Diverse City [Import]

Diverse City [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Capitalrecordings are proud to announce the release of their first artist long-player, 'Diversecity' by Audiosauce. Wellington-based producer Miles Tilly has created eight tracks (plus a couple of sneaky extras) of sublime listening pleasure, ranging from the instrumental & sample-driven 'Hops Scotch' & 'Experiments in Experience' to the unmistakable house sound of 'Tussock Theory' & the mid-tempo head-nodder of 'Gangster 101'. Featured on the 'Earwork 02' & 'Earwork 03' compilations, this is a diverse-yet-coherent debut album from this young man (with a huge future) which will amply reward any patient listener. Contemporary music takes another forward step in Aotearoa. Recommended (and a new album is on the way too).

Tracks:

Overture - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Main Title - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae
The Surrey With The Fringe On Top - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood
Kansas City - Gene Nelson/Charlotte Greenwood/Men's Chorus
Kansas City Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
I Cain't Say No - Gloria Grahame
Many A New Day - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
Many A New Day Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon McaRae/Shirley Jones
Pore Jud Is Daid - Gordon MacRae/Rod Steiger
Out Of My Dreams - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
Out Of My Dreams Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Entr' Acte - Rodgers & Hammerstein
The Farmer And The Cowman - Gordon MacRae/Charlotte Greenwood/Gene Nelson/J.C. Flippen/James Whitmore/Gloria Grahame...
The Farmer And The Cowman Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
All Er Nuthin' - Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson
All Er Nuthin' Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones
Oklahoma - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
Finale: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
Overture (LP Version) - Rodgers & Hammerstein

Customer Reviews:

MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation.......2007-03-16

The film adaptation of Oklahoma heralded a technological breakthrough in widescreen cinema just as the original stage musical ushered in the integrated book musical. As such this film adaptation was treated as a special occasion, well-supervised by the creators themselves. The soundtrack, featured here, boasts sterling performances from MacRae and Jones making the most of their portrayals of Curly and Laurey, backed by a charismatic cast and superb orchestrations. And of course let's not forget the enveloping stereo sound that holds up well even today.

Despite being a Hollywood star, Gordon MacRae performs the part of Curly as if he was born to play it even on the stage. He shines vocally in his renditions of Oh, what a Beautiful Mornin' and Surrey with the Fringe on Top. He is well-partnered by Shirley Jones as a fresh and pert Laurey, lending her beautiful voice to the part. Although we don't hear much of her on this soundtrack, her partnering MacRae in People Will Say We're in Love exudes a masterful chemistry, as if they were setting sparks off at each other in their rendition of the song. Gene Nelson makes a dashing Will Parker and is equally well-matched by Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie. Grahame renders I Cain't Say No splendidly and partners Nelson in All er Nothin'. The supporting cast is filled out by Charlotte Greenwood's suitably caustic Aunt Eller and Rod Steiger's Jud. It's a pity that the film cut the song Lonely Room, otherwise Steiger would have better demonstrated the dark hues of the character of Jud. Yet it all adds up to a wonderful renditionh of this classic musical, enough to elicit a spontaneous YEOW! during this year of the Oklahoma centenary.

This EMI-Angel reissue offers one the advantage of the dance music and the main titles. This means that the listener gets the Kansas City and Farmer and the Cowman dance sequences, as well as the extended Dream Ballet. The only downside is the extraneous sound effects lifted from a DVD copy of the movie. Yes I share many of your sentiments that these sound effects tend to grate, and long for Didier Deutsch to have used the original untainted studio vault versions. However, let's at least be thankful that the CD producers have offered us a more comprehensive version of the Oklahoma soundtrack that we could only have dreamt of in the past.

In short, this is a wonderful and valuable addition to the R&H discography, and is an equally celebrated rendition of the score like the original Broadway cast recording. Warmly recommended to those who seek even their first version of Oklahoma.

Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best!.......2007-03-06

I have the original Broadway version, but prefer this movie selection.
The CD is flawless and, in my opinion, there's nothing better than a Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical for music, lyrics and pure joy! This is the best!

Wonderful.......2007-01-30

A great way to introduce oneself to the world of the nearly extinct Hollywood musical.

Beauiful.......2006-06-05

A true musical theater classic. Wonderful melodies that will last for years to come.
Other classics not to forget about are:
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
The Wizard of Oz
Chitty Chitty Bang Band
The first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Sound of Music
Oliver
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Singing in the Rain
The Wiz
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Grease
The King and I
Oklahoma
The Music Man
South Pacific

My Voice Students are always asking me for recommendations so I though I'd post it for all! We can't forget about these great musicals!

Oh, what a beautiful sound!.......2006-03-26

Oklahoma has never sounded better as sung by Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones in the 1955 movie version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's unforgettable Broadway musical. The memory of MacRae's beautiful voice lives on with this CD. I never tire of hearing this wonderful music. From the opening overture to the finale you will feel as though you're right in the theater.

Average customer rating:

The BEST Testament to Beverly Sills' Memory
Still endearing fifty years on
Beverly Sills First Hit Role
I wish I could give this recording a fifteen star rating!
From An Opera Singer

The Ballad of Baby Doe

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Ballad of Baby Doe: Vocal Score
Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation)
Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato
The Great Recordings
Floyd: Susannah (complete opera)

ASIN: B00000IPTU
Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene One - Opening
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene One - 'It's A Bang-Up Job' (Tabor)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene One - 'Horace, What Is This?' (Augusta)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene One - 'I Beg Your Pardon' (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Two - 'What A Lovely Evening'
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Two - 'Willow, Where We Met Together' (Willow Song) (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Two - 'Oh, Mr. Tabor!' (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Two - 'Warm As The Autumn Light' (Tabor)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Three - 'Now, Where Do You Suppose?' (Augusta)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Three - 'Have You Seen Her?' (Augusta)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Three - 'What Are You Looking For, Horace?' (Augusta)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - 'Why, Mrs. Doe!'
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - (Letter Song)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - 'Excuse Me' (Augusta)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - 'I Knew It Was Wrong' (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Four - 'No! No! No!' (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Seven - 'What Do You Intend To Do?' (Augusta)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Six - 'Everything Looks Beautiful'
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Six - 'Gold Is A Fine Thing' (Silver Aria) (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Act One: Scene Six - 'And I'll Show You Something Else' (Tabor)

Tracks:

The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Opening
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'The Fine Ladies' (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Mama, Go Inside!' (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Augusta, What Are You Doing Here?' (Tabor)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'I'll Raise You'
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Turn Tail And Run!' (Tabor)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'La, La, La, La'
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Good People Of Leadville'
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Extra! Extra!'
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Augusta! Augusta!' (Augusta)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Hey, Mister!'
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'The Cattle Are Asleep' (Tabor)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Tabor Owns The Big Hotel' (Chorus)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Horace!' (Baby Doe)
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: 'Always Through The Changing' (Baby Doe)

Amazon.com

Despite its somewhat Disneyesque title, The Ballad of Baby Doe is one of the sturdiest American operas. Its riches-to-rags story of Colorado miner Horace Tabor has a great plot, excellent characters, real arias, and dynamic chorus scenes, and none of it sounds second hand in the least. The opera has an extremely inviting personality of its own. This recording by the New York City Opera is full of crackling fast tempos from conductor Emerson Buckley and great theatricality: right down to the minor characters, everybody knows what they're about. Beverly Sills, Walter Cassel, and Frances Bible all inhabit their roles completely. The one drawback is the recording quality, which is good to voices but mushy on the orchestra. To know what's really going on in the piece musically, one must hear the similarly well-sung but more relaxed 1996 recording made at the venue where the opera was premiered: Central City Opera in Colorado. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

The BEST Testament to Beverly Sills' Memory.......2007-07-05

With this recording, Ms Sills set her mark forever on the world of opera. Period!

Of all the recordings that she made, this one, "The Ballad of Baby Doe", is the one that brings back the most endearing memories of this wonderfully talented lady.

It was her first Big Hit role in her new-found home (New York City Opera Company); it also, just happens to be a Totally American story, and creation, written by Douglas Moore.

