Son of Evil Reindeer [Import]

son of evil reindeer [import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese Version featuring Three Bonus Tracks: "Your Small Beauty (Demo)", "Guidance Missile (Demo)", and "he Last Line of Defence".

Son of Evil Reindeer,Reindeer Section,Cutting Edge,Rock


Son of Evil Reindeer [Import]
Son of Evil Reindeer
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • If you love Snow Patrol, you will love this.
  • towers above EYES OPEN
  • Few good songs
  • Y'all Sound better now ya hear
  • Reindeer Section: Son of Evil Reindeer (PIAS)
Son of Evil Reindeer
Reindeer Section
Manufacturer: Play It Again Sam Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Indie RockIndie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Indie & Lo FiIndie & Lo Fi | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Y'all Get Scared Now, Ya Hear
  2. When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up
  3. Songs for Polar Bears
  4. Live and Acoustic at Park Ave.
  5. Snow Patrol - Live At The Somerset House

ASIN: B00006BTA7
Release Date: 2002-08-13

Tracks:

  1. Grand Parade
  2. Budapest
  3. Strike Me Down
  4. Your Sweet Voice
  5. I'll Be Here When You Wake
  6. Where I Fall
  7. Cartwheels
  8. Last Song on Blue Tape
  9. Cold Water
  10. You Are My Joy
  11. Who Told You
  12. Whodunnit?

Amazon.com

For their follow-up to their 2001 debut, Y'All Get Scared Now, the original cast of 15--including Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat and members of Astrid, Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, and Mull Historical Society--have been joined by a deluge of new recruits headed by Idlewild's Roddy Woomble and Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake, swelling their number to a staggering 27. It seems every Glaswegian with a guitar has signed up to join honorary Scot and Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody's lo-fi folk answer to the Traveling Wilburys. The fact that Son of Evil Reindeer is infinitely more coherent and intimate than its predecessor is astounding, and Lightbody himself deserves most of the credit. Aside from Moffat's brilliantly woozy "Whodunit?" the tender words and music are all Lightbody's, and it's the Snow Patrol singer's quietly aching voice that adds melancholy to acoustic ambles "Budapest" and "Your Sweet Voice," and feeling to the country-rock grind of "You Are My Joy." With the co-op's more avant-garde noise factors reined in, the other 26 contributors are seemingly confined to minor cameos, but when the results are as touching as this, it hardly seems to matter. --Dan Gennoe

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars If you love Snow Patrol, you will love this........2007-01-18

This is my first Reindeer Section cd purchase and I was not disappointed. What a great cd. I highly recommend it. If you have the Snow Patrol concert dvd, you will recognize a track or two from this cd. Snow Patrol rarely covers these songs in US shows, but I am sure those of you across the pond are very familiar with them. Buy this cd!

5 out of 5 stars towers above EYES OPEN.......2006-11-04

Since I already criticised that album, and since I really hate it so so much (and love Snow Patrol), I want to say again, after seeing all the befuddling reviews of high praise, that EO is the absolute worst music that Lightbody has ever released. And he obviously did it for the frigging money/fame. The two Reindeer Section Albums show how good he can be. It's beautiful, real music. And props to the other involved in these albums, of course.

3 out of 5 stars Few good songs.......2006-03-16

Pretty good CD, has a few good songs, sometime a little slow though...

4 out of 5 stars Y'all Sound better now ya hear.......2006-02-26

I found this album, in comparison to their first, to be more mature. There seemed to be more of a beat you could catch on to. The lyrics went beyond repeating the same line over and over, unlike their first album. 'Budapest'-track 2, is one of my favorites. Overall, i'd say it did not disappoint.

3 out of 5 stars Reindeer Section: Son of Evil Reindeer (PIAS).......2006-02-07

I really behoove you to listen to Y'all Get Scared How, Hear? Before this one. I only bought this album because I was in a PIAS fix. I couldn't get the new Vitalic because it wasn't there. I couldn't buy Mogwai, because I was real skeptical about past work (I admit it!) So it was either Reindeer Section, Mr. Oizo or Llorca. They had Reindeer Section, so I picked it up only to find out that Snow Patrol's Gary Loightbodycreated one of the most charming CDs written. Most of it is just love songs, but the standouts of the album is, of course, the cheesy yet charming "You Are My Joy", the ecstatic "Cartwheels", and "Budapest" written for a baby born during the recording.

