Iris Ep [Import]

iris ep [import]

Track Listings

1. You Only Move Twice

2. For The World Is Hollow & I Have Touched The Sky

3. Atlantis Arise!

4. White Belt, Black Heart

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Second Release from the Acclaimed Band from Sweden, Jeniferever have an Artsy Sound that Will Appeal to Fans of Sigur Ros, and Mogwai. This Four-track EP Clocks in at 37 Minutes.

Iris Ep,Jeniferever,Big Scary Monsters,Rock

Iris Ep [Import]

Average customer rating:

Simple, Sweet, and Excellent Debut
Down to the Bone
IRIS De Ment "INFAMOUS ANGEL"
Iris DeMent's voice is pure "Americana" at its best!
Iris Dement

Infamous Angel
Iris Dement
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

My Life
The Way I Should
Lifeline
In Spite Of Ourselves
Revival

ASIN: B000002MJ5
Release Date: 1993-05-25

Tracks:

Let The Mystery Be
These Hills
Hotter Than Mojave In My Heart
When Love Was Young
Our Town
Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room
Infamous Angel
Sweet Forgiveness
After You're Gone
Mama's Opry
Higher Ground

Amazon.com

Artists like Iris DeMent aren't supposed to exist anymore in this cynical world. Singing unironically about family, forgiveness, and other real-life mysteries, DeMent is accompanied on this great debut by little more than acoustic guitar, upright bass, piano, and an occasional fiddle. But the songs (especially the bittersweet "Our Town" and the grand dreams of "Mama's Opry") are more than smart and honest enough to bear standing so naked. And her singing--highlighting a sweet Ozark twang--is that rarest of gifts: a wise, friendly voice that can break your heart even as it's making it swell with a reason to love again. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews:

Simple, Sweet, and Excellent Debut.......2007-06-22

Like many Listeners, I heard Iris Dement the first time when "Our Town" was played during the Series Finale of "Northern Exposure" and loved the song. Her simple, folky lyrics and warm sentiments reflect her upbringing in the Great Plains and the song resonates with an innocence that is refreshing. But there is also more excellent material on "Infamous Angel," with "These Hills," being my favorite of her songs. The sincerity of this song evokes a black and white photograph of a longing memory and the final verse can move you to tears. Since I lived in the hills of Eastern Oklahoma for a time, where Iris was inspired to write this song, makes it all the more special to me. "Sweet Forgiveness" follows the same pattern . Not a bad song on the CD.

Down to the Bone.......2007-02-10

I discovered Iris Dement's first recording much as I did John Prine's over 30 years ago, while spending a Saturday afternoon in a music store. And, like Prine's first album, Dement's Infamous Angel seems almost beyond criticism.
Her melodies and her voice seem so utterly timeless, carved and whittled from the stone and the forests of the deep South. Her lyrics cut to the bone, with images and motifs that are both achingly sincere and incandescently universal. To choose one song from this set is, again, like choosing one song from Prine's first--almost impossible. And yet "Our Town" speaks to me in a way that only a handful of songs, a handful of poems, a handful of novels have done in my 60 years. Every image is utterly recognizable, sometimes joyfylly so, sometimes devastatingly so.
It is her town. It is her life. And yet we know that life. We know the spinning of the years. The moments of rich possibility, the moments of final passing. We know the eternal truth of the sun sinking down in our homes, in our lives, in our town.

Iris Dement is truly an American treasure. There is nothing airbrushed or new-Nashville about her or her music. She is joltingly real. Her music stuns and shapes the heart. Iris Dement IS the heart.

IRIS De Ment "INFAMOUS ANGEL".......2007-02-06

Iris DeMent will alway's be Rose Gentry (Pretty Saro/ Song Catcher) which drew my interest into her CDs She has a clear pleasant voice and writes many of her own song's which I enjoy, her mother (Higher Ground) is just great. I have four of her CDs and plan on collecting all. Her songs are very HONEST.

Iris DeMent's voice is pure "Americana" at its best!.......2007-01-13

Iris DeMent's songs are pure, personal reflections of her humble upbringings presented in an easy listening style with some of the best string music backups I've heard, especially the Dobro (including Jerry Douglas on "Infamous Angel")! Her voice is unique, like Dolly, Burl Ives, Rod Stewart, etc., being distinctive and easily recognized. As John Prine attests: "Iris has a voice I like a whole lot, like one you've heard before-but not really."
The last song on this album is sung by Iris' mother, Flora Mae DeMent, as a salute to her musical inspiration to her children. I love it!

Iris Dement.......2007-01-10

Infamous Angel is one of her best. Let the Mystery Be is one of my most favorite songs Iris Dement has ever recorded. My husband's favorite is Our Town.

Average customer rating:

Powerful and God-centered
Powerful Rock with a Message

Iris To Iris
Building 429
Manufacturer: Word Entertainment
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rush of Fools
33Miles
You Alone
Rise
Come Undone

ASIN: B000OHZJDM
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

Power Of Your Name
Majesty
Singing Over Me
You Carried Me
Amazed
Incredible
Waiting To Shine
Taken
New Season
Constant
Grace That Is Greater

Customer Reviews:

Powerful and God-centered.......2007-07-01

De praise & worship 'scene' is overvol en dan is het lastig je eigen footprint te definiëren. Na het debuut in 2004 met de #1 'hit' Glory Defined, albums Space In Between Us en Rise , gooit het trio Jason Roy (guitar, vocals), Michael Anderson (drums) en Jesse Garcia (keys, guitar) het ditmaal over de pop/rock boeg van Snow Patrol , Vega4 , Anberlin en - wie niet - U2 (Incredible heeft wel wat van Beautiful Day) met natuurlijk de focus op God, de Schepper. Gods genade voor zondaars (Power of Your Name, You Carried Me, Amazed, Incredible), de zekerheid van Zijn hulp (Singing over Me) en eigentijdse bewerkingen van psalmen (Grace That Is Greater). Naast veteraan producer Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Twila Paris, MercyMe, The Afters, Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day) werkten onder meer de Britse tekstschrijver Chris Eaton (Amy Grant, Point Of Grace, Jaci Velasquez, Vince Gill) (de songs Incredible, Singing Over Me, Power of Your Name) en musici als Erik Darken (percussie), Otto Price (bas) en Blair Masters (keyboards) aan de stevige soundscapes. You Carried Me gooit hoge ogen als opvolger van Glory Defined, hoewel Iris To Iris vooral als album beluisterd kan en mag worden. Kritisch punt in veel worship songs blijft de tekst (hoewel het daar toch om draait?): minimalisme in vocabulaire, herhalingen, e.d. zijn ook bij Buidling 429 schering en inslag, hoewel 'slimmer vormgegegeven'. Bij concentratie op de rock en de CD als geheel wil de replay toets best werken!

Powerful Rock with a Message.......2007-05-06

Building 429 continues to impress me with their individual brand of power/alternative Christian rock. I'm a rocker from way back and not one with a Christian background, yet I am completely sold on this band, its music and its message. To me, this band is the gold standard in the Christian Rock genre and, to be honest, they out-class most bands in any other form of contemporary rock currently on the market.

Like The Space In Between Us and Rise before it, Iris to Iris contains a blend of songs that will grab you instantly and won't let you loose until the last note fades away. I'll forego a song-by-song review of the CD, since you'd be better advised to buy the CD and make a personal assessment yourself. That is, afterall, the whole point.

Do yourself a favor, buy this CD, plug it into your CD player, MP3 player or whatever, and let fly. You'll be impressed with the sweeping variety of melodies, each with their own character and delightful hook. The signature lead vocals, backed by first class harmonies and first rate musicianship will do the rest.

There just aren't enough good things to say about this band and their musical vision. Buy it.

Average customer rating:

folk masterpiece.
That voice...
Iris will you mary me?
Voice of an Angel
Iris gets personal

My Life
Iris DeMent
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Infamous Angel
The Way I Should
Lifeline
Revival
In Spite Of Ourselves

ASIN: B000002MO6
Release Date: 1994-04-12

Tracks:

Sweet Is The Melody
You've Done Nothing Wrong
Calling For You
Childhood Memories
No Time To Cry
Troublesome Waters
Mom And Dad's Waltz
Easy's Gettin' Harder Every Day
The Shores Of Jordan
My Life

Amazon.com

DeMent's debut album, "Infamous Angel," appeared out of nowhere in 1992 on the small Philo label with a ringing endorsement from John Prine on the cover. It made a big enough splash to be picked up by Warner Bros., and now DeMent has beaten the infamous sophomore jinx with an even better album, "My Life," produced in Nashville by Jim Rooney with musical help from Jack Clement, Stuart Duncan and Robin & Linda Williams. The collection includes songs by Mother Maybelle Carter and Lefty Frizzell plus eight DeMent originals just as powerful in their rural simplicity. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

folk masterpiece........2007-02-17

iris dement is one of the very best signer songwriters to emerge in the 1990's. her songs are warm, often melancholy, always moving, and she sings them with an expressively unique voice that is absolutely mesmerizing. this album is a folk masterpiece that you should not miss.

That voice..........2007-01-12

I tried to like Iris, but I just don't. That voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

Iris will you mary me? .......2006-04-02

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO beutiful. Iris's voice and lirics make me cry. I just love all her music.

Voice of an Angel.......2006-03-18

I was introduced to Iris Dement through her duets with John Prine on his album "In Spite of Ourselves" and needed to hear more of this great voice. I was not dissapointed with this album and returned to purchase 3 more Iris Dement albums. If you appreciate beautiful clear vocals that come from a place that is rural and heartfelt this one's for you.

Iris gets personal.......2005-11-21

For her second album, Iris turned to her childhood and to her emotional roots. The result is a collection of songs even more introspective and personal than her first album. She bares her soul in her writing and in her performance, and through her constantly evolving music it's possible to get unnervingly close to how she thinks and feels. This becomes most apparent after you have heard all four of her albums to date.

This one has the most traditionally Country feel of any of her albums and even includes a Carter song, Troublesome Waters. There is no indication of the political activism that would inform her third collection, although there are hints of the gospel music to which her fourth would be devoted. It contains at least one veritable masterpiece, Sweet Is The Melody.

Iris DeMent is the most talented singer/songwriter of her generation. Her relative lack of recognition is partly due to the partial rebuilding of her fan base required by each change of musical direction. If you are new to her, listen to her work in sequence, starting with her first CD, Infamous Angel.

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Donnie Iris

Average customer rating:

Eh... Nothing special, really...
Great memories from this CD!
Save money
Thank You Donnie Iris & MCA Records!!!
Ah! Leah!

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005O553
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Tracks:

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I Can't Hear You
Agnes
Sweet Merilee
Love Is Like A Rock
That's The Way Love Ought To Be
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This Time It Must Be Love
Do You Compute?
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The Rapper (live)

Customer Reviews:

Eh... Nothing special, really..........2007-03-20

I buy MANY albums for one song... this one was no different. If you are REALLY a Donnie Iris fan, get it, otherwise, try to buy the song you want from iTunes. It's not worth 20 bux to get one song.

