This Train

Product Description:
On their second album, This Train, the Wayfaring Strangers continue their astounding musical odyssey combining folk, bluegrass, jazz, gospel, and world music into a rich and vibrant tapestry of sound. Three vocalists front the band: the soulful Tracy Bonham, the earthy Ruth Ungar and the ethereal Aoife O'Donovan. Equally extraordinary are the instrumentalists: Matt Glaser, Tony Trischka, Laszlo Gardony, Jamey Haddad, John McGann & Jim Whitney. "Bluegrass and jazz have disparate vocabularies, but they share moods of introspection and flamboyance that the Wayfaring Strangers ingeniously pulled together."--The New York Times. The Wayfaring Strangers are Matt Glaser, Tracy Bonham, Tony Trischka, Laszlo Gardony, Jamey Haddad, John McGann, Ruth Ungar, Aoife O'Donovan, Jim Whitney, with guest artists Darol Anger, Steve Gorn, Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, Andy Statman, Bruce Molsky and others.

Tracks:

Loading Coal
Slow Rider
Lumberjack
Dorraine Of Ponchartrain
Going To Memphis
When Papa Played The Dobro
Boss Jack
Old Doc Brown
The Fable Of Willie Brown
Second Honeymoon
The Ballad Of The Harpweaver
Smiling Bill McCall

Amazon.com

This concept album ranks with the most thematically ambitious of Johnny Cash's career, though the title's a little misleading. Instead of a collection of train songs (the sort featured in the Cash catalogue from "Hey Porter" to "Orange Blossom Special"), he alternates the spoken-word narrative of a rail trip that crosses the country (and cuts across centuries) with songs about the characters you might meet along the way. From a Kentucky coal miner ("Loading Coal") to an Oregon logger ("Lumberjack") to a convict on a Mississippi chain gang ("Going to Memphis"), Cash inhabits the various manifestations of what he calls "the heart and muscle of this land." In "Slow Rider" he combines the folk standard "I Ride an Old Paint" with the gunfighter legend of John Wesley Hardin. The reissue of this 1960 release adds four bonus tracks, story songs in a similar spirit but without the narration. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

If you REALLY like Johnny Cash.......2007-06-12

I was glad to get a copy of this as a present for a friend in Europe who is a serious Johnny Cash fan. My cousin tells me that there is a 4 CD set with the same name. But since i was only expecting one CD i wasn't disappointed!

Ride This Train, Johnny Cash.......2007-03-11

I was SO pleased to be able to find this album! In my opinion, this is one of the finest albums Johnny Cash ever recorded. I'm sure it is the only place he ever recorded the song "Old Doc Brown", which never fails to touch my heart. All of my children (now grown with children of their own) remember this album (as an old LP) and were just as pleased with it as I was! Thank you SO MUCH for providing a place to find treasured memories!

Replaced lost LP with this CD.......2007-02-21

Here again I used to own Lp version & was happy to replace with CD with added tunes & restored quality. I am very pleased & recommend it to all.

A classic, one of Cash's best LP's.......2005-11-27

Although it may intially be hard to get into Cash's concept albums (although they contain many of his best recordings imho), this is a good place to start. A train ride through the days of old, is fascinating through the writing, but even better the voice of Johnny Cash. Every song here is strong, and I rank the first 5 songs up there with anything he ever recorded. Johnny's voice never sounded so good and is best vocal performance along with American Recordings no 1.

Johnny Cash fans, Get on board!.......2004-06-17

As with several other albums/cd's I've bought, I didn't like this at first. After repeated listenings, I'm a true believer. This is a concept album in the truest sense of the word - between tracks you hear Johnny talking about America, along with the sounds of a steam locomotive - it's as though Johnny is travelling cross country and telling stories of various Americans including slaves, slave-owners, outlaws, Cajuns, lumberjacks, miners etc. This cd could be used by history teachers - it's that interesting. My favorite track is Dorraine of Ponchartrain - it's a real tear jerker along the lines of a 19th century Ebony Eyes (Everly Brothers). Goin to Memphis is also really cool - reminds me of John Fogarty's "Workin on a building". All four bonus tracks are excellent - Willie Brown is a feminist's delight - the "player" dies of a broken heart. The Ballad of the Harpweaver isn't really a song, it's a narration along with an ethereal sounding reverb on the electric guitar - it's an other-worldly psychic tale - genuinely weird and interesting. Smiling Bill McCall is hilarious - a Nashville radio star idolized by all the kids who attempts suicide because he hates his theme song and turns out to be 4 feet tall and bald. If a Cash fan loves "Boy named Sue" - he/she will positively love Smiling Bill McCall. I think the 1959-1963 period was among Johnny's finest years of output. I love this CD so much, it's a narcotic to me - I have trouble removing it from my cd player. I recommend it as highly as possible.

The Alamo: The Essential Film Music Collection

Average customer rating:

More expensive than the other Essential but worth it.
Excellent compilation of an important composer.
"film composer Dimitri Tiomkin gave his all and then some"

The Alamo: The Essential Film Music Collection
Dimitri Tiomkin
Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tiomkin: Red River
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection, Vol. 2
The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection
Giant

ASIN: B00022MBNK
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Tracks:

Night Passage
Tension At Table Rock
High Noon
The War Wagon
The Wild Wild West: Main Theme
The Wild Wild West: The Ballad Of Jim West
Gunfight At The O.K. Coral
Rio Bravo
Rawhide
Red River
The Unforgiven: Across The Texas Panhandle
The Unforgiven: The Need For Love
The Unforgiven: Horse Ballet
The Young Land
Duel In The Sun

Tracks:

The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Overture
The Fall Of The Roman Empire: The Fall Of Love
The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Pax Romana
55 Days Peking
Land Of The Pharaohs
Circus World (The Magnificent Showman)
Dial M For Murder
Strangers On A Train
Giant: Main Title
Giant: Love Theme
Giant: The Jett Rink Theme
The High And The Mighty
Wild Is The Wind
The Guns Of Navarone

Tracks:

Cyrano De Bergerac
The Well
Friendly Persuasion
Town Without Pity
It's A Wonderful Life
Tarzan And The Mermaids
The Thing From Another World
The Alamo: Overture/Prologue
The Alamo: Davy Crockett
The Alamo: Tennessee Babe
The Alamo: The Battle Of The Alamo
The Alamo: The Green Leaves Of Summer
The Alamo: Finale

Tracks:

Giant: This Then Is Texas
Rawhide: Rawhide
High Noon: Do Not Forsake Me
Night Passage: Follow The River
Giant: The Ballad Of Jett Rink
Friendly Persuasion: Thee I Love
It's A Wonderful Life
Wild Is The Wind
The High And The Mighty
The War Wagon: The Ballad Of The War Wagon
Rio Braco
The Young Land: Strange Are The Ways Of Love
The Wild Wild West: The Ballad Of Jim West
The Wild Wild West: The Wild Wild West

Amazon.com

Dimitri Tiomkin was one of the most prominent composers of Hollywood's Golden Age and beyond, his career spanning a half-century and some of America's most classic films. This sprawling, four-disc anthology (its title a marketing nod to the modern remake of one of Tiomkin's notable collaborations with John Wayne) features new digital recordings of full-bodied performances by the City of Prague Orchestra and Festival Chorus, the most ambitious and comprehensive tribute to the composer yet attempted. There's something here for film score buffs (rarities like a suite from his sci-fi genre-defining Thing From Another World and the "Main Theme" for the pilot of TV's Wild, Wild West) and novice alike; indeed one could scarcely ask for a more complete overview of Tiomkin's robust orchestral oeuvre. Divided into four chapters, disc one chronicles how the Ukrainian immigrant concocted a rich Western film heritage (including such genre landmarks as Red River, High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Rio Bravo) from largely European traditions, while the next two CD's cover his rousing work for epics and thrillers of every stripe, and collaborations with Hitchcock, Wayne, Capra, Stevens and more. The concluding disc pays homage to Tiomkin the unlikely pop tunesmith, via his hit vocal themes to Rawhide, Wild is the Wind and High Noon's "Do Not Forsake Me." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

More expensive than the other Essential but worth it........2007-04-22

This is an excellent set of music of Dimitri Tiomkin's music! The 4th disc is short (at just over 30 minutes), but thats because it is just the vocal versions of tracks which appeared in instrumental form throughout the first 3 discs. Whenever you buy a silva screen compilation, the first thing you ask yourself is 'when were these recordings made' and 'do I have these tracks on other compilations? Thankfully, this set has TONS of new recordings, but there is some recycled stuff and they are as follows:

Dial M For Murder is from the 1993 History of Hitchcock Vol. I, while Strangers on a Train is from 1995's History of Hitchcock Vol. II.

Three tracks originate from 1994's "Music From the Films Of John Wayne". They are "The High and the Mighty", "The Alamo - Overture" and "The Alamo - Green Leaves of Summer".

Red River is from 1996's "How The West Was Won: Classic Western Film Scores Vol. One".

The Thing From Another World suite is from the excelllent 1998 set "Alien Invasion: Space And Beyond II"

Many tracks first appeared on "Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection Vol. Two". They are: "Duel In The Sun", "The Alamo (Davy Crockett)", "Friendly Persuasion", "Giant (Main Theme)", "Gunfight at the OK Corral", "High Noon", "Rio Bravo", and "The Unforgiven (The Need For Love)".

The rest of the tracks are brand spankin new, and most are not available on other discs, so snag this one up in a hurry!

Excellent compilation of an important composer........2004-07-16

This long overdue collection of Tiomkin standards and rarities is a must for any fan of symphonic music; albeit, for film or concert hall. As the liner notes clarify; these recordings are a real labor of love for James Fitzpatrick and the Silva Screen team. Tiomkin is; undoubtedly, one of the most difficult of composers to replicate. This recording comes extremely close to "hitting the nail on the head" particularly with tracks such as: "Across the Texas Panhandle" from the Unforgiven, The Entr'acte from Duel in the Sun, The Guns of Navarone, The War Wagon, and the main title and Jett Rink theme from Giant. This recording is a bargain, particularly for collectors who have sought after many of Tiomkin's composer conducted soundtracks (which are getting harder and harder to obtain). Listeners who enjoy this set should consider seeking out previous cd releases of the soundtracks to "The Guns of Navarone" (SONY, Varese Sarabande), "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (Varese Sarabande, PEG), "55 Days at Peking" (Varese Sarabande), and "The Alamo" :original soundtrack (still available on SONY-Legacy).

"film composer Dimitri Tiomkin gave his all and then some".......2004-07-13

Silva America presents the ultimate in film music during the illustrious career of an icon and legendary composer of film scores ~ "Alamo:Dimitri Tiomkin Essential Film Collection/O.S.T", featuring some long forgotten 53 cues that sent chills and thrills into the pulses of world events ~ selections from a limited collectors edition that would make any "film-score-buff" green with envy.

Tiomkin was born in Ukraine, Russia [1894-1979] attended and graduated from St. Petersburg Academy[studied under the famed composer Glazunov] ~ had a degree in music as well as law ~ came to America in 1925, shown great interest for Native American music early in his film career.

Great fondness for "The Western" ~ "DUEL IN THE SUN" (1946) (Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton, Lionel Barrymore, Lilian Gish and Charles Bickford - one of biggest and successful epic Westerns ever, score & photography was simply breathtaking), "RED RIVER" (1948) (John Wayne, Monty Cliff and Walter Brennan - the Duke should have won an Oscar for his performance as the aging cantankerous cattle baron)"HIGH NOON" (1952)(classic film with Gary Cooper in his Oscar winning performance of Will Kane), "TENSION AT TABLE ROCK" (1956), "GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL" (1957)(Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp & Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday pulled this off with the help of the Main Theme), "NIGHT PASSAGE" (1957), "RIO BRAVO" (1959) (top box office leaders John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan and Ricky Nelson), "THE YOUNG LAND" (1959) (young Dennis Hopper), "RAWHIDE" (TV Series) (1959-66) (Eric Fleming as trail boss Gil Favor & Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates), "THE UNFORGIVEN" (1960) (Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy and Audrey Hepburn), "THE WILD, WILD WEST" (TV Series) (1965-69)(Tiomkin's music never saw the light of day), "WAR WAGON" (1967) (John Wayne & Kirk Douglas starred) (beautifully melodic) ~ it's easy to see why Tiomkin loved Western lore.

Second disc contains The Epics ~ "LAND OF THE PHARAOHS" (1955) (Jack Hawkins as Pharaoh Cheops and a beautiful Joan Collins as his scheming wife), "55 DAYS AT PEKING" (1963) (Charlton Heston, David Niven and Ava Gardner is the all star cast), "THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE" (1964) (featuring Alec Guinness as emperor Marcus Aurelius), "CIRCUS WORLD" (1964) (John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale and Rita Hayworth under the big top) ~ next we Hitchcock Thrillers with "STRANGERS ON A TRAIN" (1951) (a masterpiece film featuring Robert Walker and Farley Granger are both very convincing as we learn, never talked to strangers on a train or anywhere), "DIAL M FOR MURDER" (1954) (tense moments come from Grace Kelly, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings - they don't get any better than this) ~ finally Drama and High Adventure with "HIGH AND MIGHTY" (1954) (another outstanding performance by John Wayne, as the co-pilot of an airline whistling the haunting theme), "GIANT" (1956)(another big epic film with Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean and Chill Wills show us what it's like to be a Texan, with oil and money), "WILD IS THE WIND" (1957) (Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani and Anthony Franciosa), "THE GUNS OF NAVARONE" (1961) (World War II film featuring Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven and Stanley Baker on a small Greek Island trying to outwit the Germans and a very big gun) ~ some of Tiomkin's most inspiring themes rise to the surface.

On disc three ~ as we continue with Drama and High Adventures "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" (1946) (James Stewart, Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, Lionel Barrymore and Ward Bond with wholesome warm and endearing themes from our favorite composer), "TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS" (1948) (in his 12th film as Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller still had what it takes to swim and defeat the man-god Balu - Weissmuller and Tiomkin the perfect combination for this Tarzan adventure), "CYRANO DE BERGERAC" (1950) (Jose Ferrer stars as Edmond Rostand's famous swordsman with a even more famous nose), "THE WELL" (1951) (intense cues give the film musical triumphs in final scenes), "THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD" (1951) (exciting Howard Hawks film with a score to match), "FRIENDLY PERSUASION" (1956) (director William Wyler shows the life and times of a Quaker family played by Gary Cooper, Dorothy Mcguire and Anthony Perkins during the American Civil War, very touching), "THE ALAMO" (1960) (big budget epic western with Big John Wayne it's producer, director and star as Davy Crockett with a haunting and never to be forgotten "The Green Leaves of Summer"), "TOWN WITHOUT PITY" (1961) (Kirk Douglas in a post-war Germany story, blends jazz themes with Tiomkin signature arrangements) ~ Tiomkin always made the difference when it came to scoring a film.

The last and final disc four ~ The Tiomkin Vocal Songbook featuring "This Then is Texas" (Giant), "Rawhide" (Rawhide), "Do Not Forsake Me" (High Noon), "Follow the River" (Night Passage), "The Ballad of Jett Rink" (Giant), "Thee I Love" (Friendly Percuasion), "It's A Wonderful Life", "Wild Is The Wind", "The High and the Mighty", The Ballad of the War Wagon" (The War Wagon), "Rio Bravo", "Strange are the Ways of Love" (The Young Land), "The Ballad of Jim West" (The Wild Wild West), "The Wild Wild West" (The Wild Wild West) ~ many were hit makers of the day and in the top ten.

