Eden

1. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 1, Le Végétal

2. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 1, Le Végétal

3. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 1, Le Végétal

4. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 1, Le Végétal

5. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 2, l'Humain

6. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 2, l'Humain

7. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 2, l'Humain

8. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 2, l'Humain

9. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 2, l'Humain

10. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 3, Face À Face

11. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 3, Face À Face

12. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 3, Face À Face

13. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 3, Face À Face

14. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 3, Face À Face

15. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 3, Face À Face

16. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 4, Les Animos

17. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 4, Les Animos

18. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 4, Les Animos

19. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 5, Le Centre de

20. Eden, Fantaisie Sur la Genèse Pour 9 Voix a Capell: No 6, Remise en Ord

See all 28 tracks on this disc

Tracks:

In Paradisum - Brightman/Peterson
Eden - Callier
So Many Things - Traditional/Brightman
Anytime, Anywhere - Albinoni/Brightman
Bailero - Traditional
Dust In The Wind - Livgren
Il Mio Cuore Va (My Heart Will Go On, From 'Titanic') - Horner/Jennings
Deliver Me - Marsh
Un Jour Il Viendra - Yared/Jonasz
Nella Fantasia - Morricone
Tu - Cano
Lascia Ch'io Pianga - Handel
Only An Ocean Away - Andreason
Scene D'Amour - Lai
Nessun Dorma - Puccini
The Last Words You Said (This track only on US release)

Amazon.com essential recording

In this follow-up to the smashing success of her 1997 CD Time to Say Goodbye, Sarah Brightman continues down the primrose crossover path, blithely gliding from covers of Hooverphonic (the title track) and Kansas ("Dust in the Wind") to Puccini and film scores (Titanic and The English Patient). Sometimes, as in "Anytime, Anywhere," the crossover happens within the same song--in this case welding a rhythm track to the somber harmonies of Albinoni's "Adagio." But there's nary a stylistic speed bump to jolt her listeners, as Brightman focuses her tiny, seraphic voice like a beam of light on each melody. The result, bless her heart, may be the invention of a whole new form of kitsch. Like plastic surgery, Brightman's years of specialized vocal training have helped refine her ability to float confidently well-rounded, sparkling tones in her upper range. These have a Dresden china-like, touching fragility in such songs as "So Many Things" and are well-suited to the gauzily romantic (and overproduced) gloss of the string-heavy arrangements that predominate. Eden also introduces Brightman as songwriter ("In Paradisum," with its mix of sitar and modal chant) and features a bonus track unavailable on the album's European-released version ("The Last Words You Said"). --Thomas May

Amazon.com

Sarah Brightman Photos

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Album Description

Asian edition of the sensational soprano's 1998 album 'Eden' with 'Lost Words You Said' (composed by & featuring Richard Marx) added as a bonus track. 1999 release. Comes packaged in a full color, embossed brilliant box.

Album Details

Another Special Asian Release.

Customer Reviews:

Sarah Brightman.......2007-08-04

Eden is the best of her work. An album I could listen to repeatedly and my family loves it!

Superb.......2007-07-15

Unequivically the best CD Ive ever heard. Pitch perfect voice, the 5 octave range....no one compares to the style of Sarah Brightman.

AMAZING!.......2007-04-12

I'm not an operatic snob, and I'm not a classical officionado, but I do know what I like, and this is it! Brightman always seems to start of her CDs with a little interlude at the beginning of her albums (in LA LUNA - "La Lune", from FLY - "The Fly", from HAREM - "Kama Sutra"). Her "In Paradisum" is long and beautiful, her voice soaring to high vocals. The next piece is "Eden", originally created by Hooverphonics, and this version is more classical than the other! It's really great! "So Many Things" is a great piece, followed by "Anytime, Anywhere", a Foreign Language - English piece (which works really well by the way). Bailero is the next piece, and it's great as well! Honestly, every single piece is beautiful, and it's a MUST-HAVE for any Sarah Brightman fan! However, the standout piece has to be "Nessun Dorma", which is a male aria, usually sung by Pavarotti or any other male. However, Sarah thought she could do it, and she did! Buy this CD!

Like an old friend .......2007-03-16

I first came across this album my senior year in college. It quickly found its way into the landscape of my daily life---I wrote over 200 pages in the wee hours of the morning to it, drove down the east coast, worked out at the gym, and dreamed to the tracks on this cd. Beautiful,soothing, and inspiring this is an album that never grows old.

Eden is classic Sarah Brightman.......2007-01-25

Possibly her best album, before she became a bit "far out" with her concert extravaganzas.

Average customer rating:

How they've grown.
Films For Radio
One of my favorite bands of all time
Best thing they ever did
Solid

Our Time in Eden
10,000 Maniacs
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In My Tribe
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ASIN: B000002HBI
Release Date: 1992-09-29

Tracks:

Noah's Dove
These Are Days
Eden
Few And Far Between
Stockton Gala Days
Gold Rush Brides
Jezebel
How You've Grown
Candy Everybody Wants
Tolerance
Circle Dream
If You Intend
I'm Not The Man

Amazon.com essential recording

The last album the band recorded before lead singer Natalie Merchant departed for a solo career, Our Time in Eden is the actualization of an unassuming college folk-rock band turned adult-contemporary group in the best possible way. Merchant's lullaby voice is more pure and confident than ever before. And although the music is still dominated by chiming rhythm guitar, the band incorporates an emphatic horn section on several tracks (most notably on "Candy Everybody Wants"). The best track is the sentimental swan song "These Are Days," which will evoke a distant smile and maybe even a teary eye, no matter how hard you try not to let it. --Beth Massa

Customer Reviews:

How they've grown........2006-01-22

I know alot of people love the "In My Tribe" album, and my favorite might be "Blind Man's Zoo", but I think this is their best, and is easily their most popular album. "Our Time In Eden" benefited by coming out at the height of the alternative craze, and "These Are Days" seemed to be a theme for more than a few people I knew. That was the big hit, but "Candy Everybody Wants" was another, as well as a few minor hits that made their "Unplugged" and "Campfire Songs" collections. By the time of this release, 10,000 Maniacs had really become more adult-alternative rock than college-rock, and you can hear where Natalie Merchant was headed on her first solo album in 1995. No complaint though, this is all good stuff. Personal favorites of mine would be the opener "Noah's Dove" and "Circle Dream", both beautiful and catchy. Truth is, they were/are a wonderful band, and any of the above mentioned albums are a joy to hear.

Films For Radio.......2005-03-18

Yes, to the very few of you have realized, I borrowed the title for this review from the title of a (completely fabulous by the way) album by Over The Rhine. That said Films For Radio describes perfectly, the music contained on Our Time in Eden.

Each song, both musically and lyrically is extremely emotive, Our Time In Eden is probably the Maniacs album where the disparity between the light pop-folk melodies and Natalie Merchant's dark, moody lyrics was at it's least, in part due to a slight lightening up of Merchant's subject matter, allowing for a more streamlined sound here than on previous efforts.

The album hasn't aged a day in the 13 years since it's relaese, Natalie's vocals are confident and clear and the music perhaps more experimental than previous works by the band is just beautiful

The standouts here are the lovely single These Are Days, Stockton Gala Days, Noah's Dove and Tolerence.

Sit back, close your eyes and let these songs, the melodies and the words from images in your mind.

One of my favorite bands of all time.......2005-02-22

10,000 Maniacs (with Natalie Merchant) made some of the most unique music of their time, that never achieved a great deal of commercial success...not like some of the groups you hear practically every day...Nickelback, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. I would guess that their music gets more airplay overall now than it did when it was new, especially since Natalie Merchant has had some success as a solo artist.

