Human

Human

Human

Track Listings
 
1. Flattening of Emotions
2. Suicide Machine
3. Together as One
4. Secret Face
5. Lack of Comprehension
6. See Through Dreams
7. Cosmic Sea
8. Vacant Planets

Human,Death,Relativity,Death Metal/Black Metal,Heavy Metal,Popular Music,Progressive Metal,Rock
Armchair Apocrypha
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • 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

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Retro SwingRetro Swing | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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  1. Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs
  2. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
  3. The Reminder
  4. Sound of Silver
  5. 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:

5 out of 5 stars 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.

4 out of 5 stars 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.

2 out of 5 stars 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.

2 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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
Spiritual Beings on a Human Journey
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Swept away to another world
  • I LOVE THIS CD!!!
  • A new age masterpiece!
 Spiritual Beings on a Human Journey
Anael
Manufacturer: Apsis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
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  1. Light & Love
  2. Buddha Spirit
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ASIN: B0000ALFXP
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

  1. See Another World
  2. Till the Womb Gives Birth
  3. This Dawn of an Age
  4. Led
  5. Who You Are
  6. Trace
  7. Be Still Thy Soul
  8. Etre Sans e (You Belong)
  9. They'll Come to Take You Home
  10. Sky Sent (Disclosure)

Album Description

Beginning and ending in the sky while touching down everywhere in between, Anael's 4th album is an uncompromising personal invitation into the celestial heavens. The innocent and dreamlike "See Another World," opens the senses, and each subsequent song is a brief stop on her flight. "Till the Womb Gives Birth" explores the mindset of a steadfast, faithful creator searching for the truth; "Trace" recounts our ability to connect with God by simply mirroring a higher set of ideals. As the journey progresses, we sense a newfound sense of assuredness in Anael's outlook, the script of a soul who is starting to uncover a fresh perspective. What keeps it all believable is her everpresent deliberation and questioning, well tempered with a healthy dose of humility.

Culminating with perhaps her finest studio achievement to date, the 11 minute opus "Sky Sent (Disclosure)" gives us a multi-angle vista of an unprecedented event in human history, the uncovering of hidden technologies that have the power to literally transform life on earth.

Through this constant juxtaposition of earthly concerns and human dreams, Anael reveals the multiple resonances of our universe, using a vast array of vibrations all geared towards heightening the listener's awareness. She leads us into the pure silence of the untouchable, the unexplained, the invisible - all while while charming us with her sense of bewilderment at it all. Finally, as she carries us away on her wings to the next destination, we're inclined to believe. These things of which she sings can truly be our reality.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Swept away to another world.......2007-05-11

When I hear the clear, angelic voice of Anael, I think of her as the American/Canadian version of Enya. Like Enya, Anael's songs have a similar sound, feel and texture to them. Unlike Enya, Anael's songs aren't usually nearly as *busy* and are kept sparse in special effects so as to not take away from the natural beauty of Anael's voice. Admittedly, many of the composer, Bradford's works are based on the Roman Catholic Canon. However, some of her lyrics contain references and ideas that are strictly elements of the New Age religion. At times the words can be difficult to understand but even when she sings in other languages than English, one senses the mood and meaning of the song. Not many artists have the ability to bring a listener to tears of unexplainable joy and peace however this is what happens while playing any of Anael's songs. The songs are written to act as adornment to Anael's vocals. Her multi-layering vocal tracks become the lead instrument and the added strings, percussion and synthesizer accompany her, instead of the other way around. She is a joy to listen to and the enhanced CD contains desktop images of Anael while the music video of "Be Still Thy Soul", in MP4 format is a nice bonus for those able to view it. Sporting the same white gown as the cover art, Anael sings "Be Still" while the camera sweeps in and around her as she gently waves the layered linen fabric as if donning wings of an angel. The Gregorian vocal at the end of the final tract make for a nearly picture perfect ending.

My first exposure to Anael was through the CD "Unconditional". In my opinion, "Spiritual Beings..." make the perfect bookend set of CDs for this artist, if one had to chose only two CDs. I am eagerly anticipating hearing her newest release that is beautiful if only for the cover artwork. Put this CD on and you'll be swept away to another world free of the day to day madness. Enjoy this light, cotton candy for the ears!

5 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS CD!!!.......2007-01-10

I was looking for something spiritual and uplifting, and this is the perfect CD. Anael has an angelic voice -- absolutely beautiful and mesmorizing. The lyrics and music by Bradfield are amazing. I have bought this CD for my friends! I have purchased several of her other CD's, and by far, this is my favorite.

5 out of 5 stars A new age masterpiece!.......2003-10-18

I have been enjoying this divine album for several months already (I live in Canada) and when I came here to Amazon, I couldn't believe that no one had even written a review yet...! So let me take a few moments to share my own, personal thoughts with you. I first discovered Anael's unique artistry with her "Unconditional" album about 2 years ago, and this latest album (her 4th) is among the most compelling, beautiful albums I have ever experienced. I use the word "experience" because with Anael, there is so much more than just the "listening". If you've never heard Anael's voice, let me try and describe it: breathtaking, crystal clear, with a tone so pure it sounds like the guardia angel of heaven. With every word she sings, you can feel the effect on your soul, as though a warm, divine light is fixed upon you, shining down from above. On "Spiritual Beings on a Human Journey" she sings about both the human and spiritual worlds, and how they intertwine with each other. My own personal favorites are track 2, "Till the Womb Gives Birth," track 6 "Trace" (amazing) track 8 "Être Sans Âge" where Anael sings in French and the final one, "Sky Sent (Disclosure)." This song is over 11 minutes long(!) and has 4 distinct musical movements. It's like a mini new age opera, complete with the fascinating story of hidden ET technologies and the importance for mankind to reveal them. I think that even if this were the only song on the album, I would be satisfied - it's just that special. In terms of packaging, the people at Anael's record label spare no expense and it really makes for a feast of the senses. The album comes in a cardboard style case that opens up twice and contains gorgeous angel paintings, all arranged conceptually to match the lyrics from the song "Sky Sent". There`s even a 24 page color booklet with all of the words plus more photos. I have played this album in countless therapy sessions and my clients usually end up asking me where they can buy their own copy. I urge you gently to discover it for yourself. As one of my patients told me: "Anael`s music very simply changed my life."
Living Like a Refugee
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • wonderful cd!!
  • Rock to the rhythm of the Refugees
  • ABOUT TIME! Bob Marley would be proud!
  • Living Like a Refugee CD is excellent for both music and content
  • Passionate Sounds
 Living Like a Refugee
Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars
Manufacturer: Anti
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000HDRARQ
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

  1. Living Like A Refugee
  2. Soda Soap
  3. Weapon Conflict
  4. Bull To The Weak
  5. Big Lesson
  6. Let We Do We Own
  7. Smile
  8. Compliments For The Peace
  9. Pat Malonthone
  10. Garbage To The Showglass
  11. Akera Ka Abonshor
  12. Kele Mani
  13. I'm Not A Fool
  14. Ya N'Digba
  15. Refugee Rolling
  16. Monkey Work
  17. Ma Fo Ya

Amazon.com

Made up of former displaced persons from the killing fields of Sierra Leone, members of the Refugee All Stars (a.k.a. R.A.S.) were forced to flee for their lives during the 1990s, fanning out into nearby West African nations. Through continued hard times, bandmates Reuben M. Koroma, Francis (Franco) Langba, and Abdul Rahim (Arahim) Kamara entertained and heartened their compatriots with truthful, gently satiric, liltingly infectious tunes. Filmmakers Banker White and Zach Niles made a prize-winning documentary about the band's courageous struggle, thereby bringing their story to an international audience. Backed by Keith Richards, Sir Paul McCartney, and other socially conscious celebrities, R.A.S. embarked on a rapturously received world tour and were at long last able to augment their earlier, but nonetheless invaluable, field recordings with professionally engineered studio tracks. The resulting seventeen songs travel through deceptively relaxed Sierra Leonean Palm Wine music, triple-rhythmed gbute vang and reggae-like sounds (complete with toasting), Nigerian Afro-Beat, and even echoes of Congolese soukous. Backed by sweet yet astringent vocal harmonies, sultry guitars, homemade percussion, and playfully retro-sounding organ riffs, each selection reveals still another facet of a bittersweet but ultimately triumphant saga of survival. At long last, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are poised to become the superstars they were always destined to be. --Christina Roden

Album Description

This is a group of musicians who lived for years as refugees in the West African nation of Guinea. While living in a tent camp, they acquired a couple beat up guitars and a rusted out sound system and began playing. American documentary filmmakers made the band the focus of their movie, which received enthusiastic endorsements from the likes of Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Angelina Jolie, Joe Perry, and Ice Cube. The film's success has allowed the band to tour internationally to ecstatic audiences. Born in the midst of a violent, decade-long civil war, the group and its music celebrate our ability to sustain hope, inspiration, and creativity - the best in us - even in a climate of rage, loss, and madness.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars wonderful cd!!.......2007-07-27

great "feel-good" music with very meaningful lyrics and a wonderful cause. i would recommend this cd to anyone - all ages, all tastes. now i can't wait to see the documentary!! this DVD will be my next purchase.

5 out of 5 stars Rock to the rhythm of the Refugees.......2007-07-12

I lived in Sierra Leone for 4 years, from 1971-1974. The time I spent there has shaped my beliefs. I was introduced to new music, new languages and this album brings it all back. As well as the Hi-Life and more traditional songs, this album has some really good roots reggae

But, don't buy it because I'm getting misty eyed. Buy it because the music is inspiring and makes you want to dance. Buy it because you've never heard anything from Sierra Leone. And, when you've bought it, go out (or online) and find the album by Afro National.

I was lucky to live in Sierra Leone and I love this music. Now to try to find the tv program which goes with it...

5 out of 5 stars ABOUT TIME! Bob Marley would be proud!.......2007-06-27

At a time when we are overwhelmed by negative and ignorant music (with few exceptions) in the US and elsewhere, this CD is a Godsend! Positive and uplifting music along with thought-provoking lyrics by people who really know that you can't be happy if you've never been sad.

The rapper Black Nature has a lot to teach his American rap counterparts. Keep up the good work brother, your work far outstrips the US rappers who have inspired you!

To Grace, The Emperors, and all the other RAS, God bless you all. ZBob Marely is smiling somewhere.

5 out of 5 stars Living Like a Refugee CD is excellent for both music and content.......2007-05-13

I work with refugees here in the U.S. so I was particularly interested in listening to this group of musicians who formed a band while they were in refugee camp. The song "Living Like a Refugee" poetically describes some of the many feelings refugees have when they are uprooted from their homes and forced to flee to another country. Many of the refugees I am working with are from West Africa and they love hearing the music because they identify with the songs and they understand the ethnic languages used with the music. This is the first artistic and creative piece that I know about which has originated in a refugee camp and is now being listened to by ordinary people all over the world. I hope that the music will help all of us to understand that refugees are people just like us and that they deserve to be acknowledged and respected for the courage they demonstrate to the rest of the world, especially those of us in the U.S. who have no idea what it is like to "be a refugee".

5 out of 5 stars Passionate Sounds.......2007-01-19

Great CD filled with passion and emotion. Recommend to anyone. Smooth, relaxing vibes.
Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • a little let-down
  • jill scott
  • Just TRY to Justify Your Hatred For This Album
  • It's Jill Scott... of course it's hot
  • Just Beautiful
 Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2
Jill Scott
Manufacturer: Hidden Beach
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002S94RK
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Tracks:

  1. Warm Up
  2. I'm Not Afraid
  3. Golden
  4. The Fact Is (I Need You)
  5. Spring Summer Feeling
  6. Cross My Mind
  7. Bedda At Home
  8. Talk To Me
  9. Family Reunion
  10. Can't Explain (42nd Street Happenstance)
  11. Whatever
  12. Not Like Crazy
  13. Nothing (Interlude)
  14. Rasool
  15. My Petition
  16. I Keep

Amazon.com

While most neo-soulsters crank out albums like their hip-hop counterparts, Jill Scott takes a more traditional approach to her craft. Four years after the release of her debut, Who Is Jill Scott, Words & Sounds Vol. 1, Scott returns with the masterful Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds Vol. 2. The album features a collection of lush and hypnotic songs that will make you want to fall in love, live life, and be a better person all at the same time. Lead single "Golden" is a prime example of this. Set to a midtempo groove made for the dance floor, "Golden" is a shiny, beautifully-written narrative about living life to its fullest. The old-school R&B ballad vibe of "Petition" is reminiscent of Minnie Ripperton or early Chaka Khan. However, "Bedda at Home" is anything but laid back. Combining elements of jazz, soul, and old-school hip-hop breakbeats, Scott extols the greatness of her man with a swagger that can only be described as cool. Other highlights include "Family Reunion" and the socially conscious "Rasool."

The album's only flaw may be that it ends too soon, but then again it's always better to leave a listener wanting more. For Scott, being "Beautifully Human" means just that--finding the allure in all that life has to offer and that's well worth the wait. --Rashaun Hall

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars a little let-down.......2007-06-30

her first album really raised the bar, a bar she herself couldn't leap, climb, or crawl over with her next. there's a few good songs on this one yet the pace as a whole is slumpy and slower...not as upbeat and uplifting.

5 out of 5 stars jill scott.......2007-06-30

she is an amazing talent. really enjoyed this album. she has a way with words

5 out of 5 stars Just TRY to Justify Your Hatred For This Album.......2007-06-30

Because it will always be unfounded. No matter what, you can't say that this entire album is horrible. From our hauting intro to the continuing positivity throughout it, this album is just wonderful. I got started on Jill way too late into the game, but it's never to late to love this girl. Can't find a track that I don't want to play here, especially since, like her first album, they relate to humans! All of us feel certain ways, and need messages promoted here: Golden-Life is good, and we should live it. (The Fact Is) I Need You-Many people don't like to admit it, but sometimes, we do need that other being in our lives for love. Spring Summer Feeling-Thank you for denouncing that materialistic mentality that plagues present day urban music. You can go on and on with this, from the funky "Bedda At Home" & the huge Jazz Band in "Talk to Me", to the reality of "Family Reunion", and the sensuality of "Whatever", "Not Like Crazy", and the interlude. And, then you have your socially conscious music with "Rasool", and "My Petition". What a wonder! But, many say that this album is not good ONLY because they are comparing it to Vol. 1. Nah, they are in two different catagories. Vol. 1 & Experience, then Vol. 2, and probably whatever is coming next. Keep living, Jill Scott! You've made many see that there is still room for true music in this world. Get the album, then head over to Experience for her live set. Matter of fact, get everything. At least we can know that we can keep playing her 4-6 years from now.

4 out of 5 stars It's Jill Scott... of course it's hot.......2007-05-18

some cuts resonated with me the first time I heard them... a few of the songs are more personalized and less universal, so they took a little longer to grow on me (but they do grow on you)... it's Jill Scott... you have to add this to your collection

5 out of 5 stars Just Beautiful.......2007-05-09

I have never heard anything that can put me in such a relaxed state of mind.It brought back memories of things I haven't thought of in years. Good memories!! It is by far my favorite album. I lost my first cd and I purchased it again
Human After All
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Five Stars If You've Seen the ALIVE Tour! Maybe Less if you haven't....
  • Really good...considering what it's following
  • Not exactly what was expected from the French duo.
  • Amazing work of art!!
  • Do the robot
 Human After All
Daft Punk
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007DAZW8
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Tracks:

  1. Human after all
  2. The prime time of your life
  3. Robot rock
  4. Steam machine
  5. Make love
  6. The brainwasher
  7. On/Off
  8. Television rules the nation
  9. Technologic
  10. Emotion

Amazon.com

You'd never guess from Human After All that these are the same guys who came up with the opulent dance grooves of 2001's Discovery. On Human After All it sounds like Daft Punk's robotic alter egos have finally gotten the upper hand and made an album that is defiantly free of emotion and personality. Instead, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo amp up the irony and deliver a set of songs that are maddeningly repetitive, raucous and bound to test the most devoted fan's patience. But even as the French duo short-circuits it manages to captivate--the spoken-word "Technologic" and the digitized "The Prime Of Your Life" are just bananas enough to make its euphoric hit "One More Time" sound positively last century. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Five Stars If You've Seen the ALIVE Tour! Maybe Less if you haven't...........2007-07-22

This album was difficult for me to get into completely until I saw Daft Punk live on their "ALIVE" tour. They put on a full show, complete with a story and amazing lighting and props that are almost Vegas-like. The Daft Punk duo are dressed as robot aliens performing on stage inside a pyramid-like spaceship poking through a mesh of triangles. They start the show introducing themselves to Earth, by repeating the words "Human" and "Robot" in succession, until "Robot" takes over compelely, and they launch into "Robot Rock". They've set the theme that they are robot aliens from outer space trying to understand "humans". They progress through many of the songs on the album, plus a lot of their older material, much of it "mashed-up" together, and each of the songs has a context in this theme. The song "Technologic" is about how the robot aliens understand our consumer culture. "Steam Machine" about the robot aliens understand our "industrial culture", and of course "Television Rules the Nation" speaks for itself. They end the set with "Human After All", as a summary of the robots understanding the human, and perhaps desiring to be part of it. The encore set Picks up on repeating "human" over and over, and then adding the word "together" to it, to end on an ecumenical (in the secluar sense) note. Before the show, I had the same critiques of the album that people list here, but after you see the show, (with a very flexible mind), you will "get" the album, and love it as one of their classics. Please, people who've seen the "Alive" show, comment on this theme, and tell me if you agree, or if you have a different interpretation.

4 out of 5 stars Really good...considering what it's following.......2007-04-06

Let's face it, it'd be hard to beat the fantastic work in Daft Punk Discovery. Yet, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo have done an excellent job with their new work "Human After All."

The music, while more mechanical in its melodies and rhythm, it's as if the performers are begging to learn what it is to be human. All the tracks are essentially the same, driven by technology and hardware, but all the while, there is that constant desire for life.

Unlike Discovery, the "story" in Human After All does not resolve, leaving the listener with the knowledge that humanity is forever being learned.

2 out of 5 stars Not exactly what was expected from the French duo........2007-03-17

In the beginning, Daft Punk began solely as a trance-y, dance-y, electronic kind of group, particularily with the release of "Homework", which I feel is a two-and-a-half star album. Now, "Discovery" is the best thing Thomas Bangalter and Guy Manuel De Homem-Christo released, filled with nostalgic, disco-style tunes that fit correctly in its great production. "Human After All" has more attention to guitars, which I feel are great but the songs are repetitive and not well produced. Why didn't they cut the songs short, like two-minutes long? No, instead they made it into five-minute long tunes that definitively test the listener's patience. Not a great album but one that could have been tidied up much, much better.

5 out of 5 stars Amazing work of art!!.......2007-02-21

Anyone who said this album isn't any good is just plain ignorant and they obviously just don't get it. (open up your minds people!) I LOVE this album, there is not a single track that I dislike at all! If you are already a daft punk fan there is no reason why you wouldn't love it! I don't think it is cold at all; actually it is sweet, I think, and it makes for good make out music!! I don't listen to that traditional corny BS! Me and my fiance LOVE daft punk and we love all of their music and this album is no exception!

5 out of 5 stars Do the robot.......2006-10-19

Expectations are a funny thing. It was expectation that made me buy this album as soon as it was in stores, and it was the same expectation that led me to feel -- at first -- a little disappointed.

Disappointment in music is nothing new, especially if you pay too much attention to critics. If an album's too much like the one before it, they're in a rut. Too different and they've lost their way. Daft Punk managed to turn a lot of critics on their heads with "Discovery", most that gave it middle of the road reviews have since changed their tune, thankfully addmitting that Homework Part 2 would have been too simple. But still many were and still are uncomfortable, mislabelling the fleshing out of their sound as going mainstream. I'm sure I would have tired of One More Time if I actually listened to the radio, but if you tune into Top 40 you get what you deserve.

When "Human After All" landed, you could cut the anticipation with a knife. A lot of the negative reviews I've seen branch off from a literal interpretation of the title before it even saw light. People everywhere were looking forward to a more vibrant, living, breathing Daft Punk. We might be treated to that in another few years, we might not. It's not important. Daft Punk did the classy thing and decided not to make another Discovery. They made new fans with that album, and that's great, I can't think of another act that deserved a bigger fan base more than them. When I first heard their latest, I couldn't find the heart. I fell into the trap of assuming they took the easy way out, and cooked some passable beats to get an album out.

But time makes fools of us all, and it didn't take too long for me to fall in love with "Human After All". Like Rollin' & Scratchin' and Short Circuit before them, the songs here have no immediate bells and whistles, and I won't lie; if you don't have patience for good music the slow burn of these songs will mean nothing. That said, this is definately the third album that Daft Punk needed to make. We've all heard the stories by now about how little time was spent crafting them, but that's expectations getting in the way again.

Daft Punk have gone from amazing underground act, to shining stars of French house, and back again; deeper, darker, more subtle. This album grew on me, but I can't promise everyone will feel it. What I do know is that if you want to hear some very nice ideas, with a distinct Daft Punk vibe, then this is an essential album.

Key tracks:

+ Robot Rock
+ The Prime Time Of Your Life
+ The Brainwasher
The Very Best of the Human League
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Good for Human Ears
  • Very Good
  • WOULD GIVE IT 5 STARS BUT IT IS MISSING ONE KEY SONG
  • There's more to Human League than "Human" and "Don't You Want Me"
  • All their hits!
 The Very Best of the Human League
The Human League
Manufacturer: Blue Plate Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007X9U7Y
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

  1. Don't You Want Me
  2. Love Action (I Believe in Love)
  3. Open Your Heart
  4. The Sound of the Crowd
  5. Mirror Man
  6. (Keep Feeling) Fascination
  7. The Lebanon
  8. Life on Your Own
  9. Together in Electric Dreams
  10. Louise
  11. Human
  12. Heart Like a Wheel
  13. Tell Me When
  14. One Man In My Heart
  15. All I Ever Wanted (original version)
  16. Being Boiled (fast label version]
  17. Empire State Human

Album Description

The ONLY Human League best-of available in the US! Definitive collection, with ELEVEN previously unavailable cuts! 17 tracks total!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Good for Human Ears.......2007-07-06

This is a great compilation of the Human League's tunes. A number of tunes on here I remember liking on the radio as a kid in the 80s, so it was cool to find them here in one package. The Human League are a little off-beat, but not crazy. Sort of like the B-52s in that respect, except HL is more sythesizer kind of music, not so much rock. Good stuff for your CD player. Here are some particularly fun ones:

Don't You Want Me
Love Action
Fascination
Lebanon - poignant song about that war-torn country
Human
Heart Like a Wheel
Tell Me When - really energetic
All I Ever Wanted - ditto
Empire State Human

As you can tell from the list, there's a bunch of goodies.

5 out of 5 stars Very Good.......2007-03-22

I used to listen to these songs on WLIR, a Long Island Station(that played music that wasn't played on regular radio stations way back in the early to mid-80s. This group has a soothing and memorable sound. My favorites "Mirror Man", "Human" and "Fascination"
Brings back good memories.

4 out of 5 stars WOULD GIVE IT 5 STARS BUT IT IS MISSING ONE KEY SONG.......2006-07-26

Human Leagues "The Very Best of" is fantastic, however it is missing one very key song which is one of my favorites. The song is "Love is All the Matters" which was the third single from the "Crash" CD.

Though it wasn't a big hit in the US it is up there with "Human" as the best in pop synthesized confection.

"Love is All That Matters" is on other compilations, I am just so surprised they left it out.

4 out of 5 stars There's more to Human League than "Human" and "Don't You Want Me".......2005-11-22

While I am not sure if I would say this album HAS to be be a definite part of your collection, even if you are an eighties child, I must say it showed me that there's more to The Human League than the classics they became most famous for: "Don't You Want Me" and "Human". There's a handful of other tracks in here (most of them already mentioned by other reviewers) worth checking out, but most of them don't size up to the level of "classic" that their most famous ones have reached. Overall, this compilation highlights the nice labor of a synth-based pop band that left their mark and will go down in musical history as one of the genre's pivotal acts.

5 out of 5 stars All their hits!.......2005-10-25

This CD brings back memories of the 80's when Human League were in top form. All the recognizable hits from the artists are here including their #1 chart topping hits Don't You Want Me, (Keep Feeling) Fascination. The CD contains other lesser known tracks as well like my favorite track on here Love Action (I Believe In Love). The only problem I have with this release is they should have released a remixes cd or included it with this release. It would be great to hear their hits remixed.

SJ
Best Playlists
Human Clay
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • when shadows paint the scenes
  • Formulised Abomination
  • Good, solid rock performance
  • I had to come and review this dreck
  • Honestly people, they were sued by their own fans...
 Human Clay
Creed
Manufacturer: Wind-Up
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. My Own Prison
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ASIN: B00001NFCY
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

  1. Are You Ready
  2. What If
  3. Beautiful
  4. Say I
  5. Wrong Way
  6. Faceless Man
  7. Never Die
  8. With Arms Wide Open
  9. Higher
  10. Wash Away Those Years
  11. Inside Us All

Amazon.com

Creed burst out of Florida with 1997's My Own Prison, a dark but commercial debut reminiscent of the early-'90s Seattle sound. Creed's moody guitar grunge and ardent lyrics, coupled with singer Scott Stapp's passionate vocals, helped My Own Prison sell millions. Human Clay demonstrates that this likable quartet hasn't messed with success; they turn in a sophomore outing rife with evocative moodiness, soaring guitars, and a dark, roiling, intense vibe. "Beautiful" is but one of the winners on this strong 11-song CD. Haunting and indeed beautiful, the track is more delicate and seductive than most heard here, as is another lilting and mysterious entry, "Never Die," which boasts some Middle Eastern accents. "Higher" is typical Creed--safe, emotive guitar rock for the masses, but with a slight edge. Memorable hooks, Soundgarden-like guitars, and Vedder-like vocals make Human Clay at once compelling and effectively redundant. --Katherine Turman

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars when shadows paint the scenes.......2007-07-28

Creed was still getting over the need to be profound when this 1999 release came out, but the results were promising. The band has its best moments when it relaxes. It manages to achieve depth better than than when darkness-cum-wisdom overshadows higher goals.

The musical pieces were coming together for Creed in 1999, that much is true. Things had improved upon the equally promising--though from a lower starting point--MY OWN PRISON cd.

Stapp was singing his heart out, the basis was acquiring a tight, punchy sound, and Scott Phillips drumming was just awaiting its moment to break out.

'With Arms Wide Open' is the exception, and almost Great Leap Forward into what Creed would become by the time the subsequent WEATHERED album reached the listening public. It is a poignant attempt to articulate grace from within the confines of limited knowledge. 'Arms' greets the birth of a child with an elegance and emotion that one does not often associate with grunge bands. It is an artistic and aesthetic breakthrough of sorts for a band that would sound so good on this album's successor so as to make us almost forget that there was a time when we awaited a breakthrough.

WEATHERED, when it came, would put it all in perspective.

1 out of 5 stars Formulised Abomination.......2007-07-14

After their previous CD, which was not too bad on one or two tracks, "Human Clay" came out. More the same stuff, just on a different CD. This CD was truly a step backwards for Creed, if that were ever possible.

It seems like Creed tried to add some grunge elements to their music, and it just didn't come off. Abominable tracks like "Wrong Way", with occassional ventures into real rock, "Say I", that borders on the dismal, and more that truly defy the senses.

The pity is that the lyrical content is actually pretty good and has some substance to it. Sadly, the overall execution just didn't cut it and match that.

Even for fans of hard rock, this would be a CD to avoid. Don't waste your money.

4 out of 5 stars Good, solid rock performance.......2007-07-08

I was not familiar with the band before giving this a listen and I like what I heard. Willlook to add more Creed to library.

1 out of 5 stars I had to come and review this dreck.......2007-06-23

Scott Stapp is already said and done, Creed no longer is alive and Scott Stapp is already going the way of Brittany Spears. SO reviewing this is pretty much a waste of time. Im late? _______ that _________!

First Scott Stapp is a total moron. Insulting Fred Durst? To be honest, I hate Scott Stapp more than Fred Durst. He's one of the worst "singers" ever, and only people like Lame Gallagher from _____ band Oasis surpass this hack. Attacking 311 is even worse. 311 will do a lot more than Scott Stapp will ever be.

Anyway, _____ scott, Creed itself is so _________ boring, it's lame, and the music will put you to sleep. IT's like staring at a _________ wall for hours, or something of that nature. Long story short-it's generic, stupid, boring, generic music that sounds like something the cat dragged in. It's not music, plain and simple. It's noise, well there is noise music, and they are worthy, so what is Creed? Calling it noise is a disgrace to respectful noise musicians (which yes, I like). I have no clue, but it's not music, plain and simple.

Pearl Jam owns Creed's sorry little @$$, but that news is way too old. Let this record rot on the shelves. Creed are done for, and Eddie Vedder still lives on. Glad your dead, Kurt. Glad he's burning. Then again, he took his life.

1 out of 5 stars Honestly people, they were sued by their own fans..........2007-03-29

Everyone has heard about that right? Creed was sued by their own fans for playing crappy live shows ahahaha! It would be really difficult to find a rock album that sucks more than this. Seriously, if you ever feel the desire to buy this piece of garbage, please rethink it and buy the albums that these guys are ripping off and pilfering from. Anything by Pearl Jam or other early nineties rock act would be great. Collectively, we can make America a place where talentless losers like Creed don't become stars with their awful music!
Human the Death Dance
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Read my reasons before you disagree with me.
  • pick it up!! you won't be sorry
  • Sage, Human Death Dance
  • I Wanted To Like This
  • Sage's Best Album -
Human the Death Dance
Sage Francis
Manufacturer: Epitaph / Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. The Undisputed Truth
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  3. Personal Journals
  4. A Healthy Distrust
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ASIN: B000OMD4D4
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

  1. Growing Pains
  2. Underground For Dummies
  3. Civil Obedience
  4. Got Up This Morning
  5. Good Fashion
  6. Clickety Clack
  7. Midgets and Giants
  8. Broccoli Break
  9. High Step
  10. Keep Moving
  11. Water Line
  12. Black Out On White Night
  13. Hell Of A Year
  14. Call Me Francois
  15. Hoofprints In The Sand
  16. Going Back To Rehab

Amazon.com

After cutting his teeth in spoken-word and rap-battle circuits, Sage Francis launched into hip-hop, sort of. On his first handful of nationally visible solo records (Known Unsoldier being the must-have of the bunch), Francis knotted his stylistic roots, mixing his vocal skills in an emcee's equivalent of cracking his knuckles. As Non-Prophets--with DJ Joe Beats--he signaled his hip-hop arrival on Hope, with referential credentials blaring over beat-down backdrops. Of course, he'll tell you all this himself, and more, and does. The first proper track on Human the Death Dance, "Underground for Dummies" brings all comers up to speed on the Francis oeurve. Thus primed, Francis outs with the clearest presentation of his entire, moody, linguistic repertoire. He's had it in him for years, but this time around, he learned to make a mix tape. In one exemplary run, "Got Up This Morning" brings in revenant folkie Jolie Holland for a back-porch jam that rags on the deserving Charles Bukowski, then "Good Fashion" muscles forward, percussion-free, on the strength of a pounding string ensemble. Finally, "Clickety Clack" explodes forward in a thunderous, dungenous groove. It's hip-hop, sort of, but if this is a death dance, good riddance to the deceased. --Jason Kirk

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Read my reasons before you disagree with me. .......2007-06-28

A bad song by Sage is better than anything supposedly good on BET or the radio. Let me get that straight. I base my reviews off other Sage CDs not the "mainstream" or any body else out there.

Now that I said that here is my review.

My personal favorite stuff from him is the Sick series. Personal Journals was very good but different (just like the song says) Healthy Distrust I needed to listen and listen again to actually catch on. But I love that CD too. Now Human the Death Dance...I hate to say it but I am not feeling this one. Every cd is totally different from the last one. Which is not a bad thing but this cd is really out there and is nothing even close to the intial Sage I heard that made me a life ling fan (The Sick Series). If you have never heard any of those CDS please find a way to check those out...great great stuff. My favorite track on this cd is Keep Moving that song is the best on this cd. When the next cd comes out I will get that one too. I buy the CDs of people I really like and regardless of what I think of this cd I bought and will keep it.

5 out of 5 stars pick it up!! you won't be sorry.......2007-06-23

This cd is a must have if you are into the mid-west scene, or underground period. Definitely one of Sage's best albums. If you don't believe me just give some of the samples a listen. Great beats and amazing lyrics just pick it up man.

4 out of 5 stars Sage, Human Death Dance.......2007-06-12

In general I like this CD. I am an avid Sage fan and have been following his music for years. I really enjoyed some of the beats on this CD though I felt many did not reach their very possible apex. I like this one about as much as Healthy Distrust. His verbage is there as always, my favorite "Buried in a Faustian bargain bin." However none of the songs got to me as much as say, Hope or Make-Shift Patriot. I felt the potential for some of the songs on Human Death Dance to hit this pinnacle but they just fell a little short. The CD is definetly worth purchasing but if you do not have his older stuff I would start with that - Known Unsoldier, Personal Journals, and Hope are my favorites though there are others. In fact on Human Death Dance on the second song, last verse, Sage goes through his story using all the titles of his CD's in different and effective ways, very cool.

3 out of 5 stars I Wanted To Like This.......2007-05-31

Let me start off by saying that I am a FAN of sage francis. I love his music, his words, his ideas, his creativity. I could go on and on giving him praise but this is a review on a cd i found to be dissapointing.
Perhaps my hopes were just set too high. After a dissapointing Healthy Distrust album I was ready for Sage to come back and reel me into his world again. It is hard to be critical about something that someone obviously put his heart into but i was unable to find myself being "caught" by this album like i have been with so much of his past work. While it is definatly leaps and bounds above A Healthy Distrust, this album is no where near as good as Personal Journals or any of his ..Sick albums

5 out of 5 stars Sage's Best Album - .......2007-05-26

If you've heard Sage Francis before and you're considering buying this album, do yourself a big favor, and buy it.

Before I got this album, I had only heard about 8 songs of his from several years ago (Majority Rule, Hey Bobby, etc.). I thought that his stuff was great, but like my expectations of a lot of independent artists, I thought that it was probably just a fluke. You know, the artist fades into obscurity, never advancing.

Well, Sage proved me wrong on this one. He's advancing by leaps and bounds.

This album, Human Death Dance, brought back everything I learned to love about hip hop: Braking the mold, Love of fresh word & rhyme, beats and music that make you realize what you are hearing is totally new.

It starts off with a cool little montage of old recordings he had of himself rapping when he was a kid - then the next track "Underground for Dummies" is a summary of his experiences starting out, his naivete as his strength, managers, etc... his influences (very cool). The background music sounds like nostalgic memories (hints of 80's pop music?) with the end result being a sound in hiphop I've never heard before. It's timeless and an instant classic.

I could go on for every song on this album ("Clickety Clack" blew me away!) but I recommend you get this album, open the lyrics book that comes with it, strap on your headphones, and enjoy the ride.

It's one of those albums that will remind of you of this summer, years into the future.
Stay Human
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Mostly great
  • So good!
  • "Stay Human"--One of my top 10
  • Music with heart
  • Franti's Great American Opera
 Stay Human
Michael Franti & Spearhead , and Michael Franti
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005BGUT
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Tracks:

  1. Oh My God
  2. radio segment
  3. Stay Human (all the freaky people)
  4. radio segment
  5. Rock The Nation
  6. Sometimes
  7. radio segment
  8. Do Ya Love
  9. radio segment
  10. Soulshine
  11. Every Single Soul
  12. radio segment
  13. Love'll Set Me Free
  14. Thank You
  15. radio segment
  16. We Don't Mind
  17. radio segment
  18. Speaking Of Tongues
  19. radio segment
  20. Listener Supported
  21. radio segment
  22. Skin On The Drum

Amazon.com

There aren't many hip-hop artists out there today who give a damn about putting positive messages in their music, but Michael Franti is one of them. Ever since his days with seminal group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Franti has infused his sounds with insightful and thought-provoking lyricism, and this latest Spearhead joint is no exception. Stay Human tackles, among other things, the subject of capital punishment. Through a make-believe community radio station, Franti tells the tale of Sister Fatima, a healer and activist who is being put to death for a crime that her community believes she didn't commit. The "live" broadcasts act as elaborate skits between Franti's insouciant, soul-rap hybrids and help to expose the arrogant nature of America's judicial system and the brutal finality of the death sentence. Musically, Franti has created a richer, more string-laden backdrop for his tracks, creating some of his best idiosyncratic, feel-good vibes to date. But while the funkadelic edge of "Rock the Nation" and laid-back ballad style of "Do Ya Love" are worthy in their own right, Franti's real genius lies in his ability to weave opinions into compelling narratives so that we don't feel we're being battered over the head with someone else's ideas. Emotive, soulful, and opinionated, Spearhead are almost single-handedly keeping alive a tradition epitomized by Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Bill Withers. Don't sleep. --Paul Sullivan

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Mostly great.......2006-05-25

The music on this album is amazing, and the message is right-on. In fact this is probably Franti's best ever album when judged from the viewpoint of music, lyrics, and message.

Unfortunately I found the radio broadcast segments to be ill-conceived and intrusive, but they are easily skipped.

The "music fan" who praised Stay Human but only gave it 1 star because of objections to who Franti chooses to give political support to needs to learn more about the Mumia Abu-Jamal case, which is nowhere near as cut & dried as their post suggests. The trial transcripts don't tell the whole story - the whole point is that this was considered an unfair and biased trial. Dig a little deeper and you'll find plenty to question.

5 out of 5 stars So good!.......2005-08-06

Michael Franti and Spearhead has yet to let me down. This album is yet another that not only is a showcase for their amazing musical talent, but it also tells a strong story that spurs the mind to think about the world in which we live. As a long time advocate for abolishing the death penalty, this record tells a tale that I will never forget in my arguments to abolish the death penalty. Yet another record of targeting a specific population, and ignoring white collar crime (which in my opinion effects the population much more than anything other crime).

5 out of 5 stars "Stay Human"--One of my top 10.......2005-05-07

This album has to be the best that Michael Franti & Spearhead has put out so far....

The music: the band is very musical and pulls in lots of different influences that combine together in a completely original way: hip-hop, jazz, african, rock, spoken word, etc. Every time I listen I hear something new.

The lyrics: As I was an English major, lyrics are very important to me. Franti writes great lyrics-- he is an intellectual poet as far as I am concerned, and you can hear his skill in lyricism come through on tracks like "Speaking of Tongues" and "Skin on the Drum."

Political Message: Franti's political message is to spread tolerance and love. Some of the tracks are explicitly political, such as "Oh My God," while others are just a wonderful celebration of life. It's a good balance.

The only thing that gets a little annoying after you listen to the album several times is the radio show that shows up between most of the tracks. It's a great political message, but sometimes you just want to listen to music and not get preached at. That shouldn't deter you from buying this great album, though.

Great CD!!!

4 out of 5 stars Music with heart.......2005-04-25

Although I loved the Disposable Heroes and I think that Home is a fantastic album I stayed away from this album for a long time. I had heard that Michael Franti had lost it - that he had crossed the line from pointed political and social commentary into buttock clenching political correctness and cliché.

Nothing could be further from the truth - this is a wonderful CD. Yes, there is a message but Franti manages to get his point across while making an excellent CD. Great songs in a variety of styles are interspersed with radio segments describing the lead up to and the aftermath of the execution of an innocent woman. There are no duff tracks or off-key moments.

Recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Franti's Great American Opera.......2004-10-20

Stay Human is about as operatic a work as we've heard from any 21st century contemporary artist. Franti lets loose and through the guise of pretense of a dramatic play occuring at a radio station we are introduced to a group of characters including the two radio talk show hosts, Sister Fatima, the "Governor" and a host of listeners - liberal, conservative and brain dead, calling to weigh in on the fate of faith healer Sister Fatima now on death row and facing imminent execution that same night.

Woven between scenes at the radio station Spearhead's songs are brought to life that emphasizes Franti's message in a manner which could only be hinted it without the dramatic structure surrounding it.

The first time I heard this album was late on a hot summer night, on the back deck of a friend's house. He didn't prepare me for what I was about to experience and at the end of "Skin on the drum" I was emotionally exhausted with chills down my back and the hair on the back of my neck standing on edge. I'm not ashamed to say I also cried. This is music presented in such a powerhouse of a theatrical production it should be staged or filmed. As it stands, its effectiveness is not diminished one iota by being "audio only."

While some may eschew the socio/politico commentary embedded into the work, no one who listens and experiences it in its entirety will go unmoved, or turn it off free from thought. For these very reasons "Stay Human" is one of the most important works and deserves a wide audience. A truly remarkable achievement from Franti and Spearhead.
Instruments of the Orchestra
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
  • Beginner or Expert
  • Very Informative and Enjoyable
  • Frank's view
  • Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra
 Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
  2. The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)
  3. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD)
  4. What to Listen for in Music
  5. Study of Orchestration, Third Edition

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

  1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
  2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
  3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
  4. Hungarian Dance No.7
  5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
  6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
  7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
  8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
  9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
  10. Csardas Music
  11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
  12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
  13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
  14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
  15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
  16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
  17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
  18. Tzigane
  19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
  20. Caprice No.24
  21. The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
  22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
  23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
  24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
  25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
  26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
  27. The Violin Muted
  28. Clair De Lune
  29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
  30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
  31. The Pizzicato Violin
  32. Pizzicato Polka
  33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
  34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
  35. Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
  36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
  37. The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
  38. Hungarian Dance No.4
  39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
  40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
  41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
  42. Bolero
  43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
  44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
  45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
  46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
  47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
  48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
  49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
  50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
  51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
  52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
  53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
  54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
  55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
  56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
  57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
  58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
  59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
  60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
  61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
  62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
  63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
  64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
  65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
  66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
  67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

  1. Introduction To The Viola
  2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
  3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
  4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
  5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
  6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
  7. The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
  8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
  9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
  10. Cypresses (No.9)
  11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
  12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
  13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
  14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
  15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
  16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
  17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
  18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
  19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
  20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
  21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
  22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
  23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
  24. Elfentanz, Op.39
  25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
  26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
  27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
  28. Flamenco
  29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
  30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
  31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
  32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
  33. It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
  34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
  35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
  37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
  38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
  39. The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
  40. Capriccio Di Bravura
  41. Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
  42. The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
  43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

  1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
  2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
  3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
  4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
  5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
  6. Sa'Dawi
  7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
  8. Chamber Music No.II
  9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
  10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
  11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
  12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
  13. A Variety Of Techniques
  14. Chamber Music No.II
  15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
  16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
  17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
  18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
  19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
  20. Naelden, Naelden
  21. The Bachian Oboe
  22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
  23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
  24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
  25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
  26. The Swan Of Tuonela
  27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
  28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
  29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
  30. Bolero
  31. The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
  32. Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
  33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
  34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
  35. The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
  36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
  37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
  38. ...And Quite Low.
  39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
  40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
  41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
  42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
  43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
  44. Introduction To The Saxophone
  45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
  46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
  47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
  48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
  49. Bolero
  50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
  51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
  52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
  53. Sax-O-Phun
  54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
  55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
  56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
  57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
  58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
  59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
  60. Bolero
  61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
  62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
  63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
  64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
  65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
  66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
  67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
  68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
  69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
  70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
  71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
  72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
  73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
  74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
  75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
  76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

  1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
  2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
  3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
  4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
  5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
  6. Fanfare For The Common Man
  7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
  8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
  9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
  10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
  11. The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
  12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
  13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
  14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
  15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
  16. Billy The Kid
  17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
  18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
  19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
  20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
  21. The Birth Of The Trombone
  22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
  23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
  24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
  25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
  26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
  27. The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
  28. Hosannah
  29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
  30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
  31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
  32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
  33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
  34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
  35. The Horn And The Hunt
  36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
  37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
  38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
  39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
  40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
  41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
  42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
  43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
  44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
  45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
  46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
  47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
  48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
  49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
  50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
  51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

  1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
  2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
  3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
  4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
  5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
  6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
  7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
  8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
  9. Den Hoboecken Dans
  10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
  11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
  12. No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
  13. Gymnopedie No.2
  14. The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
  15. Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
  16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
  17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
  18. Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
  19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
  20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
  21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
  22. The Birth Of The Bongo
  23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
  24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
  25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
  26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
  27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
  28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
  29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
  30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
  31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
  32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
  33. The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
  34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
  35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
  37. Ravel And The Xylophone
  38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
  39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
  40. Introducing The Vibraphone
  41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
  42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
  43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
  44. Folk Dances
  45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
  46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
  47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
  48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
  49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
  50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
  51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
  52. Introducing The Celeste
  53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
  54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
  55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
  56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
  57. A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
  58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
  59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
  60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
  61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
  62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
  63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

  1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
  2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
  3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
  4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
  5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
  6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
  7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
  8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
  9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
  10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
  11. Mahler's Sleighbells
  12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
  13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
  14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
  15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
  16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
  17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
  18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
  19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
  20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
  21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
  22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
  23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
  24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
  25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
  26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
  27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
  28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
  29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
  30. Nocturnes
  31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
  32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
  33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
  34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
  35. The Oboe As Duck
  36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
  37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
  38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
  39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
  40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
  41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
  42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
  43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
  44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
  45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
  46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
  47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
  48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
  49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
  50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
  51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
  52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

  1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
  2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
  3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
  4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
  5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
  6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
  7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
  8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
  9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
  10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
  11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
  12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
  13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
  14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
  15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
  16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
  17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
  18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
  19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
  20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
  21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
  22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
  23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
  24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
  25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
  26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
  27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
  28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
  29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
  30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
  31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
  32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
  33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
  34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
  35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
  36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
  37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
  38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
  39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
  40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
  41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
  42. Canzon 28
  43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
  44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
  45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
  46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
  47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
  48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
  49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
  50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
  51. Images (Gigues)
  52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
  53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
  54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
  55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
  56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
  57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
  58. A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

5 out of 5 stars Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

5 out of 5 stars Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

3 out of 5 stars Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Music Info:

  1. Iron Maiden Tribute [Import]
  2. King of Clubs
  3. Lightdance
  4. Live [Live]
  5. Live Scars [Live]
  6. Lo Mas Morbido De La Realidad
  7. Love at First Sting [Clean]
  8. Mechanical Animals [Enhanced] [Explicit Lyrics]
  9. Metal Ballads
  10. Motorhead Today

Music Info

music info

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