Night Lights

Track Listings

1. Rocker

2. Walkin' Shoes

3. Night Lights

4. Blue Mist

5. Jazz Goes To Siwash

6. Cotton Blossom

7. Jazz Wagner

8. Minor Yours

9. Prom To Prom

10. Girl Talk

11. Jeru

12. Short Stop

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Octobop is a collection of musicians from Silicon Valley that bring west coast jazz to life. With backgrounds ranging from shows and studio work to backup with major artists, the musicians of Octobop bring back cool.

Product Description
West Coast Jazz rides again in this second collection from Octobop, northern California's purveyors of the sound of modern cool. With tunes written by Gerry Mulligan, Judy Holliday, Marty Paich, Bill Holman, Bud Shank, Shorty Rogers, Art Pepper, and Bobby Troup, Night Lights recreates and updates the classic sounds first made famous by these artists. The title tune is a beautiful ballad written by Gerry Mulligan and Judy Holliday.

Night Lights,Octobop,Mystic Lane Productions,West Coast Jazz, recreated and updated, classic cool from California

Night Lights

Tracks:

Devil Town - Tony Lucca 1.Read My Mind 1.Devil Town
Berlin 2.Read My Mind - The Killers (Like Rebel Diamonds mix) 3.Jesus
Idlewild Blues 4.I Turn My Camera On 5.Everything I Do (I Miss You)
So Divided 5.I Turn My Camera On - Spoon 6.Storm 6.So Divided -
Shoot The Runner 9.Trail Of The Dead 9.Good Bye - Drive By Truckers
Good Bye 10.Two Hands - Townes Van Zandt 10.TBD 11.Dead Mans Will
What I Got 11.Dead Mans Will - Iron & Wine/Calexico 12.Storm - Jose

Album Description

Expanding on the feature film, this poignant series centers on the rural town of Dillon, Texas, where the coveted state football championship rings are held in the highest regard. Dillon's promising high school team, its star quarterback, and newly appointed head coach feel the mounting pressure of the town's pride and honor riding on their shoulders as a new football season kicks off. The soundtrack includes Tony Luca, The Killers (soundtrack exclusive), Spoon, Outkast, Whiskeytown, Stereophonics, Starsailor, Jibbs, So Divided, Drive By Truckers, Iron And Wine/Calexico, Jose Gonzalez, Chris Brokaw, and Explosions In The Sky.

Average customer rating:

Good listen...
Good Soundtrack-For those who don't know the band
This is a SOUNDTRACK
FNL book review
Friday Night Lights Easy Read

Friday Night Lights
Original Soundtrack , and Various Artists
Manufacturer: Hip-O Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Friday Night Lights (Widescreen Edition)
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Takk...

ASIN: B000649YAM
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Tracks:

From West Texas
Your Hand In Mine
Our Last Days As Children
An Ugly Fact Of Life
Home
Sonho Dourado
To West Texas
Your Hand In Mine
Inside It All Feels The Same
Do You Ever Feel Cursed?
Lonely Train
Seagull
The Sky Above, The Field Below
A Slow Dance

Album Description

Novelist H. G. Bissinger's story about a high school football team in Texas went to the big screen with Billy Bob Thornton in the lead role. The score and background music was largely composed for the film by indie faves Explosions in the Sky, with a little help from Daniel Lanois, David Torn, and Bad Company. Producer Brian Reitzell has gone against convention in designing musical atmospheres for the film that don't conform either to the martial music generally associated with football or the C&W associated with Texas. Instead, he opted for a more autumnal, introspective sound that serves as a perfect backdrop for the film, but also stands up on its own without benefit of any other audio-visual cues.

Customer Reviews:

Good listen..........2006-04-08

If you want the great sounds you hear in the movie which gives it that emotion to go along with the ride this is the right disc. Whoever is talking about the Motley Crue and Poison songs can easily get that junk off the internet. I play it for my artists while they work all the time. Great disc.

Good Soundtrack-For those who don't know the band.......2006-03-17

Get this if you've never heard of Explosions in the Sky..Maybe, just maybe, you will be introduced to a new band that can do incredible things for you- that is if you have some sort of attention span, and respect for what beauty via audio would want to do for you!..If you are a fan however, and are looking for a good addition to your collection, steer clear, as the majority of the songs are variations on themes from their real, infinitly better albums..

This is a SOUNDTRACK.......2006-03-15

(Im going to start this by saying that the only reason that i gave it a four star instead of a five is because i dont like the other instrumental songs are inbetween EITS songs, because they are misleading. Not to mention the out of character Bad Company song....which i just couldnt get into, at all.)
If you are mad because this soundtrack doesnt have the songs from the movie, then you should have looked at the back of the album before you bought it, many soundtracks leave songs out of them, or add songs that were not in the film. True i dont believe that this lives up to the full potential of Explosions in the Sky, but it is not an EITS album, it is a soundtrack, so yeah they arent gonna play an 8-10 minute song, and thats also clear because there are 14 songs on the album, where every album by them contains from 5 to 7 tracks.
The stuff on the soundtrack is short, but it is solid, and very representative of their slow parts of their songs. I think if they tried to build and become as climactic as their other material it would only be an insult to their music. It takes time for the build up, and that makes the listener appreciate the intensity much more.
So if you like explosions in the sky, and you have all their albums, then buy this, because if you have an open mind and can see the amazing fact that a band like this would even agree to do something so out of character, i mean seriously this is a mainstream football movie, then you might be able to appreciate it. Or maybe its just not your thing, and that is completely understandable. But think about this, compare the soundtrack to this to Varsity Blues, i mean, c'mon, i was impressed.

FNL book review.......2006-03-14

Book Review

H.G Bissinger writes Friday Night Lights, which is about a football team in southern Texas. This book takes place in 1988 in Odessa, a town where high school football is the greatest source of entertainment and a town where football players dream.
This book is written like it was a documentary; it describes the town, the people the history, and the dreams. There was only two parts to Odessa and that was oil and Permian High football. Permian high football was known throughout Texas to have the highest winning percentage of all the teams in southern Texas. 20,000 people would go to a Permian high football game dress with Black and White (the Permian Panthers team colors) cheering MOJO MAGIC for the Panthers to win. Football means everything to the players and the fans.
This book takes awhile to get started; H.G Bissinger takes 2 chapters discussing the history of Odessa and the problems and struggles that happen to this town. It's not all that bad because it gives you a great detailed description of the town and the people who lived there. You also get to look at the 1988 Permian football team and the physical challenges and mental challenges it takes to play on this football team. They also had to deal with the expectations of the fans wanted to see the Permian football team win state. The fans would chant "Going to State in 88" because football meant everything to the fans as well as the senior players of the football team knowing this is their last year to win state.
When you read this book you need to understand that it is more about the town and how football plays a key role in Odessa. For example there were schools for minorities and schools for whites. The only reason why the schools in Odessa mixed was so the football team could have black athletes.
This book contains many details and events that happened in Odessa in 1988. This book was on of my favorites. Friday Night Lights give you a good description of the town that you actually feel like your actually there. If there is a book scale I give this book 9 out of 10. This is a really good book, but on the down side it very long.

Friday Night Lights Easy Read.......2006-03-14

Friday Night Lights is a very effective book describing the life of a football player at Permian high School. H.G. Bissinger really puts you right in Odessa, Texas were Permian High was located. The description of the players just sets you deeper into the story and getting to know every player made it seem like you were observing the entire Permian Tigers season in 1988.
Friday Night Lights is a nonfiction book because it is a true story and H.G. Bissinger wrote it as a journalist. A nonfiction book is fun to read because you know there is not going to be a perfect sequence of events but all unpredictable or else it would be a fairytale. The book is very realistic using specific information such as names and places. H.G. Bissinger's writing style is easy to enjoy but can get boring due to in-depth description of just about every player. The way the book was written you could never guess that H.G. Bissinger was not a football player but a journalist. Over all though Bissinger used a very simple writing style and nothing too complicated which made Friday Night Lights and easy read and who does not like that. He goes through all the major set backs and advancements that the Tiger encountered. This book did not make you feel like you were in Texas though just made you feel like you were in Permian High.
Friday Night Lights for me was a very good book because I play football. Friday Night Lights though is a very descriptive novel describing Permian High Football to the extremes, which makes it by far the best football book if not the best sports book ever written!

Average customer rating:

GORGEOUS MUSIC!!!
Great Music
Great Music
Absolute Beautiful Jazz !!!
Absolutely beautiful

Night Lights
Gerry Mulligan
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000046PU
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Night Lights (1963 Version)
Morning Of The Carnival From 'Black Orpheus'
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
Prelude In E Minor
Festival Minor
Tell Me When
Night Lights (1965 Version)

Customer Reviews:

GORGEOUS MUSIC!!!.......2004-03-26

Mulligan was one of my favorite musicians. Not only the BEST on baritone, but an incredible writer and extraordinary arranger. On Night Lights, you have the "mellow" Mulligan refined and distilled to his best. And Art Farmer & Bob Brookmeyer are so "perfect". I used to hear them all, live, and only Brookmeyer still survives. Timeless and beautiful music that will be enjoyed forever.

Great Music.......2003-06-14

I saw this recommended in an essential list compiled by NPR. Art Farmer as a side man was enough of a hook, but after listening to this music, I'm looking at Mulligan's other recordings. This is a beautiful piece of work.

Great Music.......2003-06-14

Absolute Beautiful Jazz !!!.......2002-12-12

Just got it for a month and never stopped listening to it. It is one of the best smooth Jazz I've ever heard! 100% recommended.

