On their first releases, even amid all the smirking irreverence, the Replacements seemed to have more ambition than other post-punkers, but it wasn't until Let It Be that they actually realized it. There's still plenty of smirking here--"Seen Your Video" is a great snotty taunt--but there's also smartly-crafted pop like "I Will Dare" and not-quite-love songs like "Answering Machine," not to mention a rocking cover of uncool Kiss that's played perfectly straight. This is classic, all-over-the-board indie rock, especially the angst-ridden empathy of "Sixteen Blue," where Paul Westerberg, all of 23, remembers just how it is to be a teenager.--David Cantwell ... Read more

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Asin: B00006FR75
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

The middle title among the triad of seasoned-but-not-depleted mid-'80s Replacements albums, Tim isn't as inspired as its predecessor, Let It Be, nor as involving as its successor, Pleased to Meet Me. Still, it's the work of a wondrous foursome near the peak of its powers, and, as collections of songs go, it may be Paul Westerberg's crowning achievement. "Kiss Me on the Bus," "Swinging Party," and "Here Comes a Regular" pretty much set the standard for the sloppy-drunk college-rock romanticism of the '80s. "Bastards of Young," "Lay It Down Clown," and "Left of the Dial" proved that the hard-charging Midwesterners were still scamps at heart...or at least could still fake it. This is the last album made by the original quartet (the excesses that would lead to guitarist Bob Stinson's early death prompted his dismissal after Tim came out) and provides a key to understanding the appeal of an astonishing band that did everything right except figure out how to become stars. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Asin: B000002L8C
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Underground    3. College Rock    4. Hard Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll    8. United States of America   

While some continue to champion the Replacements' Don't Tell a Soul and All Shook Down exit albums, Pleased to Meet Me truly represents the last vital effort of a great band beginning its descent. The first album released after founding lead guitarist Bob Stinson's official departure, Pleased nevertheless retains plenty of the Mats' innate punky drive, albeit here more focused and tempered. Group avatar Paul Westerberg feuded with Memphis producer Jim Dickinson (brought in because of his production of Big Star's melancholy classic Third/Sister Lovers) over what he considered Dickinson's civilizing touches. In retrospect, however, the brass-and-string flourishes on the catchy coda "Can't Hardly Wait" and the more disciplined drumming of Chris Mars make Pleased a more comfortable reconciliation of the group's raw roots and musical maturity. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Asin: B000002LB9
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Underground    3. College Rock    4. Hard Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock & Roll   

Hootenanny is the last album on which the Replacements fully embraced recklessness as a recording tactic; consequently, it's their last love-it-or-hate-it LP. Here's one vote for love. As with the band's disorderly (but damned entertaining) debut, Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, Hootenanny is enlivened by the odd hardcore thrasher ("Run It" and "You Lose"). Frontman Paul Westerberg stretches out here, however, with the bluesy "Willpower" and "Take Me to the Hospital" and unveils his sensitive side on the one-man-band avowal "Within Your Reach," a taste of things to come. The title track opens the album on a haphazard note, and the Mats barely hold things together with the sodden closer, "Treatment Bound," but that damn-the-tempo-let's-just-play spirit is what makes Hootenanny a better record than a latter stab at stardom like Don't Tell a Soul. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

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• Original recording remastered

Asin: B00006FR74
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

A football comedy about the 1987 NFL players' strike, in which Keanu Reeves plays a scab quarterback on the losing end of a career while coach Gene Hackman and team owner Jack Warden lord over the unfortunate proceedings, features a quirky collection of tracks from the past. Gloria Gaynor's disco anthem "I Will Survive" has more lives than a cat and is sure to go down alongside Queen's "We Will Rock You" as an enduring sports anthem. Gary Glitter's "Rock & Roll Part Two" proves the timeless vintage of 1970s glam. But it's Young M.C .'s "Bust a Move" that retains the most flavor, hailing from that late-1980s vantage point when hip-hop was younger and more kinetic. The addition of Orange County, California, alternative rockers Lit is a surprise. Whereas Marky Mark should probably stick to underwear ads and acting, in that order. But, pray tell, why weren't the punk band the Replacements included in what would so obviously be a starring role on this soundtrack? --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

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• Soundtrack

Asin: B00004XR5P
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Soundtracks    3. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

