Early Years

Early Years

Track Listings

1. Whatever I Want

2. When the Morning Comessay Good Bye

3. Looking Back

4. All Over Again

5. Honestly

6. Lovin Like 90

7. One Step at a Time

8. Staying Away

9. Last Time

10. One of the Wounded

11. Right Time

12. You're the One

13. Out of Love

14. I Can Hear Them Now [*]

15. End of Time [*]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
European edition of 2003 compilation for the Canadian heavy metal act includes two bonus tracks, 'I Can Hear Them Now' & 'End Of Time'. 'Early Years' consists of demo material recorded before the self-titled 1991 debut album. Frontiers Records.

Tracks:

Shine
Late Night Radio
Coming Down
Birds Without Wings
The Light
Everytime
A Century Ends
Lullaby
Faster, Sooner, Now
Wisdom
Falling Free
Sell, Sell, Sell
Debauchery
Flesh
Hold On To Nothing

Amazon.com

This is not the first collection of David Gray's "pre-success" recordings, but it is the best one. Unlike many such collections of early works by noted artists, you're not seeing the artist's abilities in their infant state--each of these 15 songs is already great. The Mancunian musician's performing abilities were well developed by the time he first recorded in the early '90s; one might even argue that they sound best in the often stripped-down, more raw state on display here. The songs themselves, however, have definitely matured since Gray hit the alt-adult-contemporary big time with the electronica-tinged White Ladder in 2000; such songs as "Wisdom" and "Birds Without Wings" do show the marks of other singer-songers (notably Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan). These days, of course, David Gray is himself often used as an adjective, to describe all the other scruffy-bearded blue-eyed songsters reaching for the sensitive crooner's crown. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews:

Why are you considering buying this album?.......2007-07-01

David Grey's early work is a treasure trove of brilliance. Some otherwise good performers put out hit-and-miss albums, and it's best to wait for the anthologies to grab the good tracks. Not here. The albums this anthology draws from are all stunning, from the first track to the last.

I'm not a DG fanatic; I'm just saying they are good. Very very good. So please, do youself a huge favor, and go pick up "A Century Ends", "Sell, Sell, Sell", and "Flesh". You're already here on Amazon, so go on. Consider it an investment in your soul, and you'll save shipping costs to boot. Because, after you hear these songs, you're just going to want to come back and hear all the tracks you're missing, like "Gathering Dust" and "Let the Truth Sting".

So buy this album if you must, but consider yourself warned: You'll love it.

Shining Before Babylon.......2007-05-17

This English singer-songwriter took a while to catch on in America, but he had released several acclaimed albums and EPs prior to achieving success in the U.S. This release is a compilation of the best tracks from these early British albums, and while these albums are now available themselves in the U.S., I get the feeling that this album is a pretty effective representation of the best efforts of those previous releases. Also, these tracks are relatively unadorned compared to those on Gray's recent releases, so the actual songs come through quite strongly in these recordings. Standout tracks: "Late Night Radio", "Everytime", "Debauchery", and the title track of his debut album, "A Century Ends".

Best of the Best.......2007-04-03

I used to have a mixtape of my favorite David Gray songs -- my "Best of." This CD is nearly an identical mix of that tape. These are the best of the early years. They are the best of David Gray. Usually, on a "Best of" compilation, there are always a few question marks in the eyes of fans that already have all the songs, but this one doesn't have any. One flawless CD.

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:

Kentucky Woman
Cherry, Cherry
Solitary Man
You Got To Me
I Got The Feelin' (Oh No, No)
Thank The Lord For The Night Time
I'm A Believer
Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon
Shilo
Do It
Red Red Wine
The Boat That I Row

Amazon.com

Originally recorded for legendary producer Bert Berns' Bang label, this collection documents the mid-'60s period when Neil Diamond was an emerging New York songwriter and apprentice pop star. Many of these hits have generated subsequent cover smashes--"I'm a Believer" (Monkees), "Kentucky Woman" (Deep Purple), "Red Red Wine" (UB40), "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" (Urge Overkill)--but the originals remain the greatest. Produced by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, sublime singles like "Solitary Man," "Cherry Cherry," and "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" kept Brill Building rock on the charts during the British Invasion. Diamond would go on to become a '70s megastar, but many believe he has never equaled these recordings. --Ben Edmonds

Customer Reviews:

Neil Diamond at his very best.......2007-04-23

These are the classic songs that established Diamond as the superstar he is.
Amazingy feel good jazz/rock. If you feel a bit down,this is a great tonic to lift your spirits. And the sound here is crisp and clear.
Features such gems as the rollicking Kentucky Woman, the get up and dance Cherry Cherry, the strum along Solitary Man, the rock n roll You Got To Me, the bluesy O Got The Feeling (Oh No, No), the hand-clapping Thank The Lord For The Night Time, the inspiring love song, I'm A Believer, the tender Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon, the song of loneliness and comfort, Shilo, the melancholy Red Red Wine and the emphatic The Boat That I Row.
This is Neil Diamond at his very best. What really established him as a star.And this is from a simpler and happier era in the world, when we appreciated people for who they were, and knew what was important.

Solitary Man: Expanded Version Of Neil's Bang Hits.......2006-07-27

This review is for the rare & out of print European CD titled "Solitary Man." "Classics: The Early Years" is a great album, but only contains a mere 12 songs, while Neil Diamond released well over 20 songs for the Bang label during the late 1960's before joining UNI. The "Solitary Man" CD contains a total of 19 songs, 11 of which are out of print and otherwise unavailable on CD. This disc contains all of the songs on the OOP LP "The Feel Of Neil Diamond" except for "Hanky Panky" and most of the songs released on the OOP 2LP "Double Gold." These are: "Red Rubber Ball", "New Orleans", "Monday Monday", "I'll Come Running", "Someday Baby", "You'll Forget", "Shot Down", "The Long Way Home", "Love To Love", "Crooked Street" and "La Bamba." This CD doesn't completely replace "Classics", as there are a few songs on that disc that are not on "Solitary Man", so buying the "Solitary Man" CD in addition to "Classics" will give you nearly every song Neil ever recorded for Bang Records. The other songs are completely out of print("The Hanky Panky" for one)and have never been issued on CD. Hopefully someone will someday release a CD that contains his complete output for Bang records, but for now this CD does the job and since it's been forty years and no one has done this it appears unlikely. "Classics: The Early Years" is currently in print and easy to find, but "Solitary Man" is out of print and almost impossible to find, so grab a copy if you can find one!

Neil Diamonds first phase........2006-01-20

These songs are all great, short Rock and Roll songs from the mid 60's. How about the complete Bang Recordings. I think there are less than 30 songs total. They would fit all on one CD. For the completests and the purists, Neil could release a 2 CD set with the mono versions on one disk and the Stereo on another. The only problem with this is there are multiple versions of some of the more popular such as Shilo (not including the version he did for UNI). It seems that every album release from Bang Records that contained that song had a different mix and different lyrics. Heck, just do what the Beach Boys did with Pet Sounds and have four discs and one disc would include just the instrumentals. Include a 60 page booklet with glossy pictures and song by song comments from Neil, Jeff, and Ellie.

Love It!.......2005-11-20

I finally bought the cd version of this great album and it is early-rock n roll heaven!

my favorite song is "I Got The Feelin' (Oh No, No)" (and interestingly,Neil includes a sample of that song on his new "Save Me A Saturday Night")."Shilo",The Boat That I Row","Solitary Man",etc there isnt a single bad song on this disk.

I hope Sony releases Classics:The Early Years Part 2,since there are much more gems from the Bang-label vault unreleased on cd.

Early Diamond.......2005-11-03

This "Greatest Hits" CD, culled from Diamond's 1960s Bang label sessions, states on the cover "The Original Hit Recordings". This is not quite true; if it were true, they would all be the mono single versions. These are the stereo versions, often with a different vocal track. There is a compilation with the mono versions of most of these, but it is a multiple CD set. So this is still the only single disc collection available of Neil Diamond's great early rock & roll recordings, in my opinion, the most essential music ever made by Diamond.

Average customer rating:

A Great Compolation Album
great cd
A new look at some classic tunes
Both volumes well worth owning, particularly for fan(atics).
Great album but the packaging caused my CD to break!

The Early Years, Vol. 2
Tom Waits
Manufacturer: Manifesto Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

The Early Years, Vol. 1
The Heart of Saturday Night
Blue Valentine
Closing Time
Big Time

ASIN: B000002NVJ
Release Date: 1998-08-25

Tracks:

Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You
Ol' 55
Mockin' Bird
In Between Love
Blue Skies
Nobody
I Want You
Shiver Me Timbers
Grapefruit Moon
Diamonds On My Windshield
Please Call Me, Baby
So It Goes
Old Shoes

Album Description

This is the second 13-song collection of unique recordings from 1971-1972. These recordings are absolutely not available on any other Waits album - making this package a must-have for any serious - or even casual - Waits fan. Four of the thirteen songs were never re-recorded for any other Waits album. 13 tracks.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Compolation Album.......2007-03-18

This CD is great. Every song is good so you can listen to the album as a whole without having to skip every other track. A good album to listen to while sitting around your house for an afternoon or taking an early morning drive. If you like great raspy male vocals you'll love Tom Waits. This is a CD worth buying.

great cd.......2007-01-12

I'm really a huge tom waits fan I own alot of his albums i saw this as well as vol. 1 on amazon and decided to give them a listen. i think they are both really good cds themselves and they give a goo picture of tom in his formative years an added bonus is to hear all the familiar songs which did make on to his records in what almost seem like demos.

A new look at some classic tunes.......2007-01-02

These are mostly demo songs, some of which were never relased, from Wait's early years (no kidding). Some of the songs on here, such as "I Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You" and "Ol' 55", would go on to become classics. Some of these songs are actually better than the versions that were put on the albums, especially "Shiver Me Timbers," here turned into a piano-ballad romp, rather than the jazzy outting featured on HEART OF SATURDAY NIGHT. THE EARLY YEARS, VOLUME 2 offers a good introduction into Waits's early music (sparse arrangements, beautiful lyrics), and is also a handy addition to previously-existing Waits collections.

Both volumes well worth owning, particularly for fan(atics)........2006-02-20

Who could ask for more? Previously unreleased recordings, quite evidently very well recorded demos, of one of the great musical artists of the last 35 years? Well, here it is, each volume perfectly listenable. In fact, a must listen for the fan as there's a few songs here now released on any other TOM WAITS record and those that are redone are stripped down versions, revealing the heart of the songs. Closing Time, his first lp, is a bit stiff. In fact, it's my least favorite of his 70's albums only because the producer just got a somewhat stiffled sound out of the recordings. Fortunately, they solved that in spades on future records.

What's delightful is that these songs provide a chance to hear Mr. WAITS in his least gravely voice of his career and at his youngest of his career.

'Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You' is a sweet song that fulfills his common setting of being in a bar and some yearning for unattainable love. He's got a way of telling a tale that surprises and pleases and takes you to the smokey piano lounge where his music comes from.

I love a good cover. Who's know the EAGLES didn't write this 'Ol' 55'? To hear TOM do it makes me forget all about their version (gladly). 'Nobody' has always been a potent song lyrically. Now we get to hear it in his simple presentation. A nice mix.

'Diamonds On My Windshield' has always been a favorite given that me and many other folks I know have taken that same basic drive from San Diego to L.A. I've probably driven that 100's of times in 35 years and sometimes it was while listening to this song. Wot a treat.

'Please Call Me, Baby' is another plaintiff love song and, again, this album gives us the treat of hearing it with his younger voice and plain instrumental accompanyment.

Yes, do buy all his 70's albums first. It's unfortunate Mr. WAITS didn't wanna have this released. Who can blame him as an artist? However, as a fan, the songs on both volumes here are irreplaceable and to be cherished. Thanks for makin' the music TOM. chrisbct@hotmail.com

Great album but the packaging caused my CD to break!.......2004-08-02

This is the second copy of the album I have bought, and probably the last. The first copy burned up in a fire. The second, which my wife bought me to replace the original copy, broke when I attempted to remove it from the spindle it was mounted on.

The original copy I had of The Early Years Volume 2 was a normal plastic jewel case, and there was no problem with taking it off the spindle. But the new packaging (Manifesto MFO 40602) has the CD mounted on an extremely tight plastic spindle that forces you to bend the CD when removing it. There is no "button" action to press that would release the CD, so the result is, the CD bends enough where it pops off, or it simply breaks. (I also have Tom Waits The Early Years Volume 1, which has the same spindle problem, but fortunately did not bend enough to break. I am now treating it with extreme care!)

As for the music on the CD (which I am familiar with thanks to the original copy which was destroyed by fire), it is truly wonderful: it reveals an acoustic and stripped down side of Tom Waits where you really see a side to his soul without the distractions of exaggerated blues influences or unusual musical arrangements. But there is no point buying a great CD if you can't listen it. Wait until Manifesto makes a quality case, or buy an older version, if you can find it.

The Carl Stalling Project: Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons, 1936-1958

Average customer rating:

Best compilation CD ever
Here we go.
Stallings CDs
The Carl Stalling Project
Warner Brother's King of Music

The Carl Stalling Project: Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons, 1936-1958

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

Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Cartoon Music | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Carl Stalling Project, Volume 2: More Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons 1939-1957
Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights
Bugs Bunny on Broadway
Microphone Music
Raymond Scott: Chesterfield Arrangements 1937-1938

ASIN: B000002LJE
Release Date: 1990-07-17

Tracks:

Putty Tat Trouble Part 6
Hillbilly Hare
Early WB Scores: The Depression Era
The Good Egg
Various Cues From Bugs Bunny Films
There They Go Go Go
Stalling Self-Parody: Music From Porky's Preview
Anxiety Montage
Stalling: The War Years
Medley: Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungary Cannibals
Carl Stalling With Milt Franklyn In Session
Speedy Gonzalez/Meets Two Crows From Taco
Powerhouse And Other Cuts From The Early 50's
Porky In Wackyland/Dough For The Do Do
To Itch His Own

Amazon.com

For fans of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, et al., this is the essential cartoon soundtrack as well as a monument to surrealism. During his 22 years as a composer for Warner Bros. animated shorts, Stalling invented the musical vocabulary of cartoons. Producer Hal Willner has lovingly assembled a sonic collage that showcases Stalling's compositional genius and uncanny ability to borrow a tune. It's a whirling collection of random moments, chock full of music you never knew you knew, from Bugs Bunny's theme from "Rabbit Fire" to Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse" to Stalling's own "Woo! Woo!" Also included in the mix: outtakes from recording sessions, and several complete scores. --Heidi MacDonald

Customer Reviews:

Best compilation CD ever.......2007-02-18

Carl Stalling gave me the best musical education I ever had. I'm spending the rest of my life learning the titles and composers of all the hundreds of tunes I first heard in his cartoon scores. I've had this CD ever since it came out, and it still is one of my favorites.

Only a handful of tracks are a complete score from one cartoon; most are snippets from several cartoons edited together with a common theme.

This CD is about a composer and his music, more than about the cartoons for which he composed it. To drive home this point, it includes the score from, of all things, 1939's "The Good Egg." No one would consider "The Good Egg" to be among the best Warner cartoons, but the score, heard by itself, turns out to be a tour de force that is highly representative of Stalling's work. That's what makes this CD such a great listening experience: It was pieced together by musicologists who chose the music based on its auditory qualities, and not on the relative fame of the cartoon associated with it. It is not merely a trip down memory lane (although it is that, too), but is a great creative work in its own right.

Despite the vast amount of Stalling music that exists, this CD provides as ambitious and exhaustive an overview as can be given, and its 1995 follow-up, while also worth having, is but a pale afterthought. There's no following this act.

Here we go........2006-11-16

This CD features music from the Warner Brothers cartoon film scores by Carl Stalling. There are some complete scores and also some "medleys", with clips from various cartoons strung together. Carl Stalling was a master at writing music for cartoons, but something is lost when you just hear the music without seeing the cartoon.

Stallings CDs.......2006-11-10

If you harken back to the days when you snuggled on the couch on a Saturday morning with your little ones, and ate donuts and drank juice and watched "Bugs Bunny" you will love these CDs. You'll recognize all the characters and their entrances and their pratfalls...and laugh and say "I've heard that!"...it's a walk down memory lane and a very special one, at that. I highly reccommend these to anyone who loves B Bunny.
Not to mention these are some of the finest musicians you will ever hear...a lesson in classical music, and cartoons.

The Carl Stalling Project.......2005-09-12

Music from Warner Brothers cartoons "Golden Years" (1936-1958).
Carl Stalling was the chief music arranger for Warner Brothers cartoons from 1936 to 1958. He was one of the foremost composers of cartoon music. This disk is much better than "The Carl Stalling Project Volume II."

Warner Brother's King of Music.......2003-12-02

Even if you do not recognize his name, Carl Stalling is a very familiar composer. He wrote the soundtrack for many of our young lives as the composer for Warner Bros.' "Merrie Melodies" and "Looney Tunes" cartoons from late 1930's to late 1970's. Hal Willner has compiled this CD that for the first time lets you hear the music on its own, and lets you realize just how much of the cartoons' impact came from Stalling's music.

Willner sifted through hundreds of cartoons to choose about 40 with the most significant music. He presents the music in a variety of formats. A few tracks provide the soundtrack for a single entire cartoon. Others are medlies from a certain period in Stalling's career or pieces that set a particular mood (such as the "Anxiety Montage"). There are also tapes from recording sessions for 1951's "Putty Tat Trouble" that give insight on how this music was recorded. I couldn't recommend this CD any more highly. (After you've given it a listen, check out a Raymond Scott "best of" album like "Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights" to see just how many of its tracks are familiar from various cartoons.)

Stalling's music, instead of following the traditional rules of musical structure (exposition, development, theme, variations, etc.), was written to follow the rapid action of cartoons. Stalling would not compromise on this, even if it meant having the 50-piece orchestra play fortissimo for five seconds and then having only one piccolo playing the next four seconds. To ensure a perfect correspondence between the sound and the image, Stalling and the cartoon's directors would agree on a few sketches and on the timing of the action. This enabled Stalling to compose and record the music without even seeing the movie. Carl Stalling was also a master at telling a story through music, with gestures so clear, that there is never any doubt as to his intentions.

Stalling once said, "One problem with cartoons today is that they have so much dialogue the music doesn't mean much." Unfortunately, this statement rings true as we move into 2004. But keeping Carl Stalling from rolling in his grave is not why you need to buy this CD. You need it because it is IMPOSSIBLE to maintain a bad mood while this CD is playing. You need this to listen to as a stress reducer on those tough days. You need this because it is complete childhood in a disc.

I challenge you to turn on your television and watch some Looney Tunes. Turn up the volume and listen while doing something else (wash dishes, write a paper perhaps.) I guarantee you will know exactly what is happening, and to whom. This was the comedic skill and genius talent of Carl Stalling.

As Porky Pig would say: "abieh-abieh-abieh... That's All Folks!"

Average customer rating:

Back in the day...
More "Closing Time" please....
picked me from the crowd
Ok, I'm a massive fan. A gotta have for us. For everyone else? after you get his official albums.
Just....Wow!

The Early Years, Vol. 1
Tom Waits
Manufacturer: Manifesto Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Early Years, Vol. 2
The Heart of Saturday Night
Closing Time
Big Time
Foreign Affairs

ASIN: B000005DDY
Release Date: 1995-06-06

Tracks:

Goin' Down Slow
Poncho's Lament
I'm Your Late Night Evening Prostitute
Had Me A Girl
Ice Cream Man
Rockin' Chair
Virginia Ave.
Midnight Lullabye
When You Ain't Got Nobody
Little Trip To Heaven
Frank's Song
Looks Like I'm Up Shit Creek Again
So Long I'll See Ya

Product Description

1. Goin Down Slow2. Poncho s Lament3. I m Your Late Night Evening Prostitute4. Had Me A Girl5. Ice Cream Man6. Rockin Chair7. Virginia Ave.8. Midnight Lullabye9. When You Ain t Got Nobody10. Little Trip To Heaven11. Frank s Song12. Looks Like I m Up Shit Creek Again13. So Long I ll See Ya

Format: CD

Amazon.com

Tom Waits wasn't always the intense, even bizarre pop expressionist he'd become by the '80s. Before the brilliant dementia of his later work, Waits was just another soft-spoken troubadour with a wicked sense of humor and a special fondness for jazz, blues, and the Beat generation. The roots of his music are revealed within the 13 tracks of The Early Years, a collection of previously unreleased 1971 demo tapes. Waits never intended these recordings for public consumption. But the wise guy pathos of "I'm Your Late Night Evening Prostitute" and the intentionally bad puns of "Had Me a Girl" hold up well as intelligent, charming, early snapshots of an important artist. --Steve Appleford

Customer Reviews:

Back in the day..........2007-01-02

This album consists of demo songs, some of which have never previously seen the light of day, taken from Tom Waits's early years (duh), before he become the musical genius that he's considered today. Granted, these songs are all well-written and performed; yet they lack something of the latter work. Nevermind, though; THE EARLY YEARS, VOLUME 1 serves as a good introduction to the pre-SWORDFISHTROMBONES years of Waits career, and is also a fine addition to already-exististing Waits collections. The sparse arrangements offer a sense of intimacy; some of the recordings, such as "Little Trip to Heaven," are even better than the versions that made the record.

More "Closing Time" please...........2006-11-01

This compilation of early Tom Waits songs/demos, are very interesting to me. At first listen I enjoyed it, but thought that it's just a little more Closing Time material. And true 4 of the 13 songs are early versions of songs on Closing Time. But a few more listens gave me a much deeper appreciation. I really get into the first half of the album especially, the first two tracks might be my favorite, but what's unique about this album is how minimal it is. Most songs are just Tom's voice and his guitar, or his piano, with virtually no accompaniment; this with his very heart-warming sounding early 70's voice (before the growl) make this "album" sound very personal.
Mostly, I feel that this "album" should be pursued by those who are interested in Tom Waits, and already have the "staples" of his collection, especially Closing Time. I can't see someone outside of fans really seeing the significance of these recordings.
Lastly, I find it almost weird listening to it, because he felt so strongly about not releasing these recordings, I almost feel like I am invading his privacy. But it's released, so I try not to feel too bad.

picked me from the crowd.......2006-06-20

i keep coming back to that thing someone said about woody allen (maybe woody allen) about how it's sad that ageing artists always have their current stuff compared to their old stuff, and maybe the story i heard that waits didn't ever want this stuff to see the light of day isn't apocryphal. still from a listener's standpoint there is a lot of value and enjoyment from hearing this balladry and then turning on real gone and liking and likening both, yes?

Ok, I'm a massive fan. A gotta have for us. For everyone else? after you get his official albums........2006-02-19

It's a treat to hear his least gravely voice recordings. There's a whole world out there of tape/cdr traders (no money exchanged) who have, for decades, traded for live, demo and outtakes of their favorite bands. Typically, this is done by pretty fanatic fans. In my case, I can only bear to hear the same exact studio recordings for so many years for most bands.

Often I'll take a 1 to 5 year break from listening to a particular favorite group (BEATLES, BAD BRAINS, MINOR THREAT, ROCHES, CREAM etc.) but will get my hands on alternate versions when I can including tribute albums. There's nuttin' like hearing a well crafted reinterpretation of a favorite song. Least for me.

Some bands release previously unreleased material of demos, live songs and/or outtakes, particularly now adays, rounding out cd versions of old lps they previously released. SUPERCHUNK and X have dug through their musical archives and released cds of such previously unissued, b-sides or other non-album songs. That also includes songs that only appeared on a compilation with other groups. It's amazing how many great songs a band can record that never get officially released. Another source is in studio radio broadcasts.

DAN HICKS and HIS HOT LICKS, actually I think just DAN HICKS, did an album called Early Muses of songs he recorded prior to the release of his first official album. His was, it appears, an offically sanctioned release. Just like this album and vol. 2, it offered songs recorded by the artist quite early in his career. Both guys sound younger because they are. These early recordings are typically more like early demos. ELVIS COSTELLO included a handful of his songs just like these from before his first album, as bonus trax on reissues of his first and second albums. As on this album and DAN HICKS', they were demo songs recorded solo on acoustic guitar (or piano). One gets to hear stripped down versions of some favorite songs and even, particularly on this album, several songs never otherwise released.

A pure treat for the fan. Sure, there's 1 or 2 songs that are a touch less than they could be but most of the songs remind me of whenever JOHNNY CASH did a cover in his last period of just him singing and accompanying himself on guitar. He tears the song down to it's emotional essentials. He actually is able to bring new emotional meaning to some songs he covers simply by changing the pacing or his voice inflection or the feeling he brings in singing the lyrics.

TOM WAITS may not have wanted this and vol. 2 to be released, for whatever perfectly legitimate artist or business reasons he had, but for the fan these two albums are a real treasure trove. It's roots of WAITS, the beginning years of an esteemed national and internationally respected artist. His song writing ability shines through, his ability to sing with emotion is plain here. The songs are simply performed yet are complex in their texture of feeling and story telling.

Yes, I'd purchase each of his 70's albums before buying these two volumes. And I'd certainly recommend both of these records because there is great joy in listening to well recorded early demos of an artist who has remained robust in his musical creations for over 3 decades now. Go Tom. chrisbct@hotmail.com

Just....Wow!.......2005-10-14

I had looked up this album to see what others had to say about it, and I was surprised that nobody has given it 5 stars yet...so, let me be the first...

I bought this album way back in '92, when I first spied it in record store in San Francisco - at the time, I had no idea that it wasn't a "true" Tom album. I have to say, that I prefer this album over much of his overproduced 70's work.

As many have stated in other reviews, this album is a collection of demos that Tom did in the early 70's, and a handful of these songs ended up on his later albums. That being said, the fact that this album is a bit underproduced gives it more of an intimate feel...the music, words and Tom's voice pull you in and make you feel sort of warm a cozy - this collection also works well as a whole album - there is a definate continuity between the songs, and it flows together as smoothly as "Heart of a Saturday Night" does.

When it comes to the songs that ended up on studio albums, I prefer to hear the "Early Years" versions rather than the overproduced tracks....'Ice Cream Man' is far superior to the version on "Closing Time"...same can be said for 'Virginia Avenue"...

This is one of those rare early years/demo albums by your favorite artist that don't fall into the "for diehards only" - This is a solid collection of songs - do yourself a favor and pick it up, regardless of what era Waits fan you categorize yourself as..

Average customer rating:

Not at all what the cover said
Kicking it Old School with B to the D!
Speechless..so dark and cold
Pure skull shattering Norwegian black metal
this is a grait cd for my cousin to lisin too i got this cd for my cousin she seysb its the best

Barney's Greatest Hits: The Early Years
Barney
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

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Lullabies | Children's Music | Styles | Music

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Barney's Favorites, Vol. 2
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ASIN: B00004W55I
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

Barney Theme Song
Friendship Song
If All The Raindrops
The Rainbow Song
There Are Seven Days
The Ants Go Marching
Pop Goes The Weasel
John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt
Apples & Bananas
Do Your Ears Hang Low?
The Wheels On The Bus
Down On Grandpa's Farm
And The Green Grass Grows All Around
Mr. Knickerbocker
BJ's Song
Peanut Butter
Sally The Camel
My Yellow Blankey
Please And Thank You
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Nursery Rhyme Medley: Rock -A-Bye, Baby/Hey Diddle Diddle/Wee Willie Winkie...
Lavender's Blue
Just Imagine
Listen To The Nighttime
I Love You

Amazon.com

Say what you will about the purple one--he's overly friendly, he's generally tiresome--but toddlers and preschoolers can't get enough of him. Legions of youngsters will delight in Barney's Greatest Hits, a 25-track compendium of the playful dinosaur's best-loved tunes. Watchers of the phenomenally popular TV show won't find anything unfamiliar here. Included are many Barney originals, including "If All the Raindrops"; "Peanut Butter"; "BJ's Song"; "My Yellow Blankie"; "There Are Seven Days"; the "Yankee Doodle Dandy"-inspired theme song; and, of course, "I Love You," the show's warm and fuzzy closing number. Barney also puts his happy-go-lucky spin on a handful of traditional songs, including "Pop Goes the Weasel," "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt," "The Wheels on the Bus," and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." There's no denying this record's exceptionally high burn factor where grownups are concerned, but those merciful enough to endure a rash of repeat listens may reap behavioral benefits. Songs such as "Please and Thank You," a reinforcement of the power of the magic words, and "The Friendship Song," a gently persuasive track preaching that kindness is king (especially among playmates), have a Lego-like way of connecting with very young kids. They non-confrontationally encourage young listeners to add to their repertoire of praiseworthy habits, no nagging required. For focused caregivers, such a reward takes the sting out of these almost unbearably syrupy songs. In fact, only those whose threshold for corny kids stuff is seriously low ought to be excused from sucking it up and brightening a little kid's day with a spin or two of "Barney's Greatest Hits." --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Not at all what the cover said.......2007-03-28

I purchased this CD for my daughter (20 months old) who loves Barney.
I got this CD instead of the other Barney CD's because it said that it had the opening song and the "I Love You" song. Which is what Barney is mainly known for, those two songs and I couldnt Find another Barney CD that had both of those songs on one CD.
Anyways, i got the CD, read the back to see the tracks, played it..
And the first song was what the CD cover told me it would be, but from the second song onwards, the songs did not match the CD cover, there was no song at all that matched up. It didnt even have the "I Love You" song at the end! I was extreamly anoyed, My daughter loves the I Love You song, she sings it, she asks for it in the car.. but i cant play the one song that she loves most.
I dont know if it is just my CD, but i would asume that it would be every CD that was sold.. of this particular Barney Album
So yes, my rating is low, but the songs are still good. Im just upset that i cant play the one song my daughter can sing to and loves the most.
Emily

Kicking it Old School with B to the D!.......2007-02-12

Awwww Snap! No you didn't! No you didn't! Aww heck yeah, it's my boy MC B to the D kicking it old school with all his greatest hits!

Barney lays down some outstanding tracks here with his signature theme, classic covers like John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (his name just happens to be my name too, yo!), remixes like Pop Goes the Weasel and traditional standards like Do Your Ears Hang Low? & Its Bitsy Spider.

I'm telling you yo, it doesn't get any better than this disc. I think this stuff's da bomb, and my kids dig it as well. You can have your Teletubbies, Wiggles, Cheetah Girls..take 'em. Just give me some old school Barney, and me & my boys will kick it old school. Know what I'm saying?

Speechless..so dark and cold.......2007-01-12

This is 'the' CD to own. If you like Burzum, Darkthrone, Mayhem, or Immortal you will absolutely love this. This is the blackest of the black. Kvlt black metal for corpse paint commandos only. Too bad this band broke up, they had so much potential. I can't even describe this. It captures the emotion of isolation perfectly.

Pure skull shattering Norwegian black metal.......2006-04-21

I came across this gem in a local mom and pop CD store while looking for some good black metal. The bored looking guy behind the desk told me to look no further than this masterpiece, so I bought it. I love the sleeve art, very primitive, yet pure black metal. And the music? Let's not get me started. Alright, I'm started. From the opening gargling-razors roar of "Barney Theme Song" to the moody, atmospheric synths of "Apples And Bananas," this disk delivers on all war-torn fronts. I played "Sally The Camel" for my friend Jeff in the car one day, and he raised his horns in the air and announced allegiance to the Barney underground.

Highly recommended for fans of later Bathory and Graveworm!

this is a grait cd for my cousin to lisin too i got this cd for my cousin she seysb its the best .......2006-03-26

HI THIS IS ADRIANA MY SISTER AND HER COUSIN LOVEE THIS VIDEO SOMEONE TOLD ME A LIER WHO SAID THAT CALL THAT PERSON A LIER WHO TOLD ME I HAVEE THIS ONE FOR 18 YEARS AND VIDDEOS I HAVE ALSO HAD BARNEYS ONCE UPAN A TIME FOR 300099 YEARS SAME ONE FOR BARNEYS SENSE SASSHNEL DAY FOR 30099 YEARS I HAVE THE SAME VIDEOS THAT ARE ON THIS CD SHOEVER WHO SAID ABOUUT THE EARLY YEARS CALL THAT PERSON A LIER I DONT THIMK ITS ABOUTB THE ERLY YEARSB ITS JUST FOR BABBYS TELL THAT PERSON TO MIND THERE OWN BUSNESS ABOUT THIS CD I DONT THINK SOO NOW WOMEN SHUT UP

Average customer rating:

Yankee Doodle Dandy Review
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Amazing! Wonderful! Just buy it - you won't be sorry!
What a find!!
A Soundtrack Every American Should Own

Yankee Doodle Dandy
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Yankee Doodle Dandy (Two-Disc Special Edition)
George M. Cohan Tonight!
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Singin' in the Rain (1952 Film Soundtrack)
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ASIN: B000066RM7
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Main Title: Warner Bros. Signature/Yankee Doodle/Yankee Doodle Boy/Mary's A Grand Old Name/Off The Record - Warner Bros. Orchestra
Early Years Sequence: Columbia The Gem Of The Ocean/The Dancing Master/While Strolling Through The Park One Day/At A Georgia Camp Meeting - Walter Huston
I Was Born In Virginia - Walter Huston
The Warmest Baby In The Bunch - Sally Sweetland
Harrigan - Sally Sweetland
Yankee Doodle Boy - James Cagney
Little Johnny Jones Sequence: The Yankee Doodle Boy/Good Luck Johnny/Little Johnny Jones Special/Finale Special/All Aboard For Old Broadway/Rocket/Give My Regards To Broadway - James Cagney
Medley: Oh, You Wonderful Girl/Blue Skies, Gray Skies/The Belle Of The Barber's Ball - Walter Huston
Mary's A Grand Old Name - Sally Sweetland
Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway - James Cagney
Fay Templeton Medley: Mary's A Grand Old Name/Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway/So Long, Mary - Irene Manning
You're A Grand Old Flag - Walter Huston
Over There - Frances Langford
Medley: In A Kingdom Of Our Own/Love Nest/Nellie Kelly, I Love You/The Man Who Owns Broadway/Molly Malone/Billie - Frances Langford
Off The Record - James Cagney
Finale And End Cast: Over There/Yankee Doodle Boy - James Cagney
You Remind Me Of My Mother (Outtake) - James Cagney
Medley: Oh, You Wonderful Girl/Blue Skies, Gray Skies/The Belle Of The Barber's Ball (Piano Only Version) - Walter Huston
Give My Regards To Broadway (Rehearsal) - James Cagney
You're A Grand Old Flag (Rehearsal) - James Cagney

Amazon.com

When one thinks of musicals from Hollywood's golden age, the initials MGM come almost instantly to mind. Indeed when veteran song-and-dance man George M. Cohan was negotiating a film based on his colorful life story, his first choice was Metro--until a falling out with studio chief Louis B. Mayer. But L.B.'s loss eventually became Warner Brothers'--and film history's--gain when the Burbank studio's Cohan musical became a massive, patriotic hit in the opening months of World War II. As chronicled in this vibrantly restored, first-ever complete soundtrack for the film, it was a compelling twist of fate. James Cagney turns in one of the screen's most ostensibly unlikely--and ultimately indelible--musical performances (netting him his only Best Actor Oscar ^®), teaming with studio music director Roy Heindorf to update Cohan's once-quaint turn-of the-century patriotic ditties ("You're a Grand Old Flag," "Over There," "Yankee Doodle Boy") and infectious vaudevillian chestnuts ("Give My Regards to Broadway," "Harrigan") with bracing dollops of the studio's '40s orchestral sass--and, just months after Pearl Harbor, some crucial historical parallels. Also included are four bonus tracks that remarkably survived the film's preproduction, including an outtake of "You Remind Me of My Mother" and voice-and-piano-only rehearsal versions of "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "You're a Grand Old Flag" that further underscore Cagney's deceptively effortless ability to sell a song despite his limited musical gifts. It's a long overdue showcase for a true American film musical gem. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Yankee Doodle Dandy Review.......2006-11-03

It's an old movie with an old soundtrack, but I loved the movie, I love the music, and I'm very happy with my purchase.

Yankee Doodle Dandy.......2006-06-30

Excellent in black and white and color. James Cagney also got a medal from a President. (President Reagan!} If you like entertainment...this is it!

Amazing! Wonderful! Just buy it - you won't be sorry!.......2005-03-05

I am so very glad I bought this CD. I own the DVD of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and watch it all the time, so I almost didn't buy this, wondering if I really needed yet another CD.

Well, thank God I didn't pay any attention to that dumb idea!

If you love "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and Cagney, you just have to buy this soundtrack. It's like being able to take the movie with you anywhere ... it's not just the songs - as others have said - but also includes bits of Cagney's voice-overs, even the tap-dancing from the end of "Little Johnny Jones." And since the audio system in my car is better than my TV's, it all seemed even bigger, richer and better. (George M. would love that!)

Wonderful, wonderful stuff!

What a find!!.......2003-06-15

I haven't been able to see this movie on TV since Turner bought it (don't get TCM), but if you've seen the movie several tims, as I have, listening to this CD is very nearly as good as watching it all the way through. (I'm so delighted with it that I'm even willing to forgive TCM for putting a paper ad inside with the disc.)

Monumental effort must have gone into this soundtrack, given the age of the original recordings. The tracks here are crisp, clear, and bright, with no evidence of how long ago they were first put down. The editors were also generous in their inclusion of dialogue that ties some of the tracks together (for example, we hear the man tell Johny Jones to watch for the skyrocket, then we hear the skyrocket as it leads into "Give My Regards to Broadway"). There are a couple of places where the endings are slightly abrupt but this is because, in the movie, the music fades into extended dialogue.

The only bit of dialogue I expected to hear in a song, but didn't, is in "Over There" near the very end of the film, when Cagney/Cohan has fallen in step with the soldiers going off to WWII, as they're singing "Over There", when the soldier nearest him says something like, "What's wrong, old timer, don't know the words?" and Cagney says, "Seems to me I do" and starts singing along. That's minor and pales next to how wonderful the rest of this soundtrack is.

One of the biggest treats on this CD is that we get to hear some of Cagney's tapping, notably in "Give My Regards to Broadway", "You're a Grand Old Flag", and - one of my favorite moments in movie history - when he dances down the White House stairs to "Yankee Doodle" near the end).

The outtake is not a humorous one, simply a track they decided not to use. It and the rehearsal tracks are all just the performers voices with piano accompaniment. I especially enjoyed hearing Cagney rehearsing "You're a Grand Old Flag".

If you like Cagney, if you like Cohan's music, if you like movies "the way they used to make them", or if you're not ashamed to get a little choked up with patriotism once in a while, you will not be disappointed in this CD!

A Soundtrack Every American Should Own.......2002-09-23

Finally! If you own that Hollywood Soundstage abomination of the "Yankee Doodle Dandy" soundtrack you can finally pitch it. Here is the real article. Rhino (Turner Classic Movies Music) lovingly restored the music from the beloved "Yankee Doodle Dandy" motion picture starring James Cagney. This soundtrack sounds astonishing considering it's 60 years old. It's very obvious some loving care was taken in it's production for which we all should be greatful. The liner notes also are great with informative text and wonderful photos from the movie. The marvelous George M. Cohan songs gives one goosebumps and bring tears to the eyes. We all need this type of patriotic pep rally, especially in these tough times. As I've said, this soundtrack belongs in every American's home just as much as that "Grand Old Flag"! I believe there are plans to release the movie on DVD, hopefully soon.

Stan Freberg Presents The United States Of America, Vol. 1, The Early Years, And Vol. 2, The Middle Years

Average customer rating:

They are right
A comedic gem (Vol. 1, that is)
Five stars for Volume 1; one star for Volume 2
Ten Stars for Volume 1
A classic (if a bit corny)!!

Stan Freberg Presents The United States Of America, Vol. 1, The Early Years, And Vol. 2, The Middle Years
Stan Freberg
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

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The Very Best of Stan Freberg
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An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer

ASIN: B0000033TV
Release Date: 1996-07-02

Tracks:

Vol. 1, The Early Years: Overture
Vol. 1, The Early Years: Columbus Discovers America 'It's A Round, Round World'
Vol. 1, The Early Years: Pilgrim's Progress 'Take An Indian To Lunch'
Vol. 1, The Early Years: The Thanksgiving Story (Under The Double Turkey)
Vol. 1, The Early Years: The Sale Of Manhattan 'Top Hat, White Feathers, And Tails'
Vol. 1, The Early Years: The Boston Tea Party
Vol. 1, The Early Years: Declaration Of Independence 'A Man Can't Be Too Careful What He Signs...
Vol. 1, The Early Years: The Midnight Ride Of Paul Revere
Vol. 1, The Early Years: Betsy Ross And The Flag 'Everybody Wants To Be An Art Director'
Vol. 1, The Early Years: The Discovery Of Electricity
Vol. 1, The Early Years: Washington Crosses The Delaware (Command Decision)
Vol. 1, The Early Years: Yankee Doodle Go Home (Spirit Of '76)
Vol. 1, The Early Years: The Battle Of Yorktown
Vol. 1, The Early Years: Finale 'So Long, Friend...'

Tracks:

Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Intro And Overture
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Madison, Jefferson, Franklin & Osbourne: The First Advertising Agency...
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'Madison, Jefferson, Franklin & Osbourne'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Madison, Jefferson, Franklin & Osbourne (Part 2)
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: America! America!
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Madison, Jefferson, Franklin & Osbourne (Part 3)
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Rumplemeyer's Horseshoes: The Francis Scott Key Story
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'Rumplemeyer's Horseshoes'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Stephen Foster, Beloved Songwriter
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Samuel F.B. Morse Sends The First Telegram
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Abe Lincoln In Analysis
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'Show Folk'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Abe Lincoln At Home In The White House
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Barbara Freitchie, Martyr Of The Year
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'Shoot If You Must'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Lincoln At Shiloh, With General Grant
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'As Long As You're Up'/'A Sober Life's A Hard Life'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: The Appomattox Courthouse Bar & Grill
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'There'll Never Be Another War'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Custer's Last Stand
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Alexander Graham Bell And The First Phone Call
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Thomas Edison Invents The Light Bulb! The Phonograph! (Part 1)
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'Perserverance'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Thomas Edison Invents The Light Bulb! The Phonograph! (Part 2)
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'Planned Obsolescence'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: The Wright Brothers At Kitty Hawk
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Henry Ford Invents Detroit
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'Perserverance' (Reprise)
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: The Sinking Of The Lusitania
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Two Tin Pan Alley Songwriters
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'U-Boat'/'The Guns Of August'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'Hello, Peace, Hello'
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: 'There'll Never Be Another War' (Reprise)
Vol. 2, The Middle Years: Finale 'America! America!' (Reprise)

Amazon.com

When Stan Freberg released The United States of America in 1961, it was one of the first comedy concept albums ... and perhaps the funniest musical comedy never performed onstage. With a cast that included Jesse White and June Foray (as well as a dead-on Orson Welles impression by voice-over master Paul Frees), Freberg presented a madcap version of history that began with Christopher Columbus's insistence that "It's a Round, Round World." His crew, however, was unconvinced:

Crazy kind of scheme
It's a cockamamie dream
If we don't sight land we're gonna scream.

Later, a cautious Ben Franklin would express suspicion of the declaration Thomas Jefferson brought by for him to sign: "You go to a few harmless meetings, sign a few harmless petitions, and forget all about it.... Ten years later you get called up before a committee. No thank you! I'm not going to spend the rest of my life writing in Europe!"

For decades, fans were frustrated by the lack of sequels that would carry the story beyond the Revolutionary War. (After attempts to turn the material into a real Broadway musical were ruined by heavy-handed producer David Merrick, Freberg went on to a lucrative career in advertising.) Finally, in 1996, Freberg went into the studio with the surviving members of his original cast--as well as stars David Ogden Stiers, Sherman Hemsley, Tyne Daly, Lorenzo Music, and John Goodman--with a new batch of songs and skits that covered the period from the founding of the United States government in 1789 to the end of World War I.

Volume 2 is not quite as strong as volume 1, but that's like saying that Babe Ruth didn't hit as many home runs as Hank Aaron. There's still plenty of great material in "The Middle Years," like Francis Scott Key's first draft of his most famous composition: "Rumplemeyer's horseshoes are the best you can use, what so proudly he's nailed onto all kinds of horses." Or Ulysses S. Grant demanding a drink so he can keep on...

Pursuing the South
Over the hills
Fearless and brave, minus a shave
And crocked to the gills.

The two-CD set includes the original liner notes from the 1961 release; a 1989 CD reissue of the first volume; and the notes by Freberg, Dr. Demento, and Ray Bradbury for the sequel. It also contains a complete lyric sheet. Although some of the jokes on the first CD may be too arcane for younger listeners, The United States of America can still be called, without overstatement, a work of genius. --Ron Hogan

Customer Reviews:

They are right.......2006-06-30

The reviewers above who said the first volume is one of the funniest records ever made are right.

I listened to it when it came out and tracks like "A Man Can't Be Too Careful What he Signs these days" (Jefferson and Adams trying to get Franklin to sign the Declaration of Independence) and the one where Betsy Ross presents the new flag to George Washington are still indescribably funny.

But you can still buy the two volume set, pour yourself a nice dry Martini in a damp frosted glass, and use the disk with volume 2 for a coaster.

O;-)

A comedic gem (Vol. 1, that is).......2005-07-05

I have been a BIG fan of this album for well over two decades, since I came across the LP at the local library as a teenager. I was simply in stitches, and searched at used record stores until I found a copy of my own, which I eventually wore out in my repeated listenings.

So I was excited when I heard that after all these years, Vol. 2 was finally coming. But what a disappointment.

Vol. 1 has great songs like "Round Round World", "Take an Indian to Lunch" and "A Man Can't be Too Careful What He Signs These Days" that not only sparkle with satiric wit, but are great tunes I sometimes find myself humming.

The songs in Vol. 2, however, fall flat and just feel, well, forced. And that applies to all of Vol. 2 as well. The sense is that they had a list of punch lines they were set on, and didn't stop to think if it was funny or not. Funny is not a word that can be applied to Vol. 2, sadly.

So buy it for Vol. 1. You can just discard the other disc.

Five stars for Volume 1; one star for Volume 2.......2005-04-19

"Vol. 1, The Early Years" is without a doubt the best comedy recording I have ever heard. I personally discovered it back in the mid-80s, when I came across a copy of the album one Saturday at the radio station where I worked. It was listened to many a time "in cue" or after sign-off. I simply could not get enough of it. I also listened repeatedly to his "Original Cast" greatest hits album and the classic "Freeberg Underground" live recording he did in the mid-60s at the Hollywood Bowl.

Ever since then, I had hoped that a) Vol. 1 would someday come out on CD, and b) that he would eventually make good on his promise in the original album's liner notes to bring out a Vol. 2.

Well, both of my wishes came true. Vol. 1 is out on CD and as good if not better than I remember it. Plus, they added back in some parts that were cut so the original recording could fit on one LP. Vol. 2, on the other hand, is a *major* disappointment.

Vol. 2 simply tries too hard. It tries to tackle a huge amount of American history (from the late 1700s through the end of World War I) in 34 tracks on one CD (a virtually impossible task). It tries to satirize events during the Civil War (a hopeless task). And, its satire lacks the "let's not take ourselves too seriously" light-heartedness of Vol. 1, which is another way of saying it is trying to be Politically Correct.

It's a shame Vol. 2 wasn't written and produced soon after Vol. 1. I honestly believe Stan and Co. would have come up with another classic.

I too wish Rhino still offered Vol. 1 separately. From a marketing/business standpoint, I understand why they don't do it.

Still, if you don't have Vol. 1, it's worth the sacrifice to buy the two-volume set just to get it. Who knows? You may end up liking Vol. 2. If not, it makes a good (albeit expensive) coaster.

Ten Stars for Volume 1.......2005-02-10

My mom turned me on this LP and I listened to it repeatedly. It makes history SO funny! I have not heard this LP in years and years but I can still remember so much of it word for word.

Chris Colomubus and his duet with King Ferdenand is great!

Chris: It's a round, round world, it's a round, round world. I contend its round and its goin' be found, it's a round world now and its always been!

Kind Ferdindad: It's a flat, flat world, it's a flat, flat world, I contend its flat, as a welcoming mat, and you're sailing off the end, it's a flat world now and its always been!

If you are Stan Freberg fan, this is a MUST HAVE! And while you are at it, get yourself a nutcup and a couple of french horns!

A classic (if a bit corny)!!.......2004-12-24

This is a classic bit of Americana.
A must-have for anyone who enjoys good comedy and great production value.

The Early Years: 1997-2000: The Legend Of Chin/New Way To Be Human/Learning To Breathe

Average customer rating:

Switchfoot's best work?
Great addition for the Switchfoot fan
Wow! 3 CD's for the Price of 1!!!
Switchfoot
Switchfoot Lover

The Early Years: 1997-2000: The Legend Of Chin/New Way To Be Human/Learning To Breathe
Switchfoot
Manufacturer: Re: Think
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Oh! Gravity.
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ASIN: B000654Z0A
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

Bomb
Chem 6A
Underwater
Edge Of My Seat
Home
Might Have Ben Hur
Concrete Girl
Life And Love And Why
You
Ode To Chin
Don't Be There

Tracks:

New Way To Be Human
Incomplete
Sooner Or Later (Soren's Song)
Company Car
Let That Be Enough
Something More (Augustine's Confession)
Only Hope
Amy's Song
I Turn Everything Over
Under The Floor

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I Dare You To Move
Learning To Breathe
You Already Take Me There
Love Is The Movement
Poparazzi
Innocence Again
Playing For Keeps
The Loser
The Economy Of Mercy
Erosion
Living Is Simple

Customer Reviews:

Switchfoot's best work?.......2007-01-24

Although I haven't listened to Switchfoot's two most recent albulms (Oh! Gravity and Nothing Is Sound) I consider New Way to Be Human their best up through Beautiful Letdown. Learning to Breathe is also great. If you don't have these albulms, by all means you should buy them at this price.

Great addition for the Switchfoot fan.......2006-07-24

In a day where Switchfoot is known for hits such as "Meant to Live", "Dare you to Move", and "Stars", early songs like "Chem 6A", "New Way to be Human", and "Learning to Breath" remain unheard. This 3 cd set is a perfect additon for those who love the music of the San Diego rockers. Although dissapointing compared to their latter albums, there first three give songs that are awesome both musically and lyrically. In my opinion, each cd gets better as the group matures. I don't recommend this collcection for those who just enjoy Switchfoot with their top 20 spotlight songs. But if you enjoyed the Beautiful Letdown and Nothing is Sound, this is a must have.

Wow! 3 CD's for the Price of 1!!!.......2006-03-22

I love Switchfoot. These guys are definitely one of the best comtemporary Christian groups out there. You can't beat having a 3 cd set for such a great price. The set comes with the original cd's (original covers) along with the books that were with the cd's. So you get all the great original songs for a great price. Learning to Breath, New way to be Human - just can't beat these songs. Enjoy!!!!

Switchfoot.......2005-09-08

I love switchfoot....I didn't have the first 3 CDs so it was a perfect buy and at a reasonable cost. Definately recommend.

A+

Switchfoot Lover.......2005-08-29

Loved the Switchfoot triple CD! It was great to see how they've changed from their first CD through their third CD. One thing that didn't change is the great music they produce and can't wait for the new CD to come out in Sept. 2005. They are a great band and sound even better in person - if you ever have the chance to see them in person! This triple CD is a great value for the price.

Music Track:

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