Pan Am [Import]

1. Supa Sam

2. Interstate Boy

3. Superman

4. Japanese Girls

5. Natural

6. Song 1

7. Cigars in the Suitcase

8. Long Grass

9. What You Want

10. Use Someone

11. Saskatchewan

Tracks:

Sweet And Lowdown
Novelette In Fourths
That Certain Feeling
So Am I
Rhapsody In Blue
Swanee
When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get 'Em...
Kickin' The Clouds Away
Idol Dreams
On My Mind The Whole Night Long
Scandal Walk
An American In Paris

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully American.......2007-05-14

I've had a copy of this CD for years and love it. The power and optimism of the music is really quite remarkable... regardless of who or what is actually playing here. The arrangement of Swanee is light but rich with major chord trains like you just want to go marching around the room. And American In Paris leads you on a swaying, dischordy journey the deeper you go, as the narrative begins to trade delicacy for passion. (and I love renditions where you can hear the MUSIC and the instruments don't get in the way, like four-voice midi versions of Bach which reveal the eloquence).

When I listen to this CD now, and which is most surpring to me, I hear a profound pride in America - back "before." I play it when I have people over and we put burgers on the grill. This CD is the song of sitting in my back yard with the clouds blowing by and for the moment things feel OK.

"Before" - OK, there is no old perfect Amercia; but I'm thinking of the time before we learned to distill petroleum into toxic pollution, before pride meant vanity and thuggery, before hate-filled invective became public amusement, and before presidents went to war because it was good for business.

A Gersh-winner.......2007-01-07

George Gershwin had a long association with the mechanical device known as the player piano. At the age of ten, Gershwin used a neighbor's pianola to teach himself how to play, by very slowly pumping the foot pedal that advanced the hole-punched rolls, and placing his fingers on the depressed keys. His parents were so impressed by his abilities they enrolled the boy in formal piano studies when he turned 13. Thus, an American genius was born.

The existing films of Gershwin (who died of a brain tumor at age 38 in 1937) show him to be a virtuoso at his instrument. His 1924 acoustic recording of Rhapsody In Blue (with the Paul Whiteman orchestra) is further evidence of this. But no film or recording has what is contained within the album GERSHWIN PLAYS GERSHWIN: THE PIANO ROLLS, and that is-- full fidelity range.

The CD comes in a standard jewel case packaged in a heavy paper slipcover. Biographical liner notes are included along with details on the rolls. The earliest performance in this set is from 1916, made when Gershwin was an 18-year-old song plugger. My favorites here are "Swanee," from 1920, and "An American In Paris," from 1933, which is undoubtedly one of the last significant piano rolls ever made.

Gershwin's dynamic performances are not in the least obscured by the few extra notes added to the piano rolls (such practice was standard in those days). Listening to these recordings is like sitting next to this brilliant man, observing his fingers fly over the keys as he plays some of his best work.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 60:36

Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter.......2006-05-14

Composers are not necessarily the best performers of their own work. A songwriter's songwriter like Jules Shear or Jimmy Webb comes to mind -- surely the best representations of their songs are on other artist's albums.

This album is charming in its own way -- a taste of the music and performance style of a bygone era. Someone complained that these rolls were edited. So what? I'm going to review the final product, now how it was made. Do you eat sausage? Ask not what's in it!

I like to listen to this CD in short bits -- a few songs at a time. For some reason I find it to be fatiguing if I listen for more than 20 minutes or so. I'm not absolutely sure why this is so. Possibly the meter is just a little too metronomic on many of the songs. This lends a "mechanical" quality to the performances.

Additionally, I felt that the dynamic range was restricted. The music does get louder and softer, because of the piano rolls themselves and because of the computer programming used to read the piano rolls -- the dynamics were deliberately adjusted by the record producers in some spots, if I read the liner notes correctly. And yet. And yet. Still these songs do not dynamically "breathe" fully in and out the way they ought to. I find this disappointing, but I think it has something to do with inherent limitations in piano roll recording technique. I'm guessing.

Taken for what it is, it is an interesting concept, and the sound quality is very pleasant. The performances are very good for piano rolls, but fall short of what a good interpreter could do. Take, for example, the Rhapsody in Blue from Woody Allen's Manhattan soundtrack. Listen specifically to the piano part -- the dynamics and variations in rhythm. This is not by any means the best performance of Rhapsody, but it is better than the Gershwin rolls.

Gershwin's playing overated.......2006-04-09

After I heard this cd I bought Gershwin plays Gershwin on the naxos label which arn't piano rolls. Any pianist can tell that many of these rolls are heavily edited and can't be played by a pianists with two hands. On the naxos album that has some of these same songs Gershwin's actual playing doesn't sound very good. Many of Gershwins contempories such as James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Luckey Roberts and even Zez Confrey were much better pianists than he was, however they didn't have his melodic gifts as a composer. I would recommend Artis Whodhouse's
transcriptions of Jelly Roll Morton's piano rolls (on the same label) instead because most of those are exactly how he played them and in my opinion Morton was a better musician in every way than Gershwin.

The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!.......2006-02-23

I got this CD as a gift. I am all for the austrogerman post- romantic music and as imagined Gershwin is not my favourite composer. I know him from his best known works such as the 'Rhapsody", the 'American' and his great songs. This CD is a treasure as mentioned from other reviewers of this site. Gershwin full of passion, his music being jazzy to the very end and that great feeling you get after a great live performance is present all over the length of this 'treasure'. No question about the presence of the music. Not to be missed

Average customer rating:

The only Gilbert O'Sullivan CD You'll Need
Great music to rekindle memories of the 70's

The Very Best of Gilbert O'Sullivan
Gilbert O'Sullivan
Manufacturer: Pan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Pop | Imports | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00003L2I0
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Tracks:

Matrimony
Ohh Wakka Doo Wakka Day
Claire
Alone Again Naturally
Get Down
Nothing Rhymed
You Are You
No Matter How I Try
We Will
At the Very Mention of Your Name
Why, Oh Why, Oh Why
Ooh Baby
Can't Think Straight - Peggy Lee, Gilbert O'Sullivan
I Wish I Could Cry
What's in a Kiss
Lost a Friend
I'll Believe It When I See It
Dear Dream

Album Description

18 of the Irish pop star's very best hits in the '70s, including the #1 smash 'Alone Again Naturally', #2 'Claire', the top 10 'Get Down', plus the top 30 'Ooh Baby', the duet 'Can't Think Straight' with Peggy Lee and the cut 'Dear Dream' from his forthco

Customer Reviews:

The only Gilbert O'Sullivan CD You'll Need.......2007-04-02

I will admit upfront that I only knew about 3 Gilbert O'Sullivan songs before I bought this CD -- all from the 1970s. And if you are an American, like me, you probably know the same 3: "Alone Again Naturally," "Claire," and "Get Down." They are all here, along with several songs that were apparently big hits in his native Scotland and other UK territories.

To me, these songs are a bit syrupy, slow, and overdramatic, especially "Alone Again Naturally." Then again, I didn't buy them because I thought they were great music -- I bought them because when I hear them, I am immediately transported to lighter times in my teen years of the 1970s. And, hey, they're not bad songs, either.

In any case, this album has all of that and more at the lowest price I was able to find. His other albums were all over $40, and they don't sell him on iTunes. Note that Amazon lists this as "Currently Unavailable" at the time of this writing. But if you click on Used & New (upper right-hand corner), you'll probably find it. All in all, a good album if you like him, at a decent price.

Great music to rekindle memories of the 70's.......2005-09-01

I've been a Gilbert O'Sullivan fan since I heard for the first time the haunting melody of "Alone, Naturally" back in 1971. He had a succession of hits after that but he seemed to fade after a few hits. Some of the songs here never made it on radio airplay (that I know about) here in the US. For example, "You are you" is such a catchy tune. The lyrics are dated but hey, the music is excellent. "What's in a Kiss" is another one. Great song - similar to "You are you" but never made it on airplay in the US. O'Sullivan presents a knack for writing songs with a universal appeal but retains his Irish charm in his singing style.

Since I was spoiled with the great music of the 70's (greatest decade for music), O'Sullivan is one of the few that stands out for me. Buy this CD and enjoy it for what it is. A fresh and unique singer songwriter that is guaranteed to please even the most discriminating ear!

Average customer rating:

ah-HA ... Quite a pleasure, really.
A Pleasant Surprise
That's It --- I'm Voting for Beeblebrox!
So long, that's all
Zarquad! What A Hoopy Soundtrack!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Widescreen Edition)
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

ASIN: B0007Z9RDY
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

The Dolphins
So Long & Thanks For All The Fish
Arthur Wakes Up
Shoo-Rah! Shoo-Rah! - Betty Wright
Here I Am (Come And Take Me) - Al Green
Destruction Of Earth
Journey Of The Sorcerer
The Hitchhikers's Guide To The Galaxy: Original Soundtrack
Inside The Vogon Ship
Vogon Poetry
Space
Vogon Command Centre
Trillian & Arthur Reunited
Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster
Ten In Space
Deep Thought
Infinite Improbability Drive
Viltvodle Street Music
Huma's Hymn
Capture Of Trillian
Vogcity
Love
The Whale
Planet Factory Floor
Earth Mark II
Magic Moments - Perry Como
Shootout
Finale
Blast Off
So Long & Thanks For All The Fish (Reprise)
Careless Talk
Vote Beeblebrox
Reasons To Be Miserable (His Name Is Marvin)

Album Description

The popular "Hitchhiker" books by the late Douglas Adams inspired the engagingly quirky score by Joby Talbot. In addition to the score, the CD features: "Shoo-Rah Shoo-Rah" by Betty Wright; "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" by Al Green; "Magic Moments " from Perry Como; "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish" by Neil Hannon; "Careless Talk" and "Vote Beeblebrox" by Neil Hannon, Douglas Payne and Andy Dunlop; and "Reasons to be Miserable (His Name is Marvin)" by Stephen Fry.

Joby Talbot began writing and performing in the early '90s, working with artists such as Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, and producer Nigel Godrich. In 2000, his score to the primetime British comedy "The League of Gentlemen" won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Title Music. The British Film Institute commissioned Talbot to compose a new score for Alfred Hitchcock's silent classic "The Lodger." As a classical composer, he has worked with all the major U.K. orchestras and has been commissioned by the prestigious BBC Proms Festival.

Customer Reviews:

ah-HA ... Quite a pleasure, really. .......2006-03-05

.
If you enjoyed the movie [and we will assume that you did since you're here] you will love this soundtrack! It's got Everything!

Much of the work is orchestral. Some of it is techno. There are a couple of pop tune, and Perry Como [it works, trust me].

The Opening Theme "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish" is a gloriously funny show tune. It was funny on screen, but here you can pick out the lyrics. It's even more fun when you can sing along.

It's got the theme from the original radio play "Journey of the Sorcerer", banjo and all. [so did the movie].
Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is mellow enough to blow your mind.
"Huma's Hymn" about the Coming of the Great White Handkerchief is nothing more then Holy.
The "Planet Factory Floor" is ...Well, it's just plain Huge!

And Stephen Fry rapping. Stephen Fry, Man!! Reginald Jeeves of "Jeeves and Wooster" fame! If you are familiar with Stephen Fry, then the absurdity of him rapping makes this even more fun to listen to. He does the last track called "Reasons to Be Miserable (His Name is Marvin)", and he pulls it off so well!

It's enough to make you want this album!

A Pleasant Surprise.......2005-11-12

The Hitchhiker's Guide movie,for all its stupendous obserdity, had a surprisingly good score that one doesn't usually find in a comedy.

The silly tracks are in there too, and they're just as entertaining as the more traditional stuff. I love the music that is emitted from the Guide; its digital tones sound like a cell phone (except way less annoying and way cooler). Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is really awesome; it's like chilled Guide techno.

The slower tracks are equally nice. Tea in Space, Love, The Whale, and Space are all so simple and very pretty.

Then there are a few scores that are really big and just plain awesome. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (and the intro about dophins) is so hysterical...I love how it's all put together. The Journey of the Sorcerer is fantastic. The only thing that's different about this version from the film is the addition of drums, but it's not a bad change at all. Planet Factory Floor is filled with such wonder and hugeness that's perfect for Magrathea. It's followed by the equally awesome Earth Mark II.

The only thing I didn't like about this CD was the addition of
Reasons to Be Miserable (His Name is Marvin). It was just....annoying and incredibly bad. But it's at the end of the CD, so I just don't listen to it. Not a big problem.

