Hollywood - Maynard Ferguson

Advantages: The tracks are all hits and the playing is out of this world
Disadvantages: None

...This album is a great introduction to Maynard Ferguson's music and includes all his best known and loved hits. If you've never heard him play before you will be awestruck. There is still no one to rival his amazing upper register playing. All the recordings are good quality and unlike some compilations, there are detailed sleeve notes including band personnel and origins of the recordings (for some tracks) and a biography. The first track, Birdland, is one that just listening to it makes you feel happy and all the playing is superb. Then Everybody loves the Blues really showcases Maynard's talents with some beautifully subtle, laid-back playing in the opening and some real screaming at the end. MacArthur Park is just a great tune and Maynard simply soars over the band. The Fox Hunt is an exciting, fast and furious live... Read review

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Advantages: See review
Disadvantages: see review

...In the midst of the year which saw out the long eighties, and the year which demolished that decades peculiar form of pop-metal, L.A. Guns released Hollywood Vampires to a soon-to-be disinterested public. The year was significant, as was the title; hematophagy sacrificed for firepower when naming the band in 1985. The dark, semi-gothic theme disguised the bands most commercial outing to date, as the Guns sought to build on the success of 1989s Cocked & Loaded, which spawned the massively successful single The Ballad of Jayne. Much like Tracii Guns former band, Guns N Roses, whose bloated double-disc set was only two months from release at the time, Hollywood Vampires simultaneously attempted to distance itself from the already exhausted Sunset Strip scene and embrace its unique relationship with MTV, spawning far too many formulaic... Read review

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Advantages: Great punk rock sound, great bunch of lads
Disadvantages: Some songs are a bit samey

...I went to see Fightstar last week, yes that's right Fighstar, the band charlie from busted is in. Anyway Stood around, first band on, nothing special, but their main support - HollyWood Ending Stole the show! As they walked onto stage I wasn't expecting much, and to be honest I don't think anyone was. They looked like a mismatched band to be fair, but worked fantastically well together. I decided I would buy the album, and ended up sitting and chatting to the band, and they turned out to be really cool and signed my cd for me. The cd itself has some great tracks on it. There is a good mix of softer and heavier songs, and something for everyone. Tracks such as Fall to pieces, 25-17 and Pillar of Autumn show how the band are able to be heavy, with some piecing vocals and agressive verses. However it is tracks such as Angel... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful