Unicorn [Import] [Limited Edition] [Original recording remastered]

Product Description
Japanese reissue of 1969 album is packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve & includes 15 bonus tracks, 'Pewter Suitor' (Single A Side), 'King Of The Rumbling Spires' (Single A Side), 'Do You Remember' (Single B Side), ''Pon A Hill' (Take 1), 'The Seal Of Seasons' (Take 1), 'The Throat Of Winter' (Take 1), 'She Was Born To Be My Unicorn' (Take 1), 'Warlord Of The Royal Crocodiles' (Take 1), 'Evenings Of Damask' (Take 5), 'Iscariot' (Take 3), 'The Misty Coast Of Albany' (Take 1), 'Romany Soup' (Take 2), 'Pewter Suitor' (Take 1), 'King Of The Rumbling Spires' (Take 7), '& 'Do You Remember' (Take 3). Universal. 2004.

Unicorn,Tyrannosaurus Rex,Universal Japan,Album Rock,British Folk-Rock,British Psychedelia,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Psychedelic,Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: The Last Unicorn Soundtrack, The Last Unicorn Beautiful and Innocent.... Beautiful soundtrack! Unicorn Music

Das Letzte Einhorn (The Last Unicorn) Jimmy Webb , and America Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Folk | Imports | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Imports | Stores | Music Pop | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Last Unicorn The NeverEnding Story The Last Unicorn Labyrinth: From The Original Soundtrack Of The Jim Henson Film The Last Unicorn ASIN: B0000071IL Release Date: 1994-09-07

Tracks:

1. The Last Unicorn
2. Man's Road
3. In The Sea
4. Now That I'm A Woman
5. That's All I've Got To Say
6. The Last Unicorn Part 2
7. Forest Awakens
8. Red Soup
9. Red Bull Attacks
10. The Cat
11. The Tree
12. Haggard's Unicorns
13. Bull-Unicorn-Woman
14. Unicorns In The Sea
15. Unicorn And Lear

Album Description

Soundtrack to the 1982 Rankin/ Bass children's film, performed by America and compoosed & arranged by Jimmy Webb.Contains 15 tracks, including 'The Last Unicorn', 'Man's Road', 'In The Sea' and 'Now That I'm A Woman'. Virgin release.

Album Details

The music which accompanies the 1982 film the 'Last Unicorn' was composed by Jimmy Webb ('MacArthur Park', 'The Highwayman') & performed by America. Features 15 tracks from the original music score.

Customer Reviews:

The Last Unicorn.......2007-05-19

This was my favorite movie as a child and i loved the music.

Soundtrack, The Last Unicorn.......2007-02-20

Takes me back when I was young and used to watch the Movie.

Beautiful and Innocent...........2007-01-10

This type of genious does not come around often. The music is magical and beautiful, conjuring up the images from the movie perfectly. America has a great soulful sound.

Eat your heart out Disney- this is what a real animated film should be like.

Beautiful soundtrack!.......2007-01-10

This soundtrack has wonderful sound quality and includes all of the compositions I remember from the movie. The instrumentals are gorgeous. A must-have for any fan of the movie!

Unicorn Music.......2007-01-04

Okay, so the person singing "Now that I'm a Woman" song isn't Mia Farrow. And the whole casing is in German. No big. First of all, I honestly believe that only die-hard fans of the original movie will notice the different female singers. Secondly, all the other songs--at least the lyrical ones--are exactly the same; the ones sung by America anyway. Although, I think they kept the original male singer in "That's all I have to Say"...
As for the album being in a language only half of us will truly understand? No worries, the songs are in English, and if you really want to know what the back cover says, it's easy to find the movie and get the production notes, especially with the movie now on DVD. For that matter, the song titles on the back are also in English, whihc is odd given that the rest of the casing is in German....
All in all, I enjoy this CD. I have the original flim, but it was getting difficult to keep fast forwarding and rewinding becuase I didn't want to watch the whole flim, just listen to "Man's Road" or "In the Sea". Now that I have uploaded this on my Ipod--something I needed the CD for, cause you aren't going to find the songs anywhere on Itunes Music Store--I can listen to whatever song I want without fiddling with my VCR. The movie has always and will always be a favorite--and the music plays a large part of why--music I now have. (The other half of why is becuase I'm a unicorn lover.)
And that's all I have to say.

Average customer rating: An academic exercise well worth studying Amazing stuff! Essential to any early music collection the Unicorn ensamble playing is an insperasion 4 the soul. another glorious entry

Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Machaut | Machaut, Guillaume de | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sacred & Religious | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Madrigals | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Machaut, Guillaume de | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Black Madonna Early Venetian Lute Music Sinners & Saints: The Ultimate Medieval and Renaissance Music Collection On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim) Music Of The Crusades ASIN: B000009OM1 Release Date: 1998-07-28

Tracks:

1. Biance Flour (Codex Faenza)
2. Untitled (Codex Faenza)
3. Non Avra Ma Pieta Questa Mia Donna
4. Non Ara May Pieta Questa Mia Dona (Codex Faenza)
5. Hont, Paour, Doubtance
6. Hont Paur (Codex Faenza)
7. Le Ior (Codex Faenza)
8. Bel Fiore Danca (Codex Faenza)
9. Aquil' Altera, Ferma/Creatura Gentil/Uccel' Di Dio
10. Aquila Altera (Codex Faenza)
11. Untitled (Codex Faenza)
12. Aspire Refus (Codex Faenza)
13. Elas Mon Cuer (Codex Faenza)
14. J'Ay Grant Desespoir De Ma Vie
15. Jay Grant Espoir (Codex Faenza)
16. Kyrie: Cunctipotens Genitor Deus
17. Ave Maris Stella

Customer Reviews:

An academic exercise well worth studying.......2006-03-12

Upon first listen, you might think that "Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century" is wrongly named. These works were composed by 14th Century composers, such as Machaut and Landini, and several songs appear as vocal arrangements without instrumentation.

That's where the "Codex Faenza" comes in. This tome was an early 15th century book of instrumental arrangements of 14th century music. The Unicorn Ensemble performs several works from the Codex Faenza, sometimes preceding the instrumental version with the original vocal arrangement for comparison. The last two tracks, the anonymous compositions "Kyrie" and "Ave maris stella," feature alternating sections of plainchant and organ music.

