Echoes Of A Red Empire (Russian Songs Of Struggle From The Great Revolution & WW2) - Various Artists

Advantages: long, lots of great songs, wonderful guitar work and strong performances all round
Disadvantages: very diverse and lacks cohesion, some of the songs just don't hit the mark

...in their magnificence and it takes time to even begin to appreciate the greatness within their many-layered shells. It's also peppered with so many different styles from what I would describe as old-school rock (Readymade, Storm In A Teacup), to classic Chilis-style alternative rock (Snow, Wet Sand, Charlie, Strip My Mind, Stadium Arcadium), to what seem to be semi-attempts at country style (Slow Cheetah, Desecration Smile), to the totally unidentifiable (Hard To Concentrate, Animal Bar)! I'm sure the artists enjoyed putting this album together tremendously - any musician would love to express themselves in so many different ways all on one record. And if they were hoping to open the minds of their listeners musically by doing so, I admire them for it. I'm just not sure whether it works. Rather than detail every single song and completely spoil... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Wonderful tracks like GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR that explain life of THE STRUGGLE
Disadvantages: Awful tracks like I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU that I struggled to listen to

...Blueprint'. Nevertheless, I personally consider the fact that the CAP IS BACK in the game and great tracks like Get Away From The Door support my theory. I would recommend this album to loyal Wu-Tang Clan fans who are strong supporters of real Hip Hop. But on the contrary, bad tracks with poor production and terrible guests are best ignored. REFERENCE [Cappadonna's discography] First album: 'The Pillage' - 4 stars (Part III of my Cappadonna series) Second album: 'The Yin And The Yang' - 2 stars (Part I of my Cappadonna series) Third album: 'THE STRUGGLE' - 3 stars (Part II of my Cappadonna series) APPENDIX Best beats: CAP IS BACK, ROLE OF A LIFETIME, MAMMA, GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR Worst beats: DO IT PUSH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU, LIFE OF A LESBO Best... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Lots of great songs from the eighties
Disadvantages: A few not so great

...was never far away from him. New Edition never really made it on this side of the Atlantic and this was their only hit of note. Track 13 - I Got You Babe - UB40 & Chrissie Hynde This corroboration between UB40 and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders (Brass in Pocket) fame was a huge hit and to be honest their various styles complemented each other excellently on this track. Track 14 - Love Of The Common People - Paul Young When originally released this song flopped but after universal success with Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) this was re-released and was another success, peaking at Number 2 in the UK charts. Pretty decent stuff. Track 15 - All Cried Out - Alison Moyet The female half of Yazoo enjoyed a fair amount of success as a solo artist, and this was probably her best offering. Track 16 - Total Eclipse... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful