The Legend [Explicit Lyrics]

Disc: 1
1. Intro - DJ Screw
2. Bangen Screw - Big Pokey, DJ Screw, Lil Head, Lil' Keke
3. Why You Wanna Hate - DJ Screw,
4. It's Going Down - DJ Screw, Lil' Keke
5. Pimp the Pen - DJ Screw, Lil' Keke
6. Shout Outs - DJ Screw
7. Like Yesterday - Bun B, DJ Screw, PSK-13, Pimp C
8. Conversation - DJ Screw
9. Inside Looking Out - DJ Screw
10. One Life to Live - Al-D, DJ Screw,
See all 14 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. It's Been a Long Time - DJ Screw, Point Blank
2. 3rd Coast - Big Chance, Big T, , DJ Screw, Lil' Flex
3. You Need to Get Up - DJ Screw, , Sub Zero
4. In the House Tonight - Big T, DJ Screw, Lil' Flip
5. Legend - DJ Screw, E.S.G., , , Slim Thug
6. New Friends New Foes - DJ Screw, Koolaid, , Pooh Bear
7. House Wife - DJ Screw, Heavy Rotation
8. Them Boys Down South - Big Chance, DJ Screw
9. Freestyle Two - Big Chance, DJ Screw
10. I Ain't Hating - DJ Screw
See all 13 tracks on this disc

The Legend,DJ Screw,Big Tyme Records,Dirty South,Gangsta Rap,Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap & Hip-Hop,Southern Rap

Average customer rating: I love the music of the Travelling Wilburys Traveling Wilburys Former John/Paul snob fan converted to George fan WHERE IS THE VINYL ISSUE? Traveling Wilburys

Traveling Wilburys (2 CD / 1 DVD) The Traveling Wilburys Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Memory Almost Full Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur Memory Almost Full [Deluxe Limited Edition] Live In Dublin Icky Thump ASIN: B000P0J024 Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

1. Handle With Care
2. Dirty World
3. Rattled
4. Last Night
5. Not Alone Any More
6. Congratulations
7. Heading For the Light
8. Margarita
9. Tweeter And the Monkey Man
10. End Of the Line
11. Maxine - (previously unreleased, Bonus Track)
12. Like A Ship - (alternate take, Bonus Track)

Tracks:

1. She's My Baby
2. Inside Out
3. If You Belonged To Me
4. Devil's Been Busy, The
5. 7 Deadly Sins
6. Poor House
7. Where Were You Last Night?
8. Cool Dry Place
9. New Blue Moon
10. You Took My Breath Away
11. Wilbury Twist
12. Nobody's Child - (Bonus Track)
13. Runaway - (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com

The Traveling Wilburys were one of the few supergroups that lived up to their promise, because they didn't try to. Things started inauspiciously when George Harrison, needing a B-side for a 1988 single, called in friends Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison for assistance. Two albums later--the second without Orbison, who had passed away shortly after the first was released--the loose-knit collective had recorded material that was as durable, and occasionally eclipsed, the participants' legendary solo work. The Wilburys succeeded due to a genial and contagious camaraderie that permeates both discs. What could have been a train wreck of ego clashes instead resulted in a frothy meeting of the minds. These guys are having a blast, trading lead vocals and harmonies on energetic folk-rock, quirky rockabilly, and Beatlesque pop that shimmers with the respect and esteem the members clearly hold for each other. Harrison and Lynne's rather slick production polishes off edges that might better have been left unvarnished, but there's no denying the loosey-goosey craftsmanship at work in tunes such as "Handle with Care," "End of the Line," and a striking Orbison performance on "Not Alone Anymore" that ranks with any of his finest. Both albums were million-sellers, but oddly went out of print for about a decade until Rhino resurrected them, adding two rare tracks per disc as well as a DVD of music videos and a band documentary. The resulting package is a comprehensive overview of a once--well, twice--in-a-lifetime project that, especially after Harrison's passing, will never be repeated. --Hal Horowitz

Album Description

Featuring classics like "Handle With Care," "End Of The Line," and "Heading For The Light," super-group Traveling Wilbury's Collection highlights all of the band's music and previously unreleased bonus tracks through this re-mastered double album. The DVD features behind the scenes footage of the band writing and recording, along with their 5 video clips.

Customer Reviews:

I love the music of the Travelling Wilburys.......2007-07-30

I love the music of The Travelling Wilburys on the two discs here. I also enjoyed watching the videos on the DVD. "Handle With Care" and "End Of The Line" are my favorite tracks. I love George Harrison singing lead vocals on these classic tunes. "She's My Baby" is an excellent rock and roll song. I love Jeff Lynne's electric guitar playing on this track. "The Wilbury Twist" is a fun upbeat track. I love Tom's Petty's vocals. Not Alone Any More is another highlight here. Roy Orbison's voice is so heartfelt on this track. Bob Dylan shines on the tracks "Inside Out" on "Dirty World". He is the member of the group I knew least about. He is a very good singer. "New Blue Moon" is a perfect example of how well these musicians sound together. This is fun music.

Traveling Wilburys.......2007-07-30

The best CD I've bought in a long while.
You can't get any better that 5 of the best singer/musicians of our/any time, coming together and complementing each other perfectly.

Former John/Paul snob fan converted to George fan.......2007-07-29

I admit it, I discounted George as the lesser talent of all the Beatles, but I was sadly mistaken,and missed appreciating his talent for collaboration and production until now. He showcases the fine talents of Petty, Orbison,and Dylan with his own and with his and Lynn's talent as songwriters. This remastering has the truly finest sound ever to grace my premium auto sound system.

WHERE IS THE VINYL ISSUE?.......2007-07-27

THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A FIVE STAR COLLECTION. BUT, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VINYL ISSUE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT? IN THE ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE IT SAID THAT A VINYL VERSION WITH 3 LPS WAS GOING TO BE RELEASED. THE THIRD LP WAS GOING TO CONSIST ENTIRELY OF ALTERNATE TAKES THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED ON THE 2 CD/DVD SET. IT WAS ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE A BONUS POSTER AND BOOKLET. THANKS.

Traveling Wilburys.......2007-07-27

This is such a great memory if you're a George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan fan - the DVD is so personal and just takes me back forty years!! GREAT stuff!