In many cases, the busy melodies gain something in the translation. The top lines have an improvisatory quality that can seem odd when sung, but sound more natural when played instrumentally. The Unicorn Ensemble has mastered late medieval/early Renaissance instrumentation, and their performances effectively evoke the spirit of past times.

I was somewhat critical of The Unicorn Ensemble's version of Dufay's "Chansons" for making Guillaume Dufay's music sound more conservative than it really was. Here, the group does the opposite: they update the sound of Ars Nova composers and demonstrate how their achievements foreshadowed the continued musical advances of the early Renaissance. It's an academic exercise in many ways, but one well worth studying.

Amazing stuff!.......2005-06-04

Wow, what a stunning CD. Firstly I am just floored by the audiophile quality of the recorded sound - much, much better than a lot of CDs for three times the price. This is a characteristic of all of the Ensemble Unicorn recordings but this one is particularly good. As for the performances, they brim with life and color as interpretations of music of this period rarely do. They really bring this music to life, transporting the listener back centuries. The music represented here also has a good deal of depth to recommend it too.

This is just the sort of CD that reinforces the view that Naxos is above all a serious record label of high quality. This would be worth buying even if it cost three times the price.

Essential to any early music collection.......2003-09-04

When I purchased this album, I was expecting it to be more akin to the other music performed by the Ensemble Unicorn. I was expecting quick and lively, music akin to the Spanish Troubadour tunes and Las Cantigas de Santa Maria. I was wrong, and I was disappointed at first. I quickly changed my mind after giving the entire album a listen, and was enchanted.

If you like the quick, lively medieval tunes, then this album may not be your cup of tea. However, I don't think any early music collection is complete without this, and I found that even slower medieval tunes have their virtues, particularly when performed by the always impressive Ensemble Unicorn. Another great album, same incredibly low price as always from the Naxos label, and the same top-notch skill I've come to expect from the Ensemble Unicorn.

the Unicorn ensamble playing is an insperasion 4 the soul........2001-09-24

refreshing gifted players.
a delight 4 the ears of any early music lover.
i would have paid mutch more to buy it.
buy it.
take a trip to nature and inhale this beutifull music.
love u unicorn, glad i got ur cd.
peace and love from exotic israel.

another glorious entry.......2000-12-13

Unicorn is simply amazing. They turn out CD after CD, all at budget prices, all far surpassing most other early music efforts. Codex Faenza's pieces are mostly two-part, with a florid upper melody supported by a slower-moving tenor. This allows full display of Unicorn's virtuosity -- unlike their Dufay release, which cramped their style with its elaborate polyphony. The opening improvisations are magical, the subtle treatments of text and context fascinating -- and track 10 is the craziest vielle piece I've ever heard

Average customer rating: Bursting with Visceral Life and Earthy Joy! Unexpected delight Would be Worth Buying at Three Times the Price Here's my two cents a window on another world

The Black Madonna Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim) Alfonso X "El Sabio": Cantigas de Santa Maria Music Of The Crusades Music of the Troubadours ASIN: B000007N63 Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

1. Cuncti simus concanentes
2. Quant voi la flor novele
3. A Madre do que a bestia
4. Amours, ou trop tart me sui pris
5. Quant ay lomon consirat
6. Mariam, matrem Virginem
7. O Virgo splendens
8. Tanto son da groriosa
9. Comencerai a fere un lai
10. Cantiga de Santa Maria No.77-119
11. O Maria, maris stella
12. Los set gotxs

Customer Reviews:

Bursting with Visceral Life and Earthy Joy!.......2007-02-16

Hard to believe we can buy this precious gem for under $10 -- and what a gem it is! Easily my favourite medieval music CD. This isn't museum music, or a cerebral esoteric dip into European medieval cultures. This music leaps out and grabs you -- recalling images of everything from the still smile of a 13th-century Madonna to the chaos of Breugel and Bosch. Belinda Sykes' voice is alive with earth, grit, heat, and a transcendent beauty that needs to be experienced to be believed. The musicians are magicians: they'll have you dancing, singing, praying -- getting your bare feet soiled in the hot holy dust of a pilgrim's trail: enjoy!

Unexpected delight.......2006-08-29

Not sure what I was expecting, but this is a very refreshing collection. Hypnotic and robust at the same time. Two thumbs up -- 'at's all I got.

Would be Worth Buying at Three Times the Price.......2006-02-19

One of the hidden gems of the Naxos catalog are the series of recordings of Medieval music by the Ensemble Unicorn with Michael Posch. The music they choose to record here comes from the 14th century Llivre Vermell de Monstserrat preserved there in an codex of five parts. The book resulted from an attempt to set contemporary popular music to spiritual texts to help to reach out to a wider audience.

This CD is exemplary in every possible way. The liner notes written by Michael Posch himself are superb. Furthermore, the recorded sound quality is pretty much audiophile grade and runs rings around those produced by major record labels for the fraction of the price. The music making is beautiful, evocative and fascinating with all performances having the intensity and brilliance you can always count on from this superb ensemble.

Very highly recommended.

Here's my two cents.......2006-02-10

Let me add my two cents to the laudatory reviews already given. I bought this CD some time ago when I was developing an interest in early music. The title and the theme fascinated me. Also it was inexpensive, and I know from my experience that NAXOS, even though inexpensive, delivers quality goods. I was not the least disappointed. This is the music of an important era in history brilliantly performed by Unicorn Ensemble and Belinda Sykes. Belinda Sykes deserves to be better known than she is. She has a marvelous voice, and her delivery is without peer. When she sings, I am transported back to the days of those pilgrims whose songs she is singing. This music is not like other music. at times it may seem raucous. Just keep in mind the epoch from which these songs come. Open your mind. I assure you that you will be transformed.

a window on another world.......2005-12-05

I picked up this cd because of a family connection with the Black Madonna of Monserrat. She's an integral part of the religious life of my dad's hometown. I thought the cd would make a good present for my dad but I didn't really expect the music to be anything special. However, I was simply blown away upon listening to it. This is an incredible blend of voice, rhythm and percussion that conveys the earthiness and transcendence of peasant pilgrim experience. I'm not a fan of early music -- I don't dislike it, I just don't know that much about it. Most of the early music I have listened to, however, is nowhere near as textured and intricate as these songs. What's amazing to my ears is that arrangements manage to sound both ancient and startlingly contemporary at the same time. I'm betting that sooner or later, someone will be giving these songs a trance-music treatment -- if that hasn't already happened.

