Question [Import]

Product Description
Fench-pop superstar's 1971 album. One of her best post-'60s efforts. Tracks include, 'Chanson D'O' and 'Le Martien'. 1995 release. Limited edition digipak. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

Question
How Is It (We Are Here)
And The Tide Rushes In
Don't You Feel Small
Tortoise And The Hare
It's Up To You
Minstrel's Song
Dawning Is The Day
Melancholy Man
The Balance

Customer Reviews:

Just Slightly Off-balance .......2007-06-07

I hesitate to even write this because I know I am going to feel guilty for speaking ill of my beloved Moodies. In posting, it will be evident that I am not so biased in my love for Hayward and Lodge that I can't give a critical assessment, contrary to what some of my other glowing reviews might lead one to believe. I did give AQOB 3 out of 5 stars so I didn't think it was ALL bad: my all-time favorite Justin Hayward song (written/sung by him for the MB'S) is on this CD.

The Hayward-penned 'Question' is reason enough to own this album. This is the BEST of his Moodies songs, bar none. It should be the one Justin is remembered and lauded for, not NIWS. This brilliant song is superior to 'Nights' in every way possible- arrangement, melody, tempo, lyrics- not to mention the way JH absolutely sings the living daylights out of it. The fact that the song was an "accident" just shows the depths of this man's awesome talents. He tells the story of how he needed a song at the last minute for a recording session and didn't have one ready. He did have 2 songs that were both unfinished AND in the same key. He decided to just go to the studio and fake it, as he put it. The result is just pure brilliance! Unfortunately nothing else Justin contributed to on this album appealed to me at all, save his great backing and harmony vocals on Lodge's 'Tortoise and the Hare'.

Speaking of my dear Lodgie and 'Tortoise': this is a rocking, fun, little song that for some reason has been sadly over-looked. I love the unique way JL re-tells the classic story. The words, music, beat and tempo are great, not to mention the great harmonies from J&J. John's other offering, 'Minstrel's Song' has taken me some time to warm to it, though I don't quite know why. Perhaps this song is a reflection of how John sees himself: as a simple minstrel traveling around singing his songs for the people. Both Graeme's percussion work and Justin's guitar riffs are outstanding on this song, and John's voice is so strong and pure. I have to say though, that I am liking 'Minstrel' better and better every time I hear it. Maybe it's one of those songs you have to listen to several times to fully appreciate how good it actually is.

Ray Thomas' 'And the Tide Rushes In' is a breathtakingly beautiful song and Ray sings it to utter perfection.

Apart from the one song from Justin, one from Ray, and the two from John, this album really just didn't "do it" for me, sorry. Nevertheless, it's still infinitely better than 99% of the drivel that's passed off as music today.

Don't Question This Classic Collection! :).......2007-06-02

To start off, what a topnotch remastering job on this splendid release! :)

Here is where my favorite mix of "Question" can be found (I prefer this mix over the mixes featured on the "This Is The Moody Blues" and "Voices In The Sky" collections, because I was first introduced to the album mix). The loud and energetic introduction, with the crashing drums, mellotrons, and chanting vocal, really gets me psyched, whenever I hear it! Good for the 1996 compilation, "The Best Of The Moody Blues" (And 1998's "Moody Blues Anthology") featuring the album mix of this Justin Hayward hit, I might add. :)

"How Is It (We Are Here)" features outstanding mellotrons, making me think back to the mellotron-driven sound of "To Our Children's Children's Children" ... This Mike Pinder track sounds more like a track from "Children's," more than any other on "A Question Of Balance." The instrumental break is out of this world, featuring the electric guitar (sounding like a prelude to the "bee buzz" electric guitar heard on "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" and onward) blending in with the mellotrons, as well as the super-cool high "squeaking" synthesizer effects, giving the song an otherworldly sound.

"And The Tide Rushes In" makes for a calm and beautiful tune, and the instrumentation creates the setting of a tranquil seashore with waves "rushing in," in the distance. :)

"Don't You Feel Small" sounds a bit on the eerie side, with the whispered voice accompanying the singing (You can hear the same style of vocal overdubbing on The Doors' hit, "Riders On The Storm"). Ray Thomas plays the flute in a similar fashion to the solo heard in the middle of "Legend of A Mind," from "In Search Of The Lost Chord," and it sounds superb! You can also hear some deep haunting sounds from the mellotrons, near the end of the song, reminiscent of the mellotrons heard on the "Children's" track, "Eternity Road." This is an unusual but cool sounding Moody Blues' track. :)

The percussion sounds excellent on John Lodge's "Tortoise and the Hare," and so do the rockin' double-tracked lead guitars, during the instrumental break ... Also, notice that John Lodge's voice is double-tracked (And also separated, slightly, from one another, in the stereo field, as heard through headphones), as he sings in two octaves during the "While you were sleeping" parts of the song.

"It's Up To You" reminds me of "Lovely To See You," from "On The Threshold Of A Dream," only slightly more mellow. The double-tracked electric guitars sound wonderful, once again, and I like the "wave-like" effects from the drums during the "If they knew that we have got nothing to lose" parts of the song. :)

"Minstrel's Song," much like "Every Good Boy's" track "Nice To Be Here," is an upbeat, cheerful tune, and the flutes and percussion really stand out, on this track. Justin Hayward's brief solo, "Listen to the One ... Who sings of love," near the end of the song, is sung with perfection, and right on the beat!

"Dawning Is The Day" reminds me of "Tuesday Afternoon," from "Days Of Future Passed," when listening to the combination of the flute, mellotron, and piano. Notice how, near the end of the song, the Moodies chant, "Listen, we think we have found you," repeatedly, but right before the song fades into "Melancholy Man," the lyrics switch over to "Listen, we think we can see you" ... How sneaky! :)

Similar to the "Caught Live +5" track, "What Am I Doing Here?," "Melancholy Man" makes for a beautifully dramatic dark Moody Blues' composition ... Just like "How Is It (We Are Here)," loads of interesting sounds and keyboard elements are featured on this particular Pinder tune. The combination of the wind (or "whirlwind") effects and the intense synthesizer sound, in the middle of the song, puts the "icing on the cake," when it comes to following through with the theme of the song! Nice job with the backing vocals on the choruses, mainly from Justin and Ray.

"The Balance" made for the perfect poetic finale to the album ... The chorus is catchy and the instrumentation is arranged beautifully. Also, the individual band members' voices are heard, near the end of the song, as they take turns singing lines like, "Do you realize?," "Yeah, yeah...," and "Just open your heart." Also, is that John singing in falsetto behind Mike's narration? :)

In conclusion, ask no "questions" about adding this classic Moody Blues release to your audio library! Thanks for reading! God Bless... :)

the Flash, then the Dud.......2007-04-14

The Moody Blues were for my generation the Powerhouse Band that fused hard rock with classical to create dreamscapes. Their signature sound enthralled millions!

Yet they started to slip from their pedestals, beginning with this album.

The Song "Question" was by far one of their most powerful, beautiful and brilliant pieces ever created. Yet the other songs and ballads on this album are, in my opinion, mediocre.

The blues resurfaced and climbed their pedestal once again with "Seventh Sojurn." From then on, they have never been as creative as they were on "To Our Children's Children's Children."

The best way to buy this album is to get on an online MP3 service and purchase only the song: "Question."

The Perfect Balance Between Prog and Rock.......2007-01-30

The best set of songs and most hardrocking set by the Moodies. Good album.
They tried to get away from overdubbing here so they could do it live.

