| 1. So Good |
| 2. I'm A Dancer |
| 3. This Love |
| 4. Look For The Angels |
| 5. Megan's Song |
| 6. Her Heart Is Sand |
| 7. Do It Again |
| 8. It Would Be Crazy |
| 9. Stand Tall |
| 10. Your Love Saved Me |
| 11. Memory Of A Good Thing |
| 12. Draw A Line In The Sand |
| 13. The Ol' Da' (The Old Man) |
Editorial Reviews
...From the multi-faceted, crystal voice of Maura McKinney Mastro cascades a rainbow of emotions...bound in lush , Nashville sound...
Product Description
"So Good" is Maura McKinney Mastro's collection of original songs, bound in lush Nashville sound, set down with Maura's rich range and lilt, and punctuated with rock and Celtic vibes. The Phil Coulter classic, "The Old Man" is also included here with some minor lyric changes to honor the memory of Maura's dad, noted TV, radio and print journalist, Jack McKinney.
"So Good" was produced by Doug Deforest and features the fabulous "Cuttin Crew" band whose playing inspires Maura to sing from her soul.
This is Maura's most exciting Clady Records release so far!
So Good
So Good,Maura McKinney Mastro,Clady Records,"So Good" is a collection of Maura's original songs, bound in lush Nashville sound, set down with Maura's rich range and lilt, and punctuated with rock and Celtic vibes...exciting music.
Average customer rating:
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So Far So Good
Bryan Adams Manufacturer: A&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002G26 Release Date: 1993-11-09 |
Tracks:
- Summer Of '69
- Straight From The Heart
- It's Only Love
- Can't Stop This Thing We Started
- Do I Have To Say The Words?
- This Time
- Run To You
- Heaven
- Cuts Like A Knife
- (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
- Somebody
- Kids Wanna Rock
- Heat Of The Night
- Please Forgive Me
Amazon.com
So Far So Good offers up 13 of his previous hits plus a new song, "Please Forgive Me," a gooey, Michael Bolton-like ballad. The album starts out with "Summer of '69," the appealing autobiographical song about the 10-year-old Adams learning to play his first guitar in Ontario, and includes "(Everything I Do) I Do for You," the synth-laced ballad that wound up in the Guinness Book of World Records after topping the British singles charts for 16 weeks. With its over-the-top, gravelly vocals, So Far So Good reminds one of Rod Stewart's 1980s work when he was coasting on past achievements. Unfortunately, Adams has never had a period like Stewart's glory years in the '70s. --Geoffrey HimesCustomer Reviews:
Bryan Adams - So Far So Good.......2007-07-03
Canada can rock.......2007-05-25
Gravel-Voiced Canadian's Best.......2007-03-20
I like him and have to say that this disc is one of my favorites when I want to remember the good ol' days. The disc starts off with "Summer of '69" and then rolls right into "Straight From The Heart." From there we are treated to a nice helping of Adams' best rockers and ballads. Personal favorites include "Cuts Like A Knife," "Run To You," "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" and "Heaven. It also has "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," which many consider the beginning of the end for Adams. He went on to release a few other soundtrack tunes and moderately popular hits like "The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me (Is You)" after the release of this hits compilation and they are included on the later "Best Of Me." Hardcore fans may want to pick up that title or the aforemetioned "Anthology."
For those of us who only want the bulk of Adams' biggest tunes, stick with "So Far, So Good." It won't let you down.
A 'How To' On Writing Great Songs.......2007-02-12
I'm a metal head,I grew up on Dio,Motley Crue,Poison,Kiss etc.. so why am I raving about Bryan Adams? Because he's that good.
