Metamorfosi [Import]

Product Description
C.G.D.

Metamorfosi,Estra,Wea,Italian,World Music

Average customer rating: Lots of variety Zorn's first masterpiece Definitely a must-have Zorn album! This is the first major Zorn album Yes, better than the original

The Big Gundown: John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone Manufacturer: Tzadik ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Avant-Garde | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Naked City Bar Kokhba Moonchild At the Mountains of Madness Crime and Dissonance ASIN: B00004W3KY Release Date: 2000-08-22

Tracks:

1. The Big Gundown
2. Peur Sur La Ville
3. Poverty (Once Upon A Time In America)
4. Milano Odea
5. Erotico (The Burglars)
6. Battle Of Algiers
7. Giu La Testa (Duck You Sucker!)
8. Metamorfosi (La Classe Operaia Va In Paradiso)
9. Tre Nel 5000
10. Once Upon A Time In The West
11. The Sicilian Clan
12. Macchie Solari
13. The Ballad Of Hank McCain (Vocal)
14. Svegliatti & Uccidi
15. Chi Mai
16. The Ballad Of Hank McCain (Instrumental)

Amazon.com

As if John Zorn's super-creative take on film composer Ennio Morricone weren't essential in its first iteration on Nonesuch Records, Zorn is celebrating the album's 15th anniversary with an updated, remastered version. The darker lows and brighter highs make this Gundown clearly superior--with its original cast of characters (Bill Frisell, Arto Lindsay, Diamanda Galas, and many more) sounding alternately darker, sultrier, and more cinematic than ever. Zorn's reticence to record the original album's 10 pieces looks altogether unreasonable, as his genius for adding color and dimension to Morricone's tunes shows profusely. To make this an even better deal, there are six new bonus tracks that feature Marc Ribot as part of an ad hoc string quartet on "The Sicilian Clan" and "Chi Mai," and as sparring partner with British avant guitar god Derek Bailey on the roaring "Svegliatti and Uccidi." This one's magnificently important. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Lots of variety.......2007-06-10

John Zorn stepped away from his game piece albums and began to get into more conventional songs with "The Big Gundown". A set of 15 Ennio Morricone songs, and one Zorn-penned homage to a Morricone song, it's a difficult album to classify. Zorn is usually characterized as jazz, but this is a long long way from Louis Armstrong, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of improvisation. Zorn himself performs only on a minority of the songs. He's more of a producer-arranger. But, even if he isn't playing the alto sax, these songs bear Zorn's unmistakeable imprint. There's an original 1985 section, and Zorn added some bonus songs in 2000.

Let's describe all the songs since the music sample is often deceptive for this CD. "The Big Gundown" aims for creepy. There are ominous piano chords, dissonant noises, and screams. The music resolves somewhat when a Brazilian percussion section begins, and ends with some Rawhide-esque "ha"'s. "Peur Sur La Ville" is built around an unsettling piano figure and noises. It has a unconventional free-jazz aura to it. "Poverty" is a quiet song based on Toots Thielman's whistling. "Milano Odeo" is a catchy, almost rock-n-roll song taken at a brisk pace. As the song goes on, the keyboards get more unsettling and the guitar gets noisier. "Erotico" has bluesy organ, and Bill Frisell's most romantic electric guitar (in an '80's way) paired with female vocalizations. "Battle Of Algiers" might be my favorite (maybe just because of the represented movies I've seen it's my favorite). Wayne Horvitz pounds out the tense piano line while sounds effects explode in the background. "Giu La Testa" has a slow build for about four minutes, then there's a plucking, walking part to take the song out. "Metamorfosi" is a good song to play when you want guests to leave, Diamanda Galas screams on top of tribal drums. "Tre Nel 5000" is credited to Zorn as a composer. To me, it sounds like a 4 1/2 minute dose of ambient noise. "Once Upon A Time In The West" starts quietly and deliberately, with feedback swelling and decaying. Robert Quine and Jody Harris play their guitars otherwise very minimalistically (not minimally, the feedback is constant). That ends the 1985 section of the CD.

The 2000 section uses an updated cast of players. "The Sicilian Clan" is familiar from the "Naked City" CD, though the instrumentation is more acoustic, and Cyro Baptista adds "western movie" percussion. "Macchie Solari" is another unsettling song. It ends in a fit of crashing piano chords and screams. "The Ballad Of Hank McCain" teams Mike Patton's heroic baritone with Jamie Saft's organ and Baptista's background congas. It's one of the more accessible songs, I wonder what it would sound like with a fuller band. The later instrumental version sounds about the same except, of course, without singing. "Svegliatti And Uccidi", with Marc Ribot and Derek Bailey on guitar-mangling duties, is a skronky blow-out. "Chi Mai", with the same musicians as "The Sicilian Clan", has a pretty melody and gentle music.

Some of these songs are very cool and original, others I can go without. Since it's a mixed bag I give it three stars. Zorn is certainly an original, and fans will want to make sure they have this one.

Zorn's first masterpiece.......2005-04-30

One of the best albums in Zorn's catalog, "The Big Gundown" is a masterpiece augmented in this 15th anniversary edition with a number of new recordings. These are reinterpretations of Mooricone pieces (with one Zorn original) for various groups. The entire record is powerful and energetic, with breathtaking arrangements, brilliant performances, and a fire that had not been captured in Zorn's previous recordings. It is also probably his first true masterpiece.

I think in many ways, the opener and title track best illustrates the aesthetic on the record, if you don't like that one, you'll probably not care for the rest of it-- it covers a number of moods, being dark, haunting, theatrical, explosive and esoteric, sometimes all at once. This sort of theatrical mood extends across a number of songs, the haunting circular piano and percussion workout "Peur Sur la Ville" (with a blazing alto sax solo from Tim Berne), an the dark electric guitar workout take of "Once Upon a Time in the West", reduced a funereal pace.

But there are also many moments of delicate beauty as well-- take for instance "Poverty (Once Upon a Time in America)", with an unusual instrumentation of whistling, harmonica (both handled by Toots Theilman), harp and accordian. Particularly when the harmonica takes the melody, the support swells and embraces and holds on, expressing pain and loss and fear for the future. Or consider the brooding and yet someone still light "Giu la Testa (Duck You Sucker!)", building anticipation through its dark motifs and bizarre instrumentation (among others, the Japanese shamisen, english horn, acoustic guitar, gamecalls and keyboards).

The bonus tracks are no less essential-- Zorn brought in about everyone he played with for the originals, these were a chance to catch up. The amazing thing about Zorn is that as an arranger, he's lost none of his flair in the intervening years, in fact, he may have even gotten better. Zorn uses his "Bar Kokhba" sextet (the Masada String Trio augmented by guitarist Marc Ribot, drummer Joey Baron and percussionist Cyro Baptista) to great effect on breathtaking arrangements of "The Sicilian Clan" and "Chi Mai", and adds another great guitar workout feature with Ribot and Derek Bailey in a noisy, disjoint take of "Sveggliatti and Uccidi", but its Mike Patton's Tom growl on "The Ballad of Hank McCain" that is the gem of the material-- stunning delivery that really captures something special (and may be the best vocal Patton has ever done) over a delicate organ (Jamie Saft) and percussion (Baptista) backdrop that matches and perhaps outstrips the best of the original material.

This is essential music for Zorn fans, if you're not, this may well be a good place to start-- the music can be difficult, and it covers a ton of moods, but there is a lot to hear. Highly recommended.

Definitely a must-have Zorn album!.......2004-04-27

I've got about 30 Zorn albums, and this was the first I heard, back in college late during an all-nighter. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Fantastic stuff, and very weird. This is more listenable than some, but definitely not the most easy of Zorn's albums. Great treatments of some familiar pieces if you're into spaghetti westerns.

This is on my must-have list for Zorn albums.

This is the first major Zorn album.......2003-03-15

Back in the mid-1980s, Zorn wrote new arrangements of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack music. He hired the best musicians to play the songs. Then, in 2000, he remastered the old album and filled out the disc with five more Morricone songs.

The result is CD that's all over the place, ranging from beautiful to ugly, from very complex to painfully simple. "Chi Mai," for example is a song you'll listen to over and over. It never gets old. But then there's "Metamorfosi," in which a woman howls and screams over the sound of slowly pounding drums.

Yes, better than the original.......2002-08-14

I just recently took the plunge on this reissue of the Big Gundown, comparing it to my original Nonesuch CD, and the new one is a winner. The music is obviously the same, and great it still is, but I always regretted the thickness of sound and low-level mastering of the original CD. The reissue has cleaned, brightened and polished the sound to a much higher level, it blossoms immediately in the ears and is now superb. The additional tracks are a treat too, Chi Mai is one of Morricone's greatest and pithiest themes, although the manner of the new material is fairly straight-ahead. Also nice is the extensive liner notes, an addition from the original release and a departure for many other Tzadik-Zorn recordings. Zorn fans should go for this in an instant, as should the Zorn-curious. This is his single greatest and most important record.

Morricone fans, you should give this a try too! This will challenge your ears and your notions of one of your favorites, and that's a good thing. Zorn is always true both to the themes from the movies and the context of those movies, which is the most remarkable thing. But for those only used to straight renditions of the music, this CD will shock, because the music is put through a cut-and-paste technique that owes much to cartoon music, and a recontextualization that owes is all to a free-improvisation aesthetic. Don't let those ears and minds get flaccid, folks!

Average customer rating: Legendary classic of Italian prog

Inferno Metamorfosi Manufacturer: M2U ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items: Campo Di Marte Zarathustra Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più Dedicato a Frazz Felona E Sorona ASIN: B000KLMYWQ

Product Description

Ultra Rare Korean Exclusive Release. Packaged in LP Miniature Sleeve.

Customer Reviews:

Legendary classic of Italian prog.......2006-11-27

Metamorfosi was considered one of the greats of Italian prog. In 1972, they released their debut album, ...E Fu Il Sesto Giorno, which is not usually a highly regarded album (I haven't heard that one), but it's their 1973 followup, Inferno that's highly regarded as the classic, must-have. Both their albums were released on the Vedette label, not exactly a well-known label. Anyway, Inferno is a concept album, based on Dante's Divine Comedy. The group consists very much as you expect in prog, keyboards (Hammond organ, piano, Moog, harpsichord), vocals, bass, drums, but very little, if any guitars. The overall sound is something like a cross-between ELP and Banco, the Banco comparisons, no doubt coming from vocalist Jimmy Spilateri who has a similar operatic voice to Banco's Francesco di Giacomo. There's often a dark and sinister sound throughout the album. There are some rather intense jams, experimental passages, and more mellower passages. There are 16 cuts on the whole CD which all segue together, which means the band doesn't stick to one thing too long. It's been stated that both Soviet and American National Anthems are played here on this album, but many listeners say they don't notice it. Well you have to listen carefully, this ain't Gentle Giant playing "God Save the Queen" or Hendrix playing "The Star Spangled Banner" here, it one one of those experimental passages where keyboardist Enrico Oliviera plays mangled versions of the U.S. and Soviet National Anthems on the Moog, and they are short.

Regardless, this album is highly regarded as one of the greats of Italian prog rock, and I can't argue with that, this comes essential to anyone's collection!

Average customer rating:

Nova Metamorfosi /Le Poeme Harmonique * Dumestre Italian Anonymous , Claudio Monteverdi , Vincenzo Ruffo , Le Poeme Harmonique , Vincent Dumestre , Claire Lefilliatre , Catherine Padaut , Damien Guillon , Jean-Francois Lombard , and Bruno Bonhoure Manufacturer: Alpha Productions ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Cavalieri: Lamentations /Le Poeme Harmonique * Dumestre ASIN: B0002J5978 Release Date: 2004-07-20

Average customer rating:

Mind # 3 ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000C8X00 Release Date: 2007-05-29

Album Description

New Live CD From Swedish band Isildurs Bane, split with Italian band Metamorfosi.

Average customer rating: On stage powerhouse! Quite a band.

Paradiso Metamorfosi ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B0002XNL06 Release Date: 2004-06-15

Album Description

The return of this progressive rock band after 30 years of silence. Paradiso is a continuation of their original project of translating into music the essence of Dante's world and will be completed by the third part Purgatorio. GMP. 2004.

Customer Reviews:

On stage powerhouse! Quite a band........2005-01-30

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I had the chance to see Metamorfosi, a progressive rock quartet from Italy, at the North East Art Rock Festival (NearFest) 2004 in Lehigh, Pennsylvania. What an incredible band! These guys are masterful musicians and they play with a level of skill and power that few bands possess -- and I've seen hundreds of bands over the years. With a three piece musical core consisting of a multi-keyboardist with strong classical sensibilities and a powerhouse drum and bass section alongside -- they provide a commanding musical backing to a strong Italian singer whose operatic training and power is evident. Amazing band. Great music.

Average customer rating: wow....

Nova Metamorfosi - Le Poème Harmonique Manufacturer: Alpha Productions ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000SX1US Release Date: 2003-10-13

Tracks:

1. Confitemini Domino -psaume en faux-bourdon
2. Confitemini Domino -psaume en faux-bourdon
3. Confitemini Domino -psaume en faux-bourdon
4. O gloriose martyr (Coppini - Monteverdi)
5. Kyrie eleison (Ruffo)
6. O infelix recessus (Coppini - Monteverdi)
7. Gloria (Ruffo)
8. Gredo (Ruffo)
9. O stellae coruscantes (Coppini - Monteverdi)
10. Anima miseranda (Coppini - Monteverdi)
11. Sanctus (Ruffo)
12. Agnus Dei (Ruffo)
13. O lesu mea vita (Coppini - Monteverdi)
14. Dixit Dominus - psaume en faux-bourdon

Album Description

Sacred Music in Milan in the early seventeenth century

Le Poème Harmonique

Claire Lefilliatre, soprano
Catherine Padaut, soprano
Damien Gullon, alto
Jean-Francois Lombard, tenor
Bruno Bohoure, tenor
Jean-Francois Novelli, tenor
Bernard Arrieta, baryton
Kaori Uemura, dessus de viole
Sylvia Abramowicz, basse de viole
Isabelle Saint Yves, basse de viole
Martin Bauer, violone
William Dongois, cornet à bouquin
Mélaine flahaut, dulciane
Jean-Luc Tamby, cistre basse luthe
Elisabeth Geiger, orgue positif
Vincent Dumestre, theorbe

Customer Reviews:

wow...........2005-07-19

I'll get straight to the point here - this is a wonderful recording! All the tracks are of early 17th century Italian music (Monteverdi, etc) but they are 'contrafacta' whereby sacred texts have been fitted to popular secular madrigals of the day. The singing and playing is beautiful - worthy of praise in its own right - but the embelishments added by the capable singers and instrumentalists of Le Poème Harmonique transform the music into something other worldly. This recording is a 'must' for anyone who likes any early music or vocal music.

Average customer rating:

Metamorfosi Paolo Fresu Angel Quartet Manufacturer: Bmg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music ASIN: B000028E6W Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

1. Elogio Del Discount
2. Si Dolce E Il Tormento
3. Nightly
4. Pong
5. Metamorfosi
6. The Open Trio
7. Abbamele
8. Nympheas
9. Giravolta
10. Adagio
11. Bee
12. Don't Ask
13. Note Di Un Libretto Per Un'Opera Mai Scritta
14. Little Willie Leaps

Average customer rating: Estra: a bright new talent

Metamorfosi Estra Manufacturer: Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Italy | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000IHLB Release Date: 1999-02-25

Tracks:

1. Pieca
2. Cattouca
3. Rubami
4. Passami Da Dentro
5. L' Uomo Coi Tagu
6. Intimo
7. Non Canto
8. Signorina
9. Nei Deserti
10. Giulia
11. Troppe Regolo
12. Va Meguo
13. Moriro
14. Cattouco # 2

Album Description

C.G.D.

Customer Reviews:

Estra: a bright new talent.......2001-06-23

...Winners of the contest ROCK TARGATO ITALIA in 1995, they get noticed there by a famous italian songwriter, Massimo Bubola, who becomes so keen on this newcomer band that decides to produce their debut album. There’s a lot of talent shown in these 14 now rough, now sadly quiet songs. The lyrics by Giulio “Estremo” Casale, voice and guitar, stand out by their intensity, and have a poetic level which is definitely high, being so simple but so highly evocative at the same time. If we should define Estra’ s music with just a single word, “intense” would be perfectly suitable; whether the band chooses the ways of the ballad (“Intimo”, “Non canto” – to me the absolute apex of the record - , “Giulia”) or a rather harsh rock (“Signorina”, “Troppe regole”, “Va meglio”), all the songs have the taste of a not restrained sensitiveness, of a huge expressive urgency. Even if Estremo looks like the fulcrum of the band, being the author both of the lyrics and the music, we must not forget to mention Abe’s guitar, and the very precise rhythmical section, with the bassist Eddy and the drummer Nicola. I’m not able to find any comparisons for this band, even if the broad lines of the singing remind me vaguely of Ligabue, and some songs look like they have been written by Steve Wynn during the “Kerosene man” period. So, this is a really good debut. Estra still use to play, during their beautiful live shows, at least “L’ uomo coi tagli”, which has become a classic. This group is pure, intense and poetic. By this debut they have soon become one of the biggest names of the new italian rock. Even if five years later, I have welcomed Estra in my CD collection. My advice is to do the same!

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