Characters

Track Listings

1. You Will Know

2. Dark 'N' Lovely

3. In Your Corner

4. With Each Beat of My Heart

5. One of a Kind

6. Skeletons

7. Get It - Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder

8. Galaxy Paradise

9. Cryin' Through the Night

10. Free

11. Come Let Me Make Your Love Come Down

12. My Eyes Don't Cry

Characters,Stevie Wonder,Motown / Pgd,Funk,Pop,Pop-Soul,Pop/Rock,R&B,Soul,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Urban

Characters

Characters

An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen
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Ring introduction critique

FASCINATING STUDY FOR NOVICES AND AFFICIONADOS ALIKE

Welcome back to a classic analysis

Essential for Understanding Wagner's Ring Cycle

Very Functional

An Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen
Deryck Cooke , Georg Solti , Wiener Philharmoniker , Anita Valkki , Berit Lindholm , Birgit Nilsson , Brigitte Fassbaender , Christa Ludwig , Claire Watson , Claudia Hellmann , Dame Gwyneth Jones , Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , Eberhard Wächter , George London , Gerhard Stolze , Gottlob Frick , Grace Hoffmann , Gustav Neidlinger , Hans Hotter , Helen Watts , Helga Dernesch , Hetty Plumacher , Ira Malaniuk , James King , Jean Madeira , Joan Sutherland , Kirsten Flagstad , Kurt Böhme , Lucia Popp , Marga Höffgen , Marilyn Tyler , Maureen Guy , Oda Balsborg , Paul Kuen , Régine Crespin , Set Svanholm , Vera Little , Vera Schlosser , Waldemar Kmentt , Walter Kreppel , and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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Wagner's Ring: Turning the Sky Round

Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti

Decoding Wagner: An Invitation to His World of Music Drama (includes 2 CDs)

Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen / Levine, Metropolitan Opera (Complete Ring Cycle)

Ring of the Nibelung

ASIN: B00000424H
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Of All Great Musical Compositions... (Examples 1-4)
The Fundamental Symbol... (Examples 5-11)
Returning Now To The Nature Motive... (Examples 6, 12-16)
A Number Of Further Motives... (Examples 5, 17-21)
A Second, Much Smaller Family... (Examples 22-25)
So Much For Nature. (Examples 26-38)
The Cause Of The Deterioration... (Examples 39-44)
The Other Transformation... (Examples 45-48)
Several Other Motives... (Examples 49-52)
Two Further Motives... (Examples 41, 53-61)
The Basic Motive Associated With The Spear... (Examples 62-68)
Along Another, More Complex Line... (Examples 69-72)
In Act Two Of Walkure... (Examples 69, 73-75)
Returning Now To Act Two Of Walkure... (Examples 76-79)
Love Is Another Of The Central Symbols... (Examples 80-83)
Later In The Same Scene... (Examples 84-87)
Freia's Motive Has Two Independent Segments... (Examples 88-91)
The Label 'Flight'... (Example 92)
When Fasolt, In Scene Two Of Rhinegold... (Examples 93-98)
A Little Later In The Interlude... (Examples 99-103)

Tracks:

The Other New Motive... (Examples 104-109)
There Are Several Independent Love-Motives... (Examples 110-114)
The Characters In Whose Lives... (Examples 115-120)
One Further Motive Belongs... (Example 121)
The Sword Motive Recurs... (Examples 122-130)
Ironically, This Phrase... (Examples 131-135)
Closely Associated With Gutrune's Motive... (Examples 136-140)
Here We Come To The End... (Examples 141-146)
Complemtary To This Symbol... (Examples 147-149)
One Last Central Symbol... (Examples 150-157)
One Further Motive Connected... (Examples 158-161)
There Are One Or Two Motives... (Examples 162-168)
These Motives Of Alberich And Mime... (Examples 169-171)
Quite A Number Of The Subsidiary Motives... (Examples 172-176)
Besides This Family Of Motives... (Examples 177-180)
Our Final Example... (Examples 10, 181, 182)
In The Final Scene Of Gotterdammerung... (Examples 181-183)
Even More Masterly... (Examples 184-188)
Now If We Return... (Examples 189-191)
This Masterly Way... (Examples 192, 193)

Amazon.com

When Wagner set the Ring to music, he intended the orchestra to act in the fashion of a chorus from a classic Greek tragedy--setting the mood and commenting on the action. In order to allow a nonverbal musical line to reflect on the plot, Wagner developed a psychologically and musically complex symbology to communicate his thoughts to the listener. From the beginning the Ring has spawned numerous written commentaries on the relationships of the motif structure, but by using examples from the Decca Ring recording, Deryck Cooke's thoughtful spoken commentary is by far the most accessible guide for either the fledgling Ring enthusiast or the seasoned veteran. --Christian C. Rix

Customer Reviews:

Ring introduction critique.......2006-11-04

This is very worthwhile, at the same time it requires time, patience and attention, but it does provide some keys to better enjoyment of a sensational piece of music.

FASCINATING STUDY FOR NOVICES AND AFFICIONADOS ALIKE.......2006-08-16

This may look an intimidating, daunting and dull prospect - a 2+ hour lecture on the motifs in the Ring. Don't be put off. Whether you're a relative novice to the Ring and want to find out what it's all about, more experienced with a desire to understand the composer's methods better or an afficionado who thinks he knows it all inside out, there is great pleasure as well as elucidation to be had from this set. Originally made to accompany the Decca Solti Ring, it contains a multitude of musical illustrations taken from those recordings as well as some specially recorded by Solti just for this Introduction.