If you look music of any kind from heavy to country to romantic ballads,any kind of music you will find something you can love in his music,it's timeless and his voice is never going to be considered the best of the best but that's okay because it fits this music perfectly,he sounds like the every day guy next door that lives and breathes these experiences
The CD starts off with 'Summer Of '69' which is just about the ultimate driving song ever written (the only competition is Don Henley's 'Boys of summer),it is perfect and I'm sure makes just about everyone out there remember their own favorite summer,from there it goes to 'Straight From The Heart' a beautiful love song,from there is one of my personal favs,"It's Only Love" a duet with himself and Tina Turner,this song rocks,it really overflows with feeling and fun,from there the only song on the CD that I feel was overplayed 'Can't Stop This Thing We Started' it is a great song but the radio over played it (it's not Bryan's fault his songwriting is so good that radio over did it),then another beautiful love song 'Do I have To Say The Words' and this and every ballad has a different feel and emotion which is rare in this musical climate,after that is 'This Time' which is about as much fun you can have with a song and still be legal,then 'Run To You' which has atmosphere and such emotion in the lyrics that you just know he (or someone he knows) has lived through that experience...then my favorite Bryan Adams ballad 'HEaven' which they used to play at my middle school dances so it will live forever in a special place in my heart,and then 'Cuts Like A Knife' which was one of the very first videos I ever saw on MTV,they played it a lot but it never got old,great song and still sounds as fresh today as when it first came out,then 'Everything I do,I do it for you' another beautiful ballad with a beautiful message,personally I always think of Robin Hood the movie when I hear this song (the arrow going into the tree is a visual that will forever go with this song),another great fun rocking song follows 'Somebody' and then right into 'Kids Wanna Rock' it's almost impossible to not smile when you hear these songs,and it's followed with a true gem 'Heat Of The Night' which is the absolute perfect atmosphere song (right alongside 'Def Leppard's "foolin")...my only criticism of this perfect CD is why would they choose to end such a fun CD with a ballad...'Please Forgive Me' is a beautiful song but should have been in the middle,they should have ended it with 'Heat Of The Night' let it end on a rocking note..but that aside this is what rock and roll and songwriting in general should be....it should be noted that Bryan has released a few other greatest hits packages over the years but don't be fooled this is the best of the best,his next attempt 'The Best Of Me' is very weighted down with ballads and almost ignores his rocking side...this is a perfectly balanced CD that will appeal to any fan of fun rock and roll
The Upside - This is how to write songs...Bryan is an expert...and it is also proof of why producers are so important to an artist,Mutt Lange is a genius (as his track record proves) the songs sound perfect,warm and yet crisp..there are no show off moments,just great singing and musicians that above all highlight the songwriting,what can I say other then perfection
The Downside - There is none
The Bottom Line - If you are a songwriter,or want to be,buy this CD to learn how it should be done...This CD is everything that is missing in almost all modern music and it can be summed up in one 3 letter word - FUN! This CD is fun ....run out to buy this,especially at this price,donutman says so!!!
Bryan Adams CD.......2006-02-22
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Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls
Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005J1I Release Date: 1993-11-09 |
Tracks:
- Sweet And Lowdown
- Novelette In Fourths
- That Certain Feeling
- So Am I
- Rhapsody In Blue
- Swanee
- When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get 'Em...
- Kickin' The Clouds Away
- Idol Dreams
- On My Mind The Whole Night Long
- Scandal Walk
- An American In Paris
Customer Reviews:
Wonderfully American.......2007-05-14
When I listen to this CD now, and which is most surpring to me, I hear a profound pride in America - back "before." I play it when I have people over and we put burgers on the grill. This CD is the song of sitting in my back yard with the clouds blowing by and for the moment things feel OK.
"Before" - OK, there is no old perfect Amercia; but I'm thinking of the time before we learned to distill petroleum into toxic pollution, before pride meant vanity and thuggery, before hate-filled invective became public amusement, and before presidents went to war because it was good for business.
A Gersh-winner.......2007-01-07
The existing films of Gershwin (who died of a brain tumor at age 38 in 1937) show him to be a virtuoso at his instrument. His 1924 acoustic recording of Rhapsody In Blue (with the Paul Whiteman orchestra) is further evidence of this. But no film or recording has what is contained within the album GERSHWIN PLAYS GERSHWIN: THE PIANO ROLLS, and that is-- full fidelity range.
The CD comes in a standard jewel case packaged in a heavy paper slipcover. Biographical liner notes are included along with details on the rolls. The earliest performance in this set is from 1916, made when Gershwin was an 18-year-old song plugger. My favorites here are "Swanee," from 1920, and "An American In Paris," from 1933, which is undoubtedly one of the last significant piano rolls ever made.
Gershwin's dynamic performances are not in the least obscured by the few extra notes added to the piano rolls (such practice was standard in those days). Listening to these recordings is like sitting next to this brilliant man, observing his fingers fly over the keys as he plays some of his best work.
TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 60:36
Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter.......2006-05-14
This album is charming in its own way -- a taste of the music and performance style of a bygone era. Someone complained that these rolls were edited. So what? I'm going to review the final product, now how it was made. Do you eat sausage? Ask not what's in it!
I like to listen to this CD in short bits -- a few songs at a time. For some reason I find it to be fatiguing if I listen for more than 20 minutes or so. I'm not absolutely sure why this is so. Possibly the meter is just a little too metronomic on many of the songs. This lends a "mechanical" quality to the performances.
