Salvation [CD-single] [Import]

Product Description
1999 single from the hit Swedish pop duo. It's backed with 'See Me', 'Crazy About You' (CBB Version) and the CD-ROM video to 'Stars'. Slimline jewel case.

Salvation,Roxette,Emi

Average customer rating:

the voice still has it
Great Artistic Achievement
Great record!
A nice visit from an old friend
An Instant Classic

The Salvation Blues
Mark Olson
Manufacturer: Hacktone Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000P6R6W4
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

My Carol
Clifton Bridge
Poor Michael's Boat
National Express
Salvation Blues
Keith
Winter Song
Sandy Denny
Tears From Above
Look Into The Night
My One Book Philosophy

Amazon.com

Here starts the third stage of Mark Olson's recording career. He first came to prominence as the primary singer-songwriter for the Jayhawks, before leaving that seminal alt-country band to make music with his wife, Victoria Williams, in the more acoustic, organic Creekdrippers. With his reedy voice and elemental imagery, Olson details the painful dissolution of that marriage on this solo album, clinging to music as a lifeline when everything else is lost. In the album-opening "My Carol," he compares his love to "an animal bleeding in the snow," while "National Express" asks "Where's my home? How could I lose this in a day?" Yet musically, "Clifton Bridge" and "Winter Song" rank with the best of his Jayhawks work, and both the title track and "Look into the Night" find redemption in the midst of despair. Gary Louris joins his former Jayhawks bandmate for harmonies on three cuts. --Don McLeese

Album Description

In a time of true loss and redemption, Mark Olson found his way through music. This collection of songs describes his struggles and triumphs as he journeys through unspeakable hardships. Featuring a long-awaited reunion with Jayhawk Gary Louris, this album takes you along for the ride.

Customer Reviews:

the voice still has it.......2007-07-20

I have been a fan of Mark Olson's since the first time I heard him with the Jayhawks in about 1985. His voice, and how he used it, absolutely floored me. Now, over 20 years later, that voice is still there.

Plus, Gary Louris sings with Mark on a few tracks. When these two sing together, it is pure magic.

Great Artistic Achievement.......2007-07-17

Loved this album from start to finish. Mark's unusual vocals and phrasing make his peotic lyrics even better. Gary Louris makes an appearance for all you Jayhawk fans.[like me!] Great packaging too.

Great record!.......2007-07-08

This is easily the best work Mark Olson has done since he was with the Jayhawks. This record shows the heartbreak he has recently encountered, but all the time there is a message behind the music, that there is something better coming along and he is ready for whatever that is. Through the heartbreak this is hope, and well, salvation.

The 3 tracks that his former partner Gary Louris sings on, are just what is needed, it brings us back a little to their former greatness, and promises what is to come when their duo record comes out next year. Best tracks are Clifton Bridge, Salvation Blues, Sandy Denny and of course the old Jayhawks gem that was never recorded until now, Poor Michael's Boat.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves singer-songwriter, from the heart, just good music, something that is sorely lacking in most of today's music.

A nice visit from an old friend.......2007-06-20

I get the same feelings from listening to this as I always got from Mark's songs with the Jayhawks. The production is slightly slicker than previous Creekdipper records, thanks to Vaughan's production, but it doesn't stand in the way of strong songs, of poetry, of inspiration. Those stand head and shoulders above the wonderful backing music.
I like his oblique lyrics and his pining voice, reaching past the melancholy of life and finding joy, without escapism. Though inspired from a sad split-up, Mark doesn't dwell on that. He sounds joyful in re-connecting with his muse. You can hear the satisfaction of making music more than the joy of 'getting over', and that is what listening to music is about, innit?
Salvation indeed!

An Instant Classic.......2007-06-19

Mid-way through Mark Olson's new album The Salvation Blues, the track Sandy Denny references the late 60's, early 70's British folk artist who would come to known as much for her personal difficulties with her husband (and alcohol) as she was for her songwriting. Such allusions echo Olson's painful split with his now ex-wife and bandmate Victoria Williams and loss of his beloved home in Joshua Tree, California; they also set the tone for this highly moving and personal recording, his first standout release since the Creekdippers' December's Child album from 2002 and My Own Jo Ellen, a classic from 2000.

As opposed to Olson's recent recordings that seem born of his life grounded in the California desert, pure Americana radiating joy, warmth, and belonging, The Salvation Blues conveys a sense of movement, distance, coldness and isolation while also making several references to Olson's travels through Europe (check out Clifton Bridge and National Express, both great songs). However, though the lyrics are evocative and moving, if not somewhat oblique, they aren't overly mournful either. Similarly, the music is generally, surprisingly upbeat, more sweet than bitter (as on Winter Song), capturing that folksy, acoustic sound Olson has become known for. Don't get me wrong, there are some sad tunes here (his solo Wurlitzer performance on My One Book Philosophy). It's just that in spite of darker themes, these songs ultimately give rise to deliverance and liberation, and in that context are as much about hope and optimism as they are about pain.

And while the excellent understated instrumentation of Olson's accompanying musicians should not go unacknowledged, Jayhawks fans will especially rejoice in Olson's former bandmate, Gary Louris offering up sweet vocal harmonies on a few tracks including Poor Michael's Boat, one of the album's standout tracks. It's revisiting Jayhawks days gone by and their collaboration on December's Child (Say You'll Be Mine), as well as foreshadowing a new Olson/Louris album which Louris himself reported has been recorded and is set to come out in early 2008. When you consider that Olson's relationship with Ms. Williams marked his departure from the Jayhawks and the dissolution of one of the best songwriting teams of our generation, this album finds him coming full circle; opening his heart, exposing his soul, and achieving epic proportions.

Salvation indeed.

Average customer rating:

A Great Chance of Pace
Can't Sit Down

Salvation in Lights
Mike Farris
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live, Vol. 1 & 2
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S.O.S.: Save Our Soul ( Amazon Exclusive with Bonus Track )
We'll Never Turn Back

ASIN: B000QEIM9G
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

Sit Down Servant
Streets Of Galilee
Oh Mary Don't You Weep
Precious Lord Take My Hand
Change Is Gonna Come
Devil Don't Sleep
Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down
Selah! Selah!
Take Me (I'll Take You There)
The Lonely Road
I'm Gonna Get There

Amazon.com

Those who remember Mike Farris as the frontman for '90s hard rockers the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies will do a double take when they hear this unexpectedly moving comeback. The singer has radically overhauled his image, shifting from gin-soaked frontman to gospel shouter on this roof-raising release. What hasn't changed is Farris's powerful voice, even more potent since he cleaned up from various excesses in 2004. While the appropriately titled Salvation in Lights is a drastic musical departure from his previous band's swaggering, boozy approach, it's also a logical use of his soulful vocals and candid personality. The singer delivers the goods on a handful of rearranged traditionals such as "Oh Mary Don't You Weep," but when he rips into Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," the song shimmers with a passion that nearly matches the original, and that's saying a lot. The oozing, swampy "Devil Don't Sleep," the restrained funker "Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down," and the Memphis-thumping "Selah! Selah!" add to the rousing, rootsy R&B groove. Farris is unexpectedly convincing throughout and obviously inspired as he keeps the faith on this stirring but not preachy album. He's accompanied by horns and a tough yet restrained band with righteous female backing vocals that perfectly position these tunes between heaven and earth. He testifies on his Staples Singers cover that he wants to "take you there," and by the time the album closes with "I'm Gonna Get There," you'll gladly follow wherever he leads. --Hal Horowitz

Customer Reviews:

A Great Chance of Pace.......2007-07-17

This is a great change of pace if you like blues type music. Very refreshing.

Can't Sit Down.......2007-07-02

What an incredible album. Traditional and original gospel music that is wrapped Blues, Soul, and the sounds of New Orleans. Good start to finish. Give it a listen, and like the opening tune say's.... I bet you Can't Sit Down!

Average customer rating:

Another God annointed CD

Joyous Salvation
JoAnn Rosario
Manufacturer: Verity
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000ROAL94
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Tracks:

Restore Me
Glory To You
Traces
More Than Anything
You Are Holy
Holy God
Beautiful Son
Come On Everybody (Vamos Todos Juntos)
Beyond
There Is A City

Album Description

Stellar Award-winning Joann Rosario wishes to exemplify and embody the joy that is synonymous with salvation. Adamant that her music always be reflective of her life's experiences and her relationship with God as they currently stand, Rosario offers Joyous Salvation. "With this record, it was important for me to show that walking with Christ isn't always a tedious, obstacle-filled journey. There are definitely those moments, but there are also many moments of happiness, victory, triumph, and peace, and it's from that perspective that I approached this CD, because it's exactly where I am in my life right now. God is good and we have to represent that to the masses!" Joyous Salvation is a remarkably well-rounded and astonisghly cohesive body of work. Feel the Joy!

Customer Reviews:

Another God annointed CD.......2007-07-26

I didn't even know Joann had a new CD coming out until I got an e-mail today from Amazon. I've been listening to it for the past three hours. Her beautiful voice sings praises, joy, and reverence to the Most High.
Some of these songs if sung by anyone else would just not sound the same.
If you loved her other CD's there's no way you can miss out on this one!
Praise be unto God for this talented sister.

Average customer rating:

If you want street punk, look somewhere else
It's alright
Hell yeah!!!
As Dark and Pissed Off as Ever

Internal Salvation
The Unseen
Manufacturer: Hellcat Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000RGSORS
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Brutal Truth, The (Intro)
Such Tragedy
At Point Break
Right Before Your Eyes
Torn And Shattered (Nothing Left)
Break Away
Let It Go
No Direction
In Your Place
Left For Dead
Step Inside... Take Your Life
Act the Part
Talking Bombs

Album Description

Over the past two years, this Boston band has toured non-stop around the world, headlining and also supporting such heavyweights as Tiger Army, Rancid, Hatebreed, Dropkick Murphys, and Sick Of It All. This, their second album, finds them staying true to their punk roots, with classic anthemic choruses and head-cracking beats. "The Unseen are punks, pirates, pioneers, and Peter Pan, all rolled into one band" - Alternative Press.

