Castalia

Track Listings

1. Grand Parade

2. My Wife With Champagne Shoulders

3. Meeting With the Parabolist

4. Tales from the Maidan

5. Dream of Three Acrobats

6. Gracious Core

Castalia,Mark Isham,Virgin Records,Chamber Jazz,Crossover Jazz,Jazz,New Age / Meditation,Progressive Electronic

Castalia

Tracks:

Grand Parade
My Wife With Champagne Shoulders
Meeting With the Parabolist
Tales from the Maidan
Dream of Three Acrobats
Gracious Core

Customer Reviews:

Mountain Spring of the Gods.......2006-09-24

A quote from the inner notes of the CD: "Castalia is a spring on Mount Parnassus in Greece, sacred to Apollo & the Muses & regarded as a source of inspiration"

Apollo maybe but the Muses definitely. This is one of my favorite Mark Isham CD's giving years of insight & pleasure. I bought the CD when it 1st came out in 1988 because I matched the song "My Wife with Champagne Shoulders" to a section of a "New York" slide show I made at the same time.

This is one of the first Virgin Records recordings that Mark Isham created after his early 1980's Windham Hill recordings.

Castalia does have a new age feel to the music but has a creative edge that makes it beyond the norm. At times the music becomes light Jazz & in one song "Tales from the Maidan" it's 'Real' Jazz. Every song is good but "My Wife with Champagne Shoulders" & the last song "The Gracious Core" are by far the most memorable. In fact the CD seems to flow from one song to another so that the last song "The Gracious Core" brings it off to a fine finish. This last song starts out as a rain storm, adds an angelic woman voice which states the strong main theme, then a lonely bagpipe enters, & the song ends with a full orchestra. The entire CD uses many different instruments such as bagpipes & Xianjiang tambourine which blend well with Mark Isham's "Miles Davis" like trumpet & keyboards. Sound is great with excellent production.

Do you what some mystery or intelligence for your listening pleasure? Give this CD a spin.

Average customer rating:

Castalia
Mark Isham
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DR58
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Grand Parade
My Wife With Champagne Shoulders
Meeting With the Parabolist
Tales from the Maidan
Dream of Three Acrobats
Gracious Core

Average customer rating:

Mountain Spring of the Gods

Castalia
Mark Isham
Manufacturer: Indent Series
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

We Begin

ASIN: B000005JKE
Release Date: 1996-07-23

Tracks:

The Grand Parade
Tales From The Maiden
In The Warmth Of Your Night
My Wife With Champagne Shoulders
A Meeting With The Parabolist
A Dream Of Three Acrobats
The Gracious Core

Customer Reviews:

Mountain Spring of the Gods.......2006-09-24

Average customer rating:

Excellent Live Album

Castalia
Cast
Manufacturer: Musea Records France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005LZHU
Release Date: 2006-06-01

Tracks:

Introduction
Hidden Poems
Legacy Medley
Simple Things
Revealing Signs of Love
Reality or Misanthropy Medley: Initiation, Echoes, After All
Moving Universe

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Live Album.......2006-11-28

We skip ahead a few years to this live album that was recorded in Italy on the bands 2000 tour. By this time Cast has finally signed by Musea and not putting out everything independently. This album proves that Cast can pull off their complex arrangements in a live setting. In fact I like some of these tracks better than the studio versions. The sound for the most part is good with the vocals delivered in both English and Spanish. As with the studio albums keys man Alfonso Vidales and guitarist Francisco Hernandez really stand out. Drummer Antonio Bringas also is much more up front in the mix than usual and really shines on several numbers. The vocals are all about equivalent with the studio versions. The album contains songs from throughout the CAST catalogue up to this time including ""Hidden Poems", "Revealing Signs Of Love", "Moving Universe" and a 17 minute plus medley from the "Angels And Demons" album. This is a very good live disc and would serve as a great introduction to anyone looking to explore this band.

Average customer rating:

Low quality...

Castalia

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005M0V6
Release Date: 2001-06-11

Album Description

"This Mexican band can be noticed by its quality and numerous production. Despite its unexpected sudden appearance, CAST possesses all the components to create a very good and symphonic Progressive rock. The vocals are well placed, full of emotion, evoking John WETTON, the instrumental parts are energetic and intelligent, the compositions are ambitious and the rhythms can be placed on the same level as GENTLE GIANT. Also, the melodies are powerful and full of energy. The band plays a highly elaborated Progressive rock, melodious and virtuoso at the same time. The complex writing blends with superb combinations on keyboards and guitar. The strong and elaborated melodies evoke HAPPY THE MAN, ECHOLYN and the US Progressive school, with a hint of YES, Steve HACKETT and GENESIS, or even PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI In the more lyrical and airy pieces. On ""A Live Record"", CAST performs a melodious and elegant music in the style of CAMEL, GENESIS or IQ, with a symphonic dimension mainly coming from the keyboards. This live album gives the possibility to hear their best titles recorded between 1995 and 1998. ""Imaginary Windows"" is their latest record. As in the former albums, they perform perfectly buit compositions, that don't leave aside their usual lyricism and that are noticeable because of their suggestive vocals and instrumental density that mixes guitar, keyboards (Piano, synthesizers) and an airy flute. Recommended !"

Customer Reviews:

Low quality..........2001-07-03

This is exactly the type of album that gives progressive rock a bad name; it's trite, over-bearing and dull. There's no doubt that these are skilled musicians, but the songwriting is painfully dreary and uninspired. On top of it all, the production is just awful, turning the band's already insipid music into a somber mass of sound that simply fails to move.

It's a shame that bands like Cast or Iconoclasta have become Mexico's main exports in progressive rock, and I'd discourage anyone but a true fan of rare and relatively unknown prog from buying anything by this less than stellar band.

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