Between You & Us

Product Description
UK live release for the U.S. country-rock act, recorded at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver on March 30th 1979 on the 'Burning The Ballroom Down Tour'. 19 tracks, including their hits 'Third Rate Romance', 'Amazing Grace' & the Grammy winning 'The End Is Not In Sight'. 2001.

Between You & Us,The Amazing Rhythm Aces,Pilot,Country,Country-Rock,Pop,Rock,Singer/Songwriter,Soft Rock

Average customer rating: A Beautiful Re-Creation of Over-Exposed Legrand Material "one of the greatest film composers of the 20th Century ~ Michel Legrand"

The Essential Michel Legrand Film Music Collection Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Michel Legrand by Michel Legrand I Love Paris Michel Plays Legrand Summer of 42 Le Cinema de Michel Legrand ASIN: B000B5XSSA Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

1. Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
2. Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
3. Summer of 42
4. Never Say Never Again
5. How Do You Keep The Music Playing
6. The Thomas Crown Affair
7. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
8. Les Trois Mousquetaires
9. Wuthering Heights
10. Brian's Song
11. Dingo
12. Yentl
13. Le Messager - Variations 1-2-3-4-5-7

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful Re-Creation of Over-Exposed Legrand Material.......2006-02-10

Michel Legrand is one the biggest artists of music entertainment, a sensitive composer and arranger.

Here you'll find a correct selection of Legrand's material with unnecessarily new arrangements though with an impeccable performance.

Many of the songs in the repertoire are still available in CDs you can find here @Amazon and the best Legrand is the original Legrand.

This album stands only for those who doesn't care about original takes and wishes just for a selection of the best Legrand.

"one of the greatest film composers of the 20th Century ~ Michel Legrand".......2005-10-26

Silva Screen has released a collection that will set you on your ear "The Essential Michel Legrand Film Music Collection"...Legrand's score sets the tone and mood you experience a sense of power and freedom, so exhilarating...Legrand's genius in composition and orchestration, puts the listener smack dab in the middle of each film he scores as it serves up a generous helping of heaven for all "film-score-buff" collectors

Michel Legrand was born in Paris on February 24th, 1932...attended the Paris Conservatory Progressing...worked in various jazz bands, later a staff arranger and composer...an orchestrator in the '50s...scored films in the early '60s with "THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG" (1964)..."THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR" (1968)..."THE GO-BETWEEN" (1970)..."SUMMER OF '42" (1971)..."THE THREE MUSKETEERS" (1973)...and three Oscars from the Academy Awards for "THE WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND" for best music and original song in 1969 , "SUMMER OF '42" for best original song and original dramatic score in 1972... "YENTL for best music and original song score in 1984...then in 2003 nominated for Broadway's Tony Awards for Best Original Music Score for the Musical "Amour", there's no letting up for this hard working composer.

The Flemish Radio Orchestra featuring conductor composer Michel Legrand on piano and harpsichord, Philippe Chayeb on bass, Thierry Chauvet on drums and Bruno Caviglia on guitar...all in all did a magnificent job in bringing the music of a composer who wrote for a multitude of films, receiving recognition from the industry and fans which is long over-due ~ his work is in constant demand.

This collection contains an overlay of each cue in Legrand's distinctive style of legendary scoring ~ the man who made this possible, a tremendous asset to every project he undertakes is Reynold da Silva [executive producer of the album] ~ symphonic suites with full orchestra fullfilling the "film-score-buffs" cravings for more of the same, just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 77:55 ~ Silva America 1185 ~ (10/04/2005)

Average customer rating: Solid Solo Effort Not that good as at Dispatch Times Great Buy fantastic album

Watchfires Braddigan Manufacturer: Third Surfer Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Untold Us Against the Crown Four-Day Trials Last Dispatch Silent Steeples ASIN: B0009ZHE8C Release Date: 2005-02-02

Tracks:

1. Walls
2. Daggers
3. Sweet Jah
4. Fallin'
5. Pura Vida
6. Sailin'
7. Sweet Uncertain
8. The Crossing
9. City on a Hill
10. Noah's Arc

Customer Reviews:

Solid Solo Effort.......2007-06-19

Brad Corrigan is most known for his work in the band Dispatch. Let me start by saying I'm not the biggest Dispatch fan, though I have enjoyed what I have heard from them.

I think this album has a good vibe, the guest guitarists such as Phil Keaggy add a little extra "something" and the stand up bass gives a good feel to tracks like "Fallin'." However I think the first half of the album is strong, while the second half is less enjoyable, especially the two instrumentals at the end which seem unnecessary. This album is still a good listen and I would recommend it to people that like music in the vain of Bob Marley, Dave Matthews, or Ben Harper. If you get a chance check out Braddigan live, that's where he shines.

Not that good as at Dispatch Times.......2007-01-03

Well, I really apprechiate the work of Brad Corrigan, Braddigan, but this LP isn't that good like he wrote music with Dispatch a few years ago. There are some good songs like Falling (also known on the All Points Bulletin Live Album of Dispatch) and Pura Vida, but the other stuff isn't that good like his old songs "prince of spades" or "walk with you" or "past the falls" - nevertheless it's a good lp - good quality, nice acustic music, very spiritual, sometimes relgious,... but it's not a jam!

Great Buy.......2006-03-06

This cd is one of the best i've ever heard. The songs have great lyrics and amazing tunes. You will not be disapointed with this purchase.

fantastic album.......2005-10-31

If you like dispatch, and are looking for something similar yet new in alot of ways, check out braddigan, I really think you will enjoy every song 'cause I know I did. MUST buy

Average customer rating: And Then There's BEA! Golden Girl Shines Brightly Alive and Unforgettable A trip down memory lane... A Truly Remarkable Accomplishment

Bea Arthur on Broadway - Just Between Friends Bea Arthur Manufacturer: Drg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Previn, André | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weill | Weill, Kurt | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Golden Girls: A Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series Maude - The Complete First Season The Golden Girls - The Complete Fourth Season The Golden Girls - The Complete Sixth Season Mame ASIN: B00005YTRL Release Date: 2002-02-12

Tracks:

1. Lamb Recipe
2. Fun To Be Fooled
3. Introduction
4. What Can You Get A Nudist For Her Birthday?
5. Auditions
6. Isn't He Adorable
7. Fiddler on the Roof
8. Let's Face The Music And Dance
9. Bosom Buddies
10. Angela Lansbury
11. Threepenny Opera/ Pirate Jenny
12. It Never Was YOu
13. And Then There's Maude
14. Some People
15. The Soup Ladle
16. Where Do You Start
17. Bernie Schwartz
18. If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' On It!
19. Personal Hygiene
20. Who Cares
21. Fifty Percent
22. The Nun's Story
23. You're Gonna Hear From Me
24. The Chance To Sing
25. The Man in the Moon is a Lady

Amazon.com

More comedy monologue than musical performance, Bea Arthur's one-woman show Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends collects memories from the silver-haired star's life on Broadway (Fiddler on the Roof, Mame, The Threepenny Opera) and television (Maude, The Golden Girls).

"I wanted to see if I had the guts to just come and be myself," Arthur says in this performance recorded in front of a live audience in December 2001. Alongside co-creator and pianist Billy Goldenberg, she offers wry and often funny anecdotes about her career and the people she's worked with (Angela Lansbury, Pia Zadora). When she does sing ... well, even decades ago Arthur didn't have a beautiful voice, but she's well-suited to the comedy songs. And her versions of Kurt Weill's "Pirate Jenny" and Goldenberg's own "Fifty Percent"--while they won't make anyone forget Lotte Lenya or Dorothy Loudon--are effective in their own right. Bea Arthur on Broadway is definitely more Bea than Broadway, but it's a career well worth remembering. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

And Then There's BEA!.......2007-01-20

Thank goodness this is available on CD. I saw the show twice in Manhattan and once in P-town MA. She is an American treasure. What's nice is that you don't need to have had seen the live performance to enjoy this CD. (Though I'd love to have it on DVD.) Just Bea, Billy, a piano and yet so much more!!!!!

Golden Girl Shines Brightly.......2005-10-21

For anyone who has ever laughed as Bea Arthur deftly put people in their place with her lightning quick wit as Dorothy on the "Golden Girls", they will not be disappointed with this CD. Arthur, some 9 years after leaving the small screen, returns triumphantly to her professional roots, the stage, and does not disappoint. Mixing antedotal stories with classic songs, all to the accompianment of Billy Goldenburg, Arthur weaves her life in a brillant 90 minute tapestry so that the listener regrets ever reaching the end. Anyone who has ever seen Arthur perform on stage, or as Maude or Dorothy, they will not regret purchasing this CD. For that rare minority of people who have not have the privilage of seeing Arthur previously should find out what they have been missing of this American icon.

Alive and Unforgettable.......2004-11-21

Bea Arthur. Nearing 80. And yet, her continuing vitality is blatantly obvious in this live recording. I will tell you this--I bought this disc with no expectations whatsoever. I like Golden Girls as much as the next chap, and I was slightly curious about what Bea had become.

The simple truth was that I was stunned. Completely stunned. Again, this sounds as the same, alive, malicious woman who portrayed those "affirmative women" on TV (per her own words). She mocks her own voice, recalling the humiliation of being mistaken for the man of the house through the phone ... and some--who buy this disk with the intent of getting a faultless musical performance--might agree (and according to some reviews her, HAVE agreed) that her voice is perhaps too deep, too cutting, not pure enough. But this is NOT (and I stress it) a musical performance per se, it is not a perfectly rounded voice singing perfect standards.

What this disc is? A drama performance. The songs are intermissed with speech interludes, during which Bea narrates anecdotes from her past experience as an actress--and that's is PRECISELY what is MAGIC. You feel as though she's inviting you to witness the high points of her life, and it's a very nice place. The songs, seem alive as rarely before, because they are performed. She renders them with life, and make the most of her abilities.

I really appreciated some of the smaller things. You get to recognize her trademark, slightly embarassed, `You know' ... She'll make you laugh with good natured reminiscence ("A Mother's Ingenuity"!); some of the songs are delightfully imperfect, (I learned to love the half-sung/half-spoken "What Do You Start" ...), some others are wonderfully dynamic ("What Can You Get a Nudist For Her Birthday?", "Threepenny Opera/Pirate Jenny" ...), but all are very enjoyable ...

Be it "Isn't He Adorable?" or "If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It" ... every track on this disc will have you fondly reminisce or curiously discover the career of one helluva woman.

You really can't be disappointed. I promise.

If only we could have a visual as well!

A trip down memory lane..........2003-10-19

Bea Arthur, one of the finest performers of her time.
Bea is most known for her role on the sitcoms Golden Girls and Maude, but she's done so much theater work as well.
She was in the cast of the original U.S production of "Threepenny Opera" starring Lotta Lenya, and in the original cast of "Fiddler On The Roof" and "Mame". But Bea started her theater career in a show called "The Shoestring Revue".
Bea stoled the scene every night when she performed as yente the Matcmaker on "Fiddler On The Roof" and she also got a hole lot of response as Vera Charles on "Mame", starring Angela Lansbury. In this live performence Bea performs a collection of songs chosen by herself, such as, "Let's Face The Music And Dance", "Isn't He Adorable", "Fifty Percent" and her theme song from Mame "The Man In The Moon". Bea is absolutely one of our time finest performers, with her witty sence of knowledge and her indefiable voice she has establised herself as a broadway legend, alongside Judy Garland, Elaine Stritch, Mary Martin. She is one of the last broadway female legends alive. And still going strong, Bea is rounding 80, but you wouldn't notice.
Do yourself a favour and take a trip down down memory lane, it's your chance to hang out with the last female broadway legend around.

A Truly Remarkable Accomplishment.......2003-06-16

As a huge fan of Bea Arthur's, I was very excited when I heard she would return to Broadway to do a one-woman show. Not since winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for "Mame" has Bea Arthur been on stage. Well, what a way to follow up! This cd (which was recorded during a live performance) Bea gives fans an intimate look into her show business life. The stories are very funny and touching, and the songs (which Bea picked out herself) are fun, beautiful, and magical. A favorite part of this cd for me, is when Bea talks about her days on TV. She was the star of two very successful and groundbreaking sitcoms, "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" I am a huge fan of "The Golden Girls" and Bea's character Dorothy was always my favorite. This cd is a must for any Bea Arthur fan, but the appeal of this amazing show goes beyond her hardcore fans. Any fan of classic Broadway and cabaret songs will love this cd. This is one of the favorite cds I own, and should be treasured by more people. And finally, as a sidenote, Bea's one-woman show was nominated for a Tony Award in 2001 in the category of Best Special Theatrical Event.

Average customer rating: Kinleys are Pleasant Beautiful harmonies GREAT CD... 5 years later and still sounding fresh and new Great Harmonies + Incredible Songs = A Terrific Album!

Just Between You and Me The Kinleys Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: II All in the Family Something in the Air I'm Diggin' It Complete ASIN: B000002BUS Release Date: 1997-09-23

Tracks:

1. Just Between You And Me
2. Talk To Me
3. You Make It Seem So Easy
4. (Ooh, Aah) Crazy Kind Of Love Thing
5. Please
6. The Real Thing
7. Takin' Our Own Sweet Time
8. Love Rules
9. Contradiction
10. Dance In The Boat

Product Description

Excellent condition, includes original Cd, case, and all paperwork, First Class shipping, ask me for my complete Cd List file! :)

Customer Reviews:

Kinleys are Pleasant.......2007-07-09

The Kinnleys can pretty much be described as easy-listening country. People who like harmonizing will like this album a lot. The Kinnleys are twin sisters, and their harmony is excellent. The songs are fun; there are a number of nice guitar riffs throughout. There's a mix between faster and slower tunes. Here are the pleasant tunes:

Just Between You and Me
You Make it Seem So Easy
Crazy Kind of Love Game
Real Thing
Takin Our Own Sweet Time
Love Rules
Dance in the Boat

As you see, most songs on here are nice. The album gets a healthy 4 stars. I just didn't feel it enough for 5. It lacks the needed energy/punch to get 5. A pleasing listening experience all the same.

Beautiful harmonies.......2005-01-14

The Kinleys' album is a winner: great harmonies and excellent musicianship presented in a crisp, tight production.

GREAT CD..........2003-03-19

I just love this song.I heard THE KINLEYS on a digital music channel on tv and the first song I heard was 'Just Between Me And You.'I downloaded some of thier songs to make sure I liked thier songs before I ran out and bought thier cd.I LOVE all thier songs.THEY ROCK.I'm not a real big country music lover,but I love THE KINLEYS..My favorite songs are 'YOU MAKE IT SEEM SO EASY,DANCE IN THE BOAT AND JUST BETWEEN ME AND YOU'.I have both of thier cds..THE KINLEYS ROCK..Thier CD is worth the money.

5 years later and still sounding fresh and new.......2002-06-20

It's hard to believe but it's been almost 5 years since twin sisters Heather and Jennifer Kinley stormed onto the country music scene with their debut album "Just Between You and Me". Breezing through 10 songs in just over 34 min., the album today retains its fresh sound.

The title track (and hit single) is one of the best songs, giving Heather and Jennifer a great song to showcase their voices as well as their song-writing abilities (they co-write about half of the songs on the album). Other great tracks include "Talk to Me", "Crazy Kind of Love Thing" and, perhaps the best track of all, the intimate "Contradiction".

As far as "traditional" country goes, it does not get much better than this album. I'm not particularly big on country music, but "Just Between You and Me" easily appealed to me on the strenght of its melodies and harmonies.

Great Harmonies + Incredible Songs = A Terrific Album!.......2000-05-22

Beautiful Blondes Jennifer and Heather are not your ordinary twins. They have some of the best harmonies ever to have reached country music. If they would have come out the same time as the Judds, I believe they would have been more popular than Naomi & Wynonna could have ever hoped for.

The songs here are top notch. From the opening title single all the way to "Dance In The Boat" (my favorite on the album) these girls picked some of the best songs I have heard from a duo. I highly recommend this CD to any country fan that likes the Judds.