Customer Reviews:

If you want street punk, look somewhere else.......2007-07-30

this record sounds like state of discontent (which i hated) if your a fan of "lower class crucifixtion" you'll hate this.

all the songs are annoying. it sounds like hes singing in a nasal tone with glass in his throat.

save your money. get some good stuff.

career soldiers new record is better.

It's alright.......2007-07-29

Yeah it's pretty good I kinda wanted more out of it i'm not sayin it's bad it's alright State of discontent was the one that blew me away, but yeah check it out.

Hell yeah!!!.......2007-07-20

This band rocks!!! Hard hitting thrash/punk angst. Male vocals, killer punk album. This makes not only one of the best albums of 2007, but speaking for myself, this is one of the best punk records ever made. I love the hell out of it. For fans of Dwarves, Suicidal Tendencies, The Casualties, and Slayer.

As Dark and Pissed Off as Ever.......2007-07-10

Those familiar with these boys' combination of Boston streetpunk and hardcore aren't in for many surprises with this album. The same themes prevail in this album as in their previous albums: disgust with the government, society, and life in general. If anything this album is darker and more raw than "State of Discontent," the band's previous Hellcat release.

Average customer rating:

A Listening Treat
Be Thoy My Vision CD
Really good, but don't listen to it all at once.
A must for choral music fans
An outstanding collection of Rutter's hymns

Be Thou My Vision

Manufacturer: Collegium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00030ES2S
Release Date: 2004-10-01

Tracks:

Be Thous My Vision
Open thou mine eyes
I will sing with the spirit
A gaelic Blessing
Wings of the morning
O be Joyful in the Lord
All things bright and beautiful
I will lift up mine eyes
As the bride groom to his chosen
A prayer of Saint Patrick
Loving Shepherd of thy sheep
Look at the world
O clap your hands
The Lord is my light and my salvation
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace
I believe in springtime
God be in my head
A Clare Benediction
For thy beauty of the earth
Thy perfect love
The Lord bless you and keep you

Customer Reviews:

A Listening Treat .......2007-03-08

What a delight to listen to this collection of pure Rutter ! The melodic sounds of the Cambridge Singers bring me such pleasure The sheer joyfulness of this music is to me a religious experience of such depth It is superb and will lift ones spirits instantly. highly recommended to all lovers of the English contemporary choral sound and scene,____ not to be missed

Be Thoy My Vision CD.......2007-02-19

My husband sang many of these John Rutter compositions with his church choir, and this CD is perfect since the choir is directed by Rutter, singing his own music. If you love religious music, this will bring tears to your eyes, the choir is "that" perfect.

Really good, but don't listen to it all at once........2007-01-07

I really liked this CD. It really showcases Rutter's knack for religious choral music. Perhaps it helps that I have sung some of his stuff with various groups. However, as with any similar compiliation, the composer's sameness of style and motif becomes apparent. This repetition can become boring on the third or fourth listening. On the other hand, this makes a great reference tool for any choral director or performer. Buy it, however, it's worth it, but don't listen to it all at once.

A must for choral music fans.......2006-09-19

Simply fabulous, 10/10. These are all Rutter-composed pieces, directed by Rutter himself. If you have any interest in religious choral music at all, you must get this album! One of the highlights of my musical life was attending a concert of a University of Maryland choir in which my mom sang, that featured Rutter as a guest conductor. Listening to this album is almost as good! ;-) There are too many good pieces to start naming all of my favorites, but these are some of the best known ones: "Open Thou Mine Eyes", "A Gaelic Blessing", "All Things Bright and Beautiful", "As the Bridegroom to His Chosen", "For the Beauty of the Earth", and "The Lord Bless You and Keep You".

An outstanding collection of Rutter's hymns.......2005-11-22

I sought a recording of Rutter's beautiful hymn, "Wings of the Morning", after we sang this lovely tune in church and this was the only CD I could find that contained it.

This collection includes many of Rutter's church hymns recorded over a period of 20 years performed by The Cambridge Singers, a group of Brits, that are conducted by the composer. Ergo, these performances must be considered definitive.

Many of Rutter's popular hymns are included here. "O be joyful to the Lord" and "All things bright and beautiful", a popular children's hymn done here by adults, follow "Wings of the morning" on tracks 5-7. Others you may have performed in church represented here are "O clap your hands", "Lord make me an instrument of your peace", "For the beauty of the earth", "Look at the world" and "The Lord bless you and keep you" among the 21 assembled hymns.

While The Cambridge Singers, on their Web site, identify themselves principally as an a capella group, I was pleased when I received this CD to find all the hymns supported by a full orchestra, the esteemed City of London Sinfonia. The renditions are uniformly lovely although some listeners may find the singing a bit on the white side lacking brilliance and individuality. Everything is done in keeping with Rutter's score markings and style.

The recording tends to be a little variable given the 20-plus year difference in performances. The most recent copyright listing is 2003, the same year "Wings of the morning" was published. I don't hear an appreciable difference in that recording than the others but still hear some age in older works.

If you seek a Rutter hymn collection you can't go wrong here. You have wonderful English performers mated to the composer in his more popular works. I'd recommend this without reservation to anyone seeking this collection.

September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill

Average customer rating:

some brilliant renditions, but can't quite all mix together
Cool and Camp
September Song Music of Kurt Weill
It's a long time between January and December
Ain't we Hip?!!?

September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029WM
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

Mack The Knife - Nick Cave
Ballad Of The Soldier's Wife - P.J. Harvey
Alabama Song - David Johansen
Youkali Tango - Teresa Stratas
Lost In The Stars - Elvis Costello
Pirate Jenny - Lotte Lenya
Speak Low - Charlie Haden
Oh, Heavenly Salvation - The Persuations
Lonely House - Betty Carter
Surabaya- Johnny - Teresa Stratas
Furchte Dich Nicht - Mary Margaret O'Hara
September Song - Lou Reed
Mack The Knife - Bertolt Brecht
What Keeps Mankind Alive? - William S. Burroughs

Customer Reviews:

some brilliant renditions, but can't quite all mix together.......2006-10-19

I like the spirit of this album, which is to let the music of Kurt Weill attach itself to the many worlds it came from. This was classical music that also used elements of popular music at the time, all with a very dark and almost mechanical tone. So it would seem fitting to have exquisite voices like Teresa Stratas rub elbows with darker elements like Nick Cave in this collection. There are also the jazz influences developed by Charlie Haden and Betty Carter.

In all, there are some brilliant interpretations of Weill here. I am a fan of Cave's "Mack the Knife" and David Johansen's "Alabama Song," and how can someone NOT like Lotte Lenya herself on "Pirate Jenny" and the drolling of the immortal William S. Burroughs talking through "What Keeps Mankind Alive?"

But other tracks feel to be just too short of brilliance. I love that Lou Reed tries to turn "September Song" into a kind of rock ballad, almost a VU "It Was a Pretty Good Year," but the rendition seems a little short of energy and falls flat after a while. Elvis Costello, though magnificent as an overall artist, just doesn't bring new life to "Lost in the Stars."

Perhaps the problem in the end that the choices were a little too much of the Top 40 Weill (if there really can be such a term). These are songs that have for a long time been regarded as the best of Weill, and it might have furthered the purpose of his music to find new gems and bring them into the sunlight.

Cool and Camp.......2006-08-24

This is a very biased review- I originally had much of Weill's work on cassette tape- way back in the olden days- before CD's- so I am already very partial to many of the tracks on this CD- I would recommend it not only to Kurt Weill fans, and the fans of the various artists featured, but I would also strongly recommend this to anyone who likes artsy, camp, fun burlesque, Bohemian European stuff. The record, even though performed by contemporary artists still retains much of it's zeitgeist, it evokes the era in which Weill was writing and it rounds out any great eclectic record collection. It's a great musical discovery for fans of all sorts of genres, and EVERYONE should own at least one recorded arrangement of "Mack The Knife". (You know, for parties and stuff!)

September Song Music of Kurt Weill.......2006-08-22

Songs from the film-documentary done by various artists. Excellent choice if you like Mr Weill's music. I saw the film and always wanted the CD. Now I have and I recommend it highly.

It's a long time between January and December.......2004-06-11

Kurt Weill is one of those composers who juggles Jewish angst with Catholic guilt: and possibly vice versa. As a collection, it is nonpareil. Each interpretation becomes a definitive reading of the "song". Lord, it is one of the best assemblies of contemporary artists going. Lou couldn't be better; Ms O'Hara, in fine form, performs her deranged puppet-dance to the X. OK. An unknown. Roping-in, such a postmodern figure as, well, you-know-who, to orate Weill's lyrics is never less than exceptional. An amazing collection. Is there a DVD?

Paul

Ain't we Hip?!!?.......2003-07-23

This is the avant version of these songs, everything done with that Downtown fingers-across-the-blackboard screech. They even got Johanson doing it, which is no less than amazing. The sole exception is the Persuasions' "O Heavenly Salvation", but one song does not an album make.

The mystery here is that there's a perfectly good compilation from the 80s, "Lost in the Stars: the Music of Kurt Weill", featuring many of the same songs--and, if I'm not mistaken some of the same performers. That's the one you want. Too bad it's OP.

Salvation (Oxford, November 11, 1992)
Average customer rating:

First and last of his kind.

Bill Hicks non-smoking, uncut, uncensored, with an awake audience

Hilarious, poignant, and absolutely perfect!

Bill At His Best

One of his best

Salvation (Oxford, November 11, 1992)
Bill Hicks
Manufacturer: Rykodisc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Arizona Bay

ASIN: B000BLI39S
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Intro
Ding Dong
Puppet People
Kennedy & The Warren Commission
Smoking
Polls
Dick Jokes
News/Movies/Religion

Tracks:

Religion/Drugs
Film
Kids
Fries
Backed Up
Sleep & The Message

Amazon.com

This two disc set affords a complete picture of one of the finest comedian/social commentators of the past quarter century. While portions have appeared previously (as Live at the Oxford Playhouse 11.11.1992), having the nearly two hour performance in its entirety gives a sense of the dramatic flow that Hicks built into his work. The pacing and variety is astounding. Carefully written and honed, each of the separate issues he turns his attention to seamlessly blends fully realized character voices, fearless attacks on inequities and injustices, and actual punchline payoff jokes. The utter honesty about himself lends powerful credence to his unshakable faith and hope for humanity. Fifteen months after this show he succumbed to cancer at the age of thirty-three. --David Greenberger

Album Description

More than 10 years after his death, Bill Hicks' brand of radical thought provoking, biting comedy has seeped into America's consciousness. Following his best selling DVD, BILL HICKS LIVE, OXFORD NOVEMBER 11, 1992 captures a legendary performance at Oxford University. This 2-CD set showcases Bill Hicks at the height of his comedic powers. Nearly two hours long and unedited, Oxford is pure, raw Bill Hicks!

