Amazon.com
Soulive are proof that jazz remains a living organism that continually evolves from its past to make music for the present. Now a quartet with their addition of a saxophonist, Soulive brew a seamless funky concoction of '60s jazz-organ grooves, '70s funk, '90s acid-jazz, and fresh hip-hop that defies classification. The basic vibe of the music mirrors the great organ-guitar-sax era of the '60s, and these twentysomething musicians capture the nightclub feel of that time on "Tuesday Night's Squad" and the stirring ballad "Alkime." Dance-music fans will dig tracks that feature hip-hoppers Black Thought (from the Roots) and Talib Kweli. And for those who need their '70s groove on, they quote Earth Wind & Fire directly on "Flurries" and pay homage to the Brecker Brothers' highly syncopated style on "Whatever It Is." Dave Matthews, who Soulive opened for on a long tour of sold-out rock venues, returns the favor here on "Joyful Girl," but he is by far the least interesting aspect of this 13-song set. As their album title suggests, in jazz, Soulive is what's next. --Mark Ruffin

Tracks:

Baba O'Riley
Bargain
Love Ain't For Keeping
My Wife
The Song Is Over
Getting In Tune
Going Mobile
Behind Blue Eyes
Won't Get Fooled Again
Pure And Easy
Baby Don't You Do It
Naked Eye
Water
Too Much Of Anything
I Don't Even Know Myself
Behind Blue Eyes

Amazon.com essential recording

A mix of old favorites and buried treasures makes this edition of Who's Next a definite must. One of the defining albums of 70s hard rock from one of the 60s most successful bands, the original album includes some of The Who's best-known work, such as the anthemic "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", the by turns sorrowful and angry "Behind Blue Eyes", and perennial favorite "My Wife". The new tracks on this album are equally worth hearing, including "Pure and Easy" (an alternate edition of which is available on Odds & Sods) and the original version of "Behind Blue Eyes". A hard rock classic, Who's Next is required listening for rock fans of all ages. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews:

One of the pinnacle releases from the Golden Age of Rock and Roll.......2007-06-28

The period of the mid 60's through the mid 70's represents the Golden Age of Rock and Roll for me. The sheer number of great rock and roll albums that came out during this time has never and will never be equaled. Who's Next is undoubtedly the Who's best and also one of the best from the golden age. This disc is a must have for any true rock and roll fan and if you don't have it you are seriously doing yourself a disservice.

WHO'S NEXT IS A ROCK MONUMENT ! (if it's not on your greatest albums of all time list, it should be.).......2007-06-10

The Who's 1971 album Who's Next brought in a new era for The Who, and for rock music in general. A very personal album, the songs are introspective, adult, and hold back nothing, musically or lyrically. Other than the hilarious My Wife, these are not fun songs, they cover serious matters, in an earnest way. From the first verse in Baba O'Riley, "Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals", the songs signify a determined stuggle for survival. Bargain is a hard rocking tempest of immaculate longing.

I'd gladly lose me to find you
I'd gladly give up all I had
To find you I'd suffer anything and be glad.

The song's devotion is complete, unconditional, and cuts to the soul. It's one of The Who's best songs. Love Ain't For Keeping and Going Mobile highlight the band's acoustic side. One describes the urgency and uncertainty of love and the other is about a life on the road. The Song Is Over and Getting In Tune are both very good piano-based songs (Getting In Tune also rocks). The acoustic/electric, lonely and bitter Behind Blue Eyes is a pure classic from The Who and also one of their most popular songs. Without this, there would probably be no Metallica, no Staind, or any other angry metal music. We Don't Get Fooled Again is The Who's anthem, and it's cynical (but sadly, on target) view of the changes that were taking place in the world during the tumultuous 1960s and early 1970s. Musically, the song is a mighty force, with Pete Townsend's electric guitar power chords, an explosive Keith Moon drum assault during the extended, spacey instrumental break, and the longest, loudest screams in the history of recorded music from Roger Daltrey. Of course, "The Ox", John Entwistle, as always, brings it all together with his legendary bass guitar. This album changed the landscape, and the direction of rock music. A more powerful, masculine, and maturely introspective era of music soon followed. Who's Next is one of the greatest albums of all time, and it has had a profound effect on many people's lives in the world (including my own).

Rock 'n' Roll's quintessential.......2007-06-09

By the time Who's Next was released in 1971, rock had already seen numerous masterpieces, such as Are You Experienced?, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Led Zeppelin II, and others; however, The Who's fifth album is with no doubt the representative of the entire rock genre as we know it. From the synthesizer-driven beginning of the classic "Baba O'Riley" to the excellent end of "Won't Get Fooled Again," Who's Next is pure, party-hard rock 'n' roll. The way The Who played their songs is both incredible to the ears and eyes, and going to a concert by the foursome had to be a once in a lifetime experience. Who's Next, the follow up to 1969's Tommy, is one of the top 10 greatest albums of all time, if not one of the top 5. No tune on the nine-track album is skippable, and others that stand out are "The Song is Over," "Gettin' in Tune," "Going Mobile," and of course "Behind Blue Eyes," which is another megahit by The Who. John Entwistle's bass is especially good on "Going Mobile," and guitarist Pete Townshend's racing guitar is at its best on "Baba O'Riley" and "The Song is Over". Of course the band's distinct sound and stage performance would not be the same at all without drummer Keith Moon, who also provides excellent drum play on the two above mentioned songs. Vocalist Roger Daltrey also deserves credit for all songs by the band, and is one of rock's greatest singers, right up there with Freddie Mercury and Robert Plant. Either way, Who's Next is the definition of rock 'n' roll and is no joke one of the top 5 greatest albums of all time, if not the greatest.