If you've seen the movie and enjoyed the music, this CD is definitely worth it. Who knew a comedy could have such epic music in it?

That's It --- I'm Voting for Beeblebrox!.......2005-11-03

By now, you've probably seen the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" movie in a theater, or at least on DVD (if not both.) Now check out the movie's amazing soundtrack.

The two major standouts of this album in my opinion are "Journey of the Sorcerer" and "Vote Beeblebrox." Anyone who's more than a casual fan of "Hitchhiker's" will immediately recognize "Journey of the Sorcerer" as the classic "Hitchhiker's" theme by the Eagles played on both the radio and television versions and now the movie as well. This version is enhanced and sounds great. It was a treat hearing it at the theater and it's awesome on this CD as well. "Vote Beeblebrox" --- I about died laughing when I heard this one. This is a sort of campaign song for Zaphod Beeblebrox that unfortunately never made it into the movie. "Don't believe the rumors / don't believe the vicious lies" it says, talking about how Zaphod isn't stupid. It continues in this vain with a hilarious spoken part from Zaphod saying that he "y'know, just wants to say all the things that presidents say, y'know." Has to be heard to be believed.

Following close behind these are definitely both versions of the wondrous "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish." Personally, I prefer the second version, a sort of upbeat lounge number, but both are great. "So long and thanks for all the fish / So sad that it should come to this / We tried to warn you all, but oh dear."

This album also includes a couple of what I guess could called Golden Oldies --- "Shoo-Rah! Shoo-Rah!" and "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)." Of these two, I thought "Shoo-Rah! Shoo-Rah!" was definitely better and more fun.

The bulk of the CD is the instrumental tracks from the film. Composed by Joby Talbot, these tend to suit the scenes they come from well. Enjoy some memories from the movie, or just enjoy listening to the music.

Finally, one last thing to mention --- "Reasons to be Miserable (His Name is Marvin)." Performed by Stephen Fry, this is a redo of a song by "Marvin himself." Wanna know what it's like to be Marvin? "In everything he has to do, he finds the world condemning / If he had his time again, he'd rather be a lemming." Yep, that Marvin's sure depressed (and depressing), but the song is fairly fun to listen to.

So long, that's all.......2005-10-01

When I saw the film and heard that catching tune "So Long & Thanks For All the Fish" I immediately decided to have this soundtrack, no doubt. So I rushed to buy the recording and, well brother you've bet, I fell in love with the whole disk. Get this, now, today! You won't be disappointed! You're gonna love the title song!

Zarquad! What A Hoopy Soundtrack!.......2005-06-02

Joby Talbot's score for the film version of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy is phenomenal. I mean, wow! Really incredibly phenomenal! I mean, you may think Danny Elfman's score to Spider-Man 2 was phenomenal, but that's just peanuts to this score! Okay, I may be exaggerrating a bit, but that should not distract from the fact that this is a great score for a wonderful film. Not only does the music work well with the film, but I would suggest it as a companion to other versions of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy you may come across. Try listening to it while reading one of the books, for instance. Or playing the text adventure from Infocom.

Some notable points:
The introduction about Dolphins, read by Stephen Fry, who of course played the voice of the Book in the film. And of course, the brassy, Broadway-style show-stopping musical number "So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish" which serves as a wonderfully ridiculous setpiece for the opening credits. The melody appears several times throughout the score, usually whenever Arthur or Trillian are thinking of Earth. It is also reprised as a slow, jazzy, lounge singery song during the first part of the closing credits.

The cue from when the Vogons destroy the earth, which is appropriately tense and dramatic, and climaxes with a panicked-sounding string section playing imposibly high, abrubt notes, and ends abruptly as the earth is destroyed.

To fans of the original radio and TV series, I say to you Don't Panic, because Bernie Leadon's "Journey of the Sorcerer" (Which, for those of you that don't know, served as the theme to both the TV and radio series) is on the soundtrack with a faithful and reverent arrangement, complete with banjo. It is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and I listen to it along with the following track, which shares its name with the film's title, and the title of one of the most wholly remarkable books in the universe: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

Another great track is the music for the whale that is suddenly called into existance over the planet of Magrathea. It is filled with unwarranted optimism, and pathos, and gives the scene the necessary emotional edge, which I think is something Douglas Adams himself would have enjoyed immensely, since he created the whale in response to cop shows where innocent bystanders are meaninglessly killed as a result of conflicts or car chases that they had nothing to do with, and the audience doesn't care about them since they were only on the screen for two seconds. So Douglas wanted to create a character who would only exist as a character for a very short time, but make him extremely sympathetic so the audience would feel actual emotion when he is killed. And it works, and has worked in every version of the Hitchhiker's Guide I've been exposed to.