Customer Reviews:

First and last of his kind........2007-02-15

It's not Relentless or Rant in E-Minor or the others in the Rycodisc top 5, but it's still very, very funny. If you're a Hicks fan, this will have you doubled over, cackling like a maniac at least once every five minutes.

Bill Hicks non-smoking, uncut, uncensored, with an awake audience.......2007-01-13

This is my personal favorite of all the BH cds I've listened to (minus A-Bay + Dangerous). This is Bill at the top of his game, and the audience loves him. One of the key differences I've noticed between this and Rant is the audiences unhappy reaction on here to his non-smoking. The Ding Dong song has never been more appropriate for our times.
Between these two discs, you get a broad span of most of Bill's jokes that appear on the rest of his. The only odd thing about the production is that the tracks on disc one seem to be broken down more conveniently, the tracks on disc two are much longer and tend to blend into each other. Damn deadlines.
What I prefer in this over Rant is that there is no music between tracks, giving it a real live feel. What is most effective about Bill's presentation is that he is real, and he gets you to think. I hope people don't agree with everything he says. He's not even a role model, but I appreciate how he encourages the puppet people to wake up and smell the BS. If you don't think Bill is funny, check this out. There might even be a DVD of this out somewhere. Definately worth listening to, especially for dubya-haters.

Hilarious, poignant, and absolutely perfect!.......2006-07-01

I like to refer to Bill as the "John Lennon of comedy". It's easy to see his idealism turned upside down with repulsion toward the hypocrisy of the fanatical Christians, the insanity and lies of the government and some of the ridiculous rules of society. He truly gives us an important message presented perfectly in a comedy routine that fills up the belly with laughs! I love Bill and this cd has much of his best routines.

I wonder what he'd have to say about the current [...] regime if he were alive today.

Miss you Bill. RIP

Bill At His Best.......2006-03-06

Bill had a large following in the UK, and he gives them a great 2 hour show. Even though many of the routines will be familiar, he tailors them to the audience, alternating between fire-and-brimstone preacher, Twain-style political critic, and "goat boy". What a ride..

One of his best.......2006-01-20

My problem with some of Hicks' comedy routines is that he focuses so intently and viciously on preaching that the comedy is less prominent. "Salvation" is a great mix of strong comedy and strong preaching. One of the best Hicks albums you could buy.

Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation

Average customer rating:

brilliant!
Verses that comfort

Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation
Au Revoir Simone
Manufacturer: Ars Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Bird of Music
The Bird of Music
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ASIN: B000IONJNI
Release Date: 2006-10-31

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Through The Backyards
Hurricanes
The Disco Song
Where You Go
Back In Time
The Winter Song
And Sleep Al Mar
Stay Golden

Customer Reviews:

brilliant!.......2007-05-13

So exhilarating, amazing, just all around awesome. Thank you for this beautiful music you are making. My little one dances joyfully to every track, and so do I!

Verses that comfort.......2006-11-02

I've been curious about Au Revoir Simone for quite some time, ever since catching a glimpse of their name in a magazine, with some scant descriptions of their synthy pop music.

But apparently this Brooklyn trio was worth waiting for, if their debut EP, "Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation" is anything to go by. These girls spin delicate melodies of retro beats and dreamy synth, and the result is thoroughly endearing -- it almost makes you feel comforted and assured.

It opens with a sleepy, summery little melody. "Baby tell me please/Is this a dream/Spending the night with you/Beneath the cherry trees?" they croon softly over the smooth synth music, which twitters and floats off as they sing about flowery moons and kisses in the bedroom.

They use harder beats for the sparkling "Hurricanes" and retro "Disco Song," which shimmy along without losing that bright edge. Then they bob back into softer songs, with the shimmering "Winter Song," sleepy "And Sleep Al Mar," and effervescent "Stay Golden." Along with the music the tone becomes more melancholy -- it switches from summer kisses and dancing to unrequited love.

If you need a comparison, then Au Revoir Simone sounds a bit like a very stoned Broadcast, or an all-girl, electronic version of Eisley. More the latter, since these girls also spin pop songs that are full of magic and innocence, but they know how to make their music tug at the heartstrings in an honest way.

There are basically just two instruments: keyboard and drum machines. But they avoid typical synthpop sound, without sharp beats or typical catchiness. Instead they veer towards soft, silky, dreamy sounds even when they have catchy tunes, and molding their synth into different sounds. The finale is a shining example of that.

The trio also have very pretty girlish voices, and they sing as a chorus as often as they sing individually. Their lyrics show some early stumbling ("And you say/and you say..."), but most of the time they manage well-written songs, with a poignant edge. "I'm feeling better every day/I'm only waiting if you stay/So don't feel bad/Your faith was an illusion..."