The Song is Over.......2007-04-28

Judging from the almost unanimous outpouring of praise for this album, one could say that The Who's album "Who's Next" is not only their masterpiece, but one of only a handful of rock's masterpieces. I couldn't agree more. Many have eloquently described the many virtues of this amazing record and I can't improve on this. However, I must say that "The Song is Over" is in many ways my favorite cut on this album. There are so many great things about it. It has the longest intro without Moon's drumming in any Who song, thereby making his entrance all the more exciting in the bridge. The piano chord voicing with 9ths is really majestic, expecially in the hands of session player, Nicky Hopkins. Then there's Townshend's vocal, which displays a vulnerability that you don't hear from him that often and it's really cool. And the song builds to a powerful crescendo during the coda, where we hear the first strains of "Pure and Easy." Add to this, the explosive drumming of Moon as he plays measure after measure of sixteenth note tom rolls, without missing a beat. What a great tune!

One of the best rock albums of all time.......2007-04-12

Ask a Who fan to name his or her favourite song from the band and you will, of course, receive a variety of answers. What is remarkable is how often the nominated track is from this LP. Baba O'Riley, Bargain, Song is Over, Getting' in Tune, Goin' Mobile, Behind Blue Eyes and Fooled Again are all killer songs. The remaining two are pretty good too!

Undeniably, this record makes my list of top twenty albums of all-time. In no particular order are some of the others. There are fewer than twenty - the list is fluid - but the following have been included for years:

Astral Weeks
Abbey Road
Are You Experienced
Dark Side of the Moon
Sticky Fingers
The Band
What's Going On
Blue

Pete Townsend wrote some memorable lyrics for this record.

From Goin' Mobile:

I don't care about pollution
I'm an air-conditioned gypsy
That's my solution
Watch the police and the taxman miss me!
I'm mobile!

From Bargain:

I'd pay any price just to win you
Surrender my good life for bad
To find you I'm gonna drown an unsung man.

From Getting' in Tune

I'm singing this note 'cause it fits in well
With the chords I'm playing
I can't pretend there's any meaning
Hidden in the things I'm saying.

Although Next is a rock and roll album this is not just A rock and roll album. By 1971 The Who had been innovative and experimental for a few years. This record continued the trend. Townsend plays his familiar electric guitar with a flourish. He also plays some introspective acoustic. There is the violin solo on Baba O'Riley. The synthesizer is used to good effect on several songs. The overall sound is spectacular. Even now, 36 years later, this remarkable recording sounds as fresh as it did when it was released. It demands five stars.

Average customer rating:

Great CD!!!!
Chevelle's Best To Date
Good Album
More than worthy of my $20!
good cd

Wonder What's Next
Chevelle
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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This Type Of Thinking Could Do Us In
Point #1
Vena Sera
We Are Not Alone
Saturate

ASIN: B00006GO98
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Tracks:

Family System
Comfortable Liar
Send The Pain Below
Closure
The Red
Wonder What's Next
Don't Fake This
Forfeit
Grab Thy Hand
An Evening With El Diablo
One Lonely Visitor

Amazon.com

Chevelle's haunting, booming, and vitriolic sophomore release opens with a song about three brothers called "Family System" Given that the three Loeffler brothers comprise Chevelle, it's easy to imagine the source of the song. Singer/guitarist Pete, drummer Sam, and bassist Joe have an intuitive gift for melding melody and intense, brutal passion in a manner that recalls at various times Live, Taproot, and Tool. From the brutal plea of the dynamic "Forfeit" to the bombast of "An Evening with El Diablo," Chevelle's earnest, less then groundbreaking modern rock captures an intensity that almost makes up for a sometimes cookie-cutter musical vibe. --Katherine Turman

Customer Reviews:

Great CD!!!!.......2007-03-22

This is Chevelle's second cd and it's one of there best one's. This cd is amazing, and if you don't have it yet I recommend that you get yourself a copy. This cd won't dissappoint you it's one of my favorite cds!! If you like Chevelle you'll like this cd, so if you don't have a copy already what are you waiting for? Get yourself a copy today!!

Chevelle's Best To Date.......2007-02-04

In my opinion "Wonder What's Next" is Chevelle's best to date. Although I still need to check out "This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)" this one compared to "Point #1" is their best. "Point #1" was great and had a sound of its own but this one by far stays entertaining all the way through. There's almost not a single song on this album that isn't at least alright. My favorite tracks from the album are probably "The Red", "Family System", "Wonder What's Next", and "An Evening with El Diablo". Here's my track ratings...

1. Family System - 10/10
2. Comfortable Liar - 10/10
3. Send The Pain Below - 10/10
4. Closure - 10/10
5. The Red - 10/10
6. Wonder What's Next - 10/10
7. Don't Fake This - 9.5/10
8. Forfeit - 9.5/10
9. Grab Thy Hand - 9.5/10
10. An Evening With El Diablo - 10/10
11. One Lonely Visitor - 8/10

Overall: 96% A

It's quite a difference between the Point #1 sound and is a very nice progression even though Point #1 was really good. It makes me really want to check out their next one "This Type Of Thinking" when I get the chance. It's just a good release by a good band. I think they even have a new one coming out this year aswell.

Good Album.......2006-12-13

Good sound. I particularly enjoyed Comfortable Liar. Not having been acquainted with their other albums, I'll have to wait n c if they are as good.

More than worthy of my $20!.......2006-10-30

I've known of Chevelle for about two years now, but until now only ever heard "Comfortable Liar", "The Clincher", and "Family System". Well, I was out buying music the other day, and decided to get Wonder What's Next, Chevelle's second studio record(first on a major label). What has drawn me to Chevelle is the contrast of sounds in their music. The singer has this boyish quality to his voice, yet the guitars and drums are all really hard. I love this contrast.

The band, which consists of three brothers, actually was delayed in releasing any music or even doing anything music related for well over a year due to disputes with their indie label, who, despite being in it's death throes, just wasn't willing to let the guys go. So it went to court. But they signed with Epic as soon as the opportunity arose. It's a good thing that didn't deter them from persuing their artistic goals.

Wonder What's Next kick's off strong with "Family System", a strongly emotional and relatable track about sibling rivalry. This, if you've never heard Chevelle before, will be an immediate introduction to the trio's hard-rock thump. On my computer's sound system, there is nothing I have that literally ROCKS your body as hard. Please, if you have 5.1 surround anywhere in your house, put Wonder What's Next in and turn it right up, that's how this record was made to be played.

