The Green Fuse

1. Damn, it Jack

2. Light as a Feather

3. Street I Don't Know

4. Teach Monroe

5. Let Me Spin

6. Plant a Flower

7. Help the Bombadier

8. Circus Girl

9. Emperor of Ice Cream

10. Oblivious

11. Don't Waste Your Time With Travel

12. When You Find Me

Tracks:

Spirit Seeking Light and Beauty (Gaelic Hymn)
There Will Be Rest (Frank Ticheli)
Alchemy: Living Gold (Donald M. Skirvin)
Alchemy: Cups of Fire (Donald M. Skirvin)
Alchemy: Jewelled Blaze (Donald M. Skirvin)
Alchemy: O Beauty (Donald M. Skirvin)
With Joy We Go Dancing (Einojuhani Rautavaara)
Ruth (Paul Ayres)
Afro American Fragments: Song for Billie Holiday (William Averitt)
Afro American Fragments: Feet O' Jesus (William Averitt)
Afro American Fragments: Fire (William Averitt)
Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster, arr. Craig Hella Johnson)
Deep River (arr. Anders Paulsson)
This Is My Song - Finlandia (Jean Sibelius)
Autumn Flowers (Gordon Binkerd)
Smnir Fagrir (Jon Nordal)
Sleep (Eric Whitacre)

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful disc from the Austin-based Conspirare.......2006-11-17

I acquired this cd a couple of weeks ago and have not been able to take it out of my cd player since. This is a quality recording of a wide variety of choral literature, all of which Conspirare performs marvelously. A truly wonderful arrangement by Conspirare's own conductor, Craig Hella Johnson, "Hard Times" is actually one of my favorite tracks on the entire cd, the gorgeous soprano solo and the powerful climax never fail to give me chills. Also noteworthy is the stunning performance of the increasingly popular Ticheli piece, "There Will Be Rest." Almost all of the literature on this disc is very good, and it is all breathtakingly sung by Conspirare.

The only track I didn't like was the unbearably tacky arrangement of "Deep River." This is no fault of the choir as it is sung beautifully, but the singing just can't conquer the tackiness of the arrangement. I had already begun to develop a negative opinion of it as I listened, and then out of nowhere, this ridiculous wailing saxophone entered(a la Kenny G) and I was not braced for the impact. "This is really lame" is all I could think of as the sap oozed out in all its glory. He also has another go at it towards the end as well, just to warn you. This is just way too much to handle! Whenever you want ultimate cheese, adding a saxophone solo of this style is quite a simple solution. Needless to say, I skip this track every single time I come to it. However, this is only my humble opinion, and you should listen to it and pass your own judgment... perhaps this track is your perfect cup of tea!

Aside from this one track, I am absolutely in LOVE with what Conspirare has done here. If you can muster the funds, go ahead and treat yourself to a captivating gem of choral music. Highly recommended!

Excellent Artistry and Technical Production.......2005-10-07

Highlights are Ticheli's "There Will Be Rest" and Whitacre's "Sleep" - certainly the best recordings of these 2 exquisitely beautiful pieces currently available and they alone made the purchase worth it. Single lowlight is the arrangement of Foster's "Hard Times..." which is lovely but ultimately detracts from the song's stark lyrical power. Although breaths are often (somewhat jarringly) audible, technique is otherwise very fine, the artistry is excellent and the technical production is first rate.

Picky Minnesotan approves..........2005-04-08

It's heartening for this Minnesotan to discover a choral group continuing on the tradition of impeccable quality that my state's own now-defunct Dale Warland Singers brought to ears for many years.

I had never heard of Conspirare, but will be looking out for more work from them! I enjoyed most every track and think anyone who enjoys sensitive, yet powerful choral singing will want to check this out.

Topnotch in every aspect........2005-01-18

Finally! An American choir that can rival the greats from Britain. This CD is amazing. Not only is the artistry and singing topnotch, the production values are impeccable. Plus, it's not the standard choral repertoire we've all grown bored with. I strongly recommend this CD to anyone who loves fine singing. I hope this is just one of many CDs to come.

Average customer rating:

Sink Me
The Green Fuse
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000FSMP8W
Release Date: 2006-01-17

Tracks:

Manchester '66
Can O' Peaches
Backwards into You (Feat. Kelly Hogan)
Careless Love
Stretchin' (The Natives Are Restless)
Leave Me a Dress
Montgomery
Meadowlark
Last Picture Show
Morning at the Magnolia
Gingerman
End of the Neverender

Average customer rating:

Through the Green Fuse

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000HKDC0I
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Average customer rating:

Get in the car

The Green Fuse

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004YKXI
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

Damn, it Jack
Light as a Feather
Street I Don't Know
Teach Monroe
Let Me Spin
Plant a Flower
Help the Bombadier
Circus Girl
Emperor of Ice Cream
Oblivious
Don't Waste Your Time With Travel
When You Find Me

Customer Reviews:

Get in the car.......2000-09-15

The songs of the universal pilgrim, wandering through time and space in a late model Chevy. Perfect for long trips with your lover, especialy if your "talking to the hand". "Damn it Jack" eludes to the mythical chain smoking, whiskey drenched days of yore, when men only cried on thier way home from church. These songs creep out of America's lost era of billowing smokestacks and confesions on bar room floors. People searching for folk noir need look no further. I don't know who the emporer of ice cream is but I certainly want to stay on his good side. New music for a gone world.

Average customer rating:

Hardtrance Only

Manufacturer: Zap Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000A3I6GW

Rock Music:

Rock Music