Music

Average customer rating:

Great disappointment on amazon's shipping method
The Greek Music-
Great flick but bad cd
The Greek Music is Great
Amazingly Relaxing CD!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Zorba's Dance: Memories of Greece
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ASIN: B00006AAUC
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Stalia, Stalia
Xekina Mia Psaroboulla
Orea Pou Ine I Nifi Mas
Moose Caca
Kefi In Katavia
Secret Garden
Yasoo
Istanbul Coffee House (Kafe Neio)
Time With You
Yiayia
Generations
Toula And Ian
Apples N' Oranges
All My Only Dremas
First Date

Amazon.com

Ask anyone who's attended one and they'll tell you: there's nothing quite as colorful--and emotionally melodramatic--as a Greek wedding. Based on Winnipeg actress-comedian Nia Vardalos's one-woman show and brought to the screen by Rita Wilson and husband Tom Hanks, the film tells (with some parallels to Moonstruck) the story of a thirtysomething Greek spinster for whom falling in love with a "Xeno" (non-Greek) is surely the easiest part of a wedding that more than lives up to its billing. The film's soundtrack perfectly captures those swirling clouds of ethnic and romantic tension. Its first half largely sets up the rich cultural atmosphere with a lively sampling of traditional Greek folk music (featuring selections by Alexandros Xenofontos, John Tsifliklis, Eman, Nick Kutsukos, Daghan Baydur, and Richard Thomas), while the score proper from Alexander Janko (with help from Chris Wilson) slyly segues from similar fare ("Moose Caca," "Yasoo," "Yiayia") to more traditional orchestral film music. That sometimes electro-pastoral, compelling music has parallels with Rachel Portman's and offers the collection a sense of emotional completion. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Great disappointment on amazon's shipping method.......2007-07-07

I had ordered this particular CD. However, After the second tried. i am yet to receive the CD. And i was really hoping the second CD could appear in my doorstep on the expected arrival date or 1 week later.

To be honest, This is the first time i didn't manage to receive my good from E-commerce Portal. I totally didnt expect this happen from reputable Amazon.

Nonetheless. I must admit your friendly customer service, they are always willing to assist me to reprocess or the refund the marchant.

Please kindly review your shipping method. or perhaps let me know what had happened to my shipping address or my goods. so i could still have confident to make purchase on your website again.

The Greek Music-.......2006-02-10

The cd is so phenomenal. The music is so traditional and it show so much of the greek culture. The bouzoki that they use which is a greek instrument was such a musical sound. In my school we are doing a GREEK PRESENTAION and we are going to use this music. We will dance to it and are going to be a success. So overall this is a superlative cd after all!!!!!!!!!!

-MICHAELA

Great flick but bad cd.......2004-04-29

Check out my big phat cd cuz I'm a greek musician

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/taki76

The Greek Music is Great.......2003-05-05

I loved the strong rhythms and colorful harmonies of the traditional Greek numbers. The film score is lyrical but bland. This truly is a combination of "apples and oranges!"

Amazingly Relaxing CD!.......2003-03-08

This is a great instrumental CD! Not only great greek music that you can get up and dance to, but also the soft contemporary songs that you can just relax with. I enjoy it very much!

Average customer rating:

I.m Really Pleased With This Re-issue.
A must have!
Pure Musical Genius
big between the cracks

Woodsmoke and Oranges/Jack-Knife Gypsy
Paul Siebel
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark/Through the Morning, Through the Night

ASIN: B0002DXQ7E
Release Date: 2004-08-23

Tracks:

She Made Me Loose My Blues
Miss Cherry Lane
Nashville Again
Ballad Of Honest Sam
Then Came The Children
Louise
Bride 1945
My Town
Any Day Woman
Long Afternoons
Jasper & The Miners
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Chips Are Down
Nervous (Previously Unissued)

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Edition of Two Classic LPs Combined in a Deluxe Double CD Package. Despite the Undeniably High Quality of his Songs (Which have Been Covered by the Likes of Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Iain Matthews and Waylon Jennings) Paul Siebel is Far from Being a Household Name. However, Within Folk Circles and Among Songwriters, his Two Albums - 1969's "Woodsmoke and Oranges" and 1971's "Jack-knife Gypsy" - Are Legendary. He'd Gathered a Handful of Fine Musicians, Including Guitarist David Bromberg, Violinist Richard Greene, and Steel Guitarist Weldon Myrick. Elektra's Jac Holzman Recorded Ten Siebel Originals Quickly. Despite (Or Because Of) the Small Budget and Lack of Time, Siebel and Company Crafted an Incredible Record that Still Sounds Vibrant 30 Years after the Fact.

Customer Reviews:

I.m Really Pleased With This Re-issue........2007-01-26

I,ve been looking for this CD for years with no luck. Stumbled across it by accident,ordered it, and then realized the second album was included. I never heard it(Jack-Knife Gypsy), but when I did, I was overjoyed and regreted the fact that Paul Seibel didn't put out more albums than these two. The man has talent and more people should hear him.

A must have!.......2006-11-15

This 2 on 1 is pure gold. Of all the "hidden gems" and "lost treasures" I've heard about, these two albums certainly rank among the highest, unassailable by nostalgic hype. Paul Siebel, clearly (and self-proclaimedly) influenced by Dylan, doesn't simply try to make music that tries to recreate Dylan's sound, voice and poetry (for example, like Meic Stevens or Bill Fay). Instead, Siebel understands Dylan's influence much better, and turns in songs that are not only narratives full of angst, humor, colorful characters and allegory, but he also taps into the sources of traditional Americana that were driving Bob's music. In fact, I'd say Siebel does a better and more diverse job of integrating traditional music styles into his work than Dylan. Rather, I'd probably compare him more to The Band's self-titled sophomore album (one of my very favorites). Every single song is a winner--thoughtfully written, expertly sung (think Dylan phrasing with an ear for key and a way better range), and dynamically arranged. The opening track sounds almost like Bakersfield country--there is some sweet pedal steel guitar throughout, and Siebel confidently kicks off the album. My favorites from the better-known "Woodsmoke and Oranges" are the hopeful "Nashville Again," the heart-breaking wisdom of "Then Came the Children," and the unique refrain in "Long Afternoons." "Louise" has been covered by lots of folks and it may be the reason you've even heard of Siebel (Plainsong's cover is what drew my interest). Out of the two albums, I think I may even like "Jack-knife Gypsy" better. "Jasper and the Miners" resides in its own little musical universe, concise and mysterious. The title track rocks pretty hard in a pre-"Blonde on Blonde" kind of way. The music is even more diverse on this album--just listen to the hoe-down feel on "Legend of the Captain's Daughter," and the boogie of "Hillbilly Child." Like I said, though, every single track is strong, with great playing, singing and effortless lyrics. Recommended for fans of Dylan, the Band, Merle Haggard, Ronnie Lane, etc. etc. Get this album--you won't regret it!

Pure Musical Genius.......2006-06-14

This is a compilation of Paul Siebel's two legendary albums, "Woodsmoke and Oranges" and "Jack-Knife Gypsy". I can't remember when I first heard Paul Siebel's music, probably around 1970. However, I'll never forget the song. It was "Bride 1945" played over an FM radio station. The song was hauntingly beautiful, and I immediately bought "Woodsmoke and Oranges" and found that every song on the album was unique. The lyrics, music, and David Bromberg's exquisite guitar made each song a jewel captured in time. I used to listen to that LP in the dark at night in my little university apartment and tried to imagine the kind of man who could write such sensitive and sometimes cynical lyrics and sing with such feeling. I guess I had an aural crush on Paul Siebel. I thought his music was terrific and expected him to become famous. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I was possibly the only person on the west coast of America who knew who he was. His second album Jack-Knife Gypsy" came out a couple of years later and showcased his versatility. "Hillbilly Child", which he allegedly wrote with his friend Linda Ronstadt in mind is reminiscent of Hank Williams at his best. "Legend of the Captain's Daughter" has incredible original lyrics and a Cajun feel. I particularly like his songs, because they are not angst-ridden, self-indulgent drivel. Songs like "Pinto Pony" are visual stories that unfold like little motion pictures in your mind. They are often filled with allegorical allusions; the miners in "Jasper and the Miners" may really be about the CIA, FBI, IRS, or any diggers into one's privacy. "Ballad of Honest Sam" (allegedly about Nixon) is just as timely today given most American's disillusionment with current politics. Paul Siebel's voice is unique - kind of raw and pure. He was one of the best American singer/songwriters of the 60's and 70's but didn't get the recognition that he deserved. However, he was much appreciated by fellow musicians who recorded his songs, among them: Emmylou Harris, Linda Rondstadt, Iain Matthews, Jerry Jeff Walker, David Bromberg, Bonnie Raitt, Rosalie Sorrels, Kate Wolf, and Leo Kottke. I hope the reissue of his albums on CD will lead to his discovery by new listeners and delight by old fans like me. Time hasn't diminished the impact of these songs. They sound fresh and original with fabulous lyrics and compelling melodies.

big between the cracks.......2005-06-19

John Prine, Leo Kottke, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore written by Bob Dylan, or vice versa. I would highly recommend this wonderful album, trust me, these are the prettiest butterfly wings you'll ever find. I like Lucinda Williams, and think Gillian Welch is incredible, I love Gram Parsons, and Uncle Tupelo. I like everything on this album and give it frequently as a gift. I have a 300 disc CD changer that I am constantly upgrading, Paul Siebel has remained for about seven years now.

Average customer rating:

For Water Aerobics, a Top-Ten CD
Greatest March Sampling Out There!
For the Lover of Marches
Blood Pumping Music
Blood Pumping Music

Marches: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
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Binding: Audio CD

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Marches: The Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000002AW0
Release Date: 1994-12-06

Tracks:

Various: The Prince of Denmark's March
Various: March from The Anna Magdalena Notebook
Various: March from Cantata No. 207
Various: See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes March from Judus Maccabaeus
Various: Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens, Op. 113, No. 4
Various: Rakoczy March from The Damnation of Faust
Various: Procession of the Nobles from Mlada Suite
Various: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1
Various: Grand March from Aida
Various: The Washington Post March
Various: National Emblem March
Various: The Liberty Bell
Various: Colonel Bogey March
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Various: March from 1941
Various: March from The Love for Three Oranges
Various: The Raiders' March from Raiders of the Lost Ark
Various: The Stars and Stripes Forever!

Customer Reviews:

For Water Aerobics, a Top-Ten CD.......2005-07-30

I provide music for water aerobics classes. The class members are typically retirees, and like Classical music, yet until this CD the only Classical music with a beat distinctive and steady enough for water aerobics that I'd found was on the "Hooked on Classics" series. Thus, for water aerobics, this is a find.

Also contributing to this CD's popularity for water aerobics are that: (1) many of the songs are upbeat, and (2) "new stereo" recordings (in contrast to my recordings of Sousa marches that were played by Sousa himself; he died in the 1930s.)

In Summary, were you to buy just ten CDs for water aerobics classes, this would be one of them.

Greatest March Sampling Out There!.......2004-04-05

Knowing very little about classical music, I bought several march compilations a few years back, in hopes that I could develop at least a fanboy level of appreciation. Of the compilations I picked up, this is the one that showed me the most diverse sampling of marches. If you want to become familiar with the march genre, this collection runs away with the blue ribbon, with no contendors close behind. The other compilations I came across focused strictly on the American military marches; they were all very good, but this compilation dishes up a diverse menu, from Ludwig Von Beethoven to John Williams.

This CD has a special place in my collection since it turned me on to John Philip Sousa, who has become one of my favorite composers ever. The Sousa selections on this CD are performed by The Incredible Columbia All-Star Band. I enjoyed these tunes immensely enough to buy some Sousa compilations, and found that while the All-Star Band's take on Sousa tunes is very good, I greatly prefer the releases by The United States Marine Band. The Sousa tunes on this CD are a bit rushed for my taste, while The United States Marine Band's delivery seems more pronounced and evenly paced.

My personal favorite track is Kenneth Alford's "Colonel Bogey" performed by John Williams and The Boston Pops Orchestra. They take Alford's memorable placid march, and shape it into a powerful storm-of-an-orchestral march. Absent are the keyboards prevalent in many renditions of Colonel Bogey, but beautifully replaced with a dynamic orchestra.

It's the variety of marches, however, that steal the show, especially if you are a novice like I am, and want to find out which era of marches is your cup of tea. You get a wide range, from Hector Berlioz's Racoczy March from "Damnation of Faust," to Edwin Bagley's "National Emblem March," to Victor Herbert's "March of the Toys," all the way up to the present day with John William's "The Raider's March" from "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

I am still getting my feet wet learning about marches, and this compilation has given me a great head start. No doubt I'll cringe one day if I read this clumsy description of Sousa and Alford tunes, but for the time being, I am having great fun discovering a whole new school of music. This CD is a great starting point if you want to become familiar with marches.

Just one other comment that will only further display my amateur level of classical music appreciation, but I've just got to say it: JOHN PHILIP SOUSA ROCKS!!! There are very few pieces that sound as happy and uplifting as a Sousa march. I proudly salute Mr. Sousa!

For the Lover of Marches.......2002-05-16

This is the best march music CD I have in my collection. It covers a range from Beethoven's "Turkish March" (track 5 and my favorite of the CD) to Sousa. The weakness of the CD comes from the Incredible Columbia All-Star Band tracks. They do a few Sousa marches and the difference between them and the Boston Pops is very noticable. But that's just a minor complaint and certainly nothing to keep you from buying and enjoying this CD.

Blood Pumping Music.......2001-01-30

This CD took me back many years. It has great music that will get your blood pumping. It is a great selection of music and should be in anyones CD collection!!

Blood Pumping Music.......2001-01-30

This CD is a great CD. It includes some the worlds most famous marches with a great recording. I grew up in marching bands in East Texas and loved marches, and this CD gets my blood pumping and takes me back to the old days. If you love great music and marches, this is a sure buy!!!!

Average customer rating:

FANTASTIC

Woody Allen Classics

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002923
Release Date: 1993-08-24

Amazon.com

The first classical music I remember hearing was on movie soundtracks--the animated cartoons of my childhood in which the characters would chase, trick, and bash each other to the tunes of Liszt's Hungarian rhapsodies and overtures by Rossini and Suppe. This music was used not because it was great, but because it was full of action and out of copyright--a lot cheaper (and probably better) than hiring a living composer. Woody Allen may have a nobler motivation in his decision to use classics on his soundtracks, and his selection of music, from Bach to Prokofiev, is more sophisticated. This superbly miscellaneous collection will be full of happy discoveries for many listeners. It may also help you to identify tunes that you hear in a movie and can't get out of your mind. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

FANTASTIC.......2000-02-26

ALL THE SONGS ARE GREAT ON THIS ALBUM ! WOODY HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PICKING SOME OF THE BEST CLASSICAL SONGS EVER MADE !

