Call them cute, call them clever, but don't call them kitschy. The Dutch duo Arling and Cameron are serious about frivolity. The pair "sample themselves" by playing all their own instruments then shaping melodies around bits of their own recordings, resulting in totally original, grin-bearing dance tracks. Using the occasional outsourced sample only as coloring, All In should satisfy those who have little faith in the integrity of sample-heavy dance music. It's high modern art and kindergarten fodder rolled into one. --Beth Massa
Amazon.com
The jet on the cover of Gerry Arling and Richard Cameron's first domestic release is no accident: they're internationalists all the way, importing whatever kinds of pop fit into their ideal of the perfect plastic dance. All In is packed full of slogans, prefabrications, and found fragments of kitsch (like the two Asian girls who pop up every few tracks to cheer, "We love dancing--yaaay!") and is as manipulative, ingeniously simple, and adorable as the Teletubbies, but with a lot more double-entendre. Will some double-time breakbeats make a song more likable? How about Hawaiian slide guitar? Easy-listening strings? Eurodisco bass? Cartoon whistling and vibes? Dub effects? Cut-up hard-rock riffs? In they go. It's a soufflé of a record, utterly lightweight and precariously yummy. --Douglas Wolk
All-In,Arling & Cameron,Emperor Norton,Club/Dance,Dance Music,Pop,Popular Music,Rock/Pop,Trip-Hop
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Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack)
Jay Blackton , Charlotte Greenwood , Shirley Jones , Gene Nelson , Gloria Grahame , Rod Steiger , James Whitmore , and Gordon MacRae Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005A7XB Release Date: 2001-03-13 |
Tracks:
- Overture - Rodgers & Hammerstein
- Main Title - Rodgers & Hammerstein
- Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae
- The Surrey With The Fringe On Top - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood
- Kansas City - Gene Nelson/Charlotte Greenwood/Men's Chorus
- Kansas City Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
- I Cain't Say No - Gloria Grahame
- Many A New Day - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
- Many A New Day Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
- People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon McaRae/Shirley Jones
- Pore Jud Is Daid - Gordon MacRae/Rod Steiger
- Out Of My Dreams - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
- Out Of My Dreams Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
- Entr' Acte - Rodgers & Hammerstein
- The Farmer And The Cowman - Gordon MacRae/Charlotte Greenwood/Gene Nelson/J.C. Flippen/James Whitmore/Gloria Grahame...
- The Farmer And The Cowman Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
- All Er Nuthin' - Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson
- All Er Nuthin' Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
- People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones
- Oklahoma - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
- Finale: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
- Overture (LP Version) - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Customer Reviews:
Okalahoma.......2007-07-17
MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation.......2007-03-16
Despite being a Hollywood star, Gordon MacRae performs the part of Curly as if he was born to play it even on the stage. He shines vocally in his renditions of Oh, what a Beautiful Mornin' and Surrey with the Fringe on Top. He is well-partnered by Shirley Jones as a fresh and pert Laurey, lending her beautiful voice to the part. Although we don't hear much of her on this soundtrack, her partnering MacRae in People Will Say We're in Love exudes a masterful chemistry, as if they were setting sparks off at each other in their rendition of the song. Gene Nelson makes a dashing Will Parker and is equally well-matched by Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie. Grahame renders I Cain't Say No splendidly and partners Nelson in All er Nothin'. The supporting cast is filled out by Charlotte Greenwood's suitably caustic Aunt Eller and Rod Steiger's Jud. It's a pity that the film cut the song Lonely Room, otherwise Steiger would have better demonstrated the dark hues of the character of Jud. Yet it all adds up to a wonderful renditionh of this classic musical, enough to elicit a spontaneous YEOW! during this year of the Oklahoma centenary.
This EMI-Angel reissue offers one the advantage of the dance music and the main titles. This means that the listener gets the Kansas City and Farmer and the Cowman dance sequences, as well as the extended Dream Ballet. The only downside is the extraneous sound effects lifted from a DVD copy of the movie. Yes I share many of your sentiments that these sound effects tend to grate, and long for Didier Deutsch to have used the original untainted studio vault versions. However, let's at least be thankful that the CD producers have offered us a more comprehensive version of the Oklahoma soundtrack that we could only have dreamt of in the past.