Here we have Ms Sills in the freshness of her youth, in a brand new role, one that few have been able to fill after her sparkling interpretation. I think it fair to say that she will "always" be Baby Doe.

This recording is a true jem, as all previous reviewers, and many others will tell you. There is NO other work like this one. It is so fresh, lovely, and of course, tragic at the same time.

Everything about this recording is "small and intimate" as this story should be presented. And, luckily, the forces behind getting this recording made, did not have access to large forces and lots of technological wizardry-type equipment and facilities to do this recording in. This makes it all the more wonderful, as I said, small and intimate.

Beverly Sills, Frances Bible, and Walter Cassell had sung this opera together, and had "lived" in their parts long enough to become real breathing characters, characters that you really do care about, and get drawn in by. I defy anyone not to become emotional when Baby Doe sings the "Willow Song", or not to become teary with her final "Always Through The Changing". Frances Bible's stiffly starched Augusta Tabor is so three dimensional that she could walk right into the room with you! And, Walter Cassell's portrail of Horace Tabor will probably never be sung with the "totally lived in" feel that he brings to the role.

From all my thousands of opera recordings, this one gets picked FIRST if I want to listen to an American work. It also gets picked FIRST when I just want to marvel at Beverly Sills' truly most-gorgeous voice at the peak of her youthful freshness and "innocence" (before she had "grown up" in all those other roles).

Deutsche Grammophone has truly done us all a great favor by bringing forward all of the ABC and previous recordings that Ms Sills made prior to her move to EMI, and, truly, we are most thankful for the beautiful remastering and refurbushing of this wonderful Great American Work by Douglas Moore. Bravo, DG!, and of course, certainly, Bravo/Brava to Ms Sills, Ms Bible, Mr Cassell, and to Emerson Buckley for holding it all together. A truly landmark recording, and one that should be on your shelves. ~operabruin

Still endearing fifty years on.......2007-04-15

I wholeheartedly agree with the universal praise for this recording and have seen a performance at the Central City Opera House, a small Victorian gem in the middle of a touristy mining town north of Denver. In that setting, Baby Doe comes off at its best, since the music really is too simple for grand opera, abouanding in barely disguised folk songs and Top 40 harmonies. The cast carries the day, with total conviction from the two leads, Sills and Cassel. The role of Augusta Tabor is almost as large, and Frances Bible sings magnificently. All deserve high praise for their excellent, clear English diction, a rare thing and hard to achieve.

There are drawbacks, most of them minor in regard to the total impact. The major flaw is the dated sound, never good even for its day, that comes close to shattering and peaking any time the music grows louder than mezzo forte. Sills sings at her purest and freshest, but the microphone distortion cramps the voice considerably. A shame DG couldn't remaster the original tapes to remove so much glare. The second flaw is the routine but vigorous conducting of Emerson Buckley; a better conductor could have made the choral passages sound better than a college musical. These blemishes aside, Baby Doe is an American classic and has survived after many, many of its rivals have long ago faded away.

Beverly Sills First Hit Role.......2005-09-03

This is the opera that made Beverly Sills an opera star. She was 29 when she first performed it with the New York City Opera in 1958. Written in 1955 by Douglas Moore, the opera is based on the true story of the already-married Colorado silver magnate Horace Tabor and the young miner's wife, Baby (Mrs. Elizabeth) Doe, with whom he fell in love. Moore writes very much in the folk-opera idiom of American opera in the mid-50s, (Carlisle Floyd's "Susannah" comes to mind), and as a result the music is extremely accessible and full of lovely melodies, particularly in the music written for Baby Doe, such as the "Willow Song" and the "Letter Song" in the first act.
Sills herself always considered the role of Baby Doe the role she most inhabited, and she is in simply sumptuous voice on this recording. She is ably supported by the underrated American baritone Walter Cassel as Horace Tabor, and by the New York City Opera's leading mezzo-soprano, Frances Bible, in the surprisingly sympathetic role of Augusta, Horace's self-righteous wife. Julius Rudel conducts the New York City Opera orchestra with his usual steady hand, and the sound quality of this 1959 recording is excellent. Anyone who enjoys American opera should add this to their collection, and for fans of Beverly Sills, this is a "must have".

I wish I could give this recording a fifteen star rating!.......2004-06-15

First of all, I must state that I have loved this recording for three plus decades.
I have LP copies of it on MGM, Heliodor, and DGG pressings.
But I am one who has been waiting for years to find it released on CD. When the CD set finally came out, I was beside myself with joy.

This is the Baby Doe to have.

Someone mentioned the 1996 CD recording of Baby Doe, which was recorded in the Central City Opera House.
That's a very good recording. The entire cast is/are wonderful.
And that recording includes a few bars(in the first act) which are cut from the Sills Baby Doe.

But as fine as the 1996 recording is; it would be impossible to top or even match Cassel, Sills, and Bible as the Tabor love triangle.

I attended one of the 1996 Central City Opera Baby Doe performances. I was elated to see/hear the opera performed in that glorious old house.
But I have to admit that the acoustic ambiance of the Central City Opera House was a bit tubby and dry (acoustically). The tubby and dry ambiance of the 1996 Baby Doe recording is one of the reasons I prefer the Sills recording.

Anyway.

I have made two pilgrimages to Leadville. The Tabor Grand Opera House (which is in desperate need of funds for restoration) is still standing and in business.
The Clarendon Hotel (which was adjacent to the Tabor Grand) was torn down decades ago (although evidence of the Tabor cat walk from the Tabor Grand to the Clarendon is still extant).

Both times I visited Leadville, standing on the stage of the Tabor Grand left me speechless.

But my two visits to Baby Doe's cabin at the Matchless Mine devastated me.

Both times I stood in the "cold and narrow house" in which Baby Doe died so emotionally overwhelmed me that I had to step outside. I didn't want the rest of the tourees to see me weeping.

I couldn't help reacting that way. As I stood in Baby's cabin, her final aria , "Always Through the Changing" (as sung by Sills) kept running through my mind.

For those who have not heard this Opera (especially the Sills recording) you all really must listen to it.
It's one of the few truly great American Operas.

Moore's score is glorious. The Latouche libretto is outstanding.
And the story of Baby Doe (upon which the opera is based) is well represented (with a few dramatic alterations) in the opera.

From An Opera Singer.......2004-05-23

This recording is absolutely fabulous. Beverly Sills sings with amazing technique and her high notes are silvery and effortless. She owns the roll of Baby Doe. I have to say, I do enjoy Sills more than Callas. And I do have a very educated opinion... I am an opera singer. I actually sing the roll of Baby Doe so I know how challanging it is. Walter Cassel is amazing on this recording as well. Any other cast recording of this opera isn't worth the money. This is by far the best out there.

Average customer rating:

WHAT CAN I SAY?
Rest in Peace Dear Bubbles (1929-July 2, 2007)
two beautiful discs!
Good example of the "Art of Beverly Sills"
Claws

Art of Beverly
Beverly Sills
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Very Best of Beverly Sills
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Beverly Sills
Massenet: Manon

ASIN: B000075A7K
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Tracks:

Mignon: Oui, Pour Ce Soir Je Suis Reine Des Fees...Je Suis Titania La Blonde
Manon: Allons! Il Le Faut-Adieu, Notre Petite Table
Manon: Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins-Obeissons Quand Leur Voix Appelle
Louise: Depuis Le Jour
Linda Di Chamounix: Ah! Tardai Troppo...O Luce Di Quest'Anima
Lucia Di Lammermoor: Regnava Nel Silenzio...Quando Rapito In Estasi
I Puritani: Fini...Me Lassa!
I Puritani: Vieni, Vieni Fra Queste Braccia
Roberto Devereux: L'amor Suo Mi Fe' Beata
Maria Stuarda: O Nube
Anna Bolena: Cielo A' Miei Lunghi Spasimi-Coppia Iniqua

Tracks:

Les Contes D'Hoffman: Les Oiseau Dans La Charmille
Les Contes D'Hoffman: Elle A Fui, La Tourterelle
Zaide: Ruhe Sanft, Mein Holdes Leben
Der Opernball: Im Chambre Separee
Die Lustige Witwe: Es Lebt' Eine Vilja
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Gold Is A Fine Thing
Die Tote Stadt: Cluck, Das Mir Verblieb
Daphen: Was Blendet So...Ich Komme...Ich Komme
Sechs Lieder Op.19 No.2: Breit' uber Mein haupt Dein Schwarzes Haar

Customer Reviews:

WHAT CAN I SAY?.......2007-07-05

FOR THOSE WHO WANT A SAMPLER, IT IS THE BEST. YET, IT LEAVES YOU PINING FOR THE ITEMS SILLS NEVER RECORDED IN THEIR ENTIRETY. MORE STRAUSS, MORE OF EVERYTHING. A DEFINITIVE VOICE. HER LUCIA IS UNSURPASSED.

Rest in Peace Dear Bubbles (1929-July 2, 2007).......2007-07-03

I have always loved the flowing, plaintive music of bel canto, and no other singer perhaps captured the synthesis of fioritura and expression so perfectly as Beverly Sills. Callas may have been a supreme dramatist, but Beverly Sills had a better command of the fioritura that skyrocketed her career during the 60s and 70s. It is indeed sad that America has lost one of its national treasures yesterday when Beverly Sills passed away in Manhattan. She truly was one of the greatest. Just listen to her singing any one of Donizetti's three queens and you will know what I mean. She is exemplary not only in Donizetti though. Her Manon is still the best, her Violetta in par with Callas, her Louise the most idiomatic ever recorded, her Fille du Regiment a joy, Linda di Chamounix ecstatic, and Gilda a lesson in the art of light Verdi. She was a supreme painter of characters. Has there ever been a more brilliant Zerbinetta? And how many singers have been able to truly convey the youth of Elvira in Puritani? In Rossini, she was also unparalleled in L'Assedio di Corinto, the role that she made her La Scala debut in. Beverly Sills was one of a great many singers who belonged to a great golden age of singing, and I am thankful that I was born into the right time to hear her glorious work. This CD is a wonderful compilation of the brand of singing that she brought into the lives of many an opera fan for years and years to come.

I met this singer last fall in New York. A few months later, I saw her again hosting the opera quiz at the Met. Little did I know that about five months later, she would forever rest in the peace that she deserved for so long. Rest in peace Beverly. And brava...brava for the many years of wonderful singing that you gave us.

two beautiful discs!.......2007-02-18

Beverly Sills not only survived being a child prodigy - a rare enough thing among singing musicians - she triumphed in a big way. Her fertile and beautiful art is wonderfully represented on this double disc set from Deutsche Grammophon. I sense today a resurgence of appreciation for her art, and to call it well deserved is saying the least. The singing's jam packed with pure musicianship, attention to nuance, fidelity to composer and character - in a word, everything requisite to making the operatic art thrive, qualities in short enough supply today among many opera stars, and it makes this package even more attractive. Sills not only understood bel canto art, she accomplished it memorably. Highlights include 'Ah! Tardai troppo...' (Linda di Chamounix), &an unearthly 'Regnava nel silenzio...' (Lucia), which I might prefer to Sutherland's for its committment and munificence. The gone too soon Thomas Schippers conducts a great performance - how that man could possess whatever orchestra and score he worked with. Two arias from I Puritani - especially 'Vieni, vieni fra queste braccia' with the singing of the genius Nicolai Gedda as Arturo, and an opening to Anna Bolena's aria 'Cielo, a' miei lunghi spasimi' that wipes clean every memory of other versions. All that on disc 1! I had forgotten Sills' beautiful pianissimos, singing so musicianly and free of ego - her interpretation is always only her adherence to score and composer, and greater praise cant be given a classical singer. Disc 2 offers a definitive version of Korngold's 'Gluck, das mir verblieb' (Die Tote Stadt) among a number of fine versions out there. The slowest version available and I feel I'm hearing it for the first time, and with a true Viennese (Rudel) conducting! You can put this track alone on repeat and live out the day in freedom! If you dont know Sills' art, or dont remember it well and truly, this set is a fine place to begin what will become transfixion with a musical art that proves itself urgent and inextinguishable! Highest recommendation.

Good example of the "Art of Beverly Sills".......2007-01-27

Beverly Sills is one of the most well reputed coloratura sopranos of the past fifty years. This CD illustrates why she has attained such renown. First, it shows the range of her singing. While much of her work focused on Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini, she sang about fifty roles in her career, before retiring in her late 40s. This 2 CD set provides a sense of the range of her work.

The first CD focuses on her operatic singing. The CD begins with a selection from Thomas' "Mignon," culminating in "Je suis Titania la blonde." Her voice is light and clear. She displays great agility. In the middle of this piece, she shows a decent but not great trill; she closes the "cut" with a series of terrific trills. Her ornamentation is nicely done.

Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix" was another of Sills' characters. "Ah! Tardai troppo. . .O luce di quest'anima" features more clean vocalization. The florid singing is nicely done, with well sung high notes and additional sound trills. A very agile voice on display! From Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Sills sings "Regnava nel silenzio. . .Quando rapito in estasi." Her voice is smooth. In the aria, she produces a set of trill after trill, each one well done, but in their totality almost overdone (I love trills, but there were almost too many!). "Quando rapito in estasi" is well sung, with much well done florid singing, with appoggiaturas, trills, and other ornamentation.

The remainder of the CD features selections from Bellini's "I Puritani," and Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux," "Maria Stuarda," and "Anna Bolena." I can say pretty much the same about these pieces as already stated before. Excellent technique, wonderful ornamentation.

The second CD begins with the redoubtable piece, sung by "Olympia," from Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann." Well done, with good vocal effects, catching the mechanical aspects of the music. Other pieces on this side come from Mozart, Heuberger, Moore, Korngold, and so on.

One piece worth mentioning, because it captures her approach to a lighter work, from Lehar's "The Merry Widow." She sings the song for what it is, and does not overwhelm it with her voice. Compare with what Richard Tucker did to the enjoyable but rather light song, "What Now My Love?", when he essayed singing pop tunes. Enjoyable for the thrill of his voice; pretty grisly in terms of his overwhelming the music itself. That does not happen here; there is a certain pathos in Sills' singing, as warranted by the song. It suggests the range of her singing.

All in all, a good sampling of "The Art of Beverly Sills." Hearing her voice again after many years reinforces my preexisting view that she ranks as one of the best coloratura sopranos of the past fifty years. There are terrific contemporary singers who sing the same repertoire and do it well. But Beverly Sills certainly compares very well with them. If interested in an introduction to Sillsiana, this is a good place to start.

Claws.......2003-11-16

I already wrote a great review of this collection. It is supreme artistry, and I find her high notes rather large and not shrill. My only question is about the cover photo. Those fingers look like something out of Edward Scissorhands or Nightmare on Elm Street! Does anyone else agree with me? Almost seems like someone must have done some false touch-ups to make them look like claws!

Average customer rating:

touching and heartfelt
A Classic
Well Worth the Wait!!!
the lost city soundtrack
The Lost City Soundtrack

The Lost City
Original Soundtrack
Manufacturer: Univision Music Grp
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Macorina - Abelardo Barroso
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Ricardo Meets Che - Andy Garcia
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Mariano Social Club - Cachao
Berceuse Campseina - Nohema Fernandez
Que Bueno Baila Usted - Benny More
Suavecito - Septeto Nacional De Ignacio Pineiro
Cachao's Guirro - Cachao

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Amalia Batista - Rolando Laserie
Tenia Que Ser Asi - Rolando Laserie
Eleggua - Lazaro Galarraga
Si Me Pudieras Querer - Cachao
Fidel Arrives/El Mayoral - Lazaro Galarraga
Fico Watts/Pidgeon/Aurora - Andy Garcia
Consuelate Como Yo - Lazaro Galarraga
La Bella Cubana - Jose White
Te Pico La Abeja - Trio Matamoros
Donoso's Death - Andy Garcia
Guajira Clasica - Cachao
Veinte Anos - Maria Teresa Vera
Fico Decides - Justo Almario
The Lost City - Andy Garcia
Si Me Pudieras Querer - Bola De Nieve
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La Ciudad Perdida - Andy Garcia

