Declan [Import]

1. Danny Boy

2. Carrickfergus

3. Imagine

4. I'll Be There

5. It All Begins With Love

6. Your Friend

7. Love Can Build a Bridge

8. Mama Said

9. Till the Day We Meet Again

10. Amazing Grace

11. Circles in the Sand

12. Angels

13. Tell Me Why

14. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Declan's Prayer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Even Simon Cowell (American Idol, Pop Idol in the UK) Agrees that this 10-year-old Irish Pre-pubescent Has What it Takes to Become a Mega Star. With a Powerful Voice that Soars Light Years Beyond Where it Might Be, He is Well on his Way to Conquering the World. Already at 10, He Has a Stylist, Vocal Coach and a Million Pound Recording Contract. Watch Out World, the Youths Are Taking Over!

Declan,Declan,EMI Int'l,Pop,Rock

Average customer rating:

Declan Growing Up
Another Heintje perhaps
Declan's BACK!!!!!
Fantastic album
An understandably imperfect album

Thank You
Declan
Manufacturer: Starwash
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Declan
In Dreams
The Choirboys
Angelis
The Choirboys

ASIN: B000KB49AG
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Tracks:

Angel
Love of My Life
Night in White Satin
Tears in Heaven
Bright Eyes
House of the Rising Sun
Saved by the Bell
David's Song (Who'll Come with Me)
All out of Love
How Could an Angel Break My Heart
Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)
Only One Woman
Last Unicorn
Sailing
Where Did Our Love Go

Customer Reviews:

Declan Growing Up.......2007-07-10

Declan has grown up and is now a young teenage singer with the same wonderful voice that captivated millions when he was first discovered.

Declan can still sing with the best and does a fantastic rendition of "Angel" this boy singer will always be a favorite of mine and I am in his debt for his ability to make me think of "being Home Once again" .

Declan u deserve all the plaudits and awards that are coming to you. I will always remember you singing "Why" as a young kid with such passion and feeling , many an adult would do as well to think even just a little about why , and maybe we would all be a better person.

Another Heintje perhaps.......2007-04-24

I first heard of Declan through a Bee Gees site where it was noted he recorded two of their songs for this Album - Saved By The Bell (Robin Gibb) & Only One Woman (Written by the Bee Gees for their cousin Graham Bonnet & Trevor Gorden [The Marbles]). Heard both tracks from an online site and loved them so much, decided to buy the whole album.

I collect all Gibb related songs and have many versions of these two but I must say, Declan has done them better than most. I agree with some other comments here that some of the production / lyrical content etc may not be to the highest standards but this will improve as Declan ages and gains more control of his career.

I refer to the Dutch singer Heintje (though many believe he is German)in my title because that's who he reminds me of. A young man with an excellent pure voice; hughly popular in Germany and throughout most of Europe, just as his predecessor was around 40 years ago (man am I showing my age. If history repeasts itself, Declan is in for a long and hughly sucessful career. Go for it and enjoy the ride.

Declan's BACK!!!!!.......2007-03-11

NOW it's available thru the American Amazon!!! When I first heard about this album, I discovered it would be available thru Amazon.de, the German equivalent of this site. I ordered it on the day it was released in Germany, but it did not get here until near the end of February. So much for improved international shipping.

Why I seem to like younger singers is something that I have never figured out. I found out about Declan quite by accident, shortly after his first album was released, when I was using KaZaA, (which is so inundated with spyware now, don't use it!)and looking for Billy Gilman songs which weren't on One Voice, and it gave me one of his songs by accident, and I LOVED IT! I soon found his first album for sale on eBay, though I had a little trouble with the inter-country currency transaction (it came from UK), which demonstrates why this planet should have a single currency. I've been enjoying his first album, as well as his Tell Me Why single, which contains a version of Auld Lang Syne, which cannot be found on his first album, ever since then. Then a few months back, I found out about this album!
It has been three years since then 9-year-old Declan Galbraith released his debut album (rather long slump there.) but the wait has not been in vain! His voice has matured somewhat, giving indications he is entering adolescence, ie: the Bane of a great young voice. Look at what happened to Billy Gilman!
But his selection of songs is a wonderfully eclectic collection, including two favorites of mine; "Starry Starry Night", which I first heard performed by Josh Groban, and "Bright Eyes", originally presented to me by the beautifully voiced Joseph McManners. Hearing these songs made me fall in love all over again! :)

Other songs on this great album include "Angel", "Love of My Life", "Tears in Heaven", and several other great hits, which will provide you with much enjoyment. You can check the German Amazon for audio samples, if you want to hear them.

Still, I hope Declan doesn't take too long for his next album! The same goes for my other top favorite boy singer from the UK, Joseph McManners!
Keep 'em coming, guys, before time ruins those wonderful, clean, pure, young voices!

Fantastic album.......2007-03-04

If you were to take a 9 year old boy and have him sing in St.Paul's cathedral to the Queen of England on the occasion of her Jubalee, support Elton John on stage in front of 25,000 people, break a Gueness record for a supporting chorus of 9,000 children singing "Tell me why", you will have Declan Galbraith. Enough said.

An understandably imperfect album .......2007-03-04

Yes, thank you indeed, Declan, particularly to all the solicitors and agents whose restrictions made it impossible for one of the most amazing young talents to record for the last four years.

Declan doesn't yet have full content control, but this situation should improve in the future. It is pretty clear that he was not the one who decided the "House of the Rising Sun" lyrics were age-inappropriate, or that alternate lyrics about a man who failed to become a king because of sloshing down a few too many drams of stout are somehow preferable. It's been the ruin of many a poor song, and Lord, I know this is one... Maybe after this album, a shortage of fresh material will no longer be a problem?

Production goes a little astray in a few places. The most grating are the incessant triangle pinging and the disembodied German voice in "David's Song." If you really need a recitation of some kind, please use Declan's voice, and give him something worth saying!

The hugely over-covered "Sailing," "Tears in Heaven" and "Bright Eyes" -- well dope slap me. These are as good as anything I've ever heard, including the originals. The lyrics of "An Angel" remain unchanged and sappy as ever, so why can't I get this tune out of my head? While Declan is good, very good, at the ballads such as "Love of My Life" and "Vincent," he has the kind of control and range to excel with the grand and pretentious "Nights in White Satin" as well. He clearly hasn't found his groove yet. A few experimental tunes at the end, such as "Last Unicorn" and "Where Did Our Love Go" didn't really fit this album, but so what? They are well done, even if an odd way to finish.

A word of warning, Declan already has a distinctive style, with accurate enunciation and a slightly nasal tone that would work well (shudder and choke!) for country music. It is not excessive, but some will love it and others -- not. Perhaps it is an acquired taste. Well, I for one have acquired it. This album is not quite there with "Dark Side of the Moon", "Kind of Blue" and "Sergeant Pepper's" in terms of perfection, but the elements are waiting to happen. I can't wait for the next album.

Average customer rating:

Adiemus IV
whaaaaaat?????
Good...Although two of the Songs are on my Ipod...
New Age with an eclectic blend of styles from across the musical map!
Unimaginative

Adiemus IV: The Eternal Knot

Manufacturer: Higher Octave
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Adiemus III: Dances of Time
Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi
Songs of Sanctuary
Vocalise
Imagined Oceans

ASIN: B00004WC6I
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Tracks:

Cu Chullain
The Eternal Knot
Palace Of The Crystal Bridge
The Wooing Of Etain
King Of The Sacred Grove
Saint Declan's Drone
Salm O 'Dewi Sant'
Connla's Well
The Dagda
Children Of Dannu
Ceridwen's Curse
Hermit Of The Sea Rock
Isle Of The Mystic Lake
Math Was A Wizard

Amazon.com

When British composer Karl Jenkins launched Adiemus with the Songs of Sanctuary album in 1995, it was a fresh and exhilarating take on global music. Jenkins used choral vocals similar to Enya's, but spiked with a language of the imagination (merging African and Latin phonemes) and stoked by Jenkins's pastoral arrangements. Never wholly original--Lisa Gerrard and Elizabeth Fraser had already worked out fantasy vocal designs and the 1960s African mass "Missa Luba" effected a similar choral/African/Latin sound--Adiemus nevertheless found a new take on English composers' penchant for choirs. However, after six years and four albums mining this vein, Jenkins's sound rings more hollow with each recording.

The Eternal Knot is drawn from Jenkins's soundtrack to a BBC documentary called The Celts. You might recall that Enya also evolved her sound in the late 1980s doing a soundtrack for another documentary called The Celts. Taking his titles from the Celtic legends that populate the documentary, Jenkins orchestrates cinematic landscapes full of swelling crescendos and dynamic cadences. Less oppressive than the heavily orchestrated Adiemus II, The Eternal Knot still wears thin. He casts Miriam Stockley's voice into a boys-choir register, turning her staccato phonemes into incessant prattle. But when she's in her warmer middle range, her layered voice is enveloping. Despite the theme of the album, Celtic music is only used as an occasional touchstone, with uilleann piper Davy Spillane, a few bodhran-style percussion grooves, and harpist Catrin Finch providing some relief from Jenkins's string-laden classical pretensions. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Adiemus IV.......2007-05-07

This is another celtic cd which stirs the blood to your core. It has great melodies and wonderful arrangements to compliment the vocals. I will look forward to purchasing more of Adiemus in the future.

whaaaaaat?????.......2007-01-06

that was the first thing that popped into my head when i heard this album. i loved `songs of sanctuary' and was heartily disappointed not to also love this album. while it is obvious that the music is celtic-inspired, it is *only* the music that is so. the vocals seem to float along on their own with no relevance to the instrumentals beneath them. the language, which is the same play-language as `sanctuary', is blatantly out of place here. while with `sanctuary', despite the make-believe quality of the words, the quality of the vocal sound was instantly recognizable as south african. but those nasal tones and front-of-the-mask, brassy notes don't translate well to a celtic sound. (in fact, the whole album sounds like a clash of two cultures. as if a south african choir accidentally got routed to the shannon airport and collided with the chieftans.) on the whole, a disappointing album. if you want celtic music, buy a putumayo collection or *anything* by narada, clannad, celtic woman, etc. don't buy this album.

Good...Although two of the Songs are on my Ipod..........2006-01-24

My favorite songs are "Cu Chullain" and "Math was a Wizard". Cu Chullain is a good song for a ballet performance.

By the way, I own these two songs on my Ipod!

Meghan :)

New Age with an eclectic blend of styles from across the musical map!.......2005-11-23

Some earlier reviewers would suggest that this isn't up to the standards that Karl Jenkins achieved in some of his earlier output. I couldn't respond to that because this is the first Adiemus recording I've ever heard and, frankly, I loved every second of it. I'm thrilled that other listeners think the earlier recordings are better because I've now got something to really look forward to.

For me this recording evinced a blend of emotional responses - quiet contemplation, relaxation, toe-tapping, a satisfied smile, that whole body moving response to a driving rhythm and a joyful sense of participation in an all-encompassing musical experience. The recording is an eclectic blend of styles that cover an enormous range - Celtic rhythms and fiddling tunes in the style of River Dance; hard rock and steady beats that took a page out of Enigma's play book; a beautifully blended chorus of female voices that might well have included Enya, Diane Arkenstone and Loreena McKennitt; orchestral backgrounds that ranged from lush full orchestral accompaniment to pizzicato violin arpeggios that would have done Tchaikovsky proud in The Nutcracker; simple but effective, pleasing blues style acoustic guitar; full-bodied high speed choral sections that might have been penned by Karl Orff as part of the unforgettable Carmina Burana; and, a very effective seven beat piece that reminded me of the rhythms of Dave Brubeck's Unsquare Square Dance or Moe Kaufman's Swingin' Shepherd Blues!

Well, to each their own I suppose. It's certainly possible that this CD suffered by comparison to the quality of his other works but as a first time listener, I've got nothing but praise for it!

Paul Weiss

Unimaginative.......2004-06-14

Unlike 'Songs of Sanctuary', this album lacks imagination and invention. It comes across as somewhat monotonous and overly 'camp'.

Cu Chulain is a reasonable start but even there the urgent contribution by the violins comes too early, and by the end of the 'song', the concept becomes tiresome. The title track seems to be depicting something monumental in its climatic outbursts but if so, the effect is more visual (the documentary itself) than aural. It's odd how there is apparently no language used here yet 'Palace of the Crystal Bridge' manages to sound like some clueless surfer-girl taking herself way too seriously.

'The Wooing of Etain' is a beautiful instrumental and one of the very few pieces on the album that is thought-provoking, as is 'King of the Sacred Grove' (which is mellow and sounds suitably regal)....this is more of what I've come to expect/appreciate in Jenkins. Even so, he could have done more to build a climax towards the end of this, the third longest piece on the album.

'Songs' such as 'The Dagda' would be interesting diversions/fillers for the album if it wasn't for the synthesized, mass-product result of the album overall. Less 'ethnic-sounding' and more towards 'tacky' (e.g., the duo separated by 1 octave sung in unison at the end of 'Hermit of the Sea Rock'), this isn't as moving an experience as some would laud it to be.

Declan
Average customer rating:

Songs of the heart

Incredible. You've got to hear it to believe it.

Absolutely amazing!! Get his second album if you can.

Declan - An Album Of Perfection

Bravo DECLAN

Declan
Declan Galbraith
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Thank You

The Choirboys

The Choirboys

In Dreams

Angel Voices

ASIN: B00006H676
Release Date: 2002-09-30

Tracks:

Danny Boy
Carrickfergus
Imagine
I'll Be There
It All Begins With Love
Your Friend
Love Can Build A Bridge
Momma Said
Till The Day We Meet Again
Amazing Grace
Circles In The Sand
Angels
Tell Me Why
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Declan's Prayer)

Album Details

Even Simon Cowell (American Idol, Pop Idol in the UK) Agrees that this 10-year-old Irish Pre-pubescent Has What it Takes to Become a Mega Star. With a Powerful Voice that Soars Light Years Beyond Where it Might Be, He is Well on his Way to Conquering the World. Already at 10, He Has a Stylist, Vocal Coach and a Million Pound Recording Contract. Watch Out World, the Youths Are Taking Over!

Customer Reviews:

Songs of the heart.......2007-07-10

Declan while singing the 2 songs Danny Boy and Carrickfergus , made me wish i was "Home again" .. the depth of this boys vocal talents are a dream to behold and can make a grown man cry.

Declan Galbraith is and will be a very fine young man.

Incredible. You've got to hear it to believe it........2007-02-11

I purchased this CD on Amazon back in February 2006 and I still listen to it several times each week. I normally 'burn out' on music fairly easily, but this one just seems to get better with time.

Absolutely amazing!! Get his second album if you can........2007-02-03

This boy's voice and choice of songs are just amazing. You won't be disappointed. This is no kiddy album nor is this a "lucky" album. Declan has an amazing voice and reinforces that with his second album (at age 12 - "Thank You"). Bug Amazon to carry that album as well. On that album he sings Nights in White Satin, Tears In Heaven, Starry Starry Night, and House of The Rising Sun as well as many other great song renditions. This is one voice you don't want to miss and one child singer you will want to track. On this album he even sings I'll Be There" better than MJ!

Declan - An Album Of Perfection.......2006-07-03

This is a boy with a golden voice. I found this CD just ... splendid. It is, indeed, a very rare CD - it's perfect.

The 6th track "Your Friend", I think, has a little too much repeating, but the lyrics are beautiful, so it really doesn't matter. As I heard Declan's "Walking In The Air", I was just totally blown away. His voice, to speak the truth, is the voice of an angel. When Declan sings "Cerrickfergus" and "Amazing Grace", it's like he's singing straight to God (I'm not a Christian, but I just had to try to explain those two absolutely wonderful tracks on this perfect album). I believe Declan has a voice that will live on - for a much longer time than his own. For right now I'm looking forward to his 2nd album and I'm very excited to hear his voice the way it sounds today - 4 years later. But I'm sure it will be great.

Like Billy Gilman, I believe in Declan Galbraith to make a legend in his own lifetime.

Bravo DECLAN.......2006-04-03

What I may to tell you about this boy? He should be heard alive! Very powerful voice, such that already grasps spirit!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Good CD
Could have been great
where is the electronic song
"My Funny Valentine takes center stage ~ Rodgers & Hart"

The Company

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Company
Floating into the Night
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That's Dancing!

ASIN: B0000YTP1Q
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Tracks:

My Funny Valentine - Elvis Costello
Bach: Menuett - Yo-Yo Ma
The World Spins - Julee Cruise
Rabekin - Light Rain
Appalachia Waltz - Yo-Yo Ma
My Funny Valentine - Chet Baker
My Funny Valentine - Marvin Laird
Ray One From Creative Force - John Zeretzke
Curtain Calls - Van Dyke Parks
My Funny Valentine - Kronos Quartet
Saint-Saens: Pas Redoublie - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra
Blue Snake & Zebras - Van Dyke Parks

Amazon.com

Writer/director Robert Altman's predilection for complex character studies has focused a jaundiced eye on everything from Nashville to the fashion industry. Here the director explores the interactions of a contemporary ballet troupe, set to a diverse pop/classical score that's anything but predictable. The dominant theme that runs throughout is the American songbook staple "My Funny Valentine," given four distinctly different idiomatic turns here by Elvis Costello, Chet Baker, the Kronos Quartet, and the piano/cello duet of Marvin Laird and Clay Ruede. The remaining source tracks range from the expected classical roots (Bach and Saint-Saens) to Twin Peaks vocal icon Julee Cruise and the world music of Light Rain, but it's left to veteran songwriter/composer/arranger Van Dyke Parks to weave those disparate influences together in his orchestral score, a task the included excerpts argue he's accomplished with typical wit and considerable charm. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Good CD.......2007-01-09

If you have seen the movie, this CD includes all the songs from all the dances in the movie. I'm a dance teacher, and this CD has been used in my classes many, many times.

Could have been great.......2005-02-14

This CD follows the all-to-common practice of presenting a dozen of the "most marketable" pieces, leaving off the more unique music. Where is the great electronic composition from the beginning, the wonderful practice piano music, and the other instrumental selections? A complete soundtrack, given courage and dedication by the CD producers, would be more unique, engrossing, and worth owning than this selection.

where is the electronic song.......2004-11-04

The sound track is great... but where is the song at the beggining of the movie? That strange electronic song? If anyone knows who did that song please email me! Thomasology@yahoo.com

"My Funny Valentine takes center stage ~ Rodgers & Hart".......2004-03-03

From director Robert Altman we have the ultimate ballet film "The Company", featuring Nerve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco, Barbara Robertson, William Dick and actual members of Joffrey Ballet. Very effective camera work captures the poise and brilliance of the ensemble during their key ballet performances.

One of my all time favorite songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart "MY FUNNY VALENTINE", is presented in four different performances ~ in this order we have Elvis Costello, Chet Baker (a classic interpretation by a very talented young artist at the peak of his career), Marvin Laird (piano) and Clay Ruede (cello), Kronos Quartet ~ brings to the fold popular and classical performers ~ each approaching this standard cue with all melodic magic they can muster.

Stand outs in my book is "CURTAIN CALLS" and "BLUE SNAKE & ZEBRAS", both composed by Van Dyke Parks with extraordinary orchestration and counter parts ~ "THE WORLD SPINS", from composers Angelo Badalmenti and David K. Lynch, performed by Julee Cruise is intoxicating and thrlling, with no hangover ~ let's mention "MENUETT" (J.S. Bach) and "APPALACHIA WALTZ" (Mark O'Connor), performed by the one and only renown cello player who is recognized world wide, Yo-Yo Ma ~ "RABEKIN" (Russ Guthier), wonderful cue that rings so true for the film, a meaningful fantasy instrumental, blending Middle Eastern rhythms from world fusion group, Light Rain...gotta love it!

Total Time: 44:50 on 12 Tracks ~ Sony 93092 ~ (12/09/2003)

Since Kyabram
Average customer rating:

Declan is brilliant!!!!

AMAZING!

What Singing and Songwriting Should Be

Since Kyabram
Declan O'Rourke
Manufacturer: V2
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
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Innocence

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9

Release the Stars

Orphans [Fold-out Digipak with 24-page booklet]

ASIN: B000EU1LGI
Release Date: 2006-06-12

Tracks:

No Place To Hide
Birds Of A Feather
Galileo (Someone Like You)
Your World
No Brakes
We Didnt Mean To Go To Sea
Way Midns
Love Is The Way
Sarah (Last Nigth In A Dream)
Everything Is Different
Marrying The Sea
Til Death Do Us Part

Album Description

2006 debut full length from Irish singer/songwriter, compared to everyone from Josh Ritter to Nick Drake. O'Rourke has been handpicked by current fans Snow Patrol and Paul Weller to open prestigious gigs for them. V2.

Customer Reviews:

Declan is brilliant!!!!.......2007-06-13

I love this CD, Declan has a beautiful & brilliant voice. I never get tired of listening to him.

AMAZING!.......2007-01-10

This CD is just fanastic. I love it, the songs are beautifully written. I reallt enjoy most tracks on the album, but 'Sarah' (last night in a dream), is my favorite! This is an absolute must for your collection. Also, he had a new single out at Christmas, "Christmas Wine" which is also great!

What Singing and Songwriting Should Be.......2006-09-21

The best of traditional Irish singing and songwriting can be heard in the nuanced delivery of the 11 folk/rock songs and ballads on this disc, with nothing coy or self conscious lurking beneath. Declan O'Rourke's marvelous, slightly gravelly delivery gives us narrative with uncommon substance and imagery. One gets the sense that O'Rourke has been singing since before he was born.

This is what singing and songwriting should be.

Average customer rating:

Errollyn Wallen will break your heart and put it back together again.
Appropriate Title for Sharp Performances on a Bumpy Road

Moodswings

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Modern Times (Deluxe Edition With Bonus DVD)

ASIN: B0006OJQXM
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

My Mood Swings
Until...
The Abyss
Venus Flytrap
I've Seen It All
Shallow Footsteps
Song
Gotham Lullaby
I Never Went Away
Swearing At The Moon
When Darkness Comes
Dumptruck
Daedalus
Real Emotional Girl

Amazon.com

The brilliant Brodsky Quartet is at it again, offering entertaining, virtuosic collaborations with stars of the pop music world with which both classical and popular music lovers will be equally entranced. Whether it's lolling strings underpinning Meredith Monk's enchanting, wordless syllables or assisting Jacqui Dankworth in a torch-like ballad (The Abyss) or nervous pizzicati to go along with a song by Sting, the ear is constantly being treated to a new surprise: if a quartet of strings and a voice can do it, they do it here. Errolyn Wallen and the Brodskys offer a languid ballad called "Daedalus," while Bjork puts her usual, original (if vaguely tiresome) stamp on "I've Seen It All." The CD opens and closes with songs sung by Elvis Costello whose unique, vibrato-filled voice remains remarkably expressive; the last number, "Real Emotional Girl," is a Randy Newman song in which the strings of the Brodskys feel and put across the singer's anguish in equal partnership. A one-of-a-kind CD. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Errollyn Wallen will break your heart and put it back together again........2006-05-01

Errollyn Wallen's track, Daedalus, will break your heart and put it back together again. This is a quiet, absolutely beautiful testament to her power, verve and finesse as a composer. Genius.

Appropriate Title for Sharp Performances on a Bumpy Road.......2005-06-06

The Brodsky Quartet remains as audacious as ever with their new recording. This time out, the intensely dramatic string quartet spent time in select UK schools where they composed new songs with schoolchildren. Those are presented here alongside the quartet's arrangements of songs by more established writers such as Elvis Costello, Sting, Björk and Ron Sexsmith. The result could have been a mess, but it's not. Far from it, it's a soulful and sometimes challenging album adhering together rather tenuously as an avant-garde theatrical album. There are several peaks and valleys throughout, though luckily the high points make this a worthwhile disc to get.

Sting's performance of his gypsy ballad, "Until...", sounds especially influenced by Kurt Weill, as does Björk's familiar dirge, "I've Seen It All", from her 2000 cinematic foray with Lars von Trier, "Dancer in the Dark". Jacqui Dankworth lends a languorous vocal to Kate Curtis' and Will South's "The Abyss" and the more funereal "Song" by Daniel Monk. And a nice surprise is the Gershwin-inspired "I Never Went Away" by Richard Rodney Bennett, though it does feel a bit out of place among the more experimental music. Truth be told, some tracks are plain odd, such as Meredith Monk's "Gotham Lullaby" with its random yelps and minor-chord la-la's and Errollyn Wallen's meandering, overlong "Daedalus", a rather pretentious art song. The schools provide two of the highlights here: "Swearing at the Moon" by Arieh Miller of JFS in London, and Venus Flytrap by students from Blatchingham Mill School in Hove. Both songs are performed by Ian Shaw, whose biting vocal mixes well with the discordant string arrangements. Elvis Costello frames the recording with the jaunty opener, "My Mood Swings" and his closing cover of Randy Newman's "Real Emotional Girl", a slow, heartbreaking ballad with Newman's trademark observations. The quartet itself performs with their brio intact, applying a lot of color and texture to the songs.

Average customer rating:

The definition of Musical Genius
Epistolary reflections on Costellian themes...
Beauty? Truth? You Can't Handle Either!!
Deep and moving music from Elvis Costello.
Give it a Try

The Juliet Letters

Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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North
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When I Was Cruel

ASIN: B000002MI4
Release Date: 1993-01-19

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Deliver Us
For Other Eyes
Swine
Expert Rites
Dead Letter
I Almost Had A Weakness
Why?
Who Do You Think You Are?
Taking My Life In Your Hands
This Offer Is Unrepeatable
Dear Sweet Filthy World
The Letter Home
Jacksons, Monk And Rowe
This Sad Burlesque
Romeo's Seance
I Thought I'd Write To Juliet
Last Post
The First To Leave
Damnation's Cellar
The Birds Will Still Be Singing

Amazon.com

Good on Elvis for risking the ridicule of a blinkered pop world with this unprecedented (for him, certainly, and most anyone short of Kurt Weill) and quite lovely album of bitchy, wise, and funny art songs accompanied by strings. His freshest, most evolved work in years. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

The definition of Musical Genius.......2007-05-22

If/when this ever is reprinted you MUST purchase it. It is beautiful in ways that I can't describe. For a writer/musician who is known for writing some amazing pieces, this is his pinnacle.

You will sob. You will laugh. You will rage. You will be haunted.

From a purely musical perspective, when you listen to this CD you are in the presence of great genius.

Listen to it alone, at least at first. Listen in the dark and let the imagery flow over you like fog.

Epistolary reflections on Costellian themes..........2006-01-16

Elvis Costello (Declan MacManus) has done his fair share of collaborations in the past decade. From the Grammy-award winning project with Burt Bacharach in 1998 to 2001's subdued "For the Stars" with Anne-Sophie von Otter Costello has branched out from his rock roots in diverse directions. "The Juliet Letters" from 1993 was the first in a long line of such collaborations. Costello and the Brodsky Quartet were brought together by mutual appreciation (Costello went to Brodsky Quartet concerts while the Brodsky Quartet attended Costello concerts). And Costello's now ex-wife Cait O'Riordan provided the epistolary theme for the project. She spotted a newspaper article about a professor that responded to letters addressed to "Juliet Capulet". Costello then presented the article to the quartet for inspiration. The group of five ended up writing all of the music and words (though much of the music is credited to "MacManus"). The results fall somewhere between classical song cycles and Beatle-inspired "string rock" (a la "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby"). Feelings of melancholy and anger pervade most of the songs. The strings punctuate these feelings perfectly. Fans of Costello's rock music probably won't find much to appreciate here. But the album contains many of the same classic Costello themes and vocal styles utilized in his rock.

Like a Richardson novel, letters provide the basis for the project. Failed and frustrated relationships abound. "Thank you for the flowers / I threw them on the fire / And I burned the photographs that you had enclosed / GOD they were ugly children" Costello sings venemously on the driving "I Almost Had a Weakness". After all, nothing seeps loneliness more than an unanswered love letter. But more than love gets the treatment here. Other songs include a suicide note ("Dear Sweet Filthy World"), a letter from a soldier to a stranger ("I Thought I'd Write to Juliet"), a bizarre experiment in selective exhumation ("Damnation's Cellar"), a reflection on separation ("Why?"), and a letter full of hope in the face of despair ("The Birds Will Still Be Singing"). Many songs explore the sad one-sided nature of letter writing. And no song responds to any other song. This fills the songs that deal with ineffable questions with an almost desparing isolation. But not everything is doom and gloom. "This Offer is Unrepeatable" picks up the mood with a humorously exaggerated letter from a scam artist (and it more than a little resembles the Tom Waits' classic "Step Right Up"). The final song injects some hope into the stark themes in the manner of "Old Man River": "Banish all dismay / Extinguish every sorrow / If I'm lost or I'm forgiven / The birds will still be singing". So in the end, things aren't as bad as they seem. The world goes on regardless of our ephemeral concerns. And as long as the world goes on hope exists.

This CD contains a lot of very beautiful and moving music. Two violins, a viola, a violincello, and voice provide all of the instrumentation. Costello branched out into something very different here. And not all of his fans appreciated it. Regardless, in retrospect "The Juliet Letters" pointed to the future. This year Costello will tour orchestra halls. Not only that, he also wrote a full orchestral score ("Il Sogno"). Strings appear more frequently in his recent music. And year by year he seems to embrace "classical" music more intensely. Still, he hasn't abandoned rock and pop (as "When I Was Cruel" and "The Delivery Man" testify). Though this early collaboration remains somewhat underappreciated, it nonetheless fully showcases Elvis Costello's diverse, adaptable, and broad musical scope. Costello will doubtless appear somewhere on the list of accomplished twentieth and twenty-first century musicians.

Beauty? Truth? You Can't Handle Either!!.......2006-01-06

The reason the Costello/Brodsky collaboration "Juliet Letters" is such a difficult listen is also why its the MOST SINGULARLY BRILLIANT ALBUM IN THE ENTIRE ELVIS COSTELLO DISCOGRAPHY! And this declaration is coming from a man who could write a thesis on "Armed Forces" and "Imperial Bedroom" in his sleep! The idea of setting "letters" to music has certainly been done before, but Costello sticks his neck out, both as a composer and singer in ways he'd never done before. Accompanying yourself with just a string quartet (no snarling guitars or euphonious keyboard filigrees,) is the surest way to test your mettle as a vocalist. And sure, sometimes Costello's voice isn't exactly the strongest, but like say, Billie Holliday it always seems to occur precisely when the lyric calls for it: check out "Who Do You Think You Are?" or "The Birds Will Still Be Singing" and you'll hear exactly what I mean. Even his ode to a chain letter, "This Offer Is Unrepeatable" serves up a cheeky bit of satire worthy of "Three Penny Opera." Of course, you can only experience this album sporadically - could anyone watch "Death Of A Saleman" or "Long Day's Journey Into Night" repeatedly without losing one's mind? Emotionally-wrought exercises like "Letters" take a lot out of you, even when you're merely the observer (or listener,) rather than the participant. But that's what makes the journey, however bittersweet, one worth taking.

Deep and moving music from Elvis Costello........2005-06-18

The Juliet Letters is a moving colaboration from Elvis Costello and the Brodsky String Quartet. His deep vocals are complemented by the string quartet. This album is
neither fish nor fowl (classical or pop) it's just a musical
exercise. The strings are some of my favorite compositions,
(viola, cello and violin). Elvis Costello not only got the Brodsky Quartet a bigger audience but he inspired them to
write their own music (a third of the songs are composed by the Quartet).

While it might not be everyones cup of tea, the music is brilliant and Elvis reaches octave levels I thought I would never imagine he could ever attain. Maybe sometime in the near future he'll work with them again. I applaud him for taking such a bold step in making a non-commercial album.

Highly recommended.

Give it a Try.......2004-03-03

I've been listening to a lot of Philip Glass and Steve Reich lately,and its caused me to go back to this album to give it another go.Previously I thought that it was an interesting experiment which hadn't worked out very well.Now I think that it is a good album for rockers and classical music lovers to use to stretch their ears a little.So called crossover albums are usually horrifying-does anyone else remember that album that Procol Harum did with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra? Elvis flatly denounces the concept in the liner notes.And not everything on this album works.It isn't the brilliant work that some of the other reviewers seem to think that it is.But it is a worthwhile experiment and a work that should be given a fair chance.Rockers and classical music lovers tend to be snobbish and dismissive of one another.This is a good work for them to live with for a while.When Elvis and the Brodsky's click-on "Jackson Monk and Rowe" or "Romeos Seance"-the results are as beautiful and valid as anything either of them have ever done.
Three stars because some of this simply doesn't work. But this is a work anyone who likes Elvis or the Brodsky's should have in their collection.