In short, this is a wonderful and valuable addition to the R&H discography, and is an equally celebrated rendition of the score like the original Broadway cast recording. Warmly recommended to those who seek even their first version of Oklahoma.
Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best!.......2007-03-06
The CD is flawless and, in my opinion, there's nothing better than a Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical for music, lyrics and pure joy! This is the best!
Wonderful.......2007-01-30
Beauiful.......2006-06-05
Other classics not to forget about are:
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
The Wizard of Oz
Chitty Chitty Bang Band
The first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Sound of Music
Oliver
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Singing in the Rain
The Wiz
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Grease
The King and I
Oklahoma
The Music Man
South Pacific
My Voice Students are always asking me for recommendations so I though I'd post it for all! We can't forget about these great musicals!
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I'm in the Mood For Love...The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time
Kenny G Manufacturer: Arista ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000IOM1QY Release Date: 2006-11-14 |
Tracks:
- You're Beautiful
- The Way We Were
- Yesterday
- I'm In The Mood For Love
- If
- The Way You Look Tonight
- If I Ain't Got You
- Love Theme From "Romeo & Juliet"
- It Had To Be You
- The Shadow Of Your Smile
- Fly Me To The Moon / You Make Me Feel So Young
- As Time Goes By
- You Raise Me Up
Amazon.com
I'm in the Mood for Love...The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time is Kenny G's twist on the trend that's found artists, from Rod Stewart to Gladys Knight to Barry Manilow, repurposing classics for modern consumption. Or is it? A scan of the track selection is as likely to get listeners wondering whether he's covered these songs before as it is to drum up curiosity about how they'll sound spiraling out of his signature sax. For instance: silky as "The Way We Were," the Barbra Streisand chestnut, comes across, it stirs a sense of déjà vu as much as wonderment; as does the Sinatra medley "Fly Me to the Moon/You Make Me Feel So Young." Such familiarity is without doubt the product of impeccable taste and a seasoned ear--somebody, whether it's Kenny G or a behind-the-scenes studio type, knows what works for the curly-topped jazzman and what's better left un-saxed. Still, such scrutiny can make for a disc that's aurally matchy-match; a stab at an out-there number--Etta James' "At Last" or U2's "With or Without You"--might have worked, too. That said, hats off to the G-man for pronouncing a couple of recent hits among the most romantic of all time: Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You" deserves it especially, and is mesmerizing here. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
Never Disappointed.......2007-07-27
A Romantic CD to Listen With a Loved One..........2007-05-29
Highlights include "You're Beautiful", "Yesterday", "I'm in the Mood for Love", The Way You Look Tonight, & an interesting version of Alicia Keys's "If I Aint Got You" (however alto saxman Eric Darius's version is better).
The surprise tracks however is "The Shadow of Your Smile" & "Fly Me to the Moon/You Make Me Feel So Young". The former has a bossa nova favor to it while the latter is done behind a big band.
This album will not appear to everyone; most purists & anti-Kenny G people won't touch this with a 39 1/2 foot pole. For the rest of us, this is great for those nights with that special someone.
