Circa

1. Triumph of the Pig People

2. Circa

3. Measure of a Man

4. Item: June 16th

5. Anywhere (Like the Moon)

6. Save Me, Save Me...

Circa,Flare,Mother West,Chamber Pop,Chamber Pop. A six song EP of sorrow, sadness and sacrifice.,Indie Pop,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: A new direction wow Juturna Still Owns This...But Good Nonetheless Worth the wait pure art

On Letting Go Circa Survive Manufacturer: Equal Vision Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lies for the Liars Southern Weather The Needles The Space It's Complicated Being a Wizard Holding a Wolf by the Ears ASIN: B000PFU9TM Release Date: 2007-05-29

Tracks:

1. Living Together
2. In the Morning And Amazing
3. The Greatest Lie
4. The Difference Between Medicine And Poison Is In the Dose
5. Mandala
6. Travel Hymn
7. Semi Constructive Criticism
8. Kicking Your Crosses Down
9. On Letting Go
10. Carry Us Away
11. Close Your Eyes To See
12. Your Friends Are Gone

Customer Reviews:

A new direction.......2007-06-25

Circa Survive's Juturna left a lot of people schocked because literally out of nowhere, one of today's most talented bands was born. Now, Circa Survive have released their eagerly-awaited follow-up to Juturna, and does it live up to the expectations?

The album starts off with one of Circa Survive's best tracks "Living Together" which showcases some nice guitar melodies and leads. Anthony Green still shows off his vocal talents in the same manner as the previous album, while still writing captivating lyrics. The drums are still as present as ever with the odd-time signatures that constitute Circa's trademark. The drummer especially stands out in the track "The difference between medicine and poison is in the dose" where he leads off in a 16th note beat on the hi-hat.

However, this release just doesn't have the same feeling as Juturna which had an overall mood and just flowed with not a false note. Here, the band tries out some different directions with songs like "mandala" or "Kicking Your Crosses Down" which are honestly skip tracks. We just feel in these songs that Circa isn't as confident as in their other songs. In Juturna, every song was a standout and every song had a different effect on the listener. For this release, all songs are good but only a few stand out as being classic Circa Survive tracks.

That is not to say the record is not good, obviously it is phenomenal and definitely refreshing due to its unequaled originality. It also has that unique atmosphere that makes Circa Survive so special.

The artwork of the album is also very original with very beautiful drawings and nice fold-out pages which definitely add on to the evasive mood that Circa create through their art.

Overall, I would definitely recommend all Circa Survive fans to get their hands on this new release. Indeed, I may have found this release weaker than Juturna but some people may like it more, it's up to you. But one thing is for sure, it's that Circa Survive are definitely a stand-out band who are gonna be here a long time and that it will take a long time before another band bursts out onto the scene and surprises thousands of listeners in the way this band did.

Standout tracks include: "Living Together" , "Carry Us Away" and "Your Friends Are Gone"

Pierre Schifflers

wow.......2007-06-21

You guys saying you didn't like mandala or kick your crosses down are insane. Crosses is probably my favorite song.

This record is epic, almost mars volta like. This is an experience. This band is so exciting to be a part of. I don't listen to much rock anymore but I was so happy when I heard this album last week. The vocals mesh SO WELL with the beautiful guitarwork. I just cannot say how impressed I am.

The album creates a very atmoshperic mood for me, and is very psychedelic (Green does a lot of drugs - I saw him play on mushrooms once), so the creativity just oozes out of every pore. Do yourself a favor and listen to this asap.

Juturna Still Owns This...But Good Nonetheless.......2007-06-13

This CD contains the greatest Circa song I've ever heard, "Living Together". Absolutely gorgeous tune.

This album really has a few standout tracks but some of them seem kind of repetitive (Tracks 2 and 3 especially).

Juturna was definitely a more solid album all the way through. I would not put this CD off nonetheless, it has some really solid tunes and Kicking Your Crosses Down has one of the prettiest hooks ever.

Worth the wait.......2007-05-31

It's been two years since "Juturna" and Circa Survive has been busy with tour after tour. I was nervous about this album because the guys haven't had much down time, but "On Letting Go" doesn't disappoint. Anthony Green's lyrics and vocals are as close to perfect as possible, and guitars and drums have improved greatly since their first record. "On Letting Go" is amazing from start to finish, and it's a welcome reminder that good music still exists.

pure art.......2007-05-30

ethereal. tragic. emotional. singular. philosophical. a waking dream-world. an experience. like a good drug, produces fledgling emotions of exuberance and melancholy. a perfect expansion of the mind and stirring of the heart. screams of loss while singing of hope. art.

Average customer rating: run your heart down a cheese grater Nothing to Sink Your Teeth Into! average Not terrible, just forgettable creates some impossible hybrid bridging the gap between classic progressive rock and modern emo metalcore

Juturna Circa Survive Manufacturer: Equal Vision Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk Revival | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music $8.99 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 All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $8.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Saosin EP Translating the Name Saosin Things Aren't So Beautiful Now The City Sleeps in Flames ASIN: B0007YXQ50 Release Date: 2005-04-19

Tracks:

1. Holding Somone's Hair Back
2. Act Appalled
3. Wish Resign
4. The Glorious Nosebleed
5. In Fear and Faith
6. The Great Golden Baby
7. Stop The Car
8. We're All Thieves
9. Oh. Hello
10. Always Getting What You Want
11. Meet Me In Montauk

Customer Reviews:

run your heart down a cheese grater.......2007-01-20

I love this cd. It sort of sounds like Glassjaw if they were hurdling through space grasping desperately for footing. I love this cd.

Nothing to Sink Your Teeth Into!.......2007-01-19

Juturna, the debut album from Circa Survive is a bold attempt to push the musical envelope with a progressive take on the punk/emo sound. The problem is that while relatively creative and courageous, the album falls flat in most areas. It has virtually nothing for the listener to sink their teeth into. Just as soon the band finds a groove, they turn an about face and go off in a completely different sonic direction. The instrumentation, while bold, is so manic and impatient with itself that it is nearly impossible to feel any of the songs. In addition to that, the insanely high-pitched vocals of Anthony Greene quickly become more annoying than pleasing to the ear, especially when the guy refuses to sing anything resembling a catchy chorus. Being that this is supposed to be an experimental and progressive group, I'm sure all of these characteristics are purposeful, but in the end they make this effort sound confused, unfocused and utterly unmemorable. Check out Saosin's debut album instead.

average.......2006-10-06

What first brought me to the attention of this band is the obvious saosin who I found to be catchy and a pretty good listen but what stood out for me most of all was the vocals of Anthony Green. So looking at a lot of reviews on the high pitched, angelic vocalists new band circa survive made me eager to give them a listen. I heard a good three tracks including "the great golden baby" and was looking forward to purchasing the album. I thought the songs were sang beautify and the instruments were played well but something was missing, I just found the album repeating itself and every song sounding not dissimilar to the next. It lacked that little extra kick, I understand the idea genre of it but it just didn't seem to build up to anything. The songs are mono toned and the lyrics aren't anything special. In all honesty it was disappointing but there are a few gems on it having said this. I recommend you buy this album but don't expect to be blown away. Its nice easy listening but hardly tears into your emotions.

Not terrible, just forgettable.......2006-09-19

There's just nothing that stands out on this album--no catchy hooks or melodies, the guitar work is nothing amazing, the vocals have a certain sameness on all the songs--and to be honest, I find Anthony's high-pitched coo-to-screech vocal range rather grating and obnoxious.

The instrumentation isn't punchy or dynamic, it's just kind of...there. The songs aren't emo, alternative, indie, metal, or even rock really--and the lack of genre isn't really to the band's credit. I didn't hear any of your typical emo power chords on the CD, but maybe that would've helped cut through the sludge a bit and give the listener something familiar.

With "Act Appalled" (which recalls Quicksand to some extent) being one of the only exceptions, this CD just doesn't seem to have a pulse. None of it really stays with me, and I definitely can't distinguish one song from the next.

I do have to give Anthony Green kudos for leaving Saosin--without him they've signed a major label deal and if the tracks on their Myspace page are any indicator, we'll be hearing some incredible music from them.

creates some impossible hybrid bridging the gap between classic progressive rock and modern emo metalcore.......2006-09-17

We've been super into that new strain of epic, super complex emo prog lately, bands like Chiodos, Coheed And Cambria. Groups that combine killer metal riffing, super dense and complicated prog arrangements, with super emotive wailing vocals. Like a whole new breed of punk rockers re-discovered Yes and King Crimson and managed to create some impossible hybrid bridging the gap between classic progressive rock and modern emo metalcore.

There are about a million bands doing their own version these days, and admittedly most of them suck, but we'll still stick by Chiodos, and the first two Coheed records, and now we have the latest by Circa Survive, a dreamy, epic, psychedelic, dramatic emo prog outfit, who actually eschew the more metal elements that define most of their sonic brethren, focusing instead on texture and melody and mood. There is definitely a Mars Volta vibe, a lot of that has to do with the vocalist's impossibly high voice, on first listen it's hard to believe it's not actually a woman singing, clear and crystalline, a soaring near falsetto, the vocals drifting above dense harmonies, gorgeous melodies, a thick sonic tapestry of shoegazer guitars, angular riffs, complicated rhythms, all woven into haunting and strangely catchy mini epics.

None of the songs are outright 'pop song' catchy, but they all manage to suck you in and make it virtually impossible to avoid repeat listens. Heavy, but not in a metal way, just deep and emotional, darkly dramatic, with layers of sound that are continually shifting to reveal hidden parts and recombining into unexpected surprises. Probably won't be that much of a surprise, but this is one of my favorite records of the last few years. And actually, this came out last year, but who cares, here it is 2006 and we're still spinning it like crazy...

Average customer rating: Not my cup of tea Brilliant Medieval and modern bash heads beautifully ... The best alternative to Jochum Simply the best Carmina

Orff: Carmina Burana Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Orff | Orff, Carl | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Levine, James | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana Carl Orff: Carmina Burana Orff - Carmina Burana: Battle, Allen, Lopardo, Ozawa, Berlin / Beethoven - Symphony No. 9: Schwanewilms, Groves, Dever, Hawlata, Ozawa, Saito Kinen Orchestra Orff: Carmina Burana Carmina Burana: Vocal Score ASIN: B000001G5X Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna
2. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: Fortune plango vulnera
3. I Primo Vere: Veris leta facies
4. I Primo Vere: Omnia Sol temperat
5. I Primo Vere: Ecce gratum
6. Uf dem Anger: Tanz
7. Uf dem Anger: Floret silva
8. Uf dem Anger: Chramer, gip die varwe mir
9. Uf dem Anger: Reie Swaz hie gat umbe Chume, chum, geselle min! Swaz hie gat umbe
10. Uf dem Anger: Were diu werlt alle min
11. II In Taberna: Estuans interius
12. II In Taberna: Olim lacus colueram
13. II In Taberna: Ego sum abbas
14. II In Taberna: In taberna quando sumus
15. III Cour d'amours: Amor volat undique
16. III Cour d'amours: Dies, nox et omnia
17. III Cour d'amours: Stetit puella
18. III Cour d'amours: Circa mea pectora
19. III Cour d'amours: Si puer cum puellula
20. III Cour d'amours: Veni, veni, venias
21. III Cour d'amours: In trutina
22. III Cour d'amours: Tempus est iocundum
23. III Cour d'amours: Dulcissime
24. Blanziflor et Helena: Ave formosissima
25. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna

Customer Reviews:

Not my cup of tea.......2007-02-18

Maybe I am not ready to appreciate this, but for the moment, this cd is just awful to my ears. Sorry for the die hard fans.

Brilliant.......2007-01-12

Joseph's Levine's production of Carmina Burana is brilliant. Although most everyone will recognize O Fortuna from "Excalibur" or other Hollywood fare, there is a tremendous depth and power in all of this masterpiece.

Medieval and modern bash heads beautifully ..........2006-01-09

Carl Orff may not have attained "household name" status, but the dazzling "Carmina Burana" has become a staple in the modern classical music repertory. The work has appeared in so many concert halls, recordings, movies, television spots, rock concerts, and presentations that it may rank as one of the twentieth century's most famous classical pieces. And this CD presents a great recording of Orff's most famous work.

But "Carmina Burana" doesn't always sound like twentieth century music. "O Fortuna", the blaring ominous opener, sounds like a blend of classical, medieval, and modern. And the themes of fortune, Spring, Love (and lust), and drinking sound anything but modern. The latin text doubtless lends a large part of the medieval flavor, but German also appears throughout the song cycle.

The text comes from a now famous 11th-13th century collection of some 1,000 poems and songs. Historians believe that the "goliards" (wandering freethinking poets) composed these poems, which laid undiscovered until 1803. In the 1930s these secular and sometimes bawdy songs caught the attention of the very Roman Catholic Orff. "Carmina Burana" premiered in Nazi Germany in 1937 to great acclaim (though some found it "degenerate"). Initially written as accompaniment for elaborate theater stagings, the work usually gets performed in concert halls without the visuals. The music definitely warrants such a performance. It stands completely on its own; ranging from the inexorably powerful to the delicate and lovely. Orff pulled out all the stops when he composed this incredible music.

"O Fortuna" remains justifiably famous with its riveting rhythms and staccato chorus. This tune bookends the entire song collection, suggesting that the work as a whole deals with the ineffable viscissitudes of life. Next, Spring arrives and brings with it dancing (track 6 will get any feet moving), drinking, and the pursuit of sensual pleasures. Though some gain from this happiness, some wallow in misery. "Olim lacus colueram" ("Once I Lived On Lakes") tells a ghastly story from the point of view of a swan roasting on a spit. The tenor solo sings with the perfect amount of agony as the music provides appropriately horrifying accompaniment. "Floret silva nobilis" ("The Noble Woods are Burgeoning") finds a lover bemoaning the parting of her lover. The music punctuates her woe with horse hoof beats fading into the distance. Woes of Fortune and the changes brought with springtime provide the thematic structure for the songs. In the end, the refrain of "O Fortuna" provides a reminder that our pleasures and our misery remain fleeting and subject to the wiles of fortune. Thematically, the piece is timeless.

James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra pull off quite a performance on this CD. Anyone looking for a solid straight through recording of this famous work will find it here. The CD booklet doesn't give much information on Orff or on the work, but it does contain all of the lyrics in Latin/German and English. Regardless, the music prevails and this recording will not disappoint.

The best alternative to Jochum.......2005-08-08

While Eugen Jochum's definitive recording of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana concentrated on a rustic, unrefined presentation of the miraculous choral hodgepodge, James Levine's modern, Grammy Award-winning 1984 recording gives the hypnotic work a smooth, meticulous treatment. Levine, a notoriously "glossy" conductor, is in excellent form here, taking the twenty-five mini-masterpieces that comprise the work somewhat slower than Jochum with three of the best soloists ever to be recorded.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus are in terrific order. The choral selections (the primitive "Fortune plango vulnera," the jovial "Ecce gratum," the appropriately flowery "Floret silva," and, of course, the calamitous "O Fortuna!") are presented with almost perfect accuracy and calculation. The pacing is only occasionally disappointing; the Tanz, which contains excellently elaborate percussive sections, is taken too quickly and most of the rich subtleties are lost.