Another great track is "Huma's Hymn", which sounds so authentically like a church song that you could swear you'd be able to find it in your church's song book. (But you won't, so don't go looking for it.) As I understand it, most of the chorus singing the song consists not of professional singers, but of fans and other random people who happened to be walking by the church where the song was recorded, to give it that extra level of authenticity that other filmmakers probably wouldn't care about.

Overall, this is a very evocative and wonderfully fantastic score. Mr. Talbot displays much originality, but at points seems to channel other great composers of SciFi movie music. I hear traces of John Williams' scores for the Star Wars films and Superman the Movie, Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, James Horner's Star Treks II and III, and even Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy soundtracks. Just listen to track 8 and you'll see what I mean.

Just so you know, there are three tracks that are not part of the score of the film. I suppose you could call them "Pop" tracks, but they're not tracks that have been popular in the past 10 years, at least. Only one of them: Perry Como's "Magic Moments" was in the film, at least that I could tell. It was used as source music twice, once in the pub near the beginning, and once near the end. That's all I can say about that without spoiling the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it. (And if you don't recognise the name of the song, it's been used in several movies, so you've probably heard it before.) The other two songs are Betty Wright's "Shoo-Rah! Shoo-Rah!" and Al Green's "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)". While the inclusion of these songs on an otherwise orchestral soundtrack may seem odd, they definitely fit the film. Even if "Shoo-Rah! Shoo-Rah!" and "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)" don't appear in the film, you can imagine that they'd be the next songs to be cued on the jukebox in the pub near the beginning of the film, and so they help establish the mood for the scene. Some fans may be surprised or disappointed in the non-inclusion of Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World", but if you see the film, you will see that the scene during which that song played in the radio and TV series is not in the film. But no biggie, if they make a sequel (and there's no reason they shouldn't) perhaps that scene will make it in.

Overall, I'd say that this is a soundtrack that no fan of the Hitchhiker's franchise should be without. So buy it now, before the earth is demolished to make a hyperspace bypass!

Bossa Norah: The Bossa Nova Tribute to Norah Jones

Average customer rating:

Bossa Norah: The Bossa Nova Tribute to Norah Jones
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Pan Am Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music

Bossa Nova | Latin Music | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000MM1FZA
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

Come Away with Me - 3.10
What Am I to You? - 4.49
Carnival Town - 3.21
Sunrise - 3.25
Don't Know Why - 3.03
Toes - 3.46
Nightingale - 4.19
Turn Me On - 4.36
Those Sweet Words - 3.41
Painter Song - 3.00
Don't Miss You At All - 4.54

Album Description

This tribute takes some of her best known songs and reinterprets them using the classic lilting rhythms of the bossa nova. Subtle, jazz-tinged arrangements and Latin percussion combine with gently-phrased vocals to recreate the classic bossa sound of Brazil. Songs like "Come Away with Me," "Don't Know Why," and "Turn Me On," sizzle with passion and capture perfectly the soul-drenched melodies of the originals.

Average customer rating:

Solid Album
Dissapointing Debut
Not for everyone
1 cup of Labradford, 1 cup of Godspeed, add Tortoise, serve!
beauty of repetition

Fly Pan Am
Fly Pan Am
Manufacturer: Constellation
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

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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Sings Reign Rebuilder
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ASIN: B00002DDR2
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Customer Reviews:

Solid Album.......2006-03-16

This debut album from Fly Pan Am is a solid peice of work. It is not as experimental as later albums, but definately sets the tone for later work. Aside for that, Fly Pan Am is propably the most unique member of the Constellation label. Their mixture of rock with the obscure sets them apart from other bands on that label and from most bands out there today.

Dissapointing Debut.......2005-01-09

There's a big difference between repetitive, sparse, minimalistic instrumentation that manages to capture innovative sound textures and emotion, and that which is repetitive for lack of any real musical message at all. This release by Fly Pan Am is in the latter category. I am a great fan of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Ether Bunnies, Tungsten and other so-called minimalistic/post-rock/noise/bands, and have no problem whatsoever listening to and enjoying instrumental music that might otherwise be classified as drone-based. But Fly Pan Am strikes me as a band that had a few good ideas worth approx. 15 minutes of tape time, yet decied to extend them unecessarily to a 60 min CD. Track 3, for example, features the same simple guitar/bass/drums coda played over and over, without the slightest variation, with interspersed high-pitched digital distortion that is much too up-front in the mix. The overall impression is that the band thought it would somehow be a cool, cute, artsy thing to do; perhaps it achieves those aims conceptually, but musically it is unimaginative, flat-sounding and boring. With only a few exceptions, the rest of the CD sounds like half-baked ideas that should have been fleshed out a bit more rather than extended.
Nice try, guys, better luck next time.

Not for everyone.......2002-01-20

The English language was not designed to have words that describe music like this. Maybe that's why the track titles are in French. This Montreal quartet gets lumped in with the so-called post-rock genre, and they probably should. They certainly would not, and should not, be considered in a mainstream audience - at least not in the US. The tunes on this album develop very slowly. A musical idea that some bungling, top 40 rock band would blurt out in the first 6 seconds, might take Fly Pan Am 10 minutes to cultivate. This makes for a delicate, never overextending-itself record . . . almost minimalist. What that means is that this album is certainly not for everyone. Some people will respect its artistic merit. Others will relax and fall asleep to it. Others will hate it passion.

There are some specific musical choices that are still confusing after several listens. First, how does one come up with music like this? Some of these tunes are more than 10 minutes long and they could easily be longer. They walk along at a steady pace, there's just put no correlation to the typical pop song formula. That's a good thing . . . for some. Fortunately there is no full time singer. He'd be totally lost. Forget verse, refrain, verse, refrain, bridge, refrain, these songs are all bridge. Also, don't their fingers get tired? The bass player plays the same 3 notes for the entire song (maybe it's more like pop music than I thought . . .). Don't you think the drummer would want to put in a drum fill every once in a while? I guess not. These are really just minor complaints, but you haven't even heard about the nine and half minutes of insistently playing the same two chords over and over while tape hiss screeches in and out. Did they forget to fade out? Maybe they just wanted a 60-minute album.

Don't get the wrong idea, though. The CD has its high points. I'm not going to try to write the names (I don't even know what they mean) but track 2 actually seems have a melody. Actually, it might have been my brain constructing a melody on the spot, but it worked nevertheless. And the tape hiss even seemed to make sense. The last track, however, is really where they hit the mark. Fly Pan Am would have crashed and burned had they not made Track 5. It's a whimsical musical journey with wispy female vocals and an intriguing guitar line. If you're finger's on the "skip" button, pass over the 10 minutes of tape hiss. Don't skip "Nice Est en Feu!"

1 cup of Labradford, 1 cup of Godspeed, add Tortoise, serve!.......2002-01-19

Constellation Records in Montreal and Kranky Records in Chicago are very similar in many fundamental ways. They share and embrace the same aesthetical and musical visions. So for the people who dig the bands from either label, Fly Pan Am's debut should sound somewhat familiar and comfortable to them. A cross between Godspeed Your Black Emperor and Labradford, with a hint of Tortoise, Fly Pan Am produces sounds that are typical of the post-rock and minimalist movement. A great deal of repetitions and paced tension building. A very imaginative and a very wide spectrum of sounds: fuzzy drones, sad bass lines, almost inaudible and unidentifiable beeps and buzzes, crispy and clear guitar melodies, surreal vocals, water sound... Unlike its label mate, Godspeed, Fly Pan Am's music doesn't scream at you with an avalanche of emotions: it is more ambient, more trance-like. Also unlike Labradford, whose music is so ambient and so subdued, Fly Pan Am provides a constant dose of audible sentiments. Good stuff for the discerning music fan.

beauty of repetition.......2000-08-24

a great album to listen at night with lights off. it puts you in a trance. includes a member from godspeed you black emperor!