Au Revoir Simone are a charming, heartwarming little band, "Verses of Comfort, Assurance and Salvation" is an enchanting listen. Definitely worth checking out.

Average customer rating:

A must have for a progressive music fan
OWESOME!
Transcendance
Broken, barren, desolate, disordered.. compelling...
This album rocks.

The Perfect Element I
Pain of Salvation
Manufacturer: Inside Out U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

One Hour By The Concrete Lake
Entropia
Be
Remedy Lane
Second Life Syndrome

ASIN: B00005085N
Release Date: 2000-11-14

Tracks:

Used
In The Flesh
Ashes
Morning On Earth
Idioglossia
Her Voices
Dedication
King Of Loss
Reconciliation
Song Of The Innocent
Falling
The Perfect Element

Customer Reviews:

A must have for a progressive music fan.......2007-05-13

I cannot get enough of this album and I agree with the other reviews that would consider this a masterpiece. It has been a long time since a band has come along and knocked my socks off with their performance and songwriting skills and PoS has definitely done this.

I listen to this album daily.

OWESOME!.......2006-02-21

IT'S THE FIRST TIME I LISTEN TO THIS BAND AND I ADVISE YOU TO GET IT IF YOU ARE A REAL PROGRESSIVE METAL LISTENER, WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY, JUST A FEW WORDS FOR A GREAT CD.EAF

Transcendance.......2005-12-26

A few years ago, I was planning to attend a Dream Theater concert in Vancouver, Canada. Dream Theater got me into progressive music - my favorite band, at the time. But strangely, some obscure Swedish band was opening for them named Pain of Salvation.

Skip forward some years, and let me tell you that The Perfect Element Pt. I is my absolute favorite album of all time. I don't have places for Favorites #2 - #10, but I know what #1 is. Yes, it's that good.

Daniel Gildenlow is a rediculously talented person. Nobody can sing like he does. He can play guitar with his own unique style. He expresses emotion that simply nobody else does. Whats more, his lyrics are unparalleled.

What can I say about this album? This is 72 minutes of progressive metal. 12 tracks. You have everything - some pure metal, some rock, some ballads, and yes, even a touch of rap-esque vocals.

The songs flow into one another so that you can barely tell the tracks had changed, and this is a good thing. Because I don't see twelve tracks here. I see one album. One absolutely amazing album, with many high points and climaxes and no flaws.

Pain of Salvation's newest studio album, Be, is amazing as well, and in my top 5. But The Perfect Element gets the kudos for being the absolute best album I have ever heard. And if you haven't heard it yet, you can't disagree.

Broken, barren, desolate, disordered.. compelling..........2005-12-24

Last Christmas, my family decided to circulate a sort of wish list around to everybody via email on the premise that it's far easier to figure out what you want as opposed to what ten other people want. However, I was in a peculiar location at the time where I'd have been unable to store just about anything that anybody might have sent me, so I was ready to spare my family the trouble altogether. Then, I got to thinking about how excellent an opportunity this could be to trick my closest and most beloved people on the planet into listening to some music of my choosing.

You see, I would love to share much of the music that I listen to with as many other people as I can. Unfortunately, the type of person who will tolerate what I listen to in any sincere fashion is a very rare find. This makes me sad - not because I think everybody should listen to what I listen to, but because it pains me to see one of the wonders of the world fall away into relative obscurity, leaving only a diluted shell of itself for people to listen to and say, "This would make good background noise for (insert activity here)".

I should say that nobody in my family outside of myself considers music to be a very significant part of their lives... so why did I ask a bunch of people to listen to a bunch of music that they probably wouldn't even enjoy? Well, my purpose wasn't to make any of them like it, but something very different.

So, of all the bands I could have employed in my evil scheme - why Pain of Salvation? This band, and more specifically this album, means a lot to me. It also means a lot to me to have people so close to me experience something that I personally hold so dear. And so, here we are.

This Swedish group is home to Daniel Gildenlow - lyricist, vocalist, and primary songwriter. This man is possibly my most revered in all of music. Every album this band has released is a concept album - a concept album is an album which is unified from start to finish by a single theme or pre-conceived story, with this theme or story being the "concept". While Pain of Salvation is certainly not the only band out there to write concept albums, they certainly do write some of the more staggering ones, thanks to Daniel. From what I understand, he has always been very interested in the dirty underbelly of politics, social injustice, environmental devastation, and many other wrong doings that are going on around the world... and he has an uncanny ability to take these concepts, craft an interesting conceptual framework around them, build the world around that framework, arrange the musical journey through that world, and deliver it all with unmatched integrity, complexity, intelligence, and passion. To this day, they have written five such albums, with themes ranging between the individual, society, war, environment, existence, humanity, et al.