Outstanding performances by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Nic Raine, Paul Bateman, Mario Klemens - are the conductors), Crouch End Festival Chorus (David Temple - choir master), featuring vocals by Jason Howard and Keith Ferreira ~ hats off to James Fitzpatrick (producer), Reynold da Silva (executive producer), Olilvia Tiomkin Douglas, John Waxman, Rick Clark and Gareth Williams (associate producers) ~ all film producers and directors welcomed the legendary composer with open arms for their forthcoming projects ~ the "film-score-buff" collectors are ecstatic about this four disc release on the essential film music collection of DIMITRI TIOMKIN, the arrangements and performances are top notch inclusive of HDCD/Dolby Surround.

When listening to the music of a film, you had the feeling of the storyline, characters and convictions of the whole picture, they'll never be another to come this way again ~ Silva America has outdone themselves on this one, it is definitely a five star film score box set...gotta love it!

Tracks:

Warthog, The (The Hog Beneath The Skin)
The Sea Horse
The Chameleon
Whale, The (Mopy Dick)
Je Suis Le Tenebreux
Songs For Our Time
A Song Of The Weather - Flanders & Swann
The Reluctant Cannibal
Greensleeves
Misalliance
Kokoraki
Madeira M'Dear?
Too Many Cookers
Built Up Area
In The Bath (From 'At The Drop Of A Hat')
Sea Fever
The Hippopotamus Song

Tracks:

The Gas Man Cometh
Sounding Brass
Los Olividados
In The Desert
The Sloth
The Rhinoceros
Kangaroo Tango
Jaguar
Dead Ducks
The Elephant
By Air
Slow Train
A Song Of Patriotic Prejudice - Flanders & Swann
The Humming Bird
The Portuguese Man-Of-War
Sea Fever
The Hippopotamus Song

Tracks:

The Gas Man Cometh
Sounding Brass
Los Olividados
In The Desert
The Sloth
The Rhinoceros
Kangaroo Tango
Jaguar
Dead Ducks
The Elephant
By Air
Slow Train
A Song Of Patriotic Prejudice - Flanders & Swann
The Humming Bird
The Portuguese Man-Of-War
The Wild Boar
The Ostrich
The Wompom
Twice Shy
Commonwealth Fair
P** P* B**** B** D******
Paris
Eine Kleine Nacht Musik Cha Cha Cha
The Hundred Song
Food For Thought

Album Details

Fantastic Triple CD Box Set of the Recorded Works of One of Britain's Most Popular Comedy Duos. Their Keen Observations of Everyday British Life and Abilities to Exemplify them in Song Made them the Darlings of the UK. Cleverness, Wit and Absoute Hilarity were the Order of the Day, in Just About Any Style of Music. Pure Comic Genius on Three Discs!

Customer Reviews:

Return to Sanity.......2005-07-27

Before Monty Python, before the Beatles, before "'Enery the Aigth Oi Am" there was the subtle, sweet, insdious humor of Flanders and Swann, and their lyrics remain part of the recognition rituals of Ivy Leaguers of the sixties. For any aging hippies or yuppies who find life WAY more stressful than we ever expected, and for whom the down side of alcohol, sex, and drugs has become apparent, I recommend listening several times to "In the Bath". It raises a cry for peace among the nations by inviting all the leaders to sit congenially steaming in a communal bathtub. And they reminding us of our essential self-interest when they add the proviso "as long as Swann and Flanders get the end without the taps." On those nights when we suspect that there isn't any point to it all, reach for the Flanders and Swann. They won't convince you there is any meaning to life, but they'll make it a lot easier to bear. Don't even try to do without it.

Have Some Madeira.......2005-07-06

Not every line in Flanders and Swann has become part of our 37-year marriage, but many have. As our turntables fail, we are pleased that we can relive all the fun stuff we used to collect. Nothing is like this duo, especially what you usually hear as French horn by Mozart converted into "I found that horn go(r)ne." And, of course,
"Have some Madeira, m'dear" is an all-time favorite.

British humour at its best.......2003-03-15

When I started out as a teacher of English, I had the most wonderful colleague as a mentor -- when she retired she gave me three LPs with much of what is on these CDs, and it must be one of the best gifts I have ever been given. Practically all of it makes me smile or laugh out loud (although I must admit that some, like The Armadillo and Slow Train, make me so melancholy that I can just feel my lower lip tremble and my eyes fill up). How can you beat lines like "Hail to thee, blithe Wompom", or "The English are moral, the English are good / And clever, and modest, and misunderstood"? I find they make great listening exercises for my teenaged students as well -- they consider it ancient, but incredibly funny!

If you haven't heard this..........2003-01-16

The great comedic pairing of the late Michael Flanders (vocals) and Donald Swann (piano and occasional vocals) must surely rank among the hall of fame of comic singers and songwriters. Descended from the British music hall tradition, these two men wrote and performed music which still sparkles with wit today, some 40 or more years since it was recorded.

After being told to take up singing as a means of strengthening his polio-weakened lungs, the wheelchair-bound Flanders teamed up with pianist Swann and proceeded to write such classic songs as "The Hippo Song (Mud Mud Glorious Mud)", "The Gasman Cometh", "The Gnu Song", "A Transport of Delight" and many others. As well as a gently satirical spirit, all these songs feature the sublime wordplay and interplay of both men.

The first two discs of this box set are actual concerts - "At The Drop Of A Hat" and its successor "At The Drop Of Another Hat". Recorded at the height of the duo's popularity and form, the sound quality is surprisingly good for recordings this old.

"At The Drop Of A Hat" opens with three of the Flanders and Swann classics. "Transport Of Delight", a song in praise of the "97 horsepower omnibus" features the wonderful harmonies of the duo on lines like "any more fares" and Flanders' dead-on impression of a London busdriver "Geddardait, we're full right up inside". "Song of Reproduction" deals with the new, as it was then, stereo technology and features Flanders delivering an incredible monologue using every conceivable piece of audiophile jargon. "The Gnu Song" (in which "gnu" is pronounced phonetically) is a real treat. The audience's reaction to the reappearance of the gnu is superb.
As well as this opening trio, the disc features Flanders' snippets of "Songs For Our Time" (in which he experiments with conventions of hit songs), "Song of the Weather" (a rundown of English weather throughout the year), "The Reluctant Cannibal" (featuring Swann in the tititular role and the chorus "I can't eat people/I won't eat people/eatin' people is wrong"), Swann's foray into Greek folksong "Kokraki" and the justifiably famous "Madeira M'Dear". The performance ends with a rousing version of "The Hippo Song".
Flanders is in fine voice throughout and his comments introducing each song are delivered with deadpan accuracy. The story behind "The Gnu Song" is an absolute masterpiece. Flanders' monologue about the creation of "Greensleeves" is also superb - "'Greenfleeves'. That's an interesting name for a fong" (referencing old English script) being just a taste.

"Another Hat" begins in equally fine form with "Gasman Cometh" and "Ill Wind". "Gasman", presaged as "a tale of unending domestic upheaval", is sure to have most people who've ever dealt with unreliable tradesmen nodding in agreement, while "Ill Wind" is Flanders' attempt at setting words to a French horn concerto featuring the immortal lines "I lost that horn/lost that horn/lost that horn/found that horn/gorn". The performance continues with Swann's Russian/English song "In The Desert", the ending of which is truly side-splitting. "All Gall" (a reinterpretation of "This Old Man" to fit then-French President Charles de Gaulle) is a little dated but very cleverly done. "Song of Patriotic Prejudice", with its introduction and opening lines grabbing the audience's attention is another triumph, while the "Hippo Encore" is a great end to the performance.
Again Flanders is at his peak. His loving description of the Spanish olive-stuffers ("Olividados") and his superb story about flying ("By Air") are both brilliant examples of the shaggy dog story.
My favourite from both of these discs would have to be "First and Second Law". Flanders decides to educate Swann in elementary science and picks on the first and second laws of thermodynamics ("heat is work and work is heat" and "heat cannot of itself pass from one body to a hotter body") and the repetition of these phrases in time to Swann's barely-there piano accompaniment is one of the finest moments in British comedy.

The third disc is largely forgettable. It begins with a series of animal-related songs performed in a studio and without much of Flanders' rambling introductions. "Warthog" has its moments, while the others were clearly not performed in front of an audience for a reason. "Wompom" is also mildly diverting, presenting a story about a made-up substance which is the answer to everything.
The rest of the disc is then filled out with much earlier material in a rather poorly-recorded concert. "20 Tons of TNT" (related to the calculation the pair had done which gave that as the amount of TNT per person on the planet at the time) provides food for thought, but little more.

Is this box set for everyone? No. Much of the humour both within and without the songs does require a bit of background knowledge to what was going on in Britain and Europe at the time (1960s), John Profumo is referenced a few times as well as Charles de Gaulle and the Common Market, while a smattering of classical music knowledge can help out a bit with Swann's work and "Ill Wind". The fact that my grandfather (who's in his late 70s) recalls hearing these songs and laughing may give an indication as to the age of some of the subject matter. Equally the fact that "First and Second Law" references an awful lot of physics might do the same.

Nevertheless, for anyone who loves British humour done in a gentle manner or who is interested in the source of "mud mud glorious mud/nothing quite like it for cooling the blood", give these CDs some serious consideration.

Gentle Satire.......2002-04-03

I've been singing Flanders and Swann every day In the Bath since I first heard them in 1964. If you don't know them, think Gilbert and Sullivan by way of English music hall and Noel Coward, with a bit of Tom Lehrer musical satire and classic Bob Newhart or Charlie Manna monologues. F&S commented gently on their times: "The purpose of satire, it has been rightly said, is to strip away the veneer of comfortable illusion and cozy half-truth. And our job, as I see it, is to put it back again." Quite simply the best comic songs and patter of the 20th century. Michael died in 1975, Donald in 1994. Goodnight, Mabel Figworthy, wherever you are.

Here are some samples of Michael's verbal wit.

Wordplay:
- "A Transport of Delight," their song of the pleasures of the double-decker bus "has recently been adopted as the theme song of the Underground resistance movement."
- Speculating that Henry VIII wrote Greensleeves: "and the royalties go to royalty."
- About a tennis referee late in the day: "the umpire upon whom the sun never sets."
- Explaining how he was hoisted in his wheelchair onto airliners by a fork lift: "Why they need a great machine like that to lift forks I do not know. Well, they're only plastic, now, aren't they?"
- On status symbols: "The object is to Gunga Din your neighbor: 'I'm a better man than you' is the acid test," and, "let's bang our status cymbals with the best."
- To a disenchanted cannibal: "You used to be a regular anthropophagi."
- Of a lecher: "And he said as he hastened to put out the cat, the wine, his cigar, and the lamps," while the girl "lowered her standards by raising her glass, her courage, her eyes, and his hopes."
- At the corrida d'olivas (the Andorran festival of olive stuffing, not to be confused with the Spanish corrida de toros, or bullfight): "And a great cry goes up of Ole! He has made an 'ol."
- "It's no good going up to a scientist and saying to him like you would to anybody else, 'Good morning, how are you, lend me a quid, and so on.' He'll just glare at you, or make a rude retort."

Throw-aways
- During the height of the cold war the Soviet Union sent the Moscow Ballet on a world tour. Donald sang one chorus of the Hippopotamus Song "mud, mud, glorious mud - nothing quite like it for cooling the blood" in Russian. Michael: "That should improve our cultural relations."
- During the 1963 Mandy Rice-Davies and Christine Keeler scandal: "None of that going around saying no smoke without fire. Nil cumbustibus, Profumo." Also, from "Friendly Duet," "such models of friendship are precious and rare, while the friendship of models is not."
- "Now if you're writing a musical, as I'm sure practically all of you are, . . ."
- Of Donald: "You know that no one has a higher regard for your music . . . than you do yourself. I merely meant that you are not great because you are not dead. If you wish to be great you must stop composing and start decomposing."
- "We never found a rhyme for (Soviet Premier Nikita) "Kruschev" until he was dead: Did he die or was he "pushed off"?"
- "We spent two dreadful, uh, delightful years, entertaining the Americans whose need, let's face it, is greater even than yours. Of course, when we're over there we say that the other way 'round."
- "No matter what you may say about the Germans, and who doesn't . . ."
- "Some of the songs that have made our names a household word, like slop-bucket . . ."
- "They've started testing cars now. They started at 10 years, then 5, now three. There's even some talk of having them tested before they leave the factory."

Absurdities
- "I'm delirious about our new oven fitted with the eye-level grill. This means that without my having to bend down the hot fat can squirt straight into my eye."
- A spectator during the construction of Stonehenge: "So, it's not going to be lived in. Well, that's something anyway. So what is it, then? It's a what?! A calendar?! A bit big for a calendar isn't it? You'd look pretty foolish with that on your desk."
- "Donald knocked himself out this morning. Got one of those new pop-up toasters. Nasty things."

Tracks:

My Mama Was A Train
What Do You Hear?
That Little Red Caboose Behind The Train
Nine Hundred Miles
Counting Those Railroad Cars
Old Engine No. 9
Build A Bridge
Rock Island Line
Wabash Cannonball
New River Train
Im A Train
Casey Jones
Down At The Station
Little Red Caboose
Workin In The Railway Yard

Album Description

TOOT TOOT! JAMES COFFEY ARRIVES WITH A BOXCAR LOAD OF NEW SONGS WITH NEW RELEASE "MY MAMA WAS A TRAIN". Multi-Award-Winning Children's Recording Artist Introduces New Tunes, American Traditionals From America's heartland, an acclaimed family recording artist steams ahead with his second collection of railroad songs, "My Mama Was a Train." James Coffey includes 14 original and traditional songs, all relating to the magic and wonder of locomotives. Train lovers of all ages will delight at the real sounds and rhythms of locomotive engines accenting each of the 14 songs. Coffey's signature piano, acoustic guitar and harmonica stylings help evoke the feeling of riding the rails on such traditional favorites as "Nine Hundred Miles", "Rock Island Line", "Casey Jones", "Wabash Cannonball", and "New River Train"A nd, with new songs like the theme "My Mama Was a Train", "What Do You Hear?" and "Workin' in the Railway Yard", he builds on the genre by including new jaz zy arrangements and funky rhythms sure to get toes tapping and engines running.

Customer Reviews:

A Treasure For Parents & Toddlers.......2004-07-15

My 4 grandsons, age 4 and under, their parents and grandparents absolutely love this CD and others by the incomparable James Coffey. His amazing train videos and his music CD's about trains and also Animal Groove, never fail to delight. The toe tapping rhythms are uplifting and even babies respond - I can attest to that - our 5 month old giggles and jumps about in his saucer when we turn up the volume and clap (or run about the room pretending to be a train) - you get the picture! We are all hooked on James Coffey words, music, and videos.

At age 3, one grandson had all the songs memorized. This grandmother in her sixties provides all the grandchildren and their friends with this CD and the others in the collection. A mood lifter, an educational tool, an all around great CD for all ages. The musical arrangements are fantastic.

Kids will love it, parents will love it.......2004-03-07

I love kid music that I can enjoy also. (Especially on those long car rides when the kids' music has to be played over and over to keep the little ones content.) The music and lyrics of all the songs on this CD are delightful to adult and child ears alike. The music is cheerful, contemporary, and full of train lore and sounds--a key to its success with the little train fan in our family. This Jim Coffey winner is right on track!

My kid LOVES this CD. Yours will too!!!.......2003-03-07

My son is totally into trains of all types. This is a trait that runs in the family. I don't even know HOW he got into them so much. He just loves 'em. I guess I am happy--its sort of an American tradition to be into trains. They meant so much to our history.

So--when at the local library I spied this CD, I borrowed it. Oh my gosh. My son just LOVES this thing. Especially the songs with sound effects--but in other songs he hears the key words: train, railroad, etc. He is only 2 years old--so the focus of this CD on one subject, his favorite subject, helps him to appreciate all the songs--not just the ones with a whistle here, a bell there, etc.

Finally, I have to say that even I really like the CD. It is some old standards mixed with new songs--but almost always in a style that an adult can stand to listen to. Coffey has a nice voice--and he is not a gaggle of kids singing nursery rhymes. It is really a nice break from that kind of kids music CD. A couple songs are a bit new-Jazzy, and while not bad are just not MY cup of tea. But others include very tasteful folky sounding songs and some straight ahead foot-stomping real travelin' music, if ya know what I mean.

From 2 to 92 years old, nobody will be offended, and many will be happy to hear old favorites and tasteful music that kids (and big kids) who love trains will love. Buy this CD if your kid is into trains.

Songs relating to the lure and lore of trains.......2002-05-17

In My Mama Was A Train, James Coffey performs fifteen original and traditional songs relating to the lure and lore of trains. Children of all ages (and a great many adult railroad buffs) will enjoy Coffey's highly recommended signature piano, acoustic guitar and harmonic stylings, along with the real sounds and rhythms of locomotive engines accenting and enhancing each piece. The songs include What Do You Hear? (2:39); That Little Red Caboose Behind The Train (3:04); Nine Hundred Miles (3:02); Counting Those Railroad Cars (1:35); Old Engine No. 9 (2:04); Build A Bridge (3:43); Rock Island Line (1:56); Wabash Cannonball (3:15); New River Train (2:15); I'm A Train (1:51); Casey Jones (2:26); Down By The Station (1:36); Little Red Caboose (1:33); Workin' In The Railway Yard (2:58); and the title piece, My Mama Was A Train (2:49).

Witness: What a Mighty God - Spirituals and Gospels for Chorus

Average customer rating:

Historically important choral music, wonderfully performed!

Witness: What a Mighty God - Spirituals and Gospels for Chorus
James Bohn , Michael Jorgenson , Steve Burger , Gordon Johnson , Jay Young , Michael Abels , Dale Adelmann , Harry T. (Henry) Burleigh , Brazeal W. Dennard , Adolphus Hailstork , Jester Hairston , Jack Halloran , Robert A. Harris , Moses Hogan , Sanford Moore , Robert Scholz , Richard Smallwood , William Henry Smith , Andre Thomas , Philip Brunelle , Sigrid Johnson , Joe Pulice , Robert Commodore , Charles Kemper , Yolanda Williams , Brian Link , Vocal Essence , and VocalEssence Ensemble Singers
Manufacturer: Clarion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Negro Spirituals - Derek Lee Ragin, Moses Hogan, Moses Hogan
Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit: Spirituals
Give Me Jesus | Spirituals by Barbara Hendricks and The Moses Hogan Singers
Wade In The Water, Vol.1:African American Spirituals:The Concert Tradition
Trouble I'Ve Seen: Eighteen Spirituals--Moses Hogan Chorale

ASIN: B0001FVEPE
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Witness: Jack Halloran
Hush! Somebodys CallinMy Name: Arranged by Brazeal W. Dennard
Death Is Gonna Lay His Cold Icy Hands on Me: Arranged by Andrhomas
Walk Together, Children: Arranged by William Henry Smith
Were You There?: Arranged by Robert Scholz
Elijah Rock: Arranged by Moses Hogan
This Train: Arranged by Sanford Moore
Jesus, Lover of My Soul: Music by J.S. Bach; text by Charles Wesley, Arranged by Richard Smallwood
My Lord,What a Mornin : Arranged by Harry T. Burleigh
Go Down, Moses : Arranged by Robert A. Harris
In Dat Great GittinUp Mornin: Arranged by Jester Hairston
Crucifixion: Adolphus Hailstork
Go Where I Send Thee:Arranged by Andrhomas
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: Arranged by Dale Adelmann
Go,Tell It on the Mountain: Arranged by Sanford Moore
What a Mighty God : Arranged by Michael Abels

Album Description

Stirring spirituals and rousing gospel melodies sung by the superb voices of VocalEssence conducted by the renowned conductor Philip Brunelle, joined by vocal jazz ensemble Moore by Four.

Customer Reviews:

Historically important choral music, wonderfully performed!.......2004-05-25

For over 10 years, The VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Chorus (conducted by Philip Brunelle) has presented an enduring series of concerts showcasing the talents of trailblazing African American composers. Now this wealth of music is available outside the concert hall through a series of recordings called WITNESS.

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD presents 20th Century choral arrangements of music from the African American spiritual tradition rooted in spirituals and gospels, including Harry T. Burleigh's "My Lord, What a Mornin'" (1929), "Walk Together Children" (William Henry Smith, 1937) and more contemporary composers like Sanford Moore's "Go Tell It On The Mountain" (1993.)

There are excellent notes about the genre, however, in light of the historical significance of this music I'm surprised and disappointed to find no biographical information about the composers, not even birth and/or death dates, with this CD. I feel this is a crucial component in an "outreach" project like this, especially since most of these composers are not well known. Still I highly recommend it for the music alone.

The other three CDs are available as single titles, or in the boxed set THE WITNESS COLLECTION which includes:

Tracks:

Sanctus
Ave Maria, Op.52/6
Panis Angelicus
O Divine Redeemer
The Holy City
Amazon Grace
Greensleeves (What Child Is This)
Let Us Break Bread Together
I Wonder As I Wander
Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Gesu Bambino (When Blossoms Flowered)

Tracks:

I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
My Lord, What A Morning
Do Lawd, Oh Do Lawd
There's A Man Going Round - Jessye Norman
Ev'ry Time I Feel De Spirit - Dalton Baldwin
There Is A Balm In Gilead - Dalton Baldwin
Gospel Train - Dalton Baldwin
Great Day - Dalton Baldwin
Mary Had A Baby
Live A-Humble
Walk Together Children
Were You There - Jessye Norman
Hush! Somebody's Callin' My Name
Soon Ah Will Be Done
Give Me Jesus

Average customer rating:

At the Drop of Another Hat

Manufacturer: Parlophone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Broadway & Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Box Sets | Stores | Music

General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

At the Drop of a Hat

ASIN: B00004SE0Q
Release Date: 1991-01-01

Tracks:

Gas-Man Cometh
Sounding Brass
Olvidados
In the Desert
Ill Wind
First and Second Law
All Gall
Horoscope
Friendly Duet
Bedstead Men
By Air
Slow Train
Song of Patriotic Prejudice
Built Up Area
In the Bath
Sea Fever
Hippo Encore

Average customer rating:

This Is the Army & Call Me Mister

Manufacturer: Jasmine Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006J9M1
Release Date: 2002-11-19

Tracks:

Overture: This Is The Army, Mr. Jones/I Left My Heart At The Stage Door/Canteen/That Russian Winter/This Is The Army, Mr. Jones (Reprise) - All-Soldier Chorus
This Is The Army, Mr. Jones - Irving Berlin & Chorus
I'm Getting Tired So I Can Sleep - Private Stuart Churchill
I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen - Corporal Earl Oxford
Dialog With Staff Sergent Ezra Stone, Corporal Philip Truex & Private Julie Oshins - Staff Sergent Ezra Stone
The Army's Made A Man Out Of Me - Staff Sergent Ezra Stone
What The Well Dressed Man In Harlem Will Wear - Corporal James 'Stump' Cross
How About A Cheer For The Navy - All-Soldier Chorus
American Eagles/With My Head In The Clouds - Soldier Chorus
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning - Irving Berlin
My British Buddy - Irving Berlin & Chorus
This Time - Cote Glee Club
Going Home Train - Lawrence Winters & Male Chorus
Along With Me - Danny Scholl
Little Surplus Me - Betty Garrett
The Red Ball Express - Male Quartet
Military Life - Harry Clark
Yuletide, Park Avenue - Betty Garrett
When We Meet Again - Paula Bane
The Face On The Dime - Lawrence Winters
South America, Take It Away - Betty Garrett
Call Me Mister - Bill Callaghan

Shall We Gather - American Hymns and Spirituals

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Brilliant

Shall We Gather - American Hymns and Spirituals

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Live Recordings | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Wade In The Water, Vol.1:African American Spirituals:The Concert Tradition
Great American Spirituals, Vol. 9
Go Down, Moses
The Shapenote Album
American Angels

ASIN: B00005QK6L
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Libert Hall (Lord, In Thy Presence)
Rise, Shine, For Thy Light Is A-Comin'
Welwyn (O Brother Man)
Pisgah (The Lord's My Shepherd)
Poor Rosy
I've Just Come From The Fountain
Let Us Cheer The Weary Traveler
Nettleton (Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing)
Wondrous Love (What Wondrous Love Is This)
Gospel Train
Shining Shore (My Days Are Gliding By Swiftly)
More Love
In Mercy, Lord (In Mercy, Lord, Incline Thine Ear)
Beautiful River (Shall We Gather At The River)
Some Of These Days
The Old Ship Of Zion
St. Peter (In Christ There Is No East Or West)
Missionary Chant (Awake, Our Souls)
Old Ship Of Zion (What Ship Is This?)
Inching Along
Watchman (Watchman, Tell Us Of The Night)
Hurry, On My Weary Soul
Morning Trumpet (O When Shall I See Jesus)
He's A Mighty Good Leader
Hold On
Resignation (My Shepherd Will Supply My Need)
We Shall Walk Through The Valley

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-05-09

The best "Sacred Harp" or "Shape Note" type singing that I've heard. The various renditons are clear and harmonious.
None of that tuning up, barking, la-la's or other cacophonous sounds here.

Brilliant.......2003-09-22

I couldn't recommend a CD more highly. As a musician I was amazed at the variety of the music here and the truly exceptional performances. It's seems we can always rely on Albany to put out the most interesting and highest quality recordings.

Music Album:

Music Album