The song that sounds like it was written by an Irish Lambchop "Whodunnit" is the most wonderrul ending, because Aidan Smith of Arab Strap makes you feel as if he has been a very flawed and troubled man, and the choir behind him has blessed his beer-drenched heart the drum machine drenched "Who Told You?" and anticipating "Last Song on Blue Tape" are songs that should have been singles. The rest are interestingly executed songs about love and heartbreak, one being the fingerpicked, acoustic "Where I Fall". When Snow Patrol went back to popularize Snow Patrol, I hope he didn't know that he wrote a beautiful, and I'm using that in a serious manner, rocket of an album on his hands.

Rating: 6.75/10
Wagner: The Valkyrie
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • "The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me."
  • Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative
  • Absolutely Breathtaking!
  • A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring.
  • The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible
Wagner: The Valkyrie

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910)Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GermanGerman | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OperettasOperettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
  2. The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
  3. Wagner: The Rhinegold

ASIN: B00004YU6Z
Release Date: 2000-11-28

Tracks:

  1. Act I: Prld - English Nat Opr Orch/Reginald Goodall
  2. Act I, Scene 1: The Storm Drove Me Here - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  3. Act I, Scene 1: This House And This Wife - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  4. Act I, Scene 1: Evil Fortune's Never Far From Me - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  5. Act I, Scene 2: There He Lay, Feeble And Faint - Margaret Curphey/Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios
  6. Act I, Scene 2: Through Field And Forest - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
  7. Act I, Scene 2: Friedmund No One Could Call Me - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
  8. Act I, Scene 2: The Neidings Raided Again - Alberto Remedios
  9. Act I, Scene 2: So The Norn Who Dealt You This Fate - Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  10. Act I, Scene 2: I Know A Troublesome Race - Clifford Grant
  11. Act I, Scene 3: A Sword Was Pledged By My Father - Alberto Remedios
  12. Act I, Scene 3: Are You Awake? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  13. Act I, Scene 3: My Husband's Kinsmen - Margaret Curphey
  14. Act I, Scene 3: Yes, Loveliest Bride - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  15. Act I, Scene 3: Winter Storms Have Vanished (Siegmund's Spring Song) - Alberto Remedios
  16. Act I, Scene 3: You Are The Spring - Margaret Curphey
  17. Act I, Scene 3: Oh Sweetest Enchantment - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  18. Act I, Scene 3: The Stream Has Shown My Reflected Face - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  19. Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund Call Me, And Siegmund Am I! - Alberto Remedios
  20. Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund, The Walsung, Here You See! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey

Tracks:

  1. Act II, Scene 1: Go Bridle Your Horse, Warrior Maid! - Norman Bailey
  2. Act II, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Brunnhilde's Battle Cry) - Rita Hunter
  3. Act II, Scene 1: The Usual Storm, The Usual Strife - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
  4. Act II, Scene 1: Pretend That You Don't Understand! - Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
  5. Act II, Scene 1: Now It's Come To Pass! - Norman Bailey
  6. Act II, Scene 1: So This Is The End Of The Gods And Their Glory - Ann Howard
  7. Act II, Scene 1: You Never Learn What I Would Teach You - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
  8. Act II, Scene 1: What Must I Do? - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
  9. Act II, Scene 1: Hiaha! Hiaha! Hoyotoho! - Rita Hunter/Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
  10. Act II, Scene 2: Fricka Has Won The Fight - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  11. Act II, Scene 2: When Youth's Delightful Pleasures Had Waned - Norman Bailey
  12. Act II, Scene 2: She Refused To Reveal More About It - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
  13. Act II, Scene 2: There's More To Tell - Norman Bailey
  14. Act II, Scene 2: Yet One Can Accomplish What I May Not - Norman Bailey
  15. Act II, Scene 2: But The Walsung, Siegmund - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  16. Act II, Scene 2: Then Siegmund Must Fall In His Fight? - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  17. Act II, Scene 2: I Give You My Blessing, Nibelung Son! - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
  18. Act II, Scene 2: No, Have Mercy - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

  1. Act II, Scene 2: So I Obey His Command - Rita Hunter
  2. Act II, Scene 3: Rest Here For A While; Stay By My Side! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  3. Act II, Scene 3: Away! Away! - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  4. Act II, Scene 3: Where Are You, Siegmund? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  5. Act II, Scene 4: Siegmund! Look At Me! (Announcement Of Death) - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
  6. Act II, Scene 4: And If I Come - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
  7. Act II, Scene 4: Then Greet For Me Walhall - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
  8. Act II, Scene 4: Woe! Woe! Sister And Bride - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
  9. Act II, Scene 4: Two Lives Now Lie In Your Power - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
  10. Act II, Scene 5: Charms Of Sleep Are Sent To Still - Alberto Remedios
  11. Act II, Scene 5: I Hear Your Call - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  12. Act II, Scene 5: Wehwalt! Wehwalt! - Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

  1. Act III, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Ride Of The Valkyries) - Katie Clark/Anne Evans/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Shelagh Squires/Anne Conoley
  2. Act III, Scene 1: Shield Me And Help - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
  3. Act III, Scene 1: Hear While I Tell You - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
  4. Act III, Scene 1: Pray Suffer No Sorrow For Me - Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne...
  5. Act III, Scene 1: Fly Him Swiftly, Away To The East! - Rita Hunter
  6. Act III, Scene 1: O Radiant Wonder! (Parting Salute) - Margaret Curphey
  7. Act III, Scene 1: Stay, Brunnhild! - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
  8. Act III, Scene 2: Where Is Brunnhild? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
  9. Act III, Scene 2: Weak-Spirited, Womanish Brood! - Norman Bailey
  10. Act III, Scene 2: Here I Am, Father - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  11. Act III, Scene 2: No More Will You Ride From Walhall - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
  12. Act III, Scene 2: Did You Not Hear What I Decreed? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
  13. Act III, Scene 3: Was It So Shameful - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  14. Act III, Scene 3: I Know So Little - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  15. Act III, Scene 3: You, Who This Love Into My Heart Revealed - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  16. Act III, Scene 3: You Indulged Your Love - Norman Bailey
  17. Act III, Scene 3: Unworthy Of You This Foolish Maid - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  18. Act III, Scene 3: You Fathered A Glorious Race - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  19. Act III, Scene 3: In Long, Deep Sleep - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
  20. Act III, Scene 3: Farewell, My Valiant, Glorious Child! (Wotan's Farewell) - Norman Bailey
  21. Act III, Scene 3: These Eyes So Warm And So Bright - Norman Bailey
  22. Act III, Scene 3: Loge, Hear! Come At My Call! - Norman Bailey
  23. Act III, Scene 3: Magic Fire Music - Norman Bailey

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars "The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me.".......2007-06-12

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Levine, Janowski, Goodall, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes

CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.

Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.

Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.

Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: everything is slower than adagio moderato. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.

Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".

Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.

Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.

ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.

Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.

Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act One Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Bohm's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are found in this Ring. I can hear harps in Flight of the Valkyries! The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.

Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.

SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).

Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.

Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".

Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.

Levine: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's Ring.

Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.

-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.

Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).

Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.

Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).

-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm. Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Two exceptions, though: Robert Schunk doesn't sound heroic enough, and Jessye Norman for Levine's Ring doesn't sound young and innocent enough.

-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.

Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.

Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.

Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. I don't know Levine should've chose Kollo when he recorded his Ring.

-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").

Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.

Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.

Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.

Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.

Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.

Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.

Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent mime. He is equal to Schreier when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.

-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on in the Ring.

Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Still, it's satisfactory, and his "Ihrem ende eilen sie zu" gives great foreshadowing.

Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.

Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt depends only on imagination and deviousness, Stolze only vengeance and deviousness, and Windgassen only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.

Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Schreier. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.

-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings (maybe not in Swarowsky's version). Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm and Goodall. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.

CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the calculated Janowski, the relaxed Levine, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.