Additionally, I felt that the dynamic range was restricted. The music does get louder and softer, because of the piano rolls themselves and because of the computer programming used to read the piano rolls -- the dynamics were deliberately adjusted by the record producers in some spots, if I read the liner notes correctly. And yet. And yet. Still these songs do not dynamically "breathe" fully in and out the way they ought to. I find this disappointing, but I think it has something to do with inherent limitations in piano roll recording technique. I'm guessing.
Taken for what it is, it is an interesting concept, and the sound quality is very pleasant. The performances are very good for piano rolls, but fall short of what a good interpreter could do. Take, for example, the Rhapsody in Blue from Woody Allen's Manhattan soundtrack. Listen specifically to the piano part -- the dynamics and variations in rhythm. This is not by any means the best performance of Rhapsody, but it is better than the Gershwin rolls.
Gershwin's playing overated.......2006-04-09
transcriptions of Jelly Roll Morton's piano rolls (on the same label) instead because most of those are exactly how he played them and in my opinion Morton was a better musician in every way than Gershwin.
The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!.......2006-02-23
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Feels So Good
Chuck Mangione Manufacturer: A&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002GB6 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Feels So Good
- Maui-Waui
- Theme From 'Side Street'
- Hide & Seek (Ready Or Not Here I Come)
- Last Dance
- The XIth Commandment
Customer Reviews:
CD Case.......2006-03-15
Doesn't it though.............2005-10-07
Feels Sorta Good.......2005-10-04
Chuck's my 1st introduction of Jazz.......2005-01-15
I luv every song that he did on this album and this is definitely going into the Jazz Hall of Fame or the Top List of Jazz Albums.
I recommend the following albums:
1. Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
2. Maynard Ferguson- Conquistador
3. Herb Alpert- Rise
4. Freddie Hubbard- The Best of Freddie Hubbard, First Light, Above & Beyond, Hub-Tones, Straight Life, Life Flight, etc.
5. Chet Baker- The Best Thing for You/You Can't Go Home Again
6. Grover Washington, Jr.- Winelight, Come Morning, Mister Magic, The Best of Grover Washington, Jr.
7. Marvin Gaye- The Best of Marvin Gaye (Motown Anthology Series)
8. Miles Davis- Live Around the World, Tutu, Doo-Bop, Aura, The Man with the Horn, Bitches Brew, etc.
9. Marvin Gaye- Dream of a Lifetime, Romantically Yours, Vulnerable (3 great final releases from the legendary Marvin Gaye)
10. Barry White- All-Time Greatest Hits, The Ultimate Collection, Can't Get Enough, The Icon is Love, The Man is Back, etc.
Just to name a few list I can recommend to this album. He sounds a bit like Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Chet Baker, Donald Byrd, Art Farmer whom I listen to the most.
Feels So Good!!!!!!!!.......2004-10-30
Chris Vadala:
On tenor and soprano saxophones, alto, and c flutes, and piccolo. He is without a doubt, one of the best reedists Mangione ever had in his band lineup. Gerry Neiwood was the other master! Chris Vadala's playing is so unique and his sound is extraudinary, and soulful. His magic adds so much more to the music of this album. His solo on Feels So Good is magnificent. I still find myself humming it over and over, hours after I've played it.
Grant Geissman:
On acoustic, electric, classical, and 12 string guitars, Grant Geissman, just might of played one of the greatest guitar solos in jazz history. Yes, you guessed it; the solo on Feels So Good. It's a wonder, he didn't spend hours and hours working it out, since it's so melodic.
Charles Meeks:
Funky, "Meet Man" Meeks. One of the grooviest bass players ever! He adds some hippness to the album.
James Bradley Jr:
Every drummer should learn from this master. Although some might not call him a master at this time, because he was only 18 years old. Well accomplished, who had a role in Cool Hand Luke when he was 7, was a child prodigy on the drums. He cools it down a little bit, on this album, but makes up for it, in color. Some nice conga playing on 11th Commandment.
The first song, Feels So Good, is Mangione's classic! Still, after 25 years, it's still loved by pop and jazz fans alike.
