The City

Product Description
The City opens up in with the funky and sensuous "Cosmic Monkey" featuring Jeffrey Osbourne's slinky overdubbed harmonies. "Hello Again" is Wes Montgomery-breezy soul samba. Next up is "Side Steppin'"s high-spirited blast of '80s-era disco jazz. "The City"'s dreamy blend of Boney James' soulful tenor saxophone, shivery keyboards, boogaloo congas, bluesy guitar and cognac-smooth jazz vocal follows.

"Las Vegas" is an exuberant congress of dancing guitar licks, Michael Paulo's throaty sax and a bouncing hip-hop swing beat. "Old Friends" is a quiet fire ballad caressed by Brown and James' tender interplay. "Winelight"'s blend of Brown's Grover Washington, Jr.-channeling solos and tasty club beats is complemented by the silky-smooth party starter "Jumpin' Uptown." "Food For the Moon"'s cool 'n funky hip-hop jazz groove flows into a faithful/playful voice box-juiced version of Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Reel Mutha For Ya." Fittingly, the album closes with the sublime Brown/James chillout duet "The City (Instrumental)."

The City proves beyond a doubt that Paul Brown is one of the most exciting and important guitarists in contemporary jazz.

The City,Paul Brown,Grp Records,Contemporary Jazz,Jazz,Jazz-Pop,Pop,Smooth Jazz,United States of America

Average customer rating: Okalahoma MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best! Wonderful Beauiful

Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack) Jay Blackton , Charlotte Greenwood , Shirley Jones , Gene Nelson , Gloria Grahame , Rod Steiger , James Whitmore , and Gordon MacRae Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: South Pacific (1958 Film Soundtrack) The King and I (1956 Film Soundtrack) Carousel (1956 Film Soundtrack) The Music Man (1962 Film Soundtrack) My Fair Lady (1964 Film Soundtrack) ASIN: B00005A7XB Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

1. Overture - Rodgers & Hammerstein
2. Main Title - Rodgers & Hammerstein
3. Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae
4. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood
5. Kansas City - Gene Nelson/Charlotte Greenwood/Men's Chorus
6. Kansas City Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
7. I Cain't Say No - Gloria Grahame
8. Many A New Day - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
9. Many A New Day Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
10. People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon McaRae/Shirley Jones
11. Pore Jud Is Daid - Gordon MacRae/Rod Steiger
12. Out Of My Dreams - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
13. Out Of My Dreams Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
14. Entr' Acte - Rodgers & Hammerstein
15. The Farmer And The Cowman - Gordon MacRae/Charlotte Greenwood/Gene Nelson/J.C. Flippen/James Whitmore/Gloria Grahame...
16. The Farmer And The Cowman Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
17. All Er Nuthin' - Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson
18. All Er Nuthin' Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
19. People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones
20. Oklahoma - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
21. Finale: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
22. Overture (LP Version) - Rodgers & Hammerstein

Customer Reviews:

Okalahoma.......2007-07-17

Very good quality reproduction, and enjoyable to listen to the full length movie soundtrack again.

MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation.......2007-03-16

The film adaptation of Oklahoma heralded a technological breakthrough in widescreen cinema just as the original stage musical ushered in the integrated book musical. As such this film adaptation was treated as a special occasion, well-supervised by the creators themselves. The soundtrack, featured here, boasts sterling performances from MacRae and Jones making the most of their portrayals of Curly and Laurey, backed by a charismatic cast and superb orchestrations. And of course let's not forget the enveloping stereo sound that holds up well even today.

Despite being a Hollywood star, Gordon MacRae performs the part of Curly as if he was born to play it even on the stage. He shines vocally in his renditions of Oh, what a Beautiful Mornin' and Surrey with the Fringe on Top. He is well-partnered by Shirley Jones as a fresh and pert Laurey, lending her beautiful voice to the part. Although we don't hear much of her on this soundtrack, her partnering MacRae in People Will Say We're in Love exudes a masterful chemistry, as if they were setting sparks off at each other in their rendition of the song. Gene Nelson makes a dashing Will Parker and is equally well-matched by Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie. Grahame renders I Cain't Say No splendidly and partners Nelson in All er Nothin'. The supporting cast is filled out by Charlotte Greenwood's suitably caustic Aunt Eller and Rod Steiger's Jud. It's a pity that the film cut the song Lonely Room, otherwise Steiger would have better demonstrated the dark hues of the character of Jud. Yet it all adds up to a wonderful renditionh of this classic musical, enough to elicit a spontaneous YEOW! during this year of the Oklahoma centenary.

This EMI-Angel reissue offers one the advantage of the dance music and the main titles. This means that the listener gets the Kansas City and Farmer and the Cowman dance sequences, as well as the extended Dream Ballet. The only downside is the extraneous sound effects lifted from a DVD copy of the movie. Yes I share many of your sentiments that these sound effects tend to grate, and long for Didier Deutsch to have used the original untainted studio vault versions. However, let's at least be thankful that the CD producers have offered us a more comprehensive version of the Oklahoma soundtrack that we could only have dreamt of in the past.

In short, this is a wonderful and valuable addition to the R&H discography, and is an equally celebrated rendition of the score like the original Broadway cast recording. Warmly recommended to those who seek even their first version of Oklahoma.

Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best!.......2007-03-06

I have the original Broadway version, but prefer this movie selection.
The CD is flawless and, in my opinion, there's nothing better than a Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical for music, lyrics and pure joy! This is the best!

Wonderful.......2007-01-30

A great way to introduce oneself to the world of the nearly extinct Hollywood musical.

Beauiful.......2006-06-05

A true musical theater classic. Wonderful melodies that will last for years to come.
Other classics not to forget about are:
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
The Wizard of Oz
Chitty Chitty Bang Band
The first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Sound of Music
Oliver
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Singing in the Rain
The Wiz
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Grease
The King and I
Oklahoma
The Music Man
South Pacific

My Voice Students are always asking me for recommendations so I though I'd post it for all! We can't forget about these great musicals!

Average customer rating: The BEST Testament to Beverly Sills' Memory Still endearing fifty years on Beverly Sills First Hit Role I wish I could give this recording a fifteen star rating! From An Opera Singer

The Ballad of Baby Doe Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Ballad of Baby Doe: Vocal Score Massenet: Manon Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato Art of Beverly ASIN: B00000IPTU Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

1. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene One - Opening
2. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene One - 'It's A Bang-Up Job' (Tabor)
3. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene One - 'Horace, What Is This?' (Augusta)
4. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene One - 'I Beg Your Pardon' (Baby Doe)
5. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Two - 'What A Lovely Evening'
6. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Two - 'Willow, Where We Met Together' (Willow Song) (Baby Doe)
7. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Two - 'Oh, Mr. Tabor!' (Baby Doe)
8. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Two - 'Warm As The Autumn Light' (Tabor)
9. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Three - 'Now, Where Do You Suppose?' (Augusta)
10. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Three - 'Have You Seen Her?' (Augusta)
11. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Three - 'What Are You Looking For, Horace?' (Augusta)
12. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - 'Why, Mrs. Doe!'
13. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - (Letter Song)
14. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - 'Excuse Me' (Augusta)
15. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - 'I Knew It Was Wrong' (Baby Doe)
16. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - 'No! No! No!' (Baby Doe)
17. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Seven - 'What Do You Intend To Do?' (Augusta)
18. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Six - 'Everything Looks Beautiful'
19. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Six - 'Gold Is A Fine Thing' (Silver Aria) (Baby Doe)
20. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Six - 'And I'll Show You Something Else' (Tabor)

Tracks:

1. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Opening
2. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'The Fine Ladies' (Baby Doe)
3. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Mama, Go Inside!' (Baby Doe)
4. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Augusta, What Are You Doing Here?' (Tabor)
5. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'I'll Raise You'
6. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Turn Tail And Run!' (Tabor)
7. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'La, La, La, La'
8. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Good People Of Leadville'
9. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Extra! Extra!'
10. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Augusta! Augusta!' (Augusta)
11. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Hey, Mister!'
12. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'The Cattle Are Asleep' (Tabor)
13. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Tabor Owns The Big Hotel' (Chorus)
14. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Horace!' (Baby Doe)
15. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Always Through The Changing' (Baby Doe)

Amazon.com

Despite its somewhat Disneyesque title, The Ballad of Baby Doe is one of the sturdiest American operas. Its riches-to-rags story of Colorado miner Horace Tabor has a great plot, excellent characters, real arias, and dynamic chorus scenes, and none of it sounds second hand in the least. The opera has an extremely inviting personality of its own. This recording by the New York City Opera is full of crackling fast tempos from conductor Emerson Buckley and great theatricality: right down to the minor characters, everybody knows what they're about. Beverly Sills, Walter Cassel, and Frances Bible all inhabit their roles completely. The one drawback is the recording quality, which is good to voices but mushy on the orchestra. To know what's really going on in the piece musically, one must hear the similarly well-sung but more relaxed 1996 recording made at the venue where the opera was premiered: Central City Opera in Colorado. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

The BEST Testament to Beverly Sills' Memory.......2007-07-05

With this recording, Ms Sills set her mark forever on the world of opera. Period!

Of all the recordings that she made, this one, "The Ballad of Baby Doe", is the one that brings back the most endearing memories of this wonderfully talented lady.

It was her first Big Hit role in her new-found home (New York City Opera Company); it also, just happens to be a Totally American story, and creation, written by Douglas Moore.

Here we have Ms Sills in the freshness of her youth, in a brand new role, one that few have been able to fill after her sparkling interpretation. I think it fair to say that she will "always" be Baby Doe.

This recording is a true jem, as all previous reviewers, and many others will tell you. There is NO other work like this one. It is so fresh, lovely, and of course, tragic at the same time.

Everything about this recording is "small and intimate" as this story should be presented. And, luckily, the forces behind getting this recording made, did not have access to large forces and lots of technological wizardry-type equipment and facilities to do this recording in. This makes it all the more wonderful, as I said, small and intimate.

Beverly Sills, Frances Bible, and Walter Cassell had sung this opera together, and had "lived" in their parts long enough to become real breathing characters, characters that you really do care about, and get drawn in by. I defy anyone not to become emotional when Baby Doe sings the "Willow Song", or not to become teary with her final "Always Through The Changing". Frances Bible's stiffly starched Augusta Tabor is so three dimensional that she could walk right into the room with you! And, Walter Cassell's portrail of Horace Tabor will probably never be sung with the "totally lived in" feel that he brings to the role.

From all my thousands of opera recordings, this one gets picked FIRST if I want to listen to an American work. It also gets picked FIRST when I just want to marvel at Beverly Sills' truly most-gorgeous voice at the peak of her youthful freshness and "innocence" (before she had "grown up" in all those other roles).

Deutsche Grammophone has truly done us all a great favor by bringing forward all of the ABC and previous recordings that Ms Sills made prior to her move to EMI, and, truly, we are most thankful for the beautiful remastering and refurbushing of this wonderful Great American Work by Douglas Moore. Bravo, DG!, and of course, certainly, Bravo/Brava to Ms Sills, Ms Bible, Mr Cassell, and to Emerson Buckley for holding it all together. A truly landmark recording, and one that should be on your shelves. ~operabruin

Still endearing fifty years on.......2007-04-15

I wholeheartedly agree with the universal praise for this recording and have seen a performance at the Central City Opera House, a small Victorian gem in the middle of a touristy mining town north of Denver. In that setting, Baby Doe comes off at its best, since the music really is too simple for grand opera, abouanding in barely disguised folk songs and Top 40 harmonies. The cast carries the day, with total conviction from the two leads, Sills and Cassel. The role of Augusta Tabor is almost as large, and Frances Bible sings magnificently. All deserve high praise for their excellent, clear English diction, a rare thing and hard to achieve.

There are drawbacks, most of them minor in regard to the total impact. The major flaw is the dated sound, never good even for its day, that comes close to shattering and peaking any time the music grows louder than mezzo forte. Sills sings at her purest and freshest, but the microphone distortion cramps the voice considerably. A shame DG couldn't remaster the original tapes to remove so much glare. The second flaw is the routine but vigorous conducting of Emerson Buckley; a better conductor could have made the choral passages sound better than a college musical. These blemishes aside, Baby Doe is an American classic and has survived after many, many of its rivals have long ago faded away.

Beverly Sills First Hit Role.......2005-09-03

This is the opera that made Beverly Sills an opera star. She was 29 when she first performed it with the New York City Opera in 1958. Written in 1955 by Douglas Moore, the opera is based on the true story of the already-married Colorado silver magnate Horace Tabor and the young miner's wife, Baby (Mrs. Elizabeth) Doe, with whom he fell in love. Moore writes very much in the folk-opera idiom of American opera in the mid-50s, (Carlisle Floyd's "Susannah" comes to mind), and as a result the music is extremely accessible and full of lovely melodies, particularly in the music written for Baby Doe, such as the "Willow Song" and the "Letter Song" in the first act.
Sills herself always considered the role of Baby Doe the role she most inhabited, and she is in simply sumptuous voice on this recording. She is ably supported by the underrated American baritone Walter Cassel as Horace Tabor, and by the New York City Opera's leading mezzo-soprano, Frances Bible, in the surprisingly sympathetic role of Augusta, Horace's self-righteous wife. Julius Rudel conducts the New York City Opera orchestra with his usual steady hand, and the sound quality of this 1959 recording is excellent. Anyone who enjoys American opera should add this to their collection, and for fans of Beverly Sills, this is a "must have".

I wish I could give this recording a fifteen star rating!.......2004-06-15

First of all, I must state that I have loved this recording for three plus decades.
I have LP copies of it on MGM, Heliodor, and DGG pressings.
But I am one who has been waiting for years to find it released on CD. When the CD set finally came out, I was beside myself with joy.

This is the Baby Doe to have.

Someone mentioned the 1996 CD recording of Baby Doe, which was recorded in the Central City Opera House.
That's a very good recording. The entire cast is/are wonderful.
And that recording includes a few bars(in the first act) which are cut from the Sills Baby Doe.

But as fine as the 1996 recording is; it would be impossible to top or even match Cassel, Sills, and Bible as the Tabor love triangle.

I attended one of the 1996 Central City Opera Baby Doe performances. I was elated to see/hear the opera performed in that glorious old house.
But I have to admit that the acoustic ambiance of the Central City Opera House was a bit tubby and dry (acoustically). The tubby and dry ambiance of the 1996 Baby Doe recording is one of the reasons I prefer the Sills recording.

Anyway.

I have made two pilgrimages to Leadville. The Tabor Grand Opera House (which is in desperate need of funds for restoration) is still standing and in business.
The Clarendon Hotel (which was adjacent to the Tabor Grand) was torn down decades ago (although evidence of the Tabor cat walk from the Tabor Grand to the Clarendon is still extant).

Both times I visited Leadville, standing on the stage of the Tabor Grand left me speechless.

But my two visits to Baby Doe's cabin at the Matchless Mine devastated me.

Both times I stood in the "cold and narrow house" in which Baby Doe died so emotionally overwhelmed me that I had to step outside. I didn't want the rest of the tourees to see me weeping.

I couldn't help reacting that way. As I stood in Baby's cabin, her final aria , "Always Through the Changing" (as sung by Sills) kept running through my mind.

For those who have not heard this Opera (especially the Sills recording) you all really must listen to it.
It's one of the few truly great American Operas.

Moore's score is glorious. The Latouche libretto is outstanding.
And the story of Baby Doe (upon which the opera is based) is well represented (with a few dramatic alterations) in the opera.

From An Opera Singer.......2004-05-23

This recording is absolutely fabulous. Beverly Sills sings with amazing technique and her high notes are silvery and effortless. She owns the roll of Baby Doe. I have to say, I do enjoy Sills more than Callas. And I do have a very educated opinion... I am an opera singer. I actually sing the roll of Baby Doe so I know how challanging it is. Walter Cassel is amazing on this recording as well. Any other cast recording of this opera isn't worth the money. This is by far the best out there.

Average customer rating: touching and heartfelt A Classic Well Worth the Wait!!! the lost city soundtrack The Lost City Soundtrack

The Lost City Original Soundtrack Manufacturer: Univision Music Grp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music GRP | Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Lost City Cuban Patio / The Music Of Cuba Cuban Dance Party For Love or Country - The Arturo Sandoval Story Cubanisimo ASIN: B000FKO5EC Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

1. Beautiful Cuba - Chocolate Armenteros
2. Mambo - Cachao
3. A La Antigua - Ernesto Lecuona
4. Danza Lucumi - Ernesto Lecuona
5. La Comparsa - Ernesto Lecuona
6. Macorina - Abelardo Barroso
7. Los Munequitos - Grupo Guaguanco Matancero
8. Ricardo's Theme - Andy Garcia
9. Fico Meets Che - Andy Garcia
10. Si Te Contara - Ruben Gonzalez
11. Ricardo Meets Che - Andy Garcia
12. Avisale A Mi Contrario/Peligro Theme - Lazaro Galarraga
13. Goza Mi Mambo Cubano - Cachao
14. Solitude/Leonela's Death - Andy Garcia
15. Yo Si Como Candela - Miguelito Cuni
16. Attack On Palace - Andy Garcia
17. Sugar Cane Fields - Andy Garcia
18. Rumba For Luis - Lazaro Galarraga
19. A Gozar Con Mi Combo - Cachao
20. Otra Cosa - Omar Sosa
21. Mariano Social Club - Cachao
22. Berceuse Campseina - Nohema Fernandez
23. Que Bueno Baila Usted - Benny More
24. Suavecito - Septeto Nacional De Ignacio Pineiro
25. Cachao's Guirro - Cachao