Amazon.com

Andy Garcia directed, starred in and composed the score for this obvious labor of love movie, set in late-'50s Cuba. In his spare time, he also played the piano in the Lost City Orchestra, the de facto house band that performs Garcia's music as well as numbers by the likes of Ernesto Lecuona, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Cuban composers ever ("A la Antigua," "Danza Lucumi," and "La Comparsa" unfurl glorious string charts). Garcia plays a nightclub owner in Havana right before and during the revolution, thus making music an integral aspect of the movie--no wonder this two-CD set features 45 tracks. In keeping with the movie's period feel, the non-score songs are made up of an array of amazing Cuban dance classics by the likes of Rolando Laserie, inspired player of boleros and guarachas, or mambo master Cachao López (the subject of a documentary directed by Garcia). The latter performs the instrumental version of the gorgeous "Si Me Pudieras Querer," the song that serves as the movie's love theme, while Bola de Nieve handles the vocal one. It was brave of Garcia to juxtapose his own compositions to such numbers, but it's also hard not to think they sound a little bland by comparison. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Andy Garcia's critically acclaimed film The Lost City is a personal and emotional story about a Havana family during the time of the Cuban Revolution. The impact of the historical events on their diverging lives is conveyed through this exceptional soundtrack. The two-disc soundtrack contains classic Cuban tracks from Cachao, Benny More, Chappottin, Omar Sosa, Ruben Gonzalez, and Bola de Nieve, plus Andy Garcia's own very personal score. The music plays an integral part in the film and many reviewers have raved about the significance of the music in the narrative of the story. This is a soundtrack for film aficionados as well as Cuban and world music fans.

Customer Reviews:

touching and heartfelt.......2007-07-02

Watched the movie last week and have had to see it twice more. The music is as haunting as it is touching. Muy bien Senior Garcia for giving us both a touching movie and a beautiful soundtrack. The soundtrack has significant meaning since my mother recently passed and this was the music I grew up with. Simply, !Bello!.

I am looking forward to more of your work as a Director.!Adelante!

ANG

A Classic.......2007-06-27

A great historic movie. A movie that celebrates Cuban culture, history, and music. A well balanced movie historically, a great movie overall, and my favorite movie of all time. I am cigar smoker and really enjoyed the view of the tobacco fields and the screenshots of the action taken there. Andy Garcia and the awesome selection of supporting staff made the movie a classic. Great job.

Well Worth the Wait!!!.......2007-06-23

Bravo Andy!!! Ambitious compilation of old and new versions of Cuban classic tunes. Remarkable and beautiful project. Viva Cuba Libre!!!

the lost city soundtrack.......2007-06-13

Total dissapointment! When I saw the movie I immediately wanted to buy the soundtrack which was suppost to be available in 2010. When I purchased it could not believe it. The song are literaly 5 seconds long is like wetting your lips and not being able to drink the drink.

The Lost City Soundtrack.......2007-06-08

This movie is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen in a long time. During the watching of the film I noticed, more than a few times, the music. That is what inspired me to purchase the soundtrack. I watched the movie with my mom, and she, too, was inspired by the music. It was right around Mother's Day that we saw the film so I placed an order for two soundtrack CD's of the Lost City. My mom and I both love the composition and mood that the music has to offer. I would advise anybody who loves Jazz and rhythm to purchase this CD set.

Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel

Average customer rating:

Beverly Sills, American Legend: Ave Atque Vale
beverly sill
Classic performance
Fine performances, flawed recording quality
Handel and Scarlatti

Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel
George Frideric Handel , Julius Rudel , Beverly Sills , Norman Treigle , Maureen Forrester , Spiro Malas , Michael Devlin , Eugenia Earle , Beverly Wolff , William Beck , Dominic Cossa , and New York City Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation)
Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato
Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto
Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Massenet: Manon

ASIN: B000003EOP
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Julius Ceasar: Overture - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Viva, viva il nostro Alcide! - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Presti omai l'Egizia terra - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Curio, Cesare venna e vide e vinse - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Sua reggia tolomeo - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Giulio, che miri? - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Empio, diro, tu sei - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Gia torna in se - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Priva son d'ogni conforto - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Vani sono i lamenti - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Regni Cleopatra - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Vanne, e torna omai - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Sire, Signor! - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Alma del gran pompeo - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Qui nobile donzella - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Avanti al tuo cospetto - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Sfortunata donzella - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Ahime! Vile e negletta - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Cara speme - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Oh, quanto bella gloria - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Va tacito e nascosto - Wolff
Julius Ceasar: Dove, dove, inumani - Wolff

Tracks:

Julius Ceasar: E seguisti, o Niren - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Taci! -- che fia? - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: V'adoro, pupille - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Non ha in cielo - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Piu amabile belta - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Deh, piangete, o mesti lumi - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Se a me non sei crudele - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Si spietata - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Madre! Ferma! - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Cessa omai di sospirare! - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Figlio non e - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Bella Lidia - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Mora, mora, mora - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Se pieta di me non senti - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Sinfonia - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Vinta cadesti al balenar - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Dall'ondoso periglio - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Cerco in van Tolomeo - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Lascia questo sigillo! - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Voi, che mie fide ancelle - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Cesare, o un'ombra sei? - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Da tempeste il legno infranto - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: Cornelia, e tempo omai - G.F. Handel
Julius Ceasar: La vendetta del padre - G.F. Handel

Customer Reviews:

Beverly Sills, American Legend: Ave Atque Vale.......2007-07-04

The world is diminished with the news of the death of Beverly Sills. Her impact on American Opera will never be matched. She was an Original, a woman of great beauty, creative intelligence not only in her vocal production, pyrotechniques, and range, but also in her commitment to acting and drama, bringing a far larger audience to the opera houses with both her gifts as an artist and her compassion for those experiencing opera for the first time. Her performances were full of life, uncannily beautiful in singing and deportment, and aided by her own insistence on the use of supertitles above the proscenium arch, a gracious bow to her audiences to draw them into the stories of the works. La Sills had the intelligence to make her final bow on the stage when signs of vocal weakness began to show. Everything she did was form her heart and her brain and her humanity.

Finding a work to call a signature role for her wide repertoire is difficult, but for most of us her creation of Cleopatra as captured in this recording of Handel's 'Giulio Cesare' is a zenith. She sparkles and stuns with her effortless singing and embellishments and she is accompanied by her old friends Norman Treigle, Spiro Malas, Michael Devlin, Maureen Forrester, Beverly Wolff, Dominic Cossa and of course, Julius Rudel who with Sills brought the New York City Opera to importance.

Yes, the recording is old and now dated and now that Handel's jewel is a frequently performed opera in the original style (countertenors, original instrumentation, etc), the performance does sound a bit florid and thick. But Beverly Sills shines brightly and this is the great selfless star we will all remember. Grady Harp, July 07

beverly sill.......2007-05-18

beverly is enchanting as cleopatra. i have started a beverly collection of operas which i am sure will rival my callas collection

Classic performance.......2007-05-13

If you like this opera, this recording is a must have. Good sound quality, amazing performance. Yes, this is one of the productions that launched Beverly Sills' career. I have yet to see or hear a performance of Cleopatra that comes close.

Fine performances, flawed recording quality.......2007-05-05

The women steal the show here--Forrester's voice lush and gorgeous, Sills at her mindblowing coloratura best. I imagine Treigle's booming, grainy voice was powerful on stage, but at times it sounds coarse and a bit wobbly here in the more difficult passages. All in all this is a fine disc, true to Handel without period instrument nonsense, though the recording quality is bad for 1967 (distortion on high notes and forte voice passages), when EMI and Decca and DG were turning out superb sounding operas on a regular basis.

