Natural History [Import]

Product Description
Import edition of 2001 album for UK indie act who have a genius for capturing the dark side of love almost as great as their ability to make a calamity out of a casual affair. 12 tracks in all including the ace singles, 'Twist', 'Dark Star' & 'Morning Rain'.

Natural History,I Am Kloot,EMI Int'l,Alternative Pop/Rock,British Trad Rock,Indie Pop,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Evolution: Pop Gets Artsy This Music Defines the 80's Deeper than you might think music the way I remember it Get to know Talk Talk

Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk Talk Talk Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Vinyl Records | American Punk | British Punk | Emo | Garage Punk | Hardcore | Post Hardcore | Proto Punk | Punk | Punk Revival | Punk-Pop | Riot Grrl | Ska Punk | Straight Edge New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Psychedelic Furs - Greatest Hits Look of Love: The Very Best of ABC The Best Of A Flock Of Seagulls Ultimate Collection Thompson Twins - Greatest Hits ASIN: B000002UWE Release Date: 1990-10-16

Tracks:

1. Today
2. Talk Talk
3. My Foolish Friend
4. Such A Shame
5. Dum Dum Girl
6. It's My Life
7. Give It Up
8. Living In Another World
9. Life's What You Make It
10. Happiness Is Easy
11. I Believe In You
12. Desire
13. Life's What You Make It (Live)
14. Tomorrow's Started (Live)

Amazon.com

Who would have imagined that the missing link between Miles Davis and Portishead would be a pasty Brit band whose synth-driven hits show up from time to time on rock-of-the-'80s collections? For those only familiar with MTV hits like "Talk Talk" and "It's My Life," this compilation is the beginning of a revelation. Talk Talk mastermind Mark Hollis is an eccentric genius whose hook-laden hits hide an equally satisfying catalog of art-rock experimentation. As Talk Talk evolved, Hollis (opting for a cut-up technique that anticipated the Pro-Tools revolution) ditched synth-pop and produced some of the most sublime late-night records ever. Think Stevie Winwood tranquilized by listening to too much Blue Nile and you start to get the picture. But fair warning: buy this album, and there's a good chance you'll end up purchasing the whole catalog. --Bill Forman

Customer Reviews:

Evolution: Pop Gets Artsy.......2007-02-16

This compilation is a wonderful introduction to Talk Talk. In fact, it's a wonderful compilation, period. It allows the listener to clearly feel the way in which the band evolved from purveyors of standard-issue synth-pop to more art-oriented musicians. By not screwing up the chronology, the set has a wonderful sense of flow that makes the experience all the more wonderful.

And the music is great, too. The early material is poppy fare that's quite in tune with the times. "Today" and "Talk Talk" are sing-along ditties that anyone with a sense of fun can instantly appreciate. The next few tracks possess a slight moodiness that serve as a precursor for the ambient sensibilities that are to come. Then, we get the hit "It's My Life." It's the apex of their pop sensibilities, as far as I'm concerned. You can't top that track. It's impossible.

As such, the music changes direction following that song. "Life's What You Make It," despite its popularity, is still a bit of a plodder. "Happiness is Easy," despite its kids chorus, is artier than most of the material that preceded it. And then things get even more abstract. "I Believe In You" is beautiful, as is "Desire." However, these tracks inhabit a totally different plane than the first tracks on CD. These are mood pieces, intended to establish an atmosphere rather than make the day-glo kiddies dance. Hollis is still there to provide insight, but he's merely adding colours to a picture as opposed to telling a story.

And then there are the two live tracks. That's the way to make a compilation: Chronologically-arranged studio tracks with some live stuff tacked at the end. I don't care for "Life's What You Make It," so I could've done without it. But thankfully, the compilers decided to give us a miraculous version of "Tomorrow's Started." That track can move my soul like no other. It's a highlight, and a great closer.

Overall, this collection will appeal to a wide audience. The new wave kids will like the early stuff. Pretentious arty kids will like the latter material. Your average Joe will probably enjoy the whole thing, although he might get a bit bored at the end. That's okay, though; this is a great primer that present a great band. Sure, there are a few less-than-perfect tracks scattered about, but in the end, this CD has mass appeal and is totally worth purchasing.

