Ground [CD-single]

Product Description
Following up on the success of their newest album, "Storm", Assemblage 23 present their second single from the album "Ground". Similarly arranged like the "Let The Wind Erase Me" single, "Ground" contains three entirely different versions of the title track, along with two single only b-sides. The lyrics and general chord structure of these mixes remain the same as the original, however, they are set to completely different vocals styles and melodies.

Ground,Assemblage 23,Metropolis Records,5"CD Singles,Alternative Dance,Dance Music,Industrial Dance,Neo-Electro,Pop

Average customer rating: Chris Thile and HOW TO LOSE A CROWD An average album ruined by the F word WTF? Do You Like Good Music? Great Bluegrass

How to Grow a Woman from the Ground Chris Thile Manufacturer: Sugarhill [Country] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Live: Duets Reasons Why: The Very Best (CD + DVD) Migrations Shaken by a Low Sound Not All Who Wander Are Lost ASIN: B000GY73HS Release Date: 2006-09-12

Tracks:

1. Watch 'At Breakdown
2. Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground
3. Stay Away
4. O Santo De Polvora
5. Wayside (Back In Time)
6. You're An Angel, And I'm Gonna Cry
7. How To Grow A Woman From The Ground
8. The Beekeeper
9. Brakeman's Blues
10. If The Sea Was Whiskey
11. Cazadero
12. Heart In A Cage
13. I'm Yours If You Want Me
14. The Eleventh Reel

Amazon.com

What goes around, comes around. As the resident rock star in Nickel Creek (contrasting with the trio's more reserved Watkins siblings), mandolinist Chris Thile has sent his music soaring in surprising directions from its bluegrass base. Though this solo release finds him dipping into the songbooks of the White Stripes ("Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground") and the Strokes ("Heart in a Cage"), much of the music sticks closer to tradition than Thile has in recent years. Among the highlights are an uptempo romp through Gillian Welch's "Wayside (Back in Time)," a pretty fair yodel on Jimmie Rodgers's "Brakeman's Blues," the close harmonies of the bluesy "If the Sea Was Whiskey," and Thile's original "You're an Angel and I'm Gonna Cry," classic country weeper. Five of the fourteen cuts are instrumental, with the opening "Watch 'at Breakdown" combining bluegrass instrumentation and jazzy sophistication, and "The Beekeeper" giving Thile's fingers a chance to fly. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Chris Thile and HOW TO LOSE A CROWD.......2007-06-12

Chris Thile and HOW TO LOSE A CROWD!!! Oh my....somehow, one of the best mandolin players to walk this earth puts everyone to sleep again and again. I've seen him 3 times with this band. The crowd starts gathering their chairs and leaving. People are yelling to speed it up and heignores. Why is always the closing band...I have no idea.
I'm bored thinking about it.....

An average album ruined by the F word.......2007-05-29

I agree with Solocoyote's review 100%. Why Chris decided it was necessary to put the F word into this album is beyond me. Did he want to appear tough or to be taken more seriously? It's truly a shame. I loved the last Nickel Creek album (one of the few country-ish groups I enjoy as I mostly listen to alternative music) and thought I would enjoy this CD, too. Some of the songs are really good, especially "You're an Angel, And I'm Gonna Cry." Also, the instrumental tracks are really fun because it allows everybody to go crazy with their instruments. A lot of the songs, though, are boring and uninspired and left me wanting more. "Heart In A Cage" ruins the album for me, though, with unneccessary language. Unfortunately, I'll probably never buy another Thile or Nickel Creek CD because of this. Hopefully, using this word was worth it for him.

WTF?.......2007-05-14

I don't know what to say. I was enjoying this album immensely. Just as much as my NickelCreek albums. Until Chris decided he needed to use the "f" word.

Call me old fashioned but I am incredibly dissapointed that Chris Thile decided to go that far. The music is great but I will not be buying the next Chris Thile album. There is plenty of music out there that does not require me to be guarded about who I play it around.

Do You Like Good Music?.......2007-04-26

Are you kidding me? If you like good music, do yourself a favor and buy this album...and every other anything that Chris Thile has had anything to do with musically. Yes, that's a lot of music. DO IT ANYWAY! If you have an open mind, and tend to know good music when you hear it, get his Deceiver album. It will make you feel like you've discovered another wonder of the world...or the cure to a disease. Turns out it's just music, but it feels like something else...something more.

This isn't good music. This is the best music. Seriously. It will make your heart full, be prepared. Know ahead of time the possible symptoms so you don't mistake them for a medical condition. You will perceive a swelling in your chest, kind of an ache...but the best possible kind. Your body may move uncontrollably. Do not be afraid, these are common side-affects and should be embraced.

To know this music is to love it. If you know it and don't love it, I have nothing to say to you. Go away!