Handel and Scarlatti.......2006-09-26

Handel's muse is consistently extroverted in contrast with the more sensitive Alessandro Scarlatti and not just because of greater reliance on choruses and brass. His Giulio Cesare in Egitto dates 1724, three years after Scarlatti's Griselda. The two styles are well suited to Boccaccio's "Griselda," on the one hand, and the famous story of Caesar and Cleopatra on the other. The two operas are alike in that both feature grieving wives. "Patient Griselda" is put to a frightful series of tests by her husband. Handel's Cornelia is a grieving widow bent on avenging the death of her husband Pompey at the hands of the Hellenic-Egyptian tyrant Ptolemy. Bass-baritone Norman Treigle is brilliant as Caesar as he is as Mephistopheles in Boito's Mefistofele. Against the background of Caesar's powerful rhetoric and Beverly Sills' Cleopatra, Cornelia's state of grief is about as sensitive as Handel's operatic muse ever becomes, especially in "Priva son d'ogni conforto"-- "I am deprived of all consolation." It is interesting to compare that aria with Griselda's "Mi rivedi, o selva ombrosa" where she confesses her fallen state from a queen to a "despised shepherdess." Cornelia's aria, as subdued as it is, remains basically rhetorical as though she were giving a speech about her grief rather than expressing it. Although high rhetoric is a feature of all Baroque opera, Griselda's song strikes me as decidedly more expressive in its humility.

Average customer rating:

don't believe the naysayers, this album is an amazing feat.
A Solid, but Less Upbeat, Sophomore Album
Is It So Wrong to Crave Recognition?
Just so so (In my opinion)
THAT TOUGH SECOND ALBUM

A Weekend in the City
Bloc Party
Manufacturer: Vice Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000M06K5C
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
Hunting For Witches
Waiting For The 7:18
Prayer, The
Uniform
On
Where Is Home?
Kreuzberg
I Still Remember
Sunday
SRXT

Amazon.com

Bloc Party may have arrived in an outbreak of like-minded British bands set upon shooting holes in the Union Jack while knocking out a sharp post-punk soundtrack, but it didn't take long for the foursome to set itself apart from the pack. Fronted by Nigerian-born singer Kele Okereke, the group's 2005 debut, Silent Alarm, soared as much on crystal ambition as it did on ridiculously danceable pop melodies. This follow-up is darker, more cluttered, and harder to digest. That doesn't make it less striking. Exploring themes of racism, terrorism, sexuality, addiction, and death--the usual fodder for a cosmopolitan three-day bender--Weekend in the City is an album that plays to Bloc Party's strengths: tempo-shifting rhythms, inventive art-rock arrangements, and lyrics that twist and turn on a whim. "The Prayer" and "Uniform" are particular standouts, capturing moments when Okereke lets self-importance fade and majestic beats take charge. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

The follow-up to their smash debut, "Silent Alarm", is every bit as bright, powerful, and catchy, with the addition of more muscle, attitude, depth, and a bit of polish courtesy of their producer, Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol). Inspired by lead singer Kele Okereke's interest in what he calls "the living noise of a metropolis", this record captures every detail of daily life in a modern city from the ebullient to the mundane. From the quiet desolation of commuting to casual sex, from going out on a Friday night to the long ride home early in the morning, these are songs desperate to understand the meaning that pulses under the moments of our every day.

Customer Reviews:

don't believe the naysayers, this album is an amazing feat........2007-06-29

if you take music your music seriously, you'll feel the strong steady pulse that beats below this killer sophomore album.

seriously. fingers out. put it on the cd sleeve. keep still and wait a few seconds...

okay. maybe if you have an imagination in hyperdrive but still, my point is that while "Weekend in the City" may lack the dancier and poppier aspects "Silent Alarm" posessed, the fact they've gone DEEPER into the instrumentals and textures and ambient noises make it so much more fulfilling! anyone can dish out some drum machine beats and a catchy guitar hook, and while this album definitely has that (hello? "Sunday" anyone?), I love how they took the direction of my personal favorite from "Silent Alarm" ("So here we Are") and just built so much on that.

Is "Weekend in the City" an album full of club-banger hits for the indie kids who still call themselves "hipsters" without irony? Probably not. Is it an album good for introspection while wandering around at 2am downtown in the city (not smart, but appealing!)? Most definitely. buy this album. you won't regret it.

A Solid, but Less Upbeat, Sophomore Album.......2007-06-29

There was a time, about a year and a half ago, when I considered Bloc Party to be one of my favorite bands. I listened to their debut, Silent Alarm, almost obsessively and still consider it one of my favorite albums - whether I needed something energetic or pensieve, I could, and still can, find it on that album.

Naturally I was excited about A Weekend In The City before I ever heard it, and upon hearing it I wasn't sure what to think. The first six of the album's eleven songs grew on me immensely, while the second half of the album blurred together without any of the songs making an impression on me. Upon revisiting them, I realized that the immediately listenable songs didn't necessarily have longterm playability; conversely, the five final songs reflect just as much, if not more care than the other tracks -unfortunately, when listened to consecutively, they do tend to sound similar. Listen to them separately, and they really do shine: particularly, 'I Still Remember' and 'Sunday' didn't really grab me when I first heard them, but now rank among my favorites by the band.

All in all, AWITC is a slower album to enjoy than its predecessor, with more of a focus on setting soundscapes than writing hooks for catchy choruses. If you enjoyed the more contemplative parts of Silent Alarm, you'll love A Weekend in the City. Otherwise, expect to spend more time becoming acquainted with the work here.

Is It So Wrong to Crave Recognition?.......2007-06-16

I saw this band on Late Night with Conan O'Brian and I was very impressed with their live performance of "The Prayer." The singer was Black, but his style was somewhere between, Robert Smith, of The Cure, and Feli Kuti, the Nigerian singer and Afrobeat band leader. Turns out the band was fronted by Nigerian-born singer Kele Okereke. The rest of the band looked like a lot of post-punk limey slackers, and by gum, they were exactly that.

From London and South East United Kingdom, this latest deconstruction and reassembly of the modern sound is astounding, indeed. "The Prayer" sounds like some kind of Gregorian chant, or possibly the throat singing of Tibetian monks. The ominous hum builds and is joined by the coolest guitar riff since Satisfaction, a crisp Telecaster riff, at once primative and modern. When Kele Orereke begins to sing, a similar mixture of modern and primative ensues, as electric guitars, bass, and drums, fraternize with an African chant. Lots of shifting tempos, noise and melody, melody OF noise, dance tempos, irresistable beats.

I found their page on MySpace and watched the video for "The Prayer" and some other songs. "The Prayer" video is very good, and it just shows some modern urban kids out for a night on the town, trying to find a cool club in which to dance. Kele is a face in the crowd, lost in the shuffle, but he knows if they would only give him a chance, they would see that he is really a unique phenomenon, worthy of their attention and patience. The lyrics are really very powerful.

Another video shows the band playing on a train, and is like one long pan from car to car of a moving train. Some kind of special effects technique was involved, because it seems like the eye of the camera dollys through the entire train, from engine to caboose, and the band and Kele keep popping up on every car.

Other videos show band members as animated cartoon characters. Shades of Scoobey Doo, or at least The Gorillaz.

I have just discovered this band, but from what I have seen so far, I am very impressed, and will pursue hearing more of their excellent music. A good place to start is on their MySpace page, and if you are intrigued like I was, you can get this album, A Weekend in the City, or else try their first album, Silent Alarm.

Just so so (In my opinion).......2007-06-07

The album starts off very softly but then the opening song progresses into something you can really get up and move to. It's exhilerating an spectacular.

"Hunting for Witches", while still an extremely good songs, reminds me a little too much like "Helicopters" from the band's original album "Silent Alarm". The fact that it's also the 2nd track (same position as Helicopters) is slightly jarring. If you own both albums take a listen, you'll be shocked and slightly annoyed. To me, while "Hunting for Witches" does stand as a marked improvement from "Helicopters" the fact that the two songs are soooo similar, is slightly annoying, but I digress.

"The Prayer" is quite possibly one of the best songs on the album. You can practically feel the artist pleading for the power to be a star and then feel the emotion as he imagines his own future greatness. Really inspiring stuff.

"Uniform" stands well but tends to go off on awkward tangents at time that one fines a little unnecesary.

All the other tracks save for the last one, seem mediocre at best. Just not all that great, but still not necessarily bad either.

The very last album, which describes a real drug for antidepression is one of those song that can really get to you. One of the band's former detractors, who name escapes me at the moment, said that this is the song that made him cry into a cushion for about 15 minutes.

