Celtic Drums

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Sensational drum rhythms use a variety of percussion instruments, including bodhran, Uillean pipes and whistles. Features best-selling New World artist Pia on vocals.

Celtic Drums,John Richardson,New World Music,Contemporary Celtic,Contemporary Instrumental,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Celtic Drums

Tracks:

Astral Weeks
Beside You
Sweet Thing
Cyprus Avenue
The Way Young Lovers Do
Madame George
Ballerina
Slim Slow Slider

Amazon.com essential recording

Never mind that Van Morrison is one of the most indelible songwriters of the 20th century--take each album on its own terms. On 1968's seminal Astral Weeks, a twentysomething Van Morrison can be found belting his gospelly, bluesy vocals in just as fine a form as he would be 20 years hence. In the sociopolitical context of the times, the album cried out about such ubiquitous '60s themes as cultural oppression and social upheaval. But it is Morrison's vocal dexterity and passion that maintains such timeless appeal. Take tracks like "Madame George" or "Cyprus Avenue" and you'll find such beautiful mourning, it'll be clear why modern songwriter Sinéad O'Connor once publicly exclaimed: "Van Morrison should be friggin' canonized." --Nick Heil

Customer Reviews:

Van's Best Album.......2007-08-01

This album is so beautiful i literally wept the first time i ever heard it and it never fails to touch me every single time i listen to it. It is in my opinion, the greatest album made by anyone at any time, ever. It makes you long to be newly in love, to feel those first butterflies in your stomach.
Album favorites are Astral Weeks, Sweet Thing and Madam George but every song is beautiful and the album flows effortlessly. I can't say enough about this one. Seriously, if you are a fan of Van or of music in general, you won't be disappointed.

I wish more stars were available..........2007-07-21

Moondance has always been one of my favorite CDs. Why it took me so long to buy Astral Weeks I'll never know. I can't stop listening to this album (and I've had it for almost a year now). I think it's one of the most honest albums I've ever heard. Van puts his all into every single line. Later on in his career it's almost like he stopped caring and just "talks" through the lines live. Here there is actual emotion and it's so precisely captured that every song takes you to a place that you feel like you've been before. The liner notes mention that there are no noticeable "singles" here, but I think every song works great in the context of the work as a whole and also stands on it's own admirably. This is in my top ten.

Ridiculous Good.......2007-07-03

Half the songs on here give me goosebumps. Astral Weeks is probably my favorite Van Morrison album, granted Tupelo Honey and Moondance are a lot more fun, Astral weeks is transcendental. In this album Van seems very in love, nostalgic, or sentimental. Key tracks (really all of them) include:
Astral Weeks- Strong and solid,
Sweet Thing- The strings in this are awesome
Cyprus Avenue- More like familiar Van Morrison
Madame George- It's long, and good. Again and as usual, an awesome arrangement. (for David Gray fans, this is where part of "Say Hello, Wave goodbye comes from)

The other tracks on here are all good, no real dancing numbers, but all the songs are beautiful, the kind you put on a mix CD for a new (or not so new) love. Anyone who considers themselves a Van fan had better own this.

IT STILL MAKES ME CRY.......2007-06-21

I think it came out in '68 when I was a sophomore in high school...shy, insecure, just moved to a new school. These songs became part of my very being, and they will always be a part of who I am. There was just something about Van: the words, the stylings, the chord progressions. His music made my soul scream, and it felt so good.

The Second Best Album of All Time.......2007-06-13

FREE FORM VOCAL STYLINGS

This album rates very highly on many critics list of the all time best. It routinely comes up in the top ten. About 10 years ago, Rolling Stone magazine voted it the second best album of all time, behind the Beatle's Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Released in 1968, this is Van Morrison's second solo album. It is 46 minutes long and the sound quality is good, although the music is mixed a little thin.

The Way The Young Lovers Do is the only thing on this album that is anything close to pop song along the lines of Brown Eyed Girl. I am not a big pop music fan, but I like this song. The rest of the album is something completely different.

The rest of the album is some nice music with some interesting playing, mixed really low. It is a mixture of jazz and folk with a little blues thrwon in. There are some interesting bits on flute, vibes and keyboards. But, the music remains just a back drop and is mixed in at a very low volume. The CD comes with a fold out cover that tries to give a historical perspective of the album. Intrestingly, it is pretty subdued and does not rave about the album like the critics do.

Morrison's wild and unstructured vocals are mixed loudly on top of the music. He seems to be always riffing and jamming. He'll be singing along and then he'll jump into a repeated riff, such as "you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out".

I know people are going to get mad at me, insult me and call me names, but I have to admit that I just don't get it. I don't think this is a personal, emotional album, and I don't think it has interesting stories. It comes off to me as an experimental album that didn't quite work.

Music is a very personal thing. People can get really mad when you don't agree with them on music that they really love. They take a low review on thier favorite album as a personal attack. They say nasty things about the reviewer.

To get even, people will mark a review as "hot helpful", like that evens things up. But, a review like this is helpful to buying public that might not know much about this ablum and are thinkging about buying it because of all the rave reviews (that is why I bought it).

Just because certain people love it doesn't mean everyone will. In fact, many people did not like this album. It is the only Van Morrison album not to chart. And you might wonder why Morrison did not do anything like this again. He certainly still had the artistic freedom to do what he wanted, because he had a pretty lose contract from Warner Brothers. What he came up with next, is Moondance, which was completely different. In later albums, Morrison did incorporate some of the Astral Weeks vocal stylings on some songs, but it was much more controlled.

Van Morrison started out in a group called Them. Them had a minor hit with Baby Please Don't Go, and bigger hit with Gloria, written by Morrison. Them was going through changes, so Morrison retired from music for a few years, before coming up with Brown Eyed Girl, and his first ablum, Blowin' Your Mind. He did not approve of the album and withdrew. His manager died, freeing him from his contract, so he was able to sign with Warner Brothers, have much more artistic freedom and came up with this.

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

Average customer rating:

I want to make one thing perfectly clear
Good Album
Wow
Overexposed
The 5 star ratings here are a bit much

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
The Cranberries
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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No Need to Argue
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Stars: The Best of the Cranberries, 1992-2002

ASIN: B000001DXL
Release Date: 1993-04-20

Tracks:

I Still Do
Dreams
Sunday
Pretty
Waltzing Back
Not Sorry
Linger
Wanted
Still Can't...
I Will Always
How
Put Me Down

Product Description

Practically BRAND NEW condition, never played, includes original CD, case, and paperwork, First class shipped, ask me for my CD List! :)

Amazon.com

Their first full-length shows a band fully formed, with faint debts to the Sundays and the Smiths, but turning out more-than-tuneful pop behind the gorgeous lilt of Dolores O'Riordan. "Dreams" and "Linger" both seem to weave magic spells that remain even after the tracks pass, and there is a glorious freshness to the performances that's impossible to resist. It remains their most satisfying outing. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

I want to make one thing perfectly clear.......2006-08-14

Despite your album title not everybody was trying to imitate 10,000 Maniacs in 1993, and so therefore the title doesn't apply to you. If you wanted to just say you were recording an album then that's fine, but don't say you are doing this because everyone else is SO THERE!!!!!! Now that my venting over the title is over now onto serious business: "Linger" is my first introduction of the Cranberries, and let's just say that it was as bad as getting a manly handshake from a woman. The melody is despicable, and the lyrics are too, and it was one of the bad memories of the first months in FL. That's where I was first introduced to this, so I feel that if everyone was rocketing to the moon in their underpants would you?

Good Album.......2006-08-04

I think this is a good album in the whole. Most of the songs are well written and well performed. The lead vocals do sound a bit the same after a while, but she has a nice voice so I don't mind hearing it over and over. I think this album still sounds good, it's better than most of the stuff out today.

Wow.......2006-08-01

In lieu of all of the recent negative reviews I've read, I feel this weird need to defend The Cranberries, and I don't know why.

So The Cranberries were a 90s band, sorry to all of you who think it's cool to rebel against gen x and hate the 90s. This cd doesn't sound dated really, just take a look at any given current 'indie' band, and you'll get pretty much a similar, softer sound to it. And even if one were able to identify this as a 90s band, this isn't horribly dependant on the age in which it was written like oh so many 80s pop/synth/rock acts.

I don't think anyone is going to accuse The Cranberries of being the most innovative, intelligent band ever, but they weren't trying to be. They made pop tunes and actually put a little heart into them, and thats a rare thing, I think. This is a very gorgeous, yet subtle cd; nothing is really going to jump out at you, and it may take more than one listen to really appreciate it.

So songs to listen to:
Dreams
Waltzing Back
Linger
Still Can't...
How

If you like the sound of these songs, then you won't be disappointed in the least. If they're not your cup of tea, then don't bother.

Overexposed.......2006-02-22

I originally purchased this album over nine years ago and, although I liked the songs and Dolores O'Riordan's voice, I find myself rarely listening to it now. For me, the excessive radio airplay of the songs "Dreams" and "Linger" killed the longevity of the album as a whole. It seemed as though throughout most of the nineties a person couldn't listen to the radio, walk around in a shopping mall, or watch TV without hearing "Dreams" or "Linger" at least once, if not more than once. I must have heard those songs a hundred times at least. Now I groan internally whenever I hear them. To me, this album will always sound like the nineties, and, unfortunately, the nineties haven't been gone long enough to make me want to reminisce. The Cranberries were a great band and it is a shame that much of their subsequent output wasn't as good. This is not a terrible album by any means, it has just been, to use a photographic term, overexposed.

The 5 star ratings here are a bit much.......2006-02-04

Yes, Dolores O'Riordan has a beautiful voice. Yes, many of the tunes here waft delicately and create a slightly melancholy ambiance.

The problem is that the songs rest TOO heavily on her voice without the songwriting to carry it. Too few of these tunes have solid bankable hooks that draw you back to them again and again and that counts against the longevity of this in the end.

In addition, the lilting quality of O'Riordan's voice takes on a near yodel affectation at times that means her singing style may take some getting used to. That's not to say this album is "bad"..just that much of it possesses a tendency to bleed into the background.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Driving drums and shimering guitar made "Dreams" a big hit as was the string-kissed "Linger". Outside of those, "Still Can't.." and "How" with its "Never before and never again" chorus settle in with repeated listening. It closes on a nice note with the otherworldly soaring backing vocals on "Put Me Down".

LOWS:
"I Still Do" is a prime example of a tune that I just can't recall once it stops playing and it was allowed to set the stage for the disc. While that's truth in advertising at its most extreme, it certainly doesn't start the CD to best advantage.

BOTTOM LINE:
A great voice can't carry songs on its own and this album is hit and miss but the best bits are majestic. Definitely one I'd borrow from a friend first before buying, though.