Absolutely beautiful.......2001-12-21

The soul and the depth that Mulligan, Brookmyer, Farmer and Hall exude is awe inspiring. The recording is very mellow. The tempos range from kinda slow to really slow. But the playing has such intense feeling; it just cuts right through you. When I finish listening to this cd, I feel like crying. Not because the playing is so melancholy, but because I don't believe that I'll ever hear something so deep and beautiful as this recording. This is as good as it gets.

Average customer rating:

WALKING IN THE RAIN...
Forever Changed
Unusual Indeed
Perfectly Weird
Easybeats From Mars

Flash and the Pan/Lights in the Night
Flash and the Pan
Manufacturer: Renaissance
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ayla -- The Best of Flash and the Pan
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Hindu Love Gods

ASIN: B000005NN7
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Hey St. Peter
Man In The Middle
Walking In The Rain
The African Shuffle
California
Lady Killer
The Man Who Knew The Answer
Hole In The Middle
Down Among The Dead Men
First And Last

Tracks:

Media Man
Headhunter
Restless
Welcome To The Universe
Make Your Own Cross
Lights In The Night
Captain Beware
Atlantis Calling

Album Description

Two CD set from the Renaissance for the Australian new wave act's 1978 & 1980 albums. 19 tracks total, including their hit 'Hey St. Peter'. 1997 Renaissance Records release. The full title of each album is 'Flash And The Pan' and 'Lights In The Night'. Also features the original cover art of each.Double slimline jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

WALKING IN THE RAIN..........2006-07-21

... is the absolute standout track on this collection, a downtempo masterpiece long before it became a genre unto itself (although Grace Jones did a remake, the atmospheric version found here is definitive)... other notables include "Hey St. Peter" and "Lights In The Night".

Forever Changed.......2006-04-12

I hate to overhype these records, but a few of the songs here changed my life. I mean that. It was 1980 and I was 14, listening to the Rock and Roll Alternative, a radio show George Gimarc had on KZEW in Dallas. I was sprawled out on the hood of my mom's car on a hot summer night, the stars above me blazing. The song "Lights in the Night" came on the portable radio we had and it was then I knew music could save your soul. My brother got both records and we played them constantly. "Walking in the Rain." "First and Last." "Restless." A few stinkers, too. But most of this stuff is brilliant. I recently threw a few songs on my iPod and they are still fresh and ahead of any time. Why don't more people know about them? Throw them on the next mix-tape, er, CD you make for a friend.

Unusual Indeed.......2005-08-28

Flash and the Pan mixed the electronica of Kraftwerk, or even The ORB, with the sounds of 80s British Pop/Dance. But they produced this sound a good ten years before it 'went to the mall'. And worht noting is their late 70s/early 80s avant-gaurde sound isn't dated, like say The Psychedellic Furs.

Even today, it's still unusual in production, lyrics, and sound, but certainly no longer head-turning.

And like a previous reviewer stated; back in the day I didn't think anybody else knew of this group. One of my favorite memories was when a group of us sampled too much canabis in a van parked somewhere around the bottom of Mt. Diablo and just spaced out to the sounds of Lights in the Night.

Perfectly Weird.......2004-11-23

Even by todays standards this stuff is pretty strange. Flash and the Pan are funny, dark and surprisingly pop. Of the two albums, "Lights in the Night" ( which features an amazing title track )is the more cohesive and better produced, but the key songs on the debut are absolutely necessary listening. Luckily, you can get them both together for a decent price, and not miss a bizarre moment of this one-of-a-kind group.

Easybeats From Mars.......2001-08-26

Flash and the Pan was the brainchild/alter ego of Harry Vanda & George Young, who, besides having been the Easybeats, achieved great success as a producing team specializing in no-nonsense hard rock, like for instance on the records George's kid brothers released as AC/DC. But certainly nobody could've anticipated this outfit, with a sound that embodies the term 'quirky'. A synth-driven outfit specializing in bizarre and even disturbing 'pop' songs that sorta shotgun-marries Van Der Graaf Generator, Electric Light Orchestra, synthpop & disco in a ceremony that equally soils all the attendants, these boys scratch an itch you may not know you have. Vanda's bizarre and compelling vocals are all lisped through filters - wait, I KNOW it's 2001 and that 'filtered-vocal' bit has been done to death, but this is one of its earliest, cleverest uses...and it works. Behind Vanda, the band (besides Young, Les Karski & Ray Arnott) create melodic soundscapes that run the gamut from sunny to surging to sinister, with the synth & keyboard work firmly upfront. This reissue twofer features the first two Flash releases. The first has shorter, punchier tunes like 'African Shuffle' & 'Man in the Middle', but it's the moments of odd, sleepy menace that shine here, such as 'California' & 'Walking in the Rain'. Fortunately, the album's darker patches proved irresistable to the band, so the followup LIGHTS IN THE NIGHT is packed with similar atmospheric swirl patterns: 'Atlantis Calling', 'Restless', 'Captain Beware' and the strange and wonderful title track. A recommended purchase to those of you in the mood for something dark, different & accessible - although the third album, HEADLINES, is better still but currently unavailable.

