| 1. Spiritual Connection |
| 2. Your Mind Is Going Blind |
| 3. Morningstar |
| 4. Storm Inside |
| 5. Searching Again |
| 6. Tu Me Inspiras |
| 7. Home At Last |
| 8. For The Day |
Editorial Reviews
Although the music of Douglas Paul may be loosely described as "progressive rock", there are subtle celtic/Irish influences throughout his songs. This gives the music a unique "international" flavor. Some have described his music as a cross between Hoobastank and Jethro Tull.
Product Description
All music on "Storm Inside" was written, performed and produced by Douglas Paul. Since his main instrument is guitar most songs feature a lot of guitar work, both electric and acoustic. Douglas also plays bass, keyboards and percussion on all of the tracks.
Storm Inside,Douglas Paul,The Orchard,Christian,Pop,Religious / Contemp. Christian
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Embrace the Storm
Stream of Passion Manufacturer: Inside Out U.S. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000AQBAS0 Release Date: 2005-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Spellbound
- Passion
- Deceiver
- Ill Keep On Dreaming
- Haunted
- Wherever You Are
- Open Your Eyes
- Embrace The Storm
- Breathing Again
- Out In The Real World
- Nostalgia
- Calliopeia
Album Description
This is stuff cyber dreams are made of! After Dutch guitarist/composer/producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen had finished his latest endeavour, the Ayreon rock opera The Human Equation, he wanted to do two things: showcase the many talents of Mexican singer Marcela Bovio, one of the vocalists on the Ayreon album and form a band for the first time in 10 years.The result is musically different to what Lucassen usually produces. Embrace The Storm is way more modern than his Rock Operas and has a more gothic metal approach, blending mysterious vocals, metal guitars and atmospheric trip-hop, with haunting pianos and violin quartets. Embrace The Storm will appeal to fans of Ayreon, Evanescence, Nightwish, etc.
The Special Edition bonus disc contains DVD with videoclip, interviews and behind the scene footage.
Customer Reviews:
Simply Beautiful.......2007-04-11
Meh........2007-02-22
Are you a fan of Ayreon? You'll get some enjoyment out of it at the least. This disc does not begin to stack up against the Human Equation. Not even close.
However, if you are looking for another Ayreon style CD to purchase you need to avoid this. This is as mainstream as Arjen's about to get and this is no concept album.
Some songs are good. The rest is okay. If you don't have Human Equation or Star One get those first.
Holy wow!.......2006-10-18
Musically inspired. Mellow overall, but with some great guitar crunch and phenomenal synth work that gives a punch to the beautiful melancholy this album oozes with. The vocal work is different from most of this genre. This woman's voice is much more mature and has a fullness and a sensuality that a lot of vocalists often lack.
If you don't immediately fall madly in love with this woman (or at least her voice) then I'd be deeply shocked. I was luke-warm the first listen through, but by the second I was committed to spinning this CD until it melted in my player. Get this album and prepare to be snatched away into the whole brooding, sexy, evocative wave that will emanate from your speakers.
Amazing!.......2006-07-09
It was at this gig where I bought Embrace The Storm. The album is phenomenal. Twelve well crafted Arjen Lucassen songs, with lyrics and beautiful vocals (and some violin too) from Marcela Bovio. Guitars (Lori Linstruth and Arjen Lucassen), drums (Davy Mickers), piano (Alejandro Millan), bass (Johan van Stratum) and the violins and cellos: they all fit in so perfectly. The recording quality is of a very high level too, well balanced and detailed: super. Embrace The Storm definitely is one of the best progrock albums of recent times! The Special Edition even contains a 73 minute DVD with a 28 minute Making Of, a video, Behind The Scenes footage and (audio only, with band pictures) beautiful, mainly acoustic demo recordings of a dozen songs of Embrace The Storm (33 minutes). This really is what I would call a "Bonus". If you ever have the chance of seeing them live, go see (BTW: the women are a feast for the eyes)!
Just Beautiful.......2006-05-17
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Livin' Inside Your Love
George Benson Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002KJY Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Livin' Inside Your Love
- Hey Girl
- Nassau Day
- Soulful Strut
- Prelude To Fall
- A Change Is Gonna Come
- Love Ballad
- You're Never Too Far From Me
- Love Is A Hurtin' Thing
- Welcome To My World
- Before You Go
- Unchained Melody
Customer Reviews:
"You're Never Too Far From Me".......2007-01-12
This collection consists of a dozen of his greatest hits and remarkable recordings in the seventies. Standouts include the initial track, a beautiful tune "Livin' Inside Your Love" composed by an equally talented guitarist and a good friend of his, Earl Klugh, a heartfelt rendition of a beautiful love song, "Unchained Melody," an upbeat "Soulful Strut" and a terrific George Benson original tune, "You're Never Too Far From Me."
When it comes to beautiful music, George Benson is never too far away from it. Listen to it and delight with his exceptional guitar talent and an effortless, stylish and creative vocal style.
Happy Listening!
A Very Underated CD!!!!.......2005-12-26
Go Disco George.......2005-01-06
1. Breezin
2. Weekend in LA
&
3. Livin' Inside your Love
Like 2 say they all classics which George put out 'cuz it made him a superstar in the jazz genre. This album is a blend of R&B, pop, easy-listening, disco, funk, upbeats 2 it and especially LAtin (I know everybody loves Latin but I do occassionally just has that feel 2 it.)
George Benson is such a Musical Genius when he puts out an album that so real and unique. I wish that he'll be a success in the business 'cuz I sure love to work with him he's my biggest influence. I've been learning to play guitar at age 10 but lay off of it 4 trumpet at age 12 but soon play it professionally at age 15 in high school. So now that I love jazz, I still be able to make a career outta it than I do with most music I like: hip-hop, R&B, gospel, blues, Latin, rock, pop, etc.
Seriously one of my favorites and the 1st I grew up or 2nd perhaps. He 'specially has my man Earl Klugh along on this one and orignally the conductor on them one on the strings is Mr. Claus Ogerman. Sure would love to listen to him.
It is TOUGH, 3, 4 or 5 stars for this.... more............2004-05-03
This is truly a brilliantly produced, written and played music. This music represents GB's venture into the pop rock and singing arenas, obviously, the music is superb! After this CD, GB became more and more into pop vocal and we hardly hear his guitar instrumentals anymore. So, this CD is still 75% instrumental and 25% vocal. If you like Pop Jazz with some vocal, this one is a MUST to have. If however, you are like me, in between serious Jazz but still like Pop Jazz with strong instrumentals for the drive time, this is also a MUST have. If you are into serious "thinking type" Jazz with concept ala White Rabbit, this one is NOT for you.
Conclusion.
For Pop Jazz w/ Fantastic Instrumentals: 5 stars
For Serious Jazz: 3 stars.
Sunny, warm, soulful, brilliant, and often astonishing!.......2002-08-22
For example, the drums, played by Steve Gadd, were poorly recorded, and they sound very overdubbed. Gadd has no room to display his abilities at all; it really sounds like they brought him in one day and asked him to overdub the drums. He doesn't even sound like part of the group and he plays stiffly.
The other overdubbing problem, sometimes, is the strings. This was part of producer Tommy LiPuma's grand plan for Benson's career from the start, to add strings to 75% of the songs on his albums, in order to ingratiate him into the pop/jazz society. The idea being, if pleasant-sounding strings introduce each song and pop in occasionally throughout, maybe people won't think of it as 'jazz', it'll be 'easy listening'. Well, it worked. But unfortunately, it's also the reason why we always hear this music in grocery stores and elevators - just like with Wes Montgomery's so-called pop albums. And the strings will instantly alienate any hard-core jazzer that hears them, which is unfortunate because this album has great rewards for those who can get over its pop concessions. The strings are unnecessary, but they don't spoil the music. Fortunately, they're well written, and they do provide a short, pleasant introduction to some songs (not all, thankfully). It's a very happy album, in the same way that "Breezin" was.
The standout track is the Caribbean-flavored instrumental "Nassau Day". Written by Ronnie Foster, who also plays on it, this track has what might be GB's most amazing solo on record. His jawdropping creativity and stunning technique shine all over his solo. He was ON that day! I'll tell you a secret though: Ronnie did his own version of the song, on his own album called "Love Satellite", and it's even better than George's!
The rest of the album is great too - not one dud on what was originally a two-record set. GB wrote some catchy and highly sophisticated melodies including "Before You Go" and "You're Never Too Far From Me". His solos on those are stuff scientists should study. Vocal-wise, all are good, with highlights including his passionate, heartfelt scat solos on "Love Is A Hurting Thing" and "Love Ballad"; great renditions of Carole King's "Hey Girl" and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", and his own "Welcome Into My World", which is one of the few examples of GB's own lyrics. About half this album is pure soul, singing in the style of Stevie Wonder, and doing a great job of it. Stevie has said he greatly admires George's singing, and in fact you can hear him singing on Stevie's song "Another Star".
