The Owl & the Tree [Import]

Track Listings

1. Owly Song

2. I Am My Own Lover

3. I Am a Tree

4. Lament for the Future of the Forest

5. Hands

6. Unseen Ally

7. Dea Madri

8. Tudor Love Poem

The Owl & the Tree,Gong,Thunderbolt,British Psychedelia,Canterbury Scene,Electronic,Experimental Rock,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Psychedelic,Rock,Space Rock

Tracks:

Ladybug
When I Get To Eleven
We Can All Get Along With Dinosaurs
Heather In The Heather
Vivian
A Rake, A Broom, A Mop, A Shovel
Math Stomp
The Littlest Houdini
Caroline
Smickey
Oneplusoneistwo
Isabella
Pizza & Chocolate Milk
If You Ever See An Owl...
Grumpybug

Amazon.com

Just when you thought it was safe to limit your kids' record collection to the complete discographies of Dan Zanes and Ralph's World, the smart and instantly diggable Terrible Twos come along with a batch of tunes as irrepressible and insistent as a toddler at Toys 'R' Us. If You Ever See an Owl, the Kansas act's debut, is all it's been cracked up to be, which is this year's preschool indie smash: Opener "Ladybug" gets liftoff from bright guitars and a vocal by frontman Michael Pryor, formerly of the Get Up Kids, that doesn't land hard but avoids over-softness, too; "A Rake. A Broom. A Mop. A Shovel." benefits from They Might Be Giants-style brilliance in the songwriting department; and more heartfelt songs like "The Littlest Houdini," about Pryor's son, head in a likable emo direction that heretofore hasn't been explored in original kids' music. Rockin' households in which the real-life terrible twos are wreaking havoc, here's your reward. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

The New Amsterdams for kids.......2007-06-27

If you like the New Amsterdams, and you have young kids, this cd is perfect for them. It is silly and playful and very imaginative. I have a one year old nephew that I bought this for, but listen to it myself.

What I Expected!!!.......2007-05-19

For anyone who listens to the get up kids (r.i.p.) and the new amsterdams knows matt pryor is nothing short of remarkable with his vocals and his musical arrangements, now on to a new project where he mixes some new amsterdams with some robert munsch, its a childrens album for the ages.

Average customer rating:

Muy Sabrosa (Very Tasty)
City to city/Night owl
Finally-Two Of Gerry's Best Albums!

City To City / Night Owl (2-CD)
Gerry Rafferty
Manufacturer: Collectables Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
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Stills/Illegal Stills/Thoroughfare Gap
Another World
I Robot
Arcade
Ferguslie Park

ASIN: B000M53GQS
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

Ark
Baker Street
Right Down the Line
City to City
Stealin' Time
Mattie's Rag
Whatever's Written in Your Heart
Home and Dry
Island
Waiting for the Day

Tracks:

Days Gone Down (Still Got the Light in Your Eyes)
Night Owl
Way That You Do It
Why Won't You Talk to Me?
Get It Right Next Time
Take the Money and Run
Family Tree
Already Gone
Tourist
It's Gonna Be a Long Night

Customer Reviews:

Muy Sabrosa (Very Tasty).......2007-05-22

I like most people first heard Gerry Rafferty on the Stateside of the Pond when he was with Steelers Wheel,
I have always liked his basic use of Acoustic Guitar/Bass/Drums/Keyboards & Sax, as well as his double tracked vocals ,Gerry has a great sense of Harmony & Melody ,something that is sorely lacking in the Rock Music scene today .These are Gerry's first 2 Albums and are Dynamite well worth the purchase. Drummer Henri Spinnetti is on these disc's and he has done work with Paul McCartney and others .

City to city/Night owl.......2007-04-03

Already owning City to city I bought this for Night owl, which as far as I know has never been on cd. The only other place You could listen to songs from Night owl (other than LP) was the compilation Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right,which has the radio edit of Night owl with a little over two minutes cut out of it. The label is Collectibles, an independent reissue label sort of like BGO records, the sound mastering is great, better get it while the gettin's good!

Finally-Two Of Gerry's Best Albums!.......2007-02-25

Here's the track list to this great two Lps from 1978/1979 Cd reissue: DISC ONE: City To City
1. The Ark
2. Baker Street
3. Right Down The Line
4. City To City
5. Stealin' Time
6. Mattie's Rag
7. Whatever's Written In Your Heart
8. Home And Dry
9. Island
10. Waiting For The Day

DISC TWO: Night Owl
1. Days Gone Down (Still Got The Light In Your Eyes)
2. Night Owl
3. The Way That You Do It
4. Why Don't You Talk To Me
5. Get It Right Next Time
6. Take The Money And Run
7. Family Tree
8. Already Gone
9. The Tourist
10. It's Gonna Be A Long Night

Average customer rating:

great
This lady is at the TOP of her game. . .
Keiko Matsui, live in concert, with bonus DVD!
Second Favorite
Keiko's finest live recorded performance to date!

White Owl
Keiko Matsui
Manufacturer: Narada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music
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Wildflower
Walls of Akendora
Sapphire
Whisper from the Mirror
Dream Walk

ASIN: B0000CD5FE
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

White Owl
Moonlight Sailor
Steps Of Maya
Precious Time (Solo Piano)
Kappa
Across The Sun
The White Gate
Doll
The Next Plateau (Solo Piano)
Safari
Light Above The Trees
The Wind And The Wolf
To The Indian Sea
Forever, Forever (Solo Piano)

Customer Reviews:

great.......2007-01-19

If you like piano, and electeric piano you will love this dvd and cd, I waited to long to get this one.

This lady is at the TOP of her game. . ........2006-12-15

I have been a Keiko Matsui fan for a long time and have seen her in concert. This CD is fabulous, not your typical "live" recording, this has very muted background applause (see a review below). If you're a fan, buy it, if not, buy it and you will be.

Keiko Matsui, live in concert, with bonus DVD!.......2006-10-01

"White Owl" is a special two-disc set (CD & DVD) of pianist Keiko Matsui performing live in concert at Bunkamura Orchard Hall, Tokyo, 2002. As always, most of her compositions are grand, sweeping and evocatively poignant, carrying the listener along in a swift, darkly luscious current of intensity, emotion and spirited improvisation. There is growth, direction and carefully crafted purpose to her music that is blessedly welcome in a day and age when so much new music seems either banal, derivative, or just plain unmusical. Matsui is joined in this performance by Michael Ghegan on a wickedly wailing saxophone, Mel Brown on some pretty lively bass, Jonathan Dresel on drums, Alberto De Almar on some impressive flamenco guitar, and husband and producer Kazu Matsui on the wonderfully mysterious shakuhachi. I am not certain if audiences in Japan are just quietly respectful, or if the cheers and shouts normally heard in live recordings were edited out of the CD, but aside from a smattering of applause at the end of selections, there is no crowd noise to mar or otherwise interrupt the audio performances. I recognize at least some of the songs on "White Owl" as being from previous releases. But the DVD, at a generous 105 minutes, not only contains all the songs heard on the CD, but one extra performance piece ("Mystic Dance"), selections from tours in four different countries, and a promotional video as well. Keiko Matsui's music is a bargain at any price, but this two-disc set is particularly worthwhile, and a good introduction to her work for those not familiar with it. For other spirited live performances, albeit in different musical styles, try also "Live in Montreal" by Jesse Cook (neo-flamenco), "Live in Spain" by Skyedance (modern Celtic), and "Live Wizardry" by Silly Wizard (traditional Celtic).

Second Favorite.......2005-03-25

This is my second favorite Keiko Matsui CD. Sapphire is still the best to me. The music is truly wonderful. Alberto de Almar is a great guitarist. Michael Ghegan is realy super on the sax. The rest of the band is simply awesome.

I found the DVD to be a more enjoyable viewing to the BET DVD. The only problems were with some of the subtitling. They should have edited the English with more care. But, I'll forgive them, due to the wonderful performance by all the members of Keiko Matsui's ensemble.

I wish they would do a few more combo's like this one. Just can't get enough of this talented lady, her husband and band.

Keiko's finest live recorded performance to date!.......2004-04-20

I had the good fortune to attend a Keiko Matsui concert just a few months before this one in Tokyo. In the Chicago area in March 2002. The same band members played. It was one of the best live music events I've yet attended. And I love this new CD/DVD because it captures the same excitement as the concert I attended.

More than that, it is produced with loving care. The images are razor sharp and the audio is studio quality. And it is just a very remarkable performance I believe.