Average customer rating:

Solid Basic March Collection
Bold and brassy mixes well with the rest
40 Famous Marches - a great collection!!
Classics on Parade
Too, too much Philip Jones Ensemble

40 Famous Marches

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000040OX5
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1 In D Major - London PO; Solti, G.
Karelia Suite: Alla marcia - Philharmonia Orchestra
Jubel March - Vienna PO; Boskovsky, W.
Funeral March Of A Marionette - Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Tannhauser: Grand March - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble; Howarth, E.
Rinaldo: March - English Chamber Orchestra
Saul: Dead March - English CO; Bonynge, R.
Aida: Grand March - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Radetzky March - Vienna PO; Boskovsky, W.
Marche militaire - Wiener Philharmoniker
Athalia: War March Of The Priests - Vienna PO; Dohnanyi, C.v.
The Nutcracker: March - National Philharmonic Orchestra
The Love For Three Oranges: March - London PO; Weller, W.
Le Prophete: Coronation March - London Philharmonic Orchestra
La Damnation de Faust: Hungarian March - Chicago SO; Solti, G.
Persian March - Wiener Philharmoniker
Aladdin Suite: Oriental Festive March - San Francisco SO; Blomstedt, H.
The Ruins Of Athens: Turkish March - Carlo Curley
The Occasional Oratorio: March - San Francisco SO; Blomstedt, H.
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 4 In G Major - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

Crown Imperial (Coronation March) - London PO; Norrington, R.
Music For The Funeral Of Queen Mary: Funeral March - Baroque Brass Of London
Prince of Denmark's March (Trumpet Voluntary) - London PO; Norrington, R.
March - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Marche triomphale - London PO; Norrington, R.
Egyptian March - Wiener Philharmoniker
Joyeuse March - Swiss Romande Orch; Ansermet, E.
Napoleon March - Wiener Philharmoniker
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March - Montreal SO; Dutoit, C.
Russian March - Wiener Philharmoniker
Carmen, Suite No.2: Marche des contrebandiers - Montreal SO; Dutoit, C.
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: March - London Symphony Orchestra
Mlada: Procession Of The Nobles - Kingsway Orch; Camarata, S.
Spanish March - Wiener Philharmoniker
Things To Come: March - National PO; Herrmann, B.
Washington Post - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Entry Of The Gladiators - National PO; Herrmann, B.
Colonel Bogey - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
The Dam Busters - National PO; Herrmann, B.
The Stars And Stripes Forever - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble

Customer Reviews:

Solid Basic March Collection.......2006-08-07

Great solid basic collection, a real bargain with mostly outstanding performances. Having played several in bands and orchestras and sung one (the Rimsky Mlada), I have a good idea how they should go. As other other commentators say, there are better individual recordings, such as anything by Fennell and the Eastman band. The organ pieces just don't do this music justice, although a real cathedral organ can come close, but that's beyond these discs. The Nielsen Aladdin March is the new one for me. Berlioz by Solti is great! Buy it!

Bold and brassy mixes well with the rest.......2004-08-14

I am impressed most by the variety in 40 Famous Marches on 2 CDs, a Double Decca release. The performers include Philharmonic Orchestras, a Brass Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, organ, Symphony, and for nine selections, the Wiener Philharmoniker. I am not sure if the word schmaltzy ought to be applied to any of this, but the Wiener Philharmoniker often exhibits a unique sound which is not quite the same as any of the other selections. The final five selections are all performed by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble under Elgar Howarth in ADD/DDD format in 1983 and 1985. Two of those five are rousing marches by John Philip Sousa, another called `Entry of the Gladiators' is typical of songs played by live bands at circuses, and the remaining two are from movie soundtracks. `Colonel Bogey' is famous from the movie about British prisoners of war building a railroad bridge for the Japanese in World War Two, the Bridge over the River Kwai.

The major source of variety in these 40 selections is that many of them are taken from operas and even a ballet, Tchaikovsky's famous `The Nutcracker--March.' I originally found this collection when I was searching for `Funeral March of a Marionette' by Charles Gounod (1818-1893) which has a theme that is famous from its use by a television series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. If you can't remember how that goes, you ought to buy this collection and listen for it early: it is selection 4 on the first CD. The main theme was fun to play and easy to learn in a book of piano lessons, but the rest is quite whimsical and worth listening to, and people who play organ with pedal notes might still be able to find music for playing the entire arrangement, difficult though it is for someone like me, who becomes confused when too many things are going on at the same time.

There was something on this CD that sounded weird, and I had to check to see what it was, and it was just someone playing the organ, but he was trying to play `The Ruins of Athens -- Turkish March' by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).

Something by Handel sounds so much like the beginning of a movie that I expect someone to start singing, `The hills are alive with The Sound Of Music,' but this CD is something else. The first CD starts and ends with marches from `Pomp and Circumstance' by Edward Elgar, so people who have been to a lot of graduation ceremonies will be expecting plenty of familiar music. The 6:32 time is slightly longer than the Wagner's `Tannhauser -- Grand March' on the first CD, but long graduation ceremonies may play it even longer, until all the diplomas are handed out.

Verdi, Strauss, Schubert, Prokofiev, Berlioz, these famous composers might be recognized by people who know music, but the `Wedding March' by Felix Mendelssohn is famous with everybody for what it is used for. If you haven't heard it lately, maybe you should hear it a few times so you won't be so nervous the next time it comes around.

