Collage

Collage

Track Listings

1. Steel River

2. Dr. Rock

3. Diamond Time Again

4. Ratt Madness

5. Hold Tight

6. I Want It All

7. Mother Blues

8. Top Secret [Original Version]

9. Take It Anyway

10. Lovin' You [Fonic Mix LP Version]

Tracks:

Pannonia Boundless
Cancao Verdes Anos
Aaj Ki Raat
La Muerta Chiquita
Turceasca
Gloomy Sunday
Cortejo Funebre en el Monte Diablo
Reponso
Romance No. 1
Gallop of a Thousand Horses
Ecstasy
Misirlou Twist

Amazon.com

The Kronos Quartet--apparently tired of performing some of the most riveting Western classical works composed in the last century--decided to take a vacation with Caravan. Where did they go? As evidenced by this globetrotting disc, seemingly everywhere. Music from the Middle East, South America, India, Portugal, and California (to name just a few) find their way onto this genre-blurring disc, along with a few surprises. They do a dizzying take on Dick Dale's "Miserlou," which we learn was originally written by Nicholas Roubanis in the '30s; perform a tune from India's bustling "Bollywood" film music industry; and tackle Terry Riley's inventive "Corgeo Funebre en el Monte Diablo"--the second movement of his Requiem for Adam (written for the late son of Kronos leader David Harrington). These are disparate but enthralling works that run the gamut from frenetic to reflective. Even though Caravan sounds less cohesive than Kronos's other world music foray, Pieces of Africa, this is still an enthralling collection and a must for Kronos fans. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

unpleasant sounds.......2006-11-10

Kronos Caravan was a dissapointment and a waste of money. I can only stand to listen to two of the tracks. Most of the tracks are an annoying blend of too many strings and what ever instrument the guest artist is playing.I never want to listen to any of the music from the cultures represented on this cd.

Another great Kronos.......2002-07-09

The positive part is that this is really good but I rank their last "Nuevo" higher because that one holds togheter better.

This is mostly middle eastern/central europe stuff and even if I THINK I know way some argentinian/portuguise tracks are in this (because of that argentininan tango has it roots in middle europe.. portugal cobining bandelon with portuguese fado) it feels misplaced here but artisticially it is very good performed anyway and... hows about "Miserlou Twist" then.. well composer of that old hit has his roots in Libanon so.. :-).

Anyway is this very good, fun, well played and sound, production is also something extra.

You be pleased with this if you like stringquartets with more of a folklore style but my advice is that you by this togheter with Nuevo then you have two great great discs.

People used to Kronos cooperation with Glass, Steve Riech should like this but it is def. NOT minimalism att all.

Stunning.......2000-11-19

I've never been a fan of classical music. Being forced to listen to Mozart and such growing up in school, ugh, school has made me gain a deep hatred of famous classical composers and the like. Never thought I would ever get into classical music because it was all killed to me.

Then I heard of Kronos Quartet. They were raved about on a movie review for "Requiem for a Dream," which they are mostly responsible for the entire score on. So, I decided to give them a bit of a chance. I bought three of their albums, "Early Music," and "Kronos Quartet performs Phillip Glass." The most important of all of these is "Caravan."

The last CD I listened to, I was a little afraid to, because I figured I'd enjoy Western pieces a little more, and probably wouldn't like the more 'world' sound this album seems to say it has.

I couldn't have been more wrong, from the opening track, "Pannoia Boundless," I was in love, raving about it to everyone I knew. Every track seems to have an energy that oozes from within it, these dynamics that manage to grab me and toss me around every time. Even the weakest track, being "Cortejo Funebre en el Monte Diablo," because of the horribly synth-sounding beats, horns, and bells, still has a certain power after you get past the horrible intro of the song.

Either way, Kronos Caravan is a great listen for anyone just dabbling in classical string quartets and wants something a little more high power and intrusive than your average "background music."

And they never stepped off the train..........2000-07-22

According to the press and liner notes, this album is intended to chart a sort of musical journey, obviously reflected by the title. Such a concept is highly suspect - eclecticism for its own sake (or more likely for the sake of capturing the widest consumer base) very rarely leads to meaningful, cohesive art, possibly because the best art comes "from within", that is, from within an individual's or a group's experience, not simply the surface reflection of ethnic stereotypes. Add to this the antequated notion that a caucasian string quartet can "capture" the world's sounds for YOUR discerning ears, and you have a piece of sheer mediocrity.

Osvaldo Golijov's arrangements excel at highlighting various effects of instrumental combinations. That's a plus. However, these performances are mostly shorn of whatever vitality is inherent in the compositions, by the quartet's lack of rhythmic unity and attack - some of these takes sound like tentative rehearsals. The worst in this respect has to be "Aaj Ki Raat". Anyone who knows Indian film music is aware of its energy and manic quality. This performance, however, has none of that, opting instead for a navel-gazing lack of dynamism that actually serves to bury the melodic theme, in lieu of which we are given the sound of tablas, which even Zakir Hussain can't make jive with the ennervated ensemble.

Not surprisingly, the only impassioned performance is "Turceasca", likely because most of the music is played by Taraf de Haidouks, a Romanian Gypsy ensemble that lends its "quaint" and "primitive" spunk to the tastemaker quartet, producing a "rousing, olde country" stewe.

Anyone with an interest in music beyond her/his borders should pick up the real thing, spend a little money, force her/himself to get used to its strangeness, and maybe she/he will come away a little wiser. Oh, yes, purchase an honest classical disc next time, as well.

Beautiful!.......2000-07-13

This CD is great in many ways. There is beatiful music from all over the world on this one. It's interesting 'cause it's rather easy listened, but still very deep and vital. "Pannonia Boundless" and "Turceasca" was the first two tracks to capture me. After that you discover the beauty of the other tracks. The themes of the songs are very clear and they work fine both as headphone-music as background-music. Get this one!

Average customer rating:

The mineral voice from the very core of the earth
This is a pure noise music album.
This is a joke, not music
Fantomas... without a band
come on beatbox / play one for me...

Adult Themes for Voice
Mike Patton
Manufacturer: Tzadik
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003YSX
Release Date: 1996-04-23

Tracks:

Wuxiapian
I Killed Him Like A Dog...And He Still Laughed
Smog
The Man In The Lower Left Hand Corner Of The Photograph
Robot Sex (Neon)
Screams Of The Asteroid
Robot Sex (B/W)
Porno Holocaust
Inconsolable Widows In Search Of Distraction
Hurry Up And Kill Me... I'm Cold
Man Alone In Steambath
Guinea Pig 1
Guinea Pig 2
Guinea Pig 3
Guinea Pig 4
A Woman With The skin Of The Moon
A Lizard With The Skin Of A Woman
Catheter
Fix It So The Bruises Don't Show
Robot Sex (Watercolors)
A Ceremony Of Senses, An Alibi In The Red Light District
Butterfly In A Glass Maze
A Leper With The Face Of A Baby Girl
The One Armed Vs. 9 Killers
Pillow Biter
Raped On A Bed Of Sand
Violence
Red Mouth, Black Orgasm
Wuxiapian Fantastique
A Smile, A Slap In The Face, A Fart, A Kiss On The Mouth
Private Lessons On Planet Eros
Pheumonia With Complications
Orgy In Reverb (10 Kilometers Of Lust)

Customer Reviews:

The mineral voice from the very core of the earth.......2007-03-29

Some classify this music in noise, and yet I think it is quite something else. It uses some noise, produced by instruments or not, distorts it in order to create a shrill universe that is rhythmically throbbing in multiple directions. But it also uses human voices or maybe just guttural noise, or even animal utterances that it modulates and even in a way transforms into a forest of growth and shoots that becomes like a maze or a net in which your ears are trapped. But at times, like with "the inconsolable widows in search of distraction", we reach the other side of voice, when we can discover the immensity of human feelings, sufferings or expectations that can inhabit these voices without us ever being able to realize it in simple conditions. It takes this formal work performed on them for the semantic draping, clothing and dressing to be unwrapped to reveal this pathetic, sensual, sensory and sensitive content. Voice then becomes what it is all the time and we ignore: the expression of the deepest physiological functioning of our body, flesh, nerves, bones and brain. Try track 17 when a woman is dressing in the skin of a lizard, or vice versa, and you'll see how cool and slick that female voice can be. Amazing how we feel the vast emptiness of space as seen through the eyes of the reptile.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

This is a pure noise music album........2006-10-24

This album displays a specific type of music which just happens to be rather close to Mike's heart: Noise. He's utilized his voice in this manner in past efforts: Some tracks on FNM's Angel Dust and especially Mr. Bungle's first major-label album features Mike making effects very similar in vain to this.

This album starts out with the gripping yet boring "Wuxiapian". The album really takes off with "I Killed Him Like A Dog ...And He Still Laughed", and seems to fluctuate from thrilling to mediocre and back again several times. "The Man In The Lower-Left Hand Corner Of The Photograph" is also great, as is the 10-minute long "Guinea Pig" epic which spans 4 tracks on this CD. "The Lizard With A Skin Of A Woman" has to be heard to be believed. This track alone is worth it.

I agree with one reviewer here: This album can't function as background music. It must be enjoyed as one would curl up and enjoy a book. The Journey is laid out in the cover, detailing the dates and hotels in which this was masterfully composed. As for as noise music goes, it's a good first album to the genre. Between this, his other jazzy solo effort and Maldoror, Mike has proved to be a master at noise. It's not for everyone; just look at the one-star reviews about this. A great solo debut.

Great Job, Mike.

This is a joke, not music.......2006-09-28

My exposure to Mike Patton comes mostly from Faith No More & Mr. Bungle, whom I loved. I have something from most of his other projects like Tomahawk, Peeping Tom, Fantomas and Dillinger Escape Plan. I've found all these projects to range all the way from 'pointless and boring' to 'very cool', though not quite up to the FNM/Bungle standard.

Ok, so you know where I'm at.

Getting to this and his other solo album: it's just hideous. It's definately noisy, and there is in fact sound, but there is no real music on here whatsoever. It's him making weird noises into a mic, with some effects... and not even cool noises (a couple of exceptions aside).

You will not jam to this. You will not rock out. Headbanging is just flat out. You could go to a construction site and hear more music.

Fantomas... without a band.......2006-01-12

This was Patton in hotel rooms during the '95 Faith No More tour, recording and exploring his voice and "weirdness" into his 4-track. No instruments, just him, a mic, and feedback. It's unquestionably unique, very funny and eerie at times, and it's definitely an interesting look at his behind-the-scenes genius. There would most likely never have been a Fantomas had he not recorded these, as this is surely that band's "prequel." Check it out, just don't expect a rock album or something.

come on beatbox / play one for me..........2005-11-24

When this album first came out, my friends and I listened to it in the car as soon as we got out of the store. We were freaked out. Keep in mind that aside from F.N.M. and Mr. Bungle there weren't really any other Patton projects on the market at that time. We ended up spending the rest of the night sneaking up on people and playing the cd at full blast, then driving off as people jumped or just thought that our car had some sort of engine problem. We ended up making that a weekend routine that we called "Mike Pattoning" people.

It wasn't until I had my own copy and was able to closely study each song that I truly understood the vocal dexterity present on the album.

Rather than a collection of "songs," this album is more like reading Mike Patton's journal. A journal with some pages covered with doodles and other pages with extreme study on a particular subject.

My only complaint is that the liner notes fail to mention the use of effects pedals- an omission easily overlooked, yet still scratching at the integrity of the work due to the fact that the manipulation of effects plays an integral part of specific pieces.

Most dissent towards this album stems from the lack of melody in the work. This opinion comes from fans who put the "logical" F.N.M. at the top of their list and the "irrational" sounds of either Mr. Bungle or Fantomas near the bottom. This work is freeform and percussive, much like certain Bungle track moved towards and Fantomas fully embraces.

If you are a fan of this album, I would highly suggest checking out Period Two on the MySpace website. His work is in a similar vein but come from the roots of 1980s beatboxing.

Average customer rating:

perfect
Great!!!
Collage Says It All!
Fresh sound, nice presentation, varied program.
one of her best

Collage
Karrin Allyson
Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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I Didn't Know About You
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ASIN: B0000006PV
Release Date: 1996-06-11

Tracks:

It Could Happen To You/Fried Bananas
Autumn Leaves (Les Fueilles Mortes)
Robert Frost
All Of You
And So It Goes
Joy Spring
Ask Me Now
Cherokee
Here, There And Everywhere
Give It Up Or Let Me Go
Faltando Um Pedaco (Missing A Piece)
Live For Life

Customer Reviews:

perfect.......2006-09-05

I heard about Karrin Allyson in a Brazilian TV program. I simply loved her. I've already purchased 3 of her cds.

Great!!!.......2005-09-13

Karrin Allyson is a great talent with an exceptional voice. Her version of "Autumn Leaves" is a classic.

Collage Says It All!.......2004-11-12

Karrin Allyson is an excellent singer and the musicians on this cd are the best, having heard a few of them "live" as well as having some of them performing on other recordings. That said, I know I'll regret this BUT I suppose my musical taste (at least in what I prefer to buy) is not that eclectic. If I prefer jazz, then I wouldn't expect to hear folk anymore than buying folk would I expect to hear jazz. If I want a mixture, I'll listen to the radio! Please keep my Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter, Clifford Brown and Jay Leonhart (an excellent bassist who writes some very amusing songs) separated from Billy Joel and Bonnie Raitt who are excellent in their type of music.....but just not my gig!

Fresh sound, nice presentation, varied program........2002-05-21

In the highly competitive world of female jazz singers, it takes a lot of determination, perseverance, marketing savvy, attention to presentation, and sheer moxy to survive let alone succeed--all the more so if you're a stand-up vocalist. Gone are the days when a "natural" like Lady Day, Ella or Sarah would be shepherded by a band leader or producer, under whose eyes she might have the luxury to experiment, jam, make mistakes, woodshed, and grow.

Karrin has a fresh, almost pellucid vocal timbre with a fetching androgynous quality and energetic, aggressive edge. And she definitely has her act together, based on the evidence of this carefully produced session. There's not much left to chance--none of the extemporaneous melodic reinventions of an Ella or Sarah--but her vocalese choruses based on notated jazz solos rank with the best of Jon Hendricks or the Manhattan Transfer. And her scatting on "All of You" and "Cherokee" certainly doesn't hurt. Whether the ventures into "folk" ("Robert Frost," "And So It Goes," and "Here, There, and Everywhere") earn her extra points for virtuosity ("Collage" is an accurate description) or detract from her jazz credentials probably depends on the listener's generation and frame of reference. The sound of female voice and acoustic guitar accompaniment is innocuous but the least uncommon sound in pop music (thankfully, there's no "The Rose"). And it probably shouldn't go unmentioned that for good measure she displays her command of both French ("Autumn Leaves") and Spanish ("Missing a Piece") before salvaging (but hardly restoring) a piece of 60's ephemera called "Live for Life."

What's not to like?

one of her best.......2002-05-20

I suspect I am partial to Karrin's Kansas City style jazz. This CD is a mixture of styles and tunes which Karrin handles with impeccable style and verve. You simply have to hear her sing Monk's "Ask Me Now" and Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring" to realize what a great talent this girl has.

Average customer rating:

neo-prog at it's best
Don't miss this one while it is available.
Solid NEOPROG

Moonshine
Collage
Manufacturer: Metal Mind Poland
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000TWLZ8
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Heroes Cry
In Your Eyes
Lovely Day
Living in the Moonlight
Blues
Wings in the Night
Moonshine
War Is Over
Almost There [#][*]
Blues [Live][#][*][Multimedia Track]
Wings in the Night [Live][#][*][Multimedia Track]

Description

This remastered re-edition of the Collage album from 1994 is considered by many to be of equal quality to King Crimson, Genesis or Yes releases. Its an amazing, dream-like climate, with both sadness and joy. It contains perfect solos and elaborated, outstanding melodic lines. Bonus tracks: previously unpublished pieces from "Moonshine" recording session which weren't included on the original release! Also features 2 bonus videos: "The Blues and "Wings in the Night".

Customer Reviews:

neo-prog at it's best.......2007-03-04

All I can say after listening to Moonshine several times is WOW! This is an amazing cd. From start to finish, the sound and feel is deep and moving. With long symphonic instrumentals within each song and Robert Amirian's voice that fits the music perfectly, this is a first rate prog cd. This band now goes under the name of Satellite. Same line up and same great neo-prog sound. If you like IQ,Sylvan,Quidam,this is for you.

Don't miss this one while it is available........2007-01-15

One of the best neo-progressive CDs period. For fans of Marillion, Pendragon, etc. Thick lush sound - very emotional music. If you are going to own any Collage, own this one. One person told me that this was the best CD that Genesis or Marillion never made - I would have to agree.

Solid NEOPROG.......2005-11-04

This is a solid prog band from Poland that features English lyrics. The music is dramatic in the style of Marillion and IQ. The singer sometimes sounds distant from the music like Walsh on Somewhere to Elsewhere or Pedroza on The Stream. But overall this is worth a listen.

Average customer rating:

Many tiny explosions between your ears
Absolutely essential
diverging opinions
Even one star is too much -- DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE
Radiostaticstoponastationalready

Plunderphonics 69/96
Plunderphonics
Manufacturer: Seeland Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Plexure
Scarface (Universal Cinema Classics)
The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1
If... (Criterion Collection)
TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1 (Waterloo Bridge [1931] / Baby Face / Red-Headed Woman)

ASIN: B00005AVLZ
Release Date: 2001-05-29

Tracks:

BTLS
Power
O'Hell
2net
Anon
Vane
Mother
Z
Angle
Way
Sfield
Ebb
Madmod
Brazillianaires Theme
Bday
Philosophy
Cuss
Explo
Sonic Euthanasia
Cyfer
Pretender
Don't
White
Black
Brown
Dab
Case of Death
Fabulous

Tracks:

Case of Death, Pt. 2, Chapter 1-6
Andy [Dang Fishy Rift]
X24
Net
Birth1
Mist
Barely
Birth2
Prelude
Mach
Barelys
Barelys
Barelys
Barelys
Birth3
Rose
Ten4gv
Debizet
Pocket
Tune
Fold
Mirror
Dwig
7th
Lune
Aria
Spring
Discorite
Lovedrops
Vand
Preliu
Para D
Rainbow
1001

Customer Reviews:

Many tiny explosions between your ears.......2004-11-28

Go ahead, life is short, buy it. Also buy "Grayfolded", which I have never gotten tired of after dozens (okay, maybe not a lot of dozens) of listens.

Absolutely essential.......2004-06-28

69/96 is perhaps the definitive set of John Oswald's experimental Plunderphonics, a two-disc retrospective covering most of his most famous and often brilliant work, from the entireity of the ultra rare Electrax (or Rubiyat, as Electra renamed it) EP to selections from Plexure, Grayfolded, the original (and highly illegal) Plunderphonics CD, and Discosphere.

For the uninformed, Plunderphonics is sampling taken to the next level, songs manipulated, sometimes beyond recognition and often to completely alter their meaning. Just to briefly list some of the tracks on this album would be difficult. There's Chuck Berry songs compressed down to 10 seconds or less (the Barely tracks), Dolly Parton singing a duet with a slowed-down version of herself (Pretender), the Kronos Quartet compared and contrasted with a generic heavy metal band (Mach), a mashup of the Carly Simon and Faster Pussycat renditions of "Vain" (Vane), a marathon of different singers and their renditions of the Phil Spector song "Ebb Tide" (Ebb), and many many more. It's extremely hard to describe half of these songs without making them sound like less than they are. It's popular music completely mutated into something completely above and beyond most anything pop music has to offer, and some of the tracks showcased were even ahead of their time (such as "Power," a combination of Led Zeppelin riffs and televangical ranting that could almost count as one of the first rap songs).

Augmenting the 62 tracks found in this collection is a comprehensive interview with John Oswald that gives key insight into most of the tracks on the discs: how they were made, what they were made for, the history of Plunderphonics, and much much more. Almost no stone is unturned, and some of the songs he mentions in passing that didn't make the cut for this set also serve to pique one's interest. Maybe another Plunderphonics box set will eventually see the light of day if we're lucky.

All told, this is an extremely well done and exceptionally brilliant package, and should be essential for fans of experimental music or to those who would like to know exactly what sort of possibilities sampling can hold as a medium in and of itself. I'd recommend getting this as soon as you can. While the copyright lawyers haven't made a fuss over this album yet, who knows when they might.

diverging opinions.......2004-06-21

I've found that, every time I find something that I personally find to be absolutely wonderful, some other people will agree with me, but there are quite likely just as many people who have exactly the opposite opinion. When Smooth Earl (whose opinion you will find immediately below) says "I was doing stuff like that on my tape recorder back in '83 when I was in 4th grade, and I did a better job than this guy", it reminds me all those people who say their dog could make a better painting than Jackson Pollock (or Pablo Picasso).
In some cases these people really can't see the difference between a smudge and a Pollock. That's OK. Perhaps to Smooth Earl the entire oeuvre of John Oswald really does sound like something he did in the 4th grade (when are you going to release your album Earl, so we can compare?).
Poor hearing-deprived man, but still, everyone is entitled to have their opinion.
What I object to is Earl saying, "You will be severely disappointed just like me." What a stupid, narrow-minded statement. I obviously don't share your opinion Earl, and there others who don't think like you do - please check out the reviews at the bottom of the page.
I wish that there were listening samples for each of the 60 tracks in this box set, because, like it or not, there is undeniably more variety in this package than in any other musical offering I can think of. Sure there probably is something here for everyone to dislike, but for anyone with open ears, and a desire for surprises, this is a cornucopia of all kinds of music; each kind presented in a new way, sometimes subtly and sometimes brutally.
I suspect that neither Smooth Earl or "a music fan" listened any further than the first couple of tracks, because when they make their analogies to changing radio stations every two seconds they obviously haven't listened to Rainbow, which is an elegiac, glistening shifting of perfectly consonant chords played by the 101 String Orchestra like one big wave; or PreLieu where a live string quartet plays a sinuous, sensual variation of one of Beethoven's prettiest tunes; or Anon which is a chorus of the beautiful voice of Tim Buckley.
And then there is the fast-paced stuff. Perhaps Smooth Earl could edit in the 4th grade as well as Oswald, but I've never heard anyone who can dice and splice as intricately and precisely as can be found in any number of the cuts on Plunderphonic.
In addition to getting a lot of music in this box set, one will also discover a treasure chest of detailed notes (in the 40,000 word interview Oswald sometimes speaks as acrobatically as he composes) and a lot of often very funny visuals which are another way to get an idea of what the music is like. For example, look at the cover collage above: a group photo of U2 has been transformed into a band of Frankensteins, in which David Bowie and Barbra Streisand, or Boy George and Billy Gibbons get grafted into one person.
Oswald suggests that Power (composed in 1975) is perhaps the first Rap song. It was created independent of the concurrent experiments of Afrika Bambaataa and crew, predates Byrne and Eno's similar experiments by 5 years, and in its use of Led Zepplin riffs it predates the Beastie Boys by a decade. One of the reasons some of this music sounds so unusual is that it was created so much ahead of its time. It's kind of like the case of Trout Mask Replica (which also gets transformed by Oswald).
Unlike other commentators I won't presume to say whether you should get this set or not. But I think that any listener whose range of listening interests can go from Stravinsky to Metallica to Public Enemy might be intrigued. Or any one who wants to hear an Agatha Christie story as if it was transformed by James Joyce... or Dolly Parton slowly turn into a man... or Bill Frisell playing with Elvis Presley... Debussy sung by a bird... an almost brand new Doors song ... Anton Webern and the Beach Boys ... Fine Young Cannibals with Annie Lennox (ten years before mash-ups)... a cubist Count Basie... Madonna granulated... it's all here.

Even one star is too much -- DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE.......2002-04-19

Yeah, I heard about this "Plunderphonics" thing in SPIN and ROlling Stone, and they went on and on about how "essential" and "awesome" it was. Then I thought this guy in the review right before mine was just being a "hater" or whatever, but DANG if he wasn't right!

I'm a fan of remixes and samples of sorts, so this compilation piqued my curiosity, but ... I should've saved my money. Yeah, sure, you'll recognize a snippet here and there of a song or a popular artist's voice, but it's so choppy ... and there's no "flow" to it ... it is not music of any kind, just irritating noise. Just like the other guy said, it's like some lil' kid won't quit playing with the radio so it skips to every other station every 2 seconds. Heck, I was doing stuff like that on my tape recorder back in '83 when I was in 4th grade, and I did a better job than this guy.

If you have been wanting to buy this compilation, do yourself a favor: close your eyes, take a deep breath, open your eyes, and LET IT GO. You will be severely disappointed just like me.

Radiostaticstoponastationalready.......2002-03-10

This is probably one of the most annoying compilations I have acquired. While intriguing as a concept, this "music of the last fifty years in a blender" approach comes off as rather grating. A bit like someone constantly changing the radio station without stopping.

Riley: Requiem for Adam / Philosopher's Hand

Average customer rating:

Requiem without despair
string quartets not Riley's forte
A uniquely moving memorial

Riley: Requiem for Adam / Philosopher's Hand
Terry Riley , and Kronos Quartet
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005NSQV
Release Date: 2001-09-04

Tracks:

Requiem For Adam: Ascending The Heaven Ladder
Requiem For Adam: Cortejo Funebre en el Monte Diablo
Requiem For Adam: Requiem For Adam
The Philosopher's Hand

Amazon.com

The Kronos Quartet turns in a spectacular performance of three unusually dissimilar Terry Riley compositions grouped under the title Requiem for Adam. Ostensibly the three parts of Requiem are based on the memory of Adam Harrington, the son of Kronos's David Harrington, but none of these works is particularly funereal. The perky, Bartók-influenced "Ascending the Heaven Ladder" gives way (unaccountably) to the harsh electronics of the composer-assisted second movement, "Cortejo Funebre en el Monte Diablo," which in turn leads to the energetic third movement, "Requiem for Adam." This music might have a hard time finding a new audience, but Riley fans--as well as Kronos enthusiasts--will revel in the music and the warm studio ambience. However, the final work here, a five-minute improvisational knockoff called "The Philosopher's Hand," finds Riley on the piano in a deeply meditative mood that could have gone for another hour. It promises much for the future of solo piano music from this gifted composer. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Requiem without despair.......2002-10-04

Written to mark the premature death of Adam Harrington, teenage son of Kronos violinist David Harrington, "Requiem" is an unusual piece for a work bearing that title. Cut from the same cloth as Riley's previous (and underrated) string quartets, for the most part it would sound at home on "Cadenza at the Night Plain" or "Salome Dances for Peace." It starts with a very energetic movement, somewhere between a scherzo and a loose fugue based on a few simple patterns. But the middle movement comes as a surprise, a sudden burst of electronic instruments announcing a quasi-industrial section rich in complexity. (It actually sounds reminiscent of King Crimson's "ProjeKct" pieces.) The third and final movement returns to the unassisted quartet. Subtitled "Requiem for Adam," its long, sliding notes and anxious motion suddenly give way to a stately, processional interlude suffused with a tender sadness and a gnawing uncertainty. The piece ends with a return to the dance-like energy, closing on a final coda expressed as the two syllables in Adam's name. Perhaps less a traditional requiem than a musical portrait, it's nevertheless a thoroughly fascinating and occasionally moving work. It's followed by "The Philosopher's Hand," a gentle piano solo improvised by Riley in the memory of his mentor, Pandit Pran Nath.

string quartets not Riley's forte.......2001-09-19

I would truly like to be positive toward this record, particularly given its subject matter. (When I ordered it, based on the title, I assumed it was about the Adam of the Bible, perhaps symbolic of humanity...) I love Riley's "In C" and "A Rainbow in Curved Air," and the works of the Kronos Quartet. But this work doesn't move me. Actually, the last piece, a solo piano improvisation by Riley dedicated to Riley's teacher Pandit Pran Nath, who passed away in 1996, is much more affecting than the string quartet, which I think says something. The first movement of the quartet ("Ascending the Heaven Ladder") is strong, but the electronic effects in the second movement seem out of place, and the long third movement just seems to lose momentum. Come to think of it, Riley seems to share with the other "minimalists" a tendency to become less compelling in moving away from the purity of the initial vision/impulse. The artwork on this CD is stunning, though, a series of photos of dead leaves called "Black Pulse."

A uniquely moving memorial.......2001-09-15

Terry Riley has my vote for the title of great American composer. Few composers working today have Riley's ability to range from unbridled fun to profound emotional depth. His long collaboration with the Kronos Quartet brings us this latest work, certainly one of Terry's deepest and most moving. Composed as a memorial after the death of 16-year-old Adam Harrington (son of the Kronos' first violinist), who shared a birthday with Terry's own son, the result is music of great emotional and psychological richness. In the middle movement, electronic sounds, suggestive of pop music, joins the quartet - a homage to the energy and tastes of the young man it memorializes. In the last movement, sliding tones suggest (to my ear) ambulance sirens, even as the work reaches a sense of reassurance in the midst of suffering. In total, it is a work of great tonal beauty and an immeasurable humanity. I bought this CD the day before the World Trade Center was hit, and it has been the one piece of music I've found consoling in the days since that event. It is a mark of Terry's own beauty of spirit that his music speaks to us on such a level. Listen to this work.

Average customer rating:

So "Out There" You Have To Get Behind It
Not for all tastes (or pockets) but ineffable, enchanting, and profoundly aesthetic.
GREAT TRUMPET PLAYER, GOOD ALBUM

ER
Nils Petter Molvær
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Remakes
An American Compilation
Khmer
NP3
Streamer

ASIN: B000BBRZUG
Release Date: 2005-10-24

Tracks:

Hover
Softer
Water
Only These Things Count
Sober
Darker
Feeder
Dancer

Customer Reviews:

So "Out There" You Have To Get Behind It.......2007-07-16

Nils Petter Molvaer is a Norwegian trumpet player and composer who drives the concept of "trumpet music" into new territory. His use of hip-hop rhythms, turntables, tape effects and elaborate productions is extremely up-to-the-minute. His tone on trumpet is occasionally reminiscent of Miles Davis, occasionally of Jon Hassel. In fact, if Miles were still alive today there's a good chance he'd dig Molvaer immensely -- he expands the repertoire of the trumpet and challenges listeners to "get with it." Very Miles.

Not for all tastes (or pockets) but ineffable, enchanting, and profoundly aesthetic........2006-12-06

Upon reading the titles of the tracks on "ER," I was prepared for a Windham Hill sampler of programmatic "nature-music" pieces. But Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer's muse, it soon becomes evident, is more closely related to the genius presiding over "In a Silent Way," "Bitches Brew" and similar projects by some of Miles Davis' '70s progeny. It's New Age music with a beat, but with nuanced textures mixed so deliberately and motifs insinuated so subtly that the inattentive listener is likely to miss altogether the gossamer fabric of these fragile yet frequently appealing, inviting constructions.

Molvaer's trumpet is too much in the background for this music to be mistaken for a Miles Davis session. Instead, the horn becomes another vibrant freqency floating in the sonic ether, whether producing muted plaintive sounds without the mute or suggesting a momentary chill when Molvaer blows through his mouthpiece sans horn. Even the multiple tracking of the instrument along with the layering of bird calls and human voices does little to disturb the Noh-like stillness of "Water," following "Softer" like diaphanous gauze yielding to the glimpse of a golden carp suspended in a moon-lit pool.

"Only These Things Count" is verbalized, sung moreover in English, thus threatening to rupture the listener's connection with the safe and magical harbor of the musical Zen garden. But soon the churning textures of the accompaniment lead to another quiet, intimate moment during which Molvaer's breathy trumpet supplies incandescent incantations over a single sustained pitch, a note evoking a wordless plainsong resonating with the dynamic energy field of consciousness itself.

The next piece, "Darker," momentarily establishes an almost funky groove, perhaps Molvaer's turn to run the voodoo down, but again he moves skyward, as "Feeder" offers the most extended, extreme trumpet solo on the CD--loud in dynamics or high in register only relative to its previous unobtrusive presence. The role of the trumpet as an "individual" voice is an open-ended question in music of such exacting scale and ecological balance.

"Dancer," the final piece--or, more precisely, movement of a continuous work (there are no silences between the compositions)--is descriptive of the acoustic properties of the piece itself, which emphasizes the rhythms of primitive percussion. But in its metaphoric invoking of dance, it's also an interpretive, revelatory key to Molvaer's paradoxical and poetic, even mystical, compositions that blur the lines between soloist and accompaniment, text and context, confounding any attempts at easy categorization of this music.

The listener's epiphany is that "ER" is, above all, a delicate but vital and indivisible organism, recalling if not demonstrating the understanding implicit in the poet W.B. Yeats' famous question about the relationship between the artist and his creation: "How can you know the dancer from the dance?"

GREAT TRUMPET PLAYER, GOOD ALBUM.......2005-11-08

Nils Petter Molvaer has made some good music over the years. His trumpetplaying is very moody and he can set an atmosphere that not a lot of people can. The beats and electronics he uses are unique. The beats and sounds he uses create a lot of space in wich he can let a solo come to full advantage. The particular Molvaer-sound is only to be heard in the group of musicians Molvaer works with (the guitarist Eivind Aarset for instance; try his album Electronique Noir!).
I own three albums of Molvaer: Khmer, NP3 and ER. The first one (Khmer, 5 stars easily) is without a doubt the best. Most songs take their time to develop, but there always is a lot going on. Within the songs the tempo or volume build up. The beats are not the only things that count. And that maybe is Molvaer's trap: he manages to make his beats sound better and better, but they become so important that the rest of the music gets less attention.
NP3 had bigger beats than Khmer, but the album as a whole is a bit flat. But it's the most accessible and if possible happy one.
ER is down. Way down. And I like that. The album starts of really good. The first song is a killer! The second one is very sad. The intro's the songs lead to good beats that have a good dark atmosphere. But just like NP3 I miss the evolution of the songs beyond the beat. When Molvaer could pull that off again he could make a 6 star album.
There's one thing about the album I almost forgot to mention: there are voices on two of the songs of the album. The voice of Sidsel Endresen is a treat. She doesn't sound like a jazzsinger, and I/m glad about that. It wouldn't fitt. The singing is like a beat up Sally Oldfield or holds somewhere in the middle of Portishead and Clannad. Very tastefull!

When you don't own a Molvaer-album and you've got nothing against fantastic electronic beats, soundscapes and trumpet you must get yourself a Molvaer-album. This album for me is a five star album untill song number six. It's good enough, especialy the way the beats are recorded is good, but I believe Khmer has more to offer.