Average customer rating:

A fine brew
The Cranberries: Wake Up And Smell The Coffee (A&M)
Just as good as the others.
Wake up and smell the luke warm coffee.
Chocolate Brown

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
The Cranberries
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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No Need to Argue
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
Treasure Box: The Complete Sessions, 1991-1999

ASIN: B00005QD7U
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

Never Grow Old
Analyse
Time Is Ticking Out
Dying Inside
This Is The Day
The Concept
Wake Up And Smell The Coffee
Pretty Eyes
I Really Hope
Every Morning
Do You Know
Carry On
Chocolate Brown
Bonus Track

Amazon.com

After 10 years of making hit records, you would think Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan would have figured out how to write a proper rock lyric. But less than two minutes into the Irish group's fifth album, we are treated to a flashing display of her incomparable wit: "Birds in the sky/ they look so high" she coos on the opening track "Never Grow Old," before adding "I feel the breeze/ I feel at ease." And that's when she is being mercifully clever. On the title track, she doesn't even bother summoning the lessons learned in fifth-grade poetry. She simply repeats each line twice, therefore rhyming every sentiment with itself. The lazy writing is really a shame because it gets in the way of one of the last truly clear, pristine voices in rock. While the Cranberries' musical might remains largely intact on its fifth album, showcasing full-bodied rhythms and symphonic flourishes on tracks like "I Really Hope" and "This Is the Day," it's really difficult to sustain any interest when the tiresome lyrics trip you up at every turn. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews:

A fine brew.......2006-08-14

Wake Up and Smell The Coffee has become one of my favorite Cranberries CDs. Dolores O'Riordan seems to have worked through a lot of the issues from Bury the Hatchet, and this reflects in the calmer, more hopeful music. The lyrics are more introspective, the depth of the lyrics is broader and the music is less angry and more cheerful. The hidden track, Cape Town, is one of best songs on the entire CD, a true gem about escaping the daily grind and going off on your own to do what you want.

If you are a fan of the Cranberries at all, this is well worth any investment might make.

The Cranberries: Wake Up And Smell The Coffee (A&M).......2005-06-07

Did you enjoy that Evanescence record you bought? Well, can I recommend an album to you? While listening to The Cranberries 2001 release "Wake Up And Smell The Coffee", I end up listening to the title track. And for some reason, my original view was that the title track sounds too similar to Evanescence. From then, I was baffled. I am listening to two spiritually-influenced rock bands. I predict that you'd say, "It's simple. The Cranberries are poser rock. Because they copied from another poseur band". Hang on there, Trusty stallion. The Cranberries do sound like Evanescence lyric-wise and only on that song. I listened to this album because they were mentioning on the "I Love The 90's" marathon that they make sweet music, but it is not something that you would want to listen to all of the time...unlike Evanescence today. But enough. This album should be in every Rock fan's CD Player. Let me try to evaaluate the album, shall I? In "Never Grow Old" she dreams of a day in which we live a beautiful life. Many may say that "Analyse" is yoga material, but the drumming and Dolores' sweet voice makes the sound a little more accessible and sensible in life and love. "Time Is Ticking Out" talks so much about the bad things going on in the world like the fact that "it looks like we've screwed up the ozone layer". The clock sound may be a bit much to not scrunch your face, but it goes with the effect that time may be about to end, and none of the things we do are making it better. "Dying Inside" is a song about a woman who has a light that went out and causes her to break down and sulk. The album thus far is a more emotional view and spiritual rounds up the rest. "Wake Up And Smell The Coffee" is a hard rocking anthem telling you to wake up and smell the reality of life. In the song, the guitar playing came WAY before Lacuna Coil and Evanescence, and they didn't even have to turn it to 11. Amazing. That is also the showcase of Dolores' yodel-worthy voice. "Carry On" is a song of celebration with wine and laughter and living each day like the last. "Every Morning" (not a Sugar Ray cover) is a Cranberries custom birthday tune. So it looks like The Cranberries have plenty to offer than just hard rocking riffs full of usage for the Bible. The band has enough longevity and staying power to inspire the best of fans. The only problem is longevity in the mind of the listener. That must be the reason VH1 calls it a bit unmemorable musically. Well, give it a whirl. The best records aren't really memorable on the first listen.
Rating: 7.5/10

Just as good as the others........2005-05-05

In 2001, the Cranberries seemed to be a band the public had forgotten about. But they proved that they were still around on their 5th (and final) album. It's sad to say that the Cranberries have dismembered, but it is the truth. On their final effort, the Cranberries give it one last go round and it is quite a success.

Maybe it's Dolores' angelic voice or the light strumming of the guitar but I truly have not disliked any album and think "Wake Up..." is yet another grand success. The lyrics are bit simpler on some songs and less politically charged but Dolores' voice is as pure as it ever was especially on the whispy and dreamlike "Pretty Eyes".

The band keeps an up-tempo feel throughout the whole album only stopping a few times to slow it down. "Analyse", "Time Is Ticking Out" and "Do You Know?" are delightful fast-paced tunes that will have you singing "La-la-la the strangest moment...La La La the strangest day...La-la-la the greatest love of them all..."!

But the last track on the album is really a perfect ballad. It showcases Dolores' songwriting and singing ability and is called "Chocolate Brown" defienatley a must listen.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Time Is Ticking Out, Chocolate Brown, Dying in the Sun and Analyse

Wake up and smell the luke warm coffee........2005-04-25

I own all five of their albums, and what I seem to notice, is that each album isn't as good as the one before it. Ok, maybe "No Need To Argue" is the exception, but this is my least favorite of the bunch. It's not bad of course, it just seems to be alot of filler to me. I only really like 5 songs alot, and 3 of them are also on "Stars", which means I'm pretty much keeping this just for "Never Grow Old" and "Dying Inside". I hope they make a comeback sometime soon, but as far as "Wake Up And Smell The Coffee" goes, get the other 4 first.

Chocolate Brown.......2005-04-09

I purchased this record the day I saw it at the music stores without knowing what to expect. Some songs on the album have piano on it(Chocolate Brown).Dolores O Riordan has a message for the fans in the booklet inside. It definitely says a lot for this album.Stand Out Tracks on this album - "Dying Inside" , "I really Hope" (reminds me of YOU AND ME) , "Chocolate Brown" , "Do You Know", "Concept" ...

Dying Inside is melody void of any uncertainity. Like I said this is by far the most calm Cranberries album. "Chocolate Brown" is my favourite song on the album. In a way it reminds me of the past. Its a step away from anything they've done. Its a song that'll pamper the listener. "Analyse" is good for the first few listens but sounds monotonous after a while.

Overall...I'd say this album is a definite buy for Cranberries Fans. I must add I quite liked the refreshing album art. I will remember this album for "Chocolate Brown" cause it added a definite worth to by all time favourite Cranberries songs.

New Cranberries Fans,Other songs for those interested would be : Electric Blue,When you're Gone,I Still Do,Ridiculous Thoughts,Hollywood,Joe,Linger and many more.Albums for new fans - Start with No Need To Argue. For the ambitious try TO THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (Its their best record,hands down)

Average customer rating:

Wish I was there
Great pipes
Two thumbs doon
Highland Cathedral - Pipes and Drums
Yawn...

Highland Cathedral
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Manufacturer: Scotdisc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Bagpipes & Drums of Scotland
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ASIN: B000031KBF
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Tracks:

Highland Cathedral
The Last Of The Mohicans/The Gael: Main Theme
2/4 Marches, The Barren Rocks Of Aden: Crossing The Minch/The Jolly Beggarman/The Train Journey...
Amazing Grace
The Rebel Piper
Steam Train To Mallaig
My Heart Will Go On (Titanic Love Theme)
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4/4 Marches, The Roses Of Prince Charlie: Killiekrankie/The Rowan Tree/The Rose Of Allandale
Erin's Green Shore
Will You Go Lassie Go
Medley, The Banks Of The Lee: A A Camerons/The Silver Spear/Flanagan's Fumbles...
Ceilidh Set, Atholl Highlanders: Paddy's Leather Breeches/Rocking The Baby/The Eavesdropper
Soldier Soldier: Absent Without Leave
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Braveheart Trilogy
Jig Set, The Gold Ring: Sandy's New Chanter/Scarce Of Tatties/The Curlew
Scotland The Brave/Heilan' Laddie
Amazing Grace The Fling

Customer Reviews:

Wish I was there.......2007-08-02

If you've ever been to Scotland or are a fan of the country/music, this will take you back and have you crying. It's very moving and melodic, yet uplifting. It's a wonderful CD.

Great pipes.......2007-04-05

Very well done, Amazing Grace is fantastic. All in all a fine pipes album.

Two thumbs doon.......2006-03-21

Ach! T'were pipin' music I were wantin', not ELO does "Rebel Piper". I mean, disco bagpipes? Good lord. Yes, the cheap-hotel-lounge-rock-band backups were grim indeed; the full orchestra numbers weren't much better. In fact, the only reason I didn't give this one star was because a (very) few of the selections weren't TOO bad.

Unless you want Highland/Second-rate Hollywood fusion, then avoid this gobbler at all costs.

Highland Cathedral - Pipes and Drums.......2006-03-21

I like it, up lifting, and exciting music. Dont like two of the tracks much with horns and band, but thats ok.

Yawn..........2005-04-19

The tracks that are worth listening to on this CD are done far better on their more recent CD, "Parallel Tracks." Why they bothered with arranging the Titanic theme is beyond me... Not a bad CD, but they've done better.

Average customer rating:

Falling in Love with your Path, Choices, and where you draw lines
Does Van ever make a bad album?
swinging r & b from van the master.
Solid classic Van
I have them all.

Down the Road
Van Morrison
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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What's Wrong With This Picture?
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ASIN: B0000646UW
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

Down the Road
Meet Me in the Indian Summer
Steal My Heart Away
Hey Mr DJ
Talk is Cheap
Choppin' Wood
What Makes The Irish Heart Beat
All work and No Play
Whatever Happened to PJ Proby ?
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Georgia on my Mind
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Man Has to Struggle

Amazon.com

Van Morrison's childhood was steeped in American music, in part because he grew up the son of a rabid collector of classic jazz and R&B records. Morrison's infatuation with the music understandably led to the raucous, blues-rooted performances of Them and his early solo records, but it also inspired his long, oft-misunderstood journey to find music more spiritually and geocentrically rooted. This inviting, if typically restive, collection brings the singer full circle, suggesting you can indeed go home again--and that your life's journey just might make you appreciate it with new eyes. Thirteen of these tracks are Morrison originals, though they have a warm, almost subliminal familiarity. Good-natured shuffles like the title track, "Choppin' Wood," and "Hey Mr. DJ" have a nostalgic edge that sharpens considerably on the jaunty "Whatever Happened to PJ Proby?," where Morrison grouses, "Nothin' much to relate to anymore / 'less you wanna be mediocre." But there's considerably more than simple blues redux on Morrison's agenda, as his graceful ballad "Steal My Heart Away" and sublime covers of Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia" and Acker Bilk's "Evening Shadows" (originally an instrumental but now with lyrics by Morrison and an evocative, signature clarinet solo from Bilk himself) prove. A return to the classic Morrison sound, perhaps, but one gratifyingly informed by three decades of musical and spiritual pondering. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

2002 album with 2 UK bonus tracks added 'Evening Shadows' & 'Fast Train'.

Customer Reviews:

Falling in Love with your Path, Choices, and where you draw lines.......2007-06-21

It's my last day teaching this class and that's sad mostly....school's out. First graders are now second coming.

So I'm listening to Van as I put the crayons away in color cups, organize for summer school. Clean, sweat, think and daze. Feeling the usual remorse, regret, loss and a sense of relief, joy, wonder and exhaustedly realize this is the last time I'll need to say...it's been a very tough time teaching through the nightmare of adopting the canned scripts NCLB reform shoved down my throat.. Because the fight is largely over. "They" won and the kids are going to be disadvantaged like I never thought possible, at least mine are....ah...it hurts to go there. Watch Congress reauthorize and be proud they'll magically get a "growth model" while Kennedy tests his children's, no, that's our children's so called progress working their behinds off, tests more and better-what he wants is 'rigor'. Hope not mortis... Great master plans from the Bushes et al seem to lead us to the places like where I am...in a ghetto with less, now way less. So what's new. Oh, yeah, call it progressive political vision. Van's CD is about a good a tonic as I know right now today. I think he'll forgive the rant. I really do. Pour it over my heart and soul. Sylvia and I are singing.

So...this is a wonderful set of songs if you aren't 25 anymore, except on the inside. And you wish love was real, and you wish you had someone that knew. It's a collection of someone singing to the way it is, or at least we mythologize it is. But I'm so tired all I can do is say, go listen yourself for you. iTunes at the least. I love Indian Summer, Down the Road, Steal My Heart Away, The Beauty of the Days Gone By. And so many..

I'm headed back home again. It's a deep reach to find enough love to do this work, find the resources and the ways to sustain believing in anyone or anything. Especially this year, especially this year. Thanks for the tunes, Van.

Does Van ever make a bad album? .......2007-03-10

I dont know what else to say in here that is not already covered, only this is now my 9th Van CD on my ipod. while allot of all bleeds together in "sameness" it just works. I use shuffle and my pod is on most of the day, so this kind of music along with classical opera and bluegrass just seems to work great for all day listening.

swinging r & b from van the master........2007-02-20

two wonderful slow numbers, "the beauty of the day's gone by," and "georgia on my mind," and thirteen swinging uptempo r & b treats make up this fine recording. the mood is relaxed and easy, with plenty of guitar, horns, and hammond organ along the way to provide a soulful groove on which van's singular voice can ride. released in 2002 this is one of mr morrison's strongest releases of the twenty-first century. long may he record.

Solid classic Van.......2006-04-09

The album opens with the title track, setting the tone as one of reflection on days gone by. This mellow mid-tempo song with intricate instrumental flourishes is followed by the buoyant Meet Me In The Indian Summer, a catchy love song.

Steal My Heart Away is also a love song, but slower and more soulful with evocative imagery, Hey Mr DJ is a chugging pop number with lovely backing vocals and a bit of Morrison's wordless vocalising, whilst Talk Is Cheap is a slow bluesy song about the pitfalls of fame.

The tuneful ballad What Makes The Irish Heart Beat is a definite highlight of the album, infused with Celtic soul. All Work And No Play is a pleasant enough pop ditty and the next one, Whatever Happened To PJ Proby is really interesting as he references various obscure British singers from the 1960s.

One of my favourites is the stirring nostalgic ballad The Beauty Of The Days Gone By with its gorgeous melody and poetic lyrics. I also love the tuneful and lilting Only A Dream. The last song, Fast Train with its appealing organ and harmonica made me think of Arlo Guthrie's Last Train, but is nowhere near as heart-breaking and intense. And that is what I miss on this album: Van's intensely devotional moments.

Down The Road displays all the various styles of the artist, like R & B, rock and his Irish soulfulness but sticks mostly to the middle of the road. The songs are mostly good and sometimes great as in the aforementioned tracks. Down The Road is really a 5-star album, but measured against Van Morrison's vast body of musical genius, it comes in at four.

I have them all........2005-09-14

I have been listening to Van Morrison since I stumbled upon a copy of "Tupelo Honey" when I was 18 and it blew me away. He never really made a bad album, but you can spend you money safely here. I keep waiting for another "No Guru" or "Astral Weeks" and this is not that but it is better than 99% of the music out there. Keep it coming Van!

Average customer rating:

Monterey Games
eclectic celtic cavalcade

Whisky Supper
Wicked Tinkers
Manufacturer: Thistle Pricks Production
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Banger for Breakfast
Loud
Hammered
Wicked Tinkers
Trip

ASIN: B000BGQU5W
Release Date: 2005-07-21

Tracks:

Dream - Enumclaw, Washington
Hey - Wallace Arms Pub, Antioch, California
Wicked Tinkers - Monterey, California
6/8 Marches - Woodland, California
Fiollaigean - Flagstaff, Arizona
Glasses of Wine - Antioch, California
Birds - Antioch, California
Toasty - St. Paul, Minnesota
Aarons Set - Antioch, California
Farmer - Flagstaff, Arizona
Terror Time & Ferret - Woodland, California
Wicked Bough - Long Beach, California
Drummers Jigs - Monterey, California
Flower of Scotland & Black Bear - Enumclaw, Washington
Weird Jigs & B-52 - Woodland, California
Radar - Enumclaw, Washington

Product Description

WHISKY SUPPER, is our fifth CD, ALMOST LIVE the companion to BANGER FOR BREAKFAST. We have found that our live recordings seem to really capture who we are, musically and dynamically. On this recording, we had Tyler Spencer re-record the didgeridoo parts - hence ALMOST LIVE. We are an interactive band; we try to engage with our audiences so an instrument or two might get quieter or louder at some points. Don't worry, one or another of us is probably playing on someone's table or having a quick 'beverage' in the middle of a set. While you may hear the odd slip here or there, with this recording you'll feel the energy of our live show! Slainte