Great Bluegrass.......2007-03-08

I had never heard of Chris Thile until I saw his band doing their rendition of Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground on CMT. Some of the songs are not traditional bluegrass, but they are good jams none-the-less.

Average customer rating:

Sacred Ground David Murray & Black Saint Quartet Manufacturer: Justin Time Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Above and Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids Cornell 1964 Pilgrimage Kids: Duets Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport ASIN: B000PY50ZQ Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

1. Sacred Ground
2. Transitions
3. Pierce City
4. Banished
5. Believe In Love
6. Family Reunion
7. The Prophet Of Doom

Album Description

"Sacred Ground" is a fascinating and important new recording that grew from David Murray's involvement in the acclaimed documentary film, Banished, directed by Marco Williams. Although it's virtually unknown, more than a dozen counties in the U.S. violently expelled thousands of families between the Civil War and the Great Depression. The film - and this recording - explores not only these historical facts, but also the legacy of these events in the communities and for the descendants of the families.

After exploring the themes of the film he'd been asked to score, Murray was inspired - indeed compelled - to dig deeper, and to compose further music. David Murray enlisted poet Ishmael Reed, one of today's pre-eminent African- American literary figures. Reed wrote two poems, performed here by the great Cassandra Wilson.

David chose to record this using his Black Saint Quartet - sometimes called Power Quartet, on the group's first outing since the passing of the great John Hicks last year. Logically then, David enlisted pianist Lafayette Gilchrist, informally a Hicks student and admirer, and on drums the great Andrew Cyrille. Bassist Ray Drummond completes this first class group.

Average customer rating: The Ground Musical Dreamscape Distilled Essence... Notes between the space Lives up to all expectations

The Ground Tord Gustavsen Trio Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Changing Places The Triangle Suspended Night Being There Trio ASIN: B00065VPTO Release Date: 2005-04-05

Tracks:

1. Tears Transforming
2. Being There
3. Twins
4. Curtains Aside
5. Colours of Mercy
6. Sentiment
7. Kneeling Down
8. Reach Out and Touch It
9. Edges of Happiness
10. Interlude
11. Token of Tango
12. The Ground

Amazon.com

The second album by Norwegian pianist and composer Tord Gustavsen is another set of crystalline beauty. Lyrical in both his writing and playing, the music is informed by his Scandinavian homeland's austere landscapes, as well as a wide swath of jazz traditions and gospel influences from his youth (as a teenager Gustavsen was a church organist). The trio's interplay is supple and subtle to the point of the rhythm section sounding like they're actually a part of the piano. The music's gentle propulsion seems to be carried forward equally by all three players. Emotionally resonant, the warmth and clarity of ECM's high production standards captures every nuance -- even lightly struck cymbals resonate with incredible presence. --David Greenberger

Customer Reviews:

The Ground.......2007-05-13

Tord Gustavsen is world class, listen to this new maestro as his piano sings.

Musical Dreamscape.......2007-03-09

Several years ago I bought this CD on the strength of a strong recommendation in one of the music magazines I read. My initial reaction on the first couple of times through it on my office stereo was that it was OK, but maybe a little too mellow for frequent consumption. So I put it on the shelf and quite forgot about it until the other night when I wanted to hear some mellow jazz as I worked at home. So I dug this out along with a few other "forgotten" jazz CDs and let it spin. Well, what a transformation!
Maybe it is the much better quality of my home stereo or maybe I'd been distracted when I first listened at the office, but this time around The Ground struck me quite differently. Tord Gustavsen and his trio painted such a vivid musical dreamscape that I put my work aside and lay on the couch to listen more intently.
I agree with the reviewer from Canada who hears all kinds of stylistic reference points in this CD, particularly the odd Spanish tinge. I feel a Spanish classical touch more than a few times. Not only that, there were many instances where the music harked back to the heyday of the old CTI jazz label of 35-40 years ago.
If asked to name a favorite cut, I would be at a loss to choose. I like the whole CD from start to finish so ordering the trio's other CD has become imperative. The Ground is recommended to anyone who enjoys piano and the feeling of stress just being washed away in gentle yet transformative cascades of sound. Give it an hour of undivided attention and you'll hear what I mean.

Distilled Essence..........2007-01-18

Briefly, I would by way of analogy suggest that the Tord Gustavsen Trio's first album "Changing Places" is much like a fine wine -- balanced, complex, and with nice depth. In their lastest endeavor I would say that "The Ground" is more like a fine cognac - refined down to its essence, with a crystalline clarity of purpose.

I would compare Mr. Gustavsen's music to that of a haiku master or a calligrapher capable of capturing a tableau in a few brushstrokes. In some ways it reminds me of the music of Gurdjieff/ deHartman in its ability to express so much through so little.