Sir Georg Solti: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti

Karl Bohm: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

Herbert von Karajan: Der Ring des Nibelungen / Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic

Goodall: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Marek Janowski: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

James Levine: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

Wolfgang Sawllisch: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sawallisch, Bayerischer Staatsoper

5 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative.......2005-05-03

This is one of three Walkure's in my collection: the very underrated Leinsdorf, the thrilling Boehm and this one with Goodall. I believe Goodall is right up there with the best of them. Remedios, Hunter and Bailey sing beautifully and with sufficient drama. I'll go out on a musical limb and say I believe Bailey is one of the finest Wotan's on disc. Many will disagree but I think he has the measure of the role, the power to pull it off and a burnished timber that never becomes coarse under powerful climaxes... Remedios may well be the star of the trilogy along with Hunter and Bailey. His Siegmund is beautifully sung and his Siegfried by the way, is no mean stint either. Would that we had tenors that could sing Siegfried without sounding stretched beyond their limits. I am continually puzzled by the bad reviews that the orchestra playing receives from ARG, Classics Today and a few others. The ENO is not a Concertgebouw or Vienna Philharmonic but I think they play beautifully, a few clinkers notwithstanding. For a live show, they do a pretty d..... good job. THe sound from both orchestra and singers is exceptionally fine. This set belong in your collection if you like Wagner and, Die Walkure, in particular. If I had been at the performance in the 1970's I would have come home very happy, satisfied and richer for the experience.

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely Breathtaking!.......2002-09-13

I had long cringed at the thought of this magnificant masterpiece recorded in English. Even after reading several rave reviews on this cylce that I've read by authoritive Wagnerites and critics, I was still skeptical. Finally, I decided to add Goodall's 'Ring' as my third complete cycle (after Solti & Bohm) for one reason: because it was in English and I felt it would enhance my understand of 'The Ring.' In fact, after achieving that "higher understanding" I was planning on selling this set on Ebay. That was, of course, before I heard this magnificant recording.

During the course of my research on 'The Goodall Ring' most of the praised seemed to heighten around 'Siegfried,' which is my absolute favorite of the cycle. That also helped to seal the deal. As the critics said, 'Siegfried' under Goodall is excellent, but not as monumental as Solti's reading, which IMHO is the greatest recording of 'Siegfried.'

The set that stands out, to me, in 'The Goodall Ring' is this recording; The Valkyrie. It is absolutely breathtaking. Not only is it my favorite of this set, it is my favorite Valkyrie recording period (I am very familiar with Boehm's, Solti's, Karajan's, Furthwanglers, Levines, and others). Alberto Remedios (Siegmund here and Siegfried in the last two operas) is truly magnificant. It is the best Siegmund I have heard on disc (and his Siegfried rivals Windgassen). Coupled with Margaret Curphey (Sieglinde), you get the most beautiful and moving duo I have heard on record. The duet in Act I is simply glorious. You also get the bonus of Norman Bailey's triumphant Wotan (and Wanderer too). He has such command and prescene. He sounds like a God. Throw in Rita Hunter, who holds her own as Brunnhilde, Goodall's miraculous conducting, and excellent playing by the orchestra and it all adds up to a stunning recording.

I can only say that in a way it's a shame this set is in English. Were it not, I believe Goodall's 'Ring' would be one of the most talked about, popular, and sought after complete recordings of the cycle. I can only say that I am so happy that I finally opened up to opera recorded in a different language than written.

I have fallen completely in love with Goodall's entire cycle. And, I have fallen in love with 'The Ring' all over again.

5 out of 5 stars A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring........2001-08-30

This performance of *Die Valkure,* the second and most popular opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle, is musically splendid. Its special significance, however, is that it is sung in English. An English performance of the Ring is perhaps more important than that of any other opera(s), because Wagner's libretti are suffused with his ideas about society, fate, justice, and love. Even if (at times) you need to read along to understand what the singers are saying, *hearing* the lyrics in English is truly stirring in a way that performances in your non-native language cannot match.
A particular stand-out on this recording is the Wotan. His timbre, diction, and delivery perfectly embody the troubled god who tries desperately, and in vain, to keep the world under his control. His angst and wrath are utterly convincing.