Keiko Matsui is one of the rare artists whose music seems to be even better in live concert that on CD. Some of these tunes she has played innumerable times, at nearly every concert in fact. But listen to the new energy in "Across The Sun". It was a good song when it appeared on her DEEP BLUE CD. But her concert performance is really superior. I give Michael Ghegan a lot of credit here, as his alto sax really sizzles on this tune. "Doll" has been in Keiko's repertoire since 1994. The concert version is much similar, but there is a slight change in the rhythm accents that really make it almost nearly a new piece.

Tracks:

Fireworks, Op.4 - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Danse Infernale De Tous Les Sujets De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Berceuse (L'Oiseau De Feu) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Reveil De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Mort De Kastchei - Profonds Tenebres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Disparition Du Palais Et Des Sortileges De Kastchei, Animation Des Chevaliers Petrifies Allegresse Generale - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Opening - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Shrove-tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Charlatan's Booth - Philharmonia Orchestra
Russian Dance - Philharmonia Orchestra
Petrushka's Room - Philharmonia Orchestra
Introduction - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Les Augures Printanieres (Danse Des Adolescentes) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Jeu Du Rapt - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Rondes Printanieres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Jeux Des Cites Rivales - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Cortege Du Sage - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Adoration De La Terre (Le Sage) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Danse De La Terre - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
I. Andante - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
II. Napolitana - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
III. Espanola - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
IV. Balalaika - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
Ragtime For 11 Instruments - Toni Koves
Marche Royale - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
Petit Concert - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
Piano Rag Music - Igor Stravinsky
Sinfonia (Ouverture) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Gavotta Con Due Variazioni - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
I. Sinfonia - London Sinfonietta
III. Allegro - Philippe Entremont

Tracks:

Part I. Exaudi Orationem Meam - London Symphony Chorus
IV. Capriccio - Cho-Liang Lin
Chant Sants Paroles - Israel Baker
Premiere Donne - Cleveland Orchestra
I. Tempo Giusto - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
III. Allegretto - London Symphony Orchestra
The Star-Spangled Banner - The Festival Singers Of Toronto
I. Intrada - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Circus Polka (For A Young Elephant) - CBC Symphony Orchestra
Scherzo A La Russe - Philharmonia Orchestra
III. Con Moto - London Symphony Orchestra
I. Allegro Moderato - Benny Goodman
Good People, Just A Moment - Colin Tilney
Tango - Columbia Jazz Combo
Greeting Prelude (For The Eightieth Birthday Of Pierre Monteux) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
II. Ma Tu, Cagion Di Quella - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Elegy For J.F.K. - Charles Russo
Fanfare For A New Theatre - Robert Nagel
II. Exaudi - Donald Gramm
III. Dies Irae - Donald Gramm
IV. Tuba Mirum - Donald Gramm
The Owl And The Pussycat - Robert Craft
Stravinsky In His Own Words - John McClure

Customer Reviews:

A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!.......2004-05-19

Sony Music's "The Essential Igor Stravinsky" truly lives up to its title. This double-CD set includes nearly every important piece of work (either in part or in whole) by the great Russian composer. The set also presents the pieces in chronological order beginning in 1908 with "Fireworks" and ending in 1966 with his final piece, the short but simple "Owl and The Pussycat". In between, there are excerpts from Stravinsky's most famous works including the first part of "The Rite Of Spring" and highlights from the "Firebird" and "Petrushka" ballets. There are also lesser-known works included as well as his harmonically rearranged version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (a rendition which caused a stir in the early 1940's). The entire collection concludes with a rare recorded interview with Igor Stravinsky himself in which he remembers the infamous premere of "The Rite Of Spring".
The CD booklet includes detailed liner notes as well as a written tribute by Trey Anastasio of the band Phish. The sound quality of the recordings is amazing (even on the historic 1934 recording of "Piano Rag Music"). All in all, this an excellent collection of works by the great Igor Stravinsky. In a sense, this compilation gives the composer the 'rock musician' treatment. It's a 'greatest hits' album and a career-spanning retrospective that serves as an ideal introduction to Igor's music. Even if your not a fan of Classical music, it isn't difficult to listen to the works of Stravinsky and not be stirred.
Definitely The Essential Igor Stravinsky!!!

Average customer rating:

fan-f***ing-tastic!
Vast Disappointment
Eatin' Tacos
Trevor Dunn good. (FALL ASLEEP TO THIS ALBUM)
Potential 5 stars. Still growing on me.