The Replacements' 1981 debut, like the Stink EP that came on its heels, is laden with hardcore punk that was the flavor in underground rock of the time, albeit of a customized strain. Oddly enough, that sense of compromise is the source of the charm to both early Mats titles. The Minneapolis quartet play fast and loose here but aren't inclined to display the discipline the leading lights of the movement boasted. Raggedness and humor are their fortes. One can almost picture Paul Westerberg smirking a bit at the sanctioned snotty sentiments he's voicing. "I hate music!" he bellows in the song of the same name, only to add cheekily, "Got too many notes." "Customer," too, undermines pure-punk ethos with wisecracks. Though he more often writes screeds than actual songs, Westerberg's burgeoning skills nevertheless surface in "Johnny's Gonna Die," "Shiftless When Idle," and "I'm in Trouble." Sorry Ma isn't necessarily a superior punk album, but it's an exceedingly likable one. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

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• Original recording remastered

Asin: B00006FSQ6
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

One of the best bands spawned in the postpunk era--scratch that, one of the best bands ever--was the Replacements. They perfected the art of making highly melodic, heart-rending tunes through the teenage vernacular of brash, loud, scrappy rock. Ardently anticommercial, they held out as long as possible against the rise of compact disks, MTV, and signing to a major label. Though it could be argued that their earlier indie albums were infused with an urgency and rawness (and the indomitable guitar of the late Bob Stinson) that bespoke of genius, All for Nothing, Nothing for All is proof that growing up did not equal growing old. This is a best-of compilation from their Sire Records years, 1985 to 1990, though selecting one Replacements song over another is sometimes impossible. The first disk collects the great songs from the albums from those years, while the second disk is a mix of unreleased tracks, B-sides, live versions, and a mischievous cover of "Cruella De Ville," recorded for a Disney compilation. --Tod Nelson ... Read more

Asin: B000002NIU
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Underground    3. College Rock    4. Hard Rock    5. Jangle Pop    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock & Roll   

Rolling Stone
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Founder and publisher Jann S. Wenner's brainchild remains the standard by which rock & roll magazines are measured, though even its most fervent boosters would concede there've been some growing pains for RS as it's strived to remain relevant through the decades. The erstwhile baby-boomer bible mixes fleshy covers of today's alluring celebs with coverage of graying rockers from the magazine's heyday. In addition to celebrity interviews, stalwart features such as CD reviews and Random Notes (the mag's long-running gossip section) provide familiar reading for older readers, as does the publication's superior political and cultural coverage. But the bulk of Rolling Stone's features are aimed at the younger pop-culture set. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

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Corporate magazines still suck
Rolling Stone hasn't been a credible music journal for at least 15 years, and that's being extremely kind.Rather they are a marketing outlet for the corporate sponsors of whatever music is being pushed at the moment.That's of course when they deign to write about music at all.There are far too many politically oriented articles from an upper middle class armchair liberal point of view to catagorize Rolling Stone as strictly a music magazine.And let's not mention the extremely annoying fashion layouts.RS is more of a lifestyle journal that panders to white and mostly liberal middle class tastes and culture.I don't care about the political bent of the magazine so much as I care about the pop garbage that Rolling Stone writes about.They almost without exception shill for the flavor of the month rather than write any responsible criticism.Occasionally the articles are informative, but for the most part Rolling Stone is an irrelevant device to generate advertising dollars.

You get what you pay for
Isn't it amazing that the cost of a Rolling Stone subscription is barely enough to cover the cost of postage?The magazine is mostly advertisements, and the rest of it isn't worth reading.I grew up on Rolling Stone, but have realized that if I want a decent music review about music I care about, I'll go to pitchforkmedia.com.Even SPIN is better than this crap.

RS: "Music Experts" who don't know CRAP about music.
Anyone who would consider putting a list of the 100 Greatest Artists ever without Pink Floyd, Queen, or Metallica has no knowledge of music whatsoever.

Also who the hell would put Kurt Cobain and Jack White on a list of the 100 greatest guitarists ever above Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads? Also not to mention that they didn't even include Slash or Malmsteem on the list.

This magazine makes me sick to the stomach. Basically all they do is praise artists who have good lyrics but crappy music, like Bob Dylan. They also need to get over their constant worship of U2, because even when they put out those 2 awful albums 'Zooropa' and 'Pop', they did nothing but praise them for their over-produced experimental crap.

And what can we say about their devotion towards 'The White Stripes' and 'The Strokes' and hail them as the BEST NEW THING, while we've been waiting for years for these people to make albums worth their praise. Yet, Rolling Stone rather ignores great new artists like Muse, Franz Ferdinand, and Keane.

I know you guys are probably potheads, but perhaps you should consider putting the hash pipe to the side and think about what you write because it's hurting the REAL ARTISTS. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7SJ
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music   

Alternative Press Magazine
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do not subscribe to magazines through amazon.
I subscribed on august 27th. My magazine did not show up for six months! I emailed them to ask what the hell. Six months, come on. I was refunded to dollars. I finally recieved my first issue. Its been more than a month since then and i have yet to recieve my second. When people i know who subscribed from ap, have gotten their magazines. This is absurd, i'm cancelling my order.

sort of alternative press
Yes, I do read Alternative Press, or parts of it anyway. To their credit they do cover some great alternative bands and their new "unsigned band of the month" feature is pretty cool, but sadly the cover stories are usually misguided pieces about the likes of Good Charlotte or Yellowcard. Their bizarre marriage of punk/indie and uber-mainstream pop-punk make for a painful experience. The new "Big Takeover" issue speaks volumes of the diversity of their readership: Good Charlotte was in the top 5 for both the "Artist that I wish would Die" and "Artist with the Most Integrity" categories.

In short AP consistently makes me hate them by covering some of the crappiest, least alternative bands out their, but they draw me back in by putting the words "motion", "city", and "soundtrack" together on a regular basis.

Try a different magazine.
I used to really like "Alternative Press", but lately I have been incredibly irritated by it. A lot of the magazine has turned into fashion tips for how to be more hardcore. The magazine tries to have "shock value", I think, but being increasingly geared to younger people with gross taste in music, it's not shocking, its annoying.

Also, every month, the magazine has some column where they basically trash classic bands, like ELO and such. I find this ridicuous, considering the kind of junk they put in their magazine, and this particular column really irks me.

However, I do listen to some of the bands which they feature in their magazine, and I like to read the CD reviews and lists of CDs to be released. This does not save the magazine from being awful, though.

So, whatever your taste in music is, this magazine will most likely annoy you. Spare yourself the headache. ... Read more

Asin: B000060MHK
Sales Rank: 287
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music   

Guitar World
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The same songs tabbed over and over again
I've read this magazine since I first picked up a guitar in 1989.Since then, it's had its ups and downs, as it tends to follow the latest trends.In 1989 the focus was hair metal; in 1992 it was thrash.It 1995 it was in a slump of four chord songs and songs that appeared in previous issues.I believe "Crazy Train", "Walk", "Free Bird" and "Crossroads" have probably each appeared about a dozen times since 1990. My subscription ran out in the late 90's, but I keep an eye out for it on the news stands.It's currently in another slump, one where the tabs are typically either nu-metal, garage rock like The Vines, or the aforementioned reprints.However, all is not lost; there are still good columns, although the interviews aren't that great anymore.And I think that there was an At The Gates song in there not too long ago.
The bottom line is, buy it from the news stands when you see songs that you like in it.That way you can choose the best from the competition (which tends to tab the same songs at the same time, even the classic rock ones).

i love both guitar one and guitar world
i love both guitar one and guitar world, but i like guitar one a Tiny bit more. But i love both magazines

Good gone Bad
I was a gung-ho Guitar World reader from about '96-'01...my subscription ran out sometime in '03... but the quality of the publication had so seriously fallen, I didn't care to spend the money on it any longer.Guitar World has become SO mainstream that it's pretty difficult to put up with.I havn't felt that the interviews were good for a long time.It doesn't seem the interviewERS are musicians.Not much in there is for musicians anymore (just like Rolling Stone).There are tabs in there, but they generally aren't written the way the artist plays the song... I still have all of my old issues, and refer to them often, but as for the new ones...buy 'em on the stand when they've got something interesting. ... Read more

Asin: B000060MH0
Sales Rank: 129
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music    3. Electronics & Audio    4. Musical Instruments   

Vibe
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Slicker and more uptown than competitors The Source and XXL, Vibe covers hip-hop culture in its many forms. The primary focus, of course, is music, but urban fashion also receives lavish treatment, and each issue contains a least a dash of movies, technology, sports, and politics. Celebrities tend to dominate its well-photographed and well-designed pages, but there's also room for more substantive fare (such as a touching report on "chickenheads"--rap-world groupies--who deserve better than they get from their often-abusive lovers). Covering a culture that is frequently misogynistic and homophobic, Vibe is both women- and gay-friendly, and surprisingly broad in its interpretation of who's cool enough for hip-hop: Elton John (for his Grammy duet with Eminem), maverick senator Jim Jeffords, and Seattle Mariners baseball star Ichiro Suzuki. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

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You can't beat the price
For the price Vibe is okay, but it lost it's sizzle somewhere during the last five years.I look forward to Vibe Vixen, perhaps it will stirup my interests again.True, there are a lot of ads now, but the articles are interesting.What I miss about the magazine is that it seems like they never "break" any news anymore.Perhaps it's the Internet's fault, but I remember a time when the details of an artists Vibe interview really created a buzz (like in 99 when Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes balked to Vibe her personal feelings about the "Fan Mail" album), but now everything is just pretty mediorcre with this magazine. It's also totally predictable.When someone they consider "hot" has a product coming out you know they will be on the cover, and when I saw Pharrell and Gwen Stefani on the cover I thought that was a bit of a stretch.It's still a good magazine but I find I enjoy Blender and Sister 2 Sister much better, but for the price I will continue to support this magazine.

VIBE has it going...
I'd been a long-time fan to VIBE since they been out. I 'member I first lay eyes on em by checking the covers on 'em but not reading by 'em. y'know. They such knockouts. Yeah they definitely keepin' it real no matter what. I believe they'll be around more and more since them magazines u read all the time like ESSENCE, EBONY and JET. I still have love for them also. But to say VIBE doesn't suck. I'd never been a subscriber since last year and I definitely enjoy it to this day. I actually read the XXL and Source magazine most often now. Same w/ Upscale, Campus Life, just to name others. I luv they magazine to death man, knahmsayin. Ya'll keep it rocked y'heard. Nobody's bringin' the hype on ya fellaz. Keep it UP!!!

Not The Same
Where are the critiques? The articles lack any critical substance. Whoever is hot at the moment will get their behind kissed. It doesn't matter that the album is usually not worth all the hype, VIBE will go along with the flow. On top of that, there are more ADs now than ever before. Even articles that could have been decent are cut down to a page or so for the sake of saving advertising space. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7TE
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music    3. Literature Of Music   

Spin
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Founded in 1985 by Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione's son, Bob Jr., Spin magazine aimed to occupy a space forged and outgrown by Rolling Stone, which had since moved on from counter-culture reporting to a more pop-culture focus. Due to its well-funded birth, Spin rode the wave of the burgeoning alternative rock movementand was afforded the luxury of being as controversial as it wanted, forsaking at times somewhat slanted reporting in favor of the punch and jibe. Nonetheless, it brought into America's peripheral vision early stories of the ravages of AIDS in Africa, in addition to standard artist interviews and album reviews. Switching from a tabloid format to a glossy perfect-bound publication, the magazine now reports on fleeting music trends and the Next Big Thing more than it unearths alternative-rock gems, but it still does a good job of uncovering behind-the-scenes-stories, such as the violent acts and deplorably unhygienic conditions of 1999's Woodstock III music festival, in a way no other music magazine does. When the Beastie Boys released Hello Nasty in 1998, Spin published three different editions of the magazine--each with a separate headshot of one member of the renegade hip-hop group. Three years later, Rolling Stone copied the gimmick, featuring the members of boy band 'N Sync individually on five different covers. If Spin's influence in rock journalism was ever in question, this event provides irrefutable proof. --Beth Massa ... Read more

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Decent overview
Ok - This is not pitchforkmedia.com - the online music review who's more concerned with prose rather than the actual reviewing of music BUT nevertheless the greatest source out there to new music. This ain't Rolling Stone neither, who'd have a better place in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame rather than the newstand, as it doesn't mean anything anymore to contemporary music fans. This is the guy stuck in the middle, between the one who does not want the intellectual crap of the one, neither the commercial junk from the other. Hence, a 3-star for ideal pulp, just what you want if you have 10 minutes to spend on the toilet! But then again, this is a daily occupation...

