As Good as It Gets: Folk

Disc: 1

1. Street of London - Ralph McTell

2. Messing About on the River - Josh MacCrae

3. It Hardly Ever Rains

4. Anji - Davy Graham

5. Needle of Death - Bert Jansch

6. National Seven

7. I Will Turn Your Money Green [Live] - Pentangle

8. Won't You Stay Awhile Suzanne - Gordon Giltrap

9. Heliotrope Bouquet - John James, John James

10. Goodbye Stockholm - David Campbell

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Johnny Lad - Ian Campbell Folk Group

2. Wild Rover - The Dubliners

3. Cells

4. Hornpipes and Reels - The McCalmans

5. Calton Weaver - Hamish Imlach

6. Chicken on a Raft - The Young Tradition

7. Mary of the Mountains - Humblebums

8. Family of Man - The Spinners

9. Farewell to Tarwathie - Alex Campbell

10. Sweet Kingwilliamston

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

As Good as It Gets: Skiffle
Average customer rating:
As Good as It Gets: Skiffle
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Disky
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

As Good as It Gets: Skiffle, Vol. 2

Rock Island Line

As Good as It Gets: Hillbilly

King of Skiffle

ASIN: B00004SD35
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

Gloryland - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Get Along Home Cindy - Johnny Duncan
Lost John - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Toll the Bell Easy - Les Hobeaux
Jesse James - Dickie Bishop, Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Cumberland Gap - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Last Train to San Fernando - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys, The Vipers Skiffle Group
California Zephyr - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey?
Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Hey Hey Daddy Blues - Les Hobeaux
I'm Satisified - Chas McDevitt, Nancy Whiskey
Midnight Special - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Doin' My Time - Chris Barber, Johnny Duncan
Streamline Train - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Footprints in the Snow - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
Runnin' Wild
Canine Stomp
Mama Don't Allow - Les Hobeaux
Railroad Bill - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
I Shall Not Be Moved - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Whistling Rufus
Ain't You Glad - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Oh Mary Don't You Weep - Les Hobeaux
Rockabilly Baby - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
Stackalee - Dickie Bishop, Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
10,000 Years Ago - The Vipers Skiffle Group
That's All There Is
Bearcat Crawl - Chris Barber, Ottilie Patterson
Green Back Dollar - Chas McDevitt, Nancy Whiskey
Stormin' the Barn

Tracks:

Railroad Steamboat - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Bring a Little Water, Sylvie - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Where Could I Go - Chris Barber, Johnny Duncan
Shine
Pick a Bale of Cotton - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Freight Train - Chas McDevitt, Nancy Whiskey
Special - Don Lang
River Line - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Blue Blue Heartache - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
I'm Alabammy Bound - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Wild About My Lovin' - The Levee Breakers
Hey Lily Lily Lo - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Sugartime
Poor Howard - Chas McDevitt, Nancy Whiskey
Number 69, 3, 30 - Johnny Parker
Lonely Road - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Maggie May - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Babe I'm Leaving You - The Levee Breakers
I Never Knew
Ella Speed - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
I Know the Lord Laid His Hands on Me - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Jet Black Blues - Blind Willie Dunn
Tiger Rag
Itching for My Baby - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
It Takes a Worried Man - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Lowland Blues - Chris Barber's Jazz Band, Johnny Duncan, Ottilie Patterson
Blue Blood Blues - Blind Willie Dunn
This Little Light of Mine - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Homing Bird - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Ramschakle Daddy - Don Lang

Average customer rating:

A surprisingly good and thorough collection of early blues

As Good As It Gets: Country Blues
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Disky Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Memphis Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

East Coast Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Blues | Styles | Music

Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

As Good as It Gets: Hillbilly
As Good As It Gets: Western Swing
As Good as It Gets: Boogie Woogie
As Good as It Gets: Black Gospel

ASIN: B00004SD30
Release Date: 2000-04-04

Tracks:

Boodle Am Shake - The Dixieland Jug Blowers
Midnight Special - Leadbelly
Long Tall Mama - Big Bill Broonzy
Candy Man - Mississippi John Hurt
Statesboro Blues - Blind Willie McTell
Hestitation Blues - Jim Jackson
Walk Right In - Cannon's Jug Stompers
Playing With the Strings - Lonnie Johnson
Baby Please Don't Go - Big Joe Williams
Diddie Wa Diddie - Blind Blake, Blind Blake
Every Day in the Week Blues - Pink Anderson, Simmie Dooley
Me and My Chauffeur Blues - Memphis Minnie
Truckin' My Blues Away - Blind Boy Fuller
I Believe I'll Dust My Room - Robert Johnson
Match Box Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - Ma Rainey
It Hurts Me Too - Tampa Red
Harmonica Stomp - Sonny Terry
Stealin' Stealin' - Memphis Jug Band
Blood Red River - Josh White
Big Road Blues - Tommy Johnson
I Will Turn Your Money Green - Furry Lewis
Bottle It up and Go - Tommy McClennan
Atlanta Moan - Barbecue Bob
Walking Blues - Son House
How Long, How Long Blues - Scrapper Blackwell, Leroy Carr

Tracks:

Minglewood Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers
Come on Boys, Let's Do That Messin' Around - Blind Blake
Rock Island Line - Leadbelly
Blues in G - Lonnie Johnson
Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson
Untrue Blues - Blind Boy Fuller
Drop Down Mama - Hammie Nixon
Dealing With the Devil - Brownie McGhee
Cross and Evil Woman Blues - Blind Gary Davis
K.C. Moan - Memphis Jug Band
Black Rat Swing - Memphis Minnie
Nobody's Dirty Business - Mississippi John Hurt
Good Gal - Josh White
Stomp Down Rider - Blind Willie McTell
Black Snake Moan - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Spoonful Blues - Charley Patton
Keep Your Hands Off Her - Big Bill Broonzy
Night Time Is the Right Time - Roosevelt Sykes
Risin' Sun - Alger "Texas" Alexander
Mean Mistreatin' Mama - Leroy Carr
Beale Street Mama - Bessie Smith
Devil Got My Woman - Skip James
First Time I Met the Blues - Little Brother Montgomery
Cool Drink of Water Blues - Tommy Johnson
Cross Cut Saw Blues - Tommy McClennan
Dry Land Blues - Furry Lewis

Customer Reviews:

A surprisingly good and thorough collection of early blues.......2003-01-03

These 52 tracks offer a very good insight into early country blues. Almost every major blues artist from the 1920s and 30s is represented, among them legendary figures such as Tampa Red, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leroy Carr, 'Sleepy' John Estes, Lonnie Johnson and the great Son House, and this is definitely the place to go if you want just a sampler of the earliest blues recordings to whet your appetite.

The tracks on "Country Blues" are recorded between 1926 and 1941, and most of them are solo performances. There are many well-known tracks here, "Statesboro' Blues" by Blind Willie McTell and "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" by Robert Johnson among them, and a few rarer gems such as Son House's "Walking Blues" from 1930 and Cannon's Jug Stomper's original "Walk Right In" - the basis for Dr Hook's 1977 hit!

Other highlights include Jim Jackson's little-known "Hesitation Blues", "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", Leroy Carr's original "How Long, How Long Blues", "Black Snake Moan" by Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Blind Boy Fuller's "Truckin' My Blues Away".
The quality varies a bit, and it's obvious that many of these recordings were made more than 70 years ago, but everything on here is definitely worth a listen.

Tracks:

Street of London - Ralph McTell
Messing About on the River - Josh MacCrae
It Hardly Ever Rains
Anji - Davy Graham
Needle of Death - Bert Jansch
National Seven - John Renbourn
I Will Turn Your Money Green [Live] - Pentangle
Won't You Stay Awhile Suzanne - Gordon Giltrap
Heliotrope Bouquet - John James, John James
Goodbye Stockholm - David Campbell
Dreadful Memories - Alex Campbell
Blind Blake's Rag - Ralph McTell
I'd Like to Go Back on the Open Road - Dave Travis
It Don't Bother Me - Bert Jansch
Judy - John Renbourn
Omie Wise - Pentangle
Look Over the Hill and Far Away - Gerry Rafferty
Blues for Gino - Davy Graham
Working Class Millionaire - Richard Digance
Bound to Ride - Pete Stanley
McGhee's Rag - John Pearse
Lullaby - Harvey Andrews, Graham Cooper
Brown Boy - David Campbell
Hawaiin Slack Key - Marcel Dadi
Lazy Days - Harvey Andrews, Graham Cooper