Sister Phantom Owl Fish
Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant
Manufacturer: Ipecac Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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Book of Horizons
Romances
General Patton Vs the X-Ecutioners
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Virginal Co Ordinates

ASIN: B0002IQB30
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

Liver-Colored Dew
The Empty Glass Has A Name
Specter Of Serling
Me Susurra Un Secreto
Dawn's Early Vengance
The Single Petal Of A Rose
The Salamander
She Ossifies
Styrofoam & Grief
I'm Sick
Untitled

Customer Reviews:

fan-f***ing-tastic!.......2007-05-14

Being a long time fan of all things Zorn/Patton/Dunn related...my musical journey brought me to this album. What a masterpiece this is...of course this is merely my opinion, but if you like free jazz, carefully placed dissonance/harmony, and excellent improvization, this is what you need!(assuming you also like the previously mentioned artists as well- which is not a pre-requisite, but certainly all worth investigating)
This trio indulges in clever, sometimes swingin' yet surprisingly structured pieces that never disappoint. There are flashes of utter car- crash-pile-up-noise-delight and moments of soothing (bordering on ambient at times) passages. It is difficult to tell how much of this is improvized and how much is pre-written. I can only assume from the parties involved that there is a bulk of pre-rendering and the improvized solo spots. For all I know it is mostly improvized. Regardless of my speculative ramblings, IT IS BRILLIANT. I have followed my interests musically to this point and think that this is the crux of electro-fusion-jazz done right. The trio's first album, "debutantes & Centipedes" is every bit as good and well worth tracking down (if this sound is your thing)...for us weirdos who get off on the unpredictable and avant garde, this trio is heavenly and the culmination of all things musically exceptional.....

if you dig this trio, be sure to check out John Zorn and his label Tzadik.
but also investigate Richard Woodson's Ellipsis. He is a guitarist who grew up under similar circumstances to Trevor Dunn...and plays jazz spiced with the aggression of metal. His first album is on Cuneiform records (I LOVE THAT LABEL...ALL OF THEIR BANDS ARE OUTSTANDING!).

maybe I should do a Rich Woodson review, eh?

either way, this album is Aces and the best thing I have heard in a long time. Love the inclusion of harp on the song "the single petal of a rose". Oh what a masterpiece......buy it!

Vast Disappointment.......2006-08-08

I am a rabid lifelong fan of Patton, Dunn, Secret Chiefs 3, Zorn, etc. So I looked forward to this album with great anticipation.

Instead to my horror I found the most unbearable CD I have ever encountered. I am incredulous that the great Trevor Dunn could produce such uninspired crap. Why he hooked up with the world's most annoying guitar player and such a horrendous drummer I'll never understand. This is quite literally the worst CD I own in 30+ years of collecting. I rather listen beat my head against a wall, or be forced to listen to Yoko Ono or Phil Collins (!!!)than ever suffer through this garbage again. Please don't even fart in the general direction of this CD...it really is THAT bad. :(

Eatin' Tacos.......2005-07-05

Sitting around your apartment on a late weekday afternoon, with the sun peeking in through the venetian blinds, thinking about the fight you had with your boss about your parking priviliges and how he thinks he's better than you, you know?

That's what this ALBUM is all about. MAYBE it should be played on spaceships. PERHAPS NOT. But, maybe, you know?

Trevor Dunn good. (FALL ASLEEP TO THIS ALBUM).......2004-12-08

This album has been one of my greatest influences. Trevor Dunn is a genious. I had first listened to him during the Fantomas years. Director's Cut was the first Ipecac album i had bought. Back then i was unaware of Dunn, but now he is the crux of my creative inspiraton. This album describes the exact way i feel when i am tired or restless and i am struggling to be active in whatever i am doing. The best way to listen to this album is when you come home after a long day and are half asleep. Or just listen to it.

Potential 5 stars. Still growing on me........2004-11-23

Free Jazz is alive and well and living in San Fran.

I have been a devout fan of Mr. Bungle for quite sometime. All of these guys are great composers, Dunn being no exception. He has written some of my favorite pieces of music, including "Dead Goon," "Carry Stress in the Jaw," "Platypus," and "The Holy filament(sp?)."

With his trio, Dunn indulges his affinity for avant/free jazz with glowing results. There is plenty of structure here. The songs mostly follow a standard jazz format: Head, solos, head, out. The written material is harmonically expanded, very sophisticated stuff (of course) and Dunn really shows off his knowledge and musicality. The solo sections are most often "free" is the best sense of the term, slowly expanding upon the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic motifs stated in the head.