From here Wonder What's Next excels. The tracks, "Comfortable Liar" and "Send the Pain Below" are the best on the album. And the last track, "One Lonely Visitor", shows a soft side to an otherwise hard rocking band. But I'd have to say that my favorite of the 11 tracks was definitely "Send the Pain Below", it has a tempo and groove that really clicks with me.

Overall, Wonder What's Next is a very good record, but the one issue I do have is that the sound quality isn't quite what it could be. Maybe it was recorded with a scratchy distortion on purpose, but nevertheless, I would have appreciated a more clear, crisp sound.

good cd.......2006-08-03

I thought this album was good not great, but saying that i do recomend it to everyone because it does have some great songs it.

The best songs on the cd to are.

2. Comfortable Liar
3. Send The Pain Below
4. Closure
5. The Red
6. Wonder What's Next

And my favorite track is #2 it sounded so sweet, you will love that song.

Average customer rating:

The Best of Erick Satie
A forerunner to minimalism
Wonderful
Richard review of Best of Satie
Got Satie?

The Best of Erik Satie
Erik Satie , Jérôme Kaltenbach , Klára Körmendi , and Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Fauré
After the Rain...The Soft Sounds of Erik Satie
Satie: Piano Works
Satie: Gymnopédies No1-3; Gnossiennes No1-6
The Magic of Satie

ASIN: B00004SYFP
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

Trois Gymnopedies (Pno Version): No.1. Lent Et Douloureux
Trois Gymnopedies (Pno Version): No.2. Lent Et Triste
Trois Gymnopedies (Pno Version): No.3. Lent Et Grave
Six Gnossiennes: No.1. Lent
Six Gnossiennes: No.2. Avec Etonnement
Six Gnossiennes: No.3. Lent
Six Gnossiennes: No.4. Lent
Six Gnossiennes: No.5. Modere
Six Gnossiennes: No.6. Avec Conviction Et Une Tristesse Rigoureuse
Je Te Veux (Valse)
Avant-dernieres Pensees: 1. Idylle/2. Aubade/3. Meditation
La Diva De L'Empire (Intermezzo Americain D'apres La Celebre Chanson)
Les Trois Valses Distinguees Du Precieux Degoute: 1. Sa Taille/2. Son Binoche/3. Ses Jambes
Sarabandes: Premiere Sarabande
Sarabandes: Deuxieme Sarabande
Sarabandes: Troisieme Sarabande
Trois Nocturnes: Premier Nocturne
Trois Nocturnes: Deuxieme Nocturne
Trois Nocturnes: Troisieme Nocturne
Reverie Du Pauvre
Trois Gymnopedies (Orchestral Version): No.1. Lent Et Couloureux - Orchestre Symphonique Et Lyrique De Nancy
Trois Gymnopedies (Orchestral Version): No.2. Lent Et Triste - Orchestre Symphonique Et Lyrique De Nancy
Trois Gymnopedies (Orchestral Version): No.3. Lent Et Grave - Orchestre Symphonique Et Lyrique De Nancy

Customer Reviews:

The Best of Erick Satie.......2007-06-11

The reason I bought this product, is because I was familiar with the 3 Gymnopedies of Erick Satie and also another of his work: The Gnosiemme (I'm not sure about the spelling) No. 4. After listening to the CD I felt very happy with it because include both versions of the Gymnopedies, the Orchestral and the one for piano and of course the Gnosiemme No. 4 which I now like it very much. The pianist makes justice to Satie's work and if you like his work is a good buy.

A forerunner to minimalism.......2007-04-13

Satie is a forerunner to minimalism. Each piece of his music is a beauty. He also had great influence on many famous composers and musicians in his age. This album is one of the best piano classical.

Wonderful.......2006-07-07

Just a great collection from Erik Satie. I would highly recommend this one!

Richard review of Best of Satie.......2005-09-02

The recording is well done. Eric Satie is not the type of music that many people will appreciate. I like his music and this particular recording.

Got Satie?.......2005-07-27

... Well folks. This may be the perfect album to get started. This features some of the best-known works by the wierd and witty Erik Satie, including the Gymnopedies (both the original piano and the orchestrated versions), the Gnossiennes, just to name a few.

The performance done by pianist Klara Kormendi is relatively plain and simple, just as Satie might have wanted. Some of his music is actually not too difficult to play... A great CD at a budget price. Kudos to Naxos for a good performance at a good price.

Also, what I'm equally impressed is the fact that in this "appreciation" album, the listener will actually be listening to many "sets" of pieces. Some of those albums (Beethoven and Mozart for example) are mere collections of selected tracks, many just one movement of a large work, such as a symphony. In some you will only be listening to selected numbers of different large "sets" of pieces. In Chopin's for example one may listen only few of the 20+ nocturnes (No. 2 for example), 15+ waltzes, and 20+ mazurkas he wrote, so one would not feel complete listening to the whole "cycles" of short pieces. Satie, fortunatley, prefered using tiny sets of pieces, most of them only comprising of three movments each. Plus each piece is short. ALL of the three Gymnopedies. ALL of the six Gnossiennes. ALL of the three Sarabandes. ALL of the three nocturnes. One can already feel happy listening to couple "sets" within a single CD.

Once again, this may be the perfect album to get started with Erik Satie. And get ALL out of those pieces!!!

