrumentals as well as to vocals. They're dark, despite the vocalist's likeable tenor, and manage an honest, low-key and endlessly fascinating album, living up nicely to last year's debut, Cathedral. Good for fans of darker, complex, serious music.

My favorite song so far is No Voice Was Raised (if you're the single-downloading type or if you want to try it out)

Average customer rating:

Massachusetts Best Punk Band!
A comp with a Punch
Another PUNK Classic from THE FREEZE
doc does it again
This Comp is THE BEST!!!

Token Bones
The Freeze
Manufacturer: Dr. Strange Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001XCU
Release Date: 1997-06-10

Tracks:

Broken Bones
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Warped Confessional
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Lexicon Devil
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Nothing Left
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TImebomb
This Is Boston, Not L.A.
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Customer Reviews:

Massachusetts Best Punk Band!.......2005-12-13

The one and the ONLY Freeze have been doing it REAL for 25 plus years now and they've NEVER disappointed me yet! CA has Bad Religion and Social Distortion, S.F. had The Dead Kennedys, N.Y THE RAMONES and MA thankfully has THE FREEZE!

A comp with a Punch.......2004-11-25

Shows the various stages of the band. They started out a Punk band and that's how they ended up. For this we should be thankful!

Another PUNK Classic from THE FREEZE.......2001-12-04

I was glad when I heard recently that THE FREEZE had reformed. This compilation of odds and ends allowed me to complete my FREEZE collection. One of the most important bands to have emerged from the U.S. Punk Rock scene. I hear that there's NEW stuff on the way!

doc does it again.......2001-08-12

this release compiles random hits that F---'n rule. the Freeze were one of the best talents in the U.S. p-rock scene. It's a shame that the majority citizens never took notice of these greats!

This Comp is THE BEST!!!.......2001-05-29

From the ashes of the early 1980's Boston Hardcore scene emerged THE FREEZE, a totally unique, abrasive. and intelligent band that has stood the test of time better than all their contemporaries! This 30 song CD captures it all!!!

Average customer rating:

great harpist and good vocalist with broad stylistic range.

Mr. Freeze
Gary Primich
Manufacturer: Flying Fish Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000MVU
Release Date: 1995-10-03

Tracks:

Bad Poker Hand
I'm The One
Route 90
Mr. Freeze
Go On Fool
Dummy On Your Knee
Dallas Texas
Slap You Silly
Jenny Brown
You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
Red Top
Easy Ridin Mama
Let Me Go Home Whiskey

Customer Reviews:

great harpist and good vocalist with broad stylistic range........1998-05-11

stop here for heavy harmonica licks in the texas blues style. primich is a fine vocalist who plays harp on every song. he doesn't rely so much on speed, though that's there in fits and starts, as on tone and phrasing. there are harpists who seem faster, but none deeper. he does 90s- style takes on little walter and sonny boy, and sounds like no one else I know. he's fancy or plain as the song dictates, and the songs show a variety surprising on a blues recording.

Average customer rating:

Let's forget about Ramey for a minute...
A Handsome Devil Of A Baritone
Swan song of a legend?
Vecchio Ramey
Almost extinct.

Date With the Devil
Samuel Ramey
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Leading Man

ASIN: B0000682W0
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Berlioz: La damnation de Faust, Op. 24: Marche de Rakoczy
Berlioz: La damnation de Faust, Op. 24: Une puce gentile
Berlioz: La damnation de Faust, Op. 24: Devant la maison
Meyerbeer: Robert le diable: Nonnes qui reposez
Liszt: Two Episodes from Lenau's Mephisto Waltz
Boito: Mefistofele: Ave Signor
Boito: Mefistofele: Son lo Spirito che nega sempre tutto
Boito: Mefistofele: Ecco il mondo
Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffman: Scintille, diamant!
Gounod: Faust: Le veau d'or est toujours debout!
Gounod: Faust: Vous qui faites l'endormie
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress: I was never saner
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress: I Burn! I freeze!

