Feet in the Soil

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Drawing on inspiration from African drumming and Aboriginal chants, Asher has created a dynamic hybrid of danceable energies centered in the earth. Feet in the Soil's rhythms are bold and evocative, an exotic blend of traditional and world music influences guaranteed to get you up out of your seat.

Feet in the Soil,James Asher,New Earth Records,Britain,Contemporary Instrumental,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Popular Music

Feet in the Soil

Tracks:

Pemulwuy
Ijeilu
Return To Egypt
Tantango
Send In The Drums
Earthsong
Red Rhythm Dragon
Cooking It Up
Heathaze
Ocean Of Dreams
Pemulwuy Returns

Album Description

Drawing on inspiration from African drumming and Aboriginal chants, Asher has created a dynamic hybrid of danceable energies centered in the earth. Feet in the Soil's rhythms are bold and evocative, an exotic blend of traditional and world music influences guaranteed to get you up out of your seat.

Customer Reviews:

Get Your Worldy Groove On.......2006-10-13

"Feet In The Soil" is infectiously fun. As a musician, my reaction is "man, I've got to learn to make grooves like these!" As a listener, this is a disk that I can listen to over and over. It's filled with over an hour of happy, lively, exciting music that varies tremendously in style and instrumentation, showing a broad spectrum of influences but always keeping itself "grounded" in James Asher's equisitely crafted rhythms. The musicianship is impeccable, and the sound quality is superb.

Makes you wanna move your feet..........2002-09-24

Apparently a master percussionist, Mr. Asher uses some more basic (e.g. a variety of drums and percussion) and less heard instruments (e.g. the didgeridoo) to amazing effect. It is driving and moving and exhilarating. I heard this one first in a pair of headphones at a Discovery Channel Store and was captivated and couldn't help being moved along by the beat.

I suppose it taps into something 'primal', kind of like drum circles at concerts and such, when a bunch of folks get together and just start playing away on some drums until a rhythm is created and you start to dance. This album is a lot like that only it is much refined. But it is great, whether to help you on a drive or simply to take you away for a while.

As noted on the album, even Pete Townsend of The Who thinks Asher's music is great.

Unusual instruments and drumming, each piece finely crafted.......1998-06-28

Pemulwuy. Aborigine parents taught their children through songs and dances that described major events, ancestors, and leaders. One such leader of the Bidjigal, was Rainbow Warrior. In 1797, after many were killed and the-people were forced from their home lands, settlers were killed at Parramatta. In the fighting, their guerrilla leader Pemulwuy was wounded. He escaped and lead resistence against the British for five more years. The voices of this piece are the players in Pemulwuy's legend. Pemulwuy and his people are didgeridu, djembe, darabuk and the voices of the women, all speaking the ancient rhythms. The heavy modern sound of the bass guitar and the driving metalic percusive sounds are heard as their oppressors. They play off each other, both fighting for room to exist in the aural space. The tempo is very upbeat, with mid-range hand drums and varied percussion overlayed by the didg' voices. The added interplay of the bass and percussion, a woman's native words, and great rhythms round it out. After the high whistles of the tribe's support, what remains is bangs and raps on a hollow, shakey drum that fades as Pemulwuy's people continue into the distance. Ijeilu. It starts as a likable, jangly mix. Built on multiple percussive beats and a deep reverberent presence, the native men's chorus sings and speaks between synthed vibe/zylophone and guitar riffs. The repeating chorus is followed by now-continuous drums and vibes, then a guitar lyric, into a neat mix of all nearly at once. Pulled back to drums, then up again with guitar and overlays of faraway flute. Ijeilu is the statement of the people, though `Ijeilu' is elusive. Using our imagination, we hear the separation. We hear our tribe, our voices and our ancestor's voices in our music. They are the metalic intruders, taking our hearts. Return to Egypt. At seven minutes plus this tableau is masterful. Literaly a sizzling start, then hand drums, one with the beat, another in sycopated back rhythm, the clear flute voice! , trilling up, inciting the clapping of the crowd, back again with flute, drums. Framing this in your mind, with a little push, connects you to the setting of the players and their stage. Into a theater atmosphere with a big organ, offset by a single voice crying its melody. Bells and wavering synth voices, flute, drums still pounding thru, keeping the energies up. Return to Egypt is done in a grand scale. Guitar and flute, back with strong clapping, back into the theater, missing little in the aural spectrum, building and extending on and on until, poof. A muted cymbal, a few bars of flute speaking, repeating it, saying it different ways, making sure it is heard. Tantango. Another jumpin tune. A driving energizing sensation induced by extensive drums, layered live bass, multiple synth voices with live and synthed wood block. All tweaked up by a perky electric vibe/zylophone, a -different- synth voice, lots of syncopated riffs and extensions, lots of little improvs. The synth, drums, wood blocks, merrily rumble up and along, rolling toward immediate fullfulment. Send in the Drums. This is the one. Its riffs and sections jolt that jump-up-and-dance urge. There is some amount of African influence that mixes it up, probably Asher's hired `talent' again. The didg' is still a big influence. Some great work. This is one you crank up on those occasions. Big drums, mated with the range of players, didg', the simple things, oooh this is a great piece, the drums take over from the didg', lots of rattles, ... a triangle, the didg', oooh those drums, does that pull it right out of you, or what? The didg's repeating chorus, the drums' syncopated message returning with the didg` voice, `wheaeaachhh, wheaeaachhh' jumping, fading, jumping. Earthsong is made of mellow flute and a drifting, soothing melody with percussion backgrounds and interludes. Soft synth strings into mello flute then add another harmonious store of strings. Again these are stories spoken thru time. Beyond the immediate expression,! Flute speaks well, reminding us. Add a broader background, still the flute. Then stronger, closer, more precise, more complementary, a warm soundfeeling, then the strings, low and sweet. Twists and turns bring the base sound, a violin, a flute; the players. Add the percussion, reintroduce all the players in concert. Long phrases told by all the voices. Hear their stories. Red Rhythm Dragon is red, sun, hot, elaborate, theater, and great didgeridoo. Setting it up for this piece, the percussion overlays itself into a pleasing complex, expanding the expressions that drive through this experience. The nonstop didg' drones to keep company with the entourage of drums. It unfolds with hot hands on hot drums, rattles and tick tick tock, tick tock tick. There is a sense of the scale, of the number of surrounding players. It fulfills, it gratifies. There is a true foreground, middle and background. The music, the players, the dancers, are all here to present themselves. They represent themselves. They are here to remember. Cooking it up is contemporary guitars, jazy, syncopated vocals, a fast forward into the current time zone. It says `hey' this is fun, whatayasay! The men's voices are sampled as a multiply punctuated chorus, they sometimes come back in various phrases, all unintelligable. What are they saying? The beat is good, all of it, going on and on. Those middle drums, guitar and high pitched percussions, a wide blast of a man's voice from inside the synth, an interjection by some maniac, more sampled repeating chorus, great flaptapping on the drums, more voices, women's, men's, more sampled `heh, heh, heh, heh', off on the matched drums again, a broadband `ohhhhh', `ohhhhh', as we are leaving. Heathaze has an odd title and an odd compelling synth with a phased harmony that sets up two sounds per beat, that enables the processed sounds/reverb to use either 'beat' for syncopated backbeats and sub melodies, including 'Pong' samples. Got that? Very modern, totaly overtaken by the fore! ign aural universe. Yet it starts to buzz, to pick you up as it goes along it's way. Ocean of Dreams The phrases of women's voices, flute, a mellow vibraphone, it starts. Quite dreamy. An expressive presence of the flute is taken over by women's voices and the sounds of waves crashing, building to ocean drumming. Serious voices chant with drums and waves. The torent of watery collisions make white noise augmented by droning voice. Accompanying drums and shakes join to maintain themselves beyond the watery reach. Pemulwuy Returns is the end piece, but a return from the hereafter, or reliving by the players, it is not clear. Didgeridu, djembe, darabuk and beat*melody do return, now obviously jubilent. The invaders bass, triangle and metalic tapping beats are present, contributing to a more upbeat interplay. Synth intro wrapped around drum beats and didg' keep it staked up with high frequency advances. You can feel the connection to the past in the low bass melody as it jumps in with the synthorgan intertwined with drums and didg'. Together they form an organic reach out into the present, the beating reminder of the past.

makes you want to "move"...great for housecleaning!.......1998-05-23

The different 'obscure' instruments combined with a forceful rhythm have made this one of my favorite CDs for gettin' me going. The percussion is soulful. Some of it can be a little tedious but the majority is good. This is not necessarily an 'easy listening' CD but worth the eccentricity.

Average customer rating:

Take the drums, add a DJ, Mix some voices....OH YES!
Rhythmic Bliss

Feet in the Soil, Vol. 2
James Asher
Manufacturer: New Earth Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Feet in the Soil
Drums on Fire
Shaman Drums
Raising the Rhythms
Shaman's Breath

ASIN: B000056EQO
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Tammy Tama
Janjara
Standing Ngoma
Royal Blue
Camel Train
Bedouin Wedding
Send In The Scribes
Atlantean Chant
Crocodile Feet
African Sun

Album Description

Asher returns to the music arena that has delighted so many fans around the world. Feet in the Soil 2's raw underpinning of tribal rhythms and exciting, danceable energies offers another invitation to join the groove. This time around, larger and deeper drums are paired with didgeridoo and a fresh palette of sounds to set the party swaying. So kick off your shoes and get your feet in the soil!

Customer Reviews:

Take the drums, add a DJ, Mix some voices....OH YES!.......2001-02-17

Hey, "Feet in the Soil" is my favourite James Asher CD, followed by "Tigers of the Raj". When New Earth came out with a "Tigers of the Raj-Remix" CD, I thought Id give it a try. Well, I gotta admit that I didn't really like it much. This CD, "Feet in the Soil-2", is anouther story entirely. The remixes here don't get too cluttered up with overdubbed "canned" sounds, and instead focus on what made Feet in the Soil so good to begin with---the MUSIC and the drums! The mixing on this CD is done by Grahame Gerard, and he has done a great job. The 64 track mix includes live music with some of the "canned" sounds, but concentrates on showcasing the "real" stuff. The rhythms are pure fun and very danceable. Adding the vocals and dubbing in the additional beats and sounds, such as digeridoo, make for a complete package. The mix is great and moves "Feet in the Soil-2" to up into the dance-trance groove category! A real work of art!

Rhythmic Bliss.......2001-02-15

A cocophany of Earth Rhythms and smooth melodies, this CD is one of the best in my New Age/International collection. Very interesting and beautiful all at once. Trancey and Dance-able yet can also be very melodic and light. It is passionate, with great depth and musical maturity.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic!!!!!!

Sweet Seraphic Fire

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Early American Choral Music, Vol. 2
Early American Choral Music, Vol. 1

ASIN: B000AA4L8W
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

New Canaan (Oliver Holden, 1793)
Maryland (William Billings, 1778)
Bethlehem (William Billings, 1778)
Lynn (Oliver Holden, 1793)
Funeral Hymn (Oliver Holden, 1792)
An Anthem for Easter (William Billings, 1787/1795)
Walpole (Abraham Wood, 1786)
Beauty (Jacob French, 1789)
Happiness (Jacob French, 1793)
Woburn (Jacob Kimball, 1793)
Montague (Timothy Swan, 1801)
Newport (Daniel Read, 1785)
Hatfield (Thomas Baird, 1800)
Attention (Asahel Benham [?], 1790)
Crucifixion (M. Kyes, 1798)
Mechias (James Lyon, 1774)
St. Paul's (Supply Belcher, 1794)
Transition (Supply Belcher, 1794)
Jubilant (Supply Belcher, 1794)
The Lilly (Supply Belcher, 1794)
Buckfield (Abraham Maxim, 1802)
Pennsylvania (Nehemiah Shumway, 1793)
Sounding Joy (J. P. Storm, 1795 )
Redemption (Jeremiah Ingalls, 1805)
Consolation (Lucius Chapin, c. 1812)
Liberty-Hall (Lucius Chapin, 1813)
Babe of Bethlehem (Southern Harmony, 1835)
Convoy (M. L. Swan, 1867)
Hallelujah New (Roland Hutchinson, 1996)
Nativity (Bruce Randall, 1990)
Cortona (M. R. Truelsen, 1996)
Great Divide (Stephen Marini, 1998)
Arinello (Dennis O'Brien, 1997)
Ev'ry String Awake (Glen Wright, 1996)
Ten Thousand Charms (Hal Kunkel, 1996)

Product Description

Sweet Seraphic Fire brings together two unique bodies of American sacred song: choral compositions from the New England singing-school tradition and the most popular Evangelical Protestant hymn texts in historic American use. In the late eighteenth century the New England singing-school movement produced America's first great sacred-music style, employing several genres of unaccompanied four-part choral compositions with the melody in the lead (tenor) part. The enormous popularity of singing-school music also promoted a canon of hymn texts shared across America's competing Evangelical Protestant denominations. This recording contains neglected masterworks from the New England singing school that also helped to create the American hymn canon. Marking a more recent turn in this process, we have also included some new settings of traditional Evangelical lyrics written by leaders in the revival of singing-school music that has blossomed in the Northeast since 1976. ! Selection of pieces for this recording was determined by correlating "The Norumbega Harmony"--our collection of one hundred six historic New England singing-school compositions and thirty contemporary works in traditional style--with a list of the three hundred most frequently printed hymn texts in America from 1737 to 1960. --Stephen Marini

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!!!!!!.......2006-03-15

This is a REALLY cool album of shape-note singings, I particurlarly like EVERY STRING AWAKE and ANTHEM FOR EASTER.
Some of the songs are kind of dreary, (Hatfield) but all in all this is COOL!!!

Average customer rating:

Feet
A CD with a most uplifting rhythm and encouragement.

Feet in the Soil
James Asher
Manufacturer: New Earth Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000G433
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

Pemulwuy
Ijeilu
Return To Egypt
Tantango
Send In The Drums
Earthsong
Red Rhythm Dragon
Cooking It Up
Heathaze
Ocean Of Dreams
Pemulwuy Returns

Customer Reviews:

Feet.......2000-11-11

This is a great upbeat CD. Perfect for the rainy day housecleaning blues - or a time when you need motivation. Gets the house moving!

A CD with a most uplifting rhythm and encouragement........1999-06-07

I bought this CD after listening to a few songs at my friends store. I generally like meditative music, however, I wanted something to play in my car that would not put me to sleep. This CD fit the bill!!! It was not irritating but uplifting. It was one that I could listen to for hours on the road. Thank goodness for cruise control!! This CD is great for getting me out of the doldrums and lifting my spirit.

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