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Halve Maen
Double Leopards
Manufacturer: Eclipse Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beaches and Canyons

ASIN: B000J3Q0PC
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Tracks:

Sound Holes
The Fatal Affront
Druid Spectre
Hemisphere In Your Hair

Tracks:

Viking Blood
The Forest Outlaws
The Secret Correspondence 1
The Secret Correspondence 2

Album Description

"Halve Maen is sprawled across two heavy discs, the only format through which the finest, most oblique musical messages can properly be conveyed. I am tempted to shove this in alongside such shadowy double albums as Wickham & Young's Lake, The Dead C's Harsh 70s Reality, Charalambides' Market Square, and Twenty-Six's This Skin Is Rust, but even those gave you a little breathing room now and then; Halve Maen smothers all light from the get-go as it burrows into the bowels of the earth below." --PITCHFORK

Tracks:

Announcement
Quiet Please
Michael Jackson
Escape From Noise
The Playboy Channel
Stress In Marriage
Nesbitt's Lime Soda Song
Over The Hiccups
Sycamore
Car Bomb
Yellow Black And Rectangular
Backstage Pass
Christianity Is Stupid
Time Zones
You Don't Even Live Here
The Way Of It
Endscape

Album Description

Reissue of 1987 classic from the masters of audio media manipulation. Their best selling release ever, it includes such Negativland anthems as 'Christianity Is Stupd', 'Car Bombs', 'Time Zones' and others on this silver platter. 18 tracks total. 1999 release.

Customer Reviews:

Why the re-release?.......2006-07-23

Given that "Methods of Torture" appears to be missing from this re-release, I'd stick with the original. Either way, though, this is an amazing album and the perfect starting point for anyone new to Negativland.

"Thanks, Glen. Just, thanks for the.... good thoughts.".......2005-07-11

I've owned this album for a year now and I finally feel like I have some idea what's going on, enough to write a review. If you only own, like, a few dozen albums, then this shouldn't be one of them. Nonetheless, this makes for an excellent track in the college-radio-station program that is a music geek's life. "Manipulating who-knows-what into stuff that comes off sounding like something resembling a coherent punk message" might be one's description of this deliberately ugly affair.
On the track "Sycamore," we hear a commercial for an idyllic town (which already sounds ridiculous in itself) mixed in seamlessly with gun control messages that sound like they are part of the background. Some cuts, like "Christianity is Stupid" and "Quiet Please" (aka "Special Designer Song" ???), utilize more musical-sounding elements from 80s/new wave, or whatever.
The album feels especially awkward in the parts where it is clear they are trying to keep the attention of everyday college listeners (well, back when college students at least tried to be cool); like on "Michael Jackson," "The Playboy Channel," and "Nesbitt's Lime Soda" where the tracks are cute but not terribly funny. Furthermore, the obviousness of what's going on (hell, the album is CALLED "Escape from Noise"... geez gimme a break) makes the mess all the more nauseating. I think the added cheesiness is to make sure EVERYONE is annoyed by this release, even those who are fans of punk, The Residents, and/or Devo.
An exquisitely awful and well-mixed album.

Is there any escape from noise?!.......2005-04-22

Further proof why SST is one of the best indie rock labels ever. Negativland are a group of three audio pranksters whose music is quite unlike anything heard before, or since. Some would call it alt / indie or post-punk, but it's really neither. It's truly an audio collage of sounds tied together to make darkly humorous and offbeat songs. Some are bound not to get the jokes, and therefor not to get the band's appeal. Those however who get the point will find it hilarious. Certainly not for fans of conventional "music".

Sardonic sonic sculptors at their peak.......2004-05-02

If you've ever heard of Negativland, it's probably either because of the brilliant but ill-begotten (and legally destructive) "U2" single from 1991, or this album, their best selling and easily their most accessible. Eschewing some of the long-form works that dominate many of their previous and subsequent releases, this album probably has more song-length tracks than any other Negativland collection. Only the wonderfully ethereal "Time Zones" tops 5 minutes in length, and a couple clock in under 2. Among the gems in this collection are the opening "Announcement" (a wonderful jab at the concept of pop radio marketing), the surreal "Yellow Black and Rectangular", the irreverent "Playboy Channel", the audacious punk-rock romp "Car Bomb", and the aforementioned "Time Zones", which puts a sliced-and-diced call-in radio show discussion about the Soviet Union to brilliant effect.

Some albums are better (most notably A Big 10-8 Place), some are more precise in their satire, but none reach the level of accessibility that Escape From Noise accomplishes. Be sure to buy the 1997 Seeland reissue, not the 1987 issue from their estranged record label SST.

11 time zones-.......2003-11-30

Just try to find an album that can be compared to this. There aren't any. There are two kinds of people in this world- those who don't get this album and those who think it's hysterical.
The first track "Announcement" is pure genius, most people I play this for think it's serious until they hear the song that follows. If you're into Seinfeld type humor then you'll love "Nesbitt's Lime Soda" and "The Playboy Channel". Tracks 11-15 could possibly frighten many listeners if the propaganda of the Cold War worked on them. For those who recognize propaganda for what is then this will be hysterical. And for those people who are really brave, they may want to smoke a little weed before listening to "Yellow Black and Rectangular", "Michael Jackson" or "Sycamore".
Warning: If you scare easily or if you're or if you're friends and most other people consider you stupid then do not buy this album.

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