Amazon.com

It's curious that Samuel Ramey has made such a specialty of diabolical roles, because his voice--although pure bass--has never had the jet-black timbre of a John Tomlinson or the threatening muscular attack of a Bryn Terfel. Indeed, it seems most comfortable in lighter repertory: Rossini, Mozart, anything that calls for grace and flexibility. But he has learned to slip a note of menace into the most elegantly well-turned phrase. His devils are urbane, sophisticated: evil in a suit and tie. And for the past six years, he's turned a rather chic collection of them into a recital program that has toured the world. This CD was recorded en route in Munich (it preserves an isolated fragment of audience applause, presumably to let you know). And here they all are: the Berlioz, Gounod, and Boito takes on Faust, together with Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable, Stravinsky's Rake, and (stretching the definition of operatic devilry) Offenbach's Dapertutto (Les Contes d'Hoffmann). This recording was made when Ramey was approaching 59 and starting to show his age. The voice is graying at the edges and is sometimes noticeably thin of texture, with a vibrato that rocks the poise of his slower, more lyrical numbers. But there's still plenty of life in the singing and an energy that never loses focus or coarsens into bluster. For that alone, he's still worth hearing. --Michael White

Customer Reviews:

Let's forget about Ramey for a minute..........2006-05-02

Most of the previous reviewers are either lamenting Sam Ramey's decline or hailing him as a legend. Let's dwell on the inovative program NAXOS has given us. Many new to this music can use this disc as an introduction to the complete works. Some will only care to have it and go no further. The live concert takes done in a three day span are competently played and warmly recorded. Did anyone mention that Liszt's "Mephisto Waltz"(orchestral version)is included? Most other recordings include alot of duplicate repetoire. Though made at the twilight of his career(Rec. Oct. 2000, age 59), Mr. Ramey dose his devilish best to bring the whole thing off. After all these years he has made these roles special in a cool collective style. The informative program notes will guide you through. Add a star if your a die hard Ramey fan or if your inspired to run out and buy the complete sets.

A Handsome Devil Of A Baritone.......2005-11-09

This recording finds the world famous bass Samuel Ramey at age 59, singing a collection of the "bass villain" repertory he gained fame for interpreting. His voice has darkened considerably and shows signs of aging, but still delivers. On this disc: Berlioz's operatic oratorio "La Damnation de Faust" is another account of the Goethe tale of Faust. Charles Gounod's opera is the more famous account. Samuel Ramey's pure bass voice was tailor-made for the role of the Devil. "Un Puce Gentile" is a more lyrical aria while "Devant La Maison" in which the Devil calls his spirits to bewitch Marguerite, is a coloratura, lively aria. Samuel Ramey once again sigs a Devil in the Meyerbeer grand opera Robert Le Diable, a masterpiece in its time but now an opera that has long fallen on the wayside. His French diction is superb, and his bel canto voice (and it is a bel canto voice) sounds golden, full, dark and rich. It is actually a good thing that he is 59 and singing roles that sound old, sinister and lecherous. Devils are normally regarded as old creatures and somehow Samuel Ramey makes them sound seductive and even beautiful to hear. He has a healing quality to his voice. Take for instance the dramatic-lyric Italian manner in which he sings Ecco Il Mondo from Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele. Mefistofele is a grand vehicle for the bass in the role of the Devil but again this opera was more popular in the old days. George London sang Mefistofele opposite Renata Tebaldi in an old 50's recording and that one is the best interpretation of them all, with grand Italian opera taking on flights of fancy. There is also another fine recording with Norman Treigle of the New York City Opera (he was Ramey's mentor) back in the 60's. The aria "Shine Diamond, shine" of the villainous magician in Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman is a specialty of Ramey's. I saw him performing the role on stage and have heard his full-length recording of all four villains in Hoffman. He makes the villains appropriately edgy and electrifying and suffuses the portrayals with a kind of Broadway musical theatricality mixed with rich lyricism. This is a great recording of Samuel Ramey's but not his best. This does not find him in his prime. To discover how magnetic his voice can be one has to listen to his earlier recordings, particularly those of his bel canto operas - Rossini and Verdi in particular- like Verdi's Attila, in which he sings the role of Attila the Hun, or Rossini's Iago in Otello. His voice was actually superb when he was not singing the lead baritone roles and instead singing minor bass roles like Angelotti in Tosca in the 1978 recording with Montserrat Caballe and Jose Carreras. He has also sung a fine bass role in Massenet's Manon wich starred Beverly Sills. His Robert Le Diable with June Anderson on studio recording is also excellent.

Swan song of a legend?.......2005-01-21

It pains me greatly to give this CD less than 5 stars, because I have been a huge Ramey fan for years. I sat in the orchestra pit on a few occasions while Ramey was a few feet above me, pouring forth sheer vocal glory. However, I sadly must agree with the other reviewers that the wear on his voice is beginning to show. The Amazon reviewer notes that for several years Mr. Ramey has toured the country with the repetoire on this disc.
Some of these are taxing arias, particularly 'Scintille, diamant!', and one wonders whether there would today be more left in the tank if Mr. Ramey had been a little more careful in his scheduling, and repetoire.
The voice sounds fatigued and worn. For a few of these arias, this is his second or third go around. The Boito arias he recorded in the mid 1980s on the Philips label, and those are fantastic. Ironically, it is these earlier recordings that are his enemy here. One can still hear the vocal brilliance and jaw-dropping agility of the voice on those discs, and the difference is marked. Here, the voice has lost some lustre. Clearly, age is a factor. The recorded legacy of Mr. Ramey is profound, but his best days are behind him. The late Renata Tebaldi retired from the stage at the relatively young age of 54, saying that she wanted to avoid 'the mortifying season of decline.' Mr. Ramey is not shaming himself, and he is a long way from such a season, but one wonders how much longer he will go on. What about a teaching position at Northwestern, since you are now a Chicago resident, Mr. Ramey?

Vecchio Ramey.......2003-12-24

I am so sorry to hear that Cd...because Ramey was my idol...He was the king of the opera world...He was the one who has the best technique....but this cd made me shocked...This old swinging voice....Arghhhh....
I think Everyone have to quit the job at the peak of their careers...I want to remember Ramey as the 1991 Mefistofele....not with this cd...
beyond all these words Ramey is still Ramey if we don't count this CD...The old performances makes me forget about it...
I hope this will be the last fault of him...this recording must be rated with 1 star but three stars are for the brightest star of the opera world...

Almost extinct........2003-05-31

Samuel Ramey is unique in the recorded history of opera. He is a bass- a true bass at that- with an intoxicatingly beautiful and resonant voice, possessing a phenomenal techniique with which he is able to lift his voice far above the limitations imposed on it by nature. He has sung Scarpia, one of the most demanding baritone roles in the italian repetoire- convincingly, and with an ease and elegance that any verdian baritone would envy. In fact, for a comparable technique among lower voices, one would have to go back to the great "virtuoso" basses of the early-middle of the 19th century such as tamburini, supposedly the greatest vocal genius among all operatic basses. No recordings exist of this extinct breed of singers who could challenge the castrati in the practise of florid singing and bel canto, but there are many detailed descriptions of their performances, vocal sound, and technique; as well as musical transcriptions of exactly what they sung. Samuel Ramey is undoubtdedly such a singer. His combination of warmth, elegance, and sheer technical brilliance are unmatched among all basses in the history of recorded opera. His style has occasionaly been labelled as bland, pehaps by people who want to hear Chaliapin instead. But as great as the Russian bass was, Ramey posseses an altogether different mentality and represents a different method of schooling- indeed so unique among our time is his style that it is not difficult to understand why people sometimes don't "identify" with his characterisations. We all have ideas of how a certain piece should be performed after all. By way of comparison, Giuseppe DeLuca was one of the great singers in the early years of the last century. He was a baritone, a great stylist and interpreter in the old belcanto tradition. In many ways his basic approach to singing resembled Rameys: poised, elegant, with an emphasis on restraint and a sort of "inner intensity" in his legato. He is one of the true geniuses among all baritones on record, and yet if one was to listen to him with inflexible modern ears his recordings may perhaps sound strange, maybe even dull and lacking in emotional fireworks. He is simply a different TYPE of singer than we generally hear nowadays, and so is Samuel Ramey. So how does he sound on these recordings at the age of 60? His vibrato is noticably wider to be sure- so was Joan Sutherlands(among many) at that age, and as in Sutherlands case, it is more noticable on the longer, more legato passages. Be that as it may, his voice is larger, darker, and heavier because of his age, and with a tone as poised and resonant as rameys, a widening vibrato is both part and parcel. Do not mistake it for a wobble of the kind callas or carreras possesed- that is a result of forcing the voice, and Ramey never forces- wide it may be, but his vibrato is even and controlled. His interpretations of all these characters (particularly the three mephistopheles' in Boito, Berlioz and gounod's operas) have gained tremendously over the years and have reached a peak on this cd. Added to that is the greater maturity of his voice, which raises these performances to a superlative level. In its best moments "A Date with the Devil" shows him to be an unparalleled virtuoso among basses, and still in possesion of the greatest basso-cantante of our time. The very well played and recorded orchestra led by Rudel, with whom Ramey has worked in the past, is a additional bonus. In conclusion, Samuel Ramey may never eclipse memories of recordings from this repetoire by such singers as Boris Christoff, and George London, but certainly his intention is not to do so. As all of the very greatest singers have done, he is, with his highly unique style, carving out his own significant niche in operatic history.