Average customer rating: great music & story The Best!!!!! Simply Beautiful My kids can not get enough of this CD NOT just for music students or gifted children

Song of the Unicorn Manufacturer: Children's Group ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Children's Music | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Mozart's Magnificent Voyage Classical Kids Christmas Classical Kids: Hallelujah Handel! Tchaikovsky Discovers America Vivaldi's Ring Of Mystery ASIN: B00001SIBJ Release Date: 1999-09-21

Tracks:

1. Once Upon a Time (Lauda)
2. Procession (Danse Royale)
3. Travelling (Early One Morning)
4. By the River (Gibbons-The Silver Swan)
5. At the Monastery (Gregorian Chant)
6. In the Dormitory (Riddle Lullaby)
7. In the Village (Summer Is Icumen In)
8. Meeting Merlin (Celtic Harp)
9. Cave Dance (Baile Cervantino)
10. The Birth Of Music (Sound Effects, Instruments)
11. The Future Of Music (Chaconne On Greensleeves, Bach, Mozart)
12. Beethoven and the Unicorn's Song
13. Meeting King Arthur (Festivities, Chanson A La Vierge)
14. Galloping Horse (English Dance)
15. The Lake (Tallis-Audivi Vocem)
16. The Miracle Of the Feathers (Western Wind Into Unicorn's Song)
17. The Boat (Shepherds, Calm Your Flocks)
18. Arriving In Avalon (Psaltery)
19. Court Dance (Trotto)
20. Morgan (Pilgrim's Journey)
21. Meeting the Unicorns (Sir John, His Alman)
22. In the Grove (Danzon)
23. Peace (Sweelick-Mon Dieu, J'ai En Toy)
24. The Storm (Ghaetta)
25. Freedom (Celtic-style Tune)
26. Conclusion (Amen)

Product Description

GENERAL FEATURES: When a young queen falls mysteriously ill, her children are sent deep into the forest in search of her only cure: the legendary unicorn. The great magician Merlin helps them on their quest. With riddles and the unicorn's song, the children travel to the magical isle of Avalon. There they must decide what can truly cure their mother -- King Arthur's powerful sister, Morgan-le-Fay, or the healing touch of the unicorn. Features more than two dozen excerpts of pre-Baroque music, including traditional English songs like Greensleeves and Early One Morning, Gregorian Chant, Celtic songs, wild Medieval dances plus a journey into the future of music with Bach, Beethoven and beyond. Approximately 45 minutes. Recommended for ages 5-12. Educational entertainment for all ages.

Customer Reviews:

great music & story.......2007-02-25

check out the whole classical kids series!!!
they are great!!!
my kids (6, 5, & 2) actually ask to listen to them! ~ and i enjoy them, too.

The Best!!!!!.......2005-10-18

I love this CD! I am soo glad i have it!
I listen to it over and over and over again!
It's simply beautiful!
It deserves more then 5 stars!!!
It's simply amazing...so magesticly made.
I certianly say that this is worth buying!
The music is amazing.Everything is.So peaceful.If you are a horse lover or a fantasy lover its worth buying also.

God Bless

Simply Beautiful.......2005-10-15

Unlike the other mom who has gotten tired of listening to this CD over and over, I haven't. My kids (8, 6 and 4) are silent for the whole duration of this cd making car trips so much more pleasant. The music is gorgeous, simply gorgeous. I love that my kids are enjoying beautiful, thoughtful music and a sweet story.

My kids can not get enough of this CD.......2004-10-30

I am so sick of Song of the Unicorn. It is the #1 request any time we are in the car from both my 2 year old son and four year old daughter. My 9 year old nephew also asks for it whenever he happens to be in the car with us. My children have both picked up some new vocabulary words (as well as an English accent). The CD disappeared for awhile, I couldn't imagine where it had gone. It turns out my husband "borrowed it" for his car. My husband is not a reader and does not appreciate classical music. He loves it. This CD is for all ages...anyone who loves a good story. But be warned...you may get tired of it after your children request it every car ride for 6 months straight!

NOT just for music students or gifted children.......2002-07-16

My daughter got this CD for her 6th birthday and absolutely loves it. So do I. My daughter isn't a music student and I don't thinks she's a "gifted" child (although I'm not quite sure what that means). But she often asks to play this CD and remains captivated by it.

Average customer rating: MUSIC OF THE MEDIEVAL PILGRIM Exotic, exciting and fun! Exotic jams I WANT MORE! Too cool to be considered classical and definitely not Xmas.

On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim) Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Dufay | Dufay, Guillaume | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Dufay, Guillaume | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Black Madonna Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century Music Of The Crusades Music of the Troubadours From Byzantium to Andalusia: Medieval Music and Poetry ASIN: B00000144X Release Date: 1996-03-26

Tracks:

1. Dinaresade
2. Edi be thu, Heven-Queene
3. Nevestinko oro
4. Beata progenies
5. Mari stanko
6. Sei willekommen Herre Christ
7. Bog se rodi va Betleme
8. Koleda na Bozic
9. Kod Betlehema
10. Koleda na Bozic
11. Angelus ad virginem
12. D
13. Quinte Estampie real
14. Urbs Beata Ierusalem
15. Mevl

Customer Reviews:

MUSIC OF THE MEDIEVAL PILGRIM.......2007-06-11

I love this cd--all the tracks are great, especially "On the way to Bethlehem"!