Here, the way it originally was issued, the full 9 minute version. With the edited version, so much magic was lost, and until this day, gone forever. Next up, Maui Waui. One of the most melodic songs ever; Chris Vadala's flute playing adds to the warmth and beauty of the piece. Theme From Side Street, is one of the greatest songs by Mangione, ever! The melody, the hook, the groove, it's all there. Number 4 is, Hide And Seek. Another classic. Great solos by all! I particularly love Vadala's soprano solo, and Geissman's guitar solo. Last Dance, is another pretty piece. It has a beautiful acoutsic guitar solo, by Grant Geissman. The last piece, 11th Commandment; another classic. Charles Meeks, and James Bradley Jr. are featured soloists here. Meeks's bass solo is really blusey and down to earth. After some splap bass by Meeks, the piece picks up. James Bradley Jr's solo is perfect for this particular piece. Not too over powering, not at all, boring, just right! This is a classic album, and is still enjoyed by many. This album put Mangione on the map, and if you enjoy any fusion, or early contemporary jazz, you'll love Mangione's music!
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Yankee Doodle Dandy
Various Artists Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000066RM7 Release Date: 2002-06-18 |
Tracks:
- Main Title: Warner Bros. Signature/Yankee Doodle/Yankee Doodle Boy/Mary's A Grand Old Name/Off The Record - Warner Bros. Orchestra
- Early Years Sequence: Columbia The Gem Of The Ocean/The Dancing Master/While Strolling Through The Park One Day/At A Georgia Camp Meeting - Walter Huston
- I Was Born In Virginia - Walter Huston
- The Warmest Baby In The Bunch - Sally Sweetland
- Harrigan - Sally Sweetland
- Yankee Doodle Boy - James Cagney
- Little Johnny Jones Sequence: The Yankee Doodle Boy/Good Luck Johnny/Little Johnny Jones Special/Finale Special/All Aboard For Old Broadway/Rocket/Give My Regards To Broadway - James Cagney
- Medley: Oh, You Wonderful Girl/Blue Skies, Gray Skies/The Belle Of The Barber's Ball - Walter Huston
- Mary's A Grand Old Name - Sally Sweetland
- Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway - James Cagney
- Fay Templeton Medley: Mary's A Grand Old Name/Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway/So Long, Mary - Irene Manning
- You're A Grand Old Flag - Walter Huston
- Over There - Frances Langford
- Medley: In A Kingdom Of Our Own/Love Nest/Nellie Kelly, I Love You/The Man Who Owns Broadway/Molly Malone/Billie - Frances Langford
- Off The Record - James Cagney
- Finale And End Cast: Over There/Yankee Doodle Boy - James Cagney
- You Remind Me Of My Mother (Outtake) - James Cagney
- Medley: Oh, You Wonderful Girl/Blue Skies, Gray Skies/The Belle Of The Barber's Ball (Piano Only Version) - Walter Huston
- Give My Regards To Broadway (Rehearsal) - James Cagney
- You're A Grand Old Flag (Rehearsal) - James Cagney
Amazon.com
When one thinks of musicals from Hollywood's golden age, the initials MGM come almost instantly to mind. Indeed when veteran song-and-dance man George M. Cohan was negotiating a film based on his colorful life story, his first choice was Metro--until a falling out with studio chief Louis B. Mayer. But L.B.'s loss eventually became Warner Brothers'--and film history's--gain when the Burbank studio's Cohan musical became a massive, patriotic hit in the opening months of World War II. As chronicled in this vibrantly restored, first-ever complete soundtrack for the film, it was a compelling twist of fate. James Cagney turns in one of the screen's most ostensibly unlikely--and ultimately indelible--musical performances (netting him his only Best Actor Oscar ®), teaming with studio music director Roy Heindorf to update Cohan's once-quaint turn-of the-century patriotic ditties ("You're a Grand Old Flag," "Over There," "Yankee Doodle Boy") and infectious vaudevillian chestnuts ("Give My Regards to Broadway," "Harrigan") with bracing dollops of the studio's '40s orchestral sass--and, just months after Pearl Harbor, some crucial historical parallels. Also included are four bonus tracks that remarkably survived the film's preproduction, including an outtake of "You Remind Me of My Mother" and voice-and-piano-only rehearsal versions of "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "You're a Grand Old Flag" that further underscore Cagney's deceptively effortless ability to sell a song despite his limited musical gifts. It's a long overdue showcase for a true American film musical gem. --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
Yankee Doodle Dandy Review.......2006-11-03
Yankee Doodle Dandy.......2006-06-30
Amazing! Wonderful! Just buy it - you won't be sorry!.......2005-03-05
I am so very glad I bought this CD. I own the DVD of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and watch it all the time, so I almost didn't buy this, wondering if I really needed yet another CD.
Well, thank God I didn't pay any attention to that dumb idea!