The fact that you didn't hear 10,000 Maniacs songs every 5 minutes on the radio is one of the things I loved most about them. I never had the chance to get sick of their music. The original 10,000 Maniacs wrote some of the best music of their time, in my opinion...rich melodies, stunning vocals, and intelligent lyrics.

Their sound changed/evolved from CD to CD, but still maintained a uniqueness of sound and style I've not heard before or since. Our Time In Eden is the most polished of the bunch. I think their most unique sounding CD was their debut CD, The Wishing Chair. A few of the songs, like Scorpio Rising and Lilydale, were never really replicated by the Maniacs again. Some of Natalie's solo work sounds similar to songs like Lilydale, but that's it.

The Maniacs wrote many great songs over the years: Can't Ignore the Train, Lilydale, Scorpio Rising, YMaddox Table, You Happy Puppet, Trouble Me, What's The Matter Here?, The Painted Desert, Don't Talk, Hey Jack Kerouac, Cherry Tree, City of Angels, These Are Days, Stockton Gala Days, Noah's Dove, Gold Rush Brides, Eden, Few

Best thing they ever did.......2004-10-24

Everything came together wiht this one - songwriting, instrumentation, production, and just that groove of a great record. You don't really tire of listening to this one. It's a pity it was their last.

Solid.......2004-10-19

This first thing I noticed about this music is its sincerity. The music is from the heart and seems to me to have been intended to please the group rather than some commercial esthetic. The result is interesting and enjoyable music where the performers are allowing us, the listeners, to share in their inner vision of who they are as artists. You can readily hear the emotion in each and every song, and I wondered whether part of that emotion was the realization that this was to be the last album from that incarnation of 10,000 Maniacs as Natalie Merchant was preparing to depart for a solo career.

The first thing I noticed when opening the fold-out for the CD is that the lyrics are written in a narrative form instead of verse form. The style of the music matches the narrative form. Many artists think and write in verse form, and to create music in narrative form is more difficult because of the difficulty and complexity of matching the syllables and pacing of the narrative to the music. The narrative form is usually the style of story tellers, and each of these songs comes across as a vignette.

The first vignette is "Noah's Dove," which comes across several ways. Noah's dove was the bird he sent out to find dry land. When at last the dove did not return, Noah knew that the dove had found dry land. Thus, the story is about someone seeking something, perhaps the something they will not find because it does not exist, but that person will continue to search, never realizing what they have in the here and now.

The second song, "These Are the Days," relates to the first song because the emphasis of this song is the here and now. The lyrics advise the listener that now is the golden time, the time that in later years the listener will look back on with fondness as one of the best times of their lives. One has to wonder whether this song was a lament at the imminent breakup of 10,000 Maniacs.

Each of these songs is full of allegory. "Eden" seems to have several allegories. The first is the allusion to the beauty on the surface of those you see, but the thorns are the reality. The song contrasts the illusions we create, even to ourselves, to our desire and willingness to be something else. How much is illusion and how much is reality is anyone's guess, because we choose, consciously or unconsciously. "Few and Far Between" continues the train of thought started in "Eden," this time from the viewpoint of accumulating the baggage of the past and regret, and not having enough room for the future.

"Stockton Gala Days," given that the singer is female, sounds a lot like a lesbian experience, particularly the line "There was no girl as warm as you." The song explains that the person she is singing about will never know how the singer felt about that experience and what it meant to the singer. "Jezebel" may fall into the same category as this song as the singer laments that she has allowed her marriage vows to cover the truth of her life and who she is.

"Gold Rush Brides" wonders where the strong women who overcame the legal limitations of the day to help win the west are documented. Most stories are of men, but women were integral to keeping everything together and often were the reason things happened. "Coming of Age" is song about how we change as we grow older. We always remember someone as the way we saw them last.

"Candy Everybody Wants" has a moral to it. Many of us consider blood, lust, hate and love of a sexual kind to be bad, yet those things are readily available in movies, books, and even song. If those things are truly wrong, the song questions who is to blame given how popular those things are. We hide behind others, blaming, but not wishing to be blamed. "Tolerance" also addresses avoidance. This time the issue is as stated in the title. When we hear of violence and intolerance, what do we do? We had away from it hoping that it will go another direction from us because we fear to take a stand.

"Circle Dream" is another wonderfully complex song. On the one hand the circle could be the world in which we live. The maze in the circle is the difficulty of living and finding our way. The face in the circle represents love and understanding, perhaps a lover. While the song has implications of an alternative lifestyle, it also implies the life we all live.

"If You Intend" is a song for lovers and loved ones, regardless of lifestyle. The song addresses commitment and love, and how the first step in realizing that love is to reach for the love, to express your intentions. Once again, the lament of the singer is for the listener to overcome their fears because the result otherwise is dreams unfulfilled.

The last song, "I'm Not the Man," caps off the running theme of intolerance and prejudice to those who are different from the "norm." In this case the victim is someone accused of the crime because of race or some similar reason. However, the singer was elsewhere, yet no one came forward. The evidence was thin, but the conviction assured. We know this scene, but it takes someone to have the power to step forward and stop it.

These songs are powerful and dramatically scrape open many of the problems of society. It is amazing that a group as well known as 10,000 Maniacs would address social issues unabashedly and ultimately create a beautiful work. Music like this dates back centuries to the days of bards. Music like this that appeals to a large audience happens all too rarely in this day of statistics and sales and station play.

Average customer rating:

Excellent recording
Diverse music that grows on you
As good as any musical recording...
Fantastic.
In the Beginning......

Children Of Eden (1998 New Jersey Cast)
Jim Weaver , Ann Bass , Vicki Carter , Barry Cavanagh , Vincent D'Elia , and Darius de Haas
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Children of Eden: Vocal Selections
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ASIN: B000006OP3
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Let There Be
The Tree Of Knowledge
The Naming
Grateful Children
Father's Day
Perfect
The Spark Of Creation
In Pursuit Of Excellence
The End Of A Perfect Day
Childhood's End
A World Without You
The Expulsion
The Wasteland
The Spark Of Creation (Reprise 1)
Lost In The Wilderness
Close To Home
A Ring Of Stones
The Death Of Abel
The Mark Of Cain
Children Of Eden

Tracks:

Generations
The Gathering Storm
A Piece Of Eight
The Return Of The Animals
Noah's Lullaby
Stranger To The Rain
In Whatever Time We have
The Flood
What Is He Waiting For?
Sailor Of The Skies
The Spark Of Creation (Reprise 2)
The Hardest Part Of Love
Words Of Doom
The Hour Of Darkness
Ain't It Good?
Precious Children
In The Beginning

Customer Reviews:

Excellent recording .......2007-01-09

This is a wonderful representation of "Children of Eden." The music is powerful, and the actors are wonderful. Highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of the show or of Stephen Schwartz musicals.

Diverse music that grows on you.......2006-09-09

I was in a production of Children of Eden and did not like the music at first. It definitely grows on you and is extremly moving at times, especially the finale "Children of Eden". My favorite though is "Ain't it Good" which I hated when I first heard it. Very good show but remember it is a show and don't get into theological discussions about it's suppossed misrepresentations of the Old Testament. It's fiction and doesn't propose to be anything else.

As good as any musical recording..........2006-06-24

I'm not any sort of theatre expert, so I won't pretend to offer the critical analysis that some other reviewers have provided (rather snobbishly, I might add). Ultimately, I think that this recording is absolutely brilliant. In contrast to some critics, I think that the musical variety contained within this show is stunning, yet I felt like Schwartz was up to the challenge throughout the show, regardless of the style which he was using for a given song. Take note of "In Pursuit of Excellence" as a perfect example of a totally unique, but absolutely engaging song.

For whatever it's worth, I have some serious theological issues with this show. I wouldn't actually recommend anyone to casually watch the show because I think that there are some unfortunate misrepresentations of the character of God. However, there are also some powerful moments of personalizing the story of the human experience within God's creation that become real in ways that only theatre can provide. And it offered hours of good conversation for my wife and me afterwards.

Specifically related to this album, I love it. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes the musical theatre format but who wants some more depth than many Broadway shows.

Fantastic........2006-03-21

I am Pagan, and yet, this is the most moving soundtrack I have ever heard. It isn't about religion, is it? It's about family. It's about parents learning to let their children go, knowing they might let them fall but also knowing it has to happen for them to learn. The way that Father - AKA God - is just a parent, an angry parent trying to shield his children but not knowing how, really brings religion home. First off, I think every Christian should hear this musical. This is what I always thought Christianity should be: God isn't some big guy, he's a dad, end of story. Secondly, every parent and child should hear this, AKA everyone. This definetly made me appreciate the struggles I had with my own parents.
"The hardest part of love is the letting go..."

In the Beginning.............2005-01-23

I wanted this for Christmas for two reasons, 1)I LOVE STEPHEN SCHARTZ( If you don't believe me, see my reviews of Godspell, Pippin and The Magic Show)2) I heard good things about this show. I got this for Christmas, and it was different but still it was great. Its the stories of Adam&Eve, Cain/Abel and Noah's Ark. And it is the first time I ever heard of that God played a physical part, played by the amazing William Solo. The cast is filled with so familiar names, Adrian Zmed(T.J Hooker) who plays Adam and Noah, Stephine Mills(The Wiz) plays Eve and Mama Noah and Keilie Rabke(Joseph and the Amazing Techncolor Dreamcoat). This show is not typical Schwartz fare, but its one of his best.

Average customer rating:

thank goodness this cd is in my life
Not your mamas new wave!
this is the one
Wow
Visceral, Cathartic, and Sublime

Spirit of Eden
Talk Talk
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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It's My Life

ASIN: B000005RS5
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Tracks:

The Rainbow
Eden
Desire
Inheritance
I Believe In You
Wealth

Album Description

1997 EMI release, their fourth album (1988) digitally remastered. The album features six extended ambient tracks, including 'Desire', 'Eden' and 'I Believe In You'.

Customer Reviews:

thank goodness this cd is in my life.......2007-04-03

My story with this CD begins with my friend and I going to a high-end audio store pretending that we were going to actually buy something. My friend had worked in a recording studio for a couple years, so he knew the ins and outs of what the guy was saying, but I just stood there drooling over all the pretty things I could neither understand nor afford. Near the end of the tour, the two of us and the saleman went into a room with a couple chairs, a recliner, a couple amazing looking turntables, and a set of speakers in the front of the room. Of all the CDs, my friend pulls this one out. After making sure the speakers were perfectly balanced (of course I couldn't tell the difference) we popped in the CD. I nearly fell off my seat. Then my friend offered the recliner to me, which was situated directly in front center of the speakers. I had NEVER heard anything so beautful in my life. It made me tear up right there in the store.

I love this whole CD, from that amazing harmonica to the percussion spectacle in the middle of "Desire". My friend was right in saying that he's ruined me for life. The production and emotion of this album can only be truly appreciated blasted on decent headphones or speakers. One part of me wants to buy a bazillion copies of this and air-drop it over the world so everyone can hear it, but another part of me likes having it as my own personal gem. An incredible piece of work.

Not your mamas new wave! .......2007-03-27

Talk Talk to many are remembered as a sort of Fixx-like new wave synth rock band with their big hit Its my life and a few others. What many people dont realize is that TAlk TAlk ditched their "new wave" sound and dove headfirst into ambient freeform art rock with classical overtones and produced two of the best albums of the last 20 years- and in the case of Spirit of Eden the best sounding and most uncommercial pop record of the eighties. THe first song or piece here is over 20 minutes- moving from hushed ambient rock into almost jazzlike like moodiness(think Miles Davis ala In a silent way). The music weaves in a dark underbelly of despair and redemption with Singer Mark Hollis's odd mixed low voice rising and falling at the right times. The effect is stunning- but dont expect instant satisfaction. This is an album that needs to be listened to in the darkness or a sunday morning with ears and mind wide open. The whole mood is downtempo- sometimes bleak but always uplifting. Its littered with guest musicians and exotic and classical instruments- great fretless bass and brush drums. Sprit of Eden is TAlk Talk's masterwork which is just slightly better than the very similiar Laughingstock- another excellent album and the bands swansong. Seriously- you wont even think this is the same band and in many ways they no longer wore. A desert island disc without a doubt.

this is the one.......2007-02-21

This is the album. Back in the 80's, there was a "Talk Talk" album that I LOVED! I remember it to be "It's My Life", which is a terrific album, but when I came back to this album, I realized that this was my cherished album by Talk Talk.

If you at all familiar with "It's My Life", please do buy this album right away. "It's My Life" is the detail painting for "Spirit of Eden". That feeling you get from the songs on "It's My Life", those feelings are refined and poured into a romantic, modern vessel of aural beauty. As I listen to it at this very moment, I wonder at its beauty.

There's a beautiful plaintive appeal to the singer's voice that the listener appreciates as s/he realizes how few vocals there are on this album.

Wow.......2007-02-01

My friend let me borrow her CD. She said to listen to it at around 10pm at night, in candlelight or with the lights dimmed. She said it would change my life. :) Not quite sure about that, but this CD is great! And all of the other top reviews for it helped convince me to get my own copy. Glad I did. Thanks, to the reviewers, and my 'noid friend LS. :)

Visceral, Cathartic, and Sublime.......2006-12-08

I'm reticent to give away five stars to any album. I find we tend to overidolize music and neglect the richness of such a wide field with our petty squabbling over uncritical simplifications like "good" versus "bad." However, "Spirit of Eden" rises above the pack and warrants attention as a classic work of music. Normally I'd discuss music on its own merits, but I'm given to understand that the mastermind behind the album Mark Hollis has stated that work is derivative by nature.

The first section is a twenty-three minute long monstrosity called "The Rainbow / Eden / Desire" that dominates the album. As I listen to the album, by the time the last note of Desire fades away I'm in a total meditative state for the duration of the last three tracks. There's little point in even attempting description of the music without resorting to simile.

Pretty much any serious listener can tell you the same thing. I hear Miles Davis and his rythmic organic compositions. I hear Kevin Shields and his whispered lyrics and screaming noise. I hear Brian Eno and his self-conscious introspection. I hear vintage Pink Floyd and another little twenty-three minute long beast called "Echoes." I hear Vangelis and Yes and their inability to go quietly into a box. I hear nameless blues masters lost to the mists of time. "Spirit of Eden" is all these people and none of them. It's as if a fertile soil was planted with these musical seeds, and what grew from them twisted together into a tree called "Spirit of Eden."

The album isn't perfect. But that's not important. What's important is that the music has been crafted well enough to accept its own flaws. It is a masterpiece; visceral, cathartic, and sublime.

The Apple Tree (1966 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Very good show which I hadn't heard of...
THE APPLE TREE (1966 ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST)
I still remember these songs after 40 years
Really 2.5
Boring material that you forget very easily

The Apple Tree (1966 Original Broadway Cast)
Sheldon Harnick
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000027WD
Release Date: 1992-11-24

Tracks:

Eden Prelude
Here In Eden
Feelings
Eve
Friends
The Apple Tree (Forbidden Fruit)
Beautiful, Beautiful World
It's A Fish
Go To Sleep, Whatever You Are
What Makes Me Love Him?/Eden Postlude
The Lady Or The Tiger? Prelude/I'll Tell You a Truth/Make Way
Forbidden Love (In Gaul)
The Apple Tree (Reprise)
I've Got What You Want
Tiger, Tiger
Make Way (Reprise)/Which Door/I'll Tell You a Truth (Reprise)
Passionella Prelude
Oh, To Be A Movie Star
Gorgeous
(Who, Who, Who, Who) Who Is She?
I Know
Wealth
You Are Not Real
Passionella Postlude/Finale

Customer Reviews:

Very good show which I hadn't heard of..........2007-05-13

I was very into theatre in high school and college and thought I was up on most musicals, but had never heard of this show until recently. It's comprised of three short stories which were adapted into the musical format. The first two stories are tied together very well, although the last seems tacked on. But the songs are catchy and it's fairly easy to figure out what's happening simply by listening to the songs. There are two songs which are tied for my favoritism: "It's a Fish" from Adam and Eve and "You Are Not Real" from Passionella. Check it out.

THE APPLE TREE (1966 ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST).......2007-04-10

IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. I WENT TO THE REVIVAL OF THE APPLE TREE ON BROADWAY IN NEW YORK CITY AND LOVED THE SCORE BUT THERE WASN'T A SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE SO I PURCHASED THE ORIGINAL VERSION AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

I still remember these songs after 40 years.......2006-11-05

I saw this show on the stage when it first ran, and have never forgotten it. The key to a good Broadway show is this question: Are you humming the songs when you leave the theatre? In the case of The Apple Tree, the answer is a resounding "Yes." I have been waiting 40 years for this show to be revived, and I have tickets for the revival opening in December at the Roundabout. I hope not to be disappointed, for the trio of Barbara Harris, a very young Alan Alda, and the late Larry Blyden were terrific. The three-part concept can be jarring because just when you're getting into the story, it ends -- but just enjoy the kind of songs they just don't write anymore.

Really 2.5.......2006-07-25

SO this is another show thats actually three one acts. The first "The Diary of Adam and Eve" is the best by far. It has really cute songs and nice plot. Thats the only reason I rounded this up from 2.5 to 3 stars. The rest of the show is nothing great. "Lady and Tiger" is short and boring. And "Passionella" is exactly what it sounds like, a knock off of Cinderella. But hey, its a good show for collectors and "The Diary of Adam and Eve" is nice. Favorite Song: "Its A Fish"

Boring material that you forget very easily.......2006-06-29

According to some reviews, this musical was supposed to be very good and I bought it. Unfortunately, I was quite dissapointed. It's composed of three different tales, the first one referring to the Adam & Eve biblical story. The lyrics here are very silly and tedious. The second tale, "The Lady or the Tiger?" contains songs that are simply awful, probably the worst ever written for a Broadway show. The third story, "Passionella", contains music that does nothing to make things better. The album contains a good informative booklet in English, German, French & Italian (as Sony uses to do)which says that Time magazine defined this show as "three moldy figs". I entirely agree. I would recommend this musical to those suffering from insomnia: it will put them to sleep right away.

Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording

Average customer rating:

Belt 'em if you got 'em.
Unreal!!!
This recording is very disappointing.....
Power vocals en masse!
SHRILL!!!

Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording
Galt MacDermot , James Rado , Gerome Ragni , Lillias White , Lea Delaria , Harvey Fierstein , Liz Callaway , Jai Rodriguez , Euan Morton , Ana Gasteyer , Shoshana Bean , Laura Benanti , Adam Pascal , Gavin Creel , Raul Esparza , Jennifer Hudson , John Tartaglia , Christopher Sieber , Annie Golden , Eden Espinosa , Sherie Rene Scott , Billy Porter , Darius de Haas , and Norm Lewis
Manufacturer: Ghostlight
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)
Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)

ASIN: B000929ADW
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Tracks:

Aquarius - Lillias White
Donna - Lea DeLaria
Hashish - Paul Castree,
Sodomy - Chuck Cooper
Colored Spade - Euan Morton
Manchester, England
Dead End - Shoshana Bean
Sheila Franklin/I Believe in Love
I'm Black/Ain't Got No
Air - Harvey Fierstein
Initials - Laura Benanti
I Got Life - Adam Pascal
Going Down - Gavin Creel
Hair
My Conviction - Charles Bush
Easy to Be Hard - Jennifer Hudson
Don't Put It Down! - Christopher Sieber, John Tartaglia
Frank Mills - Annie Golden
Be-In (Hare Krishna)
Where Do I Go? - Julia K. Murney
Hippie Life - Eden Espinosa
Electric Blues - Toxic Audio
Black Boys - Kathy Brier, Ann Harada, Orfeh
White Boys - Ledisi, , Shayna Steele
Walking in Space
Yes I's Finished on Y'All's Farmlands
Four Score/Abie, Baby - Billy Porter
Good Morning Starshine - Liz Callaway
Three-Five-Zero-Zero
What a Piece of Work Is Man - Norm Lewis
Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In) - Jai Rodriguez

Customer Reviews:

Belt 'em if you got 'em........2007-01-07

A disclaimer - you'll probably have more fun with this recording if you think of it as "Songs from Hair". This is NOT a recording of a traditional version of the show; it's more a cabaret, with each song being sung by a different artist. While this completely removes continuity and character development, it does free up the listener to appreciate Galt MacDermot's music, sung as it should be. Let's face it - the original RCA recording of the Broadway cast of 1964 is priceless as an artifact of its time, but it's not exactly a pleasant listen - the cast is of the "more enthusiasm than talent" school.

Here, though, there's no such problem.

There's a whole lotta belting goin' on in this album. Because each singer only has one song, and there's no need to conserve their voices for later in the show, everybody gives it their all - and in the case of such powerful singers as Gavin Creel, Lillias White, Shoshana Bean, Raul Esparza, Adam Pascal, Eden Espinosa, Orfeh, Jennifer Hudson, and Billy Porter? That's quite a lot. And the backup voices, if anything, are even more spectacular: listen to that anonymous chorus girl hit an air-raid-siren high note at the end of "Goin' Down".

Track-by-track:
1. "Aquarius" - The famous chorale opening, led by the inimitable Lillias White. The orchestrations and backup singing sends shivers down the spine, and White brings the gospel something fierce. 5/5

2. "Donna" - In the first of many gender-bendings on the album, "Donna" is here sung by Lea DeLaria, who does a passable job, if she tends to overemote. 3/5

3. "Hashish" - All-chorus listing of various hallucinogens and illegal mind enhancers. Fun as always, but a trifle. 2/5

4. "Sodomy" - That timeless ode to deviant sexual practice, here sung in a pure, innocent choir-boy tenor by Jai Rodriguez of Zanna, Don't! and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy fame. 5/5

5. "Colored Spade" - For everyone who's ever wanted to hear Tony-winning bass-baritone Chuck Cooper declare himself "President of the United States of Love". 4/5

6. "Manchester, England" - A four-decade-old antecedent of Britpop, charmingly given life by Euan Morton. 4/5

7. "Dead End" - The first really high-energy number since "Aquarius" kicks things back into high gear. Ana Gasteyer shows off the pipes that would later land her the role of Elphaba on Broadway in "Wicked". There's a big black woman hiding inside that white comedienne! 4/5

8. "Sheila Franklin/I Believe in Love" - Shoshana Bean, if you've ever heard her, is infamous for singing every song as one giant melisma. She does it here too, of course, but particularly impressively. She rockets through all of her 72 octaves in the course of a minute and nineteen seconds. 5/5

9. "I'm Black/Ain't Got No" - A kind of pointless song, the whole chorus yelling about what they lack in life. Fun ending, though. 2/5

Ahh, now we're getting into the really good stuff. The meat of the disc is from the middle to the end, and it's a three-course meal from here on out.

10. "Air" - Harvey Fierstein, he of the goose-strangled-with-barbed-wire voice, rasps out this little ditty in an inspired bit of gimmick casting, and manages to not cough up any internal organs, despite the ungodly noises toward the end of the track. 5/5

11. "Initials" - What was originally a choral number is now handed primarily to the divine Laura Benanti. And what do you know, she's funny! Topping the whole thing off with an operatic high C doesn't hurt matters, either. 5/5

12. "I Got Life" - Broadway's resident rock star, Adam Pascal, shows off the voice that he should have blown out looong ago in a rollicking, fast-paced number. Great fun, but I wouldn't recommend trying to emulate it. 5/5

13. "Goin' Down" - Gavin Creel has a voice of honey and silk that can rise into an impressively soulful belt when he feels like it. And here, he feels like it. Another energetic roof-raiser. 5/5

14. "Hair" - These three songs, these three singers, one right after the other? It's bliss. Raul Esparza snarls out the first verse, then roars full-throttle into a higher octave for the last few stanzas. A fitting title song. 5/5

15. "My Conviction" - Another fun trifle, amusingly given voice by a veddy proper Charles Busch. 3/5

16. "Easy To Be Hard" - Jennifer Hudson, post-American Idol and pre-Dreamgirls, is revelatory here. She tears the lid off this already-impassioned number and absolutely rips it to shreds. Just the right amount of emoting, just the right amount of full-throated vocalizing. The definitive rendition of this song, EVER. (I was unconvinced she was right for Effie, until I heard this. It gave me chills like I hadn't felt since Jennifer Holliday's performance in... well, you know.) 6/5

17. "Don't Put it Down!" - Funny indictment of patriotism, given an unfortunately nasal rendition by the duo of Christopher Sieber and John Tartaglia. It passes quickly. 2/5

18. "Frank Mills" - The sweetly-warbling Annie Golden is adorable in this lament for a lost love. 4/5

19. "Be-In Hare Krishna" - Catchy as all hell. This has been in my head for approximately... ten years. 5/5

20. "Where Do I Go?" - Another gender switch. Here, Julia Murney sings a song of uncertainty. Fans of the Wild Party will be unsurprised to learn that it does end in a big, belty final phrase. However, she has grown into her voice, and shows a bit of welcome nuance in the plaintive lyrics. 5/5

21. "Hippie Life" - Eden Espinosa does her thing with some dated lyrics and some insanity-belting. 4/5

22. "Electric Blues" - The most aurally interesting track on the album, and also the one that takes the most liberty with its source material - there's no instrumentation and no lead vocalist. The a cappella group Toxic Audio is menacing, and yet somehow amusing, showing that even though they lack the Broadway star status of most of the other participants, they more than deserve it. 5/5

23. "Black Boys" - Part one of a two-part ode to jungle fever. Odd tempo and some strange, strange metaphors comparing black men repeatedly to candy. 3/5

24. "White Boys" - Part two, and by far the more satisfying. True, the whole thing is basically a long contest to see which girl can belt the highest and riff the most, but by God it's fun as hell to listen to Shayna Steele, Brandi Chavonne Massey, and Orfeh skip up half step after half step, till you're not sure they can continue to do that without hurting somebody. 5/5

25. "Walking in Space" - Another paean to the positive aspects of drug use, sung gorgeously by Sherie Rene Scott. 5/5

26. "Yes, I's Finished on Y'all's Farmlands" - Short and good. 4/5

27. "Four Score/Abie, Baby" - Gives the legendary Billy Porter the Emancipation Proclamation and lets him run with it, with fantastic results. 5/5

28. "Good Morning Starshine" - Sweetly given voice by Liz Callaway. Shows off MacDermot's uncommon melodic gift, and the inanity of Gerome Ragni's lyrics. 5/5

29. "Three-Five-Zero-Zero" - Absolutely terrifying choral requiem for Vietnam. 5/5

30. "What a Piece Of Work is Man" - Darius DeHaas again shows why he deserves a lot more work than he gets, and also why he's known to possess a killer tenor voice. 4/5

31. "The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In" - Possibly the best track on the album is saved for last. The incomparable Norm Lewis starts things off with uncertainty in his deep, resonant tenor, built around a repeating bassline. As the orchestration builds and he climbs up the staff, Euan Morton makes a return appearance as Claude, screaming in anguish. The chorus joins in gradually, Billy Porter and Darius DeHaas start exhorting the audience to let the sunshine in, and joy breaks through the clouds, though that minor key constantly reminds us that there are no clean-cut happy endings.

Unreal!!!.......2006-11-10

A fabulous cast including the incredible talents of Lillias White, Jennifer Hudson, Ana Gasteyer, Soshana Bean and Eden Espinosa! The journey this CD takes you on is truly a treat! The new songs on the disc are FANTASTIC! (Eden and Ana) The men in the cast are just as wonderful as the ladies...a VERY diverse cast with a FANTASTIC sound!

This recording is very disappointing............2006-05-31

After reading the below reviews, I decided to purchase this CD. I am a huge fan of the play, movie, and their respective recordings- BUT, this CD is terrible. The songs are very oversung- some of them even sound like they have a choir in the background! There is no continuity to the singers, and wonderful classic songs like "Where do I go" are sung by the opposite gender?!? I have never written one of these reviews before, but I hope you consider carefully before purchasing this CD.

Power vocals en masse!.......2006-04-21

My one complaint about this recording is, "Too Much Shouting!" Yes, in these days of "American Idol," this is very much in vogue, but good golly! In the song "White Boys," for example, the three singers, all of whom have powerful voices, seem to be trying to outsing each other. Normally, I like Jennifer Hudson's singing, but her rendition of "Easy to Be Hard" might as well be called, "Easy To Be Way-Oversung". That written, this endeavor has much to admire. The musical direction is tight, and the diction is excellent. The quality of the voices is uniformly good, and polished. A good deal of variety also exists here, from Harvey Fierstein hacking out the song "Air," to Laura Benanti triumphantly capping off "Initials" with an operatic high C.

SHRILL!!!.......2005-12-22

Most of the songs are great, but there are far too many singers who "oversouled" the songs. One of my favorite songs "Easy to be Hard" sounds like an American Idol or Apollo finalist trying way too hard.

Average customer rating:

Amazing Celtic Band
Simply Excellent
Pure Heaven
Wow!
Healing and Comforting

Celtic Psalms
Eden's Bridge
Manufacturer: Straight Way
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music

Celtic Worship
Authentic Worship: Celtic Worship
Revival in Belfast II
Revival in Belfast
Come Heal This Land: Live Worship From Northern Ireland Featuring Robin Mark

ASIN: B000006002
Release Date: 1998-03-10

Tracks:

Fear No Evil
Praise The Holy Lord Above
The Lord Is My Light
I Lift Up My Eyes
El Shaddai
He Will Never Be Shaken
Blessed Is The Man
In The Lord Lord My Heart Takes Refuge
How Long O Lord
Shout For Joy
In The Morning
Psalm 23
Your Love Is Better Than Life

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Celtic Band.......2006-01-29

There is not one song on this CD that I don't like. This is the type of Celtic music I have been searching for. I'm so glad I discovered Eden's Bride! The music is soothing, yet won't put you to sleep while you are driving because it is somewhat on the contemporary side, but not too much. It is inspiring as well. I highly recommend this CD.

Simply Excellent.......2006-01-13

The Lord has sure blessed them and I'm glad they're using their blessing to share the Word with us.

Pure Heaven.......2005-09-09

After hearing Eden's Bridge's album "Celtic Worship 2", my husband and I went searching for more of this phenomenally talented group and came upon "Celtic Psalms" on the Amazon website. It is just as musically and spiritually uplifting and beautiful as "Celtic Worship 2", if not more so. This group is a joy to listen to, and the lead singer sounds like an angel. While I greatly value talented musicians (and they are!), as a linguist, I am particularly touched by lyrics, and these are some of the best--touching, haunting, piercing, uplifting--they express everything you have ever wanted to say to (or about) God and then some. We will be looking for more of their music.

Wow!.......2004-05-15

I am a big fan of the Celtic Christian Prog band IONA and so grabbing onto Eden's Bridge was, for me, a natural progression. Admittedly, the sound Eden's Bridge creates is, I believe, more of a worship experience than I have enncountered in some time. Sarah's voice is unbelievable and very soothing to me. You can hear her heart stretch forth in it's attempt to tell God how much she loves Him. The rest of the band is solidly behind her in that attempt. I just bought their Isle of Tides CD and will review that ther, but it is also worth getting.

Healing and Comforting.......2003-05-07

A year ago I was going through one of the most difficult times in my life. I was seeking God and looking for His guidance in my life. This CD was a big part of that process. I found comfort and healing in the songs. It brought so much strength and healing into my life. I do not know if it will have the same effect on your life, but through listening to the CD I have found a solace and comfort. Even today when I have a crazy, hectic day I just listen to my Celtic Psalms and re-align myself again.

Tracks:

Ajde Jano
Lullaby For Kamilla
T 4.2
Eden
Dafino
Jovano Jovanke
Ederlezi
Kazimierz
One Voice
Tribute To Maria Tanase
Time 4 Time
Vino
Lost In Time
Kukush

Customer Reviews:

Superb.......2007-06-20

I have owned this CD for some years and it is possibly my most favourite of favourites. Something has happened to one of the tracks so I am buying another copy. I can't bear to have it incomplete. This CD speaks to my soul with every piece. When you think you have heard the best of the CD the next just grabs your heart. The combination of Nigel Kennedy and the Kroke Band is absolutely superb. I can listen to them for hours on end. If you are a Nigel Kennedy fan this one is a must. No, a need.

Wonderful!.......2007-01-26

This record demands a number of listenings. I am not a huge classical violin fan (I admit I cannot even remember why I purchased this disk) and this CD sat on my shelf for years. Once in a while, I'd listen to Ajde Jano, which I liked quite a bit and that was it (BTW, not only is this disk a departure for Kennedy, but Atlas shines on this track in a way lacking in her solo work). But over time, I have come to have such a tremendous respect for this disk--once I listened to it enough to really get into the spirit of it. It is incredible!

(2) That said, this is not really a classical violin disk, per se. Kennedy complements Kroke, but does not impose himself at all--what great modesty and restraint for a player of Kennedy's renown! Bottom like, this is an awesome E. European folk disk accompanied by some of the most inspired and flawless violen playing that I have (in my admittedly limited experience) ever heard.

This is just a wonderful, fun and eclectic disk that has much to offer music lovers of a number of different persuasions. (I must admit that Ajde Jano is still my favorite track.)

Can't stop listening.......2004-02-04

I am a big lover of classical music and somehow I got my hands around this music. I can only agree a hundred percent with the other listeners that this music is crowling deep inside your soul, makes you want to smile, and to cry at the same time. You will not forget it! It is beautiful and relaxing in some parts, others simply take away your breath and you feel (finally) something about your own passion (again) with this music. Yes, you can imagine people dancing and you can feel the fire of love and dance, intertwined with an endless feeling of happiness.

I have been to Krakow and with this music in the back of my mind I am looking forward to going back again and to hopefully find folk bands which are similar to this astonishing master piece performed by Nigel Kennedy.

Enjoy!
Uwe

Eden for ears and dancing feet.......2003-08-18

East meet Easts is a 14 pieces filled album that is overwhelming about 65 minutes at all.
Eastern Folkmusic meets an incredible strings section and sometimes vocals that I like and that I don't (!!!!) like.
Kroke, the incredible Trio from Krakow, Poland is working together with Kennedy in the whole Eeast European music history and they give their chosen music a modern touch with sometimes jazzy influences I like and a really cool picked in e-violin. The album is almost very danceable and that is quite lovely. I like those tunes.
1.) Ajde Jano ... is the first track it has a really danceable lovely rhythm. I remember that tune cuz I heard it as opening track at Krokes solo tour this year in February in Germany. I absolutely don't know the vocals. I dunno why. I think after listening to it for even more times I will got to love it. I see small kids dancing at bloomy fields when I am listening to that tunes.
2.) Lullaby for Kamila ... is a melancholy tune. I really love it. I love all tragical melancholy sounds. They make me smile and the simple *mmmh mmmmmh* backup vocals are breathtaking for me.
3.) T 4.2 (hint:Tea for two) is just cool ... I heard it for the first time at the Berlin Museumsinsel Gig last year in Berlin. ... And well I was dancing on my chair ... ... (the rough mix of that piece is at "Ten pieces to save the world" without Kennedys e-violin ---> he goes crazy ... *yummy*)
4.) Eden ... is a track that is on "Ten Pieces to save the world" by Kroke as well without Kennedys e-violin and that was my favourite one of their album. It is a good way straight to Eden. That is honey for ears ( ... with feet ) FOLKY ROCK'N'ROLL, Yeah!)
5.) Dafino ... mmmmh ... that is "stolen" at one Slawish wedding party ... maybe ... ... It sounds really lovely ... I see the happy people taking each other by their hands ...
6.) Jovano Jovanke ... that is music for taking a trip on a long lonesome bad road with a even more bad car and someone in the back is telling you stories of the region where you are right now. It can be that you are on the road with horses as well but it is definitely a traditional Roadmovie soundtrack ... ... or it is the last song at one very long party ... you know when the sun is almost coming again in the morning. Everyone seems to be tired but none will stop. Just lovely. And when the sun is up. The band at the party will find new energy and kicks all their energy in the last tunes.
7.) Ederlezi ... that is originally by Goran Bregovic ... I love this interpretation ...
8.) Kasimierz ... He is Jewish and he is telling us a story ... it isn't a sad story ... it is one with happy end ... it is maybe a story about a love ... .. who cares. It is lovely.
9.) One voice ... someone is telling a sad story ... definitely ... it is without happy end. That was my first impression. That's it. I love Kennedys violinpart.
10.) Tribute to Maria Tanase ... was a Romanian singer ... she was known as East European Edith Piaf. I got some tunes of her at one Vinyl LP. She is incredible.
... well and she is dead and these tunes are for her. A better tribute cannot exist.
11.) Time 4 Time ... that is a joke with time ... and with rhythm and with folky tunes. I really love it.
12.) Vino ... means Wine ... so it is clear it can be just a drunken song ... ... it shows me how my brain looks like in delirium. ... everything isn't that clear I want to see.
13.) Lost in Time ... is just and simply wonderful.
14.) Kukush ... is my favourite track ... that is Hardcore Party. I love those tracks I love those music. I know such similar tracks from my trips I have done already to Romania. And I want to dance of course. It is my favourite, definitely before Eden!

Absolutely mesmerizing!.......2003-08-13

As someone who was born into an ethnically diverse family and spent the first part of her life in the former Yugoslavia, it was mesmerizing for me to listen to this CD. I have heard melodies like "Ajde Jano," "Dafino," "Jovano, Jovanke," and "Ederlezi," throughout my childhood and hearing them again brings back so much emotion and so many memories. This is wonderful music and I never tire of hearing it performed in new arrangements and by new performers. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

What ages well? Not this--pompous, dated, and embarassing
A great haunt
Rage in Eden ~ Ultravox
**** # 1 CLASSIC - TOP OF THE LINE ****
Oh I Remember....

Rage in Eden
Ultravox
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Vienna
Quartet
Lament
Ultravox!
Systems of Romance

ASIN: B000024S8U
Release Date: 2000-03-21

Tracks:

The Voice
We Stand Alone
Rage In Eden
I Remember (Death In The Afternoon)
The Thin Wall
Stranger Within
Accent On Youth
The Ascent
Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again)
I Never Wanted To Begin
Paths And Angles
I Never Wanted To Begin (Extended Version)

Album Description

Part of the EMI Gold series. Reissue of the Midge Ure fronted new wave act's 1981 album. Nine tracks including the hits, 'The Thin Wall', 'The Voice' and an extended version of 'I Never Wanted To Begin'. 1997 release. Standard jewel case.

Album Details

Reissue of their 1981 Classic with B-side Bonus Tracks. Produced by Conny Plank.

Customer Reviews:

What ages well? Not this--pompous, dated, and embarassing.......2007-08-01

If you are a fan of this band and listened to them back in the early 80's, you can skip this review, b/c you will certainly disagree. If not however, I would skip this, and all later albums by Ultravox. The reason? They sound dated and pompous, with the music sounding like thin 80's synth, the kind SNL made fun of on 'Sprockets' ("Now, vee dance..."). Imagine robotic breakdancers and you get the point. I recently listened to Vienna, Rage in Eden, Quartet, and Lament again for the first time again since the mid 80's, and they have not aged well at all. Part of the problem for me is that Midge Ure, both as a vocalist and as a songwriter, tries and fails to operatic and grandiose, tackling themes that aim to be profound (check out the laughably bad "The Voice" on this album for an example), and it brings the songs way down, making them sound unsuccessful attempts at depth.

To my ear, even the sound on these albums is thin, easily classifiable as "80's synth rock". This is a real shame, considering their 1978 album Systems of Romance is a superb fusion of punk/new wave energy combined with electronic/synth sounds, and with much better/more inventive guitar playing courtesy of Robin Simon and a more robust production job from Conny Plank, who thinned out the sound on Vienna and Rage In Eden for some inexplicable reason.

Music is of course subjective, and a large part of why I dislike this and most other Ultravox albums is due to Midge Ure, who is just embarassing. If you are interested in hearing Ultravox at their best, listen to Systems of Romance, which has John Foxx leading the band. Apart from being a much cooler, less melodramatically overwraught vocalist, Foxx presents much more interesting themes than Midge Ure. Ure sings about entire movements of new european youth and cold war intrigue (he seems to want to be Graham Greene or something) while Foxx sings about personal impressions (a sleepy conversation, the taste of snow being like tin, the change of the seasons). It's for this reason that I feel John Foxx's approach on 'Systems' has aged much better than Ure's failed attempt at grandiosity. Think of Midge Ure as one of these twerpy British New Romantics, and John Foxx as a more reserved, impressionistic singer/lyricist. Finally, Foxx is a lot less slick sounding than Ure in his vocal delivery.

Along with Visage, Flock of Seagulls, Human League, and most Gary Numan, Ultravox were at the vanguard of a style of 80's synth rock that just sounds horribly dated now, having aged very badly. Ironic that on a lower budget and with less advanced equipment, Ultravox were able to put out a stellar recording that combined punk energy and machine like synths in Systems of Romance, only to later churn out half a dozen albums or so of pseudo european new romantic drivel for the rest of their career. It might have been the rage ion '81, but today it's fuel for SNL skits.

A great haunt.......2006-12-31

This is easily Ultravox' most haunting cd, and it contains the most underrated track by the group, Rage In Eden. Listening to this album, you are quickly whisked into an ethereal dreamscape, full of haunting, atmospheric synth and layered guitars to match. Nobody could blend synth and guitars like Ultravox. Too bad modern music lacks the same flavor. At some point somebody decided that synth was not the way to go in rock. They didn't bother asking me. Oh, well. At least we have the old stuff.

Rage in Eden ~ Ultravox.......2005-07-29

Listening now to Ultravox I have no idea why I did not listen to them during the 80's. I also wish that I could have seen them live since Midge Ures vocals are amazing and he is also a brilliant lyricist. This being the second album with Ure as the vocalist is just as good as the previous album, i.e., Vienna and contains amazing tracks such as the thin wall, the voice and proves that they are not some flash in the pan. This is a brillaint album.

**** # 1 CLASSIC - TOP OF THE LINE ****.......2004-11-04

WOW ... When I heard 'Rage In Eden' in the early 80's it knocked me out!!

What a sound... new, powerful, beautiful, rich and unique.

Ultravox (and its off-shoots Visage / and the New Romantics in general) represented the essence of the word 'Euro'.

Clearly influnenced by the cold machinery of Kraftwerk and the cool boldness of Bowie, Ultravox carved out a style of their own.

Midge Ure is a master of the hook. The song constructions and melodies are of first-class attraction. He sings with the concentrated power of a Gene Pitney and deliveres a song with 'heart-felt' soul sincerity like Scott Walker.

Just as the 60's sound sculptures were The Beatles, Stones and Motown; the 70's Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd and Bowie; the 80's belonged to U2, Tears for Fears and Ultravox.

I just wish Ultravox stayed around a little longer and that Americans would have embraced them more.

Oh I Remember...........2003-08-20

Just recently had the urge to pull this out of my CD collection and listen to it for the first time in a while. I agree with other reviewers who say that this is the best offering from their "quartet" of early 80s releases (in order, "Vienna", "Rage in Eden", "Quartet" and "Lament"). This CD is the strongest from beginning to end and flows seemlessly.

Back in the 80s, I discovered Ultravox with "Vienna", coming from a steady diet of overblown 70s prog rock. What attracted me to Ultravox, was the intelligence of their music. There was nothing light and fluffy about this band. The keyboard arrangements are well thought out and almost classically inspired (Billy Currie after all was classically trained), and the way they used the guitars and violins/violas really was different for the era. Another thing I liked about them was how drastically they could change their sound from song to song, but without disturbing the flow or continuity of the album.. one song will be triggered synth bass and drum machines and all keyboards, the next will be live bass, drums, guitars, piano, etc... and all kinds of different variations thereof. Regardless of the instrumentation, Ultravox had an incredible way of making highly emotionally charged music... They were masters of making machines have feelings... Alot of this had to do with Midge Ure's incredible voice and his emotional guitar playing. The piano and violin/viola helped with this alot too... Basically, against the trends that were popular in the day, Ultravox had talent and weren't afraid to use it... Now for a song by song breakdown:

The Voice: For some reason, Ultravox had a way of starting off an album with (in my opinion) one of its weakest songs (i.e. sleepwalk, the voice, reap the wild wind). This song is good, but only a glimpse of what is to come... (Live Drums, Live Bass, Lots of Keyboards, Piano)

We Stand Alone: This song haunts me constantly... I love the keyboards, and the chorus... Midge's guitars are also used very tastefully to add to the tension... (Live Drums, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitars, Keyboards)

Rage In Eden: Nice title track.... mysterious, haunting, moody... I like the backwards chorus ("Oh I remember death in the afternoon" - as someone else said.. a great lead in to the next song... very clever). Again, the guitars add lots of interesting effects and tension to this one... (Drum Machines, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitars, Keyboards)

I Remember (Death in the Afternoon): Excellent song... beautiful piano, powerful drums, great melodies. (Live Drums, triggered synth bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Piano)

The Thin Wall: Always one of my favorties from this CD. I love the pulsing synth bass, and the funky rhythm guitar, and Midge's vocals, but this song is really a showcase for Billy Currie... his multi tracked violins, keyboard solo and violin or viola solo... (Drum Machine, Triggered Synth Bass, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Violin, Viola)

The Stranger Within: I agree with others... this is a very disturbing and paranoid song... not to be listened to in a dark house by yourself... I love the way the synth and guitar noises pop in and out to add to the eerieness... Funky Bass by Chriss Cross over very rigid machine drums. I also like how Billy Currie added real strings to the synth strings to give it a nice full texture. (Drum Machines, Real Bass, Guitar, Violin/Viola, Keyboards)

Accent on Youth: Maybe a slight step down from the last few tracks... the chorus and the lead-in to the chorus are great, but the verses don't really do alot for me. (Live and Electronic Drums,Triggered Synth Bass, Keyboards, Guitar)

The Ascent: Instrumental Coda to Accent on Youth... Nice transition from Live Drums in the previous track to the drum machine here. This is another showcase for Billy Currie's talent. (Drum Machine, Synth Bass, Violin, Viola, Keyboards)

Your Name Has Slipped My Mind Again: I think this song is a perfect ending to this release... it strips away everything down to a stark backdrop for Midge Ure's haunting vocals. This song kind of reminds me of Queen a little... (Percussion, Piano, Processed Piano, Guitar)

I Never Wanted to Begin: I love this song.. this is probably my all time favorite Ultravox B-Side. Tribal Drumming (machine and real/electronic drums), Violins/Violas, Nice keyboards, cool guitar solo, and the trademark Ultravox enigmatic lyrics.

Paths and Angles: Another cool B-side.. this time with Warren Cann handling the Vocals (ala Mr X). Again.. very machine-like, but brought to life by the piano, guitar and violin/viola.

I'm not sure why they included the extended version of "I never wanted to begin", it doesn't really add much to the CD, but it's cool nonetheless.

Anyways... enough rambling for now... This is an amazing CD... I wish someone would wake up and release some live recordings from this era... I went to see them on the Quartet Tour and they were amazing live...

Brooklyn The Musical (2004 Original Broadway Cast)
Average customer rating:

not RENT, but give it a try

Not the next Rent...just as good

Why I lyk it

Not worth it...

Not worth it...

Brooklyn The Musical (2004 Original Broadway Cast)
Mark Schoenfeld , Barri McPherson , and Eden Espinosa
Manufacturer: Razor & Tie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0006L0LMK
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Tracks:

A Good Crowd Goin'...
Heart Behind These Hands
Thank You, Sir
Scene One
Christmas Makes Me Cry
Not A Sound
Brooklyn Grew Up
Creating Once Upon A Time
Once Upon A Time
A Witness To History
Superlover
The Challenge
Brooklyn In The Blood
Brooklyn Grew Up (Reprise)
Magic Man
Once Upon A Time (Reprise)
Love Was A Song
I Never Knew His Name
The Truth
Does Anybody Wanna Buy A Memory?
Raven
Sometimes
Madison Square Garden
Love Me Where I Live
Love Fell Like Rain
Magic Man (Reprise)
Streetsinger
Once Upon A Time (Reprise)
Heart Behind These Hands (Reprise)

Amazon.com

When Brookyn the Musical landed on Broadway, many reviewers said that the American Idol sound had come along with it. It¹s hard to disagree, especially when Eden Espinosa, playing the title character, opens her mouth. Espinosa, who learned the performing ropes in California theme parks, is an unfocused belter who mistakes grandstanding melisma for emotion. And overemoting is the last thing you want to do when you have to deliver lines such as "This weight in my heart/This ache in my soul/This yearning in my heart just keeps on going on/There's a voice deep inside/And it cries and it cries." Unfortunately, the tunes (mixing rock, gospel and R&B, and recorded in front of a live studio audience) don't make much of an impact. Newcomers Mark Shoenfeld and Barri McPherson have come up with a well-meaning show that brims with enthusiastic naïveté but ultimately fails to convince. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

not RENT, but give it a try.......2007-03-26

STOP SPREADING THE WORD THAT THIS IS LIKE RENT.
awesome. that's it. it's not comparable to Rent because, with the exception of character types and the set, it is not at all like Rent. It's worth $25 just to hear Eden belt out "Once Upon A Time." However, i don't reccomend just buying that song on iTunes or something because there are deffinately other really good songs (heart behind these hands, raven, etc.) don't be afrai to buy this because it's not like Rent. in case you didn't notice a lot of other really good musicals are also not like Rent... if you are at a loss of thinking of some, let me help you- Wicked, The Light in the Piazza, Spamalot, Sound of Music, Gypsy, Pajama Game, Millie, Avenue Q. oh, PS most of thoses musicals were nominated for BEST MUSICAL at the TONYS and they arn't like Rent either.

Not the next Rent...just as good.......2006-10-26

I think the biggest problem most people have with new musical theatre is that they want to compare it with past big hits. Personally, when everyone said this would be the next RENT I was disappointed...I didn't want another Rent...I wanted something new. Then I listened to it...it's not Rent...but it's just as good and in some places, better. The voices are overall better and best of all, it isn't a big hype like Rent. I love Rent and always will, but it's not THAT great...there's more theatre out there and Brooklyn is great...
Now go broaden your broadway collection and stop listening to Rent, Wicked, Les Mis and Phantom....there's so much more!

Why I lyk it.......2006-03-26

I really like this album- especially "Heart behind these hands" because i recently took part in a young americans workshop, and i discovered the real meaning to this song, and now it really means alot to me.

Not worth it..........2006-02-26

I only purchased this album after hearing "Once Upon A Time" on a website. I figured I would buy the album for that and discover what other good songs were on the album. So far, I have listened to "Once Upon A Time" around 100 times and everyother song only once...once is a enough. These songs, with the exception of "Once Upon A Time," failed to thrill me and I was disappointed with a lot of the melodies. I searched and searched for "Once Upon A Time," as a single to download, but its no where to be found. A glorious song on an otherwise horrible album.

Not worth it..........2005-11-03

I saw this show on Broadway with several friends, and none of us enjoyed it at all. I found it to be extremely flat and disinteresting; the music was rather annoying and non-inspirational. After a weekend of great shows, I found myself looking at my watch to see when this one would be over. None of the singers are more than mediocre, and the storyline is not intriguing in the least. The one good factor of this show was the ending, which was rather surprising considering the rest of the show.

It's really not worth your money, either on Broadway or in a recording.

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