Average customer rating: Once Again - John Legend Once Again - John Legend Legend does it - "Once Again" this is a big downstep "Old School" Yeah Right

Once Again John Legend Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: Get Lifted Corinne Bailey Rae Continuum Not Too Late B'day ASIN: B000HCPWZO Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

1. Save Room
2. Heaven
3. Stereo
4. Show Me
5. Each Day Gets Better
6. P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)
7. Slow Dance
8. Again
9. Maxine
10. Where Did My Baby Go
11. Maxine's Interlude
12. Another Again
13. Coming Home

Amazon.com

It takes guts, if not outright egomania, to abandon your given surname and adopt a loaded one like Legend, but the former John Stephens must have sensed that loftiness would one day be his calling card: Once Again, the follow-up to the Grammy-gobbling, platinum pile-on that was Get Lifted, surpasses expectations. Not that it bears much relation to its predecessor. Again again trots out a stable of talented, modern-minded producers--Raphael Saadiq, Legend comrade Kanye West, and the unsinkable will.i.am--but it's nowhere near as self-conscious about embracing the old-school as the knowing, R&B edge-skimming Lifted. Don't expect a derivative mash of smudgy, nostalgia-filching sounds, though, because despite its retro leanings, what's in store somehow crackles with currency. Call it neo-retro if you must, but never call it unimaginative: first single "Save Room" coasts, drifts, and floats along a ponderous path spiked by a cool keyboard-y crescendo; second single "Heaven" busts out a big, busy beat over a slow seduction; and a couple of selections--"Each Day Gets Better" and "PDA"--are so bright and twirly they seem custom-made for dizzy love scenes or jaunty, sunny-day skips through the park. Maybe the most unusual track is "Show Me," a rock song that pilfers elements of Hendrix and finds Legend climbing a few octaves to sound, weirdly, like Jeff Buckley, but it works: so slippery is its beat and so affecting are its hope-laced lyrics that, oddness aside, it's among the disc's best. Sandwiched as it is among 14 songs that all sound like future classics, that's saying something. --Tammy La Gorce

More Legendary Music

Get Lifted

Get Lifted/Live at the House of Blues (CD/DVD)

Live at the House of Blues (DVD)

Customer Reviews:

Once Again - John Legend.......2007-07-16

This is one of the sexiest albums I have heard in awhile. It is pure romance and very old school. I love the way he phrases his lyrics and the "old" vibe he has. This is a great album. I love the whole thing. Even the non-romantic ballads pull you in. He is definitely one of the hottest male singers today.

Once Again - John Legend.......2007-07-08

The title song is teriffic and one you will want to hear over & over & over again.

Legend does it - "Once Again".......2007-07-07

Calll it what you will - jazz, crossover, blues fusion - the cuts work and work well. His "Save Room" in particular adds a quiet energy to his body of work and the rest of the album is just as strong. There is depth here, there is thought here, there is music here.

this is a big downstep.......2007-06-24

john legend dissappointed me....this is a not a good album compared to the first one.....maybe 2 tracks are worth buying it...

"Old School" Yeah Right.......2007-06-22

John legend first cd "Get lifted" was a joy to listen to. His second cd "Once again" is "Once is enough already"!. He sounds straned and annoying. The lyrics are not well written, more like very immature. He tries way to hard and you can hear it in his voice. These R&B acts are losing a lot of fans by making stupid music like this and expect us to "Like this crap". All they care about is getting paid. If you want to hear real R&B with raw lyrics listen to Amy winehouse or Corinne Bailey Rae. The difference between R&B Brits and american fake R&B, they sing with emotion, write meaningful lyrics and have great Vocals. American R&B is only in it for our cash and make awful music with no substance. As long as we keep buying music like this. They will continue to make trashy music like this.

Average customer rating: A must-have for any music collection Reggae's Ruler Timeless CD Jimmy Buffett was right Album name says it all...

Legend (New Packaging) Bob Marley & The Wailers Manufacturer: Def Jam ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music General | Reggae | Compilations | International | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Exodus Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix Survival Uprising Catch a Fire ASIN: B0000669JL Release Date: 2002-05-21

Tracks:

1. Is This Love
2. No Woman No Cry
3. Could You Be Loved
4. Three Little Birds
5. Buffalo Soldier
6. Get Up Stand Up
7. Stir It Up
8. Easy Skanking (Bonus Track)
9. One Love/People Get Ready
10. I Shot The Sheriff
11. Waiting In Vain
12. Redemption Song
13. Satisfy My Soul
14. Exodus
15. Jamming
16. Punky Reggae Party (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com essential recording

Even as greatest hits packages go, this is an utter gem. Every song is inspired, in a class of its own, whether the real version of "I Shot the Sheriff," the hymnlike "No Woman, No Cry," or the sheer joy of "Jamming." Even allowing that Marley never wrote any bad material, then Legend is still the crème de la crème, the heart and soul of the Jamaican people packed into one five-inch compact disc. He was unique, and the message of this record, more than any other, is that he died far too soon. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

A must-have for any music collection.......2007-07-11

I will never grow tired of "Legend." This compilation is absolutely perfect, providing an accurate insight into the musical genius that was Bob Marley. This isn't just reggae at its finest, but it's music at its finest. The songs on "Legend" can be inspiring, uplifting, entertaining, thought-provoking, but most of all just purely enjoyable. The simple songwriting and talented musicianship provide a sunny, lighthearted musical setting, the laidback Caribbean style that would inspire a generation of reggae followers. But it's Bob's messages and lyrics that set him apart from the other great Jamaican musicians who were his contemporaries. Bob's music is at times politically and religiously charged, and sometimes just for fun. But everything he advocates in his muic is positive. He wants the world to be a better, friendlier place, and he advocates human treatment and equality, civil rights, and freedom. He portrays his ideas in a simple manner that makes them all the more effective. This compilation covers the most audience-friendly and appealing of his extensive discography. This is a smart purchase, because Bob's discography is huge, especially because there are so many various releases that have surfaced between different distributors in different countries. "Legend" is an album everyone should own, it's the one that every new Bob Marley listener should not even think twice about purchasing, and everyone should be able to appreciate the music here.

The compilation begins with "Is This Love," one of the most purely roots songs here, a lyrically simple, musically catchy tune. "No Woman No Cry" is my favorite song of Bob's music, and this seven minute live recording is beautiful. The lyricism of this song is simple but really moving, from his talk of growing up poor in Jamaica to his philosophies on life, and the break for the guitar solo and background vocals complete the beautiful arrangement. I absolutely love "Could You Be Loved," a clever production that's immediately catchy, with a great chorus and standard Bob Marley performance. "Three Little Birds," one of his most well-known tunes, is fun, light, and fairly uplifting. "Buffalo Soldier" is an ingenious look at the movement of peoples from Africa to the Caribbean, and Bob praises his ancestors. The politically-fueled "Get Up, Stand Up" is a very effective rallying cry for civil rights. Another of my favorites is the winding "Stir It Up," a laidback, enjoyable and fun song. "Easy Skanking" is included as a bonus on the new remaster, a welcome bonus to the classic tracklist. "One Love/People Get Ready" is a happy call to equal treatment and some light philosophy, one of his most definitive songs. If you haven't, you must hear his ingenious cover of Eric Clapton's "I Shot the Sheriff," which is followed here by the easy "Waiting in Vain" and the very inspired "Redemption Song." "Satisfy My Soul" and the incredible "Exodus" follow, with another of my favorites, the unforgettable "Jamming." The remaster also includes "Punky Reggae Party" as a bonus, a unique party track.