THAT TOUGH SECOND ALBUM.......2007-05-28

That tough second album. We've all heard it before, a band has a great debut only to stumble and fall flat on its face when they release the follow up. Bloc Party was one band I thought was quite immune to the notion of stumbling. After all, 2005's Silent Alarm was one of my favorites that year. Alas, 2007 has brought us Weekend In the City, that tough second album that really is, that tough second album.

It starts out extremely promising with Song For Clay, a song that, after an erie opening, quickly shotgun blasts into the familar guitars found on Silent Alarm, it's punchy, direct and a whole lot of fun to boot. The next few numbers, including Waiting For The 7.18 and Uniform, aren't as memorable. When we hit the record's fourth track, The Prayer, we can finally hear some new direction. The Prayer, which was the lead UK single, sounds off and devoid of a melody. This is mainly for the experimental road Kele and co. have taken rhythmically. He has said in many interviews that the drum track for The Prayer came from listening to an old Busta Rhymes song, the one with the elephants in the video, I'm sure you know it. I applaud them for trying something new, but the song's pacing is annoying, even after a few listens you can only start to hear a melody. The chorus, when it finally kicks in, is actually very good and it almost saves the tune... almost. Which brings us to the last half of the record and the main problem with the entire offering. It seems in the struggle to expand one's sound, Bloc Party have lost the one thing they did well, hook friendly melodies. Even the single, I Still Remember, would be one of the skippable tracks if it appeared on Silent Alarm. Other songs don't fare even that well. Again, the melodies and hooks are non-exsistant, making a song like Sunday, just passable, but just barely, much like this record as a whole. Its good, but in the end, it should've been better and a little bit more fun to listen to.

Average customer rating:

BUY! BUY! BUY!
Great game - great music
Hug your pillows girls
best video game soundtrack ever.
classical music listeners stop complaining

Halo 2, Vol. 1
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sumthing Else
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
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ASIN: B00067RF6E
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix
Blow Me Away - Breaking Benjamin
Peril
Ghosts Of Reach
Follow (1st Movement Of The Odyssey) - Incubus
Heretic, Hero
Flawed Legacy
Impend
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2nd Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
In Amber Clad
The Last Spartan
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3rd Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
Heavy Price Paid
Earth City
High Charity
4th Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
Remembrance
Connected - Hoobastank

Amazon.com

Further proof that the 15-year-old male is the nexus of contemporary popular entertainment, this anthology of music from and "inspired by" the sequel to the earth-conquering Halo saga also showcases how capably the video game industry can trump even Hollywood's vaunted production values. The original synth-heavy underscore by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori is filled with enough brooding, mock-Goth atmospherics, and pulsing exotica of indeterminate ethnicity to give the Hans Zimmer stable a run for their money, while a slate of (mostly) worthy rock star guest turns give it a welcome edge. Legendary axe-slinger Steve Vai's sinewy riffing punches up the reworked main theme and "Never Surrender," while alt.metal contenders Breaking Benjamin serve up the suitably dramatic inspired-by cut "Blow Me Away." But it's Incubus' four-part "Odyssey" suite that's the centerpiece, bridging 1970s prog and modern rock with its moody aura and evocative musical dramatics. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

BUY! BUY! BUY!.......2007-03-05

This CD stayed in my truck's CD player for months before getting tired of it. Enough said.

Great game - great music.......2007-01-10

My son wanted this Cd. I had never sat long enough to listen to the music when he played Halo, so I didn't have a clue what I was buying. He let me listen to some of the tracks once it arrived and I had to "borrow" it from him so I could download the cd onto my pc. Needless to say I bought volume 2 and the original Halo soundtrack cd as well. They may belong to my son, but I love these cds too!

Hug your pillows girls.......2006-08-06

THe only reason I am writing anything about this album is because it contains the Odyssey by Incubus, and its probably some of their best work and will go down as their most unnoticed. While the rest of your nerds are huggin your pillows at night thinking about your video games and the "gnarly instrumentals" on this album you sit there and bash Incubus' work. The first track by them, Follow, is not all that great however it was re-released on an additional cd with their Alive at Red Rocks DVD and it sounds sooooooo much better on that cd (with some real lyrics) But after listening to the Odyssey I was really hoping this to be a new direction for Incubus, a more proggressive/conceptual sound. Whether this is the direction they go on with their new album is yet to be heard. Its a shame that this work will go unnoticed, and the only reason it will be that way because a bunch of losers decide to try and impress people with (what they think) is a sense of music just because its of a classical nature. Yes, the rest of the music on the album is amazing, and I give big ups to its composition, but come on people, show some love to good music when its presented to your faces.

best video game soundtrack ever........2006-08-03

i understand that many people are a bit angry with breaking benjamin and hoobastank being in here. i'm not particularly happy myself with the last track, but i think contemporary music is appropriate here, albeit lyrics may not be the greatest form of expressing the mysterious feeling behind everything. i think o'donnel and salvatori have what it takes to compose a score of music, but it's not a score, it's a soundtrack. i found that if you don't like them you can just skip them. the second to last track is a great way to end the soundtrack.

classical music listeners stop complaining.......2006-05-10

The worst part of this album was songs with lyrics (breaking benjamin, techno, hoobastank)...i dont understand then why people are upset with the incubus - follow has one word the whole song (two if you count "yeah") and their instrumental songs are brilliant, floyd-esque at times. for those of you reading others criticizing this album, ignore them, ignore the three bad songs on this album, and purchase it and enjoy it.

Average customer rating:

More Like Rock'N'Roll, No I Am Not Kidding
Missing the Point
Define "Alt Country"
A little too country for me.
Would make a dog howl

Jacksonville City Nights
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Manufacturer: Lost Highway
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Binding: Audio CD

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Cold Roses
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ASIN: B000AOF9RU
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

A KISS BEFORE I GO
THE END
HARD WAY TO FALL
DEAR JOHN
THE HARDEST PART
GAMES
SILVER BULLETS
PEACEFUL VALLEY
SEPTEMBER
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WITHERING HEIGHTS
DON'T FAIL ME NOW

Amazon.com

Arguably the most eclectically prolific artist since Prince, Ryan Adams continues his chameleon revivalism with his most straightforward country music to date. Having evoked the inspiration of bands ranging from T. Rex to the Grateful Dead on previous solo releases, the former Whiskeytown frontman here channels the likes of Faron Young on "My Heart Is Broken," while framing the shot-and-a-beer opener, "A Kiss Before I Go," with honky-tonk piano and pedal steel. "Seems like I'm always movin'," he sings amid the rockabilly kick of "Trains," as the album finds his restless muse ranging from a dreamy duet with Norah Jones on "Dear John" to naked vulnerability reminiscent of John Lennon on "Silver Bullets." Only Adams would cut a track titled "The End" and sequence it second on the CD, or a song called "Peaceful Valley" and inject it with so much emotion. --Don McLeese

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Whiskeytown, Pneumonia
Whiskeytown, Stranger's Almanac
Whiskeytown, Faithless Street

Customer Reviews:

More Like Rock'N'Roll, No I Am Not Kidding.......2007-07-02

On the surface Jacksonville City Nights would seem to be Ryan Adams at purely his most country, raw acoustic guitar, and heart on his shoulder lyrics.

What Jacksonville City Nights however actually accomplishes is similar to what Rock N Roll, an electrified blast of alternative rock, did, morph Adams into a certain type of performer at a certain moment in time adding another dash to the pallet of his career. That might be impressive artistically but the question is do you all of a sudden like raw country simply because the previous it boy jumps into the genre?

On Jacksonville, Adams actually runs away from his previous core sound and the results are both impressive and jarring. If you want the pop hooks that adulterated his previous records Gold and Cold Roses, then Jacksonville isn't for you. Instead Adams steps into Willie Nelson mode and when it works (The Hardest Part, A Kiss Before I Go) you get some raw pure country sounds. When it doesn't work (title track) you get all the whiney walling that may have pushed you away from the genre. Therefore if you liked raw country before hand, you'll probably like Adams take on the genre, if you're only listening because Adams has jump into the genre, you'll likely find all the reasons you didn't like country music throughout Jacksonville City Nights. Maybe if Adams had spent more time with this focus a more complete feel would overtake the record, however being a relative rookie when it comes to the raw country sound he goes for on Jacksonville, Adams actually sounds like a rookie performer putting out his first record.