Exotic, exciting and fun!.......2002-11-29

If Ensemble Unicorn is great, Unicorn combined with the Middle-Eastern-inspired Ensemble Oni Wytars is even better! Actually, the two groups seem to share many of the same members, along with Ensemble Accentus (which focuses on Spanish and Sephardic music), but with different directors for each: Michael Posch for Unicorn, Marcos Ambrosini for Oni Wytars, and Thomas Wimmer for Accentus. This CD brings the musicians together to offer a stimulating combination of western and eastern-influenced music that might have been heard or played by medieval Pilgrims making the journey eastward. The European tunes focus on the Christmas season, while the Balkan and Near Eastern selections are traditional, handed down orally through the centuries and interpreted here with a zeal that should be as appealing to belly dancers as to early music enthusiasts (and I know many people who fall into both categories!). Instruments used include chalumeau, cheremia, cornemuse bechonnet, darbukka, davul, def, gayda, gittern, kaval, nyckelharpa, sackpipa, tamburello, tombak, vihuela d'arco, and a number of others that you actually might have heard of before--bagpipe, rebec, recorder, rebec, shawm, ud and the like. Ellen Santaniello also contributes vocals. I was surprised and delighted when I played this CD for the first time, and I continue to be each time I hear it again. If you like this recording, be sure to check out the other collaboration between Ensemble Unicorn and Ensemble Oni Wytars, "Music of the Troubadours", also from Naxos.

Exotic jams.......2001-02-27

Yes, fortunately, this record does not contain anything you'd recognise as depressing Xmas kitsch.

Instead, the record wishes to envisage a journey of mediæval pilgrims, beginning in Western Europe, and moving through the Balkans towards the Holy Land. As such, the disk contains a mixture of Western European, Balkan, and Islamic melodies.

The strength of Ensemble Unicorn and Oni Wytars is their ability to use early music as the basis for extended jam sessions. This recording is framed by two such jams, each more than twelve minutes in length, the opening -Dinaresade- and the closing -Mevlana-. Based on Middle Eastern themes, these are excellent performances, rich in atmosphere. Fans of contemporary groups who make use of similar material, from Loreena McKennitt to Dead can Dance, may find this record interesting, and well worth the Naxos price.

FWIW, Ensemble Unicorn and Oni Wytars also collaborate on the -Black Madonna- recording, another Naxos release I can highly recommend.

I WANT MORE!.......1999-06-08

Great melodies, better instrumentation....INCREDIBLE MUSIC!!! I find western-europe music by ensemble Unicorn great, but the oriental part by Oni Wytars is simply amazing, both the balkanic and oriental songs. My only regret is that I loved the ensemble too much to bear the fact that no other record by them is anywhere to be found...

Too cool to be considered classical and definitely not Xmas........1999-01-12

Despite the title this album has nothing to do with Christmas music. The sounds range from Celtic to Middle Eastern. While they date from the days of the Crusades, they sound great to my ears in the nineties. The last track makes you want to belly dance!

Average customer rating: It's like listening to a catfight! pseudo-"medieval" jollity and little else Simply outstanding I TROVATORI Oh wondrous Spanish early music!

Music of the Troubadours Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century Music Of The Crusades On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim) Music for a Medieval Banquet The Black Madonna ASIN: B00000IX6O Release Date: 1999-06-01

Tracks:

1. So Much I Love
2. Lady, For You
3. I Cannot Prevent With Pain/Now I Can Be Satisfied With Love
4. Bujo
5. It Is Fine To Sing
6. The Birds Were Singing
7. Such A Lady
8. Estampie: Reis Glorios
9. Praise, Now, Praise, Praise
10. Humble, Sinful, Accused And Penitent
11. When I See The Lark Move
12. When The Days Are Long in May

Customer Reviews:

It's like listening to a catfight!.......2005-12-31

Ugh! I'm a big fan of Medieval music, but this has got to be some of the worst singing I've heard on such a CD. I'm guessing the lady was thinking of how, with modern rock music, often the singers will wander from the original melody and rythm a bit. But I stress here A BIT -- that doesn't mean these should be turned into pseudo-rap, or bad poetry. She totally just starts SCREAMING certain songs -- trying maybe to communicate the emotion?
Also (and I noticed in the liner notes that the group often does Middle Easter music) there was a sort of unpleasant Turkish/Indian style to the improv that I didn't like.
My final complaint is that it is a woman singing all these songs -- these songs were meant for men to sing. I don't think the lyrics were even altered to match.

pseudo-"medieval" jollity and little else.......2005-05-07

I'd be the first to admit that this recording of 12th and 13th century troubadour and trouvere songs is probably not aimed at listeners like myself. Yet whilst it would be difficult to deny the enthusiasm and aplomb with which these kitschy and Clemencic-inspired interpretations are delivered - with a kaleidoscopic array of instruments, including some [apparently indispensable] arabic ones - let's not overlook one VERY crucial point here: this recording does NOT EVEN ATTEMPT to present a faithful portrayal of this repertoire. In fact, it flies in the face of ALL recent musicology (see literature by Christopher Page, Elizabeth Aubrey etc...) which leaves little doubt that these songs were performed in one of only two ways: either one unaccompanied singer, or one singer accompanied by one (or two) instrument(s) - principally harp or vielle (although one wind instrument was sometimes used in lower style genres, like the dansa or pastourelle/pastorela). Additionally (!), only certain songs [Low Style - like track 2] were probably sung in a metric fashion, whereas High Style Chansons seem to have been rather more rhapsodic in delivery from start to finish, in complete contrast to how they are presented here [tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 12]...

But perhaps the performers (and listeners) don't believe this is relevant, or don't even care - after all, it's certainly rather "merrie". Just make sure you realise it's about as "medieval" as Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones's 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', or John Milius's 1981 film 'Conan the Barbarian' [starring Arnold Schwarzennegger].

Incidentally, if you're interested in hearing some academically and aesthetically more convincing recordings of this repertory, then the following are recommended:

1. 'Dante and the Troubadours', Sequentia/Bagby [DHM 05472 77 227 2]
2. 'Le fou sur le pont' - Bernatz de Vendadorn, Camerata Mediterranea/Cohen [Erato 4509-94B25-2]
3. 'The Spirits of England and France 2 - Songs of the Trouveres', Gothic Voices/Page [Hyperion CDA66773]

Simply outstanding.......2005-05-03

By far the best medieval music album in Naxos. This truly is a delight for senses. What I most enjoy is its wonderful attempt to recreate what a troubadour ambiance would have looked like: Maria Laffite's voice is unvaluable in that respect. Smart choice of songs and a particularly well-directed consort. It seems to me that the first feature that a troubadour album must offer, is for its scope to border on the literary value of the songs. "Music of the Troubadour" truly is a wonderful blend of medieval literature and music.