Adding to the happy, positive vibe of the album are the frequent, thoughful rhodes/piano solos of Foster and Jorge Dalto. Those two were stars in their own right; both made many excellent solo albums that I recommend you seek out. I've managed to find most of them on import CD, but a few (like "Love Satellite") haven't made it to CD yet. Percussionist extraordinaire Ralph MacDonald, who is on this album too, has also made many outstanding albums, his best being "Surprize" (also not on CD).
To sum up, this is one of George's best albums (probably his best Warner album, although all his 70's output is great), and his guitar playing and vocals are possibly the best he ever did. I realize some people prefer his early jazz albums, but frankly, his top-notch guitar playing on this album would be hard to find a match for even by GB himself. He's superhuman. He has a master's ability to play solos - he organizes them perfectly, meticulously building sophisticated line after line, adding in big clusters of notes, trilling effects, octaves and other combinations, anything he can think of to energize the song - all totally clean, without any effects or pedals or distortion like so many others use who don't even have 1% of the talent he does. Benson never needed that stuff; his mind and fingers are all he relies on.
I give the album 5 stars EVEN THOUGH the production and engineering are below average (and the leisure suit is annoying), because George's genius and talent burst right through the minor problems and really shine. 'Shine' is a good word because when I think of this album, I think of a sunny summer's day. People who get hung up on the sometimes condescending nature of the production are really missing out, because whether listened to closely and intently or as background music, this album really rewards, and above all it will make you feel good. For some unknown reason, hardly any of these songs (except a couple hits) are ever included on George's many anthologies, so it's definitely one to buy. This CD is a prime candidate for a new reissue. They need to go back to the original tapes, fix the drum problems, spiff up the sound, maybe even make it a 2 CD set by adding some alternate takes, if they can find any. They've been ignoring this one for years - maybe because they see George's disco suit, and think "dated, won't sell". Well, it won't sell much because the public at large doesn't like good music, I admit that, but they've done it for other albums, why not this one? And it's not dated - aside from a moog here and there.
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Hammer the Studio That Dripped Blood
Various Artists Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000063IUP Release Date: 2002-04-09 |
Tracks:
- Main Theme/Inside Castle Darcula/Lure Of The Vampire Women/Dracula's Rage/The Kiss Of The Living Dead (Dracula)
- Funeral In Carpethia/Finale: Confrontation & Climax/The Fall Of Dracula (Dracula Prince Of Darkness)
- Love Theme (The Scars Of Dracula)
- Finale/Dracula And The Crucifix (Dracula Has Risen From The Grave)
- The Blood Of Dracula (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
- Romance: The Young Lovers/Shadow Of The Tomb (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
- Ride To The Ruined Church/Romance At Dusk (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
- Dracula Triumphant/Pursuit/Death Of Lucy (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
- The Victory Of Love (Taste The Blood Of Dracula)
- Christina (Frankenstein Created Woman)
- The Power Of Evil (The Devil Rides Out)
- Invocation To The Devil/Dance Frenzy (The Devil Rides Out)
- Awakening And Absolution (The Devil Rides Out)
- Vampire Rhapsody (Kiss Of The Vampire)
Tracks:
- Cosmic Sequence/Tumak Meets Luana/In The Domain Of The Shell People/Eruption Of The Volcano (One Million Years B.C.) - Mario Nascimbene
- Main Theme/Storm Over The Sea (When Dinasours Ruled The Earth) - Mario Nascimbene
- Life Of The Tribe/Finale (Creatures The World Forgot) - Mario Nascimbene
- The Tomb/The Desert (The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb) - Carlo Martelli
- Ayesha - She Who Must Be Obeyed (She)
- Bedouin Attack & Desert Quest (She)
- In The Kingdom Of She - Processional/The Cruelty Of She (She)
- The Eternal Flame And The Destruction Of She (She)
- Main Title (The Abominable Snowman) - Humphrey Searle
- Defeat Of The Aliens/Finale (Quatermass II)
- Main Titles/Anna's Theme - Christopher Gunning
- Prologue (Vampire Circus) - David Whitaker
- Main Themes (The Vampire Hunter) - Jamed Bernard
- Pastorale/The Werewolf At Bay/Aptheosis (Curse Of The Werewolf) - Benjamin Frankel
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful music........2007-01-10
5 stars for performance, 4 stars due to omissions.......2006-08-29
Simple reason.
The producers at Silva, for wahtever reason, decided to cut down their SHE suites and Hands of the Ripper suites.
On the previous Hammer releases, "Draculas - Classic Horror Films", released in 1993, recorded in 1989, they had seven additional minutes of "Hands of the Ripper" that could have been included on this set.
Additionally, The Devil Rides Out: Film Music of James Bernard, released in 1997, recorded in 1995 and 1996 had about a minute more of additional music from SHE, PLUS about seven minutes worth of suites from Quatermass and X: The Unknown.
Both discs in this new re-issue round out at around 68 minutes, so there was room for some of these omissions.
Silva Screen gets big kudos for a reissuing these recordeings in the remastered HDCD format, but I don't understand these omissions. In fact, one of the tracks included, "Vampire Hunter" isn't even from a Hammer film, and its the only recording on this collection not on previous Silva CD's.
Again, 5 stars for the performances, the 1989 performances with Neil Richardson and the Philharmonia are fantastic. (Dracula, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula, Hands of the Ripper, Vampire Circus.)
Additionally, The Westminster Philharmonic under the baton of Kenneth Alwyn do an excellent job as usual (Kiss of the Vampire, Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, She, THe Abominable Snowman, Quatermass II and Curse of the Werewolf.) Finally, the City of Prague Philharmonic, who get a bad rap more often than they deserve round out hte album and IMHO, deliver the goods, under the trusty batons of Paul Bateman (Scars of Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, additionally, Bateman also plays the piano solo on Kiss of the Vampire.) and Nic Raine (The Devil Rides Out, One Million Years BC, When Dinosuars Ruled the Earth, Creatures The World Forgot, The Vampire Hunter)
I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.
Much thanks to producers David Wishart, Eric Tomlinson and James Fitzpatrick and recording engineers Mike Ross-Trevor, John Luard Timperley and Jan Holzner for contributing to these fine historical film music recordings.
"Hammer & Silva...raises the hair on the back of your neck".......2002-04-09
outstanding scores from James Bernard on Disc One ~ "DRACULA" (1958)..."KISS OF
THE VAMPIRE" (1964)..."DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS"
(1966)..."FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN" (1967)..."THE DEVIL RIDES OUT"
(1968)..."DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE" (1968)..."THE SCARS OF
DRACULA" (1970)..."TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA" (1970)...even though the
blood doesn't flow as easily in "KISS OF THE VAMPIRE", the score from Bernard is
seductive, sensual to say the least for "creatures of the night", masked ball scene blends
atmospheric trance-masquerade themes, intoxicating main title is hauntingly mesmerizing with
"VAMPIRE RHAPSODY", just listen to the piano solo from our character in the film Carl
Ravna (Barry Warren), son of Dr. Ravna (Noel Willman) along with daughter Sabena Ravna
(Jacqueline Wallis), a cult of vampires in early 20th century Bavarian, praying on a young
honeymoon couple...Bernard's rhapsody captures the listeners heart and BLOOD!
Let's look at Disc Two with the other Hammer themes and their composers ~ "THE
ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN" (1957-Humphrey Searle)..."QUATERMASS II"
(1957-James Bernard)..."CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF" (1960-Benjamin
Frankel)..."CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB" (1964-Carlo Martelli)..."SHE"
(1965-James Bernard)..."ONE MILLION YEARS B.C." (1966-Mario
Nascimbene)..."WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH" (1969-Mario
Nascimbene)..."HANDS OF THE RIPPER" (1971-Christopher Gunning)..."VAMPIRE
CIRCUS" (1971-David Whitaker)..."VAMPIRE HUNTER" (2000-James
Bernard)...difficult as it may be, there is a stand out ~ "THE CURSE OF THE
WEREWOLF", fine direction from Terence Fisher (director) with an outstanding cast Oliver
Reed (Leon-the Werewolf), Clifford Evans (Alfredo), Yvonne Romain (Servant Girl) and
Catherine Feller (Christina), Hammer's departure from the old stereotype of the beast is
refreshing, Reed's performance as the tormented sole, from man to wolf is touching, the score
by Ben Frankel is tense building at it's best, to say the least, setting the tone and mood for the
transformation with counterpoints is stimulating, inclusive orchestration development for what
lies ahead during a full moon.