Great memories from this CD!.......2007-01-10

I have been looking for this collection of music, from a singer and band who are from the area I went to college near, and finally found it. The songs brought back great memories of when Donnie Iris performed at my alma mater, Slippery Rock University, where he also attended and grew up near.

Save money.......2006-11-11

Maybe it was me but this and Back on the Streets were expensive and kinda hard to find got both at decent price they sound fine sometimes this is good place to find elusive cd's

Thank You Donnie Iris & MCA Records!!!.......2006-05-08

Can't say enough good about this collection!

An absolute stunner of early 80's pop. Think The Knack, Marshall Crenshaw, Moon Martin.....

Okay Universal (MCA), your next move should be to release a DVD compilation of Donnie Iris' hits under the companion series of 20th Century Masters DVD Collection. You've done the same for so many other artists.....

Ah! Leah!.......2005-08-15

Okay, I love the song "Ah! Leah!" What an awesome song! The rest of the CD is okay, but that song is majorly cool.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful CD
Soothing Lullaby
Wonderful Pop-Rock!
Good music, bad CD
Another Run around the Sun Ben Taylor

Another Run Around the Sun
Ben Taylor
Manufacturer: Iris Records Label
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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E.P. #1
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Carly Simon - A Moonlight Serenade On The Queen Mary 2

ASIN: B000A8AXLI
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Tracks:

Nothing I Can Do
Always
Someday Soon
One Man Day
Digest
You Must've Fallen
Think A Man Would Know
I'll Be Fine
Surround Me
Love

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful CD.......2007-06-05

I love this CD. Ben Taylor did the nearly impossible....rose out of the shadow of two musical giants with his own style and sound. It is impressive. Great music. Thank you Ben Taylor.

Soothing Lullaby.......2007-02-08

Ben Taylor's sophomore set is an excellent pop folk mix that keeps growing with repeated plays. Of my three favorite tracks, the opener "Nothing I Can Do" is a lovely folk melody with Ben's finger style guitar and some luscious Simon family background vocals and lyrics that are exquisite poetry, "When she spun 180 degrees & beheld the sweet light rising through the trees, she fell to her knees & she begun to smile because she had been in darkness for a long long while." It's a lovely awakening. The sweet shuffle of "You Must've Fallen" has a melody that bubbles like a brook in summertime as Ben floats over the notes, "I swear to God you must be some kind of ghost in disguise." "Think A Man Would Know" has a beautiful counter-melody to intro the track with Carly Simon on vocals and then blooms into Ben's pensive reflection, "I'm gonna do some changing, try to lead the life I know my life deserves to live." The track ends with a stunning call & response with strings punctuating the melody line. The other tracks on the disc are also strong including the breezy "Always," the wry "Someday Soon" & the gentle closer "Love." "Another Run Around the Sun" is so different from the pop onslaught of drum loops and sampling that it comes as a soothing lullaby from this fine young musician with the famous family tree. Enjoy!

Wonderful Pop-Rock!.......2007-01-10

Ben Taylor's style comes across as a pleasurable mix of pop-rock in the tradition of the 1970's. The pleasant surprise is that it has a 21st century appeal! A MUST for "baby-boomers" looking for new material and their children who want something better than their parents' nostalgia!

Good music, bad CD.......2007-01-09

I love Ben Taylor's voice and sound, but the CD has many glitches, portions of it keep repeating, even though it went in to my player in pristine condition. It may be a manufacturing flaw. I don't have this problem with other new CDs.

Another Run around the Sun Ben Taylor.......2007-01-05

I loved Ben singing " I Will", sounded so much like Dad, I thought how could I not like a whole CD by him? Well I was very disappointed, he has a lovely voice but I didn't click with any song on his CD. Don't know if it's just his choice of songs or if it was my 35 year old addiction to James Taylor that clouded my vision, expecting to see what his father has. I bought Sally's CD also, hers was a little better, but not nearly as great as I thought she would be after listening to her sing on her Mom's CD. I love that whole talented family but I wasn't thrilled with this CD, sorry Ben!

Average customer rating:

Iris at the pulpit
A SINGING SOCIAL COMMENTATOR FOR OUR TIMES
one of the best releases of the 90's.
Iris Dement - The way I should
Iris Dement Draws Her Line BRAVELY and POWERFULLY

The Way I Should
Iris DeMent
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

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My Life
Infamous Angel
Lifeline
In Spite Of Ourselves
Revival

ASIN: B000002N5K
Release Date: 1996-10-08

Tracks:

When My Mornin' Comes Around
There's A Wall In Washington
Wasteland Of The Free
I'll Take My Sorrow Straight
This Kind Of Happy
The Way I Should
Letter To Mom
Keep Me God
Quality Time
Walkin' Home
Trouble

Amazon.com

Iris DeMent's 1994 My Life is the best country album released in the 1990s. Yet with its gorgeous string-band arrangements and its heartbreaking tales of home and family, it's so timeless it could just as easily have been released in the '30s as the '90s. By contrast, there's no mistaking which decade DeMent's album, The Way I Should, comes from, with its crossover-country sound and its references to Calvin Klein, MTV, child abuse, "quality time," and Beavis and Butt-head. Nonetheless DeMent's twangy Arkansas soprano and detail-filled lyrics are as sharply original as ever. DeMent's voice seems to glow on "This Kind of Happy," a love song co-written with her outspoken admirer, Merle Haggard, and on the prayer-like "Keep Me God." --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Iris at the pulpit.......2007-04-30

Iris has made some terrific CD's in the past and I would easily recommend "Infamous Angel" to anyone who asks. On the other hand, while I enjoy "The Way I Should," I find it to be preachy in the not-a-good way. Let's start with the good.