I TROVATORI.......2004-10-22

Absolutely fascinating, and it goes without saying not much like Verdi. This is an illuminating selection of the music of the troubadours, part vocal part instrumental, dating from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The artists are two groups of specialists, representing it seems slightly different traditions in the performance of the music, but with previous experience of collaborating. Particular care was apparently given to the selection of the vocalist, the final choice being Maria Lafitte of Canso Catalana, a specialist not only in the music of the period but also in the mediaeval romance languages - Provencal and some near congeners - of the poetry we find here.

The performances have a great deal of `presence' and what sounds to me like an air of authority. Maria Lafitte puts her heart and soul into all her contributions, and it should be taken as a compliment when I say that for me there was an odd suggestion of Piaf about her. With one exception, the mildly risqué # 9, all the vocal work is solo work. In # 9 I have to suppose the instrumentalists double as the choristers, since no other credits are given. The instrumental music (comprising about half of the disc) has not advanced at this stage beyond rudimentary harmony consisting of drone basses and percussion effects, but it is strikingly well recorded, particularly as regards parts of the percussion, and the liner note details the precise instruments used. What I would have liked to find in the note is rather more about the choice of instruments - is it specified in the scores or, as I suspect, did the specialist performers prescribe it themselves? As regards the vocal side, the liner note is completely admirable, pitching to an audience of newcomers to this music and packing in a lot of the historical background in a short space. There is also a brief section on the performers, the commentary is given in German and French as well as English, and there is a full text of the poems with English translation.

Oh wondrous Spanish early music!.......2003-09-04

This album is quite possibly my favorite of all that have been put forth by the Ensemble Unicorn. As always, they perform tight, with lots of wonderful improvisation, and the recording itself is excellent. Add in some very WONDERFUL Asturian vocals, and you've got the music that wound up being rewritten into the famed Cantigas de Santa Maria.

Average customer rating: Love Train is awesome!

White Unicorn Wolfmother Manufacturer: Modular ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Minds Eye Wolfmother Dimensions Woman Love Train ASIN: B000ERU6FI Release Date: 2006-03-13

Tracks:

1. White Unicorn
2. Love Train
3. Dimension (Video)
4. Mind's Eye (Video)

Album Description

This enhanced single features the title track backed with 'Love Train', 'Dimension' & the video for 'Mind's Eye'. Modular. 2006.

Customer Reviews:

Love Train is awesome!.......2006-03-20

"Love Train" is quickly taking over for "Colossal" as my favorite Wolfmother song. Another song to be played really loud!

As for the videos... they are played through Macromedia's Flash player, that is conveniently installed on the disk. The quality is acceptable, but could be better. After all, I bought the disc, so why can't I have a high quality video? Maybe it's the file-sharing thing. I just quickly cruised around and found at least three websites that are showing higher quality videos of "Mind's Eye" and "Dimension." Bummer.

I'd say 'go for it' if you are buying it for the following reasons:
1) You have to own all of the Wolfmother goods,
2) Want to have "Love Train" on disc (then again, you could just buy the Dimension EP),
3) Don't care or aren't picky about video quality and just want to see the video.

I gave it 5-stars because of the song "Love Train" and the album cover/disc art.

Average customer rating: One of the Gems of the Naxos Catalog Beatiful religious music well performed Typically good recording by Unicorn

Alfonso X "El Sabio": Cantigas de Santa Maria Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Black Madonna On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim) Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century Music of the Troubadours Agricola: Fortuna desperata--Secular Music of the 15th Century ASIN: B00000144Y Release Date: 1995-07-18

Tracks:

1. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Prologo
2. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Por nos de dulta tirar
3. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Instrumental
4. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Quen serve Santa Maria
5. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Rosa das rosas
6. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Que por al non devess
7. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Entre Av'e Eva
8. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Instrumental
9. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Virgen, madre gloriosa
10. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Instrumental
11. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: A Virgen, que de Deus madre
12. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Aquel que de volontade
13. The Cantigas De Santa Maria: Epilogo

Customer Reviews:

One of the Gems of the Naxos Catalog.......2005-12-26

I remeber the first time I played this CD it captivated me from the very first note and gripped my attention all the way to the very end. The wildness of the Spanish mysticism expressed in this Marian music from 13th century Iberian peninsula recorded here exerts a hypnotic magnetism that is thoroughly engrossing.The music reflects the influence of troubadours but given the Eastern Orthodox origins of the cult of the Virgin Mary, Orthodox chant influences likely exists as perhaps do Sephardic and Muslim influences given that this region was a great cultural melting pot in its day. As usual, Ensemble Unicorn brings tremendous performing energy into the musical 're-enactment' so to speak, with an approach as far removed from the staid and academic you could possibly ask for.

As usual with Ensemble Unicorn recordings the sound quality puts that of many a major recording to utter shame. To be able to buy an audiophile grade recording at this represents a rediculous bargain indeed. That said, it is for the music you should buy this highly recommendable CD and one of the gems of the Naxos catalogue.

Beatiful religious music well performed.......2002-12-06

The Spanish King, Alfonso X, compiled the Cantigas of Santa Maria which were published into exquisitely decorated manuscripts. The songs celebrate different aspects of the virgin Mary's life and are meant as prayers and meditations.
This CD contains only a few of the over 300 songs that were complied and offers a wide variety of musical styles which are exuberantly played by the Ensemble Unicorn---which has recorded many Early Music CDs for Naxos.
As usual the Naxos program notes are excellent and offer a novice listener a better understanding of the music and the time it was composed.
In the CDs which were compiled earlier in their history, Naxos does not include the words to vocal pieces. It would be better if the words were included, but I think the performance itself deserves a top rating,

Typically good recording by Unicorn.......2001-08-29

A friend of mine commented that a male soprano is an acquired taste. The countertenor on this disc sings with a lot of conviction, and the alternation with the rich baritone make it very listenable. The instrumental improvisations get a little wild -- typical for this ensemble -- but they never sound completely improbable. These versions of Cantigas 18 and 295 in particular are possibly the best out there, and definitely the most fun.