Notes between the space.......2006-11-03

This trio has a good thing going. They appeal those of us who need a respite from the frenzy and they deliver in spades.Bill Evans you have some contemporaries

Lives up to all expectations.......2006-09-27

I first heard about this trio via the song "Being There", which was included in a sampler CD that came with a popular jazz magazine. I immediately knew I had to have the album the song came from.

As I expected, coming off the excellent ECM label, the album is brilliant. It's just my kind of thing, especially the piano playing - dreamy, spacey, uncluttered, beautiful. The 12 songs are all originals, written by Tord Gustavsen and that's something special in itself. I think the trio play very well together. I obviously knew nothing of their earlier work but I will be checking it out now. A great buy.

Average customer rating: Donnie Darko just wanted "mad world" Gary Jules' remake of Mad World is superb! Liked only one cut Atmospheric and all-around cool.

Donnie Darko (Score) Michael Andrews Manufacturer: Everloving ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) Mad World Requiem for a Dream (2000 Film) Donnie Darko - Original Soundtrack & Score Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears ASIN: B00006471F Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

1. Carpathian Ridge
2. The Tangent Universe
3. The Artifact & Living
4. Middlesex Times
5. Manipulated Living
6. Philosophy of Time Travel
7. Liquid Spear Waltz
8. Gretchen Ross
9. Burn it to the Ground
10. Slipping Away
11. Rosie Darko
12. Cellar Door
13. Ensurance Trap
14. Waltz in the 4th Dimension
15. Time Travel
16. Did you Know Him?
17. Mad World
18. Mad World (remix version)

Album Description

The original score, to 2001 indie film, written & performed by Michael Andrews includes 'Mad World' featuring Gary Jules. Enjoy Records. Digipak.

Customer Reviews:

Donnie Darko.......2007-07-03

I was drawn to buy this CD because of hearing Michael's arrangement and Gary Jules rendition of "Mad World" which was originally recorded by Tears for Fears way back when. I glad I did. The music was written as the underscore for a Science Fiction movie by the same name and now I really want to see this film. The music is other worldly, ethereal and strange in a good way!

just wanted "mad world".......2007-01-09

loved the mad world track from the Gears of War video game. was hoping the rest of the album was as cool, but it is all instrumentals. a little disappointing, i must admit.

Gary Jules' remake of Mad World is superb!.......2007-01-06

Gary Jules' remake of this great past favorite (Mad World) is superb! The accompanying tracks on this album are not my style, but I didn't buy this for the other tracks. For that I feel this score is quite impressive.

Liked only one cut.......2007-01-04

I bought this CD for the song "Mad World". Unfortunately it was the only one I liked, but I've spent more money on dumber things.

Atmospheric and all-around cool........2006-06-05

Michael Andrews is one of today's best composers. His score for the little-known sci-fi flick "Cypher" was brilliant, and although his music in Donnie Darko is never quite as good (after all, DD was one of his first real scoring jobs), it is a somber, weird, sometimes beautiful album.
Andrews uses many bizarre non-musical instruments and female vocals to great effect, and creates an ambient, sad world that works regardless of your having seen the film.
His song "Mad World" is one of the saddest and most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
The disk isn't very long--just a little over thirty-seven minutes as I recall. But definitely recommended.

Average customer rating: Very good blues from UK! Best yet from MATT SCHOFIELD The best yet from Schofield `Vert highly anticipated, but.........

Ear To The Ground Matt Schofield Trio Manufacturer: Cadiz Music/Nugene Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Trio, Live Siftin' Thru Ashes Duke Robillard's World Full of Blues Close as You Get Truth ASIN: B000PKBSVU Release Date: 2007-04-26

Tracks:

1. Pack It Up
2. Troublemaker
3. Ear to the Ground
4. Heart Don't Need a Compass
5. Once in a While
6. Room at the Back
7. Someone
8. Searchin' (Give Me a Sign)
9. Move Along
10. Cookie Jar
11. When It All Comes Down

Album Details

Arguably the Most Influential British Blues Guitarist Since the Sixties, this Fast Rising Guitar Star (Top Ten All-time British Blues Guitarists Guitar and Bass Magazine) Releases his Finest CD to Date. Power, Emotion and Exemplary Musicianship by Schofield and his Regular Line Up of Jonny Henderson (Hammond Organ) and Evan Jenkins (Drums). The Trio's Trademark Blues and Funk with a Touch of Rock is Here in Spades with Nine Original Numbers and Re-workings of Classic Freddie King and Bb King Songs.