Average customer rating: on fire I want to travel by X-wing.... A Damn Shame!! McLusky's final album, sadly [4.5 stars]. It Will Only Bring You Happiness

The Difference Between Me & You Is That I'm Not on Fire Mclusky Manufacturer: Too Pure / Beggars ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: My Pain & Sadness Is More Sad & Painful Than Yours Mcluskyism Soon There Will Be Shooting at Unarmed Men They Were Wrong, So We Drowned Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters ASIN: B0001U1PYO Release Date: 2004-05-18

Tracks:

1. Without MSG I Am Nothing
2. That Man Will Not Hang
3. She Will Only Bring You Happiness
4. Kkkitchens, What Were You Thinking?
5. Your Children Are Waiting For You To Die
6. Icarus Smicarus
7. Slay!
8. You Should Be Ashamed, Seamus
9. Lucky Jim
10. Forget About Him I'm Mint
11. 1956 And All That
12. Falco Vs. The Young Canoeist
13. Support Systems

Amazon.com

Any band that can come up with such fantastic album titles - before this one there was My Pain and Saddness is More Sad and Painful and McLusky Do Dallas - must be doing something right. In McLusky's case, it' really comes down to volume. With the production assistance of Steve Albini, the Welsh trio creates an unholy racket that is more likely to descend into all-out chaos ("1956 and All That") than it is to aim for some kind of melodic stability ("Kkkitchens, What Were You Thinking"). The end result is more sinister than the Darkness, unrulier than Queens of the Stone Age and just shy of the genius displayed on the band's own previous work. -- Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

on fire.......2006-05-23

never ones to take the easy way out. after releasing what most fans think is their best album ('do dallas'), mclusky made an album that altogether darker in tone. then they split, like you do
so what of it then? like i said altogether darker in tone but gotta admit i prefer it to previous releases, probably for that reason. it's not just that of course. credit must be given to steve albini and the drummer for creating sounds that reverberate, right from the opener 'without msg...'. to be honest where the album falls is on its two 'gentler' tracks 'she will...' and 'forget...' (coincidence? i dunno...). proof that great lyrics and titles are nothing without tha music. highlights for me are 'msg', '...seamus' (and fair play to getting the spelling correct too!), 'support systems' and '1956 and all that'. those of who who are looking for something a bit quieter well, ...look elsewhere. i'll stick to noise pollution, thanks.
sadly these guys are with us no more (there's even a 'best of' - yipes!). which is a shame cos i'd love to see where they went from this record
4.5 stars, round up

I want to travel by X-wing...........2006-03-03

What can you call this? Punk? grunge? Alternative? Rock? Call it frickin' awesome. These lads were recommended to me by some UK rock band called Larp. In their distinct Brit accents they described Mclusky as "F@#$ing Brilliant. Absolutely f@#$%ing brilliant." I was skeptical but picked this album up and was blown away. their choice of wry and sarcastic lyrics are witty and reminiscent of the tv show "the Young Ones". Very British, but not like a mouth full of vinegar and salt. their melodies and tones are rough, almost garage like, off-key, yet builds itself into an harmony so odd or awkward, it's beautiful. The majority of these tracks are strong and driven, like the nails in my coffin. They rock. The weakest song is one in which the band progressively plays lower and lower, as the singer is merely whispering the words, coming to an immediate crash of sound.
This is a great entry by the Brits and worthy of those who have good taste. They're brilliant. Absolutely f@#$ing brilliant.

A Damn Shame!!.......2005-12-22

So, Mclusky imploded shortly after this bombshell was released. Heartbreaking, I say. This band sounded like no other (at least during the past 10 years). Forget the Pixies influence. The Pixies only wish they could match Mclusky's intensity and humor. Let's hope the Falko and Chappelle come up with something as interesting with their new outfits. In the meantime, please run out and buy this disc along with "Dallas". You won't be disappointed. R.I.P. Mclusky!!

McLusky's final album, sadly [4.5 stars]. .......2005-05-03

Apparently this Welsh trio have gone their separate ways (as of early 2005). Damn. One more awesome band goes down the tubes. McLusky have left behind a small but fairly awesome discography consisting of 3 full-lengths (two produced by the immortal Steve Albini) and a few scattered singles and EPs, all of them highly worthy listening.

The Difference Between Me & You Is That I'm Not On Fire (I swear, these guys come up with the best titles) is thus the band's parting shot, and what a blast it is. Not quite in the same league of consistency as 2002's overpoweringly rad Do Dallas, but more adventurous and still brilliant all the same.

There's a darker, more experimental feel this time around. Feedback consumes all on the louder numbers, turning this into a demented, chaotic joyride led by Malkmous' trademark vocals. Without MSG I Am Nothing kickstarts the album with an exotic, snaking guitar line and the chorus "Everywhere I look there's a darkness," infectious as it is menacing. That Man Will Not Hang, Icarus Smicarus, and KKKitchens What Were You Thinking? continue in this manner. Slay!, Falco Vs. The Young Canoeist, Lucky Jim, 1956 And All That, and You Should Be Ashamed Seamus just plain devastate, huge dirty squalls of noisy rawk. Even the prettiest song (She Will Only Bring You Happiness) has the hysterically morbid lyric "Our old singer is a sex criminal." If that doesn't rule I don't know what does.

Alas, not all is bliss. The horn-driven Forget About Him I'm Mint has a great title (as does Your Children Are Waiting For You To Die) but is kind of a throwaway. And the eight-minute Support Systems is a bit too ambitious for its own good. Still, when it's at its best The Difference.. ably represents the best Albini band not actually fronted by Albini. Essential, along with Do Dallas.

It Will Only Bring You Happiness.......2005-02-19

Not as funny or as catchy as "Mclusky Do Dallas" but certainly more evil, and I'll take evil over funny and catchy any day. You wanna know just how evil this really is? The nicest-sounding song on the album contains the line, "our old singer is a sex criminal" and another song is called "Your Children Are Waiting For You To Die." And don't even get me started on "Slay!" The bad vibes start out right from the soon to be classic opener "Without MSG I Am Nothing" and don't let up until "Support Systems" washes them all away with a wall of feedback and the lines "think of death as a medium sized yellow robot." I feel closer to satan just thinking about it.

Average customer rating: Musical Wit in an Orchestral Setting A Cabaret Singer Grows Up This cd is about average, it could have been better Fabulously Fantastic! Michael has done it again

Michael Feinstein with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Michael Feinstein , and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Manufacturer: Concord Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Israel | Middle East | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway Isn't It Romantic Michael & George (Feinstein Sings Gershwin) Hopeless Romantics Remember: Michael Feinstein Sings Irving Berlin ASIN: B00005Q6LL Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

1. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
2. The Best Is Yet To Come
3. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry
4. By Myself
5. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
6. Stormy Weather
7. Laura
8. On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
9. Love Is Here To Stay
10. How Deep is The Ocean?
11. Somewhere
12. I Won't Send Roses

Amazon.com

If there's a precious tone to Michael Feinstein's interpretations of the American songbook, it probably stems from a fervent dedication to preserving the original context of his material. This is, after all, a musician who spent many of his formative years in personal service to the late Ira Gershwin. This collection further underscores that commitment, with the lush sound of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (augmented by the piano trio of Alan Broadbent, who also provides all but one of the arrangements here) adding considerable dramatic resonance to Feinstein's performances.

While singers from Sinatra and Streisand to Fitzgerald and Bennett have imbued many of these songs with considerable dollops of jazz, blues, and their own strong personas, Feinstein mines melancholy jewels like "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year," "How Deep Is the Ocean," and "By Myself" for all their introspective emotion. "Somewhere" pays tribute to Bernstein with glorious, unabashed melodrama, while "Laura" (one of the most recorded songs of all time) gets recast in something approaching its original intent via an arrangement written for this recording by composer David Raksin. Feinstein himself penned the album's notes, paying careful tribute to each composer represented and noting that all were Jews, yet their music came to represent a richly American spectrum that included black and white and encompassed jazz, the theater, and even classics in its scope. There's a lesson herein, and one that spans more than mere history and musical archaeology. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Musical Wit in an Orchestral Setting.......2004-01-04

The one problem a record collector encounters when he has an album too many of one artist, is the tendency of the artist to sing the same songs in succeeding albums/settings. Feinstein, who I consider as the leading proponent in reviving the American Popular Song standards to its unfettered glory is backed by a philharmonic orchestra in this album with the musical direction of conductor Alan Broadbent. And yes, he sang some songs that were sung in sparse and acoustic settings in his previous albums. As usual, just like any cabaret singer who never really sings the same song twice (listen to the grand old dames of cabaret like Julie Wilson and Mabel Mercer), Feinstein delights in the varied ways he can see a song in different contexts. Having said that, I thought he was a bit overly cautious in exploring his rich bari-tenor (sorry for this oxymoron but that is the word to apply to his voice) in soaring the vocal lines of Kern's The Folks Who Live on the Hill. Other than that, he was at his wittiest and conversational (not to mention just plain beautiful) voice when singing I Won't Send Roses and he can revisit the Bernstein/Sondheim Somewhere without evoking the famous version of uber diva Barbra Streisand. If you like good crooning vocals in a grand and orchestral setting, this is the album to listen or give as a gift -- you/they won't regret it.

A Cabaret Singer Grows Up.......2003-03-14

"Extraordinary how potent cheap music is." -Noel Coward

Like Coward, Mr. Feinstein seems to understand the power of popular, romantic song when flung into the void of an apparently cold universe by an all too human, understated voice...I first heard Michael Feinstein sing and play the piano umpteen years ago in the mad, bad '80s. At that time, I found his choice of material from the great 20th Century American composers refreshing & interesting, his skills as a pianist were good, and his diction to be above average. Yet his voice at that time was a bit weak--there was too much bravura nonsense, too much vibrato and he may have been too young for some of the songs that he sang at the time.

Well, we've both matured, (I hope), and Mr. Feinstein has delivered a remarkably smooth, yet heartfelt performance on this album. I'm particularly impressed by his vocal smoothness and emotional restraint, especially on "Love is Here to Stay", "How Deep Is the Ocean", "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year" & "I Won't Send Roses". Mr. Feinstein appears to really understand the depth of feeling that these words and music evoke in him and us. The vibrato is there when needed, but the ripeness of a mature singer is beginning to be heard on his recordings and the Israeli Philharmonic simply gives his singing wings. The only song that doesn't seem to fit is "Stormy Weather"--I kept hearing Lena Horne in my mind's ear, rather than a polished cabaret singer. I hope that Feinstein continues to grow in vocal power and subtlety as he does here. A lovely album for sophisticated romantics.

This cd is about average, it could have been better.......2002-08-18

First I would like to say i'm a Michael fan. I own all his catalog. Even though i'm a fan there are some things about this cd that I find in bad taste. Please let me explain!

I know it is hard to always be creative. There are just so many ideas to go around and then you have to start duplicating others. This is known as copying what others have done.

For this cd I felt like some of the arrangements were too long. For example, Laura as it was performed hear is a six minute song. It really should have been done in two minutes. I'm an engineer and I edited this version of Laura to run two minutes and it is just perfect. Sometimes less is really more. Also, I felt that some of the other songs didn't really have top notch arrangements attached to them. If the arrangements would have been better I whould have had no choice but to bring out the 5 star rating for this project.

To talk a little bit about the voice of Michael is my pleasure. His voice seems to be getting better with age. I have always liked Michael's voice and will continue to do so.

I will give this cd a favorable recommendation!

Fabulously Fantastic!.......2002-07-21

Feinstein has outdone himself with this collection!! He is in fine fettle with songs that only He can do justice! His interpretations and stylings are beyond compare and trust you will not be disappointed with this recording!! Feinstein is simply fabulously fantastic!

Michael has done it again.......2002-07-12

S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous.

If there is one thing you can say about Michael Feinstein it's that he knows how to put over a song. His new cd is absolutely magnificent, these are the only words to describe it.

Somewhere, By Myself, Stormy Weather and the rest of the songs are beyond compare. Do yourself a big, big favour and don't miss out on this cd; you'll love it.

Average customer rating: A great one a great vicarious fix

LIVE Christine Kane Manufacturer: Big Fat Music/Goldenrod ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Contemporary Folk | Live Albums | Folk | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Singer Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Rain & Mud & Wild & Green This Time Last Year Right Outta Nowhere A Thousand Girls ASIN: B00005NAZY Release Date: 2000-02-01

Tracks:

1. Breeze
2. Off the Ground
3. The Problem With Jazz
4. Loving Hands
5. Let's Roll
6. Made of Steel
7. A Thousand Girls
8. Crack of Blue
9. Southern Girl
10. Tucson
11. (You Don't Have To) Say Goodnight

Customer Reviews:

A great one.......2003-12-10

This album has inspired and inspiring performances of some of Ms. Kane's best songs from her first two studio albums.

"A Thousand Girls", "Tucson", "The Problem With Jazz" and, of course, "Off the Ground" are really wonderful to listen to. I am also glad to hear that the recording features a bit of her honest, funny between-song patter.

I like it as well as her most recent album Rain and Mud and Wild and Green.

If you like the Indigo Girls and similar folk or folk rock acts, it's time you heard Christine Kane.

a great vicarious fix.......2003-11-02

I had never heard of Christine Kane before a friend invited me to one of her shows, and these were the things that amazed me after seeing her perform live: 1. that we were not in a packed-full stadium full of fans throwing flowers and/or themselves onto the stage, and 2. that I myself had enough restraint as to not do that in front of the 80 or so people at this particular performance.

Her shows are like that, and so is her Live cd. It's true: she is a phenomenal lyricist and musician and that is evident on all of her cds. But to me, the thing that sets Ms. Kane apart from the pack and keeps me wanting more is the energy and style of her live performances, and her Live cd captures that experience. Like her shows, Christine Kane Live is fun, spirited, generous, thoughtful, dear, sexy, smart, sassy, real, and at times, just short of being raunchy, which we love. It's just her and her guitar, doing what she does --- which is to give so much to her audience that we all feel wonderfully spoiled. I have been listening to this cd for more than a year now and I still just love it. I always feel like I've given myself a treat when I listen to it ... not only is it really great music, but listening to her Live cd transports me back to that delightful gift of being in her audience.

If you've never been to one of Ms. Kane's performances, I highly recommend getting to one. And if you can't immediately make it to one of her shows, my suggestion is to drop her Live cd directly into the shopping cart and proceed to checkout ... it's a great vicarious fix!

Average customer rating:

Enclosure Two: Harry Partch Manufacturer: INNOVA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Partch, Harry | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Harry Partch Collection, Volume 1 Harry Partch: Enclosure 7 Enclosure Five: Harry Partch The Harry Partch Collection, Volume 2 ASIN: B000004AF9 Release Date: 2000-12-06

Tracks:

1. I am Harry Partch - Harry Partch
2. By the Rivers of Babylon - Harry Partch
3. Texts and Music: A Wagnerian Wrestling Match - Harry Partch
4. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 1 - A Dream - Harry Partch
5. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 2 - An Encounter in the Field - Harry Partch
6. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 3 - On Hearing the Flute - Harry Partch
7. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 4 - The Intruder - Harry Partch
8. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 5 - I am a Peach Tree - Harry Partch
9. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 6 - With a Man of Leisure - Harry Partch
10. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 7 - A Midnight Farewell - Harry Partch
11. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 8 - Before the Cask of Wine - Harry Partch
12. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 9 - On the Ship of Spicewood - Harry Partch
13. Ten Li Po Lyrics: 10 - By the Great Wall - Harry Partch
14. The Use of English in Serious Music - Harry Partch
15. Barstow - Eight Hitch-Hiker's Inscriptions. . . - Harry Partch
16. San Francisco - Newsboy Cries - Harry Partch
17. Life is too precious to spend it with important people - Harry Partch
18. U. S. Highball - A Musical Account of Slim's Transcontinental Hobo Trip - Harry Partch
19. While my Heart Keeps Beating Time - Harry Partch
20. San Francisco II - Harry Partch

Tracks:

1. I'm going to start right off by giving you some sounds - Harry Partch
2. Two Settings from Joyce's Finnegan's Wake: 1 - Isobel - Harry Partch
3. Two Settings from Joyce's Finnegan's Wake: 2 - Annah the Allmaziful - Harry Partch
4. Dark Brother - Harry Partch
5. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 1 - Harry Partch
6. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 2 - Harry Partch
7. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 3 - Harry Partch
8. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 4 - Harry Partch
9. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 5 - Harry Partch
10. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 6 - Harry Partch
11. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 7 - Harry Partch
12. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 8 - Harry Partch
13. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 9 - Harry Partch
14. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 10 - Harry Partch
15. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 11 - Harry Partch
16. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 12 - Harry Partch
17. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 13 - Harry Partch
18. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 14 - Harry Partch
19. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 15 - Harry Partch
20. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 16 - Harry Partch
21. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 17 - Harry Partch
22. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 18 - Harry Partch
23. A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 19 - Harry Partch

Tracks:

1. June 11, 1935 - Santa Rosa, California - H. PARTCH
2. June 12 - Federal Shelter, Stockton - H. PARTCH
3. June 13 - H. PARTCH
4. June 14 - H. PARTCH
5. June 16 - Huntington Ranch, San Joaquin - H. PARTCH
6. June 17 - H. PARTCH
7. July 4 - H. PARTCH
8. July 14 - H. PARTCH
9. July 16 - H. PARTCH
10. July 19 - H. PARTCH
11. July 20 - Heading north, between Sacramento and Redding (Later incorporated into The Wind) - H. PARTCH
12. July 24 - Federal Shelter, Portland - H. PARTCH
13. July 25 - Blue Ox Lodge, Seattle, Washington - H. PARTCH
14. July 27 - H. PARTCH
15. July 29 - H. PARTCH
16. July 30 - H. PARTCH
17. August 7 - Between Grants Pass and Klamath Falls, Oregon - H. PARTCH
18. August 15 - H. PARTCH
19. October 22 - Nearing Monterey (reworked in 1943 as The Letter) - H. PARTCH
20. October 24 - Leaving Big Sur - H. PARTCH
21. October 25 - Near Slate's Hot Springs (Now the Esalen Institute) - H. PARTCH
22. October 26 - H. PARTCH
23. October 27 - H. PARTCH
24. October 28 - H. PARTCH
25. October 29 - H. PARTCH
26. October 30 - Big Creek - H. PARTCH
27. November 12 - Santa Barbara - H. PARTCH
28. November 14 - H. PARTCH
29. November 15 - Leaving Santa Barbara - H. PARTCH
30. November 16 - Ojai - H. PARTCH
31. November 17 - H. PARTCH
32. November 23 - Los Angeles - H. PARTCH
33. November 28 - H. PARTCH
34. December 4 - H. PARTCH
35. December, 1935 - H. PARTCH
36. Feburary 1, 1936 - San Bernardino - H. PARTCH

Tracks:

1. Yankee Doodle Birds - H. PARTCH
2. Y.D. Fantasy - On the Words of an Early American Tune - H. PARTCH
3. O Frabjous Day! - H. PARTCH
4. You are charged with being guilty. Are you drunk or not drunk? - H. PARTCH
5. Ring Around the Moon - A Dance Fantasm for Here - H. PARTCH
6. Bless This Home - H. PARTCH
7. Harrys Wake - H. PARTCH

Amazon.com

Enclosure 2, all four cds, is curated as a sprawling notebook filled with sounds and speech instead of sketches and words. Of any Partch recording extant, it gives the best picture of the man--as the curmudgeonly, extremely innovative misanthrope that he was, as the composer who was impossibly unlike anyone else before or since. The essence of Partch's music reflects the history of the world--from his particular perspective--the imaginings of ancient Greece to the influence of Chinese musical melodrama, all propelled by homemade instruments based on a 43-tone scale named things like the "Kithara" and the "Boo." These recordings also give the best sense of his philosophy of language in music. Lamenting the whole time how text in music had become detached from the language of everyday life, Partch ran music alongside newsboys' cries and hobos' diaries, following the forms, cadence, and dynamics of speech, rather than the other way around. From his juvenilia (a wonderful song he wrote at 18) to a 45-minute segment of his wake in 1974, the first steps towards exploring Partch's sparkling works fully are made here. --Robin Edgerton

Average customer rating: Fine reissue of a classic set

Purcell: Theatre Music Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Hogwood, Christopher | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Cantatas for Solo Countertenor Purcell: The Fairy Queen Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll Monteverdi - Madrigali guerrieri ed amorosi / Concerto Köln, Jacobs Lute Music, Vol. 2 ASIN: B0001Y4JHA Release Date: 2004-10-12

Customer Reviews:

Fine reissue of a classic set.......2006-05-24

Think about the stupidest, most formulaic Hollywood movies you can think of: cheesy action pictures, fluffy, unfunny comedies, big but stiff epics. Now imagine that one of the greatest living composers was working in Hollywood, turning out astonishing, hauntingly beautiful and stirring musical scores for these throwaway movies. That's what you get with this set: music Henry Purcell composed for some two dozen often utterly forgettable plays (trust me--I've read a number of them!) Occasionally, when he teams up with a playwright worthy of his stature, such as John Dryden, Aphra Behn, or William Congreve, the results are even better, but for the most part you can enjoy the music here without knowing anything about the original plays.

This set originally appeared as separate LPs in the 70s and 80s, and has been long out of print. That's a pity, since Purcell spent a good deal of his short professional life in the theatre, either writing the incidental music contained on these CDs, or the music for his larger works, the semi-operas (King Arthur, The Fairy Queen, and the like). Almost all of these works are enjoyable gems; certainly, they represent a pinnacle of English 17th century music. Purcell had a genius for spinning musical gold out of the most leaden lyrics (check out his Odes and Welcome Songs on Hyperion if you don't believe me), and he does the same with the song texts in these plays.

Hogwood and the AAM offer clean, listenable performances, and the sound on these old analog discs has been cleaned up and brightened--although they were pretty good, even in the late 70s. As with most Hogwood, emotional extremes are kept to a minimum, so the "otherworldly" nature of late 17th century music, so often emphasised in more recent Baroque performances, doesn't come across here. It would be interesting to see what a group like The King's Consort would do with this music, but this set fills the major gap in the Purcell canon quite nicely.

My only beef with the reissue, as with many reissues, is that the liner notes are rather thin for a 6-cd set--the lyrics to the songs, for example, are especially missed. Still, it's a worthwhile set, and a must for fans of Purcell, English Baroque music, or anyone who just wants to experience a taste of the last days of the Restoration stage.