Tracks:

Johnny Lad - Ian Campbell Folk Group
Wild Rover - The Dubliners
Cells
Hornpipes and Reels - The McCalmans
Calton Weaver - Hamish Imlach
Chicken on a Raft - The Young Tradition
Mary of the Mountains - Humblebums
Family of Man - The Spinners
Farewell to Tarwathie - Alex Campbell
Sweet Kingwilliamston
Carthy's March - Dave Swarbrick
Little of Your Time - Billy Connolly
Who Liveth So Merry - The Dransfields
Off to Dublin in the Green - The Dubliners
Lord of the Dance - Ian Campbell Folk Group
Byker Hill - Dave Swarbrick
Carron Lough Bay - Finbar & Eddie Furey,
Sweet Thames Flow Softy - The Johnstons
Kemp's Jig - Gryphon
Wars O'High Gairmany - Alex Campbell
Black Velvet Band - Grehan Sisters
Hens March - Matt McGinn
Rob Roy Macgregor - Matt McGinn
Magical Man - Lal Waterson, Mike Waterson
Soldier Soldier

Average customer rating:

As Good As It Gets: Bluegrass
Various Artists
Manufacturer: As Good As It Gets
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

Bluegrass | Compilations | Country | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Country | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000050HQA
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Tracks:

Footprints in the Snow - Bill Monroe
We'll Meet Again Sweetheart - Flatt & Scruggs, Foggy Mountain Boys
Air Mail Special on the Fly - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Gathering Flowers from the Hillside - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Kentucky Means Paradise - Glen Campbell, The Green River Boys
Last Old Shovel - The Louvin Brothers
Cumberland Breakdown
Little Glass of Wine - The Stanley Brothers
Sing Little Birdie - Mac Wiseman
Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms - Rose Maddox
Blue Moon of Kentucky - Bill Monroe
I'm Going to Make Heaven My Home - Flatt & Scruggs, Foggy Mountain Boys
Is It True - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Stone Wall - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Divorce Me C.O.D. - Glen Campbell, The Green River Boys
Station Door Blues - Jimmie Skinner
Stop Beating Around the Bush
Little Cabin Home on the Hill - Bill Monroe
Uncle Pen - Rose Maddox
I Will Always Be Waiting for You - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Why Do You Weep, Dear Willow? - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Our Darling's Gone - The Stanley Brothers
Hittin' on Five
That Home Above - Bill Monroe
Are You Missing Me? - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Each Season Changes You - Rose Maddox

Tracks:

I'm Going Down to Have Myself a Ball
Molly and Tenbrooks - Bill Monroe
My Cabin in Caroline - Flatt & Scruggs
Memory of You - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Lovesick and Sorrow - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Truck Driving Man - Glen Campbell, The Green River Boys
Rambler's Blues - The Stanley Brothers
Pistol Packin' Preacher - Mac Wiseman
Weary Lonesome Blues - The Louvin Brothers
I'll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning - Rose Maddox
Whirlpool
Rocky Road Blues - Bill Monroe
God Loves His Children - Flatt & Scruggs
Are You Lost in Sin - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Flower Blooming in the Wildwood - Timberliners
Little Maggie - The Stanley Brothers
Send Me a Penny Postcard - Jimmie Skinner
All I Have Left Is Your Picture
Dark as a Dungeon - Glen Campbell, The Green River Boys
My Rose of Old Kentucky - Bill Monroe
Down, Down, Down - Rose Maddox
I'll Wash Your Love from My Heart - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Lost to a Stranger - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Death Is Only a Dream - The Stanley Brothers
Brown's Ferry Blues - The Louvin Brothers
Ole Slew Foot - Rose Maddox

Average customer rating:

Country Blues CD

As Good As It Gets: Country Blues
Various Artists
Manufacturer: As Good As It Gets
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Memphis Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

East Coast Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Compilations | Blues | Styles | Music

Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Country | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000050HQ8
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Tracks:

Boodle Am Shake - The Dixieland Jug Blowers
Midnight Special - Leadbelly
Long Tall Mama - Big Bill Broonzy
Candy Man - Mississippi John Hurt
Statesboro Blues - Blind Willie McTell
Hestitation Blues - Jim Jackson
Walk Right In - Cannon's Jug Stompers
Playing With the Strings - Lonnie Johnson
Baby Please Don't Go - Big Joe Williams
Diddie Wa Diddie - Blind Blake, Blind Blake
Every Day in the Week Blues - Pink Anderson, Simmie Dooley
Me and My Chauffeur Blues - Memphis Minnie
Truckin' My Blues Away - Blind Boy Fuller
I Believe I'll Dust My Room - Robert Johnson
Match Box Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - Ma Rainey
It Hurts Me Too - Tampa Red
Harmonica Stomp - Sonny Terry
Stealin' Stealin' - Memphis Jug Band
Blood Red River - Josh White
Big Road Blues - Tommy Johnson
I Will Turn Your Money Green - Furry Lewis
Bottle It up and Go - Tommy McClennan
Atlanta Moan - Barbecue Bob
Walking Blues - Son House
How Long, How Long Blues - Scrapper Blackwell, Leroy Carr

Tracks:

Minglewood Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers
Come on Boys, Let's Do That Messin' Around - Blind Blake
Rock Island Line - Leadbelly
Blues in G - Lonnie Johnson
Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson
Untrue Blues - Blind Boy Fuller
Drop Down Mama - Hammie Nixon
Dealing With the Devil - Brownie McGhee
Cross and Evil Woman Blues - Blind Gary Davis
K.C. Moan - Memphis Jug Band
Black Rat Swing - Memphis Minnie
Nobody's Dirty Business - Mississippi John Hurt
Good Gal - Josh White
Stomp Down Rider - Blind Willie McTell
Black Snake Moan - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Spoonful Blues - Charley Patton
Keep Your Hands Off Her - Big Bill Broonzy
Night Time Is the Right Time - Roosevelt Sykes
Risin' Sun - Alger "Texas" Alexander
Mean Mistreatin' Mama - Leroy Carr
Beale Street Mama - Bessie Smith
Devil Got My Woman - Skip James
First Time I Met the Blues - Little Brother Montgomery
Cool Drink of Water Blues - Tommy Johnson
Cross Cut Saw Blues - Tommy McClennan
Dry Land Blues - Furry Lewis

Customer Reviews:

Country Blues CD.......2002-08-23

This is one of the best overall crossection of original blues recordings I've found. The quality of the recordings appears to have been enhanced, and is as good as I've heard for these type of vintage tunes.

I quite enjoy having either of these 2 CDs (2-CD Set) in my car CD Player. Especially enjoy hearing the Memphis Jug Band, Leadbelly, Tommy McClellan's Cross Cut Saw is worth the price of the entire 2-CD set!! I never tire of listening to it.

Tracks:

Street of London - Ralph McTell
Messing About on the River - Josh MacCrae
It Hardly Ever Rains
Anji - Davy Graham
Needle of Death - Bert Jansch
National Seven - John Renbourn
I Will Turn Your Money Green [Live] - Pentangle
Won't You Stay Awhile Suzanne - Gordon Giltrap
Heliotrope Bouquet - John James, John James
Goodbye Stockholm - David Campbell
Dreadful Memories - Alex Campbell
Blind Blake's Rag - Ralph McTell
I'd Like to Go Back on the Open Road - Dave Travis
It Don't Bother Me - Bert Jansch
Judy - John Renbourn
Omie Wise - Pentangle
Look Over the Hill and Far Away - Gerry Rafferty
Blues for Gino - Davy Graham
Working Class Millionaire - Richard Digance
Bound to Ride - Pete Stanley
McGhee's Rag - John Pearse
Lullaby - Harvey Andrews, Graham Cooper
Brown Boy - David Campbell
Hawaiin Slack Key - Marcel Dadi
Lazy Days - Harvey Andrews, Graham Cooper

Tracks:

Johnny Lad - Ian Campbell Folk Group
Wild Rover - The Dubliners
Cells
Hornpipes and Reels - The McCalmans
Calton Weaver - Hamish Imlach
Chicken on a Raft - The Young Tradition
Mary of the Mountains - Humblebums
Family of Man - The Spinners
Farewell to Tarwathie - Alex Campbell
Sweet Kingwilliamston
Carthy's March - Dave Swarbrick
Little of Your Time - Billy Connolly
Who Liveth So Merry - The Dransfields
Off to Dublin in the Green - The Dubliners
Lord of the Dance - Ian Campbell Folk Group
Byker Hill - Dave Swarbrick
Carron Lough Bay - Finbar & Eddie Furey,
Sweet Thames Flow Softy - The Johnstons
Kemp's Jig - Gryphon
Wars O'High Gairmany - Alex Campbell
Black Velvet Band - Grehan Sisters
Hens March - Matt McGinn
Rob Roy Macgregor - Matt McGinn
Magical Man - Lal Waterson, Mike Waterson
Soldier Soldier

Average customer rating:

Great Place to Start

As Good As It Gets: Bluegrass
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Disky
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

Bluegrass | Compilations | Country | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004SD36
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Tracks:

Footprints in the Snow - Bill Monroe
We'll Meet Again Sweetheart - Flatt & Scruggs, Foggy Mountain Boys
Air Mail Special on the Fly - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Gathering Flowers from the Hillside - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Kentucky Means Paradise - Glen Campbell, The Green River Boys
Last Old Shovel - The Louvin Brothers
Cumberland Breakdown
Little Glass of Wine - The Stanley Brothers
Sing Little Birdie - Mac Wiseman
Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms - Rose Maddox
Blue Moon of Kentucky - Bill Monroe
I'm Going to Make Heaven My Home - Flatt & Scruggs, Foggy Mountain Boys
Is It True - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Stone Wall - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Divorce Me C.O.D. - Glen Campbell, The Green River Boys
Station Door Blues - Jimmie Skinner
Stop Beating Around the Bush
Little Cabin Home on the Hill - Bill Monroe
Uncle Pen - Rose Maddox
I Will Always Be Waiting for You - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Why Do You Weep, Dear Willow? - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Our Darling's Gone - The Stanley Brothers
Hittin' on Five
That Home Above - Bill Monroe
Are You Missing Me? - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Each Season Changes You - Rose Maddox

Tracks:

I'm Going Down to Have Myself a Ball
Molly and Tenbrooks - Bill Monroe
My Cabin in Caroline - Flatt & Scruggs
Memory of You - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Lovesick and Sorrow - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Truck Driving Man - Glen Campbell, The Green River Boys
Rambler's Blues - The Stanley Brothers
Pistol Packin' Preacher - Mac Wiseman
Weary Lonesome Blues - The Louvin Brothers
I'll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning - Rose Maddox
Whirlpool
Rocky Road Blues - Bill Monroe
God Loves His Children - Flatt & Scruggs
Are You Lost in Sin - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Flower Blooming in the Wildwood - Timberliners
Little Maggie - The Stanley Brothers
Send Me a Penny Postcard - Jimmie Skinner
All I Have Left Is Your Picture
Dark as a Dungeon - Glen Campbell, The Green River Boys
My Rose of Old Kentucky - Bill Monroe
Down, Down, Down - Rose Maddox
I'll Wash Your Love from My Heart - Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds
Lost to a Stranger - Hylo Brown, Timberliners
Death Is Only a Dream - The Stanley Brothers
Brown's Ferry Blues - The Louvin Brothers
Ole Slew Foot - Rose Maddox

Customer Reviews:

Great Place to Start.......2003-04-24

This is one of the best collections of early bluegrass available. In fact, the five titles in the series I've bought so far (Hillbilly, Rockabilly, Boogie Woogie, Cajun) are amazingly good deals, despite uneven sound quality. Some might prefer the titles to have been organized by artist, but the anthology-style presentation is great for listening, and while the enclosed booklet is sketchy (and not always accurate), I'd say anyone new to this genre should start here, then get Rounder's Hand Picked collection for more recent bluegrass styles.

Average customer rating:

Excellent primer on short-lived British phenomenon.