Customer Reviews:

Very good blues from UK!.......2007-07-22

Matt Schofield is being talked of as the finest Blues guitarist to have emerged in Europe for several generations. Britain's Guitar magazine describes Schofield's guitar playing as "dynamite", picking him as the only non-American in their review of the future of the Blues guitar. Having read such statements I decided to give him a try. Well, I'm really glad I did! Just to be clear from the very beginning this is my first Schofiel's CD however it is not going to be the last. As a matter of fact I have already ordered all the other available ones. Since the very first listening I was very impressed by his sound, something that you would probably collocate somewhere between Robben Ford and Ronnie Earl. Talking about this CD and Schofield's music I would say that it is a great combination of blues and jazz, where the accent is strong on blues. The band line-up harks back to the classic organ trios of the fifties and sixties. Jonny Henderson on Hammond organ gives sleazy texture and dynamics while holding down left hand bass lines, and "drummers' drummer" Evan Jenkins provides compelling grooves. But that's where any comparison with a traditional organ trio ends. With their huge sounding, multi-layered and rhythmically infectious delivery this band redefines the meaning of "power trio". The best songs of the album are, from my point of view, the slow number, beautifully played, "Once in a while" and the hard driving "Someone". I would strongly recommend a listen to all the Robben Ford' fans and, why not, also to everyone who love the great Ronnie Earl.

Best yet from MATT SCHOFIELD.......2007-06-07

This album by far is his best - a great listen anytime.

The best yet from Schofield.......2007-06-05

I have all Matt Schofield's albums and this is the best so far. The quality of production, arrangement, original material and his voice are a real step forward, and his guitar playing is everything you would expect. There are some truly outstanding tracks (the title track, `Someone', and especially, Searchin' do it for me).

Schofield is a genuinely inspiring guitarist with a huge amount of soul and commitment in what he plays, and unlike so many players emerging today who claim to play Blues, he has his own recognisable and distinctive sound even when he is paying homage to his greatest inspirations.

Reading R. Putignano's review I cannot understand his downbeat comments. Is this the same R. Putignano that I have read waxing lyrical about Schofield's previous albums and the merits of his Blues-meets-jazz outfit. Why the sudden change of heart? And why the suggestion that Schofield change the band to take on another guitarist, that is bizarre! Or that he should abandon the organ trio format to sound like any other homogenized Blues-rock trio. It is the organ trio that is part of Schofield's sound and nobody else does it with such power and class.

From what I know of Schofield's approach to his music, I believe he simply plays what he enjoys playing without any concern to be commercial and certainly not to emulate Joe Bonamassa, to which Mr Putignano likens the title track "Ear to The Ground." I can't hear it myself, and I think Bonamassa might be a bit mystified too.

I imagine there will be a legion of Schofield fans taking issue with Mr Putignano, and similarly asking, why? But meantime I can totally recommend this album if you are already into Matt Schofield, and if you're new to Schofield it's a great place to start.

`Vert highly anticipated, but................2007-06-03

When Matt Schofield's new CD arrived at my door I opened it with great anticipation, but after several passes on my CD player, I am still having a hard time getting a good feel from `Ear To The Ground.' Perhaps I had too high expectation's as I had felt Schofield had the potential to step up to be one of our new bright young stars, but it looks like we'll have to wait for Matt's next release, as this recording offers little advancement from Matt's previous fine CD `Siftin' Thru Ashes.'

My main beef(s) are two fold; The first being that Matt's guitar playing hasn't grown, which given his young age I expected a creative growth spurt. Secondly the trio concept (B3 organ, drums, and guitar) might very well be root of concern as to why the creativity has stunted, as Matt faces little challenges from his two band-mates, thus now might be the time to break free from the confines (of what is typically a jazz-trio format) and let Matt take on a real bass player plus another guitarist or keyboard player to help define his sound, which should also allow his songwriting to develop as well.

Nine originals are offered plus two covers, the opener `Pack It Up' previously covered by Freddie King, tries to sound like an (unsuccessful) funk tune, has no American soul feel, and immediately sets the tone on a downer. The next track `Troublemaker' is a high-tempo shuffle and shows off nearly the best this trio can deliver, as Matt's guitar really soars, yet its all too short, plus the lyrics leave a lot to be desired, as we all heard this story before. The very hard-rocking title track is kind of a mix of Matt's trio trying to sound like Joe Bonamassa jamming with a heavy version of the Meters, a sound that I am sure they were trying to emulate considering Bonamassa's current popularity, but it does not mesh as the herky-jerky changes sound too contrived, and Matt's guitar solo(s) never lift off. The slow plodding, nearly seven minutes of `Heart Don't Need a Compass,' never finds it's way. Finally Matt takes his first stab at the blues on his `Once In a While,' but it's so sleepy, and now I am looking for the remote to fast forward. Ah but the instrumental (once again Meters sounding) `Room at the Back' is very hip, and Matt's guitar lines are at its creative best, but it's far too short clocking in at 2:23. `Someone' is another heavy rocker with an unidentified harp player which really wore at me. The haunting "Searchin' (Give Me A Sign)" is by far the best track, and has a nice vamp for Matt's expressive guitar to play over, as Matt nicely broils the slow groove to a tasty crescendo. The second instrumental `Move Along' is a directly linked to Jimmy McGriff's `Motoring Along*' hmmm... But no matter- it's a good track displaying Matt's fondness for B3 jazzy blues, and thankfully gives us a second break from Matt's vocals. `Cookie Jar' should have been left on the cutting room floor, plus the lyrics are far too typical and immature. The biggest crime is thankfully left for last, as Schofield's trio takes a shot at one of my favorite tunes, that being the Bill Jennings `When It All Comes Down' (also covered by B.B.), but these guys just don't have the necessary grease or soul to make this chestnut gel, plus the cheesy background vocals are totally unnecessary & very lame.

I'll still be looking forward to the next for the next release from Schofield, as (for the time being) I still feel that Matt has a bright future, but maybe Matt should get his ear out of the ground, and look upwards towards the skies for new ideas and guidance.
* Jimmy McGriff's `Motoring Along" was recorded by McGriff & Jimmy Smith, and should never be confused with Schofield's "Move Along."

Bob Putignano www.SoundsofBlue.com

Average customer rating: just wow. Wow Lifted, or the Story Was Daniel Johnston's SCREW ALL THE BAD REVIEWS Broad scope of Oberst's narrow view

Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground Bright Eyes Manufacturer: Saddle Creek ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Indie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels Plans From a Basement on the Hill Home, Vol. 4 XO ASIN: B00006FRN7 Release Date: 2002-08-13

Tracks:

1. The Big Picture
2. Method Acting
3. False Advertising
4. You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will
5. Lover I Don't Have to Love
6. Bowl of Oranges
7. Don't Know When But a Day is Gonna Come
8. Nothing Gets Crossed Out
9. Make War
10. Waste of Paint
11. From a Balance Beam
12. Laura Laurent
13. Let's Not Shit Ourselves (to Love and Be Loved)

Amazon.com

Nebraskan wunderkind Conor Oberst writes songs so naked and heartfelt they make you feel like a voyeur just listening to them. This precocious singer-songwriter croons with the astonished intensity of a homeless Robert Smith singing for his supper. And his band's fourth album is every bit as lyrical, sprawling, and pretentious as its title. The production is notably brighter and crisper than previous efforts, with some songs, notably "Nothing Gets Crossed Out," lushly swathed in sweet-sounding strings. When Lifted is great, as on the slow-churning anthem "From a Balance Beam," it's superb, visionary pop music, on par with Jeff Mangum, Phil Elvrum, and Daniel Johnston--and on occasion, Dylan. Unfortunately, half the songs sprawl on too long or revisit the same themes too frequently. Still, anyone who can operate a fast-forward button will find much to enjoy on this vital, messy masterpiece. --Mike McGonigal

Album Description

Full title - Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground. Born in 1980 in Omaha and recording since he was 13, Conor Oberst owns a voice that quakes with the tumultuous energy that only youth can produce. Slipcase. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

just wow. .......2007-05-31

I bought Lifted on vinyl recently and I have to say it must be one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. Every song just pours warbly emotion and honest yearnings. The lyrics can be cuttingly blunt and oddly abstract, but they hit you where it counts. Conor's voice is an instrument in and of itself; I guess one of my favorite singers can't really sing, but it wavers with the intensity and earnestness you don't often hear from musicians.

Buy this. From start to finish it's endless poetry to music.

Wow.......2007-03-22

Give this one a few listens and it will stay in the rotation forever...having come late to the Bright Eyes party (after seeing him post-Wilco on Austin City Limits a few months ago) - and ignoring tremendous reviews in Paste, et al - I've got to say that Conor Oberst is outstanding.

Heartfelt is an understatement -- terrific music (even occasional steel guitar) -- lyrics to rival anyone...

I'm Wade Awake still Bright Eyes' best album, but believe me, give this a shot - you won't be disappointed (regardless of your politics).

Anyone with a remote interest in Ryan Adams, Gillian, Wilco, Sufjan needs to give Bright Eyes a try...

Lifted, or the Story Was Daniel Johnston's.......2007-01-03

Lyrically this album is near unparallelled in its blunt honesty. You've got to have a taste for the type of vocalization of Oberst's, a warbly jitter, or you'll instantly dislike the album. The music behind the lyrics ranges from Country (along the lines of bluegrass) to semi-industrial ("Lover I Don't Have To Love"). It has recordings that are pieced together from a lo-fi singalong to brilliant studio quality.

I have to say though, that the most compelling plotline of Bright Eyes' work here, or through their other albums to this one, is that Oberst has captured a page from the semi-obscure musician, Daniel Johnston. Agree or not, you can hear the resonance of Johnston's work, a decade later in the work of Conor Oberst's early works. I'd have to believe that if Johnston hadn't drown in obscurity and mental illness he'd sound a lot like Bright Eyes today.

"Lifted" is, in my opinion, currently, the definitive work of Bright Eyes. This is a great place to start if you are delving into their catalogue.

SCREW ALL THE BAD REVIEWS.......2006-06-28

Having listened to this album from a band I had never heard before I was at first uncertain, but it was listed as "inspirational" on eBay from a seller I liked. I listened to it on a plane headed for my new destination. The album took me on a musically/lyrically beautiful path. The songs have a soul and heart unlike 99.9% of most music out there. I can't compare it to their other albums since I have not heard them, but that shouldn't discourage someone from buying this cd. Indie music isn't mean to be rhymically perfect or rhyme. It shouldn't have to answer to any review on it because it stands as a testiment of music that must be heard and played. It is meant to save us from ourselves and this hell we live in(no matter where in the world you live). Even if it only makes you happy when you hear it, it has done its intentions. Music shouldn't have rules and if you want it to, then listen to every other kind of music they is regurgated by the corporate industries, but leave indie be. It just might save a wretch like me.

Broad scope of Oberst's narrow view.......2006-05-23

This weighty album finds Bright Eye's at his most eclectic with lush, sometimes over-produced instrumentation guiding the tortured vocalist through his trademark soul baring lyrics. The songwriting, while perfectly competent, even eclectically intelligent, does often become mechanized under it's plodding pace. Also, when Oberst fails to restrain his need to convey his awkwardly exploitive, emotionally fragile demeanor in the most bluntly pathetic manner it can often cheapen and disservice his overwhelming talent for such a young folk prodigy. Despite many overbearing faults this is an impressive effort that hints at the potential this artist has still only begun to hopefully realize.

Average customer rating: Soulful and engaging Holy Music Great Pick Voices of real angels! An Amazing Work

Sacred Ground Sweet Honey in the Rock Manufacturer: Earthbeat ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Women Gather Selections 1976-1988 ...twenty-five... I Got Shoes Still on the Journey ASIN: B000002M7R Release Date: 1995-10-24

Tracks:

1. I Remember, I Believe
2. No More Auction Block
3. Would You Harbor Me
4. Prayer
5. Sing Oh Barren One
6. Mystic Oceans
7. Jordan River
8. Stay On The Battlefield
9. Can't Hide Sinner
10. Jesus Is All
11. Inner Voices
12. Prayer To The One
13. Balm In Gilead
14. We Are

Customer Reviews:

Soulful and engaging.......2007-02-18

I first encountered Sweet Honey and the Rock in 2003 at Michigan Wymns Music Festival. They were fantastic. Recently, one of my chorus mates suggested the track I Remeber, I Believe as something we should sing in our spring concert. Our director agreed and I couldn't be more trilled. I purchased two copies of the CD, one for myself and one for the daughter of a friend of mine. It is a permanent part of my car audio collection. Try Sweet Honey out and you'll fall in love with their five part harmonies, their personal touch, and the sweet voices of a wonderful, soulful group of wymn.

Holy Music.......2006-08-14

I bought this CD for one song, We Are, a powerful anthem that I had been taught by a dear friend. However, every song on this CD is powerful in its own right and has served and nurtured me over time. Sweet Honey is an amazing a cappella musical group that has evolved out of the African American political and historical experience. With Sacred Ground, Sweet Honey focuses on the spiritual dimensions of political and social challenges such as prejudice and poverty. The result for me, is always a sense of renewal and energy that feeds the soul, soothes the heart and harmonizes mind and body. Sacred Ground is an invaluable CD for any one who works with dispirited and often disembodied people. While most "new age" music, emphasizes a certain spaciousness, Sacred Ground which has its roots in traditional gospel and folk music argues in favor of groundedness as a source of heartful strength. Its just this side of divine.

Great Pick.......2005-02-25

This is really the best. Great sound and beat. Excelent recording sound and meaningful music.

Voices of real angels!.......2002-10-04

I got hooked on "Sweet Honey..." several years ago when I an interview on NPR. This CD really shows off their voices. It also shows how 'into' this genre they are! Highly recommend this CD. Heck, I highly recommend all their CDs!

An Amazing Work.......2000-09-26

I cannot express how grateful I am for this CD. It while I was listening to the amazing voices of these women that God helped me find my way out of a depression (I know it sounds corny, but it's true). While nothing compares to seeing this group perform live, all of their albums are incredible and a must to own. This one has a very spiritual focus, while others sometimes focus more on secular problems. No matter which album you choose, if you like music that is beautiful in every sense of the word, Sweet Honey in the Rock will not dissapoint you.