Average customer rating:

A Young Tenor's Tribute to his Homeland

American Voice

Manufacturer: Azica
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

I Gotta Get Back To New York
America The Beautiful
The Boatman's Dance
American Hymn
Puttin' On The Ritz
Make Them Hear You
God Bless America
A Simple Song
Sure On This Shining Night
I Am An American/You're A Grand Old Flag
Give Thanks
Shenandoah
My House
Bright Mornin' Star's Arisin'
Long Time Ago
Simple Gifts
God Bless My Planet
Battle Hymn Of The Republic

Customer Reviews:

A Young Tenor's Tribute to his Homeland.......2002-10-22

A vibrant and touching journey through American music, from the Old American Songs of Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber's Sure on this Shining Night and Simple Song from Leonard Bernstein's Mass, through crossover Broadway tunes such as I Gotta Get back to New York and Putting on the Ritz, to heart-stoppingly patriotic hymns such as America the Beautiful and Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Tracks:

Theme from Take-Off [Magic Sunset]
New World Break
Clipper's Discoteque Break
Sun Song [Bossa Version]
Love Beat
Rhodes Funk Dub (Interlude)
747 Dub
Swing the Clipper
Theme from Landing [Live for Living]

Customer Reviews:

Solid downbeat disc..........2004-09-09

Sunahara's music is in the same color spectrum as DJ Cam and Telefon Tel Aviv. This album's got a bit of Dmitri from Paris's "Sacre Bleu" as well. Kitsh and cool--lay back, relax, bob your head and disappear.

Average customer rating:

One Of The Best Damn CD's I Own
Fly Pan Am get in your face

N'Écoutez Pas
Fly Pan Am
Manufacturer: Constellation
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

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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L' Eclat Du Ciel Etait Insoutenable
You, You're a History in the Rust
Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada

ASIN: B0002PMF3S
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

Brulez Suivant, Suivante!
Ex Eleveur De Renards Argentes
Autant Zig-Zag
Buvez Noa Larmes De Metal Ce Sale Desirefile
Pas A Pas Step Until
...
Tres Tres 'Retro'
Vos Reves Revers
Qui Sortant De Ma Bouche
Le Faux Pas Aimer vous Souhaite D'Etre Fullement Ami

Customer Reviews:

One Of The Best Damn CD's I Own.......2005-07-23

I got this album earlier this week and it's all I've been listening to nonstop. If your already familiar with Fly Pan Am and dont own this yet, get it asap, it may just be the best damn thing you ever hear, sure is for me. This album has made them my favorite band on constellation(next to Godspeed). They truly achieve great riffs and are still as abstruse as ever. The shoegaze drones are what personally did me in. Very reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, & Flying Saucer Attack, this one's a must own.

Fly Pan Am get in your face.......2004-10-29

After a few listens (and a number of obsessive, mantric re-spins of individual tracks), a part of me felt that they should have called this album "Fly Pan Am Grab Their F-ing Guitars!". However, they never lose sight of their avant-guard'ness, and to some (perhaps many) this may not be the most endearing trait.

Found-object soundscapes are not for everyone, and indeed if this album has a problem, it is it's uneveness in light of the fact that in many ways they've come out of the closet and announced that they aren't afraid to rock-out, but this aggressiveness is tempered with the collages of voice and alien-sounding environments fans of FPA have come to expect. I can't exactly say that the two play well together throughout the whole album. However, this has "a step forward" written all over it, and anyone with a healthy latitude of avant-pop/post-punk taste will find something in N'Ecoutez Pas to savour.

This is fresh Fly Pan Am. This is fresh music.

Ceux Qui Inventent N'Ont Jamais Vacu
Average customer rating:

What a Trip

solid

a new direction

Ceux Qui Inventent N'Ont Jamais Vacu
Fly Pan Am
Manufacturer: Constellation
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Sings Reign Rebuilder

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The Trial of St. Orange

ASIN: B000063RY2
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Tracks:

Jeunesse Sonique, Tu Dors (En Cage)
Rompre L'indifference De L'inexitable Avant Que L'on Vienne Rompre Le Sommeil De L'inanime
Partially Sabotaged Distraction Partiellement Sabotee
Univoque/Equivoque
Arcades-Pamelor
Sound-Support Surface Noises Reaching Out To You
Erreur; Errance; Interdits De Par Leurs Nouvelles Possibilites
La Vie Se Doit D'etre Vecue Ou Commencons A Vivre

