Turn

Track Listings

1. Consequence Free

2. Feel It Turn

3. Jack Hinks

4. Demasduit Dream

5. Boston & St. John's

6. Margarita

7. Trois Navires De Bie

8. Ferryland Sealer

9. Can't Stop Falling

10. Old Brown's Daughter

11. I'm A Rover

12. Captain Wedderburn

13. Bad As I Am

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
New 1999 Release Co Produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos Fame.

Turn,Great Big Sea,Wea/Warner,Celtic,Pop

Turn

Tracks:

Down In Mississippi
Eyes On The Prize
We Shall Not Be Moved
In The Mississippi River
On My Way
This Little Light
99 And 1/2
My Own Eyes
Turn Me Around
We'Ll Never Turn Back
I'Ll Be Rested
Jesus Is On The Main Line

Amazon.com

As musical activists in the 1960s civil rights movement, the Staple Singers were powerful voices for equality and change. And more than 40 years after Pops's daughter Mavis spent a night in a West Memphis, Arkansas, jail at the behest of a racist cop, she still remembers the terror of the experience, as well as the counsel of Dr. Martin Luther King. That episode is at the centerpiece of "My Own Eyes," one of the most moving offerings on this collection of songs of racial struggle in the '50s and '60s, produced by guitarist Ry Cooder and featuring backing from the original Freedom Singers and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Throughout, the album proves both emotionally chilling and spiritually uplifting. On J.B. Lenoir's "Down in Mississippi" and Marshall Jones's "In the Mississippi River," for example, Cooder makes fine use of pounding percussion and snaky electric guitar to capture the danger and fear inherent in the Deep South at the time, while the title song and "Jesus Is on the Main Line" draw on gospel and the traditional framework of church hymns to promise positive solutions. Staples, who adlibs on several cuts, connecting the injustice of yesterday to the continuing marginalization of blacks in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, remains a remarkable performer, employing a throaty sensuality that rises from a deep well of tremulous emotion. If her album is musically uneven at times, her artistry and strength continue to shine as undimmed beacons. --Alanna Nash

More from Mavis and the Staple Singers

Have a Little Faith

A Piece of the Action

Only for the Lonely

The Best of the Staple Singers

Great Day

The Staple Singers: Greatest Hits

Album Description

From the liner notes, by John Lewis:

When I listen to this music, it takes me back. It takes me back to the red clay hills of Georgia, to the Black Belt of Alabama, and the Delta of Mississippi. It takes me back to the moans and groans and pains of an oppressed people yearning for freedom. It takes me back to the time when hundreds and thousands of us decided we were "sick and tired of being sick and tired," as Fannie Lou Hamer said. It takes me back to the days when ordinary people inspired by a dream decided to quench our hunger and thirst for justice in the fountains of mercy and love.

Back then, some people thought legalized segregation in America would never come to an end. But those of us in the Civil Rights Movement were inspired by a higher calling. And even if it cost us our very lives, "we weren't gone to let nobody turn us `round". We believed that the action of peace, the way of non-violence, and the power of love could overcome our oppression and remind our oppressors of their own humanity. Through the power of this faith our nation witnessed a non-violent revolution of values, a revolution of ideas that changed America forever.

The music you are listening to right now was the soul of that revolution. It was this music that gave us hope when it seemed like all hope was gone. It was the heartbeat of this music and its steady, reassuring message that bound us together as one solid force. So when we were beaten, arrested and jailed; when we stood together on picket lines or marched through the streets of the Deep South; when we faced the guns drawn, the billy clubs and the bullwhips raised; when we were teargassed, trampled by horses, or scattered by fire hoses, it was these songs that lifted us and pushed us to a higher place.

It is my hope that when you hear Mavis Staples, when you hear the Freedom Singers, and the other artists on this CD, that you too will be inspired. I hope this music will help you find the courage to stand up, speak up, and speak out and answer the call of your own conscience. It is my hope that this music will help you see what ordinary people with extraordinary vision can do when they decide they will never turn back.

Rep. John Lewis

Customer Reviews:

We'll never turn back.......2007-07-05

I enjoyed this cd very much. I had listened to the Staples singers years ago and was glad to see Mavis recording again.

Mavis Staples rules.......2007-06-28

This is one fantastic recording. Mavis has a magnificent voice . . . perfect for the songs and full of depth and determination. The musicians notably ry cooder and back up singers are up to the task as well. Mavis let her light shine brightly!!

quafable but not transcendent.......2007-06-27

This is a solid album, similar in tone to the recent retreads by the Blind Boys of Alabama and John Hammond. The historical and emotional baggage it carries help one to listen with a sympathetic ear, and perhaps lend it more pathos than is earned strictly on aesthetic merits.

Yes and no.......2007-06-27

A tribute to the legacy of the Civil Rights movement and the Staple Singers themselves. Doesn't really live up to the hype, though. Mavis has still got the drive and passion, but her voice doesn't have the range and nuance.

Passion and soul.......2007-06-26

Mavis Staples sings with passion and true soul the songs of the Civil Rights movement on "We'll Never Turn Back". The CD has all the sounds of a great Ry Cooder CD too because he did arrangements of many of the songs and he plays on them too. This CD's version of "This Little Light of Mine" shows what can be done respectfully to bring a whole new sound to an old song. This CD really deserves 5 stars.

Average customer rating:

Jonny Lang - Goes Gospel
I just don't believe
Jonny Lang is great
Jonny Lang
My appointed time!

Turn Around
Jonny Lang
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Long Time Coming
Continuum
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10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads)/ (CD/DVD)

ASIN: B000H7JDVS
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Tracks:

Intro
Bump In The Road
One Person At A Time
The Other Side Of The Fence
Turn Around
My Love Remains
Thankful
Only A Man
Don't Stop (For Anything)
Anything's Possible
Last Goodbye
On My Feet Again
That Great Day
It's Not Over
Outro

Amazon.com

The churchy organ that opens and closes Jonny Lang's fifth album reveals its direction. After 2003's Long Time Coming plunged the once-up-and-coming blues guitarist into more soulful and commercial waters, Turn Around completes the transition. Lang is lyrically direct in his spiritual awakening, and the uplifting if sometimes pedantic lyrics make it clear that any vestiges of the teenaged guitar slinger that knocked out an impressive version of the lascivious "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" on his debut are far in the past. A few short leads aside, Lang shifts into full Stevie Wonder/Prince mode, but unfortunately without the quality material that made those artists' work transcend genre. With vocals that shift from guttural howls to sweet and screaming falsetto on tunes like "Don't Stop (For Anything)" and a penchant for oversinging, he's not aiming for subtlety. But there are some winning melodies here: songs such as "Anything's Possible" and "One Person at a Time" boast catchy choruses in a funkified, gospel-tinged, adult-alternative vein bound to appeal to audiences that lean towards obvious religious references in their music. This is a well crafted, undeniably heartfelt set from Lang, who makes it abundantly clear he feels his destiny is to make the world a better place through Jesus. It's a valid enough objective that doesn't quite connect with Lang's rather heavy-handed lyrics, affected singing, and derivative tunes. --Hal Horowitz

Album Description

The Grammy-nominated, former prodigy instrumentalist, who topped the Billboard New Artist chart with his first album at age 15, stands now as a mature creative force, made more sensitive yet also toughened by life's adventures. He's learned what it means to rise above hard times and to find meaning where chaos seemed to rule.

These insights, and the emotions they unleash, makes Turn Around the pivotal album of Jonny Lang's career to date - a passage that links the triumphs of his past to the promise of his future.

A soul-stirring organ, played by Grammy-winning producer Shannon Sanders, forecasts the surge of music that follows on Turn Around: the stomping funk of "Bump in the Road," the startling climax that closes "The Other Side of the Fence," the electrifying vocal exchanges with Michael McDonald on "Thankful," and on the opposite extreme, the work-gang chant that drives "Turn Around" and the profound intimacy of "Only a Man" ...

Turn Around is all of this and more, a tumble of musical colors that dazzle and soothe. And in the end, they achieve coherence through the meaning that Lang conveys so urgently.

"With this album I want to focus, more than ever before, on my purpose in life," he explains. "I've been so incredibly blessed. My wife and I just had our fifth anniversary. I get to do what I love for a living. But it wasn't so long ago that I was spiraling downward in a lot of ways, until God touched my life and set me on the right track. I feel a huge debt to give glory back to Him for everything He has done for me. It's the least he can do."

That said, Turn Around is not slotted only to listeners who have - or have not - undergone this kind of transformation. It inspires, excites, and gets people on their feet - but it doesn't preach. "I understand that not everybody believes as I do," Lang says, "which is fine. I just want to sing about what's going on in my life and let people make up their own minds about that."

For all the conviction that Lang brings to Turn Around, the album began almost as an afterthought. Lang was in the studio one day with his producer, Ron Fair, who is also president of A&M/Interscope Records. There wasn't anything pressing on the agenda; they were doing routine work on the final stages of Lang's previous record, Long Time Coming. Then, out of the blue, Fair said something completely unexpected.

"He looks at me and goes, `Dude, you need to make a gospel record,'" Lang says, laughing at the recollection. "Now, I hadn't really mentioned much to Ron about that side of my life, but for some reason he knew where I was at. So I thought about it for just a second and said, `Yes, I do.'"

There is plenty of gospel in Turn Around, especially in the choir that riffs through "Thankful" and "It's Not Over." But rustic country ("On That Great Day," with guests Buddy Miller and Sam Bush), Motown funk ("One Person at a Time"), jazzy folk ("My Love Remains"), and other influences flavor this music too. In this varied setting, "gospel" has more to do with the spirit that animates these tracks than any category it might inhabit.

Customer Reviews:

Jonny Lang - Goes Gospel.......2007-08-04

Yet another 3 years elapse between Jonny Lang albums. When the new disc finally emerges it is a very different Jonny Lang album than many of his fans are used to. Of all of the albums Lang has produced this one seems to divide the fans the most. His blues roots are practically non existent on this album. Instead what you have is mostly a soul / R&B / Gospel record with Lang's voice up front and the guitar tucked into the background. In fact if you are looking for patented Lang guitar solos you will not find many of them here. What you will find is soul encrusted smooth rock more along the lines of something you might hear from Stevie Wonder, Michael Macdonald (who duets here on the track "Thankful") or even Prince. The lyrics have a lot of religion to them as well. Make no doubt about it Lang is a Christian and wants the whole world to know it. The album never gets too heavy handed or preachy, but Lang makes no bones about where he is coming from on this disc. The gospel influence is apparent throughout. So what does this all mean? Is the album any good? Well, although I usually try to avoid music of this nature like the plague I have to admit that Lang really pulls it off well. This is a good album and as long as you can get away from the fact that Lang is not doing straight ahead blues anymore you may find a lot to enjoy here. My hope for the future is that Lang eventually goes back to the wailing guitar, but taking this album for what it is at this time in Lang's life, it is certainly a decent listen.

I just don't believe.......2007-07-30

Jonny Lang is one of my favorite artists ever, but this album is not good. I don't even know where it is right now. I didn't put it in my Ipod and I'm not going to. This album reminds me of the scene in Walk The Line where the producer tells Johnny Cash "Son I just don't believe you when you sing gospel". That's how I feel about this album, I just don't believe. Sure Elvis can put out a gospel album. Heck Elvis could put out any kind of album he wants, not all artists have the gift to make you believe in everything they sing. I totally respect an artist's right to write and record what they want, but I also don't have to listen to it. I love all his other albums and continue to listen to them regularly.

Jonny Lang is great.......2007-07-29

I have followed his career since he started as an early teen. I was amazed at the quality of his voice and his mastery of the guitar; and he was 13-14 at the time. He continues to get better with age.

Jonny Lang.......2007-07-27

A long time between releases, and a different side of Jonny. (re: song selction)
If you've liked his other work, you'll like this one.

My appointed time!.......2007-07-19

I bought this CD used because I was unsure if I'd like it. I would gladly pay full price (after hearing it)!! The song "My Love Remains" has been ministering to me - so much so, that I was singing it a day when I wasn't around a radio or CD player. To my surprise, I heard "Anything's Possible" on the radio without knowing that was Jonny too! I'm hearing the whole thing now and I love it! I gotta hear the other CD's too... Again,- I LOVE IT!!

Average customer rating:

Some people...
The best new group
"My best friend's a butcher, he has sixteen knives."
This album has 286 5 star reviews and it's still comes up as a 4 star album!!!!!!!
It's like learning a new language...

Turn On the Bright Lights
Interpol
Manufacturer: Matador Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Is This It

ASIN: B00006BTCA
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Tracks:

Untitled
Obstacle 1
NYC
PDA
Say Hello To The Angels
Hands Away
Obstacle 2
Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down
Roland
The New
Leif Erikson

Amazon.com

Interpol create literate, atmospheric, moody, trashy post-punk music that recalls '80s faves the Psychedelic Furs. And this is definitely a good thing. While most young bands are content to rhyme "make it" with "fake it," Interpol pens melodramatic tales of tortured and tortuous urban relationships that are truly refreshing. Like their peers the Strokes, they're bright, sophisticated, and meticulous enough to build stirring soundscapes. Turn On the Bright Lights is a must for anyone who missed Echo & the Bunnymen, the Furs, and Joy Division the first time around. --Dominic Wills

Album Description

Australian version of the absolutely stunning full-length debut from New York's Interpol. Think Joy Division meets Psychedelic Furs, Echo & the Bunnymen and the Smiths. Includes the bonus track, 'Specialist'. Matador. 2002.

Album Details

The Stunning Debut Album that Incorporates So Many Postpunk Influences: Joy Division, Television, Morrissey, . Includes the Bonus Track "Specialist".

Customer Reviews:

Some people..........2007-07-30

THere is a lot of whining about this cd for some reason, what really is it that bothers you so much?

I find the music is good, the lyrics somewhat insightful (if you can gather any meaning from them), they've got a great vibe I think. This CD in my opinion is one of the best since 2000.

