Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 
Various Artists
CD Reviews
#MeTooMPLS
Review by Gary Hill
This album is a charity release to show support for sexual assault survivors and raise money for Planned Parenthood.

More...
16 Bars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Review by Gary Hill
This soundtrack album was created by Speech of Arrested Development. It features him collaborating with a number of prisoners who were doing time when this was recorded.

More...
8 Assassins - Beautiful the Bad & The Ugly Soundtrack
Review by Gary Hill
This new soundtrack album has some cool stuff on it. Personally, I think that it would be stronger if it was just the first disc.

More...
A Blues Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival
Review by Gary Hill
I think I might argue with calling this a “blues tribute.”

More...
A Double Dose of the Blues
Review by Gary Hill
This new double disc set features two different compilation albums. The first is a tribute to John Lee Hooker and the second is a sampling of British blues guys.

More...
A Life in Yes: The Chris Squire Tribute
Review by Gary Hill
I grew up as a Yes fanatic from the age of 12. As a bass player myself, Chris Squire was a huge part of my own growth as a musician.

More...
A Psych Tribute to the Doors
Review by Gary Hill
Doing a psychedelic compilation of Doors songs seems an obvious choice.

More...
A Tribute To Captain Beyond - Thousand Days of Yesterday
Review by Gary Hill
These kinds of tribute albums are always mixed bags, with some material coming across very strong and others not working very well. This one is no exception, but in many ways it is one of the most consistent you'll find.

More...
Abbey Road Reimagined - A Tribute To The Beatles
Review by Gary Hill
The whole get a bunch of musicians together and record covers of an entire album thing is something I really like.

More...
Adam Lambert & Steve Cooke - The Paramount Sessions
Review by Gary Hill
Whenever an artist gets a big name, old recordings (if they exist) show up on offer.

More...
AG Drive Soundtrack
Review by Gary Hill
Dance music mixes with electronica to create something that’s part video game music, part pure entertainment.

More...
Alan Freed - A Hundred Years Of Rock 'n' Roll
Review by Gary Hill
You might wonder about the title of this release. You are probably thinking, "Ummm....rock and roll isn't 100 years old."

More...
All Good People (An Evening of Music From Yes Fans)
Review by Gary Hill
This disc is an interesting compilation. The only tie that binds all these musicians is that they are Yes fans who post to the AOL Yes Bulletin Board.
More...
Alternate Endings: Compilation of The End Records Artists
Review by Mike Korn
 If record labels have personalities like people, then The End records can be compared to the eccentric cousin who swears a lot and acts tough but has a secret soft side and an intellectual bent. That's the impression I get from seeing the diversity of artists on this off-the-wall label.

More...
AMY-Cyberian Khatru
Review by Gary Hill
Out in cyberland there lives a news group called "alt.music.yes". It is one of the oldest of its kind, and one of the most lively. It is known to its members as "AMY".
More...
An Alternative Christmas
Review by Gary Hill
It’s always a cool quest to look for new music to help set the mood for your holiday festivities. When you get a set like this it’s general an iffy proposition.

More...
Animals Reimagined - A Tribute To Pink Floyd
Review by Gary Hill
Animals is, without question, my favorite Pink Floyd album. it's actually pretty high up on my list of best albums of all-time, too.

More...
Austin Boogie Crew Records: 5 Years Of Modern Funk
Review by Gary Hill
You get a pretty good idea of what you get here when you read the title of this album. That said, while this is modern funk, you might not know it by listening to the disc.

More...
Axe
Review by Gary Hill
The central theme on this set is guitar, but this is no noodling kind of guitar hero sort of compilation.

More...
Back Against the Wall
Review by Gary Hill
There are few people who haven't at least heard of Pink Floyd's The Wall. I would hazard to say that those who have never heard the album are in the minority as well.
More...
Beale Street Beats, Vol. 1 - Home Of The Blues (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
This vinyl EP is a lot of fun. It features R&B and early soul music.

More...
Beale Street Beats, Vol. 2 - Soul House (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed the first volume of this set in this same issue of Music Street Journal. As good as that one is, this is even better.

More...
Bear Family Presents: The Shadow Knows More - 35 Scary Tales From The Vaults Of Horror
Review by Gary Hill
This collection of old music with spooky concepts is a class act. Then again, everything from Bear Family Records is class.

More...
Best of Rockpalast
Review by Gary Hill
"Rockpalast" was a German television show that broadcast concerts from a wide range of musical artists.

More...
Blood On The Cats – Even Bloodier, 2CD Edition
Review by Gary Hill
This is a new edition of a psychobilly compilation that was originally released in 1983. That original set is augmented by a lot of bonus tracks on the first CD and even more making up a full second disc.

More...
Blue Moon Keep on Shining: 12 Rockers from the Blue Moon and Bella Vaults (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
This new release from Bear Family is a 10-inch, 45 RPM vinyl record. The vinyl is stunning, sort of a yellow, green color.

More...
Blues Kings of Baton Rouge
Review by Gary Hill

While a lot of attention has been focused over the years on blues scenes in towns like Memphis and Chicago, there was a prominent and vital blues movement in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.


More...
Christmas On The Range - 26 Festive and Swingin' Country Tunes
Review by Gary Hill
This collection of old school country holiday songs is just plain fun. Not everything here is my kind of music by any means.

More...
CPR Volume 3
Review by Gary Hill
“CPR” stands for Christian Progressive Rock and that’s precisely what we get here (well, I’d argue that one of the tracks is actually metal, but that’s just me).
More...
Crazy: Music Inspired by the life of Hank Garland
Review by Gary Hill
This soundtrack album is quite a cool one, particularly for fans of old school guitar.

More...
Dark Exotica: As Dug By Lux & Ivy
Review by Gary Hill
This is an unusual double disc set. Let me say, right at the beginning, this is not progressive rock in a traditional sense

More...
Dave Brock Presents This Was Your Future
Review by Gary Hill
This three CD set is pretty amazing stuff. It was compiled by Dave Brock, and as such you have to figure that it's packed full of space rock.

More...
Dazed & Confused - A Stoned-Out Salute To Led Zeppelin
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve said for a very long time that unless you are doing a tribute band, when you cover something make it your own. Unless you can bring something new to the table, don’t even bother.

More...
Deer Lodge: A Tribute to George Jones
Review by Gary Hill
This tribute album features George Jones (RIP) songs recorded by a number of Pacific Northwest artists.

More...
Destination Beach: 30 Tunes for Dancing in the Sand
Review by Gary Hill
With summer time upon us, this collection from Bear Family seems appropriate.

More...
Destination Health: Doc Feelgood's Rock Therapy 30 Bop Pills For Your Recovery
Review by Gary Hill

With a global pandemic changing life around us for the bulk of 2020, Bear Family Records have assembled this cool set of songs that are topical.


More...
Destination Jurassic Land: 33 Artifacts From Times Before Christ
Review by Gary Hill
This set is a lot of fun. That said, there is a real misogynistic, dare I say "Neanderthal?," theme to some of the lyrics here.

More...
Destination Lust 2: Chicksville U.S.A.! The World Of Love, Sex And Violence - 33 Erotic Fantasies from the Vaults
Review by Gary Hill
I recently reviewed the first installment of "Destination Lust." I think this is the more consistent set of the two, but both have a lot of shining moments.

More...
Destination Lust: Songs Of Love, Sex And Violence
Review by Gary Hill

This is an interesting collection. The tie that binds all of this together is the undercurrent of sex that was sort of hidden with a wink in the post World War II, pre-sexual revolution days.


More...
Destination Moon: First Man On Moon
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite a cool album. It's a tribute to man's first journey to another world, our moon. It includes a wide variety of music along with a couple spoken pieces from history. 

More...
Devil's Domain: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Review by Gary Hill
While not everything here lands under progressive rock, there is a lot of prog in this set. There is also a lot of artsy soundtrack music that fits under the prog banner.

More...
Drum Nation Vol. 2
Review by Gary Hill
The concept is simple but unique: put together a number of tracks from various artists showcasing influential and potent drummers. This was the concept for Magna Carta's first drum nation CD, and they continue it here - why mess up a good thing?
More...
Drum Nation Volume 3
Review by Gary Hill
With the latest entry in the Drum Nation series Magna Carta has changed the rules. First, this disc is not progressive rock, by any means.
More...
Dutch Woodstock
Review by Gary Hill
This is the album (and DVD) of a concert held in Holland in 1970.

More...
Easter Parade - 29 Easter Eggs For The Springtime Basket
Review by Gary Hill
This new collection is about Easter and spring music. The songs here range from 1932 to 1962.

More...
Easy Rider (soundtrack reissue LP)
Review by Gary Hill
It seems that all that's old is new again. That is really true of this album. .