Bottom line, this album is a must have for anyone. People of all ages and backgrounds can love "Legend," even if they're not a reggae fan. This music is clever, catchy, and fun, and Bob Marley is really a genius. Make this purchase if you haven't already, you will not be disappointed by "Legend."

Reggae's Ruler.......2007-07-09

This CD is an excellent Bob Marley compilation. Probably teh greatest reggae album ever. Here are just the really good tunes:

Is this Love - great opener, an uplifting reggae love song

3 Little Birds - great, soulful, makes heart soar

Buffalo Soldier - phenomenal tune about black soldiers who were sent to fight American Indians. Great story and great music

One Love - awesome tho simple, it's a call to unity

Redemption Song - slow with soft guitar, a stirring call to free your mind and free yourself, resist opression

Jammin- - a fun party tune, no message here but just to jam

Timeless CD.......2007-05-28

What can I say that has not already been said about this awesome cd? Put it on, relax and enjoy life. It never gets old.

Jimmy Buffett was right.......2007-05-13

My only knowledge of Bob Marley was references by Jimmy Buffett in his books. So when I found this CD, I had to get it. I am glad I did. Thoroughly enjoyed every cut.

Album name says it all..........2007-05-08

You don't have to smoke the you-know-what to appreciate the work of Bob Marley. This is good music for anybody, kids included! This is also one of the few best-ofs to live up to it's name. Invest in a positive message - buy this album today:)

Average customer rating: Breathtakingly Beautiful! Lots of great songs, just about all of his greatest hits. Missing Great Collection

Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon John Lennon Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Best of George Harrison The Beatles 1 All the Best The Beatles (The White Album) Abbey Road ASIN: B00000634J Release Date: 1998-02-24

Tracks:

1. Imagine
2. Instant Karma!
3. Mother (Single Edit)
4. Jealous Guy
5. Power To The People
6. Cold Turkey
7. Love
8. Mind Games
9. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
10. No. 9 Dream
11. Stand By Me
12. (Just Like) Starting Over
13. Woman
14. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
15. Watching The Wheels
16. Nobody Told Me
17. Borrowed Time
18. Working Class Hero
19. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
20. Give Peace A Chance

Amazon.com

John Lennon's solo work has been anthologized so many times that it's hard to believe there wasn't a definitive compilation before this one. And, depending on your particular take, you might not find Lennon Legend quite hitting the mark. However, since it does contain the brilliantly scathing "Working Class Hero," doesn't ignore the woefully underrated Rock 'n' Roll album, and catches the hopeful renewal that came toward the end of his foreshortened life, it's probably about as close as anyone's going to come. His great songs shine, meditations like "Imagine" and his rockers had form and content, as in "Whatever Gets You Through the Night." He was an icon, and this does him justice. --Chris Nickson

Amazon.co.uk

Imagine a place where the personal, political, and emotional elements of John Lennon's music converge together seamlessly in one cohesive production. An assortment of his finest solo work, Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon is of great interest to anyone who's ever been a fan of the Beatles, the Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono, or simply the genius himself. Ranging from a rendition of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" to the sounds of the Plastic Ono Band and the Harlem Community Choir on "Happy Xmas" and the classic anti-war anthem "Give Peace A Chance", the recordings assembled here stand as a testament to one of rock's most complex and influential musical talents. If you believe that Lennon's greatest period of creativity came to an end with the Beatles, you owe yourself a listen to this album.

John Lennon Photos

More from John Lennon

Imagine	John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band	The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Mind Games	Working Class Hero	Walls and Bridges

Album Description

1997 collection on Capitol featuring 20 of his best for thelabel, all digitally remastered. Includes 'Imagine','Instant Karma!', 'Mother' (Single Edit), 'Jealous Guy','(Just Like) Starting Over', 'Woman', 'Give Peace A Chance',etc.

Customer Reviews:

Breathtakingly Beautiful!.......2007-07-10

This album emcompasses the beauty that is my son John! I love you sweetheart!

Mom

Lots of great songs,.......2007-07-03

and two or three that are not. This is the most complete collection of Lennon's solo work I've heard. Lennon reminds me of the old poem about the little girl with the curl in the middle of her head. When he was good, he was very, very, good ("Imagine"), when he was bad, he was horrid (the primal scream stuff he did with Yoko, which fortunately isn't included here).

just about all of his greatest hits........2007-04-11

what can I say, this cd has most if not all of his greatest hits after the beatles broke up

Missing.......2007-03-29

"Happy Xmas War Is Over" and "Cold Turkey" could easily have been left off this compilation in order to make room for one of Lennon's most haunting and beautiful melodies, "Old Dirt Road," which was penned by Lennon and Harry Nilson during their partying days in LA. Too bad.

Great Collection.......2007-03-17

This is a great collection of some of John Lennon's best songs.
I love it!

Average customer rating: Kinky Boots DVD Real Music!! Definately a different sound Ive Been "Lifted" Great music

Get Lifted John Legend Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music $8.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music R&B | 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: Once Again Late Registration The Breakthrough Corinne Bailey Rae Continuum ASIN: B0002X314C Release Date: 2004-12-28

Tracks:

1. Prelude
2. Let's Get Lifted
3. Used To Love U
4. Alright
5. She Don't Have To Know
6. Number One
7. I Can Change
8. Ordinary People
9. Stay With You
10. Let's Get Lifted Again
11. So High
12. Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)
13. It Don't Have To Change
14. Live It Up

Amazon.com

Given the sped-up classic soul samples with which Kanye West has made his mark, it comes as no surprise that the producer/rapper would pick a tradition-minded R&B singer as his first big pet project. Legend first made his name on Philly's incense-clouded, '70s-obsessed neo-soul scene, then found his way to New York and became West's right-hand man in the studio. His patron's pop smarts serve Legend well--while many contemporary R&B records rely too heavily on a singer's cadence and skill to carry underdeveloped tunes, Legend and West have composed genuine songs like the perky "Number One," which has a lovestruck West jabbering that he no longer believes that "my heart don't got nothing to do with my penis." (It's way more convincing than Snoop Dogg's pledge of love on the next track, "I Can Change.") And even when the melodies are slight, West slides some nasty bass lines underneath, hinting at just enough of a hip-hop sensibility to keep the album from drifting into retro nostalgia. Yet Legend is no mere producer's plaything. His voice isn't immediately distinctive; he's neither as careworn as Anthony Hamilton nor as creamy as D'Angelo. But his gift for restraint sets him apart: the sex-as-drug metaphor of the title track is hardly fresh, but Legend delivers it smoothly enough to make it work, without pressing the issue. All bedroom come-ons have been used before. This late in the game, it's a matter of how well you use 'em. --Keith Harris

Customer Reviews:

Kinky Boots DVD.......2007-06-27

When shopping for the Kinky Boots Sound Track CD, Amazon popped up the movie DVD and I made the mistake of ordering that. It took a very nice vendor an several weeks (plus postage) to return the item.

