Tales from Turnpike House [Import]

Tales from Turnpike House [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Limited version features a bonus disc entitled, Up the Wooden Hills EP that contains six additional tracks, aimed for the children of their adult fan base. Like most bands formed by former music journalists, Saint Etienne was a highly conceptual group. The trio's concept was to fuse the British pop sound of '60s London with the dance rhythms and productions that defined the post-acid house England of the early '90s. Led by songwriter Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, and fronted by vocalist Sarah Cracknell, the group managed to carry out thir concept, and, in the process, they helped make indi dance a viable genre within the UK. Bonus Disc tracks, You Can Count On Me, Barnyard Brou Ha Ha, Lets Build A Zoo, Excitation, Bedfordshire and Night Owl. Sanctuary. 2005.

Tracks:

Semper Fidelis
Presidential Polonaise
Mahattan Beach March
Comrades Of The Legion March
Saber And Spurs March
Gridiron Club March, The
King Cotton March
Easter Monday On The White House Lawn
Who's Who In The Navy Blue March
Invincible Eagle March, The
Excerpts From Mars And Venus March
Washington Post March (1890), The
Washington Post March (1988), The

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyed very much despite muted scratchy sound on last track.......2007-02-07

I gave this to my father. He was thrilled by the collection of songs. He said the last track was a little scratchy and lower volume but that the sound quality of all of the other tracks was great.

Great Band and Greater Music.......2006-03-18

Having taught music for 41 years, I do appreciate the quality of a good band, good music and a good recording. This series is all three! My only complaint is that the CD's are not long enough. I would like to have them last much longer. Enjoyed them very much!

A Moderate Sampling of Sousa.......2003-12-04

Actually one of the better CDs of the limited Altissimo! line of products. At least we have the Marine band playing Sousa, as it should be, but many of the selections are what we have heard already on countless CDs of Sousa. A few of the selections here are different and worthwhile. The problems we encounter are a mixture of recording styles taken from different internal tracks from the Marine Band Library. These recordings were never intended for commercial use. Hence the un-even sound at times. Also the brief durration of the CD indicates as well that it was never intended for public use. Finally, lack of any worthwhile liner notes tops off a rather un-professional job overall.

Start of a great series for Sousa admirers.......2002-09-07

The President's Own play these like no other ensemble. I don't know what the current occupant of the White House thinks about them, but this wind ensemble is a national treasure in my book. This whole series is highly recommended. They play with more energy than the fine musicians of the Detroit Concert Band who sound a little bored on the complete Walking Frog set. They are a much finer ensemble, playing with greater precision and balance than Kieth Brion's British players on Naxos. The only weakness is in the documentation. There is none. We are not even told who the excellent conductor is. But that doesn't prevent one from enjoying the inspiring performances. Highly recommended!

Sousa Played as only the Marines can do.......2001-11-01

This release by Altissimo! is a great collection of Sousa Recordings played by the band that Sousa made great. There are tons of Sousa recordings out there, but none feature the US Marine band. Sousa marches don't sound the same until you have heard them played by the Marines. Sousa wrote many of these marches while bandmaster of the Marines, thus the reason why the renditions of these works are so excellent here. The band playes with a real drive and energy, the likes of which few can compare. While not a large selection of marches, this CD is only volume one of a four volume set of Sousa's music featuring the US Marine band. (...) Now more than ever, with our nation in crisis, we need the inspired music of our great service bands.

Average customer rating:

Great compilation
Good memories spoilt
Superbly Bizarre

Scary Music
Kunzel , and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Halloween | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Chiller
Very Scary Music: Classic Horror Themes
Halloween Hits
Classics from the Crypt
Mega Movies

ASIN: B00006JCG9
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Tracks:

SFX: The Legend Lives - End Theme From Sleepy Hollow
This Is Halloween From Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Themes From Beetlejuice
SFX: Haunted Fun House
Theme From The Addams Family
Tubular Bells From The Exorcist
Theme From Ghostbusters
Theme From The Munsters
SFX: They've Landed/Martian Hop
Theme From Tales From The Crypt
Monster Mash
Opening From The Shining (Based On The Ancient Dies Irae)
Thriller (With SFX)
The Carousel From The Haunting
Theme From Dark Shadows
Beware Of The Blob From The Blob
Theme From Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes/SFX: Tomatoes On The Rampage

Customer Reviews:

Great compilation.......2007-02-07

I though I owned all the Halloween music to be found. But this one has some new ones and old ones done differently. I highly recommend it.

Good memories spoilt.......2006-12-27

The title of the CD is "Scary" but don't be fooled. The only thing frightening is that someone might be suckered by the reputation of the conductor and some fond childhood memories into spending good money for this crud.

While there are a couple of admirable tributes to classic horror theme songs, the cheesy vocals on Addams Family, Ghostbusters, Monster Mash, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Beware of the Blob and Thriller relegate this disc to the trash bin.

