Upright

1. Upright

2. As If We Didn't Know

3. Every Deep Dream

4. Slow Dance

5. Oh, Yes

6. Welcome to the Church of St. Anytime

7. New Life, New Blues

8. Why

9. Not Wot I Thot

10. Frogman

11. View from Pony, Montana

12. Crying Smile

13. Slow Dance [Piano Reprise]

14. Thanks

Upright,Philip Aaberg,Windham Hill Records,Adult Alternative,Chamber Jazz,Jazz Music,New Age / Meditation,Progressive Electronic,Solo Instrumental

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Average customer rating: one of the best CDs I own Simply addictive! Haunting sounds The phenom Ms Jones Glad i bought it ( Part II )...!

Come Away with Me Norah Jones Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Feels Like Home Not Too Late Taking The Long Way Corinne Bailey Rae Continuum ASIN: B00005YW4H Release Date: 2002-02-26

Tracks:

1. Don't Know Why
2. Seven Years
3. Cold Cold Heart
4. Feelin' The Same Way
5. Come Away With Me
6. Shoot The Moon
7. Turn Me On
8. Lonestar
9. I've Got To See You Again
10. Painter Song
11. One Flight Down
12. Nightingale
13. The Long Day Is Over
14. The Nearness Of You

Amazon.com

It is not just the timbre of Norah Jones's voice that is mature beyond her 22 years. Her assured phrasing and precise time are more often found in older singers as well. She is instantly recognizable, blending shades of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone without sounding like anyone but herself. Any way you slice it, she is a singer to be reckoned with. Her readings of the Hank Williams classic "Cold Cold Heart" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" alone are worth the price of the CD. Jones's own material, while not bad, pales a bit next to such masterpieces. They might have fared better had she and producer Arif Mardin opted for some livelier arrangements, taking better advantage of brilliant sidemen such as Bill Frisell, Kevin Breit, and Brian Blade; or if the tunes had simply been given less laconic performances. Jones has all the tools; what will come with experience and some careful listening to artists like J.J. Cale and Shirley Horn is the knack of remaining low-key without sounding sleepy--sometimes less is not, in fact, more. --Michael Ross

Amazon.com

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Not Too Late

Feels Like Home

The Little Willies

Customer Reviews:

one of the best CDs I own.......2007-07-25

Other reviewers have gone into a lot of depth about this CD already, so I'll keep my endorsement short and to the point. The CD is fantastic and is one of the best that I own. You will never get tired of listening to this one.

Simply addictive!.......2007-07-12

This is her best album!
Her voice is unbelievable, the delivery is amazing and the lyrics are stunning!

Haunting sounds.......2007-07-06

For 3 months, my Norah Jones CDs have taken over my car stereo. This woman is very talented!

The phenom Ms Jones.......2007-06-27

This is such an outstanding production, so much better than the later(I think) CD. Miss Jones should be careful which guitar players back her up. She should stick to Bill Frizell or maybe she should try Mark Knoffler, if she can get him away from Emmy Lou.

Glad i bought it ( Part II )...!.......2007-06-20

I knew that Nora Jones was good music but i had no idea just how good...My sister-in-law bought me this CD for Father's Day...i have listened to it 3 times today. The way i would describe her lyrics and delivery is equal to "Musical Rose Petals". So smooth and so inviting is her voice. I really love the Piano work also. Her birth name being "Geethali",Nora Jones along with the likes of Michael Buble have added a nice,new,fresh selection of music to today's currently enemic sound. This album made her only the second artist ever to sweep the "Big Four" being Album,Song,Record,& Artist of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2003. Standouts for me include: "Come Away With Me","Don't Know Why", and i really like her rendition of Hank Williams SR.'s "Cold,Cold Heart". With her throw back to Billie Holiday/Roberta Flack days voice coupled with a very welcomed piano based style, Nora Jones can take me away anytime! If you've waited to give her a listen ,as did I, do yourself a favor and don't wait any longer.

Average customer rating: My first Andrew Bird cd but not my last. polished I wish he would learn to play the freakin' guitar! Not to my taste An Antti Keisala Comment: Tales Of The Mysterious Moon

Armchair Apocrypha Andrew Bird Manufacturer: Fat Possum Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Retro Swing | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank The Reminder Sound of Silver Sky Blue Sky ASIN: B000MV9A1C Release Date: 2007-03-20

Tracks:

1. Fiery Crash
2. Imitosis
3. Plasticities
4. Heretics
5. Armchairs
6. Darkmatter
7. Simple X
8. The Supine
9. Cataracts
10. Scythian Empires
11. Spare-Ohs
12. Yawn At The Apocalypse

Amazon.com

Strip away the music of an Andrew Bird song, and you're left with brilliant prose ("across the great chasms and schisms and the sudden aneurysms"), vignettes about mentally fending off plane crashes, infiltrating characters like the kings of Macedonia and Lou Dobbs, and titles such as "Yawny at the Apocalyspe." It's hard to believe that, really, his music reigns, but when Bird adds understated acoustic guitars, Wurlitzer and Rhodes, and his own mesmerizing pizzicato violin, his songs take on a progressive mood all their own. The Chicago Bird's tenth album (and his debut for extraordinary Mississippi blues label Fat Possum) is perhaps his most diverse, expansive, and resourceful yet, catering to a half-dozen genres of music while exploring storylines that are naïve ("Dark Matter"), candid ("Fiery Crash"), and blatantly comical ("Armchairs"). Making no palpable effort to crack the conventional with overflowing melodies and love songs, Bird instead latches up the intellect to create tiny packages of literature that make always leave you thinking--and snapping your fingers at the same time. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews:

My first Andrew Bird cd but not my last........2007-07-28

How come nobody ever told me about Andrew Bird. The instrumentations are fantastic, the lyrics are poetic and as a whole this album is both fun and melancholly. I'm dumbfounded. Now its time to get everything else Bird has done, and soon.

polished.......2007-07-26

You can't find Andrew Bird's uniquely melancholy whimsy easily anywhere else. I'm always pleased by his albums, but they pale compared to his live performances (in small venues). Bird live compared to his albums is like original Van Gogh compared to its poster print.

I wish he would learn to play the freakin' guitar!.......2007-07-20

First of all, let me offer my support of Invisigoth. A very well-balanced and thoughtful review (which maybe didn't match with the 1-star rating).

Secondly, I refuse to join the bandwagon of Andrew Bird worship. Especially around here (the Twin Cities), he gets played very frequently on indie rock stations here (namely, The Current), and the DJs seem to adore him. While I freely admit he's incredibly gifted as a musician, most of his songs seem to boil down to about 2 quite uninteresting chords. And anybody's who's ever plugged in an electric guitar at the music store could sound like his guitar. He seems to have no idea of how to nuance a guitar and amp to really get the richness that is possible. And I'm sorry, but "Fiery Crash" is just plain boring!

He can do better than this, and I hope he does on his next album.

Not to my taste.......2007-07-14

Based on the reviews I read, I was really looking forward to hearing this. The artwork featuring a bird is very eye-catching. I just couldn't get into the music. I've listened to it twice, hoping that it would improve with familiarity. It didn't. The lyrics might be good but, the musicality of Andrew's work escapes me. There's nothing catchy here and most of the songs are downright depressing.

An Antti Keisala Comment: Tales Of The Mysterious Moon.......2007-06-02

Some people go by the charts, but I belong to the other group that has found out that for them the most rewarding process in finding new music is indeed in the search itself. Some of the music I know are recommendations from friends, but quite a bit is based on the same kind of research-like relationship I have with cinema, where IMDb helps quite a bit. An example: you start from a Béla Tarr and end up being introduced to a Polish cameraman or his assistant who had worked with David Lynch on Inland Empire. I can't think of a funnier or more rewarding experience of finding new music and taking it actually into our life.

I am new to Andrew Bird. This I'm ashamed to confess, but better late than never; I only stumbled on him at the time of the release of this album a few months back, then had to get The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Weather Systems and his work with the Bowl of Fire. I came to him pretty straight through the usual companions, Sufjan Stevens and Jeffrey Foucault, and I don't know how I've managed so far without him: he's a part of the new wave of post-indie rock channeled through self-conscious resurgence of American folk music culture. But that's only part of where he's rooted: there's some of The Arcade Fire and some Jeff Buckley, and yet transcending comparison and forming a recognizable entity on his own.

Bird is a great musician and the live recordings, the three Fingerlings, should give some weight to this argument about his sense of using the instruments; he's like the young Warren Ellis of violin. He's also absolutely hilarious; his humour is witty and ironic, and his lyrics and singing completely complement the mood the song sets musically. The album opener "Fiery Crash" opens like a trashy garage rock song and evolves to an immesurably sophisticated pop song, almost echoing a Belle And Sebastian composition; but this is pop music that isn't pop music; it has twists and turns that continuously shape the direction the song and album are going to. Every time my mind grasps a hook and settles onto it for continuity, Bird changes the direction. I've scarcely had so much fun whilst listening.

A gem that's special. Have fun.

With best regards,
AK

Average customer rating: I wish more stars were available... Ridiculous Good IT STILL MAKES ME CRY The Second Best Album of All Time yes siree... a MASTERPIECE to say the least!

Astral Weeks Van Morrison Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Ireland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Rock | Celtic | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Blue-Eyed Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music $8.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music R&B | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | 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 Heroes | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: Moondance His Band and the Street Choir Into the Music Tupelo Honey Saint Dominic's Preview ASIN: B000002KAT Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Astral Weeks
2. Beside You
3. Sweet Thing
4. Cyprus Avenue
5. The Way Young Lovers Do
6. Madame George
7. Ballerina
8. Slim Slow Slider

Amazon.com essential recording

Never mind that Van Morrison is one of the most indelible songwriters of the 20th century--take each album on its own terms. On 1968's seminal Astral Weeks, a twentysomething Van Morrison can be found belting his gospelly, bluesy vocals in just as fine a form as he would be 20 years hence. In the sociopolitical context of the times, the album cried out about such ubiquitous '60s themes as cultural oppression and social upheaval. But it is Morrison's vocal dexterity and passion that maintains such timeless appeal. Take tracks like "Madame George" or "Cyprus Avenue" and you'll find such beautiful mourning, it'll be clear why modern songwriter Sinéad O'Connor once publicly exclaimed: "Van Morrison should be friggin' canonized." --Nick Heil

Customer Reviews:

I wish more stars were available..........2007-07-21

Moondance has always been one of my favorite CDs. Why it took me so long to buy Astral Weeks I'll never know. I can't stop listening to this album (and I've had it for almost a year now). I think it's one of the most honest albums I've ever heard. Van puts his all into every single line. Later on in his career it's almost like he stopped caring and just "talks" through the lines live. Here there is actual emotion and it's so precisely captured that every song takes you to a place that you feel like you've been before. The liner notes mention that there are no noticeable "singles" here, but I think every song works great in the context of the work as a whole and also stands on it's own admirably. This is in my top ten.

Ridiculous Good.......2007-07-03

Half the songs on here give me goosebumps. Astral Weeks is probably my favorite Van Morrison album, granted Tupelo Honey and Moondance are a lot more fun, Astral weeks is transcendental. In this album Van seems very in love, nostalgic, or sentimental. Key tracks (really all of them) include:
Astral Weeks- Strong and solid,
Sweet Thing- The strings in this are awesome
Cyprus Avenue- More like familiar Van Morrison
Madame George- It's long, and good. Again and as usual, an awesome arrangement. (for David Gray fans, this is where part of "Say Hello, Wave goodbye comes from)

The other tracks on here are all good, no real dancing numbers, but all the songs are beautiful, the kind you put on a mix CD for a new (or not so new) love. Anyone who considers themselves a Van fan had better own this.

IT STILL MAKES ME CRY.......2007-06-21

I think it came out in '68 when I was a sophomore in high school...shy, insecure, just moved to a new school. These songs became part of my very being, and they will always be a part of who I am. There was just something about Van: the words, the stylings, the chord progressions. His music made my soul scream, and it felt so good.

The Second Best Album of All Time.......2007-06-13

FREE FORM VOCAL STYLINGS

This album rates very highly on many critics list of the all time best. It routinely comes up in the top ten. About 10 years ago, Rolling Stone magazine voted it the second best album of all time, behind the Beatle's Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Released in 1968, this is Van Morrison's second solo album. It is 46 minutes long and the sound quality is good, although the music is mixed a little thin.

The Way The Young Lovers Do is the only thing on this album that is anything close to pop song along the lines of Brown Eyed Girl. I am not a big pop music fan, but I like this song. The rest of the album is something completely different.

The rest of the album is some nice music with some interesting playing, mixed really low. It is a mixture of jazz and folk with a little blues thrwon in. There are some interesting bits on flute, vibes and keyboards. But, the music remains just a back drop and is mixed in at a very low volume. The CD comes with a fold out cover that tries to give a historical perspective of the album. Intrestingly, it is pretty subdued and does not rave about the album like the critics do.

Morrison's wild and unstructured vocals are mixed loudly on top of the music. He seems to be always riffing and jamming. He'll be singing along and then he'll jump into a repeated riff, such as "you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out".

I know people are going to get mad at me, insult me and call me names, but I have to admit that I just don't get it. I don't think this is a personal, emotional album, and I don't think it has interesting stories. It comes off to me as an experimental album that didn't quite work.

Music is a very personal thing. People can get really mad when you don't agree with them on music that they really love. They take a low review on thier favorite album as a personal attack. They say nasty things about the reviewer.

To get even, people will mark a review as "hot helpful", like that evens things up. But, a review like this is helpful to buying public that might not know much about this ablum and are thinkging about buying it because of all the rave reviews (that is why I bought it).

Just because certain people love it doesn't mean everyone will. In fact, many people did not like this album. It is the only Van Morrison album not to chart. And you might wonder why Morrison did not do anything like this again. He certainly still had the artistic freedom to do what he wanted, because he had a pretty lose contract from Warner Brothers. What he came up with next, is Moondance, which was completely different. In later albums, Morrison did incorporate some of the Astral Weeks vocal stylings on some songs, but it was much more controlled.

Van Morrison started out in a group called Them. Them had a minor hit with Baby Please Don't Go, and bigger hit with Gloria, written by Morrison. Them was going through changes, so Morrison retired from music for a few years, before coming up with Brown Eyed Girl, and his first ablum, Blowin' Your Mind. He did not approve of the album and withdrew. His manager died, freeing him from his contract, so he was able to sign with Warner Brothers, have much more artistic freedom and came up with this.

yes siree... a MASTERPIECE to say the least!.......2007-05-23

Years and years from now, if the world is still in one piece and the human race hasn't made itself extinct, people and history books will hopefully have long forgotten these vapid, celluloid dolts of today (i.e. see Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton, Justin Timberlake, et al...) and remember and revere such artists as Van Morrison. Well... I guess one can always dream, right? Damn, I am one naive, lost soul! I still believe that it is 1982 and I am asleep, dreaming this all, waiting patiently to wake up. This really has to be some kind of joke right? Anyway, back to the reasons why this CD deserves five stars (actually I would put this one in that rare six-star category if I could).

This saintly, little genius from Belfast has produced some of the most beautiful music ever, in the history of beautiful music. Like Bob Dylan, Van wasn't blessed with a voice a la Sinatra or Tony Bennett. He was a very good guitar player, but he's not even in the same league as say a Jimi Hendrix or a Wes Montgomery or a Al DiMeola, et al... And lastly, his lyrics can't compare with that of Dylan's or even Simon and Garfunkel for that matter. All that being said (and I know that these are some bold words I'm about to pen), I can't think of any one musician that has had as long and as productive of a career as Van Morrison (besides Louis Armstrong of course, but it isn't fair to compare anyone to Pops when it comes to contributions to American music). This cat is something else for sure! I love Miles, and Duke, and Sinatra, and the Glimmer Twins, and I highly respect and enjoy quite a bit of Dylan, Paul Simon, McCartney, et al... But this guy is still doing it and hasn't missed a beat in over forty years now! All I have to say is un-friggin-believable! He hasn't really slowed down since he first started in the early 60's belting out such enjoyable songs as "Baby Please Don't Go", "Gloria", and "Here Comes the Night" to name a few. However, in 1967 after leaving the band "Them" he started getting really serious and his second solo album in 1968 'Astral Weeks' is, to put it mildly, sublime, and magical, and totally unique, unlike anything you have ever heard before or since. A true genius is almost always an artist who is way ahead of their time, and Van was (and still is) a true genius. This album is his crowning achievement, his greatest work which is saying a lot when you consider just how many great albums he has produced for going on five decades now - AMAZING!

I know, I know, this is only one man's opinion, and you may even consider the author of this review a bit... as my Italian relatives would say... PAZZO! However, any lover of good music (no matter what your favorite genre is) should really enjoy this. Van merges jazz, blues, rock, r&b, folk, and a little bit of Celtic music into this one and the results are outstanding. He sings and plays his guitar beautifully. Every song contains placid, poetic lyrics that will melt your heart, especially with the solitary way in which Van belts them out with such ardent fervor and emotion. The other great thing is the band behind the man, the men who helped Van create such magnificent music on this masterpiece are the following jazz greats - Jay Berliner (guitar), Richard Davis (bass), Connie Kay (drums), John Payne (flute, soprano sax), and Warren Smith, Jr. (percussion and vibraphone). They all sound inspired, and it's very difficult to pick out one performance over the others because each one is top-notch. I usually don't like writing no-brainer reviews, but this album has a real special place in my heart. Enjoy!

Average customer rating: The multi-channel mix is awful. Cd Music This version should be pulled. Poor Example of SACD I love this young lady...

Come Away With Me Norah Jones Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition Avalon Concord Records SACD Sampler 1 (Multichannel Hybrid SACD) The Girl in the Other Room Genius Loves Company ASIN: B00008WT49 Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

1. Don't Know Why
2. Seven Years
3. Cold Cold Heart
4. Feelin' The Same Way
5. Come Away With Me
6. Shoot The Moon
7. Turn Me On
8. Lonestar
9. I've Got To See You Again
10. Painter Song
11. One Flight Down
12. Nightingale
13. The Long Day Is Over
14. The Nearness Of You

Amazon.com

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Not Too Late

Feels Like Home

The Little Willies

Customer Reviews:

The multi-channel mix is awful........2007-07-12

As noted in another review, the multi-channel is absolutely awful. It's as if the bass is eq'd out of the mix. Honestly, it's completely unlistenable in my opinion. Thankfully the two channel SACD mix is fine. For that reason, I'm still glad that I bought it because I enjoy this album quite a bit.

Cd Music.......2007-04-06

I was really looking forward
to this cd, but unfortunatally
I didnt receive it.

This version should be pulled........2004-12-02

One of the requirements of SACD releases, as set forth by Sony and Phillips, is that there be at least an SACD (DSD) stereo layer. The surround DSD and hybrid Red Book PCM CD compatible layers are optional. As the previous reviewer mentioned, the stereo DSD layer on this release was taken from the Red Book 16/44.1 PCM master used to make the CD layer. So Blue Note skirted a basic requirement of the format they were releasing on by deceptively scamming consumers into thinking they were getting a true SACD. As far as anyone knows, however, the surround SACD layer was taken directly from the 2 inch multitrack and sampled to DSD, then remixed and mastered to the SACD surround layer. I haven't heard anything to the contrary. As it stands right now, I agree with Fremer that Blue Note should simply apologize, pull the current release, rerelease a proper SACD, and give past purchasers a free exchange. I listened to the surround layer at my parents house in Oregon and was pleased at the music and sound quality. I do think it is overall a bit emotionally monotonal and placid though, as the recent SNL (or was it Mad TV) spoof parodied. But I think people who buy it are looking for that. Still enjoyable.

Let me clear up some of the misconceptions floating around:

Keep your universal DVD player set up internally for 5.1 channel with all channels on at fixed volume (usually max output), set to large, and your reciever/preamps on Surround Direct Analog with no digital conversion...then pray that you have a DVD player and reciever that doesn't do anything else funky. All of the older Denon universal units really messed with the sound. If you're still not getting good bass, then you need full range speakers. Never ever have speakers turned off or set to small in your DVD player when listening to SACD's. In fact, you shouldn't even do this with stereo CDs, since you'll mess up the dynamic range that the outputs are working at.

Most universal players use the original Sony DSD chip, which has a little port that connects to the DAC. Contrary to popular belief, SACD is not converted to DVD-Audio (PCM as opposed to the PWM of DSD) when it goes into that little port. That just sends the analog signal to the filter stage to lop off the high frequency noise. The only conversion that will ever occur is if you try and do bass management, which will kick the Sony converter chip into what's called Wide-DSD...a euphamism for a form of very high frequency PCM, also called Narrow PCM. It's still PCM, it's just that Sony doesn't like to call it that. So, keep everything On, Large, and Fixed in the player and Pure Analog Direct after it gets out and you'll probably be fine. Do volume changes in the reciever in the analog domain.

I also wouldn't trust the new players that convert everything to SACD internally to do bass management. It's another form of Wide-DSD. Why? Because you can't do computations with a 1-Bit format. You can't mix in SACD or produce in that format until you either convert it to analog or PCM. You can only record/master live to each descrete 1-Bit DSD channel, then you're stuck with it as is. All the SACD recording consoles are actually this psuedo-DVD-Audio format internally, though they likely sound quite good. To get true DSD through and through you either record/produce to analog tape, or you mix live, which is probably why Telarc likes the format so much.

PCM has good points and bad. PWM has good points and bad, too. They're both very low noise, but PCM tends to sound a bit artificial and lacking in that organic body of analog. PWM is hella organic and analog-like (probably due to its psuedo-analog 1-bit nature), but embeds subtle quantization noise within the signal permanently, often leaving it sounding not quite as transparent and Oh-My-God-clear and pristine as DVD-Audio at 192khz. Some engineers claim that the high frequencies are inferior in transient response to even normal Red Book CD, but transients are so difficult to measure, Red Book so rife with other problems, and DSD does so well in all the other departments (including other characteristics of its highs) that I find it to be a non-issue. At least you get SACD on all the channels in 5.1, definitely as good or better than 24/96. The last thing you want is conversion back and forth between the two formats internally; then you get the worst of both worlds. Remember that DSD was invented for archival purposes to permanently store the Columbia Records inventory. The archival format's actually twice the bitrate of consumer SACD, so it likely sounds as lovely as is claimed.

Poor Example of SACD.......2004-11-13

My rating of 2 stars applies to the SACD version of this record and not the CD. I consider the CD to be a 5 star recording. After carefully listening to both the two channel SACD mix and the CD stereo versions I could not discern an audible difference. I enjoyed the 5.1 mix and found the rear surround to be tasteful and subtle, not at all distracting, but, again, no significant improvement in detail except that created by spreading the sound around to five channels. A recent article on the "Stereophile" website suggests that the SACD mix in fact shares the same 16 bit lineage as the CD, which would explain why the two channel mix and the CD mix sound identical. Norah's label has cheated its customers with this one and should go back and do an actual DSD mix and replace these "CDs" for free or give us our money back. There is no reason to purchase this SACD in addition to or in lieu of the CD unless you are interested in listening to a standard resolution 5.1 mix.

I love this young lady..........2004-02-27

I have to agree with the others - the SACD analog mix in 5.1 was a blunder(4 stars). I borrowed this from a friend for a test run. I have the same content on DVD/video - Very nice... - When I choose to listen only - I just turn off the TV and listen to a very good 5.1 DD/EX version. I admit it is not quite the quality of SACD but very good nonetheless. Spyro Gyra has 2 SACD's available and they are the standard for SACD comparison - absolutely flawless... Waiting for 2 of my all-time favorites on SACD - Eat a Peach and Live at the Fillmore from the ABB... SACD is just a small notch above DVD-Audio - although with DVD-Audio you can also listen on most any DVD player that supports DTS, DD-5.1 and DD-Stereo. SACD's are more dicriminating - I bought the Onkyo DVSP-800 specifically because of the SACD and DVD-Audio discrete analog and outstanding DVD-progressive scan video capabilities...

Average customer rating: Downright Good Great bassist; boring album Amazing OUTSTANDING, AS I'VE COME TO EXPECT FROM BRIAN Tim the Bassist' review

Downright Upright Brian Bromberg Manufacturer: Artistry Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: He Had a Hat Presence Grand Central White Sand Sweet Surrender ASIN: B000MGVBKK Release Date: 2007-02-20

Tracks:

1. Cantaloupe Island
2. Mercy Mercy Mercy
3. Cold Duck Time
4. Sunday Mornin'
5. The Hacha Chacha
6. Chameleon
7. Serengeti Walk
8. Leisure Suit
9. Slow Burn
10. Shag Carpet

Amazon.com

Long before the coining of "smooth jazz," catchy numbers like Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island," Joe Zawinul's "Mercy Mercy Mercy," and the Les McCann-Eddie Harris tune "Cold Duck Soup" enticed pop fans to cross over, however casually or tentatively, into jazz. Now, on veteran bassist Brian Bromberg's Downright Upright, those three songs are vehicles for name-brand smooth jazz players including saxophonists Kirk Whalum, Boney James and Gary Meek, keyboardists George Duke and Jeff Lorber, guitarist Lee Ritenour and trumpeter Rick Braun to do a little crossing back of sorts to show off their mainstream chops. Nobody will confuse the facility of their straightahead solos with real depth, however much emotion they pour into them. But it's an agreeable excursion for all concerned, with Bromberg making the most of his opportunities to lay down melodic lines. Even after the cover versions give way to originals in the same vein, the music stays lively. --Lloyd Sachs

Album Description

On Downright Upright, acclaimed bassist BRIAN BROMBERG leads an all-star line-up to create a musical tour de force!

Playing both acoustic and piccolo bass, Downright Upright is a complete turnaround from 2006's Wood II. Instead of a traditional trio, this release shines with many new collaborative touches, including those from pianists GEORGE DUKE and JEFF LORBER, saxophonists GARY MEEK, BONEY JAMES, and KIRK WHALUM, drummer VINNIE COLAIUTA, trumpeter RICK BRAUN, and guitarists GANNIN ARNOLD and LEE RITENOUR.

Customer Reviews:

Downright Good.......2007-05-12

Very good CD overall. I liked all the tracks. The thing that makes this CD a winner is all the other top name talent that Bromberg has with him on the CD. Fabulous musicians in their own right. I saw the Downright Upright All-Stars in concert playing the songs on this project. It is even better in concert. Definite recommended buy.

Great bassist; boring album.......2007-05-11

1. first of all, i love brian bromberg. i've seen in various venues, with various different folks--> an amazing bassist.

2. thus, it's all the more... sad to see such talent go to waste on this and many of his commercial CDs. as a musician, i can't help but imagine what goes through his mind as he plays such completely tepid music. i guess he, along with everyone else, must pay the bills.

3. for some more decent bromberg? try wood, wood II, the jaco album etc...

Amazing.......2007-04-11

Brian has created yet another mesmerizing album. He always amazes, not just with his incredible bass playing, but with the choices of fellow players, arrangements, and production quality. As long as he keeps making albums, we'll keep buying them.

OUTSTANDING, AS I'VE COME TO EXPECT FROM BRIAN.......2007-04-07

Brian Bromberg is, in my opinion, THE best bassist - ever, and this album is one of his best yet. He is clearly the master of the upright. The combination of groups and music on this album makes it very fresh and shows off the versatility of his talent.

Tim the Bassist' review.......2007-04-02

Brian is phenomenal on the upright bass. For connoiseurs of jazz standards and upright bassplaying with an all-star cast, i highly recommend this project.

Average customer rating: pure composition magic... One of the most startling beautiful and quintessential version of Porgy and Bess Porgy and Bess and Miles/Gil Evans Pull a chair between the speakers and let this one wash over you Edit your own CD

Porgy and Bess Miles Davis , and Gil Evans Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Orchestral Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Sony | Computers Brands | Computers Features | Electronics | Desktops | Monitors | Networking | Notebooks Similar Items: Sketches of Spain Miles Ahead Porgy & Bess Milestones Kind of Blue ASIN: B000002AH6 Release Date: 1997-03-25

Tracks:

1. Buzzard Song
2. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
3. Gone
4. Gone, Gone, Gone
5. Summertime
6. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
7. Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus)
8. Fishermen, Strawberry And Devil Crab
9. My Man's Gone Now
10. It Ain't Necessarily So
11. Here Come De Honey Man
12. I Loves You, Porgy
13. There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York
14. I Loves You, Porgy (Take 1, Second Version)
15. Gone (Take 4)

Amazon.com

Take George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, add Miles Davis and arranger Gil Evans, and what do you get? A classic jazz album that--despite the fact that the material has been rendered almost overly familiar due to countless interpretations--still sounds remarkably fresh four decades after its initial release. Miles' soft yet piercing trumpet style is perfectly suited to Gershwin's melancholy melodies, Evans' musical direction of his 18-piece orchestra is impeccable, and their version of "Summertime" may well be the finest ever waxed. Davis and Evans teamed up for several recordings after this one (including the landmark Sketches of Spain), but Porgy & Bess still stands as one of their most successful collaborations. --Dan Epstein

Customer Reviews:

pure composition magic..........2007-06-20

The pinnacle of Gil Evans and Miles Davis working together. This is by far the definitive recording of Porgy and Bess as far as I'm concerned. I've listened to it a thousand times and it still blows me away. I wish I had the words to do this recording justice. Just listen to GONE and how it segues into GONE, GONE, GONE and how that in turn segues into SUMMERTIME. My goodness, the trumpet practically speaks to you, you can feel the pathos, the rage and the desire of the story. SUMMERTIME is the quintessential Miles. moody, full of passion, magical. Enough said. Get it. Listen to it. Enjoy it. over and over and over again.

One of the most startling beautiful and quintessential version of Porgy and Bess.......2007-04-30

While "Porgy and Bess" nas been attempted by many an artist from popular standard artists to jazz giants, for me, this IS the quintessential version. For me, better than Ella and Louis or Ray Charles and Cleo Laine's versions.

It is emotionally direct and startling in it's beauty. Miles was at the height of his powers and he conveys the sentiment of the pieces so directly that I was moved and transfixed.

This, of all the Gil Evans/Miles Davis collaborations is the best. Some might argue in favor of others but this one features arrangement that are essential and never, not once, do they encumber, obscure or step all over the soloist. Gil provides a perfect setting for Miles and Miles makes the most of it, with that unique vibratto-less tone.

Never sappy, nor even conventional. I can only imagine what the reactions were when this recording was released. Mind you, Gil never arranged in the traditional voicings or instrumentations of the traditional big band. No four or five sax/five brass, four trombone, piano, bass and drums for this man. The instrumentation and voicings are unique. Often the horns covney the soft lushness of strings on ballads but without any syrup at all.

This simply one of the best Miles Davis recordings in his career, bar none! He effectively conveys the longing, romance, sadness and joy I presume Gershwin intended.

Upon acquiring a CD player back in the eighties, this was one of the very first recordings I purchased. Never old or dated. It's timeless, it transcends eras.

A must have for me.

Porgy and Bess and Miles/Gil Evans.......2007-01-03

Phenomenal material to begin with. The treatment was exceptional due to an amazing collaboration. I am very pleased to have it in my collection.

Pull a chair between the speakers and let this one wash over you.......2006-10-31

Let me start by saying that I'm a long-time analog music lover. I still spin a lot of vinyl, and have found digital music to be, at times, disappointing.

That being said, this remastering of "Porgy and Bess" is one of the most gorgeous things I've ever heard. The placement of the instruments across the spectrum is almost holographic, and out of this space the subtlety of Gil Evans' work can truly be appreciated. There are long, languid sections of Miles' horn noir, punctuated by bursts from Evans' "brass orchestra." The layers, the barely heard accents, it's just brilliant work, and this amazing remaster truly does it justice.

As to the music, I'll simply paraphrase another reviewer here who said that he knew of no music more beautiful than this. Amen, brother.

Edit your own CD.......2006-03-19

I think I understand why some listeners take exception to the Miles-Evans version of Porgy and Bess and wonder what all the fuss is about and why it's a "classic" if they've never heard the original vinyl release on Columbia. In the digital era, in the attempt to give listeners more content and fill up cd space, record companies sometimes include extra tracks that were never on the original and should have been left off later. For me that track is "I Loves You, Porgy," which comes near the end of the entire album and has a way of spoiling the sonic magic that came before. It's not that it's a terrible track; it's just not that good or necessary when compared to the others, and, again, was never on the original in the first place. Furthermore, the last track was never on the original either, and can be done without as well, imo. Sometimes less is better. After all, a classic album is one where the listener finds it unnecessary to skip tracks, and the later cd release inadvertently violates this principle because of the two reasons I've mentioned. For my own use, I've burned an edited version off my own commercial copy without the last two tracks, and I recommend others do the same if they wish to recapture the spirit of the original and the marvelous effects this music can create, as Miles' tone was never more luscious, dark and brooding...just gorgeous. And I think Gil Evans was right when he said that Miles Davis reinvented the sound of the trumpet and flugelhorn, especially on Sketches of Spain and Porgy and Bess.

Average customer rating: 1962 one of the great years in rock A good CD despite having only 10 songs - but BUYER BEWARE! Stingy, stringy, stingy doo-wop doo-wop A Variety of Classics

Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1962 Various Artists Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Doo Wop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Girl Groups | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Teen Pop | Pop | Styles | Music 1960s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music Oldies | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Southern Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Northern | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music 1960-1969 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Oldies | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Soul General | Soul | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Soul General | Soul | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Soul General | Soul | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Oldies General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Oldies General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Oldies General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 R&B | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1963 Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1961 Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1960 Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1964 Billboard Top Rock & Roll Hits: 1965 ASIN: B0000032IY Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Green Onions - Booker T. & The MG's
2. Duke Of Earl - Gene Chandler
3. Soldier Boy - The Shirelles
4. Sheila - Tommy Roe
5. Peppermint Twist - Joey Dee & The Starliters
6. The Loco-motion - Little Eva
7. The Wanderer - Dion
8. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka
9. Johnny Angel - Shelley Fabares
10. Palisades Park - Freddy Cannon

Customer Reviews:

1962 one of the great years in rock .......2005-07-28

Billboard has many great rock n roll hit compilations, but this is one of my favorites. Green Onions is a great instrumental hit, Duke of Earl is a timeless classic from doo wop, and Peppermint Twist Part 1 and the Locomotion were two of the most popular dances that year. All in their original versions!

A good CD despite having only 10 songs - but BUYER BEWARE!.......2005-01-25

In 1988/9 Rhino introduced its superb "Top Rock'n'Roll Hits" (1955-1974) series featuring 20 years of music on 20 CDs at 10 songs per year / per disc. (Hey, neat-o!)

Then in 1993 Rhino reissued the discs in the subset spanning 1960-1969 thus creating two different versions of each in the process. Because these discs are available via Amazon Marketplace, who knows which ones you'll get if you buy them used! If this is important to you, be sure to ask the seller(s) before placing your order(s).

The most obvious visual differences between the two editions are the song titles on both the front covers and the actual CDs. The 1988/9 editions feature mixed-case titles. The 1993 editions feature uppercase titles.

The 1993 editions also have the songs listed on the covers in the same order in which they appear on the discs. The 1988/9 editions list the songs in an almost random order which can be very frustrating while the disc is being played.

The song selections are also different; some moreso than others. For 1962 only track 1 was changed.

1988 (1) The 4 Seasons, "Big Girls Don't Cry"
1993 (1) Booker T. & The MG's, "Green Onions"

In this case, I definitely prefer the 1993 edition because "Green Onions" is just so friggin' awesome! It's interesting that Rhino decided to swap out a song about crying with a song about onions. If it had been called "White Onions" there'd be no way those girls could hold back their tears no matter how big they are.

[Note: To my knowledge, the CDs spanning 1955-1959 and 1970-1974 have not been revised. One may also surmise that Rhino believes rock-n-roll died with the advent of disco since the title used for the discs spanning 1975-on-up is simply "Top Hits" - not to be confused, of course, with Rhino's other, similar series, "Top Pop Hits".]

Stingy, stringy, stingy.......2004-11-03

Once again, we have 10 measly songs, all good ones. They were hits in 1962; I remember them well; I was there. They touched me. If you care about the chronology of hit songs, the times they represent, buy this CD. I just don't know why they don't charge $2-$3 more and double the number of songs on the CD. I can name 10 more just like them from 1962 but I won't bore you further. Four stars this time for too few songs.

doo-wop doo-wop.......2002-06-30

Green Onions the cool hammond organ sound,one reason why i learned to play the keys
Duke Of Earl (before rap)
Soldier Boy the saxophone sendup harmony
Sheila tommy roe's buddy holly sound
Peppermint Twist-did you see joey d on the pbs doo-wop&pop special?
Locomotion written by carol king but i like the grand funk version better
The Wanderer hey its Dion's bad boy song
Breaking Up Is Hard to do, the 1st version by neil sedaka doo-wop style,great harmonies neil multi tracked
Johnny Angel a pleasing pop sound but does it try to hard for a dream?
Palisades Park a summer hit for the amusement park of that time
good listening in the car while driving

A Variety of Classics.......1998-06-30

All these hits appear in their original versions with great sound quality.

Average customer rating: Great second set of roots music from "The Plank Road Sessions" Chieftains Merge Irish & Bluegrass Influences Way Down The Old Plank Road further is better The Chieftains turn out another winner

Further Down the Old Plank Road The Chieftains Manufacturer: RCA Victor ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Celtic Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Appalachian | North America | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music New Age | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Fusion | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Ireland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Celtic New Age | New Age | Styles | Music Country Folk | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions Another Country The Wide World Over: A 40 Year Celebration Water From the Well Tears Of Stone ASIN: B0000ABGD3 Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

1. The Raggle Taggle Gypsy
2. Jordan Is A Hard Road To Travel
3. Hick's Farewell
4. Shady Grove
5. The Girl I Left Behind
6. Rosc Catha Na Nuimhain/Arkansas Traveller/The Wild Irishman
7. Lambs In The Greenfield
8. The Moonshiner/I'm A Gambler I'm a Rambler
9. Wild Mountain Thyme
10. Chief O'Neill's Hornpipe
11. Bandit Of Love/The Cheatin' Waltz
12. The Squid Jiggin' Ground/Larry O'Gaff
13. Three Little Babies
14. Fisherman's Hornpipe/The Devil's Dream
15. Talk About Suffering/Man Of The House
16. The Lily Of The West

Amazon.com

As on Another Country (1992) and The Old Plank Road (2002), the venerable Irish acoustic band celebrates the shared sources of Celtic music and America's Appalachian folk/old-timey/bluegrass canon. That several of the guest players are veterans of all three sets lends a note of continuity to the palpable joy of discovery that fairly leaps from every track. Highlights are non-stop, but Allison Moorer's doom-laden vocal on "Hick's Farewell" raises goose-flesh, as does Emmylou Harris' "Lambs In The Greenfield," while Don Williams' treatment of an old Scottish ballad, "Wild Mountain Thyme," reveals a sturdy, unsentimental masculinity. The Chieftains are generous hosts throughout, often taking a back seat so their collaborators may shine. A poignant note: harpist and multi-instrumentalist Derek Bell, a longtime Chieftains member, died just after the Plank Road sessions were completed. That these were destined to be among his final recordings makes them all the more worthy of treasuring. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

Great second set of roots music from "The Plank Road Sessions".......2006-04-17

Here we go again. This time around, I think the CD is highlighted by one of country's greatest living legends and one of bluegrass music's greatest young acts. That would be "Wild Mountain Thyme" by gentleman Don Williams and "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" by Nickel Creek. There are some great pipe tunes on this one as well. Once again we have some themes which seem to exude Appalachia whereas others have a "Northerly" feel. Highly recommended.

Chieftains Merge Irish & Bluegrass Influences.......2005-03-22

This follow-up to 2002's DOWN THE OLD PLANK ROAD doesn't deviate from that album's successful formula of combining traditional Irish music with bluegrass and old timey country music.

Highlights include Tim O'Brien's foot-stomping rendition of "Shady Grove, John Prine's plaintive "The Girl I Left Behind," Ricky Skaggs' "Talk About Suffering/Man of the House" and Nickel Creek's performance of the centuries' old "Raggle Taggle Gypsy."

Several of these songs were not originally recorded for this album. "Fishmerman's Hornpipe/The Devil's Dream," which features the lightning fingers of Doc Watson, was recorded in 1980-81. Four other tracks (9-12) were recorded in 1992, presumably during the sessions for the 1992 release ANOTHER COUNTRY.

Overall, this is a thoroughly satisfying album from Ireland's best ambassadors of Irish music. [Running time 55:06] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Way Down The Old Plank Road.......2003-12-09

Both "Plank Road" CDs are great for fans of Irish/Old Time/Country music.
Highlights on this one, for me, include John Hiatt's version of the Uncle Dave Macon song Jordan is a Hard Road, and Doc Watson with the Chieftains.
The Nickle Creek version of Raggle Tagle Gypsy doesn't do it for me -- I've been spoiled by listening to the Planxty version for years.
All in all a great listen, with an interesting historical connection.

further is better.......2003-10-01

I found the first cd by the chieftains recorded in Nashville to lack a cohesiveness. It also, in my opinion, suffered from the excess of having a 10+ minute instrumental song at the end that seemed to drone on and on. This one "works" better for me and is entertaining and enjoyable from start to finish. An excellent variety of collaborating artists with everything from the country baritone of Don Williams to the beautiful vocal instrument of Emmylou Harris's voice. Highly recommended for Chieftain and country (real country) music fans alike.

I was surprised that there was no mention of the passing of Derek Bell in the liner notes of the cd. Perhaps a tribute to him will be made in an upcoming cd.

The Chieftains turn out another winner.......2003-09-21

Well, it looks like those old Irish rogues The Chieftains have managed to do it again - take two different but interrelated musical styles, find the best performers in the genre, and pair them up with their group to create a unique and oftentimes brilliant sound. With this take we return to the connection between Irish traditional and American country and bluegrass music, just like their last album, "Down the Old Plank Road" was - in fact, "Further Down the Old Plank Road" is the recording sessions they didn't have room to cram into the first one. And while with some other artists this would seem like an attempt to make money off of work they'd already done, in this case the work is just as high in quality as the first album was, therefore earning itself the merit of being well worth the surprisingly modest price tag.
This album has a wide variety of both Irish and American pieces on it, opening with the old standard "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy", performed with Nickel Creek to stunning results. Next comes the American folk song "Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel" with John Hiatt, and if it weren't for Hiatt's superbly raspy old-time voice this would pass as a traditional dance from back over on the Emerald Isle. Following this upbeat tune comes a mournful Southern song with Allison Moorer, the solemn "Hick's Farewell", her voice backed quietly by Paddy and his boys and attended to by the sorrowful wailing of Matt Molloy's flute. "Shady Grove" with Tim O'Brien has lyrics that are very American in nature but a tune that, like much of the material on this album, could have come right out of Ireland itself.
The incomparable John Prine accompanies The Chieftains on "The Girl I Left Behind", employing his once-twangy but now warmer and deeper voice to a song that sounds like a lot of his other work - not a bad thing, mind you. The following set with Jerry Douglas contains the Irish tunes "Rosc Catha Na Mumhain" and "The Wild Irishman", both played superbly, as well as an unexpected treat - "The Arkansas Traveler", undoubtedly one of the best-known old-time folk songs that transforms the track from a set of Celtic tunes to a sort of Irish hoedown, as the liner notes put it. After that comes a superbly sad/sweet Irish song, "Lambs in the Greenfield", played with a past Chieftains collaborator Emmylou Harris, to lovely results. In the space of Band 8 Joe Ely shows up with his roguishly rambling voice, singing two tunes that suit his demeanor well - "The Moonshiner" and "I'm a Rambler".
Country legend Don Williams turns up on this album to sing that beautiful old Irish ballad, "Wild Mountain Thyme" with his virtually-trademark deep country voice that gives the classic air a new dimension. Chet Atkins plays on "Chief O'Neill's Hornpipe", which if memory serves was actually recorded back on The Chieftains' first bluegrass/country endeavor, "Another Country", and could be considered the single cheap shot on the album, even though the collaboration is still very high quality. Band 11 contains Carlene Carter's "Bandit of Love" from 1980, sung by the composer and The Chieftains' own "The Cheatin' Waltz", the former taking up a much longer time slot than the latter. The famous Nitty Gritty Dirt Band gives a spirited performance of "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground", a lively little song rather peculiar in subject but catchy in tune, its words having been set to the Irish Larry O'Gaff's Jig by immigrants to Newfoundland, Canada.
Patty Loveless delivers a wailing rendition of "Three Little Babes", an anguish-filled variant of an old English air sung in the Appalachian Mountains. On track 14 Doc Watson plays a sprightly hornpipe popular on both sides of the Atlantic, "The Fisherman's Hornpipe", followed by another famous tune, "Devil's Dream." Long-time friend of The Chieftains Ricky Skaggs lays down another soulful Southern song, "Talk About Sufferin'", written in the gospel singing tradition of the American southeast. The final tune, "The Lily of the West", has been sung by The Chieftains on a past album, "The Long Black Veil", in collaboration with Mark Knopfler. But sung here to a different tune with somewhat altered lyrics by Rosanne Cash, Johnny "The Man in Black" Cash's daughter, the song takes on an entirely different feel, to my ears less appealing than Knopfler's rendition but still enjoyable.
All in all, "Further Down the Old Plank Road" is anything but an attempt to administer one last whack to a long-dead horse, to paraphrase the liner notes of "Water from the Well" (also a great album). Even though American music is the predominate style on the album, it's still a real treat for Chieftains fans and a great listen for any fan of traditional Irish, bluegrass, or country music, or any of the performers above for that matter. Highly recommended!

Average customer rating: Geetar toting Rock Chick's Excellent Debut! Kind of a disappointment Mother Mother rips of Stairway riff; Really, really, really good The Burdens of Being Good

The Burdens of Being Upright Tracy Bonham Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Rock General | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Rock General | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Down Here Blink the Brightest Something Beautiful Liverpool Sessions Big Beautiful Sky ASIN: B000001E8V Release Date: 1996-03-19

Tracks:

1. Mother Mother
2. Navy Bean
3. Tell It To The Sky
4. Kisses
5. Brain Crack
6. The One
7. One Hit Wonder
8. Sharks Can't Sleep
9. Bulldog
10. Every Breath
11. 30 Seconds
12. The Real

Customer Reviews:

Geetar toting Rock Chick's Excellent Debut!.......2007-02-22

Tracy is a classically trained violinist and pianist, who has plenty of talent, and her songs are compelling listening. This album, released in 1996, was her major label debut. It went Gold, and give us the hit single Mother Mother.
The songs are well written and show off her excellent voice. Tell It To The Sky and Sharks Can't Sleep are very similar in style, slower in tempo, and starting off quiet before launching into an all out aural assault on your eardrums! The One and One Hit Wonder are another 2 excellent songs. The more I listen to this Album, I can't understand why it wasn't more successful. I mean, Geetar toting Rock Chicks are always fashionable in the States!
If this Album had Mr Cobain singing, it would be hailed as a classic!

Kind of a disappointment.......2007-01-04

Except for the song, Mother Mother, I didn't really care for the rest of the cd. I bought it for Mother, Mother so I guess I got what I wanted. I had hoped to like other songs as well, but, oh well!

Mother Mother rips of Stairway riff;.......2006-09-10

It's a decent album but she seems to copy riffs a bit on this album. Mother Mother definitly rips of Stairway To Heaven from Stairway's ending vocals riff. (and as we wind on down the road..) Does she give Zep credit on that? Now that Rockstar Supernova has used the song twice it has brought Mother, Mother back to life a bit but that riff rip just annoys me. Good female yell and complain song but I just can't get past that riff rip.

Really, really, really good.......2005-02-19

Like a lot of people I saw here on the Blueman tour where she was amazing. This is a solid CD throughout. I highly reccomend it.

The Burdens of Being Good.......2004-10-16

Like most people, the song that drew me to this album was "Mother, Mother". My own mother found it rather amusing that this woman on the radio was shrieking about being fine.

I was young when I got it, 12 I think. I didn't understand the meanings of most of the songs, but it didn't matter. Tracy has an undeniable talent, and her songs are compelling even for young'uns like I was.

She tangles melodies in her violin strings and belts a voice out of her 5'2 frame that belongs in someone taller and fatter. Her messages may be confusing but what is good rock without...interesting lyrics?

Tracks to check out: Mother, Mother; Brain Crack; Bulldog. There are more but I can't think of them right now.

Average customer rating: PERFECTION!! Cool, cool, cool! Miles Moods

Miles Davis Plays for Lovers Miles Davis Manufacturer: Prestige ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: John Coltrane Plays for Lovers Love Songs Bill Evans Plays for Lovers Coltrane for Lovers Stan Getz Plays for Lovers ASIN: B0000AB135 Release Date: 2003-08-05

Tracks:

1. My Funny Valentine
2. You're My Everything
3. Smooch
4. Just Squeeze Me
5. Easy Living
6. There Is No Greater Love
7. It Never Entered My Mind
8. In Your Own Sweet Way
9. You Don't Know What Love Is
10. Nature Boy
11. 'Round Midnight
12. When I Fall In Love

Customer Reviews:

PERFECTION!!.......2006-11-24

This is a beautiful album. An essential album for fans of jazz ballads...music at a level that only a genius, like Miles, could create.

Cool, cool, cool!.......2006-02-12

This is my first Miles Davis CD. I bought it because I love Chris Botti, and he has mentioned that he admires Miles Davis' work so much that I wanted to hear for myself. I LOVE this CD!!
It's so relaxing and soothing. I've had it playing all day and all evening on my computer on "repeat" and it just goes on and on being wonderful. Run over to Borders and pick it up...just in time for Valentine's Day!! This is some very romantic music!

Miles Moods.......2004-02-20

Heard this one playing over the intercom in Borders and bought it on the spot. Already own some of these tunes on other discs but this compilation is special with one exception. Round Midnight just doesn't sound right on this disc compared to the other 12 songs. Substitute SOME DAY MY PRINCE WILL COME or SURRY WITH THE FRINGE ON TOP and this disc would be complete. Guranteed to put you in a mellow mood.

Meditation Music:

1. Ventana
2. Victory: Music of the Bolder Boulder
3. Visuael
4. Water Wheel
5. Whisper Me
6. Women of Ireland, Pt. 1
7. 801 Live [Live]
8. A Different Shore
9. A Higher Place
10. A Musical Mirage: Oceans of Light

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Gti Crazy Vibes [Import]

Mozart: Overture To The Marriage Of Figaro/Symphony No.40/Clarinet Concerto

Patterns of Jewish Life [Import]

Music: String Quartets

Scary Movie Music [Soundtrack]

Playaz of da Game [Clean]

Psychedelic Microdots, Vol. 3: My Rainbow Life

Pinkerton

Piano Moods

Organo Deco: David Britton

Masque

No Way to Say [CD-single] [Import]

Return of the B-Girl [EP]

Dinah '62

Lucky Number: The Best of Lene Lovich