Average customer rating:

What's happened to Debbie?
A Taste of Broadway
OUCH!
(Deborah Gibson ) AT HER BEST!!!!
Deborah delivers deliciously

Colored Lights: The Broadway Album
Debbie Gibson , Jule Styne , Charles Strouse , Michael John LaChiusa , Peter Allen , Claude-Michel Schoenberg , John Harold Kander , George Gershwin , Richard Rodgers , William Finn , Ron Abel , John Krovoza , Ruth Bruegger , and Steve Orich
Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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What You Want

ASIN: B0000DJYNR
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

Let Me Entertain You (Gypsy)
Blame It On The Summer Night (Rags)
Raise The Roof! (The Wild Party)
I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love (The Boy From Oz)
On My Own (Les Miserables)
Colored Lights (The Rink)
I'm The Greatest Star (Funny Girl)
Who Are You Now? (Funny Girl)
They All Laughed (Shall We Dance?)
Sex (Skirts)
Maybe This Time (Cabaret)
I Enjoy Being A Girl (Flower Drum Song)
Anytime (I Am There) (Elegies: A Song Cycle)

Customer Reviews:

What's happened to Debbie?.......2005-04-15

I am not a staunch Gibson fan like most of the drooling 5-star reviews here. But I loved her in the 80's and think her to be a talented singer-songwriter who puts modern pop moppets to shame. I thought it was awesome when she broke into Broadway and made a steady career of it.
Then I heard 'Colored Lights'.
I ask, Debbie!(sorry, DEBORAH), what has happened to you??
Like others here, I applaud her choice to include lesser-known songs. But in doing so, it really behoves her to SELL them as great songs, not rework them for her own interpretation. I felt like I was listening not to the pure-toned, crystal voice of our favourite teen idol, but someone doing a bad impersonation of her. There is hardly a single line she sings which isn't punctured by bad ennunciation, poor phrasing or a lack of respect for the intent of the composers.
There were no gravelly growls(meant to sound sexy, no doubt, but too overdone to succeed), breathy sighs, uneven tone, lacklustre dynamics, excessive scooping, wavery pitch and lack of top range in the Debbie Gibson I remember. But her voice on this album is such a mere shadow of its youthful self that she resorts to these irritating vocal bandaids to get through the song. Any track that had a 'big finish' invariably caused her to run out of steam long before she got there. A belter, Deb is not.
(and I know what I'm talking about, I'm a trained singer myself. If Deborah has a singing teacher, he/she should be shot).

This album was a huge disappointment for me. I love Broadway, but Deb fails terribly to give these songs the great renditions they deserve.
I should add, I have never had the fortune to see Deb sing live, so for all I know, maybe she COULD have done these songs justice had she avoided the pop slant. But this album shows neither the songs nor any talent she still has to advantage at all.

Listen to some Idina Menzel if you want a pop-feel voice that can also out-Belt them all.

A Taste of Broadway.......2004-10-13

I've been a fan of her since God only knows. I know she's not just talented but she is very passionate of (her) music. Knowing that she moved herself into broadways, it's rather of a challenge for me to listen to the songs especially when I'm too familiar with her pop genre. But after a while, I'm used to it coz Debbie is still Debbie to me. She's not afraid of re-arranging the original song to her style, at least she knows what she's doing and again she's proven it. My most favourite track is "Colored Lights", it's light, cheerful, somewhat witty and, in a way, brings up my imagination of seeing her (and the casts) on stage performing the song. All in all, Debbie still has a class and style for us to share.

OUCH!.......2004-08-23

Deborah Gibson is a talented rock star. With a good musical director, she has proved herself to be a wonderful musical theatre performer. This album, however, is a very uneasy marriage of the two genres. She sings every showtune on the album as if it's a pop tune with horrendous bubble gum arrangements. I have seen Miss Gibson in two musicals and have heard her sing showtunes live on other occasions- she knows how to sing showtunes. On this album, however, she's trying to pander to her pop audience and in the process, she created an album that fails as a pop album and as a showtune album. I can only hope that Miss Gibson finds a better musical director the next time she decides to record showtunes.

(Deborah Gibson ) AT HER BEST!!!!.......2004-04-23

Deborah really sing's her heart out on this cd
and it is a must for all of Deborah's Fan's.
Please take the time out and listen to some clip's
of some of the song's from the album. Thank's.

Love You Deborah!!!!
You are the Best!!!!

Deborah delivers deliciously.......2004-02-13

After more than 15 years in the business, Deborah Gibson has learned many lessons and fulfilled many dreams. After 2001's horrifyingly misguided "M.Y.O.B.," she returns to the adult contemporary sound that landed her two number one hits on the Billboard charts, and turns that up a couple of notches. By selecting 13 showtunes from varying Broadway musicals, Gibson satisfies immensely, and delivers a unique compilation worthy of at least one full listen.

"Colored Lights" is not meant to be a showcase of hit tunes; many of the songs on this opus aren't radio hits. Instead, Gibson puts together a delicious smorgasbord of rhythmic melodies and heartfelt ballads that complement her voice (that, strangely enough, hasn't seemed to change that much after more than a decade in the industry).

What is also important to consider in one's evaluation of "Colored Lights" is that, while comparison with the original works/performers is inevitable, we should also take the time to consider that Gibson's pop sensibilities will always shine through. Perhaps it is for that reason, that Gibson has had the best of both pop stardom and Broadway success, that she gives new dimension to these melodies.

The standouts on this collection include "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love," which radio would do well to pick up, as the soothing melody and heartfelt delivery will find AC audiences easily; "On My Own," off "Les Miserables," where Gibson as Eponine sounds both heartbroken yet hopeful; the playful title track, from "The Rink," which features some of the most whimsical lyrics I've heard off Broadway thus far; "Raise the Roof," which is truly enjoyable in its pseudo-Latino reincarnation in Gibson's hands (yes, it does beg for a house remix; Gibson's gay audience will see to its success), and "Anytime (I Am There)," which is heartbreaking in its stark delivery, and is easily one of my top five Gibson tracks of all time.

Admittedly, Gibson can't overcome comparisons to the definitive versions of some of the songs. Let's face it: Debbie ain't no Barbra. Her versions of "I'm the Greatest Star" and "Who Are You Now?," while stellar on their own, just fall flat when compare to Streisand's. "Let Me Entertain You," off "Gypsy," ironically, isn't very entertaining, and "Blame It On The Summer Night" drags on.

All in all, "Colored Lights" puts together a collection of songs that are quite distinct and classy, and is easily one of the more worthy albums in Ms. Gibson's discography. She would do well to continue producing albums along this line instead of trying to fight the Britney's and Christina's, because those fads fade, and only the classics remain. Trust in "Colored Lights" to earn a well-deserved place in that section of your record collection.

Ensemble Ambrosius: The Zappa Album
Average customer rating:

Excellent Buy it!

A Brilliant Baroque Ensemble Whipping It Out

Love it or hate it - choose only one

Wondrous And Exotic

Not for Zappa Fans

Ensemble Ambrosius: The Zappa Album
Frank Zappa , and Ensemble Ambrosius
Manufacturer: Northern Lights
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Frank Zappas Hot Licks & Funny Smells: Live at Moers Festival 2004

ASIN: B0000508S2
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Night School
Sofa
Black Page #2
Uncle Meat
Igor's Boogie
Zoot Allures
Big Swifty
T'Mershi Duween
Alien Orifice
Idiot Bastard Son
RDNZL
Orange County Lumber Truck
Echidna's Arf (Of You)
Inca Roads
G-Spot Tornado

Amazon.com

Since his death, Frank Zappa has enjoyed several translations of his extremely original and quirky material onto discs performed by jazz ensembles and major European orchestras with such eminent conductors as Pierre Boulez. Not too shabby. This disc by the Finnish Ensemble Ambrosius takes some of Zappa's more tuneful pieces and reworks them for Baroque instruments. This is actually a brilliant maneuver, since much of Zappa's writing translates well for such instruments as oboe, harpsichord, and mandolin (or lute). Highlights here include the catchy theme from Uncle Meat, the short but goofy "Igor's Boogie," and "Idiot Bastard Son," sung with the solemnity of a monk's chant. The performances are above average, but there is some blurring of textures and some lack of clarity in the recorded sound. Overall, though, it's a worthy effort that advances the cause of Zappa's music. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Buy it!.......2005-06-30

This is one of my favorite non FZ produced cds of FZ music. Heck it may even be my favorite. This is FZ music stripped of all artifice except melody / harmony (i'm aware of the over-simpflication, but roll with me here). FZ dinner music this is. I play it for people who "normally don't like FZ " and they like it. Gorgeous melodies. Performed and arranged lovingly. When you want to put the pedal to the metal: pull out the FZ produced canon. When you want to bliss out on his melodic sense and ability to craft the finest of tunes and variations on a theme: this is the place.

A Brilliant Baroque Ensemble Whipping It Out.......2005-02-17

Firstly I need to address the validity of this album as many have questioned its validity as a Zappa tribute - and be clear that I believe it's an amazing tribute.

Frank Zappa was the greatest composer of the 20th century in terms of the stunning spectrum of elements he was able to incorporate in his works without being consumed by them. He wasn't just a rock and roll guitarist a la Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy. He had fun doing that but he was so much more than that. As an improviser, Frank Zappa was unique but then again so is anyone who's good at it, and many of his guitar solos still thrill me today. That part of Frank Zappa will never be seen again but there is so much more to the man that can still be brought to life - in his own words "My main interest is composition - getting an idea and manifesting it in a way that people can listen to". He was a person who listened to Edgar Varese for entertainment as a teenager. "I didn't write rock and roll until I was in my twenties, but I started writing other kinds of music. I couldn't play it, I could only write it. I liked the way music looked on paper. It was fascinating to me that you could see the notes and somebody who knew what they were doing would look at them and music would come out. I thought it was a miracle". How many rock musicians does that apply to?

Throughout his musical career he produced music in many different styles and many different formats and those two points are distinct - for example he would have rock and roll type themes played in a symphonic format or neo classical type themes played in a jazz/rock big band format. The formats he chose were not always purely dictated by his own whim, he lived in the real world and worked with the resources available to him at any given time and projects some times collapsed as with his original aims with the combination of the early Mothers and 14 members of the BBC orchestra on 28th October 1968 in the Royal Festival Hall, London. The album that was originally intended never materialised.

When Zappa was approached by the Ensemble Modern he was initially sceptical about what could be achieved but he warmed to the idea and The Yellow Shark album is a testament to what was possible. I believe if he was still alive and was approached by Ensemble Ambrosius he wouldn't turn them away and Olli Vertaperko might have been saved one or two years of his life. None the less, Olli's work on transcribing Zappa's compositions is nothing short of incredible. Those close to Frank have commented about how long it took him to complete some of his pieces and his attention to detail and I think that Olli's arrangements have captured that element of Frank's work. Zappa may or may not have suggested a different choice of pieces had he collaborated with Ensemble Ambrosius but he surely would not have knocked back their choice of instruments. One of them plays the harpsichord - so naturally it appears a great deal in the arrangements.

As I've said elsewhere, we need brave new productions of Zappa's music. The Zappa Album by Ensemble Ambrosius is brave, new, unique and brilliant and just as there is no Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy on Yellow Shark there isn't one here either and so what? We should leave it to rock bands perhaps to attempt to capture that aspect of Zappa's work, note that there are no members of the BBC orchestra, or any other classical ensemble for that matter on the Bong Fury version of Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy. Let's not forget that a significant motivation for Zappa's rock music participation was to make a living, it wasn't his prime directive. In his own words when asked during the last year of his life if he missed the rock and roll life - "No". And his attitude to the guitar at that time - "Every once in a while, I feel like playing the guitar, but I stop and think what I'd have to go through in order to do it. The urge goes away". He was a composer to the end and was working on the completion of Civilisation Phase lll, which by the way, also has no Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy.

My favourite piece on The Zappa Album is RDNZL, and I mean the arrangement and performance on this album. All the other tracks are just as amazing in my opinion. It's made pretty clear that this album is performed on baroque instruments so don't be surprised if you buy it and find its performed on baroque instruments. Many baroque instruments aren't very loud and to amplify them would compromise their baroque character. Hence the production is often very subtle and might take some time to grow on you, it only took me two listens to figure it out. Play it really loud at least once. I can't see how anyone who appreciates the entire spectrum of Zappa could not at least respect this album. It is an honourable tribute to him and I'm sure he would have appreciated it. If I could have got my copy for 99 cents it would be one of the best deals I've ever had.

Love it or hate it - choose only one.......2004-08-10

I have been listening to Frank Zappa on LPs, CDs and at concerts since FREAK OUT! was released in 1966. I own a copy of most of his material including two obscure interview CDs.

Prior to buying ENSEMBLE AMBROSIUS, I noticed a wide diversity of opinion among the Amazon reviewers. In fact, based on these reviews, it appears that a person is either going to love or hate ENSEMBLE AMBROSIUS. There seems be no middle ground of appreciation for this work. Because of the negative reviews, I purchased it with a great deal of hesitation.

The question becomes, why do so many people hate it? and conversely, how can so many others love it? I've been reading and rereading the other reviews and thinking about their comments for several days and have come to one conclusion. Those who liked it, were expecting something unusual and their expectations were fulfilled. Those who hated ENSEMBLE AMBROSIUS, I believe were expecting to find Zappa's soul or imprint on this CD. Zappa is not on this CD. Ensemble Ambrosius didn't miss notes, didn't hit the wrong pitch, they didn't get "it" wrong. It is not a rotten tribute. It is their interpretation of Zappa and, most importantly, you may not like it.

In the end, you're either going to love ENSEMBLE AMBROSIUS or hate it. There will be no middle ground. The problem: Amazon, as with so many other CDs, does NOT offer (at the time of this writing) its potential customers an opportunity to listen to sound bites prior to purchase. The negative reviews nearly stopped me from buying this CD. I suspect that others who would like this CD will not buy it because of the reviews, but, in fact, would enjoy owning it if they had an opportunity to listening to bites of the CD on Amazon's web page.

Wondrous And Exotic.......2003-11-17

This is an excellent album.

When I first heard it, I had two criticisms. The fast lick near the end of "The Black Page #2" seemed sloppy to me. But it's just phrased differently.

And the vocalist on "Idiot Bastard Son" sounds a little strange on some low notes, but I've gotten used to it. The treatment of the tune is beautiful.

The great music on this album makes up for any minor weaknesses.

Highlights include : "RDNZL", "Inca Roads",
"Uncles Meat", "Alien Orifice", "Echidna's Arf",
"Night School", "G-Spot Tornado" and "Igor's Boogie".

The harpsichord doing the incredibly fast melody that Ruth Underwood used to play toward the end of "Inca Roads" is something to hear.

Not for Zappa Fans.......2003-06-25

Do not look for Carolina's Hardcore Esctacy on this CD (lalalalalaa la). I don't think its that FZ's music doesn't mix with baroque instruments, I think these musicians have gotten it all wrong. They try (and fail) to 'be creative' with the rhythmn, hit a few totally errant notes (which can sometimes be excused), and show a lame ability to rework Frank'z music and get it right. If there was a 99 cent bin in my town, it would be there. Since there's not, I think Mom will cotten to this "Frank Zappa lite" album - slow, simple and inoffensive - it that a rotten tribute or what?!

Average customer rating:

Lost Generation/Night Lights
Elliott Murphy
Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008WT12
Release Date: 2003-04-21

Tracks:

Hollywood
Touch of Mercy
History
When You Ride
Bittersweet
Lost Generation
Eva Braun
Manhattan Rock
Visions of the Night
Lookin' Back
Visions of the Night [*]

Tracks:

Diamonds by the Yard
Deco Dance
Rich Girls
Abraham Lincoln Continental
Isadora's Dancers
You'll Never Know What You're in For
Lad Stilletto
Lookin' for a Hero
Never as Old as You
Night Connection [*]
Wha-D-Ya-Know [*]
Drowning [*]
Razor Love [*]
Everything a Boy Should Know [*]
From 20th Century City [*]
Deco Dance [*]
What's the Matter [*]
Rich Girls [*]
Fan Mail [*]

Album Description

UK twofer for the Paris-based folk-rock singer-songwriter combines 'Lost Generation' (1975) & 'Night Lights' (1976) with 11 previously unreleased bonus tracks, 'Visions Of The Night', 'Night Connection', 'Wha-d-ya-know', 'Drowning', 'Razor Love', 'Everything A Boy Should Know', 'From 20th Century City', 'Deco Dance', 'What's The Matter', 'Rich Girls', & 'Fan Mail', both are unavailable domestically. 30 tracks in a slipcase. Camden Deluxe. 2003.

Album Details

First Time on CD for These Two Abums Including 11 Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks.

Friday Night Lights Soundtrack Vinyl Edition

Average customer rating:

Friday Night Lights Soundtrack Vinyl Edition

Manufacturer: Hip-O Select
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000BB6LKQ

Product Description

Novelist H. G. Bissingers story about a high school football team in Texas went to the big screen with Billy Bob Thornton in the lead role. Hip-O Select is proud to have the exclusive vinyl release of the soundtrack to this hit film. The score and background music was largely composed for the film by indie faves Explosions In The Sky, with a little help from Daniel Lanois, David Torn, and Bad Company. Producer Brian Reitzell has gone against convention in designing musical atmospheres for the film that dont conform either to the martial music generally associated with football or the C&W associated with Texas. Instead, he opted for a more autumnal, introspective sound that serves as a perfect backdrop for the film, but also stands up on its own without benefit of any other audio-visual cues. Carefully mastered for vinyl release, this double-album set contains every note of the commercial CD (available from Hip-O Records) in a luxurious gatefold package with exclusive cover art.

Average customer rating:

Israel, Oh Israel

Manufacturer: Finer Arts
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Kol Yisrael - The LPO/R.J. Miller
Ho Ree Dee - The LPO/R.J. Miller
Debra - The LPO/R.J. Miller
I Know When It's Raining - The LPO/R.J. Miller
The Soft Touch Of You - The LPO/R.J. Miller
Zelda - The LPO/R.J. Miller
My People - The LPO/R.J. Miller
The Six Day War: A. Blow The Shofar, Blow/B. The Six Day War/C. Israel, Oh Israel - The LPO/R.J. Miller
Mama Lights A Candle - The LPO/R.J. Miller
Miracles And Dreams - The LPO/R.J. Miller
Shalom, Shalom - The LPO/R.J. Miller
Anwar Sadat - The LPO/R.J. Miller

Tracks:

Lust For Gold - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
Once Was Enough For Me - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
The Miracle Of Life - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
Time Will Make My Hurt Go Away - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
A Handful Of Dust - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
Shabbus Night - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
I Hurt So Bad - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
The Free Life Of A Whore - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
Baby, Come Home - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
Who Do We Turn To - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller
A Time In History - The Leningrad PO/R.J. Miller

The Night the Lights Went On (In Long Beach)

Average customer rating:

Truly Elo's live presentation.
Why did they have to cut up "Roll Over Beethoven"????
A cool period piece
Time for another review in almost 3 years!
Roll Over Long Beach!

The Night the Lights Went On (In Long Beach)
Electric Light Orchestra
Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Visi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000247LQ
Release Date: 1998-07-28

Tracks:

Daybreaker
Showdown
Daytripper
10538 Overture
Mik's Solo/Orange Blossom Special
In The Hall Of The Mountain King/Great Balls Of Fire
Roll Over Beethoven

Album Description

Reissue of E.L.O.'s 1974 live album for the United Artistslabel, 'The Nights The Lights Went Out In Long Beach'.Features the famous line-up of Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan & co.performing their greatest up to that point, including'Showdown' & '10538 Overture', plus covers of 'Roll OverBeethoven', 'Great Balls Of Fire' and 'Day Tripper'. Seventracks total, all remastered & featuring Super Bit Mapping.Four of the cuts are restored full length versions that wereedited on the original vinyl. The full title is 'The NightThe Light Went On (In Long Beach)'. 1998 Epic release.

Customer Reviews:

Truly Elo's live presentation........2006-11-04

GReat live perfomance, with Jeff leading the band, I would recommend this cd!

Why did they have to cut up "Roll Over Beethoven"????.......2006-09-29

I had this on vinyl as a kid and was very excited to find it had finally been released on CD. I was extremely disappointed, however, to discover they cut the second solo section from "Roll Over Beethoven," completely ruining the buildup into the last chorus - very sad. Interesting to note that someone went in and altered the original graphics of the inside foldout cover to reflect the new song lengths for the "restored full length versions [???] that were edited on the original vinyl" (check out the tiny type at the bottom of the center spread).

And yes, the sound was quite poor on the original and there's not much of improvement here - garbage in, garbage out. But one can still sense the excitement that could be whipped up by this particular version of ELO (with Mike d'Albuquerque on bass and Mik Kaminski and Hugh McDowell on violin and cello respectively). It's a incredibly fantastic performance. Hopefully, one day, someone will go in and truly restore this album in it's "entirety."

A cool period piece.......2006-06-02

If you're into "Turn To Stone" and that commercial ELO stuff (which I do like), this may not be for you. If you're a fan of early ELO you'll probably find it very interesting. Note that it is not a lot of songs, if you're used to hours-long DVD concerts.

The sound is OK, not great, but after all this is the Long Beach Echo-rena and in those days all the monitors were on-stage, not in-ear, so everything bled everywhere.

"Roll Over Beethoven" is cool although I actually prefer the "ELO Part II" version on Live In Moscow I think it's called.

My favorite here is "Showdown"-has a very Western open range OK-Corral kind of feel to me, a really nice version with an edge to the sound

Time for another review in almost 3 years!.......2006-01-18

If you ever owned this muffled mess on vinyl, you'll be pleasantly suprised by the sound quality on this new version. It is 100 times better! I've read an interview with the band, and apparently the truck with their equipment broke down. This put them behind and they never had a chance to do a proper sound check. The master tape that was used for the old vinyl version was marked: DO NOT USE - BAD MIX. Why it was still used, I'm not sure. Apparently, a way better mix of this concert surfaced and here we are!
One thing different about this new version, they cut about 30 seconds from the little jam piece between Showdown and Daytripper. It was always one of my favorite spots on the album so I noticed it right away and was a bit bummed. The funny thing is, four songs on this new release are supposed to be unedited versions we never heard on vinyl and then they gotta cut 30 seconds out of another. I don't get it. Anyway, if you're a big fan of the first three ELO albums or just a big ELO fan in general, this is worth getting!

Roll Over Long Beach!.......2003-09-18

I bought this cd in England and felt deeply in love this cd at the moment I layed down in the cd player. Its just one of the best cd that is played live, even with the sound problem it still good worth spend some money to own it!
Every single song its terrefic in the meaning that the permoformance of each song by the E.L.O band is not good its just EXCELLENT.
The cover of DayTripper its really good, as we know that Lynne was always a Beatles fan since always.
In the Hall of the Mountain King/ Great balls of Fire is for me the best song of the album, the instrumental song its just a classic song from Edvard Grieg that we heard from On the third day cd and the complementation from this excellent piece of art ends with Great Balls of Fire a tremendous cover of Jerry Lee Lewis.
Roll Over Beethoven, all the fans from E.L.O should already know that E.L.O in almost all their live permorfance loves to play this song, its just a beatiful song and no words to describe this master piece made by Chuck Berry, an old rock & roll song that will endure for many long time.
The three covers in this cd makes you fell that you should own this cd, also if you like E.L.O performance in a live tour, you also have to own, Wembley, Australia and others cd. And if you are not used to listen E.L.O lives performance, perhaps I should recomend to you the E.L.O BBC Session thats its a jewel for all E.L.O`s fan.

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