Lot of people complaining that it's just copying of some other band, who probably just copied some other band that just copied another again. If you get elitist enough you could track all music back to the first person to play the guitar "OH MY GOSH THEY RIPPED HIM OFF!"

I love post punk new wave stuff, the smiths, the cure new order joy division are some of my favorite bands. I don't think this cd rips them off at all. Are there simular things about them with other bands??? yes, but there are probably maybe 7 bands I can think of that are really hard to trace back their influences. What I'm saying is ALL MUSIC is product of other music. Getting down on a band because they make very clear their influences compared to those that try to be original is stupid. There are no real original bands anymore.

The songs are their own, and they are good, the lyrics are their own, and they fit well with the music and the vibe of the band, if you truly listen to this cd without being a music elitist prick, you'll see that it's actually quite amazing. "Stella was a diver and she's always down" and "the new" are probably some of the sweetest tracks to be released in the past 10 years, not to mention the singles "obstacle 1" and "PDA", great tracks from a band that is in touch with there musical roots and imbraces those roots.

The best new group.......2007-07-21

Lamenting the death of Ian Curtis and the demise of Joy Division? Dry your tears; Interpol is here. While not as good as Joy Division (what group is?), Interpol is the logical choice for those who miss and crave that wonderful Manchester sound i.e. Joy Division, The Smiths, etc. You can listen to this CD over and over and never get bored. Interpol is a revelation.

"My best friend's a butcher, he has sixteen knives.".......2007-07-13

Interpol makes music with repetitious guitars and bass accompanied by slightly off-kilter vocals delivering nonsense lyrics. It's better than that sounds, but maybe not as great as some critics would think. Turn On the Bright Lights is a fun album to listen to. It's never boring, and they create some deeply affecting melodies that are really quite enjoyable. There's rarely a dull moment throughout. I just really don't see how it's much better than similarly catchy/non-varied music that is labeled as punk and generally ignored. Interpol is about as good as that general kind of music gets, but I think they get a ton of acclaim because they sound more mysterious, not because they're actually that superior musically.

The first track is my favorite. The piano blends with the guitar and works well with the rest of the sounds. "Obstacle 1" is a good single, since it encapsulates their sound quite well and is one of the better songs. "NYC" is a slower song and fairly enjoyable. "PDA" is another good single that represents the band well. The thing is, most of the songs do a good job here, because they all sound pretty similar. "Obstacle 2" has catchy vocals and nice interaction with the instruments. Towards the end there are a couple tracks over six minutes long that show a bit more range from the band as they experiment a little. "Roland" might be the hardest track, with a good riff in the chorus. All in all, not a whole lot about the album really stands out from the rest but it is a consistent, good album.

This album has 286 5 star reviews and it's still comes up as a 4 star album!!!!!!!.......2007-07-09

Ok , the title says it all , nuff said. This is one the greatest albums i've ever heard in my life , it flows perfectly from start to end and the musicianship is outstanding. Why is it still only 4 stars , why????!!

It's like learning a new language..........2007-05-29

For the longest time I kept telling myself I really oughta write a nice review for Interpol on Amazon, and tonight's the night. This is my ode to TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS by the amazing New York band Interpol. I had bought the CD the year it came out and decided to take it with me on a road trip from LA to Vegas. I should say I absolutely dread driving to Vegas, most Angelenos do. What is supposed to be a 3-hour trip usually turns out to be a 5-hour bumper to bumper nightmare and the road leading to Sin City is not exactly scenic, with nothin' but desert and all, I mean, how many cactus can one admire in an endless open field of cactuses? But I sensed this trip was different, and I knew the instant I heard the opening track to this flawless debut of an album.

What's more, with each song I grew increasingly interested in the music and slowly drifted from my environment, finding myself enjoying the ride. The road rage that I had started slipping away with each passing of familiar street signs. Imagine a perfect harmony of landscape blended with poetry for my ears. Surely this can't be one of the rare albums that I can listen to throughout its entirety, I pondered, and anticipated. In the end I wasn't let down. With each repeated listen (that's the trick I think, one would have to give this multiple consecutive hearings in order to fully appreciate it), I realized I started developing feelings for the album.

Feelings?

Ah, but let me tell you why.

Each song tells a story, and when I'm told a story, I want it to be as intoxicating, as dreamy and as atmospheric as each song is on this album. It evokes a mood that's long lost along with childhood, the mood of being afloat, being weightless, being innocent with a sense of discovery. As soon as you hear the opening words, you'll know you're being transferred to a place where you wish time stood still. It's mesmerizing, this album, to say the least. And it is dark, and ambient, and very moody, in all good sense of the words. It is music that evokes the very feelings in me, the longing, the fears, the hopes and the dreams. Whenever I'm in a bad mood or have had a tough day, I play this album and instantly feel better. It has over the years become my best friend, my confidant, my haven, a way to relax and enjoy this thing called life. This album is excellent throughout and that's how one should listen to it, in its entirety, but like anybody else I have my own personal favorites:

The beautifully lush opener "Untitled" really paints a picture for the rest of the album. This song makes me want to renew old friendships with long neglected school chums, "I will surprise you sometime, I'll come round.." It reminds me of the carefree, more fearless days of my youth.

"Obstacle 1" and "PDA" were singles I had heard on the radio that propelled me to buy the album. Both are fast with great guitar and drums. I thought if the rest of the songs sound like the two, it'd be money well spent. Turns out I got every pennies' worth and then some. This record really was the best 13-dollar investment I've ever made.

An early favorite is "Hands Away." This is perhaps the most melodic, most hypnotic song on the album. I was cast under its spell upon hearing the beginning riffs. "Will you put my hands away, will you be my man?..." This song is kinda like "Untitled" in that there are only a handful of lyrics to both the songs but the impact they'll hit you with is immeasurable.

My absolute favorite song in the Interpol catalogue is the wonderfully sexually blatant, yet tender and romantic 7-minute opus called "Stella Was a Diver and She's Always Down." It's flawless, this song. There is not a part in this epic song that I don't like. From the music to the lyrics, it's like a dream, and a nice way of spending seven minutes of one's day, loving "Stella" the way Paul Banks does:

"when she walks down the street, she knows there's people watching
building fronts are just fronts, to hide the people watching her
she once fell through the street, down the man hole in that bad way
the underground drip, was just like her scuba days..."

The last song on the album is called "Leif Erikson" and I find out he's one of the first European settlers to set foot in the States. I don't know what that has to do with the song really, cos to me this song conjures up all kinds of notions and ideals of romance. From Paul's voice and the lyrics to the dreamy surreal atmosphere of the drums and guitars, this the most mesmerizing song of all:

"she says it helps with the lights out
her rabid glow is like braille to the night
she feels that my sentimental side should be held with kids gloves
she doesn't know that I left my urge in the ice box
she swears I'm just prey for the female
well then hook me up and pull me babycakes
cause I like to get hooked

the clock is set for nine but you know you're gonna make it eight
so that you can take some time and teach each other to reciprocate..."

If you're still reading this then tonight's the night. Get romanced by a lil' Interpol and who knows, maybe you'll start harboring feelings too.

Afterall, they're nothing more than feelings.

