The Rose

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Sumptuous, soothing, sensual--the heavenly voices of the Mediaeval Baebes continue to enchant the ears with the group's fourth album. These talented Baebes (and their main composer Katharine Blake) borrow lyrical material from medieval prose and find inspiration in medieval music. While most of The Rose comprises original pieces, it also includes a medieval English composition, a 14th century French traditional song, and an Italian lauda. The hypnotic, dulcet voices of this nine-piece collective are mesmerizing a cappella, especially with their fluency in multiple languages, but some of these songs feature accompaniment from strings, zither, recorder, acoustic guitar, percussion, and other instruments. The Mediaeval Bloakes Choir even turn in a supporting appearance on the sublime "Dringo Bell." Despite their name, the Mediaeval Baebes create timeless music that, for many listeners, may help fill in the gap left by the dearly departed Dead Can Dance. --Bryan Reesman

The Rose,The Mediæval Bæbes,Nettwerk Records,Appalachia,Choral,Christmas,Early Music,England,Ethnic Fusion,Goth Rock,Medieval,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Rock/Pop

The Rose

Tracks:

Heaven Have A Mercy
Milord
Rien De Rien
La Foule
Cri Du Coeur
La Vie En Rose (English version)
Padam Padam
Mon Dieu
L'Hymne A L'Amour
Mon Manege A Moi
Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
L'Eveil
Mon Legionnaire (piano solo)
Lisieux
La Mort De Leplee ("Mon Legionnaire")
Apparition
L'ABC
L'Arrestation ("Mon Legionnaire")
L'Idylle
Derniere Nuit
Mon Homme (interpreted by Jil Aigrot)
Les Momes De La Cloche (interpreted by Jil Aigrot)
Les Hiboux (interpreted by Jil Aigrot)
Fascination (interpreted by Maya Barsoni)
Il M'a Vue Nue (interpreted by Mistinguett)
La Poupee
Vie En Rose (accordeon)

Amazon.com

As befits the soundtrack of a music biopic, most of the heavy lifting here is done by the movie's subject: iconic French singer Edith Piaf. She was the Gallic Judy Garland, a natural performer who overcame one personal tragedy after another and was never more alive than on stage, forging an uncommon bond with both material and audience. Since actress Marion Cotillard lip-synchs in the film, the first 11 tracks on the CD are by Piaf herself, and give a good overview of her biggest hits (though we get the English version of the title track) and her feverish, ultra-dramatic style. But Piaf wasn't only a tragedienne of song: Her lighter side is represented by "Rien de Rien" and "Mon Manège à Moi," which she infuses with wonderful flair. Tracks 12-20 are made up of Christopher Gunning's richly symphonic original score (check out "La Mort de Leplée"). The last third of the album offers Piaf without Piaf, with contemporary singers Jil Aigrot and Maya Barsoni performing her songs (apparently because the originals' poor sound quality meant they would have stuck out in the movie). Watch out, however, for Mistinguett's hilarious "Il m'a vu nue," a slice of French music-hall history preserved in amber. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Official motion picture soundtrack to the film La Vie En Rose, the dramatic real-life story of French chanteuse Edith Piaf, starring Marion Cotillard and Gerard Depardieu. This release contains 27 tracks featuring 11 of Piaf's most popular songs remastered including "La Vie En Rose", "Hymne A L'amour" "Milord" and "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien", plus the original score by Christopher Gunning.

Customer Reviews:

Piaf soars!.......2007-08-05

Those who have seen Marion Cotillard's Oscar caliber performance in "La Vie En Rose" will love this disk for the eleven songs she lip-synched so brilliantly in the film--10 of them by Piaf. The old recordings were enhanced with modern technology to sound great. The soundtrack's underscoring tracks and other filler could easily have been deleted. Only the Piaf tracks found their way to my iPod.

Wonderful Period Music.......2007-07-20

Having seen the movie La Vien Rose, I knew I had to get the CD. Both are terrific. If you haven't listened to or seen the movie I suggest you do both. Excellent music/performances. Bill

La Vie en Rose.......2007-07-06

The soundtrack to the movie by the same title is excellent. The restoration was superb. The voice of Edith Piaf is masterful.

Average customer rating:

like red in a rose
Great Album
Not as country as I always thought Alan was.
Alan Jackson Great singer
Could be better

Like Red on a Rose
Alan Jackson
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

It Just Comes Natural
These Days
Precious Memories
Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing
Live at Texas Stadium

ASIN: B000HDZKAA
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

Anywhere On Earth You Are
Good Imitation Of The Blues
Like Red On A Rose
Nobody Said That It Would Be Easy
Don't Change On Me
The Firefly's Song
Wait A Minute
Had It Not Been You
A Woman's Love
Don't Ask Why
Aa Lovely As You
Where Do I Go From Here (A Trucker's Song)
Bluebird

Amazon.com

The idea of twang king Alan Jackson pairing up with Alison Krauss for an album of love songs might seem heretical to some, especially if they heard only the first cut, the adult-contemporary ballad "Anywhere on Earth You Are." But producer Krauss, whom Jackson approached to make a traditional bluegrass record, always knew there was a sensuous heart beating beneath his aw-shucks demeanor, one that would fit perfectly with the intimate repertoire, genre-bending musical framework, and virtuoso players she'd always chosen for herself. (Robert Lee Castleman, one of Krauss's favorite writers, weighs in with four tunes, and Ron Block, Jerry Douglas, and Dan Tyminski, Krauss's Union Station cohorts, anchor the band.) Jackson, it turns out, also wanted a chance to reflect on the ups and downs of his long marriage, apart from 1998's daring, spoken-word hit "I'll Go On Loving You," a far lustier admission than anything included here. If there's a downside to this brilliant, if unlikely pairing, it's that Krauss's somber program could benefit from something a tad more libidinous or uptempo. But what is here is so beautifully chosen and performed (with spare, affecting harmony vocals by Lee Ann Womack, Cheryl White, Sidney and Suzanne Cox, and Krauss herself) that it's hard to quibble. Throughout, and especially on the ballad "Wait a Minute" and his own dusted-off "A Woman's Love" (1998), Jackson, who explores his rich, lower register more frequently than in the past, comes across like Don Williams in his prime. He's a middle-aged man taking stock of what and who matters most to him in life, and speaking his heart without artifice. In the title track, a song so bone-marrow deep it might bring you to your knees, Jackson declares, "I love you like all little children love pennies." That line that may sound odd and superficial by itself, but in Jackson's nuanced reading, it takes on a nearly spiritual yearning. This album, like the gospel Precious Memories before it, proves that while Jackson--the most nominated performer in CMA history--may be nearing 50, he's not ready to quit challenging himself as an artist. --Alanna Nash

More from Alan Jackson

Precious Memories

A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'Bout Love)

When Somebody Loves You

Drive

Under the Influence

Greatest Hits 2

Customer Reviews:

like red in a rose.......2007-07-01

its a great cd but the first track is scratch so it does not play. but other than that it is a great cd.

Great Album.......2007-06-16

I am listening to the album for the third time as I am working on the computer. I almost didn't buy the album because of some of the negative reviews on Amazon, but I figured I liked the title track and A Woman's Love from the radio so I bought it. I don't know what some of the negative reviews are talking about. If all you like to hear is the same sounding Jackson, put in one of the CDs you already have and listen to it a hundred times. The songs are kind of mellow, but they are country.

Not as country as I always thought Alan was........2007-06-04

The first time I heard the song "Like Red on a Rose", I thought that it was very different from Alan Jackson's previous songs and wasn't entirely sure that I liked the shift.

Then I borrowed the album from a friend of mine to give it a listen; I intended to give Alan Jackson a chance.

I knew quickly that I didn't like the overall tone and sound of the album.

I classify country artists in three categories based on their sound and the themes of their songs: people who have more of a country theme, people who sound more country, and then those who clearly have both. I like to refer to the third group as "pure" country. And I love pure country the most. Alan Jackson has always fallen into that category for me.

I'm a diehard fan of country music. I enjoy many other types of music, but country has always been my favorite. Alan Jackson's pure country sound and theme has always been one of my favorites. "Like Red on a Rose" is a solid letdown from that. It doesn't seem to have any of Alan's usual pure country self. The sound of the album is far from it, and the themes too seem out of the range of usual country songs. To me, the album isn't really country.

I do like artists who explore their sounds, but this seems to be a fruitless exploration. And besides, if you're such a hitmaker as Alan Jackson, pray tell, WHY would you EVER want to change your sound so dramatically? I also don't understand how such a bluegrass wonder as Alison Krauss, while producing on this album, let Alan slide so far from his usual sound.

Apart from the sound that I dislike, the albums songs themselves don't seem to be up to par either. Usually when I listen to an album, a few songs will immediately leap out at me on the first listen-through, and they'll slowly become my favorites. I gave "Like Red on a Rose" FOUR listens, and never once did any of the songs leap out at me. The whole album was one single monotonous, boring blur to both my ears and mind. If you were to ask me now about any of the individual songs on the album, I wouldn't be able to tell you a thing. They were simply that forgettable.

The whole album would be that forgettable if its blatant contrast to Alan's usual sound and quality didn't make it noteworthy. And I honestly wish that the album was forgettable or non-existant.

Alan Jackson Great singer.......2007-05-28

I could listen to this CD over and over and never tire of it!
He always puts out winners and this one is too!
You will not be disappointed!

Could be better.......2007-05-15

I love Alan Jackson But this cd was not nearly as good as any of the past ones he has brought out. I was very disappointed with this one. It just did not do anything for me. All the songs sound too much the same.

Average customer rating:

Beethoven for Babies
Nicest classical CD I have found for my baby (& me)
Ode To Beethoven
Pseudoscientific crap, but some of the music is good here
Nicest classical music CD I've found for my baby (& me)

Beethoven for Babies

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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$9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000009OU6
Release Date: 1998-08-11

Tracks:

Six National Airs With Variations, Op. 105: The Cottage Maid (Welsh)
Six National Airs With Variations, Op. 105: The Last Rose Of Summer (Irish)
Six National Airs With Variations, Op. 105: Chiling O'Guirg (Irish)
Six National Airs With Variations, Op. 105: English Bulls (Irish)
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: St. Patrick's Day (Irish)
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: O Mary, At The Window Be (Scottish)
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Oh, Thou Are The Lad Of My Heart (Scottish)
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Fur Elise
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Minor ('Pathetique') - Adagio cantabile
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: String Quartet No. 13 In B-Flat - Alla Danza Tedesca. Allegro assai
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Piano Sonata No. 7 In D - Menuetto (Allegro)
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: The Creatures Of Prometheus - Finale. Allegretto
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Piano Sonata No. 18 In E-Flat - Menuetto (Moderato e grazioso)
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Piano Sonata No. 20 In G - Tempo di menuetto
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Symphony No. 8 In F - Allegro scherzando
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Symphony No. 9 In D Minor ('Choral') - Ode To Joy
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Piano Sonata No. 15 In D ('Pastoral') - Rondo (Allegro ma non troppo)
Ten National Airs With Variations, Op. 107: Symphony No. 6 In F ('Pastoral') - Hymn Of Thanksgiving

Amazon.com

For the parent looking to ease their child into a familiarity with classical music, this is a very well chosen set of Beethoven works. It begins with a generous selection of airs composed late in the composer's life. The presence of the flute as the lead instrument on these selections has a soothing quality that moves the ear in an ideally subtle way, especially as it gives way to the more excited piano sonata pieces. Zoltán Kocsis's reading of "Pathétique" is followed by Claudio Arrau's take on the 7th, 15th, and 18th sonatas and Sviatoslav Richter's lyrical take on the 20th ("Pastoral"). Programmed amidst the piano pieces, which are great studies in dynamics and musical spacing, are some fine orchestral snippets, none longer than five minutes. The collection does a fine balancing act, condensing works that don't inherently lend themselves to shortened renditions and carefully managing moods, entry, and egress to each segment. This is fine anthology work. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Beethoven for Babies.......2007-05-21

My baby and I really enjoy this CD. It is so fun to feel the baby get excited when I play it. I have a pillow speaker and just place it right up against my stomach. It evens helps me to get in a nap or just rest for a while.

Nicest classical CD I have found for my baby (& me).......2005-09-01

This is a very pleasant CD to listen to, and I think the quality of the music is excellent. I enjoy listening to this with my 10 month old son, and we also listen to the radio and lots of modern music. I recently purchased 5 of the classical "Baby Einstein" CDs and I consider them to be inferior to this Beethoven for Babies CD. The Baby Einstein are very synthesized sounding and I think they are annoyingly mellow and kind of dopey. This Beethoven CD is beautiful. In fact I'm going to buy 1 or 2 more from this series.

Ode To Beethoven.......2005-05-13

The actual reason I bought this cd is for "Fur Elise" but it turned out to be much more than I bargained for. Before road rage sets in while sitting in a traffic jam during rush hour, play this. If you need to take it easy and escape from your reality, play this. Need something to play at work that's not explicit or offensive, play this. Of course, it's not Beethoven himself, but if you need some quiet time, play this. Even while you read, you could play this. If you want some authenticity to your collection, get Beethoven for Babies.

Pseudoscientific crap, but some of the music is good here.......2004-05-27

The 3 stars is only because the hucksters that put this together at least had the decency to tracks featuring Arrau & Richter on this CD. A lot of these "turn your baby into a genius with classical music" CDs and tapes feature only lousy musical performances from hack musicians you have never heard of.

That having been said, if you are stupid enough to believe any of this "Mozart Effect" horse manure --- which continues to have no support in any sort of controlled test environment --- then your babies will probably inherit your limited intellectual capacities & no amount of Beethoven & Mozart will ever be able to help them.

If, on the other hand, you are introducing Junior to classical music, you could do worse --- but you could also do better. Go get Arrau's complete Beethoven sonatas & concerti, get the Berg Quartett's complete Beethoven quartet cycle, and get John Eliot Gardiner's complete Beethoven symphonies --- just for a start. Also, don't stop with Beethoven & Mozart. My 9-month old daughter gets a diverse exposure to a thousand years of music, and very little is off limits. She got acquainted with the Bartok Quartets within her first couple of months, and it doesn't look like we have created an axe murderer or anything like that.

Anyway, if you want to create a classical music lover, do it right and go the distance, rather than doing it piecemeal with CDs like this. Your baby may still be a moron, but at least will be a moron with exquisite taste.

Nicest classical music CD I've found for my baby (& me).......2003-11-23

Average customer rating:

I love this music!
I love love love this guy!
Seal it with a Kiss
"Greatest Hits" album could have been "greater"
essential seal

Best: 1991-2004
Seal
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Seal IV
Seal
The Best of Sade
Seal
Hits

ASIN: B00063F8BC
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

Crazy
Kiss From A Rose
Killer
Prayer for the Dying
Waiting For You
Don't Cry
My Vision
Love's Divine
Walk On By
Get It Together
Fly Like An Eagle
Human Beings
Future Love Paradise

Amazon.com

It's fair to assume that if you're a Seal fan, you prefer your pop shot through with substance. Using that as a guiding principle, you'll want to glide right into Best: 1991-2004 where you will encounter, throughout two discs and 27 songs, scarcely a second of musical fluff. All the expected goosebump-raisers come on disc one--"Don't Cry" follows "Prayer for the Dying" follows "Kiss from a Rose" follows "Crazy"--and they're interspersed with deeper cuts from Seal IV such as "Get It Together" and "Loves Divine" as well as a couple of covers that, in a lesser vocalist's hands, might have been catastrophic. Seal plays it subtle and sweet and Burt Bacharach's "Walk on By," sidestepping any instinct to belt, and the help he gets from Mikey Dread on Echo & the Bunnymen's "Lips Like Sugar" settles the song into a snazzified reggae-pop celebration. (Also included is Seal's soaring cover of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle," which proved his prowess as a cover artist with its chart success). Though "best" collections aren't normally upheld for their surprise elements--nobody likes a package that challenges with armloads of new stuff--disc two pulls off a neat stunt. It's a complete acoustic album, again encompassing the major radio hits but stretching to include tracks like the impossibly tender "Touch" and the meltingly gorgeous "Colour." Their unplugged presentation, with the artist on guitar, sets an up-close-and-personal tone that suits Seal. More to the point, it suits his fans, who'll take all the intimacy with the singer-slash-heartthrob they can get. --Tammy La Gorce

Album Description

Multiplatinum selling, Grammy winning, critically acclaimed Seal unveils his first greatest hits collection with Seal Best 1991-2004. But there's even more-along with the single-CD edition, with original album versions of 12 of his hits and best-loved tracks plus a cover song newly recorded by Seal ("Walk on By"), a double-CD package adds a disc of newly recorded acoustic versions of nine of those cuts (and four others). For fans of the pop, dance, urban and adult contemporary, Seal Best 1991-2004 is the quintessential Seal experience.

Customer Reviews:

I love this music!.......2007-07-20

I'm usually buy only R&B, but I decided to try a different type of an artist. I love listening to Seal! His style is cool, unique and very sexy. Definately a Seal fan!

I love love love this guy! .......2007-03-16

This album is one I can play over and over and not get tired of. His music is fun, inspirational, romantic and just beautiful. Highly recommended for those who just want to relax and comtemplate things with a nice sound in background, or turned up loud, it makes you smile and want to dance.

Seal it with a Kiss.......2007-03-11

Nobody does it better. All of Seal's greatest hits in ONE CD. Does it get any better than that?

"Greatest Hits" album could have been "greater".......2007-03-08

I would consider myself among the top 31 (arbitrary number, of course) Seal fans in the known world, and this greatest hits album is dynamic because it's Seal, but could have been better with a few missing songs. "Newborn Friend" is a lesser known hit to those who may not be as well-versed in Seal, and it definitely should have been included. It's one of his finest works and a far cry from "Kiss from a Rose" or "Crazy", his two most well-known hits. Also, a track or two extra from "Human Beings" would have been nice. I'm not sure why Seal seems hell bent on ignoring this album, which I still prefer over Seal IV, for some reason. He doesn't even seem to perform off of it much in concert. I could have done without "Lips Like Sugar", too. It just seems like filler. For what it's worth, though, the acoustic album that comes with the special edition of the greatest hits disc is stellar and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Now how about Seal V?

essential seal.......2007-02-06

if you like Seal, this is a great compilation to add to your collection. always relaxing yet refreshing, I listen to this CD along with music by Sting, Sarah McLachlan, Phil Collins & Peter Gabriel for a nice afternoon of relaxation with my MMOs or RPGs like Sims2.

Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti ~ the three tenors in concert / Mehta

Average customer rating:

delivery went ok
A knockout performance
The night that started it all!
Great singing from the three tenors
Excellent. Like summer sunshine. manna from heaven!

Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti ~ the three tenors in concert / Mehta
Francesco Cilea , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Giacomo Puccini , Franz Lehar , Vencenzo De Crescenzo , Salvatore Cardillo , Ernesto de Curtis , Agustin Lara , Pablo Sorozabal , Umberto Giordano , Leonard Bernstein , Vincenzo d' Annibale , Anonymous , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomizhsky , Juan De Dios Filiberto , Louis Louiguy , Ruggiero Leoncavallo , Rudolf Sieczynski , Joseph M. Lacalle , Eduardo di Capua , Zubin Mehta , Plácido Domingo , Luciano Pavarotti , and José Carreras
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994
The Best of the Three Tenors
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Romantica: The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti

ASIN: B0000041XX
Release Date: 1990-09-05

Tracks:

Il Lamento Di Federico
O Paradis
Recondita Armonia - Luciano Pavarotti
Dein ist Mein Ganzes Herz
Rondine Al Nido - Luciano Pavarotti
Core 'ngrato
Torna A Surriento - Luciano Pavarotti
Granada
No Puede Ser
L'impovviso
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Nessun Dorma
Finale Medley: Maria - Tonight, 'O paese d' 'o sole, Cielito lINDO
Memory, Ochi tchorniye, Caminito
Mattinata ; Wien, Wien, Nur Du Allein, Amapola, 'O sole mio
Encore: 'O sole mio
Encore: Nessun Dorma

Amazon.com

Magic was created one starlit night in July 1990, when Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras met onstage at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome and became the Three Tenors. They eschewed competitive instincts and cooperated in the spirit of mutual admiration to create one of the greatest musical events ever. This concert is an awe-inspiring orgy of the greatest hits for the tenor voice. Domingo and Pavarotti sing perfectly. The audience wins as these vocal supermen compete to seduce the hearts of the audience. One moment Domingo brings thrilling fire and pain to "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca; the next, Pavarotti rises to heavenly heights in an inspired rendition of "Nessun dorma" from Turandot. Carreras is the competent little brother, one step behind the greatness of the big brothers from opera's Ponderosa. His singing isn't as captivating as that of the big boys; but his enthusiasm and passion are unrivaled. Mehta exquisitely captures the largeness of this bonanza through the grandiose orchestra. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

delivery went ok.......2006-11-14

the item was delivered to me on-time and with no problems. however,i was looking for a DVD and not a audio Cd. might be good to clearly differentiate when the product is being advertised or shown.

A knockout performance .......2006-05-28

Like so many of the reviewers here I am not an opera aficionado. But I sensed immediately the night I saw this concert on television that this was one of those 'remarkable' artistic events. Domingo and Pavarotti both have such strength and beauty in their voices that they overwhelm. Carreras adds flavor and enthusiasm.
One of the most remarkable music performances I have seen.

The night that started it all!.......2005-11-02

You can read the technical information about the contents of this CD above. That is not what this review is about. I became intrested in opera about 1 1/2 years ago because of happening upon Mario Lanza. Since then, I have experienced many great truly operatic voices, including the "King," Pavarotti.
If you are just discovering opera, suffice it to say; Buy this album!!! It was the concert that launched the 3 Tenors phenomenon. It is full of uplifting, heart- tugging favorites, and you will find yourself listening to it over and over. Buy the dvd as well. It imparts absolute electricity! I am a young pianist and vocalist, and this concert is truly inspiring to me! You won't regret one penny you spend on this!

Great singing from the three tenors.......2005-06-23

This cd is a must-have for anyone interested in opera - or beautiful singing. And when you're at it - why don't buy the dvd from the concert? It will make you appreciate the cd even more.

First of all I have to comment on the editorial review of this cd. I felt the reviewer is "belittling" José Carreras here by saying he's one step behind the big brothers and his singing isn't as captivating as that of the big boys.....?!?!? Of course I can only speak for myself, but I feel she's way out of line. And I'm starting to wonder if she's been listening to the cd at all? In my opinion you have to be dead not to be touched by his rendition of "Lamento di Federico" and "L'improvviso". If anybody can deliver a line it has to be Carreras. When it comes to his interpretation of "Granada" even conductor Zubin Mehta was gobsmacked. Watching the dvd you can see him putting down his baton and applauding. He even steps down from his podium to hug José.

I have to say I'm not too keen on the two other tenors, although I have to admit I loved Pavarotti's "Torna a Surriento" and "Rondine al nido". The thing about Pavarotti is that he has a great singing technique and he's also in possession of this "push-button" which make him sing a lot of high notes, but that alone isn't enough to stir emotion.

As for Domingo, even if he's giving it all in every song, and his "No puede ser" was great,I think he's a bit too much on the nasal side. He's okay when they all perform together, but his "E lucevan le stelle" is sending shivers down my spine - and not of delight. I'm practically unable to sit still and listen to his solos. If you really want "fire and pain" you should check out Carreras in the Tosca-recording from -80, or his recording from -76. It's really breathtaking and I promise you'll end up in tears!

At the end of this concert the three tenors perform a medley together. Their voices blend perfectly and it's powerful to listen to them giving it all. A lot of people are talking about their mis-pronounciations. I for one, think it only adds to the charm of the performers. Pavarotti has some problems with the English songs (okay, big problems..), Domingo stumbles in the words in the beginning of "Wien Wien nur du allein", and (this you'll see in the dvd) in the same song Carreras is actually reading the text from a piece of paper as he's singing and his facial expressions when getting his head around the German words are really hilarious. O sole mio as an encore is fabulous when Pavarotti pushes his button and shakes out all his high notes.... And I love it when the two other join forces and repeat his stunt to perfection.

All in all this is a wonderful album. And well worth 5 stars.... José alone gets 10 stars!!!

Excellent. Like summer sunshine. manna from heaven!.......2004-05-28

This CD is terrific on so many levels. In celebration of one of the world's great sporting events - the World Cup of football (soccer to us stateside), three great tenors and one masterful conductor (Zubin Mehta) were brought together in one of the world's great cities - Rome -- for a special evening that we are blessed to have been able to listen to again and again.

The concert was held during the World Cup in 1990 at the Baths of Caracella, which are ruins of the once great Roman baths. In this beautiful setting Luiciano Pavrotti, Jose Carreas and Placido Domingo came together for one of the best CD's ever made.

The singing is exquisite. The passion of the crowd in this live performance should equal the reaction of the listener. This is art at its highest level. It is a celebration of great music, not just of opera, but in my opinion, the soaring human spirit. What power to move the soul! You don't need to be an opera fan to enjoy this music. If you like any kind of music, you cannot help but be affected by the power of this special evening. And what an evening, those in attendance were lucky to have been there!!

The casual listener will already know some of these arias, as they are from some the great operas of all time. However, I believe even the most hardenend opera fan, unless he or she is a real stiff, cannot be helped to be but moved by this music.

It is heavenly! I recommend this CD to you, because in my humble opinion, it will bring sunshine to your heart!!! : )

Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals
Average customer rating:

They were right--there is NO business like the show business they did way back when !!!

One of the best cds I ever bought.

Never Sounded Better

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

"Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Age are still among us"

Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best Of Broadway (Cast Recording Anthology)

Greatest Hits: Broadway

That's Entertainment!: The Best Of The M-G-M Musicals - Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology

ASIN: B000066RO5
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Tracks:

Singin In The Rain - Gene Kelly
Theres No Business Like Show Business - Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn & Louis Calhern
'S Wonderful - Gene Kelly & Georges Guetary
Thats Entertainment! - Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray & Oscar Levant
Stranger In Paradise - Ann Blyth & Vic Damone
Easter Parade - Judy Garland & Fred Astaire
Lullaby Of Broadway - Winifred Shaw, Dick Powell & Chorus
Get Happy - Judy Garland
Night And Day - Fred Astaire
True Love - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly
Honeysuckle Rose - Lena Horne w/ Benny Carter & His Orchestra
They Cant Take That Away From Me - Fred Astaire
Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet - Nancy Walker & The M-G-M Studio Chorus w/ Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra
Baby, Its Cold Outside - Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban
For Me And My Gal - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland
Puttin On The Ritz - Clark Gable & Co.
Hallelujah! - Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Kay Armen, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Burroughs & Co.
Bless Yore Beautiful Hide - Howard Keel
Taking A Chance On Love - Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson
As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson w/ Elliot Carpenter (Bonus Track)
Laras Theme (Main Title) - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra (Bonus Track)

Tracks:

Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland
Its A Most Unusual Day - Jane Powell
Wunderbar - Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel
Cant Help Lovin Dat Man - Ava Gardner
Going Hollywood - Bing Crosby
The Trolley Song - Judy Garland, The M-G-M Studio Chorus
Gigi - Louis Jourdan
I Got Rhythm - Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney & Co.
Aba Daba Honeymoon - Debbie Reynolds, Carleton Carpenter & M-G-M Studio Chorus
The Lady Is A Tramp - Lena Horne
The Best Things In Life Are Free - June Allyson & Peter Lawford
Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire
A Kiss To Build A Dream On - Louis Armstrong
Put 'Em In A Box - Doris Day & The Page Cavanaugh Trio
If Swing Goes, I Go Too - Fred Astaire
Almost Like Being In Love - Gene Kelly
Lets Face The Music And Dance - Fred Astaire
Be A Clown - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland
Embraceable You - Connie Francis
On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe - Judy Garland & Co.
One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) - Fred Astaire

Amazon.com

The "Golden Age" referred to here spans The Jazz Singer and the advent of the talkies to the death throes of the old studio system in the 1960s. So vast was the era's musical landscape that even this 42-track, double-disc anthology can't encompass all its peaks. Not surprisingly, the bulk of this collection originated with the Tiffany's of the screen musical, M-G-M, a body of work whose riches here encompass both pop-cultural bedrock ("Over the Rainbow," "Singin' in the Rain," "There's No Business Like Show Business," etc.) and some less familiar, if equally delightful star turns: Clark Gable gamely "Puttin' On the Ritz"; the sassy, 1948 original of "The Lady Is a Tramp" by Lena Horne; and a loopy duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban. Fred Astaire's elegant, epochal reign at RKO and M-G-M is represented by "Night and Day," "Let's Face the Music and Dance," and three others, while Metro mainstays Gene Kelly and Judy Garland share equal time and billing. It's not perfect--Cagney's "Yankee Doodle Boy" and/or some Sinatra seem more logical choices than the odd "bonus" duet of Casablanca's "As Time Goes By" and "Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago that close out disc one--but it's a stunning, surprisingly comprehensive primer on the Hollywood film musical nonetheless. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

They were right--there is NO business like the show business they did way back when !!!.......2006-11-18

Everything that happens in life
Can happen in a show
You can make 'em laugh
You can make 'em cry
Anything
Anything can go....

The clown with his pants falling down
Or the dance that's a dream of romance
Or the scene where the villain is mean
That's entertainment!

The lights on the lady in tights
Or the bride with the guy on the side
Or the ball where she gives him her all
That's entertainment!

The plot and the hot simply teeming with $ex
A gay divorcee who is after her ex
It could be Oedipus Rex
Where a chap kills his father
And causes a lot of bother

The clerk who is thrown out of work
By the boss who is thrown for a loss
By the skirt who is doing him dirt

The world is a stage,
The stage is a world of entertainment!

This two CD set amply proves that the musical melodies and lyrics from the golden age of the Hollywood musical remain unsurpassed to this day. This generous two CD set offers 42 incredible songs from Hollywood classic musicals. Most of these fine numbers are indeed from MGM, as Amazon correctly notes; but there are some RKO numbers and even a little from Warner Brothers. Thank goodness, though, that most of these songs came from MGM movies; MGM was the only studio that could boast that it truly had "more stars than there are in the heavens."

I love so many songs on these two CDs. Of course, there's the unforgettable classic "Over The Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland; she also performs "Easter Parade" and "Get Happy" on this two CD set and she carries most of the tune for "I Got Rhythm" even though Mickey Rooney helps her a little. I love "Baby, It's Cold Outside" for its' romantic overtones; and Lena Horne's "The Lady Is A Tramp" is flawless! We also get a rare chance to hear Clark Gable sing in "Puttin' On The Ritz;" and Bing Crosby's "Going Hollywood" may be brief but it's a fun song anyway.

There are two "bonus" tracks on the first CD: "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca and "Lara's Theme" from Doctor Zhivago. "As Time Goes By" is a good choice; it is another unsurpassed classic song that brings back memories and touches even the hardest of hearts. "Lara's Theme," however, is from the mid 1960s and I don't consider this period to be part of the "golden age" of Hollywood musicals.

The liner notes are excellent and they offer wonderful photos of the stars as well. The cover art is well done and the reverse cover art tells which movie each song is from and who is performing each song. Moreover, the quality of the sound is excellent especially when you consider that these numbers were recorded quite a few decades ago.

In short, this superlative two CD highlights the glory of the Hollywood musical when a certain type of sophistication dominated professional movie production. I highly recommend this CD for fans of Hollywood musicals, classic pop vocals and fans of the artists and actors who perform on this two CD set.

One of the best cds I ever bought. .......2006-06-07

What an amazon collection of songs! This is bar none my favorite cd just because of the variety and the quality of songs on it. I love music from this era, and this cd is the perfect companion to my life. Love it! Buy it, you won't regret it for a moment!

Never Sounded Better.......2006-03-16

Apart from the great selection of soundtracks, what really makes this compilation top value is the quality of the sound processing. Executed with finesse, these tracks sound better than when first issued and many are unedited, fuller versions: like "Singing In The Rain", for example. Throw in the great price, and this double disc set is a "must have" for all lovers of classic movie music.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow.......2006-02-24

A Sensational CD with Lots of Showtunes that Keep You Happy and makes You Want To Sing Along With!!!

"Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Age are still among us".......2005-07-13

Rhino Records and Turner Classic Movies Music present - "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW: THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD MUSICALS", some of the long ago musicals and stars that will never be forgotten...a 2-CD-Set covering several decades from 1935-1965 with many of the show stoppers of that time...some rare moments from entertainers that you haven't heard or thought of in sometime.

The lineup is fantastic and gives the listener a variety of what musicals were all about in the "Golden Age of the Hollywood Musicals"
June Allyson, Kay Armen, Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Ann Blyth, Jack Buchanan, Louis Calhern, Bing Crosby, Vic Damone, Doris Day, Nanette Fabray, Connie Francis, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Kathyrn Grayson, Georges Guetary, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Louis Jourdan, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Grace Kelly, Peter Lawford, Oscar Levant, Ann Miller, Ricardo Montalban, Page Cavanaugh Trio, Debbie Reynolds, Winifred Shaw, Nancy Walker, Ethel Waters, Esther Williams, Dooley Williams and Keenan Wynn.

On Disc One 21 Classic Songs from great musicals with songs in alphabetical order:
AS TIME GOES BY - Dooley Wilson with Elliot Carpenter, pianist (1942)
BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE - Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban (1949)
BLESS, YORE BEAUTIFUL HIDE - Howard Keel (1954)
EASTER PARADE - Fred Astaire & Judy Garland (1948)
FOR ME AND MY GAL - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland (1942)
GET HAPPY - Judy Garland (1950)
HALLELUJAH! - Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Kay Armen, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Burroughs (for Russ Tamblyn) (1955)
HONEYSUCKLE ROSE - Lena Horne with Benny Carter & His Orchestra (1943)
LARA'S THEME (MAIN TITLE) - M-G-M Studio Orchestra (1965)
LULLABY OF BROADWAY - Winifred Shaw & Dick Powell (1935)
MILKMAN, KEEP THOSE BOTTLES QUIET - Nancy Walker with Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra (1944)
NIGHT AND DAY - Fred Astaire (1934)
PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ - Clark Gable & Company (1939)
'S WONDERFUL - Gene Kelly & Georges Guetary (1951)
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN - Gene Kelly (1951)
STRANGER IN PARADISE - Ann Blyth & Vic Damone (1955)
TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE - Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson (1943)
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT - Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray & Oscar Levant (1953)
THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS - Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn & Louis Calhern (1950)
THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME - Fred Astaire (1949)
TRUE LOVE - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly (1956)

On Disc Two more memorable performances from the Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals:
A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON - Louis Armstrong (1951)
ABA DABA HONEYMOON - Debbie Reynolds & Carleton Carpenter (1950)
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE - Gene Kelly (1954)
BE A CLOWN - Judy Garland & Gene Kelly (1948)
BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE - June Allyson & Peter Lawford (1947)
CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN - Ava Gardner (beautiful woman, who my youngest grandaughter is named after...Avalon) (1951)
CHEEK TO CHEEK - Fred Astaire (1935)
EMBRACEABLE YOU - Connie Francis (1965)
GIGI - Louis Jourdan (1958)
GOING HOLLYWOOD - Bing Crosby (1933)
I GOT RHYTHM - Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney (1943)
IF SWING GOES, I GO TOO - Fred Astaire (1946)
IT'S A MOST UNUSUAL DAY - Jane Powell (1948)
LADY IS A TRAMP - Lena Horne (1948)
LET'S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE - Fred Astaire (1936)
ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND THE SANTA FE - Judy Garland & Company (1946)
ONE FOR MY BABY (AND ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD) - Fred Astaire (1943)
OVER THE RAINBOW - Judy Garland (became her theme song for the rest of her life) (1939)
PUT 'EM IN A BOX - Doris Day & the Page Cavanaugh Trio (1948)
THE TROLLEY SONG - Judy Garland & MGM Studio Chorus (1944)
WUNDERBAR - Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel (two of MGM's favorite singing duos) (1953)

It was once said by the songwriters of that era - "There are two artists you want perform your songs on the big screen, they are Fred Astaire and Judy Garland they sing it just the way we wrote it, for which you will have a guaranteed hit on your hands"...well, this collections certainly has some merit to that statement...because with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire performing seven songs each, there must be something to it.

This collection of musicals still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years...but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten...hats off to Rhino Records, George Feltenstein (producer) and Doug Schwartz (engineer) and Turner Classic Movies for sharing those 42 selections from 42 films...celebrating decades of the tunes and artists that gave it their all...from what it commonly called "The Hollywood Dream Factory"...The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals is still among us...gotta love it!

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Rhino Records 78323 ~ (6/02/2002)

Average customer rating:

tried and true
I can't say enough ...
Jack White's homage to true Country Music
An album that is as brilliant as it is improbable
AWESOME

Van Lear Rose
Loretta Lynn
Manufacturer: Interscope Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0001XASDA
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Tracks:

VAN LEAR ROSE
PORTLAND OREGON (DUET WITH JACK WHITE)
TROUBLE ON THE LINE
FAMILY TREE
HAVE MERCY
HIGH ON A MOUNTAIN TOP
LITTLE RED SHOES
GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES
WOMEN'S PRISON
THIS OLD HOUSE
MRS. LEROY BROWN
MISS BEING MRS.
STORY OF MY LIFE

Amazon.com

Garage-rock hero Jack White producing honky-tonk legend Loretta Lynn? And Lynn comparing him to renowned Nashville producer Owen Bradley? Yes, we all know the world is rapidly shrinking, but now we've seen everything. Most stunning of all--they nailed it. For the first time, Lynn has written all of an album's songs, and her lyrics are as cutting and incisive as ever. On the powerful, biting "Family Tree," she brings her babies to the home of her husband's mistress so that they can see the "woman that's burning down our family tree." Throughout she cunningly tackles tried-and-true honky-tonk themes of love gone bad, drinkin', cheatin', and murder. Lynn even offers a compelling slice of theological fatalism ("God Makes No Mistakes"). White's production--mostly stark and atmospheric--ranges from more-traditional country to straight-up White Stripes, with most tracks falling somewhere in between. White duets with Lynn on the rousing one-night-stand story "Portland, Oregon," but he does not need to sing to leave his personal stamp. At 70, Lynn seems thoroughly engaged and delighted; at times she delivers some of the most emotionally potent singing of her career. A decade earlier, Johnny Cash turned to rock and rap producer Rick Rubin, and the move resuscitated Cash's career. Now, Jack White has done the same for Loretta Lynn, another country legend whose music is simply too raw and honest for the contemporary country crowd. Van Lear Rose exceeds all expectations--a bold collaboration in which artists from two different musical universes forge a memorable work that neither could have created alone. --Marc Greilsamer

Album Description

Loretta Lynn "Van Lear Rose" Produced and Arranged by Jack White of the White Stripes

Customer Reviews:

tried and true.......2007-04-17

I can't really add to what's already said concerning this album, except to say that I think its an important album in one very important regard. Country music in the '80s started pulling away from their elder statesmen, in a most baffling and disrespectful manner. No other genre is this classless or callous. Every other genre of music embraces their pioneers and still includes them in their playlist. Country radio on the other has a severe case of ADD. This pass-the-black-hatism is still in full force today, as most country fans have never heard the Van Lear Rose album, even a track of it, on country stations.

Now having stated that, is this the greatest country album of all time...no. That's an scewed assesment since country has never been album oriented save for a scant few gems. This may well be Lynn's best album, but that's not a huge accomplishment by country standards, since country has always been a 'singles' oriented business, unless of course its a best of compilation. It is very much a Loretta Lynn album in that she is still capable of writing frankly about infidelity. Lynn was the first female to address the other woman in a cheating song and she does so here very poignantly in "Family Tree", where she takes her children to the house of the woman who is "sleeping" with her husband to let the children see the woman who's "burning down the family tree" and stating "I'm not here to fight...I wouldn't dirty my hands on trash like you". This isn't new territory for Lynn but it is a path that she blazed and quite frankly, she still the only one who seems to do it well (unfortunately for her, she's had first hand experience in these matters).

It's also important to make a distinction from this album and the last few works of Johnny Cash, with whom this effort is constantly compared. Cash's last efforts were not country albums, but Lynn's is every bit as country as anything she's ever recorded and save for a few thrashy guitar flourishes by Jack White, this effort would fit right along side of anyhting she's done. She's not a powerhouse vocalist anymore, but she represents herself very well and is not the aquired taste that Cash was on his last few albums.

The few poor reveiws this album will recieve here are the result of people not appreciating Lynn's style in the first place and those who wanted a White Stripes styled album. Again, Lynn didn't need to mine any new territory since she still owns the territory and has no equal in an era of pefabricated paper dolls and black hats. This is a great country album that exhalts country music, a genre which deserves no credit for this album's existance.

I can't say enough ..........2007-01-12

I can't say enough good things about this album. Up front, I'm a huge Jack White fan and his hand in it alone made me want to buy it. I grew up on Loretta and like most mountain girls "Coal Miners Daughter" was a song I began singing in the shower when I was five. So I was eager to see what the partnership produced.

I waited on this for a year (after hearing it was in the works). Lynn is as magical as always and that she chose to go in such a different direction, especially at her age (my grandfather is sorely disappointed) and at this point in her career was a brave move. But it worked. I don't do album reviews, and I'm no music guru. But I like what I like. White Stripes fans will love the album. So will country music fans who can appreciate the new twist.

Jack White's homage to true Country Music.......2007-01-02

Jack White appreciates classic country and bluegrass music. This is evident with his involvement in Goober and the Peas, contibuting to the Cold Mountain soundtrack, and even the sounds in his band, the White Stripes, particularly his latest album, Get Behind Me, Satan. Jack White also loves his own sound but not in a narcissistic way. In my opinion, this album has nothing to do with Loretta Lynn, specifically. Jack White wanted to give back to classic country and bring it back to modern radio for a whole new audience. He knew he could not do this alone, however. If he came out with a classic country sounding album, he could possibly alienate his rock fans, and the country music listening community would not respect it, nor him. Thus, Loretta Lynn comes into the picture. She is his muse because she IS classic country. From her upbringing to who she is today, she epitomizes all that classic country makes itself to be. She is simple, humble, earnest, and genuine, a true classy country woman in every way (he showcases her personality and spirit in her "story" Little Red Shoes).

Now in terms of classic country, the songs Loretta Lynn wrote are not groundbreaking. She covers a myriad of situations that have been done before by other artists, as well as herself, but don't let that stop you from taking a listen. Though the songs may seem cliche, that's what Jack White wanted. He wanted her to write from her country heart her country life experiences in a heartfelt, simple, and honest way, encompassing the aura of classic country. He took it upon himself to give it his own personal style to give it a modern flair, and he created an album that takes the listener on an emotional journey, from foot stomping hand clapping joy to lamentful heart-wrenching sadness. He did an excellent job capturing the true spirit of Loretta Lynn and re-introducing classic country to an audience who isn't familiar with it.

An album that is as brilliant as it is improbable.......2006-08-31

Who'd a thunk it? Loretta Lynn, the grande dame of country music, retired for most of a decade with only a single mediocre album to show for her return to the business after her husband's death, teaming with punk-garage genius Jack White to produce the best album of her career. I only recently discovered this beauty of a disc. I had Lynn's MCA collection ALL TIME GREATEST HITS, which contained about all of the Loretta Lynn I ever expected to own. But going on a White Stripes binge lately it suddenly inspired me to sample the album I remembered he had done with Lynn. It simply bowled me over.

Before country outsider Willie Nelson started attempting to record true albums in the seventies, the rule in country music had been to produce a couple hit singles and then surround them with rapidly recorded schlock, figuring that fans would buy the albums for the two or three gems, ignoring the rest. As a result, there are very, very few great or even very good country albums before the seventies and eighties. Almost every country artist (George Jones is one of the few exceptions) is best collected via the hits anthology since their albums mainly consisted of filler. Jack White, however, comes from a different background. In indie rock the tendency is to make every song count and there are scores of albums on which all or nearly all of the cuts on a disc are first rate or at least interesting.

What is amazing here is that Lynn excels at producing an entire album of original material. On no other album has she ever contributed so many original songs. Jack White, on the other hand, seamlessly adjusts to country. This is no surprise, since he seems to possess and almost limitless musical vocabulary. Here he keeps the production simple and to the point, always keeping Loretta's voice clearly at the center of things. His guitar playing calls less attention to itself than on White Stripes recordings but instead uses it to brilliantly and tastefully enhance every song.

The most surprising thing about the album is how strong the songs are. Very, very few performers continue to write new material as they approach seventy. Ray Charles for the last couple of decades of his life merely recycled the hits of his creative decades, producing little or no new material. One would hardly have blamed Loretta Lynn if her comeback had consisted merely of performing the huge number of hits from her catalog. Instead, she has created a set of songs that stand comparison to anything she has created. The title track is simply brilliant, and there are a string of absolutely stellar cuts from beginning to end. "Family Tree," "High on a Mountain Top," "God Makes No Mistakes," and "Trouble on the Line" are all vintage Loretta Lynn. "Miss Being Mrs." is almost unbearably personal, as she sings about her departed husband. Country songs are stuffed to overflowing with spouses leaving spouses, but knowing that her husband left her by dying brings a deep poignancy to this song. She is absolutely brilliant in the ultra feisty number "Mrs. Leroy Brown," all the way down to the end when she suddenly says, "Come on Jack, let's get out of here." But the highlight of the album for me is unquestionably "Portland Oregon," which tells of two people meeting in a bar. Though Loretta Lynn is listed as the writer of the song, it is so thoroughly embellished with classic Jack White touches he should get co-credit. This is the only song where the two switch vocals and the results are just exquisite. Who would have thought a 30-year-old punk rocker and the 70-year-old grandmother could kick it like this? White's guitar work is brilliant, while Lynn's lyrics are simply delightful, as well as being delightfully inscrutable. The very first words of the song are:

Well Portland Oregon and sloe gin fizz
If that ain't love then tell me what is

The rest of the song tells of a man and woman meeting in a bar for a night of passion, driven by great guitar, wonderful vocals, and great lyrics. For instance, Loretta sings:

Well sloe gin fizz works might fast
When you drink it by the pitcher and not by the glass

Some might wonder how strong Loretta Lynn's voice is. After all, she was nearly 70 when this was recorded. She clearly isn't as strong a singer as she was in the sixties, and her age shows when she tries to sustain a note for any length of time, but all in all her voice is amazingly strong. If you compare her work here to any of Johnny Cash's work with Rick Rubin, she is in vastly better voice than Cash was. Cash adjusted wonderfully to aging, making the changes to his voice work wonderfully with his material. He clearly was a different kind of singer than he was in the rest of his career. Loretta Lynn, on the other hand, is pretty much the same singer she always was and stylistically has had to make no concessions to age.

This album has to go down as one of the great and unexpected delights in the history of music. I'm hoping the two of them can get together for an encore. If we don't, at least we got this one brilliant collaboration.

AWESOME.......2006-07-16

Loretta Lynn rocks. Awesome cd. "Portland Oregon" is one of the best songs I have heard in a long, long, time. No one says "Oregon" like Loretta. Rock on, Loretta!

Average customer rating:

Essential.
One of the best albums, ever.
Love it. Love it. Love it.
Against Me! Yeah!
This really sucks

Reinventing Axl Rose
Against Me
Manufacturer: No Idea Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000664EV
Release Date: 2002-04-01

Tracks:

Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
The Politics of Starving
We Laugh at Danger and Break All the Rules
I Still Love You Julie
Scream It Until You're Coughing Up Blood
Jordan's First Choice
Those Anarcho Punks are Mysterious...
Reinventing Axl Rose
Baby, I'm an Anarchist!
Walking is Still Honest
8 Full Hours of Sleep

Album Description

Woohoo! Fantastic folk/punk, like Billy Bragg/Stiff Little Fingers/Clash: a socio-political soundtrack for those about to rock! This is the first document of AGAINST ME! in their new form as an electric, four piece band.

Customer Reviews:

Essential. .......2007-05-26

Against Me!'s pivotal and breakthrough album, "Reinventing Axl Rose" deserves so many more stars than the meager five I, and all reviewers here, are alloted. It is a hallmark acheivemnet in music, and should be recognized as such. The music contained is a blend of folk and punk, which works amazingly well, but these descriptors do the album no justice. It transcends these labels and essentially provides the lucky listener with a soundtrack to a life; homeless on the streets for no other reason than ones own convictions.
The album's lyrics deal with the hypocrisy inherent to an anarchists existence; being free of society and it's constraints, yet relying on the excess of that society to subsist (i.e. "dumpsterdiving"), being an anarchist band that is becoming famous (the primary subject of the title song), and being a person of lofty ideals and societal criticisms, but with no solution to be posed to the perceived problems. I think song number 7, "Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious" sums up the theme of the album perfectly, but I will provide no actual lyrics or reference points to support my claim because you should listen to the actual song, and be moved by it, just as I have. I've known many friends who've commited that entire song to the back of a tee-shirt or hoody. How many bands can claim that their fans have done that? It's powerful stuff that rattles the heart, stirs the spirit, and gets the old brain juices flowing. Even if you are not an anarchist (I certainly am not), the heart, soul, and spirit of the ideals expressed on this album are undeniably beautiful, and should live on for ever.

One of the best albums, ever........2006-09-30

This album takes so many real, raw emotions and turns them into lyrics written in a way that everyone can relate. This was the first Against Me! that I had ever heard, and it blew me away. When the album started, it wasn't what I had expected to hear from my punk rock loving friends, but once I heard that first chorus, I knew instantly this band was a serious force in the musical world. I can't explain how real and piercing some of the lyrics can be, but you would be a fool to pass up the chance to hear this album.

Love it. Love it. Love it........2006-05-13

I love Against Me!. I love this CD. I can't say that I like one album over the other. The world of iTunes has made my attention span shorter and I like to listen to all of their albums at the same time.

My fondest memory is that of stumbling onto Impact on the Plan-It-X website. When I'd tell people that Against Me! was my favorite band, they'd look at me and think "Who is this band and is she so excited about it that she has to be an exclamation point after their name?"

I still love them, one of the few who can stand to listen to their new CD. The one thing that's lacking though is that ability to make everyone sing along.

In my hall at school, I managed to find a guy who had heard of Against Me! I had been wearing one of my many shirts when we started talking about the band. He said he wasn't such a big fan, but he liked what he had heard. I immediately let him borrow every CD I owned and a week later, he was almost as big a fan as I was. We'd sit out in the hallway each with our own guitars, and I taught him the chords to songs like We Laugh at Danger, Reinventing Axl Rose, Baby I'm an Anarchist, Cavalier Eternal, Sink Florida Sink... after a while, my whole hall knew the lyrics. We'd sit in the hallway, 5 or 6 of us, many of which had never heard a real AM! song before, and they'd sing their hearts out.

That's the amazing quality of this band. They have the ability to make even the most sensible and logical human beings, even if only 2-3 minutes, want to start a revolution.

Against Me! Yeah!.......2006-04-13

Reinventing Axl Rose by Against Me *****

Truly One of the best albums I have heard in so long. From first listen it's a good album, but by the end of listen number two, It's a truly amazing and original album as well as band. Against Me is known for mixing hardcore/metaly punk with folkish country and making it work. At first when hearing of the random styles being mixed together it's like who the hell would do that and why, and that must sound like crap, I know I thought the same thing. But Every album these boys have releases has been great with Reinventing Axl Rose being by far the best so far. The acoustic and electric guitars combined make great. The simple bass and drums are nice. The vocals and seldom screaming is a great textured way to add to the album.

Opening with `Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong' was the perfect way to go. Easily one of the best songs on the album and the perfect one to start the album. With the western guitar playing it is a great song with a really catchy chorus. `The Politics Of Starving' is another good one to keep the pace going. Nice arrangement and the frantic acoustic guitar matches the frantic vocals perfect, making for an interesting listen. `We Laugh At Danger(And Break All The Rules)' is a decent song. Not the best and it doesn't really stick out but it's a good song, though it doesnt really take away or give any thing to the album. `I Still Love You Julie' is a great song. It reminds me of The Clash as do most of the bands songs. The punk rock vocals and lyrics are cool. The vocals are full of angst and the drumming is pretty cool. Nothing really flashy or unique about `Scream Until Your Coughing Blood' it's just a really good song. It's not catchy at all and the music, vocals, and lyrics are nothing special, but somehow it is still a really cool song. It's actually one of my favorites on the album. `Jordans 1st Choice' is a awesome song about sticking to your guns and not compremising what you belieave in. One of the best songs Against Me will ever write. It'll be hard to top. `Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious' is a cool song with great group vocals and it's pretty catchy as well. Next is the killer title track, `Reinventing Axl Rose.' It's a good song, but probably my least favorite song on the album. However the next song, `Baby, I'm An Anarchist' is my favorite Against Me song not only on this album but my favorite of theirs of all time. It's a love song as only a punk band could do it. Yet at the same time it has social political issues intertwined in the lyrics, as once again, only a punk band could do. Easily the bands best song. `Walking Is Still Honest' Is next, and boy is it a great song. One of the better songs on the album clearly. Nice vocals and probably the best lyrics on the album. `8 Hours Of Sleep' is the best song to close the album. It's the calmest song on the album and it's the only ballad. They kind of ease you out of the album which I think was a smart thing because what better way could you end such a hectic album such as Reinventing Axl Rose?

So as I sit back and refelct on the great music that is before me I can't help but to feel satisfied. I feel satisfied because not only is this one of the better albums I have ever heard, but one of the most original and fulfilling pieces of music I have ever heard. So for anyone who is even thinking about buying this album, stop thinking and act, you woun't be dissapointed, quite the opposite in fact. Belieave all the hype about the album, it is simply amazing. Highly recomended.

This really sucks.......2006-03-10

Anyone who says this album rocks must be tone deaf. I want my money back!

The Rose: The Original Soundtrack Recording

Average customer rating:

Mother of Pearl is Divine!
A gut wrenching portrayal
Bette Midler's moment in the sun
two thumbs up way up!
Bette Midler sings herself to an Oscar nomination

The Rose: The Original Soundtrack Recording
Bette Midler
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Rose
The Divine Miss M
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ASIN: B000002J5A
Release Date: 1995-08-29

Tracks:

Whose Side Are You On
Midnight In Memphis
Concert Monologue
When A Man Loves A Woman
Sold My Soul To Rock 'N' Roll
Keep On Rockin'
Love Me With A Feeling
Camellia
Homecoming Monologue
Stay With Me
Let Me Call You Sweetheart
The Rose

Customer Reviews:

Mother of Pearl is Divine!.......2006-10-05

Bette Midler's voice has an almost shamanic power in her career-making "Rose" based on Janis Joplin's fast and hard life. Raw, potent, and sulty .... enough to put the listener into an altered state. A vocal tribute to the legendary troubled and deeply tormented Texas Rose.

A gut wrenching portrayal.......2006-05-20

A gut wrenching vocal portrayal of a life engulfed in insecurities, self-doubt and low self-esteem, Bette Midler shines in the semi autobiographical songs that one could imagine Janis Joplin singing in writing. Bette's strong and powerful vocals tug at the heartstrings, bring laughter to the tip of your tongue and sorrowful moments in your heart. Hauntingly familiar yet vaguely distant, her gutsy renditions of the songs lead a lasting impression in your mind. This is a must-have for your CD collection.

Bette Midler's moment in the sun.......2005-08-17

If Bette Midler ever gets inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame, she can call "the rose" her ticket in. Her performance in this movie, both as an actor and as a singer, reached new heights, and she has probably never been better at either. Blues and rock'n roll suit her so well you have to wonder why she didn't go this route again. High point: her version of "When a man loves a woman" which gives a well known, done-to-death classic a new spin. Midler AC fans will also bask in the light of the main theme. Ignored at the academy awards (although Bette's performance wasn't) the song did win the Golden Globe months before becoming a big radio hit.The soundtrack also earned Bette the Grammy for best female pop performance of 1980.

two thumbs up way up!.......2004-11-07

This is an grammy album.You will get to hear the most amazing album in rocknroll history.This album not only shows the vocal talents of the divine miss m.But shows how bette midler works her butt off on this album.THis is what kicked off Bette Midler's showbiz career.This is two thumbs up.

Bette Midler sings herself to an Oscar nomination.......2003-10-18

The soundtrack for this 1979 film is the most paradoxical album of Bette Midler's career. "The Rose," the album, is arguably the best of Midler's live albums, but the songs are all new and more in the mode of rock 'n' roll ala Janis Joplin than the 1940s boogie woogie and other song types that brought Midler to prominence. As if to underscore the point, "The Rose," the song, plays to Midler's strengths as a vocalist while running counter to all the other songs on the album. It is a beautiful song and there really is a sense in which it is the only true Bette Midler song on the album, because the rest are being sung by Mary Rose Foster, a.k.a. "The Rose," the singer. But overall, the soundtrack is basically the best parts of the film.

With "Midnight in Memphis" Midler proves she could be a pretty great blues signer and "Stay With Me" takes on almost epic proportions as the Rose self-destructs on stage before her hometown audience. The flaw of this album, if you want to call it that, is that these songs are performed in character. You have to pity the person who pickes up this soundtrack without having seen the film and does not understand why Midler's voice goes through some serious deterioration in the final set of tracks. Compare "Stay With Me" with her cover of "When a Man Loves a Woman" and you have a sense of what might have been (or the version on "Divine Madness"). Still, there is something to be said for staying faithful to the film in this regard, which is why it is a pity the concert monologue has been sanitized. Of course, if you have seen the movie then you have to wonder why the tour de force version of Bob Seger's "Fire Down Below," which the Rose does with a bevy of female impersonators, was ommitted from the soundtrack because there is no way it would be considered the least worthy song from the film.

This album was produced by Paul Rothchild, who also did "Pearl," Joplin's final studio album, which certainly explains how Midler manages to capture the Joplin sound during the concerts recorded in the summer of 1978. You have to wonder what sort of demons Rothchild exorcised in putting this album together. The album made it to #12 on the Billboard charts while the the cover of "When a Man Loves a Woman" made it to #35 and then the title song made it to #3 as a single after Midler got her Oscar nomination (how it avoided hitting the top I do not know). In retrospect it seems there was no place for Midler to go but down after her smash film debut, but while she has never had a cinematic success to rival "The Rose," this is the film that put her on the A list of performers, a spot that she still inhabits. Final Note: I always liked "Camellia," the instrumental piece that Steve Hunter wrote as the Rose's introduction music. Like most of the songs on this album, it is one when the images of the film and the music are entwined in my mind.

American Angels
Average customer rating:

spiritual americana

Rich Heritage

Superb

Can't walk away from it!

Mana from Heaven

American Angels

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001ADB4Q
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Holy Manna
Abbeville
Wondrous Love
Sweet Hour Of Prayer
Jewett
Dunlap's Creek
New Britain
The Morning Trumpet
Resignation
Poland
Wayfaring Stranger
Sweet By And By
Blooming Vale
Idumea (I)/Idumea (II)
Sweet Prospect
Shall We Gather At The River
Amanda
Invitation
Parting Hand
Angel Band

Amazon.com

This, Anonymous 4's final recording, is a break from their usual "early music" periods and locations; it presents American music, religious in nature, from the 18th and 19th centuries. And it's absolutely beautiful from start to finish. Their normal, exquisite technique and purity here blend to sound the way we imagined the ladies' choir in church meetings in America past might have sounded: sweet, sincere, and with harmonies recognizable yet somehow fresh. Some of the songs begin with the women singing "fa, so la" exercises, which was called "shape note" singing because some places taught singing with notes as shapes--circle, rectangle, diamond, triangle. But it's the music that counts, and there are treasures here. They include two versions of "Amazing Grace," one familiar, one with an unusual melody and a piece called "Blooming Vale" which is as sophisticated as anything on their previous albums. "Shall We Gather at the River" is performed with a clarity and loveliness that makes us forget that it's normally sung as background to movies about the Great Depression. The foursome sometimes sing in rich harmonies and occasionally alone or in pairs or trios. This is glorious Americana and highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

spiritual americana.......2007-01-06

I have some of the older Anonymous 4 recordings which are more medieval
and gregorian in style (I love them!). They move on to cover spiritual
basics of the 1800s. If you like classical music, perfect harmonies
and spiritual americina, then you will be blessed!

Rich Heritage.......2006-10-11

Anonymous 4 consistently produces exquisite and authentically beautiful recordings and this one presents early American hymns in ways few groups can manage. Some tunes are highly recognizable while others are 'new' to me but a refreshing reminder of the singing heritage of religious societies in times past. For those who enjoy old hymns and authentic renderings, this is a must buy.

Superb .......2006-08-07

This collection of American Christian music is not only an enthralling musical experience but a spiritually uplifting one as well. Anonymous Four have transferred their luminous vocal quality to a new space with perfect success.

Can't walk away from it!.......2006-08-07

My only "complaint" about the CD is that I absolutely HAVE to sit and listen to the entire thing whenever I start it up! I usually have music playing in the background while doing other things, but not this one! There are no tracks that I find myself wanting to skip over as in most collections. In fact, I usually find myself going back and listening to selected tracks again (and again and...) after taking the hour+ to listen to the whole thing through once.

These four ladies produce a unique and remarkable sound. I can't recommend it enough.

Mana from Heaven.......2006-05-08

I think the title of this CD is perfect. I first heard an interview for this CD on Public Radio and fell in love. I had never heard Anonymous 4 before then but look for all I can find of their music now. The title is perfect as the women sound like Angels and the music lifts the spirit. I find myself singing the old version of Amazing Grace all the time now. Incredible and a huge blessing to all who hear it.

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