This Music Defines the 80's.......2007-01-22

I never heard of this band until recently and im a huge 80s fan but i was also born in the 80's. I must have missed these guys. As a reviewer said, they were a more 'obscure' band. I came across this CD as a recomendation and heard a bit of talk talk and bought it. The first thing I thought when I put this album in and started listening to it was this would be the CD you would want to play in the future if someone ever wanted to know what 80s music was like and the whole era itself. Its not just that but if you listen to the music and lyrics its more than just an 80s band. They actually have good songs and lyrics. My favorite tracks are Its my Life and Talk Talk. I recommend this CD to any fan of 80s music. They have a distinctive sound.

Deeper than you might think.......2006-03-09

If you only remember Talk Talk from their MTV success days, you will be surprised by the range and depth of this record. I love "Today" and "It's My Life," they were great 80's synth-pop-dance tracks, the latter of course recently remade by No Doubt. The first half of this disc contains the more easily accessible material from the early albums, but from the very beginning one can see Talk Talk eager to break out of the synth-pop mold. As Talk Talk matured, their records became less pop-oriented, more textured and nuanced. There is a lot of great music here, none of it fitting into any preconceived mold of what pop music is supposed to be. Highly recommended

music the way I remember it.......2006-01-30

These are some of the great songs from my college days, and since we're listening to digital music now rather than albums, the music is so much richer than what I remember. I'm glad I bought this one.

Get to know Talk Talk.......2006-01-24

Once people get over the 80's shame, forever linked with gated snares and haircuts, they will hear clearly that some of the best and most innovative music was written in that era. Standing in the midst of this was Mark Hollis and Talk Talk. This band used the flavour of the 80's as a carrier for their well crafted hooks and heart wrenching melodies, sung with the honesty of Hollis to produce such classics as It's my Life and My foolish friend. Anybody who compares these songs to Duran Duran clearly isn't listening well enough. But Talk Talk didn't stop there. They went on to produce jazz influenced albums that started off with the masterpiece, Colours of spring, with backing by Steve Winwood, and towards more obtuse but critically acclaimed offerings such as Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. You really can't go wrong with Talk Talk except, as others have mentioned, you might end up buying the entire catalogue. Go for it. Enrich your soul.

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 What to Listen for in Music Study of Orchestration, Third Edition The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
42. The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
32. Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
15. Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
11. Mahler's Sleighbells
12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
30. Nocturnes
31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
35. The Oboe As Duck
36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: Great Album Nothing short of devastating... loose sphinctered & over ambitious what of natural history sounds like to me. Of natural brilliance

Of Natural History Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Manufacturer: Mimicry ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Grand Opening and Closing In Glorious Times Book of Horizons Palace of Mirrors Grand Opening and Closing ASIN: B0002Y4SQ6 Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

1. A Hymn To The Morning Star
2. The Donkey-Headed Adversary Of Humanity Opens The Discussion
3. Phthisis
4. Bring Back The Apocalypse
5. FC: The Freedom Club
6. Gunday's Child
7. The 17-Year Cicada
8. The Creature
9. What Shall We Do Without Us?
10. Babydoctor
11. Cockroach
12. Bonus Track 1

Customer Reviews:

Great Album.......2007-06-05

Of Natural History was my first Sleepytime Gorilla Museum album, and which got me hooked on their music along with their beautiful family tree (Faun Fables, Tin Hat, Idiot Flesh, etc.). Only good albums can get me really stuck into a specific band for a long while. This is one of those albums. But there are some complaints... the monologues can get a bit monotonous, as well as some of the ambience, mainly the end of Babydoctor, which lasts over 3 minutes. 17 Year Cicadas is really the only track I could take out and I wouldn't really notice much a difference at all, it just doesn't provide anything to the album. One more thing that bothers me about this release is the flow, the first 6 tracks go in and out beautifully, but after that, it's a bit jagged, as the second half really isn't as important as the first in terms of quality and diversity. And Cockroach feels akward where it stands, right after the immense Babydoctor, which I think (Babydoctor) would've been an absolutely perfect album closer.

I love this album, most of the songs are great alone, but the album doesn't quite stand on its own the whole time through. My favorite tracks include TDHAOHOTD, Phthisis, Apocalypse, FC, and Babydoctor.

3.5/5

Nothing short of devastating..........2006-10-03

I've listened to a lot of extreme metal bands. I can recall listening to my first Cannibal Corpse album, and thinking, "Wow, that's intense."

Then I moved up to Meshuggah, which was quite a leap. I thought, "Wow, this is intense."