Right out of the gate, "When My Morning Comes Around" is a strong song. emphasizing the beautiful purity of Iris's voice. Same goes for "This Kind of Happy," written with Merle Haggard and sounding timeless. I kind of wish he'd have sung on it with her as a duet. Instead, dueting honors got to the venerable Delbert McClinton, who does a heck of a job infusing "Trouble" with a jolly good time.

But Iris has decided to climb on a soapbox on "The Way I Should," and it puts a date stamp on the album. I can still listen to "Wall In Washington," which merits comparisons to the best of Joan Baez or Woody Guthrie, but "Quality Time" is dumb. Snarky songs about self-absorbed yuppies just don't suit DeMent's style. "Wasteland Of The Free" isn't quite as bad, but lyrically it's just a rant without any kind of deftness. Don't get me wrong; I really like a good political song. (See my reviews for the likes of Bright Eyes, Jackson Browne, Steve Earle and the Dixie Chicks if you don't believe me...I'm a big old lefty.) The emphasis here is on a GOOD political song, and DeMent is just not yet up to the challenge.

"The Way I Should" is an emotional and personal statement from Iris Dement. As she points out in the liner notes, she was ready for the reality that being personal and political made "The Way I Should" potentially polarizing, and she was right. It's still a good CD, and given her sporadic schedule of releases (four albums since 1992 and the last new CD - Lifeline - was issued in 2004), I am thankful for what I can get. Just know that both "My Life" and "Infamous Angel" are better CD's.

A SINGING SOCIAL COMMENTATOR FOR OUR TIMES.......2007-02-20

I first heard Iris DeMent doing a cover of a Greg Brown tribute to Jimmy Rodgers the Texas yodeller on Brown's tribute album, "Driftless". I then looked for this album and for the most part was blown away by the power of DeMent's voice, her piano accompanyment and her lyrics (which are contained in the liner notes, read them, please). It is hard to type her style. Is it folk? Is it Country Pop? Is it semi-torch songstress? Well, whatever it may be you are in for a listening treat, especially if you are in a sentimental mood. Stand outs here include- "There is a Wall in Washington" about the Vietnam Memorial probably one of the best ant-war songs you will ever hear. It is fairly easy to write a "Give Peace a Chance" or "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" type of ant-war song. It is another to capture the pathos of what happened to too many families when we were unable to stop that war. "When My Morning Comes" hits home with all the baggage working class kids have about their inferiority when they screw up in this world. Lastly- "Walking Home Alone" evokes all the humor, bathos, pathos and sheer exhilaration of saying one was able to survive, and not badly, after growing up poor amid the riches of America. Listen on.

one of the best releases of the 90's........2007-02-17

the title track to this cd is one of my favorite songs of all-time, by anyone; and taken as a whole this is one of best releases of the 1990's. the voice of iris dement is stunning, and her songwriting on this recording is more gutsy and less melancholy than on her other albums. folk, country, and even a shade or two of country-rock co-exist on this masterpiece. just a great piece of work. iris has not been exactly prolific and a live album is long overdue, especially since, in concert, she now sings some of her earliest material in a more relaxed way, giving the songs space, like she's settled into the songs over time and found how her voice best expresses their emotions. buy everything you can by this incredible artist.

Iris Dement - The way I should.......2007-01-17

I have only recently discovered the music of Iris Dement - heard a duet she did with John Prine and also a track on the Horse Whisperer soundtrack. I just had hear more so I purchased all of her albums. I have been completely blown away by her voice and her versatility. This woman can sing anything. The duet on this album with Delbert McClinton is pure magic.Ms Dement has the voice of mountain honey - sweet, strong, earthy and pure. She can play down home on the porch with just a guitar or rock it with a full band. Her lyrics are prolific and reflective - she truly is a woman who has got something important to say

Iris Dement Draws Her Line BRAVELY and POWERFULLY.......2006-07-05

An uncompromising and brilliant Iris Dement CD, rolling and rollicking, which, if FM radio programmers were not the weasely, fearful prostitutes they are, could have yielded at least a couple nation-spanning hits.

Filled out with a top-notich, razor-sharp band, the range of songs on this landmark recording spans folk, country and rock, with themes of romance, child abuse, politics and personal vision. Each song is wrapped in the complex, heart-felt, stunning lyrics and voice that underlines Dement's uniquely compelling music career.

The title track is a bouncy, propulsive, lyrically complex and beautiful personal anthem about individuality, integrity and finding the nerve to shake off debilitating shackles of society's --or a loved one's--expectations and be on the way to grounding oneself in personal integrity and power. The lyric about a ghostly vision and autumn leaves like angels in the gutter finding their way to the sea--or not-- "without the help of you or me" is brilliant as is every other twist and turn of this wonderful and fiercely poetic song. Quite simply, it is Dement's graceful way of asserting herself and telling holier-than-thou critics to bug-off.

"Wasteland of the Free" is absolutley one of the most powerful, rockin' protest anthems ever recorded, ringing as straight-forward and true with every line as anything ever written. It is Iris urging people--literally shaking them to their core--to wake up and admit the obvious horrid morality and mindless, base materialism, and violence that spreads farther and deeper throughout the United States--and beyond--as our Founding Fathers roll in their graves. This song is as All-American as The Fourth Of July and as spectacular as a rocket's red glare. It deserves--and needs--to be covered by American musicians from sea to shining sea.

The Dement-ed gems on this CD just keep coming as Dement refuses to be pushed into the corner and confined as an old-timey, easy-listening country wallflower. But the yin-yang of Dement's fiercely romantic melancholy and flat-out, stunning personal artistry is fully accounted for. The significance of this recording will not fade away and will only grow in reputation as more kindred spirits discover it. The truth will prevail and Dement carries it by the bucketful. Praise the Lord.