On their third, The Perfect Element I, Daniel follows the lives of a boy and a girl in the streets of a fictional place known as Idioglossia. Both the boy and girl are growing up with something missing in their lives, and the way they choose to fill these empty spaces is quite a self-destructive and jarring journey through the most depraved recesses of society. However, the album isn't just a depressing story about two lost children... it covers many themes, including: childhood, adolescence, violence, sexuality, tragedy and loss, relationships between the individual and his society, states of the human mind and soul, and the exploration of emotional extremes (including love, pain, anger, shame, regret...), among other things. In Daniel's own words, this is a story about two people fighting against the wounds inflicted upon them by their past, about love as a path to reconciliation, and about a society that introduces various "malfunctions" into a few people and then fights to exclude them as they become dangers to this same society. Daniel has been exploring people in the backside of society ever since their first album, Entropia, but all of that and more is approached far more boldly here. The story is split up into three chapters - "As These Two Desolate Worlds Collide", "It All Catches Up On You When You Slow Down", and "Far Beyond the Point of No Return" - with each chapter consisting of four tracks.

Of course, fancy shmancy concepts are nothing without an appropriate presentation. Fortunately, Daniel's vocal delivery is filled with a sense of raw emotion, power, and honesty that I have not heard from any other. Not only is he very intelligent and a wonderful lyricist, but he is also a brilliant vocalist. His voice is extremely dynamic (and sometimes admittedly over-dramatic), ranging from the deepest and darkest intonations to Broadway-worthy soaring. He has stated in many interviews that he believes progressive metal to be a fairly stale thing when it comes to vocals, what with guys constantly hanging around the upper registers and worrying more about over-extended histrionics than relaying any kind of emotion... and so he tries to avoid this very real trend. The results are often fascinating. He is also very passionate and thus it is easy to empathize with what he is saying. In fact, I get the sense that the entire band greatly desires the listener to empathize with the events that are being portrayed by the lyrics and to really feel what Daniel is feeling as he sings. They truly want you to understand the messages that they are trying to get across with their music.

That brings me to something very important - the impact that this album, or really any Pain of Salvation album, has on the listener is multiplied ten-fold if the listener knows what is being said. Listening to Daniel sing with soothing elegance over a tranquil piano line is one thing, listening to his brooding voice in pain and agony on top of a turbulent musical collage is another... but when you add the last piece of the puzzle (that being the lyrics), everything becomes so much more powerful. It's like suddenly all the disjointed musical discordance and theatrical vocal performances fall into perfect context. For this reason, it's imperative that you find a way to follow the words... either read them beforehand, read them while listening (which might detract from the listening part), or listen once, read, and then listen again... or something. It also should be noted that, since these guys are Swedish, there's the occasional grammatical inconsistency. However, all in all, it's hard to tell that Daniel even has an accent, and whatever errors there may be in the writing do not detract from the cohesion in the slightest - and it also makes you think, or at least it makes me think, what Daniel could have done with all this stuff if English was his native language.

The question you're probably asking now is what's going on here musically? Well, I could throw out some idioms typical of progressive metal - equal parts driving metal, acoustic passages, epic arrangements, cinema-scopic buildups, rhythmic complexity, so on and so forth. While those statements may describe what's going on here on a superficial level, they don't really capture the essence of the thing. Also, there's little to no instrumental over-indulgence to be found here. The guys can play with the best of them, but all displays of technical proficiency which are found on this album are infused into the arrangements, which are built entirely to serve the concept. In that aspect alone, they are unique among their peers.

"Used" kicks off with splashes of metallic chords on top of a driving drum pattern, before dropping off into a pulsing rhythm with Daniel ranting in a dark and hoarse whisper - "I am the unclean - the black drop at the bottom of your cup - you'd better drink or throw me up 'cause I'm on your lip and tongue - God! - I'm not yours as much as you are mine - so let me in to be your lung - just breathe me deep and take another sip - so still - a taste so sweet but so bitter the kill! - still on your lip, you are so close - I'll let you come between my legs, you are closer death than sun - and I'm not your daughter as much as you're my son - I'll let you come - in my mouth, on your lip - so ready and thirsty for the next sip - you let me in, I let you come - I'd never let you down - you let me win, I'll let you drown!" The last is delivered with a powerful roar as various vocal lines coalesce on top of each other, and then the darkness gives way to make room for an uplifting passage that's in striking opposition to what came only moments before - and to what will come only moments after. Later down the line, the song is broken by an almost bluesy guitar solo, and proceeds to build momentum and tension before exploding into a powerful storm of unbridled emotion.

In fear of falling into a track-by-track description that I was originally intending to avoid, I'll just say that there aren't really any formulas in use here, but if I had to depict a kind of connecting musical theme from song to song, it would be that epic buildup of tension and consequent cathartic release in the form of an emotional storm that, if nothing else, is often tear jerking. The Perfect Element I is an album driven by emotion and dynamics on a level beyond any other album I have ever heard in this genre.

I do have to say a few things about several of the tracks here, though -

"In the Flesh" is a huge teaser. A repetitive and pleasant arrangement of clean guitars and soft drums throughout the first few minutes of this song do a good job of putting you in the "mood", so to speak. When the band finally does come through in force, though, the wait will have been more than worth it. Very powerful music over the last several minutes, with Daniel's massively moving two-sided narration of an encounter between two characters that's guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. The transition into the next song is masterful, with a touching piano and acoustic guitar arrangement.