My least favorite of the Classic 7.......2006-11-23

But still, when it works, it's great. By now, the MBs world view is incorporating environmentalism (we'll spoil the seas with the rivers we've lost, concrete caves with iron doors), give-and-take with relationships (the tide rushes in), and sobriety (the overall feel of the album is certainly less spacey). Especially for Pinder's contributions, their familiar themes are for the first time sounding a bit weary, like the interminable "Melancholy Man" and the sappy "Minstrel's Song", and the more-preachy-than-protest "How Is It". Justin Hayward's songs are top-notch, "Question" I find a bit disjointed but the two parts that comprise it are brilliant. "Dawning is the Day" is a beautiful song, brimming with optimism and Ray Thomas's best flute break (if you can call it that). "It's Up To You" is a fine, uptempo rocker with very nice guitar/bass interplay. John Lodge's "Tortoise and Hare" has a mesmerising 12/8 beat (but you don't have to know that to like the song, which is a hard rocking musical version of the old fable), and "Minstrel Song", once you get past the sappiness, has beautiful melodies and harmonies. Graeme Edge makes his songwriting debut here with "Don't You Feel Small", and it's actually a very effective song. Ray Thomas's only song is a bit lightweight (Tide Rushes In) but inoffensive, and the song he co-writes with Edge, "The Balance", shows admirable restraint, given that it is widely seen as a standard pompous portentious philosophic statement that is supposed to end this particular opus.

Average customer rating:

"Don't Question This Classic Collection," Deluxe Edition! :)
HEADACHE
A Question Of Mix
INTENSE re-mastering...
Beautiful Sounds

Question of Balance
Moody Blues
Manufacturer: Ume Imports
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000EHQ57Q
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Album Description

UK SACD Deluxe Edition. Features five bonus tracks, Question - Alternate Version (Bonus Track), Minstrel's Song - Original Mix (Bonus Track), It's Up To You - Original Mix (Bonus Track), Don't You Feel Small - Original Mix (Bonus Track) and Dawning Is The Day - Full Original Mix (Bonus Track). Universal. 2006.

Customer Reviews:

"Don't Question This Classic Collection," Deluxe Edition! :).......2007-06-02

*The following comments are in regard to the bonus tracks on this release. To read my opinions on the original content of this album, check out my review under:
"A Question of Balance" by The Moody Blues (Audio CD - 1997) - Original recording remastered

Here is what I enjoyed about each of these outstanding bonus offerings...

"Mike's Number One:"
An upbeat and beautiful spiritual sounding Mike Pinder tune ... Based on the lyrics, this song could have been titled, "A Happening," "Do You Know?," or "See The Glory." The track definitely has that "A Question Of Balance" sound to it, but it also would have made a fine addition to Mike's 1976 solo release, "The Promise," or could have made a possible bonus track for that CD release. :)

"Question" (alternate version):
This mix is like an extended version of the single mix of the song ... The sound quality is outstanding on this mix, especially on the louder elements of the song. The track also comes to a full ending with somewhat of a Spanish-flavored guitar style, at the very end. :)

"Minstrel's Song" (original mix):
This is probably the least interesting of the bonus cuts, because the song fades in, on this occasion, with very faint vocals heard in the intro. The song also fades out in the exact same spot as the album mix, because while the final version fades into "Dawning Is The Day," we can still hear The Moodies chanting "Around, around," one last time, very faintly, at the beginning of "D.I.T.D." The only positive side to this mix is that it is not cross-faded with the tracks that surround the song, on the final version.

"It's Up To You" (original mix):
Much like the single and "Best Of" (Ex: "The Best Of The Moody Blues," "Gold") mixes of "The Story In Your Eyes," from "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour," this version of "It's Up To You" is similar to the original album version, but the instrumentation near the end of the track is carried on a little bit further, before the fadeout ... It's good "ear candy" which listeners haven't heard before. :)

"Don't You Feel Small" (original mix):
This version has an extended beginning AND ending to it! The instrumental lead-in, at the beginning, is awesome, and sounds similar to the instrumental fadeout, near the end of the song ... Nice job on the guitars, mellotrons, and percussion, all at the same time! :)

"Dawning Is The Day" (full original mix):
Same format as the previous mix (above), and the deleted material sounds just as great! :)

In addition, the CD booklet, that accompanies this release, provides readers with the details on the controversial album cover to this LP (rear sleeve) ... Check out this release to get the full story (Page 13). Fans who own both this CD release and the 1997 CD remaster will notice that this version features the artwork that was changed while the 1997 version features the original artwork.

Just like the 1997 CD remaster of "A Question of Balance," this Deluxe Edition also featured a topnotch remastering job! I would recommend this release to any Moody Blues fan or collector. Thanks for reading! God Bless... :)

HEADACHE.......2007-04-08

I love the Moody Blues. I love this album. Alas, I am no audiophile. I dont have a turntable that is aligned with the axis of the earth OR a surround sound system or SACD--you get the picture. I got the disc for the bonus tracks (I paid 30 bones--buyer beware)....But the album itself on this disc sounds terrible! Its like they threw all the levels in the red (I just got done listening to it and my ears feel terrible!) and compressed the ever living life out of it! All levels red with no compression works for Iggy and the Stooges (thank goodness) but not the Moody Blues.....

the other discs in the European SACD series have sounded spectacular even on a regular player but this one is horrible! Im not trying to be negative....This is the first disc I have owned to give me a HEADACHE! Im serious! LET IT BREATHE!

A Question Of Mix.......2007-01-13

Okay, let's start off by addressing some of the complaints that most people have. As far as the bass being mixed too low on this release I have to say after owning this in every lp and cd edition that the bass was always a bit lower on this album than on some of the other Moodies albums. The mix itself is from the original quad lp versions done by producer Tony Clarke in early 1972. The quad mixes were different in order to take advantage of the four way split instead of the regular stereo two way split. This meant mixing the album differently from a conventional stereo album. Many of the "effects" that are in the backgroud of the stereo version are turned up here changing the overall "balanced" sound of the album in order to give the best quad sound. As far as the music itself, this album has a much more basic feel than the band's last, To Our Children's Children's Children which might have had in part something to do with the fact that it wasn't the big hit the band wanted at the time it was released. That was the first released for their label Threshold. The opening song Question had been released on single a few months before this album's release and had become a big hit for the band. This album includes many Moodies classics and doesn't have a bad song on the release. Songs like Question, Melencholy Man, And The Tide Rushes In, and It's Up To You sound just as well today as they did back when this album was released. If you like the Moodies, you'll love this album.

INTENSE re-mastering..........2006-07-15

Well shame on the people involved in this "SACD Deluxe Edition" project. Oh, maybe that's a little harsh.
First off, as another Amazon reviewer noted, the sound has been aggressively compressed, which means, by the time you've reached the later stages of the album, you may experience some ear fatigue. The sound is unrelenting and it changes the original dynamics. I felt like I was hearing a whole new mix. Another sign of over compressing. It seemed to help at least a couple songs "The Balance," where the bottom end was a lot more in control and "Never Comes The Day," which sounded really clear and focused. But, overall, has the whole music industry gone "compression" crazy? Or, are the Moody Blues worried that their back catalogue (the holy seven) was lacking musical muscle, and are super charging it with heavy compression?

Also, another reviewer talked about the bass being too quiet for the surround sound mix, but I felt the bass wasn't as strong on the "regular" mix, as it is on the other "SACD Deluxe Editions." It's reasonable, but not as breathtakingly boosted as the others in this deluxe series.

Another thing about aggressive compression, this also happened about a year ago when I bought the EMI "re-master" of Deep Purple's 1973 album "Who Do We Think We Are." By the time I got towards the end, my ears were tired. So, recently I bought the gold disc version which avoids over compression, and it not only sounded better, but my ears weren't tired by the end. But, since the Moodies don't play as loud, it shouldn't be a problem. Now that I got that off my chest...

Secondly, the "SACD Deluxe Edition" bonus track enticement, just ticks me off to no end. Sure, there's a good rare track here, from keyboardist Mike Pinder, but the rest is nothing special.

Thirdly, as another Amazon reviewer noted, the great cover artwork has been ruined by the people in charge of reproducing the cover! The cover images have been reproduced way too light so that nearly all the detail has been faded. But, the booklet is great with lots of color photos, stories and studio information.

In conclusion, after hearing a number of these "SACD Deluxe Editions," I'll be keeping my old (1997) re-masters, after all, they still look and sound great. So now I'll have two versions of each album. Just what I needed?!

Beautiful Sounds.......2006-07-14

The Moody Blues albums have always been famous for their sophisticated production and engeneering (in the vynil era at least)but the CD transfers up ' til now were absolutely disastrous sounding.
These SACD re-issues finally seem to make things right.
I have only listened to "Question" but was amazed at the clarity and power of this remastering.
I have not heard the 5.1 suround mix because although i have a Sony dvd player with SACD capability you also have to have a receiver with the proper connections wich is not the usual optical one used for getting surround from movies and such.
Anyway,the stereo remastering has been supervised by Justin Hayward and it shows in the care that was put in this project.
Truly beautiful sound that finally matches the quality of the original recording and does justice to a great album.

Ah yes ! It sounds very good on an ordinary cd player too.

Average customer rating:

better version of 'the question'
Must Buy
I just can't give them 3 stars. They're freaking Emery
Quickie?
Emery ~The Question~ *bonus

The Question
Emery
Manufacturer: Tooth & Nail Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000JCETHO
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Tracks:

So Cold I Could See My Breath
Playing With Fire
Returning The Smile You Had From The Start
Studying Politics
Left With Alabis And Lying Eyes
Listening To Freddie Mercury
The Weakest
Miss Behavin'
In Between 4th And 7th Street
The Terrible Secret
In A Lose, Lose Situation
In A Win, Win Situation
Playing With Fire (Acoustic)
The Ponytail Parades (Acoustic)
Walls (Acoustic)
Fractions (Acoustic)
Studying Politics (Acoustic)
Death To Inconvenience
Thought Life

Customer Reviews:

better version of 'the question'.......2007-05-27

this version of the question seems to be a little more like emery than the first version was for me. i was worried emery was heading toward a pop-mainstream sound with the first version. the acoustic promo cd that came with the first version was somewhat pop and took a little bit of an acquired taste for me.

however... i think they did a good job putting these 'acoustic' tracks together - that is, if you can call them acoustic. they just seem to be new renditions of their originals at a slower tempo. but i like it - i think they pulled a few of them off. walls and fractions seem kind of strange to me... but it's emery, so i'm sure it will grow on me.

not so sure they should have included the demos on here. the last song (thoughtlife: demo) is pretty good, but still needs a little more life brought into it. the other demo (death to inconvenience) is just a work in progress that probably should have been left off the cd.

this is a good cd. but unless you're a die hard emery fan, OR you haven't already purchased the first version, skip on this purchase.

Must Buy.......2007-04-01

I already had the original copy of the cd, but the extra songs are amazing. If you're a fan of Emery, you must buy this cd.

I just can't give them 3 stars. They're freaking Emery.......2007-01-30

Anyways, when I first bought The original Question, I liked it. I thought it wasn't as good as The Weak's End but still I thought it was a solid sophomore album. Anyways, if you like just music ad don't care about DVD's and acoustics just buy the original...

My thoughts on the Acoustic songs and the Demos..
I thought they are alright... The Ponytail Parades acoustic was good I have to say, still I liked the one on The Question Sampler (got it at Warped Tour 2005 for a buck)... And I have to say, the beginning of Walls was great, it surprised me. But, thats a little biased because I LOVE Walls. The rest acoustics are decent, just not my favorites.

As for the DVD... It's well, a DVD. I liked it but it seemed a little confusing at times. Oh by the way, there are 6 hidden things on it. 4 songs, -Original The Sercet, Shift, X-Mas mix, and To Whom It May Concern- and 2 I'll call them mini movies... -Matt explains his thoughts on Sparkling Water and "Emery's" Post show, in which Devin talks about Bottled Water, Toby talks about his thoughts on the show, and Matt has is "shower"-

All in all, It's decent. If you love the band then get it, if you like them then don't bother. And if you ever get the chance to see them live, do so!

Quickie?.......2006-11-30

This is a great album to buy if you haven't already picked up the origional release. However, if you do already own it, don't waste your time on this.

This is a typical re-release; a cd quickly put together with little to no effort for the sake of profit.

I must admit Emery would sell a ton of copies if they took alot of time to release a full length acoustic. However, these few tracks just don't do the job. I'm guessing most of the tracks were done in 2-3 takes. Why? Check out 1:53-57 on the song "Walls". There is a bell solo with a HUGE mistake in it. When I first heard this I quickly rewound it and listened to it several more times just to make sure my ears werent decieving me. Sure enough, there it was, time after time.

UPDATE:
I'd just like to add that I really do enjoy Playing With Fire [Acoustic]

Emery ~The Question~ *bonus.......2006-11-24

I am a diehard Emery fan. Saw them on their first tour, loved The Weak's End, loved The Question and am a huge fan of the acoustic disc they released as part of the prerelease package for The Question when it originally came out.

This re-release, from a musical standpoint, isn't very good.

I'm not a bonus DVD guy, I admit that. I could honestly care less about back stage footage and behind the scene's information... that's all worthless to me. I'm in this for the sole purpose of new music or new versions of songs so, if you're into DVD's, maybe this will be your thing. With regards to additional versions of songs (and new songs altogether), let me give you my best synopsis of what we have here:

If you own the Presale Exclusive CD already from The Question, you already own the best acoustic stuff this band has to offer. The releases acoustic material is overproduced, somewhat lifeless and, in some cases, just plain bad. The idea of hearing the song "Fractions" appealed to me greatly until I heard it for the first time on this disc and realized that it was bluegrass version that I was mildly embarrassed for the band in having made it. This may be a fun version of the song for the band to play... but for those of us that actually wanted a serious, heart on the sleeve, acoustic version, this was a slap in the face. It's not listenable.

The demo versions of the new songs are just that, demo versions. They're not overly impressive and we might have been better off not hearing them at all. There's nothing truly special about either of them at this point, though they may develop into something great down the road.

The only standout track on the album is the piano version of "Ponytail Parades." Otherwise even diehard fans, such as myself, will be disappointed with the overall package you're getting here. This just appears to be another way for Solid State/Tooth and Nail to make another easy buck as they are the kings of re-releasing albums... unless you find this for the same price of the original album, this is NOT worth it!

Average customer rating:

AMAZING! She is so much better live!
AMAZING! She is so much better live!
Inspiring, Beautiful and The Sweetest Voice!
astounding performance
Great, of course

Harem World Tour: Live from Las Vegas
Sarah Brightman
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002VYPCG
Release Date: 2004-09-28

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Kama Sutra
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Who Wants to Live Forever
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Nessun Dorma
The War Is Over
Free
A Whiter Shade of Pale
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WIshing You Were Somehow Here Again
Time To Say Goodbye
Question of Honor
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Amazon.com

While the sales of Sarah Brightman's ambitious, Middle Eastern-themed 2003 album Harem may have fallen short of its predecessor, the veteran UK chanteuse's popularity as a live performer has only mushroomed. This live recording of her ambitious, sold-out Harem World Tour engagement at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Arena is testament to that appeal, begging the question: Will Brightman become the Grateful Dead of classical crossover? Indeed, abetted by the rich sonic textures of longtime producer/collaborator Frank Peterson, the worldbeat conceits of her recent studio recordings are folded into a larger, even more expansive live vision here. Brightman's overt dramatic instincts and oft-chaemeleonic vocal abilities drive a slate of material that stretches from the Arabian Nights/Madame Butterflypastiche of Harem's seductive "It's A Beautiful Day" through surprisingly effective classical/rock reinventions of Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" and The Moody Blues' chestnut "Nights in White Satin" to expected classical bowings "Nessun Dorma" and the obligatory nod to "Phantom of the Opera" Amazon.com

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Customer Reviews:

AMAZING! She is so much better live!.......2006-12-02

This CD rocks! This is Sarah Brightman on her Harem World Tour, and this performance was recorded at her stop in Las Vegas. The first two tracks, "Kama Surta" and "Harem Overture" debut from her newest album, entitled HAREM. The two tracks are connected, but in the actual Harem Tour, the full piece "Harem" is sung. If you go to www.youtube.com and type in "Harem Tour" in the Search Bar, you can see live videos. I would prefer that the album has placed "Harem" instead of these other two tracks. The third track, "It's A Beautiful Day", is from Madame Butterfly, written by Puccini. This version is Brightman's twist, which some more pop and some English. It's pretty cool. The fourth track on the album, "Dust in the Wind" is from EDEN, an amazing album. Track 5 is, "Who Wants to Live Forever", and it seems as though Brightman never creates a tour without putting this piece in it. It's a beautiful tribute to Queen's rendition. Track Six is "Anytime, Anywhere", also from EDEN. I'm not really into the Foreign Language - English songs, but this works very well, especially because she ends the song with the classical foreign language. The seventh track is Brightman's rendition of Dvorak's "Song to the Moon", or "La Luna". The track is beautiful! The eighth track is Puccini's "Nessun Dorma", and Sarah masters this beautifully! There is no other soprano I know that can sing this piece one octave up and can hold the ending note for ever!!! Track 9 is "The War is Over", which is followed by "Free", both from HAREM. Track 11 is "A Whiter Shade of Pale", from LA LUNA. It's beautiful to listen to. Sarah's version is very gentle, but has a lot of energy in the chorus. The twelfth track on this album is "Twisted Every Way", followed by an instrumental version of "The Phantom of the Opera" Theme. The next track is "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", which is extended at the end, in which you hear some men cry out "WE LOVE YOU SARAH!", and she responds cutely with an, "I love you, too." The audience laughs! Track 14 is "Time to Say Goodbye", the duet that made Andrea Bocelli famous, and skyrocketed as the number one single sold in German history! The last live track on the album is "A Question of Honour", from "Fly", which is awesome! The last track on the album is a bonus track, which I don't really prefer. However, the whole album is simply amazing. I much prefer Sarah when she is live. She has a more magical quality! If you love Sarah Brightman, then you will love this album.

ALSO RECOMMENDED : Since there is so much Sarah Brightman to choose from, I also recommend EDEN, TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, LA LUNA, CLASSICS, and DIVA.

AMAZING! She is so much better live!.......2006-12-02

Inspiring, Beautiful and The Sweetest Voice!.......2005-08-21

What an album, absolutly beautiful!
We, the fans of this great artist finelly have in our hands a live album, and it's amazing:
-The voice is totaly live, she sang about 24 complete songs in the show, but the album only contains 15.
-Snow In The Sahara is a lovely song.

If you have the chase of get this alubum, don't doubt and get it; It wond disapoint you!

astounding performance.......2005-06-07

an impeccable concert experience that successfully elevates the album to majestic heights. I had long been a fan of Dead Can Dance and the unparalleled work of Lisa Gerrard. When Sarah Brightman ventured into these Middle Eastern sounds on the Harem disc, I thought it was too derivative of the Dead Can Dance sounds (there is even a sample used on one of SB's songs that had previously been used within DCD).

However, experiencing this epic and intensely mystical concert compelled me to realize the individual and unique glory of Sarah Brightman. Also, this concert is so phenomenally entertaining at many levels that I couldn't help but fall absolutely in love with the special magic of Sarah Brightman. Obviously, the expansive Middle Eastern milieu can accommodate more than one angelic vocalist!

I now consider Lisa Gerrard and Sarah Brightman to be geniuses who both warrant goddess status in the pantheon of lyrical greats. To see either one of them perform live is surely one of the most powerful and memorable sensory experiences one could ever have!

Great, of course.......2005-03-18

Sarah's voice and style are terrific, as usual. However, I have to say that her version of Anggun's "Snow on the Sahara" is fairly bland, especially compared to the original Anggun version. Sarah has the chops but lacks soul on this great song. Everything els here is very nice.

Average customer rating:

Great Album
Among the Greatest
"You wanted to know if it was worth the pain that it's caused us."
good stuff
Well-done emo

The Question
Emery
Manufacturer: Tooth & Nail Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Weak's End
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They're Only Chasing Safety

ASIN: B0009X75FG
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

So Cold I Could See My Breath
Playing With Fire
Returning The Smile You Have Had From The Start
Studying Politics
Left With Alibis And Lying Eyes
Listening To Freddie Mercury
The Weakest
Miss Behavin'
In Between 4th And 2nd Street
The Terrible Secret
In A Lose, Lose Situation
In A Win Win Situation

Album Description

In 2004, South Carolina natives, Emery did something amazing: They went from near obscurity to undeniable success and popularity, all in a year's time. What spurred their sudden fame was a combination of January 2004's release of their critically acclaimed debut, "The Weak's End," and a non-stop tour schedule, including stints with everyone from Hawthorne Heights to Eighteen Visions. Now having sold over 55,000 copies of their debut release, Emery are gearing up for their new release "The Question" which is more focused, profoundly mature, and so undeniably passionate that no one will be questioning Emery's potential.

Customer Reviews:

Great Album.......2007-02-09

I really like this cd a lot and I am looking forward to seeing them live.

Among the Greatest.......2006-05-20

To begin, Emery is one of the best rock/screamo/alternative bands ever, and if I could I would give this and their last album both a 6/5. They take screamo to a completely different level. I won't ramble here I'll just give out the pros and cons.

Pros:
~ Amazing voices! These guys can SING!
~ They can scream too! The background screaming UNDER the beautiful vocals of Toby Morrell and Devin Shelton just gives me chills. And the fact that screaming isn't focused on as much as vocals is what really blows me away. In screamo, vocals are underappreciated.
~ Complex. Two/Three guitars, two lead singers that switch off, and Josh Head screaming his last name off make one of the most complex and impressive sounds since screamo became a word.
~ Heavy yet melodic.
~ So much energy.
~ Emotion is relayed through the melody of the singing, screaming and even the instruments, which doesn't happen too often.
~ Power and emotion without swearing. Props to any band that does this. Emery doesn't resort to throwing in four letter words to fill in enough syllables or make lines rhyme.

Cons:
~ I can't think of one.
~ Some may consider this a con, some may consider it a pro; there is screaming in almost every song, if not every single one.

Emery is as close to perfecting their sound as any band in their genre. This album is worth every penny and then some. If you liked "The Weak's End", you'll love "The Question". Emery has only gotten better since "The Weak's End". If you haven't heard any Emery, but you like the screamo genre go buy both of their albums. You won't regret it.

Songs to check out for samplers:
- "Returning The Smile You Have Had From The Start"; one of the heavier, more screamy songs on the album. This song throws you right in the middle of heavy guitars and pissed off, scratchy screaming.
- "Listening To Freddie Mercury"; melodic, slowish, poppy
- "Studying Politics"; a single with a music video, good display of general Emery sound
- "The Weakest"; very little screaming, singers really sound great in this song. They sing over eachy other, different words, but it fits (that's one of the coolest things about Emery).

"You wanted to know if it was worth the pain that it's caused us.".......2006-05-02

Emery has changed their sound slightly, and although it's a bit at the cost of their originality, I think their music is better for it. As a whole, they've gotten a little poppier (without forsaking their hardcore influences) and a little catchier, and it makes their music more entertaining. I still think The Weak's End was good, but the more mainstream The Question is better. Emery has maintained enough of their originality to stand out while making their music more accessible to draw in more fans.

But just because the songs are more catchy doesn't mean they weren't able to branch out creatively too. This really stands out in the lyrics. The vocals worked for me on the last album, but I thought the words they were singing were a little iffy. The lyrics have improved dramatically on The Question, as they are used to create character and meaning and they tell a story as they make it into sort of a concept album. Besides drawing you in with a storyline, the lyrics are simply enjoyable to listen to and are accentuated by the skillful singing from the two vocalists.

I won't go through all the songs, they're all pretty good, so I'll cover my favorites. "So Cold I Could See My Breath" starts it off with a strong guitar part and a driving chorus. Most of the songs really invite singing along with the band. "Returning the Smile You Had From the Start" contains the most screaming of any song on the record, and has some of the most effective lyrics. I like it a lot. "Studying Politics" is the supposed single, and is very entertaining and also strong lyrically. "Left With Alibis and Lying Eyes" is darn fun to listen to. "In a Win, Win Situation" is the band's second consecutive very good, softer closing song for an album. It's not the kind of thing that caters to the musical elite but it's one of the most finely crafted releases I believe the genre has seen.

good stuff.......2006-04-28

this is the first emery cd i heard, and it got me into them right away. the lyrics and singing are beautiful, and the screaming is nice. but then i got the weaks end and its even better, tho its their old cd. the lyrics arent as good tho and this is still a must buy cd

Well-done emo.......2006-04-25

Normally, one should beware of bands that dress in matching outfits. But strip away the group shopping trips and oh-so-hip indie neckties, and Emery is a band that does emo on par with anything else out there. Some cuts lean towards screamo, while others are practically straight-up pop with creative instrumentation and flawless vocal harmonies. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but if you want state-of-the-art emo with tight songwriting and clear production, you'd do well with Emery.

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2 / The Gong on the Hook & Ladder, or Firemen's Parade on Main Street / Tone Roads No. 1 / Hymn: Largo Cantabile, for String Orchestra / Hallowe'en / Central Park in the Dark / The Unanswered Question - Leonard Bernstein / New York Philharmonic

Average customer rating:

The perfect introduction to Ives.
An Answer to the Unanswered Question
brilliant idiosyncrasies
Great Performances Of Ives From Bernstein And the NYPO
Uniquely American Ives Recordings

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2 / The Gong on the Hook & Ladder, or Firemen's Parade on Main Street / Tone Roads No. 1 / Hymn: Largo Cantabile, for String Orchestra / Hallowe'en / Central Park in the Dark / The Unanswered Question - Leonard Bernstein / New York Philharmonic
Charles Ives , Leonard Bernstein , and New York Philharmonic
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ives: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4/Hymns
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Ives: Concord Sonata; Songs

ASIN: B000001GC4
Release Date: 1990-07-24

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2: 1. Andante moderato
Symphony No. 2: 2. Allegro
Symphony No. 2: 3. Adagio cantabile
Symphony No. 2: 4. Lento maestoso
Symphony No. 2: 5. Allegro molto vivace
The Gong On The Hook And Ladder Or Firemen's Parade On Main Street: Allegro moderato
Tone Roads No. 1: Allegro
'A Set Of Three Short Pieces': Hymn: Largo Cantabile
'Three Outdoor Scenes': Hallowe'en
Central Park In The Dark: Molto adagio
The Unanswered Question: Largo molto sempre

Customer Reviews:

The perfect introduction to Ives........2006-08-04

In brief, this may be the best single album to jump start the novice on Ives -- and a great ride for the already converted among us. The comprehensive reviews in this thread say it all; I won't repeat. Let me add this, though: the earlier, excellent recording on Columbia (SONY) coupled with the 3rd Symphony, has a cut in the 4th movement, which Lenny opens up in this more recent recording. So, if you have the earlier recording this one is still something of a 'must have.' Buy it for that 'alternate' library of special recordings, like the Tatrai set of Bartok Quartets, Furtwangler's Beethoven Symphonies from the war years, Toscanini's recordings of OTELLO and FALSTAFF -- and Benny Goodman live at Carnegie Hall, 1938.

An Answer to the Unanswered Question.......2006-03-14

Often faced with the question from friends who are just beginning a classical music collection and want to try the 'American school' - the question being which of the many Ives recordings is a solid groundwork for understanding and appreciating Ives' importance - this is the recording I recommend. Despite the now gratefully multiple recordings of all of the works on this CD (especially the Symphony No. 2), this collection surveys Charles Ives well.

Leonard Bernstein was a champion for Ives performances both in this country and abroad. This recording shows why. His approach to Ives' work is not only diligent in his preparation of the orchestra, but it also programs a spectrum that allows each of the works to enhance the others. Here the Symphony No. 2 begins the survey, finding within the work the humor and nostalgia that abounds. And as if to recapitulate Ives' thoughts, Bernstein follows with the quirky 'The Gong on the Hook & Ladder or Firemen's Parade on Main Street', the 'Tone Roads No. 1, for chamber orchestra', a perfectly infectious 'A Set of 3 Short Pieces, for string quartet, double bass & piano',
Hallowe'en, for string quartet, piano & optional drum, the luminous 'Central Park in the Dark', and of course ends with the now American iconic 'The Unanswered Question (I & II).'

This recording may be dated in sound, but the performances remain definitive. And as for a fine introduction to both the well-known side of Ives as well as the slightly esoteric aspect of the genius' music, this well curated selection fits the bill. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06

brilliant idiosyncrasies.......2004-05-20

Ives was an uncommon, refined distillate. Much like Wallace Stevens, another Connecticut Yankee insurance specialist thoroughly out of step with his environment, Ives's structural and thematic advances foretold radical new worlds. Many liner notes to recent Ives releases talk about his work as if it were like most other orchestral offerings--in reality, few touch upon how cataclysmic and inventive his realizations were.

Bernstein, conversely, grasps Ives in totality and advances the cause of this frighteningly bold new music, both in practice and in writing at length about these scores and the Protean imagination that engendered them. Bravo, Lenny.

Great Performances Of Ives From Bernstein And the NYPO.......2003-09-02

Towards the end of Leonard Bernstein's career he made several distinguished recordings of 20th Century American classical music for Deutsche Grammophon featuring the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. This splendid recording of Ives's 2nd Symphony, several other orchestra works and chamber pieces is yet another remarkable testament to Leonard Bernstein's empathy and understanding of 20th Century American classical music composed by such distinguished composers as Charles Ives, and, of course, Aaron Copland. No other conducter truly understood 20th Century American music as well as Bernstein. Here he leads the New York Philharmonic in one thrilling performance after another, starting with Ives's 2nd Symphony in a swaggering, convincing interpretation. He follows with a hauntingly beautiful "Central Park in the Dark" and ends with an appropriately brooding "The Unanswered Question"; between the symphony and these orchestral works are sandwiched some fine chamber pieces too. Although these were recorded at live performances, the sound quality is that from a studio. Absolutely a necessary CD for admirers of Charles Ives, Leonard Bernstein, the New York Philharmonic and anyone interested in 20th Century American classical music.

Uniquely American Ives Recordings.......2002-08-09

This is great American music in the truest sense. I was nurtured on movie soundtracks and scores from the likes of Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Alex North and others. As we have lost many of these composers and music that they may have left us through the years, I have been methodically looking at American "Twentieth Century" composers from the "classical" arena to fill that void from that great era. I discovered Charles Ives after reading up on Aaron Copland and his foray into many diverse areas of musical composition. One thing leads to another. Ives' Symphony No. 2 seems to have come up very frequently. It certainly doesn't have the melodic quality of Copland yet it does seem to have roots resulting in American musical motifs very strangely orchestrated resulting in some twisted profoundness. What attracts me is how the music almost seems as if it were composed for film. The technical qualities of this recording are marvelous. Leonard Bernstein's intuitive and vibrant interpretation of this music is effectively felt.

Average customer rating:

One Of His Best
Complete list of Tomita's classical albums...
electronic instruments, very good selections,

Kosmos

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
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Tomita's Greatest Hits CD

ASIN: B000002W42
Release Date: 1991-07-09

Tracks:

Star Wars - Main Title
Space Fantasy
Pacific 231
The Unanswered Question
Aranjuez
Peer Gynt: Solveig's Song
Hora Staccato
The Sea Named Solaris

Customer Reviews:

One Of His Best.......2003-06-07

If one can get past the laughably bad Star Wars opening track, this album is a stunner. Though lacking the fluid continuity of his previous efforts, Tomita manages to select darker, more beautiful, and more moody pieces than before, creating an incredible dream-like atmosphere without resorting to the usual space-ship and "alien" sounds that tarnished The Planets and The Bermuda Triangle. His sound became larger, more ambient, and denser. The final Bach medley "The Sea Named Solaris" is Tomita's finest hour, and this album is a must for any fan or Tomita's work, or of electronic music. A flawed but still great work.

Complete list of Tomita's classical albums..........2002-03-05

This CD is fantastic, but a big box set of every classical Tomita album would be even better. Most of the CDs out of print for years are absolutely fantastic. Four of his albums would fit two on one CD. Here's the complete list...

Snowflakes Are Dancing 1974 (11 Debussy pieces) The newly remastered CD is an audiophile recording, adds Prelude To The Afternoon of a Faun and is available for a good price.

Pictures At An Exhibition 1975 (Mussorgsky)

Firebird 1976 (Stravinsky: Firebird. Debussy: Prelude To The Afternoon of A Faun. Mussorgsky: Night On Bald Mountain)

The Planets 1976 (Holst)

Kosmos 1978 (Star Wars Title. Space Fantasy- R. Strauss: 2001 Title, Wagner: Ride of The Valkyries and Tannhauser Overture. Honnegar: Pacific 231. Ives: Unanswered Question. Rodrigo: Aranjuez. Grieg: Solveig's Song. Dinicu-Heifetz: Hora Staccato. Bach-Tomita: The Sea Named Solaris)

The Bermuda Triangle 1979 (Sibelius: Valse Triste. And excerpts from... Williams: Close Encounters. Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Scythian Suite, Symphonies 5 and 6, Violin Concerto 1. My favorite electronic CD.)

Bolero 1980 (Ravel: Daphis and Chloe. Pavane for A Dead Princess. Bolero. Mother Goose Suite)

The Grand Canyon 1982 (Grofe)

Canon of The Three Stars 1984 (Pachelbel: Canon. Rachmaninoff: Vocalise. Albinoni: Adagio. Bach: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. 4 pieces from Villa Lobos: Bachianis Brasileiras 2, 4, and 7)

Live At Linz, Austria 1985 (With speakers on both sides of the Danube River and live soloists. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums plus Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring. Japanese Traditional: Cranes In Their Nest. Vaughn Williams: The Lark Ascending. Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde-Liebestod. Beethoven: Ode To Joy with full Choir.)

Live In New York 1988 (Includes 7 pieces from previous albums plus Dukas: Fanfare. Mahler: Symphony 3 in D Minor - 5th Movement. Traditional: Chinese War Lord Going Home. Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue. Fisher-Dvorak: Goin' Home. My favorite live concert CDs.)

electronic instruments, very good selections,.......1999-05-29

I have this album in vinyl, should be better without background hiss. Star Wars theme is quite interesting, lovers of "the force" should be impressed. Worth every dime.

Average customer rating:

Roy Haynes!! Who can ask for anything more???

Question and Answer

Manufacturer: Geffen
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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We Live Here
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80/81
Like Minds

ASIN: B000094ANV
Release Date: 1990-06-12

Customer Reviews:

Roy Haynes!! Who can ask for anything more???.......2007-08-04

I bought this album on cassette in 1990 or so when it came out. It blew me away then and still does even to this day. Anyone interested in jazz, improvised music and/or drums should listen to this album.

Everyone is playing at their highest level and the tune choices are great as well. In particular, I have always had a soft spot for the Pat Metheny tune, "Change of Heart" that is on this album. Beautiful Melody!!!!!!!

As for Roy Haynes...MAN, what can you say?? His playing on this album is as it always is: Swinging, Fresh, Hip, Melodic and just plain cool!!!!!

Great Record!

Average customer rating:

Just great, that's it
"Thanksgiving and Forefathers' Day": It's what's for today.
An fiery introduction to Ives
My vote for the finest Ives orchestral recording ever made
Ouch

Ives: Holidays Symphony

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Ives: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4/Hymns
Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2
Ives: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3
Ives: An American Journey
Ives: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4

ASIN: B0000026G7
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Washington's Birthday
Decoration Day
The Fourth Of July
Thanksgiving And Forefathers' Day
The Unanswered Question (revised version)
Central Park In The Dark
The Unanswered Question (original version)

Amazon.com essential recording

Ives never really intended his four holiday symphonic poems to be played together, and they are very seldom performed that way live. But it makes so much sense to group them on a recording that the Holidays Symphony has become the standard way to refer to the music. In any event, all four pieces offer some of Ives'ss finest, most imaginative work. The Fourth of July is the second most complex and crazy piece that he ever wrote--right up there with the second movement of the Fourth Symphony. Tilson Thomas is very much a specialist in this music, and he directs performances of almost supernatural accuracy. Simply the best. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Just great, that's it.......2005-05-25

This is a "must" album. Altho' I personallly object to some of the finer editorial work in the "original" version of "UnQ" (very esoteric stuff--ask me) I'd stilll recommend this album as a "must have." -- D.G. Porter, Editorial Coordinator, The Charles Ives Society

"Thanksgiving and Forefathers' Day": It's what's for today........2003-11-28

The "Holidays Symphony" of Charles Ives, comprised of four movements to symbolize the passing of the four seasons by connecting them to important American holidays, was originally intended to be four standalone works, each of which could be performed separately in conjunction with its respective holiday.

Only later did Ives combine them as a four-movement "symphony." So, on this Thanksgiving Day of 2003, I chose to "deconstruct" them, just so that I might concentrate - for the occasion - on "Thanksgiving and Forefathers' Day."

This movement should, in my opinion, be numbered among the finest Ives compositions of all. It is brilliantly written and scored, with many original instrumental touches, particularly for percussion, where Ives calls upon low church bells, tubular bells and celesta, as well as an offstage ensemble of 4 horns, trombone and contrabassoon, all to marvelous effect. The ending, where the chorus enters singing to the words of the hymn tune "Duke Street," is simply breathtaking in its spirituality; truly transcendent and sublime.

But there are aspects to this movement that I've not seen anyone else mention, aspects that are startling in a prescient way, and therefore worth some mention. There is a quiet interlude, at about midpoint, scored for a reduced chamber ensemble of woodwinds, cornet, strings and celesta, that is "proto-Copland" in its sound texture, typical Coplandesque "Americana" yet written decades before "Appalachian Spring," which this section anticipates in a most remarkable way, with nearly identical chamber orchestra textures and, even, thematic ideas. The interlude then is followed by a penultimate section, prior to the choral entry, that has textures - and harmonies for that matter - similar to what William Schuman would, like Copland, write decades later. This brief section provides a perfect transition to the choral entry. And this is precisely where words fail me, because what Ives achieves here simply turns me to jelly. Only at the end of "From Hanover Square North" (from his Orchestral Set No. 2) and in the final movement of his masterpiece, the Symphony No. 4, was Ives able to match this "Holiday" in transcendent beauty.

The other three holidays/seasons ("Washington's Birthday"/Winter, "Decoration Day"/Spring and "The Fourth of July"/Summer) are all of a piece with this Thanksgiving one. Tilson Thomas has this music in his blood, having been an Ivesian from a very young age as conductors go. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, famed for its brass choir, earns kudos for ALL of its choirs in this performance, easily the best available and one not likely to be topped any time soon. And of course it doesn't hurt to have the Margaret Hillis-directed CSO Chorus for the conclusion of "Thanksgiving and Forefathers' Day" (the one movement that I just HAD to listen to, not that I excluded the rest of the work, or the disc for that matter).

The album is nicely rounded out with Ives's two contemplations: "A Contemplation of a Serious Matter" and "A Contemplation of Nothing Serious," more commonly known as "The Unanswered Question" and "Central Park in the Dark." Better yet, "The Unanswered Question" appears in two versions: the original as written in 1906, and a revised version, written some 20-odd years later, in which the trumpet and woodwind phrases are somewhat altered to add to the enigmatic nature of the work. In both versions, the Chicago strings play with an atmospheric perfection rarely heard. The ragtime piano in the foreground of "Central Park in the Dark" is hard to top, also. But for this particular "contemplation" I do have a preference for James Sinclair's (British) Northern Sinfonia Orchestra performance (on Naxos #8559087), for which I had written, "Much of Ives's music is all about space and distance, and the bar-room piano heard very faintly in the background truly gives this sense of space, as well as a sense of evening mist in the park."

The renowned Ives biographer Jan Swafford writes on this page, "My vote for the finest Ives orchestral recording ever made." I'm not of a mind to argue with Swafford, Ives expert that he is, especially on this particular day, and equally especially by virtue of the phenomenal performances that Tilson Thomas elicits from his Chicago orchestral and choral forces throughout.

Cue it up, folks. It's "what's for Thanksgiving."

Bob Zeidler

An fiery introduction to Ives.......2002-11-08

With Michael Tilson Thomas and the magnificent Chicago Symphony Orchestra in top form, this collection includes some of the best, most colorful works by this American master. Of the four holidays, "The Fourth of July" is irresistible - about seven minutes of extreme orchestral complexity, flaring up just like the rockets themselves and then expiring in exhaustion. Ives packs more into this score than some composers do in an hour, with colliding rhythms, blaring fortissimos and "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean" sailing above everything else. It is as exhilarating a ride as any composer has ever given us. "Decoration Day" eventually arrives at a somber moment at the cemetery with a touching trumpet solo playing "Taps," then ends with a joyously raucous march back to town. The moody "Washington's Birthday" and the stirring "Thanksgiving" complete the set, and by the end you may be thinking there has never been a composer who has captured the vivid, clashing emotions of the holidays with such accuracy.

Similarly melding the gentle with the explosive is the extraordinarily evocative "Central Park in the Dark," written in 1906. This densely written gem finds time to include the ragtime classic, "Hello, my Baby," among other tunes that make their surprise appearance during the chaotic climax.

Perhaps the most unusual feature of this disc is the inclusion of both versions of "The Unanswered Question," a gentle evocation of some of the sublime mysteries of the universe. The differences between the two versions are small, but
significant - and I won't spoil the thrill of discovery by revealing them here. Suffice to say that the piece is haunting in its quest to define the indefinable, and will likely linger in your mind long afterward.

Michael Tilson Thomas is one of the most exciting and knowledgeable interpreters of this music anywhere, and the Chicago orchestra shows why many people consider it one of the best ensembles in the world. This is perhaps not a recording for a quiet morning, but it is absolutely a candidate for "Top Ten Discs of 20th-Century American Music." A hugely exciting disc.

My vote for the finest Ives orchestral recording ever made.......2002-09-24

Take the insight of Michael Tilson Thomas, who's been conducting Ives throughout his career (his old Boston Symphony "Three Places" is still one of the best around), add one of the finest orchestras in the world and its celebrated brass section (Ives said he conceived all his music as if through "sort of a brass band with wings"), and finish with some genuinely inspired playing, and you've got a recording for the ages. It was a broadcast of the Chicago live performance, heard by chance on the radio, that gave me the idea to write my biography of Ives. Meanwhile the Holidays Symphony is one of Ives's greatest and most communicative works, and the "Decoration Day" movement one of the summits of his music. When Stravinsky was asked to define a masterpiece, he answered with "Decoration Day."

Ouch.......2002-04-24

I bought this disc hoping that it might turn me on to Ives. It was highly recommended by the Penguin Guide, so it should be a safe bet, right? Well, this disc may be an outstanding recording of Ives, but I have learned something very important through listening to this disc...I don't like Ives.

Tracks:

From The Steeples And The Mountains
The Things Our Fathers Loved
The Pond (Remembrance)
Memories
Charlie Rutlage
The Circus Band
The "St. Gaudens" In Boston Common
Putnam's Camp
The Housatonic At Stockbridge
In Flanders Fields
They Are There!
Tom Sails Away
Fugue From Symphony No. 4
Psalm 100
Serenity
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven
The Unanswered Question

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Michael Tilson Thomas is an expert Ivesian. His 1970 recording debut was with Three Places in New England, still available from DG. Here, he redoes the work with the interpolation of a chorus singing the poem on which the last movement, "The Housatonic at Stockbridge," is based--unusual, not as effective as the orchestral version, but fascinating. Tilson Thomas cites Ives's desire for performers to creatively shape his music, and this disc vindicates his editorial liberties by making Ives's surprising music even more unpredictable. The choral contributions are fine, too, but baritone Thomas Hampson steals the show with seven songs that display his empathy with Ives's varied styles and the range of the composer's music, from cowboy songs to touching elegies. The way Hampson bellows a Brooklynese "Coytin" (for "Curtain") at the end of the first song of Memories is worth the price of purchase. Here's a disc to be entertained by, and moved as well. The recording was made at SFS concerts, and we're privileged to share the audience's experience. A must-have for Ivesians and the curious. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades.......2005-12-18

Tilson Thomas's PR team should put out a ocntract on me; I rarely express enthusiasm for him. So let me bow especially low to this superlative 1999 concert of Ives as viewed from his most melodic, least revolutionary perspective. This is Ives as recording angel of ice cream socials and Fourth of July parades.

In the Seventies MTT made good but not exceptioanl recordings of Ives's major orchestral works. Here he concentrates on songs and orchestral bits and pieces, except for the extended Three Places in New England, which is x-rayed with exceptionally detailed sonics. Thomas Hampson secures his position as the best singer of American songs with highly dramatized, unbuttoned singing--his Charlie Rutlage, a Texas-accented elegy for a fallen cowpoke, and the familiar General William Booth Enters Into Heaven are instant classics. Chorus and orchestra enter in the spirit of bumptious good cheer, and overall a good time was had by all, even though the crowd was sent home sobered up by the supernaturally melancholy Unanswered Question, which never fails to send a shiver through the listener.

Something of a disappointment.......2004-01-12

I was very much looking forward to the latest Ives recording from Michael Tilson Thomas, whose reputation as an Ives specialist began with his first recording of the Three Pieces in New England, made in 1970 when the conductor was only in his mid-20s. That this disc came some way from living up to my expectations is perhaps due to a combination of over-optimism, uneven performances and what I feel is a less-than-ideal selection of works.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the opening of the disc: a fine performance of the craggy, dissonant brass and percussion work From the Steeples and the Mountains, a highly impressive miniature which swells from its dissonant opening to a climax where sound seems to echo off in all directions. However, I'm less convinced with the rest of the purely-orchestral program: this reading of Ives' classic Three Pieces of New England lacks a little of the gracious flowing lines of Tilsom Thomas' earlier 1970 recording; in addition the experiment of adding a recently-found choral part to the finale merely demonstrates how right the composer was to leave it out. For his extract from the Fourth Symphony, Tilson Thomas chooses the slow movement fugue. I am guessing this choice was to emphasise the "accessible Ives", but this is by far the weakest movement of the work (it was in fact arranged from the first movement of Ives' then 20-year-old First String Quartet), and even a good performance--as here--can't entirely hide up its conservative, almost academic writing. That perennial Ives classic The Unanswered Question, which closes the work, is an infinitely finer work, but unfortunately Tilson Thomas cannot match the transcendence of his own--distinctly slower--Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording from 1986.

The rest of the disc concentrates on various incarnations of Ives' bewildering variety of songs, and as a result comes into partial competition with what is to my mind one of the finest Ives discs around--a recording of selections from the songs and the sets for orchestra with Susan Narucki, Sanford Sylvan and Music/Projects London under Richard Bernas (if you're an Ives fan and don't have this disc, I suggest you rectify this immediately). The songs are extremely uneven in quality--ranging from trivial kitsch to outright masterpieces--and their styles vary just as much.

Most of these songs appear here in orchestral garb, but in three of them Tilson Thomas accompanies Thomas Hampson's baritone on the piano himself. The salon song The Things our Fathers Loved is one of the examples of irreparable kitsch, but rather better is the bipartite Memories which switches from camp to sentimental at its midpoint. In contrast, Tom Sails Away is one of Ives' finest songs, but in this recording its effect is compromised by Tilson Thomas' rather insensitive playing in the piano part.

The Pond (Remembrance)--another of Ives' finest songs--appears here in a version for women's chorus and orchestra. This transcendental homage to the composer's father is in fact much more subtle and rhythmically complex than it appears at first, and it has appeared in a bewildering variety of versions (three of which appear on the Bernas disc mentioned earlier). Similarly restrained in means is John Adams' careful baritone-and-orchestra version of the touching song Serenity: it's well-judged and well-sung here, and Adams avoids the pitfalls that David Del Tredici walks into in his entirely unnecessary orchestration of In Flanders Fields.

By contrast, Charlie Rutlage is an absurdly over-the-top piece of cowboy kitsch that disintegrates into violent discords as the words describe Charlie's death: this voice-and-orchestra version isn't half as good as Sanford Sylvan's voice-and-piano reading on the Bernas disc. Similarly eccentric is The Circus Band, a bizarrely outrageous confection for chorus and orchestra (based on an early orchestral march) that lacks some of the lustre of similar Ives effects. The bizarre Ives is also at work They are There! This near-hysterial rant (not actually as militaristic as it sounds at first) is heard in a chorus-and-orchestral version that lacks something of the sheer outrageousness of Ives' own voice-and-piano recording (even though Tilson Thomas takes an effort to try to copy the style of that reading).

The chorus-and-organ setting of Psalm 100 ("Make a joyful noise unto the Lord") is an intriguing piece of writing that well merits its exposure here, though it can't match General William Booth Enters Into Heaven for sheer unbuttoned craziness. This setting of Vachel Lindsay's poem, heard here in a version for baritone, chorus and orchestra is one of Ives' most endearing creations: its remarkable mix of modernism, bizarre wit and sentimentality, topped off with the sudden introduction of a hymn tune at the climax, is typical of the composer at his best. Unfortunately, this performance misses out on the last edge of hysterical ecstasy that is so necessary for the work to have its full impact (in my opinion it's easier to bring off in the voice-and-piano version).

I realise I am perhaps being overcritical of this disc, but it seems to me that a disc by such a fine Ivesian as Tilson Thomas should be held to a very high standrd. Though I was personally disappointed by this recording, it may well appeal to those who know little of the composer: however, I fear that Ives specialists are likely to be underwhelmed.

a wonderful summary.......2002-12-21

Charles Ives has always been a puzzle to me. From time to time I have listened to his music with a complete lack of resolution. Did I actually like it? Is it just an American marketing phenomena? Would we hear as much of him if he were, say, an Australian composer? I am still totally uncertain, but I love this CD for its variety of styles, variety of forces and general good humour. If you are immediately dismissive of Ives, can I suggest you start with the two songs called 'Memories'? Have a listen to this CD with an open mind - you may not like it all - even most of it - but one thing is certain and that is that this is not run-of-the-mill music.

Ives is Ives.......2002-06-15

I grew up on movie soundtracks and scores from the likes of Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Alex North and others. We have lost many of these composers but not their music they have left us through the years. That's a gift to all of us. I have been slowly looking at "20th century" composers from the "classical" arena to enhance my listening pleasure and my nature or "quest" to always seek out music that I am certain I must have passed over. I discovered Charles Ives after reading up further on Aaron Copland and his foray into many diverse areas of musical composition. One door opens another. Ives' name and compositions seem to have come up frequently. So far Charles Ives' music doesn't have the melodic quality of Copland or many contemporaries yet it does seem to have roots resulting in American musical motifs very strangely orchestrated resulting in some twisted profoundness. What attracts me is how Ives' music almost seems as if it were composed for film. Ives is Ives as I have found out. I enjoy this recording. It is strange, contemplative and definitely esoteric. Abrupt turns abound but that is the strength of Ives.

The Mood of Time.......2002-06-15

This collection of Ives compositions is exceptional. This CD makes for very good listening. I play it when I am alone in the car. The pensive music realy captures the mood of time.

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