Earth Opera/Great American Eagle Tragedy [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Disc: 1

1. Red Sox Are Winning

2. As It Is Before

3. Dreamless

4. To Care at All

5. Home of the Brave

6. Child Bride

7. Close Your Eyes and Shut the Door

8. Time and Again

9. When You Were Full of Wonder

10. Death by Fire

Disc: 2

1. Home to You

2. Mad Lydia's Waltz

3. Alfie Finney

4. Sanctuary from the Law

5. All Winter Long

6. American Eagle Tragedy

7. Roast Beef Love

8. It's Love

9. After You [*]

Editorial Reviews

Product Description:
Digitally Remastered Edition of Two Classic LPs Combined in a Deluxe Double CD Package. Earth Opera's Self-titled Debut LP features a Heady Brew of Pop, Rock, Folk, Jazz and Classical Elements in Involved Arrangements that Suited Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Peter Rowan's Songs. They Are Noted for their Complicated Structures and Highly Poetic and Psychedelic Lyrics. The Debut Album Reflects the Eclectic, Ambitious Pop Styles of the Flower Power/Sgt. Pepper-era of 1967. The Follow-up, "The Great American Eagle Tragedy", Took Into Consideration the Changed Musical Climate of 1968, with More Stripped Down Arrangements and Hard Rocking with Country-rock Beginning to Make Inroads, Quite Different from It's Predecessor. The Country-rock Opener "Home to You," (Featuring the Pedal Steel Guitar of Guest Bill Keith) was a Road Song in Subject Matter and Feel, "Mad Lydia's Waltz," the Second Track, was More Rooted in Stringed Instruments and Steady Beats.

Tracks:

Home to You
Mad Lydia's Waltz
Alfie Finney
Sanctuary From the Law
All Winter Long
Great American Eagle Tragedy
Roast Beef Love
It's Love

Album Description

Earth Opera was part the 'Boston Sound' of the late 60's. Being the most creative of that batch of groups, they put out two albums and evolved into the highly praised group Seatrain. Earth Opera featured bluegrass mandolin player extraordinaire David Grisman and singer/songwriter Peter Rowan. This, their second album, came out in 1969 and is making its worldwide CD debut from Wounded Bird Records, completely remastered! It features the 11-minute FM radio classic 'The Great American Eagle Tragedy'.

Customer Reviews:

Flashback to the Late Sixties.......2007-07-04

The title song was a classic 40 years ago and still has relevance today. It's worth the price of the CD. It plus 2 other cuts make this rare find a good investment. Glad I purchased it!

Apocalypse then.......2006-12-08

The title song is much more than a late 60's college radio classic. What Peter Rowan and Dave Grisman did on this anti war song cannot effectivly be described in words. It is powerful, heart pounding and hand sweatingly visceral.

To listen to it is to feel the anger at the government and the frustration of knowing that the madness was continuing despite all efforts to stop it. And beyond belief was that while President Nixon was in the final stages of his own personal and political melt down he continued to send thousands of America's children to Viet Nam to die in an unnecessary war. He did all this while ignoring the voice of the majority of the people.

Rowan and his group must have collapsed after recording it. Ignoring parallels with the present administration and Iraq is impossible. Listen to it and weep.

Taste of History.......2004-05-04

I actually had the LP, back during the turbulent late'60s - early '70s. And here we are, more than 30 years later, and the sentiments expressed in the title song couldn't be more cogent in these days of a bumbling chief executive and more death, all around, in Iraq. We sure haven't learned very much in the interim. Sure, the song has an overwrought quality to it - but it's still quite effective, and beautifully sad in sections. Peter Rowan's voice isn't especially wonderful, but its strained, almost reedy quality serves this song well.

Beyond the title song, we have a mixed bag. "Home to You" has aged well, I think. "Mad Lydia's Waltz" is a little known gem. Only "Roast Beef Love" and "Sanctuary From the Law" seem like throwaways, to my hearing at least.

Overall, this CD is highly recommended. At only about 37 minutes in length, it's rather short. But there are several high points that will reward the listener.

decent 2nd album.......2001-12-23

This album really should be a three and a half star recording. It's not as good as their debut album, which featured some of the best lyrics of the period. There are four fine songs here: the epic title track, the eerie and beautiful "Mad Lydia's Waltz", the early country-rock number "Home to you", and "All Winter Long." "Alfie Finney " is ok too.The other songs aren't very good however. Guest musicians on this album include John Cale of Velvet Underground fame. This album made the charts, which is kind of surprising when you consider that their eponymous debut album is a much greater recording, and yet that album somehow failed to reach the top 200. Perhaps the Boston area band suffered from the backlash against "The Bosstown Sound." Peter Rowan's vocals and songwriting skills aren't nearly as strong on this followup album, although the playing on it is still of a high standard. More kinds of instruments are used on this album, especially saxophones. Overall, a decent enough record, but get the eponymous album first

Earth Opera/Great American Eagle Tragedy

Average customer rating:

Earth Opera/Great American Eagle Tragedy
Earth Opera
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Baroque Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Chamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Seatrain
Mortimer
Farewell Aldebaran
Tudor Lodge
Live at the Fillmore East

ASIN: B0002DXQ1A
Release Date: 2004-08-23

Tracks:

Red Sox Are Winning
As It Is Before
Dreamless
To Care at All
Home of the Brave
Child Bride
Close Your Eyes and Shut the Door
Time and Again
When You Were Full of Wonder
Death by Fire

Tracks:

Home to You
Mad Lydia's Waltz
Alfie Finney
Sanctuary from the Law
All Winter Long
American Eagle Tragedy
Roast Beef Love
It's Love
After You [*]

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Edition of Two Classic LPs Combined in a Deluxe Double CD Package. Earth Opera's Self-titled Debut LP features a Heady Brew of Pop, Rock, Folk, Jazz and Classical Elements in Involved Arrangements that Suited Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Peter Rowan's Songs. They Are Noted for their Complicated Structures and Highly Poetic and Psychedelic Lyrics. The Debut Album Reflects the Eclectic, Ambitious Pop Styles of the Flower Power/Sgt. Pepper-era of 1967. The Follow-up, "The Great American Eagle Tragedy", Took Into Consideration the Changed Musical Climate of 1968, with More Stripped Down Arrangements and Hard Rocking with Country-rock Beginning to Make Inroads, Quite Different from It's Predecessor. The Country-rock Opener "Home to You," (Featuring the Pedal Steel Guitar of Guest Bill Keith) was a Road Song in Subject Matter and Feel, "Mad Lydia's Waltz," the Second Track, was More Rooted in Stringed Instruments and Steady Beats.

Music Album:

Music Album