Philip Creech's rendition of the song of the roasting swan, "Olim lacus colueram," is a hilarious and slightly disturbing instance of petrified and bizarre caterwauling. Bernd Weikl, a rather rough-hewn baritone-bass, is a somewhat unsteady but altogether satisfying choice for the baritone soloist. "Ego sum abbas" is definitely his best moment; it is presented accusingly and voraciously, easily juxtaposed to the supercilious ravings and fire-and-brimstone-preaching of a Biblical prophet. June Anderson is simply a treasure as the soprano soloist. Gundula Janowitz, the Jochum soprano, has a less dense, more ethereal voice, which was more fitting for the orgiastic "Stetit puella." However, due to one of Levine's more inspired (and slow) moments, Anderson is able to uncover some of the solo's most invigorating and atmospheric subtleties. She also survives "Dulcissime," a brief but extraordinarily tiring piece that causes most sopranos to languish.

Simply the best Carmina .......2005-05-03

When I bought this CD, I expected a beautiful, powerful, austere, haunting, loud piece all rolled into one CD. The CSO, bless their hearts, obliged me here. The brass, as usual are painstakingly precise( as is the chorus when the score calls for staccato passages such as the pianissiomo section on the first track)as seen in tracks such as track 10, the last part of Uf dem Anger. Of course I cannot diminish the other parts of the orchestra but my mind often freezes up when doing these reviews because I have so much I want to say and don't want you to think I'm a babbling idiot. Anyway, really, the only detraction to this recording is the tenor, Creech I believe it is. I find his sqawking irritating( I am speaking specifically of the Roasted Swan Song). I cannot attest to whether that's what Orff actually wanted as another critic here suggests. If that is what Orff wanted, then shame on him. Regardless of that minor flaw, the disc is a proud testament to what happens when Levine meets the CSO.

Average customer rating: Big Fan Review

John Corigliano: String Quartet; Snapshot: Circa 1909; A Black November Turkey; Friedman: String Quartet No. 2 Manufacturer: Naxos American ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Corigliano | Corigliano, John | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: Haydn: Piano Sonatas Handel - Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno Carson Cooman: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 Stefan Wolpe: The Man from Midian; Sonata for violin & piano John Adams: Complete Piano Music ASIN: B000OQDRVO Release Date: 2007-05-29

Album Description

John Corigliano is one of the finest and most widely recognized American composers. He has won several GRAMMY awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and an Academy Award for his score for the film "The Red Violin".

Customer Reviews:

Big Fan Review.......2007-05-30

Up front, I have to state that I am a fan of John Corigliano and of the Corigliano String Quartet. I've listened to this recording a number of times since i got it, and it never fails to reward listening. Each time I find more nuances and associations, and I remain very impressed with both the quality of the recording and of the playing. This is the kind of music that gives contemporary 'classical' music a good name: it is clearly modern, yet deeply informed by a thorough knowledge of classical traditions (listen for resonances of Beethoven's Grosse Fugue in the Fugue movement of the String Quartet) and the world we live in, and it is music that is full of emotion and intelligence, expressed in a truly contemporary idiom. Wonderful.

Average customer rating: San Francisco is great, but not here... Life In The Middle Ages Was Hardly Dull!!! My overall favorite "Carmina" One of the best Very Disappointing

Orff: Carmina Burana Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Orff | Orff, Carl | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music San Francisco Symphony Orchestra | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Carmina Burana: Vocal Score Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem Orff - Carmina Burana / Oelze, Keenlyside, Keubler; Thielemann Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6 Symphony No. 9 / Overture in C ASIN: B0000041YC Release Date: 1991-10-11

Tracks:

1. Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna
2. Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: Fortune plango vulnera
3. Carmina Burana: I. Primo Vere: Veris leta facies
4. Carmina Burana: I. Primo Vere: Omnia Sol temperat
5. Carmina Burana: I. Primo Vere: Ecce gratum
6. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Tanz
7. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Floret silva nobilis
8. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Chramer, gip die varwe mir
9. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Reie - Swaz hie gat umbe - Chume, chume, geselle min - Swaz hie gat umbe
10. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Were diu werlt alle min
11. Carmina Burana: II. In Taberna: Estuans interius
12. Carmina Burana: II. In Taberna: Olim lacus colueram
13. Carmina Burana: II. In Taberna: Ego sum abbas
14. Carmina Burana: II. In Taberna: In taberna quando sumus
15. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Amor volat undique
16. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Dies, nox et omnia
17. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Stetit puella
18. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Circa mea pectora
19. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Si puer cum puellula
20. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Veni, veni, venias
21. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: In trutina
22. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Tempus est jocundum
23. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Dulcissime
24. Carmina Burana: Blanziflor et Helena: Ave formosissima
25. Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna

Amazon.com

This Grammy-winning recording of Orff's perennially popular selection of Latin lyrics is quite good. What makes the performance so successful is Herbert Blomstedt's determination to focus on beautiful singing of the tunes, rather than merely pounding out the rhythm and letting the chips fall where they may. The result is uncommonly colorful and musically satisfying. Orff was probably the least original composer that ever lived, and it was all downhill from here. If you like this piece (and who doesn't?) and want something more, you must turn to Orff's source of inspiration. Try Stravinsky's Les Noces (The Wedding) or the Symphony of Psalms. After all, if Orff could do it, so can you. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

San Francisco is great, but not here..........2005-07-07

Generally San Francisco recordings are among my favorites. The Richard Strauss recordings under Blomstedt are rich and clean, and powerfully convey colors and character. However, this recording of Carmina is hardly up to speed with any of that. The performance is dull and lacks character, though the soloist do quite well throughout. I recommend the Philharmonia recording under Ricardo Muti, or the Carl Orff approved recording with the Berlin Opera under the direction of Eugene Jochum. The SFS recording is a nice addition to the Orff colection, if for nothing else than variety.

Life In The Middle Ages Was Hardly Dull!!!.......2003-10-26

I am a religious person by nature, and enjoy classical religious music. The first time I heard CARMINA BURANA, it was on the radio. The announcer said the original texts set to music by Carl Orff were mediaeval poems. That was about it. I recall hearing a baritone sing O, O, O, then a few Latin words, and then the word "virginali" I assumed the song must be about the Virgin Mary, or at least virtue. I figured the music was powerful, and since it was medieval poetry, most likely religious, and I was sure I would enjoy it. Well, when I got home, and read the words, I realized that most of the poems shed a different light on this period of time. Many of the poems dealt with people burning with lust and all sorts of carnal desires. As I read the text, I realized that life in the middle ages was not so boring after all. While tame by today's standards, the words are rather risqué. I even recall seeing a parental advisory label on one recoding on the work. That would be going a bit too far.

The poems themselves celebrate bawdy love, but they are humorous, and Carl Orff's music is addictive. There is a right mix of music so that a chorus and orchestra can both create a spectacular sound. The work begins and concludes with the famous chorus O Fortuna. Some of the poems celebrate spring, festivities on a common and in a tavern, and the songs of love. The poems show us an interesting slice of life in the middle ages as well as a different perspective on humanity. Orff's music is modern, but it employs unique sounds that catch the attention of the listener. Most of the music is fast paced and fits the words being sung rather well.

Herbert Blomsted and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus do a decent job in this recording. The orchestra is strong and the play the music lavishly. The chorus has some powerful moments, but the performance in somewhat uneven. The three soloists are good, but not exceptional. My favorite recording of this work was an old Boston Symphony Orchestra recording that is no longer available. Sherrill Milnes and Eileen Farrell are two of the soloists and Erich Leinsdorf is the conductor. Just about any recording of this world would suffer from comparison.

My overall favorite "Carmina".......2003-01-17

This much-recorded chestnut has rarely sounded as powerful as it does on this recording. Blomstedt whips up a huge amount of excitement with overall tempi on the brisk side, but still allows delicate sections to breathe, such as "In Trutina" (with the excellent soprano Lynne Dawson, who sounds clear and focused both here and throughout the recording).

The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is terrific, playing with sparkling precision, and the superb chorus not only sings beautifully in tune but enunciates the Latin text so that every word can be understood. Soloists John Daniecki and Kevin McMillan are also quite fine, and Decca's sound quality is ultra-clear, which only underlines Blomstedt's crisp interpretation.

Among fairly recent recordings of this piece, Muti and Dutoit are other favorites. Some listeners may admire versions with specific soloists, such as Jochum's with Gundula Janowitz or Levine's with June Anderson. But this one is hard to beat as an overall, highly satisfying choice - and reminds us of why this piece became a chestnut in the first place.

One of the best.......2002-06-17

This is an incredibly refined performance.

Those who have had the privilege of listening to Maestro Blomstedt's live performances will understand his grasp of clarity and balance. In this rendition of Orff's masterpiece, he gives us a performance so clear that the listener believes himself to be reading the score.

The percussion, emphasized in some recordings to achieve a superficially brilliant effect, is brought into balance with the rest of the ensemble, yet still provides the necessary aural spice. The Maestro shows us that this is well written and beautiful music, and allows the ingredients to speak for themselves.

Nevertheless, the work as presented still contains the erotic power and drive of Orff's conception. This is amazing since Maestro Blomstedt is a Seventh Day Adventist, and the expressions in this music, and in particular in "In Taberna" must be anathema to his personal beliefs.

I do not know who troubled to write the pans that appear elsewhere on this page, but they must have listened to far too many trite performances of this major work. And as far as characterizing Orff as unoriginal is concerned, he may not be another Mozart, but he is still a pretty good Orff.

Very Disappointing.......2002-04-30

I heard this CD when it first came out and I am as disappointed by it now as I was then. I don't question Mr. Blomstedt's ability or talent in conducting, but I do have a profound dislike for the style that he used. To state it simply, his approach is much too light and soft for my tastes. For example, listen to the sound file of his Fortuna Imperiatrix Mundi here, and then compare it to the versions done by DeBurgos (my favorite) and Muti. Both DeBurgos' and Muti's version have a touch of shrillness that make your hair stand on end. In my opinion, Blomstedt's version lacks this quality. It's too pleasant--lacking the brashness that I want to hear from a Carmina Burana. The only part where I think that he really succeeds is in the part where the roasted swan sings. There, I hear a dark humor that I find appropriate and engaging.

This is not a bad album--the performance and sound are absolutely flawless--it's just wholly uninteresting to me. I prefer other interpretations of this work.

Average customer rating: good stuff MC5 plus horn section times punk rock

Circa: Now! Rocket from the Crypt Manufacturer: Swami Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Scream, Dracula, Scream! RFTC Paint as a Fragrance All Systems Go The State of Art Is on Fire/Plays the Music Machine ASIN: B0002198W8 Release Date: 2004-07-06

Tracks:

1. Short Lip Fuser
2. Hippy Dippy Do
3. Ditchdigger
4. Don't Darlene
5. Killy Kill
6. Hairball Alley
7. Sturdy Wrist
8. March Of Dimes
9. Little Arm
10. Dollar
11. Glazed
12. Lamps for Sale
13. Crazy Talk
14. Flight of the Hobo
15. Over the Rail

Customer Reviews:

good stuff.......2006-06-14

This is a great album ,I especially love the song "glazed".I bought this album at random when I was real young in the early 90's.Rocket from the crypt is a very original band,very punk but with a "oompa-oompa" feel to the riffs that you would expect from a ska band.The lyrics are pretty dark.I give it a five for originality.

MC5 plus horn section times punk rock .......2006-03-02

If there was any justice in this world San Diego would be renamed Reis Diego.

Average customer rating: f1_nut Not Where It's At Justin Currie, in the liner notes, isn't kidding Glasgow does it again i have to agree

Del Amitri Del Amitri Manufacturer: Superfecta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Can You Do Me Good? B-Sides Lousy With Love Hatful of Rain: The Best of Del Amitri A Terrible Beauty Change Everything ASIN: B00009L4V9 Release Date: 2003-06-03

Tracks:

1. Heard Through A Wall
2. Hammering Heart
3. Former Owner
4. Sticks And Stones Girl
5. Deceive Yourself
6. I Was Here
7. Crows In The Wheatfield
8. Keepers
9. Ceasefire
10. Breaking Bread
11. This King Is Poor
12. The Difference Is
13. Lines Running North
14. Brown Eyed Girl

Album Description

2003 remastered reissue of the Glaswegian adult alternative act's 1985 debut album. Includes 4 bonus tracks 'The King Is Poor', 'The Difference Is', 'Lines Running North' & 'Brown Eyed Girl'. Superfecta.

Customer Reviews:

f1_nut.......2006-10-06

Hey Dels Fans, if you like del amitri albums like some other sucker's parade or twisted i'd be surprised if you will even recognise this album as a dels album. I couldn't believe it when I heard it and thought that it must be a mistake. My advice is to get all the other albums and forget this one. Instead, try The Wallflowers bringing down the horse, same style more polished music.

Not Where It's At.......2006-08-04

Hate to be the lone dissenter but I'm gonna be honest here. I became a Dels fan around the time of Twisted and Some Other Sucker's Parade. I'm sure I'm far from the only one in that camp. I picked up this album long ago (I've long since sold off the CD). When I gave it a listen, I thought it was a different band!

I can't say the album's bad, it's just a completely different genre of music. More Elvis Costello-ish than the melodic alt-rock balladry of sorts that filled the later releases.

If you're like me, a word of caution, this disc may not be for you. Buyer beware.

Justin Currie, in the liner notes, isn't kidding.......2005-09-11

about no choruses and too many words in these songs, but he's also right about the charm of this first album. This stuff isn't very sing-along-able (without a lot of listening and practice), despite the devotion to melody and harmonizing. Several of the songs are rapid-fire tongue-twisting soliloquies or jaded poetry rants molded by the beat and jangly guitars and a sort of punk attitude if not sound. Yet the music is lovely, poignant, affecting. Currie's younger voice is higher, more earnestly intense, but even here a talent to be appreciated. The long-winded lyrics are angry, agonized & naive sometimes but not stupid or (entirely) clueless. (I have no doubt "Crows in the Wheatfield" was inspired by Van Gogh's painting Wheatfield with Crows.) Already there are the plays on words and twists of meaning we've come to know and love in the Dels' songs.

I love the breathless adolescent rush of "Hammering Heart," "Sticks and Stones Girl" and "I Was Here"; the hopeless, sweet sadness of "Former Owner"; the biting, world-kicking, self-dissatisfied "Crows in the Wheatfield"; the hurt frustration of "Lines Running North"; and the beautiful but terrible "Keepers." Terrible in the sense of its subject, which isn't love but controlling, abusive obsession: "you may be bleeding though you're not dying, but you are dying to go/stop teasing me/I'm not seeing you leaving me."

All in all, this is a separate curiosity from the later Del CDs, is more than "mere" entertainment, but it has grown on me quite a bit since I first played it, and I go `round humming bits of this, too. The final bonus track of this reissue is a cover of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." It sort of grates on the ear and they're horsing around with it-can't quite tell whether they're sending it up or they like it (or both), but it leaves you smiling.

Glasgow does it again.......2005-08-09

Recently I re-listened to this debut which I was fortunate enough to discover when it was released. What is still arresting is just the very high quality of the music - the very warm rich sound, the sophisticated songs and beautifully Beatlesque (yet utterly Scottish - passionate, ironic) harmonizing, the witty literate lyrics, the wonderful pastoral/urban melodies. This is one of those rare records you play then find yourself putting on again an hour later. A striving comparison might be early James and the English Beat minus the beat if that makes sense. I also think of the Lilac Time and Stephen Duffy's rueful village romanticism. It's astounding how utterly different this is from anything Del Amitri went on to make. It seems after this failed commercially a decision was made to change direction in a drastic way towards the commercial end. I've yet to hear anything this brilliant in the intervening years. Good stuff.

i have to agree.......2005-06-17

if true art is something that communicates to its audience, then this is true art. a permanent top 10 lister, a desert island pick ... if you only remember one thing from your surfing session tonight, remember this: all the best musicians come from scotland.