The guitar playing is extremely odd, always erradic and sometimes annoying. For my taste, there is a bit too much high-pitched, frantic slide noise - kind of a Sonny Sharrock thing. It's interesting at first, but he seems to over-use this trick. But, like I said, it is still growing on me.

If you liked Bungle's Disco Volante and you also appreciate good avant improvisational music, this disc is perfect for you.

Average customer rating:

A great addition
Joan Morris and William Bolcom return to their roots

Moonlight Bay: Songs as Is Songs as Was

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
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After The Ball plus Highlights from Vaudeville
On the Level, You're a Little Devil--Songs of Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley
Gershwin: Piano Music
Sing Gus Kahn
Cabaret Songs (Complete)

ASIN: B00000HXME
Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

On The Road To Mandalay
Moonlight Bay
Hello, Ma Baby
Billy
School Days
Mirandy
Poor Butterfly
Nobody's Lookin But De Owl An' De Moon
Asleep In The Deep
Beale Street Blues
Life's A Funny Proposition After All
I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
Can't You Heah Me Callin', Caroline?
I Might Be Your 'Once - In - Awhile'
Heaven Will Protect The Working Girl
The Man That Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo
Some Little Bug Is Going To Find You
Daisy Bell
Just A - Wearyin' For You
Little Annie Rooney
The Widow Nolan's Goat
Forty - Five Minutes From Broadway
My Gal Sal
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!

Customer Reviews:

A great addition.......2005-08-20

Joan Morris and her husband, composer William Bolcom, take another trip back to the early days of Broadway musicals and earlier. In the same groove as their earlier albums, After the Ball and Vaudeville. A great addition to your collection if you love this kind of music, performed the way it was meant to be heard.

Joan Morris and William Bolcom return to their roots.......1999-03-13

Back in 1974, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris, and her husband, William Bolcom, recorded "After the Ball," a collection of turn-of-the-century popular songs, some of which hadn't been recorded since the early part of the century, if ever. Now, after bringing their talents to the music of Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and most recently, Vincent Youmans, they return to the turn of the century with this delightful collection. Note: no compromises were made with the original turn-of-the-century lyrics; this CD is not for those obsessed with "political correctness." But then, those obsessed with political correctness generally don't have much taste, anyway.

Average customer rating:

the beginning of greatness
Appleseed sets their course.
moving but desperate
Move Towards Prog Rock Not Progress
Appleseed Cast gets closer

Low Level Owl, Vol. 2
The Appleseed Cast
Manufacturer: Deep Elm
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Low Level Owl: Volume 1
Mare Vitalis
The End of the Ring Wars
Lost Songs
Peregrine

ASIN: B00005O81L
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

View Of A Burning City
Strings
A Place In Line
Shaking Hands
Rooms And Gardens
Ring Out The Warning Bell
Sunset Drama King
The Last In A Line
Decline
The Argument
Reaction
Confession

Customer Reviews:

the beginning of greatness.......2007-03-10

I'm buying Appleseed Cast albums in a backwords order. From what I understand, this album (paired with Vol.1)is the beginning of there current sound. It is very mellow. The vocals are kind of muddy, but if you're like me and don't really care about lyrics, that's no problem. this is a great album to listen to while reading, napping or doing anything where music might otherwise be a distraction. i have yet to hear vol. 1 as amazon is out of stock but a eagerly looking forward to it.

Appleseed sets their course........2005-12-08

The Appleseed cast didn't really know what they were doing before this moment--their first album, 'The End of the Ring Wars', was recorded mere months after they formed. Each successive release thereafter was just one step closer to where they needed to be. I think they found their home here, with Low Level Owl (vol. 1 and 2). An epic prayer of a double album, these records lead you on a dreamy path full of tape-loops, backwards drums, and found-sounds--each song blends perfectly into the one following it, just as the first record blends perfectly into the second when played one after the other. I've always been curious as to why they released this as two different records rather than one solid double disc, and I think the answer lies in their label at the time: Deep Elm is lousy with emo bands, both good and bad, and it would appear that the bands are being produced that way no matter their core sound--bands like Planes Mistaken For Stars (a metal band at heart) sound more emo/indie on their Deep Elm releases than they do live. I feel the same about Appleseed--this is how they were meant to sound, sure, and live they sound just as extraordinary (if not more so, despite the lack of studio additions), but before these releases their sound was more choppy, more manufactured--perhaps less them?--while their debut on TigerStyle hits perfection each track. Mayhap they released this album as two to speed their way through their contract with Deep Elm? Just a suggestion.