Average customer rating:

A Step Down, But Still Quite Good
A NICE CD

The Next Adventure
The Marshall Tucker Band
Manufacturer: Shout Factory
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live From Iraq
Lost Highway
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Train Train: Southern Rock's Best

ASIN: B000Q66I2C
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

The Guitar Playing Man
Come Runnin' Like A Friend
Travelin' Man
I Love You That Way
Cold Steel
Why Am I Crying
Down This Road Before II
A Sad Cowboy Song
Crossroad
Jesus Never Had A Motorcycle

Amazon.com

While the Allman Brothers Band garnered the majority of attention during their four-decade careers, their contemporaries in Southern rock the Marshall Tucker Band have been more quietly, but just as consistently, making quality music. Only vocalist Doug Gray remains from the original sextet, yet the group's sound hasn't changed substantially, as their breezy mix of jazz, blues, and country doesn't need updating to remain fresh. Their unlikely emphasis on flute defined a style that was lighter and less boogie-oriented than most of the harder-driving acts of their era. Perhaps not surprisingly, age has mellowed them even further, and this album's one rocker, "Travelin' Man," seems forced next to the warm melodic roots and country twang that otherwise dominate. Gray's graying vocals have lost a bit of steam, but the band sounds terrific, and most of the songs glow like burnished gold. The somewhat clichéd topics of music, cowboys, horses, and the road appear, but when the elements mesh, as on "Cold Steel," "The Guitar Playing Man," and "Crossroad," favorable comparisons can be made with some of the band's finest. Coming this late in the Marshall Tucker Band's career, that's an unlikely and impressive feat. --Hal Horowitz

Customer Reviews:

A Step Down, But Still Quite Good.......2007-06-29

THE NEXT ADVENTURE is a step down from Marshall Tucker's outstanding last CD, BEYOND THE HORIZON, but it still has four great songs on it. Unfortunately, the first good song doesn't come until the fifth song, "Cold Steel", so this CD gets four stars instead of five. In other words, unlike BEYOND THE HORIZON, this CD probably won't appeal to the casual MTB fan; it's more for the dedicated Tucker follower who totally agrees with leader Doug Gray's advocacies of sanctions against Indonesia in retaliation for that country's trumped-up 2005 drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist, increased funding for law enforcement, and capital punishment or life without parole for kidnappers. If you disagree with Gray and guitarist/singer Chris Hicks on ANY of these issues, you might want to stick with the 70s/early 80s reissues (except TUCKERIZED), LIVE ON LONG ISLAND 4-18-80, and BEYOND THE HORIZON.

A NICE CD.......2007-06-19

MTB latest is a refreshing, breezy musical journey. its been a long 30+yrs for the band and as with all bands--suffered tragic losses etc. MTB has struck paydirt with 10 passionate songs that spin cowboys and the west. DOUG GRAY is still the keeper of the stable and his voice is tired but true. there are 3 songs from GEORGE MCCORKLE and one from TOY CALDWELL and both need no introduction. highlights are: A SAD COWBOY SONG and I LOVE YOU THAT WAY-thrown in a couple well to do rockers and you have a great lazy day lemonade song parade. with each listen I like it just a little more. its not the 70's but this is a good reflection of past experiences. good one boys.

Average customer rating:

Girl Next, Vol. 2
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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High School Musical, The Concert - Extreme Access Pass
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ASIN: B000QFCDEK
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Aly & AJ - Chemicals React
Vanessa Hudgens - Come Back to Me
P!NK - Get The Party Started
Paula DeAnda - Walk Away
Jordan Pruitt - Teenager
Ashley Tisdale - Kiss the Girl
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Belinda - Why Wait
Belanova - Eres Tú (from High School Musical - Latin America Version)

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD)
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Study of Orchestration, Third Edition

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Next Stop Wonderland: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture
Average customer rating:

A Non-Stop Flight on the Wings of Brazilian Jazz

Real music for a change

BES TBOSSA NOVA CD

Stellar

An excellent compilation

Next Stop Wonderland: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture
Various Artists - Soundtracks
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Next Stop Wonderland

Bossa Nova: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1999 Film)

Bossa Nova for Lovers

Bossa Nova Brasil

Woman on Top

ASIN: B000009QU0
Release Date: 1998-08-11

Tracks:

Batuacada - Bebel Gilberto/Vinicius Cantuaria
Mas Que Nada - Tamba Trio
Stay - Astrud Gilberto
Crossed Paths - Claudio Ragazzi/Arto Lindsay
Triste - Elis Regina
Os Grilos (Crickets Sing For Ana Maria) - Marcos Valle
One Note Samba/The Girl From Ipanema - Bebel Gilberto/Vinicius Cantuaria
The Therapist - Claudio Ragazzi/Arto Lindsay
Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars) - Astrud Gilberto
The Suitors - Josh Zaentz/Sergio Brandao
Baia - Walter Wanderley
O Beijo (The Kiss) - Claudio Ragazzi
Aquarela Do Brasil - Toots Thielemans/Elis Regina
Desafinado - Antonio Carlos Jobim
The Finale - Claudio Ragazzi/Arto Lindsay/Bebel Gilberto
O Pato (The Duck) - Coleman Hawkins

Amazon.com

The fear of loneliness, a hope for romance, the occasional pang of moody nostalgia--it's all found in the light romance of Next Stop Wonderland. But few of Wonderland's plot devices work quite as convincingly at portraying these themes as the movie's soundtrack. Filled with the classic sounds of bossa nova and samba, these songs ooze with the melancholy found in the movie. There's a lot of great stuff here: classic Astrud Gilberto, Coleman Hawkins, Marcus Valle, new interpretations of Jobim. But the unexpected highlight is the original score: Claudio Ragazzi backed by the smooth-as-flan vocals of avant-jazz-guitarist-gone-Jobim-freak Arto Lindsay. Their trio of bossa-nova inspired collaborations sounds as sweet and timeless as the classic originals here. In all, it's one of the best soundtrack collections of 1998, and one you'll be listening to long after you've forgotten its sorta-like-Sleepless in Seattle film counterpart. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

A Non-Stop Flight on the Wings of Brazilian Jazz.......2007-07-30

The brooding, poetic protagonist in Brad Anderson's 1998 film Next Stop Wonderland yearns to return to Brazil but is indecisive when the opportunity presents itself. The Verve soundtrack (Next Stop Wonderland: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture) ensures aficionados of bossa nova and samba that this one-way ticket will deliver them unto a sublime tropical paradise.

Composer-guitarist extraordinaire Claudio Ragazzi beautifully realizes the film's theme in a four-part original score: "Crossed Paths" and "The Therapist," which feature dreamy scatting in Portuguese by the guitar virtuoso Arto Lindsay; and "O Beijo (The Kiss)," which, like the famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin, is sheer enchantment. With the gentle plucking of strings and the sensuous vocalisms of Bebel Gilberto heard in "The Kiss," Ragazzi achieves through music what Rodin conveyed in cast bronze: the impenetrable embrace of lovers who are oblivious to the world around them. Of course, "The Finale" brings resolution to "O Beijo (The Kiss)," complete with cowbells.