40 Famous Marches - a great collection!!.......2003-11-21

This is a wonderful collection. What a wide collection of exciting pieces, all in one affordable package!! It encompasses so many composers and styles, from the majesty of Elgar and Walton, to upbeat Sousa to schmaltzy Strauss. It also includes such classic marches as Meyerbeer's Coronation, a pinnacle of the French opera style, the timeless Wedding March of Mendelssohn, and the brilliant organ piece, Marche Triomphale of Sigfrid Karg-Elert. There are also some interesting oddball selections like the mysterious Things to Come of Bliss (composed for the H.G. Wells film), the jaunty Chabrier marche, and oriental flair of Nielsen's Aladdin.
In reading some of the other criticisms, it is true that the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble perhaps is not the best or most noted ensemble. However, overall, the pieces they play are either Sousa or patriotic-sounding tunes. Their only forays into the true classical realm are the Grand Marches from Tannhauser and Aida, and they are not half bad. So don't let those pieces keep you from buying the CD - 1) because most of the songs they do play are great and 2) they only play in 1/4 of the music....

Classics on Parade.......2003-05-01

If you're looking for a collection of marches from classical music, this would be a fine one to get.
It contains recordings made from 1958 to 1996 by some of the world's great orchestras, plus several numbers by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, and four arranged for organ.
The first 35 marches include many of the best-known classical marches, plus three "coronation" marches, written as far back as the end of the seventeenth century (The Prince of Denmark's March) up to 1954 (The Dam Busters). The last five pieces are "popular" marches played by the Jones Ensemble.
The liner notes give a nice history of marches, including where most of the ones in this collection fit into that scenario.
A great collection of marches by classical and popular music "masters".

Too, too much Philip Jones Ensemble.......2003-04-17

A mixed bag of music, 40 FAMOUS MARCHES compiles a good many marches - some not too common.

The CD has it's high points:
1. Chicago Symphony (under Solti!) playing Berlioz's Hungarian March (love that trombone excerpt - BAM!)
2. London Philharmonic playing Prokofiev's "The Love for Three Oranges" March
3. Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 (also London Philharmonic)

BUT... There's some real stuff on here, too. I must concur with a prior reviewer: FAR TOO MUCH Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. Case in point - Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever, as played by PJBE is completely devoid of the energy and fire it needs. The trombone countermelody at the end is just NOT THERE (you'll strain to hear it). There's just no way this is right. PBJE is great in their setting, but this is just not it.

Overall, this CD might be a good compilation for the novice listener, but I would recommend the more experienced (or trombonists, like myself) purchase works by individual symphonies that include the music you desire - a more expensive, yet more expressive alternative.

Average customer rating:

Badly recorded, a few good songs, the rest, forgettable
Great
Length and Sloppiness Hurt This Stab at Psych.
TOO FAR ABOVE THE DRIBBLE
A pop masterpiece.

Oranges & Lemons
XTC
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Skylarking
Nonsuch
English Settlement
Black Sea
The Big Express

ASIN: B00005ATHN
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

Garden Of Earthly Delights
Mayor Of Simpleton
King For A Day
Here Comes President Kill Again
The Loving
Poor Skeleton Steps Out
One Of The Millions
Scarecrow People
Merely A Man
Cynical Days
Across This Antheap
Hold Me My Daddy
Pink Thing
Miniature Sun
Chalkhills And Children

Amazon.com

Oranges and Lemons, from 1989, is a fantastic record, a lucid, technicolor sprawl of modernized Beatleisms and airbrushed psych-pop confectionary. Commercially, it was such a shame Tears for Fears had exactly the same idea at exactly the same time. Appropriately, given its title, several of the songs on Oranges and Lemons deal with Andy Partridge's newly acquired parental status (the jazzy "Pink Thing" is a cunning double-entendre about fatherly pride and his penis) as well as wryly address the wider failings of the world into which our children are born. Yes, like some sherberty, fructose-flavored lozenge, Oranges and Lemons is both bitter and sweet. But unquestionably excellent, as witnessed by the Byrds-like village-idiot love song "Mayor of Simpleton" and other highlights like "King for a Day" and "Poor Skeleton Steps Out." The Eastern mystique, serpentine guitars, and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" style chorus of "Garden of Earthly Delights" is conceivably what John, Paul, George, and Ringo would have sounded like if they'd hung around a little longer with the Maharishi. As for the dreamy, green-field tourist brochure panoramas of "Chalkhills and Children," think Brian Wilson drifting over the English countryside in a hang glider. --Kevin Maidment

Album Description

24-bit remastered reissue of 1989 album. 15 tracks, including "The Mayor Of Simpleton."

Customer Reviews:

Badly recorded, a few good songs, the rest, forgettable.......2007-06-20

tracks 1,2,3,6,8 are worth keeping. Junk the rest. They should have hired Todd Rundgren again. The CD sounds like it's a Phil Spector abortion. I hope the remastering improved on the sound... probably not.

Great.......2007-03-09

on my top 20 of about 1400 cds and over 1000 lps 1989-90 came alive with this release and put on today still sounds Fresh ! check out "minuture sun" and of course the classic "chlkhills and children" a must for ears not made of tin !

Length and Sloppiness Hurt This Stab at Psych........2006-11-14

my first listen gave me the following impression:

"I got this CD for a buck. I'd say that's reasonable. Why? Most of these tracks are forgettable. There are traces of psychedelia here, and Andy Partridge's voice remains well intact. However, few songs really stand out and the album doesn't warrant many re-listenings.