Average customer rating:

Let the beauty of your natural voice carry your albums.
LIfeline
As close as I'll get to having my Mom and Grandma back again
Ewwww
Iris is sublime

Lifeline
Iris DeMent
Manufacturer: Flariella Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

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My Life
The Way I Should
Infamous Angel
In Spite Of Ourselves
Revival

ASIN: B0002ZUIJG
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

I've Got That Old Time Religion In My Heart
Blessed Assurance
Fill My Way With Love
Hide Thou Me
The Old Gospel Ship
Sweet Hour of Prayer
That Glad Reunion Day
Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
He Reached Down
Near The Cross
I Never Shall Forget The Day
I Don't Want To Get Adjusted
God Walks The Dark Hills

Amazon.com

Although there's only one new original on Iris DeMent's first release in eight years, the music throughout ranks with the most personal she has made. DeMent's quavering vocals invest this collection of traditional spirituals with an unwavering conviction. "This is my story," she sings on "Blessed Assurance," written more than 130 years ago. "This is my song." In her liner notes, the Arkansas-raised artist explains how these were the first songs she remembers hearing, and that this music has always provided comfort during hard times, a comfort that isn't necessarily (or at least not narrowly) religious. On "Sweet Hour of Prayer" and "God Walks the Dark Hills," DeMent accompanies herself on stately solo piano, and the emotion is as pure as the arrangement is unadorned. On other tracks, DeMent and co-producer Jim Rooney enlist homespun support from kindred spirits such as guitarists Mark Howard and Bo Ramsey and a call-and-response chorus of harmonizers including Stuart Duncan. The self-penned composition, "He Reached Down," is a folkish recasting of the Biblical "Good Samaritan" parable. Even listeners who don't share the faith expressed in these songs will have trouble resisting the unflinching intimacy of the performances. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Let the beauty of your natural voice carry your albums........2006-12-10

I love Iris DeMent, but in this album, perhaps because she felt it was the best vocal style for gospel, Iris uses a voice that is too forced. She comes across sounding hollow, with a put-on voice that someone would use when trying to sound down home. I would sing this way if I were doing a poor caricature of gospel folk singers. Since Iris already has a pure voice perfect for her music, she really shouldn't have gone this unnecessary step.

After two songs, I nearly said out loud, "Stop it, Iris."

LIfeline.......2006-08-30

I sent this to my sister during the last days of her fight against breast cancer. She had mentioned how old time hymns "The ones you know the words to" brought her a lot of comfort.
Iris Dement outdid herself on this one. She left the music scene for awhile and I have missed her music. Maybe a little more upbeat next time out Iris.

As close as I'll get to having my Mom and Grandma back again.......2006-05-03

Nobody who knows me will ever describe me as "religious," but I grew up in a family that was off-and-on "church," in the old-time-religion way. My mother and _her_ mother sang constantly as they did housework, and their repertoire was mostly hymns and gospel songs. Many of them are on this CD, and DeMent's rough, untutored voice isn't unlike what I grew up hearing.

There can be a fine comfort in hearing --and singing along with, if nobody else can hear-- these old songs. The arrangement --mostly simple piano and guitar, with a little rough vocal harmony like what happens in little white frame nondenominational churches that dot our hills-- are both traditional and fresh, like the songs themselves.

I dunno how youngsters, or those with no hillbilly church experience will hear these cuts, but I love them, and recommend them highly to anyone who remembers a time when it was possible to believe. They're part of "the culture" to anyone who knows the difference between "hillbilly" and "southern," and this is one CD that was worth every penny I paid for it.

Ewwww.......2006-01-30

I understand that Iris DeMent has a very strong fan base and that this review will likely ruffle a few feathers, but...Ewww! I am sorry, but I just don't get it. I find her voice grating and somewhat irritating. The album itself has many songs that would otherwise be quite lovely, but with her vocals I just can not get into it.

Iris is sublime.......2006-01-15

Iris Dement is just wonderful. This CD of gospel songs she sang as a child and one original is inspiring and incredibly beautiful.

Rorem: Double Concerto for Violin and Cello; After Reading Shakespeare

Average customer rating:

Rorem for Cello

Rorem: Double Concerto for Violin and Cello; After Reading Shakespeare

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Rorem: Flute Concerto; Violin Concerto
Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 60; Guitar Concerto; Khrimian Hairig
William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5
Howard Hanson: Organ Concerto; Fantasy Variations; Nymphs and Satyr; Summer Seascape; Pastorale; Serenade
Rorem: Three Symphonies

ASIN: B000JVSVE2
Release Date: 2006-12-12

Tracks:

Morning
Adam And Eve
Mazurka
Staying On Alone
Their Accord
Looking
Conversation At Midnight
Flight
Lear
Katharine
Lear
Titania And Oberon
Caliban
Portia
Why Hear'st Thou Music Sadly?
Remembrance Of Things Past
Iago And Othello

Customer Reviews:

Rorem for Cello.......2007-02-13

Ned Rorem (b. 1923)is best-known as an American composer of art song and as a writer of memoirs. But, as several budget-priced releases in Naxos's "American classics" series testify, Rorem's compositions extend far beyond the realm of song. A series of Naxos CDs offers listeners the opportunity to explore Rorem's symphonies, chamber music, and concertos in addition to a selection of songs performed by Carole Farley with the composer at the piano. The most recent release of Rorem's music on Naxos includes two works in which the cello is preeminent: a suite for cello alone and Rorem's double concerto for violin and cello.