More...
Elvis Presley Connection Vol. 2
Review by Gary Hill

This various artists set focuses on roots of Elvis Presley and covers of his music. This is the second collection like this I've reviewed.


More...
Elvis Presley Connection Vol.1
Review by Gary Hill

This new collection gathers up some music that is connected to Elvis Presley - as they describe it, roots and covers. I have to admit that I'm one of the people who has never really gotten Presley's allure.


More...
Elvis Presley Connection Vol.3
Review by Gary Hill
This is the third release in a series. I'll bet you got that from the title, though, right?

More...
Emkog Records Sampler
Review by Gary Hill
This sampler features bands on the Emkog records label. All of the bands qualify as progressive rock.

More...
Encores, Legends and Paradoxes
Review by Gary Hill
With a cast of players that reads like a prog "who`s who", this ELP tribute takes the classics and makes them fresh and new again. The result is an incredibly listenable piece of music that really entertains.

More...
Fenriz Presents: The Best of Old School Black Metal
Review by Mike Korn
They say that rock and roll is the devil's music. Well, there are those definitely agree and who do their level best to make tunes that Old Nick would be proud of.
More...
Fly Like an Eagle - An All-Star Tribute to Steve Miller Band
Review by Gary Hill
Cleopatra Records loves doing these tribute albums, typically with Billy Sherwood in charge.

More...
Folk City: The Various Artists Compilation Album
Review by Gary Hill
The first instinct here is to think that this will be a folk music compilation.

More...
For the Love of Dog... And Cat: An Album to Benefit Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary
Review by Jason Hillenburg
Charity albums, unfortunately, can often mean well, but lack any sort of lasting musical value.

More...
Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight: From Vaults Of Decca & Coral Records
Review by Gary Hill
This collection from Bear Family records gathers up a heaping helping of roots music. The sound varies from early rock and roll to country, bluegrass and even jazz.

More...
Good Old Summertime - 33 Hot Sunny Gems For Your Summer Holidays
Review by Gary Hill
As the weather is heading toward warmer zones (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), the theme of this compilation from Bear Family Records seems appropriate.  

More...
Got Prog? - Sampler 1
Review by Greg Olma
Sampler compilations are always sketchy endeavors. I for one would not want to compile one myself. My tastes are far too wide and I would be thinking of what I like and not what I thought fits best.
More...
Great Drums at Sun
Review by Gary Hill
This is an odd compilation in some ways. The focus here is on the session drummers from Sun Records.

More...
Great Guitars at Sun
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed another of these compilations in the last issue of Music Street Journal. Here we've got a collection of old school music that was released on Sun Records.

More...
Great Tragedy: Winter Dance Party 1959 Part 2
Review by Gary Hill

This is a various artists set commemorating the fateful plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper.


More...
Guitar Masters Collection
Review by Gary Hill
This various artists collection was assembled by Brian Tarquin. He's a guitar player who really seems to have a reverence for great guitar playing in all its various forms.

More...
H.P. Lovecraft's Fungi From Yuggoth and Other Poems
Review by Gary Hill
I recently reviewed another release from this outfit (Fedogan and Bremer). This could be seen as a companion to that release, which was a reissue of an older set with additional material.

More...
Halloween Hootenanny
Review by Rick Damigella
A few years back, Rob Zombie started his own Zombie A Go-Go Records label. Amongst the first releases was this ghoulish treasure trove of tracks featuring some of the best and scariest “Zombified” music bubbling under the radar like a witches cauldron.
More...
Have Yourself Another Swingin' Little Christmas: More Fingerpoppin' Tunes for Your Holiday Season (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
You can always count on Bear Family for quality products. This new record is a fine example of that.

More...
Hawkwind Triad
Review by Gary Hill
This is an intriguing disc. It’s three bands all covering Hawkwind songs.

More...
Headin' For The Christmas Ball: 31 Swing And R&B Christmas Crooners
Review by Gary Hill
This new collection from Bear Family includes a whole playlist of holiday music. There are a few instrumentals, but it's mostly vocal music.

More...
Heavy Christmas
Review by Gary Hill
This is a Krautrock compilation album from 1971. It was reissued on CD in 1997.

More...
Here Comes Santa Claus - 14 Swingin' Chestnuts (red vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
I know I rave about Bear Family Records and how great their products are a lot. The thing is, they deserve it.

More...
Heroes – Original Soundtrack
Review by Gary Hill
Soundtrack albums like this are always a mixed bag. Surely this one must be a hit considering the following the show has.

More...
Howard Phillips Lovecraft – Fungi from Yuggoth: A Sonnet Cycle
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve listed this under “Various Artists” at Music Street Journal, although technically it’s not listed that way on the CD.

More...
Howe White Squire - The More Drama Tour Limited Edition CD
Review by Gary Hill
This is a compilation album that was made to promote the Yes related More Drama Tour that wound up not happening. While it's not available for sale, any time you purchase a CD from Syn's official site, they include this puppy for free - now that makes it a great value.
More...
IAC Records - Artist Release Sampler - 2018
Review by Gary Hill
Various artists collections are often difficult to pin down in terms of musical style. This one is more difficult than many are.

More...
Inhale
Review by Gary Hill
Billed as a collection of “stoner rock”, this disc has a hard edged texture that is at once modern, while still having a classic rock feel to it. As with most various artists collections, it has its high points and its low points.
More...
Jack Kerouac - 100 Years Of Beatitude
Review by Gary Hill
I was born a little too late for the whole Beat Generation thing. This album, released on the 100th anniversary of Jack Kerouac's birthday both celebrates the era and helps to document it.

More...
Jirga (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Review by Gary Hill
This soundtrack is clearly not actually progressive rock. I would argue that it is progressive music, though.

More...
Joey Stuckey Presents: Ladies of the South
Review by Gary Hill

The title pretty much describes this set. The mix of sounds here leans more often toward bluesy rock, but there really is quite a range. 


More...
Just Like a Daydream: A Dreampop, Shoegaze Compilation
Review by Gary Hill
Dreampop and shoegaze might not be what people think of traditionally as progressive rock, but really, isn’t a lot of very close to what bands like Porcupine Tree do?

More...
Keep Calm and Salute the Beatles
Review by Gary Hill
I would say that this set is pretty effective.

More...
Kids Soundtrack (vinyl reissue)
Review by Gary Hill
I've never heard of the show for which the music here serves as a soundtrack. That doesn't prevent me from appreciating the music, and I really do.

More...
Kinections: The ProgDay Support CD
Review by Josh Turner
There are two great things about this release. First off, it's for a charitable cause. Second, it is truly great music. Lew Fisher (on behalf of the ProgDay foundation) is the mastermind behind this project.
More...
Kraut! - Die innovativen Jahre des Krautrock 1968-1979: Teil 3
Review by Gary Hill
I really like this set from Bear Family Records. As you might guess, it collects a lot of tracks that fit under the kraut rock heading.

More...
Kraut! - Die innovativen Jahre des Krautrock 1968-1979: Teil 4
Review by Gary Hill
The latest in a series of discs from Bear Family Records focused on the kraut rock movement, this is a bit different from the rest.

More...
Kraut! Die innovativen Jahre des Krautrock 1968-1979
Review by Gary Hill

This is a new set that's part of a new series. It gathers up krautrock songs. This first set is a double disc set that's very strong.


More...
Kraut!: Teil 2 - KRAUT! - Die innovativen Jahre des Krautrock 1968-1979
Review by Gary Hill

As you might guess, this is the second part of a series of various artists releases focusing on Krautrock. I reviewed the first one previously.


More...
Kubrick's Music: Selections From The Films Of Stanley Kubrick
Review by Gary Hill
This box set of four CDs compiles soundtrack music from a number of Stanley Kubrick's movies. A booklet goes into a lot of the thought process and other factors involved with the music.

More...
La Guitara: Gender Bending Strings
Review by Gary Hill
The brainchild of Patty Larkin, this compilation showcases women who excel at playing guitar. While there is no one particular style most of the music here is instrumental.
More...
Larry Kirwan’s Celtic Invasion
Review by Gary Hill
Larry Kirwan is the main man behind the band Black 47. I like that band a lot, and I like Kirwan.

More...
Left Behind - Black & White 'Felsted' Rockers
Review by Gary Hill
The music on this set was all released on Feisted Records originally. That label wasn't really known as a rock and roll label, but rather for crooner and pop music.

More...
Legends Play The Beatles
Review by Gary Hill
This new album showcases a lot of cool Beatles covers from a number of artists. It's actually compiled of tracks previously released on a number of albums.

More...
Legends: Crank It Up (Limited Edition Hybrid SACD version)
Review by Gary Hill
Originally released as a Time Life Series installment, this album features a lot of songs most people will know.

