This album is a huge improvement over Robinson's first album both lyrically and musically. Songs like "Train Robbers" and "Surgical Glove" conjure comparisons to Dylan with their lyrical and poetic lyrics, and the band sounds tight and coordinated; there is much more of a "band" feel to this album than the first. Robinson has written some incredible lyrics for this album, and he is ably backed by Paul Stacey, co-writer and guitarist. Stacey has some great moments here and is used to much better effect than he was on Robinson's debut. This album is recommended to those with the attention span needed to appreciate this spacious, richly embroidered tapestry of music.

This record isn't anything earthshaking, and it's not very adventurous, but it does sound good and there are some killer riffs spread throughout. Slash burns the guitar up on every song, which is what gives this album a signature sound. Scott Weiland's vocals are fine for the most part (though the choruses on a few of the songs seem overproduced in the style of Def Leppard, and he lacks range), but the real weakness here isn't the glossy sound but the triteness of a lot of the lyrics. Take "Big Machine" for example. The song starts off with a really cool, menacing bass line, the verses are fine but the chorus sucks. It's inane and annoyingly repetitive. This pattern repeats itself to a certain degree throughout the entire CD. It's a good thing Slash fills every nook and cranny with those cool fills .... he single-handedly keeps the record from sinking into mediocrity. In short, this album rocks .... just don't pay too much attention to the lyrics and don't look for anything remotely deep. The best tracks in my opinion are "Headspace" (one of the better tracks lyrically speaking, and it also has a killer hook), first single "Slither", and album opener "Sucker Train Blues", which pounds along at a breakneck pace as if threatening to run off the rails at any given second. The ballads are bland and Weiland is not convincing vocally on them either.

The good thing about this record is that it sold a ton of copies and may help resurrect rock music and get us out of the crap-fest that is popular music today. Even if this isn't the second coming of Led Zeppelin (there isn't nearly enough versatility or substance on display here for this to be much more than novelty), it's much better than Britney, Justin and American Idol trash.

This is the best album the Black Crowes have ever recorded, period. And don't get too hasty -- I have been a Crowes fan since the very beginning with "Twice as Hard", and let me tell you that this album captures everything that, for me, is The Black Crowes. There's sweaty funk like the scattin' bass-driven workout "Ozone Mama", masterful psychdelia like "Young Man, Old Man" with it's Sly and the Family Stone style outro, Faces-era rockers like "Come On", and foreboding hard rock like "Midnight From the Inside Out", with it's stacatto-style, Jimmy Page-like hook. But the Crowes would not be the Crowes without their ferocious Southern Rock guitar-fests, and here "Lickin", "Greasy Grass River" and "Cypress Tree" fit the bill quite nicely. But perhaps the best part of this album are the tender ballads; they show a more sensitive side of the Crowes that isn't always recognized. "Miracle to Me", with it's surging chorus, beautifully interwoven guitar work and a stunning vocal by Chris Robinson, is the best of the ballads. But a close second is "Lay It All On Me', the piano driven album ender that reminded me somewhat of the gorgeous "Descending", from "Amorica" (another criminally underrated album). "Soul Singing" was a moderate hit, and it is an infectious, foot-stomping piece about seeking freedom for the soul, with superb guitar work on the track from Rich Robinson. Taken as a whole, I think this album flows better from beginning to end better than any other Crowes album -- though the brilliant "Amorica" gives it a run for its money. For the record: my favorite Crowes albums, in order from best to worst (worst being a relative term of course):
1. Lions ***** (2001)
2. Amorica ***** (1994)
3. The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion ****1/2 (1992)
4. Three Snakes and One Charm **** (1996)
5. By Your Side *** (1999)
6. Shake Your Money Maker *** (1990)

It took me a while to "get" this record. I have to admit that when I first bought it I was a little disappointed, probably because I am a very big Crowes fan and was hoping for something in that style. But given a little time, the CD has really grown on me. I would say my favorite songs are probably "Sliver Car", which has a Pink Floyd-ian feel to it, "Kids That Ain't Got None", which reminds me of old Elton John, and "Better Than The Sun", which has a Beatles feel, but really I like all of the songs with the exception of "Katie Dear" ... but hey, the man wants to write a song for his wife. I won't begrudge him that. If you go into it with an open mind you might actually find that you enjoy this record. It's perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon when you're just chillin' ... some very mellow grooves here.