But I will say that you will never buy two albums more perfectly crafted in your life, no matter what comes later; this is a masterpiece and will remain on my most-played until the day I die, I think.

moving but desperate.......2005-08-06

with the emergence of indie rock and it's explosion in the new millenium, rock is facing difficulties not before anticipated. Bands are going further and further out of the way to prove that everything hasn't been done, resulting in some amazing sounds such as The Dismemberment Plan and The Fiery Furnaces. But what is the sacrifice in such cases? Unfortunately the result of this desperate quest is high level art that can have problems connecting with the listner.
The Appleseed Cast's Low Level Owl sessions will definitely catch your attention with a wealth of unique sounds and amazing landscapes. The studio sound is innovative and the arrangements are pretty courageous, but I think they went just a bit too far.
For one, the vocals are dissapointingly sparse on this album, yet their singer is so talented! what a waste! The instrumental style that is instead thrust upon the listener is also noticeably repetetive, and although it interests with the unique sounds, the melodies at it's core are just flat-out inferior to the master-melodies featured on Two Conversations and The Last of the Ring Wars. You've really got to be in the right mood to sympathize with this record more but who knows, maybe it will grow on me as most 'high art' things do.
For now it's only getting three stars. imaginative - yes, but it fails to connect with me as a listener like their other works have.

Move Towards Prog Rock Not Progress.......2002-09-17

After two earlier albums noted for their vitality, drive, and uneasy yet intriguing fusion of hard-edged alternative, reiterative melodies and sonics, here Appleseed Cast moves into the arena of progressive rock, a decision whose result is far from laudatory. Those who missed growing up in the heyday of prog rock may find the tightly controlled, self-conscious and processed sounds of Owl -- either volume -- fresh, but to my ear they're only tones already worn and tired. Granted, as with so much else in the history of the genre, one can exclaim over the band's technical proficiency, but the bulk of the songs lack authenticity, becoming but another formulaic footnote in a body of music that only occasionally produces brilliance, so much else lost amidst bells and chimes and choir vocals that dull the senses with their new age, atmospheric and mood-orchestrated sensibilities.

If you want to listen to music the at least attempts to establish its own ground, without sounding like so many canned versions of innocuous mood music done by others whose names are beyond count, listen to Appleseed Cast's first two albums: End of the Ring Wars and Mare Vitalis. Otherwise you can turn to these inoffensive if lackluster treats for background listening as you fall off to sleep.

Appleseed Cast gets closer.......2002-06-07

Appleseed Cast comes from Kansas City, Kansas. Rumor says they used to be an emo band. Bad start; I have judged, stereotyped, and written off bands for less, and in my mind Middle America emotional core rock gets no second thought. Good thing for me, then, that I happened to see Appleseed Cast at a local venue, sandwiched between math rockers Crime and Choir and indie cutie pants Mates of State. Appleseed Cast put on a good show - then I found out about the Kansas origins and emo history. Intrigued, I bought their latest (2001) release "Low Level Owl: Volume II" and have been listening to it all week.
This is, maybe, an emo album, but not in the laughable sense that has created such a stigma attached to the genre. This is not a Jimmy Eat World, Linkin Park, or Stained CD, thank god -no white bread spasms, or screaming, or childhood crybabies. Instead "low Level Owl: Volume II" is 12 tracks of thoughtful music in the fashion of emo godfathers Sunny Day Real Estate. In fact, Sunny Day is a noticeable influence on this album . The vocals soar in and out, the lyrics are poetry, and at just the right moments Appleseed Cast lets open the gain and rocks. The band has done some diverse listening and has covered their tracks, taking subtle and not so subtle cues from Radiohead, Sunny Day Real Estate, Wilco, Depeche Mode, (the list could be endless) and blending them into a dense and interesting sound. The drums bang loud in the mix, riveted ride cymbals sizzle continually. One guitar is driving and prominent, propelling the band with constant 8th notes, the other guitar crackles and feeds back adding noise and texture. The bass is subtle - the droning weight holds the other elements in place. Keyboards add space, ambience, atmosphere. And the vocals are relatively low in the mix, the lyrics disappear in the layers and the voice become another instrument instead of the focus. So the melodies are haunting and infectious and repetitive, catchy and satisfying.
For Appleseed Cast the overall sound is key. No one song on "Low Level Owl: Volume II" is extraordinary on its own; the album stand as a whole with melody and noise pushing one song through the next. The entire CD breathes and moves as a single entity, with every track responding to the track previous and introducing the track to come. The tone varies with plenty of instrumental tracks answered by out and out rock and roll. This is not an album to put on shuffle or skip a track. Next album they put out will be brilliant, they're getting closer.