More...
Legends: Get it On (Limited Edition Hybrid SACD version)
Review by Gary Hill
This album was originally released as a Time Life Series disc.

More...
Leonardo The Absolute Man
Review by Gary Hill
This is a rock opera based on the life of Leonardo da Vinci. Although this album says "original cast recording" and I have (as does Magna Carta on their website) listed it here as by "Various Artists", it is probably closer to the truth to say that it is by Trent Gardner and friends.
More...
Les Paul and Friends: Tribute to a Legend
Review by Gary Hill
When you hear “tribute album” you usually think of a disc that features a number of artists playing songs by the artist to whom the disc is being dedicated. Well, this one has a bit of a twist.

More...
Let the Electric Children Play: The Underground Story of Transatlantic Records 1968-1976
Review by Gary Hill
This new three-CD set showcases a number of songs that were originally released on the Transatlantic Records label. There is an intriguing range of music here.

More...
Light My Fire - A Classic Rock Salute To the Doors
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve always been a big fan of the Doors.

More...
Live at Knebworth
Review by Gary Hill
This live set from 1990 sure has a lot of great performances from a lot of great stars.

More...
Live Kraut - Live Rockexplosions From The Heyday Of Krautrock
Review by Gary Hill
These live recordings are all quite good.

More...
Live Wire On The Sunset Strip
Review by Gary Hill
While this collection is a various artists release, every single song here includes the band Waves_On_Waves.

More...
Living On The Hill: A Danish Underground Trip 1967-1974
Review by Gary Hill
This collection of music is very cool. Not everything here is prog, but the vast majority is at least proto-prog.

More...
Lockdown Sessions: An International Down Home Blues Revue
Review by Gary Hill
Half of each issue of Music Street Journal is progressive rock. That means that things that don't fit that category can get delayed, particularly when we get a lot of expedited review orders.

More...
Look Again to the Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited
Review by Gary Hill
Fifty Years ago Johnny Cash released an album titled, “Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian.”

More...
Love, Poetry and Revolution: A Journey through the British Psychedelic and Underground Scenes 1966-72
Review by Gary Hill
This is a massive set. It’s also quite an interesting one.

More...
Magna Carta Guitar Greats – Volume I
Review by Gary Hill
These Magna Carta sampler discs serve as a great way for people to sample a number of their releases without having to shell out the cash for each and every one of them. I'd have to say that as these things go, this is one of the better ones – and they are all quite good.
More...
Max's Kansas City: 1976 & Beyond
Review by Gary Hill
This collection features a number of punk rock and other styled acts that were featured at Max's Kansas City in the mid 70s.

More...
Meat Dbeatles: Vol. 1
Review by Gary Hill
This album of covers by relatively obscure acts is quite cool.

More...
Meddle Reimagined: A Tribute to Pink Floyd
Review by Gary Hill
Tribute albums like this are always interesting, but also often disappointing.

More...
Meet Me At The Candy Store - 31 Sweets for the Dentist's Joy
Review by Gary Hill
This collection focuses on musical celebrations of sweet treats. While there is quite a range of music here,

More...
Modern Drummer Presents Drum Nation Volume One
Review by Steve Alspach
If you want to know what the state of drumming is circa 2004, you would do well to check this CD out.
More...
Monster Ballads Christmas
Review by Gary Hill
Discs like this are always kind of iffy. I mean, there’s definitely a certain gimmicky side to them.

More...
Motörhead, Lemmy & Larry Wallis - The Boys Of Ladbroke Grove
Review by Gary Hill
This is actually being distributed under the somewhat confusing moniker of Motörhead, Lemmy & Larry Wallis.

More...
Mullets Rock Too
Review by Gary Hill
It's a safe bet you've heard every song on this disc – although you might not have heard the Ace Frehley track as performed by him. That doesn't mean this set isn't enjoyable.
More...
My Silent Wake and The Drowning - Black Lights & Silent Roads
Review by Gary Hill
This is a split album. The two bands represented are My Silent Wake and The Drowning.

More...
Nativity In Black
Review by Rick Damigella
It is safe to say that while there were forces all happening simultaneously in music in the late 60’s, which would later be regarded as the elements from which heavy metal evolved. One band crawled forth, nay, stomped out of, the primordial ooze of the late sixties music scene to single handedly create an entirely new sound heretofore unheard coming from the speakers of stereos of the youth of the world.
More...
Natural Selections Vol. 1
Review by Gary Hill
This is a sampler of artists from the Asheville, North Carolina area. The music is mostly along the punk rock boundaries, but it covers a lot of range within that field.

More...
New Rides of the Furious Swampriders
Review by Gary Hill
This is a CD with a lot of high points, but some low points, too.

More...
New World Man: A Tribute to Rush
Review by Gary Hill
Here we have a new Rush tribute album from the fine folks at Magna Carta.

More...
NWOBHM Thunder: New Wave Of British Heavy Metal 1978-1986
Review by Gary Hill

This new collection of music from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal is particularly strong. We get three CDs of music along with a nice booklet.


More...
On The Dancefloor With A Bop! - 36 Tunes To Bop The Blues Away!
Review by Gary Hill
This various hits collection is pretty effective. While there are some tracks that have some different leanings, overall this is old-school rock and roll.

More...
One Way Glass: Dancefloor Prog, Brit Jazz & Funky Folk 1968-1975
Review by Gary Hill
This is a killer collection of music. It's a great way to sample a lot of fairly obscure acts without having to commit to a full album by any of them.

More...
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - The Black Room
Review by Gary Hill
There are times when I wish I had never started MSJ with the whole concept of track by track reviews. This album is a daunting one to do in that way.

More...
OST-KRAUT! - Progressives aus den DDR-Archiven 1970-1975 - Teil 1
Review by Gary Hill
This album chronicles a lot of the early progressive rock scene in Germany. It's a double disc set and has some great music.

More...
OST-KRAUT! - Progressives aus den DDR-Archiven 1976-1982 Teil 2
Review by Gary Hill
Much like the previous edition of this series, this double disc collection gathers up some great German prog music.

More...
Overkill is Just Enough
Review by Gary Hill
Like most compilation discs, this is a mixed bag. There are some tracks I like a lot here. 

More...
PDX A Go-Go – Making Waves Up North
Review by Gary Hill
While the main influences here are psychedelia and surf music, it certainly doesn’t end there.

More...
Pickin' on Pink Floyd: A Bluegrass Tribute
Review by Gary Hill
The idea of doing bluegrass versions of Pink Floyd songs is strange, but it works remarkably well.
 

More...
Possible Worlds Vol. 2
Review by Gary Hill
This collection is pretty strange.

More...
Prog Box
Review by Gary Hill
I've been looking to do a retro review of this box set for a while. I finally had the opportunity this time around.

More...
Progressive DisDURPance
Review by Gary Hill
This sampler of German progmetal and prog bands is produced and released by a webpage that focuses on such bands. The website is Die Ultimate Review Page,www.durp.com .
More...
Psych Out Christmas
Review by Gary Hill
This came out last year, but by the time I got my hands on a copy, our December issue was already published.

More...
Punk Rock Christmas 2
Review by Gary Hill
This collection of punk holiday tunes has some real gems. Not everything here is as successful, but nothing really falls flat.

More...
Pure Fire - The Ultimate Kiss Tribute
Review by Gary Hill
This is a reissue of an older Kiss tribute album. It was originally called "Spin the Bottle," and I remember seeing it around that first time out.

More...
Ram On: 50th Anniversary Tribute To Paul & Linda McCartney's Ram
Review by Gary Hill
Let me start this by saying that I've never heard the original Ram album. I dig the Beatles and McCartney with Wings, but I never got any of this solo stuff before Wings.

More...
Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head
Review by Gary Hill
I’m a big fan of Deep Purple, particularly the classic stuff.

More...
Reggae Kulcha Volume 1
Review by Gary Hill
One might think from the title of this compilation that you’d know everything there is to know about it.

More...
Riding the Rock Machine - British Seventies Classic Rock
Review by Gary Hill
I have heard arguments that say that the 1970s were the decade with the best music. Like any decade, they had a lot of garbage music

More...
Right To Rock - The Mexicano And Chicano Rock'n'Roll Rebellion 1955-1963
Review by Gary Hill
The subtitle on this pretty well tells you what you need to know about the content of the compilation. It comes from Bear Family Records.

More...
Rock All Night (10 inch vinyl EP)
Review by Gary Hill
This new vinyl release from Bear Family Records is a reissue of a soundtrack record from the 1950s. It has a nice mix of vocal and instrumental tunes.

More...
Rock N Roll Christmas
Review by Gary Hill
f you are looking for a CD that combines solid rock with Christmas themes to augment your holiday festivities, this is a good choice.
More...
Rockin’ Legends Pay Tribute to Jack White
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve never been a huge fan of The White Stripes or Jack White in general.

More...
Rockin' With The Krauts - Real Rock 'n' Roll Made In Germany (CD), Vol. 2
Review by Gary Hill
This collection features a healthy helping of old school rock and roll from German artists.

More...
Rod Willis & The Chic Connection (vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
This 10-inch vinyl record has some intriguing music. It's a nice blend of sounds.

More...
sadness and oculi melancholiarum - springgarden
Review by Gary Hill
I need to get some conventions out of the way at the start of this. 

More...
Santa Barbara Records presents CaliAmericana Vol. 2
Review by Gary Hill
This is a unique release. Each artist here contributed two songs to this collection.

More...
Santa Swings...The Windup: 27 Christmas Stockings Full Of Shellac Dust
Review by Gary Hill
This collection of music from the 1930s and 40s era of jazz focuses on holiday music that's often overlooked in collections like this.

More...
Sea Conditions - Swell Songs And Shanties for Breezy People
Review by Gary Hill
This set wasn't quite what I expected. I was thinking we'd get a lot of sea shanties done by musicians who were more or less historic recreationists.

More...
Sin-Atra
Review by Gary Hill
Featuring hard rocking adaptations of Frank Sinatra songs, this is kind of a mixed bag.

More...
Ski Jump: 31 Ice Cubes For Your Après Ski Party
Review by Gary Hill
As you can probably gather, this is a collection of songs held together via a loose thematic thread of being winter-related. There is a very wide range of styles here, although all are retro.

More...
Sly & Robbie Present Taxi Gang In Disco Mix Style 1978-95
Review by Gary Hill
This is a collection of sounds with mixes done by Sly and Robbie. It's an intriguing set.

More...
Smooth Jazz Café
Review by Gary Hill
When I hear the term “smooth jazz,” I tend to think of the elevator music variety of jazz.

More...
Son of Kraut – The Next Generation of Kraut Rock
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite a strong set. I’d say that pretty much everything here lands in progressive rock, but some is closer to psychedelic than others are.

More...
Songs Inspired By The Film The Beatles And India
Review by Gary Hill
The movie "The Beatles and India" explores the connection between the nation (and music) of India and The Beatles.

More...
Songs of the Century: An All-Star Tribute To Supertramp
Review by Gary Hill
I am a big fan of pretty much anything Billy Sherwood is involved with and I love Supertramp, so when I heard Sherwood was in charge of assembling an all star tribute to Supertramp, I was excited.

More...
Space Mirrors / Acid FM Split Vinyl
Review by Gary Hill
This split vinyl release features one song by the group Space Mirrors and one by Acid FM.

More...
Space Opera
Review by Gary Hill
This various artists collection is definitely not a tight fit under the prog heading. Probably the two biggest impediments to that categorization are the final two tracks.

More...
Spaced Out: Story of Mushroom Records
Review by Gary Hill
Mushroom Records formed in 1970 and released a dazzling variety of music over the course of three years. This new compilation gathers a lot of music from that period onto the first CD here.

More...
Spacewalk – A Salute to Ace Frehley
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve always appreciated Ace Frehley’s work.

More...
Spirit of Sireena Volume 7
Review by Gary Hill
There are a lot of different sounds presented on this album. .

More...
Spirit of Sireena Volume 8
Review by Gary Hill
The one thing binding all these songs together is the fact that they were released on Sireena Records.

More...
Spirit of Sireena Volume 9
Review by Gary Hill
These collections are always interesting. This one is no exception.

More...
Stairways to Heaven
Review by Gary Hill
Stairways to Heaven is one of the wackiest albums ever released. Every song on here is Stairway to Heaven, but all performed in very different styles.
More...
Stay Tuned – Bernhard Welz - All Stars Charity Album
Review by Larry Toering
Stay Tuned is the third album in a charity series by Bernhard Welz.
Steinway To Heaven
Review by Gary Hill
It seems like a rather novel, but still somewhat obvious concept. Take various keyboardists, mostly from the world of progressive rock and have them record various classical piano pieces.
More...
Still Wish You Were Here: A Tribute to Pink Floyd
Review by Gary Hill
I generally like things like this where an album is created by taking the track list of a famous album and having different artists reproduce the songs.

More...
Stoned: A Psych Tribute to the Rolling Stones
Review by Gary Hill
Tribute albums like this are almost always a mixed bag.

More...
Strange Aeons
Review by Gary Hill
According to the liner notes, Strange Aeons is "a musical tribute to H. P. Lovecraft and the ever expanding 'Cthulhu Mythos'". Steve Lines "directed and produced" the disc, but there are a number of artists who contributed to it.
More...
Strontium 90, Shrimps & Gumbo: Lux & Ivy Dig Motorcycle Boots & Mutants
Review by Gary Hill
This set is unusual and strangely entertaining. It features rockabilly, surf-guitar and more

More...
Subdivisions - A Tribute To Rush
Review by Gary Hill
Subdivisions is a new Tribute album devoted to the music of Rush from Magna Carta Records. Those paying close attention and with a good memory, may be saying now; "didn't they do one before?"
More...
Summer Days and Summer Nights
Review by Gary Hill
I have to say that I'm probably not the target demographic for this set. For one thing, the older pop-oriented music on here is often not really my kind of taste.

More...
Supper`s Ready
Review by Gary Hill
A tribute album devoted to the music of Genesis, Supper`s Ready is a strong work. The renditions here stay more true to the original performances than on some similar albums, but this does not take away from the relevance of the CD.
More...
Sweet Leaf - A Stoner Rock Salute To Black Sabbath
Review by Gary Hill
I will make no excuses about it, I’m a big Black Sabbath fan.

More...
Tales From Yesterday
Review by Gary Hill
A tribute to the music of Yes, Tales From Yesterday, features some very fine renditions of Yessongs performed by a variety of artists (including several past and present members of Yes). This is a mixed bag. Some of the tracks are quite faithful to the original, while others represent major reworkings.
More...
Talking On The Telephone - Rock 'n' Roll And Teen Pop
Review by Gary Hill
This collection of songs about telephones and telephone calls is a mixed bag. That's generally common of something like this, so it's not a big surprise.

More...
Teknofonic Essentials Vol. 1
Review by Gary Hill
Compilations like this are almost always mixed bags. This is no exception. .

More...
Tell It To Me: Johnson City Sessions Revisited
Review by Gary Hill

There is a big roots music revival still in effect in the world of music. That makes this recording all the more relevant today.


More...
That’ll Flat Git It - Vol. 33 - Rockabilly And Rock 'n' Roll From The Vaults Of Renown & Hornet Records
Review by Gary Hill
Bear Family Records puts out nothing but quality stuff. This CD is a fine example.
More...
That'll Flat Git It Vol. 39
Review by Gary Hill
Featuring songs originally released on United Artists Records, this collection is heavy on early rock and roll.

More...
That'll Flat Git It Vol. 40: Rockabilly & Rock 'n' Roll From The Vaults Of MGM, Cub and Metro Records
Review by Gary Hill
This collection from Bear Family has a good mix of sounds. We get things ranging from the country side to rock and roll, surf guitar and even jazz.

More...
That'll Flat Git It! Vol. 41: Rockabilly & Rock 'n' Roll From The Vaults Of Dot & Hamilton
Review by Gary Hill
This collection from Bear Family features a consistent mix of songs.

More...
That'll Flat...Git It Vol. 34: Rockabilly And Rock 'n' Roll From The Vaults Of Renown & Hornet Records
Review by Gary Hill

You can always count on Bear Family Records to produce a classy product. This set is no exception.


More...
The Coolest Christmas
Review by Gary Hill
This disc, as many various artists compilations, is a mixed bag. Some of the cuts here are very good, while others are forgettable, and many fall somewhere in between.
More...
The Craft Motion Picture Soundtrack
Review by Gary Hill
This album is really a very good work, even taken out of the context of the film. The music here is fresh, and sets an interesting tone.
More...
The Crow: Salvation - Original Film Score Composed by: Marco Beltrami (and Lauri Crook)
Review by Vivian Lee
Whenever a movie is released, much is made of the soundtrack. A soundtrack, considered a film's core, usually features rock, rap or soul done by either the latest supergroup or old faves.
More...
The Gene Vincent Connection
Review by Gary Hill
Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the death of Gene Vincent, this CD collects covers and more with connections to Vincent.

More...
The Magical Mystery Psych Out: A Tribute to the Beatles
Review by Gary Hill
This is one of the better tribute albums I’ve heard.