Highlights include: "Garden of Earthly Delights," "Pink Thing" and "The Mayor of Simpleton". "

After re-evaluating the album, I'd have to say that the album is mired by the fact that its just far too long. Too many sloppily executed ideas are allowed to stretch themselves into entire songs. The bass parts may or may not concur with whatever else might be going on. Melodies are disjointed. Subject matter is inane. Overall, however, there is a druggy vibe that pervades the entire album. Just look at the album's cover!

In a way, it's kinda like a slowed down and stretched version of, say, the last two tracks on the first Stone Roses album. Psychedelic, but taken to an unecessary extreme. But that's just my take. I reckon Beatles fans might get their jollies on with this, but for post-punk fans, it'll come off as a rambling mess.

TOO FAR ABOVE THE DRIBBLE.......2006-07-26

This album, not to mention this band is so friggin' good, most of us can't even grasp it. I am a pompous musician and I hate most everything out there today. (Green Day & Chili Peppers notwithstanding) Yet the melodies, the thoughtful chord changes, the perfect production were doomed to fail.This record conflicts with the dumbing down of society and today's baggy-pants punkass that thinks true talent lies with a chanting brother and a beatbox. Ahhhhh.... I wouldn't have it any other way !!

A pop masterpiece........2006-05-17

While conventional wisdom points to "Skylarking" as the best album in XTC's catalog, I find it overshadowed by its successor, 1989's "Oranges & Lemons". For me, it's the culmination of the band until now-- the high energy and excitement of the early albums (tempered nicely by the maturity of material like "Black Sea"), the carefully constructed arrangements of "Mummer" and "The Big Express", the unerring pop hooks and cohesiveness of "Skylarking", and a healthy dose of history and tribute drawn from the Dukes of Stratosphear culminate in a record that ended up being pretty much pop perfection.

As evidence of this, I submit the album's leadoff single-- "The Mayor of Simpleton". I've pretty much convinced myself it's the best song Andy Partridge ever wrote and it's got a bit of everything-- a hint at the old guitar skanks that dominated the old new wave efforts, a superb arrangement taking a couple guitar lines and intertwining them to create a full picture, and a series of two and three part vocal harmonies that provide a lovely swirl for Partridge's downright ecstatic lead vocal results in a piece that pretty much stops me in my tracks every time I hear it.

Still, as much as I rambled about one track, the truth is there's at least half a dozen absolutely superb tracks on here from Partridge's pen. Opener "Garden of Earthly Delights" with its cheeky lyric ("just don't hurt nobody / unless of course they ask you") and Middle-Eastern tinged pop hook delivered by another fantastic Partridge vocal sits comfortably alongside John Lennonesque sentiments (the absolutely lush "The Loving" sounds like a Brian Wilson arrangement of a Lennon sentiment), Carribbean-tinged "Poor Skeleton Steps Out", funky and fierce "Merely a MAn" (with some blazing lead guitars), totaly offbeat "Pink Thing" (grunts, groans and falsetto blended over a new wave backing track) and a pastoral take on Wilson (closer "Chalkhills and Children"). Interspersed between Partridge's writing, bassist Colin Moulding sneaks in some fantastic work, including a charming take on self deprecation ("One of the Millions", with a stunning bassline) and one of the most delicate and honest exposures of finding hop in hopeless ("Cynical Days").

The scary thing is-- the bad songs on here are still good-- the worst is gets is an irritating synth line on "Miniature Sun", but even that one is rescued by a syncopated vocal line at the end. That's it, that's as weak as it ever gets.

Add to this the reissue's fine sound courtesy of a healthy dose of remastering (no bonus tracks this time, the double album was squeezed nicely onto one disc though) and you end up with an album and a presentation that are pretty much as good as it gets in pop music. Any proof needed that Partridge and Moulding are the best pop songwriters of their generation can be found here. "Skylarking" may be a bit more digestable, but "Oranges & Lemons" is absolutely fantastic.

Average customer rating:

Almost really good.
An excellent primer on the iconclastic Russian composer

Prokofiev: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rimsky-Korsakov: Greatest Hits
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ASIN: B000002C5X
Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

The Love For Three Oranges: III. March. Tempo di marcia
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: I. The Birth of Kij
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: II. Romance
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: III. Kij Wedding
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: IV. Troika
Lieutenant Kijymphonic Suite: V. Kij Funeral
Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2, Op. 64b: The Montagues and Capulets
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 'Classical Symphony': III. Gavotta. Non troppo allegro
Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64: Morning Serenade
Alexander Nevsky, Cantata, Op. 78: Song about Alexander Nevsky
Overture on Hebrew Themes for Clarinet, String Quartet and Piano, Op. 34a
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: Introduction
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: 'Look out!'
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: 'No sooner...'
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: 'And now...'
Peter And The Wolf, Op. 67: 'So there's the story...'
Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op. 100: IV. Allegro giocoso

Customer Reviews:

Almost really good........2006-06-30

I love Prokofiev. But I hate Yank crap. It has spoiled a great compilation. It was beautiful, up until 'Peter and the Wolf', one of my favourite adventures. But then along came an American narrator explaining the story. Why is there this 'Disney' crap amidst some beautiful music? (All respects to Walt).
'Lieutenant Kije' is one of the best stories produced by humanity of a man who did not exist throughout his birth, marriage and death. Don't let this piece of brilliance be swamped by crap.
A good compilation, but I strongly suggest you go for untainted versions of Prokofiev.
P.S. The Daleks will eventually conquer staircases. Be warned. Three oranges are not enough.

An excellent primer on the iconclastic Russian composer.......2001-08-12

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed there was nothing from Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, which is what the Amy Irving character played in the film, "The Competition." I also think it is one of the iconoclastic composer's finest works. What you will find on this collection are a lot of excerpts from his score for the film "Lieutenant Kije" and symphonic fairy tale "Peter and the Wolf." Again, I am surprised there is nothing here from his film scores for "Alexander Nevsky" or "Ivan the Terrible." My favorite "new" piece that I discovered on this CD would be the March from "The Love for Three Oranges," although I also like the excerpt from Prokofiev's Classical Symphony in D Major. Despite my personal preferences, I have to admit this collection is a very nice introduction to the music of Sergei Sergeivich Prokofiev.

Average customer rating:

A+
Even for a trained jazz musician who thinks classical artists are overhyped, this stands out as one of the best albums.
Fantastic
Enjoyable listening
very interesting

Midori ~ Encore!
Fritz Kreisler , Niccolo Paganini , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Cesar Cui , Grazyna Bacewicz , Edward Elgar , Dmitry Shostakovich , Antonin Dvorak , Sergey Prokofiev , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Karol Szymanowski , Pablo de Sarasate , Gabriel Faure , Alexander Nikolayevich Skryabin , Bela Bartok , Eugène Ysaye , Midori (Goto) , and Robert McDonald
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000028N1
Release Date: 1992-12-08

Tracks:

Praeludium and Allegro (in the style of Pugnani)
Habanera, Op. 21, No. 2
Cantabile
Kaleidoscope: Orientale, Op. 50, No. 9
Oberek, No. 2
Salut d'Amour
Miniature Viennese March
24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 10 - Moderator non tropp
24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 15 - Allegretto
24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 16 - Andantino
24 Preludes, Op. 34: No. 24 - Allegretto
Chanson de matin, Op. 15, No. 2
Introduction et Tarentelle
Slavonic Dance in E minor, Op. 46, No. 2 (B 170)
The Love For Three Oranges: March
Souvenir d'un lieu cher: Melodie, Op. 42, No. 3
Mythes, Op. 30: La FOntaine d'Arethuse
Syncopation
Orfeo ed Euridice: Melodie ('Dance Of The Blessed Spirits')
Berceuse, Op. 16
Etude in Thirds, Op. 8, No. 10
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Dance With Sticks - Allegro moderato
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Waistband Dance - Allegro
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Stamping Dance - Andante
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Hornpipe Dance - Molto moderato
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Romanian Polka - Allegro
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56: Quick Dance - Allegro
Reve d'enfant, Op. 14

Customer Reviews:

A+.......2007-05-10

To say that I love this disc would be an understatement. I have probably listened to it 500 times. To comment on just a few of the tracks...
The "Praeludium and Allegro" is definitely the best recording anyone (except maybe Kreisler!) has ever done. The praeludium, which is almost all quarter notes, is often just blindly sawed out. Midori treats each note individually. The allegro is also nice - not rushed at all. The staggeringly difficult Skryabin-Szigeti "Etude in Thirds" tossed off with impeccable technique and spotless intonation. Sarasate's "Habanera" sparkles with a decisive 'Spanish' flavor. Elgar's "Chanson de Matin" is just plain beautiful. Also nice are inclusions of some numbers not heard hardly ever, including Bacewicz's "Oberek #2" mazurka and the Shostakovich preludes. Robert McDonald, definitely one of the best, is the able pianist for all the numbers.

Even for a trained jazz musician who thinks classical artists are overhyped, this stands out as one of the best albums........2007-04-11

Let's be honest--any kid with a violin who ever set foot in a conservatory thinks (s)he's a prodigy, the next Mehta or Yo Yo Ma, while they play the same old tired music everyone else plays, exactly as the greats play it, with hardly a shred of originality that doesn't arise out of an inability to replicate the 'masters' as well as their CD players (and that goes for jazz musicians too, but they don't get as snobby about it). The musicians who are truly great don't have any sort of attitude about their playing or their music--they just play, and they play anything, and it's great.

Midori has been one such great artist from early on. She simply had the knack. You would still want to listen to her if she was half as skilled. Every decent musician practices assiduously, seeks out the best people to learn from, makes sacrifices in life just for the chance to play for a living (even weddings and strip clubs if need be), but few have 'the knack.'

I don't know if Midori has a similar story, nor does it really matter in terms of actually making music. I know her parents moved from Osaka to the States with her when she was about ten just so she could pursue her potential--as all great students have great parents. I'm sure she didn't just pop out of the womb playing violin. But, like I wrote above, she's got the knack that you can't get through practice or training. She's just plain great.

Yes, I'm bored by classical music in general. I like 'good' music regardless of style though, and this album is so far beyond good that it belongs in whatever collection of immortal artist you may have--say: Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Shaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and--even if you have no other classical music in your collection--Midori.

Fantastic.......2006-08-11

Midori produces some amazing sounds out of her violin!
You cant go wrong with Encore! Shes brilliant.

Enjoyable listening.......2005-09-24

I enjoyed this cd especially the first three pieces. Midori played Sarasate and Paganini pretty well.

very interesting.......2005-09-13

I as watching (and listening!) her play live in Dubrovnik this summer. In this record she is equally brilliant as she is when playing live!