Average customer rating: Mostly minor Feldman They don't care if you hear It's Fulkerson's next Feldman installment

Voices & Instruments Feldman , Fulkerson , and Barton Workshop Manufacturer: Mode ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Morton Feldman: Composing by Numbers - The Graphic Scores, 1950-67 ASIN: B000065ARD Release Date: 2002-05-21

Tracks:

1. Journey To The End Of Night: I
2. Journey To The End Of Night: II
3. Journey To The End Of Night: III
4. Journey To The End Of Night: IV
5. Between Categories
6. Intervals: I
7. Intervals: II
8. Intervals: III
9. Intervals: IV
10. Three Clarinets, Cello And Piano
11. Four Songs To E.E. Cummings: !Blac
12. Four Songs To E.E. Cummings: Air
13. Four Songs To E.E. Cummings: (Sitting In A Tree-)
14. Four Songs To E.E. Cummings: Moan
15. Four Instruments
16. The O'Hara Songs: I
17. The O'Hara Songs: II
18. The O'Hara Songs: III

Customer Reviews:

Mostly minor Feldman.......2004-01-01

This disc is a follow-up to the Barton Workshop's earlier 'Ecstasy of the Moment' disc, released on the Etcetera label. It is based largely around works from the 1960s, with four works from that period, two early vocal works and one piece from 1971.

The early works sound almost nothing like the Feldman we're used to. Influenced by Webern and the composer's teacher Stephan Wolpe, they are brief serial works. Journey to the End of Night, for soprano, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet and bassoon, a 1949 work based on Louis-Ferdinand Celine's novel, moves from Webern to Wolpe in its four short movements. The 1951 composition, Four Songs to e. e. cummings, is scored for soprano, cello and piano and strike me as considerably more sophisticated, if still nothing like the mature Feldman.

All the 1960s works on this disc are composed using a technique Feldman made much use of at the time: all the musical parts start at the same time, but they are not co-ordinated between each other and progress at independent speeds--usually both slowly and quietly. Of the four works from this period recorded here, the two earlier ones both feature a solo bass-baritone. In Intervals, from 1961, his vocal part--which contains only the Hebrew word for love--is accompanied by trombone, cello, vibraphone and percussion; the following year's O'Hara songs have an ensemble of chimes and piano quartet. Both of these works are largely dissonant, with almost Webernian harmonies, but the low dynamics and slow pace takes the edge of the discords. In contrast, the works from the later 1960s are more consonant, with Between Categories, a 1969 work for two antiphonally separated groups of chimes, piano, violin and cello, featuring near-arpeggio figures along with single notes. Four Instruments, written in 1965 for a single group of chimes, piano, violin and cello, is longer and more diffuse.

The single work on the disc in Feldman's 1970s style is Three Clarinets, Cello and Piano. Lasting about ten minutes, it's fairly typical of Feldman's strictly notated 1970s music in its somewhat Webernian harmonies and gentle, slow flow.

This disc is likely to appeal to most Feldman fans, as many of the works on it are unavailable otherwise. Nonetheless, I found it something of a disappointment--none of the pieces here strike me as essential Feldman, and while the performances are good, I found the rather distant, low-volume sound somewhat offputting. However, others may enjoy this disc more than I did.

They don't care if you hear.......2002-11-04

As in the previous "The Extasy of the Moment" these musicians play softly, very softly, sometimes beyond the threshold of audibility. In some instances one wonders whether they play the notes or just think about it. I do not remember any reference in Feldman's essays to inaudibility as an aesthetic experience in his own music. I like very much Feldman's music and I want to hear it (softly but) clearly.

It's Fulkerson's next Feldman installment.......2002-08-30

In my review of the disc "The Ecstacy of the Moment" I stated at the end that I look forward to Fulkerson's next installment. Well, here it is and I am glad. The order of the pieces is interesting as he alternates voice and instrument pieces with strictly instrumental pieces (and there has the clarinet, 'cello and piano work in between the two piano trio and chimes pieces (Bewteen Catagories is double the ensemble)). Four out of the seven works date from the 1960's, with a piece from the '40's (Journey to the End of Night), the '50's (cummings songs) and the '70's (Three Clarinets...) added. The earliest work, Journey to the End of Night, has Feldman fresh from his tutelege with Stefan Wolpe. (There are some moments in that piece which remind me of Stravinsky, but that's just my ears.) The cummings songs shows Feldman at his most Webernesque, with the wide leaps in the vocal line, the spare accompaniment from the 'cello and piano, and brevity, the four songs finished in less than four minutes. Intervals and The O'Hara Songs date from the early 1960's and continue the writing style similar to the Durations cycle, where the value of each note is determined by each player. Four instruments (1965) closely resembles the Vertical Thoughts cycle where while the durations are still more or less free, the sounds do not overlap as much as Durations. Between Catagories combines these two. Written for two equal groups of violin, 'cello, piano and chimes (with the stereophonic spacial separation similar to Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta), both ensembles begin at the same time (although one group begins with silence) then proceed as if alone. (Listen for the piano arpeggio midway through that was also used in False Relationships on CRI's Viola in My Life CD.) Three Clarinets, 'Cello and Piano was written in standard notation and investigates opposing sonrities (sustained unattacked notes vs. short attacked notes).

The only downside of this disc is the sound quality, which sounds it bit distant, but I have forgiven all that for the fact that these are the only commercial recordings of most of these items (as of this writing, of course). According to Sir Chris Villar's Morton Feldman website, Fulkerson's next Mode release project will be a survey of Feldman's large ensemble graph pieces. (Final note: there are still but a baker's dozen or so of Feldman chamber works still unrecorded; let's get busy, eh?)

Music Album:

1. Blue China
2. Blue Moon of Kentucky 1936-1949 [Box set]
3. Born to Sing [Box set] [Import]
4. Bouncin' Back
5. Certified Miracle
6. Changes
7. Come Along & Ride This Train [Box set]
8. Come On Home
9. Country Christmas: Stars of Nashville
10. Country My Way

Music Album