The Emancipation of Mimi - Platinum Edition
April 19, 2008
Early buzz on The Emancipation of Mimi predicted that this would be the disc to mark “the return of the voice”–the voice being that glass-shattering instrument that propelled Carey to bestselling female artist of all time status–and mostly it is. But because of the small army of talent involved in its assembly, the album is way more than just a comeback vehicle. For proof, try the straight-ahead, look-out-Beyoncé-Mimi’s-still-got-it “Mine Again”; the ’70s-soul cuddle-up “Circles,” a don’t-attempt-on-American Idol love song; or the gospel dazzlers “Fly Like a Bird” and “Stay the Night.” But for songs that steer this disc directly into 2005, no looking back, scan the jewel case for tracks followed by the word “featuring”: “To the Floor,” with Nelly, bumps along to maximum booty-shaking effect, while Twista spins his natural-disaster-force vocals into “One and Only.” Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, and Jermaine Dupri also pitch in; between them and the highwire vocals, Emancipation works the kind of pure-pop magic that sets us all free. –Tammy La Gorce
This platinum edition features four tracks not found on the original release: “Don’t Forget About Us”; “What It Look Like”; “So Lonely (One & Only Part II)”; and a remix of “We Belong Together” featuring Jadakiss and Styles P.
More Mariah
 Mariah Carey |
 Emotions |
 Music Box |
 Merry Christmas |
 #1’s |
 Glitter |
Customer Review: This Edition Lacks 2 Crucial Mariah Songs!
Despite the title, don’t believe it. Its very surprising that this great album STILL has not been released in its’ definitive form.
Yes, though this version of the CD contains all the regular tracks from the album as well as some new ones (such as “So Lonely” and the No. 1 single “Don’t Forget About Us”), it completely misses the mark by neglecting to include two tracks that were recorded for the Mimi sessions. These songs are available on the pricey Japanese Import version of the CD, and also on certain International versions of this album.
The two songs are “Sprung” and “Secret Love”. I would say that they are perhaps the best songs on the album other than “We Belong Together”. “Sprung” is a futuristic R&B Anthem that has a great chorus, and “Secret Love” is one of those repetitive Mariah songs that get lodged in your head and just won’t let go! Both are essential songs, and it’s a pity that most audiences in the US don’t even know these songs exist (and yes, they are very much available on foreign editions of this album).
Try getting your hands on them, and only then can you claim to have an “Ultra Platinum Edition” of this CD. In its’ current form, this album is still incomplete.
Customer Review: Buy Emancipation of Mimi
Mariah did it right with this album. I love almost every song. Highly recommended! Buy from here…
Art Directors Annual 86 (Art Directors Annual)
April 19, 2008
No More Drama
April 19, 2008
Anyone who’s purchased one of Mary J. Blige’s albums understands that the “queen of hip-hop soul” would much rather push artistic envelopes than lick ‘em. With No More Drama, her enlisting of hip-hop’s finest beat-makers to create lush musical soundscapes is nothing short of genius. On the Dr. Dre-produced “Family Affair,” Blige implores the club set to “get crunk ’cause Mary’s back” as she introduces some new slang to the hip-hop vernacular (”holleration”). “Steal Away” is a classic Neptunes-induced head-nodder in the “Love Is All We Need” vein, as Pharrell Williams chimes in a Curtis Mayfield-like falsetto. Those who like their R&B straight might be offended by the acoustic guitar solo by Lenny Kravitz on “PMS,” or the album’s title track, which samples the theme from The Young and the Restless soap opera. But listen to “Where I’ve Been” (a redemptive tale of Blige’s not-so-rapid ascent from the ‘hood, featuring guest raps from Eve) and the Missy Elliott-assisted “Never Been,” and misgivings vanish. Whereas past Mary J. efforts were limited to tales of relationships gone awry, her outlook is more diverse and upbeat, while her scratchy, bluesy vocals have become more expansive, too. She raps on “Love,” scats on “Beautiful Day,” chats on the a cappella “Forever No More,” and caps No More Drama with a string of uplifting ballads (”2 U,” “In the Meantime”), neatly polishing off a release that will stand as one of the best of 2001. –Dalton Higgins
Customer Review: 3.5 stars: Mixed Bag on this joint………
Got some good joints on here, but not a great album overall.
Top Joints:
Family Affair (Dr Dre smash)
No More Drama
Rainy Dayz (w/ Ja Rule)
Beautiful Day
Dance For Me (Remix w/ Common)
No More Drama (Remix w/ P. Diddy)
Flying Away (My Personal Favorite)
Never Been (A Missy Banger)
Customer Review: Mary J. Blige
This is a great album! It’s like Mary’s “My Life” album where you can relate to the songs. Buy from here…
The Definition of Geeky Long Sleeve T-Shirt
April 19, 2008
Geeky - Oddball, eccentric, crackpot, crank, nut, screwball. For an Illustration see attached person. Now the dictionary entry really does have your picture next to it! Buy from here…
Presents Stadium Anthems: Music for the Fans
April 19, 2008
Customer Review: Fun title
Something fun to pop into the CD player on the way to the game.
