Nightmare & Acoustic [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Nightmare & Acoustic [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Nightmare & Acoustic [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese remastered reissue of the heavy metal act's 1992 release. 7 tracks including 'Anytime', 'We Believe In Love' and 'What Happens To Me'. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Nightmare & Acoustic,**Michael Schenker Group,EMI,Contemporary Instrumental,Germany,Heavy Metal,Rock/Pop
Favourite Worst Nightmare
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • YES!!! Supremely rocking album!
  • Album Rocks
  • Arctic Monkeys Get Surreal
  • EXCELLENT!
  • Not quite a Nightmare; Hardly a Favourite
 Favourite Worst Nightmare
Arctic Monkeys
Manufacturer: Domino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NQR7NO
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

  1. Brianstorm
  2. Teddy Picker
  3. D Is For Dangerous
  4. Balaclava
  5. Fluorescent Adolescent
  6. Only Ones Who Know
  7. Do Me A Favour
  8. This House Is A Circus
  9. If You Were There, Beware
  10. The Bad Thing
  11. Old Yellow Bricks
  12. 505

Amazon.com

Snarly and stone-sharpened, the Arctic Monkeys open their sophomore effort with "Brianstorm," a bracing blast of guitar fractures and rhythmic herky-jerks. Alex Turner's voice is the centerpiece, scoured the way the Streets' Mike Skinner's quick. Favourite Worst Nightmare moves from frontal blast quickly to the lean, mid-paced pop nugget, "Teddy Picker," which even with its clear guitars and straight rhythms still has Turner's tart intonation piercing the air. The tugging bass and guitar of "Fluorescent Adolescent" show shades of the retro-soul tip that drives Amy Winehouse (and Lily Allen), showing that the Arctic Monkeys have a taste for the dancefloor that spans generations, even if their guitars can cut across each other with relentless jaggedness while Turner's caustic pipes lasso the ears. Nightmare expands the band's reach, as when "Do Me a Favour" goes wonderfully haywire from tumbling rhythm, clear-guitar, and fluid narrative to a cresting blast of guitars--big and brawny and borne from the merely tumultuous, like the band itself. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Description

While this sophomore release is unmistakably Arctic Monkeys, everything's a little more muscular and aggressive. Each song is embedded with revelatory moments, as if some sort of critical mass is achieved through skillful song craft and sharp arrangements until an explosive release of energy or emotion is inevitable. Arctic Monkeys have exceeded expectations with this record.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars YES!!! Supremely rocking album!.......2007-08-02

These guys just rule. It's a tight, concise album, that thankfully avoids the sophomore slump of trying to make a "Big Artistic Statement" (*cough* bloc party *ahem* killers) and instead focuses on rocking hard. There are no wasted notes or time on this album - none! The album is filled with razor sharp hooks and terrific musicianship, particular the spectacular drumming of Matt Helders. The often cryptic, but snidely clever and evocative lyrics and singing of Alex Turner is a real asset as well. Those involved in the recording, mixing, producing etc. deserve kudos as well - the sound just jumps out of the speakers! I love this album! Since I have no life, I listen to a LOT of music and I usually burn through albums quickly, listening once or twice and moving on, but this one I keep coming back to again and again and again.


This album is easily the best of '07 so far, BY FAR.

5 out of 5 stars Album Rocks.......2007-07-29

This is one way to top a first album, the Arctic Monkey's just go from strength to strength.

4 out of 5 stars Arctic Monkeys Get Surreal.......2007-07-26

(3 1/2 *'s) UK's latest and greatest new sensation, The Arctic Monkeys, come up with a follow up to their smash debut, 'Whatever They Say I Am, I'm Not' with more experience under their belts. Overall, they add some texture and, as the title suggests, the darker aspects of their brain hemispheres for the lyrics. While I don't possess their heralded debut, I know by listening to the samplers that this album has more variety, but less of the immediacy of their first C.D.

Starting with "Brainstorm," we get a propulsive electrical storm that provides a cyclical effect reminiscent of the 'Pulp Fiction' soundtrack. In the fast forward vein they still deliver their best, fronted by Alex Turner's trajectory of images that sometimes seems like alternative's free association answer to rap. Never getting tongue tied, Alex's words, nevertheless, don't always integrate well into the mesmerizing mix. Following the "Brainstorm," "Teddy Picker" comes to the fore with arguably the album's best song. Proving that experience hasn't tarnished the band, anti-glam "Teddy..." is truly an intricate gem. Keeping in the third person, we get lines about women who make love go wrong. Included is that propulsive assertion for "D Is for Dangerous" with some scathing words for some wayward girl known as "Your favourite worst nightmare". Later, "Do Me a Favour" featuring Ventures'-like sounds, asks the lamented beloved to "Break my nose." And "Old Yellow Bricks" seals the bad deal, lamenting "You're a fugitive, but you don't know what you're running away from." The playful "This House Is a Circus" and the heavy "The Bad Thing" almost live up to the aforementioned, but new territory is achieved with the shimmering "Fluorescent Adolescent" and the Stray Cats-like "Only One Who Knows".

At their best, Arctic Monkeys gives us some new hooks and elaborations of what they've already accomplished. When they're effective, they connect well. Sometimes the trajectory flows like a dream; at other times the whole project is ordinary and stuck in idle. For those who remember The Undertones, this album reminds one of the transition when they went from the propulsive punk to the artiness of 'Positive Touch'. Hopefully, with gradual changes, The Arctic Monkeys won't undergo the Undertones' fate.

5 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!.......2007-07-18

This album's excellence makes me literally drool out of both pride and satisfaction.
Pride: For the simple fact that the band has truly grown since their previous musical triumph, topping it with a much darker, richer, and more
promising piece of modern Alt/Punk Rock.
Satisfaction: Frankly, I'm astounded by the songs, made so excited I can barely contain myself everytime I blast them through my small room.
The first album was fast and sharp, teeming with bounce, wit, and charm. They've lost none of that. They simply seemed to have channeled that youthful vigor into a more profound stream of thought, the lyrics now more thoughtful and sophisticated, almost so personal that they're difficult to decipher.
As for the sound, listeners are immediately forced with the urge to swiftly bob along, dance outright, even. The first album had this effect as well, but I feel that Favourite Worst Nightmare's strength generates more of a physical impression and reaction due to its profound uniqueness.
It's new and it's different and it boasts and overpowering sense of nuance, so noticably unique compared to today's endless spew of groups with similar sounds, lyrics, looks, and messages.
They are unlike any other, and I love them for it.

3 out of 5 stars Not quite a Nightmare; Hardly a Favourite.......2007-07-04

Sure, the Arctics' debut wasn't that bad, but it felt a lot worse considering how much love the press and hype machines were throwing their way. They weren't rock and roll saviors; they were a decent but thoroughly middle of the road outfit with a couple of catchy tunes. Now that a year plus has passed, the world is already searching for the next big thing. The Arctics released a fame-is-killing-me EP (which I skipped) and now they might as well make a where-did-the-fame-go? record after this one.

Astonishingly, the Arctics come roaring out of the gates on the first track, "Brainstorm." A band that once seemed snide and snotty (a la Libertines) seems to actually care about grinding their guitars and pushing energy to its audience instead of sucking it away. There's a good and bad about that opening: thankfully, they don't try to repeat that notion again and again; unfortunately, that's the best song. Yes. The best. A driving punkish number that opens the album. After that, they coast through on mostly okay and better musical exercises, but for all the stuttering beats and post-punk flairs, they never reach that same mark again. Lucky for them that they're musically gifted enough so it's not immediately noticeable.

But music isn't enough, and even the punchy rhythm of "Teddy Picker" is brought down by hypocritical rants, "This House Is a Circus" uses the "word" berserkus for a rhyme(!), and the laughable story of the trying-too-hard "Fluorescent Adolescent" turns a forgettable track into an awful one. On the other end of the spectrum, "Only Ones Who Knows" is relatively well-said but drags along with a sluggish melody that's more likely to put one to sleep than to make one feel something. If Arctic Monkeys hope to have any shot at earning the accolades they once drowned in, they'd better do it fast. Remember when everyone loved the Strokes? And how often do you hear people talking about them in the present tense? And hell, those guys actually DESERVED most of their attention back then.

Best cuts: "Brainstorm," "Do Me a Favour," "Old Yellow Bricks," "If You Were There, Beware," "D Is For Dangerous," "The Bad Thing"
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • His Halloween!!!
  • DIFFERENT
  • It's simply the best!
  • best 2-pack i've bought in a while
  • A review
 Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Danny Elfman , Marilyn Manson , Panic!@ the Disco , Fiona Apple , Fall Out Boy , Paul Reubens , Catherine O' Hara , Citizens of Halloween , and Patrick Stewert
Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000IFRQHC
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

  1. Overture
  2. Opening
  3. This Is Halloween
  4. Jack's Lament
  5. Doctor Finklestein/ In the Forest
  6. What's This?
  7. Town Meeting Song
  8. Jack and Sally Montage
  9. Jack's Obsession
  10. Kidnap the Sandy Claws
  11. Making Christmas
  12. Nabbed
  13. Oogie Boogie's Songs
  14. Sally's Song
  15. Christmas Even Montage
  16. Poor Jack
  17. To the Rescue
  18. Finale/ Reprise
  19. Closing
  20. End Title

Tracks:

  1. This Is Halloween - Marilyn Manson
  2. Sally's Song - Fiona Apple
  3. What's This? - Fall Out Boy
  4. Kidnap the Sandy Claws - She Wants Revenge
  5. This Is Halloween - Panic! At the Disco
  6. Making Christmas (Demo) - Danny Elfman
  7. Oogie Boogie's Song (Demo) - Danny Elfman
  8. This Is Halloween (Demo) - Danny Elfman
  9. Kidnap the Sandy Claws (Demo) - Danny Elfman

Amazon.com

Not only is The Nightmare Before Christmas one of the best musicals of the past two decades; it may well be Danny Elfman's masterpiece, successfully integrating his main influences (from Cab Calloway to Nino Rota) into a fantastic whole. The first disc of this reissue features the original soundtrack, its songs still teetering between dark humor and poetic flights of fancy; this so-called kids' music is at least as sophisticated and skilled as anything you're likely to hear on Broadway. The second disc includes demo versions of four songs on which Elfman plays and sings everything, and five new covers of some of Nightmare's best-loved songs. Marilyn Manson successfully applies his spooky Weimar-circus style on "This Is Halloween" while Panic! At the Disco's lushly orchestrated take on the same tune is closer to the original. Fiona Apple's poignant "Sally's Song" is enhanced by very nice string charts, and She Wants Revenge does a disco take on "Kidnap the Sandy Claws." Best perhaps is Fall Out Boy's cover of "What's This?" which sounds like an unexpected cross between the Beach Boys and Queen. A highly recommended set. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars His Halloween!!!.......2007-06-20

Well, disc 1 is Danny Elfman's classic soundtrack to the film that is of course great (goes without saying). Disc 2, to mu pleasent surprise was pretty cool as well. Marilyn Manson's cover of "This Is Halloween" is absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMO, it's not only the best track on the album, but it is one of the best cover songs ever recorded in the history of history. I was almost certain that he would have messed that song up...but he really does an amzing job. Even if you hate Manson, ..you won't hate this song. As for the other covers, I liked Fiona Apple's cover of "Sally's Song", and I thought the She Wants Revenge cover of "Kidnap The Santy Claws" was a good eightees style presentation, kinda Depeche Mode-eske. The other bands on the disc all did an ok job, but it's really all about the Manson cover when it's all said and done.

5 out of 5 stars DIFFERENT.......2007-03-26

THIS SOUNDTRACK'S PERFECT IF YOU'RE INTO ANIMATED MOVIES AND MUSIC!MANSON DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB ON HIS SONG: THIS IS HALLOWEEN! HIS VOICE HAS SO MANY DIMENSIONS IN THIS SONG.HIS MUSIC IS PERFECT WITH THE TITLE.

5 out of 5 stars It's simply the best!.......2007-02-15

Both versions of "What's this?" are great! Danny Elfman had already conquered my admiration and respect with Batman's and The Corpse Bride's soundtrack, but The Nightmare Before Christmas is my number 1 for a bunch of reasons: the interpretations are awesome and the new versions in the second CD have profoundly delighted me. If you're an Elfman's fan, you won't be disappointed!

4 out of 5 stars best 2-pack i've bought in a while.......2007-02-09

i will admit, i have been and will be a manson fanatic for a number of years. Nightmare before Christmas has also been on a consistent highnote for me even as a little kid when we got on VHS. so when i heard Danny Elfman on the radio talking about this thing a few weeks before it came out, i heard "marilyn manson will be doing a cover of "this is halloween", my heart jumped and i almost veered of the I-15. i bought two copies of it, one for myself and one for a friend who i knew would also appreciate it for the Panic! cover.

i will also admit i bought this cd without any hesitation, and only for that one song, and i must say it hit it right on the money. Marilyn Manson in my mind is the master of taking good, popular songs, and twisting them into something unique and that makes a statement (hearing him sing "boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?" is rather convienient).

i also enjoyed the rest of the cds with more or less the same appreciation.

my only gripe with this cd is She Wants Revenges version of Kidnap The Sandy Claws. that was something i was looking forward to, and the signers monotone singing does little to honor the song. the background tune hardly resembles the melody it was taken from. in that song there were 3 distinctive voices, with SWR, you got one unchanging voice with no emotion. hell Beastie Boys coulda done a better job on this song.

4 out of 5 stars A review.......2007-01-20

Seeing as I am an impulse buyer as well as a fan of this movie, I wasn't surprised to wake up one morning and find the package for this sitting on my doorstep. I listened to the second disc first and decided that it was OK. After reading some of the other reveiws I came to agree with some but disagree with others. Everyone has been saying that the Manson version of "This Is Halloween" was the best because it was scary and the Panic! version of said song sucked becuase it was too carnical like. If any of you remember the movie, the original song wasn't meant to be scary, but celebratory. I think Panic! captured that feeling best. Fiona Apple's song was beautiful, but I found that She Wants REvenge missed the mark a little. It had a good beat, yes, but it was too monotone for my taste. Fall Out Boy's cover is a kepper and has made it's way to my most played list. The demos are great, thought the demo of Kidnap the Sandy Claws kinda freaks me out when I remember that it's one guy doing three voices.
Disney's Greatest 3
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Disney's greatest hits, volum 3
  • Timeless Disney Music
  • Disney songs are the best
  • Great Disney Music
  • Not as good as Vol 1 and Vol 2
 Disney's Greatest 3
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006EXKT
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Amazon.com

Cynical types will accuse Disney of milking the "greatest" concept until it's drier than Tinkerbell's fairy dust ("Supercalafragilisticexpealidocious," "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Da," and "Heigh Ho" were hits off of Vol. 1; "Bare Necessities," "It's a Small World," and "Some Day My Prince Will Come" stole the show on Vol. 2), but a glimpse of this installment's track listing is all it'll take to squash their suspicions. Once again running reverse-chronologically, Vol. 3 opens with Jonatha Brooke's gorgeously achy ballad "I'll Try," from 2002's arguably not-so-great Return to Neverland, and gradually reaches back through the years to re-raise the curtain on Toy Story 2 ("When She Loved Me," performed by Sarah McLachlan), The Lion King ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight"), Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews's classic "A Spoonful of Sugar"), Pinocchio ("Give a Little Whistle"), and a bundle of treasured others, bottoming out at 1933's "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" from The Three Little Pigs. Vol. 3 is not without its weak moments--would a G-rated movie-goers' poll produce Beauty and the Beast's "Gaston" or The Hunchback of Notre Dame's "Topsy Turvy" on a hits list? Seems unlikely. Still, the bulk of these tracks are, as the included Little Mermaid song goes, "Part of Your World," and the spread of decades they represent proves their staying power. Don't expect Disney to latch the lid on its inexhaustible archives until a dozen or so of these records, each as strong as the next, beckon you back for more. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Disney's greatest hits, volum 3.......2007-05-13

This is one of the better volums for kids and for those who are
above 18 but still have some kid in them

5 out of 5 stars Timeless Disney Music.......2007-05-07

Nothing brings sweet recollection of Disney movies like hearing the wonderful songs. In an age where there so much music with no redeeming qualities, these Disney CDs are priceless. Wonderful for the entire family to listen to around the house or in the car while traveling. We can't help but sing along. We love that these are the original tracks from the movies! Wonderful! We now have all three volumes.

5 out of 5 stars Disney songs are the best.......2006-03-18

I love the songs on this volume. I'll Try by Jonatha Brooke is such an amzing somg. I especially bought this CD fort that song but, was pleasantly surprsed by the rest of the playlist.

4 out of 5 stars Great Disney Music.......2006-02-21

I have bought the first 2 volumes of Disney's Greatest Hits and the 3rd volume doesn't disapoint. My 2 young children love to listen to this CD and talk about the movies that they come from. A definate must have!

3 out of 5 stars Not as good as Vol 1 and Vol 2.......2005-09-11

This Disney CD represents the "leftovers" that didn't make it on Vol 1 and Vol 2 of this series. Although it has some of my favorites, I don't listen to the entire CD often. Disney could have done a better job of editing the which sound files should make the cut on this one. Still, it's nice to have all 3 CDs.
Welcome to My Nightmare
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • My favorite song and best solo from alice cooper
  • ALICE COOPER'S PERFECTION
  • Alice Goes Solo
  • The beginning of the downward slide
  • Been listening to this for 30 years and I'll listen for another 30...!!!
 Welcome to My Nightmare
Alice Cooper
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002I99
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Welcome To My Nightmare
  2. Devil's Food
  3. The Black Widow
  4. Some Folks
  5. Only Women Bleed
  6. Department Of Youth
  7. Cold Ethyl
  8. Years Ago
  9. Steven
  10. The Awakening
  11. Escape

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars My favorite song and best solo from alice cooper.......2007-04-25

WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE I loved that song to me it starts getting peacful with alices soft singing solos and the drums and the guitars start picking up and I don't know what they were but it sounded like trumpets during the middle of the song I loved it. Im not a really big fan of alice cooper there are just some of his songs I like. I don't know all these songs I just know this song but if there was a single album (which there isn't) I would just review it there instead of here. I have this song on a mix cd full of other songs which I love to listen while Im wasted.

5 out of 5 stars ALICE COOPER'S PERFECTION.......2007-01-14

While Alice Cooper's pinnacle song is 18, his crowning achievement album-wise was Welcome to My Nightmare--his only time to achieve perfection.
Just as KISS hit their zenith with Destroyer, this is where Cooper becomes king of the mountain.
His first official solo album, he brings along a concept album that takes us into a maccabe world of paranoia, schizophrenia, and insanity. It doesn't matter what mood you are in, because there is a track or two for every emotion.
The title track is the perfect opener, starting quietly but builds quickly to a rock anthem. The only question remains: do we feel welcome in this nightmare?
Alice Cooper fortunately did not try to raise any consciousness, nor does he make a political or social statement. He simply has fun, albeit a melancholy, dark way. Think of this as Trick or Treat ... for the insane.
The first few tracks, Devil's Food and Black Widow give us the tongue-in-cheek humor Alice was known for.
Only Women Bleed is Alice's best ballad, revealing some talent ... but he is quick to return to the dark comedy with Department of Youth and Cold Ethel.
The best part of this album is the stretch of songs I like to call "The Trilogy." It begins with Years Ago, builds into the disturbing Steven, and ends with The Awakening. These songs are the most haunting, eerie tunes ever penned by a rock musician.
The finale, Escape, returns to rock form, but still leaves the listener wondering if Alice did indeed escape his insanity.
22 years later, it is obvious: Alice Cooper is never fully sane, and that is why we truly love him.

5 out of 5 stars Alice Goes Solo.......2006-12-12

A new era starts for Alice. Gone is the original band as Alice goes solo teaming up once again with producer Bob Ezrin and new co-writer guitarist Dick Wagner to create Alice's vision of grand rock theater. "Nightmare" is considered a classic by most Cooper fans and indeed it is a great album albeit different from what his fans at the time might have been used to. The album is a concept piece revolving around the main character "Steven" (who is really Alice) sleeping through a nightmare...........or is it real? This album was conceived and written for the stage as Alice took a full theatrical production of this work on the road. Part rock, theater, Broadway, ballads, and even jazzy at times "Nightmare" covers a lot of ground. Several huge hits came from this album and they are all good ones. The title track with its horn section blaring out the main theme is very different from anything The Alice Cooper Band ever did. "Only Women Bleed" was Alice's first hit ballad. "Department Of Youth" was another big one that although a great song, does not really fit in the context of the album concept. The album tracks are mostly strong as well with "Devils Food / The Black Widow" still playing a part in Alice's set today. Vincent Price's creepy narration during "Black Widow" is a bit corny, but I get the feeling that is the way Alice wanted it to be. "Cold Ethyl" is similar to "I Love The Dead" from the previous album, only this one is totally done as a black comedy. The album closes with four songs that run together "Years Ago", "Steven", "The Awakening" , and "Escape" telling the story of Steven (Alice) and some of his mental.......lets say issues. The Steven character would show up on several later Cooper albums as well. For fans of progressive rock Tony Levin (King Crimson, ABWH, Peter Gabriel) played bass on this one. Although this album was a big departure from the original band's material it stands on it's own as a great piece of work.

3 out of 5 stars The beginning of the downward slide.......2006-09-03

Historically this is a better Alice Cooper cd b/c (I think) he made worse and worse stuff as time went on. After 1978, he was a parody of the once great artist that he was in the mid 1970's.

"Only Women Bleed" "Some Folks" and "Welcome to my Nightmare" are all good songs but, they are not even close to the quality that he did when Alice Cooper... the band was together. When compared to "Love it to Death" "Killer" "Schools Out" and "Billion Dollar Babies" this is a very lesser, embarassing work.

Remember, this was originally a raucous Detroit act compareable to The Stooges, Amboy Dukes and MC5. This was a Vegas lounge act by now. He would have been an MTV darling with this packaged lame excuse for rock music.

5 out of 5 stars Been listening to this for 30 years and I'll listen for another 30...!!!.......2006-07-31

Unquestionably one of the albums nearest-and-dearest to my heart, it can instantly transport me through time and I'm a teenager again....which isn't to say I want to live in the past (heck, I like being middle-aged!) but it's a declaration of the sheer power of this album. Alice's greatest album, bar none....and that's saying alot.

This is one of those few-and-far-between albums that you have to commit yourself to when you fire up the stereo to listen to it: it just feels WRONG to interrupt it for any reason. (The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Imperial Bedroom" by Elvis Costello and "Ritual De Lo Habitual" by Jane's Addiction are others that fall into this category.) Every song is of the highest quality; there are no dips in quality in the entirety of this exquisitely well-written and performed drama. The Bob Ezrin production is superb, bringing Alice's vision to vivid, haunting life. The band is in total synch and at the top of their game. Alice growls, pleads, shrieks, mocks, whispers and raves with equal, mesmerizing effect, like a character actor running wild with the juiciest role of his career.

If someone told me I could only have 60 minutes of recorded music, the closing sequence of "Years Ago" > "Steven" > "The Awakening" > "Escape" just might make the cut. Alice Cooper at the peak of their powers, this amazing sequence can still produce goosebumps on my arms. The nightmare-carnival of "Years Ago", the glorious, powerhouse orchestration of "Steven", the creepy, childlike tinkling piano which introduces "The Awakening".....WOW, what a show! When the opening chords of "Escape" come bounding out of my speakers, I'm instantly on my feet singing along in delirious rapture. (This album has the very same effect on my older sister Cindy. Put it on and you won't find two happier people anywhere!)

"Welcome To My Nightmare" is indeed the stuff of legend and hopefully will be listened to for many generations to come!
Darklore Manor
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • remaster
  • Nox Arcana keeps getting better
  • A Stunning Debut!
  • Nox Arcana: The project that truly represents Halloween and for people who simply love classical-oriented Gothic instrumentals
  • A well-woven dark tale
 Darklore Manor
Nox Arcana
Manufacturer: Monolith Graphics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GothGoth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Sound EffectsSound Effects | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
HalloweenHalloween | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Necronomicon
  2. Transylvania
  3. Winter's Knight
  4. The 13th Hour
  5. Carnival Of Lost Souls

ASIN: B0006OHMRY
Release Date: 2004-03-20

Tracks:

  1. Legend
  2. Darklore Manor
  3. Threshold Of The Dead
  4. Trespassers
  5. Veil Of Darkness
  6. Sanctuary Of Shadows
  7. The Grande Hall
  8. Remnants
  9. Phantom Procession
  10. Belladonna
  11. Nursery Rhyme
  12. Music Box
  13. The Forgotten
  14. Nightmare
  15. No Rest For The Wicked
  16. Omen
  17. Seance
  18. Beyond Midnight
  19. Darkness Immortal
  20. Incantation
  21. Resurrected

Album Description

Enter Darklore Manor, where creatures of the night lurk in shadows and ghostly sounds echo through unhallowed halls. Nox Arcana invites you to embark on a musical journey throughout a legendary haunted mansion with a dark and sinister history. This gothic soundscape contains 21 tracks of haunting melodies, eerie voices, Latin chants, and foreboding orchestrations to create a perfect dark and moody atmosphere.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars remaster.......2007-05-25

the remastered version is were its at. it actualy sounds eerie.

5 out of 5 stars Nox Arcana keeps getting better.......2007-05-12


They are the best at what they do and this CD is just one more example. You cannot go wrong with any Nox Arcana CD

5 out of 5 stars A Stunning Debut!.......2007-04-17

Nox Arcana's debut CD Darklore Manor is a stunning, chilling instrumental concept album that could easily serve as the soundtrack for a classic haunted house film. Very few debut CDs have the amazing musicianship and technical virtuosity that Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski exhibit on this album. There are unforgettable, elegant piano-dominated melodies like "Veil of Darkness," as well as sinister organ pieces, moody harpsichord songs and elaborate, stirring orchestral set pieces that demonstrate an instinctive mastery of composition and melody. The entire gamut of Gothic music is presented here, and woven throughout the CD's 21 tracks are ghostly sound effects, chilling choirs and eerie narrations, all of which contribute to a mesmerizing musical tapestry. The CD's highlight may be "The Forgotten" - a beautiful, moving piano elegy that you will never forget. Many musicians strive their whole careers for an album this accomplished. The beautifully designed CD booklet by Joseph Vargo and Christine Filipak is another delight - this is an album that shows a rare attention to detail, from the packaging to the mixing. Highly recommended.

4 out of 5 stars Nox Arcana: The project that truly represents Halloween and for people who simply love classical-oriented Gothic instrumentals.......2007-04-09



I was told, by a mysterious voice in the night, that I should seek Nox Arcana and await further instructions. But it all began years ago with the discovery of the Midnight Syndicate. So, I did the obvious and entered "Midnight Syndicate" in my computer search engine, and the lone website introduced itself to me. All went dark and quiet, and the room got cold, and I could see my breath as I panted in fear, and I heard laughter amongst terrifying screams, but yet, I was alone. This was only my introduction to the Midnight Syndicate and soon to follow was the birth of something even better, the nightmareish apparitions of Nox Arcana. I was compelled to bring Nox Arcana into my world, and so I've been in the dark ever since. But, then again, it became a blissful absence from the norm. Although, Halloween is never really mentioned with any of the Nox Arcana CD's, it does seem that everyday is Halloween in my world, and for the past four years, I've always feared that I've sold my soul somehow. I believe that I sacrificed my soul the day I got out my credit card and asked the cyber spirits to bring my first Nox Arcana CD into my home. It was this CD: "Darklore Manor"

Something became different about me. My very presence wasn't acknowledged in any normal way anymore. Was I being ignored, or am I even in the room at all? Something just wasn't right. I've had days that I've stared into the mirror, but somehow, I wasn't there. When I speak to strangers in the street, I don't think that they even acknowledge me. I speak with just a small hiss of words, and people respond as if they've just been pushed by a cold wind. My loved ones speak of me, as if I've departed from this world, but yet, I am in the room. Only when I laugh, do people respond as if they've heard something. They cuddle together, in fear of their safety, and cry out my name, in a past tense, as if I am torturing them. This wasn't fun anymore. It wasn't fun, THEN, anyway.

I wander aimlessly, finally coming to terms with this apparition that I have become. My only consolation, deep into the night, is to take some of my Nox Arcana CD's and my mini-CD player, to the cemetery and lay against a tombstone, and watch the wind swirl up the leaves in a satanic dance before my eyes, while the music plays and eats away at my scruples of logic. I feel a cold embrace of many condemned angels who've cast off all their inhibitions and indulged in lustful passion upon my defenseless mortal flesh. I am consumed into their ritual with reckless abandon. Returning to reality is all nonsense now. My only fear, is that the batteries in my CD player will weaken and diminish this clash of passion of my psychological pleasure and terror.

I am so glad that Nox Arcana has entered my once typical, pop culture world. However, I feel now, that if I should ever die, I may not know the difference. I've been enjoying this nocturnal bliss for a couple of years now and there's no going back. I walk this world in a cold absence where I question if my presence is perceived at all.

If you'd like to share in this experience with me, start off with this CD of "Darklore Manor". Then get "Necronomicon", "Winter's Knight", "Transylvania", "Carnival of Lost Souls", and their latest (as of 2007) called "Blood of the Dragon".

This music is not heavy metal. It's not satanic music. It's just a mix of classically-influenced instrumentals with various snippets of dark poetry and ghastly effects. You'll hear tormented screams, deathly bell tolls, sinister laughter, grandfather clocks, howling winds, and other little clever effects with piano, organ, and harpsichord, supported by rich strings and a mellotron sound, that promote a uniquely beautiful, but yet, horrifying terror that may claim your soul. It's a small sacrifice for the sake of a dark happiness.

Alas, here's one more way that I have benefited from the music of Nox Arcana. By listening to these CD's through headphones at the cemetery, alone, late at night, in the cold dark, there is a terror that I've experienced that has actually helped me lose weight. To be so terrified that my heart pulsated so intensely that I feared my heart would just burst! That, and the accidental soiling of myself, helped me lose about three pounds. Who would have thought that terror could promote weight loss?

So, if it's dark and disturbing, it has a place in my heart.

4 out of 5 stars A well-woven dark tale.......2007-02-22

Though a bit more specific and talky than the Midnight Syndicate CDs (which was my first venture into this kind of atmospheric music), I found Nox Arcana's Darklore Manor to be quite creepy. It tells a story of an house under a curse, and the strange happenings therein. While it leaves less to the imagination than Midnight Syndicate's 13th Hour, it has plenty of frightening tracks for your next horror gaming session or Halloween party.
Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • A good value
  • The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann
  • Good mix of film music
  • A mixed collection of movie music
  • Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens
 Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Elfman, DannyElfman, Danny | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by HerrmannAll Works by Herrmann | Herrmann, Bernard | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Korngold, Erich WolfgangKorngold, Erich Wolfgang | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by KamenAll Works by Kamen | Kamen, Michael | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by SchifrinAll Works by Schifrin | Schifrin, Lalo | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by WaxmanAll Works by Waxman | Waxman, Franz | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by ManciniAll Works by Mancini | Mancini, Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
Movie ScoresMovie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Movie SoundtracksMovie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Star WarsStar Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Bargain Box SetsBargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores
  2. In Session: Film Music Celebration
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  5. Music In Film (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

ASIN: B00008WI90
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

  1. The Man from Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
  2. The Winds of War (Bob Cobert)
  3. Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
  4. Witness (Maurice Jarre)
  5. Raising Arizona (Carter Burwell)
  6. Pee Wees Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
  7. Halloween (John Carpenter)
  8. A Nightmare On Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
  9. The Fly (Howard Shore)
  10. RoboCop (Basil Poledouris)
  11. The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
  12. The Right Stuff (Bill Conti)
  13. The Final Conflict (Jerry Goldsmith)
  14. The Abyss (Alan Silvestri)
  15. Brainstorm (James Horner)
  16. Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
  17. My Left Foot (Elmer Bernstein)
  18. The Dead (Alex North)
  19. Stanley & Iris (John Williams)
  20. The Milagro Beanfield War (Dave Grusin)
  21. Driving Miss Daisy (Hans Zimmer)

Tracks:

  1. Steel Magnolias (Georges Delerue)
  2. Unforgiven (Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood)
  3. Raggedy Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
  4. The Grifters (Elmer Bernstein)
  5. Green Card (Hans Zimmer)
  6. City Slickers (Marc Shaiman)
  7. Father Of The Bride (Alan Silvestri)
  8. While You Were Sleeping (Randy Edelman)
  9. Babe (Nigel Westlake)
  10. The Adventures Of The Great Mouse Detective (Henry Mancini)
  11. The Adventures of Robin Hood (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
  12. The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Laurence Rosenthal)
  13. The Secret Garden (Zbigniew Preisner)
  14. A Little Princess (Patrick Doyle)
  15. Rudy (Jerry Goldsmith)
  16. Iron Will (Joel McNeely)
  17. Memphis Belle (George Fenton)
  18. Eye Of The Needle (Mikl)
  19. Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
  20. Back To The Future Part III (Alan Silvestri)

Tracks:

  1. To Die For (Danny Elfman)
  2. The Player (Thomas Newman)
  3. Black Robe (Georges Delerue)
  4. Medicine Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
  5. 2001 (Alex North)
  6. Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Joel McNeely)
  7. The Crow (Graeme Revell)
  8. Blade (Mark Isham)
  9. The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
  10. Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)
  11. Scream (Marco Beltrami)
  12. The Sixth Sense (James Newton Howard)
  13. Xena: Warrior Princess (Joseph LoDuca)
  14. Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)
  15. Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris)
  16. The Matrix (Don Davis)
  17. The Iron Giant (Michael Kamen)
  18. Youve Got Mail (George Fenton)
  19. A Little Romance (Georges Delerue)
  20. Pleasantville (Randy Newman)

Tracks:

  1. Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)
  2. L.A. Confidential (Jerry Goldsmith)
  3. Rounders (Christopher Young)
  4. The Score (Howard Shore)
  5. The Replacements (John Debney)
  6. Gone In 60 Seconds (Trevor Rabin)
  7. The Bourne Identity (John Powell)
  8. Rush Hour 2 (Lalo Schifrin)
  9. XXX (Randy Edelman)
  10. Die Hard (Michael Kamen)
  11. The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones)
  12. Moby Dick (Christopher Gordon)
  13. The Mists Of Avalon (Lee Holdridge)
  14. Cleopatra (Alex North)
  15. Life As A House (Mark Isham)
  16. Emma (Rachel Portman)
  17. In The Bedroom (Thomas Newman)
  18. Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)
  19. One True Thing (Cliff Eidelman)
  20. Unfaithful (Jan A.P. Kaczmarek)
  21. Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
  22. Ice Age (David Newman)
  23. Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A good value.......2007-05-17

I wasn't expecting to have 4 discs for this price, and the music is a quality selection of film music, giving a good scope of the genre, and a very listenable transfer.

4 out of 5 stars The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann.......2006-07-25

This collection is bound to capture your heart and evoke a tin ear on successive tracks. I found much to like and some duds - easy to skip over.
Very good value.

4 out of 5 stars Good mix of film music.......2006-07-02

Good mix of films!
I'm a big fan of this soundtrack music and will be looking for more CD's like this.

4 out of 5 stars A mixed collection of movie music.......2006-02-23

For the price, this CD is a great bargain. The musical selections, as you might expect, are mixed in quality ranging from extraordinary to so so, the balance being worthwhile and interesting. Sonically the CD is excellent.

5 out of 5 stars Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens.......2006-01-06

I have been listening to great scores for many years and this collection is truly inspirational in so far as the choice of different scores takes you on a journey of listening pleasure matched by only a few collections.The price is incredibly reasonable for hours of listening pleasure. Don't pass this one up
Music for a Darkened Theatre, Vol. 2: Film & Television Music
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Priceless, at any price
  • Good overview
  • Great Music!!!!!!!!!
  • Very nice for a Danny Elfman collection
  • Bring on Volume 3
 Music for a Darkened Theatre, Vol. 2: Film & Television Music

Manufacturer: Fontana Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Elfman, DannyElfman, Danny | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Movie ScoresMovie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Movie SoundtracksMovie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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  1. Music for a Darkened Theatre, Vol. 1: Film & Television Music
  2. Serenada Schizophrana
  3. So Lo
  4. Sleepy Hollow: Music from the Motion Picture
  5. Edward Scissorhands: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

ASIN: B000002P4P
Release Date: 1996-12-03

Tracks:

  1. Edward Scissorhands Suite: Main Titles
  2. Edward Scissorhands Suite: Storytime
  3. Edward Scissorhands Suite: Suite
  4. Edward Scissorhands Suite: Suburbia-Barber
  5. Edward Scissorhands Suite: The Grand Finale
  6. Dolores Claiborne Suite: Main Titles
  7. Dolores Claiborne Suite: Vera's World
  8. Dolores Claiborne Suite: Flashback
  9. Dolores Claiborne Suite: Sad Room
  10. Dolores Claiborne Suite: End Titles
  11. To Die For Suite: Main Titles
  12. To Die For Suite: Suzie's Theme
  13. To Die For Suite: Busted
  14. To Die For Suite: Wheepy Donuts
  15. To Die For Suite: Finale
  16. Black Beauty Suite: Main Titles
  17. Black Beauty Suite: Baby Beauty
  18. Black Beauty Suite: Jump For Joy
  19. Black Beauty Suite: Frolick-Sick
  20. Black Beauty Suite: Bye Bye Jerry
  21. Black Beauty Suite: Memories
  22. Black Beauty Suite: End Titles
  23. Batman Returns Suite:Birth Of A Penguin
  24. Batman Returns Suite: Trouble Suite
  25. Batman Returns Suite: The Finale
  26. Batman Returns Suite: End Titles

Tracks:

  1. Mission Impossible Suite: Trouble
  2. Mission Impossible Suite: Looking For Job
  3. Mission Impossible Suite: Betrayal
  4. Sommersby Suite: Main Titles
  5. Sommersby Suite: Return Montage
  6. Sommersby Suite: Finale-End Titles
  7. Dead Presidents Suite: Main Titles
  8. Dead Presidents Suite: Daughter
  9. Dead Presidents Suite: Montage
  10. Dead Presidents Suite: Nam
  11. Dead Presidents Suite: Nightmare
  12. Nightmare Before Christmas Suite: Overture
  13. Nightmare Before Christmas Suite: Jack And Sally Suite
  14. Nightmare Before Christmas Suite: Christmas Eve Montage
  15. Freeway Suite: Main Titles
  16. Freeway Suite: On The Road
  17. Freeway Suite: Back In The Car
  18. Shrunken Heads Suite: Main Titles
  19. Television Odds 'N Ends Suite: Amazing Stories 'Family Dog'
  20. Television Odds 'N Ends Suite: Amazing Stories 'Family Dog'
  21. Television Odds 'N Ends Suite: Amazing Stories 'Mummy, Daddy
  22. Television Odds 'N Ends Suite: Barkley Superhero 'Nike Commercial'
  23. Television Odds 'N Ends Suite: The Flash 'Theme'
  24. Television Odds 'N Ends Suite: Pee Wee's Playhouse
  25. Television Odds 'N Ends Suite: Beetlejuice - Animated Tv Series 'Theme'
  26. Untitled
  27. Untitled
  28. Untitled
  29. This Is Halloween (Original Demo For Nightmare Before Christmas)

Amazon.com

A delightfully buoyant, mock-creepy collection of film scores from Hollywood's first and best call for quirk, strangeness, and charm. Focusing on Elfman's post-1992 work (much of it for director Tim Burton), this 2 CD set features excerpts from Edward Scissorhands, To Die For, and Batman Returns, among other lesser items. -- Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Priceless, at any price.......2007-07-06

Years ago, watching peter Jennings cover the funeral procession of Princess Diana, my soul was captured by some hauntingly beautiful music that at times played in the background. So began my mission to find out what it was, who wrote it and how I could get it. After some correspondence with the network I was put in touch with the woman who "put together" that part of the programming. All she could remember is that it came from the movie "Black Beauty". THEN I found out how many versions of that had been made lol. With determination, I finally found it, and had a local music store order it for me.
There are no words to describe what this music does to me. I did try listening to some of the other tracks, but they didn't even come close. I rate this music right up there with the 1971 score for "Jane Eyre" by John Willams... and that's pretty high :D

5 out of 5 stars Good overview.......2007-04-18

Very nice overview of Elfman work. Insufficient by itself but worth having along with the full soundtracks. Bonus disc is a nice extra.

5 out of 5 stars Great Music!!!!!!!!!.......2005-09-08

I Love Danny Elfman's music so much that I have started my own collection of the soundtracks that he composed. For a while, I was trying to find the "Beetlejuice" theme song from the TV show, but thanks to this release, I finally have it!!! Keep up the good work Elfman!

5 out of 5 stars Very nice for a Danny Elfman collection.......2005-08-02

Music For A Darkened Theater, Vol.2 is a great cd!!! I love all of the tracks on both cd's,but my fav. ones are the t.v. scores and the This Is Halloween demo!!! If you love this,then i recomend looking at all the actually albums on this cd and his other works!!!! good job,Danny Elfman.

5 out of 5 stars Bring on Volume 3.......2005-05-04

The liner notes and "This is Halloween Demo" on this compilation are well worth the CD price by themselves. Danny comments on each of the tracks on the CDs which is a rare and ego-free look at what a composer thinks of his own work.

Edward Scissorhands is magical, Black Beauty is a rollercoaster of emotion, and Dolores Claiborne makes me want to find the nearest piano. This is not a "Most Popular" compilation, rather it aptly showcases Danny Elfman's (and Orchestrator, Steve Bartek's) brilliance and wide range of style.

Every suite has an Elfman signature, such as the layered complexity which never sounds overdone, or the use of a choir as an instrument.

This (and Volume 1) are examples of the work of a modern day composer who consistently stands out as one of the best.

If you like this and have the spare cash, grab the individual scores from some of the movies he has worked on, including "Men In Black", "Spiderman", "Batman", "Batman Returns", "Nightmare Before Christmas", "Edward Scissorhands", "Mars Attacks" and so many more.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The best movie soundtrack - ever
  • One of the best soundtracks ever!
  • Fantastic!!
  • "This is Halloween" and More.
  • Not my kind of music
 The Nightmare Before Christmas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Danny Elfman
Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie ScoresMovie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Movie SoundtracksMovie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
1990s1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
General ChristmasGeneral Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Pop VocalPop Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Disney RecordsDisney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
General ChristmasGeneral Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Pop VocalPop Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Corpse Bride
  2. The Nightmare Before Christmas (Special Edition)
  3. Edward Scissorhands: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  4. Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
  5. Beetlejuice: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

ASIN: B000001M1W
Release Date: 1993-10-12

Tracks:

  1. Overture - Orchestra
  2. Opening - Patrick Stewart
  3. This Is Halloween - Danny Elfman
  4. Jack's Lament - Citizens Of Halloween Town
  5. Doctor Finkelstein/In The Forest - Danny Elfman
  6. What's This? - Patrick Stewart And Halloween Cast
  7. Town Meeting Song - Danny Elfman
  8. Jack And Sally Montage - Danny Elfman And Cast
  9. Jack's Obsession - Patrick Stewart And Halloween Cast
  10. Kidnap The Sandy Claws - Danny Elfman And Cast
  11. Making Christmas - Danny Elfman And The Citizens Of Halloween Town
  12. Nabbed - Patrick Stewart And Halloween Cast
  13. Oogie Boogie's Song - Ken Page With Ed Ivory
  14. Sally's Song - Cathrine O'Hara
  15. Christmas Eve Montage - Patrick Stewart And Halloween Cast
  16. Poor Jack - Danny Elfman
  17. To The Rescue - Patrick Stewart And Halloween Cast
  18. Finale/Reprise - Danny Elfman, Cathrine O'Hara, Citizens of Halloween...
  19. Closing - Patrick Stewart
  20. End Title - Patrick Stewart And Halloween Cast

Album Description

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack features 10 ghoulishly delightful songs and score by renowned composer/songwriter Danny Elfman, lead singer of the popular rock group Oingo Boingo. Embracing the traditional musical structure of 10 songs and underscore, Elfman creates a musical landscape in which the story narrative is wholly integrated into each musical number. Allowing the film's fantastic characters to come convincingly to life, the songs set into "stop-motion" the fanciful tale of Jack Skellington with haunting melodies, vivid imagery, and spectacular wordplay. Supported by an evocative and suspenseful underscore, the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack is a dazzling marriage of music and innovative technique.

The film's production numbers include: "This Is Halloween," the song that introduces the storyline; "Jack's Lament," in which Jack expresses his frustration with his life; "What's This?," Jack's exuberant testimonial to Christmastown; "Town Meeting Song," which introduces the denizens of Halloweentown; "Jack's Obsession," in which Jack realizes his newfound desire for Christmas; "Kidnap the Sandy Claws," which unveils Lock, Shock, and Barrel's plan to abduct Santa Claus; "Making Christmas," Halloweentown's off-kilter impression of Christmas; "Sally's Song," a tender ballad of unrequited love; "Oogie Boogie's Song," the evil demon's gloriously ghoulish tribute to himself; "Poor Jack," a song of self-awakening, in which Jack discovers he truly belongs in Halloweentown; and the finale reprise performed by Jack, Sally, and the citizens of Halloweentown.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The best movie soundtrack - ever.......2007-04-23


Setting aside that Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo, The Simpsons, composer extraordinarie...) is "God," this album is one of his greatest masterpieces ever. His scores and songs truly bring Tim Burton's greatest movie masterpiece (with due respect to Beetlejuice) to life. The music of Nightmare is a full half of the magic of the film, the characters being the other.

Every song is faithfully set to order here and flows seamlessly from one to the next. Unlike other soundtrack albums, this gem stands on its own as an auditory representation of the film, but also a pleasant album to listen to in its own right. I am far from being a fan of musicals, but this album is one of the great exceptions.

5 out of 5 stars One of the best soundtracks ever!.......2007-01-04

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a legendary movie in my house, and this soundtrack, of course, follows suit. Danny Elfman is a genius! These songs are so much fun to listen to and sing along with! I highly, highly recommend adding this brilliant soundtrack to your collection!

5 out of 5 stars Fantastic!!.......2006-11-09

When will Elfman get his due credit? The man is one of the most versatile composers of his day, and has not been awarded a thing. Personally I think that Nightmare before Christmas was his best. But Corpse Bride was fantastic. He know how to fit into Burton's visions perfectly.

4 out of 5 stars "This is Halloween" and More........2006-09-29

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a bizarre film with a charming (though somewhat morbid) sensibility. There are many parts that make movie whole, but one of the things I enjoyed most about the film was the musical moments when the characters burst into song. This soundtrack to the film includes the vocal arrangements from the movie as well as the score written by Danny Elfman. Some of my favorite tunes on the album are:

"This Is Halloween"--the song that defines the spirit of the film.

"Jack's Lament"--a beautiful and haunting, tragically personal ballad about wanting more out of life. Face it, we can all relate to the way the Pumpkin King feels now and again.

"Kidnap the Sandy Claws"--Lock, Shock, and Barrel are a troublesome trio and their mischievous ways are highlighted in this song of unimaginable trickery.

"Oogie Boogie's Song"--the Boogeyman has always been a frightening creature but never has he been more approachable than here.

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is not an album that everyone will enjoy. Fans of the movie, Danny Elfman diehards, and Tim Burton admirers will probably enjoy the cd. Other than that, it's hard to say because the album, like the song is a mixed-up variety of holidays and more.

2 out of 5 stars Not my kind of music.......2006-08-14

After reading such good reviews, I decided to buy the CD. Only to discover it is not my kind of music. This is like a kindergarten kind of music.
Gates of Delirium
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The best album (still currently for sale) from Midnight Syndicate (but it goes down hill from here)
  • Absolutely Incredible Musical Tour Through A 19th Century Asylum!!
  • Another Midnight Syndicate disc that is a must have
  • Footsteps, knocks & giggles
  • "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
 Gates of Delirium
Midnight Syndicate
Manufacturer: Linfaldia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GothGoth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. The 13th Hour
  2. Vampyre : Symphonies from the Crypt
  3. Realm of Shadows
  4. Darklore Manor
  5. Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994-1999)

ASIN: B00005B503
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

  1. Arrival
  2. Welcome
  3. Haverghast Asylum
  4. Halls of Insurrection
  5. Cage of Solitude
  6. Residents Past
  7. Adelaide
  8. Phantom Sentinels
  9. Gates of Delirium
  10. Non Compos Mentis
  11. Procession of the Damned
  12. Infestation
  13. Room 47
  14. Dark Discovery
  15. Morbid Fascination
  16. Dead of Night
  17. Alternative Therapy
  18. Crimson Door
  19. Unrest in the East Wing
  20. Ebony Shroud
  21. Sleep Tight

Album Description

They have taken you deep into the crypts of a forbidden castle and to the edge of the sea among the ruins of a cursed village . . . Now the masters of gothic/horror soundscape invite you to take a musical journey into the macabre world of Haverghast Asylum. Your horse and carriage awaits you . . .

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars The best album (still currently for sale) from Midnight Syndicate (but it goes down hill from here).......2007-04-18

The dark magic faded fast after this album was released. Everything they did afterwards just seemed to become redundant. No newer album ever merited any improvements or aroused any special new nuances. Their newer material just started to sound like previously rejected filler material that they started to release afterwards as whole albums. So, I guess, nowadays, Midnight Syndicate is just sitting in limbo hoping to conjure up some new fresh ideas. And they are probably still just licking their wounds from last years backlash of discontinuing the availabilty of their best albums, and then releasing a shoddy re-recording of key tracks.



When I first started buying the CD's of Midnight Syndicate, I was pretty excited about having this dark moody classical outlet to add to my music library. Before the Midnight Syndicate, I only use to find small episodes of the kind of music that the Midnight Syndicate does.



There are other artists such as Cradle of Filth, Yello, Vangelis, Rick Wakeman, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, and Jean Michel Jarre and various types of horror soundtracks (John Carpenter, Giorgio Moroder, Goblin, etc.) that would give you one or two really cool dark classical instrumentals that just made you wish there were more. When Midnight Syndicate came out with "Born of the Night", that was the album that represented all that I was looking for in a complete sound concept that captured and embraced my more sinister side but in a subtle way. Just like when Hitler had Wagner, and Alex (A Clockwork Orange) had Beethoven, the Midnight Syndicate gave me that atmosphere that empowered my darkest moods and made me feel that there was a kind of music out there that understands me.



This album of "Gates of Delerium" is their fourth project and probably one of the easiest ones to buy. Their first three CD's are discontinued and out of print. It's unfortunate because "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows" were their best two albums. I got them, Thank God, but new fans will never know their most creative years. After "Gates of Delerium" their appeal really began to drop because their music wasn't really growing or going anywhere new and adventurous. Some concepts have changed, but those changed concepts were just becoming stale and redundant. They started to record dull uninspiring stale non-embellished classical passages which all sounded alike all through their albums. Each album just started to get even more boring from one album to the next. Their last respectable project was "The 13th Hour". So if you get "Gates of Delerium" and "The 13th Hour", that is all you really need from the Midnight Syndicate. Their other albums (including their retrospective CD) are just so bland and uninteresting. But, of course, if you see them "used" somewhere selling for about the price of an empty CD jewel box, that may be worth it. If you see "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows" used somewhere, definitely jump on them. And check out Nox Arcana too if you want to check out more music similar to "Gates of Delerium" (and especially the eerie sound of "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows"). Midnigh Syndicate haven't released anything new since their "Out of the Darkness" CD. I guess they are still suffering from the repercussions of that major mistake. I sure hope they'll bounce back with something new soon.

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely Incredible Musical Tour Through A 19th Century Asylum!!.......2006-12-11

Listening to this muscial masterpiece as I type this, I'm astounded to find that I have never placed my review of this Incredible CD on this page and I've owned it for years.

Allow me to correct that mistake right now.

Everyone...this is one FUN FUN FUN CD!

Just listening to this music now, there is so much more freedom and artistic openness to the arrangements from the previous two CDs.
Both Born of the Night and Realm of Shadows are Awesome CDs in thier own right and ANY Midnight Syndicate fan should have them in thier collection (if they can still obtain a copy seeing that both recordings have been discontinued) but there is an *oppression* present that I can't put my finger on.
I can't explain it.
But in THIS recording...Midnight Syndicate Band Mates Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka BUST LOOSE and become the Artists that they are destined to be. This musical tour relies VERY LITTLE on sound effects and those that are there are very well and appropriately placed. Never over done...never under done. Your imagination is ALLOWED to take over and see what it wants to see...and sometimes things that you don't, but your brain takes you there anyway! lol!
The music is lush, darkly alluring and carries you through the asylum of scared, misunderstood and mistreated patients at the mercy of the facility's sadistic Dr. Haverghast! *Don't worry! you don't hear anything *BAD* but like I said, this CD-so good- your brain just takes you there!
I have never tired of this recording. It's complete "Mind Candy" and carries you away to another time.
This is why Midnight Syndicate are the Masters of the Genre that they created... Gothic Halloween CDs for the Imagination and they just keep getting better and better with time.

Now....go buy this CD and let yourself be taken away....
down the hall, dragged, screaming for your life as the metal door slams shut behind you as your helpless screams die away in the distance.....

5 out of 5 stars Another Midnight Syndicate disc that is a must have.......2006-06-05

"Gates of Delirium" is the CD that set the stage for the band's CD "The 13th Hour." Even though I was introduced to "The 13th Hour" first, I really enjoy this CD & it really allows you to picture the haunted asylum. Great music mixed with the minimal sounds of crazed laughter and ghostly effects, it can quickly create goose bumps all over your body. I realized after listening to it over and over again, that this is the music being used at two haunted houses in my area last fall.

If you are looking for a mysterious, dark, haunting orchestral CD, this is a must have.

2 out of 5 stars Footsteps, knocks & giggles.......2006-04-24

If you want to listen to something really unsettling, try Brian Eno's "On Land". It's the creepiest thing I've ever heard - and it doesn't rely on footsteps, knocks and giggles like "Gates of Delirium" does. Sure, the music here (when it's not overblown) has its moments, but it's really just a cross between a horror movie soundtrack and a Hallowe'en special effects CD. The track "Haverghast Asylum" reminds me of an outtake from Alice Cooper's "Welcome to My Nightmare". That might have been the intention, of course, but it adds up to a CONSCIOUSLY spooky listen, not a SUBCONSCIOUSLY eerie listen like the aforementioned album by Eno.

If you're looking for background music to a game of Vampire: The Masquerade, I suppose "Gates of Delirium" will do the trick - but if you want to feel the goosebumps rise, put on a pair of headphones, turn out the lights, and listen to "On Land". Alone.

5 out of 5 stars "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.".......2005-11-30

Are you looking for that halloween music that can give you a fright?
Are you hungering for the music that gives chills and is right with the moon in the dead of night?
Are you tired of those $3.99 Halloween Cds you find at your local grocery store?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you've come to the right place. So, now, sit back, relax, and dim the lights as we take you on a journey through an abandoned insane asylum. Be warned that once you have arrived, you'll never be able to see the sun ever again. Every song from the first to the last sends chills down the spine of the unwary listener. As the Cd progresses we are treated to sounds of wailings as we hear imprisoned souls as they cry out in pain as they suffer the agony of their tormenters. "Room 47" is where you feel the pain of the soul that is confined to this blited place. Beware, once you have arrived, you never get out alive. Highly recommended.
Bernard Herrmann: The Film Scores
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent performances of a selection of Herrmann's later film scores
  • Classic, at reduced price
 Bernard Herrmann: The Film Scores

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by HerrmannAll Works by Herrmann | Herrmann, Bernard | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Vertigo: Original Motion Picture Score (1995 Re-recording)
  2. Bernard Herrmann: The Film Scores
  3. Bernard Herrmann: The Twilight Zone (Television Series Score Re-recording)
  4. The Ghost And Mrs. Muir: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  5. Bernard Herrmann Film Scores: From Citizen Kane To Taxi Driver

ASIN: B00077F9AM
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Excellent performances of a selection of Herrmann's later film scores.......2007-06-15

Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic produce fine performances of a selection of Herrmann's post-1955 film scores.

The music itself is of variable musical interest.
The music from "The Man who Knew too Much", "Vertigo", "Marnie", "North by Northwest", "Taxi Driver" and "Psycho" shows Herrmann at his best.
"Torn Curtain" and "Fahrenheit 451" find Herrmann at his least inspired and it is a pity Salonen didn't jettison these items in favour of something else.

The performances cannot be faulted and lovers of Herrmann's music will find much to enjoy here.

5 out of 5 stars Classic, at reduced price.......2006-08-15

As much (if not more) than any other film composer, Bernard Herrmann's music stands up to listening independent of the films. The emphasis here is on Herrmann's scores for Hitchcock, when both men were arguably at their creative heights.

Note: this is NOT a collection of original soundtrack recordings. However, Salonen and the LA Philharmonic at absolutely top-notch, and the recording is beautiful. Certain subtleties are actually easier to hear on this recording than on some of the originals.

As if I couldn't recommend this highly enough, the price has been reduced on this reissue! This deserves a wide audience, don't hesitate to buy it.

Music Track:

  1. Nothin' But Trouble [Import]
  2. Operation: Mindcrime
  3. Orgia Daemonicum
  4. Original Sins
  5. Permission to Land [Clean]
  6. Phantom Agony [Import]
  7. Primal Massacre
  8. Reckoning Night [Import]
  9. Reclaim
  10. Reinventing the Steel [Clean] [Enhanced]

Music Track

music track

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