Round & Round [CD-single] [Import]

Round & Round [CD-single] [Import]

Track Listings

1. Bodyrockers Extended Mix

2. Max Graham's West Coast Vocal

3. Bimbo Jones Mix

4. Linus Loves Mix

5. Switch Mix

6. Radio Edit

7. Max Graham Radio Edit

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Bodyrockers are Dylan Durns and Kaz James. Both hail from a predominantly dance background which is evident in the influences they combine to make the Bodyrockers sound. 'I Like The Way' is a soaring ride of grungy riffs, post-punk basslines and menancing vocals. Brace yourself for the most electrifying single of the year! Title track backed by Junior Jack 'Rock Da House' Club Mix, Tom Neville Touch My Body Mix, Linus Loves Mix, Bimbo Jones Delano Mix and the Full Length Version. Universal. 2005.

Round & Round,Bodyrockers,Universal,5"CD Singles,Pop

'Round About Midnight
Average customer rating:

awesome quintet...legendary recording..

jazz and why it's hot

It's Miles at his best.....

A Miles Davis Masterpiece (Review Based On Original Tracks Only)

The Beginning and the End

'Round About Midnight
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Birth of the Cool

Kind of Blue

Milestones

Sketches of Spain

A Love Supreme

ASIN: B00005B58W
Release Date: 2001-04-17

Tracks:

'Round Midnight
Ah-Leu-Cha
All Of You
Bye Bye Blackbird
Tadd's Delight
Dear Old Stockholm
Two Bass Hit
Little Melonae
Budo
Sweet Sue, Just You

Amazon.com

In 1955, Miles Davis signed on with jazz powerhouse Columbia Records. With alto and tenor saxophonists Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, drummer Philly Joe Jones, bassist Paul Chambers, and pianist Red Garland, Davis released 'Round About Midnight, which evinces even more clearly what a phenomenal unit Davis was nurturing. Stylistically, Midnight encompasses standards (or soon-to-be standards) such as "Dear Old Stockholm," "Bye-Bye Blackbird," Tadd Dameron's "Tadd's Delight," and Jackie McLean's forward-thinking composition "Little Melonae." Miles and company reprise "Budo" from the historic Birth of the Cool sessions. The standout track is Davis's Harmon-muted reading of Thelonious Monk's ballad, "'Round Midnight, which is still a Miles standard bearer. Three alternate takes round out the session: "Two Bass Hit" and "Sweet Sue" feature adventuresome solos by Coltrane that preview his masterpiece "Giant Steps." And Garland moves away from his Ahmad Jamal pianisms with his introspective ivory ticklings. If you want to hear the origins of post-bop modern jazz, this is it. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Album Description

Part of the 'Master Sound Jazz Series'. Japanese reissue of the classic Columbia album originally released in 1955. DSD mastering. Packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. 10 tracks. 2000 release.

Album Details

Dsd Digitally Remastered. Includes Four Tracks Not on the Original Recording.

Customer Reviews:

awesome quintet...legendary recording.........2007-06-20

Miles Davis first recording with Columbia Records. Miles, trumpet, John Coltrane, tenor saxophone, Philly Joe Jones, drums, Red Garland, piano, and Paul Chambers, bass. If there was a jazz Hall of Fame(why isn't there one?) they all would be in it. From that first note of 'Round About Midnight(a Thelonius Monk composition) this album just blows you away. Add this to your jazz collection and you'll find yourself listening to it over and over. A masterpiece. If DaVinci played jazz, it would sound something like this. I put this one along with Porgy and Bess and Kind of Blue as the essential Miles.

jazz and why it's hot.......2007-03-10

This 'Round about Midnight, is not as good as some of the jazz I've heard. It sounds like Miles just got out of a treatment center and he simply asked John Coltrane to help him up.I think jazz should be free flowing improvised and jazz man, you know. Example, John Coltrane's: Love Supreme.

It's Miles at his best............2007-01-10

What can I say...It's Miles at his best.A must have for any jazz lover.

A Miles Davis Masterpiece (Review Based On Original Tracks Only).......2006-08-06

There are great Miles Davis records (Milestones, E.S.P, Sketches of Spain), and then there are unforgettable ones. Along with Kind of Blue, 'Round About Midnight falls into the "unforgettable" category. Why? First and foremost, the title track, while very good performed by Monk, is found in its definitive version on this record. Miles' brooding muted trumpet sets the melody. Suddenly, the track explodes in a burst of energy and Trane completely steals the spotlight with ione of those solos that make him the best saxophonist in history. After that, it's back to the unforgettable melody. Ah-Leu-Cha picks the pace up severely, some very interesting chord progressions on that one. A fine reading of one of Bird's best. Things slow down again with the ballad All of You, again Miles plays the melody expressively, and Trane solos furiously during his spots. Standard Bye Bye Blackbird comes next, and I can say without a shred of doubt in my mind it's the best song on the album. If you can't tell it's a classic by the opening piano solo, you're beyond all help I can give you (which, to be fair, isn't much). Tadd's Delight is the closest this album comes to a weak song, and even then it has a nice melody. Dear Old Stockholm closes things out, and though normally I'm not a fan of Stan Getz, I love the group's reading of this tune (particularly that harmony part... it will stay in your head forever!) The CD reissue comes with four bonus tracks (Two Bass Hit, Little Melonae, Budo and Sweet Sue Just You), which range from brilliant (Little Melonae) to average (Sweet Sue).
One last thing I'd like to comment on is the album's remaster. Up until a few days ago, I had only heard this album on a scratchy old vinyl. And while normally I don't really notice sound quality (except if it's painfully obvious), the remastering job for 'Round About Midnight is excellent.

The Beginning and the End.......2006-07-16

Miles' debut album for Columbia Records - and the last LP by his original quintet - is very much in the same vein as the trumpeter's final Prestige sessions, which were in fact recorded almost simultaneously. There's nothing really new here - even the title track had already appeared on a Prestige LP in a nearly identical version - but the Maestro and his sidemen (John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums) play with verve and conviction, stamping their collective personality on the last all-covers program in Davis' catalogue. While subsequent releases such as MILESTONES and KIND OF BLUE are undoubtedly superior on all levels, 'ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT still deserves a place on any Miles Davis fan's shelf - even if the only thing distinguishing it from its predecessors is the record label.

Average customer rating:

Riddle Excellent, Ronstadt OK
Only the best will do
Round Midnight
Linda deserves 10 stars on this one!
Linda is magnificent.

'Round Midnight
Linda Ronstadt , and Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

For Sentimental Reasons
What's New
Hummin' To Myself
Lush Life
Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind

ASIN: B000002H3S
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

What's New
I've Got A Crush On You
Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
Crazy He Calls Me
Someone To Watch Over Me
I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
What'll I Do
Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be)
Good-bye
When I Fall In Love
Skylark
It Never Entered My Mind
Mean To Me
When Your Lover Has Gone
I'm A Fool To Want You

Tracks:

You Took Advantage Of Me
Sophisticated Lady
Can't We Be Friends
My Old Flame
Falling In Love Again
Lush Life
When You Wish Upon A Star
Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered
You Go To My Head
But Not For Me
My Funny Valentine
I Get Along Without You Very Well
Am I Blue
I Love You For Sentimental Reasons
Straighten Up & Fly Right
Little Girl Blue
'Round Midnight

Customer Reviews:

Riddle Excellent, Ronstadt OK.......2007-02-06

Recently pulled out "Lush Life" and "Sentimental Reasons" after several years of not listening to them. Riddle, his arrangements, and the backup orchestras or big bands he conducts here are, of course, magnificent. However, on these recordings Ronstadt is occasionally flat; has that abrasive, throaty, open sound on some of the top notes, (though pretty when she finally breaks into a vibrato); closes off her vowels at the end of phrases; and sometimes stops singing a phrase altogether, which is unsettling. Also, would have liked to have heard Ronstadt deviate from the written melody or rhythm occasionally (something Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald always managed to do, and which made their interpretations remarkable) as it she would have really nailed these works and given her a place in jazz history of the Great American Songbook.

Have heard much better (and much worse, Rod Stewart, c'mon...), Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee.

Most of her songs are sweet, pretty, but not much above what you'd hear with a good 1930's or 1940's "bird" out front of the big band.

Only the best will do.......2006-12-11

Linda Ronstadt has never made a bad album and this is only more proof. I absolutely love this cd, I also own the three original versions with Nelson Riddle, if fact I think I own all her music. Albums, cassettes, CDs, whatever I have them. I even have the Spanish ones, that I only know every third word, and love them also.

I have a hard time comparing her to any other standard singer, but if you want to hear the difference between her and the others just listen to her Christmas CD and that will explain it all. I am a huge Ella Fitzgerald fan and I have heard all the others, but I place Linda right up there in the top 10, if not the top 5, She can sing any type of music and is one of the very best harmony singers ever, just listen to the Trio album.

My favs (if I had to choose) are FUNNY VALENTINE, "ROUND MIDNIGHT, and of course the other title songs, but I love all the songs. It's not just one thing with Linda, it's the whole package, fans will know what I mean.

Pam

Round Midnight.......2006-11-11

The combination of these two artists, Nelson Riddle and Linda Ronstadt, could only result in the beauty of this CD. I'm enjoying listening to it over and over.

Linda deserves 10 stars on this one!.......2006-09-05

This double CD set containing three albums is so spectacular, it will bring tears to your eyes. I love them both so much, that I have told my family to play these CDs (and only these CDs) at my wake and my funeral instead of the typical boring organ-death music. I also told my family if anyone asks- why is this Linda Ronstadt music playing? You tell them- because this is what he is listening to in heaven for all eternity. One last thing, if that was me on the cover with her, she would have never turned her head. Thank you once again Linda.

Linda is magnificent........2006-08-08

She truly has a remarkable voice. There is no one like her and these songs are classics done by a classic singer. No more neeeds be said.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful, but not my first choice
THE BEST recording of the BEST oratorio ever...
Too bad there are so few recordings of Elijah

Mendelssohn: Elijah

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Franz Joseph Haydn: The Creation
Mendelssohn - Elijah / Terfel, Fleming, Bardon, Ainsley, Fulgoni, Paul Daniel
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) / Auger, Stilwell, Atlanta SO, Robert Shaw
Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem [A German Requiem]

ASIN: B0002XV31A
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

Introduction: As God The Lord Of Israel Liveth
Overture
No.1 Help, Lord! Wilt Thou Quite Destroy Us?
No.2: Lord! Bow Thine Ear To Our Prayer!
No.3: Ye People, Rend Your Hearts
No.4: If With All Your Hearts
No.5: Yet Doth The Lord See It Not
No.6: Elijah! Get Thee Hence
No.7: For He Shall Give His Angels Charge Over Thee
Recitative: Now Cherith's Brook Is Dried Up
No.8: What Have I Do To Do With Thee?
No.9: Blessed Are The Men Who Fear Him
No.10: As God The Lord Of Sabaoth Liveth
No.11: Baal, We Cry To Thee: Hear And Answer Us!
No.12: Call Him Louder, For He Is A God!
No.13: Call Him Louder! He Heareth Not!
No.14: Lord God Of Abraham, Isaac And Israel!
No.15: Cast Thy Burden Upon The Lord
No.16: O Thou, Who Makest Thine Angels Spirits
No.17: Is Not His Word Like A Fire?
No.18: Woe Unto Them Who Forsake Him!
No.19: O Man Of God, Help Thy People!
No.20: Thanks Be To God!

Tracks:

No.21: Hear Ye, Israel; Hear What The Lord Speaketh
No.22: Be Not Afraid, Saith God The Lord
No.23: The Lord Hath Exalted Thee
No.24: Woe To Him, He Shall Perish
No.25: Man Of God, Now Let My Words Be Precious
No.26: It Is Enough; O Lord Now Take My Life
No.27: See, Now He Sleepeth
No.28: Lift Thine Eyes To The Mountains
No.29: He, Watching Over Israel, Slumbers Not
No.30: Arise, Elijah, For Thou Hast A Long Journey
No.31: O Rest In The Lord
No.32: He That Shall Endure To The End, Shall Be Saved
No.33: Night Falleth Round Me, O Lord!
No.34: Behold! God The Lord Passed By!
No.35: Above Him Stood The Seraphim
No.36: Go, Return Upon Thy Way
No.37: For The Mountains Shall Depart
No.38: Then Did Elijah The Prophet Break Forth
No.39: Then Shall The Righteous Shine Forth
No.40: Behold, God Hath Sent Elijah
No.41: But The Lord, From The North Hath Raised One
No.41a: O Come Everyone That Thirsteth
No.42: And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful, but not my first choice.......2007-04-07

I believe this was the first recording of Elijah in English that used an "international" conductor and some international singers. Fruhbeck gives a good, dramatic sweep to the piece, with some wonderful dramatic moments. This is an old fashioned performance, with only a solo quartet, and if there is a semi-chorus, I can't tell the difference. This means that the soprano is the Widow, and an Angel, the mezzo the Angel and Queen Jezabel, etc. You really should have a libretto, but you don't get one at this price.
Fischer-Dieskau roughens up his voice for the role, and therein lies a problem. The voice spreads and his diction suffers because of it; that and his unidiomatic pronounciation, with far too many rolled "r"s. He does the drama well, but what works well in lieder works here less well on the large scale. Odd, given his success as on opera singer (check out his Iago), that here he frequently comes off blustery.
Dame Gwyneth Jones belies her reputation and gives a contolled, dramatic performance, using her "edge" to advantage in "Hear Ye, Israel". Gedda's diction is amazing, with exactly the right color for this literature, and projecting a little more blood than an English tenor.
Dame Janet Baker is my star in this performance. Dramatic, heart-rending when need be, and in wonderful voice. She'll chill your blood when she tells the people of Baal to "slaughter him, do what he hath done!".
And as for the people of Baal, the Philharmonia Chorus is wonderful. Incisive and dramatic, with beautiful tone. I could do without the trick of the boy choir for "Lift Thine Eyes", and I miss the small ensembles, but all in all a fine performance, and good recording, circa 1968.
First choice in English, Daniels/Terfel: better Elijah in Terfel, better recording, more authentic orchestra, small vocal ensembles (as per the score) but inferior women (including Fleming: beautiful tone, but where's her head?). In German, it's Sawallisch/Adam all the way.
But if you're singing Elijah, and have a score, this is a good choice.

THE BEST recording of the BEST oratorio ever..........2006-08-15

Okay, I'm gonna admit I'm biased- I first sung in the chorus of Elijah when I was 14 and it made a BIG impression on me!
This recording is in every way wonderful. Starting with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. He IS Elijah to me. His singing is perfection. He has amazing phrasing and his diction makes it possible to understand the lovely, inspired libretto to this heavenly music. There are so many pieces that are ephemeral, but a couple of my favorites are: #14, Lord God of Abraham and #37, For the Mountains shall Depart. Dieskau does a great job of what I think of as compassionate, heartfelt singing. His interpretation sounds like the voice of God himself. It has a quality of kindness and yet he sounds just as convincing reprimanding the people of Baal. He is the true highlight of this recording.

That said, the rest of the cast is wonderful as well. Gwyneth Jones has a lovely, silvery voice that has a clarion bell-like tone that rings over the large orchestra with ease. She has occasional "misfire" but is a consistent performer. Dame Janet Baker and Nicolai Gedda both perform at a consistently lovely level. The orchestra and chorus are both wonderful. #15, Cast thy Burden upon the Lord, #32 He that Shall Endure to the End, and #38 Then Did Elijah are all highlights.

All said, for me the main reason to get this recording is Dieskau's Elijah- after all, he's the main character. But don't forget the lovely music. This story is exciting and passionate and sacred all at the same time. For me, it's the best oratorio that has a moving story and great music too.

Too bad there are so few recordings of Elijah.......2006-07-03

This is a good recording of an oratorio that deserves more attention. The chorus and soloists are very good--I just wish Fischer-Diskau wouldn't slide around so much in singing the title part!

Average customer rating:

A great voice with songwriting to back it up

Slow Motion Addict
Carina Round
Manufacturer: Interscope Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

The Disconnection
Ladyland
The Reminder
Stromata
Are You Listening

ASIN: B000F3UAF2
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

Stolen Car
How Many Times
Gravity Lies
Ready To Confess
Want More
Take The Money
Down Slow
Come To You
Slow Motion Addict
January Heart
The Disconnection
The City

Customer Reviews:

A great voice with songwriting to back it up.......2007-07-07

Slow Motion Addict, Carina Round's third album and second for Interscope, was my introduction to this great voice. Carina has a talent for writing catchy yet dark pop songs that stick in your head for days, as is evidenced with this album.
The album starts off with a bang on "Stolen Cars" one of the albums best songs. It features an insanely catchy chorus showcases Carina's use of hard/soft dynamics. This song is followed by the still upbeat "How Many Times" which is another great song. After that is "Gravity Lies" and "Ready to Confess" which still keep the energy up. While "Gravity" one the best songs lyrically here goes back to the loud/soft dynamic, "Ready to Confess" is just an all out rocker. This followed by one of my favorites, "I Want More" it is a fun, well written song. It begins with one of the best lines on the album:"It's not me/I'm representing someone who died during the conversation" The vocals are very emotional here.
Track #6 is an album highlight. "Take the Money" is a sarcastic examination of the music industry and selling out. A very catchy, clever , well written song.
After this the album slows down a little. "Down Slow" is a good enough song but doesn't stick out like all the other songs. However, it is followed by the remarkable "Come to You" Carina's voice on the choruses just soars, and the multi tracking on the verses just makes for a beautiful song. A real pleasure to listen to. The title track is next, and is another great song,well sung, eventually fading into two minutes plus of lovely guitar drone. Instrumentally, this song is one of the more impressive here.
"January Heart" is a gorgeous slow ballad, followed by another,"The Disconnection", which was the title of her second album. The strings on this track make it stand out, but it is overshadowed by the two tracks surrounding it. Closing everything out is the masterful, slowly building "The City" which culminates in Multi-tracking of Carina's voice singing us out. It's a beautiful sound.
Overall, this album puts other female singer-songwriters and singer-songwriters in general to shame. Carina's voice is a thing of beauty that deserves to be heard by all. Normally I don't like when the faster and slower material is separated so clearly as it is on this album but in this case it works well. I would highly recommend this to pop music fans, singer-songwriter fans, or just fans of good music in general. No doubt will rate as one of 2007's best albums.

Myths & Legends Of King Arthur & The Knights Of The Round Table

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Concept Album
Rick Wakeman's best
Needs more blastbeats
A Legendary Progressive Rock Album
master piece

Myths & Legends Of King Arthur & The Knights Of The Round Table
Rick Wakeman
Manufacturer: Fontana a&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Journey to the Centre of the Earth
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Songs of Middle Earth: Inspired by The Lord of the Rings
Return To The Centre Of The Earth
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds

ASIN: B000002GBK
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Arthur
Lady Of The Lake
Guinevere
Sir Lancelot And The Black Knight
Merlin The Magician
Sir Galahad
The Last Battle

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Concept Album.......2007-05-18

This is the first album of Rick Wakeman's I ever heard. I fell in love at once. It has both the English sense of destiny and the modern (yes, still) sense of continuity. You get a sense of the Legend through the songs, and a new look at the love story behind some of it.

From this album I fell in love with the man's work.

Rick Wakeman's best.......2007-04-07

This album sounds very contemporary. Great vocal, diverse and higly dramatic musical themes - you will listen it again and again!

The only serious drawback - mediocre quality of recording.

Needs more blastbeats.......2006-12-01

Standout tracks = *

ARTHUR* Intro track, starts with an "epic" (actually weak) voiceover and then the keys and attempts at bombast come in... I don't know if you've ever heard Bal Sagoth, but the overall corny epic feel of this album reminds me of their work. The synths that are trying to sound like horns work way better here than on stupid black metal albums, no doubt. The keys rule this album, the highlight of this track being the set of atomic cricket chirps heard around 4:50. There's also some cool clean guitar that sounds like someone held a mic within a few feel of an unaware James from Arsis noodling unplugged as a warm-up to his set. All around this is a rocking and powerful track.

LADY OF THE LAKE Total throwaway. Yes, vocals alone can be cool, but this forty-second choral-only track is a piece of poo compared to that amazing moment right before the final movement of Edge of Sanity's Crimson.

GUINEVERE Lame traditional piano wankery to start, almost too much to forgive after the last track already had me looking for a way out. There's a little respite from all sound, then the ballad crap comes in. It's almost saved by the sweet future synths goofing around in the background, but too lame, too late. There's the beloved/hated (just my personal preference on this particular birdsong) crow cackle in the left speaker around 2:00 - I don't think it's farfetched to say this is a not-too-subtle Dim Mak homage. Wakeman's delivery of the word "Guinevere" is almost as incomprehensible as Danzig's take on "Vampira" and much more giggle inducing. This track is all around same-y and something that a chick from another era would probably get down to. The best portion begins at 4:00 when the midget space worms present themselves from their gestation chamber and regale the gathered patrons with their mating song, weemp-whoomped out with joy and lechery in their native tongue. Though this is a track only for the die-hards, it goes out in class, using the "slowing the tape down" effect to gradually and quickly drop the pitch of the fruity chorus we just spent the whole song begging to quit imitating castratos.

SIR LANCELOT AND THE BLACK KNIGHT* Holy moly! This is cheese prog the way it's meant to be done! After the phenomenal and manly "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" intro chant, the deliciously dextrous keys take turns with a fervent and testicled singer to craft a fetus-shredding verse. I can't even express how much how the "WHOOH" horn that accompanies the final beat of every sung line during the verses. This cataclysmic energy doesn't let up, all the way through a blazing keyboard solo that makes the wee space larva from the previous track cry to mommy. The best bits from earlier in the song are recycled, generating a medival prog epic that will stand the test of time.

MERLIN THE MAGICIAN Opens with some choral nonsense, this probably sounds cool if you are 5 or if you go to church. Much like The third track, just when the first bit of nonsense lets up, our optimism is punished with yet more nonsense. If I wanted to hear clean piano being played proficiently, I wouldn't have moved out of Mom's house (SHE HAS A PIANO AND I CAN PLAY IT SO EASY). Some three-dimensional sounds appear around 3:15 that attempt to save this slug of a song, but they're not really annihilating the faux-ivory-tickling we've heard in the previous two tracks, making this feel like a useless song built around a mediocre solo. Something so imcomprehensibly terrible that I cannot put it into words happens at 4:50; the only good thing I can say this fifty seconds of terror is that it sort of reminds me of a stage in Super Mario World. More volume-filling, mind-expanding laser solos make me smile towards the end, but my smile is shattered and I am plunged into irreparable depravity as the Mario-esque nonsense returns for a torturous reprise.

SIR GALAHAD I guess Wakeman has a boner for choral intros, but even if I'd had any sort of stiffness, these intros would act as an all too tight condom. After the requisite intro and mellow pre-song nonsense that is becoming a recurring motif, some more nonsense that was probably intended to cause booties to boogie appears, complelling my already flaccid member to desire a safe haven where it can be softened no more. This song is all over the place: not in the worst way possible, but in a way that I don't want to commit more than a few words to the attention-whoring chicanery. Basically, they build it up so you feel like some posers are about to be forcibly removed from the hall, but after the badical buildup, the posers are instead taken by the club owner into the VIP room where they wine and dine our collective sisters.

THE LAST BATTLE There was a smooth segue from the prior track into this nine-minute goliath, so I didn't notice the track change. Our sisters having such a blast and get wasted on champagne probably wasn't helping my focus, either. Not too much on this mediocre and paradoxically non-epic track that we haven't heard yet. Some vocal scat nonsense arrives at 2:47 in an obvious tribute to Katamari Damacy. This last track is clearly dedicated to nap-inducing rather than bombast; I say skip it.

Summary Some fun tracks, some duds, and many cool moments. Many less blastbeats than advertized.

A Legendary Progressive Rock Album.......2006-06-29

Believe it or not, it was my mom that introduced me to this album. She told me that when she was about my age she had it on tape and loved it. Since then I wanted it and I have finally got it. I really don't think to many people have heard of Rick Wakeman's solo projects. I'm sure they know him from Yes and the album he did with Black Sabbath but not of his own works, I could be wrong though. From what I've gathered, this is his third album the first being The six Wives Of Henry VIII and the second Journey To The Center Of The Earth. If this album is any indacation of how good his solo works are, I need to pick those other two up. On to the music. The story is about Arthur and his companions and their many exploits and I think he loosly based this album on Thomas Mallory's Le Morte D'Arthur in particular. This album shows that Wakeman is a master (if not the master) of the synthisizer and keyboard. Each song is distinct from the previous which is good in my book. And while there isn't a whole lot of singing, the songs themselves do a good job of telling the story and characters. I just love the different arrangements that go with the different characters, especially Merlin and Guinevere. Plus Rick is accompinied by an orchrastra and The English Chamber Choir which is totaly cool. I've read some reviews saying that some of the singing isn't that great but I have to disagree. While it's not the best singing I've ever heard it's still pretty good. The use of jazz and fusion jazz is also good and in my opinion really helps this already excellent album out. If I have any complaints it is that this album is too short and that it comes with no lyrics. For the first, it doesn't really matter because even though it is over forty-two minutes, I've got other cds that are good but are shorter. And as for the lyrics, I'll get over it because there isn't a whole lot of singing and what singing that is there is pretty much understandable. Definitely an excellent album that shouldn't be passed up.

master piece.......2006-04-07

if you really want to listen to a creative work , a good work and a prog rock this is a must! buy it now!!!! excelent work! Merlin the magician is a masterpiece!

Lola versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One

Average customer rating:

Meta-Kinks
Almost Perfect
Brilliant concept album
This is where Lola shows you who's boss.
Toppermost of the Poppermost

Lola versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One
The Kinks
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Arthur - Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire
The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society
Something Else by the Kinks
Muswell Hillbillies
Face to Face

ASIN: B000002KOW
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Introduction
The Contenders
Strangers
Denmark Street
Get Back In Line
Lola
Top Of The Pops
The Moneygoround
This Time Tomorrow
A Long Way From Home
Rats
Apeman
Powerman
Got To Be Free

Amazon.com essential recording

The Kinks' 1970 effort was the penultimate creation in a five-year, six-album burst that ranks just a notch below the great sustained rock & roll eruptions of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones, and Elvis Costello. Of course, the linchpin to this collection is "Lola," Ray Davies's irresistibly vivid account of the charms of a seductive transvestite. Its daring (for the time) subject matter aside, "Lola" stands as one of the great singles of all time. Add to the list the almost as infectious "Apeman," a slew of funny, shrewd, alienated-rock-star screeds ("Top of the Tops," "The Moneyground," "Powerman"), and a couple of memorable contributions from Ray's brother, Dave ("Strangers," "Rats"), and you have the Kinks at their raucous, righteous, quirky quintessence. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Meta-Kinks.......2007-05-28

I take a backseat to no one in my love for the Kinks. They were the first rock band that grabbed me back in 1965 with "Well Respected Man" and "Sunny Afternoon," and, thereafter, I continued to rediscover them. I caught up with Kinks in 1969 with "Arthur," then again in 1970 with "Muswell Hillbillies," and again in 1972 with the Kink Kronikles retrospective, which introduced me to the UK hits "Waterloo Sunset" and "Days" as well as oddly compelling achievements like "Autumn Almanac" and "Death of a Clown." I recall vividly the release of the single "Lola," which came after "Arthur." It was almost too good: Too melodic, too funny, too brilliant in every way. The album, which followed, left me a little cold, and I've never really given it much of a listen in the past 35+ years since its release.

Now that I've given this album another chance, I can't seem to pry it from my CD player. Is this the Kinks' best album? Better than "Village Green Preservation Society?" "Muswell Hillbillies?" It might be. Musically, it's their biggest, boldest statement. Lola is like the seed of a pearl, the album being about the creation of a hit single, first the desperate climb to the top, in "The Contenders," "Denmark Street," "Get Back in Line," followed by the single itself, followed by all the things that followed; hitting "the Top of the Pops," inspiring "The Moneygoround," where people make money off "a song they've never heard," and then the life of being stars, represented by two of the disc's highlights, "This Time Tomorrow" and "A Long Way from Home" -- two of the prettiest melodies Ray Davies ever wrote. Then, finally the sometimes funny, sometimes angry struggle to break free of the commercial monster they've created, in "Apeman," "Powerman," and "Got to be Free." Woven into this narrative are two of Dave Davies' best Kink contributions, "Strangers" and "Rats," which don't fit the story line precisely, but capture its mood, "Strangers" especially.