Average customer rating: Doesn't suck Best Vocal ever?! A lost classic An 'alternative' band worth the label Great CD...Bad contract (too say the least!)

Circa Mary's Danish Manufacturer: Morgan Creek ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Jangle Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: American Standard Experience: Live + Foxey Lady songs of love and empire Hang Time American Thighs ASIN: B0000042MH Release Date: 1995-08-29

Tracks:

1. Yellow Creep Around
2. Julie's Blanket (Pigsheadsnakeface)
3. Beat Me Up
4. Louisiana
5. Mr. Floosack
6. Hoof
7. Tracy In The Bathroom Killing Thrills
8. Abalone Blues
9. 7 Deadly Sins
10. Bombshell
11. Foxey Lady
12. Down
13. These Are All The Shapes Nevada Could Have Been
14. Venus Loves Leonard
15. Hellflower
16. Axl Rose Is Love
17. Cover Your Face

Customer Reviews:

Doesn't suck.......2006-08-01

If you're a big fan of sing-songy music w/lots of jangly guitars, this one is sure to please. It's not bad, just not my cup of tea.

Best Vocal ever?!.......2005-01-03

Well M. Danish is a surfing icon band to me, I first listenned them at the "Billabong" Pump surfing video, it was 1990, whatever.
What a incredible CD to make a long distance journey or that airport wasting hours...
Try the other CD's too. It's hard to find a band with "same" level CD's. "there goes the wondertruck" is great too...
"Hellflower" is a quite perfect song for that after "something" you want.

A lost classic.......2001-08-10

One of my all-time favourite albums. Should have been huge. Catchy as hell, musically ambitious, sweet sweet vocals..... I can't believe this band didn't take-over the world. WORTH HUNTING DOWN AT ANY COST.

An 'alternative' band worth the label.......1999-05-26

You don't hear albums like this one every day. On _Circa_, Mary's Danish shows both that they know their roots and that they're unafraid to reach in new directions. Many songs start off one way, then change direction radically, either gradually or all at once. Despite this, the numbers hang together as whole compositions, and none of them lose the listener in self-indulgent noodling (though the musicians do prove they possess at least as much technical ability as your average 'progressive rock' band). Some of the songs are a great deal of fun, such as their drastically rearranged cover of Hendrix's "Foxey Lady" (which bursts into a note-for-note rendition of the bridge from Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused" before bringing it all back home). On the other hand, many songs are quite sad and bitter, and it's on these numbers that the group's two female vocalists truly show their mettle. "Hoof" is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, and has brought tears to my eyes on several occasions, as has "Beat Me Up". In short, this is a very good album, and if not for the presence of a few songs that are a bit too derivative of mainstream 'alternative'-labeled music, I would give it five stars. But "Hoof" is worth the price of the CD all by itself.

Great CD...Bad contract (too say the least!).......1999-04-26

I saw Mary's Danish open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers twice in 1989, and was blown away by them. I subsequently bought their CD "There Goes the Wondertruck", which was as energetic and fun as their shows. In September of 1991 I purchased Nirvana's "Nevermind" and Mary's Danish "Circa". Too this day in 1999 "Circa" is the album I listen to most often. Mary's Danish should have been one of the great bands of the 90's. Alas, they were shafted royally by Morgan Creek Records, and to make a long story short they were forced to break up to escape their contract. There is a compelling article in one of the March or April issues of L.A. Weekly about how the industry treats acts poorly, and Mary's Danish was the feature of the story. I am angered that us fans were denied the joy of listening to this band because of Byzantine record label politics. The only thing that keeps me from purchasing their final album, "American Standard", is that none of the band will see one penny of royalties. People should know what happened to Mary's Danish. They didn't flame out. Rather, they were snuffed out.

Average customer rating: The Only 80's Comp CD I own!

Senses Working Overtime Manufacturer: Hear Music / Rhino Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Love ASIN: B000HAB4OO

Product Description

1. New Order-Age of Consent 2. Talking Heads-Once In A Lifetime 3. David Bowie-Ashes To Ashes 4. Pretenders-Kid 5. Cure-Cats Are Grey 6. Roxy Music-Oh Yeah! 7. Smiths-William, It Was Really Nothing 8. Elvis Costello-New Amsterdam 9. Kate Bush-Hounds of Love 10. XTC-Senses Working Overtime 11. Bauhaus-All We Ever Wanted Was Everything 12. Peter Gabriel-Shock The Monkey 13. Echo and The Bunnymen-The Killing Moon 14. The Sound-Sense of Purpose 15. Split Enz-One Step Ahead 16. English Beat-Mirror in the Bathroom 17. Robyn Hitchcock-Trams of Old London 18. The Jam-That's Entertainment

Customer Reviews:

The Only 80's Comp CD I own!.......2007-04-08

I hate every track list from every 80's comp cd I've ever seen. This one was utterly different. From the beginning to end, this cd rocks!

Average customer rating: Mmm... Summer 98'...