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg - It Ain't Necessarily So

Average customer rating:

SHE PLAYS OUT OF TUNE!
Perfection
Soul Quenching Expression
Fire and Passion!
Salerno-Sonnenberg: Adroit and Emotional

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg - It Ain't Necessarily So
Claude Debussy , George Gershwin , Camille Saint-Saëns , William Kroll , Niccolo Paganini , Franz Schubert , Scott Joplin , Fritz Kreisler , Manuel de Falla , Sergey Prokofiev , Sergey Rachmaninov , Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg , and Sandra Rivers
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002RSY
Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

Praeludium And Allegro
Porgy And Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So
Clair de lune
Banjo And Fiddle
Liebesieid
Liebesfreud
Prelude
Cantabile
The Bee
The Easy Winners
Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan
Rondo
La Gitana
Suite populaire espagnole: Asturiana
Suite populaire espagnole: Jota
The Love For Three Oranges: March
Tempo di Minuetto
Vocalise Op.34 No.14

Customer Reviews:

SHE PLAYS OUT OF TUNE!.......2005-08-16

Yes, she does: her sound is horribly thin, and she can't play the highest notes strong enough, so that they wither away and disappear into silence. Even the darkest, lowest notes come out weakly, so one can't argue that she has trouble just with the upper registers: her whole playing is terribly bad. She does have
a good vibrato, but I fear that if her sound were not thin, the vibrato would make even the darkest melody sound pathetic.

Hahn is all right (not excellent, nor good, just right for
some provincial recital hall) as long as she keeps to the lower pitch range (perhaps she should be playing the bass fiddle!), Shaham does everything only passably, and Chang has some passion and feeling but no strength to express it, but Salerno-Sonnenberg is bad across the board. There maybe a passably competent technique in her playing (that is, she can get the melody across), but she plays out of tune - the sound is disgusting!

I know how crazy this piece of writing must sound among so many raves, but there's no other way to explain the horribly weak, thin sound of the violin in this recording. Perlman, who suffered all his life from weak health, even in such difficult pieces as Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata was able to produce a full-bodied sound - and this, when he was well past his sixties.

But then again, Salerno-Sonnenberg is not alone in showing such a lack of... no, this is not about inborn talent. I doubt some child can pick up a violin and play in tune without first listening to a competent elder's playing. After the most basic education in music performance, it is just a question of getting a good recording of a piece, and practicing till one gets a relatively equal sound.

I harbored great hopes for Salerno-Sonnenberg when I read about her troubled life, the attacks she had to face from critics, her attempted suicide. I was letting myself be deceived by that old Romantic cliché, that pain makes for good art. But this is not about discovering or rediscovering unknown masterpieces, but about interpreting establish ones, and a Paganini doesn't have the "extended techniques" present in many postmodern pieces where noise passes for music, so in this case a standard called in-tune playing exists, and she doesn't perform up to it. But this judgement depends on my senses. If you don't believe me, you can find out whether I am right, or whether I am just another flea-like critic from the incestuous music business, by comparing Salerno-Sonnenberg's playing to that of any famous solo violinist whose career started in the 60's or 50's - when gesticulating wasn't equated with playing.

Perfection.......2004-11-02

Salerno-Sonnenberg's passionate, elegant, heartbreaking interpretations of these wonderful selections is perfectly paired with Sandra Rivers at the piano. I shall never forget their performance of "Claire de lune," the Kreisler pieces, or the exquisite Rachmaninov "Vocalise." In her hands, the violin becomes voice and reeds and brass -- transcending itself and taking the audience right along.

Soul Quenching Expression.......2003-10-12

Making great music lies in the ability to express things words can't, to touch the soul, capture the moment and move the heart.

It takes a great artist to perform great music!

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is such an artist and this release is one of her many gifts to the music loving world!

Fire and Passion!.......2000-11-14

Check out Track #5 - Liebesieid - for a small sampling of the tremendous emotional pull of Nadja's playing. I have several CDs of Itzhak Perman, and Anne-Sophie Mutter, but no violinist matches Nadja's gift of making each piece her own - you know that she truely feels the music - it flows through her - and it isn't just a dry technical playing of the piece.

Salerno-Sonnenberg: Adroit and Emotional.......1999-07-05

What separates Salerno-Sonnenberg from other violinists is the pure emotion conveyed in her music. The power, sorrow or joy she expresses at any given moment is almost palpable. In fact, I remember listening to the first track on It Ain't Necessarily So and literally getting goosbumps. It's a stunning Kreisler piece that steadily builds in strength and tempo. Sonnenberg capitalizes on these elements, offering an unforgettable delivery. Many of the tracks on the album emit such raw energy -- It Ain't Necessarily so is not an album that will put one to sleep. Beyond strength, what makes this album worthwhile is the diverse selection of music. Of course Salerno-Sonnenberg interprets Kreisler, but she also plays Gershwin, Kroll, Schubert and even the jazz of Scott Joplin. The one complaint I have about this album is the sonics. For such a great musician, I think EMI could have recorded a little bit more dynamically. But don't let this keep you from owning the album. It's a truly great one.

Average customer rating:

Marches - CD 1

Marches: The Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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