As Good as It Gets: Skiffle
Various Artists
Manufacturer: As Good As It Gets
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Folk | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000508HY
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

Gloryland - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Get Along Home Cindy - Johnny Duncan
Lost John - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Toll the Bell Easy - Les Hobeaux
Jesse James - Dickie Bishop, Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Cumberland Gap - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Last Train to San Fernando - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys, The Vipers Skiffle Group
California Zephyr - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey?
Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Hey Hey Daddy Blues - Les Hobeaux
I'm Satisified - Chas McDevitt, Nancy Whiskey
Midnight Special - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Doin' My Time - Chris Barber, Johnny Duncan
Streamline Train - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Footprints in the Snow - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
Runnin' Wild
Canine Stomp
Mama Don't Allow - Les Hobeaux
Railroad Bill - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
I Shall Not Be Moved - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Whistling Rufus
Ain't You Glad - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Oh Mary Don't You Weep - Les Hobeaux
Rockabilly Baby - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
Stackalee - Dickie Bishop, Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
10,000 Years Ago - The Vipers Skiffle Group
That's All There Is
Bearcat Crawl - Chris Barber, Ottilie Patterson
Green Back Dollar - Chas McDevitt, Nancy Whiskey
Stormin' the Barn

Tracks:

Railroad Steamboat - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Bring a Little Water, Sylvie - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Where Could I Go - Chris Barber, Johnny Duncan
Shine
Pick a Bale of Cotton - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Freight Train - Chas McDevitt, Nancy Whiskey
Special - Don Lang
River Line - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Blue Blue Heartache - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
I'm Alabammy Bound - Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group
Wild About My Lovin' - The Levee Breakers
Hey Lily Lily Lo - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Sugartime
Poor Howard - Chas McDevitt, Nancy Whiskey
Number 69, 3, 30 - Johnny Parker
Lonely Road - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Maggie May - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Babe I'm Leaving You - The Levee Breakers
I Never Knew
Ella Speed - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
I Know the Lord Laid His Hands on Me - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Jet Black Blues - Blind Willie Dunn
Tiger Rag
Itching for My Baby - Johnny Duncan & The Blue Grass Boys
It Takes a Worried Man - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Lowland Blues - Chris Barber's Jazz Band, Johnny Duncan, Ottilie Patterson
Blue Blood Blues - Blind Willie Dunn
This Little Light of Mine - Jimmy Jackson, Jimmy Jackson
Homing Bird - The Vipers Skiffle Group
Ramschakle Daddy - Don Lang

Customer Reviews:

Excellent primer on short-lived British phenomenon........2001-10-05

Few in the U.S. will remember skiffle as a musical style as it blossomed and thrived in the United Kingdom. Even so, a few of the artifacts from this three or four year fad hit the charts in a big way in the States, notably "Rock Island Line" by Lonnie Donegan, "Freight Train" by Chas McDevitt Group and the execrable "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands" by the prepubescent Laurie London.

This excellent and inexpensive two disc set goes a long way toward rehabilitating the image of skiffle from some half-baked British take on American folk to something more committed and interesting. In retrospect, it should not be surprising that the British approached this antiquated American folk with the same intensity as they later approached r & b and blues.

The Lonnie Donegan numbers included here are some of the more interesting and less obvious choices. No less than thirteen tracks by the superb George Martin-produced Vipers are included. Not a single one is filler. The remarkable ex-pat American Johnny Duncan is also well represented. Two great cuts from pianist Johnny Parker (whose piano in 1956's "Bad Penny Blues" was the inspiration for the piano in the Beatles' "Lady Madonna")are featured from his brief skiffle phase. In all, there are 61 mostly well-chosen tracks. The misfits? Certainly the nine tracks by the Original Barnstormers Spasm Band which sound like what the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band were lampooning in their early days, but with so many great recordings here who can complain?

Sound quality is excellent. It is truly amazing what engineers with good ears were able to accomplish back in the days of single track recording.

Because of those few early hits that crossed the pond, skiffle may have played a pivotal role in setting the foundations for the late 50s/early 60s folk/hootenany boom in this country that gave us so many musical giants. But whether that occurred or not, skiffle certainly is what inspired young kids like Paul MacCartney and John Lennon to take up the guitar. I recommend this great economy anthology for any collection.

Music Album:

Music Album