Without a doubt the highlight pick hands down is "SHE", composer James Bernard gives of
himself without question, the SUITE takes the orchestra into lilting melodic exercises with
percussion chiming in, the harmonies are hypnotic blends of textured fabric, listen as The
Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Alwyn display stirring strings and
a solo harp run the scales in "THE ETERNAL FLAME AND THE DESTRUCTION OF
SHE", hold-fast arrangement has haunting echoes of Bernard's constant theme, with a final
beat from a drum in the percussion section.
Must make mention the cast of players that made this possible ~ The Philharmonia Orchestra,
The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, The Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra ~ and
their various conductors Kenneth Alwyn, Paul Bateman, Nic Raine and Neil
Richardson...supported by the illustrious staff from Silva Screen Records LTD ~ Reynold da
Silva (executive producer), David Stoner (associate producer), Gareth Williams (Dolby
Surround/HDCD Mastering) and of course James Fitzpatrick (compilation producer), who
has the knack of developing quality in every Silva Screen release...similar to "A History Of
Horror:From Nosferatu To The Sixth Sense" (SSD-1111/2CD Set), guaranteed to raise the
hair on the back of your neck!
Total Time: Disc One 68:01 on 14 Tracks & Disc Two 68:46 on 14 Tracks ~ Silva Screen
Records SSD-357 ~ (2002)
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Inside Moves
Jr. Grover Washington Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002H21 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Inside Moves
- Dawn Song
- Watching You Watching Me
- Secret Sounds
- Jet Stream
- When I Look At You
- Sassy Stew
Customer Reviews:
THE album that get me to love Jazz when I was 20 years' old.......1999-06-13
Highly recommended
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Embrace the Storm
Stream of Passion Manufacturer: Inside Out U.S. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000AQBARQ Release Date: 2005-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Spellbound
- Passion
- Deceiver
- Ill Keep On Dreaming
- Haunted
- Wherever You Are
- Open Your Eyes
- Embrace The Storm
- Breathing Again
- Out In The Real World
- Nostalgia
- Calliopeia
Album Description
This is stuff cyber dreams are made of! After Dutch guitarist/composer/producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen had finished his latest endeavour, the Ayreon rock opera The Human Equation, he wanted to do two things: showcase the many talents of Mexican singer Marcela Bovio, one of the vocalists on the Ayreon album and form a band for the first time in 10 years.The result is musically different to what Lucassen usually produces. Embrace The Storm is way more modern than his Rock Operas and has a more gothic metal approach, blending mysterious vocals, metal guitars and atmospheric trip-hop, with haunting pianos and violin quartets. Embrace The Storm will appeal to fans of Ayreon, Evanescence, Nightwish, etc.
Customer Reviews:
Embrace The Storm a tour-de-force.......2006-08-18
the beauty.......2006-08-16
Arjen Lucassen's Stream of Passion.......2006-04-06
Of all the musicians I like and I like scores, Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon, Ambeon, Space Metal) is the ~~COOLEST~~!!! What makes him so cool? Well, besides being cool to look at, he does nothing and I mean nothing, conventionally. Take his previous album, the wondrous, two disc rock opera, The Human Equation, my vote for album of the year. It was recorded entirely with guest singers and musicians. Where were these guests from? Let's see we have James Le Brie (Dream Theater) Devon Graves (Deadsoul Tribe) and Mike Baker (Shadow Gallery) all from the good ole USA, Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) from Sweden, Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad) from Canada, Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn) from UK, Floor Jansen's sister, Irene Jansen (Karma) Holland and of course Marcela Bovio from Mexico. And that's not even all of the guest singers let alone any of the musicians.
Marcela is the same Marcela Bovin who is the singer for Lucassen's latest and first band in ten years, Stream of Passion. Ostensibly the band was created toward and for the purpose of showcasing Marcela's extreme talents. In addition to featuring Marcela, Arjen also brought in some excellent musicians which to display the collaborative compositions of Lucassen and Bovio.
Embrace the Storm
Surprisingly, even though I rated Embrace the Storm four stars, I find that I am unable to get excited about it. It could be because I had higher expectations and I did have stratospheric expectations. Or it could be a certain lack of consistency and a easygoing approach on many of the songs. Then again it could just be me. I read some other reviews and the lowest was nine out of ten. Still even the highly rated songs do not stay in my memory bank very long.
The music is performed in a medium, slow tempo. Although there seems to be a consensus that the music is progressive rock, I find it to be dark and brooding, more reminiscent of gothic but it is certainly far from goth. Also the length of the songs, the longest being 5:39 do not lend themselves to my definition of progressive rock. It is symphonic but not continuously so. Rather symphonic portions are utilized more for effect and are not sustained.
Some portions and especially the singing are layered, with Marcela, accompanying herself throughout most of the album. This could be a problem with their upcoming tour but they apparently have that covered by the addition of Marcela's younger sister, Diane to the tour group. Marcela's voice is pleasant, but it does not appear to be that strong. However, she could be performing the way the music demands.
Line-up
* Arjen Lucassen - Guitars, Music
* Marcela Bovio - Vocals, Lyrics, Violin
* Lori Linstruth - Lead Guitars
* Johan van Stratum - Bass
* Alejandro Millan - Piano
* Davy Mickers - Drums
Conclusion
Am I impressed with Arjen Lucassen's latest release? Not really! Am I disappointed? Maybe, a little. On paper this should have been a blockbuster album and there are those who think that it is, but for me, the sum of the parts fell short of the total of the parts themselves.
That doesn't mean I didn't like the album. I did. I gave four songs 4 ? stars or more and many of the other songs contain exceptional portions. It's just that to varying degrees, each song, even the five star song, had some boring lapses. Nevertheless, I look forward to hearing their followup album. The potential is still there for a blockbuster. Final rating 3.9 stars
A Step Ahead of the Pack.......2005-11-03
8.5 / 10
Stream of creative ideas.......2005-10-30
So plans were put into action and a totally new band was formed. With Arjen playing just rhythm guitars and Marcela doing the vocals and playing violin, Johan van Stratum on bass, Marcela's band mate from Elfonia Alejandro Millan on piano, Davy Mickers on drums, and Lori Linstruth on lead guitars also joined the band, equally contributing to the songwriting process and broadening the musical spectrum of Embrace the Storm. Like Marcela, female lead guitarist Lori Linstruth was also found through the internet. Linstruth plays a wide range of guitar solos on the disc with a distinct metal style focusing on melodious flow. Drummer Mickers is an interesting find indeed. Quite different from Arjen's usual skinsman Ed Warby, Mickers renders the album a bit more modern with exceptional timing and rhythmic drive. Finally, Alejandro Millan gives the album an organic edge with his sparse piano melodies often reminding me of Elfonia's new disc This Sonic Landscape. Though I was expecting something more in the lines of Arjen's Ambeon project, Stream of Passion has turned out to be a more band effort with real metal instrumentation rather than various electronic and sampled soundscapes. That said, the album does share a few common ideas with Ambeon, in that it features a single female vocalist lending it her voice and Arjen experimenting with rather non-Ayreon elements.
However, since Arjen wrote most of the album on acoustic guitar only to send the demos to Marcela lest she could come up with her own lyrics and vocal melodies, together with Alejandro Millan on piano, the music has resulted in subtle similarities to their own band Elfonia, except that Elfonia is a lot jazzier and perhaps more Latin-inspired. Marcela has not only composed similar harmonies, but she also sings in Spanish on three songs. "Haunted" opens up with a lush orchestral run and marching drum and bass rhythms where Marcela uses both Spanish and English lyrics in order to diversify the piece. From silently spoken gloomy Spanish sections to English-sung bits over acoustic guitars, the song does a great job of portraying the subject matter on hand, which addresses the loss of innocence. On "Out of the Real World", she uses more of her angelic opera vocals (changing from English to Spanish, and vice versa) with truly majestic string arrangements juxtaposed with a rather modern, trip-hop beat. "Nostalgia", on the other hand, is a completely Spanish-sung track with Millan's pretty piano and Marcela's crytalline voice which eventually morphs into a sweeping soprano delivery. Marcela's lyrics are dark and deeply moving, especially when matched by her emotive tone. This album has also allowed her to explore different singing styles, as her voice on the first track "Spellbound" has an evident Anneke van Giersbergen influence. This is a cold track, with a very structured drum pattern and ambient piano, along with subtle violin and an ethnic percussion break. Images of more vivid The Gathering touches are heard with the arrival of thick guitar and bass chords forming a lucid texture around the vocals.
Much more is on display on the album. From the dark bass figure, electric piano, and intense rhythm guitars that fill the alluring passages of "Deceiver" where Marcela's dual leads are mixed cleverly, to the soaring guitar solo on the piano ballad "I'll Keep on Dreaming", to the ever-changing dynamics on "Wherever You Are", Arjen opts for the perfect marriage of polarized rhythmic qualities that never fail to contrast the very slow and moody sections with a thunderous guitar and bass tandem. Marcela once again shows her Anneke van Giersbergen-like style on the other piano ballad "Breathing Again", while on "Calliopeia" the band creates their most progressive moment with cohesive instrumental breaks and smooth shifts in time signatures. Needless to say, all of these soundscapes are fantastically arranged by Arjen Lucassen in his unique and immediately noticeable style. Recommended to fans of Ayreon, Ambeon, Star One, and Elfonia, as well as fans of prog rock, gothic, experimental and dark music.
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Storm Inside
Laura Michelle Kelly Manufacturer: EMI / Angel Imports ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000EJ9KFS Release Date: 2006-05-08 |
Tracks:
- Riverman
- There Was A Time
- Sweet Solution
- You Do Something To Me
- Butterflies
- Reach Out
- Communication
- Stumbling
- Losing My Mind
- Numb
- Storm Inside
- Somewhere Only We Know
Album Description
Laura Michelle Kelly's debut album `The Storm Inside'. Recorded in London last summer and released on Angel Records, the forthcoming LP is a heartfelt collection of beautifully diverse material. Produced by the highly respected Marius de Vries - whose past credits include Bjork's `Debut', Rufus Wainwright's `Want One' and `Want Two', David Gray's `Life In Slow Motion' and the groundbreaking Moulin Rouge - the new album features 12 stunning songs that highlight Laura's tremendous vocal ability and is as assorted as the people behind it. Features collaborations from a host of stellar songwriters including Jamie Cullum, Guy Chambers, Pete Vetesse, Felix Howard and - for the first time co-writing with another artist - Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy. There are six original tracks and six interpretations of previously recorded material close to Laura's heart, including Paul Weller's achingly romantic `You Do Something To Me', Nick Drake's `Riverman' and a twisted version of Stephen Sondheim's `Losing My Mind'. Angel Music Group. 2006.Album Details
2006 Debut Album from the Talented Oliver Award Winning 24 Year Old Actress. Recorded in London During the Summer of 2005, It's a Heartfelt Collection of Beautifully Diverse Material. Produced by Marius De Vries ( Bjork, Rufus Wainwright and David Gray). The Repertoire Includes Collaborations with a Host of Top Name Songwriters; Jamie Cullum, Guy Chambers (Formerly Robbie Williams' Co-writer), Pete Vetesse, Felix Howard and (For the First Time Co-writing with Another Artist) Neil Hannon from the Divine Comedy. There Are Six Original Tracks and Six Covers, Including Paul Weller's Achingly Romantic "You Do Something to Me", Nick Drake's "Riverman" and a Twisted Version of Stephen Sondheim's "Losing My Mind".Customer Reviews:
Get To Know Laura Michelle Kelly.......2006-05-17
I first became a fan of LMK when I saw her in Mary Poppins in London. Admittedly, she had huge, HUGE shoes to fill and she filled them beautifully. Though Julie Andrews will always be the definitive Mary Poppins, Laura made the role her own and gave so much of herself. Her performance was infectious and memorable.
The same can be said about this album. In "The Storm Inside," she combines the right amount of polished, Broadway-style vocals with a softer, sultrier pop/jazz style proving that she moves easily between the two genres.
"Communication" is my favorite track - lovely, stirring, heartfelt. My only criticism is the electronic infusion which proves to be jarring. Are the repetitive "beeps" supposed to remind us of busy signals, blockages to communicating? A neat device in theory, but doesn't quite work. The synthesizer-like sounds interwoven throughout also render this piece a bit too 70s. However, the gorgeous melody and Laura's lilting performance greatly overshadow this little annoyance.
Her version of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" is emotive and touching, the kind of song that can bring you to tears. It definitely takes on a different tone with a female voice, breaking your heart in a cathartic way.
I also really enjoyed: "There Was A Time," "Stumbling," "Losing My Mind," and "The Storm Inside." However, every track offers something special.
This is a stunning debut CD you'll want to keep in your player. It's a wonderful companion for long drives in the car or as background music at home. I have a feeling I'll be a fan of Laura Michelle Kelly for a long time. Can't wait to see/hear what she does next.