Average customer rating: Higher Ground Great Album -- not just for Gospel fans! Great Album The other senses do get stronger The Blind Boys weave their voices in spiritual fervor

Higher Ground Blind Boys of Alabama Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music $8.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $8.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Spirit of the Century Amazing Grace Go Tell It on the Mountain Atom Bomb There Will Be a Light ASIN: B00006AO77 Release Date: 2002-08-27

Tracks:

1. People Get Ready
2. Spirit in the Dark
3. Wade in the Water
4. Stand by Me
5. The Cross
6. Many Rivers to Cross
7. Higher Ground
8. Freedom Road
9. I May Not Can See
10. You and your Folks/23rd Psalm
11. I Shall Not Walk Alone
12. Precious Lord

Amazon.com

On the follow-up to their Grammy-winning album Spirit of the Century, the three gospel-singing septuagenarians celebrate the holy side of secular songs in hopes of connecting with "the generations that are behind us," as founding member Clarence Fountain put it. Always alert to the potent message of God's mightiness, they exuberantly spiritualize the Stevie Wonder title track and Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," as well as choice picks from the songbooks of Prince ("The Cross"), George Clinton ("You and Your Folks," grafted onto the 23rd Psalm!), Ben Harper ("I Shall Not Walk Alone"), and others (Harper guests on three tracks). A few uplifting traditional gospel numbers turn up, too. Throughout the program, Blind Boy Jimmy Carter's stirring tenor voice is a minor miracle. And "sacred steel" guitarist Robert Randolph and his Family Band are important to the success of the album, supplying genuine fervor to grooves that complement the elders' heaven-bound vocals. --Frank-John Hadley

Customer Reviews:

Higher Ground.......2006-12-27

Purchased this CD for my son from his Christmas wish list -- but I also have enjoyed it very much. It was shipped and received exactly as promised with no problems.

Great Album -- not just for Gospel fans! .......2005-02-17

I've been more a blues and rock fan, but after hearing the Blind Boys of Alabama on their "There Will Be a Light" CD with Ben Harper I decided to buy "Higher Ground". What a great CD and what moving music. Every cut is superb. I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes great music.

Great Album.......2003-09-24

I love this album! They all have great soulful voices and a really great back-up band. Nice variety of songs from slow ballads to rocking blues.

The other senses do get stronger.......2003-09-07

Glad they weren't the Deaf Boys of Alabama. My first listen was off Peter Gabriel's latest album which features the Blind Boys in a couple tracks. Great harmonies brought me to this album, and after accidentally running into a concert of theirs during the Montreal Jazz Festival a night before I was to see Peter Gabriel in concert, I was only disappointed that they didn't show up to perform at the last concert of Gabriel's tour the next night. However, I was in awe! The presence, the power and they rocked the house. I wished I was able to find a rockin baptist church so I could hear this kind of live musical power on a weekly basis. You won't be disappointed in this CD.

The Blind Boys weave their voices in spiritual fervor.......2003-02-26

Though they have gospel origins, the Blind Boys of Alabama have garnered world-wide secular acclaim with the raw passion of their singing and harmonizing. They've been together for so many decades that they have all blended their vocal skills together to form a spiritual orchestra that moves you through not just spiritual classics but some original versions of popular contemporary hits as well.

Average customer rating: Inspiring and Beautiful Don't Drop Dead Deeply Moving Great touching music Barbara does Inspiration

Higher Ground Barbra Streisand Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: A Love Like Ours Back to Broadway Christmas Memories One Voice The Movie Album ASIN: B000002ANX Release Date: 1997-11-11

Tracks:

1. I Believe/You'll Never Walk Alone
2. Higher Ground
3. At The Same Time
4. Tell Him
5. On Holy Ground
6. If I Could
7. Circle
8. The Water Is Wide/Deep River
9. Leading With Your Heart
10. Lessons To Be Learned
11. Everything Must Change
12. Avinu Malkeinu

Amazon.com

She's been eclipsed by a generation of newfangled power divas, but Babs still has it--superior repertoire in the Tin Pan Alley tradition, deep-pile production from the likes of Foster, Mardin and Afanasieff, and those zillion dollar pipes. Cuddlesome James Brolin gets a credit "for giving me the love I sing about" on tunes like "Leading with Your Heart," while the title track, "At the Same Time," and "Everything Must Change" could one day be used in a Broadway musical about pre-millennial spirituality. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring and Beautiful.......2007-07-27

I bought this CD when it first came out 10 years ago and I still love it. First class Barbra.

Don't Drop Dead.......2007-05-26

When Barbra and I planned this album the day we met in 1068 to express her grief for a then possibly unknown-to-her Virginia, perhaps even the one assured there was a Santa Claus, whose death she had announced the previous year at a free concert, the main source for the subsequent video and audio versions, albums having concepts related to the Beatles were less than a year old. We decided that saying, "Don't drop dead" would be better than saying, "Drop dead" and that that would be the concept/theme/idea/ simplified message of "Higher Ground." Dirt above some corpses is higher than surrounding ground, we knew. I did not know Richard Rodgers's daughter would be quoted in a biography of her father as saying her father was an athiest, when we decided the combination of "I Believe" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" would include a reference to the dialogue of the movie "Miracle on 34th St." This work was released after I had lost most of my hope tht my novel "How Did That Sun Get Out" would be published in my lifetime; I had forgotten we planned it until I had heard it several times. On the way to a second marriage with a man who had worked with her first husband acting for a movie related to the actual landing on the moon about 7 months after an astronaut had come back from the dark side of the moon saying there still was a Santa Claus. this work was released suggesting that I had never even lived.