See? It's an album with a hit single that's about the hit single. And by the end of it, they're running as far away from the hit single as they can. This is meta-fiction, 25 years ahead of its time. But it's not difficult. This album has a little of everything that makes the Kinks great: Beautiful melodies, savage rock riffs, music-hall-style satire, and lyrics both clever and heartfelt. A true treasure. Why didn't I hear it this way before?

Almost Perfect.......2007-05-05

I first bought this album because the morning show that I would listen to on the radio in SLC (Radio from Hell) would sometimes play "Apeman" as an intro song. After hearing it about half a dozen times, I finally decided to hunt down this CD. I concur with the opinions expressed by many of the previous reviewers. This is a stellar album, and I am disappointed in myself that I hadn't heard it earlier in my life. I do have one complaint for which I am subtracting one star. To my ears, this CD desperately needs to be remastered. The mix sounds tinny and weak. For me, this is most apparent on the song "Apeman" - the reason I bought the album. The vocals seem to be buried underneath the the instrumentation. I bought my copy used, so perhaps it was an earlier release CD, and there has since been a remastered release. But believe me, you will not regret purchasing this album.

Brilliant concept album.......2006-12-19

I owned this LP when it was released and I played it non-stop. The songs were acted out in "the theater in my head": it took me on an exciting, sometimes poignant, emotional journery every time. This is a brilliant concept album. "Lola versus Powerman..." still holds a very special place for me in the exordinary Kinks discography.

This is where Lola shows you who's boss........2006-11-30

Having grown up thru the British Invasion I can tell you that Ray Davies was writing songs on par with Lennon/NikCartney. The Kinks invented hard rockin', I don't care who agrees. RD in his prime could go song to song with the 'Beatlez' and his prime lasted longer than either of the aforementioned.

Toppermost of the Poppermost.......2006-11-30

Absolutely the best Kinks album, bar none. It also is one of the greatest rock albums ever. No need to delete anything before you hit "play" - unless maybe you've heard "Lola" once too often. It also has cohesiveness and a storyline. Although I usually get tired of even good material, this one always seems fresh and gets a regular spin. (It brings back fond memories of when I managed to play "Top of the Pops" on my high school's PA system.) In my experience, whenever someone hears it for the first time they always ask about it (sometimes they think it's a "greatest hits" CD - altho Lola was actually the only hit). Bottom line: if you don't own it, buy it.

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
Top Shelf
TERRIFIC CD'S
Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
Great Compilation!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
Broadway: The American Musical
Broadway: The American Musical
Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals

ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
Swanee- Al Jolson
When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
My Man- Fanny Brice
Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
Body And Soul- Libby Holman
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
Night And Day- Fred Astaire
Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
You're The Top- Ethel Merman
Summertime- Anne Brown
September Song- Walter Huston
My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
With One Look- Glenn Close
On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
Seasons Of Love-
Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason

Average customer rating:

It's Dreamy
My Favorite Composer of all time
An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears
OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!
It's simply lovely

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason
Thomas Hampson , Jay Ungar , Molly Mason , Garrison Keillor , David Alpher , Mark Rust , Michael Parloff , Peter Ecklund , John Kirk , Arnold Kinsella , and Stephen Foster
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Tin Pan Alley | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

$9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Song of Home
Song of America
Harvest Home
Civil War Classics
Stephen Foster Song Book

ASIN: B000002SK7
Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

Opening Solo Violin
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Hard Times Come Again No More
The Voice Of Bygone Days
Foster Favorites Medley (Ring, Ring The Banjo (1851) Oh! Susanna (1848) Camptown Races (1850)
Open Thy Lattice, Love (1844)
Beautiful Dreamer (1864)
That's What's The Matter
Old Home Medley (Old Folks at Home (1851) My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night (1853)
Molly! Do You Love Me? (1850)
Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair (1851)
Comrades, Fill No Glass For Me (1855)
Dancing On The River (Nelly Bly (1850) The Glendy Burk (1860) Angelina Baker (1850)
My Wife Is A Most Knowing Woman (1863)
Gentle Annie (1856)
Linger In Blissful Repose (1858)
Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway (1850)

Customer Reviews:

It's Dreamy.......2007-01-10

This is a very wonderful recording of Stephen Foster by a master singer.
Foster's songs are of a more innocent and naive time in the American psyche, a time that it would not hurt us to remember, given the wretched brutality of American culture today (something you'll appreciate after listening to this recording).

The songs are beautifully sung by Mr. Hamspon, and the musical accompaniment with piano, mandolin, tuba, banjo, etc. seems a perfect setting for this period music. I enjoyed the musical interludes of Foster songs (not sung by Mr. Hampson), such as "Oh, Suzanna", "My Old Kentucky Home", and "Camptown Races." They are foot-stompin' and finger-snappin' good in a non-syncopated way.

Mr. Hampson's voice is so beautiful, and he has done such a wonderful job with these song's you'll just have to hear it, and when you do, tell me that you're not dreaming.

I remember reading a quote by John Phillip Sousa that decried the use of syncopation in American popular music. I never understood it until listening to this recording. The richness and intensity of American popular music (as experienced in the work of Stephen Foster) has been lost.
Everything has to be so cool today, thanks to syncopation, and "cool" really means no emotion.

If emotion is what you want, emotion is what you'll get with Stephen Foster's songs. It was a time when the death of loved ones (especially those who died in their youth) was experienced more often (see "I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" and "Gentle Annie"). And we were not protected from the vicissitudes of fate by myriad government programs, modern medicine and universal prosperity (see "Hard Times").
Husbands and wives had their differences then, as today, (see the amusing song "My Wife is a Most Knowin' Woman") The passion of the Civil War (Foster was a Unionist),is reflected in a wonderful, fun song, "That's What's the Matter."

If you love good music, and you have heart which can be stirred, and you love your country, this is for you.

I love this recording. It has opened up the door to my "beautiful dreams," dreams of bygone days, lost love, and whatever else we pine for.

I wanted to buy several copies for my friends, but somehow I felt that the impact of this recording was so personal, that it could not be shared with others. Not that they couldn't enjoy it, but that I could not begin to share the intense emotion and reverie stirred in my heart by these beautiful songs.

My Favorite Composer of all time.......2006-08-20

Growing up playing his stuff on piano, I love the instrumentality of this CD..the violins give off that wail that he speaks of..I am not sure what it is about Stephen Foster but these verses..grab me like no other..there is so much sensitivity to it..

I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair
Born like a vapor on the summer air
I see her tripping where the bright streams play
Happy as the daisies that dance on her way
Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour

but the violins in this CD make this CD the best out there..
FYI should you be into astrology Stephen Foster is definition of Cancer...Sun and Moon conjunct in Cancer with mars in Scorpio..i love his lyrics..almost to the point of obsession..

An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears.......2006-07-17

Stephen Foster was the greatest American composer of sentimental parlor ballads--he so perfectly imitated folk songs that his music wound up turning into them. In an age of home music-making and later of families sitting around the radio, Foster's songs were a staple, often performed by crossover artists from opera like Lawrence Tibbett. Those were plump, ripe styles of singing, highly flavored by church hymns.

In this 1992 collection of 17 Foster favorites, plus a few rareties, Hampson drops the platform manner and goes straight for heartfelt sincerity. His tone is plain yet sweet, his expression intimate. He is accompanied by instruments redolent of the Victorian drawing room (guitar, fiddle, upright piano), and the mood they create brings tears and smiles of remembrance. This music is embedded in America's genes, and it's wonderful to realize that every note is still alive and throbbing with feeling.

OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!.......2005-11-25

Simply one word, WOW!!!
Thomas Hampson's voice is simply fantasic. His voice is very different from regular operatic baritone voice, very sweet, and rich. I really cant believe an operatic baritone can sing folk song like THIS good, in my opinion he sounds even better than his opera works in this album. His voice and the background music matches perfectly, the outcome would move u to tears, and u can feel the origin of MUSIC. This album really shows what the word MUSIC means, and the songs simply just ALL beautiful. I like his "beautiful dreamer", "my life is well knowing woman", and "jeanie with the light brown hair" the most. When I listen the songs I would just imagine that I am in the world of past USA, and I can feel the life of the ppl in the past USA~ just like watching an old classic movie, it would touch ur heart and fall in love with this album.

It's simply lovely.......2004-12-14

I didn't know Stephen Foster (I thought): wrong: Oh Susanna, etc, I knew, but had no idea who the composer was.

This CD is a revelation. The melodies are so beautiful, as are the poems, and Thomas Hampson just brings them to life as wonderfully as ever. I especially love "Beautiful Dreamer" - it gives me butterflies - and "My wife is a most knowing woman" - the way he makes the voices and the indignation is just brilliant. If one needed reminding what a brilliant singer Mr Hampson is - this disk does it.

The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection

Average customer rating:

Well worth the price
Not Exactly "The Ultimate" Collection...
Where's the chicks?!?!
Not quite the ultimate....
Great Music - Questionable Selection

The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection
Arthur Sullivan , Isidore Godfrey , Royston Nash , New Symphony Orchestra of London , Royal Philharmonic Orchestra , Colin Wright , Donald Adams , George Cook , Gillian Knight , Jean Hindmarsh , Jeffrey Skitch , John Ayldon , John Reed , Joyce Wright , Kenneth Sandford , Lyndsie Holland , Owen Brannigan , Pauline Wales , Peggy Ann Jones , Thomas Round , Valerie Masterson , and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan
Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
Topsy-Turvy - The Music of Gilbert & Sullivan: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Topsy-Turvy
The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

ASIN: B000007OU0
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

H.M.S. Pinafore: We Shall Sail The Ocean Blue
H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm Called Little Buttercup
H.M.S. Pinafore: My Galant Crew, Good Morning
H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm The Monarch Of The Sea
H.M.S. Pinafore: When I Was A Lad
H.M.S. Pinafore: Nevermind The Why And Wherefore
H.M.S. Pinafore: Kind Captain, I've Important Information
H.M.S. Pinafore: Carefully On Tip - Toe Stealing
H.M.S. Pinafore: For He Is An Englishman
The Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major - General
The Pirates Of Penzance: When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
The Pirates Of Penzance: With Cat Like Tread
The Sorcerer: My Name Is John Wellinton Wells
The Gondoliers: Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes
Patience: If You're Anxious To Shine
The Mikado: If You Want To Know Who We Are
The Mikado: A Wand'ring Minstrel I
The Mikado: Behold The Lord High Executioner
The Mikado: As Someday It May Happen
The Mikado: Three Little Maids From School Are We
The Mikado: The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze
The Mikado: Here's A How - De - Do!
The Mikado: From Ev'ry Kind Of Man Obedience I Expect
The Mikado: A More Humane Mikado Never Did In Japan Exist
The Mikado: The Criminal Cried As He Dropp'd Him Down
The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring, Tra La
The Mikado: On A Tree By A River A Little Tom Tit
The Mikado: There Is Beauty In The Bellow Of The Blast
The Mikado: For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum

Customer Reviews:

Well worth the price.......2006-04-13

I love this CD. No, despite its name it is not the "ultimate" collection, as scarcely could be expected from a single CD. It is heavy on Mikado, as others have stated. It leaves out things I would have included and includes things I would have left out. But the performances are wonderful, traditional and all you expect from G&S. Considering the low price, it is well worth including in your G&S collection ... as PART of your collection. After the disappointment of the godawful Opera World video series (Don't buy it!) this CD is a joy and a relief.

Not Exactly "The Ultimate" Collection..........2004-12-23

It seems that a collection of Gilbert & Sullivan music that has the name "The Ultimate Collection" in its title would boast a wide range of music, but I found the selection disappointing. Half of the tracks are songs from The Mikado, and the other half is divided between five... yes, FIVE other operettas. This means that the representation from each operetta is awfully scant. I would have liked to see less Mikado and more of everything else, and perhaps some highlights from the more obscure operettas (Princess Ida and The Sorcerer, namely).

In addition, while most of the music is very well performed, some of the vocalists either go a bit overboard or, at the very opposite end, seem to lack expression. For example, this Nanki-Poo (in The Mikado) seems to be overly occupied with vibrato. Katisha's voice is annoying, and The Mikado's low voice often seems to lack feeling and humor. The other idiosyncracies, like the very frightening evil laughing during "A More Humane Mikado" and hissing during "Three Little Maids" really bug me.

Then again, I'm new to Gilbert and Sullivan, and was introduced to the music through the Topsy Turvy soundtrack, which has a noticeably less operatic style, and hardly includes "stage noise"... so perhaps all this is the norm. Do listen to the tracks for yourself, though, before you purchase the CD. Personally, I find that the Topsy Turvy soundtrack, while considerably less ecompassing, is much lighthearted and easier listening.

Where's the chicks?!?!.......2003-05-15

It wouldn't be G&S if not for the ladies - so where are they? How could they leave out Mabel's aria - or Josephine's!? The only female aria included on this disc comes from Mikado, which is the least exciting (if G&S could be un-exciting) of the three! Everything else on the recording is great, but I am still quite disappointed.

Not quite the ultimate...........2002-03-25

This is a great collection, but unfortunately it doesn't have songs from all the works of G&S. Most notably, there is nothing from the "Yeoman of the Guard". I still reccommed it however as John Reed is wonderful!!

Great Music - Questionable Selection.......2002-02-05

It's an ongoing challenge to find a recording of Gilbert and Sullivan that combines premium musicality and great theatrical performance. This recording is a true gem on both fronts. My only complaint is that for a "Best of" collection, this compilation is Mikado-heavy and scarcely touches on highlights from other masterpieces, particularly The Pirates of Penzance. This would be my favorite G&S CD of all time, of only it included tracks like "When the Foeman Bares his Steel," "Poor Wand'ring One," and "Dry the Glist'ning Tear," but then again, I guess there's no real consensus as to which are Gilbert and Sullivan's best works, and there are too many to fit on one CD.

Average customer rating:

One of the great Classics!
hilarity in music
Irreverent hilarity
I am a PDQ junkie!
Brilliant parody

Oedipus Tex & Other Choral Calamities

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Comedy & Spoken Word | Miscellaneous | Indie Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

$7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

1712 Overture & Other Musical Assaults
Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion
P.D. Q. Bach: A Little Nightmare Music
P.D.Q. Bach in Houston - We Have a Problem!
P.D.Q. Bach: The Short-Tempered Clavier

ASIN: B000003CWP
Release Date: 1990-09-25

Tracks:

Introduction
I. Prologue: Tragedy
Recitative: Well
II. Aria: Howdy There
Recitative: And It Wasn't Long
III. Duet: My Heart
Recitative: But
IV. Aria: You Murdered Your Father
Recitative: When Billie Jo Heard
V. Aria: Goodbye
Recitative: When Oedipus Heard
VI. Chorale And Finale
Introduction
Classical Rap
Introduction
I. Recitative: Knock, Knock
II. Recitative: How Many Psychiatrists
III. Recitative: What Is The Question?
VI. Recitative: So This Guy
Introduction
Birthday Ode To 'Big Daddy Bach'

Customer Reviews:

One of the great Classics!.......2006-08-03

Oedipus Tex & Other Choral Calamities is one of the must haves from PDQ Bach. This album has some of his best stuff on it including the title tracks and one of the funniest songs he has composed "classical rap" this is well worth one's time to check out.

hilarity in music.......2002-10-25

Virtually every CD that Peter Schickele has put out under the name of PDQ Bach has been absolutely hilarious. This is one of his best albums - it will have you in stitches in no time flat.

"Oedipus Tex," the title piece, is a stunning parody of (of course) Sophocles "Oedipus Rex" - from the line "the gods are ticked off and now someone must pay" to the ending chorus of "the eyes of Texas are upon you" (set to the tune of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"), the piece is one of the funniest things I have ever heard.

"Classical Rap" - this track alone is worth the whole cost of the album. This "Yuppie" rap combines the stereotypes of rap music with Vivaldi and Bach, and has as its setting the upper West side of Manhattan.

"Knock Knock Cantata" - some of the worst jokes you'll ever hear set to some of the worst music you'll ever hear. The combination of text and setting is really hilarious - talk about form meeting content.

"Birthday Ode for Big Daddy Bach" - the more you know about music, the funnier this piece is.

BUY THIS CD.

Irreverent hilarity.......2002-08-09

Oedipus Tex is both my favorite Country/Western ballad and one of my favorite oratorios!

Classical Rap is, IMHO, the only Rap piece worth listening to.

This is one of "The Bad Boy of Classical Music", Peter Schickele's best recordings.

I am a PDQ junkie!.......2002-08-08

This was my first PDQ recording and it has kept me coming back for more.My father who hates music even LOVES it!It does take a special musician or music lover to appreciate the genius of such a man as Peter Shickele. Being a musician, I have performed numerous PDQ works in the past and they are extremely difficult.Oedipus Tex is by far the most ingenious album created, in my belief, in as far as its contents and musical professionalism.

Brilliant parody.......1999-10-16

Oedipus Tex is a brilliant parody... I had a teacher listen to it once and then it circulated around the entire English department. "Classical Rap" is a wonderful piece as well.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review