And then I have come to this. This might already be some sort of cliche, but if you can picture the way the apocalypse might sound, you're still not hitting this album. Seriously, I listened to "Freedom Club", went along with the soft part with the vibe-like instruments playing, and then the math professor dream, and WHAM!!!

I'm surprised I came out alive. Mind you, these were large speakers, and I didn't expect anything that infernal to come out. Think Meshuggah with more instruments, a more demanding singer, and an overall greater burden for a listener to bear. I was in shock for about ten minutes. Well, not really, but this song in particular just made me flip.

Even before that magnum opus, there's the opening song, which has to be some sort of tongue-in-cheek stab at evangelical music, or something. I was confused, but then the lyrics to the female-male sung part clued me in. "The greatest lie ever told" and a song about "the infant God" usually don't go together. But, surely enough, they do here. Great background harmonies, by the way.

"Phthisis" is another thing completely. The female vocals are absolutely amazing, in that they convey tons of emotion. One of the things I noticed about this album is that the lyrics are genius, something that doesn't stop on any one song. But the vocals on this song always make shivers go up my spine. They're not scary, they're just aurally arresting.

Oh, and don't let me forget "Babydoctor", which could be even more intense than "Freedom Club" plus all the other songs. If one song could define a band's career, it would be this one. Agonizingly brutal vocals, without all the cookie-monster/Dani Filth scream [...]. The guy sounds like he needs therapy. But, given the album's message, the assault might be necessary to implant an idea into one's head. Just a theory.

So, all ends with the twisted kid song parody "Cockroach", and then there's a hidden track that is basically just ambience. But you've made it through the abyss. The word harsh takes on a whole new meaning on this album.

Don't expect other types of intensity. There's no black metal, no gore metal, no stereotypical death metal, no stereotypical thrash. It's completely in its own little world. For instance, most percussion on this album was hand made from things like kitchen utensils and trash cans and other common "non-instruments". Who else does that? I can't think of any other metal band that uses homemade percussion.

It's not death metal. It's not really anything that's been documented previously. If it's not your favorite, you're eventually going to admit it was at least a memorable experience. Trust me, if you dig Bungle or Thinking Plague, you'll go apes**t after hearing this.

AWESOMELY AWESOME TOTALLY RECOMMENDED FOR FANS OF: Meshuggah, Mr. Bungle (or other non-FNM Patton metal projects), Thinking Plague, Rock-In-Opposition, Frank Zappa (although that's almost a stretch, almost)

loose sphinctered & over ambitious.......2006-06-19

OK so the production values & musicianship are great - but this is like if Trey Parker wrote a rock opera without any jokes in it and decided to get the fat shouty one from Penn&Teller to be the lead singer & put him way too far up in the mix. This band love the shroud of mystery invoked by acts such as the sun city girls, secret chiefs 3, and caroliner - and so they write & sing really clumsy "satirical" lyrics where big business, capitalism etc is represented by a mythical demon / beasty and have some other painful conceits to boot. oh dear. save your pennies.

what of natural history sounds like to me........2006-04-25

its almost like satan just f**ked an elephant riding a clown in a carnival while playing ping pong with a midget who is also the bearded woman and balding while lighting a pilot light in the oven in which the gas has been leaking all day while a leer jet passes 10 ft over the roof of that house.

In other words... pretty freaking wierd. good stuff. The musicianship of this band is amazing. The cd is very hard to listen to and definitly takes more than one listen to even come close to appreciating it. I do suggest listening to it if nothing else to expand your mind, and like another reviewer said you definitly have to have an IQ in the mid to upper 3 digit range.

Of natural brilliance.......2006-03-05

Much like Naked City and the Boredoms before them, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum have staked out a comfortable niche as demonic stepchildren of the avant-garde genre, but one should definitely never infer that the word comfortable could be used in connection with their music. In contrast, Of Natural History is one challenging and distinctive album, sounding sort of like the mutant offspring of Mr. Bungle, Korn, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Meshuggah, and Nickelback (okay, I made that last one up). Vicious metal, highlighted by doomy guitar noise and jagged, contrapuntal rhythms, mixes with heavy symphonic elements and some out-of-left-field weirdness in a seemingly random and haphazard way, but that doesn't mean there isn't some method to SGM's madness, as the songs on this album are some of the most bizarrely fascinating of the decade thus far. Vocally, as well, Of Natural History is all over the map, incorporating fearsome howls, Jonathan Davis-style scat, haunting, ethereal female vocals, and some almost comically dark bass crooning and spoken word into its unpredictable pastiche of styles. Since the songs are so schizophrenic and wide-ranging, hopping from one sound to another without warning and often ending in a completely different form than that in which they started, it's sort of tough to describe them in much depth, but the album is probably best summed up by its twin 10-minute plus epics, FC: The Freedom Club and Baby Doctor. The former is a fierce, chugging monster whose warped metallic riffage and feral vox are underlain by dizzying string arrangements and clanging percussion for an effect that nicely conjures up the feeling of going insane; the latter steadily builds from a mournful, eerily minimal orchestral rock tune to something that sounds sort of like how early-70's Can might have sounded had they been fronted by Beelzebub himself. There are tons of other great songs here--the overbearingly heavy and evil The Donkey-Headed Adversary Of Humanity Opens The Discussion, the pile-driving Phthisis, and the hilarious tell-off Cockroach among them--but really, everything on this album is worth a listen. So if you're as bored by the current mainstream music scene as I am (and if your IQ is in the triple digits, you should be) Of Natural History should serve to jar you out of your doldrums for a few hours.

Average customer rating:

Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk Talk Talk Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Vinyl Records | American Punk | British Punk | Emo | Garage Punk | Hardcore | Post Hardcore | Proto Punk | Punk | Punk Revival | Punk-Pop | Riot Grrl | Ska Punk | Straight Edge New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Similar Items: Instead X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition) ASIN: B000LZ6DM8 Release Date: 2007-04-02

Tracks:

1. Today
2. Talk Talk
3. My Foolish Friend
4. Such a Shame
5. Dum Dum Girl
6. It's My Life
7. Give It Up
8. Living in Another World
9. Life's What You Make It
10. Happiness Is Easy
11. I Believe in You
12. Desire

Tracks:

1. Today [DVD]
2. Talk Talk [DVD][Version]
3. My Foolish Friend [DVD]
4. Such a Shame [DVD]
5. Dum Dum Girl [DVD][Take]
6. It's My Life [DVD]
7. Life's What You Make It [DVD]
8. Living in Another World [DVD]
9. Give It Up [DVD]
10. I Believe in You [DVD]

Album Description

Import only CD/DVD (PAL/Region 0) pressing features 12 tracks on the audio disc, all of them were hits for them in UK while the bonus DVD features music videos to all of their nine singles along with two alternate versions of 'Talk Talk' and 'Dum Dum Girl'. EMI. 2007. * Please note you will need an All Code DVD player to view.

Album Details

Talk Talk were Formed in North London in 1981 by Mark Hollis with Bassist Paul Webb, Drummer Lee Harris, and Keyboardist Simon Brenner (Later Replaced by Tim Friese-greene, which also Signalled the End of their Early Electronic Sound). 1982 Brought a Support Slot with Duran Duran, and the Album 'the Party's Over', but 1983 was the Breakthrough Year with the Album 'it's My Life'. The Album features Nine UK Hit Singles Including the Biggest Hits 'today', the Insistent and Expansive 'life's What You Make It' and 'it's My Life' Which, in 2003 it was Covered as a Very Successful Swan Song for No Doubt. Comes in a Brilliant Box which Includes a 12 Page Booklet and Sight and Sound Sticker.

Average customer rating: Great family entertainment Back to the 6th grade!

Lunchroom Tales: A Natural History of the Cafetorium Bill Harley Manufacturer: Round River ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Stories | Children's Music | Styles | Music Similar Items: Weezie and the Moonpies Down in the Backpack Blah Blah Blah: Stories About Clams, Swamp Monster, Pirates and Dog The Battle of the Mad Scientist ASIN: B0000000HK Release Date: 1997-05-30

Tracks:

1. Intercom-Morning Announcements
2. Everyone's A Little Bit Different
3. Saturday
4. Mr. Anderson-Bus Driver
5. In The Back Of The Bus
6. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Nottingham
7. Looking In The Mirror
8. I'm Gonna Do It Tomorrow
9. Kevin's Story
10. We've Been Friends
11. Intercom-Conclusion
12. Something Happened To Her

Customer Reviews:

Great family entertainment.......2006-07-22

Bill Harley is an old favorite in our family. My children, nieces & nephews all grew up listening to his stories and songs.
I now play them for all the children who enter my life, and even catch myself listening with no kids around once in awhile!
His lyrics are fun and intelligent and the music is sophisticated. I highly recommend all of his CDs and if you ever get the chance to see him live - do it! I recently played the songs "Tomorrow" and "Everyone's a little bit different" at a children's camp and they were huge hits. I wish every child could listen to Bill Harley!