Customer Review: Fun fun fun
My kids love to here this CD in the car. It puts everyone in a good mood! Buy from here…
Jamiroquai - Live at Montreux
April 16, 2008
Jamiroquai are one of the most successful British acts to come out of the nineties. In America, they have sold 2.5 million albums, bolstered on the strength of their breakout album “Traveling Without Moving”. The band deliver a blistering two-hour plus set crammed with hit singles and much loved album tracks led from the front by Jay Kay’s charisma, movement and compulsory headgear.
Tracklisting 1) Use The Force 2) Canned Heat 3) Cosmic Girl 4) Little L 5) Blow Your Mind 6) High Times 7) Traveling Without Moving 
Butterfly 9) Shoot The Moon 10) Soul Education 11) Just Another Story 12) Mr Moon 13) Alright 14) Love Foolosophy 15) Deeper Underground
Bonus Track from 1995: 1) Space Cowboy
Customer Review: SUPERB!!!!
JK is on fire! This video truly exemplifies what Jamiroquai is all about. A combination of new and old that will soothe your Jamiroquai itch until they get back to your area- “Shoot the moon” melodic rhythms that will drive any jazzy-soul-funk fan wild!
Customer Review: More live DVD’s, please!!!
This performance was terrific. However, there are two reasons that I shorted it one star:
1. It doesn’t come close to Jam’s Live in Verona DVD in terms of crowd and camera involvement. The energy is a little subdued.
2. The audio just wasn’t finished right. It’s like the engineer forgot to tweak the last 10%. The overall audio quality is bright, so surround sound might seem a little overbearing. Stereo sounds good, but it’s still missing a cleaner “live” sound (this may have to do with indoor vs. outdoor acoustics).
NOTE: I work at a high-end audio store, so I’ve been playing this using an $80,000 surround sound system; therefore, please don’t let my critique steer you away from buying this disc by any means.
Other than those bits, the overall performance is stellar! Jamiroquai is an incredible live band. They do a great job at taking their studio songs and vamping them up with [acid] jazz, funk, fusion, and jam sessions in between. “Shoot The Moon” is a GREAT surprise!!! That song is filled with great riffs and a groovey chorus.
Buy this disc. But buy it only if you can’t find Jamiroquai’s Live in Verona (make sure it’s REGION ZERO - plays in all DVD players) first. Either purchase will be thoroughly enjoyed. Cheers! Buy from here…
Stones from the River
April 16, 2008
Stones from the River is a daring, dramatic and complex novel of life in Germany. It is set in Burgdorf, a small fictional German town, between 1915 and 1951. The protagonist is Trudi Montag, a Zwerg — the German word for dwarf woman. As a dwarf she is set apart, the outsider whose physical “otherness” has a corollary in her refusal to be a part of Burgdorf’s silent complicity during and after World War II. Trudi establishes her status and power, not through beauty, marriage, or motherhood, but rather as the town’s librarian and relentless collector of stories.
Through Trudi’s unblinking eyes, we witness the growing impact of Nazism on the ordinary townsfolk of Burgdorf as they are thrust on to a larger moral stage and forced to make choices that will forever mark their lives. Stones from the River is a story of secrets, parceled out masterfully by Trudi — and by Ursula Hegi — as they reveal the truth about living through unspeakable times.
Customer Review: I loved this book, and I am here to defend it from the people who don’t agree
This book took me on the journey through a woman’s life who just happens to be a zwerg (dwarf). She was an amazing character who experiences an extraordinary life in a small town in Germany. I often can’t get through a book because of authors who have phony styles and try too hard. This book, however, is so REAL. It is beautifully written and anyone who disagrees has bad taste (in my not so humble opinion). I couldn’t put the book down and at every moment wanted to immerse my mind in the intricate story of Trudi Montag. I stayed up until 4 in the morning 2 nights in a row, unable to stop reading.
The journey this story took me on is not to be missed. I am so grateful that I experienced it!
Customer Review: A good book, but not great
In Stones from the River, set in wartime Germany, in the fictional town of Burgdorf, Ursula Hegi sets the theme of her book early on through Trudi’s mother, Gertrude. She allows her young daughter to run her fingers across the scars on her thigh, feeling the grains of gravel beneath, telling her, “People die if you don’t love them enough.” The grains of gravel paralleled the stones in the river (hence the title) - they were sins people committed that, like the ripples in water from a stone being cast in, showed their scar on the surface for only a short time and then disappeared, but the stones remain beneath, unseen, like the sin. Already one can see the relevance this will have regarding the upcoming events in the novel, regarding the atrocities under the Nazi regime.
