Swampblood [Digipak] - Legendary Shackshakers (The)

Advantages: Funny book that will brighten your day
Disadvantages: Your left wanting to know what happened after the book ends.

...This is the first book I read by Mike Gayle, and I could so easily have missed it. This book came free with a magazine I bought about three years ago, I dont remember which one, but it would only have been about £2, so it seemed like a good deal. I had never heard of this book, and it didnt look too interesting, but I'm a sucker for a freebie, and this was one occasion where I really did get the bargain of the century! "My Legendary Girlfriend" stars Will Kelly, a newly qualified english teacher who has just moved to London at the grand old age of 25 to finally start his "career". All well and good, but Will is struggling with his past, he's trying to get over "the one", Aggi, the girl who broke his heart three years ago, and the one he cant get over. Over the course of one weekend, on the anniversary of the break up, we follow... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Mellow, great lyric
Disadvantages: None

...tempo doesn't last as 'The King of Broken Dreams' is a little slower but great none the less talking about missed chances. 'Journeys End' is another mix of acoustic and electric guitar, as always the lyrics are great, the tune simple but catchy. The final track 'Is it true what they say about us ?' is also a cracker and a great way to end, starting off with just a strumming acoustic guitar for accompaniment, then a little electric being added, with the building up into the chorus. The lyrics are about a relationship becoming stale and missing how it used to be. Its is not easy to pick the album up cheaply as it is on an independent label. The best deal I found for a new copy was £9.99 from hmv.com but if you want a great album from a band that are bound to make it big (they have already supported Elton John on 2 Tours, as well as Run... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: There really are a couple of stunning tracks and it is essentially the same Dolls sound
Disadvantages: You get the impression that many of the tracks are recycled versions of better songs...

...answer the conundrum of who did exactly kill Amanda. The answer is possibly her home grown pretentiousness or perhaps she topped herself whilst realising just how bad some of her solo stuff is. Anyway, back to the Dolls, and their third release, 'No Virginia...' which cannot technically be defined as their third record. You see, 'No Virginia' isn't anything new or utterly original but that was never the albums intention as its eleven tracks are a compilation of B-Sides and forgotten material from album number deux, 'Yes, Virginia'. It's unfair to expect this particular release to offer something groundbreaking as the bands previous efforts, from the self titled debut and indeed the 'Yes' version of 'No'; both had room for promise and there was a significant jump in the right direction; 'The Dresden Dolls', as a CD, had a raw, rough feel... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful