This is where it all began and this is where it all ends..
You can pick any of the Bon Scott 'DC era albums, cos they're
all pretty much as good as each other, but Highway To
Hell put them on the map.

If you're new to rock music or just coming of age or even trying to
remember how it is to not care..then this album is your best mate.

If you absorb these songs and still can't score with a chick, or be
the-man-about-town then nothing can. Bon will hold your hand and show
you around, show you how easy it really is, to be rock n roll.

Tales of sexual fantasies, fightin, rockin, drinkin and gettin
lost along the way, all dressed up in an utterly groove-laden classic
hard rock beat..you'd have to be too boring to not "get it".

I rarely put my thoughts to paper when summing up, an album or band..usually I like to just say something "rocks".

I don't like to wear a critique's shoes, however, since I first got my grubby paws on Nouvelle Vague's [French for new wave] self titled debut disc..I've really been "feeling" this band.

In short, they are a covers band. An accident come project of a French producer who grew up on 80's new wave post punk ~ like New Order, Depeche Mode that sort of ilk. What he has done is taken old 80's songs, fused them with Brazilian Bossanova with Flowery acoustic instruments and French angelic vocalists.

The myth around these recordings is that the young French singers have never heard the original songs and therefore interpreted, it with their own identity.

It is a good testament for me to stand up and say I love these songs because I thought the 80's were dreadful. I spent my youth wandering why Top of the Pops showcased such pompous vanity trips, yet, Nouvelle Vagues detaches these songs of that pretence. From the new disc - Yazoo's 'Dont Go' is reborn with good manners and the style of a 1920's Spanish King's suit.

Blonde's 'Heart of Glass' is wittier, and given a new shocking beauty - just like the times we exchange glances with the finest lookin woman in the room. 'Ever Fallen in Love with' resonates and echoes the thoughts of your inner confidence, half a bottle of wine into the night.. but enough of my ramblings. If you only check out - one album this year - seek Bande Apart by Nouvelle Vague, it will lead you into the postcards of your subconsious, the ones with pictures of tropical islands and dancing silohettes.

~Paul Browne.

www.paulbrowneart.co.uk

This may as well be Corrosion Of Conformity's "concept" album. The myth surrounding the album is that, a handful of the songs are loosely based around the Flannery O Connor novel 'Wiseblood'.

Like all COC albums, it's a slow burner, each song unravelling itself as you become more involved.

Essentially, Wiseblood is basically a hard rock album, there are one or two "full on" metal tracks, even blistering heavy like the song 'Fuel'..thankfully tho, you get a tenacious mixture of tempos, rythmns and melodies, which is what makes it such an interesting album.

This is a great standard in rock n roll, it is beautiful, it is the truth and it is multi dimensional..

"What a pity, redemption city.." not here pal, this is a quintessential cornerstone in the delta blues hard rock arena..

~paul browne

I'd say this is my fourth year as a serious fan of the big JC. This 'Best Of' here, being my first purchase.

You have to understand how important it is to begin with Johnny Cash's "Columbia" years. The purest and most quintessential of all Cash's work is the Columbia era. Forget the 'Sun' era, it's way to vintage when stood against his Columbia recordings [60's].

Every track on this Best Of is genius in it's own right. Right from Ring of Fire to the echos of Walk the Line...and the beautiful but cynical 'It Ain't Me Babe' - great song to help convince you being single is the way it should be!

These songs are the punk of their times, they are stripped of glitzy expensive recordings, they're raw, they powerful and they all a GREAT chapter in any person's life who knows the feeling of love, hard times, and escapism...

Miss it at your peril.

14 track album including the single; Milkmans Son.
This period in UKJ's career is much darker than the usual UKJ vibe, still dosed with satire and clever lyrics.
More of a group offering, songwriting inputed by all band members.
As Whit put it "it's a celebration of all 5 of us".
Album is punchy, soulful, reflective and untameable but still retains the UKJ feel-good vibe. Put it against any of your other CD's and watch them melt......

this is my total honest an unbiased review.

Firstly i have listened to the album from start to finish about 12 times now. Some songs didn't need that many listens to sink in, but some of them did.