5 out of 5 stars The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible.......2001-01-30

I have never been a fan of opera in translation, but I must say that Andrew Porter's rendering of The Ring in English is amazing. He uses modern, not archaic, English, and the word choice is so very earthy and Germanic that the noble yet somewhat severe atmosphere of the Teutonic myths is conveyed perfectly. The sound, in other words, is an elegantly Germanic, and totally appropriate for the music and the Story it tells. It is not true that you can't understand the English anyway, because you can understand if you care to pay any attention at all. The translation is lucid, and so it the marvelous singing that conveys it.

Goodall's sense of music drama is lush, and takes some getting used to after the crash-and-burn Solti set, but after a time or two it seems just right. Goodall is not always slower than the rest, either; for example, the famous Ride of the Valkyries that begins Act III is quicker than Solti's surprisingly slow and heavy account. It is the most exciting that I have heard--and I have heard quite a few--but it is not so fast that the power is lost in favor of urgency.

This is not an urgent Die Walkure, and it is all the better for it. Goodall takes the time to actually tell the story, and is sensitive to the drama's needs over what could be called convention. For example, Wotan's Farewell doesn't thunder out after Brunnhilde's final declamation, like in so many recordings; rather, Goodall's interpretation is more dreamy, mysterious, and appropriately trance-like, in keeping with the action on stage.

I own the complete Solti Ring, but I must say I will be the first in line to get each new installment of this remarakable Ring as soon they hit the shelves. If you are new to Wagner, and are willing to make the plunge into a complete Ring, then start with this one and see if you want to continue. This recording is definitely one of the great Rings, and the superb translation will open up the work in ways that following the libretto just won't. I promise that you won't be able to put this one away easily. Get it!
Son of Evil
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • True dark-electro
Son of Evil

Manufacturer: BLC Productions
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0002UQFIE
Release Date: 2004-08-07

Tracks:

  1. Intro
  2. Face of Swine
  3. Resist
  4. Strip of Flesh
  5. No More Game
  6. Entrails of Hell
  7. Fright Night
  8. Disease
  9. Hate and Despair
  10. War
  11. Dead Christ
  12. Living Dead
  13. Son of Evil

Album Description

With influences as bizarre and varied as serial killers, vampires and S&M, it comes as no surprise that Obszon Geschopf -- self-described madman of France -- generated this incredibly dark masterpiece. Hocico and Suicide Commando fans can rejoice at the next level of black intensity as they spin through the hypnotic and unrelenting vortex of Obszon's debut disc. Already the subject of a huge cult following in Europe, Obszon Geschopf leeringly invites us to come inside, come inside and view the crime scene where the bloody handprints are still on the wall. Not recommended for the faint-hearted.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars True dark-electro.......2004-12-02

Obszon Geschopf of France has released a new full-length CD, which is a hypnotizing and terrifying escapade of true dark Electro that thrills the senses and the psyche. Share in the fantasies and climb into the bowels of the nightmares that are musically structured along the lines of the relentless Hocico and Suicide Commando - stylings, who greatly influence OG's performance. Obszon Geschopf will soon achieve absolute and certain recognition as one of the true world powers on the Electro/Industrial circuit.
Wolfstein
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Wolfstein
    Son
    Manufacturer: Evil Humanoids Music
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD
    ASIN: B0007W9DPY

    Product Description

    Canadian Rock music - 13 cuts.
    Son of Evil Reindeer
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Son of Evil Reindeer
      The Reindeer Section
      Manufacturer: Cutting Edge
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
      Lo-FiLo-Fi | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
      Indie RockIndie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
      BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
      ScotlandScotland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000067JLT
      Release Date: 2002-07-15

      Album Details

      Japanese Version featuring Three Bonus Tracks: "Your Small Beauty (Demo)", "Guidance Missile (Demo)", and "he Last Line of Defence".

      Music:

      1. Soothe Me [Import]
      2. Storm in a Tea Cup [Import]
      3. Sun.Sea & Piracy
      4. That's What You Get [Import]
      5. The Best of the 70's, Vol. 1 [Box set]
      6. Those Oldies But Goodies
      7. Time It's Time
      8. Time, Space and LLG
      9. Timmy Zuckermann [CD-single] [Import]
      10. Ultimate Knees Up Party [Import]

      Music

      music