Average customer rating: Fab flocks of FOLKnotes float inna FREAK out folly Extinct monster sings of fabled creature of myth where have you been all my life? Stunning work the like of which has not been heard since Like A White Star

Unicorn Tyrannosaurus Rex Manufacturer: Umvd Import ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: A Beard of Stars Prophets, Seers & Sages the Angels of the Ages My People Were Fair... T. Rex Electric Warrior ASIN: B0002LU976 Release Date: 2004-10-25

Tracks:

1. Chariots Of Silk
2. 'pon A Hill
3. Seal Of Seasons
4. Throat Of Winter
5. Cat Black (The Wizard's Hat)
6. Stones For Avalon
7. She Was Born To Be A Unicorn
8. Like A White Estar Tangled And Far Tulip That's What You Are
9. Warlord Of The Royal Crocodiles
10. Eveningsof Damask
11. Sea Beasts
12. Iscariot
13. Nijinsky Hind
14. Pilgrim's Tale
15. Misty Coast Of Albany
16. Romany Soup
17. Pewter Suitor (Single Version) (Bonus Track)
18. King Of The Rumbling Spires (Single Version) (Bonus Track)
19. Do You Remember (Single Version) (Bonus Track)
20. 'pon A Hill (Take 1) (Bonus Track)
21. Seal Of Seasons (Take 1) (Bonus Track)
22. Throat Of Winter (Take 1) (Bonus Track)
23. She Was Born To Be My Unicon (Take 1) (Bonus Track)
24. Warlord Of The Royal Crocodiles (Take 1) (Bonus Track)
25. Evenings Of Damask (Take 5) (Bonus Track)
26. Iscariot (Take 3 ) (Bonus Track)
27. Misty Coast Of Albany (Take 1) (Bonus Track)
28. Romany Soup (Take 2) (Bonus Track)
29. Pewter Suitor (Take 1) (Bonus Track)
30. King Of The Rumbling Spires (Take 7) (Bonus Track)
31. Do You Remember (Take 3) (Bonus Track)

Album Description

Pre-glam rock era T. Rex (then Tyrannosaurus Rex) re-issue their early albums including this, 'Unicorn'. Considered a cornerstone of the 60s British Underground along with The Soft Machine, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Cream, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, this expanded edition includes original artwork, lyrics, sleevenotes by Marc Bolan biographer Mark Paytress, rare photographs by Peter Sanders, and bonus tracks with stereo recordings and outtakes. First pressings come with a slipcase. Universal. 2004.

Album Details

The Classic Third Tyrannosaurus Rex Album from 1969 Has Been Digitally Remastered and Now Comes Complete with 15 Bonus Tracks. Enhanced Packaging Includes Restored Original Artwork, Sleevenotes by Mark Paytress and Rare Photographs by Peter Sanders.

Customer Reviews:

Fab flocks of FOLKnotes float inna FREAK out folly.......2007-01-27

I never knew ANYTHING about Tyrannosaurus Rex before i picked up this CD this week. Unless i'm experiencing something like a sonic equivalent of "love at first sign", a simple inflatuation, I have to say that this album UNICORN has completely charmed and captivated me. This doesnt happen much to me. If someone really LOVES something, it's because they see something of themselves in it. Somehow, from this psychedelic folk album that is all but unknown in the USA, i've heard melodies, that existed in my mind for incarnations.Once you hear the strange poetic images, and the evocative sounds, you'll be convinced Marc Bolan channeled these delicate tunes from Rivendale during the second age of MIDDLE EARTH, or from the last days of Atlantis. I bought BEARD OF STARS also, but for me UNICORN outranks it. First off, both members from the UNICORN version of Tyrannosaurus Rex had tragic lives. Marc and Steve were both dead by the time they were 30. So, as with Nick Drake, Tim Buckley or Phil Ochs, a sad poetic mystique surrounds people that never made it past their youth. Maybe some people own a vision of beauty so transcendent and otherworldly, that the world removes them, and takes them back to that etheric plane they belong to. These were guys not given to sticking to the rules, and writing comprehensible, big-money big-money POP. Well, I mean, sure T REX was money making pop, but except for that quavering, unique voice, its hard to make the connection between this album and the T REX sound. IF anything, this album is as much about POETRY as it is MUSIC. (The last 6 minutes of UNICORN is a spoken word poem.) Here's poetry floating just beyond the grasp of the intellect. The music at first seems to lack the lush, "thick" 60s psychedelic folk ideal. This is just stripped down acoustic guitar(s), matched to wierd percussion like tabla, bongos, maracas, and nice tripped out production. The maracas dance from one speaker to the other, and thick vocal overdubs appear and disappear. It's cool, dude. Sometimes a Tamboura hums....or is that harmonium? Who knows? The sound can be at times as indistinct and incomprehesible as the lyrics. The new edition offers you Marc's lyrics printed out, but dont expect THAT to be of help deciphering his meaning. It's best to allow yourself to be transported by the album to another, more hopeful, more colorful age. Discribing the individual songs would ruin your first listen...it'd be a spoiler, believe me. Just look forward to strange,ineffable combinations of Bolan's wavering, vibrato tenor over the cool countermelodies of Steve Took, along with Steve's direct, succinct percussion that's SO EFFECTIVE. I don't hear a lot of guitar overdubbing, altho one song has Tony Visconti (their famous producer) playing some pounding piano. This reissue is very well done. Since so many of the songs are VERY short, its nice to have extra takes from the vault, and a couple of singles, including one that starts the movement towards the electric sound T REX mastered a couple of years later. I recommend this album to ANYONE who likes MADCAP LAUGHS by Syd Barrett, INCREDIBLE STRING BAND, FOLKJOKEOPUS by Roy Harper, or Tim Buckley's surreal period. (More because of the unusual voice, mixed with strange lyrics, than the sound, which isnt as heavey as the BUCKLEY LPs.)

Extinct monster sings of fabled creature of myth.......2006-11-30

Unicorn was the third of four albums by Tyrannosaurus Rex and the last with Steve Peregrine Took. Released in May 1969, it followed the failure of their third single, Pewtor Suitor, in January. This had followed in the mould of the first two singles and albums by largely replicating the acoustic sound the band created onstage over the last year or so. The same could be said of the B-side, Warlord of The Royal Crocodiles, recorded near the start of the sessions for the album in December 1968.