Instead of this, I'd recommend Nosferatu (James Bernard), Chiller (Cincinnati Pops), Fantastic Journey (Cincinnati Pops, also - more SciFi than horror, though) and Classics From the Crypt (RCA Victor). All available here.

Superbly Bizarre.......2005-03-03

All I can say is wow- kitschy and delightful in a way. Though the "Thriller" is disturbing. But how can you deny the "Killer Tomatoes"? I mean, how can you??

Average customer rating:

A Box Of Brilliance

A Box of Sousa

Manufacturer: Altissimo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005Y7U0
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Tracks:

Semper Fidelis
Presidential Polonaise
Manhattan Beach March
Comrades of the Legion March
Saber and Spurs March
Gridiron Club March
King Cotton March
Easter Monday on the White House Lawn
Who's Who in Navy Blue March
Invincible Eagle March
Excerpts from Mars and Venus
Washington Post March (1890)
Washington Post March (1988)
Stars and Stripes Forever [Live]
Man Behind the Gun
Selections from the Operetta, the Bride Elect
Reine de la Mer
Sound Off
Royal Welch Fusiliers
By the Light of the Polar Star
Beneath the Southern Cross
Mars and Venus
Gallant Seventh
Thunderer March [Historic 1896 Recording]
Fairest of the Fair
Hands Across the Sea
Diplomat
Rifle Regiment
Occidental
Riders for the Flag
Hail to the Spirit of Liberty
High School Cadets
Boy Scouts of America
Picador
Directorate
Black Horse Troop
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
Beau Ideal
Belle of Chicago
Corcoran Cadets
National Game
Loyal Legion
Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell [Historic 1894 Recording]
Century of Progress
Atlantic City Pageant
Free Lance
Glory of the Yankee Navy
March of the Mitten Men
Minnesota March
Northern Pines
Our Flirtations
Pride of the Wolverines
Solid Men to the Front
White Rose
Bullets and Bayonets
In the Land of the Golden Fleece
Pathfinder of Panama
Liberty Loan
Peaches and Cream
National Fencibles [Historic 1890 Recording]

Album Description

Box Set of 4 CDs by The United States Marine Band.

Customer Reviews:

A Box Of Brilliance.......2004-01-13

Brilliant is a good word for this set of must have band classics, all of these songs are as american as apple pie. Its a must have for any true patriot or band lover. Sousa is the Motzart of the marchign band world and truly this capture so much more than any other collection.

Tales from Turnpike House (Bonus Tracks)

Average customer rating:

A Musical Look at the Neighborhood
10 kinds of awesome
This is the version to have!
A Good Thing?
Take a Trip

Tales from Turnpike House (Bonus Tracks)
Saint Etienne
Manufacturer: Savoy Jazz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Electronic Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Dance | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Lost in a Moment
Foxbase Alpha
Lipslide
Supernature
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

ASIN: B000C65Z6Q
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Tracks:

Side Streets
A Good Thing
Sun In My Morning
Milk Bottle Symphony
Dream Lover
Lightning Strikes Twice
Slow Down At The Castle
Oh My
Last Orders For Gary Stead
I'm Falling
Stars Above Us
Teenage Winter
Goodnight

Amazon.com

If your first thought upon hearing of this release was "What the heck is British dance-lounge-pop act Saint Etienne doing on an American jazz label?," you are not alone. When you discover that the record in question is a full-on concept album and that David "Rock On" Essex is on the thing, you might wonder if the album might be sort of a muddled mess. And it is, though not in a bad way. Vocalist Sarah Cracknell sounds great throughout, but except for "Stars Above Us," the more straight ahead dance-pop songs fall a bit flat. But the rest is great, maybe even the band's best yet. More than half the songs (which offer slices of life in a housing project on the outskirts of London kind of like that famous Georges Perec book) do achieve an ideal of jet set sophistication. The songs pit house rhythms with sardonic name-dropping lyrics, vocal harmonies worthy of the Association with swooshy synthesizers, and big guitar riffs against whispered voices. It's swank! -Mike McGonigal

Album Description

This London pop opera is a smash in the U.K. Tales from Turnpike House hit's North America.

Customer Reviews:

A Musical Look at the Neighborhood.......2007-05-10

I was in my local music store, when I noticed the CD, "tales from turnpike house" by saint etienne. I guess I was attracted by the simple, yet quite striking cover artwork (by Lora Findlay)which depicted various individuals living their lives in different boxy rooms. At the store I was able to sample the CD's various tunes and was impressed enough to make a purchase.

What I didn't know at that moment was, that I had just bought my favorite CD of 2006. Thats pretty good considering, I usually buy 2 or 3 CDs on a weekly basis (Yes, my condo is getting pretty crowded!). But I absolutely love this wonderful confection of a pop opera, which basically looks at the mundane lives of various ordinary people in an apartment block. It sort of reminds me of the late filmmaker, Robert Altman's movies, which gave us short but studied depictions of multiple characters (see his 1975 masterpiece, "Nashville".) The closest thing musically, that I could compare it to is the classic '60s song writing of 'The Kinks', which often included detailed portraits of ordinary British folks ("A Well Respected Man", "Dedicated Follower of Fashion").

This CD was my first introduction to saint etienne and I was totally knocked out by the group's sound. Vocalist, Sara Cracknell gives us breathy/sexy vocals, that sound like a cross between "The Association" and the Motown 'girl groups' of the 1960's. But all is not 'retro' as those vocals seem to seemlessly glide on top of airy, laid back beats.

The group's songwriting (Cracknell, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs) is just as good as the smooth, dreamy sound. I love the opening (on the US edition) of the song "Side Streets". Between the opening chords of an acoustic guitar and what sounds like (electronic) crickets, the narrator/singer intones, "the neighborhood that I live in, I've always seen as home.." To me this opening line really does encapsulate, what this album is all about. The feeling of being home. Belonging someplace. But if I had but one favorite song on this CD, it would have to be "Milk Bottle Symphony", with it's short portraits of lorry drivers, housewives, students, retirees ETC. It's a song that gives us the clinking of milk bottles and a wistfull, dreamy tune. Other great songs include "A Good Thing", "Ligtning Stikes Twice" and "Stars Above Us". All of them are instantly hummable and sure to get stuck in your head.

Since buying this CD, there hasn't been a week, that I havn't at least once popped it in the car stereo. I've picked up much of saint etienne's discography, which for the most part I love, but I always seem to come back to this CD. Beautiful, inciteful music! Highly recommended!

10 kinds of awesome.......2007-03-19

What a great CD to groove to while starting out your morning with a bubble bath or driving around your favorite city with the windows rolled down. If you are a fan, you need to own this album...it is a masterpiece!

This is the version to have!.......2006-05-18

I am a big saint Etienne fan, they are one of my favorite groups. However, I had criticism of their new CD when it was released last year. Although it contained many good tracks, overall I felt the album was too confectionary (too perfect) for me. One of the things I always enjoyed about Saint Etienne was the uniqueness of their music, the edgyness of some of the songs, the instrumentals, etc. Now with the US version I decided to buy so I could downloaded it to my computer. Then after listening to it, I realized I never heard many of these songs. Dream Lover, Oh My, and I'm Falling are all new songs. Relocate & Bird Man of EC1 have been REMOVED from the US version! The three new songs are awesome, and changes my perspective of the new CD completley. I find it very interesting that Saint Etienne did this, it sure made a better CD! While some of the same songs are still for me not quite as good as stuff from their best CD's like Sound Of Water, Good Humour, etc, the US version is a great CD (true alternative pop at it's best). I love Saint Etienne! Now I hear there are also TWO MORE CUTS from these sessions available only on the Japan release. I look forward to hearing them someday as well!

A Good Thing?.......2006-05-16

Saint Etienne.
They have had many UK hits with only 1 ever reaching the top 10 that was a track with Paul Van Dyk called Tell Me Why(the riddle) UK #7.Since this they have only just scraped into the top 40 and this their latest album gave them their lowest charting UK album #72.The first single side streets is a gentle easy going track and suits the style of the band but doesnt fit in with the music scene at the moment.its UK chart placing of #36 reflects this.The same can be said for the 2nd single Good Thing which only made UK #71 their lowest ever placing for a single and their smallest hit in years.The album is full of good little songs but if the band are to have any hope of becoming big again they need to start producing music that is typical of them from their 1990-1995 era.

Take a Trip.......2006-05-12

Saint Etienne legitimize their aging pop star status with the concept album "Tale from the Turnpike House." Very wise decision as the band are now moms and dads and can't play to the club crowd forever.....or can they. I'd say they succeed terrifically with some of the most fun pop they have created in years. All the essential Etienne elements are here on the disc with the stand out track being "Stars Above Us" -- classic Saint Etienne. Pure Pop. Pure Abandon. Don't think Saint Etienne have ever laid claim to anything else. As for the psuedo music "critics" like the post from C. Anderson below IT AIN'T THAT DEEP SWEETIE! As for their relavance well they've been around 15 years now. This is music to be enjoyed and have fun with. Bitter critics need not apply.

Average customer rating:

Hail To the Thief!
Hail to the Chief
Another Great Altissimo! Release
Hail to the Chief

Hail to the Chief

Manufacturer: Altissimo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Three Hit Albums from the U.S. Military Bands
Hollywoodland (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0006SSP6C
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

President Garfield's Inaugural March
The Star Spangled Banner (Historic Arrangement)
Inaugural Address Excerpt Franklin D. Roosevelt
March "Franklin D. Roosevelt"
Auld Lang Syne
Thomas Jefferson March
The Blue Danube Waltz
The President's March (Hail Columbia)
Inaugural Address Excerpt Harry Truman
The Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Easter Monday on the White House Lawn
Hungarian Dance #3
The Pride of the Wolverines
The Maple Leaf Rag (Historic 1906 Recording)
Inaugural Address Excerpt Dwight Eisenhower
Listen to the Mockingbird
The Marseillaise
Solemn March
Presidential Polonaise
The March from the Nutcracker Suite
Inaugural Address Excerpt John F. Kennedy
Guadalcanal March from Victory at Sea
Hail to the Spirit of Liberty
Eternal Father (The Navy Hymn)
A Message from President Ronald Reagan
Hail to the Chief

Customer Reviews:

Hail To the Thief!.......2005-08-06

Despite the fact that most of our presidents are not worth remembering in music; this is none the less an interesting CD. Altissimo! has done its usualy bit of culling through the Marine Band library to dig out enough appropriate pieces to put together on one CD. No original recordings here! We should be glad that its a full length selection of over 60 mins for a change, instead of the old 45 min. cheats in the past! Still, the different sound qualities of the various tracks is distracting at times.

Most labels when they combine different recordings together usually list the recording date and who conducted the band at that time. Altissimo! has not graduated to that level of professionalism in their products yet. Hence we just get The US Marine Band, not when it was recorded and who might be directing it!

Fortunately, the quality of the Marine Band is so good that it does not matter what Altissimo! does in putting together a CD. That said, the music provides an interesting chronology of ceremonial music played at the White House over the years. The linear notes are an improvment over the past, when little or nothing was provided. All and all, not bad from what we have come to expect from Altissimo!

Hail to the Chief.......2005-02-02

Hail to the Chief is the latest of about twenty-seven CDs offered by "Altissimo!", which offer recordings of the USA's fine military service musical organizations. Until Altissimo!, these recording were very rare and just about impossible to find. Thanks to Altissimo! every one can appreciate and enjoy the fine music of these top-notch musical organizations.
The program in Hail to the Chief is a tribute to our presidents. It is a varied program that shows the depth of the music played by one of America's oldest, established in 1798, and finest musical organizations, the United States Marine Band. This CD contains twenty-one marches and other classical numbers from Sousa to Strauss to Tchaikovsky. Some of the music in the CD is rare and for this reason alone of interest to music history buffs. One of these selections is a recording of the "Star-Spangled Banner" using the earliest published arrangement (1814) of the anthem. Another is the "Solemn March" played at Lincoln's funeral. Also included a rarely recorded Sousa piece, "Easter Monday on the White House Lawn." There is also an historic 1906 recording of Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag."
The recording also contains excerpts from speeches made by five of our presidents four of which were from inaugural addresses. The program notes explain the musical selections and how each was of interest to the various presidents.
The only negative, and it is not with the CD itself, is that the program notes do not include recording dates, where recorded and who the conductor of the band was. I highly recommend this CD to all interested in the America's patriotic music as well as the serious collector of military music and those interested in the musical roots of our country.
George Barkman

Another Great Altissimo! Release.......2005-01-13

Listening to the latest CD from Altissimo! brought pleasure to my ears. Whether you like listening to ballads, waltzes, Hungarian Dances, or marches you will find something on this CD that you will love to listen to. This wonderful compilation presents the listener with music favored by 23 of our United States Presidents, and includes bonus tracks of excerpts from four inaugural speeches.

Hail to the Chief.......2005-01-11

Hail to the Chief is unique, educational and without question, absolutely wonderful!

I was initially puzzled by the selections but as I began to listen and read the short narrative that is offered I started to realize I was being taken on a very different trip through American history. Consequently, the impact of the program had a totally unexpected and fascinating effect.

I was not just mesmerized by the sounds I heard, the arrangements which were presented or the memorable utterances of some of our Chief Executives. I was completely entranced by the realization that these men and others who had held the office of President of the United States, had listened and reacted to the same music the CD offers. It gave me an insight into their humanity that text books cannot provide.

As an example, I hadn't known the original sheet music for the "Star Spangled Banner" was arranged differently from the way we listen to it today --- who know how many Americans heard it played that way?

I had never actually thought about the fact that Washington might have actually heard "Hail Columbia" played, just as I was hearing it.

I was a bit startled that Chester Arthur commanded Sousa to compose what became the "Presidential Polonaise" and tried to imagine how much pressure he, (Sousa), must have felt in doing the President's bidding. (By the way, after listening to that unquestionably superb composition of the "March King", I must admit despite its delightful sound, I'm very pleased that we no longer use that as the official march of the President and we have returned to "Hail to the Chief".)

I vividly recall watching the casket of President Kennedy being carried over the steps of the Capitol and listening to "The Navy Hymn" and the music recaptured that moment as if it was yesterday.

It wasn't solely the music I savored but it was also the historical images they engendered. Indeed, music affects all "ages"!

The CD is a professional product that will hopefully be enjoyed by thousands for many years to come.