However, in this reviewer's opinion, the ethereal voice of Elis Regina, a pioneer in the Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) movement, pervades the entire soundtrack to Next Stop Wonderland. Regina's articulation, intonation and pitch are impeccable, whether she's lightly swinging in Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Triste" or trilling like a rare tropical bird in Ary Barroso's "Aquarela do Brasil." In the latter song, which translates as "Watercolor of Brazil" but is known the world over simply as "Brazil," Regina draws from warm and cool colors in her vocal palette. As if applying fine brush strokes of paint, she reveals the harmonious relationship among the earth, sea and air. In doing so, she upholds Barroso's original proclamation of samba-exaltação -- which he introduced in 1939. It was a brand-new musical style embracing Brazil's magnificent beauty.

No outstanding contemporary Brazilian jazz CD would be complete without the kind of percussion-heavy music that is performed in processions, not just during Carnivale season. The opening track, "Batucada," explicitly celebrates African (especially Angolan) people's significant contribution to Brazil. "Batucada" is performed in English by Bebel Gilberto and Vinícius Cantuária. The former is the daughter of João Gilberto -- who alongside Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes founded bossa nova. Bebel Gilberto is a solid star in her own right, possessing a honeyed voice that resonates with mesmerizing elasticity. If her percussive phrasing on "Batucada" does not send one's hips shaking to the beat, one just might need spiritual assistance. No worries there because African-derived spirituality shines through in "Batucada" when Bebel sings joyfully about lighting "a candle for the goddess of the sea." In other words, Iemanjá, a principal orisha in the Candomblé religion, is in the house!

The CD benefits from additional music by Vinícius Cantuária and Bebel Gilberto in the medley of Jobim classics, "One Note Samba"/"The Girl from Ipanema." The medley features prominently in the film, where the paths of the protagonist, Erin Castleton (Hope Davis), and elusive suitor Alan Monteiro (Alan Gelfant) not only intersect but nearly collide at an evening fund-raiser for a Boston aquarium. Whether the listener is familiar with Jobim's interpretation of "One Note Samba" ("Samba De Uma Nota So") or those of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, and other greats, here they are in for another treat. In Cantuária and Gilberto's neo-Brazilian version, one will be intoxicated by Bebel's sassy alto peppered over multi-percussion rhythms including the indigenous berimbau.

The sexy samba segues into their rendition of Jobim's "The Girl from Ipanema" that is as sizzling as the sun which beams on Cristo Redemptor atop Corcovado. Bebel Gilberto breathes new sensuality into a composition that the legendary Astrud Gilberto popularized in the '60s. No disrespect to Astrud, here. Not only was she wedded to bossa nova giant João Gilberto, but also she immortalized the song by lending her devil-may-care vocals to an innocent portrait of a windswept beauty who is unaware that she has an aphrodisiac effect on men. In Astrud Gilberto's rendition (not included on this CD), she delivers a hazy, breathless, early-morning-nasal performance that evokes the kind of post-coital cigarette scene in French New Wave films of the '60s. In Vinicius Cantuária and Bebel Gilberto's nicotine-free, thong-popping Gen X rendition, Bebel breathes new life into the song as if the subject is a confident, modern-day woman strutting down Ipanema's pristine beach and eliciting sighs from every man she passes.

For all of you Astrud Gilberto fans out there, please do not cringe. The legend is well-represented on Jobim and Gene Lees' "Corcovado (Quiet Night of Quiet Stars)" and "Stay." She sounds a bit languorous rather than inspired in "Corcovado" but switches gears in "Stay," where she livens up the atmosphere by inviting her man to "make sex with music." The way Astrud Gilberto's laid-back vocals wind in and out of the bossa nova rhythms, which are accented by vibes and drums played in counterpoint, she could have been solely responsible for the Baby Buster generation. Though, "Stay" does have a reliable rhythm method.

Scenes from Next Stop Wonderland that feature "Stay" are apropos because they show the melancholy night nurse Erin abandoning her intuition and survival instincts for a malaria patient who entices her to enter into a Brazilian-bound tryst. Her obsessive, bouquet-bearing suitor, an ethnomusicologist named Andre de Silva (portrayed with beguiling charm by José Zúñiga), who previously had attracted her by singing bossa nova lyrics in her ear, now wins her heart by apologizing for forgetting to bring fried-fish as a sacrificial offering to Iemanjá. (That pickup line paired with his seductive expression had me fumbling for the remote in order to rewind the DVD.)

The CD's glaring omission is Sarah Vaughan's superb interpretation of the Jobim composition "Wake," which is heard during the first half of the rolling credits at the end of Next Stop Wonderland. The fact that water figures prominently in the movie is what makes the omission egregious. Here are at least five reasons that the song "Wake" serves as a metaphor in the film: 1) Scenes on and near the river in Boston and at the aquarium are crucial to the plot; 2) the main suitor, Alan, is a plumber and an aspiring marine biologist; 3) there are direct and oblique references to Iemanjá, the Candomblé orisha that rules the sea; 4) figuratively speaking, the main character, Erin, is like a fish out of water when it comes to the dating scene because she was dumped by her environmental-activist boyfriend; and 5) the place where Erin longs to be because it reminds her of a happier time vacationing with her father -- Brazil -- is located oceans away. And perhaps this was an inadvertent metaphor on the part of the filmmaker, but this reviewer would like to believe that the inclusion of "Wake" in the movie -- albeit at its conclusion -- also symbolizes Erin's need to face her grief over her father's death, and the death of dreams she had while he was alive, while allowing his undying love to aid her in rediscovering the happiness that she buried with him.

Without the lush orchestration and sensuality of bossa nova and samba, the film Next Stop Wonderland would have retained its comedic elements but lost its bittersweet charm, cosmopolitan sophistication and understated sexuality. Standing on its own, the CD is a wonderful portrait of Brazil's musical past and present -- light and bouncy at one end of the spectrum, bodacious at the other end, but overall an authentic Brazilian jazz experience.

Real music for a change.......2006-11-11

If you love jazz and bossa nova (in other words real music) this is the CD for you. Great music and great musicians.

BES TBOSSA NOVA CD.......2005-05-24

I went to watch the movie which a really did not like but the music was exceptional. This is the best BOssa Nova cd I have ever listened to. It has been years since I got it and I still listen regularly. All my friends who listen to it are buyinmg it. I recommand it A++++++++

Stellar.......2004-10-18

Just the perfect mix of jazz and love songs for both small functions or cocktail hour with friends. Astrud Gilberto's music alone makes this a worthwhile compilation of excellent Brazillian Samba Music. It's as if someone chose the best vintage Brazillian jazz and put it on one CD. By the way, the movie that accompany's this soundtrack is pretty good too!

An excellent compilation.......2003-07-03

I've never seen the movie, so I don't know how well the music is integrated in the film, but the music itself is quite superb. It presents a pretty even mixture of new and old Brazillian music. The best song, in my opinion, is "Batucada" sung by Babel Gilberto and Vinicius Cantuaria - his voice is like silk. This song is worth the CD alone. The percussion is excellent. You also get a lot of music on this CD. If you're looking for a primer on Bossa Nova this is a good selection.

Average customer rating:

The Best Rock and Roll Album of all time gets better.
Fantastic remaster of the Who's finest sounding LP
5 stars for the ORIGINAL album!
WHO'S NEXT......A ROCK EPIC THAT WOULD INFLUENCE ALL ROCK MUSIC THEN AND STILL DOES AND WELL INTO THE FUTURE.........
it's best to forget "lifehouse"

Who's Next (Deluxe Edition)
The Who
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live At Leeds [Deluxe Edition]
Tommy
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ASIN: B00008LOS1
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Baba O'Riley
Bargain
Love Ain't For Keeping
My Wife
The Song Is Over
Getting In Tune
Going Mobile
Behind Blue Eyes
Won't Get Fooled Again
Baby Don't You Do It (Bonus Track)
Getting In Tune (Bonus Track)
Pure And Easy (Bonus Track)
Love Ain't For Keeping (Bonus Track)
Behind Blue Eyes (Bonus Track)
Won't Get Fooled Again (Bonus Track)

Tracks:

Love Ain't For Keeping (Live At The Young Vic)
Pure And Easy (Live At The Young Vic)
Young Man Blues (Live At The Young Vic)
Time Is Passing (Live At The Young Vic)
Behind Blue Eyes (Live At The Young Vic)
I Don't Even Know Myself (Live At The Young Vic)
Too Much (Live At The Young Vic)
Of Anything (Live At The Young Vic)
Getting In Tune (Live At The Young Vic)
Bargain (Live At The Young Vic)
My Generation (Live At The Young Vic)
(I'm A) Road Runner (Live At The Young Vic)
Naked Eye (Live At The Young Vic)
Won't Get Fooled Again (Live At The Young Vic)

Amazon.com

The success of Who's Next and its slate of classic-rock tracks has often obscured its true roots--Lifehouse, the unwieldy multi-media project that Pete Townshend originally concocted as the follow-up to Tommy. Variously informed by apocalyptic visions, sci-fi notions of interconnectivity that neatly presaged the internet and, of course, an unwavering conviction that rock & roll would save the world, the core tracks of the sprawling Lifehouse were recorded, cut, re-recorded and finally boiled down into a collection that seems to represent as much alienation ("Behind Blue Eyes") and overweening cynicism ("Won't Get Fooled Again") as it does liberation and unity. Aside from Townshend's own self-released, multi-disc meditation on the project, this expanded new edition is the most rewarding attempt to place Lifehouse and the over-exposed classic it spawned in their proper context. Six tracks from the album's original, but abandoned New York sessions flesh out the familiar material, with previously unreleased outtakes of "Getting in Tune" and a revealing, early arrangement of "Won't Get Fooled Again" warranting special note. The second disc documents one of Lifehouse's most quixotic elements with the first-time release of one of the series of concerts staged at London's Young Vic theater during the project's gestation, events during which band and audience would somehow mystically become One. Core tracks from the project are interspersed with typical hard-rocking Who fare of the time, resulting in a show whose focus and dynamics belied something very different from the arena-rock clichés that would eventually overwhelm them. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

Believe it or not, this landmark album, the record that changed FM rock forever in the early-'70s, has never been reissued from the original master tapes...'til now! But that's only the beginning...in addition to the original nine tracks, disc one adds six bonus tracks that were recorded at The Record Plant in March 1971, ('Baby Don't You Do It', 'Getting In Tune', 'Pure and Easy', 'Love Ain't For Keeping', Behind Blue Eyes' & 'Won't Get Fooled Again') three of which have never been available and the other three of which are here in their full-length versions for the first time. Then disc two captures a largely-unreleased April 26, 1971 gig at London's Old Vic Theatre (including the previously unreleased tracks - 'Love Ain't For Keeping', 'Pure And Easy', 'Young Man Blues', 'Time Is Passing', 'Behind Blue Eyes', 'I Don't Even Know Myself', 'Too Much Of Anything', 'Getting In Tune', 'Bargain', 'My

Customer Reviews:

The Best Rock and Roll Album of all time gets better........2007-07-21

If you love The Who then this disc set is a must own.

If you love Rock & Roll then this disc set is a must own.

If you have a pulse then this disc set is a must own.

Fantastic remaster of the Who's finest sounding LP.......2007-05-18

The original tracks to Who's Next sound bigger and clearer than ever. Thanks to Glyn Johns production and engineer Jon Astley, Keith Moon's drumming is finally heard in all of it's fire and glory. The bonus tracks are kind of a history lesson of the Life House project. You get the idea on how hard they worked before scrapping Lif House and salvaging the strongest songs. My only peeve with this edition is that they don't include the final mix of "Pure and Easy". That being said, these CDs never leave my CD player. The live show is interesting. The band hasn't quite got "Won't Get Fooled Again" into their DNA yet, so it's a bit scattered. But still, it's the Who in their early 70s prime and they really rock.