This CD features cellist Sharon Robinson, a member of the much-recorded
Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson trio together with her husband and partner in the trio, violinist Jamie Laredo. Both Robinson and Laredo have long been champions of Rorem's music, and it is exciting to have the opportunity to hear them perform on a budget CD. In the concerto, Michael Stern conducts the relatively newly-formed (2000) IRIS Orchestra, which is based in Germantown, Tennessee and regularly features the music of American composers.

Rorem's solo cello suite, "After Reading Shakespeare" dates from 1981, and Robinson's recording first appeared in 1982. This is a nine-movement suite based loosely upon Rorem's rereadings of Shakespeare and of Proust. It is rare to hear music for unaccompanied cello, and Rorem's suite immediately brings to mind Bach's incomparable set of six suites for cello alone. In some of the lengthier movements, particularly the first and final movements, Rorem's suite includes echoes of Bach's suites, as Rorem uses the cello contrapuntally to create the feeling of several voices and lines. The suite also includes movements of lyricism and passion in the companiaon pieces titled "Caliban" and "Portia" and in the Proust-inspired "Remberance of things past." The finale, "Iago and Othello" is a work in two voices full of both learning and passion, as befits its title. This cello suite is an outstanding work.

Rorem's Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra was commissioned by the Indianapolis Symphony which first performed it in 1998. The work brings to mind Brahms's famous "Double", but in fact it has little in common with this predecessor. As is Rorem's violin concerto, this double concerto is more in the nature of a multi-movement suite than a concerto. It consists of eight mostly short movements with close integrated writing for the orchestra and the two soloists. The composition is tonal and clear throughout in a musical language that reminded me both of Debussy and of the American works of Aaron Copland.

The music seems to me to tell a story as it shows events in the lives of a married couple much in love. The centerpiece of the work is the lengthy seveth movement, titled "Conversation at Midnight" in which the cello and violin speak lovingly and intimately to each other at the beginning and the end with a long orchestral interlude in the middle. The soloists tend, on the whole, not to stand out in the remainder of the work, which shifts mercurially among many moods from the reflective to the brash and fanfarish. In his liner notes for this CD, Rorem describes the recording as a "perfect performance". Indeed both orchestra and the two soloists are engaged with the score and appear to be enjoying themselves.

I found the unaccompanied cello suite the better piece on this CD, but both it and the concerto will reward hearing. Listeners interested in American music have reason to be grateful to Naxos, and to an anonymous donor who has provided funding for this release, for continuing to make the music of Ned Rorem accessible to a wide audience.

Robin Friedman

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Average customer rating:

A good value
The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann
Good mix of film music
A mixed collection of movie music
Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores
In Session: Film Music Celebration
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years of Film Music
Music In Film (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

ASIN: B00008WI90
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

The Man from Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
The Winds of War (Bob Cobert)
Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
Witness (Maurice Jarre)
Raising Arizona (Carter Burwell)
Pee Wees Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
Halloween (John Carpenter)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
The Fly (Howard Shore)
RoboCop (Basil Poledouris)
The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
The Right Stuff (Bill Conti)
The Final Conflict (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Abyss (Alan Silvestri)
Brainstorm (James Horner)
Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
My Left Foot (Elmer Bernstein)
The Dead (Alex North)
Stanley & Iris (John Williams)
The Milagro Beanfield War (Dave Grusin)
Driving Miss Daisy (Hans Zimmer)

Tracks:

Steel Magnolias (Georges Delerue)
Unforgiven (Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood)
Raggedy Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Grifters (Elmer Bernstein)
Green Card (Hans Zimmer)
City Slickers (Marc Shaiman)
Father Of The Bride (Alan Silvestri)
While You Were Sleeping (Randy Edelman)
Babe (Nigel Westlake)
The Adventures Of The Great Mouse Detective (Henry Mancini)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Laurence Rosenthal)
The Secret Garden (Zbigniew Preisner)
A Little Princess (Patrick Doyle)
Rudy (Jerry Goldsmith)
Iron Will (Joel McNeely)
Memphis Belle (George Fenton)
Eye Of The Needle (Mikl)
Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
Back To The Future Part III (Alan Silvestri)

Tracks:

To Die For (Danny Elfman)
The Player (Thomas Newman)
Black Robe (Georges Delerue)
Medicine Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
2001 (Alex North)
Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Joel McNeely)
The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Blade (Mark Isham)
The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)
Scream (Marco Beltrami)
The Sixth Sense (James Newton Howard)
Xena: Warrior Princess (Joseph LoDuca)
Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)
Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris)
The Matrix (Don Davis)
The Iron Giant (Michael Kamen)
Youve Got Mail (George Fenton)
A Little Romance (Georges Delerue)
Pleasantville (Randy Newman)

Tracks:

Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)
L.A. Confidential (Jerry Goldsmith)
Rounders (Christopher Young)
The Score (Howard Shore)
The Replacements (John Debney)
Gone In 60 Seconds (Trevor Rabin)
The Bourne Identity (John Powell)
Rush Hour 2 (Lalo Schifrin)
XXX (Randy Edelman)
Die Hard (Michael Kamen)
The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones)
Moby Dick (Christopher Gordon)
The Mists Of Avalon (Lee Holdridge)
Cleopatra (Alex North)
Life As A House (Mark Isham)
Emma (Rachel Portman)
In The Bedroom (Thomas Newman)
Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)
One True Thing (Cliff Eidelman)
Unfaithful (Jan A.P. Kaczmarek)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Ice Age (David Newman)
Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell)

Customer Reviews:

A good value.......2007-05-17

I wasn't expecting to have 4 discs for this price, and the music is a quality selection of film music, giving a good scope of the genre, and a very listenable transfer.

