Land of Merlin

Track Listings

1. Land of Merlin

2. Tintagel

3. Birth of Arthur

4. Child Grows

5. Merlin & The Unicorn

6. Dream of Arthur

7. Perilous & Mystical Journey

8. King, Queen & Castle

9. Greenwood, the Briar & The Rose

10. Farewell to Childhood

11. Vision

Land of Merlin,Jon Mark,Kuck Kuck Records,Jazz Music,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Progressive Electronic

Land of Merlin

Tracks:

Land Of Merlin
Tintagel
The Birth Of Arthur
The Child Grows
Merlin And The Unicorn
The Dream Of Arthur
Perilous And Mystical Journey
The King, Queen And Castle
The Greenwood, The Briar And The Rose
Farewell To Childhood
The Vision

Album Description

In 1988, New Zealand composer, Jon Mark, paid tribute to his Celtic roots on The Standing Stones of Callanish. These elegant synthesizer sketches capture the mystery and the simple beauty of the British Isles.

On this release, Mark delves even deeper into his English heritage as he takes listeners on a musical tour through the Land of Merlin. Cornwall, the most westerly part of the British Isles, has from time immemorial been known as the Land of Merlin. As King Arthur's birthplace and home to his fabled Knights of the Round Table, it has inspired countless artists and storytellers through the ages. Mark is no different. Much of his childhood was spent traveling through the enchanted landscapes of Cornwall with his godparents, and the memory of these journeys continue to inspire the English-born synthesist.

However, it was quite some time before Mark felt ready to translate King Arthur's story into music. The enormous catalogue of novels, poems and academic research on this legendary character was daunting. Yet after considerable research, Mark rediscovered T.H. White's chronicles of Arthur's childhood, The Once and Future King. There he found a more personal connection with his subject. As Mark observes in the liner notes, "I was struck by the fact that my emotional involvement with Arthur's story was with him as a child and with England as he would have seen it in his time, his early meetings and journeys, unaware of his future destiny. In the same way, our potentials lie quietly waiting for us to bring them to life."

With a subtle grace reminiscent of The Standing Stones of Callanish, Land of Merlin is Mark's attempt to depict the magical countryside of Cornwall through a child's eyes. At the same time, his spacious melodies and breath-like chords whisper of a distant past, a time of unicorns, magicians and a young man named Arthur who realizes his destiny as the Once and Future King of England.

Customer Reviews:

Sweet and enchanting........2005-03-18

This follow up to 1988's "Standing Stones of Callanish" is a really beautiful and haunting album that maintains some of the ambience of the former but has a much sweeter and far less melancholy sound and is more Celtic in sound. "The Child Grows" is so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes. This is a must-have for New Age fans.

Romantic and haunting.......2003-01-29

The same sonic treatment as 'The Standing Stones of Callanish', Land of Merlin has all the atmosphere (crying gulls, waves crashing on the shore) but it seems a little diluted compared to TSSOC. Jon does experiment more with textures and this does benefit a couple of tracks with a magical feel, 'Merlin and the Unicorn' in particular. However, Merlin is the start of a collection of albums Jon Mark has produced using the same musical formula and, to be honest, it all gets a bit samey.
If you are a fan of TSSOC then Merlin is certainly a worthwhile purchase. The later albums are debatable but if you love Jon's 'sound' then go right ahead.

A Rose-Coloured Portrait of the Age of Merlin and Arthur.......2000-12-22

Monet put his impressionistic images on canvas with paint. Mark puts his on disc with synthesizers. Both artists share many common characteristics. However, Monet was a true pioneer, a genius and a trail-blazer. And that is what makes his art truly great. Mark, on the other hand, is a premier new age impressionist. There are no new trails being blazed here. This is truly beautiful music, however, even more beautiful than his earlier album, 'Standing Stones of Callanish'. In particular, I especially enjoy track 7, "A Perilous and Mystical Journey", with its haunting bell that tolls mournfully in the background throughout much of that movement. Truly beautiful music, nostalgic, richly layered, and melancholy. If you like romantic impressionism, and if you want a rose-coloured portrait of the age of Merlin and Arthur, then look no further: you will love this album.

Dull and monotonous plagiarism.......2000-06-18

I'd hate to accuse any artist of plagiarism, but I just can't think of any other words to describe Jon Mark's style of music. It's very outdated, monotonous, dull, and sounds too much like watered-down versions of Steve Roach's vastly superior works of the early 1980's. Whether or not this has anything to do with Mark being on the same record label as Roach, I don't know. All I do know is that if you're looking for good music, you won't find it here. Also notice how the historical facts in Mr. Mark's liner notes are historically inaccurate. He refers to Arthur as "King of England". Arthur was actually the "King of the Britons", in a time before England ever existed. He also states his native Cornwall as being the "most westernly part of the British Isles". The British Isles consists of both the UK, Ireland, and all other islands within that region, many of which are more western than Cornwall. As a matter of fact- Cornwall is only the 4th most western part Great Britain alone, following the Ardnamurchan Peninsula(Argyll, Scotland), Morvern Peninsula(Argyll, Scotland), and Rhu Spit(Inverness, Scotland) respectively. 1 out of 5 stars.

Excellent!.......1999-05-31

This has got to be one of the best CD's I have ever listened to. Put the music on, darken the room, and let it take you on a journey to relaxing places in your mind. You may not want to come back.

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