Customer Reviews:

What a Trip.......2004-09-30

To start with, this I think is my favorite art-rock album I own, and not least for not knowing art-rock.
The constellation/alien8 scene is dandy, but of those bands that I would listen to more than once, fpa and dmst. I've just bought the new Fly Pan Am record which to be honest is quite a bit disappointing, but has forced me to go back to this record and share its laurels. And to finish with this shoddy intro, among those aforementioned bands' records, the two I've returned to consistently-this record and Do Make Say Think's "&yet&yet"
That being said, let's get to the details:
This album starts out with a minute long barely audible track of static and skipping and then breaks into the first (2nd) track which i believe is somewhere in the ballpark of 17 minutes long. Listening to it you wouldn't notice it though as it seamlessly dips between minimalist funk riffs and cascading shoegazer sections only to be cut in the middle by faux skips and static, and then again resuming where it left off. It's as if the double-drummer backbeat hooks you into a jam session where the band is trying to compose the extended sections for the song, only to be lured again and again into trying it mbv style. The second track seems like a continuation of the first with a sort of middle-eatern motif again turned shoegazer/punk. I can't remember the middle tracks too well at this second, but the closing number to this album is a truly epic number wherein the finale the bass lures you into to recollecting the sheer emotion and power of what you have been silently witnessing the whole time.
Again, i think it is my fav art-rock record, substance and style triumph over lyrics and scenester sensibilities. Mysteriously engaging...

solid.......2002-06-21

this album is just solid. you will like it if you're into the post-rock scene.

a new direction.......2002-04-27

This release, along with the new Do Make Say Think LP seem to suggest a new direction for the Montréal label Constellation. Furthermore, it seems as though the bands on the label are beginning to move out from underneath the shadow of the label's claim to fame, Godspeed You Black Emperor!.

"Ceux Qui Inventent..." take's the group's hybrid of minimalist Neu!-like repetition and jagged punk harmonies (with of course traces of the Godspeed! sound) to a new plane. While keeping that sound intact, a more funky sensibility has been introduced, reminscent of Fela Kuti's repetitious thrust, as well as a glitchy randomness, quite apart from the so-called "laptop" or "glitch" scene. By feigning error, the group repeatedly excites the listener, reminding them to remain attentive.

Tracks:

Fascinating Rhythm [From Lady, Be Good!] - Cliff Edwards
Fascinating Rhythm/So Am I [From Lady, Be Good!][Instrumental] - Victor Arden, Phil Ohman
Oh, Lady Be Good [From Lady Be Good] - Cliff Edwards
Hang on to Me [From Lady, Be Good!] - Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire
I'd Rather Charleston [From Lady, Be Good!] - Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire
Fascinating Rhythm [From Lady, Be Good!] - Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire
Half of It Dearie Blues [From Lady, Be Good!] - Fred Astaire
Oh, Lady Be Good - Buddy Lee
Oh, Lady Be Good [From Lady Be Good]
Swiss Miss [From Lady, Be Good!] - Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire
So Am I [From Lady, Be Good!] - Adele Astaire, George Vollaire
Fascinating Rhythm - Buddy Lee
Three Times a Day [From Tell Me More!] - Alexander Gray
Tell Me More! [From Tell Me More!] - Alexander Gray
That Certain Feeling/When Do We Dance? [From Tip-Toes][Instrumental] - Victor Arden, Phil Ohman
Looking for a Boy/Sweet and Low-Down [From Tip-Toes][Instrumental] - Victor Arden, Phil Ohman
That Certain Feeling [From Tip-Toes] - Dorothy Dickson, Allen Kearns
Sweet and Low-Down [From Tip-Toes] - Laddie Cliff
Nightie-Night - Dorothy Dickson, Allen Kearns
It's a Great Little World [From Tip-Toes] - Laddie Cliff
Nice Baby [From Tip-Toes] - Evan Thomas
When Do We Dance? [From Tip-Toes] - Allen Kearns
These Charming People [From Tip-Toes] - Laddie Cliff, Dorothy Dickson, John Kirby
Looking for a Boy [From Tip-Toes] - Dorothy Dickson

Rock Music:

Rock Music