Trudi is a zwerg girl, a dwarf, who at first puts her faith in prayer, wishing to grow taller. She is confident in the divine power and, especially after meeting another zwerg woman named Pia, a lion tamer, feels more positive about herself and the possibility of “normalcy.” However, after four abusive neighborhood boys find her too different and repulsive to even rape and instead humiliate her and disrobe her, she loses all faith in prayer, and from then on seems to take nothing for granted, developing an early conviction of justice.
By the end of the novel, after the World War II horrors have come to light and Germany begins to put itself back together, Trudi and the allied forces are able to finally deal out their justice. As the Americans move in it is now the Nazi supporters which are the ones being investigated and ostracized, as they had done to the Jews and dissidents. Once again, the themes of the stones in the river/gravel beneath the skin are set upon the town. People try to forget and pretend like the atrocities of war didn’t happen, though beneath the surface the effects are still potent and permanent, as Trudi is determined to remind people of it. Remembering her mother’s quote, it was people’s lack of empathy and compassion that allowed such a horror as the Holocaust to occur.
Stones from the River offers the reader insight and understanding into this important era of history, whose hometown experiences of prejudice, denial, and hysteria are not entirely unique. The novel traces the hardships of several families in Trudi’s small town with varying degrees of emotional impact. The story seems to slump and meander at times, particularly in the beginning and ending of the book, which makes the overall experience anti-climatic. Patience is required. Instead the story’s greatest strength lies in the middle, and it is this portion that makes the endeavor worthwhile. Buy from here…
Tiesto in Concert 2 (2004)
April 16, 2008
IN CONCERT II (DVD) (DJ TIESTO)
Customer Review: Too many camera cuts
Some of the music is pretty good and the video quality tops the previous DVD BUT… the insane amount of camera angle cuts drove me nuts! No kidding, the camera switches views every two seconds - one, two CUT, one two CUT, for perhaps 90% of the run time. Still, a couple of beers may enhance your viewing experience by calming your traumatized retinas. 
Customer Review: 90% of VIDEO DOES NOT MATCH MUSIC.
The very Best of the DJ Tiesto REAL LIVE Show is the amazing synchronization between the music and the show (lights, fireworks, etc.) This DVD is TOTALLY unsync; and doesn’t make justice to the real thing. The real thing is just amazing. The DVD version is just BAD; VERY BAD. More than disappointed I hate the moment when I made my decision to bought this DVD. REALY BAD !!! Buy from here…
Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse Club
April 16, 2008
“M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E.” Before the theme song’s memorable spelling became an audio icon, before the series even aired, the Mickey Mouse Club was the most anticipated children’s programming ever. This volume features the five episodes of week one of the black-and-white series that launched a television revolution. Also showcased in this volume is a wonderful tribute to the unforgettable Jimmie Dodd, the singer-actor who hosted the show. You’ll also see recently discovered, never-before-seen color archival footage of the Mousketeers’ very first appearance at the grand opening celebration of Disneyland. And you’ll meet six original Mouseketeers in a reunion on the soundstage where they first got together in 1955. So, sit back and enjoy — and you don’t have to wait until 5:00.
Customer Review: Perfect!
Hmmmmmmmm…. What to complain about? What to complain about? Can’t find anything except that there are only 5 episode of the original MMC available, and this is it. I mean, it was a daily show and all. Can’t really expect them to release nearly 1000 1 hour episodes on DVD. But these five, the first five, episodes are perfect in every way.
Customer Review: ‘What I Want to Be’ - When can we see the the last five episodes?
My 55 year old baby sister and I watched this DVD together, and loved every minute of it. But my own very personal reason for purchasing the DVD was to re-visit the ‘What I Want to Be’ series in its entirety. I didn’t realize that I wouldn’t be getting the entire series when I made the purchase, so I was more than a little disappointed. But on a more positive note, I believe that our most vivid and detailed memories are for many of us, the ones that we experienced as little kids, and for me, seeing those first five episodes of the WIWTB series took me back to those times like nothing else ever could. It’s actually scary for me, the way I actually remember so many of the script lines from more than fifty years ago! And I hate to think what this former would-be airline pilot would be willing to pay the folks over at Disney to be able to see episodes 6 through 10 once again. While I went on to do other things in my professional life, I will forever be inspired by that make-believe journey of that little boy Duncan in his own pilot’s uniform riding shotgun in the cockpit of that magnificent TWA Constellation. What a one-of-a-kind nostalgic rush! My only reason for the four star rating (rather than five stars) is the “missing” episodes 6 through 10. Disney should consider bundling WIWTB, Spin & Marty and the other short series in future DVDs for those of us who want it all, from beginning to end. I’m waiting….. Buy from here…
TIGER Jr. Miss Fitted Tee
April 16, 2008
Pop-art is defined by themes from popular mass culture,advertising,comic books, pop art is a reaction to dominant ideas of abstract expressionism and expansion upon them. Pop art aims to employ images of the popular,the banal or kitschy any given culture. Category: Anarchy Buy from here…
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