Egocentric Trash
I'm sure that this review isn't unique.Spin rotates the same ten bands on its cover, not to mention the ridiculous articles written within. By the time they get done describing the 'euro-punk-indie-pop artist that just slammed them in the face on their way to the train station with their jazzed up sound' I've completely forgotten the point of thier article.They must have the greatest time just sitting around finding how many contradictory adjectives they can tag onto useless music and still manage to say nothing. They sound like cyber-nerds who need to get out a little more and stop getting thier info from mtv.com. I'm sure that i've learned more about what thier editors do in the office on any given day than anything remotely close to music while reading spin.Next time you see it on the stands, I suggest you spin in another direction.

Where did my subsciption go?
I got my first month(a horrible Green Day issue)and then nothing! Uh,what up? Its not that good of a magazine,I just want what I paid for. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7SU
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music    3. Literature Of Music   

Banjo Newsletter
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Banjo Newsletter
As a newcomer to playing the banjo (< 1 year), I find the Banjo Newletter to be a wealth of information about the 5 string banjo and the various styles.They also review banjo teaching aids (books, CD's, DVD's etc.) as well as recent releases of CD's of interest to the banjo world.Each issue has a large range of articles for all interests, including interviews with musical celebrities, and lots of songs in tablature format.The paper newletter is supplemented with a very robust web site with MP3's that can be downloaded.This is very helpful to hear the timing of various licks.You can also order older newsletters with interviews or songs of interest.
All in all, the money for the subscription is money very well spent.The banjo newsletter authors really love their work and it shows!Keep up the excellent newsletter!

This is the best
This has to be the best on-going publication for five string banjo players in the world. If you have a question, it will probably be answered in Banjo Newsletter. Songs, tabs, licks, interviews, tips, tricks, you name it. If it has anything to do with the five string banjo it will be in Banjo Newsletter. Truly a labor of love presented by people who want to see this wonderful part of Americana remain alive and not flushed down the toilet. Highly recommended.

THE magazine for 5-stringers
I really don't have much to say except that if you love playing the 5-string banjo then you will find something of interest and amusement in every issue of BNL.It is a real bargain and clearly a labor of love of its editors and writers. ... Read more

Asin: B00006K58C
Sales Rank: 228
Subjects:  1. Literature Of Music    2. Entertainment    3. Music    4. Musical Instruments    5. Electronics & Audio   

Guitar One Magazine
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Sucks
If your're into, classic rock, and metal it's okay, but if you like good music like, Emo, Screamo, Punk don't get it. It never tabs any good songs, and it's stories are long adn boring. It covers slipknot like they'r gods, they suck. Listen to me

Incomplete!!!
This mag subscription is INCOMPLETE!It doesn't come with the CD.You can hear all the music from the magazine online but why bother, if you can get it with the CD for a little more?

With the CD, this magazine deserves a "5-star" rating.This mag has a great blend of styles and artists.It gives you a great number of articles that teach everyone from the beginner to the intermediate-advanced player.It doesn't matter if you play rock, jazz, country, blues, etc.There's always something in here for you. The articles are not geared toward one specific style, which is a problem I've always had with Guitar Player magazine because they are totally one-track minded when it comes to the material.Most of the tips are geared towards rock guitarists.I am a guitarist that plays latin jazz, gospel, and some rock and Guitar Player doesn't cover these topics.If you want a good, all-around magazine, check this one out.I've been playing for 21 years.It's my number 1 pick. :-)

BUY DIRECTLY FROM PUBLISHER FOR SAME PRICE
I recommend buying this magazine directly from the publisher rather than Amazon. They have the exact same price. In fact, you can get 24 issues for $22.00. When I found out about this I called Amazon to upgrade to the two year subscription. They told me they could not honor that price. Guitar one told me they could not change the order as well. Buyer Beware. The quality of the magazine is excellent, however. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7QK
Sales Rank: 205
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music    3. Musical Instruments    4. Electronics & Audio