Paul Sperry Sings Romantic American Songs

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Paul Sperry Sings Romantic American Songs

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

William Sharp
Paul Sperry Sings An American Sampler
Permit Me Voyage: Songs by American Composers
Songs by Roger Quilter
Susan Graham - Songs of Ned Rorem

ASIN: B0000049LM
Release Date: 1995-08-10

Tracks:

Ballad On Queen Anne' Death (Annon.)
Bartholomew Green (James Purdy)
Come Ready And See Me (James Purdy)
Sweet Suffolk Owl (Annon.)
Spring (Shakespeare)
Waterbird (James Purdy)
I Do (James Purdy)
Isaac Greentree (An Epitaph)
On A Wife (An Epitaph)
The Astronomers (An Epitaph)
Some Sheep Are Loving (Gertrude Stein)
Once A Lady Was Here(Paul Boweles)
Three (Tennessee Williams)
Letter To Freddy (Gertrude Stein)
April Fool Baby (Gertrude Stein)
Baby, Baby (Paul Boweles)
A Prayer To St. Catherine (Kennith Koch)
There is A Garden In Her Face (Thomas Campion)
English Usage (Marianne Moore)
Take, O Take Those Lips Away (Shakespeare)
Preciosilla (Gertrude Stein)
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinsons: I'm Nobody
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinsons: Safe In Thier Alabaster Chambers
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinsons: The Level Bee
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinson: The Butterfly
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Summer's Armies
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Presentiment
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinson: The Grass Has So Little Has To Do
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Aristocracy
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Tie The Strings To My Life
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Papa Above!
Eleven Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Ample Make This Bed
O Mistress Mine (Shakespeare)
These, My Ophelia (Archibald MacLeish)
The Doves (Leonard Feeney)
Memory (William Blake)
I Rise When You Enter (Leonard Feeney)

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Stravinsky the Composer, not Stravinsky the Conductor
Staggering! All the Stravinsky I'll ever need!
Magnificent!
Where's my Petrushka?
legendary

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Stravinsky: Works for Piano
Memories and Commentaries: New One-Volume Edition
Antal Dorati Conducts
Original Jacket Collection: Vladimir Horowitz
Stravinsky: Chamber Works & Rarities

ASIN: B000031X11
Release Date: 1999-12-07

Customer Reviews:

Stravinsky the Composer, not Stravinsky the Conductor.......2006-09-18

It is a pretty good collection, lots of music from Stravinsky's entire carreer, but one must keep in mind that Stravinsky was a brilliant composer, and not a commanding maestro. You will not necessarily be getting the best recordings of these works. For example, something like the Boulez/Cleveland Rite of Spring is far superior to those in this collection. He is a vastly better conductor, and is much more capable of making the orchestra perform Stravinsky's intentions than Stravinsky is. All in all, however, I am more than glad I own this set.

Staggering! All the Stravinsky I'll ever need!.......2006-05-20

While I had heard some Stravinsky compositions prior to my purchase, this was the first (and only) Stravinsky material I have ever owned. As a young music enthusiast, the draw to me was to hear these pieces as Stravinsky conducted them and to get so many of them at such a great price, not to have the original jackets for the purpose of reminiscing. So, as someone who needed a good jump start into the works of Stravinsky (by Stravinsky), this set has proven totally invaluable. And while more information could have been packed onto these cds, I do appreciate how closely these discs have stuck to the original releases. I don't know about the portion of Petroushka which some reviewers claim is missing (as I don't know any other version), but I was totally blown away at hearing this version of Petroushka anyhow. In all, for whatever faults some sticklers may find here or there with this set, the value of this material collected in such a way (and at such a price) by far outweighs any possible faults.

Magnificent!.......2006-03-02

A great collection. There is simply no substitute for hearing Stravinsky as the great composer wanted to have his music played. Here is so much and also so varied a collection. I have been enjoying this set a great deal. One of the 20th century's greatest composers conducting his own compositions.