More...
The Moon Revisited
Review by Gary Hill
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was more than likely not only the best selling prog album of all time, but definitely the album, of all albums (not just prog) to stay on the charts the longest. From that point of view this tribute disc makes sense.
More...
The Perc Meets the Hidden Gentlemen – Chainsmoker’s Thrill / Rumble on the Beach – Purple Rain (live) - Vinyl Single
Review by Gary Hill
This is a new split single release. It’s on white vinyl and limited to 500 copies.

More...
The Punisher: War Zone Soundtrack
Review by Gary Hill
Soundtrack albums are always such a crap shoot. Some times the music, taken away from the film, doesn’t really hold up. 

More...
The Rift - Dark Side of the Moon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Review by Gary Hill
This new soundtrack album features some killer music. It leans on the space rock, trippy side of the equation.

More...
The Show That Never Ends
Review by Gary Hill

This album is a compilation of various progressive rock performances that were presented on the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio show. All of the outings are quite good, and the selection of artists is also. 


More...
The Shy Volcanic Society at the Bear and Bird Parade
Review by Gary Hill
This is a split release from both Volcano the Bear and La STPO. Both groups create a seriously odd form of prog rock that fits well within the Rock In Opposition movement. 
More...
The Spirit of Sireena 13
Review by Gary Hill
This sampler disc gives a varied look into a number of releases from the Sireena label. While it's not all progressive rock, there are enough prog leaning things here, and real prog, for me to include it under that heading.

More...
The Split Thing
Review by Gary Hill
Space rock is the main order of business on this split.

More...
The Stories of H.P. Lovecraft - A Synphonic Collection
Review by Gary Hill
While this set was released several years ago, I've just recently found out about it.

More...
The Wanda Jackson Connection
Review by Gary Hill
This is a unique set of songs. It's made up of originals of songs Wanda Jackson covered, and covers of her songs by other artists.

More...
There Is Hope: Disaster Relief USA
Review by Larry Toering
This is so good it's almost unreal, as there are thirty two tracks from which to choose.

More...
There's Trouble Brewin' - 16 Serious Rockin' Crackers for your Christmas Hop (green vinyl)
Review by Gary Hill
Bear Family is such a class act. They put out a lot of great retro releases.

More...
This is the Blues Volume 1
Review by Gary Hill
The premise of this series is a good one. Collect a bunch of killer blues performances and put them all in one place.

More...
This is the Blues Volume 2
Review by Gary Hill
Here’s another installment in the This is the Blues series. The music here is perhaps more exceptional than on the first one.

More...
This is the Blues Volume 3
Review by Gary Hill
This is (as the title suggests) the third installment in a blues collection. It features a number of artists putting in blues performances.

More...
This Is The Blues Volume 4
Review by Gary Hill
The fourth installment in the “This is the Blues” series, this disc has some interesting performances and perhaps the most eclectic and famous group of performers.

More...
Thriller - A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson
Review by Gary Hill
I know the title says this is a “metal” tribute, but I question whether the person who gave it that title knows what “heavy metal” is.

More...
To Cry You A Song: A Collection of Tull Tales
Review by Gary Hill
One of the first tribute albums ever done by Magna Carta, this one includes some intriguing arrangements of Jethro Tull songs. There are some definite winners here (witness Aqualung, To Cry You a Song, and Locomotive Breath) and no real losers.
More...
Tonite Let's All Make Love in London
Review by Gary Hill
This soundtrack has been out of print since 1968. It's now been remastered and reissued on this CD release.

More...
Triple Threat of Terror
Review by Gary Hill
Terror rock is cool genre.

More...
Tune in to Mind Radio: A Tribute to Multi-Talented Vocalist Kelly Keeling
Review by Gary Hill
Kelly Keeling is a great rock guitarist who has worked with a lot of great people over the years.

More...
Twisted Forever...A Tribute to Twisted Sister
Review by Mike Korn
Twisted Sister was one of my favorite "hair" bands from the 80's. Despite the fact that I loathed most of the glammy commercial metal at that time, there was something fun about these goofy looking New Yorkers that appealed to me.
More...
Under What Flag - A Tribute to Fad Gadget
Review by Gary Hill
All of these songs were originally done by Frank Tovey under the name "Fad Gadget." There is quite a range on this performances.

More...
Vladivostok FM - Music from Grand Theft Auto IV
Review by Rick Damigella
Now before you panic, no, Music Street Journal is not suddenly shifting focus to review video games. However comrade, the unique sounds of Russian and Eastern European popular music found on one of the in-game “radio stations” in GTAIV is definitely worth a listen.
More...
Wake Up! Music Remixes DJ Wall Of Sound Volume 1- Matt Warren’s Music Is My Life
Review by Gary Hill
Doing a Music Street Journal type review of something like this is a bit challenging. These are dance mixes, designed more for grooving to than analyzing and listening deeply.

More...
We Shall All Be Reunited: Revisiting Bristol Sessions 1927-1928
Review by Gary Hill
Bear Family is really one of the best companies for putting out these archival releases. This set is a reissue of an older set with new re-mastering.

More...
We Wish You a Metal Christmas And a Headbanging New Year (2010 Edition)
Review by Gary Hill
This is a reissue of a CD I’ve already reviewed – with a few extra cuts.

More...
We Wish You a Metal Xmas...and a Headbanging New Year
Review by Gary Hill
So many times discs like this are really uneven. Well, that’s not the case here.

More...
Who Are You - An All-Star Tribute to the Who
Review by Gary Hill
I like The Who quite a bit. I mean, they aren’t one of my favorite bands, but I do really like them.

More...
Will Sing For Food: A Charity Album to Benefit the Rock River Valley Food Pantry, Rockford, Illinois
Review by Greg Olma
Benefit albums can be difficult to review because you get a bunch of artists who are generous enough to submit their art for charity. 

More...
Wind Of Change – Progressive Sounds Of 1973, 4CD Box Set
Review by Gary Hill
This four-CD set has some great music contained within. We get some of the bigger prog acts in terms of songs from Renaissance, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum and Yes.

More...
Winds of Time_ The New Wave of British Heavy Metal 1979-1985
Review by Gary Hill
This three-CD set really serves as a great introduction to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. You get songs from bands ranging from Diamond Head to Venom to Girlschool, and everything in between.

More...
Wizards (Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Review by Bruce Stringer
For the first time since the film’s release in 1977, Andrew Belling’s soundtrack to Ralph Bakshi’s groundbreaking animation Wizards has finally made it to CD.

More...
Working Man
Review by Gary Hill
One of the early Magna Carta tribute CD's, this one is definitely not one of their finest. It does have some strong points, though, and the main area in which it is lacking is vocals.
More...
Yesterday and Today: 50th Anniversary Tribute To Yes
Review by Gary Hill
This new various artists collection, as you would imagine, pays tribute to the music of Yes. It's an intriguing set.

More...
DVD Reviews
Various Artists - 83 US Festival: Days 1-3 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I wanted this to be a lot better than it is.

More...
Various Artists - A History Lesson: Part 1 – Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Featuring The Meat Puppets, Redd Kross, The Minute Men and Twisted Roots, this really is a glimpse inside the world that was the LA punk rock scene of the 1980s.

More...
Various Artists - A Night At The Family Dog DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Those looking to recapture the 1960’s should really dig this DVD. Originally captured for PBS Television, this show from 1970 featured Santana, The Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead. It has been remastered and digital extrapolation has been used to create a dolby 5.1 experience on the audio track.
More...
Various Artists - A Technicolor Dream DVD
Review by Gary Hill
At least in the States when we think of the 1960’s and the psychedelic movement, much of it centers around San Francisco.

More...
Various Artists - A Tribute to Edith Piaf: Live at Montreux 2004 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
It's always good to see an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival that's actually jazz. Don't get me wrong, they have a lot of great music there, but a lot of it isn't jazz.
More...
Various Artists - A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Come for the performances, stay for the documentary type stuff. A big chunk of this is all about some incredible live performances with musicians ranging from Joe Satriani to Buddy Guy to Slash, Neal Schon and Steve Lukather and more.

More...
Various Artists - A.I.M.S Gala - One Night Only - Live At The Royal Albert Hall DVD
Review by Gary Hill
If you like rock and roll, this is a DVD to have. It’s a 1998 performance for Bill Wyman’s A.I.M.S. (Ambitions, Ideas, Motivation, Success) project.

More...
Various Artists - All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records DVD
Review by Gary Hill
First things first, this is not actually a "Various Artists" release. Other than some music playing and some interview clips, it really isn't about musicians.

More...
Various Artists - America’s Music Legacy – Blues DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The format of this set is a bit different than some of the others in the series.

More...
Various Artists - America’s Music Legacy – Country and Western DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Don’t pop this in expecting some kind of documentary detailing the history of country and western music.