Customer Reviews:

Monterey Games.......2007-05-15

I first saw the Wicked Tinkers with my family at the August 2002 Monterey Games and greatly enjoyed the band. They are fabulous live. I have since bought everything that they have released. To this day my kids still ask for bagpipe music and dance about the house to it. This CD does a fair job of capturing the feel of their concert. It needs to be played LOUD (name of one of their other CDs) though to get a true feel. It is one of the best live CDs I have.

eclectic celtic cavalcade.......2006-03-13

This CD is a great companion to the Banger For Breakfast CD, as both have very similar settings, i.e. live in front of fans in a tight atmosphere. For any fans of Irish or Scottish traditional music, this is a must have. But better yet, it's updated with what initially seems like odd pairings of instruments, like the bagpipes and the didgeridoo. Once you listen to how well those sounds plus snares, etc. meld into a wonderful set of tunes, however, you will look at Celtic music in an entirely different way. Plus, the band inserts humor and jokes, sometimes at their own expense, that gives their performances a funny and relaxed feeling. Each song is uniquely rendered but still has that familiarity that makes this genre of music so appealing. You simply can't go wrong with this one, from the nearly dirty poem to a new style Radar Love, and will quickly become a huge fan of the Tinkers. At nearly one hour in length, it will leave you wanting more. Thankfully, they have plenty more available!

Average customer rating:

Wicked Tinkers
Music? Please...
Wow!
Simply AMAZING!!
Awesome...

Wicked Tinkers

Manufacturer: Celtic America Llc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Banger for Breakfast
Hammered
Loud
Whisky Supper
Trip

ASIN: B00006JBJG
Release Date: 1998-10-30

Tracks:

The Bird Set
Hugh Ross Set
Seal Set
Strathspey & Reel
The Odd Set
The Ferret Set
Wallop The Cat
6/8 Marches
The Pumpkin's Fancy
A Flame of Wrath for Squinting Patrick
Aaron's Set
Roasty Set
Fiollaigean
Hornpipe/Jig Set

Album Description

The Wicked Tinkers' first album exploded onto the music scene in 1995. Undefinable, they created their own genre of traditional celtic tunes, similar to the old Gaelic roving pipe-and-drum bands, done with their own contemporary idiosynrasies. It is a blend of the ancient art of Highland bagpipes with the primitive, driving rhythms of drums.

Customer Reviews:

Wicked Tinkers.......2007-02-04

I LOVE these guys! Celtic Rock has got to be the best music there is. The Wicked Tinkers can make a place come to life. So upbeat and dynamic, I have all their CDs and I have seen them live many, many times. This is a fun CD! Deva

Music? Please..........2005-07-18

I have been attending scottish events for 7 years, and I always hear this band playing. They are great people, but their music is far from great. If you desire more musicality than loud abnoxious drumming... nay... bashing, check out the band Bad Haggis. If you liked the music on Braveheart, you will love them.

Wow!.......2005-05-24

I first encountered the Wicked Tinkers playing in a San Francisco alley. I was blown away by their primal drumbeat and screaming pipes and their enthusiasm was catching. I've always enjoyed Celtic sounds, but never heard anything quite like this.

As soon as I got home, I ordered this CD. I think it captures their sound very well. Its been a favorite ever since.

Simply AMAZING!!.......2005-04-12

If you like bagpipes, these guys will absolutely blow you away. They use the pipes with other traditional Scots instruments and create there own specialized sound. It has a more rock beat, while retaining all the bagpipes. Simply great for exercising to!! I defy any Scots lass to listen to this and not want to get up and rock to the unique rhythm.

Wicked Tinkers? Oh, Aye!!!!!!

Awesome..........2003-05-31

If you love the pipes, these guys are going to blow your mind. Not the massed band sounds of many bagpipe CDs, these guys sound more like what you'd have heard at a gathering back in Scotland. Not just the bagpipes; there's the uillean pipes, the bodhran (drum) the iron horn, at least one anvil/hammer combo, and much more. Good fun.

Average customer rating:

Just Plain Bad.......
what happen?
Mike Scott...paging Mike Scott
The spiritual shines through
Mike Scott has Lost his Edge

Universal Hall
The Waterboys
Manufacturer: Minty Fresh
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Too Close to Heaven
Bring 'em All In
Room to Roam
A Pagan Place
Karma to Burn

ASIN: B0000AQS74
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

This Light Is For The World
The Christ In You
Silent Fellowship
Every Breath Is Yours
Peace Of Iona
Ain't No Words For The Things I'm Feeling
Seek The Light
I've Lived Here Before
Always Dancing, Never Getting Tired
The Dance At The Crossroads
E.B.O.L.
Universal Hall

Amazon.com

While restless musical eclecticism and unabashed spiritualism have been the ruin of many a lesser band, Mike Scott's Waterboys have oft worn them as a badge of honor throughout their rough `n' tumble history. And while those shifts from electric to acoustic, anthemic to ethnic have produced nearly as much consternation as transcendence for their listeners, each effort has been true to itself in subtly different ways. That's no less true on this collection of, in Scott's own summation, "one Irish reel and eleven spiritual-based songs." The crypto-religious dimensions of Scott's long dalliance with the Findhorn Foundation are marked from the album's title (a Scottish theater run by the organization) and the upbeat, neo-classicism of the opening anthem, "This Light Is for the World." "The Christ in You" and "Silent Fellowship" continue those themes, but begin to explore the subtle, compelling sonic dimensions that are the album's greatest strength. With fiddler Steve Wickham back in the fold, the band's folk ambitions resonate anew with quiet strength on the lovely "Peace of Iona" and the vigorous reel, "Dance at the Crossroads." Yet "Seek the Light" proves Scott can just as quickly still conjure the challenging electro-angst of the Waterboys "comeback," Rock In a Weary Land , before coming full circle on the expansive, spiritually unapologetic title track.--Jerry McCulley

Album Description

2003 album, released on their own Puck label, combines elements of pop, gospel, acoustic, & minimalism. 12 tracks.