If you love "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and Cagney, you just have to buy this soundtrack. It's like being able to take the movie with you anywhere ... it's not just the songs - as others have said - but also includes bits of Cagney's voice-overs, even the tap-dancing from the end of "Little Johnny Jones." And since the audio system in my car is better than my TV's, it all seemed even bigger, richer and better. (George M. would love that!)
Wonderful, wonderful stuff!
What a find!!.......2003-06-15
Monumental effort must have gone into this soundtrack, given the age of the original recordings. The tracks here are crisp, clear, and bright, with no evidence of how long ago they were first put down. The editors were also generous in their inclusion of dialogue that ties some of the tracks together (for example, we hear the man tell Johny Jones to watch for the skyrocket, then we hear the skyrocket as it leads into "Give My Regards to Broadway"). There are a couple of places where the endings are slightly abrupt but this is because, in the movie, the music fades into extended dialogue.
The only bit of dialogue I expected to hear in a song, but didn't, is in "Over There" near the very end of the film, when Cagney/Cohan has fallen in step with the soldiers going off to WWII, as they're singing "Over There", when the soldier nearest him says something like, "What's wrong, old timer, don't know the words?" and Cagney says, "Seems to me I do" and starts singing along. That's minor and pales next to how wonderful the rest of this soundtrack is.
One of the biggest treats on this CD is that we get to hear some of Cagney's tapping, notably in "Give My Regards to Broadway", "You're a Grand Old Flag", and - one of my favorite moments in movie history - when he dances down the White House stairs to "Yankee Doodle" near the end).
The outtake is not a humorous one, simply a track they decided not to use. It and the rehearsal tracks are all just the performers voices with piano accompaniment. I especially enjoyed hearing Cagney rehearsing "You're a Grand Old Flag".
If you like Cagney, if you like Cohan's music, if you like movies "the way they used to make them", or if you're not ashamed to get a little choked up with patriotism once in a while, you will not be disappointed in this CD!
A Soundtrack Every American Should Own.......2002-09-23
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Denial Feels So Good
The Spill Canvas Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000OYC7AI Release Date: 2007-05-01 |
Tracks:
- Staplegunned
- Gold Dust Woman
- To Live Without It
- Appreciation and the Bomb
- Catch the Wind
Album Description
Honored as one of the 100 Bands To Watch for 2007 by Alternative Press, The Spill Canvas primes the poppunk pump with Denial Feels So Good, an EP preceding the band's full-length major-label debut album expected in the fall. After earning fans from Los Angeles to the U.K. with acclaimed indie albums and emotional live performances, The Spill Canvas is ready to make a big-time splash on the rock scene.Customer Reviews:
To Live Without It = Best........2007-06-05
You can't deny it. Sorry. . ........2007-05-02
That being said how are the songs that ARE on the Ep? They're good. Very good. It starts off with a "remix" of their first single off of One Fell Swoop: "Staplegunned." This is so similar to the original that it hardly qualifies as a remix, so if you like the original, you should have no complaints about this remix. Following that is a Fleetwood Mac cover "Gold Dust Woman." I've not heard the original version of this song, I'll admit. Still, it sounds so different from typical Spill Canvas that I have to wonder if they didn't leave it quite the same. It's more blues than I'm used to hearing from this band, but Nick Thomas pulls it off quite well. It's track three that really makes this Ep worth buying. It's the first really new song on the Ep called "To Live Without It." I don't think I've ever heard Nick's vocals sound this good before. This song only makes me want to skip summer so I can get to the release of their full length faster. If you're a fan of their heavier stuff, you should love this song. After that, they slow it down for the rest of the Ep with "Appreciation and the Bomb." Nick's song writing abilities are so amazing. This song is so open, so melancholy. I would say that this song could be his best song ever. The Ep ends with another cover. This time it's of folk-singer Donovan. I'm not a big fan of Donovan, but I have heard the original of this version. I believe TSC pull is off masterfully. It is just a quick little folk song.
So, in short, Denial is perhaps not for a newcomer to The Spill Canvas, but for us fans who have been around since Sunsets, this is a gem. It may not hold off the pangs of longing for another full length, but it will certainly whet the appetite.
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So Far, So Good...So What!
Megadeth Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0002EXH4A Release Date: 2004-07-27 |
Tracks:
- Into The Lungs Of Hell
- Set The World Afire
- Anarchy In The U.K.