This album is simply stunning. Like a lot of reviewers here, I was actually disappointed by "amorica" at first .... it was so different from "Southern Harmony" and not at all what I expected. But now, almost ten years later, I find that I listen to this album more than any other Crowes CD. The lyrics are so poetic here, especially on the beautiful "Ballad in Urgency" and "Cursed Diamond". This album shows a band coming into its own and defining their unique sound. If all you have ever heard by the Crowes are songs like "Jealous Again" and "Hard to Handle", you haven't heard any of the songs which truly make this band great. "amorica" isn't as accessible as some of their other records and is not an easy listen at first, but it will eventually take root in your brain and gain more and more depth with each play. This is the best record The Black Crowes ever recorded, and unfortunately they were rewarded with mediocre sales which caused them to retreat back to a more accessible style. Ironically, "amorica" is now almost universally regarded as the band's strongest work. I just think this record was too daring for the mainstream record buying public, who wanted "Hard to Handle 2". This is about as far removed from that as possible; it's the real deal, a classic which I predict will only grow in stature with the passing of time.

Led Zeppelin has been the soundtrack to my life. At 32 I am too young to have ever seen them live, but this DVD set was a revelation to even this fan. The raw fury and power that Zeppelin wielded live is simply unrivaled to this day. The remastering and sequencing on this set is excellent as well. This set shows exactly why Zep is regarded as the rock and roll band against which all others are measured ... the true hammer of the Gods. Jimmy Page is insanely inventive and ferociously forceful on the guitar here (especially in the earler segments from 1970), and John Bonham bangs the drum kit like an absolute madman. The bottom line is: if this set doesn't knock your socks off, you must not be a fan of real rock and roll.

I know Friends and Seinfeld have their fans, but in my opinion Frasier outshines them both in terms of both writing and acting. It's truly the best sitcom of the 90's, and the ONLY one I watch regularly these days. A better matched, more well-tuned group of actors you will simply not find. The writing is sharp, funny, and sometimes poignant. This show is smart but with a heart. Having it on DVD will mean I can finally throw out all my VHS tapes which are showing their age anyway (most were recorded during the original NBC run). And the first season is really one of the best, it's full of classics and is the perfect place to begin for those who have never seen this delightful and witty show.

This is far from Scorsese's most penetrating or heartfelt work, but so what? It's still quite entertaining. The movie features a stellar turn by Paul Newman (who justifiably picked up an Oscar for his sterling work here) as "Fast Eddie" Felson, who sees a huge opportunity in Vincent (Tom Cruise), a young pool hotshot Fast Eddie thinks could be the key to a new hustle. The acting here is all top-notch, though, from Tom Cruise and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio all the way through to a great cameo from Forrest Whitaker. The DVD really looks great and brings out the finesse of Thelma Schoonmaker's superb editing, and the settings and dialogue here ring so true you can almost smell the cigarette smoke in the pool halls they frequent.

This is probably one of Martin Scorsese's most underappreciated movies. The screenplay is simply brilliant, weaving together morbid black humor and also making an insightful statement about the "cult of celebrity" here in America. The movie may seen extreme, but I am sure that there are plenty of people out there who would do just what Rupert does here if they thought it would get them a moment in the limelight. De Niro is fantastic here, by the way; it's really one of his best performances and one of his most indelible characters. The transfer is beautiful, and now this movie can be enjoyed in crisp widescreen like it should be.

I am a classic rock fan, so I hear plenty of Buffett songs on my local classic rock station. While I don't change the station all the time, the songs have increasingly begun to grate on my nerves .... the truth is, these songs are not nearly as entertaining sober and lucid as they are drunk. And, they all really sound like the same song. By the way, I think "Margaritaville" should be retired forever. It is simply burned out. Do yourself a favor and pick up some real "rock and roll" like Zeppelin or, if you are into laid back stuff, Pink Floyd. At least Floyd is laid-back stuff that makes you THINK. This will just put you to sleep.