Album kicks off with 'loaded gun', this song has pep, it's got a punchy chorus and Whit sings the verse in a monotone style, the chorus sounds much deeper and is similar to Keith Caputo [river runs red era]. I like this song a lot, it's passionate, infectious and it's a great way to start the album. It swiftly moves onto the second song; 'nothing left', which is one of the lighter, easier to listen to songs on the album. Again, Whit's voice is the forefront, and the guitar work is noticable but not spectacular. As usual Whit changes his singing style each an every song [almost every song]. I do like 'nothing left', it's very melodic and i couldn't compare it to anything else i've heard even tho it's not groundbreakingly different! Track 3 is 'something new', which also appeared on the Medication EP. This time they have re recorded it, [which i think is for the better]. If you don't know the song, it's an absolute corker, it's moody and slow, but has a great hook, huge MTV potential - this song goes to 11. Track 4 is 'walk away', Whit bursts out into song straight off, no big guitar intro's or anything, If you're familiar with Stone Temple Pilots around 1996 era [tiny music], Whit's voice sounds so much like Weiland, even the melody is in STP style, the guitars are energetic and appropriate. Track 5 takes us to 'no direction', again this also appeared on the Medication EP and yes this has been re done too, I wasn't so sure about the EP version, but this recording I much prefer, slightly 'stonerish' takes a little longer to digest than the previous songs, neat lyrics too - I think folks will love this song or loathe it. Track 6 is 'underground', this has to be the golden nugget Medication have put out so far, it's an absolute diamond of a song, it starts with a clever but simple chord sequence an a eatheral tune that Whit sings over it. If you listen to the lyrics it's basically Whit reflecting over a friends death [Keanu Reeves girl friend who died in a car crash]. This song will leave you in awe.
'false idol' is next and this is where the album takes a different turn, from here on the rest of the songs are much moodier and heavier, to me this is more *metal*. 'false idol' is okay tho, it takes more of your patience but slowly you'll unravel a liking for this track. The thing that annoy's me is Whit sings a little more dramatically, he doesn't need to do that, his natural voice is soulful an more than adequate to put out feeling. Track 8; 'Xanax' is a great, again it's slow and heavyish, but the guitar sounds and subtle lead parts are excellent, very classic rock without the cliches obviously. I like the song, I did on first listen. I can see me listening to this for years and years. Track 9; 'superpop' doesn't grab me, it's slow and heavy, but doesn't offer anything, there's no lyric or riff that pulls me in, and like most of the album the drumming has no clever fills to remember or 'air drum' to. The remainder of the last 3 songs are similar to 'superpop', - 'now and again' and 'end of ends' i'm not keen on, i do hear potential in the track 11 'prince valium', it's a slow burner, but serves a purpose, this i can sense will grow on the listener more and more...

So, it's a solid, strong and sometimes eclectic album. It has some massive mtv potential and to me, if the band can stick out and remain determined i could see the same sort of success as 'system of a down'. I can see MH fans enjoying it, an i can see UKJ fans enjoying, you just have to enter with an open mind.

Enjoy

5 songs in total, more of a sneak taste to the promised sounds of "medication". Medication is the Brain child of Whit Crane and Logan Madder, it begins with SOMETHING NEW, class act of *back to basics* Rock/metal song with umph. This song alone is a reason to buy the EP...thru to track 2 UNDERGROUND which stomps a little harder, reminiscent of Logan's previous band 'machinehead'. THen onto the third INSIDE, this hipnotic track, trickles a great verse backed by a neat drum/bongo signature, then BAAAAHM chorus gets all heavy and shakes the foundations of the room - real deal, no Rap or over production...heavy and raw old school metal...4th and 5th songs are just a pure. There's hints of ugly kid joe, as there is Machinehead. But all together if a heavy rock album with a *no frills* approach is what you want, then Medication is yer best mate!

This is a trippy, infectiously heavier album by ugly kid joe. You throw it on, you need a good few listens to get your head around the vibes, it's laid back, yet punchy but still grips you by the balls. To sum it up... it's like a missing piece to the musical jigsaw of this crazy industry...stand out tracks; would you like to be there, sandwich, shine, it's a lie, dialogue and the beautiful undertow. Miss this album at your own peril.