Cloudland [Remastered] - Pere Ubu

Advantages: A sublime album of high points and even higher points
Disadvantages: The cassette version needs to be turned over in some players

...John Henry - those two words send a rush of pleasure down my spinal chord (sic) just by existing. This was their first album with a full band supporting them, hence the name John Henry, its an American fable about a railroad worker that fought to stop machines taking over the man-powered work (they used to use a drum machine, you see?) Aaaaanyway, the album is a delight from end to end (and back again). I bought the album, saw the live tour, got the t-shirt and still I crave more. To try and catagorise TMBG would be wrong, but this is primarally a rock/folk/indie/ragga/funk/metal/hip-hop/ska/synth album with a few other influences thrown in. The new bass player is the mighty Tony Menomi (apologies for the spelling Tony) who used to play with Pere Ubu and was very nice to us after the show. His influence also shows, but the John... Read review

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Advantages: Classic recordings from a master of his trade.
Disadvantages: Mono recordings, Crackly in parts.

...La reine de Saba: Inspirez-moi, race divine by Charles Gounod Serse, HWV 40: Ombra mai fu "Largo" by George Frideric Handel Le Cid: O Souverain, ô juge, ô père by Jules Massenet Manon: Ah! fuyez, douce image by Jules Massenet L'Africaine: O paradis sorti de l'onde by Giacomo Meyerbeer Les Huguenots: Plus blanche que la blanche hermine by Giacomo Meyerbeer La Gioconda: Cielo e mar by Amilcare Ponchielli La Bohème: O soave fanciulla by Giacomo Puccini La Bohème: Che gelida manina by Giacomo Puccini Tosca: Recondita armonia by Giacomo Puccini Tosca: E lucevan le stelle by Giacomo Puccini Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai by Giacomo Puccini Eugene Onegin, Op. 24: Lensky's aria by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Aida: Celeste Aida by Giuseppe Verdi Il trovatore: Di quella pira by Giuseppe Verdi Il trovatore: Ah si, ben mio by Giuseppe... Read review

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Advantages: Music that is innovative and original and strangely beautiful
Disadvantages: One or two tracks prevent the album from being an all time classic

...This is a review of the recently released remastered edition. It contains the same tracks as the original except for a slightly different cover, a booklet containing extra photos and notes from Laurie Anderson and some two bonus tracks: an alternate version of 'O Superman' and 'Walk the Dog', which also featured on the United States box-set and in earlier stage performances. 'Walk the Dog' was the B-Side of the original "O Superman" single. There is also a video clip for 'O Superman' included in the package. Influences and Historical SettingThis album is mostly derived from Anderson's four-hour one-woman stage presentation 'United States I - IV'. Here we are talking about the United States of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Carter and Reagan era. These were released as a box set of live recordings some years after 'Big Science... Read review

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