Average customer rating:

Excellent ALBUM!!!
A very solid album from the Alan Parsons Project
Well Crafted
It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!
Money...Get Away

The Turn of a Friendly Card
Alan Parsons Project
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pyramid
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Eve
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I Robot

ASIN: B000002VCU
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

May Be A Price To Pay
Games People Play
Time
I Don't Wanna Go Home
The Gold Bug
I. The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part One)
II. Snake Eyes
III. The Ace Of Swords
IV. Nothing Left To Lose
V. The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part Two)

Customer Reviews:

Excellent ALBUM!!!.......2007-02-23

This was one of my favorite albums of the 80's.....I played the vinyl album so much that I wore it out.....when CD's arrived, The Turn of A Friendly Card was one of my first purchases on CD.......

If you like the Alan Parson's Project, this album is a winner!!!

A very solid album from the Alan Parsons Project.......2006-11-02

This 1980 album makes for a very pleasant listening experience and nicely balances dreamy synth heavy pop with the more symphonic approach demonstrated on albums like Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976). Come to think of it, I don't feel that there are any weak moments - the album is well-paced and the pieces all work together. The tracks on The Turn of a Friendly Card range from the excellent, Pink Floydish sounding and moody song Time (with excellent vocals by Eric Woolfson) to the lengthy, multi-movement, The Turn of a Friendly Card suite. There is also an instrumental on this album (The Gold Bug) that is actually quite good. In general, all of the pieces are very well written and played and the different vocalists work well with the tracks they were selected for. There is also greater use of an orchestra on this album (especially on the title track) although perhaps not as heavy as the orchestra was used on Tales of Mystery and Imagination. All in all, this is a great album of symphonic pop that is recommended along with Tales of Mystery and Imagination; I, Robot (1977); and Pyramid (1978).

Well Crafted.......2006-09-03

The Turn of a Friendly Card proved to be a very successful album, going Platinum and spending over a year on the Charts. This is the 5th release for the band and it obviously shows that the group has matured, offering well crafted pop and rock songs.
Very well recommended album.
Other albums I recommend for the band:
Eye in the Sky
Vulture Culture

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!.......2006-08-05

The duo of Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons, better known as The Alan Parsons Project, produced ten studio albums from 1976 through 1987. The pair always had a theme with each album, crafting each song to comform to the subject matter. "The Turn of a Friendly Card," produced in 1980, contains their most easily accessible theme - the addiction to gambling. The album spawned two hits: "Games People Play," a fast rocker and the ballad, "Time."

My dad exposed me to this album in the early 1980's and it is by far my favorite (I own all of their albums but two). It is replete with amazing orchestration, masterfully arranged by Andrew Powell, a long-time friend of Alan Parsons. The melodies are the the most addicting, the title track being my favorite tune. Lyrically, the album is extremely poetic, with similies and analogies strung throughout. Of course, no Alan Parsons album would be complete without an instrumental. This one contains two, my favorite being "The Gold Bug." It's a piece, like Pachebel's canon, that builds on a bassline (better known as a passacaglia) for each verse, culminating in an awesome sax solo. The other instrumental, entitled "Ace of Swords," is really an orchestral piece, utilizing mixed meter and a cool harpsichord part.

As a public-school music teacher, I have often used this album as a listening example for my band and choir classes. Roughly 70% of the kids like the album (even though it is 20+ years old) because it speaks to any age level, both musically and thematically. I believe any "Projectologist" will agree - this album is the best place to start! Enjoy!

Money...Get Away.......2006-07-15

Having listened to the majority of albums by THE ALAN PARSON'S PROJECT its impossible to not be aware of the sentimentality and melodrama at the heart of the music. Considering Parson's emerged from engineering duties for amongst others PINK FLOYD one may have expected a little edge to the compositions. But even on potentially atmospheric and dark concept pieces like TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION the overall impression is just to bright. I think TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD is just about the best synthesis of Parson's production excesses and ERIC WOOLFSON'S syrupy lyrical style. Where things fall down is when the bombast and drama of the music make way for such lyrical ideas. Fortunately on the superb track NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE, Parson's wisely accompanies the wonderful lyrics with a simple acoustic guitar. This track remains for me the finest accomplishment of the Project. Also excellent are the title track (itself a big hit single in the USA) and yet another Edgar Allan Poe effort THE GOLD BUG, which has an atmospheric spaghetti western quality to it. The first four tracks are as one would expect, relatively dull and over-produced, even the epic TIME just doesn't quite satisfy. The Project are on firmer and safer ground with hypnotic instrumentals and minimalist production values. Unfortunately this combination is rare. As for concept, the album is interesting, with outstanding cover artwork. And also listen out for the intro to SNAKE EYES, which is surely a tongue in cheek reference to MONEY.

Average customer rating:

A fairly good Genesis compilation gets better and expanded
Calling All Stations: THEY'RE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Turn It on Again: The Hits
Genesis
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Genesis 1976-1982
Fantasia - Live In Tokyo: 2007 (2CD)
The Police (2CD Anthology)
Turn It on Again: The Hits
Total Rock Review (Dts)

ASIN: B000PUB3OM
Release Date: 2007-06-11

Tracks:

Turn It on Again
No Sone of Mine
I Can't Dance
Hold on My Heart
Jesus He Knows Me
Tell Me Why
Invisible Touch
Land of Confusion
Tonight Tonight Tonight
In Too Deep
Throwing It All Away
Mama
That's All
Illegal Alien
Abacab
No Reply at All
Carpet Crawlers 1999

Tracks:

Paperlate
Keep It Dark
Man on the Corner
Duchess
Misunderstanding
Follow You Follow Me
Many Too Many
Your Own Special Way
Afterglow
Pigeons
Inside and Out
Trick of the Tail
Counting out Time
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
Happy the Man
Knife, Pt. 1
Congo

Album Description

2007 Digitally remastered double-disc set. To coincide with the Genesis European tour which commences in Helsinki from 11th June, Virgin / EMI release a double CD special Tour Edition of the band's Hits collection. This double CD will be available for a limited period (until end of 2007) whilst the band are on tour (including U.S) EMI. 2007.

Album Details

2007 Special Double CD Edition of the Anthology of the Former 1970's Progresssive Rock Band who in the 1980's Became One of the the World's Biggest Selling Pop Bands. This Edition was Created to Celebrate the Group's 2007 World Reunion Tour that Brings the "...and Then There were Three" Trio Back Together Once Again. The Second Disc of this Special Set Includes One off Singles Like "Paperlate" and "Pigeons" (From the UK "Match of the Day EP"), as Well as "Follow You, Follow Me", "Misunderstanding", "Many Too Many" and the Ray Wilson Lead "Congo".

Customer Reviews:

A fairly good Genesis compilation gets better and expanded.......2007-06-28

Genesis' October, 1999 release Turn it On Again - The Hits has been re-released in time for the band's reunion tour (a Stateside release may be forthcoming).
The two discs in the set contains 34 songs and all but one of the tracks (the 1999 re-do of Carpet Crawlers) are freshly remixed by Genesis engineer Nick Davis, and features close to two and a half hours of music.
It also contains a 16-page booklet with a cool looking collage as well as the song titles and writing credits, what songs came from which albums, pictures of the album covers, and thank you's.
Disc 1 is their most recent stuff from 1980 to 1991. We start with the 1980 album Duke's most famous track and this compilation's title cut "Turn It On Again". then we have five tracks from the 1991 US Top 5 album We Can't Dance (No Son of Mine (edited), I Can't Dance, Jesus He Knows Me, Hold on My Heart which were all the big hits from the album and the album cut "Tell Me Why"). Then we have five tracks from 1986's Top 3 album Invisible Touch (the album's chart-topping title cut, Throwing It All Away, Tonight Tonight Tonight(edited), Land of Confusion and In Too Deep all of which were singles). Then there are three tracks from the 1983 Top 10 self-titled effort a/k/a The Shapes Album (the atmospheric "Mama" (here in edited single form with some bits I don't think I ever heard on any version prior to this), the US Top 10 hit "That's All" and Illegal Alien (remixed for this collection)). Then we have two tracks from the first Genesis album to reach the US Top 10 called Abacab (first is the album's title cut (here in single edit form) and then "No Reply at All"). The first disc ends with the 1999 re-recording of the 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway's classic cut "The Carpet Crawlers" dubbed "Carpet Crawlers 99" and is a nice, unique re-recording of the classic Lamb Lies Down album track (this is the only piece on this compilation which was NOT remixed).
Disc two covers 1970-97. We start with "Paperlate" from the UK 3 X 3 EP and the original US edition of the Top 10 album Three Sides Live. Then we pick up with two more tracks from 1981's Abacab ("Keep it Dark" and "Man On the Corner"). Then we have two more tracks from 1980's Duke ("Duchess" and the US Top 20 hit "Misunderstanding"). The band's first US Gold selling Top 20 album, 1978's And Then There Were Three is represented by two tracks ("Many Too Many" and the US Top 30 hit "Follow You Follow Me"). 1977's Top 30 charting Wind and Wuthering is represented by "Afterglow" and "Your Own Special Way". Next is two tracks from the 1977 UK released EP called Spot the Pigeons. First is "Pigeons" and then "Inside and Out" (the only other way to get these tracks is to buy either the Genesis 1976-82 6-CD/6-DVD box set OR buy the Genesis Archives 2 1976-1992 box set). The band's first US Top 40 album A Trick of the Tail is represented by the album's title cut. Then 1974's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is represented by the full version of "Counting Out Time" (the remixed version on Platinum Collection was edited by 10 seconds). 1973's Selling England by the Pound is represented by "I Know What I Like". Next is the single track "Happy the Man" (which was not on an album and is only available on the Genesis archives 1967-75 box set so this is a nice taster of the rarities on the Gabriel years box set). The 1970 album Trespass is represented by the first half of the centerpiece "The Knife". We close things with the track "Congo" from the band's poorly received 1997 album Calling All Stations (which featured Ray wilson in Phil Collins' microphone stand).
This is another great start point for those who want to either discover Genesis or rediscover them in a new light. Or if one chooses, start with The Platinum Collection. Turn it On Again The Hits (2007 Tour Edition) trumps the 1999 single disc dreked version and, like The Platinum Collection, is a stellar look back on one of rock's best bands.
RECOMMENDED!

Calling All Stations: THEY'RE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-27

This past year, there have been many great group fom the past that have buried the hatchet and decided to reunite. It is a absolutely great thing, especially when the music industry, seems to be more interested in acts today that are just about gloss and no substance like Beyonce', Jennifer Lopez, and Kelly Clarkson. With that, the fact that acts like The Police are touring again as reunion tours is really one of the best notions to go out and see what classic rock is made off. That also goes the same from Genesis. Their reunion offically came together back in April with a appearance at VH1's Rock Honors concert, as Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, and Tony Banks returned for a new go-around that sounds great. To celebrate a import hits record has gotten better than ever to expand that style and sound.

The 2007 Genesis Turn It On Again: The Hits Tour Edition, expands a fairly good hits package, into a much more definitive collection, reflecting on the groups longtime era of great pop music during the 70's, 80's and 90's. The collection includes 34 great tracks that sound even better than ever, and show that great music comes from the heart. The songs here expand nicely, and works a bit better than the previous 2005 Platinum Collection, which overlooked a lot of great tracks. The collection includes classics like No Son Of Mine, Jesus He Knows Me, the #1 smash Invisble Touch, In Too Deep, and Follow You, Follow Me, to name a few. The collection also includes overlooked tracks from the original Turn It On Again including the upbeat No Reply At All, Paperlate, and the somber Man On The Corner from Abacab. The collection works very well, and really does a great job of reminding people of an era that now seems to be lost and often forgotten. Sadly, the record does overlook a few tracks, but not as many standouts as other Genesis collections did before, as tracks like Ripples, the Peter Gabriel storytelling from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and the haunting Home By The Sea weren't displayed here, but they were from the Platinum Collection.

All in all, Turn It On Again: The Hits Tour Edition works nicely as a wonderful reintroduction to Genesis, and what makes great songs stand out better than what is supposed to be hot today in the music industry. Although not completely definitive, it works well as a great buy, with a lot of attitude taht works. It is just unfortunate this version hasn't been released in the U.S. yet, but hopefully it will. Otherwise, I recommend this one in favor over the 3 CD Platinum Collection.

Album Cover: B

Songs: B 1/2+

Price: B+

Remastering: A-

Overall: B+

Average customer rating:

overshadowed by their classic debut
Turnin' Through The Years
all dressed up with somewhere to go
The Byrds' Second Album Is Great
Still vital...even if you didn't grow up with it

Turn! Turn! Turn!
The Byrds
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Mr. Tambourine Man
Fifth Dimension
Younger Than Yesterday
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
Ballad of Easy Rider

ASIN: B000002ACP
Release Date: 1996-04-30

Tracks:

Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)
It Won't Be Wrong
Set You Free This Time
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
He Was A Friend Of Mine
The World Turns All Around Her
Satisfied Mind
If You're Gone
The Times They Are A-Changin'
Wait And See
Oh! Susannah
The Day Walk (Never Before)
She Don't Care About Time (Single Version)
The Times They Are A-Changin' (First Version)
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Version 1)
She Don't Care About Time (Version 1)
The World Turns All Around Her (Alternate Mix)
Stranger In A Strange Land (Instrumental)

Amazon.com

Arriving just months after the folk-rock call to arms of their brilliant debut, the Byrds' second album closely follows the same formula, but what a formula: durable American folksongs (from Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and even Stephen Foster) and their own strong originals are laced with the band's keening vocal harmonies and chiming guitars in a mix since institutionalized as a perennial rock dialect. With Seeger's classic title song, the Byrds brought Ecclesiastes onto the charts, importing the urban folk movement's social and political consciousness to the pop mainstream. If the album couldn't repeat the revelatory impact of its predecessor, it's still an earful, from Gene Clark's urgent, ardent "It Won't Be Wrong" to Dylan's contemplative "Lay Down Your Weary Tune." Meticulously remastered, this restored version also boasts unreleased tracks and B-sides, including "She Don't Care About Time," noteworthy for a 12-string solo lifted from Bach. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

overshadowed by their classic debut.......2007-03-23

if this album were a one shot deal by an obscure band, it would seem excellent. problem is, the byrds made many albums, several great ones: so we know they can do better than this. "turn, turn, turn" is a disappointing follow-up to the debut masterpiece which the byrds released in 1965. if you are a 60's music fanatic, or a byrd's maniac, then you will need this. if you are a more casual person in your approach to the bryds, then "mr tambourine man," "younger than yesterday" "the notorious bryd brothers," "sweetheart of the rodeo," and perhaps "the ballad of easy rider" are all you will need.

Turnin' Through The Years.......2006-01-10

'Turn! Turn! Turn!' is the Byrds' second album, & featured the title track, their second & last US #1 single. The rest of the album follows the formula laid down the same year by their debut album, 'Mr. Tambourine Man', though somewhere, this second album is a bit more flawed, which is only understandable due to the hectic conditions under which it was created.

The title track is as wonderful a Byrdesque folk-rock song as any, fully reprising the glory of 'Mr. Tambourine Man', not only commercially, but also artistically.
'It Won't Be Wrong' is another folk-rock classic, whose intro sounds anticipate the coming of psychedelia a few years later. Later the song changes pace & returns to the original speed again later. All in all as great a Byrd song as any on their debut album.
'Set You Free This Time' sets their strongest lyric so far (those covered from Dylan not included), to a tune that marks a slight step down from the previous two songs, but not enough to prevent this from being one of their most underrated gems.
'Lay Down Your Weary Tune' is one of the group's best Dylan-interpretations, and, like all of those, it is hard not to think of it as a Byrds-original. An already strong song loses nothing of its beauty, but is presented in the full grace of folk-rock.
The traditional 'He Was A Friend Of Mine' is buoyed by a great, twangling acoustic guitar, but otherwise the song becomes somewhat tedious in the long run, though it isn't at all bad, and doesn't seem out of place on the album.
'The World Turns All Around Her' is a pure Byrds-classic, complete with the title, a perfect blend of tortured romanticism & mind-altering psychedelia.
'Satisfied Mind' is here transformed into a great Byrds song, but it pales next to the classic 'If You're Gone', an immortal folk-rock jewel.
It is followed by the biggest flaw of the album, the Byrds' cover of Dylan's more-than-immortal classic 'The Times They Are A-Changing'. The band simply betrays the rebellion & protest of the original & try to make it another tender tune, which just doesn't work. For the original is as angry as Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy In The U.K.', and nobody would ever make a serious folk-rock version of that track, well?

'Wait And See' is a suave little love song quite well played, & though it doesn't compensate for the previous track, it is strong enough to overshadow the flaws of the ending track, so it doesn't feel like the last fourth of the album is crap. The cover of 'Oh! Susannah' is indeed an idea spawned of genius, & a great song it is. But it irritates me the way it returns to a single guitar playing the main riff after each verse. This way, an otherwise great, rollin' song, that could have been a Byrds' classic & an album peak, is cut into small pieces, that seriously disturbs your heartbeat ;)... you get up, fall down, get up, and in the end, it gets really annoying. Hard to imagine, but easy to hear.

But except the full-scale flaw of 'The Times They Are A-Changing' & the much better 'Oh! Sussannah', which is anyway mostly a joke, the album is about as great as 'Mr. Tambourine Man'. As for the bonus tracks; 'The Day Walk (Never Before)' has a riff that sounds like 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' some years too early - but otherwise that song is pretty inessential.
But on the other hand, 'She Don't Care About Time' is a timeless Byrds classic, & their cover 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' actually surpasses Dylan's original (the only time the Byrds inarguably did that). Those two songs are so great that it seems complete foolish they were left off the album for the sake of the Byrds' greatest flaw, 'The Times' cover.
As for the alternate versions, they are really not essential, but they don't hrt anybody with their presence, and the instrumental 'Stranger In A Strange Land' is also fine enough, though one can only imagine how the Byrdesque voices entwined in each other would have transformed it...

all dressed up with somewhere to go.......2005-11-13

Between the twenty-third of August and the first of November of 1965, 'The Byrds' recorded the 18 tracks that make up this 1996 reissue of their second album. Already, 'The Byrds' possessed several of the elements that would combine to make them one of the most proficient and influential bands of the greatest decade for music, the 1960's. Jim McGuinn's chiming 12- string guitar sound is fundamental to every song, as are the exquisite background harmonies being delivered by Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Chris Hillman. The only element still reserved for development was their talents as composers. Only vocalist Gene Clark was beginning to reveal himself as more than a soundboard for other writer's works, penning five numbers, four of which are among the best on the disc. Jim McGuinn only offers one composition of note, and David Crosby teams up with McGuinn for his only writing contribution, aside from the closing instrumental.

On 'Turn, Turn', Turn', the continuing success of 'The Byrds' turned on their ability to accomodate old and sometimes obscure compositions, as well as chart-topping hits, to their own distinctive sound. On this disc, the quintet parlay the music of Pete Seeger ('Turn, Turn, Turn'), Bob Dylan ('Lay Down Your Weary Tune', 'He Was a Friend Of Mine', 'The Times They Are A-Changin', and 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue'), and even Stephen Foster ('Oh! Susannah'). It is perhaps that last, unlikely choice that most dramatically demonstrates the remarkable skill of this band to take any composition, especially folk music, and make it their own. If not for the many, many times most of us have both heard and sang along to 'Oh! Susannah', this Byrds version could well pass for a modern folk song. Every Byrd cover I hear brings new meaning to both lyrics and music, often in stunning ways.

Aside from the title track, which endures despite being played into what should be oblivion by now, the best songs on the disc are the Dylan covers. The ninth track, 'The Times They Are A-Changin' was the hoped for sequel to their first Dylan cover, 'Mr. Tambourine Man'. The recording, however, was deemed inferior to expectations, and was shelved toward the end of the album. While it probably didn't deserve to be downplayed, it is the 24 second shorter bonus recording of the same track which should have been released as a single. This bonus track, along with the alternate mix of 'The World Turns All Around Her', a Gene Clark original, present a much more determined atmosphere than the released versions, both suitable for Top-40 contention. Another bonus track, 'The Day Walk (Never Before)' is another Gene Clark composition that should have found it's way onto the 'Turn, Turn, Turn' disc, being the most basic rock tune the band put down during these sessions. Another recording of note is Crosby's 'Stranger In A Strange Land', a tasty instrumental from an artist best known for his talents as a vocalist and lyricist. Add to these numbers two versions of yet another excellent Gene Clark composition, 'She Don't Care About Time', and it's clear that a much bolder 'Turn, Turn, Turn' disc could have emerged in 1965. It's perplexing why producer Terry Melcher didn't hear the potential for some of these tracks over lesser numbers such as 'Satisfied Mind', 'If You're Gone', and 'Wait and See'.