Jacksonville therefore is a member of a growing group of Adams records that see him take on a genre and bring all of its strengths and weaknesses to the forefront. So the passion for the genre is there but the experience to pull it off isn't.

Missing the Point.......2007-05-13

"Heartbreaker - loved it; Gold - loved it; Demolition - had its moments; Rock-N-Roll - OK, the guy isn't perfect; Love is Hell - REALLY loved it; Cold Roses - good stuff."

I'm quoting an earlier reviewer, and it's eerie how those quick-capsule reviews mirror my own opinion of Adams' output. But I disagree with those who compare his singing to a dog's howl, or blame country music itself. Traditional country is deceptively difficult to sing, and Ryan Adams just can't do it convincingly. He's trying to bear down on notes like George Jones and misses the mark by a mile. While I wouldn't go so far to liken his voice to dog noises, it is surprisingly devoid of emotional weight. I say "surprisingly", because Love Is Hell showcased some fantastic, emotive vocalizing. This one just sounds like he's phoning it in, as if he hasn't truly lived what he's singing about... which breaks the first rule of classic country. Ryan, stick with the "alt-" prefix stuff... you're way out of your league here.

Define "Alt Country".......2007-04-26

First of all, I would go three and a half stars on this one but Amazon only allows whole numbers. I'm giving Ryan Adams the benefit of the doubt and rounding up.

This is by far the most country album he's put out since leaving Whiskeytown. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of country music but this doesn't sound like any other country music out there. What I can't stand is the country-pop-flagwaving-prothisprothat kind of crap out there now. I like real country. Real country is Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, etc. I guess it could be called "old" country. That's this album sounds like. Ryan's country stuff has been labeled "Alt Country." I'm not sure what the heck "Alt Country" is but if this is it then it sounds like REAL country. If you're a Rock fan you probably won't like this album. If you're a country-pop fan you might like this album. If you're a real Ryan Adams fan you'll probably like this album. If you're fan of good old fashioned country you'll definately like this album. Tracks 1, 4, 9, & 10 are probably the standouts on this album. It's not a must have but if you're in the mood, it delivers.

A little too country for me........2007-02-12

I love Ryan Adams' music. I got hooked on Rock & Roll and have bought everything he's done (with the exception of his whiskeytown stuff). At first I turned my nose up to his more country albums but after a hiatus I listened to them again and enjoyed them immensley; however, this album was just too country for me. I'd like to be able to say it's just because of my dislike for country music in general but a friend of mine who does like country music and also loves Ryan's music did not care for it either. Just my opinion, don't be upset.

Would make a dog howl.......2007-01-24

Heartbreaker - loved it; Gold - loved it; Demolition - had its moments; Rock-N-Roll - OK, the guy isn't perfect; Love is Hell - REALLY loved it; Cold Roses - good stuff.

And that brings me to Jacksonville City Nights, which I would give a **1/2. Those who gave it 4 or 5 stars are apparently not bothered by Adams' strained and overwrought vocals on a number of tracks. Adams' voice, which can be among the best (think "I See Monsters" on Love is Hell), at times morphs into something that would make a dog howl.

In his past work, Adams had a knack for scaling back his voice just when he was reaching his vocal limit. Not here. Halfway through "Trains", Adams' loud and high-pitched vocals make me cringe, ruining what otherwise is a good song. Same goes for "The Hardest Part" and "The End." Adams' voice on "Peaceful Valley" is dreadful throughout. And then there are the collection of sparse songs ("Silver Bullets", "September" and "PA") that are agreeable I guess but didn't leave much of an impression with me.

Still, there are some strong songs here. "Withering Heights" ranks up there with his best, and both "A Kiss Before I Go" and "My Heart is Broken" show Adams at his country best. Songs that grew on me were "Games", "A Hard Way to Fall" and "Dear John." The latter seems to get better the more I listen to it.

Adams has such an incredible and malleable voice that he does not need to force things. While I hope he continues to try out new styles in the future, I am also hoping he sticks to vocals that better suit his considerable talent.

Average customer rating:

excellent second album
Self-consciously coquettish overintellectualized indie schmuck
raw yet refined
Everything you don't expect and more...
Ys

Ys
Joanna Newsom
Manufacturer: Drag City
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Milk-Eyed Mender
The Crane Wife
Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks)
The Letting Go
Yellow House

ASIN: B000I2K9M4
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

Emily
Monkey & Bear
Sawdust & Diamonds
Only Skin
Cosmia

Amazon.com

Joanna Newsom's voice--a piercing flutter that's pitched somewhere between Björk and a hand brake--is an acquired taste. But to the uninitiated, it's not nearly as impenetrable as her cosmic poetry or, for that matter, baroque music. The 24-year-old Californian harpist's second album is a five-track concept piece loosely based on its namesake, the mythological drowned city of the Bretons. We say "loosely" because she leaves plenty of room for digressions on meteoroids and birds flying into windows. While Ys was recorded by minimalist Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey), it includes lush string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks (Brian Wilson) and the final mix was done by sonic experimentalist Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth, Tortoise). The result is an album that sounds unlike anything else. And despite containing spectacularly beguiling songs that stretch out past 15 minutes, every second seems to drip with magic. You certainly don't get that with Ashlee Simpson. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

excellent second album.......2007-07-01

Joanna Newsom has composed the music and wrote the lyrics that are complex, unique and beautiful. She is on the most talented new artists today and I was happy to discover her music. I would warmly recommend this album, as well as her first CD, "Milk-Eyed Mender".

Self-consciously coquettish overintellectualized indie schmuck.......2007-06-29

What is it with every woman in "underground" music insisting on being cute and smart and falsely weird? (The word "underground" is in quotes because any album that costs more than $250,000 to make and tops every single best-of list of its release year cannot really be considered under the radar.) It's like they have such horrible self-image problems that they must always wear a cute outfit, play an unexpected instrument, and sing in a disaffected manner, and they are absolutely GUSHED over in the press. This is just one aspect of the Pitchforkization of music, a faux democratization of taste that results in nothing but hype and backlash--no substance, all fear, just cycle after cycle like a dog who can't tell its own tail from a stick.

Now that I've gotten that rant out of the way, onto the record: I've been listening to this for several months, and I cannot figure out why Newsom is creating what she is and why people (self included) are actually listening to it.

--Does she tell compelling stories? No, not really--the language is obscured and veiled, and even then you know exactly which side she's on in her morality tales. There's nothing complex or surprising about a bear being manipulated and taken advantage of by a monkey, even in Newsom's words, and the obvious plot ending solidifies the fact that Newsom cannot and will never be able to process the moral ambiguities that most great artists--including many that she professes to admire, like Neil Young--can create. Why should I care about a bear? Even if it is an allegory, and a piss poor one at that, I think the whole song should've spared us all and jumped into the water with Ursula.

--Does she use language in interesting ways? On occasion she does, I'll give her that. I have to say that "Sawdust and Diamonds" contains one of the loveliest descriptions of a birth this side of Patti Smith's "Kimberly"--"I was all horns and thorns, sprang up fully formed, knock-kneed and upright." (Funny, though, that when I think of the term "fully formed," being knock-kneed doesn't immediately come to mind.) But the rest of the song's trite meditation on puppeteering and meandering, uselessly vague pastoral imagery render that line, which might have been a good start to something far more interesting, absolutely pointless. And that's what so much of this is. She also has a terrible thesaurus addiction, and will drop an awkward passage without even reconsidering it. You know who else, more famous than Newsom and also praised in her early career, did this? That's right, Alanis Morissette. Perhaps Newsom should stand naked in the street for her next video to make the comparison more apt, because at least Alanis lets it all lyrically hang out while Newson gives none of herself to her art.

--Does it sound good? Well, not really. I used the word "meandering" earlier, and so much of the music on this record does just that. Poor Van Dyke Parks, trying to shine a turd. The composition is so self-aware and cloying, and if there were words to listen to and actual ideas on this record they wouldn't be allowed to breathe. Perhaps it's all a smoke screen to distract from the fact that Joanna Newsom has nothing to say.