It wasn't the first time this has been tried. The famous HMV sets from the late 20's also included recorded examples of over 100 motifs. (These, by the way, are available as part of the Pearl reissue of those wonderful HMV recordings). What that set lacked was the wonderful insights as well as the approachability of the talk by Deryck Cooke. Cooke was a great and much missed musicologist - a Mahler expert responsible for the performing edition of the Tenth Symphony still most played today, a fascinating explorer into the nature of music's basic building-blocks in his excellent book, The Language of Music, and an inspiring and elucidating critic of Wagner's work as shown by the fascinating book he left unfinished at his death, I Saw the World End.

On these CDs he does much more than list the leitmotifs and identify them as calling-cards. He shows the amazingly integrated and organic growth of the musical material that Wagner uses throughout his vast work. He demonstrates how motifs can change their sense and meaning as they evolve through the drama. And he shows how the complex combinations of motifs can radically advance both the musical and the dramatic narrative of the piece. There are even places where he corrects the misinterpretation of some of the motifs that had become ingrained from early commentators' false labels.

This set should engage and enlighten anyone with an interest in Wagner's huge and inexhaustible tetralogy. Do give it a try - no matter how far down the road to Wagnerianism you are.

Welcome back to a classic analysis.......2006-05-28

Deryck Cooke's lecture series upon THE RING is almost as much a classic by now as the Solti RING cycle, with which it was originally issued on LP, and from which it derives its musical examples. The difference is that whereas the Solti RING has been continuously in print ever since it was completed, and was among the first opera sets to benefit from the CD revolution, the Cooke analysis was for long almost totally unobtainable. Now we have it back. It should be welcomed: it is a classic. Cooke's mellow, deep voice with the hint of a Celtic burr - which made him ideal on BBC radio - patiently explains Wagner's melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic metamorphoses to such good effect that if you own this recording, you really require no other RING analysis. (A pity about the abrupt beginnings and endings of too many vocal and orchestral illustrations, though.) Musicology lost a fine, sensitive thinker with Cooke's premature death in 1976.

If all you want is dilettantish baby food, there are plenty of dumbed-down Wagner commentaries on the market, stretching from Anna Russell's famous monologue (which doesn't pretend to be anything other than a parody aimed at morons) to the latest standard-issue "Wagner-was-a-Nazi-boo-hiss" feuilleton (which, unfortunately, does). Without reasonable score-reading skill you will find Cooke useless, however diligently you have ploughed through Marx, Jung, Freud, or other gurus purportedly relevant to THE RING. Cooke expects you to use your brains and your musical sense. Quelle horreur. At today's BBC his "elitism" would render him unemployable.

Essential for Understanding Wagner's Ring Cycle.......2006-05-15

I originally bought this set on vinyl in the early 70s when I discovered the Ring in college. I studied the records and booklet assiduously, and after about three run-throughs I finally started getting it. Wow! Thirty-five years later, I still remember Mr. Cooke's analyses of various motive families, and I don't know how I could have mastered and loved the Ring without him. I now own this set on CD and listen again on the rare occasion of attending a Ring performance. My wife calls me a "Ring nut," but of course I'm nuts about many other things as well.

Bottom line, buy this set and study it if the Ring has captivated you as it has countless others. The presentation is dry, but sticking with it brings measureless and longlasting rewards.

Very Functional.......2006-03-19

This CD set is excellent for what it sets out to do: present the leitmotives of the Ring according to their relationship to one another and their role in developing both characters and plotlines. Deryck Cooke's lectures on each motive are very insightful, very helpful at cueing the listener into the semantic aspect of Wagner's orchestral writing. The one drawback is that the musical examples are a bit jarring. Without fade-ins or -outs, the engineering is quite barbaric. And though the orchestra was, I believe, conducted by Solti, and is beautifully done, the vocal performances can be quite unpleasant. Point being: this is not background music, but in accomplishing what it sets out to do, it is very successful, and I don't know of anything else like it.

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Stevie Could Do Better, Michael Jackson Adds Hip To The CD
I Wore My Cassette Out!!!
A touch of Wonder
back to the future
WAY Underrated!!!!!!!

Characters
Stevie Wonder
Manufacturer: Motown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In Square Circle
Conversation Peace
The Woman In Red: Selections From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Jungle Fever: Music From The Movie
Hotter Than July

ASIN: B000001AJU
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

You Will Know
Dark 'N' Lovely
In Your Corner
With Each Beat Of My Heart
One Of A Kind
Skeletons
Get It
Galaxy Paradise
Cryin' Through The Night
Free
Come Let Me Make Your Love Come Down
My Eyes Don't Cry

Customer Reviews:

Stevie Could Do Better, Michael Jackson Adds Hip To The CD.......2007-05-17

Stevie Wonder is a superb singer songwriter, entertainer, but this CD is one of his more lesser efforts. Most of the songs on this album seem to carry a 'run-on' single rythmn throughout which after a while starts to sound a bit too irritatingly repetitive. Apart from the one collaboration with Michael Jackson on "Get It" which is really the highlight of the CD because of Michael's effortless ease at making sound seem easy and hip, the only other real conscientious groove by Stevie on his own is "You Will Know". The rest of the CD is only listenable because it's Stevie and if you're a Stevie fan, but..., it could've been better. The CD sleeve design, art and photography is great though, I like the way Stevie looks on this album, but the rest is much to be desired...

I Wore My Cassette Out!!!.......2005-12-26

I bought this on cassette when it first came out. I have since wore it out. I have purchased it on CD and find the songs You Will Know, Skeletons, and With Each Beat Of My Heart to be among the best on this CD. The only song that I don't like is Free. Buy it and you won't be sorry!!!

A touch of Wonder.......2005-03-02

This album is the last of Stevie Wonder's 80's projects. This album was preceded by hit albums such as HOTTER THAN JULY,THE WOMAN IN RED movie soundtrack and IN SQUARE CIRCLE. YOU WILL KNOW would later appear on the 1996 compilation SONG REVIEW. GET IT,a duet with Michael Jackson is a reciprocation for Wonder collaborating with Jackson on JUST GOOD FRIENDS from Jackson's BAD album,released in 1987 as this album. All the other songs are good.

back to the future.......2004-11-17

in this era of protools, perfect pitch, programmed pop, it's easy to forget the stevie wonder championed the one man band concept in black music as early as 1972. he absolutely can be credited with helping usher in a new era of technology with the use of synthesizers, drum machines and programming to flesh out his sound. the ingredient that was not lost was the human touch. a musician first, stevie always included the musical elements of chord structure, rhythm, and melody in his work. By the 80's black pop was less melody and story driven and more beat driven and stevie's music was no exception. in service to the beat, it seems most of the musicianship was getting lost in the mix. his 80's output "in square circle", and to a lesser extent "characters" seem like contractual obligation projects. there are some gems here. "free" and "skeletons" are the socially conscious stevie we expect. "free" especially, with it's crescendo building chorus, is a joy to listen to. the ballads are also good but nothing we haven't heard from stevie before. i suppose after innovating for 20+ years, stevie can't be faulting for coasting a bit. not my favorite stevie cd but fun to listen to.

WAY Underrated!!!!!!!.......2004-03-25

Hey Wonder fans!Come back to 1987 and take a revisit to Wonder's most underrated album I can think of!"Characters" thankfully came before Wonder's sad daliance with dull New Jack
swing arrangements on some of his 1990's albums and makes a much
improved follow up to the unfocused "In Square Circle".Similar sound,MUCH better songwriting.From the sad but memorable "You Will Know",the stomping funk of "Dark And Lovely"the Micahel
Jackson duet "Get It","My Eyes Don't Cry" and the classic
"Skeletons",this album is packed with corkers!And no filler-the latinish "Crying Through The Night",the Supreme's-like "In Your Corner" and the roadhouse R&B of "Come Let Me Make Your Love Come Down" are ticklish highlites while the fabulous
"Galaxy Paradise","Free" and the pulsing ballad "Each Beat Of My Heart" are quintessencial Wonder tunes that (as usual) seem to defy catagorization.And he even has time to throw in a classic pop/R&B tune in "One Of A Kind".This is also one of Stevie's few albums seemingly aimed primarily at the 1980's urban Afro Amercian audience-perhapes a sad reminder of the album's seeming lack of universal success.But that doesn't make ANY of it's 12 cuts any less potent so "Characters" is STILL an all-time Wonder classic!

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Beautiful & uplifting...
Inspiring!

Code of the Goddess
Laura Powers
Manufacturer: Red Harp Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

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A Celtic Journey
Trilogy: Legends of the Goddess III
Legends of the Goddess
Beyond the Pale: Legends of the Goddess II
Point of Faith

ASIN: B0002TFZD6
Release Date: 2004-08-15

Tracks:

Sweetest Song (There is a haven for you)
Rose Line Canon (Hidden in plain view)
Get Inside (Let the quest begin)
Shine Love (For Silas, who always knew pain)
Mystic and the Muse (The blade and the chalice)
Answer Me With Silence (Calling me home)
Opus Dei (For the greater good)
Goddess of the Sea Mist (You are protected on your journey)
A Heart in Winter (Sophie's song to grandpere)
Beyond the Pale (Venture into the unknown)
Winter of Dreams (Grandmere's song to grandpere)
Tir Na N(Rosslyn, grandmere, brother. I am home)
Dance Til the Rain Begins (At journey's end, love remains)

Album Description

The "Code of the Goddess" is an inspired musical exploration of the story from the best-selling novel, "The Da Vinci Code," by Dan Brown, featuring favorite works and new material from Laura Powers, creator of the Legends of the Goddess CD trilogy. A rich tapestry of elegantly layered arrangements interweaves beautiful melodies and mystical lyrics, creating songs that seem to spring from the souls of the characters we've come to know from the novel. This collection offers a perfect introduction to Laura's Celtic-infused music. It has become the soundtrack to my days, a musical companion on my own life journey. Celebrating feminine power and the beauty of the goddess tradition, Laura's earth-and-fire vocals blend with ethereal instrumentation, creating sensuous dreamscapes that transport you to another time, another place. I highly recommend it.

Candy Paull Author of The Art of Abundance, The Art of Encouragement, and 101 Ways to Give Your Soul a Lift.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful & uplifting..........2006-03-20

"Code of the Goddess" takes the characters of the "Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown and breathes musical life into them. After enjoying the book so much the songs in this CD bring another element to the people and storyline of the book. No vague instrumentals and noodling here--These are songs that stand up on their own and to repeated listening. Opus Dei, The Mystic and the Muse, and the lovely "Heart in Winter" (Sophie's song is in both French and English--I recognize Pachabel's Canon in the song) are standouts. If there is no audio here I found sound clips on the artist's website. Well done--packaging is nice, too.

Inspiring!.......2005-03-11

I absolutely LOVE this CD. There isn't a single track that I don't love listening to ... at home, while working, in the car ... it's just one of those collections.

Average customer rating:

Great CD!
LOVED IT!
novelty factor-10 song quality-3

Sesame Road
Sesame Street Characters
Manufacturer: Sony Wonder (Audio)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Born to Add
Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music

ASIN: B000002BBH
Release Date: 1995-10-24

Tracks:

Letter B
Off to School - Elmo
It's Zydeco
Wet or Dry - Chrissy
I Want to Hold Your Ear
Grouch Girls Don't Want to Have Fun
Word Is "No" - Gina, Maria, Sesame Street
Healthy Food
Little Yelp from My Friends - Friends
Rebel L
There's a Lot of Different Ways to Get to School
Hand Talk - Big Bird
ZZ Blues
I'm the Big One Now
D-U-C-K-I-E - Ernie
I'm a Bookworm, Baby! - Bookworms
Wet Paint - How Now Brown Cow, Sesame Street
Once Is Not Enough
It's Just a Rock (But I Like It Fine) - Big Bird
Hey Food

Customer Reviews:

Great CD!.......2006-02-25

My son loves everything Sesame Street. This CD is no exception. It's cute with a fun beat for kids.

LOVED IT!.......1999-07-26

My children loved this! My husband and I also enjoyed the play on the Beatles, etc. My personal favorite is "Rebel L" while my son adores "Grouch Girls". Definitely a good investment.

novelty factor-10 song quality-3.......1999-07-07

As a Beatles fan I love the concept and the clever play on words. The only tracks that are actually musically any good are 'Duckie' and 'Letter B' oh o.k and 'Hey Food'. As for the others, the titles outdo the songs. Great for the kiddies with a few in jokes for parents. I bring this one out for novelty value. Very cute...

Ruth Draper and Her Company of Characters: Selected Monologues

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The Amazing Ruth Draper
Truth Draper

Ruth Draper and Her Company of Characters: Selected Monologues

Manufacturer: BMGSP
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: B000BW37XY

Product Description

"When I first discovered Ruth Draper's recordings, suddenly I had a standard, I had something to aspire to. I was thrilled at the perfection of these monologues and the richness and the humanity of them." -- Lily Tomlin 2 CD Set/9 Track Total Track Listing: Disc 1: 1. The Italian Lesson 2. The Actress 3. Doctors and Diets 4. A German Governess with a Class of Children Disc 2: 1. A Class in Greek Poise 2. On the Porch in a Maine Coast Village 3. Part 1: The Private Secretary 4. Part 2: In the Motor 5. Part 3: At Mrs Mallory's

Customer Reviews:

The Amazing Ruth Draper.......2007-01-16

Ruth Draper, monologist supreme, recorded the material on this double-CD set for the SPOKEN ARTS label in 1954. At the time, she was 70 years old, yet was still capable of vocally portraying female characters of any age. Her 15-year-old immigrant girl was just as convincing as the child's ancient, toothless grandmother, for example.

Draper had a lovely singing voice. If she wished, she could sound as if she were speaking German, Swedish, French or any other language, even though every syllable she uttered was improvised babble.

Two of Draper's very best full-length pieces appear on RUTH DRAPER AND HER COMPANY OF CHARACTERS. The first centers on a droll middle-aged, middle-American gal, having a restaurant lunch with several of her girlfriends, in "Doctors and Diets." Draper portrays only one of them, yet she convinces you that you're among a tableful of women bantering before their midday meal. Hyperactive and cheery, she talks to her friends, the waiter, and several others casually passing by, in a very lively and funny scene. Its really quite remarkable.

The other track here worth noting is "The Italian Lesson." In this one, Draper is a young socialite taking a home-language course with a private tutor. The lady never manages to get beyond the first sentence of Dante's Inferno, which she repeatedly recites in a humorous and stilted way. The lesson is constantly being interrupted by the goings on of a busy upper-class home-- children, a private secretary, phone calls, concerns about those less fortunate all seem to take precedence. Again, by playing a single person, Draper fills the stage with characters, and in the process reveals a great deal about human nature. Another tour de force performance.

The recordings of the amazing Ruth Draper are timeless treasures-- absolute works of art. Highest recommendation.

Truth Draper.......2007-01-09

We call her "Truth" Draper around the house--she seemed to know the things that always would be true. We have had this on casette from a 1954 recording for many years and never tire of listening--especially The Italian Lesson. Having the recordings on CD will be even better! Charming, thoughtul, gripping and FUNNY. The source of endless quotes.

See also a very good article about Ruth Draper in November 1999 Vanity Fair. Also, your library will have books with transcripts of some of the monolgues.

Average customer rating:

Olney, mixed review

Migration
David Olney
Manufacturer: Loud House
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Wheel
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ASIN: B0007YMV88
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Tracks:

The Song
Speak Memory
Lenora
No One Knows What Love Is
My Lovely Assistant
Light From Carolina
All the Same To Me
Ace of Spade Blues
Oh Lord
Birds
Upside Down

Amazon.com

A reputation as a songwriter's songwriter ensures that a troubadour enjoys the highest respect among his peers while receiving minuscule attention from the public at large. Over a career spanning three decades, David Olney has seen his songs recorded by the likes of Emmylou Harris (who praises him in this CD's liner notes), Steve Earle, and Johnny Cash, while resolutely resisting any commercial formula or compromise. The musical settings here range from the flamenco tinge of the opening "The Song," a meditation on the carpentry of songwriting, to the Brecht-like waltz of "My Lovely Assistant" and the raucous rock of "Upside Down." Both "Lenora" and "All the Same to Me" reconfirm Olney as a kindred spirit to the late Townes Van Zandt. Whatever Olney's voice lacks in supple subtlety is offset by the depth of his expressive conviction. Artists looking for fresh material to record will find a country classic in "No One Knows What Love Is," the highlight of an album that explores the essence of song, the mystery of romance, and the relationship between the two. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Olney, mixed review.......2005-07-18

There are a few gems, The Song, Oh Lord, Birds and an upbeat Upside Down, My Lovely Assistant
Some dogs: Ace of Spade Blues, No One Knows What Love Is
and some fairly mediocre stuff
a Contenders classic, Light From Carolina, with only modest and some filler, All the Same To Me Listen Listen
He wwrites great songs, some are on this cd
But, he seems to be singing from some far away place, a place where he may be bored with the whole exercise.
Try other Olney.
Bill

Average customer rating:

an astonishing body of work--this is one-stop shopping for the music of Rupert Holmes, a songwriting genius

Rupert Holmes - Cast of Characters

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

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Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, Loudon Wainwright III and Rupert Holmes all share the distinction of having a song grow to such epic proportions that it casts a career-wide shadow. But even before liking piña coladas and getting caught in the rain became a national pastime, Rupert Holmes had a successful career as producer, performer and songwriter. In fact, the New York Times called Holmes "one of the world's greatest storytellers in song." Over the course of seven years, Holmes released seven albums on five different labels. All of them are included on this box, as well as a Japanese-only album called Scenario from 1994. As if that weren't special enough, we've also compiled a disc of rarities to go along with the album reissues. Add to that extensive liner notes, rare photographs, a flotilla of song lyrics, and notes from the artist himself, and you have a truly dazzling package. All of the discs have been painstakingly remastered in 2005, and approved by Rupert. In fact, he went back into the studio and cut four songs especially for this release, including his version of the only charting song that had cannibalism as its subject: "Timothy." He also performs a version of a hit he wrote for the Partridge Family, "Echo Valley 2-6809." After four successful Broadway shows and multiple Tony Awards, and creating and writing 56 episodes of the critically-acclaimed television series Remember WENN, Holmes is currently promoting his latest novel, Swing, published in March by Random House. [The New York Times called it "smart and impressively elaborate."] His first novel, Where The Truth Lies (recently released in paperback), has been made into a film starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Atom Egoyan. After its recent Cannes debut, the film was lauded as terrific by Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times and a big, slick and sexy mystery by Ray Bennett of the Hollywood Reporter.

Customer Reviews:

an astonishing body of work--this is one-stop shopping for the music of Rupert Holmes, a songwriting genius.......2005-08-10

There are undoubtedly folks out who would think, "A five CD box set of Rupert Holmes? Are you kidding me?" Of course though, these would be the words of someone who doesn't know better.

If you're a genuine fan of Rupert, and realize how much deeper his body of work goes than just "The Pina Colada Song", this limited edition box set is a dream come true. Entitled "Cast of Characters: The Rupert Holmes Songbook", this is indeed a 5 CD set.

The first 4 CDs contain every song from all of his proper albums, going in chronological order by album and retaining the original song sequencing, with none of the songs from any particular album being "stranded" on a separate disc. In other words, each of the first four discs are twofers--disc one contains 1974's "Widescreen" & 1975's self-titled album; disc two contains 1976's "Singles" & 1978's "Pursuit Of Happiness"; disc three contains 1979's "Partners In Crime" & 1980's "Adventure"; and disc four contains 1981's "Full Circle" & 1994's "Scenario", the latter album of which was previously only released in Japan. For the absolute diehards, it's worth pointing out that some minor "trimming" of songs was done in order to squeeze these albums onto 4 CDs; this is somewhat unfortunate--for instance, you lose a memorable snippet of Dean Bailin's song-ending guitar solo on "In You I Trust" due to a slightly early fadeout--but overall it's really not a major gripe. Much of this material has been extremely pricey/ extremely difficult to come by on CD, if not impossible, and great care has been taken here with the remastering, with Rupert himself being very much involved with bringing this set to life.

There is simply an enormous amount of great music on this set--it's an absolute treasure trove. Rupert is one of the most talented melodicists that music has ever had, and this fact is proven again and again and again over the course of these discs. As a lyricist, Rupert's often devastatingly witty and filled with humor, yet often heart-tuggingly sentimental as well. He's proven time and time again to be a terrific, expressive vocalist with a Brian Wilson-style flair for layering his own vocals to create a one-man-choir. And there are also his talents as a producer, as a keyboardist and saxophonist, and as an orchestral arranger.

His first album "Widescreen" has been released on CD twice by Varese Records including a "Collector's Edition"--each of these discs feature tracks from his follow-up album as bonus tracks. Also, 8 of the 10 tracks from his self-titled album and 7 of the 10 from "Singles" are on "The Epoch Collection" CD, also a Varese Records release, although it looks to have gone out of print at some point. I believe that this box set gives the 'neglected' tracks their first appearance on CD.

In the US, "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" hit #1 in late 1979, and the subsequently-released "Him" also hit the Top Ten--the parent album of these two classic tunes is the often whimsical/ sarcastic masterpiece "Partners In Crime" which made it to #33 and became Rupert's first (and presumably only) gold album.

Somewhat amazingly, his next album "Adventure" didn't even make the US top 200, and it seems to have previously only been released on CD in Japan. It does have a slick, synthesizer-heavy sheen, but it really works, and the album contains such gems as the "Day Tripper"-ish riff-rocker "Crowd Pleaser"; the sumptuous ballad "Morning Man"; and the humorous stomper "I Don't Need You". Also superb are the title track and "The Mask" which are wildly dynamic and incredibly catchy songs that, to put it loosely, reflect on the idea of wanting the most out of life.

His next album, "Full Circle", proved to be his last for many years and in the meantime he pursued interests in theatre and screenwriting. I had never seen this album, or even a single track from it, officially available on CD prior to the appearance of this box set. "Full Circle" traces the ups and downs in the relationship of one couple, and includes such gems as the catchy mid-tempo pop-rocker "Loved By The One You Love"; the amusing, yet wonderfully charming "You Remind Me Of You"; the title track with its bracingly emotional chorus and excellent trombone soloing; the dreamily reflective "Love At Second Sight"; and the wonderfully bittersweet album-closer "One Born Every Minute".

Going beyond the call of duty is the 5th disc in this set which brings together non-album tracks, previously unreleased material, and newly recorded tracks--to call this disc a boon to collectors would be putting it mildly. "Magic Trick" is here, a song that seemed damn near impossible to locate previously. There's the fascinating "The Law Of The Jungle", which is basically the backing track of "Escape" with the same melody, but a completely different set of lyrics written before Rupert cooked up the new ones which resulted in the infamous classic "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)". There's also "You Got It All (Over Him)", a demo which ultimately became a huge hit for the Jets in 1986/ 1987--I was flabbergasted to learn that Rupert wrote this song!

Rupert himself contributes really interesting liner notes that reflect upon each album. His notes seem rather rushed at times, but at the same time, perhaps he didn't want to seem overly self-absorbed and was resisting the temptation to write a novel--after all, there is such a large quantity of music here. Printed lyrics are included for every song in the set, and thorough musician credits are also supplied.

To call this box set a pleasant surprise it a major understatement--if you're a fan of soft rock/ great pop-rock songwriting, you simply can't go wrong with this incredible 5 CD set. This is easily one of the best multi-disc sets ever assembled, and a HUGE thumbs to Hip-O Select for releasing this.

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What Are You Waiting For? Buy This CD, and Spread the Word
Heard "Big Dumb Town", Got "BLACK DIAMONDS" ALL tracks great
Ridgway Press Clips

Black Diamond
Stan Ridgway
Manufacturer: Birdcage Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Work the Dumb Oracle

ASIN: B000003RDU
Release Date: 1995-12-01

Tracks:

Big Dumb Town
Gone The Distance
Knife and Fork
Down The Coast Hwy
Luther Played Guitar
Stranded
Wild Bill Donovan
Man Of Stone
Pink Parakeet
Underneath The Big Green Tree
As I Went Out One Morning
Crystal Palace

Amazon.com

Stan Ridgway is the music world's version of a character actor. With his barker's phrasing and sardonic demeanor, he's like the instantly identifiable second banana who brightens the screen for a few minutes before the leading man steps back to the fore. Of course, Ridgway has the same predicament as any good character actor: he's typecast. They remember that yapping voice from his early '80s Wall of Voodoo hits "Mexican Radio" and "Ring of Fire," and it's such a distinctive instrument that his identity has been frozen in time. Black Diamond is Ridgway's conscious effort to stretch out and break ties with his history. A low-budget affair, it finds the Southern California singer stripping down to spare guitar, keyboards, and percussion, in the process placing greater emphasis on his songs. Certainly "Luther Played Guitar" and "Wild Bill Donovan" don't fit with Ridgway's new wave past. The former finds the singer inhabiting the mind of Johnny Cash as he wistfully recalls his early sideman Luther Perkins. The latter is a one-part Warren Zevon tirade, one-part Bob Dylan folk ballad chronicling the exploits of one of America's seminal spies. Speaking of Dylan, Ridgway revives "As I Went Out One Morning" from John Wesley Harding, giving a refined reading to an intriguingly cryptic but seldom-covered song. "Gone the Distance" is yet another Kurt Cobain elegy. The kind of album that slips through the cracks, Black Diamond nevertheless indicates Ridgway's best work may yet lie ahead, even if he may be destined to be the rock & roll Warren Oates. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

What Are You Waiting For? Buy This CD, and Spread the Word.......2003-03-05

Stan Ridgway is one of those "special" artists -- you know, the ones nobody's quite sure they've heard of, but people familiar with him just kind of wink, saying: I've been there.

SR is film, he's music, he's literature, he's Johnny Cash and Rod Serling and Ennio Morricone and all sorts of other things all rolled into one. If Harry Dean Stanton wrote tunes, he'd be Stan Ridgway. If L.A. Confidential were a person, he'd be Stan Ridgway.

Every album Stan's done is the best album he's ever done. They're addictive, they're good driving music, and some stuff, particularly on this CD and on the Drywall: Work the Dumb Oracle CD, will make you feel just a little uncomfortable to be living in this day and age.

Underneath it all, Stan is a stunningly original talent. This is a fantastic CD.

Okay? Buy it. Just buy it. If you don't like it, who knows? Maybe you're not living on the right planet (or maybe you are, and you just don't know it yet).

Heard "Big Dumb Town", Got "BLACK DIAMONDS" ALL tracks great.......1999-11-07

My first exposure to Stan Ridgway was hearing "Big Dumb Town" on a local station, it reminded me of a friend of mine.Had to have the song, Now, how many times have you got a CD because you heard one song and you don't care for the rest of the tracks? Not so with "BLACK DIAMONDS". What a pleasant surprize,every song is great! The only CD I have that no programing is nesessary, just run as is, that is if you can stay off the repeat button! Sincerly, every track is a favorite now."Knife and Fork" is very popular with the ladies.Everyone I've shared "BLACK DIAMONDS with is all like "Stuck to you like crazy glue".

Ridgway Press Clips.......1999-10-11

Some things people have said about Stan Ridgway....

"Stan Ridgway is equal parts Raymond Chandler and John Huston, Rod Serling and Johnny Cash. Haunted by America's pulp serial past, Ridgway has become his own wireless theater, with a cast of thousands at his fingertips and a wealth of tales in his head. A rare and famous talent." - The Face

"Some know him just as the long lost singer with the great Wall of Voodoo, others as one of the great unsung maverick geniuses of our time." - Melody Maker

"More noises from America's lost frontier. His songs tell stories that unfold gradually and trade in old fashioned narrative devices like character and suspense. Its a move at once conservative and daring - but, best of all, it works." - Rolling Stone

"Filtered through his sardonically insightful wit, Ridgway's songs become engaging not only for the details he includes, but the ones he chooses not to expose as well." The Austin Chronicle

Tracks:

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Gabriel to Mary, Weaping
Joseph's Question
The Star to the Stable
Angels' Pastorale
Angels We Hav Heard on High
Balulalow (O My Deir Hert)
Silent Night
Emmanuel
Pie Jesu from Requiem

Album Description

From Grammy winner, Darlene Koldenhoven, this 'anything but traditional' CD "Heavenly Peace" was selected as "Best Holiday CD" by New Age Magazine; "Album of the Month" by The New Times, Seattle; and debuted #2 on the New Age Voice Radio Charts. This glorious collection of original and traditional songs (some non-seasonal) with non-traditional arrangements will evoke that special holiday spirit all year long. As producer of this successful inde release, Darlene chose or composed and arranged most all the songs to tastefully feature her expressively soaring, angelic, five-octave vocal range, with or without lyrics. The lyrics touch upon the spiritual and emotional sides of all the characters involved in the Christmas Story, while the music and production reflect elements of classical, world, jazz, and new age. A serene and joyful celebration with mostly synthesized accompaniment and acoustic soloists on various traditional and world instruments. If you liked her featured solo, "Aria," in "Yanni, Live at the Acropolis" you'll love her vocal and keyboard work here. With plenty of musical interest for attentive listening, this album will also create a soothing background ambience. From comments by radio programmers, to listeners world wide, EVERY track on this album is musically and spiritually satisfying. Heavenly Peace . . . indeed!

Customer Reviews:

An Awesome Experience.......2005-01-08

Although parts of this recording are sung in a vocal range that the Modern Listener isn't comfortable with, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys extreme talent. Listening to this CD is an experience: I was soaring on Pie Jesu. Koldenhaven is the most exciting female singer since discovering Loreena McKennitt.

Beautiful Voice.......2002-11-19

The tonal quality of Darlene's voice is simply superb. Both rich and delicate. I would estimate at least a four octave range of superb, stylish aural splendor. Her talent goes well beyond just being a superb singer. She also arranged many of the "Heavenly Peace" songs, and produced this CD. Do I have a favorite song? Not really, they are all great for listening. But if I have to select a favorite, it would be "Emmanuel" ... a pure, ethereal song of magical beauty. I play this song over and over and over. The CD is my Christmas morning music while opening gifts. Highly recommended.

Heavenly Peace, indeed!.......2000-11-28

A few seconds into my initial listening to its first track, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," I sensed that Heavenly Peace was not going to be a typical Christmas album, and as the rest of the album unfolded, that first impression became ever more deliciously validated. The multi-layered vocals on the song, in their interplay with the violin solo, alert listeners that they are in for some groundbreaking music, period, let alone a singular contribution to the seasonal literature.

As the album continues to cast its spell, one quickly develops an appreciation for all the unique ways that Koldenhoven informs the holiday musical legacy, making new even the most familiar tunes and, simultaneously, the wonder of the Christmas story. Even more remarkable than her crystal-clear five-octave instrument (from below second alto to up, up, and away) is the fact that she manages to exploit its full range without showy, gimmick-laden histrionics.

Several original compositions, including the wordless "Angels' Pastorale," add depth to the listening experience, and the sensitive lyrics (especially on "Joseph's Question") are worthy of the delicate settings that cradle them. Even the best-known tunes are so imaginatively delivered that one may be more tempted to wonder where one has heard the song before than to (attempt to) sing along. "Silent Night," packaged a bit like The Manhattan Transfer's version, comes the closest to sounding like something I can use as a basis of comparison, although if you're a Sarah Brightman fan, this collection will surely appeal to you, as it mines similarly etheric stylistic territory. It even closes with Koldenhoven's heartfelt (and superior) take on one of Brightman's signature tunes, "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem.

Although hers isn't a household name, you may know the artist for her work with Yanni (she sang "Aria" on his Live at the Acropolis video and his In the Mirror CD), 2+2 (a jazz group with whom she earned three Grammy nominations and one award), or Inner Voices. The latter all-female quartet's 1990 Christmas Harmony is one of those very few holiday releases that have made my playlist every year since its release. I know that Heavenly Peace will join that special group of discs next year, and every year from then on.

Filth & Fire
Average customer rating:

Phantom Review!

Women Can Be Outlaws Too

Great but demanding album

One of The Best Albums I Have Ever Heard!!!!!!

Downright home spun fire and brimstone

Filth & Fire
Mary Gauthier
Manufacturer: Signature Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Filth & Fire

ASIN: B000068QUC
Release Date: 2002-07-09

Tracks:

Walk Through Fire
Long Way To Fall
Sugar Cane
Merry Go Round
Good-Bye
Camelot Motel
After You're Gone
The Ledge
Christmas In Paradise
For Rose
The Sun Fades The Color Of Everything

Amazon.com

The misfit, prodigal lives that scrape and struggle through this Louisiana-born singer-songwriter's third album are all "looking for the grace from which they fell." They find it in unlikely images and places: a freeway phone booth, a stolen Christmas tree, a flaming field of sugar cane, a motel tryst, a sunset "the color of everything." Producer Gurf Morlix's signature sound--churning Hammond organ, bubbling vintage guitars, swampy grooves--isn't just well suited to Gauthier's vision--it toughens the moral grit and turns up the emotional heat. If Gauthier remains obsessed with the darker side of life, she also knows of the human truths hidden there. Like Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town or Lucinda Williams's Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Filth & Fire is an immediately convincing work of personal, poetic realism. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews:

Phantom Review!.......2005-09-24

I can't review the item b/c it has not arrived! But MG is a superb singer-songwriter. Why did you ask me to review something that your records should have told YOU you did not send?

Women Can Be Outlaws Too.......2005-07-05

For those of you who think Lucinda Williams is a dirty lowdown country slut but you like her anyway, you'll thrill to Mary Gauthier. My favorite of many excellent songs is The Ledge, a scary tune about being at the bottom and looking up at all the jerks above you. The reason Gauthier hasn't yet hit the big time may be that she doesn't write enough songs about BOYS. I mean, it worked for the Rolling Stones, but hey, this is a funny country.

Great but demanding album.......2004-05-22

"Filth & Fire" is a great album. I don't know whether Gauthier's previous albums are as good as this one, but, if so,
I wonder why she isn't as famous as the other gal coming from Louisiana (that is, Lucinda Williams).

The standout here is "Sugar Cane": a narrative about the environmental pollution caused by (guess what?) a sugar cane factory in the Mississippi Delta. Because of its social commentary, this song is steeped in the best tradition of folk music, but it's also a plain good country song with harmonica and fiddle providing a nice texture. After just one listening, you'll know the chorus by heart ("From Thibodaux to Raceland, there's fire in the fields...").

"Sugar Cane" also epitomizes the double nature of this album: committed, social-conscious lyrics, often verging on bleakness and hopelessness, wrapped up in upbeat layers of sounds supplied by harmonica, fiddle, lap steel, mandolin and slide guitar.

For instance, you'll love the mandolin that introduces the refrain in "Good-bye", even though the words are anything but joyful: "Born a bastard child in New Orleans to a woman I've never seen...". Or, in "Merry-go-round": "From the milky white of heroin as it bubbles and sooths, the dirty sheets you lie on with nothing left to lose". To complete this journey to hell, give also a listening to "Christmas in Paradise" and "Camelot Motel". I spare you the grim details here.

But beware, she's not striking a pose. She sounds honest even when she describes her homeless Christmas under a bridge with her vagabond companion (as in "Christmas in Paradise").

So, don't be intimidated by this album. There are also a couple of love songs; for instance, "After you're gone" is
pure vintage country, a nice duet with Gurf Morlix. Even though all players are top-notch, this guy deserves the
highest praise, because he plays most of the instruments and produces the album.

"Filth and Fire" ends in a calm tone. "The sun fades" is basically just her voice and an acoustic guitar. Her attitude is serene and makes me hope her next album will be a little bit brighter lyrically and the same musically.

One of The Best Albums I Have Ever Heard!!!!!!.......2003-07-03

I've been in radio for 38 years. Yeah I'm getting older. Part of the problem with loving music and having to work with it everyday is that you get jaded. You get cynical. Then along comes Mary Gauthier. Her 3rd album. Her first for me. It is dark. It is brilliant. She has made me remember what I felt like when I first heard Bob Dylan. When I first heard The Band. When I first heard John Prine. When I first heard Leonard Cohen. Thank you Mary Gauthier and thank you God for giving her this amazing talent. I can only give 5 stars. I would have given it 10!

Downright home spun fire and brimstone.......2003-06-14

Mary Gauthier is a prophet of country folk. She tales a dark tale of Johnny Cash spirituality and down on your luck grittiness. She is authentic and Louisianian. She is apocalypse coming to a bayou. She is real and a damn fine listen at that.

The authentic life she portrays is refreshing in a neuvo biblical Revelations sort of way. Her accent isn't a put-on. She knows of stories of hard times and falls and fires. Her music is stripped down unpretentiousness. Old country pure and black.

She summons ghost of Neil Young (if he were dead...God forbid), Cowboy Junkies, Nancy Apple, Roseanne Cash, Robert Earle Keene,and many many more. The songs, though sometimes painful and dark, invite repeated listens. You will get the real deal and turn heads listening this with windows rolled down, a hound dawg panting in your ear, '67 chevy truck at a stop-light in a one-horse town.

Gauthier is darkness on the edge of town and harvest and oh so much in addition.

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