I don't know about you, but I grew up listening to the Beatles and hearing about them from my parents and recognizing the poor efforts of new artists to copy or reinvent what only John and Paul had the ingenuity to create.

I hate that when I come to this compilation-- the compilation of their number one hits-- people say things like "this isn't a good collection of Beatles songs." Okay folks, you knew this was going to be the collection of their HITS, not the underground recordings, not all the songs that made Top 10 but not #1. Did you really think "I Am the Walrus" would be on here if you're the big Beatles buff who knows all their singles by release date?

The CD is *excellent* quality, beautiful music, wonderful, inventive, genius. Those of you who feel it necessary to bash it just because it didn't include some song that you like and no one else heard of.. you know, they're hoping that, by releasing this album, people will go back and buy the remastered discs. I personally still wish it would have included "Here Comes the Sun" off of Abbey Road, but it wasn't a #1. I'm more realistic than to expect them just to put it on here for me.

It goes from the beginning of their career-- their first big hits like "Love Me Do" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" all the way to the later material (my favorite half of the album), the songs like "The Ballad of John and Yoko," "The Long and Winding Road," "Eleanor Rigby," and "Hey Jude."

It covers more than just love, the way most sixties/seventies compilation discs do. It covers the way love affects your life, it covers the media's scrutiny of celebrities, it covers the pointlessness of despair and unhappiness. It's a genuine, soulful, incredible collection of songs, spanning roughly two decades of music. Every five songs or so, you can detect a slight change in the style and arrangement of songs as time went on. But it always works.

Anything less than five stars for the Beatles 1?

No, I think not. Buy this.. just because your albums are worn out from overplaying the #1's off them!

... I will say that the CD is okay. There are songs on here that have a meaning and are fun to listen to... but this is an average album and I think 5 stars would be entirely too liberal for it.

My major problem with the meanings in the songs.. they all seem to say the same thing. "Our lives are so hard, our father left us." It's literally in at least every other song they've written. But what do we hear in that Grade-A punk song "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous?" How celebrities complain about how tough they've got it!

Hmmm. Okay? I guess that wouldn't apply to the Madden twins.. no they never complain about the hard life.

The songs range from fun and happy to just plain pointless.. and while nothing on here is as laughable as "Superman Can't Walk" (??), there are some some that this disc would have been a lot better without.

The tracks I originally liked ("The Anthem," "Lifestyles," "Bloody Valentine," "Hold On," "Day That I Die" and "Emotionless") have worn out their welcome quickly.. especially since they're played on the radio here EVERY TEN MINUTES. But I can recognize real music and vocal talent in those, and I'm still able to appreciate "Hold On."

Unfortunately, the rest of the CD fluctuates somewhere between corny and boring.. not an unusual thing from a CD.. so why all the praise? Are we on the verge of another "new" kind of boy band invading the world?

I don't mean to trash the CD with this review. I like this album enough.. but I don't think it's "excellent" or "awesome" as everyone else here is heralding it. It has some good material on it and it has some bad material on it. I'd probably like it a lot more, though, if their songs weren't quite so overplayed.

I'm not much a fan of the pop genre these days, but there are a few singers that can make me stop dead in my tracks and hold me there, captivated, by voices as easy to love as hot fudge sundaes.

Anastacia is one of these singers, admirable for her songwriting skills as well as her impeccable range of voice. She sings each note on this disc with unmistakable raw emotion.. and adds her own flair to even the most traditional-souding songs.

I especially like the first track.. it's incorporation of funk, hip-hop, trance and jazz makes it stand out (perhaps a bit too noticably) on the otherwise jazzy-pop sound of the album. The lyrics are unforgettable and it's a fun song to listen to.

The two star tracks that have yet to become singles -- "Paid My Dues" and "Overdue Goodbye"-- are gentle songs for the most part. They both have catchy hooks, but biting lyrics ("This is a calling, not a conversation"). Both are sung with a genuine feeling, but they refrain from being too slow just to show of Anastacia's range.

Tracks 5 & 6 are greatly different from each other, but the former is probably the best display of her voice while the latter displays her songwriting. And while "One Day In Your Life" does have great lyrics.. one listen to "How Come The World Won't Stop" and you'll see what I mean.. it captures happiness and heartache perfectly without missing a beat (no pun intended).

Track 7 is great... but it was on her debut CD. Why include it again?

The rest of the CD recaptures the feelings of her last release. Dull music.. but great lyrics and vocals. It sounds like she's just trying to come up with some melody quickly to accompany the song. It's because of this quality of music that I didn't like her last CD much. She has grown immensely and made a real name for herself. There's no denying she has a tremendous amount of talent, and I think with time, she could be one of music's saviors for 2004/2005. With a little more growth, you're looking at a global phenomenon, not just a woman with an amazing range of voice and a few #1 songs.

I'm the first to admit that the Goo-Goo Dolls aren't necessarily the band that's truest to themselves. While their songs are fabricated to go whizzing through the Top 40 Radio straight to the number one spot. And sure.. they ARE just in it for the money.. but this is their profession, right?