Deeply Moving.......2007-05-22

I recently purchased this album. I found it to be very soothing and spiritual. It provoked much soul searching and reflection. I love it!

Great touching music.......2006-11-03

This is a second copy I bought for a friend since I loved mine so much. The song "If I could" should be given to every mother with a box of tissues.

Barbara does Inspiration.......2006-09-07

'Higher Ground' by Barbra Streisand is, in many ways, very typical of a long string of Streisand albums done to capitalize on a popular theme or collaborator. That does not make this a weak album. In fact, I consider it one of her stronger albums of the last few years, especially when compared to her recent live issues and treatments of Broadway numbers.

The material does especially well when Streisand overlays her lushly interpretive style over material which has a very traditional feel to it, in spite of the fact that most of the numbers are relatively recent compositions.

Average customer rating: English Renaissance music done beautifully. They don't come much better. The finest brass ensembles all on 1 album An interesting spin on English Renaissance Music Great sound. Definitely a must for your collection.

English Renaissance Music Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gigue | Baroque Dance Suites | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Byrd, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Dering, Richard | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Gibbons, Orlando | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Holborne, Anthony | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grounds | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Canadian Brass | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Madrigals | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Byrd, William | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Dering, Richard | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Gibbons, Orlando | ( G ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Holborne, Anthony | ( H ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Canadian Brass | ( C ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sinners & Saints: The Ultimate Medieval and Renaissance Music Collection Music for a Medieval Banquet Panorama: Dances of the Renaissance Medieval Dance Music Medieval & Renaissance Minstrels, Songs & Dances ASIN: B0000026ZD Release Date: 1990-03-12

Tracks:

1. Galliard
2. Alman: The Honeysuckle
3. The Silver Swan
4. Coranto: Heigh Ho Holiday
5. Oft Have I Vowed
6. My Bonny Lass
7. Coranto: Alarm
8. Fortune
9. Doe You Not Know
10. Pavan
11. Rowland (Lord Willoughby's March)
12. Thus Bonny-Boots
13. Jig
14. The Lady Oriana
15. The Satyr's Dance
16. Pavan Of Five Parts
17. Callino Casturame
18. O Care, Thou Wilt Despatch Me
19. Lullaby
20. The Fitzwilliam Suite: The Woods So Wilde
21. The Fitzwilliam Suite: Alman
22. The Fitzwilliam Suite: Pavana
23. The Fitzwilliam Suite: Galiarda
24. The Fitzwilliam Suite: La Volta
25. The Fitzwilliam Suite: The Earle Of Oxford's Marche
26. The Bells

Customer Reviews:

English Renaissance music done beautifully........2007-05-13

I bought this CD to have some authentic English Renaissance music in my collection,
and fell in love with it. The Earl of Oxford March is particularly appealing.

They don't come much better........2005-08-23

The incomparable Canadian Brass make this album a rare treat. From the first notes of Holborne's "Galliard" to the magnificent complexity of Byrd's "Fitzwilliam Suite", their renditions are sheer delight. The music is both relaxing and enjoyably stimulating. Repeated hearings allow the listener to discover some hidden turn or embellishment that was not noticed before, or to appreciate again the antiphonal and complementary interplay of the instruments in the antique harmonies they create. A most enjoyable recording.

The finest brass ensembles all on 1 album.......2002-01-31

I got this CD quite a while ago, and I still listen to it almost daily. Best at night in a candlelit room while it's raining sipping fine wine and reminising of the Renaissance festival! (wierd, I know. But that's just me) If you have an interest in this time period, you won't regret buying this CD.

An interesting spin on English Renaissance Music.......2000-08-09

The composers of 16th century England were able to take the music of other countries and produce something uniquely their own. So, too, has Canadian Brass taken English Renaissance music and made it into something wonderfully different. Immediately accessible (and acceptable) to modern ears, these tunes are a splendid treat. Almans and Galliards take on a whole new flavor when done entirely by brass instruments.

Great sound. Definitely a must for your collection........1999-11-05

I listen to this CD about once a week while riding to work so that I can keep my sanity. It was a gift from my daughters that keeps on giving.

Album Review:

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7. Hotel Costes: Suite [Import]
8. I Feel Love [CD-single]
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10. Jazz FM Presents: Late Lounge Boudoir Beats [Limited Edition] [Import]

Album Review

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Song Cycles for Bass and Piano

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Tempo Destino [Import]

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A2j

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