Average customer rating:

A century of British art songs to delight those who love them

English Song

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

A Treasury of English Song
Favorite English Songs
The Complete Songs, Vol. 4
Songs by Roger Quilter
The Complete Songs of Charles Ives, Vol. 3

ASIN: B0002JEG6I
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

A Soft Day - Bernadette Greevy
Irish Skies - Bernadette Greevy
Cherry Ripe - Janice Watson
Mustard And Cress - Neal Davies
The Lily Of A Day - Janice Watson
Henry King - Neal Davies
Fain Would I Change That Note - Graham Johnson
In Summer-Time On Bredon - Christopher Maltman
The Lads In Their Hundreds - Christopher Maltman
Among The Rocks - Graham Johnson
It Was A Lover And His Lass - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
The Water Mill - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
On Wenlock Edge - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
The Call - Graham Johnson
Silent Noon - Graham Johnson
Now In These Fairylands - Philip Langridge
The Dream-City - Philip Langridge
Margrete's Cradle Song - Susan Gritton
The Heart Worships - Christopher Maltman
Take, O Those Lips Away - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal - Graham Johnson
Love Calls Through The Summer Night - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
I Will Go With My Father A-Ploughing - Graham Johnson
The Rio Grande (Capstan Shanty) - Ian Partridge
Theodore, Or The Pirate King - Ian Partridge
A Long Time Ago (Hilliard's Shanty) - Ian Partridge
Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be? - Bernadette Greevy

Tracks:

The Grenadier - Richard Edgar-Wilson
The Young Lover - Richard Edgar-Wilson
Betty And Johnny - Richard Edgar-Wilson
Rise Up And Reach The Stars - Richard Edgar-Wilson
The Bells - Nik Hancock-Child
Ann's Cradle Song - Nik Hancock-Child
As I Lay In The Early Sun - Nik Hancock-Child
The Cherry Tree - Nik Hancock-Child
Dusk - Nik Hancock-Child
Peter Warlock's Fancy - John Constable
The Frostbound Wood - John Constable
Chopcherry - John Constable
A Sad Song - John Constable
Rutterkin - John Constable
Bethlehem Down - John Constable
Wapping Old Stairs - Felicity Lott
Long Steel Grass - Martyn Hill
Tango-Pasodoble - Martyn Hill
Popular Song - Martyn Hill
Beatriz's Song - Felicity Lott
Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love - Philip Langridge
Early One Morning - Felicity Lott
The Foggy, Foggy View - Philip Langridge
Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast - Philip Langridge
Tell Me The Truth About Love - Della Jones
The Choirmaster's Burial - Philip Langridge

Customer Reviews:

A century of British art songs to delight those who love them.......2006-06-26

These 53 songs have been collected by Naxos from their extensive acquisitions from Collins Classics, and perhaps other British sources now out of business. There's a steady cottage industry, year after year, producing the typical English art song, which is usually based on folk songs, but even in more modern idioms is profuondly conservative and nostaligic. Half these songs, not to mention half the composers, are totally unknown to American audiences, but the familiar names of Vaughan Williams and Britten represent high quality, and the lesser lights, such as Warlock and Quilter, are mainstays in this repertoire.

I'd challenge all but the most addicted listener to make it through more than ten songs at a sitting, and many of these pieces are tepid, offering comfort rather than inspiration. The singers are among the best, but Graham Johnson and Steuart Beford, who do most of the accompaniments, are lackluster. I know that won't be a popular comment, yet if you compare any of these songs with rendiitons done by Janet Baker, John Shirley-quirk, and most recently Bryn Terfel and Ian Bostridge, you immediately notice how much more intensity and drama is pesent than htis colleciton reveals.

Average customer rating:

Standout!
Klavier release sports generally "good" band music

Sojourns

Manufacturer: Klavier
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Recollections
Luminaries
Tributes
Dream Catchers
Emblems

ASIN: B00003XB3S
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

Young: Tempered Steel (1997)
-5. Grantham: Southern Harmony (1998)
Gillingham: Concertino for Four Percussion (1997)
Sousa: Easter Monday on the White House Lawn (1928)
-9. Welcher: Symphony No. 3 'Shaker Life' (1997)
Hagen/Spede: Wedding Dances from "Bandanna" (1998)
Daugherty: Niagara Falls (1997)

Customer Reviews:

Standout!.......2003-04-19

Wow! I listened to this CD today and thought that the "Wedding Dances from Bandanna" were just amazing! The piece was being played by a band, but it seemed to me that the composer was treating the band as though it were an orchestra -- so many wonderful colors, so many avoided cliches! It made me want to hear the full opera, which, like "The Good Soldier Schweik," utilizes only winds in the pit. I hear that Arabesque may be releasing it next year under Hagen's baton and I'll be looking out for it.

Klavier release sports generally "good" band music.......2000-05-23

One of the aims of the Klavier Wind Recording Project is the promotion of new music for wind ensemble. The North Texas Wind Symphony scores big with this release (save for the Sousa march, which seems oddly out of place), featuring substantial works by several "returning" Klavier composers.