I placed an order for the CD on 6/16 and am still waiting for it. It is taking a long time.

Real Music!!.......2007-06-19

If you want to listen to REAL MUSIC, not none of this hoopla that's out now, you definitely want to buy this CD. for me, john legend gives us peace in the midst of a dying musical era along with others like anthony hamilton and musiq. while his first album is pure genius, the second proves that he is capable of reaching beyond the average expectations; he goes deeper with his sound and lyrics. i appreciate his sincere love for music because it's not compromised for a hit record; he has passion for it and, if you ever get a chance to see him in concert, you'll see and feel it too. I LOVE HIM!

Definately a different sound.......2007-05-10

I enjoy the soultry voice of John Leggend. He is not my traditional R&B singer but I enjoyed the messages and catchy tunes of this album.

Ive Been "Lifted".......2007-04-11

Both Of John Cds are Running Neck & Neck With Me.. I Just Love Sitting Back Listening To The Lyrics Of Each Of His Tracks....Keep Doing Your Thang John...

Great music.......2007-04-10

This is one of those wonderful CDs that is a complete listening experience. Every song on the album is wonderfully written and executed, so I really enjoy it. In fact, this album is so well produced, you'd think he was a Jackson!

Average customer rating: Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 - Sam Cooke If only Sam Cooke were alive today ! Excellent tribute Sam Cooke A real treasure

Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 Sam Cooke Manufacturer: Abkco ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music R&B | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Otis Redding One Night Stand: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke Sam Cooke - Greatest Hits Dreams To Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology ASIN: B00009N1ZV Release Date: 2003-06-17

Tracks:

1. Touch The Hem Of His Garment
2. Lovable
3. You Send Me
4. Only Sixteen
5. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
6. Just For You
7. Win Your Love For Me
8. Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha
9. I'll Come Running Back To You
10. You Were Made For Me
11. Sad Mood
12. Cupid
13. (What A) Wonderful World
14. Chain Gang
15. Summertime
16. Little Red Rooster
17. Bring It On Home To Me
18. Nothing Can Change This Love
19. Sugar Dumpling
20. (Ain't That) Good News
21. Meet Me At Mary's Place
22. Twistin' The Night Away
23. Shake
24. Tennessee Waltz
25. Another Saturday Night
26. Good Times
27. Having A Party
28. That's Where It's At
29. A Change Is Gonna Come
30. Jesus Gave Me Water
31. Unlisted Track

Customer Reviews:

Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 - Sam Cooke.......2007-07-29

I'm enjoying this CD. It takes me back in time and is bringing back good memories

If only Sam Cooke were alive today !.......2007-07-20

Portrait of a legend was exactly what the title suggested. Sam Cooke is amazing and has the voice of an angel no matter what type of music he is singing.His sound is so very classy, upbeat and fun. His sound is a presentation of what all music could've been. If only he were still alive today, the wonderful music that might have been. The world lost one of it's most precious gifts when we lost Sam Cooke!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excellent tribute.......2007-07-20

Just look at the tracklist and you'll realize how many standards Sam Cooke sang first. This is the best of the collections of Cooke's work with both great sound and packaging. If you're wanting to recapture this part of your youth, this is a very good Cooke CD to get.

Sam Cooke.......2007-07-14

This CD is well worth the money. All of Cooke's big hits...plus some of his very early songs.

A real treasure.......2007-05-16

This album really hooked me on the awesome talent of Sam Cooke! I had listened over the years to Sam's many hits on the radio. I tried this album to catch some of my favorites. Wow, what a revelation! it is now one of my top three favorite CDs. I can't recommend it more.

Average customer rating: Cash is worth your money. Excellent Single CD Overview of The Man in Black Cash is the man! "Well I taught the weeping willow how to cry cry cry..." A Pocketful of Cash

The Legend of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash Manufacturer: Hip-O Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Country Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rockabilly | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: At Folsom Prison Walk the Line American IV: The Man Comes Around American V: A Hundred Highways American Recordings ASIN: B000BISBDY Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

1. Cry! Cry! Cry!
2. Hey Porter
3. Folsom Prison Blues
4. I Walk The Line
5. Get Rhythm
6. Big River
7. Guess THings Happen That Way
8. Ring Of Fire
9. Jackson
10. A Boy Named Sue
11. Sunday Morning Coming Down
12. Man In Black
13. One Piece At A Time
14. Highwayman
15. The Wanderer - U2
16. Delia's Gone
17. Rusty Cage
18. I've Been Everywhere
19. Give My Love To Rose
20. The Man Comes Around (Early Take)
21. Hurt

Amazon.com

This introduction to the Man in Black's catalog is about as fine a one as can be found on one disc, primarily because the 21 classic tracks span J.R. Cash's entire career, from his first rockabilly single, "Hey, Porter"/"Cry! Cry! Cry!" (Sun Records, 1955), to his last significant alt-country tracks (American Recordings, 2003). Though Cash had his peaks and valleys in the studio, what shines brightly on this collection is how constant--how unwavering--his creativity remained, whether he was writing and performing original material or interpreting the work of others. His voice, too, remained a majestic thing of wonder, even as Cash often sang off-beat; settled his bass-baritone somewhere around, if not on the note; and cared more about power and emotion than strict rules of measure--something that became especially important as illness changed his great oaken voice into a frail instrument. In this way, he was able to infuse novelty songs ("One Piece at a Time," "A Boy Named Sue") with undeniable cool and maintain the poetry of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down" even in the awful advent of a gloppy, too-peppy string section. Other chestnuts here take on new dimension in retrospect. "Jackson," a duet with wife June Carter Cash, seemed almost comedic ("hotter than a pepper sprout") when it was released, but now reveals the couple's own white-hot sexuality, primarily in June's elegant, if straightahead vocal. The surprise of The Legend of Johnny Cash is how seamlessly the newer material blends with the seminal, and how full-circle it sometimes comes: Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" doesn't seem markedly different from the quietly defiant songs that Cash defined himself with in the '50s and early '60s. Yet the compilation producers, like Cash himself, saved the best for last. "Hurt," Trent Reznor's poignant meditation on addiction, is devastating as written, but becomes a thing of terrible beauty in the ailing Cash's ravaged, autobiographical delivery. Sequenced as the final cut on the album, it ends with a kind of shocking void; stunning in its intensity, dropping the listener off a cliff of something very akin to grief. No artist, no matter what genre, could have planned a more haunting exit. --Alanna Nash

Album Description

The Legend of Johnny Cash spans his entire career for the first time on a single disc. Featuring 21 of his recordings on the Sun, Columbia, Island, and American Recordings labels, it's the first compilation to include his work on American. Also highlighting the package is a 16-page deluxe booklet with photos and essay by author Rich Kienzle.