More...
Various Artists - America’s Music Legacy – Gospel DVD
Review by Gary Hill
“Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.”

More...
Various Artists - America’s Music Legacy – Rhythm and Blues DVD
Review by Gary Hill
While this is in no way a documentary, you can learn a lot about rhythm and blues from watching the performances captured here.

More...
Various Artists - America’s Music Legacy – Rock N Roll DVD
Review by Gary Hill
You might think from looking at the cover and title of this DVD that it’s a documentary chronicling the history of rock and roll.

More...
Various Artists - America’s Music Legacy – Soul DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is a concert from 1983 and while the staging and other aspects have a tendency to be a little silly or dated, the performances make it all worthwhile.

 


More...
Various Artists - America’s Music Legacy: Folk DVD
Review by Gary Hill
There really are two faces of folk music. The real folk music that’s down home performance with a raw and real feeling to them is one face.

More...
Various Artists - America's Music Legacy - Dixieland Jazz DVD
Review by Gary Hill

Looking at the box to this series, one might assume that these DVDs are documentaries. They are not.


More...
Various Artists - Athens Inside Out 2: Red Turns Into Blue DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This documentary is the kind of thing that's not easy to do justice to in a short review. That's because the scope of the film is actually very wide

More...
Various Artists - Athens, GA Inside Out DVD
Review by Gary Hill
If I had to come up with the slogan for this video, it would be "Come for REM and the B-52s, stay for the whole scene and the other bands." 

More...
Various Artists - Aural Amphetamine: Metallica And The Dawn Of Thrash DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The first thing the observant reader will notice is that the review of this DVD is included under "Various Artists" rather than under "Metallica." There is a good reason for this.
More...
Various Artists - Band Versus Brand DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This documentary is fascinating. More importantly, it's also entertaining.

More...
Various Artists - Bang Your Head 2007 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I have to admit that sometimes I get put off by a lot of modern metal festivals. I’m not a big fan of growling death vocals (there are some I can deal with, but few) or other forms of extreme voice tactics.
More...
Various Artists - Bang Your Head!!! Festival 2006 DVD
Review by Greg Olma
The Bang Your Head!!! Festival in Europe is a metal fan’s dream come true. Aside from the Wacken festival, this is a must for any European metal fan, although I’m sure that many people from around the world make that trek.


More...
Various Artists - Bang Your Head!!! Festival DVD
Review by Greg Olma
Ah, summer in Europe; the warm weather, the tourists, and most of all the Heavy Metal festivals. The poor American metal fan has to suffer through Ozzfest while the European audiences get fests that bring together many name acts for a weekend of good music.
More...
Various Artists - Black Metal Satanica DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Who knew that black metal’s roots dates back to the Vikings. That’s one of the things you’ll learn from this documentary.

More...
Various Artists - Blitzed: The 80s Blitz Kids Story DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I like to think that as connoisseurs of much the same cultural material, those of us in the US are not that different from the people of England. The truth is, though, there are a lot of differences.

More...
Various Artists - Blood & Thunder: The Sound Of Alberts DVD
Review by Gary Hill
On the one hand, this documentary digs deep into the history of the Australian music scene. 

More...
Various Artists - Blowing Fuses Left & Right: The Legendary Detroit Rock Interviews DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Two very important bands to come out of Detroit were MC5 and Iggy and the Stooges.

More...
Various Artists - Blues And The Alligator: The First Twenty Years Of Alligator Records DVD
Review by Gary Hill
There’s a whole school of Chicago blues and there’s a label built right in Chicago to celebrate it.

More...
Various Artists - Blues Guitar Shootout - Sinnissippi Park Music Shell 7/9/05 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Fans of the blues from outside the Illinois area may not have heard of the musicians featured on this disc, but they really should find out about them.
More...
Various Artists - Carlos Santana Presents Blues At Montreux 2004 DVD Set
Review by Gary Hill
This whole series of Live at Montreux DVD’s is quite good. The older ones sometimes have some issues in regards to video and sound quality, but as for the ones recorded more recently the production tends to be close top notch.
More...
Various Artists - Change Begins Within (A Benefit Concert for The David Lynch Foundation) DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I have to say that I don't support the cause for which this benefit was organized. That doesn't detract from the performance here, though.

More...
Various Artists - Clockwork Orange County DVD
Review by Gary Hill
It should be noted right from the start that, although this film is about a punk rock scene, it’s less about the music and more about the scene and the club where it flourished.

More...
Various Artists - Come On Feel The Noize: The Story Of How Rock Became Metal DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I want to start this review by framing it with the following statement: I really enjoyed watching this. I found it very entertaining and captivating. I recommend it pretty highly to fans of rock and metal.
More...
Various Artists - Come Together: a night for John Lennon’s words & music DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The show captured here was originally planned before September 11th, 2001. 

More...
Various Artists - Death Metal: A Documentary DVD
Review by Mike Korn
The mangy mutt of the rock world, death metal is usually considered horrid even by hardcore punk rockers. Heaven help those into mainstream music after getting a dose of Krisiun or Dying Fetus! The question that usually comes from the uninitiated is: is it music or is it garbage?
More...
Various Artists - Down the Tracks – The Music That Influenced Led Zeppelin DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This series is an interesting one. It delves into the music that more popular artists emulated. 

More...
Various Artists - Earache: My Eye
Review by Gary Hill
Remember the days of VHS? Well, this was originally released in the final period of VHS.
More...
Various Artists - Fanfare For The Uncommon Man: Official Keith Emerson Tribute Concert 2 DVD / 2 CD Box Set
Review by Gary Hill
In 2016 there was a concert held as a tribute to Keith Emerson. This amazing package captures that concert.

More...
Various Artists - Fested (A Journey to Fest 7) DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Apparently Fest is an annual festival that takes place in Florida.



More...
Various Artists - Free to Rock 2 Disc DVD Set
Review by Gary Hill
This is a two disc set. The first disc is the original documentary. 

More...
Various Artists - From Straight to Bizarre-Zappa, Beefheart, Alice Cooper, and LA's Lunatic Fringe DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Frank Zappa might not have been the first or last artist to form his own record label and sign new acts.

More...
Various Artists - From the Basement DVD
Review by Gary Hill
What an interesting set this is.
More...
Various Artists - Glastonbury Fayre: 1971 The True Spirit Of Glastonbury Blu-Ray
Review by Gary Hill
Anyone coming into this video looking for a concert film is likely to be disappointed. Also, anyone offended by nudity and/or drug use should probably steer clear.

More...
Various Artists - Go Ride The Music and West Pole DVD
Review by Gary Hill
For fans of 1960’s rock (and who isn’t, really?) this DVD set is a treat. It features two films of music from the heady days of 1969 and is a real tribute to the peak of psychedelia.
More...
Various Artists - Going Underground: McCartney, The Beatles And The UK Counter-culture DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The first thing I noticed watching this documentary is that the title is a little misleading.

More...
Various Artists - Goth: Explore the History DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This documentary feels a little like a Wikipedia documentary, but it doesn't seem to be one. 

More...
Various Artists - Heads Up - An Extraordinary Drumming Event DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Three recent DVD's all focus on drummers. This one is not included in progressive rock (as the other two are) because the drummers here are not prog percussionists.
More...
Various Artists - Heads Up 2007 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve got to admit that some of the Christian rock thing leaves me perplexed. I can’t help but think of the second Spinal Tap movie and the reference to the “Monsters of Jesus” tour.
More...
Various Artists - House of the Rising Punk DVD
Review by Gary Hill
CBGB’s was such a huge part of the punk rock scene. It was also such a huge part of New York City.

More...
Various Artists - I-Crusher Complete DVD
Review by Mike Korn
Looks like it's time for Earache Records to clear out the vaults and see if they can make a buck. I-Crusher Complete is a slapdash DVD combining two previous videodiscs throwing together old video clips from bands that have either left the Earache roster, broken up or are underperforming.
More...
Various Artists - In Heaven There Is No Beer DVD
Review by Gary Hill
“Scenes” have lifecycles.

More...
Various Artists - Inside Metal DVD
Review by Greg Olma
This DVD reminds me of the good old do-it-yourself days.  It is slightly better in production than those old video fanzines, but that is really what makes this DVD work.  

 


More...
Various Artists - Iron Maiden and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Considered by many to be one of the most important periods in the history of metal, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) saw the rise of groups like Iron Maiden (hence the title), Def Leppard, Samson, Saxon and others.
More...
Various Artists - Izzy Young – Talking Folklore Center DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is listed as Various Artists at Music Street Journal because it features a lot of different musicians. Izzy Young was the founder of The Folklore Center.