Sojourns opens with a rousing performance of young composer and saxophonist Charles Young's "Tempered Steel," a 1997 Big 12 Band Director's commission that explores some of the more metallic band sonorities. Granted, this percussion-heavy work is not mind-blowingly cerebral but it does feature some memorable melodies and interesting interplay between various solo instruments. University of Texas professor Donald Grantham's "Southern Harmony," based on tunes from an 1835 American song collection of the same name features some inventive wind writing within its multi-movement, flavorful band settings. Grantham has found great favor with audiences everywhere and his other works for wind ensemble are also highly recommended. The jazz-tinged "Bum's Rush" and his brilliant "Fantasy Variations" are available on the Klavier discs Tributes (KCD 11070) and Soundings (KCD 11098), respectively. This autumn, his "J'eu ete au bal" will be released on an upcoming Klavier disc. David Gillingham's 1997 "Concertino for Four Percussion and Wind Ensemble," commissioned by Oklahoma State University, begins with a dark and brooding introduction, gradually revealing its thematic material only to ebb away to prepare for the colorful and furious allegro. North Texas turns in an excellent performance here, but the recording of the premiere by the Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble at the 8th annual WASBE Conference will likely remain the one by which all others are judged.

At this point, the listener will encounter the first of two oddities on the disc. While marches are a necessary and valuable part of any band's repetoire, the choice of march king and Marine bandsman John Philip Sousa's rarely-heard "Easter Monday on the White House Lawn" is a bit strange. Intended to replace a coronation march within a suite that had been rejected by King George V (if I understand the liner notes correctly), and rehashed for an annual egg-rolling White House festivity, "Easter Monday" sounds more like a light two-step than a typical Sousa march. If a march had to be included here, I would have personally prefered, say, his much more rousing "Pathfinder of Panama" or another lesser-known march to be sandwiched between the Gillingham and Welcher works.

Dan Welcher, another UT-Austin faculty member, has established himself with many works for varied ensembles, including his wind band works such as "Yellowstone Fires," "Zion," and the one presented here, "Symphony No. 3 'Shaker Life.'" Having expressed an interest in religious practices outside the American mainstream, Welcher quotes several Shaker tunes in his two-movement work. Richly-scored, deep, moving, and very satisfying, this is one of this album's center-pieces. Daron Hagen's "Wedding Dances" from his opera "Bandanna" (which is the first opera to utilize full wind ensemble rather than orchestra) follows. This is the other oddity on this disc after Sousa. While the music is interesting, beginning with an effervescent sound and progressively becoming more agitated, its place on this particular program just doesn't quite jive with this listener. The opera itself from which the "Dances" are derived take place in a 1968 Texas border town, and this particular section in the second act captures the jealousy one man harbors against his wife and her innocent dancing at an "all-but-happy" wedding reception. Fans of Michael Daugherty's music will enjoy seeing his 1997 "Niagara Falls" on this Klavier disc. While not completely idiomatic of the wind band idiom, this work is definitely a tour de force for it. An impression of the composer's many trips to Niagara Falls, the entire work is built on two motives (one derived from the mere four syllables of the words "Niagara Falls"), and the other a bluesy riff. Those listeners familiar with Daugherty's "Metropolis Symphony" can look forward to the band transcription of the fifth movement, the "Red Cape Tango," on an upcoming Klavier disc this autumn.

All-around, this is an enjoyable compact disc furnishing works that would otherwise wait sometime to be recorded. North Texas turns in superlative performances here. While the merit of the actual sonics in these Klavier recordings have been debated before, for those interested, there exists a live recording of Daugherty's "Niagara Falls" and the world premiere of Donald Grantham's "Fantasy Variations." It is on the Mark Custom label with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble under Jerry Junkin at Carnegie Hall. I highly recommend this one, for all the nuances of Daugherty's work, sometimes not at all apparent in the North Texas disc, are fully realized in this brilliant performance and the recording of the Grantham premiere is, in my opinion, the definitive one. Do look for Sojuourns if you're interested in quality music for wind band or simply wish to add to your Klavier collection. And no, I'm not a UT student.

Loafer's Glory
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History... And It's Interesting Too!

Loafer's Glory
Utah Phillips & Mark Ross
Manufacturer: Red House
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
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Traditional Folk | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Past Didn't Go Anywhere

ASIN: B000001BBP
Release Date: 1997-04-22

Tracks:

Loafer's Glory/Nothin' To Do But Go
Amtrack
Bessie/Look For Me In Butte
Suspenders
Moffit Tunnel/Walking Through Your Town In The...
Story/All Used Up
Gaffing/The Last Ride
Heroes/Jesse James' Farewell Blues
Budgie Lore
Syracuse/Fly Away
Gordon Vales/Shadowmaker
Country Music/Aces, Straights & Flushes
Blackie & The Duck
The Sheep & The Goats/He Comes Like Rain
Hood River Blackie/Hood River Roll On
The Whistle In The Night/Loafer's Glory/...