His Sun Records tracks begin with his first single, "Hey, Porter"/"Cry! Cry! Cry!," a Country Top 20 penned by Cash and produced by Sam Phillips. Straddling country and rock 'n' roll, they scored in 1956 with the Top 10 Country "Folsom Prison Blues," #1 Country/Top 20 Pop "I Walk The Line" and #1 Country "Get Rhythm." Also heard from his Sun days are 1958's "Big River" (#4 Country/Top 20 Pop) and "Guess Things Happen That Way" (#1 Country/Top 20 Pop).

Cash signed with Columbia in 1958 and five years later had a #1 Country/Top 20 Pop hit with "Ring of Fire," a ballad co-written by June Carter, who in 1967 would duet with him on the #2 Country "Jackson" and later become his wife. In 1969, the live Johnny Cash at San Quentin yielded his biggest hit: Shel Silverstein's novelty "A Boy Named Sue" (#1 Country/#2 Pop).

Kris Kristofferson composed Cash's 1970 #1 Country hit "Sunday Morning Coming Down" while Cash himself composed his personal philosophy on 1971's #3 Country "Man in Black," his nickname for the rest of his days. Also from his Columbia tenure are 1976's "One Piece at a Time" (#1 Country/Top 30 Pop) and 1985's "Highwayman" with Waylon Jennings and Kristofferson.

Cash joined Mercury in 1986 and The Legend of Johnny Cash includes a track from that period titled "The Wanderer," a duet with U2 written by Bono and U2, taken from the group's 1993 release Zooropa. That same year Rick Rubin, known for producing rap and rock acts, offered to record Cash singing whatever he chose. 1994's American Recordings, including college radio favorite "Delia's Gone," brought Cash to a new generation and won the Best Contemporary Folk Album Grammy. On 1996's Unchained, Cash brilliantly interpreted Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" as well as the Hank Snow classic "I've Been Everywhere" and copped the Grammy for Best Country Album. On 2003's American IV: The Man Comes Around, he revisited old favorite "Give My Love to Rose" and gave new meaning to Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" (the video for "Hurt" was 6 times nominated at MTV's 2003 VMAs and also won a Grammy for "Best Short Form Music Video" that same year). From 2003's posthumous box set Unearthed, The Legend of Johnny Cash adds an early take on "The Man Comes Around."

Customer Reviews:

Cash is worth your money........2007-07-28

This one's got it all practically. Great stuff. Cash's "Man in Black" anthem. Funny ditty-type songs like "One Piece at a Time," "Boy Named Sue," and "Jackson." My two favorites are "Highwayman" and "The Wanderer."
These two tracks are appropriately located right next one another on the disc. "The Wanderer" (done with U2) is a meditation on the one body/one soul search for rest/love/G-d. "Highwayman," done with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson, is about one soul in many bodies (an Old West robber, a sailor, a dam-builder, and an astronaut) i.e. reincarnation and the eternity of the soul. So soon after Cash's passing I wonder what his next incarnation might be.
Speaking of Kristofferson, he penned "Sunday Morning Coming Down" (and Cash sings it like no one else). That song alone is reason enough to buy this disc.

Excellent Single CD Overview of The Man in Black.......2007-06-29

Johnny Cash's music and popularity has transcended generations and genres. His fans consist of people like myself who don't care much for the current crop of country artists that Nashville is promoting,younger fans who were introduced to his music through excellent covers of Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails tunes and longtime country fans. With a career that lasted as long as his it's hard to narrow his material down to one CD but this collection does a good job. You get his early stuff with the Tennessee Two ("Cry, Cry, Cry", "Folsum Prison Blues", "Get Rhythm") his middle era ("Man In Black","Sunday Morning Coming Down", "A Boy Named Sue")and his amazing comeback on the Rick Rubin "American Recordings" ("Rusty Cage", "Hurt"(dare I say this is better than the NIN version), "Delia's Gone"). All in all an excellent overview of a legendary career.

Cash is the man!.......2007-03-21

Cant go wrong with CD no matter what you listen to. It is full of his signature attitude and style. Not much more to say that hasnt been said about the lengend, Johnny Cash.

"Well I taught the weeping willow how to cry cry cry...".......2007-02-23

Such an excellent CD. Have listened to this over and over so many times. Liked this CD so much that I just ordered Volume II of "Legend". Get it, you won't regret it!

A Pocketful of Cash.......2007-02-09

Johnny Cash left a huge legacy of recordings from a career that spanned six decades, so to condense that catalog into one CD is a nearly impossible feat. This collection comes about as close as one could hope, though - "Legend" starts with his very first single, "Cry Cry Cry"/"Hey Porter" and works through most of the familiar classics: "I Walk the Line", "Ring of Fire", "Jackson", "A Boy Named Sue", and so on into the 70's. Then it jumps to his "comeback" era, starting with his collaborations with the Highwaynen (Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson) and U2. Finally, we get to the sublime "American Recordings", his inspired and moving series of stripped-down and personal performances produced by Rick Rubin, ending with "Hurt", one of the most mesmerizing and cathartic covers anyone has ever done of any song. This is the only single CD on the market, to my knowledge, that tries to summarize Cash's entire career, so that makes it a pretty good introduction to the Man in Black.

Average customer rating: Enjoyed by a non-County Boy Box Set "Johnny Cash ...The Legend" Man In Black. Excellent Awesome CDs, bad packaging

The Legend Johnny Cash Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Cowboy | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Country Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rockabilly | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Country | Box Sets | Stores | Music General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Box Sets at 30% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | 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: At Folsom Prison At San Quentin Cash: The Autobiography American IV: The Man Comes Around Unchained ASIN: B0009YNSC4 Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

1. I Walk The Line
2. There You Go
3. House Of The Blues
4. Ballad Of A Teenage Queen
5. Guess Things Happen That Way
6. The Ways Of A Woman To Love
7. Don't Take Your Guns To Town
8. Ring Of Fire
9. The Matador
10. Understand Your Man
11. The Ballad Of Ira Hayes
12. Orange Blossum Special
13. The One On The Right Is On The Left
14. Rosanna's Going Wild
15. Folsom Prison Blues
16. Daddy Sang Bass
17. A Boy Named Sue
18. What Is Truth
19. Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
20. Flesh And Blood
21. Man In Black
22. A Thing Called Love
23. Kate
24. Oney
25. Any Old Wind That Blows
26. One Piece At A Time
27. (Ghost) Riders In The Sky

Tracks:

1. Hey Porter
2. Cry, Cry, Cry
3. Luther Played The Boogie
4. Get Rhythm
5. Give My Love To Rose
6. I Was There When It Happened
7. Big River
8. I Still Miss Someone
9. Pickin' Time
10. The Man On The Hill
11. Five Feet And Rising
12. Tennessee Flat Top Box
13. i Got Stripes
14. Troublesome Waters
15. The Long Black Veil
16. Dark As A Dungeon
17. The Wall
18. 25 Minutes To Go
19. Cocaine Blues
20. Doin' My Time
21. I Will Rock And Roll With You
22. Without Love
23. The Big Light
24. Highway Patrolman
25. I'm Never Gonna Roam Again
26. When I'm Gray
27. Forever Young