More...
Various Artists - Jamaican Gold DVD
Review by Gary Hill
When you watch this film it would be easy to think that it takes place in Jamaica. The truth is, it doesn’t.
More...
Various Artists - Keane Curate A Night For Warchild DVD
Review by Gary Hill
A benefit to help kids affected by war, this concert was hosted by Keane. I’ve heard about this band quite a bit, but never really heard of them before.

More...
Various Artists - Legends Live at Montreux 1997 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Well, they couldn't have titled this one better. This DVD is an excellent film record of a concert from the renowned Montreux Jazz Festival, and all these guys are legends.
More...
Various Artists - Let Freedom Sing – How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement DVD
Review by Josh Turner
This is the story of the Civil Rights movement told through song, and it features a string of significant, time-sensitive artists.
More...
Various Artists - Let It Rock DVD
Review by Steve Alspach
"Let It Rock" by Eagle Vision is a DVD that gives us a thoughtful look at the origins of rock and roll. The main occasion was a 1995 concert in Toronto's Massey Hall for Ronnie Hawkins, one of the pioneers of rock and roll in the 1950s.
More...
Various Artists - Live at Wacken 2012 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Whenever I see one of these sets – they have the Wacken Festival every year and always release it for video later – I am amazed at the range of sounds presented.

More...
Various Artists - Live from Tokyo DVD
Review by Gary Hill
It’s something rock bands and music fans have known for years, Japan loves music. The Japanese culture around rock stars is intense.

More...
Various Artists - Melody Makers DVD
Review by Gary Hill

When it comes to the British music scene, it could be argued that "Melody Maker" magazine was an integral piece of the evolution of bands and sound.


More...
Various Artists - Merrell Fankhauser's Tiki Lounge Volume One DVD
Review by Eric Meli
This DVD is a compilation of former surf group The Impacts’ Merrell Fankhauser's cable television show “Tiki Lounge.”

More...
Various Artists - Merrell Fankhauser's Tiki Lounge Volume Two DVD
Review by Eric Meli
This DVD is the second group of selected episodes from Merrell Fankhauser's cable television show “Tiki Lounge” It consists of another six shows including a road trip to the Rock Creek Guitar company, and a very good cover of “All Along The Watchtower” by Fankhauser.

More...
Various Artists - Metal Evolution DVD
Review by Greg Olma
This DVD set was originally aired on VH-1 as a serie,s but I’m glad they put it out for purchase because I doubt this will ever be replayed.  

More...
Various Artists - Metal Retardation: Are You Metally Retarded? DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is a collection of video clips and interview clips. It is bizarre, but also cool.
More...
Various Artists - MetalMania 2007 DVD and CD Set
Review by Gary Hill
So, you didn’t make it to Poland last year to check out the MetalMania Festival? Or maybe you did and want a chance to relive the show.
More...
Various Artists - Move Me Brightly BluRay
Review by Gary Hill
I don’t know how to try to recommend this to fans of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.

More...
Various Artists - Musicares: A Tribute to Brian Wilson DVD
Review by Gary Hill
From The Red Hot Chili Peppers to The Back Street Boys this is a concert that featured diverse performers covering the songs of Brian Wilson. While I'm not a big Beach Boys fan, I found that some of the showings were simply spectacular, while others didn't excite me so much.
More...
Various Artists - New Orleans Music in Exile BluRay
Review by Gary Hill
I think anyone who really enjoys music, and particularly music in the way it relates to a specific area will really like this documentary.

More...
Various Artists - Nightclubbing: The Birth Of Punk In NYC DVD/CD
Review by Gary Hill
Here we have a documentary that really shines the light on some common misconceptions, while telling a fascinating, although often not so pretty, story.

More...
Various Artists - Pagan Metal: A Documentary
Review by Gary Hill
Pagan metal, or folk or Viking metal is a big movement in Europe.
More...
Various Artists - Pete York's Super Drumming, Vol. 3
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite a cool DVD. While much of the music is pure jazz I've included it in the progressive rock section because Bill Bruford, Simon Phillips and Cozy Powell all appear here and have worked in prog rock.
More...
Various Artists - Positive Force: More Than A Witness; 30 Years Of Punk Politics In Action DVD
Review by Gary Hill
A lot of times musicians will give a lot of lip service to various charities.

More...
Various Artists - Pride and Joy: The Story of Alligator Records BluRay
Review by Gary Hill
One thing I’ve noticed as both a music fan and reviewer over the years, labels often start with a specific focus.

More...
Various Artists - Punk in Africa DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is a pretty amazing documentary. I just couldn’t stop watching.

More...
Various Artists - Punk in England DVD
Review by Gary Hill
When Bob Geldof talks about punk rock it leads you to really question the genre. He begins by talking about how so much great rock and roll is from England.

More...
Various Artists - Punk In London DVD
Review by Gary Hill
London, England was certainly an epicenter of punk rock. For that reason this documentary really is important and interesting.
More...
Various Artists - Punk’s Not Dead DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite an interesting documentary. It shows the history of punk rock from its beginnings through rare footage and interviews with many of the bands involved. You can tell that the people involved here really love punk rock.
More...
Various Artists - Records Collecting Dust II DVD
Review by Gary Hill
Apparently this guy Jason Blackmore and I think alike at least in some ways.

More...
Various Artists - Reggae in Babylon DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I’m not so sure about this being a real documentary. I say that because it really doesn’t have a coherent pattern to tell a straight-line story.
More...
Various Artists - Reggae Nashville - Deep Roots Music 3 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is one of a series of DVD's showcasing a reggae documentary produced shortly after the death of Bob Marley in the 1980's. This is a quality release.
More...
Various Artists - Rock For Asia DVD
Review by Greg Olma
Musicians in general are some of the most charitable people on earth. They use their fame to raise money and create awareness for the pet causes.
More...
Various Artists - Rockin’ the Wall DVD
Review by Gary Hill
You really don’t hear a lot about how Western culture, and particularly music, contributed to the fall of the Iron Curtain.

More...
Various Artists - Romantic Warriors: A Progressive Music Saga DVD
Review by Ron Fuchs
In many ways this documentary echoes some ideas about the music business that were discussed on Before The Music Dies.

More...
Various Artists - Salad Days: A Decade Of Punk In Washington, DC (1980-90) DVD
Review by Gary Hill
The Washington, DC punk scene was really a big deal.

More...
Various Artists - Sixteen Days in China DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is one of the coolest music documentaries I’ve ever seen. I’d highly recommend this for anyone who has a quest for new understandings and cultural conceptualizations – oh, and a love of music wouldn’t hurt.
More...
Various Artists - Space Rock Invasion DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I had to miss this tour due to unforeseen circumstances, but now I can check it on this DVD. 

More...
Various Artists - Spokanarchy DVD
Review by Eric Meli
Spokanarchy is an hour and 20 minute journey into the 1980's punk scene in Spokane Washington.

More...
Various Artists - The Drum Pad's 20th Anniversary Show
Review by Gary Hill
Drummers and drum fans unite and purchase this DVD! It features a number of world class drummers and you just don't get any better than this if your musical passion is geared towards percussion.

More...
Various Artists - The Sacred Triangle: Bowie, Iggy and Lou: 1971-1973 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This documentary is an intriguing one. It serves sort of like a thesis paper.

More...
Various Artists - The Story of Rock ‘N Roll Comics DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I still have some of these comic books. I had no idea of the whole story involved.

More...
Various Artists - The Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Tour Blu-Ray set
Review by Gary Hill
I reviewed a CD set with a similar cover and title in this issue of Music Street Journal.

More...
Various Artists - The US Generation: 1982 The US Generation BluRay DVD Set
Review by Gary Hill
This is a new documentary about the first US Festival. It features interviews with various people involved, including a lot of the musicians, backstage footage and performance footage.

More...
Various Artists - The Vinyl Revival DVD
Review by Gary Hill

Do you love vinyl? I do. So do all the people in this DVD. This documentary is really a love letter to the format.


More...
Various Artists - Trevor Horn and Friends – Slave to the Rhythm DVD
Review by Gary Hill
This is an interesting DVD.
More...
Various Artists - VH1 Metal Mania - Stripped Across America Live! DVD
Review by Greg Olma
MTV "Unplugged" was a great idea but in the late 90's, music changed again, causing acoustic performances to go underground. None of the new artists could go unplugged.

More...
Various Artists - Woody Guthrie: All-Star Tribute Concert 1970 DVD
Review by Gary Hill
In the modern era it might be fairly simple to overlook Woody Guthrie's contribution to music, but it would be unwise. The man really was responsible for writing so many folk standards and influencing a generation (or more) of performers.

More...
Book Reviews
Various Artists - 108 Rock Star Guitars written by Lisa S. Johnson
Review by Gary Hill
This is the quintessential coffee table book. That’s particularly true for those who love guitars.

