East Wind

Editorial Reviews
Improvijazzation Nation, January 2000
"...a most unique musical experience...Our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, PICK of this issue for ‘best eastern musics.' Simply SUPERB!!!"

Product Description
The wind in the mountains, an eagle in flight.... Let the breathtaking sound of the shakuhachi uplift your soul.

To enhance your enjoyment of the music, fragrant incense sticks are included in the spine of the CD jewel case.

East Wind

East Wind,Uttara Kuru,Pacific Moon [Alleg],Meditation,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop

East Wind

Tracks:

Come In, Come On- Velvet Revolver
Error Operator- Taking Back Sunday
Relax- Chingy
Whatever Happened To The Heroes- Joss Stone
Waiting (Save Your Life)- Omnisoul
Always Come Back To You- Ryan Cabrera
Everything Burns- Anastacia; Ben Moody
New World Symphony- Miri Ben-Ari featuring Pharoahe Monch
Die For You- Megan McCauley
Noots- Sum 41
Surrender- Simple Plan
I'll Take You Down- T.F.F. featuring Chris Cestor (from JET), Brody Dalle (from The Distillers), Dolf de Datsun (from The Datsuns) & Nick Zinner (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
On Fire- Lloyd Banks
Reverie- Megan McCauley
Goodbye To You- Breaking Point
Shed My Skin- Alter Bridge
In Due Time- Submersed
Disposable Sunshine- Loser
Now You Know- Miss Eighty 6 featuring Classic
Kirikirimai- Orange Range

Amazon.com

There are four good reasons to pick up the Fantastic Four soundtrack. The first three are kinda buried in the middle of the CD--and they all happen to be new songs. First, there's "I'll Take You Down," a nifty rocker by a combo called T.F.F. Never heard of them? They're an ad hoc supergroup featuring the Distillers' banshee Brody Dalle, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' guitarist Nick Zinner, the Datsuns' singer-bassist Dolf de Datsun, and Jet's drummer Chris Cester. Second, Joss Stone's "Whatever Happened to the Heroes" is a lot better than its obvious title suggests; it's a rollicking, old-school rock-soul track namedropping Joe DiMaggio (a hero in Stone's native Devon?) and Marilyn Monroe. Finally, there's "Everything Burns," which sees former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody collaborating with Anastacia on his first solo outing. It looks like an odd-couple combination but somehow it works--probably because Moody knows how to write bombastic power ballads. (It's certainly less icky than "Hero" from Spiderman.) The fourth good reason is the very last track: "Kirikirimai" is a hyperactive rock/hip-hop hybrid that introduces Japanese band Orange Range to the American market. The rest of the CD, which mixes new tunes and recycled ones, is surprisingly solid with muscular but melodic contributions from Velvet Revolver, Sum 41, Simple Plan, and Lloyd Banks's infectious "On Fire." Just try to get its organ riff out of your head. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Featuring new music from Platinum and Gold recording artists Velvet Revolver, Joss Stone, Ben Moody featuring Anastacia, Sum 41, Taking Back Sunday, Chingy, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Pitiful,Mtv,Hip Hop,Clubb'in SHITE.......2006-09-25

This is one of those thrown together soundtracks.All the cookie cutter,whoever is on the "popular music chart" crap music.There was only one cool song in the entire film and it's not even on the soundtrack.I hope the band sues.Don't waste your money on this garbage.There is nothing remotely interesting about anything on this soundtrack,but if you are a gullable sheep who doesn't mind being led to the slaughter,by all means buy the C.D,we need stupid consumers like you out there,you help the economy.

some great songs- overall good.......2006-05-17

not all of the songs are great, but the 1 by simple plan is pretty good & Error Operator was sweet (in my oppinion error operator gave ths ablum 2 of its 4 stars!)

Three stars for Ten out of Twenty Tracks that were pleasing.......2006-03-13

As many have said before more this is not the "greatest Superhero themed soundtrack" to indeed purchase and their words could not speak a louder truth. But as long as your Radio has PROGRAM installed within its system then your days should be a whole lot better when listening to this SOUNDTRACK for the 2005 "Fantastic Four" film. MARVEL and WIND-UP RECORDS have probably released some decent soundtracks for the MARVEL movies that didn't make that big-buck in the theaters that made up for it in DVD sales. The following being, DAREDEVIL, ELEKTRA, THE PUNISHER, and now this one. While the two before the latter do not stand up to the original SPIDER-MAN soundtrack (2002) which also had its fair share of hits and misses, The Punisher soundtrack should've been able to please any hard rock/metal fan with the presence of Drowning Pool's "Stand Up" and Seether's "Broken" featuring Amy Lee (shudders) of Evanescence (glare). Getting back on track, the FANTASTIC FOUR soundtrack indeed reflects the mixed feeling and light atmosphere your most likely to receive when watching the film itself. However, unlike the movie, this soundtrack (or wind-up for that matter) feels as though it doesn't try hard enough to select some actual music worth listening to all the way through. Instead they throw a lot tone-deaf artists that probably have the lesser of the PR and reviews from the masses and attempts to advertise them on the soundtracks for films. A good example would be the little piece of paper that comes fluttering out of the CD case of the soundtrack egging you to buy Megan McCauley's "new" CD, a shameless advertising trick to blunt.

Seriously, I picked up on this long ago and while I knew this was just the case with this soundtrack, there are some redeeming points with this soundtrack. There's a little bit of something for everyone on "FF," the case being that the music genres span from Hard Rock --- the main reason I purchased this CD--, POP/POP-ROCK, SOFT ROCK, and HIP-HOP of the edited kind. You won't find any explicit lyrics on the four tracks featured on the CD. I'm not fan of HIP-HOP in general, but the tracks here like Chingy's "Relax" (here I thought movie/tv theme songs were limited children's television and movies!) ---which isn't a bad theme song for the film, the rapping is bearable---, and Miri Ben-Ari's "New World Symphony," which is also easy listen to, but at the same time corny to the point where you don't want anyone know your even listening to it. Other HIP-HOP songs like Loyd Banks' "On Fire" - had potential to be catchy like "Relax," but fails miserably with droll lyrics, delivery of vocal performance and musical overall. Missy Eight's "Now You Know," reminded me why I don't like HIP-HOP to begin with.

The POP-ROCK and HARD ROCK is a mixed bag to frank. Some of its good, the good spanning from Velvet Revolver's "Come on, Come In" to Submerged's "In Due Time," in truth isn't as good compelling as "Hollow" on the Elektra soundtrack but just as good. Megan McCauley's two tracks, "Die for you" and "Reverie" don't show off her vocal talents like "Wonder" had (also on the Elektra soundtrack). Nonetheless, "Die for you" is indeed the better of the two. Breaking Point's "Good-bye to you" is a bit lame and isn't as good as their first slow songs from COMING OF AGE, "Live for today" or "Phoenix," it isn't horrible, but lacks the convincing lyrics of their earlier CD. The bad spanning from Taking back Sunday to the Japanese Rock band Orange Range, which sounds like something that would've been stuck on the APPLESEED soundtrack if it were the better band. Boom Boom Satellites is the better of the invading J-Rock bands anyhow.

Anastacia's "Everything Burns" still isn't my favorite song, it doesn't utilize her vocals that well, but after listening a couple times more it isn't horrible. It could do without Ben Moody's vocals though. Its no "Hero" killer, I can tell you that; Quite far from it. By far the best song on the FF soundtrack is probably Sum 41's "Noots" which a good time, high energy rock ballad worthy of the repeat button. I honestly hadn't liked a song from them since "Rock (is what we're all about)." But all in all Its pretty clear to anyone that not this soundtrack isn't bad. The problem it suffers from clearly is that WIND-UP Records doesn't choose wisely in terms of entertaining and talented tracks from various artists. They just wanted to make a quick buck off an over hyped movie.

[THE GOOD]

(HARD ROCK):

15. Good-bye To You - Breaking Point - 3/5

9. Die For You - Megan McCauley - 3/5

1. Come In, Come On - Velvet Revolver - 4/5

10. Noots - Sum 41 - 5/5

18. Disposable Sunshine - Loser - 5/5

17. In Due Time - Submersed - 5/5

(SOFT ROCK)

7. Everything Burns - Anastacia/Ben Moody - 4/5

(HIP-HOP):

3. Relax - Chingy - 4/5

8. New World Symphony - Miri Ben-Ari featuring Pharoahe Monch - 3/5

[THE BAD]

(POP-ROCK)

2. Error Operator - Taking Back Sunday - 1/5

11. Surrender - Simple Plan - 1/5

12. I'll Take You Down - T.F.F - 1/5

(POP)

4. Whatever Happened To The Heroes - Joss Stone - 2/5

5. Waiting (Save Your Life) - Omnisoul - 2/5

6. Always Come Back To You - Ryan Cabrera - 1/5

(HIP-HOP)

19. Now You Know - Miss Eighty 6 featuring Classic - 1/5

13. On Fire - Lloyd Banks - 2/5

(HARD ROCK)

14. Reverie - Megan McCauley - 2/5

16. Shed My Skin - Alter Bridge - 1/5

(JAPANESE-ROCK)

20. Kirikirimai - Orange Range - 1/5 -------- [a 3 out of 5]

Eh....it's so-so........2006-02-17

I am not gonna say but the album, but again, it actually doesn't suck. If you compare it to the queen of the damned album, then it comes nowhere near it. It does have some pretty good voice talent in the way of ben moody, anastacia, lloyd banks, chingy, and others. You aren't doing yourself a favor by buying it, but it isn't worth skipping over. Look into it only if you liked the movie OR you like the artists. 'Nuff said.

hi.......2006-01-23

hi, I'm billy and i'm 8.
thid aoundtrsck is swesome!!!
i loove it!
my moom won't lemme wattxh FF...y not?
Grrr

Average customer rating:

A Rare Treasure
Middle East Music Meets Mainstream Pop With Excellent Result
The worst of Ofra Haza.
World-beat pop masterpiece
Less of the loud accompanyment please!

Desert Wind
Ofra Haza
Manufacturer: Sire / London/Rhino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Shaday
Kirya
Ofra Haza 1997
Fifty Gates of Wisdom: Yemenite Songs
Temptations

ASIN: B000002LIK
Release Date: 1990-01-05

Tracks:

Wish Me Luck
Ya Ba Ye
Middle East
I Want To Fly
Slave Dream
Taw Shi
Mm'mma (My Brothers Are There)
In-ta
Fatamorgana (Mirage)
Da'asa
Kaddish

Amazon.com

She's been dubbed "the Madonna of the Desert," and this record is the reason why. Haza came out of her '80s folk-fan circuit and returned to her beloved Israeli disco-pop with this highly produced set of songs that were clearly designed for the mainstream. She's got an incredible set of pipes, and they are readily in evidence here. Haza is a charmer when she sings, soaring above even the most trivial studio dubs and musical overloads that exemplify the backing tracks. There are more traditional recordings available from Haza, both predating and following this one, that accent her Israeli and Yemenite heritage. Desert Wind is for those looking for a heavier beat, a harder pop edge, and exotic samples rather than deeper roots. --Louis Gibson

Customer Reviews:

A Rare Treasure.......2006-11-20

Many years ago, I found a tape in the discount bin by the artist Ofra Haza. It was Desert Wind. I had never heard of her but I was intrigued by the cover and frankly, the price. I bought it hoping that it would atleast be interesting and new. I was not disappointed. Ofra's voice blew me away. I had never heard anything like it before and have not since. Desert Wind is still, for me, her best album. Her voice soars in I Want To Fly and is haunting in Kaddish. She was really my first encounter with Middle Eastern music and I have never forgotten how utterly moved I was by her beautiful voice.

Middle East Music Meets Mainstream Pop With Excellent Result.......2003-11-06

This CD is a wonderful mixture of middle eastern rhythm's
and mainstream pop. The music on this cd is both interesting and
exciting. Ofra Haza's singing is consistently superior in every respect to most other female pop vocalists. Her technical excellence, clarity of tone and pureness of pitch are at least equal to the best efforts of the best: Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Barbra Streisand. Ofra Haza poured
great depths of emotion into all her singing. With the majority
of her songs it is easy to discern that her soul is on full display, that she put her heart into her singing, and that the feelings expressed are genuine. She wrote much of her own music and most of her own lyrics. In "Desert Wind" the booklet provides a brief explanation of what each song is about. For example, the song "Fatamorgana" (Mirage), one of the best on this CD, tells the story of Ofra's mother traveling on foot through the desert to escape oppression in her native country. The CD provides a well balanced mix of fast paced and slower songs. The two standout fast paced songs are "Wish Me Luck," and "Middle East." Ofra typically put one or two very good songs at the end of her albums, and in this CD it is the excellent,relective "Kaddish." Overall, this is a very satisfying CD, and like almost all Ofra Haza's music, it
is worthy of many multiple listenings.

The worst of Ofra Haza........2003-09-19

Having bought Shaday and Kirya by miss Haza, i bought Desert Wind with the notion that it would be as fantastic as the aforementioned. Boy was i wrong. Gone are the heavy Yemenite/Israeli beats and flavor, as is Haza singing in Hebrew. Instead, I found her beautiful voice swallowed up by abhorrent 80's synth-pop cheese and benal lyrical content, with Hebrew only in the chorus at most. There is not a single song, with the exception of "Slave Dream" that I could bear to listen to all the way through, and most of the songs are laughably bad. So, fans of Haza's other works, do yourself a favor and save your [money] and buy Shaday or Kirya. Unless you want a good laugh, then by all means, purchase away!

World-beat pop masterpiece.......2003-06-20

I'll never forget the day I first heard this on cassette. My wife came home from shopping and put it on. I said "WOW, who is this??" And she said "I don't know who she is, they were playing her at the music store and I asked who it was and bought it. I think she's Arab." Then I saw Ofra Haza's picture on the cover and had to say "WOW" again. As we soon learned, she was a Yemenite Israeli, already world-famous (except in America) back then in 1990. We saw her in concert later that year and of course learned much more about her and her earlier music, particularly her groundbreaking "Fifty Gates of Wisdom (Yemenite Songs)".

Following "Fifty Gates" in 1987, Ofra Haza turned to a dance beat in "Shadday" (1988), an album, in my opinion, of derivative western dance-track sounds and only two stand-out songs. Then, a year later, she turns out "Desert Wind", this stunning, hook-laden, beat-driven, authentically Middle-Eastern album of passionate, meaningful songs, juxtaposing Hebrew and English verses, almost all written or co-written by her. Best are the danceable "Ya Ba Ye", "Middle East", "I Want to Fly" and "Taw Shi", and the gorgeous "Fatamorgana", "Da'asa" and "Kaddish". That's a lot of favorites for one album, but that's the kind of album this is. "Slave Dream" and "In Ta" take some getting used to, but even they turn into winners once you've managed to absorb them. "Kaddish" left hardly a dry eye in the house when she performed this in concert. "Middle East" has ironically the least middle-eastern melody of the dance tunes (i.e. it's in a major key), and it is a rousing song of hope for peace - even a love offering to the Palestinians. Ofra seems to put one such song on every album. Tragically, Ofra is gone, and we're all still waiting to hear popular songs of peace from the Palestinian side. Ofra would probably say keep hoping.

Less of the loud accompanyment please!.......2002-08-07

Ofra's Haza's singing on this album is stunning, where we can hear her above the loud accompanyment. I just hope that with modern recording technology they will reissue her work with the background toned down so that we can enjoy the beautiful soaring voice. There was none like her. Whenever I hear Ofra's voice on a sound track I recognize it instantly. for my taste, it is the "dance club" rhythmic beat that it too loud. I prefer Kaddish and Slave Dream where the background music stays in the background.

Average customer rating:

carousel
The Ideal Merry-Go-Round

Carousel Memories

Manufacturer: Dynamic Recording
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Good Old USA Carousel Music Vol. 1
Good Old USA Carousel Music Vol. 2
Fair Organ Follies
Wurlitzer Christmas Carousel Music Vol. 1
Under the Big Top: 100 Years of Circus Music

ASIN: B00005V7GA
Release Date: 2002-01-01

Tracks:

A Smile Will Go A Long, Long Way
The Petite Waltz
Die Regimentskinder
With The Wind and Rain In Your Hair
Nights Of Gladness
Espanita Waltz
Three Little Fishes
Scatter Brain
Beer Barrel Polka
Over The Top
Royal Trumpeters
Say It Again
Georgia On My mind
After the Ball
Unter Dem Siegesbanner
Just A Gigolo
The Sidewalks of New York
Deep Purple
Liberty Bell
Trisch-Trasch
The Kings Horses and The Kings Men
Sweet Rosie O' Grady
The Carousel Waltz (Recorded on Moving Carousel)

Album Description

More marches, waltzes, and fox trots in this recording of the New Verbeeck Band Organ at Seabreeze Park in Upstate New York. On a hill above scenic Lake Ontario, the music of the band organ can be heard on the breezes drifting over the blue water. Twenty-three tunes bring back the sounds of summer from Seabreeze Park - the whirling carousel and prancing horses spin around to the music of childhood, and this fabulous recording captures the wonderful memories. Grab the popcorn, and come for a ride! This completely digital recording is crystal clear and an oversized insert includes pictures and fond memories of Merrick Price - to whom the album is dedicated. The last song was recorded on the carousel while it was moving - an innovative idea that captures the sensation of really being on the ride is enhanced by wearing headphones. This piece of Americana in music - a must for the audio collector, carousel enthusiast, or fan of mechanical music, is a one-of-a-kind gift item.

Customer Reviews:

carousel.......2007-01-03

Carousel Memories does not have the luster that I had expected. The music is not as clear as I would have liked, however, it does have some good qualities that make it worth while to listen.

The Ideal Merry-Go-Round.......2005-07-18

This is a recording by and for merry-go-round lovers. It assembles 23 tracks of mostly characteristic carousel music, played upon a newly constructed band organ handmade by Belgian Johnny Verbeeck to replicate the old Wurlitzer 165 destroyed by a fire around 1995. The fire also claimed most of the carousel itself, which was rebuilt using some restored parts from the original (PTC#36). The recording site is Seabreeze Park on Lake Ontario in upper New York.

In another review I mentioned that that CD offered a partial and rather idealized carousel experience, for it could only provide the sound, and that sound was much more refined and free of ambient noise than would be encountered during an actual carousel ride. That comment applies as well to this recording, and perhaps more so, for the band organ in a typical operating carousel never sounded so good as the one here. This instrument has a remarkably lovely, sweet tone and, being brand new, is in perfect condition. The rolls used were obtained from no less a source than the Library of Congress, and represent a very choice selection.

The music itself includes mostly waltzes, marches, polkas, and one-time popular songs, such as Beer Barrel Polka, Sweet Rosie O'Grady, Liberty Bell, and Scatter-Brain. Less to be expected, but supremely apt, is the fine waltz from Richard Rodger's overture to the musical show Carousel. This last was experimentally recorded on the moving carousel, and thus provides an especially realistic auditory image.

For merry-go-round and band organ enthusiasts this recording might well occupy a place of honor in their CD collection. For those who desire a more realistic, though less ideal, recording I would recommend the old 1973 Takoma Records release "Last Chance on the Merry-Go-Round" (# A 1038), which I believe is no longer in the catalog. (Takoma Records was acquired in 1995 by Fantasy Records.) My personal copy of A 1038 is an LP, and I suspect no CD version was ever released. That recording was made at the carousel on the pier at Santa Monica, California, shortly before the pier was to be demolished. (Thus the title of the recording.) Since it was made while the carousel was actually in operation, the sounds of bystanders and children, along with the carousel drive motor are included. I don't know what ever became of that carousel or its band organ, but would guess they were moved to some collection somewhere. In any case, I have fond memories of wandering along the pier on a fine Saturday afternoon and watching and listening to the carousel and its excited young customers.

Average customer rating:

Classy,Romantic, And Stirring.
Lovely - Just Lovely!
Encore!
Captivating
Sarah Brightman's Best

Encore
Sarah Brightman , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Rodgers , Burton Lane , Peter Greenwell , Stephen Sondheim , George Gershwin , Giacomo Puccini , Harry Rabinowitz , and Michael Reed
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Sarah Brightman Classics
Eden (US Release - 16 tracks)
Surrender
Dive
Fly

ASIN: B00005KBBX
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Whistle Down The Wind (Whistle Down The Wind)
Away From You (Rex)
Guardami (With One Look - Italian Version) (Sunset Boulevard)
Think Of Me (The Phantom Of The Opera)
One More Walk Around The Garden (Carmelina)
Surrender (Sunset Boulevard)
If I Ever Fall In Love Again (The Crooked Mile)
Half A Moment (Jeeves)
Piano (Memory - Italian Version) (Cats)
What More Do I Need (Saturday Night)
There Is More To Love (Apects Of Love)
The Last Man In My Life (Song And Dance)
In The Mandarin's Orchid Garden (East Is West)
Nothing Like You've Ever Known (Tell Me On A Sunday & Song And Dance)
Chil Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta (La Rondine)

Amazon.com

In a career that's veered from '70s pop chanteuse to Broadway star and neo-operatic diva, Sarah Brightman has brought a critics-be-damned sense of dramatic scale to nearly every project she's tackled. As the title suggests, the tracks here are largely culled from her Songs That Got Away and Surrender song anthologies, although they do include four previously unreleased outtakes from those collections. Her 1998 recording of the title song from ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind succeeds by emphasizing its melodic grace with a deft, airy touch, while the remainder rescue worthy songs from obscure or failed musicals. From Lerner and Lane's 1959 Carmelina comes the lovely "One More Walk Around the Garden." Stephen Sondheim's youthful 1954 debut, Saturday Night, yields a sprightly take on "What More Do I Need," while an operatic reading of "In the Mandarin's Orchid Garden," from the Gershwins' unproduced 1929 East Is West, is also included. If the selection leans a little too heavily on the Lloyd Webber connection elsewhere (including Italian versions of "Guardami (With One Look)" from Sunset Boulevard and "Piano (Memory)" from Cats delivered in her patently restraint-free soprano), they're only reminders that shrewdness has hardly been the least of Brightman's talents. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Classy,Romantic, And Stirring........2007-03-09

Encore is the perfect CD for those who love diversity. Classy, Romantic and Stirring. My two favorites are Piano and One More Walk Around The Garden.
Piano (Memory)is even more soul stirring in Italian than the english version.If the english version was perfection she improved upon it. One More Walk Around The Garden is sad and soul stirring bringing a tear to the eye on every play.Sarah sings her way through every song with the voice that earned her the title Angel of Music.Everyone a Gem. A must have for every true fan.

Lovely - Just Lovely!.......2007-01-04

Overall I was very pleased with the content and quality of this CD. Once again, Sarah sings beautifully. I rated this 4 stars instead of 5 simply because, like another reviewer, I, too, felt that it contained too much old material. I used to enjoy 'Memory' but it's been overdone to the point that I cringe when I hear it now. It's sung in Italian here and called 'Piano' but it's still 'Memory'.

I especially liked 'One More Walk Around the Garden' (Carmelina), 'There is More to Love' (Aspects of Love), 'The Last Man in My Life' (Song and Dance) and 'Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta' (La Rondine). 'If I Ever Fall In Love Again' (The Crooked Mile) is especially well done as well.

I do enjoy playing the CD but I find that I pick the songs that I play rather than allowing it to play all the way through.

Encore!.......2005-05-29

The title of the CD is perfect. Sarah has a beautiful and flawless voice and her singing just pulls you in. If you like Sarah Brightman, this is a wonderful CD to add to your collection. I have only started to collect her CDs from concerts she has done and I love every single one of them! BUY THIS!! You won't regret it!!!

Captivating.......2004-12-25

Sarah Brightman sings beautifully. That's not even up for debate. Her choice of material is generally interesting as well. She runs through a wide variety of genre and regularly comes up with excellent pieces from each of them.

`Encore' is a compilation of material recorded between the late 1980's and 2001. It features strong renditions of `Away from You' by Rodgers and Harnick and `In the Mandarin's Garden' by George and Ira Gershwin. The orchestration on `If I ever Fall in Love Again' is a bit overblown but she sings the piece with sincerity, and very well. Her cover of Lane and Lerner's `One More Walk Around the Garden' is a thing of beauty. The same can be said for her handling of Sondheim's `What More Do I Need'. The weakest moment in the set comes during Puccini's `Chi Il Bel Di Doretta'. She sings it well but her voice doesn't quite have the pure power needed for the piece and there are moments where the strain shows.

Sarah Brightman really shines when she sings music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Her voice takes on an extra richness. He wrote the music for nine of the fifteen cuts on this release and can be identified as the composer of each one just by the tone her voice takes on when she begins singing any one of them. It's softer, richer, more expressive- it's as if there's an extra facet in her voice and spirit just for his compositions. He produced this collection but I don't believe that was a factor. The same thing struck me when she performed the material from the Phantom of the Opera that appeared on her La Luna concert DVD. `Think of Me' as performed by her was the song that attracted me to her voice even when I was less than sure of the scope of her talent. The recording here is the recording from `Phantom' and it's still stunning. `Piano' is hauntingly beautiful. `The Last Man in My Life' is given a ravishing performance. `Half a Moment' is devastating. The list goes on. There's not a weak cut from among his material. Webber's songs stay with the listener. Their melodic are lush and rich and have enough scope and variety to remain interesting over a long period of time. His orchestration is sumptuous, elaborately textured and a little sweet in the way that touches the listener as a caress. When she sings them they become all they can be. This isn't his music or hers. It's their music.

This is an excellent collection because of the way it showcases this. The material here has been (unkindly) labelled as `ear worms'. To an extent the term is accurate. Show tunes do lean toward catchy and easily accessible melodic lines. Their lyrics are often shallow. What's presented on this collection has more than its share of all of these faults. It's impossible to be cynical about it though. These songs, particularly the numbers penned by Lloyd-Webber, are strong on their own. When they're performed this well, and with this amount of affection, they're captivating. The quality of the sound on the release compliments the material beautifully. It's rich, lush and always crystal clear. Sarah Brightman herself is always a pleasure to listen to. Her voice it has a sparkling quality that's radiantly beautiful. The material on this collection shows that beauty to its fullest.

Listen to her singing these songs and let them wash over you. It's the perfect antidote for cynicism.

Sarah Brightman's Best.......2004-02-17

When I bought this Cd, I knew that I already had much of the music already, but there were a few new songs. I just had to get it for that reason. And I had to get it so that I had more than one recording of Sarah's finest songs. I absolutely love her and feel she was and is the ultimate Christine in "Phantom." I know I would be in a minority. I think she is past that part of her life and could not play the part again, but how I wish I had seen her. I could only imagine. If you have never heard Sarah sing before, this is a perfect CD to introduce her voice. The fact that she can sing so many different styles always amazes me. I suppose I appreciate that since I am a singer myself. I recommend this Cd to anyone.

Average customer rating:

If you like Kiyoshi Yoshida, you'll love Uttara Kuru
"East Wind" blows west
Unfortunate
Cool! Atmospheric and unique
Incense sticks not necessary

East Wind
Uttara Kuru
Manufacturer: Pacific Moon [Alleg]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Prayer
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Pacific Moon, Vol. 1-2

ASIN: B00000JT3F
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

Flowers, Birds, Winds & Moon (Prologue)
Wings Of The Eagle
Winter Dance
First Image
Neyuki
Wooden Ship
Second Image
Our Life
Niigata Okesa
Third Image
Falling Through A Cloud
Aizu Bandaisan
Flowers, Birds, Winds & Moon (Epilogue)

Album Description

The wind in the mountains, an eagle in flight.... Let the breathtaking sound of the shakuhachi uplift your soul.

To enhance your enjoyment of the music, fragrant incense sticks are included in the spine of the CD jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

If you like Kiyoshi Yoshida, you'll love Uttara Kuru.......2007-04-24

I own the Asian Drums II CD, and got this because someone with similar taste recommended it to me. I think that I like this CD much better. The music is nothing short of awesome. The common denominator between all of the songs is the flute. The only criticism I can offer is that some people say that the songs are better without the flute, but I love it. Another great thing is that, when I bought it, it came with incense sticks. Cool, huh?

"East Wind" blows west.......2005-10-05

I would have to say that I honestly enjoyed "East Wind", which was my first time listening to Uttara-Kuru, I especially liked "Wooden Ship", the flute was awesome, I could almost envision the ship and feel ancient Japan.

Unfortunate.......2004-12-30

If you're looking for he skill and talent of the likes of Jia Peng Fang or Mizuyo Komiya, don't, I repeat-don't look here. While having some interesting elements, East Wind and Prayer are the only Asian albums I have purchased that have woefully dissapointed me. I love eclectic blends of Asian music combined with true talent. Neither East Wind nor Prayer appeal to me as anything close to enjoyable and aren't even in the same category as Jia Peng Fang or Mizuyo Komiya. Save your $$ unless you enjoy Hip/Hop/Fusion/Asian/Ornamental blends not altogether well executed.

Cool! Atmospheric and unique.......2004-01-01

Historic instruments of Japan like shakuhachi, shamisen, shinobue and koto as well as occasional vocals and chants are accompanied by modern keyboards, digital rhythms and accoustically-drummed beats. The result is a fusion sound that retains the charm, mystery and grandeur of traditional Japanese music while remaining accessible to modern ears. The striking, wistful sound of the shakuhachi (an end-blown bamboo flute) is particularly appealing in many of the selections, soaring distinctively and proudly above the electronica. "East Wind" is the second album of the group Uttara Kuru, which performs compositions by multiinstrumentalist Seiichi Kyoda with production by Seiichi Kyoda and Kazumasa Yoshioka. Some of the tracks with minimal modern influence are quaint, mellow and mysterious, while others, with orchestral-sounding backups, westernized harmonies and driving beats, have a New-Age or even dance-club feel. The combinations of ancient and modern are usually successful--interesting, intriguing and sometimes even stunning. However, in a few of the tracks toward the end of the album ("Our Life" and "Niigata Okesa") the repetitive, soul-less, programmed technobeats can be a little mind-numbing, limiting the musical expressiveness of instrumental and vocal combinations that, in most other numbers, find fuller fruition. In all, though, this album stands out as an impressive and intelligent example of creative musical fusion! Give it a try! As with all Pacific Moon recordings, "East Wind" not only sounds nice but smells nice, packaged with several sticks of colorful incense in its jewel case. Uttara Kuru's previous album, "Prayer", focuses primarily on vocal Sutra recitations, again with a modern twist. More compositions by Seiichi Kyoda can also be heard on other Pacific Moon releases, such as Shao Rong's "Orchid" and Jia Peng Fang's "Faraway ...". For another take on traditional Asian music updated with a western instrumental flair, try also the mellow, meditative "Cho" by Choying Drolma and Steve Tibbetts, which features the chanting of Tibetan Buddhist nuns.

Incense sticks not necessary.......2002-02-11

Ahh, this is great stuff. Kind of reminds of the chanting Japanese woman in the film "Blade Runner" -- this music would be popular in that future. Dense atmospherics, peaceful flute, rich melodies... who could ask for more? This stuff could move the dead. Check out Kokin Gumi's "Zen Garden" too, for a somewhat more subdued blend of East and West (still 5 stars).

Average customer rating:

Music By Shulamit Ran

Manufacturer: Bridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Chamber Music of Shulamit Ran
Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Shulamit Ran: Songs and Chamber Music

ASIN: B000003GJA
Release Date: 1995-05-16

Tracks:

Con Da Camera II: I. Con Spirto, Marcato
Con Da Camera II: II. 1/4nt = 56
Con Da Camera II: III. Stately, Majestic
East Wind
Inscriptions: I
Inscriptions: II
Inscriptions: III
Mirage
For An Actor: Monologue
Private Game

Album Description

The vibrant music of Shulamit Ran is heard in this collection of six of her recent compositions. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in music and composer-in-residence of the Chicago Symphony, Ran's music blends high-energy, dense compositional thought, with a penchant for long-spun melismatic melodies. Born in Israel, Shulamit Ran came to the United States as a fourteen year old. Soon after, Leonard Bernstein invited her to perform one of her own compositions with the New York Philharmonic. Ran's music combines eastern melodic and formal influences with a dramatically argued sense of structure.

Average customer rating:

Sassy Wind Chamber Music from One of England's Grand Old Men

Arnold: Wind Chamber Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000OQDRYG
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Customer Reviews:

Sassy Wind Chamber Music from One of England's Grand Old Men.......2007-06-22

Sir Malcolm Arnold OBE was born in 1921 and died only a few months ago, in September 2006. He was primarily known to most people as the composer of some fine film music -- Bridge on the River Kwai, Hobson's Choice, Inn of the Sixth Happiness among them -- but in latter years there have been several series of releases of his concert music, including wonderful performances of all nine of his symphonies on two different labels, Chandos and Naxos. There has been some sniffing about his light-heartedness and prolixity, but his stature as a major composer of the latter part of the twentieth century is now assured. He wrote a good deal of chamber music, often for friends from his days of playing in the London Philharmonic, but it tends not to be known except to specialists. This CD helps to remedy that by presenting many of his works for chamber ensembles featuring woodwinds, played by members of a fine American wind quintet called East Winds, in some pieces supplemented by additional players.

This CD contains 30 bands comprising seventeen different works. Most of them have the 'Arnold sound', which could be characterized as light and neoclassical. His music is often jazz-tinged, usually of the sassy Frenchified sort. It is difficult to hear much of Arnold's wind music without beginning to smile. He writes wonderful hummable tunes that stick in the memory, and he has a talent for color and rhythmic invention. Several of the performances here are world premiere recordings: a wind octet arrangement of the overture to 'Hobson's Choice' (that delicious 1954 film starring Charles Laughton) done with Arnold's permission by Uwe Radok; 'Dream City', written when Arnold was seventeen as a piano piece for his mother and arranged for wind quintet, again with Arnold's blessing, by Paul Harris; 'Grand Fantasia' for piano, flute and clarinet; 'Overture for Wind Octet' (1940); and 'Fantasy for Flute and Clarinet'.

I particularly loved the insouciance of the 1940 'Grand Fantasia', written under a pseudonym ('A. Youngman', get it? -- he was only nineteen at the time) as a mood-lifter during the Battle of Britain. It was a year later that Arnold joined the London Philharmonic as second trumpet, eventually rising to the principal's chair.

For some reason the 'Duo for Two Clarinets', a late six-movement work, is played as interludes between other shorter pieces. It was written in 1988, after he had concluded the Ninth Symphony and has some of that work's dark, brooding quality mixed in with Arnold's usual wit.

Probably Arnold's most familiar wind quintet music is his 'Three Shanties', finished just after the Second Wind Quintet (which opens this CD and is brilliantly played), it is a set of rollicking tunes, including the familiar 'What shall we do with a drunken sailor?'.

The performances here are all one could ask for. I'd never heard of 'East Winds' before and have some suspicion that they may be an ad hoc group, but whoever and wherever they are, they are marvelous. If you're a fan of Arnold's music and want to explore the chamber music for winds, this CD is for you.

Scott Morrison

A Night in East Berlin/My Brothers the Wind and the Sun

Average customer rating:

A Night in East Berlin/My Brothers the Wind and the Sun
Sun Ra & His Cosmo Disciples
Manufacturer: Leo Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Avant-Garde | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000B0MZ
Release Date: 1996-04-27

Tracks:

Mystic Prophecy
Beyond The Wilderness Of Shadows
Prelude To A Kiss
Space Is The Place/We Travel The Spaceways
Intersellar Low Ways
The Shadow World
Rocket Number Nine
My Brothers The Wind And Sun

Average customer rating:

Seiki Shinohe: Clarinet Recital

Manufacturer: Camerata
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004WH88
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

3 Pieces: I - Seiki Shinohe
3 Pieces: II - Seiki Shinohe
3 Pieces: III - Seiki Shinohe
Cl Solitude - Seiki Shinohe
4 Pieces In Bird Shape: I. Ballade - Seiki Shinohe/Midori Matsuya
4 Pieces In Bird Shape: II. Invention - Seiki Shinohe/Midori Matsuya
4 Pieces In Bird Shape: III. Recitativo - Seiki Shinohe/Midori Matsuya
4 Pieces In Bird Shape: IV. Divertimento - Seiki Shinohe/Midori Matsuya
Ren-Ga - Seiki Shinohe
Son - Seiki Shinohe
Kochi (East Wind) - Seiki Shinohe
Quatuor La Fin Du Temps: III. Abime Des Oiseaux - Seiki Shinohe/Midori Matsuya

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection / Encore

Average customer rating:

Lovely
Encore!
Another way to make money on the back of Sarah

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection / Encore

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sarah Brightman Classics
Time to Say Goodbye
Eden (US Release - 16 tracks)
Dive
Sarah Brightman In Concert

ASIN: B00006LLOO
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Tracks:

Phantom of the Opera
Unexpected Song
Chanson d'Efrance
All I Ask of You
Don't Cry for Me Argentina
Another Suitcase in Another Hall
Love Changes Everything
Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)
Memory
Gus: The Theatre Cat
Anything But Lonely
Macavity: The Mystery Cat
Tell Me on a Sunday
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Pie Jesu
Music of the Night

Tracks:

Whitsle Down the Wind {From Whistle Down the Wind}
Away from You {From Rex}
Guardami (With One Look) {From Sunset Boulevard} [Italian Version]
Think of Me {From the Phantom of the Opera}
One More Walk the Around the Garden {From Carmelina}
Surrender {From Sunset Boulevard}
If I Ever Fall in Love Again {From the Crooked Mile}
Half a Moment {From Jeeves}
Piano (Memory) {From Cats} [Italian Version]
What More Do I Need {From Saturday Night}
There Is More to Love {From Aspects of Love}
Last Man in My Life {From Song and Dance}
In the Mandarin's Orchid Garden {From East Is West}
Nothing Like You've Ever Known {From Tell Me on a Sunday and Song and D
Chi il Bel Sogno Di Doretta {From la Rondine}

Amazon.com

In a career that's veered from '70s pop chanteuse to Broadway star and neo-operatic diva, Sarah Brightman has brought a critics-be-damned sense of dramatic scale to nearly every project she's tackled. This two-CD package of 31 hits brings together selections from Brightman's original Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, including many definitive versions of Lloyd Webber classics. Also included are songs from her album Encore, which itself was largely culled from her Songs That Got Away and Surrender song anthologies, although they do include four previously unreleased outtakes from those collections.

Her 1998 recording of the title song from ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind succeeds by emphasizing its melodic grace with a deft, airy touch, while the remainder rescue worthy songs from obscure or failed musicals. From Lerner and Lane's 1959 Carmelina comes the lovely "One More Walk Around the Garden." Stephen Sondheim's youthful 1954 debut, Saturday Night, yields a sprightly take on "What More Do I Need," and an operatic reading of "In the Mandarin's Orchid Garden," from the Gershwins' unproduced 1929 East Is West, is also included. If the selection leans a little too heavily on the Lloyd Webber connection elsewhere (including Italian versions of "Guardami (With One Look)" from Sunset Boulevard and "Piano (Memory)" from Cats, delivered in her patently restraint-free soprano), they're only reminders that shrewdness has hardly been the least of Brightman's talents. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Lovely.......2007-01-09

Both of these discs afford great pleasure. The Lloyd Webber compilation presents many of his biggest hits in fine performances by his ex-wife. The Encore disc gives fascinating glimpses of worthy but little known pieces from musicals. Arrangements are wonderful, and Sarah Brightman is in excellent voice throughout. At times she has a tendency to wax a bit operatic, but she certainly does have the chops to bring it off successfully, so I'm not complaining. Obviously, Ms. Brightman was trained in the classical tradition, and she knows how to use her voice to best advantage in service to the material. In short, she has musical integrity.

Encore!.......2004-09-29

Before she was a sparkling pop/classical diva, Sarah Brightman was a Broadway star and the onetime wife of the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber. This two-disc set that includes her "Encore," a collection of songs from mostly-obscure musicals, and "The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection," several of Webber's songs (mostly picked from "Songs That Got Away" and "Surrender").

"Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection" starts off with the gothic "Phantom of the Opera," but quickly moves on to lighter fare in the airy "Unexpected Song," a soaring duet with Cliff Richards in "All I Ask Of You," the sparkling "Love Changes Everything," and some tepid forays into the shrill "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "Memory."

"Encore" is far more ethereal and steady. The piano-led "Whistle Down The Wind" starts it off on a strong note, before the aching "Away From You," operatic "Think of Me," affectionate "If I Ever Fall in Love Again," and the symphonic "Nothing Like You've Ever Known." A particular highlight is the sparkling "What More Do I Need," a little tune that celebrates how love brightens up even the most dingy little apartment, in the most miserable weather. "With your love/what more do I need?"

Sarah Brightman was obviously on solid footing with these two CDs. It might leave a bad taste in some fans' mouths that "Collection" is mostly compiled from a pair of other Brightman albums, but if listeners don't have "Surrender" and "Songs That Got Away," this two-disc set would be an excellent way to acquaint themselves with it.

"Encore" is steady and well-suited for Brightman's voice, as well as having a sort of Victorian-garden air. "Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection" has the most flaws of the two -- some of the songs like "Memory" aren't suited to Brightman's voice, and she comes across as shrill and uneasy. But in songs written for her talents and "Encore," her voice alternately soars and murmurs in an airy soprano.

Sarah Brightman reached her artistic pinnacle so far in the velvety "Eden," but her stuff here is still quite beautiful. "The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection/Encore" two-pack is a satisfying look at some of Brightman's Broadway-based songs.

Another way to make money on the back of Sarah.......2002-11-28

Yes, it's true. Sarah has nothing to do with these cds, but her voice. It's another record that Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really "not that" Useful Group release to make money. Those two cds are very good though. If you have one of them, i suggest to get the other separatly.

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