Album Details

12 Songs of Pop, Acoustic and Minimalist Elements. Leader and Producer Mike Scott Describes the Album as "Full of Love and Fire, with a Bright, Elemental Sound". Waterboys' Fiddler Steve Wickham Returns to the Fold and Contributes Mercurial Description-defying Fiddle to the New Songs. Other Musicians Include Piano Player/Flautist Richard Naiff While Mike Scott Complements his Usual Guitar and Keyboards with a Variety of Unusual Sounding Instruments Including Earth Resonator, Harmonium, Micro-synth and Tambron. The Album was Recorded in Five Weeks in January and February 2003 at the Basement Studio Beneath Universal Hall, the Remarkable Building Pictured on the Album Cover and Situated at the Findhorn Community in Scotland.

Customer Reviews:

Just Plain Bad..............2006-07-11

I've always been a fan of the Waterboys, and believe that Mike Scott is a great talent, but this album is causing me to re-evaluate my opinion. Waterboys albums are sometimes spotty affairs, but usually have moments of brilliance that transcend the mediocre material. This album,however,has none. In fact,it is just plain terrible. Okay, Mike is getting into this spiritual thing, and that's fine (see "Bring Em All In" - wonderful!),but his songs this time around sound embarrassingly amateurish. Let's hope he comes around and finds the fire that he used to bring to his music. This one's a dud.

what happen?.......2006-04-27

mike scott & the waterboys one of my top 5 all time bands since their first album.
this album is so bad that makes me want to cry , all this time waiting for a new waterboys release and... this is it?
i hope the next album gets back in track because this one was a total dissapointment.
i just cant understand how a songwritter as genius as mike scott came up with this album
this is not the sea ..not even a river ....

Mike Scott...paging Mike Scott.......2005-10-15

I am so sad. What happened to you Mike Scott? I get it. You're a reclusive genius. Good for you. I haven't been this disappointed in an album since Elton John released "Victim of Love" in 1979, which is generally regarded as one of the worst albums of all time. There's maybe two songs on "Universal Hall" that are tolerable, but I don't know if I like them or it's because they're so simple to remember. (Sort of like when you find yourself humming a really annoying Volvo commercial and you don't know why.) Is this supposed to be a meditation album? Is this a demo album? I think it is. I guess you don't need to finish songs before you release them anymore. How about an album of you grunting in the shower? That would be infintely more interesting.

But I digress. I've always thought the Waterboys we're the greatest band in the world. We all argue about the best album; some think "Fisherman's Blues" is brilliant and I think "A Pagan Place" is brilliant. If you are a true Waterboys fan you have come to accept the changes and even reverse earlier positions on songs or albums that you once hated. I never forsee a time that I can accept this insulting drivel.

Okay, everyboby's entitled to a mistake. Mike Scott's reluctance to cater to the masses or a genre is legendary. Or is it? Hasn't he been marketing himself as a reclusive genius for years? I'm sensing a huge ego and some even greater hypocrisy with the release of this album. Maybe he could have recorded these songs privately and given them as a Christmas gift to his friends instead of shoving it down my throat. And I wish that some of you (and you know who you are)would stop saying this is a great album just because you love the band so much. I love the band, too. Because so many people do not like this album does not make it misunderstood or us listeners heathens. Sometimes bad is just bad.

The truth hurts, Mike. You've been preaching it for so long you should appreciate it. Please call me when you finish the album. I'll be listening to "Victim of Love."

Tom Johnson

The spiritual shines through.......2005-04-05

This is one mixed bag of songs that is surely likely to get equally mixed reviews. Yes, the lyrics are largely disappointing for Mike Scott and yet the spiritual is there without a shadow of doubt. One huge spiritual light that shines through the minimalism. And the musicians, the Waterboys backing Mike produce absolute brilliance in every note. I am not disappointed except for the one track "seek the light", a noisy track that just does not fit on this album.

Maybe I wouldn't pay the full price but why not?! The spirit such as produced by these musicians is not that easy to find these days. Earlier Van Morrison, U2, Radiohead, and OK now the Frames. Keep up the good work Mike and The waterboys!

Mike Scott has Lost his Edge.......2004-12-13

44 minutes. I don't get it. In the wake of re-issuing the first three Waterboys albums with extra cuts and missing tracks that were "intended to be included" but had to be cut to fit sound quality limitations of 22 minutes per side of vinyl, Scott releases a 44 minute CD in 2003! If that's not a sign that he hasn't got much to say, I don't know what is.

The liner notes feature wonderful details of Universal Hall, both architecturally and in stained glass artistry. Lovely to look at. I wish I could say as much for the music on this CD. Really. The Waterboys deserve so much more than I can honestly say in this review.

Read the song list. That's about all you'll get lyrically anyway. There is no depth or complexity to any of the songs beyond the title names. And there's little depth there anyway. "This light is for the world." What light? Light from where? For what purpose? What is the world supposed to do with it now that we've got it? And then later with "seek the light/find the light/feel the light/be the light." What light? What's so special about this light as opposed to some other light? oh, it's THE light, I see now...