"Idioglossia" IS progressive metal. This is what it's all about. The song goes through so many movements, so many changes, and makes such excellent use of dynamics. The drum work especially throughout all eight and a half minutes of this song is so enveloping. The true beauty of this song, though, is the way it works with the agony that Daniel attempts to portray within his characters. You can feel what Daniel is saying through the music that his bandmates are playing. The music conveys the emotions being expressed with such utter brilliance that one almost gets the impression that this music wasn't actually arranged, but that it simply came to be in a free-flowing musical arena where each member's ideas seamlessly intertwined with the rest to create this most natural and turbulent collage. The pathos of it all is unreal.

"Her Voices", or more specifically the latter half of the song, features a long instrumental passage with some very interesting drumming, folky guitar melodies, and a truly epic closing sequence filled with violins, soaring pianos, dense guitars, layered background vocals that reach for the sky, and Daniel singing on top of it all with that emphatic voice of his. Powerful, indeed.

"Reconciliation". I really only have one thing to point out about this song - and that's the thing that Daniel does from 3:35 to around 3:48. Holy crap. That shouldn't be possible.

"The Perfect Element". This is it. The title track and also the album closer. Right from the beginning the melodies deliver a sort of somber tranquility... quiet and retrospective, yet sad and desolate. Around mid-way through the song, the band drops out to leave a single acoustic guitar playing through several arpeggiated chords. A second guitar joins in shortly, overlaying a sorrow-filled but strangely uplifting melody before both guitars are joined by the remainder of the band, with a violin adding to the atmosphere. Daniel is at his emotional peak here, and it is unbelievable. With every word he sings, it's as if he's feeling what his characters are feeling. You can almost see the tears falling from his eyes as his voice builds and builds - "Once he had forests and mountains that were only his, listening to him - Once he would run through the summer days, catching memories for ages to come - Now he is dressing this naked floor - with his flesh and blood - while time passes by - His trade of pain might just have lead him to deal with consequence - for some change as time passes by!" His voice strains here as he holds the word, on the verge of breaking, and it's perfect. So perfect that when he finally does release it, you realize that you never even noticed the band that had long since come in behind him. A brief, yet striking and monumental instrumental passage ensues, and then the guys drop into a dense yet somewhat airy wall of sound that leads into the closing passage, which consists of an interesting, tribal drum progression that fades into the wind with an inquisitive Daniel angrily chanting "Is this more than you want?".

The end.

As far as I'm concerned, this album has only one fault - and that's the production. Due to the nature of the music here and its tendency to build and climax into dense walls of sound, instrument separation should have been a very important concern. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a significant oversight. When the band starts layering instruments, everything tends to turn into a mash of guitars and cymbals, making it a bit hard to distinguish guitars from other guitars, guitars from keyboards, individual notes and chords, and other such nuances. When the band starts layering vocals, it gets even worse. This is most blatantly displayed on "Her Voices", towards the end, where you can't really understand what either Daniel or the background vocalists are singing because it all turns into one big blob of sound. The production is flawed, but it isn't "horrible"... for the most part things are pretty clear, intelligible, and well defined. It's only when the band is at their most dense that the imperfections shine through.

In retrospect, never in my life could I have imagined that the distinction of my "favorite" album would have been so easy to make, but here it is.

The Perfect Element I.

The perfect album.

Bring on Part II.

This album rocks........2005-07-15

This is currently my most-listened-to album. I had Pain of Salvation locked away for a while, initially dismissed as "one of those prog-rock bands." Well, I recently re-opened this lovely CD and can't stop listening to it since.

The opening song, 'Used,' sets the stage well, The first half is a little bit off-style, with sort of rappish lyrics here and there with intermixed acapella-sounding choruses. But when the second half of the song kicks in, you know you're in for a ride. The harmonies just keep spiraling upwards, taking Daniel Gildenlow's vocals to astounding levels, somehow without sounding awful (as most males who try to sing high do).

One of my favorite things about Pain of Salvation is how the songs ring as "powerful." I love powerful music. "In the Flesh" has so much patience--leaving you waiting for that drum beat to kick in (and when it finally does it's worth it). "Morning on Earth" reminds you exactly of the sun rising on a beautiful day. "Her Voices" perfectly combines ballad and hard rock, with more stunning vocals. "Dedication" has that light major-7 feeling that Pain of Salvation loves to use in their ballads, which they do nicely.

Update: The last 3 minutes of "King of Loss" are worth the entire CD alone. It might even be worth everything in my possession. While the rest of the song is cool (great growling vocals by Daniel), the five minutes beginning at around 5:50 includes the most moving, melodic, harmonic, emotional, and just flat out beautiful composition ever created by man. I've recorded this exact section, given it the name "Awesome!!!.mp3" and listened to it more times than all my other songs combined, and it never ceases to amaze me.

When "Reconciliation" rolls around you know the album's almost over. I don't particularly love this song, but I do love certain sections of it--every song on this album has at least some section that I love. And, of course, "The Perfect Element" is a perfect ending, with that really powerful middle section ("Once he had forests and mountains...") with heart-wrenching singing.

Overall, complete 5/5. Perfectly executed, brilliantly written, and catchy. Don't spend your money on something else when you can buy this instead.

Average customer rating:

Dialed In
Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin, Kutless, Underoath, Nicole Nordeman, Hawk Nelson, Rebecca St. James, Falling Up, Sanctus Real, John Reuben, David Crowder Band
Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Praise & Worship | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
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