Where's my Petrushka?.......2003-08-01

The main reason I bought this box is because I was introduced to Stravinsky's Petrushka in the spring of 2003, and I loved it.
Along with Rite of Spring I think it's the most brilliant music Mr. Stravinsky ever wrote...so, I've been listening to the 34-minute long 1960 CSO recording of it at least once a day since I first heard it, naturally sort of memorizing it, but it didn't fit when I made this CD spin. The recording of Petrushka in this box is the VERY SAME RECORDING (1960) that I'd listened to, but it's cut to a suite! It's only 24 minutes long. You can tell it's obviously cut at certain points if you're familiar with the uncut version. 10 WHOLE MINUTES ARE MISSING FROM "PETRUSHKA!" I was (and still am) very disappointed by this.
Familiarizing myself with the rest of the discs was very fulfilling, though; I love the Ebony Concerto with the Columbia Jazz Combo featuring Benny Goodman...but the "suite-cut" of Petrushka made me paranoid...I can't be sure if anything else is edited or not...
There are 75 pages of notes in the booklet about the recordings but only 1/3 is in English.
The special multimedia feature disc is nothing much. With awful graphics it features the same notes as in the booklet, and there are lyrics for those who want to use the box for karaoke.
These 400 minutes of music (an average of 45 minutes per disc) could fit on only 5 CD's instead of 9, but it seems that this collection is made for nostaligs who will love watching and touching these tiny LP-jackets - after all, it is called the "Original Jacket Collection."
Incidentally, all of Stravinsky's recorded work which he conducted himself is not in this box. It is not at all complete; aside from the missing part of "Petrushka," his own reading of "Symphony in Three Movements" is missing (but available on CBS.)
Hats off to the man himself anyway. The music is brilliant, and considering that these recordings are 40+ years old, the sound quality is very good. Excellent stereophony on Rite of Spring!
It's a good thing that his music is still available and that people are offering refurbished products thereof. But if you love Petrushka like I do...buy the real thing...this just might disappoint you...
The 3 stars is a compromise of the music and the package; (5 stars for the music & its quality - 1 star for the package, choice of discs and--considering the price--somewhat weak linear notes.)

legendary.......2002-06-30

This 9 cd set is an historical one...more than half of Stravinsky's works are collected in this set. i clearly can say that there isn't any better recording for Stravinsky's works. especcialy first released USA's national anthem and a 12 tone work "Fanfare for two Trumpets" are remarkable.and we can also mention that some noises during the recording procces (i.e: Stravinsky's turning the page of the partition) gives a different taste to the listener. This is a real golden box of music.

A Distant Mirror-Music Of The 14th Century/Shakespeare's Music

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For Ancient Music Buffs
A beautiful example of 14th century vocals.

A Distant Mirror-Music Of The 14th Century/Shakespeare's Music

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Virelais | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000006TV
Release Date: 1992-12-14

Tracks:

Gloria
Angelus ad Virginem
Estampie
Stella Celi
Ave post libamina
I have so longe keepe shepe
Nesciens mater
Gloria
Gais et Jolis
Rose, lis
A l'arme, a l'arme
Par maintes foys
En l'amoureux vergier
Not es pour moi
Ma tredol rossignol
Orsus vous dormez trop!
Armes, Amours
It Was A Lover And His Lass
Witches Dance I
The Willow Song
Witches Dance II
Suite From The Fairy Queen (I): Henry Purcell: Prelude - Largo - Fairies' Dance-Haymaker's Dance - Rondeau
Full Fathom Five
The Willow Song
Come Unto These Yellow Sands
The Owl
Blow, Blow Thou Winter's Wind
Where The Bee Sucks
Suite From The Fairy Queen (II): Henry Purcell: Entry Dance - Dance For The Followers Of The Night - Chaconne - Hornpipe

Customer Reviews:

For Ancient Music Buffs.......2004-01-09

I don't enjoy the music from the 14th century portion of this CD as much as I do the Shakespeare portion. Probably because I'm familiar with the poetry and have a context to place the music within. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's period music by Purcell, Morely, and the other fellas.

Well done CD. Nice voices, but the liner notes are a little out of whack.

A beautiful example of 14th century vocals........1999-05-20

An excellent balance of vocal and instrumental songs of the 14th century

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