Given that the duo had released two albums within the last twelve months, all written by Marc Bolan, the quality of the songs on Unicorn was remarkably strong, showing his considerable development as a writer, lyrically and musically, and fully utilising the flexible creativity of his musical partner Steve Took. Not anyway given to self-doubt, Marc Bolan must have been particularly confident at the outset of the sessions, and was therefore severely challenged by the commercial failure of Pewtor Suitor.

He met the challenge during the sessions, which lasted until 2nd February 1969, by experimenting with more instruments and multi-track overdubs, with the help of regular producer Tony Visconti and engineers Malcolm Toft and Rob Cabel, to create a much more complex panoply of chromatic sounds that incorporated Spectorish reverb and percussion. If not exactly a Wall Of Sound, they brilliantly complemented the beautiful idiosyncrasy of the songs. Marc added harmonium, lip organ and fonofidels to his repertoire, while Steve additionally supplied bass guitar, piano, drumkit and pixiepipe. Tony Visconti added some piano to Catblack. The result was a worthy 16-track successor to My People and Prophets and reversed their commercial decline by making a very healthy showing in the album charts.

The bonus tracks begin with Pewtor Suitor (in stereo) and show the way forward with the next single, not taken from Unicorn but freshly recorded in April 1969: King Of The Rumbling Spires/Do You Remember. This represented a quantum leap with electric guitars, Woolworth's organ and full drums in evidence. The remaining tracks are early takes of the songs from Unicorn and an early version of Do You Remember featuring as far as I know the only lead vocal that Steve Took recorded with Tyrannosaurus Rex. His enunciation is clearer than Marc's and allays a worry I have had for 35 years about one of the words in the lyric when he sings "Her face was like a coat to me".

where have you been all my life?.......2006-02-06

Marc Bolan and Steve Took produced 'Unicorn' as their third and final album together in May of 1969. Bolan's next release, 'A Beard Of Stars' would feature Micky Finn in Took's place. Finn would also occupy a place in Bolan's more notorious backing band, T-Rex, as they electrified their schtick with 1971's 'Electric Warrior'. Steve Took's contribution to this release, widely regarded as Bolan's finest acoustic piece, can hardly be underestimated. Though Bolan's Donovan Leich-like vocal mannerisms, compelling acoustic guitar playing, and composing talents are unquestionably center stage in Tyrannosaurus Rex, Took's vocals, bass guitar, and piano contributions are creative and indispensible to the finished product.

And what a product it is. While most people first became aware of Bolan's talents with the success of his glam-rock persona and single releases under the banner of T-Rex, this strange but gripping work stands as a minor masterpiece. The strangeness, and certainly the explanation for its stealth existance over the decades, traces back to the lyrical content of the compositions. Bolan brings a Tolkien-like consciousness to the whole affair, presenting a fantasy world of images featuring chariots, kegs of dew, silent scriptures, a shell of foam, bluebells in hearts, sky-blue teeth, starbrowed brothers, a chalcedony bed, a muse on life's lawn, a thunderbolt suit, and Silver Satyrs, just to name a few. While at once seemingly a Dada-redeux, one can't help but to suspect that, in Bolan's mind, perhaps all of this has some underlying meaning. He sings as though he does, though the delivery of these perplexing lyrics is similarly strained. He frequently slurs or warbles the lyrics in that unmistakable, faltering Donovan Leitch style, making them difficult to understand in more ways than one. Of course the lyrics produce an atmosphere of mystery and a dragons and dungeons, Camelot, and Nostradomas mystique as well, and that is very much in character with the sonic texture of the songs. There are at times strange sound effects, such as the sounds of birds, and perchance gnomes serving as bookends for the halting 'Pon a Hill', or the curious sounds accompanying the marching melody in 'She Was Born To Be My Unicorn'. Despite the strangeness, none of this is at all offensive. In fact, one must suspect that this was the feel Bolan and Took were reaching for, as it permeates each and every track.

What you won't be able to get away from on 'Unicorn' are the often breathtaking, wonderfully complex and varied melodies the duo produce. My favorites are the memorably mystic sound of 'Warlord of the Royal Crocodiles', the fun and catchy ' The Misty Coast of Albany', and the first three bonus tracks, the bright and lively 'Pewter Suitor', and 'King of the Rumbling Spires' and 'Do You Remember', both of which feature fuzzy, pumping electric guitars and bass, bringing to mind the sound Bolan was moving towards for 'Electric Warrior' in 1971. The first five tracks on 'Unicorn' feature highly engaging melodies, which become even more engaging with each listen. The lyrics are at times stunning as well, such as "Just like a prancer, a gypsy dancer..." from 'The Seal of Seasons'. The weaker tracks, and that is certainly a relative term, and only perceived as such because they are less memorable and distinguished than the others, would be 'Stones For Avalon', 'The Pilgrim's Tale', and 'Romany Soup'. On the latter track, UK DJ John Peel delivers a several minute spoken-word introduction that is every bit as mysterious as each and every song on 'Unicorn'.

On the upside, if there is anything you don't like on 'Unicorn', it is likely to pass quickly. As Bolan doesn't allow himself to be restrained lyrically, he doesn't aim to present any of his compositions in a Top 40, AM radio format. The shortest track is 'Pon a Hill' at 1:14, and the longest 'Romany Soup' at 5:39, but several minutes of that consists of Peel's soliloquy. Five songs from the original vinyl album run under two minutes, and again, don't expect verses/chorus/bridge/chorus/verses/chorus. There's organization, but each track has a mind of its own.

So what we have here is pure art-rock. Many of the songs possess captivating melodies, exquisite musicianship, and the type of experimentation, sincerity, and thoughtfulness that was suppose to epitomize music of the 1960's, but so often didn't. While the overall feel of the album is optimistic and light, some slower, darker, sad and even brooding fare can be found on tracks such as 'Like a White Star...' and 'Evening of Damask'. 'Unicorn' was originally released with 16 tracks, but this remaster adds three new tracks (#17-19), alternates of each new track, and alternate versions of nine songs from the original sixteen. Most of these versions are more stripped-down, especially of sound effects, but otherwise pretty similar to the originals. The imported package comes nicely illustrated with lyrics (yeah!), informative liner notes, numerous photographs and displays of other memorabilia, and if you have a use for it, an outer cardboard sleeve. It's the real ticket, and a handsome find for a lover of the best in 1960's music.