Customer Reviews:

History... And It's Interesting Too!.......1999-06-23

Utah Phillips is the perfect CD. A singer of occasional talent, a poet of considerable talent, and the best damn storyteller I've ever heard, this is a particularly nice album in that it has a really good musician doing backup music, which makes it much more interesting at times. The stories on this are often amusing, often touching, and always fascinating. The songs are good too. So are the poems. Go buy it. Now.

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The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
A Masterpiece
Another classic - how do they do it?
Crystal Pop
Back to the core sound!

Tales from Turnpike House
Saint Etienne
Manufacturer: Sanctuary
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tiger Bay
The Trip
Saint Etienne Presents Finisterre
Kelly's Locker
Lipslide

ASIN: B0009F6712
Release Date: 2005-06-20

Tracks:

Side Streets
Good Thing
Sun in My Morning
Milk Bottle Symphony
Dream Lover
Lightning Strikes Twice
Slow Down at the Castle
Oh My
Last Orders for Gary Snead
I'm Falling
Stars Above Us
Teenage Winter
Goodnight

Album Description

Limited version features a bonus disc entitled, Up the Wooden Hills EP that contains six additional tracks, aimed for the children of their adult fan base. Like most bands formed by former music journalists, Saint Etienne was a highly conceptual group. The trio's concept was to fuse the British pop sound of '60s London with the dance rhythms and productions that defined the post-acid house England of the early '90s. Led by songwriter Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, and fronted by vocalist Sarah Cracknell, the group managed to carry out thir concept, and, in the process, they helped make indi dance a viable genre within the UK. Bonus Disc tracks, You Can Count On Me, Barnyard Brou Ha Ha, Lets Build A Zoo, Excitation, Bedfordshire and Night Owl. Sanctuary. 2005.

Album Details

This Release Has Two Alternate Tracks Not on the USA Edition: "Relocate" and "The Birdman of Ec1". Saint Etienne Return in 2005 with "Tales from Turnpike House", a Sublime Collection of Songs About Life on a Council Estate Through the Eyes of Its Inhabitants. Like Most Bands Formed by Former Music Journalists, Saint Etienne Are a Highly Conceptual Group. The Trio's Concept was to Fuse the British Pop Sounds of `60s London with the Dance Club Rhythms and Productions that Defined the Post-acid House England of the Early `90s. Led by Songwriters Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs and Ultimately Fronted by Vocalist Sarah Cracknell, the Group Has Managed to Evolve their Original Concepts Over the Years and Helped Make Indie Dance a Viable Genre in the UK it also Includes a Six Track EP, Titled "up the Wooden Hill", Aimed at the Children of their Fans: "You Can Count on Me", "Barnyard Brou Ha Ha", "Lets Build a Zoo", "Excitation", "Bedfordshire and Night Owl".

Customer Reviews:

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship.......2006-04-09

I confess, before I stumbled across this record in the listening section of my local record store, I had never even heard of Saint Etienne, much less heard any of their music. I'm picky when it comes to music, sometimes to a fault, so I fully expected to be unamused when I threw on the headphones. My reaction could pretty much be summed up by the title of one of C.S. Lewis's books: "Surprised by Joy". That is what came across within the first few moments of listening to "Tales From Turnpike House", sudden, unadulterated joy, albeit with a twist of melancholy.

In this work, Saint Etienne express a love of living that is not in the least bit naive or escapist. Rather, it takes into account all of the complexities, fears and disappointments that modern urban life entails, and concludes that it is worth living nonetheless, indeed worth living well. The centerpiece for this sentiment is, of course, the single "Side Streets", a song whose airy, poppy delivery belies its very serious subject matter, yet also manages to juxtapose those elements without descending into oh-so-clever irony. It's true, Saint Etienne do skirt the edge of being just a bit too precious, but there's something just so appealing about them that would make you forgive them even if they did go overboard just a little. Rarely these days do artists produce something with such a mature vision that still manages to be as totally fresh-sounding and accessible as "Tales From Turnpike House". I'm now intrigued to hear the rest of their back catalogue and will definitely call myself a fan if any of it turns out to be half as good as this one.

P.S. I still can't understand why the U.S. release is reordered and has tracks removed. Bonus tracks is fine, but please don't delete stuff from the original!