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Look Inside
The Dramatics Manufacturer: Bbeg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000060OMG Release Date: 2002-01-22 |
Tracks:
- Look Inside
- Looks Like Rain
- Got My Pride
- Pushin' Up On Ya
- What Must I Do
- Baby Boo
- Right In The Middle Of Heaven
- Special Lady
- I'm So Alone
- Better Love As Friends
Customer Reviews:
The Best Album of 2002!!.......2004-12-23
Their best set since "New Dimensions" in 1982.......2002-07-21
Welcome Back Home, Fellows.......2002-02-20
On this CD, The Dramatics teamed with quality writers and producers, including Detroiter, Michael Powell, co-producer of Anita Baker's Rapture Album, who captured the Dramatics' talent to create "fresh", "up to date" songs, e.g., "Look Inside" and "Baby Boo", while also creating vintage old school style songs, e.g., "Looks like Rain", "What Must I Do", "I'm So All
Alone" (reminiscent of "I Can't Get Over You", with L. J. Reynolds' classic pleading and crying).
If you are a Dramatics fan, or a fan of great music, you will want to add this CD to your collection.
Yes, The Dramatics have come home, bringing us their music that we have come to love. Welcome Home, Fellows!!!
What a CD!.......2002-02-13
"Got My Pride" "I'm So Alone" and "Baby Boo". You need to get this CD, you won't be sorry!
What a CD!.......2002-02-13
"Got My Pride" "I'm So Alone" and "Baby Boo". You need to get this CD, you won't be sorry!
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What's Inside
Richard Elliot Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005HHB Release Date: 1991-08-13 |
Tracks:
- Take Your Time
- Just Me And You
- Movers & Shakers
- Sea Breeze
- Well, Hold On A Second
- Imagine
- Rise And Shine
- I Believe You
- West End
- Cantiba
Customer Reviews:
ONE OF RICHARD'S BEST ...............2002-05-19
RECORDINGS, IT HAS A DIFFERENT STYLE TO HIS MORE RECENT ALBUMS. HOWEVER, THIS C/D IS ONE OF THE BEST SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUMS
AROUND. EACH TRACK SHOWS THE TRUE TALENT THAT RICHARD HAS,
AND PROVES THAT HE IS ON OF THE BEST SAXOPHONISTS AROUND
TODAY. THIS TITLE IS DIFFICULT TO GET HOLD OF, BUT IS A
WORTHY ADDITION TO ANY JAZZ COLLECTION.
A very smooth cd.......2000-06-24
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Inside Seduction
Lamont Dozier Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000008F7D Release Date: 1991-04-30 |
Tracks:
- Feeling Each Other Out
- Love in the Rain
- That Ain't Me
- Inside Seduction
- What Chew Doin'
- Vibe
- Quiet's Too Loud
- Attitude Up
- I Wanna Hold You Forever
- No Comment
- When We're Together
- Pure Heaven
Customer Reviews:
TRACK LISTING..........2006-12-15
1) Feeling Each Other Out
2) Love In The Rain
3) That Ain't Me
4) Inside Seduction
5) What Chew Doin'
6) The Vibe
7) The Quiet's Too Lout
8) Attitude Up
9) I Wanna Hold You Forever
10) No Comment
11) When We're Together
12) Pure Heaven
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Inside Moves/Paradise
Grover Washington Jr. Manufacturer: Collectables ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000641ZL8 Release Date: 2004-11-09 |
Tracks:
- Inside Moves
- Dawn Song
- Watching You, Watching Me
- Secret Sounds
- Jet Stream
- When I Look at You
- Sassy Stew
- Paradise
- Icey
- Answer Is in Your Eyes
- Asia's Theme
- Shana
- Tell Me About It Now
- Feel It Comin'
Customer Reviews:
Two Sides Of Grover!.......2007-05-26
Meditation Music:
- Suite Mégalique Apocalyptico Foulfuitique
- Swimming
- The Journey Continues
- The Train To San Lorenzo
- Third Stream
- Ultimate in Relaxation: Birds in a Meadow
- Um Olhar [Import]
- Waking Dream of Forgiveness
- Walela
- Waves
Meditation Music
Martina McBride - Greatest Hits
Music: DAVID POLLOCK : O Mistris Myne
Little Fish [Soundtrack] [Import]
Mr. Doctor Presents Odysea [Explicit Lyrics]
Live at the Club A Go-Go [Live]
LifeLikeMovie [Explicit Lyrics]
Frederick Delius: The Complete Part-Songs
Kimini Sasageru Love Song [CD-single] [Import]
Memphis Underground Hustlaz, Vol. 1 [Explicit Lyrics]