Samples - Transmissions From the Sea of Tranquility (27 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

A Stand-Alone Masterpiece

Jessica | Santa Barbara, CA United States | 03/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this day of candy pop music and overdone morbid music, this double disc is the silver lining of an otherwise monotonous cloud of digital garbage. The Samples have brought together the majority of their meaningful songs as well as new insights toward this beautiful piece of work.Favorites include live versions of "Weight of the World", "Feel Us Shaking", "Did You Ever Look So Nice", a cover of John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels", and AMAZING versions of "Anyone But You" and "Nothing Lasts for Long". There is also a hilarious little whale bit.Another plus is the way Sean/Andy describe the meanings behind the pieces, on the disc jacket. Plus the pictures are a riot.If you are a Samples fan, this is a MUST because the acoustic versions of the songs you know are elevated to a new level. If you are unfamiliar with the Samples, I highly recommend this album, for with a varying musical range from folk to alternative, they will appeal to most music fans. I cannot really think of a band they remind me of, but Dave Matthews Band is a big fan of the Samples work, if that tells you anything. This double disc is a great investment! I highly recommend it."

Never looked so nice.

Andy Hobin | St. Louis, MO USA | 08/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One day I downloaded a track of "Feel Us Shakin'" featuring frontman Sean Kelly and Boyd, LeRoi, and Carter from the Dave Matthews Band. The next week, I picked up this album, off of the strength of that one song, and it was in my stereo for about a month straight afterward. Tracks like "Sacred Stones," "Feel Us Shakin'," "Nothing Lasts for Long," and "Who Am I" sound like they can only be sang through tears of joy, and rousing versions of "Did You Ever Look So Nice," "Won't Be Back Again," and "Little Silver Ring" among others run wild with energy, greatly benefitted by Sean Kelly's soaring vocals. It is said that The Samples can only be truly appreciated if seen live, and aside from catching them on one of there numerous tour dates, a copy of "Transmissions" is as beneficial a satellite broadcast from venues all across Anytown, USA. A must have for any hardcore or fledgling fan."

Great

M. J. Lomenzo | Hoboken, NJ USA | 08/18/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love the versions of "Giants" "Still Water" "The Last Drag" "Streets in the Rain" and "Information". Not as good as actually going to one of their shows but still worth the price of admission. Some of the acoustic versions are a little weak for my taste ("Summertime") but still a great 2 CD set. Kenny James drumming is awesome -

"

Remains one of the Best from one of music's Best!

Mark G. Reyero | Annapolis, MD United States | 03/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Sample's "Transmissions from the Sea of Tranquility" is a live album from The Samples released in 1997. As an avid Samples fan, this CD remains one of my favorite albums by the band. As the liner notes indicate, the album was recorded during a period of band member transitions, and there was some doubt as to whether the band would remain together. Thankfully, Sean Kelly and company have remained together to this day and continue to produce some of the best and most overlooked rock music.The bulk of the material in this double CD is live material found on their earlier studio releases, including their self-titled debut, No Room, The Last Drag, and Autopilot. There are also a few studios songs sprinkled in, including a cover of John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels". What I enjoy most about this Samples album is the stripped-down nature of the songs; most are acoustic and a bit of a departure from their earlier works. There are a couple of weak songs, notably "Prehistoric Bird" and a remake of an early Samples song, "African Ivory". However, there are some great gems that appear on later albums, such as "Indiana" and "Losing End of Distance"In my humble opinion, The Samples continue to be the best, if least known band in music today. While Sean Kelly's voice may not be spectacular, his song writing is superb and the musical instrumentation is terrific. The lyrics often tell wonderful stories and vignettes of love, life, and loss. I've been to dozens of Samples concerts since first seeing them in 1992, and I've rarely been disappointed. If you are either a longtime Samples fan or just discovering their music, I highly recommend this album."

Ahhh ... the samples

Andy Hobin | 06/22/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"the samples. i love this band, yet they frustrate the heck out of me. clearly, if you're new to the samps and want to buy an album indicative of their collective work, this is obviously it. or, if you want them at their best, i like "the last drag." but that's not really why i wanted to write a review. i guess i just wanted to say that this band has such amazing potential, but they only use it every now and then. sean has one of the most unique high voices in rock today (he capos every song!), and he's occasionally a great songwriter, but most often the samps just seem to rest on their laurels. i've seen them six times, and most recently in april they just sucked. and they just played their instruments bad. i don't understand them. i think they need to get off of their ridiculously rigorous touring schedule, spend more than 2 months in a studio, focus on writing, and produce an album of the caliber that everybody knows they can. the road is wearing them out."

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