Getting In The Mood.......2007-05-29
just sit back and enjoy.......2007-05-26
As good as ever.......2007-02-11
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Battlestar Galactica: Season One
Daniel McGrew , Ken Stacey , Lillis Ó Laoire , Melanie Henley Heyn , Michael Now , and Raya Yarbrough Manufacturer: La-La Land Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0009Q0F5U Release Date: 2005-06-21 |
Tracks:
- Prologue
- Main Title (US Version)
- Helo Chase
- The Olympic Carrier
- Helo Rescued
- A Good Lighter
- The Thousandth Landing
- Two Funerals
- Starbuck Takes On All Eight
- Forgiven
- The Card Game
- Starbuck On The Red Moon
- Helo In the Warehouse
- Baltar Speaks With Adama
- Two Boomers
- Battlestar Operatica
- The Dinner Party
- Battlestar Muzaktica
- Baltar Panics
- Boomer Flees
- Flesh And Bone
- Battle On The Asteroid
- Wander My Friends
- Passacaglia
- Kobol's Last Gleaming
- Destiny
- The Shape Of Things To Come
- Bloodshed
- Re-Cap
- Main Title (UK Version)
Album Description
Presenting the original soundtrack from the first season of Sci Fi Channel's critically acclaimed, top-rated television series starring Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Katee Sackhoff. Composer Bear McCreary's dynamic score ingeniously melds orchestra, vocals and synth into an emotional experience that ranges from full-throttle action to soul-stirring drama. Packed with more than 78 minutes of music, this is a comprehensive collection of the very best musical moments from this amazing sci-fi drama's first season. Features both U.S. and U.K. main title themes and includes exclusive liner notes.Customer Reviews:
Good companion for Battlestar Fans.......2007-05-07
Captures the feel of the show.......2007-04-11
Awesome Soundtrack.......2007-04-11
BSG.......2007-04-10
Agree with everyone else.......2007-03-28
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The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings
Howard Shore Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BNI90O Release Date: 2005-12-13 |
Tracks:
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Prologue: One Ring ...
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Shire
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Bag End (Featuring ...)
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Very Old Friends
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Flaming Red Hair
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Farewell Dear Bilbo
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Keep It Secret, Keep ...
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/A Conspiracy Unmasked
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Three Is Company
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Passing of the Elves
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Saruman the White
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/A Shortcut to Mushrooms
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Strider
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Nazgul ...
Tracks:
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Weathertop
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Caverns of Isengard
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Give Up the Halfling
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Orthanc
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Rivendell
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Sword That Was ...
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Council of ...
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Great Eye
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Gilraen's Memorial
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Pass of Caradhras
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Doors of Durin
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Moria
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Gollum
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Balin's Tomb
Tracks:
- Khazad-Dum
- Caras Galadhon (featuring Lament for Gandalf, performed by Elizabeth Fraser)
- The Mirror of Galadriel
- The Fighting Uruk-hai
- Parth Galen
- The Departure of Boromir
- The Road Goes Ever On (part 1)
- May It Be (composed and performed by Enya)
- The Road Goes Ever On (part 2. featuring In Dreams, perfomed by Edward Ross)
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Khazad-D
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Caras Galadhon ...
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Mirror of Galadriel
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Fighting Uruk-Hai
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Parth Galen
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Departure of Boromir
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever ...
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/May It Be
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever ...
Amazon.com
As fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy know, each film exists in two versions: the theatrical one and the extended one that appeared on DVD. This luxurious box set--which also comes with a detailed essay on the movie's musical themes--features the full extended score, so many cues not on the CDs of the individual movies are included. Granted, the majority of listeners will be perfectly happy with the shorter versions of the scores--it's a safe bet that most people can live without hearing, say, Ian McKellen's 35-second-long ditty "The Road Goes Ever On" at the beginning of "Bag End," or Viggo Mortensen's performance of his own composition, "The Song of Lúthien," within the track "The Nazgûl." But if you're a completist and/or a devotee of Howard Shore's pounding tympani and overwhelming choral compositions (featured particularly prominently on disc 3, a large chunk of which is devoted to a battle scene), then this set is a dream come true. Audiophiles should note that the fourth disc, a DVD, offers the score in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Fire up those speakers so the whole shire can hear. --Elisabeth VincentelliAlbum Description
An epic film score receives epic treatment with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings. Released for the first time on CD, the complete score for the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy contains more than 180 minutes of music on three CDs plus a DVD-Audio disc of the entire score in Surround Sound. Breathtaking and majestic, the 2001 Oscar and Grammy winning score compsted by Howard Shore also includes Enya's Oscar nominated "May It Be." For fans of any of The Lord of the Rings films, the Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings is an essential experience.Customer Reviews:
Beautiful.......2007-06-15
Awesome.......2007-06-12
Excellent Music tracks from Movie.......2007-05-03
Complete?.......2007-04-07
Great Collection, Poor Packaging.......2007-04-03
My only complaint is the somewhat flimsy cardboard box that houses the contents of this musical treasure. Mine came damaged, and considering the price, I expected better packaging. This is a minor quabble on my part and NO, I havent returned it due to the fact that the music itself Is what I truly treasure, It just would have been nicer to have recieved it undamaged.
Music-5
Packaging-3
*for the record I had rated this Item 5 stars not the 3 stars that is showing at the top of my review*
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Hymn to Love: All Her Greatest Songs in English
Edith Piaf Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000C8WYE Release Date: 2004-02-24 |
Tracks:
- Hymn To Love
- One Little Man
- La Vie En Rose (Version Anglaise)
- Chante Moi (Version Anglaise)
- Simply A Waltz
- My God
- Don't Cry
- Autumn Leaves
- I Shouldn't Care
- The Three Bells
- 'Cause I Love You
- My Lost Melody
- Heaven Have A Mercy
- No Regrets
- Lovers For A Day (Live)
- Heureuse (Live)
Amazon.com
Frankly, it feels a bit weird to listen to Edith Piaf perform in English. There aren't many singers so associated with a country as Piaf is with France. And yet she did record some of her hits in English in an attempt to facilitate her career in the United States. While newcomers to the singer's oeuvre should start with her French albums, this CD is fascinating for advanced Piaf listeners. Most of the sides were cut 1950 and show Piaf in fine vocal form on tracks such as "La vie en rose" (she switched from English to French for the title) and "Autumn Leaves" ("Les feuilles mortes"), a strangely compelling hybrid that alternates between French and English. Piaf was certainly more at ease singing in French, but her charismatic sense of drama could break through in just about any language. --Elisabeth VincentelliAlbum Details
Digitally Remastered Collection of the "Little Songbird's" Hits that She Re-recorded in English.Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Piaf!.......2007-07-27
All of Edith in English...I prefer the French of course, but hearing her in English at least give me some base of what the songs mean...plus her accent is precious...what a wonderfully talented voice...heartbreaking!!
Huge surprise!.......2007-05-12
Better in French.......2007-01-06
Handy reference for lyric meanings in English.......2005-12-13
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TV Land Presents: Favorite TV Theme Songs
Cyndi Grecco , and Jones, Jack Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006EXIL Release Date: 2002-08-20 |
Tracks:
- I Love Lucy Theme - Wilbur Hatch
- Dragnet - Ray Anthony
- The Twilight Zone - Rod Open
- Bonanza - Al Caiola & His Orchestra
- The Andy Griffith Theme - Earle Hagen
- The Ballad Of Jed Clampett - Earl Scruggs
- The Addams Family (Main Theme) - Vic Mizzy
- Munsters Theme - Jack Marshall
- The Ballad Of Gilligan's Isle - Morton Stevens
- Green Acres - Eddie Albert
- Jeannie - Hugo Montenegro
- Batman Theme - Neal Hefti
- (Theme From) The Monkees - The Monkees
- Star Trek (Main Title & Closing Theme) - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Mannix - Lalo Schifrin
- Hawaii Five-O - Mort Stevens & His Orchestra
- Theme From The Brady Bunch - The Brady Bunch
- Come On Get Happy - The Partridge Family
- Those Were The Days - Carroll O'Connor
- And Then There's Maude - Donny Hathaway
- Good Times - Jim Gilstrap
- Movin' On Up - Oren Waters
- The Rockford Files - Mike Post
- Them From S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage
- Happy Days - Pratt & McClain
- Making Our Dreams Come True - Cyndi Grecco
- Chico And The Man - Jose Feliciano
- Welcome Back - John Sebastian
- What's Happening!! - Henry Mancini
- Barney Miller - Jack Elliott
- Charlie's Angels - Jack Elliott
- Love Boat Theme - Jack Jones
- Angela (Theme From 'Taxi') - Bob James
- It Takes Diff'rent Strokes - Gloria Loring
- Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) - Waylon
- Theme From Magnum, P.I. - Mike Post
- The Theme From Hill Street Blues - Mike Post
- Theme From Dynasty - Bill Conti
- Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not) - Joey Scarbury
- Thank You For Being A Friend - Cynthia Fee
Album Description
TV Land brings you 40 of your favorite evening show theme songs. Highlights include 'Happy Days', 'The Greatest American Hero', 'Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)', 'Laverne & Shirley', 'I Dream Of Jeanie', 'I Love Lucy', 'Welcome Back, Kotter', 'The Love Boat', 'Hawaii Five-O', 'The Golden Girls' and many, many more. 2002. Rhino.Customer Reviews:
good memories for me and fun "new" songs for my children.......2007-06-27
memories.......2007-02-22
TV Theme Songs.......2007-01-13
TV themes.......2006-07-05
Deja Vu.......2006-02-17
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The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000I0XW Release Date: 1999-06-01 |
Tracks:
- The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera
- Song & Dance: Unexpected Song
- Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'enfance
- The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You
- Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina
- Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall
- Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything
- Friends For Life
- Cats: Memory
- Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat
- Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely
- Cats: Macavity: The Mystery Cat
- Tell Me On A Sunday/Song & Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday
- The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
- Requiem: Pie Jesu
- The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night
Amazon.com essential recording
Sarah Brightman's career was launched by her success in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, so it's no surprise to hear the soprano paying homage to the composer on this disc. Really a Brightman best-of, the album includes the Phantom theme (a duet with Michael Crawford), the light-opera fare of "Chanson D'enfance" from Aspects of Love, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" from Evita, and numerous other Lloyd Webber classics. Throughout, Brightman's diminutive voice lends a fragility to these musical theater tunes that you'll either love or despise. On Evita's "Another Suitcase, Another Hall" and Cats' "Memory," she literally chirps through the vocal lines. No matter. The growing legion of Brightman fans wouldn't have it any other way. --Jason VerlindeAlbum Details
Another Compilation of Stage Favourites - Some Tracks Are Hard to Find Elsewhere.Customer Reviews:
The Andrew Lloyd Weber Collection.......2007-05-12
Andrew Lloyd Webber .......2007-02-12
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.......2007-01-05
The Best You'll See from Sarah.......2006-09-09
I also recommend Charlotte Church - (in her earlier career) - including Voice of an Angel and her self-titled album. I also recommend Love Changes Everything - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection Vol.2 - just another grouping of Webber's classics. I also recommend Andrea Boucelli - he's awesome!
The Angel of Music.......2006-03-13
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All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Explosions in the Sky Manufacturer: Temporary Residence ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000MCH54K Release Date: 2007-02-20 |
Tracks:
- The Birth And Death Of The Day
- Welcome, Ghosts
- It's Natural To Be Afraid
- What Do You Go Home To?
- Catastrophe And The Cure
- So Long, Lonesome
Amazon.com
Sometimes Explosions in the Sky start with a whisper and end with a scream, but on "Birth and Death of the Day", they begin with a scream and proceed into a symphonic odyssey that Aaron Copland might have composed if he'd played electric guitar. Like Copland, EITS are cinematic, but with more kinetic drive than any film--except maybe Koyaanisqatsi--could match. Compositions like "It's Natural to Be Afraid" take you on epic journeys that roar like a Harley Davidson one minute and slip into taut contemplation the next, using the slow-tension build that EITS have perfected. All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone was produced by John Congleton, who has worked with lo-fi groups like the Roots and the Mountain Goats. That might explain why the album lacks the atmosphere of EITS's monumental The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place and their Friday Night Lights soundtrack. Instead, they rely even more on the arc of their compositions and the integral twin lead guitar lines that never solo but always drive the songs. They can shift from power-chord aggression to the sound of plucked mandolins in an instant. This is progressive rock for people who weren't even born when prog reigned supreme. It's the sound of King Crimson, transmuted through punk and grunge aesthetics. --John DilibertoCustomer Reviews:
All of a sudden I miss you.......2007-07-09
And in "All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone," it sounds like they're creating the soundtrack to some epic, arty movie, kicking off with a bang and heading into more contemplative territory later on. Robust instrumentation and complex, swirling melodies keep it from ever getting dull or stagnant, despite no lyrics or vocals.
It opens with a bang -- the blaze of rumbly guitar like a car revving. But then it explodes into a ringing expanse of exquisite, soaring instrumentation that sounds like a post-rock orchestra... and quiets down into a gentle, rippling melody in the middle... only to blaze back into a determined, ringing melody, and sink back into a gentle rattling ballad.
It's an epic song, with more mood changes and more "highs" than most albums ever achieve in their entirety. And it segues seamlessly into the moody "Welcome Ghosts," with its blasts of percussion over a gentle melody, and into a string of other songs -- pretty acoustic balladry with explosive climaxes, gentle melodies that trickle like water.
It ends with both kinds of music: the tightly wound, upward-spiralling "Catastrophe and the Cure." And the finale is as intimate as the opener was epic, with a tinkly piano and dreamlike riffs smoothly lulling listeners right to the end.
Like any good post-rock album, "All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone" is just like an exploration sketched out through music -- it has rises and falls, exciting moments, lulling peaceful stretches. If they ever made silent movies again, this would be a brilliant soundtrack for some epic, exquisitely-shot movie.
And it's performed with a robust quality that much post-rock doesn't have, not to mention their variety. Despite the lack of pop rhythms, they stick to melodies that hang around in your mind, and vary between ethereality and expansiveness, gentleness and bombastity.
It's especially impressive, because they use only typical rock'n'roll instrumentation. They have some truly brilliant guitar work, with dreamlike stretches or ringing riffs, and explosive, grimy eruptions off bass. There's some solid, smashing percussion, and a few songs have trickles of gentle piano and keyboard under them.
"All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone" is another solid collection of spacey, epic post-rock, and Explosions in the Sky are only getting better. Definitely a good listen.
EITS don't disappoint.......2007-07-04
This album doesn't take too long to hit its stride, with the opening The Birth and Death of the Day serving as a convincing statement of the band's mission. It starts with a relatively placid period of shoegazerish fuzz and fragile microtonalities, expertly building tension before giving way to a midtemp gallop of explosive riffs that hit the mark with devastating effect. The even-better following track, Welcome, Ghosts, is one of the most stirring and exhilirating compositions in the band's already impressive catalogue, with intricate layers of interwoven guitar lines underlain by a pummeling, martial drum performance from Chris Hransky. Taken together, these first two pieces are easily among the best one-two punches I've heard open an album recently, encapsulating all the incendiary songwriting and fearsomely virtuosic musicianship this band can muster.
From there, though, things do get a bit dicey, at least by EITS's lofty standards. It's Natural to Be Afraid, at over thirteen minutes, is the obligatory epic, and anyone who would expect a song that long to have some gratuitous moments would be correct, at least in this case. Granted, the stretches in the song's later going where all three guitarists lock in for a shimmering, Sonic-Youth-on-Steroids style freakout is worth the wait, but I could've done with a little more muscle-flexing and a little less buildup. Similarly, the piano-accented What Do You Go Home To? is a nice enough tune, but lacking in the dynamic range that makes to many EITS songs so memorable. It's stuck in a sort of in-between zone--too long for an interlude, but without enough meat to function as an independent piece.
Fortunately, Catastrophe and the Cure provides a welcome return to form, shifting in scintillating fashion from hard-driving and intense to, er, even more-hard driving and intense, occasionally hovering in minimalist stasis for a brief interlude before leaping back into the fray, with Hransky once again pushing the song further into the stratosphere with his enthusiastic demolition of his drumkit (just check out that ending). Not so fortunately, So Long, Lonesome, is another temperate, piano-driven mood piece that does provide a decent comedown to the sonic maelstrom that preceded it, but the end result is an album that fades away rather than burning out.
That said, while I would have liked a more exciting ending, it's hard to complain when so much quality material preceded it. Overall, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone is yet another excellent album from a band that anyone who gets high on music should check out posthaste if they haven't already. Let's just hope to see a little more progression the next time out.
Holy Moly!.......2007-06-26
Recommendations:
Mono (Japan)
Mogwai
Ovum (japan)
Sonograph
Godspeed you black emperor
not one of my favorites.......2007-06-16
Unfortunately, none of the tunes were very memorable. I found the second cd (with remixes of the songs by artists like jesu and four tet among others) more engaging.
They're still a band with vast potential and I'm still waiting for their next release but I just wasn't pleased with this one.
All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone.......2007-06-07
But does a genre or a band need to grow in order to stay vital? It should seem so, since boredom is the enemy for most discerning listeners, but All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone finds the Texas quartet towering so highly above their peers that the lack of progression hardly matters. Six years after first breaking out, Explosions in the Sky remain on the A-list precisely because they haven't strayed from their patented formula, and why should they? In their self-contained universe, evolution doesn't occur over the course of multiple albums; it happens as we listen, and we return to their music because each song presents a drama in miniature, with meditative lows and exultant highs, and because the stories they tell tremble with emotion that never feels feigned or forced.
Finding differences between All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone and the group's previous two outings is tough, but they're there if you care to look. The sonic building blocks are much the same as on The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place--high-pitched, ringing guitars and stately drums with lots of snare--but this is a more tumultuous record, warding off criticism the band may have suffered for supposedly going soft. "The Birth and Death of the Day" sets the scene perfectly, beginning with a skyward scream before settling down and rising again in a march that feels custom-fitted for a film score. As the intensity builds and the band rocks out for the first time, one can easily picture--literally--explosions in the sky. At the same time, there are few outright surprises; while Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever knocked the blocks out from under our feet at any moment, we can see the climaxes on this album coming a mile away. It's a technique that had me yawning initially, then ultimately taking comfort in the familiarity of these lovely, well-spun tales.
So, then, what's it all about? Explosions in the Sky deal in cautious optimism in an era when most rock musicians think that anything optimistic is lame. The pre-Sept. 11 Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die was oblique and destructive; the post-Sept. 11 The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place was blindingly radiant and uplifting--understandable since, in 2003, many of us in America badly needed succor. If All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone has a message, it's that a little faith in humanity isn't going to save the world, but that's no reason to give up. "What Do You Go Home To?" and "Catastrophe and the Cure" begin with impending doom that, by the end, has vanished in favor of harmoniousness and redemption. "It's Natural to be Afraid" lays out its problems before blasting them away in a cloud of heavy, major-key guitar and crashing cymbals. That these "message tracks" are completely free of words testifies to how instrumental music can speak for itself when it's put into just the right hands.
With All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, I'm now more convinced than ever that the knee-jerk comparison to Godspeed You! Black Emperor isn't going to work anymore. Both bands specialize in tension-and-release instrumental rock, their songs often exceed 10 minutes and they exhibit a grandmother-upsetting range of volumes. But while Godspeed are open detractors of the United States government, there's something unabashedly American about Explosions in the Sky, in a national anthem sort of way. When they were asked to score Friday Night Lights (a film about a Texas high school football team), many fans took it as a slap in the face, believing that setting music to celluloid meant that it couldn't stand alone, but the pairing now makes perfect sense. Like an epic American film, this music sweeps us up with grand gestures and shows us hope amid destruction. We know exactly how it's going to end--the good guys will win and conflicts will be resolved--and that's just fine.
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John Rutter Collection
Rutter , Cambridge Singers , and London Sinfonia Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006LIEZ Release Date: 2002-11-12 |
Tracks:
- For The Beauty Of The Earth
- The Lord Is My Shepherd
- All Things Bright And Beautiful
- Shepherd's Pipe Carol
- The Lord Bless You And Keep You
- Open Thou Mine Eyes
- My True Love Hath My Heart (From Birthday Madrigals)
- Esurientes (From Magnificat)
- Gloria Patri (From Magnificat)
- Out Of The Deep (From Requiem)
- Pie Jesu (From Requiem)
- What Sweeter Music
- A Choral Fanfare
- A Prayer Of St. Patrick
- O Be Joyful In The Lord
- Behold, The Tabernacle Of God
- O Praise The Lord Of Heaven
- A Gaelic Blessing
- Angel's Carol
- Matthew, Mark, Luke And John (From Five Childhood Lyrics)
- Sing A Song Of Sixpence (From Five Childhood Lyrics)
- Go Forth Into The World In Peace
Customer Reviews:
John Rutter Collection is glorious!.......2007-07-23
John Rutter Collection.......2007-02-19
Typically gorgeous Rutter.......2005-12-20
Wonderful!.......2005-12-03
To sample Rutter's best music, this is the one........2005-06-30
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The Essential Yo-Yo Ma
Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000A7Q29G Release Date: 2005-08-16 |
Tracks:
- Prde from Suite No. 1 in G Major for Cello, BWV 1007
- II. Largo from "Winter", Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 from the Four Seasons
- Jesus, bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring), BWV 147
- Schafe kn sicher weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze), BWV 208
- Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake), BWV 645
- The Swan from Carnival of the Animals (Chamber Version)
- Havanaise, Op. 83
- Mtation from Tha
- Liebesfreud Instrumental
- Allegro ben ritmato e deciso from Three Preludes
- Vocalise Vocal
- IV. Allegro from Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 40
- Andante Cantabile for Cello Solo and String Orchestra, Op. posth.
- IV. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto from Quartet No. 1 in G minor for Piano and Strings, Op. 25
- III. Finale. Allegro moderato from Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104
Tracks:
- Cristal
- A lenda do caboclo
- Chega de Saudade Live
- Wapango Live
- Libertango
- Appalachia Waltz Solo Cello Version
- Butterfly's Day Out
- 1B
- Pickin' from Three Pieces for Solo Cello
- Simple Gifts
- The Mission
- Gabriel's Oboe
- The Falls Album Version
- The Eternal Vow from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
- The Cellist of Sarajevo - A Lament in Rondo Form for Solo 'Cello, Op. 12
- Chi passa per'sta strada
- Mido Mountain (Chinese Traditional)
- Mohini (Enchantment)
- Baroque in Rhythm from Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio
- Anything Goes Instrumental
- I Could Have Danced All Night Extended version
Amazon.com
Here are three dozen pieces of music, all played by Yo-Yo Ma, culled from his extensive discography. Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating. It's really a matter of how much Ma loves whatever he plays here, how entirely he becomes involved in it, and what a fine partner he invariably is to other musicians. This collection is a doozy--it is truly "essential." --Robert LevineCustomer Reviews:
pure genius.......2007-05-21
Yo Yo Ma shows to be master of the instrument and his interpretations en technique are pure genius. Everyone should have this album in his (or hers of course) basic classical collection
Another great Yo-Yo Disc.......2007-05-15
first disc great- second a flop.......2007-04-12
Encore.......2007-03-31
The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma.......2007-03-29
Album Review:
- Alone - The 8th Album [Import]
- Anthology...The Complete Hits Collection [Enhanced]
- Arabic Beats [Box set]
- Around the World
- Bangin 3: Progressive Beats
- Bedrock [Explicit Lyrics]
- Camouflage Is Relative
- Chasm [Import]
- Compuphonic
- Dark Angel [CD-single] [Import]
Album Review
Wagner: Götterdämmerung WWV86d; Bruckner: Symphony No3, WAB103
Vol. 1-Giants of the Folk Tradition
Music: Ain't Nobody's Business [Import]
Under Rug Swept [Enhanced] [Import]
Ultimate Classic Country V.2 [Import]