Back to the 6th grade!.......2000-07-27

I have enjoyed this on tape for several years. In fact, I bring it into school where my fifth graders beg to listen. At school and at home we all love Bill Harley's songs and stories! I think we need more bus drivers like Mr. Anderson!

Average customer rating: "The gods and the saints preserve you...

Natural History I Am Kloot Manufacturer: We Love You ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britpop | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Sky Blue Sky ASIN: B000059TMR Release Date: 2001-03-26

Tracks:

1. To You
2. Morning Rain
3. Twist
4. 86 TV's
5. Bigger Wheels
6. Loch
7. Strom Warning
8. Dark Star
9. Stop
10. Sunlight Hits the Snow
11. No Fear of Falling
12. Because

Customer Reviews:

"The gods and the saints preserve you..........2001-10-14

...cos nobody here deserves you."
The first line from the song 'To You' and the opening line of the album 'Natural History.' That flavor and wit flow throughout this clever, melodic album. If U2 or Radiohead made a folk album with a dark sense of humor they would be I Am Kloot. Each song is a melody and story in itself, but also adds beautifully to the album as a whole.
I first learned of the band when author Neil Gaiman mentioned them in his online journal, and am so glad as 'Natural History' is one of the best albums of 2001. Take a chance you won't regret it. Preview tracks and video at their website iamkloot.com. A quick listen will leave you hooked. Enjoy!

Average customer rating: Thankfully it cost me under a buck Naturally... . Those Damn Teppers and Their Catchy Music Nice Riffs, Melodies, and Beat

Natural History Natural History Manufacturer: Star Time ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Beat Beat Heartbeat ASIN: B00006AGD1 Release Date: 2002-07-30

Tracks:

1. Telling Lies Will Get You No Where
2. The Progress Chart
3. So He'll Say
4. The Right Hand
5. Broken Language

Customer Reviews:

Thankfully it cost me under a buck.......2005-07-11

I have 2 words for the lead singer, whoever he is. "THROAT LOZENGE". Dude, your voice is ANNOYING!

I live in the New York City area and a local TV show about the secrets of New York City uses a snippet of the song "Broken Language" as their theme song. So after multiple listenings, I decided that I'd try to fing their CD. I went looking all over town (figured I could get a CD of a local NY band in NY)and I saw sections for The Natural History, but no Natural History CDs. This should have been a clue.

I will readily admit that I do still like the song "Broken Language". It was worth the cost of the CD and cheaper than a legal download.

But as for the other songs:

"Telling Lies will get you No Where" - I grooved along with it during the first runthrough, but this singer's voice is annoying. It is a decent somewhat catchy song. Garage Band Punk that is almost ready to come out of the garage

The other songs are somewhat sub-par. I like the underlying music, but the lyrics of the songs are VERY weak and again, the lead singer's voice annoyed me too much.

Naturally..........2004-12-08

The Natural History debuted with a self-titled EP, which unfortunately is almost as bland as the name of the band itself. It's clunky and rather monotonous rock, without any individual flourishes or excellent musicianship. It's just very, very blah lo-fi bass rock.

It opens with the roiling, almost-catchy "Telling Lies Will Get You No Where," heavy on the bass and percussion. It's followed up with the smoother lo-fi "The Progress Chart," before switching to a slower tempo for the generic "So He'll Say." The EP rounds off with the lumbering bass-rocker "Right Hand," and the awkward "Broken Language."

Garage rock bands from NYC are a dime a dozen, so it takes something at least a little special (Strokes, Interpol) to make them stand out. Sadly, Natural History don't have that special something -- or if they do, then it doesn't show up with any clarity in their self-titled EP.

The music has echoes of the Strokes, although Natural History tries to sound bigger and badder. It never really gets to be either. Julian Tepper lays the bass heavy over this music, but the blasts of thunderous bass and percussion can't disguise the fact that the tunes tend to be repetitive, and not very creative. And Max Tepper always sounds like his vocals chords are strained.

The Natural History makes a less-than-historic debut in their self-titled EP. They have one or two mildly catchy songs, but their sound never evolves enough to be good.

........2002-12-21

Unabashedly tepid.