Despite the shortcomings of the original release, all is forgiven with the inclusion of these tracks in this 1996 reissue, adorned with glorious 20-bit remastering. Although subsequent releases such as 'Fifth Dimension' would enlarge, expand, and mature the talents of each band member, 'Turn, Turn, Turn' expands our exposure to what the band was in 1965, in itself a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. Revel in the 12-string and harmonies being applied to some of the finest compositions of any era in this handsomely illustrated package. Definitely four stars, and approaching five.

The Byrds' Second Album Is Great.......2005-08-30

TURN! TURN! TURN!, the second album by the Byrds, is a classic. There are many great songs here, with the best being the title track and "It Won't Be Wrong." The band members were playing their own instruments on every song here, whereas studio musicians had been used for two songs on the debut. The title song was adapted from the Book Of Ecclesiastes by Pete Seeger, and there's also a great Dylan cover or two on this CD as well. The fact that the surviving Byrds believe that the young Australian tourist jailed in Indonesia on drug-smuggling charges was unjustly convicted makes this CD an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.

Still vital...even if you didn't grow up with it.......2005-05-05

I grew up with oldies radio because my parents were fans, but being born in 1970 I was much too young to have heard this album when it was new. I'd already purchased a Greatest Hits on the band which had all the stuff I knew from the radio and had borrowed the band's box set from the library. I didn't like it at the time (I was around 12). It was the wrong time...I didn't have the maturity I needed to "get it". Flash forward about 9 years...I'm now a Tom Petty fan and I'd read that he considered the Byrds a huge influence on his music. I decided I should try and pick up some more of their music and found the original issue (not this re-master) in a bargain bin and discovered what I'd been missing.

The band here was able to catch the zeitgeist of the age with their folk-influenced tunes but the rock guitars kept it from sounding as outdated as much of their contemporaries now sound, along with tasty vocal harmonies and interesting arrangements.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: As I still have only the original issue (no $$ to update to the remaster) my comments will focus only on the original 11 tracks. I'll leave it to others to discuss the 20 bit remastered sound, bonus tracks, and liners...

HIGHLIGHTS:
"Turn! Turn! Turn!" is a rock interpretation of Pete Seeger's folk song based on Solomon's ageless wisdom from the Bible's book of Ecclesiastes. The peace anthem is one of the few that still resonates today without sounding hopelessly hokey or naive (Unlike, say, Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance"). Clark's rebuff of a lover that jilted him and has changed her mind ("Set You Free This Time") is as good as much of the material on their later SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO. "Lay Down Your Weary Tune"'s nature ode is the better of 2 Dylan covers. "He was a Friend of Time" reworked a traditional folk song into a political elegy for JFK. "Satisfied Mind" was already a great song for Porter Wagoner. The folk-rock arrangement here brings its message to ears it might otherwise never reach. "If You're Gone" gathers extra emotional weight from the oddly droning background "oohs" that punctuate the verses."Oh Susanna!" takes an ancient Stephen Foster tune and manages to make it sound modern, utilizing shifting time signatures and a martial snare rhythm near the coda.

LOWS:
"The Times They are a-Changin'" just doesn't work as happy, chiming Rickenbacher rock. I can't comment on the alternate, but the official version seems like a mistake to me. "Wait and See" is pretty lightweight lyrically. It could easily have been done by one of the lesser Merseybeat bands (Freddie and the Dreamers?) It's just not their best material.

BOTTOM LINE:
One of the best rock albums made even with its surfeit of cover material. You can trace a straight line back from Tom Petty, Matthew Sweet, and U2 to these guys. (The Edge's guitar is really just McGuinn's jangle sped up and heavily distorted..especially on something like "Where the Streets Have No Name".) Recommended.

4 1/2 stars

Average customer rating:

The best song Genesis ever recorded is EDITED?
Somebody tell those Gabriel nerds to "SHUT UP!"
A collection off songs that I can't hear anymore
If a band stays together, it will change.
Genesis in One Pop

Turn It On Again: The Hits
Genesis
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hits
Hit
Love Songs: A Compilation...Old and New
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ASIN: B00001ZULV
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

Turn It On Again
Invisible Touch
Mama
Land of Confusion
I Can't Dance
Follow You, Follow Me
Hold On My Heart
ABACAB
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
No Son Of Mine
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
In Too Deep
Congo
Jesus He Knows Me
That's All
Misunderstanding
Throwing It All Away
The Carpet Crawlers 1999

Amazon.com

The sound of Phil Collins's distinctive voice set against a pulsing synthesizer and pounding electro/acoustic percussion became one of the most characteristic and ubiquitous sounds of 1980s (and early '90s) rock. And if Collins's solo work during that period seemed occasionally indistinguishable from that of his band, it was only evidence of the remarkable transformation that Genesis had undergone from its late '60s art-school roots. Indeed, the idea of an eventual Greatest Hits package would have been laughable then. But as the original quintet turned quartet (with the departure of vocalist Peter Gabriel) and then trio (when guitarist Steve Hackett left), the spotlight focused with increasing intensity on Collins and his pop and R&B sense. Though it overlooks a few contenders ("No Reply at All" and "Taking It All Too Hard") in service of balance (and the inclusion of late-model Genesis frontman Ray Wilson), this is a good sampler of one of rock's most consistent (if predictable) hit-makers. Gabriel and Hackett also return for one new track, reuniting the original quintet for a richly textured update of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 's "The Carpet Crawlers." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

The best song Genesis ever recorded is EDITED?.......2007-05-16

This is a fantastic but not flawless collection. However I have a major complaint: The best song Genesis ever recorded, Mama, is edited. All the other songs: Tonight-X3, ABACAB, were all edited for the better. However Mama totally loses its power. Hearing Phils soaring vocals, the drum buildup, the keyboards, and that maniacal laugh set the dark atmesphere. You can feel Phils soulful begging for the prostitute. Than to have edited verses is a disgrace. Great otherwise though.

ha ha HA owwwwwww.......

Somebody tell those Gabriel nerds to "SHUT UP!".......2007-03-29

Sure Pete was good but Phil was BETTER. Anyways, this is classic 80s rock with songs ranging from prostitution (Mama) to drug addiction (Tonight-x3) to Political awareness (Land of Confusion). These songs`ll have you rockin out and singin along. I only wish they`d get rid of Congo and bring in the steller Illegal Alien. Fantastic album, top-to-bottom. Phil, Mike, Tony, Steve, and Peter at their finest.
P.S. Worth the price for the Gabriel-Collins duet remake of The Carpet Crawlers alone!

A collection off songs that I can't hear anymore.......2007-03-13

The hits are there, but if you want the best, search somewhere else
because the best tracks on Genesis's albums haven't been heard on radio.
For instance, the best cut of Duke is Duke's travel - Duke's end, so what you have on this cd...of course Turn it on again and Misunderstanding.
Another example maybe ? The best on "Genesis" album is Home by the sea - Second home by the sea, so what you have on this cd ? Of course, you get Mama and That's all. So again, if you want the hits, this is the one, if you want the best, don't take this one !