5 stars for the ORIGINAL album!.......2007-03-05

No, I'm not going to diss the "expanded" version of this album; if people really think that having the extra tracks adds something to their experience of it, who am I to rain on their parade? But give me the album in it's original form any day! It's length is perfect because it's built so well; kudos to Glyn Johns for getting Pete Townshend to pare down his "Lifehouse" masterwork to a manageable 9 songs that, track for track, stand the test of time. The opening of "Baba O'Riley" looping round and round until the band crashes into the song itself is still a thrill to hear (and, incredibly, that opening was played BY HAND throughout, it was NOT a tape loop! How the *&^% did they DO that?). From there, all the rest, "Bargain," "My Wife," "Behind Blue Eyes," right on through to the final power chord of "Won't Get Fooled Again,"......everything flows perfectly in what was probably The Who's best non-thematic album ever. QUADROPHENIA and TOMMY were grander concepts; THE WHO SELL OUT was a fun vehicle for some great songs; MY GENERATION, A QUICK ONE and BY NUMBERS all had their moments; the less said about WHO ARE YOU, FACE DANCES and IT'S HARD, the better; and LIVE AT LEEDS was, well, live at Leeds. But none of them had the cohesion and, ultimately, the power of WHO'S NEXT at its original length. It truly is "classic rock!"

WHO'S NEXT......A ROCK EPIC THAT WOULD INFLUENCE ALL ROCK MUSIC THEN AND STILL DOES AND WELL INTO THE FUTURE................2007-01-23

Who's Next" U.S. release 8/14/71- U.K. release- 8/25/71. "I do have the 1995 remastered edition of "Who's Next". I wanted to own a copy of the "Yong Vic" concert so I decided to get this deluxe edition. I believe this deluxe edition is remastered from the original "Who's Next master tapes. I hear other people tell me different stories but either way this deluxe edition is a joy to hear as the remastering is exceptional. I had to get this edition once I knew "The Young Vic" concert performed on 4/26/71 was to be on disc two. I like the fact that The Who played this concert four months before the release of of their masterpiece "Who's Next", playing five of the songs that would be on that lp. The Vic concert does sound a little sloppy and amazingly enlighting but really a great historic live rock recording and makes this deluxe edition a well worth buy. I get a real kick out of hearing "Won't Get Fooled Again" before it was actually released world wide, along with the other four "Who's Next" future releases. Cd one has the New York Record Plant Sessions on tracks 10 to 15 and are a really interesting listen as I always wanted to hear these New York versions before they were originally rejected for the albums final release. The linear notes have been updated since the 1995 edition. Fm radio has played most of the "Who's Next" song list out, but not enough to over play this masterpiece. This cd delux edition makes "Who's Next" sound brilliantly fresh and new. If you dont want to go for the extra money for this deluxe edition, just stick to the 1995 single remastered cd, either way you wont be dissapointed...........

it's best to forget "lifehouse".......2007-01-04

Real Who fans already own "who's next". What many people don't realize is that "who's next" should have been a double album called Lifehouse. Lifehouse is the missing grail of rock music because it would have been without a doubt the greatest rock album ever recorded and released had the Who bothered to release it. Those who want to know why it was not released will have to read a good biography of the Who, probably the Dave Marsh bio. This isn't Lifehouse, but it does have the long, complete version of "Baby, don't you do it" , and is worth buying for cd 2, The who live at the young vic, in which they perform mostly songs considered for lifehouse. the performance is ragged, a little sloppy, like they needed more rehearsal, but still glorious and thus necessary for real Who fans, so real fans, Buy it!

The Next Best Thing: Music From The Motion Picture

Average customer rating:

Boom Boom Ba is very sexy!
Great CD. Very Ambient.
Not Bad
Surprisingly Good...
Sunset Music!!

The Next Best Thing: Music From The Motion Picture
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Maverick
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004GOVT
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

Boom Boom Ba - Metisse
Bongo Bong - Manu Chao
Don't Make Me Love You ('Till I'm Ready) - Christina Aguilera
American Pie - Madonna
This Life - MandaLay
If Everybody Looked The Same - Groove Armada
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? - Moby
I'm Not In Love - Olive
Stars All Seem To Weep - Beth Orton
Time Stood Still - Madonna
Swayambhu - Solar Twins
Forever And Always - Gabriel Yared

Amazon.com

The obvious centerpiece to this soundtrack is Madonna's hyperkinetic version of Don McLean's 1971 postmortem rock anthem "American Pie." Capturing the bittersweet intentions of the original, Madonna and producer William Orbit create a forlorn dreamscape of dance beats and floating electronica effects that serve to update the sentimental war horse. The entire soundtrack has a futuristic sheen. Thick washes of reverb, ethereal keyboards, and swooping tones create the illusion of space travel throughout. Previously released tunes deserving of headline status include Moby's unusually soulful "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad," which cleverly updates a classic '60s soul groove to modern effect. A highlight from Beth Orton's Central Reservation, "Stars All Seem to Weep," fits like a missing piece of the puzzle. Previously unreleased tracks from Christina Aguilera, Maverick recording artists Olive (who cover 10cc's "I'm Not in Love"), and Madonna's "Time Stood Still," another fruitful collaboration with William Orbit, round things out. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

Boom Boom Ba is very sexy!.......2007-01-10

I bought this album for the cut "Boom Boom Ba". As far as I know it's not available anywhere else. The 5 stars are mostly for this cut.

Great CD. Very Ambient........2005-11-24

Very ambient. American Pie just has the best production values. The Moby song is excellent as are all the others except Christina Agularas, which sounds out of place in the midst of the other songs.

Not Bad.......2005-06-17

World beat, dance pop, moody electronica and dance floor shakers all come together for a fun and entertaining hour or so. And it's a damn sight better than the movie it came from, I can assure you of that. Even the slightly stiff and ham fisted cover of American Pie is forgivable, in light of the nice array of tracks from artists you have heard, and many ( well, most ) that you haven't. The best thing is this album really stands on its own, and doesn't need the awful movie it came from to prop it up.