Tracks:

1. Amalia Batista - Rolando Laserie
2. Tenia Que Ser Asi - Rolando Laserie
3. Eleggua - Lazaro Galarraga
4. Si Me Pudieras Querer - Cachao
5. Fidel Arrives/El Mayoral - Lazaro Galarraga
6. Fico Watts/Pidgeon/Aurora - Andy Garcia
7. Consuelate Como Yo - Lazaro Galarraga
8. La Bella Cubana - Jose White
9. Te Pico La Abeja - Trio Matamoros
10. Donoso's Death - Andy Garcia
11. Guajira Clasica - Cachao
12. Veinte Anos - Maria Teresa Vera
13. Fico Decides - Justo Almario
14. The Lost City - Andy Garcia
15. Si Me Pudieras Querer - Bola De Nieve
16. Adios A Cuba - Marco Rizo
17. Limbo Jazz - Duke Ellington
18. Lansky Returns - Danilo Lozano
19. Cuba Linda - Cachao
20. La Ciudad Perdida - Andy Garcia

Amazon.com

Andy Garcia directed, starred in and composed the score for this obvious labor of love movie, set in late-'50s Cuba. In his spare time, he also played the piano in the Lost City Orchestra, the de facto house band that performs Garcia's music as well as numbers by the likes of Ernesto Lecuona, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Cuban composers ever ("A la Antigua," "Danza Lucumi," and "La Comparsa" unfurl glorious string charts). Garcia plays a nightclub owner in Havana right before and during the revolution, thus making music an integral aspect of the movie--no wonder this two-CD set features 45 tracks. In keeping with the movie's period feel, the non-score songs are made up of an array of amazing Cuban dance classics by the likes of Rolando Laserie, inspired player of boleros and guarachas, or mambo master Cachao López (the subject of a documentary directed by Garcia). The latter performs the instrumental version of the gorgeous "Si Me Pudieras Querer," the song that serves as the movie's love theme, while Bola de Nieve handles the vocal one. It was brave of Garcia to juxtapose his own compositions to such numbers, but it's also hard not to think they sound a little bland by comparison. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Andy Garcia's critically acclaimed film The Lost City is a personal and emotional story about a Havana family during the time of the Cuban Revolution. The impact of the historical events on their diverging lives is conveyed through this exceptional soundtrack. The two-disc soundtrack contains classic Cuban tracks from Cachao, Benny More, Chappottin, Omar Sosa, Ruben Gonzalez, and Bola de Nieve, plus Andy Garcia's own very personal score. The music plays an integral part in the film and many reviewers have raved about the significance of the music in the narrative of the story. This is a soundtrack for film aficionados as well as Cuban and world music fans.

Customer Reviews:

touching and heartfelt.......2007-07-02

Watched the movie last week and have had to see it twice more. The music is as haunting as it is touching. Muy bien Senior Garcia for giving us both a touching movie and a beautiful soundtrack. The soundtrack has significant meaning since my mother recently passed and this was the music I grew up with. Simply, !Bello!.

I am looking forward to more of your work as a Director.!Adelante!

ANG

A Classic.......2007-06-27

A great historic movie. A movie that celebrates Cuban culture, history, and music. A well balanced movie historically, a great movie overall, and my favorite movie of all time. I am cigar smoker and really enjoyed the view of the tobacco fields and the screenshots of the action taken there. Andy Garcia and the awesome selection of supporting staff made the movie a classic. Great job.

Well Worth the Wait!!!.......2007-06-23

Bravo Andy!!! Ambitious compilation of old and new versions of Cuban classic tunes. Remarkable and beautiful project. Viva Cuba Libre!!!

the lost city soundtrack.......2007-06-13

Total dissapointment! When I saw the movie I immediately wanted to buy the soundtrack which was suppost to be available in 2010. When I purchased it could not believe it. The song are literaly 5 seconds long is like wetting your lips and not being able to drink the drink.

The Lost City Soundtrack.......2007-06-08

This movie is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen in a long time. During the watching of the film I noticed, more than a few times, the music. That is what inspired me to purchase the soundtrack. I watched the movie with my mom, and she, too, was inspired by the music. It was right around Mother's Day that we saw the film so I placed an order for two soundtrack CD's of the Lost City. My mom and I both love the composition and mood that the music has to offer. I would advise anybody who loves Jazz and rhythm to purchase this CD set.

Average customer rating: She makes me wish I were deaf excellent second album Self-consciously coquettish overintellectualized indie schmuck raw yet refined Everything you don't expect and more...

Ys Joanna Newsom Manufacturer: Drag City ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Milk-Eyed Mender The Crane Wife Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks) The Letting Go Yellow House ASIN: B000I2K9M4 Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

1. Emily
2. Monkey & Bear
3. Sawdust & Diamonds
4. Only Skin
5. Cosmia

Amazon.com

Joanna Newsom's voice--a piercing flutter that's pitched somewhere between Björk and a hand brake--is an acquired taste. But to the uninitiated, it's not nearly as impenetrable as her cosmic poetry or, for that matter, baroque music. The 24-year-old Californian harpist's second album is a five-track concept piece loosely based on its namesake, the mythological drowned city of the Bretons. We say "loosely" because she leaves plenty of room for digressions on meteoroids and birds flying into windows. While Ys was recorded by minimalist Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey), it includes lush string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks (Brian Wilson) and the final mix was done by sonic experimentalist Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth, Tortoise). The result is an album that sounds unlike anything else. And despite containing spectacularly beguiling songs that stretch out past 15 minutes, every second seems to drip with magic. You certainly don't get that with Ashlee Simpson. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

She makes me wish I were deaf.......2007-07-14

Here voice makes me want to stab my ears with and icepick until I die. Only hardcore avant-guard indie hipsters with a penchant for un-melodic, rhythmless non-music need apply. How anyone could like this is beyond me. Calling her the American Bjork is a tremendous disservice to the Icelandic Queen. Why is there not an option for zero stars?

excellent second album.......2007-07-01

Joanna Newsom has composed the music and wrote the lyrics that are complex, unique and beautiful. She is on the most talented new artists today and I was happy to discover her music. I would warmly recommend this album, as well as her first CD, "Milk-Eyed Mender".

Self-consciously coquettish overintellectualized indie schmuck.......2007-06-29

What is it with every woman in "underground" music insisting on being cute and smart and falsely weird? (The word "underground" is in quotes because any album that costs more than $250,000 to make and tops every single best-of list of its release year cannot really be considered under the radar.) It's like they have such horrible self-image problems that they must always wear a cute outfit, play an unexpected instrument, and sing in a disaffected manner, and they are absolutely GUSHED over in the press. This is just one aspect of the Pitchforkization of music, a faux democratization of taste that results in nothing but hype and backlash--no substance, all fear, just cycle after cycle like a dog who can't tell its own tail from a stick.

[ETA: It's appallingly obvious that, based on some of the responses to this review, we have not learned the lessons that those righteous and fearless feminists and punk rockers attempted, and bless 'em, how they tried, to instill in music fans. It's also obvious that the "sexism" portrayed above extends beyond this review into current "indie" culture, in that ugly dudes with beards can score hits, but there's nary a hairy female armpit on the scene these days, and women who fall into this trap by frilling themselves up in such a self-conscious way are doing nothing to further the cause against discrimination towards women. So if someone wants to be shocked by sexism, then be shocked by something that is actually hugely, poisonously sexist and stop throwing knives at amazon.com reviews written by those who are highly irritated that "feminism" is warped to defend all sorts of horrific things.]

Now that I've gotten that rant out of the way, onto the record: I've been listening to this for several months, and I cannot figure out why Newsom is creating what she is and why people (self included) are actually listening to it.

--Does she tell compelling stories? No, not really--the language is obscured and veiled, and even then you know exactly which side she's on in her morality tales. There's nothing complex or surprising about a bear being manipulated and taken advantage of by a monkey, even in Newsom's words, and the obvious plot ending solidifies the fact that Newsom cannot and will never be able to process the moral ambiguities that most great artists--including many that she professes to admire, like Neil Young--can create. Why should I care about a bear? Even if it is an allegory, and a piss poor one at that, I think the whole song should've spared us all and jumped into the water with Ursula.

--Does she use language in interesting ways? On occasion she does, I'll give her that. I have to say that "Sawdust and Diamonds" contains one of the loveliest descriptions of a birth this side of Patti Smith's "Kimberly"--"I was all horns and thorns, sprang up fully formed, knock-kneed and upright." (Funny, though, that when I think of the term "fully formed," being knock-kneed doesn't immediately come to mind.) But the rest of the song's trite meditation on puppeteering and meandering, uselessly vague pastoral imagery render that line, which might have been a good start to something far more interesting, absolutely pointless. And that's what so much of this is. She also has a terrible thesaurus addiction, and will drop an awkward passage without even reconsidering it. You know who else, more famous than Newsom and also praised in her early career, did this? That's right, Alanis Morissette. Perhaps Newsom should stand naked in the street for her next video to make the comparison more apt, because at least Alanis lets it all lyrically hang out while Newson gives none of herself to her art.

--Does it sound good? Well, not really. I used the word "meandering" earlier, and so much of the music on this record does just that. Poor Van Dyke Parks, trying to shine a turd. The composition is so self-aware and cloying, and if there were words to listen to and actual ideas on this record they wouldn't be allowed to breathe. Perhaps it's all a smoke screen to distract from the fact that Joanna Newsom has nothing to say.

Why do I think that Newsom is fraught with naught? Yes, this is only her second album, and yes, she is young and fresh out of creative writing school, but when I hear her sing the word "desire" there's absolutely none there. It's the audio equivalent of getting up every morning and going to work in an office about which you are ambivalent and apathetic. And even the least paid, least hip cubicle grunts know what desire is, surely! Hell, Rimbaud's career as a writer was over by the time he was 24, but his throwaways had far more depth than the best Newsom can do here.

So if I don't like it so much, why am I giving this two whole stars? Because Joanna Newsom is the same age as me, has recorded two albums, and has made enough money to buy a house, which is far more than I've been able to do in an equal amount of time (though unequal opportunities were available, which could lead me to a discussion of her connections and social status/economic disparities from which I will spare you). I suppose she deserves some credit for having her finances in order, without having to resort to grunt work. And yes, I am jealous that someone who created something so insipid is now famous and wealthy. So it goes.

raw yet refined.......2007-06-23

This is my second attempt at posting a review here. The first review had the phrase "my arse" in it (using the other word for "arse") so I can only assume that's why it didn't get posted. I am appalled at some of the things said of Joanna Newsom and her album on Amazon. Some people go so far as to personally attack the artist herself for being privileged (??), for playing a harp in an attempt to be different, and for wearing "cute dresses." Hmmm...

This album holds a special place in my collection. Never have I heard such ambitious, moving, and consistently powerful lyrics on a single album. This is a difficult album to understand for many people, but I find dissecting the lyrics and researching the musician's intent much more interesting and rewarding than anything on the radio these days. As for the music itself, being no music theory major, I can only say that it consistently pulls an emotional response from me; viscerally and intellectually, I find it cathartic, stimulating, raw (no thesaurus used here, guys and girls.) Joanna Newsom certainly does a terrific job on the harp, in composition and execution, and Van Parks' complementary pieces add a certain largeness of sound to the album that matches its largeness of vision.

The vitriol I have seen against Newsom in a few of the reviews here is unnerving and worrying. I would hope that those who do not like her album will in future attempt to logically explain why without succumbing to posting hateful and sexist insults. This does nothing to inform would-be buyers of the album's strengths and weaknesses (if you think the album has any--I personally think it doesn't: it is exactly what it should be.)

Five stars all the way.

Everything you don't expect and more..........2007-06-07

This is probably one of the most creative projects I've ever heard. Newsom plays the harp and writes epic song with lush orchestrations behind them. You hear every instrument and color on this album except what you expect to hear. Newsom's harp trickles through the chords while the songs are colored by lush strings, subtle brass and even an occassional banjo or jawharp. Newsom's songs are very different from traditional pop songs. She divorces the traditional song structure and gives each song a wider arc allowing her to tell the story at hand. The lyrics are very narrative and incredibly poetic. The texts drip with imagery poetic devices that just don't get used enough in mainstream music. This album is incredibly refreshing with its innovative instrumentations, lush orchestrations, masterful songwriting, poetic lyrics and fantastic production. Even with all of this I think that anyone may find fault with one particular aspect of the record:

Joanna Newsom's voice.

I'm not going to lie, it's kind of annoying. Her vocal quality is some kind of strange combination between abrasive and whinny. Images of a pre-pubescent Bjork may come to mind. One thing that I consistently noticed was that when Newsom sang the word, "and" or other words with a similar vowel sound higher in her regester, there was a very distinctive squeek of her voice, kind of like her vocal chords decided to do just a little bit of bumping and grinding. However, as absolutely bizarre as Newsom's voice is, I think it kind of works. Granted, she sounds like a crazy old lady gathering the village children around to sing them a story, but with the style of the music and the content of the lyrics, I think it is strangely appropriate.

Whether you like her voice at all, there is no denying that this project is incredibly unique and creative. You may have noticed that this album doesn't have a great rating from the pooled average of Amazon users. This is not from a consistent pile of mediocre reviews, but polarized reviews from people who adore this album and others who hate it. Obviously, I am one of the former. This album is very hit-or-miss. I've told you what I think, but the only way to tell what you really think about this very debated album is to take a listen for yourself and be the judge of your own tastes.

Average customer rating: Nearly up to Par don't believe the naysayers, this album is an amazing feat. A Solid, but Less Upbeat, Sophomore Album Is It So Wrong to Crave Recognition? Just so so (In my opinion)

A Weekend in the City Bloc Party Manufacturer: Vice Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Good, the Bad & the Queen We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank Favourite Worst Nightmare Because of the Times Sound of Silver ASIN: B000M06K5C Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

1. Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
2. Hunting For Witches
3. Waiting For The 7:18
4. Prayer, The
5. Uniform
6. On
7. Where Is Home?
8. Kreuzberg
9. I Still Remember
10. Sunday
11. SRXT

Amazon.com

Bloc Party may have arrived in an outbreak of like-minded British bands set upon shooting holes in the Union Jack while knocking out a sharp post-punk soundtrack, but it didn't take long for the foursome to set itself apart from the pack. Fronted by Nigerian-born singer Kele Okereke, the group's 2005 debut, Silent Alarm, soared as much on crystal ambition as it did on ridiculously danceable pop melodies. This follow-up is darker, more cluttered, and harder to digest. That doesn't make it less striking. Exploring themes of racism, terrorism, sexuality, addiction, and death--the usual fodder for a cosmopolitan three-day bender--Weekend in the City is an album that plays to Bloc Party's strengths: tempo-shifting rhythms, inventive art-rock arrangements, and lyrics that twist and turn on a whim. "The Prayer" and "Uniform" are particular standouts, capturing moments when Okereke lets self-importance fade and majestic beats take charge. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

The follow-up to their smash debut, "Silent Alarm", is every bit as bright, powerful, and catchy, with the addition of more muscle, attitude, depth, and a bit of polish courtesy of their producer, Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol). Inspired by lead singer Kele Okereke's interest in what he calls "the living noise of a metropolis", this record captures every detail of daily life in a modern city from the ebullient to the mundane. From the quiet desolation of commuting to casual sex, from going out on a Friday night to the long ride home early in the morning, these are songs desperate to understand the meaning that pulses under the moments of our every day.

Customer Reviews:

Nearly up to Par.......2007-07-19

I am a huge fan of Bloc Party, and ever since I discovered them, I have loved listening to their music. Their first debut, Silent Alarm, is an excellent album, and I kept that in mind when I purchased thier follow up album, A Weekend in the City. I must say that I was disappointed at first, mainly because A Weekend in the City is not the same as Silent Alarm. I was expecting the same catchy hooks, bouncy rhythms, and light pop rock sound. Bloc Party's second album is not the same as their first. I definitely applaud them for trying to maintain innovation, and not always play the same thing. Just recently I have started to listen to A Weekend in the City more often, and the more I listen to it, the more it grows on me. AWitC is darker, edgier, and plays with a raw, uneven sound. Even still, I think it is a good album that solid Bloc Party fans should invest in, or any lover of alt rock. "The Prayer" is the catchy hook song of the album, while "Hunting for Witches" has a neat and inventive sound. "I Still Remember" has traces of Silent Alarm's "Blue Light" in that it is mellow, melodic, and beautiful. I look forward to Bloc Party's next release, whenever it may come, and suggest going for AWitC. This album grows on you, and is really different than Silent Alarm. Change is good.

don't believe the naysayers, this album is an amazing feat........2007-06-29

if you take music your music seriously, you'll feel the strong steady pulse that beats below this killer sophomore album.

seriously. fingers out. put it on the cd sleeve. keep still and wait a few seconds...

okay. maybe if you have an imagination in hyperdrive but still, my point is that while "Weekend in the City" may lack the dancier and poppier aspects "Silent Alarm" posessed, the fact they've gone DEEPER into the instrumentals and textures and ambient noises make it so much more fulfilling! anyone can dish out some drum machine beats and a catchy guitar hook, and while this album definitely has that (hello? "Sunday" anyone?), I love how they took the direction of my personal favorite from "Silent Alarm" ("So here we Are") and just built so much on that.

Is "Weekend in the City" an album full of club-banger hits for the indie kids who still call themselves "hipsters" without irony? Probably not. Is it an album good for introspection while wandering around at 2am downtown in the city (not smart, but appealing!)? Most definitely. buy this album. you won't regret it.

A Solid, but Less Upbeat, Sophomore Album.......2007-06-29

There was a time, about a year and a half ago, when I considered Bloc Party to be one of my favorite bands. I listened to their debut, Silent Alarm, almost obsessively and still consider it one of my favorite albums - whether I needed something energetic or pensieve, I could, and still can, find it on that album.

Naturally I was excited about A Weekend In The City before I ever heard it, and upon hearing it I wasn't sure what to think. The first six of the album's eleven songs grew on me immensely, while the second half of the album blurred together without any of the songs making an impression on me. Upon revisiting them, I realized that the immediately listenable songs didn't necessarily have longterm playability; conversely, the five final songs reflect just as much, if not more care than the other tracks -unfortunately, when listened to consecutively, they do tend to sound similar. Listen to them separately, and they really do shine: particularly, 'I Still Remember' and 'Sunday' didn't really grab me when I first heard them, but now rank among my favorites by the band.

All in all, AWITC is a slower album to enjoy than its predecessor, with more of a focus on setting soundscapes than writing hooks for catchy choruses. If you enjoyed the more contemplative parts of Silent Alarm, you'll love A Weekend in the City. Otherwise, expect to spend more time becoming acquainted with the work here.

Is It So Wrong to Crave Recognition?.......2007-06-16

I saw this band on Late Night with Conan O'Brian and I was very impressed with their live performance of "The Prayer." The singer was Black, but his style was somewhere between, Robert Smith, of The Cure, and Feli Kuti, the Nigerian singer and Afrobeat band leader. Turns out the band was fronted by Nigerian-born singer Kele Okereke. The rest of the band looked like a lot of post-punk limey slackers, and by gum, they were exactly that.

From London and South East United Kingdom, this latest deconstruction and reassembly of the modern sound is astounding, indeed. "The Prayer" sounds like some kind of Gregorian chant, or possibly the throat singing of Tibetian monks. The ominous hum builds and is joined by the coolest guitar riff since Satisfaction, a crisp Telecaster riff, at once primative and modern. When Kele Orereke begins to sing, a similar mixture of modern and primative ensues, as electric guitars, bass, and drums, fraternize with an African chant. Lots of shifting tempos, noise and melody, melody OF noise, dance tempos, irresistable beats.

I found their page on MySpace and watched the video for "The Prayer" and some other songs. "The Prayer" video is very good, and it just shows some modern urban kids out for a night on the town, trying to find a cool club in which to dance. Kele is a face in the crowd, lost in the shuffle, but he knows if they would only give him a chance, they would see that he is really a unique phenomenon, worthy of their attention and patience. The lyrics are really very powerful.

Another video shows the band playing on a train, and is like one long pan from car to car of a moving train. Some kind of special effects technique was involved, because it seems like the eye of the camera dollys through the entire train, from engine to caboose, and the band and Kele keep popping up on every car.

Other videos show band members as animated cartoon characters. Shades of Scoobey Doo, or at least The Gorillaz.

I have just discovered this band, but from what I have seen so far, I am very impressed, and will pursue hearing more of their excellent music. A good place to start is on their MySpace page, and if you are intrigued like I was, you can get this album, A Weekend in the City, or else try their first album, Silent Alarm.

Just so so (In my opinion).......2007-06-07

The album starts off very softly but then the opening song progresses into something you can really get up and move to. It's exhilerating an spectacular.

"Hunting for Witches", while still an extremely good songs, reminds me a little too much like "Helicopters" from the band's original album "Silent Alarm". The fact that it's also the 2nd track (same position as Helicopters) is slightly jarring. If you own both albums take a listen, you'll be shocked and slightly annoyed. To me, while "Hunting for Witches" does stand as a marked improvement from "Helicopters" the fact that the two songs are soooo similar, is slightly annoying, but I digress.

"The Prayer" is quite possibly one of the best songs on the album. You can practically feel the artist pleading for the power to be a star and then feel the emotion as he imagines his own future greatness. Really inspiring stuff.

"Uniform" stands well but tends to go off on awkward tangents at time that one fines a little unnecesary.

All the other tracks save for the last one, seem mediocre at best. Just not all that great, but still not necessarily bad either.

The very last album, which describes a real drug for antidepression is one of those song that can really get to you. One of the band's former detractors, who name escapes me at the moment, said that this is the song that made him cry into a cushion for about 15 minutes.

Average customer rating: Nice collection of favorites Wonderfully Enchanting! The pleasure of Harry Potter's Music An Excellent Choice! A Fabulous Compilation!!

Music from the Harry Potter Films Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban Film Music by John Williams Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End ASIN: B000E8N8RA Release Date: 2006-03-07

Tracks:

1. Harry's Wondrous World
2. Nimbus 2000
3. Fawkes The Phoenix
4. Dobby The House Elf
5. The Chamber Of Secrets
6. Gilderoy Lockhart
7. Quidditch World Cup/The Foreigners Arrive
8. Harry In Winter
9. The Hogwarts March
10. The Potter Waltz
11. The Black Lake
12. Another Year Ends
13. The Hogwarts Hymn
14. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban - Suite
15. Hedwig's Theme

Customer Reviews:

Nice collection of favorites.......2007-07-12

For those not interested in buying all of the soundtracks up to but not including HP 5 this is the way to go. But if you already have them all you will probably find this a wash. Take the tracks you have and arrange them as you like instead. The music is slightly better in places on the originals also.

Wonderfully Enchanting!.......2007-07-01

I figured I'd comment on this CD even though it's not the same one exactly. I have the 2007 2 disc Music from the Harry Potter Films CDs and it's absolutely wonderful! I can't seem to find it anywhere on Amazon or on Silva Screen USA which is where it told me to go! They bring up this version I'm commenting on. The music for those tracks listed is the same as on my 2007 2 disc set so that's why I'm commenting. Brilliant music!

The pleasure of Harry Potter's Music.......2007-05-08

If you want to visualize the scenes from a movie, then this is the CD for you.This is one of the best movie score selections that I have had the pleasure to purchase in quite a while. From the beginning strands of Harry's World to the hauntingly beautiful, Harry in Winter, you will find yourself smiling and playing this CD over and over.

An Excellent Choice!.......2007-03-09

If you are looking for the best songs from Harry Potter movies, this CD is certainly an excellent choice. It's nice listening while driving and It's wonderful because you can listen the song that plays at the beginning of Harry's films over and over. This is a selection of all 4 movies.The best are "Hedwig's Theme", "Harry's Wondrous World", "Harry Potter and The Prisioner of Askaban - Suite" (You can "fly" with Harry while listening to "Buckbeak's Flight", feel Harry's fear and excitement). "Gilderoy Lockhart" is as funny as the character himself. "Harry in Winter" is marvellous.
It's good fun for sure!

A Fabulous Compilation!!.......2006-10-16

The first review pretty much says it all, we just wanted to add our stars. My family and I are big Harry Potter fans and when it was time for my daughter's birthday, she requested a CD of Harry Potter music. There were several different pieces of which she was particularly fond of and this was the only CD that seemed to have nearly all of them. If there's one thing that she misses, it's the song "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from the POA film. Some of the melody is included in the POA suite but she really wanted to sing along.

This CD plays almost constantly in our car's CD system and the kids have a great time remembering what parts of the movies each piece is from. If you're looking for a Harry Potter CD that represents a bit of the best from each of the first four movies, this is it. The quality is outstanding as well.

Average customer rating: More Like Rock'N'Roll, No I Am Not Kidding Missing the Point Define "Alt Country" A little too country for me. Would make a dog howl

Jacksonville City Nights Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Manufacturer: Lost Highway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: 29 Cold Roses Heartbreaker Easy Tiger Prairie Wind ASIN: B000AOF9RU Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

1. A KISS BEFORE I GO
2. THE END
3. HARD WAY TO FALL
4. DEAR JOHN
5. THE HARDEST PART
6. GAMES
7. SILVER BULLETS
8. PEACEFUL VALLEY
9. SEPTEMBER
10. MY HEART IS BROKEN
11. TRAINS
12. PA
13. WITHERING HEIGHTS
14. DON'T FAIL ME NOW

Amazon.com

Arguably the most eclectically prolific artist since Prince, Ryan Adams continues his chameleon revivalism with his most straightforward country music to date. Having evoked the inspiration of bands ranging from T. Rex to the Grateful Dead on previous solo releases, the former Whiskeytown frontman here channels the likes of Faron Young on "My Heart Is Broken," while framing the shot-and-a-beer opener, "A Kiss Before I Go," with honky-tonk piano and pedal steel. "Seems like I'm always movin'," he sings amid the rockabilly kick of "Trains," as the album finds his restless muse ranging from a dreamy duet with Norah Jones on "Dear John" to naked vulnerability reminiscent of John Lennon on "Silver Bullets." Only Adams would cut a track titled "The End" and sequence it second on the CD, or a song called "Peaceful Valley" and inject it with so much emotion. --Don McLeese

Recommended Ryan Adams Discography

Heartbreaker	Gold	Love Is Hell
Whiskeytown, Pneumonia	Whiskeytown, Stranger's Almanac	Whiskeytown, Faithless Street

Customer Reviews:

More Like Rock'N'Roll, No I Am Not Kidding.......2007-07-02

On the surface Jacksonville City Nights would seem to be Ryan Adams at purely his most country, raw acoustic guitar, and heart on his shoulder lyrics.

What Jacksonville City Nights however actually accomplishes is similar to what Rock N Roll, an electrified blast of alternative rock, did, morph Adams into a certain type of performer at a certain moment in time adding another dash to the pallet of his career. That might be impressive artistically but the question is do you all of a sudden like raw country simply because the previous it boy jumps into the genre?

On Jacksonville, Adams actually runs away from his previous core sound and the results are both impressive and jarring. If you want the pop hooks that adulterated his previous records Gold and Cold Roses, then Jacksonville isn't for you. Instead Adams steps into Willie Nelson mode and when it works (The Hardest Part, A Kiss Before I Go) you get some raw pure country sounds. When it doesn't work (title track) you get all the whiney walling that may have pushed you away from the genre. Therefore if you liked raw country before hand, you'll probably like Adams take on the genre, if you're only listening because Adams has jump into the genre, you'll likely find all the reasons you didn't like country music throughout Jacksonville City Nights. Maybe if Adams had spent more time with this focus a more complete feel would overtake the record, however being a relative rookie when it comes to the raw country sound he goes for on Jacksonville, Adams actually sounds like a rookie performer putting out his first record.

Jacksonville therefore is a member of a growing group of Adams records that see him take on a genre and bring all of its strengths and weaknesses to the forefront. So the passion for the genre is there but the experience to pull it off isn't.

Missing the Point.......2007-05-13

"Heartbreaker - loved it; Gold - loved it; Demolition - had its moments; Rock-N-Roll - OK, the guy isn't perfect; Love is Hell - REALLY loved it; Cold Roses - good stuff."

I'm quoting an earlier reviewer, and it's eerie how those quick-capsule reviews mirror my own opinion of Adams' output. But I disagree with those who compare his singing to a dog's howl, or blame country music itself. Traditional country is deceptively difficult to sing, and Ryan Adams just can't do it convincingly. He's trying to bear down on notes like George Jones and misses the mark by a mile. While I wouldn't go so far to liken his voice to dog noises, it is surprisingly devoid of emotional weight. I say "surprisingly", because Love Is Hell showcased some fantastic, emotive vocalizing. This one just sounds like he's phoning it in, as if he hasn't truly lived what he's singing about... which breaks the first rule of classic country. Ryan, stick with the "alt-" prefix stuff... you're way out of your league here.

Define "Alt Country".......2007-04-26

First of all, I would go three and a half stars on this one but Amazon only allows whole numbers. I'm giving Ryan Adams the benefit of the doubt and rounding up.

This is by far the most country album he's put out since leaving Whiskeytown. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of country music but this doesn't sound like any other country music out there. What I can't stand is the country-pop-flagwaving-prothisprothat kind of crap out there now. I like real country. Real country is Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, etc. I guess it could be called "old" country. That's this album sounds like. Ryan's country stuff has been labeled "Alt Country." I'm not sure what the heck "Alt Country" is but if this is it then it sounds like REAL country. If you're a Rock fan you probably won't like this album. If you're a country-pop fan you might like this album. If you're a real Ryan Adams fan you'll probably like this album. If you're fan of good old fashioned country you'll definately like this album. Tracks 1, 4, 9, & 10 are probably the standouts on this album. It's not a must have but if you're in the mood, it delivers.

A little too country for me........2007-02-12

I love Ryan Adams' music. I got hooked on Rock & Roll and have bought everything he's done (with the exception of his whiskeytown stuff). At first I turned my nose up to his more country albums but after a hiatus I listened to them again and enjoyed them immensley; however, this album was just too country for me. I'd like to be able to say it's just because of my dislike for country music in general but a friend of mine who does like country music and also loves Ryan's music did not care for it either. Just my opinion, don't be upset.

Would make a dog howl.......2007-01-24

Heartbreaker - loved it; Gold - loved it; Demolition - had its moments; Rock-N-Roll - OK, the guy isn't perfect; Love is Hell - REALLY loved it; Cold Roses - good stuff.

And that brings me to Jacksonville City Nights, which I would give a **1/2. Those who gave it 4 or 5 stars are apparently not bothered by Adams' strained and overwrought vocals on a number of tracks. Adams' voice, which can be among the best (think "I See Monsters" on Love is Hell), at times morphs into something that would make a dog howl.

In his past work, Adams had a knack for scaling back his voice just when he was reaching his vocal limit. Not here. Halfway through "Trains", Adams' loud and high-pitched vocals make me cringe, ruining what otherwise is a good song. Same goes for "The Hardest Part" and "The End." Adams' voice on "Peaceful Valley" is dreadful throughout. And then there are the collection of sparse songs ("Silver Bullets", "September" and "PA") that are agreeable I guess but didn't leave much of an impression with me.

Still, there are some strong songs here. "Withering Heights" ranks up there with his best, and both "A Kiss Before I Go" and "My Heart is Broken" show Adams at his country best. Songs that grew on me were "Games", "A Hard Way to Fall" and "Dear John." The latter seems to get better the more I listen to it.

Adams has such an incredible and malleable voice that he does not need to force things. While I hope he continues to try out new styles in the future, I am also hoping he sticks to vocals that better suit his considerable talent.

Average customer rating: forget the "purists" and enjoy! Beverly Sills, American Legend: Ave Atque Vale beverly sill Classic performance Fine performances, flawed recording quality

Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel George Frideric Handel , Julius Rudel , Beverly Sills , Norman Treigle , Maureen Forrester , Spiro Malas , Michael Devlin , Eugenia Earle , Beverly Wolff , William Beck , Dominic Cossa , and New York City Opera Chorus and Orchestra Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto Massenet: Manon Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi ASIN: B000003EOP Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Julius Ceasar: Overture - Wolff
2. Julius Ceasar: Viva, viva il nostro Alcide! - Wolff
3. Julius Ceasar: Presti omai l'Egizia terra - Wolff
4. Julius Ceasar: Curio, Cesare venna e vide e vinse - Wolff
5. Julius Ceasar: Sua reggia tolomeo - Wolff
6. Julius Ceasar: Giulio, che miri? - Wolff
7. Julius Ceasar: Empio, diro, tu sei - Wolff
8. Julius Ceasar: Gia torna in se - Wolff
9. Julius Ceasar: Priva son d'ogni conforto - Wolff
10. Julius Ceasar: Vani sono i lamenti - Wolff
11. Julius Ceasar: Regni Cleopatra - Wolff
12. Julius Ceasar: Vanne, e torna omai - Wolff
13. Julius Ceasar: Sire, Signor! - Wolff
14. Julius Ceasar: Alma del gran pompeo - Wolff
15. Julius Ceasar: Qui nobile donzella - Wolff
16. Julius Ceasar: Avanti al tuo cospetto - Wolff
17. Julius Ceasar: Sfortunata donzella - Wolff
18. Julius Ceasar: Ahime! Vile e negletta - Wolff
19. Julius Ceasar: Cara speme - Wolff
20. Julius Ceasar: Oh, quanto bella gloria - Wolff
21. Julius Ceasar: Va tacito e nascosto - Wolff
22. Julius Ceasar: Dove, dove, inumani - Wolff

Tracks:

1. Julius Ceasar: E seguisti, o Niren - G.F. Handel
2. Julius Ceasar: Taci! -- che fia? - G.F. Handel
3. Julius Ceasar: V'adoro, pupille - G.F. Handel
4. Julius Ceasar: Non ha in cielo - G.F. Handel
5. Julius Ceasar: Piu amabile belta - G.F. Handel
6. Julius Ceasar: Deh, piangete, o mesti lumi - G.F. Handel
7. Julius Ceasar: Se a me non sei crudele - G.F. Handel
8. Julius Ceasar: Si spietata - G.F. Handel
9. Julius Ceasar: Madre! Ferma! - G.F. Handel
10. Julius Ceasar: Cessa omai di sospirare! - G.F. Handel
11. Julius Ceasar: Figlio non e - G.F. Handel
12. Julius Ceasar: Bella Lidia - G.F. Handel
13. Julius Ceasar: Mora, mora, mora - G.F. Handel
14. Julius Ceasar: Se pieta di me non senti - G.F. Handel
15. Julius Ceasar: Sinfonia - G.F. Handel
16. Julius Ceasar: Vinta cadesti al balenar - G.F. Handel
17. Julius Ceasar: Dall'ondoso periglio - G.F. Handel
18. Julius Ceasar: Cerco in van Tolomeo - G.F. Handel
19. Julius Ceasar: Lascia questo sigillo! - G.F. Handel
20. Julius Ceasar: Voi, che mie fide ancelle - G.F. Handel
21. Julius Ceasar: Cesare, o un'ombra sei? - G.F. Handel
22. Julius Ceasar: Da tempeste il legno infranto - G.F. Handel
23. Julius Ceasar: Cornelia, e tempo omai - G.F. Handel
24. Julius Ceasar: La vendetta del padre - G.F. Handel

Customer Reviews:

forget the "purists" and enjoy!.......2007-07-17

In the last 20-30 years with all of the emphasis on "early music" and "authentic" versions that are not edited, there have been many opera fans who dismiss this performance/production somewhat condescendingly. Ignore them! Here's what caused her to become the people's prima donna, and led to her debuts at La Scala and the Royal Opera in London. Certainly there have been other sopranos in the 20th century with brilliant coloratura (Sutherland, Caballe, Callas) but few were as effective dramatically, as heartfelt, or had the Brooklyn "razzle-dazzle" that made opera fans on both side of the Atlantic fall in love with her. It may sound like a cliche, but we lost a national treasure!

Beverly Sills, American Legend: Ave Atque Vale.......2007-07-04

The world is diminished with the news of the death of Beverly Sills. Her impact on American Opera will never be matched. She was an Original, a woman of great beauty, creative intelligence not only in her vocal production, pyrotechniques, and range, but also in her commitment to acting and drama, bringing a far larger audience to the opera houses with both her gifts as an artist and her compassion for those experiencing opera for the first time. Her performances were full of life, uncannily beautiful in singing and deportment, and aided by her own insistence on the use of supertitles above the proscenium arch, a gracious bow to her audiences to draw them into the stories of the works. La Sills had the intelligence to make her final bow on the stage when signs of vocal weakness began to show. Everything she did was form her heart and her brain and her humanity.

Finding a work to call a signature role for her wide repertoire is difficult, but for most of us her creation of Cleopatra as captured in this recording of Handel's 'Giulio Cesare' is a zenith. She sparkles and stuns with her effortless singing and embellishments and she is accompanied by her old friends Norman Treigle, Spiro Malas, Michael Devlin, Maureen Forrester, Beverly Wolff, Dominic Cossa and of course, Julius Rudel who with Sills brought the New York City Opera to importance.

Yes, the recording is old and now dated and now that Handel's jewel is a frequently performed opera in the original style (countertenors, original instrumentation, etc), the performance does sound a bit florid and thick. But Beverly Sills shines brightly and this is the great selfless star we will all remember. Grady Harp, July 07

beverly sill.......2007-05-18

beverly is enchanting as cleopatra. i have started a beverly collection of operas which i am sure will rival my callas collection

Classic performance.......2007-05-13

If you like this opera, this recording is a must have. Good sound quality, amazing performance. Yes, this is one of the productions that launched Beverly Sills' career. I have yet to see or hear a performance of Cleopatra that comes close.

Fine performances, flawed recording quality.......2007-05-05

The women steal the show here--Forrester's voice lush and gorgeous, Sills at her mindblowing coloratura best. I imagine Treigle's booming, grainy voice was powerful on stage, but at times it sounds coarse and a bit wobbly here in the more difficult passages. All in all this is a fine disc, true to Handel without period instrument nonsense, though the recording quality is bad for 1967 (distortion on high notes and forte voice passages), when EMI and Decca and DG were turning out superb sounding operas on a regular basis.

Average customer rating: A Chandelier of Dreams and Sound Very Good, Just Different Trimmed & Tight Pelican not their best, but still great Richly deserving of praise

City of Echoes Pelican Manufacturer: Hydrahead Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Given to the Rising Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun Era Vulgaris Enter At the Soundless Dawn ASIN: B000PA9OP2 Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

1. Bliss In Concrete
2. City Of Echoes
3. Spaceship Broken-Parts Needed
4. Winds With Hands
5. Dead Between the Walls
6. Lost In the Headlights
7. Far From Fields
8. A Delicate Sense Of Balance

Album Description

the band that brought you australasia and the fire in our throats will beckon the thaw (decibel magazine's album of the year for 2005) returns with opus number three, a series of (r)evolutionary instrumental ruminations on touring and the homogenous effects of globalization. with shorter songs and expanded catchiness, city of echoes is pelican's "pop album," according to guitarist laurent schroeder-lebec, a deftly executed reminder that these dudes can do whatever they feel like and still make those hairs on the back of our necks stand up like tiny little boners. which is a-okay by us, because whenever lsl and fellow guitarist trevor de brauw join forces with the now-la-based herweg brothers--larry (drums) and bryan (bass)--to form the ultimate instrumental quadrangle, it's all shazzam! and the next thing you know, they're dropping so many suckas with all those sweet, victorious riffs that it begins to feel like chicago in july, when everybody's air-conditioners simultaneously shit the bed and the old folks start piling up like logs at the city morgue. when the heat wave passes and the humidity subsides, the pelican dudes stand on top of the proverbial heap, possibly hoisting a chalice of some type--maybe even a sword, but not in a manowar kind of way--as the reverberations from their own amplified gloriousness rain upon their heads (and all of our heads, really) like manna from heaven. amen.

Customer Reviews:

A Chandelier of Dreams and Sound.......2007-07-06

Anxiously awaiting this release was not without merit, because I know by now after Australasia and "Fire in our Throats..." that these guys don't deal out filler. With the varying differences in overall structure between the albums "Australasia" (released 2003) and "The Fire in our throats will beckon the thaw" (2005) I was very curious to see where exactly the new album "City of Echoes" would land.

Needless to say that they are heading much more into the ethereal and eclectic territory I found with the previous release, but are still able to retain some hard edges when it comes to great riffs throughout an album. If any song displays this nice mix, it is the first one titled "Bliss in Concrete" which, like many of the tracks on this album, is a bit shorter in length than some of the marathon tracks of the previous album. Despite shorter time within a track, these guys are still able to put a ton of structure in melody and varying time sequences throughout the song. For one song that clocks in less than six minutes, the first track has enough depth to it to be granted its own universe. For an instrumental album, Pelican does an excellent job of producing varying harmonies that are both uplifting and dark and come out with an overall solid song. When experiencing a Pelican album I think one thing that comes to mind is the word EFFORT. These guys are not just noodling around; they are creating some great instrument driven music.

The segments from the title track is no less powerful as "City of Echoes" is a song with some great driving guitars that is backed up by at times, a soulful and somber addition of ambience. If you are new to Pelican I would suggest starting out with Australasia, but if you like deep, instrumental rock/metal music that is minus the vocals then I doubt you will have any regrets if this album is your first listen of the band's music.

Within the tracks on this album there are some that stand out to me more than others, but overall I feel it is a complete album. There is enough art, texture and sonic soundscape here to chew on for quite some time...or at least until their next studio release, which again I will be anxiously waiting for.

Very Good, Just Different.......2007-06-27

Compared to their last LP, "The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw," City Of Echoes is a much safer release. Just looking at the track time and overall length of the album should lend some insight to this; the average track time of TFIOTWBTT was a whopping 8:20, whereas the average here is around 5:19 (admittedly, the latter's track count was greater by 1). The longest track in The Fire was over eleven minutes long, while Echoes longest, the title track, only measures in at 7. Also, City of Echoes is about 16 minutes shorter than TFIOTWBTT.

What this does to the sound is even more obvious; Echoes sounds much more organized and harmonic, even condensed when compared with TFIOTWBTT. Each song seems to sustain itself, though there is variation. For example, my personal favorite, track 3, begins with a simple, repeated piano note that in an almost symphonic progression is fleshed out into a full, more staggering chorus of guitar. The interesting aspect here is that it doesn't grow into a towering wave like, say "The Last Days of Winter" did on TFIOTWBTT, but has what you might consider checkpoints where the song grows. This could be anything from another guitar layer to a change in riffs. Either way the sound doesn't sneak up on you as it has on other releases, but rather jumps at you suddenly.