More...
Various Artists - A Hardcore Heart: Adventures In A DIY Scene Written by David Gamage
Review by Gary Hill
This is a massive book, running well over 650 pages. It's also such a cool book that it warranted one of our Music Street Journal bonus videos.

More...
Various Artists - A Hart Life – The Life Story of Deep Purple and Rainbow's Tour Manager written by Colin Hart and Dick Allix
Review by Larry Toering
This is the first book to be written by one of Deep Purple and Rainbow's entourage, and a most interesting story it is, told by Colin Hart, their long running tour manager. 

More...
Various Artists - A View From The Side written by Mike Visceglia
Review by Bruce Stringer
As members of the entertainment industry feel their way via hazy borderlines, many crossover products arrive on the shelves well intentioned but, sadly, missing the mark. Occasionally, an article manages to intelligently steer its way to attaining a shelf life and gain the respect of peers but rarely does an item stand out above the competitors in a totally separate field.
More...
Various Artists - Beyond and Before: Progressive Rock Since The 1960s written By Paul Hegarty and Martin Halliwell
Review by Alison Reijman
New insightful books about progressive rock come along as frequently as a Leap Year.
More...
Various Artists - Citizens of Hope and Glory. The Story of Progressive Rock written by Stephen Lambe
Review by Scott Montgomery
This is an enjoyable read that saunters through the chronology and culture of progressive rock.

More...
Various Artists - Classic Rock Revisited Vol. 1: Rock Icons & Metal Gods written by Jeb Wright
Review by Larry Toering
I haven't read very many books complied strictly of interviews, but it is a format I greatly appreciate.

More...
Various Artists - Crossover the Edge: Where Hardcore, Punk And Metal Collide written by Alexandros Anesiadis
Review by Gary Hill

At quick glance, this seems  like a book that has a lot of photos and perhaps not a lot of substance. Well, you can't believe your first impressions.


More...
Various Artists - Directions to the Outskirts of Town: Punk Rock Tour Diaries written by Welly Artcore
Review by Gary Hill
At the start of this, let me just say that the book lands under "Various Artists" because it focuses on two specific tours of two different bands, but it's largely about a scene more than it is completely a music book.

More...
Various Artists - Hell Bent For Leather: Confessions of a Heavy Metal Addict written by Seb Hunter
Review by Lisa Palmeno
Hell Bent for Leather is Seb Hunter's account of his love affair with heavy metal music. He details the courtship beginning with AC/DC's "Let's Get It Up", and chronicles what he calls metal's "golden years" from 1969 with Led Zeppelin's first album to 1991 with Nirvana's second album, Nevermind.
More...
Various Artists - Hellbent for Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook written by Annick Giroux
Review by Mike Korn
Ever wonder what keeps rabid metal musicians nourished while they crank out riffs and blow out speakers?

More...
Various Artists - Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal written by Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman
Review by Gary Hill
This is quite a cool book. It’s over 700 pages long, so it’s not a quick read.

More...
Various Artists - Mass Movement: The Digital Years Vol. One written by Tim Cundle
Review by Gary Hill
In the interest of full disclosure, there are some things I need to get out of the way before getting into this review. First, over the last year or so, I've gotten to know Tim Cundle over the internet.

More...
Various Artists - Money, Marketing & Myths Inside the Musician's Corner - Volume One written by by Tom Leu
Review by Gary Hill
If you are a musician in a local or regional band that's trying to make it in the business this book is for you. Whether you are a solo artist, a manager, a publicist, or pretty much any other person working in the music field, you'll get a lot from Tom Leu's creation.
More...
Various Artists - Mountains Come Out of the Sky. The Illustrated History of Prog Rock – written by Will Romano
Review by Scott Montgomery
Overall, this is a very good and highly recommended overview of the genre and its history. 

More...
Various Artists - Poetry of the Air: A Collection of Love Letters from Musicians to Music written by Gary Hill
Review by Greg Olma
I have known Gary Hill for a while now and the one thing that I can say with complete certainty about him is that he takes his music seriously. 


More...
Various Artists - Popoff Archive 2: Progressive Rock written by Martin Popoff
Review by Greg Olma
The music world has many characters who work behind the scenes, from producers to engineers to marketing people (and many more). 

More...
Various Artists - Psychedelic Days: 1960-1969 written by Patrick Campbell-Lyons
Review by Gary Hill
One caveat that I need to get out right away is listing this book under Various Artists. Here’s the thing, Patrick Campbell-Lyons was one of the main guys in the band Nirvana.

More...
Various Artists - Punk Faction: BHP '91 to '95
Review by Gary Hill

If you were ever a reader of fanzines, opening up this book will be a familiar pleasure. There was always something special about fanzines that just can't be replicated on the internet.


More...
Various Artists - Punks in the WIllows Written and Illustrated by Alex CF
Review by Gary Hill
This is an odd little book. It's also very cool. The message here is positive and one of unity and empowerment. 
Various Artists - Rock Progressivo Italiano. An introduction to Italian Progressive Rock written by Andcrea Parentin
Review by Scott Montgomery
This is a confounding book, one that is both pleasing and frustrating.  

More...
Various Artists - Rockin' the City of Angels written by Douglas Harr
Review by Gary Hill
This book is something very special. A good tag-line for this would be "come for the pictures, stay for the stories."

More...
Various Artists - Stadium Rock written by Jeb Wright
Review by Greg Olma
The story behind this book is a simple one. 
More...
Various Artists - The Hammond Organ: An Introduction to the Instrument and the Players Who Made it Famous written by Scott Faragher
Review by Gary Hill
There are only a few musical instruments that have changed music and defined a sound.

More...
Various Artists - The History of Irish Music written by Larry Kirwan
Review by Gary Hill
When I saw the title to this book, I was expecting a dry reading experience.

More...
Various Artists - The Little Black Leather Book of Rock 'N' Roll
Review by Gary Hill
It's only partially black, definitely not leather, but it is certainly little and undoubtedly about rock 'n' roll. This is a pocket-sized volume of quotes about all sorts of topics surrounding the musical style that started out as rock 'n' roll and later became just plain rock.
More...
Various Artists - The Merciless Book of Metal Lists written by Howie Abrams and Sacha Jenkins
Review by Gary Hill
I suppose how you feel about this book has a lot to do with how seriously you take it.

More...
Various Artists - The Sound of Things to Come: An Audible History of the Science Fiction Film written by Trace Reddell
Review by Gary Hill
One of the problems with doing book reviews for Music Street Journal is that the deadlines for making the issues mean that I don't have a lot of time for reading.

More...
Various Artists - The Strange Sound of Cthulhu: Music Inspired by the Writings of H.P. Lovecraft written by Gary Hill
Review by
A bit of an editorial comment needs to be made here. Since the person you see as "ed." - that's "editor" not "Ed" - is the author of this book, this is a bit awkward in a way. I had considered not covering this book at MSJ, but that seems unfair as we do provide promotion in the form of reviews for other authors.
More...
Various Artists - The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock written by Charles Snider
Review by Scott Montgomery
The preface takes us “back in time: The 1970s…”  The personalized context introduces Snider’s authorial tone – relaxed, knowledgeable and thoughtful, without even a hint of pretense or pomposity.

More...
Various Artists - The Suite Music World of Gary Hill: Collected Articles Originally Published at Suite101 written by Gary Hill
Review by Greg Olma
This book is not really new material but rather a collection of Gary Hill's articles for a website called “Suite 101."  Some might not like dated material, but I find these types of books enjoyable for a number of reasons. 
More...
Various Artists - Turn Up the Strobe: The KLF, The Jams, The Timelords a History written by Ian Shirley
Review by Gary Hill
I have to admit that my previous experience with the artists documented here is very minor. I mean, as a “Doctor Who” fan, I love The Timelords hit “Doctorin’ the TARDIS.”

More...
Various Artists - Underrated Rock Book Too!: 200 More Overlooked Albums Written by Jim Santora, Jr.
Review by Gary Hill
I remember when the first book in this series came out, it really captivated me. I actually suggested to the author that he should do another edition.

More...
Various Artists - Underrated Rock Book: The 200 Most Overlooked Albums 1970-2015 written by Jim Santora, Jr.
Review by Gary Hill
The premise is simple: list 200 albums that are under-appreciated. When Jim Santora started the project he set some ground rules. 

More...
Various Artists - Using Your Art and The Media To Comfort People written by Anne Leighton
Review by Gary Hill
This is a little change of pace for MSJ. Normally we review books "about" music. This book however is less about music than it is a resource for musicians.
More...
Various Artists - Words and Music: Excursions in the Art of Rock Fandom written by Michael Anthony
Review by Alison Reijman
Books written by music fans are very far and few between.

More...
 
Return to
Artists Directory
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com