"I give myself to you beloved, every breath is yours beloved." Who is this beloved you speak of and why do you prostrate yourself before her/him? Are you expecting everyone to follow your example just because you are devoting yourself to some undefined, vague idea of "beloved?" Where's the engaged, active, let's change the world Mike Scott? "Ain't no words for the things I'm feeling." Obviously, you didn't write any significant words in this entire album.

"E. B. O. L." I wonder what that is. An acronym. It's bound to have some clever layers and juxtapositioning, because this one is titled differently from all of the other songs. The others all come out and state flatly in the title the whole essence of the song. This one has got to be different. Wrong again. "You are an eternal being of love." Did I just hear that right? Eternal? Love? Two of the most intangible concepts in the English language and the listener is expected to have an epiphany from this phrase and one other, "you are the light of the world." OMG!

Scott gives an ever-so-small nod to his musical roots with one reel, "Dance at the Crossroads" written by Steve Wickham, but this song really feels out of place in this album of worn-out born-again christian catch phrases. A couple of other songs are entrancing from their sustained march feel, echoing an 18-minute track from Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. "Peace of Iona" is the stand out example. And it alone borders on brilliance. I'm listening to the album in my car several times and every time it hits this song I think, "That's clever. Piece of Iona, piece of the glancing, dancing waves, piece of the stones... etc. I wonder if he realizes it could also be Peace of Iona, etc." When I saw that the title was actually "Peace of Iona" I realized that he never intended the dual layers of meaning. That is exactly what this album lacks. Layers. It's nothing more than a thin coat of Magic Shell on my ice-cream, only without the ice cream.

I almost get as entranced with "Silent Fellowship" and "Universal Hall" except that on some tracks there's this annoying drum machine, sorry "loop archaeology", which underscores everything.

This album feels like many of the songs on his first solo album "Bring 'Em All In" but while in the earlier album Scott is resolving issues, tying up loose ends and seeking answers, on Universal Hall all he is doing is sketching some phrases, sipping his lemonade and watching the sunset, but without really sharing the sunset with us. All we get is "Yumm. Tastes sweet. So pretty." Universal Hall, the album where the Waterboys have lost their edge, their heart and their soul.

Average customer rating:

A Musical Trip Through The Ancient Kingdom
BREATHTAKING, WITHOUT CONCESSION TO COMMERCIAL PRESSURE
A modern look at Galicia's ancient Celtic traditions.
The best Celtic Spanish!!!

Galicia No Tempo
Milladoiro
Manufacturer: Green Linnet
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Castellum Honesti (Celtic Music from Spain)
Iacobus Magnus: Suite Orquestral
Santiago

ASIN: B000005CT8
Release Date: 1993-01-05

Tracks:

Part 1: The Roots
Part 1: The Route
Part 2: The Splendor, 2nd Part
Part 2: The New Identity

Customer Reviews:

A Musical Trip Through The Ancient Kingdom.......2005-02-19

This was the musical score to a exposition that took place 1990/91, a historical journey into Galician History from the Celts to the late Suabian invaders of the sixth century. Milladoiro were the first experts in Galician traditional music that made a big deal for the folk music heritage of the Galician country after centuries of Spanish-Castilian political domain during which the cultural roots of Galicia were strongly oppressed or even denied by the establishment. Going from traditional songs through self-composed melodies, Milladoiro prove that they are masters that do know their craft well and never failed tempted by commercial trends, hence their music remains as truly and essencial traditional until today. The trucks setted in this cd are Celtic music at its best with Gregorian influences from the Middle Age. The Way of St. James brought musical influences from abroad through the Atlantic litoral path, mainly from France and the lyrical tradition of Provence that were added to the native traditional instruments such as the bagpipe and other percusion and string ones which were passed on over generations. For the ones that hadn't the chance to view the exposition then remains the awesome soundtrack to over two thousand years of musical heritage maybe also linking to the rediscovery of an unjustly unknown trait that's fighting against oblivion.

BREATHTAKING, WITHOUT CONCESSION TO COMMERCIAL PRESSURE.......1999-03-22

THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST KIND OF CELTIC MUSIC I HAVE HEARD IN A LONG TIME. WARM, BREATHTAKING, IT CATCHES THAT KIND OF PAST THAT IS UNKNOWN TO MOST OF US YET COVETED BY US ALL.

A modern look at Galicia's ancient Celtic traditions........1998-07-04

The music of Galicia has a great deal in common with those of its cousins in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Man. There have been periods of immigration and emigration to and from these Celtic homelands for over 2,500 years, and this disc perfectly shows the musical links developed over two milleniums.

An excellent example to show the rest of the world that Spanish music is not just Flamenco and castanets, but bagpipes and harps as well!

This release covers music for an exhibition in Galicia.

The best Celtic Spanish!!!.......1998-07-01

Milladoiro is the best representative of the Celtic rooths of North Western Spain. It perfectly descrives Galicia!!!

Average customer rating:

Far From Home
Hugh Morrison & Friends
Manufacturer: Dun Eistein Productions
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Scottish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

International Folk | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0007W4N7M
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

Siege of Ennis
Wild Mountain Thyme
Highland Schottische
The Blair Set
Salmon Tails up the River
Box & Bodhran Set
Canadian Barn Dance
Hills o' Yarrows
Far From Home Set
The Irish Set
Shandwick Bay
Foggy Dew
Gaelic Waltz
March/Jig/Reel

Album Description

"Far From Home", the latest album from Hugh Morrison, offers a varied selection of Celtic tunes and songs using instruments traditionally associated with good ceilidh music.

Pop Music:

Pop Music

pop music

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