I'll Be A Virgin I'll Be A Mountain - Maximilian Hecker

Advantages: Great harmonies & melodies.
Disadvantages: Possibly too lo-fi.

...If you like your music a little more personal than normal, this album has everything. It has the multi textures of Maximilian Hecker and the warm vocals and building soundscapes of a more lo-fi Elbow. In no small part due to its blunt lyrics, the songs are often deceptively simple until you really listen to what’s going on in the background, and the wave of ambience hits you in the face - most notably on the ethereal Song About Someone. Some of the lyrics take a painfully poignant new role considering the tragic circumstances - James, one half of the duo, was killed in a car accident before the album’s completion. From the same crash, his recording partner Jamie (whose bedroom is where the album was pinned down) was left hospitalised but eventually saw the album through to the end. A Nice Drive says ”no one survived, no one’s alive... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average not helpful

Advantages: A few good tracks
Disadvantages: Much weaker than Moon Safari

...How do you follow the greatness that was Air's last album 'Moon Safari'? Well, I guess we'll all just have to wait for the release of the next studio album some time later this year. However, in the meantime we can contemplate this Air commissioned soundtrack to the film 'The Virgin Suicides'. Like all things Air this album has moments of gorgeous and cheeky charm. Much darker in mood to 'Moon Safari' I'm sure the tracks here are better suited to being heard with the film's visuals in attendance. On their own they tend to feel a little lost and incomplete (many clock in at under two minutes). Recent single 'Playground Love' and closing 'Suicide Underground' are about as good as it gets. Much of the rest, whilst nice, does come across as aural wallpaper rather than an essential daily appliance! If you're an Air fan than you'll buy... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: It's interesting to see how much better Madonna has become over the years
Disadvantages: The remixes - get the original so you can say you have it, rather than this

...This is the second of Madonna’s eight studio albums, and although it is new and re-mastered, I would get the original version to be honest. The only difference between this and the original is that there are some pointless remixes on the end of it, which are certainly not worth it. The album itself is a good pop album - not fantastic though. There are some great tracks; Material Girl, Into The Groove and Like A Virgin are the classics, and the cover of Love Don’t Live Here Anymore is beautiful. Other songs, such as Shoo-Bee-Doo and Pretender are instantly forgettable. You’ll know the singles, but most of the others tend to wash over your head. It’s a good 80’s pop album, but not great overall.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful