To the Hilt [Import]

to the hilt [import]

Track Listings

1. Why Me?

2. Facedancer

3. To the Hilt

4. Nomad

5. Sleepwalkin'

6. Latin Lightning

7. Violins

To the Hilt,Golden Earring,Polygram Int'l,Arena Rock,Hard Rock,Pop,Rock

To the Hilt [Import]

Average customer rating:

Favorite Album by my favorite band of all-time
very good - but not their best...
You In Reverse
I know we're getting older . . .
Damn near perfect

You in Reverse
Built to Spill
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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At War with the Mystics
Keep It Like a Secret
Perfect From Now On
The Crane Wife
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

ASIN: B000EGDN40
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Tracks:

Goin' Against Your Mind
Traces
Liar
Saturday
Wherever You Go
Conventional Wisdom
Gone
Mess With Time
Just a Habit
The Wait

Amazon.com

It took Doug Martsch five years to complete this album so what's another two minutes? That's precisely how long it takes to sit through a nail-biting instrumental intro before the singer chimes in and you realize that, whew!, he still has it. The quirky, Idaho-born indie-rock group's first album since 2001's Ancient Melodies of the Future, is positively radiant. The meandering melodies have been reigned in but the songs still don't feel like they're rushing to get anywhere, even on the double-paced "Conventional Wisdom." On tracks such as "Liar" and "The Wait" the spacey guitar solos are tempered by sweet touches of slide guitar and a back porch rhythm. Meanwhile, there's a definite Neil Young influence creeping through "Wherever You Go" and "Gone," which makes the band that was weird enough to inspire Modest Mouse weirder than ever. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

One of the most critically acclaimed of Modern Rock bands, Built To Spill returns with its long-awaited album, the first in five years. Putting aside extensive overdubs and an atmosphere sweep, You in Reverse captures the organic, loose, impromptu feel of the band's jams. Led by influential alt-rock hero Doug Martsch and sprouting new influences and a fresh feel, Built To Spill drives ahead with You in Reverse.

Customer Reviews:

Favorite Album by my favorite band of all-time.......2007-05-18

I feel compelled to write my first ever review for a CD on amazon.com because this album is THAT GOOD.

Built to Spill is my favorite band of all-time. This is my favorite album by BtS. When I see reviews here and there about BtS albums, I consistently see that many people have many different favorite albums (except nobody really loves Ancient Melodies of the Future, though it is still a solid album). People say There's Nothing Wrong with Love is amazing; Perfect From Now On is an epic piece of artwork; and Keep It Like a Secret is stellar. I agree with all of those opinions. I say that You In Reverse shows the most growth by the band in any album, and it took five years to achieve. This is the first LP release by BtS that I have lived through as a die-hard fan, so yes, I feel biased because I felt the anticipation before its release and the cathartic release of joy after listening to it tens of times in the first several months.

YIR is a successful mixture of older BtS sounds. I am referring to the epic, long, flowing, stream-of-consciousness songs from Perfect From Now On and the catchy, powerful, rock songs from Keep It Like A Secret. On YIR, you'll experience the same poignant, relevant, timeless lyrics found on all albums. You'll find a return to longer songs (a la PFNO) with some sweet, upbeat riffs (a la KILAS). There is tight, meandering guitar-work with lengthy interludes and bridges using a number of amps. It is a fully matured, calculated, refreshing effort by the world's greatest band. The band feels "for real" in YIR, and not over-produced or fake in any way, which is the way the band felt after producing their previous album (AMOTF).

Also, this last paragraph is a general overview/review of Built to Spill's overall sound. If you like this album, then you will not be disappointed by other BtS albums. On that same note, if you like other BtS albums, you will definitely enjoy this one. Give it a chance.

very good - but not their best..........2007-03-26

Some inspired work here, as with most Built to Spill records, but not quite up to my favorite, "Keep it Like a Secret". Well worth a listen, especially "Liar", "Conventional Wisdom", and the Neil Young-ish "Wherever You Go".

You In Reverse.......2007-01-30

The last BtS CD had it's moments but now Doug Martsch keeps doing what he has always done with BTS, making an album that is equally good as the second one before it. You can place this album somewhere between the masterpiece Keep It Like A Secret and Perfect From Now On.

PFNO had songs that meandered on for minutes; it wasn't BTS's easiest album.

The Boise, Idaho based band sounds like it has always done, even though it has took them almost five years since the last one. Neil Young type guitar playing, a great wall of sound that will sweep you from corner to corner in your crazy little head. Again Martsch uses all the songwriting and soundtricks to his availibility; sudden chord-changes in the song, speeding up and down during the song.

Don't expect a completely new BtS album, that time is over, but if the consistantly keep making albums like this we have a lot of things to look forward to in the future.

And yes, this album again has some perfect singles. My favorite has to be 'Conventional Wisdom' with it's J Mascis-like riff on which the entire song is founded and which almost sound like a later Sebadoh song. Halfway through the song it gets cheery and upbeat and a little slower, a perfect song for live shows to draw it out over 10 minutes.

'Liar' doesn't sound new but it still sounds great. Carried by a great bassline it goes on for a few minutes until at minute 3 is slows down even more to end with a great little drumroll.

It's nothing new and doesn't come near the trilogy 'Nothing WRong With Love' to 'Keep It Like A Secret' but it still beats most of the indie rock of the mid 00's, as they alread were in the mid-90's

I know we're getting older . . ........2007-01-09

but this one isn't all that any of the previous albums are. It's good, solid rock with typical Built to Spill lyrics. Could be better, could be worse, but certainly not pioneering new ground. But are you really looking for that from BtS still?

Damn near perfect.......2007-01-08

After a long break, Doug Martsch stormed back with his band for an unlikely comeback that is stronger than anything else the band has ever released. While it's not necessarily anything "new" from Built To Spill - if you're familiar with the band, everything here is going to sound familiar, too - but it's all done perfectly and with such raw abandon and emotion that this could almost be considered their best performance on record. You would be hard-pressed to find better straight-up, driving guitar rock than "Mess With Time" or "Conventional Wisdom" this year, and if album opener "Goin' Against Your Mind" doesn't grab you, well, you're just dead inside.

Average customer rating:

My ears bled...... but in a good way.
It's a keeper
This album is god
Secretly the best indie band of the last 10 years.
The Best by the Best

Keep It Like a Secret
Built to Spill
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Perfect From Now On
You in Reverse
Ancient Melodies of the Future
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The Crane Wife

ASIN: B00000HZFH

Tracks:

The Plan
Center Of The Universe
Carry The Zero
Sidewalk
Bad Light
Time Trap
Else
You Were Right
Temporarily Blind
Broken Chairs

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

Doug Martsch is enough of a guitar god to fill Keep It Like a Secret, one of indie rock's strongest 1999 major-label releases, with blazing solos. He's also ambivalent about the whole thing, which allows him to highlight the album with "You Were Right," a despairing litany of classic-rock lyrical hooks. --Rickey Wright

Amazon.com essential recording

Most guitar heroes make their mark by doing something extravagant, like playing with their teeth or with their instrument in flames. Doug Martsch of Boise, Idaho's Built to Spill has acquired his guru status by simpler means--he combines his trippy, meandering guitar style with classic pop structures. Martsch also wins points for singing about small-scale moments as well as huge moral abstractions, from watching TV to contemplating the center of the universe. By subtly balancing the forest of dense guitars with Martsch's oddly prosaic yet uncannily beautiful singing, Built to Spill hold the rare achievement of making music that's rooted yet allows you to fly. "Time Trap" begins with a harplike guitar line floating above a heavy wave of distortion, drifts into a reggae pattern, and eventually rises to the high step of musical theater. The charming and funny "You Were Right" decides once and for all which of the classic-rock clichés ring true. "You were wrong when you said, 'Everything's going to be all right' / You were right when you said, 'We're all just bricks in the wall.'" It is a richly deserved analysis from alt rock's heroic Everyman. --Lois Maffeo

Customer Reviews:

My ears bled...... but in a good way........2007-06-08

Bought the CD on a recommendation from a friend that I trust... and once the disc was in my car playing... I pretty much just broke the player so the disc can never be ejected. It's on a perpetual loop.... and i'm good with it. Finally someone who knows how to write a lyric and make it pleasant to listen to. Read all the rest of the reviews if you wanna know what it sounds like... Yeah, it's the thinking man's Nirvana... yes it's the Radiohead knock-off that will actually get you laid... but more than that (if there is more than that ever)... it's just good music and you find yourself veering off the road saying "Damn, this is a good disc!". Enjoy. And congrats to Built to Spill.

It's a keeper.......2007-05-24

After my third listen today to this album I felt the need to write this review. It is interesting that the reviewers who didn't like this album generally liked "Perfect From Now On." I think the other BTS albums are fair to good, but I consider "Keep It Like a Secret" to be a masterpiece. The chord progressions and the layered guitar work bring a deep sweetness to the music. The songs are groovy, rocking, and mellow all at the same time. I'm not talking about incredible speed like Yngwie; it's that he does it just right and it sounds fantastic. Go ahead and say that he's not that great of a guitarist. It's just like the joke about how many guitarists does it take to screw in a light bulb: twenty one. One to screw it in and twenty to say, "I can do that." I am very glad I investigated this band further. This is their best album, and one of the best albums I have ever heard. It has five or six songs that are excellent, whereas one might consider an album with three or four decent songs to be a "good" album. The next time I go to my part time job at night I am going to play this cd accordingly: track 1, volume 9; track 2, volume 8, tracks 3 and 4, volume 10, and I'll have to see after that.

This album is god.......2006-10-06

No words for "Keep it Like a Secret." Hands-down one of the greatest albums of the 1990's. Doug Martsch is a god. I just saw them live for the first time last week and it was incredible. Opened with "The Plan" and closed with a heartbreaking version of "Carry the Zero." Magnificant.

Secretly the best indie band of the last 10 years........2006-03-10

Doug Martsch had already been fooling around in Treepeople and the slightly legendary Halo Benders before 1994's instant classic 'There's nothing wrong with love' came out. This album had some great songs, riddled with melancholy and full of melody.

Succesor 'Perfect From Now On' had it's moment but was not near as good. And then this album came out and Doug was back.

'The Plan' blasts from the speakers and is the perfect opening song with a great simmering ending with at least one great sliding gutiar note. 'Centre of the Universe' is a fresher song followd by the rolling 'Carry the Zero', again with a great ending in which the song completely changes with breaks, new melodies and new sounds.

Martsch shows that besides writing a basic good song there is more you can add before the guitar solos get too boring and longwinded, something the previous album suffered from somehow.

Other favorites are 'Else' based on a simple but effective bass line and the brilliant 'You Were Right' (spot the songs).

Together with Lou Barlow, J Mascis, Frank Black and Evan Dando Doug Martsch is one of the heroes of late 90's, early 00's guitar orientated indie-style rock. Even though it's on Warner he still maintained that status. A legend in the making, like his hero Neil Young. A perfect album that after 8 years I can still listen to every day.

The Best by the Best.......2006-01-25

Simply put, Keep it Like a Secret is the culmination of the greatest three album run in indie rock history.

My story with this album is something like MWM's just below. It's a little embarassing but it must be told. I bought this album when it came out in '99. Somehow, I didn't get it. Somehow, I stopped listening to it almost immediately. And somehow, I eventually sold it back. It wasn't until 5 years later that I got back into BTS via There's Nothing Wrong With Love. I quickly got every BTS recording including obscure stuff like the BTS/Caustic Resin EP. Having seen them in NYC last year, I feel comfortable now calling them my favorite band.

I too regret my lost time with this band, but my failure to connect immediately with them is not a random thing. This stuff comes at your ear from a different direction than you may be used to and it MUST be listened to several times before you start to get it. You hear the word "angular" used a lot to describe BTS and whatever that means it seems to convey this facet of their music. Great music is often uncomfortable to hear the first time and BTS was because it truly is something different, an advance in the history of rock music.

Humorously enough, my brother, who has similar musical taste to me is caught where I was 5 years back. He owns this one and never spins it. I burned him There's Nothing Wrong With Love and Perfect From Now On and he shrugged them off after one listen. Dude, if you're reading this, get into this band already.

For those new to BTS, this is a great place to start. There are definitely moments on their previous two albums that I would consider my favorites (Car, Big Dipper, I Would Hurt a Fly), but this is probably their most consistent and accessible album overall.

This band tends to be compared to Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse and Pavement, but if you're like me, you find those bands either too avant garde, too angry or too arch (respectively) to truly love them and setlle for liking them instead. While similar, Built to Spill are humble and earnest enough to connect with emotionally and they are adventurous and experimental without resorting to pointless noise. Get this, then go to town on their whole catalog, then wait breathlessly for "You in Reverse" in April.

Average customer rating:

Magnificent New Beginning for this band in 1997
Listen to it at least six times
first album of theirs that i've heard; got me hooked
This is Music
Amazing

Perfect From Now On
Built to Spill
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Keep It Like a Secret
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The Soft Bulletin

ASIN: B000002NC4
Release Date: 1997-01-28

Tracks:

Randy Described Eternity
I Would Hurt A Fly
Stop The Show
Made-Up Dreams
Velvet Waltz
Out Of Site
Kicked It In The Sun
Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else)

Amazon.com

Built to Spill's three previous indie releases (on C/Z, Up, and K) established a new pop standard, born from lo-fi experimentation, carefully crafted hooks, plaintive vocals, and brilliant, snaky guitar lines. For their major label debut, Perfect from Now On, frontman Doug Martsch, who leads a revolving cast of musicians, has created his most ambitious album to date. Gone are the compact, simple ditties that characterized the band's recent recordings, replaced by the kind of longer epics that typified its C/Z debut, Ultimate Alternative Wavers. The songs--some clocking in at eight or nine minutes in length--combine the laidback intensity of Pink Floyd and Neil Young with a Beatles-meet-Pavement modern, pop aesthetic. It's at once dreamy, spooky, and spine-tingling and if there's any truly unexplored territory in rock music, you can be sure Built to Spill are in the vanguard. --Adem Tepedelen

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent New Beginning for this band in 1997.......2007-03-30

Perfect From Now On is Built to Spill's third album and gained widespread attention when it was released in 1997. A long vast & epic voyage through 8 noise shifting songs. Perfect From Now On was at the time their tightest sounding album yet, and first major-label release on Warner Bros. Perfect from Now On is filled w/ wailing guitar effects and groove-laden blissful jams. So many twists and turns throughout. Just more of a broadened scope, deeper range and timelessness here.
Yes, these are LONG songs, approaching times between 5 and 9 minutes each. This release reminds me a bit of Neutral Milk Hotel. PERFECT FROM NOW ON is filled with colorful rawness, a beautiful mess.
While their next album "Keep It Like A Secret" is catchier, shorter and poppy.
At this time(1997) the band consists of Doug Martsch: singer/guitarist - his vocals are farther ranging, more matured & more exquisite then on "There's Nothing Wrong With Love," Along w/ band -also adding MORE muscle, depth & volume; takes it's listener on a real experience of adventure
Brett Netson: bass & guitar; and drummer Scott Plouf.
Built to Spill is one of the more important talented bands that more people need to hear. Constantly changing styles and band members w/ each release. And this is their most creative, mesmerizing, most psychadelic sound put out by them. Favorite song: "Kicked It In the Sun." - I also LOVE opener: "Randy Described Eternity" - "I Would Hurt A Fly" - "Velvet Waltz" - "Untrustable/Part 2."
To me this is close to PERFECTION and my Favorite Built to Spill record so far as of 2007. 5 stars!

Listen to it at least six times.......2006-11-21

All I have to say is if you give this album six listen throughs, you'll be done for. The first time I put this in a didn't care for it, but I had loved, "What's Wrong with Love" and I had heard this was an amazing album, so I kept at it. By the 3rd listen I knew something was up, something way beyond the surface. What at first just seemd liked a mass of loud guitars fell apart into a deep, rich, melodic symphony of gigantic porportions. By the time I got to listen number 6 I was done for. Now I can't get this album out of the CD player. Where with other albums I seem to be able to wear them out after a number of listens, this one just won't go away. This is an album with a very large complex number of layers. Get it now!

first album of theirs that i've heard; got me hooked.......2006-08-29

I found songs on this album from online music sites that play songs within the same or similar genre as artists or songs that you input. I heard a couple songs from this album, then decided to get the album. After listening through it a few times, I got hooked. This isn't your conventional guitar/bass/drums rock band. These guys implement all types of sounds into their music. Though their songs are long (they range from 6 to 11 minutes each), they are great to listen to.

This is Music.......2006-08-05

Perfect From Now On was hard for me to get through at first, but after each listen I grew to love it, and it is now one of my favorite albums.

I say to the person who just bought this album, or is even considering this album, to have patience.

Amazing.......2006-04-26

I can't believe it took me until 2006 to discover Built to Spill...It only took one listen to their earlier release "There's Nothing Wrong With Love" to decide that I'll be spending the rest of the year catching up on all their music. For the moment, I can't stop playing this CD.

Average customer rating:

making discoveries, day by day
Childhood Is Great
One of the Greatest
Ted the spacegoat
absolute classic ! ! !

There's Nothing Wrong With Love
Built to Spill
Manufacturer: Up.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Perfect From Now On
Keep It Like a Secret
Ancient Melodies of the Future
You in Reverse
Live

ASIN: B000003L0Y
Release Date: 1994-09-13

Tracks:

In The Morning
Reasons
Big Dipper
Car
Fling
Cleo
The Source
Twin Falls
Some
Distopian Dream Girl
Israel's Song
Stab

Amazon.com

Ever since Boise, Idaho, trio Built to Spill emerged on national radar with its major label release Perfect from Now On (Warner), its earlier recordings are infused with a certain prediscovery mystique. On 1994's There's Nothing Wrong with Love, the roots of Built to Spill's shimmering orchestral arrangements are present, but with a distinctly tattered edge. Frontman Doug Martsch bounds from moody balladry to primal screams, often in the same songs. Add the crunch of Brett Nelson's guitar, and you wipe the sheen off 12 songs that would be just plain pretty, if not for their garage rock soul. --Nick Heil

Customer Reviews:

making discoveries, day by day.......2007-02-02

[...]

anyways, about the album.. its funny because doug doesn't sound as much like neil young here, and everything i've heard so far i like. built to spill in general definitely craft a sound that requires repeated listens to appreciate.. it grows on you and when it does, watch out, its addicting. They could also be compared to modest mouse, and might have borrowed a little from the washington crew since they came out in '93..,still they are extremely different in their own right.. and the songs here are shorter and pretty fuckin' raw.. hence early modest mouse.. i love it.. it annoys me when bands overproduce an album to boost sales.. whatever though.. built to spill is one of the few bands that i can love regardless of their sound being not as "catchy" if you will, like other bands.. because it's catchy in a built to spill sort of way.. it's hard to explain.. their pretty unique.. aside from apparent similarities in Doug's and Neil Youngs voice..

the song "car" is drenched in elliott smith (the beginning at least) which i knew what it reminded me of.. but i just now had to go through itunes and figure it out.. it made my day..

highly recommended if you like modest mouse, neil young, ben kweller, or elliott smith.

Childhood Is Great.......2006-05-29

doug martsch couldn't have brought back young age as great as this one. my favorite song, "big dipper" is what its all about. theres nothing wrong with love proves that even simple things like being a kid can have great substance.

One of the Greatest.......2006-05-11

Built2Spill one of the all time greats in my book. If you want to fill good just pop in this CD and get ready to think and smile through the entire thing. For me it is like listening to an Alternative symphony or classical melodies. I recomend it and most of all their art.

Ted the spacegoat.......2006-01-08

I found a tape of this album in my car. It mightve been one of the best things to ever happen to me. How could such a great band go so unnoticed? i <3 this cd and i <3 this band x1000 omg no joke.

best songs: dystopian dream girl, in the morning, twin falls, and car

purchase now if you're reading this
you wont be all disappointed-like
you'll be all "Im sure glad i listened to Ted the spacegoat"

absolute classic ! ! !.......2005-09-10

---Starting out being a huge Modest Mouse fan, I started hearing a small buzz for this little known influence. I sampled a few songs and settled on this as my first Built to Spill album... That was 8 months ago and I still listen to it at least once a week.
---This is the definative BTS album... Whether or not their others are better, this is the album that should come to mind when you hear someone say Built to Spill..You can sing along to every single song on this CD and it holds a very cute "Denis the Menece/Calvin and Hobs" youthful quality to it. Musically this album recalls Pavement meets a Flaming Lips jam session...But to compare bands is not completely fair, for BTS has a very unique sound that is very much all their own.. Even Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie (who are often compared) have a much different sensibility and aproach..
---Pure and simple this album has everything an indie rock geek can love about music. Its not overthought yet its not lazy.. Perfect pop album... Buy it now...

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
What to Listen for in Music
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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

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Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Ancient Melodies of the Future
Average customer rating:

A Quality Effort

Underrated

If You like Modest Mouse...

Successful grown-up indie pop

BTS Virgin -- Only Way to Go is Up

Ancient Melodies of the Future
Built to Spill
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Keep It Like a Secret

Perfect From Now On

You in Reverse

Live

Now You Know

ASIN: B00005LK6L
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Tracks:

Strange
The Host
In Your Mind
Alarmed
Trimmed and Burning
Happiness
Don't Try
You Are
Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
The Weather

Amazon.com

With a band like Built to Spill, the key to success is to chart a course through the future that mirrors the past. Built to Spill may be on a major label, but its linchpin, front man Doug Martsch, still writes all song parts himself and has a large hand in every album's production from start to finish. Martsch assembles the players--drummer Scott Plouf and bassist Brett Nelson--to take their parts in the studio and on tour, but he still holds all the musical cards. As a result, the Boise, Idaho-based trio sounds pretty much the same on Ancient Melodies of the Future as it did on 1997's Perfect from Now On and 1999's Keep It Like a Secret. That said, though, why change a winning formula? Martsch's mix of wry humor, Neil Young-influenced rock, and soaring indie-pop ballads has garnered him a Guided by Voices-like cult following that this album is in no danger of turning away. "In Your Mind" is the standout track, with Martsch's fitting assertion that "No one can tell me to listen / No one can tell me what's right / because nobody has my permission / and no one can see in your mind." The other tracks are tried and true BTS fare, bending guitar effects around straight-ahead rock ("Trimmed and Burning") or layering warm melodies atop Martsch's elliptical lyrics. Indie-rock fans looking for something wildly divergent or refreshingly different won't find either on Ancient Melodies, but those looking for a linear extension of BTS's past works should find a happy resistance to change in this latest release. --Jennifer Maerz

Customer Reviews:

A Quality Effort.......2006-06-27

I've been into Built to Spill for about 5 years and was lucky enough to catch them live in September of '05- Three guitars-What an aural onslaught! Any way..Ancient Melodies of the Future contains some BTS's BEST songs and they happen to be of the mellow persuasion -"Alarmed"-"words for fighting ,words for fun-they've all melted onto one" freakin great song."Strange" has a "stony summer's day" feel to it same as " You Are" and I cannot believe how many reviews I went through here and most of them did not mention one of the greatest songs by ANY band in the last 10 years ,"The Weather".It sounds as fresh and touching the 100th time hearing it as the first .This is a must have CD. It's just as good if not better than previous BTS efforts...Really.

Underrated.......2006-05-15

First things first - this is the weakest Built to Spill album, but that's not saying much because they're all good to great, including this one. I think the new album gives this one new perspective because going back and listening to it, it is clearly the middle ground between the two albums that bookend it - Keep It Like A Secret and You In Reverse; couldn't have arrived at the latter from the former without this one in the middle.

Pretty much anything would be a letdown for Built to Spill fans - people wanting more 4 minute pop numbers (like Keep It Like A Secret) got that, but they're not quite up to that amazing level. People wishing they would get more experimental like Perfect From Now On were kept waiting (until the new album). This is a good album with good songs, some of which (Alarmed and Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss in particular) stack up with the best stuff from the other albums. Some of it is not as solid, but then again, I feel the same way about There Is Nothing Wrong With Love (The "Car" album).

In short, this is a good Built to Spill album. Not the best one, not the one new fans should start with, but a worthwhile album of which any fan will like most if not all.

If You like Modest Mouse..........2006-04-11

You can't go wrong with built to spill. They sound similar but are very distinct but i really think Modest Mouse one ups Built just in sheer amount of experimentation and how much they can sound different from one song to the next. Built really has Doug on guitar that really pulls them apart from Modest and makes them sound a bit like the pillows only with lyrics we can understand unless u know japanese.

Successful grown-up indie pop.......2005-08-17

This is my first Built to Spill record. Ancient Melodies seems to me to be the product of a mature man expressing himself through kid's music. Nothing particularly wrong with that, to me. It's hard to drop the rock 'n roll itch. This is the next level down in terms of accessibility from bands like The Pixies and REM.

There's lots of stuff going on here, fuzzy synthesizers, chunky guitar hooks, quasi-philosophical musings about the nature of life,perception, love and lust, tape loops and other understated studio gimmicks. Occasionally Doug Martsch channels Neil Young a bit too much for my liking, hence the last star off.

One of the cleverer lines that stands out in my mind as I write is "Happiness will only happen when it can". How true. If this is the type of observation that helps you turn the coffeemaker on every morning, you should give Built to Spill's "Ancient Melodies" a try. Blow off the hipsters dismissing this record, who ingest too much media and aren't impressed by anything anymore. Hopefully you have arrived here before that has happened.

BTS Virgin -- Only Way to Go is Up.......2004-06-15

This is my first Built to Spill experience and I found this album to be fantastic. I've only read a few reviews just now but it seemed like there was a bit of disappointment? Maybe that's all I happened to read...I'm just excited because if that's the case, then to think that BTS' other albums contain work superior to this is absolutely mindblowing. I treasure this album and cannot wait to be "educated" by their other cds. Thank you!

Average customer rating:

better than expected
Best Live Album Since "Band Of Gypsys"
A guitar hero celebrates his craft!
A guitar masterpiece
Is It Live Or Jane's Addiction?

Live
Built to Spill
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Keep It Like a Secret
Perfect From Now On
Ancient Melodies of the Future
You in Reverse
Now You Know

ASIN: B00004ST2L
Release Date: 2000-04-18

Tracks:

The Plan
Randy Described Eternity
Stop The Show
Virginia Reel Around The Fountain
Cortez The Killer
Car
Singing Sores Make Perfect Swords
I Would Hurt A Fly
Broken Chairs

Amazon.com

While additional guitarists Brett Nelson of Caustic Resin and Jim Roth of the Delusions pop up in a couple of tracks on Built to Spill's Live, the person most responsible for the extra-crispy sound is Phil Eck. He produced the Idaho-based trio's last two albums, the critically acclaimed Keep It Like a Secret and Perfect from Now On, and here he mans the soundboard to make sure the band's dynamic combination of the intimate and the explosive comes through just right. Live is one of the shinier sounding in-concert documents in recent memory, sounding (at times) more like a polished studio project rather than a collection of live cuts. This works in the group's favor, especially during psychedelic moments such as "I Would Hurt a Fly." Live won't stem the fanatical bootlegging and tape trading among devout fans, but it's a fine sonic souvenir of alt-rock's quirkiest power-pop-'n'-jam band. --Jason Josephes

Customer Reviews:

better than expected.......2006-04-02

It took me a few years to finally buy this album, even though I am a big Built to Spill fan. The reason was simple, most of the songs were from an album I didn't particularly like when it came out (Perfect From Now On) and only a few were from my favorite two (There's nothing Wrong with Love & Keep It Like A Secret).

When I finally did buy it I was pleasantly surprised. First of all I had a renewed appreciation for the band when I had another go at 'Perfect From Now On' and loved it this time around. As a previous reviewer has said, the versions on here are mostly better than on the studio albums and really gives a good sense about the live-band they are. Making it even sadder that Doug never flies over to Europe, the last time I saw them here was around 1996... but fortunately I saw them in Boston and this album is very similar to the experience I had there.

The guitar sounds meander along in time like on 'Cortez' the killer but never get boring, like so many other guitar bands get when they have jams like this. And that's what makes this album special, even in 19 minutes you never get bored.

Great live album, not the best ever as some have said, but up there.

Best Live Album Since "Band Of Gypsys".......2004-11-08

Sorry, overserious music critics, that's the truth. This is a guitar player's wet dream, a sonic masterpiece. The sound is crisp and clean, and the interplay between the left- and right-channeled guitars is amazing. Song selection and sequencing is perfect.

Without "Live," I don't know how I would have coped immediately after 9-11. I just got in the car and drove, singing as loud as my speakers could play.

Can't say much more strongly: If you like guitar, give this album a spin. It's what's right about music.

A guitar hero celebrates his craft!.......2004-04-29

Doug Martsch is a true guitar hero. While he operates out of the mainstream, he is an accomplished and powerful player, and most "classic" rock fans would enjoy this if given a chance. The songwriting is excellent, as always, and the live setting really makes the sound even more powerful than in studio. Buy it for the people who just listen to the same songs over and over, and they'll be converted!

A guitar masterpiece.......2003-12-05

I'd give it 4.5 if I could. This was the album that got me started on BTS about 2 years ago, so I agree with the people saying this is a good way to get introduced to the band. This album, more than any other I've heard from BTS (or probably anyone, for that matter) has absolutely amazing guitar work.
The two 19 minute tracks are excellent. The meandering guitar on Cortez the Killer is pretty good (and that's the best Neil Young impression I've heard), but the real jewel is Broken Chairs, with its awesome buildups and creshendos.
The Plan, Randy..., Stop the Show, and Car are all significantly better live, as the guitar is allowed to stand out more. And Virginia Reel is amazing. The guitar on that one soars. Seriously, with that song I put on the headphones, close my eyes, and imagine soaring through the clouds.

So overall, this album is really special. If not for Singing Sores, which lacked the interesting guitar work found everywhere else, and Hurt a Fly, which was the exception by being better in the studio version, this would definitely be a perfect album.
If you love great guitar, you really should own this.

Is It Live Or Jane's Addiction?.......2002-07-31

Built to spill sounds a lot like Jane's Addiction, a bit too much, really. They are loud, they are screechy, they are grating. If you like this sort of wailing hard alternative, why not stick with the innovator? Leave the imatator to rot.

Average customer rating:

reminds me of Judas Priest
Built to Destroy
Dated sound, stellar Schenker
Half baked effort
Someone Screwed this mix up.

Built to Destroy
Michael Schenker Group
Manufacturer: Bgo - Beat Goes on
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Michael Schenker Group
Assault Attack
M.S.G.
Assault Attack/Rock Will Never Die
The Michael Schenker Group

ASIN: B0000011P4
Release Date: 2002-02-15

Tracks:

Rock My Nights Away
I'm Gonna Make You Mine
The Dogs Of War
Systems Failing
Captain Nemo
Still Love That Little Devil
Red Sky
Time Waits (For No One)
Walk The Stage

Album Description

Remastered 1996 reissue on the BGO label of their 1983 Chrysalis album featuring Gary Barden, Chris Glen, Ted McKenna and Andy Nye. Contains the original cover art and all nine original tracks, including 'Rock My Nights Away' and 'Captain Nemo'.

Album Details

European Version featuring an Alternate Track to the Japanese Pressing: Walk the Stage.

Customer Reviews:

reminds me of Judas Priest.......2007-05-23

I'm looking through the MSG stuff on Amazon because "Rock Bottom" has been in my head since I heard Tesla perform it at the New York State Fair this past fall (2006). I've watched various "Rock Bottom" videos on YouTube, and they impress me to no end. I know Amazon's short sound clips can never give full justice to songs, but almost every clip I heard had me thinking of Judas Priest. It would be nice if the clips featured the best of MSG, but they don't. Don't rely on the sound clips. Check out MSG on YouTube or myspace for a better representation. MSG rocks when you hear the full context of their songs. This isn't intended to knock Amazon in any way, since they aren't to blame for the quality of their sound clips. (I usually buy through Amazon.) Other online sites offer the same clips. Hopefully there will come a day when better clips are available. For now, though, I will check out myspace and youtube, and gladly buy anything that turns me on. My first MS purchase will have to be something with "Rock Bottom" on it. :-)

Built to Destroy.......2007-01-21

The final of the classic MSG line-up of Gary Barden, Chris Glen, Michael Schenker, and Ted Mckenna(Cozy-RIP-was the best but he liked moving around) As with most bands that do well and have a distinct sound, much of it is found in the lead vocals. David Lee Roth said it right " I am Van Halen" and with MSG, Gary Barden is no exception, he is "MSG". True there is no way to replace guitarist like Schenker or Eddie Van Halen, but the voice is up front and sets the pace for the song.

Built to Destroy (Imported version) maintains that "MSG" sound but explores the popular rock scene of the times, a little more keyboard with Andy Nye. Gary's vocals are right on and Michael's guitar work is brilliant, especially on "Nemo" and Systems Failing.

This is the American version where the entire album was remixed to push it on the charts. As a dedicated early days MSG fan, this mix gets further away from that original heavy european rock sound of MSG. I rank the american version the lowest in the Barden era. Just way too produced. As a former audio engineer, the mix in a way sounds "amatuerish" In addition, I'll never understand why they ever brought in Derek St Holmes in for vocals on "That little devil" - truly a mistake, Gary's version is far superior. He should have stuck with Ted Nugent.

The cover shot is fantastic and a great indication of what Michael would like to have done to the record executives heads that were controlling the bands work. The back cover is a beautiful example of MSG, small stage, beautiful girls and rockin' music.

If you are a first time MSG listener, go for MSG and MSGII, look for the live EP for the original MSG, it has Armed and Ready and Into the Arena live. That was my first introduction to MSG and is "The sound"

Get Built to Destroy after you're hooked, then you will be able to find those sounds from the early days throughout this album.

Cheers - Mike

Dated sound, stellar Schenker.......2005-10-20

My first introduction to Michael Schenker was through this album back in 1984. Listening back to it now, the instrumental track, "Captain Nemo", and the guitar solo to "Systems Failing" are still stellar examples of his classical-tinged blues rock playing. And while, personally, its a fine nostalgic visit to listen to the album again, its woefully evident now that the lyrics are weak and the overall slick production has that pre-1985 hair-&-spandex rock feel. Most telling of this is just how much keyboard there is on the album. A nod towards riding the "rock synth" fad that followed Van Halen's release of "Jump" of of their "1984" release, perhaps? If anything, one can always skip this one and pick up the live follow-up "Live at Hammersmith Odeon". Most of "Built to Destroy"'s tracks are on there, as well as a few others from other earlier releases. If your're looking for a better listenable intro to Schenker, get either the 1st or 2nd McAuley-Schenker albums.

One interesting note is that my CD, while it does not contain the original mixes, has "Rock Will Never Die" retitled "Walk the Stage". Having owned the recording on cassette back in 1984, and borrowed the vinyl LP then as well, that retitling made me do a 2nd look!

Half baked effort.......2004-12-10

This is not the best Schenker album, but still has a lot of his trademark guitar licks, melodic solos, expert guitar playing and some good vocals by Barden (even containing his trademark bad, I mean BAD, silly and useless lyrics).

The trouble lies in the bad production. It is too polished, what would have not been a big problem had it not sounded so lifeless, lacking punch, lacking rawness.

Anyway, for a Schenker fan, it's obligatory acquisition.

Someone Screwed this mix up........2004-02-10

This is a revamped version of the original release from '83. It is slicker, but that's it. They cut short some of the guitar solos. The best example is Red Sky, which was called "Red Sky at Night" on the Chrysalis release. This was one of my favorite Schenker songs, but when I listened to it I could'nt believe how it was butchered. This BGO version just doesn't sound like the original at all. Skip this one and find the original.

Average customer rating:

Every team has a bad game, even the Dead.
This is Not what the Dead are About
through the years
rest in peace, Brent
last studio record

Built to Last
Grateful Dead
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In the Dark
Workingman's Dead
Go to Heaven
American Beauty
Aoxomoxoa

ASIN: B000002VG7
Release Date: 1989-10-17

Tracks:

Foolish Heart
Just A Little Light
Built To Last
Blow Away
Victim Or The Crime
We Can Run
Standing On The Moon
Picasso Moon
I Will Take You Home

Customer Reviews:

Every team has a bad game, even the Dead........2006-10-23

Even the best teams in sports can have a bad game. So too can be said of the work of some of the best bands. Built to Last has earned Dead Last place in my Dead collection. It is the only CD in my extensive Dead collection for which I truly regret my purchase.