That more than sums up this 5 song debut EP from New York's The Natural History. The group brings absolutely nothing new to the table in their ever watered down "real rock and roll" genre. They sound like Radio 4 [who in turn sound like Wire and Gang of Four], but not nearly as good [which is pretty bad, since the last Radio 4 album was a stinker].

Singers Max and Julian Tepper try their best to create a mixture of Julian of the Strokes and Jack of the White Stripes, with mediocre results. The best part is, their one-sheet tries to pass them off as "blending the melodicism of Elvis Costello with the experimentation of XTC." Maybe they sent me the wrong CD, because all I hear is cut rate New York hipster rock. Pass on this.

Those Damn Teppers and Their Catchy Music.......2002-09-19

This EP, a tantalizing taste of future greatness, is truly inspired. Interesting drum beats and hard bass lines underscore really amazing melodic changes. On Right Hand, the opening bass line leads into a great vocal change. Highly recommend this band, go see them so they can record a full album.

Nice Riffs, Melodies, and Beat.......2002-09-07

I saw this band when they opened for Spoon at Trees in Dallas earlier this year. The good thing about Trees is that it's tiny, and you're way up close to the stage even if you're standing as far back as you can. The point is that you simply find yourself *listening* more closely, so let me assure you, I listened to TNHistory. :) Julian Tepper, the bassist, and the drummer (forget his name) jokingly urged my friend and I to buy their ep, but we were going to buy it anyway after hearing them play. They have VERY nicely put together songs, great melodies, too, and they're real 'foot tappers.' There's nothing overly complicated or pretentious about their music--Just enjoyable stuff, rather above the level of 'garage rock,' but you still can't call it 'simple.' It's too good to be 'simple.'

Average customer rating: Finally sounds of winds

North America: Winds Across a Continent Gordon Hempton Manufacturer: Sound Tracker ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Environmental | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Nature | New Age | Styles | Music ASIN: B0001SF2AY Release Date: 2005-04-16

Tracks:

1. Pacific Surf
2. Sea Breeze
3. Night Wind
4. Coyote Grassland
5. Thunder Cloud
6. Sage Wind
7. Rattlesnake Canyon
8. Aspen Grove
9. Short Grasswind
10. Tern Springs
11. Juniperwind
12. Meadowlark
13. Strong Winds of the Prairie
14. Thunder Song
15. Bare Branch Windwith Singing Frogs
16. Tall Winds of Ancient Hardwood Forest
17. Palmetto Wind
18. Atlantic Surf

Product Description

Over one hour of nature sounds by the world famous nature recordist Gordon Hempton.

Customer Reviews:

Finally sounds of winds.......2004-06-08

If you love the sounds of the wind through grass or through trees this cd has what your looking for. Not every track are wind sounds but there are a few that have nice soothing sounds to sleep with.

Average customer rating: Pretty good, actually. Pretty good, but not great - there's a good chance you'll like it Not sliced bread, but it'll do. YES!

Beat Beat Heartbeat The Natural History Manufacturer: Vagrant Startime ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Trial of the Century Natural History Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone The Back Room The Good, the Bad & the Queen ASIN: B00008ZZ4Z Release Date: 2003-05-06

Tracks:

1. Facts Are
2. Watch This House
3. The Right Hand
4. Its A Law
5. Broken Language
6. Beat Beat
7. Run de Run
8. Do What You Should
9. Hours From My Life
10. Telling Lies Will Get You Nowhere
11. Dance Steps

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good, actually........2006-06-15

I think that the previous reviewer - C. Cross "Music Lover" - failed to realize that this album came out well before Franz Ferdinand's first album (Sept.'03). It's true that they were also influenced by Gang of Four, and you can definitely hear it. Their sound isn't exceptional or incredibly unique and the lead singer's voice is rather lackluster. However, it IS a good album for this genre of music. The songs are eclectic and the melodies are pleasing. This album will be liked by people who enjoy The Futureheads, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, The Strokes, The Killers, Constantines, Idlewild or any of the other indie-revival bands.

Pretty good, but not great - there's a good chance you'll like it.......2006-01-12

The Natural History's "Beat Beat Heartbeat" isn't a great album, but you'll probably like it. The singer is relatively good, although I can picture some people not liking him. Musically the album sounds like indie rock that uses Gang Of Four/Franz Ferdinand inspired angular guitar sounds. It's kind've creative, but not entirely new - they definitely have their own sound, though. The production is prettyThe lyrics tend to be impossible to make out, so I can't really comment there. Every song here is good, but it lacks a standout track ("Watch This House" comes close). It's not a great album, but chances are if you liked Franz Ferdinand's album then you'll like this one, too. Recommended!