This album doesn't sound quite as epic; instead it sounds intelligent and meticulous, and I have to say that I grow more fond of its accessibility and forwardness with each listen. Perhaps you could slake it up to the band wanting a safer record as I already have, but the bottom line is that the music is still well executed and definitely exhibits movement and variation.

Personally, if I were to sum up the differences from previous releases I would have to say that structure has been emphasized in place of using space and tension. Not to say that these elements are entirely absent, they just aren't as dominant.

Either way, this is a very strong release with a satisfying albeit different sound. It may very well be that the band hoped to add some shorter pieces to their catalogue. If you were a fan before, the best advice (as always) is to listen to the album a couple times and personally decide about the differences.

Trimmed & Tight Pelican.......2007-06-19

"City of Echoes" is Pelican's third LP and continues the band's style of instrumental post-rock/metal. Gone are the drawn-out progressive pieces such as "March to the Sea" or "Nightendday" that took the listener on lengthened ten minute plus journeys. Instead "City of Echoes" delivers eight condensed and concise tracks, all roughly around the six-minute mark, and all keeping the themes and ideas trim and tight.

Obviously personal taste will have a major role in determining the result of this new direction. I can see it bringing in new fans due to accessibility, or perhaps reeling back old listeners who became bored with the old longer compositions. On the flipside I can also see it disappointing a portion of fans - those that liked the band's progressive approach. Initially I was quite firmly in the latter camp, irritated by my initial listens I thought Pelican had completely lost their song writing ability, as the album sounded like a confused mess of noise and heavy riffs. But it really did grow after a few more listens, and I began to pick out song structures that initially seemed scrambled.

I appreciate "City of Echoes" more by treating it as one large song, as this way I find it encompasses all of the old elements combined into a more dynamic and contrasting composotion - an aspect lacking in many of the individual compositions. This includes the rich and beautiful acoustic passages (represented by my favourite track on the album "Winds With Hands"), melancholy guitar motifs (evident throughout but most notably in the beautiful title track and "Far from Fields") and thundering riffs (something in plenty with the monstrous "Dead Between The Walls", and the fierce climax to the opener "Bliss In Concrete"). However, this seems slightly lacking as the older compositions would contrast dynamics more effectively and build up to climaxes in typical post-rock fashion, akin to Godspeed You! Black Emporer or Explosions In The Sky. With this new approach the elements are all there, but just divided and cut up into individual short songs.

This approach is certainly a risky development by the band, and is running the risk of the "hardcore" fans throwing the sold-out label at them. But, to Pelican's credit, I think they have done enough. "City of Echoes" is a detachment from the old progressive styling, and is not the ideal direction I personally want from them, but they retain enough of the old magic and formula for me to enjoy it, and give it a good rating.

not their best, but still great.......2007-06-13

Much more straight forward than 'the fire in our throats will beckon the thaw' much like Mogwai's Mr. Beast was. City of Echos has some of Pelican's best riffs on it, really a spectacle to behold. If you're a pelican fan you should already own this.

In terms of songs, this album has some really really good ones. Far from fields, Lost in the headlights truly are beautiful and spaceship broken- parts needed has the best ending to a song ever.

There are also definite lows to this album however which is why it's not my favorite. For starters it's much less progressive- which will probably appeal to most people but I felt it was one of the defining factors that made pelican so great. There are no epics on City of Echos, instead there are just really good solid riffs that change almost right after they start. Which leads me to my next point. many of the songs have almost a rushed feeling. In the sense that no riff/idea really stays around to long and isn't elaborated upon like in past releases. All of these songs in my opinion would've sounded much better if they had been longer and progressed upon more. No walls of sound like angel tears or march into the sea. I also really could have done without 'winds without hands' it seems that pelican has a tradition on each LP of having an acoustic track ( '-' on the fire in our throats and 'untitled' on australasia) which was a tradition I liked until now. winds without hands is just boring and could've done without it personally.

Overall though I like City of Echos just not the direction that pelican is deciding to take with their music. still a decent release, still recommended. 4 stars

Richly deserving of praise.......2007-06-09

This really is a great album. By the way, there are no vocals, in case you're new to Pelican. To me, that's a good thing: the truly beautiful guitar work can really shine without the distraction of forced lyrics or drug-induced ramblings.

Speaking of which, what's up with Amazon's Editorial review? Maybe I haven't listened to City of Echoes in the right *eh-hem* state yet, but I'm definitely not getting the whole pile-of-elderly-heat-stroke-victims vibe from it. Just sayin'.

Average customer rating: BUY! BUY! BUY! Great game - great music Hug your pillows girls best video game soundtrack ever. classical music listeners stop complaining

Halo 2, Vol. 1 Various Artists Manufacturer: Sumthing Else ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Anime & Video Game Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Halo | Game Titles | Specialty Stores | Computer & Video Games Similar Items: Halo: Original Soundtrack Halo 2, Vol. 2 Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach) Ghosts of Onyx (Halo) The Art of Halo ASIN: B00067RF6E Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

1. Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix
2. Blow Me Away - Breaking Benjamin
3. Peril
4. Ghosts Of Reach
5. Follow (1st Movement Of The Odyssey) - Incubus
6. Heretic, Hero
7. Flawed Legacy
8. Impend
9. Never Surrender - Nile Rodgers
10. Ancient Machine
11. 2nd Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
12. In Amber Clad
13. The Last Spartan
14. Orbit Of Glass
15. 3rd Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
16. Heavy Price Paid
17. Earth City
18. High Charity
19. 4th Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
20. Remembrance
21. Connected - Hoobastank

Amazon.com

Further proof that the 15-year-old male is the nexus of contemporary popular entertainment, this anthology of music from and "inspired by" the sequel to the earth-conquering Halo saga also showcases how capably the video game industry can trump even Hollywood's vaunted production values. The original synth-heavy underscore by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori is filled with enough brooding, mock-Goth atmospherics, and pulsing exotica of indeterminate ethnicity to give the Hans Zimmer stable a run for their money, while a slate of (mostly) worthy rock star guest turns give it a welcome edge. Legendary axe-slinger Steve Vai's sinewy riffing punches up the reworked main theme and "Never Surrender," while alt.metal contenders Breaking Benjamin serve up the suitably dramatic inspired-by cut "Blow Me Away." But it's Incubus' four-part "Odyssey" suite that's the centerpiece, bridging 1970s prog and modern rock with its moody aura and evocative musical dramatics. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

BUY! BUY! BUY!.......2007-03-05

This CD stayed in my truck's CD player for months before getting tired of it. Enough said.

Great game - great music.......2007-01-10

My son wanted this Cd. I had never sat long enough to listen to the music when he played Halo, so I didn't have a clue what I was buying. He let me listen to some of the tracks once it arrived and I had to "borrow" it from him so I could download the cd onto my pc. Needless to say I bought volume 2 and the original Halo soundtrack cd as well. They may belong to my son, but I love these cds too!

Hug your pillows girls.......2006-08-06

THe only reason I am writing anything about this album is because it contains the Odyssey by Incubus, and its probably some of their best work and will go down as their most unnoticed. While the rest of your nerds are huggin your pillows at night thinking about your video games and the "gnarly instrumentals" on this album you sit there and bash Incubus' work. The first track by them, Follow, is not all that great however it was re-released on an additional cd with their Alive at Red Rocks DVD and it sounds sooooooo much better on that cd (with some real lyrics) But after listening to the Odyssey I was really hoping this to be a new direction for Incubus, a more proggressive/conceptual sound. Whether this is the direction they go on with their new album is yet to be heard. Its a shame that this work will go unnoticed, and the only reason it will be that way because a bunch of losers decide to try and impress people with (what they think) is a sense of music just because its of a classical nature. Yes, the rest of the music on the album is amazing, and I give big ups to its composition, but come on people, show some love to good music when its presented to your faces.

best video game soundtrack ever........2006-08-03

i understand that many people are a bit angry with breaking benjamin and hoobastank being in here. i'm not particularly happy myself with the last track, but i think contemporary music is appropriate here, albeit lyrics may not be the greatest form of expressing the mysterious feeling behind everything. i think o'donnel and salvatori have what it takes to compose a score of music, but it's not a score, it's a soundtrack. i found that if you don't like them you can just skip them. the second to last track is a great way to end the soundtrack.

classical music listeners stop complaining.......2006-05-10

The worst part of this album was songs with lyrics (breaking benjamin, techno, hoobastank)...i dont understand then why people are upset with the incubus - follow has one word the whole song (two if you count "yeah") and their instrumental songs are brilliant, floyd-esque at times. for those of you reading others criticizing this album, ignore them, ignore the three bad songs on this album, and purchase it and enjoy it.

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