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Legends Return!
More Magical Moments!
the FREEZE
MISERY LOVES COMPANY thrives off it's Golden Moments

Misery Loves Company
The Freeze
Manufacturer: Taang Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Release Date: 1993-05-21

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Bloodlights
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Customer Reviews:

Legends Return!.......2004-11-25

The single of BLOODLIGHTS/TALKING BOMBS perfectly captured THE BEST qualities of THE FREEZE. Some of the most self-loathing, sad yet not hopeless lyrics yet from Clif Hanger and two different Classic guitar riffs by Bill Close that absolutely burn their way into your psyche. The lyrics to THE CRIMINAL INSIDE have got to be some of the best since classic CLASH of the first two lp's.

More Magical Moments!.......2001-12-04

Even though this is a "spotty" release by Boston's Punk Legends, it's still WAY above average and deserved a better reception. WATCH for NEW material by THE FREEZE to be released over 2002!

the FREEZE.......2001-07-09

WHILE MAYBE NOT THEIR MOST POPULAR RELEASE, THIS A VERY GOOD RECORD. NOT ALL BANDS HOST TALENT LIKE THE FREEZE HAD. I GIVE THIS '5'STARS

MISERY LOVES COMPANY thrives off it's Golden Moments.......2000-03-06

MISERY LOVES COMPANY isn't the best release by THE FREEZE but it is the one that welcomed them back after a 4 year hiatus. This lapse shows up mainly in the son and sound quality of the last 4 tracks, they are tinny and not the usual "razorsharp" quality to the lyrics. On the other hand, if the band had kept writing the way they did on the first 6 songs they would have another classic. BLOODLIGHTS has got to be one of the angriest, most depressing, yet somehow still uplifting tunes I've ever heard.

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Freeze Frame
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Manufacturer: Polydor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Digitally remastered Japanese pressing packaged in a miniature LP sleeve of the 1979 album by this duo, formerly one-half of 10cc. Polydor. 2006.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

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Music that should have been heard a long time ago.

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Lights of Dawn
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Album Description

With a throb of excitement matched only by finding King Tut's OTHER tomb, Sundazed has recently unearthed a long-forgotten treasure from the seminal mid-'60s Los Angeles rock scene: the previously unreleased album by the Penny Arkade! Spotlighting singer/songwriters Chris Ducey and Craig Smith along with bassist Don Glut and drummer Bobby Donaho, the Penny Arkade--with its jangley melange of the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Moby Grape—was a potential pop-rock goldmine in the making. But its only album was inexplicably shelved... Produced by Michael Nesmith, the original, unreleased Penny Arkade album is now expanded to contain extra material from the sessions, revealing demo recordings, and much more. With the addition of longburied photos and a detailed band history penned by Ugly Things-editor Mike Stax, this is an astounding tape-vault discovery of the first rank!

Customer Reviews:

Music that should have been heard a long time ago........2005-03-05

This is a treat for anyone who digs the late '60s psychedelic folk-rock sound. Penny Arkade captured the essence of that sound and this disc is the first chance for many people to hear them. While some of the tracks aren't quite as good as others, they're all surprisingly listenable and a couple really stand out. "Lights of Dawn", for example, should have been on the radio. "Country Girl" is another one I particularly like, and it's here that you can really feel the folk-country crossover influence of Mike Nesmith.

Anyone with a fondness for Byrds/Donovan/etc. (and the later Nesmith-influenced Monkees songs) should give this disc a try. It's a shame the world never knew of the potential this group had.

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