Surprisingly Good..........2005-05-01

This is one of those cds that a lot of people will buy for one song and end up loving the rest of the album. The album seems to have a theme: sophistocated and symphnonic (but obscure) Euro-tronic music. Of course, the main track is Madonna's "American Pie", her performance of which is worthy to be compared to the original, but almost every other song is great too. "Boom Boom Ba" is addictive and catchy and excells as the album-opener. Things are enhanced when Moby enteres the scene with his soul-influenced, beautiful oddball "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad" and the two tracks by Olive and Beth Orton are very entertaining, whilst the interesting "Bongo Bong" gives you something you're very likely to NOT have heard: what sounds like one of the Chipmunks "rapping" which adds humor and life to the album, as does the delightfully bouncy (and catchy) track by Christina Aguilera. The album finishes peacefully with the Gabriel Yared track. But the very best song on the album and the one worth buying the album solely for is Madonna's stunning "Time Stood Still", a rollercoaster of emotional lyrics and sweeping strings and melodious electronica. Produced by William Orbit, the song is straight out of "Ray of Light", thoug for some ridiculous reason, the song was left off the album. Starting quietly, "Time Stood Still" snares your attention and before you know it, a beautiful, soaring climax that defies genre-boundaries is flooding your ears. Definitely worth the price of the album alone.
The reason, however, that this album only received 4 stars from me is the fault of the Christina Aguilera track, which, despite being a decent and fun song, seems to corrupt the musical theme and direction of the album. The other reason is the Solar Twins track, which eerily goes nowhere throughout the song and unnecessarily takes up time space. A song like it shouldn't have been on the album period, but it's followed by the equally mellow (without the eeriness) Gabriel Yared track, and by the time both songs are finished, the upbeat moments of the album seem like just a memory.
So, in conclusion, if you buy this just for the Madonna tracks, there are very good chances you will enjoy most of, if not all of, the rest of the album. And despite the two theme inconsistencies I just mentioned, I guess the more broad listener would argue "There's something for everyone." Either way, I highly recommend the album, especailly the two Madonna tracks.

Sunset Music!!.......2002-09-02

This soundtrack has become a favorite! It has a few upbeat and funky songs with different musical sound, as well as some very soothing and relaxing sounds. I play this music every night when we are sitting outside on the river eating dinner, at sunset time, and it compliments the atmosphere so well!! All of our guests ask what CD this is, and they love it also. Is has funky yet sophisticated style that can be played start to finish without stopping. A must have for every household!!

Average customer rating:

Best CD ever
Kent Bills and Coos
Stacey Kent - "The Boy Next Door"
Refreshing!
Stacey Kent

The Boy Next Door
Stacey Kent
Manufacturer: Candid Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Collection

ASIN: B00009YOUO
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Tracks:

THE BEST IS YET TO COME
THE BOY NEXT DOOR
THE TROLLEY SONG
SAY IT ISN'T SO
TOO DARN HOT
MAKIN' WHOOPPEE
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE
YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND
I GOT IT BAD
OOH-SHOOBEE-DOO-BEE
PEOPLE WILL SAY WE'RE IN LOVE
'TIS AUTUMN
ALL I DO (IS DREAM OF YOU)
I GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU VERY WELL
YOU'RE THE TOP
BOOKENDS

Customer Reviews:

Best CD ever.......2007-05-12

I love Stacy Kents voice and the combination of her voice with her husbands Sax is amazing and soothing.......It has been my travel CD to and from work for a month now. Just cannot stop listening to it.
It is really one of Stacy Kents best.

Kent Bills and Coos.......2007-03-05

"The Boy Next Door," by American-born British songster Stacey Kent, is a collection of songs associated with singers she admires, from Tony Bennett to Frank Sinatra. She's into jazz and pop, even a little light rock, and jazzy pop; her light,clear voice makes light work of them all, too, though, oddly enough, every single inspiration Kent cites in this album is male. Never mind, she opens on a jazzy take of Tony Bennett's version of Coleman and Leigh's "The Best Is Yet To Come," and flirts with Ray Charles' rocking "Makin' Whoopee." Does a lovely version of James Taylor's homespun "You've Got a Friend," by Carole King. Detours to Broadway with "People Will Say We're In Love," by Rogers and Hammerstein, as done by the big voice of Gordon MacRae. Borrows Cole Porter's "You're The Top" from the illustrious cabaret artist Bobby Short. However, Louis Armstrong's "I Got It Bad," as recorded by Duke Ellington, may have been a mistake for her. That song's been recorded by some of the biggest, baddest girls in jazz, and Kent may be a trifle light of voice, and light in the life experience department, to be trying to compete with them. But, all in all, you could almost say that in this album, at least, she makes a virtue of not writing her own material.

The album, as arranged and produced by her English husband Jim Tomlinson, who also plays saxophone and backs her on vocals, is a charmer. Kent's voice, and that of Tomlinson's sax, bill and coo like honeymooners. I've been lucky enough to catch them in person a couple of times, and what charming evenings they were.

Stacey Kent - "The Boy Next Door".......2007-01-09

Wonderful songs from a singer with a natural jazz voice.

Refreshing!.......2007-01-03

I only recently discovered Stacey Kent after wearing out Dianna Krall, Harry Connick Jr., Nora Jones, etc. and I couldn't be more pleased! I can't get enough of her marvelous verbal articulation, clear voice, and playful lyrics. Every word is understandable and her unique voice is an absolute pleasure. I highly recommend this disk as I think it is probably one of her best.

Stacey Kent.......2006-03-03

Stacey Kent is well-known to audio manias in Japan.
I think this CD's sound quality is pretty good.

If you don't know a Japanese singer, Natsukawa Rimi,
I advise you to listen to her CDs.

Search now @ Amazon.com now!

Album Review:

Album Review

album review

Album Review

Carryin on [Import]

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Hungarian Rhapsodies 2 & 11 / Etude En Forme Valse

Music: Skyway

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Jonathan Edwards

Good Morning Exercises for Kids

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Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard

Estar de Moda, No Esta de Moda

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Romantic Harp

Un Regard 9