Almost an Island

Almost an Island

Track Listings

1. Piper and the Shrew

2. Elav the Terrible

3. Where the Summers Go

4. Grand Nuit du Port de Peche

5. Queen of Argyll

6. 5/4 Madness

7. Davie's Last Reel

8. Jericho

9. All Our Dreams

10. Panda

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Seventh studio album for popular & successful Inverness folk-rock band, following 2000's live disc 'Not Enough Shouting'. Combining folk instrumentation (pipes, whistles, fiddles, accordion) with electric guitar, bass & drums, they inject Scots traditional music with the raw spirit of rock 'n' roll on another rousing collection of standards & original material. Once Bitten Records. 2002.

Tracks:

Honky Cat
Mellow
I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself
Susie (Dramas)
Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
Salvation
Slave
Amy
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters
Hercules
Slave (Alternate Version)

Amazon.com essential recording

By 1972, Elton John was already a rising star in America, although most casual listeners still identified him as part of the singer/songwriter explosion, thanks to the success of "Your Song" and "Levon." Honky Château changed all that, beginning with the success of "Honky Cat," a rousing New Orleans-ish R&B powerhouse that kicks off this terrific collection of songs. This was the album that first revealed John as a pure-pop craftsman, and he's all over the musical map on this set, moving from country-ish rock to blues-based rockers. But the best things here still might be two gorgeous ballads: "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters" (displaying the young vocalist at his best) and the hit single "Rocket Man" (which had many rock fans debating which was the better space odyssey of the day--this or Bowie's). And lyricist Bernie Taupin was revealing a new, slightly darker side here via tunes like "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself." --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews:

The Honky Cat breaks from the pack.......2007-06-12

The first three Elton John albums found many pegging him as a singer/songwriter, and the more straightforward songs among "Elton John," "Tumbleweed Connection" and "Madman Across the Water" were certainly easy to construe as such. But then came "Honky Chateau," where Elton's tentative steps into more rock territory found traction. Many of the trademarks of those early albums are still here (the naked emotionalism, the fascination with America's rural south), but he was also discovering the edge - like Jon Luc Ponty's violin solo on "Amy" -that concert goers had been buzzed with.

The first single, "Honky Cat," was the harbinger. Set more to a New Orleans piano roll than any previous song, it was poppier than any of his other singles. "Rocket Man" immediately raised the bar. Riding the same trail David Bowie and Major Tom did, "Rocket Man" followed a space oddity of an astronaut with job satisfaction issues; "It's just my job, five days a week." These two hits pushed Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin off and away from their past labels and moved then onto a fast lane towards rock stardom. Throughout the other songs on the album, Elton's strength for melodies was in full bloom and his confidence was growing, while Bernie's words were as oblique as ever (which was one of his strongest suites).

That motion was also significantly aided by the codification of Elton's band. Stalwarts Nigel Olsson, Dee Murray and Davey Johnston sounded terrific here, recording as Elton's backing for the first time. They matched Elton's flair, making songs like "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself" spark. Gus Dudgeon obviously understood what Elton was aiming for and kept his production to a more minimal level than on the other albums. The result was the first Elton John album to reflect the personality that would come to dominate the public image of his showmanship. It also became the first of Elton's seven consecutive #1 albums.

Elton Goes Pop........2007-04-24

I have the greatest admiration and affection for Elton John. He has tackled and conquered most styles of music with great success. HONKY CHATEAU is his fifth album, released in May 1972. I hope to review all his seventies albums and this is the first I drew "out of the hat".

After his two previous albums which were artistic, but not commercial triumphs, Elton went for the larger audience with HONKY CHATEAU and created a more pop orientated album, without sacrficing his artistic ideals. He started to shake off the obsession with the American Wild West and sang about more modern subjects. Americana is atill in evidence especially on HONKY CAT, SLAVE, MONA LISAS AND MAD HATTEERS and ROCKET MAN but it is more varied. Nothing wrong with that as I was getting tired of hearing about people labelled as "guns" in his previous albums. The seeds of what can be described as Elton's band, Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone and Dee Murray originated here and they were the core of musicians during Elton's golden period in the early and mid 70's. Even Ray Cooper plays on some tracks.

The cover is one of the most misleading I have seen. Who is that bearded, serious guy? Surely a better cover could have been deivsed. Anyway to the album itself. I would like to give it 4.5 stars but am not allowed by the rating system. Song titles are followed by the song time.

It kicks off with HONKY CAT (5.13). I haven't heard Elton having this much fun since he sang THE CAGE on his self-titled album which was three albums previous. This is a great song with great Taupin lyrics. Definitely one of my favourites.

Next is MELLOW (5.32). This one I can skip although most reviewrs consider it a highlight. I like the verse but not the chorus and it goes on too long. On of my peeves with artists is songs that go on longer than they should. This is one of them. Too many chorus repeats.

Song 3 is I THINK I"M GOING TO KILL MYSELF (3.34). This is very light-hearted and not to be taken seriously. Just listen to the arrangement! Honky-tonk piano, tap dancing and spoons. Sounds like a big spoof.

SUSIE (DRAMAS) (3.24). Another favourite and it is the first gutsy song on the album. The Dramas part escapes me and is not necessary. BLACK-EYED SUSIE would have been a better song title.

Then comes ROCKET MAN (4.41). One of Elton's biggest hits. Great tune, great vocal, great arrangement but some of the lyrics are lazy especially in Verses 3 and 4. "Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids. In fact it's cold as hell" are two wonderful lines but what follows "and there's no-one there to raise them if you did" doesn't make much sense". The next verse about "it's just my job five days a week, a rocket man" etc is also a letdown.

The next two songs: SALVATION (3.58) and SLAVE (4.20) are the two most dismissed songs by other reviewers. SALVATION is quit a nice song with a gospel feel to it but I think SLAVE is a highlight. It has a very laid back whimsical feel to it although the lyrics are on the angry side and it is rare on an Elton song that the keyboards take a back seat. Great acoustic guitar, country guitar and banjo all played by Davey Johnstone!

AMY (4.03) is probably the weirdest song on the album and one of Elton's most unique songs in that there is no tune!. You cannot sing or whistle it but that is why I like it. Very odd lyrics but I love the line "Amy you're the girl that wrecks my dreams". Aslo listen to the bizarre electric violin played by Jean-Luc Ponty!

MONA LISAS AND MAD HATTERS (5.00) gets the most praise and it does hit the nail on the head about New York City. My only problem is that it cries out for a third verse and not an amalgamation of Verses 1 + 2. I feel the song is over half-way through and it has nothing to say for the last two minutes. Sorry for going against the grain of thinking. But it is my one main gripe about Elton John in that some songs could be shorter. TINY DANCER, MY FATHER"S GUN, BENNIE AND THE JETS and SOMEONE SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT are other examples.

Last song is HERCULES (5.20) which is a lot of fun and ends the album on a fun singalong note! Obscure lyrics again from Bernie. I can just about glean from the words that it is about a girl in love with a muscle boy but the words incorporate much more that I cannot fathom.

There is also a bonus track, a fast rocking version of SLAVE(2.51) which is worth listening to but the album version is much better.

one of the best.......2007-03-15

Like most other reviewers have said this is a great album.
Although Rocket Man and Honky Cat were big singles, I actually prefer some of the album tracks. Mellow is a great gospel influenced track. Hercules is cracking rock 'n' roll song. Its a very happy album, and there isn't really a poor track on it.
For me probably only beaten by Tumbleweed and Yellow Brick Road. Its probably also a good buy for anyone new to Elton's music as well, as there isn't the darkness of some of the earlier albums (which are very good as well but more of an aquired taste), or the sometimes overly MOR later albums.

elton john- honky chateau.......2007-01-19

got this one because of mona lisas and the madhatter. great song. what can you say elton does it agian.

Classic EEJ!.......2007-01-12

Being a diehard Eltonite since '71, of CORSE I LOVE this LP (ok, CD)...
We begin with Honky Cat ("WHOO"!). Next: we "mellow" out with "Mellow".
1 of my all time faves is " I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself!" as :1, it's a campy tongue in cheek number, & 2: at the time, I was in High School.
Enuff said! "Suzie (Dramas)" is next followed by my all time epic fave:
Rocket Man!!! Side 2 starts with "Salvation". Then "Slave"& rock out to
"Amy". Calming down with "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters" & we conclude with (a cat named) "Hercules!" (EJ's middle name, as it were!) BOOGIE ON!!!

Average customer rating:

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

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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
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.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
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...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
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
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
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.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
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.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
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.
Capriccio Di Bravura
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)
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....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
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...
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)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
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).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
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
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
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.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
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.
Gymnopedie No.2
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...
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)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
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.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
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.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
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
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

Tracks:

Piper and the Shrew
Elav the Terrible
Where the Summers Go
Grand Nuit du Port de Peche
Queen of Argyll
5/4 Madness
Davie's Last Reel
Jericho
All Our Dreams
Panda

Album Description

Seventh studio album for popular & successful Inverness folk-rock band, following 2000's live disc 'Not Enough Shouting'. Combining folk instrumentation (pipes, whistles, fiddles, accordion) with electric guitar, bass & drums, they inject Scots traditional music with the raw spirit of rock 'n' roll on another rousing collection of standards & original material. Once Bitten Records. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

"I can hear the coolest sound" (from Jericho).......2005-12-25

this is a fantasic CD
the first 2 tracks "The Piper and the Shrew" and "Elav the Terrible" I think they're a single track divide to 2, war pipe+fiddle+loud guitar make these 2 tracks full of energy, morale, and power
"4/5 Madness" is kinda lead-in, go to the top, back to lower state, then end with smoothness
this CD is better than any product from GL, recommended for Wolfstone fans, it's a mix of Scottish+Pop+Celtic

wolfstone.......2005-08-20

After seeing them live in concert, i must say they are damn good. The Cd includes many celtic tunes with a mix of rock. They make this mix with a perfect combination, it's just a great cd and worth a buy. The fiddle and bagpipes add that essential highland style, with the rest of the band. They are amazing live and their cd is also amazing.

A Playful, Bouncy Masterpiece.......2003-06-05

This long-awaited sequel to Wolfstone's less-than-perfect 1999 album "Seven" showcases the copious talents of a band fully recovered from the departure of singer and guitarist Ivan Drever. It is, in the band's opinion and my own, the best release yet from the Scottish foursome.

On this album, unlike the band's earlier efforts, Duncan Chisholm's lively, beautiful fiddle playing shares the driver's seat equally with Stephan Saint's haunting pipes and whistles. While I was somewhat disappointed at first by the increased use of pipes, but it has grown on me. It seems especially appropriate on the instrumental tracks, where fiddle and bagpipe wind around each other in the mix so that the listener is occasionally unsure which is which. Alan Cosker, a recent addition to the band's recording lineup, keeps the music rolling with his excellent, understated drumming. Unlike other folk-rock bands like Tempest and Dropkick Murpheys, who tend to let their heavy drumming overshadow their celtic roots, Wolfstone keep the percussion subtle enough to blend seamlessly with the rest of the instruments. The music has taken a bit of a new direction, however, with Wayne MacKenzie's bouncy, thumpy bass taking more of a lead than on earlier recordings; it works. As always, Stuart Eaglesham's beautiful tenor (superior to any other voice in Celtic rock) and crunchy guitars give the album that distinctive touch that Wolfstone fans love.

Phil Cunningham's influence is perhaps more pronounced on this album than any before it. The ex-Silly Wizard keyboard and squeezebox player who has worked with the band since its first studio recording has left the producer's chair to play with the band on almost every track on the album. His immistakeable style is most exhibited in the closing track, "The Panda," a rollicking instrumental by piper George Duncan of Northwind Country. The record even features a cover one of Silly Wizard's best songs: "Queen of Argyll" from "Kiss the Tears Away".

This album is primarily instrumental, with only four out of ten tracks having lyrics. This is due to the departure of Ivan Drever, who lettered most of Wolfstone's best-known ballads. This is not a bad thing; the large number of instrumentals gives the band a chance to really show off their stuff.

My favorite track on the island is, in fact, not celtic in origin at all. "Jericho" is a rocking, hard-driven zydecho tune unlike anything the band has played before. It is simply fantastic.

Wolfstone's excellent vocals and production set them a pace ahead of other groups in their genre like Tempest, Seven Nations, and Brother. They are, simply, the best Celtic Rock group playing today, true heirs to the legacy of Silly Wizard. Buy this album; buy two copies. Give it to your friends. They will thank you.

An evolving band ,still going strong!.......2003-05-28

With the departure of singer,Ivan Drever and the end of their association with Green Linnet Records, I really wondered if we had seen the last of 'ole Wolfstone...
Happily, they have returned on an indie label with a pretty good good effort...the lead vocal chores are nicely handled by Stuart Eaglesham, with strong background vocals by Duncan Chisholm, Wayne MacKenzie and Phil Cunningham.
That said however, what saves and really moves this disc are the instrumentals, which have never been stronger!
For this listener, the vocal tunes just don't click- plainly: they are weak!...hopefully the songwriting will get stronger with future releases and these guys can get their travel visa problems solved, returning to tour in the States soon!
Glad you are still rockin' Wolfstone!

THIS is the Wolfstone we've been waiting for!.......2002-12-10

I cannot say enough about the power of this cd. If you like heavy, yet intricate, Celtic rock, this album is a must. Not peppered with "pop" vocals or "off-theme" stuff as their last studio album was. I saw Wolfstone perform this album live in Colorado and they were totally into it! Get it and ENJOY!!

Rude Awakening [special edition / bonus medley track]

Average customer rating:

Rude Awakening [special edition / bonus medley track]
Megadeth , ******TRACK LISTINGS****** , DREAD & THE FUGITIVE MIND / KILL THE KING / WAKE UP DEAD / IN MY DARKEST HOUR , ANGRY AGAIN / SHE WOLF / RECKONING DAY / DEVIL'S ISLAND , TRAIN OF CONSEQUENCES / A TOUT LE MONDE / BURNING BRIDGES / HANGAR 18 , RETURN TO HANGAR / HOOK IN MOUTH / ALMOST HONEST / 1000 TIMES GOODBYE , MECHANIX / TORNADO OF SOULS / ASHES IN YOUR MOUTH / SWEATING BULLETS , and TRUST / SYMPHONY OF DESTRUCTION / PEACE SELLS / HOLY WARS / ***SPECIAL BONUS TRACK*** "PEACE SELLS MEDLEY"
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000RDQR48

Average customer rating:

Almost an Island
Wolfstone
Manufacturer: Once Bitten
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002B7OYM
Release Date: 2002-11-19

Average customer rating:

Almost An Island
Beverly J. Smith
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000PGSAS8

Product Description

1 Letter Home 2 Lazy Farmer 3 Maple Sugar 4 Michigan Indians 5 A La Claire Fontaigne 6 Cutting Down the Pines 7 Loius Sands and Jim McGee 8 Trumpet Sound 9 White Hurricane 10 Old Land/Frosty Morning 11 Superior Shore 12 Old Hound Dog

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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