This is Not what the Dead are About.......2005-09-17

Thank God Brent croaked before he could further tarnish the Dead catalog.

through the years.......2005-07-24

alot of poeple don't feel this was a good disc.i would have to disagree with that.i've been a dead head sence i was about 15,i'm now 42.in that 27 year time span i've seen the band grow.60's with pig pen as the front man,and jerry evoving in to that slot as they eased into the 70's. around 1973-74 they were inspired to record things like "blues for allah" and "wake of the flood".both very creative albums.and the shows that followed were made of the same magic.
then brent started to find his place in the band ,in the 80's.he and jerry were on the same plain and complamented each other so well.
then at around the time of "in the dark" the band felt it was time to give brent the spotlight.and how he did shine!his music brought a new creativity to the music ,not felt sence that mid 70's time period.
the very first time i heard "i will take you home",it was at the buffalo july 4th ,1989 show.i was wowed.tears filled me up alittle (i was not alone in that)a year or so later the new disc came out.i went straight to that track to see if the studio version was as good.it was.
so i've seen the band grow over the years ,and dig every new turn they took.thats was the grate thing about the band .it alway continued to grow.
so maybe if you listen to the disc with the history in mind ,you'll come away with a little different perspective.

rest in peace, Brent.......2004-05-14

This album was very disappointing for me. I bought it the day it was released and I was very excited, I had seen the Dead perform "Victim" and "Blow away" on their previous tour and I was expecting greatness. The production is good, and Jerry is in fine form, but these songs, with the exceptions of "Victim, Blow away, and Standing on the moon" they just don't make it for me. The rest of the songs are all filler, as far as I'm concerned. Don't think I'm not a Brent fan, I loved Brent and miss him very much. I think that of all the Dead's keyboard players that Brent was the one that had that magical connection with Jerry. Maybe it was the opiates, I don't know but it seems like Brent and Jerry were on the same wavelength, they were in perfect harmony with each other. Brent WAS a Deadhead, unlike Vince or Bruce. Unfortunately, Brent was not a very strong songwriter, with the exception of "Blow away." This is a great song that worked very well live. Check out "Blow away" on the Dead's "Dozin' at the Knick" set and you'll see what I mean. Brent really kicked ass at that show, man. He is and will be missed for a long, long, time by many Deadheads like myself that appreciated his sparkling, cosmic playing that worked so well with my favorite band of all time.

last studio record.......2002-11-04

This cd isn t one of the most favorites by Heads in consensus, but it conjures a beautiful snapshot of what fed a lot of the late 80 s shows of this band. Foolish heart, Picasso moon, so on..

Also, if you get a chance to read the making of this record in the book 'skeleton key', it'll give you a good inside on how it was recorded and the work that went behind it.

Built to Destroy
Average customer rating:

Yes, underrated.

UnderRated

Half baked effort

An absolute must-have for even the casual Schenker fan

Built to Destroy
Michael Schenker Group
Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Assault Attack

The Michael Schenker Group

M.S.G.

Rock Will Never Die

No Heavy Petting

ASIN: B0000071QO
Release Date: 1996-07-19

Tracks:

Rock My Nights Away [US Version]
I'm Gonna Make You Mine [US Version]
Dogs of War [US Version]
Systems Failing [US Version]
Captain Nemo [US Version]
Still Love That Little Devil [US Version]
Red Sky [US Version]
Time Waits (For No One) [US Version]
Walk the Stage [US Version]

Tracks:

Rock My Nights Away [Original UK Mix]
Dogs of War [Original UK Mix]
Captain Nemo [Original UK Mix]
Still Love That Little Devil [Original UK Mix]
Red Sky [Original UK Mix]

Album Description

Japanese remastered, reissue now with five bonus tracks,'Rock My Nights Away (Original Mix)', 'The Dog Of War (Original Mix)', 'Captain Nemo (Original Mix)', 'Still Love That Little Devil (Original Mix)' & 'Red Sky Devil (Original Mix).14 tracks in all. 2000 release.

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring Five Bonus Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Yes, underrated........2006-05-12

This cd gets 5 stars because it contains 5 versions of songs that are the original European mix. When the album was first released only the import was available and it was so much more raw and genuine. You could actually feel that album. Then the U.S. release came out and took it down a notch. Whoever decided the songs could stand improvement, including replacing Gary Barden on "Still Love That Little Devil" with Derek St. Holmes on the U.S. version, was wrong. Please release the original album and discard the American mix.

UnderRated.......2005-05-18

This album rocks. One of my favorite songs is "Time Waits" . It is truly a hidden classic. Systems Failing and I'm Gonna Make You Mine bring out the strengths of this fine axeman. I bought the original and that is what I base my review on. It kicks and I still rock to it 20 years later. I had the LP and now the CD. I also recommend "Michael Schenker Group Live - Unforgiven World Tour" . That has MSG, UFO, and Scorpions music all over it. Of course, the common denominator is Michael Schenker in all of those bands.

Half baked effort.......2004-12-10

An absolute must-have for even the casual Schenker fan.......1999-08-26

This album fulfills the promise of "Strangers In The Night". Much of Schenker's solo work is overly aggressive and his talent is lost in the noise. This album is balanced: Schenker's awesome neoclassical metal guitar style coupled with consistently well-written songs, yielding an album that is perhaps his best solo work. An absolute must-have for even the casual Schenker fan.

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