Why do I think that Newsom is fraught with naught? Yes, this is only her second album, and yes, she is young and fresh out of creative writing school, but when I hear her sing the word "desire" there's absolutely none there. It's the audio equivalent of getting up every morning and going to work in an office about which you are ambivalent and apathetic. And even the least paid, least hip cubicle grunts know what desire is, surely! Hell, Rimbaud's career as a writer was over by the time he was 24, but his throwaways had far more depth than the best Newsom can do here.

So if I don't like it so much, why am I giving this two whole stars? Because Joanna Newsom is the same age as me, has recorded two albums, and has made enough money to buy a house, which is far more than I've been able to do in an equal amount of time (though unequal opportunities were available, which could lead me to a discussion of her connections and social status/economic disparities from which I will spare you). I suppose she deserves some credit for having her finances in order, without having to resort to grunt work. And yes, I am jealous that someone who created something so insipid is now famous and wealthy. So it goes.

raw yet refined.......2007-06-23

This is my second attempt at posting a review here. The first review had the phrase "my arse" in it (using the other word for "arse") so I can only assume that's why it didn't get posted. I am appalled at some of the things said of Joanna Newsom and her album on Amazon. Some people go so far as to personally attack the artist herself for being privileged (??), for playing a harp in an attempt to be different, and for wearing "cute dresses." Hmmm...

This album holds a special place in my collection. Never have I heard such ambitious, moving, and consistently powerful lyrics on a single album. This is a difficult album to understand for many people, but I find dissecting the lyrics and researching the musician's intent much more interesting and rewarding than anything on the radio these days. As for the music itself, being no music theory major, I can only say that it consistently pulls an emotional response from me; viscerally and intellectually, I find it cathartic, stimulating, raw (no thesaurus used here, guys and girls.) Joanna Newsom certainly does a terrific job on the harp, in composition and execution, and Van Parks' complementary pieces add a certain largeness of sound to the album that matches its largeness of vision.

The vitriol I have seen against Newsom in a few of the reviews here is unnerving and worrying. I would hope that those who do not like her album will in future attempt to logically explain why without succumbing to posting hateful and sexist insults. This does nothing to inform would-be buyers of the album's strengths and weaknesses (if you think the album has any--I personally think it doesn't: it is exactly what it should be.)

Five stars all the way.

Everything you don't expect and more..........2007-06-07

This is probably one of the most creative projects I've ever heard. Newsom plays the harp and writes epic song with lush orchestrations behind them. You hear every instrument and color on this album except what you expect to hear. Newsom's harp trickles through the chords while the songs are colored by lush strings, subtle brass and even an occassional banjo or jawharp. Newsom's songs are very different from traditional pop songs. She divorces the traditional song structure and gives each song a wider arc allowing her to tell the story at hand. The lyrics are very narrative and incredibly poetic. The texts drip with imagery poetic devices that just don't get used enough in mainstream music. This album is incredibly refreshing with its innovative instrumentations, lush orchestrations, masterful songwriting, poetic lyrics and fantastic production. Even with all of this I think that anyone may find fault with one particular aspect of the record:

Joanna Newsom's voice.

I'm not going to lie, it's kind of annoying. Her vocal quality is some kind of strange combination between abrasive and whinny. Images of a pre-pubescent Bjork may come to mind. One thing that I consistently noticed was that when Newsom sang the word, "and" or other words with a similar vowel sound higher in her regester, there was a very distinctive squeek of her voice, kind of like her vocal chords decided to do just a little bit of bumping and grinding. However, as absolutely bizarre as Newsom's voice is, I think it kind of works. Granted, she sounds like a crazy old lady gathering the village children around to sing them a story, but with the style of the music and the content of the lyrics, I think it is strangely appropriate.

Whether you like her voice at all, there is no denying that this project is incredibly unique and creative. You may have noticed that this album doesn't have a great rating from the pooled average of Amazon users. This is not from a consistent pile of mediocre reviews, but polarized reviews from people who adore this album and others who hate it. Obviously, I am one of the former. This album is very hit-or-miss. I've told you what I think, but the only way to tell what you really think about this very debated album is to take a listen for yourself and be the judge of your own tastes.

Ys.......2007-06-07

Ys was a bold move for Joanna Newsom. How could something that begins with the words "The meadowlark and the chim-choo-ree" not be? Yet Ys is an exemplar of a musical gamble that worked, both a logical progression and a quantum leap into unexpectedly majestic territory. Let's start with the developments: Newsom's voice has improved tremendously, moving from an unlistenable cackle to a much more palatable (and appropriate) purr. So have the production and instrumentation--now worlds richer --as well as the song structures, which clock in at epic times but contain multiple movements as in a fable with scenes of differing action and tone. What hasn't changed is Newsom's affection for all things whimsical and her penchant for storytelling--a good thing, since Newsom is a more adventurous tale-spinner than just about all of her singer-songwriter contemporaries. Those who once balked at The Milk Eyed Mender should definitely think twice about skipping out on Ys's magic carpet ride.

Average customer rating:

Nice collection of favorites
Wonderfully Enchanting!
The pleasure of Harry Potter's Music
An Excellent Choice!
A Fabulous Compilation!!

Music from the Harry Potter Films

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Film Music by John Williams
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Great Film Fantasies

ASIN: B000E8N8RA
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Tracks:

Harry's Wondrous World
Nimbus 2000
Fawkes The Phoenix
Dobby The House Elf
The Chamber Of Secrets
Gilderoy Lockhart
Quidditch World Cup/The Foreigners Arrive
Harry In Winter
The Hogwarts March
The Potter Waltz
The Black Lake
Another Year Ends
The Hogwarts Hymn
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban - Suite
Hedwig's Theme

Customer Reviews:

Nice collection of favorites.......2007-07-12

For those not interested in buying all of the soundtracks up to but not including HP 5 this is the way to go. But if you already have them all you will probably find this a wash. Take the tracks you have and arrange them as you like instead. The music is slightly better in places on the originals also.

Wonderfully Enchanting!.......2007-07-01

I figured I'd comment on this CD even though it's not the same one exactly. I have the 2007 2 disc Music from the Harry Potter Films CDs and it's absolutely wonderful! I can't seem to find it anywhere on Amazon or on Silva Screen USA which is where it told me to go! They bring up this version I'm commenting on. The music for those tracks listed is the same as on my 2007 2 disc set so that's why I'm commenting. Brilliant music!

The pleasure of Harry Potter's Music.......2007-05-08

If you want to visualize the scenes from a movie, then this is the CD for you.This is one of the best movie score selections that I have had the pleasure to purchase in quite a while. From the beginning strands of Harry's World to the hauntingly beautiful, Harry in Winter, you will find yourself smiling and playing this CD over and over.

An Excellent Choice!.......2007-03-09

If you are looking for the best songs from Harry Potter movies, this CD is certainly an excellent choice. It's nice listening while driving and It's wonderful because you can listen the song that plays at the beginning of Harry's films over and over. This is a selection of all 4 movies.The best are "Hedwig's Theme", "Harry's Wondrous World", "Harry Potter and The Prisioner of Askaban - Suite" (You can "fly" with Harry while listening to "Buckbeak's Flight", feel Harry's fear and excitement). "Gilderoy Lockhart" is as funny as the character himself. "Harry in Winter" is marvellous.
It's good fun for sure!

A Fabulous Compilation!!.......2006-10-16

The first review pretty much says it all, we just wanted to add our stars. My family and I are big Harry Potter fans and when it was time for my daughter's birthday, she requested a CD of Harry Potter music. There were several different pieces of which she was particularly fond of and this was the only CD that seemed to have nearly all of them. If there's one thing that she misses, it's the song "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from the POA film. Some of the melody is included in the POA suite but she really wanted to sing along.

This CD plays almost constantly in our car's CD system and the kids have a great time remembering what parts of the movies each piece is from. If you're looking for a Harry Potter CD that represents a bit of the best from each of the first four movies, this is it. The quality is outstanding as well.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Heartbreaker	Gold	Love Is Hell
Whiskeytown, Pneumonia	Whiskeytown, Stranger's Almanac	Whiskeytown, Faithless Street