In The Mix Ibiza Manufacturer: Circa Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000BRSD4M

Product Description

Track List: Compact Disc 1 1. Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit), 2. Feel It (Radio Edit), 3. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Remix), 4. Needin' U (Radio Edit), 5. The Freaks Come Out (Sharp Freaks At Trade Mix) / Cevin Fisher's Big F, 6. It's Like That (Radio Edit), 7. On The Top Of The World (Original Mix) / Diva Suprise Featuring Georgia Jo, 8. Storm (Original Version), 9. Nervous Breakdown (Original Rohypnol Mix), 10. Kinetic (Rhythm Masters Melodic Mix) / Golden Firls, 11. El Nino (Matt Darey Latino Remix), 12. I Can't Help Myself (The Lucid Vocal Mix), 13. Cafe Del Mar '98 (Nalin & Kane Remix), 14. 1998 (1998 Paul Van Dyk Remix), 15. Keep On Dancin' (Let's Go) (Vocal Pressure Mix), 16. For An Angel (Paul Van Dyk's Remix), 17. Disco Cop (Original Climax Edit), 18. Beachball (Tall Paul '98 Remix), 19. Seven Days And One Week (Club Mix), Track List: Compact Disc 2 1. You Got The Love (New Voyager Radio Mix), 2. Wide Open Space (Perfecto Mix), 3. Horny (Horny '98 Extended Mix), 4. Free (Radio Edit), 5. Music Sounds Better With You (12" Club Mix), 6. Everybody Dance (The Horn Song) (Vocal Club Mix), 7. Deep Menace (Spank) (Joey Negro's One Way Mix), 8. Music Is The Answer (Dancin' & Prancin') (Danny's Tourism Mix), 9. Teardrops (Classic 12"), 10. Sugar Is Sweeter (Armand Van Helden's Drum 'n' Bass Mix), 11. Burning (Blockbuster 12" Mix), 12. Plastic Dreams (Club Mix), 13. Age Of Love '98 (Johnny Vicious Mix), 14. Sunchyme (Radio Edit), 15. Higher State Of Consciousness (Dex & Johnsey's Higher Stated Mix), 16. Me Show You (Tall Paul Remix), 17. Skydive (Original Mix), 18. Ayla (Space Brothers Meet Sacha Collission Remix), 19. Amazon Chant (Never Ending Original Mix), 20. The Rockafeller Skank (Radio Edit),

Customer Reviews:

Mmm... Summer 98'... .......2006-03-18

Memories really are priceless. Over time they probably become quite a bit more romantic. But regardless, here's an album that brings loads nad loads of memories and even emotions to me. While it may appear to be little more than a compilation of trance/pop cuts from 1998 in the Ibiza mold (before it was definitely overkilled and flooded with a staggering amount of copies and knock-offs), this one stands out... because it's really good! While listening to some old trance series the other night, I had an urge to hear Binary Finary and pulled this Virgin mix out and remembered just how good a lot of the music was and how special a cd this one is to me.

It's a double disc set and fits the mold of the series' of this time frame. You've got Stardust's "Music Sounds Better With You" to kick it off - a wildly popular and overplayed song at the time with a chime that stuck in your head like a Disney theme. Then The Tamperer's "Feel It'" followed, a cut that was littlem ore than a total sample of the Jackson 5's "Feel It" with a few electronic touches. CD One though really rocks to me - terrific tunes like Run DMC's "It's Like That" remixed, "Storm", and I used to love "Kinetic" by the Golden Girls and all of the remixes. I also loved the energyh of "1998" remixed by PVD, and this mix of "Cafe Del Mar" is still my personal favorite. Rounding out CD one were amazing trace tracks by PVD and Nalin and Kane, who featured with some of the best trance tracks that were ever made IMO on disc one.

Disc two doesn't slow down either. Although it has a bit more of a poppyh feel thanks to Mouse T's "Horny"... I rememebr when that song was pumping! Still have the cd single! But it starts out a bit weaker than disc one, including a rehash of Stardust's cut that opened disc one. But once Teardrops kicks and "Sugar is Sweeter", that remix that's now timeless kicks, you're on a throbbin' trance journey. "Sunchyme", the trance mix brings me back to club nights at "Avalon" and also in England, whlie "Higher State of Consciousness" had the deep, dark electronic element to the music that was just cool. It preceeds Camisra's wildly popular "Let Me Show You" from that time frame before the real gem of the double disc set kicks in - the cut that put Jan Johnston on the match ' "Skydive". The tune still gives me chills when I hear it in the car. What's added to this is how it was so appropriately followed by "Ayla"... and the correct mix at that! Then comes "Amazon Chant" to somewhat wind down the trance mood - another tune that I loved before closing out with Fatboy Slim's hit "Rockafeller Skank".

With such a glowing review, it's obvious that this is one of my favorite albums. It's easily one of the best commercial trance albums I've ever heard. Terrific sounds, excellent organization and amazing music - there really isn't any filler in this at all as at one point or another I remember each of these songs blasting routinely in the clubs. Even mroe amazing to me is that this double set still ranks among the best and I still adore this one; it's not that often that you come across a dance mix cd that lasts 8 weeks, let alone 8 years like this. The only downside to this album will be that it'll be VERY hard to find and when you do find it, it'll come pretty expensive. Other's to consider if you have this are the Euphoria series form this time frame and the Ministry of Sound trance/Ibiza compilations although IMO, the Ministry of Sound ones don't even come close to this. Good job Virgin!

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2. Crackstatic [Import]
3. Criminal Within
4. Darkside of a Smile
5. Dark Sparkle Corner [Import]
6. Deconstructed [Explicit Lyrics]
7. Departure
8. Devil Made Us Do It [Import]
9. Distant Memory of Home Ep [Import]
10. El Profeta

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