The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann.......2006-07-25

This collection is bound to capture your heart and evoke a tin ear on successive tracks. I found much to like and some duds - easy to skip over.
Very good value.

Good mix of film music.......2006-07-02

Good mix of films!
I'm a big fan of this soundtrack music and will be looking for more CD's like this.

A mixed collection of movie music.......2006-02-23

For the price, this CD is a great bargain. The musical selections, as you might expect, are mixed in quality ranging from extraordinary to so so, the balance being worthwhile and interesting. Sonically the CD is excellent.

Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens.......2006-01-06

I have been listening to great scores for many years and this collection is truly inspirational in so far as the choice of different scores takes you on a journey of listening pleasure matched by only a few collections.The price is incredibly reasonable for hours of listening pleasure. Don't pass this one up

Average customer rating:

Marilyn Horne scintillates
One Of The Greatest Voices of All!
Not 100% satisfied with the selections, but what artistry!
Vive Madame Horne !

Just for the Record: The Golden Voice

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Spectacular Voice of Marilyn Horne: Rossini / Horne
Great Duets & Trios / Sutherland, Horne, Pavarotti
Dolora Zajick - The Art of the Dramatic Mezzo-Soprano
An American Songbook [Australia]
La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland

ASIN: B0000TAYR0
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Tracks:

L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera)
Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix
Eccomi Al Fine In Babilonia
Cruda Sorte!
Hence, Iris, Hence Away
Dove Sei, Amato Bene?
Che Disse! Che Ascoltai!
Addio, Addio O Miei Sospiri
O Pretres De Baal... O Toi, Qui M'abandonne
Elle Est La! Pres De Lui!
Mura Felici
Tanti Affetti

Tracks:

Superbo Di Me Stesso
Il Segreto Per Esser Felici - London Symphony Chorus
Mi Chiami, O Norma!
Deh! Con Te, Con Te Li Prendi
Mira, O Norma
Si, Fino All'ore Estreme
Soli Or Siamo... Condotta ell'era In Ceppi - Luciano Pavarotti
Non Son Tuo Figlio? - Luciano Pavarotti
Mal Reggendo - Luciano Pavarotti
E Un Anatema! - Renata Tebaldi
Nacht Und Traume, D 827
Abendlied
Traume
Jesus De Nazareth
Shenandoah
I Bought Me A Cat
The Lord's Prayer
Somewhere
At The River (Lowry)
Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair

Customer Reviews:

Marilyn Horne scintillates.......2007-05-20

This 2-CD set includes 32 separate "cuts." Thus, it provides a perspective on the broad range of works that Marilyn Horne mastered. While some pockets of work may be given somewhat short shrift (e.g., Rossini), overall this shows off her skills nicely. Born in Bradford, Pennsylvania (one of the coldest places in the nation during winter), she made her operatic debut in 1954. In liner notes copyrighted in 2003, she notes that: "Can't believe it's time for a 70th birthday celebration. . . ." And neither can I, since I recall hearing her perform at the Met (via the old Texaco opera show), and it does not seem all that long ago!

Some cuts well depict her artistry across a range of genres and composers.

The "Habanera" from Bizet's "Carmen" is, to be sure, an old chestnut by now, but she sings it with a rich and lustrous voice. She sings a seductive aria seductively.

"Eccomi al fine in Babilonia" is from Rossini's "Semiramide" and shows off her skills nicely. This piece shows off the range of her voice well. Her voice is very agile, as it would need to be to do Rossini justice. There are some nice runs; the cabaletta showcases her agility and allows her to display well sung ornamentation.

From Handel's "Semele," we hear "Hence, Iris, Hence Away." This is a sprightly piece that is characteristically well sung by Horne.

Handel's "Rosalinda" features a nice work for mezzos, "Dove sei amato bene?" If I hear correctly, Horne begins this with a trill in piano; there are a number of nicely executed trills in this work. This cut is smoothly and richly sung throughout.

"Addio, addio o miei sospiri" comes from "Orfeo ed Oridice" by Gluck. A sprightly paced work. Horne shows off excellent ornamentation; her coloratura technique is terrific.

From "Norma" (by Bellini) there are 4 cuts (from a longer scene), featuring collaboration with Joan Sutherland. The two singers worked well together in a number of operas, and this set of works illustrates that synergy beautifully. "Mi chiami, o Norma!" starts things off. The two voices meld extremely well together. "Deh! Con te, con te li prendi" features fine work all around. Both singers display good vocal dexterity. Horne hits one high note with a bit of harshness, but not an issue of any moment. "Mira, o Norma" is ravishing; Sutherland's and Horne's duet is absolutely wonderful. Finally, "Si, fino all'ore estreme." This is a fast paced duet, with both singers manifesting considerable vocal agility and sound coloratura technique. When they sing together, their voices almost sound "twinned."

Finally, "Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair." Horne sings this straight, without the ghastly "opera-tizing" that some singers cannot resist. Sung simply and powerfully. Her rich voice produces a very good vocal effect.

And so on.

Although this CD does not fully represent her repertoire, it does provide a good sense of the art of Marilyn Horne and it suggests the range of her singing. For those wanting to get a sense of Horne's oeuvre, this is one recording that provides entrée to her body of work.

One Of The Greatest Voices of All!.......2006-01-29

I am not the only one who regards Marilyn Horne's voice as exceptional. During the seventies and eighties she was regarded by The New York Times Music Critic as possessing the greatest voice of our time. One only has to sample this "golden" collection to prove how right he was. Her "mezzo" handles Handel and Rossini like no other. Brava all the way (To say nothing about Dalila's famous aria!) And I must even mention her "Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair". This is a two CD that is a MUST for those who appreciate the glories of the human voice (To say nothing about the warmth and spirit than accompany it.)