Highlights include:
the entire album!

Not sliced bread, but it'll do........2003-12-28

The glory of The Natural History is brevity. Spoon is one of the most lauded bands of the new millennium for being minimalists; they've been topped. Now, minimalism is this sense, is not cutting out inessential parts, rather, it's never constructing a song beyond the point where any part becomes an accessory. Spoon vs. Guided By Voices mixed with the wanna-hate-'em NYC hipterism of the Strokes. Too many bands make too long albums, and that might result in a biased review for Beat Beat Heartbeat. But heck, sometimes you need a record that gits in, and gits out. "Facts Are," "Watch This House" and "Right Hand" are a trifecta.

YES!.......2003-05-15

I saw the Natural History play in NYC and fell in love, and now finally they have a long player! I went to their record release party and bought it immediatley, and I haven't stopped listening to it. If you like the Kinks, or even the Hives, you will love the Natural History!!!

Average customer rating: No Fear Of Falling... artsy, dreamy and british. I Am Kloot: the evolution of Bob Dylan stunning monotoneous record

Natural History I Am Kloot Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britpop | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000059M79 Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

1. To You
2. Morning Rain
3. Twist
4. 86 TV's
5. Bigger Wheels
6. Loch
7. Strom Warning
8. Dark Star
9. Stop
10. Sunlight Hits the Snow
11. No Fear of Falling
12. Because

Album Description

Import edition of 2001 album for UK indie act who have a genius for capturing the dark side of love almost as great as their ability to make a calamity out of a casual affair. 12 tracks in all including the ace singles, 'Twist', 'Dark Star' & 'Morning Rain'.

Album Details

John Bramwell, Pete Jobson and Andy Hargreaves make up this Manchester trio. This, their dubt album, sets out their alternative agenda to that of other Nu Acoustica acts. It vacillates between self loathing, cynicism and moments of profound tenderness, and really it's only their instrumentation that's traditional.

Customer Reviews:

No Fear Of Falling..........2006-08-15

This IAK CD is one of my favorites of the last 5 years. Except for an instrumental track there is not a single bad song on the entire album.

Besides making beautiful acoustic pop songs, it also has it's funny and sarcastic moments: "there's blood on your legs, I love you".

One of the best 'song' albums of the new century.

Bad review, I know, maybe i can think of something better soon. Just buy it.

artsy, dreamy and british........2004-10-16

The sound of this group is difficult to pin down by comparing to other groups -- in fact, I think it's pretty impossible. The lyrics are dreamy and poetic, and the melodies are sheer ambiance. While this CD might not be the best to have on repeat for long periods of time (the mellow tone of the songs could get a bit bland), it's great to put on for a rainy afternoon, or pretty much any time you're just hanging out or want to unwind.

I Am Kloot: the evolution of Bob Dylan.......2004-04-14

Well, one of the best albums I have ever listened. Many songs sound me as... as the god of folk, Bob Dylan. I Am Kloot is, in my poor opinion, the evolution of the best Bob Dylan. Enjoy themes as To You, Morning Rain, Bigger Wheels or No Fear of Falling, they're diamonds of folk. Insert them inside the Bob Dylan's discography and they will be in family. The music, the voice of the singer, the lyrics... the sons of the magister Bob Dylan. Thanks Jose Carlos!

stunning.......2003-02-18

these guys supported Travis a year or two ago, and i thought they were the best thing on the night. took me ages to track down a copy. i doubt they are even still together so get this album while you can. i assure you it will dumbfound you how something this raw and unproduced can be sound so good. it effected me. :)

monotoneous record.......2002-08-01

I am kloot's CD Natural History kicks off well, but gets dull soon. A minimilastic setting, like starsailor, can get boring proves this new band.
Leadman Charles L. Deck hasn't got the vocal capacities for a full CD. Perhaps some their long awaiting new album 'lamotrigine' will prove otherwise.

Rock Music:

1. Night and Day
2. Nitocris [Import]
3. Oh No [Import]
4. On the Road Again
5. Phosphorescent Rat
6. Planetary Confinement [Import]
7. Razzmatazz 2002 [Import]
8. Received, Transgressed and Transmitted
9. Rock and Roll With Piano, Vol. 9
10. Rock 'n' Roll Party

Rock Music