- Mary Jane
- 502
- In My Darkest Hour
- Liar
- Hook In Mouth
- Into The Lungs Of Hell (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased
- Set The World Afire (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased
- Mary Jane (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased
- In My Darkest Hour (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased
Customer Reviews:
Hook in Mouth!.......2007-07-11
Stars: Hook in Mouth, Set the World Afire, In My Darkest Hour, 502, Into the Lungs of Hell
Outstanding effort from Megadeth........2007-03-30
502 wasn't so bad except for the silly lyrics about a high speed chase with a bunch of cops but the following song In my darkest hour is probably the highlight of this album and is one of the greatest Megadeth songs ever, a song inspired by the tragic death of his friend and fellow Metallica bandmate Cliff Burton and presented here with an improved accoustic intro I would describe this song as a ballad that increases with speed and then becomes more intense towards the end which is amazing then theres the song called Liar another good track which seems to be an attack towards a former member of Megadeth (I think its maybe towards Chris Poland I'm not so sure). The closing song Hook in mouth was an incendiary assualt on the PMRC at the time and an overall attack on censorship in the media, but then again who cares since its a great thrash song. If you ask any Megadeth fan and they will tell that this album has some of the best songs Megadeth ever recorded despite all of the problems Dave was going through you he still managed to pull of this great masterpiece of thrash metal, you cannot call yourself a true Megadeth fan without owning this album.
So Far...So Good.......2007-03-26
Not as good as the origional........2007-03-08
An inconsistent album that contains some Megadeth classics. But it's only half a great album........2006-10-08
While "So Far So Good...So What?" in my opinion is not as good as either of the other two aforementioned albums, it certainly has some value for any thrash fan. The problem with the album is a lack of consistency. Things start out tremendously promising with the instrumental "Into the Lungs of Hell" kicking things off in fine style. Straight away, it's obvious that the musicianship is still of the highest quality even if the production is slightly lacking. "Set the World Afire" continues the good work, its shredding riffs making up for rather pedestrian drumming by newcomer Chuck Behler.
But here's where the problem starts. Just as on the previous two albums, the band recorded a cover version of a celebrated track. I really do feel that in each case ("These Boots" may be an exception but only just) the cover songs are the tracks that I dislike the most on each release. This time around, Megadeth recorded a version of the Sex Pistols "Anarchy in the UK". It's completely out of place and in particular as track 3 on the album. Some fans claim to like this cover but most criticise its existence in general, its punk attitude not sitting well alongside some of the more sophisticated tracks.
Yet the inconsistencies don't end there. "Mary Jane" is another brilliant track with it's ballad like qualities and fantastic lead guitar making it one of the highlights of the album. But then it's followed by the truly atrocious "502" which once again stalls the flow of the album. I'm sure the guys thought it was funny writing this track based on speeding in cars and avoiding the cops, but its silliness wears thin awfully quickly and I find it very hard to enjoy these days. And so the album runs on with a few great moments broken up by bad decisions and a few cringe-worthy songs.
I don't hate "So Far So Good...So What?" as a whole, but I do find it really difficult to enjoy about half of it. Whereas the album before it and even more so the one after it are filled to the brim with talent and quality, this one ends up being comparatively average.
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Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Betty Buckley , Paul Gemignani , Patti LuPone , Liza Minnelli , and Bernadette Peters Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003FDW Release Date: 1993-02-23 |
Tracks:
- Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
- Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
- Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
- Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
- Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
- Being Alive--Patti LuPone
- Good Thing Going--The Tonics
- Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
- Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
- Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
- Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
- Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble
Tracks:
- Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
- Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
- Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
- Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
- The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
- Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
- I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
- With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
- Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
- Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
- Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
- Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
- Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus
Customer Reviews:
Great CD.......2006-08-06
Simply the Best.......2005-06-29
In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.
In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.
If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.
Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21
"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30
I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.
There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.
I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.
A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16
This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.
My favorite song is, without a doubt, Dorothy Louden and her wonderful medley of "Losing My Mind" into "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" followed very closely by the recently departed Madeline Kahn singing "Getting Married Today."
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Can't Sit Down ... 'Cos It Feels So Good! The Complete Modern Recordings
Manufacturer: Kent U.K. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000O5917O Release Date: 2007-06-05 |
Tracks:
- Can't Sit Down 'Cos I Feel So Good
- Fine, Fine, Fine
- Don't Feel Sorry For Me
- Through With You - Venetta Fields
- You Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It Too (Previously Unissued)
- I'm So Thankful
- You're Trying To Make Me Lose My Mind
- Cheater - Venetta Fields
- Sally Go Round The Roses
- Blue With A Broken Heart - Flora Williams (Previously Unissued
- Peaches 'n' Cream
- I'm Leaving You - Venetta Fields
- Never More Will I Be Lonely For You
- The Biggest Players
- Camel Walk
- Give Me A Chance (Try Me) - Venetta Fields
- Not That I Recall
- How Come
- Your Love Is Mine
- You're Still My Baby - Venetta Fields
- Nobody Loves Me
- It's Been So Long
- The Loco-Motion (Previously Unissued Take 11)
- Sha La La (Previously Unissued Take 9)
- Da Do Ron Ron
- Never More Will I Be Lonely For You (Alternate Take 11 Of Modern 1015)
- Camel Walk (Previously Unissued Take 1)
Album Description
20 years after the original Kent UK LP...and it's time for an update!Highlights include two previously unissued songs and several previously unissued takes as well as an alternative take of 'Never More Will I Be Lonely For You'.