Tracks:

1. The Wreck Of The Old 97
2. Rock Island Line
3. Good Night Irene
4. Goodbye, Little Darlin'
5. Born To Love
6. Walking The Blues
7. Frankie's Man, Johnny
8. Delia's Gone
9. In The Jailhouse Now
10. Waiting For A Train
11. Casey Jones
12. The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer
13. I've Been Working On The Railroad
14. Sweet Betsy From Pike
15. The Streets Of Laredo
16. Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie
17. Down In The Valley
18. Wabash Cannonball
19. The Great Speckle Brid
20. Wildwood Flower
21. Cotton Fields
22. Pick A Bale O' Cotton
23. Old Shep
24. I'll Be All Smiles Tonight
25. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
26. Time Changes Everything

Tracks:

1. Keep In The Sunny Side
2. Diamonds In The Rough
3. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley
4. Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)
5. Another Man Done Good
6. Pick The Wildwood Flower
7. Jackson
8. If I Were A Carpenter
9. Girl From The North Country
10. One More Ride
11. You Can't Beat Jesus Christ
12. There Ain't No Good Chain Gang
13. We Ought To Be Ashamed
14. Crazy Old Soldier
15. Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine
16. Who's Gene Autry
17. The Night Hank Williams Came To Town
18. I Walk The Line (Revisited)
19. Highwayman
20. The Wanderer
21. September When It Comes
22. Tears In The Holston River
23. Far Side Banks Of Jordan
24. It Takes One To Know Me

Amazon.com

There are several Cash boxes available, but The Legend--spanning the years 1955-2002 but concentrating on his long tenure at Columbia and, to a lesser degree, his beginnings at Sun--probably belongs at the top of the list. Cash's greatest strengths are dramatized on these four, thematically programmed discs: Win, Place and Show: The Hits; Old Favorites and New; The Great American Songbook (mostly traditional songs); and Family and Friends (collaborations). For starters, consider the staggering depth and breadth of his repertoire (perhaps matched only by those of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles), embracing ancient folk tunes ("Streets of Laredo"), teen pop ("Ballad of a Teenage Queen"), mature contemporary rock ("Highway Patrolman"), gospel ("Were You There When They Crucified My Lord"), topical fare ("Ballad of Ira Hayes"), country standards ("Time Changes Everything"), novelties ("One Piece at a Time"), and more. Then there's the way his spare, spacious sound opens up to take in horns ("Ring of Fire"), strings ("Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"), anything. The Legend includes seven previously unissued sides, most prominently "It Takes One to Know Me," a stirring salute to his wife June. --John Morthland

NOTE: There is also a deluxe limited edition of The Legend, featuring a lithograph, a bonus disc, and a DVD, and housed in a 120-page, 12" x 16" hardcover book.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyed by a non-County Boy.......2007-07-17

For $30, a great collection! Some of the earliest music that would be more traditional was not my cup of tea, but certainly worth listening to for its part of American history. The mini-bio and photos in the middle of the package was worth reading too.

Box Set "Johnny Cash ...The Legend".......2007-07-13

I am very well satisfied with the box set. It does help to fill in some obscure areas of his musical accomplishments. There also were several songs he recorded that I was not aware of. Sound quality was very good.

Man In Black........2007-07-01

What can I say? It's Johnny as we all want to remember him. His kind has died out and we will never see a singer larger than life like John Cash.
Bye buddy, we love ya!

Excellent.......2007-05-17

A great collection for someone like me who was really pretty new to Cash's music, since it's a long way from my normal genre. An awesome amount of great music for the money, I love it and wish I'd discovered this music years ago.

It gives a great sampling of everything that Johnny Cash delved into musically, and arranged in a way that lets you listen to an album at a time rather than just skipping to your favorites like some collections.

A great start for a new Cash fan (I can't see how a long time fan could go wrong here either). If you can, pick up the Unearthed boxed set of his American recordings to complement it.


Bottom line, this is the definitive box set for Cash and if you can only get one... this is the one to get.

Awesome CDs, bad packaging.......2007-05-06

This is an awesome collection of Cash tunes. My only gripe is that the CDs come in a large (tall and skinny) book that doesn't fit well into any CD rack.

Average customer rating: One of ATL's best! Urban Legend t.i. got no flow Another Retarded CD From Another RETARD!!!! T.I at his best!

Urban Legend T.I. Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Southern Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Trap Muzik I'm Serious King Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 King ASIN: B00064200S Release Date: 2004-11-30

Tracks:

1. Tha King
2. Motivation
3. U Don't Know Me
4. ASAP
5. Prayin For Help
6. Why U Mad At Me
7. Get Loose
8. What They Do
9. The Greatest
10. Get Ya S*** Together
11. Freak Though
12. Countdown
13. Bring Em Out
14. Limelight
15. Chillin With My B****
16. Stand Up
17. My Life

Album Description

The King of the South is back with his highly anticipated Urban Legend. After spending a good part of 2004 dealing with legal issues, T.I. is now ready to take over. Months of anticipation created by underground tracks circulated throughout the mixtape circuit and some controversial moments have made T.I. the one to wait for. The lead single "Bring Em Out" will be a club anthem with great potential to go all the way at radio and video outlets. With special guest appearances from Pharrell Williams, B.G., Lil' Jon, DAZ, Ciara, Jazze Pha and production from Lil' Jon, KLC, Scott Storch, Swizz Beatz, Fury, DJ Toomp, KAO & Sanchez this album is sure to be a hip hop classic.

Customer Reviews:

One of ATL's best!.......2007-06-26

One of the best ATL solo releases, along with Luda's Chicken and Beer, and Young Dro's Best Thing Smokin! Great album front to back!

Urban Legend.......2007-01-13

This album is speakin da truth. this album is tight. This album shows T.I. digging deep to uncover his true identity, reminding us that he is a complex individual who has far more layers than you can ever see by looking at his face. He is outspoken, brash, confident on this CD. he spits out his innermost thoughts in that charming southern drawl that separates him from his peers. This album also shows many dimensions of T.I. taking us beyond the "trap".

t.i. got no flow .......2006-09-30

t.i. aint no king of the south, first off no new school rap artist will ever claim that title... DJ screw is spittin in his grave over this horrible artist, Lil flip be a freestyle king from da south, we got them oldschool TRU boys who would rip T.i. apart, its just a matter of time tell T.I.'s one hit wonder falls off the radio or the bullets acually hit his scrony body

Another Retarded CD From Another RETARD!!!!.......2006-08-24

DIS GY IS DA KYING OF DA SOUTH!!!

Give me a f***ing break. When are we going to stop seeing crappy rapper after even crappier rappers that are so full of themselves that they feel the need to plasture their faces all over every one of their crappy unintelligent so called albums!! Nothing descent to say at all, just a bunch of mindless [...]. I bet you they don't even like music, they just want to be a "celebrity" and be rich for 3 years(till their broke). If they really did geniunly like music, it wouldn't sound that sh**y!!!! GET OVER YOURSELVES!!!

T.I at his best!.......2006-08-22

Let me start by saying that T.I is a breathe of fresh air compared to other southern rappers. He has excellent wordplay and you dont get tired of his style easily like other rappers(think Prick Ross and Doodoocris). Standout tracks: COUNTDOWN, BRING EM OUT, THA KING, MOTIVATION, ASAP, YOU DONT KNOW ME, MY LIFE, WHAT IT DO, WHY YOU MAD AT ME, PRAYING FOR HELP etc. Filler: Get your s--t together, Limelight,
Chillin with my b---h. Stand up couldve easily been a classic if it wasnt for Trick Daddy's lukewarm verse. The greatest is good but it suffers from lame hooks disease and get loose would be better without Nelly. Despite these flaws Urban Legend stands out as one of T. I's best albums.

Average customer rating: The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma Not for the average listener A thoroughly enjoyable trip through Central Asia and a few other places. Silk Road Journey A Detailed Review From A Non-expert Music Lover

Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet Yo-Yo Ma , and Silk Road Ensemble Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan Obrigado Brazil Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone ASIN: B0000641CG Release Date: 2002-04-16

Tracks:

1. Mongolian Traditional longsong
2. Legend of Herlen (Byambasuren Sharav)
3. "Blue Little Flower" (Chinese Traditional)
4. "Mido Mountain" (Chinese Traditional)
5. Moon over Guan Mountain (Zhao Jiping)
6. "Miero vuotti uutta kuuta" from Five Finnish Folk Songs (Michio Mamiya)
7. "Joiku" from Five Finnish Folk Songs (Michio Mamiya)
8. Avaz-e Dashti (Persian Traditional)
9. Habil-Sayagy (In Habil's Style) for cello and prepared piano (Franghiz Ali-Zadeh)
10. Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur (Kayhan Kalhor)
11. Chi passa per'sta strada (Filippo Azzaiolo)
12. Desert Capriccio (Music from the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/Tan Dun) (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com

This disc introduces Yo-Yo Ma's latest and most ambitious adventure, the Silk Road Project. It explores the cultures that flourished along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that for centuries connected Europe and the East. Founded by Ma in 1998, the project aims to create connections, mutual trust, and cultural interchange between people from different parts of the world through their only shared language: music.

This recording includes music from Mongolia, China, Persia, Japan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and an improvisation on an Italian Renaissance street song, performed by musicians from all those countries, as well as America, on both Eastern and Western instruments. Ma, who participates in every piece either as soloist or part of the ensemble, plays cello and a Mongolian "horse-head fiddle." There is also a Mongolian soprano, who sings a traditional song native to her region. For the uninitiated Western listener, the music requires some getting used to. Much of it is based on rhythmic ostinatos. The melodies use Oriental scales; the intonation is untempered; the music seems all color, texture, and atmosphere, without what might be called themes; and repetition takes the place of development. Contrast is achieved through sudden change, buildup by adding instruments. However, the music is often beautiful, delicate, dreamy, or peaceful; every listener will find his or her own favorite pieces. The playing is splendid, with much inventive improvisation. Inevitably, Ma's tone and personality stand out, but he never dominates in fact or spirit. The booklet offers essays by Ma and the project's musicologist, Theodore Levin, photographs of the players, and drawings of the Eastern instruments. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma .......2007-07-24

Since returning from a trip to China, I have become very interested in the music and the entire culture and history of the Far East. To an American, it seems like such an exotic and mysterious world. Given the formidable languages and the vastness of it all, I can only say that I can only hope to acquire a superficial understanding.

As always, the versatile Yo-Yo Ma is quite soulful and technically brilliant in his musical exploration of the "Silk Road". The music, to me, captures the feeling of Asia. The liner notes are very educational in providing a context to the project.

I find Asian music to be very different from our "Western" traditions, but given time and an even chance, I think that you will find this CD to be very nice and enjoyable.

Not for the average listener.......2007-03-20

I was going to give it 2 stars, but then again i only listened to it once.
I was looking forward to this, but the music is plodding in many parts,
like a dreary symphony. There are fine moments, but I was looking for something a bit more accesible, rhymic, and lyrical. This is a mixed bag that seems to miss more often than hit.

A thoroughly enjoyable trip through Central Asia and a few other places........2007-03-15

I have just added this to my musical library and am enjoying it. From the first beat of the first note of Khongozurl's long song you are transported to central Asia - the land of horses and gers. Of all the pieces I was most interested in listening to the second piece - Legend of Herlen. This to me, was the real silk road. The morin khuur has a very rich and unusual tone that made we want to listen to the it over and over again. Each piece is different and reminds one of the many parts that make up the whole of central asia's culture be it music or diesel trucks competing for road space with camels. The music captures the variety that makes up the region. The Finnish Folksong tracks are a nice touch. I have a friend who was at a trade conference and met a man from Mongolia. Neither could talk to one another until they discovered a common language - Finnish! My friend's family is Finnish and his new Mongolian friend had lived for several years in Finland where he learned enough of the language to communicate. Listening to the Finnish Folksongs reminds me of the Finnish-Mongolian connection that my friend had described. It is a nice touch and complements the other pieces very well. Please don't neglect to read the information insert as this gives a wealth of information on the music and it's origins as well as some of the difficulties experienced by western players playing traditional middle Asian musical instruments. Ma's difficulties with his instrument are particularly interesing to read. The concludig track - Desert Capriccio is a very nice ending to a very rich musical experince. The music from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the perfect ending to this trip through central Asia. I highly recommend this CD to everyone.

Silk Road Journey.......2007-02-19

I saw a performance of the Silk Road Ensemble and was absolutely enthralled. So I bought the CD. But it was a big disappointment. It's not the type of music you can comfortably listen to in your living room - I'm sure it would be much more enjoyable in a concert hall. There was far too much that just sounded like "screeching" to me. However, some of the pieces that were much like what we heard at the performance were beautiful. So - a mixed review, but I disliked more than I liked.

A Detailed Review From A Non-expert Music Lover.......2007-01-12

In this review I will give my opinion on each of the 12 selections in this CD, and will also talk about some general themes related to the title "The Silk Road Project".

To anyone who has heard of the Silk Road in Ancient China, the title of this CD immediately brings up images of exotic peoples and their cultures in your mind. I think Yo-Yo Ma's efforts in creating such a culturally diversified recording are definitely welcomed in this era of globalization.

But after listening through this CD I felt that something was missing from the selections. One of the most important areas on the Silk Road is the Uyghur region in northwestern China. Their music is quite unique. Inclusion of their music in this CD would be really interesting. Also in this CD not all of the selections are chosen from those regions directly related to the Silk Road. So I guess the title is just a metaphor of "when strangers meet", but is not directly about the cultures along the Silk Road.

Now I will review each of the selections.

1. Mongolian Traditional Long Song

I am somewhat familiar with their culture and land. So to me this song is very beautiful and enchanting. One of the most important factors in conducting any cross-cultural communications is context! You really cannot take it out of context. The Mongolian Long Song might sound monotonous and drawling to a person who is more used to the Western tradition of chant, choral, or opera music. Yet if you know the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolian people on the vast rolling greens of the Mongolian grassland embellished with winding creeks and rivers, you would probably hear such long-singing voices reverberating between the green of the grass and the blue of the sky. The Mongolian people have some of the most beautiful songs that I know of.

2. Legend of Herlen

There are probably two broad categories of non-western ethnic musics. One is the authentic folksong tradition of the people, the other is westernized works composed by westernized local musicians. I guess Legend of Herlen might fall into the second category. It has some interesting tunes in it. But the overall listening experience is too dramatic. I guess the dynamics used in this piece might even go beyond the ppp and fff. In the Mongolian traditional music, dynamics are sometimes used quite dramatically, with sharp difference between two adjacent notes or phrases. So this piece here is probably not very surprising. Nonetheless I find it a little too dramatic, sometimes even disturbing. Again I am not familiar with the background of this piece, so that might explain the unusual drama.

3. Blue Little Flower

I am not sure what fusion should really sound like. But in this piece it does seem to me that a lot of musical traditions are intertwined in it: western music, Chinese folksong from Shaanxi, and probably Iranian or Indian drums. Somehow the only part of this song that I liked is the beginning line. It's very beautiful and delicate, reminding me of the theme music from the Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But it is westernized, not authentic Chinese folksong. If this is still not a problem, then the drum used in this piece does cause a lot of funny effects. The drum sounds so distinctive and it represents some of the central or western Asia cultures. The images such drum beats conjure up are very incompatible with this northwestern Chinese folksong. So in this piece there are at least three threads: western, Chinese, and Iranian/Indian (I am not sure which one). But they do not converge. There is also the funny part of the singing included in this piece. It is out of place and unnecessary. The singing itself is just too frivolous to me.

4. Mido Mountain

I like this piece, especially the part played by the Sheng. Again there are some elements that sound a little bit too foreign to me, especially the percussion part. They use the same percussion/drum in this piece as in the previous one. But the overall effect of the arrangement does sound authentic and pleasant to me.

5. Moon Over Guan Mountains

If you know that Zhao Jiping is famous for his scores for films, you will probably understand this piece better. But of course understanding does not mean you will like it. This piece falls into the second category that I described above. For a lot of non-Western countries, the influence of western music is definitely immense. Many local composers are trained in both the western tradition and the local tradition. But there is probably a general feeling among composers in these countries that western music is richer in theory and methods. Many of these composers will use themes from folk songs to compose westernized music. I will give this piece a B+. It does include some themes from northwestern China, which sound really unique. As I said in this CD there is no selection from the Uyghur region in China, this piece might make up for that, since some of the themes seem to me to be from that region. But this piece is still too dramatic too, like a film score.

6. Five Finnish Folksongs No. 3

I love this one! The theme melody is so beautiful, and maybe a little bit nostalgic, and maybe a little bit romantic also? But this piece is straightly western music. There is nothing ethnic about it.

7. Five Finnish Folksongs No.5

This one is ok, but not very impressive. The overall structure of this piece sounds like very loose. There is not memorable melody either. But it does not have the maddening drama like in the two pieces I have just talked about. This is good.

8. Avaz-e Dashti
I am not familiar with Persian music. But there are indeed some very Persian melodies in this piece. The instruments used in this piece are all traditional Persian instruments. Maybe this is why it sounds so authentic to me. I like the haunting, floating tunes in this piece. They sound very ethereal to me.

9. Habil-Sayagy

Again this piece falls into the second category like the Legend of Herlen and Moon Over Guan Mountains. Such music is probably interesting to the performers, since they can let loose their inner floodgate of emotions and resort to pure artistic connections. But the problem for such music is that they are just too dramatic, and it's really hard to understand them without fairly good knowledge of the context and their unique cultural backgrounds. I am sure all these three pieces might sound profound, meaningful, and artistic once we know the cultural backgrounds better. But for the general listener, they are too abstract and too emotionally charged. Another problem for such western-traditional combination pure art form of music is that tradition might be distorted and represented in the wrong way.

10. Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur

I like this one better that the previous one, especially the middle part beginning at around 5 min 30 sec into the music. The melody is quite unique, and memorable. The bassline is very interesting too. It conjures up the image of merchants traveling on camel back through the desert. The pulse of the bass sounds like the steps of camels walking. One the instruments used, I am not sure which one, santur or kemancheh, is quite successful in bringing out the authenticity of the music style.

11. Chi passa per'sta strada

This one has the same problem as the Blue Little Flower: it does not sound like anything! It is not Italian, nor is it Iranian, nor Chinese, nor anything else. What is it? Who knows. The ethnicity of world music is tied to their unique musical instruments closely. I remember there was one year the Chinese traditional orchestra had a New Year's Concert at Vienna, and when they played the Radetzky March at the end of the concert, I was quite unimpressed.

12. Desert Capriccio

Tan Dun is similar to the composers I mentioned above like Zhao Jiping. Tan's music is unique and interesting to both western and Chinese audience, because of the same thing: they are both unfamiliar with Tan's music. To the Chinese audience, his music sounds western, but to the Western audience, his music sounds exotic. Nonetheless I still like some of this music, like the Couching Tiger and Hidden Dragon. Some of the melodies are really great. Again this piece makes up for the lack of Uyghur music in this album, since the "desert" in this piece is in the Uyghur region. But the music is not Uyghur at all.

There you have it. That's all for my detailed review of this CD. I would give it a B+ for its efforts and some of the really good tunes. As I am not an expert, I might be wrong in many of the points that I make in this review. So feel free to comment on my review.

Dance Music:

1. The San Francisco City Underground Classics, Vol. 1 [Explicit Lyrics]
2. The Tot Lot Family [Explicit Lyrics]
3. To the Death
4. Understanding the Criminal Mind
5. United We Fall
6. Up Close and Personal [Enhanced] [Clean]
7. Up Close and Personal [Explicit Lyrics]
8. Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives [Import]
9. Wild Cowboys [Explicit Lyrics]
10. Wu-Tang Forever [Enhanced] [Explicit Lyrics]

Dance Music

dance music

Dance Music

Strategem

Best of Beethoven, Vol.2

Boplicity

The Essential George Duke [Import]

Rumble in London [Original recording remastered]

Better Late Than Never

As Long As You Need Me

Bernardo Pasquini: Organ Works

An Old-Fashioned Wingding

Back Here Again

1951-1952

Agora' 2 [Import]

20 Grandes Exitos [Import]

Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas

50 Tracks in One Day With One Hour for Lunch, Of Course