Mesopotamia

Disc: 1

1. Improvisations an Iraqi Maqams

2. Taqsim from Maqam Segah

3. Hanan

4. Taratil

Disc: 2

1. Sillam Maqam el Hikmah Al Kebir

2. Nesemat

3. Nakhil

4. Arabesque

Tracks:

Party Out Of Bounds
Private Idaho
Give Me Back My Man
Lava
Dance This Mess Around
52 Girls
Loveland
Deep Sleep
Mesopotamia
Cake
Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can
Nip It In The Bud

Customer Reviews:

Oh David what were you doing?.......2006-06-15

I will start by stating that this review will concern the Mesopotamia section of this release. I remain unacquainted with Party Mix.

For starters Mesopotamia receives a lot of criticism which I feel is largely undue. The title track is arguebly the B52s' greatest achievement. The danceable beat is still evident but it is joined by what I regard as a desire to produce more complex sounding material. The vocal arrangement on this track is particularly memorable. And it has the kind of funk-like vibe that only David Byrne circa 1981 could produce. In other words very much like the sound of Talking Heads and in my opinion a curious hybrid of My life in the Bush of Ghosts, the Catherine Wheel and Wild Planet.

Not all the material on this record is quite so strong. I have the feeling that Mr Byrne was not entirely happy in the capacity of producer of this set. Some of the mixes aren't quite there and the indecision shown by the simultaneous release of different mixes of some tracks on both sides of the Atlantic suggests that someone within the record company at least shared my concerns (with reference to Loveland and Cake). Did Charles Blackwell want an Lp instead of an Ep? Was he concerned about keeping the name of the B52's in the music headlines?

The appearance of an early version of Queen of Las Vegas on Nude on the Moon really aides in attempting to understand what all parties were trying to achieve with this set. Byrne wanted to work with the B52s and again I suggest that the B52s wanted to broaden the scope of their sound. This mix which is so wildly different to the version on Whammy demonstrated the B52s as the missing link between the Talking Heads and Sly and Robbie era Grace Jones. It really is that good and it appears perverse that the track was not included on this release.

As for the remainder of the tracks on Mesopotamia it needs to be reiterated that much of the material is strong but the 'final' mixes are weak. In both versions I find Loveland to out stay its welcome. The 'outside of the USA' mix of Cake however is in my opinion vastly superior to the version which can be found on the original American release. Deep Sleep is a curious 'mood' piece reminiscent of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and is unlike anything else in the B52s' catalogue. Throw that Beat in the Garbage Can does not work and Nip it in the Bud is essentially 'straight-ahead' Eighties rock. I enjoy the track on its own terms but its vibe jars with the rest of the release.

To sum-up this is a curious release which I believe probably suffered from too much pressure from Warners and Island respectively. Everything needed more time BUT there is a lot to enjoy and lyrically I believe the band was never more surreal than on the tracks one can find here. Give it a whirl and I defy any true B52s fan not to fall in love with the title track at the very least.

To try and clarify .......2006-03-21

Leaving aside Party Mix which was fairly inspired at the time but a bit superflous now, Mesopotamia has a bit of a back history. This is my understanding of it, feel free to correct me if i got it wrong, I would like to know for sure myself

The original album was released in America on Warner records and in Europe on Island records. Apparently there was a mix-up in sending the master tapes trans-atlantic and Island ended up with three songs (loveland, cake and throw that beat) in extended form. Maybe unfinished mixes or maybe different takes, no-one seems to be sure.

When it was re-released the Island records version uses the original Warner release (albeit with a misprinted cover saying the album contains an extra song, lava, which it doesn't).
This, the Warner records re-release, contains the same Warner Version, but remixed. the changes aren't huge but are noticeable. The songs were not cut or shortened, they just do not use the extended Island records versions that some people who bought it originally are used to.

Hope this clears up some of the confusion in the reviews.

Time to PARTY!!!!.......2005-12-05

The first half of this CD is a terrific remix of B-52s classics like 52 Girls, Lava, Party Gone out of Bounds, etc. Basically the best of the first two B-52s CDs. The second half is a reissue of thier third CD. It was a disappointing effort and would continue with thier next CD "Whammy".
Buy it for the remixes and play it at parties or to jam out on a long trip, you could do worse!

a big fan's big disappointment.......2005-09-13

When pop artists work entirely on instinct, the results can be inexplicably good. It's often hard to take apart the pieces and explain what makes the whole thing so wonderful, because it feels like the music sprang up, fully grown, right out of the band's collective brain. And that's the way most of the B-52's music feels: inspired, soulful and really nuts.

But this double-EP is a good example of how too much thought can destroy a work of instinct. The remixes for "Party Mix!" are just annoying, but easy to dismiss, since you're getting "Mesopotamia" on the same CD. But I was just crest-fallen when I got this disc home and listened to one of the most brilliant pieces of early-80s pop gone sour.

I'd heard that the band didn't like the results of Mesopotamia's original production and felt that it sounded more like David Byrne, their producer, than their own work. But Byrne took the band's wonderful qualities and pushed them in a new and unexpected direction. It was a very successful experiment.

For the CD release, the band went back and re-mixed the whole EP, dumbing down the hard, syncopated percussion, adding cheesy echoes and reverbs, and just cutting time out of some tracks all together. The result is an uncomfortable grafting of bad pop clichés onto the stark original. It doesn't sound like the original or like the B-52's better music. Fortunately, for those of us who still have decent vinyl copies of the original, we can rip our own CDs and pray they come to their senses in time to release the original version.

MESOPOTAMIA REMIXES....WHY????.......2004-11-26

First of all i want to say that i LOVE this record (i'm talking about "Mesopotamia"; nothing to say about "Party mix!" besides it's excellent). Well, i LOVED the ORIGINAL RECORD, the one i knew when it came out. I had no idea it had been remixed in 1990, and istening to the results...i can't figure out why it was remixed. I had it on vinyl and thought i'd buy it on cd. "That's great, "Party mix!" and "Mesopotamia", the 2 ep's on one cd", that's what fans may think...And then you realize...song timings are different...WHY?WHY WAS IT REMIXED?
"Loveland" and "Cake": 5 minutes long each?? They where 8 and 7 minutes long respectively. The remixer's work it's incredibly horrible; the B-52's said that they wanted to make a danceable record when it came out, and they made it, really well. The remixer, though, has taken away all the spirit: verses, choruses and arrangements are removed, new effects (echoes on voices, louder guitars)are thrown in without a single tiny bit of taste, the volume of the "sytethized" claps is unheardable when not removed too, and vocals that where not used in the original record are here misused...The song structure is rewritten too...Was the band happy with these remixed version? I just can say that fans are gonna be very very disappointed, i know that for sure cause i am still. And NO OPENNING HORNS ON "CAKE"???That had to be the biggest disappointment of 'em all.
Today i've taken my vinyl to a record store near my home where they'll put it on cd for 6 euro. I had no choice.

Average customer rating:

Mesopotamia Remixes
B-52's
Manufacturer: Planet Clique
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Whammy Remix Ep

ASIN: B000S20H4O
Release Date: 2007-05-07

Tracks:

Mesopotamia (No Ears Acid Remix)
Mesopotamia (Mhc Remix)
Mesopotamia (Groove Collision Dub)
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Mesopotamia (Danny Krivit Re-Edit)
Loveland (Manhattan Clique Remix)
Cake (Majortweaks Remix)

Album Details

Special Limited Edition Single with 2007 Remixes from the Athen's Band's Third Full Length LP (Though Only an EP "Mini-album" in the U.s.) That was Originally Released in 1982 and Produced by Talking Head David Byrne.

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Radio Show
Agatha Christie: Murder in Mesopotamia
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Release Date: 2003-05-12

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Well worth listening to.
Fantastic!!
Oud master at his best

Mesopotamia
Munir Bashir
Manufacturer: Chant Du Monde Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Art of the Ud

ASIN: B0000CC61Z
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Improvisations an Iraqi Maqams
Taqsim from Maqam Segah
Hanan
Taratil

Tracks:

Sillam Maqam el Hikmah Al Kebir
Nesemat
Nakhil
Arabesque

Customer Reviews:

Well worth listening to........2006-03-30

I am always hesitant to buy a CD without the opportunity to listen to it. Especially since I know I love listening to solo string instruments and love the oud but otherwise I am not musically educated. I just received it today and have already listened to both CDs twice. It is very enjoyable and peaceful. My husband has also commented on what a nice piece of music it is. I am now determined to purchase more of Munir Bashir's work.

Fantastic!!.......2005-11-29

A great album from a great master. This album contains some of Munir Bashir's late improvisations as well as some songs and improvisations from earlier periods in his life. Those which belong to the late period are meditative and highly impressive in general. The earlier works are more passionate and emotional. Bashir andoubtedly deserves the name "Musician of Wisdom".

Bashir is innovative as usual. The first track on the second CD for exemple, is based on a maqam invented by Bashir himself. He uses some Western harmonies in "Hanan" and other pieces, which is a method he in fact introduced to the music of the 'ud.

The booklet is useful as well with all the information about his life and musical style, beside the rare photos. The recording quality of some tracks is not that good, but that doesn't stand for the content of course!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Oud master at his best.......2005-10-26

Munir Bachir was one of the best oud players of all times and this two set CD is a must have for any music lover. Bachir's work has been inspiring for so many musicians who explore the maqam. The improvisations are extremely well executed as usual, and if one needs to pick one single solo oud recording, this is probably the one. The sound is also very good.
Highly recommended!!!

Average customer rating:

vocal Iraqi maqam

Voice of Mesopotamia
Farida & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble
Manufacturer: Long Distance France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Baghdad Lute

ASIN: B0000AHSB3
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

Maqam Rast Santur Improvisation & Instrumental Shouroq & Djoza ...
Maqam Sharqi Rast & Pastah Hatha Mo Insaf Minak
Maqam Hakemi & Pastah
Maqam Hamayoun & Pastah Min Farktak Lel Youm
She Er Wa Abudhyyeh Ma Reada Al Khalobi
Collective Rhythmic Improvisation on Tabla, Riqq, Khahba, Kasur, ...

Customer Reviews:

vocal Iraqi maqam.......2007-07-20

The art of Iraqi maqam reached its ultimate refinement during the golden age of the Abbasid dynasty in Baghdad, a key city on the borders of the Arab, Turkish and Persian worlds. Used by classical and popular musicians, it was not only favored by the local aristocracy in their music rooms, but also used at religious celebrations and Sufi ceremonies. Unusually, it is sung here by a woman accompanied an ensemble playing santur, a hammer dulcimer, and the four-stringed djoza.

-- review from CDroots

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Journey to the Roots of Flamenco
Moraíto Chico , Omar Bashir , and Jookoo
Manufacturer: Amalgama Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001BVI40
Release Date: 2003-01-01

Tracks:

Introduction (In Aramaic)
Diwani (with Mora Chico's guitar)
Diwani (with Mora Chico's guitar)
Rawey
Rawey (with Jookoo's guitar)
Diwani

Album Description

Music from ancient Mesopotamia, which could be the source of flamenco music and even the blues.

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In Mesopotamia

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ASIN: B00008G9FJ
Release Date: 2007-07-03

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Tales From Black Magheddo for Wreck This Mess

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Tales From Black Magheddo for Wreck This Mess
Seven Sages Of Mesopotamia
Manufacturer: HTZ Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000K88VAI

Product Description

Tracks: 1. Intro Nostra Manga 2. Shah Of Iran 3. Apocryphal 4. Spirit Jive 5. Isfahan 6. Oblique Black 7. Detachi 8. Cirolni 9. Free Faith Org 10. Black Magheddo 11. Eigens Locano 12. Gauzian Eye