A Masterpiece.......2005-11-23

Yes, it's an overused term, but Saint Etienne have created their best album to date. Usually 'concept' works make the average listener run in horror, but the band has created an accessible pop masterwork filled with insight. Tales from Turnpike House is a series of songs narrating the various occupants of 'Turnpike House' and their pub. The disc Opens with the very dense but gentle harmonies of "Sun in my morning", very much painted from Brian Wilson's sonic pallette. "Milk Bottle Symphony" unleashes Saint Etienne's classic pop-sound...it is instantly catchy with an airy La-la-la chorus linking some pretty down-to-earth verses. Etienne has always had incomparable skills crafting pop melodies, but here they match them with great lyrics and a great scope of concept linking the songs together. As they work through such wonderful tunes as "Slow Down at the Castle", "Lightning Stikes Twice" and "Side Streets" the music is so catchy you almost forget that they are chronicling the often difficult lives of average ex-burban Londoners and the upheaval of the community around them. By the time you get to "Teenage Winter" and the chorus lead-in "holding on to something...and not knowing...exactly what you're waiting for", the album has turned into a rather informed observation as well as a superb product of pop craftsmanship. Absolutely bloody brilliant!

As for the "Wooden Hills" EP. It is far less epic, but quite enjoyable in its own right as Saint Etienne sing some songs for the wee ones... count in English, French and Spanish...sing about some farm animals...and then finally explore the nightly journey to "Bedfordshire". It's all quite lovely and sweet without being cloying (and that is saying a lot for music aimed at the little ones). Well done. Let's hope the full disc sees the light of day sometime.

Another classic - how do they do it?.......2005-11-18

I was having a crappy day when this cd arrived in the mail - the perfect antidote! *Loved it* from the first listen. Yet *another* beautiful and unique Saint Etienne album. "Sound of Water" has been my favorite for a while, but I also loved the much disparaged "Good Humor." This album sounds nothing like either, and the Beach Boys sound is startling at first but very effective and fresh. SE is a band that is not afraid to experiment - who else could add the lyrics "Touch me, I'm sick" to the classic "A Stranger in Paradise" to such great effect? And who could forget that haunting, bizzare and frankly disturbing version of "Puppy Love?" What about the subtle but lovely and unforgettable chorus: "Finisterre, to tear it down and start again..." I love them for that. They obviously have the autonomy to make the music they want to make, more often than not to great success in terms of fan appreciation. I am deeply apreciative that they are so prolific - my MP3 player is loaded with their diverse work. I've never understood why they aren't better known in the US, and I do wish they'd tour here more. I saw them in NYC after "Finisterre" was released and they were amazing live (as was Dot Allison, the opening act). Also wish they'd put out a *complete* box set. Finally, I just want to note that "Milk Bottle Symphony" alone is enough to recommend this album - it's now up there with my other SE favorites: "He's On the Phone," "Former Lover," "Downey, CA," "Sylvie," "How We Used to Live," "Paper" and "I Was Born on Christmas Day."

Crystal Pop.......2005-10-19

Bio sam razocaran kada sam ovaj album cuo prvog puta. Pomislio sam da li je moguce da na albumu imaju samo tri dobre pesme?(Milk Bottle Symphony, Side Streets i Goodnight). Shvatio sam brzo da gresim i da je ovo jedan od onih albuma koji vas nehvata na prvo ili drugo slusanje. Ovo je album koji vam se lagano uvlaci u kozu i dokazuje da su Saint Etienne sigurni vladaoci sinti pop scene.
I ovog puta St. Etienne vam pruzaju jedno novo i nezaboravno iskustvo, bas onako kako rade najbolji, a oni svakako to jesu sto i dokazuju pesme na ovom albumu poput Sun In My Morning, Milk Bottle Symphony, Slow Down At The Castle, Good Thing, Side Streets, Stars Above Us, Relocate i Goodnight. Jedina dva slaba momenta su Birdman Of EC1 i Teenage Winter , ali to im se moze oprostiti, ipak su oni St. Etienne najveci bend danasnjice.

Back to the core sound!.......2005-08-24

I am a Big fan of St Etienne. But unlike a lot of people, I really liked the Finisterre CD. It was a much different sound, and experimented in a different direction (like they often have). I know some fans didnt like the result. This CD retreats from that direction and goes back to the signature sound Of St. Etienne. The sound here is more polished, mellow, well produced, and perfect. Not that it's a bad thing, theres some great songs here but I found myself thinking that St Etienne tried awfully hard here to make a perfect sounding CD. I enjoyed the rough elements of the older CD's (Tiger Bay, So Tough, Foxbase Alpha, etc), the musicals, sound affects, it was inventive and unique and they peaked with that course on Sound Of Water. Even as they increased their production along the way, they did so without ever sounding over polished. Anyway, I give Tales From Turnpike House 4 stars (it's still very much a worthy CD). I just say I hope that St Etienne next time might take some more chances musically.

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Tales From Hollywood
Mark Winkler
Manufacturer: Countdown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000008QH2
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

Frame by Frame
So Cool (Wes' Tune)
Too Hip for the Room
When All the Lights in the Sign Worked
Prologue to the Big Nowhere
Big Nowhere
Another Night
Everybody Cha-Cha
Beguiled
D.J. In L.A.
Sequined Heart
Wonderland
Long Goodbye

Music Review:

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