If a band stays together, it will change........2007-01-18

It's true, if a band stays together it will change, and sometimes become something different. Genesis changed quite a bit from the Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett days, but then it had also changed from the Ant Phillips
days as well. And. let's not forget that Phil Collins was not an original member of Genesis. He was a very talented drummer and singer who auditioned for the band and was accepted into the fold somewhere around 1970, roughly the same time Steve Hackett joined (unless I'm mistaken).
What I'm trying to say is that a band will undergo several changes as the years progress and with every change they will lose fans and gain fans. This is what happened to Genesis. There's nothing wrong with the Abacab, Invisible Touch version of Genesis any more than fans of that era thinking the Lamb lies down on Broadway, I know what I Like version of Genesis is weird and unapproachable. This is a good CD. It's a good representation of the more commercial, but still very very good version of Genesis, with a bit of the Gabriel, Hackett version thrown in for good measure.
Bands change, it's natural.

Genesis in One Pop.......2006-08-24

"Turn It On Again: The Hits" is a one disc, 18 track compilation of Genesis' chart toppers. Though mostly from Phil Collins' Genesis, there is a track from Peter Gabriel's era, a track from the Ray Wilson "era", and even a bonus track where all the classic lineup members reunite for one last song. It's pop music and love songs for the most part, yeah, but they're very catchy, unique and fairly well crafted ones. I was born in the 1980s, and many of these tracks remind me of my early years at school, so it's got sentimental value for me as well.

Though often with rather icy 1980s production, Phil Collins has a way with his love songs lyrics and his vocals which is very warm, and you can feel the care he has for the relationship he is describing. That's not to say he can't tell a story, like when he tells us about the lonely TV addict in "Turn it On Again", or when he describes the broken down paternal relationship of "No Son of Mine", or even the slightly disturbing character of "Mama" with his sleazy, rhythmic laugh. They're not exactly stories like the ones Peter Gabriel used to tell to Genesis' music, but they're still pretty interesting.

Genesis have done a whole stack of albums, and on a one CD compilation that only covers hits there's a lot left out. Many of the 1970s albums don't get a track in at all.

Here's a rundown of how many tracks came from which albums:

1 track from "Selling England by the Pound" (1973)
1 track from "And Then There Were Three" (1978)
2 tracks from "Duke" (1980)
1 track from "ABACAB" (1981)
2 tracks from "Genesis" (1983)
5 tracks from "Invisible Touch" (1986)
4 tracks from "We Can't Dance" (1991)
1 track from "Calling All Stations" (1997)

The bonus track "Carpet Crawlers 1999" sees all the Peter Gabriel era members come back together (Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins) to sing the classic, cryptic song "Carpet Crawlers" from the 1974 "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" record. Influential audio engineer (and singer of "Video Killed the Radio Star") Trevor Horn produces this new recording, and if you're a fan of his (like I am), you can tell. There's electronic sound effects and a more modern treatment of the vocals and synthesizers. The beat that Phil Collins lays down for this track was a bit unexpected, rather than the driving hand percussion of the 1974 version, he plays some rather laid back rhythms on his drum kit. It all makes the song feel a lot lighter than the original, like it was on a desert island rather than an etheral cathedral (which is what the original always reminded me of, if that makes sense).

There is a newer, 3 disc compilation out called "Plantinum Collection" but I prefer the remastering job on this compilation disc to that one, which has way too much audio compression for my liking. Just because it's "louder" doesn't mean it's clearer, in some cases it's just the opposite. It's mainly the older tracks that get that treatment. Anyway, with "Turn it On Again" you don't have to worry about anything like that.

Together with Phil Collins' "Hits", this will be all the pop Genesis that a casual listener will probably need. If you are looking for more of Peter Gabriel's Genesis, get the old 1970s albums one by one ("Trespass", "Nursery Cryme", "Foxtrot", "Selling England By the Pound" & "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway"). All those albums together make a "Best of Genesis" of a very different kind...

Average customer rating:

Real music lasts forever.
Renassaince at their best
Really great stuff
Can you believe I haven't heard it since the early 80s??
Classical-Rock Synthesis

Turn of the Cards
Renaissance
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000132
Release Date: 1994-09-30

Tracks:

Running Hard
I Think Of You
Things I Don't Understand
Black Flame
Cold Is Being
Mother Russia

Album Description

1994 reissue on the Repertoire label of the prog icon's 1974album, originally released on the BTM label. Six tracks, including 'Running Hard' and 'Mother Russia'.

Customer Reviews:

Real music lasts forever........2007-06-04

Nothing new to say here. If you like prog rock with a touch of classical/magical/psychedelic and performed by real musicians and one incredible voiced lady, then this and Scheharazade need to be your next music purchases. Also, one of my favorite album covers of all time.
Thank you, Repertoire Records.
No outtakes or lyrics included.

Renassaince at their best.......2007-04-15

This cd has very special both music and lyrics . Annie really gets into the spiritual beauty that anyone who is familiar with Renassaince
has come to know . Parts of this music has brought tears of happiness and I would recommend it to those seeking magic music.
Not all of it is happy yet the parts that are , make it worth getting
I am a Renassaince fan from way back and would not be without this special piece of time

Really great stuff.......2007-02-04

It would be really hard to pick a best or favorite Renaissance CD as this one, Ashes Are Burning, Scheherazade, Prologue,and Novella are all so good. This one has "I Think of You" "Black Flame" "Things I don't Understand" "Mother Russia" "Running Hard" and "Cold is Being" all on the same CD. This is how the original LP was released back in the 1970's- there's no bonus tracks but it's just perfect as it is.

Can you believe I haven't heard it since the early 80s??.......2006-06-16

Those were the days my friends, end of the 70s and here in Venezuela I had a select group of prog listenting friends who shared all the insight on whatever we could lay our hands on to..

Renaissance- Annie Haslam's heavenly voice and the group that was able to combine prog with classical.. then life happened and was cut off from this world... Turn of the Cards is one of the finest and you can take it from me that I have not listed to the group in over 20 year

Classical-Rock Synthesis.......2006-06-02

This is the penultimate album from this ever-changing group of British musicians. Probably the most successful ensemble responsible for what I would consider as the best of the groups recording output in their brief history. This particular albums' (it was originally produced on vinyl) release was timed to be synced with their US Tour in 1974. Synonymous with the confusing musical direction of the times, their tour was the platform by which the launch of two notable seventies groups occurred; Kiss and 10cc. If there was ever a more divergent touring group, this was probably it. Interwoven strains of classically influenced music, tempered by harmonies and balance arranged by a carefully orchestrated rock ensemble which included traditional piano and contemporary synthesizer among others. All of this classical influence punctuated by lyrics that represent the very essence of the self-discovery of the times all done with a trace of nostalgic longing. This can be best heard in such tunes as "Running Hard," I Think of You," "Black Flame," and "Mother Russia." A delicate and intricate overlaying of vocal harmonies is also noteworthy in a number of compositions such as "Running Hard," and "Black Flame." I would consider this the one "must-have" recording to obtain out of their complete discography. Although, highly touted as another milestone recording from the group the album; "Sheherazade," was a dismal disappointment to me. If you only want to get one Renaissance recording to sample the best of their work, "Turn of The Cards," would be the obvious choice.

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and th

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