Stunning work the like of which has not been heard since.......2005-03-14

Tyrannosaurus Rex, after releasing two charming but at times monotonous albums "My People Were Fair" and "Prophets Seers And Sages", perfected their sound on "Unicorn", creating a work which remains singularly unique in just about all genres of music to this day. Some T.Rex fans infatuated with Bolan's later electric glam image remain completely turned off by his earlier acoustic Tolkein-influenced work, but for those with an open ear "Unicorn" reveals just as many catchy, hummable tunes
as "Electric Warrior" and "The Slider" combined, recorded with an all-acoustic wall of sound production that has to be heard to be believed.

Lyrically, the Tolkein fantasy influence remained strong but Bolan's sense of wordplay was reaching Shakespearian heights--if this sounds exaggerated, simply read the lyric sheet and marvel at lines such as "the skull of jade was pearl inlaid, the silks skin-spun, repelled the sun" or "Nijinsky hind is a wisp of our world through the heart's eye, a likeness in flesh of the magic contained in a pearl's shell..", all sung in a magnificent soft-focus slur that sounds at first listen like an utterly foreign tongue.

The fabled Spector-ish production values utilize just about every acoustic instrument imaginable, including guitars, pianos, organs, bongoes, talking drums, pixiephone, gong, drums, bass,
claves, fonofiddle and harmonica, treated at times with vast amounts of reverb ("Chariots Of Silk", "Catblack") for a grand,
ethereal sound; a song like "She Was Born To Be My Unicorn" almost seems to float with a liquid momentum. Most importantly, however, every track is melodically rich, with eminently hummable verses and uplifting choruses that can sound royally majestic ("Chariots Of Silk"), poignantly lilting ("Seal Of Seasons") or foreboding ("Warlord Of The Royal Crocodiles") with ease, dispelling the occassional monotony that had plagued the first two releases. With its combination of accessible song craftsmanship and highly quirky vocals and production, "Unicorn" allows Bolan's personality to burn through with a grace and heart-melting passion which makes it one of the most underrated and overlooked masterpieces in rock, albeit with a strong cult following (its #12 UK chart placing was also the highest the duo would achieve).

Long, long overdue for a proper remastering treatment, this edition finally addresses that imbalance with restored artwork, lyrics, remastered sound and fifteen bonus tracks including non-LP singles from the period. While the sound is perfect--far superior to any previous CD versions bar the "Best Of Tyrannosaurus Rex" comp from a few years back--the artwork is not entirely complete, as the original gatefold with its lovely drawing depicting two unicorn heads is absent. The bonus tracks are highly welcome, with some veering pretty close to the released versions (some, such as "Throat Of Winter" and "Warlord Of The Royal Crocodiles, sound like slightly stripped-down early takes) while others offer fascinating deviations, such as Took's vocal turn on the single b-side "Do You Remember". Overall, the CD is highly essential, probably the first CD version of the album truly worth purchasing, as Tyrannosaurus Rex get the deluxe treatment they have always deserved.

Like A White Star.......2005-01-21

About bloody time ..Unicorn is given its due..remastered with extras.Marc in the Yellow Vest never sounded so good !! I remember begging a girl in class Five ,1972 to swap me Faces NODS LP with sexy Poster FOR Zonophone Unicorn,,,I was SO Happy ..My Mother not so..she never got Chariots of Silk !! ..Unicorn is Marc at his best Tyrannosaurus..Steve Took nee Porter, so amazing..so Steve..Bless You....it transports you back in time.. wonder why its taken 36 years to give us the full treatment..In 1972 us Rex Children would have killed for an outtake...Thanks Universal and Barden/Paytress for your usual Bolan Gems..Pete Sanders should release a Book of all the BEST Bolan photos..Pete, you captured Marc at his Most Beautiful/ness...long before the drugs and Charles Sharr Murray stabbed Marc in every orifice known to NME.
.Wow it was the 70s...
From A Chariots of Silk to Romany Soup ...Marc and Steve take you on a Journey...a blessed trip...two beautful people taken before their time ..dazzle dawn man...you make us smile..just slip it on the cd..breathe .relax..and take a trip to the Misty Coast Of Albany..and Thank The Gods who gave us Steve Porter /Mark Feld/The Bolan Childe ...

Average customer rating:

An Introduction to Early Music Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Byrd, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Louis Couperin | Couperin, Louis | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Hildegard of Bingen | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sacred & Religious | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Sacred & Religious | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Chansons | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Tibaldo and the Hole in the Calendar Peabody Museum of Natural History. Bulletin The Message of St. Francis: with Frescoes from the Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi The Magna Charta The Glory of Early Music ASIN: B00000142Q Release Date: 1995-10-24

Tracks:

1. Responsorium Graduale - Nova Schola Gregoriana
2. Factus Est Repente - In Dulci Jubilo
3. O Viridissima Virga - Rebecca Outram
4. Chominciamento Di Gioia - Ensemble Unicorn
5. Belicha - Ensemble Unicorn
6. Saltarello 2 - Ensemble Unicorn
7. Intemerata Dei Mater - Oxford Camerata
8. Fantasia - Christopher Wilson
9. Galliard; La Bounette - Joseph Payne
10. Entrada - Robert Parkins
11. Guardame Las Vacas - Shirley Rumsey
12. Faute D'argent - Scholars Of London
13. Conde Claros - Shirley Rumsey
14. Have Mercy Upon Me, O God - Red Byrd
15. La Pastorella Mia - Shirley Rumsey
16. Kyrie - Oxford Camerata
17. Fantasia In C Minor - Rose Consort Of Viols
18. Gigue - Laurence Cummings

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1. Vol. 1-Original Seeds [Import]
2. Way I Am [Import]
3. Who Killed the Zutons? [Import]
4. WWE Theme Addict: The Music, Vol. 6 [Import]
5. 1-800 Vindication [Import]
6. 461 Ocean Boulevard [Deluxe Edition] [Import]
7. A-Ha Shake Heartbreak [Import]
8. Albatross and the Architect
9. An Innocent Man [Import] [Original recording remastered]
10. Anywhere But Home [Import]

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