The album consists primarily of the tried and true sixties/seventies pop rock that was trailblazing at the time. With "Gutterflower," Johnny and the boys make it trailblazing AND fashionable once again.

My favorites from "Gutterflower" were:
"Big Machine" was one of those hit songs that you heard on every station for a few days before it seemed to vanish from the earth. Though it more than wore out it's welcome this year, it's a very interesting and thoughtful song. Not a particular favorite, but no doubt a standout.

"Here Is Gone" has essentially been stuck in my head since April or so. It's one of those songs that's so personal, it's generic. "And I want to get free...I know it's out there.." The music as well as the lyrics catch your interest.. and hold it.

By far my favorite on the album, "What A Scene" has some of the oddest and most thought-prodding lyrics. And while the series of "nah-nah's" can get annoying, for the most part it lightens the mood of this relatively dark song. Buy the album just for this one.

"Sympathy," though short, is just poetic enough that it doesn't matter. And while it is one of the melodies that needs help, the lyrics recover it.

"What Do You Need?" is more spoken than sung. It's gentle yet harsh, beautiful yet sad.

It's a very well-done album. Great to unwind with.

Let me start by saying this is a very well-written work. Though I'm new to Howard's work, it's not hard to tell that she is a stand-out writer. The problem comes in when she attempts to make her mystery a passion/romance thriller. And while it's not necessarily something UNFAMILIAR to the mystery/thriller category, I don't see the need for the explicit details throughout. Not only does it take away from the plot, it adds unnecessary clutter to the story. If I'd wanted a cheap romance book, I would have bought one.

The plot follows a beautiful female butler/bodygaurd, Sarah, who suddenly becomes victim to a few 'random' murders in an exclusive area of Georgia. Unfortunately, any true element of suspense is diminshed terribly by the storyline taking on the viewpoints of the other characters. While I can see the author's attempt at versatility with this, it is generally a pretty weak effort and reminds me identically of a James Patterson mystery that was out earlier this year.

It's an okay book for a long weekend at home. It just doesn't have any real stand-out qualities.

I'm the first to admit that I DO like an occasional Backstreet dose and I had high hopes for this album. Despite the fact that I'm not much a fan of Nick Carter's personality I did think "Help Me" was catchy and kind of interesting. But when I got the CD I wasn't that impressed. It starts off with "Help Me," which had pretty much worn out it's welcome from all the overplay it received. The next track is somewhat interesting but also easily skipped. In my opinion, only "I Got You," with it's opener being "People tell me you stay where you belong, but all my life I've tried to prove them wrong" hooked me from the first listen. The mushy "Do I Have to Cry For You" does stand out in that I'll listen to it and not want to gag (as I usually do when listening to love ballads) and "Who Needs the World" is a good way to end the album. It's the material in between that turns me off.

From the tasteless chauvinism displayed in "I Just Wanna Take You Home" and.. even worse!.. "Miss America" all the way up to the male power-trip in "Girls in the USA," it's not hard to see Carter's genuine motives in this macho ego-fest. I think if people would take a deep breath, really listen to what he's saying.. and how extremely poorly the majority of the material on here is written, they would realize that there are a great many artists who could easily top Nick. It's not a particularly BAD album, I just don't think it's a stand-out album.

Sometimes I say to myself- "what do people see in that Avri Lavigne chick?" Is there something to her personality that I'm supposed to like?

Pre-programmed MTV puppets ARE a dime a dozen, but that's not my issue with her. My issue is she portrays "punk society" and sings pop music. Breaking the barricades? No. A punk would never be caught singing something as dull as "Nobody's Fool." While I recognize Lavigne's desire to be her own person through expression of clothes and music- like any other teenager -I can't respect her insistence that she's genuine when she plays to her fans, becoming something she thinks they want her to be.. whatever that is at the moment.

She does have her promise as a pop musician. I can't write anything as worthwhile as "Anything But Ordinary," but I think she needs some time to mature and find herself in the industry and the world. And besides "Complicated," "Naked," and "Anything but ordinary," there's not much on here worthwhile. Her words are dull, her voice is whiny at times and her instrumentals need some serious work, for the most part. Her attempts at real punk -"Losing Grip" and "Mobile"- are worth mentioning, but wouldn't stand out on a rock station, except for their lack of true rock drive.

The CD is worse than average because besides the three tracks I mentioned, nothing on it is innovative or that clever. And while she may honestly be expressing herself, I found myself easily distracted from the CD over and over. Meaning? I didn't think it's not as captivating as everyone seems to think.

In time, Avril could be a notable talent. As it stands, I think she has a lot of growing up to do.

Sure, Thursday have their moments throughout this CD. And while I love emo, I have to say that the way they style their songs is just unpleasant. The words are good, the melodies are excellent, but they scream unidentifiably through most of their music to a point that you don't even understand what they're singing about.

It's good emo.. it's just not my favorite style of it.

Let me start off by saying that I have loved the Dixie Chicks since they began (As in Laura still in the band and Martie doing lead vocals-era). When the Chicks began, they brought back a very homespun and heartfelt sound to mainstream country. It was a genuine effort-- as all their albums have been.

Well, since the pre-Natalie Chicks were my favorite end of the Dixie Spectrum, I had high hopes for "Home." The problem is that they attempted to go back in time to their first album-- AFTER making the modern "Country Pop" crossover.

On some of the songs, it's absolutely Heavenly, intense and honestly touching. "Travelin' Soldier," for example, brings country's story-telling back with a marvelously constructed banjo section and pure vocals. The message is clear, the instruments outstanding, every aspect of the song is PERFECT.

But.

Take a look at "Long Time Gone." Perhaps I just expect too much from them, but I found it dreadfully over-produced and repetitive. How many country songs are out there like that? Millions!

"Landslide," however, does make up for "Long Time Gone" with its lacey poetry and intimately beautiful imagery. It incorporates the roots of the Chicks with their modern sound. Perfect.

Perhaps the very best of the album is the final track, "Top of the World," so intensely sad and thoughtful it brought tears to my eyes. ("Think I broke the wings off the little songbird, she's never gonna fly to the top of the world right now.") It is full of beautiful images and powerful singing -- not the SCREAMING experienced on Natalie's first ventures with the Chicks.. purely intimate SINGING. She feels every word and you feel every word with her.

Does anything else on here really measure up to those three? Well.. "White Trash Wedding," though cute and kitschy ("You can't afford no ring and I shouldn't be wearin' white") generally is more rock-driven and out of place. The other songs are all bland country love ballads.. with perhaps the only exception being "Home," none of them really deliver. Sure, the music is there, but where are the Chicks' funny and heart-wrenching insights that were on the last albums? "The Truth #2" is miserable, "Tortured Tangled Hearts" pitiful and the rest too bland to name.

I love the Dixie Chicks and this certainly wouldn't stop me from buying their next album, I'm just bitterly disappointed with what I got from this one.

I don't know when I decided that pop music was evil. I don't know the exact date I fell in love with plain acoustic songs and their brilliant (and usually gorgeous) songwriters.

What could convince me, the reigning Ohio Queen of Pop that the world has more interesting things in it than love? Only Dashboard.

While I'll admit that there are a few tracks on here that are a bit more dull, I honestly haven't loved an album this much since Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill." There is nothing on it that is offensive, yet Christopher's words cut right through you. It's not just music, it's an experience.

The album begins with "Brilliant Dance," pointing out the insanity of "measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights." (The song actually has little to do with that, but I love that quote.) And next comes the freakishly Green Day reminiscent "Screaming Infidelities." I love the song up until the "your hair is everywhere" ending... too reptitive and dull for me.

"Best Deceptions" is silky smooth and easily lulls you into a tender repose before you realize it ("Don't you see, don't you see that the charade is over?") It has a classical acoustic sound that is unmistakable and while it does sound "more punk" than the other material on here, it also shines a little more brightly than the first two tracks.

"This Ruined Puzzle" gently muses at the old "does he ever get the girl" anthem of the heartbroken teen. It's possibly one of my favorite songs on here. It's delicately confused ("I never said don't go [don't go...]") and yet strongly compiled. Essential listening.

Smile like a saint but curse like a sailor? Well, even if you don't, track five is one of my top three of the album. It showcases the disgust of a relationship with someone who just doesn't seem to care much about you. ("Sitting here with hopes the phone will ring and thinking awful things.. this is about as social as I get now.") Absolute gem.

Considering the odds is easy with a song as powerful and fun as "The Good Fight," a ballad for everyone who's ever just been -what? Disappointed?- wih a friend or lover. How anyone can think this song lacks musically bewilders me, but perhaps it's just not a welcome trend from the rap-heavy pop that saturates the stations now. Well, it's my second favorite on here.

"Standard Lines" is a beautiful song.. incredible musically.. but the lyrics seem to lack. I expected a rebellion of sorts and instead I got "But your taste still lingers on my lips." Well, never judge Dashboard by a song title.

"Again I Go Unnoticed" is so brilliant words don't accurately describe it. Another Green-Day-reincarnated sound introduces us to the song, immediately followed by "Another wasted night, the television steals the conversation." Thoughtful as always, but much more lively than most of the other songs on here.

My personal favorite of ALL the Dashboard songs is the title track -Places You Have Come to Fear the Most- A soft punk sound with simple yet biting lyrics ("You can't fake it hard enough to please everyone or anyone at all..") You can literally take any line from the song and make a memorable quote from it. It's a stunning anthem for all the misfits (such as myself) out there.

The only song on the album I can say I genuinely dislike is "This Bitter Pill," a badly attempted theft of Thursday's style. While it does make a few worthwhile points, the music is dull and the screaming is unpleasant and in great contrast with the rest of the album.

Overall, I think it's one of the very best albums I purchased this year. Your collection is just not complete without Dashboard's "Places You Have Come To Fear the Most."