Not 100% satisfied with the selections, but what artistry!.......2004-11-03

Decca's release of this career-spanning Marilyn Horne recital contains many "golden" nuggets, but isn't the absolute best representation of her artistry, in my opinion.

There was certainly plenty of material to choose from, as Horne was one of the most recorded mezzos in the twentieth century. As advertised, Madame Horne personally approved the final recital list, and the diva undoubtedly has sentimental attachment to certain selections. Furthermore, a conscious attempt was made to represent the different genres explored during her decades-spanning career. This approach, however, leaves out some truly stunning material that would have made an even stronger case on why she was such an operatic institution.

In summary:

The first disc begins with the Habanera from Carmen. Horne was very proud of her Carmen, noting that it surpassed sales of Callas's Tosca at one point. It deserved to be included, but I don't think she was "THE" Carmen, and besides, the whole opera is so warmed-over by now, it's hard to get anyone excited about it!

From then on, we are treated to a bonanza of wonderful arie and scena. The aria from Samson et Delilah is a real gem. Horne was certainly not the most glamorous singer, but My God, the interpretation is heavenly. This is what the aria sounds like in the hands of a world-class contralto. Eccomi in Babilonia follows, and by anyone's measurement, she is the finest Arsace on record. Blessed with an extraordinary range, she is as fulminating in both the top and bottom registers. What's more, her spirited delivery magnifies the pure genius of Rossini's music. As for Cruda Sorte, "ditto," as Marilyn herself might say.

Next, we are treated to two excellent Handel arias. Iris, Hence Away gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it. This was recorded in the early sixties, for inclusion in the Age of Bel Canto recital she shared with Joan Sutherland and Richard Conrad. Now, if she had recorded this a few years later, she might have drove the coloratura harder. However, at this point, the voice had a somewhat lighter quality, thus the aria isn't sung with that all-purpose "Marilyn Horne" voice we are so used to. Speaking of lightness, Dove Sei, Amato Bene will send shivers down your spine. Again, Marilyn wasn't known for her subtlety, but she proves here that she was more than capable. Just listen to the fluttering trills and fil di voce, and dare to disagree with me! One of my major complaints is it there isn't more Handel on the recital. Sure, a whole recital of Handel arias by Horne is still available, but in this best-of disc, there was room at least for Or La Tromba, the trumpet aria from Rinaldo, and a personal favorite. Also, nothing is included from Vivaldi's Orlando Il Furioso, another travesty.

The pinnacle of the first disc is Addio, I Miei Sospiri, from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. This is Horne magified to the nth power. Where to start? A scrumptiously sung recitativo, then the aria itself, with Marilyn pulling out all the stops. The bronzed tone, perfect breath control, spectacular coloratura fireworks, superlative diction, evenness and security from top to bottom, and Marilyn's own way of generating excitement will floor you. This is bravura singing at the highest level.

After a few other selections from the French reperetoire, the disc closes with two Rossini warhorses. Again, the "ultimate" Horne best-of would have saved room for more Rossini, on the second disc. But the evidence here is ample enough to proclaim her honorific as the leading interpreter of Rossini in the last century.

The second disc is less satisfactory. The first selection, Superbo Di Me Stesso sounds like it came from an inferior source, and wasn't remastered properly. Il Segreto Per Esser Felici, from Lucrezia Borgia is fine enough, but Marilyn could have ornamented more, and that snare drum is too loud! Then, we have an extended scene from Il Trovatore. Now, Marilyn herself stated that she wasn't perfect in Verdi. As she put it, she sang Verdi by not taking "both feet" out of the bel canto waters, so that she could go on singing the roles that brought her the most fame. This is understandable, but if that's the case, then we didn't need this long scene. Perhaps she wanted to highlight her collaboration with Luciano Pavarotti, and I'm sure Decca saw this as a way to lure the casual listener. For my money, though, they should have just included Stride La Vampa, and called it a day. This would have freed up lots of room for the stuff for which she's better recognized!

Now, another extended scene, from Norma, is completely justified. Equally important to Marilyn's legacy as an individual artist is her legacy as one-half of the Sutherland/Horne duo. I don't need to write more- the music speaks for itself.

The rest of the second disc throws in a bit of verismo (Horne is unrecognizeable in Ponchielli; Simionato she's not), a bit of German lieder, and some patriotic tunes. Along with Leontyne Price, Marilyn Horne was the most conciously patriotic singer out there, and to have left out her American recordings would have been a disgrace. But, again, we are given an ample serving of it, when it could have been scaled back some to make room for her operatic triumphs.

All in all, there is enough glorious material here for any fan of the legendary Marilyn Horne, and also those who want a taste of how a superlative mezzo/contralto sounds like.

Vive Madame Horne !.......2004-01-09

Je suis soufflée, et tout bonnement reconnaissante à Decca pour avoir sorti cette compil qui rend si bien honneur à une des mes interprètes préférées. Voix de velours, aisance dans le grave et médium unique au Monde, Marilyn a été, dans toutes ses incarnations, un pur produit américain, certes, mais quel produit ! Bien évidemment son timbre si particulier, que d'aucuns ont défini androgyne, peut plaire ou non... Ce qui compte c'est l'apport émotionnel qu'elle donne à tout ce qu'elle chante, et sans que cela n'enlève rien à la pure beauté de sa voix à la technique sans faille. Merci Mme Horne, pour nous avoir livré une des plus mémorables leçons de chant de l'histoire, et joyeux 70ème anniversaire (car il n'est pas déplacé que de dire votre âge, étant donné la vitalité qui vous caractérise depuis toujours).

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