Most of the tracks are remastered directly from the original three track tapes and there is some fantastic studio back-chat featured.
The gorgeous booklet has a brand new comprehensive sleeve note that features interviews with all three Ikettes and also many previously unseen pix, including the front cover shot of the correct line up.
This glorious package is a complete overview of the Ikettes Modern recordings and replaces and updates our previous collection, now long out of print.
Album Description
20 years after the original Kent LP and it's time for an update! Highlights include two previously unissued songs and several previously unissued takes and an alternative take of 'Never More Will I Be Lonely For You'.Mostly remastered directly from the original three track tapes and there is some fantastic studio back-chat featured. KENT 2007
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Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03 |
Tracks:
- Overture To 'Tannhauser'
- Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
- We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
- Hungarian Dance No.7
- The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
- Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
- But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
- The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
- The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
- Csardas Music
- The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
- The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
- Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
- The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
- Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
- Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
- The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
- Tzigane
- Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
- Caprice No.24
- The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
- Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
- Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
- Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
- Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
- The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
- The Violin Muted
- Clair De Lune
- The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
- Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
- The Pizzicato Violin
- Pizzicato Polka
- In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
- Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
- Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
- The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
- The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
- Hungarian Dance No.4
- Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
- The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
- Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
- Bolero
- Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
- Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
- Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
- Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
- Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
- Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
- And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
- Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
- The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
- Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
- The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
- Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
- Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
- The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
- Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
- Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
- Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
- The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
- Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
- Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
- Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
- Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
- Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
- To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
- Elfenreigen
Tracks:
- Introduction To The Viola
- Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
- Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
- Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
- Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
- Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
- The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
- Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
- The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
- Cypresses (No.9)
- The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
- Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
- The 'Period' Viola In Bach
- Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
- The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
- Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
- Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
- Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
- Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
- Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
- In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
- Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
- But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
- Elfentanz, Op.39
- Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
- The Protecting Veil (Opening)
- A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
- Flamenco
- Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
- Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
- It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
- Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
- It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
- Symphony No.9 (Finale)
- Introduction To The Double-Bass
- The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
- But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
- Elegy No.1 In D Major
- The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
- Capriccio Di Bravura
- Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
- The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
- Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds
Tracks:
- The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
- Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
- The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
- Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
- The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
- Sa'Dawi
- Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
- Chamber Music No.II
- The Piccolo - Aptly Named
- La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
- From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
- Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
- A Variety Of Techniques
- Chamber Music No.II
- Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
- The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
- From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
- Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
- An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
- Naelden, Naelden
- The Bachian Oboe
- Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
- Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
- Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
- The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
- The Swan Of Tuonela
- The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
- Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
- Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
- Bolero
- The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
- Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
- As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
- Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
- The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
- The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
- The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
- ...And Quite Low.
- Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
- The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
- Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
- But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
- Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
- Introduction To The Saxophone
- Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
- The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
- L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
- The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
- Bolero
- The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
- Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
- The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
- Sax-O-Phun
- The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
- Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
- The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
- Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
- Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
- And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
- Bolero
- The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
- Symphony No.3 (Opening)
- The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
- The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
- Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
- The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
- The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
- Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
- The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
- Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
- The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
- Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
- Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
- The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
- Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)
Tracks:
- The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
- Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
- The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
- Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
- The Ceremonial Trumpet
- Fanfare For The Common Man
- Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
- Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
- The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
- Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
- The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
- Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
- The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
- Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
- The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
- Billy The Kid
- The Trumpet As Character Actor
- Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
- The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
- Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
- The Birth Of The Trombone
- Aenmerckt Nu Hier
- The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
- Canzon 12 In Double Echo
- The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
- Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
- The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
- Hosannah
- The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
- Symphony No.5 (Finale)
- The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
- The Trombone As Caricaturist
- Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
- The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
- The Horn And The Hunt
- Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
- The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
- Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
- The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
- Walter Music (Minuet 1)
- The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
- Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
- Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
- The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
- Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
- The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
- Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
- The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
- Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
- The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
- Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)
Tracks:
- Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
- Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
- At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
- Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
- Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
- Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
- The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
- The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
- Den Hoboecken Dans
- Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
- Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
- No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
- Gymnopedie No.2
- The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
- Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
- More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
- Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
- Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
- Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
- A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
- Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
- The Birth Of The Bongo
- Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
- From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
- Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
- From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
- Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
- Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
- But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
- Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
- Taking Advantage Of Tunability
- Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
- The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
- Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
- Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
- The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
- Ravel And The Xylophone
- Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
- Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
- Introducing The Vibraphone
- The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
- The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
- Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
- Folk Dances
- The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
- Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
- Introducing The Tubular Bells
- Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
- A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
- Carmen Suite (Introduction)
- But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
- Introducing The Celeste
- The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
- Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
- Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
- Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
- A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
- The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
- Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
- The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
- Petrushka (Russian Dance)
- The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
- Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)
Tracks:
- Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
- Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
- But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
- Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
- The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
- An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
- Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
- Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
- Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
- Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
- Mahler's Sleighbells
- Symphony No.4 (Opening)
- A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
- Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
- Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
- Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
- National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
- And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
- And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
- The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
- The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
- The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
- The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
- The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
- The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
- The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
- The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
- There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
- The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
- Nocturnes
- Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
- The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
- The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
- The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
- The Oboe As Duck
- Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
- The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
- The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
- The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
- Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
- Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
- Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
- Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
- The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
- A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
- Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
- A Thunderstorm In A Million
- Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
- the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
- The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
- Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
- The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)
Tracks:
- The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
- Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
- A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
- Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
- Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
- String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
- The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
- String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
- The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
- String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
- The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
- String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
- The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
- String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
- The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
- Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
- Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
- String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
- The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
- Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
- Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
- In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
- In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
- In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
- Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
- And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
- The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
- Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
- A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
- Octet In F (Mvt 3)
- The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
- Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
- Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
- Canzon 28
- Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
- Symphony No.5 (Finale)
- From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
- Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
- Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
- The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
- Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
- When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
- Images (Gigues)
- A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
- Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
- The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
- Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
- Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
- Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
- A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')
Customer Reviews:
Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04
Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12
Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20
Frank's view.......2006-08-19
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08
The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!
I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.
The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.
Average customer rating:
|
Feels So Good
Jr. Grover Washington Manufacturer: Mca Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000008CIS Release Date: 1992-02-10 |
Tracks:
- The Sea Lion
- Moonstreams
- Knucklehead
- It Feels So Good
- Hydra
Customer Reviews:
Classic GWJ!.......2007-07-07
The album opens with the funky "The Sea Lion" with GWJ on tenor. The moody "Moonstreams" follows with the man on soprano and with some great guitar licks from Eric Gale. The tune got a modern workout when DMX sampled it for his song Slippin' on his 1998 album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. Then it's back to funky for the tenor driven "Knucklehead" and then on to my favourite tune of all, the title tune, also tenor driven (with another cute solo from Gale and one of those songs, like "Masterpiece" and "Black Frost" where GWJ just seems to blow on forever), before the album closes with "Hydra", another funky tune the intro to which I'm pretty sure has been used on another popular hip-hop tune; I just can't recall which one.
The album is produced by Creed Taylor, and arranged by Bob James with his trademark horn sections which here, included Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis. James also plays piano, electric piano and synthesizer. Also featuring is Eric Gale on guitar, bass is played by Louis Johnson (on "It Feels So Good" and "Hydra") and Gary King (on "Knucklehead", "Moonstreams" and "The Sea Lion"), drums are by Steve Gadd ("The Sea Lion" and "Moonstreams"), Jimmy Madison ("Knucklehead") and Kenneth 'Spider Webb' Rice ("It Feels So Good" and "Hydra"). Ralph McDonald plays percussion.
Bob James provides one composition, "The Sea Lion". "It Feels So Good" is written by Ralph McDonald and William Salter and all the other tunes are written by GWJ himself. Shockingly, the CD provides no information regarding the personnel that played on the album. It doesn't even show who produced it. I'm only able to share this information here because I wrote this review before I passed my old LP (which is still as good as new, by the way) on to a friend who's currently into collecting classic vinyl.
Shame on you, Motown!
feels so good.......2007-05-26
Grover Washington Jr - Feels So Good.......2007-05-13
Feels So Good..........2007-04-13
AWESOME HOT FUNK!!!!.......2006-09-28
Recorded in 1975, this cd went to #1 on the Soul Charts and the Jazz Charts. Amazingly it also went to #10 on the Pop Charts. The title song was played quite often and the opening cut "The Sea Lion" made it to #1 on the Disco Charts. Grover had never been more free-spirited! A must have for Grover fans and/or those who love funky jazz.
Music Album:
